Building Better Worlds - Chapter 8

This fic is rated Mature.

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**8. War**

Xerxes happened to be walking to the teleporter room so he could leave for the day, when he heard an almighty groan from the door which had a pink six pointed star on it.

Slowly, he approached the door, eventually tapping on it.

A rather grumpy "Yes what?!" Came from the other side.

Xerxes opened the door. "I heard a groan of frustration, are you alright?"

"Urgh. No." She said bluntly, folding her arms.

On a second glance, Midnight looked a mess. Her hair all matted. It looked like she had taken her anger out on the various pieces of paperwork, among other things, on her desk.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Xerxes asked.

"Can't focus. Brain won't do write up. And arrrrgh I promised Gold Star I'd do this today! I've been putting it off for so long and-"

"Stop. OK. Take a break. Calm down." Xerxes interrupted her.

Midnight took a deep breath.

"OK, now, is there something on your mind?" Xerxes moved in to the room more, getting right up to the desk.

Midnight put her head in her hands, not responding.

"Midnight." Xerxes pressed.

"I'm angry."

"At?"

"What do you think? This bloody case!" Midnight threw her hand down violently on top of the one neatly packed file.

Xerxes' tail swished. "Yeah. I'm annoyed with it too."

"So today I've found out that not only did she hit him, but on two occasions also raped him!" Midnight roared.

"I uh... I... What?" Xerxes stuttered as he processed this new information.

"Which is why I need to write this up to get to Gold Star, because again this has escalated. But I'm just..." Midnight trailed off, panting slightly.

"Too angry?" Xerxes supplied.

"Yes! I am so extremely angry! And you know what makes this worse?" Midnight turns to look at the sergal hybrid, who now sat on the edge of Midnight's desk.

He folded his arms. "Enlighten me."

"He doesn't think she deserves payback and is even struggling to accept the fact that she's going to jail for this." She all but spat.

"OK, well, just because you and I do payback doesn't mean everyone else does..."

"That is not the point though, is it?" She glares.

Xerxes sighs. "OK then, what's stopping you from marching over there and giving her a piece of your mind?"

"Two people."

Xerxes then wore a sly smirk. "When has that ever stopped you?"

Midnight smirked back. "You shouldn't be talking me in to this."

"Do you even really need me to do that or do you just want someone to give you the thumbs up?" Xerxes now smirked wickedly.

"... I promised Dan I wouldn't..." Midnight dropped her smirk.

"But when has that ever stopped you?"

Midnight gave him a questioning look coupled with a knowing smirk. "You," She waved her finger at him, "Are a bad influence."

Xerxes simply shrugged. "Well I mean, if it was me in your position, I'd just do it. No questions asked."

Midnight threw her head back and laughed. "Oh please, your morals aren't as fucked as mine."

Again, Xerxes shrugged. "I'm just saying, if you really wanna do it then, I don't see what you have to lose."

Midnight shook her head at him before getting up from her chair. "I shouldn't have let you talk me in to this." She tutted.

"You were going to do it whether I said you should or not!" He got up off the desk and followed her out, shutting the door behind him.

Midnight gave a wicked laugh as she walked. "That's true! Just let Gold Star know, OK? I don't want her to find out after I've done it!"

Xerxes gave a chuckle. "OK, and what about Dan?"

Midnight stopped walking. "I'll tell him."

And then, she continued to walk out of the building as Xerxes turned towards Gold Star's office.

\* \* \*

Right there, staring Midnight in the face, the house of her current foe. She lived on the same road as Midnight, which made her blood boil even more.

Midnight quickly glanced at her phone, rereading the message she had in the message box.

*Dan, this is something I must do. It's part of my job, and my nature. She's taken things too far and it's time karma payed her a visit. I hope maybe one day you can understand why I did what I'm about to do.* Midnight nodded at the message and pressed send.

She waited for the timestamp to appear and then switched off her phone, not wanting to hear a reply.

Midnight was in her fighting gear, and meant business.

She stretched herself out, and put on her game face.

She was looking forward to this.

Midnight strode confidently up to the front door.

That same front door that kept Dan away from the outside world. The one he suffered behind for so long.

And finally, now, karma would do it's job.

Midnight used her Bavarium to force the door open. It gave a rather satisfying thud as the lock broke and it swung open.

She smirked as she simply strolled in to the house like she owned the place. She noticed that she was sat, scared shit less of the intruder for a moment, before steeling herself and getting up, approaching Midnight.

"Well, well, well." She sneared. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" She said sarcastically. "I figured you'd survive." She spat.

