And with all of the attention and interest that the sample chapter created, what about more?
Right now I can't say exactly where stuff will go, as I'm still developing a game plan as stuff is going to move differently (Chloe's a bit too tamed to be doing Miracle Queen after all), and unlike a Pokemon fic I don't necessarily have gym badges as check points for writing.
I mean even if anyone can necessarily agree what order the episodes take place in, them being in order's not even how this universe works either….
Fortunately as I set that up, I do have a chapter that was set up last time that I don't need to straighten out details for. Anyway, welcome to Simon Says! Warning though, ideas from 'Multiplication' are taken and used in this chapter, so be wary of Season 5 spoilers if you are avoiding those.
Ladybug had no idea why, but the guys that Hawk Moth was corrupting and going after them, Paris, and everything in between had been worse than usual in the last week. Like they peaked at the first guy, it was a bit hard to get worse than 'Street Purger', but they were all unusually wicked, terrible, and wanting to hurt things and people even by the standards of their corrupted kin.
Usually Ladybug was firm in that no one was responsible for their akumatization. You were allowed to feel upset that you lost something, that someone upset you, or to feel bothered by something involving pigeons. But Street Purger was….hopefully on a watch list, and the others that followed him in that mess of a week weren't much better. Well except the one who was then immediately arrested, and good riddance to that one…
Was Hawk Moth having a bad week? Well don't take it out on the rest of them! It was almost a relief that someone got their store robbed today, it at least was less horrific and likely to involve mass death in the citizenry.
Now they just had to wait on the cops to take them away, and while that happened…
"Welcome to The Challenge!"
"...Can you at least let us watch?" One of the robbers who they had tied up and had under Queen Bee like a makeshift throne to keep them from running off asked.
"No. Streaming is a good guy privilege." Queen Bee snorted, not believing the audacity of asking for that while they were being arrested.
"...I like this show."
"Then you should have stayed and watched it at home."
"Also my Yo-Yo's not the biggest screen." Ladybug felt like pointing out. Two people watching it was about as much as could feasibly be done, especially with a limited angle from tying the bad guys up with several loops of indestructible Yo-Yo string. Three people and Rena's hair would start choking them, or letting the robbers watch would require them to start contorting their necks like a bunch of owls.
"Then why not have Rena Rouge host it on that flute of hers? That's a big holo-screen right?" One other robber asked. At the astonishment of the others, he almost blushed. "I….I read that Ladyblog thing sometimes."
"...And yet you still tried to commit a crime in Paris?" Queen Bee questioned. "And for your information, Rena Rouge is off on a very important mission and cannot be bothered with you background characters."
That 'important mission' was babysitting the twins. Unlike Chloe, Marinette and Alya had responsibilities, and while Marinette had free time today Alya did not. Ladybug meanwhile barely hid a smile, to which she could tell Queen Bee was trying not to notice. Alya finally got Chloe to enjoy that series.
"...Dang it. Just my luck, I'm being sat on by some Parisian superhero and it isn't Rena Rouge…." A third crook complained.
"The….the actual….what!? Why are you complaining about that!?" Queen Bee almost spat, sounding incredulous that the statement was uttered at all, almost daring the crook to have to explain himself. And then he did.
Ladybug had to spend more time keeping Queen Bee from strangling the crook than she really should have after that statement. By the time she was done with that the introductions to the show were over and now she was sitting on the bad guys, mostly to keep the incensed Queen Bee from kicking anyone where she shouldn't. That was against the rules, literally. The United Heroez had drafted a rule for superhero conduct that France had ratified that said they couldn't kick restrained supervillains or crooks in sensitive places after they were captured. Though when they weren't….
…
Hopefully Alya wasn't missing anything too drastic. Babysitting was a bit of a downer, but there weren't any mass reports of an akuma right now, so if Hawk Moth could just be busy…with anything other than super villainy until her mom got off, then things would be golden. Until then she could work on the Ladyblog, watch the twins, and see if Nino won it all.
Max's friend Markov was a great admin who seemed to get video footage from any camera, but she liked her own personal touches on the Ladyblog where she could help it. Also she had never met the mysterious Markov. She wondered where Max had met him?
"Hey, that's one of your classmates!" Ella pointed at Nino on TV.
"And her!" Etta pointed at Aurore, who was co-hosting the show with Mireille today. Yeah, why were they hosting the show today? Wasn't that Alec Cataldi's thing?
"Welcome to The Challenge! Alec's out for the week with our legal department reviewing safety protocol after last week's 'Person Snatcher' villain attack, but in the meantime we're your temporary hosts!' Aurore greeted. 'I'm Aurore Beauréal and this is Mireille Caquet. You might just recognize us.'
Oh, yeah that one….geez what was with Hawk Moth recently? Honestly thank high heaven Nora had a week off to spare her from little sister watching duties. She had no idea how Marinette got spared any problems from having to run off to save Paris constantly, maybe her grandmother pulled some strings assuming….eh no, don't go there when the twins were around. You might click something you shouldn't and they were nosy little things.
Think happier thoughts, like remembering Ladybug kicking Person Snatcher in the balls, as permitted by the United Heroez's international guidelines for superhero conduct. With Lucky Charm Cleats. He was in jail, unlike the others from Hawk Moth's spite week.
"But don't you worry, everyone's favorite game show's final round will be televised and seen live! Let's give it up for our finalists! First up is Nino, the stylin' D.J who wants to pay for his college tuition with our grand prize!" Mireille continued as Nino walked on stage, waving and not looking nervous at all. Of course, if you knew his tells….yeah Nino was nervous. He should never play poker with anyone who knew him, was simply the truth.
"And his opponent, the highlight of the hypnotic world! Simon Grimault, who makes a living hypnotizing people!" Aurore then greeted the next person, a colorfully dressed fellow with a deck of cards at his hip like a holster. "A Music Meister! A Hypnotist on High! Who'll walk away from KIDZ+ with the grand prize!? No one knows!"
"Anyway, today's a random round! Each contestant gets a random celebrity to call up and see if they can get them to either dance or obey their commands! If the celebrity partakes they continue, if they don't it's' game over! If the celebrity doesn't pick up we call in another one! And the first one on the floor is Nino! Who will he try to make dance for us all with his musical skills!?" Mirielle declared as the screen behind them video called someone with a ring, the number obscured like a redacted letter.
To most people Nino didn't look like he feared losing by default if he got someone who couldn't be made to dance. He was going to try whoever he got, even if he got some sourpuss like that Ross guy or something. And who he got was….
"Ladybug, when did you give a TV network your number?" Queen Bee questioned as the one Nino rang up was Ladybug…..
"Oh hey, it's Ladybug!" