#ladybug fic

“Sir please, I don’t think this is done yet. Please let me leave!” Damocles said as he tried to pull himself free.

This made Commissaire Bertolfo look at Damocles as he tried to figure out who he was. He was part of the double Akuma attack, one of them anyway. But who was he? All I got was a copy of one of New York’s heroes was behind all this. still, what was he doing at the court in the first place? He thought as he looked at Damocles with a glare. “I’ll let you leave later. Once we had a nice talk!”

“Sir…..!” Damocles began only for one of the officers to grip his shoulder.

“Let the captain talk sir. We’ll let you go later,” The officer said and Damocles swallowed. The officer looked down at him and grinned. “Unless you have something to hide. Then we can have our talk right now!”

Damocles just blanched and looked away, his mind racing.

Tags: hybrids, hunting, dumbification, vore

I love the idea of predators being able to use their scent and pheromones while hunting to dumb down a prey.

Sweet, enticing waves of hunger and reassurance mix together in the most heady cloud that settles on the prey's skin and fills their lungs, intoxicating them. It fogs their mind, clouds their judgement, and makes them so easy to convince that being eaten is such a good idea. That it's the prey's own idea. Within minutes of playing with their meal like a cat with a mouse, the predator's little prey is practically begging to be devoured.

Every single little thing about predators are traps to invite prey to come closer, to lure them into submission, and that extends to their scent. They're gorgeous and distracting, with the most delectable mix of flavors in their pheromones that has any prey forgetting their own name for a moment... just long enough to be pounced and convinced that they would really, really love to get inside of the predator’s gut. That it would be so snuggly and safe... that it would be so relaxing and enjoyable. And, yes... yes that sounds like such a good idea. The best idea.

Jungkook was running for his life just moments ago, but now he can't remember why he was so scared. The wolf on top of him is so pretty and sweet, and he just proposed the best idea Jungkook has ever heard. He's never been inside of the belly of a predator before... it sounds so cozy and warm...

Namjoon purrs down at the cute little bunny who was too fat and slow to escape him. He has him pinned to the forest floor, and watches in pleasure as his enticing predator scent works its magic. Jungkook's eyes practically cloud over as he breathes in the scent, dumbing down and becoming so willing to be the wolf's next meal. His pupils blow wide and he whimpers with want as he mindlessly begs the huge predator over him to swallow him down so he can curl up safe and warm in the wolf's belly.

The predator indulges the bunny in his begging request. He lifts the plump treat up and swallows him down. His gut swells out to accommodate the fat bunny, and Namjoon burps in satisfaction. He's too lazy and heavy to drag himself back to his den, so he curls up in a cozy patch of moonlight in the forest and lounges in bliss. His gut gently jiggles back and forth as the prey inside squirms against the restrictive walls of his stomach. The predator chuckles and waits for reality to set in.

Prey are so dumb and easy to catch. They're so easy to hunt and convince that they should be his next meal. So delicious to swallow and so pleasurable to digest. The wolf belches as his gut gurgles, clearly pleased at the size of its plump prey. Namjoon rubs over the fat swell, cooing to the treat inside that he'll take such good care of him. The dumb little thing doesn't need to know that means he'll be devoured and turned into warm, yummy fat settled in the predator’s belly by morning.

Namjoon licks his lips as the drugs that the prey had breathed in from his predator scent wear off. The poor little bun realizes just what's happened once it's too late, that he's now tucked inside of the wolf's belly, waiting to be gobbled up. Namjoon chuckles when the prey whines and begs to be let out, trying to fight against the overpowering strength of the predator's digestive muscles, and failing as they start slowly kneading.

It's such a delight to feel the fiesty prey lose their fight, eventually settle down, and weakly submit to their fate. Such a delight to feel his belly growl in triumph and hear the little whimpers filtering from beneath the layers of thick padding.

Chapter 26

 A bit of a warning, a few characters who will have a bit of a bigger place in the plot down the road will appear in this chapter, and also spoiler and trigger warning, before the hearing we will meet a racist cop, soon to be ex-cop who will be not as important.

 All in all, enjoy the show.

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  As Alya moved through the school she saw people talking about her interview with Chloe and Sabrina as the New Bee and smiled.   Already the talks she could hear were more pro-Chloe than she thought they would be, and that was good.   After having a sit down with her and talking about a lot of things, Alya had to admit that Chloe was trying to be better and this might work, especially if what they wanted to happen.    

 Alya had been looking into homeschool options for a day, and the ones offered by the education department were good.   With Hawkmoth’s campaign, they were offered to a lot of students if their families felt it would be better for them.  Funny, the students at François Duport never got them, something that Alya was going to talk to the investigators about.

 As she and Chloe headed into the main courtyard she saw the others all looking around with worry.   “Didn’t find her?”

 “No, where is she?” Chloe said with a scowl.   “It’s just like that witch to do something like this!”  

 “You know, looking back you’re right.  And I can’t believe I didn’t see it before,” Nino said as he pulled his hat as the others all nodded.

 Nino and Kim shared a look, the two of them were childhood friends with Mari, they couldn’t believe that they had let that snake slither through the school biting at her for so long without seeing it!  Kim knew he couldn’t see things people did sometime, but he should have seen this!

 Chloe looked at them and grinned, happy that they agreed with her.   Lila had been a slippery little witch, and she was so happy people were finally wising up to it!   Now all they had to do was find Lila, set her down in front of the investigators and then, well then she knew a nice reform school on an island in the north sea that wasn’t coed.

 A few moments later a cough was heard from behind them.  They all turned and saw a slender and fairly tall French boy with rock-style black hair, tan skin, vivid green eyes under thick eyebrows and visible lashes, natural pink lips on a slender face and his chin was pointy.  He was wearing a V-neck rainbow tie-dye shirt which displays the colors in a ripple pattern originating from the center under an open bright red jacket, moderate azure jeans with the bottoms rolled up and several horizontal rips around his knees, and black boots with rainbow oil slick blotches.

 “Yeah Marc, you looking for Nath?” Kim asked and Marc shook his head.

 Marc looked away for a few moments as he wondered if he should get involved.  Do I owe him any loyalty at all?   He’s the stereotype of every bad teacher in the movies plus ‘jocks over all’, and there’s what happened to Mari. He thought and nodded, having come to a decision.   He took stock of himself and he scowled as looked back at the group.

 “If you’re looking for Lila, d'Argencourt let her out the door by the gym,” Marc said with a hard look in his eyes.

 “He did what?!” Chloe snarled out as she looked at him with a glare as the others behind her watched in shock.  I just thought the owl and the appeaser were the only slime in this school, but him!?   He’s a bastard, but letting her go after hearing what happened!?   I thought he had more principals than that!  She thought with a glare.  “Show us.”

 Marc said nothing and brought out the recorder she had been using and sent the file to Chloe’s student account.   As the others listened to it their respect for their gym teacher was destroyed completely, Chloe glared even harder and she started to growl in anger.  It was when she heard Marc gasp that she looked up and saw him pale in fear as he backed away from her.  she looked away and cursed her old actions.

 “Not mad at you writer, I expected some of the teachers would be better,” Chloe said and Marc went still before he nodded.

 Above Rebecca walked out of a meeting room and closed the door, sighing as soon as the door was closed.   So far this school was even worse than she thought it would be, even with the history of this place!   The problem in the lunchroom alone, the way some of the teachers didn’t seem to match what their files said they were plus how the students described their classes…… she knew this would be a problem but this, this was beyond anything she expected!   The sound of talking caused her to look down and see kids gathering below and frowned. She had specifically said where they could gather, what were they doing out there?  

 She scowled as she walked down the stairs and cleared her throat to get them to look at her.   “Excuses me, can you all tell me why you’re all out here?”

 Chloe looked up as Rebecca came closer to them, she didn’t know how to react to the question, having no idea how it would be taken.   The Education Department wasn’t something that she knew a lot about, how it was under the President and not her father, they spent most of their time away from the city and dealt with problems all over the country and they never bothered with Politics at all, so Chloe didn’t have any idea how she would react.   But before she could come to a decision Alya jumped the gun, causing Chloe and Sabrina to facepalm.

 “Lila’s gone!” Alya spat out and Rebecca blinked and then went still as she remembered who Lila was and how she was connected to this.

 “She left a few minutes ago, and I’ve got proof of who helped her,” Marc spoke up and Rebecca looked at him and frowned.

 “How do you have proof?” Rebecca asked as she tried to figure out how this all happened.   If the only student of the two at the core of the issue that brought her here ran away, that

 “I’m a writer mam, and I always record myself while I walk, better than writing on my phone……. Anyway I was going to the gym to maybe make a video for help writing sports scenes when, well I came across them,” Marc said and Rebecca looked at them all with a raised eyebrow.

 “I see,” Rebecca said as she turned around and looked up at Damocles as he stood at the top of the stairs.   So far Rebecca was convinced he was hiding something, and she wouldn’t like whatever it was when she found out.   Now this happened, and the picture is slowly becoming even worse!   If a student helped Lila get away, then it makes it seem that someone else was involved in this situation, and that meant it wasn’t a simple frame job.   She felt that she could call it a trick to frame Marinette, everything was probably going to be a lot harder.  “So another student is involved in this?”

 The students looked at each other as Rebecca turned around and took a step up the stairs, she would have kept going but Marc spoke up.

 “It wasn’t a student ma’am,” Marc said and Rebecca turned towards him and he cowed a little.

 Chloe had a moment when she thought that she should step back when she saw the look in Rebecca’s eyes.

 “What did you say?” Rebecca asked with a dangerous tone and Marc swallowed and removed a small recorder with a camera that he handed over to her.

 “Download from the USB port, has a few Gigs of memory,” Marc said and Max nodded.

 “Some of my best work, good microphone too,” Max said and Rebecca looked at it and frowned.

 “Really….” She muttered before she pulled out her phone, a wire that she plugged into her phone, and then she pulled out two headphones. Playing the most recent file she found, she watched.  Nice picture at least, good sound……. If this is from that far away, then up close might be even better.  She thought before she looked up at Max.   “You’re name and Class young man?”

 “Max Kante, Miss Bustier’s class mam,” Max said and Rebecca winced.  

 “Of course,” She muttered as she held her forehead.  So far the other students from that class had told her things that raised so many red flags that she was surprised that they could function normally!   So far she had to wonder how that woman had passed as a teacher in the first place!   The other teachers were good, but they were mostly overworked and had blind spots and she wondered if their training was up to date.  

 All in all, it seemed that no matter what happened they would need to close the school for a while, at least the home school programs could handle them.    She might need to release a few laptops or something, but she knew she could find a way around all the problems to help these kids.   And then there was the worst duty she had, talk to the person who was ‘expelled’ and tell them the truth about the paperwork. This is gonna be painful.   And to think, this might have gone unnoticed if I didn’t come here.  After all, she could have been expelled………. Rebecca’s thoughts stopped and she went still as a dark thought appeared in her mind and she knew she had to look into a few files, she had a bad feeling about this.

 “Okay, all you kids go back to wherever you’re all next on the list to interview.   After that, once everything is done, you all stay home until we contact you all, as of the end of the day, this school will be closed for a while,” Rebecca said bitterly as she turned and walked towards the office, trying not to let what she had thought of bother her.

 Chloe looked around at the other's faces and tried to keep calm.   The fact that another teacher, one that once ran for office against her father was slime was bad, the fact that he was Adrien’s teacher was even worse!   She just knew when she told the others about this, Adrien was going to take it hard, and Marinette was going to take it just as badly.

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 Marinette smiled and looked towards the door, smiling as she looked at the sky through the glass.  The lunch rush was over and her parents were enjoying a break and late meal, and for a moment she saw the good homeschooling might let do for everyone and sighed.   The last few days were the most chaotic she had ever experienced since Tikki had come into her life.   But she was stronger, with the team knowing each other’s identities, the school and Lila being dealt with, and the family looking into homeschooling for her, she felt that she was in a better position than she was before.   With her team knowing how Lila was and the hearing soon, she had a good feeling that the Lila problem would soon come to a close.

 The bell dinged and she turned and smiled, expecting a customer but saw Louise walk into the building looking concerned.

 “Louise, what is it?”

 Louise looked up and smiled shakily.  “Hey kid, your parents here?  As in here downstairs?”

 “No, Dad and mom are having lunch upstairs and playing a game with our guest for an hour while I watch the store…… what’s happening?” Marinette asked and he swallowed.

 “Well the board of education reached back, they sent a team to investigate the school………their agent is gonna come over here soon,” Louise said and Marinette went still.  On the surface that was something that could be good, but then she thought of Adrien hiding out here until his hearing……… if this person found him, then he might be taken back to his father, even if the restraining order was held up or with their luck, the person ignored it!

 “Go now, tell him to hide in my room!” Marinette said as she noticed a woman walking towards the store. Louise must have seen something in her eyes because he dashed past her and she heard him head upstairs moments before the woman walked in and smile at her.    Marinette smiled as she heard someone come down the stairs and her father came to stand next to her.

 “Can we help you?” Tom asked and the woman nodded.

 “No actually, I can help you.   My name is Rebecca, I work for the education department……. Now I have a few things to tell you, first your daughter hasn’t been expelled yet,” Rebecca said causing Marinette and Tom to blink in shock.

 “I’m Sorry, what!?” Tom demanded and Rebecca nodded as Louise appeared from the door to the apartment with Sabine behind him.

 “Yes, he never filled out the paperwork, I expect that if I hadn’t come then he might have made it out that he expelled you for being absent too much Miss Marinette,” Rebecca said and Marinette went still as her parent’s mouths dropped open before Tom started to growl as Sabine clenched her fists.

 “How dare he!  Who the hell does he think he is!?” Sabine demanded and Rebecca sighed and shook her head.

 “I don’t know, frankly that school was supposed to have been a lot better, I mean really!” Rebecca said as she looked at them before turning to stare a Louise as she brought out her phone.   “During the investigation, I came across some data that will affect the case, I turn it over to you here and now because I have to.”

 “What data?” Louise asked and Rebecca sighed and pulled out her phone and after a moment Louise gave her an email address and she nodded and sent it over.  

 As the Dunpain-Chengs, all listened to the file, Marinette’s parents glared at Rebecca who raised her hands.

 “Now I’m just the messenger, please understand.   Finally, the hearing for this terrible situation will be on Wednesday,” She said as she bowed and left the building before they could say anything.

 Sabine looked around and scowled, her good mood from watching Tom and Adrien play the game was gone, she was almost tempted to curse before she sighed and took a deep breath.

 “Well, this changes a few things.  Let me think and I’ll get back to you tomorrow and go over our strategy and what I expect the hearing will be, good luck and stay safe,” Louise said as he left through the door.  However, a moment after he left Alya appeared with a scowl that told Marinette that she had bad news to share.

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Two days later, Marinette and her parents walked towards the courthouse, her nerves shot.   Hawkmoth had been silent the last few days, no Akumas at all.   Lila had gone home early from school the other day, escaping the investigators and her classmates, part of Marinette wondered if she had left the country.   But then she half expected Lila to come and with a sob story turn the entire case around and have Marinette punished for wasting the court’s time.   And with everything else that happened she still didn’t know what they would do.  

But then she thought about what Rebecca had told them about what Damocles did or didn’t do, and she knew that the record had to be set straight. And then when Alya told them how Lila had gotten away and how d'Argencourt had helped Lila and insulted Marinette, it had taken a lot of talking on Marinette’s part to keep her parents from finding d'Argencourt and shaking him on her father’s part before her mother introduced her to her staff.  That night, she and Adrien had talked, both of them and their kwami’s were worried that Damocles had done something like this before.  

 “Don’t worry Marinette, this will be easy,” Sabine said softly and Marinette grinned at her.  

 “Yes mama,” Marinette said and she hoped that this would go well, but her thoughts were on what the holder of the Dolphin Miraculous had told them. Master Fu had gone through the Grimoire page by page, nothing at all about Atlantis or the Mage, and Fu was hurt.   He said he almost made himself believe that whoever had brought the Miraculous from Atlantis to the Order had cast the spells for a reason and forgotten about them over the years, a secret carried to the grave by accident or death in battle, but the book had been recreated half a year after he had been conscripted, for it to not have the truth, that was painful for him to admit that the Order didn’t deserve his loyalty.

 Max meanwhile had made a program to look up oriental myths and another to look up lore about flowers and gemstones, trying to find anything that might give them a clue to the ingredients they needed and Markov was searching as well, so she hoped they could find what they needed soon.

 “Don’t worry Marinette, the case is open and shut, we’ll win,” Tom said and Marinette nodded as she caught a flash of black on the rooftop.   They had thought that Lila or Damocles would be a great seed for Hawmoth, so above them Chat Noir, Carapace and Roi Singe were ready to come in to fight while Viperion was ready to Second Chance to make sure every civilian got out okay.

 “THERE YOU ARE!” A voice bellowed and they turned to see a bald man in a black suit walking towards them with a scowl on his face and had been arguing with Louise the lawyer.  “I don’t know how one of your kind thinks, but how dare you try and get out of your just punishment!  When I’m done, you won’t even be able to get into a school in any of Europe!”

 “Louise, who is this……. person?” Sabine asked as Louise made it to them.

 “All I know is this person came up to me and started to yell at me.   He has yet to give a name at all,” Louise said with a glare and the man puffed up and glared right back.

 “All you filth need to know is that I am empowered by the education board to handle cases like you!” The man said and Tom started to get angry himself.  Marinette saw movement above and shook her head, hoping that her team wouldn’t move and that Weredad wouldn’t make another appearance.

 “No, I don’t think that’s right at all,” A voice caused him to turn around and took a step back toward Tom. Marinette saw that his whole body was paling in what she thought was fear.   Following his gaze, she saw Rebecca walking toward them with a smile on her face that hardened as she looked at the man.

 “Hello, I didn’t fully introduce myself when I met you all before.  I’m Rebecca Clynefluss, the head of the Education Department for all of France. When I heard of this travesty I had to come and see it personally, and then I heard what this man said just now,” Alice said and the man paled as the family looked at Rebecca in shock.

 As they all watched the man swallowed and looked at Alice who grinned back and Tom thought he saw the man begin to sweat and lose color on his face.

 “You didn’t have to mam I was….” He said and Rebecca smirked at him and interrupted him.

 “I find it amazing that you’re here and made those threats just now, as I am the only person who has that authority in ALL of France,” Rebecca said softly and the man paled as she looked at him.  He gulped back up until he walked into Tom who glared down at him and he swallowed nervously.

 “I can explain!” He said and Rebecca smiled evilly and he paled more as she shook her head.

 “No, you won’t,” Rebecca said as two men in black uniforms appeared behind her and grabbed the man’s arms. Rebecca smiled at him as one of the two men hit the back of his head and knocked him out.

 Tom took a step backward in shock before he took another step forward, even if the man was a bastard he wouldn’t let the man be kidnapped in front of him. Rebecca held up her hands to placate Tom as the man was picked up.

 “Easy.  That was an Anti Hawkmoth protocol that the Union allowed that after the last contract/wage negotiation,” Rebecca said and looked back at the man.    “Good luck in there, and if something happens that was affected by what just happened to you, we’ll be in contact.”

 As they watched her turn and follow the two men and their prisoner to a car, the family looked at each other in confusion.  

  A cough behind them caused them to see Nadja standing there with a smile.  “Well, that was interesting, maybe a good story too.”

 “What are you doing here Nadja??” Sabine asked and Nadja grinned.

 “After I learned what happened, I decided to look into the school, I’m just here to take a few notes. When I show my story, I will keep Marinette’s name out of it I promise,” Nadja said and the family looked at each other before Marinette nodded.

 Moments later all of them walked into the courtroom and saw Mr. Damocles and Miss Bustier sitting at one of the two tables in front and Ivan, Mylene, Nathaniel and Nino sitting all over with Aurore and Millie sitting with Miss Mendeleiev, Rose and Juleka sitting together near the left exit.  A cough caused Marinette to turn around and see Nora in her street clothes with Alya standing against the right wall.  Alya waved and gestured with her chin at her phone that was recording everything. Nadja grinned and walked over, getting into a short conversation that ended with Alya and Nadja shaking hands, evil grins on their faces.

 At the other end of the room was a high table with a woman with blue eyes, red hair in a bun in a green blouse, and black pants, who banged a gavel, the sounds caused everyone to look at her.

 “It is now noon, and I am Lenore Zarklis, assigned head of this hearing; sent by the Education Department of Paris.  My friend to my right is Judge Daniel Rortarn of the greater France Justice Department and the final member of our panel is Doctor Leonard Carlson of one of the local hospitals,” Lenore said as she gestured first to the right and then to the left.  Daniel Rortam was a judge who had severed Paris for over thirty years, his tan skin, bald head, and black eyes behind glasses held a trace of wisdom in them, while his white shirt and blue pants gave off an air of peace.   On Lenore’s other side Leonard Carlson was a young man with black eyes, pale skin, blond hair dressed in black slacks and pants, a look of disdain on his face as he looked at Damocles.

