#BUT ANYWAY basically the owners of those cats moved away Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[resident-rats]

THERES A NEW CAT IN MY NEIGHBOURHOOD!!!!

[sunshinesukuna]

just right

pairing: miya osamu x reader

tws: body insecurity, catcalling, self-starving

wc: 5.1k

prompt: Person A and B aren’t a couple, but A is crushing massively on B. A decides to change to get B’s attention, and while B doesn’t know about this crush, B starts to notice that A is starting to look and act differently... But B doesn’t like it and decides to confront A. What is the confrontation like? How does A react?

summary: the 6 things you want to avoid for him, and the 1 thing he wants you to avoid for him.

insp: GOT7′s Just Right, lovely - millz

special thanks to the betas that read over this @haikyuu-ink @fukuronani and @ardorwrites-hq-mha <33

this is a special love poem for all y’all that are going through something like this. psa: it gets better <3333

The lunch ladies were all flabbergasted when you skipped your usual side dishes and asked them to give you a piece smaller than your usual. 

“But you’ll go hungry!” one of them said. You shrugged and gave them an apologetic smile.  You turned your head to the side to avoid smelling even more of the scrumptious food in front of you. Instead, you focus your eyes on the small bowl in front of you. There’s some rice the size of a child’s fist coupled with a piece of fish smaller than an iPod shuffle.

Osamu pulls out his regular bento that he made himself after complaining that the ones you make weren’t enough to keep him fed throughout the day. There are three onigiris per usual. All three of them were meant to be for him, but you started nicking so much of them for yourself that he let you have one eventually.

So when you didn’t creep your hand from under his larger elbow to swipe at the snack, he stopped eating all at once. The onigiri hung suspended inches away from his ready mouth, locked in their place by your out of place habits. 

He holds it out so tantalizingly in front of you, the human personification of the devil on your left shoulder egging you to take the snack from the plastic bag in front of you. Osamu doesn’t say anything, but the nudge on your arm and the small raise of his chin asks you soundlessly: “You’re not going to eat it?”

You shake your head and continue nibbling on the fish to savor the flavor for longer. Osamu tilts his head.

“You’re not going to eat it?” Osamu says out loud. Atsumu stops his blabbering from across the table and puts his chopsticks down.

“Oh? What’s this? Our gluttonous (Y/N) isn’t eating that much anymore?” Atsumu asks. You wrinkle your nose at the other twin. Osamu’s still holding the onigiri. He makes it look like an object worthy of being your Holy Grail, perhaps even better than that. It takes all your resolve to hold back from running to the lunch ladies and demanding seconds.

“I figured that you would be tired of me stealing your food all this time, so,” you pushed his outstretched hand away from you, “you can have it this time.”

“But I don’t want it,” Osamu says. He slides the unwrapped onigiri back to you and opens another one.

“You can give it to Atsumu,” you say, sliding the snack to the other side of the table.

“Yeah, ‘Samu,” Atsumu says, using your nickname for his twin. It drips in mock sweetness that would make anyone grimace. Atsumu mockingly opens and closes his hand, even though there’s a mountain of rice and enough vegetables to feed an unwasteful family for a month on his own plate. “Give it to Atsumu.”

Osamu rolls his eyes at his twin and looks back at you. Like he’s going to give the fruits of his hard work to his no-good twin. His eyes widen again as he taps your elbow with the onigiri like you’re a stray cat deprived of warmth.

“You don’t have to give it to me, ‘Samu. I’m fine.” The groaning of your stomach says otherwise. Osamu looks at you with his ‘I-told-you-so’ eyes. You bat your eyes and open your mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. He holds out the piece of onigiri again.

You chew on the last mouthful of rice, sucking out all the flavor from the grains before swallowing it and putting down your chopsticks. Osamu keeps eye contact with you as you rise from the lunch table, looking like a puppy that had been kicked to the streets by its beloved owner.

“I’m on a diet,” you mutter, as you make your way back to class alone. “See you at practice later.”

Osamu stares at your retreating back, before finishing the onigiri that was meant to be yours.

Osamu forgot the name of the female idol a minute into the interview. The other boys in his class had been raving about her since class began. The minute the teacher left to go to the office, it was phones out and social norms out the window apparently, as they ogled the beauty giving the interviewer a way too good view of her legs.

He balances the pencil between his lips and nose as he eavesdrops on the conversation. He catches glimpses here and there of who they’re talking to, but they’re not enough to pique his interest. Truth be told, Osamu would much rather like it if the ones talking to each other in close proximity on a loveseat were you and him. 

“Yo Osamu!” one of his classmates, Osamu has better things to know than his name, calls out with a slap on his back. 

“Are you a fan of her too?” the classmates asks. Osamu twirls the pen around his fingers silently, not feeding into the question.

“There must have been something you liked about her,” one of the boys says, leaning on Osamu’s desk. Osamu has half the mind to tell him to move his arse to the dumpster where it belongs.

“She…” Osamu shrugs saying the first things that come to mind, “has a cute laugh, I guess. Doesn’t snort like those comedians on game shows,” he says. Of course, he doesn’t mean it, he just hopes that the boys will go away if he makes a dry comment.

The boys thought that Osamu couldn’t even digest the basic mechanisms of a laugh at the end of the day anyway, so they rolled their eyes and went back to happily watching. 

You stare at your hands as you listen to his words on the other side of the class.

“And then she slams into the wall, face first. When I saw her through the window, I thought she was Peppa Pig reincarnated as a human, without the pig,” Atsumu jokes later at practice.

A smile breaks out onto your lips, widening into a hearty laugh. You’re about to slap your thigh in mirth, but are suddenly jolted back to reality when you catch a glimpse of Osamu.

You laugh, but your signature snorts and chortles are gone, replaced with a tinkly giggle that makes Osamu want to punch people who laugh like that. And the wide smile on your face is hidden behind your hands, what’s up with that? But since you’re the one that’s laughing, he clenches his fist and squeezes his knee to redirect his excess tension.

You keep it up for the rest of practice as you continue with your duties as manager. The first-years that see you as their friendly senpai chat you up as usual. Osamu has more pressing appointments, like the ball hurtling towards his face at 75 miles per hour, so the face of the fella that’s making you cover up your pretty little laugh automatically stamped onto the ball in Osamu’s mind, as he spikes the ball back with a deathly force.

Osamu’s always been content with the circumstances he was born in, but right now, he wished that he was born with a superpower. Telekinesis, more specifically, so he can ward off the hands that cover your mouth and the vocal cords that constrict the laughter that is so uniquely you. 

Maybe that’s why he’s thinking about you much more than he usually does.

He doesn’t pay much attention to how much of it he’s giving you until Atsumu brings it up later on the way back home. 

“Ya’ was staring at her so hard I thought your eyes were ‘bout to pop outta your ugly face,” Atsumu says. Osamu isn’t fazed, having faced almost 17 years of the same insults over and over again from his twin that just never seems to learn any new ones. He keeps walking. 

“We have the same face, Einstein,” he retorts. There are a few minutes of silence between the twins as they pass the scenery of Hyogo. But curiosity gets the best of Osamu.

“Staring at who?” Osamu asks, finally getting his twin’s insult.

“Ya got the nerve to call me Einstein but can’t figure out something like that, eh?”

Osamu stops right in his tracks. Atsumu keeps on walking but stops as well when he realizes he’s left behind his twin. Osamu gives Atsumu a blank look. 

Atsumu clicks his tongue. “(Y/N), ya’ dummy. From the way you were lookin’ at her, I thought she ate one of your snacks or something.” Atsumu rests his head between his hands.

 “Not like ya’ would ever let anyone hurt her.”

