Chapter 3: A Charitable Cause
Using the Internet, Alya did not waste any time in searching for proofs and facts. If there was any chance that that whole post could be a trap, set by one of Hawk Moth's lieutenants, or a gimmick from a fan to get to know them in person, she had to know. Googling the Jacques Malraux's name, as well as the charitable organization, which was called "France's Children Cancer Fund". It did not take long for her to find a lot of information regarding both. But like the good reporter she was, Alya did not settle with that. Anyone could create fake accounts and post fake information online. She had read about swindlers, who created fake websites that would only be operational for a couple of days, and then disappeared without a trace. But while they were online, they looked like legitimate websites. Most of the time, the victims of such scams would look into those websites to know more about a person, or a product, or even a business enterprise, to know more about them, and would be fooled by the fake information in them.
Luckily, Alya had learned a couple of investigative tricks to help her distinguish the real deal from fakes. Of course, she was no expert in the matter, but what she had learned from frequenting several online workshops on journalistic investigation for young reporters in her spare time, gave her a pretty good idea on the matter.
"Everything seems legit." -Alya said. –"The online accounts of this person were created almost ten and six years ago, respectively, and he seems to be quite active on them. On top of that, his work for this organization seems to be very well documented, going back almost six years." -she said, as she looked at one of the pages. –"And the organization is quite referenced in numerous online articles, some of which are from Le Figaro, Le Parisien, Le Monde, Paris-Match, among others… there have been numerous charity balls organized by them. If this is a scam, it's one of those that the person behind it took its sweet time to make it look like everything I've read and seen is real."
"What are you doing?" -Trixx asked her, as she entered the bedroom, carrying a plate with a peanut butter, jelly and cheese sandwich. –"Sorry it took me so long, but I couldn't find the jelly. And don't worry, I've cleaned up everything, after I finished." -she assured her.
"I'm checking for any kind of inconsistencies in this post that was sent for approval on the blog." -Alya told her.
"Inconsistencies in the post?" -Trixx asked her, not understanding what she was talking about.
"Well, not in the post itself. It's more like the information that's in the post. This guy is trying to get into contact with the Miraculous Team, and has left his name, as well as the image of a card that belongs to a charitable organization, asking if anyone knows how to get into contact with the heroes." -Alya explained. –"So I'm trying to see if I can dig up any information regarding him and this organization, to see if it's legit." -she said. –"Until now, everything I found out seems to be legit and in order, but…"
"But you're suspecting it could be a trap set by Hawk Moth, right?" -Trixx asked her, finishing her sentence.
"You read my mind, Trixx." -Alya told her. –"The possibility that Hawk Moth is behind this, is slim, very slim in fact. The odds of this being a prank or a scam from a die-hard fan are a lot higher, than this being a plan from Hawk Moth. But I still need to cover all bases. –she said. –"So far, I can't find anything that points out to that, but…"
"But you're worried." -Trixx told her. –"It's only normal for you to feel that way. I mean, I haven't read the post itself, but if you're saying that there's something strange or fishy about it, you must have your reasons, girl." -she said, before nibbling her sandwich.
"Thanks, Trixx." -Alya thanked the fox kwami.
A few more minutes went by, and the only sounds one could hear inside Alya's bedroom were the sound of her pressing the keyboards on her laptop, and Trixx munching on her sandwich, as she watched Alya working. A good kwami would have told her that she needed to go back to her homework, so she would not have to worry about it later. But being an extremely curious kwami, Trixx said nothing, as she watched Alya continuing her research. Finally, Alya stopped writing, and Trixx understood that she had finished.
"And?" -Trixx asked Alya, curious to know what she had found out.
"And, I can't really decide if this is a scam, a trap, or the real deal, Trixx." -Alya sighed. –"I've already used every trick I know, and I still can't figure it out." -she admitted. –"Part of me thinks is legit, but the other part thinks it might not be."
"Why don't you call Max, and ask him if he could help you with this? Who knows, he might be able to track down who sent that post, and more importantly, from where, like they do in those movies and series on television." -Trixx suggested it to Alya.
"I'm afraid that Max is good with computers, but he's not that good." -Alya chuckled. –"No, to do that we would need a hacker or someone with similar skills, who would be able to use software that is most of the time, illegal." -she said. –"No, I'm afraid we'll have to do this the old fashioned way. We're going to get everything straight."
