#mlbs3

Banana Punch! 

(Or in french, Pain Banane… Ok, hear me out, in French ‘pain aux bananes’ is banana bread, however, the word ‘pain’ is ALSO slang for ‘punch’.)

          Mr. Banana himself is a ridiculous mascot character, with ‘banana’ being a pun in itself for having a big smile, and his catchphrase of “stay peachy” a translation of the french pun of positivity, so naturally it only makes sense that his kamikotized hero form is that of a smiling loaf of banana bread wearing a martial arts head-band, and boxing gloves to punch evil-doers trying to rob some old woman when there are no enforcers nearby.

          Gabriel isn’t proud of it. But his power of Transmission gifts abilities that are best suited to the person’s emotions in that situation.

                  This Hero was a one-off that showed up before Shadybug and ClawNoir were introduced, and since only the old lady and her would-be robbers were witnesses, the act of heroism was swept under the rug for a long time because when Enforcers DID finally show up they just assumed the old lady was having a senior moment, and the two burly men had enough pride left NOT to confess they were bruised up by a loaf of banana bread, and instead claimed they were assaulted by some 6’9”, 230lb steroid fueled vigilante.

                  It took Alya FOREVER to connect the dots on this one, finally tracking down the old woman who was nearly robbed- because of course she would want to try to investigate vigilantes and see if they are tied to any conspiracies concerning a revolt against enforcers or an uprising against The Supreme….but even THIS was too far-fetched for her.  

               A little more digging led to the weirdest interview she has ever had. (There’s just something unsettling about those empty, soulless, banana eyes… *shiver*) But if you have a better explanation for how a scrawny dude in a banana costume can take on two brutes twice his size and walk away unbruised that DOESN’T involve magic, Alya would LOVE to hear it.

         (Think about it, in S4, Shadowmoth had to search specifically for negative emotions that revolved around taking risks, this means he can not just assign any random power he wants to anyone having a bad day- the power has to match their mood and desire to change the situation that put them in that mood. That is one of the limitations of the power of the Butterfly Brooch.)

Funfact: “Akuma” roughly translates to ‘demon shadow’, therefore “kamiko” would most likely be ‘blessed child’, since “kami” is god/divine/blessed and the affix “ko” is ‘child’.

      Betterfly probably sees his butterflies as little children, carrying the light of hope on their wings to those who are deserving of the burden of power for the greater good.

Théo Barbot becomes….

Monumenteur!

(A combination of monument and conservateur aka preservationist)

       Remember, in this Universe, Paris is “The City of Progress”.

      And Progress does NOT involve wasting money to maintain antiquated buildings and monuments from a bygone era.

      Such prime real estate would be better used for useful things; factories, banks, shopping malls, corporate buildings, apartment buildings, etc.

           But that doesn’t mean one can just go about demolishing historic architecture after selling to the highest bidder. (Not unless you want a riot).  No, no, there must be compromise!

         Nothing lasts forever, everything must go when it’s time has come; this is nature’s law.

             Economics and finances must support modern infrastructure to maintain the progress of society, not dwell in the past.

                   As such, there are no groups that specialize in preserving and maintaining historical buildings and monuments.  Old things are left as is until they have worn out their usefulness. Without specialized upkeep as well as preventative measures, these structures naturally decay and fall apart over time.   Once a building/monument has reached a point where it is considered structurally unsound (it could fall down and crush someone) it is then legally condemned for demolition, afterwards the location will be put up for sale and something new will be built in it’s place.

                     This means that in the last few decades, many of the beautiful architecture that Paris is famous for has been lost, but there are still some left.

For an artist, like Theo, it is painful to simply watch as these gorgeous pieces of history decompose to rubble in indifference.  He dreams of a beautiful Paris that celebrates it’s rich culture and shares it’s history for many generations to come!

          But what can he, a teenager, do? No one will invest money to preserve buildings past their prime. Everyone wants something new and more industrial. They are looking towards the future while turning their backs on the past.

         If only he had the ability to maintain these monuments himself! Then more people could appreciate the beauty of historic architecture and perhaps the aesthetic of a better restored monument would be pleasing enough to convince others that some history is worth preserving!

     Hesperia/Betterfly agrees.

Many of the monuments in Paris were created pre-WW1, with thoughts like hope, love, dreamers, and the enduring spirit in mind. These are not just great works of art- they are symbols of man’s determination to make the world a better place!

     As Monumenteur, Theo becomes a 7 foot tall living bronze statue dressed in French Revolution attire. Equipped with all his sculpting tools and possessing superhuman strength, dexterity, and stamina, Monumenteur is able bound across the rooftops of Paris at night to visit each Historic building/monument, and work his artistry to repair damage and carefully restore architecture, like magic.

