Hey guys! Hope you're all doing well. I'm excited for this chapter! I had fun with it. (the next one, not so much... don't expect a very good chapter for that one. Apparently I don't really like Zombizou. Oh well.) Hope you like it!
Also really quick DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN GANG OF SECRETS I DON'T WANT TO SPOIL ANYTHING ACCIDENTALLY - to all of you that saw Gang of Secrets, I'm- I'm shocked lol I feel like ML has some better writers now or smth idek. I'm so excited about the direction the show might actually be taking. Side note, the episode has now given me an ending for this fanfiction :) maybe that sounds sad but its been around two years and I'm glad to have an end date to work towards. Don't you worry though, I will be finishing season 2 and 3, and I will do Truth, Lies, and Gang of Secrets from season four. That'll take at least a year if I'm being honest so this fanfic will be continuting for a long time! ;)
END OF SPOILERS
I hope you guys like this episode :) Have fun!
[ Theme song ]
Scene: Paris. Animals are running loose through the streets.
Nadja: (news report) Nadja Chamack, live above Paris. Escaped animals are invading the city! But Ladybug, Cat Noir and their new friend, Rena Rouge, are already on the spot.
"I remember that," Alya cheered. "That was fun!"
Marinette shook her head in amusement. "Only you, Alya. Only you."
"What?"
"It was a literal panther! That was above our pay grade! Why were we even fighting it?"
Adrien shrugged. "You wanted to be helpful?"
Scene: The Paris Swimming Pool
Civilian: I'm sure they'll get the animals back in the zoo super fast.
Kim: Right, sir. They are the best! (groans) I wish I could be a superhero. The powers. The secrets. The costume. That would be awesome, right?
Kim grinned. "I stand by that statement! Being a superhero is- I mean, would be awesome!"
Some more perceptive students in the class narrowed their eyes at his slip of words.
Ondine: (laughs) Yeah, sure.
Kim: How can I become one? You think there's some kind of superhero school, or something? Or maybe more like some super secret training facility?
"Sorry man," Marinette shook her head. "It's totally random."
Kim laughed. "Yeah, I kind of got that."
(Ondine puts a piece of paper in her swimming bracelet.)
Ondine: You wanna know my secret?
Kim: Yeah, totally! I love this game. (Ondine throws her swimming bracelet into the pool. Kim dives in to fetch it, then reads its paper) "I have a serious crush on this boy, but he has no idea." (Ondine blushes. Kim laughs.) That boy's clueless. (gets out of the pool) Okay, now it's my turn.
Kim facepalmed. Marinette burst out laughing.
"Classic Kim."
"Hey!"
(Kim throws the swimming bracelet into the pool. Ondine dives in after it.)
Ondine: (reads paper) "I can stick my big toe inside my ear"...?
Marinette sent a glare towards Kim, who shrank.
"She says a secret like that and that's what you come up with?"
Kim shrugged. "I mean, it's true! I can do that!"
(Kim demonstrates. Ondine laughs. Kim gives her the notebook and pen with his feet.)
Ondine: (to herself) Let's stop beating about the bush.
(Ondine notes something down and throws the bracelet into the pool. Kim dives in, retrieves it, and starts to unfold the paper, but then his watch alarm goes off.)
Kim: Ah! The movie! I totally forgot! (gets out of the pool)
Ondine: But we haven't finished yet!
Kim: I've really gotta split. I asked Chloé to come, remember? The girl I told you about in my class? Next time, I promise!
Every girl in the class winced as they witnessed Kim's accidental friendzone. "You gotta be careful, Kim," Marinette whispered.
(Kim leaves. Ondine reaches out toward him, then picks up the paper and opens it, revealing a heart with Kim's name on it, and "Je t'aime" written below, with more hearts.)
Ondine: (sadly, to herself) The boy I'm crushing on is...you.
"And he's the only one that didn't see it," Max rolled his eyes. "Every time I would bring something to the pool for him, it was clear."
Scene: Hawk Moth's lair
Hawk Moth: Poor Little Mermaid. How many times have you tried to tell your Prince how you feel? And how many times has he dismissed you? (charges an akuma with dark energy) Fly away, my little akuma, and evilize her!
(The akuma flies into Paris.)
Scene: Paris. Cat Noir is being chased by two black panthers.
Cat Noir: Come on, guys, you wouldn't eat one of your cousins, would ya?
"I mean, they probably would," Nathaniel piped up. Adrien laughed.
"Yeah…"
(Rena Rouge jumps along roofs to a vantage point above the street.)
Rena Rouge: (plays flute) Mirage! (throws energy ball)
(Large cuts of meat appear on the street in front of the panthers.)
