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English
Series:
Part 13 of Miraculous Team
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Published:
2022-04-19
Completed:
2023-06-29
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158,404
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27/27
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28
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40
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Miraculous Team: Feathers of a Peacock

Summary:

Sequel to Miraculous Team: Cosplay Chaos - With Miss Bustier now knowing about the Miraculous Team idenitites, Marinette and her friends visit London. At the same time, a lost miraculous is discovered, the peacock miraculous, and its holder, La Paon, shows up. But is she friend or foe? And what can her mysterious past with Hawk Moth mean for our heroes?

(AU where everyone in Marinette and Adrien's class has a Miraculous. Numerous relationships MarinettexAdrien, AlyaxNino, RosexJuleka, ChloexSabrina, KimxAlix, IvanxMylène, NathanielxMarc, etc)

Notes:

Hey there, everyone! Here we are with a new adventure, featuring your favourite Miraculous Heroes from an alternate universe. Can't believe that is the 12th fic in this AU, as well as the 11th adventure of the Miraculous Team. This fic has been set for nearly two years now, when I first sketched the first written drafts, so you can imagine that it is something that I’ve been wanting to write for a little now. This adventure will also mark the first time our heroes go outside of France, even if it's just for a weekend. And this fic also marks the introduction of the holder of the peacock miraculous, who is quite different from Mayura, and who has an intricate past with Hawk Moth. As always, we'll also be seeing some really cute moments featuring your favourite ships, mainly MarinettexAdrien, AlyaxNino, ChloexSabrina, KimxAlix, RosexJuleka, NathanielxMarc and IvanxMylene… and of course, there will be a lot of cosplay, as well. And now, on with the show!

Chapter 1: Weekend in London

Chapter Text

The day did not start off on the right foot for Kim. He did not hear his alarm clock going off, and was late for school. When he arrived in class, his teacher warned him that that could not happen again, or else, she would be forced to send a note to his parents. During physical education class, he ended up on the football team that lost. And at lunch, Alix got the last plate of spaghetti Bolognese. You could tell that Kim felt like he should not have left the house that morning. But he tried to ignore everything bad that happened to him, for he had good reason to do so. He, and the rest of his class, along with most of the classes in Collège Françoise-Dupont were going on a trip out of the country. Like every year, during the first days of May, the school organized a three-day trip to a European city, in order to visit a museum or an exhibition. Needless to say, that the opportunity would also give the students to discover the city and expand their cultural horizons. And that year, the city that had been chosen for the trip was London, where they were going to visit the British Museum.

Kim was not very keen on spending a whole day inside the British Museum. But he knew that the following two days, would be incredible, because Miss Bustier would allow him and the others to come up with the itinerary, and pick where they wanted to go and what they wanted to visit. And the price for such an extravaganza was quite cheap; a 10-page report on one of the exhibits in the British Museum.

As he packed, he tried to look for his coolest and nicest clothes to put in the travel trolley. He had checked the weather forecast for the following days, and London was going to have cloudy skies, but no rain, which was a great thing. Just thinking about all the things, he was going to do there, made him wish it was already time to leave, such was his enthusiasm.

"Three days away from Paris. Three long days… It's going to be awesome!" -Kim said, as he finished packing. –"I've never been so happy that Victory Day landed on a Monday, you know? Because instead of returning on Sunday night, we only come back on Monday afternoon." -he told Imp, who was nibbling on a spring roll. –"That will give us a little bit more time in the British capital… in fact, if we think about it, we'll be staying there for three and half days."

"The way you're talking, it's like you never went anywhere before." -Imp shot at him, before gulping the rest of the spring roll.

"Do you know how long has it been, since I left the country?" -Kim asked Imp. –"Three years. And no, I don't consider crossing the frontier of France into Monaco, as getting out of the country. Monaco isn't a real country, it's a sovereign city" -he said –"The last time I was out of the country, was on a trip to visit my grandparents on my mom's side of the family, in South Korea. So, yeah, I'm super excited to be able to get out of Paris for a little bit."

"I can see why you're so excited… but let me just tell you, that a lot of people would disagree with you, regarding what Monaco is. Just saying." -Imp told him.

"Oh, yeah? Then, let them disagree with me all they want, Imp. All it matters is that I'm going to have a great time in London, and there's nothing anyone can do to prevent that from happening." -Kim laughed, thrilled about the trip. –"Why aren't you celebrating with me?

"London isn't that much different from Paris. It's a city. You seen one, you seen them all." -he said.

"Says you." -Kim shot back at him. –"The two cities are as different as the day is from the night." -he said, when he felt a stinging pain coursing down his back. -"A-Argh!" -he yelled.

"What's the matter?!" -Imp asked him.

"I-It's just that pain in my back, from what happened to me yesterday." -Kim huffed, as he laid down on the bed. –"That was some battle yesterday…" -he sighed. –"… I think I even broke my own record for broken concrete walls with my body."

The battle he was referring to was the battle against an Akuma that showed up in the Paris Zoo, named Tamer, who had the ability to control wild animals to do its bidding. Helping him, was Reptile. The first one to show up to face Tamer was Alya, who was visiting her dad at work. Transforming into Rena Rouge, she rushed towards battle, as soon as she found a way to get separated from her dad. Shortly after, Corbeau Noire, Carapace and Chat Noir showed up to lend her a hand. Kim, as Antelope was the last of the heroes, who responded to the appeal, to arrive, but when he did, he went toe to toe with the Akuma. The battle went on for almost half an hour, but in the end, they emerged victorious.

"It was. And that's why you should take it easy for a little bit." -Imp said. –"You went through six solid concrete walls. And even if Nino did a good job healing you up, you can't strain yourself." -he said, worried about Kim's health. –"And the same thing applies to crazy stunts and swimming classes."

"I can't take it easy, when it comes to swimming classes. That new girl, who's in my class is determined to be the fastest swimmer in class, and I can't have that." -Kim said.

"You mean Ondine?" -Imp asked him.

"Ondine? That's her name? I usually just call her "lightning", because she's as fast as one, when in the water." -Kim confessed, when he realized Imp knew her name. –"Hey, how do you know her name?" -he asked him.

"Unlike you, I tend to hear your swimming coach, when he talks." -Imp answered him, as he landed on top of Kim's lamp.

"I already told you, that I can't hear a thing, when I'm wearing those ear plugs." -Kim reminded him. –"It's not my fault I need them, so I don't get water inside my ears." -he said.

"Excuses, that's what that it is. I've seen others wearing ear plugs, and they can hear perfectly. You just have your head in the clouds, when you're in the water." -Imp said, with a voice filled with sarcasm.

"Whatever. I can't let her beat me. I'm the fastest swimmer in that class. If I allowed her to beat me, it would be as bad as if Alix beat me in a competition." -Kim said. –"I got a name and a reputation to uphold, remember?" -he told the kwami.

"There you go with that rivalry of yours with Alix." -Imp sighed. –"I love a good rivalry as the next kwami, but you've got to stop that, Kim. You'll gain nothing if you keep competing like a maniac." -he told him.

"It's in my nature to compete with others. If I don't do it, it's almost like I'm not being myself." -Kim confessed.

"I just wished you were this competitive with your grades." -Imp sighed.

"Hey, my grades are good. They don't make me top of the class, but I haven't flunked at any subject." -Kim replied. "Also, there's a place and a time to be competitive, and in my case, it ain't school, unless of course, we're talking about physical education." -he pointed out.

"I give up… you're impossible." -Imp sighed, rolling his eyes. –"I love this kid, but sometimes manages to get me on my nerves." -he thought to himself, as he landed on Kim's bed. –"But going back to what we were talking about before, try to take it easy for the next week or so. Transform only, if necessary. You don't want to get a permanent injury, which would be hard for you to explain to your parents."

"Okay…" -Kim told him. –"But I won't make promises. You know that sometimes a person doesn't have that kind of choice." -he said, when his stomach grumbled. –"Guess it's time for a snack. Do you want another spring roll?"

"No, thanks. I already ate enough of them for today." -Imp said.

"Okay. Don't say I didn't offer you… You know, the first thing I'm going to do, when I get to London, is to have a jumbo plate of Fish 'n' Chips." -Kim declared. –"It's the only good thing those brits can cook, anyways." -he joked.


And while Kim dreamed about Fish 'n' Chips, in the Lavillant residence, Rose was trying to decide which clothes she was going to take on that trip to the UK, with a little help from her mother, Flora, who believed she was not taking enough clothes with her, for the three days she was going to be there. Her bedroom looked like a field of war, with t-shirts, jeans, sweaters, jackets, shorts, shoes, among other things, spread all over the place. This usually happened when Rose's mom lent it her a hand, packing, and the blonde knew that once they were finished, she would have to put everything back the way it was.

"Mom, it's only three days… a weekend." -Rose said, as her mother helped her packing. –"I'll be back on Victory Day. I only need a couple of things." -she said.

"I know it's only for a weekend, my sweet lily pad. But it's best to take things that you might not need than to not take them with you, and then needing them." -Flora told her daughter. –"And you know that London isn't like Paris. It's always raining there."

"I don't think it's always raining there, mom." -Rose chuckled. –"And I've checked the weather report. We're going to have a cloudy weekend, but no rain." -she said.

"Well, maybe not. But the odds of raining are a lot higher, than they are here. And weather forecasting isn't an exact science." -Flora said. –"Besides, you'll look super cute with this on." -she said, as she grabbed one of Rose's trench rain coat, which she knew was one of her favourites. –"That way, you'll bet to wear those new boots I bought you last month."

Besides being an accomplished florist, Flora Lavillant prided herself in being a little bit of a fashion expert, when it came to choosing her daughter's clothes. Like Rose, she too was obsessed with the colour pink, and tried to wear, at least one piece of clothing with that same colour, every day.

"And who will be staying with you?" -Flora asked Rose. –"Did the teachers assigned who would be staying with who in the bedrooms?" -she asked her.

"Oh, Juleka will. We'll be sharing the bedroom." -Rose chirped happily.

"Just the two of you?" -Flora asked her. –"I thought you would be sharing the room with three girls, not just one, lily pad." -she said.

"So, did I. But Miss Bustier said that the travel agency booked us into a different hotel at the last minute, and that instead of having four students per room, there will be two students per room." -Rose clarified. –"I don't mind. It means that I get half the room just for myself, and I'll be sharing it with my best-friend." -she joked.

"I see." -Flora said. –"Well, I guess it'll be good for you, because if you start to snore, Juleka won't mind." -she said, as she packed another shirt for Rose. –"I remember, from all the sleepovers you two had, that she's a heavy sleeper."

"Mom, I don't snore!" -Rose exclaimed, in an amused tone.

"Oh, yes, you do, Rosey." –Flora told her. –"You snore, just like everyone else." -she declared.

"You really do." -Flint thought to himself, as he observed mother and daughter, from his secret hiding place, behind Rose's stuffed unicorn collection.

"But your snores sound like the cutest thing, Rosey." -Flora smiled at her daughter. –"They remind me of noises baby kittens do, when they're calling for their mom. You just happen to be too loud, when making them." -she joked.

"And she really does sound like a baby kitten, when she snores. A very large one." -Flint thought to himself, while trying his best not to start laughing. –"I'm so going to tease her about it, later." -he thought, as his mind began to come up with funny and crazy one-liners.

"Mom, not that I don't find that cute, but how do you know that?" -Rose asked her, as she pulled a pair of sneakers, she wanted to take with her. –"I'm taking these." -she thought to herself, as she put them beside the trolley. –"And do you have any proof of my snoring?"

"Because sometimes I come to check in on you. That's what mothers do." -Flora smiled. –"And as for proof of it, you'll just have to take my word for it." -she said. –"What about these jeans? Or do you want those lavender overalls? You look so good on them."

"I'll take the jeans. The overalls are cute, but I want to look sporty and casual." -Rose admitted. –"And I'm taking this black t-shirt with this crazy unicorn on it. Juleka loves to see me wearing it." -she thought to herself, while imagining the number of selfies the two of them were going to take, with her wearing that t-shirt.

"Oh, my sweet lily pad is trying to impress a boy?" -Flora joked, making Rose blush a little.

"Sort of." -Rose said, as she continued to blush. –"But it's not a boy, mom. It's a girl, and I only have eyes for her." -she thought to herself.

"Well, if you happen to impress that boy, you'll have to tell me, so I can invite him over." -Flora declared.

"Mom!" -Rose cried out, embarrassed.

"I'm just kidding, Rosey." -Flora chuckled. –"But seriously, if you decide to get a boyfriend, you've got to bring him over, so I can

That last comment made Rose feel guilty and down. She hated to not be able to tell her mom, Juleka and her were dating. But her and the Goth had decided to keep it a secret from their families, out of fear they would not understand. The only ones who knew about their relationship were their friends and classmates, alongside their kwamis, as well as Master Fu, Miss Bustier and Juleka's brother, Luka.

"Okay, mom. I promise." -Rose said, faking a smile. –"Don't think about that… don't you dare think about it, Rose! Don't think about bad thoughts! Just think of how much you're going to love spending time with Juleka and the others in London. You're going to have a blast, and all the memories you're going to make, are going to make you smile so hard, your face is going to hurt." -she mused to herself, as she tried her best to put the bad thoughts aside.


While most of her friends took the afternoon to pack what they were taking with them on the trip to London, Marinette had to wait until after dinner. That afternoon she had to help her dad at the bakery, because her mom had a medical appointment.

Because of it, she had time to think of what clothes she was taking with her, while dealing with the customers, who has always, had come to buy all kinds of bread, along with Tom's decadent pastries. So, when it came time to pack her bags, she knew just what to put inside them. Because they were taking a train, and not a plane, they were allowed to take a little bit more luggage, and that meant Marinette did not have to worry about the weight limit, even though she did not plan on taking everything but the kitchen sink wither her to London.

"I think I've got everything, Tikki." -Marinette said, as she looked at her bags, with all her clothes, shoes and accessories neatly packed.

"Did you pack your sketchbook?" -Tikki asked her, in a joyful voice. –"You said you wanted to take it with you, in case you saw something that would inspire you to sketch." -she said.

"It's already here." -Marinette said. –"And I've also packed some cookies for you." -she said.

"Thank you, Marinette. But I'm sure they have cookies in England." -Tikki chuckled.

"I know. But I know that you love my parents' cookies. And since I can take a little bit more luggage with me, I can add a box of cookies to it, without having worry about the weight." -Marinette smiled at her. –"Besides, you deserve them." -she said

"That's very kind of you." -Tikki smiled back at her. –"But if I have to be honest, I'm curious about trying some English cookies." -she said. –"I didn't tell you, but these last couple of days, I went online and looked for the best bakeries in London, and there's one or two that I wouldn't mind visiting, if we have the chance."

"We'll find the time, Tikki." -Marinette promised her. –"We've got two and a half days to do what we want in London; under the supervision of Miss Bustier, of course. So, we'll find a way for you and the rest of the kwamis to also have fun and visit some places you might want to." -she said. –"This trip is much yours, as it is ours, so, it's only fair for you to make the most of it too."

Tikki would be lying, if she said she was not as excited as Marinette was about that trip. Ever since she and the other kwamis were created, that she had been to the four corners of the world, and seen a lot of the world, due to the fact that the miraculouses appeared wherever Hawk Moth showed up. But making a trip with one of her holders was different. She loved Paris, but just like Marinette, she was eager to experience a trip to a different city, where things were similar, but also different. And she knew she was not the only one to feel that way. The other kwamis were also excited about it.

"I can't even remember the last time that all of us were awaken and were able to go on a trip with our holders." -Tikki thought to herself. –"Just like Marinette and her friends, us kwamis are also going to have a wonderful time… or at least, I hope we will. And we couldn't have asked for a better city to visit than London. It's a city completely different from Paris, and with so much to see and do. Just thinking about it, it's making me " -she mused about, when her thought was unexpectedly cut, by an already familiar sound; Marinette's ringtone for Adrien. -"Oh, look, it's Adrien. And it's a videocall, Marinette."

"Thanks, Tikki." -Marinette said, as she grabbed her cell phone and promptly answered it. –"Hello, my silly kitty." -she smiled, waving at her boyfriend.

"Good evening, milady." -Adrien greeted her, with his usual smile. –"I wanted to call you earlier, but the photoshoot took longer than I wanted, and…" -he apologized to her.

"It's okay. I also had a very busy afternoon, at the bakery." -Marinette said. –"Only now I'm packing." -she told him. –"What about you? Have you packed your things for our trip to London?"

"Just finished it." -Adrien answered her. –"Plagg helped me… though, his help was mostly him telling me to remember to pack in a wheel of Camembert." -he admitted, as he looked at the black cat kwami, nibbling a piece of the aforementioned cheese.

"And you're going to take a wheel of Camembert inside your bags?" -Marinette asked him, in an amused tone, knowing he would never do that.

"Of course, not. If I did, my clothes would all end up smelling like stinking cheese." -Adrien joked. –"I may be French, and incredibly handsome, but I'm not Pepe le Pew." -he joked again.

"Well, if you had to be Pepe le Pew, you would have one thing working for you. You do look great in black." -Marinette laughed.

"Thank you. But I think I would pass on the offer. I wouldn't want to look like an animal that stinks like of piece of mouldy cheese." –Adrien continued with the jokes. -"Not wanting to change the subject, but I love it, when I make you laugh. It brightens my day." -he told her.

"And it brightens mine too." -Marinette said. –"And I also love when you act all sappy." -she admitted, causing him to chuckle. –"I still can't believe that we're going on this trip. The two of us… I mean, it won't be just us, alone, but…"

"I know what you mean." -Adrien smiled. –"And to tell you the truth, I still can't believe I managed to convince my dad to let me go on this trip." -he admitted. –"I thought for sure, that he would just say "no" and that would be the end of it. But not this time."

"Do you think Nathalie had anything to do with it?" -Marinette asked him, with a mischievous smile on her face.

"I don't think so, this time." -Adrien said. –"I mean, she knew about the trip, but I had already told her that I didn't know if I wanted to go, because…"

"Because until a couple of weeks ago, we didn't have the means to go, without some of us staying behind to protect the city." -Marinette finished Adrien's sentence.

"Exactly. It's a good thing that the master found that spell to enhance the power of the Shun Yi stones." -Adrien said.

(Flashback)

On that Tuesday, the old master decided they needed to do some training in the astral plane, and so the whole team spent the next couple of hours training their punches in that place. You would think that a training that did not involve physical strength, would be easier on their bodies. But the truth was, it was just as exhausting as a sparring training. And they all felt exhausted, when they finished it.

"I'm exhausted." -Chloe sighed, as she sat down on the grass. –"But at least I'm not sweaty and smelly." -she said

"There's nothing wrong with being sweaty or smelly, Chloe." -Sabrina told her, as she sat next to her. –"I kind of like it. It makes me feel alive." -she admitted.

"Maybe you like it, but not me. For me, it means that I usually need a huge bubble bath after a serious workout." -Chloe said, as she placed her hand over Sabrina's knee.

"Is that your way to brag about the huge bathtub you have in your suite?" -Marinette asked her, in jest.

"Maybe." -Chloe told her. –"And I don't brag about what I have. I merely point it out." -Chloe told her, in a neutral voice.

"Well, point it out, all you want, Chloe." -Alya said. –"I still wouldn't trade my bathtub for yours. But only because it wouldn't fit my bathroom." -she joked.

"It's always good to hear you all in such good spirits." -Master Fu told them. –"You're all progressing quite well in the astral plane. If Hawk Moth decides to attack you in it, you'll be able to counterattack him." -he said. –"So far, he hasn't tried to do it, but we must be vigilant. And as Sun Tzu once said, in The Art of War, "Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.".

"So, literally, we must be prepared for anything." -Nino said.

"Exactly." -Wayzz told him, as he descended on Nino's cap.

"Then, it's a good thing we are all preparing for battle, together." -Rose giggled. –"It makes it sound and feel like we're still in class with Miss Bustier, preparing for a test." -she said.

"That's one way to put it, Rose." -Flint told her, as he hovered next to her.

"And speaking of school, I've heard that there's a trip your school is organizing, in about three weeks." -Master Fu said, as he sat on a nearby boulder. –"At least, that's what your teacher has told me." -he said.

"Yes. It's a trip to London, master." -Juleka said.

"But we don't be able to go." -Marinette said. –"Or, at least, we won't all be able to go." -she sighed. –"Some of us have to stay behind, to ensure the city is protected, if Hawk Moth attacks it."

"And we still haven't decided who will go and who will stay." -Max said. –"And I know I said this before, but I'm going to say it again. The sooner we decide it, the better." -he declared. –"And the best way to do it, is through a lottery."

"We're not going to do that, man." -Kim said.

"But it's the most democratic way to do it. That way, everyone has a fair chance." -Max said. –"And the sooner we do it, the better, because if we continue to postpone it, the harder it'll be, because there will always be someone who'll get upset about not being able to go." -he pointed out. –"You guys know that I'm right, even if you don't want to admit it."

"We know, Max, but we're just not in the mood to do that, right now." -Mylene said. –"We'll do it tomorrow, maybe." -she sighed, as she leaned against Ivan, who placed his arms around her, hugging her.

"Yeah, let us all pretend that we'll all be able to go, for one more day." -Sabrina said, as she petted Mika on the head.

The sadness and disappointment in their eyes were clearly visible. But the old master did not even need to look at them, to know that sadness haunted them. Their voices were enough to tell him that. Miss Bustier had told him about the trip, and he immediately knew some of them would have to stay behind. So, he decided to do something about it, and he felt it was the right time to tell them about it.

"That is quite the decision you have to make. But what if you all could go on that trip?" -Master Fu asked them. –"What if you could come back to Paris, from London, with a snap of your fingers?"-he asked.

"That would be wonderful, master." -Rose said.

"Well, I think I can fulfil that wish of yours." –Master Fu told them, which made them look at him.

Telling them about what he was talking about, the old man explained to them that for a few months now, he had been researching a way to amplify the power of the Shun Yi stones, so as to give them all the chance to leave town and come back, in case of emergency.

"I know that having a team as big as yours, there will never be the case, where all of you will be out of town, when Hawk Moth strikes." -Master Fu said. –"But you have all told me about how you wished, you had a way to travel back to Paris, in case those that are left behind, aren't capable of handling the fight, so you could help them." -he went on. –"Well, I figured I could try and help you with that wish of yours."

"Really?" -Rose chirped happily.

"That's great, master." -Nathaniel said

"And how are you going to do that, master?" -Alix asked. –"Because the stones are inside of us now." -she said.

"Don't worry. All you need to do is to stretch your arm like this and open your palm." -Master Fu said, as he got up and went to Mylene, grabbing her right arm and gently positioned it the way he wanted them to do it. –"Like this. And after that, all I need to do is this." -he said, as he drew a rune with his fingertip on Mylene's palm.

Once he finished it, Mylene's palm glowed for a brief second, after which her Shun Yi stone appeared on her palm. Again, the old master drew a rune with his fingertip, which made the stone glow brightly, before being absorbed back into her.

"There. All done." -Master Fu smiled. –"Thanks to that magical rune I cast upon it, I've upgraded the stone's power to allow you to come back to Paris for an emergency." -he said.

"Does this mean, that from now on we can go anywhere we want to?" -Nino asked, hopeful that would be the case.

"No, Nino. I'm afraid this spell only gives you the ability to teleport from London to Paris, without having to come here first." -Master Fu told him. –"It's not what I wanted the stones to do, but this will have to do. I'm still researching on a way to make them fully functional teleport artifacts, which would allow you to do more than just teleporting here. But I'm sad to say, that even I don't know if that will ever be possible." -he said. –"I'm bounded by the knowledge of the books I have access to, unfortunately. The library of magical tomes in this temple is quite big, but the original library of the order was perhaps a hundred times larger than this one. And if there was any book that would allow me to turn the Shun Yi stones into full teleport artifacts, it was surely there."

"It would come in handy, that's for sure." -Rose giggled. –"We would never be late for anything ever again." -she said.

"True. But I guess we'll have to keep wishing for it." -Alya said.

"For now, let's just be grateful that we can go on this trip, without having to worry about not being here to protect the city." -Marinette smiled. –"We still hadn't decide which of us were going to stay behind, but I guess now, none of us have to do it." -she said.

Those had been the best news they had all heard that week. And even though they were tired from training, that news made them forget about how tired they were, and demanded that they celebrated the good news.

"Agreed. This calls for a celebration." -Alya said. –"Does anyone have any suggestions on where we should go from here, to celebrate?"

"How about ice cream? We could pay a visit to Monsieur André. He does the best ice creams in Paris, after all." -Nino suggested.

"Now that's a great idea." -Adrien said.

"I could go for an ice cream." -Chloe said. –"After all this astral plain training, I need something sweet and cold." -she smiled.

"I can already taste my favourite combination… strawberry, vanilla and cherry." -Rose said, as she imagined the ice cream she was going to get.

"I'll pass. I still have a swimming class to go to." -Kim said. –"But you can take Imp with you, and get him an ice cream. He knows his way to the pool where I train, so, he can get there, after he finishes eating." -he said, while looking at the antelope kwami, who he knew wanted an ice cream.

"Then, let's get this done. Do what you have to do to upgrade our stones, master." -Adrien said, as he stretched his arm and opened his hand, with the others following his example.

(End of flashback)

"I just hope we don't have to use them." -Adrien said. –"I would love for us to be able to being a group of regular teenagers, for a couple of days." -he smiled.

"I'm with you, my silly kitty." -Marinette smiled back at Adrien. –"It would be nice to just enjoy ourselves, and have fun." -she said. –"Also, this will mark our first trip as a couple."

"It sure does." -Adrien said. –"Look at us, talking like we've been dating for an eternity and saying things like that." -he joked, making Marinette chuckle.

"It sounds a bit silly; I'll admit it." -Marinette chuckled again. –"But can I tell you a little secret?" -she asked him, to which he nodded. –"Ever since I fell in love with you, I fantasized about us going on a trip to a foreign country and have a romantic dinner in a restaurant, by candlelight. I know it's corny, but…"

"No, it's not corny at all. That is a great fantasy, Marinette." -Adrien admitted. –"I don't know if we'll be able to do it, but I would very much love to share a romantic meal with you by candlelight, while in London, bugaboo." -he told her, making her blush lightly.

"Maybe we can go on a double date with Alya and Nino, or even a quintuple date, if Rose, Juleka, Ivan, Mylene, Sabrina and Chloe feel like doing it." -Marinette said, -"It wouldn't be as romantic, as if it was just the two of us, but it would still be nice." -she admitted.

"We'll talk about it, with them." -Adrien told her, as he winked at her. –"I really wish I could be there with you, right about now, so I could kiss you." -he said.

"Same thing. But we'll both have to wait until tomorrow." -Marinette said, as she blew him a kiss. –"My parents are dropping me at the train station. Who's dropping you off? Your dad?" -she asked, curious, as the craziest thought came to her mind. –"And if he is, I better dress properly. I want to make a good impression in my future father-in-law."

"Nope. Nina and the Gorilla are the ones who are going to drop me off. My dad left for Cape Town, this afternoon, for an emergency meeting, with the representants of the factory that is manufacturing the new designer shoes he designed for his autumn/winter collection, from what Nina told me." -Adrien said. –"Don't know what the problem is, but if Nathalie went with him, then, it's got to be pretty serious." -he said.

"I can imagine. Nathalie only accompanies your dad, when the issue is serious." -Marinette said. –"But I'm sure everything will be fine, and when you come back, your dad will have also come back from South Africa, and you'll be able to tell him all about what happened in our trip." -she said, trying to cheer him up.

Marinette knew it was hard for Adrien, whenever his father left in a business trip. And he did not have to tell her a thing. She just needed to look him in the eyes, and see the sincere wish of having him around, reflected in them. So, she tried her best to cheer him up, and make him see the bright side of the situation. And Adrien knew she was trying to cheer him up, and he loved her for that.

"Thanks, bugaboo. You always know what to say." -Adrien smiled.

"That's what girlfriends and partners do, right?" -Marinette chuckled. –"But as much as I love to talk to you, I think it's best if we save some conversation for tomorrow." -she said. –"We've got to be in the train station, at 6 in the morning."

"You're right. Then, sweet dreams, milady." -Adrien said. –"See you in a couple of hours, Marinette." -he winked at her.

"I'll be counting the minutes and the seconds, Adrien." -Marinette promised him, before blowing him a kiss, and ending the call.

Chapter 2: London, Here We Come!

Chapter Text

The had not yet risen when the first students from the Collège Françoise-Dupont began to arrive at the Gare Du Nord. The gare was one of the six large mainline railway station termini in Paris. Designed by French architect Jacques Ignace Hittorff, the original complex was built between 1861 and 1864 on behalf of the Chemin de Fer du Nord company, which replaced an earlier and much smaller terminal sharing the same name, which was operational between 1846 and 1860. Being one of the most important, if not, the most important train station in Paris, the Gare Du Nord was always bustling with passengers, even in its calmest hours. Still, there was a small period during the day, when the whole station was completely deserted, and that was between 4:30 and 5:30. The clock had just struck 5 in the morning, as the first passengers started to arrive.

The first ones to arrive at the platform, where the train to London was to depart at 6 in the morning, were the teachers, as one would expect. They arrived an hour before departure, to make sure that everything went as expected. With them, was also principal Damocles. Because it was quite early, most of them did not have more than a couple of hours of sleep on them, and that affected their mood. With only five hours of sleep, Miss Bustier was trying her best to remain awake, despite the coffee she drank at home.

I should’ve gone to bed earlier.” -Miss Bustier thought to herself. –“But I only have myself to blame for it. Who told me to watch the ending of season 1 of Fringe?” -she mused about it. –“Even with my make-up on, I still feel like a zombie.

She felt like one, but some of the other teachers felt and looked like a zombie or some other supernatural creature. Miss Mendeleiev had a face of a person who had not even slept, and her usual mood, which was described as being the closest thing to a witch, was even more pronounced than usual, which meant she was someone you did not want to annoy that early in the morning. Monsieur Labisse looked incredibly tired, dragging himself around the platform. The bags under his wrinkly bluish-grey eyes, combined with his white, almost pale complexion, white hair combed back, and trimmed beard, made him look like an elderly version of Dracula, who had not eaten for several days. Monsieur Cabret looked a little better than Monsieur Labisse, but even he looked like he had seen better days. He looked so exhausted, that his lush jet-black hair, which he was so proud of, and tried his best to not have a single hair out of place, looked messy.  Miss Dujardin, who was known for her sunny disposition, could hardly keep her amber-coloured eyes open, and was trying her best to keep up, by sipping a coffee she had bought, while wrapping her long blonde hair around her left index finger, trying to stay awake. But there were exceptions to the rule, namely the art teacher, Monsieur Beaumont and the physical education teacher, Monsieur D’Argencourt. Monsieur Beaumont, who physically, a lot of students compared him to a middle-aged version of David Lynch, because of the facial similarities between the two of them, which included a similar haircut and chin, looked like he was ready to run a marathon. And Monsieur D’Argencourt looked fit as a fiddle, and had just arrived with coffee for some of his colleagues.

“Let us see, who ordered what? Oh, this one is for you.” -Monsieur D’Argencourt said, as he handed a coffee cup to Monsieur Beaumont. –“And this one here, with extra foam, is for you.” -he said, as he handed Miss Dujardin hers.

“Thank you.” -Miss Dujardin thanked him, with a smile on her face.

“Did you bring mine as well?” -Monsieur Cabret asked.

“Here it is. And yes, I did tell them to use soy milk.” -Monsieur D’Argencourt said, as he handed him the cup.  

“Fresh coffee… there are few things in the world that taste and smell as good as this.” -Monsieur Beaumont said. –“This smell reminds me of my early days of teaching, in a village near Mont Blanc. Can’t remember the name of the village, but I can still remember the name of the waitress of the café I went to, every day before going to classes... Shelly Amick… what a beautiful name.” -he sighed. –“And more beautiful than her name, was her smile. I’m telling you; she could light up a whole room with that thing.”

“You and your stories.” –Monsieur Labisse chuckled. –“Being the oldest here, I’m the one who’s supposed to tell stories of my glory days, not you.” -he said, as he grabbed his coffee cup.

“You can’t blame a man for remembering some of its fondest memories, now, can you?” -Monsieur Beaumont chuckled. –“Oh, if Laura found out that I’m talking about this, she would be smacking me, that’s for sure.” -he joked, referring to his wife.

“This one’s yours. Maybe it’ll cheer you up.” -Monsieur D’Argencourt told Miss Mendeleiev  

“Oh, shut up, Armand!” -Miss Mendeleiev snapped at him, as she was handed her coffee. –“I’m not in the mood for any conversations.” -she said. –“I’m exhausted, I have a headache and in a while, I’m going to have my students, along with everyone else’s students yelling at my ears. So, please, don’t address me, while I drink my coffee and enjoy the last few minutes of peace.”

Always a ray of sunshine.” -Miss Bustier thought to herself, as she grabbed her cup. –“Thank you. This will warm us up.” -she said, before sipping the coffee. –“Mmm… I already had one at home, but coffee is something that a person doesn’t mind having another one.”          

“I hope you didn’t forget about your benevolent principal.” -Principal Damocles said, as he approached the teachers.

“Your usual, as always.” -Monsieur D’Argencourt said, as he handed the principal a cup.

“Thank you.” -Principal Damocles said. –“Now, I know I already told you all this, but remember to tell your students that while visiting London, they are acting as ambassadors to France in England. And as such, they must act on their best behaviour.” -he declared. –“We wouldn’t want our school to be seen in a bad light.”

They had heard that speech more times than they could remember. They knew the principal was only doing his job, but the way he did it, made it sound like if the students misbehaved, it would be something so serious, that Foreign Affairs would be involved in it.

Shortly after, their students started to arrive. And, as expected, confusion ensued. The teachers, as well as principal Damocles, tried to show that they were not as sleepy as the students, but it was not easy, especially for Miss Mendeleiev. As soon as she heard one of her students screaming, she could not control herself and shouted at him, telling him to shut up, or else that she would make sure that he would not board the train. This forced principal Damocles to intervene and try to smooth things down.  Seeing all that happening, Miss Bustier thanked her lucky stars for not having a class with such problematic students, as did Miss Mendeleiev. And as she waited for her class to begin to show up, she saw the first one of her students arriving.  

“Good morning, Miss Bustier.” -Rose greeted her teacher.

“Good morning, Rose.” -Miss Bustier smiled at the blonde, as she approached her, followed by her parents –“Good morning to you too, Monsieur and Madame Lavillant.” -she greeted Rose’s parents, before turning her attention back to Rose. –“Ready for this trip?”

“Absolutely.” -Rose smiled back. –“I’m so excited, Miss Bustier.” -she chirped, before letting out a small yawn. –“Sorry, I’m still a bit sleepy.”

“Well, don’t worry about it. It’ll take us a few hours to get to London. So, you’ll be able to sleep in the train.” -Miss Bustier told her. –“This will be one trip, where you will learn a lot, but where you will also have a lot of fun.” -she said.

“And remember, lily pad, don’t give your teacher reasons to worry about you.” -Flora told her daughter, who smiled upon hearing those words.  

“Oh, believe me, she never does.” -Miss Bustier chuckled. –“Rose is one of the most well-behaved students in my class. I know she won’t give me any reasons to worry.” -she assured her.  

A few minutes later, Juleka arrived, accompanied by her parents, and joined Rose. A moment later it was Ivan and Nino who arrived, with Ivan being accompanied by his father, and Nino by his mother. One by one, most of the students in Miss Bustier’s class showed up, ready to embark on the train, which by the time they arrived, was on the platform. And the same thing happened with the students from the remaining classes. It did not take long for the platform itself to look like a school’s playground, where the students, most of them accompanied by their parents or by some kind of tutor, waited to embark. And while they waited, some amusing situations occurred; one of them involving a certain blonde heiress, when she showed up with so many bags, one would think she emptied a sizable chunk of her wardrobe.    

“Chloe, why so many bags?” -Mylene asked her. –“We’re only going for a few days, and you seem like you packed for a trip around the world.” -she joked, as she counted the number of bags on the –“Nine bags… typical Chloe.

“Because I like to go prepared for any eventuality.” -Chloe answered her. –“Also, two of the bags are pretty much empty, because I might want to buy something nice to wear, while I’m in London, and I need a place to put it.” -she added.

“Okay, but remember, you’re the one, who’s going to have to carry all those bags with you, to the hotel.” -Mylene said.

“I’ll find a way to do it, won’t I, Jean?” -Chloe asked her butler. –“Where’s Sabrina? She’s running late… She better hurry, or she’s going to lose the train.” -she asked herself, as she checked the time on her cell phone. 

“If you say you will, then, I believe you will, Miss Bourgeois.” -Jean answered her. –“Oh, and I forgot to mention this, but I packed that very special item, in case you need it.” -he told her.  

“Thank you, Jean. I’m sure I won’t need it, but thanks for packing it anyways.” -Chloe said, knowing the item Jean was referring to, as her stuffed teddy bear, Mr. Cuddles. –“I’ll probably won’t need it, but it won’t hurt to take Mr. Cuddles with me. Whenever I sleep on a bed that’s not mine, for some reason, I tend to have nightmares, and he tends to help me sleep better.” -she thought.


 It was not easy for Tom to find a place to park his car, but eventually he managed to find one. In the back seat, Marinette was about to fall asleep again, her eyes feeling heavy, and she was trying hard to keep them open. But it was not easy, due to the car’s vibrations. When the car stopped, Sabine called her, telling her that they only had 15 minutes to get to the train. Opening the door, the blue-haired girl exited the car and stretched her arms, trying her best to not fall asleep.

“Thanks for bringing me, mom and dad.” -Marinette said, yawning, as Tom opened the car’s trunk.

“It’s our pleasure, honey.” -Tom said, as he took out Marinette’s bags. –“Besides, your grandfather doesn’t mind keeping an eye on the bread, while we come to see you off.” -he smiled at her. –“He’ll never admit it, but he misses working at the bakery.”

“Remind me to find something beautiful as a souvenir for him.” -Marinette chuckled. –“For him, and for Grandma Gina, as well as for the two of you.” -she said, as she grabbed one of the bags.

“Just worry about having fun and learn as much as you can, honey.” -Sabine told her. –“The souvenirs’ are good, and you know just what to buy for everyone, but don’t think about them too hard. You having fun, and learning are far more important than the souvenirs. So, if you forget, or can’t find anything nice to bring with you, don’t worry about it.” -she said, as Marinette yawned again. –“Oh, don’t worry, honey. You’ll be able to sleep for a little bit longer, once you’re inside the train. Just try to remain awaken long enough to board it.”

Marinette would be lying, if she said she did not want to go back to her bed. When her alarm went out, her first instinct was to turn it off, but Tikki was faster and prevented her from doing it, forcing her to wake up, before herself going back to sleep inside Marinette’s backpack. Holding her bag, as well as her backpack, she followed her parents towards the gare, while trying to keep her eyes open.

Just a little bit longer, Marinette. Just keep your eyes open, until you’re inside the train. Then, you can sleep all you want… especially, because you’ll be falling asleep in Adrien’s arms, like you’re always dreaming about.” -Marinette said, as she went through the gare’s doors, following her parents, who were trying to see where they had to go.

“Marinette!” -a voice called the girl’s name. A voice, which she immediately recognized as being Adrien’s.

“Adrien!” -Marinette exclaimed, the drowsiness in her body disappearing completely when she saw her boyfriend. When he stopped in front of her, she dropped her bag and hugged him as hard as she could.  –“Guess I’m not the only one running late.” -she joked, as Nina and Gorilla approached. –“Good morning!”

“Good morning, Marinette.” -Nina smiled, while Gorilla silently nodded his head. –“I’m sorry to interrupt such a beautiful moment, between the two of you, but we better get going. The train leaves in 13 minutes.” -she told the teenagers.

“She’s right. You two don’t want to be left behind, honey.” -Sabine said. –“Do you happen to know from where the train is leaving?” -she asked Nina.

“Oh, yes, I do.” -Nina said. –“Just follow me.” -she told Sabine, as everyone followed her. 

“Did you sleep well?” -Adrien asked her, in a whisper, as they walked.

“Yes, and no. I slept well, but I wish I could’ve stayed in bed a few more hours.” -Marinette whispered to Adrien’s ear.

“You’re not the only one. I wouldn’t have mind to have stayed in bed a little bit longer, as well.” -Adrien told her. –“Especially, because I was dreaming about you.” -he whispered at her, which made her let out a small giggle.

“What are you two lovebirds talking about?” -Tom asked them, in a jovial tone. –“Planning what you’re going to do, when you’re in London?”

“Something like that, dad.” -Marinette chuckled, not wishing to reveal to her dad, that her boyfriend had dreamed about her.


The train had left the station about 10 minutes ago, and looking out the window, its passengers could see that they had already left Paris, and were now in its suburbs, traveling north. The noise of the rails, combined with the movement produced by the train car, created a kind of unique atmosphere for those inside it. The eight train cars were completely full, with most of the seats filled by students of Collège Françoise-Dupont. It would take two and half hours, until they reached their destination, and most of them aboard decided to spend the trip sleeping. Still, there were quite a few that had lost the will to sleep, and decided they were going to remain awaken. And a similar thing happened with the kwamis. Most of them were still asleep, but one or two had woken up and were feeling like stretching their limbs, by hovering inside the train car, where Miss Bustier’s class was in. But they were told to remain hidden, because it was not safe. Because of the number of seats in the train car, Marinette and her class ended up dividing it with Monsieur Labisse’s class.

“Just remain quiet, Daria.” -Alix whispered at the dragonfly kwami. –“You’ll have to wait until we get to the hotel in London.” -she whispered.

“Sorry, but you’ll have to stay in there.” -Ivan whispered to Muria.

The relationship Miss Bustier’s class had with Monsieur Labisse’s class could be described as one of rivalry. Just like it happened with Miss Mendeleiev’s class, there were a few students in the old teacher’s class that were not the friendliest people around. The difference was that the class itself, was not as bad as Miss Mendeleiev’s. Still, that did not prevent the students from both classes to sometimes engage in what many would call “situations caused by growth pains”. Which was why, before they boarded, both teachers told their respective classes to act on their best behaviour, while aboard the train. They did not want any kind of problems, and knew that they were going to have to continue to remind them of it, during the rest of the trip.

They had all been warned, and if it was up to Miss Bustier’s class, there would not be any problems. They just wanted to have a quiet and relaxing train voyage, where they would keep to themselves. Which was what Marinette was doing, as she cuddled next to Adrien, feeling her eyes getting heavier and heavier, rocked by the car’s movement. Yawning, she felt sleepier by the minute, and Adrien knew it. So, he decided to tell her to go to sleep, so she would feel rested, when the train arrived at its destination.

“You can sleep. I’ll wake you up, when we get to London.” -Adrien whispered at Marinette’s ear.

“You promise?” -Marinette asked him, as she looked him in the eyes, and he nodded.

"Rest your beautiful eyes, and I'll wake you up, when we get to London." -Adrien told her.

“Okay. I’m going to sleep for a little bit. Wake me up, when we arrive, my silly kitty.” -Marinette said, as she rested her head on his left shoulder, and closed her eyes.

Adrien had not even had the time to say a word, and Marinette was already sound asleep. Caressing her hair, he smiled, feeling like the luckiest guy in the world, for having such a beautiful and cute girl, who loved him as much as he loved her.

“Sweet dreams, Marinette.” -Adrien whispered to her, as he leaned his head against Marinette’s, and closed his eyes as well. –“I’m just going to close my eyes for a little bit.” -he told himself. 

The whole scene caught the eye of Alya and Nino, who were seated two rows ahead. Seeing their best-friends seemingly sleeping so peacefully, all cuddled up, made them feel like some sort of proud parents, whose kids had begun to date each other, after the longest courtship ever.   

“Look at those two.” -Alya told Nino, signalling him. –“Isn’t that the cutest thing you ever saw?” -she whispered at Nino’s ear.

“I don’t know. I always thought the cutest thing I ever saw was you, foxy fox.” -Nino whispered back at Alya, who playfully slapped him on the shoulder. –“But you’re right, they do look cute.” -he agreed with her. –“To think that it took as long as it did, for the two of them to end up that way.”

“It did take a lot of time for them to start dating. But what matters, is that they’re dating now, and they’re happy, just like us.” -Alya said. –“And speaking of time, I think it’s time for me to do what I said I would do, once we got on the train.” -she said, as she took her cell phone from her .

“You’re doing it, right now?” -Nino asked her. –“Don’t you think you should wait for the others to wake up?”

“I’ll talk low, so I don’t wake up anyone. Besides, I’m only going to capture a couple of shots, and say a few words for the blog. I’ll do another, when we arrive in London.” -Alya told him, as she turned on the camera. –“Hello, there, everyone! It’s Alya here! And you know what this means. It means that I’m on my way to London.” -she kept smiling at the camera. –“I’m here with my boyfriend Nino, and as you can see, he’s just dying to say something. Say hello there, Nino.”

“Hey!” -Nino said, waving at the camera.

“Like I said the other day, my class and I are going on a school trip to London. So, I’ll be posting a few videos of what we’re going to see there. And while we’re there, I’m also going to see just how much Londoners love Ladybug and the rest of the heroes.” -Alya spoke to the camera. –“You may be wondering why I’m talking so low? Well, most of the people are still asleep, and I don't want to wake them up. But that's not to say it won't show how adorable or not they are when sleeping.” -she said, as she got out of her seat and began to film her friends. –“In here we have Rose and Juleka… don’t they look the cutest thing ever, sleeping? And who would’ve thought that Rose snoring would sound so cute? And speaking of snoring, looks like Nathaniel also snores, and quite loudly.”

Alya continued to make jokes or cheerful comments about her friends, as she filmed them sleeping, or waving at the camera. She was having a lot of fun with that video, and she was doing her best to make it extra funny, because she knew the others would laugh about it, if it was funny enough. Without realizing it, a pair of eyes that did not belong to a student, but to a teacher, watched her.

Alya is making sure that that video will leave them in good spirits, when they watch it.” -Miss Bustier thought to herself. –“Given everything they go through, this weekend will be good for them. It’ll hopefully give them the opportunity to behave like regular kids, without any sort of problems.” -she mused about it, hoping to be right about it, as she continued to look at her students.   

“Your students seem to be enjoying themselves.” -Monsieur Labisse commented with Miss Bustier.

“I believe so too.” -Miss Bustier said.

“Youth… they don’t know how easy they have it, these days. With their age, I already knew what I wanted to do with my life. They, on the other hand, are still exploring the possibilities. Times have certainly changed.” -Monsieur Labisse said.

“The way you say it, it’s like you were born in the 12th or 13th century.” -Miss Bustier joked.

“I’m old, but I’m not that old.” -Monsieur Labisse joked back. –“But I’m not exaggerating. Times have truly changed, and I’m not just talking about music, the Internet, gizmos and gadgets, and whatever. The way of thinking has also changed, and quite drastically. What was once acceptable, nowadays it’s not, for one reason or another.” -he said. –“The world has changed more in the last 10 years than in almost 5 centuries. And the fact that magic was real after all, only made it change even faster. I don’t know where we’re going, but I would be lying, if I said that I knew.”

“Yes, I agree.” -Miss Bustier agreed. –“And you don’t even know how much my world has changed, because of magic.” -she thought to herself, when she heard Alix talking a bit louder than she ought to with Alya, and forced her to stand up and warn her. –“Alix! Please, try not to talk so loudly!”

“Sorry, Miss Bustier!” -Alix apologized, in a hushed voice.

“They really are in an awfully good mood.” -Monsieur Labisse commented.

“Yes, they are. And because of it, they tend to forget that just because they’re up, it doesn’t mean everyone is.” -Miss Bustier said, as she looked at all the students that were still sleeping.

“I wish my students were a group as tight as yours.” -Monsieur Labisse admitted, as Miss Bustier sat back in her seat. –“Sure, there are a few of them that are always together, but it’s not the same thing, like your class.” -he said. –“Maybe it’s because of you. Every teacher in our school has a different way to handle their classes and its students, and I know that I handle things differently from you, and that might reflect on my students’ behaviour. Perhaps, if I was a bit more like you…”

“I don’t think it’s because of us teachers, that students act the way they do. At least, not entirely.” -Miss Bustier said. –“It’s true that we set the example for them, but sometimes, one must be lucky in finding the right people to have in a group. And I believe that my class has been lucky in that department. Their bond is incredibly tight. But even I have to admit, that I don’t know how they became so close.” -she said, not admitting the truth, of why they were such a tight bunch.

“Sometimes people just connect with each other, and find a way to bond over something, even if it’s something absolutely trivial, I suppose.” -Monsieur Labisse said. –“Whatever the case, you’re lucky in having a class like you do.” -the old man declared, in an amused tone. –“Don’t tell anyone I told you this, but most of the other teachers, are jealous of you and your class, including myself.”


In Glastonbury, the day was dawning, but that meant nothing to the team of archaeologists who were working on an archaeological dig, where they had found a mysterious setting that was thought to belong to the Middle Ages. It had been discovered a few months earlier, when a shepherd noticed a crack in a rock, and peeked inside, finding out that there was a cave beneath it. It did not take long for the right people in town to find out about it, and come to investigate. What followed was a combined effort to discover what was inside that cave. The area of Glastonbury was known for the numerous archaeological digs that had been found over the years. And this particular one was quite fascinating. The whole cave felt like a sealed bubble, where time stood still, since centuries ago. Inside, they had found what some would describe as a witch’s covenstead. But this one was different from the other documented covensteads that any of the archaeologists had seen or studied. This one looked more like a medieval version of a laboratory, due to the numerous primitive scientific items found in it. The more they explored it, the more puzzled they became with what they found.

It would be years, before the whole place was properly explored and researched. Even so, what they had already discovered, would keep them busy for a very long time. But from out of all the things they had found, two items stood out and had caught the eye of everyone working at that dig site. The first was a black marble statue of a woman, dressed in regal clothes, and who had the liveliest expression on her face. On top of it, the way it had been sculpted, made it look more like a statue from the Renaissance period, than one belonging to the Dark Ages. That alone made it unique and mysterious. As for the second item, it was a pendant. Just like the statue, this one looked nothing like it belonged in that place. This one had the appearance of a peacock with the shape of a peacock's body and head at the bottom centre and with nine light sea-green tail feathers protruding from it. On each of the tail feather segment, it sported a gold pearl-like gem, while at the base, which served as the peacock’s body, it had a blue gem. But the strangest thing about it, was the fact that it had been found around the statue’s neck, making its finding ever the more mysterious.

Because both objects did not seem like they belonged in that place, the team of archaeologists decided that they would need to be further examined by a specialist. The statue was too large and too heavy to be moved by hand, but the pendant was a whole different story. Because of its size, sending it to a specialist to be examined, was a piece of cake. And that was a decision, the duo in charge of the excavation, professors Raoul Blake and Gregor Rogers, made together.    

“Alright, here it is. Be extremely careful with this package.” -Gregor said. –“And remember, this has to be delivered to the British Museum today. There’s someone waiting for it, so don’t be late.” -he warned Raoul. –“I would take it myself, but…”

“But you can’t drive, and you get train sick and car sick, I know.” -Raoul said. –“You really should go and see a doctor, to see if you find a way to cure that sickness you get, while on anything that has a motor.” -he told him. –“And by someone, you mean the incredibly beautiful blonde archaeologist that helped us the other time?”

“She has a name, you know?” -Gregor said. –“And yes, I’m talking about her.” -he admitted. –“I called her yesterday, and she said she’s in London for the next couple of days, before leaving to Paris. She’ll be able to examine it at the Louvre.”

“Don’t worry, she’ll get it on time.” -Raoul said. –“If I go now, I’ll get to the museum, a few minutes after it opens.” -he assured him. –“Just keep an eye on those newbies, and don’t let them break anything.”

“Understood. Oh, and be sure to take the photos that we took of the place. I want her to know what the place that pendant was looks like.” -Gregor said.

Little did professor Raoul know, that inside the package he was carrying, was an object that was anything but ordinary. If he had known that he was carrying a lost miraculous, maybe he and his fellow archaeologists would have pondered the question of why it was lost in the first place?

Chapter 3: Mind the Gap

Chapter Text

The bells inside Big Ben had just tolled at 8 am, when the Eurostar from Paris stopped at St. Pancras station, on Euston Road. The station was constructed by the Midland Railway, and it was designed by William Henry Barlow, being constructed with a single-span iron roof. Following the station's opening on October 1868, the Midland Railway constructed the Midland Grand Hotel, now the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, on the station's façade. In the late 1960s, plans were made to demolish St Pancras entirely and divert its services for King's Cross and Euston, leading to fierce opposition from the citizens of London, who had grown fond of the station and its architecture, and deemed it a London landmark.

Just like it happened with the city of Paris, London had several railway stations, some of them far more famous than St. Pancras, like King's Cross, Paddington, Waterloo, London and Bridge, but St. Pancras was the only one where the Eurostar stopped, and that made it just as important as one of the city's numerous airports. Not that made any difference to the students of Collège Françoise-Dupont, as they disembarked the train, and joined the other passengers on the platform. As per the rules, the classes grouped together and waited close to each other, while principal Damocles spoke with each of the teachers, and asked them if all students were present, making sure no one was left behind. The excitement was general, and anyone passing by them, could see that all the students were excited to have reached their destination.

"Welcome to London, milady." -Adrien said, to a still sleepy Marinette. –"I'm sorry if you couldn't sleep a little bit longer." -he smiled at her, as she yawned again.

"I-It's okay. You kept your promise." -Marinette said, before yawning again. –"Besides, I can sleep later." -she said, as she slid her right arm around Adrien's waist. –"I'd rather be awaken, so I can enjoy being with you."

Her words warmed Adrien's heart as only she could. But what could have been an absolutely legendary and romantic moment, between them, was not, because of the noise that was heard, thus breaking the atmosphere that Marinette's words tried to create. Still, neither Marinette, nor Adrien were sad about it, because they could feel that they would have numerous other opportunities to share a romantic moment, while in London. But that would have to wait, as they heard their friends gossiping, while waiting to go the hotel, which was going to be there first stop, before heading to the British Museum.

"You can definitely feel that you're in a different city." -Juleka said. –"The energy of London is different from the energy of Paris… even the scents in the air are different."

"Who are you, and what did you do with my favourite Goth?" -Rose playfully asked her girlfriend. –"It's not like you to say those things."

"I know. Usually it's you, who says them, because I tend to stay quiet." -Juleka giggled. –"I just felt like saying it." -she said, before taking a huge gulp of air. –"It feels good to breathe in some foreign air."

"Well, I don't know about that. But I have a great feeling about this trip. We're going to have so much fun." -Rose giggled.

"So, are you going to go through with that promise you made to yourself? That the first thing you were going to do, was to get yourself a large dose of fish 'n' chips, Kim?" -Max asked his best-friend.

"Maybe during lunch. Right now, I'm in dire need of a second breakfast." -Kim said. –"Do you think Miss Bustier will mind, if I go over there and buy myself a snack, and… hold on there! This can't be right." -he exclaimed, as he checked his cell phone. –"We left Paris three hours ago. So, how on Earth is that it's a little over 8 am?!"

"Kim, we crossed the Greenwich meridian." -Alya reminded him. –"And when we did it, we gained an hour. Did you forget that that was going to happen?" -she asked him.

"Oh, right, I forgot about that." -Kim said, as he realized what had happened.

"There's no surprise there. The only things you don't forget about is eating and trying to find ways to humiliate yourself, when you try to prove that you're better than me at anything, only to fail." -Alix mocked him.

"Hey!" –Kim yelled at her. –"I promised myself, I wasn't going to get mad at you, while we were here. But if you start saying things like that about me, I'm going to…" -he threatened her, mad about her behaviour.

"Now, now, everyone, no fighting." -Miss Bustier said, trying to calm them. –"Alix, there's no reason for you to say those things to Kim. And Kim, please, calm down. Remember, don't take those things so personally." -she begged the two of them. –"Remember, we're in a foreign country now, and we must all behave, so as to give everyone we meet in London a good image of both of our school and our country."

"There she goes again with that speech the principal gave us, before we left Paris." -Ivan thought to himself. –"We've already heard it, more times than we can remember, Miss Bustier." -he mused about it.

"Yes, Miss Bustier." -the whole class sighed in chorus.

"Good. Now, we're all going to take the underground to the hotel, once Principal Damocles comes back with the tickets." -Miss Bustier said, when she noticed the principal coming back. –"Oh, here he comes with them. Now, remember, you must keep them with you, at all times. So, I advise you to stick them inside your wallets."

"Is it a long ride to the hotel, Miss Bustier?" -Mylene asked.

"No, it's only a few stations away, Mylene." -Miss Bustier said, when Principal Damocles stopped –"Oh, thank you." -she thanked him, as he handed her the underground tickets.–"Okay, here are your tickets. Remember, stick together and don't leave any of your bags and trolleys behind. We wouldn't want you to lose anything on your first day."

Getting ready to leave, they all took their underground tickets from Miss Bustier and grabbed their bags, making sure they would not leave anything behind. But one of them did not do that. Chloe's bags remained where one of the porters had placed them, and she just stood there, looking at her cell phone.

"I'm actually wondering how she's going to take all those bags with her." -Alya wondered to herself –"Hey, Chloe! Are you going to grab your bags or not? We've got to get to the hotel." -she told her. –"Whether you like it or not, you'll have to drag them all yourself there. You brought them with you, not you'll have to carry them."

"She's probably hoping that Jean shows up, out of nowhere. to carry them for her." -Nino whispered at Alya's ears, which made them both chuckle.

"No, I'm not taking them myself, and before you ask, no, I'm not going to ask you guys for help either." -Chloe declared. -"I decided to do something else to take care of this little problem." -she said. –"And it seems that the solution to my problem has just arrived. And before you ask me, I took care of it, while we were here waiting."

Looking at the photo on her cell phone's screen, Chloe saw that the man in his late forties, wearing a black and white sweater, dark blue jeans and black moccasins, approaching her and her classmates, was the same.

"Miss Bourgeois? Chloe Bourgeois?" -the man asked her.

"That is me." -Chloe answered the man. –"You were fast. Faster than most Uber drivers in Paris. Not that I ever need to use an Uber." -she commented. –"Anyways, I won't be going in the car. But my luggage will. That's why I requested your service. I need you to take it to the hotel I'm staying in."

"Wait! You called an Uber, just to take your bags to the hotel?!" -Alya asked her, shocked.

"Yes, I did. Like I said before, while you were all talking, I went online and requested one." -Chloe admitted, before turning to Sabrina. –"You want him to carry your things too, Sabrina?" -she asked her girlfriend.

"No, there's no need for it. I can take them myself." -Sabrina smiled sheepishly at the blonde.

"Okay. Then, in that case, this is the luggage you'll have to take to the address I just provided you." -Chloe declared, as she pointed to the bags, before pulling a 50 Pound note from her wallet and gave it to the driver. –"Here's 50 Pounds. This should be more than enough to cover the fare. And there will be another 50 Pounds for you, along with a 5-star review, if you wait at the hotel, to hand them over to me, when I get there." -she told the Uber driver, who nodded, as he hurriedly grabbed all the bags and began to carry them away.

The whole thing was surreal to the whole class, including Miss Bustier. They were all used to the crazy things Chloe sometimes did, because she had the money to do it. But this one had taken them by surprise. Even Sabrina, whom Chloe usually told her everything, did not know she planned to do that. Looking at the man walking away with all the bags the heiress had brought with her from Paris, the scene looked like something out of a mad dream.

"How does he manage to carry all those bags, without letting go of any of them?" -Marinette asked. –"He looks almost like one of those cartoon characters from the 1920's, who managed to pile up countless things on their arms, and just walk away, without dropping them." -she said.

"Have no idea. But if he wants that 5-star review, along with an extra 50 Pounds tip, he better get to the hotel before us.

"You're unbelievable, you know that, Chloe?" -Alya said, while rolling her eyes.

"I'll take that as a complement." -Chloe chuckled, which made Alya roll her eyes once more.

"Sometimes I wonder if she has changed anything." –Alya said, under her breath.

"Come on, don't say that, foxy fox." -Nino whispered back at her. –"The old Chloe would've treated the guy like a slave, and not give him such a generous tip." -he whispered.

"True." -Alya thought to herself.

"Okay, everyone, it's time for us to go to the hotel. Follow me, and remember, hold hands with your partner." -Miss Bustier declared, at the same time the other teachers told their students the very same message.

"Do we really have to do that, Miss Bustier? We're not in kindergarten anymore." -Alix asked her, feeling like they were being treated like little kids.

"Sorry, Alix, but rules are rules." -Miss Bustier said, before leaning in and whispering something to Alix's ear. –"I don't like it either, but it's the principal's orders. But don't worry, you won't have to do it, for the rest of the trip, when you're just with me." -she promised her, which made Alix smile. –"Now, follow me to the underground."


From St. Pancras to the hotel where they were staying, it was a five-minute trip by tube. Exiting in Russel Square station, they then walked to the Royal National Hotel, which was just around the corner. And when they arrived, the Uber driver that took Chloe's bags, was at the door, waiting for her. True to her word, she gave him another 50 Pounds and a five-star review, which he immediately thanked her.

Entering the hotel's lobby, the students of Collège Françoise-Dupont saw this one was not the priciest or swankiest hotel in the British capital. Most of them did not care. They were going to spend most of their time sightseeing, so the fact that the hotel was not the best, did not bother them. All they needed was a place to go back to, to get some sleep. But there were a few of them, who complained about the hotel not having an indoor swimming pool, or a spa, or a tennis court.

Handing out room keys, the teachers warned all the students to be in the lobby within half an hour so they could go to the British Museum, which was a few streets away. Gradually, they all went up to their assigned rooms. To ensure that there would be no problems, when handing out the rooms, boys were to stay with boys, and girls with girls, while warning them that if anyone tried anything funny, there would be consequences.

Arriving at their room, Marinette and Alya placed their bags on top of the beds, while taking a better look at the room itself. This one looked like most hotel bedrooms. The walls were peach, the ceiling was white and the floor was carpeted with a grey carpet. The beds sported the green and yellow, which were the colours of the hotel. On the top of the pillows there was a welcome mint. By the side of each bed, there was a small bedside table with a lamp. In front of the window, there was a small secretary, complete with a chair, where there was a phone, a laminated menu card, an electric kettle, a jug of water and a small wooden box filled with what seemed like tea bags. The bathroom was small, but had a built-in shower. Next to the bathroom, there was a built-in cabinet with a safe. Like most hotel rooms, this one had air conditioner. All in all, it was quite cosy, or so Marinette believed.

"It's not the most luxurious room in the world, but it'll do. Don't you think so, Alya?" -Marinette asked her.

"Agreed. And for me, if the bed has a soft mattress, that's all I'll need." -Alya answered her.

As the girls unpacked, the kwamis exited their hiding spots and hovered around the room, checking everything there was. Like the girls, they were excited about being there.

"Oh, look, they even have one of those electric kettles, so you can make tea with it." -Trixx pointed out, as she and Tikki checked the bedroom. –"What's the flavours they have, Tikki?" -the fox kwami asked.

"I think it's all Earl Grey Tea… no, wait! There's also chamomile and Black tea." -Tikki told Trixx.

As the kwamis continued to check what else was in the bedroom, Marinette and Alya finished unpacking some of their things, while talking. Between the general sleepiness and the train trip to London, the girls had not had the chance to talk like they used to do, every morning.

"This is perfect, Alya." -Marinette told her, as she looked out the window. –"I can't believe I'm in London, and I have the perfect plan to make it an unforgettable trip, alongside Adrien!" -she giggled.

"The way you're talking, it's like you and him aren't dating yet." -Alya chuckled.

"I know. But I'm really excited about all this." -Marinette admitted. –"I lost count of how many times I fantasized the craziest things I would do with Adrien, if he ever became my boyfriend, and we visited any of the European capitals, together. And now, all those fantasies have a chance to happen… well, not all of them, of course. But the less crazy ones are definitely happening, trust me." -she said, with a confident voice.

"And what are the less crazy ones, Marinette?" -Alya asked her, curious. –"Come on, now that you told me about that, I want to know everything." -she chuckled.

"Oh, it's nothing truly special." -Marinette smiled. –"Taking a selfie with Big Ben in the background. Trying to make a British foot guard laugh. Visit the Tower of London and see the Crown Jewels. And of course, having a romantic dinner by candlelight." -she told her. –"I'm not asking much, am I?"

"No, you're not." -Alya smiled at her best-friend. –"And, Nino and I can help you with the first three, because those are things we also want to do." -she told her. –"But the last one, as much as Nino and I would love to go on a double date with you and Adrien, and have dinner by candlelight, I think you would prefer it, if it was just the two of you."

"I admit that it would be a lot more romantic, if it was just Adrien and I. But I wouldn't mind if you and Nino were also present." -Marinette admitted, as she looked at the two kwamis, who were trying to get the electric kettle to work. –"Tikki, what are you doing?" -she asked the scarlet kwami, as Trixx grabbed the water jug and poured the water into the kettle.

"Trixx and I need something to fully awake us, and tea is the best thing for it." -Tikki said, as she held a tea bag on each hand. –"Do you girls also want a cup?" -she asked her.

"Sure. I could go for a cup of tea, before going down." -Marinette said, as she checked the time on her cell phone. –"What about you, Alya?"

"Well, when in Rome, do as the Romans do." -Alya said. –"Or in our case, when in London, do as the Londoners do." -she joked, by speaking in a posh accent, making Marinette and the kwamis laugh. –"Hold on, Trixx. Let me help you with that kettle, you silly fox."

But while Marinette and Alya were thrilled with the hotel they were staying in, in her room, Chloe was complaining to Sabrina about it. Being used to living in one of the fanciest and most luxurious hotels in Paris, the heiress was used to the very best. Therefore, staying in a hotel with a few stars below what she was used to was something she did not like very much. As much as her attitude towards others had changed for the better, there were certain things Chloe had not changed at all. And her taste for the best had not changed. Still, Sabrina tried to make her see the best out of that situation.

"It's hardly the best hotel in the world, Sabrina." -Chloe commented, as she examined her bed. –"Carpeted floor?! Ugh… that is so last century. I wouldn't be surprised if there were bedbugs and cockroaches swarming around here." -she said, her voice filled with sarcasm. –"If I knew that we were staying in a hotel like this, I wouldn't have brought my best trolleys and bags. This carpet is going to ruin them all."

"Don't you think you are exaggerating, just a little bit?" -Sabrina asked her, while raising an eyebrow.

"Okay, maybe a little." -Chloe sighed. –"Still, I should've googled the hotel, when they said that we weren't going to stay in that first hotel, which was quite good, let me tell you." -she said.

"Even if we had stayed in the first hotel we were supposed to, that one would've been similar to this one, Chloe. The rooms would probably have a wooden floor, instead of this carpeted floor, but that would be it. It wouldn't be a five-star hotel." -Sabrina said. –"Tell me the truth. You weren't expecting that we were going to stay in a five-star hotel, were you?" -Sabrina asked, as she sat on her bed.

"No. But I expected it to be a little bit fancier than this one. The façade tricks you to think that it's a bit better than it truly is." -Chloe answered her, as she continued to examine the bed. –"The bed looks comfy enough, and I don't see any bedbugs." -she said. –"Still, the mattress is far from the quality of mattresses I'm used to sleep on."

"I think it's quite comfy." -Sabrina said, as she lied down on it. –"It's a bit harder than mine, but I'm sure that I'll fall asleep tonight, as soon as my head lands on the pillow." -she said. –"It's true, it's not as great your dad's hotel, but it's still nice. And the view is lovely. We can see Russel Square from our window."

"Well, I wish we would've stayed in that other hotel over there." -Chloe said, as she pointed to the hotel across the square. –"Now, that one, is a really good hotel." -she said.

"You already stayed there?" -Sabrina asked her, curious.

"No. But I know it's a good one, because of what it says in this app." -Chloe said, as she showed her the hotel's rating on her cell phone. –"I usually stay at the Savoy or at the Four Seasons, when I come to London, for some shopping." -she admitted. –"Though, it's been a while since I do that. It's been nearly a year, since the last time I came to London."

"You've been busy, like the rest of us." -Sabrina said, as she opened her backpack to wake Mika up. –"Mika, wake up. We're at the hotel." -she said, as the wolf kwami opened his eyes.

"Five more minutes, Sabrina." –Mika told her, as he closed his eyes, and turned around.

"Come on, wake up. You can sleep later." -Sabrina told him, trying to wake him up.

"Try to wake him up with some food. That's how I usually wake up Pollen, when she doesn't want to get out of bed." -Chloe said, as she opened her backpack to wake up Pollen, while holding a honey drop on her left hand. –"Wake up, Pollen. I've got something sweet for you." -she said, as the bee kwami opened her eyes. –"Come on, we're in London."

"Coming, my queen." -Pollen said, as she yawned.

"I love it, when you call me that." -Chloe chuckled, while Pollen flew out of the backpack.

"And I know just how much you like it, when I say it, Chloe." -Pollen smiled, while looking at the honey drop. –"Is that for me?" -she asked.

"Yes, it is." -Chloe said.

As Chloe and Sabrina woke their kwamis up, two other members of Miss Bustier's class arrived at their room. As luck would have it, Ivan and Nathaniel were sharing the same room.

"Which one do you want?" -Nathaniel asked Ivan, as they entered the room.

"You go ahead and choose. I'm not picky." -Ivan declared.

"Alright. Then, I'll take the one next to the window. And I'm calling dibs on the desk. I might do some drawing, later." -Nathaniel said, as he placed his bags on top of the bed. –"Alright, it's safe for you to come out, Mulan." -he warned the red panda kwami, who quickly got out of Nathaniel's backpack.

"Finally! I was beginning to think, I was going to get stuck in there, the rest of the day." -Mulan commented. –"Hey, where's Muria?" -he asked, not seeing him around.

"He fell asleep, after eating all the snacks I packed for the trip." -Ivan said, as he began to unpack. –"I never saw a kwami eating as much as him." -he declared.

"I don't know. Plagg and Imp also eat a lot." -Mulan told him. –"In a competition, I don't know which one would win, because in the past, whenever they tried to do one, somehow, someway, they never managed to finish it." -he said.

Unpacking his stuff, Nathaniel made sure to place all the drawing material he had brought with him, on the room's desk. Seeing it, Ivan playfully asked him if he had forgotten anything at the art store, such was the quantity of art material Nathaniel had brought with him, to which he told him no, in the same playful tone.

"Well, if you say, I'll take your word for it." -Ivan said.

"Thanks. By the way, I hope you don't snore." –Nathaniel said, casually.

"Last time I checked, it was you who snores." -Ivan joked. –"But don't worry, I don't snore." -he said.

"Yeah, I remember that from our last sleepover. And I know one thing. I know you would've loved to have stayed in the same bedroom as Mylene." -Nathaniel told him, in an amused tone. –"Tell me, I'm wrong." -he asked him.

"No, you're not." -Ivan admitted. –"It would've been nice for me to share a bedroom with my girlfriend. It would've given me the chance to have a little fun with Mylene." -he said, in a rather innocent tone.

"Oh, I didn't know you two had already…" -Nathaniel said.

"What?! N-No! Nothing like that." -Ivan admitted, slightly embarrassed. –"We haven't done it, yet." -he said.

"Oh, sorry. When you said that you would have the chance to have a little fun with her… I didn't want to make you feel embarrassed." -Nathaniel apologized. –"It's just that what you said, I thought…" -he said, trying his best to not make that conversation even more awkward than it already felt, to both him and Ivan.

"It's okay. I get it. But, no, when I said that I was going to have a little fun with her, it was mostly about sitting in bed, watching TV until we fell asleep, and things like that." -Ivan said, as he sat on the bed. –"Actually, we went to second base, both of us, a while back, but that's all. It was… it was awkward, but good. And it's not that Mylene and I haven't talked about going all the way. But we're saving ourselves for when we believe the moment is right." -he admitted. –"Sorry, I didn't mean to make this conversation even more awkward than it already was."

It was unusual for Ivan to talk about those things with anyone, other than Mylene. He did not even discuss them with his kwami, Muria. So, for him to be confessing them to Nathaniel, it was a very big deal, and Nathaniel knew it. Ivan was not the type to open himself up like that to everyone, so by doing it, it revealed to Nathaniel that he trusted him. Nathaniel himself did not need to know what he had been told, but he did not say a thing about it, respecting Ivan's decision to share it with him.

"It's okay. I appreciate that you trust me enough, to tell me that." -Nathaniel smiled. –"Well, at least you have someone to talk and experience those things with, like Mylene. I'm happy for you, man. I really am." -he admitted, with a smile on his face. –"Me, on the other hand? Not so much…"

"I thought things between you and that Marc guy…" -Ivan said.

"They're not happening. And I still don't know if they will ever happen." -Nathaniel told him. –"I still can't understand if he's into girls, or boys." -he sighed. –"Sometimes, it feels like he is into boys, while others he's into girls. It's hard for me to read him."

"Hey, don't worry. You'll figure it out, sooner or later. And if you don't, remember, there's plenty of fish in the sea." -Ivan declared, trying to cheer him up, only to realize that he might have offended Nathaniel. –"S-Sorry, I didn't mean…"

"It's okay." -Nathaniel smiled. –"You didn't offend me." -he said.

"Could you two, stop with that awkward conversation?!" -a voice was heard. It belonged to the bear kwami, Muria, who had just woken up. –"There are things that us kwamis don't need to hear or even know. And the sordid details of the love life of our holders, is one of them." -he said, as he got out of his backpack. –"Tell me, you have something good for me to eat, big guy. I'm starving!"

"No, I don't. You already ate all the snacks I brought with me, on the train, before you fell asleep." -Ivan told him. –"You'll just have to wait until lunch." -he said.

"You could always call room service and tell them to get you some pudding." -Muria told him, as he pointed to the menu on top of the desk.

"At this time of the day?" -Ivan asked him, shocked. –"Muria, we just got here, and in a couple of minutes, we're going back down, so we can go to the museum. There's no time for room service." -he said. –"Besides, I bet the kitchen is closed."

"I saw some vending machines on our way up here. Why don't you go and get something for him?" -Nathaniel warned him.

"Might as well. Otherwise, he won't shut up about it." -Ivan said, with Muria giving him the stink eye. –"Don't look at me like that. We both know that you get all grumpy, if you don't eat anything."

"And you better believe it, Ivan." -Muria told him.

"Glad we don't have that kind of problem, right, Mulan?" -Nathaniel whispered to his kwami, who winked at him.

"Why couldn't I get a kwami that eats like a bird, and instead got one that is like the kwami version of Kim?" -Ivan asked, with a voice filled with sarcasm, as he left the room, looking for the vending machines.


It was a quarter past 10, when accompanied by their teachers, the students of Collège Françoise-Dupont entered the British Museum, in order to visit it. The museum was established in 1753, largely based on the collections of the Anglo-Irish physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane, who among other things, was credited for inventing drinking chocolate. It first opened to the public in 1759, in Montagu House, on the site of the current building, and had since become one of the most important historical and scientific institutions in the world, rivalling with the Louvre, the Smithsonian Institute, the Cairo Museum and the Hermitage.

Entering in the Great Court, they were amazed by the whole infrastructure, which partly reminded them of the Louvre's entrance hall. The place was swarming with visitors, most of them tourists. But there were also other groups of students, who like them, had come to visit the museum. This caught the eye of Principal Damocles and the rest of the teachers of Collège Françoise-Dupont, who felt the need to show just how professional they were, to the other teachers present.

"Settle down, kids! I know you're excited to be here, but we're not going anywhere, until the guide shows up." -Monsieur Beaumont said.

"You better only use those cell phones of to snap photos of the museum! If I find out that you're chatting online, instead of paying attention what you're told by the guide, you'll be in serious trouble. I mean it!" -Miss Mendeleiev warned her class, with a stern look in her face.

"Please, try to remain together, and try not to talk too loud, everyone." -Miss Dujardin asked her class. –"This is a museum, not a playground. We need to keep out voices down, so as to not disturb the other visitors." -she said.

"Remember, if you have any questions for the guide, be sure to let him or her finish talking, before you ask anything, okay?" -Miss Bustier said.

It did not take long for the tour guide to show up. She introduced herself as Jane Porter. She was a young woman in her late 20's. She had fair skin, blue eyes, long, brown hair, a joyful smile, and was wearing a black and white blouse, matching skirt and red stilettos. But what caught everyone's attention, other than her smile, was a small pendant she was wearing around her neck. It was a small and beautiful golden gorilla-shaped jewel, with a tiny purple amethyst on the spot of where the gorilla's eyes would be.

"I know many of you are excited to be here, while others, might not." -Jane said. –"It's okay for you to admit it, if you're not excited. Not everyone likes to spend their time in a museum. Especially, when there are so many others things you could be doing." -she casually said. –"But since you have to be here, I'll be sure to try my best to make your time here, as fun and entertaining as possible. Now, please, follow me, we've got a lot ground to cover."

Making their way to the Ancient Egyptian room, one of the very first commentaries about it was the amazing number of mummies there were around, alongside statues, or pieces of statues that existed there. The walls and ceiling were of a yellowish brown, which combined with the right illumination, created the illusion that they were somewhere incredibly ancient. Looking around, the whole place felt like they had just entered a place they were not supposed to. A sacred place, where no one had entered for thousands of years. Of course, the illusion would have been more powerful, if instead of hundreds of people, there were only a couple of them in that room.

"Am I the only one who's getting The Mummy vibes, after entering here?" -Adrien asked, as he looked at one of the numerous mummies on display.

"Fraser or Cruise?" -Mylene asked him, chuckling.

"What?" -Sabrina asked her, puzzled.

"Fraser or Cruise, you know? Brendan Fraser's version, or that other with Tom Cruise." -Mylene explained.

"Fraser's, of course." -Adrien said, having understood what Mylene had been talking about. –"I don't even acknowledge that the Mummy's version with Tom Cruise, ever existed. It's such a bad movie." -he commented. –"Besides, Imhotep stole the show with that scene, in which he created a sandstorm shaped like his face."

"Agreed. That was a great scene." -Sabrina said, as she photographed the sarcophagus in front of her, when she saw something that caught her eye. –"Oh, look at that!" -she pointed out –"Chloe, take a picture of me with that statue, please?"

"Okay." -Chloe said, as the redhead placed herself next to the statue of a cat –"Say cheese, Sabrina." -she said, before snapping the photo.

"Be sure to pay attention to everything, everyone. You're going to need to choose a particular artefact to write about, in your report about the museum. Don't forget to take photos of it, if you're allowed. Pay attention to the signs next to the display cases." -Miss Bustier reminded her class. –"But remember, it doesn't have to be an artefact from this section of the museum. There are other sections, with artefacts just as fascinating as the ones here." -she told them.

They took their time, admiring the numerous artefacts in display, with their guide taking the time to give them a brief explanation of what they were, where they had been found and just how important they were. And then, they arrived at the middle of the room, where the most important artefact in that room was in display… the Rosetta Stone.

"As you can see here, this is the Rosetta Stone. It is one of the museum's most prized possessions, and it is possibly the most important artefact in the History of Egyptology." -Jane said. –"Having been discovered by a compatriot of yours, a French man named Bouchard or Boussard in August 1799, it holds the key to understanding Egyptian hieroglyphs. Without it, it would've been impossible for us to understand what was written in the Pyramids, or any other Egyptian monuments, dating back thousands of years ago. Of course, finding it was just the first step for that to happen. A lot of work was done to understand it, and it was another compatriot of yours, linguist Jean-François Champollion, who deciphered it and cracked the hieroglyph code contained in it." -she explained.

Jane went on with the explanation regarding the Rosetta Stone, taking her time to answer questions posed by the students, though most of them were posed by the teachers, who were vastly more interested in it, than their students. Feeling like they had heard enough about the Rosetta Stone, some of the students from Françoise-Dupont decided to check some of the other artefacts on display. Among them, were Marinette and Adrien, who wanted to spend a little time alone, just the two of them.

"This one looks like its judging us." -Adrien joked, as he pointed at a huge sculpture of the god Anubis. –"Usually, it's cats who judge people, not dogs." -he joked.

"That's funny. But I think that certain dogs judge people too. They judge them so hard, they bit them." -Marinette joked back. –"And before you ask, I was thinking about Chihuahuas." -she said

"Oh, the devil's canine hell spawn." -Adrien laughed. –"You're right. With their tiny and sharp teeth, they can't be trusted, milady." -he declared. –"That's why I prefer cats… and speaking of which, this cat lady here looks pretty imposing."

"That's Bastet, the goddess of home, domesticity, women's secrets, cats, fertility, and childbirth." -Marinette said, as she read the information on the plaque under it. –"She was one really busy lady. How long do you think it took them to carve something like that?" -she asked Adrien.

"I don't know. Months, maybe?" -Adrien said as he looked at the statue. –"It's a really big statue. Bigger than that Anubis guy over there. So, yeah, definitely months." -he said.

"Hey, you know who could answer us, if you're right or not?" Marinette asked Adrien.

"The guide?" -Adrien asked her back.

"No. Tikki." -Marinette whispered at him. –"I don't know about Plagg, but one of Tikki's previous holders was from Egypt. I bet she knows a lot about Ancient Egypt, and how things happened back then. Isn't that right, Tikki?" -she asked, as she gently opened her pochette and looked at the scarlet kwami.

"That's true." -Tikki answered her. –"And they would take just a few days, to sculpt it." -she told her. –"They would heat up the rock, and then they would begin to carve it Because the stone was warm, it was softer, and easier to carve. It was fascinating to see that happening."

"Guess there's your answer." -Marinette smiled at her boyfriend.

"Adrien?!" -a voice called Adrien's name. –"Adrien!" -the voice called his name again, making him turn over, and see who was calling him.

"Aunt Amelie?!" -Adrien exclaimed.

Chapter 4: Aunts, Bullies and Akumas

Chapter Text

To say that Adrien was surprised to see his aunt at the British Museum, would be an understatement. When he first entered the museum, he knew he was going to see many artefacts that were going to arouse his curiosity, while others, would do the opposite. But when he entered, he never thought that he would be running into his aunt. Unlike the last time, when she acted a little more formally, Amelie behaved a little more extrovert, showing just how happy she was to seeing her favourite nephew.

"You keep getting more handsome, every day." -Amelie told Adrien, who smiled. –"And before you tell me that I'm exaggerating, maybe we should ask your girlfriend, if I'm right, or wrong." -she said, as she looked at Marinette. –"It's so good to see you again, Marinette. How have you been?"

"I-I'm good, thank you." -Marinette answered her, with a smile.

"This really is a surprise. I wasn't expecting to run into either one of you here." -Amelie confessed.

"And I wasn't expecting to run into you either, aunt Amelie." -Adrien confessed.

It did not take long for Adrien to explain to his aunt what he and Marinette were doing there. And it did not take long for Amelie to remember that he had told her about it.

"Oh, that's right. I remember now, you telling me that, when we I called you last week." -Amelie declared. –"But when you told me about the trip, I thought it wasn't going to happen this week." -she said.

"It's probably my fault you thought the trip was going to take place at a later date. I should've pointed it out." -Adrien told her. –"Still, I would be lying, if I said I'm not happy to see you here." -he smiled at her. –"But what are you doing in London? Last time we talked, you were in Peru."

"And I was, until two days ago." -Amelie said. –"I came to London to deliver an artifact that the team I'm working with discovered, to be further analyzed by a colleague of mine who works here at the museum." -she declared. –"I was supposed to fly back to Peru, but there was a change of plans, and now, I'll be spending a the next week in Europe. I'll be staying in London a few more days to deal with some paperwork, and then, I'm off to Paris."

"Paris? You mean…" -Adrien said.

"Yes, it means that we'll be able to spend a little time together. I'll be a little busy, but I'll make sure to make the time to be with you. That is, if you don't mind hanging out with your old aunt, Adrien." –Amelie said, in a joyful tone.

Looking into Adrien's eyes, Marinette could see that they sparkled like the eyes of a child on Christmas morning when opening its presents. And that sparkle was because of his aunt. Being the twin sister of Adrien's mother, when she was present, Adrien felt like his mother had returned, and even knowing that this was not true, it was enough to fill his chest with joy.

"Of course not!" -Adrien laughed. –"I would love to spend some time with you… and you won't be staying in a hotel. You'll be staying at the manor! That way, we can spend a little bit more time together" -he declared, ecstatic about the idea of having Amelie staying at Agreste Manor.

"I would like that. But maybe we should wait, to see if your dad doesn't mind." -Amelie said.

The way both aunt and nephew were talking to one another, their conversation could have gone for hours, without either one of them running out of things to say. Unfortunately, that did not happen, because as they were talking, Amelie's cell phone rang, reminding her that she had to go and meet Gregor Rogers, who was about to arrive.

"I really wish I could stay a little bit longer, but duty calls." -Amelie said. –"But we can continue this conversation later, at dinner. If your teacher won't mind, I would like to take you to dinner with me. And of course, you're also invited, Marinette." -she smiled, when her cell phone rang again. –"I'll call you later, so I know where I can go and pick you up… Hope you enjoy the visit."

Walking away, Amelie quickly left the room, leaving Adrien and Marinette to talk to one another, who were still amazed by what had happened.

"I guess you could say that we started our visit to London with the right foot." -Marinette smiled at Adrien, who smiled back at her.

"Right foot, indeed." -Adrien said. –"It's been a couple of months since I last saw my aunt, and it's always great to see her." -he told her. –"Though, not even in my wildest dreams, did I ever think I would run into her today."

"Just proves that life is full of great surprises, waiting to happen, to those who deserve them." -Marinette smiled, as she placed her arm around Adrien's waist.

"Did you read that in a self-help book, or are you quoting master Fu?" -Adrien asked her.

"Neither one, nor the other. I'm quoting Miss Bustier." -Marinette giggled. –"She also gives great advices, remember?" -she told him. –"And speaking of Miss Bustier, we better catch up with the rest of the group, before they notice our absence."

She had just finished talking, when she noticed two familiar faces approaching them; Alya and Nino. Just like it happened with Marinette and Adrien, the two of them also decided they wanted to spend a little alone time together, and while looking at one of the exhibits, they noticed Marinette and Adrien talking to Adrien's aunt. Not wanting to interrupt that encounter, they waited for it to end, before joining them, and finding out what she was doing there.

"Bro, was that your…" -Nino asked Adrien.

"My aunt? Yup, it was her." -Adrien told him. –"And she just invited Marinette and I for dinner, tonight." -he said.

"Nice!" -Nino said, as he and Adrien high-fived one another.

"Then, I guess you two won't be joining us for fish and chips." –Alya said.

"You're going out for fish and chips?" -Marinette asked.

"Yeah, before you two sneaked away, Kim convinced everyone to go to a fish and chips joint and try it, tonight." -Nino said. –"Well, everyone but Chloe. She says she thinks that fish and chips is a disgusting combination, and shouldn't even be allowed to exist." -he joked.

"Why am I not surprised?" -Marinette chuckled. –"But if I know Sabrina, she'll convince her to try it." -she said.

"I don't know, girl. Chloe's super picky with her food. Remember, she refuses to eat any kind of food that is either greasy or smothered in melted cheese, without using a pair of gloves, because she hates to feel the grease with her fingers." -Alya joked, making the others laugh.

"Oh, I think she will. Remember, Sabrina knows how to talk to her." -Marinette said, as she continued to laugh, when she heard Miss Bustier calling them. –"We better get going." -she said, as she grabbed Adrien's left hand and pulled him. –"Come on, we don't want to get separated from the rest."

"You go ahead, I'm just going to take a few more photos." -Alya said, as she snapped a photo of an Egyptian vase.


The visit was going swimmingly well. But everything that is good has an end. And the end of the harmony that reigned among the students of Collège Françoise-Dupont, as they continued to follow their tour guide, happened shortly after they entered the rooms dedicated to the Middle East. Mylene had stayed a little behind the group, to see a Mesopotamian statue that caught her eye, when she first entered that room.

"It's really beautiful." -Mylene thought to herself.

She had always admired Middle Eastern art and architecture. She did not know why, but she loved them. And that particular statue was quite beautiful. In fact, as she looked around and saw other pieces, she wondered which one was the most beautiful. Distracted by the beauty that surrounded her, Mylene ran into someone, knocking her down. She was about to apologize, when she realized who she had bumped into and just how bad things were about to get.

"Sorry, I…" -Mylene apologized, when she looked and saw none other than Jeanne Gagné.

"Why don't you look… oh, look who it is!" -Jeanne exclaimed, as she got back up. –"One of our favourite victims, girls." -she smiled maliciously at Mylene.

"Oh, no, not these three." -Mylene thought to herself, feeling a squeeze in her heart.

Standing beside Jeanne Gagné, were her two besties Odette Toussant and Henriette Angevine, or as everyone in school called them "Jeanne's Diamond Dogs", because wherever Jeanne went, they would go with her. Their disdainful smiles made Mylene feel even more nervous, than when she realized who she had bumped into.

"I-It was an accident, Jeanne." -Mylene quickly apologized.

"An accident? I'll tell you what's an accident. Your hairstyle and your clothes, Haprele." -Jeanne mocked her. –"Where did you get those clothes, the trash compactor?" -she laughed.

"Or maybe the dump itself!" -Henriette laughed.

"Oh, don't be so mean to her." -Odette said. –"It's clear to anyone that she went to the salvation army to get them!" -she laughed.

"No, not now. I need a panic attack now, like I need Hawk Moth to show up in front of me." -Mylene thought, as she tried her best to slow her thoughts and calm herself down. –"Smelly wolf, smelly wolf… yes, singing that will calm me down. And then, I'll find a way out of this predicament." -she thought, as she continued to sing her happy song.

"Well, wherever you got them, you can literally see that they aren't even fit to a dog." -Jeanne laughed.

"I… I…"

Mylene wanted to defend herself, but not a single syllable was coming out of her mouth. She had been teased about her appearance more times than she could remember, though she had grown to just ignore the insults. But when it came to Jeanne Gagné and her friends, she just could not ignore the insults, and felt like a little girl, who had got lost from her parents.

"You, what?! You're going to cry?!" -Jeanne taunted her with a sneering voice.

"What do you think you're doing, Gagné?!" -a voice was heard. It was Alix, who had noticed the three girls picking on, and came to her rescue.

Seeing Alix, the panic inside Mylene's chest disappeared. She now felt a lot better, and was not afraid to tell herself that having her there, with her, made her feel a lot more confident.

"You better start apologizing to Mylene, right now, or else…" -Alix threatened Jeanne.

"Or else what?" -Jeanne asked her, with a condescending voice.

"Or else, I'm going to make you regret having bullied her, that's what." -Alix threatened her again. –"And if you think I'm scared of you or those two losers, who are always hanging out with you, guess again, because I'm not." –she gritted her teeth.

"Really? I'm shocked!" -Jeanne said, before laughing in Alix's face, with Henriette and Odette joining her, laughing cruelly. –"Do me a favour, pint-size insect. Don't even address me. Any word that comes out of your mouth, reminds me of a pig oinking." -she told Alix, before letting out another cruel laugh into the air.

"Why, you…" -Alix said, as she was about to throw herself at Jeanne, only to be stopped by Mylene.

"No, Alix, don't." -Mylene begged her, as she did her best to hold her. –"The last thing we need is getting into a fight with them." -she thought.

"Let me go, Mylene!" -Alix yelled, as she tried to free herself from Mylene's grasp, who was using most of her strength to restrain her. –"Let me go, so I can teach this… this… this cow, some manners!" -she exclaimed, while continuing to try and free herself.

