Chapter 3

Tension

With the menace of the day dispatched and her exit made, Marinette swung off to find a hidden alcove near the museum where she could, undisturbed, return to her civilian identity.

"Spots off," she said once alone, as her costume reverted to her ordinary garb and her kwami emerged from her earrings, exhausted.

"Good work, Tikki," she said, offering the little sprite a chocolate macaron from her purse.

"Thanks… could you make it a peanut butter one next time?" she asked.

"Oh, c'mon, do you really want to work for peanuts?" Marinette joked as Tikki retreated back to the depths of her purse. Making sure the coast was clear, Marinette slipped back into the museum.

"The perfect crime," she whispered to herself.

"There you are!" a voice spoke from behind, startling the girl.

"Oh, hey, Alya," she replied, mortified.

"You and Adrien disappeared on us! For a minute, I thought you two snuck out on us together, but then I remembered you're you. No way you could go off alone with him and not go catatonic."

"Oh, uh, you know… when nature calls…" Marinette lied.

"See, that's funny, because that's the first place I looked for you…"

"Oh, uh, well, I didn't use the one here, I went to the one in the café across the street. I like that one better."

"Hmm… seems pretty risky with a supervillain on the loose, but I guess logic doesn't always figure into these things…"

"Exactly, now let's drop all this evasive questioning and get back to hanging out. I believe you were giving us a guided tour of the superhero section…"

"Oh, speaking of…" Alya interrupted excitedly. "You'll never guess who just showed up in Paris! That American superheroine Joule just showed up out of nowhere to help Ladybug and Cat Noir with their latest villain!"

"Wow, you don't say," I replied, feigning surprise… after all, I'd just been there.

"See for yourself," Alya elaborated, bringing up a news video on her phone.

"Nadia Chamack here," the reporter began, "on the scene at yet another villain attack. The so-called Headmaster, of whom this reporter was a victim, was defeated not only by Ladybug and Cat Noir, but by a surprise third superhero… Hillwood, USA's own living generator, Joule." The camera shifted, revealing a violet-skinned, multiarmed, winged figure clad in scarlet, posing for a selfie with a young bystander. "Uh, miss? Can we get a quick statement from you?"

"Certainly, Ms. Chamack," she said.

"Well, it is quite a surprise to see you here, so far away from your home." the reporter said. "Are you planning to relocate, or just visiting?"

"Just visiting, though I must say, Paris has been very welcoming. And it was quite a treat getting to work with Paris's greatest heroes."

"Well, for however long you're here, we're grateful to have you. Uh…" She blushed. "It wouldn't be unprofessional of me to ask you for your autograph, would it? It's for my daughter, Manon…"

"Of course not!" The superheroine accepted a pad from the reporter and quickly scribbled something. "I hope I spelled 'Manon' right. Anyway, I should be going, this was supposed to be my vacation after all!" And with that, the teen mutant launched herself back into the air.

"Joule, taking time out for her fans. What a class act. This is Nadia Chamack, reminding you all to pay attention in class… you never know when a supervillain will start giving pop quizzes."

"Well, I guess Nadia beat me to getting an interview, but who knows? As long as she's in town, I might just get my chance," Alya hoped.

"Stranger things have happened," Marinette answered noncommittally. She wondered if, on the off-chance that she did run into the American superheroine again, Ladybug could somehow persuade her to sit for an interview for Alya's LadyVlog. It would be the least she could do for her friend. She figured she could endure a bit of flirting for her sake.

"Anyway," continued Alya, "hopefully Nino found Adrien by now and we can get back to the tour. Oh, speak of the devil and up he pops!"

We had by now returned to the main gallery, and Nino and Adrien indeed were there, joined by a newcomer, a tall, pretty girl with dark hair clad in a red-and-black ensemble.

"There you two are!" Nino called.

"Guys," Adrien spoke up. "This is that old friend of mine from the States I was telling you about. Her name's Rhonda Lloyd. Her mother was one of my dad's first models."

Pretty, exotically foreign, and she has history with his family, an insecure voice in the back of Marinette's head spoke.

