So here we get what I intend to be a long-term crossover between this series and Miraculous Ladybug. And Joker and Violet are gonna shake up the status quo. All future hero names, identities, and powers are inspired by Cornerverse from AO3 and their story "The Murder of Lila Rossi". I'll be repeating this for any relevant story. Disclaimer: I don't own Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, the Persona series, Lupin the Third, or any other referenced media.
Forty-Fourth Caper: A Miraculous Heist, Sunflower Brooch
During his time on the Rail Zeppelin, Joker had entered conversation with a particular individual from an organization called the Order of the Guardians. It was there that Joker learned of the Miraculous. Presently the man's branch of the Order had seventeen, but spoke of another with nineteen, although the temple was destroyed due to an acolyte's mistake. Typically the Miraculous were given to those that could be trusted with their powers, with only those within the group and their designated Guardian knowing their identity. Joker never thought he would ever have to make use of this information. He had no idea how wrong he was in assuming that.
"An information blackout?," Ren asked. 'That's right,' Alibaba said, 'Tourists in Paris have been speaking of strange costumed villains right out of a comic book. At first I thought they might be Stand users running amok. But it seems there's no sign of the damage these villains cause, and no official information regarding them has ever been released outside Paris.' "Joker, you went to Paris once before, right?," Sumire asked, "What was it like?" "Pretty normal, actually," Ren noted, "Aside from a simple con artist and Lupin the Third, I didn't encounter any real supervillains."
'Well subreddits reveal all,' Alibaba noted, 'There's been videos posted on personal blogs showing these guys.' Ren took a look at the footage, showing a giant stone golem being fought by a young girl in a ladybug-themed leotard and a young man in a black leather leotard. "Where did you find this?," Ren asked. 'A website originating in Paris called the Ladyblog,' Alibaba replied, 'It depicts actions taken by two superheroes named Ladybug and Cat Noir. Reason I'm bringing this up is because two notable fashion moguls, Audrey Bourgeois and Gabriel Agreste, have each made a high-profile purchase. I confirmed that it was two pieces of the Joestar Collection.' The two thieves knew their next move.
Once Ren and Sumire were in Paris, Ren started going over the local news. He must have been laser-focused last time, because it turned out there was plenty of information within the border. It seemed Paris was under attack from a villain named Hawk Moth, who could turn ordinary citizens into dangerous supervillains using little black butterflies called Akumas. These Akumas were drawn to negative energy it seemed, making Ren wonder if he didn't become the cause of such an entity coming to life during his previous heist in the city.
The Ladyblog was very detailed regarding each Villain that had appeared, as Sumire noted. "Stormy Weather, aka Aurore Beaureal. Bubbler, aka Nino Lahiffe. Pharaoh, aka Jalil Kubdel. Lady WiFi... Huh, the Ladyblogger herself, Alya Cesaire. Timebreaker, aka Alix Kubdel. Mister... Pigeon?" She and Ren looked at each other in confusion before Sumire continued. "Aka Xavier Ramier. Evillustrator, aka Nathaniel Kurtzberg. Rogercop, aka Roger Raincomprix. Copycat, aka Theo Barbot." Ren took a look at the pictures. "What kind of crack was Hawk Moth smoking when he came up with these? A five-year-old could come up with better villains."
He shifted through the list. "Dark Cupid, Horrificator... Mime? Guitar Villain? How many has he made!? Is he running out of ideas!?" They soon touched down in Charles de Gaulle airport. "First we stop by the safehouse," Ren noted, "I've already made arrangements for us to be transferred to College Francoise Dupont. From what I can tell, the place is well-known as a source of talented students. Think of it like France's answer to Hope's Peak Academy in Japan." He checked the roster. "Interesting... There's also an Italian transfer student. Lila Rossi... Huh... Says here her mother is a diplomat working at the Italian embassy here."
To say that Lila Rossi was outraged was an exaggeration. Here she was intending on telling a few interesting lies in order to get people to fawn over her, but then it turned out that two Japanese transfer students had turned up on the same day, and proved to have actual interesting lives due to their internship with the Speedwagon Foundation. "Just who are these two? And how did they kick me out of the same class as that darling Adrien Agreste!?" She hit her head against the nearby locker. "Well, it's not like students from different classes can't interact..."
Marinette Dupain-Cheng was similarly shocked. All her friends were talking about the newest couple in her school. She saw Rose Lavillant and Juleka Couffaine talking. "Ren and Sumire actually showed me a picture of their time in Achu," Rose said excitedly, "Prince Ali said they were there to help found a new children's hospital!" Marinette looked to her friend Alya. "Who are Ren and Sumire?" "I can't believe Ren got to star in a music video for Jagged Stone's cover of Trickster's Ambition!," said Chloe Bourgeois as she stormed across the hall with her friend Sabrina Raincomprix. "To be fair, he does make a convincing Phantom Thief Joker," Sabrina pointed out.