"Cow? I dare you to call me that again!" -Jeanne dared Alix, while glaring at her. If looks could kill, Alix would be a corpse, right then.

"I'll call you something even worse than cow, believe me, you…" -Alix yelled at her.

Jeanne was about to tell back at Alix, when someone else came to Mylene's rescue. After hearing the commotion, and seeing what was going on, she felt like Gagné needed to be put in her place, and she was the right person to do that.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own sizem? Or better yet, your wallet's size, Gagné?!" -a voice shot at her. A voice that belonged to Chloe.

"What's your problem?" -Jeanne asked her.

"My problem is that you're insulting and bullying my friends. And I'm not going to let you do it, just because you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, this morning." -Chloe shot at her, as Sabrina helped Mylene calming Alix down. –"Then again, with a face like yours, I guess you are always waking up on the wrong side of the bed." -she taunted her.

Looking at Chloe's eyes, you could tell that she was not happy with how Jeanne and her posse was treating the girls. Ever since they met, there had always been bad a rivalry between the two of them. Initially, this rivalry was because both their parents were amongst the wealthiest people in Paris, with both girls bragging about how their parents were richer and more important, than the other's parents. The rivalry evolved, as both wanted to rule the school by staying at the top of the school's social food chain. But ever since Chloe stopped being the kind of person she was, and Jeanne had taken over the title of the school's alpha bitch, the rivalry between the two became much more pronounced, with Jeanne throwing at Chloe's face that she was better than her, at everything, and that she had gone soft. Usually, the heiress just ignored her, letting her believe she was right, as she had more important things to worry about. But when Jeanne messed with one of her colleagues, or Sabrina, she would not hold back, and would throw some harsh truths to her face. And that was just what was about to do.

"You were a lot cooler, when you didn't hang out with those losers, Bourgeois." -Jeanne shot at Chloe. –"Ever since you started handing with them, you showed everyone that you don't have what it takes to be at the top of the food chain." -she laughed. –"Even your fashion sense has been affected, because you're hanging with the riffraff."

"My fashion sense has never been better, thank you. Unlike you, who wears the same outfit twice in a week." –Chloe told her. –"And for the record, these losers, as you call them, are ten times the friends to me, that those trained Cocker Spaniels that are always following you, will ever be." -she shot back at her, insulting her and her friends.

"Hey!" -Henriette and Odette exclaimed. –"You can't call us that…"

"Shut up! You only speak, when I tell you to do it!" -Jeanne warned them.

"Just like I said… trained Cocker Spaniels, that's what they are. They bark a lot, but they only do so, when you tell them to. And the way you just spoke to them, only gives me further reason." -Chloe continued to taunt her.

"We're not in Paris, Bourgeois." -Jeanne warned her, with a menacing voice. –"Your daddy can't help you now." -she taunted the blonde.

"I don't need my father to help me or protect me, Gagné. Not from you. Especially, when I know I can wipe the floor with your face." -Chloe taunted her back.

"Is that a threat?" -Jeanne asked her.

"Of course, it's a threat. Why? Do I need to draw you a picture, so you can understand what I'm saying?" -Chloe asked her, with a smug on her face.

By then, that argument had attracted the attention of others, who gathered around to see what was going on. Most of them were other tourists, while there were also a few of their fellow students, from their respective classes, and from other classes as well. It would only be a matter of seconds before their teachers found out what was going on, and show up to break it up; they all knew that. But until they showed up, a fight could still happen.

"Do you really want to go against me, here?" -Chloe taunted Jeanne, whose face was becoming redder and redder by the minute. –"Because I don't mind knocking that cheap make-up off your face, along with that stupid smug of yours, with my bare hands." -she told her.

Feeling the energy in the room changing, Marinette, who had noticed the absence Mylene and the other girls, and went to look for them, decided to intervene, by placing herself by Chloe's side. Having heard what had happened, she knew the heiress was more than willing to start a fight with Jeanne, and it was the same for the latter. Still, she could not have that happening. She did not want any of her friends to get into trouble, because of a bully like Gagné and her besties.

"Chloe, that's enough." -Marinette whispered at her. –"You're going to get us into a lot of trouble, if you keep taunting her." -she told her.

"It'll only be trouble if it takes me more than ten seconds to deal with her, and I can do it, in just three." -Chloe whispered back at her.

"I get it that you don't like her, and that she was bullying Mylene and Alix, but this is not the time, nor the place to start a fight." -Marinette whispered at the blonde's ear. –"Just let it go. What's important is that she's not bullying Mylene, anymore." -she begged her.

"What are you whispering about?!" -Jeanne asked Marinette.

"What I'm whispering about to her, is none of your business, Gagné!" -Marinette shot at her, before realizing her mistake. –"Crud, I shouldn't have yelled at her! Now, I'm the one who's making things even worse for everyone." -she cursed herself.

"You better watch how you speak to me, baker girl!" -Jeanne threatened Marinette. –"You talk to me like that, and I'll make sure that my father buys that filthy bakery where you live, and turns it into a parking lot, forcing you live on the streets!" -she told her.

"You take back what you just told her, right now!" -Chloe shot at her, clearly upset. –"You can't talk to Marinette like that, you hear me?!" -she declared. –"Only I can talk to her like that, when I'm in a really lousy mood, you get that, Gagné?!"

"Oh, did I struck a nerve?" Jeanne asked ironically, before letting out a malicious laugh, which her friends promptly imitated.

It was clear to everyone near them, that it would be a matter of seconds, before someone said the wrong word, that would act as a spark and turn that heated argument, into a boxing match. But that did not come to pass, thanks to Miss Mendeleiev showing up, and realized that some of her students were not where they were supposed to.

"What's the meaning of this?!" -Miss Mendeleiev asked, as she approached them.

"She's bullying them. And her friends were also doing it, Miss Mendeleiev." -Marinette said, pointing out at Jeanne and the others.

"What?! Even here, you embarrass me and make me look bad?!" -Miss Mendeleiev berated at Jeanne, Odette and Henriette. –"What did I tell you and the rest of the class, before we left Paris?!" -she asked them. –"I told you three and your classmates, that I would not have any of you embarrassing me, with any sort of bad behaviour! Otherwise, there would be consequences."

"But Miss Mendeleiev, I wasn't doing anything…" -Jeanne said, trying to pretend she was innocent.

"Jeanne, silence!" -Miss Mendeleiev yelled at her. –"You don't think I know you well enough to see your tricks?! You don't think I know that you make it a sport, bullying and taunting others?!" -she continued to yell at her. –"Because I do… I keep telling you and your classmates, that I wasn't born yesterday! And believe me, that if I catch you doing it again, I'll lock you up, in your hotel room, until it's time to go back to Paris! And the same thing goes for the two of you, Odette and Henreitte!"

One could see that Miss Mendeleiev was not kidding around. She was known for her solemn, strict and no-nonsense attitude; which meant that her students knew better not to try and irritate or unnerve her. And it was not just her students who knew that. Almost everyone in Collège Françoise-Dupont knew that she was one lady, that you did not want to get on her bad side. As one would expect, Miss Mendeleiev's yelling at Jeanne Gagné drew the attention of everyone nearby, including the other teachers. Hearing her colleague's yelling, Miss Bustier went to see what was going on.

"What happened?" -Miss Bustier asked, as she arrived.

"Three of my students were bullying two of yours, and things were about to escalate between them." -Miss Mendeleiev told her, while still grabbing Jeanne by the arm. –"Go on, apologize this instant. And the same goes for the two of you." -she ordered Jeanne and the girls.

"But Miss Mendeleiev…" -Jeanne said.

"But, nothing! I will not have my students disobeying an order, and humiliating me and the whole school, in front of everyone in this museum." -Miss Mendeleiev warned her. –"Now, apologize for your behaviour this instant, or I'll make good on my threat. I will lock you three in your hotel rooms, for the rest of the trip!" -she told her, while looking her in the eyes.

"I… apologize." -Jeanne said.

You could tell Jeanne did not mean what she said, and neither did Odette and Henriette, when they also apologized to Mylene. While speaking the words, they continued to glare her and the rest of the girls, in a way that meant "This isn't over yet. You'll pay us for this.". After that, Miss Mendeleiev told the three girls that they were going spend the rest of the visit to the museum, glued to her.

Once that was handled, the two teachers told everyone that there was nothing else to see, and to proceed with their visits. The tourists that had been watching the whole thing, were the first ones to go about their business. Miss Busitier asked Miss Mendeleiev to take the rest of the students with her, claiming that she was going to have a talk with her students, before catching up. Miss Mendeleiev nodded, as she walked away, followed by the other students, leaving Miss Bustier with hers.

"Are you okay, Mylene?" -Miss Bustier asked her. –"And what about you, Alix? Are you okay, as well?" -she asked the pink-haired girl.

"Just peachy, Miss Bustier." -Alix winked at her teacher. –"Though I wish I could've teach that Gagné some manners." -she thought to herself.

"Yes, I am." -Mylene smiled at her. –"I'm sorry. I didn't see where I was going, and then I bumped into her, and…"

"You don't have to apologize, Mylene. She and her friends were the ones who caused the trouble, not you." -Alix assured her.

"I hate it, when it happens… when I freeze up…" -Mylene sighed. –"After all the things I've faced, I shouldn't freeze like that." -she said.

"There's nothing wrong about freezing like that, Mylene." -Marinette comforted her. –"I think all of us here know what it's like to being so scared, that you freeze up." -she smiled. –"Trust me. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"It's true. Everyone freezes in this kind of situations, from time to time, and it's perfectly fine." -Sabrina smiled at her.

It was times like that, that Mylene thanked any god or goddess there was, for the friends she had. And more importantly, she thanked the fact that they were always there for her, especially in situations, like the one that had just happened.

"Thanks… for the kind words, and for coming to my rescue, girls." -Mylene thanked Alix, Marinette, Sabrina and Chloe.

"Don't mention it, Mylene." -Sabrina said.

"Hey, what are friends for, am I right?" –Alix smiled at her.

"We've got your back, just like you have ours, Mylene." -Marinette winked at Mylene.

"My pleasure. I always get a kick out of taunting Jeanne." -Chloe told her, with a smug.

As a teacher, Miss Bustier knew that she ought to tell her students that that kind of behaviour was not acceptable, and that under no circumstances should they get into a fight with the other students. But knowing that the students who attacked Mylene and Alix were not exactly an example of virtue, she was happy, but more than, proud of her students, who came to the aid of their friends.

"Well, I guess that if everything's alright, then, it's time for us to go back. We wouldn't want to miss the rest of the visit, now, would we?" -Miss Bustier asked her students, who promptly followed her. –"Oh, and girls, as much as I'm proud of the way you stood up to Miss Mendeleiev's students, for bullying two of you, please, try not to get into any fight. I don't want to be forced to punish you, or to hear the principal or any of the other teachers talking bad about you."

"Yes, Miss Bustier." -the girls all answered in chorus.


The rest of the visit went on without any more hitches. And to make sure that nothing happened, the teachers, along with principal Damocles kept a watchful eye on the all the students, to make sure that no more incidents like the one between Mylene and Jeanne happened, while they were inside the museum.

When the visit ended, it was almost 3 in the afternoon. They thanked Jane for being her guide, and calmly exited the museum. Already outside, the teachers decided it would be a good idea for them to explore, and so, told their classes that they would be taking the underground to Trafalgar Square, after which they would explore by foot the area of Westminster and St. James, before going back to the hotel, in time for dinner.

"Alright, everyone! Let's take the underground to Trafalgar Square." -Principal Damocles said. –"Follow me, and remember, remain together. We don't want to leave anyone behind." -he said.

Arriving at Trafalgar Square, after a quick underground trip, everyone was marvelled by it. The iconic square was one of the most iconic public squares in Europe, rivalling with others like Old Town Square, Piazza Navona, Red Square, Place de la Concorde, Saint Peter's Square, Terreiro do Paço, among others. Named after the Battle of Trafalgar, the square was surrounded by other famous landmarks, such as the National Gallery, the Admiralty Arch and St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, while in the centre was Nelson's Column, adorned with its four bronze majestic lions. The students of Françoise-Dupont quickly spread across the square, always with their teachers close by. It did not take long for them to start snapping photos and selfies, while also making videos and posting them online.

"Hello, Miraculeurs! Alya Cesaire here! I finally arrived in London… well, I've actually arrived a few hours ago." -Alya said, while looking at the camera. –"I've visited the British museum and I'm currently in Trafalgar Square, just enjoying myself, with my friends. One of which is right here… Mylene, say hello to the visitors of the Miraculous Blog." -she said. –"After what that Jeanne Gagné did to her, she needs to clear her thoughts and not think about what happened. And a little interview, is just the thing she needs."

"Hey, there!" -Mylene said, waving at the camera. –"Mylene Haprele, here, and you're watching this video in the Miraculous Blog! The best place to find out what the Miraculous Team is up to, and what their fans are up to as well." -she said.

"You heard Mylene. This really is the best place to know about the Miraculous Team's exploits." -Alya declared.

Alya continued to record the video, showing her enthusiasm, as well as the enthusiasm from some of her other friends. When she finished it, she felt quite proud of it, hoping that the rest of the videos that she planned to do, while in London, would be just as cool as that one.

"And… upload!" -Alya said, as she looked at her cell's screen. –"This was a fun video. But now I need can find proof that the Londoners are just as obsessed with the Miraculous Team, as the Parisians are." -she commented, while looking at Nino. –"After all, people who visit our blog want to know about the Miraculous heroes, and not about what some of their administrators are doing, when on vacation."

"I'm sure you'll find it… hey, look over there!" -Nino exclaimed. –"That guy is selling Ladybug, Chat Noir and Panda Roux's balloons." -he said, as he pointed to the balloon vendor.

That was the first sign of anything Miraculous-related they had seen, since arriving in London. In Paris, they were used to seeing all kinds of stuff related to them and their heroic accomplishments, because it was ground zero for their seemingly never-ending battle with Hawk Moth. Still, if there was someone selling balloons, there was bound to be more things related to the Miraculous Team. Alya just had to look for them. And while she did that, someone else, namely Max, was having the time of his life, just standing there.

"I'm getting Sherlock and Doctor Who vibes, just standing here, guys." -Max said, as he snapped a couple of photos. –"That's the place where the TARDIS landed in the 50th anniversary special "The Day of the Doctor"!" -he told Alya, while pointing at the location.

"You're right, it is." -Alya agreed, as she pictured the iconic spaceship on the spot where it appeared in the special. –"You would think that they would have a couple of TARDIS props around, so tourists and fans could take photos with." -she commented.

"Let me ask you something to you two. Are you going to act like geeks, every time you see a place that was used in one of your favourite shows?" -Kim asked him.

"You bet I am." -Max told him.

"And why shouldn't we, Kim? And as far as I remember, you're just as geek as we are." -Alya shot at him, with a playful voice. –"I bet that if one of your favourite shows or movies had been shot in this square, you'd be freaking out, right now." -she said.

As this happened, Marinette asked Adrien to take a couple of photos of her, so she could send them to her parents. One of the promises she had done to Tom and Sabine, was to take numerous photos and then send them, so they could see how much fun she was having.

"After it, you'll have to let me take a photo of you too, so we can send it to your dad and Nathalie." -Marinette said. –"I'm sure they're going to want to know just how you're doing." -she smiled at Adrien.

"No objections from me on that." -Adrien said. –"Alright, let's see… sit down by the fountain. It'll make a great photo." -he asked Marinette.

"Okay… Is this good?" -Marinette asked, as she sat by one of the square's fountains.

"It's perfect, milady. Now, smile." -Adrien told Marinette, as he snapped the photo. –"You've got the loveliest smile in the world, you know that?" -he said, as he snapped a few more photos.

"You might have mentioned it before." -Marinette chuckled.

"I might have." -Adrien chuckled too, as he snapped a few more photos. –"Okay, I think these look good, and… what?!" -he said, as a warning appeared in his cell's screen.

And it was not just any warning. It was a warning of an Akuma attack, courtesy of the Akuma Attack app. A second later, Marinette also received the same warning, and the same thing happened with everyone who had that app installed.

"Please, don't tell me…" -Marinette said.

"I'm afraid, I can't, bugaboo. Because it is." -Adrien sighed.

"Are you kidding me?! An Akuma attack, right now?!" -Marinette sighed in frustration, as she looked at her cell phone screen –"I'm going to kill that Hawk Moth." -she said, under her breath.

After receiving the warning of a new Akuma attack, the whole class gathered around and tried to plan their next move. They knew they had to be quick, but they also knew that they could not be hasty, so as to not raise any suspicion.

"I can't believe it." -Alya sighed. –"We've been in London for half a day, and we've got to go back and save Paris?" -she asked, rhetorically.

"Do you really want me to answer you that?" -Nathaniel asked her, with her rising an eyebrow at him. –"Yeah, I didn't think so either."

"Guess we'll just have to go and deal with it." –Kim said

"Like, duh, of course! As if we had another choice." -Alix said, in a sarcastic tone.

"There aren't any photos or videos of the Akuma online yet." -Max said, as he checked for any kind of info about the Akuma, on his cell phone. –"That's going to make it harder for us to come up with a strategy." -he said.

"Nothing we aren't used to, by now." -Sabrina said.

"So, who's going? We can't all go. If we, did it, that might arise questions." –Rose whispered to the others, while looking at some of the other students.

"We're going to go with the good old "Holy Trinity plus one" routine, like we agreed, before coming." -Marinette told her. –"But before we decide who's going, we better tell Miss Bustier, so she can provide us a little bit of cover." -she stated.

She had just finished speaking, when Miss Bustier appeared at her side, not making a single noise, which startled her. Just like her students, the moment she saw the warning about the Akuma, she knew they were going to need her help, to be able to deal with it.

"Miss Bustier…" -Marinette said.

"I know. The app warned me." -Miss Bustier told him. –"What do you plan to do?" -she asked.

"Four of us are going to teleport to Paris, and deal with the Akuma." -Adrien said. –"We're about to decide who's going." -he said.

"Who wants to go?" -Mylene asked.

"Well, I don't mind going. I'm in the mood to punch a bad guy in the dace." -Adrien said

"If you guys need a flyer, I'll go." -Juleka declared.

"I'll go too." -Alya said. –"I might be able to speed things up with my illusions." -she said.

"If you guys won't mind, I'll also go." -Nathaniel said.

"Looks like we got our sacrifices." -Marinette said, only to repent on the joke. –"Sorry, it was a bad joke." -she apologized.

"No sweat, girl." -Alya assured her.

"Very well. Then, we're going to need to find a place for you to teleport." -Miss Bustier said. –"Wait here for me, while I come up with an excuse for you four to get out of here." -she told them.

Watching their teacher approach Monsieur Cabret and Miss Dujardin to tell them to keep an eye on her class, claiming she was going back to the hotel with Adrien and the others, as they were not feeling very well, the heroes wished the ones that were going to fight the Akuma, good luck a speedy return.

"Please, don't take too long to come back. And be careful." -Marinette told them. –"Especially you, Adrien. I know that you always show your leader facet, when I'm not around, and as much as I like you taking charge and risking yourself to protect the others, I prefer you not doing that, and coming back to me in one piece." -she smiled at him.

"You bet we will, bugaboo." -Adrien winked at her.

"I'll be counting the minutes until you come back." -Rose told Juleka.

"And I will be counting the seconds, until we take down that Akuma, so I can come back to you." -Juleka smiled at the blonde.

"Give him a punch for me, foxy fox." -Nino told Alya.

"I will. And believe me, we'll be back before you can say "It's tea time, governor.", turtle boy." -Alya smiled at him.

"Go be the artist we know you are, Nathaniel." -Sabrina smiled at him.

"Trust me. I intend to." -Nathaniel said. –"It's just too bad you won't be able to come and join the party, you know?" -he said, making Sabrina chuckle.

"You better not be trying to steal my girlfriend, Nathaniel. Because if you are, remember, that bees aren't accustomed to stinging people, but wasps are, and I don't mind turning into one, to sting you." -Chloe joked, which earned her another chuckle from Sabrina, as well as a playful roll of the eyes from Nathaniel.

"Don't worry, I got my eyes set on someone else." -Nathaniel told her, in an amused tone of voice, as his eyes looked at Marc, who was standing about 25 meters from him. –"I got my eyes on someone, entirely else, believe me… and maybe when I come back, I might ask him, if he wants to go with us for fish and chips." -he thought to himself.

Chapter 5: London Night

Chapter Text

Their first afternoon in London went by in a flash. Still, all of Françoise-Dupont's students were able to see a good chunk of Westminster, as well as St. James Park and Buckingham Palace. And that also meant the four students from Miss Bustier's class, who temporarily teleported back to Paris to deal with Akuma, and then came back. Later, when asked about it by her fellow colleagues, Miss Bustier claimed that her students started to feel a little better, and asked her to go back, and join the rest of excursion. While the battle in Paris took place, the students of Françoise-Dupont explored St. James Park, even though a good part of them had their eyes glued to their cell phones, watching for updates on the battle. Among them was the bulk of Miss Bustier's class, who was hoping that everything would go well, and that they would not have to find an excuse to get out of there, and go help Adrien and the others. Luckily, the battle ended and the Akuma was dealt with, and there was no need for any of them to teleport and join the battle.

They were supposed to be appreciating the beauty of St. James Park, but because of the battle, most of the students spent more time with their eyes glued to their cell phones, than appreciating the nature surrounding them. So, when the teachers told them it was time to get a move on, some of them complained they had not seen anything of the park. Still, the teachers told them that they should have done that, instead of searching for updates on the battle. Hearing Monsieur Cabret and Miss Dujardin telling them to move on, Marinette and the others resumed the march, heading towards Buckingham Palace, when suddenly, they saw Miss Bustier and their friends approaching them. Seeing them, Marinette and the others felt relieved to see them.

"I'm glad to see you all." -Nino said, as he hugged Alya.

"How was the fight?" -Marinette asked them, as she hugged Adrien. –"Hope you weren't used as a punching bag by the Akuma." -she said.

"He landed a couple of punches on me, but nothing that I couldn't handle." -Adrien said with a cocky smile, only for this one to turn into his usual caring smile.

"The Akuma was quite strong. But luckily, he wasn't fast, and that helped." –Alya smiled.

"We could've taken him out earlier, but the hostage situation, courtesy of Madame Romani, forced us to proceed with caution." -Nathaniel declared.

"We know. We've read about it online." -Sabrina said.

"You had us a little bit worried for a second there." -Ivan confessed.

"I'll admit. We were a bit worried, while fighting the Akuma. But what matters is that we dealt with him, and we're back." -Juleka said, as she smiled at Rose. –"Did you count the minutes, Rose?" -she asked the blonde, while smiling at her.

"I did, and I'm glad it didn't take you a minute longer to come back." -Rose chirped happily at her girlfriend.

The four of them all looked a little beat. They were trying their best to not show it, but it was hard. The battle had been tougher than they'd initially thought it would be. The Akuma proved to be a tough nut to crack, and Madame Romani's illusions only made things more difficult for them. They had had battles a lot tougher than that one, but that one had been one of those, where things could have gotten complicated for them, thanks to the hostage situation. Just that had been enough to drain a good chunk of their energy. Seeing that they could use a couple of minutes to gather their energies, Alix suggested that they would sit on the grass for a bit.

"Do you guys want to sit down for a bit? We can easily catch up the others a little bit later."

"Don't worry, we're fine." -Nathaniel said. –"Besides, we can rest later." -he said.

"Come on, you guys can rest for a few minutes. We know where the other classes are going." -Marinette said. –"You four, sit on the grass, that's an order." -she ordered them. –"And if you don't do it, Miss Bustier will force you to do it. Won't you, Miss Bustier?"

"Yes, I will." -Miss Bustier declared, with a warm smile on her face.

"Yes, o fearless leader." -Alya joked, as she sat on the ground. –"Guess, it's time for a little snack, Trixx." -she whispered to the fox kwami.

"About time, girl. After that battle, I really need a bite to eat." -Trixx told her, from inside her backpack.

"You could've helped yourself to the snacks." -Alya told her.

"I know, but I like it when you give them to me." -Trixx said.

"You're one pampered kwami, Trixx. And I love you for that." -Alya thought to herself, as she saw Adrien, Juleka and Nathaniel also took care of their kwamis.

Ever since she found out about their secret lives, Miss Bustier had become more than just their teacher. She had become a Guardian of the Secret of the Miraculous Order, and that meant that she was to help them, whenever they find themselves in a position that made it difficult for them to face Hawk Moth's Akumas. Her life had taken an unexpected turn. But it had been one that she did not mind it happened. Because she had always seen them as her own children, after the shock that it was knowing their secret, she became even closer to them, than before. She had not told them, but when Adrien, Alya, Juleka and Nathaniel teleported back to Paris, to deal with the threat, her heart did not rest, until they returned.

"I know they're capable of handling pretty much anything that madman throws at them, but I still fear for their safety." -Miss Bustier thought to herself.

Telling them to remain there, she left them to talk amongst themselves, and excused herself to go and talk her colleagues, warning them that they did not need to wait for her and her class, and that they would soon catch up with them.


The rest of that afternoon could be described in three words: Photos, selfies and videos. Because that is what everyone in all the classes did, while walking around. Photos and selfies were taken, and videos were recorded, especially with Buckingham Palace and Houses of Parliament in the background. No one could say that they were not having fun. Still, for most of the time, the whole gang kept an eye out for Jeanne Gagné. After what happened in the museum, they all felt that if given the chance, Jeanne would exact her revenge against Mylene and the others who defended her. She was not one to let bygones be bygones. Jeanne was one person that liked to hold grudges against people, for more than one reason. On that afternoon, she did not try anything, but they all knew that being who she was, Jeanne would find a way to get even, sooner or later. And when that happened, they would have to be ready to riposte.

"Better to keep my eyes open. Jeanne isn't just going to let this slip by… I know her." -Mylene thought to herself.

It was nearly seven o'clock, when they returned to the hotel. Most of them were tired, and after the day they'd had, they just wanted to have dinner and go to their room and rest. But there were some students who wanted to go out and dine out instead of at the hotel. Among them were the students of Miss Bustier, who had agreed to take them out to dinner that night. But not everyone would go with her. Adrien and Marinette were going to have dinner with his aunt. A few hours earlier, he'd sent her the name of the hotel where they were staying, and she'd told them she'd be at the reception at 8, waiting for them.

"We've got an hour to get ready." -Adrien told Marinette. –"See you in 60 minutes?" -he asked her.

"You bet." -Marinette said. –"I just hope I can come up with something fairly fancy to wear, with the clothes I brought with me." -she admitted.

"Don't worry, girl, I'll help you get all dolled up for this." -Alya told her, trying to calm her down. –"And if any of the clothes you brought aren't the right ones for a fancy dinner, you can borrow one or two things my mom forced me to bring with me." -she said. –"And as a last resort, you can ask Chloe to lend you something. The girl must have brought about a tenth of her humongous wardrobe, so there's got to be something in it that will look good on you."

"I don't think Chloe will do that. She's very protective of her wardrobe." -Marinette chuckled. –"Besides, now that I think about it, I think I've got the perfect outfit for tonight." -she smiled confidently.

"That's my girl." -Adrien smirked at her.

"We'll meet here, in an hour. Try not to be late, okay? We can't stay out for very long, because tomorrow we have to get up very early." -Miss Bustier warned them. –"Oh, and if some of you are going to check on places that serve fish and chips, try to find one in a three block radius. We'll see which one is the best, when he come down." -she said.


Adrien was very excited to go to dinner with his aunt. This was the first time they had seen each other since she had re-entered his life. They had talked and seen each other on the phone and on the Internet, but it was not the same. Whenever he talked to her, he felt a bit like he was talking to his mom, and that was a feeling he loved, more than anything else. For that dinner, he decided to wear a white shirt, beige pants, black tennis shoes and a black dinner jacket.

As he finished getting ready, he asked Nino, who was also finishing getting ready, to take Plagg with him, as it would be hard for him to slip any food to him, while having dinner with his aunt.

"My pleasure, bro." -Nino told Adrien. –"I don't mind babysitting him." -he joked.

"Babysit?! I don't need a babysitter! Do I have to remind you that us, kwamis, are more than 5000 years-old? When the pyramids were built, we were already around these parts for over a millennium!" -Plagg protested.

"Plagg, I believe that Nino was just joking, when he said that." -Wayzz told him, with a serene and calm voice. –"You don't have to take it so much to heart." -he said.

"He's right, you know? We know you can take care of yourself." -Adrien chuckled. –"Now, tell me the truth, do I look okay?" -he asked the black cat kwami.

"The jacket is too much. Wear it over your shoulder, and you're ready to go." -Plagg declared.

A few minutes later, Adrien and Nino went down to the lobby, running into some of the others, who were also on their way down, to meet Miss Bustier, so they could go dinner. Arriving at the lobby, they immediately saw their girlfriends, who were waiting for them. Looking at her, Adrien was marvelled by how Marinette looked. She had let down her hair, and was wearing a short-sleeved half-white and half-cerulean blue shirt, a cerulean-blue mini-skirt, dark grey capris leggings, and a pair of black loafers.

"Whoa, you look beautiful." -Adrien praised Marinette.

"And you look really handsome." -Marinette smiled at Adrien, who smiled back at her. –"Like you always do." -she giggled.

"Maybe, but that's nothing, when compared to you, milady." -Adrien winked at her, making her blush.

"Nice job, Adrien. Now, you made her blush like a tomato." -Alya joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"It's not my fault, Marinette blushes that easily." -Adrien said. –"Not that I mind that. It only makes me love her even more." -he declared, making her blush further.

"Adrien, stop it!" -Marinette exclaimed, between chuckles.

"Uh, guys, no offense, but if you're going to keep praising one another like that, do us a favour, and get a room, please." -Alix joked.

"I don't think they would allow us to do that, even if we wanted to." -Adrien said, while winking at Marinette, making her blush further.

"You keep winking at her, bro, and she's really going to turn into a tomato." -Nino joked, making them both laugh.


When she told them she was taking them out to dinner, both Adrien and Marinette figured Amelie was taking them to a fancy restaurant. But to both their surprise, the restaurant she'd chosen was anything but posh. This was a neighbourhood restaurant, serving all kinds of food, from burgers and kebabs to Italian food and fried chicken. Upon entering, they were quickly attended to by a maid, who asked if they were going to have dinner. Leading them to a table, she gave them the menus, and the three quickly chose. Marinette chose fish and chips, while Adrien chose a cheeseburger. Amelie, on the other hand, chose to eat Masala kebab.

"Are you alright, Adrien? Did you hurt yourself?" -Amelie asked him.

"Uh… no, I must have strained my back without wanting to, this afternoon." -Adrien lied. –"That Akuma threw me around like a ragdoll. If it hadn't been for Juleka's umbrakinesis, I would've broken my back against that wall." -he thought to himself, while remembering the fight –"Nothing that a few hours of sleep won't cure."

"Well, if you do get worse, be sure to tell your teacher about it." -Amelie said. -"I bet you weren't expecting we'd be having dinner in a place like this, huh?" -she asked the two teens.

"Not really." -Adrien admitted, as his eyes looked around.

"This is definitely not what I was expecting." -Marinette said. –"But I'm not saying it in a bad way." -she quickly added, afraid of having hurt Amelie's feelings.

"It's fine, Marinette." -Amelie reassured her. –"I do admit that I love to eat at fancy restaurants, from time to time, but usually, I prefer these places. This kind of establishment, is where you can find how the locals eat. A little trick I learned over the years, while at work in foreign countries." -she explained.

"If I knew that we were coming to dinner at place like this, I would've gone with something a little bit more casual. This shirt's collar is killing me." -Adrien thought to himself. .-"Next time, I'll be sure to ask aunt Amelie, where were having dinner, before choosing what to wear." -he thought.

"So, before I ask you how's London treating you so far, you'll have to forgive me, but as an aunt who loves her nephew, I want you tell me, how's your relationship going? Are you treating Marinette like a princess, Adrien? And, Marinette, are you treating Adrien like a prince?" -Amelie asked them, in a joyful tone.

"I think I speak for both of us, when I say that we're doing everything we can to treat each other like royalty." -Adrien said, while smiling at Marinette. –"Every day, Marinette gives me reasons to smile and looking forward to whatever the future holds for me." -he admitted, as Marinette placed her hand over his.

"Oh, that's beautiful." -Amelie said, smiling at Adrien. –"You know, your mom used to say the same thing about your dad." -she told him. –"More and more, I feel that with each day it goes by, you're getting more like she was."

The sadness in Amelie's voice was quite clear. She dearly missed her sister, and was not afraid to show it, just like Adrien, when he thought about her, which was every day. But not wanting to ruin the mood, Amelie quickly changed the conversational topic.

"Anyways, I'm happy to hear that you're both treating each other well. You're still young, and your love will continue to grow, as long as you keep loving each other… and I'm already sounding like an old woman, when talking like that." -Amelie laughed, making the teens laugh as well. –"You'll have to excuse me. I'm not used to having these conversations." -she said.

"It's okay, aunt Amelie." -Adrien said, before taking a bite from his burger. –"I guess it's a little bit easier to have conversations with mummified bodies and artefacts?" -he asked her, joking about it.

"It is, I admit it." -Amelie laughed, as she ate one of her chips. –"And you would be surprised by the conversations one can have with a mummy. But don't tell anyone about it, okay? Remember, mum's the word, get it? Because they're mummies." -she joked. –"Sorry, it's a really cheesy and bad joke."

"I liked it." -Marinette chuckled. –"Adrien also tends to tell bad jokes, especially with cat puns, so, bad jokes are some of my favourites." -she admitted.

"I guess it runs in the family." -Amelie said. –"Your mom also loved to tell jokes with animal puns. Her favourite ones were with cow puns… her favourite one was this; A cow will never tell you a lie, because they simply give you no bull… get it?" -she asked them, before cracking herself up.

It was just a silly joke, but to Adrien it was so much more than that. It was yet another piece of information about his mom. Because Gabriel avoided talking about her, due to the pain of losing her, Adrien did not have many people to talk about her. So, whenever he found out something new about Emilie, his heart rejoiced. Since his aunt had come back into his life, he had found out things about his mom, that he never thought he would one day know about.

"That's a good one." -Adrien laughed. –"I didn't know my mom was a fan of jokes." -he said. –"I can't remember her telling any."

"Well, she changed a bit, when she married your dad." -Amelie said. –"But when it was just the two of us, she would come up with the craziest jokes. Craziest and dirtiest, let me add. Your mom had a twisted mind, and I think she only let it run wild, when I was around." -she said, with a tearful smile.

Before the conversation could take a turn to a more serious Their food soon arrived, and for a brief moment, the only sound between the three of them was the cutlery gently hitting their plates, as they enjoyed their meal.

"By the way, I never told you the exact reason I'll be heading to Paris in a few days." -Amelie told them, after which she did a serious face. –"Can you keep a secret?" -she asked them, as her lips turned into a mischievous smile.

"I guess so." -Marinette answered her.

"Sure." -Adrien answered her.

"I know you can. I'm just messing with you a little bit." -Amelie joked. –"There's nothing top secret about it." -she said. –"Two colleagues of mine, while digging in Glastonbury, found a piece of jewellery. They were amazed by its complexity, because it feels like it doesn't belong to that particular time period. They were going to ship it to Paris, so it can be further studied and analysed in the Louvre. But because they knew I was in London, they sent it to me, so I could take it with me. Otherwise. it would end up in customs, and it would be weeks, until they could settle the paperwork." -Amelie told them. –"Here, let me show it to you. I took a photo of it." -she said, as she pulled her cell phone from her handbag. –"Oh, rats. It's out of juice. I must've forgotten to charge it."

"It's okay, aunt Amelie. You can show it to us another time." -Adrien said, without imagining that his aunt almost showed him and Marinette, an image of the peacock miraculous.


Not far from where Adrien and Marinette were having dinner with Amelie, the rest of their class was also enjoying themselves Having found online a take-out restaurant with good reviews and an affordable price, near the hotel, they were quick to head there. When they got there, they all chose fish and chip to go, and were quickly served. Looking around, they decided to have their dinner in the garden in front of the restaurant.

Sitting on some of the garden benches, they wasted no time in digging in the still sizzling fish and chips they had bought. Covering them in mayo and ketchup, as they ate, they talked about what they were going to do the following day.

"Just remember that we need to in front of the Tower of London, at around 1 in the afternoon." -Rose reminded them.

"Don't worry, we haven't forgotten about it." -Alya said.

"And how could we forget it? Principal Damocles made sure to repeat that dozens of times, this afternoon." -Nino joked. –"The man really wants everyone in our school, to visit that place." -he said.

Like it always happened when she ate fast food, Chloe was wearing gloves to eat the hamburger and the chips she had ordered. Unlike the others, who were thrilled to try that British delicacy, the heiress preferred to order a hamburger, thinking that fried fish and chips was culinary combination that was both disgusting and repulsive. But Sabrina, who had always loved to ear fish fingers and chips, ever since she was a little girl, was determined to convince her that fish and chips was delicious.

"Come on, Chloe, just try it." -Sabrina said. –"I know you think it's disgusting, but it's really good." -she insisted. –"If you don't like it, you can just continue to eat your chips and that hamburger you bought."

"Fine." -Chloe sighed, in annoyance. –"I'll eat a bite." -she said, as she grabbed a piece of fried fish and placed it in her mouth, alongside a chip. –"Mmm… it's not bad. I don't really like the taste of fried fish with chips, but it's not as disgusting as I thought it was."

"So?" -Sabrina asked her, as Chloe finished chewing.

"It's… It's not as bad as I thought it was." -Chloe admitted. –"But I think I'm going to stick to the burger and the chips." -she told her, only for Sabrina to steal one of them from her. –"Hey! That's mine!"

"And now, it's mine." Sabrina giggled, as she ate the chip. –"These are really good." -she said, when she saw Chloe snagging one of her chips from her., -"Hey!"

"You took one of mine, I take one of yours." -Chloe said, smirking at the redhead, who smirked back.

Being the gluttonous foodie he was, Kim wasted no time in eating his dinner. And when he finished it, he went for seconds, such was his cravings for fish and chips. One would expect for him to eat his second dose more calmly, and take the opportunity to savour it, but that did not happen. Just like when he ate the first serving, Kim practically swallowed the food. This led some of the others to tell him to try and eat a little bit slower.

"Hey, chew the fish!" -Nathaniel told Kim. –"They told us that there might be fishbones in these fish pieces, Kim." -he reminded him.

"Forget it, Nathaniel. You're wasting your breath with him." -Alix said, before grabbing a handful of chips and stuffing them in her mouth. –"He'll eat anything, with or without bones of fishbones in them." -she said, her words barely understandable to the rest.

"At least, I don't talk with my mouth full." -Kim said, as he quickly snapped a photo of her. –"There! Oh, this is going to be turned into a meme, for sure!" -he laughed, as he looked at the photo of Alix speaking with her mouth full.

"Delete that!" -Alix exclaimed, after quickly swallowing her food. –"Either you delete that, or I swear to God, that I'm going to force that cell phone of yours, down your throat, Kim!" -she threatened him, as she launched herself towards him, trying to get his cell phone.

"Forget it! Not only this is going to be turned into a meme, it's also going to be my newest screensaver!" -Kim laughed, as he quicky dodged Alix's attempt to get him and his cell phone. –"You've got to be faster than that, Alix!" -he laughed, as he started running around everyone, fleeing from Alix, and making the others laugh.

Telling them to calm down, Miss Bustier had just sat down, and was getting ready to eat, while also feeding the kwamis. The teens had decided to allow them to stay inside her handbag, feeling it was for the best. Discreetly, she placed the food she had brought for the little creatures into her handbag. Feeling hungry, the aroma of fried food was enough to make some of the kwamis to begin drooling.

"Here you, go." -Miss Bustier whispered at the kwamis, as she placed the final bag with fish and chips, in her handbag. –"Please, try not to make too much noise." -she begged them.

"Fear not, Miss Bustier. We'll be as quiet as mice." -Tikki said, as she grabbed a chip. –"And we're be careful not to dirty your handbag, as well." -she promised her, before nibbling the chip.

"Indeed. Unless, we have certain kwamis, behaving like slobs." -Pin said, as she looked at Plagg and Imp. –"You two better be on your best behaviour." -she told them.

"Me, a slob?!" -Imp asked her. –"I'm sorry to tell you this, but I don't behave or eat like a slob." -he told her, feeling slightly offended, as he nibbled a piece of fish. –"Plagg might be a slob, but I'm not."

"If I'm a slob, then, what are you? A pig?!" -Plagg protested, insulting the antelope kwami. –"Because you look like one, when you eat. You've learned that with Kim, who also eats like a pig!" -he snapped at him.

"Please, let's not start fighting." -Tammara said with a calm and serene voice. –"We should be enjoying ourselves and this meal, instead of fighting and insulting each other." -she said, as she grabbed ate a chip.

"She is right, you know? Nothing good comes from arguing." -Wayzz said

Watching the kwamis talk, Miss Bustier could not help but to smile. For her, it was a bit strange to see beings as wise as the kwamis, who had been around for millennia, squabbling a little like little children, over who would get to play with a toy. But at the same time, she found it delightful, because they did not act the way she had pictured they would, and that made them even more unique and whimsical.

"Wise and playful. That's what they are." -Miss Bustier thought to herself, when she noticed, Kim had finally stopped running from Alix and had deleted the photo he taken of her, while Max was juggling pieces of fried fish in the air, and felt the need to reprimand him. –"Max, don't play with your food like that!" -she warned him.

"Don't worry, Miss Bustier, I've got everything under control!" -Max exclaimed, as he continued to juggle part of his dinner, only to stop and catch one of the pieces with his mouth, earning the applause of some of his friends. –"And then you say I don't know how to have fun." -he told them.

"We don't say that, Max. We just say that you're a bit like I am. You're a bit of an introvert." -Nathaniel told him.

"Well, introvert or not, I bet I'm the only one around here, who can do this." -Max said, as he resumed juggling the pieces of fish.

"Don't know about that, but I'd rather not try it. I'm enjoying this dinner too much to risk it ending up on the ground." -Alya joked, as she dipped another chip into mayo.

"Well, after what you went through today, you deserve it." -Nino said, referring to her fight against the Akuma, as he stole a chip from her. –"I think I'm going to go for seconds. These chips are really good." -he said.

"Could you bring me another soda, too?" -Alya asked him.

"Sure. Cherry flavoured or peach flavoured?" -Nino asked her.

"Surprise me, turtle boy." -Alya winked at him.

After finish eating, Mylene and Ivan left the rest of the group to themselves, and decided to go watch a troupe of street performers, who were doing a mime show, which had caught their eye, along with the eye of a few more people that were passing by.

"They're really good." -Ivan said, as he watched one of the mimes trying to open a door.

"You're right. Some people say that it's easier to be a mime, than being a clown, but I think it's the opposite." -Mylene said, as she applauded the troupe. –"It takes a lot of coordination and concentration to be a mime." -she said.

"Really?" -Ivan asked her.

"Yeah. I learned that from my dad. He started his acting career as a mime, you know?" -Mylene told Ivan. –"I still remember, when I was little, that whenever it was raining, and I couldn't go out and play, he would put on a mime show just for me. These would go on for hours in a row, and whenever I thought he could not top the previous trick, he would find a way to do it." -she told him, as she recalled one of those times. –"Once, he pretended that we were stuck inside a box, and he tried look for a way to open it, but he couldn't find one. He tried everything, and then, at the end, he asked me, if I could give it a try. Obviously, I managed to do it, and he presented me with a box of chocolates, he had been hiding."

"That must've been a really great afternoon. It's not everyone who can pull a good mime." -Ivan said. –"Your dad must be really good, because when it comes to acting and reviewing one's work, you're a tough cookie." -he said. –"I already saw him pulling numerous other parts, but never a mime."

They continued to talk about Mylene's dad work as a mime, along with what the performers were doing. But eventually, the conversation topic changed to one that they had both been avoiding for most of the day; Jeanne's attack on Mylene. They had exchanged a couple of words about it, and tried to put the whole thing behind their backs. But like a bad itch, which cannot be ignore, this was one subject that kept coming back to their minds, and that they could not ignore.

"Sorry, if I wasn't near you, when Jeanne attacked you." -Ivan apologized to Mylene.

"I told you, you don't have to apologize to me, teddy bear." -Mylene smiled at him. –"If anyone has to apologize for anything, it's me." -she said. –"I shouldn't have frozen like that, when she started to bully me. I should've fought her."

"Maybe you should've. But if you had, you would've gotten yourself into trouble, and she would've found a way to blame you for what happened, and then later, make your life a living Hell." -Ivan said.

"She's already going to make my life into a living Hell, Ivan. She just hasn't had the opportunity, but she will." -Mylene told him. –"The only good thing about all that, is that she was the one who got into trouble, and I haven't." -she admitted. –"But even that came with a cost… the cost of her wanting my head on a silver platter."

"Don't worry. I won't let her do anything to you." -Ivan said, as he placed his arm around her shoulders. –"I don't care if I get into trouble. Nobody hurts you, or bullies you, and gets away with it, while I'm around. And you can bet the others aren't going to let that happen either." -he promised her.

Mylene smiled at her boyfriend, knowing that when he made a promise like that, he would do anything to keep it. He was just that kind of person. And that was just one more reason, for Mylene to love him like she did.

"Thanks, my cute teddy bear." -Mylene thanked Ivan. –"You're the best teddy bear, I could've asked for a boyfriend." -she joked, which earned her a smile from Ivan. –"Oh, and speaking of teddy bears, tomorrow, we've got to ask Miss Bustier, if we can go to Leicester Square. I would love to have a photo of you, posing next to Paddington Bear's statue."

"In other words, you want your teddy bear, to pose alongside another teddy bear?" -Ivan asked her, in a humorous voice.

"Exactly." -Mylene smiled at him.

"How can I refuse such a request, from my chubby princess?" -Ivan asked, before leaning down and kissing her. –"I've got the sweetest and kindest girlfriend in the world. No way, am I going to let that Jeanne get her revenge on her." -he thought to himself.

Chapter 6: Through the Streets of London

Chapter Text

The day dawned in the British metropolis, and little by little, the students of all classes of Collège Françoise-Dupont began to come down to have breakfast. By Principal Damocles orders, they were all to get together in front of the Tower of London, in the afternoon. But until then, the teachers and their respective classes were free to visit whatever they wanted in the city, as long as they were not late to visit the Tower of London.

The teachers had all asked their classes where did they wanted to go that day, the previous night, and after breakfast they would go to the places they had agreed to visit. With Miss Bustier's class it was the same thing. The difference was that unlike the other classes, hers was not going to stick together, until later. Because she knew they could take care of themselves, she was going to allow them to wonder around the town, unsupervised. But that did not mean, she would not remain in contact with them, forcing them to send them a text or a call, every hour, to know where they were and if they were alright.

The first ones to bolt out of there were Rose and Juleka. After having breakfast with the rest of the gang, they wasted no time calling an Uber to take them to Highgate Cemetery. Being one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries in London, it was the resting place of numerous famous people, as well as being a nature reserve, which was just what Juleka was looking for. The night before, when Juleka asked her to go to that cemetery, Rose was at a loss for words, not knowing what to say. It was only when the Goth told her that she wanted to do a little photoshoot in that place, that Rose understood the need to go to that cemetery.

The wind made the cedars and their leaves sway, as well as the rest of the vegetation, while the sparrows chirped, as the girls passed the gates. The cemetery had opened an hour ago, and there were already a few people. But that did not bother them. The place was quite big, and they knew no one would bother them, as long as they kept to themselves.

For that particular photoshoot, Juleka had chosen an outfit that she had brought with her for it. She was wearing a black and fuchsia turtleneck short-sleeved dress with long fuchsia fingerless gloves, fishnets and black platform boots. Around her neck, she was wearing a choker with a little skull-shaped padlock. It was not a particularly spectacular outfit, but it was one that she liked to wear, and that she felt comfortable with, and that was all that mattered to her. Finding the right spot, the Goth told Rose that that would be where the photoshoot would happen.

"Are you sure this is the place you want?" -Rose said, as she looked at some of the old tombstones, which were covered in moss and ivy.

"Yes. It's just what I was looking for." -Juleka declared. –"This is perfect." -she said.

"Okay, then, let's get started." -Rose said, as she pulled her cell phone from her pocket. –"It's time to make you look beautiful." -she smiled. –"Say cheese."

During the following minutes, Juleka kept talking with Rose, as she photographed her. She did this, because she knew the blonde was not the biggest fan of graveyards, and though she did not say it, she felt a little uncomfortable there. So, to make her feel more at ease, she talked non-stop, asking her all kinds of things and making casual conversation, so she would feel comfortable in a place like that.

"This place is beautiful, don't you think?" -Juleka asked her, as she winked at the camera. –"It's a bit spooky, but it's beautiful." -she said.

"I suppose so." -Rose answered her, as she snapped the photo. –"It's beautiful, but it's also scary." -she said. –"All these graves are giving me goosebumps, and not the good kind, Jules."

"Don't think of the graves and the tombstones as just that. Think of them as proof that the people that are buried here, once walked the earth." -Juleka said, as she sat on one of the tombstones. –"One day, this will also be the only proof that we ever walked the earth." -she said, before looking at the blonde and smiling, as another photo was snapped.

"That's very philosophical. I didn't know I had a girlfriend who's a philosopher." -Rose told her.

"I'm a box of surprises, like you love to point out." -Juleka smiled.

"You've come a long way, since the time when you didn't like to be photographed." -Rose giggled, as she snapped one more photo of Juleka. –"Nowadays, you even like to pose, before the photo is snapped."

"The way you're talking about it, it's like it's been an eternity." -Juleka giggled, before putting a serious face, just as Rose snapped another photo of her.

"But it feels like it's been an eternity." -Rose told her. –"I still remember that day, before classes began, where we were by the Seine, and I practically begged on my knees, for you to let me take a selfie with me." -she giggled.

"It really does feel like an eternity." -Juleka admitted, as she moved towards another tombstone. –"And I remember you being super cute, when you begged me." -she smirked, before pulling Rose for a selfie with the two of them. –"Smile, my beautiful flamingo."

"Cheese!" -Rose said, as the selfie was taken. –"One of our best selfies ever." -she giggled.

"It sure is. But then again, you're super photogenic." -Juleka said.

After taking a few more photos, Juleka told Rose it was time to go look for another spot, stating that she also wanted photos with other backgrounds. Finding a few tombstones decorated with beautiful angel statues, Juleka did not resist in posing next to them. Her favourite was a statue depicting the Grim Reaper holding a scythe, and which provided the perfect background for one of the best photos of that photoshoot.

"Are you sure you don't want me to photograph you, as well?" –Juleka asked Rose, as she came down the grave.

"I'd rather wait, until we find a place that appeals to me a little more." -Rose declared. –"I'm not a very big fan of cemeteries." -she said, as she felt a shiver up her spine.

"I know you aren't. And that's why I thank you for coming here with me." -Juleka thanked her, before blowing her a kiss, which Rose caught.

After a few more photos, Juleka felt like she owed Rose a proper thank you, for coming with her to that place. Making sure there was no one around, the Goth wasted no time in kissing the blonde as hard as she could. It was kind of kiss the two shared, when they were in dire of need of each other's affection.

"Mmm… I love that cherry-flavoured black lipstick you're wearing." -Rose teased Juleka. –"It makes you taste even sweeter than usual; Jules." -she giggled, with her girlfriend smiling at her.

"Why do you think I decided to use it? Because I know that you love it." -Juleka smirked evilly, before pulling her into another long passionate kiss, which only ended, when they both gasped for air. –"Also, I love it when you call me Jules… I know I don't say it that often, but I do. The way you say it, it's so… so sensual." -she said, before kissing her again

Being in an unfamiliar place, the desire to kiss and to exchange caresses increased, especially in Juleka, who had fantasized about kissing Rose in a cemetery. Like always, when they kissed, time seemed to slow down, and everything around them did not matter. The world could burn to cinders, that it would not matter to them. The only thing that mattered to them was the pace at which they kissed. Each kiss they exchanged was more intense than the last, and with each kiss, their hearts pounded faster. Their more animalistic side was telling them to take things to the next level, as their hands caressed each other's bodies. And had not a strange noise scared them, and brought them back to reality, things would have escalated quickly. With their hearts still pounding like the heart of a hummingbird, they tried to figure where the noise had come from.

"Where did that come from?" -Rose asked

"I don't know." -Juleka said.

A few seconds went by, and the noise was not heard again, nor anything or anyone showed up. Believing it had been their imagination or just some passing animal, the girls were about to start kissing again, when the blonde decided it was best for them not to.

"W-Wait, stop, please." -Rose said, interrupting their kissing session. –"As much as I want for us to continue this, I don't want anyone to catch us smooching. I think the best thing is for us to leave this for later, when we're alone in our bedroom." -she suggested, with a naughty smirk in her face.

"Alright. I can wait until we're alone." -Juleka smiled, before kissing Rose on her forehead. –"Or partially alone." -she said, knowing their kwamis were listening to them, from inside their respective backpacks.

"We'll leave you two alone for an hour or two. You don't even have to ask us." -Tamara said.

"Ditto… as long as you girls let us do something we want to." -Flint told Rose.

"I think we can do that." -Rose declared, before looking Juleka in the eyes. –"Do you still want to take a few more pictures?"

"No, there's no need. You already took the perfect photo, so we can go and do something else." -Juleka said, as she and Rose broke the embrace. –"Where do you want to go, Tamara?" -she asked the raven kwami, while grabbing her backpack.

"I would like to go to a record store." -Tamara told her.

"Good choice. There must be one nearby. And if there isn't, we'll just look for one." -Juleka stated. –"That way, I'll also be able to buy a shirt from one of Luka's favourite rock bands, like I promised him I would." -she said.

"And what about you, Flint? Where do you want to go, my pink feather duster?" -Rose asked him.

"Pink feather duster?! Are you trying to sound funny? Because you can do better than that." -Flint told her. –"And as for where I want to go, well, there's this comedy club near Convent Garden, that has comedy shows 24 hours a day, and I would like to check it." -he said, sheepishly.

"Sounds like a great place for us to go, and have lunch, before going to meet the others." -Rose said.


While Rose and Juleka made their way out of that cemetery, which could be described as a garden of dead people, Sabrina and Chloe were entering another garden. Sabrina had always been nicknamed a library mouse and a bookworm, because she looked a bit like one. But she was never a big fan of libraries. Instead, she preferred gardens, where she could hear the birds chirping, the squirrels playing and the trees rustling against the wind. And knowing that some of the most beautiful gardens in Europe were in London, she wanted to visit the biggest of all London's gardens, Hyde Park. She knew Chloe wanted to go shopping that morning, but she sweet talked her into spending the morning visiting the park, with the promise, that after lunch, they would go shopping at the Harrods, before heading to the Tower of London.

One of the things she noticed, as soon as she arrived at the park was the large number of squirrels, jumping around, like curious little children. And that was not the only thing that had caught her eye. Standing in the shade of a tree was an acorn stand, and on that same stand was a sign saying that these could be offered to the park's squirrels. She had never seen such a thing before, especially in Paris, where it was illegal to feed animals like ducks and pigeons. Sabrina ought to know it, because her father had told her that countless times.

"Feed acorns to the squirrels? Well, if they say it's okay, why shouldn't I do it? It'll be fun." -Sabrina thought to herself.

Telling Chloe what she was going to do, she asked the heiress if she wanted to join her. Chloe thanked her, but said that she would pass on the offer. Telling her that is she changed her mind, she would be glad to feed the squirrels with her, Sabrina went ahead and bought a bag of acorns. The old vendor told her that if she wanted to feed the little critters that the best place to do it, was near the old oak tree that was about 50 meters from there. Making her way to the oak tree, she saw she was not only one there. There were a few more people, including little kids accompanied by their grandparents. Picking a spot, she opened the bag of acorns, only to see that she had a visitor inside it. Mika had sneakily exited her backpack and entered the bag of acorns. Smiling, she carefully grabbed a few acorns and gently threw them into the ground, waiting for the squirrels to come and get them. As this happened, the wolf kwami started to eat the acorns. At first, Sabrina ignored it, because he had eaten one or two. But when he ate his seventh or eighth acorn, she decided to tell him to stop.

"Mika, stop eating all the acorns." -Sabrina whispered at the wolf kwami, as she could feel the bag was slightly lighter, even with him inside. –"If you eat them all, the squirrels won't get any." -she whispered while looking at him, as she grabbed a few more and threw them near the oak tree.

"That's their problem, kiddo, not mine." -Mika said, as he bit another acorn. –"Those squirrels can go and find their acorns somewhere else. You paid for these, so I'm entitled to eat as many as I want to." -he told Sabrina.

"But I bought these to feed the squirrels, not for you. Plus, you had a big breakfast." -Sabrina whispered back at him.

"Well, then, you should've bought a lot more acorns. Because these are mine. And as for a big breakfast, it wasn't as big as you make it sound. I usually eat a lot more." -Mika said, as he continued to chew one of them.

Rolling her eyes, she ignored Mika's comment, as she continued to feed the squirrels. And as she threw acorns to the ground, the little critters descended from the oak tree and surrounding trees to come and collect the treats offered by her and others. Acting like they were used to that kind of treatment, the squirrels were taking their sweet time to get the acorns, and some even decided to eat them right on the spot, while looking at the people who were handing them. One of them did just that, when Sabrina threw it an acorn.

"Oh, so cute! I wish I could snap a photo of it. But if I do, I risk scaring it away." -Sabrina thought to herself, as her eyes continued to follow the little squirrel. –"I'll just have to use my eyes and my mind to remember this moment." -she thought, as she threw it another acorn.

Sabrina continued to feed the squirrels, until there were only a couple of acorns left in the bag, courtesy of Mika, who never stopped eating them. Feeling she needed more acorns, she decided to go back to the stand to buy some more. But she did not make it to the stand, as she saw Chloe sitting on a bench, with her eyes glued to her cell's screen. Determined to prevent her from wasting her time like that, Sabrina decided to go and get her, so they could do something together. She had convinced her to come with her there, and she wanted her to have as much as she was having.

"Chloe, come on, stop fiddling with your cell!" -Sabrina said, as she approached her. –"I know that you would rather be shopping at the Harrods, right about now. But try to enjoy this. We're in one of the most beautiful parks in London." -she said. –"It's practically a crime to not admire our surroundings… Come on, I'm going to feed the squirrels again, and I want you to come. If we're lucky, we'll even be able to get one of them to come and eat from our palms."

"In a minute, Sabrina. I'm just finishing one thing." -Chloe told her, without diverting her eyes form her cell's screen. –"And before you ask, it's super important." -she added.

"What could possibly be more important than enjoying this park? Don't tell me that you are window shopping online?!" -Sabrina asked, assuming that was what she was doing.

There were times when Sabrina had a knack to get on her nerves, and that was one of them. Chloe had told her more times than she could remember, that if she was doing something on her cell, and was not paying attention to anyone or anything, it was because it was something important. Still, she decided to ignore her comments, while finishing what she was doing, knowing her girlfriend was going to be thrilled about it. As she finished, a triumphant smile appeared on her face.

"There, finished! I just got us tickets to see the Lion King, tomorrow night." -Chloe told her.

"Really?!" -Sabrina exclaimed. –"Oh, Chloe, I take back all that I said before! You're the best!" -she giggled, as she hugged her, while fighting the urge to kiss her on the lips. –"But when you say "us", do you mean…"

"I mean everyone in our class." -Chloe smiled. –"I heard Rose and Mylene talking yesterday, that they wished they could see a musical. So, I decided to grant them their wish. I wanted to get us tickets for the Phantom of the Opera, because it's my favourite musical, but the tickets were completely sold out for the next couple of days." -she sighed.

"Oh… but the Lion King is way more fun. We'll all have a blast, thanks to you." -Sabrina said. –"I know I'm going to. I know all the songs by heart." -she said, before starting to hum "The Circle of Life."

"You're not going to start singing, right here, right now, are you?" -Chloe asked her.

"Oh, you bet I am!" -Sabrina exclaimed. –"Nants ingonyama bagithi baba! Sithi uhm ingonyama! Nants ingonyama bagithi baba! Sithi uhhmm ingonyama!" -she sang.

Sabrina continued to sing the song, with the same passion it was sang in the movie, as Chloe looked at her in silence. With all that singing, she could see that she was excited for tomorrow night. Her girlfriend had always been a bit shy, when it came to acting that way in public. But over the last months, that shyness had begun to disappear, being replaced with a sense of confidence, and that was something that Chloe liked to see in her. Just like her, Sabrina had changed and that was one of the things she loved and admired in her.

"Sorry, couldn't help myself." -Sabrina giggled, while trying to catch her breath –"You should've joined me, Chloe." -she continued to giggle.

"I'd rather not." -Chloe smiled. –"You can sing for the two of us." -she chuckled.

"Did I embarrass you?" -Sabrina asked her, coyly.

"W-What?! No!" -Chloe exclaimed. –"Why would you think that?!" -she asked her.

"It's just that… the way you were talking, that I…" -Sabrina said, feeling the blonde was not being entirely honest.

"Oh, no, no, no, I didn't mean to make you think that you were embarrassing me, Sabrina." -Chloe said, as she held her right hand, with both hands. –"No, there's nothing you can do that'll embarrass me." -she reassured her. –"And next time you feel like singing from the top of your lungs, I'll accompany you."

"Thanks, but you don't have to do it, if you don't feel like it." -Sabrina told her.

"I know… but what if I want to? What if I want to make a fool out of myself, just to have you smiling?" -Chloe smiled at her. –"More and more, I feel like you're a really bad influence on me, because you're making me do things normally I wouldn't do." -she admitted, while continuing to smile at the redhead.

"Given that the things you usually did were sometimes pretty awful, I like to think that being a bad influence on you, is a good thing." -Sabrina said, as she gently placed her arm over the blonde's shoulders. –"Oh, crud, I didn't mean to… I'm sorry. I didn't want to say that the things. Crap, t's like trying to walk on egg-shells." -she sighed, thinking she had offended her girlfriend.

"It's okay. I know you didn't mean it as a bad thing." -Chloe reassured her.

"I know you don't like it when people remind you of all the bad things you did over the years, because it makes you feel sad and bad." -Sabrina said.

"You're right, I don't. But I don't mind it, when you're the one reminding me of them. Because I know that there's not a speck of evil in your words." -Chloe told her. –"When you say it, I know that you only do it, to remind me of the fact that I'm not the person I used to be." -she smiled. –"And for that, I thank you."

Feeling relieved, Sabrina hugged Chloe as tight as she could, while also doing her best not to kiss her in public.

"You'll never have to thank me for that, believe me." -Sabrina whispered at her. –"By the way, where's Pollen?" -she asked her, after noticing the little pochette where Chloe was carrying her was empty.

"Oh, she's around." -Chloe said, as they broke the embrace. –"She said she wanted to go and smell the flowers. So, I told her to go, and to be careful, not to be spotted." -she said. –"She's probably in one of the numerous flower bushes around, acting like a bee."

"Well, at least she's not gulping the acorns you bought for the park's squirrels." -Sabrina commented, knowing Mika was hearing her.

"And I told you that if they want acorns, they can go and find their own." -Mika snapped, from inside the bag of acorns. –"Oh, and you might want to buy more of them. I'm nearly finishing these." -he said, before biting another one of the crunchy acorns.

"Mika…" -Sabrina said, rolling her eyes, and in the process, making Chloe chuckle.


The Natural History Museum. Opening in 1881, in South Kensignton, it was house to numerous life and earth specimens, including some collected by none other than Charles Darwin, author of “On the Origin of Species” and father of the theory of evolution. And on that morning, it was about to be visited by two members of the Miraculous Team, alongside their kwamis; Max Kante and Alix Kubdel. When asking his kwami what he wanted to visit in London, Ari told Max that he was curious about that museum, and asked him, if he could take him there. Max himself had read and saw pictures of the museum, over the years, and was curious to see it with his own eyes. So, when it came to visit it, he asked the others if anyone wanted to accompany him. After a couple of refusals, to his surprise, Alix told him that she did not mind accompanying him.

"I'm actually surprised you wanting to come with me to this museum." -Max smiled, as they entered the museum, only to be greeted by the skeleton of a large blue whale, hanging from the ceiling. –"Whoa, look at the size of that thing! Imagine swimming next to a live one, and not be impressed with its size." -he said.

"It's impressive, alright. But I preferred the plaster cast replica of Dippy the diplodocus, that was on display here first." -Alix said. –"It made us feel a bit like we were on Jurassic Park." -she told him.

"Then, this isn't your first time in this place?" -Max asked her, curious.

"Nope. Mr. Darwin over there and I, are old acquaintances." -Alix joked, as she pointed to the statue of Charles Darwin at the top of the staircase. –"My dad brought me and my brother here, a couple of years ago, when he attended a seminar. He felt like it would be a good idea for us to come with him on that trip." -she said. –"Jalil hated it, because he's more into Art and History. But I loved it. Guess you could say this was one of the first places where I learned to appreciate science."

"You know, I would never peg you for a science nerd." -Max joked, as they continued to walk.

"Just because I don't spend my time reading about science, and talking about it, doesn't mean I don't like it." -Alix told him. –"Sometimes I think that even my family thinks I'm just someone who only cares about skating, rollerblading, and any other extreme sports that I can find about and try." -she commented.

"Well, you do tend to have attitudes that only show that side of yours." -Max said, as they made their way up the stairs. –"Good day to you, Mr. Darwin." -he said, as he playfully greeted the statue.

"I know. But it's not my fault I tend to act like that. I like to talk about the things I like. And just because I don't talk about science, doesn't mean I don't like it. I just feel that it's something that I like to keep it to myself." -Alix declared.

"I get it. But you know how people are. They tend to think the worst of people, even if they don't want to." -Max

I know. But it shouldn't be like that. The way we act and the things we talk about, shouldn't define who I am, right?" -Alix told him.

"No, they shouldn't. But you know how things are." -Max said.

It had been a while since Max and Alix had had a heart to heart like that, and Max himself could not help but to feel like he was discovering a whole new side to his friend. Usually, when he talked to her like that, Kim would be present, and it was obvious to him, that Alix did not talk about herself like that, being too focused on finding ways to pick on him, and to prove that she could beat him at anything. And because of all that, she did not reveal as much about herself, as one would think she would. So, for him, it was nice to have that sort of talk with her, and Alix felt the same. They continued to talk, while roaming around the museum.

"Besides, it's like I told you. I like to keep my options open. If I want to become a professional athlete, at whatever sport I pick, I'll go for it. But, if I feel like going in a direction which involves science and math, I want to also have that option." -she said. –"On top of it, what I do when I'm skating takes a lot of math, so it's good practicing."

"Really?" -Max asked, while raising an eyebrow. –"I thought that you would just slap on your helmet, put on the rollerblades or jumped into a skateboard, and went with the flow." -he joked.

"That's what Kim does. He does everything by instinct, which I admire." -Alix said, only to stop herself, and look Max in the eyes. –"You better not tell him a single word of what we're talking about, you hear me?" -she said, with a serious voice. –"I'm serious, Max. You tell him anything, and I…"

"Don't worry. My lips are sealed." -Max laughed. –"You're so afraid to show how you really feel about Kim, it's almost adorable." -he thought to himself. –"But you were saying that what you do when roller-skating takes a lot of Math."

"Right. And it does." -Alix said. –"When I see a curve, I don't see the curve. I see her lean, her shape, how far I am from her, and in my head, I calculate the right position and the right moment to start accelerating into her, so I can achieve maximum speed. And when I talk about a curve, I'm also talking of a straight line, an ascent, a descent, or whatever. Reaching maximum speed is a priority for me, but I can only do it if I observe and calculate how I will get there." -she explained. –"It's pretty basic, if you think about it. And yeah, I also do that when I'm up in the air."

"Well, that partly explains why you never scored a bad grade in Math and Physics." -Max told her.

"I just wished Chemistry was as easy as Math and Physics." -Alix sighed. –"I know it's stupid, but it's hard for me to remember which chemicals shouldn't be mixed, and which ones are okay to mix." -she said.

"If you want some help, I don't mind tutoring you. Remember, excluding Adrien and Mylene, I'm the king of the lab." -Max told her.

"Thanks, but there's no need. I'll ask Daria to help me with Chemistry." -Alix said. –"He's always helping me studying. Aren't you?" -she asked the dragonfly kwami, who was inside her backpack.

"If I don't, you'll complain that I don't help you, so yeah." –Daria told her.

"I don't need to ask Ari to help me. He does it, because he has a voracious appetite for knowledge." -Max said, as he felt the spider kwami inside his jacket's pocket. –"Is there something you want to get a better look at, Ari?" -he whispered at him.

"Yes, those fossils over there. Can you get a little closer?" -Ari begged him.

"On my way." -Max whispered at him, before looking at Alix. –"Kwamis…" -he said, before comically shrugging his shoulders, which earned him a chuckle from Alix.


It was nearly lunch time, when at the British Museum, the peacock pendant, as it had been dubbed, had just been analysed. Down in the Medieval research laboratory, Amelie and an old friend of hers, professor Lilith Morris, were discussing what she had found out about the pendant in question. Amelie was going to take it to be further analysed in the Louvre, but, if possible, she wanted to know a little about it, before handing it to the experts. And what she had found out about it, was striking, at the lack of a better word.

"Like I said, preliminary exams have not been able to clearly date this pendant." -Lilith said. -"I don't know why, but the spectrogram states that it's brand new, and not hundreds or thousands of years." –she said.

"Are you sure it wasn't a mistake?" -Amelie asked her.

"I was inclined to say that the spectrogram is broken. But I tested it with other materials and artefacts we had around, before and after, and the analysis came correct." -Lilith answered her. –"I don't know why, but it's saying this thing is brand-new, even though it's impossible. You can definitely see this wasn't made a couple of days." -she commented, while looking at the artefact in question, on top of the table.

"That is puzzling." -Amelie admitted. –"Well, if you couldn't date it, have you, at least been able to determine what metal it is made of? -she asked.

"Well, yes and no." -Lilith admitted. -"I wasn't able to clearly identify the metal it is made of, because it doesn't correspond to any usual metal that was used back in the Middle Ages." -she said.

"What are you talking about?" -Amelie asked her, puzzled.

"I'm talking that the spectrogram states that this pendant is made of a metal, which closest the closest known substance, it's what it is believed to be orichalcum." -Lilith explained.

"Orichalcum?!" -Amelie asked, surprised.

"And before you say it, no, I'm not joking This isn't a joke." -Lilith said, with a serious voice. -"You remember a few years ago, when they found several lingots of the stuff, in a shipwreck near the coast of Sicily? Well, according to spectrogram, those lingots and this pendant are pretty much made of the same thing." -she said.

"But if I recall, that supposed orichalcum was more than 2600 years old, and no other piece was found before or after that. Are you telling me this is made of the same material as those lingots?" -Amelie asked, to which she nodded. –"Okay, I was not expecting that… Still, orichalcum is supposed to be yellow, not sea-green." -she commented.

"And it is. But for whatever reason, this one is sea-green. I don't know what to make of this. I've never seen anything like this in my life. I've seen unusual things in numerous archaeological digging sites, but this, this takes the cake. Maybe you guys in France, will have better luck trying to crack this, than we are." -Lilith sighed.

"The more we analyse it, the less we know about it… What about the gems and the pearl? Anything strange or unusual about them?" -Amelie asked.

"No. But like I said, I'm sure that in Paris you'll be able to run more detailed tests on it, than us here. The Louvre is better equipped for the job, than we are at the moment." -Lilith said.

"I don't know about that. But I do know a few people that are going to be absolutely flabbergasted, when I tell them what has happened here." -Amelie commented.

She was about to ask Lilith something else, when her eyes looked at the clock on the wall, and realized how late it was. On the night before, she had arranged with Adrien to meet him and Marinette for lunch.

"Oh, look at the time! I've got to run, or I'm going to be late!" -Amelie said. –"I promised my nephew that I would have lunch with him and with his girlfriend today." -she declared.

"Didn't you have dinner with them yesterday?" -Lilith asked her.

"I did. But we had such a great time, that Adrien asked me if we could have lunch today as well." -Amelie said, as she grabbed her purse. –"I better grab a taxi, or I'll never reach Piccadilly Circus on time... oh, who am I kidding?! At this time of day, it'll take me an hour to get there with this traffic." -she sighed. –"I'll get there faster, if I walk, or run, in this case… if you happen to find anything else on that pendant, tell me, when I come back, okay?"

"Alright… have a good lunch." -Lilith told her.

Watching Amelie go out the door, Lilith failed to see something that front of her. A tiny spark emanated from the pendant. Had she seen it, maybe she would have examined it. But because she did not see it, she decided to go to lunch, leaving it on top of the table. Little did she know that for a split second, she failed to identify one of the world's most powerful magical artefacts.

Chapter 7: Feasts and Magical Signatures

Chapter Text

The day had flown by, and before anyone knew it, night had descended on London like a cloak of darkness. As with all other cities, London's vibe changed as soon as the sun went down on the horizon. It had been a busy day for all of Françoise-Dupont's students, on what had been their second day in the British capital. And after dinner, most of them went to their rooms to get some rest, knowing that the next day, they would continue exploring the city. The few who did not go up to their rooms, stayed in the hotel's recreation area, chatting, watching TV, or simply making time, before going to bed.

And if someone was waiting to see something interesting happening there, then they would be waiting in the wrong place. Because the place where something interesting would happen that night, would not be in the recreation area or in the hotel's lobby, but on the roof of the same. Sheltered by the shadows of the night, the kwamis decided to give their holders a few free hours from their company, and to entertain themselves, they decided to have a little feast. Bringing things that were in their holders' rooms, or from the hotel's pantry where they sneaked into, or even robbing from one of the many vending machines spread across the different floors, each of them brought something to share. Piling them in a circular stack, they all began to share the food and the drinks they had brought, while talking about what they had done that day. Like it happened from time to time, there were a couple of squabbles between the little magical creatures, but nothing serious.

"Hey, those snacks are mine! If you want some, go steal some from one of the hotel's vending machines." -Mika told Mulan.

"You do realize that stealing those make you a criminal, right?" -Mulan asked him, with a sarcastic voice.

"No, it doesn't. According to the law, the definition of criminal doesn't apply to a kwami, because a criminal is defined as a person who has committed a crime." -Mika said. –"And because I'm not a person, I'm a kwami, I can't be considered a criminal." -he explained. –"It pays off to hear Sabrina's mom explaining these things to her, when she asks the kiddo to help her practice for interviewing witnesses in court."

"I don't care what the law says. You steal something, you're a criminal, whether you're a person or a kwami." -Mulan said.

"Guys, please, let's not fight over this." -Muria said, as he grabbed a cookie. –"Who cares if some of us went ahead and got a couple of things from the vending machines, without paying for them? Everything in them is overpriced. They won't lose any money, trust me." -he said, as he bit the cookie. –"We've got more important things to talk about."

"Muria's right. We got more important things to talk about." -Ari agreed.

"Agreed" -Imp said. –"After the day we all had, it's nice to just sit down and talk about it." -he sighed, before eating a spring roll Kim had bought him earlier. –"Mmm… these are really good. Not as good as the one's from Kim's parents' restaurant, but still very good."

"The way you're talking, it's like there was another Akuma attack that exhausted you." -Plagg said, as he nibbled on a piece of cheese.

"We've had Akuma attacks that were less exhausting than some of the things we did today." -Imp said. –"And by exhausting, I mean that I had to say "no" to Kim, more times than I can remember, who wanted me to grant him powers, so he could check out all the second-hand stores in London, in search of something cool, as he liked to say it." -he explained.

"Something cool? What is that even supposed to mean?" -Tikki asked, as she finished a cookie.

"It means that he didn't know what he was looking for, but that he would know, when he found it… he read online that you could find awesome things, quite cheap, in those shops in London, and he wanted to check all of them." -Imp said. –"I swear, I love that kid, but sometimes I think he has hit his head against the ground or the swimming pool wall, one too many times, because no one in its right mind, would use my powers to do that, in a city which he's not supposed to show up as his hero self." -he commented.

"He's a teenager. Most teenagers have stupid thoughts and ideas, and they also do stupid things, from time to time." -Trixx told him. –"I'm lucky Alya isn't like that. She's calm, pondered, and knows best not to transform into Rena Rouge, unless the situation demands it." -she said.

"Well, lucky you… because sometimes, Kim hasn't got the brightest ideas or thoughts." -Imp said.

"But did he end up looking for something cool in one of those shops, or not?" -Wayzz asked, curious.

"No. When he finally understood that I wasn't going to help him with that, he ended up visiting a couple of stores he found interesting, and then he decided that he wanted to visit that Speedy's Café, that shows up on "BBC's Sherlock", so he could try one of the café's specialties." -Imp said. –"Lovely place, and they do serve really big portions of French fries, just as advertised on the show. I ate more than my fair share, and so did Kim." -he told them.

"You say things about Kim's behaviour, but admit it, you've got a soft spot for him." -Plagg said.

"I never said I didn't." -Imp said. –"I just wished he was a bit more responsible sometimes, that's all." -he said. –"He's got his heart in the right place. But his mind… I think that one is sometimes in Neptune or Pluto."

Whenever the kwamis gathered like that, they were just like their holders. They liked to talk about everything, and on that night, the conversational theme was what they had done that day. Before gathering in front of the Tower of London, the whole class split up, and each of them went to a different place.

"Did you really eat all the acorns Sabrina bought for the squirrels?" -Trixx asked the wolf kwami.

"Not all of them… I've left them a couple of them." -Mika told her. –"I mean, they're wild animals. They can forage for food." -he said. –"Besides, Sabrina knows quite well that if she gets anything that's edible, I'm entitled to a share of it."

"You're worse than Plagg is, sometimes." -Pollen sighed. –"It's a good thing that Sabrina doesn't hold grudges, at least, not for too long." -she said. –"Otherwise…"

"Otherwise, she would've told me something I didn't like, I know." -Mika rolled his eyes. –"Look, what matters is that I didn't eat all the acorns,

"Okay… now that that we know that, allow me to tell you that Mylene had a blast visiting that small theatre museum, she read about yesterday, after exiting the British museum." -Pin said, trying to steer the conversation into a different path. –"But what she really enjoyed, was those street performers near West End. She clapped so hard and so fast when their performance was over, I thought she was going to lose her hands in the process." -she confessed.

"I thought the same thing. And I bet Ivan also did." -Muria said.

"Well, while they did that, Nathaniel spent his morning visiting the National Gallery. But he wasn't alone. Monsieur Labisse and some of his students also tagged along." -Mulan said. –"Oh, and Marc was also there… Nathaniel spent most of his time talking with him." -he added. –"Whenever those two get together, they talk for hours."

"They're like Marinette and Adrien." -Tikki giggled. –"Sometimes I wonder how they never seem to run out of things to talk about." -she said.

Eventually, their conversation stirred towards what happened at the Tower of London. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, when they visited it, but they still got some pretty good opinions to share between them.

"I liked to see the Beefeaters… but I kept asking myself, why they are called that? I even asked Rose, and she told me she had no idea at all." -Flint said. –"And then, it hit me… maybe it's because they eat nothing but beef! Can you imagine the butcher's tab at the end of the month?" -he joked.

"Did she laugh about it?" -Ari asked him.

"She chuckled. If she chuckles, I know that she liked it. She didn't love it, but she still liked it." -Flint answered him.

"I enjoyed visiting the armoury. It was fascinating to see all those ancient weapons and suits of armour." -Wayzz confessed. –"I'm not a very big fan of weapons, but from a historical point of view, it was a fascinating collection." -he said.

"Well, I preferred when we had the opportunity to see the ravens in the courtyard. It's nice to see such intelligent animals in charge of keeping traditions alive." -Tamara said, before biting a piece of liquorice.

"Yes. But from all the things we did and saw, nothing beats the Crown Jewels". -Pin declared.

"On that, I agree." -Daria said. –"Don't know what was more impressive. The jewels or the safe where they are kept." -he said.

"They were all quite pretty." -Pollen said. –"Chloe kept saying that one of these days she was going to have her dad buy her a tiara, like the one that belonged to Princess Diana." -she said, as she bit a piece of salt-water taffy.

"She's got good taste." -Trixx said. –"I'm not a very big fan of jewellery myself, but I'd be lying, if I said I didn't find those jewels pretty." -she said. –"Some of them looked like they were taken straight out of a fairy tale."

"It's just too bad the queen or the other members of the Royal Family don't get to wear them every day." –Flint said.

"Why do you say that?" -Pollen asked him.

"Because it would be hilarious to see them wearing them, anywhere they went." -Flint answered her. –"Imagine going to a restaurant and the waiter asks the Queen, if he can take her coat, along with her crown and her staff?" -he joked. –"It would be hilarious."

"Well, I for one, was happy to see the Crown Jewells again… it's been a long time since I laid my eyes on the crown worn by Prince John." -Pin chuckled. –"The last time I saw it, I had Robin Hood as the holder of my miraculous." -she commented.

"I remember that. Little John was the holder of my miraculous." -Muria said, as he bit the sandwich, he had brought with him. –"Those were the days… days where we stole from the rich, and gave to the poor. And when we had feasts organized in our honour, and which lasted from early in the evening, until dawn the following day." -he said, as he remembered them. –"Those Merry Men sure knew how to party and how to roast a delicious wild boar."

"Well, I wasn't there, when you had those feasts in your honour. So, I can't say I miss them." -Imp said. –"I was stuck inside my miraculous, waiting for my next holder to be appointed by the Book of Prophecies." -he said.

"We all had feasts in our honour, at one point or another of our lives." -Plagg declared, as he gulped a large piece of Camembert. –"But that's in the past. This is the present, and I can say that these little feasts of ours are just as good as those… especially when I'm besides you, sugar cube." -he declared, while winking at Tikki.

"I told you, to not call me sugar cube, Plagg!" -Tikki told him. –"I hate it when you do it. And you spent a good chunk of time, whispering that to me, while Marinette and Adrien were having lunch with his aunt, today." -she said. –"We were lucky she didn't hear you flirting with me!"

"She was so focused on Adrien and Marinette telling her what they were going to do after lunch, the odds of her even hearing me compliment you, were as low as finding water on the Sun, sugar cube." -Plagg said, once again calling the ladybug kwami by the nickname she hated.

"You call me that one more time, and I'll call you cheese breath." -Tikki shot at the black cat kwami. –"Don't think I won't, because I will, Plagg." -she threatened him.

"Go ahead! Call me! Anything that comes out of that beautiful mouth of yours, is music to my ears, sugar cube." -Plagg smirked at her.

"You're impossible!" –Tikki sighed, while rolling her eyes.

"Tell us something we don't know already." -Mika said, before biting a piece of ham.

"You're one to talk." -Pin said.

"Please, everyone, calm down." -Wayzz told them, as he ate a baby carrot. –"May I remind you why we decided to have this little night feast?" -he asked his fellow kwamis.

"To talk about what we all did today." -Trixx answered.

"And to give our holders some alone time." -Daria added.

"It's true. Tamara and myself, did promise Rose and Juleka that we wouldn't go back to the room, until it was 2 in the morning." -Flint declared, as he grabbed another cookie. –"Those two wanted to be alone." -he said. –"And I for one, didn't want to see them kissing and smooching."

"The way you say it, it's like they're doing something disgusting." -Tamara said. –"There's nothing disgusting in the two of them expressing their love physically." -she told him.

"Don't put words on my mouth, Tamara." -Flint told her. –"I never said it was disgusting. I only said that I didn't want to see it. It's different." -he said.

"They're lucky. Alya and Marinette are stuck in their room, and I know for a fact that Alya wished she could spend the night, cuddling against Nino." -Trixx declared. –"And Marinette would like to do the same thing with Adrien." -she laughed.

"Well, it's too bad that boys and girls can't share rooms." -Tikki said. –"But they'll survive, and make up for lost opportunities, when they get back to Paris." -she said.

"Or, they will date through their cell phones." -Daria suggested. –"Far are the times, when we didn't have cell phones with cameras. Or just plain cell phones." -he chuckled.

"But let's get back to what we were doing." -Ari begged them. –"I want to tell you all, what Daria and I saw at the Natural History Museum." -he said.

"Before you do it, let me remind you all that tomorrow we'll have to be on our best behaviour." -Pollen said. –"Chloe got tickets to watch the Lion King. I know you all know this, but we must do our best to behave and not raise suspicions of our presence, when at the theatre." -she reminded them.

"It'll be business as usual." -Plagg said. –"It's not like we don't spend our lives hiding and pretending that we don't exist." -he commented. –"We always do that, when we go to the movies. The theatre is just like the movies. The difference is that in that in the theatre is a live show."


As the kwamis continued their small feast, enjoying themselves, at the British Museum, someone was not enjoying itself. Most of the people who worked at the museum had already left, and gone home. But for the cleaning crew, the work had just begun. Just like any other place that was open to the public, once closed, it was time for the cleaning crew to come in and do their job. For most of those who belonged to it, the British Museum was just another place that had to be vacuumed and cleaned, before opening the following day; while for a small part they considered themselves lucky to be able to see all those artefacts, while they were working. Among those who saw the museum only as their place work, there was Stacy Garvey. She had started at that job a month before, and she was not happy about it. Because of her temper, she had had five jobs in last two years, and one would wonder how long it would take, until she was fired from that one.

Because she did not get along with anyone, and because her supervisor, who was a friend of her mother, who had asked her for the favor of getting her that job, knew she tended to get on people's nerves with her attitude, Stacy worked alone. She was usually in charge of cleaning the third-floor restrooms, but that night she was told to clean the offices of the department of Medieval History.

"Clean the offices of the department of Medieval History… as if that was any different than cleaning up the toilets!" -Stacy said, as she pushed her cleaning cart down the hall. –"The only difference is that instead of bleach, I'll use dusting spray." -she said, rolling her eyes. –"To think that someone with my intelligence, is stuck here, scrubbing toilets and such… what a waste of my time, my patience and my talent. Five years of college, to end up in a dead-end job like this one…"

Arriving at the department in question. Stacy entered the first of six offices. Looking at the name on the door, it read "Professor Lilith Morris". Turning the door knob, she entered it. Being the first time she was there, she looked around to see the size of the office. This was one was medium size. Lining the walls were several shelves filled with books. Some old, some newer. An impressive library. On the desk were numerous objects, including open books. Hanging from the ceiling was an old chandelier. The carpeted floor muffled the footsteps of everyone entering the office. Knowing it would take her about three-quarters of an hour to clean the office, Stacy cursed her luck and took the vacuum out of the cart and plugged it in.

"Better get started. This place isn't going to clean itself up." -Stacy sighed.

The sound of the vacuum cleaner filled the air, as the young woman hurried to vacuum the floor. Knowing she still had five more offices to clean, she had no intentions of lingering there for too long. Once she finished vacuuming, she grabbed a cloth and a can of dusting spray, so she could clean up the bookshelves. One by one, she rushed to dust off each of them. When she finished, she decided to take care of the desk.

"Be careful with what's on top of the desks. Don't touch it, and if you do, remember to put it back the way it was… what does she think I am? An idiot, or a 5-year-old?" –Stacy thought to herself, as she remembered the words her supervisor had told her earlier.

Carefully removing the books that were open from the desk, she placed them on one of the two nearby chairs. She was about to grab the pile of books that was next to the desk lamp, when she noticed a particular object on the desk, which caught her eye.

"What's this?" -Stacy asked, as she saw the peacock miraculous. –"It's pretty… not exactly my style, but it's still pretty." -she said, while looking at it.

Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. To try the pendant. She knew she should not, but who would ever know she had used it for a couple of seconds? She just had to put it on for a moment, maybe take a picture with her cell phone and put it back in the box where she had taken it from. The more she thought about it, the more she felt like doing it; until she decided to do so. Placing the cloth and the dusting spray on the table, she did not hesitate and grabbed the pendant. But in doing so, something unexpected happened. A jolt of lightning shot from the pendant and struck Stacy, making her yell. As the lightning coursed through her body, this one began to levitate a couple of centimeters from the ground, as her eyes began to glow blue. A couple of seconds after, she came down.

"M-Must… f-focus…" -Stacy said, with a voice which was not hers. –"S-Still, too weak…" -she said, turning her head left and right, as if trying to figure out its surroundings. –"W-What is this… place? It feels…. strange…"

The one speaking was not Stacy. Instead, it was the holder of the peacock miraculous… La Paon. Unknown to the world, the holder of the peacock miraculous ended up trapped inside it. Looking through Stacy's eyes, La Paon tried to make sense of what was going on, and more importantly, where she was.

"I-Is this some kind of… l-library? Doesn't l-look like any library I-I've been before…"

While looking around, she saw something that caught her attention… a calendar. A small calendar, next to the computer screen. Looking at the year-number, she could hardly believe what she was seeing. It read 2019.

"2019? I've b-been t-trapped for m-more than nine centuries?! Trapped f-for nine c-centuries. N-Nearly a millennium…"

La Paon tried to retain control of Stacy's body, but it was no use. She was too weak to retain control of Stacy's body and mind; and as fast as she was able to possess her, she lost control over her. As for Stacy, when she came to her senses, she felt like she had been on drugs, with her head spinning around, while simultaneously feeling like someone had plucked from her memory, what had happened after she touched the pendant. Feeling dizzy, she sat on the desk chair, hoping that by doing it, her head stopped spinning. Because she could not remember what happened a few seconds prior, she wondered why she was feeling like that.

"W-Why am I feeling like my head is about split into two?" -Stacy thought to herself. –"One moment I'm fine, the next it's like someone drugged me… what was I doing, before this happened? I can't seem to remember…" -she thought, when she heard her name being called.

"Stacy, do you copy?! I repeat, Stacy, do you copy?!"

It was her supervisor on the walkie-talkie, and she sounded upset. Getting up from the desk chair, she almost fell on her knees, while making her way to the cleaning cart, where the walkie-talkie was. Grabbing it, she talked back.

"Y-Yeah… what is it?" -Stacy asked, trying to ignore what was happening with her.

"I've told you a thousand times, already. When I call you, you pick up, the following moment."

"I-I'm sorry… I w-was using the vacuum cleaner." -Stacy lied. –"W-What's the matter?" -she asked.

"Drop what you're doing, grab your cart and head to the ladies' restroom next to the Ancient Egyptian department, on the first floor. There's some problem with one of the pipes and until we can get the maintenance to come and see what's going on, someone has to keep guard on the water that's coming from the toilets."

"Understood… I'm on my way." -Stacy said, while turning off the walkie-talkie. –"Just my luck… it's bad enough I'm feeling like crap, and I don't know why, but now I've got to go and clean up toilets." -she sighed, frustrated. –"Someone up there, must have a really sick sense of humour, when planning what happens in my life… please, just kill me…"

Grabbing her stuff and putting them in her cleaning cart, Stacy hurried to get out of there, knowing that if she took too long, her supervisor would make sure to yell at her. Turning off the office's lights, she closed the door behind her. But had she stayed behind, she would have seen something unique. Reacting as if it had a life of its own, which was no lie, the peacock miraculous began to glow, illuminating the office as if it were a beacon in the middle of the night. And as it did this, two words came out of it, which were repeated three times, before the miraculous stopped glowing; and those words were:

"Hawk Moth… Hawk Moth… Hawk Moth…"


Back in Paris, in Hawk Moth's hideout, the villain felt the magical signature of La Paon, when Stacy touched the peacock miraculous, as he meditated. He felt it for a mere second, but he felt it. Since he had come back to life, this was the first time he felt a magical signature that was different from the ones he had already felt, which belonged to the miraculous heroes. Opening his eyes, he wondered if he had felt it, or if he had imagined things.