 “Now this is the hearing that is required by law to happen in cases where the principal or a teacher feels a student has done something to warrant expulsion, as according to the law I am one of a trio of judges who will hear the issue, the evidence and then render judgment.  And for everyone here I am talking this way so the automatic record that will hear everything, it’s one of the procedurals that’s being tried out after a lawsuit against a ruling on a case last year, so let us start with the bare bones so to speak,” Lenore said and Daniel snorted.  

 “Let’s get this over with, I’ve got plans later,” Daniel said and Lenore glared at him.

 “Yes well, may the principal please speak the name of the school and the charges,”  Lenore said and Damocles stood up.

 “Of course Madame, I am Damocles, principal of Francoise-Dupont College.  The incident that resulted in the expulsion of the student in question; One Marinette Dunpain-Cheng cheated on a test, pushed a student down the stairs and had stolen from said student,” Principal Damocles said and Marionette heard her father growl at this.  Damocles looked at them with a cold expression, but the look in his eyes caused Marinette to gasp, as she realized he had been behind that man outside.    “And I offer the other parties the chance to end this as it is, no need to drag it out.”

 Louise smiled at them and stood up next a savage grin on his face.  “Your honor I am the lawyer for the Dunpain-Cheng family.   I will prove by the evidence and testimony that such actions were not only illegal but immoral as well.   And we are not backing down!”

 Damocles looked at them and blanched before he looked at the door as if he was expecting someone to come in and stop all this, an action that didn’t escape the three people at the high bench.

 “So let’s begin with the paperwork, more specifically the school’s version of events,” Judge Daniel said as the judges each opened the folder before them and started to read them, Leonard felt a frown growing on his face as he did so as he read the papers.

 After a few moments, each of the judges looked at each other and moved to talk to each other, each of them covering their microphones as before Leonard sighed and nodded

 “This makes no sense at all, did this happen as it’s written?” Leonard asked and Damocles looked a little confused.

 “Yes, that is what happened, at least after I left my office,” Damocles said and the judges all face palmed in unions ion and Marinette fealty a

 “This is a travesty! If a lawyer had brought this to my court it would have been thrown out!”  Daniels spat as Damocles looked shocked.  

 Marinette looked and saw with some surprise that Caline Bustier wasn’t reacting at all.  And that worried her, she had been expecting that Lila or Caline to make a show about being a better person but the silence, and that bothered her more than she wanted to admit.

 Sabine meanwhile looked at the two people who failed her daughter and barely kept from going over to them and tearing them apart with her bare hands.

 “Gotta agree with the lawman here, this doesn’t make sense.  Let’s start picking apart from the test…… Miss Bustier if you had the answer sheet stolen before the test, why on earth didn’t you change it?”  Leonard said as he looked at Bustier who looked away as she realized something and palled in shock.  

 Daniel and Leonard looked at each other as Lenore stared at Bustier, something about the woman was bothering her but she couldn’t figure out what it was.

 Leonard looked at the other board members and sighed.  “Madame, answer the question please.”

 “The answer sheet was stolen after the test Sir,” Miss Bustier said as she turned her head back to the front and then winced at the incredulous looks she was getting.  Next to her Damocles jerked slightly and paled in fear, he was starting to think that this was going to be bad.

 Behind her Marinette could hear Alya start to snicker when they had all realized when the answer sheet had to be taken after the test, it was all Marinette could do to keep Alya and Adrien from going to kill Bustier, saying that this was better.  

 Aurore meanwhile was starting to grin evilly, next to her Mirelle giggled.  The two of them were here to see the Owl become an endangered species.

 “I’m sorry, the sheet was stolen after the test?!  That doesn’t make any sense at all if anyone wanted to cheat!”  Daniel spat out and glared at Caline Bustier who looked back with a blank look on her face.

 Leonard looked at the woman’s face and tried to figure out where he had seen her before, there was something about her that he couldn’t place.  

 “More how cheating was even possible at all.  I…… let’s table that for now,” Leonard said and took a deep breath and looked at the others.

 Daniel looked like he was going to argue, but he took a deep breath and nodded, Lenore only huffed and looked away.

 “The next thing that’s bothering me, why didn’t anyone go with them?” Lenore demanded and Caline looked at her and took a deep breath.

 “I trusted them to walk on their own,” Bustier said and even Damocles looked at her in shock.   As she looked around a confused look was on her face.

 “Both of them accused the other, or as you saw it, one thought the other was framing her, what did you expect nothing to happen?”  Daniel asked with a scowl and Bustier looked at him and frowned.

 “I trusted Marinette to be a good example to Lila, not cause any trouble at all, I didn’t expect anything like this to happen,” Bustier said and she was obvious to how the people behind her reacted, but the judges saw it all.

 From how Ms. Mendeleiev was face palming to Aurore and Mireille scowl while next to her Marinette swallowed as she saw her parents look at her with a ‘you will explain this to us later’ look on their faces. Lenore, Daniel, and Leonard only stared at Bustier as they tried to understand her reasoning and failed.

 “I know that she was a bad role model in this situation, but Marinette has such potential…….” Ms. Bustier tried to continue but Daniel held up a hand.

 “You shut up now, every word you say makes me want to hurt you,” Daniel said and Bustier looked shocked that he said such things.

 A commotion at the doors behind them caused them all to turn and see Lila being dragged into the room by her mother, an apologetic look on her face.

 “Apologies, I was told it was an hour later, I was just lucky enough you sent one to my work address and my home,” Dolores Rossi said as Lila tried to hide behind her.

 As the three judges looked on they smiled and grinned at each other.

 “Well, good, you were right on time.   Now the record says that you said that Marinette pushed you down the stairs in the courtyard, stole a necklace, and then hide it in her locker,” Leonard said and Lila nodded as Dolores looked at her.

 “It hurt so much!  I could barely stand but I…….” Lila began only for Daniels to interrupt her.

 “Show me proof then,” He interrupted Lila and she went still as she looked at him.  “Show me proof that Miss Marinette stole your necklace and pushed you down the stairs show me proof that you were even injured, and no your word doesn’t count.”

 “It was found in her locker!” Lila said and Dolores looked up with a scowl only for Leonard to snort.

 “Except the lockers at the school don’t have locks,” His blunt answer caused Lila to stare at him and her mother to jolt and opened and closed her mouth.

 “They don’t have locks?! WHY!” Dolores demanded and Damocles looked a little embarrassed and looked away.   “What about the cameras then!”

 “I’m sorry mam, but the cameras weren’t checked and we have no paperwork because your daughter didn’t go to the hospital or even to the nurse,” Lenore told Dolores gently, only for her to stare in total confusion.

 “What?  My daughter fell down the stairs and they didn’t send her to the nurse!?” Dolores demanded and inside she was shocked beyond words, she had been around for a long time and this, this was shocking her to the point she was almost sure this was a dream.  She knew the school had issues, but maybe she should look into changing schools before she had her new coat.

 “And again mam, this is happening because the person who your daughter blamed said she didn’t  push Lila and didn’t steal a necklace that she, your daughter, said was a family heirloom and the girl in question was expelled without a hearing before this or being able to defend herself at all,”  Louise said and looked at Dolores who’s mouth dropped open in shock.

 “That’s illegal!” Dolores said and then jerked and looked at him.  “And what heirloom!?”

 “And hence why we are here today, and why I’m particularly mad, especially since the last time this happened, well I don’t need to tell you about that sir!” Louise spat out and Damocles looked at him and did a double take as he realized who Louise was and paled in fear.

 “What…..what do you mean the last time?”  Caline asked as she looked at her boss and Louise looked away with a glare on his face.

 “It’s a little something that the school it seems took great pains to hide but years ago a liar almost pushed a teen to suicide with just their words, turning most of the school against them.   Since that happened this school now needs more than one person’s word to do anything about anything and always check the cameras first,” Lenore said before looking at Damocles with a glare in her eyes that made him shiver in fright.  “Something that you should know sir!  As you were the vice principal back then!   And this entire episode has become nothing more than he said she did, with no paperwork to back it up!”

Damocles swallowed and looked down, pale and shaking as Miss. Bustier looked at him in total shock.   The other students were all looking at him with disgust and part of Marinette was just as happy to have this happened if only to bring this to light.

 “Your honor, about the video, I was able to grab a copy from the school’s servers before they were delegated, defense exhibit A,”  Louise said and took out a folder from his briefcase and took it to the judge's table.   As they read it he stepped back and smiled at Damocles.   “And as you can see from the paperwork this is verified by the police’s data experts, and here it is now.”

 The door to the street opened and Officer Rodger walked into the room, holding a briefcase with a key around his neck.  Setting it down on the table before the judges, he opened it and revealed a disc as two officers rolled a TV and DVD player into the room.

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 In his lair, Gabriel smiled as he, Nathalie, and the Kwami all gathered around a TV on the wall showing the courtroom.  Gabriel felt a little giddy, he was wondering who would be his target today besides Lila.   The plan they had was solid, and soon they would have more options open.

 Nathalie looked at the screen and tried to think about what to do to bond with ‘Lila’, the backstory they had crafted had been perfect, and another of her Champion forms had gotten the records they needed into the computers and a fire at the location where the ‘original’ hard copies had gone up in flames thanks after

 “What do you think, Lila or her mother?” Gabriel asked and Nathalie looked at him.

 “We are betting about this?   This is so wrong and immoral!” Nathalie said and then she smirked a little.  “And it will be the teacher or the principal.”

 “You know, this time why don’t you give him Sentimonsters like the pirate lady?”  Duusu asked and Gabriel blinked and grinned, that might cause enough chaos that they could counter the heroes numbers!   All they had to do was have Lila follow after Ladybug when she went to get them and they could track down the Guardian and find out their game!

 Nathalie looked at Duusu as Nooroo could only look on blank-faced, not reacting at all.

 “You’re more helpful than the other one,” Nathalie said and Duusu looked at her with a hard stare.

 “He’s still bound by the Order’s Spells, I’m not,” Duusu said bluntly.   A chuckle from Gabriel caused Nathalie to smile.   As they saw the video reach its end Gabriel smiled and looked at the others around him.  He had never expected to have come this far, or to have gathered such a group around him.  

 “It’s time my dear, let us………get dressed in our costumes,” Gabriel said only for Duusu to fly in front of his face.

 “BOOO!  Weak, very weak.  Better have your ending phase better!” Duusu said and Gabriel laughed as Nathalie giggled.

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 Back in the courtroom, everyone looked at the TV as it showed Lila sitting at the bottom of the staircase, Louise couldn’t believe that Lila’s plan had actually worked.   Dolores stared aghast, shocked and horrified that she would inherit such bad karma, that she might have to act so stupidly.   Sabine was gripping her chair’s seat to keep from attacking Lila herself.  

 “Wait a second……. If I remember right, doesn’t your class have a great view of the stairs Ms. Mendeleiev?” Lenore asked with a strange look on his face

 “Yes, but I had taken my class on a trip to the local zoo that day,” Miss. Mendeleiev admitted and the judges nodded.  “But really, when I heard about what happened……… I have no excuse for not pushing harder against this your honor, I accept any punishments you feel I deserve.”

  “Miss Mendeleiev, from what we have learned you weren’t even in the building when this farce went down.  It’s not your fault if they didn’t listen to you,” Daniel said kindly and Mendeleiev smiled at him.

 “Tell my heart that,” Miss Mend said and sighed, shaking her head.

 “Impossible to tell the heart anything it doesn’t want to acknowledge.  But that is why you are a truly good teacher mam,” Lenore said and

 Damocles looked at the TV, pale as he tried to figure out how to fix this.

 “In light of something that I should have seen……. I suppose that the events didn’t happen as I thought……..” Damocles trailed off as Lenore looked down at him.   “What?”

 “Exhibit  2,” Louise said with a savage grin.

 “This is Aurore Boreale, activating a recording app on my phone before myself and Mireille Caquet to go to our Principal, Mr. Damocles, to talk about what happened when he ‘expelled’ Marinette.  I hope that this won’t be needed, but better safe than sorry,” Aurore’s voice came from the speakers as Mr. Damocles suddenly went white.

 The sound of a door opening came from the recording and then Mr. Damocles’s voice came on.

 “Can I help you?” Damocles’s voice asked.

 Miss Bustier looked at Damocles next to her and saw him pale, she hoped whatever this was didn’t hurt the children too much.

 “Sir, we heard about what happened with Marinette and we were wondering when her hearing would be,” Aurore’s voice came over and Marinette looked at her as she preened.

 “There will no hearing, she is expelled with no way to come back ever!” Damocles voice said and Tom growled under his breath and

 “Sir that’s illegal!” Aruore said and the sound of a chair scraping against a floor was heard.

 “This is my school and what I say goes!”  Mr. Damocles voice thundered from the speaker.

 “Sir, that doesn’t matter, they are rules about this!  You aren’t allowed to do that without a hearing!”  Aurore’s voice came out as Marinette looked at Aurore who winked at her with a grin.

“OUT NOW!  Any more and I’ll suspend you for talking against the authority of the principal!” Mr. Damocles voice thundered.

 Marinette looked around until she saw Aurore looking at her and smiled.   Marinette nodded and promised herself to give Aurore a nice gift for this, this might win the case.

 “Wow, there is so much in this recording to talk about, I don’t know where to even start!” Daniels said with an evil smile on his face as Damocles sank into his chair.

 “I know that I should have handled this better, but I saw a……… an escalation of events.   I acted to protect my school,” Damocles said bleakly and Alya looked at him as Nora nodded, having seen what made him decide to do that, but logic wasn’t always the right call.

 “That’s enough from you,” Lenore said bluntly and looked at them before scowling and standing up.   She picked up two folders and walked towards a small step on the left side before the judge’s table.

 “This hearing finds that the actions against Marinette Dunpang-Chang were unlawful.  The expulsion will be stricken from her records,” Lenore said as she put one of the folders down on the table before the defense and the other before the Damocles and Miss Bustier.  As he opened the folder and read what was within, Damocles paled as Miss Bustier smiled.

 “Well, that was a terrible situation that I’m glad is done, I suppose I’ll see Marinette back in class by Friday then?” Ms. Bustier said with a smile on her face, blind to the reactions of the entire room around

 “No, she won’t. And nothing it done!” Lenore interrupted her as she walked back and one more sat behind the judge’s table before joining the others in glaring at the two behind the prosecutor’s table.   “Caline Bustier, everything that was found has caused the school board to have….. doubts about your future as a teacher.  You will be suspended until a decision is made!   But I would expect to have a hard time proving you should remain a teacher Madam!  And finally, due to a contract signed when he became the principal, Mr. Damocles alone is responsible so if you want to sue the school you can only sue him.”

 As Damocles paled in horror, if they investigated then they would find everything!   he had thankfully gotten all his treasures out of the school, all he had to do now was use his escape plan, and then after he shaved his facial hair and washed out the die, he could relax.  He had everything ready, all he needed to do was get through the day and not be held, but he did feel a little bad that his cushy extra retirement was canceled.   He had to get away before he lost everything he had worked for!

 Miss Bustier blinked, wondering why Marinette would even think of doing that as it wouldn’t make a Good Example for others.   She would have to talk to the girl and show her the right way to go, she did need guidance after all.   But she couldn’t understand what they meant, her teaching records were perfect, and she always had a Good Example Student for the others in her class to learn from and follow once they understood what was right!   They sometimes needed to be shown the way, but before they left her loving care, they understood just how to inspire others!  She couldn’t think of anything that could have caused this to happen!

 As Marinette grinned Tom and Sarah smirked as Louise grinned evilly.   The people watching were all smiles and some even cheered, but Lila fumed as she looked at Marinette with a glare that could cull milk.

 Marinette looked around then palled as she saw something, an Akuma had just flown through the open door. As others saw it the Judges looked up and paled as the Akuma hit the papers masks formed on the faces of Caline and Damocles.

 “Oh god, a double attack!” Marinette said shakily as she got up and everyone started to scream and run towards the doors.

 “Lila follow me!” Dolores ordered and Lila’s eyes went wide before running after her mother, r9ight past Alya who got a perfect screenshot of her face before Nora pulled her behind her and out the door.  

 Sabine grabbed her daughter and pulled her towards the right side door, Tom following behind them as the Judges all reacted and most of them started to back away as Daniel grinned. Mirelle went weak and almost fell before Aurore grabbed her and pulled her as Ms. Mendeleiev glared at Damocles and Bustier, she kept still until all the students left before she flowed them and closed the door as Louise made it through. Looking around she saw Lila and her mother had kept moving, running towards an exit leaving everyone behind.

 As Louise looked around he saw a long wooden bench and grinned.  “Quick, help move this thing!  We can block the doors, give us and the heroes some time!”

 Aurore looked up from her phone as she activated the Akuma alert and Mireille nodded as she did the same as her coworker.   Ms. Mendeleiev looked at him before rushing to help as all their phones started to beep with the Akuma Alarm.  Nora pushed the bench in front of the doors and looked around for anything

 “Need some help?”  A voice from behind caused them to turn their heads to see Chat Noir, Carapace and Roi Stinge.

 “Roi Stine, find anything to help keep the door closed!  Carapace, get ready to block whatever comes out!  Who are we looking at here?”  Chat Noir asked as the others went to work as the civilians moved away.

 “Double attack, both Damocles and Bustier, the Akuma is in a folder!”  Mendeleiev said and Chat Noir almost went still as he realized what they were facing.   “Wait how did you know to come in?”

 “Lila Rossi and who I think is her mother made a new land speed record, yeah we came in,” Carapace said as Roi Stinge handed a wooden chair to Nora.

 “We heard about this and what almost happened, figured some of us should be on standby,” Chat Noir said and Mendeleiev looked at them moments before a gunshot rang out.

 “Everyone move now!   Out!” Chat Noir commanded and everyone ran towards the exit, the heroes watching their back.

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 Inside the room Bustier and Damocles were still standing there, not moving an inch as two energy masks formed slowly over their faces before Shadowmoth could speak to them.

 “Dark Owl, hello again.  And hello to you Moon Raven!  I am Shadow Moth! So these fools dared to go against your Authority Dark Owl, grant me my prize and I will make you the head of all Education in the City!  Moon Raven, why should these people not understand the lessons you were trying to teach the students under your care, serve my goal and I will make you the teacher who sets the rules all must follow, with your Midnight Coven, bring me the Miraculous!”

 “Let Justice be done under the claws of the Coven!” Damocles called out as the slime covered his and Bustier’s bodies in a ten-foot sphere.

 From the sphere came ten balls of slime that shot out and hit the ground, each one grew into an androgynous humanoid the size of a teen.  They had grey skin and all of them were dressed in orange shirts and pants that formed into brown gloves and boots with an orange cloak on their backs. Their heads were all covered by beaked helmets that exposed the grey skin of their mouths.

 The energy died down and revealed the Dark Owl was the same as he had been before, a grey-skinned being with yellow round eyes with half white, half orange sclera.  His face was still covered by a black mask with white edges of the eyes, above were two brown tops that started over the eyes and went around the face to point backward.  His beard was visible and brown, his mustache had grown to be more notable with the tips sticking out while the whole thing had black strips going up it.  His black suit was the same down to its brown coveringing and padding over the arms, legs and upper body, and the covering had darker lines and a brown owl’s face on the chest.  His arms were ended with brown gloves with brown ridges and on his feet were brown boots with steel soles.   His brown cape flawed out and turned into wings and back and there were feathers on the edge

 Caline Bustier stood there in her new Akuma form.   Her skin was a stark gray, and she wore a form-fitting golden bodysuit with a red raven’s head on her right breast.   On her head was an open helmet with a beaked visor that went to just above her golden lips.   Around her waist was a black belt with white lines on the outside and small pouches and on her shoulders was a golden cape that went to her feet, feet that were in high-heeled knee-high boots. In her hands was a fighting staff and she grinned evilly as she looked around the chambers.

 “Come Moon Raven, let's find these fools and show them what true justice is!” Dark Owl declared as Moon Raven laughed and nodded.  “Quick Moon, take the documents of justice and keep them safe!”

 “Got it Owl, let's hunt down those misguided ones, Marinette will be a perfect Sparrow to spread our message!” Moon Raven said with a grin in her voice.  Before they could move a slow dark laugh caused them to see Daniel was still behind the table, a crazed look in his eyes.

 “You know, this is great! I finally get to see if Akuma are bulletproof!” Daniel said as he brought up a double-barreled shotgun and with a boom, one of the Midnight Crew’s heads was blown off.  As it collapsed into slime Dark Owl and Moon Raven moved backward as the Midnight Crew rushed towards the door.   As they tried to open it Daniels grinned and lined up another shot on Dark Owl as he jumped around the room.    “Stop jumping!  You’re gonna make me get out the axe!”

 Dark Owl threw a small ball at the ground before the judge’s table and a blight light flashed and Daniels closed his eyes instantly.

 “To the side door crew, follow me!” Dark Owl bellowed and led the way, two of the Midnight Crew attacked Daniels and he shot again hitting one in the head but the other was on him before he could draw a bead.   As he fell backward he let go of his rifle and grappled with the Sentimonster.  

 However moments later someone bashed the Sentimonster’s head off, and its body collapsed into slime that pooled away from Daniel.  Looking up he saw Lenore holding a chair in her hand, breathing heavily.

Sorry I forgot to post this here last time, sorry again!   And expect the next chapter, chapter 26 out here tomorrow by 5PM!

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 Captain Hardrock scowled as the four born Bees hovered and pulled up one of the dead River Krakens, once they had started to do that she had ordered her crew to keep the big one from eating it any way they knew how, Lady Blaze had sent Dark-Phoenix against it as the other bees attacked the Liberty, their canons barely holding the other beasts off.

 Captain Hardrock however looked at the dead Two-faced cat monster behind the Queen and scowled, if that giant bee laid two eggs for eating either one of her bees and the Fishmen, then what would something like that let her do?  Was it dependent on how much mass her food was?  Is it the magic?  Still, they were holding their own, but if they broke on these reefs of these bees then that would be it, and who knows how many eggs it would lay if it ate her and her crew?

 Frankly, she didn’t want to know, but she knew that all she needed to do was keep that giant thing from eating anything else until Chat Noir killed it.   As Princess Flora was carried by a vine from the river back to the Liberty her Death-Horn killed another Bee that tried to attack her in transit, the body split in two moments before Princess Flora was dropped next to Captain Hardrock.  

 Princess Flora looked down at the river, frowning as she raised her right hand and the River Kraken the Bees were after was suddenly pulled back down deeper into the river. The bees flew to the water’s edge before they stopped, looking around for anything before they moved towards the dead Two Headed cat.

 “All hands fire at will, target is the beast’s corpse!  Did you talk to them?” Captain Hardrock asked and Princess Flora nodded.

 “Yes, they need the new Dragon to get right, and I told them we’d give them five minutes after they kill the big one,” Princess Flora said and Captain Hardrock glared at her as a Butterfly mask appeared over her face.

 “The Admiral isn’t happy that you didn’t mention that to him lass,” Captain Hardrock said sternly and Princess Flora only giggled.  Captairock scowled and looked at the girl, from what memories she had from her source, Princess Flora’s e was always one of those people who tried to look at the positive side of life, something Captain Hardrock’s source saw as a good thing but if the girl fought to mention part of the plan

 “Oh but that’s the plan Master Shadowmoth.  Yes, I said we would give five-minute before we attack them, but I never said we wouldn’t chase t-**hem down,” Princess Flora said and Captain Hardrock grinned as the butterfly mask went away.

 “He’s laughing girly, how do we do this?” Captain Hardrock as Lady Blaze sent a blast of flames at one of the bees as it tried to attack the ship.

 Princess Flora looked at the Queen, smiling evilly as her Death-Horn sliced off one of its right arms with a blast.  “We need to drive it backward, then they kill it.”

 A roar from the Queen as it ate the last two remaining first-created bees and two eggs dropped from the Queen’s back, two eggs that were picked up and carried away by two of the other bees.  As Dark-Phoenix flew after them, a spinning top was thrown and destroyed one egg as the other hatched and flew towards the other battlefield.

 “I hope your plan will work beloved!” Lady Blaze called out as she blasted away at the Queen.  As Princess Flora sent her Sentimonster to attack the bee, Captain Hardrock gripped the steering wheel and grinned.

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 At the other battle site, Ladybug killed another Bee and tensed for a moment before a scream came from within the building.  

 “Oh god!  Help!”  Theo cried out and Ladybug jumped back as Pegasus and Carapace moved to help as one of the Sentimonster Pirates joined them.

 “What’s wrong!?” Carapace called out and The looked at

 “One of the women in here is pregnant, the baby’s coming!”  Theo called out and Ladybug went still, Carapace broke down the door and Pegasus ran into the building, they could all hear a scream of pain from the room the other civilians had retreated to.

 The remaining bees attacked the Sentimonsters as they gathered in front of the building, Carapace and Ladybug fighting back as the Bees seemed to be guarding their dead. The answer why was revealed as two more bees appeared and grabbed two corpses, carrying them back toward the river.  

 “We need to get her out of here!” Ladybug called out as she spun her yoyo around as a shield.   “Pegasus, make a portal to the hospital, Carapace keep the bees from getting by you and I’ll keep any if they get past you from going through the portal, we’ll evacuate the others with her! I’ll go and help move her!”

 A screech from the river caused the Sentimonsters to look towards it as four bees flew towards them, two of them screeching as they attacked the Sentimonsters before an arrow killed one of them.  As the Sentimonster skeleton pirates fought on Carapace defended the doorway, scowling as the new ones aimed their stingers and fired blasts from them.  

 Screams from inside caused him to wince and look at the Sentimonsters.   He took a deep breath and nodded.  “Hey Senti-dudes, I’m forming my shield get ready!”

 The Sentimonsters nodded as a purple energy butterfly mask formed over one of them and it grinned. “The Captain is almost ready to handle the big one, we’ll give you five minutes once the beast is dead!”

 “What if they go wild without a controller?” Theo asked and a hard laugh was heard.  

 “We’ve got plans for animal control like this!   As we speak the rest of the cities SWAT are arming with shotguns and they’ll be here soon!” Commissaire Bertolfo called out and Carapace nodded.

 As the bees fired again Carapace blocked with his shield before he grinned as he heard a screech from the river.

 “Portal!” Pegasus called out and Carapace chuckled.

 “Thanks for the help dudes, but I need space so Shell-ter!” Carapace called out before pointing his shield upwards as a large green energy formed, covering the building and pushing the Sentimonsters and the Bees against the building on the other side.

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 As the Liberty fired from its figure cannon and sails, Captain Hardrock grinned.   The plan was working, soon the monster would be slain and then they would chase down the heroes.  Suddenly she went still as she saw through her away team’s eyes.  They were being crushed against the building by Carapace’s shield power, and looking around she couldn’t see Ladybug anywhere. “What!?  What are they doing!?”

 “Waiting for/ Princess Flora said and turned to look at Captain Hardrock as Lady Blaze shot another fireball at the Queen, it hit one of the remaining arm on one side and blasted it off, the monster screeched in pain as Dark Phoenix and Death-Horn tackled the monster, holding it in place for Chat Noir, and in the perfect place to grab him once he destroyed the bee.

 “NOT THEM, THE ONES AT THE BUILDING!” Captain Hardrock snarled as she looked towards the shore. What are they doing?!  Why would they do that now?   She thought before the Queen was pushed backward by her ship's volley and it cried out in pain and rage, she turned back and realized that was the signal the heroes were waiting for.

 “AIR DRAGON!”  A voice called out farther down the river and Chat Noir rose into the air.

 “This needs a Cataclysm! Throw me!” Chat Noir cried out before he was shot towards the battle.

 Captain Hardrock grinned as she watched Chat Noir arc through the air but she frowned, something didn’t look right.   Suddenly she turned towards the opposite shore as everything made sense and crystallized.    “No……. that’s it!   Girls, get your monsters towards the far shore look for Ladybug!”

 But before Lady Blaze and Princess Flora could do more than turn towards her, Captain Hardrock heard the one cry that she knew was coming.

 “Thunder Dragon!” Arashiko called out and within moments she landed on and struck the Queen in her lighting form before she slashed out with her katana and Death-Horn and Dark Phoenix were blasted back towards the water.  Chat Noir flew by her with his hand pulled back and all Captain Hardrock could do was wonder how this was possible.

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 “For this to work, I’ll contact Commissaire Bertolfo and have them make a commotion to call you into building Ladybug and Pegasus,” Viperion said softly as he looked around and saw everything his plan would need.

 Viperion activated his weapon-item’s communicator and after a few moments, he was talking to the Commissaire, explaining what he had to do.

 “Yeah, we’ve got someone in here who’s a few months pregnant, that’ll work!  Theo, go ask her to scream in pain and get back here,”  Commissaire Bertolfo said and Theo nodded and ran off.

 “While I’m doing that, River team; move downstream from the battle. Dragon-Girl, once your there use Wind to carry Chat Noir upwards, throw him so he can jump at the Liberty, then shock the Queen and the two flying Sentimonsters to give him cover!”

 As Chat Noir led the way, they heard the Liberty attack and grinned at each other

 “Remember Pegasus, the field where Kitty Selection had that concert a few weeks back, once it forms go through Ladybug and get that butterfly.  All force Go on my SECOND CHANCE!” Viperion said as he formed another arrow and fired.

 “Portal!”   Pegasus called out as he formed a portal within the room Theo had led him and Ladybug to.  As Ladybug jumped through he hoped this would work.

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 As soon as Chat Noir touched the transformed Liberty, it disintegrated.  As Captain Hardrock, Lady Blaze, and Princess Flora fell and turned back to normal Arashiko rode the dead Queen Bee into the river as the other bees dropped as well, and at the same moment, all the Sentimonsters disintegrated.   As the corrupted butterfly flew free, Ladybug appeared, jumped over the river, and caught the insect in her yoyo as she flipped over during her jump.

 “No more evil-doing for you little butterfly!” She said as she landed on the opposite shore.  “Lucky Charm!”

 As she threw her yoyo up, it released a blast of energy that coalesced into a small red anchor with black polka-dots all over it.  She looked at it and laughed a little before she threw it into the air where it exploded into a swarm of ladybugs that flew around, fixing the damage some of the damage but leaving the bridge destroyed, but the Liberty reformed the same as always, and Anarka, Juleka, and Rose were deposited onto it, Rose stumbled until Juleka caught her.

 “Rose!”  Juleka cried as she hugged her friend.  Rose looked up and smiled at her very good friend and tried to gather her strength back.

 “I’m fine Juleka, I just feel so tired.   I need to sit down somewhere,” Rose said as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

 As Chat Noir and Arashiko made it to shore, Apisera dashed back to the area and looked at the destroyed bridge as Carapace dropped the spell, a bit of the damage done by the Monster Bees was still there, here and the bridge ad a hole going through it.   As she looked around, Apisera hid a wince as she knew her father hadn’t paid the city’s Super Villain Insurance since Ladybug’s cure worked so well, but then maybe this would be the kick he needed.

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 As Shadowmoth detransformed and Enhancetress turned back to normal, he sighed and shook his head.  

 “Another disruption!   Who was that man?  Where did he come from and how long was he down there?” Gabriel muttered as Duusu and Nooroo hugged each other and Duusu looked at his friend before sighing.

 “I’ve fought someone like him before and his powers……. It’s the magic of Unlife,” Duusu said softly and flew towards Gabriel who looked at the Kwami with a shocked look.

 “Explain,” Gabriel chocked out and Duusu looked at him and took a deep breath.

 “Magic is, it follows its own laws.    Unlife magic takes a life form and changes it according to the caster’s will.   It was considered a Heresy back before the Order took me,” Duusu said and went still as Nooroo looked at the kwami who grinned.   “The Order took me, the Order TOOK ME!”

 Duusu started to laugh and fly around the room, the only sounds he made were that of pure joy.   Gabriel and Nathalie looked on and after a few moments they looked at each other and then looked at Nooroo who kept silent but Gabriel thought he saw envy in the moth kwami’s eyes.

 “Explain, please?” Nathalie asked Duusu flew to Gabriel and hugged his check.

 “OH YOU WONDERFUL MAN, YOU FREED ME!  Miss Emilia will be so happy…….. Miss Emilia, where is miss Emilia?!”  Duusu demanded as he looked around the room.  

 Gabriel felt a flash of anger, how dare the same creature that led to her state be worried about her?   But then he remembered how she said don’t blame Duusu before she passed out.   Nathalie meanwhile looked at the Kwami and wondered if she should tell it, but then Nooroo took the choice out of her hands.

 “She’s asleep kindred, the two of you pushed yourselves too hard,” Nooroo said and Duusu went still.

 “That scum!  If I ever find out who they are I’ll!” Duusu snarled and the others looked at him in shock.

 “Wait, ‘Scum!?’ Someone did that to her!?” Gabriel growled and Duusu nodded.

 “It was like when the Order killed my Chosen’s family and stole me!   They woke me up from my slumber when they tried to drain our mana!” Duusu said Gabriel growled and looked ready to punch someone but something that the Kwami said caused him to go still and turn towards Nooroo and glare.

 “What did they mean, stole Nooroo?”  Gabriel growled.  Nooroo stayed silent but Duusu spoke up.

 “The Order whose book you used?   They are nothing more than thieves who tracked down my friends and stole or took us from those who found us! They cast spells to keep us from telling others what they did and kept us from our friends beyond the groups they created for us! They used us by giving us to specially chosen wielders who they had captives to threaten or were related to elder members of their cult!  They used to protect the balance, the balance with them on top ruling over others!” Duusu said angrily and Gabriel frowned as Nathalie gasped as Nooroo hung his head.

 Gabriel frowned, something about this was bothering him.  It was horrible and he could see another factor that would affect his plans, but there was something else.

 “Oh my.   Was the temple in Tibet, the one that appeared there a few weeks back?” Nathalie asked and Nooroo nodded.

 Gabriel went silent, looking at Nooroo who kept silent, wondering how the spells affected what the Kwami had been able to tell him.  And given how he had treated the little being, he wouldn’t be too mad and punish it.   But those spells put everything he had learned in doubt, and he needed to be sure nothing would happen that would hurt more people than he already had to save his wife.

 “The temple is back?! Then those monsters will come!   This time we have to send Nooroo’s champions at them with my monsters, even the help of the heroes might not be enough!   I don’t want to be caught by them again, please don’t let them take me, Miss Nathalie!” Duusu cried out in fear as he hugged Nathalie’s neck.

 “We won’t let them take you, I promise,” Nathalie said and Gabriel nodded before he realized just what had been bothering him.  As he looked at the cowering Kwami, he realized just what it was and spoke up before he could stop himself.

 “Wait, if they were so evil, why didn’t they use the wish to rule the world?” Gabriel asked and Duusu looked at him, totally flabbergasted.

 “What wish?  Wait……. Tikki and Plagg?   They can only affect the future without destroying the planet at least! You need the time warning of Fluff and Lonng to know what to wish for! And even then, if fate is changed something similar, either worse or less will happen!  When the warning was that Atlantis was destroyed by a tsunami, the wish changed the steps but the dance remained mostly the same,” Duusu explained and Gabriel looked at the Kwami in shock.

 “Backup, destroy the planet and remake so what is wished for happens, that’s how it affects past events!?” Nathalie asked as Gabriel paled in horror.  Nooroo looked down and sighed as Gabriel’s eyes found him and looked up, his eyes showing Gabriel that what he heard was true, and more.

 “The Order, they cast spells that kept you, you as in the Kwami from telling your holders information?” Gabriel asked and Duusu nodded. Gabriel just stared into space before he exploded.   With a scream, he threw a chair against one of the walls, Nathalie and the Kwami only watched as he destroyed the few small pieces of furniture that they had put into the room.  

 A few moments later Gabriel panted as he held a broken chair leg.  

 “So at the end if I had won at all, the entire plant would have died for my wish to save her?!” Gabriel snarled out the question and Duusu shook their head.

 “But we don’t need the full wish to help miss Emilie, all we need is Tikki and a few others, then a ritual done by each holder in order and she should be healed if she’s just asleep,” Duusu said and Gabriel felt a spark of hope.  

 If they could heal her without the wish, then they wouldn’t destroy the world to save her.   And that meant the information the Seven gave them might not be needed, sure they had healed Nathalie but something about their mysterious goal was bothering him.   And with the drama about Lila and Marinette, plus how Adrien was hiding somewhere and trying to get emancipation, he needed good news and this might be what he need.  

 A thought struck him and he looked at Duusu, knowing he had to ask a few questions that he had to ask if he wanted to move forward.  “What did you mean, slumber?”

 “The Order changed it, now when a Kwami enters their Miraculous, we fall asleep.  We can’t see anything, we just sleep,” Duusu admitted and Gabriel looked at him and nodded.   That meant he had just had one last question, he had to know just what he might have been fighting for.

 “And if I use the wish to just heal her, not to change what happened, would that have worked with no side effects?” Gabriel asked and Duusu nodded.

 “I’m sorry but no.  If you had only wished her to healed…… then it would only transfer what’s wrong to someone else that you cared about the same amount, and you can’t make the choice who is affected,” Duusu said softly and Gabriel went still as Nathalie paled as they both realized who would be the one to truly pay to get Emilie back.  

 Gabriel looked up and away, a thousand thoughts going through his mind.   He wanted her back for his son, not to lose him forever.   “We go ahead with our plans like normal.”

 “Are you mad, didn’t you hear what Duusu said about it!?” Nathalie demanded and Gabriel winced.

 Turning to look at he saw the look Nathalie sent him he shook his head.   “We won’t use the wish, Nathalie.  We’ll find a way to heal her without it, but we’ll just go through the motions until we have a sure way that no one will have to pay for or one that will cause Emile to kill us both when we save her Nathalie.  We might need the Seven’s help after all but we go forward with our plans for Lila and we go from there.”

 Nathalie paled as she remembered how Emile would react sometimes in the past when someone tried to hurt people when she was around.   The things she probably would do to them, well she didn’t want to think about it more than for a minute.

 “And you,” Gabriel said as he looked at Duusu who floated there.  “We will talk about who exactly we need to heal her, and what happened to you two later.  My nerves can’t handle anything else after all this.”

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 As Carapace dropped his shield Commissaire Bertolfo and Theo looked at the dead Bees as the SWAT members moved out and started to make sure the bodies were all dead.  

 “Cleanup is gonna be a mess.    Well this should get the Mayor to raise our budget at least,” Commissaire Bertolfo said as Theo looked at him and Bertolfo shrugged.  

 “Your budget!?  That’s what you're taking away from all this!?” Theo demanded and Bertolfo looked at him and started to laugh.  

 Theo only stared at him, not understanding what had set him off.

 “Why are you laughing, this is terrible!” Theo said and Bertolfo just laughed harder until he finally stopped.  

 “Kid, this is nothing! What’s so bad?” Bertolfo asked and Theo gestured all around them.

 “The Bees!”  Theo said gesturing around at the carnage around them.

 Bertolfo just looked at him in disbelief and shook his head as he laughed a little more.

 Theo stared at him in shock and felt his cheeks turn red.  “What’s so funny!?”

 “Kid, the fact that Ladybug and the heroes have been able to clean up most of the damage has been a miracle, this is normal for the monster maker villains.   We’ve got a few vehicles, by this time tomorrow the city will be back to normal,” Bertolfo said and Theo looked at him before sighing.

 Carapace winced behind them as Pegasus looked down.  They knew all about such troubles the  Commissaire was talking about, they had been eight when the Monster Winter happened and the efforts to recover and repair the damage.   If whoever did this did it again, then the entire city was in danger.   All they could do now was hope that they had killed and stopped all the creatures if even one of them escaped and they were capable of breeding………

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 Deep within the catacombs, far below where people ever went, a large rat the size of a cat ran through the darkness.   Behind it a buzzing followed it, the rat moving faster and faster before a large hand suddenly grabbed it and squeezed it, breaking its spine and neck, killing it instantly.   The hand was covered in chitin and long.  The body was carried back the way the rat had run until it reached a cavern lit by strange glowing fungus.  The cavern was the size of a football field and at the center, three Drone bee monsters hovered as a bee the size of a motorcycle ate rats the same size as the killed one, revealed to be carried by a Worker.  As the Worker flew closer to the newborn Queen was easier to see, like the one the heroes had killed it had four arms but the top pair were covered in strange mucus, and the newborn creature's eyes shined a black color as an egg fell from its behind.  As it looked upwards towards the surface more Workers flew into the cavern, each carrying the result of their hunts.

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 As she sat and watched the TV, the app on her phone give the all-clear signal that the Akuma had been defeated, it was all she could do not to scream at what she had seen.   A Bio-Hacker, here, now?!   How, just how!  Most of them live in the wild, why is he here, so close to Rome?!   This will cause them to come to the city, to try and purge every one of us they can find, this will let the world know about everything!  And if that fool is still alive, then my plan is in danger!   He’ll know what Lila is, I have to keep her close, no act normal don’t draw attention to yourself, that’s how you gain your goal.   Once I have my revenge, I’ll use her bones to make fine china and I’ll force her grandchild to serve me food on them!  She thought before such pain suddenly went through her and she dropped to the ground, biting back a scream.