"And how are we going to do that? Are you going to suit up, find this guy and talk to him?" -Trixx asked her.
"Yes. That's what I was thinking. After I approve his post, we're going out. We're going to give this Jacques Malraux an hour or so, and then we're going to see if he's at the address of the charitable organization he provided us, which I already checked several images of, to see how it looks, and we're going talk to him." -Alya declared.
"You're making it sound like we're about to enter right into one of those film noir movies that your dad likes so much." -Trixx chuckled.
"And in a way, we are. Except that I'm not a detective, but a reporter." -Alya answered her. –"And a good reporter, always checks her sources." -she smiled at Trixx, before approving the post. –"There, I've approved it… the die is cast. Now we just have to see what comes out of this."
Once the doors from the underground's carriage opened and Alya exited it, she felt like she was a sardine that had been picked from a can. It amazed her, in the worst possible way, how the underground could be that busy, on a Saturday afternoon. As she made her way to the street, she wondered if she should not have transformed into Rena Rouge to get to the organization's address, which was located in the 15th arrondissement.
"Maybe I should have come as Rena Rouge. After all, this is a Miraculous Team matter, so I wouldn't be a selfish misuse of my powers." -Alya told herself. –"Still, it's best I didn't come as Rena Rouge. It gave me time to revise the whole plan in my head." -she thought.
Already on the street, she used the GPS app on her cell phone, to get to the address where the organization was, wondering if this one would look anything like the photo she had seen online. She could not shake off the idea that that could be a trap or a ruse. Still, she tried to ignore those thoughts, while telling herself to keep an eye out for anything that could point out to a potential threat. With her eyes glued to the cell's screen, Alya almost bumped into a person twice, as she walked down the street.
When she was just half a block away from the address given by the GPS, Alya's heart began to sprint a little, with her nerves starting to take over her. The idea of her walking towards a trap was beginning to temper with her rational thoughts. But when arriving at the address, this one looked exactly the way it looked in the image she had seen online. It was a three-story white building, with several flags from numerous hospitals in France, hanging on the building's front. Above the entrance door, which had a security guard at it, was the organization's name and logo. At first sight, there seemed not to be anything wrong with it. It looked just like every other building around, except that this one looked a little bit cared for, than the ones around it. Alya's brain had come up with some of the craziest scenarios, one could imagine, truly believing that she was walking into a trap, that upon seeing what awaited her, she was a little disappointed by it.
"Maybe I overreacted a little bit. Maybe this doesn't have anything to do with Hawk Moth." -Alya thought to herself. –"Maybe the worst it can happen from all this, is if this turns out to be a plan from a fan wanting to know us." -she thought.
After looking at the building, and seeing that it looked just like the image she had seen online, Alya looked for a place to sit down and plan her next move. Finding a park bench, she sat down, and opened her backpack, to have a little word with Trixx. And, so people did not think she was talking to the inside of her backpack, she grabbed her phone and pretended to be calling someone.
"You're ready?" -Trixx asked Alya, from inside Alya's backpack.
"Pretty much." -Alya sighed. –"I've got the whole story I came up for this in my head. I just hope I don't screw up things. I'm a little nervous." -she whispered to Trixx.
"It will all be alright." -Trixx reassured her, just like she did when they left home. –"And remember, the odds of this being a trap are very little. And even if it is, there's no way they can prove you're Rena Rouge. Your miraculous doesn't look like the real deal, when you're a civilian, so none of Hawk Moth's lieutenants, or even Hawk Moth himself, will be able to make the connection between you and the Miraculous Team." -she said. –"And on top of that, in the ever slim chance of you getting into trouble, I'll be with you, and if needed, I can use my powers to get you out of there."
Alya smiled at Trixx, after hearing her say those words. It felt good to hear them. She decided not told her that she no longer felt that that could be a trap from Hawk Moth, or one of his lieutenants. She did it, because she felt there was no need to worry her about her change of mind. But, she also did it because there was always the remote chance, she could be wrong, and she needed Trixx to be ready for any eventuality. Making her way towards the building, she continued to repeat to herself what she was going to do there. She had come up with a made-up story to check if the charitable organization was real. Going through the rotating door, Alya saw herself on a beautiful lobby. Just like the front of the building, this one was white and blue, with the walls and ceiling being white, and the shiny marble floor sky-blue. On the walls were several black and white photographs, all of children. Behind the reception desk was a woman in her late fifties, with a kind smile, who waved at Alya, the moment she entered the lobby.