"That energy… I must have imagined it. It couldn't have been her." -Hawk Moth thought to himself. –"She is but a ghost of the distant past. A past that I've put behind me. Instead of thinking about the past, I must focus on the present." -he mused, as he closed his eyes and continued to meditate. –"Those infernal heroes continue to be a thorn on my side, and that has to end. I must devise a plan to get rid of them, once and for all. As long as their miraculouses exist, I will not be able to rule this world… they must be destroyed."

Chapter 8: Afterschool Activities

Chapter Text

London was a great experience for all the students of Françoise-Dupont. But like all good things, it came to an end, as they all returned home. Most felt sad for having to leave the British capital, as they began to get used to the rhythm of life in it, while others were happy to return home. But almost all of them wished they had had more time in it, and had plans for one day to return.

It had been a great adventure, especially for those who had never left Paris or France in their lives. So, when they returned home, some took a few days to getting used to being back in Paris. But like always, good old routine helped them getting the "travel bug" out of their systems.

But routine was something that Adrien had not missed at all. Strolling through a foreign city, with his friends and his girlfriend, without any kind of parental supervision, had whet his appetite for that kind of experience, which he usually could only experience when he turned into Chat Noir. So, it was no surprise when he came back, he wished he could just continue to do what he did in London. But such a wish was impossible. It was time to come back down to earth. He had a busy schedule that week, and there was no way his father, or Nathalie, would allow him to skip on any of his appointments.

Because Victory Day landed on a Monday, Adrien's usual fencing lesson was moved for that Tuesday. So, after school, his bodyguard took him to the Academie Royale d'Escrime Française. He did not feel like fencing that day, but he had no other option. The only good side to that, was that he knew Kagami would be there, and he could talk to her. While he went to London during the weekend, she went to Tokyo, and he was curious to know how her trip had gone.

"How was Tokyo?" -Adrien asked her.

"It was nice." -Kagami answered, in her usual voice.

"Just nice? -Adrien asked.

"Yes, just nice." -Kagami said. –"It was merely my grandmother's birthday." -she added.

"Really? When you told me you were going to Japan, you didn't tell me you were going there to celebrate your grandmother's birthday." -Adrien said. –"I hope she had a great birthday." -he said. –"Was it a fun party?"

"There was no party. It was a family dinner." -Kagami said. –"And it was pleasant, yes. But it wasn't what you would call festive." -she added. –"My grandmother isn't someone who enjoys parties."

When he heard her say that, Adrien imagined the whole thing in his head. To him, birthdays were supposed to be fun, and a reason to celebrate life, alongside those you love the most. Even though he had not been able to do that, ever since his mother died, Adrien still hoped that one day that would change, and he would be able to celebrate his birthday, like he used to. So, when Kagami told him, her grandmother's birthday party was anything but a party, he felt sorry for her. He could tell from the way she talked about it, that she wished it had been different.

"I know people celebrate birthdays differently. But a formal dinner, that doesn't sound like a party." -Adrien thought to himself. –"Guess there wasn't a birthday cake, huh?" -he asked her.

"No. She doesn't like birthday cakes." -Kagami declared, in a formal tone.

"Okay, she really wishes the whole thing had been another kind of party. She'll not admit it, but I know her well enough to know it." -Adrien thought to himself.

"What about you? Did you have a good time in London? Did you and Marinette have fun?" -Kagami asked, trying to change subject.

"She definitely doesn't want to talk about what happened in Japan… she only changes the subject, when she's not comfortable talking about it." -Adrien thought to himself. –"I better just go along with it." -he thought. –"Yes, I had a great time in London. And I would be lying if I said Marinette and I didn't have fun."

It took no time for the conversation to steer in a different direction and focus on what had happened to Adrien, while he was in London. As he told Kagami all about it, he could not help but to feel sorry for her. The very little she had told him about her trip to Japan, along with how she said it, made him feel bad for her. He knew just what it was like to attend what many would think was supposed to be a happy occasion, only to realize that there was nothing to be happy about. Over the years, there had been no birthday parties at his house. The only birthday that was celebrated at Adrien's home, it was his, because Gabriel did not like to celebrate his own birthday, as it reminded him of the fact that Emilie was not there, to celebrate with him. And even Adrien's birthdays were celebrated in an almost Spartan way.

"Maybe this year I might convince dad to let me throw a real birthday party, since last year he told me no. He'll probably say no again, but this year I have Marinette on my side, and she might be able to help me convince him." -Adrien thought, as he attacked Kagami.

"Excellent response!" -Kagami exclaimed, as she blocked Adrien's attack. –"I am happy you had fun in your trip to London." -she told him, before returning the attack.

"Thanks. But to be fair, it was only fun, because I had so many people I like, with me." -Adrien confessed. –"I wish you could've come with us. I bet you would've fun too." -he said, as he blocked the attack.

"I'm afraid that even if you wanted that to have happened, it would've been impossible, because I don't attend your school." -Kagami said, as she riposted.

"You could always ask your parents to transfer you to Françoise-Dupont, next year." -Adrien told her. –"When it comes to prestigious schools, mine is just as prestigious as yours. And I think you would love the P.E. classes there, because we get to practice all kinds of sports, including fencing. Last, I remember, you don't get to practice fencing in your school." -he said. –"Uh… whoa, take it easy. I'll need both my arms intact, you know?"

"Then, you should move faster, Adrien." -Kagami said, as she attacked him again. –"And about transferring to a new school, I don't know." -she said, a little unease. –"It would be nice to see you every day, and also to have you as a classmate, I admit. I'll have to ponder about it, and maybe talk to my parents about it."

"Monsieur Agreste… Mademoiselle Tsurugi… you know the rules in my class." –Monsieur Gaudin warned them. –"I come here to warn you that I'm going to remain absent for a little longer, and I see you chatting, as if you were in the café! This is a fencing class, not recess. If you wish to talk, you will have to until the end of the class."

Both Kagami and Adrien were so caught in their conversation, they failed to realize their fencing teacher had come back. Michel Gaudin did not like his students to talk during class, just like most teachers. But because he tended to sometimes spend most of his time taking care of other things, instead of watching them, the two of them took advantage of him not being around, to catch up on the conversation.

"Yes, sir." -Adrien and Kagami replied in chorus.

"Now, I expect you to continue practicing, in silence. The only thing exchanged you ought to be exchanging in this class, are sword blows, and not words. I will be back in a few minutes." -Monsieur Gaudin said, as he left the room.

Waiting a couple of seconds, to see if Monsieur Gaudin changed his mind and came back, they resumed the conversation they were having, as they continued to spar. Adrien told Kagami about meeting his aunt at the British Museum, and how she told him, she was coming to spend some time in Paris.

"It was quite fortunate of you, to meet your aunt." -Kagami said, as they continued to spar.

"Oh, yes. And you know what? She was supposed to have arrived yesterday, but she had a last-minute mishap, and will only arrive tonight." -Adrien told her. –"It'll be good to have her around for a little while." -he smiled, before attacking Kagami. –"It was nice spending some time with her in London, because I wasn't expecting to see her there. And when she told me that she was coming to Paris, I was over the Moon."

"I share your enthusiasm" -Kagami said. –"I know how much it means to you, to have her around." -she declared.

"Thanks. I thought I would've to wait until my birthday, in a couple of months to see her in person again. But guess fate had different plans." -Adrien said. –"Not that I mind, of course." -he admitted, as he dodged Kagami's blade.

"From what you told me, yours is a very close relationship." -Kagami said, insisting on the attack.

"I like to think so." -Adrien said. –"Though, to tell you the truth, I'm still getting used to having an aunt, after years of not knowing, or better yet, not remembering that I had one." -he said.

"It amazes me that you were hypnotized, so you could forget she existed." -Kagami said, remembering Adrien had told her about that.

"You aren't the only one." -Adrien admitted. –"I was speechless, when I was told that. And you know what? I understand why my dad and my aunt did it, and the way they previously hated each other, only contributed for it. But I wish they hadn't told that hypnotist to hypnotize me. I think it would've been better for me to remember my aunt, even if every time I saw her, she reminded my mom." -he said. –"Still, it's all in the past now, and all I can do is try to make-up for the lost time, by spending as much time as I can with her."


At the same time, at Master Fu's apartment, the kettle he had on the stove began to whistle, warning him that the water for the tea was ready. The old master used to drink tea every day, and that day would be no exception. But unlike most days, he had invited someone to have tea with him. And that someone was Miss Bustier. He had called her, asking her, if she could meet him that afternoon, after school, and she had said yes. She did not know the reason he wanted to talk to her, but she figured it had something to do with the Miraculous Team.

"Here we are, a nice steaming teapot." -Master Fu said, as he placed the teapot on the table. –"I hope you like special brand of Oolong tea, my dear." -he told Miss Bustier. –"It's called Phoenix Tea, and it bears its name from the Phoenix mountains of Guangdong province of China."

"I must say that I never tried it. But I'm sure it'll be quite good." -Miss Bustier smiled.

"Once more, I have to thank you for coming, on such short notice." -Master Fu thanked her, as he sat down. –"But I had to talk to you about a rather important subject." -he said. –"I admit that I pondered about talking it with you, before you and the kids went to London. But I felt that myself needed time to think of how to approach the subject, in a way that wasn't too hard. I know that you're still adapting to everything that changed in your life."

And he was right. Miss Bustier did not say it, but the old master could see it in her eyes. Finding out about her students' secret, had been the craziest thing that had ever happened to her, and she was still trying to make sense of it all. Giving her a moment to enjoy her tea, master Fu took that time to choose the right words to tell her.

"On the day that you officially became a Keeper of the Secret, I decided that it would be best if Marinette and the others had some kind of back-up, in case they needed." -Master Fu told her, as he poured in the tea. –"The Keepers of the Secret must always help the miraculous heroes, in any way they can, and that includes, going into battle." -he said. –"Of course, over the eras, not all keepers ended up fighting alongside the heroes, but…"

"But you're thinking that this time, the keepers will need to be able to be ready to face a battle." -Miss Bustier finished the old master's sentence.

"Yes." -Master Fu nodded. –"Not every incarnation of Hawk Moth is as powerful as the original one was. But this one, is the most powerful one yet. And though we haven't seen him use his full power yet, I'm afraid it'll only be a matter of time, until that happens." -he said. –"Each new Akuma he creates is more powerful than the one before."

"You fear that they won't be able to stop him, is that it?" -Miss Bustier questioned him. –"You're afraid that Hawk Moth might be too powerful for them." -she said.

"Hope and fear usually go hand in hand, my dear. And though I hope they will all be able to defeat him, there's always a little speck of fear, caused by the possibility that things won't go as one planned." -Master Fu said. –"There's no doubt that it. They have evolved tremendously, ever since they got the miraculouses. In terms of power and abilities, they have already surpassed what myself and my teammates, which is nothing short of extraordinary. But in a battle, one must need more than its skills and knowledge to survive it, along with a little bit of luck. They say that a person creates its own luck, and I believe that applies in a battle, through knowledge." -he added, before

"And that luck will come in the form of us keepers, right?" -Miss Bustier asked, to which the old man nodded his head.

"Exactly. Which is why, I want to give you this." -Master Fu said, as he got up and went to a cupboard on the corner of the room.

Opening it, the old master took out a small wooden box. This one appeared to be quite old. The wood was a reddish tone and was decorated with various symbols of Asian origin. Placing it on top of the table, he then gently opened it. The wood creaked lightly, as the padded interior was revealed. Sitting on a small satin pillow were several silver bracelets, each encrusted with a different oval-shaped jewel.

"What are those?" -Miss Bustier asked, wondering what those bracelets were.

"Unlike the miraculous holders, us, keepers and guardians, don't have any kwamis to grant us powers. So instead, we have these." -Master Fu said. –"These bracelets are magical artefacts, and they transform into suits of armour, which amplify our natural combat abilities." -he said. –"When activated, they will protect us, just like the miraculous. But, of course, they are far less powerful."

"As one would imagine." -Miss Bustier said.

"Yes. But what we might lack in power, we can make it up with speed and agility, that can be harnessed through training." –Master Fu explained. –"Which is why, you must begin your physical training, as soon as possible." -he said. –"Like I said, the amour amplifies one's natural combat skills, and that includes its strength, speed, agility and dexterity. Because I am a former miraculous holder, I still have some of those. But you, I'm afraid, don't."

Caline Bustier could not have agreed more with the old man's words. Despite not considering herself out of shape, she knew she was far from being in shape, especially when it came to any sort of martial arts or combat. In her youth, she had practiced karate, but never went beyond the blue belt. Deep inside of her, she knew that if she was to help her students in combat, she was going to have find a way to harness the strength, speed, agility, stamina, not to mention fighting abilities needed to do so.

"I don't know if I'm going to sound like one of the kids, when saying this, but this is going to be like one of those movies or animes, where the hero must get into shape, as quickly as possible, so he can defeat the bad guy and save the day." -Miss Bustier commented, as she grabbed one of the bracelets and put it on.

"That's exactly what this is going to be." -Master Fu said. –"And thanks to the Ampulla Hourglass in the Garden of the Ancients, those skills that would take you months, if not even years to acquire, you will be able to get them in a matter of weeks. Time is of the essence." -he stated. –"If you don't have anything scheduled for this afternoon, maybe we could begin your training?"

"Well, I do have a few papers I need to grade, but they can wait until tomorrow." -Miss Bustier said. –"Besides, like you said, time is of the essence, master." -she said.

"It is, indeed." -Master Fu nodded.

"So, how do they work?" -Miss Bustier asked, as she looked at the bracelet that was now around her right wrist.

"It's quite simple. You must touch the gem with your fingertips, and then say "Miraculous Bracelet, transformation.". Once you say those words, the bracelet will release its power and become a full-body armour, which will reflect your personality and your fighting style." -Master Fu explained, as he too grabbed another bracelet and put it on. Looking at the young woman, he could not help but to notice –"Is there something wrong, my dear?"

"Uh… no, sorry. It's just that, once again, it's a lot to process." -Miss Bustier admitted. –"But if you give me a few minutes, I'll be fine. As long as you don't have anything else to tell me." -she said, in an amused voice.

"Actually, there's one more thing that I would like to discuss with you, my dear." -Master Fu admitted. –"I don't know how to put this, but I'll try my best." -he said, causing Miss Bustier to hear him out. –"A person's life is a fragile thing, and you never know how much time you really have on this earth. Due to the fact that I was the holder of the turtle miraculous, I lived longer than most people, which allowed me to also become the guardian of the miraculous. But even I can't cheat death forever, and it always gets its way..." -he confessed.

Upon hearing what the old man said, Miss Bustier's heart skipped a beat, as she assumed the worst. The words he was using, and the way he was saying them, were words she had heard more times she could remember, in movies and TV series, where a character tells another that it's about to die.

"Wait, are you telling me that you're dying?!" -Miss Bustier asked, shocked.

"No, no, no, my dear… well, yes, in a way. We're all dying, but some of us will die before the others." -Master Fu joked, while smiling at her. –"I admit that I'm old, but I probably still have two or three more decades to live in me.." -he said, tranquilizing her. –"It wasn't my intention to make you believe that I will be leaving this world in the foreseeable future."

"I see." -Miss Bustier said, relieved.

"What I was trying to say is that sometimes things don't work out as expected, and that one must be prepared for it." -Master Fu declared. –"You see, no matter what, there must always be a guardian of the miraculouses." -he said, as Miss Bustier nodded her head.

"I understand." -Miss Bustier said.

"Because of the need of always existing a guardian, I was thinking that sooner or later, I would have to train one of the teens to take my place one day. But to tell you the truth, I didn't want to." -Master Fu admitted. –"I became a guardian out of my own free will, after Hawk Moth was defeated by the team I belonged to. While most of my teammates wished to live a more normal life, I had become fascinated with the role of the guardian, as well as the whole history behind the miraculouses and the Miraculous Order." -he said. –"I blame my old master on that. He had a way with words, which I like to think, I have inherited, after hearing and talking to him over the course of a few decades."

"People usually say that there aren't any bad students. Only bad teachers. But I don't usually agree with that statement." -Miss Bustier said, as she sipped the tea. –"I believe that there are no such thing as bad teacher or bad students. I believe that there are people who only learn, through a different approach." -she said.

"On that, I must agree with you. There are always those who learn differently, and the right teacher, who is willing to teach them differently, can make all the difference." -Master Fu admitted. –"Such was the case with my master… Su-Han was a serious man, who took his vow to serve and protect the Miraculous Order for the rest of his life, quite seriously. On top of that, he was also a man who believed that one must follow the rules, as strictly as possible. Sufficient to say that he did not like when the miraculous holders took their mission and their responsibilities lightly." -he sighed, as he remembered his old master. –"But he was also a man valued kindness and compassion, and was more than willing to go out of his way to help others, when they needed the most."

The way he talked about Su-Han, along with the expression on his face, it was clear to Caline Bustier that the old master missed his master. The way she talked about him; one could tell that he has been a positive force in old Fu's life. Feeling like knowing more about the previous guardian, she was about to ask him a question, when master Fu prevented her from doing t, by resuming the conversation.

"But going back to what I was saying, I became a guardian out of my own free will. And I was hoping to give our young heroes that same option." -Master Fu said. –"I don't want them to feel pressured into taking this job, because it's not just a job, it's also a calling, as my old master once said." -he added. –"And not everyone is cut out for the job."

The old master had not filled her in, on what were all the duties of a guardian, but from the way he was talking about it, Miss Bustier understood that a guardian had a rather important role.

"But in any case, if something happens to me, I would like you to be the next guardian." -Master Fu told Miss Bustier, which made her choke on her tea.

"M-Me?" -Miss Bustier asked, surprised.

"I understand that this might come as a surprise. But it would only be until one of them is old enough to become a guardian." -Master Fu explained. –"It is a very demanding job for a teenager, and an adult is best suited for the job." -he said. –"On top of it, I don't want any of them to feel the pressure of having to become a guardian. They already have so much on their plate, that it would be a sin to ask any of them, to uphold such responsibility."

"And what if none of them wants to be a guardian?" -Miss Bustier poised the question. –"There's always that possibility." -she said.

"Yes, there is always that possibility. But I believe that at least one of them will want to. Maybe not today, nor tomorrow, nor the day after tomorrow, after all, they're still young and they have their whole lives ahead of them, and they wish to live them to the fullest. But one day… At least, I'm hoping that is the case, one of them will inherit the responsibility of being a guardian, out of their own free will." -Master Fu answered her. –"Like everything else, life takes many turns. And who knows, maybe someone entirely different, might show up and come to take my place, instead of one of them. And don't worry, my dear, I will be sure to teach you everything there is about the position of guardian, just in case. I know all of this can be a little overwhelming, but trust me, I will be with you every step of the way." -he said, trying to tranquilize her. –"But I'm digressing here. Right now, what matters is that we must focus on your training, my dear. That's what really matters… the first thing we must do is to teach you how to activate the bracelet. It's not as easy, as one might think. But before that, let's finish our tea. As I always say, there's always time for tea."


As Master Fu and Miss Bustier enjoyed their cups of tea, at the Le Grand Paris, more precisely, in Chloe's suite, the blonde heiress was practicing the violin. True to her word and promise, she had begun to practice it more often, and during longer periods of time. On that afternoon, when she got home from school, she was not in the mood to do anything, other than lay on her bed and take a nap. But instead of doing that, she ignored the little voice that was telling her to play hooky and grabbed her violin. It did not take long for the whole suite to be filled with classical music.

It took some getting used to, but little by little, the violin had once again become Chloe's must-have. Years without playing had made her and the musical instrument seem like complete strangers. But now, the violin was like a part of the heiress herself. And on that day, she was on fire. She played that particular piece, over and over, trying to get it right. And even with her making a couple of mistakes, no one could tell that she was playing badly; especially Pollen, who enjoyed hearing her play.

"Bravo! Encore, please!" -Pollen said, clapping.

"Thank you, Pollen." -Chloe thanked the bee kwami, as she finished playing. –"But I'm going to take a little break. I've been practicing for nearly an hour now." -she said, as she sat on her bed, and placed her violin on the bed, next to her. –"This is a really hard piece."

"Hard or not, you're playing it quite well." -Pollen praised her. –"You're still doing a couple of mistakes, but practice makes it perfect." -she said.

"Sure does, Pollen." –Chloe smiled, when she heard someone knocking at the door. –"Wonder who is it?" -she asked, while getting up.

Exiting her bedroom, she made her way through the living room and went to the door, when she heard someone knocking on it again. Opening the door, Chloe saw it was Jean. Smiling at her, he smiled at her, while politely handing her a letter.

"Another letter from my mom?" -Chloe asked, surprised.

"Indeed. It arrived a few moments ago, Miss Bourgeois." -Jean pointed out.

"Jean…" -Chloe sighed.

"I know, I know, forgive me. But it's an old habit." -Jean apologized to the heiress.

"Okay, I'll let this one slip. But you know that I like when you call me Chloe, instead of Miss Bourgeois." -Chloe smiled. –"Anyways, thank you for bringing me the letter, Jean." -she thanked her butler

"My pleasure. Would you like me to bring you something to eat? There are still a few hours, until dinner." -Jean asked Chloe.

"No, thanks, Jean. I'm good. But thanks for asking." -Chloe told him, as he left, and she closed the door.

"Did I hear correctly? Another letter from your mom?" -Pollen asked, as she came out of the bedroom.

"Yes. I wonder what she wrote to me, this time?" -Chloe said, as she opened the letter. –"Whoa, it's a big one, this one." -she said, as she began to read it. –"My dearest Chloe, my deepest apologies for not being able to send out more letters. The treatment is going really well, if I do say so myself. It'll probably be a little longer before I can be released from the treatment program that I am in. It's making me miss you and your father more, as I think about you both nearly every day. There have also been volunteers who come by with therapy dogs, and it's nice to see them. Apparently, they are trained to help with all kinds of therapy. I'll admit, I was a bit mad at first, when one of those dogs climbed onto me, but when I gazed into its eyes, I felt myself feeling calm, and petting it. The volunteers have also been bringing therapy cats for the patients who do not like dogs, and the cats are so calming, when they climb onto your lap and sleep in it. I've also been feeling calm when one of the cats are in my lap. The purring is so soothing, if I do say so myself. The doctors are suggesting that when I finish my treatment, that I look into getting a therapy animal for myself, and I do think it's a good idea. I wanted to get your opinion, and your father's opinion on it too, before I make my decision on that. I do hope that I can continue to send out more letters to you as the time goes on. Yours sincerely, your mother, Audrey Bourgeois."

Ever since the night when Chloe finally stood up to Audrey and told her she was a bad mother, and Audrey finally admit to her that she had a problem, and needed to get help, that their relationship was put on a hold, only to be rebooted, per se, through the letters the two exchanged, as part of Audrey's treatment. Chloe liked to get letters from her mom, and to write her back. But what she liked the most in all that, was that Audrey had finally learned to treat her by her name, instead of calling a name like Christina, Claudia, Cassandra, Camilla, among many others. That alone, made her feel special, and more importantly, it made her feel loved by her mother.

"Looks like she's making progress." -Pollen said.

"She is." -Chloe agreed with the bee kwami. –"Because she said on her last letter, that it was going to take her a little longer for her to write back to me, I wasn't expecting this letter, with all these good news." -she smiled. –"I'm happy that her treatment is progressing well."

"I'm also happy with those news." -Pollen told her. –"And whether she should get a pet, and what kind, be sure to tell her what you think about it. I bet she'll be extra grateful." -she said.

"I will, don't worry… but now that I think about it, what would be best for her? A dog or a cat? It's hard to imagine my mom with either one of them." -Chloe confessed. –"She was never a fan of pets, when I was little." -she told Pollen. –"Once, when I was 4, I asked her and my dad if I could have a puppy or a kitty. But she said no, and claimed that pets were a distraction and a waste of money."

"Well, maybe now you can finally fulfil that wish of yours." -Pollen said. –"I'm sure that whether your mom gets a cat or a dog, I'm sure she won't mind if you play with it." -she suggested.

"Thanks, but I don't think I need a puppy or a kitty, or any other pet anymore, Pollen." -Chloe chuckled. –"When I was little, I wanted one, because I was always alone, and I needed a friend, who was always there for me." -she confessed. –"But now, I've got you, and Sabrina, and Adrien, and everyone else. I'm not alone anymore."

"That's sweet." -Pollen said, as she landed on Chloe's left shoulder. –"I'm happy that you feel that way. But just because you have us now, doesn't prevent you from having and caring for a small animal." -she said. –"And believe me, if any of the others, including your girlfriend, were here, they would be telling you the same."

"Have I ever told you that you're a bundle of knowledge, joy and cuteness, all wrapped up in a cute package that looks like a cute bee?" -Chloe asked her, while petting her in the head with her index finger.

"Not this week, you haven't." -Pollen chuckled. –"So, thanks for telling me." -she said.

"My pleasure." -Chloe chuckled, as well. –"I think 'm going to extend my little break, and write back to my mom. Do you want to help me with the letter?" -she asked the bee kwami.

"It would by my pleasure, my queen." -Pollen smiled at her.


An intense smell of chlorine was felt in the humid air of the swimming pool. Combined with the excited youthful cries, the agitation both in and out of the water, and the warning shouts of swimming coaches, and you had a regular afternoon at the swimming pool. But all that did not bother Kim. The only thing that bothered him was the fact that he had someone in his swim class who was as fast as he was, and who was making him think, it wanted to beat the records for fastest swimmer in front crawl, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly styles. Records which he had managed to break, during his first couple of weeks there.

When he began his swimming lessons, Kim was not interested at all. It had been his parents' idea, not his. For him, a water sport such as swimming, was nothing more than a lame excuse to go swimming in a pool. But it did not take long, for him to quickly change his mind, when he began to see that there were records waiting to be broken.

And now, there was someone trying to break those records of his, and he was not going to allow that to happen. His opponent was a girl, who had begun in that class, shortly after him. Her name was Ondine Riviere. She was slightly shorter than Kim, had peach skin, long red hair, brilliant turquoise eyes, and several freckles on her face and body. But she was not just pretty. She was also funny and nice. And that was one of the reasons why Kim did not like like to continually compete with her. He did not know if she was actually trying to break his records on purpose, but his competitive pride, forced him to prove that he had earned the right to keep those records. As for Ondine, the truth was she herself was not trying to beat Kim's records. She just enjoyed swimming and got a little carried away, once inside the pool.

"You've got to give me a heads up, next time." -Ondine said, as she reached for the edge of the pool. –"I don't know how you do it, but you look like you're not even breaking a sweat." -she said, as she tried to catch her breath.

"Just a lot of practice; I guess. But you give me a run for my money too. You're also quite fast." -Kim praised her. –"And you're cute... what am I saying?! Doesn't matter if she's cute, she's trying to beat your records! You can't let that happen, Kim! If you tire her, she won't have the energy to try anything funny. Keep her swimming!." -he thought to himself. –"So, do you want to go for a few more laps? We still have a few more minutes, before class is over."

"If you're up to it, I don't mind. I like training with you." -Ondine said. –"He must love swimming, more than I do. He still hasn't stopped, since the class started." -she thought to herself, while admiring his physique. –"It's hard to decide what's cuter about him; his smile, or his shoulders….oh, he's looking this way! I better stop gazing at him, or he'll notice it."

Ondine had not told a thing to Kim, but since the first time she had laid her eyes on him, she developed a bit of a crush on him. She wanted to tell him about it, and invite him to go with her to the movies, but had still not gathered the courage to do it. There were other boys in their class that were just as handsome as he, but there was something about Kim that made him special to Ondine's eyes. She did not know what it was, but she was willing to find out, if he allowed her.

"Then, let's go!" -Kim said, diving down and resurfacing a few seconds later. –"Come on, last one is a rotten egg!" -he shouted at Ondine, as he began to swim butterfly.

"He may be a bit of a goofball, but he's nice." -Ondine thought to herself, as a smile showed up on her face. –"Then, you better start calling yourself a rotten egg!" -she exclaimed, as she quickly dashed through the water, trying to catch up to Kim.

Chapter 9: The Slab, the Miraculous and the Snack

Chapter Text

Like it happened so many times, after coming back from school, Alix arrived home, grabbed a little snack, put on her helmet and her rollerblades and went out for a ride, around her neighbourhood. What she really wanted was to go to Trocadero, alongside Kim and challenge him for a few runs around the gardens, but because he had a swimming lesson that day, that was not going to happen.

Still, that was not going to prevent her from having some adrenaline flow through her veins. Whenever she put on her rollerblades, and dashed through the streets, Alix felt more alive than ever. And on that day, what was going to be a couple of laps around the neighbourhood, turned into something more, as she allowed herself to be guided by her feet.

"Come on! Come on! Faster! If you slow down now, you won’t be able to cross the treadmill, before the green goes up!” -Alix thought to herself, as she dashed through the sidewalk, while avoiding the pedestrians.

“Watch where you’re going!” -a woman shouted at her, as Alix ran past her.

“Sorry!” -Alix apologized, as she crossed the treadmill, just as the red changed to green. –“Nailed it!!!” -she exclaimed, as she continued to dash through the sidewalk.

For someone like her, who loved a good challenge, Paris was an obstacle course, filled with both human and non-human obstacles. And if there was anything she liked more than speeding through the streets, was to make use of certain obstacles, like streetlamps and street posts, to give her a little boost. The faster she went, the more she enjoyed it. Adrenaline was her drug, and she was addicted to it.  

“Here we go!” -Alix yelled, as she grinded down the stairs rail. –“Look out below!” -she warned a couple that was coming up the stairs, who immediately leaned to the right.  

Finally, after an hour of crazy stunts and insane speed, Alix finally began to feel the first signs of exhaustion, and decided to head back home. Feeling hungry from all the exercise she did, she felt the urge to eat something sweet and cold. Unfortunately, she could not satiate that urge, because she realized she left her wallet at home. Without much choice, she made her way home, where she knew there was something in the fridge, waiting for her.

Inserting the keys into the slot, she turned them, hearing the distinct sound of the lock opening. As she entered, she removed her helmet. Believing herself alone, Alix did not even bother to ask if there was anyone home, as she closed the door. Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming from the quarters area, which startled her. Her first thought was that they were being robbed, but this one quickly evaporated from her mind, when she saw who was inside the house with her.   

“Dang it, Jalil! You scared me!” -Alix screamed, as she saw her brother.   

“Sorry. It wasn’t my intention.” -Jalil apologized to her. –“I heard you coming in, and came to say hi.” -he said.  

“Yeah, well, even if it wasn’t your intention, you scared the hell out of me! I thought there was a burglar inside the house!” -Alix yelled at him, while rubbing her left wrist; something that Jalil noticed. 

“Don’t tell me you broke a wrist or a hand, again?” -Jalil asked her, knowing that was the kind of thing his sister had a knack for.

“No, I didn’t.” -Alix said. –“At least, not this time… if you knew just how many times I end up with broken bones, because of the fights against Akumas, you would be amazed of how little is the number of bones I haven’t broken yet.” -she thought to herself. –“I just got myself a couple of bruises and a scrapped knee. That’s all.”

“I already told you, when going skating, you should wear pants, not shorts. That way, you won’t scrape your knees and your legs so easily.” -Jalil said, as he looked at Alix’s knee. –“And you better disinfect that. The last thing you need is getting tetanus.” -he told her. 

“I’ll wear what I want, Jalil. Also, I’ll take care of that, after I eat something. I’m starving.” -Alix said, as she placed her helmet on the table, and then made her way to the kitchen. –“And there’s a yogurt with my name on it, just waiting for me to eat it.” -she declared.

“Don’t skate inside the house! You know mom’s going to kill you, when she finds those skating marks on the linoleum.” -Jalil warned her.

“I’m already used to her yelling about it.” -Alix exclaimed, as she reached the fridge and opened it, grabbing a yogurt. –“Besides, this linoleum is so good, even our regular shoes manage to scratch it.” -she said, with a voice filled with sarcasm. –“Dad told her we should’ve put tiles, instead of linoleum.”

“True. But that still doesn’t give you a pass to be wearing those things inside.” -Jalil said, as she came from the kitchen. –“Now, please, get those things off, Alix.” -he begged her.  

“When did you become such a pain in the neck, Jalil?” -Alix asked him, as she made her way to the living room. –“I’ll take them off, when I finish eating this.” -she said, as sat on the couch and opened the yogurt. –“Mmm… I’m glad I saved this one.”

“I’m a pain in the neck? Last time I checked, that was the nickname I gave you, little sister.” -Jalil told her. –“Besides, I’m only trying to keep you out of trouble.” -he said, as he sat next to her.  

Alix knew her brother only wanted the best for her. Jalil could sometimes be quite annoying, but Alix knew she could always count on him.

“I know.” -Alix smiled at him. –“But I’m not that little anymore, Jalil.”-she told him.

“Well, when you get taller than me, I’ll stop calling you little sister.” -Jalil joked. –“Of course, that’ll never happen, so I’m going to keep calling you little sister, for a very long time.” -he teased her, to which she raised an eyebrow at him.

“Haha, very funny. It’s so funny I even forgot to laugh.” -Alix told him, her voice filled with sarcasm, before eating another spoonful of yogurt. –“But changing the subject, shouldn’t you be at work? Did you decide to play hooky today?”-she asked him, with her mouth full.

“No. I decided to finish what I was doing, at home. You remember the ancient Egyptian slab that I’ve been analysing and studying since last year? Well, I was about to go back to it, when I realized I had left a few notes I did about it, in my bedroom. So, when I realized that I didn’t bring them with me, I decided to come home and finish what I was doing, here” -Jalil answered her. –“And yes, dad knows I left earlier.” -he said. –“I was just about to start working, when you entered”

“And then you say things about me, forgetting my school books and my notebook.” -Alix laughed. –“You’re even more of an airhead than I am, Jalil!” -she taunted him.

“Laugh all you want… but if I’ m right, what I found out in that slab, can be described as incredible.” -Jalil said, praising himself.

“I see… well, if you’re going to bore me with archaeological details about whatever it is you found about, Jalil, let me beg you not to do it.” -Alix told him. –“I already had enough of History today, with Miss Bustier teaching us about the Reign of Terror, Robespierre and all his buddies, who ended up with their heads chopped off in the guillotine.” -she said.    

“Oh, come on, History is the best!” -Jalil told her.

“Maybe for you, but I’m more into science, sports and skating.” -Alix said. –“History is boring.” -she sighed.

“Boring, huh? Well, then get ready to get your mind blown away, little sister.” -Jalil told her. –“Because what I’m about to tell you, is something that even you will want to know. I wasn’t going to tell anyone about this yet, but I know you can keep a secret.” -he said. –“What if I told you that I made a discovery that is going to change History?!”

“I would say that it better be something absolutely amazing, otherwise, I’m going to tell you what I told you, when you suggested that the Pyramids of Giza and the Temple of Kukulcán in Chichén Itzá, were both built with the help of beings from another world, who came to Earth to share their knowledge with its inhabitants… that you’re absolutely nuts.” -Alix told him, as she continued to eat her yogurt.  

“I’m going to ignore that comment, because I know you take pleasure in mocking me.” -Jalil said, letting it slip. –“Also, the fact that both those constructions have similarities between them, makes it harder for people to not take that theory a little seriously… But what I’m about tell you, has got nothing on that. And it’s going to blow your mind.” -he said. –“What if I told you, that the miraculous heroes aren’t what we think they are?”

When he spoke of the Miraculous heroes, any intention Alix had of ignoring what Jalil was going to tell her, disappeared. Any subject concerning the Miraculous Team was something that interested her, and the truth was that it was thanks to Jalil that in the past she had managed to know in advance that the Hawk Moth had returned. So, whatever he was going to say, she was going to listen to him.

“What do you mean, they aren’t what we think they are?” -Alix asked him, mildly interested.   

“Well, you see, I’m beginning to believe that Ladybug and the other heroes are actually the same heroes that are described in that ancient Egyptian slab.” –Jalil declared. –“And I mean, the very same ones, as in the very same people.”

“Whoa, hold on… can’t believe I’m actually going to tell you this, but slow down to 33 and a third. What does the second part of the slab have to do with the heroes?” -Alix asked him, while trying to make sense of things.  

“Oh, sorry, I guess it’s best if I start from the beginning.” -Jalil said. –“You see, the slab came all the way from Egypt. It was found 50 years ago, in the ruins of what it used to be the city of Thebes, inside the Great Temple of Amun.” –he explained. –“Now, you know, as well as I do, that excavations send artefacts to museums to be studied, but due to one reason or another, the artefacts end up stored, awaiting for the day, where they will see the daylight again.”

“You’re preaching to the choir, Jalil.” -Alix sighed. –“If you want me to pay attention to you, get to the point, please.” -she said.

“Okay, sorry… anyways, I thought that the slab I’ve been working on was unique, but turns out, it wasn’t. It was half of a larger slab, that was in the basement of the Louvre, collecting dust. Of course, I didn’t know about that, until about a week ago, when it was decided to go down to the storage and see what was there. There were other pieces that were far more important, but something in this slab I found, told me that I had to take a look at it Imagine my surprise, when I realize it’s the other half of the slab I’ve been working on.” –Jalil continued his tale. –“So, I put them together. I start examining it and there are all these new hieroglyphs that need to be translated, and you can imagine just how much work I’ll have… anyways, and before I deviate from the subject, while I was examining the hieroglyphs on this new half, I noticed a couple of them weren’t your usual Egyptian hieroglyphs, and that I felt I had seen at least one of them before.” -he said. –“Turns out, that one wasn’t a hieroglyph. It was that symbol that was on the base of Hawk Moth’s statue “

When he said that, Alix nearly choked on the spoonful of yogurt she had just ate. She was not expecting to hear Hawk Moth’s name.

“You mean the statue that blew up last summer, just before he and the heroes showed up?” -Alix asked him.

“That’s the one.” -Jalil confirmed. -“I still don’t know what that symbol is, but I believe that the presence of it in the slab isn’t a coincidence.” -he said. –“On top of that, the other symbols are of animals that correspond to animals associated with the Miraculous heroes. I’m pretty sure that at least three of them symbolize Ladybug, Chat Noir and Flamingo, respectively.”

“Did you tell dad about this?” -Alix asked him.

“Are you kidding? Of course, I haven’t! You know just how the mighty Alim Kubdel is. If I went to him, with this theory and without a shred of concrete evidence to back it up, he would tell me that I need to stop fantasizing and start acting like a true archaeologist.” -Jalil told her. –“I mean, sure the symbols are there, but that’s not enough. They can even symbolize the presence of Hawk Moth and the Miraculous heroes in Egypt, or something else entirely. Like me, you know that Egyptian writing is not an exact science, and that we often have to assume that certain hieroglyphs symbolize something, based on what's before and after.” -he said.

“I know that. But you said those weren’t Egyptian hieroglyphs and that alone has to mean something.” -Alix said, trying to encourage him. –“He’s wrong about me and the others being the same heroes, but he’s right about Hawk Moth.” -she thought to herself.

“I guess… but until I have definitive proof, I’m not telling dad about it.” -Jalil said. –“But think about it. Hawk Moth is always claiming in his crazy monologues that he has been trying to conquer the world for millennia. And if he’s the same guy, what prevents the heroes from being the same ones that stopped him, since the first time he showed up?” -he asked her. –“You have to admit, it is a fairly acceptable theory. It may not be completely true, but there’s nothing that prevents is from being it.”

“I admit it, it’s a fairly acceptable theory.” -Alix said. –“But what if they aren’t the same heroes? Have you thought about that possibility? What if they are the latest ones, of a long line of heroes?” -she asked him, trying to steer him in the right direction.  

“Maybe… but you know, who could answer that? The heroes themselves.” -Jalil said. –“If I could talk to one of them, I could ask them if my theory is right.” -he said.

“Yeah, well, good luck with that.” -Alix said. –“The odds of you getting near one of them, are as high as the day chicken have teeth.” -she told Jalil.

“You’ve already been next to at least one of them, back in October, remember?” -Jalil reminded her.

“Not next to one of them, near one of them.” -Alix corrected him, as she finished her yogurt. –“And truth be told, the only way you’ll ever going to get next to one of them, is if you get akumatized, or if you find someone who knows where they live.” -she joked, as she got up. –“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to my bedroom, take these off and maybe take a nap, before dinner.”

 As she got up from the couch, Alix noticed her brother’s sullen look, and realized that her joke may have been a little too harsh on him. She did not want him to feel down, and quickly decided to cheer him up, by asking the first thing that came to her mind.

“By the way, just out of curiosity, what was the slab about? I mean, what’s written on it?” -Alix asked Jalil, trying to cheer him up.

“Oh, it talks about how a nefarious individual, who I believe was Hawk Moth, tried to get his hands on a sacred object, which he was going to use to conjure the army of Set, overthrow the pharaoh and cover the Valley of the Nile in eternal darkness. But the heroes showed up, saved the day and everything ended up okay.” -Jalil said. –“There’s a lot more in it, that I still haven’t been able to translate, especially on the recovered piece of the slab, but that’s what’s generally written on it.” -he told his sister.

Smiling, she thanked him for the info and rolled towards her bedroom. Entering it, she was greeted by the dragonfly kwami, who on that day had decided to stay home, instead of going with her.  

“Looks like your brother found the written account of some of the miraculous holders that operated in Ancient Egypt.” -Daria said, as Alix closed the door behind her.  

“You were listening?” -Alix asked him.

“Listening and watching. It’s a good thing when you can go through walls.” -Daria told her.

“I see… Were you there too? Egypt, I mean… was your miraculous one of those chosen to fight Hawk Moth?” -Alix asked him, while sitting on the bed.

“No, not mine. My miraculous wasn’t among those which were prophesized to be used, by the Book of Prophecies.” -Daria answered. –“But there were other times, where the deeds of the holders of my miraculous were registered.” -he declared.

“I take it most of them were lost in the sands of time?” -Alic asked the dragonfly kwami, as she removed her rollerblades.

“Most of them, yeah. Over the ears, they were collected and stored in the library of the Miraculous Order, which unfortunately was destroyed.” -Daria answered her. –“Those that sometimes show up, are the ones that weren’t collected by the order, like the slab your brother is studying.” -he clarified.   

After hearing her brother's theories, Alix had been annoyed at how close, and at the same time, how far he was from the reality of the situation. She wanted to tell him that the heroes that were described on the plaque were heroes of the past, and had nothing to do with the current ones. And the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to do it.

“Do you think I should give him a hand? I mean, he really wants to prove to my dad that he’s right about that new theory of his, which we both know is wrong. But still, a little help wouldn’t hurt.” -Alix said, as she kicked her rollerblades under her bed. –“I could just transform, pass by the Louvre, when he’s coming out, you know, like I’m just out on patrol, and bump into him by accident, or something. Then, he could ask me all the questions he wants to.” -she said. 

“On one hand, you could do it, and help him with his research. But on the other, telling him any kind of information, regarding you, your friends and the Miraculous order, it could be dangerous, for both you and him.” -Daria said. –“We know Hawk Moth’s lieutenants’ are always looking for new victims to akumatize, and that means, they might listen to something they’re not supposed to, and then plant a target on his back.” -he said. –“The odds of one of them finding out about your brother’s research, or even hear him talk about is slim quite slim, but it’s better not to risk it.”

“I see your point.” -Alix said. -“For all intents and purposes, it’s probably best if I don’t tell him anything.” -she sighed, dispirited. –“It’s just that I really wanted to do something to help him. For him, his research is the most important thing in the world.”

“I get what you’re saying.” -Daria said, as he sat on her shoulder. –“But you know what you can do for him, and that it won’t put him in any kind of danger? Being a good sister.” -he told her. –“Ask him how his research is going. Take the time to listen to him. Compliment his efforts… you know, stuff like that. That will show him, you care.”

“That I can do.” -Alix smiled. –“I guess after that little piece of wisdom, you’ll be wanting a pickle, am I right?” -she asked Daria.

“You bet. My advices aren’t free, you know?” -Daria told her, which made her chuckle.


Once the peacock miraculous arrived at the Louvre, it became its most prized artefact. Or at least, most prized artefact to those who started studying it. Three days went by, and under the scrutiny of Amelie’s watchful eye, they ran all the tests one could imagine, to see if they could find out more about it. Unfortunately, like it happened in London, the tests they performed all came back the same. On top of it, the experts in that time period were not coming to an understanding, on the origin of the jewellery.  

Amelie herself did not know what to think about it either. A friend had asked her a favour, and she did not know what to do, because the results were inconclusive. The only good thing about that trip to Paris, until that point, was that she got to spend some more time with her nephew. But even that, was not enough to cheer her up, right then. Pacing around the room, Amelie was frustrated, as if waiting for something to happen, which did not. So much so, that Allan Giroud, head of the Medieval Studies department, was forced to ask her to sit down for bit.      

“Are you sure these are right?” -Amelie asked Allan.

“The machine spit out the same result thrice.” –Allan told her.

“What about the jewels and the pearl in it?” -Amelie asked, deep down hoping to hear something new.

“There’s nothing strange about them.” -Allan answered her. –“I know that you’re hoping I tell you there’s something in this pendant that is rather unique, and that it’ll help us find more about it. But the truth is, the whole artefact is a mixture of contradictions, which itself makes it hard for any of us to get any straight answers.”

Those words did little to cheer her up. Looking at the peacock miraculous, she wondered what kind of jewellery that was, and how it ended up inside a cave in Glastonbury.

“Nothing in this artefact makes a lick of sense, Allan.” -Amelie said. –“And I can’t just tell this to Gregor, because he’s expecting a proper explanation. Even as busy as he is with the rest of the excavation, I know that he will not get any sleep, until he finds out everything there is to know about a single piece of a larger puzzle. I know, because if I was in his position, I’d be doing the same things.” -she thought to herself.

“Well, on that we both agree. The way it was created, doesn’t reflect the techniques of the Middle Ages.” -Allan stated. -“It’s almost like…”

“Almost like it was created in the present date, and then somehow hurled through a portal into the past.” -Amelie said. –“I know it’s crazy, but I can’t think of any other logical explanation for what we’re seeing here. Then again, less than a year ago we found out magic is real after all. So, what prevents portals like those from existing as well?” -she asked him.  

“Nothing. But unless you can prove that, we can’t use that on the description of the artefact.” -Allan said, as he looked at the peacock miraculous. –“One thing is for certain. This jewel is extremely beautiful… I could gaze into it for hours on end, without getting tired of it.” -he admitted.

“On that, I agree. It’s a beautiful piece of jewellery. Whoever wore this, must’ve been someone incredibly important. Perhaps, even royalty.” -Amelie suggested, as she checked the clock on the wall. –“I think what we need is to call it a day, and come back here tomorrow, with our heads and thoughts a little bit fresher. It’s only five, but I don’t think I can continue to look at this artefact, without getting the urge to grab it and throw it at the wall, for not providing us with any satisfactory answers.” -she admitted.

“I guess we can call it a day.” -Allan agreed with Amelie. –“You go ahead. I’ll close down the room.” -he said.   

Most times, an artefact as important as the peacock miraculous, would be placed inside one of the museum’s safes, until they resumed working on it. But because Allan’s office was one of the most secure places in the Louvre, and only he had the keys to it, he decided to leave it there, to save him the trouble of having to go get it from the safe. Checking if everything was locked, he locked the room. Usually, the windows in that room remained locked. But because the air conditioning was out of order, that day the window were opened and without realizing it, when Allan closed them, he left one of the windows ajar.

The gap was small, but still big enough for the wind to keep coming in. And more importantly, so that a small enough creature could enter. And shortly after Allan left, a small creature entered the room. A bird. A small pigeon, like so many others that existed in Paris. Entering through the window, looking for food, the little bird flew through the office, where its eyes were seduced by the miraculous peacock, on top of the desk. Landing in front of it, the small bird looked at it, curious.

“Must… acquire… new… body…” -the voice of La Paon whispered, coming form the miraculous. –“Come here… bird…”

La Paon had tried to possess another body, ever since her miraculous had arrived in Paris, but had not been lucky, because whenever anyone handled the miraculous, it handled it with gloves, and the only way for her to possess anyone, was to have physical contact between the person’s skin and the miraculous. The idea of possessing a pigeon was not what she had in mind, but it was better than nothing. Focusing, a few tiny lightning bolts shot from the miraculous, trying to hit the bird, only to fail, as the pigeon flew away, frightened.  

A tiny particle caused by the lightning that came out of the miraculous, fluttered through the air. It looked like it was going to fall on the ground, but suddenly a stronger gust of wind blasted the window fully open, and made it flutter a little more, taking it out the window, where the wind took it to other stops. That tiny particle was infused with the power of the peacock miraculous, and where it was going, no one knew. But if said particle could talk, or even feel, it would have rejoiced to be airborne, flying over the city of Paris, carried by the cool spring air.  

Eventually, the wind began to diminish, and the tiny particle began to make it for the ground. Where it was going to land, no one knew. But right then, it was making its way to a dark and gloomy alley, where the only thing there was in it, were several trash cans and a couple of hungry rats, looking for a bite to eat. The particle, which until then, the only thing it had done, was to allow itself to be taken by the window, gained what some might call a conscience, and quickly targeted one of the rats.

The rat in question, sensing the unusual energy coming from the particle, hissed and tried to run away from it. But the particle quickly dashed towards it. And before it could realize it, the little particle went inside the rat, making it squeak. If one had tried to translate the meaning of said squeak, it would have been “help”.


As it was her habit, Juleka went to wait for Rose at the door of the ballet school. Looking at the time on her cell phone, the Goth was counting the minutes, until her girlfriend exited. As it always happened, before accompanying Rose home, the two would go somewhere to have a snack, and on that day, it was Rose's turn to choose where they would go. Because a lot of people were passing by, Juleka had to pretend she was talking on the cell phone, to talk with Tamara, who was hiding in her backpack.

Eventually, ballet classes ended and little by little, everyone inside the ballet school came out. Rose tended to be one of the very last ones, because she took her sweet time to get dressed. Not that it bothered Juleka. She too used to take her sweet time to get dressed and fix her hair. A few more minutes went by, when Juleka spotted Rose coming out the door.

“Sorry, if I’m late.” -Rose apologized herself.  

“It’s okay, you’re not.” -Juleka assured her. –“How was the training today?” -she asked Rose, as she walked towards her.

“It was good, like always.” -Rose smiled at Juleka, before hugging her. –“But between you and me, I think some of my colleagues, are beginning to suspect something.” -she told her.

“Suspecting something? What do you mean?” -Juleka asked, puzzled by that remark, as she broke the embrace.  

“Yeah. They’re suspecting that I’m not a girl.” –Rose joked, before letting out a laugh.

“Why is that?” -Juleka asked, in an amused voice. –“Last time I checked, you and them had the same thing between your legs.” -she joked.

“Because of my abs… and my legs… and my arms… in sum, because I don’t look like someone who’s into ballet, but rather bodybuilding.” -Rose chuckled, as they started walking. –“They say that it’s impossible for me to have the body I have, without spending time in a gym, or the help of steroids.” -she said.

“Well, it’s possible, alright… but you’re the only one in your ballet class, who can get those results, without having to lift a single dumbbell.” -Juleka told her. –“But I hope those comments don’t get you down.” -she said.

“Don’t worry, those comments don’t affect me.” -Rose smiled at her. –“They’re just jealous. Besides, it’s thanks to how I look, that I manage to do plie and releve, without much effort.” -she giggled. –“Also, I don’t mind being a muscled ballerina. It makes me unique.”

The way she spoke, it was a testament to Rose’s view on the world. Even on her worst days, she was able to see the bright side of the not-so bright side. And that was just one of the things that Juleka loved about her girlfriend. Since the moment Rose became her first friend at Françoise-Dupont, and showed her a friendly smile, that Juleka knew there was not a single bad bone in her. She had learned to love everything about her, even her defects, or as Rose called them, “little imperfections”.   

“Then, before I accompany you home, where does my favourite muscled ballerina wants to go?” -Juleka asked her, making Rose chuckle with that comment. –“It’s my treat. My parents gave me my allowance today, and I’m in the mood to spend a little bit of it, alongside my favourite person in the world.” -she stated, with a smile on her face.

“I’ve got nowhere special in mind.” -Rose admitted. –“As long as I’m with you, any place will be good.” -she smiled, as she slid her left arm, around Juleka’s waist.   

When she told her that, the Goth knew Rose was giving her permission to take her somewhere she liked. As far as places they liked to go, Rose and Juleka's tastes were as different as day was from the night. But neither one nor the other cared or was upset about going to a place, the other liked. So Juleka knew she could take her to a place she liked, and Rose would not be upset. And that day, she chose a cafe that was on the way to Rose's house, where they played live alternative music. When they got there, the girls saw that the esplanade was empty, and that on the small stage adjacent to it, there was a band with three members playing. Sitting down, they didn't have to wait long to be served.

“I’ll have a croissant and an orange juice, please.” -Rose said.

“And I’ll have a cheese toast and a lemonade. No, correction, two cheese toasts. One to eat here, and the other to go.” -Juleka told the waitress. –“I almost forgot to order something for Tamara.” -she thought to herself.

“Oh, make that two croissants, instead. One of them is to go” -Rose said, correcting her order, realizing too she was forgetting about Flint. –“I’m extra hungry, after practice today.” -she told the waitress.

Like always, the girls ordered food for them and for their kwamis, who they knew loved to share a meal with them. But from time to time, one of them, or both, forgot about it. But this time was not one of them. As they waited for their orders to come, the girls engaged in conversation, while listening to the band.   

“Our 7th month anniversary is coming up, and I was thinking of how we should celebrate it.” -Rose told Juleka.

“Do you have anything in mind?” -Juleka asked her.

“Last month, when we celebrated out 6th month anniversary, you took me to that giant doll house exhibit, which I loved. And then we had a picnic, by the river.” -Rose said, as she remembered it. –“Why don’t you let me choose a place, where I know you’ll want to go?” -she asked her.

“Rose, as long as I’m with you, anywhere you take me, will be the most romantic place in Paris.” -Juleka said.

“When you say “anywhere”, you don’t really mean anywhere, do you?” –Rose asked her, a mischievous smile on her lips.

“Yes. But I know you’d never take me to a city dump, or the sewers, or even a lunatic asylum.” -Juleka joked. –“I know anywhere you would take me, it would be somewhere beautiful in its own way.” -she declared.

“Then, how about a concert?” -Rose asked Juleka. –“I asked your brother, the other day, if there were any concerts that you’d like to go this month.” -she confessed. –“And he told me that there’s this band that you are into, La Femme, and they’re playing a couple of days after our anniversary. Would you like me to take you to see them?”

“I’d love to.” -Juleka smiled at her. –“But the tickets are too expensive. I’d checked them.” -she said. –“And I don’t want you to spend so much money… I’ll tell you what. Instead of going to the concert, why don’t we go to my mom’s houseboat-studio, have a slumber party, and I’ll play some of their songs, both on my iPod, and with my guitar, and then we snuggle for the rest of the night?”

It was not how Rose had imagined they would celebrate that anniversary, but there were perks to Juleka’s idea. Going to the houseboat-studio meant that they would be alone, and they could do whatever they wanted. And Rose was not against that idea. Many thoughts crossed her mind, one of which, was how they would have some alone time between them. The more she thought about it, the more she liked it.

“You got me at “snuggle for the rest of the night.” -Rose whispered to Juleka, with a mischievous smile on her face. –“Then, it’s settled. You ask your parents for us to stay over there. I’ll bring the food and drinks, and you show me why you like that band, so much.” -she told her.

Soon, their order arrived. As the waitress placed the food on the table, the girls could not help but to admire just how delicious all looked. Placing the cheese toast and the croissant in their backpacks, so Flint and Tamara could enjoy them, the girls got ready to enjoy theirs as well.

But what was to be a relaxing snack, did not occur, because of what happened, shortly after they got their food. At first, they heard a lot of honks and metal crunching, coming from a couple of streets away, and wondered if there had been an accident in a traffic jam. But the honks started to get louder by the second. Then, a few cars and motorcycles passed by the café at full speed, honking like crazy. But as crazy as they seemed, what passed by them next, was even crazier. Something that could only be described as a large feral bluish dog-like creature with no eyes, ears, nose, or tail. Just a large mouth with sharp teeth, with its bottom jaw sticking out of its mouth, ran past them, jumping over cars, and crunching those it landed on.  

“What was that?!” -Rose asked her girlfriend. –“An Akuma?” -she said, as she watched the creature going down the street, chasing everything in its path.  

“I don’t know. It was a pretty strange looking one. But how much do you want to bet that it’s got something to do with Hawk Moth?” -Juleka told her.

“I don’t think I need to bet.” -Rose said. –“Guess our little snack will have to wait.” -she said.

“You guess right. Let’s get out of here, and find a place to change.” -Juleka said, whispering the second part of the sentence.

Chapter 10: Sentimonster Running Wild

Chapter Text

Putting the last book on the shelf, Mylene smiled, looking at a job well done. Her mother had asked her to dust the room when she got home from school, and she did. She was not a big fan of cleaning, but she did what she was told, knowing that in the end, she would have a reward waiting for her in the fridge.

Mylene’s mom knew she had a sweet tooth, and she tended to use that little weakness of hers, to ask her to help around the house, from time to time. She would bake or buy something good, she knew Mylene liked, and presented it to her as a reward, once the job was done. And on that day, she had the last slice of her mom’s cheesecake with her name on it. Grabbing it, she then sat on the sofa, kicked off her shoes, and placed her feet on the coffee table, making herself comfortable. Pin joined her, as she savored the delicious bounty her mother had left her.

“Mmm… mom’s cheesecake is so fluffy, it practically melts in one’s mouth, Pin.” -Mylene said, as she ate another bite. –“Do you want a bite?” -she asked her.

“Don’t mind if I do.” -Pin said, as Mylene gave her a spoonful of cheesecake. –“Mmm… it’s really good. Your mom makes the best cheesecake out there.” -she said, as she licked her lips.

“I was really needing this, after cleaning up this living room.” -Mylene confessed, as she ate another bite.

“Well, you deserve it. Not only you had to clean this living room, but earlier, you had to play basketball in P.E., and you gave it your all, in that game.” -Pin told her. –“Work hard, play hard, that’s what I always say.” -she said.

“True.” -Mylene chuckled, as she grabbed the TV remote. –“Let’s see what’s on TV.” -she said, as she turned on the television.

There were many things that Pin liked about Mylene. But one of the things she did not like about her, was the fact that it took her forever to choose a TV channel. Mylene liked to channel surf, hoping to find the perfect show, and it usually took her between two to three minutes. And that ticked Pin off, because she usually just watched whatever was on.

“Are you going to pick a channel, or not?” -Pin asked her, after nearly 30 seconds of zapping. –“You’re jumping channels so fast, you can hardly understand what’s on each of them.” -she commented.

“Maybe for you, but I can see exactly what’s on each channel.” -Mylene told her kwami, as she continued to surf through channels.  

“Just pick one, Mylene! At this time of the day, there’s nothing really good on TV, anyway.” -Pin sighed.   

“Oh, nice! Quantum Leap!” -Mylene chirped, as she stopped channel surfing. –“I love this old TV show.” -she told Pin. –“Oh, and we’re in luck. It’s the Christmas episode! It’s one of my favourites, you know? I always cry so much, on this one.”

“What’s the show about?” -Pin asked her, curious.

“It’s about a scientist who travels through time, and tries to put things right, where they were once wrong, with the help of his best-friend, who appears to him as hologram. It’s very good, and very funny.” -Mylene answered her. –“My dad used to watch this, when he was a kid. He usually says that it’s because of this show that he knew he wanted to be an actor, when growing up.” -she said.

“Really?” -Pin asked.

“Yeah. He felt that if the actor who plays the main character, was able to play a different character each week, then, he could also do it.” -Mylene said.

It did not take long for the two of them to have their eyes glued to the screen, having bene transported into the fictional world they were watching. On more than one occasion, did Mylene sniffed a little, getting a little too emotional with what was happening. But the last time she did it, while they were watching the show, Pin noticed something was different about her. And it did not take long for her to put two and two together, and realize that the last tears that dropped from Mylene’s eyes were different, from the ones before.

“What’s the matter, Mylene?” -Pin asked her.

“Uh, what do you mean?” -Mylene said.

“You sighed.” –Pin pointed out.

“So what? I’m always sighing.” -Mylene replied.

“Yes, but that particular sigh I heard, it was the kind of sigh you only let out, when you’re thinking of something bad.” -Pin told her, while looking her in the eyes. –“So, what’s going through your mind, for you to be sighing like that?” -she asked her.  

“Okay, I was… I was thinking about Jeanne Gagné.” -Mylene admitted. –“Just before lunch, I noticed that she and her friends were spying on me. Well, not really spying, because they were just there, and I walked by them, but I could tell that she was thinking on how she’s going to get back at me, from what happened in London.” -she told Pin. –“I could tell it, from her eyes.”

“You’re still thinking about that?” -Pin asked her. –“I thought that by now, you would’ve forgotten about that empty promise.” -she said.

“It’s not an empty promise, Pin.” -Mylene said. –“When that Jeanne swears she’ll get someone, she means it.” -she added. –“She’s not like Chloe who, when she was her old nasty self, threatened someone, swearing she would get her revenge, but by the next day, she would’ve forgotten about it and moved on to antagonize someone else. Jeanne is different. She never forgets who stands up against her, or who steps on her toes.”

“It doesn’t matter, if she forgets or not. You can’t be afraid of her, Mylene!”

“I’m not afraid of her, Pin. I’m just…”

“Yes, you are! I can see it in your eyes, Mylene. That can’t be. And I’m not just saying that because you have the strength and the abilities of a demi-goddess.” -Pin declared. –“I’m saying it, because you are way more courageous than you think you are, and I’ll say it as many time as you need to hear it!” -she exclaimed.

Mylene knew that Pin was right. There was only truth in the words she spoke. After all she'd been through, fearing a bully seemed silly. But still, there was something inside her that kept her from accepting the fact that she had nothing to fear from Jeanne. And that something was "fear." The fear of the unexpected. Because with an Akuma, she always knew what to expect. She knew that it would try to kill her and get her miraculous. With Jeanne, Mylene did not know how she would get revenge on her, or when that would happen. And the more she thought about it, the more that fear grew inside her.

“But…” -Mylene said, hesitant.

“But nothing! That stupid girl has got nothing on you. She’s nothing more than a bully and bullies are cowards! She’s a coward, who wants to make you feel like a crazy person and question if you’re a coward!” -Pin pointed out. –“I get it that you’re worried about her getting her revenge, but remember, you are a brave and courageous girl.” -she said. –“Even when you’re scared, you go into battle and don’t even think twice about it. If you can take on an Akuma, as well as Hawk Moth and his lieutenants, then you can take on that brat.”

“It’s not about knowing I can take her, Pin. I know I have both the courage and the strength to do it, If I wanted, I could easily break her arm or her leg, if she attacked me.” -Mylene sighed. –“But if I do that, I’ll get in trouble. And I don’t want my parents to get upset with me, because I got myself in trouble, even if it was to defend myself from a bully.” -she said. –“Besides, you know I’m not a violent person. Even when I’m Forest Doe, I try my best not to show a more violent side of myself.”

The little deer kwami knew this was true. Mylene was not a violent person, and she did not like when she had to use any kind of violence to anyone. She did enjoy punching Akumas and other creatures Hawk Moth threw at them and her friends, but in her mind, that was different, as she was not fighting regular people. Still, Pin knew that Mylene needed to take a stand against that girl, and she needed her to understand it.  

“I know that. But if that Jeanne Gagné has targeted you, you need to be ready to fight back, if she comes for you.” -Pin said. –“And you don’t necessarily need to use brute force to deal with her.” -she added. –“Let me ask you this, Mylene. What is your main power, when you’re Forest Doe?”

“It’s invisibility, of course.” -Mylene told her.

“Exactly. Invisibility.” -Pin said. –“You can use that invisibility to your advantage.” -she told her. –“Imagine that she comes for you. Instead of attacking her, or standing up to her, you run. She’ll think that you’re scared, and she’ll chase you. Once you manage to get out of sight, you can become invisible, to either escape her, or teach her a lesson… lke making her fall on her face, or make her fall inside a trash bin. And before you ask me if that’s not misusing your powers for personal reasons, no, it isn’t. It’s using them to make sure that you handle someone, who could become an obstacle on you fulfilling your duties as a miraculous heroine.”

The idea was tempting. And the more she thought about it, the more Mylene remembered the countless episodes of series and movies where the hero or heroine acquired the power of invisibility, and then used it for their own benefit, or to correct some injustice. She wasn't one to use her powers outside of battle. But that was one situation where she didn't mind using them.

“That does sound tempting.” -Mylene admitted, as she continued to imagine herself teaching Jeanne and her buddies a lesson, while invisible. –“But it doesn’t feel right to use my powers to get even with a bully, even if that bully is Jeanne Gagné.” -she sighed. 

“The others do it, from time to time, Mylene. And there’s nothing wrong with you teaching a few bullies a lesson, when they deserve it.” -Pin told her. –“It’ll be like what that Sam Beckett does in that show. Putting things right, where they were once wrong.” -she added.

Even Mylene had to admit that was a very good analogy. To teach Jeanne and her friends a lesson, by using her powers, was something that she felt was the right thing to do, if they decided to come after her.   

“Okay, you convinced me.” -Mylene declared. –“I’ll use my powers to deal with her, but only, and I mean only, if she attacks me first.” -she said, as a thought went by her mind. –“Let’s hope I’m wrong about it, and she doesn’t… oh, stop it, Mylene! You know damn well, that’s she going to make you pay for what happened in London. You need be ready, for when she comes for you, like Pin said.”

She would have continued to think about that, if her cell phone had not vibrated, snapping her back to reality. Pulling it form her pocket, she rolled her eyes, when seeing why it had vibrated.  

“Akuma attack?” -Pin said, as she too looked at the cell’s screen.

“Yup, another one. I was wondering how long it would take Hawk Moth to create another one.” -Mylene sighed. –“And here I thought, I was going to get to rest and relax a little bit, before my parents got home.” -she commented, as she turned off the television.

“No rest for the wicked, as they say.” -Pin said.

“It seems like it. The attack it’s in the 4th arrondissement; we better get going. The faster we deal with this, the better. If I’m not back before my parents arrive, I’ll be in trouble.” -Mylene told Pin.  


And as Mylene transformed into Forest Doe, and made her way to the scene, Rose and Juleka were already chasing the Akuma that was on a rampage, as Flamingo and Corbeau Noire. Having the advantage of flying, the two heroines wasted no time in trying to catch up to the creature that was trashing everything in its way. Cars, trucks, bikes and motorcycles flew through the air. The noise they made as they hit the ground, mingled with the screams of terrified people, along with the wild roars of the creature, which ran after them. It did not matter if this was the umpteenth Akuma that showed up. People reacted the same way they reacted when the very first one appeared; they panicked.

Despite its size, the creature moved with incredible speed. Signaling to her partner, Flamingo created six copies of herself and decided to go down to help those in need, while also trying to stop the creature from causing more damage. In a matter of seconds, they were able to help several people.

From the air, Corbeau Noire saw the creature was heading straight to the Passerelle de Mornay, where a sizable group of people were standing on at the time.

I think I just found the perfect place to trap you.” -Corbeau Noire thought to herself. –“Just need to get rid of the people on the bridge.” -she thought. 

Plunging into the ground, the raven heroine landed in front of the bridge. The people in it, seeing her immediately knew something was wrong. Some quickly ran in search of a safe spot, but others remained where they were, having pulled out their cell phones to record or photograph what was going on. Seeing this, Corbeau was forced to shout at them, so they would disperse.

“Everyone out of the bridge, now!!!” -Corbeau Noire ordered, shouting at the people.

Hearing her, no one moved. But a second later, when they began hearing the commotion caused by the Akuma, they decided to run for their lives. Rolling her eyes, Corbeau wondered how many times that had already happened to her.  

Always the same thing… they see a superhero, who warns them to get away for their own safety, they remain. They hear or see a monster, they run away. Sometimes I wonder if people actually pay attention to what we tell them to do.” -Corbeau Noire mused to herself, as she saw the Akuma getting nearer.

Standing her ground, she waited for the creature to come near her. When she felt it had seen her, she began to walk backwards, expecting it to follow her. When it did, Corbeau Noire made use of her mirror to gain control of the shadows created by the bridge. Bringing them to life, she used them to restrain the Akuma, as this one tried to attack her. With its legs restrained, it tried to break free, only to fail. Believing she had it restrained, the raven heroine confronted it.

“Alright ugly, what’s your name and your power?” -Corbeau Noire asked the creature. –“It’s probably an Akuma that can turn itself into this creature, or numerous creatures, like we’ve seen before.” -she thought to herself, as she stared at the creature’s feral eyes. –“Come on, what’s your name and power? You, Akumas, love the sound of your voice and to brag about how you’re going to kill us heroes.”   

Upon hearing the raven heroine shouting at it, the creature roared at her like a wild animal, spitting droplets the size of baseballs, which hit Corbeau Noire on the face. Feeling them hitting her, she felt both repulsed and disgusted.   

“Hey, say it, don’t spray it!” -Corbeau Noire shouted at it. -“Ew… not wanting to sound like Chloe, but this is utterly disgusting.” -she thought to herself, as she cleaned the slobber from her face with her left hand. –“You can roar all you want, but you’re not going anywhere.”

Roaring again at Corbeau Noire, the creature tried to set itself free once more, to no avail. The shadows caught it, and the heroine had them under her control. Believing it was not going anywhere, she decided to try and talk to it again. But before she could utter a single syllable, something happened. Out of the blue, a slit appeared on the Akuma’s snout and began to spread through the rest of its body. In a matter of seconds, the Akuma split in two and one of them managed to hit Corbeau Noire with its now free front paw, knocking her down. Falling backwards, she hit her head on the concrete, and lost control of the shadows that were holding the now double Akuma.

Free from their shackles of shadows the creatures lunged against Corbeau Noire, before she could react. They intended to turn her into their next meal. Scrapping their front paws against the concrete floor, they tried to bite the raven heroine. Not wanting to be their snack, she was forced to use her hand-mirror, smacking it against the snouts of both Akumas. This only made them angrier, but it also made them draw back long enough for her to get back up. Huffing and puffing, she cursed herself for underestimating the threat.     

I can’t let my guard down with these things.” -Corbeau Noire told herself. –“Sorry, but I’m not going to be your afternoon snack!” -she shouted at the Akumas.

She had just finished talking, when the two creatures lunged themselves at her, forcing her to retreat into the air. Even so, the creatures tried to grab it, jumping into the air, only to be attacked by Flamingo’s copies, who, along with the original Flamingo, came to lend them a hand.

“They’re two now?!” -Flamingo asked Corbeau, surprised.  

“Y-Yeah…” -Corbeau said. –“This guy can duplicate itself, just like you do.” -she added.  

“Only I do it, with a bit more finesse.” -Flamingo said, pulling a smile from her girlfriend. –“My copies can hold them for a bit, but we’re going to need a plan, to deal with it.” -she said, as she looked at her copies fighting the two Akumas. –“You got anything from it? Any information would be good.”

“Nope. A lot of roaring and some slobber, but not a single word.” -Corbeau Noire admitted. –“If I didn’t know any better, I would say it’s just a wild animal.” -she said.  

“Wild animal or not, we can’t let it run around like that.” -Flamingo said. 

“You’re right… so here’s the plan.” -Corbeau Noire told Flamingo. –“You take the one on the right! I’ll take the one on the left!” -she said. –“Let’s try and get them to Place de la Bastille. There, we’ll have a better chance of dealing with them, without damaging things too much.”

“Alright!” -Flamingo exclaimed. –“Lead the way.” -she said. –“Let’s defeat this ugly.”

Going with the raven heroine’s plan, Flamingo and Corbeau Noire each attacked a different Akuma and began to lure them towards the Place de la Bastille. This was not an easy task, especially because the Akumas looked even wilder than before, when they were just one. To prevent them from attacking the people on the street, Flamingo created four more copies of herself and ordered them to protect the civilians, while she and her previous copies engaged the Akuma. These, like the others before, fled when they saw what the two heroines were fighting. And those who did not, to get a better look at the fight, Flamingo copies quickly got them to safety. Corbeau Noire also used her powers over shadows to help them, when there were too many people.

“Hey! Keep your teeth to yourself, buddy!” -Corbeau Noire exclaimed, as she round-kicked the Akuma on the snout, only for this one to try and bite her. –“I said keep your teeth to yourself, buddy! I’m not going to be your afternoon snack!” -she shouted at him, as she dodged it, by backflipping.  

At that time of the day, the Place de la Bastille was quite crowded, as the car drivers on their way home from work, jammed the streets on and around the square. Knowing that, the two heroines wanted to make sure the creature did not cause the same damage it had done earlier. Creating a few more copies, Flamingo tried to keep it busy, while her partner took care of securing the area around them.

“Oh, no you don’t!!! You’re not going anywhere!” -Flamingo and her copies shouted in chorus, as they all attacked the creature at the same time.

To make sure no one would come near them, Corbeau Noire brought most of shadows around the combat area, come to life, to create a blockade, and prevent anyone to come near it, as well as stopping the creature from getting out of it. This did not prove easy, as this one tried to jump over it. But Flamingo and her copies made sure to bring it back down.

“Bad dog!” -Flamingo yelled at it, when it tried to bite her, only to be hit by one of Corbeau’s flying kicks.  

“Keep your teeth away from her!” -Corbeau Noire exclaimed, defending her girlfriend.

As the battle unfolded, the creature’s behaviour became even more feral. Suddenly, the creature began to change appearance. It began to grow until it reached twice its size. And then, its hair began falling off at an alarming rate, and its skin started to look like it was made of some kind of bluish undercooked pudding. And the stench coming from it was awful, with the closest thing to it being burning garbage mixed with Vieux Bologne. The whole thing felt like straight out of a horror movie. As the stench invaded their nostrils, the girls were forced to hold their breath, so they would not vomit. Attacking it, Flaming and her copies got her canes stuck on the creature’s body, forcing them to pull them out of it, as the creature roared in pain.  

“Yuck!!! What’s this thing made of, anyway?!” -Flamingo asked, while trying to get rid of the stuff the creature was made of. –“Ugh… looks like pudding and smells like death just barfed it! ” -she said, as the nauseous smell continued to invade her nostrils.

“I don’t know, it didn’t look like this a couple of moments ago.” -Corbeau Noire said, as she used the shadows already under her command, to create a makeshift cage for it. –“But maybe that’s a good thing! Maybe it’s a sign it’s reaching its limit! “I’m going to try and hold it again, and then, the two of us, and the rest of you ladies, attack it with everything we’ve got!” -she suggested to Flamingo.

She knew she could not make any mistakes this time. She had made the mistake of underestimating that creature minutes before, when she had tried to hold it on the Passarelle du Mornay. She had not expected it to have the power to split in two. But this time, she knew what it was capable of, and she was not going to let it free itself from the shadows’ grasp, if it tried to pull off the same stunt as before.

 

“I think you got it!” -Flamingo exclaimed.

But moments after she had said that, the creature started to grow again, this time a lot faster than before, catching the heroines off guard. Corbeau Noire tried to keep it caged, but the sheer speed at which it was growing, did not give her enough time to reshape the cage of shadows she had put it in. Bursting from it, it savagely lunged at the heroines. With its massive paws, it hit three of Flamingo’s copies, disintegrating them, and wasted no time in going after the other copies, as well as the original and Corbeau Noire.  Feeling like they needed another plan, Flamingo shoot herself upwards, with Corbeau following her right after. Both were hoping to get a couple of seconds to come up with another strategy, while airborne. But that wish was one that would not come true. Before they were 10 meters up in the air, the creature opened its ugly mouth and several tendrils shot from it. Two seconds later, one of them wrapped itself around Corbeau’s left leg.

“Crud!” -Corbeau Noire yelled, as she was pulled down.

“Corbeau!!!” -Flamingo yelled, as panic began to take her over. –“Now’s not the time to panic, Rose! Jules needs you!” -she thought to herself.  –“I’m coming!”

Dodging the other tendrils, the flamingo heroine tried to reach Corbeau, who was seconds away from being devoured by the ugly beast. As for the raven heroine, without a single shadow she could take control of, she resorted to try and kicking her way out of that mess. When that did not work, she used her mirror try and cut the tendril, without great results.

“Crud! I’m going to end up in the stomach of that thing!” -Corbeau Noire thought, when she looked up and saw Flamingo reaching for her.

“Grab on!” -Flamingo said, as she grabbed Corbeau’s right hand. –“Don’t worry! I’ve got you!” -she said, as she pulled her to her.  

Gritting her teeth, Corbeau Noire felt like her leg was about to be ripped from the rest of her body. She wanted to tell Flamingo to let go of her, and to attack the creature, but the pain prevented her from talking. Instead, she just screamed in pain.

“A-Attack it!!!” -Corbeau Noire yelled at her, having managed the strength to say those words.

Flamingo was about to do as she was asked, when she heard a hissing sound, followed by a couple of low thumps and a loud roar from the beast, who let go of Corbeau Noire’s leg, freeing her. Wondering what was happening, the heroines, it did not take long to see that someone else had attacked the beast; someone who used a bow and arrow to fight.       

“Arrows?!” -Corbeau Noire exclaimed, as she landed.

“Looks like we’ve got a guardian angel, looking out for us.” -Flamingo smiled, as she arrived, knowing gully well whom had shot that arrow.

It had taken Forest Doe a little bit longer to get to where the action was taking place, but she had arrived in the nick of time, to save the raven heroine. Smiling, she looked at the creature as this one continued to scream in agony, with several arrows lodged all over its body, and more importantly, three lodged in its right eye.

Bullseye, ugly.” -Forest Doe thought to herself.

Roaring like the wild animal it was, the creature continued to do that, as its body continued to morph, like it had done before. Only this time, its change was not one anyone expected. This one began to melt, until it was nothing more than a puddle of stinking purple goo. This was the first time anything like this happened to the heroines, and while their first thought was of relief, another thought came to their mind. And that thought was one that screamed “What had just happened?”.   

“It’s gone…” -Corbeau Noire said, as she looked at the puddle of disgusting goop on the ground.

“I don’t know about you, but after all this, I’m pretty sure this thing we just fought, wasn’t an Akuma.” -Flamingo said. –“If it was one, there would be one of those butterflies around, and I don’t see one.” -she stated, as she looked around for one.   

“I agree. This was something else entirely. I don’t know exactly how to explain it, but the more I think about it, the more I also believe this thing was not an Akuma.” -Corbeau Noire agreed with her girlfriend. –“The good news is that it won’t hurt anyone, anymore.” -she said, as Forest Doe arrived. –“Thanks for the help. That arrow saved my bacon.”

“Just call me Robin Hood.” -Forest Doe joked, before letting a light-hearted chuckle. –“I’m glad I got here just in time to lend you girls a hand.” -she said. –“Did you get rid of the Akuma Butterfly?”

“That’s just it. There wasn’t one.” -Flamingo said.

“There wasn’t one?” -Forest Doe asked, surprised

“Yes. This thing didn’t have one.” -Flamingo said.

“Since when can Hawk Moth create Akumas without Akuma Butterflies?” -Forest Doe asked.

“That’s just it, I don’t think he can… or at least, I don’t think he can. There’s something in this picture that doesn’t feel right.” -Corbeau Noire said. –“What’s more, none of Hawk Moth’s lieutenants was accompanying this Akuma, and every Akuma we’ve fought was accompanied by one of them.” -she added. –“Then, again, there’s that real possibility this wasn’t an Akuma.”

“What do you mean, there’s a real possibility that thing wasn’t an Akuma?” -Forest Doe asked, confused. –“What else could this thing have been, but an Akuma?” -she asked, as she looked at what was left of it on the ground.   

“I don’t know!” -Corbeau Noire yelled, frustrated. –“Sorry… I didn’t want to yell at you.” -she apologized to Forest Doe. –“It’s just that, you didn’t see it, but this creature was acting differently from most other Akumas we’ve faced. Also, like we told you, it didn’t have an Akuma Butterfly… if it was an Akuma, then, it’s got to be a new kind that doesn’t even need one of those butterflies.”   

All that had happened had left more questions unanswered than answers to them. They did not know what was going on, but something told them they had to share what had happened with the rest of the gang.

“We better get out of here.” -Flamingo said, as she saw people starting to approach them, including the media. –“I’m not in the mood to give interviews.

“I’m with you. Let’s teleport to the Garden of the Ancients and tell this to the master.” -Corbeau Noire said, while looking at Flamingo and Doe.

Chapter 11: La Paon

Chapter Text

The battle in the Place de la Bastille was seen by hundreds of people, who saw it as another successful rescue of Paris, by three of the Miraculous heroes. They were relieved to see another one of Hawk Moth's creations defeated. But not everyone who saw it happening, was happy about it. A pair of eyes that had watched the battle, from the roof top of one of the buildings around the square, and that belonged to none other than Hawk Moth's lieutenant, Reptile, was not at all happy about the event. When the creature showed up, he was looking for another victim for his master, and upon seeing it battling Flamingo and Corbeau Noire, he decided to change back into his true appearance, and made his way to the rooftop of that building, using the fire ladder.

As he climbed the ladder, he wondered what was truly going on, while also trying his best to ignore his instinct to go and try to kill the heroines, which was not easy. Reptile was not one to pass an opportunity to exact his revenge on the Miraculous heroes, who had defeated him more times he could remember. But this time, something told him that if he did that, he would get into even further problems.

The creature did not emit the same energy as an Akuma. and that alone was enough for Reptile to understand that there was something more happening. Whenever Hawk Moth akumatized someone, he would feel its energy, and this time, he had not felt it. Once on the rooftop, he contacted his master, to tell him what he was seeing.

"Master, there is something you must see. Something unbelievable." -Reptile told Hawk Moth, via telepathy.

Hearing Reptile's voice, as he was meditating, Hawk Moth wondered what was the hurry. He did not know why his lieutenant was bothering him, as Reptile did not mention the words "victim" or "Akuma". But Hawk Moth knew that Reptile knew better than to disturb him, unless it was something important. Opening his eyes, he made use of his telepathic link with his lieutenant. Looking through Reptile's eyes, the villain saw Flamingo and Corbeau Noire fighting the creature.

"What is that… no, it can't be…" -Hawk Moth thought to himself, as he saw the creature Flamingo and Corbeau Noire were facing.

Hawk Moth was speechless, as he continued to watch the battle unfolding, feeling like he was seeing a ghost or a spectre, that had come back from the dead to haunt him. When the battle ended, with the creature becoming liquified, and Forest Doe joined the other two heroines, Reptile was silently wishing for his master to give him the order to attack them. As he saw it, that was the perfect opportunity for him to take the down.

"There they are… all I have to do is jump out of here and attack them!" -Reptile thought to himself. –"I have to… no! I can't go. If I go down there, without the master's orders, I'll be punished." -he thought. –"I must wait until he tells me that I can go. And when he does, I'll pluck the feathers off those two birdies, and skin that doe, so I can turn it into a new jacket for myself."

But the order never came. And soon, the heroines teleported out of there, leaving Reptile to wonder why Hawk Moth did not order him to attack them. Seconds went by, and his master did not utter a single word. It was uncommon for Hawk Moth to act like that.

"Master? Master?! Are you listening to me?!" -Reptile asked, wondering if Hawk Moth was simply ignoring him, or not.

"I am here, Reptile." -Hawk Moth answered him, via telepathy. -"Return to the hideout." -he ordered him.

"But master, what about that creature? Maybe I can try and…" -Reptile said.

"I said, return to the hideout, immediately." -Hawk Moth ordered him, his voice clearly showing impatience.

"Yes, master." -Reptile said, before breaking the telepathic link.

Reptile knew well not to infuriate his master, once he had given him an order. More than once, he had felt his wrath, and he had no interest in feeling it again, if he could help it. Obeying Hawk Moth's orders, Reptile climb down the way he came. Once on the ground, he quickly changed his outward appearance and began to walk away from there, with the intention of returning to the hideout. Meanwhile, in this one, Hawk Moth was pacing back and forth inside his private chamber. Days before, he thought he had felt an energy signature that was familiar to him. And now with the appearance of that creature, he knew that he had not imagined things, and his presentiment was no longer just a presentiment, but a reality. Someone he knew too well had come back, and he knew that that was going to be a problem. Reflecting on what his next move would be, he reached a conclusion in a matter of seconds.

"My past has come to haunt me." -Hawk Moth mused to himself. –"They say that you can run from your past, but that eventually it catches up with you." -he thought. –"Well, let it come. I will be ready, for when it comes knocking at my door. I do not fear what is coming, and neither will my lieutenants... and this time, I will finish what I started all those centuries ago."


As it was his custom at Friday afternoon, master Fu was in the Garden of the Ancients meditating, when the girls showed up to tell him the news. And as it was his custom, he had put his headphones on, to fully appreciate the Oriental music that he had chosen for that meditation session. Breathing in and out, he believed himself alone in that place. So much, that when he felt Flamingo's hand on his shoulder, he almost had a heart attack.

"S-Sorry, master. I didn't want to scare you, or break your concentration." -Flamingo apologized to him, as the old master's heart calmed down.

Upon seeing them transformed, the old master guessed that they were bearing bad news. But because they all began to talk at the same time, he had to ask them to calm down, so he could understand what was going on.

"Please, girls, one at the time. One at the time." -Master Fu begged them. –"If you all talk at the same time, I won't be able to understand you." -he told them.

"Sorry, master." -the three heroines said in chorus.

"Okay, now, one of you tell me what's going on." -Master Fu said, before looking Flamingo in the eyes. –"Rose, go ahead, tell me what's the matter." -he told her.

Taking a deep breath, the blonde began to narrate what had happened to her and her friends, without skipping on the details. She wanted to make sure that master Fu knew everything that happened. And the old master heard her, listening to every word that came out of her mouth. And like it had happened before, he was surprised by what he was told.

"An Akuma without an Akuma Butterfly, you say?" -Master Fu asked.

"That's right, master." -Forest Doe said. –"It didn't have one." -she said.

"And we're not even sure it was an Akuma." -Corbeau Noire said. –"It was behaving differently from most Akumas we've faced, master." -she said.

"And on top of it, it kept changing its appearance and size." -Flamingo said. –"So far, we never had an Akuma that did that… I mean, we had Akumas that changed appearance and size, but never like this." -she added.

The more he heard them, the more the old master wondered what could be happening. During his time as a miraculous holder, he never saw anything like what the girls were describing, and that made him uncomfortable. He did not consider himself an absolute expert in everything regarding Hawk Moth, but he knew enough about the villain to not be caught off guard, most of the time. But what he was being told, went against everything he had seen with his own eyes, and of course, everything that he had been taught by his late master. The more he thought about the possibility that there were things about Hawk Moth's powers that he did not know, and was never told about, the more he believed that to be a possibility. With his thoughts swirling inside his mind, master Fu did not realize that Forest Doe was talking to him, until she yelled at him.

"Master? Master? Master!" -Forest Doe exclaimed.

"Uh… yes? Sorry, my mind was somewhere else." – Master Fu apologized to her. –"You were saying, my dear?" -he asked her.

"I was asking, if it's even possible for Hawk Moth to create other creatures that aren't Akumas, or not?" -Forest Doe asked him.

"Not to my knowledge, no." -Master Fu answered her. –"As far as I know, he can only produce Akumas, and of course Akuma scouts, via Akumas that can create the butterflies that turn people into them." -he said. –"But that doesn't mean he doesn't have the power to do so. One of his previous incarnations could've had that power, and only now has he been able to tap into it."

"Wait, is that even possible?!" -Corbeau Noire asked the old master.

"Quite so, yes." -Master Fu said. –"I must admit that I know a lot about Hawk Moth, but I don't know everything. And I what I know, is from what I observed and what I was told." -he said. –"On top of that, there's always the possibility that he might have developed a new ability, by experimenting with his powers."

Upon hearing this, the girls could not help but to feel like someone had pulled the carpet from under their feet. They knew that Hawk Moth was very powerful, but they liked to believe that they had seen what he could do with his powers, and that they were powerful enough to take him on. But once again, reality came knocking on the door, to remind them that they could not think like that. Seeing just how stressed they were, the old master decided that they needed to calm down, and there was only one thing to do.

"I want you girls to go home, for now." -Master Fu said. –"I'll text everyone and tell them that it is imperative that we talk about what happened." -he said. –"After calm your nerves down and have dinner, you'll come back here and we will talk about what you saw."

"You're not going to offer us some tea, and a few words of wisdom, master?" -Corbeau Noire asked him, curious. –"You're always saying that there's nothing better for calming our nerves, than some tea." -she said.

"I could do that. But I feel that after what you girls went through, I could serve each of you, a full pot of Oolong tea, that it wouldn't calm your nerves." -Master Fu said joyfully, trying to ease up the situation. –"Now, off you go. Remember, rest and eat properly. We don't' need any exhausted or nervous heroes." -he said, once again in a joyful tone.

"Very well, master." -Forest Doe said.

"While you rest and have dinner, I'll do some research, and see if there's anything on this kind of creature, and if Hawk Moth has anything to do with it." -Master Fu declared. –"Hopefully, the temple's library will have a book that can provide us with some answers." -he thought to himself.


Sticking to the plan, Flamingo, Corbeau Noire and Forest Doe, returned home, while master Fu dedicated himself to research. He was hopeful that in the temple's library there would be a book that would help him discover what that creature really was, and if Hawk Moth had the power to create it, without resorting to an Akuma Butterly. After he texted everyone, to show up in the garden, after dinner, he entered the library, closing the doors behind him. Checking the tomes that he believed would have any kind of information, he found nothing. This led him to search in other books, where he also did not find anything. Using the Ampulla Hourglass to give himself a little bit more time to find anything in the library, the old man was hoping to have good news, for when the teenagers got there. But time went by and he found nothing. There was no evidence of Hawk Moth having the power to create, and when checking for any enemy the Miraculous Order had faced before, and who could create creatures like the one that rampaged through Paris that afternoon, he did not find anything useful.

Eventually, time ran out and one by one the teenagers all arrived. The master had texted everyone, including Miss Bustier. Gathering in the room where the Book of Prophecies rested, like they always did. And when they all arrived, and asked why they had been called there, as master Fu did not specify it in the text, he told them what had happened. Gathering around in a circle, with the kwamis all seated in the middle of them, they listened to every word that came out of the old man's mouth.

"I thought it had been just another Akuma." -Sabrina said.

"Unfortunately, it wasn't the case." -Mylene sighed.

"I hate to ask this again, but are you girls sure that there wasn't an Akuma Butterfly, when that thing got liquified?" -Alix asked the girls.

"Yes, we're sure, Alix." -Rose told her. –"If there was one, one of us would've seen it." -she said, while pointing at Juleka and Mylene.

Rose, Juleka and Mylene had pointed out the absence of an Akuma Butterfly, when the creature was defeated, more times than they could remember then. But even after doing it, there was always someone asking the same thing again. Normally, they would get upset for having to repeat themselves, over and over. But they could not blame their friends for questioning what happened, because they too had asked themselves the same thing, more than once.

"This never happened before." -Alya said.

"You're right, foxy fox." -Nino agreed with her. –"If there was one thing that we always took for granted, is that whenever Hawk Moth sends someone or something to attack the city, is that they all have an Akuma Butterfly that grants them their powers." -he said.