        Suddenly, monuments that were literally 24 hours away from being declared “condemned” look brand new???  People are talking!  Opinions are divided; obviously the older generations who were born pre- WW2 feel nostalgic, and of course other generations can appreciate NOT living in a city interspersed with decaying ruins… but the biggest concern is, of course, “That better not be MY tax-money they are spending on this little art project!”  Appreciating art is one thing, but paying out the nose to appreciate it is another!

        Let’s face it, the Arc de Triomphe is lovely, but it ain’t putting dinner on the table, now is it?  (Just like in America, the Grand Canyon is a tourist attraction that generates some money for the state of Arizona, but there are many more things that could be done with that land that would be bigger bread winners if people didn’t care about history or preserving nature.)

There is also the question of “How?” Surely such a big renovation project would make a lot of noise, and take a substantial amount of time… how could such a big undertaking go unnoticed?

                 The Supreme does NOT like it when people notice things.

                       The rich don’t like it when their plans for new construction are delayed indefinitely.

          Shadybug and Claw Noir take it upon themselves to go on a little moonlight stroll to catch Monumenteur in the act. 

       Since this “hero” is big, muscled, and made of metal, it is a perfect chance for them to REALLY let loose and vent out some stress.

They are BRUTAL. 

     Having superpowers is literally the only thing that kept Theo alive. 

        Not once did Shadybug or Claw Noir stop to consider “hey, this is an actual person we are dealing with.”  They only cared about beating the snot out of him, trying to taunt the Butterfly man out of hiding by threatening to destroy the kamikotized object and turning Monumenteur into scrap metal in the process.

        The fight also leads to some visible damage to the buildings/monuments that Monumenteur has been painstakingly working to restore.

Gabriel is not some coward who would let two gang up against one while he sits on the sidelines, and of course comes to Monumenteur’s rescue just as his object is discovered and he is rendered helpless to a swift pummeling before being tossed off the side of the Palais Garnier.

          They narrowly manage to escape.

Theo is badly hurt, broken bones, hematomas, a concussion, and the damage to his hands ensures he will never sculpt again.

        Gabriel’s guilt is immense and he is stuck with a deep wave of self-loathing; How DARE he put a CHILD in such danger?! It is un-acceptable!  This young boy has been robbed of his future for the sake of a battle, the stakes of which, he can not truly fathom. 

      This can not, WILL NOT happen again!

Wars should be handled by adults, and children should be allowed to cherish their innocence!

From then on, Betterfly vows to never burden powers to a minor again (unless it’s something like, a little kid is trapped in a burning building and giving them 5 minutes of super-powers is the only thing that will get them out alive because Fire Suppressors will not make it in time).

            Later on, Alya will have to metaphorically move mountains to convince Betterfly to take her on as an ally and entrust her with powers to help him fight for the greater good. (Much like how in S3, “Feast”, Master Fu was convinced it was better to take back the cat and ladybug miraculous, rather than risk Marinette and Adrien falling victim to the Sentimonster. His fear of being the cause for their destruction as well prevented him from giving them a chance to prove they could overcome anything).

As for Theo, being crippled makes it impossible to have so many part-time jobs, but Gabriel plans to do right by that boy and offers him a part-time job as a gopher-assistant at the Gabriel brand. (It’s mostly just busy-work, but it has the name ‘Gabriel’ attached to it so it carries a small weight of respect that will look great on Theo’s resume. One day, after years of recovery and physical therapy, Theo will obviously want to pursue something more concrete, and this experience will be a rather cushy stepping stone on his career path.)

        Theo has no clue as to why THE Gabriel Agreste would offer him, a kid who hasn’t even enrolled in University yet, a job… All Mr. Agreste said was something about recognizing hidden potential when Theo entered his Derby Hat contest.

As for the property damage; No, Shadybug did not cast her miraculous “cure”.  This was strategic.

        The damage is VERY noticeable, but in a way that please The Supreme.

Soon the news are talking about how all the previous restoration was nothing more than a publicity stunt by radical youths, and the so called “repairs” were nothing more than cheap, hastily thrown together facades…. A cosmetic bandaid that was all flair but no substance, thus explaining how it was done so quickly and why it fell apart just as fast.

        There is even speculation that it was a financial ploy; a delay tactic to halt the sale of the land the condemned buildings are on by rival companies who weren’t pleased knowing they would be outbid.

The public soon grows bored and the secret of magic is preserved yet again.

However, this fight causes the dark, painful black veins to spread to Marinette’s hands, and as a result, she starts wearing fishnet gloves. (They are more practical weather wise and less suspicious than full gloves, and the lace makes the veins blend in seamlessly.)

Adrien has been getting by with make-up and a “Don’t touch me” attitude, that makes sense for a surly teen but breaks his father’s heart.