Cat Noir: How about some tasty chops, instead? (leaps away with his staff)
(One of the panthers steps on a piece of meat, causing it to disappear. It and the other panther step on more of them, following a trail of vanishing meat until it leads them into the back of a van. Ladybug shuts the van doors, trapping the panthers inside. Civilians cheer Ladybug, Cat Noir and Rena Rouge standing on the edge of a roof.)
"Smart."
Cat Noir: (holds up fist) Pound i— (looks back at Ladybug and Rena Rouge running away) Hey, where're you going?
Ladybug: Rena's about to transform back.
Cat Noir: So you're allowed to know her true identity, but I'm not?
Ladybug: Because I have to get her Miraculous back.
Cat Noir: So what's my role, then? The guy who's always left in the dark? What else are you hiding from me?
Adrien grimaced. "This guy seems a bit… whiner than me," he frowned. Marinette shrugged.
"Actually, not to be mean, this is exactly how I remember it going down. You had some jealousy, Kitty. And that's okay. I'm sorry that I couldn't include you more. It was a Master Fu thing more than a Ladybug thing."
Adrien shrugged. "I know. It still hurt at the time though."
Marinette gave Adrien a side hug.
Rena Rouge: (Miraculous flashes and she points at it) We really gotta jam.
Ladybug: (still to Cat Noir) Okay, I'll talk to him about it.
Cat Noir: Him? Who's him?
Ladybug: Uh...when the time is right, Cat Noir, I promise. (departs with Rena Rouge)
Cat Noir: (to himself) I hate secrets.
"Sorry bro," Nino quipped, "but I think you're a bit of a hypocrite then."
Adrien laughed. "Yeah, true. Although I did hate hiding it from everyone, so…"
(Rena Rouge and Ladybug jump down to the ground behind a building. Rena Rouge detransforms and Alya hands Ladybug the Fox Miraculous in its box.)
Alya: We can do this again whenever you want, Lady— (phone rings) Oh! The movie! (runs off, waving back) Later!
"You didn't even say goodbye," Marinette said in mock offense. Alya laughed.
"I thought I was needing to go find you! Apparently I was already with you, though…"
Marinette shook her head in amusement.
Ladybug: Spots off. (detransforms and runs in a different direction)
Tikki: Uh, if you want to get to that movie on time too, you better go the way Alya went.
Marinette: Sorry, Tikki; we'll just have to miss the trailers again.
"I mean, it makes more sense now that we know," Alya pointed out. The rest of the class nodded.
"We thought maybe you were just flaky," they laughed. Marinette pouted.
"Rude."
Scene: The Swimming Pool
(The akuma enters the swimming bracelet of the tearful Ondine.)
Scene: Hawk Moth's lair
Hawk Moth: Syren, I am Hawk Moth. I'm giving you the power to turn Paris into your own underwater kingdom, for you and your prince. In return, you must bring me Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculous.
Scene: The Swimming Pool
Ondine: May they all sink under my sorrow.
(She transforms into Syren, and stands up. Her tears now falling into the pool trigger the water to rise up and overflow the pool.)
Scene: Outside the theater. Kim runs up, wearing his regular clothes, except also wearing his swimming cap.
Max: (to Kim) You're 3 minutes and 37 seconds late; everybody's already inside.
Kim: Is Chloé here?
Chloe scoffed. "Please, like I would be caught dead in a peasant theater watching Mecha Monkey vs. Cyber Shark."
Kim turned red.
Max: (laughs) Chloé watching Mecha Monkey vs. Cyber Shark 3? I think your swimming cap's on too tight, Kim.
(Kim takes off his swimming cap, and hands it to Max.)
Alya: (runs up, panting) Ah, let me guess — (takes two tickets from Max) Marinette hasn't arrived yet?
Max: True to form. We'll save you both a seat. (follows Kim into the theater along with his robot friend, Markov.)
Alya: (to herself) Marinette, Marinette, Marinette.
Marinette sighed. "It's your fault, man. I had to return your miraculous."
Alya's jaw dropped open as she laughed. "What? Don't blame me!"
(Back outside the swimming pool, people scream and run when water spills out under the doors.)
Scene: Master Fu's massage shop. The gramophone closes with the Fox Miraculous back inside the Miracle Box.
Master Fu: Perfect. Now come and tell me what's bothering you, Marinette.
Marinette: Huh? How do you...?
Master Fu: (laughs and turns to Wayzz and Tikki) Hold on. You both stay here.
Wayzz and Tikki: Oh, Master, please!
Master Fu: Kwamis must never know the recipe that can modify their powers. Ever!
"Modify their powers?"
Marinette: Modify their powers?
"Oh," Alya gasped. "Is this why you can power up into water versions and stuff?" Noticing Marinette's weird look, she cocked her head. "What?"
Marinette just shook her head. "Just… how do you do that? You have like no info and somehow you figured out exactly what we were talking about."
Alya smirked. "I'm awesome like that."
