Marinette was almost out the door of her parents' bakery when a shout stopped her.
"Marinette! Don't forget this!" Her father shoved a large box into her arms as she turned. Marinette squeaked and juggled it frantically for a moment before getting a good hold on it. She sighed in relief.
Her father gave her a knowing and amused smile. "Have a nice day at school, honey," he told her.
"Thanks, Dad." Marinette gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before dashing off, leaving her father standing in the doorway. She glanced back once to see him waving at her with a fond smile on his face.
When she reached the crosswalk, she had to step hastily back off the road when a car almost mowed her down.
However, as the car passed her, she was horrified to see that an old man with a cane was slowly making his way across the road. She hurried out onto the road and pulled him across before another car could come roaring through. It was peak hour and even though pedestrians should have the right of way, not many motorists respected the rule.
"Thank you, Miss," the man said in relief. He then glanced down at her feet. "Oh, what a disaster."
Marinette let out a squeak. "Oh, no," she exclaimed when she saw that she had dropped the box and many of the cakes her parents had lovingly made her were ruined from the fall.
"I'm so sorry," the man said kindly.
Marinette shook her head vigorously. "No, no, it's fine," she assured him. "I'm no stranger to disasters. Besides, some of them are still all right. See?" She handed him one of the intact cakes.
"Mmm! Delicious," he said happily after taking a large bite.
Suddenly, Marinette heard the school bell ringing from across the street.
"Oh, no! I'm going to be late for school! Have a nice day, sir!" Marinette said. She hurried across the road, leaving the man on the sidewalk.
Master Fu smirked to himself as he held an empty box in his hands. A box that had, up until several seconds ago, contained a pair of very special earrings. "Thank you very much, young lady," he murmured and then continued on his way, enjoying the rest of his cake.
-0-
Marinette made it to her class just in time. She slid into her seat with relief and set the box on the corner of her desk.
The girl sitting in the seat beside her looked over at the box curiously. "More cakes?" she asked, pushing her glasses up her nose with one finger. She had dark skin and wavy reddish hair that Marinette envied. Her own hair was black and straight, like most of her classmates. The only thing that set her apart from them was her blue eyes.
"Yeah," Marinette said. "Do you want one, Alya?"
Her friend Alya leaned over and opened the box, peering inside. She looked back up at Marinette, one eyebrow raised. "You dropped them again, didn't you, girl?" she asked.
Marinette sighed. "I did," she admitted, "but I was helping an old man across the road."
Alya took one of the cakes and leaned back in her chair. "It's always something with you, isn't it," she said. "You're always trying to help people. It's adorable."
"Girls," their teacher said disapprovingly from the front of the room. "Save your gossip, and your cakes, for lunch break."
Both girls turned back to the front of the room as their teacher continued with the lesson, Alya continuing to eat her cake in defiance of the teacher's order.
-0-
Adrien Agreste sighed as he stared at the smiling brown haired girl dressed in a blue uniform in front of him.
"You've really never been to school before?" she asked incredulously.
"My father had me home-schooled in France," Adrien said. "I insisted on attending a public school when we moved here."
"Oh, you'll love it here," Keiko Yukimura told him. She was his class rep and had been tasked with showing him around the school. "The teachers are decent, most of them anyway and I'm sure you'll make friends in no time," she continued.
She led him down the hall to their classroom, chattering about the school and the teachers the entire time. Students dressed in the same blue uniform as Adrien currently was stared at him as they passed. Adrien knew he stood out, and not merely because he was a famous fashion model. He stood out because of his blond hair and green eyes, both traits very unusual in Japan.
When Keiko guided him into the classroom all of the students stared at him. Adrien immediately felt uneasy. He knew he should be used to it, and for the most part he was, but this school thing was entirely new to him. He really wanted to make a good impression on his new classmates.
He was asked to stand in front of the class and say a few words about himself. Adrien deliberately avoided mentioning the fact that he was a model or that his father was a famous fashion designer. He wanted to be liked for himself, not his fame or connections. He'd really only ever had one friend in his life in France and he was lonely. He already missed his childhood friend Chloe.