You had anticipated what was going to come ever since the bus had dropped the team off at the beach. The boys of the volleyball team were overall respectful men, but they were teenage boys, at best. You caught their lingering stares and the way they would fight for the court nearest to the biggest gaggle of girls on the beach.

Which is why you had come prepared.

The boys rush into the sea one by one as they strip off their jerseys into the sand. You shake your head as you pick them up one by one. You roll up the sleeves of the crewneck to make it easier to reach below, but the sheer insulation it’s giving you is making it hard to take a step.

“Come on out (Y/N)! We’ll feed ya to the sharks!” Atsumu shouts from where he’s paddling in the surf. 

“How about I feed you sand and rocks in your rice later tonight?” you holler back. Atsumu instantly goes slack-jawed and camouflages himself amongst the sea foam and other beach-goers. 

There’s exactly one jersey missing from the bundle you have in your hand. Huh. All the boys should have finished practice by now. You scanned the beach line, looking for any black shirts in the distance. All of them were swimming in the ocean shirtless by now.

Except the one looming over your shoulder right now. You jump back at the sight of his shadow standing intimidatingly above you, but you reel back once you get a peep of his ash hair.

“Aren’t you going in the water, (Y/N)?” he asks. There’s a stick of fried squid in his hand. “You worked really hard back there, you know.” The combination of sudden confrontation and the crewneck’s heat-trapping material has you sweating a flood.

“I’m fine just sitting here, Osamu. You can go play with the boys if you want to,” you say. Osamu gazes at the water that reflects the sunlight so perfectly it mimics freshly polished diamonds. He rubs his chin in thought, before turning back to you.

“What are you going to do in the meantime?”

You settle back on the chair you had put in a shady spot before everyone else was even up. It took a little pocket money and some convincing, but the guy that owned the shaved ice stand right in front of the chair had saved it especially for you. You hold up the book on the table. 

“Calculus.”

“In this heat?”

“Just because we’re at the beach doesn’t mean I can slack off on my studies.” You flip open the book. “You can just leave me here. I’ll be alright.”

Osamu looks at the sea, then back at you. You’re praying to the heavens above that he’ll just go play, so you can get this damn thing off without having to worry about any of them— especially the twins— seeing. It’s the first time you would be exposed this much around them anyways. You really should have brought a lighter and looser shirt along with you.

“Then I’ll stay here with you,” Osamu says. Shoot. 

“Y-you will?” He nods. “Sure you don’t want to go cool off in the sea? Or get some food? You should really go out in the sun, you know. Everyone’s been asking me if you’re alright because you’re so pale.”

“Do they?” You curse at yourself as he pulls over an unused chair from an unoccupied table. Osamu sets it in the sun, inches away from where you’re sitting in the shade. He props up his leg. “This counts as tanning, right?”

“I guess,” you mutter.

Osamu puts his sunglasses on and goes back to eating the stick of fried squid. From time to time, he glances at your sweaty body. It was 30 degrees outside and you insisted on wearing the team’s winter crewneck? Some heat tolerance you had. Or probably it wasn’t your heat tolerance. Osamu wouldn’t know, seeing as he was interrupted by loud hooting.

“Nice bikini, sweetheart! Sure you don’t wanna share some of that with me?” 

“I would tap that!”

“Major babe at 10 o’clock!”

Surely that couldn’t be the team. They had been raised better than that after a whole school year spent drilling the Peeping Toms of the team harder than ever, courtesy of their kickass manager: you. 

Thank goodness it wasn’t. A group of boys around your age paraded around just a few meters from where you sat on the beach. Their noisy brags sent a young toddler screaming back to his mother and a poor dog back to the ocean. The crowd parted like the Red Sea for them as they made their way down.

“What about her, bro?” a scrawny one asked the tallest, most likely the leader of the group. They stopped just in front of the shaved ice stand you were lounging at, waiting at their friends to finish their transactions.

“Which one?” the leader asked.

“The one near the table.” You looked up. The boy was pointing a long, thin finger your way. There was no one around where you were sitting except for Osamu.

“Nah. Bet she’s not worth it. I wouldn’t go for her, and I feel sorry for the bros that do.” 

They were talking about you.

You fished around in your bag for your sunglasses. Shoot, you had left them at the inn this morning. You settled for putting a hand on your temple in hopes that they wouldn’t see your eyes. 

But you would be lying to say that it didn’t hurt. The one thing you were trying so hard to avoid during your stay at the beach now thrust on you when you didn’t even ask for it? After all you had taken to avoid it?

The lump in your throat was getting bigger and bigger by the moment. Maybe you should remove yourself from the situation. The boys already knew what time their curfews were and they were in good hands. You shut the book and put it back in your bag. Osamu pulls down his glasses to see you getting ready to go somewhere.

“Where are you going?” he asks. Osamu stands up again. Please don’t follow me, please don’t follow me.

“I’ll be—” your voice cracks. Shoot. “I’ll be back at the inn if you need me.” Before he can ask you any more questions, you turn on your heel and make your way back.

“Hey, say that again,” a voice says. It’s soft, but pillows used to suffocate people to death are also soft. It’s Osamu.

“Say what?” the leader asks. “You her boyfriend?” 

You freeze in your tracks and take a peep behind you. The boys are chest to chest, Osamu having the advantage of height by only a few inches. The boy isn’t fazed at all. He smiles at Osamu,but it’s poison honey that would make anyone want to slap him across the face. 

“I can hook you up with some chicks way out of her league. You could do it, man. Come on,” the boy says.

“Shut your trap,” Osamu retorts. 

“You’re just salty ‘cause you couldn’t find a chick hotter than her.”

Things are going to get worse. Without looking back, you make your way back to the safety of the inn.

Maybe Osamu was lying about the scars on his knuckles.

Osamu loses his sanity at the same pace the clock ticks. A few more minutes left. Maybe he should go get some fresh air out in the hallways. The hallways are almost empty, save for a few last-minute stragglers that rush to get to their classes on time. With everyone that passes, the feeling of dread eats him up as he worries that you’re not going to make it.

“Morning, ‘Samu!” someone greets from behind him. The early morning sunlight on your face made it look like you had a rosy tint on your cheeks. As you stepped closer, Osamu realized that if he stroked a finger across your cheek, it would definitely come back absolutely stained with blush.

There was also a light sheen of pigment on your lips. Not like the normal shade of your lips weren’t perfectly kissable. But Osamu would digress. 

“Are you wearing makeup?” Osamu asks. You tuck a strand of hair behind your ear.

“You just…” Osamu gestures at your face, now caked on with makeup that you usually wouldn’t wear. “This is why you were late?” 

“No! I actually—” But then there’s a knocking on the table at the front, and everyone is back in their seats in an instant. The bespectacled teacher surveys the room. His eyes linger a bit longer on your bedazzled look, but they flit away just as quickly to the open book in hand.

“Today, we’re going to talk about ideal types,” the teacher says. A few people in the back snigger, but the teacher pays them no mind. 

“Miya Osamu! What are you looking for when it comes to a partner?” You roll your eyes at the classes jeering, but find yourself leaning back to hear Osamu’s answer. Osamu looks up at the ceiling.

“Someone… quiet? Maybe so I don’t have to deal with all their bull—” Osamu’s just bs-ing it of course, but there are people in the class that hand onto his every word like it’s the actual truth. Yourself included.

“Language!” the teacher snaps.

“In accordance with the reading material, does anyone know the reason why we have ideal types?” 

“Yes, (Y/N)?”

“We have ideal partners whose natural defenses contradict with our own. If we’re shy and quiet, we tend to pursue people who are aggressive and pursuing, for example.”

“Good. Can anyone tell me how this would have protected us in the past?”

