Night had fallen as Ning looked up at the sky. The eclipse was in its beginning stages as the moon moved into Earth's shadow. It wouldn't reach totality for about three hours.
When it did, the eclipse's magic would only last an hour. That was more than enough time for someone to come in and snatch the relic. Time was running out. Whoever she sensed at the dojo was no doubt waiting to get in the Sacred Cave.
"Why didn't you stay put, Marinette? I don't have time to search for you and find Fei before the eclipse reaches totality," she moaned to herself.
She needed help and fast. According to the criminal files, she had read earlier, Shifu Wu's dojo had been burned down after years of intimidation, harassment, and vandalism.
The main suspect was a man named Cash. He was well known for his intimidation and threats to get whatever he wanted. The authorities believed, he or a member of his gang, might have set the fire.
There was no hard evidence to support the theory so the man was free to roam. Even without evidence, a person like Cash would return to the scene of the crime to eliminate anyone who was a threat to his criminal empire.
The land the school had been built on was worth thousands of yuan. The property was being held by the city until Fei became of age. If Fei failed to appear at the realtor's office to register her claim in a set time frame, the property would revert to the city permanently. Only then could Cash buy it.
"According to Father, Shifu found Fei the night of the eclipse. The bracelet gives off a glow during the night of the eclipse until the sun rises. If Cash or his men were watching the dojo they might have noticed that."
If that man believed he could find treasure tonight there was no one to stop him from gaining the Prodigious.
She dialed Wang's phone number and hoped he wouldn't react violently when she told him about Marinette.
Wang picked up on the first ring. "Ms. Sun? I was just about to call you to find out if you were heading back to the restaurant. It's nearly time to prepare dinner and I was hoping to add in my niece's magical ingredient."
Before Ning could reply, Wang informed her that Adrien and his bodyguard would be joining them for dinner. They had arrived earlier and wanted to help make the birthday dinner.
"There might not be a dinner Mr. Cheng. Marinette was robbed by a thief when we were at The Bund. I gave chase, telling Marinette to stay put until I came back. I lost the thief in the crowd. The person made off with her purse and her earrings. When I came back to the corner, Marinette was gone!"
There was silence on the other end of the phone. The man was now very worried knowing the danger Marinette was in. "Why would she leave the corner?!" he asked anxiously.
Ning responded by saying if Marinette saw someone was in trouble she wouldn't hesitate to lend a helping hand. "I've been searching for her for a while now. I did find someone who gave her replacement earrings, but I've lost her trail."
"This is bad. I'll call the police and then join you to search for her," Wang stated anxiously.
"Before you do, you said that Adrien and his bodyguard were there? Can I please speak to Mr. Gorilla?"
Hesitantly, Wang gave the phone to the silent man. He couldn't hear what was being said, but the man's expression changed silently and he grunted an agreement.
Handing the phone back to Wang, Ning told him she would be back at the restaurant in fifteen minutes to pick up Adrien as her search partner. Ending the call, she called her father to ask him for some magical help.
When he heard her request he was a bit hesitant. "Are you sure you need it? It wouldn't be good if Hawkmoth learned about another Miraculous. We've barely managed to keep him from inquiring about the magpie."
"I think the situation warrants it. We need help to find Marinette so I can get back to looking for Fei. The mark on my hand is starting to glow a little. The Renlings must be getting anxious."
"Give me some time to prepare the package. This is going to take a great deal of magic to deliver it to you. I'll text you to let you know when it's ready to be sent."
"Thanks, Father. I knew I could count on you."
Half an hour later Adrien had joined the search for Marinette with Ning. After looking at a street map, Ning showed where she had searched before pointing to the last confirmed sighting of Marinette.
The adults decided to search from her last known location. Meanwhile, Ning and Adrien were going to check places that Marinette might go to normally. They would stay in touch by cellphones.
Adrien had transformed into his hero persona. Chat Noir could move faster and people might open up to a hero.
While Chat Noir pole-vaulted around, Ning continued on foot asking about Marinette and Fei. Most people she talked to knew nothing of value. She then caught a break.
A pedestrian stated she had seen two girls matching the descriptions she gave. "They were on a rental bike heading towards the pawnshops. I hope you find those girls soon. Many criminals use pawnshops to sell their stolen goods before they can be arrested," the young woman told Ning.
"Thank you for the information. Do you know the quickest way to get to that part of the city?"
The pedestrian gave her the directions as she typed them into her phone. After thanking the woman one more time she headed out. "Adrien, I got a lead. Marinette is heading to the pawnshop district. She's being accompanied by a girl who might be Shifu's daughter Fei."