At lunchtime, Keiko introduced him to her friends, two girls who stared at him and giggled behind their hands. Adrien tried to be polite, but he knew these girls weren't the type of people he wanted as friends.
Things began to look up when a boy with his hair styled in an orange pompadour approached Keiko. His features were thug-like but the boy had such a goofy grin on his face that Adrien liked him immediately.
"Hey, Keiko," he said when he stood beside her. "Did Urameshi come to school today?"
Keiko's expression immediately turned thunderous. "No," she said sourly. "He had some excuse about not feeling up to it."
"But it's been like three weeks!" the other boy exclaimed. "He's had plenty of time to recover."
"He's milking it for all it's worth," Keiko grumbled. "Don't worry. I'll drag him here tomorrow."
"Good. I don't see why I gotta come to school but he gets to skip. That's not fair," the boy said. Then he turned to look over Adrien critically. "You the new kid?" he asked.
"Yes," Adrien said. "I'm Adrien."
"I'm Kazuma Kuwabara," the boy told him. "You got any problems with anyone, you come find me. I'll deal with them."
"Ah... Okay," Adrien said cautiously.
Keiko shook her head disapprovingly. "Why do guys always get into fights?" she asked no one in particular.
Her friends laughed. "It's the guys you hang out with," one of them told her. "What do you expect?"
Keiko frowned, her eyes moving to Kuwabara. He shrugged at her. "Some people just deserve to have the crap beat out of them," he said, unapologetic.
"You might be right," Keiko told her friend with a resigned sigh.
-0-
At the end of the school day Adrien put the books he would need for his homework into his bag. As he searched for his mobile phone he was surprised when his hand encountered a small box. He was sure that hadn't been in his bag this morning. He pulled it out and examined it. It looked like a jewellery box. Opening it, he saw that it held a strange black ring with a green pawprint on it. Adrien wondered if it was some kind of costume jewellery.
His mind flashed back to that morning. Nothing unusual had happened, except that he'd helped an old man who'd tripped on the sidewalk outside the school. How had this box gotten into his bag? Shrugging, Adrien shoved the box back into the bag and prepared to leave.
"Adrien!"
Adrien turned at the sound of Keiko's voice. She was heading down the hall towards him at a fast pace, smiling kindly at him.
"Are you going home now?" she asked when she reached him.
"Yes," Adrien said. "My ah... " He had been about to say that his chauffeur would be picking him up but he remembered that he didn't want to share that information with anyone. He was left to trail off awkwardly.
Keiko frowned at him. "I'll walk you out," she told him.
"Ah, okay," Adrien said and they walked towards the doors of the school.
Adrien noticed as they moved through the halls that a lot of the students standing in the halls seemed to be arguing with each other. Puzzled, he turned to Keiko.
"Is it just me, or does everyone seem a little worked up right now?" he asked.
Keiko glanced around at the other students. "It's not normally like this," she admitted. "I mean, sometimes there's fights, but not like this."
Adrien quickened his pace, eager to get outside, and Keiko did the same. A quick glance at her told Adrien that she was worried.
However, the grounds outside were no different. Even the teachers seemed to have been affected by what was happening. Adrien saw his maths teacher arguing with a woman he didn't know, likely another teacher.
"Hey, Keiko!" a loud voice called.
Keiko balled her hands into fists. "Yusuke!" she bellowed, making Adrien jump back in shock. "You miss the whole day of school then have the nerve to show your face now!"
The boy with slicked-back dark hair who had called Keiko's name went pale. He wore denim jeans, a white t-shirt and a green jacket. "Ah, well," he said. "I'm still sore, you know."
"Not too sore to go to the arcade, I bet," Keiko snapped.
"Hey, ah, who's your new friend?" Yusuke asked in a transparent attempt to change the subject. Keiko slapped him, sending him stumbling several steps back.
"Hey!" he protested.
