A Miraculous Tale: Storybook

Ch. 12

Cat Noir stepped back as Hook dealt a vicious blow. He quickly blocked the ferocious frenzy of movement, but he was losing ground. His foot found the edge of the thick pole, and he wobbled some before he caught his balance. The lost boys gasped, and someone started crying.

I gotta do this for them. For Marinette. He stepped forward and stabbed at Hook. Hook blocked it easily. "Is that all you got, boy?"

Cat Noir grinned. "I'm just getting started." He quickly swung his sword back and forth, and Hook parried each move. Cat Noir swung his sword at Hook's side, and the pirate moved to block it. At the last second Cat Noir's sword changed direction and hit Hook's leg. Hook stumbled backwards, and his sword got tangled in some netting.

Cat Noir stepped forward. "Give up?"

Hook sneered. "Never!" He regained his balance, grabbed his sword, and ran at Cat Noir. Cat Noir lunged at Hook and nicked him in the side. The pirate winced. Then, suddenly, Hook sat down and lifted his arms in surrender.

"Y-you win, Pan. You win." He panted.

Cat Noir hesitated. It was unlike Hook to give up just like that. He raised his sword and held it under Hook's chin.

"I win? You totally give up?" He raised an eyebrow.

Hook slowly stood. "One hundred percent."

Cat Noir lowered his sword. "Well then, I suppose I should get the lost boys now." He offered his hand as was the custom in every fencing match he had ever played in.

"Well done. It was fun."

"Yes, it was." Hook put down his sword and lifted his hand to shake Cat Noir's.

"Peter, look out!" Marinette shouted from below deck.

Cat Noir's initial instinct was to look at her, but instead he looked at Hook. The pirated pulled a dagger out of his boot and swung it at Cat Noir. Cat Noir ducked and swept his leg around, nocking Hook off balance.

With an earth splitting scream Hook fell off of the pole. The pirates held out their hands and somehow managed to catch Hook. Cat Noir flew to the lost boys and used the dagger in his belt to free them. Marinette and Tinker ran over, and Cat Noir sprinkled the lost boys with Tinker's fairy dust.

"Let's go!" The children flew off into the sky, and Hook let out an enraged scream.

"I'll get you Pan, if it's the last thing I do!"

Cat Noir turned around and gave the pirate a sympathetic look.

"Don't worry about him." Marinette said. Cat Noir turned to her and couldn't help the smile that spread across his face.

"So where to now?" He asked.

Marinette looked ahead. "Home." They flew to the North Star, and soon the world around them disappeared in a cloudy haze. The lost boys vanished, then the land, the sky, and finally the star. They were floating in blackness for a moment when suddenly they found themselves on a bridge over a river. Cat Noir looked around and saw the city of Paris.

He laughed. "We're back! We made it!" He hugged Marinette, but she pushed away from him.

"Don't start celebrating yet Kitty. Look." Marinette was looking around at the city, and Cat Noir looked also. Beanstalks, towers, and other odd structures were everywhere, and many different creatures roamed the city.

"What happened?" Cat Noir wondered out loud.

"She's turned Paris into a storybook. We'll have to stop her!"

"We?" Cat Noir turned to Marinette. "Oh no, Marinette. I am not about to let you put yourself in danger again." Before she could protest he picked her up, carried her to the hotel, and put her in one of the rooms.

"Stay here." He ordered. Then he shut the door and left.