Disclaimer: We Do Not Own Miraculous Ladybug or Devilman. Those belong to their respective owners.
Chapter 2
"Chat, wait!"
The demon bird grabs Chat Noir by the arm. "Oh no you don't!" he tosses aside the demon lady and forces Chat Noir's arm into his face. A scream is heard before he turns black, disintegrating into dust.
Ladybug gasped in horror, covering her mouth in shock. For a moment, she just stood there frozen, tears forming in her eyes at what just occurred.
"You...You….YOU MONSTER!"
Marinette sat with a gasp, drenched in cold sweat. She let out a sigh of relief as she realized it was a nightmare. A nightmare that felt too real. She turned to her side and tried to relax, but it was no use. She couldn' go back to sleep. Not after the events that happened a few hours ago. With a sigh, she got out of bed and climbed up to her balcony. Dawn was breaking through the sky. Things were quiet except for a few cars in the streets and light wind blowing through the air. Marinette rested her elbows on the balcony railing and looked up at the moon glowing bright in the night sky.
"Chat, wherever you are, please be okay."
(Meanwhile)
The demon bird grabs Chat Noir by the arm. "Oh no you don't!" he tosses aside the demon lady and forces Chat Noir's arm into his face. A scream is heard before he turns black, disintegrating into dust.
Chat Noir looked around, remembering what just occurred. He turned to Ladybug with a confused look on his face.
"Ladybug-"
"CHAT!"
Adrien sat up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. He brushed his hair out of his face and looked over to the window. Adrien gazed up at the moon, letting out a sigh. "M'lady, I know you can't hear me, but I hope you are getting rest. No matter what happens, we will stop that monster. I promise."
(7:30 AM)
Sabine rushed upstairs and burst through Marinette's bedroom door. "Marinette, you're going to be-" She paused.
Marinette sat on her bed, putting her books in her backpack. She looked up. "Almost ready, Mom."
Sabine scratched her head. This was the first time Marinette was ready for school and not running late. Something didn't feel right.
"Marinette, are you alright?" Sabine asked with concern in her voice.
Marinette has bags under her eyes, and her hair bangs were messy and fell over her face. "I didn't sleep much." She said honestly.
Sabine sighed. "Oh, Mari." She walked up to her daughter and put a hand on her shoulder.
"I know things have been tough for you with school and helping with the bakery, but things will get better overtime, I promise. If there is anything bothering you, you can talk to me, okay?"
("I wish I could, Mom. I really wish I could.") Marinette checked her phone. It was now 7:35 am. "I should get going." Marinette swung her backpack on her shoulders, gave her mom a kiss on the cheek, and ran out the door. "See you later, Mom."
As Marinette made her way out of the bakery, Ticki poked her head out of her purse. "You know you can always talk to me, Marinette." She said.
"I know Ticki," Marinette sighed. "But it's just not the same."
As Marinette walked down the street, she heard running footsteps behind her.
"Marinette!"
Marinette turned around to see Alya running towards her panting out of breath. Ticki quickly ducked her head back in the purse.
"Girl, you won't believe what I got for the Ladyblog!" she said excitedly.
"What is it?" Marinette asked, though the last thing she wanted to do was talk about last night's events.
Alya pulled out her phone, went to her Ladyblog, and opened up a video she took yesterday. The video showed Ladybug swinging down the streets from streetlamp to streetlamp as Silene chased her, shooting fireballs in her direction. Cars swarved and people ran away as the fireballs set the roads and sidewalks in flames.
"And that's not all," Alya swiped the phone to another video, and clicked on it. This one showed Chat Noir fighting Devilman in the park, staff to bone blades, then Devilman knocking Chat Noir's staff away and slamming him to the ground.
Marinette's eyes widened. "Unbelievable." she said before realizing what came out of her mouth. "I know, right!?" Alya said as the video ended. "Ladybug and Chat Noir fought all kinds of akumas, but these two… it's like they're unnatural."
"As fascinating as that sounds," Marinette started, hiding her sarcasm. "We really need to get to class, or we'll get detention."
"Oh right." As the two picked up their pace, Alya continued to ramble on her theory about the akumatized villains the other day. "But what if they're not from this world and have some supernatural powers, that would make so much sense…"
(Meanwhile)
With the morning sun lighting up the streets, Akira and Miki were also on the way to school. Miki carried her school bag over her shoulder while Akira dangled his bag on his fingers.
"This school is such a tiny place, there's hardly any good places to loiter." Akira spoke cheekily. Miki gave him a look. "You mean there's no place for you to slack off or play hooky. Well, Akira, maybe this time you'll learn something more than basics."
"Ah, give me a break. There's plenty more to do in good spots than just slack off. For example…" Akira puts his arm around Miki, too, to which she gives him a competitive stare.
"If you pull anything rash, I'll sock ya."
Akira groans at hearing this.
"I mean it. No fighting with the others, that's what got you in trouble back in Japan." Miki pokes her finger sternly into Akira's cheek.
He doesn't let go, but sighs in compliance. "As you wish."
The two move apart in their pace before slowly coming to hold hands as they approach the school building.
(At the Agreste Residence)
Adrien sat at his desk, chinese textbook open in front of him. He yawned, partly from lack of sleep and from being bored out of his mind.
Plagg sat on a shelf, stuffing his face with camembert. "Aw, is a certain model a little sleepy?" Plagg taunted. "I guess nearly getting destroyed out of existence did a number on you."
Adrien looked up at him with a glare. "You know me disintegrating into dust means you were nearly erased too." He said in annoyance.
