Miraculous Devilman: Chapter 4

Disclaimer: We Do Not Own Miraculous Ladybug or Devilman. MLB belongs to Thomas Astruc and Devilman belongs to Go Nagai.

Chapter 4

Hawkmoth banged his fists against a wall, cursing under his breath.

"That damn Devilman! If it were not for his intervention, the miraculouses would be in my hands!" He grabbed a mannequin and threw it across the room.

"Yes, he is quite the force of nature, isn't he?" Silene stands a few feet away with a smirk. "Was Makimura not a powerful vessel, though?"

Hawkmoth gritted his teeth as he nodded. "She was one of my strongest yet. It has been awhile since I have gotten this close to capturing those pesky heroes' miraculouses."

"Had you ordered Breakdown to retreat, you may have the ladybug miraculous in your hand. Fufufu, but you got cocky, didn't you?" she sneers in delight as she looks down on Hawkmoth.

Hawkmoth glared. "I need both Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculouses. One will not work without the other. To fulfill wishes, both miraculouses must be balanced together."

"And how many do you have now?" The white harpy crosses her arms and licks her claw. "So what is your next plan, human?"

"It's Hawkmoth to you, demon." He said in a stern voice. "And I must find a stronger vessel who will not be swayed by Devilman's persuasion." He put a finger to his chin.

"Sir, if I may?" Natalie stepped out of the shadows, her hands behind her back and a solemn expression on her face.

Hawkmoth turned to face her. "What is your proposition, Natalie?"

Natalie walks up to him and whispers something in his ear. A smirk forms on Hawkmoth's face. "You never fail to intrigue me." He nodded in approval. "Make all the necessary calls."

"Yes, sir." Natalie bowed her head slightly before making her way out of the room.

"You have a new plan?" Silene tilts her head.

"Indeed, your featherness." Hawkmoth turned to face her, now grinning sinisterly. "It is time to bring in an old ally."

"How interesting. I wonder what your friend will bring to our battle" Silenes eyes light up.

"Oh, I believe you will find her very helpful." Hawkmoth said. "She is quite...persuasive."

(Insert Miraculous Ladybug theme music)

"In the daytime, we're Marinette, Adrien, and Akira,

Just normal teenagers with normal lives.

There is something about us no one knows yet,

Because we have a secret,"

"Miraculous and Devilman,

Fight till the end to stop Hawkmoth!

Miraculous and Devilman,

Together as one they'll save us all!

Miraculous Devilman!"

Miraculous Devilman

(In Adrien's bedroom)

An alarm went off with a "Beep!beep!beep!" sound. A hand reached out and turned it off. Adrien pulled up the covers, sat up, and let out a yawn, stretching his arms.

"Good morning, Paris!" Adrien said in a cheerful voice. He looked over to a pair of socks on the floor, where Plagg was snuggled in one, still asleep.

"Rise and shine, Plagg!" Adrien said.

Plagg groaned and put his hands over his ears. "Ugh, it's too early. Five more minutes." he pulled the sock over his head.

A smirk appeared on Adrien's face. He stood up and pointed across the room.

"Plagg! Look! An enormous wedge of Camembert!"

"What!? Where!?" Plagg flew up out of the sock and peered around.

"Great, you're awake." Adrien grinned with a small chuckle.

Plagg gave him a deadpan glare. "Why are you so happy this morning?"

"I have another fencing session with Mr. Ryo this morning." Adrien grabbed his phone and walked towards his bedroom door. "But first, breakfast."

"You better bring me back some Camembert." Plagg said.

Adrien nodded. "Sure thing, you lazybum." With that, he left the room and made his way towards the stairs.

(Downstairs)

Ryo wanders the hall and enters the dining room. On the wall he sees the painting of a lady and ponders the picture frame.

"That's odd. It doesn't seem to be hanging off of anything." He ponders, moving to the left side of the frame and gliding his hand up and down the trim. He gives a light tug, only to see the picture frame open off of the wall like a door.

"Interesting."

He looks inside to find a book with elaborate line art on it's cover. He takes the book and opens to a random page. His eyes widen with a craze and he smiles with delight as he reads it's contents.

"This is...good."

