Chapter 6

Miguel woke up feeling exhausted. He had been up all night trying to figure out what he could do to try and help the people of New York but if what Plagg told him was true and that without Ladybug there wasn't much he could do, then what good was he? He got up and while he normally would have gone out on a run, he wasn't in the right state of mind. Instead he went down into the basement and did about 30 minutes on the treadmill and 15 on the resistance machine. He then went up and got showered and ready for his classes that morning.

When he got back to his room, Plagg was asking him for more camembert cheese. Miguel wasn't too thrilled about his kwami's choice of foods, but at least his father wouldn't be suspicious of him bringing home stinky cheese as he seemed to enjoy it as well. After Miguel brought up the cheese and got dressed, he grabbed his book bag and had Plagg hide inside and then went out the door to catch the bus. As they were riding, Plagg poked his head out and asked Miguel he wanted to go to school.

"Because I want to be a musician and to do that I need to earn my degree in music." Miguel answered trying to keep Plagg hidden.

Plagg wasn't happy about the idea, but as long as he had camembert cheese, he was happy. Miguel sighed, of all things, why did it have to be camembert cheese?

Walking up to the campus doors, he met up with Martin again and they were about to enter the class room when Miguel found himself swarmed by Jezebel Corrine again.

"Hey Miguel. Did you miss me? Oh don't answer that, I know you missed me." She said grabbing and hanging on to his arm.

'Like I miss the chicken pox.' Miguel thought as he struggled to get loose from her.

As they entered the room, Miguel was about to take his seat when he saw Jezebel putting a piece of gum on the seat beside him. He remembered that's where the girl with the auburn red hair and blue eyes sat.

"What are you doing?" he asked shocked at her actions.

"The prick who sits here needs a little attitude adjustment." Jezebel answered.

"Do you really think that's necessary?" he asked kneeling by the girl's seat trying to get it off.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" He heard someone snap from behind him.

"I was," Miguel tried to answer.

"Did you do this?" The girl asked noticing a piece of gum on her seat.

"No I was just trying to get it off."

They both heard Jezebel starting to laugh. "I get it, very funny you two." The girl snapped at him putting a tissue over the piece of gum. "So you and Jezebel are all buddy buddy now huh?"

"No, it's nothing like that."

"Save it. Just leave me alone." She barked at him.

"No I was just,"

"I believe the lady told you to scram so why don't you just pull a Michael Jackson and beat it." The girl's friend said steeping between him and her.

Miguel sighed and took his seat across the way.

"Now do you see what I meant about respect? You have a lot to learn about school life here in the states Miguel. But don't worry, I'll teach you everything you need to know." He heard Jezebel say from behind him.

"Why didn't you just tell Angela that it was Jezebel?" Martin asked.

"Because, that's not the way I'm used to doing things. Where I'm from, we don't throw others under the bus, but we certainly don't treat each other the way Jezebel seems to treat her." Miguel explained. "I may not always play by the rules, but I do know what respect is and I know that she may not be the best person around but I can't disrespect her just because she's being a brat."

"You're something else man." Martin said giving his shoulder a playful punch.

The rest of class, Miguel couldn't stop thinking about how he was going to approach the girl named Angela and tell her about what happened without disrespecting Jezebel. He didn't want her to think that he was friends with Jezebel or that he was the one who put the gum on her seat. He couldn't help himself from stealing glances at her every now and again either. He had to admit, she was pretty, but he was sure she was already spoken for. With a fire in her like that and looks to match, who wouldn't want her? Once in a while, he saw her glancing at him and wondered what she could be thinking.

Out of nowhere, the fire alarms went off and everyone started to panic. Miguel got up and raced outside. He saw Inferno again and this time, he had a hostage. It was Jezebel and he did not look happy with her. Miguel hid behind the bushes and let Plagg out.

"Time to transform." Miguel said. "Plagg, claws out!"

In a bright flash, Miguel was once again Cat Negro. He took off after Inferno and saw that his problem got a whole lot bigger when the pillars of fire arrived. Things only got worse when he saw that he had been followed by two people from the college. He had his hands full and he knew there was no way he could do this alone.

"If you can hear me partner, I could use a little help here!" he called out as he continued to try and keep the fire being from burning the city to the ground.