"Hello, everyone," the girl said cordially. "Let me see if I have this right…" She turned to face each of the group in succession. "Nino LaHiffe, DJ extraordinaire…"

"At your service, milady," Nino replied, mock-bowing.

"Reel it in, hotshot," Alya said, elbowing him.

"And you must be Alya Césare, the famed host of LadyVlog."

"That's correct," she said,

"And, you are… Marinette duPain-Cheng, right? Adrien's spoken very highly of you in particular."

"H-he has?" Marinette stammered nervously.

"Yes, he said you're quite the artist and designer. If you're even half as creative as he claims, I'd really love have a look at your work sometime."

"U-um, well, I don't exactly have my portfolio here, but maybe later you could come by and have a look?"

"I'd like that. As a fashion vlogger, I'm always on the lookout for people with new ideas."

"Well, uh, thanks," Marinette replied. Honestly, she was uncertain just what to make of the new girl. When Adrien'd mentioned he was going to introduce them to his old friend from America, she'd been almost positive that she was going to turn out to be another Chloe… vain, shallow, self-absorbed and stuck up. And, granted, she'd now known the girl for a mere two minutes, but despite the slight air of aristocracy that the girl spoke with, Marinette sensed a sort of genuine friendliness within her, an unfeigned interest in others and their passions that she simply had not expected.

"So," prompted Nino, "How did you get to know Adrien, anyway?"

"Oh, it's a tale as old as time, really. Young girl, dragged to boring adult party by parents. She puts on this whole air of being mature and sophisticated, but in reality, she's just a kid, and she wants to hang out with other kids and have fun, not stand around and be a mini-adult while her parents talk boring adult stuff with other boring adults. And then this little girl, who's just at the age where boys start to stop being icky and gross and start being kind of intriguing actually, meets this very handsome, very charming local boy, a lifeline in a sea of stuffy grownup stuff, who shows her his Paris. And for those few days that she was there, she truly understood just why it was called the City of Love." A dreamy look settled over her eyes. "But, alas, time is fleeting, and before long my family was moving on. And while our time together was short, I still look back on it fondly. Of course, that was probably all in my head," she added, attention shifting back to the present.

"Actually," Adrien admitted, rubbing the back of his head embarrassedly, "I kinda did have a bit of a thing for you back then. In fact, I think I'd say you were probably my very first crush."

"Aw," Rhonda gushed. "I feel flattered, honestly. Who knows… if things turned out different, maybe something could've developed."

"Yeah, who knows? Anything is possible."

Terrific… not only was Rhonda pretty and charming, it turns out she was Adrien's first love! How was she supposed to compete with that? Panic arose, and Marinette began to look around for an out to regroup.

"Oooh," she groaned, feigning a stomach cramp. "I think breakfast may not be agreeing with me. Gottago!" She dashed out.

Once out of sight, she opened her purse. "This is bad, Tikki… very bad!" she complained. "How am I supposed to measure up to this new girl? Its not enough that she's rich, gorgeous, and charismatic… nooo, she also has to be Adrien's very first crush! I can't compete with that sort of thing!"

"She seems like a very nice girl to me, Marinette," replied Tikki.

"Exactly! This isn't like competing with Chloe. I know what to expect from her. Rhonda is a wild card! She seems perfectly nice and charming, but who knows? Maybe she's got some secret dark side, and she's just here to get her hooks back into Adrien."

"What would the point of that be?" Tikki asked. "Even if they somehow did rekindle their old romance, isn't she just going back home to America in a couple of days anyway?"

"So she says… but maybe that's just a cover. Maybe she's thinking of staying here. I'm sure she could afford it."

"Jealousy isn't a good look for you, Marinette," Tikki warned. I think you're making assumptions you shouldn't and using them to jump to conclusions. Maybe if you got to know Rhonda a little better, you'd find she's no threat to you."

Marinette sighed, acknowledging the logic in her kwami's words. "I know. I swear, sometimes my imagination just runs away with me."

"Exactly! I'm sure once she comes over to see your designs, I'm sure you'll find that you have a lot more in common than you think."