“Yes, (Y/N)?” the teacher asks again. The teacher sighs, even though you see no one behind you raising their hands. From your peripheral vision, you catch Osamu laying his head on his hands. He stares out the window like he’s bored with class… or perhaps bored with you? 

“I... was just stretching, sorry.”

“Very well then.” 

The second you put your hand down, Osamu looks back at the teacher. Did he not want to hear you yammer on again? He did say that he liked quiet girls. 

All the more reason for you to turn it down a notch.

So you do, during math, when you clearly have a final result of 25 written clearly on your paper. Yet when the teacher asks for answers, you fumble with the pencil on your desk to make it seem like you’re working.

And again, during science, when your group in lab has finished the experiment yards above everyone else. But you stall and crumple up the paper near your chest, and only hand in the result once another group has gone and given the teacher theirs.

And again during History, when you give another lame excuse that your report on Date Masamune isn’t finished, just so you wouldn’t be the only one presenting in class that day. Osamu clearly sees the papers with “One-Eyed Dragon of Oshu, Date Masamune,” on the title page, but says nothing. 

He doesn’t really do anything. It’s your life after all, why should he tell you how to live it? But he would be lying if he said that he didn’t miss your quick answers to the teacher’s questions, always summing up the points better than the teachers.

In the end, he leaves you be and ignores the feeling in his gut he gets whenever he sees you wearing more makeup than you usually do. That is until he’s passing by the teacher’s office on his way to practice and happens to spot you. It’s unlike him to care about other people’s business, much less snoop into them, but Osamu finds himself stalling at the water fountain next to the door even when his own bottle is still full.

“I just think I ought to hold back a bit. Everyone probably thinks I’m a bit overbearing, so i’ll just… tone it down a bit,” you say. Tone what down? 

“You don’t need to, (Y/N),” someone, probably your science teacher, replied.

“It’s alright, sir, I promise.”

“Really? You seem to have changed a little this past month.” Pure facts. Even though he never said it out loud, anyone would have noticed the way you put on more makeup and started to become quieter and quieter.

“I haven’t, really.”

“You’re also starting to become more tardy, (Y/N). Is everything alright back home?” You chuckled.

“Everything’s fine, sir, it really is.”

How believable.

The final straw that breaks the camel’s back comes a few weeks after that. Coach looks over at the boys that aren’t playing on water-refilling duty, their manager absent and nowhere to be found. 

“Where’s (Y/N)?” the coach barks at the second years. Aran shrugs and looks expectantly over to Atsumu and Osamu. 

“Sick. Stomach flu,” Atsumu says in the middle of his set. 

“And no one’s gone and checked up on her?”

“Her mom said that (Y/N)’s “not in the mood for entertaining guests,” or whatever excuse she has for missing that killer math test yesterday.” Atsumu puts in air quotes for emphasis. 

It’s Osamu’s turn to serve, but his legs don’t seem to want to move anywhere. They’re anchored down to the floor by the thought of none other than you. You were generally healthy, with no other severe conditions that would knock you out for a long time. And Osamu was with you for the past few days. You hadn’t eaten anything sketchy, albeit you did eat a lot less than your usual portions. 

He shrugs it off and slams the ball to the other side of the net. 

The bell screeches from up above, the savior melody of bored students who are aching to eat and spend some time away from the teachers.  

“Hey, (Y/N), wanna go get some…” You heed him no mind, the only acknowledgment of his presence a slight bump on his shoulder as you walk out into the hall. That’s odd. Osamu steps out of the classroom to call your name out into the hallways, but you’ve disappeared under the wave of students heading for lunch. Rather than embarrass himself, Osamu decides to go eat. 

He has half a mind to go get you from your other friends to go home when the sun starts to dip against the Hyogo sky. A raised eyebrow graces his face as he is told that neither your friends can be able to locate you, what with your bag and other possessions gone from your lockers. 

Practice is another pain in the back to deal with, harshened by a new realization. It’s been dawning on him for a long time now, but he’s hesitant to take any action without further proof. 

Osamu lays a hand on the doorknob of the locker rooms. There are whispers outside the door. Normally, he couldn’t care less for other people’s business—tea was where Atsumu truly shined— but of course, it just had to be your voice on the other side of the door.

“Why can’t you just give it to ‘em yourself?” Atsumu asks. If this was going to be a scene straight out of a cliche teen romance, Osamu would make a run for it. You click your tongue.

“Just because, Atsumu. Give it to him or I’m not leaking the answers to tomorrow’s chemistry quiz to you,” you reply back. 

“If this wasn’t my twin, I wouldda cast you out to the streets already, (Y/N).”

“He’s better off not seeing me, okay?”

Oh. Well, now all the puzzle pieces have fallen into place.

You’re cornered. Why does coach have to have this day of all days to direct his frustration at Osamu. Maybe coach’s anger wasn’t really that baseless though— Osamu constantly missing his serves and crooked spikes would be enough to irk any volleyball player enough to make him run laps around the gym. And since it was getting late and everyone wanted to go home, who else to better oversee Osamu’s punishment other than their sweet manager?

“And… 100,” you call from across the hall. Osamu crouches on his knees and pants. With heavy, laboured steps, Osamu trudges all the way to the wall next to the bench where you’re sitting. And promptly makes himself comfortable just a meter a way from you on the wooden tiles. You furrow your eyebrows at him from on the bench. 

“Hey, (Y/N),” he asks almost lazily. You grip the bench seats. Please don’t drag this out, please don’t drag this out. Osamu turns his head slowly to fix his eyes on your shaking figure. You spy the door over at the edge of the gym, wondering if you can make it before Osamu’s athlete reflexes can catch up to you. 

But your neck moves on its own, turning your head around to make direct eye contact with your former best friend.

“Take ‘yer makeup off.” Osamu says it like a command, the tone of his voice alone enough to make you reach for your eyebrows that you had so painstakingly labored over this past morning to look presentable… for Osamu. 

“What?” you ask. With a click of his tongue, Osamu rises up from his position laying down on the floor and moves to where you’re sitting. He doesn’t break eye contact as he puts either hand on the sides of your hips, effectively caging you inside his arms. You can feel his heavy breaths on your forehead. 

Osamu looks up at you. For someone like him, he looks disoriented as can be. Pupils widened, breath turning shallower, and sweating even heavier.

“Why’re you doing this, (Y/N)?” he mumbles. “You’re clearly uncomfortable under all that makeup, and I can tell you wanna punch the daylights out of that girl for making fun of Isaac Newton’s wig.” 

He catches himself, realizing that the volume of his voice is growing steadily louder and louder, and that you’re shrinking in your seat. Osamu sighs and takes his hand off the bench. The air is now fresh, but Osamu’s musk is still enough to make you dizzy with images of his face only a hair’s width away from you. 

You’re not sure if you hate it.

“I-I’m sorry?” you ask Osamu, who has now taken a seat on the bench right next to you. He leans on the wall, only eyes moving to look at you. Osamu shrugs and takes a swig of the water bottle on the bench before dropping his head in between his legs. 

You scoff. Osamu, being the one to say all this? The nerve this boy has. The mental wall that is the dam to your emotions breaks. 

“You really are dumber than Atsumu, eh?” Osamu perks up at the sound of your voice. “You know why I didn’t go to school for those two days? I burned myself on my hair straightener, because I didn’t want to take a chance to let you see me like that!” 

You let the neckline of your sweater fall, the purple, rectangle burn still as clear as day on the skin of your neck. Osamu’s eyes widened. He raises a hand to touch it, but the likes of an invisible lasso hold him back from getting anywhere near you. 

There’s a burning behind your eyes. The ground under you felt like a waterbed, wobbling with each step you take. This was not how you planned your first confession would go, but here you were. 

“It’s because I like you, you dummy!” you cry, standing up.