Midnight's pupils constricted, and she quickly activated the comm-link. "What is that supposed to mean?" Midnight scoffed, folding her arms and looking up at the taller woman.

"Oh nothing. You're just more persistent than I first thought." She gave a wicked, classic, mean girl smirk.

"So are you. I thought it's been made clear that Dan doesn't want anything to do with you?" Midnight asked with a growl in her voice.

"Oh him! Yeah well good, because I've found someone who is much better than him. Much more, obedient." Again her voice seemed to slither like a snake. "Ain't that right, babe?" She called over her shoulder.

And a big, musclely man stood up. Midnight's heart rate increased and her tail flicked, but still she stood her ground as what looked like a professional body builder came and stood next to his considerably shorter... Girlfriend? Sure whatever...

"Hey babe, this cat thing is giving me some trouble, and it broke our door. Would you mind putting it in its place?" She turned to the man and asked sweetly.

"Sure thing." The man responded. She moved out of the way as he approached Midnight, completely towering over her at nearly 7ft tall. *Nefarious is 10ft tall and you've beat him up. You can do this, Night.* She thought as she steeled her expression.

"Are you scared, little rat? Because you should be."

Midnight smirked in response. "No." Her claws made an appearance, showing themselves with a sharp sound. Bavarium coursed through her.

He swung his fist right at her face, but she swiftly ducked.

Now Midnight thrust herself up, and gave him a good old Bavarium punch to the chin. He stumbled backwards, groaning.

Midnight simply smirked.

But he isn't Midnight's target.

She is.

Midnight turned to and gave her a death glare, gearing up to pounce at her.

*For Dan.*

Night made her way towards her, and she backed away, obviously scared of Midnight.

*You should be scared of me.* She thought as she smirked.

Suddenly, there was an angry sounding scream, and before Midnight even had the chance to see where it had come from, she was on the floor.

Pinned by the much stronger man, his body crushing her own much weaker form.

"Argh!" Midnight groaned.

He had her arms pinned, crushing her Bavarium cuffs like they were nothing.

She struggled and writhed under his clutch, his own twisted face right in front of her.

He was enjoying this, and that scared Midnight.

Her heart pounded against her chest. *Let's see? Pinned and being pretty much crushed with no Bavarium cuffs now?? Ok so... Bavarium horn anyone?*

The sparks at the very top of her horn swirled. But didn't do anything. *Come on! Do something! Anything!* Red warning signals flashed up on her computerised contact lenses. *Not enough power to perform attack.*

Midnight gulped as she looked him in the eye, still struggling under his grasp.

Everything was beginning to hurt however, the majority of his body weight on her stomach.

"Finish it babe!" The other woman called. "Get rid of her! Exterminate the pest!"

Midnight's ears fell, as did her expression. For the first time, after having fought for nearly 10 years, all it took was a man with massive muscles to bring her down.

And it terrified her.

She began to hyperventilate when he eased himself off her slightly, just to thrust her crushed arms up so they pointed in the direction of her head.

She yelped in pain as her arms moved involuntarily, a rather painful crack coming from her left, her dominant.

Yet still, while there was some defined space between them, she struggled with all her might. Not that there was much of it left, she was tired and struggling to keep her breathing under control.

This information finally found its way out to Veldin HQ. Ratchet pressing all the panic buttons within Miraculous Hero, alerting the entire team of Midnight's current condition.

A conversation Midnight could hear in her ears.

"What are you waiting for!? Just finish her! You have her right there!" The other woman in the room spat.

He took his hand away from the arm he knew he broke for her, and made a fist.

And then hit Midnight in the nose with said fist.

She screamed in agony, and that was finally when the Bavarium at her horn created a power surge, throwing the man off of her.

And destroying all the furniture in the room.

Also sending her flying.

Midnight's nose bled.

She groaned and rolled her head around, unable to get either arm to move.

"Urgh..."

Midnight bent her knee upwards towards the sky, an attempt to stop anyone jumping on her as she regained her breath.

Her breathing began to slow, but her heart did not. The Bavarium began to flicker on and off as she closed her eyes to regain her strength.

Perhaps this was not the greatest idea in the world, eh, Midnight?

Various dorks called her name through the comm-link, but she didn't have enough energy to answer them.

Right now, her brain was telling her to sleep. But she knew she couldn't, she was still in a hostile area.

Deep, heavy breaths.

*It'll be OK. I've been hurt worse. I've just... Never lost my ability to wield Bavarium before. That's what threw me.* She thought, her head still rolling in and attempt to keep consciousness.