Plagg shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time." He replied as if it were the most casual thing in the world. "Many of my masters before you had nearly lost their lives out of recklessly using the power of destruction. After centuries of that, you become desensitized to it all." He shoved a whole wedge of cheese down his throat.
Adrien rolled his eyes and tried getting back to his book. His phone dinged with a notification. He picked it up and his face lit up to see it was a text message from Nino. The message read. Dude, please come back to school. Geometry is so boring. Hope you're not dying of boredom at your house.
Adrien smiled. He looked over to his bedroom door to make sure no one was coming and texted back: Really wish I was there. But you know my father. Stubborn as ever. Really could use some good luck right now.
Adrien sent the message and sighed. "Ladybug, if only your charm and good fortune would affect my normal life as well."
Plagg groaned. "Ugh, stop talking like that. You're gonna make me lose my apitetite."
Adrien smirked and batted his eyelashes. "Oh Bug-a-boo, everyday with you is like walking through the clouds. I love your midnight blue hair and your bluebell eyes that shine like aquamarines, and your creative thinking that saves us all the time, I just want to hold you and ride with you all day long…"
Plagg covered his ears and flew around the room, groaning even louder. "Uuuugghhh, if the cataclysm didn't kill me, your love mush will."
(At Dupont High School)
Marinette sat in her seat, resting her chin on her fists, droning out Madame Bustier's lecture. She kept subconsciously looking over to Adrien's old seat, where Akira sat in now. Akira seemed like a decent guy, but class was so dull without Adrien. He was like the rising sun, shining down on others and brightening their day. He was so-
"Earth to Marinette!" Alya called out, waving a hand in front of her face. "Girl, if you keep zoning out, you're gonna get in trouble."
"I can't help it, Alya." Marinette replied. "I wish he was here. We all wish he was here."
"Then text him." Alya said with an eyeroll. "You've got his number, so use it."
Marinette's face turned bright pink. "Text him!? Y-you mean it!? Like, really talk to him?" She said with a nervous giggle.
Alya sighed. "Yes, what else would I be referring to? Text him girl."
Marinette slowly pulled out her phone and opened her message app. "B-but what should I even say? How do I talk to him without sounding completely crazy? What if he thinks it's weird and blocks me? What if he-"
"You're overthinking it." Alya sighed again. "Just be yourself."
Marinette took a deep breath and slowly texted: Hey Adrien. How are you? Hope you can come back to school soon. Love you. She quickly erased the last part and reread the message, her finger shaking hesitantly over the send button.
"What are you waiting for? Do it." Alya said. She grabbed Marinette's finger and made her push the button, sending the message.
Marinette exhaled a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Now what?"
"Now you wait." Alya said. Not even a minute later, Marinette's phone buzzed with a text notification. Marinette nearly jumped out of her seat, nearly dropping her phone. It bounced a few times as Marinette kept it from falling before she grabbed it firmly and held it up to her face. Her face grew into an over stretched smile as she saw Adrien's message: Hey Marinette. To be honest, I'm really bored right now. What I would give to come back to class to see everyone, especially you. Maybe luck will be on my side soon. Hope you have a good day.
Marinette squealed happily, quickly putting a hand over her mouth to muffle her squealing.
Alya smirked. "I guess that went well."
Marinette simply nodded and kept looking at the message, her smile wide as the grinch.
Akira, who was zoning out the lecture as well, looked over to where Marinette and Alya were seating and saw Marinette staring at her phone with a big idiotic smile on her face.
"What's got you squealing?" Akira rests his head on a fist. He looks at Alya. "What's going on?" He peers up over the back of his desk and looks over to see the texts. "And who's that? Your friend?"
Alya smirks. "Something like that. He's a certain someone that Marinette is very happy to be in conversation with." She says with a wink.
Marinette quickly covered the screen with her hand. "No, it's nothing, really."
"Doesn't seem like nothing to me." Nino pitched in with a smirk of his own.
"So what, friend with benefits? Hm, I didn't take you for the type."Akira looks in slight confusion. "Oh yes, a friend with plenty of benefits." Alya said cheekily in a singsong voice.
Marinette's face was now bright red as she covered her phone with both hands.. "Stop, really, it's stupid."
Akira squints, looking at the two. "So do you fuck or not? You're confusing me." He scratches his eyebrow with his fingers. "Or is this a French thing I'm not aware of?"
"Ooh, did Marinette finally talk to Adrien?" Rose said, putting her hands on her cheeks. "So romantic."
"Never thought she would be able to do it." Juleka added.
"Are you two gonna go out soon?" Mylene asked.
Soon the whole class was buzzing, putting their inputs on the situation.
"Are two finally a thing?"
"How is he?"
"Tell us about it, Marinette."
"We want to know."
"Ahem!" Madame Bustier cleared her throat, regaining everyone's attention. "Class, I'm sure we all miss Adrien, but let's not let it distract us from our studies." She looked to Marinette. "I'm letting you off with a warning Marinette, but if you disturb the class again, your phone will be confiscated. Understood?"
Marinette hung her shoulders. "Yes, Madame Bustier."
"Oh lay it off, teach. I was the one that started it." Akira interjects with something of a snark and crosses his arms.
Madame Bustier frowned. "I see." she put her hands on her hips. "Well Akira, since you are still a new student, I let you off with a warning as well. But for your information, we take class interruption very seriously here. And you will call me Madame Bustier or Madame formally as required. Do not disturb the class again. Are we clear?" Akira growls very quietly with a grin, as if getting ready to say something. He then notices Miki in his peripheral, giving him a death stare. He sighs and bows, "Yes, Madame." before sitting down with his hands behind his back and a wild look in his eyes.
Just then the bell rang. Everyone stood up and began to gather their things.