Quietly, he puts the book in the bottom of his handbag of tools and buckshot. He pulls out a cloth and wipes the safe and picture frame of prints as he closes it. Putting the cloth into the inside of his jacket, he clears his face of emotion, and walks on as if nothing happened.

("This is just too good! Who knew Mr. Agreste had this on hand. I doubt anyone else even knows this is here. But why does he have this? Hm, perhaps he wields a miraculous as well. He clearly doesn't know his son has one, so I hold all the pieces so far. I'll get to the bottom of whatever operation is going on here. This never happened, remember that, Ryo")

Adrien walks into the dining room and to his surprise, sees Ryo already here.

"Ah, Adrien. I was looking for you. Ready for fencing practice?" Ryo asks with a cool smile.

Adrien smiles. "Bonjour, Monsieur Ryo! You're early!" He looks down at his nightwear and rubs his neck. "Guess I better go change. Be back in a minute!" He dashes out of the room and back of the stairs, excitement visible on his face.

(At Francoise Dupont High School)

The students took their seats as the bell rang for the first period to start. Madame Bustier stood in front of the room and clapped her hands to get everyone's attention.

"Bonjour, étudiants! I have a couple announcements this morning. First, your semester projects are coming up, so make sure you are keeping up with your reading. Second, Lila has returned from her trip to England!" She directed her attention towards the classroom door.

Lila walked in, a smile on her face and a handbag on her shoulder.

"Welcome back, Lila!" Madame Bustier said with a smile.

"Bonjour, everyone!" Lila said in a cheerful tone. "It's great to be back! I missed all of you so much!" she blew air kisses.

Akira looks on with a smirk and Miki smiles. "Guess new arrivals are common. Wonder what else today brings." Akira sits back.

"Good to see you again, Lila!" the majority of the class said in unison.

Over at the table Marinette and Alya were sitting, Marinette had a death glare on her face and Alya put a hand on her shoulder to keep her from trying anything.

"It's especially good to see you, Marinette." Lila looked over at Marinette with a smirk.

"If only I could say the same." Marinette shot back.

Lila laughed. "I'm glad to see you haven't lost your sense of humor."

"And I see you haven't lost your throne of lies." Marinette replied.

Madame Bustier cleared her throat. "Now, ladies, settle down. I'm sure you have plenty to catch up on later." She turned to Lila. "Lila, take the seat by Sabrina. It appears Chloe is absent today."

Akira looked over to the empty seat with a glint in his eye.

"Aw, what a shame." Lila said with a frown. "Oh well, I'll be happy to see her sometime later then." she walked over and sat down, smiling at Sabrina, who turned away and pretended to study her textbook.

Madame Bustier opened her teacher's textbook. "Alright class, please turn to page 120."

(Back at the Agreste Mansion)

Adrien and Ryo two clash swords as they try to push each other back. Ryo pushed him back, lunging at him for a stab. Adrien blocked it, pushing him back. He went for a slash, widening his stance. Ryo blocked it, his feet skidding on the floor as he tried to force Adrien back again. Adrien lunged forward and past Ryo's defense, landing a solid hit on his leg.

"I win." Adrien said with a triumphant grin. "Kagami is gonna get a kick out of this."

"Most impressive. Ah, so you have a fencing friend?" Ryo pulls off his mask.

Adrien removed his helmet and nodded. "She's my fencing rival. We would always tally up our wins to see who is the best fencer." He looks around to make sure Gabriel wasn't around before adding. "Before my father pulled me out, we were at a tie."

"Is that so, Adrien?"

"Gah!" Adrien swiftly turned around to see Gabriel at the end of the lobby, his hands behind his back and the usual stern expression on his face.

"Uh, good morning, father." Adrien said nervously.

"Master Gabriel, good to see you." Ryo called.

"I see the lesson seems to be going well." Gabriel turned to Ryo. "Has he improved?"

"His skills are advancing remarkably. The boy has a gift. He very well surpasses me in a few ways now." Ryo chuckles. "You should have seen his last round."

"I beat Mr. Ryo, meaning I could possibly beat Mr. D'Argencourt in a match." Adrien said, rubbing his arm anxiously. "If only I could have the chance to duel in person."

