Chapter 26

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What the hell?!

Petir turned to glare at him, his condition barely affected his mouth. "Are you fucking serious?!" he demanded. "I resisted akumas even without powers! Now you're just mad because I rejected you?! I didn't even know you swung that way!"

Tanah didn't say anything. Instead, his hold around Petir's grip loosened, and he was dropped into a waiting cage. It was his shield powers, but now, it was used to imprison.

Petir pounded on the shield. It was a lavender purple, and they made hollow sounds when he hit them.

"Let me go, Tanah!" he snapped. "What the hell are you doing?"

Tanah didn't turn to him. "I prefer it when you don't exist."

He turned to the hallway, and looked out to the sky. The only thing that separated them was the concrete wall.

Petir looked around frantically. There was no one there. Everyone should have went home by now.

Except...

"CAHAYA!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. His voice resonated in the sphere. "CAHAYA!!"

He heard faint footsteps. More than a pair.

"Still calling to him for help?" A lavender platform appeared in front of Tanah, and another, and another, leading to the sky. "No one can save you now. I'll get rid of you once I kill Minte and Athena to take their Miraculouses. For now, you're my hostage."

Petir scowled. What was taking that lightbulb so damn long?

"CAHAYA!"

He erupted in coughs, his throat aching. He hadn't raised his voice in some time, either.

This time, the footsteps were louder, and more frantic. But Tanah didn't wait for them as he took the first step. The barrier that trapped Petir followed him.

Shit.

"Petir?" Petir heard Cahaya's voice around the corner. "What the hell are you yapping about? Is my name really that-"

Cahaya froze, and so did his partner from the academy. They finally noticed, but it was a little too late for that.

"PETIR!" Cahaya sprinted towards him, but all he could do was grip the walls, glaring at the disappearing akuma villain and his captured friend.

Cahaya cursed loudly. He glanced over to Daun, looking for an excuse, but the teen was already gone. He decided not to question this, and ran into the nearest classroom for cover.

A grey kwami floated from the inside of his jacket, and frowned at him.

"Worried about your boyfriend?" Solar asked. He was the Owl kwami. He pointed an accusing wing at his owner. "Don't let emotions get in your way, young one."

Cahaya growled. "He's not my boyfriend, damnit! Why does everyone keep saying that?" he snapped.

"Looks like to me you two are," Solar argued.

Cahaya ignored it. He adjusted his glasses, and the thin metal rims turned from silver to gold.

"Solar, Sunrise!"

When he sprinted out from the classroom, he was met with his partner, Minte, who was rushing down the stairs. They paused when they saw each other.

"You're here too?" Cahaya asked.

Minte grinned. His lengthy hair fell by his face like curtains. Like the other heroes, he wore a dark green mask that covered only his eyes.

"I tracked the akuma down earlier. Lost sight of it but then I heard screams."

Cahaya grinned back, but worry still prickled in him. He felt sick to the stomach.

"Any clue of where the akuma is?" Minte didn't sound too impressed by the fact that one of their own holders fell prey. He was always sceptical when Cahaya appointed a new Miraculous holder without notice.

"Definitely not the Miraculous," Cahaya deadpanned, eyes fixed on the fading silhouette of the two. His fists clenched, glaring at the faint, small sphere.

His friend was in there. He could be killed at any moment.

Minte hummed. "Hm." He tapped his chin. "Any other suggestions?"

Cahaya hopped onto the wall, staying perched. "Give me a few minutes to look for information first."

Minte nodded, which Cahaya quickly trained his eyes on the small silhouettes. They were far away, but it was enough.

"Search," he muttered, fixing his gaze the best he can.

Like a video game analysis, every detail about Tanah was displayed in front of his eyes like a computer. Information rushed through his mind, so fast that he couldn't catch any of it. Every detail about Tanah's being was laid out to him: every relationship, every emotion and anything-he had them.

It was a dangerous ability. A Miraculous that could unravel any secret.

He closed his eyes, catching the object they were looking for.

"The akuma is in his Miraculous."

Minte groaned. "You little-"

"But it's an advanced class," Cahaya continued, going through the information in his mind. "Akumas that don't affect their appearance, gives them more powerful abilities, and bypass regular Miraculous countermeasures."

"Advanced?" Minte frowned, biting his lip. "Haven't heard of it. Why now?"

"Advanced akumas are just regular akumas. The victim's emotions are just too suppressed or confused that they wait as until they finally crack." Cahaya held his head. His ability was already giving him a headache. "They can wait. The longer or harder it takes to akumatize someone, the more dangerous they are. But at the same time, their defence is low, so they're glass cannons."

"But they're defeated like regular akumas?"

"Basically, yes."

"Then just say so."

Minte pressed his palms onto the wall, and a thin line began to form, reaching to the tallest building nearby. Once the line is formed, he hopped onto his thin string and sled upwards, defying gravity and physics.

Cahaya sighed. One of these days, he's going to do himself in.

He jumped off, and lifted himself into the air, catching up to his partner with no effort wasted.

"Any plans?"

Minte turned to him, standing atop a roof. "You're asking me?"

Cahaya kept his eyes on Terre, and tried to ignore his captive. "Just checking for any ideas to shoot down."

They were so close to him now. Terre was walking in air, using flat shields as his platform. He was looking for them.

"We need to get him down to ground," Cahaya determined. "We free the hostage, then we can focus on him."

"Won't he just trap us in the same thing?" Minte shot down, ironically. "He can wait until we transform back, then drop and kill us."

"I don't know how much the akuma enhanced his powers. But if I can land a good hit at his weak spot..."

"And destroy the Miraculous? Murder a person? I can reverse damage, but I sure as hell don't bring back the dead!"

"Oh, hush-"

That's when they heard it.

The soft, gentle melody of a violin.

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