Miraculous: Tales of Rena Rouge and Carapace

Chapter 7

As the three superheroes faced the Scientist, an eerie sound swooped through the courtyard. The Scientist craned her ears in confusion.

Just out of sight, Rena Rouge perched in the rafters, playing her flute.

"What is this?" The Scientist muttered angrily.

"Look" Ladybug yelled theatrically. "The Scientist has lost her beakers!"

Indeed, every single beaker seemed to have vanished. Bewildered, the Scientist searched inside her coat. Ladybug prayed that she wouldn't brush against one of them with her knuckles, or she'd realize it was just an illusion and she still had her beakers.

"Now!" Ladybug yelled, and Rena Rouge, Chat Noir, and Carapace all rushed at the Scientist.

"Freeze!" The Scientist yelled. She held up a vial. "Or I'll throw this sulfuric acid at you!"

The three superheroes all skidded to a stop. Slowly, they began to back away.

Normal sulfuric acid was strong, but the Scientist's sulfuric acid was even stronger. It would eat through the stone floor in seconds.

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug yelled.

"Silence!" Demanded the Scientist. She waved her magical vial.

A small box dropped into Ladybug's hands. "Baking soda?"

The Scientist blanched.

"Sodium Bicarbonate," yelled Chat. "It neutralizes acids!'

Ladybug began to run towards the Scientist. "Ladybug, stop!" Rena Rouge yelled, but her words had no effect. Ladybug sprinted straight at the frightened Scientist, who hurled the vial.

And narrowly missed.

The vial shattered on the marble floor. Ladybug threw the box of baking soda into the air. Without having to say anything, Chat knew what she was intending. He hit the box with his baton, and the box split open as it hit the ground. As soon as the acid and base touched, the mixture began to steam until, finally, it was completely neutralized. The floor was barely charred.

Ladybug snatched the thermometer out of the Scientist's hair. Mme Mendeleiev loved that thermometer, she used it all the time. It only made sense that the akuma would be in there...

"No, it's her periodic table!" Yelled Rena Rouge.

Ladybug grabbed at the Scientist's lab coat, but the Scientist twisted and held up a different vial. But, before she could throw it, someone landed on her shoulders.

Carapace.

"You taught us that the strongest concentration was 18 M!" He yelled. "But your acid must be stronger! How is that possible?"

The Scientist faltered. "It-it isn't. You're right, how can this be? It's impossible."

While the Scientist was distracted, Chat Noir ran up behind her and stole her periodic table. Grinning, he ripped it in half.

"No more evil-doing for you!" Ladybug declared, whipping out her yo-yo. "Time to de-evilize!"

When the little butterfly finally flew away, they all said "Bye bye, little butterfly" together.

Rena Rouge was left to lead a very confused Mme Mendeleiev back to her classroom.

"It's all okay, Mme Mendeleiev," she assured the frightened professor. "No one was hurt."

"I feel terrible," Mme Mendeleiev said. "I shouldn't have gotten mad at Kim. He was only joking, after all. He's a good kid."

Rena Rouge shrugged. "I'm not sure about that, but sure."

***

Chat was acting very strangely. So was Carapace, actually. Ladybug kept catching them glancing furtively at each other until, finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Alright," she said, folding her arms. "What's up with you two? You're acting so strange."

They glanced at each other. "Nothing!"

Ladybug exchanged a look with Rena Rouge, who quirked an eyebrow. "No, Ladybug's right. Are you guys okay?"

"We're fine, okay!?" Snapped Carapace.

Rena recoiled. "Well so-rry. So rude of me to wonder about your wellbeing."

Carapace at least had the decency to look ashamed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I've just been really stressed lately, you know?" He hesitated for a moment. "And Chat and I have been wondering if we know each other in real life..."

"We probably don't!" Chat was quick to add. "But... we could."

"I think we do, too." Rena added. "I've had this nagging feeling..."

"We shouldn't say anything else!" Ladybug said, panicked. "Master Fu warned us. We should stop thinking about it, or we might slip up and say something incriminating."

"You're right. Let's go patrol." Carapace pulled his shell-shaped waterboard off his back and began to walk down the sidewalk, towards the Seine. "Coming, Rena?"

***

Rena Rouge was distracted all throughout the ride towards Notre-Dame. Several times, she absently loosened her grip, almost ending up in the water.

They rode in silence, scaled the bridge in silence, and walked in silence. There was a tension in the air that had never been there before.

Of course, Rena knew that Carapace was a real person. But it was so hard to envision him as anyone other than Carapace. So hard to envision him as anyone else in her class.

Loud and obnoxious (though well-meaning) Kim? No way, Carapace was too cautious.

Quiet Nathaniel? No, Carapace wasn't timid.

She laughed to herself at the thought of goofy, laid-back Nino and sweet, dense Adrian. Now, if those two were superheroes, Paris would have burned to the ground...

She made a mental checklist.

Can't be Ivan, or Kim. Can't be Nathaniel...

What if...?

"Carapace," she said suddenly, startling them both. "I think I know you."

He swallowed. "Okay?"

"I think I saw you somewhere last night. My friend and I were passing by the roller rink, and we looked in the window and saw four of our classmates there." She took a deep breath. "Carapace, were you at the roller rink last night?"

For a second, he didn't answer, just stared at the glittering waters of the Seine behind them. "I've always believed we need to keep our identities secret. But, clearly, that's no longer possible. I can't lie anymore. So, yes. I was."

Rena Rouge inhaled sharply.

"O-okay." She said shakily. "Okay, I know who you are."

Carapace was Max.

She had never considered it before. But faced with the evidence, she realized that both of them were responsible and super smart. How could she have not make the connection?

Soon, she was going to tell him. But not as superheroes; she wanted to talk to him in their civilian forms. It would be safer that way.

Rena glanced at Carapace out of the corner of her eye.

Not just Carapace.

Max.