 As Dolores’s grabbed her stomach she bit her lips as she felt pain and heat from deeper within,   after a few moments the pain died down and the heat cooled down, she looked at her arm as it throbbed and she knew she would need to start the preparations to change her clothing soon.    So far everything was going well on that end, the directives she told her fleshbot to prioritize last time had been perfect, all she needed was for it to get into an accident in a week, fall into a coma, and then she would get a new dress soon.

 As she got up she walked towards the cabinet and she kept her materials and slowly opened it to reveal ten blocks of stone six inches high and long.   Picking one up she called up her power, a white glow formed around her hand and then the block, the block slowly changed shape until it had transformed into a black rat with a pentagram indention on its back and another on its head.   Closing the cabinet she carried the rat statue toward her room. “Hmmm, I need to order a few new blocks soon, and I should put a few of my white failures, it would be good to get some new funds.”

 As she walked into her room she saw the small chest on her desk that she needed.  Opening it once she reached it, the box was revealed to be full of pentagon gems of multiple colors.  She looked at the gems and sighed as she shook her head.   “I’m running out of a few colors, I should make more once I have the time.”  

 Reaching into the chest she took out a white gem that she put into the statue’s back, after that she put a red gem into the statue’s forehead, and then she dropped it to the floor. As it fell it came to ‘life’ and landed on all four paws, it looked up at her as wisps of flames came out of its mouth as the red and white gems gave off glows in their colors.

 She glanced down at it and scowled.  “Go and see if you can track down this Giles, and if you find any of his creations kill them all.”

 The rat ran away, up the wall into an open duct, and ran into the building's internal airways. Dolores just sighed and shook her head.  

 “I need to increase the size of my creations, maybe set up a studio lair along the waterfront using one of my other identities, if this is to be war then I might need it,” She muttered as she looked out the window and frowned

 and walked back to the living room as the phone rang.  Smiling she moved towards it. Looking at it she saw it was the embassy and sighed, wondering what it was

 “Yes, Dolores here.   How can I help you?” Dolores said and she pulled the phone back as someone screamed at her.

 “What the hell is that brat of yours doing?!  We just got served a summons to a hearing in three days for an ‘Ambassador Rossi’!  I swear if you weren’t one of the best I’d!” The angry male voice belonged to the current head of the embassy and Dolores's direct boss.

 “Sir, it is in my file that my daughter has a habit of telling tall tales, harmless she said she saw things, I have no idea what this is about!” She said as she scowled.  The little wrench must have cried to her parents and they believed her!  This is……. Good! She thought as she blinked and grinned as plans bloomed behind her eyes.   The idea that the girl would cry to her parents, that they would even be able to get the ball rolling like this was just what she needed for her long-term plans!

 “Well find out!   I don’t want to have to tell the head office about this!  Ban enough we’re stuck here and are only a relay for the Ambassador, I don’t need your brat fucking everything up!”  Her boss snarled and hung up without a word.  

 Dolores looked at her phone with a glare as she let out a quiet growl as her face turned red.  That over-empowered public Leech!   He talks nice and big when he’s just the single highest coffee boy who was ordered to remain when all the decision makers left!   I wonder, before my cloth fitting should I send one of my statues to him as an anonymous gift, then make it kill him one night?  She thought as she imagined that playing out behind her eyes and giggled a little.

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 Back at the river, Apisera looked at the damage and knew that this would cause a lot of trouble for the city.  But then again, it might force her father to transfer money from a few plans his advisors had suggested for ‘the good of the city’ that seemed to be nothing but stupidity.

 As Arashiko looked around she heard three beeps and looked around as Ladybug barked out an order.

 “Time to leave, now! Arashiko with me!  Chat take Carapace and Pegasus back, Apsiera……!” Ladybug called out and Apisera waved back.

 “I got this boss bug, you go I’ll lead Viper boy away!” Aspirea called out and Ladybug nodded before grabbing Arashiko and leading her away from the river as Chat Noir ran towards Carapace and Pegasus who fell in behind him as they jumped past Viperion who hit the grounds near Theo who almost screamed.

 As Apsiera came closer the Commissaire frowned.  “I thought Miss Chloe was the wielder of the Bee.  Did something cause that to change?”

 Apsiera smiled and nodded.   “Hawkmoth and his girl Friday made a play to get her on their side and other reasons, I’m the new wielder.  If you want the full story check the Ladyblog tomorrow at Lunch, that’s going to explain everything.   And a small favor, keep the alert up for about….. twenty minutes please?”

 Bertolfo looked at the new Bee and nodded, understanding more than he wanted that the heroes needed the time to get back to their civilian lives.   He looked at her as she sighed and then when she turned towards Viperion and walked over to him before he could speak, he just shook his head.

 Looking towards the SWAT he whistled to get their attention.   “Everyone keep the civilians inside!  We’re treating these bodies as bombs for now! If they don’t go off in an hour we let everyone go!  Somebody call the cleaners, special division now!”

 Commissaire Bertolfo looked around and saw Theo and grabbed him, pulling him as he walked towards the river.

 “HEY!” Theo called out and Commissaire Bertolfo just kept walking.

 “Your with me boyo, I need another pair of eyes to check on the damage as I talk to the Akuma victims,” Commissaire Bertolfo said and Theo nodded after a few moments.

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 Viperion looked around as the police kept the people back, nodding to Apsiera when she looked at him.   So far Viperion had to say that he hadn’t had too many reversions with the power of the Snake, and he wasn’t too mentally drained.   But something still bothered him, who was that person, how was he able to create those monsters?  Anyone who just heard about this would tell you it was Hawkmoth who had created the man, but then he had sent the Akuma after the attack, and then the villains it created had fought against the man and his monsters, and then there was the attack the other day, people say the Akuma’s fought against monsters and another super villain but nothing he read online told anyone anything about it.  

 All he could figure out from this was that this wasn’t as clear-cut as it was at first and he hoped this wasn’t a sign that things would get even more convoluted in the future.  

 As Apisera looked around she nodded, noticing that none of the bees were moving at all, and with the police ‘double tapping’ them, the threat was gone.  She looked at Viperion and walked over to him and grabbed him before he could take a step towards the river.  “Come on Snake-boy, let’s get out of here before the vultures get here and see you in your other suit.”

 As she jumped upwards she looked over her shoulder as Viperion followed, after a few moments they had made it to a small area out of sight of the streets.  As they landed they heard a beep from the Snake Miraculous aw he was at two beeps, with three minutes left on his timer.

 “Good, this is perfect! Listen, the long and the short is we’re trying to get the rest of the Miraculous permanent wielders to deal with……. Problems.  You’ve been chosen, will you accept?” Apisera asked and Viperion looked at her in shock.

 He looked at her, wondering what to ask and then he looked at his Miraculous and then her, but he shook his head.  “There are more reasons than just getting a bigger team, aren’t there?”

 “Yeah,” Apisera said and shook her head.  

 “It’s a long story and basically……. The old Order might have been a cult and enslaved the Kwami,” Apisera said and Viperion stared at her before he felt himself shake a litter in anger. “Cool it snake boy, we’ve got a plan to fix this.  And getting every one of them a Wielder is one of them.”

 “Then for Sass, I will.   If after he wants to leave me he should,” Viperion said and Apisera nodded.

 “Good, you got time or do you need to get back to your civilian life?” Apisera asked and Viperion nodded back.

 “Life, my family were the Akuma after all,” Viperion said and Apisera stared at him before giggling a little.

 “Your Juleka’s brother? That Glamor does work wonders!” Apisera said as she laughed and Viperion transformed back into Luka.

 “Yeah, I’ll see you later miss Bee,” Luka said as he dashed down out of the alley and then he ran towards the river.  Apisera looked after him before jumping away, heading back towards the hotel.

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 Ladybug smiled as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop, Arashiko following along behind her.   the battle had been different but the team had done it, and they had two new permanent members hopefully.   And letting someone else come up with the plan, that felt right, she wasn’t the leader she was one of the team, no more, no less.

As Arashiko landed next to Ladybug she moved to hand over her Miraculous when Ladybug raised a hand and smiled at her as her own Miraculous beeped again.   “No Kagami, you don’t need to return it.”

 “I don’t?” Arashiko asked in shock as she detransformed and looked at Ladybug who smiled back at her.

 “No, Longg spoke of you with respect, he feels that you are an ideal candidate to wield his power, and you can join the team permanently like the others,” Ladybug said as Kagami’s mouth dropped open.  

 Kagami looked from Longg to Ladybug and felt the weight of this, she didn’t know what she felt really.   Having a friend like Longg around would be something, she was sure he would have a lot of advice for her, and help her through her problems.  But then she wondered if she could hide him from her mother, with how controlling she was.   She was cold at the best of times and demanded that Kagami perform at a level that she alone demanded and even without her sight, the woman could detect a fault in Kagami’s swordsmanship and behaviors and seemed to be on a mission to force Kagami into a mold.  

 But no matter how she tried, Kagami wouldn’t bend or be broken to her whims.   She felt proud of that and having someone else to talk to in the dead of the night was something that she would like, but part of her was worried that he would convince her of something that she knew but didn’t want to say.

 “I…… that is an honor that I don’t know if I can accept, you know how my mother is when I first became Ryuko,” Kagami and Longg laughed a little.

 “Hatchling, you are kind and honorable, perfect to wield my power.   And there are other reasons for adding more heroes,” Longg said and Kagami looked up at the Kwami then she looked away.   She didn’t know everything, but the chance to fight alongside the others more often, it was very tempting.  

 “I……. I would like this, but my mother……. If her robot guards see him, she might take you,” Kagami said and Longg grinned.  

 “There is a way around that hatchling, trust me.   When the Kwami and the Wielder both believe that it’s best for we Kwami have to hide, just hold it and I can hide in it, I do have the ability to talk to you with our minds.   But we won’t be able to transform for an hour after I’m released,” Longg cautioned and Kagami looked at Ladybug whose Miraculous beeped again.

 “If that is okay, then yes I will,” Kagami said and Longg grinned and Ladybug smiled as another beep was heard.  

 “Welcome to the team Kagami, this will be like that time on Friendship Day,” Ladybug as she detransformed into Marinette with Tikki floating next to her.  Kagami’s mouth dropped open and she stared at her friend as she brought out two cookies, one she handed to Longg who nodded and ate it quickly.

 “What?” Kagami breathed in total shock.  Looking at her, Kagami’s mind went over past events and saw many of them in a new light, seeing the understanding that explained it all and she laughed.    She couldn’t believe it, after all those times something about Marinette called out to her, it was because Marinette was the person who gave her a second chance after she messed up with the Miraculous when her mother had become an Akuma.

 “Yeah, it’s a shock seeing me and breaking the glamor right?  Same thing happened to me.  Now transform and get home before your mother starts looking for you,” Marinette said and Kagami nodded and looked at her.

 “We will talk about this later, but thank you for your trust.  Longg, Bring the Strom!” Kagami said clearly.

 “Tikki Spots on!” Marinette called out as well.

 The two superheroes hugged before they both dashed off in the same general direction, Marinette hopped that her parents hadn’t gone looking for her or Adrien, and Kagami hoped that her mother hadn’t been trying to get ahold of her r activated the cars AI.

  XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 A few minutes later Luka reached the street and some SWAT officers setting up barricades as others moved the Bee corpses away and into piles.  As he tried to move by the barricades one of the police stopped him.

 “Hold on son, this street’s closed,” One of the two officers said as he put a hand on Luka.  Luka only looked at him and tried to keep his temper down.

 “My family were the Akumas, the heroes brought me to safety and when I saw them leave I came back here. Are they okay, that thing appeared before the Akuma, did they hurt them?” Luka asked and the officer looked at him before nodding.

 “Go straight to the river, don’t touch the bees,” The officer said as he let Luka pass.   He ran, not stopping to gawk as he had already seen and even made the plan that defeated them.   He reached the Liberty, seeing his mom talking with Commissaire Bertolfo while Rose and Juleka weren’t around made him worried, he hadn’t seen any doctors around so where were they?

 “MOM!” Luka called out and Anarka looked up and saw him moving down the stairs toward the ship.

 “Boyo, there you are! So you got away before the Hawk-scum could get ya?  Good for you!” Anarka smiled and he nodded.

 “Yeah, I was far enough away, where’s Jules and Rose?” Luka asked and Anarka looked down into the ship. Luka followed her gaze and realized what she meant but he figured out what she meant quickly. “They're down there, are they okay?!”

 “Rose is a bit weak, I don’t know.  She’s okay otherwise and well…… I said for her to try and sleep it off,” Anarka said and Luka went still as he felt Sass press against him.  

 “Oh, I hope she’s okay,” Luka said and the Commissaire nodded.  Luka took a moment to look around and saw the giant Bee monster, and shuddered a little.   Just looking at that thing and how it ate it to birth more of its kind, it made him scared about what it might have made if it ate his family or a human.   He felt Sass press against him from his pocket and smiled, he would have to talk to Sass about this later, for now, he had to check on his sister.

 “So those monsters attacked first like I heard, and after that Hawkmoth sent an Akuma?” Commissaire Bertolfo asked and Luka nodded.  

 “Great,” Commissaire Bertolfo muttered as he scars started to throb.   He thought that Hawkmoth would be his last Super Villain before he retired, but it looks like he was wrong.  

 He would have to talk to the mayor about putting more money into the budget and contact the other stations, tell them to pay attention to anything, even if he had to use his authority as the Head of Paris’s Super Heroes Affairs office if he had to.   A monster maker was seen as the worst because sometimes one escaped and bred in the wild, and that was the last thing the city needed.  Looking at the sewers tunnel under the bridge, he just knew he would have to send in either drones or people to check them.  And with how the things ate others, he wouldn’t send his men down there if he didn’t have to so drones it was

 Luka looked at the damage and saw Theo taking notes on the other side of the bridge and smirked, he always knew his friend would run into trouble like this and help people.   He had known Theo for a long time, and besides working part-time jobs to pay for his sculpting work he had a strong sense of justice.   Most people wondered if he would become a sculptor and maybe a private eye on the side, since he often helped people find things they lost or missing pets.

 He shook his head and moved into the Liberty as his mom and Commissaire Bertolfo kept talking, his mom telling him everything she remembered about Giles and what he had done.

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 Rose slept soundly on the bed, a smile on her face.  Juleka had brought Rose down into her and Luka’s room, putting her into Juleka’s bed and within moments Rose had fallen into slumber.  Juleka was worried, even with how her illness had treated her, she never reacted like this!   And when she was freed from being Princess Fragrance, she had been better than she had ever been for weeks after that!

 As she looked at Rose, she never noticed Luka coming up behind her.   Putting a hand on her shoulder and one over her mouth, Juleka turned and saw Luka standing there, gesturing to go to the main room.   Following behind him after she closed the door, Juleka followed her brother and once they reached the main room she hugged him and cried into his chest.

 “I don’t know what to do Lu, I just don’t!”  Juleka said softly as she cried into him.  

 Luka only shushed her as he patted her hair.   Rose had been a friend of the family for years, and he saw her as another sister.   “There, there little sister.  Rose will be fine.”

 “How Luka, how?  This is the worse she’s ever been!” Juleka said as she looked up as she cried.

 Luka nodded, he knew it. He hated when her sickness got the best of her, but this wasn’t like anything that had happened to her that he knew about.   A stray thought about how she had been drained by those……… Luka went still and looked at the ceiling, moving towards the door.

 “Jules, stay here I’ll be right back!” Luka said as Juleka looked after him.   As soon as he reached the deck, he looked around and saw Theo talking to Commissaire Bertolfo quietly.

 “Commissaire!” He called out as he ran towards them.  As they turned and looked at him, he bit out a question.   “The people you found here, are any of them very tired?”

 “Yes, a lot of them were slimed first and now they are.  Some almost fell asleep while we were hiding.  Why?”  Commissaire Bertolfo asked and Luka nodded.  

 “Thanks!” Luka said as he turned and ran back to Juleka.   If his thoughts were right, then

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 Sabine smiled as she heard someone land on the roof, the threat was over.   Thankfully the bakery had been empty so they had closed it down and then headed back to their apartment, and a quick check told them the kids had gone to fight.  She was proud of them but she so wanted to talk to whoever choose them and have a nice long talk with them.   As she looked down at her phone she saw the ‘Akuma, shelter in place’ warning on the app was still telling people to hide, but with them back it must be done, so what was happening?

 As she sat there she looked out the window she saw Kagami moving towards where the school’s parking from where the alley was and frowned.   Another child who had a strict parent, she hadn’t talked to Tomoe at all, but after hearing how and why she became an Akuma, that said all that was needed about her.   Sometimes she wondered if being rich or important in the city meant being a parent that controlled more than loved their children, and the four examples she knew about did seem to favor that, but still.  Tom reached over and squeezed her shoulder and she smiled at him.  

 Tom was a bit angry at whoever choose her himself, but at least he trusted Marinette to handle it, mostly.   His time as an Akuma was something he regretted, but not the actions he took.  

 As he looked upwards he sighed.  “We have to talk to her about it soon, you know.”

 Sabine nodded, Tom was all set to tell her they knew once they figured it out, but then she suggested that maybe it would be best to let her keep going, only acting if they had to.   But the failed mass attack, they were worried about what exactly it meant.   And she knew that they would have to talk to her about it soon, after the hearing at the very least.

 As Tom flipped the sign to open, their phones beeped and they looked down the ‘Akuam Alert’ was deactivated, he looked the outside and smiled.   His daughter had gotten away, but then maybe she was back to get something to win, they didn’t know exactly what she had hidden away up there, after all the ‘Listener’ was just so she could destroy it and give his father piece of mind after what had happened to his old friend.

Sheepheadfred/ That question will be answered in the special I’m working on; and in this world, the Miraculous World; New York happened before Season 3 Episode; Ladybug.    And just for fun, I threw in two characters from a show that ZagToon has been talking about for years but did nothing that I can see.

 So here’s the trailer; In New York; Sparrow will face a threat from the ancient past, causing a pair of old rivals of her and her sister to fight side by side with them as they save old foes.   When the threat multiplies, what will turn the tide for those against it?   Find out in Miraculous New York the Movie; The Coming Darkness.   Hoped date October 1st.

 But that’s enough promotion, for the next two chapters or so, it’ll be filler for the last great battle, after that there’ll be a what’s happening to everyone chapter then next there’s the Pride Saga of this series.

 First up here on Tumblr, Archive and Fan tomorrow by Noon everyone!

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 As she looked around the platform on the Eiffel Tower, Salacia was worried.  She wanted to believe that the heroes were on the side of the angels, but if they were with the Order then she would deal with it, it would make fighting the Seven harder but then she decided to do this.   And her escape strategy would work, all she had to do was jump down and then make it to the river and swim away.  

 She hoped she wouldn’t have to use it, but she learned a long time ago it was always better to have something and not need it than need it and not have it.

 A sound caused her to look up and see Rena Rouge, Ladybug, and Chat Noir land on the other side of the platform from her.  She swallowed and took a deep breath.

 “Hello, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you when we can all talk as long as we need to,” Chat Noir called out from where he was.   Salacia nodded, feeling a little relief that it was only the three of them.  But then with the portal maker, they could have all of them here in moments, she needed to know the truth.

 “Are you allied with the Order of the Guardians?”  Salacia asked as she clenched her hands.

 “The Order was destroyed for over a hundred years before Chat and I defeated the Sentimonster that ate them.  We work with the sole survivor until I brought the temple back.  And we’ve learned, that the others aren’t as on the side of good as the survivor believed,” Ladybug said and Salacia went still as she looked at her.  

 This was better than her worst fear, but then the fact that the temple was back, that might work against her.   Okay, from what Bulla said about them, they always talked about Balance and all, balance under them.   They might be against them, but I need to tell their Kwami at the very least.  She thought as she took a deep breath.

 “The user we fought together in the park?  She’s one of seven who each brought a Miraculous into existence after Atlantis fell.  My Kwami said that the line of her last Atlantis holder has fought them for years,” Salica said and Ladybug looked at her in shock as Rena Rouge’s mouth as Chat Noir dropped to the floor as his legs failed him. “And for years the Order tried to take her to enforce their ideas of ‘Balance’, and they were not above killing to do so.”

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 “Okay……” Ladybug said stunned and looked at the others as they stared at the Dolphin-heroine.   They had known that the Order wasn’t all that Fu thought they were from the way the Kwami had reacted, but this was beyond what they feared.   If she was to be right, then the fact that they had been brought back might work against them, if they sent other Miraculous against them!

 “Okay, that was worse than we thought, just gonna say that right there,” Rena Rouge said softly as she looked at Salica who nodded.

 Chat Noir looked down at his ring, wondering just what they had done to his friend.   He was worried, more worried than he was before they had come here, this tracked with the information Fu was able to get out of the Kwami before they were silenced by what they now knew of as the spell they were going to break.  The last message Marinette and he had sent to Uncanny Valley about how they needed to talk had been sent a replay that her mother was gone, and she was in battle.   They hoped to hear from her soon, but until then they could only wait and deal with this.

“How were they even able to create new Miraculous?” Ladybug asked and Salica  

 “Because my Kwami was part of a group that took relics from the Mage of Atlantis when the island fell,” Salica admitted and looked at them and took a deep breath.   “She protected an artifact the Mage used as a message in a bottle, he had a warning that in twenty-nine days, a Day of Wraith will happen.”

 “Day of Wraith?” Chat Noir asked and Salica looked down.

 They didn’t know what she was talking about, but they had a feeling that whatever it was, it was very bad. The others who were listening in from Rena’s flute were probably talking about it too, and Chloe was probably in a frenzy worrying about what this ‘Day of Wraith’ could mean for Paris.  

 “My Kwami described it as a day when the world healed, a time of fury when the wounds our planet gained.   One single day where the wounds that happened over years were healed all at once.   She’s told me that the ancient magic users constructed towers to keep it from happening, but they’ve been destroyed.   When it happens, it will be bad,” Salica said and looked away.

 Ladybug did the numbers in her head.   The new moon would happen in twenty-three days, after that this Day of Wraith would happen, which gave them a few days to maybe prepare for it after the ceremony that would hopefully free the Kwami.

 “So that’s why you wanted to talk to us all?” Rena Rouge asked and Salica nodded.

 “Yeah, I needed to tell you that The Mage had a message for all the Kwami, once we trust each other more, we’ll hand it over,” Salica said and Ladybug looked at the others and leaned against a support beam and held her head.

 “The Order cast spells on the Kwami, we’re going to break them but we need to wait until the next full moon to do it,” Ladybug said Salica sighed and nodded.

 “That tracks.  My Kwami told me that the Order sent people after them, and sometimes Miraculous users as well.  All for the ‘Balance’ under them of course,” Salica said bitterly and Chat Noir growled and Rena Rouge covered her mouth as Ladybug just blinked.  

 “Okay, that’s a lot to unpack,” Chat Noir said as every bad feeling he had once Chloe made her ‘cult’ comment was coming back at him driving a tank.  

 “The person we fought together, she was one of the Seven then?” Rena Rouge asked and Salica nodded.

 “The Sin of Gluttony, the power granted by that Miraculous is to drain the energy from a person, the basic energy we use day by day.  They turn it into an ‘egg’ that they can drain, if I destroy it then the people drained wake up, otherwise, it takes them a week to do so,” Salica admitted and looked at the others before sighing.   “The minions were created by another of the Seven, not by her power but by her skill.”

 “What,” Ladybug asked faintly and Salica nodded as the others looked at her shocked.  The three could hear Master Fu coughing in shock and horror as they listened in.

 “The way she tells it, it’s some kind of magic that Lust picked up around WW2 in the Pacific, something about a mad monk that she seduced or something………. She said that her sister, the Dove was lost then, and there was something about the Armadillo disappearing,” Salica said and Ladybug swallowed and looked at her as Chat Noir looked at Ladybug in concern as Rena Rouge looked at Salica.

 “Hey, how many Miraculous were with your group?” Rena called out and Salica nodded.

 “Counting her, six. It was sometime after Atlantis fell and the people who became the Seven were fleeing religious prosecution or something.   The Dolphin isn’t sure what exactly,” Salica said and Rena Rouge nodded.

 Chat Noir looked at Ladybug as Rena Rouge questioned Salica about the other members of her Kwami’s group and he saw the worry in her eyes.   If he could see fear in her eye, something was bothering her beyond what he could see.

 “Can the Seven bring other Kwami and Miraculous into the world?” Ladybug asked and Salica shook her head.  

 “No.  The way it was explained to me, when her group broke free they took what was needed to do that with them.   The group split it apart and two of them took their pieces and hid them away from the Seven,” Salica admitted and Ladybug turned and looked out over Paris.  

 She didn’t know what they would do, with Hawkmoth having gained more power with the latest attack, this Giles who escaped while they were fighting the bees, and now six more Evil Miraculous users were out there allied to the who attacked them during the attack of those two Akuma!   And to top it off, this Holder before them just said it was possible to bring more Miraculous into being if they had a relic from the mage, that her group split into six parts.

 Ladybug didn’t know how everything that happened over the last few days would affect the battle against Hawkmoth, but she doubted it would be good.

 “Besides telling us about this, why did you want to meet here?” Ladybug asked and Salica shrugged.

 “I can escape easily if you drop the rest of your team with the Horse, this way I can keep the fight.   And I had to warn you about the day of Wraith, I wouldn’t live with myself if I didn’t tell you,” Salica said as she turned around and looked at them over her shoulder.   “See you next battle!”

 Before they could say anything, she jumped off the edge!   They ran and saw her hit the water, surface, and wave before diving deep and swimming away.

 “She’s a Dolphin so maybe she can breathe underwater.    So see you later guys!” Rena Rouge said and turned away, Chat Noir and Ladybug laughed a little and nodded.

 “Everyone, we’re heading home too.   Master, good night,” Ladybug said and they all heard the others' detrasnform commands over their earbuds as each line died.  

 Rena Rouge grinned at Ladybug and Chat Nori and smirked.  “Bye, guys.  Don't go making kittens now!”

 As Ladybug and Chat Noir blushed Rena Rouge laughed as she jumped away.   She was giddy and trying to think out but inside she was as worried as the others.   With the sheer chaos and damage that this Day of Fury could cause, Rena could only hope that the Mayor had paid the ‘Special Events’ insurance so Paris could recover faster.

 As Ladybug and Chant Nir jumped away to do a patrol before heading back to her home, she decided to send a text to Eagle about everything once there, hoping that Eagle’s Kwami might be able to verify what Salica told them.   If such a terror was coming, they had to warn people, and they might have to work with Hawkmoth to survive.

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 As the Monday sun shinned down, Lila walked into school, she tried to keep the fear and suspicion she was feeling at bay and off her face.   She had been shaking when finished listening to what she had recorded in the kitchen.  

 She now knew her mother wasn’t normal, that she had somehow programmed Lila to act the way she did, and she didn’t know how to handle that. But for now, all she could do was try and see if she could find a way to get away from her control and get her first before whatever reason she had to do this was done.  Ladybug was out, so the only option she had was to somehow get Hawkmoth to help her.   Maybe she could become an Akuma that could force anyone she wanted to obey her orders and interrogate her mother?  

 She shook her head, she needed to get her head in the game.   Right now she had to hope Adrien was back after his…… escapade.   She had to get him to understand the finer points of living as a modern noble and get him to understand that that baker’s brat was nothing, worse than the slime beneath her feet.   And with her gone, I’ll be able to slowly mold these fools into the perfect worshipers, I’ve done it before.   And that Kim, if he doesn’t shape up I’ll have to do something to him, maybe get him blacklisted from sports computations if he doesn’t fall into line after I threaten him.   But to get that kind of power I need these sheep to make me their class representative, and once that happens this school will one day worship me!  She thought as she grinned evilly.  

 She knew most people would fight if they knew someone was controlling their actions, but to Lila, it just meant she had someone to blame if she was confronted, and she would enjoy that boon to the hilt.   And the only thing she hated about what her mother had done to her was that she wasn’t the one to do it to her.

 “Well, time for my first day at this place without that brat Marinette! Goodbye girl, may you take your own life soon!” Lila cackled and entered the building, never noticing someone had seen her and recorded her.

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 In Miss Bustier’s room, the class was softly talking to each other as Rose was being fussed over by Juleka.

 “I’m fine Jules, really. I feel great, after my sleep, it’s like it never happened,” Rose said as she looked at her good friend.  Juleka sighed and nodded, turning towards the others as they talked.   The few pictures the reporters had gotten before they had been forced away from the battle had been all the news had talked about this morning,    So far her classmates hadn’t asked what happened, they all knew that at best she would only have impressions of what she had done as her new form.  Juleka however blushed a little as she remembered how she felt when she saw the picture of her new form, it was something else and she was thinking about asking Marinette for a dress in that color, something nice to wear for the next time she went to the Teen Casino.

 Alya looked down at her desk and tried to keep her mind off last night’s revelations from showing on her face.   The fact that someone beyond the Mage had brought more Miraculous into the world, that the Mage was from Atlantis and everything, she had no words for it.   With the way the past was slowly becoming more active, she didn’t know what.  And the worse thing was that she couldn’t tell anyone outside their circle about it!  

  Master Fu had taken this information the hardest, last she heard he was poring over the pages of the Grimoire he had, trying to find anything that had the simplest scrapes about the Mage, but so far he found nothing the last she heard from him on the group chat this morning.

 Chloe looked down at the front of the class as Sabrina looked over her phone.  The two of them had been talking about maybe bringing in the others into their secret, but then she was still unsure what would happen to the two of them if they did win their battle.   She wanted to do what was right, and ever since the two of them found out the truth, at least they had found it out after she had her revelations about her actions and how she was acting like her mother.  And with the ‘Guardian Cult’ possibly coming for them, they didn’t need her drama before the little ones were freed

 Sabrina was looking over disaster drills and possible scenarios, this ‘Day of Fury’ that Salica told them about had caused their Kwami to clam up, not a good sign.  If it was as bad as she feared, then they needed to do something soon.    With everything she’s heard on the ‘Cadet Net’ lately, and with the ‘Club’ sending out notices of coming attractions that made her worried, and then there was her elephant to handle, at least Barkk agreed that something was wrong with how her father had taught her.    

 Kim meanwhile sighed and looked out the window, after the Lockdown was lifted from the pool, he had tried to ask Ondine out but she said that she had to do something.   After that, he had gone to Max’s place and they had listened in on the talk with the Dolphin hero, and to say Max’s mind was blown was like saying water was wet.   He had gone set up a web search for everything Plato had said about Atlantis and with the monsters, he started to look up legends of heroes fighting monsters, wondering what was real or not.  All Kim knew, was that the world was a lot bigger than he thought it was.

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  As Lila entered the school, she smiled as she looked around.   This was hers now, and if anyone tried to bother her, then all she had to do was cry to her pawns and they would be expelled.   This was even better

 As she walked towards her class, Lila tried to keep focused.   Taking Marinette’s former position was her goal in the short term, but first, she needed to get rid of any chance that Chloe would take it back.   She needed to remind the class how infective Chloe had been when it had been her, based on the stories she heard the mayor’s brat did the bare minimal  

 And the fact that there was a new Bee hero, that was gold.   If she could cut away more of Chloe’s social power, it would take nothing to step into her shoes once.   She stopped before the door and listened in, hoping to get anything that could help her plans.

 “I can’t believe all three of you became Akumas Rose, I just can’t!” Mylene’s voice caused Lila to smile, with Hawkmoth getting stronger, soon that Ladybitch will fall like she’s meant to, and then she would rule with him until she can take over for him.

 She shook herself, slapped her face, and forced a smile onto it.  She opened the door and walked in, grinning happily.  “Good Morning everyone!”

 Lila saw everyone but their teacher and smiled at Chloe, ready to start her plans.   “Oh Chloe I saw the news the other day, to think

 “Eh, I’m good with that,” Chloe said with a shrug and for a moment Lila heard a crack within herself as she looked at Chloe as the others in the room all looked at the conversation.   “In fact, I even got a picture that should be going up just about…….now!”

 A beeping caused them all to look to their phones and saw there was a new photo on the Ladyblog, the photo was of Chloe and Apisera with their arms over the other’s shoulders with the caption ‘Passing the Buzz’.  

 “Wait, this is the Ladyblog! Alya you did this?” Mylene asked and Alya nodded.

 “Yeah, Chloe called me over and after promising this wasn’t a trick I came on over and Apisera turned up! We did an interview that’s going up around lunchtime!” Alya said with a grin.  As Lila stared at the photo feeling her plan die and break into pieces Chloe spoke, each word causing her almost physical pain.

 “Actually, I flagged down Ladybug one night and we talked about it, and I was the one to suggest she find a new hero to replace me,” Chloe said and Lila felt the world tilt as the class looked at her.

 “You did?  If it was me I would be a bit mad even if I went public!” Alix said and Chloe shrugged and smirked up at her.

 Chloe looked around as people looked at her and fought down a grin, this was what she liked most of her bad years, people waiting to hear what she said and

 “Pinks, let’s just say that I spent a bit of time looking back at my actions and well, personality and didn’t like what I saw.   But I gave the photo and interview to Alya to try to make up for the Lady Wifi thing, and I admit that I went a bit overboard, but why I did so was something she was supposed to know!  And I will have a talk with him about it!” Chloe said and the

 “Wait, you gave the interview to Alya?” Ivan asked and Chloe nodded.

 “Yeah, Ladybug was originally going to come and back me up, but then the new Bee showed up instead and well there it is,” Chloe said with a shrug and then she looked at Juleka then looked away.

 “Yeah, but back on the why Marinette was able to get so better results instead of Chloe when she was class president?” Lila asked sweetly and Nino scowled at her, remembering a former bully before he and Marinette even joined the same class as Chloe.  

 “Because Marinette only asked if it was allowed, and if it was the funding she gathered from her fundraisers were always handled by her as a non-profit that Sabrina helped set up, and she made the goodies with her parent's help here at school,” Chloe said absently as she did her nails, blowing on them after a few moments.

 “And you couldn’t why Chloe?” Lila asked, trying to put some doubt about how Chloe dealt with the position.

 “I’m a terrible baker, and the lunch ladies only work part-time, the school won’t let them make goods for sales due to insurance issues, plus they won’t let them work overtime.   And most money that I did collect was always a lot less than Sabrina’s figures at the end so I told Marinette to keep the money and use it herself to get what she collected it for.  She did but she just bought the materials to make them,” Chloe said bluntly and Rose looked down at the pillow she used on her chair and frowned, suddenly understanding why it had a yellow flower on it and she was told to take it home every day.

 Max meanwhile nodded to Markov who winked back, hopefully, his friend would be able to hack into the school’s servers easily enough, taking a look at where the school’s funds went, that seemed like a good way to spend their time while the program he made was running.

 A moment later Ms. Bustier came into the room all smiles, but Chloe knew that whatever the worst teacher in the school had planned, she wouldn’t like it.

 “Calm down everyone, we have a long day.   And will anyone who wants to be the new Class Representative please think about it and talk to me at Lunch!” Ms. Bustier said with a smile as she locked her eyes on Alya and Lila.  Chloe just barely kept a growl down as Ms. Bustier turned towards the board, not seeing the glares most of the class was sending her.

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 A car stopped in front of Francoise-Dupont and three people got out, George plus a woman and a man, all of them in black suits. The woman just sighed and shook her head.  “I wanted to never have to come back to this place ever again, at least until I retired at least.”

 Another car stopped and two men in suits got out and looked at the school behind black sunglasses and the woman nodded at them before one moved towards the back of the school.

  “Come on Rebecca, you know you live for this kind of thing like us!” The man who spoke had tanned skin and Rebecca only glared at him and she looked at him, he only laughed at her look.

 “Maybe Albert, but I really hate that we have to come back here and with the why!”  Rebecca said and Albert nodded as the final member of their group snickered and glared up at the building.  

 “But you know I was right, this place is trash!” Albert said with a scowl as he looked up at the school. “The only thing that makes this place even halfway decent is some of the teachers, so shall we?”

 As they walked towards the school as one, Albert looked at the building and remembered the pain, sorrow, and anger that had caused him to come here.   After everything, he was back here again, and from what he had found out this was going to be almost as bad as what happened before.

 As they entered the school, Fred Haprele was coming out of a doorway that led into the front office and paused before look

 “Hello, can I help you?” Fred asked nervously and Rebecca smiled at him.  Fred was wishing there were more security members

 “Albert Allberg, with the country’s Board of Education, Internal Affairs Division,” Albert said and Fred gulped.    “We need to talk to all the students and the teachers.”

 Fred looked at them and swallowed, he hoped privately that they were here about Marinette.

 As she entered the main office, Rebecca saw a microphone and grabbed it, the secretary tried to stop her but Albert grabbed her arm.  Mr. Damocles came in and scowled at them and was about to speak when Rebecca turned on the intercom.

 “Attention all students and teachers, my name is Rebecca and I work for the Country’s Board of education.   Classes are over, my assonates need to talk to every student, once done talking with them after being called please stay on the premises until the day ends, we might need to talk to some of you again.  However you may choose not to talk to us if you like, you may then leave but be aware if we need to talk to you we will find you.   All teachers please gather in the teacher’s room,” Rebecca said and then looked at Damocles as he paled as listened to her.

 As the other two people who came with her went off, Rebecca looked at Damocles and smiled evilly.  “Now please bring me to your office, I need to look over all your paperwork!  And you, Mr……?”

 “Call me Fred mam,” Fred Harper said and she nodded.

 “Yes, please tell the Libran and the lunch monitor that they don’t need to come for now, and then please watch over the gym until I send the gym teacher to take over once I’m done with him,” Rebecca said and Fred nodded before he winced and looked away.

 “Mam, we don’t have a lunch monitor,” Fred said and Rebecca looked at him for a few moments before glaring at Damocles who swallowed.  Rebecca kneaded her eyes before looking at the secretary and sighed.

 “Fine, you.  Is there a phone in the lunch room?   Or can you take that phone and answer it there?  Good,” Rebecca said as she nodded.  

 “You cover the lunch room, then I’ll send him once I’m done with him, right??” She growled at Damocles who nodded with a fearful look on his face

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 Chloe shared a grin with Sabrina as the announcement ended.   She had a feeling that this had something to do with Marinette’s expulsion and she couldn’t wait to tell them everything she saw!

 Miss Bustier looked up at the loudspeakers as her class all stood up.   This would set them back a bit.  They needed to find another Class Representative to be an inspiration for everyone!   After Chloe shot down all of Caline’s advice, Marinette was the perfect idol for the class until the end.  She would have to teach the next one better.   She hoped that this wouldn’t hurt any of them too much, that they would become people who

 As Chloe looked at her jailer teacher she wondered if she should send all the evidence she had gathered against her to the investigators, she knew she hadn’t been a good student but even then she had known something was wrong with how Caline Bustier acted.

 “Everyone, please go to the library, gym, or cafeteria and wait until you’re called, and everyone please read the next chapter and do the worksheet for it on the class page on the school site!” Caline said as she walked out of the room.  

 Lila went out the other door, Rose saw her leaving the group and called out.  “You okay Lila?”

 “Bathroom, see you later!” Lila called out as she left. Chloe, Sabrina, and Alya looked at her as Kim and Max looked at each other before shrugging.

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 Aurore looked around the small room and took a deep breath as she walked to the table and sat before Albert.

  “Thank you for talking to me, please state who you are for the record,” Albert said and Aurore nodded and sat down before a microphone.

 “My name is Aurore, Aurore Beauréal.  Class President of class B, teacher Ms. Mendeleiev,” Aurore said and Albert nodded.

 “Thank you, please tell me everything you know about the incident between Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Lila Rossi,” Albert said and Aurore looked at him.  

 She didn’t know who these people were or if they were just trying to cover the school for what they did to Marinette, but she had to take a chance.

 “I have to state that I don’t know much as my class was not in school for the incident in question,” Aurore said and Albert nodded.

 “I understand, but please what can you tell me about what happened as you understand the situation from the talk about it around the school,” Albert asked and Aurore looked at him with hard eyes.

 “Thank you, as we came to school the next day as the trip was for all of the day it was all our fellow students could talk about,” Aurore said and a savage glare came onto her face. “And I knew from the beginning that there was no way that Marinette would have done that to Rossi!”

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 Lila had slipped away, not bothering to talk to anyone and heading towards the back door.  She reached the stars leading out she stopped as she thought she heard someone out there.  Opening the door a sliver she brought out a hand mirror and used it to look through the crack and she saw a man in a uniform waiting out there by the door.   She moved backward closing the door silently and glared at it as she wondered what to do now.  If someone found her before she got away……… with everything that was happening she needed to do it now.

 As she moved softly away she tried to remember how the school’s grounds were set up.   The door on the west side was in sight of the front door, so since someone was back here they would see her.  The only chance she had was to slip away through an exit on the east side near the gym, she remembered how some kids broke the alarm by a dodge ball hitting it after escaping the gym, that day had been crazy and an Akuma WASN’T involved no matter what some people said, she had that from the psycho himself.

