Jazik moved quickly, stepping toward Alya, a low warning rumble caught in his throat. He saw the gleam in her eyes, the familiar hunger for the story. He knew she would risk too much for it.
"Alya, hide," Jazik urged, his voice tight. "You should not be here."
Alya waved him off with her free hand, her attention fixed on the screen of her phone. She crouched low behind a thick stone pillar, her phone held high, already live-streaming the unfolding chaos.
"OMG," Alya whispered excitedly into her phone. "Coming to you live, Ladyblog viewers, I'm at the scene even before Ladybug or Cat Noir! This is insane!"
She barely registered Jazik's presence, lost in the thrill of the moment. Jazik knew she was not listening to him, her journalist's instincts overriding any sense of self-preservation.
Jazik watched from his hiding spot, a subtle frown touching his lips. He understood the Pharaoh's power. The villain was using ancient Egyptian deities to fuel his attacks. By sliding the mask on his headdress, he could channel different divine strengths.
The Pharaoh possessed the raw, brutal power of Sekhmet, the lioness goddess, or the strategic intellect of Thoth, the god of wisdom. This was not a typical Akuma. He cycled through these powers, making him unpredictable and incredibly dangerous. Ladybug and Cat Noir had never faced a foe with such varied abilities. This made Jazik wonder if they understood the true nature of their enemy.
Ladybug slid under a closing gate just as it clanged shut, a fleeting shadow against the golden light.
"You know that's considered stealing," Ladybug said, her voice clear and firm.
"Actually, I'm taking back what rightfully belongs to me," the Pharaoh declared, his voice booming through the hall.
"Maybe if you were the real Pharaoh, which you're not!" Ladybug shot back, readying her yo-yo.
"Look at Ladybug go!" Alya whispered excitedly into her phone, her voice barely audible but brimming with enthusiasm. "If I'm dreaming, don't wake me up!"
Ladybug glanced toward Alya, a quick, almost imperceptible shake of her head.
"Ladybug waved at me! No way!" Alya squealed, a broad grin spreading across her face.
Ladybug flung her yo-yo, aiming for the Pharaoh. The hero tried to wrap her yo-yo around his staff, but the Pharaoh moved with unexpected speed. He caught the yo-yo mid-air. The villain then swung Ladybug with surprising force. Ladybug slammed into a nearby wall. A groan escaped her lips as she hit the ancient stone.
"Sekhmet, give me your strength!" the Pharaoh bellowed, his voice changing, deepening.
His baboon mask twisted, shifting into the fearsome face of a lion. His form seemed to ripple with newfound power. The Pharaoh lunged for a set of ornate iron bars, clearly intending to break through. Cat Noir appeared from above, dropping down with a flourish.
"How nice of you to hold the door open for me!" Cat Noir quipped, leaping into action.
Cat Noir swung his staff, but the Pharaoh easily caught it. The villain then grabbed Cat Noir by his leg. He lifted the hero effortlessly. Cat Noir flew across the room, landing inside an empty sarcophagus. The lid slammed shut.
"Enjoy your coffin!" the Pharaoh laughed, a deep, guttural sound.
"This is hecka crazy!" Alya narrated into her phone, her voice a mix of awe and terror. "Keep your eyes peeled!"
The Pharaoh turned, his eyes—even through the baboon mask—seeming to fix on Alya.
"Your face," the Pharaoh boomed, his voice echoing in the vast hall. "Fate has placed you on my path. Come with me!"
He lunged for Alya. Jazik, still reeling from the unexpected blow that sent him sprawling, instinctively tried to intercept him.
"You're not touching her!" Jazik yelled, pushing himself forward.
His muscles protested, screaming with a dull ache from where the Pharaoh had swatted him aside. He moved slowly, too slowly. The Pharaoh reached Alya with brutal efficiency. The villain grabbed her. Alya, phone still clutched in her hand, swung wildly.
"Hey! Hands off the threads!" Alya protested, her voice a frantic, live-streamed squeak. "I can walk myself!"
The Pharaoh merely slung her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing. He moved toward the entrance, disappearing into the chaotic streets outside the Louvre. Jazik watched them go, his breath catching in his throat. The blow had left him too strained to intervene effectively, a heavy realization. He pushed himself to his feet, a quiet fury beginning to simmer beneath his calm exterior.
Ladybug swung her yo-yo, hooking it onto the sarcophagus lid. She yanked it open with a frustrated sigh. Cat Noir tumbled out, rubbing his head.
"Ugh, I knew I shouldn't have gone in there," Cat Noir grumbled, shaking his head.
Ladybug quickly helped Jazik to his feet.
"Are you alright?" she asked, her gaze sweeping over him.
Jazik nodded, a tight line to his lips.
"I'm fine, but Alya…"
"She's one tough cookie," Cat Noir interrupted, a mischievous grin playing on his face. "Pretty feisty, too. I like that in a girl."
Ladybug rolled her eyes, but a small smile touched her lips.
"She's definitely bossy, that's for sure," Ladybug agreed, before her expression hardened. "But right now, we need to save her."
"I need to go after him," Jazik insisted, his gaze fixed on the doorway where the Pharaoh had disappeared. "He took my friend."
Ladybug placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"No, you stay here," Ladybug ordered, her voice leaving no room for argument. "We'll handle this. Cat Noir, break these bars!"
Cat Noir extended his staff, pressing the glowing paw print against the ornate iron gate.
"Cataclysm!" he called out.
CRACKLE!
The bars disintegrated into a shower of black dust.
"How are we going to track him?" Cat Noir asked, looking around the empty hall. "He could be anywhere in Paris by now."
Ladybug tapped her yo-yo, and Alya's live stream flickered to life on the screen. It showed a shaky, upside-down view from the Pharaoh's shoulder. Alya's muffled voice reported the chaotic scene.
"We follow the Ladyblog!" Ladybug declared, a determined glint in her eyes.
Cat Noir's ring began to flash, signaling his impending de-transformation.
BEEP BEEP BEEP
"Looks like I'm running on empty," Cat Noir said with a sheepish shrug. "You go on ahead, my Lady. I'll catch up after I recharge."
"No, we'll need both of us," Ladybug countered, already running toward the exit. "Don't take too long, Kitty."
She vanished through the newly made opening. Jazik watched them go, the heavy silence of the museum settling around him once more. A hollow ache settled in his chest. He reached into his pocket, his fingers closing around the smooth, familiar shape of a Poppingummy Gochizo. He knew he couldn't simply wait.
Jazik stood alone in the quiet aftermath of the battle, the sounds of the fleeing crowd fading. He looked at the Gochizo in his hand, its tiny face looking back at him with determination. He brought his Gavv organ forward, the blue mouth opening wide.
[GUMMY!]
The Poppingummy Gochizo leaped eagerly into the maw. The organ began to chew with a wet, mechanical sound, accompanied by a rhythmic beat.
[EAT GUMMY! EAT GUMMY!]
Blue and magenta energy swirled around Jazik, solidifying into translucent gummy armor that hardened into a vibrant, sleek form.
[POPPINGUMMY! JUICY!]
The transformation completed with a final, energetic flash. Kamen Rider Gavv stood ready. He clenched his fists, feeling the surge of power, and looked up at the path Ladybug had taken, ready to pursue on his own terms.
***
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