There was a rumble of what she supposed was debris, and shocked breaths.

She locked her eyes on a weak and vulnerable Midnight.

Burning with anger, she jumped over the furniture, and made her way to the cat hybrid.

She put her foot on Midnight's stomach.

"Argh!" Midnight opened her eyes.

She pressed her foot harder.

Night started to pant again.

".... P-please... St-op...." Midnight begged.

Desperate.

Something she hadn't been in a very long time.

"Tell me, Midnight, how does it feel to have no power?" She questioned. Midnight simply looked at her with half lidded eyes.

"Feels pretty sucky, doesn't it?"

Still, Midnight didn't respond, though she bared her teeth, fangs showing.

The woman removed her foot, giving a quick second of relief, before she threw all her body weight on to Midnight, restricting air flow once more.

Midnight yelped, and she smirked down at her.

"I tell you what, this is why Dan never lay on the floor. He learnt not to let me get on top of him pretty quickly-"

Her monologuing was cut short as Midnight thrust her head upwards violently, crashing in to the snake that lay on top of her with a loud bang and making both of them recoil in pain.

Panting still. Breathing continued to get harder and harder, but at least eyes were right open. The screen of her contact lense kept flashing up and away, so she couldn't see the collection of three coloured stars approaching her location.

She who lay on top of Midnight recovered from the blow to the head, and launched her arms at Midnight, wrapping her hands around Night's neck tightly.

No doubt this made breathing 10 times more difficult than it had been before.

Well, this looked like it, choking to death.

Not quite as glamorous as she thought she would go, but some things cannot be planned now, can they?

She made small coughing noises in attempt to fill her lungs with air she so desperately needed. Her ears began to ring and black dots began to appear in her vision.

The grip around her neck grew ever tighter, more violent, but Midnight was completely powerless against it.

She couldn't stop it!

But just as Midnight's eyes rolled shut, and she gave one more tiny cough for air, backup arrived.

Xerxes used his power to throw the woman off of Midnight and to her feet, pinning her against a wall. He scowled at her.

Ratchet quickly opened a box of Nano-tech, letting Midnight absorb it.

Night took a big gasp of air, opening her eyes and moving up from the floor slightly. She put her right arm over her chest as the Nano-tech had healed it enough for such an action. She breathed heavily, slowly, a slight wheeze in her breaths.

She looked wide eyed at the three who had come, Ratchet, Xerxes, and Ladybug who stood around like a spare part.

".... More.... Nano-tech.... Broken, a-arm...." Midnight managed to say in between breaths.

Ratchet nodded and complied.

Well. This must look bloody fantastic! It's not like Midnight to ignore more stealthier attacks, she's usually pretty good at it. Of course when she looked at Xerxes she saw a twinge of guilt in his eyes. He pushed her to do this. To come here. But look at where that got her....

Midnight's arm was now fixed, and she rolled her fingers around to get the feeling back in to them.

Ratchet nodded to Xerxes, and Xerxes nodded to Ladybug. As if giving her the queue to throw her yo-yo in to the air and yell, "Lucky Charm!"

Light surrounded the area for a few moments, blinding everyone.

And when it cleared, the house looked untouched, as did Midnight's Bavarium cuffs. She sighed and signalled for her dorks to come close to her.

They did, and in another flash, the four of them were gone.

\* \* \*

They four of them sat in Midnight's office which doubled as a bedroom.

"What were you thinking?!" Ratchet boomed after Midnight had finished explaining everything.

She glanced up to Xerxes, who locked his pale blue eyes with her mismatched ones.

"I may have persuaded her it was a good idea..." He spoke up.

The Lombax's jaw dropped. "Are you serious!?"

"Hey look I told Gold Star she was gonna do it OK!? She was covered." He shrugged.

Ratchet scoffed, shaking his head and turning to Midnight. "Do you have any idea how reckless that was?" He shouted.

Midnight scoffed back. "Yeah as if you can talk."

Ratchet's eyes went wide. She struck a nerve. And they all knew it.

But Ratchet also knew he couldn't talk.

"Look. She needs her karma! And one way or another, she'll get it."

"Yes, by going to jail, Midnight!" Ladybug roared.

Night gasped in shock at that. Her ears fell down, and she swore she felt an anger no stronger than in that moment.

So much emotion.

So much feeling.

And she didn’t like it.

A tear slipped from her red eye.

"Just go." She spat.

Everyone in the room wavered.

"I SAID GO!" She screamed.

And all three of them left.

Alone.

***It's how you're supposed to be.***

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