This fanfiction is based on the AU created by closeted_demon on Instagram and closely follows the plot of multiple episodes in the Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir (with a few added scenes and changes, of course)
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir, any of the canon scenes presented in the series or the ideas created by @closeted_demon in this AU. I also do not own the artwork on the cover. That belongs to @closeted_demon as well.
Chapter One
Marinette Dupain-Cheng
"You should tell her."
Marinette glanced back at her best (and only) friend, Chloé Bourgeois, her eyes wide with shock.
"Don't look at me like that," Chloé said, putting down the brush she had been using to style Marinette's hair. "You've been complaining about being homeschooled for, well, forever, but you never do anything about it."
Marinette sighed. Chloé wasn't wrong, but talking to her mother was...well, it was downright terrifying.
"Come on, Mari," Chloé said, causing Marinette to turn her attention back to her blonde friend.
"Fine, fine, I'll talk to her tonight."
"Good."
And then the conversation returned to happier topics.
Sabine was already seated at the long dinner table when Marinette arrived.
"Did you finish your studies?" she asked as soon as she saw her daughter.
"Yes ma'am," Marinette responded, the same as she always did.
"And you practiced both your piano piece and dance routine?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Good."
The room fell into silence once again, disturbed only by the occasional clinking of fork on plate. For the entire course of the meal, Marinette's stomach was twisting with nerves. Finally, when her dish was nearly completely empty, she managed to gather enough courage to clear her throat.
"Uh...Mom?"
Sabine turned to her daughter, eyebrows raised. "Yes?"
"Do you think I could...uh...I could attend school?"
"Why would you want to attend school, Marinette? Nathalie already teaches you everything you need to know. I daresay you're ahead of the rest of the kids your age."
"I know but..." she trailed off.
"But what, Marinette?"
"But I...I want to attend school and have friends. Like Chloé does."
Sabine pursed her lips. "Marinette, you know it's too dangerous for you to go to school. You could end up like your father-" Sabine's voice cracked, and she averted her gaze.
Marinette ducked her head and sighed. "I'm sorry for asking, Mom," she mumbled before standing and dashing off to her bedroom.
The minute her door had slammed shut, Marinette dialed Chloé.
"I asked her," she said as soon as her friend had picked up. "She said it's 'too dangerous.'"
"Too dangerous?" Chloé asked, astonished. "That's ridiculous! What could be so dangerous about attending school?"
"I don't know," Marinette admitted. "I think she's just scared I'll run-off and leave her the moment I'm able to. Like Dad did."
"That's ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous," Chloé said, and Marinette could envision her friend shaking her head on the other side of the phone. A long pause stretched between the two girls, and then Chloé whispered mischievously, "You should go anyway."
Adrien Agreste
"Adrien," Emilie called softly into the dark room. "Adrien, it's time to wake up. You don't want to be late to school on your first day."
His response was a series of groans as he rolled over, pulling the covers over his head. Emilie smiled softly and shook her head.
"Come on, sleepyhead. Get up." She pulled the covers off his bed, leaving him no way to block out the sunlight streaming through his windows. "Get dressed and come downstairs. Dad's got breakfast ready."
When his mother finally departed, closing the door and flicking on the lights before disappearing down the hall and leaving his covers discarded on the floor, Adrien managed to drag himself out of bed to get ready for the day.
Minutes later, he stumbled sleepily down the stairs.
"Good morning!" Gabriel greeted, waving to his son with one of his flour-covered hands. "Ready for your first day of school?"
Adrien yawned as he nodded; Emilie laughed and handed him a bagful of croissants.
"Have a great day," she said, kissing him on the cheek.
"Thanks, Mom."
And, with that, he was gone.
The walk to school was not very far at all. Actually, the school was literally across the street from the bakery, and, for once in his life, he was not running late.
He reached the crosswalk just as the light changed from red to green, forcing him to wait. On the other end, an elderly man began to cross, seemingly unaware of the car racing towards him. Without thinking, Adrien dashed across the street, dragging the man to the other side and dropping the bag of croissants in the process. When they reached the sidewalk, Adrien handed the man his dropped cane, offered him a croissant, and raced across the street the minute the light changed red.