"Adrien, it is too dangerous out there." Gabriel replied sternly. "The last akuma attack proved to be quite threatening."

"Father, please." Adrien put his hands together. "Isn't that what fencing is all about? To be able to defend myself? I promise to be careful."

"If I'm not overstepping…" Ryo began, "Perhaps I could once again act as an escort. Your son is strong, and I could be further reassurance, ready at a moment's notice to step in."

Gabriel put a finger to his chin, considering the ordeal.

"And if it helps, I've heard that his friend Lila has returned to the school. I'm sure she could keep an eye on him where I cannot."

Adrien frowns at this, but quickly changes his expression back to a hopeful smile.

Gabriel sighs and relents. "Very well. Starting this afternoon, Adrien will attend his regular extracurricular classes."

To that, Adrien beamed and jumped with joy. "Yes! Oh, thank you, thank you so…" realizing what he's doing, he quickly composes himself and clears his throat. "I mean, thank you, father."

Gabriel nods and adds. "Natalie will call Monsieur D'Argencourt and let him know Adrien is returning." He turned to Ryo. "You will act as his bodyguard and escort him safely to and from school." He looks back to Adrien. "Adrien, do your piano practice until then."

"Yes, father." Adrien picked up his sword and ran up the stairs. Halfway up, he turns and shouts, "Thank you so much, Mr. Ryo!" and makes his way to his room.

Gabriel rubs his temples with a sigh. "That boy can be so much sometimes." He smiles slightly for a brief moment. "He has a lot of his mother in him."

Ryo nods with a smile. "You must be proud of him."

Gabriel nods. "He is my pride and joy." Realizing what he said, he quickly clears his throat and forms a solemn face again. "It appears you are quite skilled with children yourself, Monsieur Asuka."

"Well, I do have to manage Akira and Miki. Those two can be a handful." Ryo rubs the bridge of his nose with a deep breath.

"I see." Gabriel replied, his expression unfazed.

"Sir."

Gabriel turned to see Natalie standing a few feet away, a cell phone in one hand and a tablet in the other. "Audrey Bourgeois is on the line. She says it's urgent."

Gabriel sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Very well." He turns to Ryo. "Good day, Monsieur Asuka."

Ryo bows and is on his way.

(Back at Francoise Dupont High School)

(Science class)

Professor Mendeleeve drops a stack of papers on her desk with a thud, drawing all the students' attention.

"Class, today we will cover the basics of chemistry." she said in a stern voice. "You will review the material that will be passed to you with your table partner, then we will go over some practice problems together." she looked around. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Oui, Professor Mendeleeve." The class replied in unison.

Akira looks over at Miki and talks to her in Japanese. *"How about it, Miki? Wanna work on our chemistry?"* To which Miki rolls her eyes with a smile.

*"You just had to use the corniest line, didn't you?"* The two giggle at their desk.

*"How about you show me your test tube?"* Miki leans in, causing Akira to flush before trying to save face. *"Oh yeah? Well how about you...darn."* Akira grumbles.

*"Aw, that's what you get for not paying attention in class, Baka."* Miki chuckles as they get their papers and start working.

"I do hope you two aren't fooling around," Professor Mendeleeve said with a glare. "I will have no funny business in my class. Especially you, Mr. Fudo. I am not as lenient as Madame Bustier, so stay out of trouble. Are we clear?"

"You got it, Mendeleev-sama." Akira answers with a grin. "I'll only have as much fun as you allow, hehe."

Professor Mendeleeve simply gave a "humph" before making her way back to the front of the classroom.

Over at the desk Marinette and Alya sat in, Alya was reading over the information.

"Catalysis is the process of increasing the rate of a reaction by adding...Marinette, are you listening?" she looked over at Marinette, who was glaring daggers at Lila across the room.

She turned to look at Alya. "Oh...yeah, of course. The catalyst with the..uh...could you repeat that?"

Alya sighed. "Girl, what do you have against Lila?"

Marinette crossed her arms. "She's a cunning liar, that's what."

Alya frowned. "What makes you think she was lying about being in England? I think you're just jealous."