Adrien was no longer paying attention to the two of them and barely even noticed the slap. Instead, he was staring at a boy who was wearing a strange green and white skin-tight costume and large green glasses. His hair was green and his skin also had a slight green hue to it. The boy was strolling casually in their direction. He looked quite smug, Adrien thought.
"Ah, Keiko?" he asked uneasily, tugging on her sleeve. She turned to him, confused.
"What?" she asked.
Adrien pointed at the boy and both Yusuke and Keiko looked at him.
"What a freak," Yusuke muttered.
Keiko reached out to grip Yusuke's arm. "Do you think...?"
Yusuke shook his head. "With that get-up and those ridiculous glasses? No way," he said.
Suddenly the boy turned in their direction and Adrien tensed. He had a very bad feeling all of a sudden.
The boy's expression twisted into a malicious sneer and then a green light shot out from his eyes and hit Yusuke squarely in the chest. Keiko cried out in surprise and fear, but the boy made no further move towards them. Instead, he walked away.
"Yusuke? Are you alright?" Keiko demanded anxiously. She gripped his shoulder tightly. Yusuke turned towards them and Adrien gasped in horror. Keiko's hand flew to her mouth. His eyes were glowing a bright green. And then the light died, Yusuke's eyes returning to normal.
"Yusuke?" Keiko asked uncertainly.
"Got to find Kurama," he said in a strangely flat tone.
"What?" Keiko asked in confusion. But Yusuke ignored her, turning to walk away.
"Something really weird is going on here," Keiko said. "Maybe you should head home, Adrien."
Adrien knew she was right, but he also wanted to help with whatever was happening. "Where are you going?" he asked Keiko.
"I'm going to follow Yusuke," she said grimly. "If he's looking for Kurama, then I know exactly where he'll go."
"I'll go with you then," Adrien said. He pulled out his mobile and texted his driver, letting him know that there was a change in plans. Nathalie wouldn't be happy, but he'd deal with that later.
"Adrien," Keiko said. He looked up to see that she wore a very solemn expression on her face. "This could be dangerous," she told him. "I think you should go home."
"I'm coming with you," Adrien said stubbornly, shoving his phone back into his pocket. He was surprised when his hand encountered the box he'd found in his bag earlier. He thought he'd put it back in the bag.
Keiko sighed. "Let's hurry, then," she said. "Who knows, maybe Kurama can sort this whole mess out."
Adrien followed her off the school grounds and onto the street.
-0-
Marinette stared down into her bag in puzzlement. Cautiously, she reached in and picked up the box she'd found in it. She let the bag dangle from her shoulder as she turned her find around and around in her hands. She opened it and saw that it contained red and black spotted earrings.
"Cool!" she exclaimed. Marinette wanted to be a fashion designer and was always interested in new and quirky jewellery. But how had it ended up in her bag?
She turned so her back was against the lockers. It couldn't hurt to try them on, could it?
She went into the bathroom and put the earrings on, intending to examine herself in the mirror when she heard a small high-pitched voice exclaim, "Hello!"
Marinette cried out in surprise and spun around. She knocked the box off the counter and it cluttered to the floor as she stared at the small red and black creature hovering in front of her.
"I'm Tikki!" it said cheerily. Red with black spots? Did it have something to do with the earrings, Marinette wondered.
"Ah, I'm Marinette," she finally managed to get out. After all, there was no need to be rude, she decided.
"Nice to meet you, Marinette," Tikki said. "Now, I know this is all very surprising but there's a few things we need to talk about..."
-0-
"Oh, no," Keiko breathed. Adrien skidded to a stop beside her. Keiko had led him to a nearby private school. He saw that her attention was caught by the figure of Yusuke confronting an older boy in a pink uniform with red hair. The boy looked entirely baffled. Keiko ran over to them.
"Yusuke, I have no idea what you are talking about," the redhead said. His voice was soft but his green eyes were sharp and locked on Yusuke's brown ones.
"It's not fair," Yusuke said. "Your hair is nicer than mine."
"Yusuke!" Keiko cried. "Where did you get those?"
Adrien came up beside her and now he saw what Yusuke held: a pair of sharp-looking scissors.
