Disclaimer: I don't own Miraculous Ladybug. Thomas Astruc does.

Chapter 20: Rencounter

I closed the door to my apartment. I walked to my bedroom and took out my sticky notes. I wrote down the names 'Ian' and 'Echo' on them. Starting from tomorrow, I'll try to get closer to them. Nakhtii came into my room.

"So what are you going to do about this problem?" she asked.

"Tomorrow, I need to go to school and get acquainted with both of them. If I'm going to find out who has the 2 stolen miraculous, I have to be their friends"

"After that what?"

"I'll figure it out after I'm done with this step"

"Okay. So he took the water and fire elements, right?"

"That's right"

"Oh No" Nakhtii said.

"Wait, why "oh no"?" I asked.

"The destructive and creative cycle is in favor of water and fire" Nakhtii said.

"What do you mean 'in favor with of water and fire'"

"Think about it, Evelyn. Let's start with your advantages. You have wood and he has water, so that means that you can strengthen your wood to protect yourself from the water. But that's about it. His advantages are greater. His fire can destroy your wood. His water will weaken your metal"

"Shouldn't his fire melt my metal and water rust my metal?" I asked.

"I told you in the beginning that my metal can only be destroyed by Chat Noir's cataclysm. So if you attack him with metal, he can avoid it without any harm, but that doesn't mean that my metal disintegrates" she explained.

I nodded in understanding.

"You're out-powered. He will be attacking you and the only thing you can do is protect yourself from his attacks. Whoever took the elements probably didn't know much of it, but this means that he can destroy you easily. You might have to take the earth element to help you defeat the thief"

As I thought about it more, I realized that he had way more advantages over me. I had to be smart. I need to be smart, cunning, and never let go of the tricks under my sleeves.

"No." I answered.

"Wait. You are saying no to the earth element miraculous? That's probably your only chance of beating him"

"No, Nakhtii. I have many reasons why. I can't have 3 powers. That's not a fair fight. If I go magic hungry….we need to be true"

"This is not about fairness, Evelyn. This is about-"

She got cut off by a distant screaming and loud bangs. I thanked the akuma.

"Welp. Let's go. Akhalee! Are you done eating?" I asked the last question to Nakhtii.

"Hold on. Ladybug and Chat can handle the akuma themselves. There's no rush to go anywhere" Nakhtii said, in a attempt to keep the conversation we were having.

"I'm here!" Akhalee proclaimed.

"Great. Akhalee, Nakhtii, Feathers On and Stripes Out!" I said.

I pounced out my window. I made my way towards the scene of the akuma to see just the akuma, Ladybug, and Chat Noir. I looked around me to see no one around. He didn't come. I watched the akuma try to defeat the duo as I sat on the roof and looked down at them.

"Enjoying the view?" said a masculine voice out of nowhere.

I immediately pounced up and knocked the person down. I quickly pulled his head up to wrap my arm around his neck. I let my sharp claws out, tantalizing his unprotected neck.

I took my first look at the boy I was holding. He had a brown hood pulled over his face and brown deer ears. His hair color was completely covered from my view. His face was covered by a red mask. The mask was accented with shimmering gold threads and navy colors. He didn't seem to have wings, just like me. His entire body costume was covered in scales. Sure. I get fur and feathers and he gets scales.

"I'm not picking a bone with you today, Raven" he said in a condescending tone which filled me with rage.

"If you think I'm going to just let you let you prance away into the sunset with 2 stolen miraculouses, you are gravely mistaken. Give them back. Right. Now" I said giving him a chance.

"No Can Do, Raven. I have plans with them. Look, I just came to discuss my plans with you. I won't fight you today, though I can't say the same for the days that will come" he said.

"My name is NiteStar, might as well use it. Where are the miraculouses, you piece of trash?" I asked him.

"I don't know, Raven" he said. I was filled with rage and I shook silently with anger.

"Are you going to let me go?" he asked me.

"No one plans a murder out loud, Flint" I said.

I slowly let him go, keeping my guard up. He took a staggering breath of air.

"The name's Uri." he said as if we were two casual people at a coffee shop.

"Don't care. I want to know why and how you stole the miraculouses, what you're going to do with them" I said flippantly.