"Have a good weekend, everyone." Madame Bustier said. "Don't forget to read chapters 10-12 for your quiz next week."
"Oui, Madame Bustier." The class said in unison before making their way out the door towards their next period.
(Back at the Agreste Residence)
Adrien smiled to himself as he reread Marinette's message. "She texted me." He put his hands behind his head and let out a sigh. "If only Ladybug would do the same."
"What a simp." Plagg mumbled under his breath as he shoved another wedge of cheese in his mouth.
"How do you never get sick of that stuff?" Adrien asked.
"How do you never get sick over Ladybug?" Plagg shot back snarkily.
Adrien shot the kwami a glare. "If you ever find love, you would understand."
Plagg laughed. "Kid, I found love long before you." He picked up another piece of cheese and kissed it. "Camembert, oh sweet camembert, you make life better than it seems." Adrien rolled his eyes. The bedroom door swung open. Plagg quickly dived under the bed out of sight. Gabriel walked into the room, his hands behind his back.
"Adrien." He stated in his usual monotone voice.
"Father." Adrien stated back.
"Change into your modeling clothes. Your photoshoot is in half an hour." Before Adrien could answer, Gabriel turned around and started walking out of the room. He paused at the doorway and added. "Oh, and Monsieur Asuka told me that you did well during your lesson yesterday. Well done."
"Really!?" Adrien said a little too excitedly. "Err, I mean," he cleared his throat. "That's good to hear, Father."
Gabriel raised an eyebrow before walking out of the room.
(Later in the day)
The school bells rang, and students excitedly busted through the front doors, happy that school was over for the week.
Marinette and Alya walked out, with Alya going on about her akuma theory from earlier.
"...I'm telling you Mari, those akumas weren't like the other ones." Alya insisted.
Marinette sighed loudly and turned to her best friend with an annoyed look. "Look Alya, I get your excitement for new content to your blog, but I honestly cannot take anymore of your conspiracy theories right now. Seriously, give it a break."
Alya faked a gasp and pretended to be hurt. "So that's how it is, after all I've done for you? I thought we were friends." She put a hand over her forehead in a dramatic gesture. Marinette rolled her eyes.
Nino walked up to the duo. "What's up, chicas?"
"Your girlfriend is being a huge drama queen." Marinette said, folding her arms.
"I am explaining my highly logical theories about the akumas yesterday." Alya said.
"Oh yeah, I saw your videos on the Ladybug." Nino replied. "They did seem kinda off, but again this is akumas we're talking about, they're all different right?" He shrugged.
Alya glared and got up in Nino's face. "They're is something more off about them than the rest, and I will get to the bottom of it." She insisted.
"Right, just like how you got to the bottom of Ladybug and Chat Noir's identities." Nino said with a smirk.
Marinette covered her mouth, muffling her snickers.
Akira and Miki walked out, holding hands and bantering slightly.
Alya turned to Marinette. "I'll show you I'm not the only one." She grabbed Marinette and Nino's hands and pulled them towards Akira and Miki. "Hey, new guys!"
Akira looks over with a "Hm?" Before striding up to them with Miki. He pulls his arms behind his head and goes, "What's up?"
Alya pulled out her phone and opened one of the videos. "Akira, don't you agree that the akuma attacks yesterday were weirder than normal?"
Marinette sighed again. "Alya, they just moved here. They don't know about the akumas."
"I agree with Mari, they probably have no idea what you're talking about." Nino added. "Don't speak on my part, chum. But yeah, this has been the first time we saw an attack here." Akira said.
Miki then spoke up as Akira looked over. "Wait, you mean those were demons? What are they doing here?!" She pulls on Akira's arm, catching him off guard. "You remember the spiders, don't you, Akira?"
Alya shook her head. "No no no no, not demons. Akumas are evil butterflies that possess people. Hawkmoth uses them to control people and have them try to get Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous." She opens her Ladyblog to the main page and scrolls through. "I take pictures and videos of them and update information about the miraculous heroes here on my Ladyblog. You can catch up on all of that there."
"Huh, guess there's more publicly known stuff here, you made a wiki?" Akira scratches his head looking at the screen.
"So, nothing to do with spiders?" Miki presses, "Then I wonder what that thing in Japan was."
"Oh, there were spiders alright," Alya said with a grin. "One time, my older sister got akumatized into this giant spider wrestler called Anansi and she trapped me in a giant web." "Alya, stop scaring them." Marinette put a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry about her, she's obsessed over that stuff."
"I'm not obsessed, I'm just a devoted journalist!" Alya said defensively.
"Anyways, don't worry too much, dudette." Nino said reassuringly to Miki. "As long as Ladybug and Chat Noir are around, we'll be fine."
"Say, why don't we show you guys around?" Marinette suggested. "There are plenty of tourist attractions in this city."
"That's a great idea." Nino said.
"Ooh, I'll invite Adrien." Alya smirked and scrolled to her messages.
"What? No!" Marinette shook her hands. "I'm sure he's busy, being a model and all." She tried grabbing the phone from Alya, and the two got into a small tug of war over the phone.
"Now hold up here, I never agr…" Akira starts before Miki interjects.
"Oh come on, Akira. This'll be a good chance for you to make some friends and see the city." Akira growls under his breath, but then Miki gives him a pleadingful look. At that, Akira sighs, "If you insist, fine."
Miki chuckles with a wink to Alya. "We're in."
"Great!" Alya, who managed to send a message to Adrien, said. "Let's go to the Louvre, there is plenty to see there, like the infamous Mona Lisa."
Marinette, who accepted her defeat in the tug of war, nodded. "It's one of the most famous art museums here."