Master Fu: Imagine what would happen if one of you were captured by a villain, just like Hawk Moth's kwami, Nooroo.
Wayzz and Tikki: (scared) Ohh! (both fly away and into the shop's mattress)
"Yeah, at least my dad didn't discover the recipe for that… that would've been so bad when we were first starting." Adrien shivered.
Master Fu: So, what's on your mind, Marinette?
Marinette: Master Fu, Cat Noir is asking more and more questions. He's tired of being left in the dark.
Master Fu: Tell me, Marinette; do you put the noodles in the water before the water boils?
Marinette: Uh, no.
Master Fu: Exactly. That's because there's a right time for everything. (pours some tea and hands a cup to Marinette)
Adrien narrowed his eyes. "I still don't see why I wasn't allowed to know."
Marinette shrugged. "Master Fu was annoyingly cryptic sometimes."
Marinette: Uh, what are you cooking exactly?
Master Fu: When fed with a specific blend of ingredients, the kwamis can grant special power. Each power's specific mix is listed here, encoded in the Grimoire. I've deciphered most of the ingredients; for example, to trigger aquatic powers you need a branch from the dragon king's garden — that's seaweed; then secret kept in a shell — that's an oyster pearl. But the last one still puzzles me: a tear of joy. I can't figure it out, and it's required for almost every blend. Oh! Maybe it could be some dancing ant honeydew. (puts drops from a bottle into his potion with an eyedropper, producing a small blast) I think I may have finally got the right mix. (Marinette smiles.)
"Well that was anticlimactic," Alya remarked. "He asked you for help and immediately figured it out himself."
Marinette chuckled.
Scene: Bank of the Seine
(Civilians scream and run away as the river starts to overflow.)
Scene: Adrien's room. He is lying on his couch, playing with Ladybug and Cat Noir action figures.
Adrien: (imitating Ladybug) Hey, Cat Noir, do you trust me? (as himself) Sure, Ladybug; do you trust me, too? (as Ladybug) Are you kidding? I will never trust you! Ha ha ha ha! (normally, to Plagg) You must know what Ladybug's hiding from me, Plagg.
"You have… action dolls that you… play with?" Marinette was a little shocked as Adrien turned bright red.
"Y- no, i mean, maybe, I mean… YOU HAVE PICTURES OF ME ALL OVER YOUR WALL!"
"Touché."
Plagg: I'm just a kwami, Adrien, and we kwamis have a right to remain silent.
Adrien: Pity. (gets out his phone) Just when I was about to order you some very tasty cheese. Have you ever sampled La Trappe d'Échourgnac? It says here it tastes like walnuts.
"Cheese that tastes like walnuts? And are you seriously trying to bribe Plagg?"
Adrien smiled nervously. "Maybe?"
Plagg: (swallows some Camembert) I can't be swayed, sorry.
Adrien: Did you know about the Fourme de Montbrison? Apparently, it's the oldest cheese in the world.
Plagg: (nervously) You don't say.
Adrien: Yes...and do you know why its rind is orange? Because they age it on special boards of spruce wood.
"That sounds like Plagg's dream," Tikki piped up. Plagg wailed.
"He was torturing me!"
Plagg: (flies into the bathroom) There's only one thing in this world that smells as good as cheese.
(Plagg sniffs heavily from one of Adrien's dirty socks in a laundry basket and Adrien talks to Plagg into the bathroom while he sniffs the socks.)
Adrien: Which one do you prefer, the Tomme de Bouche, or the Saintignon? (Plagg screams.)
Tikki smiled. "Good job though, good job not telling him."
Adrien gasped in indignation. "Rude!"
Tikki leveled a glare at the blond. "Adrien, us kwamis have strict rules. We couldn't tell you. Sorry, but the guardian was in charge."
Scene: Master Fu's massage shop
(Wayzz drinks some of the power blend.)
Wayzz: Mmmm, there's a slight flavor to it. Yes, I remember it being a lot like this.
Master Fu: Ha! I knew it.
[Transformation Sequence]
Master Fu: (raises his Turtle Bracelet hand) Wayzz, power up!
(Wayzz stiffens momentarily, then relaxes again, unchanged.)
Wayzz: A little more salt, maybe?
Master Fu: Oh, failed again.
"Oh, maybe he didn't then?" Alya shrugged.
(Marinette's phone rings.)
Marinette: Hey Alya...yeah, what's up? The movie? Oh, uh, of course I didn't forget. I'm almost there. (runs out the door) Sorry, Master. Good luck finding the secret ingredient.
"Excuse me, you were not 'almost there'," Alya smirked. Marinette shrugged.
(Master Fu sighs disappointedly.)
Scene: The theater
Marinette: (runs up, panting) Coming! Sorry, I was—
Alya: No time to explain. Come on!
(She and Marinette run inside the theater. Floodwater approaches the theater.)