"Yes…" Marinette's eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a smirk, "And then she'll lower her guard, and I can find out what she's really up to!"

"Oh dear," groaned Tikki.


While Marinette had run off to have her conversation with Tikki, Rhonda found herself bombarded with questions from her friends, mainly what life was like back in Hillwood, Alya seemed particularly interested in the fact that her hometown was host to several superheroes of its own. Rhonda had to tread very carefully here, seeing as she was one of those superheroes herself.

"I really don't see the big deal," she said, attempting to steer the conversation away from the topic. "You just sorta see them flying overhead sometimes, and others they'll turn up on the news, or someone'll post a video online. They're not really a huge factor in my life, really."

"But aren't they just so fascinating… the costumes, the powers… I hear the ones in your town are actually space aliens!"

"Well, half-alien" Rhonda corrected. "Or at least that's what they said in some old interview. Honestly, I barely remember."

"Still, not only are they superheroes, they're proof of extra-terrestrial life!" Alya exclaimed. "One of them's in the city this very moment, you know. I would kill to get an interview with her."

"…metaphorically, right?" joked Nino.

"Maybe," Alya replied ominously. "You never know just what you'll do when an opportunity presents itself."

"…anyway! It seems much more exciting here. You guys actually get real supervillains!"

"Some of us have been supervillains," Nino elaborated.

"Me, him… pretty much everyone I've known, actually," added Alya.

"Really?" Rhonda asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Kind of a reality of life in this city," Nino explained. "At any moment, any one Paris could become corrupted by one of Hawkmoth's akumas."

"Is… that something I should worry about?" Rhonda asked, alarmed. She remembered the time an evil entity had possessed her friend Lila's body. That had been a one-time thing, but apparently here such an occurrence was a constant threat. She couldn't imagine living under such circumstances.

"Well, let's just say we're lucky none of the damage we do is ever permanent." Alya replied.

"Still, the idea that at any moment, you could suddenly become evil through no control of your own… I find that thought absolutely horrifying."

Alya paused to consider her words. "I guess it could be if you really think about it," Alya mused.

"That's why I choose not to," joked Nino.

"I guess if I lived with that reality on a daily basis, I'd shut it out of my mind as well," Rhonda reasoned. "But looking at it from the outsi-"

"OH, ADRIKINS!" interrupted a shrill voice.

"…speaking of absolutely horrifying," muttered Alya…

A blonde newcomer bounded over, practically tackling Adrien. "So," she said, "I've decided to give you a second chance to take me out for some ice cream. How about it?"

"Actually," Adrien said, squirming in her grasp, "that does sound like a good idea. We should all go once Marinette gets back."

"Oh, is she still here?" the blonde said haughtily. Her gaze turned towards Rhonda. "And just who is this now?"

"Uh, well… Chloe, you remember Rhonda Lloyd, right? She visited from the USA a few years back?"

"Oh, right… the tourist," the heiress said distastefully. "Why's she here?"

"Preteen Miss Online flew her in to cover my shoot tomorrow. Isn't that great? The three of us haven't been together in ages!"

"Well, I suppose she's closer to our station than this riff-raff. Barely." The heiress commented archly.

"Hello, Chloe," Rhonda replied, a little coolly, taken aback at Chloe's newfound (from her perspective, anyway) superciliousness. Back when they first met, she had been the snooty one. It was very disconcerting. "It sure has been a while, hasn't it?"

"Has it? I honestly barely remember you. I tend not to pay too much attention to people below my social status. Tell me, is your family's net worth even in the nine-digit range?"

"Chloe!" Adrien scolded. "I don't see what that has to do with anything!"

"It's simple, really," Chloe replied arrogantly. "Class is something you are born with. And when you aren't, it's obvious. Look at her… she acts like she's aristocracy, she dresses in all the right styles… but in reality, she's just like that tacky butterfly clip in her hair… cheap, plastic, and gaudy."

Rhonda glared at her supposed old friend. "Jesus, Chloe, what the hell did I ever do to you?" she shot back, her rich girls' manners momentarily forgotten as good-old-fashioned take-no-crap Hillwood brass took over.