"Let's go." Nino said with a smile.
With that, the five of them started making their way towards the museum.
(At the park)
Adrien sat on a bench in a "relaxed" position, posing for the photographer as he snapped a million pictures of him at different angles.
"Fantastique!" "Smile!" "You are relaxing on a beautiful day, show me those pearly whites!" The photographer said ecstatically as he continued snapping pictures.
Adrien's hands were starting to become numb, and his jaw hurts from smiling so much.
"And finish!" The blinding flash of the camera stopped, and the photographer turned the camera around to look how the photos turned out. "Parfaite! Excellent work as always, Adrien! You can move now."
Adrien let out a sigh of relief and stood up from the bench, heading over to some chairs where Gabriel and Ryo, who had been watching the photoshoot, were sitting.
"I thought I was gonna become frozen on that bench." Adrien said with a grin, trying to be amusing. He quickly wiped the smile off his face when he saw Gabriel glare at him.
Natalie walked up to Adrien and handed him his phone. "Adrien, you have a message." "Thank you, Natalie." Adrien opened his phone and his eyes widened in excitement as he saw it was a message from Alya. The text read: Hey Adrien, It's Alya. Marinette, Nino, the new kids and I are going to hang out at the Louvre, wanna join us? Please do, it will be a lot more fun with you, plus the new guys would love to meet you. Meet us down on Pierre street. See you then.
"Adrien, who is it?" Gabriel asked sternly.
"My friends, they are inviting me to hang out with them at the Louvre." Adrien replied. "May I please go Father? S'il te plaît?" Adrien pleaded.
"No Adrien, you know it's too dangerous with all the recent akuma attacks." Gabriel said solemnly.
"Father, please." Adrien begged. "I did all my homework, I did my best in my photoshoots all week, please allow me to spend some time with my friends, just a few hours."
Ryo stood up. "If it's security that worries you, sir, I could act as a chaperone to him as he spends time at the museum. Once the time you allot is over, I can ensure his safe return. No thug will so much as lay a hand on your son." Ryo gives a thin yet confident smile, as he motions to the side of his coat, patting it. "So long as I draw breath."
Gabriel put a finger to his chin, thinking it over. After a minute, he sighed. "Very well. Adrien, you may go hang out with your friends, with Monsieur Asuka accompanying you."
Adrien's eyes sparkled in delight. "Oh Thank you, thank you so…" He quickly cleared his throat and lowered his tone. "I mean, thank you, Father."
Gabriel nodded and turned to Ryo. "Watch him at all times. Bring him back at the mansion by 6:00 pm."
Ryo gives a slight bow. "As you command." He turns to Adrien, "Shall we go?"
Adrien nodded and beamed happily. "Oui, Mr. Ryo."
With that, the two started making their way down the street. As Gabriel watched them go, Natalie put a hand on his shoulder. "He will be fine."
(Meanwhile)
The five of them stand on the end of the street, waiting to cross. On a street pole, an advertisement of the Adrien perfume was stuck to it. The words radiant, carefree, dreamy were stretched on the bottom. The group starred the poster, each with different reactions to it.
"He's a real pretty boy, isn't he?" Akira said.
"Well, that's one way to make your name." Miki added.
Marinette stares dreamily at the poster. "Yeahh..he is…"
Akira smirked. "You're a real horn dog for him."
"Hentai…" Miki whispered under her breath with a cheeky grin.
Marinette's face turned bright red. "What? No!"
The two chuckle at her reaction.
"Oh yeah you are. Everyone knows you got the biggest crush on Adrien." Alya said.
"True dat, dudette." Nino added.
"She has been crushing on him since the beginning of the year. But every time she's around him, she's all like," Alya mockingly puts her hands on her face. "Oh Adrien, You have such pretty hair...Err, I mean it's such a pretty day, right? Hehehe."
Marinette covers her face in embarrassment as everyone laughs.
Just then, Adrien runs up to the group, panting. "Hey guys, sorry I'm late." he smiles at Marinette. "Hey, Marinette."
Marinette blushes. "Ohh...um..h-hey A-Adrien. Such pretty hair… I mean such a pretty day! Right!?" She giggles nervously.
Alya bursts out in a fit of laughter, holding her stomach as she laughs uncontrollably.
Nino pats his girlfriend on the back to keep her from choking.
"She's almost as timid as you were." Miki said to Akira.
"Oh shut up." Akira rolls his eyes.
"I don't believe we've met." Adrien extends a hand to Akira. "I'm Adrien," he looks over at the ad. "That probably gives it away though." he ran a hand through his hair.
"Well I'll be damned, it's the lad himself. Good to meet ya. Akira's the name." Akira said, shaking Adrien's hand. "I'm Miki. Nice to meet you." Miki said.
Ryo strolled up to the group, wearing his shades and his hands in his coat pockets.
"Well, if it isn't my good friend Ryo," Akira goes to meet him. "How the hell have you been keeping?"
Ryo maintains his cool tone, "I'm here to look after Adrien as he...ack!" Akira pulls Ryo into a strong hug and a noogie. "Ah, come on, Ryo. Don't just ignore a buddy." Akira laughs. He lets go of Ryo before returning to Miki. The coated blonde has a slight blush for a split second before brushing himself off and clearing his throat.
Adrien raises an eyebrow. "Oh, so you two know each other?"
"Is this guy your new bodyguard or something, Adrien?" Nino asked.
"As I was saying…" Ryo continued, "I'm here to look after Adrien, but yes. Akira and Miki are friends of mine. We share an apartment for our time here."
Miki smiles. "Guess it really is a small world, huh? So where do we start, Alya?"
