The Akuma in this chapter is an original. It is a replacement for Queen Bannna. Also, please enjoy my original ideas for some of the Miraculouses
It was one night later and everyone was gathered in the secret training area to practice identifying when an akumatized item was not on the Akuma. They reviewed the two known cases Shadowmoth used this trick.
"As we have learned, Shadowmoth can akumatize an object that belongs to a person, but it doesn't have to be on them for the process to take place. The first time he used this trick was with Dark Owl," Ladybug said.
She brought up the Akuma's image on the wide-screen TV. There was a click and the picture changed to show a boxy black computer. "Dark Owl was touching this object when he was akumatized. We didn't know that and it was part of the reason Chat and I were captured."
"Once we got free, it took a second Lucky Charm to figure out where the Akuma was hidden. That's how we discovered where the akuma was," Chat explained.
"The same thing happened yesterday with Soul Crusher. It was the Lucky Charm that alerted us that the akuma was in her shoes, not the ones she had borrowed."
Ryuko raised her hand. "If you needed a Lucky Charm to alert you, how are we supposed to figure it out without one?"
"That's what we're going to be taught tonight by the Great Guardian's Apprentice Peace Keeper."
Peace Keeper stepped out of the shadows. Everyone fixed their posture and their expressions changed to ones of deep respect. The woman had not come alone. She opened two compartments on her belt.
Honorra and Fluff came out and levitated to their wielders. Kkachi and Bunnyx hugged them and looked to see if Peace Keeper was carrying their Miraculouses.
The woman gave a slight shake of her head. "I brought Honorra and Fluff with me because it's important that work with your partner, whether transformed or not when identifying akumatized items."
She turned her focus back to the assembled heroes. She looked at each one by one. Contrary to what the teenagers thought, she wasn't evaluating them.
Once more she was using her contact camera and it was live-streaming back to the computer in Master Fu's apartment.
The adults in the apartment were watching the training session. Master Fu believed that watching it might show Su-Han, why he trusted two teenagers and their friends, with magical jewelry.
The Celestial Guardian kept his mouth shut. He couldn't understand what Fu was thinking letting overly emotional children wield the powers of the little gods. Still, it was best if he observed and then point out Fu's mistakes after the video ended.
Back with the Miraculouses wielders, Peace Keeper was talking to the heroes on how to improve their observations skills. That they were the most important part when it came to stopping an Akuma.
"There are three things everyone needs to remember when it comes to observation. One, when eyeing a person or object, you need to memorize everything you see quickly. Two, Recall what you have seen before breaking it down into smaller details."
"The more details you have the easier it will be to figure out a plan. That's step three. Figure out what everything you saw is used for. Connect the items and people until the image is clear in your head."
"Only then should you react to your surroundings. For beginners, this process will take several minutes. These same skills are used by soldiers in the military across the globe. On the battlefield, they only have up five seconds to figure out what to do."
Some of the heroes' eyes bulged when they heard that. It was outlandish to think how a person could accomplish observations and react in only a few seconds.
Akuma attacks could last from a few minutes to hours depending on their powers. Shadowmoth had been pushing the Akumas to retrieve Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculouses through increasing violent acts. Attacks that could even kill them.
Peace Keeper knew what everyone was thinking. "I want you to stop imagining the worst case scenario. Forget about Shadowmoth and the Akumas for now. Everyone needs to take a deep breath in and then let it out."
The teenagers did what she asked a few times. Once everyone was calm Peace Keeper explained the exercise they would be using to help hone their observations skills.
"Each of you will receive a small box containing up to five items. You will have ten minutes to memorize the items before you close the boxes. Think about how each item is connected."
"After fifteen minutes, I will bring up an image of an Akuma corresponding to one of the boxes. It will be your job to tell me which item in the box is missing from the Akuma. Then explain why the object might be hidden somewhere else."
Back at the apartment, Su-Han had to admit to himself, he was slightly impressed by how Peace Keeper was handling the lesson. She was direct, focused, and kind, to the teenagers. He had never used kindness to help motivate potential wielders, only fear to make them work harder.
After the allotted time had passed, Peace Keeper brought up the first image of a made-up Akuma onto the screen. She had designed it to appear as a deranged accountant.
"Which of you had the box containing the Crazy Count items?"
Street-Rat raised her hand. She recognized the calculator attached to the man's chest as the same one in her box.