He burst into the classroom, red-faced and panting. Thankfully, Miss Bustier was too distracted by Alya Césaire, who she was moving to the front row. Adrien plopped into the seat he had sat in every year, taking a moment to catch his breath.
"Sorry, Baker Boy, but that seat is taken."
Adrien glanced up and groaned. Sabrina, backed by her usual lackey, Chloé Bourgeois, was standing over him, hands on her hips. There was no way he was going to say no to Queen Sabrina, so Adrien gathered his things and trudged to the front row, plopping down beside the new student, who smiled widely and extended his hand.
"Hey, dude! I'm Nino. Nino Lahiffe."
"Adrien Agreste," Adrien said, shaking Nino's hand. "Nice to meet you."
His mood, which had been lifted slightly by Nino's introduction, was instantly soured once again by Sabrina's haughty laughter.
She's probably celebrating her victory, he thought, gritting his teeth and wishing he had enough courage to stand up to her.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng
The next morning, Marinette awoke long before the rest of the household and pulled on the most fashionable and functional outfit she could find. After checking her hair in the bathroom mirror and applying a small amount of makeup, the bluenette slunk out the backdoor and bolted towards the school. When she was sure she was a safe distance away from the Dupain-Cheng mansion, she slowed to a walk, taking in the beautiful sunrise as Paris began to awake.
It won't be long now, she thought, glancing back to make sure Nathalie wasn't following her in the black limo her mother insisted on taking everywhere.
Then, a mere block from the school, she heard the familiar shout of her name.
"Marinette Dupain-Cheng! Get back here!"
She didn't bother whipping around to check how close behind her Nathalie was. Instead, she raced towards the school, eyes fixed on her target: the front door. Once she got in there, she was safe.
She would have made it, too, but she was distracted by an elderly man lying on the sidewalk, feeling around for his cane. Without a second thought, Marinette veered away from the steps leading to the one place she had dreamed of going to for as long as she could remember.
"Here, let me help you."
The man glanced up and smiled. "Ah, thank you."
Marinette handed him the dropped cane and helped him to his feet. Then, she turned back to her goal, only to find it blocked by Nathalie and Uncle Wang, who were both wearing furious expressions. Defeated, Marinette allowed them to steer her into the car.
"I told you not to go!" Sabine hollered, her face pink with rage. "You didn't listen to me!"
Marinette kept her gaze trained on the floor. "I'm sorry, Mother."
"You could have been kidnapped! Or killed! Or-or-"
Or I could've run away.
"I'm sorry, Mother," Marinette repeated for what felt like the hundredth time.
"Go to your room," Sabine said, her voice dropping from the hysterical scream to her usual cold tone. Marinette spun on her heel and stalked away. It took every bit of her self-control not to slam the door shut behind her. That would have only caused her mother to be even more upset.
Marinette flopped on her bed, buried her face in her pillow, and began to cry.
Adrien Agreste
"Alright class," Miss Bustier clapped her hands, "you are dismissed!"
The students began to file out, eagerly. Adrien made sure to stay as far away from Sabrina as he possibly could, Nino trailing behind him. Out of the corner of his eye, Adrien could see Kim and Ivan standing together. Kim dropped a folded piece of paper in Ivan's hand and walked away.
"Come on dude!' Nino said, dragging Adrien out of the classroom. "Our next class starts in a few minutes, and I don't want to be late."
Nino's dragging became more insistent a moment later when a giant, stone-clad monster emerged from the principal's office. Chaos broke out as teachers attempted to herd the entire study body into the library. The librarian snapped on the television, allowing the school to watch the monster through the safety of a screen.
"Where is he?! Where's Kim?!" the monster roared into the camera, causing multiple students, including Sabrina, to jump.
"He sounds like Ivan," Adrien murmured. "Why does he sound like Ivan?"
Nino shrugged. "But don't worry. A superhero will show up and save the day."
"How can you be so sure?" Adrien asked, turning to his friend.
"I just know."
Then, with a loud crash, the camera went black.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng
"Sabrina," Nathalie called from the front of the house, "there's someone here to see Marinette."
"To see me?" Marinette asked, coming out of her room for the first time since they had gotten home. "Who is it?"
Nathalie waved towards the camera; Marinette crept closer and gasped. The elderly man she had helped up outside of the school was standing on their front step, smiling widely.
