Authors Note: So this is something that I've had sitting in a notebook for a while - I actually wrote it BEFORE it was revealed that Alya would be Volpina. At the time, I hadn't expected Alya to get the Fox Miraculous, but I wanted to play with the thought of her having one and having to balance hero-ing AND the Ladyblog without getting suspicious, and the Fox seemed to suit her the best.

"Ladybug! Ladybug!" Alya rushed after the dotted superhero, phone in hand, poised to film. "Can I ask you a few questions before you go?"

Ladybug was about to throw her yo-yo, but she paused and turned back to face Alya, smiling.

"Oh, hey, you again. It's good to see you safe, Alya. What would you like to know?"

"That was another brilliant rescue by you and Cat Noir," Alya declared, after pressing the record button. "But I'd like to ask about Volpina. We haven't seen a sign of her since her debut two weeks ago."

Ladybug glanced down and fidgeted with her yo-yo. "Volpina was actually an akuma. You won't be seeing her again. Hopefully."

Alya rocked back on her heels in disappointment. "Oh. But she saved us from the meteor."

"An illusion, no doubt," Ladybug answered. "Illusion was her true power, not flight or strength. I - she tried to impress a boy she liked, and it didn't go very well. So, I'm sorry, but we won't be seeing Volpina again." Her earrings beeped. "And I'm afraid I have to go now. Perhaps you'll have a chance to ask more questions later."

Then she threw the yo-yo and flew away.

Alya frowned as she turned the video off and started walking home. Volpina had been merely another Akuma? As much as Alya was a fan of Ladybug and Can Noir, she'd been looking forward to seeing how a third member would affect their dynamic.

She'd have to call Marinette once she'd finished this post. Despite having very little interest in the pair of superheroes, Marinette always had interesting insights about them.

Her plan was to head to her computer and write a lengthy post, but her mother met her at the door.

"Your grandmother's here to see you. She's in the living room. Don't keep her waiting - you know how she is."

Alya frowned. Her grandmother was an uptight woman who liked everything just so. It wasn't often that she came by, especially lately as she was getting older, but she told the best stories. Alya got her creativity from her ... creativity that her mother warned might harm her potential career as a journalist.

She hurried to the living room.

"Ah, there you are. I figured it might be a while when I heard there was another Akuma," Grandmother announced as soon as Alya stepped in. "Some days, I'm not sure whether you're brave or just plain reckless. Still, I suppose that's just how you are."

Alya shifted her weight from one leg to the other, fidgeting with her phone. "Hello, Grandma. I'm sorry about keeping you waiting."

"No worries, child. How did the fight go? I've been watching it on the news, but I've not seen you update the Ladyblog yet."

"Ah, yes," said Alya. "I managed to catch a quick interview with Ladybug, and she told me some interesting news about Volpina. Apparently, she-"

"Was a mere imitation? Yes, that was an interesting turn of events." Grandmother leaned back, fingering her cane. "Of course, I knew the moment I saw her using illusions so freely. The real Volpina could only use them once before she'd detransform. She's no different from Ladybug and Cat Noir - not as powerful, mind you, but no different."

Alya blinked and took a step forward. "Real Volpina? You're saying that there is a real Volpina?"

"Was," Grandmother corrected. "She defended my hometown when I was a girl. My, but those were the days. Tell me, why were you so disappointed when you found out that she wasn't a true hero?"

"I was looking to seeing how their dynamic would change with a third member," Alya answered. "And ... I'd hoped that it might bring me closer to discovering Ladybug's and Cat Noir's true identities."

Grandmother tsked. "Alya, I've told you that you ought to drop that scheme. Ladybug and Cat Noir keep themselves secret for a reason, and revealing them could put them, yourself, and all of Paris in danger. Give it up and focus on making sure that Paris stays up to date on how amazing they are."

"But they have the real news for that," Alya protested, glancing towards the television. "Don't you wish to know who's risking their lives for us on a daily basis?"

"I know that those young ones are brave, clever, and compassionate. That's all that matters." Grandmother stood, leaning heavily on her cane. She walked forward and laid a hand on Alya's shoulder. "Alya, child, they don't need recognition as themselves. Stop being nosy before we have a worse problem than Lady Wifi. Go write that blog post. I'm sure everyone needs to know for certain that they won't be seeing Volpina again."

With that, she hobbled out of the room. Alya sighed and headed to her bedroom.

It was more of a glorified closet, really, just big enough for a loft bed, her desk underneath, and her clothes. But at least she had it to herself, and quick access to a balcony.

She plopped down at the computer, pulled out the cord to connect her phone to transfer the file, and frowned when she saw a small, hexagonal box sitting in front of the keyboard.

Wondering who had put it there and why, Alya snapped the lid open. She was barely able to catch a glimpse of what looked like a fox's tail before a blinding ball of orange light exploded.