"Awesome! I'll alert the adults. Should I meet you there afterwards?"
Glancing at the sky, the young woman made some fast calculations. "We can search the district quickly, but after fifteen minutes I need to head to the dojo to protect the Sacred Cave."
"Understood. I'll let the adults know about your detour if we don't locate Marinette."
Mr. Cheng was greatly relieved to receive Adrien's phone call. "They were able to get a lead. Marinette was heading to the pawnshops with a teenage girl. If she found someone who can communicate for her then I can worry less."
The Gorilla nodded in agreement. He was using a notepad to communicate. He would have tried speaking only he didn't have anything to drink to help soothe his throat while he spoke.
Perhaps he should start carrying a water bottle when his size wasn't needed to solve a problem. It would make communicating during emergencies easier. Instead, he wrote to his search partner if he knew the area where the pawnshops could be found.
"There are areas all over the city that contain pawnshops. I suspect though Marinette might be heading to one of the sleazier ones to look for her lost possessions."
"The area is not big enough for my car. Mass transportation does its best to avoid areas with lots of criminal activities. We'll have to walk or ride a rental bike. Do you know how to ride a bike?"
Gorilla nodded slowly. It had been years since he had ridden a bike because of his size. If they came across a bike that could handle his size and weight, he wouldn't protest using them.
As they walked towards their destination Mr. Cheng decided to fill the silence by telling the Gorilla about what it was like to help raise Marinette's mother.
"It was not easy to help raise a teenager. I love my family of course, but I never thought being a father was for me. I enjoyed my passion for cooking. I felt that my talents needed to be shared with the world."
"With my restaurant, I help all kinds of families make precious memories of love and happiness. Being part of those memories makes me feel as if I'm part of those families for just a moment."
Gorilla shared a look with Wang understanding what he meant. He felt the same way about Adrien. He had grown very fond of the boy and did his best to help the teenager feel loved.
He didn't understand why his employer showed very little affection towards his son. Not to mention Nathalie's lack of warmth or care towards the boy either while managing his schedule.
He couldn't verbally express his feeling to Adrien. Instead, he and Adrien had developed their own secret body language and expressions. The teenager knew he could trust his bodyguard to keep him safe and happy.
"I was so happy to hear that Marinette was coming to visit me for my birthday. I may have only met her once but it was enough to show she's very much her mother's daughter."
"She is kind, loving, and willing to help anyone in need. She's a good leader and has the passion to obtain her dreams." Pausing for a moment, he thought about his next words before speaking again.
"If you don't mind me saying, I think she's a good match for Adrien. She cares enough to put his feelings first and is always there to comfort him when he needs it."
Gorilla wrote something on his notepad and gave it to Wang. The bodyguard believed Adrien was also a good match for Marinette. He helped ground her when she was anxious. He encouraged her when she had doubts.
The two of them balanced each other out. They were their best selves when they worked together.
Eventually, the pair found some rental bikes that would accommodate their larger size and started biking towards their destination.
Chat Noir was jumping across low-level rooftops closer to the street. With all the giant skyscrapers around him, he was afraid to test how high and far he could go.
In Paris, there was only one skyscraper and it wasn't nearly as tall as these buildings. Even the Eiffel Tower was dwarfed by some of these buildings. "How can people live like this? Everything is packed tight enough to make a huge sandwich."
Jumping down to the street level he checked his baton's GPS while civilians around him took his picture. Many asking why he was in their country. He told them the same story everyone else had heard.
That he was here looking for a missing French citizen because a hero always helps their fellow countrymen or girl in this case. After confirming he was heading in the right direction he jumped back up to the rooftop and continued on his way.
Ning was heading in the same direction when she felt her palm getting colder. Ducking into a small square, she stood underneath a lamppost and examined her palm.
It was glowing red again as the chill made its way up her arm. The world faded away as she found herself in her mindscape with the Renlings once more outlined.
"Have you found our Renren yet?" the snake outline asked politely.
"Not yet, but I'm getting closer. I suspect she is with Tikki's wielder. A girl named Marinette."
The Renlings whispered among themselves. The holder of Miraculous of Creation would be the best protection their Renren could ever need.
"How soon do you think you'll be at the Sacred Cave? The totality is fast approaching," the bear outline questioned.
"I hope to be there before the eclipse reaches the right spot to reveal your hiding place. I promise, with or without Fei, you will have protectors when you need them."
"We trust you to accomplish your quest. We will be waiting," the dragon outline informed her before the real world came back into view.