"I just want to thank the girl who helped me up today," he said. "Could you please send her out?"
Nathalie and Marinette both glanced at Sabine, who sighed.
"Very well. You may go see the old man, but only for a moment."
Marinette smiled and turned back to the camera. "I'll be right out."
Adrien Agreste
The students were clustered together, jam-packed in the library. Well, most of them were jam-packed. Sabrina and Chloé, however, had a wide bubble of space around them, as usual. No one was stupid enough to trespass into Queen Sabrina's territory.
"I'm gonna to go to the bathroom," Adrien whispered to Nino before darting off. He couldn't bear another moment squashed in that library, especially with the stone monster wreaking havoc outside.
He stepped into the bathroom and immediately fell on his face.
"What the…?" But his question trailed off when his gaze landed on the red and black octagonal box sitting in the middle of the floor. Curiosity got the better of him, and he lifted the lid, jumping back when a bright red glowing object shot towards him.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng
As soon as Marinette opened the gates, the old man hobbled forward and threw his arms around her.
"You are truly an angel," he said, tightening his grip.
Marinette smiled and returned the embrace. "I just did what anyone would've."
The old man stepped back. "Ah, but no one else did." He gave Marinette one last grin and then turned and hobbled away.
When the man had disappeared around the bend, Sabine's voice crackled through the intercom. "Alright, Marinette. Come back inside."
Marinette sighed and walked back through the gates.
Adrien Agreste
The glowing sphere materialized into a small, red and black, person-looking thing. Adrien's eyes widened and he scrambled back.
"Oh, don't be scared," the thing said, smiling widely. "I'm Tikki, holder of the Ladybug Miraculous, and your Kwami."
"My-my-my what?" Adrien stammered.
"Your Kwami. Here, I'll show you." She dove back into the box, emerging a moment later with a ring balanced in her arms. The ring was black with a red symbol of a ladybug etched on the front. She held it out to Adrien. "Put this on."
Adrien took the ring, shakily, and slipped it on his finger.
"Good. Now all you have to say is 'Tikki, spots on!'"
Adrien shook his head. "I..I think you have the wrong person."
"Master Fu would never given you the Miraculous if he wasn't sure you were the perfect person for the job."
When Adrien still looked unconvinced, Tikki sighed and flew closer.
"Come on," she whispered. "Paris needs you."
"O-okay," Adrien said, standing up. He took a deep breath and then said, "Tikki, spots on."
Marinette Dupain-Cheng
"There, does that make you feel better?" Sabine asked when Marinette returned. The bluenette shrugged.
"I guess."
"Good. Now, go practice your piano. You have a recital coming up."
Marinette sighed and trudged back to her room. She closed the door, plugged her phone into her speaker, and turned on a recording of her practicing before collapsing back on her bed.
"Ouch," she muttered when something dug into her back. She slid her hand behind her and pulled out the mysteriously painful object. It was a black and red octagonal box.
"What's this?" she mused aloud as she opened it. A black orb flew out in front of her and materialized into a black, cat-like thing.
"Hello, ma'am," the thing said, bowing deeply. "I am Plagg, holder of the Black Cat Miraculous, and…" he paused for dramatic effect, "your Kwami."
"Kwami?" Marinette asked, circling Plagg.
"Yep."
There was a beat of silence, and then Plagg snapped, "Stop circling me. Paris needs your help."
"My help?" Marinette asked, confused. "Why…?" Her gaze landed on the window, where she had a clear view of the stone monster, flinging cars and roaring with anger. "What the heck is that?" she exclaimed, running to the window to get a better view.
"That is an akuma," Plagg said, bored. "You have to fight him."
"F-fight him?" Marinette exclaimed, shocked. "How-"
"With these," Plagg cut her off and motioned to the box he had risen from moments ago. Two earrings glittered in the sunlight, a silver paw-print engraved on the front of each one. Marinette carefully lifted them out of the box.
"They're beautiful," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"They are, aren't they," Plagg responded, not at all modest. "Now, you just have to put them on and say 'Plagg, claws out' and-"
"Plagg, claws out!"
