A Few Notes

Heartsong

There was no time to wait and see what Luka had become. Marinette was already running.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-

There was a shove at her back, and Marinette went sprawling on the cold tile floor. Cackling laughter drew her attention to the fading back of Lila Rossi as the other girl continued to speed down the hall. Furious, Marinette nearly screamed after her, but she was cut off by a yell from behind.

Luka.

Scrambling to her feet, Marinette continued the race through the school. She looked wildly for a closet, a bathroom, anything. Tikki was jostling about in her purse, taken by surprise at every change in momentum. Marinette reached a corner, looked right and left, and vaulted into the locker room.

Adrien was nowhere to be seen. He had turned round, going the long way, popping in and out of the occupied classrooms to give warning of the akuma. Many of the students were shocked, some jolting from their seats as their teachers nodded and attempted to persuade everyone to stay calm. It was almost funny, how routine everything had become.

The hallways were eerily silent. Normally, the building would begin shaking, or the akuma would be screaming from outside, threatening to blow up the Eiffel Tower or take over the world or whatever else they had on their evil agenda. But as Adrien searched for an inconspicuous place to transform, he noticed instantly that he was completely surrounded by silence. There had been one yell, one, single enraged roar, and then: nothing.

Then the music began.

The melody was unsettling at the least. Every time he blinked, Adrien was wrought with flashes, images of red-tied pigtails and deep blue eyes. The notes, he observed, were from a sort of string instrument, like a harp of some kind. What had Luka become, to be able to fill every inch of the air with such beguiling music?

He would soon find out.

Marinette was just catching her breath when she heard the familiar melody. It was her song, the one Luka had claimed to be in her heart. Much like before, she felt the urge to dance, only this time the pull was much, much stronger.

"Marinette, what's happening?" Tikke cried, sensing Marinette's beginning struggle. The kwami phased through the girl's purse and hovered in front of her grimacing face.

"I think-" Marinette made a grab for the side of the row of lockers, "I think it's Luka. He's playing-playing my song. It must have some sort of control over me."

Tikki groaned. "You need to transform, now!"

"Spots—ugh—spots on!"

Even with her supersuit, Ladybug still felt the pull of Luka's music. Slamming her hands over her ears, she grimaced and ran wildly out of the room.

Ladybug rushed to the school roof and, out of sheer desperation, called forth her Lucky Charm. A pair of earplugs landed in her outstretched hand.

"Thanks, Tikki," she whispered, stuffing her ears with the plugs. Ladybug sighed in relief as the spotted rubber drowned out the music entirely. She felt a thump behind her, the force sending vibrations through the soles of her suited feet. A swift, battle-ready turn brought her the sunny face of Chat Noir.

The boy said something, likely a joke or pun, but Ladybug couldn't hear a thing. She pointed to her ears, the sensation of speaking odd as she was unable to register even the sound of her own voice. Chat nodded, his expression seeming to dawn on something, something he didn't share.
It was no matter, as another, more distant thump on the rooftop meant they had just received more company. Both heroes stepped into position, arms raised and ready for the incoming fight.

"Don't you know that three's a crowd?" Chat Noir said cheekily, moving to stand just in front of Ladybug. He glanced to the side, looking for his partner's reaction out of pure routine and finding himself disappointed, remembering that she couldn't have heard.

Luka, for his part, merely stared. He was dressed in green and black, clutching a mottled, matching lyre. "My name is the Piper," he finally said, then strummed a set of notes on his instrument. It wasn't Marinette's song, but something a bit darker. The heroes' questions were answered as the door to the roof slammed open and dozens of mind-controlled teenagers swarmed out. Some were classmates, others were strangers. All were under the Piper's control.

The children formed rows in front of the villain, like chesspeices on a board. Both Ladybug and Chat were taken aback. Transformed civilians were one thing—they could easily fight a brood of monsters—but regular people? They couldn't hurt them.

"Advance," the Piper called to his minions, strumming his lyre. The people jolted forward, moving like zombies, their eyes completely vacant and lifeless. The heroes stepped back several paces, stopped only by the edge of the roof.

"Let them go," Ladybug yelled, "They're civilians!"

The Piper inclined his head, saying, "All will be released when Marinette comes to me." His eyes shifted between Ladybug and Chat. "And while you may be protected from my charms, it seems that your partner is not."

"What-"

Positioning his fingers and squinting his eyes, the Piper focused solely on Chat. "It seems you have something like this, in your heart."

Then more music began to play. The song was dark, dismal. If Ladybug could have heard, she would have ached inside.

Ladybug watched in horror as her partner went limp, and joined the ranks of civilians as they backed her into a corner. "Chat," she called, "Wake up!"

Her partner was as deaf as her.
Shaking her head, Ladybug clasped her yoyo and escaped just as the first wave started to lunge.