"Sumire got me in contact with a Japanese director thanks to her dad's connections," Nino said as he walked with Le Chien Kim and Max Kante. "Seriously," Marinette said, "Who are these two?" "Ren Amamiya and Sumire Yoshizawa," Alya explained, "A couple of Japanese transfer students. They also intern with the Speedwagon Foundation and have been all across the globe. They actually helped me fact check a video I put on the Ladyblog." Marinette looked at the Italian girl in the video. "And who's that?" Alya rolled her eyes. "That would be Lila Rossi, professional attention seeker. She gave me an interview about how she was saved by Ladybug and is her best friend."
"Seriously?," Marinette asked, not believing the story. Alya pointed to a link attached to the video that said, "Debunked." "Ren got me in contact with some top YouTubers like PewDiePie, Jacksepticeye, and Markiplier, each of whom pointed out the flaws in the interview. I was embarrassed at nearly putting such garbage on my blog. Ren insisted I could still do so, but with the caveat that I add in a disclaimer stating how Lila's story had more holes than swiss cheese. On the other hand..."
She showed a video featuring Sumire and her own thoughts about Ladybug. It was really more about comparing notes. Marinette freaked when she saw Sumire talking with Adrien on the nearby stairs. "Why is the new girl talking with the love of my life!? What if he winds up falling for her!?" "Then he'll probably get his heart broken and you can pick up the pieces," Alya assured her, "Sumire and Ren made it clear yesterday that they're an exclusive couple." "That's even worse!," Marinette said, "What if he gets Akumatized because of that!? With someone as amazing as him there'd be no way for Ladybug and Cat Noir to beat him!"
"Uh, ten o-clock high," Alya pointed out. Marinette freaked when she saw Adrien walking toward her, Sumire smiling as she waved. "So...," Adrien said, "Uh... Sumire suggested you might have a..." "Adrien!," came a new voice. The trio turned to see Lila. "So glad I caught up with you," she said as she grabbed his arm and started pulling him away. Sumire snapped her fingers in frustration. "So close..." "Huh?," Marinette asked, confused. "I told Adrien about your crush on him," Sumire said, "Flat out. Alya mentioned it after the interview." Marinette gave a scandalized gasp. "Traitor!," she said to Alya pointing an accusatory finger. "Oh like the whole school doesn't know about it," Alya pointed out.
Later, Ren and Sumire heard about a new Akuma attack and decided to investigate as Joker and Violet. It turned out to have been Lila, who was jealous of Ladybug's fame after said hero had told her off for putting herself in danger by claiming to be descended from a previous Miraculous holder and Ladybug's best friend. Joker got a good look at Ladybug and Cat Noir as they battled the villain Volpina. "Look familiar?," he asked Violet. Violet narrowed her eyes. "Marinette and Adrien..." Joker nodded. "I think it's time they meet the person who gave them their powers."
Adrien was freaking out over losing his father's book. "What could have happened to it? Oh, Dad is so gonna ground me." "Looking for your precious book?," came a new voice. "Who's there!?" "I think we have an intruder," said Plagg, the tiny cat Kwami that gave Adrien his powers. "Then we need to deal with him!," Adrien said, "Plagg, Claws Out!" Plagg entered the ring on Adrien's finger, transforming him into Cat Noir. He then ran out onto the balcony. There he saw a figure in a bird mask and long coat. "A new Akuma...," Cat Noir said.
"Not this time," the figure said, "I am Phantom Thief Joker." "Either way," Cat Noir said, "You're returning that book!" He struck with his escrima sticks, Joker countering with his dagger while firing off his pistol. "Let's see how you do without those weapons!," Cat Noir said, charging up energy, "Cataclysm!" "W Boiled Xtreme!" Not wanting his expensive model weapons damaged, Joker decided to block the clearly destructive energy with his Stand. It easily blocked the blow, due to the normal rule that only a Stand can damage another Stand. Cat Noir was stunned at the dark figure emerging from Joker. "If you want your book," Joker said, "Then catch me if you can."
Wang Fu had been expecting Marinette to arrive soon, but Adrien was a bit of a surprise. Marinette's jaw dropped when Joker and Cat Noir crashed into Fu's house, just as Cat Noir's transformation ran out, leaving Marinette flabbergasted that Cat Noir, who she could barely tolerate, was her crush all along. "When you said I'd fall for you without the mask," she said, "This isn't what I had in mind." She sighed. "Guess it's over for us, huh?" "Who said that?," Fu asked. Adrien and Marinette looked at each other in confusion. "But we were told that we could never reveal ourselves to anyone," Adrien pointed. "And that should include each other?," Fu asked, "You're both Miraculous holders, after all. And a team besides."
"While you were out playing cat and mouse," Violet said, "I've been going over each person Akumatized so far. That interview I gave Alya was geared for one thing... To prevent anyone already victimized from a repeat performance." She played the last clip. 'And remember, to any of you have fallen victim to Hawk Moth... There is always a way out other than accepting his deal. If you fail at something, remember that you can try again. If someone hurts you, discuss it with them or a friend. You shouldn't have to guard your emotions. And remember... Not all butterflies are bad.'