Nothing will stop me from completing my mission Ning thought to herself. Her cell chirped letting her know there was a text message for her. The package was ready to deliver.
She texted her coordinates and waited. A few seconds she felt something being deposited in her pant pocket. She reached in and pulled out the item. Quickly checking the contents she put it back. It would come in handy later.
Fei and Marinette arrived in the seedy pawnshop distract. Fei was on edge looking around. "We need to be cautious here. Not everyone is friendly," she cautioned her new friend.
Marinette nodded not liking the feel of the neighborhood. The girls started looking around at the different stores. Fei let Marinette find her earrings. "Over here, Fei!"
The girls went inside and Marinette saw all her things for sale. Her phone and purse were next together. The earrings were shelved just above them. A glance at the crane machine in the corner showed Tikki hiding between the toys.
Marinette walked up to the counter where Cash was waiting for the girls. "Welcome to Cash's Golden Treasures. How may I be of service?"
"Mr. Cash, some of the items in your store belong to me. I was robbed earlier today and apparently, you bought them." Marinette pointed to her items. "I would be grateful if you would give them back to me."
Cash chuckled softly. "How can I be sure those items are yours? Do you have any proof to your claim?"
"Check the phone, please. You'll see my picture on the default screen."
"I checked the phone earlier when I purchased it. There was no sim card."
"I made that purse," Marinette stated as she pointed to her shirt to show the same design that was on the purse. "My ID should have been in the purse."
"There was no ID and just because you have the same design, doesn't mean this isn't part of a designer line."
"I made the toy inside. It looks like a ladybug with a few cute features. Such as little points on the back, the chubby arms, and the big spot above the eyes."
"You could have seen that toy in the machine. Let me guess, you're going to say those are your earrings because they're a family heirloom? In my line of work, anyone can claim I have their items, but without any real proof I can't give them back."
"If you want "your" items back, you'll need to pay for them." Seeing the defeated look in the girl's eyes he went in for the kill.
"All together these are worth 76,595. Adding five yuan for attempting to claim items without proof will round out to 76,600 yuan."
Marinette didn't know how much that was in euros, but judging by Fei's angry expression it was a lot.
The girl started ranting in Mandarin at Cash. Unbeknownst to Marinette, Fei was telling him the equivalent of 10,000 euros for items he paid her only 350 yuan was outrageous.
Cash replied that unless Fei wanted her companion to find out she was the one who stole the items in the first place, she would shut up. The teenager glared at him as he offered to let Marinette use his phone to call her great uncle for the money.
Marinette dialed the phone for the restaurant, but it just kept ringing until she got voice mail. "I'm sorry sir, but my great uncle isn't picking up. He must be searching for me."
"Then you should try his cell. If he doesn't pick up, then I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave. After all, I only deal with paying customers."
Marinette was starting to feel she was dealing with a greedy male version of Lila. What would happen if she couldn't reach her Uncle Wang? She couldn't leave without Tikki and the Miraculous.
She was biting her bottom lip as she tried to recall her uncle's cell number. With Cash's eyes on Marinette, Fei acted swiftly. She snatched the real earrings off the counter and swapped them with the fakes.
She was ready to snag the purse and other items from inside the case when something brushed against her foot. Looking down, she was stunned to see the purse on the floor.
Marinette had finally remembered her uncle's number and was about to start dialing. Fei crammed the purse inside her jacket's inner pocket before snatching the phone out of Marinette's hands and canceled the call.
"Fei! Why did you do that?" Marinette shouted angrily.
"Indeed. Don't you want your friend to get her items back?" Cash asked in a threatening tone of voice. "You brought her to my store for a reason."
The teenager could care less about his threats. "We'll be back with the money ourselves. You better not sell those items until then," she snarled back in Mandarin.
Cash watched as the petty thief dragged the girl out of the shop. He snapped his fan shut. "Where does that little thief think she's going to get that money? If she tries to rob an ATM she'll be caught by the police."
"I have no doubt they'll be back in a few minutes. I should up the price for leaving my store and returning. Time is money and I love money," the man chuckled.
He picked the earrings to put them back when he realized they weren't as heavy as before. Pulling out a magnifying glass he took a close look at the earrings and realized they were fakes.
He threw them angrily onto the counter where they bounced off. That's when he noticed the purse and its contents were missing. Storming over to the crane machine his blood boiled when he realized the little toy was missing.
