Strike At Midnight || Luka Couffaine

Chapter 22 ❧ Blue-eyed Knight

Grimm and I chase after the shadow if Volpina as she darts across the rooftop of the school. We only halt in dismay when she slips through a window and into the school itself. "I don't feel good about this already."

I could pick up the sound of Volpina's flute as we rush in through the school entrance. My draw drops in shock at the figure in the middle of the sports hall. The Blood Bat in the flesh right smack at the centre of it all. But that's not me- a carbon copy of the of my alter ego but undeniably fake.

"Ladybug," the impostor drawls, I instantly detect Lila Rossi's voice hiding behind my own mask. "Come out, come out wherever you are. Or do I have to take a hostage?"

That's not me! That's most certainly not me talking!

"I don't want to hurt you, Blood Bat. I won't resort to violence," Ladybug's ominous voice reverberates throughout the hall. She then appears from the shadows like an angel in disguise.

"That makes things easier for me," The impostor says and presses her lips against her flute. She plays a brief tune. Are people actually falling for this? The Bat miraculous doesn't even grant me the power to wield illusions!

The faker summons a dozen clones of herself appearing as the Blood Bat. She seems even more powerful than I last saw her. Did Hawkmoth somehow enhance her abilities?

Without delay, they all charge towards Ladybug in unison, making me severely uncomfortable. It's like seeing multiple reflections of myself- shiver run down my spine.

"Selene, help me spot the real culprit." Grimm hurriedly scans the whole area, looking for the real Volpina. The clones try to bind Ladybug, but she avoids all of their attack with fluid movements of her slim body.

"There's too many of them and they act similar!" I mean it's hard to identify the perpetrator when they all act like brainless animals charging at Ladybug like a herd of bulls. "Oh my God!"

One illusion slams Ladybug against the wall so hard that the poor superhero crashes right through, creating a massive hole at the centre. We have to find the real one before they actually kill Marinette! Suddenly, my ears zone in on a distant giggle and from the corner of my eye, I spot a fake Blood Bat throw me a devilish smirk before running to the opposite direction. Bingo.

I'm about to bolt after her but I hesitate when I glance back at Ladybug struggling against a whole crowd of clones. If I don't chase the real Volpina now, I might lose her for good, and she can't get away with this! Ladybug yelps in surprise and a nauseating crash comes right after. I hold back a frustrated groan as I turn away and dash into the theatre of war. "Witching hour!"

Grimm phases into my ribbon as I feel my clothes transform and my mask attach onto my face. Clenching my fist, I command," Oblivion!"

A black aura wraps around the first Blood Bat clone I come in contact with and, to my surprise, disappears into a puff of orange smoke. The my sight begins to darken as a result. I chant the command like a broken record until I eliminate a vast number of them. It's like a massacre of myself.

"Woah, there!" I almost don't see Ladybug's fist coming down at me amidst the chaos. I lunge out of the way. "I'm not who you should be fighting. Frankly, I despise it when people forge my identity."

Without waiting for her response, I thrust a pointed finger to Volpina's direction. "Volpina went that way. Hurry! You can still catch her!"

She nod with eyes alight with resolve and dashes to the direction I guided her to. Turning back to the now a handful of Blood Bat illusions, I crack my knuckles. Briefly glancing down to check the yellow bead on my ribbon, I figure that I have about 2 minutes left before I detransform. I focus on my vision and estimate that I have a few mire tries before I turn blind completely.