Peace Keeper asked her what objects from the box were visible and what the missing one was. Street-Rat scrunched her eyes as she tried to recall everything she had seen.
"The calculator, glasses, and a planner, are from the box. The missing item is an account book."
The young woman asked Street-Rat why the account book might be missing, yet it was the akumatized item.
"The account book is a personal item that is vital to an accountant. The item might be hidden in a cubby or desk drawer instead of on the man's body. The personal connection would help establish the link."
Peace Keeper beamed at the teenager and congratulated her quick thinking. One by one, each hero managed to pass the activity, even if it took a few tries for some wielders. King Monkey finally got his right on his eighth try after Xuppo sent him a mental message to help the boy figure it out.
The intense mental exercise had made many of the wielders antsy. So, Ladybug and Chat Noir decided everyone should have a chance to spar before calling it a night.
Peace Keeper paid close attention to the spars knowing her father and the Celestial Guardian were watching the live feed. She focused her attention on the sparring between Sirius and Viperion.
Sirius had improved his fighting skills. He blocked Viperion's hand strikes with ease. The two boys circle each other waiting for the other to make the first move.
Sirius made the first move targeting a punch for Viperion's right shoulder. The boy moved to counter it only for Sirius to rotate away. Caught off guard, he couldn't recover as the punch struck his left shoulder.
Viperion formed the time-out sign to pause the sparring match. "That was a great feint, Sirius. You caught me off guard. I didn't even hear your song switch pitches before you struck."
"Thank you. You have become more fluid with your movements so I needed to recalculate where to throw my punch," Sirius informed the snake wielder. The two boys laughed and went back to their sparring match.
Kkachi was sparring against Ladybug while Honorra gave her wielder helpful advice. At the moment, Ladybug had the other girl's arm behind her back.
"Remember, your cape is detachable. Don't worry if you need to slip it off to fight," Honorra chirped vociferously.
Ladybug lessened her grip slightly so that Kkachi could practice this move. Once Kkachi was free, they started to fight again. A few minutes in Honorra asked Ladybug to stop for a minute.
Honorra hovered in front of Kkachi. "I know the enhancement suit isn't the same as your heroine costume. I like to point out a slight difference if you wouldn't mind."
"Go ahead. I appreciate any help you can give me," Kkachi replied in a soft voice.
"Your balance is slightly off. With the suit, you're putting most of your balance on the heel. You should be spreading your weight evenly throughout the foot. It will help keep you steady."
Kkachi nodded and distributed her weight evenly. The next time Ladybug came after her, Kkachi was able to block the attack and follow up with her own, without getting off balance.
Honorra praised her wielder and then cuddled her cheek tightly. "I'm so proud of you, Kkachi!"
Su-Han's jaw unclenched slightly. He had never seen the need to cultivate friendship with the Kwamiis. They were powerful gods that needed to be controlled so they didn't harm the world.
What he had just witnessed made him comprehend that he might be wrong about that. Kkachi benefited from having a close relationship with Honorra. Even when they weren't transformed, it was clear how much they learned from one another.
"Why do Kkachi and Bunnyx not use the kwami charms during their training?" Su-Han asked Fu.
"Honorra's condition makes it unwise to use her charm until she's completely healed. As for Bunnyx, Fluff's power is dangerous if not used properly."
"The heir to her power is young and reckless at times. She hasn't developed the discipline and strength to handle the kwami charm. That is why Ning wears it instead."
"I don't understand why you or the Kwamiis gave her so many charms. There was a reason recruits were only supposed to use one at a time," Su-Han remarked.
"Ning is different than anyone else on Earth. Her talent and skills are exceptionally powerful. Teaching her to control that power is a worthwhile endeavor," Master Fu replied with fatherly pride.
Su-Han didn't reply. He was instead going over what he had witnessed on the computer screen. He would have never chosen teenagers to wield the Miraculouses. Nor would he have conducted a training session the way Peace Keeper did.
That being said, he couldn't argue that the results were equal to his methods. Perhaps, even better. Each hero was a perfect match for the Miraculous they had been given.
They pushed themselves to get better as individuals and teammates. Ladybug and Chat Noir ensured that everyone kept their secret identity. Shadowmoth and Mayura had yet to find the team's secret training area.
He didn't notice a row of the tattoos had faded. It was a step in the right direction.