Alya grinned. "We'll go inside and show you guys art from the classical, baroque, and renaissance periods. And then we can split up and look at paintings of our preferences."
"Since when do you know so much about art?" Nino asks.
Alya shrugs. "My sister may be a wrestler, but she is also an art history major at the University of Paris." "Woah, you never told me that." Marinette said.
"Cool, my mother used to study art history before she changed to an acting major." Adrien said. His face fell for a moment, but he quickly smiled again.
Ryo caught his frown and raised an eyebrow.
"Well, enough stalling." Alya grabbed Nino's hand and started making her way across as the crosswalk sign turned green. "Come on, slowpokes."
The seven of them made their way to the museum. They purchased 7 tickets at the front desk, and made their way into a hallway where paintings from the classical, baroque, and neoclassical time periods hung along the walls. Paintings varying from knights in shiny armor fighting in a war, women in fancy dresses standing around in a royally decorated bedroom, and couples of high-class men and women dressed in fancy royal outfits sitting in a large garden, with angels flying around in a bright sky.
When everyone's focus was on the paintings, Ryo nudged Akira.
("What's up?") Akira asks telepathically to Ryo. ("Look over at that carving, doesn't it seem...off?") Akira looks over to see a wooden carving of a turtle. He raises an eyebrow at it, not seeing anything in particular. But as he moves closer to the object on the pedestal, his eyes widen as the image burns a familiar memory into his soul. There are small faces on the shapes of the shell, and the turtle itself has a wide grin. Akira feels a rage he hadn't felt in a long time. He sees the eyes of Jinmen, the demon who took his parents and little sister, the demon that forced him to kill his own parents and sister again to save from a living hell. He begins to growl before Ryo puts a hand on his shoulders.
("I know this is painful, but we can't cause a scene here. I need to investigate this further. You stay with the others and relay anything you notice.") Ryo steps back with a concerned look. ("Can you do that?") Akira closes his eyes, then he looks into Ryo's eyes. ("Ok, i'll see if I can mess with the cameras a bit, I can help you that way at least.") The two share a smile and a nod before walking past each other, Akira clapping Ryo on the shoulder as he passes.
Adrien notices Ryo walking off and questions Akira as he arrives with a grin. "Where's Ryo going? What did you say?"
"Relax, I just convinced him to stay by the entrance. Ryo was gonna tail you the whole time, but I have a way with words." Akira said.
Miki smiles at this. "You, with words? Where's Akira?" Akira responds by patting Miki on the head.
The group proceeds to wander the museum. From a strand of his hair, Akira forms two thin small antennas. In a blink of an eye, a small string of electricity reaches into a nearby camera. The demonic jolt puts a malware in the camera system, and the feed becomes distorted.
Alya looks over to Marinette, who was standing next to Adrien as they looked at a painting of women sitting on a swing in a colorful garden.
Marinette shot a side glance at Adrien. Adrien caught her glance and smiled. Marinette quickly looked away, blushing.
Alya smirks as an idea forms in her head. She grabbed Nino and pulled him aside.
"What is it?" Nino asked.
Alya lowered her voice to a whisper. "I have a plan on how to get those lovebirds alone together." She pointed to a staircase at the end of the hall. "Go up the stairs and lead Adrien to the hall where the romantic paintings are. I'm gonna lead Marinette there through a different way and then we pretend to ditch them and let the scene unfold." Nino shrugged and nodded. "Okay."
Alya and Nino broke their huddle and headed over to Marinette and Adrien.
"Hey dude." Nino tapped Adrien on the shoulder.
"Eh?" Adrien looked over his shoulder. "Oh, hey Nino. What's up?"
"Dude, I found this cool artwork on the second floor." Nino said, directing Adrien towards the stairs. "Let's check it out."
"Uh, okay." Adrien said as Nino pushed him down the hall.
Marinette saw Nino leading Adrien to the end of the hallway, and her shoulders slumped. "Why can't I talk to him?" Marinette mumbled under her breath.
"Talk to who?"
Marinette jumped as Alya suddenly appeared beside her. "Alya, don't scare me like that!"
"Sorry." Alya grinned. "I saw a portrait of a woman with a pretty outfit in the romanticism section. Come, I want you to see." Alya grabbed Marinette's hand and pulled her towards an elevator.
"Wait, how did you…" Marinette started.
"Don't worry about it." Alya brushed it off with a wink. "Trust me, you'll love it."
Miki notices them go and raises an eyebrow. "I wonder what they're up to."
(on the second floor)
Nino and Adrien climbed up the last steps of the long staircase, panting to catch their breath.
"Why did we take the stairs when there is an elevator?" Adrien questioned.
"Um...exercise is good for you." Nino said sheepishly. "Come on." He grabs Adrien's hand and drags him into the room, where paintings from the romanticism period were displayed on the walls.
"Um Nino, I didn't take you for the type to like these paintings." Adrien said with a raised eyebrow as he spots a painting of a woman laying in a dramatic, almost dead-looking position on a bed with a goblin-looking creature sitting on top of her, staring directly at the viewer.
"Heh, life is full of surprises, am I right?" Nino shrugged nervously. He then put his hands near his private area and groaned. 'Oh man, all that climbing up the stairs made me constipated. I'm gonna find a bathroom." He rushed out of the room before Adrien could respond.
"Wait Nino, you can't just-" but Nino was already gone. "Leave me here."
(In another area on the second floor)
The elevator door opened, and Alya and Marinette walked out, with Alya still holding onto Marinette's arm.
"Alya, since when are you so interested in art and fashion?" Marinette kept pushing with the questions. "Your thing was always about Ladybug and journalism."