"Yeah, always… until now." -Kim said, grimly.

"I know this looks and sounds bad, but whatever lies ahead, I'm quite sure that you will all be able to face it, like you always do." -Miss Bustier said, trying to boost their morale.

"If not an Akuma, then, what was it? Plus, we're all thinking assuming that Hawk Moth created it, but what if he didn't? What if it was created by another enemy." -Max said. –"There's also that possibility, as well." -he added.

"Another enemy? Is that even possible?" -Alix asked.

"Are there more enemies, other than Hawk Moth and the Collector, that we should know about, master?" -Marinette asked. –"We never asked him that, because we believed if there were, he would've told us about them. Plus, Tikki and the other kwamis never said a word about it either." -she thought to herself.

"Well, there are… or better yet, there were, and allow me to put emphasis on "were". These enemies also had magical abilities. But they have all been vanquished, a long time ago." -Master Fu answered her. –"By the time I became a miraculous holder, they had been out of the picture for centuries." -he said.

"But what if one of these enemies hasn't been defeated, but the order believed it was, and now it's back?" -Mylene asked the other master. –"There's always a chance, right?" -she asked, insisting on the matter.

"Yes, there's always that hypothesis, I admit it." -Master Fu said. –"Still, I don't think that's the case." -he declared. –"From the research I did, from the enemies the miraculous holders have faced over the millennia, none of them had the power to create creatures like the one Rose and the girls faced this afternoon."

"Okay, maybe it wasn't an enemy that one of the previous holders faced. But what if it's someone else who knows about the miraculous? And when I say someone, I'm not just talking about regular people. Nowadays people know about our miraculouses but they don't really know what they truly are. The only thing they know is that they grant us powers and that Hawk Moth wants them, so he can destroy them." -Adrien declared. –"I'm talking about people who don't have magical abilities, but have an understanding of the matter and somehow, someway, they know about the kwamis and their powers." -he said.

"I never thought about it, before." -Marinette admitted –"I mean, there have been countless miraculous holders and guardians of the secret. They all knew about the kwamis. What if one of them, somehow let out some kind of information, regarding the kwamis and the, and someone nowadays, knows about them? That would make that someone look for them, or any other kind of magic there is, and make use of it?" -she pondered.

"That's a really big "what-if", Marinette. But it's one that I'm inclined to believe." -Adrien said.

"But don't you think that if anyone had known about the kwamis and their powers, they would've said it by now, bro?" -Nino asked him. –"I mean, we've been out there for months, fighting crime and Akumas. If there was anyone who knew about the miraculous and the kwamis, wouldn't they have made themselves known to us?" -he asked.

"Maybe, I don't know." -Adrien admitted. –"I mean, there's always the chance that they didn't want anyone to know about them, until they deemed the time was right." -he said.

"That sounds a lot like something a James Bond villain would do." -Kim commented. –"And before anyone has the idea of telling me to shut up about it, allow me to finish what I'm saying." -he told the others. –"What if, and I know it's an even bigger what if, than the one Marinette was saying, whoever's behind this creature is someone who doesn't want people to find out that somehow, someway, they managed to replicate the powers of Hawk Moth's miraculous has?"

"I hope not. Just thinking about it, makes me shiver." -Rose said.

"If that happens to be true, and I'm truly hoping it doesn't turn out to be it, I'm more interested in finding out how would they know about the miraculouses, the kwamis and their powers." -Alya said. –"I mean, people know about the miraculouses, but have no idea about the kwamis." -she said.

As he heard them talking about it, a distant memory popped up in the old master's mind; a memory pertaining to the subject Adrien and Nino were talking about. It had been years, since he had thought about it, and now that he remembered it, he felt like sharing it with the young ones.

"Well, I never touched this issue, because I didn't feel it was necessary Throughout the centuries, the miraculouses have been known to exist and its existence has been depicted in numerous ways. Most of the times, the knowledge anyone had about them, has been passed by in the form relics and other sort of objects that most people tended to doubt they truly existed, or that had any power at all." -Master Fu said. –"Sufficient to say that through most of the time, since their creation, they have managed to blend in, in a way that makes them both real and made believe. But like everything else, sometimes people tended to find out about the truth about them. And some of the people who did, were anything but good. The Nazis, for example; they knew about the miraculouses' existence, though they believed these were relics from an ancient civilization, whose power could be harnessed, and used as a weapon." -he told them.

"The Nazis knew about the miraculouses?" -Ivan asked.

"Yes. As most of you know, Hitler, like so many others at the time, was fascinated by the occult. So, you can imagine that the idea of possessing magical objects, that would grant them unimaginable powers, was something quite appealing." -Master Fu said. –"I believe that the Nazis found out about the miraculouses, through one of the last surviving members of Hawk Moth's cult, who might have told them about then." -he said. –"But whatever they might've been told, it was only enough for them to make assumptions… Still, sufficient to say that they tried to look for them. Don't exactly know how, but they came close to finding me, once, during the occupation of France. But I did my best to keep out of sight, by hiding here, most of the time."

"If they had managed to get them…" -Alya said, as she imagined

"It would be all for nothing, hopefully." -Master Fu said. –"Fortunately, the miraculous can only be activated by those whose name is in the Book of Prophecies, or someone who has any kind of magical powers." -he stated. –"The only thing they could've done with them, would've been to extract some of its power, though I hardly believe they would've been able to do it, with that era's technology. Besides, like you and I know, it's the kwami who have the power. The miraculouses are just objects, which without a kwami, are useless. The fact they were looking for the miraculous, and not the kwamis, reveals that they did not know very much about the matter."

"Well, at least we don't have to imagine what Nazis with superpowers like ours look like." -Kim joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Did you manage to give them the slip?" -Alix asked the old master.

"I did." -Master Fu said. –"And no, I didn't use any Jedi tricks." -he told them, after looking at Kim, who he knew was going to say something like that. –"I made them think that they had caught me, by asking Trixx to use her powers, to create an illusion."

"One of my best works, I might say." -Trixx said, proud of herself.

"They believed that they had killed me, and taken the miraculouses with them. But it was all an illusion. And what they took were some mere baubles that I found in some antiquary." -Master Fu said. –"All this to say, that over time, many have tried to get the miraculouses and failed." -he said.

It was clear that Master Fu believed that whatever that creature had been, it had not been the work of any enemy the Miraculous Order had faced in the past. And he was not the only one. The kwamis also believed that. Them, better than anyone else, would remember if they had ever seen a creature like that one that afternoon, as well as who would have created it.

"Okay, maybe whoever created that creature wasn't Hawk Moth, or someone who has managed to get magical powers, though other means. But what about someone with a miraculous? What if that creature was created by another miraculous holder?" -Alya asked. –"I mean, I know that's practically impossible, but what if there's a miraculous around that we don't know about?" -she hypothesized.

"Other than the Zodiac miraculouses, I have no knowledge of there being any others." -Master Fu confessed. –"And regarding the Zodiac miraculouses, those are safe where I hid them, and none of them possess the power to create creatures that are similar to Akumas." -he pointed out.

"You guys can feel other kwamis, right?" -Nino asked the kwamis. –"Have you felt any other kwami, other than yourselves?" -he asked.

"No." -Tikki said.

"If we had, you guys would've been the first ones to know about it." –Plagg said.

The conversation around that subject would have continued if suddenly the Book of Prophecies had not started to glow, alerting everyone in the room. When this happened, it meant that a new page, describing an event, had appeared. Usually, the book revealed a page when something was already in progress. But sometimes, it revealed that it would still happen. And this time, it showed something that was yet to happen. On the page was a figure none of them had ever seen. It was a woman in an indigo blue medieval dress and black shoes. On her chest, she had a light greyish blue-violet pendant, adorned with pink crystals on the top of each segment. Additionally, the lower part of the pendant looked like a single teardrop of the same colour of the other crystals. In her right hand she held a blue fan, which appeared to be made of peacock feathers that were blue, white and red. Physically, she was a tall, slender woman. Her hair was black, her eyes were blue, and her skin was white as alabaster.

"Fascinating." -Master Fu said, as he looked at the book.

"Who is she? An Akuma?"-Miss Bustier asked.

"Maybe she's a new lieutenant that Hawk Moth got?" -Nathaniel hypothesized.

"It wouldn't be the first time he got more help. We're pretty good at our jobs." -Kim bragged.

"Well, whoever she is, I don't like her clothes. That shade of blue is awful; not to mention her dress looks like something worn by someone in those corny Renaissance fairs." -Chloe said, while looking at the pages. –"But her fan is pretty, I'll give her that." -she admitted.

"Hey, what is that on her chest?" -Max asked. –"That looks like… like a miraculous." -he said.

"A miraculous?" -Marinette asked, as she looked at the object in the illustration. –"I don't know. I mean, it could be one…" -she said.

Looking at the illustration, the kwamis too wondered if the object the woman had on her chest was a miraculous or not. And suddenly, three of them, Wayzz, Tamara and Pin began to shake like a leaf, which lead the other kwamis to wonder what was going on with them.

"What's the matter guys?" -Plagg asked them.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." -Flint said.

The teenagers, as well as the adults also noticed the three kwamis, and asked them if they were feeling alright. And Pin, Wayzz and Tamara told them that they knew who the woman in the illustration was, much to their surprise.

"What do you mean, you know who she is?" -Master Fu asked them.

"She's a miraculous holder, just like Juleka and the others, master." -Tamara said.

"And her name… is La Paon." -Wayzz declared.

Chapter 12: Hawk Moth's Equal

Chapter Text

Minutes before, master Fu had assured them that he was not aware that there were other miraculous, besides those they had, and the Zodiac one. But now, three of the kwamis were saying that the person in the illustration that appeared in the Book of Prophecies was also a miraculous holder. Hearing this, everyone fell silent as they processed the information they had just received. If anyone had asked them how they were feeling, they would most likely say that they felt like someone had swept the rug from under their feet.

“La Paon?” -Marinette asked.

“That’s French for peacock.” -Adrien said.

“What do you guys mean she’s a miraculous holder?” -Tikki asked the three kwamis.

“Guys, if this is some kind of joke, I’m not getting it, and I’m usually the funny one around these parts.” -Flint declared.

“It’s no joke. She’s a miraculous holder.” -Pin said, with a serious voice. –“She’s just like Hawk Moth. She has a miraculous without a kwami.” -she said.

“A miraculous without a kwami?” -Mylene asked her kwami. –“I thought that other than Hawk Moth, the Collector was the only one who had such a thing, and in his case, they had become his armour.” -she thought to herself.

“And that’s not all. She was working with him, to get the miraculouses.” -Tamara said.

“She is just as dangerous as Hawk Moth, if not even more, master.” -Wayzz declared, while looking Fu in the eyes.

“I think you better start that story from the beginning.” -Master Fu said.

“Indeed. I think I speak for us all, when I say that this is one tale that we all want to hear and understand.” -Miss Bustier said.  

Giving Wayzz, Pin and Tamara the podium, everyone gathered around them and allowed them to tell them what they knew about the woman on the illustration. Like always, there were a lot of doubts, and more than once they were interrupted with questions from both humans and kwamis. But they did not mind it. In fact, it helped them to tell them something that seemingly only the three of them knew about. Nino, Mylene and Juleka could tell, just from looking into their kwamis eyes that they had remembered something that was anything but pleasant. The old master felt this too, and wondered what the kwamis were going to tell them.   

“So, you’re saying this miraculous holder is just like Hawk Moth?” -Pollen asked the kwamis.

“Yes.” -Pin said.

“How come you know this, but none of us do?” -Imp asked. –“How is that even possible?” -he insisted on the matter.

“Imp, calm down, and let them talk.” -Kim told his kwami. –“Usually, I’m the one who’s told to take things easy.” -he thought to himself.

“It’s complicated.” -Tamara sighed.  

“Then, maybe you should start from the very beginning.” -Juleka smiled at her. –“I can feel that it’s not going to be easy for them to tell us this.” -she thought to herself.  –“And take your time, okay? That goes for all of you.”

“She’s right.” -Marinette said. –“We’ve got time.” -she said. –“Start from the beginning, and take your time.”

“Very well.” -Wayzz said, before taking a deep breath. –“This all happened during the time, when the three of us were the kwamis of three of the Knights of the Round Table.” -he said

“The Knights of the Round Table?” -Miss Bustier asked, surprised. –“Then, does that mean that King Arthur…” -she said, as she tried to process what she had heard.

“Existed? Yeah, he did. I was his kwami.” -Plagg told her. –“Muria and Mulan there, were also around, back then.” -he added, much to continuous surprise of the teacher.

“So, the Arthurian legends are real?” -Miss Bustier asked the black cat kwami. –“I-I’m sorry, but it’s just that I never thought that…”

“It’s okay, Miss Bustier.” -Nathaniel said. –“We were also surprised, when they told us about some of the people who wielded their miraculouses, a long time ago.” -he admitted.

“Yes. And Arthur was one of the coolest people to wield my miraculous. Great man. Great king. Great fighter, and best of all, a cheese lover. He loved goat cheese. Could eat a large wheel by himself in an hour, if he had the opportunity.” -Plagg said, as he reminisced on those times. –“Sometimes, we had cheese eating competitions. I don’t have to tell you that these competitions were quite fierce. Losing was not an option for the both of us, and…” -he went on.  

“Uh, Plagg, not that I don’t like to hear those stories of yours, but…” -Wayzz said.

“Right, right, right, sorry about that.” -Plagg apologized. –“Go on, guys. We’re listening.” -he told Wayzz and the others. –“Oh, one last things. Unlike the Arthurian legends from the 11th and the 12th century, Arthur and the other knights lived in the 5th century. Just wanted to add that… go on.”

“Thanks, Plagg.” -Pin said, with a sarcastic voice. –“The first thing you must know is how some of the knights of the Round Table became miraculous holders.” -she said. –“When this happened, Camelot was already reality for a few years. It wasn’t the enchanted kingdom with a magnificent castle, that people think it was, from reading all those tales, but it was a place where those who sought protection and mercy would find it. And more importantly, it was a place where justice reigned, and where although there was a king, he did not rule alone, but with the help and advice of his knights and his queen.”

“Not wanting to interrupt, but where was Camelot located?” -Kim asked, which earned him the stink-eye from Alix. –“What? I’m really curious.” -he said.

“It was located on what is Somerset today.” -Wayzz answered him. –“Going back to the story, Camelot was indeed a place where high morals were uphold. But outside of the walls of its walls, superstition and the sword ruled. It was a world of fear. It was an age where all sorts of dangers roamed the land. Bandits, robbers, Vandals, Visigoths, among others took advantage of the poor people who had nothing.” -he explained.

“But before even Camelot was built, Arthur had to go through a series of trials, to prove himself worthy of the crown. Trials that were devised by Merlin, who in time would become a keeper of the secret of the miraculous, by the way. The last of the trials was to pull the sword Calibur from the stone; a feat that would crown him king, as most of you know, the only one who would be able to pull it, would become king of England. ” -Pin said.

“You mean Excalibur.” -Km said. –“King Arthur’s sword was Excalibur.” -he said, correcting the deer kwami.

“No, I mean Calibur. Calibur was the sword that was on the stone. This one only became Excalibur, after he was given the black cat miraculous.” -Pin said.  

“Okay, sorry, I won’t interrupt again. But I have one question. He pulled the sword from the stone. But the sword isn’t Excalibur. And if you’re saying that it only became Excalibur once he was given the miraculous, then, what’s the Lady of the Lake role in this?” -Kim asked her. –“I’m just curious.” -he said.

“The Lady of the Lake was an Akuma, and had nothing to do with it, Kim. I know, I was there.” -Plagg said. –“I don’t know why people wrote that she helped Arthur and the knights, but she didn’t. She tried to kill him and claim his miraculous.” -he declared.  

“Anyways, going back to the tale, once he pulled the sword from the stone and was crowned king, Arthur took it upon himself to rule the land and create a kingdom where people could live happily and thrive. To do that, he assembled the best knights in the land and formed what would become the Knights of the Round Table.” -Pin declared.  

“That’s when the names of six knights showed up in the Book of Prophecies.” -Tamara said. –“The first one was Arthur, who became the holder of Plagg’s miraculous. The second one was Sir Galahad, who became the holder of Mulan’s miraculous. The third one was Sir Percival, who became the holder of Wayzz’s miraculous. The fourth one was Sir Gawain, who became the holder of Muria’s miraculous. The fifth one was Sir Kay, who became the holder of Pin’s miraculous. And last, but not least, Sir Lancelot, who became the holder of my miraculous.” -she said.

So, Arthur, Galahad, Percival, Gawain, Kay and Lancelot became the equivalents to Chat Noir, Panda Roux, Carapace, Grizzly Bear, Forest Doe and Corbeau Noire, respectively.” -Marinette thought to herself.    

The three kwamis, with a little help from Plagg and Muria, told them how for years, Arthur and the knights used their powers to bring peace to the kingdom, and making the lives of people easier, by assuring their safety. But like it happened so many times, one can please some of the people all of the time, and one can also please all of the people some of the time, but one cannot please all of the people all of the time.

“But not everyone was happy with what happened.” -Wayzz said. –“Being a king, Arthur made all kinds of enemies. But none of them was as dangerous as his nephew, Mordred, the son of Arthur’s half-sister, Morgan le Fay.” -he said. –“He was already a fierce warrior with a thirst for blood. But when Hawk Moth possessed his body and turned him into a human vessel for his spirit, he became even worst.”

“He was Hawk Moth?” -Nino asked.

“Yes. And you can imagine just how bad things got, when he decided his lieutenants weren’t enough to handle the king and his knights, because he did something that he had seemingly never done before.” -Tamara said. –“He created another miraculous… the peacock miraculous, and gave it to his mother.” -she said.

By saying those words, the little kwami caused the atmosphere in the room to change drastically. They already knew about the miraculous, but they did not know who had created it and to who it had been given to. So, all that information came as a big shock.

“Hold on! Hawk Moth was the one who created La Paon’s miraculous?!” -Alya asked, surprised.

“But why would he do that? If he wants to destroy all the miraculouses, then why create one?” -Chloe asked. –“It makes no sense.” -she said.  

“We’re not sure of why he did it, but from what I remember, he said something about balancing the scales of power, or something similar.” -Tamara said, as the details of what happened to her Pin and Wayzz continued to flow into their tiny heads, the same way water flows from a dam, when this one opens.

“You heard him say that?” -Flint asked the raven kwami.

“Yes. It happened when we found out that La Paon was Morgan le Fay.” -Tamara said, answering the flamingo kwami.    

“Wait, wait, wait! Go back a notch. Are you telling me that La Paon is actually Morgan le Fay, who was King Arthut’s half-sister and Merlin’s archnemesis?” -Muria asked, not believing what he had heard. –“That same Morgan le Fay?!” -he insisted.

“Yes.” -Tamara said.

And with that, La Paon's identity was discovered. On the one hand, it should not have come as a surprise, given what they knew of the Arthurian legends. But on the other hand, it was a surprise. But the ones who were more amazed by the news were the three kwamis, who like Pin, Wayzz and Tamara fought alongside them during that time, and had no idea that happened.

“I remember her giving Arthur trouble, but I didn’t know she had become the female equivalent to Hawk Moth.” –Plagg confessed. –“And how come you guys know that, and we don’t?” -he asked, while signalling Muria and Mulan.

“That is quite the tale. And there’s a good reason why we knew about it, but only now we could remember.” -Pin said.   

(Flashback)

The air smelled of putrefaction, in what looked like a dungeon. The light that illuminated that room came from the various torches that burned on the stone walls, as well as from the huge fireplace where the fire crackled. In a cell were three knights, all of them laying on the floor, unconscious. These were Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain and Sir Kay; members of the Knights of the Round Table, as well as the Miraculous Order. The three were prisoners, but they did not know it yet. But their kwamis knew it. Pin, Wayzz and Tamara were trapped on top of the table by the fireplace, surrounded by a magical seal. The three wondered how long it would take the knights to wake up. By then, they should have woken up, but they still had not, and that was worrying the kwamis. They had been attacked and then dragged to that place.

“How long do you think it has gone, since we arrived here?” -Pin asked the other kwamis.

“I don’t know. It could’ve been a few hours… or a few days.” -Wayzz said. –“There’s no way to know how long it has been.” -he sighed. –“And there’s nothing we can do to get out of here.”

“Hate to say it, but you’re right.” -Tamara agreed, with a grim voice. –“But right now, I just wished Lancelot and the others woke up.”

Out of the blue, the fireplace slid to the right, revealing a secret entrance, from where a woman came out. She was dressed with an indigo blue dress and black shoes. On her chest, she had a light greyish blue-violet pendant, adorned with pink crystals on the top of each segment. I n her right hand, she was holding a fan that she was waving vigorously against her face.

“So, how are you, since we last talked a few hours ago?” -La Paon asked the kwamis. –“I truly hope the accommodations are to your liking.” -she said. 

It was not the first time she talked to them. Since they were brought in by Hawk Moth’s lieutenants, the previous night, La Paon had spent some of her time talking to them. She had been the one to remove the miraculouses from the knights who were wearing them and placed them and their respective kwamis under the restraining seal, which prevented them from leaving. And just like the other times, they refused to talk back to her.

“You really don’t like to talk, do you? It’s such a shame, because you are adorable. I‘m not into adorable and fluffy things, but there’s no other words to describe you how you look.” -La Paon said, while cackling. –“It’s still hard to believe that you little creatures are the ones who give those imbeciles over there, their powers.” -she said.

Tamara did not like La Paon’s words, and she had to make use of all her inner strength not to yell at her, for offending Lancelot and the others. Still, you could see in her eyes, that she did not like what the woman was saying. 

“Your powers are wasted on them. But don’t fear. I have plans to use you and your miraculouses, my pretties.” -La Paon declared, before letting out a maniacal laugh into the air. –“You’re going to help me achieve my goals.” -she said.

Suddenly, the doors to that dungeon burst open, and a tall man in armour entered. His armour was adorned with dozens of skull symbols. The shoulder pads, the helmet he was holding in his hands, the crown, the boots, the knees, and the breastplate all sported these designs. On his head, he was wearing a black crown adorned with amethysts. The rest of his armour was coloured in heavy shades of purple and black, as well as silver. Hanging from his waist, he had a long sword, that just like his crown, had its hilt adorned with amethysts. He was Hawk Moth, and he did not look happy.   

“Why did you tell the men outside that you did not want them to enter this dungeon?!” -Hawk Moth bellowed at La Paon.

“I wanted to have a few little momenta with our little magical friends here.” -La Paon said. –“I was just telling them that we aren’t going to destroy their miraculouses.” -she said.

“What do you mean, we aren’t going to destroy the miraculouses?” -Hawk Moth asked her, not understanding her reluctance to do it.

“You heard me. I am not going to repeat myself. If you want to destroy something, then kill the idiot knights that were wearing the miraculouses.” -La Paon told him. –“Why would you want to destroy, what you can possibly use to your advantage?” -she asked him. –“Imagine the chaos that we could create, if we had these little creatures working for us.”

“We’ve had this conversation before. You know quite well that there is no way for me to make use of the miraculouses. And if I can’t use them, then, I’ll destroy them, to prevent anyone from using them against me. Even if I have to destroy them, one by one.” -Hawk Moth replied to her, with a cold voice.

“I remember you saying it.” -La Paon said. –“But what if you’re wrong? You say the only way for those miraculouses to work, is if they’re used by those chosen by them on some magical book. But what if there’s a way for us to use them? What if there’s a way, we can break that rule and make use of their power?” -she asked him, before taking letting out a maniacal laughter. 

“And you think I haven’t tried before?! For centuries… millennia, I’ve researched for ways to do it, and I’ve failed.” -Hawk Moth shouted at her, as he felt his patience running low.  

“Maybe you have failed. But me? Maybe I’ll be able to do what you haven’t done. You may be powerful, but that doesn’t mean that you know everything there is to know.” -La Paon said. –“I mean, we can’t expect you to know everything. Especially, when your favourite hobby is to create Akumas, using prisoners and then throw them out of this castle, so they can go and cause chaos and mayhem, to attract Arthur and the other knights inro a trap… One would expect, if you knew everything, that this tactic of yours is completely useless! If you had any brains, you would have changed tactics a long time ago. Maybe then, you would actually manage to capture the miraculouses, or at the very least, invade Camelot!”

Enraged by those words, Hawk Moth pounded his left fist against the table’s hardwood. One could clearly see that if he was angered before, now he was more than angered. He was mighty pissed.  

“How dare you speak to me like that?! Do you know who you’re talking to?!” -Hawk Moth vociferated, his voice filled with anger. 

“And do you realize who you’re talking to?! I’m your mother!” -La Paon

“No, you’re not my mother!” -Hawk Moth declared with an enraged and displeased voice. –“You are the mother of the host, whose body I’ve possessed! We do not share a blood bond! The only bond we share is that of master and servant! And as your master, you will show me the proper respect I deserve!” -he yelled at La Paon, who began to laugh maniacally.

“Or what? Do you think I am one of those useless generals you created, and who you are continuously torturing and killing, whenever they fail you, only to create new ones?!” -La Paon asked him. –“And the last time I checked, I wasn’t your servant! I am your equal! It happened, when you gave me this miraculous! That makes us partners, and you only have my son’s body as your own, because you promised me that you would make him king!” -she yelled at him. –“A promise which you still haven’t fulfilled! Mordred should’ve been crowned king of England by now!”

“He and I are one now, and I’ll be king, not only of this kingdom, but of the whole world.” -Hawk Moth declared. –“You scorn of my generals, but its thanks to them, that we have captured those three knights, and have become closer to that objective.” -he said, before pointing to the cell on his left. –“And as for the miraculous, I gave it to you, to counterbalance the power those knights have… in sum, I gave it to you, so you could serve me, and help me fulfil my destiny.”  

Turning away from La Paon, Hawk Moth directed his attention to the table, where the miraculouses and the kwamis were. Approaching it, he looked at the kwamis at them with a look full of hatred and contempt. Looking at the magical creatures, which were terrified by his presence, it reminded him of the time he had been denied a miraculous. Just the memory of such, made the anger and hatred he had for the Miraculous Order created by his late master, burn inside him, like a raging fire; a fire which would not be put out, until he had fulfilled the destiny, he had decided for himself.

“Once I enact the destruction ritual, I will destroy these miraculouses and the kwamis that inhabit them, and I will be one step closer, to becoming the absolute lord and master of this world.” -Hawk Moth gloated, as he looked at the terrified kwamis. –“You and your order tried to stop me from doing that, ever since my original body was destroyed. But unlike all the times you and the ones chosen to wield your miraculouses, foiled my plans, this time, you will fail. I’ll destroy you and your miraculouses, and then, I will find the others, as well as the person who guards the miraculous that have not been activated, and destroy them, one by one.” -he said, when he was struck by a lightning bolt on his right shoulder. It had been La Paon, who had hit him. –“What is the meaning of this treachery?!”

“I won’t let you do it!” -La Paon said, while pointing her fan at Hawk Moth. –“I will not allow you to destroy what could be the trump card we need to win this war! I can find a way for us to make use of those miraculouses, without the need of a holder! The dark arts will show me the way!” -she told him. –“To destroy those creatures and the magic they possess, is an affront, not to mention a waste of power!”

“The dark arts?! Do you really expect that your feeble knowledge of black magic will be sufficient to triumph, where I failed?!” -Hawk Moth scorned of her. –“You’re delusional, if you think you’re more powerful than I am!” -he told La Paon, only for her to attack him again. –“Have you gone insane?!”

“No. I merely understood that you cannot be reasoned with! And if you can’t be reasoned with, it means that you are no longer fit to help me in my plans.” -La Paon declared. –“

“You would kill your own son’s body, just to get rid of me?!” –Hawk Moth asked her, as he pulled his sword from its scabbard.

“Yes.” -La Paon said. –“You better than anyone, should know that one must not fear death.” -she told him, as she attacked him with another spell. –“Once you’re dead, I will retrieve my son’s soul from the pits of Hell with my dark magic, and the time that you possessed his body, will be nothing but a vile memory!”

“I will send you to Hell! first” -Hawk Moth said, as he shot a purple lightning from his sword’s blade, nearly hitting La Paon on the head.

“Then, do your worst!” -La Paon said, while laughing maniacally.  

(End of Flashback)

“There was a fight between the two of them; a nasty one. I can remember that midst of the confusion, the seal that held us, as well as our miraculouses, was broken, allowing us to grab them and then freeing Lancelot, Kay and Gawain out of the cells they were being held… and then, we were hit by some sort of lightning.” -Pin said. –“After it, I can only remember us in the middle of a forest, making our way back to Camelot.” -she said.

“The same thing with me.” -Tamara said.

“And me too…. What hit us, as well as our holders, must’ve been some sort of memory blocking spell, I guess. And seeing La Paon’s illustration must have unlocked the memory about her and about what happened, while we were in Hawk Moth’s castle.” -Wayzz hypothesized.  

It was undeniable that everything they said about what happened during their imprisonment in Hawk Moth's castle’s dungeon was extraordinary, for lack of a better word. But still, there was one question that was to be answered. And it was Alya who made it to the kwamis.

“Then, what is the power of the peacock miraculous? What does it do? Does it allow her to create Akumas, just like Hawk Moth?” -Alya asked the kwamis.

“Not exactly.” -Tamara said. –“From what I remember, and La Paon kept talking about how her powers were different from Hawk Moth’s, she can create creatures that are called Sentimonsters, by extracting the emotions from the victims she chooses. These vary in appearance and power, depending on what’s the emotion that she picked from the victim.” -she said.

“Not only that. I remember that she said that it can be any creature. It doesn’t have to be a person. So, animals are on the menu as well.” -Pin said.  

“Both people and animals?” -Alix asked. –“Great! I can imagine what kind of creatures she could come up with, by extracting emotions out of a stray cat, or a bird.” -she sighed.

“So, she doesn’t use Akuma Butterflies to create those?” -Alya asked.

“No. She uses feathers, that she pulls from her fan… I’m trying to remember what was the name she gave to those feathers, but I can’t.” -Pin said, as he tried his best to remember. –“Oh, I remember now! They’re called Amoks.” -he said.

“So, the peacock miraculous is similar to the moth miraculous. But instead of making use of Akuma Butterflies, which turn people into Akumas, La Paon makes use of these Amok feathers, which link themselves to a victim and extract emotions from them, which then take the form of a creature called a Sentimonster.” -Master Fu said.

“Yes, she created them for Hawk Moth’s lieutenants and army to practice. Or at least, that’s what she told us, in one of her numerous rants, master.” -Wayzz acknowledge.

“It’s a good thing she was never in the battlefield.” -Kim said. –“Imagine what those creatures could do?” -he told the others.

“It’s true. But That means we can destroy those Amoks or Amok feather them, like we destroy Akuma Butterflies.” -Nino said.

“Then, we’re gong to need to find a spell that enables your weapons to do it.” -Master Fu said.  

All that talk about magical feathers and such, reminded Rose of one little detail about their last battle. A detail that after hearing that tale from the kwamis, made her realize that there was one thing about it, that did not feel right.  

“Wait a minute… if those magical feathers are what creates those Sentimonsters, then, why didn’t one show up, after we defeated that one?” -Rose asked. –“There should be one, right?”

“You’re right. We should’ve seen one. Maybe she doesn’t need them to create those creatures, anymore? I mean, she was an enchantress that dealt in dark magic.” -Juleka suggested. –“Maybe she found a way to not need those Amok feathers?” -she said.    

“Whatever the case, this means that we have another enemy.” -Marinette said, grimly.  

“And who says she is our enemy?” -Ivan asked her. –“I mean, if she got into an argument with Hawk Moth and was never heard from again, and is now back, who says that she’s on his side?” -he asked.

“Ivan’s not wrong about it.” -Mylene said. –“I mean, she could be neutral, or be on our side.” -she said. –“After all, it’s like they say, the enemy of my enemy is my ally.”

“Yeah, except when the enemy of my enemy is also my enemy.” -Sabrina said. –“If she was in cohorts with Hawk Moth, that means that she also wanted to rule the world. And let’s not forget that according to Pin, Tamara and Wayzz, she wanted the miraculouses to herself, so she could use them.” -she pointed out.

“The kid’s right.” -Mika declared. –“There’s nothing that says she’ll be our ally.” -he said.

It did not take long for the rest to also start throwing guesses on what was going to happen, now that they had another miraculous user, who was most likely a threat as big as Hawk Moth, roaming around in Paris. They all believed that their lives had gotten a lot more complicated, and no one could blame them for it believing it so. Dealing with one lunatic, while balancing their school and personal lives was already complicated enough. With two, it would be even more. But like always, the old master knew just what to  

“I don’t know how things will progress from now on. But I believe that we’ve learned a lot tonight and that we need a decent night of rest, to get our ideas straight.” -Master Fu said. –“So, I’d advise you all to go back home and rest, because tomorrow is a brand-new day, and you have school.” -he said, before looking to Miss Bustier. –“And I’m quite sure your teacher wouldn’t want you to fall asleep in class.”

“The master is right. Just because things look bad, doesn’t mean a few hours of sleep won’t do you some good.” -Miss Bustier said.

“But what about La Paon?” -Marinette asked, her voice filled with concern.

“Marinette’s right. With that Sentimonster Rose and the others had to deal today, who’s to say she won’t throw another one in a few hours, to test us?” -Nathaniel asked.

“Do not worry about that, for now.” -Master Fu told him, before. –“We must have hope that she won’t try to attack the city until tomorrow, at least.” -he said. –“It’s like I always say, we will cross that bridge, when we reach it. And right now, that means getting a good night’s sleep.”

“The master’s right, Marinette.” -Tikki said, smiling at her.

“Worrying about that, right now, won’t do you any good.” -Mulan told Nathaniel.  

“And the same thing goes for the rest. A good night’s sleep will help you to process what we found out.” -Master Fu sad. –“Don’t worry about La Paon, or her Sentimonsters, or her Amok feathers. Leave that for tomorrow.”

Realizing the old master was right, the teens decided to call it a night. Saying their goodbyes, one by one, all of them went back home, leaving Master Fu and Miss Bustier alone. The teacher wanted to have a word with him, to discuss something that was bothering her.

“I didn’t want to talk about this in front of them, but I’m worried of what the La Paon could do. Hawk Moth is dangerous, there’s no doubt about it, but she could be even more dangerous than him, and that is not a good thing.” -Miss Bustier said. –“You do know that I worry about Marinette and the others, just as much as you do, and I fear for their safety. So, please, tell me, master, how dangerous do you think she is?” -she asked the old man, her voice, filled with concern.

“I’m afraid I don’t know, my dear.” -Master Fu admitted. –“There’s no information regarding her. All that we know about her is what Wayzz, Pin and Tamara have told us. That alone makes her dozens of times more dangerous than Hawk Moth.” -he said. –“With him, we have a good idea of what he is capable of, and what to expect of him. But with her…”

“With her, we have no idea of how powerful she truly is, and what her intentions might be.” -Miss Bustier sad, finishing the master’s sentence. –“You’re right. That alone makes her far more dangerous.” -she said. –“I fear that they might not be prepared to deal with her. They have trained to deal with Akumas and Hawk Moth. But this La Paon’s powers are different, and the creatures she creates also look different. Not to mention that she also wants their miraculouses; but instead of wanting to destroy them, she wants to use them. Do you think t’s even possible for her to use them?”

“I don’t know.” -Master Fu said. –“In theory, it’s impossible for anyone, other than the holder of the miraculous, whose name shows up in the Book of Prophecies, to use the miraculous. But if she is Morgan Le Fay, whom the Arthurian legends was one of the most powerful dark arts practitioners ever, we can’t rule out her being able to do that.” -he declared.

“If that happens, I fear for what could happen to the kids.” -Miss Bustier said.

“I hate to admit it, but I too fear that.” -Master Fu sighed. –“Still, we’re not up against the wall just yet.” -he said. –“We don’t know what to exactly expect of La Paon. But we do know this. If in order to create these Sentimonsters, she uses a similar method to Hawk Moth’s, we can at least come up with a way for their weapons to destroy her Amoks, the same way they destroy Hawk Moth’s Akuma Butterflies. That way, those Amoks won’t be able to create other Sentimonsters, and it will       I’ll have to start researching for a way to do that, in the morning.”  

“But there was no Amok in the one the girls fought, master.” -Miss Bustier reminded him. –“Couldn’t that mean she doesn’t need one to create one of those creatures?” -she asked.

“Maybe…. but and this is just a hypothesis. What if the Sentimonster the girls faced ended up turning into goop, because it did not have one of those Amoks? What if, it only had a small fragment of an Amok, and that made it unstable?” -Master Fu suggested.   

“It’s a possibility, yes.” -Miss Bustier said. –“I mean, I’m still new to all of this. You’re the expert when it comes to magic, master. If you’re saying that that’s a possibility, I have to believe it might be.” -she said.

“Expert? Oh, I wish I was, my dear.” -Master Fu chuckled. –“Most of what I know about magic, was taught to me. The rest, I had to found out through research and some experimentation. I’m good, but far from an expert.” -he said. –“Experts were the members of the Order, when this one was founded. They were the ones who dabbled in magic and made use of it. The others that came after them, like myself, my master and others, we’re merely picking up the pieces of knowledge that were left y them, and that weren’t lost in the sands of time.”

“Well, expert or not, you are who we have, and that will have to suffice.” -Miss Bustier said, in her usual kind-hearted and melodious voice. –“Do you need help with that research? I don’t mind helping you tomorrow, after classes are over.” -Miss Bustier asked the old master.

“Perhaps a second pair of eyes will make this research a lot faster, I admit it.” -Master Fu smiled at the teacher. –“Hope you’re not allergic to dust.” -he said, with an amused voice.  


At the same time, down underground, Hawk Moth was addressing to his lieutenants. Just like it happened with the Miraculous Team, the villain felt it was imperative for him to talk about what happened that afternoon. He told them the whole story of what happened between him and La Paon, and how she had served as a lesson to him, to never attempt to create another miraculous.

“In the end, she was turned into stone, when one her spells backfired on her. Because at the time, I had more pressing matters to take care of, I ordered my generals to take her stone-turned body into a cave I knew she was using as her witch’s laboratory, and to seal it, until I decided how to deal with her.” -Hawk Moth confessed. –“That never happened, as Arthur and the knights that were in possession of miraculouses increased their attacks against my forces, and I was forced to deal with them.” -he said. –“In the end, I was defeated, and when my spirit finally possessed a new body, it was far from the place where I was before. As time went by, I forgot about her. Something that should’ve never happened. She is a formidable opponent, and the power that I gave her has made her someone that will stop at nothing to get what she wants. She wishes to rule the world, just like I do. But while I wish to rule it in a world, shaped after my own image, where the strong prevail and the weak succumb, she wishes to plunge the world into chaos and discord. And that is unacceptable, for true power comes from order, not the opposite.”

The four lieutenants could hear the sneer mixed with praise that Hawk Moth had for La Paon. Still, they did not allow themselves to be fooled by it. They could tell that their master hated that woman, even though he had a similarly begrudging respect for her.

“Now, you know what we’re up against.” -Hawk Moth told his lieutenants. –“I expect you to deal with whatever La Paon is planning.” -he said. -And just like Ladybug and the other heroes, if given the chance, you will bring me that woman’s miraculous, so I can destroy it and reclaim the powers I placed in them, for myself.”

“Of course, master.” -Brutus said.

“You can rest assured that whatever she’s planning against you, we will deal with it, master.” -Madame Romani said.

“I will slice her into bits, and whatever she conjures up, and I will bring you her miraculous, master!” -Reptile said, as he imagined himself slicing a Sentimonster and La Paon.  

“Whatever she throws at us, I’ll destroy it, just like I will destroy those kids and their miraculouses.” -Rapier said, in his usual cocky voice.  

“For your sake, you better not fail me. Or else, your punishment will be nothing like the punishments you’ve endured so far.” -Hawk Moth warned his lieutenants, with a cold voice. –“Now, go. I wish to be alone.” -he ordered them.

“Yes, master.” -the four of them spoke in chorus.

Closing the chamber doors behind them, Hawk Moth’s lieutenants mused about what they had heard, and how they knew that a war was coming, that would pit them against La Paon and her forces. There was no question about it. The only question was when that would happen. And inside his chamber, Hawk Moth was thinking the same thing. He did not know where La Paon was, or how it was possible for her to be back. But he knew that she was back, and that he would have to deal with her.

If you’re back, then I will correct my mistake and take from you what I gave you so long ago.” -Hawk Moth thought to himself. –“I should’ve gotten the miraculous from you and destroyed it, when I turned you into stone… I will not make the same mistake again. Wherever you’re hiding, when you decide to show yourself, I will be there to destroy the peacock miraculous, just before I snuff the life out of your body, permanently.” -he thought.

Chapter 13: While They Waited

Chapter Text

Three days went by, since the Sentimonster's attack and the astounding revelation that they had a new adversary. Everyone in Miss Bustier's class was doing their best to not think about it, especially since the exams were just around the corner, and they needed to focus on studying for them. But as one would say, it was easier said than done. Thinking about it, made them lose their sleep, and that was reflecting on their everyday routine. And it was not just Marinette and her friends who were having a hard time with all that. Miss Bustier herself was not feeling peachy either. Just when she thought that she had gotten used to the fact that her whole class was the Miraculous Team, and that she was now playing an active part in their mission, a new adversary shows up to cause mayhem.

Between classes and helping master Fu with his research, Caline Bustier felt like she had been working non-stop for 10 years on a row. She felt exhausted, both physically and psychologically. Her thoughts, which usually reflected personal and school problems, were now populated by another kind of problems. Problems relating to the difficulties her students would have to face on the battlefield, when La Paon decided to make its first true appearance, or when she decided to throw another Sentimonster at them. Yet, she continued to smile to her students. The last thing she wanted was to worry them, and make them feel even more preoccupied than she knew they already were. It was only when she was alone, or in the company of other adults that she allowed herself to show how she truly felt. And one of the first ones to see it, was Miss Dujardin, when they were on their lunch break, in the teacher's lounge. Miss Bustier had just got herself a cup of coffee, and was savouring it, when Miss Dujardin approached her.

"You don't look so good." -Miss Dujardin commented. –"Are you feeling alright?" -she asked Miss Bustier.

"I… I haven't been sleeping very well." -Miss Bustier sighed.

"Problems with your students?" -Miss Dujardin asked her, as she sat on the chair next to hers.

"No. It's more like problems with everything else." -Miss Bustier said. –"The exams are next week, and I still have a lot of work to do, both in the class, and out of it." -she admitted, as another thought crossed her mind. –"And that's the easy part. If you knew the rest that's been going on in my life…"

"Do you want to talk about it?" -Miss Dujardin asked.

"No." -Miss Bustier said. –"I mean, there's no need for it. I've just been working a little too hard, and haven't had a chance to properly relax, lately." -she lied, though it was not entirely false. Her mind had been working a little too hard to process a lot, lately.

"Sounds to me, like what you need is a good old-fashioned girls' day." -Miss Dujardin said, with a smile on her face. –"Why don't we go out this Saturday? Just the two of us. We'll go to this spa I was recommended, then after lunch, we'll do some window-shopping and maybe go see a movie." -she suggested.

Miss Dujardin was truly trying to cheer her up, like she tended to do it, when Miss Bustier was feeling low. But she knew that she would not be good company in her current state of mind. On top of that, she had training with master Fu, along with helping him with the research.

"Thanks for the invitation, for real. But I think I'm going to stay home, remain in bed for as long as I can, and maybe eat a tub of ice cream." -Miss Bustier lied, knowing fully well that was not going to happen.

"Oh, okay. But if you change your mind, just let me know." -Miss Dujardin said.

"Let you know of what?" -Monsieur Beaumont asked, as he entered the lounge, closing the door behind him.

"That instead of staying home, she wants to have a girls' day." -Miss Dujardin answered him. –"You've really got to stop eavesdropping on other people's conversations." -she said, in an amused tone.

"I wasn't eavesdropping. I just happened to enter, and you're the one who was talking loudly." -Monsieur Beaumont declared.


At the Dupain-Cheng bakery, Marinette was leaning over the counter, trying to keep her eyes open. Her parents had gone out to make a delivery and had asked her to keep an eye on the bakery, while they were gone. Doing that, Marinette was trying her best to remain awaken. She had not slept a wink the night before, and had spent most of her morning trying not fall asleep in class.

"And here I thought, I was going to be able to take a nap, once I got back from school." -Marinette thought to herself, trying to keep her eyes open. –"Come on, mom and dad, hurry up! I don't want to be here, I want to crawl into my bed." -she thought, wondering what was taking them so long to come back. –"I can't close my eyes… I can't close my eyes… or maybe, I can just close them for a second… no! I must stay awaken! What if a customer comes in and sees me sleeping over the counter?!"

But as hard as she tried, a couple of seconds later, her eyes closed, and she snoozed off momentarily. Lucky for her, Tikki, who was keeping her company, noticed this and decided to wake her up.

"Marinette… Marinette… Marinette!" -Tikki called her, waking her up.

"Uh?! O-Oh, s-sorry, Tikki. I guess I must've snoozed off." -Marinette said, realizing she had fallen asleep. –"I'm so sleepy." -she said, before yawning.

"You haven't been sleeping enough." -Tikki sighed. –"That can't go on, Marinette. It's not good for you." -she said, worried. –"You almost fell asleep in class today."

"I know, Tikki. But what can I do? I can't sleep, because I keep thinking on what's coming and how that is going to impact on my life, and the lives of everyone I care about." -Marinette sighed. –"And when I do fall asleep, I end up having nightmares." -she said. –"I hate my life, sometimes…"

"I know it's hard for you to ignore that kind of pressure. I can feel it too, you know?" -Tikki told her. –"But, and I'm quoting your boyfriend and your best friend, and most of your other friends: "You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, by yourself." -she reminded her. –"If you're feeling like that, talk to them about it… or at least, talk to your boyfriend about it. Don't let it balloon up inside of you. You spent so much time saying that if you got the chance to date him, you would talk to him about everything. And now that you are dating him, and have him on speed dial, you don't want to do it."

"You know that on top of everything that's going on, Adrien's having his own worries to think about, this week." -Marinette said. –"He's busy with the photoshoots for his dad's newest winter collection. So much, that he has skipped classes these last two days." -she reminded her. –"I don't want him to get stressed over something that is, you know, so stressful."

"Stressful or not, Adrien has told you many times that he doesn't mind getting bothered with your problems. And he has told you that he likes when you tell him about them, because it makes him feel like you trust him enough to share your thoughts, your worries and your problems with him." -Tikki told her. –"So, when you get out of here, you grab your cell phone and call him. Share what's going through your head, or at the very least, ask him how he's doing… do what a girlfriend, or even just a friend, does, when they care about sometime. And later on, after a nice steaming cup of tea, you're going to bed earlier. You need to rest properly." -she said. –"You're no good to anyone, including yourself, if you allow everything that's happening to consume all your energy."

Once more, the ladybug kwami, in her infinite wisdom, knew just what to tell Marinette to not only make her feel better, but to also see just how dumb she was acting. Thinking to herself, she thanked she had Tikki by her side, to keep her sane, in those moments, where her brain seemingly stopped working as it should.

"Alright, I'll call him, later." -Marinette smiled, before petting Tikki in the head. –"And I'll go to bed earlier too." -she said, before letting out another yawn.

Suddenly, the bell over the bakery's door rang, signalling the arrival of a customer. Like always, Tikki managed to disappear out of sight, with the speed of a lightning. To Marinette's surprise, the customers that entered the bakery were none other than Alya and her sisters, Ella and Etta. Smiling at them, she greeted them.

"Welcome, Alya… hi, girls!" -Marinette greeted.

"Hey, girl!" -Alya greeted her back.

"Hi, Marinette!" -Ella and Etta greeted her in chorus.

Looking at them, as they approached the counter, Marinette noticed that Ella was holding Trixx in her hands, and could not help but to think that the fox kwami had once more fell prey to the twins.

"Poor Trixx. I'm even afraid to imagine what the twins will do with her. They tend to be a little rough with their toys." -Marinette thought to herself. –"One thing's for sure, Alya's going to get an earful from her, tonight." -she thought, before addressing to Alya. –"So, decided to come and visit me?"

"Yes, you could say that." -Alya chuckled. –"The little monkeys didn't want to stay home, so I decided to take them for a walk." -she said. –"And since we were nearby… girls! I didn't give you my plush toy, so you could pull its ears like that!"

"Sorry, Alya." -Ella and Etta apologized in chorus.

"Remember, if you break it, I'll make sure that mom grounds you until you're 18." -Alya warned them. –"I'm going to have to make it up to Trixx after this." -she thought to herself, while looking at her kwami, who was doing her best to remain still in Ella's hands.

"Looks like you've got your hands full with them." -Marinette said. –"So, can I interest you in something delicious?" -she asked her.

"Well, it would be a shame if we entered here and didn't eat any of the delicious things your parents have baked." -Alya smiled. –"I'll have a couple of macarons. You know which ones I like." -she said

"What about you, girls?" -Marinette asked the twins.

"I want a…" -Ella and Etta talked at the same time.

"Hold on, girls. One at the time, or Marinette won't understand what you're both saying." -Alya told the twins, while looking them in the eyes. –"Now, Ella, you go first, and then you, Etta." -she told them.

"I want a croissant." -Etta said.

"And I want a bagel." -Ella said.

"You heard them. A croissant and a bagel. How much is it?" -Alya asked Marinette, as she reached for her wallet.

"Nothing. It's on the house." -Marinette smiled at Alya, as she picked the croissant and the bagel for the twins. –"You know fully well your money's no good here, and my parents would tell you the same thing." -she said, when she noticed that Alya still had not closed her wallet. –"Here you go, girls."

"Thank you, Marinette!" -Ella and Etta thanked in chorus.

"Now, you both can go and sit over there, while I talk to Marinette for a bit." -Alya told the twins.

"Are you going to talk about your boyfriends?" -Ella asked her.

"Yes, we are." -Alya told her, with a smug on her face.

"Ewww!" –the twins exclaimed.

Both Marinette and Alya could not help but to laugh, when the twins said that. It was both funny and adorable, how they felt that seeing their big sister and her best-friend talking about their respective boyfriends was something repulsive. As the twins sat down, Alya and Marinette talked amongst them.

"You look quite fresh, for someone who hasn't been sleeping." -Marinette commented.

"Don't tell anyone, but I drank three energy drinks, when I got home. I also gave Trixx a small sip, because she also needed it." -Alya whispered at her. –"It's the only way to stay awake, so I can take care of those two little sapotis." -she told her, as she looked at her sisters, who were talking to one another, while eating the treats they had been give. –"You, on the other hand, look like you could use a nap."

"I know. But I have to stay here, until my parents come back." -Marinette said, before yawning. –"You don't happen to have one of those energy drinks with you? I would go for one now." -she admitted.

"Sorry, but no." -Alya smiled at her friend, while nibbling one of her macarons. –"But don't worry. I'm sure your parents won't be long." -she said. –"I know, why don't I stay here with the twins and keep you company, until they arrive?"

"You would do that?" -Marinette asked her.

"Of course. What are best-friends for, huh?" -Alya chuckled. –"It's the least I can do, after you gave me this croissant for free." -she said, as she nibbled it, and making Marinette's smile grow wider. –"And this way, I'll make sure that you remain awake."

"Thanks, Alya." -Marinette thanked her. –"Have I ever told you that you're the best-friend I could've asked for?" -she asked her, with a playful tone.

"Not today, you haven't. So, thanks for telling me that." -Alya joked.


To take his mind out of everything that was going on, Nathaniel decided to go to the "Dungeon of the Geek" comic book shop. His parents had noticed there was something bugging him, but when asked about it, he said it was just the usual stress with the upcoming tests. He wanted to tell them what was really going on, that was bothering him. But he knew he could not do it. Not only for their safety, but because they would not understand, or be able to do anything about it. So, on that afternoon, he went to where he knew, no thoughts of being Panda Roux, protector of Paris and member of the Miraculous Team belonged. A place where he could surround himself with one of the things, he loved the most.

"Mmm… I love the smell of comics in the afternoon." -Nathaniel thought to himself, as he inhaled the distinct aroma of that place.

Like always, the place was packing. Filled with people who had come to check on the comics and other items that had arrived that week. But his usual seat and table were vacant. Sitting there, he just wished Marc was with him, but that was not going to happen. Nathaniel had texted him, asking if he would like to join him. But Marc answered him that he had to help his mother cleaning the house, and could not make it. Still, even without him around, Nathaniel was sure to have fun there. After sitting down, and asking Gerard for a soda and a muffin to share with Mulan, he started to draw in his sketchbook, like he always did, when visiting the store. He did not why or how, but coming there, always helped him to focus.

"Let's see… what am I going to draw today? I've been trying so hard to draw to forget all that's been going on, that whatever I draw comes out awful." -Nathaniel thought, as he held the pencil in the air. –"I'll just empty my mind, and try to draw whatever my hand feels like it." -he thought.

Doing just that, Nathaniel emptied his mind and allowed his hand to be taken by instinct. And unlike what happened the previous attempts to draw, this time, the drawing came up quite good.

"Not bad." -Nathaniel thought to himself. –"It's not my best work, but it's not too shabby." -he thought, as Gerard showed up.

"Here's your soda and your muffin, and the new number from the Miraculous Team comic book." -Gerard said, as he placed the three on the table. –"It arrived today, and I figured you'd want to read it, while here." -he said. –"What did you think of the previous number?"

"It was good. I mean, it wasn't spectacular, but it was still quite good." -Nathaniel answered him. –"They're taking the time to explore the characters' different backgrounds." -he said. –"And yet, I think they're not (….)

"Let me guess, your webcomic is better in that department?" -Gerard asked him, while raising an eye.

"Well, I wouldn't say better. It's just…" -Nathaniel said.

"Different?" -Gerard asked him, finishing his sentence.

"Yes." -Nathaniel admitted.

"Different is always good. You know, we wouldn't have numerous multiverses in the comics, if people didn't like to write things differently." -Gerard told him. –"That's the beauty of the multiverse in writing. You get to pick something that's already known and then rewrite it in a different way." -he said. –"And you, with that universe of yours, you're doing just that. You're making it your own story, and that's great."

Hearing Gerard say those words made Nathaniel feel like he was going in the right direction with his art. Like everyone else, he loved whenever anyone praised his art or his ideas. Inside his chest, he felt the praise building up into a warm feeling.

"By the way, who's the hero?" -Gerard asked, as he looked at the sketchbook's page and saw a hero with a seemingly rooster motif.

"Honestly, I don't know. I mean, I just began to draw, without thinking too hard, and this is what it comes out." -Nathaniel answered, as he looked at the drawing with the eyes of an artist, and took the time to truly appreciate what he had drawn. –"The mohawk looks great. Makes him look like a rebel or a 70's punk." -he thought to himself.

"Well, it looks great. And since he looks like a rooster, may I suggest you call him Rooster Bold? You know, like a pun or an homage to Booster Gold from DC Comics?" -Gerard suggested him.

The name did not sound bad, when Gerard said it, and the more he thought about it, the more Nathaniel liked it. It had what many would call a "je ne sais quoi" to it. And given that he was a miraculous hero, the name fitted him like a glove.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to name him that." -Nathaniel said.

"If you want to, go ahead. But you don't have to. Consider t another anonymous contribution to your webcomic." -Gerard chuckled, as he left him to tend other customers. –"If you need anything else, just rang." -he warned him.

"You bet!" -Nathaniel said, as he placed the sketchbook on the table, and grabbed the muffin, splitting it in half. –"After this pep talk, I think I'm ready to draw a couple of more sketches. But first, I need to regain my strength." -he thought, as he swiftly sneaked half of the muffin inside his backpack, while whispering something to his kwami. –"Here you go, Mulan. And please, try not to make too much noise, while munching on it."


Crossing the green light, just as it was about to change to yellow, one of the numerous limousines of the Le Grand Paris hotel, was making its way back to the hotel. Driving it was Jean, Chloe Bourgeois personal butler, who was driving the heiress and her best-friend/girlfriend, Sabrina, who had gone to the music shop where her father had bought her, her violin, to replace the strings with new ones. Sabrina was not to accompany her to the music shop, but since she was going to spend the night with her at the hotel, and Chloe could not wait to see her, she decided to ask her if she minded to be picked up a bit earlier, and the redhead said yes.

With the divider up, Jean could not see or hear what the girls were doing, but because Chloe was in such a good mood, he knew that whatever they were saying or doing, would make sure that she continued to be in good spirits.

"Try not laugh so hard, or you'll wake up Mika." -Chloe warned Sabrina, as she too tried to contain her own laugh. –"She always tells the best jokes, and then laughs at them." -she thought to herself.

"Sorry." -Sabrina giggled, as she tried to stop laughing, knowing it would awake Mika, who was asleep inside her backpack. –"I'm glad my jokes are making you feel a lot less gloom, you know?" -she said. –"You didn't even look like your usual self this morning."

"Me too. I'm trying not to think about La Paon, but it's not easy… I feel just like when the Collector took Pollen and my miraculous." -Chloe admitted, with an uneasy voice, as she remembered that incident. –"But having you around helps a lot, because my thoughts are focused on you, and not on what's to come." -she said, this time with a more upbeat voice.

"It's the same with me. Being with you, prevents me from overthinking what's still to come, as well." -Sabrina admitted, as she yawned. –"Dang, I keep yawning like crazy." -she said.

"You're not the only one… I'm already on my third latte today, just to keep me awake." -Chloe admitted. -"Anyways, thanks again for coming with me to the music shop, Sabrina." -she told the redhead.

"My pleasure." -Sabrina smiled at her girlfriend, while snuggling next to her. –"Besides, I didn't have anything to do this afternoon, until it was time for my dad to take me to the hotel for the slumber night." -she admitted. –"Glad my mom was okay with me spending the night at your place."

"So am I. What did you have to promise her, for her to let you do that, during a school day?" -Chloe asked her, curious.

"Taking out the trash every day, for the next three weeks, and taking care of the laundry, as well." -Sabrina sighed. –"But it'll be worth it, to spend the night with you. We'll be able to rest properly, cuddle, binge-watch "The X-Files" and eat caramel popcorns like crazy." -she smiled.

"What?! We're not watching that series, Sabrina." -Chloe told her, opposing the idea. –"The show is so boring! Not only that, but those Mulker and Scholl never manage to solve a case, where there's irrefutable proof that aliens or monsters exist. What kind of FBI agents are they, anyways?! It's simply ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous." -she said.

"It's Mulder and Scully, Chloe. And it's one of the best investigative TV series, ever." -Sabrina corrected the blonde. –"Besides, last time, you were the one who chose what we were going to watch. Now, it's my turn." -she said.

"May I remind you that it's my place, and that you're the guest?" -Chloe asked her, with a cynical voice.

"And may I remind you that I'm your best-friend/girlfriend, whom you love more than anything else in the world, and that you can't resist when I do this?" -Sabrina asked her, as she made sad-puppy eyes, and began to whimper.

Chloe knew she was right. Since they started dating, both girls had found ways to get the other to do what they wanted, and in Sabrina's case, she had found out that if she did sad-puppy eyes and whimpered, Chloe could not resist her. The heiress tried to ignore her, by turning her eyes away from her. But it did not take long for it to be impossible to resist Sabrina.

"Uh, fine! We can watch a couple of episodes! Just, stop doing that! You know I hate it, when you use cheap tricks like those, to get me to do the things you want to!" -Chloe exclaimed.

Happy with her victory, Sabrina smiled and planted a big fat kiss on Chloe's cheek, as she wrapped her arms around her. It felt nice to have that kind of power over the blonde, and she did not have a problem using it, from time to time. She knew that Chloe did not mind if she did that, from time to time, because deep down, she knew the heiress loved when she acted like that.

"You're the best, Chloe." -Sabrina chuckled.

"And you're the worst, Sabrina. Using cheap tricks like that." -Chloe said, pretending to be mad at her.

"I know, I am." -Sabrina said. –"But don't worry. I promise you that you'll like the episodes I've got in mind, for us to watch. You can trust me, when I say that you'll be thanking me later." -she declared, with a sugary voice. –"And you can pay me back, in kisses."

"Please, don't talk with that tone of voice. You sound just like Rose, after she eats too much sugar, and starts saying just how much in love she is with Juleka." -Chloe smiled at her, before kissing her on the lips.

"Hold on, let me get my phone, so I can snap a selfie. We can never have too many of these." -Sabrina said, as she took her cell phone from her backpack, only to have an unexpected surprise. –"Oh, crud!"

"What is it?" -Chloe asked.

"This isn't my cell phone. It's Juleka's." -Sabrina said, as she looked at the cell phone in her hand.

"How did you end up with Juleka's cell?" -Chloe asked, wondering how that could have happened.

"It must have happened when Miss Bustier paired us up, after lunch." -Sabrina said. –"My new cell phone cover looks a lot like hers, and because we placed them side by side, when the bell rang and started packing, I must have picked hers by accident." -she assumed. –"I knew I should've bought the other cover for the cell, instead of the one I did."

"How is it even possible for you not to have noticed you had her cell phone, and not hers?" -Chloe asked her, puzzled.

"Well, my dad was already waiting to pick me up, when we exited school, so I didn't have to call him. And then you called me through Skype, instead of texting me. There was no reason for me to even to look at my cell phone, after we left school." -Sabrina said, as she looked at Juleka's cell phone. –"If I knew her passcode, I could try and call my cell, to let her know that I have hers. But without knowing it, I can't." -she sighed, while looking at the locked screen.

"Hold on. Let me call, Rose. I heard her saying that she was going to hang out with Juleka this afternoon." -Chloe said, as she pulled her cell phone from her handbag. –"I'll ask her where they are, and then, we'll go there so you can make the switch with Juleka." -she said, as she called Rose. –"It's ringing… Rose? It's me, Chloe. Is Juleka with you, right now?"

It did not take long for Chloe to find out where the two of them were, and to explain to her that Sabrina had accidently switched cells with Juleka, and that they needed to undo the switch. Upon finding out they were in Juleka's mom houseboat studio, Chloe lowered the limo's divider and told Jean that they were making a detour. Explaining where they had to go, Jean turned the limo's right blinker, intending to make a U-turn.

"Right away, miss Bourgeois." -Jean said.

"Thanks. And it's Chloe, Jean!" -Chloe reminded him.


At the same time, in Anarka Couffaine's houseboat, the atmosphere aboard it was quite festive. As was his custom, Luka decided to take advantage of his mother being busy with other tasks, to take over her art studio and practice his guitar skills. And as usual, he had invited his sister, who had brought her girlfriend to keep him company. There were a lot of places he liked to practice guitar, but the houseboat was his favourite. He just loved to play guitar by the Seine.

"That's going to be one of those stories you're going to tell your grandkids." -Luka told his sister. –"You're going to be like: "There was this one time, when I accidentally grabbed my friend's cell phone, thinking it was mine, but not it was my friend's.". And they will all be like "But grandma Juleka, what is a cell phone?", because in 50 years, cell phone's will be a thing of the past." -he joked.

"Very funny, Luka." -Juleka told him, with a sarcastic voice. –Anyways, I can't believe I didn't even notice this wasn't my cell phone." -she commented. –"How could have this happened? I'm usually super responsible with my stuff."

"I don't know. But it doesn't matter. because Sabrina's brining it here, so you can make the switch." -Rose smiled at her girlfriend. –"It was a good thing that Chloe was with her, and she knew I was spending the afternoon with you, or otherwise, it would've been hard for Sabrina to reach you." -she said.

"I know." -Juleka said.

"You need to pay a little more attention to your things, next time you place them next to others, little sister." -Luka said, as he tuned in his guitar. –"But I'm actually surprised you didn't notice the phone you had wasn't yours." -he said.

"So am I." -Juleka said. –"Anyways, what matters is that in a bit, this will all be one of those stories that we'll remember it happened, when we're older." -Juleka said, as she grabbed her bass. –"While we wait for Sabrina and Chloe to arrive, why don't we practice a little bit?" -she asked her brother. –"I know you're dying to play something. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been tuning that guitar of yours so much."

"You know me too well, Jules." -Luka smiled at his sister. –"But today, you get to choose what we're playing." -he said.

"Okay. I'm in the mood for a ballad. How about "Wonderwall" from Oasis? It's been some time since we've played that one." -Juleka said, with Juleka approving f the choice by nodding his head. –"Want to accompany us, Rose?" -she asked the blonde. –"I know you know the lyrics by heart."

"Oh, it's okay, I'll just watch." -Rose said, shyly. –"It's so sunny, that I'm going to just lay down here and catch some sunbeams." -she said.

"Oh, you can catch some sunbeams later. Come on, join us. You've got such a beautiful voice, Rose." -Juleka said, trying to change her mind. –"Do it for me, Rose." -she asked her.

"Okay. I guess I can join you." -Rose smiled. –"Oh, wait, I left my sunglasses inside. I'll be right back." -she said.

"You know you don't need sunglasses to sing, right?" -Luka told her.

"I know, but I feel more comfortable wearing them. It takes my stage fright away." -Rose stated.

"How can you have stage fright? You're a ballerina." -Luka said.

"I only have stage fright, when I'm singing. Not when I'm dancing." -Rose pointed out, as she went inside to get the sunglasses.

While waiting for Rose to come back, Juleka and Luka plugged their instruments and did a sound-check. And while doing it, Juleka decided to make sure her brother did not raise hell, when Sabrina arrived with a certain heiress, whom she knew Luka did not sympathize with.

"Oh, by the way, be nice to Chloe, Luka." -Juleka told her brother. –"When Sabrina and her get here, I don't want her to think that she's not welcomed here, okay?" -she warned him.

"Do I really have to?" -Luka asked his sister, clearly not liking the idea of having to put up with the heiress. –"You know what I think about her, for what she did to you." -he said.

"Luka!" -Juleka exclaimed, upset with him. –"I thought we had gone past this." -she said, with a serious tone. –"She's my friend, and I want her to feel welcomed."

"I know that, but…"

"But nothing!" -Juleka told him. –"Luka, I hate to say this, but you leave me another choice… You're my older brother, and I love you, but right now, you're acting as if I was the older sibling here, while you act like a baby!" -she declared. – "I get it that you don't sympathize with her, but I expect you to act the way you always do with everyone else I care about, if not for her, then at least for me. We've talked about this."

"Yes, we have, but…" -Luka protested.

"No more buts, Luka!" -Juleka said. –"I know you're just trying to protect me, but the way you're doing it right now, is wrong. And I hoped that my word about someone would be enough for you to understand that if I say I'm cool with someone, then, I'm cool with it. I haven't forgotten what she did to me, and I never will. But I choose not to let that interfere in this friendship she and I have now." -she told him. –"Now, please, promise me that you we'll be nice to Chloe, when she and Sabrina get here, and that if possible, you'll try to talk to her, the same way you do with all my friends."

"Okay." -Luka promised to her- –"I'll try my best to make her feel welcomed, and I will try to talk to her. But if I suspect that she's…"

"She's not going to try anything, or be mean to any of us, Luka. I told you, she's not the same girl who used to bully me, anymore. Do you really think I would even gone to that slumber party she threw a few months ago, or even allow her to set foot in this houseboat, if she hadn't changed?" -Juleka declared, before changing the conversation, as Rose came back, wearing her sunglasses. –"Oh, you found them." -she smiled at her. –"So, you're ready to rock?"

"Jules, I was born ready!" -Rose said, in a low tone voice, while giving, pulling the sunglasses down and winking at her, which made Juleka chuckle.

Chapter 14: Bullies, Ex-Bullies and Karma

Chapter Text

The Couffaine siblings, accompanied by Rose continued to rehearse, while waiting for Sabrina and Chloe to show up. There were already on their third song, when the limousine driven by Jean stopped in front of the houseboat. As they exited it, Chloe told Jean they would not be long, believing that they would only be there long enough, for Sabrina and Juleka make the exchange. But this was not to happen, as she would soon see.

Following Sabrina, the blonde looked at the houseboat. It was her first time visiting it, and she could not help but to look at it and see how rustic and colourful it looked. She knew Juleka’s mom was an artist and that that she had turned that houseboat into her art studio. But when Juleka talked about it, she had always imagined it differently. Maybe because in her mind, an art studio was similar to those she had seen in numerous movies and television shows. Seeing her friends arriving, Juleka told Rose and Luka to take a break.

“Permission to climb aboard?” -Sabrina asked.

“Permission granted.” -Juleka smiled. –“Come aboard. I believe that you’ve got something that belongs to me.” -she said, as both Sabrina and Chloe climbed the plank and entered the houseboat.

Once board, Chloe’s eyes continued to analyse every single detail about the area surrounding her. She did not know why she was doing it. It was not something she usually did, unless the place she found herself was the opposite of what she considered pleasant. But she did not find the houseboat unpleasant, and yet, she continued to do it. She was not sure, but maybe it was because from the moment they climbed on board; Chloe felt like she had no business being there. She could feel she had entered enemy territory. And the reason for that was the way Luka wad looking at her.

“Luka, you already know Sabrina. But you don’t know Chloe.” -Juleka said. –“Luka, this is Chloe… Chloe, this is my older brother, Luka.” -she said.

“Hey.” -Luka waved at her. –“I know Jules told me that I need to be nice to her, but… how can I be nice to someone whose favourite hobby was to bully my little sister?” -he thought to himself.

“Hello. It’s good to finally meet you. Juleka is always talking about you.” -Chloe greeted him. –“I can tell he’s not happy to see me. I just know it.” -she thought to herself. –“Huh, I liked

“Thanks.” -Luka said, with a cold voice. –“I bet she’s just pretending to show that she can be nice towards those who have less than she has.” -he thought to himself.

Damn it, Luka! What did I tell you about being nice to Chloe?!” -Juleka thought to herself.

There was a bit of tension in the air. Chloe could tell that she was not welcomed there by Luka, who was trying his best not show it. But one just needed to look into his eyes and see that he still blamed her for all the pain she had put Juleka through. The Goth may have found a way to forgive her, but he had not, and he himself wondered if he would ever do it. Because in his mind, to forgive someone who had bullied his siter and made her cry her eyes out, just because she felt like doing it, was just wrong. Feeling she had to find a way to break that tension, Sabrina decided to say something to alleviate it.

“Oh, here it is, Juleka.” -Sabrina smiled, as she handed her the cell phone. –“And I think you’ve got something that is mine.” -she chuckled.

“I do.” -Juleka said, as she handed Sabrina her cell phone. –“Here. And I don’t think I have to say that we both need to pay a little bit more attention, next time.” -she smiled.

“Well, now that you made the switch, I think it’s time for us to go.” -Chloe said, wishing to get out of there.

“Oh, you girls don’t have to go just yet.” -Juleka said. –“This may be a bad idea, because Luka’s more stubborn than a mule. But I’m going to try and show him that Chloe’s not girl she once was.” -she thought to herself.  –“If you want to, you can stay for a bit and listen to us rehearse.”

“It’s always nice to have a little audience.” -Rose smiled.

“Oh, we don’t want to intrude.” –Chloe said.

“Nonsense. It’s like Rose said. It’s always nice to have an audience. Right, Luka?” -Juleka asked her brother.

“Yeah, I guess.” -Luka answered her, trying his best to not show his displeasure. –“I don’t mind having Sabrina here, but that rich blonde? That’s a whole different story.” -he thought to himself.  

“Come on, Chloe. Let’s stay for a bit.” -Sabrina asked her. –“They’re always talking about how cool their band rehearsals are.” -she told her.

“Fine. I guess we can stay. But only for a little while. I still want us to get our nails done, before dinner. And I’m desperate to have them done.” -Chloe said, as she looked at her fingernails. –“If I don’t have them done, every five days, they end up looking like they belong to a chimpanzee.” -she said.

“A chimpanzee?!” -Rose laughed. –“Don’t you think you’re being a little bit too dramatic?” -she asked Chloe.

“Not really. You know Chloe. If she doesn’t act a little bit like a drama queen, once a day, then there’s something wrong with her.” -Juleka laughed. –“It’s that right, Chloe?” -she asked her.

“Yes. But I’m not a full-on drama queen.” -Chloe declared. “Those days are behind me now.” -she said. –“Nowadays, I’m happy being just a little bit overdramatic, when the situation calls for it.”  

“Less overdramatic, and more of a sweet friend, who plays the violin like no one else, that’s the kind of Chloe, we all love.” -Sabrina commented, which earned her a smile from the blonde.  

“She’s into music?” -Luka asked, suspicious.  

“More or less.” -Chloe admitted. –“I learned to play the violin, a couple of years ago, because I wanted my mom’s appraise. But then, I went through a very bad period in my life, where I turned into a completely different person, and I stopped playing it.” -she said. –“I’ve only began to play it again, because Sabrina convinced me to do it.”

“And I’m glad I did. Because you’re great at it, and it would be a shame if you wasted that talent you have.” -Sabrina said. –“We’d just came from the music shop, you know? She went to replace the strings on her violin.” -she said.  

“You want join us?” -Rose asked her. –“I would like to hear.” -she told her.

“I don’t know. I only know how to play a couple of things.” -Chloe confessed. -Sabrina says that I’m a whiz at it, but I still have a lot to learn.” -she said.

“That’s not true. She’s being too modest.” -Sabrina said. –“She can play a lot of things.” -she said. –“It’s times like this, that I miss the old you. Or better yet, the old you who would make a point of telling everyone that she was better than anyone else, even when she wasn’t.”

“No, you don’t.” -Chloe said.

“Okay, no, I don’t. But even so, why are you being so modest? You’re really good, Chloe.” -Sabrina said.   

“Well, there’s one way to find out if she is, or isn’t. And that’s to hear her play.” -Juleka said. –“Luka and I have some music sheets that we downloaded, when we learned to play the songs in it, lying around.” -she said. –“You can use them. And that way, you’ll just have to keep up with us.”

Chloe felt grateful with that invitation from Rose and Juleka. But at the same time, she continued to feel like she had no right to join them, because of Luka. Reflected in his eyes, he continued to show that he was not happy to have her there, and her thoughts were that given her past, he was in his right to not wanting her near him or his sister. But before she could decline the invitation, Sabrina decided to get her violin, so she could play.

“I’ll go get your violin, and tell Jean that we might be here for a little bit.” -Sabrina said, as she rushed out of the houseboat. –“Back in a flash!”

“S-Sabrina…” -Chloe said, trying to stop her, as Sabrina reached the pier and rushed up the stairs, towards the limousine. –“Sometimes I hate her. Can’t she see I’m not welcome here by Juleka’s brother?” -she thought to herself.

“We’ll play something easy, don’t worry.” -Juleka assured her. –“Luka, could you go and get

“Fine.” -Luka sighed. –“Remember, do this for Juleka. Do this for your little sister.” -he thought to himself, as he went to get the music sheets.  


Later at the Le Grand Paris, after dinner, and with their homework finished, Chloe and Sabrina were getting ready to spend some quality time in front of the television. Like all of their slumber parties, it was imperative for them to watch a movie or a TV series, before calling it a night. Chloe had already changed into her pyjamas, and Sabrina was in the bathroom changing into hers, when the blonde got a call. Grabbing her cell phone, she was surprised to see Juleka’s name on the screen.

“Yes?” -Chloe asked, as she answered the call.

“Hey. I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” -Juleka asked.

“No. I’m just waiting for Sabrina to finish change into her pyjamas, before we start to binge watch a series she likes and that I find really boring.” -Chloe said. –“But what’s going on? Why are you calling? Is there something wrong?” -she asked Juleka.

“No, not really. I called you, because I think I need to apologize to you, on behalf of my brother.” -Juleka told Chloe. –“When you and Sabrina got there, he was… a bit of an ass to you. I know he tried not to be, but… either way, I’m sorry if you felt…” -she sighed.

“Like I didn’t belong there, and that to him, I was the equivalent to someone with the plague and should be burned alive at the stake?” -Chloe asked her. –“Yeah, I felt that, when Sabrina and I showed up.” -she admitted. –“But I can’t really blame your brother for giving me the cold shoulder, and to make me feel like I was persona non grata there. After everything I did to you in the past, it’s only normal for him to have second doubts about me.”

“That still didn’t give Luka the right to make you feel unwelcomed. You’re my friend, and if I told him that I wanted you there, then he should’ve respected my wishes.” -Juleka sighed. –“I’m going to have a serious conversation with him, about what happened, and I’m going to make him realize that you’re not the person you used to be, and…”

“No, please don’t.” -Chloe interrupted her. –“I don’t want you and your brother to fight or get angry at each other, because of me. It’s best if you just forget about it.” -she declared in a low tone of voice. –“Besides, I knew that when I decided to turn over a new leaf, that not everybody would be as accepting and forgiving as you and the rest of our friends were.”

As the words Chloe said resonated inside Juleka’s mind, the Goth girl recalled once more that the girl Chloe had been in the past, was gone, and a different girl had taken her place. And she was not the only one. It was during those moments, that Chloe herself felt that she was no longer the spoiled and snobbish rich girl she once was. And that made her feel proud of herself.

“Alright, if you insist... My brother’s a bit stubborn, when it comes to giving people who’ve hurt him or me, a second chance. But once you get to know him better, you’ll see he’s a dear, with the biggest heart anyone can imagine. I know that he’ll eventually understand that you’re not the same person you were, and will give you another chance.” -Juleka said. –“Especially if you show up from time to time, to play alongside us. You’re quite good with the violin.” -she added.

“People, namely Sabrina, Adrien and Pollen, keep telling me that I’m good with it, but I don’t feel like I am, you know?” -Chloe said.   

“You want to know something?” -Juleka asked her. –“Jagged Stone told me that most musicians always feel like they’re never good enough, even if they are considered by people as rock legends. And he was including himself in that category.” -she confessed. –“So, don’t worry about it. I also don’t think I’m very good, and I’ve got lots of people who say that if I wanted, I could have a future in the music business.”

“And would you like to have one?” -Chloe asked her.

“I don’t know.” -Juleka admitted. –“I mean, I would love to play. But at the same time, I don’t really like all the attention.” -she said. –“Having everyone’s eyes on me, it’s not something that I feel comfortable with. The only time that doesn’t happen, is when I’m Corbeau Noire. When I’m her, I’m like this super confident version of myself.”

Hearing her say that, Chloe thought how much certain aspects of their personalities changed, when they put on their masks. And one of them was both Juleka and Rose’s shyness, which disappeared and was replaced by an unwavering sense of confidence.

“You and Rose are truly made for one another.” -Chloe said, in an amused tone. –“You both want to have careers in things that practically demand that people will have their eyes glued to every move you do. And yet, you’re both super shy and don’t like to be in the spotlight.” -she said.

“You on the other hand love to be the centre of attention.” -Juleka shot back, in a playful tone.

“Guilty as charged.” -Chloe chuckled. –“It’s probably one of the things I’m glad I haven’t changed a bit.” -she said. –“Though, there’s a difference between wanting to be the centre of attention, and being an attention whore, which I’m not.”

Without realizing it, Chloe and Juleka were having what could have been described as the deepest conversation they ever had. They never had many reasons to talk, before they got their miraculouses, because of Chloe’s diva persona and Juleka’s shy nature. So, as unexpected as that was, they were enjoying talking. Seeing this happening, Sabrina, who had finished changing, and was now leaning against the doorframe, seeing this, decided not to interrupt them, feeling like that was something that only occurred once in a blue Moon.

Look at her… how can she have doubts thar she changed for the better, when things like this happen all the time?” -Sabrina mused to herself. –“The spoiled rich girl mask that she once wore to try and impress and gain her mom’s love and approval, has been completely discarded.” -she thought. –“And in its place, a mask of honesty, love, empathy, courage and friendship is worn by her.

“Are you going to stand around, or are you going to join her?” -a voice asked her, startling her. It was her kwami, Mika. And by his side was Pollen, Chloe’s kwami.  

“Not yet. I’m going to let them finish talking.” -Sabrina said, as the two kwamis landed on top of her head. –“This is one of those things that shouldn’t be interrupted.” -she smiled.

The conversation went on for about 10 more minutes, when Sabrina decided to join the blonde on the couch, alongside Mika and Pollen. She had let Juleka borrow her girlfriend for quite a bit, and she now wanted her all to herself.  

“Oh, Sabrina’s here and she says hi.” -Chloe said.

“Tell her I said hi, too. I’ll leave you two. I’m going to hear some tunes with Tamara, and then I’m going to get some sleep. I need to catch up on it.” -Juleka said. –“See you and Sabrina at school tomorrow. Bye.” -she said, as she ended the call.

“You took your sweet time getting ready.” -Chloe told the redhead, as she sat next to her, giggling.

“I know. I didn’t want to interrupt your conversation with Juleka.” -Sabrina said, as she placed her hand on Chloe’s left shoulder. –“It’s not every day that I get to see you talking to her, like you were the best of friends.” -she smiled at her.

“Thanks, but I only have one best-friend, and that’s you.” -Chloe smiled back at her. –“Besides, it was no big deal. She just wanted to apologize to me for the way her brother treated me, when we first got to the houseboat.” -she said.

“Of course, it’s a big deal.” -Sabrina said. –“It means she cares about your feelings.”

“She’s right, my queen. An apology, when sincere, no matter how small, is always a big deal, because it means the person who apologizes truly means it, with all its heart.2 -Pollen said, as she landed on top of her head. –“And I know for a fact that Juleka is the kind of person, who when apologizes to anyone, means it. Just like you do.” -she said.

“Okay, I admit it. It felt nice to hear it. But the one who should’ve said it, was her brother.” -Chloe declared.

“Yes, Luka was a bit… I don’t want to insult him, so I’m just going to call him headstrong, regarding what he thinks about you.” -Sabrina said. –“But that will change. I know it will. We’ll just have to give him time.”-she said.

“That’s what Juleka said, as well.” -Chloe said.

“And she’s right.” -Mika said. –“And it might not take too long for that to happen.” -he pointed out. –“When the two of us were hiding in the houseboat, alongside Tamara and Flint, we noticed that he was a bit impressed with your violin skills. That might not mean much, but for someone who clearly didn’t want you around, and was trying to make you feel unwanted, to show that he was impressed with you were playing the violin, is the first step to admit he was wrong about you.”

“Indeed.” -Pollen said. –“Your friends all gave you a second chance. He will too, in time, my queen.” -she declared.

“And until that moment comes, we won’t make you forget that you have a heart of gold inside that chest. And that eventually, everyone’s going to know all about it.” -Sabrina said, as she hugged Chloe.

“Alright, alright, alright, enough with the sappy stuff.” -Chleo chuckled. –“I love it, but what’s enough is enough.” -she said, in playful tone. –“I thought we were going to watch that series you wanted to.”

“Maybe we can do that a little bit later.” -Sabrina said, as she gently made Chloe lie down on the couch, and placed herself over her. –“Right now, I’m in the mood for some honey-flavoured kisses.” -she smiled, before leaning down and kissing Chloe on the lips. –“Mmm… your kisses are so addictive. Whenever I kiss you, I just want to kiss you, until my lips go numb.”

“Where was this side of yours, when we were just best-friends?” -Chloe asked her, before kissing her again.

“Didn’t even know I had it.” -Sabrina smiled, as she planted another kiss on Chloe’s lips.

“It’s always the quiet ones you have to worry about.” -Chloe giggled, as she pulled Sabrina into another kiss and wrapped her legs around hers. –“But I would be lying if I said that I don’t like this side of yours.” -she smiled, before kissing her again. –“Mmm… I don’t deserve you.”

“I know… but I also don’t deserve you, my bumblebee.” -Sabrina giggled, as her fingers ran over Chloe’s face, caressing it.  

“You’ve really have got to find a better nickname for me, my sweet she-wolf.” -Chloe smiled, before pulling Sabrina into the longest kiss, one could imagine.

“Guess we’ll be leaving the two of you alone.” -Mika said, as he looked at Pollen. –“Come on, let’s go and watch something on YouTube, or something.” -he told the bee kwami, as the two of them flew over to Chloe’s bedroom, leaving the girls alone.       


The next day at school, Mylene arrived a little bit earlier than usual, and for good reason. The day before, she was so tired she forgot to go to her locker to retrieve one of the books she needed to finish her homework, before going home. Not wanting to show up in class with part of her homework unfinished, she decided that she would go a little earlier and finish it, before classes started. Walking down the corridors, there were already a few students around, but for the most part, the hallways were still pretty much empty. Arriving at her locker, she opened it and looked for the book in question.

“Where is it? Where is it?! It’s got to be here. I know I don’t have it at home. If I had it, I would know.” -Mylene said, talking to herself, as she continued to rummage inside the locker. –“Where… here it is!!!” -she said, triumphantly. –“Now, I can finish homework, before classes begin.”

But her joy was short-lived, as she put the book inside her backpack and was closed her locker, Mylene saw herself surrounded by the last three people she wanted to see that morning; Jeanne Gagné and her diamond dogs, Henriette Angevine and Odette Toussant.

“Well, look what we have here. Miss Piggy loitering around the hallways.” -Jeanne said.

“Jeanne!” -Mylene exclaimed. –“Great, just what I needed… my bully and her pet diamond dogs.” -she thought to herself. –“Calm down, Mylene. Don’t let your nerves get the best of you. You knew this was going to happen, sooner or later.”  

“Oh, look, girls, she knows my name.” -Jeanne laughed.

“Gosh. Look at heavy her backpack looks. I seriously wonder if she has the strength to carry all her things. I mean have you seen her?” -Odette asked, before letting out a laugh. –“She looks like one of those pigs you see in one of those farms, where they have all sorts of animals roaming around.” -she laughed again.  

“With how much she must eat, I'm worried about her health.” -Henriette said, with a voice filled with fake concern.

“Well, let’s tell her to carry her things and ours then? We'd be doing her a favour giving her some help, working out. Maybe then her clothes would actually fit.” -Jeanne said, with a snide smile adorning her face.

“But wait, Jeanne. Doesn't she hang out with that scary guy, Ivan Bruel? What if she steals our books? I mean with the crowd she hangs with, it’s possible.” -Henriette asked.

“True. She might need the money. Her dad is a poor artist. It wouldn't surprise me, if she stole things from people, so she could then sell them. Also, with the way she dresses like a hippie, I bet she does weed too.” -Jeanne laughed.

“You’re right. Maybe we should drag her around for the good of the school?” -Odette asked them.

“Absolutely. Her kind needs to be kept out of the streets.” -Jeanne said, before letting out a fake laugh. –“We’d be doing a favour to society.” -she continued to laugh, making the other two also laugh.  

Mylene had told herself that she was going to simply ignore all the snide comments, and when she saw an opportunity, she would dash out of there. But remembering all the talks she had with Pin and her friends, and especially Ivan, she realized that if she let them, those three would continue to tease and bully her. It was time for her to show them that that was about to change.   

“That's rich coming from you. Have you looked yourself in the mirror lately, or are you too afraid to do it, because you might not like what you see? You pick on me, because of how I look. But why would you waste time on it? Is it because when you look at the mirror, you see something you don’t like? Why else would you fixate on my appearance so much, if you weren't an insecure little bitch, who needs external validation, like bullying others who are different from you?” -Mylene threw back at her.

To say that Jeanne was shocked when she heard those words, would be an understatement. She was not used to people backtalking her; especially those that she deemed beneath her. Looking at Mylene, she was wondering if she was either stupid or had a death wish. Either way, she was not going to let that one slip by.

“Excuse me?! How dare you, you wannabe druggie? Have you forgotten who you’re talking to?” -Jeanne asked, while glaring at Mylene, trying to intimidate her.  

“No, I haven’t.” -Mylene told her, bluntly. –“I’m talking to a wannabe queen bitch, that’s who I’m talking to.” -she shot at her. –“You think you’re so high and mighty, because you come from a rich family, while I come from a more humble one, and I dress differently than you, but let me tell you this. Just because you think the world revolves around you, and that you’re the most perfect person in the world, doesn’t mean you are. No matter how you dress or what you’re upbringing has been, it doesn’t change the fact that you are a horrible person, who likes to make fun of others who are different, because she needs to feel like she’s better than anyone else. You may be this school’s queen bitch, but that doesn’t mean that having that crown, give you the right to treat everyone like crap, including me. I’m not going to let you bully or boss me around. Not anymore.”

“You should watch how you talk to me, if you know what’s good for you.” -Jeanne threatened her, as she slammed her hand against one of the lockers. –“Your friends aren’t here to protect you, miss Piggy.” -she insulted her again.

That whole situation was reaching a breaking point, and Mylene knew it. Part of her wanted to stand her ground and face the horrible girl that was Jeanne Gagné, while a very small part of her just wanted to run and find someone who could help her. She was determined to ignore that small part, because she had promised herself that she would not allow Jeanne and her two shadows to bully her. But it was not easy, because that small part of hers was screaming from the top of her lungs, telling her to get out of there. Still, as loud as screamed, Mylene was simply going to ignore it, and tell Jeanne a couple of things, she had stuck on her throat, and had been saving for such an occasion.   

“I don’t need my friends to stand up to you, anymore. I can stand up to you, on my own.” Mylene said, as she mustered all the determination she could, in her voice, to show Jeanne she was not afraid of her. –“But if they were here, believe me, they would be more than glad to do it. And some of them would be willing to break your face, you nasty piece of crap!” -she insulted her. –“Before bullying and insulting others, why don’t you take a look at the mirror and see just how horrible and disgusting you are? Because compared to you, a disgusting pile of dog crap actually looks nice.”

“Jeanne you can't let her talk to you like that!” -Odette exclaimed, shocked by what she had just heard.

“Yeah! Let's do something! Let’s teach her what happens when she messes with someone better than her.” -Henriette

“Of course. Sometimes the thrash needs to be taken, and other times, you need to put it in its rightful place.” -Jeanne said. –“If we rough her up a bit, she'll start singing to a very different tune.” -she smiled malevolently. –“Grab her!”

Like it happened when she saw herself in danger, her instincts kicked in. Dodging both Henriette and Odette, Mylene dashed out of there, as fast as her legs let her.  

“Get back here!” -Jeanne yelled. –“After her!” -she ordered the other two, as she began to chase Mylene.

“Where do you think you’re going, piggy?!” -Henriette shouted.

“For a piggy, she runs fast!” -Odette commented, as she ran.

Faster than you or the other two ever will, believe me.” -Mylene thought to herself. –“Right now, I wish I could turn into Forest Doe and teach these three a lesson.” -she thought, as she turned left, with the three of them on her trail.

Just like it happened before, part of her was telling her turn around and teach those three a lesson, to ensure they would never bully her again, while the other part of her, was telling her to keep running. This time, she listened to the part that was telling her to run. But at the same time, she did want to give them a lesson. As she continued to run down the hallway, her eyes were looking for an adult, who might help her put a stop to that. But the only ones around were student.     

Where’s a teacher or a janitor when you need one?!” -Mylene asked herself. –“There’s got to be a way for me to get rid of these three. I just need to get to the classroom, and I’ll be safe.” -she thought to herself, when it occurred to her what she could do to get out of that sticky situation. –“Pin, I need to disappear.”

Saying those words under her breath, Mylene knew her kwami, who was inside her jacket pocket, would understand them. When Pin suggested her, to use her invisibility powers to escape any problem she might have with Jeanne or any other bully in school, the two devised a way for her to do that. This one involved three things: put a good distance between her and the bullies, a place where she knew would be a blind angle from the cameras that existed in the school hallways, and finally, a code word. Having managed to do the first, and also the second one, after reaching an empty hallway, the only thing left was the third one.  