Rose: (waving from her seat) Hi!
Nino: Hey!
Marinette: (shuffling into her seat) Sorry...sorry...sorry.
(Movie starts to play. People in the frontmost row get up and run out, followed by people in rows succeedingly further back doing the same.)
Marinette: What's going on?
(Water rushes under the seats where Marinette is sitting. She, Alya, Nino, Max, Kim, and others in that row lift their feet onto their seats. Out in the streets, people scream as flooding water rages. Water also rushes into the theater.)
"That's terrifying," Adrien gasped. Marinette nodded.
"It was pretty freaky."
Alya: Okay, who left the faucet running?
Nino groaned.
Marinette: The stairs! Quick!
Fleeing girl: Hurry up!
Marinette: (on the stairs) Everyone, up on the roof!
(People run upstairs toward the roof; water floods the stairway right behind them.)
Adrien winced. "That is seriously really scary."
Scene: Adrien's room
Plagg: (continuously, flying around inside Adrien's sock, trying to drown out Adrien while he follows Plagg around the room)
Adrien: Tome de Quraish with truffles; raw milk Camembert, aged on vine leaves marinated in Emmental juice.
(Adrien stops when he sees water flooding the floor of his room.)
Plagg: Looks like your whole cheese strategy will have to tread water.
Adrien: (tersely) Don't worry, this isn't over.
"Good job, Plagg," Tikki said once more, drawing a faint glare from Adrien. Plagg preened under the praise.
[ Transformation Sequence ]
Adrien: Plagg, claws out! (Adrien transforms into Cat Noir.)
Scene: Theater roof. The entire city is flooded almost to that level.
Markov: (Marinette gasps.) My circuits are sensitive to water.
Kim: Wha, ho, ho, ho! Ha, ha! (runs and dives off the roof into the water) Come on, guys! I can teach you to swim in two seconds flat, Markov. You just put your arms like this, then you push your legs, and it's kind of like being a frog, you see. In fact, it helps to think as a frog, too, you know—
"He's a robot," Max rolled his eyes. "He would short out if he tried swimming."
Kim shrugged. "Swimming is always worth a try!"
Max facepalmed.
(A fin is seen approaching in the water. Syren leaps out, and dives back in, pushing Kim underwater with her.)
Max: (frantically) Kim!
"Creepy," someone whistled softly.
(Marinette quietly slips away from the others.)
Alya: (runs to the edge of the roof and looks out) Where is he? Can you see him? (sees Marinette paddling away from the theater in a trash bin) Marinette, what are you doing?
"Trying to transform," Marinette hissed. "You kept making it hard!"
Alya laughed. "Sorry, girl."
Marinette: Um, I'm gonna go get help. (tips the bin, falling into the water, and grabs hold of the bin) I'm fine!
Alix: (deadpan sarcasm) Okay so...I guess we're saved, then?
"Excuse me," Marinette pouted. Alix laughed.
"I mean-" she pointed at the screen, her point made for her.
(Underwater, Syren speaks to Kim.)
Syren: Kim! I found you at last. (blows an air bubble, and places it over Kim's head so he can breathe)
"Well that's handy!"
(On the water surface, Marinette has paddled out of sight of the others.)
Marinette: Okay, we're alone.
[Transformation Sequence]
Marinette: Tikki, spots on! Ha! (Marinette transforms into Ladybug.)
(Ladybug dives into the water and swims around. She is nearly swallowed by a giant catfish, but dodges it, and then surfaces. She takes a deep breath and goes back underwater. She spots Syren pulling Kim along with her.)
"How would you have been able to do that without your special powers?" Alya wondered. Marinette shrugged.
"I would've eventually realized I could breathe through my yoyo. But it would have been very annoying for a while."
Kim: Huh! This is amazing! I can breathe underwater, just like a fish.
Syren: I knew you'd love it, and I've got lots of other surprises for you, you'll see—
(Ladybug grabs Kim with her yo-yo, and pulls him back away from Syren.)
Kim: Hey!
"Did you seriously say hey?" Alix yelled out. Kim shrugged.
"It was cool!"
Syren: My prince!
(She swims after Kim, grabs him, and pulls back him and Ladybug, who grabs hold of a window railing to stop them as she runs low on air.)
Hawk Moth: (from his lair) With every new environment comes a new set of rules, Ladybug, you won't be able to win this time. Ladybugs can't breathe underwater. Syren, are you going to let Ladybug steal your prince away from you?
Syren: Never!
(Cat Noir is leaping between roofs with his staff, until he sees Ladybug come flying out of the water, screaming.)
The class couldn't help but chuckle a bit.
Cat Noir: Ladybug? (leaps up, catches her, and lands with her on a roof) You didn't tell me you were going swimming today.
Ladybug: I wasn't planning on it; ladybugs aren't exactly cut out for deep-sea diving, you know.