In the morning, Marianne decided to ask if Ning wanted to go to breakfast at a nearby café. The young woman was putting the finishing touches on her disguise when she entered the room.
"Good morning, Ning." The elderly woman smiled playfully when she realized she had spooked the secret agent.
Ning turned to face the woman. "Good morning, Ms. Marianne. How are you doing today?"
Marianne chuckled before replying, "Wonderful dear, simply wonderful. What are you doing right now?" She pointed to the unfinished part of Ning's face.
"Oh, just putting the finishing touches to my disguised persona during this trip." The young woman finished applying the makeup putty. She then pinned her hair underneath her wig.
Ning was once again Nicole Gardien, a liaison between the UN and local government officials. This was the first alias she had used in Paris. It felt right to step back into Nicole Gardien's shoes.
The young woman carefully checked her reflection in a hand mirror making sure everything was in place. Everything was satisfactory. Putting down the mirror she looked at Marianne.
"Is there something else you wanted to ask me?"
"Yes, why don't you join me for breakfast at that little café a few streets down from here. It will give us a chance to get to know each other better."
At the café, Nicole couldn't stop shaking. This persona had assisted in getting local law enforcement and a peacekeeping team to work together to clean up the city. Why was she terrified by an old woman?
After ordering some baguettes and orange juice, the two women stared at one another. Each unsure of what to ask the other about.
"Ning…I mean Nicole, is Paris the only city you've visited in France?"
The younger woman relaxed and replied. "No, I have visited Lyons and Marsalis before. I once visited Bordeaux for a few days while keeping a watchful eye on several representatives on a retreat."
Folding her hands, Nicole explained how even before she knew her father lived here, Paris had a special place in her heart. "The Eiffel Tower was one of the first landmarks I was taught about."
Their meal arrived then. Taking a small sip of her juice Nicole continued her story. "I found it fascinating that the city that once hated the tower learned to love it and make it an iconic monument."
Marianne knew what she meant. Over the years, many unsightly places had been transformed into national monuments. At one point in London's history, there were plans to tear down the Big Ben Clock Tower. Now it was a helpful reminder of times past.
There were a few minutes of silence between them. "How would you like to hear about what it was like living here when the Nazis were in control of Paris? I actually met your father a year before the takeover."
Ning/Nicole listened with rapt attention as she learned more about her father's past. She learned he used to be a librarian. Marianne met him when she was looking for books on France's cultural history.
"He enjoyed history almost as much as I did. He would talk to me about historical events as if he had been there himself. I didn't realize until later, he had been around during some of them."
The old woman ran a finger around the rim of her glass. "We fell in love in a matter of months. It was hard for him though. He told me about his first love Shufen."
Ning/Nicole felt a wave of sadness. "He mentioned her to me as well. She was a wonderful and caring soul. He once said her beauty reminded him of the moon as it glowed in the night."
Marianne nodded as she remembered her beloved had regretted letting his first love go because he chose honor over love. He said if he ever found love again, he would make sure to have time for both.
"He only trusted me with his secrets about three months before the takeover. It was the hardest choice he ever made to trust someone else with his secret. He was terrified that I would think he was senile."
"But you didn't. You believed him and kept his confidence. Do you know how the Nazis heard about the Miraculouses?"
Marianne frowned as she recollected that part of her life. "Hitler was obsessed with procuring historical artifacts to prove his superiority. He learned about the Miraculouses from a book of legends."
"I'm not exactly sure how he figured out they were in France. Getting the Miraculouses was the biggest reason for the invasion. I stayed behind to fight and Fu left."
"I don't know how he did it, but he made it to China where he stayed for several years. Each year sending me on the day we met to let me know he was still alive."
Ning/Nicole smiled. "I met him in China. He was an antique dealer in Beijing. He saved me from a street gang before taking me to his home. I remember playing with Wayzz, delighted to have a friend."
Taking a bite out of her breakfast, she resumed her tale. "Those three days with Father and Wayzz were the best days of my childhood. No expectations, just kindness, and love."
"That's just the kind of man your father is. He brings the best out of people."
"Indeed he does. That's why I'm grateful that you're in his life," Ning/Nicole commented. The two ladies shared a look before going back to the breakfast.
The rest of the day went by very fast. The only remarkable part was when Adrien and Marinette picked up Glitter and Jaggy. Jaggy of course wanted to be with Adrien because of their matching "fur."