Your words echo throughout the empty gym.  If it didn’t echo through Osamu’s mind, then you were—

“I’m the dummy here? Tch, yeah right.”

Osamu looks to the sides of the hall like he’s planning an escape route. Well, no way to escape this situation now. You’re both mice in a trap, lured by the cheese that is your feelings, and pinned down by the current circumstances. He locks eyes with you for a second, before his eyes find something more interesting to look at— your lips.  

“Only an airhead like you would go on to change themselves just so I would like them,” Osamu rises up to his full height, “when I already do in the first place.”

“You… what?” you ask. 

“I like you.” Osamu can’t seem to make a decision on wether to look at your eyes or not. “But fuck that, if ya think ya gotta change yourself for me, then I’d rather not date at all.”

You scoff. So all your efforts had been for nothing?

“But you said you liked quiet girls! And—” Osamu raises an eyebrow.

“You believed that?” 

“What else was I supposed to believe?” you screech.

There’s a large hand that’s harsh enough to send the hardest spikes across the net, yet gentle enough to toss the most careful sets and decorate the most delicate pieces of food in his bento. It’s on your cheek, wiping away tears that you didn’t know were there.

Hands lead up to muscular arms that greet you as you step inside his comforting embrace. There’s nothing except the sound of muffled crying through the halls. He does what he can, patting your back and offering his sweaty jersey as your handkerchief. If anyone walked in the gym right now, he would have given them a glare to send them running away for as long as they could run. 

“That I like you just the way you are.”

taglist: @akaashit-baeji​ 

[sassyduckqueen]

Miraculous: Rise of Anatis 33

So I wasn't going to include the Dark Owl but I really love the scene where Ladybug and Chat Noir basically own him. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I think the next one will be Sandboy as it's coming up to Halloween and well... creepy Adrien is perfect for Halloween... maybe even a creepy luka too haha

Edit: I forgot to add this but my friend, @naruwitch​ made a tv tropes page for this story. Here’s the link if you guys want to check it out :D

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/RiseOfAnatis?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=be721fb76b1432a698e46aa462d61073b4705567-1602716317-0-AThNvQ6RHrkR1d_p9c3BbHP3-gd4fnpISPslj-3RJQq44DLa0Xpdv9CT2D3z_GnOFOwGgbLfUmvxw-d3_g8ybdUmz_k92KhUKwVGa5P2x442DtDZU96YzHqMl-IsbGWt6d64twK7E6R0M0dgQKi_uxdKOAhQ8R3mCgFT4x64_gE7BpHLMCFPbZ2rNwiA5tyY1YkYj8mtKOgpQkhfPtaqNV8tSsugb4-Udk_utG7bqsVBy1hpf0ZnTHCHq0uRfYATiwofeWb5FuVx33pJsMfcwa8BRHQX34elWtN-C6J1eLLHBueGAcaK5m8k1OxgHMYef7Ism9X-aLJSKf4jGZYn7NChFjcG97v_OONxYASnqh-m-0gsIX_R_ncMO9z7qLs6wA

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Chapter Thirty-Three: The Dark Owl Returns

"I'm sorry that you can't come over to the Liberty tonight," Luka sighed as he walked out with Marinette. He glanced over to Mr Damocles, who was pushing the students to leave as quickly as they could. Luka let out a soft sigh. He was glad Mr Damocles was trying to be more heroic but his 'patrols' were making his life a lot harder. Mr Damocles seemed to have a talent for getting into a sticky situation. "I have quite a bit of homework to catch up on,"

 "Oh! It's not a problem. I mean I love hanging out on the liberty with you but I have to help my parents in the bakery tonight so it's cool," She smiled back, making him smile a little. "We can have a proper hangout on the weekend,"

 "Sounds good to me," He smiled, taking his helmet out of the basket and placing it on his head. He unlocked his bike and climbed on it before turning to her. "Have a good evening, Mari,"

"You too, Luka," She smiled, gently pecking his cheek before the two of them went their separate ways. Luka smiled as he cycled down to the Seine but then he remembered why he couldn't hang out with Marinette or anyone else. Thanks to Mr Damocles' out of school activities, he hadn't been able to go to band practice as often, hang out with Aurora, Jean or the others and was sleeping more. It was honestly getting ridiculous. He didn't mind that Mr Damocles was trying to be a better person. It was great in fact but what he did mind is that he was endangering himself and other people as well as taking up Anatis and Lady Noir's time. They hadn't done a proper patrol for about a week. Luckily, Hawkmoth hadn't been that active. They had only dealt with three akumas in this week. Naturally, Mr Ramier had been akumatized into Mr Pigeon again and Andre the ice cream man had been akumatized into Glaciator. He had gone after Marinette for not believing in his ice cream's magic. She had gone out with everyone to get ice cream but she had ended up dropping hers, which caused her to get upset. Knowing how Marinette was, Luka figured she wasn't actually upset over dropping her ice cream but was upset over Adrien as he had turned up with Kagami, whom he seemed to be growing closer to. She had dropped it when she saw the two of them together and he had seen her sad expression at the two of them laughing and sharing ice cream together. Not wanting to see her sad, he had offered to share his with her since he didn't have anyone with him. He was mildly annoyed that Alya had invited both of them, despite knowing that it was more a couple's activity then something friends do but he suspected it was a ploy to get Marinette to confess her feelings to Adrien. Of course, that backfired because Adrien brought Kagami but he didn't blame those two. He did have a word with Alya as Anatis later that night as he felt like her constant pressuring for Marinette to confess to Adrien was unfair and could cause Marinette to become an akuma again. That was something he did not want to face again. Luckily, Alya had realized what she had done and was wrecked with guilt but Anatis had calmed her down, explaining that he understood that she was trying to help her friend but she should take a different approach to it. Instead of pushing her into situations where she felt pressed to confess... he could think of several... she should encourage Marinette to gain the confidence she needed and not laugh at her when she failed. Something which he knew she had done in the past. While he was there, he also advised her to be careful during her filming. It seemed that she had taken his advice, both with Marinette and her blog. As Andre, well, after he had often to share his ice cream with Marinette, she told him that it was ok, that she was just going to go home and that she didn't really believe it anyway. Of course, Andre overhear her and got upset. Luka often to walk her home but she gently kissed his cheek and told him to enjoy himself then she left. He quickly made an excuse to leave and checked on her as Anatis but before they could work anything out, Andre, now Glaciator, attacked them. Luckily, he hid her and defeated him with Lady Noir's help. He later found out that Marinette had got to Andre and apologized to him. He personally didn't see why she was the one to apology. While he understood that Andre was upset at the fact that she didn't believe in his ice cream, she hadn't actually been mean about it or anything. She had only told Luka that she didn't really believe it but he suspected that's because she just wanted to go home. He personally thought that Andre turning into an akuma over her lack of belief was kind of petty. After all, all of Paris believed it so what difference would it make to have one person not believe in it? Sometimes, he just didn't understand people. As for the other akuma, that had been Adrien's bodyguard. He had literally gotten turned into a giant gorilla. He had then proceed to kidnap Adrien and Marinette, who was trying to help him escape his fans and see a film. Anatis had rescued them when Gorizilla had accidentally dropped them from a building. Once he had rescued them, he went back and defeated Gorizilla. He had almost been captured but luckily, Lady Noir turned up. It didn't take a lot to defeat the akuma after that. He sighed as he came to a stop at the Liberty. He locked up his bike and headed downstairs. Rose and Juleka were curled up in each other's arms as he walked through. He gave them a wave before heading to his room, failing to notice Juleka's raised eyebrow but she shrugged and when back to Rose. Once in his room, he locked the door as Tikki flew out.

 "Do you think Mr Damocles will go out again?" She asked, yawning. He guessed she had just woken up from a nap.

