Am I proud of this? No, have I been through a hell of months? Yes. Do I want to finish this? Absolutely.

Sorry for the very bad quality.

Syren

Adding Alya to the mix wasn't all so bad in his opinion. They still didn't rely much on her role as Rena Rouge, both because they didn't want Hawkmoth to know more about other Miraculous holders and because Alya could try to pry some identity out of them.

Nevertheless, it made some fights way easier.

"Wow, to think Paris needs better security in their wild life."

"Tell me about it" Ladybug snickered just as Rena's pendant started to beep "oh, gotta return this."

Chat nodded and waved as the girls leaped off roofs, taking sometime himself before going the same direction through another path. It had been an agreement. As much as they trusted Alya, the least she knew the better for now, and she didn't know Chat knew her identity, so he had to tag along with that.

As he leaped through another rooftop, he couldn't help but think back on Master Fu's words, about the failsafe solution and the role of guardians.

It was a lot to take in. He hadn't even turned sixteen yet and this was way more responsibility than everything he already had on plate.

And yet, a part of him thought how great it was that he was an option for said role, for said responsibility. To think that he was worthy of it, not because of how he looked or his family background, but because of him.

And still, he had to think this wasn't only a decision for him. Marinette had a big say in it too.

"Oh! The movie! Later!" he heard Alya say from the floor as she dashed off. He blinked, unaware he had been lost in thought and leaped his way down.

"Will we have time to get to see the trailers?" he asked as he jumped down, both their transformations fading.

"No unless we hurry" Marinette patted her purse with the fox pendant now safe inside and made her way to the shop, Adrien tagging next to her.

It was a great day. Not too hot, not too cold, sunny without a hint of rain above. He had managed to sneak enough time to watch the movie with his friends and even if it was in group, he could probably end up sitting next to Marinette.

But first, responsibility.

"Perfect," Master Fu said as he put back the pendant "now, if I may ask for a small favor?"

"Oh, uh" Adrien looked at Marinette.

"Sure, it wouldn't take us long" she offered him a small apologetic smile.

"Thank you," the old man walked to another room, with both following after him, only to see Master Fu stopping the kwamis.

"You three stay here,"

Adrien glanced at Plagg, hiding a smile at the pout the kwami put.

"Oh, Master, please!"

"Kwamis must never know the recipe that can modify their powers. Ever!"

Adrien and Marinette looked at each other. Modify their powers? Adrien's mind started to reel in with all the anime and cartoons he had watched. Power ups sounded great, to think they had that chance.

"So, what do you need us for Master Fu?" Marinette looked around the room, dozens of jars lined up with different ingredients in each one of them. Adrien couldn't help the squint at one jar that had squiggly green cucumbers.

"As I said, thanks to your efforts to retrieve the Grimoire I am now able to try and unleash new powers for you to fight against Hawkmoth."

Ok, Adrien was getting excited about it.

"When fed with a specific type of ingredients the kwamis can grant special power" Master Fu kept saying as he added something into a pot "each power's specific mix is listed here, encoded in the Grimoire."

Both teens looked closer as Master Fu showed an image of an ancient Ladybug with what seemed to be long fins.

"For example, to trigger aquatic powers you need a branch from the dragon king's garden," he looked at them "that's 'seaweed'"

Adrien kept listening as Master Fu kept explaining the ingredients up to the last one.

"A tear of joy?"

"Maybe it could be some dancing honeydew!"

Marinette glanced at Adrien, but he had no idea what that even meant. He had forgot entirely about the movie at this point, the idea of unleashing powers? Aquatic? What else could there be? Flying? Fire?

"Adrien," Marinette waved a hand in front of him "are you already thinking of the powers?"

"Ahm, no?"

"Sure, you aren't" Marinette smiled "come on, we have to see if it works."

"Aren't you interested though?"

"I am" Marinette said as they looked Wayzz taking a drink of the tiny bottle "but I'm not going full anime on this like a certain someone."

Adrien hid his laughter, but he frowned as nothing happened.

"Maybe the tear of joy is something else," he turned to Marinette just as her phone rang.

"Hello? Hey Alya," her face scrunched up "what's up? The movie?"