"NO ONE CROSSES ME!" he thundered. He turned to his henchmen. "FIND THOSE GIRLS! I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DO TO THE THIEVING FEI! I JUST WANT THE OTHER GIRL BROUGHT BACK AND TIED UP!"
If he couldn't get his money from selling those items, he would be dammed if he didn't get by ransoming the girl's uncle for her safe return
A beauty like her would be worth a lot on the human trafficking market. Her uncle better be prepared to turn over his life savings and he might not sell her.
Meanwhile, Fei and Marinette were running for their lives. Normally the bluenette would be appalled by someone stealing. In this case, she would make an exception because it got her items without a hassle.
"We need to hurry! Once Cash realizes he's been robbed he'll send his goons after us."
"Lead the way," Marinette panted as she quickly put her Miraculous back on.
Fei came to an abrupt halt causing the other teen to crash into her back and fall to the ground. Looking past Fei, she saw those three boys from before yelling at Fei and gesturing towards herself.
At that moment, a giant trashcan was thrown in their direction. Scrambling to her feet, Marinette realized Cash's men had caught up with them. They made the Gorilla look like a teddy bear.
The men had weapons with them. A large bat, a chain, and lastly a pipe. The look in their eyes said they wouldn't hesitate to harm any of them.
Fei was at a loss of what to do. Even her Kung Fu couldn't help her take down six opponents at once. She was prepared to protect Marinette with her life.
Before Marinette could even contemplate transforming two small batons came flying through the air. One smashed into the head of the goon with the bat and the other knocked the pipe away.
Chat Noir dropped down into the fight with his silly grin. "Greetings gentlemen. I'm going to ask you to leave these ladies alone or otherwise, you're going to see how a French alley-cat fights," he retorted to the henchmen.
The three henchmen sized up the young hero and nodded at each other. They rushed him to give him the beating of the lifetime.
Chat Noir extend the baton and swung it catching all three of them in the stomach sending them crashing into items alongside the narrow alleyway.
The one with the chain swung it at Chat Noir who jumped in the air and avoided being hit by it. He did this a few times before drop kicking the man in the face.
The other two men were up again. The one who used to have a bat grabbed the lids of two garbage cans and hurled them at the blond teenager.
Chat manage to avoid one of them, but the second one nailed him in the shoulder. He dropped back trying to ignore the pain as he was rushed by one of the thugs.
He tried to jump over him, but was caught by his belt tail and slammed into the ground. He was about to be stomped to death when the three vigilantes boys came to his defense.
With the element of surprise, they managed to land a few hits on the thugs. Chat Noir shouted at the boys to get behind him. Calling on his defensive power, Feline Bluff, and he was able to scare the thugs so badly they ran away.
As he was being congratulated by the teenagers he noticed that Marinette and the girl she had been with had disappeared. This was not his day.
At the dojo, Gabriel was grinning in delight. The eclipse would soon reach its totality. All he needed was someone to come along and akumatize them. They could handle whatever protector was guarding the Prodigious.
"Soon Nooroo, very soon, I'll have a greater power to finally defeat Ladybug and Chat Noir."
"Master you are not thinking this through! You will not be able to escape the protector without facing his trial. A trial that would be impossible for you to win," Nooroo pleaded.
He couldn't recall the exact name of the protective spirit of the Prodigious was, but he knew that he was powerful, smart, and wouldn't take nonsense from any human.
"You're worrying too much Nooroo. Now, Nooroo Wings…." Gabriel went silent as he heard voices coming into the dojo. Slipping behind a pillar he was surprised to see Marinette walking with a teenager to a small living space he failed to notice earlier.
"This was your home before the fire?" Marinette questioned Fei.
The teenager remarked it was still her home. "Father loved this school and was very proud of it. I remember us practicing together by the waterfall enjoying the peace. It was as if the sounds of the city couldn't pass over the wall."
She offered Marinette some green tea and the two girls sat on the sleeping bag. Looking at her father's portrait she knew what he would want her to do.
"I have something to confess," she said as Marinette turned her head to look at her. "Everything that happened to you today was my fault. Losing your possessions, getting lost, and nearly getting attacked by Cash's thugs, was because of my selfishness and desire for revenge."
Marinette had no idea what Fei was talking about. She asked for an explanation.
Fei looked at her father's portrait once more and then started talking. How she had betrayed her father's teachings to become a thief to sell stolen goods for money. That she was going to use that money to pay Cash to find out who had burned down their home and murdered her father.
She went on how she had stolen Marinette's items thinking they would finally give her enough to learn the truth. She explained how she promised Cash she bring Marinette to the store so he could make a bundle selling her back her stuff.