Marinette glared at Alya. "Me? Jealous? As if I would envy that two-faced snake." She picked up her worksheet and looked it over. "So what were you saying about a catalyst?"

Alya shook her head. "Just leave her be, Mari. Focus on yourself." a small smirk appeared on her face. "Perhaps we could find a catalyst to get you and Adrien together."

Marinette giggled, then sighed. "I could certainly use one."

The two laughed and proceeded to look over the worksheet together.

(Later in the day)

Students made their way out of the classrooms as the bell rang for the midday break. Akira and Kim were having a basketball match in the center court, with some other students on the sidelines. This was an invigorating experience for the both of them. Kim rarely met someone as athletic as him, so this was pretty fun for him. Akira was enjoying this new sport; it reminded him of his elementary days playing baseball. Of course, both enjoyed being able to show off in front of their classmates.

At the same time, some of the girls were sharing lunch on a nearby bench.

Miki and Lila had gotten introduced and begun a conversation.

"My, you certainly do have your share of adventures," Miki said before she took a bite out of her sandwich. Lila had gone through almost three whole stories in the span of five minutes, each seeming more exciting then the last. It had been about meeting a celebrity first, then something about saving a police officer, and then shaking hands with the Queen of England.

To Miki, these sounded like tall tales, but she didn't want to be mean to a new friend, so she just went along with it however suspicious she sounded.

"Well, what can I say? Guess I'm just one of those types," Lila laughed. She hadn't even touched her lunch. Having this new attention was pleasing to her, a new person to tell her stories to.

"If you don't mind me asking, what's your family like?" Miki asked.

This brought Lila to a pause. Miki had finished her lunch by now, and now gave her full attention. It was…odd for Lila. She rarely, if ever, mentioned her parents. It wasn't something she really enjoyed talking about. Lila shifted in her seat, then started eating her lunch.

"I need to eat my lunch, why don't you tell me about yourself?" Miki looked over with concern, but began to tell her own side.

"Well, it's only been a short time, but I've been able to have lots of fun with Akira and the others." Miki looks to the sky with a smile, then to Lila. "And hey, maybe we can be friends too." Lila looked back to Miki, seeing a familiar sincerity in her eyes. "Heh, you remind me of Adrien talking like that."

"Oh, you know him?"

"Yeah, we're best friends. Inseparable. We have a lot of fun together."

Lila was finishing up her own sandwich now, her eyes turned away from Miki. "Say, why don't we hang out after school. I'm sure you could show an unfamiliar person like me a few things." Lila scratched the back of her head, rushing for an answer, "Oh. I'd love to, I would. But you see, I told the Mayor I would help him with something. It's some big stuff."

Miki kept her smile, but had to raise an eyebrow. She didn't know much about this Lila, but something about her quick response tipped her off to this girl lying. Why? Miki didn't know. Maybe Lila wasn't comfortable with hanging out so soon after meeting.

"Well, if you don't have any plans in the future, I'd love to have fun with you."

"…sure." Lila seemed to ease up a little, her always thought out posture relaxing a bit.

('Well, I guess it's a small step") Miki thought to herself.

(Meanwhile)

Marinette sat on a bench near the girls locker room, sketchbook in one hand and resting her chin on the other. Her eyebrows furrowed in anger as her thoughts raced.

Why was Lila here?

The last thing she needed was another complication in her life. First the white demon, then Devilman, then the dead museum guard on the news, and now Lila? Why was it always her? Why couldn't she go one day without problems in her double life!? Why can't she….

"Marinette, you have been shading the same area of that macaroon sketch for the past few minutes." Ticki pointed out, snapping Marinette out of her thoughts.

"Oh." Marinette looked down at her half-sketch of a macaroon. Sure enough, one side of the sketch was shaded almost completely black, her pencil lead looking like it might break off any minute.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Ticki asked, a concerned expression on her face.

Marinette sighed. "There is just so much going on at once, Ticki. There is that white demon on the loose, Akira is Devilman, Chat Noir and I both got nearly destroyed, a guard was killed at the museum, and I'm not any closer to stopping Hawkmoth." Marinette exhaled deeply. "And to make matters worse, Lila is back and she's gonna make my life miserable again." Her hands tightened into fists. "Lila turned everyone against me, Ticki. She almost got me expelled. What if she turns Miki and Akira against me too?" She rubbed her forehead. "I don't know what to do."