The boy, who Adrien assumed was Kurama, took a step back, his sharp gaze falling on Keiko.
"Do you have any explanation for Yusuke's behaviour?" he asked, his voice far too calm for someone facing a crazed teenager wielding a pair of sharp scissors. Adrien had to admire his cool.
"There was this boy with a strange costume," Keiko said. "He shot Yusuke in the chest with this green beam from his glasses and then Yusuke said he needed to find you."
Yusuke lunged at Kurama and he neatly sidestepped the other boy. "That sounds suspicious," he said, "But it also does not sound like a demon."
"A demon?" Adrien asked. Both Keiko and Kurama stared at him. Adrien realised that they had forgotten he was there.
"We will discuss this later," Kurama said with a frown. Adrien gulped as he met the other boy's unsettling emerald gaze. "For now, let us figure out how to help Yusuke."
"Um, Kurama?" Keiko asked uncertainly. She was staring beyond Kurama's back.
"Yes?" he asked, after avoiding another attack from Yusuke and punching the other boy in the gut, causing him to double over. Adrien winced. That had to hurt.
Keiko pointed over Kurama's shoulder. He turned his head and froze. Half a dozen students dressed in the same uniform as him were approaching them, and they did not look friendly. In fact, most of them carried items that could easily be used as weapons. Adrien saw that one boy held a pencil and he realised that it could do some serious damage to Kurama if wielded effectively. Though he seemed to be handling Yusuke well enough, the older boy didn't stand a chance if all the students converged on him at once.
Adrien suddenly felt something warm in his pocket. He reached his hand in and found the small jewellery box from earlier. As he held it, he realised that it was vibrating slightly.
"Um, I'll see if I can find a teacher," he said hurriedly to Kurama and Keiko, but he needn't have wasted his breath. Neither of them were listening. Keiko was putting herself between Kurama and the other students, holding her bag as if she intended to use it as a weapon. Kurama was attempting to reason with Yusuke, who was still trying to attack him. Adrien was alarmed to notice that the redhead's sleeve had been cut. A thin line of red welled up from the injury.
Adrien darted out of the school gate and huddled against the wall. He was temporarily out of the sight of the other students but he knew he wouldn't have long before someone came along and saw him. He opened the jewellery box and, after a moment of hesitation, put the black ring on.
"Finally!" A small black vaguely cat-shaped creature appeared in front of him. "Look," it said, "we don't have a lot of time so listen up!"
Adrien gaped at the creature in shock, then looked down at the ring on his hand. "What-" he started to ask, but was cut off by the cat creature.
"Do you want to help those friends of yours or not?" it demanded.
"Friends?" Adrien asked. He didn't think he'd known any of them long enough for them to qualify as friends.
The cat glared at him and Adrien gulped. "I do want to help them," he said firmly. "What do I have to do?"
The cat looked pleased. "Listen up," it said. "If you do exactly what I tell you to do then everything will be fine..."
-0-
Marinette stared at herself in the mirror of the bathroom. She was now wearing a red and black spotted tight-fitting body suit with a red mask covering her face. She rolled the yo-yo around in her hand thoughtfully. She remembered playing with yo-yo's when she was young but hadn't touched one in several years.
Tikki had told her that there was a villain on the loose and everyone was in danger. She hadn't been sure whether to believe the kwami or not but here she was, dressed in a superhero costume. It seemed that Tikki had been honest about that much, at least.
Marinette headed out of the bathroom, taking the time to put her bag back in her locker before leaving the building. Her attention was immediately drawn to the largest group of students in her sight. It looked like two students were confronting a group of half a dozen or more of their peers, most of whom attended Meiou.
"Well, that's not fair," Marinette muttered. She decided to test out her new abilities and try to break up the fight.
After using her yo-yo to trip some of the pink-clad students, Marinette gained the attention of one of the students holding them off.
"If I may ask, who are you?" the older boy with long red hair asked as he blocked a blow aimed at Marinette's stomach. He was dressed in a Meiou uniform and Marinette thought she recognized him as one of the students in the year above hers. He was quite popular, she recalled.