 As she moved out of the corridor she saw Armand D'Argencourt looking right at her.   He was the Physical education and fencing teacher for the school, considered one of the best fencers in Europe who wasn’t a Super.  He was wearing his usual white fencing uniform and glared at her.  His large curly mustache twitched as he glared at her before he spoke.

 “Well, don’t just stand there!  Go, and find a way to so that little wench will stay out of my school!”  He barked and walked past her towards the gym. Lila blinked and looked at him leave, she had always thought the teachers were split into two categories, those who hated her or those who she tricked, she had never seen a teacher who wanted to help her.

 Lila shook her head and slipped into the door outside, running towards her home, not expecting that her mother already knew about the hearing and was planning on taking her there, or that she had been seen by and Armand had been heard by someone who had recorded it.

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  “When we heard about we couldn’t believe it, it made no sense at all,” Mirelle said and looked down.   She and George sat in a room like the one Aurora was in

 “Who is the ‘we’ in this situation?” George asked and Mirelle looked up from her lap.

 “Aurore and myself, we’re the president and vice president for our class and we’ve worked with Marinette and her vice-president, Alya on the council and it didn’t make sense given what we knew about Marinette’s character,” Mirelle said as she looked at the investigator with a sheepish look on her face.  “But you don’t want my feelings, do you?”

 “I do but I deal with facts alone miss,” George said as he smiled at her gently.  “I just want to know everything you can tell me about what happened as you know.”

 Mirelle looked at him and smiled a little and looked away, wondering how to even begin to explain what she knew about the school.

 “Okay, I guess what we knew was when our teacher came into homeroom the day after, now she…… looked terrible.   She always smiles and sometimes tells a few jokes before class, when it's chemistry she’s always strict but only so we’re safe,” Mirelle began and the man nodded. He had known teachers like that a lot, they were some of the best as far as he was concerned.   A teacher who was human and was able to keep their charges safe even if they were strict.

 “That fits with the profile we have of her, a good person and a strict teacher when class starts, but someone who will still show her humanity.   Now what could have caused her to feel that?” George asked rhetorically and Mirelle smiled at him.

 “First off, do you know what Miss Bustier’s class is called by everyone else?” Mirelle asked and George shook his head.  “The Akuma Class.”

 “Lots of drama there then?” George asked with a grin.

 “Yeah,”  Mirelle said with a grin. “But this was beyond anything so Aurora and I decided to ask the principal about the Marinette’s hearing.   So we headed over to the principal’s office and tried to get a meeting, and well……”

 Mireille looked away and George felt a headache forming.

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 In his office Principal, Damocles locked eyes with Rebecca who had commandeered his school as she sat behind his desk and looked over his files and he was happy that he had put his secrets on lockdown, without the counter code from him if the button was pushed nothing would happen.   And moments later she found it and frowned as she looked down and hed bashfully.

 “That’s the emergency button if I press it when it's working, it sounds the alarm telling everyone to run to safety,” Damocles said and Rebecca looked at him with a raised eyebrow and he shrugged.  “It was the last project of old Professor Berrymore before he retired, last I heard he was in New Zealand bicycling.”

 “If  it’s working?” Rebecca asked dryly and Damocles grinned shakily.

 “Well when the First Akuma happened the damage wasn’t repaired, and well the budget didn’t have it with everything else and since what happened was ruled to fall under the ‘Brainwashed are Innocent Act’, we couldn’t sue Stoneheart, and then since it’s all magic……”  Damocles said and Rebecca looked away, never noticing him press a small statue’s head, deactivating many of the improvements he made off the books.

 Rebecca rubbed her eyes as she sighed and sat down.   She wanted to hate him but he was right, with insurance Science Villains would be paid right away, but with Magic Villains, they had to be caught before the companies made a payout.  And with how Hawky’s been hiding so well, that’s going to be a very time.   So the result is that I can’t fault him for that!  She thought with a glare as she turned to look at him.

 “It was all we could do to fix the cameras, the system still says they’re not working when they are!” Damocles complained and sighed as Rebecca looked up at him and he hid a smirk under his beard.  “But if you’re looking for the views from when this even happened, it’s already been erased, again a command from city hall, delete everything every third Friday at closing time.”

 Rebecca looked at him and glared, prompting him to raise his hands in surrender.  “It is a policy that the mayor set up, I have my orders about it.”

 Rebecca looked at him and sighed as she started to look over the paperwork and frowned before looking at Damocles with a worse glare.  “Where is the paperwork on Miss Dupain-Cheng?”

 “I was planning on finishing that today, just backdate it to last Thursday,” Damocles admitted and Rebecca frowned, he looked away and blushed.  

 Rebecca wanted to yell at him, but backdating paperwork like Marinette was at the edge of acceptable.   She didn’t know if he was serious, he forgot about it or wanted to expel her due to being tardy too many times.   She had dealt with a few cases like that in the past, and the storm she had rained onto those scum who tried to do that, well most of them couldn’t get jobs at dog schools.

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  Chloe looked at Juleka and Rose as they came up to her after talking with the investigators as Sabrina came from checking out something.  Looking at her friend, Sabrina nodded and Chloe sighed.

 “I want to talk to you two, privately,” Chloe said and Rose almost said something before Juleka spoke up.

 “And we can trust you why? And where” Juleka said with a scowl and Chloe looked away.

 “In the entrance way to the basement, and I’ll be outside.  You can let someone else stand guard with me if you want,” Sabrina said and Juleka nodded before spotting Alix walking towards the library and smiled at each other.

 Moments later Ax looked at them as she closed the door, leaving Chloe, Rose and Juleka alone n the basement.  

 “So what’s this all about?” Juleka asked Chloe who looked at them and swallowed.

 “Well…… gah!” Chloe stammered out before she just bowed to both of them.  Juleka and Rose just stared at Chloe in shock.  Chloe looked up after a few moments and saw how they both reacted she looked away.   “Goth-g……Juleka…….. sorry about the photo thing, our teacher should have maybe put us last while everyone went to find you at least!”

 Juleka blinked and shared a glance at Rose who looked as surprised as Juleka felt.   Nothing ever prepared her for Chloe of all people to apologize.   And she was right, how Ms. Buister and Damocles dealt with that incident was bad, it was just another mark against them.   But it still didn’t make what Chloe did any less bad.

 “Still that doesn’t make what you did any better!” Juleka said and Chloe winced and looked down at the floor.

 “Yeah, I know.  Well, that was when I was trying to act like my mom would, hoping the witch would like me back,” Chloe admitted and Rose winced and Juleka frowned.   She was the last person to talk about having a normal relationship with her parents, and she could see why Chloe had thought that she needed to do something for her mother to like her.  

 But then Audrey was a total bitch, no calling her a bitch was an insult to female dogs!  She had seen the woman a few times around the city, and to say that the only reason that she wasn’t in jail was that her husband was the mayor was like saying the sky was blue!  If that was Chloe’s role model who she based herself on, then that explained a lot.  But it was the ‘witch’ comment that bothered Juleka, something about that tickled her senses, it was like she knew was at the edge of understanding something but she couldn’t the whole picture yet.

 “So why are you apologizing to me and not Rose for her letter?” Juleka asked and Chloe winced. Juleka didn’t know what this was, was Chloe trying to turn over a new leaf or was it part of a plot she had going? Either way, Juleka would watch Chloe’s reactions, she wasn’t her brother but she had a good eye for tells.

 “Yeah about that,” Chloe said and looked away.  “It is hotel policy to not let guests, special or otherwise be given letters by hand, all letters must be sent through the mail and post office.   It’s because a hotel was sued when a hate letter was delivered by hand, given by someone who said they were a big fan of a guest.”

 Rose blinked a few times and Juleka’s exposed eye went wide.  

 “OH,” Rose and Chloe nodded.

 “Yeah, I could have been nicer about it, but after learning about that and the number of close calls the hotel’s had over the years, and don’t ask what happened okay?” Chloe said and Rose nodded.

 Juleka frowned, her mind going strange places as she looked at Chloe.  She could imagine a lot of close calls that could happen to have to do with the mail, she had read about a lot of them and heard lectures from family friends.   She could accept it, she didn’t like it and Chloe could have been nicer about it but then she understood why she did what she did.

 Rose meanwhile was worried for the person who had been giving the letter and the person who hand-delivered it.  She hoped nothing bad happened to them in the end, and that the person who sent the letter was giving help if he needed it.

 “So this was just to apologize then?” Rose asked and Chloe nodded.

 “Yeah, I looked at myself and I’ve got a list of things to make up for.   I’m going to be a better person, one that Pollen would have been proud to call a partner!  Oh, Pollen was the Bee Kwami,” Chloe said smiling as Juleka shared a look with Rose.

 “About that Passing posting this morning, are you okay?” Rose asked softly and Chloe smiled and nodded.

 “Yeah, I’m just fine really. The interview she crashed will tell you all everything,” Chloe said and smiled at the girls.  

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 Alya sighed as she left the interview room and looked around the cafeteria, at least that was done.   The teachers had said that classes were canceled for the day, and everything would instead be free study as long as the investigators didn’t need them.   She looked around the room, spotting Max and Markov talking to each other quietly as they sat by his computer.   If she was a full-time hero, she needed to talk to Max and Markov about a workaround, maybe he could build something and Markov could pilot it remotely?   Still, she needed to talk to someone while she waited for Nino to come out.

 As she walked she noticed Chloe entering the room at the head of a group consisting of Alix, Sabrina, Rose, and Juleka.  She had mentioned apologizing to Juleka and mentioned something about hotel rules to do with the Rose situation and not to ask.  She looked around for Lila and frowned when she didn’t see her.   She thought that the witch would have been watched, but if she wasn’t and escaped………

 Alya moved towards the doorway and Chloe saw her and stopped, the others walked by her for a few moments before they all stopped and looked from Chloe to Alya as she was walking towards them.

 “Something wrong blogger?” Chloe challenged and Alya looked up and nodded.

 “Lila’s missing,” Alya said simply and Chloe looked around the room.

 “Fuck,” Chloe said and looked at the group.

 Alix looked as well, frowning as she looked at the speakers on the ceiling, a frown on her face. “Was she called in already?”

 Alya shook her head before replying. “No, I’ve watched everyone who has, she hasn’t.”

 “Sabrina go check the bathroom on the second floor, Alix the gym.  Alya, you’re with me on the first floor, Juleka and Rose, check the nurse,” Chloe said in a commanding tone and the others nodded

 As Alya followed Chloe, she blinked for a moment before chuckling; she just saw how Chloe was the Class President before Marinette.   A beeping from her phone caused her to wince, that was her and Chloe’s interview, well so much for watching their reactions.

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 Marinette sighed as she worked on a design as Adrien did a little research online.   After last night they had both asked questions that had gotten Plagg and Tikki to ‘go silent, and that answered if the Guardians had killed their wielders to get them under their control.  Marinette had asked Master Fu to send a list of the materials needed for the spell to break the enchantments on the Mother Box, hoping that more heads working on it might get the answer faster.  

 She had spent the last hour on it while Adrien looked up the definition of the words in a French to Chinese encyclopedia, hoping that if they knew the Chinese definition that might help point them in the right direction.  

 After falling for the hour but having a few ideas, Adrien had taken a turn on the computer to research other modeling agencies he could get a contract with, and he had liked voice acting so he was looking those up too, something about how he would need a job his father didn’t control after the hearing, hopefully, if it went well. Tikki and Plagg were in the closet, talking quietly.   It seemed they could talk to each other but not them without tripping the spells. She hoped that they were able to break the spells on the next full moon.

 A beep caused them to look down at their phones and smile.   It seemed the time was right for that ‘special’ post that Alya had made over the weekend was up.   Marinette just hoped the bread crumb they left would lead to where they wanted it to.

 “Looks like the interview is live, wanna watch it?” Adrien asked and Marinette giggled and got up and looked at her closet.  

 “Plagg, Tikki!   Come on!  Chloe’s interview is on!” Marinette called out as Adrien turned the TV on.

 As the Kwami flew out Adrien sent opened the blog on his phone and cast the video to the TV.

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 Alya’s face filled the screen and she smiled as she started to speak. “Hey Ladybloggers, this is Alya here!   Rumors of a new Bee hero brought me here to the Le Grand Paris to talk to the Queen Bee herself, Chloé Bourgeois!   After a few questions, I learned that this was a bit bigger so I thought, let’s have an interview and she agreed!”

 The camera panned and showed Chloe sitting in one of two chairs with her back to the door to her balcony smiling.  “Hey Alya, glad to have you here! So what’s first?”

 The Camera panned back to Alya who fiddled with something behind the camera as she smiled and moved to the other chair and looked at Chloe.

 “So Ladybloggers I’m using my new phone stand on Chloe’s bed so you can see us, might need to fix it if Fang comes and vests us so let's start.  Chloe, you said that you were all behind a new Bee hero…….” Alya trailed off as Chloe giggled.

 “Oh, her?  I knew about it even before she did!” Chloe said with a grin.  Alya blinked a few times and looked at her in total shock.

 “Wait, you what?!  How…….” Alya trailed off as a knocking was heard and Chloe stood up and walked to the door, she opened it and revealed Apisera herself standing there.  Chloe stepped backward as Apisera smiled at her.

 “Hello Miss Bourgeois, I hope you don’t mind me calling on you…….. oh the Ladyblogger?” Apisera asked and Chloe smiled.

 “Come in, I was just talking about you, this is perfect!” Chloe said and walked into the room with Apisera following behind.  Alya stood up from her chair and went behind the Camera, picking it up as Apisera and Chloe sat down in the chairs.

 “Ladybloggers hold on, this is gonna be a double!   Both the former Queen Bee and the current Apisera, only on the Ladyblog folks!  And I’m workshopping a new name, the Miraculous-Zing? The Hero Watch?  The Poll is on the site from the main page, drop by and cast a vote!  So first question for Chloe, how does it feel being benched?” Alya asked and Chloe smiled.

 “It feels nice Alya, very nice,” Chloe said as she smiled.  “Looking back I did it for the wrong reasons, and I told Ladybug that she should find a better Hero.  One chosen like she was,” Chloe said and Apisera nodded.

 “So you said for her to find a new Holder for the Bee?  Well, I came here to apologize for taking your spot but if you gave the okay,” Apisera said and Chloe laughed.

 “It’s fine. I was in some bad head space for a while; I had a revelation about a few things that put everything I did into place, let me see it for what it was.  The rest is too personal for this interview, but I have nothing but respect for you, just treat Pollen better than I would have before my head got screwed on right,” Chloe said and someone bobbed the camera.  

 “Okay, let’s step back.  Who’s Pollen?” Alya asked and Chloe looked nervous while Apisera smiled and put a hand on Chloe’s shoulders.

 “Don’t worry about it, Ladybug and the others cleared me to tell.  Pollen is a Kwami, entities that give all Miraculous their powers.  Hawkmoth doesn’t just attack Paris, he holds the entity of his Miraculous hostage and enslaves them.   And I will take care of Pollen, she will never have reason to hate me,” Apisera said and Chloe smiled.

 “Back up, Hawkmoth is holding someone captive?!  Forcing them to work for him?” Alya demanded and Apisera nodded.

 “Like how the butterflies empowered by Hawkmoth can’t appear on cameras, neither can Kwami.  They are…….. good friends and loyal companions.   I just stopped here to talk to Chloe to clear the air so to speak, good luck miss ……. Ayla?  No Alya right?  Well, good luck Ladyblogger,” Apisera nodded and got up and Chloe looked at her for a moment.

 “Everything okay?”  Chloe asked and Apisera nodded.

 “Yeah, I just need to complete my patrol,” “Apisera said as she left the room and jumped away.

 “Well that answered more than I thought it would, I gotta come again if this is what interviewing you will be like Chloe!” Alya said as Chloe nodded.

 “Yeah, if something happens that you want to talk to me about, call me Alya.   If nothing happens I might be able to squeeze you in,” Chloe said and Alya giggled.

 The camera turned around and looked at Alya’s face.  “Well folks that’s all the time we’ve got for now, I want to thank all my viewers and I hope you all have a good day, this is the Ladyblogger signing out!”

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 Marinette smiled and laughed as she leaned back on her bed.  Adrien was chuckling and he almost laughed as looked at her.  

 “Calm down milady it wasn’t that bad right?” Adrien asked as Plagg started to laugh.

 “Not that bad?  Kid, you don’t get it! Right Bug?” Plagg asked with a grin.

 Marinette grinned and nodded as she looked at Adrien.  She loved him but he was having a hard time picking up the subtle stuff, but then that was something that could be learned so it was okay for now.

 “This will remind people that Hawkmoth is holding a sapient being hostage, that besides all the terror he’s done with brainwashing, holding something that can think as a slave is worse.   This way people will look, and personally…….. if anyone who works for your father finds anything out, then they will tell people,” Marinette said and Adrien nodded with a bitter smile.  

 When Chloe had laid out her idea for the interview, Adrien had asked her to include that bit about the Kwami, hoping to let anything move in their favor.   He was convinced that the chance of his father being Hawkmoth was good, and he knew that with how the last few months had been he was very good at keeping to the shadows.

 He hoped that this would lead to something, but he didn’t trust luck.   They needed to track down anything that could lead to Hawkmoth, and he knew it wasn’t going to be easy.  But then he thought about Sabrina and the Dog Miraculous, if they could find a way to zero in on where Hawkmoth was, and if there was proof that his father was involved…….. well a nice Super Human Affairs Search Warrant could find the answer one way or another.

 And if Hawkmoth was put off his game if people started to talk about how he enslaving someone, so much the better.

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 In their hideout Thunderlord looked at their TV and frowned, he didn’t know what he watched.   He had heard about the Ladyblog and figured it might be a good way to gather intelligence but that put to rest a few plans he had.   Chloe Bourgeois had seemed like a good target for a minion, but whatever that was demolished that idea.   He had come back to Paris when he heard about this Hawkmoth and after meeting the man, it seemed that he was completely wrong to take over one of his problems in the Seven, too much Pride in him.   And with Lust still trying to take him out, he needed to begin to build up the numbers of his pawns……..

 There were always those out there who wanted power, and well the Way of Enchantment made it quite easy to find slaves.   All he needed to do was find the few gangs in this city that used this place as a drop-off point for smuggling, there were always people who wanted power among those types.   A few backed takeovers, a few enchanted magic items to help them and a few promises of a new life as a ‘super’, and then the usual.

 He had done that with the SSS during the war, playing off the factions that appeared among them and leading a few into ambushes and killed all of them that knew about him once the tide turned all to make sure so no one would know about him or the other six.   And now with the time to harvest so soon, he wondered if she would wait until after to strike, yes she probably would do that.   Best to know all so she could rule after all, that was who and what she was, even when they were children.

 “So that was something, wasn’t it?” The voice of Nekhbet caused him to turn to look at her longing on a sofa.  

 “Yes, it shows that this team might not have as many blind spots as we thought they did.   And the Dolphin is probably already telling them all about us,” Thunderlord said as Nekhbet laughed.

 “That’s what you take away from that!?  Oh, I can’t wait to play with them again!” Nekhbet laughed as she planned.

 “Lust barely made enough to guard us Gluttony!  Remember we need to prepare for the Harvest soon!” Thunderlord snarled and walked towards his room.   Nekhbet laughed as she watched him leave.  

pairing: ladybug (Bullet Train) x female reader

requested plot: “What if you wrote something for when Ladybug accidentally kill’s someone (again) and reader comforts him and washes off blood from his face and hands?” 

authors note: I hope you don't mind me giving reader a spy name (chives)! It’ll sound stupid but there's a meaning to it :) 

warnings: mentions of a dead guy, obvs, language, some mentions of violence, just a cute lil story about an unlucky bug and his favourite person. 

“You know… The first time I would believe it was an accident, but again?” 

Ladybug sighed from behind you, watching as you bend down to check the pulse of his most recent escapade. “He’s definitely dead, there’s a uh - there’s a knife in his back.” 

“Oh,” You pull the guy forward, and fair enough a blade was stuck between his shoulder blades. “You could’ve told me that before I checked for a heartbeat, now I just look stupid.”

Adrien glanced back in the direction of the palace. She was right, of course; his father would worry. The curtain had fallen on his brief playact at freedom. “Then at least take the umbrella, to keep you and your sketches dry.”

Prince Adrien took the umbrella from his bodyguard’s hands and placed it in Marinette’s. As her fingers brushed his, her cheeks grew hot and a strange spark seemed to travel up her arm, not unlike the magic that filled her when she was Ladybug.