It was at this moment that Akira had begun his stride towards Marinette. He had taken off his school jacket, having it slung over his shoulder as he had a plain white shirt underneath.

Marinette saw this and sighed a bit. If anyone was trying to look like a 70's troublemaker, she sure thought he was. Her fashion sense really made her perceive him as…old fashioned in a sense. Regardless, he was obviously heading over to make some sort of talk.

"Hey there, Marinette. I get the feeling you spoke of the devil, or at least half-devil." He didn't sit down, but rather leaned against the wall on her side of the bench with his arms behind his back with a grin. "What's up? Have you got a good night's sleep after yesterday?"

"You think?" Marinette answered sarcastically, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. "It's totally normal for everybody to find out their classmate is the demon you fought as your hero self who nearly killed your partner." She glared at him in annoyance. "I'm absolutely peachy."

"Marinette, he's just trying to help." Ticki said, giving him a side glance. "Right?"

Akira gave an awkward shrug. "Pretty much. We had our first encounter before realizing we were on the same side. Now it's a matter of figuring out what the baddies are planning together." He looks back to the basketball net. "Been a while since I had a good sports match. That Kim fella sure can play. I don't suppose you play a sport?"

Marinette shook her head. "I'm more into art and fashion. I'm way too clumsy for sports." she smiled for a brief moment. "Though I did try out for fencing one time. Adrien is the top fencer and had really good advice on how to improve in it." She glanced at Akira with a smile as an idea came to her. "You should try out fencing after school. I think you and Miki will like it."

Akira stroked his chin. "Fencing, eh? Sure, why not? Could be fun." He looks over at Miki, chuckling to himself. "Now she'll be even more scary."

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "Miki? scary? She seems really kind and sweet."

Akira turned back to Marinette. "Oh, you haven't seen her with a knife." He scratches the back of his head, "She's nice alright, but she's got metal enough to fight when she needs to. That's one just one hot thing about her, hehe." Marinette gives him an odd look. Was he…blushing? Well, not the weirdest thing she had seen perhaps.

Marinette then remembered her thoughts earlier and looked back at Akira with a stern look. "Akira, there is something you need to know about Lila."

She took a deep breath. "She's a very cunning liar. She had everyone in our class believing that she was a superhero like me and Chat Noir." Her fists tightened again. "Even after I discovered the truth, people still believe her ridiculous stories." She proceeded to also explain the events that happened with Lila on Heroes' Day, how she worked with Hawkmoth to try to capture her and the rest of the team's miraculouses.

Akira groaned with a facepalm. "Great. And I thought Chloe was the only problem around here." That got a small laugh from Marinette. "I wish."

(After School)

Akira decided to take Marinette's suggestion, and went to sign up for a tryout with Miki.

She seemed excited to get into a club, which made Akira happy. They met with Monsieur D'Argencourt after school and got a formal introduction. Once they found protective gear that fit them, the two began some light drills. It was in the middle of this that they met Kagami, who was overlooking the rookies while the teacher left to deal with other business.

*"Hey, you're looking pretty 'sharp', Miki."* Akira said with a whistle in Japanese.

*"I can be sharper.*" She returned with a sly poke from her sword to his chest.

*"Are you two fencing or fooling around like five-year-olds?*" Akira and Miki jumped back as Kagami called them out.

Akira chuckled. *"Well, I never thought we'd meet kin over here"*.

A thin yet visible smile could be seen on the fencer's face. She was a dark-haired girl with stern eyes. She had a strong frame from what Akira could tell, and her distinct red suit told him she was a big deal. *"I am Kagami Tsurugi, current champion of this club and I suppose the teacher's assistant."*

The three exchanged bows.

*" Fudo Akira, a pleasure."*

*"Makimura Miki, glad to meet you."*

With introductions made, Kagami began teaching the two. Akira fared well enough, though his lack of patience was getting the better of him. It was Miki who really took Kagami's first lesson to heart, putting a good deal of effort into her stances and swings. Kagami then suggested that the two spar to learn from each other a bit while she went to check on the others.