“Clapping time!” -Mylene said, under her breath.

Those were the words the two of them had chosen, and as soon as Mylene pronounced them, Pin used her powers to render her invisible. Once this happened, Mylene placed herself against the wall on her left, and wated to see her pursuers pass by. She knew it would only be a matter of seconds, before they arrived there. Looking around, she noticed there was on the floor was a large quantity of liquid varnish, alongside a floor polisher. One of the janitors must have left it there, while going to get more of the brownish liquid, to wax the floor. Realizing she could have slipped, if she had continued to run through the hallway, she wondered if Jeanne and the others would see it, or not? The answer to this came a second later, when she and her friends sprinted by Mylene, and ended up slipping on the liquid varnish, falling on the floor.    

“AaaaaAAARGH! Ouch! Damn it! My arm!” -Jeanne yelled.

“I think I landed wrong… ouch…” -Odette said, as she gritted her teeth in pain.

“I… I think I bumped my head…” -Henriette

Looking at them, Mylene felt a little bad about what happened to them. But at the same time, she felt like she had won the lottery. She was just looking to escape them, but ended up teaching them a lesson. Signalling Pin, by gently tapping her on the head, Mylene asked her to become visible again. And before she could finish her thought, she turned visible again. Even knowing they had tried to hurt her, Mylene decided to check if they were alright. Approaching them, Jeanne was shocked to see her.   

“H-How did you…” -Jeanne said, confused.  

“How did I what?” -Mylene asked her.

“H-How did you disappear like that?” -Jeanne asked her. –“How come we didn’t see you, when we turned the corner?” -she asked her, demanding an answer.  

“Disappear? I didn’t disappear.” -Mylene said, pretending like she did not understand what Jeanne was talking about.  

“Yes, you did!” -Jeanne yelled at her. –“I don’t know what kind of trick you pulled to disappear like that, you hippie, but I…” -she continued to ramble.

“Oh no... Jeanne your clothes…” -Henriette said.

As she looked down, Jeanne saw her skirt was absolutely ruined, filled with several brown stains; and the same thing happened with the blouse she was wearing. The same wax varnish that made her, Odette and Henriette slip and fall on the ground, had ruined her clothes.   

“Uh? Oh God! NO! NO! NO! NO! My new Givenchy skirt, and my new Burberry’s blouse! They’re ruined!!!” -Jeanne screamed from the top of her lungs. –“What are you waiting for?! Get her! I want to rip off her face!!!” -she yelled at Odette and Henriette.

Hearing her, the two girls quickly got up and tried to get Mylene. But the varnish on the floor made them fall on their butts, just like it happened before. Seeing it happening, Mylene could not help but to let out a few laughs. 

“Looks like it’s not just you who needs glasses, Jeanne.” -Mylene said. –“These two idiots also need them, so they know where they step on.” -she told her. –“Better watch where you go, next time.”  

“You both are useless!!!” -Jeanne insulted the two girls. –“I can't go to class looking like this! I literally have dark brown spots all over my clothes... Damn it! Do something, you imbeciles!!! AAAAARGH!!!!” -she yelled from the top of her lungs, frustrated.

Furious about what had happened to her clothes, Jeanne completely forgot about Mylene, who took the opportunity to get out of there. On the outside, she looked calm and composed. But on the inside, she was smiling more than if she had been presented with a Golden Globe, an Emmy and an Oscar, all at the same time. Mylene was not the kind of person who wished evil on others. But right then, she was glad about what had happened to Jeanne and her friends. For her, that had been karma writing things right.  

“You really showed her, Mylene.” -Pin whispered at her, from inside the jacket pocket.

“I sure did. Even if this has made her paint an even bigger target on my back.” -Mylene admitted. –“But I’m not worried, this time. I’m not going to let her scare me, anymore.” -she smiled, triumphantly. –“I’m done being scared of Jeanne Gagné and her posse..”

“Good for you, Mylene.” -Pin whispered.

“Plus, telling her that she needs glasses, when I supposedly disappeared, made my day.” -Mylene chuckled. –“Can’t wait to tell the others, I literally taught Jeanne a lesson.” -she thought to herself.  –“Thanks for helping me out, by the way.”

“My pleasure.” -Pin told her. –“After all, what are friends for? Especially when they have the power to make you invisible.” -she joked.       

All that happened during those few minutes, had placed Mylene in a great mood. She felt like nothing could ruin her day. The joy she was feeling was making her see the world with other colours. Brighter and more colourful colours, which made her feel great, and capable to conquer any obstacle in her way. And right then, the first obstacle she had to overcome was finishing her homework. Already in the school’s yard, where more students were beginning to converge, as they arrived, she made her way up the stairs.

Arriving at the first floor, she spotted Marinette and Adrien by their classroom door. Marinette was leaning her back against the wall, while Adrien was leaning against it with his left arm. The two of them were talking, and one could tell that Adrien was flirting with Marinette, because she was blushing a little bit. Seeing that, Mylene thought how funny the scene looked.

That Marinette… she continues to blush like a tomato, whenever Adrien flirts with her. You would think she would’ve stopped blushing, after they started dating, but no.” -Mylene thought to herself. –“Then again, I’m dating Ivan, and I also blush a lot, when he’s acting all sweet with me.” -she thought, before greeting her friends. –“Good morning, Marinette. Good morning, Adrien.” 

“Good morning, Mylene.” -Marinette greeted her back, noticing there was something strange about her smile. –“That’s not Mylene’s regular smile.” -she thought to herself.  

“Good morning, Mylene.” -Adrien greeted her back, also noticing there was something odd about her smile. –“Mylene doesn’t usually smile like that.” -he thought to himself.

Looking each other in the eyes, both Marinette and Adrien silently told each other that there was something fishy about Mylene, and Marinette just had to ask her why she was smiling like that. Upon hearing her, Mylene stopped walking, and looked over her shoulder.

“Oh, nothing, really.” -Mylene said, still with the same smile as before. –“I just taught a certain bully a lesson and ruined her day, that’s all… a certain bully named Jeanne Gagné. Her, and her two diamond dogs.” -she said in a casual voice, as she resumed walking.

“Jeanne Gagné?!” -Marinette exclaimed.

“Yup. And I’m quite sure she’ll want my head, now more than ever, after I ruined her clothes. But I’m not going to let that scare me.” -Mylene said, as she entered the classroom.

“That must have been some lesson, for her to be smiling like that.” -Adrien told Marinette. –“Good for her. It was more than time for hat Jeanne to be taught a lesson. And given that Mylene was one of her victims, it was only fair she was the one to teach it to her.” -he thought to himself.    

“Hold on, Mylene! I want to hear the whole story, from the top.” -Marinette said, as grabbed Adrien by the hand and they both entered the classroom.

Chapter 15: La Paon Rises

Chapter Text

It was ten minutes past two when Amélie returned to the Medieval Studies department from lunch. She had not planned to stay in Paris that long, but the artifact she had brought with her from England, which little she knew was actually the peacock miraculous, had forced her to extend her visit. Every time she and her colleagues at the Louvre thought they had found a clue to what the miraculous was, something new came along and changed their assessment. And that was driving her crazy, as she wanted to find out what the artefact truly was and where it had come from, because they had already assessed that it was a lot older than initially thought. However, she could not complain much about being forced to remain in Paris. After all, being in Paris gave her the opportunity to be with her nephew, Adrien. Since she and her brother-in-law, Gabriel, buried the hatchet and made up, she had become a part of Adrien's life again.

And it was this thought that was giving her the energy to endure all the things she still had to do that day. She had decided she was taking Adrien to the movies that night. The Cinéma du Panthéon was playing some of Emilie's movies that week, and she wanted to take him to see one of them. It was going to be a surprise, and she knew Adrien was going to love it. But before she could surprise him, she still had a few more hours of work ahead of her.

"What are you?" -Amelie asked herself, as she looked at the miraculous. –"We already had you submitted to numerous tests, and none of the results were conclusive." -she said. –"Maybe it's time for us to take on a more traditional approach, to see if we can figure out what you truly are and where you came from."

And by traditional approach, Amelie meant some good old-fashioned research in the Louvre library. Most of the books and tomes in its collection had already been digitized and were available for consult. But there was still a large number of them that had not been, and it was those very same ones that Amelie hoped would have the information she was looking for.

"I better go to the library, if I want to have any hope of finding something." -Amelie sighed. –"But not before I snap a few photos of you, with my iPad, so I can take you with me, without having to take you out of this room." -she said, as she grabbed her iPad.

Pointing the iPad's camera, she quickly took a series of photos of the miraculous, making sure to photograph every single detail in it. As was her custom, she checked all the photos to see if any had come out wrong, or if she needed to take a few more, and was staggered by what happened. None of the photos was good. They were either completely blurry or filled with static, which she thought could not happen.

"What's this?" -Amelie asked, as she looked at the photos and saw they were all ruined. –"None of these photos can be salvaged… Did I touch something on the iPad, which made them like this?" -she asked, as she quickly checked the configurations, as well as the device's lens. –"No, everything seems okay with it, and the lens is clean… then, why did these photos ended up like this? The image was crystal clear, when I snapped them."

Amelie could not understand how that happened. But unknown to her, there was a perfectly logical explanation for it. Ever since the peacock miraculous was recovered, the spirit of La Paon inside it, began to try and find ways to regain its physical form. By doing it so, little by little, the miraculous became charged with enough magical energy to interact with everything around it. And it was this same energy that ruined the photos.

Determined to take detailed pictures of the miraculous with her, Amelie got ready to photograph it again. But she was not going to succeed, because at that moment, sparks started to jump from the miraculous, as if it were alive. La Paon's spirit was eager to get out of the miraculous, and the energy it had accumulated over time was going to make it happen.

"What's going on?" -Amelie asked, as more sparks leapt from the miraculous.

Fearing, and not understanding what was going on, Amelie backed off, not wishing to get zapped. The sparks coming out of the miraculous continued to grow in size, becoming full lightning bolts, with several of them hitting numerous objects in the room, shattering them. Screaming in panic, Amelie's survival instinct told her to run, and she did, when one of the bolts hitting her. When this happened, a wave of blue energy coursed through her body, and made her eyes glow blue, at the same time as her lips formed a smirk. La Paon had full control of her mind and body. Grabbing the peacock miraculous from the small box it was, she gently placed it on the jacket's lapel. Snapping her fingers, Amelie's body was enveloped in a thick cloud of blue smoke, which quickly dissipated to reveal her new appearance. Her skin was now light indigo, and her hair was dark blue, braided into a French braid, over her left shoulder. On her face, she wore a black domino mask.

Her clothes had also changed. She was now wearing a pale blue blouse with a black stripe on both the edges underneath a dark indigo long-sleeved jacket with a dark fuchsia stripe on the edges of the jacket, which now had rounded points with dark blue, light, pink-centred spots, resembling a peacock's tail feathers She was also wearing dark indigo business pants and black ankle-strap heels, adorned with blue peacock feathers. On the lapel, the peacock miraculous glowed with an unearthly glow. And on her right hand, she was holding a hand fan, made out of white peacock feathers. Seeing her reflection on one of the numerous glass cabinets, she did not like what she was seeing; at least, when it came to her clothes.

"Uh… these clothes… the indigo colour makes them look a little better, but they're positively ghastly!" -La Paon declared. –"But I don't dislike the pale blue complexion… blue skin and hair is actually a fantastic thing." -she said, as she admired her face. –"Don't know if this will be a temporary body or not, but I don't dislike it. And if I end up getting a new one, for the time being, this one will do."

She was so entertained with her own thoughts, that she did not hear Allan Giroud, the head of the department coming in, looking for Amelie. And who awaited him in that room, was not her.

"Sorry it took me a little longer to finish lunch, but I'm back." -Allan said, as he entered the room. –"So, what is it that you want to… huh… who are you?!" -he asked, when he saw La Paon.

"What?" -La Paon said, as she turned around. –"Oh, that must be the name of the person, whose body I possessed." -she thought to herself.

"W-Who are you?!" -Allan asked her again. –"Oh, my God, it's an Akuma… could she be Amelie?" -he thought to himself. –"Amele? Is that you? Have you been akumatized?"

"Akumatized? Far from it, my dear! I'm merely using her as a flesh bag to walk around. I don't know if I'm going to get myself another body. But until I decide, I'm using hers." -La Paon said, before letting out a maniacal laugh into the air. –"And you? You're now… a poodle!" -she said, as she opened her fan.

"A-A what?" -Allan asked, confused.

"A poodle! Don't you know what a poodle is? I'm the one who's been trapped for more than 1600 years, and even I know what a poodle is." -La Paon continued to laugh, before throwing one of the Amok feathers in her fan at him.

Throwing himself onto the floor, he evaded La Paon's attack. Still believing that Amelie had been akumatized, he knew he had to get out of there and raise the alarm. Still on the floor, he prepared to run, and when he saw her coming towards him, Allan knew if he hesitated, something bad would happen to him. Getting up he ran for the door. Seeing him run, La Paon attacked him again.

"Don't run… you can neither run nor hide from me." -La Paon laughed evilly.

Allan instinctively dodged to the left, evading another Amok feather. That was the second attack he got away from. But his luck ran out, when La Paon's third attack struck him on the back. As he fell, his left hand reached towards the fire alarm, pulling it.

"W-What?! What is that sound?!" -La Paon asked, as the fire alarm roared. –"It's such a beautiful and chaotic noise." -she laughed, while listening to the infernal alarm.

When she hit Allan, she wanted to turn him into a poodle, but that did not happen. Instead of turning into a poodle, he had begun to act like one. Walking on all fours, he began to bark at her, before starting to run around in circles, as if trying to catch his imaginary tail. Seeing this, La Paon saw that something was wrong with her powers.

"Mmm… I feel that my chaotic magic is a little weaker than I thought it would be. I was expecting to turn this man into a poodle, but only made him act like one." -La Paon said, as the fire alarm continued to roar. –"Guess I'm a bit rusty… I need to get some practice." -she laughed, as she made her way to the window and opened it. –"And with a city like this one, opportunities to practice, is something I will not lack."

Just like it happened with Hawk Moth, when he awakened in that new millennium, La Paon was surprised with what her eyes were seeing. From the window she could see the Louvre's pyramid and the square, along with the countless people in it. It did not take long for her to imagine what else the rest of that city looked like, not to mention the rest of the world.

But her thoughts were rapidly interrupted by someone, who had entered the room; a security guard. After the fire alarm was activated, he was told by his supervisor to check the place where it was activated, to see if it was the real deal, or just a false alarm. Not for a moment did he think he was going to have to deal with anything magical or supernatural when he arrived at the department of medieval studies.

"What's going on here?! Who are you?!" -the security guard asked, as he pointed his gun at La Paon, who slowly turned to face him.

"Oh, more company… mmm… I smell anxiety, mixed with a little touch of shock." -La Paon laughed, before stopping abruptly and putting on a straight face. –"With those emotions of yours, any Sentimonster that I might conjure up, would be mediocre, at best." -she declared. –"You're not worthy of one of my Amok feathers."

"Stop right there, you Akuma!" -the security guard ordered.

"Akuma? Me?" -La Paon asked, before letting out a maniacal laugh. –"I am not an Akuma, you silly little man. I am La Paon, the future ruler of this world." -she said.

"L-La Paon?" -the security guard stuttered.

"Yes, La Paon… you don't need to stutter." -La Paon said. –"It's the second time I'm mistaken for an Akuma. That must mean that Hawk Moth must not be far." -she laughed. –"Oh, it's going to be fun to have a little talk with him, after such a long time… just before I kill him, for encasing me in stone during all these years!"

The poor man did not understand what was going on, or what La Paon meant, when talking about Hawk Moth like that. All he knew was that whoever, or whatever that woman was, she was dangerous and he had to do something. His mind was racing, with all sorts of thoughts, on what he should do or not. And it did not help that La Paon continued to laugh maniacally, which only made him feel more nervous by the minute.

"S-Stop! Or I'll shoot!" –the security guard shouted at her, as he prepared to shoot her.

But his warning fell on deaf ears, when La Paon used one more of her Amok feathers. Shooting it, before the guard could react, this one was hit him on the chest, and immediately he began to act like an animal. While Allan was behaving like a dog, the security guard was acting like a pig. But unlike what happened with Allan, the security guard was not only acting like a pig, but also had a pig snout instead of a nose, and a pig tail. Seeing this happening, the holder of the peacock miraculous rejoiced.

"Oh, yes! My chaotic magic is getting stronger! It's so fun to have people behaving like animals… but that gets boring, really quick." -La Paon sighed. –"Perhaps it's time for me to try something else." -she said.

Leaving her two first victims to continue to do as they please, La Paon exited the room, and proceeded through the corridors of the department of Medieval Studies, looking for a way out. On her way, she crossed paths with some museum employees, on their way towards the exit, after listening to the fire alarm. Using them for target practice, the ones who were not able to escape, ended up suffering the same fate as her two previous victims. Laughing, she was amused to see that with each new Amok feather she used, her chaotic magic became even stronger. But like she had said before, she grew impatient and was looking for a target. She wanted to create a Sentimonster. But those that crossed her path, did not have the right emotions, as she liked to call them. She wanted to create one that would surpass some of the ones she had created for Hawk Moth's army to practice on.

"At the time, I didn't understand why Hawk Moth didn't want me to me to create Sentimonsters to be used on the battlefield… but now I do. He feared what he could not control. And because I was the one in control of the Sentimonsters, he feared I would use them against him." -La Paon thought to herself. –"He was always a stickler for control. Doesn't he realize that sometimes, chaos is needed to get something done?" -she mused about it.

Her desire to create a Sentimonster grew with every passing second. But no matter how hard she tried, she did not feel anyone whose emotions were something that were worthy of her attention. They were all banal, and she was looking for something that stood out. And not finding what she was looking for, she decided to take fingers in a different direction, for the time being. Turning the corner, to her right, she saw something that caught her eye. Two white marble statues. And these were no ordinary statues. They were statues of dragons. They had been carved in a way that made them look like they were alive. Her eyes could simply not stop looking at them,

"Oh, look at these beautiful stone dragons!" -La Paon exclaimed, as she looked at the ancient stone statues. –"How about we give them the chance to stretch their legs and play with us?" -she smiled wickedly.

Opening her fan, she plucked two Amok feathers and and blew them against the statues, where they fused with the marble. Once that happened, the statues came to life. First, their eyes turned blue. Next, they sprung their wings, while slowly moving their stone bodies. The last thing they did was to open their mouths and let out a fearsome roar. Looking at them, La Paon felt proud of herself.

"Yes! You will do just fine… Now, go on, my pretties! Burn this place to the ground… let's make sure that Hawk Moth knows that I'm here." -La Paon laughed maniacally, as the two stone dragons' breath fire from their nostrils. –"And when he does, I'll be waiting for him to come and face me… he will pay for what he did to me." -she mused about it.


At the same time, in class, Miss Bustier was explaining to her students the causes that lead to the fall of the Romanoff family and their murder, marking the end of the Imperial Russia, and the ascension of Vladmir Lenin, as the first head of government of Soviet Russia. Like always, there were some questions posed by the students. But some of them that day, were being posed by the kwamis, who more and more, had begun to play an active role in Miss Bustier's classes.

"The death of the Imperial family, in many ways, not only marked the end of the imperial rule in Russia, but also the beginning of what would become the Soviet Union, which would become one of the two superpowers at play, during the Cold War, until it's eventual collapse in 1991." -Miss Bustier explained.

"Does this mean we can blame Lenin for their murder, Miss Bustier?" -Adrien asked.

"There's no sure evidence that it was him who gave the direct order, or if it was someone else. But most historians believe it was Lenin who gave the order." -Miss Bustier answered.

"What about that whole idea that princess Anastasia Romanoff did survive?" -Mylene asked. –"Was there any truth in those rumours?" -she asked.

"No, there was no truth in those rumours, Mylene. But people still believed in it, because the Bolsheviks set up a web of misinformation about what truly happened. For years, they only claimed the death of the tsar, but never spoke a word about the fate of the rest of the family. As you can imagine, rumours are like wildfire, and they spread quite fast, even in those days. It was those rumours that ended up becoming the stuff of legends and fairy tales, which had numerous repercussions like creating the false idea that the grand duchess Anastasia Romanoff had somehow survived, and had escaped Russia; as well as the appearance of numerous imposters, who claimed to be the surviving members of the Romanoff family." -Miss Bustier told her. –"The truth is that Tsar Nicolas II and his whole family were shot and bayonetted on that fateful night. There were no survivors" -she said. –"But unlike what most people think, the Romanoff family did not disappear, with the death of the tsar and his family. What disappeared was that branch of the family, better known as the Imperial House of Romanoff. Today, there are still members of the Romanoff family alive."

"Then, that means that if the monarchy was restored in Russia, there would be descendants to take on the crown, right?" -Tikki asked.

"Undoubtedly, Tikki." -Miss Bustier answered. –"But, I don't believe that will ever happen. Mostly because the whole idea of a country being ruled by a monarch, is something that is becoming less prominent in today's world. Most countries nowadays have a liberal democrat ruling system, which was first seen, in the United States, and later on, right here in France, upon the French Revolution in 1789." -she explained. –"One of the few countries in the world that still has a ruling monarch, is the United Kingdom, which we have visited recently. And even there, the Queen only serves as the head of state, and has no saying, when it comes to ruling the country."

The History lesson was interesting, but right then, Nino was not really interested in it. The night before, he had gone out on patrol with Max, as Alya had been forced to stay home and babysit the twins. Usually, after a few hours on patrol, he would fall asleep as soon as he got into bed. But that night, he could not sleep, and that made him wish it was a Saturday, so he could remain in bed, and try to get some sleep. At that time of the day, he was not sleepy anymore, but he felt like he needed silence, more than anything else, to feel good and relaxed.

"Still feeling like going home and sleep the rest of the day?" -Wayzz asked, whispering to his ear, after looking at him and seeing him crestfallen.

"You bet… I'm not in the mood for History, or any other subject today." -Nino whispered to Wayzz. –"You guys, on the other hand, haven't stopped interrupting Miss Bustier every two seconds with a question." -he said, referring to the kwamis.

"We are curious by nature, Nino." -Wayzz said. –"Besides, Miss Bustier doesn't mind." -he said.

"I know… I guess I'm just not in the mood for anything." –Nino whispered back, this time also getting Adrien and Plagg's attention.

"We all have days like that, man." -Adrien whispered. –"But don't worry. It's almost time for us to go home." -he told him.

"And about time too. I need my afternoon Camembert, Adrien." -Plagg commented.

"Do you ever think of anything but stinking cheese?" -Adrien asked him.

"Do you really need to hear the answer to that?" -Wayzz asked, with a sarcastic

"I didn't know you could also be sarcastic." -Plagg joked.

"Nino! Adrien! Wayzz! Plagg! What do I always say?" -Miss Bustier asked them. –"If you want to talk amongst yourselves, you'll have to wait until class is over." -she reminded them.

The four of them were about to apologize to Miss Bustier, when every cell phone in class rang. And the ringtone they all heard was as familiar as the school's ring bell, and it was never a sign of good news. The Akuma Attack app was warning them that an Akuma had been spotted, and it was best for everyone to remain indoors, until he had been dealt with. Unfortunately, in their case, this was something they could not do. They were the only ones who could stop it.

"We've got an Akuma in the Louvre." –Alya sighed, while looking at the cell phone's screen.

"There goes my chance to get some rest, this afternoon." -Nino thought to himself.

"The Louvre? Not again." -Alix said. –"That place is like Akuma Central, for some reason." -she said, worried, as she thought about her father and her brother.

"What kind of Akuma you think it'll be this time?" -Marinette asked.

"Hopefully, it'll be one that doesn't take us too long to beat." -Adrien said, as he looked over his shoulder, and smiled to Marinette.

"Or one that doesn't take us for a swim." -Chloe said. –"I washed my hair this morning, and I don't want ruin it, by going for a swim on the murky waters of the Seine." -she added.

"Don't know about that, but I'm already receiving notifications from the Miraculous Blog, with images attached." -Alya said, as she checked them. –"No matter how much in panic people are, there will always be someone photographing an Akuma and posting it online." -she smiled.

Hearing her say that, everyone, with the exception of Marinette, who was sitting by her side, gathered around Alya, to see the images of the Akuma that people were sending to the blog.

"Thank you, blog of mine… if you want images of the latest rampaging Akuma, this is the place to get them." -Alya thought to herself, as she opened one of the images that had been uploaded. –"Okay, this one is quite blue. It's probably the bluest Akuma I've ever seen." -she said.

The image was out of focus and it was hard to clearly understand what the Akuma was. The only thing you could tell was that this one was quite blue. It took them a mere moment, to see that whoever took the picture had taken it in a hurry, probably before running away from where the Akuma was.

"Don't you have a better image of it?" -Chloe asked her. –"That one looks like someone photographed a blot of ink." -she complained, as she got a good look at the photo. –"I wouldn't even call that a photo. Whoever took it, needs to learn how to use a camera."

"Please, Chloe, save those comments and complains to some other time." -Marinette told her. –"It's not Alya's fault the photo is all blurry." -she said, defending Alya.

"I never said it was! Did you hear me saying that, Marinette?!" –Chloe exclaimed, upset.

"Please, girls, no fighting." -Miss Bustier begged them.

"Miss Bustier is right, Chloe. This isn't the time to complain." -Pollen told her.

"Finally! We've got a good one!" -Alya exclaimed, as the image showed up on her cell. –"Okay, now let's try and get a decent look at this Akuma." -she said, as she zoomed in the photo. –"It's a woman, and she must really love blue, because she looks like one of the members of the Blue Men Group."

And Alya was not the only one who thought that. Some of the others, alongside a few of the kwamis, also thought the same. The woman really looked like she had been dipped into a can of blue paint. But one small detail in the photo immediately gave away that the Akuma was not an Akuma, but something far worse. And it was the red panda kwami who saw it.

"That's not an Akuma… that's La Paon." -Mulan said, as he looked at the photo on the cell's screen. –"Look at the miraculous on her chest." -he pointed out. –"It's the peacock miraculous."

"It really is the peacock miraculous." -Tamara said. –"She looks different from when we last saw her, but that has to be La Paon." -she stated, while looking at the photo.

With that new piece of information, the whole situation changed. They were thinking t was just another Akuma that Hawk Moth had unleashed on the city, to get the to show up and kill them, before getting their miraculouses. But this was something they were all hoping to avoid, until they were ready. Even so, they were already used to not having that kind of luxury, when it came to their jobs as heroes.

"If it is La Paon, then, I don't think just a couple of us will be able to take her on." -Max said. –"If she's just as powerful as Hawk Moth, I think it's going to take all of us to face her."

"I couldn't have put it better, Max." -Kim said.

"And what do we do, if she conjures up one of those Sentimonsters creatures that Rose, Mylene and I faced the other day?" -Juleka asked. –"We don't know for sure if she still needs those Amok feathers to create them, and if she does, how do we get rid of them? Do we even have a way to deal them?" -she asked, concerned, while looking at Miss Bustier.

"She's right." -Sabrina said. –"If she doesn't use those Amoks to create Sentimonsters, there's no problem. But if she still does, we're going to need to dispose of them, once the Sentimonsters have been defeated."

"Tell us that master Fu managed to find a way for us to deal with that issue, Miss Bustier." -Marinette asked their teacher.

"I believe so." -Miss Bustier said. –"Our research did produce a sort of enchantment. But he was still testing it." -she said.

"Then, whether it works or not, we'll most likely have to use it, in the next hour or so." -Adrien said. –"Could you…"

"Call him about the enchantment? Yes, I'll do it in a minute." -Miss Bustier told him, as she called the old master.

Like it always happened, when someone desperately needs something, time seemed to slow down. Everyone was watching the seconds feeling like they were hours, as Miss Bustier remained on the phone. Finally, the old master answered, and the teacher quickly told him what was going on.

"He said that he needs to make sure the enchantment holds up, but it's going to take him a little while." -Miss Bustier said. –"And he added that you'll just have to hold whatever Sentimonster she might conjure, until the enchantment is ready." -she said. –"Once he's sure it holds up, he'll find a way to give it to you."

"Let's hope it doesn't take him too long." -Tikki said.

"I wish we had more time." -Rose said.

"Yeah, but that's a luxury, we don't have." -Daria said.

"Well, then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" -Alix said, impatient. –"I still didn't get an answer from my dad, and my brother, if they're alright or not, and the sooner we get out of here, the sooner I can go and check if they're still in the Louvre." -she sighed, getting more restless by the minute, as she checked. –"Would it hurt them to at least say something, to calm my nerves?!"

"But there's still 30 minutes until the bell rings. We can't just waltz out of here, without anyone noticing it, Alix." -Nathaniel said. –"And we can't ask Miss Bustier to let us out earlier. She'd get into trouble with Principal Damocles." -he told her.

"Then, we'll just have to make use of illusions, to take our place, like we've done before." -Sabrina said.

"Alya, do you think…" -Marinette said.

"No worries, girl. Me and Trixx are on the case, right Trixx?" -Alya asked the fox kwami, who smiled. –"I'll stay behind and then, catch up with you." -she said.

"That's one less thing to worry about. But there's another problem. We switch places with the copies created by Alya, but how are we going to get out of this classroom, without anyone seeing us?" -Ivan asked. –"Even if we take out the cameras, someone will spot us for sure, and then we'll get ourselves into trouble, as well as Miss Bustier." -he said.

"May I suggest, we do what we did when Aphrodite attacked Paris?" -Alix asked the others. –"It may not be the most perfumed idea ever, but just like last time, no one will see us getting out of here." -she pointed out.

"Oh, no, no, no, no! Are you crazy, Alix?! I'm not going down into those sewers, ever again!" -Chloe protested, feeling revolted with the whole idea. –"It was bad enough having to roam inside the disgusting sewers once." -she said, as she remembered what happened when Aphrodite attacked, during last Valentine's Day. –"You're not catching me doing that stunt, a second time!"

"I'm with her." -Rose said. –"There's got to be another way for us to get out of here, which doesn't end up with us inside hazmat suits, walking inside the sewers.." -she said.

"And maybe there's one, Rose." -Marinette told her. –"Why don't we just get out through the front door, while invisible?" -she suggested.

"Well, it's not the first time we do make use of that power." -Mylene said. –"Then, we all transform and then I turn us all invisible, and leave through the front door?" -she asked.

"I think it's best if only you and Alya transform, and the rest of us will do that when we're out of here. The lightshow we put on when we transform, might attract too much attention, even with the blinders down." -Adrien said.

"Agreed. The only ones who get to transform now will be Mylene and Alya." -Marinette declared. –"The rest of us will transform, when we're out of the school." -she said, with everyone silently agreeing.

"Alright. And since we'll probably need a lot more than 30 minutes to deal with this, I think we should text our parents, and tell them that we'll be staying in school for a little bit longer." -Adrien said. –"Better warn Nathalie, not to send Gorilla to pick me up today, and tell her that I'll be walking home. It's also a good thing I don't have anything in my schedule this afternoon." -he thought to himself, while writing the text.

"Good idea." -Sabrina said, as she began to text her dad. –"Let's tell them that Miss Bustier is rewarding us with a movie, and that will be arriving a little bit later." -she suggested.

"That's a great idea." -Rose said. –"That'll give me an excuse to skip on my ballet class." -she said, as she texted her parents.

"And me, on my swimming lesson." -Kim said, as he texted his mother.

It did not take long for all of them to text their parents, explaining they would be coming home a little later. Seeing this, Miss Bustier felt proud of how quick-witted her students were, coming up with a solution for their predicament. Leaving them to text their parents, she went to lower the blinds of the windows facing the school yard, as well as the street, to give them the privacy they needed.

When he finished texting his mom, Nino looked at Alya, and could not help but to notice in her eyes, a little sadness. Seeing this, he felt like he had to tell her something, to make her feel a little better. He himself was not having the best of days, but that was not going to prevent him to be supportive, when she needed the most. She would do this to him, every time, when he was feeling down. So, it was only natural for him to do the same to her.

"Hey, I'm sorry you'll have to sit this one down, foxy fox." -Nino told Alya.

"It's okay. Besides, it'll only be for 30 minutes." -Alya said, pretending she was okay with all that, when Nino could tell she was not.

"30 minutes or not, I know you wanted to come with us, right now." -Nino said, hoping his smile would cheer her up a bit. –"You're the kind of girl who hates to be left behind, But more importantly, you're the kind of girl who likes to be where the action is, especially when she's a passionate fighter, who will do anything in her power to protect those she cares about.. That's just one of the many reasons, why one day you'll make a great reporter. A reporter as fierce, passionate and cunning, as you are as a warrior, foxy fox." -he told her.

Alya loved when Nino talked to her like that. It made her feel special. But more importantly, it reminded her why he was the boy who had snagged her heart, and why she loved him so much.

"It's true. I don't like you guys going, while I stay behind. Especially when I know that I can be a key-player in battle." -Alya admitted. –"But sometimes, you need to wait on the bench, until … and yes, I'm quoting Nora on this. You don't have to say it." –she said, as Nino saw the sadness in her eyes disappear, and being replaced by joy. –"Still, you can bet that once the bell rings, I'll join you and the others, turtle boy."

"I know you will. You always have my back, Alya." -Nino smiled, before kissing her on the lips. –"And I promise that whatever trouble we find, we'll save you some." -he chuckled.

"Thanks… and usually, I'm the one who offers you a good luck kiss." -Alya smiled.

"Well, this time it's my turn to do it." -Nino smiled, before kissing her again. –"And this one's an extra one, because you deserve it, for putting up with all my crazy shenanigans." -he said, while continuing to smile.

"Alright, the blinders are down. It's time for you to do your thing, girls." -Miss Bustier told them.

"Hurry up!" -Alix exclaimed, as she continued to check her cell phone, for any new texts. –"My dad and my brother could be in danger!" -she complained.

"Okay. Let's do it, Alya." -Mylene said, as she looked at Pin. –"Pin, transformez-moi!" -she exclaimed.

"Right behind you, Mylene." -Alya said, as she looked at Trixx. –"Trixx, transformez-moi!" -she exclaimed.

Upon saying those words, Mylene and Alya found themselves enveloped in a brilliant light that lasted only a few seconds, and which, as it faded, it revealed them transformed into Forest Doe and Rena Rouge respectively. Without a moment to lose, the fox heroine picked up her flute-staff and quickly used her "Mirage" power to create copies of herself and all her friends, ordering them to sit in their designated places.

"They look perfect, like always, Alya." -Marinette praised her best-friend.

"Of course, they're perfect." -Nino said. –"My girlfriend is a professional, after all." -he smiled, while placing his arm around Rena's shoulders.

"Save the praises for later, turtle boy." -Rena Rouge chuckled, as Nino gently removed his arm. –"You guys better get going, while have these copies in their rightful places." -she said, as she played her flute-staff again and the copies all walked to their designated seats.

"Alright, you guys know the drill. Form a circle around me, and place your hands over my shoulders or arms." -Forest Doe told them.

"Good luck, everyone." -Miss Bustier said, as she went to open the door for them, and they all became invisible. –"Please, try not to die." -she thought to herself, as she opened the door and pretended that she had heard someone knocking at the door, to let them out.

Chapter 16: La Paon vs. The Miraculous Team

Chapter Text

Back at the Louvre, chaos was installed. In addition to the two stone dragons that La Paon had brought to life, a few other wild animal statues also suffered the same fate, destroying and attacking everything they found in their path. And that was not all. The holder of the peacock miraculous was having fun, using her chaos magic on some of the people that ended up crossing paths with her, while continuing to look for someone whose emotions she deemed worthy of a powerful Sentimonster.   

Those who were unlucky enough to find themselves face to face with her, believed they were staring at the latest Akuma, created by Hawk Moth. And that alone was enough to make them run for their lives, and search for a place to hide. But if they knew who she truly was, they would even be more frightened than they were, upon seeing her; not that it would matter. Anyone with magical powers that were not members of the Miraculous Team, frightened people.

“Mmm… instead of a cat, I should’ve turned her into a pigeon.” -La Paon said, as she looked at the woman she had turned into a cat. –“I’ve already turned too many people into cats, or made them behave like cats, even though I really wanted to turn them into cats. I need to get a hold of these powers…” -she said, when a man who was running from her, tripped. –“Oh, let’s see, what I’m going to turn you into?”-she asked. –“Oh, I know! A goat!”  

And with that, she used her powers to turn the poor man into a goat. But like it happened before with other victims, the man did not turn into a goat. Instead, it only gave him goat’s horns and tail, and made him act like one.  

“Uh, I wanted to turn him into a full goat, and not just give him horns and a tail, and act like one! I need to find a way to use the powers the way I want them.” -La Paon sighed, frustrated. –“-And as much fun  as it is to turn people into animals, I don’t want to keep repeating myself. Maybe I’ll start turning people into trees… oh, I know, the next one, I will turn it into a chair!” -she laughed at the prospect of turning someone into a chair, when suddenly, a shriek was heard, coming from behind her. One of the numerous statues she had brought to life, this one holding an axe, was chasing a woman, while trying to chop off her head. Seeing that, she could not help but to make a joke. –“Watch your head!”

Even over the infernal noise of the fire alarm, La Paon's maniacal and evil laughter could be heard, and those who heard him felt their blood run cold. If one was to describe it, it would certainly compare it to the shrieking cries of a creature that came through the gates of Hell. Those that had the misfortune of being inside the Louvre, wondered what had they done to deserve what was happening to them, as they tried to reach the exit.

At the same time, on the outside, the firemen responded to the call, with numerous fire engines arriving at the scene, followed by the police, who had responded to the Akuma attack alert that had been issued. As they exited their vehicles and got ready to enter, they saw the people coming out of the Louvre’s glass pyramid, its main entrance, in the rowdiest way possible, despite the warnings of the security guards, who begged them to remain calm, as they exited the building and made their way out of there, in search of a safe place to hide.     

Like it happened on other occasions, the chain of command determined who had priority, and who did not. And in this case, both police and firefighters claimed to have it. Both wanted to do their jobs first, and have the others backing them up, if possible. The police wanted to go in and deal with the Akuma, but the firefighters wanted to deal with the fire that was supposedly roaring inside the museum. Sufficient to say, that both forces were at an impasse, as they tried to see who would go first, and who would go last.   

“You need to let me and my men in!” -the chief of the firefighters said. –“If there’s a fire inside, it could quickly spread and burn the whole building to the ground.” -he said, as he pointed to some of the windows, where you could clearly see smoke coming out.

“No can do.” -the lieutenant said. –“You know the order of command in these cases. In the event of an Akuma attack, the police and SWAT are the first ones to enter the building. Not the firemen.”

“Then, deal with the Akuma, while we deal with the fire and evacuate the citizens! There won’t be a building, if we allow the fire to spread!” -the chief said, when all of a sudden, they heard a noise coming from above.

Looking up, the firefighters and the police saw the two stone dragons tearing through the roof, tearing off tiles and beams, as they tried to walk on top of the roof. Their heavy stone bodies made it hard for them to move very quickly. But that did not matter, thanks to the fact that they continued to breathe flames, which continued to burn the roof.

“Are those things Akumas?”

“Maybe. Or maybe they’re just the Akuma’s pets.”  

“Doesn’t matter what they are. They’re a menace. And if they keep breathing fire over the roof, the whole place will be turned into a big pile of ashes, in no time.” -the chief said. –“Grab your things and get ready to hose down those flames up there.” -he ordered his firemen.

“As for us, we got to make sure that this whole square is evacuated. Spread out and have the civilians go towards the Jardin des Tuileries.” -the lieutenant exclaimed to his men. –“As for SWAT, buckle up and get ready to enter the museum! Take every piece of arsenal you have in the van. We don’t know what kind of Akuma we’re dealing with here. Better safe than sorry, that’s what I always say.” -he ordered them.

While law enforcements and the fire department were preparing for another hard battle in the protection of that city, as well as its citizens and heritage, inside the museum, La Paon continued to walk through the corridors, using his powers and appreciating art. Admitting that the place she was in was strange, and like nothing she had ever seen before, she wondered where she was. The answer to that question would be given to him when he arrived at the entrance lobby of the Louvre.

“Uh, what is this?” -La Paon asked, as she grabbed the museum’s brochure from the floor. –“Louvre Museum? What is a museum?” -she asked, as she continued to read the brochure. –“Whatever it is, it’s where I am… and it’s in Paris. So, I must be in West Francia. Never liked the Franks; disgusting people. But I guess, it’s as good as another place to begin conquering the world. And if Hawk Moth is here, even better. I’ll have my revenge on him, and on the Franks.”   

At the same time as she walked towards the exit, the members of SWAT were entering the building. And when they saw her, they immediately mistook her for an Akuma. Seeing them, La Paon wondered who they were, as they were all dressed differently from most of the people she had run into in the museum. It did not take long for her to realize they were some sort of soldiers, based on the strange weapons they were carrying. And like it had happened with some of her previous victims, she used her powers to sense what kind of feelings they had, to use in one of her Sentimonsters.

“Hold right there, you Akuma!”

“Again, with the Akuma thing?! Has Hawk Moth really been throwing Akumas around, to the point that you people think that just because I might look a bit like one, that I’m one?!” -La Paon asked, as she rolled her eyes, and let out a crazy laugh. –“Doesn’t really surprise me. He was always creating new Akumas. I still remember, that one had not yet been defeated, and already he was creating the next one.” -she said.

“I said, hold right there, you Akuma! You give one more step, and you’ll be sorry!” -the leader of SWAT yelled at La Paon.

“Mmm… none of you have what I’m looking for.” -La Paon said. –“And for the last time, I’m not one of Hawk Moth’s Akumas. I’m La Paon, the future ruler of the world, you stupid Franks.” -she told them, with an angry voice.

The look on the SWAT team’s faces, when La Paon introduced herself and called them Franks, showed that they did not understand what she was talking about. For some of them, who had already gone one on one against an Akuma, this was the first time that one of them told them that it was not one. On top of it, by calling them Franks, made it look like she had dropped out, straight out of medieval times.

“La Paon? Franks? What is she talking about?”

“Who cares what she’s talking about. You know the protocol, when dealing with these things!” -the leader of SWAT said, as he pointed his weapon at La Paon. –“Put your hands behind your neck, and get on your knees, lady! You have three seconds to comply!” -he ordered her, as the rest of his men also pointed their weapons at her.

“On my knees?” -La Paon asked, before bursting into laughs. –“That’s no way to talk to a lady, especially if she’s going to be ruling you all, very soon.” -she said, as she opened her fan and plucked two Amoks from it. –“You’re the ones who should be on your knees, or better yet, buried up to your knees!”

Shooting the Amoks at the feet of the members of SWAT, the ground under their feet began to change. One second it was solid, the next one it started to change, with the SWAT members feeling themselves sinking into it. It was not long before they found themselves buried up to their knees. When trying to free themselves, they all ended up sinking even deeper into that pavement that looked more like quicksand. Seeing this happen, La Paon laughed like crazy. When finally, the pavement hardened, every member of SWAT was trapped, without being able to move a finger, much less an arm or a leg. You could see they were feeling as hopeless as new-borns.

“Now that is a much better look for you all.” -La Paon said, as she sensed some new feelings that came from the leader of SWAT. –“Oh, now that’s more I like it… rage and wrath, and a wish for revenge. That’s the kind of feelings I was looking for, to create a powerful Sentimonster.” -she laughed. –“Time for me to get Hawk Moth’s attention. Once he sees this beauty that I’m about to create, he’ll know I’m around, and he’ll come for me… just as planned.” 

As it had happened before, La Paon’s laughing face, suddenly became stone-cold serious, as she plucked one more Amok feather form her fan. Only this time, instead of just throwing it, like she had done before, she held it with her fingertips, and infused it with her power. This one became completely blue, with tiny little sparks coming out of it.   

“My dear Amok, it is time for you to do what you were created for. Pluck the feelings from this man, and shape them into a powerful Sentimonster.” -La Paon whispered to the blue Amok, in a way that it felt like she was whispering to a newborn baby.  

Blowing the Amok it flew towards the SWAT leader, hitting him in the face. As he did so, a surge of energy ran through his body, while his brown eyes glowed blue. As with Hawk Moth's victims, this one was under La Paon's control. She could feel what he was feeling, as if those feelings were hers.

“Seems like you are having a bad day. Let me help you. Let me make use of your raw power.” -La Paon said, speaking not to its victim, but rather, the emotions that were inside his heart. –“Let me give you a purpose.” -she said, as she used her powers to retrieve the emotions from the man, who screamed in agony. 

Unlike what happened, when Hawk Moth created an Akuma, where he made a sort of contract with his victims, La Paon dispensed such pleasantries. She could not care less about those, who the emotions she sought belonged to. She just cared about the emotions, as if they were living, breathing beings. She was going make use of the Amok to extract the emotions inside the victim, and then shape them, into what she wanted.   

And for that Sentimonster, she knew what she wanted. When creating one, she would allow the emotions to take from, by giving them the freedom to assume a first form, which she would then sculpt, if one can use that expression, in the same way that a sculptor works wood, or marble, or even bronze. Little by little, the Sentimonster began to take shape, and when it finished forming. It had a raging red-armoured body with spikes on its torso, arms, and angles. Around his torso, he also had a set of black solid chains. For its head, it had a knight’s helmet like. On its hand, it was holding a red flaming sword, but the flames were not red, but black. Smiling at her creation, La Paon let out an evil laugh, which chilled the blood of all who were present.

“Yes! You are a formidable Sentimonster!” -La Paon exclaimed, delighted with her creation. –“What shall I call you?” -she asked, while looking at the Sentimonster. –“I know! Surtr, like the bringer of Ragnarok.”

Unlike what happened with Akumas, Surtr did not say a word. It just stood there, waiting. That was one of the main differences between Akumas and Sentimonsters. Akumas had a will of their own, and they did as they pleased, as long as they followed Hawk moth’s orders. Sentimonsters were basically mindless drones, to whom one had to give orders. But there was an advantage to that. Sentimonsters did not sleep, dd not grow tired, and best of all, they never ignored the orders given to them, and did not stop until their purpose was fulfilled.

“But I feel that you need something more, before I can say you’re perfect for the job.” La Paon said, as she looked at it. –“Oh, I know! I’ll make you a little bit taller.” -she cackled, as her fan began to glow bright blue.  

When saying she was going to make it a little bit taller, La Paon made sure that that little bit, was actually a very big bit. By the time the top of Surtr's head pierced the surface of the Louvre pyramid, Alix's father and brother, Alim and Jalil, had just emerged from it. Hearing the sound of the glass shattering, they both looked back and saw the Sentimonster tearing apart the rest of the pyramid as it emerged from it. Picking up the pace, they tried to get out of there as fast as their feet would allow them. Following the directions of the police officers, who were there to help the civilians, both were trying to go to one of the several Akuma shelters that had been created around the museum. It was not the first time they had gone through that experience. But as they ran, Alim tripped and fell to the ground.

“Are you alright, dad?” -Jalil asked his father.

“I-I am.” -Alim answered, as his son helped him getting back up. –“Come one, we better get to one of shelters, before… watch out!” –he shouted, while looking up.

In order to get out of the pit where the Louvre’s pyramid once stood, Surtr forced its way out, by pushing pieces of debris out of its way, while also throwing some of them. And some of those were flying in the direction of the two male members of the Kubdel household. Paralysed by fear, they both closed their eyes, as the debris came down on them. Luckily for them, two of the members of the Miraculous Team were faster than the others, and they did not like to wait for the others. As it was their custom, Antelope and Dragonfly raced towards the Louvre, trying to see who was faster, only to arrive just in time to save the father and brother of the latter. Grabbing them, they avoided the black flames from Surtr’s flaming sword, as it tried to burn them.   

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you!” –Dragonfly told her brother. –“And just in the nick of time. What would you do without me, huh, Jalil?” -she thought to herself, as she looked down and saw that Antelope had got her dad. –“It’s really a good thing Kim and I are so fast. Don’t even want to imagine what would’ve happened to you and dad, if we were slower, big brother.

“Don’t you worry, sir. You’re in good hands” -Antelope told Alix’s dad. –“Guess you’ll be owing me another favour, Alix.” -he thought to himself.   

Signalling her partner, Dragonfly told him to take her dad to the other side of the river. Acknowledging her, he did as he was told, taking Alm to the other side of the river, where it was safe. Targeting his landing, he landed on the sidewalk, between a couple of bystanders, who were watching the action.  

“Here we go. Last stop.” -Antelope said, as he placed Alix’s dad on the ground.

“Hope you liked to fly by Dragonfly Airlines, and hope to see you again soon, but not too son. In the meantime, maybe you two better find a safe place to hide, until we’ve dealt with whatever’s happening.” -Dragonfly said, as she placed her brother on the ground. –“And speaking of which,  we better hurry. Those are three very big things wrecking the place.” -she said,

“I’ll get there before you, slowpoke!” -Antelope said, as he sprinted out of there, at an incredible speed, and leaping over the Seine.

“Real mature, Antelope!” -Dragonfly shouted at him, with a voice filled with sarcasm, as she saw him landing on the other side of the river. –“Sometimes I wonder if he has anything in that head of his, besides cobwebs.” -she sighed, before leaping into the air, to follow him, leaving her father and her brother behind.  

Both the police and the firefighters were having a hard time doing their jobs, thanks to the stone dragons and Surtr, as both had begun to burn the Louvre, and attacking anyone who was trying to either fight the flames, or just run away. Coming out from the wreck of twisted metal and broken glass, that had been the Louve pyramid, and seeing all the chaos that was happening around her, La Paon felt like a kid in a candy store. She did not know what she liked more, if the chaos itself or the screams of innocent people, fleeing for their lives. But her good mood was about to come to an end, when a certain scarlet heroine showed up, and landed right in front of her. Staring her in the eyes, she wanted to show her that she meant business.   

“Hold it, right there, La Paon!” -Ladybug shouted at her. She had just finished talking, when the rest of the team landed behind her.

“What is this?!” -La Paon asked, as she saw the Miraculous heroes. –“From the way you’re dressed, I take it you’re the current holders of the miraculouses.” -she said. –“I must say, you look better in those outfits, than those silly knights in their themed armours. Still, your outfits are much too colourful for my taste… except for that redhead over there Her and the girl with the purple hair. That shade of blue looks great on you, honey. It really heightens the colour of your eyes. And you, I’m not the biggest fan of black, but that purplish-black looks beautiful on you. It gives you a mysterious look. Which is more than I can say about kitty cat over here.”

Upon hearing her say that, the heroes did not know how to react to those comments. It was not every day that someone who was described as dangerous and evil as Hawk Moth, threw that kind of comments at them. But knowing that, they knew they could not allow themselves to be tricked with compliments and praises.   

Did she just hit on me?!” -Louve Grise and Corbeau Noire thought the same thing.

Is this woman for real?” -Chat Noir asked himself.

“Well, sorry if you don’t like them! But I’m quite proud of my outfit.” -Queen Bee said in a voice filled with sarcasm, only for some of the others to give her –“What?! She’s insulting most of us. And you know quite well that I don’t allow anyone to badmouth my sense of fashion, or style.” -she told them.

Oh, Chloe… only you, to think about that, at a time like this.” -Forest Doe thought to herself, while rolling her eyes.

I swear that if I didn’t love you so much, I would slap you right now, for thinking this is the time to say such a thing.” -Louve Grise thought to herself.

“Could you cut it out with the fashion statements?!” -Dragonfly asked the bee heroine, clearly annoyed with her. –“This isn’t the time, nor the place for them!” -she told her.  

“With you it’s never the time!” -Queen Bee shouted at Dragonfly. –“But I bet that if it was you throwing an insult at her, like she looks like one of the members of the Blue Man Group, or whatever those guys in blue are named, then, that would be just dandy, wouldn’t it?!” -she asked her, angry.

“And why would I say something like that?! Do you really think I would waste my time, with such a lame remark?!” -Dragonfly asked her.  

“Girls! Not the time, nor the place!” -Panda Roux told them, ending the discussion. –“Why does Alix do that?! She knows that Chloe isn’t the kind of girl who will stay quiet, when insulted. It’s like she enjoys this… oh, who am I kidding?! Of course, she does! It’s Alix we’re talking about here! She sees this as her way to force Chloe to pay her back for all the times she teased her and bullied her in the past.” -he thought to himself.

“Thanks, Panda!” -Chat Noir said, without taking eyes off La Paon. –“Last thing we need is Alix and Chloe yelling at each other.” -he thought to himself.    

“Anyways, we’re not here to discuss if our outfits look great, or not.” -Ladybug told La Paon. –“We’re here to stop you and whatever you released inside the Louvre, and outside of it!” -she warned her, as she looked at both Surtur and the stone dragons. –“And believe me, when I say that we’re not afraid of you, or your creations.”

“You heard her. Whatever tricks you might have, we’ve come prepared for them.” -Chat Noir said, with a confident voice.  

Hearing them say that, La Paon began to laugh like crazy. For the second time in less than two minutes, the heroes were caught by surprise, by the woman’s behaviour. They did not expect her to react the way she was reacting.  

“Those words of yours… they remind me so much of what the miraculous holders I fought before, kept saying. They were always babbling about how decency, honesty, justice and morality, among other pointless things!” -La Paon laughed, before putting on the most serious face any of them had ever seen. –“And you know what they were? A thorn on my side. They prevented me and Hawk Moth from conquering Camelot and England, not to mention the rest of the world. A world where chaos ruled.” -she said, before beginning to laugh again. –“A world where your miraculouses would have served a greater purpose! A glorious and chaotic purpose, if I had convinced Hawk Moth, to find a way to use them, instead of destroying them!”   

Hearing her, they wondered where she was going with all that speech. And more importantly, they wondered if she did not suffer from bipolarity, or split personality. One moment she was all fun and laughs like she had drunk one too many shots of tequila, and the next one, she sounded like the bluer cousin of Gus Friig from Breaking Bad. Looking at her, Chat Noir also wondered the reason why he felt he had seen her before. But before he could figure that out, she began to talk once more.

“Hawk Moth, that bastard… it’s because of him I ended up turned into stone and my essence locked away inside my miraculous, during all these years!” -La Paon yelled. –“All because he was too blind to see that destroying the miraculouses, instead of finding a way to break the bond they have with their holders, so they can be used by anyone who gets a hold of them!” -she continued to yell, her voice filled with rage.

It was clear to them that La Paon was not in cohorts with Hawk Moth. If there was the slight chance this was not the case, every shred of doubt was gone. The hatred she had for the villain could be heard in her voice.

“But maybe I don’t even have to do that. Here you all are… I remember being told that there were 14 miraculouses, and here you all are... well, most of you.” -La Paon said, as she counted them, noticing there was one hero missing. –“Still, this could be an opportunity, not only for me, but for you all.” -she laughed maniacally.

“What are you talking about, lady?” -Arachnid asked her, wondering what La Paon

“I don’t like where this is going.” -Forest Doe whispered to Grizzly Bear.

“That makes two of us.” -Grizzly Bear whispered back at her.  

“I am talking about how we could help each other.” -La Paon answered Arachnid’s question. –“I’m quite sure that you want to destroy Hawk Moth. I mean, you wouldn’t be using those miraculouses, if that wasn’t your mission. Well, I’m also on a mission of my own. I want to kill him. So, why don’t you join me? I could use your help killing him, and if we combine my powers and yours, he would not stand a chance.” -she told them. –“And then, with him out of the picture, we could split the world between us. Half for me, and half for you.”

The more they heard La Paon talking, the more they realized that just like Hawk Moth and his team of lieutenants, she was pure evil. The main difference between them was the miraculouses they wore, as well as the fact that he was a psychopath with zero empathy, and she looked more like sociopath with an incredibly sick and twisted sense of humour. The whole speech La Paon gave them, sent them memories of their first encounter with Hawk Moth, right there, in that very same spot. It felt like a lifetime ago. He too tried to recruit them to his cause.   

“You don’t look a thing like those knights. In fact, you’re way younger than any miraculous holder I had the chance to meet. I bet you all have a great relationship with those kwamis of yours.” -La Paon said. –“I myself never had one, but I believe if I had one, I would have a great relationship with it… as long as it obeyed my every command, of course.” -she admitted, and the way she said it, made the heroes feel repulsed. –“But I’m digressing here. Like I was saying, you don’t look like those knights, and when I say that, I mean that you look like you’re smarter than them. And being smarter, means that you’ll know a good deal, when you hear one. So, what do you say? Can I count on you?”

There’s no way this woman believes that we’re going to side with her.” -Ladybug thought to herself.  

“Lady, I don’t know what went between you and Hawk Moth, but you’re nuts if you think we would side with you.” -Carapace told her.

“Do you really think that we would use our miraculouses and our powers to help you, when Hawk Moth gave us that very same proposition, and we told him to take a hike?” -Arachnid asked her.

“Fat chance that’s happening.” -Grizzly Bear told her.

“Yeah. It’s not happening, not even in a million years!” -Dragonfly shouted.

“You’re not getting any help from us, you witch!” -Flamingo said

“I’m going to give you the same answer we all gave Hawk Moth, when he asked us the same thing, the first time he show up.” -Ladybug declared, with a stern voice. –“Not a chance in Hell!” -she exclaimed. –“Our miraculouses will never be yours, and they will never serve your evil purposes, La Paon. The only thing they will do, is help us stop you, and whatever other crazy maniacs that threaten our city, and our world!”

“And if you though we were going to side with you, to fight Hawk Moth, even if he is as much our enemy, as he is yours, then you thought wrong!” -Chat Noir told her. –“You’ll both end up the same way. Defeated, and then locked up, where you will never hurt anyone, ever again!” -he said.  

The bravado on the heroes’ voices, reminded La Paon once more about the Knight of the Round Table and their king, who were also miraculous holders. And more importantly, it reminded her that those who were chosen to wield the miraculouses, were individuals that could not be bribed, or tempted. On top if it, their speeches which resonated so much like those spoken by the Knights of the Round Table, was begin to get on her nerves.  

“Then, there’s nothing to discuss, other than how I’m going to kill you all.” –La Paon declared, with a cold voice.  

“You don’t scare us, lady!” -Antelope told her, as he swung his bat in the air. –“We eat Akumas and supervillains for breakfast.” -he said, with a cocky voice. –“To us, you’re nothing more than a bowl of breakfast cereal.”

“Oh, really? I don’t know what a supervillain is, but I can assure you, that I’m not one of Hawk Moth’s Akumas.” -La Paon said, as she closed her fan. –“And unlike them, I don’t need to be told what I have to do.” -she said, as her fan turned into a sword. –“I’ll take you all, in combat… Surtr, burn everything to the ground, starting with them. I’ll deal with those who survive your infernal flames.”

Obeying its mistress’ orders, Surtr raised the flaming sword, and pointed it at the heroes. Due to its size, they were surprised by its speed. But as it was already his custom, Carapace was on high alert, and the moment he saw the Surtr moving, he used his powers to create a shield around the whole team. When the flames hit the shield, they all felt the heat, and were grateful for Carapace’s quick thinking.

“This doesn’t look good.” -Dragonfly said, as she looked at the black flames hitting the green energy shield.  

“Yeah, well, if it doesn’t look good, it means we have to do something to reverse it.” -Corbeau Noire said.  

“So, what’s the plan?” -Grizzly Bear asked Ladybug and Chat Noir.

“The plan is simple. Chat and I will take care of La Paon. The rest of you, find a way to stop that giant behemoth as well as those dragons, and help the police and the firefighters.” -Ladybug answered him. –“We can’t allow this this crazy woman’s creations to turn this city into a pile of ashes.”  

“This is going to be like when we went up against Gargantua.” -Carapace said. –“Except that it’ll be like going up against Gargantua and Hot Tamale at the same time.” -he added.

“Yeah, but what are we going to do about it?” -Antelope asked him, shrugging his shoulders.

“I’ll take care of the flames on the rooftop.” -Queen Bee said. –“You lend me a hand, Louve?” -she asked the wolf heroine.

“I’m right behind you.” -Louve Grise smiled at her. –“And we’ll also try to clip the wings of those stone dragons.” -she said.

“I’ll lend you girls a hand. I might have something in mind, that will put those two stone dragons out of commission.” -Panda Roux declared.

“I’ll go and help the police, evacuating the rest of the people who are still around.” -Flamingo said.

“Then, the rest of us will go and deal with this giant-walking flamethrower?” -Dragonfly asked, with the rest of the team nodding their heads. –“Okay, I think that’s settled.” -she said.  

“Alright, then let’s go.” -Chat Noir said. –“Do you think you can expand the shield a little bit, so we can have some manoeuvring space, bro?” -he asked Carapace, who smirked.

Expanding his shield, the turtle hero made sure to make it large enough for the flames that were hitting it, were at a safe distance from him and his companions, before he broke it. Spreading out, each of the heroes made tracks towards the job they had agreed to do. While some of them helped the police with the civilians and the firefighters with the fire threatening the Louvre, other went against Surtr and the stone dragons. But for Ladybug and Chat Noir, there was only one target, and that was La Paon. Attacking her, the leaders of the Miraculous Team knew this was not going to be an easy battle, but they both believed that if they combined their powers and fighting styles, no matter how strong she was, they would be a match for her.    

But unknown to them, La Paon and the chaos her creations were creating, was not the only danger. From the air, a pair of eyes was seeing the whole thing, and those eyes belonged to none other than Rapier, one of Hawk Moth’s lieutenants.

Chapter 17: Through Hellfire and Maniacal Laughs

Chapter Text

Unlike what happened with his fellow lieutenants, Rapier did not like to look for potential targets to be akumatized by Hawk Moth. He liked to cause chaos and mayhem. Still, his master still forced him to look for such targets, just like Reptile and the other lieutenants. But instead of finding them on the ground, he liked to do it from the sky. This would have been impossible, had he not found out that he could camouflage himself while airborne. A very useful power, which he liked to take advantage from.

And it was while airborne, that Rapier spotted what was happening at the Louvre. Knowing that that was not one of Hawk Moth's Akumas, because its magical aura was different from an Akuma's, he immediately knew that he had to tell his master. So, he contacted him.

"Master…" -Rapier said. –"Hey, Hawk Moth, wake up! I believe that you'll want to see what I'm seeing." -he said, waiting for a response.

In his private chambers, Hawk Moth heard Rapier's mental call. Using his powers, he quickly linked his eyes to Rapier's and saw through them what was happening. Seeing the Sentimonster fighting the Miraculous heroes, he knew this was La Paon's doing. But his attention quickly shifted to the isolated battle that pitted Ladybug and Chat Noir against La Paon, with her seemingly having the upper hand.

"La Paon. So, you finally decided to show yourself." -Hawk Moth thought to himself.

Rapier remained in silence, waiting for Hawk Moth to tell him what to do. But this was not an easy task, as he did not like to stand still, when he could be having fun, trying to kill the Miraculous heroes and proving that he was superior not only to his master's Akumas, but also the other lieutenants.

But Hawk Moth did not care about what Rapier wanted to do, or thought. He was more interested in La Paon. He did not know how if her powers had grown, while she was trapped inside her own miraculous, or if they had remained the same. But from what he could see, she seemed to be a match against Ladybug and Chat Noir, who were doing their best to keep up with her. And this gave him an idea.

"This might prove to be a unique opportunity." -Hawk Moth said, finally breaking the silence. –"If I bid my time, she will destroy these teenagers, and get their miraculouses. Then, I'll just have to defeat her. I will kill two birds with one stone." -he thought to himself. –"Keep a close eye on what's happening. And do not interfere. I will order Reptile, Brutus and Madame Romani to convey on your location."

"You mean I have to stay put?!" -Rapier shouted. –"No way! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! I'm going down there, and I'm going to…" -he said, when he felt an electrical discharge coursing through his whole body.

"You will obey my orders, or you'll end up without your arms." Hawk Moth threatened him, before zapping him again. –"You are only to attack once the others arrive. Until then, you are to only observe. Do I make myself clear, Rapier?" -he asked him, with a sinister voice.

"Y-Yes, master Hawk Moth. I will… obey you, and observe, while waiting for the others to get here." -Rapier said.


The fire was beginning to get out of control, with the flames growing in size and speed. And because of the stone dragons who had started it, as well as Surtr who had turned to a significant number of the heroes, the firefighters were not sure what to do other than trying to stop the flames from spreading to other parts of the museum, without themselves ending up barbecued. Fortunately, they had a guardian angel on their side. And that guardian angel was Queen Bee, who once more, was preparing to do what she had done when Notre-Dame went up in flames.

Using her trompo, she created a tornado which then pointed towards the Seine. Upon touching the water, it began to suck it. As she had done before, she was going to use the water from the river to put out the fires. Though she had perfected that technique since the first time she used it, it still required her to fully concentrate.

"Okay, just a little bit more, and I'll have enough water sucked from the river." -Queen Bee said, as she focused on maintaining the water inside the tornado. –"I just hope I don't suck too much of it. I don't want to dump a waterspout and risk destroying the rooftop." -she said, while looking at the wolf and the red panda heroes, who were on the rooftop. –"Come on, Sabrina. You and Nathaniel get those stone dragons out of there, so I can extinguish the flames."

The bee heroines wished her girlfriend and Panda Roux would hurry up. But wanting something, does not make it happen, just because one wants it. And Louve Grise and Panda Roux wished that was not true. They believed that they could face the dragons and force them off the roof, taking them to a place that was not so flammable. But they didn't count on those stone creatures claiming the museum's rooftop their territory. Furthermore, the flames that this one spit out looked much hotter than normal flames. Using her ice power, Louve tried to erase those that were between them and the dragons, but only managed to diminish them.

"What's with these flames?!" -Louve Grise asked. –"Why can't I put them out?!" -she asked, before using her ice breath on them again, and failing to extinguish them.

"I don't know! Maybe they're magical?" -Panda Roux hypothesized. –"Or maybe they burn a lot higher than regular flames?" -he suggested, while staring at the dragons.

"I'm more inclined to say it's the second one." -Louve Grise said. –"In any case, we've got to take these creatures out of the roof, so Chloe can pour out the fire." -she said, while pointing at the bee heroine, who was waiting for them. –"You said you might have an idea on how to dela with them. What was it?"

"Easier said than done, with these flames. I was thinking I could try and turn them against one another." -Panda Roux said. –"If I could make one of them angry at the other, they would start fighting and end up clobbering one another." -he said, as he tried to ignore the smell in the air. –"I'll never get used to the stench of a burning building."

"That's a great plan." -Louve said. –"Let's see if I can make part of it happen." -she told him. –"I'm going to use my ice breath to try and create a path, so you can reach them. I'll follow you, once I manage to put out those flames over there. We don't need part of the rooftop to cave in."

Taking a deep breath, Louve held her breath for a second, before using her power. The icy air that came from her lips fanned the flames, weakening them. Forcing it, she tried to erase them, but they wouldn't extinguish. Seeing by her face that her friend was having a hard time, Panda reduced the size of her spear, and used it to quickly draw something to help her. The first thing that occurred to him was to draw a cloud-like creature, which spit water like a cannon, significantly reducing the flames. And once the trail was completed, he did not hesitate and ran towards the stone dragons. Trying to ignore the smothering heat that was around him, the red panda hero dashed over the tiles, with one goal in his mind: getting to its target.

"Alright, let's see if I can do this." -Panda Roux thought to himself, as his spear changed back to its original size.

As expected, when the stone dragons noticed him approaching them, they immediately began breathing fire at him. Dodging the balls of flame, Panda used the spear like a pole to leap over the heads of both dragons, landing on the backs of the one on his left.

"Okay, the easy part is over. Now comes the hard part." –Panda Roux thought to himself.

And the hard part was to get the dragons to fight one another, by taking control of the one he had landed on. Having taken the idea from the "How to Train Your Dragon" trilogy, he was about to see whether or not this one would work. Once more, he used his powers to turn his spear into a pen and started to draw, knowing that the dragon was about to try and kick him from its back. Drawing as fast as he could, he designed a set of robust, fireproof reins and quickly placed them on the dragon's mouth, by lassoing its head. Believing himself in charge of the stone beast, Panda tried to make it attack the other stone dragon, by clawing it and breathing fire on it.

"Okay, let's see just how tough you are against one another." -Panda Roux exclaimed.

As dangerous as that was, Panda Roux felt like a little kid, while on top of the stone dragon. When he was little, he had watched "NeverEnding Story" more times than he could count, and he used to imagine himself riding Falkor, the luckdragon. What was happening to him, was the closest thing to have that wish fulfilled. Unfortunately, his joy was short lived, when the stone dragon began to buck his hind legs, trying to get rid of him. Panda tried to hold on, but the buck was so strong that made him jump in the air, and land hard on the ground, while also hitting his head.

"Panda!" -Louve Grise yelled, as she raced towards his rescue.

Dashing through blazing rooftop, Louve used her ice breath to clear a path through the flames. She had to get to Panda, before the stone dragons turned him into a snack. Seeing them both getting closer to her teammate, she quickened her pace. Not knowing if she would reach him in time, she did the only thing it occurred to her; she jumped into the air and threw herself in front of Panda, just as the stone dragons reached him.

"Oh, no you don't, uglies!" -Louver Grise yelled, as she looked them in the eyes.

Standing between Panda Roux and the two stone dragons, the wolf heroine used her ice breath to create a thick wall of blue ice, which she then proceeded to turn into a sort of igloo, around them, giving them a little bit of protection. She did not know if Panda Roux was hurt from that fall, and she needed to check him.

"Nathaniel, are you okay?" -Louve Grise asked him, as the sound of the dragons' claws chipping against the ice was heard. –"Hope I made the ice hard enough for them to take their time to get to us." -she thought to herself.

"Y-Yeah… I think I am." -Panda Roux answered her. –"I just got my outfit a little burnt, and my head's spinning a little, that's all." -he said, as she continued to check him. –"But I think I figured out one thing about the flames."

"What about the flames?" -Louve Grise asked him, curious.

"I think the flames are connected to these guys." -Panda Roux told Louve Grise. –"I believe that as long as they're entertained, torching up the place, the flames get some kind of a magical boost, and are harder to put out. Because when I did manage to get them fighting one another, I had the feeling that the flames weakened." -he added, as she finished check him for any kind of injuries. –"Come on, I'm okay. I told you to not worry, Sabrina. It's like Kim says, I've got a thick noggin, because artists are quite stubborn."

"Yeah, well, thick noggin or not, you bumped your head, and you were almost burned to a crisp." -Louve Grise said, concerned. –"Forgive me, if as your friend, I care about you." -she said.

"I'm not Adrien, but if I was, I would say that right now, I'm so hot that I make the equator look like the north pole." -Panda joked.

"Stick to being the artist of the group, and leave the jokes to the others, okay?" -Louve told him, between chuckled, when they both heard a roar. –"Uh oh, I think those things are mad that I didn't let them eat you… Come on, we need to get these dragons to start fighting each other." -she said, this time with a serious voice, as she saw the beasts hitting the thick blue ice with their claws, attempting to break it. –"Now that we got their attention, they won't stop until we're goners."

He knew Louve was right. The ice wall between them was not going to hold for long, and once the ice was out of the way, the stone dragons would come to feast on them. They needed another plan to deal with them, and fast. Thinking hard, Panda Roux realized that

"Maybe my plan to try and get them fight one another, needs to be a little refined." -Panda Roux admitted. –"And I think I know what needs to be refined." -he said, as he saw one of the dragon's claws piercing through the blue ice. –"Whoa! These guys really do want to make a snack out of us!"

"Then, we better not give them that pleasure." -Louve Grise said. –"What's the new plan?" -she said, as she opened her fans.

"We keep it simple. We make them follow us, and then, we let Surtr squash them." -Panda Roux said, as the blue ice wall was pierced, and a sizeable chunk of it was ripped by one of the stone dragons.

"Sounds like a plan." -Louve Grise said. –"Then, let's get going. Let's use ourselves as bait, and get them out of this rooftop." -she declared, as the stone dragons finally torn their refuge apart.

"Just follow my lead." -Panda Roux said, as he pointed his spear at the stone dragons and looked them in the eyes.


Due to the main entrance of the Louvre having been destroyed by Surtr, the people who were still inside it were forced to leave through the emergency exits scattered throughout the different wings of the museum. In order to ensure that these arrived safely at one of the numerous Akuma shelters, police officers did their best to evacuate them and drive them there. And to help them, there was Flamingo and her numerous copies, alongside Antelope. While the rest of the heroes tried to keep Surtr busy, the pink feathered heroine and the antelope hero, were doing their best to get every civilian to safety.

"Everyone, please follow the officers' directions. And whatever you do, don't look back, while running towards one of the shelters." -Flamingo said, as she continued to evacuate civilians that were still coming from inside the museum.

"Come on, people! This way to safety!" -Antelope shouted, as he kept running around and catching those who were not moving fast enough to safety.

To make sure that no one was left behind, some of Flamingo's copies entered the museum and grabbed anyone who seemed lost or too afraid to move, and carried them outside, to safety. One such person was a little girl, who was crouched down, with her hands over her face, crying for her parents, in one of the rooms of the Egyptian exhibit. Seeing her, Flamingo's copy went to her, hoping to help her. Kneeling beside her, she tried to calm her down, so she would stop crying.

"Don't worry, honey. I'm here. Flamingo is here." -Flamingo's copy told the little girl, as she gently placed her right hand over the girl's head. –"Where are you parents?" -she asked her, as she momentarily uncovered her eyes.

But the little girl was too scared to answer. Fear had taken hold of her. Fear of the noise from the fire alarm. Fear of never seeing her parents again. Flamingo's copy could see all that reflected in her teary eyes.

"Please, honey, don't cry. I'm not going to hurt you, or let anything hurt you." -Flamingo's copy told her, smiling. –"Can you tell me your name, please?" -she asked her.

"E-Emma." -the little girl cried.

"Emma. That's a beautiful name, you know?" -Flamingo's copy told her. –"Don't worry. Emma. I'm going to get you to safety, and help you find your parents, okay? Cross my heart, hope to die. Stick a cupcake in my eye." -she promised her.

And while that copy of Flamingo did that, the others, alongside the original one, continued their efforts to help those who needed the most at that moment. They knew the faster they would evacuate everyone, the faster they would be able to lend a hand, or in their case a wing, to the heroes, who were having a hard time dealing with Surtr.

Following its mistress' orders, Surtr was burning everything it could with its sword, while at the same time, trying to kill the heroes, who were doing their best to prevent it from advancing into the city. Carapace had put up energy shields, blocking its path and restricting it to the place, though Surtr was trying to break them with its sword. Deciding to stay inside the perimeter created by the energy shields, Grizzly Bear kept jumping into the air and punching or kicking Surtr, so it would not try to strike the shield with its sword. But they were not the only ones. Dragonfly too was keeping it busy, by flying around it and using its head for target practice.

"I feel like I'm flying circles around King Kong." -Dragonfly thought to herself, as she grabbed her frisbee, which had bounced off Surtr's head. –"This guy's way sturdier than I thought. Not that it matters, because, even if I want to break that tough armour of his, I can't, until master Fu shows up with the spell to destroy whatever it is that's inside it, so it doesn't run away." -she mused about it, upset. –"Why is it taking so long for him to get here?!"

Patience was not one of Dragonfly's strong suits, and she hated to wait. For her, it was all about speed, when it came to getting things done. She wondered what was taking the old master so long to get there. And because of those thought, she failed to see that Surtr had had enough of her using its head for target practice, and decided to do something about it. Brandishing its flaming sword, it tried to torch her. Due to the speed with which everything happened, she only realized the danger when she felt the heat from the flames. Seeing the danger, she tried to dodge it, but it was too late. The sword's flames did not touch her, but caused the air to hear to a point, it created a whirlwind, that caught Dragonfly. Spinning out of control, she was falling towards the ground, when something caught her in mid-air.

"Don't worry, I've got you." -Corbeau Noire said.

The raven heroine had been helping Arachnid from the air, and when she saw the pink-haired plumbing down to the ground, she raced towards her saving. With Dragonfly in her arms, she flew towards the ground, where Arachnid was.

"Nice saving." -Arachnid told Corbeau.

"Thanks." -Corbeau Noise thanked him. –"Are you okay?" -she asked Dragonfly.

"Y-Yeah, just peachy." -Dragonfly told her, as Corbeau placed her on the ground. –"But this guy is a lot faster than he looks, and he's also a lot tougher." -she said.

"Well, having into account that we don't have a way to destroy the Amok that's inside it, it's a good thing we aren't making some serious damage to it." -Arachnid said. –"I wonder how long it will take for us to get what we need from the old master?" -he asked.

"That's what I was just asking myself. And to be honest, the sooner, the better. Because otherwise, this guy here is going to do some serious damage." -Dragonfly said, as she watched Grizzly Bear and Carapace doing their best to keep Surtr from moving further.

And given the sheer size of Surtr, it was understandable they needed to keep it from getting out of there and rampage through the city. They had all seen what happened when a massive enemy was left loose, and knew the damage it could do. Arachnid was about to say something, when all of their phones rang simultaneously.

"Who could it… it's Louve." -Corbeau Noire said, as she answered the call. –"What's the matter?" -she asked her, as Louve's face appeared reflected on her hand mirror.

"Panda and I are being chased by those stone dragons, and we were wondering if any of you can help us? We need the big guy to stomp on these two guys." -Louve Grise said, as she continued to run –"Do you think that's possible?" -she asked, while dodging a ball of fire.

"Well, we can try." -Arachnid told her. –"But we're going to need a little help." -he said, before looking at Dragonfly. –"Tell Carapace and Grizzly that we're going to need them for this. I've got a plan."

"What about Antelope and Flamingo?" -Dragonfly asked him.

"Leave them to finish what they're doing." -Arachnid said. –"We've got this." -he said.


And as the bulk of the team dealt with La Paon's creations, Ladybug and Chat Noir were busy dealing with her. Without realizing it, the duel had changed location, with them now fighting in the Jardin des Tuileries. Leaping over hedges and statues, the heroes were having a hard time fighting their opponent, who proved herself to be a terrific swordswoman. Every time they thought they had her, La Paon proved them wrong, by forcing them to defend themselves from her blade.

"You two fight well." -La Paon, as her sword struck Chat's staff. –"This wouldn't be fun, if you two didn't put up a little fight." -she laughed, as she dodged both Chat's attack, as well as Ladybug's.

"Your praises aren't going to save you!" -Ladybug told her, as she threw her yo-yo at La Paon's face, only for her to deflect it with her sword. –"Dang it!" -she thought in frustration.

"And your moves aren't going to save you either!" -La Paon laughed, as she struck Ladybug, her rapier nearly grazing her left cheek. –"I almost grazed you! You've got to be faster, or next, your lovely head is going to roll." -she said, when she something hit her on the back. And that something was the tip of Chat's staff.

"We'll see whose head will roll, lady!" -Chat Noir exclaimed. as La Paon turned to face him.

Chat was giving his all to defeat La Paon, while also trying to protect his partner. But as they fought, something made him hesitate. He did not know what it was, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not understand why he was hesitating, thus preventing him from doing what he had already done so many times. Never before had he hesitated in combat against an enemy, especially when the safety and well-being of the girl he loved was at stake.

Trying his best, he focused on the one thing it mattered, and that was the safety of Ladybug, whom then had just swooped La Paon's leg, making her fall on her back. Using his staff, he was about to hit her on the head with it, when he hesitated. This allowed La Paon roll to her left and kick Chat Noir on the face, before getting up and doing a series of backward flips, evading any further attempts of attack from the heroic duo.

"What's the matter?" -Ladybug asked him, sensing something was wrong with him, as she helped him get back up.

"I… I don't know. For a moment I…" -Chat Noir said. –"N-Never mind. It's just my mind playing trick on me, milady." -he tranquilized her.

Ladybug knew there was something wrong with her boyfriend. She sensed it. But more importantly, she could tell by the way he looked at her, and by the words he used. She wanted to talk to him and ask him to tell her what was truly going on, but there was no time for it. Charging against them once more, this time with an incredible speed, La Paon was holding her rapier in a striking stance with only one wish, to pierce the young heroes' chests with it. If

"She's fast." -Ladybug thought to herself.

"We've got to snatch her miraculous." -Chat Noir said. –"I can't believe I actually said that. Makes me sound like a villain." -he commented.

"I know. That's the kind of sentence that Hawk Moth would say, not us." -Ladybug agreed. –"But I don't see another way for us to deal with her." -she said.

"So, what's the plan, milady?" -Chat Noir asked her.

After she heard that question, the cogs inside Ladybug's mind began to rotate, trying to come up with a plan. Analysing the situation, she felt there was only one way they could end that battle, before things got too messy for their taste. They had to do what Hawk Moth's lieutenants were always trying to do with them. They had to snatch her miraculous from her. She hoped that by doing it, La Paon returned to normal, or at the very least, give them something to negotiate with.

"I go left, you go right. I'll punch her in the nose, and you yank her miraculous. I don't know if it'll do anything, but if we have her miraculous, she might think twice about attacking us, and we'll get the upper hand." -Ladybug told him

"Sounds good to me." -Chat Noir smiled. –"Do you think if we take her miraculous, she'll turn back?" -he asked her.

"If her miraculous is anything like ours, then that's what will happen." -Ladybug said, poised in her words. –"But if not, at least we get our hands on it, and try to negotiate with her." -she said. –"And watch out for her blade. I don't want you to end up sliced in half." -she warned him.

Running towards La Paon, the two heroes remained side by side, until they were mere meters from her. The latter, thinking they were going to attack her head on, charged at them with her rapier. Seeing this, Ladybug and Chat Noir went one to each side, catching their opponent by surprise. As agreed, Ladybug hit La Paon in the nose, distracting her and giving Chat the opportunity to grab the miraculous. But when the black cat hero grabbed it, he felt an electrical charge go through his body, which cramped his muscles and forced him to let go of the miraculous. Caught by surprise, Ladybug looked away for a moment to see what was going on with her partner. But a moment was all it took for La Paon to recover from the punch she had landed her, and kick her in the chest, sending her flying several meters. As for Chat, he fell to the ground, his body completely paralyzed. Looking at him, the villain laughed.

"Naughty, naughty, naughty." -La Paon laughed hysterically. –"Let me guess… you never tried to pull out a miraculous, who had its kwami fused with it, right?" she asked them, -"Turns out that only the holder can touch it, without getting zapped. A beautiful safety feature, if one decides to steal it… I mean, there's a way for another person to touch it without ending up fried, but you clearly haven't reached the level of magic proficiency needed to do it. Which means that you haven't even been able to touch Hawk Moth's miraculous. Killing you is going to be a lot easier than I thought."

Looking at Chat Noir, she smirked at him, before grabbing him by the neck, and lifting him in the air. He tried to move, but most of his muscles were refusing to obey his commands. Pressing the tip of her rapier against Chat's chest, she was about to pierce his heart and end him, when she heard someone dashing towards her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that Ladybug was about to throw her yo-yo at her.

"Oh, no, you don't!" -La Paon cried, as she placed her rapier against Chat's throat, halting Ladybug on her heels. –"You're not going to attack me, if you value the life of your friend." -she told her.

Gritting her teeth, Ladybug cursed her bad luck. Trying to get her breath back, her chest hurt, due to the kick that sent her flying a few moments before. Still, she tried to ignore that pain, knowing that Chat was possibly in more pain than she was. Using her sixth sense, the scarlet heroine evaluated the situation, and tried to come up with a solution. Unfortunately, her sixth sense did not reveal anything that could help her save Chat Noir. At the same time, the feline hero was beginning to regain control over his body, and La Paon noticed it.

"I see you're beginning to regain your moves, little kitty. But if I were you, I wouldn't move too much. Don't make me cut your throat just yet." -La Paon whispered to his ear, before looking at Ladybug. –"How about this? You give me your miraculous, and I might let him live." -she told the scarlet heroine.

"You might let him live? Until when? Until I give you my miraculous, and then you kill us both and take his miraculous too?" -Ladybug asked her, sceptical. –"Why don't you just take his miraculous, while you've got him there, at your mercy?" -she asked.

"Why? Because I'm in a generous mood, that's why." -La Paon told her, before letting a laugh. –"It's true, I was going to kill him and snatch his miraculous from him, when I heard you approaching. But I changed my mind. That's all I have to say to you." -she told her. –"So, are you going to give me your miraculous, in exchange for the kitty's life?"

"How do I know you'll keep your word?" -Ladybug asked, sceptical.

"You don't. But I guess you'll just have to trust me." -La Paon said, cackling maniacally.

"That's it, Marinette. Keep her talking, until I can regain control of my body, so I can free myself from her grip, when she lowers her guard." -Chat Noir thought to himself, when he inhaled a familiar scent. –"That smell… why does it feel so familiar? Where have I smelled it before?"

The scent was that of the perfume worn by Amelie, but Chat did not recognize it; possibly because it was a perfume that was worn by countless women. And right then, he was too focused on trying to survive that ordeal, to remind himself that scent was his aunt's perfume.

"Trust you? The same way you trusted Hawk Moth, back in the day, before he betrayed you?" -Ladybug taunted her. –"Let's hope her ego is just as big as one of the Akumas. I've got to make her lower her guard, to try and attack her, before she carves Adrien another smile." -she thought to herself, fearing for her boyfriend.

That was just what Ladybug wanted. She wanted to tick her off and hurt her ego and her pride, so she would lower her guard. It was not the first time Chat or one of the other heroes ended up in a pickle like that one, so they were used to that kind of situation. But before La Paon could answer her, something unexpected happened. Something that began with a scream.

"Aargh!" -La Paon screamed.

It took Ladybug a second to understand what had happened, but when she saw an arrow embedded in La Paon's left shoulder, she knew that help had arrived. It was one of Forest Doe's arrows, and when it pierced the woman's shoulder, she was forced to let go of Chat, who used most of his strength to reach towards her chest and use his attack on her, as he felt his body falling.

"Cataclysm!" -Chat Noir yelled, as he hit La Paon on the chest.

Once Chat's claws touched La Paon's chest, she felt like a cannon ball hit her, as her body was projected several meters in the air. Chat himself fell to the ground, He tried to get back up, but his muscles were going to take a few more seconds to obey him. Luckily, Ladybug went to his rescue, at the same time as Forest Doe revealed herself.

"Thanks for the assist." -Chat Noir thanked the doe heroine, as he massaged his throat, and Ladybug helped him get up.

"My pleasure." -Forest Doe said. –"Arachnid suggested that we shouldn't leave you two to handle her alone. So, I volunteered to come and give you a hand." -she smiled.

"And do one of your infamous disappearing and appearing entrances." –Ladybug declared. –"It's a good thing you did. I'm not one to refuse help." -she said, as she checked Chat. –"Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah. Still a little bit sore from that electrical discharge, and that blade against my neck. But other than that, I'm fine, milady." -Chat Noir said.

"Electrical discharge?" -Forest Doe asked.

"We'll explain later." -Chat told her. –"But a word of advice. Don't try to touch or yank that woman's miraculous. You'll be sorry." -he warned her.

While the heroes talked between them, La Paon yelled, as she pulled the arrow from her shoulder. Looking at the blood dripping tip, she then licked it, tasting her own blood, before throwing it away. Because she was also hit with a Cataclysm, she felt like she had been runover and trampled by a sounder of wild boars. Nevertheless, instead of feeling furious, she felt excited about it. And when she noticed that Forest Doe had joined Ladybug and Chat, she felt ecstatic.

"Three heroes… Finally, someone brought me a challenge!" -La Paon laughed like a maniac. –"The two of you were being too easy to deal with. Let's see if with another hero to the mix, things become more interesting." -she declared, as she pointed her rapier at them. –"But I'm warning you. Just because one of you can turn invisible, that doesn't mean I can't spot it!"

"Do you think she can do it?" -Forest Doe whispered at Ladybug. –"Do you think she has the power to see me, while I'm invisible?"

"I don't think so. She's probably just messing with us." -Ladybug told her. –"But just to be on the safe side, if you turn invisible again, keep your eyes glued on her." -she advised Doe.


Back at Françoise-Dupont, Rena Rouge continued to project the illusions of the entire class, including her own, while Miss Bustier was pretending to teach a lesson, in case anyone entered the room. Both were waiting for the bell to ring, so that Rena could order the illusions to leave the room and out of the school. She did not like being left behind, even though she knew it was necessary. And she was eager to join the rest of the gang and help them save the day. But time seemed to have slow down to almost a halt. The clock's hands were taking their sweet time moving; so much so that the fox heroine began to wonder if the clock was working properly. And she was not the only one. Her teacher was also wondering the same.

"Just a little bit longer, Alya." -Miss Bustier told the fox heroine, as she checked the time. –"The bell is almost ringing." -she assured her.

"I know, Miss Bustier." -Alya told her. –"I just hope I'm not too late." -she declared, with a worried voice.

"You won't. Have faith that everything will work out for the best." -Miss Bustier smiled at her.

"I'm trying, but it's not easy." -Rena Rouge admitted, as she looked at the time. –"Why is time moving so slowly?" -she asked, frustrated.

"Because you want it to move faster." -Miss Bustier told her, always smiling. –"That's what my grandmother always told me, when I was little. And she still does." -she said, trying to distract her. –"It's almost time. Just be patient, a little longer."

Without any other option, Rena waited. Looking at the clock, she counted the seconds left, while at the same time, looking at the illusionary copies she had created of herself and the rest of her class, all of them, in their respective seats. Just looking at them, made her wish even further, that the bell had rang, so she could go and help her friends. And when the bell finally rang, she dd not waste a single second. Playing her flute-staff, she ordered all of the copies to get up and head towards the door, while also making her own copy disappear, and placing an illusion on herself, that made her look like she was wearing her civilian clothes, instead of her superhero outfit.

"Good luck, Alya." -Miss Bustier told her, as she opened the door

Seeing Rena leave, alongside the copies of the rest of her class, no one would ever think they were not the real deal. Seeing them mingle with the rest of the students in the courtyard, as they headed towards the exist, Miss Bustier felt relieved, when they all crossed the door's jamb, meaning that Rena was on her way to help the others. Thinking about everything that happened in those last thirty seconds, she wondered just how all that felt so normal to her. There was a time when all that would have seemed strange to her; but not anymore. What had happened was now her normal, and somehow, she was already getting used to it.

"Things aren't looking easy for them." -Miss Bustier thought, as she scrolled down her cell's display. –"I didn't check anything, because I didn't want to stress Alya over what was happening. And maybe I did the right thing, because I would've gotten myself stressed as well." -she thought, while continuing to check the videos and photos of the battle. –"From all of these, it's clear that they need help. Maybe I should go and help them. No, don't say that. You'd probably get yourself captured, or worse, and how would that help them?... Then again, with that monster ravaging the city, they're going to need all the help they can get, until master Fu can get them the spell that will help them destroy the Amok inside that creature."

And the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she ought to be by their side. Not wishing to be left in the side lines, Miss Bustier decided that she was going to help her students. Her training was quite incomplete, and she knew that if she had to fight La Paon, or any of her creations, she would not stand a chance in Hell. But she hoped that what she had learned with master Fu, would be enough for her to protect one of her students. Determined to not lose another minute, she quickly placed all her belongings inside her briefcase, and got ready to leave, when someone knocked at the classroom door, looking for her.

"Caline… a word, please." -Miss Mendeleiev said.

"Oh, it's you. Is there a problem?" -Miss Bustier asked, as miss Mendeleiev entered the classroom.

"Yes, there is." -Miss Mendeleiev declared. –"I did not say anything during lunch, because I thought I could handle the issue myself, without having to bother you. But unfortunately, the situation is a little bit more complicated." -she said.