Words clamored up her throat, all a mess, jumbled, fighting for freedom and in the end, she could not even stammer out a thank you.

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  Sorry it’s been so long. My New Year promise is this, I will try and write, I will not let the whispers of timidness get the better of me, I will put the story I create out and I will revamp my Patreon starting next month, and I will try and get another of these chapters out within then next 2 weeks and I will finish my novel!

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  Ladybug threw her yoyo into the head of one of the arm cannon monsters and jumped backwards, letting her head take a glance at the battleground.  Apisera was attacking the other cannon monster as Chat Noir and Canixia were fighting the two clawed monsters as they kept them away from her Apisera as the Akuma and the newcomer fought each other, so far the other monsters were ignoring Cameraneer, and that was good, if the Akuma was in the camera-backpack, then if it was destroyed then Villains civilian form might be hurt if these things released the Akuma, and if it multiplied then she didn’t know what they could do, they had never dealt with a duel Akuma that multiplied before.

 As News Jaharl slashed his right sword sideways towards her, Nekhbet just laughed as she jumped over it and spun around, slashing out with her weapon as she looked at News Jaharl with a mad grin on her face.

 “Foul Wench, how dare you!?” News Jaharl snarled and Nekhbet jumped backwards and glared at him with a look of such hate that for a moment News Jaharl went still in shock.

 “You called me Wench…….. IT’S TIME TO HARVEST!” As Nekhbet’s voice rang out and every hero turned and saw Nekhbet smirk as her weapon’s blades were suddenly coated in black energy as she slashed it down through News Jaharl who screamed before he reverted to Robert and fell to the ground not moving, while that happened Cameraneer suddenly seemed to gain more power for a moment before he went limp as a purple egg that had blue lines spiraling down it formed in front of Nekhbet before she grabbed it and laughed as she caught it as her weapon gained a black glow around it.

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 Hawkmoth stumbled and Nathalie was by his side in an instant, holding him up as he breathed deeply for a few moments.  

 “Are you okay?” Nathalie asked and Hawkmoth stayed silent as he panted.

 “I’m fine,” He said as he steadied himself.   That was……beyond anything I’ve ever felt before.   Could that be what my love felt when…… no I’m still awake so it couldn’t have been but I need to ask Nooroo what happened when this is over!  He thought before he felt Nathalie’s hand on his shoulder, looking up at her face.

 “Sir, you blanked. Are you okay?” Nathalie asked and Hawkmoth nodded.

 “Yes, but I have never felt anything like that before, not even when Ladybug cleanses my Akumas……… this almost tried to drink my power.   I think we might need to have you come with us when I go and meet this woman and her ‘friends’,” Hawkmoth said and Duusu grinned and laughed as they somersaulted in the air.  

  “Oh that’s terrible, I don’t know how many more times you can handle this Miss Nathalie!” They said cheerfully and Hawkmoth frowned.  He truly wanted the Miraculous to be fixed so the Kwami would get its mind back to normal, at least then he might be able to handle the little monster!   And given what he learned about duel wielding Miraculous, when it was repaired he would use it normally.  A moment later a beep caused him to look down at his Miraculous as one of the wings suddenly went white.

 Everyone looked at it in shock and confusion, Hawkmoth slowly looked at Nathalie as she stared at him, a thousand questions behind her eyes, nothing that they knew about the Miraculous showed any hint about how this was even possible.   Nathalie just knew that this was something new, but she didn’t know that this was only the beginning of what was to come.

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 Ladybug starred at Nekhbet in horror before she jumped back as the monster she was fighting suddenly roared and attacked her harder, from the other cries she heard the other monsters were doing the same.  

  As she tried to get back enough to risk another look as the monster attacked her, Nekhbet meanwhile looked down at Robert’s body with a leer as he slept on.

 “Oh, this was who that warrior was?!  I wonder just what are the limits for that power he uses?  And the other is still up and around, I wonder if I harvest him, will I gain more power?”  Nekhbet purred as she looked around the battle and saw the four heroes fighting off her Legion and chuckled.  Truly this is amazing, I wonder…….. does it take into account the person, something about them when it gives them powers? Does he choose or does he only have options about what he turns them into? He might be worthy to join our group after all, or at least we won’t fight him……… but this one.  Ooooohhhh I need to look him up later, such a wild will somewhere deep down there!  She thought as she looked up around the battle and smirked as she saw the news helicopter flying near the street and snorted.   “So the mammal bitch isn’t coming, then I got her the other day, then all we need to do is search the possessions of the victims and we’ll find the dolphin at last, perfect!”

 Nekhbet looked around and saw her monsters dealing with the heroes and frowned, one of them was missing.  

 Chat Noir dodged the blast from one of the range monsters as he tried to figure out a way the take it out without using his power, he might need it to free the Akuma!  As he dodged he saw Apisera throw her top around the neck of her foe and pull it towards her, jumping in a circle to spin kick it away from her.  He smirked as he lunged to the side away from another shot, he always knew his sister has hidden depths to her, but he hadn’t expected her or Sabrina to be such good fighters!  

 As Ladybug dodged to the right as the monster she was fighting fired at her and missed a red staff suddenly came down and dented the head before it screeched and flashed white before it dissipated into nothingness.   She looked up and saw Roi Singe running towards her as his staff shrank in his hands, he grinned at her and slammed his staff against the other one and looked at her.

 “Glad you made it, but how’d you know?” Ladybug asked him as she looked around at the battle, not seeing Rena Rouge and the others holding their own.  

 “I didn’t!” Roi Singe called out loudly as he grinned.

 “What?!” Ladybug exclaimed and Roi Singe smirked at her.

 “I just got lucky, figured it was a monster so go me!” Roi Singe smirked at her.

 “Really?” Ladybug asked in shock and Roi Singe looked at Nekhbet who was examining Rob, trying to learn anything she could.

 “No, I was told we just have to deal damage to them, break a bone or something and they die.  And did ya hear about the people found knocked out, she’s behind it, there’s a new girl, she’s with Rena we just need to give them an opening,” Roi Singe said softly as he leaned towards Ladybug.

 “Got it, anything else?” Ladybug asked just as soft and Roi Singe nodded.

 “Yeah, see that egg on her belt, we need to get it to save a lot of people, we need to keep her distracted and moved her towards the right,” Roi Singe whispered and Ladybug nodded before she and Roi both sprung at one of the monsters.

 Canixia had heard what Roi Singe called out as she blocked one of her foes blades with her right and grinned, she dodged a slash from her left and moved her right leg behind one of the monster’s and tripped it, then she slammed both of her weapons into its head, causing the monster to disappear after she broke its head.  

 Chat Noir ran in close and thrust out with his baton as it turned into a staff and hit his foe’s throat, it gurgled before it fell to the ground and died before disappearing.   As the last of the ranged monsters looked around for its brethren before Apisera threw her top around its neck, pulling it towards her only for her fist to hit its throat, it coughed before Canixia slammed one of her weapons through its heads as every visible hero moved to stand before Nekhbet, their weapons raised.

 “You know you could move away from the civilian and let us handle the Akuma before we talk, I mean you’re outnumbered, can you really keep fighting all of us?  How long have you had that Miraculous since how long?” Roi Stinge asked and Nekhbet laughed and smirked at them.

 She chuckled as she looked around, gripping her weapon tighter as she grinned.  “Oh little fools, I made this with my group so many years ago, well before WW1,” Nekhbet purred as she spun her scythe and prepared to attack.  

 As the heroes' eyes winded they never noticed that the Akuma Cameranear had a butterfly energy mask on, letting them all know that Hawkmoth was listening in.

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 Out o sight, both Rena Rouge and Salacia moved through the brush, Salacia keeping her eyes on the egg Nekhbet had on her belt and Rena swallowed as she heard Nekhbet’s boast.   “What?”

 “Keep it together, we need to get that egg, that’s what’s important right now,” Salacia said and Rena Rouge nodded and looked at her before nodding.  

 “Yeah, but you’re going to tell us all about that later on got it?” Rena Rouge muttered as they waited for the right moment.  

 “I’ll meet you and whoever you want tomorrow night on the Eiffel Tower,” Salacia promised and Rena Rouge nodded.

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 Ladybug was shocked, how could she even be alive after all those years, and to have made a Miraculous?   Who was this woman and what did she want, the way she fought Hawkmoth’s minions and did what she did, she had no idea at all what to do.  A look at the others saw that they were all thinking the same thing, if she was that old then she wouldn’t time out, they needed to beat her or any friends she might have and then identify what her Miraculous actually was.

 “We still outnumber her, all I need is one hit and we win!” Apisera encouraged the others and they all grinned and gripped their weapons tighter.  

 Nekhbet grinned and shot at them, her weapon still glowing.   The heroes jumped away but she kept moving after Apisera who dodged the blows with a hard look in her eyes.

 “Then if I take you out, then I’ll win!” Nekhbet snarled and Apisera dodged backwards and tried to figure out anything that she could do, she could activate her power but then she would have 2 minutes at most before she had to escape before she transformed back, and with the way Nekhbet was fighting she had experience, and if she had lived that long then that made sense.   They had to find a way to take her down.   She saw Rena poke her head out of a bush behind Nekhbet and gestured for her to come that was and Apisera grinned as Chat Noir and Roi Singe charged at Nekhbet, only for her to cackle and jump backwards with a cackle.

 “You can’t beat me, after all, how will you free that one, none of you can do it without hurting him,” She purred as she looked around at the heroes who all look half convinced.

 “But I can witch!”  A Salacia called out as she attacked Nekhbet from the right who jumped backwards, letting Salacia jump at Nekhbet when from behind her another Salacia lunged at her and grabbed both eggs as they passed each other as the first Salacia passed through Nekhbet who realized what had happened.  

 “THE FOX!” Nekhbet screeched as she looked at Salacia who held the two eggs and looked at her and screamed out her power.   “You stupid little whore, so I missed you last night!?”

 “Disharmony!”  At Salacia’s command, her hands glowed grey and the eggs cracked and from them rainbow energy streams flew out of them, one shot at Robert’s body, another shot to the east and most of them shot west.

 As Nehkbet looked at her gritted her teeth and was about to attack Salacia when she heard something coming at her, she dodged backwards as Chat Noir and Roi Singe charged at her, dodging again when Canixa almost slammed her weapon into Nehkbet head.   Looking she realized that she was in a lot of trouble.

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 In a hospital room, the old woman who had given Ondine the Dolphin Miracouls lay in a bed and breathed evenly, even if she was unconscious.   One of the energy streams followed into the room and then into the woman who shot up with a gasp and looked around smiling as she heard the commotion from outside starting up.  Looking towards the door she saw doctors and nurses rushing about, and she heard enough to know the other victims were awake.  “Good job girl, good job.”

 As she leaned back, she sighed and closed her eyes as she fell asleep.

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 “Damn you!”  Nekhbet spat as the heroes and glared at them as all the heroes cornered her.   Looking around she tried to find anything she could do to turn the tide and scowled as she realized what she had to do.   “She’s going to be such a bitch about me using this but so what!  You heroes think you won!  THEN TRY AND DEAL WITH THIS MONSTER!”  

 Nekhbet withdrew another organic egg from her weapon and threw it down to the side, with a flash that died down to reveal a ten-foot-tall green insect creature with a large scorpion lower body and a mantis upper body growing where the eyestalks on the scorpion would be.  The lower scorpion body had two scorpion claws and the upper body had mantis claws.   As Nekhbet dashed away the monster spat a globe of white mucus at the heroes who dodged.  

 As she landed Salacia heard a beep and cursed as she ran from the battle as Roi Singe looked from her to Nekhbet and wondered who to go after.  Rena Rouge suddenly appeared and tackled him, getting him away from the stinger that hit where he was.  “Eye in the game Roi Singe!  We’ll talk to her later but we can’t let this thing get to the civilians!”

 Roi Singe saw the monster roar and look towards the other end of the park where the police were and he nodded.   As he lept at it he swung his staff down and it blocked it with the right mantis claw, throwing him back into the air and it spat another white globe at him, but before it could hit him Apisera threw her top and lassoed him, pulling him away, the globe missing him by inches.

 Ladybug landed from her jump and looked at the battle for a moment before shaking her head, quickly coming to a decision.  “Chat, Roi you’re on intercept duty, take down that tail!  Apisera once you’ve got a shot use it!   Canixia you’re with me, we’re going after the scythe user, Rena fall back to the insertion point you used!”

 “Got it chief!”  

 “As you order my lady!”

 “On it Ladybug!”

 As Roi Singe, Chat Noir and Apisera called out, Ladybug shot towards the edge of the park with Canixia following behind her.  As they reached the street they saw police holding back the civilians as they did when an Akuma made its first appearance, with simple ones like Mr. Pigeon and others like him, they treated them like street performers.

 “Did you see a woman in silver come this way?!” Ladybug called out to a police officer who pointed towards one of the buildings and Canixia cursed.  

 “I could activate my power, but if she still hasn’t turned back……..” Canixia said and Ladybug nodded and looked at the police as Officer Rodger came closer. Canixia kept looking away and hoped her father wouldn’t notice anything about her that would clue him into her identic

“Ladybug is the Akuma down?” Officer Rodger as he reached the heroes, wondering who the new one was.

 “It’s a double Officer Rodger with extras, one is down but the other is still active, and there’s something else.  Chat Noir and I will stop by the station and talk to the task force once we get a handle on whatever it is,” Ladybug promised and Officer Rodger looked at the park as a loud animalistic roar sounded from within, causing Officer Rodger’s mouth to drop open.  “Stay out until you see the cure.  Canixia, come on!”

 As the two heroes ran into the park, Officer Rodger saw the News Helicopter land nearby and sighed as he knew he would have a hard time keeping the reporters back.

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 The two heroes ran back towards the battle, Roi Singe and Chat Noir were wailing on the monster as Apisera panted.   Looking towards them she smiled at them as they came towards them.

 “Oh she got away? Great so how do we kill this thing?” Apisera asked as both of the boys kept striking the monster.    Ladybug was about to say something when she noticed something.  She lunged and tackled Apisera moments before a beam shot over their bodies.  Looking towards Cameraneer she and Apisera him breaking free of the material holding him in place, moments before Apisera’s Miraculous beeped.  

 “Oh no,” Ladybug moaned as she remembered what she had learned from Master Fu, when a Miraculous that caused a continuing effect on an opponent like the Bee times out, the effect is gone.  If the monster that Nekhbet had summoned was free with the Akuma still on the loose, that would be terrible.  Looking at the monster she stared at it and knew she had no choice.  “Lucky Charm!”

 Throwing her yoyo up a red energy sphere formed and from it dropped a small spray can.  After she caught it, Ladybug looked around, the whole area was grayed out to her.  As she looked around, she saw Cameraneer’s eyes flash, the monster, Chat Noir, Roi Singe. Then Ron and Canixa flashed a blue color and she understood everything.  

 “Apisera, fall back and recharge, once the monster is destroyed hit the Akuma. Chat Noir, Roi Singe get the monster in front of the Akuma once it’s free!  Canixia grab the former Akuma!” Ladybug ordered as she shot at the Akuma.

 “Wait what?!” Apisera demanded as she watched Ladybug but shot away towards the forest and saw Rena Rouge waiting for her and looked at her as she dropped her transformation.  

 “What’s the plan?” Alya asked as Chloe reached into her pocket and handed Pollen a few seeds to eat to recharge.  

 “Trust our lady I guess, ready Pollen?” Chloe asked and smiled as Pollen nodded causing Chloe to grin.

 As Canixia grabbed Rob and jumped away she looked on, partly excited to see a Ladybug Plan up close.

 Ladybug dashed at Cameraneer, dodging the shots the Villain fired at her from both arms. and sprayed its eyes and the camera on its back.

 As the monster started to move Roi Singe looked at Chat Noir and shrugged before hitting the monster in its eyes and jumping away as it screeched and followed him towards Ladybug and the Villain as Chat Noir followed behind them.

 Cameraneer roared and broke free of the last of the material holding him down and fired both its arms, Ladybug dodged both beams and a bench was hit, being pulverized as both energy attacks affected it at the same time.  Ladybug grinned and looked away from the Villain, smiling as she saw the monster and others run towards them.  

 “Come on, you couldn’t record the side of an aircraft carrier from five feet!” Ladybug called out as she stood between the monster and the Villain.

 “FINE!  I’LL TAKE YOUR MIRACULOUS FROM YOUR CORPSE!” Cameraneer roared and thrust both his arms at Ladybug, firing from both of them again. As the beams moved closer to her Roi Singe was suddenly there, grabbing Ladybug with one hand, the other held his staff as it grew and shot them away as Chat Noir went the other way, the beams passing beside it by an inch on both sides and hit the monster, destroying it as the beams hit the monsters scorpion claws, breaking the bones and causing the monster to dissolve.

 Apisera was suddenly there stinging Cameraneer as Canixa put Robert down as Ladybug, Chat Noir and Roi Singe landed by the still active Villain.

 “Five Minutes gang! Find that item!” Apisera called out and they all descended on Cameraneer and tried to pull things free, most breaking with nothing else happening but it was when Roi Singe pulled the camera on Cameraneer’s shoulder and dropped it to the ground it didn’t break that they knew they found it.  

 “Got it! Cataclysm!” Chat Noir called out, calling on his power and as the camera dissolved, as the Villain turned back into the cameraman a black butterfly flew free until Ladybug caught it in her yoyo.

 “No more evil-doing for you little Butterfly,” Ladybug said with a grin as she released a pure white butterfly that flew away before she picked up her Lucky Charm and looked at the others as she held it out, they grinned back at her and put their hands under it, Roi Singe looked around than coughed and joined his own to the others, and then as one, they threw it into the air.  

 “MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!” They all roared out as the spray paint climbed into the air until it exploded into a ladybug swarm that flew around the park, fixing everything that the battle had destroyed, and the victims both woke up.

 “What happened?” Rodger asked before his phone beeped, looking at it he saw that the Akuma Alert was turning off and he frowned.

 “That was something LB!” A voice called out and Robert looked up and saw the heroes, gasping as he stared.

 “Yeah Monkey boy, I mean a new Miraculous wielding villain and she comes with her very own nemesis who I hope is on our side!” Chat Noir said as he put his staff baton over his shoulder. Robert gasped and looked around her either of them, the chance to interview a new depowered villain or hero, but he only saw his cameraman sitting up as he held his head, where was the villain the heroes had fought?

 “Talk later, let’s move people!” Ladybug called out as Robert looked at the heroes as they left, realizing what he had done

 “Wait!” Robert called out but the heroes didn’t hear him as they dashed away and out of sight. Robert could only look in the direction of where the heroes had gone before he could even say anything. He couldn’t see the Ladyblogger around so the Ladyblog wouldn’t have any new content, so maybe that was a win?   With how that teen was getting her footage they were being told to be like her, but with how she was so cavalier with her safety, he would prefer to stay alive. But he had overheard the heroes, there were two unknowns in this fight, an unknown hero and a new villain, that was something that he could use.

 “Wonderful, new heroes and villains, I’m dead center and I’ve got barely anything!” Bob snarled and looked down, while he was spiraling about how after he lost his internship and his school expelled him the laughter of his cameraman caused him to break him out of his thoughts. Scowling as he looked at the source of the laughter as his cameraman looked at his machine with a grin on his face.  “What’s so funny?!”

 “Tell you after we’re done with them boss,” The cameraman said as he pointed behind Bob, who turned and saw the police coming towards them.  Bob almost said something before he stopped, feeling dizzy so he sat down and tried to catch his breath.  Moments later police, members of the Akuma Taskforce came towards them and he knew turned, not seeing his cameraman pocket the recording and slip a new one into the camera.

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 Hawkmoth detransformed and Nooro fell before Gabriel caught him.   “Who were those two?”

 “I don’t know…….. I’ve never seen the first one’s Kwami before……but the Dolphin, I’ve heard of her from Xuppu after the Destruction of Atlantis……. She was his,” Nooro said as Duusu laughed and floated in the air.

 “Oh yeah!  He was so sad that she and the others never made it to the Order, he even lost his happy for a few decades!” Dussu said with a laugh and Nathalie looked at the Kwami and hated the effect the broken Miraculous had on the creature.

 “What will we do, and if you think I’m letting you go alone!” Nathalie snarled and Gabriel nodded and sighed.

 “No, you wouldn’t,” Gabriel said and looked at the window his Akuma always flew out of, a frown on his face.  With everything his agent had found out about Lila, Adrien and now this, he didn’t know how he was able to stay above water.   She said she made her Miraculous, and then invited me to me meet her leader, leader not partner……. It could be a trick but more Miraculous users not aligned with Ladybug or myself?  Who are they, where did they come from and what do they want?   I can’t believe this, with everything else that’s happening, I can’t understand how everything seems to go wrong now!  He thought as he looked at the window, not noticing the looks

 “Yes, we should…….Wait Atlantis!?  Atlantis was real!?” Nathalie asked as her head turned fast to gaze at Duusu and Nooro as the two floated in the air.