Cat Noir: Cats aren't exactly crazy about water either, you know. Is there any chance you can get us a submarine? (winks at Ladybug)
Ladybug: (responding to his hint) Pawssibly, kitty cat. Lucky Charm! (A potion bowl appears)
Cat Noir: Huh. Well, we can always use it to scoop up the water. It'll just take a long time.
"A really long time."
Ladybug: (gasps as she realizes the significance of the bowl) I'll be right back! (starts to run off, but Cat Noir grabs her wrist)
Cat Noir: Wait! Where're you going?
Ladybug: (hesitantly) I can't.
Cat Noir: (disappointedly) Say anything. Yeah, I know. But we are a team, aren't we? (turns away from Ladybug) I'm tired of all these secrets.
Ladybug: I'm sorry. It's not exactly easy for me either, trust me. (she leaps away while Cat Noir turns to see her leaving him)
"Sorry, M'lady," he frowned. "I understand now that you wanted to tell me."
Marinette sighed. "It's okay. I just- I know you wanted me to trust you, but… you needed to trust me too."
Adrien nodded.
(Cat Noir sits down on the roof to wait for Ladybug to return.)
Scene: Roof of Master Fu's massage shop building
Ladybug: (swings in and lands out of sight) Spots off! (detransforms, hidden, before looking around for Master Fu)
Marinette: Master Fu? Master?
(Master Fu has his potion-mixing setup on the roof.)
"How did he get it out in time?" Marinette asked. "I didn't think about it at the time, but…"
Alya frowned. "Honestly, I wonder that too. Did the miraculous make it above water at least?"
"Yeah, they were right there," Marinette rewinded a couple seconds. Alya frowned.
"Huh."
Master Fu: This way.
Marinette: Cat Noir and I can't defeat the mermaid underwater.
Master Fu: (studying the Grimoire on his tablet) I know, and unfortunately I haven't found the correct blend that could help you both out. (sadly) I've failed you.
Marinette: No way! We are gonna find that last ingredient! (points to Grimoire image on the tablet)
(Tikki and Wayzz gasp and turn their backs, fearfully remembering Fu's earlier warning.)
Master Fu: The Tear of Joy? I've tried everything: water from the Laughing Fountain, melted snow from the Mountain of Jubilation, drops of pure chocolate extract.
"What about a real tear of joy, though?" Adrien asked in bewilderment. Marinette shrugged.
"I think he just got caught up in thinking it was more complicated than it actually was."
Marinette: But have you tried a real tear of joy?
Master Fu: What?!
Marinette: Come on, tell me a really, really funny joke!
Master Fu: Do you think this is really the time to have fun?
"It's never a bad time for jokes," Adrien exclaimed. As he felt his lady glaring at him, he backed down. "Ok… maybe it is sometimes…"
Marinette: Okay, why do you go to bed at night?
Master Fu: (confused) I don't know, uh...
Marinette: Because the bed won't come to you! (Fu chuckles) What goes up, but doesn't move? Stairs! (Fu laughs) What does a snail say when it's riding on a turtle's back? (throws her arms up) "Wooohooo!"
(Fu laughs heartily, until a tear comes to his eye. Marinette wipes the tear onto her finger, and carries it over and drops it in the potion bowl. The potion flashes brightly, producing a skyward blast.)
The whole class watched in confusion.
"Are you freaking kidding me?" Alya shook her head. "That actually worked? Those were the dumbest jokes I have ever heard! And I have Adrien as my friend!"
"Hey!"
Marinette frowned. "I think they changed the jokes for the show? I don't remember what I said but I'm pretty sure they weren't, you know, that dumb."
"Okay that makes more sense…"
Master Fu: I think you have just found the magic ingredient, Marinette!
(Fu gives Tikki a drink from a spoonful of the potion.)
Tikki: Mmm! Yummy!
[Transformation Sequence]
Marinette: Tikki, power up! (Tikki's forehead spot glows, and she spins into a flash as she becomes...)
Tikki: Aqua-Tikki! (now has fins and a tailfin instead of arms and legs) Marinette: Aqua-Tikki, spots on! Yeah!
"That's so fun," Alya cooed. "Tikki is so cute!"
(Marinette transforms into Aquabug, with scaly costume, large blue ponytails with purple ribbons, finny arms and feet, and a "beltbuckle" device.)
(Ladybug admires her new costume design momentarily, and starts to walk away, but stops, pauses, and turns to Fu.)
Aquabug: Master Fu, I think it's time you put those noodles into the boiling water.
Master Fu: You're right, Ladybug. I'll take care of it.
(Ladybug leaps away.)
Adrien looked down in embarrassment, knowing that as Ladybug was at Master Fu's convincing him to come forward, he was doing something… less noble.