 "I suspect as much," He sighed, checking his phone. Nothing yet but he knew better then to leave it to chance. He may be lucky but the luck only affected him and no one else. He sighed before calling on his transformation, turning into Anatis. He climbed out of the port hole and swung off into the city, towards the school. He landed on the building opposite it and frowned as he saw Mr Damocles attempting to do up his 'owl' belt. He did it up and jumped back to his feet before leaving the office. Anatis sighed to himself before he took out his yoyo and dialed Lady Noir's number. She answered straight away as Mr Damocles rushed out of the building. "Hey, the Owl is on the move,"

 "Great," She groaned, sounding just frustrated as he felt. "Any idea where he's heading?"

 "Looks like he's going towards the park," He replied, rolling his eyes. "Meet you there, Kitten?"

 "Sure. I stopped by the bakery by the way and got some very much needed snacks," She smiled, making him smile as well. "We'll have them while we keep an eye on him,"

 "Sounds great," He smiled, standing up. "See you soon,"

 She waved and he hung up before following Mr Damocles. He swung across the roofs before landing next to Lady Noir, who pointed to Mr Damocles. He was attempting to rescue a kitten that was stuck up a tree but instead of trying to call for help or rescue it in a normal way, he was attempting to climb up the tree. Anatis sighed and shook his head before jumping down, along with Lady Noir. He threw his yoyo just as Mr Damocles fell from the tree and caught him as Lady Noir caught the cat. It purred and nuzzled into her chin as she held it. 

 "Mr Owl, this is the fifth time we've come to your rescue this week," Anatis gasped, clearly annoyed before he lowered the man. Mr Damocles stood up and dusted himself down. "You're really gonna get hurt one of these days,"

 "At least, wear a helmet," Lady Noir sighed as she gave the cat to it's owners before walking over to Anatis and Mr Damocles as a news van turned up.

 "But you don't wear helmets," He argued, making Anatis face palm.

 "Because we are real superheroes with real and magical costumes," He groaned, shaking his head. "We have explained this already, Mr Owl. You know it's different for us,"

 "Yeah but ever since I was a little boy, I've dreamt of been a super hero and you did tell me to try and be a better person," He pointed out, making Anatis roll his eyes. "Which I have been I might add,"

 "Which is great but Mr Dam- Owl, if you want to be a hero then do charity work or something other then... this..." Anatis gasped, gesturing to his outfit. Mr Damocles frowned a little as a brunette woman came over to them.

 "Got a few minutes?" She asked as a camera filled them. "Mr Owl, are you planning on any more daring rescues?"

 "Please don't encourage him," Anatis groaned as she held a microphone to Mr Damocles who talked to her as Anatis shook his head. Lady Noir looked just as embarrassed.

 "And what about this... attempt?"

 "Well, thanks to some sound advice from my good friends Anatis and Lady Noir, I am certain that I will do better next time," He answered, making both heroes face palm. "I will be reviewing my weaponry and engaging in more training because wherever there's injustice, there is the Owl!!"

 He dabbed, making both Lady Noir and Anatis cringe with embarrassment before he took something out of his belt and began to shake it, creating a sort of mist.

 "Owl mist!!" He declared before running off, making Owl Noises as he did. Anatis frowned deeply as the camera followed him before it turned back to him and Lady Noir.

 "Any comments? Anatis? Lady Noir?" Clara asked as they watched him leave before they turned to the camera, clearly unsure and embarrassed by the Owl's actions. Anatis rubbed the back of his neck while Lady Noir pressed her forefingers together before grinning a little at the camera.

 "Uh... look, he's trying to help but to the kids of Paris.. or anyone... don't copy him ok? It's very dangerous," Anatis warned as Lady Noir nodded.

 "Annie's right," She agreed, nodding. "So please don't try this at home... we better go make sure he's not causing anymore trouble,"

 "Yeah," Anatis agreed, taking out his yoyo and saluting the reporter before throwing and swinging off. Lady Noir did a dramatic bow and followed him, using her baton. The two of them ran off and tailed Mr Damocles until he finally decided to go home. Both letting out a sigh of relief, they found their way to a rooftop that a nice view of the Eiffel tower. Anatis sat down and stretched as Lady Noir took out the bag of snacks she had gotten from the bakery and handed him a croissant. He smiled and took it before biting into it. "Man, I swear Tom and Sabine's bakery is the best,"

 "Yup," She grinned, hiding her blush a little as she ate her own before yawning. "Man, I'm so tired!"

 "Hmm, me too, kitten," He sighed, finishing his croissant. "Don't get me wrong I'm glad Mr Damocles is trying to follow my advice but this is getting to be a full time job,"

 "Yeah, I'm just glad that Hawkmoth hasn't akumatized anyone," She purred before looking at him. "What do you mean trying to follow your advice?"

 "Uh... well, I kind of... um..." He mumbled, rubbing his neck nervously as she folded her arms and rose an eyebrow at him.

 "You called him out, didn't you?" She asked in a serious tone, causing Anatis to look down before she grinned and snapped her fingers. "Damn, I can't believe I missed that. Well, what did he do and what did you say?"

 "Well, I learnt that he was unfairly accusing and punishing students for things they weren't doing and then letting certain students off due to be threatened or bribed?" He mumbled as she listened. She casted her mind back and realized he must be talking about the events that led up to Despair Bear since Mr Damocles wrongly accused her of tripping the fire alarm without any proof, tried to punish her for it then proceeded to punish the whole school, apart from Chloe, for it. "As for what I said... well... I kind of told him that he was creating a breeding ground for akumas and that if I didn't see an improvement, I'd inform the school board,"

 For a second, Lady Noir was silent, causing Anatis to think that maybe he had gone too far until she burst out into laughter. Instantly, he relaxed and smiled as she cackled and held her stomach as she shook with laughter.

 "Oh, man! I wish I was there!!" She grinned, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I bet his expression was one of pure terror! I would pay anything to see it!!"

 "It was pretty funny," He mumbled, making her smile before he yawned again. "Urg! We need to find a way to get him to stop been the Owl!"

 "Hmm but we don't want to do what Ryuko and Aspik did," She mumbled, making him look at her with a confused expression. "Oh, Ryuko kind of revealed his identity straight away in front of almost everyone and well, she wasn't exactly kind about telling him off for endangering himself. Naturally that led to him becoming the Dark Owl but once he was back to normal, he didn't bring out his owl suit until you turned up. I'm afraid you re-inspired him,"

 "Oh dear but still Ryuko could have handled that better," He mused, shaking his head. "Maybe we could scare him,"

 "Or you could just rant at him," She grinned, making him laugh. "Well, hopefully he won't be active tomorrow,"

 "Yeah, we can only hope," He sighed, frowning. He had to be in the park tomorrow afternoon to help Nino with his latest filming project. Marinette would be there too as she was making the costumes as well as starring in it. Nino was making a film based on the exploits of himself and Lady Noir but he had decided to change a few things. For one, he was making the hero of the ladybug a female and instead of there been Lady Noir, there was Chat Noir, which Adrien had agreed to play. Alya was going to be the main villain. "Anyway, I think we can call it a night,"

 "Sounds like a plan to me," Lady Noir agreed as she yawned. "I'm knackered,"

 "Bedtime for the kitty I think," He smirked, stroking her chin. She began to purr and nuzzle his hand, making him chuckle before he pulled away and jumped up, walking over to the edge of the building as she got up. He turned to look at her as she stretched. "Good night, Kitten,"

 "Night, Bug a boo," She grinned, blowing him a kiss before she ran off into the night. Anatis shook his head and allowed him to drop from the edge before throwing his yoyo and swinging through the city til he came to the Liberty. He quietly landed on the roof and climbed down, slipping through the port hole that led to his room. He dropped the transformation and caught Tikki, handing her a cookie. She thanked him and began to eat it as he changed into his PJs and climbed into his bed, placing his hands behind his head as he yawned. Once she had finished her cookie, she flew over and landed on his pillow just abve his head, making him look up at her before he yawned. 