His jaw twitched a little. I could see part of his eye jerking.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said innocently, "My honesty must have bruised your ego, Flint"

"Who are you? Where are the 2 miraculouses? How did you know about the secret miraculouses? Will you give the miraculouses back, peacefully? How exactly do you plan to help Hawkmoth? Are you going to tell him who Ladybug and Chat Noir?"

He chuckled darkly.

"I won't tell you who I am. I won't show you where my miraculous is. After all, how hard can it be. I found the secret miraculouses by accident. I found them by a pure stroke of luck, " his eyes darkened, " I won't give them back. And I'm afraid I can't answer the rest of your questions unless you want to join me. If you won't join me, I'm afraid I'll have to give Ladybug's and Chat Noir's miraculous to Hawkmoth"

"I know who you are underneath that mask, Raven. I know who Ladybug and Chat Noir are. I know who Hawkmoth is. I know that you aren't from this world. I'm not from this world. We are from a different dimension. We are sucked into the tv show. I was hoping you would join me. I'm taking advantage of my existence in this world. I plan to confront Hawkmoth and help him," he said.

My brain was swimming with facts. Shoot. He knows who I am. There was no avoiding it. I was at a huge disadvantage, but I refused to be let down by this fact. Just because he knew who I was doesn't mean that should stand down. He know who everyone is. He knows who I am. He knows I amn't from this world. He knows everyone. He wants to help Hawkmoth. He wants me to help-

"Excuse Me! You want to help Hawkmoth?" I asked, actually quite astounded.

"His actions are completely understandable. Don't you think that Hawkmoth should get the miraculous stones to get his wife back?" he asked me.

I was completely caught off guard. He was crazy. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Someone from the real world thought that Hawkmoth's actions was justified.

"You do realize that if Gabriel gets his wife back, that means that someone else will have to pay the price. It's a life for a life. A soul for a soul. You can't do that!" I said.

"Watch me. In the real world, I had to go through a lot of suffering. I have the hardest life you can ever imagine. From the beginning, I didn't have a family. I was an orphan. Finally, I met one person who changed everything for me. And then…," he choked, "I lost the one sweetheart of my life. She died of cancer. I have no one. No. One. I have no happiness. Sure people would tell me to make the best of my life, but what's the point. I completely understand what Hawkmoth is going through right now. I will help him. At least he gets a second chance. Hawkmoth gets to save his wife. Whereas I am left with nothing. I will help him" he said with determination.

For a split second, I could understand his morals. He lost everything. He knows what it feels like. He and Hawkmoth were so much alike. But I could see what was wrong in his thoughts. He would do anything for the love. Anything. I brushed aside his thoughts and my sympathy for him.

"I understand that you went through alot, but you have to understand that it's not right!" I answered stubbornly.

"I've chosen what I want to do, Raven. Now it's time for you to choose."

I searched his face for any hints. I thought over his words and his reasoning. But Something of what he was saying was off. I snarled.

"Never! I will never join you. Let me list off the things you did to make me your mortal enemy, Flint. 1) You fully intended to steal the miraculouses. 2) You think that Hawkmoth is right in his motives. But that's not the worst of all. You. Are. Lying"

He blinked in surprise.

"What do you mean, I'm lying?" he asked me.

"You are lying. Something of what you said. You are lying about something. I can't tell what it is. It's either that you aren't planning to do what you say you will do or you aren't who you say you are. Something of what you said. How you said it. It feels off" I said.

A moment of silence. Until a smile took over his face. Not the good kind.

"Well. Well. Looks like you aren't as petty as I thought you would be. I am lying about something. Doesn't matter what though. I'll beat you in the end. I'm way more powerful than you. I know a lot about who you are. All I need to figure out is where your miraculous is." he said, dropping his good guy act.

"I think I'll going to give a care about you being more powerful than me, when two parallel lines intersect" I said.

From a distance, I could hear Ladybug shouting "Miraculous Ladybug!". I was about to create a metal weapon and wooden shield for me to use against him, before he shot out a massive amount of fire my way, burning my wooden shield. He then turned away from me and jumped building to building. Uttering one last string of words before he was completely out of hearing range.

"I said I just wanted to talk to you today, Raven. I'm mostly a man of my word"

And boy did I really doubt his words. He was a liar and I was going to destroy him.