"Well, who says you can't be into more than one thing?" Alya said, avoiding the question. She pulls Marinette in a small room, where more romantic paintings hung all over the walls.
"Huh, I guess this one is rather unique." Marinette said, looking at a portrait of a woman in a white and green dress standing in a wide cornfield.
""Is this the one you-" but when Marinette turned to face Alya, she was gone. Marinette looked around the room, but there was no one in sight.
Marinette groaned in annoyance. "Are you kidding me!?" She headed for a door that led to another room of paintings. "Where did she go?"
(On the other side of the door)
Adrien walked around, trying to see where Nino went.
"Why did he ditch me?" He asked himself. "He better have a good-"
BAM!
Adrien fell to the floor, groaning on the small pain in his back. When he looked up, Marinette was on top of him, holding her head with a groan.
"Eek!" She suddenly jumped away as she realized that she bumped into and fell on top of her crush. "Adrien!?"
"Oh, hey Marinette, didn't see you there." Adrien said with a grin.
Marinette put up her hands in a dismissive manner. "No no, I the bumped to you into who one, I mean I'm so into you, I Mean I'm The One Who Bumped Into You!" She corrected her stammering, blushing brightly.
Adrien giggled. "It's okay. I'm glad we bumped into each other, since Nino ditched me."
"No way, Alya ditched me too." Marinette punched her fist in her palm. 'When I find her, I am so gonna-"
"Hey, look at this painting." Adrien stood up and pointed at a painting on a wall in front of them. Marinette got up and the two walked over to the painting. The painting depicted a man and a woman sitting in a small boat, surrounded by seaweed and water lilies. In the corner of the painting, a red crab stood on a lily, it's claw stretched out towards the couple.
A paper containing a description of the painting was stuck to the wall beside it. The note read: Title: Kiss The Girl
Artist: Walt Disney
Date: 1989
"Wow, this painting is beautiful," Marinette exclaimed.
"Not as beautiful as you." Adrien said.
Both of them blushed aggressively and looked away for a moment. Marinette felt her heart racing. She just got complimented by Adrien! Adrien ran a hand through his hair. He can't believe he just said that to Marinette. If only he said it to Ladybug. After a couple seconds, the two looked at each other again.
"Marinette?" Adrien started.
"Yes?" Marinette said nervously, butterflies fluttering in her stomach.
"I'm glad we got to hang out together. You're a really great friend." (I"M SO EVIL HAHA)
The butterflies in Marinette's stomach shattered in a million pieces.
"Oh, uh, I…" Marinette felt herself internally panicking.
Adrien took her hand in his. "It's okay. You don't have to say anything."
Marinette's face turned red as a rose as she saw they were holding hands.
"Are you alright, Marinette? You're looking a bit red." Adrien said.
"I..I'm fine." Marinette forced a smile on her face. "I'm just glad hanging out be too with you… I mean I'm glad to be hanging out with you too!" She corrected herself again, giggling nervously.
The two looked back at the painting and continued to admire it, still holding hands.
Ticki poked her head out of the purse and smiled at the scene.
(Meanwhile)
As the hum of mechanical turning from the cameras can be heard ever so faintly, the lights in a large room of the building dim ever so slightly. Ryo treads in carefully, pulling his shades up and scanning the room for people. He is alone, much to his satisfaction. He observes the cool room and takes a deep breath as he feels the cool breeze of the air conditioning. "My, what a large collection of relics." he walks over to a large stone panel fixed to a wall marked with glyphs and symbols. "They did a good job robbing you from your home." He glides a hand just off of the surface, reaching into his trench coat with the other and producing a small notebook. After performing some rough translations with the aid of his notes, Ryo can only decipher minor details. It's nothing of much note at first, the tale of a pharaoh and a large building project. The one thing standing out to him is the references to a mask. Ryo ponders his findings, but he cannot glean much more from the tablet. "They must have more information about this somewhere. I doubt they'd present anything important to the public…" The blonde treks further throughout the complex before coming across a hallway out of the main rooms. He arrives at a door with the words, "employees only" printed on. A flip down of the shades and a few minutes of lock-picking later, Ryo finds himself in another web of hallways and tunnels. This is certainly an older part of the building, with the lights a dull yellowish brown and mounted on the walls. The wooden floor is surprisingly sturdy. Only the light click clack of Ryo's boots can be heard as he takes light breaths of the stale air. The walls begin to creep in as he looks at the various doors lining the hallway. Eventually, Ryo finds an old looking door labeled "archives of ancient relics". Some more lockpicking and Ryo finds himself browsing through cabinets and files of old notes and field logs. He combs through file after file, scanning for anything of note. He eventually finds a field journal with the title "Lord Xero, and the fang of Apophis."
Taking the journal, Ryo wanders over to a small desk by the door and begins reading through the book. The writing is in a smooth french, making the old worlds slightly easier to read. He finds that during the era of the french colonies, not long after Napoleon had looted his own share of relics, some of the soldiers who had been left behind kept excavating the old tombs and temples. They dug deep into the earth, finding a crypt that must have been built many millennia ago. And in this old tomb, they found a variety of artifacts including a regal spear that… Ryo took a look at his watch. He was running out of time, and now he knew there were other items of potential importance here. He flipped through the rest of the book before he stopped on the last page. The last scrawl in the journal was an old sketch of something akin to an egyptian god, but it was unlike anything he had seen. It was a towering figure bearing three heads, nothing too odd, but above the entity, there was a ring with many wings. Ryo's eyes focused and unfocused on the wings and the ring involuntarily. Then came a sharp pain, like the fiery heat of the sun, Ryo felt a flashing burn in his eyes, he shot back in the chair, creaking a loud groaning creak from the wood as it dragged against the hard floor.