 "Been a long day huh?" Tikki asked as he nodded.

 "Mr Damocles is becoming a full time job," He mumbled before turning over and curling up on his pillow. "Good night, Tikki,"

 "Good night, Luka,"

 ~Next Morning~

 "Alya! You need to sound more realistic!!" Nino groaned as Luka sat on the bench, watching. Nino had convinced Marinette to take the role of 'Ladybug' as he insisted she would be perfect for the role of the hero of creativity. She wore a one piece suit that was red with black spots. Her boots blended in with it and her mask matched the suit. Her hair was still in her classic pigtail look and the only thing that remotely looked like anything Anatis had was the yoyo she had. Chat Noir on the other hand was interesting. Adrien was playing him and he had a full black outfit. He had gloves on that had claws worked into the fingers and black cat ears on top of his hair, which had been styled to be more wild and untamed. He had black boots on and a belt around his waist, that doubled up as a tail. He had a black mask over his face and he was wearing contact lens that made his eyes apart cat like. Both 'heroes' looked good and Alya looked awesome as Marinette had recreated her Lady Wifi costume. The problem was she wasn't very good at acting villainous. "You're meant to be an akuma and you've just taken Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous! You need to be victorious!"

 "Ok, ok, I get it," Alya replied before taking her place and holding a box. Nino counted down before he began filming. Alya did an evil laugh before turning to Marinette and Adrien. "Give up, Ladybug and Chat Noir! I, Lady Wifi, have your miraculous!! No one can save you now!!"

 "Oh no, my earrings!" Marinette gasped as she held her ears. 

 "Nooo!! We're doomed!!" Adrien howled as Alya laughed evilly but before anyone could do anything else, Mr Damocles ran towards them and jumped on the bench in his full owl costume. 

 "Oh, no," Luka gasped as he saw him. He jumped up to stop him but before he could, Mr Damocles jumped into action. "Mr Owl, it's not-"

 "Whoo whoo!!" He gasped, making everyone look at him before he pointed his grapple gun towards Alya. "Owl Talon! Whoo, whoo!"

 He fired it towards Alya but luckily, it missed her and bounced off several things before getting caught on a rubbish truck. Luka flinched as Mr Damocles was then dragged off by it and crashed into a bin. Instantly, Marinette and Adrien ran over to see if he was ok.

 "Mr Damocles! Are you ok?!" She gasped, kneeling down as she rested a hand on his arm. "You're not hurt, are you?!"

 "I'm not Mr Damocles! I'm the Owl!" He gasped, brushing her hand away and standing up. He blinked as he took them in before narrowing his eyes. "Who are you?! Why have you got Anatis' miraculous?!"

 "Uh... Mr Da- I mean... Mr Owl... we were just doing a film based on Anatis and Lady Noir," Adrien explained, taking off his mask as Marinette took off hers. "Nino wanted to make it for a film contest he's entering. He changed the roles a little so I'm playing Chat Noir instead of Lady Noir and Marinette's playing Ladybug instead of Anatis. We were just shooting the last scene,"

 "But... Lady Wifi..." He gasped as Alya walked over. She wiped off a bit of her make up. "You mean... it wasn't real? There was no danger?"

 "No, we're all ok," Marinette tried to reassure but Mr Damocles saw that everyone had seen his failure and before she could try and reassure him, he had rushed off, clearly embarrassed by his mistake. Luka frowned as he walked over. Marinette let out a sigh as Nino walked over as well. "I hope he'll be ok,"

 "Well, he ruined the shot so now we have to do it again," Nino sighed, pinching his nose before turning to Adrien and Marinette. "And could you two try to act more natural?!"

 ~Later That Evening~

 Luka hummed to himself as he re-tuned his guitar. He had to change it's strings and give it a dust down. He fiddled with the pegs, strumming the strings and listening carefully to make sure they were the right notes. He was tuning this model into a open E pitch but he usually used a standard E pitch or drop D. However, he just wanted to experiment with the different sound. Tikki was watching Clara Nightingale's latest single and was dancing to it, making him smile when he looked up to grab a drink. He took a swing before returning his attention to his guitar, gently strumming it as he began to play.

 "Civilians of Paris, listen to me very careful," A voice came through his computer, making him look up as that was definitely not Clara Nightingale. Tikki looked shocked as he looked at the TV, frowning. He instantly recognized him as the Dark Owl, meaning Mr Damocles had been akumatized again. The Dark Owl pointed to the remote in his hand, making Luka frown as he watched. "With one slight movement, I can release the rope holding up the city bus with all of these animals inside with come crushing down on my two hostages,"

 The camera switched to the Eiffel Tower, showing the animal bus and directly underneath it was Juleka, Adrien, Alya and Nino. They were tied to a pole and looked terrified. Luka instantly jumped up and grabbed his phone, ignoring the rest of the broadcast. He dialed Juleka's number but it went straight to voicemail. He frowned and hung up before phoning Rose, letting out a breathe of relief when she answered.

 "Rose, is-"

 "Luka! It's awful!" She gasped, sounding distressed. "He came and grabbed her!! I tried to stop him-"

 "Rose, listen to me. Take deep breathes and don't panic ok?" He reassured. "I'm going to contact Anatis and he'll save them,"

 "O-Ok," She sniffed before he hung up. He turned to Tikki but heard the sound of someone walking on the deck. He gestured for Tikki to hide in his pocket before he rushed up to the deck.

 "Mum?! Jule-" He shouted, thinking it was her but to his horror, he found the Dark Owl in front of him. For a second, he was sure Dark Owl had worked out he was Anatis but not even Marinette knew that or his family. He backed up as Dark Owl walked over to him.

 "Young man, I require you to join your friends. I'm aware that you are connected to the hero Anatis and I swear on my honor as a hero, if Anatis and Lady Noir, surrender their miraculous then no harm will come to you and your friends," He stated as if that would make Luka go with him or remain calm. Luka glanced around, looking for a way to escape. His luck vision lit up the fog machine they used for their concerns. His vision also lit up a basket ball. He grabbed it and threw it straight at the Dark Owl, hitting him in his face before he jumped over to the fog machine and turned it at full. Within seconds, the fog covered at the deck, obscuring the Dark Owl's vision. Luka jumped down into the cabin and ran straight for his mum's room, locking the door as he heard the Dark Owl following. He opened the port hole and climbed out of it before jumping and rolling onto the ground before bolting out of there as fast as he could.

 "Tikki, we need to save my friends,"

 "The rest of the broadcast warned that he rigged the Effiel Tower with Liquid Nitrogen bombs, if anyone tries to infer, they would trigger and freeze the tower which in turn would make it extremely fragile as glass and it will collapse-"

 "I get the idea. He's taken all the kids that were there when he was exposed... that explains why he wants to add me to the mix but that means he's proply gonna go after Marinette," He mumbled, jumping up and climbing over a wall. He looked around and frowned, not seeing him anywhere. "He appears not to be- never mind,"

 He could see the Dark Owl, gliding above before he ran as fast as he could, diving out the way when the Dark Owl tried to grab and running into one of the parks, disappearing into the green. The Dark Owl landed on the ground, making Luka hold his breathe as he hid in the bushes.

 "Mr Couffaine, come out. I only need you to lure Anatis and Lady Noir to me," He growled but stopped when he noticed the sun was going down. "Very well, Mr Couffaine. Your friends will still lure those heroes to me,"

 To his surprise, the Dark Owl left but he gave it a few minutes to be certain before letting out a sigh of relief as Tikki peeked out of his pocket. He quickly sent a warning to Marinette before turning to Tikki.