"Later," Marinette told him after ducking to avoid a ruler that had almost smacked her in the face.
"Kurama!" a panicked voice cried. "Stop him!"
Both Marinette and the boy whirled at the sound of the feminine voice. They saw that the brown-haired girl who'd been helping hold off the students was now staring at the boy dressed in casual clothes in horror. He was holding his hand as though he were shooting a gun. Marinette looked at the redhead and saw his face twist into a mask of panic. He darted forward, grabbing the boy's arm and twisting him around so that his arm was held behind his back. It effectively took the boy out of the fight but it also rendered the redhead virtually helpless if any of the others got close.
"Now what?" Marinette asked herself. Fighting these students certainly wasn't solving the problem but she couldn't leave these two alone to defend themselves. It was obvious that this was a serious situation.
Abruptly, two students were thrown back as someone new leapt into the fray. Marinette saw that it was a blonde boy dressed in a black suit that resembled a superhero costume like her own. Black cat ears sat on top of his head and he wielded a baton with a skill that Marinette envied. He flashed her a cocky smile.
"We need to find the real bad guy," he told her. "I think I know what he looks like."
"Oh, there's no need to look for me," a voice called from nearby. "I'm right here."
Marinette and the cat boy turned to see a boy with green glasses and hair standing several meters away. "I'm the Green-Eyed Monster and I made a deal with Hawkmoth," he sneered. "Give me your Miraculous."
A bolt of green light narrowly missed Marinette as the cat boy yanked her out of the way. He had excellent reflexes, Marinette thought. Had he had some kind of training?
"I think one of us should try using our power," the boy said as they ducked behind a tree. She was pressed up against the trunk of the tree with the boy right in front of her, uncomfortably close. She couldn't help the red blooming across her cheeks and hoped he didn't notice. From the amused twinkle in his green eyes, she guessed he did.
"I think mine won't be of much help," the boy continued. "Try using yours."
Marinette gripped the yo-yo tightly. "Can you cover me?" she asked.
"Certainly, my lady," he responded. "I'll be right behind you."
"Just keep your eyes off my behind," she told him. She had no idea where she'd gotten the courage to say that but the surprised laugh that came out of his mouth made her smile in return.
"I'll do my best," he assured her, "But no purr-omises. On three. One... Two... Three!"
They both leapt out. Marinette yelled, "Lucky Charm!", activating her Miraculous's ability. She was stunned when a spray can dropped into her hands.
"Huh?" she asked, baffled.
Ahead of her, the cat boy was knocked several feet into the air by a punch from the Green-Eyed Monster. It seemed that Hawkmoth's akuma gave him enhanced strength. A quick look around told Marinette that she wouldn't have any help from the other students. They were still caught up in their own battle.
She ran forward raising the spray can. The Green-Eyed Monster turned towards her. She could see green light pooling in his glasses. She sprayed him right in the face with the can. Orange paint shot out and covered his face. He reeled back, landing on his behind. He scrabbled frantically at his glasses, trying to clear the paint from them, but he only succeeded in making the mess worse.
Seizing the opportunity to disarm him, Marinette yanked his glasses from his face and stood on them, crushing them under her foot. A small black butterfly appeared and fluttered up into the air. Marinette remembered Tikki's instructions.
"Time to de-evilize!" she called, catching the small butterfly in her yo-yo.
When the butterfly emerged from her yo-yo it had changed colour to white. "Bye-bye, little butterfly," she called as it flew away. Then she threw her yo-yo up into the air.
"Miraculous Ladybug!" she shouted. When the light around her faded, she saw that many of the students who had been previously fighting were standing around looking confused. The redheaded boy who had spoke to Marinette before was studying his sleeve with interest, the fabric now whole. He looked up at her and smiled.
"Hey, buddy."
Marinette turned to see that the cat-boy was holding out his hand to a boy in a blue uniform sitting on the cement. The boy took his hand and the cat-boy helped him to his feet. He adjusted his glasses awkwardly.
"What happened?" he asked. "Where am I? How did I get here?"