"Good afternoon. I don't know if you can help me, but I'm doing a school report on charitable organizations, and I was wondering if you could help me?" -Alya asked the woman behind the desk.
"Of course. And how exactly can I help you, young miss?" -the woman asked Alya.
"Oh, you see, my teacher has asked my class and I, to write a report about one charitable organization, so, every information that you could give me, like the year it was founded, what is the purpose of the organization, how many people have you helped, how many people work for the organization… all of that, would be helpful for my report." -Alya said. –"I know I could find some of those information online, but I like to get my information, straight from the source." -she smiled at the woman at the desk.
"I see. Well, I wish I could help you, but unfortunately, I'm not the best person for the job, and I have too much work on my hands." -the woman said.
"Oh, I see. But maybe someone else could tell me all about the organization? Maybe someone who's available?" -Alya asked. –"My teacher told me about someone she knew, and who worked with this particular organization… what was his name?" -she said, pretending to remember the person's name. –"Oh, yes, Jacques Malraux, if my memory isn't playing tricks on me."
"Jacques Malraux? Oh, yes, he's one of the photographers that works with us." -the woman said. –"Most of the photos you see in this lobby were all taken by him." -she said, as she pointed to one of said photos.
"Is he here? Would it be possible for me to have a word with him?" -Alya asked.
"I'm afraid not. Right now, he's up in his office, working on an important project, and requested to not be disturbed." -the woman said. –"But, if it's information that you need, I could try and schedule an appointment with someone who could help you." -she suggested Alya.
"That's okay. I'll come back some other time." -Alya said. –"Maybe back then, there will be someone free." -she said.
"Are you sure, you don't want me to see if I can schedule an appointment with someone, who might help you?" -the woman asked her once again.
"No, that's okay." -Alya said, as she left. –"Thank you, anyway." -she said.
Exiting the building, she walked towards the same pack bench as she had sat before. Alya opened her backpack to talk with Trixx.
"So? What do you think?" -Trixx asked her, as soon as she opened the backpack.
"The place is real and the man who sent that post to the blog also works there. We can safely put "Possible trap by Hawk Moth" into the discarded ideas bin." -Alya said. –"I think it's time for us to find out what this Jacques Malraux wants with us, Trixx." -she declared.
"You mean…" -Trixx said.
"Yes, I mean what you're thinking, Trixx." -Alya said. –"There's little or nothing that Alya Cesaire can do from this point on. But Rena Rouge is a different story." -she smiled at her kwami. –"Let's find a place, where I can change into something more appropriate for the following part of this plan of mine. But before that, I'm going to need you to do me a small favour."
"Anything for you, Alya." -Trixx told her.
"I need you to go inside, without being seen, and find out where this Jacques Malraux's office is, so I know where I have to go." -Alya told her. –"You remember how he looks like from the photo, don't you?" -she asked the little kwami, with her nodding. –"Alright. Remember, be careful and don't let anyone see you."
Complying with Alya's wish, Trixx dashed towards the building, to find out what she had asked her to. As she waited for the fox kwami to come back, Alya tried to imagine the reason why that Malraux guy would want to talk to her and the rest of her friends. Being a photographer, that reduced the possibilities of what he could want with them. It most likely had something to do with photography; but the fact that he worked for a charitable organization, made it a little harder to guess. Minutes went by, and there was no sign of Trixx. Alya knew Trixx could take of herself, but like anyone with feelings, she cared for the safety of her kwami, who was not just her kwami, but her friend as well. A few more minutes went by, and still no sign of the fox kwami. Fearing that something bad had happened, Alya was already beginning to come up with a plan to go look for her, when she saw Trixx, floating close to the ground, coming towards her.
"Took you a while to get back. I was already starting to get worried." -Alya said.
"Sorry, but I had to make sure that no one saw me." -Trixx said, as he jumped into Alya's hands. –"But I've got good news. I found out where the guy's office is. And more importantly, he seems to be obsessed with you and the rest of the team. He has tons of photos of all of you on his desk." -she told her.
"Tons of photos?" -Alya asked.
"Yeah." -Trixx said. –"I think he was studying them or something." –she pointed out.