 "Ok, Tikki, time to rescue my friends," He muttered, swiping his earrings. "Tikki! Spots on!!"

 He transformed into Anatis before throwing his yoyo and pulling himself onto the roofs of Paris. He took his yoyo and saw Dark Owl was broadcasting again. He clicked on it and watched it.

 "Anatis, Lady Noir, the only way to save these children is for you to surrender your miraculous to me and you only have ten minutes!" He declared, pressing the button. Anatis frowned deeply. "Follow the Owl Signal,"

 He stopped playing the broadcast and called Lady Noir. Instantly, she answered. 

 "Dark Owl-"

 "Is back. I know and he has captured most of the kids that were making that film. Luckily he doesn't have Luka or Marinette but he could go after them,"

 "He already did with Luka but he got away and contacted me. I got him to hide in the underground and it seems Dark Owl is just going ahead with his plan without him," He declared as Lady Noir hummed in agreement.

 "I've already scoped out the tower and it's definitely rigged but it looks like Marinette isn't there either," She sighed, making him frown. He was relieved that Marinette was safe but there was no real way to save the others. "Think we can just find his akuma and free them that way,"

 "Chances are the akuma is in the same place as before but even with my speed, getting to it would take more then ten minutes and we only have about 8 minutes to stop the countdown," He sighed, frowning as the Owl Signal appeared in the sky. "Our best course of action for now is to get that remote and stop the countdown. Once the children are safe then we can go after his akuma,"

 "Makes sense," Lady Noir agreed. "The Owl Signal appears to be pointing towards the stadium. Meet you there?"

 "Yeah," He agreed before hanging up and swing over to there. He landed on a building nearby and narrowed his eyes as Lady Noir landed next to him. "It seems like Mr Damocles is holding a bit of a grudge,"

 "I get that he was humiliated but holding them captive is too far," She mumbled, getting a nod of him. "What's the plan?"

 "I'm going to distract him while you sneak up on him. Try and get the detonator," He replied, getting a nod of her.

 "Good plan," She grinned before pressing her baton. A small ear piece dropped out into her palm and she placed it in her ear. "Let's stay in touch,"

 "Good thinking, Kitten," He smiled, pressing one of the spots on his yoyo. It lifted, allowing him to pick it up and place it inside his ear. He nodded to her before they went off in their separate directions. Anatis landed on the grass and spun his yoyo around as he looked around the darkened arena. He was on high alert, ready to attack if he needed to. "Mr Damocles?"

 "I am not Mr Damocles!!" The Dark Own shouted as the light of the stadium turned on. Anatis frowned a little as he saw him stood on the edge. "I'm the Dark Owl,"

 "Ok, Ok, I get it," Anatis muttered, putting his yoyo down and holding up his hands. "Look, why don't we talk about this? I'm sure we can come to a peaceful conclusion without getting anyone hurt,"

 "Where's Lady Noir?" The Dark Owl asked, glancing to the side as Lady Noir spoke through the communication device.

 "Grapple Iron, Boomerangs, utility belt. Damn Annie he has everything," She gasped. "Maybe we're lucky and the akuma is in one of his weapons,"

 "The last time it was in his computer back at the school but I guess it could be different this time. Still, we need to focus on getting the detonator," Anatis replied before holding up his hands. "Lady Noir will be here soon, I'm sure of it,"

 "In that case then, you can be the first to place your miraculous in the box located in the middle of the stadium," He declared, making Anatis look over at the crate before he held up the detonator. "Or..."

 "Boom! Ok, I get it," He replied, walking over. "Try and get it off him,"

 "I'm on it," She replied, jumping up and throwing her baton at him, knocking the detonator out of the Dark Owl's hand. Anatis ran up and jumped, catching the detonator. He was about to hit the button to stop when he heard a yell. Looking up, he saw Lady Noir flying towards him. He held out his arms to catch her but she crashed into him, causing him to drop the detonator. The Dark Owl caught it and grinned as he looked it.

 "Oh, look. Time flies," He grinned before throwing it. "This is your last chance to save those poor helpless children!!"

 "Heroes don't take hostages!" Anatis growled, glaring at him as he helped Lady Noir up.

 "Then give me your miraculous. Otherwise you're too blame," He declared before firing his grapple hook at them. It wrapped around the two heroes, tying them together and causing them to fall over. Anatis rolled them to the side as the Dark Owl tried to punch them before Lady Noir used her cataclysm to break it. The two of them jumped up and took a fighting stance as Dark Owl glared at them. "It's the end of the line for you,"

 The two of them charged at him with Lady Noir diving at him with her baton. He blocked it with his arms but Anatis took the chance to wrap his yoyo around his ankle and slide underneath him. Dark Owl went to charge at Lady Noir but Anatis pulled him back and threw him. However, he landed on his feet and smirked.

 "There's no way for you to win, Anatis,"

 "We'll see about that," Anatis growled back before throwing his yoyo up in the air. "Lucky Charm!!"

 A fountain pen appeared, causing Anatis to frown as he caught it. Lady Noir jumped up on the crate and picked up the detonator as Anatis tried to look around yet nothing lit up. He gasped when he saw Dark Owl throwing boomerangs towards and jumped in front of her, using his yoyo to deflect them.

 "Activate the hatch, Albert," The Dark Owl ordered, causing Anatis to give him a confused look before they both suddenly fell into the crate. The trap door closed, sealing them inside as they heard him declaring himself as the guardian of Paris before laughing. Anatis got up and helped Lady Noir to her feet as she tried to push the button to stop the countdown.

 "No, no!" She gasped before looking at him. "Annie, it's not stopping!!"

 "What?!" He gasped, taking off her and pressing the button. It did nothing. "No, no... stop!! Come on!!"

 He repeatedly pressed the button as the room began to fill up with a thick liquid, making Lady Noir to frown as she took a bit on her finger and sniffed it before licking it. She gasped as she realized it was cream.

 "Oh no!" Anatis gasped, causing her attention to turn to him. He looked extremely worried as the TV inside with them switched on, showing the hostages and the bus.

 "Time's up! Albert, drop the bus!!" The Dark Owl declared, causing the bus to be released. Lady Noir covered her mouth in shock as Anatis looked on in horror. The bus plummeted towards the hostages, causing them to scream but then it disappeared in a blue light as the Dark Owl laughed evilly. "You knaves! It was a hologram all along... or at least the bus is. Really, do you think I'd hurt school children?"

 "Bastard!!" Anatis shouted, slamming his fist against the walls.

 "Temper, temper, Anatis. You really should save your breathe as this next trap is very real," The Dark Owl laughed, making Anatis notice the cream. "The room you're in is filling up with whipped cream, which is too thick to swim in but too thin to float on. You're going to drown softly but surely... unless you give me your miraculous that is,"

 Anatis frowned and began to look around as Lady Noir started to bang on the walls. The TV lit up, followed by the pen and then her miraculous. He unscrewed the pen and took out the ink cartridge as a slot opened for the miraculous to be put in before walking over to the camera and using the ink to black it out. Lady Noir turned to him as she hugged herself, looking small and frightened. Dark Owl shouted something about not seeing them didn't matter and basically taking the miraculous of their dead bodies but Anatis ignored that and moved over to Lady Noir.

 "He's right, Annie," She mumbled, looking close to tears. "We're done for,"

 "Not yet, Kitten," He smiled, gently placing a small kiss on her forehead before gently smiling at her. "You trust me right?"

 "More then anything else," She smiled but she still looked frightened, even as he winked at her.