Glitter preferred Marinette because of her creative use of color.
Finally, it was Saturday night. Ivan, Nathaniel, and Marc all left to their homes going in different directions. Mylene and Sabrina were also going in different directions.
When Mylene arrived at the address designated in the letter she found herself in a parking garage. "Hello?" her voiced echoed through the levels. "Is anyone there?"
"I'm here Mylene," Ladybug said as she swung down to the bottom level. "I'm delighted that you came."
Mylene looked pretty flustered. "I was…very…shocked that you…wanted me on your team. I'm not brave enough…to be…a heroine."
Ladybug placed a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder. "I've been observing you for a few days now. I know you can do this. I need you to trust me right now."
She handed Mylene a blindfold and a voice-changing device. "We have to pick up another recruit and we have to keep everyone's identity a secret. I promise I won't drop you. Now hold on."
Mylene wrapped her arms around Ladybug's chest and off they flew. As they approached the next pick-up spot the teenager put on the blindfold and brought the voice changer up to her throat.
Ladybug landed on a rooftop. "Sit still, I'll be right back." Within a few minutes, Mylene heard Ladybug's footsteps back on the roof with someone new.
"Alright, this next part is tricky, but I need both of you to hold on to me while I'm swinging. We're only going a short distance but I need you to both to avoid moving much."
The blindfolded girls gave the heroine uneasy smiles. Hanging on tight, the girls tried not to scream as they hurtled through the air at an alarming speed. The next ten minutes felt like ten hours.
Ladybug touched down in one of the smaller parks in the city. It was out of Shadowmoth's empathic range so if the recruits got upset he couldn't akumatized them.
As the girls sat down in the grass, Chat Noir arrived with the last recruit, Marc. "Glad to see I made it on time My Lady. I wouldn't want to be late for our date."
Ladybug rolled her eyes at him. "Enough joking around Chat Noir. We don't want to keep our recruits up all night," she chided him.
Turning their attention to their classmates, it was easy to tell they were nervous. Once more, Chat Noir tried to lighten the mood. "Hey, stop worrying people. We wouldn't have invited you to be heroes if you weren't the cat's meow."
"Why do you think we can be heroes? Just because you met us several times while saving us from Akumas or being one?" Marc questioned. His voice changer made him sound like a five-year-old girl.
"That may have been how we met, but it doesn't change the fact we believe each of you has something to offer in the fight against Shadowmoth and Mayura," Ladybug responded.
Chat told each one of them had skills worthy of being heroes. Acting, drawing, and writing would be very helpful. He added he was impressed by their organization and coaching skills.
Mylene bit her lip. "Our skills are helpful I'll coincide. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm not really athletic." Her voice changer made her sound like an old man.
"I don't even know how to throw a punch," Nathaniel added in. His voice came out sounding like a haughty woman's.
Chat Noir assured them that the Miraculous enhanced all the basics, such as balance and strength. Ladybug also mentioned they could come to training sessions to get better.
Ivan was still concerned. "Can they protect us from injuries or death? I don't want to be involved if I'm going to leave my family grieving." His voice changer made him sound like he was from the American West.
"To a degree they protect us. We can get injured badly. Some akumas have caused near deaths before. You have to decide for yourself if you want to take that risk," Ladybug informed him.
The boy slumped hearing this. He didn't like anyone getting hurt. That's why he intimidated people to prevent people from fighting. Could he fight an Akuma directly?
Sabrina spoke cautiously. "What do you want us to do as part of the tryouts?" Her voice sounded like a telemarketer.
"Tonight, all you have to do is answer a few questions and then make friends with the Kwamiis, the little gods that power our Miraculouses, to see if you're a good fit."
That didn't sound too bad to Sabrina. Plus, it would be nice to make a new friend. She couldn't see the others but felt that they agreed with her on this point.
Each recruited was escorted to a different location in the park. They were then given a clipboard and pencil to answer the questions.
Removing his blindfold, Nathaniel looked at the test. The questions reminded him of tests for careers or personality. There were twenty in all and he had a half-hour to answer them.
"Question one. Who would you help first when dealing with a police emergency? A: The police. B: Civilians. C: The victims. D: None of the above."
The artist closed his eyes and tried to imagine what he would do if he was the hero in this situation. Helping the police would help everyone at once. However, getting the civilians out first would reduce the number of casualties.