"That really raises some questions." -Alya said, wondering why he would have photos of the whole team. –"Anyways, tell me where the office is, so I can get in." -she said, as she started to walk.
It did not take long for Alya to find somewhere to change into Rena Rouge. And once as Rena Rouge, she did not waste time, and made her way towards the building. Following Trixx's instructions, it was easy for her to find Malraux's office, which was located on the second floor. Leaning on the windowsill, she looked inside and saw a man sitting at a desk. This one corresponded exactly to the man on the photo she had seen in the blog's post. And she also noticed that just like Trixx had told her, he had several photos of all members of the team on his desk. Right then, he was holding a photo of Antelope, which Rena recognized as one of the photos that had been posted on the Miraculous Blog. Hoping not to scare him, she tapped her fingers on the window to get Jacques' attention. The man, who was not expecting it, at first thought that they had knocked at the door, and said to enter. Tapping against the window once more, this time harder than before, Rena Rouge surprised Jacques, who almost jumped out of his chair. Seeing the fox heroine on the windowsill, he sprung from his chair and quickly opened the window for her to come in.
"Sorry to show up announced." -Rena Rouge said, as Jacques allowed her into his office.
"I… I…" -Jacques said, as he closed the window.
"Thank you for letting me in." -Rena Rouge said. –"First of all, good afternoon. I saw your post on the Miraculous Blog, where you said you were trying to contact the Miraculous Team." -she smiled at the man. –"Well, I came here on behalf of the rest of my companions, to know the reason why you wanted to contact us."
"U-Uh, of course." -Jacques said. The last thing he expected was to be approached by one of the Miraculous heroes, mere hours after he wrote that post. –"Please, take a seat, and I'll explain everything." -he asked Rena Rouge.
Later, after dinner, Alya texted everyone and told them that she needed to speak to them urgently, online, on a matter of great importance. The conversation she had with Jacques Malraux that afternoon had given her a something to think about, and she knew that once her friends knew they talked, they too would have a something to think about. While waiting for them all to be online, she tried to finish her homework, which she failed to finish earlier that afternoon. One by one, they all showed up, and when she saw them online, she decided to tell them, why she had asked them to meet her in that safe channel, which they used solely for Miraculous Team businesses.
"Okay, is everyone here?" -Alya asked, as she checked to see if everyone was already online. –"Alright, I guess we're all here." -she said.
"So, what's the emergency?" -Ivan asked. –"And if you could speak quickly, I would appreciate it. I'm at my grandparents, and the Internet connection isn't very good." -he told Alya.
"Same thing with me." -Alix warned Alya. –"I even had to get out of my grandmother's house, so I could have a little privacy." -she said.
"Got it. I'll try to be as brief as possible." -Alya said. –"And just to warn you, what I've got to say isn't something bad. It's actually something very good." -she declared.
"Then, hurry up and tells what it is, Alya! I've got homework to finish, and I have to do it by myself, because Sabrina wasn't allowed to stay over tonight, and we couldn't do it together." -Chloe said.
"Okay, okay, I'll get to it, right away. Just be a little patient." -Alya told the blonde. –"And for the record, you aren't the only one who needs to finish her homework." -she told her.
Choosing her words wisely, Alya quickly told everyone what had happened that afternoon. She told them that when she met that Jacques Malraux, he told her that his intention was simple. Photographing them, and then auctioning their photos to raise money for charity. He explained that the previous charitable campaigns the organization did were not as successful as they were supposed to, and that they needed to raise money to help children suffering from cancer, whose parents did not have the means to pay for the treatments. She told them that if they agreed to do it, he could have the whole thing scheduled in just a few days, and it would take just a few hours.
"This guy wants to photograph us for charity?" -Kim asked.
"That's what I said, Kim." -Alya said. –"All the money from the photos, which will go up for auction, will be used to help out sick children from numerous hospitals in Paris, who suffer from cancer." -she said. –"In case, we accept, they will be announcing the auction a day before photoshoot, to get people interested, not that it will be hard. After all, it's not every day that you have photos of real-life superheroes being auctioned."
"That's a good initiative." -Mylene said.
"And you're sure he's legitimate? And it was not one of Madame Romani's illusions?" -Alix asked Alya.
"He's legit. And if Romani was behind all that, I would've recognized her style." -Alya said. –"Trust me, I took every precaution when talking to him, and before I did that, I ran a thorough investigation on the guy, the organization he works for.. even Trixx looked around the place." -she said.