"Is this about what happened between my student and yours this morning? Because of it is, I already know about it. Mylene told me, the moment I arrived, this morning." -Miss Bustier said. –"I need to get rid of her, and quick." -she thought to herself.

"Yes, it is." -Miss Mendeleiev said. –"Now, usually I would handle what happened on my own terms, without bothering about it. But given that one of the students is Jeanne Gagné, and that she threatened to tell her parents about what happened, and having them over to talk to me, you, your student and the principal, I thought I should warn you." -she explained.

"Yes, I understand. Like I said, Mylene told me what happened to her. She also told me that Jeanne and two of your other students threatened her, like they did back in London, before she ran away from them, and the incident happened." -Miss Bustier said. –"And as far as I know, she didn't even lay a finger on them." -she stated. –"From what she told me, your students chased her and ended up slipping and falling to the ground."

"Yes, I know. And I'm not here to accuse your student, nor to defend mine. I already decided to sentence Jeanne and the other two, to two afternoons in detention." -Miss Mendeleiev said. –"Like I said, I came here to warn you that Jeanne has threatened to have her parents coming to the school, tomorrow. I already prevented the principal too, who wants to talk to you about it, immediately. "

"Immediately?" -Miss Bustier asked her. –"I can't stay. I need to find a way to ditch this meeting." –she thought to herself. –"Is that really necessary? I mean, I don't mind talking with the principal., regarding this matter. But I don't know what's there to say. Mylene didn't do anything. And I'm quite sure that the security cameras in the corridors will have taped what happened."

"I'm afraid it is. I'm in as much of a mood to have this meeting with the principal as you are, believe me." -Miss Mendeleiev told her.

"Then, why don't we talk about this, tomorrow, before classes? I'm sure the principal and you must have other things to do." -Miss Bustier said, hoping to give them the slip.

"I admit, I do. But the principal wants to have this dealt with, today, just in case. He's expecting us in his office." -Miss Mendeleiev said. –"He wants to get both sides of the story, for when Jeanne's parents show up tomorrow. You know who they are, and just how they are. The moment she tells them that her outfit was ruined, they'll come looking for the one responsible for what happened, without even putting the possibility that it was their daughter who's at fault. And principal Damocles wants to cover all bases." -she said. –"I'm telling you, if it was just up to me, I would've expelled Jeanne from this school, a long time ago. Her behaviour is getting worse, every day."

"Yes, I understand your frustration." -Miss Bustier said. –"Guess I won't be able to ditch this one… I just hope everything goes well." -she thought, frustrated, as she thought about her students. –"Some parents just don't want to hear their kids are problematic. Anyways, I believe that if we explain to them what really happened, and make them realize that it was an accident, and that these things happen, they'll see that there's no need to punish anyone."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." -Miss Mendeleiev. –"Unlike what you might think, they aren't like the mayor, with whom you could easily reason with." -she warned her, as she remembered the times he was called over, because of one of Chloe's tantrums. –"Over the years, I had parents who are way more complicated, than their children, but the Gagnés take the cake."

Miss Bustier understood what she was saying. In the past, whenever Chloe caused any sort of problem or did not get her way with things, and forced her father to come to school to deal with it, she would sit down with the mayor and explained it to him what had happened, usually convincing him that whatever had happened was not as problematic as Chloe made it seem, while also telling him that Chloe's behaviour was the problem and not the other students. Because of that, she had become well-versed in the art of talking with parents with problematic children. But she also knew that not every parent was as understanding as the mayor was.

"I know that. And I also know that unlike the mayor, they might not be so open to the fact that their daughter and her behaviour is the problem." -Miss Bustier sighed. –"But I want to believe that I'll be able to make them see that Mylene didn't have any fault in what happened to Jeanne." -she said, as a thought came to her. –"I won't allow anyone to accuse or hurt one of my students, when they didn't do anything wrong, If I can't protect them in the battlefield, then I'll protect them here."

Chapter 18: An Insane Plan and An Uneasy Truce

Chapter Text

Obeying his master's orders, Rapier continued to watch as the battle unfold, while waiting for the other lieutenants to show up, on top of a building facing the Louvre. His will was to go against the orders given to him, and jump into action, spreading further chaos in what looked like the most chaotic battle he had ever seen. But he knew that if attempted to do such a thing, Hawk Moth would punish him severely. Seeing what was happening, the urge to disobey Hawk Moth's orders grew with each passing second.

"Where are those idiots?! What's taking them so long to get here?!" -Rapier thought to himself, without taking his eye off the battle that was happening on the other side of the river.

He did not have to wait long for an answer, as about a minute later, Reptile, Brutus and Madame Romani showed up. Just like rapier, they were ready to fulfil their master's orders and take on the Miraculous Team, as well as La Paon.

"Took you long enough to get here!" -Rapier commented, clearly upset, before making contact with his master. –"Hawk Moth, they're here! What is it that you want us to do?!" -he said, telepathically, with his voice echoing inside

"Watch your tongue, Rapier! You would do good to show proper respect for our master, by not addressing him that way." -Brutus warned him.

"Whatever! If he has a problem with the way I address him, then he can tell me!" -Rapier told Brutus. –"And you're not the boss of me, so stop giving me advices and orders! I didn't ask for any of you!" -he said, practically spitting the words in Brutus face.

"This Rapier doesn't respect anyone. And worse, he clearly doesn't know his place, nor does he understand that bravado isn't enough to win a battle." -Brutus thought to himself. –"How can the master tolerate such behaviour from him, is a mystery for me." -he thought.

This was not the first time that Rapier talked to Hawk Moth, as if he was his equal, instead of his superior. Ever since he was recruited by the holder of the moth miraculous, the flying lieutenant saw himself as the best of them, and his swollen pride had given him the confidence to even go up against Hawk Moth's orders, more than once. And no matter how many times he was punished, he did not change his ways. That alone made Brutus' blood boil. Neither him, nor the other lieutenants addressed their master that way. And to him, there was nothing more important than respect and sense of duty towards their master, which were things Rapier had. To him, he was nothing more than a loose cannon that needed to be put in his place.

"Rapier, you, Reptile and Madame Romani will go after the heroes." -Hawk Moth said. –"Take advantage that their busy dealing with that Sentimonster, and get their miraculouses." -he ordered them.

"About time!" -Rapier exclaimed with a cocky voice, while letting out a laugh. –"I tell ya, this is going to be fun!" -he said, while rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"Yes, master." -Reptile said. –"I have a score to settle with some of them. Namely two heroes who dress up as an antelope, and a dragonfly." -he thought to himself, as he pulled his switchblade from his pocket.

"Very well, master." -Madame Romani said, as she made her crystal ball appear. –"But what about Brutus?" -she asked Hawk Moth, who promptly answered that question.

"Brutus, I want you to deal with La Paon and bring me her miraculous." -Hawk Moth ordered him.

"It shall be done, master." -Brutus declared. –"Her miraculous will be yours, as well as her head." -he said.

"But, master, why should he deal with La Paon?! I'm just as capable as him!" -Madame Romani shouted, indignant.

"Because I said so. And if you do not want to end up facing my wrath, you will do as you're told." -Hawk Moth warned her, with a menacing and cold voice echoing in Romani's head. –"Do I make myself clear?" -he asked her, in the same tone as before.

There was silence one could cut with a knife, after that threat from Hawk Moth to Madame Romani. She knew better not to ignore Hawk Moth's threats. More times than she could remember, she had been punished, both physically and mentally by him, for disobeying him, or failing him.

" If he wants me to take down those brats, then I'll do just that. But if I see the opportunity, I'll go after that La Paon and kill her. " -Madame Romani thought to herself.

"Good. Then, go. Attack." -Hawk Moth ordered. –"Attack both La Paon and the Miraculous heroes. Bring me their miraculouses." -he said, as an evil smirk appeared on his face.


Thanks to the combined efforts of Corbeau Noire and Arachnid, the stone dragons had been restrained, and were now being held by Corbeau's living shadows and Arachnid's lasso. Louve Grise and Panda Roux, who had brought them there, by turning themselves into bait, were now trying to catch their breaths, hoping to join their friends in holding the creatures, soon.

"Hold them down!" -Arachnid yelled at Corbeau Noire. –"We have to give them a little bit more time to get things gone."

"I'm trying, but these guys are stronger than they look!" -Corbeau Noire told him, as she gritted her teeth, due to the sheer strength she was making use of, just to control the numerous shadows, which were having a hard time gripping the stone dragons.

"I know, right?!" -Arachnid said. –"Look, when I give the signal, we both release them and make them follow us!" -he said, as he strived to hold both creatures with his lasso.

"O-Okay!" -Corbeau Noire said, as she ordered the shadows under her control, to tighten their grip around the stone dragons' wings and tails.

"Don't you guys worry. We'll help you with them, in a minute." -Louve Grise said. –"Just give us a moment to catch our breaths." -she said.

Creating a pathway for Surtr to move, without deviating from its course, Carapace was hopeful Grizzly Bear and Dragonfly would be able to make it follow them to the middle of the pathway, where they would meet the stone dragons, which would be lured there by Corbeau Noire and Arachnid, where Surtr would then crush them under its feet. It was a simple plan, yet dangerous at the same time. But Arachnid believed it was going to work, and so did the others.

Seeing that Carapace was almost finished, Arachnid decided to warn Corbeau it was nearly time for them to make their move. He knew he did not need to tell her that, but reassuring her, helped him not to stress out further.

"Okay, it's moving this way. Just a few more seconds and these things will be History." -Arachnid said. –"It'll be nice to have one less thing to worry about." -he commented.

"I wouldn't be so sure about us having one less thing to worry about." -Corbeau Noire declared. –"We've got company, everyone." -she warned the others.

Corbeau Noire had seen that move more than once. The thick fog that was covering the ground and moving like it had a mind of its own, was not going to fool anyone, who had seen it before. That was all part of a dramatic entrance, courtesy of Madame Romani, who made the fog around her dissipate. And when she did that, she revealed that standing next to her was Reptile, and above them was Rapier.

"Just when we think that things couldn't get any worse, these guys show up." -Panda Roux commented, with a grim voice. –"Either Hawk Moth wants to take advantage of us being attacked by La Paon to get our miraculouses, or he's got a bone to pick with her too, and sees getting our miraculouses as a bonus." -he thought to himself.

"We'll deal with them! You guys just make sure those things get turned into dust!" -Louve Grise told Corbeau and Arachnid. –"Just what we needed; these bozos." -she thought to herself. –"Let's get him, Panda!"

"I'm right behind you, wolf-girl!" -Panda Roux exclaimed, following Louve.

Louve Grise did not hesitate to attack Madame Romani, who also didn't hesitate to cast several illusions that attacked her. These were demonic dogs and giant snakes with teeth as long as stalactites and thrice as sharp. Using her ice breath, she attempted to freeze, while making her way to the gypsy witch, who quickly understood that unlike some of the heroes, Louve was one that preferred a more hand-to-hand approach. At the same time, Panda Roux dealt with Reptile, who was anxious to sink his switchblade into the chest of every single member of the team and carve out their hearts, before removing their miraculouses.

"Can't you idiots see that we're busy?!" -Panda Roux asked him, as he used his spear to swoop Reptile's feet, only for him to jump over him and cut his left cheek, but not too badly.

"That's why we're here." -Reptile hissed at him. –"Our master figures that you'll be easy prey." -he taunted him, before attacking him again.

"Easy prey?! Sorry to rain on your parade, idiot… literally! But we're never easy prey for the likes of you!" -Panda Roux said, as he shrank his spear, turning it into a pen, and quickly designed a rain cloud, bringing it to life, soaking Reptile. –"How do you like that, lizard breath'" -he mocked him.

"You think soaking me wet is going to stop me?!" -Reptile asked, as he charged against him, only for Panda to leap over his head.

"No. But this will!" -Panda Roux smirked, as he landed, and brought another drawing to life.

One of the good things about Panda's powers, was that he could create just about anything, as long as it created one thing at the time, and it did not take all of its energy. And for that occasion, he knew from the start how he was going to deal with Reptile. After soaking him, he felt a little bit of freezing wind would do him some good. Bringing the drawing of a large air conditioner set on "Freeze" to life, the wind coming out of it, hit Reptile right on the face and he began to feel his energy disappearing. Shivering, Reptile fell to his knees, as he dropped his switchblade.

"S-So… S-So c-c-cold…." -Reptile shivered.

"Too bad you're cold blooded-ish. I don't know why we don't use this trick on you, more often." -Panda Roux said. –"But I do know this. I know I'm going to make sure that tomorrow, you won't want to get out from under the rock you'll crawl under tonight, Reptile." -he said, as he turned his spear back to its regular size, and got ready to use it on the lizard man.

And while Louve and Panda dealt with Madame Romani and Reptile, up in the sky, Rapier had set his eyes on Dragonfly, who was forced to abandon her initial assignment of serving as bait for Surtr, to deal with him. Ever since Rapier joined Hawk Moth's ranks, Dragonfly was forced to refine her aerial combat skills to meet Rapier's own combat skills. She still considered herself the radical queen of the skies of Paris, but she knew the bird-man was more than a match for her. Throwing her frisbee at him, she failed to hit him.

"Why is it that creeps like this guy always target me?! Is it because I manage to get on their nerves, or something?!" -Dragonfly thought to herself, only to answer her own questions. –"Oh, who are you trying to kid, Alix?! Of course, that's why! You're always getting on their nerves and beating them to a pulp. It's only normal they want your head!" -she thought, when her train of thought got interrupted, upon dodging one of Rapier's razor-sharp feathers, which missed her by mere inches. –"Hey, bird-brain! Why don't you come here and fight me with your own hands, instead of trying to use me for target practice?! Or are you chicken?!"

She just could not help herself. Instead of just trying to beat her opponent, Dragonfly felt the need to taunt it. No matter how hard she tried, she just felt the need to do it. That tended to get her into a lot more trouble than she usually bargained for. Not that that would prevent her from having fun doing it. Her mother had always taught her that there was nothing wrong about having fun, while doing any kind of work. And saving Paris from Hawk Moth and his cronies, was something she enjoyed doing, no matter how hard sometimes it was.

"I'll show you, who's chicken, little girl!" -Rapier yelled, as he charged against her.

"Call me little girl again, and you're going to swallow my fist, creep!" -Dragonfly shouted, as she dove under him, evading his attack.

"You talk big, but are you really going to do something about it?!" -Rapier laughed, as he twirled in the air to face Dragonfly and threw two hails of razor-sharp feathers at her.

Dodging Rapier's attack, and tired of him, Dragonfly decided to punch the daylights of him. Spinning as fast as she could, she dashed towards him, making him think she was going to hit him, only to stop and throw her frisbee at his head, hoping to take advantage of the element of unpredictability. But this failed, and Rapier was able to grab her, by placing his arms around her in a bear hug. Struggling to get free, Dragonfly knew she had to do something, or otherwise she was going to end up the same way she did, when she fought Rapier for the very first time.

"Like I said once, you've got spunk." –Rapier whispered at Dragonfly's ear, in a low, almost disturbing voice, before letting out a maniacal laugh, which pierced her eardrum. -"But it's over, now. Struggle all you want, I'm not letting you go." -he said, as he began to squeeze her, as she felt her ribcage starting to break in more than one place. –"It'll all be over soon. The pain and your life…"

But before he could finish that sentence, he felt a blunt impact on the back of his head, which forced him to release Dragonfly from his grasp, while falling several meters, before he could regain his balance once more. Looking up, he saw that what had happened had been the handiwork of none other than Queen Bee. She had finished helping the fireman pour out the flames on the museum's rooftop, and seeing Dragonfly in trouble, made her priority to help her.

"That guy's got a head as hard as a coconut." -Queen Bee commented, as she rubbed her knuckle. –"Are you alright?" -she asked Dragonfly.

"I… I am now." -Dragonfly answered, as she took deep breaths and massaged her chest. –"If you hadn't showed up, that bastard would've broken my ribs and stopped my heart." -she said, as she took one long deep breath.

"Need a hand dealing with him?" -Queen Bee asked Dragonfly.

"Sure." -Dragonfly said. –"Help me take this guy for a spin!" -she told her, while looking Rapier in the eyes. –"It's time for him to know the meaning of pain, the hard way."

At the same time, Arachnid's plan to deal with the stone dragons was already in motion. Noticing that Dragonfly had problems of her own, Carapace and Grizzly Bear decided they would have to do without her. Taking the lead, the turtle hero and Grizzly got Surtr's attention and made it follow them through the path the turtle hero had come up with.

"Come on, big guy! Come and get us!" -Carapace yelled at Surtr.

"Here's another incentive to come after us, fool!" -Grizzly Bear exclaimed, as he jumped and punched Surtr on its right lower leg.

Attacking them with its sword, Surtr did just as they predicted. The gigantic Sentimonster followed them, attempting to kill them. Running as fast as they could, they did not look back, as they heard Surtr's moving behind them. It was at this moment that Arachnid knew it was time for them get the next part of the plan into motion.

"Okay, it's time! Release them!" -Arachnid told Corbeau Noire, as he loosened his lasso.

"Here we go!" -Corbeau Noire said, as she ordered the shadows to let go of the stone dragons.

Free from the heroes' grasp, the creatures' breath fire on them, just before taking up to the sky. Afraid that they might fly away, Corbeau Noire ordered her own shadow to stretch and grab the creatures' necks, pulling them down, hoping that would get them to try and chase her.

"Come here! If you want to go and chase anybody, then you can start with me and Arachnid!" -Corbeau Noire yelled at them, as they breath fire on them once more.

"I think you pissed them off!" -Arachnid exclaimed, as he ran from the flames.

"No kidding, Sherlock! Move!" -Corbeau Noire exclaimed.

"Since when, do you act all sarcastic?!" -Arachnid asked her.

"Since we're being chased by these guys! Now, stop with those questions and run!" -Corbeau Noire yelled.

Running towards each other, the heroes knew that what they were about to do was dangerous, but fear was not something that worried them. They had all agreed that if things went sideways, Carapace would create a shield to protect him and Grizzly, while Corbeau Noire would grab Arachnid and fly away.

Determined to eliminate their targets, both Surtr and the stone dragons pursued them, one trying to crush them, the other trying to barbecue them. To make sure that Surtr kept his eyes on them, and not on the stone dragons that were chasing, Grizzly Bear called it out, as he kept running. Each duo thought they were going to be either crushed or barbecued. But like it happened before, they put their nervousness aside and trusted each other. And like a well-oiled machine, they did as Arachnid had told them. Once he and Corbeau Noire got close enough to Carapace and Grizzly Bear, they turned back and sprinted the way they had come from, with the other following them. This confused the Stone dragons who tried to attack them, only for them to defend themselves, using Carapace's shield ability. As expected, Surtr continued to chase them, and did not realize the stone dragons were in its way.

Realizing they had been duped, the stone dragons still tried to fly out of there, but it was too late. Stomping on them, there was a distinct stone crushing sound heard, as they were reduced to rubble. A second later, numerous trails of blue smoke escaped from beneath Surtr's massive foot, signalling that whatever was controlling the stone dragons, was gone.

"And they're History!" -Carapace exclaimed, smiling.

"I love it when a plan comes together!" -Arachnid exclaimed, celebrating that triumph.

"You're just saying that, because it was your plan." -Grizzly Bear joked. –"But it was a good one, I'll give you that." -he admitted. –"Dangerously crazy, but good, nonetheless."

"Now, we just have to worry about the big guy… and those freaks working for Hawk Moth." -Corbeau Noire said, as she looked over her shoulder and saw Louve Grise fighting Madame Romani. –"I'm going to give her a hand!" -she said, as she ran to help the wolf heroine.

"Go! We'll handle this guy." -Grizzly Bear said.


At the same time, Ladybug, Chat Noir and Forest Doe continued to fight La Paon, as their battle left the Jardin des Tuileries behind, and made its way to the Place de la Concorde. Like it happened before, upon seeing the Miraculous heroes fighting what seemed to be an Akuma, most people in the square ran away, while some remained to see what was happening. And like always, one of the heroes had to tell them to run. This time, it was Ladybug who ordered them to run, being forced to use her yo-yo as a kind of whip to scare them away.

"Get away! Do you guys want to die?!" -Ladybug yelled at the bystanders. –"It's always the same old thing!" -she thought to herself.

Attacking Chat Noir and Forest Doe with her rapier, La Paon suddenly felt something was not right. She had experienced that feeling before. One could say it was quite familiar. It was the distinct feeling of losing one of its creations. In the past, she felt more times than she could remember. And she did not expect to feel it again, so soon.

"How dare they?!" -La Paon yelled. –"Your friends did a number on those stone dragons I broughs to life!" -she said, enraged. –"But if they think they can get away with it, they have another thing coming!"

Reversing her rapier to its fan form, in one quick swoop, La Paon pulled several feathers from it and sent them flying into the air. These quickly began to change shape, until they resembled what many would describe as blue and red feathered bat-like creatures. Flapping their wings, they flew in the direction of the Louvre, when one of them was taken down by one of Forest Doe's arrows. She was about to fire another one, when La Paon once more transformed her fan into a rapier, and threw it at Doe, who managed to dodge it.

"You! How dare you destroy one of my precious creations?!" -La Paon yelled at Forest Doe.

"Precious or not, I'm not going to let you complicate things for my friends!" -Forest Doe told her.

"Your friends are going to end up, just like the three of you… dead!" -La Paon laughed, as she made her rapier show up back in her hand. –"They will be killed ether by my feathered creatures, or by Surtr." -she continued to laugh, though unlike before, this laugh of hers was filled with rage. –"They will accomplish what Hawk Moth's Akumas weren't able to do."

"You underestimate us, lady!" -Ladybug told her.

"And that's going to be your downfall." -Chat Noir added. –"Doesn't matter if you think your precious Sentimonsters and other creations you come up with are stronger than any Akumas we've faced so far. We'll find a way to defeat them and wipe the floor with them." -he said.

"If we don't wipe it with you, first." -Forest Doe shot at her.

The cheek of the heroes, when saying that, was beginning to get on La Paon's nerves, and she was not going to let that go unchecked. Gritting her teeth, she was about to strike them again, when a new opponent entered the ring, surprising her and the heroes. Feeling something approaching her from behind, she dodged to the left, to see a spear hitting the ground, and sink its tip into the concrete, before turning to dust. Looking over her shoulder, she saw a redhead man with golden and black armour

"Hold it, right there!" -Brutus yelled at La Paon.

Looking at him, La Paon immediately saw that he was not an Akuma. But she would not even need to have looked at him to know that. Just from feeling the magical energy that came out of him, was enough for her. She knew that he was one of Hawk Moth's lieutenants, the same way the heroes knew that Brutus showing up meant only one thing; trouble.

"From the way you look, I take it you work for Hawk Moth." -La Paon said.

"That is correct. My name is Brutus." -Brutus said, identifying himself.

"Brutus, huh?" -La Paon asked, as she looked Hawk Moth's lieutenant in the eyes. –"I guess Hawk Moth sees himself as too important to fight his own battles." -she said. –"He always loved to let others do the fighting for him. Always afraid to dirty his hands."

"You will regret saying those things about my master." -Brutus said, as he pulled a halberd from his chest, and pointed it at La Paon. –"If he has chosen me to deal with you, then it's because he deems me more than capable of handling you, and more importantly, defeating you." -he said.

"Surely, you jest." -La Paon said, before laughing. –"You are nothing more than a glorified Akuma! I'll deal with you, the same way I will deal with these three." -she continued to laugh.

"Cease that infernal laughter and face me!" -Brutus said, as he readied himself to attack her. –"Let the metal of our weapons decide the fate of our fight!" -he cried.

"Very poetic." -La Paon said, with a voice filled with sarcasm, while looking over her shoulder to Ladybug and the others. –"Don't go anywhere. Once I deal with this brute, I'll finish you off." -she laughed.

Still laughing, she attacked Brutus head on. The sound of the metal from both her rapier and his halberd meeting each other, echoed in the air. This was followed by several blows, with the two of them trying to their best to disarm one another. Observing the fight, Ladybug, Chat Noir and Forest Doe quickly understood that La Paon and Brutus were equally matched. While La Paon's strikes were not as strong as Brutus', she made it up, thanks to her speed. And the same thing could be said about Brutus. He was not as fast as La Paon, but each of his blows were powerful and accurate.

"What do you say, if we give him a hand?" -Forest Doe asked Ladybug and Chat Noir.,

"Should we?" -Chat Noir asked back.

"Well, it's like they say. The enemy of my enemy, is my friend. And in our case, he is, for now." -Ladybug said, as she began to swing her yo-yo. –"Let's do this!" -she said, as she ran towards La Paon and Brutus.

Following Ladybug's lead, Forest Doe and Chat Noir engaged La Paon into combat, fighting side by side with Brutus. The battle changed locations, with them progressing outside Place de la Concorde, and making their way into Pont de la Concorde, where there was a traffic jam, caused by people abandoning them on the street, as they tried to look for a safe place to hide. Making use of them, Brutus decided to hurl them at La Paon, but failing to hit her, as she avoided them, moving around as if she was dancing.

Propelling himself forward, with the help of his staff, Chat Noir tried to use Cataclysm on her, only for her to see him coming, and attack him, slashing his chest with her rapier. Hitting the ground, Chat gritted his teeth in pain, as he looked down and saw the tear on his chest. A little blood was coming out of the cut, but nothing too serious. Knowing he had to get up, he tried to do so, only to see La Paon coming towards him, ready to stab him. To his surprise, Brutus blocked La Paon's attack with his hammer, thus saving him, and forcing her to retreat. Looking Hawk Moth's lieutenant in the eyes, he was about to thank him, when he prevented him from doing so, with what one could call a warning.

"Don't think any of this, changes anything. I will still defeat you and take your miraculous, along with your friends'. But for now, my objective is her and her miraculous." -Brutus told Chat Noir, before charging against La Paon, once more.

"I think I can live with that." -Chat Noir said, still incredulous about what had happened, as he looked at the fight opposing La Paon to Brutus. –"O-Ouch… this stings a lot." -he said, as he touched his injury. –"Hope this doesn't leave a mark. It would be hard for me to explain this."

Watching the two of them fighting, Chat Noir thought the whole scene was surreal. And he was not the only one. Forest Doe and Ladybug had the same thought, as they made their way to check on Chat Noir. Never in their life, did they imagine seeing one of their enemies fighting alongside them, facing another enemy. But like always, there was the usual doubt, which itself was not a bad thing, in that situation. After all, Brutus was still their enemy, and there was no guarantee that he would not turn against them, if he was ordered by Hawk Moth.

"Are you okay?" -Ladybug asked him, worried.

"Don't worry, milady. It's just a cut." -Chat Noir said. –"You should see when I cut myself shaving.

"Save the jokes for another time, silly kitty." -Ladybug said. –"We need to focus, if we're going to take down that woman, with a little help from Brutus." -she said.

"Do you really think we can trust him?" -Forest Doe asked them.

"Maybe." -Ladybug said. –"If this was Reptile or Madame Romani, or that crazy Rapier, I would have my doubts. But Brutus is someone who values honour and respect, more than anything. If he says that he won't attack us, then he won't." -she said. –"Still, that doesn't mean we can trust him entirely."

"Agreed. Like you said before, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, for now." -Chat Noir said. –"After all, he's still working for Moth breath. Just because he's not trying to kill us now, doesn't mean he won't try it later on." -he added, agreeing with Ladybug.

"So, let's help him fight her. But if he tries anything fishy, we let him have it." -Forest Doe said.

"Pretty much." -Ladybug said. –"Keep your eyes peeled, and let's take La Paon out. Oh, and one more thing. If Brutus manages to get his hands on her miraculous, take it from him. We're not letting Hawk Moth get his dirty hands on it, no matter what. Since he created it, for all we know, he could want it for himself, instead of destroying it." -she told them.

"You got it, milady." -Chat Noir said.

Determined to stop La Paon, the three heroes charged together, hoping if they combined their fighting routines, they would be able to counter her attacks. This proved to be effective, but not for long, as La Paon started to display other fighting moves that she had not used yet, countering the heroes attempts to defeat her. The only one who seemed to have the upper hand in that fight was Forest Doe, who continued to resort to her invisibility technique. But even she could not remain invisible forever, and once she became visible, she became a target. Brutus continued to swing his hammer at the holder of the peacock miraculous, without much luck.

"I will not let you make a fool out of me! Not when my master is counting on me taking your head and your miraculous to him!" -Brutus declared.

Grabbing one of the abandoned cars, he hurled it at La Paon, which she easily dodged. Enraged, he quickly grabbed another and threw it at La Paon, before pulling two Kukuri knives from his chest and attacking her with them. He was about to stab her with them, when she turned around and block them with her rapier.

"Nice trick! But I saw that one coming from miles away!" –La Paon exclaimed, before kicking him, sending him fly a few meters in the air. –"You'll have to do better than that!" -she yelled, before screaming in pain.

"Mind if I try my luck?!" -Chat Noir asked her, after using Cataclysm on her back.

La Paon had seen Brutus' trick, but she failed to do so with Chat's. Gasping for air, she did her best to ignore the agonizing pain shooting through his back. She was not expecting it, and that just made her angry at the

"Now, you really done it, cat boy." -La Paon glared at him. –"If you want to play dirty, then, I'm going to show you and the others how we did things, back when I was trying to conquer Camelot and the rest of the world!" -she told him.

Determined to have them off her back, La Paon felt it was time to shake things up a little. Sticking her rapier into the ground, she unleashed a blue energy wave that swept everything in its path. The three heroes and Brutus flew several meters in the air, before landing on the ground or on top of one of the turnaround vehicles. Ladybug tried to use her yo-yo as a grappling hook, on one of the bridge's light posts, but luck was not on her side, and she ended up falling on her face. Hurriedly, she tried to get up, but in doing so, provided La Paon with the perfect way to get her off guard. Moving like a bullet, La Paon positioned herself behind Ladybug and grabbed her. Trapping her legs, she put her arm under the scarlet heroine's neck, and began to choke her.

"What a lovely pair of miraculous earrings. I wonder how I will look with them?" -La Paon said, as she continued to choke Ladybug, who was struggling to breathe. –"Let's see how they look on me, shall we?" -she asked, before letting a maniacal cackle..

Ladybug tried to break free from La Paon's grip, but she was stronger than she looked. She continued to struggle, but it was no use. She was stronger than any of the enemies she had faced until then. The only one who came close to that kind of strength was Hawk Moth himself. As she felt La Paon's fingers touching her left earlobe, reaching for the earring, she saw only one way out of that predicament. Opening her mouth as wide as she could, she sank her teeth into La Paon's arm, biting her as hard as she could. Yelling in pain, La Paon's choke her even harder, trying to make her lose conscience.

"That was very stupid! For that, I'm going to snap your neck, little girl." -La Paon declared, when she felt a strong pain on her back.

That strong pain was something hitting her was Rena Rouge's foot. This made La Paon release Ladybug, who rolled over the ground. Looking up, she saw her best-friend staring La Paon in the eyes, while preparing to beat her. The villainess attacked her, but Rena quickly countered her, by delivering a powerful uppercut to her chin and a well-placed round-kick, only for La Paon to try and stab her.

"Keep your mittens away from me and my friend, you witch!" -Rena Rouge exclaimed, as she shoved the upper tip of her flute-staff into La Paon's face, making her yell in pain, as she backed off. –"You okay, girl?" -she asked Ladybug.

"I am now, thanks." -Ladybug smiled, as Rena helped her up, without taking her eyes from La Paon, who had placed a couple of meters between them.

"You got here just in time." -Chat Noir said, as he and Forest Doe approached them. –"With your natural luck, I'm beginning to wonder if instead of having the fox miraculous, you should've been given the ladybug miraculous." -he joked.

"Thanks, but red isn't my colour. I'm more of a fan of orange." -Rena Rouge joked.

"Yeah, orange is definitely your colour, Rena." -Ladybug smiled at her, when she noticed Brutus approaching. –"Great, just what we needed!" -she exclaimed, as she readied herself to attack Brutus.

"Wait, don't! Don't worry He's on our side… sort of." -Chat Noir told her.

"Sort of on our side?" -Rena Rouge asked, suspicious, while looking at Brutus, who remained silent. –"Fine, but I'm keeping an eye on him, and the other on her." -she said, while pointing at La Paon.

Feeling that her last attack forced her to use a sizable piece of her power, La Paon needed to regain her strength back. But with four heroes to deal with, and one of Hawk Moth's lieutenants, that was not something she would have the opportunity to do. And to do that, she was going to need a little help.

"Come to me, Surtr!" -La Paon said, as her eyes glowed.

Chapter 19: Fight at the Assembly

Chapter Text

Upon hearing its mistress' telepathic call, Surtr stopped attacking Carapace, Grizzly Bear and Arachnid, and proceeded to run across the square, making its way towards the river. They had seen just how fast the Sentimonster moved, despite its enormous size. But it still amazed them, how something so large could move with that kind of speed, and a sort of grace, worthy of a ballerina.

Most Akumas that size were slow, careless and incredibly clumsy, not to mention the opposite of intelligent. They were mindless brutes who only wanted to destroy everything in their paths. And that was where that Sentimonster differed from them. More and more they realized they were not dealing with one of Hawk Moth's creations, but something different, and just as dangerous.

"Okay, this is new." -Carapace said –"When was the last time we saw an Akuma or any other thing that Hawk Moth threw at us, ditching the fight like that?"

"Never. But the big guy is moving like he as to be somewhere." -Grizzly Bear said.

"Then, what are we waiting for? Let's go after it, and see where it's going." -Arachnid declared.

Up in the sky, Surtr's movement did not go unnoticed by the eyes of Queen Bee and Dragonfly, who continued to fight Rapier. And seeing it moving towards the river, the dragonfly heroine felt like she needed to go after it. As much as she was enjoying fighting Hawk Moth's lieutenant, she knew there were more important things to worry about, than her own self pride, not to mention her constant seek of thrills.

"Sorry, idiot, but we've got to get going!" -Dragonfly said, as she grabbed her frisbee.

"You're not going anywhere, until I finish with the both of you!" -Rapier yelled at her, as he fired another volley of razor-sharp feathers at Dragonfly, only to be hit on the face by Queen Bee's trompo.

Hitting him on the face, the bee heroine broke his nose and saw reflected on his eyes, the hatred that he was having for her. But like always, she did not feat him, like she did not fear any of Hawk Moth's lieutenants.

"Go! I'll handle him, and then catch up!" -Queen Bee told her.

"Are you sure?" -Dragonfly asked her.

"As much as I hate to admit it, you're faster than I am, and they're going to need aerial support, handling that Sentimonster." -Queen Bee declared. –"So, you go ahead and help them out, while I teach this guy, who really owns the skies of this city." -she said.

"Alright! But don't break him too much! It's no fun if we break our toys. Because if we do that, we can't play with them again!" -Dragonfly joked, as she quickly followed Surtr.

Wiping the blood that was trickling from his nose, Rapier glared at Queen Bee, who was looking at him the same way someone looked at an insignificant insect. And he did not like that.

"You're quite confident that you can take on me." -Rapier said, as he licked his own blood. –"Guess I'm going to need to teach you a lesson."

"Sorry, but the one who's going to be taught a lesson, it's going to be you." -Queen Bee shot at hm. –"So, stop wussing around and let's get this over with. I've an appointment to do my nails this afternoon, and I don't want to be late, because of some slime like you." -she taunted Rapier.

"I'm going to rip that smug off your face, along with your arms and legs." –Rapier threatened her.

"Just hurry up and attack me! That Sentimonster is getting away, and I need to catch up to it!" -Queen Bee declared, when Rapier threw a volley of razor-sharp feathers at her, before charging against her.

And Queen Bee was not the only one, who wanted to deal with the Sentimonster and finish that battle. Antelope and Flamingo, alongside her copies, had finished searching the museum for anyone who was still inside, and getting them to safety, and decided their talents were needed to deal with Surtr.

"Where is that guy going?!" -Flamingo and her copies asked in chorus.

"I don't know, but I'm going after it!" -Antelope said. –"After I throw a couple of punches at Reptile, that is." -he said, with a confident smug on his face.

"But hasn't Panda taken care of him already?" -Flamingo asked, knowing the two were fighting, form one of her copies, who saw them.

"He's still taking care of him. I saw him fighting him about 30 seconds ago. And I'm going to ask him, if I can share Reptile with him. I mean, I'll just waste a couple of seconds with him, because we've got to deal with the big guy, but being the fastest being alive, a few seconds is just what I need." -Antelope said, as he got ready to sprinted out of there. –"Smell you later, pink girl!" -he exclaimed, as he dashed out of there.

"That Kim. He's got the biggest ego I've ever seen. Way bigger than Chloe's, that's for sure." -Flamingo thought to herself. –"You girls chase the Sentimonster. I'm going to give a little help to Louve and Corbeau." -she told her copies, when noticing that the two of them were still fighting Romani, not too far from where they were. –"Not that they need it. But with my help, they might be able to take down that gypsy witch a lot faster."

"You got it!" -Flamingo's copies responded in chorus, as they took up to the sky, after Surtr.


At the same time, Ladybug, Chat Noir, Rena Rouge and Forest Doe continued to battle La Paon, alongside Brutus, who had been instructed by his master to deal with her. Right then, they were fighting on the steps of the Palais Bourbon, where the National Assembly, the lower legislative chamber of the French Parliament was located. Built in 1722 for Louise Françoise de Bourbon, Duchess of Bourbon, the legitimate daughter of Louis XIV and Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, the Marquise de Montespan, that building had been a part of the political power in France, since the French Revolution in 1789. There were many political historical events that took place there, and at that moment, another type of event was about to happen. One that began the moment the scarlet heroine and her companions were hurled against one of the columns of the building's façade, destroying it. Pieces of the column fell down the stairs, along with the four heroes. The impact was quite violent, and anyone who had seen it, would have wondered how the heroes survived it.

Gasping for air, Chat Noir felt as if his back had been used as a boxing bag, after hitting the marble column. But he tried to ignore the pain, as he looked to his right and saw Forest Doe lying on her belly, while Rena Rouge was lying on her back, both of them absolutely still. Fearing the worst, he tried to get up to check on them, only for a sharp pain to make him cry out. A second later, he saw Doe move her left arm before lifting her head.

"Are you okay?" -Chat Noir asked her.

"M-More or less. I feel like a truck just hit me." -Forest Doe answered him, when she heard Rena grunting. –"R-Rena?" -she said.

"I-I'm still alive… though I think that if I w-was dead, I wouldn't be in so much pain." -Rena Rouge said, as she slowly tried to get up. –"One of the things I hate about this job, is t-that we almost end up being tossed around l-like Raggedy Ann dolls." -she said. –"Hey, where's L-Ladybug? I don't see her."

Upon hearing her say that, Chat's eyes searched for the love of his life, hoping to see her alright. Unfortunately, she did not look okay. Lying on her back, a few meters from him, the scarlet heroine looked like she was bleeding from her forehead.

"Milady!" -Chat Noir yelled.

Rising to his feet, Chat ignored the agonizing pain he was in, and ran to his partner's aid. Every step he took, it felt like knives were sticking into his back, making him want to yell. But the concern he had for Ladybug's well-being made him ignore those pains. All that mattered to him, was seeing if she was okay or not. Kneeling beside her, Chat was allowing his nerves to get the best of him, by imagining the worst possible scenarios. Noticing that she was breathing, tome of those scenarios disappeared from him mind. But even with them gone, he was still worried she was seriously hurt.

"Milady, please, wake up." -Chat Noir called her. –"Come on, Marinette, open your eyes, please." -he thought to himself.

Ladybug's eyes remained closed, after Chat called her. This only made him feel even more scared for her. Shaking her, he hoped to wake her up, which happened the second after, when she regained consciousness and opened her eyes. The scarlet heroine took a couple of seconds to remember what had happened and to realize why she was on the ground. But having Chat looking at her helped.

"Are you okay?" -Chat Noir asked Ladybug, his concern for her mirrored in his eyes.

"I… I think so. B-But my head is ringing like Hell." -Ladybug said, as she reached for her forehead with her right hand, only to be stopped by Chat.

"Don't touch it. You've got a cut on your forehead, but it's not serious." -Chat Noir said. –"I wish Carapace was here to fix you up." -he told her.

"Give me your tail." -Ladybug said, as she quickly came up with a solution, while slowly getting back up. –"I'll just put it around my forehead, and hope it stops the bleeding, until he arrives." -she said, as Chat took out his outfit's tail and gently wrapped it around her head.

"There." -Chat Noir said. –"That should stop the bleeding." -he said, when he felt a sharp pain on his ribs. –"Aargh!"

"Are you hurt?" -Ladybug asked him, worried.

"I-I'm okay." -Chat Noir smiled, as he rubbed his left ribs, while trying to pretend he was not in much pain. –"I just need…"

"You need a moment, I know." -Ladybug smiled at him, before looking at Brutus who continued to fight La Paon. –"Maybe you'll get that moment, if Brutus manages to keep fighting her." -she said, as her head continued to ring. –"Hope this ringing stops soon, or it's going to be hard for me to focus."

One would think that in a fight, a simple sword would not stand a ghost of a chance against a war-hammer. But the truth is that in a fight, many times it does not matter what weapon a person holds, but how the person uses said weapon. And La Paon was proving that though her weapon was delicate and even a little fragile, she used it better than Brutus used his. Landing blow after blow, Brutus always seemed to be one step behind La Paon. Even with his vast tactical and military knowledge, Brutus was finding it difficult to keep up with her. But as with everything else, luck is also a factor, and in a fight, sometimes it's best to be lucky than to be skilled. And it was that same luck that allowed Brutus to strike a decisive blow.

Knocking Le Paon down, who fell under the stairs, he prepared to smash her head with the hammer, when she rolled to the side and avoiding the hammer, which destroys the piece of ground where she was a second before. And before he could attack her again, she retaliated. With a well-aimed kick, she sent him flying a few meters in the air.

"You're beginning to bore me." -La Paon said, as Brutus hit the ground. –"Either show me something new, or else I'm going to have fun with someone else." -she laughed.

Brutus ignored her words, and prepared to attack again. Determined to end the fight, he charged La Paon like a bull. Clutching her with all his strength, he climbed the stairs to the building, and instead of bursting through one of the doors, and entering, he went through the wall, in an attempt to seriously hurt her. Upon seeing this, the heroes realized that they would have to enter.

"Those two are going to end up killing each other." -Rena Rouge commented.

"That they will. And usually, I wouldn't mind if they did, because that would mean one less trouble for us all." -Ladybug confessed. –"But if that happens, you can bet that there will be people hurt in the process." -she said.

"Does that mean we're going in?" -Forest Doe asked.

"Yes." -Ladybug said. –"Not that we have another choice in the matter.

going to be easy." -Ladybug said. –"We don't know just how she fares inside closed spaces. But if it's anything like she fares outside, then, she'll be just as dangerous." -she said, as her brain imagined how the battle could go.

"It's a good thing we've been practicing for just such situations." -Chat Noir said. –"Let's see if all that training in the Garden of the Ancients pays off, or not.." -he smiled at the scarlet heroine.

"You're thinking what I'm thinking, my favourite feline?" -Ladybug asked him.

"I believe I am, milady." -Chat Noir he answered her, always smirking.

"Then, would you mind sharing it with the rest of us? It's because the only mind I can read is my boyfriend's, and I bet it's the same with Rena." -Forest Doe joked, -"Ouch, I think it isn't my back that's killing me. My right leg has seen better days too." -she thought to herself, while trying to ignore the pain.

"We're going in there, with our "Double Trouble" routine." -Chat Noir told her, while looking at Ladybug, who nodded her head.

"Exactly. And we're going to need some cover, with a splash of illusion and a sneaky attack." -Ladybug clarified.

"Leave the illusions to me, girl." -Rena Rouge said, as she winked at Ladybug.

"Good. And do you think you can take care of that sneak attack, Doe?" -Ladybug asked her, noticing she was limping slightly from her right leg.

"I'll do my best!" -Forest Doe declared. –"Keep her busy, and I'll handle the rest." -she said, as she became invisible.

"Okay, let's go. And remember, don't try anything stupid alone. None of us is at full power here. So, we'll have to use our wits, so we don't end up in a coffin." -Ladybug warned them, as she swung her yo-yo.

"Back right at you, milady." -Chat Noir said.

Inside the palace, the fight raged on, with Brutus gaining the upper hand on La Paon, as the blows of their confrontation echoed through the walls of that temple of democracy. After pulling several spears from his chest and abdomen and throwing them at her, and making her fall on her back, as she avoided them, Brutus believed he had cornered her. But his joy was short-lived, for La Paon immediately fought back. Plucking another feather from her fan, she dropped it onto the red carpet which adorned the hall's ground, and this one instantly sprang to life, beneath Brutus' feet. Gulping its feet, the carpet began to crawl over Brutus' legs, with him pulling out a long sword from his chest and use it to try and set himself free.

"Accursed thing!" -Brutus shouted, as he continued to cut the carpet.

"Fight all you want, you brute! You'll never get out of this one!" -La Paon laughed, as she saw the carpet –"I'm going to use you as a pincushion or a piñata!" -she laughed, before realizing that she did now know what –"W-What is a piñata?! Why am I even using words I don't understand?!"

Little did she know that her mind and Amelie's mind were beginning to merge, giving her access to Amelie's knowledge of the current world, and thus, a new source of vocabulary and ideas. This was one unexpected side effect from possessing her. And though not a bad thing, it was quite confusing. But before she could think further about it, her train of thought was interrupted, when a gunshot was heard from behind her.

"Freeze!" -a voice was heard. –"Don't you dare move, or the next one will be between your eyes, you disgusting Akuma!"

Turning around, La Paon saw three police officers and two security guards, all pointing their weapons at her. Just like it happened with all the others that had confronted her, there was fear mirrored in their eyes, and one could tell by their body language, that they were at an impasse; whether to fight or flight. Fear was running deep inside them, but they all decided to ignore their basic instinct, and stood their ground.

"You Franks really love to say that to people." -La Paon laughed, as she turned her rapier back into a fan. –"What can I turn you into?" -she asked, while looking them in the eyes. –"Oh, I know!"

Plucking five feathers from her fan, she quickly shot them at the five men, who were hit either on the chest or one of the shoulders. As the feathers pierced their skin, they dropped their weapons, which fell on the ground, as their bodies started to change. In a matter of seconds their limbs were no longer human, and the same could be said about their faces. Where there was once a nose, now existed a snout. Where there were once hands and feet were shanks and hocks. And instead of words, the only thing coming out of their mouths were oinks La Paon had turned them into pigs.

"Oh, much better!" -La Paon laughed, as she saw the pigs running away, oinking all over the place, as if they were begging for help. –"Even Circe would be jealous of this feat." -she laughed, when she began to see smoke forming around her, while the air was flooded with the –"Someone wants to play."

It did not take La Paon more than a couple of seconds to realize that the heroes up to something. She did not know what it was, but she could tell that involved illusions. She had seen Rena Rouge's powers and was quite impressed with them. She had never seen the fox miraculous in action before, and quickly understood that from all the heroes, Rena was one that she would have to be careful. Still, she did not fear her, and she was going to face her, just like any of the other heroes. As the smoke surrounded her, she did not resist in throwing a high-pitched laugh into the air.

"So, you want to play hide and seek, huh? Okay, let's see play. I love to play games!" -La Paon laughed, as she once more turned her fan into a rapier.

Scouring the area around her, La Paon tried to anticipate the heroes' next step. The smoke swirled in the air, as if it had a mind of its own. Suddenly, coming out of the smoke at breakneck speed, numerous snakes attacked La Paon, who managed to escape them. Laughing, she grabbed one of them and smashed its head with her bare hands, reducing it to smoke, and proceeded to do the same with the others, as they tried to bite her. But she did not realize that the snakes were just the first part of a larger distraction, conjured up by Rena Rouge. When the last snake was reduced to smoke, behind La Paon, Ladybug and Chat Noir appeared, ready to attack her. Noticing their presence, she quickly assumed these were yet another illusion.

"How quaint." -La Paon said. –"Creating illusions of your friends and having them face me, while the real ones hide. It's a nice trick." -she laughed, as she looked at them. –"I must admit. your attention to detail is quite remarkable. They look just like the real ones."

"But we're the real ones." -Ladybug said

"Of course, you are." -La Paon laughed, before stopping abruptly and looking them in the eyes. –"You think I will be outsmarted by mere children?" -she said with a voice so cold, it sent shivers up one spine. –"Think again, then."

She had just finished talking, when from behind her another Ladybug and another Chat Noir sprung from the smoke attacking her. Turning around, La Paon smirked evilly as she used her rapier to stab Chat Noir in the chest, only for this one to dissolve in front of her eyes, followed by the Ladybug that was with him. This surprised her, as she believed they were the real ones, only for the first ones to reveals themselves as the real ones, and attack her. Sufficient to say, she never believed they were actually telling her the truth.

"You should've listened to us!" -Chat Noir exclaimed. –"Cataclysm!" -he yelled, activating his power, as his claws made their way towards her.

Digging his claws into La Paon's right side, Chat smirked, as he heard the villainess's scream of pain. Leaving her temporarily stunned, he and Ladybug attacked her with the "Double Trouble" routine, which consisted on the two moving as if they were one, and mimicking each other's attack, thus delivering the double of the strength. They had practiced this routine, alongside the rest of the team, since the beginning of their career as heroes, but only recently were they able to fully master it. They had all trained to be able to use it with any of the other team members, but they both discovered that it was with the other that they had the most synergy.

"She's good, but she's not the only one who practices fencing." -Chat Noir thought to himself.

"It's a good thing we practice fencing in school, or otherwise I would be in big trouble, following Adrien's movements." -Ladybug thought to herself.

Combining their fighting style with their knowledge of fencing, and making use of the smoke created by Rena, the miraculous duo gave La Paon a run for her money, even with them feeling each of their muscles screaming in pain, begging them stop for a little. She was able to block most of their attacks. But the heroes still managed to land a few decent jabs and hits on her. And as they fought her, Forest Doe prepared to end it. Using her invisibility, she placed herself in the perfect position to hit La Paon with two arrows, which would hopefully allow her friends to put her out of commission. Caressing the grip, she gently placed two arrows against the bow string, pulling it towards her, and targeted La Paon's shoulders.

"Let's see if you like to be nailed to the wall by your shoulders, you psycho." -Forest Doe thought to herself, as she was about to release the string.

Releasing the string, Doe saw the two arrows flying towards their target. But they both failed to hit it, as La Paon moved faster than she thought she would. The first arrow hit her on the left leg, making her scream in pain, while the second one grazed her right temple. When this happened, something inside La Paon's mind snapped and she lost control of Amelie's mind.

"W-What? What's going on?! W-Where am I?!" -La Paon said with a voice that was not hers.

For some reason, the arrow grazing her head had broken the control La Paon had over Amelie. But only for a split second. Quickly, the villainess regained control and Amelie's mind went back to sleep. Cursing the fact, she had once more been shot with an arrow, La Paon quickly yanked it from her leg, glaring at the heroes.

"You're going to have to do a lot better than this, to defeat me." -La Paon said, as she dropped the arrow to the ground, where it disintegrated. –"I thought I had full control of this fool's body, but it seems like I'm not at full power yet. I need to be careful, so I don't lose control again. That could cost me my own life." -she thought to herself.

"What do you think that was?" -Ladybug asked Chat Noir. Though she tried not to show it, the scarlet heroine noticed something had happened to La Paon, and wondered what that could mean for them and their fight.

"I don't know." -Chat Noir told her. –"But I suggest we ask her, when she's permanently down." -he said, as he got ready to attack her again.

But before she could create another illusion to fight La Paon, they all felt the ground and the building tremble. It had been a slight tremor, but still strong enough for everyone to feel. After that, a second tremor was felt; this one stronger than the one before. And then a third, a fourth, all of them stronger than the one before. From experience, Ladybug and her teammates knew that tremors like that, were never a good thing.

"Oh, it seems that my creation is about to arrive." -La Paon said, as her lips formed a sadistic smile.

Chapter 20: Hawk Moth Joins the Battle

Chapter Text

The evil smile on La Paon's face grew even wider, with each step Surtr took, making the ground and everything else shake, and warning the heroes that he was getting closer to them. But they were not the only ones who understood that they were about to get into even greater trouble. After fighting that living carpet, Brutus ended up swallowed by it. He could not tell what exactly was going on, because he could not see. But he could hear, and what he heard made him realize that the tide of battle might be about to change, and not for the better. Seeing himself cornered and trapped, he realized that if victory was possible, he would have no choice but to ask for help.

"H-Help! Reptile! Rapier! Romani! Please, I need assistance!" -Brutus contacted them telepathically. –"Stop whatever you're doing, and come to the Palace Bourbon, now!"

It was hard for Brutus to ask for help, due to his military background, and also because he was used to facing whatever challenges that anyone threw at him. But seeing himself encased in that living carpet, without being able to move an inch, and feeling like most of his bones were about to be crushed, he knew he desperately needed help. Especially, since there was something much bigger at stake than his pride. Defeating and killing La Paon, and getting her miraculous for Hawk Moth, was everything that truly mattered in Brutus' mind.

"I know this is not what the master wants. But in war, one must be willing and ready to adapt." -Brutus thought to himself. –"In any case, I'll take full responsibility for whatever happens." -he thought.

And as this thought went through his mind, the other lieutenants, who had heard his cry for help, were about to answer it. Being the only one with whom he had what many would call a good relationship, Reptile did not hesitate to help him, knowing that by helping him, that would score him some points with their master. Regarding Rapier, he did not want to help Brutus. He could not care less about him. But being the insane adrenaline junkie, with an anarchist and superiority complex he was, he knew that if he saved him, he could rub it in his face, until the end of times. And as for Madame Romani, the hatred she felt for him and the way he behaved, was more than enough for her to make a quick decision.

"I'll go and help him. But only because I want to show the master that I should've been the one chosen to kill La Paon and get her miraculous." -Madame Romani thought to herself. –"Master Hawk Moth will see that giving Brutus that mission was a mistake, and by accomplishing it, I'll finally become his right hand." -she mused about it, as she dodged one more of Louve and Corbeau's combined attacks. –"I'll come back for your heads and your miraculouses, later."

Saying that, she passed her hand over the crystal ball, and a cloud of smoke came out of it, which quickly engulfed everything around it and blinding the three heroines. Using this distraction, Madame Romani rushed out of there, making her way towards Brutus.

"Where is she going?!" -Louve Grise asked.

"My guess is, to where the action is." -Corbeau Noire said. –"Let's follow her!" -she exclaimed before taking to the sky.

"Right." -Flamingo agreed, before looking at Louve. –"Come on, I'll give you a lift." -she told her.

Following Romani, the three heroes quickly realized she was not the only one who was ditching the fight. Up in the sky, Queen Bee was chasing Rapier, who had stopped fighting her. And Reptile had jumped the barricade, grabbing one of the police motorcycles, leaving Panda Roux and Antelope to chase after him. They had never seen this happening, and rapidly assumed it had something to do with La Paon, and wherever she was fighting Ladybug and the others.

"I don't know what's really going on, but that lizard man isn't the kind to run from a fight. So, whatever's happening, it's got to be the opposite of good." -Panda Roux thought to himself, as he jumped the police barricade and finished designing a motorcycle, which bore some resemblance to the iconic Akira motorcycle, bringing it to life. –"It's time for speed, man!" -he exclaimed to Antelope, as he got on the motorcycle and turned it on.

"Hey, I'm the one who comes up with the speed jokes!" -Antelope said. –"And if you think you can come up with better speed jokes than me, you got another thing coming." -he stated, in a playful tone. –"Because I am speed! Lightning speed! So, catch me if you can, ketchup head!"

"You're on!" -Panda Roux said, as he dashed after Antelope, on the motorcycle.


Every step Surtr took, the car alarms around him went off. And with each step it took, it was closer to where its creator was. By this time, the heroes were beginning to get fed up with not being able to attack it with everything they had, out of fear that if they destroyed it, the Amok that was inside would fly away and end up creating something even worse than Surtr. To say it was frustrating that they did not have a way to destroy the Amok would be an understatement. They were not used to holding back, in this kind of situation. As they ran or flew alongside the Sentimonster, the heroes wondered where Master Fu was.

"Where is the master?" -Arachnid asked himself.

"He should've said something by now." -Carapace thought to himself.

"Without a way to destroy the Amok in that thing, we're done for." -Grizzly Bear thought to himself.

And they were not the only ones who were asking themselves what was taking master Fu to show up, with the solution to their problems. The old master was asking himself what was going on with the spell that would enable them to destroy Amoks, the same way they destroyed Akuma Butterflies. Because he feared he would not be able to complete it, instead of working on it, in his apartment, he went to the Garden of the Ancients, where time was the last thing, he had to worry about. But even there, he was beginning to think that even with all the time in the world, the spell would not be ready to be used in time. After his latest failure, the old master was so mad at himself, that he even threw one of the magic tomes he had been using to create the spell, to the other side of the room.

"Why isn't this working?!" -Master Fu yelled, absolutely frustrated. –"The spell is complete, but it doesn't hold, when attached to an object." -he sighed. –"What is it that I'm missing here?!"

That was the question that he wished, he had the answer for. He had promised the young heroes a solution for their predicament, and now he was beginning to think that he was not going to able to keep his promise he made to them. He did not understand why what he was doing was not working, and the frustration was making it even harder, as he felt it clouding his judgement and concentration.

"Calm down. Just breathe." -Master Fu told himself, as he did a couple of breathing exercises. –"Just do as master Su-Han told you all those years ago." -he said.

One of the first things master Su-Han taught Fu when he became the holder of the turtle miraculous was a series of breathing exercises to help him clear his thoughts and control his emotions. The whole thing did not have anything to do with using the powers of a miraculous. But as Su-Han would always tell him and his teammates; a warrior's mind must always remain calm and serene, so any decision made, is made with absolute confidence. So, true to his master's teachings, the old master did just as he was taught.

"Focus on your breathing and clear your mind. You're no good to them if you allow your feelings of frustration to cloud your mind." -Master Fu thought, while taking several deep breaths. –"You're one with the universe… Recharge, renew, then respond." -he said, as he recited several mantras.

Breathing in and out, while reciting the mantras that he was taught, little by little, master Fu's mind began to calm down. As he did this, the most random thoughts began to cross his mind, like the time he met Wayzz and transformed for the first time, or the times he found a new kind of tea, or the conversations he had with his old teammates. All of them good and soothing memories. Eventually, the frustration he was feeling disappeared and felt calm, once more. Repeating the meditation mantras a few more times, the old master felt ready to tackle the problem he had, and solve it.

"Alright. Now, it's time to get back to work." -Master Fu said. –"I must find a way to finish this spell, so I can give it to them." -he declared, as he sat down. –"And remember, no pressure. The fate of Paris is in your hands, but you can't let pressure get the best of you… but first, I'm going to need a cup of Oolong tea. Other people's brains don't work without drinking coffee. My brain can't function without a cup of tea."


The whole building trembled, as Surtr struck it with its flaming sword. Above the heroes' heads, the ceiling began to crack and they were forced to move as fast as lightning, to not end up squashed like pancakes, from the ceiling debris. As this happened, La Paon laughed like a maniac, seemingly enjoying the chaos that was going on, not afraid of being hit by any piece of debris.

"Crud! That monstrosity is here!" -Ladybug exclaimed, when she saw La Paon running, and disappearing, when turning the corner. –"Hey, she's getting away!" -she yelled.

"Where is she going?" –Rena Rouge asked.

"Probably on the look for fresh victims." -Forest Doe said. –"You all saw what she did with those poor guards." -she said.

"Yeah. Reminded me of that Greek mythology class, two months ago." -Chat Noir said.

"Then, let's go after her." -Ladybug said, when the whole building trembled violently once more, a piece of debris fell in front of her, missing her by mere centimetres. –"Whoa! We're going to end up pancaked, at this rate!" -she exclaimed, while feeling extremely lucky on that large piece of debris not hitting her.

Still trapped inside that red velvety cocoon, Brutus continued to hear the fight, as he waited for any of his fellow comrades to show up. Because of it, every piece of debris that fell on him, he hardly felt them. Struggling to get free, he realized that no matter how much he tried, he was not going to be able to get out of that magical prison he was put in. Not without help. Minutes went by, and he continued to wait, while listening to the commotion that was happening.

"I wonder what is going on?" –Brutus asked himself. –"That La Paon is quite the warrior, especially for a woman. No wonder the master wants her dead, as well as her miraculous. She could be a problem in his plans." -he thought.

Waiting for someone to come and help him, Brutus. And help arrived, in the form of Madame Romani. Entering in the building's lobby, she looked around, and saw this one looked like a wrecking crew had passed by there, destroying everything they could. But her eyes were quickly drawn to what she assumed was a trapped Brutus.

Creating a dagger out of smoke, the gypsy witch stabbed the carpet, which immediately tried to attack her, by springing tendrils from it. Using the dagger, she cut them with lightning speed, and then proceeded carve the carpet once more, freeing Brutus from the chest up. Because the carpet began to heal itself, Brutus was forced to rip it open to get out, while Romani ripped one of the wall-lights off the wall, hoping to use the electricity in its cables to burn it out. Once the still electrified cables touched it, the carpet caught fire, releasing Brutus, while at the same time yelling in pain. Such a surreal sight astounded both Hawk Moth's lieutenants, who despite having seen so many impossible things, did not expect to see it.

"Many thanks." -Brutus thanked Romani, as they saw the living carpet turn to ashes.

"Don't thank me. Thank the fact that I want to kill that woman, and prove to Hawk Moth that I'm better suited for the job than you, more than I want to see you killed." -Madame Romani told him.

Brutus did not say a word. He knew Romani was not someone who could be reasoned with, when she was in that kind of mood. Instead, he remained in silence, because he knew there were more important things to worry about.

"Where is La Paon?" -Madame Romani asked, impatient.

"She was fighting Ladybug and some of the other heroes. If you haven't bumped into them, then, it's safe to assume they must have made their way inside the building." -Brutus declared.

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find where La Paon is and get her miraculous." -Romani stated, without giving Brutus the chance to talk back to her.

Brutus was about to follow her, not wishing to be left out of the battle, when he heard a crashing sound, behind him. Turning around, he saw a police motorcycle speeding in his direction, driven by Reptile, and followed by another motorcycle, driven by Panda Roux. What happened next was a scene worthy of an action movie. Reptile, knowing he had Panda Roux on his tail, decided to leap off his motorcycle and landed on top of Panda's. Grinning at Panda, Reptile pulled his switchblade and prepared to attack him, when Panda lost control of his ride, and was forced to do the same Reptile did, so he would not end up splattered, and to get rid of him. In the end, the two motorcycles crashed into one of the walls, with Panda coming out unscathed, because of Antelope, who arrived at the scene and used his lightning speed to catch him. As for Reptile, he ended up falling hard on the floor, in front of Brutus, who quickly went to his aid.

"Are you alright?" -Brutus asked the reptile-man, as he helped him get up.

"I-I'm fine…" -Reptile said, as he coughed up blood. –"T-That kid's going to pay for this, and for trying to turn me into a popsicle!" -he exclaimed, while looking at Panda and Antelope.

"I guess he doesn't like how you've been treating him." -Antelope told Panda Roux, laughing, as he put him on the floor.

"I guess not." -Panda laughed as well, when the building shook violently once more. –"Whoa, this place is really shaking a lot." -he said.

"Then, we better get these two outside and deal with them, where at least we know we won't have anything falling on our heads." -Antelope said, with a smug on his face. –"If you don't mind, I'm going to have fun with Reptile." -he told him.

"Go ahead. I'll handle Brutus." -Panda Roux said.


Outside, pandemonium was running wild. When responding to what was happening inside the Palace, the police were faced with a scene they had already started to get used to. Targeting Surtr, as he continued to destroy the building, they fired with everything they had. But just like it happened with Akumas, the Sentimonster felt nothing. The only blows it felt came from the heroes, who were then busy trying to get their attention, trying to keep him from further damaging the building.

Right then, the heroes had two problems, and Surtr was just one of them. The other was the police. The ever-courageous law enforcements also wanted to help save the day. But as always, even their best efforts were not a match for the magical forces of evil. And that meant Carapace and the others were forced to keep them at bay, for their own sake.

"Why does the police keep insisting on attacking these things? Don't they understand that they're only going to get them even madder?" -Carapace asked, as he created more energy shields and placed them over the police enforcers, for their own protection.

"They're just doing their job, man. You can't blame them for trying to keep the peace." -Grizzly Bear said, as he tried to catch his breath. –"It's in their job description, remember?" -he reminded the turtle hero.

"Keeping the peace, yes. Fighting magical creatures that can send them to either Heaven or Hell, no. That's our job. Theirs should be making sure that everyone on the streets finds a place to hide, until it's safe to come out." -Carapace said, as he finished placing the last energy shield over the police. –"And right now, I wish it would be easier to " -he sighed, when at that moment, reinforcements arrived to help him in the boys, in the form of Corbeau Noire and Louve Grise.

"Need some help?" -Louve Grise asked, as she and Corbeau Noire arrived at the scene.

"Absolutely." -Arachnid said, as he shot his rope, trying to lassoing one of Surtr's arms. –"But weren't you girls busy with Romani?" -he asked them.

"Antelope told us that he and Panda would handle Romani and Reptile. And you guys seem like you need some help getting this guy away from the building." -Corbeau Noire said, as she made use of her shadow powers.

"Well, the more the merrier, as they would say." -Carapace said. –"Let's see if we can truly get this guy's attention." -he told the others.

In the sky, Dragonfly kept trying to get Surtr's attention, now with a little help from Flamingo and her clones, while at the same time, Rapier and Queen Bee continued their battle. Hawk Moth's flying lieutenant flew towards Brutus rescue, but when noticing Madame Romani and Reptile were on it, he made his priority dealing with the adrenaline junkie flying member of the Miraculous Team. But Queen Bee had other plans for him. wanted to finish what he had started with Dragonfly, but the bee heroine was forcing him to focus on her.

"I already told you! If I have to eviscerate every last one of you, to get to her, I'll do it, no questions asked!" -Rapier yelled, referring to Dragonfly, as he made another of Flamingo's clones disappear.

"Sorry, but she doesn't want to have anything to do with you!" -Flamingo said, as she bashed him on the head with her cane, followed by two of her copies doing the same.

"I don't know which one of you is the real one, but I'm going to take care of all of you, followed by that annoying bumblebee, and then the other bug girl!" -Rapier yelled at Flamingo, before throwing another volley of razor-sharp at her and her two copies, nearly hitting them.

Taking advantage of Rapier being distracted by Flamingo, Queen Bee assessed on what could be done about Rapier. He was a loose cannon, and worse, he was incredibly fast and agile, when in the air. If she, Flamingo and Dragonfly hoped to have a chance to deal with Surtr, while in the air, he had to be taken out. The problem was, she did not know how they were going to do that.

"I need to finish this maniac." -Queen Bee thought to herself, as she caught her breath. –"There's got to be a way to take him out of the game. But how?" -she thought as her eyes scoured around for an answer. –"And I think I found one. I just hope it doesn't take too much of my strength to do it."

Flying down, Queen Bee threw her trompo into the river. Once it touched the water, it began to spin, creating a tornado and pulling water from the river, turning into a water trunk. As the trunk grew, Queen Bee focused to not lose control of it. Taking deep breaths, she visualized the next part of her plan, as a means to focus on her target. Once the trunk was big enough, she ordered the trompo, which was inside it, to dash towards the air, extending the water trunk as if this one was a sea serpent on the hunt, and targeting Rapier, who was then with his hands around the neck of one of Flamingo's copies.

"W-What?!" -Rapier yelled, as he heard something coming from behind him.

Taken by surprise, Rapier and Flamingo's copy were caught by the water trunk, which immediately soaked Rapier wet, while obliterating the copy. Trying to escape it, he flew up, only for the trunk to get him, and pull him inside it.

"Let's see if you can swim, as well as you can fly, freak." -Queen Bee said.

With Rapier trapped inside the water trunk, Queen Bee ordered her trompo to spin even faster, making the water inside the water trunk spin equally faster. No matter how hard he tried, it was impossible for Rapier to get out of it, with his body feeling like it was inside a washing machine. On top of it, Rapier was beginning to feel like his lungs were about to burst, from the lack of oxygen. Struggling to get out, he began to panic, believing the bee heroine was going to kill him. But that was not Queen Bee's plan. She just wanted to make him as weak as a kitten, before letting him go. And when she felt that he had reached that point, she ordered the trompo to dive, making the water trunk dive as well, hitting the river with the strength of a bomb, splashing water all over both sides. A few seconds went by, before Rapier's semi-conscious body showed up at the surface. She had done it.

"It took a lot more strength to do it, but it was worth it to see that idiot in the water." -Queen Bee thought, smiling triumphantly.

"That was a nice move." -Flamingo said, as she stopped next to Queen Bee. –"Hope he doesn't get us into any more trouble, for the time being. I lost count of how many copies of me he destroyed." -she told the bee heroine.

"Something tells me it's going to take him a while to annoy us again." -Queen Bee said.


The fight had reached the Chamber of Deputies, where the members of the French Parliament gathered. The damage was already quite visible, caused both by La Paon and the heroes, who continued to exchange blows between them, and by Surtr and his sword, which at that rate was going to destroy the whole building. One of the stands had come down, along with several columns. The statues above the podium had been reduced to rubble, and the same thing could be said about the podium and most of the benches. In sum, the whole place was an absolute battlefield.

Observing them from behind one of the broken columns of the stands, was Madame Romani. Having followed the path of destruction and chaos created by La Paon, it was easy for her to find them. Entering the chamber, she looked for a place to hide and see what was happening. The gypsy witch had not seen La Paon in person before, but it was easy for her to identify her, since she was the only she did not recognize.

"I was expecting her to look differently." -Madame Romani thought to herself, as she saw La Paon kicking Ladybug on the chest, who was caught by Chat Noir. –"That must have hurt… good. The more she hurts them, the better. These brats don't matter to me. That woman and her miraculous are the only ones who truly matters." -she mused about it.

Continuing to watch them fighting, Romani quickly came up with a strategy, as she waited for the right moment to attack. She knew the surprise factor could signify the difference between victory and defeat, and she planned to use it, and take full advantage of it. Sadly, for her, whatever surprise factor she believed would give her the upper hand, when she attacked, went up in smoke, when a large explosion propelled her, the column she was hiding behind and a large portion of the wall behind her, into the air.

This made La Paon and heroes stop fighting, such was the full force of the explosion. When this happened, they wondered what had happened. And a second later, they saw Brutus and Reptile falling alongside Romani, as well as Antelope and Panda Roux stepping out of a large hole in the wall, where you could see what looked like a massive smouldering cannon, which had no doubt been created by the holder of the red panda miraculous.

"Hey, girls!" -Antelope greeted them.

"Let me guess, you guys decided to bring the party to us?" -Rena Rouge asked him.

"More or less." -Panda Roux said. –"We wanted to take this outside, but ended up here, thanks to them." -he admitted, as he pointed –"Although Romani wasn't with them, when we went full Pirates of the Caribbean on them. Guess we must have caught her, while she was hiding."

"I wasn't hiding! I was waiting for an opportunity to strike!" -Madame Romani yelled, as she got up. –"And you idiots couldn't handle the two of them?!" -she yelled at Brutus and Reptile, furious with them, as the two of them got back up.

The chaos arising from the conversation between the heroes, Madame Romani and her fellow lieutenants was music to La Paon's ears. To her, chaos was just like the spice in someone's life, preventing her from ever getting bored or losing interest in something. And the arrival of a new set of heroes, was just what La Paon needed.

"More heroes for me to play with." -La Paon laughed, as she saw Antelope and Panda Roux arrived at the scene. –"It's so nice of you to stop doing, whatever it was you were doing, and show up to living up the party!" -she kept laughing.

"This woman is treating all of this, as if it was a game or a party." –Forest Doe commented.

"A very sadistic and sick party, if you ask me." -Ladybug said, panting, while moving away Chat's tail that was blocking the view of his left eye.

Determined more than ever, to prove her worth to Hawk Moth, Romani had already decided that she was not going to deal with the heroes. She was going to fight La Paon herself, while leaving Ladybug and the others heroes to her two male comrades.

"I'll deal with her. You two get rid of the heroes." -Madame Romani declared.

"You're not the boss of me, gypsy woman!" -Reptile yelled at her, furious with her.

"The master has ordered me to deal with her, not you." -Brutus reminded her.

"And look what happened." -Madame Romani said, with a sarcastic voice. –"You had your chance. Now it's my turn to prove what I'm capable of." -she said, with a vicious smile on her face. –"So, stop being useless, both of you, and take care of the brats, while leaving that one to me."

Reptile growled at her, not wanting to accept any orders from her. But Brutus looked him in the eyes, giving him a look, which warned him that that was not the time for petty squabbles. Nodding his head, the lizard-man was about to strike, alongside Brutus, when the black cat hero decided to warn them, that whatever their plan was, it was not happening with him there.

"You're not going anywhere, Romani! Neither you, nor those two uglies behind you." -Chat Noir exclaimed, before looking over his right shoulder. –"The boys and I can handle the three of them. You and the girls handle La Paon, milady." -he told Ladybug, who winked at him.

Charging against Madame Romani, Chat saw himself going through the gypsy witch, who used her ability to temporarily turn her body into smoke, and thus, make him go against Brutus, who almost punched him in the face. Leaving Reptile and Brutus to fend off against the three male members of the Miraculous heroes, Madame Romani decided it was best to do something to also keep the heroines busy, as she wanted La Paon all to herself. Using her crystal ball, she created several wild animals, like lions, tigers, bears and hyenas to take on Ladybug, Rena Rouge and Forest Doe, who quickly saw themselves in quite a pickle to handle them.

With her eyes fixated on La Paon, Romani's vicious smile grew wider. Looking at her, she saw nothing special about the holder of the peacock miraculous. And the more she looked at her, the gypsy witch believed that if she did not know she was a miraculous holder, she would mistake her for one of her master's Akumas. Still, she knew one should not be fooled by appearances.

"Oh, you must be another of Hawk Moth's helpers." -La Paon laughed. –"Your friend was a fun guy, and he did put a decent fight. But compared to the other helpers Hawk Moth created in the past, he was nothing special." -she told Romani.

"He's not my friend." -Madame Romani said. –"I might work with him, but he's not my friend. And if you had killed him, I wouldn't give a damn about it." -she declared.

"Oh, I like you!" -La Paon laughed. –"How would you be interested in changing sides? I could use someone as ruthless as you on my side." -she said, tempting Madame Romani.

"Not interested." -Madame Romani said. –"My allegiance is to my master, and when I kill you and give him your head and your miraculous, I'll prove it was a mistake to send a man to do a woman's job." -she said, as her hands caressed the surface of her crystal ball, making it glow, before shooting dozens of snakes in the direction of La Paon.

"More snakes? What's with you illusion players that love to create snakes?" –La Paon asked, as she dodged to the right.

"Laugh all you want! You still haven't seen what I can really do!" -Madame Romani said. –"Time to trap you in your worst nightmare!" -she shouted.

Springing from the ground, several dark tentacles wrapped themselves around La Paon's waist, arms and legs, making it impossible for her to move. Then, another tentacle sprouted directly from Romani's chest and glued itself onto La Paon's forehead, linking their minds together.

"Now, let's see what makes you tick." -Madame Romani laughed, as both her eyes and La Paon's glowed white.

The whole idea of trapping La Paon inside her own mind, and make her relive her darkest thoughts occurred to Romani, as she made her way to the National Assembly to help Brutus. She had used that trick once, on Ladybug and several other members of the Miraculous Team, when she kidnapped Manon and held her hostage, hoping to trade her for their miraculouses. Ever since then, she had perfected this technique, and was now using it, confident that unlike the first time she used it, she would come out victorious. It felt like the perfect plan.

But it did not take long for Romani to realize just how wrong she was. Probing into La Paon's mind, she became confused, as it looked like there were two separate minds, each one completely different from the other. Her first thought was that it felt like there were two completely different people inside La Paon's head. And before she could make heads or tails of what she was seeing, a mental projection of La Paon showed up in front of Romani's own mental projection and attacked her.

"You think your mental tricks will work on me?!" -La Paon's voice echoed all over the place, as she laughed like a maniac. –"Foolish child! Trying to attack me in my own mind, and turn it against me, is the equivalent to suicide!" -she laughed, as she disarmed her and placed her hands over Romani's head. –"Let me show you how it's done!"

And she did it. La Paon quickly turned the tables and made Madame Romani face some of her worst nightmares. Both her mental projection and her real self, started to cry for help, as La Paon had fun with her mind. As this happened, the tendrils created by the gypsy witch disappeared, and so did the animal illusions she had created to keep the scarlet heroine and her friends busy. Seeing this happening, Ladybug saw this as an opportunity to strike both villainesses and take them out. Noticing that Chat, Antelope and Panda were busy with Brutus and Reptile, she signalled Rena Rouge and Forest Doe to follow her lead. Shooting her yo-yo, the scarlet heroine wrapped it around La Paon and Madame Romani's bodies, lassoing them together, as the fox and the doe heroines used their weapons to knock them on the head.

"Lights out!" -Rena Rouge said, as she swung her flute-staff.

But to their surprise, even seemingly with her psyche trapped, La Paon's body somehow moved, breaking from the embrace Ladybug had placed her in, and quickly knocked Rena Rouge and Forest Doe down, using Madame Romani's body as a makeshift blunt weapon. Seeing her friends falling on the ground, Ladybug quickly understood that she had once again underestimated her.

"That was not very nice of you. Attacking me, while I was busy with that one." -La Paon said, as she pointed to Madame Romani, who was now lying on the floor. –"I was trying to play nice with you all. But it seems, you leave me no other option but to show you my true power." -La Paon told the heroines.

Snapping her fingers, a second later, Surtr's sword came down the ceiling, obliterating most of it, with pieces falling all over the chamber, some of them in flames. As this happened, La Paon laughed, while seemingly dancing to the chaotic sound of the debris falling down, as if this sound was some kind of melody. The heroes quickly moved to avoid them, but not all were able to do it. Panda Roux ended up being hit on the back by a large piece of debris, which fell on him, after hitting Brutus and Reptile. Still, Panda was mostly uninjured, due to the fact that Brutus took most of the impact. After tearing up the ceiling, Surtr was attacked by Dragonfly, Queen Bee and Corbeau Noire, who were trying to get its attention again, and force it to leave the building alone. Inside the chamber, Chat and Antelope helped Panda getting back up, while Ladybug, Rena Rouge and Forest Doe kept an eye on La Paon.

But this one did not seem interested in them then. Giggling, La Paon grabbed Romani's semi-conscious body from the ground by the neck, pulling her up, so she could look her in the eyes. She wanted to gloat about what she had done, to a certain miraculous holder.

"Hawk Moth… I know you're watching through the eyes of your minions, like you always do." -La Paon declared, while looking into Madame Romani's eyes. –"This one here is clinging to her life, while the first one who attacked me and his reptilian friend, well, let's just say they won't be causing any trouble for a bit And you can bet that I'm going to do the same to that flying one.. On top of that, I'm closer to killing the miraculous holders and getting their miraculouses, than you ever have!" -she laughed. –"Once I have them in my hands, this world will be mine. That is, right after I use their power to send you to Hell, so you can keep Satan company!"

Hawk Moth was indeed watching all that was happening through the eyes of his lieutenants, and right then, he was staring into La Paon's eyes through Madame Romani's own eyes, as he felt his blood boiling inside his veins. He had expected that Brutus would be able to take down La Paon by himself. But not even with the help of the other three was he able to do what he was ordered. And now, La Paon was bragging about it, in his face.

"But because I love a good challenge, I'm going to give you a chance to defend yourself. Show up and face me, one on one., just like the old days." -La Paon said. –"If you're not afraid to do your own dirty work, then come out of the hellhole you're hiding and face me!" -she told him. –"Finish what you started all those centuries ago, if you dare!"

Gritting his teeth in anger, he tried to ignore La Paon's words. But no matter how hard he tried, these kept echoing inside his head. And just like that, his mind was made up. He never allowed anyone to speak to him that way, without facing the consequences. And he was not going to start doing it. On top of that, he was not going to refuse a challenge from La Paon.

"Finish what I started all those centuries ago?" -Hawk Moth said, in an enraged voice. –"Very well. Since my lieutenants can't seem to deal with you, if you want me so badly, I'll take you on, myself." -he declared, as he tapped the floor with his cane.

Once the tip of his cane hit the floor and resonated over Hawk Moth's private chamber, a sphere of purple energy formed around him. Tapping the cane once more, this sphere disappeared from his private chambers, only to reappear, seconds later, in the middle of the Meeting Chamber, where the sphere disappeared, revealing Hawk Moth.

Seeing this happening, La Paon smiled, threw Madame Romani aside and walked a couple of meters in Hawk Moth's direction, whose cold and calculating eyes followed her every move. Looking at him, the villainess was surprised to see how he looked. He had changed a lot, since the last time she had seen him. If not for the moth miraculous he was wearing, she would have never believed he was Hawk Moth.

"Well, well, well… I'm impressed. You changed a lot. I was hoping for you to still wear an armour, just like in the old days. But maybe armours are a little bit out of fashion. I haven't seen anyone wearing them. Not even…oh, what do they call themselves? Oh, yes, police officers, who are some kind of modern knights." -La Paon laughed, while observing Hawk Moth's face, which remained stone-cold. –"As for me, as you can see, I've also changed a little bit. I don't dislike this body, but I still haven't decided if I'm going to keep it or not." -she declared.

She continued to talk, while Hawk Moth remained silent. For every ten words she said, he said none. This was one of the clearest differences between the two villains. She talked a lot. He barely talked.

"Always the silent one." -La Paon said, as she continued to laugh. –"No matter how much I tried, you were never one to carry a proper conversation! To you, every single word must be carefully chosen. Never understood that obsession of yours! What's so wrong with having a proper conversation, like a regular person?!"

It was clear that Hawk Moth, was not in the mood for any sort of conversation; the polar opposite of La Paon. You could see it, by looking into him. As for the heroes, their eyes were fixated on Hawk Moth. It had been months since he had come out of hiding, and just like before, he looked every bit as mean as they remembered him. Wondering if he was going to attack them, Ladybug, Chat, Rena, Doe, Antelope and Panda kept their guard up. But quickly they saw that he had no interest in them that day. The only thing that he was interested in was La Paon and her miraculous.

Believing he had heard enough from La Paon, Hawk Moth decided to get down to business. Unsheathing his cane-sword, he saw his own reflection on the immaculate blade, before pointing it to the holder of the peacock miraculous. She on the other hand, saw that the time for laughing was over, and it was time to settle serious matters.

"Like you said before, it's time to finish what I started so long ago." -Hawk Moth said, pointing his sword at La Paon. –"And unlike last time, I won't just turn you into a statue, and leave you to suffer for eternity. I will be slicing your head, and feed it to the fishes in the Seine. And this time, I will be taking that miraculous of yours; which I should've done, the moment I turned you to stone." -he said, with a cold voice.

"I was hoping you would say something like that." -La Paon said with a serious voice, as her fan turned into a rapier. –"Then, let's finish this. Bring it on, you, poor excuse for a world dominator!" -she insulted him, before striking him with her rapier.

The sound of metal clashing echoed through the place, to be slightly drowned out by La Paon's maniacal screams and laughter, who once again looked like she was enjoying everything that was going on. As for Hawk Moth, his face remained unchanged. No one could tell if he was enjoying it or not. But his eyes told another story. The hatred he had for La Paon was mirrored in them. Blow after blow, it was difficult to know who would win that fight, since both were outstanding with the sword. Jumping from bench to bench, the two did the best to cut the other. More than once they came close to inflict harm on the other.

Those that were watching them fighting, could not help but to compare the fight to those described in Dumas D'Artagnan Romances. Every move, every advance, every retreat was calculated, and almost choreographed. But that did not matter to Hawk Moth. All that mattered was La Paon's death, and right then, no matter how he attacked her, she defended every last one of his blows. It did not take long for frustration to raise the rage he had for her.

"Come on! It's almost like you're not even trying!" –La Paon laughed in his face, as her blade swooshed over Hawk Moth's head. –"That was a close one! If you keep moving like a tortoise, you won't last for long, against me." -she taunted him, between laughs.

Her bothersome voice and her shrieking laughter were piercing Hawk Moth's eardrums, making it hard for him to focus. Determined to make that fight as short as possible, he decided to make use of his powers.

"This has gone for too long!" -Hawk Moth yelled, as the blade from his cane-sword started to glow purple. –"Just die!"

Releasing a powerful wave of destructive energy from his cane-sword, he aimed to reduce La Paon to ashes. But his opponent saw it coming and easily dodged it. Hawk Moth's attack ended up targeting Ladybug and her teammates, who were momentarily caught by surprise. Moving as fast as they could, they managed to avoid it.

"I think we've got more than we bargained for." -Rena Rouge said, as she watched Hawk Moth charging against La Paon, who defended his attack.

"That would be an understatement." -Ladybug declared. –"This is bad. It's been months since this guy shows his face, and the last time he did, we had a hard time just keeping up with him." -she thought to herself, as she felt fear and doubt filling her chest. –"It was bad enough having to fight that woman. But now, we'll probably have to fight Hawk Moth as well. Things just keep getting worse."

Chapter 21: The Gloves Are Off

Chapter Text

It did not take long for the battle between La Paon and Hawk Moth to be heard outside of the Palais Bourbon. The sound of steel clashing echoed on the walls of what was left of the Meeting Chamber, so loudly, that on the street, people felt like the whole thing was happening next to them. They did not know what was going on, but assumed the Miraculous Team had engaged La Paon in combat. But the heroes who were outside knew that whatever was going on, was not one of their companions battling La Paon. They had heard the sound all of their weapons made when clashing against steel, far too many times, to not recognize the sound they made. And from what they were hearing, none of the weapons belonged to any team member.

Tired of not knowing what was going on, Carapace decided to ask one of the flying members of the team that were flying over the building's rooftop to tell him what was happening. A few seconds later, Dragonfly answered him, already knowing why the turtle hero was calling her.

"What's going inside?!" –Carapace asked Dragonfly, over the cell phone. –"Can you see what's happening?" -he said.

"Trouble, with a capital "H", ninja turtle." -Dragonfly told him.

"You don't mean…" -Carapace said.

"Yup. Hawk Douche is in the house." -Dragonfly sighed, as she watched another part of the ceiling collapsing. –"My advice, get this giant away from the building, right now. Because between it and Hawk Moth, we'll be lucky if one of the walls is left standing." -she told him. –"I'm going in and try to see if I can do something about it."

"Understood." -Carapace said, as he hung up. –"Guys, HM showed up." -he told the others, who

"He has?!" -Corbeau Noire asked, as she tried to pull Surtr's right leg with the help of several shadows.

"Great! When it rains, it pours!" -Grizzly Bear yelled, frustrated. –"As if we didn't have problems with this giant!" -he said, as he grabbed Surtr's left ankle and began to pull it back, when they heard something big crumbling. –"What was that?!

"Either I'm wrong, or that was a section of the building that came down from the fight that's happening inside." -Carapace said. –"Change of plans, everyone!" -he said, as he came up with a quick plan. –"Get up to the rooftop! Instead of trying to pull this guy away from the building, we're going to shove it off, and give some support to the others, who are handling Hawk Moth and La Paon."

Using his powers, Carapace created several energy shields to act as a staircase, allowing himself and the others to get up to the rooftop. Following him, they all jumped from one energy shield to the other, with the exception of Corbeau Noire, who flew to the rooftop. Once up there, the turtle hero told Corbeau, Arachnid and Grizzly to go inside, while he and Louve remained there to help out Flamingo and her copies who had remained to deal with Surtr. Doing as they were told, the raven and the bear hero jumped into the chamber, through one of the several holes in the roof, where they saw Dragonfly and Queen Bee, who went inside earlier, flying over the commotion, while also seeing the rest of their teammates gathered together, watching the battle between Hawk Moth and La Paon. They also noticed that three of Hawk Moth's lieutenants were also gathered on the opposite side of the chamber, watching. Both heroes and villains alike, could not take their eyes off the fight. The way they were fighting was almost mesmerizing.

"Who's winning?" -Corbeau Noire asked the rest of her teammates, as she and Grizzly joined them.

"So far, no one." -Forest Doe said.

"But if they keep up like this, one of them is going to kill the other." -Antelope said, as he and the others were forced to lower their heads, so as to not get hit by another energy blast, which obliterated a good chunk of the wall behind them, weakening the building's structure once more. –"That is if they don't kill us first, by bringing this whole building down." -he said, when a chink of marble fell at his feet. –"I advise we find a safer place to continue to watch this death match."

And as they followed Antelope's advice, they continued to pay attention to the fight as this one unfolded. Once again, it was impossible to take your eyes off what was happening in front of you. Who would win? Who would be defeated? How long would it take to have a winner and a loser? They were all questions that were on the minds of the young heroes, and they wanted to know the answer.

Gritting his teeth, Hawk Moth shot another energy blast with his cane, failing to hit La Paon, who continued to incessantly laugh like a maniac. And after dodging it, she fired an energy blast of her own, which nearly hit Hawk Moth, who managed to dodge it at the very last second. Realizing he needed to change his approach, Hawk Moth decided to use a more direct approach, by employing close combat to gain the upper hand.

Charging against La Paon, he then he landed numerous blows, which La Paon blocked with exquisite dexterity. Sweeping her legs, Hawk moth manages to make her fall on her back, allowing him to deliver the finishing blow. But like before, she escaped, rolling to the left, and quickly getting back up.

"You missed!" -La Paon laughed, when she felt a sharp pain just under right breast. –"W-What…" -she stuttered, as she looked down and saw Hawk Moth's blade had pierced her chest.

"Wrong, I got you." -Hawk Moth said with a voice devoid of any sort of feeling. –"I knew you would do that, so I anticipated your moves. Victory is mine. And so is your miraculous." -he said

Hawk Moth thought he had won the battle, burying his blade in the opponent's chest, piercing her heart. But the truth was, he missed the mark by mere millimeters. Smirking, La Paon grabbed the blade and yanked it back, surprising Hawk Moth, before shoving her right elbow into his face. Licking the blood that was left on her hand, she laughed, when she saw that she had made her opponent bleed from his nose.

"You can't even celebrate, when you think you won!" -La Paon told him. –"When you kill someone… or when you think you killed, in your case, you should gloat about it!" -she laughed maniacally. –"It seems like you don't even know how to act during these moments!"

The way she was scoffing at him, made the anger in Hawk Moth's chest grow even stronger. He was trying not to let his emotions get the best of him, but a man can only

"Oh, for that one, you need a time out!" –La Paon shouted, as she plunged her rapier into the ground.

"Master, are you alright?" -Madame Romani asked him, as she helped him up.

"I-I'm fine!" -Hawk Moth barked at her, infuriated. –"If she thinks she can win by acting like selfish and egocentric child, who uses tantrums as a weapon, she's dead wrong. I will come out victorious, out of this battle, or I'll die trying to kill her." -he thought to himself, as he continued to feel the anger inside him boiling his blood and his spirit.

"Master, allow us to assist you." -Reptile said.

"No! Do not interfere with this fight. She is my adversary, and I will deal with her. And I don't need the help of any of you to do it." -Hawk Moth shouted at Reptile.

"But master, from a strategic point of view, maybe we…" -Brutus said, when Hawk Moth fired purple lightning from the top of his cane-sword.

