#not a second string event

[ask-miraculous-2promano]

A figure loomed over the city. L'Ape watched the people down below lead on with their lives and yet he swore, no, he knew they were talking about him. Muttering about his failures, his fuck ups, mistakes, his beat downs. All the voices he'd been hearing raced through his mind and he couldn't shake them away. 

"He's worthless."

"A disgrace as a hero."

"Better off as a villain."

They got louder and louder, drowning out everything else. All sounds became nonexistent and it left him to face the demons alone. He tried to push them away but it was in vain, they just kept coming back.

That is, until, he heard the soft flaps of tiny wings. 

In the next instant a glowing mask appeared over his face. His eyes narrowed as a voice began speaking.

"Aren't you tired of all the abuse thrown at you?" That smooth and enticing voice felt mocking.

"Leave me the fuck alone."

"Don't be like that. You and I could work together to prove how strong you are."

A heavy weight suddenly settled in his mind, bringing him down to his knees. The weight intensified to the point of agony.

"Together we could show the city how unfounded their beliefs are. You can rise and be the greatest hero in Paris." A small chuckle. "By being the only hero in Paris."

"No…" The thought sickened him. He couldn't do it. But Hawkmoth wasn't taking no for an answer and in the next instant a splitting headache formed. L'Ape couldn't think straight! It was too much! Way too much!

"STOP!" The pressure lifted with the next words coming out in a whisper. "I'll do it."

"Prove them wrong, Jewel Executioner."

Purple smoke covered the hero's body, giving him a new appearance.

[ask-miraculous-2promano]

Not a Second String Part 1

His back slammed against the wall, knocking the breath out of him. He barely had any time to recover when the akuma's fist came at him. With a swift duck and roll, L'Ape came out on the other side of the akuma and pushed himself up. He wasn't going to be brought down by this akuma!

One moment. He looked away for one moment and the akuma shocked him in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. The akuma grinned in triumph. They'd be able to be one of the few akumas to bring victory to Hawk-!

A swift kick to the side sent them flying. The rapid beating of wings reached the bee hero as he rubbed his jaw and looked up. Libe. He got here just in time, like always.

"Get up, Bumble Butt!" The dragonfly's staff met every punch and kick the villain threw at him. He even managed to get some hits in on the akuma. "Get back and rest, that punch looked nasty!"

L'Ape growled. "Like hell I am! I can fight perfectly fine!" He got up again only to wince from a sharp spike of pain in his back. 

"Yeah and I'm the tooth fairy!" The staff came down on the akuma's head and he shot a look back at L'Ape. "Go home now!"

His eyes turned into red slits but did as he was… asked, slipping away to detransform back into his civilian self. He watched Libe, getting irritated as he finished the fight in no time at all. 

Why can't he do the same?

[ask-miraculous-2promano]

Not a Second String Part 2

His fingers ran along the school yard fence as he walked next to his friend. Flavio and Nyka were going to practice for an upcoming concert when she got a call from her parents. They were taking longer than expected at the doctor's and asked if she could pick up her sister from school. Nyka had accepted without hesitation and Flavio tagged along.

They were almost there but the idle chit chat wasn't enough to distract the blond from a few loud voices.

"Why do you like him so much?" One voice asked.

"Yeah, he's one of the worst heroes! He's gotta be saved by the others all the time!"

He stopped and grabbed his friend's arm, bringing her to a halt as well. Flavio was fully focused on the school yard, not looking away from Miruna being confronted by two children. For some odd reason he wanted to hear what this was about.

"You're wrong! He's the best hero ever!" Miruna retorted, a foot stomping the ground. "L'Ape always pulls through and beats the bad guy!"

"He didn't when that one villain controlled him! In fact that was the only time he won something! He should switch sides if he wants to win!"

Flavio felt his hand curling into a fist. So… even little kids saw him as a pathetic loser. If he had their respect prior, it was clear he had lost it along the way. For some reason that hurt more than any adults he'd heard talking about L'Ape.

His friend pulled her arm away and ran into the yard, reaching for Miruna's hand to pull her away. "That's enough! If she wants to have L'Ape as her favorite hero then let her! That doesn't give you an excuse to pick on her!"

She left without giving the kids a chance to respond. Nyka simply called to Flavio, and they were on their way again. But those kid's words… they still weighed heavily on his mind.