She went on to talk about how her feelings had changed when she met Marinette. How she couldn't go through with Cash's demands. That the boys chasing them earlier had been after her for the earlier theft.
"I have lied, manipulated, and stolen from you. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness. I just couldn't let you leave until I confessed my actions."
Marinette shot to her feet and looked at Fei in revulsion. This nice girl, the one she had left to help despite Ning's warning, was the cause of all her problems today?!
How could she be so cruel? She knew how important the earrings were to her. It didn't matter that Fei had stolen them back. They wouldn't have been missing if she hadn't taken them in the first place!
She hated liars and people who used others for their own means! She had seen how desperate Fei was to find her father's killer and could sympathize with wanting to find out the truth. However, the truth should never come at the price of hurting someone.
Marinette wasn't sure what she was going to say to Fei. She was spared that when she heard someone walking towards them. Out of the darkness, Ning emerged carrying a flashlight.
"Marinette? Marinette! I'm so glad I found you!" The young woman hugged her charge. "We've been looking everywhere for you. The last lead we had sent me to some pawnshops."
"By the time I got there, you had fled according to some teenage boys I asked. They told me about your companion and the description matched the one from my father's letter."
"I came back hoping you would both be here and I'm glad I was right." After hugging Marinette once more, she approached Fei, who scrambled away unsure what the woman would do to her.
Ning held up her hands to show she was unarmed. She spoke gently to the girl in her native tongue, assuring her that she wasn't here to hurt her.
Fei wasn't sure she could trust her. After all, if she was Marinette's bodyguard wouldn't she want to get revenge on behalf of her charge?
The older woman explained she was just Marinette's travel chaperon. "I came here on behalf of my father. He was friends with your father Shifu. You might remember him. Short, goatee, and loves the color red?"
Fei vaguely recalled the man from when she was a child. She listened as Ning explained that their fathers were planning to meet tonight to exchange friendship gifts and watch the eclipse together."
"Why are you here instead of your father? How could he not know mine's been dead for over a year?"
"My father's old fashion. They exchanged letters over the years. Father got used to waiting months for a reply. He couldn't find anything specific about Shifu online. With his back acting up again, I promised to fill in for him."
Marinette watched the exchange and tried to figure out what they were saying. She recognized a few words. Father, friends, and eclipse. Did this mean this was the Fei they had been looking for?
She was brought out of her thoughts when a heavy stone flew past her head. Giving a startled cry she rushed behind Ning, who placed herself in front of both girls.
Reaching into her jacket pocket, she pulled out a Taser. It was a safer option than her gun and would give her better control of the situation than a knife would.
She had sensed the same dark presence inside the building remains. She could sense that person was still watching. This new presence was evil as well but gave off a different type of energy.
Cash stepped into the light eyeing Fei with a dangerous glint. "I knew a rat like you would come scampering back to your nest sooner or later. No one cheats Cash!"
He snapped his fan shut and pointed it towards Marinette. "You owe me a huge sum for those items! You pay me or you'll be the one for sale!"
"That's enough! Who are you and what do you want?" Ning snarled as she moved closer. She was analyzing the entire area already figuring out the best strategy to win a fight.
Cash seemed amused at the sight of Ning. "Let me guess? You're the bodyguard Fei described? You look like a leaf could blow you over. I don't know what they told you, but they stole from me and I demand to have my money right now!"
Ning locked eyes with the man making him twitch for a second. "Knowingly accepting stolen property and charging an exuberant amount of money for getting them back is possession and extorting. Both crimes could net you several years in prison."
"Who do you think you are lady? Some type of cop? I'll have you know I don't take well to cops meddling with my business. If you value your life and that of the girls you'll give me what I want."
Fei growled and snapped at him. "Is that all you care about? Money! I was never going to be able to pay for what you were offering was I?"
Cash gave a maniacal laugh. "Are you still that ignorant? Why would I tell you anything when you could keep bringing me money? Shifu's spirit must be very disappointed in you."
"His honorable daughter becoming a thief for the very man who was responsible for his death." At that moment the eclipse reached totality and the area was bathed in reddish moonlight.
Fei let out a cry of fury and propelled herself at Cash. She was aiming to separate Cash's head from his body. Marinette barely managed to hold her back. Ning lunged and tasered the man. "We need to go now!"
By now she had figured out who the other presence was. The sight of the approaching akuma was all the verification she needed. Ning took Fei by the arms and dragged her out of the building.
"Let me go! He has to pay!" Fei shouted as the other two women tried to drag her away from her home. "He needs to die!"