The Kwami was whipped away, mid-sentence; Marinette was enveloped in a whir of black light. A moment later, the light dissipated, and she was no longer dressed in the blue dress she had been wearing before. Now, her body was covered in a black leather suit, completed with ears emerging from her head, a mask covering her eyes, and a tail formed from the belt she wore around her waist. She reached back and traced the metal staff clipped to her hip. To put it lightly, she looked awesome.
"Let's go kick that akuma's butt!" she exclaimed as she jumped out the window.
Adrien Agreste
Adrien was surrounded by a glowing red light as Tikki whirled around him and into the ring on his finger. When the light faded, he blinked up at his reflection, shocked to see he was clothed in a red and black spotted super suit.
"Whoa," he breathed as he ran his hands down his suit and began to fidget with the yo-yo attached to his hip.
A roar from outside dragged his focus back to the problem at hand: the akuma. Adrien took a deep breath and pushed open the door, slinking down the halls until he was standing outside the school, his back pressed against the brick wall.
"Okay, let's see how this thing works." He threw the yo-yo up; it attached to the top of the building and dragged him along with it. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" he screamed as the yo-yo untangled itself from the building, throwing Adrien back down towards the ground. He screamed again and began throwing the yo-yo any way he could, hoping it would attach to something before he was flattened on the pavement.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Marinette had extended her metal staff between two rooftops and was balancing on it as if it was a tightrope, obviously having the time of her life doing tricks and flips and not seeming at all frightened by the drop below her. She had just finished doing a very risky grand jeté when a series of screams caught her attention. She looked up just as a bright red object crashed right into her, knocking her off the makeshift tightrope.
The object turned out to be a boy dressed in the same suit as she was, except his suit resembled a ladybug rather than a cat. They were suspended in the air, tangled together by some sort of string, but Marinette didn't mind at all. She had found her partner (who turned out to be rather attractive), and she hadn't done anything more than messing around. I'd call that a successful first day.
"I'm so sorry," the boy said, attempting to untangle them.
Marinette smiled softly and opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the mechanical whirr of her staff retracting, dropping them back towards the street. Marinette calmly reached up and closed her hand around the staff while the boy screamed and flailed around. She wrapped her arm around his waist and extended her staff, breaking their fall. Now, they were only a few inches off the ground, allowing them to drop easily onto the sidewalk.
"As I was saying," Marinette said, retracting her staff and clipping it onto her waist before turning back to the boy with a smile, "I'm…" She paused for a moment, contemplating what name to choose for herself. "Chat Noire."
"And I'm utterly clumsy," the boy said, embarrassedly.
"Is that what you're gonna call yourself?" Marinette asked, laughing. But before he could answer, a crash sounded from the nearby television, which was broadcasting the stone monster as he landed in the Parc des Princes.
"We better go deal with that," Marinette said, using her staff to throw herself onto the rooftops.
Adrien Agreste
Adrien sighed as he watched Chat Noire run along the rooftops. She was a natural at this, and he was a failure. What an ironic pair, he mused, swinging his yo-yo once again. It latched onto the nearest ledge and dragged him after his partner. He screamed the whole way.
Chat Noire landed gracefully on the grass in the Parc des Princes; Adrien landed on his face. Thankfully, the stone beast was preoccupied, giving the superhero duo time to prepare themselves.
Well, Adrien would have used the time to prepare them for their upcoming battle. Chat Noire, however, had other ideas.
"Hey, Stonie!" she called, waving her arms wildly above her head. "Over here!"
"What are you doing?" Adrien hissed, completely bewildered by her behavior.
"Getting his attention. Duh."
"Why in the world would you do that?"
But Chat Noire didn't have a chance to answer him because the akuma had turned towards them, and he looked furious.
Nino Lahiffe
Nino was crouched in the stands, his phone balanced on the top of the seat, videotaping the scene unfolding in front of him. The stone monster was glaring at Kim, who was cowering in the corner. A faint scream drew the teen's attention away from the exchange between the monster and his classmate. Nino swung his camera towards the incoming figures.
"No way," he breathed as the leather clad shadows came into view. "Real life superheroes."
Nino shifted his camera and zoomed in to get a clearer image. There was two of them, a boy and a girl. The girl was waving her hands, yelling for the monster's attention. She was either extremely brave or extremely stupid. The boy was staring at her in shock. This was obviously not part of their plan. That is, if they even had a plan.