The victims would need the most help. Yet wouldn't there be people already on hand to help the victims? What was the right answer?
"There is no right or wrong answer. Ladybug wouldn't give a test like that. I need to answer each question to the best of my ability. I would help the civilians find safety."
The others were beginning to comprehend that. Mylene had been agonizing over Question Seven: What is the best quality in a hero? A: Compassion. B: Determination. C: Innocence. D. None of the above.
"If I was a heroine I think compassion is the most important quality.
Thirty minutes passed and the group was brought back together. Chat collect the tests. "We're going to be looking over your answers while you meet with the Kwamiis."
Each recruit was given a box and told to open it. They did and even blindfolded, they could see the flash through them.
Sabrina felt something bump her forehead before landing on her palm. "I'm Ziggy and I'm a goat-like kwami."
"Can I pet you?"
"Sure."
Sabrina petted the kwami. She felt Ziggy's horn and little tail. "You feel cute. Do you think we'll be a good match?"
"I have a good feeling about you. I think we'll do great things together."
Later, the heroes took the Kwamiis back and took the recruits home. Each one was instructed to get some rest. Tomorrow night, they would be completing the tryouts.
The next day, Marc spent most of the morning writing down possible names for himself. He had been given Orikko. The little rooster had been excited about having a wielder. To be making a difference again.
"What would be the perfect name for me? It has to relate to the rooster in some way. I also need to make sure it's not something embarrassing. I don't want to defeat Akumas by making them laugh themselves to exhaustion."
Over at Nathaniel's house, he was in his room designing what kind of costume he wanted to wear. Being a tiger was a chance for him to stand out and look fierce.
He was playing around with the design. He knew a majority of the costume would be magenta because of Roarr's fur color. That stripes would be black, but what kind of costume worked best for him?"
He looked at his current design. He was wearing an armor-plated bodysuit. The outer portions were black while the inner portion was magenta. The suit came with a pair of magenta gloves with the panjas bracelet covering the right one.
He liked the ankle-high black boots with magenta zippers. The final part was the black mask with his eyes now orange.
"This is a great outfit. Now, what should my name be?"
That night was tryout night part two. As usual, Ladybug gathered the girls, and Chat Noir got the boys. The heroes knew that the recruits would be nervous transforming for the first time.
Ladybug arrived at Mylene's home first because it was closer. The curvaceous girl had left her bedroom window open for Ladybug to swing into.
Landing in Mylene's bedroom she saw the girl waiting anxiously on her bed. "Are you ready for this?"
"I think so," Mylene said as she took the little box. She opened it and was able to meet Kaalik properly this time.
"It is wonderful to see you again Mylene. I know you'll use my power of conservation well. Your offensive power is Reuse. Your defensive is Reduce. As for my transformation phase my name then the word Enclosure. Ready?"
"As I'll ever be," Mylene replied slipping on the sunglasses. "Kaalik, Enclosure!"
Kaalik was pulled into the glasses and they turned into silver goggles with orange lenses. Her braids came undone as her hair was pulled into a high ponytail.
Lastly, a rider's helmet appeared on her head with space for the ponytail to come out of it.
Two gray pieces of shoulder armor appeared. Followed by a brown rider's jacket with a white shirt underneath. Two panels of the jacket had been removed to reveal parts of the shirt.
Her riding pants alternated between gray and brown. She had gray riding gloves and brown boots. A belt formed around the waste where two horseshoes hung.
Once the transformation was done, the teenager looked down at herself in astonishment. "Whoa, my costume looks better than I imagined. I think my superhero name will be Eponia."
"Glad to meet you Eponia. Let's go get the next recruit."
They hurried in the direction of Sabrina's home. When they were closer to the house, Ladybug asked Eponia to wait on the roof for her. The horse girl nodded as she turned away from the heroine so she couldn't see where she went.
About ten minutes later Ladybug returned with the other female recruit calling herself Amalthea. The other heroine looked amazing in her costume.
The black and white hair ornaments looked nice in her red hair. She had thick black and white wraparound glasses over her eyes.
Her uniform had a small scoop neckline. The top part consisted of black and white diamond shapes. Her shoulders and wrists were covered in white armor with black fabric in between the armor.
The lower part of the suit was black with white piping. White armored tennis shoes covered her feet. Her hands were covered in black gloves with spikes on them. Around her waist was a white belt with a black bident sticking out the back.
