Chasing Chat Noir

Chapter 24

Finding the place was easier a second time around.

Mari heard the rush of waterfall in the distance and knew she was close- she just hoped she'd find what she was looking for on the other end.

The arena was just like how they'd last seen it: Large beyond belief and stacked to the max with weapons and training gear.

Perfect.

Mari peered from the waterfall to find Chloe fast at training, dodging a tall man's blow...not just any man, but Luka.

She tried to figure a best way to approach them, but head on seemed like the best approach?

Chloe looked up a second too soon, allowing Luka to get the one up on her and pin her to the ground; she scowled at him and pushed him off, but he just chuckled and helped her back up.

The blonde looked Mari up and down before coming her way, "you better have come here for a good reason, Mari. Because I'm about to cause you some major trouble if you don't leave within the minute."

In the bat of an eye, Chloe lunged for Mari and left no remorse. Anyone else would have been pinned to the floor already-

But Mari wasn't just anyone.

Mari dodged her attack and blocked Chloe's unrelenting hits. This girl could fight, which was good considering what Mari had come here for.

"I'm not here to fight you" Mari dodged another hit and gained better footing on the mats.

"I'll say" Chloe bit back as she sent another punch Mari's way. Mari rolled to the side just in time.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mari saw Luka's eyes bright with amusement as he watched the two girls battle it out. Mari threw him a vulgar gesture before stopping one of Chloe's round-house kicks.

"I need to speak to you- to both of you-"

Chloe wasn't listening as she was on total offense. Punch after punch met with another kick; it was taking just as much effort on Mari's end to dodge them all.

Finally, Mari saw an opening in Chloe's form and took it. She grabbed her arm and flipped her to the ground, hard enough to make Chloe listen.

The pair panted, catching their breathes as Luka laughed and started clapping. "That was a fight I wasn't expecting to see today."

How many people were part of this underground training/fight club?

"Listen, we can fight all you want later, Chloe, but there's urgent business that takes precedence over this."

In some small miracle, Chloe kept her mouth shut and motioned for Mari to continue, but not before shooting a look towards Luka.

Mari loosed a breath and finally began to explain.

••••••

Luka looked... even paler than usual.

Chloe looked... even more pissed.

For once, it wasn't directed at Mari.

"This man has terrorized Paris for far too long, and he just put the final nail in his coffin by taking Chat Noir." Chloe spoke with a conviction Mari had never heard before.

Chloe didn't show much of herself to the world. She kept to her own, and often got defensive when someone got too close.

Mari knew she was asking a lot of them, but they were running out of options.

"This mission will be dangerous; last time I almost didn't make it out and Chat..."

Luka looked at her like he knew exactly what she was thinking. "We're not letting you go it alone, Mari."

It's what she would normally do- go alone; but lately Mari's going alone hadn't exactly been working in her favor.

For Chat, Mari realized she really might do anything.

Luka took inventory of the weapons in their  arsenal, rows upon rows of lethal weapons. Bows and axes and whips and-

Well, you get the picture.

"Do you have a weapon of choice, Mari?"

Luka looked at her with a sort of excitement in his eyes that made Mari nervous... for whoever would be in the other side of Lukas weapon when this came to a head.

Mari studied the walls. Realistically, she'd be going as lady bug for this mission.

Maybe it was time for Mari to get some new methods of help, as long as Luka was offering.

She scanned the walls until the weapons seemed to call to her:

A set of small knives, easily disguise-able in her uniform. Unnoticeable to most, and lethal before they could see her coming.

"These are perfect." She picked them up and observed, while Luka smirked and took up the bow and arrows for himself.

Chloe eyed the two of them before reaching for a sword, which she sheathed and attached  across her back with ease.

"I appreciate both of you for doing this, for putting your lives at risk, it's something we'll never be able to repay." Mari looked to them both as she spoke.

Luka was never much for words, but when he spoke people listened. He chose his words carefully, "There is no debt to settle here, Mari. Our sacrifice is for Paris and all of the people in trouble here too. Our friends and family... we have to do something."

Mari understood. Even without the responsibility of the miraculous, she would be doing this. But it wouldn't be enough.

Chloe looked like she read Mari's exact thought, and said something that would change the game entirely, "there are more of us, you know. We'll call upon them to join us... if they're willing."

Mari nodded and began to feel the knot in her chest lighten up- just a little.

••••••

"Alya?" Mari was surprised to see her best friend here, followed not far behind from Nino.

"Hey, Mari! Fancy seeing you here." She looked nervously to Nino for support.

"Why didn't you tell me about this place? Or all of the others that train here as well?" Mari didn't want to take it personally, but this made the facility she'd been using with master Fu look like a dump.

Had Adrien lied about knowing this place too? She hadn't seen him since Chat had gone, but maybe he'd reveal himself now.

Mari felt like she'd been running in circles, searching for answers that were right in front of her.

"I didn't tell you Mari, because the first rule of fight club-"

Nino wrapped an arm around Alya and she let him, "is don't talk about fight club".

Maybe that made sense, but Mari still couldn't help the sting she felt, knowing her best friend had known about this place the entire time. That being said, Mari kept her own fair share of secrets.

"Do you really think the five of us could do it?" Nino looked to Mari for an answer and the rest of the group followed.

"I don't know...but we have to try. For him. For all of Paris, really." Mari hated that she would be putting all of her friends at risk, but they had volunteered. And she had to honor that.

Luka came up beside her and offered a sense of comfort. He offered her a stability in the midst of all the chaos, and he smiled as he looked at her. "If I had to put my money on anyone in Paris, it'd be you, Mari."

She hoped she would prove him right.