Out of nowhere, a car exploded and shrapnel was heading right for them. Cat Negro managed to save them by knocking the motor bike behind a wall that had collapsed. He then had to dodge himself as he was almost roasted by one of the pillars of fire. Just as it looked like he was about to be out matched, he felt something wrap around his ankle and pulled him out of the way and up onto the roof of a nearby building. He turned around and saw that it was Ladybug.

"Sorry I was late." She apologized.

"Lady, have I ever told you you sweep me off my feet." He said winking at her.

"A real comedian aren't you?" she said with a smile.

They then heard Inferno cry out in rage. Ladybug and Cat Negro raced off after him.

"Hey, aren't we going to take care of the rest of them?" Cat Negro asked as he followed Ladybug.

"No. If we want to put this whole thing out, we need to put it out at the source, that one." She said as they finally caught up with Inferno at the Statue of Liberty.

As they got a closer look, they saw that Inferno was not the only one there. Inferno still had Jezebel. And now Ms. Corrine was in the park shouting for her daughter.

"You want her, take her." Inferno yelled sending her flying.

Ladybug, leapt and caught Jezebel just before she hit the ground. Ms. Corrine ran up and hugged her daughter whom she thought she had lost forever.

"Thank you Ladybug." Ms. Corrine breathed.

"We are clear, fire on my command." Ladybug heard Sheriff Willis command.

"No! Stop!" Ladybug called out. "If you attack him you'll only make him angrier and things will only get worse!"

"How much worse could they get than this? Step aside and let us handle this, you're the reason we're all in the mess in the first place." Sheriff Willis remarked.

Ladybug looked shocked and then turn to him.

"He's right you know?" She said turning to Cat Negro. "If I had done the job right and captured the akuma the first time none of this would have happened. I knew I wasn't meant to be a super hero, all I do is hurt people." She said putting her face in her hands.

Cat Negro was stunned to see how hard she could be on herself. Was she always this vunerable in real life, or was she just scared because she truly felt that this really was all her fault. Either way, he couldn't let think that way about herself. She was better than that and he knew it. Because he believed in her.

"No, they're the ones who are wrong." Cat Negro said putting his hand on her shoulder. "Because without you, that girl would be dead and without us they won't even get close to Inferno and we'll show them that we are the only ones who can do this, you and me both, trust me."

He saw her eyes light up at his words and he knew that she trusted him just as he trusted her. Suddenly Inferno started to cry out in pain. From his mouth, a flock of black moths flooded from inside him and seemed to take the shape of a face.

"Citizens of New York city, I am Hawk Moth." The dark face announced. "Ladybug, Cat Negro, hand over the miraculous. The ladybug earrings and the black cat ring now. You have done enough damage to this city already."

Ladybug just lightly clapped her hands. "Nice try Hawk Moth but I think we can all tell who the bad guy is. Don't try and flip the script on us, without you none of these innocent people would be turned into monsters and villians. Hawk Moth, no matter where you, no matter how long it takes, we will find you and you'll be the one to hand over to us your miraculous." She declared grabbing her yo-yo.

Leaping and dancing through the air, she opened her yo-yo and swung through the moths. Capturing them inside. As they dispersed, she landed on the Statue of Liberty and turned to face the people. Cat Negro stood in awe.

"Let me make this promise to you all, here and now. No matter who wants to harm you, Ladybug and Cat Negro will be here and we will do everything within our power to keep all safe from harm." She declared releasing the purified akumas.

"Wow, whoever she is beneath that mask, I love her." Cat Negro breathed.

In a puff of white, hundreds of white moths burst from her yo-yo and flew all around the Statue of Liberty and fluttered away. But then Inferno regained consciousness and made a move for Ladybug who managed to dodge and helped Cat Negro get the people of the bridge.

"So what's the plan?" he asked her. "How are we going to take him down?"

"We know that he's burning with anger," she observed. "That's it, we don't get him to control his anger, we get him to let it go."

"Uh, what?" Cat Negro asked.

"I have an idea, follow me." She said running back.

Cat Negro followed her back to the top of the Statue of Liberty.

"First we need to make sure that he can't go back across or that anyone else will either."

"And how are we going to do that?"

"By using our powers. You see the bridge controls over there?" she said pointing to the control center.

"Got it." Cat Negro said as he quickly made his way to the control box.

"Lucky Charm." Ladybug summoned. What came to her was a bungie cord. "What am I supposed to do with this?" she asked.

