Work Text:
It was a beautiful, calm night. Citizens walked peacefully through the streets, the lights shining with beauty under the moonlight.
An unexpectedly quiet night. No accidents, no attacks, not even the usual akuma assaults. And yet, the two greatest heroes of Paris still found themselves fighting against an unbeatable enemy… boredom.
Ladybug and Chat Noir handled their boredom differently: the raven-haired girl distracted herself by scanning the city for any sign of trouble, while the blond played with his staff, trying to come up with new puns and jokes.
“Anything yet?” the boy asked, lying lazily in a corner.
“Nothing so far.”
The boy let out a long yawn, stretching his limbs before curling up against the wall. He looked up at the sky, where the stars shone with unusual brightness, painting a beautiful picture along with the clouds. Each one seemed to sparkle more than the last.
“You know, My Lady, the stars really are dazzling tonight.”
“Yes, they are,” she agreed, lifting her gaze toward the starry sky.
“Although not as dazzling as someone I know.” He smirked in his usual flirty pose.
“Oh yeah? And who would that be?”
“You, Bugaboo.”
She rolled her eyes but couldn’t help smiling at her partner’s cheesy compliment, before turning her focus back to the city.
So far, aside from the beautiful stars, the only “interesting” things they had seen were: a lady walking down the street with what looked suspiciously like a real skeleton (which both found extremely disturbing), and a territorial fight between two rats over a churro—one white, one brown. (Chat Noir bet on the brown one.) For some reason, he even played Linkin Park as the rats fought. At first Ladybug refused to bet, but when it looked like one rat was winning, she gave in.
“You know, I really thought Ignacio had it,” Chat said, handing her money after losing the bet.
“You actually gave it a name?” Ladybug asked, amused, counting her winnings.
“Hey, he fought with heart for that churro. But in the end, Rebecca won.”
“And how do you know it was female?”
“Cat instinct.”
They shared a smile before returning their focus to the streets. Suddenly, screams and the sound of an explosion a few blocks away snapped their attention.
“Finally!” the feline cheered, eager for action.
They rushed toward the chaos. The closer they got, the more destruction they saw—like a tornado had ripped through several streets. Shops destroyed, cars on fire, and, strangely enough, a powerful stench that reminded Chat of his kwami’s favorite cheeses.
But the worst, the most horrifying sight, was so unbearable that Ladybug could only scream:
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
Her cry startled her partner so much he nearly jumped out of his skin.
“What is it, My Lady?!” he asked frantically.
In shock, she pointed. Chat turned to see… a giant Adrien Agreste poster engulfed in flames.
What was once the flawless portrait of one of Paris’s most handsome young models was now nothing more than a burnt, distorted parody.
“My La—”
“Shhhh… let me mourn,” Ladybug whispered, placing a finger on Chat Noir’s lips.
Whoever was responsible, she knew one thing: they were facing someone of pure evil, a being with no heart and no soul.
From the flames, they saw a man chained to a poster—Xavier Ramier, better known as Mr. Pigeon. And next to him, a mysterious figure.
As they drew closer, they saw him clearly. Wrapped in a deep crimson aura, with a scarf and black lines across his outfit, his crimson eyes glowed ominously. A sword gleamed in his hand.
“Stop right there!” the heroes shouted.
“Huh?” the figure turned.
Before he could react, a flying kick from Ladybug sent him crashing into a shop.
“What—how—when?!” the boy groaned, staggering to his feet as the red aura faded from his suit.
The mysterious stranger was none other than… the legendary Ninja of Norrisville.
“Freeze!” Ladybug and Chat Noir ordered as they advanced.
But when they entered the shop, the Ninja was gone. The place turned out to be a kitchenware store—not exactly the best place to fight a stealthy akuma.
“Dang it, Chat, I think we lo—”
Her words were cut short as a frying pan slammed into her face.
“FRYING PAN NINJA!” the boy yelled as Ladybug crashed into a refrigerator, her face still imprinted on the pan.
“My Lady!” Chat Noir cried, horrified. He turned furiously toward the stranger. “YOU!”
“What? She started it!” the Ninja protested.
Dodging Chat’s strikes, the Ninja escaped the shop. Questions swirled in his mind: Why were they wearing such tight suits? And why did that blond kid look exactly like the model from the poster he’d seen?
Swinging with his scarf, he fled across rooftops, planning to take them on separately. He dove into a dark alley and hid inside a dumpster.
Soon, he overheard the heroes’ voices outside.
“Damn, we lost him.”
“I gotta admit, he’s good,” Chat said.
“He’s not good, just lucky,” Ladybug growled.
“Come on, My Lady, don’t be like that.”
“You didn’t take a frying pan to the face, did you?”
“Want a kiss to make it better, Bugaboo?”
“I told you not to call me that!”
Listening from inside the dumpster, the Ninja couldn’t help feeling awkward. Were they one of those couples that argued, broke up, and got back together all the time? Or just friends?
Either way, he decided maybe he’d gone too far with the frying pan. And honestly… they didn’t seem evil. Maybe this was all just one big “misunderstanding.”
“Uh, I’m right here,” the Ninja said, stepping out behind them.
“GET HIM!” Ladybug shouted.
“Wait!!” the Ninja yelled, raising his hands. To his surprise, the heroes actually paused. “Uh… can we talk?” he asked hesitantly.
“Talk? About what?! The part where you nearly flattened someone? Or maybe the fact you destroyed half the block?!” Ladybug snapped.
“Well… first off, that guy turned into a pigeon, and then I, uh, ‘destro-kee’ him—whatever—and done. As for the destruction, well… you know that butterfly that came out of him? It looked super evil, so I figured I should smash it. And, uh… maybe when I smashed it, I also… hit a poster.” He cringed at the last part, hoping they’d believe him.
“I think he means de-akumatize,” Chat said. “My Lady, I think he’s a holder.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, eyeing the Ninja closely, making him uncomfortable. “And what’s your name?”
The boy smirked at the question. With a dramatic flip, he unsheathed his sword and struck what he thought was a “cool” pose.
“I… am the Ninja! Protector of Norrisville!”
“Ninja? That’s it?” Ladybug asked.
“Well… yeah.”
“How unoriginal,” Chat muttered.
“Oh, let me guess,” the Ninja shot back. “Your name is… Catboy? Meowboy? Kittyboy? Black Cat?”
“CHAT NOIR! It’s Chat Noir! C-H-A-T N-O-I-R!” the blond barked, pointing a finger at him.
“Okay, okay, don’t get mad. I was just saying,” the Ninja replied, raising his hands in peace.
Ladybug couldn’t help but burst out laughing at Chat’s outburst.
“Uh… and you?” the Ninja asked.
“Ladybug. Nice to meet you. Sorry for chasing and hitting you.”
“Sorry for the frying pan.”
“It’s fine, just… don’t do it again. Seriously, don’t,” the Ninja warned in a suddenly serious tone.
“So, can you explain what you two are? And what’s going on here in Paris? I thought this was supposed to be the city of love, not pigeons.”
“Well, it’s a long story…” Chat began.