"I said, do not interfere!" -Hawk Moth hissed, as he electrocuted him. –"Do I make myself clear?" -he asked Brutus, as he ceased electrocuting him.

"A-Absolutely, master." -Brutus declared, looking Hawk Moth in the eyes, as he still felt the residual electricity coursing through his body, burning him from the inside. –"Once the master issues an order, one must obey it. I should know this by now." -he thought to himself.

"Now, instead of just staying there, watching me and that woman fighting, deal with the heroes and get me their miraculouses." -Hawk Moth ordered the three of them, before charging back into battle.


Carried by the river current, Rapier's body was led to the shore. Having seen him being thrown into the Seine, a SWAT Team was immediately dispatched to capture him and detain him. There had been very few opportunities to try and capture one of Hawk Moth's lieutenants. But whenever one such an opportunity showed up, the police were ordered to try and apprehend them. They knew the Akumas were too powerful for them to arrest, let alone contain them. But they believed lieutenants were a different story, especially those that could not change their appearance. Which made Rapier a perfect target.

Arriving at the place where Rapier ended up, the members of the SWAT Team quickly got to work, accompanied by some other members of the police force. Among them was Louve's dad, Lt. Roger Raincomprix, who once more saw himself face to face with another magical threat.

The captain of the SWAT team told his men to fish Rapier out of the water, and get him restrained. In order to do so, they were going to use the strongest handcuffs they had in their arsenal. Fishing him from the Seine, they dragged Rapier a couple of meters, before checking to see if he was breathing. For a moment they all believed that he was dead, but then he began to violently cough up the water he had swallowed. Seeing this, everyone pointed their weapons at Rapier, ready to fill him with lead, as the captain himself was going to handcuff him, before he got the chance to fly away.

"Steady… Steady…" -he thought to himself, as he waited for the right moment to slip the handcuffs on Rapier.

But even mildly disoriented, and coughing water, Rapier understood what was happening, and knew he had to do something. When he felt the SWAT's captain grabbing him by the wrist, he quickly swooped his leg, by describing a half-baked breakdance spin on the ground, grabbing the captain by the right arm, spinning him in the air, before fully standing up, at the same time he made one of his razor-sharp feathers appear in his right hand. Placing it against the man's throat, he made sure to do it in a way that everyone in front of him understood that he was to be taken seriously.

"D-Don't even think about it!" -Rapier yelled, as he finished coughing up water. –"Don't try to be heroes, or else I'll slit this guy's throat, right here, right now!" -he threatened them. –"And believe me when I will do it. I'll give him a second smile!"

With their fingers on the trigger, every last SWAT member, as well as police officer, dd as they were told by Rapier, who was looking at them, to see if any of them had the guts to take a shot at him, while he was holding a hostage.

"Alright buddy, you're in control." -Lt. Raincomprix said, as he too pointed his weapon at Rapier. –"There's no need for any violence, okay?" -he told him.

"Good to know you know who you're dealing with, office.?" -Rapier told him, with a scornful voice.

"I know exactly who you are, and it's lieutenant for you." -Lt. Raincomprix told him. –"Like I said before, we don't want anyone to get hurt here." -he said, trying to reason with Rapier.

"Speak for yourself. I don't mind slicing this guy's throat, right here, and right now!" -Rapier laughed sarcastically.

"Why couldn't it be Brutus? At least, he doesn't resort to this kind of tactics to get out of a tight spot." -Lt. Raincomprix thought. –"Look, you don't need to do that to prove just how dangerous you are. We all know what you're capable of… you want to get out of here, and we want that man to be alright. So, why don't you just let him go, and you can go upon your business? How does that sound?" -he suggested, trying to negotiate with Rapier. –"I give you my word that none of these men will fire a single round at you, if you let him go."

Rapier could not care less if those men fired at him. He knew he was fast enough to dodge all the bullets. But given the pounding he received from Queen Bee, there was a small chance that he was in no fitting condition to dodge every last projectile. Evaluating the situation, he realized that it was best for him to get out of there, without getting hit.

"Those are some interesting words. I'm listening." -Rapier said.

"Like I said. If you let him go, unharmed…" -Lt. Raincomprix said, just to be rudely interrupted.

"Yeah, yeah, I got the message the first time… let's make a trade. This man's life for that taser you have on your belt, lieutenant." -Rapier told Lt. Raincomprix. –"You give me the taser and let me fly away from here unharmed, and I'll let him walk away. And remember, no funny businesses. If I want to, you're all dead meat, starting with him!" -he threatened him.

Doing as he was told, Lt. Raincomprix took out his taser and prepared to hand it to Rapier, while signalling everyone to hold their fire. He did not like the idea of negotiating with criminals, much less one of Hawk Moth's lieutenants. But given the situation, and being him the one with the highest rank there, other than the SWAT captain, it was up to him to make sure that there were no victims.

"Okay, let's do this. On the count of three, I'll throw you the taser, and you release him to me. Got it?!" -Lt. Raincomprix asked him.

Nodding his head, Rapier waited for the lieutenant to reach three, before making the exchange. Still, knowing that he could not trust the word of any of them, he decided to make sure than none of them would even get the chance to shoot him. As soon as the taser was thrown at him, he quickly grabbed the captain by the hands and spun him around in the air before throwing him at the law enforcements, who were forced to drop their weapons to catch him. Grabbing the taser, the birdman flew out of there at an incredible speed, quickly getting out of range of any of their weapons. And he had only one thought in his mind. To kill Queen Bee.

"I'm going to French-fry that poor excuse for a bee, for almost drowning me!" -Rapier yelled, enraged, as he dashed through the air.

But he was not the only who was enraged. The captain of SWAT was not happy on how the whole thing went down. He wanted to catch Rapier, and take him to be interrogated, in an attempt to find out where Hawk Moth's lair is. The closest they had even been to caught one of his lieutenants, was when one of the Miraculous heroes left Reptile chained to a bench, and when they got there, the only thing left was his right foot, which he amputated, by chewing it.

"You should've shot him!"

"And risk your life? I don't think so." -Lt. Raincomprix said. –"You folks at SWAT may live for this kind of situations, and may even be willing to risk your lives to take down a suspect. But not me." -he declared. –"Besides, if we didn't manage to apprehend him, when he was still coughing up river water, there was no way we were going to be able to apprehend him, when he was already on his feet, and using you as hostage and a bulletproof vest."

"You underestimate me and my men." -the captain said.

"No, I'm not underestimating you or your men. I'm just making sure that nobody underestimates one of Hawk Moth's accomplices." -Lt. Raincomprix declared. –"In case you forgotten, they have magical abilities that allow them to pick up a garbage truck with their own hands and throw them at a person, among other things. I don't need to remind you that we're merely human, when compared to them."-he said. –"It's times like these that I'm just happy that Sabrina's safe and sound, somewhere else."


But the lieutenant could not be more wrong about that thought. On top rooftop of Palais Bourbon, Louve Grise was helping Carapace and Flamingo, alongside the latter's copies to keep Surtr from advancing over the building. It was not an easy task, especially since it began to fire what could be perceived as heat rays from its face, even though this one did not have any eyes.

"Things are getting hot!" -Carapace exclaimed, as he saw one of the last copies of Flamingo, disintegrating in front of his eyes, after being hit by the heat ray.

"I'm only down to two copies… and I don't think I've got enough strength to create more." -Flamingo thought to herself, as she threw herself to the ground.

"Let's see if this thing likes to have ice on its face." -Louve Grise exclaimed, as she used her ice breath to freeze its head.

Filling her lungs with air, the wolf heroine blew with all her might, hitting Surtr in the face. In a couple of seconds, Surtr's whole face looked like a block of ice. But it did not stay that way. Three seconds passed, before the ice began to thaw, as Surtr used its heat ray power, trying to cook the heroes, who once more, were forced to dodge it.

"I don't think it worked." -Flamingo panted.

"This is definitely not our day." -Louve Grise said, with a grim tone.

And as they tried to figure out another way to beat the Sentimonster, inside the chamber, the battle of La Paon against Hawk Moth continued to escalate, now accompanied by other three smaller battles, that opposed the heroes to Hawk Moth's lieutenants. Fatigue was beginning to set in, and that was reflected in the movements and reflexes of both good guys and villains. Still, no matter how exhausted they were, it did not matter, for things were about to change again.

"Oh, this is being so much fun! It's amusing how you're trying so hard to finish me!" -La Paon laughed. –"But I think we need a change of scenery!" -she said, as she snapped her fingers. –"Surtr, be a dear and open a path outside! I grow tired of being cooped up in this building!"

Obeying its mistress' orders, Surtr stopped attacking the heroes on the rooftop and proceeded to open a path for her to get out of the Chamber of Deputies. Stepping back, Surtr placed his sword on its back, and then removed the large chains that were wrapped around its chest, holding them on its hands, where they magically caught fire. Seeing this, and realizing what was about to happen, Carapace quickly created a shield to protect them. But because of the fatigue he was feeling, once one of the flaming chains hit the shield, this one broke, leaving him and the girls unprotected. Using the chains, it began hurling them at the building, tearing off chunks of stone, marble, and concrete of all shapes and sizes, which fell to the ground or flew through the air. If not for the energy shields Carapace had placed to protect the police and innocent bystanders who were close to the building, these would have ended up crushed by the flying debris.

"Come on, let's go!" -Arachnid as he grabbed Carapace by the arm and started running across the rooftop.

Inside the building, this one shook violently, quickly alerting everyone in the chamber that something was not right. The first few shocks were not enough to stop everyone from continuing to fight. But as the building continued to shook, everyone stopped fighting, particularly, when more rooftop pieces started to come down on them.

"What's going on?!" -Panda Roux asked. –"Is this Surtr's doing?"

"Don't know. But it must be!" -Chat Noir exclaimed, as he used his staff to kick a piece of debris from falling on him.

"What do we do?!" -Forest Doe asked, as she was nearly crushed by a piece of debris.

"We got to get out of here, before we're turned into pancakes!" -Grizzly Bear said, as he shielded Doe with his body.

Coming down from the rooftop, Flamingo and her last two remaining copies went to get the rest of the team out, as Carapace, Arachnid and Louve ran for safety.

"This guy has gone full Kratos on us and the building!" -Flamingo shouted at everyone. –"You three, grab those who can't! fly and take them outside! My copies and I will help!" -she told Dragonfly, Queen Bee, and her girlfriend.

Following her lead, three heroines flew towards the rescue. Queen Bee grabbed Panda Roux, while Dragonfly grabbed Rena Rouge. Corbeau Noire grabbed Chat Noir, and Flamingo grabbed Grizzly Bear, while her two remaining copies grabbed Forest Doe and Ladybug.

Realizing he needed a quick exit, Hawk Moth used his cane-sword to energy blast his way out of there, by opening holes in the walls, and use them to exit the building, as this one was coming down.

"Time to get out of here!" -Reptile told Madame Romani and Brutus. –"Wait for us, master!"

Reptile and the others followed him, just as Surtr's flaming chains broke into the chamber, thrashing it, as the creature made its way through the building. As for La Paon, this one dd not even care about what was going on, as she danced and twirled, while everything happened around her.

Already outside, making their way to where the rest of team were, the heroes watched as Surtr destroyed Palais Bourbon and its surrounding buildings. Feeling exhausted and without a clue as to how they were going to defeat both La Paon and her creation, as well as Hawk Moth and his cronies, the heroes all wished for a miracle to happen. But even they knew that miracles do not happen, just because one wants them to happen.

"A miracle. My kingdom for a darned miracle! I'll even settle for a small sign, that will tell us how we're going to win." -Rena Rouge thought to herself.

Leaving a trail of destruction behind it, Surtr made its way towards Rue de l'Université, that led to Les Invalides. And La Paon was right by its side. Unlike what happened with everyone else, she did not flee and remained with her creation. She was enjoying the chaos caused by it.

"Go ahead! Don't be afraid! Destroy everything you want! Once I make this city my very first conquest, I'll rebuild it, so it doesn't look so ordered!" -La Paon told Surtr, as she kept walking by its side.

The few people that were still on the street ran for their lives, seeking shelter, as they saw either Hawk Moth and his lieutenants, or Surtr and La Paon. The flames caused by Surtr's chains, were causing numerous buildings to catch fire. The fire department was going to have its hands full. But that did not matter to Hawk Moth. He could not care less about the city and its citizens. The only thing he cared right then, was to destroy La Paon and her Sentimonster. Looking at it for the first time, Hawk Moth was surprised by Surtr's power. But not enough to admit it out loud. His pride would never let him admit that La Paon's creations would ever rival his, even if they did.

Stopping in front of Hawk Moth and his lieutenants, Surtr tilted its head down to look at them, as if it was studying them, the same way Hawk Moth had a few moments before. At that moment, Rapier also showed up, frustrated for not having found Queen Bee.

"Hey, has any of you saw that bee girl?! I got this taser, and I want to use it on her!" -Rapier told his fellow, as he landed by their side.

"Can't you see we have more pressing matters at hand?" -Brutus asked him, rhetorically, as he pointed to Surtr.

"Yeah, are you blind?!" -Madame Romani asked him, sarcastically.

"Oh, yeah, looks big." –Rapier said without a care, as he looked at Surtr.

No matter how much nonsense Rapier spouted out of his mouth, Hawk Moth was not paying him any sort of attention. He was focused on Surtr, who had not taken its eyes off of him. And La Paon realized it.

"Oh, I think it wants to meet you, Hawk Moth!" -La Paon said. –"Go ahead, my dear. Show him just how much more powerful you are, when compared to his stupid Akumas!" -she ordered Surtr, as she continued to laugh, at what was happening.

Obeying its creator's order, once more, Surtr dropped its blazing chains, closing its left fist. With a swift move, the Sentimonster tried to crush Hawk Moth and his lieutenants, but the villain saw it coming, and quickly created an energy sphere around the five of them. Hitting it, Surtr realized he had failed, and proceeded to beat its fists against the sphere, trying to cracking it open.

"Do you truly believe that this monstrosity can rival my power and crush me like a lowly insect?!" -Hawk Moth shouted at La Paon. –"Let me show you, just how wrong you are." -he said, practically whispering that sentence, as a sadistic smile appeared on his face.

Breaking the energy bubble, he had created, Hawk Moth allowed Surtr to strike him again, only to use his powers to make the behemoth stop, just as he was about to crush him with its giant fist. Taking two steps forward, he looked at Surtr, as his sadistic smile grew wider.

"Disappear." -Hawk Moth said, as his cane touched Surtr's left index finger.

Once the tip of the cane touched Surtr, a purplish spot appeared on its finger, which began to increase in size, spreading across the whole finger, then its hand, followed by its arm, and the rest of its body. The speed which it spread was uncanny. But that was just the beginning. Just as quickly as whatever magic he had used on it, Surtr's body began to dissolve, until there was nothing left of it. The Amok that was inside it, came out of what was left of the body, as it was consumed, only to also be affected by the same spell, and be reduced to nothing. Hawk Moth had used one of his most powerful powers to send a message, not only to La Paon, but to everyone else. And the message was simple: "Do not mess with me, or you'll end up just like this creature."

Seeing the whole thing from a nearby building, where they had taken refuge, Ladybug and the rest of the Miraculous Team were baffled by what had just happened.

"I don't believe it." -Ladybug said. –"He turned that Sentimonster to nothing, along with the Amok, with just a touch of his cane." -she said, practically speechless. –"We are so screwed."

"Don't let those bad thoughts get to you, milady." -Chat Noir said, noticing the fear and the concern on her face. –"With some luck, that feather duster and that douchebag will end up killing each other." -she said.

That was one dark thought. That was the first thing that came to Ladybug's mind. She knew she should not worry or take pity on any of the villains, but the idea of those two killing each other, disturbed her. Still, she quickly put them aside, knowing they had work to do. The Sentimonster was gone, but the danger was far from over. As long as Hawk Moth and La Paon were fighting, Paris would not be safe for anyone.

"At least now, we don't have to worry about how we're going to get rid of the Amok." -Ladybug declared. –"But this isn't over yet. Come on, everyone. We've got two supervillains and some minions who still need to be dealt with." -Ladybug told the whole team.

"And a couple of fires to deal with." –Forest Doe pointed out.

"Guess I'll be on fire extinguisher duty." -Louve Grise sighed.

"I'll help out." -Panda Roux told her.

"And he won't be the only one. I'm exhausted and in need of a bubble bath and a massage. But I'm not letting you play firefighter alone." -Queen Bee told her, which made the wolf heroine smile.

"So, do we split up, like always, girl?" -Rena Rouge asked her, rhetorically.

"As if I needed to tell you guys that." -Ladybug smiled back at Rena. –"Those who have one or more abilities that will help them put out the fires, take care of that. The rest, follow me. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be late for dinner." -she said.

"Lead the way, milady. We'll follow." -Chat Noir smiled at the scarlet heroine.

Chapter 22: Broken Bones and Shattered Plans

Chapter Text

La Paon could not believe what had happened. Her creation had been destroyed, right in front of her by Hawk Moth. And the way he did it, made her realize two things. First, he had become stronger than she could have imagined. And second, that the anger she felt for him before, was nothing compared to what she felt now. Unlike Hawk Moth who saw the Akumas as nothing more than weapons to be used in his crusade against the Miraculous heroes and the Miraculous Order, La Paon saw the Sentimonsters she created, as her own children. And in the old days, when Hawk Moth used them to train his soldiers and lieutenants, and even when they were sent into battle, La Paon believed they were destroyed for a purpose. But Surtr had been eliminated, only because it faced Hawk Moth, who destroyed it without any shred of mercy. And thinking about it, only fueled the hatred for the villain that she carried in her chest.

"You're going to pay for what you did to my beautiful Sentimonster, Hawk Moth!" -La Paon shouted at the villain, as she held her rapier with both hands, and then magically divided it into two. –"I will avenge it, by cutting off your head and then feed it to the next Sentimonster I create!" -she threatened him.

"Will you?" -Hawk Moth asked, with a neutral voice. –"All that rage I hear in your voice, will be your downfall." -he said. –"You've always allowed yourself to be guided by your emotions, instead of using them, the way I do. The only outcome of this battle will be your defeat, and me, taking your life and your miraculous, after which, I will destroy it and claim its power back."

"You'll be a corpse, before you get my miraculous, Hawk Moth!" -La Paon shouted, as she charged against Hawk Moth, ready to cut him to pieces with her rapiers.

Taking advantage of her rage, Hawk Moth allowed her to approach him, before using his cane-sword to disarm her, and then fire an energy blast at her, which hit her on the chest and made her fly several meters, before landing on a pile of ashes that had once been Surtr.

"Rage. No doubt, one of the most powerful of emotions. But also, one of the easiest to take advantage of, when in a battle." -Hawk Moth said, when he was interrupted by cheers that come from behind him.

Hearing the cheering and voices of both Reptile and Rapier, it was only then that Hawk Moth remembered that his lieutenants were standing behind him. In the heat of the moment, he had forgotten about them. And realizing they were still, there, enraged him.

"What are you all standing there for?! I gave you all a mission!" -Hawk Moth yelled at his lieutenants. –"Bring me the heroes' miraculouses!" -he ordered them, before throwing another energy blast at La Paon, who was getting back up.

"Yes, master." -Madame Romani asserted.

"It shall be done." -Brutus declared.

Obeying his master's orders, the four lieutenants quickly scattered, looking for the heroes, leaving Hawk Moth to deal with La Paon, who, more than ever, wanted his head on a silver platter. Looking at him, the villainess wondered what her next move would be, and how she would tackle Hawk Moth. She had underestimated him. But she was not going to do it again.

"He may have grown incredibly more powerful, since the last time we met, but I will not be defeated this easily." -La Paon thought to herself. –"I will make use of my chaotic magic to kill him." -she thought as she united the rapiers, and turned them into her fan. –"You will beg me to end you quickly, Hawk Moth! But that will not happen!"

Plucking several feathers from her fan, La Paon swiftly shot them into the asphalt, where these buried themselves. A second later, the street's asphalt began to peel away from the ground in strips, which quickly came together and formed several gigantic octopus-like creatures. Moving with incredible speed, these went straight for Hawk Moth, who faced them head-on, using his blade to cut them into pieces.

"More chaotic magic. You never learn, do you?" -Hawk Moth thought to himself. –"If you want to kill me, you'll have to do better than that." -he thought.


Making their way down the street, the team quickly split into two groups. The larger one, made their way to fight Hawk Moth and La Paon, while the smaller one, composed by Queen Bee, Louve Grise, Panda Roux and Antelope, went to put out the fires, that were quickly ravaging the buildings, as well as evacuating the people inside them.

"I'll get the people out. You come up with a way to get us some water." -Antelope told Panda, as he dashed out of there.

"Okay, water. Coming up." -Panda Roux said, as he shrank his spear, and thought of what he was going to draw with it.

Many ideas went through Panda's brain, and all of them good. The problem was not choosing which ones were good enough to deal with the problem at hand. The problem was to choose which one he still had the energy to turn into reality. If he was not exhausted, he would draw a storm and make it rain on the whole neighbourhood, pouring out the fires. But that was not going to happen that day. He was tired, yet, he still had enough energy to create something, which would help him and Antelope put out the fires, while the firefighters did not arrive.

"I think this will work." -Panda thought to himself, as he saw Antelope leaving the first people he had taken from the burning building in front.

Drawing as fast as he could, Panda Roux quickly created a kind of pump, from which several fire hoses came out, as well as a larger hose that he drew with the ability to stretch, so that it could be placed in the river, and pump the water. water. By the time he finished it, Antelope had managed to evacuate everyone from neighboring buildings.

"What's that?" -Antelope asked, as he approached Panda and the device he had created.

"It's basically a pump. A very powerful pump, which will help us put out the fires. All we have to do is take that hose over there, and place it on the river, to get some water here." -Panda answered him.

"And you want me to do that?" -Antelope asked.

"Yes, please." -Panda Roux told Antelope, as the latter grabbed the hose.

After explaining him what he had to do, Antelope took the largest hose and carried it to the river, testing its elasticity. Once he arrived at the river, he placed in the water, and hurried it returned and Panda turned on the pump, which immediately started pumping water. Armed with hoses, both heroes aimed at the fire, trying to put it out.

"I think we're going to have to get in there!" -Antelope shouted, as he put out the flames that were coming out of a window on the 1st floor.

"I agree. If the firefighters don't get here soon, we'll have to put out all of this ourselves." -Panda Roux declared, as he aimed the hose at another burning window.

And while they put out the fire, not far from where they were, Queen Bee and Louve Grise were doing the same. Ignoring the parliament, which was also on fire, they focused on the residential buildings near it. Entering and exiting the buildings, the bee heroine tried to get out as many people as she could, while the wolf heroine used her ice breath to try and extinguish the flames.

"Okay, here we are. Try and find some place to hide in that direction. Believe me, you don't want to go that way." -Queen Bee warned the couple, she had just saved. As they ran out of there, she turned to Louve, to ask her how she was doing. –"How's it going?"

"Not easy. I'm beginning to feel like my lungs are in flames, just like these buildings."-Louve Grise admitted, as she tried to catch her breath.

"I know. I'm not feeling fresh as a daisy either. But we've got to continue to do this, until the firefighters show up with their trucks." -Queen Bee said, encouraging her.

"Alright. I'm going in. Be right back!" –Louve said, as she went into the building.

Seeing her partner going into the building, the bee heroine decided she was going to check the building Louve had gone into, one more time, to see if she had managed to get everyone out. But this idea came to a halt, when something sharp landed centimetres from her feet, startling her. Looking down, she noticed it was one of Rapier's razor-sharp feathers. And a moment after, he himself showed up, landing in front of her, with a sadistic smile on his face.

"You again?!" -Queen Bee asked. –"Didn't I throw you into the river, earlier?"

"Yes, you did. And I'm here to return you the favour!" -Rapier told her.

"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots, which by the way, I'm not wearing, because my outfit is a one-piece leotard, mister." -Queen Bee told him, with a voice filled with sarcasm. –"I got to knock this idiot down, and fast. I'm just like Sabrina, and the rest of the team. I'm running on fumes here." -she thought to herself, as she grabbed her trompo and begun to spin it, and creating a shield with it. –"Now, let's do this! The faster I take care of you, the faster I go back to saving people from the flames."

"You really think you're going to defeat me again?! You got lucky, last time!" -Rapier told her, with a cocky voice.

"I don't think. I know." -Queen Bee said, with a cynical voice. –"Now, are you going to attack me with one of those stupid feathers of yours, or not?!" -she asked him.

"No, I'm using this!" -Rapier exclaimed, as he pulled the taser gun, that he was concealing, and fired it.

Caught by surprise, Queen Bee was hit by the taser needles, and immediately began to shiver violently. Falling down on her back, she felt like every muscle in her body was constricting and expanding simultaneously, at the speed of thought. It was a feeling that she would not wish upon anyone, except, maybe her worst enemy. And as this happened, Rapier watched, enjoying himself.

"Look at you! Shaking like an epileptic having a seizure, or a drug addict having an overdose!" -Rapier laughed like crazy, as Queen Bee continued to shake violently, feeling the electricity coursing through her body. –"I read once, that these things have enough juice in them to stop a heart. You just need to crank up the power." -he said, as he looked at the taser, looking for the switch to turn up the voltage. –"Where is it? Where… Ah! This must be it. Let's see if I can stop your heart, your majesty."

Rapier reached for the button, when someone swooped his leg, making him fall on his back and drop the taser gun. Getting back up in one quick swoop, he realized that the one responsible for his fall, had been Louve Grise, who was now standing between him and Queen Bee.

"You leave her alone, you demented cretin!" -Louve Grise shouted at him. –"Don't worry, Chloe. I'm here." -she thought to herself, as she pulled the wires from Bee's chest. –"I don't know where you got that thing, but you're going to be sorry you used it on her, you savage!"

"Oh, the big bad wolf is going bite me, is she?!" -Rapier mocked her, as he threw a volley of razor-sharp feathers at Louve, only for her to deflect most of it, with the use of her fans.

"This big bad wolf is going to bite your head off, you bastard!" -Louve Grise shouted at him, practically growling. –"And if you think I'm kidding, then, come at me!" -she yelled.

Not one to decline a challenge, Rapier charged against Louve, who jumped over him, and before he could turn around to go up against her again, she used her ice breath on him. Using all her strength, she blew as hard as she could, trying to freeze him in place. Unfortunately, her hardest was not enough, and she ended up only freezing his upper half, making it impossible for him to move his arms. Still, she knew that if she did not take him out, Rapier would thaw and strike her again, before she could get her strength back. Luckily, she knew how to knock him out. Grabbing the taser, that he had dropped, when she hit him, Louve was going to do to him, what he had done to her girlfriend.

"One of the good things of being a policeman's daughter, is that you end up learning how to use one of these, and that this particular model comes with an extra cartridge, if we need to use it more than just one suspect." -Louve Grise thought, as she loaded the cartridge, and got ready to use the taser. Pointing it, she did not hesitate. –"Fry, you overgrown turkey!" -she shouted, as she fired the taser.

Squeezing the taser's trigger, the needles flew straight into Rapier, hitting him on the chest. And just like it happened with Queen Bee, once the electricity started coursing through his body, every single muscle in it began to spasm violently, breaking the layer of ice that was covering his upper body. Seeing this, Louve just wanted to turn up the voltage and cause his heart to stop or his brain to fry, as payback for hurting her girlfriend. But unlike it happened with others, she did not allow herself to succumb to her darkest desires. A few more seconds went by, when she finally turned off the taser, and Rapier fell on his head, unconscious.

"That oughta do it." -Louve Grise told herself, as she dropped the taser gun and ran towards Queen Bee.

Kneeling by her side, she ripped the needles from the bee heroine's chest, and placed her right hand over her neck, to see if she was alright. She was blaming herself for getting distracted with the flames, that she did not hear Rapier sneaking up on them, and attacking Queen Bee, even though she kept telling herself it was not her

"Are you okay, my queen?" -Louve Grise asked her, worried.

"M-My chest hurts like Hell. Feels l-like I was kicked in the chest by a horse." -Queen Bee complained, as she rubbed it. –"And the rest of my body f-feels super sore." -she told Louve.

"Yeah, it's not a pleasant experience." -Louve said. –"You're lucky, I came back, because of all the smoke, that didn't let me see where I was going. Or else, you would've been turned into a French fry. Can you move?" -she asked her.

"I-I think so." -Queen Bee said, as Louve helped her get up. –"F-Forget what I said. I c-can barely stand up." -she said, when she was forced to hold on to the wolf heroine.

"We have to find you a place for you to rest for a bit." -Louve Grise said, as she looked around. –"And don't rub your chest, where the needles hit you. It'll just make it worse." -she begged her, as she continued to look for a place, where she knew it would be okay, for the blonde to rest.


As this happened, Ladybug and Chat Nor ran into Brutus, who attacked them. They did not want to fight him. They had their sights set on Hawk Moth and La Paon. But they did not have another choice but to face him. Brutus was determined to fulfil his master's orders, and to prevent the heroes from getting close to him and La Paon, as he wanted to fight her, without any distractions.

Telling the rest of the team members that were accompanying them, to keep going, the scarlet heroine and the feline hero hoped to deal with Brutus, as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, this was not happening, as Brutus charged against them. Unlike the heroes, his stamina had only decreased a bit, and he was fighting with every bit of his strength, as if he had just begun to fight. Ladybug and Chat Noir were not so lucky, as exhaustion was creeping on them, and their moves were becoming slower.

"Look, I don't know about you, but the two of us are exhausted. Why don't you just let us through, so we can beat the crud out of your boss, and call it a day?" -Chat Noir asked Brutus, as he dodged his blade, which nearly touched his chest. –"Come on, Brutus! Don't tell me that you're not tired of being smacked?!" -he asked him, in a playful voice.

"When fulfilling his duty, a warrior's last thought is exhaustion! And if you think that I will allow you to reach my master, you're dead wrong!" -Brutus declared, as he swung his sword against Chat, one more time.

Throwing her yo-yo at Brutus, Ladybug was able to wrap it around Brutus. Pulling it, she tried to knock him down. But the lieutenants realized what the young heroine was trying to do, and countered her, using his body to pull her towards him. Dong it so, Ladybug fell on her face, and let go of her yo-yo, releasing him.

"You wait your turn! Once I deal with him, I'll come for you! A warrior must never attack another from the back, while he's battling an opponent." -Brutus warned her, only to be interrupted by Chat who scratched his face.

"Hey, eyes over here, mister!" -Chat Noir exclaimed, as he tried to get steer Brutus' attention back to him. –"You're the one who's always professing that when in a fight, you got to keep your eyes on the guy you're trying to decapitate!" -he joked, as he dodged.

Realizing that close combat was not working, Brutus decided to change his strategy. Dropping the scimitar, he was using, he then pulled a halberd from his chest and proceeded to try and stab Chat with it. But Chat's cat-like reflexes, combined with an almost irresistible desire to show off his dance moves. He could be tired. But dancing was one of the things he always had the energy to do.

"Come on! Join the fun! Do you want me to teach you how to dance? I promise to go easy on you!" -Chat Noir exclaimed, as he had fun dancing around Brutus.

Beginning to get tired of Chat's antics, Brutus decided to use another strategy. And this one was one of his favourites. Hammering things. Pulling out his usual massive war-hammer from his back, Brutus proceeded to try and squash the feline hero. But just like always, Chat moved too fast for Brutus to hit him.

"You know, I'll be honest! I like that you don't give up!" -Chat Noir laughed. –"If I ever need a partner for a three-legged race, I'll be sure to call you!" -he joked.

But cockiness got the best of him, as when he dodged, he tripped. Dropping to his knees on the ground, Chat froze as he saw the hammer come at him. Fortunately for him, his guardian angel quickly came to his rescue. Unfortunately, for said guardian angel, things did not go as she had planned.

"Chat! Look out!" -Ladybug yelled, as she pushed him.

Pushing Chat out of the way, Ladybug was struck by the war-hammer, which propelled her into the air, flying several meters, before landing hard on the ground. When she hit the ground, she heard something breaking inside of her. And that something was her left knee. The blunt force of the war-hammer, combined with the hard landing, broke Ladybug's knee. Laying on the ground, the scarlet heroine was howling in pain, as tears ran down from her eyes, clutching to her knee with both arms. Every pain receptor in her brain was turned on, and though she tried to ignore them, it was impossible. She could not even remember when was the last time she had felt that much pain.

"Aaargh! M-My knee! My knee!" -Ladybug cried in pain.

Seeing his opponent on the ground, Brutus did not waste time, and quickly made his way to where the scarlet heroine was. Stopping in front of her, he prepared himself for the killing blow, when he felt someone slashing his back. Turning around, he saw Chat Noir staring at him.

"Leave her alone, Brutus!" -Chat Noir yelled, furious. Gone was the cockiness and the playfulness he had been displaying towards Brutus.

"I'm going to tell you what I told Ladybug a few seconds ago. A true warrior, doesn't attack another, when his back is turned!" -Brutus exclaimed, once more professing his moral code.

"I don't care about that! You won't be hurting her, or anyone else, man!" -Chat Noir threatened Brutus, as he prepared to use Cataclysm on him. –"Not if I have any say on the matter!"

Ignoring Ladybug, Brutus decided to fight Chat Noir, who was more than willing to tear him down with his bare hands. But this did not come to happen, because when Chat was about to attack him, Grizzly came out of nowhere and punched Brutus in the face, making him lose his balance and fall on his back, while also dropping his war-hammer, which turned to dust, once it hit the ground.

"I'll handle him! You, get her out of here!" -Grizzly shouted at Chat Noir, as he charged once more against Brutus, before he could get up.

Following Grizzly's orders, Chat quickly grabbed Ladybug, who was in terrible pain, and carried out of there. Looking for a safe place to take her, he realized the best place to take her, was the building where they were before. Making use of his cat-like moves and his agility, Chat made his way up one building, while be careful not to further hurt his girlfriend, whose pains kept growing. Once they arrived at their destination, the black cat hero gently placed Ladybug on the floor.

"Okay, we're safe here." -Chat Noir said, as he placed her on the floor. –"Where does it hurt?" -he asked her.

"M-My knee!" -Ladybug yelled, as she held onto her right knee. –"I think it's broken!" -she said, while gritting her teeth in pain. –"M-Make it stop, A-Adrien, please!"

"I wish I could, Marinette." -Chat Noir told her. –"Where's Nino when you need him the most?!" -he thought to himself. He had managed to get his girlfriend to a safe place, but that was not enough. She needed medical attention.

From the sky, Dragonfly, who was accompanied by Corbeau Noire and Flamingo, noticed the two of them on the rooftop and wanted to see what was happening with them. The three of them had been helping evacuating the people from some of the burning buildings, and were then on their way to fight Hawk Moth and La Paon. Signalling the other two, the dragonfly warrior dove towards the rooftop where they were.

"Hey, what's the matter?" -Dragonfly asked, as she and the other two landed. –"What's up with her?" -she asked, noticing Ladybug was in pain.

"I think Brutus busted her knee." -Chat Noir said. –"We need Nino, so he can heal her up." -he told her, as Ladybug continued to howl in pain.

"I'll go get him." -Dragonfly said. –"Back in a flash!" -she shouted, as she jumped off the edge of the building.

"Is there any way we can help?" -Flamingo asked Chat.

"I don't think so, Rose." -Chat told her. –"The only one who can help her is Nino." -he said.

"Then, in that case we better get going." -Corbeau Noire said.

"Yes. The sooner we do that, the better." -Flamingo agreed.

"Do what, girls?" -Chat Noir asked, not understanding what they were talking about.

"While we were helping evacuating the buildings, we talked about it and we decided that we're going to try and take Hawk Moth and La Paon out. Just the two of us." -Corbeau Noire told the black cat hero.

"W-What are you talking about?" -Ladybug asked her, as she tried to ignore the pain.

"We're going to use "Feathers and Shadows" to end this." -Flamingo declared.

Nothing could have prepared for what they heard out of Flamingo's mouth. That particular combined attack was one that used the abilities of both Flamingo and Corbeau Noire, magnifying them, into what many would call a "killer move", that was not to be used, unless there was no other alternative. So, when Chat Noir and Ladybug heard what their friends were about to do, they promptly opposed their decision.

"Girls, that's a bit too risky, don't you think?" -Chat Noir asked them, knowing exactly what they were going to do.

"Not j-just risky! It's suicidal!" -Ladybug exclaimed. –"You're not going to do that, girls." -she told them.

"Sorry, but are minds are made-up, Marinette." -Corbeau Noire said. –"We're going to end the fight between those two, before the whole town becomes a disaster zone." -she said, determined.

"As the leader of this team, I forbid you to do it!" -Ladybug exclaimed, raising her voice. –"I-I'm not going to let you girls do something that can possibly kill you. Even master Fu warned you not to use that combined attack in battle, until you found a way to master it!" -she told them.

"I'm sorry, but that is one order that we're just going to ignore." -Flamingo said. –"And before you tell us that we have no right to risk our necks, sorry, but we're all risking our necks for this town. This won't be any different." -she said.

"If you girls lose your focus, for even one second, you'll end up in shreds!" -Ladybug shouted at them, as they took to the sky. –"Get back here, right now!" -she ordered them.

She did not know what it was worse. If she was in excruciating pain, which prevented her from moving, or if she saw two of her friends ignore an order, she had given them, heading at full speed to where the two villains continued to fight. But whatever the right answer was, Ladybug was pissed. And the anger that was coursing through her mind, made her do something incredibly stupid and reckless; to try and get on her feet.

"I can't let them do this!" -Ladybug yelled, before feeling a stinging pain in her knee. –"D-Damn it, my knee!" -she screamed, as she fell down, hitting her knee on the floor, and letting out another scream, as a tear ran down her face. –"I-It hurts like Hell, b-but I've got to…"

"Marinette, stop moving!" -Chat Noir ordered her, as he knelt beside her, preventing her from moving. –"You're in no condition to move! Not until Nino fixes you up." -he told her. –"It's bad enough she still has that cut on her head. But to have her knee busted like that, that's more than just having bad luck. It's almost like she's cursed."

"I don't care! Rose and Juleka are going to get themselves killed, by pulling that stunt! I know we've got to do something and break those two psychopaths up, or else, they're going to reduce this part of the city to rubble! But not something that will endanger us!" -Ladybug told Chat, frustrated. –"That combined attack of theirs hasn't been perfected yet, and if they use it and lose control of it, they'll go all kamikaze on Hawk Moth and La Paon!" -she exclaimed, frustrated. –"They have no right to risk their lives like that, when I ordered them not to!"

"We're always putting our lives at stake. What they're doing is no different from what we tend to do." -Chat Noir said, trying to reason with her. –"I know you're upset that you're in no shape to fight, and that they ignored your orders. But you need to put your faith in them. I'm sure they didn't make this decision lightly, and have considered the dangers."

Chat kept talking, but Ladybug did not want to hear him. She was hurt, both physically and emotionally. It was not a custom to anyone ignoring her orders. And usually, when someone ignored her orders, it was either Queen Bee or Dragonfly, or even Antelope, when they believed they had a better plan, than she did. But Flamingo and Corbeau Noire were not the kind of girls to do that. Just thinking about it, it was making Ladybug feel betrayed, and that was just giving her more reasons to get up and go after them and order them to turn around and do as she had ordered them. Needless to say, that Chat noticed it, just from looking at his girlfriend, and he had to give him a piece of his mind.

"Don't. I can see what you're thinking, just by looking into your eyes. And if you're thinking I'm going to allow you to follow the girls to stop them from going toe-to-toe with either one of those two psychos, you can forget it. I said it once, and I'll say it again." -Chat Noir said, concerned. –"Think rationally. You're in no shape to fight anyone, or to stop anyone from doing something crazy. It's bad, I know, but it's the truth." -he said.

"Then, you go! Stop them!" -Ladybug snapped at him. –"You're the team's co-leader! Act like it!" -she yelled at him.

"I can't do that, bugaboo." -Chat told her. –"Even if I told them not to do what they're going to do, they're determined to stick with their plan." -he said. –"The only way I would be able to stop them, would be to use brute force on them."

"It wouldn't matter, if it meant they wouldn't die!" -Ladybug yelled at him.

This was one side of the girl he loved that Chat had rarely seen. He was used to seeing her being sweet, adorable, caring, passionate and patient. So, to see her acting that way was a bit of a shock. But he knew that the sweet, adorable, caring, passionate and patient girl he loved so much was still there. It was just obscured by all the pain that was making her act differently. So, instead of yelling back at her, he went with another approach, which he believed was better for that kind of situations.

"Marinette." -Chat said with the calmest and most soothing voice he could muster. –"This isn't you talking. It's the pain that you're in that's making you say stupid things." -he said, as he placed his hands over her shoulders, and looked her in the eyes. –"If you weren't in pain right now, you wouldn't be saying the things you're saying. I know you, and I know that in a regular situation, you wouldn't be thrilled about the idea, but you wouldn't be totally against it, because you yourself would do such a thing if needed. But more importantly, you would have faith and trust in Rose and Juleka to pull it off."

She did not want to admit it, but she needed to hear those words from her boyfriend. She needed to be told she was being irrational. And when he the frustration and anger in her eyes subsided a little, he knew that he had done the right thing, talking to her like that. One of the things he had learned from reading most of the books in the manor's library, is that sometimes, instead of yelling back, a person needs to take the time and talk calmly, with someone who is in a bad mood.

"You'll just have to trust that our two birds of prey can handle themselves, milady." -Chat Noir said, as he managed to make Ladybug give him a smile, despite the awful pain she was in.

"You're right." -Ladybug admitted. –"I wouldn't like it, but I would have faith in my friends." -she said, trying to ignore the pain she was in. –"Still, I don't like sitting on the sidelines, while Paris gets destroyed. And it doesn't help when I know the others are over there, fighting, either."

"I know that you want to fight, but you can't fight right now." -Chat said. –"So, it's our job to take on the task of saving the day, while you stand still, and try not to get worse from that knee injury." -he told her.

She knew her teammates were more than willing to handle the responsibility of facing whatever danger there was, while she was hurt. Still, she hated not being able to help. And until Carapace showed up to heal her up, she would have to stay put. Looking at her, and seeing her in pain, Chat wondered what was taking so long for Dragonfly to come back with him. Seconds went by, and there was no sign of either one of them. Seeing Ladybug huffing and puffing in pain, the black cat hero decided that their friends were taking too long, and was going to look for the turtle hero.

"I know we told Alix to get Nino here, but she's taking too long to do it." -Chat said. –"Stay put. I'll be back with him, in a flash." -he said, as he jumped from the ledge and used his staff to safely slide down to the ground.

The reason why Dragonfly still had not returned with Carapace was Reptile who had picked a fight with Rena Rouge, and seeing her having some difficulties to handle him, she decided to help. Usually, Reptile would not be a match for the fox heroine, but because she was beginning to feel exhausted, that exhaustion made her the perfect target for the lizard man. Luckily, exhaustion had not begun to bother Dragonfly, and she was more than happy to give Rena a little help.

"You are beginning to get on my nerves!" -Reptile shouted at Dragonfly, as he tried to stab her with his switchblade. –"Why don't you just wait until it's your turn, you infernal bug?!"

"I don't like to wait, and you know it! And if you don't like bugs, then you should've become an exterminator, instead of an idiot whose only power is to change his face!" -Dragonfly taunted him, as she threw her frisbee and hit him on the shoulder.

"Don't you dare call me that!" -Reptile shouted, as he dashed towards her and grabbed her left arm.

"Let go of me, stupid!" -Dragonfly yelled, as she air-kicked him in the head, knocking him. –"Keep your disgusting hands to you!" -she warned him. –"I've got to get rid of him, and find Nino. Marinette needs his help."

As Reptile got back up, Rena Rouge managed to get behind him, and placed her flute-staff against his throat, and began to choke him, wanting to make him pass out from lack of oxygen. Yet, it was taking too long for him to lose conscious. Realizing Rena's idea might not work as fast as she wanted, Dragonfly decided to take advantage of Reptile being restrained, and proceeded to punch him a few dozen times in the stomach. Once Dragonfly punched him one last time, Reptile was already unconscious. Releasing him, he fell over Rena's feet.

"And stay down, ugly!" -Dragonfly exclaimed, before kissing her knuckles. –"These babies are weapons of mass destruction, or mass punching." -she joked.

"Thanks for the help, girl!" –Rena Rouge told her.

"My pleasure. But tell me, did you see Carapace?" -Dragonfly asked.

"I told him to keep going, while I dealt with this guy." -Rena Rouge answered her. –"I haven't seen him since. Why?" -she asked her.

"The boss lady is injured, and we need him to help her." –Dragonfly said.

"How bad is it?!" -Rena Rouge asked, worried.

"Let's just say that it's a bit serious. But don't worry. I think our Ninja turtle can heal her, in no time at all." -Dragonfly said, as she changed her frisbee into its cell phone mode, and called Chat. A few seconds later, he answered her. –"Chat? It's me. Sorry I'm a bit late, but I ran into Rena and was helping her out. I still haven't found Carapace." -she told him.

"Don't worry. I found him, and we're on our way to where Ladybug is." -Chat Noir told her. –"But if you want to help, give Flamingo and Corbeau some backup, because they're about to do something really dangerous to stop Hawk Moth and La Paon." -he said.

"Got it!" -Dragonfly said, as she ended the call. –"Whatever those two have on their minds, it can't be good, if Adrien's telling me to go after them." -she thought to herself, before turning to Rena. –"You're good here?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. I'm just going to see if I find a way to hold this guy, so he doesn't give us anymore trouble." -Rena declared, as she grabbed the unconscious Reptile by the left arm, and dragged him. –"Let's see, where am I going to put you in? I'm not going to handcuff you to something, because you tend to bite your way out of it. So… that over there will be a better choice."

With all the chaos caused by Surtr, an armoured car that was on the street got turned over. The security guards that were inside fled, leaving it behind. Knowing it would be hard for one to get out of it, once locked in, Rena decided to use it, to lock Reptile. Forcing the rear doors open, she then threw him inside, and closed them, twisting the handles to block it.

"There. Let's see if you can get out of there, once you wake up." -Rena Rouge said.

"Okay. I've got to go and see if our birds of prey don't end up killing themselves." -Dragonfly said. –"If you want to follow me, try to keep up. If not, take a moment to rest and get your strength back, so we can finish this. This only ends, when then fat lady sings." -she joked.

"I'll catch up to you, in a bit." -Rena Rouge smiled at her.

"Alright. See you in a bit, foxy fox!" -Dragonfly said, calling her by the nickname her boyfriend had given her.

"Only my boyfriend gets to call me that, you know?" -Rena laughed, as Dragonfly took to the air, leaving her.


Corbeau Noire and Flamingo were getting ready to use their combined special, hoping it would stop Hawk Moth and La Paon. To say they were nervous, would be an understatement. They both had butterflies in their stomachs, and the closer they got to where those two were fighting, the stronger that feeling in their stomachs grew. Though they had decided that was the best course of action, there was a shred of doubt in their minds, as they kept hearing what Ladybug and Chat Noir told them, regarding that decision of theirs.

"Are you really sure about this?" -Corbeau Noire asked her girlfriend. –"Because we can always not do this, and try to find another solution, alongside the others." -she suggested.

"I am. And if we manage to hit them both, with everything we've got, maybe the fight will stop." -Flamingo said. –"Who knows? Maybe we might be able to get not only La Paon's miraculous, but also Hawk Moth's, and defeat him, once and for all." -she said.

"That's a big if, Rose. But I would be lying if I said I wouldn't like that to happen." -Corbeau Noire smiled at her.

Flamingo's enthusiasm and optimism was as infectious as her smile. It was hard not to get infected by it, and the raven heroine knew it. That was one of the reasons why she had fallen in love with her. And it was that infectious enthusiasm and optimism of hers, that was giving her the courage to go along with that plan. Feathers and Shadows was by fat their most powerful combined attack. It combined Flamingo's ability to create feathers that were as sharp as knives, and Corbeau's shadow's abilities. The whole attack could be described as a dance, where the two girls danced with one another, creating a twister made out of feathers and living shadows, which could destroy anything in its path. The problem was that if they lost focus of it, the twister would become unstable, falling apart and destroy everything surrounding it, including its creators.

"There they are!" -Flamingo said, as she pointed at their targets, who were then fighting at the Les Invalides' garden, and making their way towards the Les Invalides complex.

The garden was practically deserted. People fled when Hawk Moth and La Paon got there. The only ones there were the police, who had begun to block the streets leading to the garden, and a couple of bystanders, who were ignoring both the danger and the police orders to find a safe place.

"Let's dance, Rose." -Corbeau Noire declared.

"Yes. Let's dance, Juleka." -Flamingo agreed.

Landing on top of the grass, the two heroines joined hands, getting closer, eye to eye, and began to dance the waltz. At first, nothing happened, but suddenly, their shadows began to come to life, separating into multiple shadows. Then the feathers on Flamingo's shoulders let go and began to multiply in the air, where from each feather three new ones appeared. And then, the shadows and feathers began to dance around the heroines, while they continued with their own dance. Quickening their pace, they rose from the ground and began to dance faster, shadows and feathers, mimicking them, swirling around them. In a matter of seconds, the two of them had created a twister that was sucking in everything around it, starting to move towards Hawk Moth and La Paon.

"Here we go!" -Corbeau Noire said. –"Remember. Don't lose focus." -she said, without taking her eyes off hers.

"I won't!" -Flamingo said, eyes locked with her girlfriend's.

If it was not for the wind whistling and howling, that moment could have been described as intensely romantic. Focusing each other on the other's eyes and smile, Flamingo and Corbeau Noire danced faster than ever, with the twister gaining more momentum. The suction force of the tornado was such that the grass on the ground was uprooted, leaving the lawn barren. By then, the feathers that were flying out the twister were like knives. Anything that got in its way, was completely obliterated. A street lamp that happened to be in the way, was completely destroyed, as if a machine gun had used it for target shooting. It was easy to imagine what it would do to a person. With each passing second, the strength of the twister doubled, with it beginning to pull everything around it, towards it. From leaves to litter on the ground, to park benches, street lamps and traffic lights, the twister was swallowing everything, only to regurgitate them seconds later with the force of a cannonball. It was easy to see why it was such a powerful, yet dangerous attack.

It did not take long for the villains to see the pink and black twister, or in this case, to feel its power. As tangled as they were in their fight, even they were not able to ignore what it was coming their way.

"Oh, how lovely! The kids have decided to join us!" -La Paon laughed.

"How does she manage to go from angry to excited like this? She is clearly crazy!" -Hawk Moth thought to himself. -"Those idiots can't even make sure those kids don't interrupt us!" -he thought , referring to his lieutenants, as he dodged another of La Paon's attacks. –"I'm too close to victory, to be stopped now. I'm putting an end to this stupid attempt to take me down."

After deflecting another of La Paon's attacks, Hawk Moth pointed his cane-sword, and shot purple lightning at the twister. The lightning pierced it and hit Corbeau Noire, who lost her focus. When this happened, the twister began to spin faster than it was supposed to, as well as to change shape. It was a clear size there was something wrong with it. Flamingo hoped if she remained focused that she would be able to hold it together, long enough for Corbeau to regain her focus. But unfortunately, it did not work. The interior of the twister became like the interior of a beehive filled with angry bees, with feathers, shadows and debris hitting the heroines, bruising and cutting them. As much as they tried to regain control of the twister, they quickly realized it was a lost cause. A second later, the twister disintegrated, and both Flamingo and Corbeau Noire were thrown out of it, unconscious. Flying through the sky, anyone could tell the two of them were going to end up crashing against a building, or against the ground. That was a certainty. Lucky for them, a certain pink-haired heroine was on their way to save them.

"Hang on, girls!" -Dragonfly said, as she speeded up. –"Got to go full speeding bullet to get to them!" -she thought to herself, as she felt the wind

Grabbing Corbeau Noire by the hand, Dragonfly had to move fast, so as to catch Flamingo, before she hit the ground. For a brief second, she thought she was not going to be able to catch her, before she became a bloody blot on the pavement. But she did it. Grabbing her by the right leg, she flew upwards, a mere second before Flamingo's face touched the ground.

"Oh, dang it! You girls really are insane! And that's coming from me, who's usually the one in the gang, branded insane." -Dragonfly said, not realizing they were both unconscious. –"You made a fine mess, that's for sure!" -she declared, as she looked at just how messed up their outfits were, as well as all the cuts and bruises they had on their faces and over their bodies. –"I've got to get you girls fixed, right now."


Carapace was used to healing the injuries of his teammates, whenever necessary. But no matter how many times he did it, it never got easier. It was a bitter reminder that saving the city came with its dangers. And these dangers kept growing. Still, he knew from the beginning that this journey would not be a walk in the park, and knew that with the help of his friends, it would be an easier journey. That was what he always told himself, when fixing his friends' injuries, like in that moment.

"Okay. Hopefully you're going to start feeling better in a minute." -Carapace said, as his hands began to glow over Ladybug's knee. –"And we'll have to do something about that cut on your head, too." -he said, as Chat removed his tail from around the scarlet heroine's head.

"You can take care of the cut later. Just fix my knee, so I can go after Rose and Juleka, and stop them from doing something stupid!" -Ladybug yelled, as she accidently moved her hurt knee and screamed in pain. –"Dang it!" -she yelled, as a tear ran down her face.

"You're not going anywhere, Marinette." -Chat Noir told her.

"He's right. I can feel the damage that was done to your knee, and it's like someone used it for target practice with a sledgehammer." -Carapace said, as he continued to heal her injuries. –"You'll be lucky if you don't limp for the rest of the week." -he said.

"It would be hard to come up with a good excuse, so your parents wouldn't suspect of what really happened." -Chat Noir said. –"So, you're going to stay put. As the co-leader of this team, I'm ordering you to stand down, for the rest of this battle." -he told her, with a serious, yet caring voice.

It was hard for Ladybug to accept such an order, especially when she was so used to being the one to give them; and more importantly, to always be where the action took place. Still, Chat's caring voice, and tender eyes went a long way to convince her to stay put. Resigning herself, she admitted that remaining out of the fight, until the end, was the best course of action, and to let the others handle things. Just as this happened, Chat's staff began to vibrate, signalling an incoming call. Picking it up, he saw Louve's name on it.

"What's up?" -Chat Noir asked Louve Grise.

"Please tell me you know where Nino is! Chloe's hurt, and she needs help." -Louve Grise said, worried.

"I do. He's a little busy healing Marinette, who had a run-in with Brutus' war-hammer. How hurt is Chloe?" -Chat Noir asked.

"She was stunned by a taser gun, and can hardly walk." -Louve Grise answered.

"Do you think you can carry her here? We're at the top of the building we gathered earlier." -Chat Noir explained.

"I make no promises. But I'm going to try. I'm on my way." -Louve Grise said, as she hung up.

"This is getting bad. First you, now, Chloe." -Chat Noir said, as he looked at Ladybug, when his staff began to vibrate. –"Another call. I wonder… it's Alix." -he said, as he answered. –"What's wrong, Alix?"

"I'm on my way with Rose and Juleka. They're in pretty bad shape." -Dragonfly told him. –"I even had to land on a rooftop, to see if they were still breathing or not." -she said.

"Okay, understood." –Chat Noir told her. –"Bring them, so Nino can check them." -he said, before ending the call. –"This just keeps getting better and better."

"I told them not to do that, and now…" -Ladybug said, gritting her teeth in pain. –"N-Nino, why is it taking so long for the pain to go away?" -she asked him, impatient.

"The knees are very sensitive, Marinette. You've got to be a little patient." -Carapace said.

But patience was one thing that Ladybug did not have, at that moment. No matter how much she wanted to. She was about to tell something to Carapace, when a colossal thunder-like noise was heard. Usually, when one hears a thunder, the first thing they do is to look up into the sky. But this time, it was not the case. There were no dark clouds in the sky. So, they looked around, trying to see where the sound had come from. Then, suddenly, a second thunder-like noise was heard, this one even louder than the first, followed by several others, each louder than the one before. And then, the cause for them was revealed.

"What are those?!" –Ladybug asked, speechless.

Chapter 23: Until We Meet Again

Chapter Text

In many cultures, thunder is seen as a symbolic reminder of the divine power of the universe. Its presence serves to inspire people to look inward, to remain aware of the spiritual and powerful nature of life itself and to embrace transformation. For the Native Americans, thunder symbolized the voice of the Great Spirit. For the Hindus, it was the voice of Indra, the god of thunder, rain and war. For the Greeks, it was a demonstration of the power of the almighty Zeus. But for the Miraculous Team, right then, it meant just one thing: trouble.

And what followed all those thunders, was something that was absolutely spectacular and terrifying. Soaring into the air, above several buildings, two gigantic beings appeared in the sky. Both were made of what could be described as solid light. One of them was purple and the other was blue. The purple looked like a gigantic butterfly. The blue one, on the other hand, looked like a gigantic peacock. Their eyes were blood red, and their bodies sparkled with electricity. When they saw that, Ladybug, Chat Noir and Carapace thought they were watching a Pokémon fight, where the trainers had dynamaxed their Pokémons and were about to have a battle.

"I have no idea what's going on. But this isn't something I was hoping to see today, milady." -Chat Noir said.

"None of us did." -Carapace said.


On their way towards Les Invalides, Forest Doe and Arachnid were intercepted by Madame Romani, who once more, tried to kill them. It did not take long for the gypsy witch to try and kill them, with some of her illusions. Just like them, she too was exhausted. But the rage she had against the heroes, combined with the desire to show her master, how much better she was, than her companions, were giving her the energy, she needed to take on the heroes.

To get them, she had created numerous wild animal illusions. But these were not ordinary wild animals. These were like chimeras, with each of them being made of pieces of different animals. She had mixed mammals, reptiles and insects to create those monstrosities, with which she attacked them.

"You really don't know, when to give up, do you?" -Arachnid said, as he dodged the tail of one of the chimeras, whose tail was of a scorpion.

"And you don't know when to die." -Madame Romani shot at him, as she used her crystal ball to create another chimera. This one had the body of a sea lion, front legs of a praying mantis, and the hind legs of a buffalo, the tail snake, and the head of a crocodile. –"But these creatures will make sure you'll never bother me, nor my master, ever again!" -she said.

Each new chimera that she created was another thorn in the heroes' side. Signalling Arachnid to try and handle them, Forest Doe turned invisible and was going to attempt to take her out.

"We don't have time to deal with this witch's craziness." -Forest Doe thought to herself.

Hoping Arachnid would keep her and her chimeras busy and distracted, her mind quickly began to think of a way to defeat, as quickly as possible. The first idea that came to her mind was to pin her against a wall, and sticking a few arrows on her body, making it impossible for her to get away. But every time she used her powers to create an arrow, she grew weaker. And right then, she did not know how much longer the fight would last, and the last thing she wanted, was to waste the little energy she still had in her.

"There's only one way out of this. One mighty concussion to the back of her skull." -Forest Doe thought to herself.

Hidden by her power of invisibility, the holder of the stag miraculous rushed to Madame Romani to knock her unconscious. Avoiding the two chimeras that were protecting her, she knew that speed was key in these situations. What she didn't count on was the gypsy witch suspecting her plan. Despite all the noise around her, she was attentive, listening if her opponent was really going to attack her from behind, or not. And when she heard Doe's footsteps, she reached for a pocket with her right hand, and pulled out some red powder from it, and when she felt she was close enough, she blew it into her face, blinding her.

"Aaargh!" -Forest Doe yelled n pain, as she became visible.

"Did you really think I didn't realize you'd turned invisible, to catch me off guard and attack me from behind?! I wasn't born yesterday, little doe!" -Madame Romani exclaimed, as she kicked her in the stomach, causing her to fall backwards.

Still half blind because of the dust in her eyes, Doe groped for her bow on the floor when Romani kicked it away. She did not want to risk the heroine getting her hands on it

"This time you don't have your bear bodyguard here to back you up!" -Madame Romani shouted at Forest Doe, as she conjured another illusion. Sprouting out of her crystal ball, thick black vines wrapped themselves around Doe's ankles, wrists and waist. –"I'm going to tear you, limb from limb and take your miraculous!" -she laughed like a maniac.

Romani was on a roll. Between the chimeras that were giving Arachnid a hard time, and managing to get the upper hand on Forest Doe and grabbing her, she believed that their miraculouses, along with their heads, were about to be hers. But this did not come to pass, because unknown to her, there was a new player, that was about to put an end to her schemed. Suddenly a swooshing sound was heard and the vines she had created were cut, letting go of Forest Doe. The one responsible was a samurai that was now battling the two chimeras Madame Romani had defending her. Seeing this, she knew there were only two people who could make a samurai appear; Rena Rouge and Panda Roux. Turning around, she saw the fox heroine staring at her.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I'm not going to let you hurt my friend, Romani." -Rena Rouge told her.

"You'll pay for that comment, little fox!" -Madame Romani yelled, enraged, as she ran her fingers through the surface of the crystal ball, shooting a blue beam that hit the samurai that Rena Rouge had created, obliterating it.

With her eyes still stinging from the dust Romani had hit her with, Forest Doe was still determined to finish what she had started. Squinting her eyes, she quickly got up and ran towards her. But Romani saw her coming, and quickly tried to kick her, only for Doe to dodge her. Placing herself behind her, she hit her with a rotating kick. Falling on the ground, she let go of her crystal ball, thus breaking her link with the chimeras she created, which then turned to smoke. Attacking her again, Doe was about to give her killing blow, when Romani quickly got up and reached for her throat, only to grabbed her hair, pulling her pigtails, trying to yank them.

"Stop pulling my hair, you witch!" -Forest Doe yelled, as she pulled Romani's hair as well.

"You stop pulling mine, first, you blasted brat!" -Madame Romani shouted at her.

Letting go of Romani's hair, Forest Doe turned invisible once more. Seeing that she was trying to pull the same trick as before, she pulled out another handful of the same dust she used before to blind her, and blew it, trying to get her. Only this time, it did not work. Enraged, she tried the same trick, but the result was the same.

"Where did you go?!" -Madame Romani yelled, as she looked for any sign of Forest Doe's presence.

"Right here!" -Forest Doe's voice was heard, as Romani was hit on the face.

Taking advantage of her invisibility, Doe tried to finish off Romani right there. She knew the best way to take her down, was to cut the oxygen to her brain. Using her arms, she locked them in a wrench around Romani's neck, cutting off her air. The gypsy witch tried to free herself, but quickly began to lose consciousness. Falling round to the ground, the two heroes saw that this was no longer a threat to them.

But behind their backs laid a far greater threat. Unknown to the heroes, an attempt to end that duel, Hawk Moth and La Paon both decided to summon the animal spirits of their miraculous, which took on gigantic ethereal forms. Seeing that happening, the heroes could not help but to feel a little intimated. They did not understand what was going on, but they knew that it could not be good, and that they had to do something.

"That can't be good." -Rena Rouge said.

"I know asking this is stupid, but I'm going to ask it anyways." -Forest Doe said. –"Are we really going there, and fight whatever those things they have created are?" -she asked the others.

"We've got no other option." -Arachnid said. –"Whatever those things are, you can even feel the massive energy emanating from them." -he thought to himself.

"No, we don't." -Rena Rouge agreed with him. –"Come on, guys." -she said, as she began running towards the danger.

Les Invalides was now it was now the scene of a titanic fight, between two opponents who did not want to give a weak side. For both, there was only one outcome. Victory, or death. And both Hawk Moth and La Paon had a burning desire to end the other's existence at any cost. Hawk Moth wanted La Paon's head and her miraculous, to destroy it and recover the powers he had once granted it. La Paon, on the other hand, wanted to kill him and keep his miraculous, in order to use it to create the of chaos she deemed worthy of her name.

As they fought, so did the spiritual animals of their miraculouses. Each blow their weapons landed made the earth and the air shudder. It was like seeing two titans or two demigods battling for supremacy. Neither one nor the other thought of giving up. Every time they managed to inflict damage on the other, drops of blood fell onto the grass. Switching between her fans and her rapier, La Paon managed to stab Hawk Moth in the chest a couple of times, while Hawk Moth managed to use his cane-sword to stab her in the left leg, crippling her momentarily.

"You'll have to do better than just crippling me, if you want to kill me!" -La Paon exclaimed, as she plucked a feather from her fan and used it on her wound, healing it.

"Do not fret. I will make sure you do not live to see another day." –Hawk Moth threatened her.

"Not if I kill you first." -La Paon gritted her teeth.

The battle raged on. More than once, lightning shot from both giant animals that struck the ground and the buildings near them, damaging them. And anyone seeing it, could tell that it was getting worse by the minute. If that continued, it would be a matter of time, before that section of the city would be nothing more than a memory. And among those, were the three heroes, who stopped mere meters from the battle.

Their hearts were beating like crazy. The three of them were both excited and frightened. They did not know what their next move was going to be. But they knew they could not just stand there and let that go on, indefinitely. Those two needed to be stopped, at all cost.

"So, what's the plan?" -Forest Doe asked.

"What do you think? We go in and kick their butt." -Arachnid said.

"I couldn't have said it better, even if I wanted to." -Rena Rouge admitted.

"Then, let's finish this." -Arachnid said.

But when they were about to advance, the two giant beasts made of light hurled lightning at them, hitting the ground by their feet. Immediately, the three of them took this as a warning not to get close. Whether it was the giant light animals or the villains who did that, they did not know. What they did know was that they should not ignore the warning.

"W-What was that all about?" -Rena Rouge asked, as she tried to calm her heart.

"I think none of them wants us interfering." -Forest Doe said, as another lightning shot from the giant moth, falling mere centimetres from where she was standing. –"And I think we better be careful, or we'll end up fried." -she said.

"It's like these creatures they summoned want no one to come near them." -Arachnid said. –"Doe, do me a favour, shoot one of your arrows at either the peacock or the moth." -he asked her.

Doing it, Forest Doe fired one of her arrows at the giant moth, only for the arrow to be disintegrated, as soon as it touched it.

"Just as I thought. If they're shooting lightning bolts, it means they're also made out of electricity. We go in, we turn into fried chicken." -Arachnid said. –"I say we keep our distance. But if we see an opening, we strike." -he told the others, as his eyes began to follow the fight once more.

Locked in battle, both La Paon and Hawk Moth had reached a point, where they knew they had to struck the killing blow, if they were to be victorious. After he cut La Paon's face with his blade, just under her left eye, she decided the time had come to put an end to that. Charging against Hawk Moth, she tabbed him in the chest, aiming to stab him in the heart.

He grunted in pain like a wild beast, as the blade lodged itself inside of his chest. But La Paon's aim was off, and failed his heart, instead piercing his left lung. Coughing up blood, he too decided it was time to end that fight, and guided by sheer anger and rage, he did something he believed he should have done, the moment he showed earlier.

"Give me that miraculous!" -Hawk Moth yelled, blood gushing out of his mouth, as he grabbed the peacock miraculous, clutching his hand around it.

Like it happened when Chat Noir touched the peacock miraculous, Hawk Moth was zapped by it. But unlike what happened with the feline hero, Hawk Moth did not let go of it. He was determined to get her miraculous, no matter what. Griting his teeth in pain, he felt his whole body was on flames, as the electricity coursed through it. Still, he did not let go.

"This miraculous will never be yours!" -La Paon yelled, before letting out an insane laugh, as she twisted the blade, opening Hawk Moth's injury further, causing him further pain.

Feeling the horrible pain caused by his adversary's rapier as well as the electricity, tired of hearing her voice, and his mind filled with nothing but anger, Hawk Moth used his other hand and placed it over La Paon's mouth shutting her up and transferring the electricity that was slowly frying him into La Paon, who felt it as well. As this happened, the intensity continued to increase, to the point where many would wonder if the electricity generated by the miraculous would be enough to keep several city blocks lit for days.

La Paon tried to force Hawk Moth to let go of her, but he was determined to keep her glued to him, until he had her miraculous. Appealing to his miraculous spirit animal, he made use of its strength, focusing it on his hands, which began to glow, to shock both the woman and her miraculous. And in doing so sent waves of pain into her mind. This shocked La Paon's brain, which produced an unexpected effect on her.

"W-What's happening?! W-Why am I here?! What's going on?!" -La Paon asked with Amelie's voice. –"S-Shut up! I-I'm the one in control here!" -she said, this time with her own voice.

As the energy flew from Hawk Moth's hands, La Paon yelled in pain. And when this happened, both the giant peacock and moth exploded, disappearing, and the two adversaries flew dozens of meters in opposite directions, before hitting the ground, hard. As she was lying on the ground, La Paon felt like she had lost the connection she had with her miraculous' spirit animal, as well as anyone she had used her powers on. She did not know how that was possible, but it was. Getting herself up, she could feel there was something wrong with her. She did not know what it was, but she was not feeling like herself. And as much as the rage inside her was telling her to continue to fight Hawk Moth, who was then also getting himself up, her survival instinct was telling her she needed to run.

"T-This isn't over, Hawk Moth! I-I'll have your head, sooner or l-later!" -La Paon yelled, enraged, as she opened her fan, and created a wall of blur smoke, into which she disappeared.

The thick blue smoke clouded the vision of everyone that was nearby, making them cough. Both Hawk Moth and the heroes heard La Paon's footsteps, as she ran, but could not see where she had gone. When it finally began to dissipate, there was no trace of La Paon. Wherever she had fled to, it was nowhere near there. Frustrated over letting her escape, Hawk Moth turned his attention to the three heroes, who were then looking him in the eyes, waiting to see what his next move would be.

"They seem to be weak. Now is my chance to end them and destroy their miraculouses." -Hawk Moth thought to himself.

But as he prepared to attack them, he felt a sharp pain on his left side. Looking down, he saw that he was still bleeding badly. A reminder of how close La Paon was to stab him in the heart. And that was not at all. He was also feeling run down. He had used too much of his power, just to keep up with La Paon. Realizing that if he took on the heroes, right then, he would be committing suicide, Hawk Moth decided it was time for a strategic retreat.

"I will deal with you, some other time." -Hawk Moth warned the heroes. –"Your miraculouses and your lives, will be mine, eventually." -he said, as he tapped his cane on the floor.

Just like before, a sphere of purple energy enveloped him, only to disappear the second after, teleporting him away from there. And the same thing happened with all four of his lieutenants, whom, with the exception of Brutus, who was still fighting Grizzly Bear, had all been taken down by the heroes.

"They're gone." -Rena Rouge said.

"What the heck just happened?" -Forest Doe asked the other two.

"I don't know. They were fighting, La Paon started to scream thing like she was crazier than she already is, they stopped. One of them disappeared, and the other teleported away." -Arachnid commented. –"I don't know about you two, but this was not how I pictured this battle would end. Also, the shiny giant moth and peacock, who looked like something out of a Pokémon videogame is something that I was not expecting to see today." -he declared.

"I don't think any of us was expecting to see that. I don't even know what exactly they were." -Rena Rouge admitted, when she felt fainting a little. –"Whoa… I just realized that I'm a little bit woozy. It's the adrenaline wearing off."

"We must have used almost of our energy." -Forest Doe said. –"I'm even afraid to sit down, worrying that I won't have the energy to get up afterward. At least, not without help." -she confessed.

"You ain't the only one." -Arachnid admitted. –"And I could really sit down and not get up for a couple of hours." -he said.

"I'm with you. But before we can even think of that, we better warn the others that the battle is over. I'll call them." -Rena Rouge said, as she used her flute-staff to call Chat Noir. –"Hey, I've got good news and bad news." -she told him.

"What are they? And don't bother asking me which ones I want first. You know I always like to hear the good ones first." -Chat declared.

"The good news is that the battle is over and the day is saved. The bad ones are that both psychopaths ran away." -Rena told him, with the bad news being told in a grim tone.

"Tell him that I'm going to use the Ampulla Amulet to fix things up." -Forest Doe warned her, as she made the amulet appear.

"He heard you." -Rena Rouge told her. –"Where are you guys at?" -she asked Chat.

"We're back on the rooftop, where we saw Hawk Moth destroying Surtr." -Chat answered her.

"Got it. We'll be heading that way, in no time." -Rena Rouge said. –"By the way, how's my girl?" -she asked him.

"She's better. Your boyfriend did a great job healing her knee." -Chat declared.


Once the Ampulla Amulet was activated, a wave of pink energy swept the area, putting everything back the way it was, before all the trouble La Paon and Hawk Moth caused. Like so many other times before, the people of Paris rejoiced, knowing the threat had been dealt with and it was safe to come out. But just because the threat had been dealt with, that did not mean the job for one of the team members was finished. And that member was the holder of the Turtle Miraculous. Carapace had his hands full, healing up his teammates who had the misfortune of being injured in combat. After dealing with Ladybug, it was Flamingo and Corbeau Noire's turn, who were in better shape than they looked, but still required medical help. Then it was Queen Bee's turn, who, apart from Ladybug, was the one who needed the most help. Antelope and Panda Roux also asked him to heal some minor burns they made, while putting out the fires. When he finished, Carapace was exhausted.

"There. All done, Nathaniel." -Carapace sighed.

"Thanks, Nino." -Panda Roux thanked him. –"It would be hard to explain to my parents, how in the world I got my cheek burned like that." -he said, as he ran his fingers over the spot where the burn was a few seconds earlier.

"You did great, turtle boy." -Rena Rouge told her boyfriend, before planting a kiss on his lips.

"It was nothing, foxy fox." -Carapace said, forcing a smile to hide the fact he was exhausted.

"Yes, it was something. Don't sell yourself too short, Nino." -Rena Rouge told him, as they both sat down. –"Without you, we would all need to go to the hospital to get treated." -she said, in an amused tone.

"Listen to your girlfriend, Nino. She knows what she's saying." -Corbeau Noire declared. –"You're our private physician." -she joked, which earned her a smile from Carapace.

Spirits were high. It had been a challenging battle, but in the end, everything turned out for the best. Sitting down on the edge of the building's rooftop, Forest Doe stood there looking out over the city that now seemed so much more peaceful.

"Look at it. The day is saved." -Dragonfly said. –"Feels good to say that." -she chuckled, as Grizzly placed his arm over her shoulders.

"It does." -Grizzly agreed, as he laid his head on his girlfriend's shoulder.

But despite the triumph, not everyone was in the spirit of victory. And among them was Ladybug. She did not know if it was because she could not participate in the final part of the battle, or if it was because more than ever, they had confirmation that they were now facing not one, but two extremely powerful enemies, or even, if it was because of the fact that that victory had not been like the previous ones. In the end. she just was not in the mood to celebrate; not like other times. And you could see that in her eyes.

"Yeah, but not thanks to us." -Ladybug sighed, as she held on to Chat. –"From what Alya, Max and you told us, we got lucky those two decided to stop fighting, for some unknown reason." -she sighed.

"Hate to admit it, but when you're right, you're right, girl." -Rena Rouge told her. –"And you're right. We got really lucky, this time." -she said.

"Who knows what would've happened, if they had continued to fight?" –Panda Roux said.

"Well, I don't really care about that, right about now." -Queen Bee confessed. –"I'm tired, I'm bruised, I feel like someone decided to tap dance on top of my chest, while electrocuting me, and I need a bath and a cosy bed to rest." -she sighed, as she massaged her chest.

"You all know that I usually don't agree with Chloe on most things, but this time, I'm with her." -Dragonfly said. –"I'm bushed, and I don't care what happened that made those two psychopaths stop fighting one another. I'm just glad they did, and that we're still in one piece."

"Amen to that." -Antelope said. –"I'm going to need a shower, when I get home, to get rid of the stench of burnt stuff." -he commented. –"That, and a really big meal A king-sized meal."

"I'm with you on that one. My mom's making okroshka today, and I love it." -Grizzly Bear said, smacking his lips.

"What is that?" -Antelope asked, curious.

"It's basically a cold soup. It's a mix of raw vegetables, boiled potatoes, eggs, with a cooked meat like beef, veal, sausages, or ham. My mom's version uses all of them, so it's really good." -Grizzly Bear said. –"It's so good, I usually have seconds, and even thirds." -he admitted.

"Sounds good. You got to invite me to dinner, at your place, one of these days." -Antelope said.

"Well, you're always welcomed." -Grizzly Bear told him. –"And don't worry. I'll ask my mom to make all the Russian specialties my grandmother taught her. -he added.

"I always forget that you have Russian blood." -Chat Noir said.

"It makes perfect sense that you were given the bear miraculous. You are half-Russian." -Arachnid declared.

"He's right, you know?" -Panda Roux said.

"What does being half-Russian has to do with being given the bear miraculous?" -Grizzly Bear asked, confused.

"Because one of the few places you can find wild bears in this corner of the globe is Russia. Siberia to be more precise." -Arachnid told him.

"That's what I was thinking." -Panda Roux laughed, which caused the rest of the boys to also laugh.

Making small talk after a battle helped to calm the heart and lower the adrenaline in the blood, and the boys liked to do it. And after the battle they had, they needed to relax and let out some steam. But right then, Ladybug could not bring herself to do that. Her inner voice kept telling her that though the day was saved, that had not been a victory. At least, not a sweet victory. And she had to take that weight from her shoulders, by confessing to the others what was going on, inside her mind.

"Guys, I'm sorry to spoil your fun, but I got to get this out of my chest." -Ladybug sighed. –"I hate to say this, especially, because it seems like I'm going on about it, but we lost. The day was saved, but we lost. We never lost." -she sighed again. –"For the first time ever, we lost. And some of us were lucky to be able to get out of this, with their necks intact."

And she was not the only who was thinking about it. But unlike her, they did not want to say it, because they did not want to ruin the mood. Still, even knowing that, they knew that more important than admitting their victory was bittersweet, was to try and cheer her up, and be grateful that they did survive that

"If you're referring to me and Jules, I know that we were lucky. But even so, I don't regret risking my life the way I did." -Flamingo declared.

"Me neither." -Corbeau Noire admitted. –"We were quite sure it would work." -she said.

"I wouldn't say that we lost. But I admit that we didn't win either." -Carapace agreed with her.

"I admit that this wasn't the victory we wanted, milady." -Chat Noir told her. –"I'm not going to lie. My pride is wounded. But it's best to have my pride wounded than seeing this city turned into a giant crater." -he said, being honest about it.

"I know. And you're right, again. Still, Hawk Moth and La Paon have escaped. And worse yet, we still don't have a way to deal with the Amoks. We got lucky that Hawk Moth showed up and destroyed both the Sentimonster and the Amok. If he hadn't, we could still be fighting it and La Paon." -Ladybug sighed.

"You're right. With everything that happened, we forgot that master Fu was supposed to bring us the solution for that problem." -Forest Doe said. –"Why do you think he never showed up?" -she asked.

"I don't know. Maybe he couldn't get the spell right." -Arachnid guessed.

"That's probably what happened." -Carapace agreed. –"Still, if that's what happened, then, now he'll have more time to finish it, so the next time we need it, we'll have it." -he declared.

"That is, if next time La Paon attacks, isn't in a couple of hours." -Corbeau Noire said, grimly. –"Because if that happens…"

"Don't say that! You'll jinx it!" -Flamingo told her.

It was obvious to all of them that they were worried about the possibility of another attack. They knew Hawk Moth did not have a habit of launching an attack twice, on the same day. But they did not know how La Paon operated. They did not know if she would stick to the shadows, waiting for the right time to show up, or if she would just pop up and release another Sentimonster.

"Call me crazy, but I don't think we'll have to worry about her showing up again, today." -Arachnid said.

"How do you know that?" -Carapace asked him.

"It's something I noticed that happened, when she was fighting Hawk Moth." -Arachnid answered him. –"She was winning the fight, and then, suddenly, she starts acting strange, like she did not know what was going on." -he explained.

"Wait! What did you say?" -Ladybug asked him.

"I said that she looked confused. Like she was yelling at herself." -Arachnid repeated himself.

Upon hearing this, the scarlet heroine could not help but to remember a similar scene that happened, when she, Chat and Doe were fighting La Paon. She did not know what that meant, but during her time as Ladybug, she had learned one thing; coincidences exist, but they usually do not apply to what happened in their adventures.

"I don't know if this has anything to do with what you saw, but earlier I noticed something similar happening with La Paon. Just the way you described it." -Ladybug confessed.

"Could be a coincidence." -Arachnid said. –"But statistically speaking, that's very unlikely." -he admitted.

"Well, coincidence or not, I don't think that woman will bother us again, at least, not today." -Rena Rouge said.

"Then, shall we get going home?" -Forest Doe asked.

"It's best we do. There's nothing more for us to do here." -Ladybug said, as she once gain leaned on Chat. –"I think you're going to have to help me get home." -she told the feline hero.

"And I'll do that, with the utmost pleasure, milady." -Chat Noir smiled at her.

"I think I'm going to call an Uber to take me home. I'm in no condition to fly, right now." -Flamingo said.

"You ain't the only one." –Queen Bee said. –"Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to fly over to the hotel." -she sighed, as she rubbed her chest.

"Don't rub your chest!" -Louve Grise warned her.

"But it still itches, Sabrina!" -Queen Bee complained. –"Not only that. It's where it hurts the most. Nino did a good job healing me, but I'm still sore, and includes my chest!" -she said, slightly irritated. –"Our outfits should be bullet proof, fireproof and taser proof."

"I know. And I wish they were, because that would've protected you from that blasted taser. But try not to scratch it, until you get home and put some healing cream on it, Chloe." -Louve Grise said, concerned.

"Try some aloe vera. My mom is always using is for when she burns her fingers or hands." -Flamingo suggested her.


Running disoriented across the rooftops of Paris, Le Paon still did not understand what was happening to her. Her mind was in chaos, and not the kind of chaos she loved. His memories were clashing with Amélie's. She tried to suppress them, but they wouldn't go away. This was causing his brain to go into some kind of short circuit. Not understanding what was happening, she let herself be carried away by instinct, like a wounded animal, looking for a safe place to hide. Going down a building's wall, and using her sword to slow her fall, she landed hard, in an alley that looked deserted. Trying her best to get back up, she felt her body was beginning to not obey her. On top of it, her head felt like it was about to split open, and each second it went by, that feeling kept growing.

"W-What's going on, with me?!" -La Paon yelled. –"W-Why is this happening?! Why can't I keep my thoughts in check?!" -she yelled again, as she dug her nails into her scalp, hoping that would relieve some of the pain she was feeling.

But the pain was not just physical. It was also psychological. She kept having flashes of memories. Some she remembered about them, from her past, serving as Hawk Moth's second-in-command.

"Those infernal knights keep spoiling our plans!" -Hawk Moth raged on, furious.

"Instead of using your Akumas, you should let me use my Sentimonsters to deal with them." -La Paon said.

"Your Sentimonsters are mindless beasts!" -Hawk Moth shouted. –"My Akumas can at least think for themselves."

"What's good about being able to think for themselves, if they can't even kill a measly knight?! My Sentimonsters follow my orders, like loyal soldiers." -La Paon told him. –"They never question what I tell them, while some of your Akumas have questioned yoru orders."

"Only two have done it, and I destroyed them, for doing it so!" -Hawk Moth countered her.

"It doesn't matter if they were just two, and you destroyed them! What matters is that your Akumas can turn on you, while my Sentimonsters will never do that!" -La Paon shot at him, before starting to laugh like a maniac.

"I told you not laugh like that, in my presence!" -Hawk Moth screamed at her, as he slammed his fist on the table, nearly breaking it.

"And I told you to not talk to me like that! I am your mother!" -La Paon yelled at him, wroth.

"You are this vessel's mother!" -Hawk Moth exploded. –"And I will not allow you to think of me as your son!" -he went on. –"You are, at best, my second-in-command, and you will do well to remember that. Or you too, will suffer the consequences of those who defy me!"

But then, there were others that she had no clue what they are, or when they had taken place, like the one it was going through her mind, right then.

"Why are you so against Gabriel?" -Emilie asked Amelie.

"Why?! Because he controls your every move!" -Amelie told her sister. –"f not, why is he always calling you, to know where you are?" -she asked her.

"He doesn't control my every move, Amelie. He's my husband, and he likes to know where I am." -Emilie said, with a carefree disposition. –"Calling the person you love is quite normal." -she said.

"Normal would be if he called you once a day, when you're visiting me! But he calls you at least three times a day!" -Amelie said.

"Yes, three times a day. One in the morning, one at lunch and one at dinner, or by bedtime." -Emilie answered her. –"It's what most couples do, when one is out on work, or spending time with a relative, like I'm doing now." –she told her. –"And I do the exact same thing, when he has to travel out of the country. I want to know how he is, and where is. It's married people do."

"Not every married person does that." -Amelie pointed out, annoyed at her.

"Maybe not. But he does." -Emilie said. –"When you get married, you'll see just how right I am." -she said.

"If I ever marry. And if I ever do, it won't be with someone like Gabriel." -Amélie told her. –"After all these years, and still don't know what you saw in him." -she declared.

"I know that you and Gabriel don't see eye to eye, most of the times. But believe me, Gabriel is many things, but he's not of those men who feels the need to control every step I make, just like I don't feel the need to control every step he makes, Amelie." -Emilie said. –"He's not perfect, but he loves me and provides for me and Adrien. And he does have a huge heart. He just doesn't like people to know about it, and doesn't feel the need to show it."

After that memory, another one began, and once more La Paon did not know where it was from. And then another, and another. Her mind was becoming more of a mess, with each passing second, and the pain she was in was becoming greater too. She had not figured out, but due to the shock she had received, courtesy of Hawk Moth's miraculous spirit, the barrier that kept both her mind and Amélie's mind apart had weakened, and they were beginning to fuse, with Amélie beginning to regain control of her body and of her mind.

"S-Stop it! These aren't m-my memories! Why am I-I s-seeing them?!" -La Paon cried out in agony.

"G-Get out!" -La Paon spoke, with a voice that was not her own.

"W-What?!" -La Paon yelled. –"H-How can this be?!" -she yelled, confused.

"I-I don't know, who you are… or what happened… but… g-get out of my mind and g-g-give me my b-body back!" -La Paon screamed from the top of her lungs, with Amélie's voice coming out of her mouth, once again.

"N-No! Y-Your body belongs to me n-now!" -La Paon cried out, as she fought Amélie for control of her body.

"I-It doesn't belong to you! It belongs to m-me!" -La Paon cried out, with Amélies's voice.

"I-I won't allow you t-to do this to me! Nobody rejects, Morgana LaFey!" -La Paon yelled from the top of her lungs.

Both Amélie and La Paon's mind were clashing against one another, as they both fought for the control of Amélie's body. La Paon had managed to keep Amélie's conscience in check, but with her powers failing, Amélie's will was too strong for her. She tried to make her go back to sleep, so she could have control of her body. But realizing that was a lost battle, and tired of feeling all that pain, she did the only thing that came to her mind. She pulled her miraculous out, severing the link between the two of them. The peacock miraculous hit the ground, bouncing on three times, before falling down a sewer grate.

And as this happened, La Paon's body was enveloped in a thick cloud of blue smoke, and reverted to being Amélie. Looking around, she felt groggy and confused. She tried to remember how she got there, and what had happened, but her mind was all foggy, to the point that she barely knew her name. Feeling herself getting weaker, she fainted, falling on the ground. With the little bit of strength, she had in her, Amélie uttered one word, before losing conscience.

"A-Adrien…" -Amelie stuttered, as her eyes closed.

Chapter 24: Aftermath

Chapter Text

Arriving at the bakery, Marinette was still limping, when she entered, and her parents asked her why she was limping. She quickly told them she had fallen down the stairs on the underground and hurt her knee. When hearing it, Sabine and Tom believed her, because it was not the first time something like that happened to their daughter. And like the other times it happened, they did the same thing. Tom grabbed Marinette and carried her to her bedroom, to rest, telling her that she was to stay in bed the rest of the day.

"Dad, it's not serious. By dinner time, the limp will be gone." -Marinette told him.

"Maybe. And if it's gone, even better. But if not, then there's no harm done in you not putting any stress in your knee, so it heals faster." -Tom said.

She knew that she would be limping for a few days. But she did not want to worry her parents. Marinette already felt bad enough about having to hide the truth about her double life to them. So, a white lie, to hide what really happened to her, was something she knew, would not hurt them, and not make them worry over something they did not have control over.

Laying her down on the bed, Tom promised her he would be right back with a snack to cheer her up a bit. And minutes later, he came back with a plate of chocolate chip cookies and a big glass of warm milk, telling her if she needed anything else, she just needed to text him or Sabine. Smiling, she thanked her dad for the cookies and promised, if she needed anything, she would call them, as he went back to the bakery. Grabbing one of the cookies, Marinette nibbled it, realizing that was the first thing she ate, since lunch. Savouring it, she saw Tikki coming out of her backpack.

"Here, Tikki, eat it. You earned it." -Marinette said, as the scarlet kami grabbed one of the chocolate chip cookies, and munched it.

"Mmm… these taste so good." -Tikki said, as she saw Marinette rubbing her injured knee. –"Is your knee still hurting much?" -she asked her.

"A little. But it's nothing compared to what it hurt, before Nino healed it." -Marinette admitted. –"Still, I'll be limping for the next couple of days, that's for sure." -she sighed. –"That will give me an excuse to only meditate or practice my powers in the Astral Plane, during the next training session."

"Oh, trust me, the old master will find a way for you to do something a little bit more physical, even with that knee of yours." -Tikki said, as she finished the cookie.

"He'll probably put me doing some target practice with my yo-yo." -Marinette chuckled. –"Speaking of which, I better call him, and ask him what happened, that made him not show up with a way to neutralize the Amok. With everything that happened, none of us decided to call him, as soon as the battle was over" -she said, when her cell phone rang.

Pulling it form inside her pocket, Marinette saw it was a text message from none other than the old master, which made her talking about him, and him sending the text the moment after, like a moment straight out of the Twilight Zone.

"It's a text from master Fu." -Marinette said, as she opened it. –"It says: "I'm sorry to you all, but I was not able to complete the spell in time. Thankfully, everything turned out for the best, despite all that happened. We will talk soon. Rest well. You've earned it." -she told Tikki.

"You sure have." -Tikki agreed with the master's words. –"It was one heck of a battle." -she said.

"It was. And I hope we don't have another like it, in the following days. Each battle we have is more stressful, more taxing and… I don't know, Tikki. Sometimes I feel like our luck will run out, and then there will be Hell to pay, and we won't be able to handle all of it." -Marinette sighed, feeling down.

"Marinette, for a Ladybug, you have a tendency to see the bad side of every situation, before seeing the good side." -Tikki commented, as she grabbed another cookie. –"Having that happening, once or twice, it's okay. But constantly? That's not good for your heart, or your brain." -she said.

"I know, and I don't like it. But I guess it's my nerves getting the best of me." -Marinette told her. –"And I'm feeling like my nerves are also getting the best of me in battle, Tikki." -she confessed. –"I mean, I flipped out when Rose and Juleka decided to go all kamikaze, but maybe I shouldn't have. I should've believed they knew what they were doing, instead of acting the way I did."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Marinette. You had good reasons to flip out, when Rose and Juleka told you what they were going to do." -Tikki said, trying her best to make her feel better. –"It was a dangerous stunt, and gladly, they came out okay, even if things went south. But you were worried about their safety, and that is a very good reason to lose your cool. Even if you shouldn't do it." -she said. –"Besides, you were hurt, and that made you more susceptible to losing your cool, under pressure. You're only human."

"Yeah, but I wish I wasn't, sometimes." -Marinette said, as she grabbed a cookie and ate it. –"Sometimes, I wish that I had nerves of steel, to be able to handle with everything that comes my way."