"Don't worry about it," Cat-boy told him, patting the dazed boy's shoulder in a comforting manner.
Marinette's earring began to beep and she hurried towards the school before anyone could approach her. She needed to get out of sight before she transformed back.
-0-
Adrien had difficulty extracting himself from the crowd of students. Finally he was dragged aside by the redheaded boy, who ushered him into the school. Adrien appreciated the other boy's actions but was annoyed when the redhead refused to leave him alone.
"You know, superheroes are supposed to keep their real identities a secret," he griped as the redhead faced him, arms crossed as he blocked the door of the empty classroom he'd dragged Adrien into.
"I won't tell," the boy told him. "I do owe you after all, since you and your spotted friend helped me."
Adrien frowned but decided that he didn't have much of a choice.
"All right," he sighed, transforming back. Plagg flew out of his ring, immediately flopping dramatically to the floor.
"Must... have... cheese," the black cat kwami groaned.
The redhead's green eyes widened. "I take it this creature is the source of your power?" he asked.
"Yeah. Looks kind of pathetic, doesn't he?" Adrien said.
"Hey! Who're you calling pathetic!" the cat exclaimed, shooting up from the ground to get into Adrien's face.
"What a fast recovery," the redhead murmured.
Adrien snickered, deciding that right now, he liked the redhead.
"I'm Adrien," he told the boy.
The boy's lips turned upward. "That doesn't sound like a fitting name for a superhero," he commented.
"Yeah, I guess I'd better come up with something catchier. How about... Chat Noir?" he suggested.
"Very French and mysterious," the boy said with a smile. He bowed his head. "I am Minamino Shuichi. Or, as you heard your new friends call me, Kurama. I would appreciate it if you did not use that name around my classmates or family, however."
"Is Kurama your secret superhero name?" Adrien asked mischievously.
Minamino chuckled. "You could say that," he said. "Now, I think you should leave before me, in case anyone saw us entering the building together. I'll meet you outside."
Adrien blinked before agreeing. He hadn't even thought of that. Kurama sure was sneaky.
-0-
Marinette stepped out of the school to see that the brown haired girl who'd been with the redhead was now speaking with one of the students that had attacked them. It seemed that everything was all right now. The redheaded boy was missing, however, as was Cat-Boy.
She decided not to talk to them and instead made her way past them. They were unaware of her involvement in the incident and she wanted it to stay that way. She felt that it would be best if she simply went home.
As she walked down the street she thought about the events of the afternoon. The Green-Eyed Monster had mentioned someone named Hawkmoth. Someone he'd made a deal with. He must have made a deal with him to gain his villainous powers.
But who was Hawkmoth and what did he want? The villain had demanded that Marinette and Cat-Boy hand over their Miraculous. Did Hawkmoth have a Miraculous of his own? Why did he want theirs if he already had his own?
So many questions, Marinette thought. Maybe Tikki had some answers. She couldn't wait to question the ladybug kwami more but she wanted to do it in the privacy of her own room, where no one would catch sight of Tikki.
When she stepped through the door of the bakery the smell of fresh sweet cakes and bread assaulted her along with her father, who wrapped her in a hug.
"Where have you been?" he asked worriedly. "Your mother and I have been so worried about you. You weren't involved with that mess on the news, were you?"
"What mess?" Marinette asked as she pulled away from her father to stare up at him, puzzled.
Her mother came up beside her father. "That mess with the superheroes," she said. "It looked like some of the people in that video were wearing your school uniform, dear. Was it near your school?"
"That was quick," Marinette said in surprise. Her parents gave her confused and worried looks. Marinette suddenly realised what she said.
"Oh,I meant that the media got ahold of the story quick," she said hastily. "I wasn't involved but I heard about it from some classmates." She laughed awkwardly. "Crazy, isn't it?" she said.
"Oh, good," her mother sighed. "I'm so glad you weren't involved and no one got hurt."
Marinette followed her parents behind the counter of the bakery as they returned to work. "How did the media get the story?" she asked curiously.