The monster turned towards the heroes, enraged. The girl raised her hand above her head. A ball of sparklingly black energy formed from her palm. She closed her fist around it and brought it down, staring at it in awe. She reached over and brushed her hand along the goalpost; it disintegrated.
"Mega cool," Nino whispered, creeping out from his hiding place to try to get a better view.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Marinette dashed towards the monster, intending to disintegrate him the same way she had the goalpost. But, when she touched her hand to the monster's foot, nothing happened.
"You can only use your power once," the boy explained, dodging the monster's fist. "Once you use your power, you have only five minutes before you change back into your civilian self."
Marinette frowned. "Plagg never told me that," she murmured, glancing up just as the monster's foot slammed into her, sending her flying across the stadium. She groaned as she hit the wall, collapsing to the ground in a heap.
When her vision cleared, the boy was standing over her, hand extended in an attempt to help her up.
"I have a plan," he said as Marinette grasped his hand, letting him pull her to her feet. "Do you trust me?"
"Absolutely."
"Good." The boy wrapped his yo-yo around Marinette's legs and chucked her at the monster. She screamed as the beast closed his giant, stone fist around her. Behind her, she could hear the boy yell, "Lucky Charm!" and, when she finally managed to turn around, he was holding a wetsuit and scanning the stadium.
"Hey, you!" he shouted, pointing towards the lone boy standing in the field, videotaping the fight on his phone.
"Me?" the civilian asked, pointing to his own chest. The boy nodded and motioned for him to come closer; the civilian obeyed. Their conversation became too soft for Marinette to hear from her position in the stone beast's grip, but then she heard a loud yell and glanced up to see the boy flying across the field, still holding the wetsuit. The beast opened his other hand to grab the boy, dropping a purple rock in the process.
"Now!" the boy yelled to the civilian, who had shoved his phone in his pocket just long enough to twist on the hose. The monster's hand exploded open, water gushing where the boy had been moments before. Marinette looked down and watched, awestruck, as the boy landed on the rock, breaking it open and releasing a purple and black butterfly. The stone monster shrunk into a teenage boy, and Marinette was dropped to the ground.
Nino Lahiffe
Nino was amazed to see the stone beast shrink into one of his classmates. The superboy watched the purple and black butterfly flutter away before throwing the wetsuit he had used to defeat the monster into the air, yelling, "Miraculous Ladybug!" A flood of black and red circles enveloped every damaged object, leaving a moment later to reveal the objects completely repaired. Nino caught it all on tape.
The two superheroes fistbumped, and then the girl ran off, leaving the boy to deal with Ivan. Nino crept forward, still filming, until he could hear what Superboy was saying.
"Just tell her, okay?" Superboy was saying. "I have a feeling she likes you too." The boy stood and began to walk away; Nino chased after him, rambling off question after question.
"Where did you get your powers? How long have you been a superhero? What should we call you?"
The boy turned and smiled at Nino. "Just call me," he paused a moment, "Beetlebug."
"Beetlebug," Nino murmured as Paris' new hero swung away.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Marinette managed to duck behind a nearby building seconds before her suit melted away, disposing an exhausted Plagg on the sidewalk in front of her.
"Camembert," he moaned softly. "I need some Camembert."
Marinette wrinkled her nose. "Like the smelly cheese?"
Plagg nodded weakly.
"Alright, fine." She scooped the limp Kwami off the ground and set him gently in her purse. "I remember passing a bakery on my race to school this morning. Maybe they have some Camembert."
Adrien Agreste
Adrien ducked behind the nearest building as his suit disappeared. A soft groan whispered up from the pavement; Adrien looked down and was shocked to see Tikki lying limply on the ground, mumbling something about needing cookies. He bent down and gently lifted the tiny Kwami up, tucking her safely in his shirt pocket before walking towards the Agreste Bakery.
When he arrived, his mother wrapped him in a tight hug, murmuring how worried she had been and how she had thought he was going to be killed by the stone monster. Adrien smiled and returned her embrace.
"I'm fine, Mom. Really, I'm okay."
Gabriel joined the hug a moment later, flour still clinging to his hands, but no one cared that the white powder was smudging on their faces or in their hair.
