I stumbled out of a pile of rubble that used to be a chimney and shook my head, dazed. What the h*** just happened?

I'd been flying...I'd seen Chat Noir and attempted an attack...then something pulled me out of the dive and slammed me into the chimney like a feathery wrecking ball.

I spotted a figure in red, standing next to the blond in black, coiling up the yo-yo she held in one hand. The Bug with the yo-yo...that's what grabbed me. I was really beginning to hate her.

They were looking and pointing at me, jabbering in French. Unfortunately for me, I had taken off without A.L.F.I. AGAIN. I was really going to have to find a better way to carry around my translator if I was supposed to understand everyone here. I heard the word "akuma," said twice, and I growled in frustration. They were probably planning out how to make this seem like another akumatization, make it look good for the media. I shook off the last of the rubble and lashed my tail angrily. They could talk all they wanted, but if they thought I'd be easy to take down, they were going to be very disappointed.

* * *

"C'est évidemment une autre victime d'Akuma du Papillon" Chat Noir dit pensivement.
"Je l'ai vue ce matin, pendant l'attaque du Dr Jurassic. Je pensais qu'elle était l'une de ses créations cependant." Ladybug a répondu.
"Comment pourrait-il créer à la fois des sphinx et des dinosaures?"
Chat Noir dit, se grattant la tête.
"nous avons déjà vu des créatures mythiques, n'est-ce pas, Kitty?"

"chaque fois que je regarde dans un miroir, ma dame" Chat Noir a dit avec un clin d'oeil.
Ladybug roula les yeux.
"C'est possible Le papillon a créé deux victimes d'akuma en une journée." Ladybug dit pensivement.
Ils regardèrent tous les deux la créature, elle grogna contre eux et sa queue fouettée d'avant en arrière.
"Je pense que son akuma est dans cette amulette autour de son cou."
Ladybug a dit.

Chat Noir s'accroupit, prêt à bondir.
"Voyons voir, ma dame." Chat Noir a répondu.

* * *

Both villains looked at me, seeming to come to an agreement. Chat Noir crouched, looking like he was ready to attack. Ladybug twirled her yo-yo, the toy becoming a blur of red that covered her like a shield.

They seemed to charge me as a unit, moving toward me in a series of blurring handsprings that ended with both leaping high into the air, staff and yo-yo whirring in circles as I shot up into the air to meet them. I beat my wings powerfully, spiraling up and lashing out with my back leg. It managed to catch Chat Noir in the chest and he collided with Ladybug, sending them both towards the ground. I stayed aloft, waiting as they wobbled to their feet, somewhat stunned.

Good, now they know how I feel, I thought viciously. Now I just had to keep them fighting until...what was it Gabriel Agreste said? Ladybug uses her Lucky Charm and Chat Noir uses his Cataclysm. I wished I knew what that meant but apparently "I would know it when I saw it."

Something hard hit me in the shoulder and I dipped slightly, howling in pain. Were they actually throwing pieces of rubble at me? I glared at the two villains, who had set up some sort of slingshot system on the roof. I dodged the next two pieces and dove, claws out, aiming at Ladybug, who was using her yo-yo string to propel the stones at me. At the last second, Chat Noir jumped in front of Ladybug, whirling his staff and I collided into him, the force of my dive cannoning us onto the next roof over, and for the second time in one night I found myself pressed against Chat Noir's chest.

"Tables are turned now, aren't they pussycat?" I said as I sat up, pinning him easily to the ground. Chat looked up, started.

"You speak English? You're an American?" He asked.

"Yes, we went over this, this morning at the Eiffel Tower when you were 'akumatized.'" I said, I rolling my eyes. "Please, stop with the amnesia act, I'm not buying it." Chat struggled as I continued to hold him down. "And would you quit wriggling? If you hadn't been trying to save your girlfriend, you wouldn't be in this situation."

The string of the yo-yo wrapped around my chest and I was pulled off of Chat Noir. I glanced Ladybug, who was braced against the edge of the roof, pulling with all her might. I remembered how she had pulled me off of Chat Noir at the Eiffel tower this morning. There was a good chance the lovey-dovey feelings were mutual.

"This is becoming a bad habit." I snapped. "How about you let go before I get really angry?"

Before she could respond I crouched and leapt into the air, dragging her with me.

"Ladybug!" Chat Noir yelled, and tried to use his staff to come after us. I swooped low.

"Hey Chat, is this important?" I ask, and swipe at the staff,  knocking him backwards onto another roof before flying away.

I felt a hand on my leg and saw Ladybug trying to climb up onto my back.

"Not today bug face." I say sarcastically and go into a barrel roll, throwing her off in the process.