Adrien tried not to smile at Marinette's reaction. Of course, they had forgot about the movie. Master Fu just waved them off, a small apologetic smile on his face as Marinette hung up and apologized before being pulled by Adrien.

"Alya's going to kill me for this,"

"If it helps, we can say there was traffic" Adrien said while they ran. Although a part of him really wanted to find what 'a tear of joy' meant.

They barely managed to get on time to the front of the cinema, with Alya just pushing them to the movie theatre.

"This is so cool" Adrien smiled as he got into a seat "no crazy fans around either,"

"Are you saying this because of last week?"

"Shh" they heard their friends call out as the lights dimmed out.

Marinette and Adrien shared a small smile. Of course, last week had been a fun ride with Adrien's new wave of fans going over him because of a perfume ad. It also involved his bodyguard getting akumatized and an entire ploy to fool Gabriel Agreste that Adrien was not Chat Noir.

Needless to say, just that day Marinette was glad of a fanboy who helped them out.

But of course, their luck had to run out, pun sort of intended, as they saw people in the front rows suddenly standing up and leaving.

"What's going on?" Marinette looked around, only to feel her feet suddenly wet, everyone standing up as the cinema room started to fill with water.

"What the-"

More water came up from the halls; Adrien had to climb over one of the seats as Marinette pointed at the emergency exit.

"The stairs! Come on, we need to get to higher ground!"

They acted fast, helping their friends and all the way to the rooftops.

It was a disaster. Water was reaching all the way to the fifth-floor levels of several apartments. Marinette could see some people on top of bus rooftops and other ceilings, but there was no way that was the entirety of Parisians.

"Oh no," Marinette could feel her heart pounding "are…is everyone?"

"Marinette," Adrien held onto her wrist "everyone will be fine,"

"But, the water- "

"The sooner we figure this out the sooner we will save everyone" Adrien said, low enough for her to hear as Kim was suddenly taken away by what had to be the akuma of the day.

"Come on," Adrien pulled at her while everyone was distracted. Marinette nodded, resolved to fix this situation no matter what.

"Hey!" they heard Alya calling out "what are you doing?!"

"We're going to get help!" Marinette called out "don't move!"

Adrien tried to keep paddling, but it was quite a task using an improvised paddle.

"Where did you get the shovel?"

"I have no idea" Marinette said while paddling with her hands until they were behind a rooftop.

"Ready?"

"Of course," Adrien said as they called their transformation.

"You take the left I take the right, we'll rendez vous at spot four,"

Chat nodded and took a deep breath before leaping into the water to find the akuma.

He was a decent swimmer but to swim around the Parisian streets wasn't his idea of fun. On the bright side, there didn't seem to be any people that had drown so that was a huge relief. On the other, he would have to review his notes on Biology because there was no way a fish that big was endemic to the Seine.

Chat jumped out of the water to the agreed spot, just as he saw Ladybug being propelled out of the water full speed.

"LB!" he jumped towards her, catching her mid-air as he landed on the rooftop.

"You ok?" he asked, concern in his voice while she coughed "what happened?"

"Our akuma can breathe underwater and move way too fast," she heaved, "any ideas?"

"Is there any chance you can get us a submarine?"

Ladybug smiled.

"Paw-sibbly kitkat" she threw out her lucky charm as a pot fell on her hands.

"Huh, well we can use it to scoop up the water,"

"That would take way too long- "Ladybug's eyes snapped open.

"I know what to do!"

Chat's eyes widened as well "but if we go then what if you know who,"

"Still not calling him that," Ladybug turned around "keep the akuma distracted?"

"I will LB" he twirled his baton "but just so you know, water and cats, bad mix up."

He took a dive and tried to find the akuma around, avoiding big fish and floating cars. He couldn't help to put some attention in the windows, just to make sure there weren't anyone around. He kept surfacing every few minutes to catch some air but there was nothing to guide him to where the akuma would be.

He clung to a rooftop to catch some air. Who knew swimming would be so straining?

"Chat!" he heard someone call up to him but there was no one around, that is until he felt someone tugging at his ankle a red silhouette smiling at him from underwater.