"That's good enough for me." -Marinette said. –"If you say it's legitimate and it's safe, I trust that you did your best to find out if that was the truth." -she said. –"I guess we could do this. It's for charity, and we'd be helping sick children, by giving them an opportunity to have a longer and healthier life."
"I can easily imagine the amount of money they will be making with the photos." -Max said. –"Everyone will be willing to pay good money for just one photo." -he pointed out.
"I agree. It'll be a unique opportunity, for both those who wish to own a photo of us, and for the children, who will benefit from the auction." –Mylene agreed.
"Plus, we'd also be helping those in need." -Rose said. –"We're always saving the town, but with this, we could really make a difference in the lives of some children, who have to fight such a terrible disease." -she said.
"Indeed. It would be ridiculous, utterly ridiculous, if we didn't do this." -Chloe said. –"Plus, it would be an excuse for everyone to see just how beautiful I look in my Queen Bee outfit… I can already imagine the photos they're going to take of me. Each photo will be a work of art." -she declared, which made them give her the stink eye. –"Oh, come on, I can't be the only one who thinks like that."
And she was not. The rest of the gang did not say it out loud, but they too felt that way. They had been photographed over and over, but this was the first time that they would have someone with a camera to photograph them, while they posed. It would be a totally different experience. From all of them, the only one who was used to that kind of thing, was Adrien, who had already lost count of how many photoshoots he did.
"It'll be an interesting experience." -Nathaniel said.
"So, it's agreed? We all accept doing this?" -Alya asked them.
"Count me in, foxy fox." -Nino told his girlfriend.
"Me too." -Rose said.
"Me three." -Juleka said.
"I'm also in." -Sabrina said.
"Of course, Alya." -Marinette said. –"And I think I speak for the rest of us, when I say that it would be an honour to participate in that photoshoot." -she said.
"And, just asking, will he be the one to photograph us, and if so, how fast can he get things ready for the photoshoot?" -Adrien asked Alya.
"He said that because we're so many, there will be numerous photographers to help him out. And once we agree to it, he can have things ready two days later." -Alya answered him. –"As for the place where the photoshoot will take place, it will be in the gardens of the Musée Rodin." -she said.
"It's a great place for a photoshoot. But it might be hard for them to be able to photograph us." -Adrien said. –"That place is always swarming with tourists." -he pointed out.
"Don't worry about that. The museum and the gardens will be closed to the public on that day." –Alya said. –"We'll
"Speaking of which, what will be the day? Did he tell you a date?" -Kim asked her. –"I need to know, because my afternoons will start to get a little fuller from now on." -he commented.
"What do you mean?" -Max asked him.
"My parents decided to enrol me in swimming lessons." -Kim said. –"They said that I've been spending too much time skating and all that, and they want me to do something else, that's less dangerous." -he explained. –"I'm starting on Tuesday."
"How many lessons will you have per week?" -Marinette asked him.
"Two. Tuesdays and Thursdays." -Kim told her. –"I don't know what my parents were thinking. There's nothing fun about swimming. You just swim around, in the same stretch of water, and while you're in the water, you can't do crazy stunts, while" -he cursed his luck. –"I'm telling you. From all the sports my parents could have enrolled me in, they had to choose the one sport I consider to be the most boring. Why couldn't they enrol me in tennis or something else?"
"Sucks to be you, then." -Alix joked.
"Well, we'll have to have that into account, when scheduling the photoshoot. It's got to be a day where we can all attend." -Alya said. –"Let's compare our schedules and try to see when we can all do it." -she told the others.
And while the Miraculous gang compared schedules and tried their best to find a day, where they could all participate in that photoshoot, Hawk Moth was out hunting. Sending all his lieutenants out, he too left his hideout. He went looking for a new lieutenant, which he had decided, he needed. For this new lieutenant, Hawk Moth wanted someone different. Someone that had the same qualities as his other lieutenants, as well as something else they did not have. Someone who would obey his orders, and did as he was told, but that was also able to ignore them and think for itself, if the situation demanded, provided it could kill the Miraculous Heroes.
Having turned himself into a swarm of black butterflies, Hawk Moth was flying above the city, trying to look for someone whose heart was what he was looking for. For this new lieutenant, he wanted someone special.