Scene: Paris rooftop. Cat Noir is still sitting, waiting for Ladybug, until he is frustrated.
Cat Noir: This is so dumb! (stands up) Claws in. (detransforms)
Plagg: (groans) What's taking her so long? (Adrien holds up his hands to Plagg, and starts to pull off his ring a little bit) Whoa, easy! W-What are you doing?!
Marinette gasped. He was going to give up his miraculous?
Adrien: (grimly) If you don't tell me what Ladybug is hiding from me, I'm done!
Marinette narrowed her eyes. Turning to Adrien, she opened her mouth, but seeing his ashamed expression, thought better of it. The rest of the class watched the screen awkwardly, feeling like they shouldn't be intruding on this selfish yet vulnerable moment.
Plagg: You can't do that!
Adrien: (bitterly) Why not? No one'll know if I quit. No one'll care!
Tears sprang to Marinette's eyes. "I would have," she whispered. Adrien hunched down in embarrassment.
Plagg: I will!
Adrien: Why? (cynically) Because you won't have anyone to give you Camembert?
Plagg: Oh, I'm sure there'll be another Cat Noir to give me cheese... (pauses, and turns to Adrien) ...but he won't be you. (Adrien's expression softens)
Plagg also looked embarrassed at his show of affection.
Master Fu: (suddenly appears next to Adrien) Hello, Cat Noir. (Adrien turns and gasps in shock)
Scene: Outside Collège Françoise Dupont, flashback. Adrien is running up to the entrance, when Nathalie gets out of the Agreste limousine at the curb.
Nathalie: Adrien, please reconsider! You know what your father wants!
Adrien: This is what I wanna do!
(Adrien hears a distressed groan, and spots Master Fu over near the street corner, on hands and knees, his cane lying nearby, the old man struggling feebly to get up. Adrien runs over, hands Fu his cane, and helps him to stand up.)
Master Fu: Thank you, young man.
Scene: Paris rooftop, present day
Adrien: (gaping at Master Fu, shocked) You! You're the man who—
Master Fu: (holds up a vial of bright green potion) I'll explain everything, I promise. But right now, you must go and help Ladybug! (He gives the vial to Adrien and he takes it)
Plagg: (groaning) Oh, no! I hate transforming.
"It's not that bad, Plagg," Tikki rolled her eyes. Plagg scoffed.
"You're required to say that, as the top kwami that's also nice. I will not lie. It sucks."
Scene: The swimming pool, submerged underwater. Kim is seated in the lifeguard's chair, which is surrounded by elaborate ornamentation, inside a large air bubble. Syren is swimming around in the water nearby.
Kim: (chuckles) I love what you've done with the pool! It's awesome!
Syren: This is the pool where the old me tried to pour her heart out to you so many times.
Kim: But, uh...I've never seen a Syren at the pool.
"Really, Kim?"
(Syren holds up her wrist with her swimming bracelet for Kim to see. Kim stares at it for a moment until he recognizes it, and gasps) Ondine?!
Syren: I'm your Syren now. And you could be my merman. (puts her hands into Kim's air bubble, drawing closer to him) It only needs a kiss, and you'll become just like me!
Kim: You mean I could swim as fast as you?
Marinette raised a brow at the lack of concern from Kim. Surely he knew that things weren't that simple?
Syren: (takes Kim's face in her hands, and starts to pull his face toward hers) Yes, Kim! You'll be my Prince, and we'll rule this underwater city together, forever!
Kim: (has puckered his lips for a kiss, until a thought occurs to him) Wait! Does this mean I never get to see Mecha Monkeys vs. Cyber Sharks 3?
"Are you-" Max stared at the screen in shock.
Alix looked at her friend/competitor in utter bewilderment. "Kim, what… what is wrong with you?"
Kim shrugged. "It was a good movie, and I hadn't gotten to see it yet! I stand by that choice."
Marinette facepalmed.
Syren: (taken aback) What?!
Aquabug: (floating at the far end of the room) Oh, yes you will; don't worry! In fact, you'll probably make it to the next showing! (Syren is angry.)
Aqua Noir: (swimming into the room, with green-finned arms, feet and "tail" on his costume) The three of us can go together. (assuming a position next to Ladybug) I'll even share my popcorn.
Marinette gasped. "You? Share your popcorn?" Adrien rolled his eyes good naturedly.
(Aquabug and Aqua Noir strike fighting poses facing Syren.)
Hawk Moth: (from his lair) I knew those Miraculous had hidden powers! Syren! There's too many fish in this sea. Take their Miraculous before they take your merman away in their net!
(Syren lunges toward Aqua Noir, and shoves him back against an upper-floor railing. Aquabug pulls Syren back with her yo-yo, but then Syren pulls Aquabug around in the water instead, until she's close to Kim's bubble. Her yo-yo gets disengaged, and Aqua Noir continues the fight with Syren, as Aquabug looks on.)