His heart leaped. She looked beautiful. Her hair was longer, with dyed tips that made her look almost ethereal. Her suit looked different too, resembling the scales of a fish with long pink fins. And maybe it was his own brain going crazy but he could swear her eyes sparkled too.

"Wha-wow" he gulped as Ladybug sat on the rooftop, a green vial on her hand "is that?"

"Come on, no time to waste," she handled him the vial as he called off his transformation.

"Oh no," Plagg groaned at the vial "I hate transforming,"

"The sooner the better," Ladybug patted his head, smiling at Adrien while Plagg gulped down the vial.

"Let's see how this goes," he smiled and called up the transformation, a different feeling washing over him as his suit appeared.

It was different, no doubt about that. His feet were now covered in long bright green fins, not to mention the one on his belt that was now a big green tail.

"Oh no," he poked at his neck "do I have gills now?"

"You're good Chat" Ladybug pointed at the streets "now let's go get this akuma."

Chat nodded and took a dive to follow after her.

It was amazing! Chat could feel himself moving like nothing through the water, as if he had been born to be underwater his entire life. He couldn't help but to do a few flips and spins, smiling at Ladybug's giggle.

"Seriously?"

"Right, focus, sorry,"

"No, not that" Ladybug smiled "I get it, powers are cool,"

"So cool!"

"Alright son of Poseidon," she pointed at the public pool "maybe we should check over there."

Chat nodded and followed her, where they could easily see from one of the windows the mentioned akuma and Kim in what had to be a made-up throne out of pool supplies.

"Do you know who our victim is?"

"No," Ladybug hummed "I can ask Kim while you keep her busy?"

Chat twirled out his baton, the pressure of the water making it a little more difficult, but what a way to try out his new power ups.

It was new and if anything, it made Chat consider taking swimming lessons during the summer to work out more because the exhaustion was incredible in his muscles. As he avoided another headbutt from Syren, he saw Ladybug summon her lucky charm, which meant there was already a plan in motion.

"Hey!" Syren called out and swam right after them, with Chat following suit, until he heard a voice on his ear.

"Hey kitcat, she following?"

"Sure is," he said as Syren took another turn "what's the plan?"

"I got a sweet ride," Ladybug smiled, swimming a little faster to create some distance between Syren and her "get ready to strike on my call."

Chat nodded and moved through another street, glad that Syren was too focused on Ladybug to not notice when she called out for him, his baton slamming on the hood of a car to activate the air bag and trapping Syren inside it.

"Ladybug made sure her yo-yo was secured to the car as they made their way out to pull the akuma away from the water, using Chat's baton as a makeshift fishing rod.

"How about that?"

"Perfect" Chat smiled and pulled as hard as he could, glad of the strength of the power up suit and able to drag the car out of the water. Also, glad it wasn't something big as a truck.

The restoration of Paris was a relief, the water no longer flooding the streets and returning everything to normal. Chat and Ladybug bumped their fists and made sure the girl, Ondyne, was back on ground.

"Should we pay the old master a visit?" Chat asked once Ladybug transformed back behind an alley, following suit with a moaning Plagg muttering how he hated the water.

"I believe so, he probably figured more of the other power ups," Marinette said, handling Tikki a cookie "oh but the movie,"

"Hm, we could… go after? Or- "

Adrien crossed his arms. This was probably one of those moments where responsibility had to kick in. And if he were to choose being a guardian, this was something he would have to consider from now on.

It was as if Marinette had read his thoughts, because she placed a hand on his arm and gave a small squeeze.

"Hey, we can catch up a movie another day, we can make up something with your dad too,"

Adrien couldn't help but to smile.

"Yes, besides, they just premiered it right? It'll be on screen at least a couple of weeks."

It didn't feel so bad afterwards, what with discovering there were at least eight possible power ups in total.

"No," Marinette took the vials from him "no trying them right now,"

"But we have to train with them,"

"Yes, but not now" she hummed "besides, carrying these around might not be the best idea…unless,"

"Unless?"

He liked the scrunched-up nose on her face when she plotted out how to make the power ups more subtle to have around.

"Let's just say I have an idea."

The spite of the new season plus other things made me attempt to continue.

Unalive me now