"Cat Negro, now!" she called to him.

Cat Negro then flipped the switch on the controls and raised the bridge.

Once the bridge was up, he destroyed the controls using his cataclysm and they both watched as Inferno began to falter. Wrapping the cord around her ankles, Ladybug waited until Inferno started to fall. She tied the other end to the bridge support and leapt for the akuma. It was hot and very close, but she managed to grab the akuma and was pulled right back up as Inferno hit the water. When she flew back up, Cat Negro caught her just before she could land.

"Thanks partner." She smiled. Back on her feet, she broke the brass knuckle and the akuma came fluttering out.

"No more terrorizing for you moth." She said opening her yo-yo. "Time to be purified." She declared capturing this time. "Be free little butterfly." She said releasing the little white butterfly. "Miraculous Ladybug!" she cried out as she threw her lucky charm and the city was repaired and the people changed back to normal.

All around them, they could see the beautiful glow flying to repair what had been damaged.

"It's amazing." Cat Negro breathed.

"Yeah, it's, it's miraculous!" Ladybug declared as she and Cat Negro helped Sam to his feet.

"What happened to me?" he asked.

"It's okay, but you know you don't have to let your temper get so out of control. I'm not saying control it and keep it in, I'm saying find a way to let it out and then let it go." Ladybug said gently touching his shoulder.

"Thank you miss."

"Ladybug, the name's Ladybug." She said with a bright smile.

"You were amazing today mi Senora." Cat Negro said trying to put his arm around her shoulder as his ring started to beep.

"Opps, would you look at that? We better go before our identities are revealed." Ladybug said slipping out. "See you soon Cat Negro."

She then swung out of sight. "And you mi senora." He answered with a bow before taking off.

When he made it back to his house he sat down to hear the story people were telling about him and Ladybug.

"…once again Ladybug and Cat Negro have save New York City and Mayor Harrison would like to extend a hand of gratitude to our new heroes of the Big Apple. Speaking on behalf a grateful people, this report can only say two words, Thank you."

"She was amazing." Miguel breathed switching the tv off. "I have to know who she is Plagg."

"You know that you can't." Plagg said chewing on his cheese.

"I know, but still I want to know who she really is under that mask. I love her." Miguel said looking out the window at the setting sun.

The next day in class, Miguel sat down in his usual place. He tried to wave hello to Angela, but she just turned away. Apparently she was still mad.

"Hey dude. If you want her to not stay mad at you, then just talk to her, you know about the gum." Martin said beside him.

"What will I say to her?"

"Just be yourself man." Martin answered with a hand on his shoulder.

Miguel turned around when he heard Jezebel come in and then made her way over to Angela's place. And tried to force her to move.

"If anyone is going to sit next to Miguel, it should be me." She snarcked at Angela. "Go on, move it."

"A strong person will stand up for themselves while a stronger person will stand up for others." Angela answered.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how I'm not going to put up with your high and mighty crap anymore Jezebel and neither is anyone else so take you overly inflated extensions and go on get lost." Angela declared pointing to Jezebel's usual seat at the back of the class.

"Wow, you've gotta love a girl that has a fire in her belly." Martin said as they watched her put Jezebel in her place, literally.

"No kidding." Miguel answered thinking of his fiery lady.

The rest of class, Miguel tried to think of what to say to Angela. And it went on for the rest of his courses that day. When courses were done for the day, Miguel started out for the bus. On his way out, he saw Angela waiting under the roof. When he walked by and tried to say hello, she just turned her head away.

"Look, I just want you to know that I was only trying to take the gum off your seat, I swear." Miguel explained. "I've never really been to a school like this before and I what I was so used to was just that everybody respected everybody and coming here, I wasn't sure what to expect. But I promise I would never do anything like what Jezebel did to you. I may not always play by the rules, but I would never do anything to hurt anyone. I swear."

He turned and handed Angela his umbrella. Miguel could see that obviously what he said got through to her. With a shaking hand, she took the umbrella and smiled nervously at him.

"Thang yo, I mean, Fank, no, Thank you." She said as he walked away. "Why am I stammering?" she asked trying to keep her head straight.

"Oh what was that all about? You're here for only three days and we already have two love birds." Plagg laughed poking his head out.

"Whatever, she's just a friend." Miguel smiled. "Yeah, a friend."