"Those water outfits are really awesome," Alya stated, staring at the screen. Marinette laughed.
Kim: Your new outfits are so cool!
Aqua Ladybug: Oh, um, thanks! But tell me, what happened to your friend that got her so worked up?
Kim: We were playing a game of secrets, and I think she was trying to tell me that I'm the boy she likes. But, I was a doofus and didn't realize.
"Well at least you figured it out by then," Max reasoned. "I was 58% sure that you would still be oblivious."
"Rude!"
Aquabug: Game of secrets? What kind?
Kim: It's a game Ondine invented. (making explanatory gestures) You write down a secret and put it inside the bracelet's capsule. It's awesome! You wanna know my secret?
"She's trying to fight, Kim," Alix deadpanned. "Why would she want to know your secret?"
Kim shrugged.
Aquabug: (ignoring Kim's question, and noticing Syren's bracelet) That's where the akuma must be! Aqua Lucky Charm! (a car key appears) Car keys? I guess we should hit the road, then. (gives her yo-yo, opened up, to Kim) Here. You can breathe through this.
"See? I had figured it out!" Marinette grinned. Alya laughed.
(Kim puts the yo-yo over his nose and mouth and gives Ladybug a thumbs up.)
Syren: (angry at seeing Kim being taken out of the building by Aquabug) Kim! (swims toward the exit)
Aqua Noir: Hey! We're not done yet! (swims after Syren)
"Um, I think that was a clear message that you were done."
Scene: Paris underwater. Syren swims out of the swimming pool building, and searches around for Kim and Ladybug.
Syren: (spotting Ladybug) Ladybug! What have you done to my prince?!
Aquabug: (Kim is seen above water, hiding behind the chimney of a nearby building.) I think he took someone else to the ball.
Syren: I won't let you steal him from me! Kim is mine! (chases after Aquabug)
Aquabug: (using her ear-communicator) Cat Noir! Are you all right?
Aqua Noir: (likewise) Yeah, Bugaboo. Like a fish in water.
Aquabug: Great! Now, be ready to strike! (swims along until she swims through a car with its doors open on both sides, Syren following until she enters the same car) Cat Noir! Now!
(Aqua Cat Noir strikes the car's hood with his staff, triggering the car's airbag, which pins Syren inside. Aquabug and Aqua Noir close the car doors on either side, and Aquabug uses the key signal to lock them. She then ties the loop-end of her yo-yo around the car's trailer hitch, and she and Cat Noir swim to the surface.)
"Dude, that was crazy," Nino laughed in shock. Adrien shrugged.
"No different than normal."
"Normal is crazy!"
Scene: Paris, above water
(Aquabug and Aqua Noir leap out of the water, and land on a roof. Aquabug wraps her yo-yo around Aqua Noir's staff, which he then extends, and pulls on like a fishing rod.)
Aqua Noir: Looks like I got a nibble! (pulls the car Syren is trapped in out of the water, and lets it impact on the roof; then looks in the car window) How cool! I always wanted a goldfish! (imitates a goldfish breathing with his mouth and flapping his hands on the sides of his head)
Marinette rolled her eyes. Chat never took anything seriously.
(Aquabug unlocks the car with a key signal. Its door pops open, spilling out water. Ladybug reaches inside, takes Syren's bracelet, and cracks it in her hands, releasing the akuma.)
Aquabug : No more evil-doing for you, little akuma. Time to de-evilize! (captures the akuma and purifies it) Gotcha! Bye bye, little butterfly. (throws the car key in the air) Miraculous Ladybug!
(The Miraculous wave removes all the floodwater from Paris, leaving it dry. Syren transforms back into Ondine, in her swimsuit.)
Aqua Noir: Thank you for keeping your promise, M'Lady.
Aquabug : We are a team, aren't we?
Aquabug & Aqua Noir: (fist-bumping) Pound it!
Scene: Master Fu's massage shop kitchen
(Master Fu is holding a rack with seven vials containing potions of different colors. He shows Marinette a paper with matching colored circles and written descriptions of each.)
"Whoa," Alya exclaimed, "That's a lot! What are all of those?"
Marinette shrugged. "You know, the ones you've seen? Ice, space, etc. They're all similar ideas."
Alya grinned. "Wow!"
Master Fu: Each blend corresponds to a new power.
Marinette: (takes the paper and scans it) Oh wow! That's a lot of powers!
Master Fu: (gives Marinette the rack of vials) You should keep these vials with you at all times, just in case.
Alya gave a weird look to her best friend. "You carry around a bunch of vials? And I never noticed?"
"Well…"
Marinette: (apprehensively) Well...that's not very practical.
Master Fu: Only the ingredients matter. They could be contained in anything.
Marinette: Then...I may just have an idea!