"Fei! Calm down! We need to get away before…" Marinette never finished because the thrashing teen bit her hand causing the heroine to loosen her grip on Fei's arm.
With one hand free, Fei managed to duck and twist out of Ning's grasp. Reacting quickly, she shoved the young woman into Marinette before rushing back to her home.
Ning pushed herself up and gasped. Her marked hand was freezing. The voices of the Renlings echoed in her mind. "DID YOU FIND OUR RENREN?" they all shouted at once.
"Yes! She's on her way to protect you now, but she doesn't have the key. An evil man known as Hawkmoth has it." Why else would Hawkmoth be hiding in the ruins unless he was waiting to use the key to get to the Sacred Cave?
"DON'T LET THIS EVIL CLAIM US! ASSIST HER!"
"I will, you can count on it." Clutching Plagg's kwami charm she sent a mental message to Chat Noir. He said he was on his way and would get there as soon as he could.
Looking over at Marinette, she was on the phone with uncle telling him where they were. There was a slight pause in the conversation and then she told him to get here quick.
"He said that Adrien's bodyguard sprained his ankle falling off a rental bike. He's dropping him off at the restaurant and coming here to help. Why did you drag us away from where we needed to be?"
"Because Hawkmoth was there! I saw an akuma heading for Cash's fan. He's after the relic and he's going to use Cash to get it without facing the protector's trial."
"We have to hurry! We can't let Hawkmoth get to the relic! I hope Chat gets here fast."
Ning replied she thought they would need a little more help than that considering the relic's power. Auspiciously, she had a hidden ace that she was interested in using.
Fei had raced back into the ruins of her home. She spotted a man in a purple suit ducking behind the waterfall. He was trying to get into the Sacred Cave.
Rushing through the water she kicked the suit guy off his feet and went after Cash. She didn't make it far when she had to jump back when blades of glistening gold nearly struck her.
King Cash smirked at her. His body was entirely made out of gold. His face was golden except for his shining white teeth and his brown eyes were much bigger.
His gold hair was still tight and slicked back and now had a bun-like shape on his head. On his chest was a Chinese coin with four characters depicted on it up, down, left, and right. The characters represented no, righteousness along with use, and money respectively.
His upper chest has darker golden lines going from his back to the circle in the middle, and the lower part was solid, with small solid gold bubbles on it. Above his chest on each side were pointy shoulder pads with a darker gold design on them.
His arms stuck out at the bottom of puffy sleeves on both sides which two flaps that ended with a long golden armband. He wore gold gloves that merged with his fingers.
Along with that were a lighter gold belt there were three overlapping pieces of fabric right below the belt. From the hip down to his knees, he had three flaps extending from his belt. These flaps stopped at his knees.
He had puffy pants under those flaps, almost resembling the sleeves that stop before his knee caps. His knees and downward were solid gold and uncovered.
His fan was now blue with a light yellow pattern, and a yellow at the end. It appeared the blades that had shot at her had come out of the fan.
"No one enters the Sacred Cave without permission!" Fei snapped. She went on the offensive. She got closer and tried to punch him, but he blocked her with his fan.
He was opening it to stab her with its blades only for her to jerk and pull herself through his legs and kicking him in the back. He stumbled about a foot only to turn around and try to cut her in half.
"You're keeping me from my treasure orphan! Get out of my way."
"No! I will protect the Sacred Cave from monsters like you!" She charged in again ready to strike him in the chest.
A gloved hand shot out and grabbed her wrist before twisting it slightly. Fei yelped in pain but didn't take her eyes off the man holding her prisoner.
"I've had enough people delaying me!" he shouted. Using his magical strength he flung her through the waterfall and towards the edge of the yard where she fell into a well.
She tried to climb out only the walls were too slick. She tried kicking the sides of the wall, hoping to reveal a hidden tunnel she could use to get back to the surface.
Nothing. She was trapped and no one knew she was here. Once more she had failed at her duties to be a good Renren.
Wang had parked his car a few blocks away and was running quickly towards the destroyed dojo. He was very worried about his grand-niece and her chaperon.
If that terrorist from France was here he didn't want anyone to get hurt by him. After all, when he had been akumatized he nearly murdered a bratty child.
He was almost to the building when he heard a whirring sound. He barely had time to see a yoyo wrapping around his body when he was yanked forward.
Partially hidden in a dark corner of the wall, he came face to face with Ladybug and a young woman dressed in what appeared to be a superhero suit. "Ladybug? What are you doing here?"