And while that happened, in front of a pizza store, near Pigalle district, a heated conversation between two men, Georges Chanban and Julien Blanc, was taking place. George was a tall, tanned, well-built muscular man with short greasy black hair and sideburns, and he had green eyes. He was wearing a purple shirt, black pants and white shoes. As for Julien, he was a tall and slim man with short, spiky, black hair, brown eyes and pale complexion. He was wearing a white shirt, a brown leather jacket, blue jeans and black shoes.
"You're an idiot, you know that?!" -Georges said.
"I'm an idiot?!" -Julien shot back at him. –"You're the idiot, here. You don't understand what's happening all around you!" -he said. –"You don't understand that this world is a dog-eat-dog world, where only the strong manage to get by, without any kind of problems."
"I think you spend too much time online, reading all that crap about supremacy of the strongest." –George declared. –"No sane person believes in that." -he said.
"Sane, no. Pacified is more like it! People are all mindless sheep, who've been pacified by numerous things! And you know what? That Hawk Moth is right. The strong should rule over the weak. There's no point in protecting them, if they're just weak." –Julien practically yelled that statement.
Julien continued to ramble about what he believed was true, with his friend listening to every word, although he was only listening out of politeness. Georges did not believe a word that came out of Julien's mouth, regarding those matters. He did not even know why he put up with that kind of conversation. Julien's ideas were not completely extremist, but they were not the polar opposite either. And after hearing him ramble about them for another five minutes, he just had it with it.
"No wonder you got kicked out of the Air Force. You're insane!" -Georges told him.
"I wasn't kicked out of the air force because I'm insane! I was kicked out of it, because they couldn't handle the fact that I was the best pilot they ever had!" -Julien told him. –"You make one small dent on a fighter jet and you get expelled from the Air Force." -he said, as if it was no big deal.
"A small dent?! You trashed it, with one of your crazy air stunts!" -Georges told him.
"Correction! An incredibly crazy air stunt, which would have worked, if the other idiot that was flying by my side, had listened to me and my warning!" -Julien shot back at him. –"Instead, I went against his jet, and when we collided against one another, we were both forced to eject from the jets." -he clarified.
"Whatever… I'm going home. And you should do yourself a favour and get some help. You need it!" -Georges said, as he left. –"The way you're talking, it's like we're back in the 40's, with WWII happening." -he declared.
"Help?! You're the who needs help! You and the rest of the people! You need to open your eyes and see how things truly are!" -Julien shouted at him. –"The world is always evolving, and only those who are already strong, can evolve to withstand whatever the world throws at them!" -he said. –"Mark my words, the day when Hawk Moth will rule supreme is coming. And I for one, want to be on the winning side!"
Like it happened so many other times, Julien was furious that people did not see what he was trying to say. To him, he was right and the others were wrong. And as he made his way back home, he kept telling himself that. Cutting his way down a parallel street, he was eager to get home and watch one of the aviation films he loved so much. Although he was expelled from the Air Force, it had not diminished his taste for things that had wings. After arguing with Georges, he needed a distraction. Picking up the pace, he suddenly hears something behind him.
"That was quite the speech you gave back there." -a voice was heard. –"Not many people would have the courage to say what you did."
"Yeah, and so what? Do you have a problem with that?!" -Julien shouted, at whoever was talking, not being able to see well in that dimly lit street.
"Oh, no, I don't have a problem." -the voice said, as the man it belonged to came out of the shadows and looked Julien in the eyes. The man, was none other than Hawk Moth himself. –"But when you speak that way about my person, either you've seen the truth of what I defend, or you're just trying to look as if you're stronger than you supposedly are." -he said. –"So, which one are you?"
Julien was surprised to see Hawk Moth there. But unlike most people, who would cower in fear of him, he simply smiled. But this was no ordinary smile. It was the smile he made, when he saw an opportunity.
"I'm among the ones who believe in what you said." -Julien said. –"I wasn't kidding when I said that I truly believe what you preach about the strong being the rightful owners of this world." -he said. –"Darwin said the same thing, and he was right. Only the strong survive. That is nature's law."
Over the course of millennia, many had willingly pledged their devotion to Hawk Moth. But this was the first time, since he had awakened that that happened. He could say he was surprised this did not happen sooner, but he would be lying about it. The truth was he had not given people the chance to do so.
