292Paris at night was truly a wonder to behold. The lights mirrored stars on the ground, making the streets glow with a warmth that made it clear how the City of Love got it's namesake. Not that Chat Noir paid much attention to the scenery. The hero clad in black was far too busy vaulting over rooftops to care. He grinned breathlessly at the freedom the night gave him. Out here, he didn't have to be the perfect child. No chauffeurs, no schedule, hardly as many rules, and the safety of Paris his only obligation. The only thing that could make him any more content was the presence of his Lady at his side.
It wasn't that he minded her absense; tonight was his patrol, and he took on the job dutifully. Still, Chat couldn't help but long for the girl who held his heart. He deeply treasured their brief moments together, saving the citizens from Hawkmoth's latest attempts to claim their Miraculous. He enjoyed being her knight, her shield while she set out to purify the akuma their foe let loose. And while it may be one-sided, he loved to flirt with her. The sly, yet unimpressed, looks she would give him at his latest pun or attempt to woo her always made his heart flutter. Just the very thought of it made the feline-themed hero chuckle.
Chat finally slowed to a stop, panting to catch his breath. Vibrant green eyes finally took in the beauty that was his home. Falling to a crouch upon a rooftop's edge, Chat closed his eyes and listened. The murmur of the late night streets filled his magical ears. The landscape may not have captured his attention, but the music of Paris always did. More than once did he catch himself falling into a lull from his city's rich baritone. It was such a sharp contrast to the deafening silence he lived in.
With a shake of his head, Chat reminded himself he had a job to do. Once again, he listened, but this time with focus. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, not at first. Voices of late night Parisians made their way to his ears under the murmur of cars. Some were heading home, some out for a good time. The soft but familiar patter of footsteps brought a frown to his face.
Someone had joined him on the rooftops.
His first thought was his Lady. Perhaps she decided to join him on patrol? He smiled at the thought. Stretching his back, Chat took hold of his staff and got up. If his bugaboo was here, he'd have to greet her properly. He bounded from roof to roof, feeling giddy. His grin soon fell as he came to a stop a few roofs away. Instead of spotted red spandex, the young girl before him was wrapped in a black cat suit. A navy blue jacket covered her arms and back, disappearing into black gloves and fastened just below her breasts. On the back of it was a large symbol of a spade as if from a playing card. Dark blue boots cut off at her knees and around her waist was a black utility belt. Her hair was a shock of white against her dark outfit, pinned up in an intricate braid. Large yellow goggles obscured her face which she tapped the side of every now and then as she stared down below. Chat's eyes followed her gaze down to the Louvre before returning to the strange girl.
Well, it sure as hell wasn't Ladybug.
But now, he was very curious.
Before he could act, the girl stood up from her crouch and pulled out something from her belt. Even with his cat-like eyes, Chat barely made out the shape of... a remote? What could she possibly do with that? He soon got his answer as she aimed the device at her target and pressed a button. A small wire shot forward in the blink of an eye, attaching itself to the building. She tugged it to make sure it was secure before fastening the other end to the ledge beneath her. She then hooked her belt to the wire and jumped, zip lining to the silent museum.
Chat moved to the edge of his roof, getting a closer look at her with his staff. When he saw her cutting through the glass of a window, his smile returned. It looked like he wasn't the only cat out that night. Though, this was the first burglar he had caught in the act. He leapt into the night, just as silent as his namesake.
Luna wasn't as materialistic as many would like to think. Sure, she had an eye for things that sparkled, and she was hardly above pocketing a gem or two. But it wasn't as though she stole for the sake of riches. Her family had their fair share of money, and in all honesty, she could pay for almost anything she needed or wanted. It was the challenge of it that thrilled her. She loved putting her wits against high end security systems and giving the slip to the law enforcement that trailed her. It was the chase she craved, not the glitter and gold.
Dancing through the lasers and cameras, Luna finally found the item she was after. A beautiful landscape of a forest floor done in rich, vibrant greens. The artist wasn't particularly renowned, but the buyer she had lined up was willing to pay a pretty penny for it. Luna stood before it, a hand cupping her chin as she admired the work. The skill and care that went into it was truly deserving of respect. Tapping her gloved fingers against her lips, she contemplated how she wanted to remove the piece without setting off the alarms.
Unfortunately, she never got the chance. Sirens sounded around her, accompanied with flashing lights. She jumped to attention and looked about. She hadn't touched the damn thing, yet. Who the fuck-
"A bit late at night to be admiring artwork, don't you think?"
Beneath the yellow tint of her goggles, dark blue eyes blinked at the fellow intruder. He casually leaned against a nearby wall, arms folded over his chest. The blond gave her a cocky smirk and sly eyes. A small pout formed on her lips as Luna realized he was the one to set off the alarm. She cooked a brow at his odd feline attire before letting a small smile ghost over her lips. Although she was new to town, Luna had heard the rumors of Paris' new guardians. How lucky was she that the black cat had crossed her path. Turning to him, Luna placed a hand on her hip.
