Chapter 2: Buzzer

Marinette looked on the internet for buzzers she could use to call Chat Noir while he was a civilian. Most were too bulky, had too many features, or cost above her range. Her parents had set up a teen bank account for her to use for babysitting and fashion commissions, but although she had some money, her parents had access to monitor her spending and she wouldn't be able to explain the online purchase, or the ATM cash withdrawal to get something at an electronics store.

She was sure that someone with technical expertise could custom-make something easily. Her own skills didn't include high tech. The best friends to help would be Max and his robot Markov. But could she approach them as Marinette? They would want to know why she needed it. But they would certainly help Ladybug, no questions asked.

Ladybug showed up at the window of Max's room that evening. He readily agreed to help, and to make a two-way system so that Chat Noir could also call her. He and Markov would use highly miniaturized electronics so that each buzzer would be about the size of a coin, easily hidden in a pocket or purse.

Gabriel Agreste spoke to his assistant Nathalie in her room.

"Forgive me, Sir. I have to confess that I used the Peacock again without your approval."

"What!? Why couldn't you wait? I have the formula to fix the Peacock Miraculous from the Guardian's tablet. The only delay is to find a source for meteoric gold, for the 'dust from the sky, now precious'."

"I'm sorry, Sir. I couldn't wait."

"You should have."

"I thought we should apply the knowledge we gained from Miracle Queen immediately. If we monitored the people who were picked as temporary heroes we might learn something."

"How are you monitoring them?"

"I created a sentimonster I call Optigami. It can merge with ordinary objects and transmit what it sees to my laptop. I have it patrolling in a regular cycle watching all of them."

Nathalie opened her laptop and showed him a circle of hero images with corresponding secret identities.

"Alya Césaire, aka Rena Rouge; Chloé Bourgeois, aka Queen Bee, Kagami Tsurugi, aka Ryuuko; Kim Nguyen, aka King Monkey..."

"Wait a moment," said Gabriel. "I thought Kim had a different family name when we looked him up."

"His mother remarried and his school registration has a different name, but Nguyen is the name he prefers to go by. Luka Couffaine, aka Viperion; Max, aka Pegasus; and Nino Lahiffe, aka Carapace."

"Have you learned anything?"

"They seem to be ordinary teenagers who spend their time between school and extracurricular activities."

"Then this is a waste of your time and health. Ladybug hasn't used them as heroes again, and probably won't if she's clever."

"But there's a reason I'm telling you about this today, Sir. Ladybug visited one of them, Max Kanté, not to give him the Horse Miraculous but for some other reason. Unfortunately, the only one facing Optigami is the robot, so there's no possibility of lip-reading. But after she left, he started an electronic project of some kind."

"He must be making something for her. Imagine if Optigami hides in the item he makes, and she takes it home!"

A few days later, Ladybug came back to Max and Markov. When she opened the window, Markov flew out.

"Ladybug, I need to speak with you," said the little robot. "And not in the room."

"All right, I'll talk to you outside," said Ladybug.

They went around the corner where they weren't in sight of the window.

"I periodically scan my surroundings to stay oriented," said Markov. "As our project for you was nearing completion I detected distorted shapes that resembled a pair of eyes, looking out from a picture in Max's room. It quickly vanished, but I recorded the image and it definitely looks suspicious."

Markov displayed the image on his face screen for a moment.

"Thank you for telling me, Markov," said Ladybug. "I think you were being watched by a sentimonster. I need to be prepared – Lucky Charm!"

She received a hammer, red with black spots.

"If I'm wrong, this will destroy a lot of your hard work for nothing. If I'm right, I can get it back with a Miraculous cure."

Ladybug entered the room with the hammer hidden behind her back. She stacked the two buzzers on top of each other as if to take them, then suddenly brought the hammer down on both.

The two buzzers cracked, and dark feather came out of the bottom one.

Ladybug swept it up with her yo-yo and purified it. Then she tossed the hammer up into the air, calling "Miraculous Ladybug!"

The swarm of magic ladybugs restored the devices to perfect condition.

Ladybug said, "Thank you, Max and Markov. You uncovered a sentimonster that was spying on me. If you hadn't, I might have taken these home and everything would have been lost."

"What should we do now?" asked Max.

"Keep an eye out for more of them. I doubt Hawk Moth will try the same thing again, but be careful. I'll pass the word to the others to be on guard, too."

Ladybug left with the devices. She decided they were safe to use, but she would warn Chat Noir to be very careful not to let his buzzer be seen since Hawk Moth knew what it looked like.