The bell on the front door jingled, alerting the Agreste family that a customer had just entered. Adrien broke away from his parents and turned to see the most beautiful girl ever standing in the doorway, smiling brightly.
"Hello," she said, stepping closer. "I wanted to know if you had any Camembert in stock."
"Oh, yes," Gabriel said, dusting off his hands. "I just bought some this morning to make my Camembert Delight. How much would you like?"
"Just one piece," she said, taking out her wallet as Adrien ducked behind the counter to retrieve the cheese. "How much do I owe you?" she asked when Adrien returned and handed her a small box. Gabriel named his price; the girl handed over the required bills and thanked them. When she had disappeared out the door, Emilie turned to Adrien, eyebrows raised.
"Does she go to your school?" she asked. "She looks about your age, so I'm sure you would have at least one class with her."
Adrien shook his head. "I've never seen her before."
Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Marinette set the box of cheese in her purse, allowing Plagg to have easy access. A moment later, the foul smell of Camembert filled the air, followed by the a rather loud smack as Plagg gobbled down his treat.
When she was only a few blocks from her house, she ducked into a nearby alley and transformed back into Chat Noire just long enough to climb back into her bedroom window and collapse on her bed. She whispered the words Plagg had instructed her to use in order to detransform moments before Nathalie rapped on the door.
"Marinette?"
"Yes?" Marinette called after stopping the music her phone had been playing on repeat while she was gone. The door swung open; Nathalie poked her head in.
"Oh, good. You're alright."
Marinette cocked her head. "Why wouldn't I be alright?"
"Did you not hear about the stone monster that attacked the school?"
Marinette widened her eyes, feigning shock. Nathalie merely sighed.
"And to think you tried to convince your poor mother to let you go there," she muttered as she shook her head and closed the door. Marinette gritted her teeth and collapsed back on her bed, groaning in frustration.
"Don't give up hope," Plagg said, hovering above her. "You're a superhero. You can do anything."
Adrien Agreste
The bakery was alight with love and laughter as the Agreste family bustled about the kitchen, making every sort of pastry you could imagine. Adrien had snuck three cookies in his pocket for Tikki to munch on when his parents' backs were turned. The small television balanced over the stove was playing the recorded version of Jagged Stone's last concert, and Emilie would grab Gabriel ever so often to dance with her.
The mood was darkened, however, when the television crackled. Adrien glanced up as the footage switched to the news, where Nadja Chamack was reporting on the sudden appearance of multiple stone beasts, the only difference from the last akuma being the fact that these monsters were "stone still."
Adrien rushed past his parents, who were clutching each other as they stared at the screen in terror, and up to his bedroom. He switched on the television and released Tikki from his shirt pocket.
"Tikki, what happened?" he exclaimed, motioning towards the television.
"Did you capture the akuma?" Tikki questioned, turning from the television to the wild-eyed Adrien
"Uhhhh..."
"If you don't capture the akuma, it will multiple and seek out people with negative emotions to akumatized."
Adrien sighed and dropped onto his desk chair, clutching his head in his hands. "This is all my fault."
"Don't worry, Adrien," Tikki said, nuzzling her holder reassuringly. "You can fix this."
"No, I can't," Adrien said, fidgeting with his Miraculous. "I just make everything worse. You should find someone else to save Paris."
"But, Adrien-" Tikki started, but Adrien pulled off his ring and stuffed it back in the box he had found it in before Tikki could finish.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, tucking the box into his desk drawer.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Plagg turned on the computer, looking for something to occupy himself as Marinette moaned and groaned from her bed. However, before he could find a good channel, the news overrode the system, blocking the ability to skip through the various channels. Plagg turned to Marinette worriedly.
"Did you, uh, capture the akuma?"
"Did I what?" Marinette asked, sitting up. When her eyes landed on the news footage displayed on her computer, she froze.
"Well, only the Ladybug Miraculous can capture and purify akumas, so you wouldn't have been doing any of that work-"
"Wait, so that black and purple butterfly we released caused this?" she asked, interrupting Plagg. The Kwami nodded sadly.
"I'm afraid so."
"Will our two heroes be able to save us yet again?" the news announcer, Nadja Chamack, was saying. "Only time will tell."