"If you're here, that means you're looking for someone to be Akumatized. Well, I volunteer to be akumatized. I'm sick and tired of people not listening to what I have to say, when I know I'm right." -Julien told him, as he already
"Actually, I'm not here to akumatize anyone. I am looking for a new lieutenant, who can kill the Miraculous Team, once and for all." -Hawk Moth confessed. –"But, if I were to choose you to be my newest lieutenant, why I would I do it?" -the villain asked him. –"What makes you so special that I ought to choose you, and not someone else?"
"Because I know what I want, and I want to serve you." -Julien told him. –"I truly believe that you will one day rule the world, and I want to be by your side, when you do it." -he declared.
Looking into the man's heart, the villain saw that there was indeed anger, disdain and rebellion in it. Anger because of the lack of recognition, and disdain for those who did not recognize his supposed brilliance. Rebellion, on the other hand, was present, but to a lesser extent. In general, his heart and his negative feelings were not very different from those in the heart of a rebellious teenager. But there was something else, which made him ponder that possible choice. And that was the feeling of devotion. None of his lieutenants had that feeling, before he turned them into what they were now. Maybe that was what he needed in his new lieutenant; a sense of devotion that did not come with its original personality.
"Just give me a chance, and I'll prove to you that I can be of service to you." -Julien told him. –"I won't even need an Akuma to take down the Miraculous Team. I'll tear them apart, one by one, myself." -he said, with an enthusiastic voice.
"Since you're so eager to show yourself, then perhaps I'll let you show me what you can do." -Hawk Moth declared, having found his new lieutenant.
"You won't regret it!" -Julien told him. –"I'll have those heroes dead and their miraculouses at your feet, before you can even think it." -he said.
"Then, let's seal the deal." -Hawk Moth said.
"Now, you're talking!" -Julien exclaimed.
Shaking hands with Hawk Moth, a sudden energy discharge went through Julien's body, causing him to squirm and yell in pain. When it finally stopped, and he opened his eyes, both eyeballs were glowing purple, and he had something on his right hand… a butterfly tattoo.
Snapping his fingers, a little black butterfly appeared in Hawk Moth's hand, after which it flew into Julien and fused with him. Instantly, his whole body was enveloped in a thick cloud of black and purple smoke. When the smoke disappeared, Julien's appearance had changed. He was now wearing a black and red full-bodysuit with greyish talons with red tips and a greyish belt around his waist. He also had red bladed-wings embedded into his arms, which he was able to retract with just a thought. His black hair was now grey and combed backwards with a widow's peak. And on his face, he was wearing a black domino mask around his eyes.
"Rise, Rapier." -Hawk Moth commanded his new lieutenant. –"From this moment on, you serve me, and you will do everything in your power to destroy the Miraculous Team and to bring me their miraculouses, so I may obliterate them." -he said.
"As you command, Hawk Moth, my master." -Rapier said.
I'm really sorry if it's taking so long to update lately, but my health hasn't allowed me to write as fast as before. To tell you guys the truth, it's hard not to be able to fully focus on my writing. Hopefully, next week I'll be better and I'll be able to go back to writing as always. On this chapter I wanted to explore a side of Alya that I hadn't explore before, and that was her investigative reporter side (one of the things that I hated about season 3, was just how Alya, being the blogger she is, and just how much she wants to become a reporter, was just dumb-down on the Chameleon episode, and tricked by Lila's lies, just for the story sake, which ended up with all the characters back in the same spot... talk about lazy writing). I wanted to make justice to that side of hers, and I hope that in the near future I continue to do it, because one of the things that I love about Alya, is just how she loves to go deep into the matters that she loves. Also, this chapter, as you have read, sees the first appearence of Hawk Moth's newest lieutentnat, Rapier. The idea for him belongs to Guestspirit, who suggested the idea of Hawk Moth having a lieutenant who was a flyer (I took the liberty of changing a couple of things about him, as well as his original name, which was Black Humming. Though I hope I made justice to your original idea. Once again, thanks for suggesting it.). From here on, things are going to get harder for our heroes... the sky is no longer their sole dominion, that I can tell you.
As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave suggestions to improve this, and other future fics.
P.S. Recently, my good friend Kyara17, has finished a commission I ordered her some time ago. The illustration she did was one where we see the whole Miraculous Team attending a KISS rock concert, just like it happened in "Miraculous Team: The Screamer", so be sure to check out her page on DA to see it, you won't regret it.