Scene: Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Bakery
(Marinette lifts a tray from the oven holding 21 mini-macarons, 3 each of the 7 potion colors, arranged in rows by color.)
"They're so cute," Rose squealed. "Mini macarons! In rainbow colors! I love it!"
Marinette chuckled. "Thanks!"
Tom: My little girl's mini-'macarons' are ready. Mmm! They look so good! (reaches up to take one)
Marinette: (pulls tray away) Uh, actually, I'll taste them first and see if they are good.
Tom: My daughter baked them! They're bound to be great!
"He has such faith in you," Alix grinned. "What if you had dumped a bag of flour on accident?"
Marinette pouted.
Scene: Marinette's room
Tikki: Mmm! Magical 'macaroons'! I love your idea, Marinette!
Marinette: (putting a red one into a box with other colors) One 'magic-aroon', one transformation.
Tikki: The blue one looks yummy!
Marinette: You'll see. (in a hushed tone) I'm told it's icy. (winks at Tikki)
Alya grinned. "So is that the one you used during Frozer?"
Marinette shrugged mysteriously. "Maybe…"
Scene: The swimming pool
(Ondine swims up to the edge of the pool where Kim is waiting for her.)
Kim: Wanna play a game of secrets? (holds a swimming bracelet out to Ondine)
Ondine: (chuckles, and gets out the bracelet's note) "Wanna go to the movies with me?"
(Kim and Ondine smile at each other.)
Rose cooed. "That was so cute!"
Max nodded grudgingly. "I have to hand that to you, bro."
Marinette grinned.
Scene: Agreste mansion. In the atelier, Nathalie hears the doorbell.
(The refractor pops out of the wall at the front entrance.)
Gabriel: (heard through the speaker, speaking tersely) Who is it?!
Master Fu: (unseen through the "eye") Over here! (The "eye" view shifts left) Lower. (The "eye" view shifts back to the right, and down, revealing Fu) Hello, I'm Mr. Chan. Adrien's Chinese tutor could not come today. I'll be replacing him.
Marinette gasped, rounding on her partner.
"He came to your house?! He came to Hawk Moth's house?"
Adrien shrugged, panicked. "I guess so! Oh my gosh, Hawk Moth finds out who the guardian is when Feast happens! Do you think he put two and two together? Maybe he knows my identity after all!"
The class watched uneasily as the two continued to freak out. Were their friends in danger?
Gabriel: (viewing the stranger with general suspicion) Hmmm.
Scene: Adrien's room. Adrien is practicing Chinese with his tablet.
Translator app: "What time is it?" Xiànzài jí diǎn le? [现在几点了?]
Adrien: "Xiànzài jí diǎn le?"
(Master Fu enters along with Nathalie.)
Master Fu: Shí jiān dào le. [时间到了] It's the right time.
Nathalie: Adrien, here's Mr. Chan. He'll be your substitute teacher for today. (leaves the room)
"At least they left you alone with him."
"Right?"
Master Fu: Hello, Adrien. I think you and I should have a little talk.
(Plagg flies out of Adrien's clothing and goes over to Master Fu.)
Plagg: Adrien, meet Master Fu, the last Guardian of the Miraculous.
Scene: Hawk Moth's lair
Gabriel:(Holding book with strange symbol) Nooroo! How can I obtain more powers?
Nooroo: What do you mean, Master?
Gabriel: Don't treat me like an idiot! Ladybug and Cat Noir have new powers. How did they do it?
Nooroo: We kwamis do not know the recipes.
"And thank goodness for that," Tikki muttered. Plagg, uncharacteristically serious, nodded in agreement.
Gabriel: It's inside this Grimoire, isn't it? Can't you read it?
Nooroo: Only Guardians can. I don't know anything, I swear!
Plagg gagged. "It makes me sick how he's treated. Nooroo doesn't deserve this."
Tikki nodded. "I hope we can get him back."
Gabriel: Well then, I will have to find this Guardian of the Miraculous, wherever he is.
Scene: Adrien's room. Master Fu and Adrien are sitting on the couch, Wayzz and Plagg at their sides.
(Master Fu takes out a round box from his bag and hands it to Adrien. Plagg gets excited, beleiving that inside could be Camambert as Adrien opens it, revealing seven wedges of cheese in the colors of the power potions.)
Plagg: (groaning in frustration) Oh, no! I hate transforming.
The class burst into laughter at the irony.
"He was right there," Adrien exclaimed. "That's actually hilarious!"
Even Marinette had calmed down enough to get a good chuckle.
THE END
"Well," Adrien took a deep breath. "That was… exciting."
Marinette nodded. "Yeah, that- yeah."
Alya stretched. "I'm ready for another if the rest of you are."
Looks were exchanged across the room as people nodded.
"Let's do it," Alix grinned.
Marinette fumbled with the remote, pressing play.