"Nice work," Joker said, "Meanwhile, I've found the collection piece bought by Audrey Bourgeois. We can send the calling card anytime." "Let's wait for a bit," Violet suggested, "I want to know why Gabriel had that spell book." In the interim, Joker and Violet wound up aiding Ladybug and Cat Noir several times. Cat Noir decided to get over his initial anger towards Joker, especially when he saved Adrien from his Akumatized bodyguard. Besides, it was thanks to Joker that he and Marinette could be more open with each other and really start to connect, becoming a stronger team.
And in the meantime, Marinette brought over trusted friends that she felt could easily become new holders for the other Miraculous. First Alya obtained the Fox, becoming Rena Rouge. Then Nino was offered to replace Fu as the holder of the Turtle, becoming Carapace. Even Chloe was able to turn over a new leaf thanks to encouraging from Sumire, becoming the Bee holder Queen Bee. She in turn vouched for Sabrina, who was given the Dog and became Wolfhound. Juleka was given the Tiger to become Tigress, and she in turn introduced her brother Luka who was given the Snake to become Viperion.
Chloe walked in on her mother who was holding something. She recognized it as one of Joker's calling cards. "Audrey Bourgeois, we are the Phantom Thieves Joker and Violet. Today we will steal the Sunflower Brooch from your possession." Chloe realized that Joker had to be talking about the large brooch that her mother had bought recently. She gasped as an Akuma made it's way to Audrey, drawn by her outrage. 'I had intended this for later,' Hawk Moth spoke through the Akuma that flew into the Sunflower Brooch, 'But why waste a good opportunity... Style Queen?'
Chloe quickly hurried to her room and started phoning up the group. "My mom's just been Akumatized after getting a calling card from Joker. Everyone hurry over." She quickly placed the Bee Miraculous, a hair comb, into her hair, revealing Pollen. "Why would Joker target your mother, my Queen?" "Pretty sure parental neglect counts as a crime," Chloe pointed out, "Either way, we need to stall her until the others arrive. Pollen, Buzz On!" Pollen flew into the hair clip, letting Chloe transform into Queen Bee.
"Well now I was definitely the cause of someone getting Akumatized," Joker noted when he saw the heroes fighting against Style Queen. "To be fair," Violet said, "We both share the blame." Style Queen had a dangerous power that could turn people into gold statues and was only made of glitter. Fortunately there was a work-around. If Miraculous powers couldn't damage a Stand, an Akumatized victim certainly couldn't, as Joker proved thanks to W Boiled Xtreme's wings. "Glad you showed up," Cat Noir said, "We need to find where the Akuma is."
"Easy," Joker said, "She was Akumatized after receiving my calling card, so the Akuma should be in the Sunflower Brooch." He and Violet dodged around Style Queen's attacks before Violet grabbed the brooch, Joker phasing through it to remove the Akuma. "Whoa," Carapace said, "Usually you have to break the object for that to work." "It'd damage my reputation if I let a prize get ruined," Joker said, "Even temporarily. And since this thing is cursed with dark energy, my shadow-based Stand can easily grab it. Ladybug, the rest is yours."
"Right," Ladybug said, throwing out her yo-yo, "No more evil-doing for you, little Akuma. Time to de-evilize!" The yo-yo opened up to reveal a bright light that grabbed the Akuma and purged it of its dark energy. "Gotcha!" Ladybug opened the yo-yo to set the white butterfly free. "Bye-bye, little butterfly." She then took her Lucky Charm, a joker playing card with ladybug spots, and threw it into the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!" A mass of ladybugs flew out, repairing any damage, including restoring several staff members that Style Queen had frozen.
Naturally an investigation was launched following the incident. After all, Joker never went after innocent civilians. Chloe was shocked to find parental neglect was the least of her mother's crimes, as she had been attempting corporate sabotage of Gabriel for some time, though she was always getting outmaneuvered. She looked out to where Ladybug and Cat Noir were talking on the roof. "I may not like that you're with him and not me, Marinette," she muttered, "But you're still a better match for Adrien than Lila ever will be."
"Nooroo, Dark Wings Fall!" Hawk Moth canceled his transformation back in Gabriel Agreste. "That Phantom Thief Joker has a surprising amount of power to him," he noted, "Power beyond even the Miraculous. So this is the might of a Stand user. I'll have to tread carefully. If he were ever to discover my identity..." He had earlier managed to throw suspicion off himself by temporarily renouncing his Miraculous so that he could Akumatize himself. But Joker was the Lord of Crime for a reason. He would not be so willing to accept the evidence at face-value. Indeed, Gabriel did not realize that Joker and Violet had already seen his transformation. Several times, in fact.
Next time, Joker and Violet are now aware that Gabriel Agreste is Hawk Moth, and they convince Ladybug and Cat Noir to search his home more thoroughly. Secrets are revealed, regrets are had, and in the end the Lord and Lady of Crime might help a family become stronger. Read and review.