"You think you can take me, Miki?" Akira taunted just before Miki rushed him. He held his ground for a good time, but he made a wide swing with a lot of strength. Miki easily dodged this and struck him in the chest before using her sword to trip him over. Akira groaned as he rolled onto his back from the floor and removed his mask. He then stammered as Miki stood over him with her sword.

"How's that?" She said with a cheeky grin.

He was dumbfounded. A part of him was angry, but more than that, seeing Miki over him like this made him blush.

*"Guess you…really are hot with a sword…"* He looked away as he picked himself up.

Miki herself blushed at this before grinning again.

Suddenly, a few students in the class gasped, and all fencing activity abruptly paused. Akira, Miki, and everyone else turned towards the school entrance, where there, standing fully geared and smiling, was Adrien.

"Hey guys. Did you miss me?" He said with a wave.

"Adrien!" All the students rushed towards him, excitement filling the air.

"You're back!"

"It's good to see you again, man!"

"Things got boring without you!"

"Where have you been?"

The crowd's eccentric questions and welcomes slightly overwhelmed Adrien, a bead of sweat visibly running down his forehead.

"Ahem!" Silence went through the crowd as Monsieur D'Argencourt made his way to the front, clearing his throat, his head held high.

"Class, I'm well aware we are all excited that our fellow second class champion has returned, but please save your reunion for afterwards. Now please, everyone return to your partners and keep practicing."

With that, and a few "Awws", the crowd dispersed and the class resumed.

Monsieur D'Argencourt turned to Adrien with a warm smile. "Welcome back, Adrien. Go on ahead. Your rival is waiting for a rematch."

"Merci, Mr. D'Argencourt." Adrien nodded in acknowledgement and made his way through the class, where Kagami was watching a couple students spar.

"Kagami!" Adrien walked over, his smile never leaving his face. "Miss me?"

Her eyes widened for a moment before she answered. "No one else has stood a chance against me since you left. I hope you haven't gone soft on me." through her stern voice, she gives him a smile. He can tell she's glad to see him.

"On the contrary, I'm sharper than ever." Adrien replied proudly. "Father hired a highly-esteemed fencing instructor, and I was able to beat him single-handedly a few hours earlier." He held up his sword and offered his rival a small smirk. "So, shall we break up this tie?"

"Very well. Let's see if you can keep up." Kagami replied with a smirk of her own.

As if on cue, Monsieur D'Argencourt blew his whistle, the class pausing their sparring and turning their attention towards him.

"Gather around, étudiants! It is time for your partners to match in front of the class. First up, our class champions." Everyone gave a round of applause as Kagami and Adrien stepped into the sparring circle.

"Alright, all of you know the drill." He paused as glanced at Miki and Akira. "But for our new recruits, I shall re-elaborate." He cleared his throat. "Our fencers must touch each other three times. Fencers must fight inside the ring, or else the point automatically goes to the other opponent if one steps out. Normally, our point machine determines the winner, but for these two, we must watch closely and call out who touches first. Are we all clear?"

"Oui, Monsieur D'Argencourt." The class replied in unison.

With that, Adrien and Kagami both got in a fighting stance.

"En Garde...Prêts... Allez!"

Adrien took the first step, lunging at Kagami and aiming for her shoulder. She quickly sidestepped, parrying his blade and forcing him back so he could block her riposte. She then came at him with a series of quick jabs, which he was managing to block, but he couldn't get an opening. Kagami was relentless, so Adrien had to match that in his defense. He then got her into a blade lock, and they had a small moment for an exchange.

"You don't know how long I've waited for this. Finally, a worthy opponent." Her eyes seemed to glimmer behind her mask.

"Oh believe me, I know." Adrien replied back. "It has been precisely 56 days since our last match. I've wanted this rematch for months." He then pushed out of blade lock and lunged forward, slashing his sabre at her torso. Kagami blocks, but staggers back. With a new burst of adrenaline, Adrien charges forward. Another quick bout of strikes. The clink of the blades picks up as the two champions vie for an opening. A minute passes with constant clashing as the two begin to sweat, each now slightly uneasy. Kagami takes another of Adrien's flurries before sidestepping him once again for a decisive riposte. However, Adrien then coolly blocks this attack. With a final move, he swings his blade and forces Kagami's arm up. A swing down, and he has struck her across the torso.