"Argh!" Ryo closed the book quickly and hid it in his pocket. Something here was wrong, something here was evil. He needed to get out of here before he aroused suspicion from the others.
"Hey, who's there?!" he heard in a muffled voice from behind the door. Ryo quickly dashed behind one of the shelves before he heard the clack of the door opening. (shit, one of the security patrols, how well equipped are they?) The hair on the back of his head raises as he hears a click and sees a light beam down the row of shelves. The sound of boots grows closer and closer. If he doesn't act, all of this work and research will have been for nothing. The officials will take everything from him, and the demons will have one more step up against all of mankind. Ryo cools his head, and predicts exactly what to do whatever may happen, a machine more than man, pulling down his shades. The guard reaches his shelf and flashes Ryo with the light. Through his shades, Ryo sees the guard is a man in a uniform with a nightstick and flashlight.
"Hold it right there!" the guard commands, grabbing his nightstick. "Put your hands up where I can see them!"
Ryo, however, stood his ground.
"Put your hands up," the guard repeats.
Ryo smiles ever so slightly, "You're not taking me anywhere" he chuckles as the guard moves to grab him.
Ryo shoves the guard back, who pulls out his nightstick for a swing. Ryo rushes the guard, pulling back at the last second and putting his arm over his head. With the tight space between the shelves, the guard had brought up his stick and swung down. In one swift motion, Ryo blocks the swing, only grunting slightly as the stick slams into his arm before he reaches into his coat with the left hand and pulls out a small, sawed off shotgun and firing it point blank into the guards leg. A scream, the thud of the nightstick hitting the ground, and a slam as Ryo kicks the guard onto his back into the open space between the door and the shelves. Ryo picks up the nightstick and stares down the guard, who trembles in fear, trying to scoot away. "P..p..pleas...argh! Don't kill me!..argh!" the guards voice quivers before Ryo responds to him with a cool voice.
"I'm sure you're a decent guy, don't worry, they'll probably find you in time." he puts the gun back in his coat and staches the nightstick. The guard sighs in relief then groans in pain as Ryo begins to walk past him, hands in his pockets. Then there is another bang. A thump. Smoke trails out of Ryo's coat, he pulls out his gun from his now blown out pocket and eyes the dead guard. "But, I can't have anyone knowing I was here." He kneels down and stares into the guards eyes, still open from shock. Ryo lightly closes them before taking the keys he had from the guards pockets. A few minutes later, Ryo exits the employees door. He must come back here later, and find out more about this three headed figure.
"I'll tell Akira about the journal later." he stops for a second, looking up to the ceiling. "Who is this Xero?" he ponders before moving on, now searching for Adrien and the others.
(Back in the main lobby)
Adrien and Marinette stood near the ticket counter. Marinette texted Alya that they would wait in the main lobby for everyone to show up. She looked around for her friends, but it was hard to spot someone in the large crowd.
"Hey Marinette." Adrien spoke up, startling Marinette slightly.
"Yes?" Marinette said nervously. Both of them had been quiet while making their way back to the main lobby, unsure what to say about what happened earlier.
"Do you want to get ice cream?" Adrien offered, smiling hopefully.
"Yes! Of course!" Marinette responded a little too enthusiastically. She quickly put a hand over her mouth, her blush returning. "Er, I mean...Sure, I'd love to."
Adrien beamed at her response. "Marinette, I…"
"Hey you two!"
Marinette and Adrien turned to see Alya and Nino making her way towards them, Alya practically dragging Nino by the arm.
"Looks like you had fun together." Alya said with a huge smirk on her face.
Marinette's face reddened.
"Yes, we did." Adrien replied, oblivious to Alya's hints.
"Sorry I ditched you, dude." Nino said. "I really had to go."
"Don't worry about it." Adrien waved dismissively.
Alya and Nino shared a look. Mission complete.
"Hey guys!"
The four of them turned to see Akira and Miki walking up to them. "I guess that wasn't so bad. Got to see some nice figures. hehe...ack!" Miki elbows Akira as he chuckles. "So what's on the agenda now?" Miki asks.
"How about ice cream?" Adrien suggested. Marinettei slightly frowned. She thought he meant just the two of them. ("Way to get your hopes high, Marinette.") She thought to herself.
Alya's eyes sparkled in excitement. "Yes!" She grabbed Miki with one hand and Akira with the other and pulled them close. "You guys are gonna love Andre's ice cream." She puts a hand to her mouth with a sly grin. "They say his ice cream brings couples together."
Akira gives a smirk, "Yeah, I like to come together with Miki." to which she responds, "Maybe if you behave, I'll let you." Akira looks surprised for a moment before engaging further. "Alright, Ms. Makimura, what shall I do?" he puts a hand on Miki's shoulder before she traces a finger down his torso. "Why don't you come closer and find out?" she replies with a cheeky grin. The two of them giggle for a second before Miki turns back to Alya. "Uh, sorry about that, where is this place?"
"His cart travels to different areas of the city throughout the day." Marinette explained. "There is an app we can use to see where he is now."
"Already downloaded." Alya said, who downloaded the app as they were speaking.
"Uh guys, shouldn't we wait for Mr. Ryo?" Adrien said.
As if on cue, Ryo strides towards the group, his shades on and hands in his pockets in his usual detective manner. "Adrien, where are you going?"
"Adrien had the idea of getting ice cream together from Andre's cart." Alya explained. "He's the sweetheart ice cream maker in the city."
"His ice cream is the best." Nino added.