"I got an Akuma alert from your grand-niece and used a power-up to get here in record time. She and her chaperon have already been moved to a safe place."
"Then I need to go to her now!" the man insisted.
"I assure you they are both very safe. Right now, Peace Keeper and I, need your help to save another girl and protect a powerful magic relic."
Wang was surprised to hear that Ladybug wanted his help. Her friend, Peace Keeper stated that they couldn't wait any longer for Chat Noir if they wanted to stop the villain.
Ladybug held out a small box. "Wang Cheng, this box contains the Miraculous of Temperance. With it, you can help my team stop Hawkmoth and King Cash. Once the mission is done you will give me back the Miraculous and never mention this to anyone. Do you accept?"
Wang was shocked by this offer. He never thought about being a hero. He was determined to do his best to help bring some justice to his city.
Taking the box he opened it and caught of glimpse of five bluish-gray bangles before a light swirled around his head and flashed.
Hovering in from of him was a tiny bluish-gray being with a koala head and belly, with short stubby arms and legs, with a small diamond shaped tail. The being opened her eyes and looked around before locking eyes with Wang.
"Hello. My name is Balloon. What is your name good sir?"
"My name is Wang. It is an honor to meet you Madam Balloon."
Balloon was very pleased to have a kind and respectful man wielding her powers. "My power is Minimalist. You can reduce your opponent's powers to a modest degree so they shall be easier to defeat. Say my name along with pouch open to activate the transformation Say my name and say pouch close to drop the transformation."
Wang put on the five bangles, surprised when the Miraculous enlarged to fit his wrist. "Balloon, Pouch Open!"
Balloon zipped into the bangles as her magic spread across Wang's body. The transformation started with his limbs as they were covered in soft bluish-gray armor. His large chest, belly, and back were covered in heavy brownish lamellar armor.
On his feet, he was wearing simple flat shoes. A blue cloth belt hung around his waist with a tiny hatchet on it. He had on a hooded gray and brown mask covering the top part of his face.
"Call me Eucalyptus." The two ladies nodded before they jumped over the wall landing next to the well. They heard Fei yelling for help.
"Hold on, help's coming," Ning called down to the teenager, who blinked in surprise that someone had answered her call.
Ladybug dropped her yoyo down. "Wrap it around your waist and hold tight,' the spotted heroine instructed the Fei. Once she was secure. Eucalyptus helped pull her up.
"Thank you," Fei said brushing off the dirt from her clothes. "Who are you and are you with the man in the purple suit?"
They shook their heads. "I'm Ladybug, she's Peace Keeper, and this is Eucalyptus. We're heroes who help protect the world from magical terrorists or other dangerous threats."
"The relic that you're supposed to be guarding, the ones who power it called out me to find you and help you protect them. We need to hurry. Hawkmoth must not get his hands on the Prodigious."
"Can you take us to where they went?" the koala man asked.
Fei nodded and they followed her to the entrance of the Sacred Cave. The door had been sliced open by King Cash.
Quietly, they made their way down a long spiral staircase shaped like an Eastern dragon's body. The deeper they went the darker it got. The multiple colored crystals sticking out of the cavern walls glowed faintly, ensuring they didn't trip.
As they walked, Peace Keeper scanned the cavern with her magic filter and saw there were two sources of great magic at the bottom of the staircase. She also located the enemy.
"Hawkmoth and King Cash are approaching a wall with the relic hidden behind it. There is a statue that is filling with magic from the eclipse. Fei, did your father tell you anything about the Prodigious or its protector that we need to know?"
Fei shook her head trying to keep calm. Her father had chosen to be the next Renren, but he hadn't revealed everything to her before his murder. Anger danced in her eyes as she thought about how Cash had casually admitted he murdered a man.
Father, if you can hear me, I promise you will get your revenge. Cash won't be breathing after tonight.
They finally reached the bottom of the steps before hiding behind a few stone pillars in pairs of two. Peace Keeper and Eucalyptus were one and Ladybug and Fei was the other.
There was a giant stone wall on a raised platform. On the left side of the platform stood a humanoid lion statue which was navy blue wearing black armor with gold markings. A cyan sphere sat on top of his head and matched his eyes. In his hands, he held a golden orb.
Ladybug's eyes were drawn from the statue to the top of the cavern. The reddish moonlight was passing through the crystals until it hit a reflective orb. The light was focused on one spot.
The team held their breath as an indentation in the wall was made visible. Fei growled as she saw Hawkmoth inserting the bracelet key into it. She heard King Cash remarked how wealthy he had gotten from selling the man the bracelet.