"I'm not really one for crowds," she said in a light tone, allowing her smile to brighten her features.
The boy chuckled at her words. "Sorry to disappoint mew, miss, but the museum isn't open to late night visitors. And I doubt the officers will excuse a B and E just because you wanted a purrivate viewing."
She made a play of looking shocked. "Oh, dear. That would be a problem."
Kicking off the wall, Chat stepped closer to the girl, bowing to her with a flourish. "I may be able to speak on your behalf. Assuming you make this easy for meowrself and just surrender, of course."
"And if I don't go quietly?" She asked.
"Then, I'll be forced to stop you, miss."
Luna dared to take a step closer. "You seem so sure you could keep ahold of me, kitten."
"Well, I'm not one to brag, but I've handled my fair share of n'er-do-wells. I doubt a purretty mademoiselle such as you could pawsibly give me too meowch trouble."
"Oh, I'm nothing but trouble, kitten," Luna said with a chuckle. "You might regret meeting me if you're not careful."
"What can I say, you've peaked my curiosity. And I just needed to satisfy it." He folded his hands behind his back and flashed her a playful wink.
The thief licked her lips as she slinked closer. "Well, you know what they say about curiosity and cats. But I'm willing to bet a little death would satisfy you just fine."
Chat's grin slid away while hers only grew. Her French words ghosting over his lips brought an angry blush to his face. For a moment, they locked eyes. With how close they were, Chat could actually make out the dangerous glint she had under her goggles. Was... was she flirting with him? He swallowed hard, trying to recover. His mind reeled for a witty retort but froze with the rest of him as she reached out to tap the bell on his neck, making it ring.
"Cat got your tongue?"
In the blink of an eye, Chat was suddenly falling backwards. Luna swept a foot under his and knocked him off balance. Before he hit the ground, she grabbed a flailing arm and pulled him toward her. Her free hand went to his hair as she snaked behind him and forced him to the floor. Chat hissed as he felt her knee press into his back and his arm twist painfully behind him. A growl rolled from his chest at her laugh.
"Still sure you can handle me, kitten?"
He tried to peer over his shoulder at her. "I'll admit, you'll got some good moves. But, do you really want to waste your time on me? Officer Roger could be here at any meowment." He slowly reached for his staff with his free hand, hoping she wouldn't notice. If he could just get some leverage, or even distract her long enough to throw her off, they'd be back on a level playing field. And he sure as hell wasn't going to underestimate her a second time. To his surprise, though, the painful hold on his hair loosened. The thief lightly scratched his scalp before moving to trace one of the "ears" atop his head. He couldn't help the shiver it caused.
"You do have a point," she said with a sigh. "Guess we'll have to continue this another time."
Chat's fingers grazed his weapon as she felt her weight shift on top of him. He winced, half out of discomfort, half to hide him taking hold of his staff. "C'mon, we were just starting to get to know each other. Don't I even get a name?" He watched her from the corner of his eye, waiting for the right moment. When he felt something cold and metallic touch the base of his neck, he realized that moment was long gone.
"Watch the curiosity, kitten," Luna tutted. "I don't have the time to satisfy you tonight."
The worst thing about being tasered, at least in Chat's opinion, was that you do not, in fact, pass out. He felt his body seize as the current ran through him. He couldn't even utter a sound as his eyes rolled back. It seemed like an eternity before the current was finally released, and an eternity after for him to get his bearings. His body didn't want to move right, at first, and by the time he was back on his feet, all that was left of the girl was a dark blur sprinting down the hall. He set off after her, teeth gritted. That bitch was going to pay.
Chat could hear the sirens as he made it back to the entrance the thief had made for herself. He caught sight of her attaching another wire to her belt and was about to lunge forward when she tossed something on the floor between them. It bounced once before bursting into a curtain of black smoke. Chat coughed and sputtered. He took out his staff and extended it, spinning it like a fan to blow the smoke away. However, when it cleared he saw no hide nor hair of the would be thief. She had managed to slip right out of his claws. The feline hero huffed as police swarmed the museum. Perfect. Just perfect.
He tried to give as detailed a report as he could to the officers that arrived, but his annoyance was starting to get the better of him. It didn't help that some of the men had started to snicker as he told them how she had managed to get the better of him. A common thief, not even an akumatized one, had managed to outsmart him and get away. The press was going to have a field day. An officer tapped Chat's shoulder to get his attention.
"Hey, I think there's something stuck on your back."
Frowning, Chat tried to reach behind him to get whatever it was the man saw. He finally managed to stretch far enough to grab ahold of the small paper. He held it up to study it. It was a playing card. Nothing was written on it, no numbers or letters to be seen. All that adorned it was a solitary black spade, much like the one on her jacket.
"The Ace of Spades, huh?" He murmured to himself. He looked up at the rooftop he first saw her at, half expecting her to be watching him. He'll, maybe she was, just out of his sight. He gave a wry smirk.
"Spades it is, then."
He pretended not to notice the odd look the officers gave one another.