The two remove their helmets, Kagami panting as she tucks her helmet under her arm. "It seems you weren't lying. You have gotten better."

"Guess you could say I proved my "point" back there." He pokes the edge of his sword with his finger as he says that, grinning.

"Touche! Point to Adrien!" Monsieur D'Argencourt announces, gesturing to Adrien. "Great match, you two! Who wishes to go next?"

(After class)

As the class eventually came to a close, Miki ended up being one of the selected tryouts.

The students now stood outside waiting for their rides. Miki had gone to speak with Kagami, and Akira had started talking to Adrien.

"So what, you and that Kagami chick are fighting-partners or something?" Akira asked.

"Sure are." Adrien responded with a smile. "I like to think of us as friendly rivals."

Akira gave him a blank stare. "So… she's not your girlfriend? Geez, the way you talk when fighting borders is flirtatious." He pulls his arms behind his head.

Adrien blushed at that claim. "G..girlfriend? N-no, we're just friends." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

Akira smiled, "Well, you should give it a shot. She seems to at least like you."

"Do you really think so?" Adrien asked hopefully.

"Well, I don't know her too well, but she only got…I guess her version of friendly once you showed up." He puts an arm around Adrien's neck. "It's worth a shot. Unless you already have an eye for someone?"

Adrien shook his head. "No, not currently." He smiled with confidence. "I think I will give it a try." He grabbed his bag and started making his way towards Miki & Kagami. He pauses and turns back again for a moment. "Thanks for the encouragement."

Akira gives a thumbs up.

"Hey, Kagami!" Adrien called out as he walked over. She turns her attention as she and Miki stop. Miki backs up as she sees Akira still holding the thumb.

"Adrien. What is it?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute? Alone?" He asked, a hint of shyness in his voice.

"Oh…Of course." the faintest bit of red came across her cheeks as she followed him.

Adrien led Kagami towards the back of the school's entrance stairs and paused for a minute to make sure there was nobody around.

"So, Kagami. I enjoyed our rematch...well, I enjoy every match that we do together.. but um, that's besides the point." He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck as he continued. "The thing is...I like you...like really like you and I was wondering if… would you like to go on a date...with me?"

Kagami flustered up, quickly turning her head to the side. "Yes. I…that would be very nice. You should know that I…I am very fond of you as well. Ever since we met when I first joined the fencing club, I had been fond of you…" she shakes her head, and looks him in the eyes. She takes a step forward and takes his hand. Adrien's cheeks turned pink as she took his hand in hers. He gave her a small, friendly squeeze.

"That… that's great to hear." He looked away for a moment as his whole face flushed pink. He looked back at her with a bright smile and added, "So, wanna get some croissants?"

Kagami's eyes softened and she returned the smile. "That sounds great."

(At the Dupain-Cheng Bakery)

Marinette stood at the kitchen sink, washing the trays she just used to bake some fresh croissants and macaroons. Though really, she was trying to drown out Alya, who wouldn't stop ranting about the recent events with the akuma attacks.

"...Like the fact that Chat Noir and Ladybug both got nearly destroyed in the same week just shows how dangerously powerful those unnatural beings are." Alya pointed out. Her eyes lit up as a new theory came to her. "Girl, what if one of those unnatural beings teamed up with Hawkmoth!? That would explain why Ladybug and Chat Noir struggled so much!"

With a groan of frustration, Marinette put down the trays, turned off the faucet, and turned to face her best friend.

"I thought you came to help me run the bakery this afternoon, not ramble again about your nonsense theories."

Alya smirked and gestured to the empty area of the bakery. "Well, there's no customers in sight, is there?" she said knowingly. "But you're right, enough about the akumas. Tell me about Akira. Is he as dark and handsome as he seems?" She smirked again and batted her eyelashes playfully. "I saw you and Akira talking during lunch."