 "Alright, Dark Owl, you win!!" He shouted before leaning closer to her. "Close your eyes and no peeking,"

 "Annie, no... we can't do this," She gasped but he gently took her hand.

 "Trust me," He smiled, causing her to nod then she closed her eyes. Anatis closed his and took a deep breathe. "Spots off,"

 "Claws in," She whispered at the same time. The two of them powered down, causing their kwamis to appear. Plagg gasped in surprise as Tikki stared at Marinette in shock. Marinette carefully took of her ring and held out her hand. She gasped softly as she felt Luka touch her hand, expecting him to take her ring but to her surprise, he closed her palm before he leaned in.

 "The lucky charm lit up your miraculous but not because we're surrendering but because I think we needed your civilian form. You must have something on you that could help," He whispered in her ear, making her blush before her mind flicked back to the film she was making with Nino. She still had the fake miraculous on her. 

 "Of course!" She gasped, reaching into her purse. "Annie, I have just the thing,"

 "Excellent," He replied as she pulled the box out. She took the fake miraculous out and placed them into his hand. He carefully moved over to the slot and placed them in. He heard it close before he made his way back over to Lady Noir. He heard the Dark Owl declare himself as the only hero in Paris and then heard the cream been drained. He smirked a little before taking out a cookie for Tikki. "Tikki? You good?"

 "Yes, Plagg is too," She replied, making Anatis smile before both him and Lady Noir called on their transformations quietly. Lady Noir smirked and summoned her cataclysm, slamming her hand on the crate and turning it to dust as Dark Owl stared at them in surprise.

 "What?!" He gasped before glaring at them. "But that's impossible! How did you do it?!"

 "What did you expect?" Anatis asked, making Dark Owl glare at him. "A superhero never reveals his secret. I thought you'd know better,"

 "Yeah, you see Annie here thought of everything," Lady Noir grinned as she rested her arm against Anatis's shoulder as he stood there with his arms close. "He has a plan A, a plan B and all the alphabet to Z. I mean did you really think we would give you our miraculous, Dark Owl?"

 "We're superheroes after all. We never surrender," Anatis grinned, taking out his yoyo as Lady Noir took out her baton. "After all, we're Anatis-"

 "And Lady Noir!" She grinned before taking a bow before she looked up and winked at him. "I hope Hawkmoth liked his new toys,"

 "Why you?!" He growled, taking out his boomerangs before throwing them. "Boomerang trajectory control, Albert!"

 "Who is he talking to?!" Lady Noir gasped as they blocked them.

 "I'm guessing his computer. It's where the akuma was last time," Anatis replied, knocking back a few. "Cover me! Even if I know where his akuma is, I'm still gonna need a... Lucky Charm!"

 He threw up his yoyo as Lady Noir went toe to toe with Dark Owl. He caught the comic as she was knocked back.

 "Are you certain it's in his computer?" She asked as he examined it before looking around, trying to figure out how to use it. He even flicked through the pages to see if anything stood out. 

 "Yes," He replied, tapping one of the pages. "Even in the comic, Knightowl doesn't work alone. He has Sparrow but also his butler, Albert,"

 Lady Noir pinned him down as Anatis rolled up the comic and tucked it into his belt.

 "Lady Noir, keep him busy. I'm gonna go and destroy his akumatized object," He declared, throwing his yoyo and swinging off. He ran as fast as he could across the roofs before jumping down and throwing his yoyo. He heard the Dark Owl behind him as Lady Noir tried to slow him down but he threw her off and dived towards him. Anatis jumped towards the school and landed on the window, opening it. As soon as he did, an alarm glared as he took out the comic. The Dark Owl landed behind him, grabbing him as his luck vision lit up certain objects. He dropped the comic book and kicked it into the statue of Knightowl as the Dark Owl took off his earring. His outfit began to disappear as the statue wobbled before it fell, creating a chain reaction that caused the lamp to smash into the computer, knocking it off the desk. The Dark Owl let go of Anatis, allowing him to catch his earring and put it back on as the computer crashed to the floor, breaking and freeing the akuma. He opened his yoyo and captured the butterfly before releasing the purified version. He picked up the comic book and threw it up in the air. "Miraculous Ladybugs!!"

 The comic burst into the magical swarm and spreaded around the room, restoring it before it flew out the window around the Eiffel Tower. Anatis smiled as Lady Noir landed next to him before the two of them pressed their fists together as Dark Owl turned back into Mr Damocles.

 "Lady Noir? Anatis? What are you doing in my office?" He asked, confused before realization crept on his face. "I was akumatized again wasn't I?"

 "Yes... look, Mr Damocles, I get you want to be a hero but been a hero doesn't necessarily mean that you have to what we do," Anatis stated, sighing as Mr Damocles frowned. "I am really glad you followed my advice but maybe you could try and help people in a less dangerous way,"

 "Like helping the homeless?" Lady Noir suggested, making Anatis nod. "We're not saying don't help people... it's great that you want to help but we have enough on our plate... we can't keep rescuing you, Mr Owl,"

 "I know... I just really want to do good..." He sighed, looking down. "I want to be a hero,"

 "Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, Mr Damocles," Anatis stated, placing his hand on the man's shoulder. "You don't have to be like me to be a hero,"

 "You're right as usual, Anatis," He smiled, shaking his hand. "I will be my own hero,"

 (***)

 "Hey, Annie," Lady Noir grinned, joining Anatis as he sat on the roof, keeping an eye on Mr Damocles. He was currently taking a selfie with Kim, Alix and Max. "Babysitting huh?"

 "Nope," He grinned. "I was on patrol and happened to see him. Thought I'd see how he's doing. You know he's been tending gardens, volunteering at soup kitchens, feeding animals... he's ready spread his wings,"

 "I'm glad," She grinned. "He's his own hero,"

 "Exactly," Anatis grinned. "And it means we have more free time,"

 "Yeah... sooo wanna go to the movies?" She grinned playfully. Anatis laughed and got up.

 "Sorry," He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I promised a friend I'd hang out with her as soon as I could,"

 "No worries," She grinned, stretching. "See ya later?"

 "Of course, Kitten," He grinned before swinging off. He found an alleyway and called off his transformation, catching Tikki and giving her a cookie before walking towards the bakery. He took out his phone as it buzzed, making him smile as he saw it was Marinette. He pushed open the door to the bakery and greeted Sabine, who smiled softly at him.

 "Hello, Luka," She smiled. "Marinette's upstairs,"

 "Thank you, Mrs Cheng," He smiled back before going upstairs and to her room. He knocked on the trapdoor before he climbed inside. Marinette was setting up a game before she handed him a controller. "You know I'm not brilliant at these,"

 "No worries," She grinned, making him sit down before she sat next to him. "The point isn't to be good, Lu. It's meant to be fun,"

 "Lu?" He asked, making her look at him with worry.

 "Y-Yeah... do you mind?" She asked, making him smile.

 "Nope," He grinned. "I like it... Melody..."

 "Melody?" She questioned, blushing as Tikki joined Plagg, who was happily chomping on cheese.

 "I can't believe Marinette is your holder, Plagg," She muttered, making him look at her.

 "What's the big deal, Sugar cube?" He asked, making her shake her head before she looked at Luka and Marinette as they played the game. Naturally, Marinette won and happily called out, making Luka laugh. Plagg followed her line of sight before his eyes went wide. "No..."

 "Yes,"

 "Seriously?" He sniggered, making Tikki roll his eyes. "Boat kid is in love with Doll face eh? I wonder if they realize they are in a love square,"

 "Wait? What do you mean a love square?" Tikki asked, making Plagg gulp. "Is Marinette in love with him?"

 "Uhhh...."

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Next Chapter: https://ultra-sassyduck.tumblr.com/post/634367165279223808/miraculous-rise-of-anatis-34