Nathanael had a small apartment with his parents, close to the school but opposite the waters. He led the Quantic Squad inside and up the two flights to find the front door smashed in. "Caused by tiny red akuma," He explained as they surveyed the living room, furniture upturned everywhere, "the twin sisters of Alya."

Sparrow felt strange speaking to Nathanael while he was stuck in Evillustrator mode, but now his villainous nature was out, and the sky artist was back. "You sure you can handle walking around like this?"

Nathanael nodded. "Ladybug can fix me up once we get back to Le Grand Paris. Come this way, my room is in the back." He led them down a short hall and into the back room, where red walls were covered in sketches and paintings of heroes, villains and his fellow classmates. "Ignore all the work," he had a light blush, "my miraculous is over here."

The team watched as Nathanael lifted up his bed with one hand and shoved it against the wall. "I mean," Mercury said, "why give up super strength, really?"

Nathanael actually smirked, and it had nothing to do with HawkMoth manipulating his emotions. "Super strength is fine. Constantly spiky hair, a tablet growing out of my arm, and weird lights," he poked at the orbs on his chest, "are not so fine." He got on his knees and tore up a couple of the floorboards, revealing a hidden space below. "Ah, right where I left it."

Sparrow saw the small wooden box before Nathanael grabbed it, but he had no idea what the old golden marks on the top meant – if they meant anything at all. He popped the lid open to reveal the fox pendant, and from it flew an orange Kwami with pointed brown ears and purple eyes. It turned to Nathanael with its tongue stuck out. "About time you came back to get me! You have no idea how worried I was!"

"Worried about me?"

"Worried about never getting to eat grapes again!"

Dark Dame cooed and rubbed her finger against its fuzzy cheek. "I wish my Quantic partner was as cute as this little guy…or as friendly."

The Kwami nuzzled her a moment before getting back to business, watching Nathanael as he put the necklace on over his Evillustrator attire. "You can all call me Trixx. Obviously, you guys are aware of my partner Nate," he cocked an eyebrow, "though he usually wears more subtle clothes. Where did you get this getup from, anyway?"

"Um, Trixx? I was akumatized. You know, the whole reason I hid you under my bed?"

"You ended up getting captured? You dummy, I told you to pretend to be a rock."

"No way would HawkMoth be dumb enough to fall for me rolling up in the fetal position."

"Did you at least try?"

"I tried hiding behind buildings and trashcans."

"Oh, and that worked out so well, Evillustrator."

Melodie clapped her hands to draw attention back to herself. "Enough about what we could have done to prevent the akumatization. Time to focus on what we can do to stop HawkMoth. Time to get back to Le Grand Paris and meet up with Foinix and the others."

As they left the bedroom Kid Mime signed to Nathanael, where did your parents go? Where they caught by the akuma?

"We got separated while trying to evacuate the street. I want to think they made it to the hotel, or got to another safe location where HawkMoth will never find them…"

Sparrow knew that Ben had no recognized his Aunt and Uncle at the hotel, which meant they had either hidden elsewhere, or where in fact running amok with the other akuma.

Either option leaves little to bring up our spirits.

Luckily Trixx seemed to have just the right words to say. "No matter where your mom and dad are, we can get them home. Have a little more trust in your allies!"

Nathanael and Kid Mime smiled, and Sparrow had no desire to ruin the mood again, but… "Will you be able to transform into Ren Ruse if we come across enemies before we reach Ladybug? If your akumatized body gets in the way…"

Mercury scratched his head as the group made their way down the apartment stairs. "Imagine an akuma getting to transform into a superhero. HawkMoth would have a field day!"

They stepped into the street and quickly made their way to the roof. Akuma continued to hover in the sky and arch over the entire city. Dark Dame rubbed her arms as though she could feel the cold through her suit. "When did it get so chilly?"

Nathanael grimaced. "That would be the work of Stormy Weather. We need to get back before she sees us and uses her freezing powers to slow us down."

Melodie led the way back along the rooftops towards the hotel. Dark Dame ran beside Sparrow. "We keep avoiding the enemies," she said, "but what happens when they all team up against us? Do you think we stand a chance?"

"You think they can defeat us?"

"HawkMoth, and presumably Le Paon, can keep creating enemies. We only have so many on our side…"

Sparrow dared not agree with her worries. If he did, then he would begin to worry about the fate of the city and how it rested in the hands of a madman.

Of my own father.

They came across Lykanth and Yeti at the front of the hotel, guiding a cluster of young students through the lobby doors. "There you guys are," Yeti said as the last child was inside, "we almost went out looking for you."

"Sorry about the wait," Melodie pointed to Nathanael and Trixx, "we were just picking up an old friend."

"Good thing, too," a voice came from the lobby, "because of how many akuma there are out in the streets."

Trixx whistled as Erasmus walked out in his miraculous suit. "Whoa-ho-ho," he vocalized their own surprise, "what do we have here?!"