"Don't get any ideas, Alya." Marinette said with an eye roll. "He just asked if I was doing well, that's all. Plus, he has a girlfriend." Marinette reached into her pocket and pulled out the lucky charm chain Adrien made for her. "Besides, it would take Adrien getting a girlfriend to stop me from loving him."

The bell above the bakery door jingled as a couple customers stepped into the bakery. Marinette turned to face the counter and froze. She couldn't believe it. There, standing a few feet away, was Adrien and Kagami, their arms linked around each other.

Alya noticed this as well and quickly covered her mouth, trying to suppress her snickers.

As the two fencers walked up to the counter, Adrien paused, clearly not expecting Marinette to be there.

"Marinette?"

"Hey...Adrien." Marinette replied with a frown. She looked over. "Kagami."

"It's been a long time, Dupain-Cheng." She gave a smile and shifted slightly, her arm locking a little tighter to Adrien's. "I hope you're doing well."

"I am, thank you." Marinette replied with a hint of annoyance in her tone. "And I see you two are doing well too."

Adrien rubbed his arm. "Yeah, I returned to fencing today and now we're here."

"Good for you." Marinette said, with Alya noticing the sarcasm in her tone. "So, will it be croissants or macaroons?"

"Are croissants still your favorite?" Kagami turned her head to Adrien.

Adrien nodded. "Hehe, yeah. Gotta love those soft, buttery pastries. Don't you agree, Marinette?"

Marinette folded her arms and turned her head away. "I don't know. I'm more of a macaroon fan." She proceeded to grab a bakery box and placed a couple croissants in it. She walked to the register and rang up the pastries. "That will be 2 euros."

The two pay up, and Adrien takes the box with a twinkle in his eye.

"So where should we go?" He asks.

"Why don't we sit outside? There are some chairs." Kagami chuckles as she leads him out the door. The two sit at a window side table, just so happening to be in dead sight of Marinette.

"Oh, I just remembered I need to babysit the twins today. I'll see you at school tomorrow." Before Marinette could reply, Alya grabbed her bag and a croissant and headed out the door, the bell jingling again as she left. With a sigh, Marinette proceeded to rearrange some bread loaves in a basket while secretly side glancing at the two through the window. From her angle, it seemed Adrien told a funny joke as Kagami laughed and Adrien was smiling his signature smile. The same smile he gave her at the museum last weekend. Marinette looked at the lucky charm chain she placed on the back counter and her shoulders slumped.

"I'm sorry, Marinette."

Marinette looked down to see Ticki peeking her head out of her purse, a concerned look on her face.

Marinette shrugged. "It is what it is, Ticki." She offered a small smile, but Ticki could see the sadness in her eyes about the situation.

(Later that night)

As the moon came over Paris, Lila stood in the middle of a bridge overlooking the water.

('This is my next big chance,') she thought to herself. ('A chance to get back at all the people who foiled me, to make it big.') She had a forlorn look as she stared into the water. Some steps were heard. It was the sound of heavy boots.

"I take it you're the 'Ryo' I've been hearing about?"

He nods and joins her in staring. The two stand in silence before Ryo turns over to her.

"And you're Lila," He fixes the collar of his coat. "Mr. Agreste sure pulls all the stops when it comes to protecting his son."

Lila chuckles in reply. "Guess some things never change. Well, I'm sure we'll get along well as co-workers."

Ryo returns with a cool smile, "I'm betting on it."

End of chapter 4

Author's Notes:

dancecat25: "Good for you, you look happy and healthy, not me, if you ever cared to ask…" Oh, bonjour, beautiful readers. In case you can't tell already, we plan to have some fun with Adrigami in the future. Sorry not sorry to all of you Adrienette shippers out there, hehe. Also, I have Olivia Rodrigo's "Good 4 you." stuck in my head.

Aladar Caval: Yeah, you can blame that one on me. I personally like Kagami the best, so I'm having fun while I can. Don't get in too far a twist though, dancecat25 will have it back to the main ship soon for you love square freaks. In the meantime, get ready for dancecat to post some covers I've been drawing for our story soon.

dancecat: Yeah, check out the covers on my Instagram dance_cat_25. And buckle up your seatbelts, for we will be taking you on another crazy action ride next chapter. Until Then, Bug Out!

Aladar Caval: "Til all are one!"