Cash stole my bracelet to sell it to a magical terrorist?! I won't let him get a hold of my father's legacy!
Eucalyptus tapped Fei's shoulder and directed her attention to the statue. The cyan eyes were glowing, and to her astonishment, it started walking towards Hawkmoth.
"Halt! I am Mei Shi, protector of the Prodigious. Who am I addressing?"
"I am Hawkmoth, wielder of the Butterfly Miraculous. I hold the key to the Sacred Cave of the Prodigious. I am the Prodigious's new wielder."
He turned his back to Mei Shi and managed to grab hold of the ancient relic before he was spun around to face Mei Shi. King Cash moved to help only to pause when Hawkmoth held up his hand.
"You do have the Sacred Cave key. However, you must face my judgment if you are a worthy Renren to wield its powers," the humanoid lion informed him with a tiny growl.
The statue sat down and held out his orb. "Your trial begins now."
Hawkmoth laughed. "You're the one on trial. King Cash, turn him into a gold statue. He will be your treasure."
Before King Cash could act a smoke bomb was thrown between the evil men and burst open. The men started coughing trying to figure out who was attacking them.
Peace Keeper activated her jetpack and flew above the smoke. "Ladybug, Hawkmoth is to the right. Eucalyptus, King Cash is on the left. I'll direct you from above. Fei, stay hidden until we secure the Prodigious."
Ladybug ran through the smoke and tackled Hawkmoth to the ground. They both heard the Prodigious roll across the ground and clank against something.
"LADYBUG?!" Hawkmoth roared in anger. He pushed himself on top pinning the heroine to the ground. "Why are you always interfering with my plans?"
"Someone has to stop you," she replied as she hooked one foot around his thigh and pulled it painfully. The terrorist grip lessened and she managed to push him off of her.
She hurried over to where she heard the clanking sound only for Peace Keeper to yell from above, "He's right behind you!"
Ladybug ducked at the right moment to avoid the cane from splitting her head open. She spun her yoyo around making a shield as Hawkmoth attempted to bash her skull in.
King Cash was not having a good time. This koala man was keeping him from his treasure! He swiped his fan at different angles, cutting slices of crystals or rock in half, changing the terrain as he went. No matter what he did, the hero always evaded being squished or cut.
"Why won't you hold still?" the Akuma demanded. "If you don't get out of my way, you're going to be my next item for sale!"
Seeing the golden blades coming at him, Eucalyptus calmly used his magical hatchet to split the blades in half. Thanks to the Miraculous, he was able to maneuver quickly and jump around with ease.
"Your anger and greed are evenly matched," the new hero told King Cash. The Akuma charged him in an attempt to ram him in the stomach.
The hero let him get close before punching the Akuma's in the middle of his coin. The metal vibrated throughout King Cash's body, disorienting him.
"The sin of greed is defeated normally by the virtue of charity. Nevertheless, in this situation, the virtue of temperance is needed." Twirling the hatched in his dominant hand, Eucalyptus activated his power.
"Minimalist!" A swirling cloud of dark blue dust spiraled out from the twirling weapon. The dust connected with King Cash who started feeling very weak.
He attempted to retaliate by sending out more blades. The blades weren't as long and sharp as before. Their tips only turned a small area into gold.
The smoke had faded away by this time and both sides were occupied with each other. Using this opening, Peace Keeper's mask filters spotted the Prodigious wedged between two crystals.
She dove from the sky adjusting her body to be more streamlined. Hawkmoth saw where she was heading and tried to get there first.
They were both inches away when the supervillain was caught by his ankle and raised into the air. "NOOOOOOO!" he shouted as Peace Keeper snatched the magical relic.
Zooming over to Fei, she hovered above the girl. The smart thing would be to get out of the cave and far away. Looking into Fei's eyes Peace Keeper knew she couldn't stop fate from happening.
She held out the Prodigious and Fei took it. "I will carry on my father's legacy! I am the new Renren," Fei said as she held the Prodigious in the air for Mei Shi to see.
"Then it will be you I judge. You may begin."
Slipping the pendent on, she watched as eight dots lit up and the pendant texture changed to resemble dragon scales. Doing a traditional greeting she let the magic take over.
Fei's clothes changed into a red and yellow superhero bodysuit with black markings. Her hair went from very dark blue-violet to brilliant amaranth with her ponytail extended past her shoulders. A red, yellow, and black domino mask covered her eyes. Their colors changed from dark brownish gray to a luminous vivid gold.
Striking a pose, Ladydragon was ready to join the fight.