I beat my wings and climb higher, then dive, the sound of Ladybug screaming music to my ears.

The yo-yo string is cutting into my shoulders and I barrel roll again, trying to loosen it. Suddenly the line goes slack, and I see Ladybug plummeting towards the ground. Whoops. Guess I over did it on the barrel rolls. I hesitate for a second.

She's the villain, I remind myself, I shouldn't care what happens to her. Hawkmoth would probably be glad I got rid of one of them. My Dad's face flashes into my mind.

"Remember [Y/F/N], all life is precious."

"Darn it Dad, why do you have to be right?" I mutter as I dive after Ladybug.

The wind whistles in my ears as I shoot downwards like an arrow, wings tucked tight against my body, my arms outstretched. But Ladybug is deadweight and is falling with as much grace and speed as a sack of potatoes.

I see the hard concrete of the approaching roof below, and I still have a couple yards before I reach her. I tuck my wings tighter, trying to increase my speed.

I grab Ladybug when we're about twelve feet off the ground and wrap my wings around her to minimize the force of impact. There's no time to pull up, I just have to grit my teeth and deal with it.

This is going to hurt, I think and a second later I crash land for the third time in one night. We skid across the roof, tiles going everywhere until we hit the chimney on the far side.

I open my wings and check Ladybug. She seems to be unharmed, and is already stirring. I get up and lay her down gently, wincing. I've got scrapes on every limb and I've even lost a few feathers.

"Well, I'm definitely going to feel this in the morning," I groan and crouch, wincing, preparing to fly off the roof. I see movement out of the corner of my eye and duck as Chat's stick slams into the chimney above me.

"Get away from her, you monster!" Chat yells.

He is breathing hard and looks like he wants to collapse from exhaustion. I felt a seed of grudging respect for the Chat, he had probably travelled ten miles to get here and he was only a few seconds slower than I was flying.

"Not really in the mood for another cat fight." I say, but move away from Ladybug.

Chat immediately runs to her side, keeping an eye on me while he checks her pulse.

"Relax, she's fine." I say tiredly. "I wasn't going to let her splat, I'm not a monster. Just look like one."

Before he can respond I leap up into the air, flapping painfully back the way I came.

                                           * * *

"What do you mean you let them get away?" Gabriel Agreste yelled. I looked up from my position on the floor and winced as Natalie dabbed another wound with disinfectant. 

"I didn't let them get away, it was a draw. Ladybug was out of commission, Chat Noir was barely standing and I-well, look at me," I snapped. "I barely made it back in one piece!" 

"So you gave up and came crawling back to lick your wounds." Gabriel said in disgust. 

"Uh, no, eww, I don't do that." I said then whimpered as Natalie dug a piece of rubble out of another wound. "Look, it's not like this was a complete waste of time. Now that I've fought them once, I have a better sense of how they fight, and I'll be able to use it against them."

"So you say." Gabriel said, not looking placated. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't send you back to your agency right now."

"You can," I challenged him, "Go right ahead. Send me back and you can get someone else to take my place. But it seems to me that you're in a hurry to capture these Miraculouses and in the time it would take to send me back, find someone else, bring them here...I could be out as the Sphinx, finding more clues to their secret identity. " I paused, watching Gabriel Agreste. He looked like a statue, completely motionless, but his hands tightened slightly, as if he wanted to make a fist. I got up from the floor as casually as possible, aching limbs protesting. "It's your call though sir, you're the one in charge. " I paused again, waiting. Finally he nodded. 

"It will take me forty-eight hours to find a potential new candidate. You have that time to continue your mission. If I don't see any progress during that time, I want you on the next flight out."I gave him a weary salute.

"Thank you sir. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll take the elevator rather than the window back to my room. I'm not sure I can manage another flight."I hobbled to the elevator and stepped inside. Once the doors closed I murmured, "Guardian of the Nest...Rest." Smooth skin replaced cuts and bruises, my muscle pain eased, and my aching wings disappeared. It was a side of my transformation that I had always appreciated. No matter how injured I got as Sphinx, once I transformed back, my injuries would heal. I tiptoed out of the elevator and felt my way down the dim hallway to my room. The giant bed felt like a cloud and I was asleep within seconds.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I WASN'T PLANNING TO PUBLISH THIS CHAPTER UNTIL LATER, BUT EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN FOLLOWING MY STORY HAS BEEN SO NICE I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE EASTER SUNDAY PRESENT! ALSO, HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!! 

SPECIAL THANKS TO WritterForFun, Art_Chaik and NandaMdu YOUR SUPPORT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME!!!