 Gabriel looked on with a raised eyebrow, he had always thought that the mage might not have been from the area of China, how they appeared in the hidden history he had found seemed to point towards them from being from the west of Europe.  So that they had been on Atlantis wasn’t too out there for him to accept, really didn’t he ever tell Nathalie about it?  He had thought he had but then it seemed he was wrong.   He looked on as Nathalie kept speaking, he decided that he would see what she was after.

 “Oh yes, it was wonderful back then, after the Mage created all of us we spent years keeping it safe until the end, it was wonderful,” Duusu said sorrowfully and Gabriel sighed as the Kwami talked before he did a double-take at the fact that the Mage had come from Atlantis.  

 “Yes it was, Atlantis always seemed to prepare for the worst, all but the last terror that ended them, sad that.  They even set up catches from what they could rebuild if they ever lost their homeland, catches that had all their knowledge from Magic to Medicine and some things that bridged some subjects,” Nooro said and Gabriel blinked and looked at Nathalie who kept her eyes locked on Nooro.

 “Could we find anything about hidden catches of their knowledge, say as a Champion?” Nathalie asked and Nooro frowned and seemed to be struggling with something.

 “Answer her Nooro,” Gabriel ordered and Nooro frowned and looked down.

 “Yes, a Champion would at least be able to see if it was possible, but you would need to translate whatever you found…….. we don’t know how to read the code……reading things like that was judged to be only for the High Class so they had a special language …… it’s the same as the Guardian Code....... And the rest of the nation used another language but whatever was recorded in the catches had to have been in the first code,” Nooro said reluctantly and with something that might have been shame.

 “What are you thinking Nathalie?” Gabriel asked and Nathalie grinned.

 “Atlantis created the Kwami…… if we could find anything that might have survived, then maybe it might help her, we might not need the Ladybug and the Black Cat!” Nathalie exclaimed and Gabriel looked at her and then turned to look at Nooro who nodded.

 Gabriel looked from one to the others, could it be possible that they didn’t need the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous to save his wife after all?  Could there be a way that they hadn’t even thought?  

 As Gabriel looked into space Nathalie smiled.  She wanted Emile back, but with all the ways they had failed, if they could do it by something that was less effort or random as hoping to make a silver bullet, then they should do it.

 “Atlantis could make wonders and horrors, if they knew anything that might help Ms. Emile then it might be possible,” Nooro said but frowned.   “But how would we find them throughout the world?”

 “Let me think about that for now, hopefully, I’ll have an idea after I go over our resources on magic, maybe something will spark an idea,” Nathalie said and Gabriel nodded as he looked at her.   “And we should prepare the tunnel out to the river, we shouldn’t any other exit tonight.”

 “Of course, and how are pictures for the new line with Adrien being gone for now?” Gabriel asked and Nathalie looked at him with a small smile.  

 “So far I’ve looked over more portfolios and I’ve identified a few models that might work, and I’ve looked over the hours Adrien’s been pulling…….. it might have been against the law, and that might hurt our case,” Nathalie admitted and Gabriel looked at her before sighing and rubbing his eyes.

 “I made him the face of the company so we wouldn’t have scandals that destroyed so many of my rivals, and I guess he just wanted to help that he kept working or he thought it was normal……… wait, why did he become a model in the first place?” Gabriel thought out loud and Nathalie frowned.

 “I don’t know, it happened when my sister died and I spent a few months away remember?” Nathalie said and Gabriel, frowning as he tried to remember just why Adrien had become a model.

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 As an office building came back to life as the Akuma alert turned off, one lone office worker picked up a large envelop package and frowned as he saw the name on it.   As he opened it he took out a packet and started to read the front page before he frowned, looked down at it and then read it closer, frowning before he got up and left his desk.  Walking through the building he eventually came to an office and knocked on it, waiting for a few moments before he walked into an office with rewards on the wall and a photo of a graduating class in the center.  Behind the desk by the windows sat a woman who looked to be in her 30s wearing a blue power suit with short red hair in a bun, glasses on her nose before her blue eyes.  

 She looked up and saw the man, the light revealing him to be in his forties wearing a white shirt, black jacket, pants and a bald head. “George, what is it?”

 “Sorry boss, but you’ve got to read this, our least favorite college messed up again Rebecca,” George said and Rebecca took the papers, looking down and reading before she shot to her feet and started to growl.

 “WHAT THE HELL!?” Rebecca said and George nodded, a scowl on his face.

 “I know, when I read it I had to look over it again before I was sure it was real……..

 “Who the heck is in charge over there?!”  Rebecca demanded and George look upwards as he tried to recall the name he had seen on the paperwork one time nodded after a while.

 “Damocles I think, I can’t remember his first name but I’m sure of the last,”

 Rebecca sat back down and started to look over the records for Marinette and frowned before she looked up at George.   “None of the so-called bully’s files looks like someone who would do this.   All in all, it seems like she’s one of the good ones, class president, good grades………. Wait this was a practice test?!   And the teacher couldn’t grade the rest of them?”  Rebecca asked and George shrugged.  

 Rebecca looked over the schedule the teacher had sent them and frowned as she opened another file and saw all the tests were graded on the day of the test and frowned as she looked at George.  “I don’t see anything that shows she had a problem grading the tests…….. and if she lost them shouldn’t she have not down them or changed the test?”

 “I don’t know, but since school starts up again tomorrow we can send people in to talk to everyone, and I could go and talk to miss Marinette to get her side of the story,” George said and Rebecca nodded as she looked at the paperwork before paling as soon as she saw who had sent it in, causing George to look at her in concerned. “What is it?”

 “Did you see who’s sent this in?”  Rebecca asked faintly handing it over to George who looked it over before wincing as soon as he saw who was responsible.  For a moment George only looked at the name before he remembered where he had seen that name before, and then he remembered the connection the school and then he swallowed and looked up at her as he paled.

 “We’re going to be dragged over the coals, aren’t we?” George said faintly as Rebecca nodded, already wondering just what he would want from them when he won whatever lawsuit that the Dupain-Cheng family would bring against the city or education department.  

 Rebecca only held her head and kept quiet; she knew that this was going to be bad for them.   If half of the things that she thought might have happened to the family’s daughter at the school, then they could sue for a lot of money.   As she looked up the records for Damocles she frowned as she saw who had signed off on his appointment shooting to her feet in shock.     “He sent him there!?”

 “He, no not him?!” George demanded as he looked at the records and Rebecca nodded causing him to start to curse as he held his head.  “Oh hell, this means that she has that much of a better case!   I mean remember how he was with what happened to his goddaughter?   I thought we fired him!?”

 “We did, but he might not have sent the message………. I need to schedule a visit to the prison after all,” Rebecca muttered as she looked at George and scowled, causing him to snap to attention.

 “Your orders ma’am?” George asked and Rebecca sighed and shook her head.  

 “George I want you to get a team together to go and talk to everyone at the school on Monday, and after that I want you to go and talk to the victim, I want this done soon, collect all the reports on the incident, I’ll schedule a hearing for two days after your talk, get the email of the parents so we can send official notice, oh and collect the recording tapes from the school for as long as they keep them, and record anything that you can about that school!” Rebecca ordered and George walked off.

 Rebecca rubbed her eyes as she turned to look out her windows, a strange and cold feeling going through her.  She had gotten this job after her predecessor got into that coma about two years ago, and then his first replacement turned out to have been part of a slavery ring that was trying to use the school to find profitable merchandise.  Thankfully he was found out during a raid by the police and he now was spending the rest of his life in a prison in Spain.   As she looked out over the city, she didn’t know it at that time but she would slowly start to unravel a conspiracy that had been in place for a long time.

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 As they dropped down into the sewer Roi Singe saw Rena Rouge waiting for them as they landed, a smile on her face.  “You’re all okay!”

 “Shouldn’t you go and recharge Rena, unless you don’t mind letting me know who you are?” Roi Singe said and Rena nodded at them all.  

 “Yeah, I will but not here, we’re ready for pickup driver,” Rena said into her flute before a portal opened and Roi Singe saw Pegasus on the other end with Master Fu standing there waiting for them.  

 “Me and Chat Noir needed to get back to where we were before, we’ll video call you as soon as we get back,” Ladybug said as she ran off, Chat Noir following behind her.

 “So they know who each other are now?” Roi Singe asked and Apisera nodded.

 “Yeah…… let’s just say someone thought they knew and brought down the masks and then these two followed us,” Rena Rouge said as she put her arms around Apisera and Canixia’s shoulders.

 “So you don’t mind if I know who you all are?” Roi Singe asked and the others smirked at him.

 “If you don’t,” Canixia said with a soft smile and Roi Singe nodded, smiling as they walked through the portal.  When it disappeared Roi Singe looked around and grinned.

 “Nope!” Roi Singe said as he detransformed into Kim, grinning at the looks on the faces of the other as Xuppu floated next to him laughing.  Apisera even facepalmed and Canixia’s mouth dropped open in shock as Rena Rouge’s eyes widened.

 “What?! Kim!?  And she didn’t choose him!?”  Apisera demanded and Master Fu laughed softly and smiled with a twinkle in his eye.

 “It was a spur of the moment, but it worked out quite well,” Master Fu said with a grin as Kim looked around, surprised and a strange feeling going through him as he looked up at Xuppu.

 “What’s that mean?” Kim asked and the others all laughed.

 “You’ll get it in a moment lover boy,” Apisera said as the girls all detransformed.  Kim’s mouth dropped open as he looked at the grinning faces of Chloe, Sabrina, and Alya as Max detransformed and Markov flew in from the door with the other Kwami.

 Kim was dead still, not even moving with his eyes wide and his mouth had dropped open in total shock,

 “Surprise!” Sabrina said as she and Chloe started to laugh at the face Kim made, even Max started to chuckle.  

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 Salacia dashed over the rooftops, a strange feeling going through her as her Miraculous beeped again, as she landed the final beep sounded and Ondine was on the rooftop, Bottla floating next to her with a grin on her small face.

 “I knew you would do great! I just knew it!   And that was the other Miraculous users, right?  That redhead seemed to be familiar, I would have loved to have seen his power!” Bottla said and smiled at Ondine as she stood there and recovered from her first outing as a hero.

 “Thanks, Bottla, I’ve got something for you to eat here,” Ondine said as she reached into her purse and pulled out some lettuce that Bottla shot at and started to eat.  “And I think he’s Roi Singe and his power was……. Roar something or other.”

 “Uproar!?  Then it’s Xuppo, my monkey!” Bottla said with a laugh as she finished and somersaulted.   “I can’t believe it, he’s here!  Oh now, all we have to do is track down the others and then!”

 “So you know this monkey?” Ondine asked with a smirk and Bottla laughed.

 “Yeah, my monkey. I’ve loved him for most of my existence, and our holders have fought together and saved many lives!”  Bottla said and looked at Ondine and grinned.

 “That sounds romantic, but what should we do?   If I understand won’t your old holder wake up since we broke the egg?” Ondine asked and Bottla looked at Ondine and sighed.

 “Yes, but my old holder hadn’t used me to transform in years, we’ve lived in hiding for years, decades even trying to figure out any way to defeat them, we lost most of our team, those who weren’t killed by the Seven and a few of most of them lost their Miraculous to them, and some were just lost by unknown causes, we never heard from them again over the years,” Bottla said and Ondine looked at the Kwami, then her eyes winded as she realized what she had done and

 “The Sins are that dangerous!?   And they know what I can do to stop their plans, don’t they?” Ondine said and Bottla nodded.  Ondine looked at the Kwami, she knew it would be dangerous when she did this, and she knew that villains didn’t let this go but to hear that others had been tracked down and killed for less, but then she had her reasons to fight.  This was her home too, and if they were going to do whatever and hurt her friends and people, she would fight.   “Okay, so how about we go and talk to your old holder at the hospital, her name was Melisa right?”

 “Yeah, Melisa Giascorn. She’s great, and we found a few things over the years we’ve been together that helped put a few ideas together on what the Seven are after,” Bottla said and Ondine looked at her friend and nodded.  

 “Then let's head over to the hospital and talk to her, I mean she has to know something right?” Ondine asked and Bottla nodded.

 “You know the words girl!” Bottla said and Ondine grinned.

 “Bottla, Dance in the water!” Ondine called out and Bottla was swept into Miraculous and with a flash of light, Salacia was standing where Ondine had been before.  With a new sense of purpose and a will to see this through she moved towards the hospital, hoping that Melisa was okay and could talk to her.

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 Ladybug and Chat Noir landed on the rooftop of the Dunpain-Chang bakery and they quickly made it into the room, retransforming.  Looking around they sighed as they realized that Marinette’s parents hadn’t come up to check on them, with a smile they moved down into the apartment and heard sounds from below in the store, causing both of them to smirk.

 “We’re lucky m’lady, at least we’re still safe for now,” Adrien said softly making sure his voice didn’t echo.

 “Yeah, come on let's…….” Marinette began before the phone in the hallway rang.  Marinette frowned and walked over, looking up at Adrien with a confused look.   “It’s that lawyer of yours,”

 “Uncle Louise?”  Adrien asked and frowned when Marinette nodded.  “Strange, what’s he want?  Go on ahead, I meet you back up there in a few moments.”

 Marinette nodded and handed over the phone, both of their Kwamis grinned at each other, Tikki kissing Plagg’s cheek before following after Marinette.  Plagg grinned and then he went still and looked towards the door and frowned.

 “Hey Louise, what is it?” Adrien asked as Plagg shot back into his pocket as the door opened and Tom Dunpain came into the room.

 “Hey kid, got some good news,” Louise said and Adrien could hear a grin in his voice, and he

 “What, did you find out what my father’s deal with Lila was?”  Adrien asked and Tom frowned and looked at Adrien with a hard glare and he shrugged.

 “No, but I was able to talk to a judge and he’s granted you a no-contact order with Gabriel and Nathalie, I talked with your bodyguard and he’s sworn before the same judge not to help either of them to find you, so you can go to the hearing for that girl of yours!” Louise said, Adrien couldn’t help but grin.

 “Great!   But when will you send it to him?”  Adrien asked and Louise laughed.  

 “Come Monday he’ll have a wonderful present, and then the real fun starts!  And I’ll bring the big guy a legal document that says until your hearing he won’t try and bring you to your old man until after said hearing is done.  He’ll be able to report that you’re okay and everything but he won’t bring you back, this is the best and I’ve almost got the paperwork for the primary hearing, sometime around next weekend I think, and I’ve heard a few rumbles I need to track down so I’ll get back to you about this, stay alive kid!” Louise said before he hung up and Adrien looked at Tom.  

 “So I’ll probably be leaving in a week or so, sorry again about this,” Adrien said and Tom chuckled.

 “No problem what’s so ever my boy, we don’t mind when any of Mari’s friends stay over, especially when they need help!” Tom said and Adrien looked at Tom who sighed and shook his head.

 “A long and private story, but let us just say that we’ve put up borders before this whole Hawkmoth thing started up.  It’s personal to a few people so let’s leave it at that,” Tom said and Adrien nodded and sighed.  Tom looked at him and hid a smile, Adrien was a good kid, and he hoped that Gabriel was only reacting to the loss of his wife by trying to be overprotective but something was bothering him about it.

 “Dinner will be around 7 tonight Adrien, today’s one of our long days make sure to remind Marinette about that okay?” Tom asked and Adrien nodded and walked off, Tom smiling as he left.  

 Turning around he let the worry show on his face for a few moments, silently sending up thanks to whatever was watching over his the kids while they were fighting.  As he walked into the kitchen he looked around at his few workers and smiled, happy that everything was going well.  As he saw a few cookie sheets put into the oven, he smiled as he remembered Marinette helping them when they started to get more popular, how he had been so proud of how she helped whenever she could for those first few months before they could hire their first employee, how it got under control when Marinette entered Francis Duport last year.

 As Sabine looked at him she coughed, catching his attention and he nodded at her and she sighed, happy that the two of her the kids were okay.  She hated that she and Tome figured out their daughter was Ladybug, it should have been something that she told them when she was ready!   But she still wanted to give whoever got her daughter involved with it a good wrack with her staff!

 She frowned, letting some of her emotions show in her eyes for a split second, how people were always more free after a battle was something she was happy about but since she learned who Ladybug was, she was so worried.  And with everything that was happening she didn’t know when they would have to tell them she knew.   As her frown deepened, she really hoped that they knew at least who had given them the Miraculous they used, if only so she could punch them.

 As the door rang as it was opened, she smiled and turned back to the register, ready to greet a new customer and hope that today would follow the pattern Hawkmoth had been following.

 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 Robert walked into a room and saw the cameraman that he had been sent out with working at a station with headphones on going through something.  After the police had questioned them, Nadja had come to check on them with Bob following behind her.  Both of them had been there by coincidence, and Bob was there because all the ones who could handle flight were unavailable.  Of course, they were, I know that little fool is trying to get me fired, he’s scared of my work.   I know that fool is jealous of how she’s been looking at me!   I think I’ll talk to Alec about giving him anything I get from now on, maybe if I work with him I can get ahead of that brat!  I knew today would be bad, I should have called in sick! He thought as he looked up as the cameraman gave out a cry of triumph!

 “What did you call me here for?  I mean with everything that happened we lost everything

 “Nope, I took out the tape before they got to us,” The Cameraman said and Robert blinked, shocked beyond words.

 “Then you still have the footage we took before the Akuma?” Robert asked and a small laugh caused his heart to beat harder, could he dare hope?

 “How about that and footage of our transformation?  And while we were villains?” The cameraman asked as he stepped away and showed a screen

 Robert looked at the screen with a wide grin as he sat on a chair in a room at the TV station, looking over the recording.  They even had footage of when they were Akumas, the new villain and hero both, all in all, this was perfect.  I knew I felt good today!  This is wonderful, a new villain and we’ve got ground zero footage, let’s see Bob top this!  With this, I’ve got the golden ticket, I’ll be the newest    He thought as he looked at the scene and grinned as he watched Chat Noir fight one of the new monsters.  “This……… is……gold!”

 “Who knew Hawky would let me keep recording after I was turned?” The Cameraman said and Robert looked at him, a strange feeling going through him as he glanced back at the camera and then looked down.

 “Yeah, real nice,” Robert said absently as he thought about that.   In the past some Akuma’s had turned items they owned into parts of their abilities, could Hawkmoth not know he could do that?   Or maybe he did but didn’t care?  Either way, he didn’t want to bring that up, if Hawkmoth didn’t know then he might not

 “Come on, we’ve got what nobody else has, firsthand account of an akumatization and ground zero footage of a new villain and a new hero!  This will make us!

 “Yeah boss, and the name is Fish by the way, Zack Fish!” Zack said as Robert laughed and shook his head as Zack continued.   “And I’ve got a few ideas to use a few drones like Prime Queen had, I think we’ll be able to get some great footage in the future!”

 “Yeah, we can.   I did a little drone racing in college so I could……..wait what?!” Zack exclaimed and Robert turned to look back at him as Fish looked at the screen, his back straight.

 “What is it?” Robt asked and Zack waved him down.

 “Give me a second, let me find that……wow.  Yo need to hear this,” Zack said as he directed what he heard to the external speakers.  Robert listened in growing awe at what Fish had recorded.

 “Oh little fools, I made this with my group so many years ago, well before WW1,” Nekhbet voice came from the speakers and Robert went still as he slowly looked at Fish whose mouth had dropped open in shock.

 “Before WW1, did you hear that, before WW1!  The things she must have seen, what she must have done to live that long!   This is amazing, I mean you know how the old supers are!  And this one is in Paris, what a scoop!”  Robert exclaimed and laughed as Fish grinned back before he frowned.

 “Yeah, isn’t there that supervillain down in Italy that wants to live forever?  And wasn’t she unsealed around the time of WW2?” Zack asked and Robert nodded, a stage look coming over his face and he swallowed, remembering the carnage he had seen once when an anti-hero villain whose issue seemed to be mortality had fought that same super.   Three whole blocks wrecked and then he felt faint as he stumbled backwards and leaned against the wall, a haunted look on his face.  

 “Boss?  HEY, HEY!  You okay?” Fish asked and Robert shook his head.

 “I just had a terrible thought that our work could cause a supervillain to be Akumatized,” Robert said flatly and Fish looked at him and winced.  

 “Yeah, that would be bad, really bad.  So what’s the plan boss?” Fish asked and Robert looked at him for a few minutes before he nodded.