"Can we please go, Mr. Ryo?" Adrien asked. Ryo pulled off his shades and checked his watch. "Why not? We still have a few hours left. Lead the way."
Alya held up her phone for everyone to see. "According to the app, he's heading towards the Notre Dame Cathedral."
"Then there we shall go." Nino said in a Shakespearean accent.
Alya rolls her eyes with a smile at her boyfriend and starts walking towards the entrance. "Onward, copines!"
The seven of them exited the museum and walked down the street. A few citizens wave at Adrien, recognizing the supermodel. One little boy asks for his autograph. Ryo tried to interject, but Adrien said it was okay and signed the little boy's watch. The little boy ran to his mother, laughing happily.
After about ten minutes of walking, the group reached the Cathedral. The building's ancient architecture shines brightly in the afternoon sunlight.
"This is another famous tourist attraction of our city." Marinette said.
"This building was built over 800 years ago." Adrien said as-a-matter-of-factly.
"Impressive. Just check out those tall buttresses." Nino said with a sly grin.
Alya, Adrien, and Marinette giggle slightly at his joke.
Akira yelps slightly as Miki quips "Hey Akira, how'd you like to explore some buttresses?" before slapping him lightly across the rear. Akira gets in close and eyes her up. "You wanna start out here? Let's go." The two face eye to eye and get closer. Akira starts to chuckle before Ryo groans and decks him across the head. "That's quite enough, you two… for god's sake."
Ryo facepalms as he realized he only knocked Akira forwards into a kiss with Miki.
Alya and Nino chuckle at them. Marinette and Adrien smiled, looked at each other, then looked away again, blushing a bit.
Suddenly, a jolly voice sang out, "My name is Andre, Andre, Andre, the sweetheart matchmaker! With one scoop or two, I'll find them for you, with delicious ice cream flavors!"
A chubby, kind-looking man with brown hair and mustache, wearing a blue apron and pants, pedaled a bike, which dragged a small cart, towards the side of the street. He skidded to a halt, and detached the cart from his bike. He put on a cone-shaped hat, and smiled happily.
"Step right up, ladies and gentleman, and find your match in a sweet way!"
"There he is!" Alya pointed to his direction. "Let's go!"
The group of seven made their way towards Andre's cart, with Alya and Nino stepping up first to the cart.
"Bonne après- midi, madame and monsieur." Andre greeted them. "I see we already have a match. But may my ice cream help you two last." He pulled out his ice cream scooper and began scooping up an ice-cream concoction. "Chocolate-nut banana, and a touch of passionfruit." He held up the double scoop ice cream cone and handed it to Alya. "Have this my dears, and your love shall remain strong to the roots!"
"Merci, André." Alya and Nino said at the same time. They stepped aside, allowing Akira and Miki to step forward.
"My my, What a handsome young man and a beautiful young lady." Andre said in delight. "I have the perfect cone for you two just like I do for many." He scooped three scoops of ice cream, and stacked them on top of each other. "Pistachio mint chip, peach cobbler, and blackberry bliss. Enjoy my lovelies, and may your love be sweet as a kiss." He hands the cone to Miki. Miki takes hold of it and leans on Akira "Aw, this is cute. Thanks." Akira scratches his head. "Well thanks, maybe you can help my buddy here. Yo, Ryo!" He calls Ryo over who groans slightly before coming over as Akira and Miki move aside. Ryo is wordless and glances to Akira with annoyance then back to Andre. "I…"
Andre looks at him for a moment, his mouth frowning for a minute. "Hmm, interesting what I hear in my aural. I sense a future lover's quarrel." He reaches into his ice cream cart, and proceeds to scoop two scoops of ice cream onto a cone. "Blackberry bliss for his hair and black forest cake for his eyes. Have this Monsieur, and may your love rise." He hands the ice-cream cone to Ryo. He breathes in sharply, glancing around for a split second. He stands still and looks at Andre, pondering how to deal with the situation. He settles for a "much obliged" and bows respectfully before moving on.
Andre looks ahead and sees Marinette and Adrien standing awkwardly a few feet away.
"Come on, don't be shy." Andre gestured for them to come forward. "You two have a strong love that we cannot deny."
Adrien and Marinette blush, and slowly step forward to the cart.
"Strawberry, blue cotton candy, and sour lemon-lime." He holds up the ice-cream combination. Eat this, darlings, and your love will materialize." Adrien and Marinette stare at Andre for a moment, who beamed at them with pride.
Adrien slowly takes the cone and nods in appreciation. "Merci, Andre." he then takes Marinette's hand with a smile. "Let's enjoy it, Marinette."
Marinette, blushing pink as the strawberry ice cream, simply nodded and the two walked away from the cart.
"Have a lovely day all of you." Andre said with a wave. "Enjoy the tasty work of Andre, the matchmaker!"
As Andre packed up his cart to go to his next destination, the seven of them made their way back on the street, enjoying the sweet ice cream that brought all of them together.
End of Chapter 2
Author's Notes:
dancecat25: "Can you feel the love tonight…" Bonjour, beautiful readers. I'm sure you can tell who had the most fun here, having the teenagers do...well, teen stuff. Writing the romance parts took some work, so I hope I did the ships justice.
Aladar Caval: Yo there, folks. Glad to help bring another chapter of this into the fold. Hope you DM fans enjoyed Ryo a bit, and some Akira x Miki stuff. Those of you more savvy probably also know what I'm doing here with Ryo. Hehehe. I'll admit, mixing in some vanilla to devilman was fun.
dancecat: We will be bringing more superhero action next chapter, so stay tuned. Until then, Bug out!
Aladar: 'Til all are one!