"Well, I believe that having nerves of steel is a little bit overrated. And you know why? Because it means that whether you like it or not, you're ready for anything, and are always expecting the worst might happen. But that's not always a good thing. Because when you do that, you tend to expect the worse, all the time." -Tikki declared. –"It's alright to not have nerves of steel all the time, especially for someone like you, who likes to expect the best to happen." -she said.

"You're always saying that Plagg is a sweet talker, but you're also one, you know that?" -Marinette asked her, with a grin on her face.

And with that, Tikki managed to cheer her up. Her tiny heart beat faster each time she managed to cheer up Marinette, and this time was no exception to the rule. The tiny scarlet kwami did not like to be compared to Plagg, most of the time, but she did not mind being compared to him, just this once, because it meant it put a smile on Marinette's face.

"Since I can't move that much today, how about we finish that book we started last week?" -Marinette asked her, as she grabbed the book from under her pillow. –"It was your turn to read." -she said.

"Okay." -Tikki said, as she sat on Marinette's shoulder, while she opened the book. –"Reading with you, is always fun." -she smiled.


When Alix got home, the first thing she did was to lie on the bed. She was bushed, and every single muscle in her body was screaming and begging her to take a relaxing shower and go to bed earlier. And Alix was listening to those screams. But she was so tired that as soon as her head touched the pillow, she immediately fell asleep. And she stayed that way for about two hours, only to woke up, upon hearing her father and brother talking in the living room. Stretching, she got out of bed and noticed the lid of a pickle jar by her feet. Looking under the bed, she saw the nearly empty jar, and leaning against it, Daria, who had fallen asleep after eating two or three pickles.

"Guess I have to buy more pickles for you." -Alix thought to herself, as she heard her father's voice growing louder. –"What are they talking about?" -she asked herself, before looking at the alarm clock in her bedside table. –"What?! No way! It's almost dinner time. I overslept."

Exiting her bedroom, she immediately smelled the dinner that was already cooking. The unmistakable aroma of Quiche Lorraine was in the air, which did not come as a surprise. Alix's mom always cooked one of the family's favourite dishes, whenever one of them had a rough day, and to her knowledge, both Alim and Jalil had it. She just did not know that Alix herself also had a rough day, which started with her and Kim saving her father and brother from certain doom.

"Well, look who finally decided to crawl out of bed." -Jalil said, as Alix entered the living room. –"You know you won't be able to sleep tonight, thanks to the nap mom told us you were taking." -he told his sister..

"It's not my fault. I was a bit tired. I had a rough day at school." -Alix said.

"Rough day? Did you get into trouble, Alix?" -Alim asked her, already assuming the worst.

"No, dad, I didn't." -Alix said. –"Why do you think that when I say that I had a rough day, is because I got myself into trouble?!" -she asked him.

"Because you have a tendency to get yourself into trouble, even when you don't want to." -Alim told her. –"Last year, your mother and I were called to the principal's office, four times. Surprisingly, this year, we haven't been called once. But as long as the school year isn't over, there's still time for that happen." -he said.

Alix hated three things about her father. The first was how he was always telling her that she should behave and dress more lady-like. The second was how he kept telling her that skateboarding and other extreme sports were not a career, or even a side-career. And the third was how he always assumed the worst, when it came to her getting into trouble.

"Don't mind dad. He and I had a bit of a rough day too." -Jalil said, trying to ease off the tension he felt between the two of them. –"Once more, we found ourselves in the middle of an Akuma attack." -he said.

"There was an Akuma attack?" -Alix asked, as she pulled her cell phone from her pocket, and pretended to look for the –"Man, because I had the cell phone on silent during the movie Miss Bustier showed us, I didn't even see the attack's notification." -she lied. –"But what happened? Was it at the Louvre?"

It did not take long for Alim and Jalil to tell her everything that happened to them, and Alix was forced to pretend she did not know a thing about what happened. It was not easy, and more than once she had to restrain herself from correcting them. The only easy thing for her, was her faking her astonishment, as both her father and brother told her everything.

"You guys got saved by the Miraculous heroes again?!" -Alix asked both her dad, and her brother. –"That is so cool! You must be the luckiest people in Paris, always being saved by them."

"There's nothing cool about that, Alix. We were in danger." -Alim told her.

"Yes, but you still got saved!" -Alix exclaimed. –"And you can thank me and Kim for saving your butts, again." -she thought to herself.

"I get that you think it's cool, little sis. But being rescued by one of the heroes, is never a good thing, because it means that there's one Akuma on the loose, who can hurt you." -Jalil told her.

"Look, you're not the only ones who have seen yourselves in the middle of an Akuma attack. I know that it's dangerous and all that. But you've got to admit that being saved by one of the heroes, has got to be one of the coolest feelings ever." -Alix declared. –"I should know, I keep having that feeling, every time I save a person, or I punch an Akuma, square in the face, breaking its jaw." -she thought.

"Young lady, that's enough." -Alim warned Alix. –"Cool or not, the whole situation was dangerous. What if they had dropped us, while saving us?! I'm beginning to wonder if Ambroise Delay isn't right sometimes." -he sighed.

Hearing that phrase from her father's mouth, Alix nearly had a heart attack. To think that Alim, a man as learned as he was, would agree with something that abject man would say, was unreal. And as one would expect, Alix did not remain silent, expressing her displeasure.

"Dad! You can't be serious!" -Alix shot at him. –"The man's clearly insane! If it was up to him, the heroes would be being hunted like animals, in the same way that the Akumas and Hawk Moth and his henchmen are!" -she said, upset.

"I didn't mean that he's absolutely right about everything he says. But he's right when he says that the heroes ought to be supervised, and have someone to report to, like the police." -Alim declared.

"Why would they have to report to anyone, including the police?! They're not criminals, or vigilantes!" -Alix shouted at her father. –"I can't believe my own father supports an idea, coming from a guy whose only concern is to badmouth everyone and everything! -she yelled. –"Dad, that guy's nothing but bad news! People like him shouldn't even be allowed to open their mouths and speak whatever they feel like! They should be locked away in an asylum, where they wouldn't even be allowed to see the light of day!"

"Like you're doing, right now?" -Alim asked his daughter, with a patronising voice.

"I'm nothing like that piece of crap! He says nothing but crap and comes up with crazy and insane theories that he dreams up at night!" -Alix shouted, not liking the voice tone her father used. –"Are you seriously saying I'm like that guy, when I'm speaking the truth, and he isn't!"

"Alix Kubdel, you watch your tongue, young lady!" -Alim warned her. –"I will not have you swearing in this house, and in my presence!" -he told her.

"I said crap, dad! I didn't say the other word!" -Alix shouted back at him.

"That may not be a swear word, but it's close enough, and you know it, young lady! We've raised you better than that." -Alim warned her. –"And if you don't want to be grounded, until the end of the school year, you better think what you're going to say next." -he told Alix.

Alix's blood was boiling inside her veins. She hated when her father talked to her like that. Like she was just a child. Most of the times, her first thought and move, was to yell back at him, in a futile attempt to make him see she was not a little girl. And this time was not going to be any different. She was about to yell back at her father, when another voice was heard ending the argument, and silencing both father and daughter. And that voice belonged to Alim's wife and Alix's mother, Julia.

"Would you two stop it?!" -Julia asked, as she came out of the kitchen. –"I already have to listen to nonsense. and sometimes screams in the courtroom. Do I have to use my mallet, to have a little bit of silence in my own home?!" -she asked the two of them, silencing them. –"Alim, I know you had a rough day, but that's no excuse to start yelling at your daughter. And Alix, you should have more respect for your father, whether you think you're right about something or not."

Both father and daughter knew that it was not worth arguing with the judge. They knew that when she spoke, they had two choices. Keep talking, and end up hearing something neither wanted to hear. Or, simply shut up. And both preferred to remain silent, knowing what would happen if they did not. And with it, the fight was over, before it escalated into something bigger.

"Now, you two just sit down and watch some television, while I finish dinner." -Julia said. –"And you, Alix, go take a shower and put on some fresh clothes. Dinner will be ready in 20 minutes." -she warned her.

"Yes, mom." -Alix sighed.


At the Hapréle residence, Mylene's mom, Dharma, was trying to make dinner. On her way home from work, she had picked salmon and was going to grill it, and serve it with some rucola and cherry tomato salad. But realizing the time, she decided to ask her daughter to help her with it.

"Honey, can you come and help me with dinner? Your father will be here in 20 minutes." -Dharma warned her daughter.

"Okay, mom. Just let me finish my homework, and I'll be right there." -Mylene told her, as she closed her bedroom door.

The truth was that there was no homework. One of the things that happened, when their teacher found out she and her class were the Miraculous Team, she decreed that on days where there were as an Akuma attack, there would be no homework for them. But Mylene said she was finishing them, because she needed a few more minutes to rest. Her body had yet to recover from the fight, and the best way for her to do that, was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling, while at the same time, Pin rested on top of her stomach, eating a peanut.

"There are few things in the world that beat a cosy bed, when your back is killing you." -Mylene commented.

"Agreed. And you earned the right of staying in it, for five more minutes." -Pin said, as she gulped down the peanut. –"You nearly broke your back, when you hit that column." -she said.

"I sure did." -Mylene said, as she stretched her arms. –"It's just too bad that we didn't defeat La Paon, nor Hawk Moth, and got their miraculouses." -she sighed, depressed.

"You'll get them, one of these days." -Pin told her. –"Besides, what matters is that in the end, everything worked out, and Paris and the world are safe, for the time being." -she said.

"Yeah, well Marinette wasn't very happy about what happened today." -Mylene said. –"And I can't really blame her. She was right. We got super lucky." -she admitted.

"The girl takes her job seriously. Still, lucky or not, as I see it, it's in the past now. You all have to focus on what's to come, and not what has already passed." -Pin said, as she grabbed another peanut.

"Very philosophical."

"Wayzz may claim to be quite philosophical, because he was master Fu's kwami, and the man loves philosophy, both Western and Oriental. But the rest of us kwamis, are just as philosophical as he is." -Pin said, when she noticed there were no more peanuts in the bag. –"Oh, I'm out of peanuts! You didn't happen to buy some more, did you?"

"No, sorry." -Mylene said. –"But maybe it was a good thing. You've been eating too many peanuts lately." -she pointed out.

"No, I haven't!" -Pinn protested. –"I've been eating the same amount of peanuts, every day. One bag of salted or roasted peanuts." -she said.

"Well, it's still too much. You've got to try and make a bag last two or three days, Pin. If you don't, my allowance won't be enough to satisfy your peanuts craving." -Mylene said. –"And before you say it, no, I'm not asking my parents for a raise in my allowance. I already asked them for one, which they gave me, two months ago." -she reminded her.

"But I can't live without peanuts. A bag of these hardly has three dozen of them inside." -Pin whined about t, trying to make Mylene feel sorry for her.

"Then, you should've chosen a favourite food that was a little bit cheaper." -Mylene declared. –"Besides, you've got plenty of other food in the house. Why don't you find another favourite food? You kwamis said that your favourite foods changed over the millennia." -she suggested.

Pin was about to say that just because she could find another favourite food, it did not mean she wanted to, because she loved peanuts, when Mylene's cell phone rang. Reaching for it, she holder of the deer miraculous wonder who would be calling her. To her surprise, she saw Miss Bustier's name on the screen.

"Miss Bustier's calling me?" -Mylene told Pin. –"But why would she be calling me?" -she asked her kwami.

"Answer the call, and you'll find out." -Pin told her.

Answering it, Mylene heard her teacher's voice on the other side. And what she heard her saying, was anything but pleasant. Miss Bustier told her what happened, after she and the rest of the class left to save the day, and Mylene began to panic. She thought she had won, when she taught Jeanne and her friends a lesson, by making them slide on the recently waxed floor. But now her victory seemed short-lived, with a harsh reality coming to knock at her door.

"But Miss Bustier, I didn't do anything." -Mylene said.

"And I know that, Mylene." -Miss Bustier told her. –"Even before I saw the video footage of what happened in the corridor, I knew that you hadn't done a thing." -she assured her. –"Unfortunately, Jeanne has called her parents to the school, and they are coming tomorrow, to find out what truly happened, this morning."

Hearing her say that, Mylene felt like a frightened little girl, who had lost her mother in the middle of a crowd. She never thought that Jeanne would go to such extremes to blame her for what happened, especially because it was an accident. Just thinking about what could happen, she had to gather all her strength not to start reciting her happy song. And it was not easy, because the craziest thoughts went through her mind.

"What if her parents make me pay for the clothes she has ruined? And not just hers, but the other two's as well? It'll take mom and dad years to pay for them… or worse… what if they get me kicked out of the school?" -Mylene thought to herself, fearing the worst. –"M-Miss Bustier…" -she stuttered with a frightened voice, while trying not to panic.

"Mylene, don't you worry. I won't let you get blamed for something you weren't responsible for." -Miss Bustier told her, trying to calm her down.

"But what if you can't?" -Mylene asked her, frightened of the outcome. –"What if they end up blaming me, and…" -she said, already thinking about the worst possible scenario.

"Don't you worry. I promise you. You won't be blamed for anything." -Miss Bustier said. –"Miss Mendeleiv agrees that it was an accident, and so does the principal." -she told her. –"Tomorrow, we'll make Jeanne's parents see that, and everything will be water under the bridge."

"But what if you can't?" -Mylene asked her, feeling more and more nervous. –"What if her parents are just as nasty as she is, and won't care if it was an accident, or not?" -she asked, her voice trembling with fear.

"Well, if they are, I'll just have to use the right words to convince them." -Miss Bustier told her. –"And I won't be alone. Miss Mendeleiv and Principal Damocles will be in the room too, and they will back me up. Like me, they won't allow anything to happen to you, Mylene."

"S-Should I tell my parents about it?" -Mylene asked her.

"No, there's need for that. I remember you telling me a few days ago, that your father was struggling to put up his newest show, and your mom was having some problems at the charitable foundation she works for. They already have enough on their plate to worry them. There's no need to upset them with something like this, which I promise you, it will be taken care of. You have my word." -Miss Bustier promised her.

It was true that her parents were having a few headaches of their own lately, and knowing about what happened to her, would only upset them further. Mylene, like all of her friends, did not like to keep things from her folks. But if Miss Bustier was telling her there was no need for them to know, she would remain silent. The teacher was like a second mother to her and her friends, and if she was telling her that everything was going to be alright, she was going to take her word for it.

"Okay." -Mylene said.

"I'm really sorry to have told you this, given what happened today. But it's better than arriving at school tomorrow and not knowing why you're being called to the principal's office." -Miss Bustier said. –"I know that right now you're very scared about this. But promise me that you won't let your nerves gey the best of you. Just rest, have a good dinner and an even better night of sleep. And tomorrow, this will be a thing of the past." -she told her. –"Can you do that, Mylene? Can you promise me that?"

"Yes, l can." -Mylene promised her.

"Good. See you in the morning, then." -Miss Bustier said, as she hung up.

"What was that all about?" -Pin asked Mylene, whose face was whiter than a bedsheet.

"Jeanne got her parents to come to the school tomorrow. She's going to try and pin the blame on me for what happened today to her and the others." -Mylene told the deer kwami. –"But Miss Bustier is telling me that I don't have to worry about, and that she would make sure that I don't end up being blamed for what happened to those three." -she said.

"Well, if there's one person who can do that, it's her." -Pin said. –"That woman will fight tooth and nail for you and the others, no matter what." -she said, when she heard Mylene's mom calling her. –"Uh-oh, I think you better go and help her with dinner."

"I guess I have no other choice." -Mylene sighed, as she got up from her bed. –"I'll be back in a bit." -she said, as she exited the bedroom.


At the Agreste Manor, dinnertime had gone by, and there was no trace of Amélie. Adrien, who was not counting on dining at home that night, ended up having dinner with his father, because his aunt failed to show up to dinner, before taking him to the movies. But this was not what was bothering him. What was bothering him was that she did not call, to warn. Pacing around the living room, he wondered what could have happened. He had called her cell phone more than a dozen times already, and every time, it went straight to voice mail. Adrien did not have any concrete evidence that something bad had happened to his aunt. But something inside him, was making him nervous,

"I don't get it, Nathalie. Why is she so late?" -Adrien asked her, as he checked the time for the fifth time in two minutes. –"She told me this morning, that she was coming to dinner, and then take me to watch of one of my mom's movies tonight." -he said. –"It's not like her to not show up for dinner, or to break a promise. I'm starting to think that something has happened to her."

"I'm quite sure that she is alright." -Nathalie said, as she gently sat back in the chair.

"Do you think something bad happened to her?" -Adrien asked her. –"I mean, she was going to spend part of the day at the Louvre. But I don't remember her saying anything about staying there long." -he said. –"I really hope she wasn't there when La Paon attacked the place."

"There is no reason to think the worst, Adrien. I'm quite sure that if something had happened to her, while she was at the Louvre, we would've known about it by now." -Nathalie said, believing

"I'm sure that something came up that delayed her. And she just ran out of battery in her cell phone." -Gabriel said, as he continued to read the book, he had started a few minutes before.

"Maybe." -Adrien said. –"I don't know. The cell running out of battery is perfectly normal. But if that's so, then, why she didn't bother to call from another phone, to warn me she couldn't make it? She memorized the manor's phone number and my number as well, not to mention Nathalie's." -he thought, as he looked outside the window. –"I hope I'm wrong about this, and that she's just doing something that made her forget about our plans for tonight."

A few seconds went by, after Adrien had that thought, when a phone was heard ringing. It was the Manor's telephone. With the rest of the staff gone home for the night, and no one else to answer it, Nathalie got up to go to the foyer and do that. As she did this, Adrien's first thought was that it was his aunt calling. Unfortunately, he was about to be disappointed and shocked, and he was not the only one.

"Agreste Manor. Who do I have the pleasure of be speaking with?" -Nathalie asked, as she picked up the phone.

But there was no pleasure in the words Nathalie heard. And what she heard made it hard for her to keep her composure. Listening, she instinctively gave small and quick answers, at her brain processed what she was being told.

Because it was taking her too long to answer, what he supposed was a regular phone call, Adrien decided to check on Nathalie. As he entered the foyer, Nathalie was placing the phone down, and he noticed her face was as white as a bedsheet. Just from looking at her, Adrien could tell something bad had happened.

"Nathalie, what happened?" -Adrien asked her, worried.

"I… I'm afraid the news I have about your aunt aren't the best, Adrien." -Nathalie said, with a grim voice.

Chapter 25: Despair and Justice

Chapter Text

Morning came quick. But to Adrien Agreste, it felt like it took an eternity to come, thanks to everything that happened to him. Once Nathalie told him what happened to his aunt, time seemed to stop for him. According to Nathalie, Amélie had been taken to the hospital after being found passed out in an alley, with multiple injuries. She did not specify how hurt she was, but the fact she was in the hospital could only mean that was serious. Shocked by what he was told, immediately, the boy begged her for more information, but she told him everything the person on the phone had told her.

Worried sick about Amélie and not thinking straight, Adrien asked Nathalie to call Gorilla to get the car, to drive him to the hospital she had been taken to. Nathalie tried to calm him down, with poor results. It was necessary for Gabriel, who had heard the commotion in the foyer, to intervene, and calm his son down, by telling him that whatever had happened, it would work itself out.

Most of what happened next became a sort of blur for Adrien’s mind, with the exception of a few key moments, which he remembered. He remembered being driven to the hospital Amélie was, accompanied by Gabriel and Nathalie, as well as arriving there and asking for her, only to be told she was still being observed by the doctors, and it was more certain that she would not be able to receive any kind of visitors that night. He also remembered almost getting on his knees for the to let him see his aunt, with Nathalie and Gabriel telling him to try and calm down a bit. And he also remembered Gabriel ordering Gorilla to take Adrien back home, while he and Nathalie remained in the hospital, promising to call him, if there were any updates.

Though he tried to remember it, the rest of the night was like a series of flashes, that did not make much sense to Adrien, as he did his best to remember what happened, after he was forced to return to the manor. But among those flashes, there were two things that he remembered, and knew he had not imagined. The first was Plagg trying his best to make him feel better. And the second was to call three people, to have someone else to talk to about what was happening. And those three people were none other than his best-friend, Nino, his girlfriend, Marinette, and his sister from another mother, Chloe.

He talked to them, and told them what was going and immediately they asked him if he wanted some company, stating that all they had to do was to get to his place, not caring if their parents opposed to such an idea. They just wanted to be there for Adrien. But Adrien told them that there was no need for it. He just wanted to hear their voices.

“Are you really sure you don’t want us to go there?” -Marinette asked him. –“This knee is killing me, but it’s nothing, when compared to what Adrien must be suffering, right about now, because of his aunt.” -she thought to herself.  

“Daddy won’t mind if I spend the night there, if you need someone to talk to.” -Chloe said.

“My parents won’t like it, but I don’t case. They can ground me for a month, bro. Just give the word, and you’ll see me knocking at your door, in no time flat.” -Nino told Adrien.

But once again, Adrien told them there was no need for them to do that. He was just happy to have them on the phone, and to help him calm his nerves down, by talking to him. And this happened again, in the morning, when Adrien went to school. Because they spent the night at the hospital, Nathalie and Gabriel went to bed to get some sleep. But not before talking to Nina, who had arrived earlier to get some work done, and telling her to tell Adrien that Amélie was stable, and that if he wanted to stay home that day, he had his father’s permission to do so. Nina told hm about it, when he came down for breakfast, but Adren decided he was better at school, where he could get his mind off everything that was going on.   

“You should’ve stayed home, and get some sleep.” -Plagg whispered at him, from inside his shirt pocket. –“You look like a zombie from one of those cheesy zombies B-movies.” -he said. 

“I can’t sleep… I’m too worried about my aunt…” -Adrien said, dragging his speech, while also trying to keep his eyes open.    

Plagg could tell that Adren was doing his best to stay awake. He only slept for two hours, waking up all the time, because of the nightmares he had. In those nightmares, he was told that his aunt had died. So, as exhausted and sleepy as he was, for him it was best to remain awake than to have more awful nightmares. But when they were three blocks from the school, exhaustion and sleepiness got the best of him, and Adrien fell asleep for a few seconds. But those few seconds were enough for him to have another nightmare, and wake up startled, and with his heart beating like crazy.

“Another one?” -Plagg asked him.

“Y-Yeah…” -Adrien whispered –“I’m going to need some coffee, to get through classes until lunchtime.” -he thought to himself.

Arriving at school, Adrien exited the car and was greeted by the smiles of his girlfriend, and of Nino and Chloe, who were all waiting for him at the school’s entrance stairs. Seeing them, caused Adrien to smile for the first time in nearly 12 hours.

“Bro!” -Nino waved at him, as Adrien approached the trio.

“Adrikins!” -Chloe exclaimed, as she got up and hugged him. –“How are you feeling?” -she asked him, worried.

“Not so good, I’m afraid.” -Adrien confessed, as they broke the embrace, and he forced a smile to her and to Marinette, who then hugged him. –“Couldn’t sleep a wink.” -he admitted. 

“You really do look like you were up all night.” -Marinette said, as she carefully got up and kissed him on the cheek, before hugging him.  

“Still limping?” -Adrien asked her, noticing it.  

“Yes, a little.” -Marinette admitted. –“But that doesn’t matter now. Tell us, how is your aunt?” -she asked him. –“Did you know anything more about her, since we talked last night?”  

“Not much. When my dad and Nathalie left the hospital, they were told that she was asleep.” -Adrien said, as he hugged her back. –“From what they told us, she was unconscious when they found her, and remained like that, all the way to the hospital, where she briefly woke up, only to pass out again.” -he said.

“How did she end up like that?” -Nino asked.

“I have no idea. Maybe she was one of the victims of La Paon, or one of the things she let out loose in the city.” -Adrien said, clearly worried. –“But whatever happened to her, it left in a pretty bad shape.” -she said, worried.   

“Do you know if she’ll be able to get visits today?” -Marinette asked him, as they both sat down on the staircase.

“I don’t know. But if she’s better, I hope they allow me to see her, even if it’s just for a minute or two.” -Adrien confessed.

“There’s also one thing that’s bugging me. How did they know where to call, to let you know about your aunt’s state? I mean, her last name isn’t Agreste.” -Nino pointed out.

“It isn’t. But she’s the twin sister of Adrien’s mom, remember?” -Chloe reminded Nino. –“Maybe one of the doctors put two and two together, and figured she had to be related to Adren’s dad, or to someone else in the Agreste family. Or maybe, they found out the manor’s phone number in her cell phone.” -she said.

“I think the second option is the most likely.” -Marinette said.

It had not crossed his mind that that was what had happened. Concerned as he was about Amélie, Adrien did not even want to know how the staff at the hospital had known where to call. In fact, ever since he had learned what had happened to his aunt, his brain had only been running at half speed, thanks to the nerves and the stress.

“Maybe… I’m sorry. My brain isn’t working right.” -Adrien apologized, before yawning.

“It’s okay, Adrien.” -Marinette said, as she placed her right arm around his shoulders. –“You had one of those nights that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone with a heart as big as yours.” -she smiled, resting her head on his shoulder.   

“You don’t need to apologize, bro.” -Nino told him.

“He’s right. You don’t need to apologize, Adrikins. But you need some caffeine, or you won’t be able to keep your eyes open.” -Chloe said, as she saw Sabrina arriving.

“Good morning, everyone.” -Sabrina said, with a smile on her face. –“Is there something wrong?” -she asked, noticing Adrien looked down.

“I promise I’ll tell you all in a bit. But right now, would you be a dear and go and get him a double expresso, before he falls asleep, Sabrina?” -Chloe asked the redhead, as she handed her 20 Euros. 

Not understanding what was going on, Sabrina just smiled and went to get the coffee for Adrien, knowing that when she returned, everything would be explained to her. When came back with double expresso, the rest of the class had arrived and had gathered in a circle, like they tended to do, when one or more of them were in trouble.

“Thanks, Sabrina.” -Chloe said, as she was handed the coffee cup. –“Here, drink it. You’ll need this to stay up.” -she said, as she handed it to Adrien. –“Careful, it’s hot.”

Thanking her, Adrien drank a sip, and for a split second, he felt a lot better. He just wished that that split second had lasted a lot longer. Even with everyone supporting him, and telling him how things were going to end up okay, Adrien still felt down. So down, that he began to have dark thoughts, about what could happen to Amélie. And he was not afraid to share them with the class.   

“I’m scared, guys.” -Adrien sighed. –“I’m scared that my aunt might…”

“Don’t say it.” -Marinette told him. –“You said it yourself that Nathalie and your dad said that she was stable. If she’s stable, then her life isn’t in danger, Adrien.” -she reminded him, with a caring voice.

“I know. It’s just that… I don’t want to lose her, the same way I lost my mom.” -Adrien sighed, his voice trembling with fear. –“I just got her back in my life, after forgetting that she even existed. If something happens…”

“You’re not going to lose your aunt.” -Marinette said, reassuring him. –“She’s going to be fine.” -she said.

“My girl’s right.” -Alya smiled. –“She’s going to be fine, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to have fun with her.” -she said.

“Yeah, she’s not going anywhere, bro.” -Nino said, as he patted him on the back.

“Nothing good comes from worrying, Adrien.” -Rose told him. –“I don’t think any of us know your aunt that well, but I know she wouldn’t want you to worry.” -she said.

“She’ll pull through, Adrien.” -Alix said. –“If she’s as tough as you are, she’ll be back on her feet, in no time.” -she declared, trying to cheer him up.

“I’m with Oompa Loompa here. She’ll pull through, man.” -Kim declared, before being slapped on the back of the neck by Alix. –“Ouch! What was that for?!” -he asked her, annoyed, while rubbing his neck.   

“You know very well, why I did that to you.” -Alix told him. –“I told you, like a million times, to not call me that name, Kim.” -she said, with a serious voice.

“What? Oompa Loompa?” -Kim asked her. –“Did you want me to call you shorty or small fry, instead?” -he mocked her.

“No, I would like for you to use my name, string bean!” -Alix mocked him.

“Don’t call me that!” -Kim warned her.

“You call me Oompa Loompa, then, I’ll call you string bean. Or do you prefer I call you Daddy Long Legs, or Coconut Longboy?” -Alix shot at him, laughing like crazy.    

Not liking where that conversation was going, Kim immediately tried to stop her, by warning her that if she did not stop with that, he was going to strangle her. Hearing that, Alix quickly dodged him, and playfully kicked him in the butt. Realizing she was in a pranking mood, Kim decided to play into her game, and tried to catch her, by running after her. This caused everyone to laugh, especially Adrien, who more than anybody else, was in the need for a good laugh.  

Leave it to Kim and Alix to make me laugh with their antics.” -Adrien thought to himself, as he sipped the coffee, when the bell rang, signalling it was time for them to go up into the classroom for the first period.  

“Already?!” -Kim said, as he stopped chasing Alix. –“I’m telling you, that bell is ringing earlier, each day.” -he told the others.

“Guess it’s time for us to go up.” -Max said, as he picked up his backpack.

“Let me help you, milady. Lean on me.” -Adrien told Marinette, as he helped her to get up.

“Thank you, my silly kitty.” -Marinette smiled at Adrien, as she leaned on him. –“Even when he’s down, he’s always a gentleman.” -she thought to herself, as they went up the stairs.

It was hard for everyone to see Adrien like that. They had all faced their own problems and issues, but few of them had gone through the kind of grief, and seemingly bad luck he had. To have lost his mother, and now facing the possibility of his aunt not coming out okay, of whatever had happened to her, it was too much for such a caring soul such as him. They all wished they could help him, by getting some of the weight that he had on his chest. But that was not possible. That weight was one that only he could carry. And that saddened them all.


During recess, Mylene went with Miss Bustier to the principal’s office, already knowing what awaited her. She had not told anyone about the phone call she got from Miss Bustier, the night before, telling her about what was to happen that morning, because of what happened to Adrien’s aunt. She did not want them all to worry about one more thing, none of them had any control over. As she made way up the stairs, the poor girl felt like she had butterflies in her stomach, and that was just making her feel even more nervous than she already was. Stopping in front of the principal’s door, she looked at her teacher, who smiled at her, and told her that everything was going to be fine.

Entering, they saw that Miss Mendeliev had already arrived. So had Jeanne, who was accompanied by her parents, Delphine and Laurent Gagné. Delphine was basically an older and taller version of her own daughter, in her late 30’s, with the same raven-coloured straight long hair, green eyes and tanned skin. She was wearing a purple jacket, white skirt, purple heels, and a pair of diamond rings. Laurent on the other hand was a tall man also in his late 30’s, with brown hair, sporting a few grey hairs around the temples, white skin, and though not buffed, you could see he worked out. He was wearing a grey business suit, white shirt, grey tie and white shoes. On his left wrist he wore a golden watch. The Gagnés were among some of the most powerful families in Paris, rivalling the Bourgeois. Delphine was the owner and director of Gagné Parfumes, one of the largest perfume companies in France. Laurent was the CFO of the technology company Alliance.

“Ah, Caline, I see that you and Miss Haprele have arrived.” -Principal Damocles noted. –“I believe you haven’t had the opportunity to meet Miss Gagné’s parents.” -he said, as he gestured to Delphine and Laurent, who looked at them, while remaining silent.  

“Good! Now, you can start by telling her that you’re going to expel her!” –Jeanne exclaimed.

“Jeanne!” -Miss Mendeliev reprimanded her. –“Nobody is going to be expelled. I thought I told you that before we came here!” -she said, mildly angry.

“Our daughter told us that girl was responsible for what happened to her clothes yesterday.” -Laurent said. 

“I’m afraid that your daughter might have misled you into believing that. It was an accident.” -Principal Damocles stated. –“We have video proof of what happened, and I can assure you that Miss Haprele played no part in the accident.”

“That’s a lie!” -Jeanne yelled at the principal. –“Is getting older making you absolutely blind and deaf?!” -she yelled back at the old man.  

“Jeanne! Don’t you he principal like that!” -Miss Mendeliev warned her, while thinking to herself: -“This girl is starting to get on my nerves!

“Excuse me?! You don’t get to tell my daughter how she should talk to someone! Especially, when she’s clearly the victim here.” -Delphine shouted at Miss Mendeliev.

“That’s right! I’m the victim here!” -Jeanne shouted.

Principal Damocles could see that tempers were rising. He did not like to admit it, but it was not the first-time parents and teachers had clashed in his office. And he knew what would happen if he did bring order to the room.

“Monsieur and Madame Gagné, I must ask you to please tell your daughter to keep calm. I will not allow my office to be the stage of a circus scene!” -Principal Damocles warned them, while trying his best to remain calm.

“Well, you could’ve fooled me with what’s happening. After all, we’re here because my daughter’s clothes have been ruined, and the girl responsible for it, is going unpunished.” -Laurent declared.

“How many times must we say that we have undeniable proof that your daughter is lying?! And that you, as her parents, should discipline her accordingly?!” -Miss Mendeliev stated.

“Don’t you dare raise your voice against me and my husband that way!” -Delphine yelled at her.

“Monsieur and Madame Gagné, restrain yourselves! Until now, my teachers have not raised their voices without need. In fact, one of them hasn’t even had the opportunity to speak, since she arrived.” -Principal Damocles declared, with a stern voice. –“Now, before we continue, I would like to ask everyone in this room to remain calm and speak only when asked.” -he said.

Calming down, they proceeded with the viewing of the video, where it was shown that Jeanne and her friends slipped on the floor and got their clothes ruined. And nowhere in it, did you see Mylene was responsible for what happened. If she was at fault, it might have been for making a snide comment after the accident, given she was being bullied. But still, the video proved that Mylene was innocent. Unfortunately, even with the video as evidence, Jeanne continued to insist that it was her fault.

“As you can clearly see, your daughter and her friends slipped on the floor. It was an accident, and Mylene had nothing to do with it.” -Principal Damocles declared. –“I think we can state that even though it was an unfortunate accident, it was still just an accident.” -he said, believing the matter was put to rest.

“My clothes were ruined! And it was because of that fatty!!” -Jeanne yelled, throwing a tantrum. –“If you don’t expel that piggy there, then you better make sure that she pays for the clothes, which are worth more than her parents must make in 10 years!!!” -she threated the principal.

“Jeanne! How dare you speak about one of your fellow classmates that way!” -Miss Mendeliev warned her, before looking at her parents. –“Is this the education you give to your daughter, at home?” -she asked them. –“You allow your daughter to treat other people the way she just did?” 

“Well, she is a bit on the chunky side.” -Laurent said, casually.

I don’t’ believe this!” -Miss Bustier thought to herself. –“What kind of person says that about others?!” -she thought, feeling repulsed by. –“How dare you, a responsible adult, speak about a child that way?!”

“She must be used to hearing those comments.” –Delphine stated.

Oh, my God… I thought Chloe’s mother was bad. But these take the cake.” -Miss Bustier thought, remembering the first and only time she met Chloe’s mother.

(Flashback)

After Chloe's last stunt at school, which ended in tears, Miss Bustier decided that just talking to her about what happened wasn't enough. This time, she found it necessary to talk to her parents, but in a way that didn't involve calling them to the school to have a talk with her and the principal. She decided the best thing would be to go to the Bourgeois' house and talk to both of them. Unfortunately, the mayor was busy that afternoon, and that meant the only person she could speak to was Chloe's mother, Audrey, who was visiting.

When she arrived at Le Grand Paris, she was taken to Audrey’s office, which she used to work, whenever she was in Paris. As was her habit, Audrey was on the phone, yelling at one of her assistants, criticizing her incompetence. Needless to say, when Audrey saw Miss Bustier, she did not change her behavior, which made the poor teacher feel that she was not welcome there. And the conversation did nothing to improve this feeling, as Audrey seemed not interested in hearing what Miss Bustier had to tell her.

“Excuse me. I’m here to talk to you about your daughter.” -Miss Bustier said.

“THEN SPEAK UP! I don’t have all day, unlike you, who seem to have enough time on YOUR end, to come and bother someone, instead of teaching, which is supposed to be your job!” -Audrey said. –“Usually, it’s my husband who handles these conversations, but he’s in an important meeting. So, go on, tell me why you came here to talk about Clarissa!” -she exclaimed, once more calling her daughter by a name that was not hers.  

“Her name is Chloe. And I’m quite worried about her. Her attitude towards most people isn’t the sort of thing we try to instil in the students.” -Miss Bustier said, with a calm and soft voice. –“What she did was quite serious, and as her parents I felt you and your husband needed to know about it urgently.”

“And what did she do?” -Audrey asked, grumbling, without taking her eyes off the photos in her iPad. –“Garbage! Garbage! Garbage! Can’t those idiots take a decent photo, without screwing up the angles?!” -she commented, under her breath, as if she was alone in the room.

“She bullied one of her classmates, because she was dressed up in Goth fashion. It pains me to say this, but quoting your daughter, she said, “You’re nothing but a faker, who just wants all the attention towards you! This goth phase of yours isn't real. And you have such poor taste in fashion, that I would rather set myself on fire then breathing the same air as you.” Not only that, but she also tore some of the keychains that the poor girl had on her backpack and throwing them into the trash.” -Miss Bustier said. –“And the way she said it, made the poor girl cry her heart out. I even had to send her to the nurse’s office, to see if she could calm her down. She’s new in class, and she’s a very sensitive girl.” -she added.   

“As I see it, my daughter was simply telling her the truth. The Goth style is so out of fashion. Not only that, but just because people say that neutral colours are always in fashion, doesn’t mean that one should wear them. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about.” -Audrey said, without taking her eyes off her work. –“If Celine told her that she was ugly, then I’m sure she was right. She inherited my fashion taste.” -she declared.

Hearing her talk like that, Caline Bustier did not know if Audrey was proud of Chloe’s behaviour, or if she just did not care she had done something awful. The vain way she talked, made it hard for her to understand it. But there was one thing she understood. She understood that Audrey was a woman she was not used to being contradicted.

“But that is not the point. The point is that your daughter can’t do this. She can’t continue to talk and act the way she does. It’s not good for a young girl like herself, to do so. She lacks empathy towards others.” -Miss Bustier said, trying to reason with Audrey. –“If she goes on like this, sooner or later, she will end up getting expelled from school, but she will also burn many bridges  between her and her classmates, and that will affect her, physically and mentally in the long run. A young girl like her needs to develop her social skills in the right way, so she can become a full functioning member of our society. And to do that, she’ll need friends. Good friends, and good role models, who are there for her, the same way she will be for them.”

“FRIENDS?! IS THAT WHY YOU BOTHERED ME?! To tell that if my daughter keeps acting the way she is, she’ll never have friends?!” -Audrey shouted, outraged. –“Do you truly believe that my daughter needs friends?! People of our social status, don’t have friends. We have acquaintances and contacts.” -she said, with a scornful voice. –“The whole idea of someone needing friends is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!” 

“That is not true. Everyone needs friends. Especially people who think they don’t need them.” -Miss Bustier protested. –“And I speak from experience when I say that your daughter would benefit greatly, if she was able to make some real friends among her peers” -she said.     

Audrey was not liking where this conversation was heading. Not only because she did not like when people came to bother her with matters, she deemed unworthy of her attention; but also because she hated to deal with any matter regarding her daughter, which was usually taken care of by her husband, or her butler.    

"As I see it, she is in school to get a proper education. Not to be told that she needs friends. She has a reputation to uphold! Our family's reputation!" -Audrey argued. –"It wasn't even my idea for her to attend this school. I wanted to send her to a boarding school in Switzerland, but my husband wanted her to stay close to him. I suppose he wants to have her around, to compensate for the fact that I'm not in Paris all the time, as much as he would want me to. But that's just how things work. You can't run a fashion magazine by being away from the action. You need to be in the centre of the action, and New York is where the action happens for me."

“Madame Bourgeois, this is your daughter we’re talking about! She is way more important than your career.” -Miss Bustier stated. –“And I know that you’re a very busy woman with a high status. But even as busy as you are, you should have the time to see if your daughter is alright. There have been studies that proved that sometimes bullying issues spawn from parenting issues.” -she said, while raising her eyebrow at her.  

“What do you mean with parenting issues?!” -Audrey asked, indignant.

“Well, when a child behaves like this, it’s usually because the child sees that happening in a family environment, or it’s family influence” –Miss Bustier stated. –“I believe that Chloe behaves the way she does, because she sees situations where this sort of behaviour is perceived as completely acceptable.” -she declared. –“Perhaps, it’s because of you or your husband.”

“If she’s imitating ne or my husband, then what are you implying about us?” -Audrey said, as her eyes remained glued to the iPad’s screen, and she began to tap her fingers on the table, aggressively.    

“She can’t be serious! How futile can a person be to not realize just how wrong she is, when saying those things?!” -Miss Bustier thought to herself, while trying her best not to insult Audrey. –“You are her mother! And a good mother would make sure to set a good example for her daughter! You have a responsibility towards your child, no matter how you feel about it!” -she exclaimed, trying to remain calm, though her annoyed voice implied the opposite.  

“Are you insinuating that I am a bad mother?!” -Audrey shouted at her, this time looking her in the eyes. –“A bad mother would allow her child to die of hunger, or cold. I provide so that doesn’t happen with Celestine!” -she shouted. –“She has everything she wants or needs. Food, clothes, expensive jewellery, rides to school, among other things. She just has to snap her fingers, and her butler brings her whatever she needs.”

“With all due respect, but you can’t possibly believe that’s all your daughter needs to be a happy child.” -Miss Bustier said, not believing the words that came out of Audrey’s mouth. –“I’m talking about emotional support. The kind of emotional support that only parents can give to a child.” -she said.  

“I don’t see her complaining about it. In fact, I have already explained it to her that I don’t have the time to take care of her. I have a very demanding job, and that means I don’t have time to deal with her dramas. That’s why we have a butler!” –Audrey stated her.

“Because that would help her become a better person, instead of being a prejudiced person in our society.” -Miss Bustier declared, trying to be as patient as one could. -“Because if she’s not able to adapt her behaviour to the people surrounding her, I am positive that eventually, Chloe will not be given the grace of making mistakes anymore. She’ll face consequences, she won’t be able to walk away from. And we can’t allow victims to become abusers!” -she said. –“If she continues down this path, how do you think she will be able to create any sort of bonds with people? And I’m talking about all kinds of human bonds. Professional, romantic, personal, emotional, intellectual, platonic, among many others.”

“BONDS?! THERE YOU GO WITH THAT STUPID EMOTIONAL NONSENSE, AGAIN! LET ME REPEAT MYSELF, IN CASE YOU’RE TOO DUMB TO UNDERSTAND! Our class of people doesn’t need any friends. People are nothing more than a distraction! A nuisance! Not to mention that some of those so-called peers, don’t have a single penny to their name! Why would they want to hang out with my daughter, if not for her being rich, so they could take advantage of her?!” -Audrey told Miss Bustier. –“My daughter doesn’t need friends! She doesn’t need anyone. Like me and my husband, she needs to have the grit and tenacity to walk over anyone who is an obstacle in her way towards success! Because if she doesn’t, others will!” -she yelled. –“And if that happens, believe me, when I say, that she’ll have no one to help her!”  

“YOU CAN’T SERIOUSLY MEAN THAT!” -Miss Bustier yelled back at her, already without any sort of patience. –“What kind of lessons are you giving to your daughter, that she needs to treat everything like an obstacle in her way?! Not only that, but that she feels the need to treat everyone like trash, or even worse?!” -she asked her, frustrated.  

“The kind of lessons she needs to survive! I have the life experience to know that to survive in this dog-eat-dog world, she has to do what it must be done, to be the one on top, no matter the cost!” -Audrey shouted at her. –“And I think this conversation has gone on long enough! I take it you know your way out.” -she said.

(End of Flashback)

On that day, Miss Bustier found out that Chloe’s mother was an awful person, and one of the reasons why the heiress behaved the way she did. The thought of a mother existing that did not even address her own child by her own name, and instead calling her some other name, made her feel disgusted. Before, she innocently believed that there could not be parents any worse than her out there. But she was wrong. Delphine and Laurent Gagné were just as horrible, if not even worse than Chloe’s mother, and they did not seem to have any problem confirming it.   

"How dare you talk to a child like that?!" -Miss Bustier shouted at the Gagnés. -"Don't you know that you shouldn't talk to anyone, not even an animal that way?!" -she asked them, furious at them.

"I'm sorry, but we don't allow that type of behaviour at our school." -Principal Damocles declared.

You think that just because anyone won't call her fatty, that'll stop her from being fat?!" -Delphine shouted at miss Bustier and principal Damocles. -"We're just calling her something she is." -she stated.

"Maybe at your house, you do that. But here, we don't do that. We don't insult people, based on how they look or how they act!" -Miss Bustier declared.

"Caline is right. You're allowed to say those things at your home, but not here, and not in our presence. Furthermore, we're deviating from what has brought us here. Monsieur and Madame Gagné, please understand. What happened was just an unfortunate accident. It could've happened to anyone." -Miss Mendeliev declared. -"And the fact that you and your daughter don't want to accept it, doesn't change what happened." -she told them.

I’m starting to think that I should’ve just let Jeanne and those two have tormented me yesterday. That way, at least I wouldn’t be here right now.” -Mylene thought to herself.

What are you talking about?! If you had let her and her lap dogs to torment you, they would’ve done the same today! You did the right thing, Mylene! You can’t allow yourself to think you should’ve done things differently!”  -Pin told her, via telepathy. -“You had to act! You needed to do it, otherwise, she would’ve continued to use you as a punching bag! You stood up for yourself, and you showed her that you’re not afraid of her anymore. And now’s your chance to act! You’ve got to tell them what she’s been doing to you over these last few months. To you and to many others, because we both know she’s not just bullying you. She’s bullying other people too!” -she stated. –“If there’s one thing I know, is that if you were Forest Doe right now, and she was an Akuma or an evildoer, you wouldn’t allow her to get away with it. So, go on! Be Forest Doe, even without your mask!

Pin was right. She had the opportunity to act, and she had to do it. Not only for her own sake. Fuelled by her kwami’s words, she took them to heart and summoned all the courage she had inside her chest to say something she knew, deep in her heart, she should have said a long time ago.

“If anyone deserves to be expelled from this school. it’s you, not me! You’ve been bullying me for months now, and I’ve endured it, without having the courage to come forth and tell anyone, because I’ve always believed that sooner or later, you would do like Chloe Bourgeois did, before she turned over a new leaf. You would find another victim and leave me alone!” -Mylene said. –“But guess what? You didn’t. You continued to come after me, while always on the look out for new victims, which you found in other students. At least Chloe only bullied one person at a time, and that made her a saint, when compared to you!” -she shouted at her, while wondering where she was getting the courage to say those words. –“You are a horrible person, and the only thing I did yesterday was run from you, like I always do!”

“Listen to me, you low-class fatty! If I want to, I could ask my parents to buy your parents’ house, and all of their life savings, and you end up on the street, begging for dimes, under the gargoyles of Notre-Dame. That’s just how important we are, when compared to people like you!” -Jeanne shouted at her. 

“Jeanne!!! “ -Miss Mendeleev shouted at her. –“If you keep saying those things, believe me that you will be expelled, right now!”

I clearly see that we need to have a serious conversation, regarding Jeanne’s behaviour and conduct.” -Principal Damocles thought to himself. 

“How dare you want to expel our daughter?!” -Dalphine shouted at Miss Mendeleiv. –“Do you know just how powerful my husband and I are, and the weight our family’s name has in this city?!” -she asked.  

“I know exactly who you and your husband are, and let me tell you, what I told Mayor Bourgeois, whenever his daughter threw a tantrum or did something that was anything but nice, and then complained to him about how she was being treated unfairly.” -Principal Damocles said, with a serious voice. –“I don’t care who you are, or what you do for a living. Outside, you may even be the president of this country, but inside these walls, you are just a parent, and your daughter is just a student like any other who attends this school.” -he told him. –“Furthermore, being a parent, doesn’t give you any right to tell me or my staff what must be done or not. And the same thing could be said about your daughter. She must abide by the same rules, as everyone else who attends this school.”

When this happened, Mylene’s heart skipped a beat. But it had a very good reason. She was seeing Jeanne getting her comeuppance, after bullying for so long. Both Jeanne’s parents continued to argue that it was inadmissible for their daughter to be treated that way. But the principal had seen that scene one too many times with other students, and he was not going to let that slip by. Unlike what happened with Chloe, whom Miss Bustier had pleaded with him, to not expel her, because she believed the heiress could change her ways, if given the time and the opportunity to do so, Jeanne was not going to get that chance, because unlike Chloe, there was not even a single good bone in her, and they had just seen it.  

“We will open an investigation about Jeanne’s conduct regarding her actions as a bully. Given what has happened, effective immediately, Jeanne is suspended from classes and any school activity, for a full week, for bullying Miss Haprele.” -Principal Damocles told the Gagnés. –“We will contact you further, when we have made a decision. Until then, I wish you both a good day.”

Jeanne was furious, and the look she gave Mylene as she and her parents left the principal’s office, told her that she was going to pay for that. But she did not allow that bother her. She was feeling like she had done the right thing, and that was all that mattered. Like Pinn had told her, she was a heroine without her mask.

And once the Gagnés left, both principal Damocles and miss Mendeliev apologized to Mylene on behalf off Jeanne, for everything she had done to her, while reassuring her that Jeanne would face the consequences of her acts. She remained silent, simply smiling and nodding, while thanking her lucky stars that everything went for the best. Exiting the principal’s office, she and miss Bustier made their way down the staircase, with the teacher exchanging a few words with her.    

“I told you that everything was going to be alright, didn’t I?” -Miss Bustier smiled warmly at Mylene. –“And what you did was quite brave, Mylene. It’s not easy to admit these things.” -she declared.

“Thank you, Miss Bustier. I just wish I had done it earlier. If I had told you, instead of just keeping to myself and believing that I would be able to handle it, maybe Jeanne would’ve faced the consequences of her actions a lot sooner.” -Mylene admitted. –“I didn’t even tell the others about this, because they are already worried about Adrien, and I didn’t want them to also get worried about me.” -she confessed.

“But you should have. They’re your friends” -Miss Bustier said. –“It’s true that what Adrien is going through is bad, but that doesn’t mean the others can’t be there for you too.” -she stated. –“Like you said, instead of keeping to yourself, you should’ve told them. The good news is that now you can tell them that everything had a happy ending.”

“Indeed.” -Mylene smiled at her. –“Do you really think Jeanne will be expelled?” -she asked her.

“I don’t know. It will depend just how the investigation goes. If they find enough proof, that prove just how serious her bullying was, I believe that she will be expelled.” -Miss Bustier admitted. –“But even if she isn’t, this will go on her permanent record. And next year, Miss Mendeliev will make sure that she doesn’t get a chance to bully anyone, or otherwise, she will absolutely be expelled.” -she said.  

The idea of having Jeanne expelled was one that had a nice ring to it. Mylene was not one to wish anything bad on anyone, but Jeanne had proven to be someone that deserved to have people wishing something bad would happen to her. But from the way her teacher sad that last sentence, Mylene could tell that just like it had happened with Chloe, she still had a small hope that Jeanne would chance.

“But you still believe Jeanne might change in the future, don’t you?” -Mylene asked her.

“I would be a pretty awful teacher, if I didn’t believe that people can change.” -Miss Bustier admitted. –“But sometimes it’s hard for some people to change, because they don’t have any reasons to change. Jeanne may be one of them. But like I said, I want to believe that maybe one day she’ll be given the right incentive to change.” -she said.  

“Like Chloe did.” -Mylene said.

“Exactly.” -Miss Bustier said. –“For her own good, it would be a good thing, if she changed, because instead of a bully, we would have someone who didn’t wish to inflict pain on others, just because she has the power to do it. But as someone once said, that is something that we’ll have to wait and see.” -she smiled.

Chapter 26: Uncertain Future

Chapter Text

When Mylene told the rest of the class what had happened in the principal’s office, no one in class believed her at first. It was hard for them to imagine that Jeanne was possibly about to get a one-way ticket out of that school, permanently, courtesy of Principal Damocles. All because the day before, Mylene had the guts to finally stand up to Jeanne, and then lead her and her two lapdogs into what could have been perceived as karma striking. If Jeanne had simply accepted what had happened was an accident, and forgot about it, like the other two did, maybe she would have never ended up in the kind of trouble she was now. But she could only blame herself.

“About time that girl got what she deserved!” -Alix said. –“It’s just too bad I wasn’t in the room to celebrate it, because if I had been, I would’ve flipped her the bird, while doing a victory dance!” -she laughed.

“Don’t you think that’s a little too much?” -Max asked her, while raising an eyebrow at her. –“I mean, I know she was always picking on you and other people, but…” -he said.

“Not really. She would’ve totally deserved it. In the past, I would’ve done the same if it was Chloe, who got her comeuppance.” -Alix admitted, before turning to Chloe. –“No offense, your majesty.” -she told her.

“None taken.” -Chloe told her. –“For what I did to so many, I believe I did deserve that treatment from you, or anyone else.” -she admitted, as a light smile appeared on her face.

“It’s a good thing that’s all in the past. And it’s not you who karma decided to punish.” -Sabrina declared, smiling at the blonde.

“I’m just surprised that it was you who finally put her in her proper place, Mylene.” -Kim admitted. –“I always thought that Miss Mendeliev would get tired of her crap and forced the principal to kick her out of the school.”

“Well, I’m not.” -Ivan smiled, as he placed himself behind his girlfriend, and put his hands on her shoulders. –“Mylene’s pretty awesome, and she put Jeanne in her place, by telling the truth.” -she said, making his girlfriend smile.

“A heroine, with or without her mask on. A regular everyday Forest Doe.” -Max declared.

“That’s what I told her!” -Pin said. –“And by now, she should know it!” -she winked  

All those statements and praises made Mylene blush lightly. She tried not to, but she had no control over how her blood vessels worked. Feeling slightly hotter on the face, she smiled at her friends.  

“Looks like you have competition, when it comes to blushing like a ripe tomato, girl!” -Alya told Marinette.  

“The way you say it, it’s like I’m the only one who blushes around here, whenever someone praises her.” -Marinette said, as she too blushed a little, without wanting to.

“No, you’re not. But you’ve got the be the one who blushes more and faster! Just like you’re doing it, right now!” -Alya exclaimed, while laughing, which made the rest of the class also let out a few chuckles.   

The sound of laughter and chuckles was music to Caline Buster’s ears. And whenever she heard laughs, giggles and chuckles coming out of her students’ mouths, it was a sign that they were happy. And that made her happy as well. But as much as she wanted to let them continue to laugh and celebrate what Mylene had accomplished, she knew she had to let her students know it was time to get back to work.  

“Now, everyone, I know that you’re all happy that Mylene didn’t get into trouble. But I must remind you that we need to get back to our class. You wouldn’t want fail your final exams, now, would you?” -Miss Bustier asked them, as she clapped her hands, demanding that all of them got back to their designated seats.

“Yes, miss Bustier.” -they all said in chorus, as they returned to their seats.  

“I know that you’re all tired, and you just want to find something fun to relax. But as much as I want to let you do that, I can’t.” -Miss Bustier smiled at them. –“Your finals are just around the corner, in a couple of weeks. And we need to make sure that you’re all ready for them.” –she stated.

“Couldn’t we just skip the finals, miss Bustier?” -Kim asked her. –“I mean, none of us is flunking, thanks to our previous grades. So, why should we mess with those great grades we have?”

“Because it’s the law, you idiot!” -Alix said, as she turned around and raised an eyebrow at him.

“Now, Alix, there’s no need for insults.” -Caline told her. –“But she’s right, Kim. It’s the law. Besides, once your through with them, you can start thinking of what you’re going to do during the summer.” -she stated.

“With our luck, we won’t even be able to go our senior trip to Lloret del Mar.” -Nino said.

“Don’t say that, Nino!” -Alya exclaimed, as she threw a pen at him, hitting him on the shoulder. –“You’ll jinx it!” -she said.

“Yeah! Don’t jinx it, with those comments of yours.” -Trixx told him, agreeing with Alya. –“You know your girlfriend is anxious about this trip.” -she said.

“Okay, okay, I’ll shut up!” -Nino exclaimed. –“A guy can’t even say what he thinks anymore.” -he thought to himself.    


During lunch, Adrien was practically asleep, and looked more like a zombie, than anything else, as he did his best to remain awakened. More than once he closed his eyes, only to open them moments later. Knowing what had happened with his aunt, Miss Bustier did not say a word to him, and allowed him to rest, while the class went on. But this all changed, when he called Nina and asked her, if his father and Nathalie had woken up yet, and if there was any more news about his aunt. She quickly told him that his father had already gotten up, but that Nathalie was still in bed. And as for his aunt, they called from the hospital, saying that she was awake and could receive brief visits. Hearing this, Adrien felt a sudden boost of energy coursing through his body, dissipating any sign of drowsiness or sleep he might that. Asking Nina to tell his father that he was going to the hospital, before going home, he hung up.   

Promptly, Marinette told him that she was going to accompany him. And she was not the only one. Nino told him that he and Alya were coming along too. Chloe also told Adrien she was going and asked Sabrina if she wanted to come too, but she told her that she had to go shopping with her mom. From the rest of the gang, the only one who did not have any plans that prevented her from going was Alix.

“You see what I told you? Your aunt is tough as nails!” -Alix exclaimed, as she patted Adrien on the back.  

“I better call Jean and tell him that I’m going with you, and that he doesn’t need to pick me up.” -Chloe said, as she pulled out her cell phone.

“Better warn my parents too.” -Marinette said. –“Because I’m limping, my dad brought me to school today, and told me that he would come to pick me up.” -she stated.

“You think they will let you come, with that knee of yours, girl?” -Alya asked her.

“I’ll just tell them that Adrien will give me a ride home.” -Marinette answered her. –“Nothing a little sweet talk won’t do.” -she said.

And that was all it took. One phone call, where she explained to Tom and Sabine what had happened, and they told her she could go, provided her boyfriend would give her a ride home. Shortly after classes ended, Gorilla arrived in one of the Agreste limos to pick up Adrien and the others. Driving through the busy streets of Paris, he got them to the hospital relatively fast. Once there, he told him to park and that they would not be too long.   

Entering the hospital, they were welcomed by the unmistakable scent of disinfectant in the air. It was not a pleasant scent. Because it reminded them all of the fact that they were entering a place where sick people came to get well.

“Ah, shoot! We should’ve passed by a flower shop to get some flowers for my aunt.” -Adrien sighed, realizing his mistake.

“Why don’t you buy some from the gift shop, over there?” –Marinette told him, as she pointed to the shop.

“Why would he? Those flowers look absolutely horrible. Like no one has watered them in days.” -Chloe pointed out.

“It’s the thought that counts.” -Alya pointed out. –“But I’m with Chloe on this one, girl. Those flowers look like they’ve seen better days.” -she said.

“Definitely. I’ve seen roses being sold by rose vendors near the city’s monuments that look better than those over there.” -Alix commented.

“You could always buy her one of those teddy bears with a “Get Well Soon” shirt on them.” -Nino suggested.

“I agree. That would certainly warm her heart.” -Marinette said.

“Then, I’ll do it.” -Adrien said, as he and Marinette went to the gift shop.   

Looking through the teddy bears the shop had for sale, it was a bit hard to choose, because they all looked the same. In the end, they decided to choose the one with the best t-shirt, which said “Please! Hurry and get well soon.”. Paying it, they then joined the others and walked to the reception desk.

“Good afternoon.” -Adrien greeted the receptionist.

“Good afternoon, young man. How may I help you?” -the woman asked Adrien.

“We’re here to see Amélie Graham du Vanily.” -Adrien said.

“Oh, I see. Let me check if she can get any visits.” -she said, as she checked the list. –“Let’s see… let’s see… ah, here it is! She’s in room 113, wing A, fourth floor. But I must warn you, that she can only have one person in the room, and only for about five minutes.”

Hearing that, Adrien was both happy and sad. He was happy that he was going to get to see his aunt. But when hearing that only one person could stay in the room for a couple of minutes, made him realize that his aunt’s condition was still quite delicate.

“You go on. We’ll wait here for you.” -Marinette said. –“Tell her we said hi, okay?” -she smiled at him.

“Okay. I won’t be long, I promise. And I’ll tell her that you all said hi.” -Adrien said, before kissing Marinette.

“Oh, Adrikins, I’m calling Jean and asking him to order and deliver a few bouquets of flowers to your aunt’s bedroom.” -Chloe said, as she pulled her cell phone from her pocket. –“Do you know which are her favourite flowers?” -she asked Adrien.

“Not really. But if she shares some of my mom’s tastes, then she loves peonies and carnations.” -Adrien said, remembering of his mom’s favourite flowers.   

“Okay. But just in case they’re not her favourites, I’m going to tell Jean to get bouquets and vases with all kinds of flowers. That way, she’ll feel like she’s in a garden.” -Chloe stated, as she called her butler.

“While you’re at it, tell him to get a few sunflowers for your bedroom. I like to smell them.” -Pollen whispered to the blonde, from inside her backpack.

“I’ll see what I can do.” -Chloe whispered, as she waited for Jean to answer her, which he did, the following second. –“Jean? I need to ask you something.” -she said.

Taking the elevator, he punched the button for the fourth floor. Looking up at the elevator’s floor indicator, he wondered how Amelie would look like, when he reached the bedroom. And just like before, he feared the worst, and his mind began to be filled with all sorts of bad thoughts. Placing his head out of Adrien’s jacket pocket, Plagg saw on the blond’s face that he needed help to snap out of where his mind was heading.

“Come on, Adrien, don’t be so gloomy! I rather see you smiling.” -Plagg said, as he peaked his head out of Adrien’s jacket pocket. –“You’re about to see your aunt! That’s a good reason to smile about!” -he told him.  

“Sorry. It’s just that, I don’t even know how my aunt is. I don't know if she's all bandaged, that we can't even see her face, or if she doesn't have any bandages. If she’s linked to machines, or no machines at all. In fact, I don't even know what state she's in, or whether she's asleep or awake.” -Adrien told him.

“Then, you’re about to find out.” -Plagg said, as he looked and saw the number 4 in the floor indicator. –“Remember, if she was too banged up, she wouldn’t be allowed to have any visits.” -he pointed out.

Hearing this, Adrien realized the black cat kwami was right. If she was allowed to receive brief visits, it meant she was not as bad as he imagined. Once the elevator doors opened, he exited and saw in front of him a sign indicating the direction to the two separate wings. Left for the women’s B wing and right the women’s A wing. Already on the A wing, Adrien looked for room 113. Finding it, he hesitated for a brief second, before going in. Opening the door, he saw the room had three beds. Two of them were vacant, while on the last, next to the window was a woman, lying on it. It was Amelie. Approaching her, Adrien saw that she was wearing a hospital gown and was hooked up to a heart monitor, and was also wearing a nasal catheter. Her face, despite a few cuts looked unharmed, and seemed to not be in pain. Still, seeing her like this, Adrien remembered about his mother’s funeral, and had to push them away.  

S-Stop it! This isn’t like in mom’s funeral!” -Adrien thought to himself.    

Placing the teddy bear he had bought for Amelie, Adrien sat by her side, and stared at her. He had imagined she would be in a much worse state. But now he was relieved that what he had imagined did not come true. And made him smile. It was not his usual smile, but it was still a smile. A few seconds went by, when Amelie opened her eyes, little by little, and saw her nephew looking at her.

“A-Adrien...” -Amelie stuttered, with a weak voice.

“Yes, it’s me, aunt Amelie.” -Adrien said, smiling. –“I came to visit you.” -he told her.

“S-Sorry…” -Amelie stuttered once more, apologizing.

“Sorry? For what?” -Adrien asked, when it hit him. –“Oh, the movie. It’s okay. It’s not your fault. We’ll go another time, when you get better.” -he assured her.

It was hard for Amelie to keep her eyes open. She tried to keep them open as long as possible, but ended up closing them. Her mind was an absolute mess, with her not remembering what had happened, or how she had ended up there. The strength she had was almost inexistent. Right then, she just wanted to be quiet, while listening to what was going on around her.

“She doesn’t look that bad.” -Plagg said. –“From the way Nathalie spoke last night, you’d figured she would be in a worst state.” -he commented. 

“Plagg, please, hush.” -Adrien whispered, begging him to remain silent.

Not wishing to disturb her, Adrien remained there in silence, watching Amelie, and wondering what could have happened to her. More than once he had to ask Plagg to keep quiet, in case Amelie could hear him. One of the nurses who was doing her rounds, saw Adrien in the room, and quickly told him that Amelie needed her rest. Promising her he would not stay long, she left him to say goodbye to Amelie, while she returned to her rounds. 

“I better go now. This little guy here, we’ll keep you company, until I come back. Oh, and Marinette, Alya, Nino, Chloe and Alix, they all say hi.” -Adrien said, as he pointed to the teddy bear. –“I promise I’ll come back tomorrow to see you, again.” -he said, as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.  

Feeling better after seeing his aunt, Adrien went back the way he came, entering the elevator and making his way down, into the lobby. As he went down, a thought came to his mind; he was going to be able to sleep like a rock, that night, believing that there would be no more nightmares involving his aunt fighting for her life or dying on them. 

But this thought evaporated from his mind, as the elevator doors opened and he heard a familiar voice. A voice that was speaking louder than necessary, and that was not at all happy with what was going on. His father’s voice. At first, he thought he was just imagining things. But as he turned the corner, he saw that he was not imagining it. Gabriel was standing by the reception desk, arguing with three men, Adrien had never seen before. The others were so absorbed by what was happening, that they did not see Adrien approaching.

“H-Huh? Adrien?!” -Alix said. –“You’re back already?” -she asked him.

“Yeah, I am. What’s going on?” -Adrien asked his friends. –“When did my dad get here?”

“He arrived a minute ago, to check on your aunt, just like you. Nina brought him.” -Alya said, pointing out to the young assistant, who was standing by Gabriel’s side, who was talking to the police officers.  

“Those detectives are here looking for your aunt.” -Marinette told hm.

“Detectives? Looking for my aunt? But why? What does the police want with her?” -Adrien asked her, not understanding what was going on.  

“They’re saying that they have proof that she was La Paon.” -Alya said.

The words that came out of Alya's mouth hit Adrien with the force of a locomotive. Not in his wildest dreams had he ever imagined his aunt's name, and La Paon's, in the same sentence. Especially then it came to accusing her of being a terrorist.

“W-Wait, what?!” -Adrien asked, shocked by what he had just heard.

“It’s true. They say that they have video proof of her turning into La Paon. And that they also have the testimony of one of her colleagues.” -Chloe told hm.


On that night, once they knew their parents and siblings were asleep, the young heroes teleported to the Garden of the Ancients, to discuss what had happened to them over the last 48 hours, and more importantly, what they had found out that afternoon, regarding Adrien’s aunt part in that story.

Gathering around in a circle, with the kwamis at the centre, they hoped that a conversation with the old master and their teacher, would help them to process everything. And more importantly, to decide what they were going to do next.   

“There’s also the fact that thanks to Brutus, who got zapped in the process, we found out that when we try to snatch a miraculous which had its kwami fused with the miraculous itself, we get fried.” -Marinette said.

“How come we didn’t know, or even imagined that would be possible?” -Rose asked.

“Maybe it’s because we never got close enough to Hawk Moth to snatch his miraculous. And you can bet that he would never tell us something like that.” -Ivan declared. –“Plus, the few times the idiots working for him that managed to touch our miraculouses, they didn’t get zapped. So, there was no real reason for us to even suspect that would happen with miraculouses of our enemies.”

“Well, at least now we know that happens. And we can find a way to bypass that little problem, right, master?” -Miss Bustier asked him.

“Indeed.” -Master Fu said.

“Still, I don’t understand one thing.” -Juleka said. –“How come you didn’t know about it earlier, master? I mean, other miraculous holders must have snatched the miraculous from Hawk Moth, even if temporarily. And if they did, there should’ve been records of it."

“I’m afraid I can’t give you a straight answer, my dear.” -Master Fu declared. –“In the case of the miraculous holders of my old team, none of us was even able to get close to Hawk Moth to try and snatch it. And the same thing was with the team that my master belonged to.” -he explained.

“Maybe it was just a piece of information that was lost in the sands of time.” –Tikki said. –“In any case, we kwamis should’ve known about that.” -she admitted, as she landed on Marinette’s left shoulder. –“And quite honestly, I don’t remember any of our holders to have had that problem before.”

“Perhaps the moth and peacock miraculouses evolved, and we failed to see that happening.” -Wayzz theorized.

“Or, there is another possibility.” -Alya declared. –“Maybe hers is the only one who does that for some reason, and she lied to us about it.” -she said.

“But why would she do that, foxy fox? I mean, what would she gain by telling us that?” -Nino asked her.

“I don’t know. But deception is a very powerful tool. And depending on who uses it, it can tilt things to their favour.” -Alya said. –“Imagine that she lied to us about that miraculouses like hers, which had their kwamis fused with the miraculouses themselves, have that safety feature, which hurts anyone who touch them. And now imagine that we fell for it, and when given the opportunity to grab wither hers, or Hawk Moth’s miraculous, we would hesitate, and that would give them the chance to kill us, right there.” -she explained her theory.

“That is a good reason for her to do it.” -Trixx agreed. –“And it would explain how none of us kwamis, ever heard that before.” -she added.   

“As Sun Tzu once said: All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.” -Master Fu said. –“So, yes, deception is most definitely a possibility; I must admit.” -he agreed. –“In any case, even if it’s just a lit, I’ll try and look for a solution, so that if this lie turns out to be a truth, you’ll able to grab those two miraculouses and snatch them off of their holders, without any problems.”

“It’s a good thing we’ve got you by our side, master.” -Mylene said. –“Without you, we wouldn’t have been able to do half the things we’ve done so far.” -she declared.

“You’re too kind, my dear. But I believe that you would’ve managed to do it, even without my help. You are all quite resourceful.” -Master Fu told her, making her smile.   

The old master knew just what to say that cheer up anyone. But on that night, there was one person who we know was going to be hard to cheer up; Adrien. The poor boy was still appalled by what he had heard and seen that afternoon. The others that were with him were also shocked by it, but in his case, it was worst. Finding out that his aunt was not only a victim of La Paon, but had also temporarily become her avatar, was something that nothing in the world could have prepared him for. Ever since he had arrived in the garden, with the exception of a couple of words, he had remained silent. In his head, he kept reliving the moment when the detectives showed up at the hospital reception looking for Amélie, as well as his father asking them what they wanted from her. And that was not the end of it. At dinner, he was the only who ate, as Gabriel remained on the phone with his lawyer, looking for advice on how to proceed, if the police changed their mind and ended up having Amelie charged with anything. Nathalie too was preoccupied with all that, and unlike Gabriel, she had not problem in confiding it to Adrien.   

But there was something else that was also echoing in his mind, and that was the moments where he, as Chat Noir, fought one-on-one against her. He kept reliving them, and felt bad about it. This was the first time he faced anyone who had been possessed by an evil force, and that he knew. And deep down, he hoped it would also be the very last.   

“My aunt was La Paon… that’s too much to process.” -Adrien sighed, while trying to understand how he did not notice it was her under the mask.” –“While I was fighting her,

“There was no way you could’ve known, Adrien.” -Plagg said. –“Making it impossible for anyone to truly recognize who’s behind the mask, is one of the powers a miraculous grants everyone who wears it. Even if you guys constantly doubt that, whenever you save someone who knows you.” -he pointed out.

“That still doesn’t make it any easier. Especially since deep in my heart, I know that my aunt became La Paon’s host against her will.” -Adrien told him. –“And  could’ve killed her. If I had used the full force of my powers, I could’ve turned her into ashes, Plagg.” -he said, as he imagined it. –“The thought alone is terrifying.”

“But it’s not your fault, bro. Plagg’s right.” -Nino told him. –“There was no way you could’ve predicted that was your aunt possessed by La Paon, and wearing the peacock miraculous.” -he said. 

“Yeah, well that doesn’t make me feel any better.” -Adrien sighed. –“Some of the injuries she sustained were most likely inflicted by me.” -he said.

“Like Plagg said, there was no way you could’ve known that, Adrien. And as much as it’s costing you to think about the worst that could have happened, it doesn't change what happened.” -Master Fu told him. –“And what happened is that you were protecting this city and its people from a menace. It’s true that that menace turned out to be your aunt possessed. But you did not know that. It could have been someone else.” -he said. –“Had you known about it, you would have acted differently, I’m sure. But you didn't know. And wasting time thinking about what could have been, doesn't help you or anyone else. I don't say you should forget. But I say you must keep moving forward, for your own good.”

Fu’s words were a little bit harsher than what Adrien and the others were used to hear. But he knew he was right, when he spoke them. He could not continue to think about that matter, like t was some irremediable tragedy, especially since Amelie survived and according to the doctors, she was going to make a full recovery, within the next few weeks. He had to make an effort to put it all behind hm, no matter how hard it was.

“The master’s right. You did not know. And what matters is that she’s going to get better.” -Marinette told him.   

“I know. Still, it’s hard to stop thinking of what would’ve happened if we had hurt her for real, Marinette.” -Adrien sighed. –“On top of that, now that my aunt’s no longer under La Paon’s control, it means that crazy witch will probably possess someone else.” -he said.

“You’re right. I hadn't even thought about that.” -Marinette admitted. –“This wouldn’t have happened if we had gotten our hands on the peacock miraculous.” -she sighed. –“Who knows where it is now?”

With everything that happened, it was only then that Marinette realized just how serous that whole situation was. Amelie was no longer under La Paon's control, but her miraculous was lost. And it was only a matter of time before a new victim was possessed by the peacock miraculous.

“I don’t know where it might be now. It could be near the place where Adrien’s aunt was found, or it could be somewhere else.” -Marinette theorized. –“Who knows where it is, and if it has been found by someone else.” -she sighed.  

“The way you’re talking now, it’s like it’s your fault the miraculous is lost.” -Tikki said.

“And it is our fault, Tikki. We’re all to blame, because we had an opportunity to get ourselves ahead in this game of cat and mouse, and fate didn’t let us take it.” -Marinette told her. –“Who knows what would’ve happened, if we had got it from La Paon. Or even better, if we had found out that the peacock miraculous was right there, in the Louvre?” -she asked the scarlet kwami.. –“If we had gotten it, maybe Adrien’s aunt wouldn’t have ended up in the hospital, and we wouldn’t have the miraculous, lying somewhere in this city, just waiting for someone to find it and get possessed by La Paon’s spirit, again.”  

“You’re trying to carry the weight of the world in your shoulders again, Marinette. That’s not good for you” -Miss Bustier told her, as she looked Marinette in the eyes.  

“I keep telling her that, but she doesn’t listen.” -Tikki said.

“Look, Marinette, like you said, fate didn’t allow you to know the miraculous was there. And as much as we want to say it otherwise, sometimes in life we must have a good bit of luck, for things to happen. Luck wasn’t on our side this time.” -Miss Bustier declared. –“But that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. It doesn’t mean next time luck won’t be on our side.”

Marinette knew Miss Bustier was doing her best to make her feel better. And usually, she had a knack for it. But right then, her words felt almost meaningless. Even so, she smiled at her teacher, hoping that she would feel better about it, later.

“I just hope your aunt doesn’t get into trouble with the law, Adrien.” -Rose said. –“It’s not her fault all this happened.” -she declared.   

“From what I found out through my dad, they don’t plan to arrest her, and they’re not going to press any charges against her either. It’ll be basic Akuma attack protocol.” -Sabrina explained. –“But when she’s better, they’ll want to interrogate her, in the hopes of finding out anything about La Paon, and by extension, where she could’ve gone, and if she’s in cohorts with Hawk Moth.” -she said.

“Pardon my French, but that part of La Paon being in cohorts with Hawk Moth is just plain stupid.” -Chloe said. –“I mean, people saw them trying to kill each other. Hack Moth even reduced her Sentimonster to ashes. What other proof do they need to see that they’re not working together?!” -she asked. –“Sometimes I think that every police officer in this town is ridiculously stupid… not counting your dad, of course, Sabrina.”

“Thanks. And I know that you don’t think my dad’s stupid.” -Sabrina smiled at her. –“To be fair, he thinks that the idea of them working together is ridiculous. He told me and my mom yesterday, that just because they’re bent on conquering the world or destroying it, it doesn’t mean they have to be working together to accomplish it.” -she declared. 

“Well, just because your dad doesn’t believe that, it doesn’t mean the others won’t.” -Mika told Sabrina. –“Even with all that happened yesterday, they’re not going to stop to look for an answer, even when it’s staring them right in the face.” -the wolf kwami pointed out.  

“Yeah, well, good luck on trying to get anything out of Adrien’s aunt. -Kim sighed. –“If it’s like all the people who get turned into an Akuma, then, she’ll remember nothing of what happened to her, once she got possessed.” -he said.

“Agreed.” -Imp said, as he landed on Kim’s shoulder. –“If she’ll remember anything, it’ll be a miracle, and a tragedy. Because who would ever want to remember all the nasty things

“Maybe it’s for the best. If it was me, I wouldn’t like to remember hurting the people, while having no control over my actions.” -Adrien sighed.

Spirits were low. There was no way to deny it. The only good thing that had happened to them in those last few days had happened to Mylene, and even that wasn't enough to make her feel better compared to her friends. In fact, having managed to expose Jeanne as the bully that she was, made him feel bad, when he thought that the others, not even a small victory like that had.

“So, what’s our next move? What are we going to do, regarding all that happened?” -Max asked.

“I don’t know. Right now, I just want this day to be over.” -Adrien sighed, as Marinette patted him on the back.

“I support that idea.” -Nathaniel agreed. –“A good night’s sleep will do us some good.” -he declared.

“Oh, come on, guys! Stop moping around! We can’t let this get to us!” -Alix exclaimed. –“Look, you’re not the only ones who are feeling like crap. I’m also feeling like crap. And yeah, we lost. But we’re still here, right?” -she asked. –“If one of us wasn’t here anymore, then, that would be a problem. But we’re all still here Strength is in numbers, and we’ve got to stick together, if we hope to continue to do what we do, whenever those creeps show up!”  

What Alix said was true. They were allowing all that had happened to drag them down, and that was something they could not allow to happen. So, even if she was feeling down herself, Marinette felt the need to say a few words, which she hoped would cheer them all up, and help them see things differently.  

“Alix is right. We can’t let this get to us. It’s like miss Bustier told me earlier. We need to believe that as bad as things have been, that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and that next time, luck will be on our side.” -Marinette declared. –“So, here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to home, and try to have a good night’s sleep. And then tomorrow, we’re going to train even harder than we have, and we’re going to make sure that when La Paon comes back, that we’ll be ready for her, just like we’re ready for Hawk Moth and his minions.” -she said. –“But more importantly, we’re not going to let the bad things get to us, because we’re all in this together, and like always, we have each other’s back. If one of us is in trouble, then the rest we’ll do anything in their power to make sure that that trouble becomes nothing more than a memory.”

Like it had happened many times, after what was an incredible speech, there were applauses. Despite feeling bad and blaming herself for some things not going as planned, Marinette realized that the most important thing was to look into the future with hope, and not continue to dwell on the past and her mistakes. One more, she proved that one of the reasons why she was the leader, was that she could find the good in the bad, and show it to everyone, and cheer up their spirits.  

“Now, there’s one of those amazing Marinette speeches that give us all goosebumps, girl.” -Alya smiled, as she stopped clapping and hugged her best-friend. –“I don’t know how you do it, but you always find a way to come up with the most inspirational speeches ever.” -she told her.

“Thanks, Alya. But I was just speaking from the heart.” –Marinette declared.

“And that’s why you’re the boss lady of this gang.” -Kim laughed.

“If you say, so. But Alix helped out too. I’m nothing without all of you.” -Marinette told him.

“Glad to have helped.” -Alix smirked.

“Humble as ever.” -Chloe said, with a sassy voice. –“I don’t think I would ever be able to be as humble as you are, Marinette. If it was me, I would always be saying that praises are never enough.” -she smiled.

“We know.” -Everyone said in chorus, which made them all laugh.  

Before heading home for the night, the old master invited them all for a cup of tea, telling them that it would do them good, and ensure they had pleasant dreams. And like always, Kim and some of the kwamis asked him if along with the tea, they were also entitled to something sweet to with it. Smiling, the old master nodded, before going to the temple’s kitchen, to take care of the tea, followed by miss Bustier, who decided to lend him a hand.  

“They’re growing up so fast.” -Miss Bustier commented with the old master.

“Indeed. But hopefully, not too fast. And that is a good thing.” -Master Fu said. –“Walt Disney once said that growing older s inevitable. But growing up, is entirely optional:” -he chuckled. –“And I want them to keep having the same attitude they have now, as the years go by. I want them to continue to have that almost childish belief that no matter what happens, things will work out in the end, as long as they keep believing in themselves and others.”

“You aren’t the only one.” -Miss Bustier declared. –“But it’s not going to be easy. Yesterday, they fought their hardest battle yet. Today, Adrien found out that La Paon used his aunt as a vessel. If for us adults, seems too much, imagine for a teenager.” -she sighed worried. –“And I fear what might come their way next.”  

“Which is why we too, have to step up our game. In case they need help, we must be ready to lend them a hand in the battlefield.” -Master Fu said, as he grabbed the kettle.  

“I agree. By the way, who do you think will strike first next? Hawk Moth or La Paon?” -Miss Bustier asked.

“Hard to say. But if I had to bet my money on it, I would say Hawk Moth.” -Master Fu answered her. –“Until La Paon can get a new host, which might take a while, he’ll be the main cause of trouble. Because I believe that La Paon will not want the first person who finds her miraculous to be its new vessel, we’ll probably won’t have to worry about her.” -he theorized. –“Of course, I might be wrong about it too.”

“I really wish we knew where the peacock miraculous is, right now.” -Miss Bustier declared. –“If we managed to get it, it would be one less thing for us to worry about.” -she sighed.  

“I share the same feeling We have no idea where the peacock miraculous might be. And unfortunately, a miraculous can’t be traced through magic. If that was possible, Hawk Moth would’ve tried that trick, a long time ago.” -he admitted.

“But what about that other enemy you told me about… the Collector?” -Miss Buster asked. –“You told me that he could feel the magic energy from the miraculous, and that’s how he managed to track them to Paris.” -she pointed out. –“Couldn’t we try and replicate that power of his, by using similar magic?” 

“I would like to say yes, but I’m afraid not. I believe he was only able to track down the miraculous, because the armour he wears gave him that power.” -Master Fu confessed, as he placed the kettle on the stove.

“That’s too bad.” -Miss Bustier admitted. –“Still, if nothing can be done about t, we better just focus on what can be done. And that’s to prepare for whatever challenge our enemies might throw at us.” -she declared, as she looked at the old master looking at his collection of teas. –“Which one will we be tasting today? Something exotic?”

“More or less.” -Master Fu smiled. –“It’s a tisane of valerian root and passion fruit. These two are known to help a person to sleep, and to have pleasant dreams.” -he explained.

“And nobody deserves that more than they do.” -Miss Buster declared. –“I know they need to study for their finals. But tomorrow, I think I’m going to take them on a small field trip, even if it’s just to the garden, and allow them to relax and enjoy the sunlight.” -she said. –“That will help them to keep their spirits up, and will provide a good distraction, given their future is uncertain, and they should try and make the most of the present.””

“You do that. They will enjoy it.” -Master Fu said. –“I wish I could say that I was going to do the same, regarding their training, but I can’t. So, it’ll be good for one of us to help them take things easy, even if it’s just for one day.” -he stated.

Chapter 27: Epilogue

Chapter Text

A few days went by after La Paon's attack. In Paris, everyone believed she had been just another Akuma, who decided to rebel against Hawk Moth, without even suspecting what had truly happened, and who she truly was. Unfortunately, even not knowing the full story, the events of what happened that day were enough for Ambroise Delay to make use of them in his continual propaganda against the Miraculous Team.

In his podcast, he once again tarnished the reputation of the Miraculous heroes, calling them menaces, psychos and one of the reasons why Hawk Moth was always targeting that city. He raged on, talking about his insane conspiracy theories on how the Miraculous Team and Hawk Moth were in cohorts. Most people continued to not pay attention to what he said, but the number of people who were beginning to buy into his theories kept growing, with many agreeing that something had to be done, for the sake of Paris and its people.

But that did not matter to the three sanitation workers, who had been called to check for a possible blockage in a pump station, below Rue Cler, near Ecole Polyvalente Privée la Rocherfoucauld. Three, each of them wearing their work clothes, along with an orange vest, whose only difference from one to the other, were the different coloured bands that each one had. One was blue, one was green, and one was red. The leader was the one with the green band and his name was Louis, and he was the first to go down the hole. In doing so, the nauseating smell that was felt on the surface only got worse. When he got to the bottom of the stairs, he turned on the flashlight to see where he put his feet and told the other two, Phillipe and Maurice to hurry.

Already down, the three men against the wall, which was slimy and smelly, like everything else, until they reached their destination, the pump station. This one was better lit than the tunnel they had come through. Still, the three of them kept their flashlights on as they worked. After examining things, they saw that one of the pipes was clogged due to a rather unusual number of broken branches. Having no other option, they needed to remove them in order to unclog the pipe.

"Close the floodgates and get the hose down here. We're gong to have to use suction to unclog this thing." -Louis ordered them. –"The faster we do this, the faster we can get out of here." -he said.

Getting to work they did as they were told, and quickly closed down the floodgates, preventing the water from entering the pump station. Once that was no longer a problem, they began to work, removing the what it was blocking the pipe, with the help of the suction hose. The noise it made was similar to someone slurping soup. More than once they were forced to stop, to remove larger pieces of debris that clogged the hose. Finally, after nearly half hour, the pipe was unclogged.

"Yuk… even after we unclogged that pipe, it stilll reeks!" -Phillipe said, as he removed the upper part of the hazmat suit.

"Well, what did you expect, Phillipe? It's a sewer tunnel, like every other sewer in this city. It's normal that reeks." -Louis asked, as he helped him

"Yeah, but there are some that reek more than others. And this is one of those that the stench makes me wish I had skipped lunch." -Phillipe said. –"No matter how many years in this job, my stomach will never get used to this stench." -he declared.

"I agree." -Maurice told him.

"Well, the worst is done. Let's just collect the hose, pack our things and open floodgates, and we can get out of here." -Louis stated

Pulling the hose from the water, they were about to collect it, when they noticed that there was something big stuck inside the hose. Knowing they could not leave it like that, they decided to remove it, before finishing collecting it.

"It's probably just one last broken brunch that got stuck. We break them, but even so, they always get stuck in the suction hose." -Philippe sighed. –"Let's open the junction and take it off, so we can finally get out of here." -he said.

Unscrewing the junction, Philippe placed his arm inside it, and quickly found the broken brunch, and pulled it out, alongside a hand full of gunk, slime and small pebbles that were also clogging the hose. But that was not all that he pulled out of the hose. Covered in smelly gunk, was a jewel, a peacock-shaped blue brooch. Philippe and the other two had fished some interesting objects from the sewers over the years, but this was the first time any of them found jewellery. Little did they know that what he had found was the peacock miraculous.

"What do you have there?" -Louis asked, curious.

"It's a brooch. And it looks beautiful. Someone with expensive taste must have lost it, and ended up here." -Philippe said, as he admired his finding. –"These look like real gemstones. I think I just found this year's birthday present for my wife."

"It sure looks a lot prettier than that necklace you gave her last year." -Maurice commented. –"I bet she's going to love it." -he said.

Continuing to look at the brooch, Phillipe imagined the woman's reaction when she saw it. That was going to be the most beautiful gift he had ever given her. But suddenly, this one started to release sparks, as if it were alive. Dropping him onto the railing platform, he continued to behave as if he had a life of his own, frightening him and the other two men.

"H-Hey! W-What's going on?!" -Louis asked, without taking his eyes of the peacock miraculous.

The sparks continued to grow in size. And it was not just the sparks that were growing. The fear the three men were feeling right then, was also growing. None of them understood what was going on. And then, unexpectedly, three large lightning bolts shot from the miraculous and hit them, making it impossible for them to move. The only thing they could do was scream in pain. The electrical energy coursing through their bodies made them feel like they were frying from the inside out, causing them extreme pain. But then, the pain subsided. The men continued to not understand what was going on, but they were relieved the pain was gone. Unfortunately, this was the very last happy thought they ever had.

"W-What's happening to me?!" -Maurice asked, as he saw his hands begin to wither.

What happened next to the three men was something out of a horror film. Their hair began to grow at an accelerated pace, while also becoming white; their skin quickly began to wrinkle. Their muscles began to shrivel, until they were nothing more than skin and bones- But that was not the end. Next their organs started to dwindle. Looking at each other in horror, they saw their faces grow crusty, their mouths wither away, and finally their eyes to dust. They tried to scream, but they could not, as their tongues had turned to nothing. This went on, until their bodies had turned to dust. The only proof they were ever there were their clothes.

Once they were dead, the peacock miraculous stopped spewing sparks and lightning bolts. A few seconds went by, before the peacock miraculous began to glow with an otherworldly blue glow. Lifting into the air, the miraculous floated for a few seconds, after which something incredible happened. The brightness began to increase, at the same time a sphere surrounded the miraculous. The sphere began to grow. And inside it something else was also growing. A body. In an attempt to possess the body of one of the men, La Paon absorbed all of their vital energy and the peacock miraculous created a new body for her, from that very same energy. When it was finally finished, the sphere receded until it fused itself with La Paon's new body. Opening her eyes, the villainess felt dizzy for a bit, as she realized she had created herself a body.

"I didn't even know I could do this." -La Paon said, as she admired her new body. –"Instead of possessing someone, creating a new body, by sucking the life force out of these poor simpletons, is far better. And as a bonus, I won't have to worry about having to fight over the control of this new body." -she declared, while looking around. –"I hardly remember what happened, after that woman kicked me out of her mind, and then threw my miraculous away. Safe to say that I ended up somewhere in the sewers."

It was dark, but there was enough light for La Paon to see her reflection in the pungent and disgusting sewer water. Her new appearance was in many ways, similar to when she possessed Amélie, with her skin still looking blue. Her nose was smaller, just like her cheek bones; but her lips were fuller. Her hair remained blue, but now sported a bob cut. As for her outfit, it was a dark blue leotard which covered her from neck to toes, with a cerulean and golden corset, adorned with her miraculous, and a knee-length sash with blue, purple and red peacock feathers. On her arms she wore cerulean and golden evening gloves. And on her legs, she wore cerulean thigh-high high heeled boots with golden tips and soles. The indigo mask adorning her face was also cerulean and dark blue, reflecting the colours of her clothes.

"Not bad. Not bad at all." -La Paon smirked. –"I don't dislike this new look at all." -she laughed, as she kicked the clothes that belonged to the three men. –"Those three lowly Franks were so kind to have given me their life energy. I'll be sure to put it to good use."

The excitement of having a new body quickly disappeared, and La Paon's thoughts changed, and she began to think on what she was to do next. The anger she had for Hawk Moth was still burning inside her. But this time, it was burning differently. It was not telling her that she needed to kill Hawk Moth and the Miraculous Tea, right away. Instead, it was telling her that she needed to bide her time, and maybe focus on something else, other than her revenge. And that was just what she was going to do.

"First things, first. I'll have to find a place to hide that doesn't stink." -La Paon said, as she began to walk down the sewer. –"And once I do, I'll begin to plan what I'm going to do, not only to Hawk Moth, but also those heroes. And I'm sure that I'm going to have fun." -she declared, before letting out a maniacal laugh, which echoed through the walls, as she disappeared into the darkness.

The End (for now)

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