"It's simple, really. You thought you could just waltz in here and play princess in my kingdom. I'm simply informing you of your place."

"My place? Listen you…" Rhonda could feel her fist clenching, She wasn't naturally a violent person, but like all people, she could only be pushed so far.

Adrien, for his part, was alarmed at how fast the situation was spiraling. "Please… Rhonda, Chloe doesn't mean it."

"I don't?"

"No, you don't," he said pointedly, banking on Chloe's tendency to actually pay attention when he got tough with her. "She's not very good with new people. But I think she's going to try to get along, Right?" He eyed her intently.

"I suppose," Chloe replied emotionlessly.

"Frankly, I'm not going to be here long enough to make a big deal out of this," commented Rhonda. "I'd like to avoid any further drama if at all possible."

"Well, then that's settled," Adrien stated, noting that Marinette was on her way back. He waved her over. "Marinette! We're going to take an ice cream break before coming back here. Are you coming?"

"Uh… I'd love to cream, I mean, come, I mean… sure!" she stammered. For not the first time, Adrien wished she could just relax around him. To be honest, though he hadn't really been conscious of it, he had found himself thinking about her a lot lately. There was something about her that kept nagging on his mind. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he'd been thinking about her almost as much as he had Ladybug.

Something scratched at the back of his mind, but it faded almost immediately.

Oh well, it was probably nothing.


The feeling had gone just as quickly as it had come.

Among the abilities granted by Gabriel Agreste's Miraculous was the ability to sense when someone in the city was experience intense negative emotions, becoming ripe to be corrupted by one of his akumas. Such a feeling had come over him mere minutes ago as he was finalizing the schedule for tomorrow's shoot. He had ducked out of the call, feigning a headache, but the feeling had faded before he'd even reached his lair.

Briefly, he wondered just who had been the source of this feeling. His victims remained anonymous, though he did get a vague sense of who they were and how they were wronged, until the moment his akumas made contact. What form would they have been granted, what sort of chaos would they spread? Gabriel had to admit that, despite the serious nature of his mission, he did take a sort of perverse thrill at watching the madness unfold.

Ah, well. Though for now, he was disappointed to be denied a new pawn, it surely wouldn't be long before he had another opportunity.


"Ah, a new face!" Andre, the jovial ice cream vendor, exclaimed. "Welcome to Andre's!"

"Andre, this is our friend Rhonda from the States. This is her first time."

"Ah, greetings, Rhonda, welcome to our fine country. Now, let us see what I can get for you."

"Why, thank you," the girl said sweetly, "I think I'd like a scoop of-"

"Oh, no no no," Andre scolded. "At Andre's, you do not choose the flavor, the flavor chooses you, revealing your one true love. Now, let us see… yes… yes… oh, my, what a unique combination… Mango sherbert on the bottom… mocha in the middle… and… yes, banana on top. And chocolate sprinkles, like little ants all over."

Rhonda's eyes widened. Mango, representing Nadine's Jamaican ancestry… mocha, for her complexion… banana, for her hair, and ant-like sprinkles representing her love of insects. "Wow… that's perfect! I mean, I would never put those flavors together, but… it's perfect!" She accepted the concoction eagerly.

Off to the side, Chloe glared at the American interloper. So, she really was after Adrien. It was so obvious… Mango for his sweet nature, mocha for his stimulating personality, banana for his blond hair… she wasn't sure how the sprinkles figured in, but she was sure they played a role too, somehow.

Well, if Miss Rhonda Lloyd thought she was going to horn in on Chloe's claim on Adrien, she had another think coming. Already, a plan was forming in her mind.

Rhonda was going to find getting to that photo shoot tomorrow extremely difficult…


A.N.: Well, it's been a while since I've updated this story… mainly because I'm barely getting any feedback on it! I do intend to finish it, but I'd be more motivated if I knew that more than one person was reading it. I know not a lot of people look at the crossover section, but come on. There's gotta be more of you.

Jose: Yep, keen eye there! I was going to make a reference to a certain other Nickelodeon superhero, but I figure two was enough.

Next: Marinette tries to discover Rhonda's intentions, while Chloe plots.