"You both look good. Just follow me and I'll…" she was interrupted by her yo-yo ringing loudly.
She answered it. Before she could say anything Chat Noir's voice shouted. "AKUMA ALERT!"
"Chat, give me the details now!"
"Bob Roth's been turned into Producer King. He can make anything he zaps into a mountain of euros. He's after law enforcement and yelling at them how they're not going to be taking away his money."
Ladybug sighed. "He's probably being investigated for misuse of funds. He must have attracted the akuma because of his anger. You and the male recruits head out and try to contain him."
"I'll bring my recruits and we'll work together to defeat the Akuma." She shut her yo-yo and turned her head. "Sorry, but it looks like your tryouts have become an actual battle. We need all the help we can get, so come on."
Chat Noir was running towards the Akuma. Producer King was marching through the streets heading towards the bank. The Akuma was one of the worst dressed supervillains ever.
He was wearing a horrible gold-colored pleather suit with a real silver tie. His shoes were thick army boots encrusted with ten karat diamonds. He wore platinum gauntlets over his hands.
A thick bronze dollar sign symbol was used as a broach for his long purple cape. On his head was a giant crown. He wore a bedazzled mask over his eyes.
"I'm the Producer King and I demand all of Paris to produce their earnings so I can collect them!" He yelled.
The boys landed on a rooftop observing the Akuma from above. Nathaniel, no Sumatran stood next to Chat Noir's right. To Chat Noir's left was Blue-Ox and next to Sumatran was Barcello.
Blue-Ox wore a large helmet over his face. On the side were bull horns. The suit was navy blue and had chain mail on top of a lighter blue tunic. His sleeves were the same ending in black and blue gloves of his hands
The chain mail continued over tight black pants. Black and blue armored boots with the souls shaped like hoofs.
Barcello's hair was shaped like a rooster's comb. A red face mask covered the lower half of his face. A tiny orange domino mask covered his eyes. The suit came with a tailcoat.
The colors followed an ombre pattern going from red, orange, and yellow. Except for the coattails which were bright green. He wore low-heeled boots. He wore green gauntlets with two short blades inside them.
"What's the plan, Chat Noir? What should we do?"
"Our main job is to distract Producer King until Ladybug gets here. We also need to get as many people out of the area before their turned into cash. Sumatran, you're with me. Barcello, Blue-Ox, take care of the civilians. Remember, don't use your powers if you can avoid it."
The boys split up. The two cat heroes pounced from above. Chat Noir dived and shot his baton out. It hit Producer King's crown and didn't leave a mark on it.
Producer King looked up and jumped out the way as Chat Noir landed in front of him. "Ha, you think you can take my crown Chat Noir? Nobody's touching my crown!"
A low growl was all the Akuma heard before something sharp cut into the back of his head. He twisted around shooting off a platinum beam. Sumatran dodged it. The beam hit a civilian right before they could reach safety in a building.
The number of euros left behind was ridiculous. A person's life was worth forty thousand euros? Sumatran flexed his fingers. An inch and half claws popped out of the tips.
"A person's life isn't one of monetary value," he growled.
"Says you. Take this!" Producer King fired more beams only to have his feet swept from under him.
"Did you forget little old me?" Chat Noir questioned innocently. "Am I that forgettable?"
As Chat and Sumatran fought with Producer King, Barcello and Blue-Ox were helping the last of the civilians get to safety.
Blue-Ox was carrying three elderly people down to a subway station. "We're almost down there. Hold on."
"Who are you?" a kind old woman (Marianne) asked.
"Blue-Ox, Ms."
Blue-Ox reached the platform and set the three elders down. "You should be safe down here. Don't go back up until you get the all-clear alert on your phones."
Back on the street, Barcello was using his gauntlet blades to free some civilians who got trapped under a store canopy. "Take it easy, I got you," he said as helped an elderly man (Master Fu), get out. "Are you alright sir?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you, young man."
"You're welcome. I need you and the others to clear the area."
Master Fu nodded and led the civilians in the opposite direction.
Barcello looked around to see if there were any civilians left. Instead, he was kicked in the center of his back, sending him skidding several feet away. He got up and dodged a thrown battle fan.
Mayura caught it as it came back to her. "Three, new heroes. Nice to know Ladybug and Chat Noir are overwhelmed by Shadowmoth's newest Akuma."
