Miraculous: Tales of Rena Rouge and Carapace

Chapter 2

The next day, Carapace noticed that Rena Rouge was unusually happy. She hadn't yet made any snippy comments about him, and she had a beaming smile on her face instead of a smirk.

"What's up with you?" He asked her.

"I went on a date with my boyfriend last night." She said. He felt slightly... jealous?

"Well, I went on a date with my girlfriend last night." He said quickly. Rena Rouge raised her eyes.

"You have a girlfriend?"

"Yes." Carapace snapped.

"What's her name?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Pleeeaaasseee." Rena whined.

Carapace shook his head. "Nope."

"What colour hair?"

"Kind of a brownish reddish." He said. "And she's really pretty, and smart, and-"

"Like me?" Rena asked, batting her eyelashes.

He scowled. "No! Not like you. In fact, opposite of you!"

"Yeesh, Shelly." Rena complained. "You know, I don't understand why we can't tell each other who we really are."

"Chat Noir and Ladybug don't even know who the other is." He reminded her. "Besides, would you really want to know?"

A shadow crossed her face. "Maybe not. My other self is so different."

"Yeah, mine too." As Nino, he was so carefree and happy. As Carapace, he was cautious and careful.

Why? He asked himself.

Maybe because the fate of Paris rests in your hands when you're Carapace. His brain told him.

"How are you so reckless and calm in battles?" He asked, turning to Rena Rouge.

She hesitated. "Well, I guess because I don't want to think of what could happen if we fail. So I just imagine that we can't fail."

He nodded slightly, surprised. Rena never acted vulnerable in the least. "I know what you mean."

Carapace would have liked to continue talking with this new Rena Rouge, but the moment passed in a blink and Rena pasted a bright smile on her face. "C'mon Shelly, let's go look for danger!"

"Because that's smart," muttered Carapace.

"You coming?"

***

Alya huffed in disbelief. "Are you sure, Trixx?"

Trixx nodded regretfully. "I really wasn't kidding when I said that I needed mac'n'cheese! We can't transform now, or we'd both get really hurt!"

"Well I don't have time to run home and get you anything, and I don't have any money." Alya said regretfully. "But I can't just walk away and leave Carapace, no matter how annoying he is!"

"You can't fight in your civilian form," Trixx said earnestly. "But what if you made a trap for Dr. Destroyer, like Ladybug does?"

Alya brightened. "Great idea!"

***

Carapace hesitated. He had no idea where Rena Rouge had gone, or if she was coming back. Only a few minutes into the fight, her necklace had begun to beep.

Now he faced Dr. Destroyer alone.

Unfortunately, while the Akuma's name was ridiculous, his skills weren't. He parried Carapace's attacks with ease, grinning broadly.