Her father turned to smile at her. "A student caught it on their mobile phone," he said.
Marinette paled. She hadn't even considered the possibility that someone would record the incident. She would have to be very careful to keep Tikki and her secret identity to herself. She hurried up to her room, determined to find the video and see it for herself.
-0-
Yusuke and Kurama stood in Koenma's sparse white office in front of his desk along with their friend Kuwabara Kazuma. The orange haired boy stared at Yusuke in disbelief.
"I can't believe you tried to cut off Kurama's hair," he said. "And I can't believe he let you live. And I can't believe I missed it."
Kurama raised a protective hand to his long red locks, his lips pursed in displeasure. Yusuke looked sheepish.
"Man, I can't even really remember what happened," he said. "I don't know why I did it."
"I do," the ruler of Spirit World said around the pacifier in his mouth. The toddler form of Koenma sat on his chair, eyes peeking over a stack of paper almost as tall as he was. He shoved the papers aside and they went flying off the desk.
"Yeah? Enlighten us, Baby Breath," Yusuke drawled, crossing his arms.
"After some study we've been able to determine that the people affected by that young man were jealous," Koenma said. "They either verbally or physically attacked the object of their jealousy. In your case, physically."
Kuwabara exploded into loud laughter, pointing at Yusuke. "You're jealous of Kurama's hair!" he crowed.
Yusuke glared at him. "I am not," he defended. Kurama stared at him, one eyebrow raised and Yusuke wilted under his hard gaze.
"Okay, well, maybe a little," he admitted. "It always looks so neat. My hair looks terrible in my demon form. Plus yours is a nice colour. Black is so common and boring."
Kurama sighed and shook his head. "That's something I could have gone the rest of my life not knowing," he said.
"No harm done, though, right?" Yusuke said. "Everything turned out fine."
"Thanks to those two humans who returned the villain to normal," Koenma said. "It seems as though he was taken over by an external force."
"I had the opportunity to speak to one of the heroes after the incident," Kurama said, earning himself surprised looks from the other occupants of the room. "It seems as though he gets his abilities from an external force as well."
"Yes, I have Botan looking into that," Koenma said. "I have a suspicion that I know what is responsible for this. And if I'm right, things are going to get quite strange in Human World in the very near future. I want all of you to stay alert. If you encounter anything like this again, please try to keep innocent people from getting hurt. Also, try to find out as much as you can about the heroes and the villains, particularly what motivates them. They are playing with powers that may well be beyond their understanding or control."
"We will do so," Kurama assured him.
"Thank you," Koenma sighed. "I'll have Botan contact you if she finds anything useful in the Spirit World archives."
"I won't hold my breath," Yusuke told him.
"What do you mean by that?" Koenma demanded, insulted. He jumped onto the desk and glared at Yusuke, his hands on his pudgy hips and his face scrunched into a scowl.
"I mean Spirit World ain't exactly on the up-and-up when it comes to sharing information," Yusuke told him. "How many times have you shoved me into dangerous situations and kept important details to yourself?"
Koenma spluttered indignantly. Yusuke turned to Kurama.
"I'm right, aren't I, Fox-Boy?" he asked. "You know I'm right."
"You are right," Kurama confirmed, his lips twitching upward.
"See? Kurama says I'm right," Yusuke said to Koenma. Kuwabara started laughing as Koenma's face turned purple.
The little ruler waved one fist at them. "Out!" he bellowed. Grinning, Yusuke strolled out the door, Kurama and Kuwabara following him.
"I get no respect," Koenma muttered as he sat back in his chair.
His blue ogre assistant Jorge walked in with a stack of papers just in time to overhear his comment.
"Perhaps it's because you're not even three feet tall?" he suggested helpfully.
Koenma glared at him. "Get out," he ordered.
"But-" Jorge protested.
"Out!" Koenma roared.
Jorge hastily threw his stack of papers at his boss's desk, most of them ending up on the floor instead. He turned and fled the room.
Koenma paused for a moment, staring at the mess. Then he shouted, "Ogre, get back in here and clean up this mess!"