"They just wanted more help kicking your butt," Barcello stated, hoping she didn't hear the slight fear in his voice.
"We will see about that," Mayura retorted as she moved in for the attack. All that training had paid off as she put a beat down on Barcello. The so-called hero could barely block her attacks.
Barcello fell back and taunted the villainess to come closer. Taking the bait, she rushed him. When she was about three feet from him, she was hit from the side by what felt like a cement truck.
The force was enough to cause her to land in a dumpster three blocks away. Peeling off the garbage she leaped back towards the fight.
She was in midair when her weapon was knocked out of her hand by a horseshoe.
Stunned, she missed the landing and rolled into the street adjacent. She sprang to her feet as two more new heroes appeared in front of her. She heard footfalls behind her.
Soon she was surrounded by all five new heroes. She eyed them all as she quickly observed and planned her next move.
"You five think you can take me? Thing again!" She pulled a vial full of a white liquid. It didn't match any known power-up potion.
It was an experimental formula she had come up with. The potion contained salt, holy water, and lilies. The binding ingredient was three drops of blood.
"Regal Shimmer!" The heroes were blinded by the blue light. Instead of being used in the manner, it was intended for, Mayura had manipulated the power to act as a flash bomb.
The heroes were blinded for five seconds as a boom was heard afterwards causing them all to lose their balance.
The afterimages impaired their vision making it difficult to see anything. The five of them vaguely saw Mayura's appearance change, but couldn't tell what it was.
"Everyone, call out!" Barcello yelled. He heard the others and determined they were only a few feet away from where they started. "We need to find each other and work together to take down Mayura!"
Blue-Ox was calling out when something pulled him halfway through the street. "Hey! Help!"
"I'm coming!" Eponia shouted. She squinted and saw the outline of someone reaching for Blue-Ox's Miraculous.
She hurled both horseshoes. One went off course. The other passed through the person's hand. It didn't harm them, but the person did flinch and move away from Blue-Ox.
Amalthea swung her bident around hoping to hit someone. It connected with something and when she pulled back, she could make out that it was a blue cloak.
Something came hurtling at her face and Amalthea hit the ground dropping the cloak. Someone snatched it up and moved to take her hair ornaments only for Sumatran to tackle them.
Most of Sumatran's sight had returned. He could see he was on top of Mayura. Parts of her were transparent, and others were solid.
Her eyes were flashing from black to their normal color. The woman pushed him off with both hands. She pushed herself upright only to fall on all fours.
By this time, everyone's sight had fully returned. Mayura's new outfit was a blue cape with green lining on the inside with a hood attachment. She wore green opera gloves, and her blue dress reached to her knees. Her footwear had changed to a comfortable pair of flats.
The biggest change was that she was partially transparent with her right hand stuck inside the street. The villainess was panting and looked a little nauseous.
"That potion must have given her ghost-like powers," Eponia said in disbelief.
"I don't think she made it right!" Amalthea said as she got closer. Indeed, Mayura's body was starting to fade from sight. The woman didn't seem to be aware of what was going on.
They needed to do something and fast! They looked at one another, trying to figure out what the first step was.
Back with Producer King, Ladybug was barely able to avoid being turned into money as she ducked and dodged his energy beams. One of the beams was coming after her right now.
She twirled her yo-yo forming a shield that blocked the attack. Instead of turning into cash, the yo-yo shrank in size.
The same thing happened to Chat Noir's baton as he shielded Ladybug from the next attack. "Our paycheck is getting smaller, My Lady."
"We have to stop him before he causes anymore harm."
Producer King heard what she said and exploded in anger. "NO ONE IS STOPPING ME! I'm taking my money back right now!"
His hands lit up like a disco ball and the beams penetrated through the windows of the buildings. Civilians that believed they were safe inside quickly dissolved into huge piles of euros.
Outside, Officer Roger and two police offers appeared on the scene. They pointed their guns at Producer King. "Stop right there! Bob Roth, you're under arrest for gross misuse of funds!"
Producer King laughed. "You're going to arrest a king? I don't think so. Prepare to pay your taxes!" Bringing his hands together, Producer King fired a huge blast at the cops.
The cops shot rounds at the beams which dissolved into gold coins. The cops screamed as they were turned into money. Producer King leaned down to pick up a few coins.
He laughed and threw them into the air. "I'm rich! I'm the richest man in Paris."
A yo-yo wrapped around his waist and pulled him away from the money piles.
"This has gone on too long," Ladybug commented as she spun around building up momentum. Despite its smaller size it was still at its standard strength. She released her hold and sent the Akuma into a wall.
As the Akuma attempted to recover from the hit, she threw her yo-yo into the air. "Lucky Charm!" A diamond ring fell into her hands.
"I hope you're not planning to propose My Lady," Chat Noir quipped.
"Give me a second." Her eyes roamed the area. It highlighted Chat Noir's baton, the ring, as well as, Producer King and the man's broach."
Ladybug snapped her fingers. "I got it!" She grabbed her partner's weapon and slipped the ring on the baton. "Get as close as you can before shoving your baton into his hands right before he fires. The resulting explosion will give me a chance to snatch up his broach so I can purify it."
"On it My Lady!" The plan worked perfectly. She hoped by using Miraculous Ladybug Mayura would be stopped.
Chat checked his baton computer. "The others are still fighting. Mayura must be using new on them otherwise the fight would be over."
"I'll call Peace Keeper to check it out.
When the Miraculous Ladybug didn't work, the newbies knew they had to solve their problem by themselves.
Eponia realized the first thing they had to do was get that potion out of the woman's system. She spotted the discarded vial in the middle of the street.
She ran over and picked it up. Holding it out in front of her, she used her offensive power. "Reuse!"
The vial glowed as the white potion poured out of Mayura's mouth and into the vial. She capped it and hurried away when she heard the beeping. It was up to the others to take over.
Amalthea was up next. She grabbed Mayura by the arms, the only part of the body still solid. "Offering!"
Offering was the power to give something up (a sacrifice) in exchange for something else. Two diamond shapes, one white and the other black, formed over Amalthea and Mayura's heads.
Amalthea made the trade mentally. She would give up one day of health to Mayura to save her life.
Mayura became solid again. The goat heroine ran away to hide the second she released the woman.
The villainess was on her knees, checking her body over. Once she confirmed her solidity, she leaped to her feet and started to use her other power, "Raging…!"
Sumatran interrupted her with his power. "Desire!" Since Roarr was the Kwami of Passion, his power gave his wielder free rein to use his passion to achieve his goal.
Using his art skills, he drew a gag over Mayura's mouth. This prevented her from using her other power.
"Dang it," Sumatran whispered to himself as he also took off to hide.
Barcello and Blue-Ox were the only ones left. Seeing that she couldn't use her powers, Mayura started running up the side of a building.
Barcello couldn't allow her to get away! "Allegiance!" he crowed.
Mayura stumbled as Barcello's power took hold. Allegiance was a power used to inspire people to help the wielder. On villains, it compelled them to give up their dreams.
The peacock wielder snagged a window sill as she struggled to remain in place. She just needed to hang on for five minutes, and the compulsion would go away.
"Possession!" Blue-Ox called out. The power allowed the wielder to claim one item from the target, but it had to be of something of financial or sentimental wealth.
The Miraculous didn't appear in Blue-Ox's palm. Miraculouses were the one thing it couldn't summon. However, he did relieve Mayura of her weapon. The two remaining heroes were holding out until their last minute to get Mayura.
The woman bit herself hard. The pain from the bite overwhelmed her and canceled out each of the boys' powers. Getting to the roof, she took off.
She was only one roof away when Glitter and Jaggy popped up behind her. The two Kwamiis nodded at each other. They had to try and slow her down.
Jaggy summoned a small amount of darkness. It was just enough to cause one rooftop light to go out.
Suddenly unable to see where she was going, Mayura halted. That's when a small flash of light made her cover her eyes. She needed to get out of there now. She could hear someone coming after her.
She blindly jumped and continued on her way until she arrived in a neighborhood far from the mansion. She released her transformation and started panting. She ignored Duusu ranting and called her boss.
"My potion failed Gabriel. I was given ghost-like powers for only two minutes before I started becoming one."
"That is disappointing to hear. Ladybug and Chat Noir made short work of Producer King. That awful necklace was too visible even when I changed it into a broach."
"I can confirm there were a total of five new wielders tonight. The boys had the tiger, ox, and rooster. The wielders of the goat and horse are girls."
"Intriguing. Then we will have to step up our game," Gabriel laughed in his lair. Those new heroes would fall to him as Ladybug and Chat Noir would shortly.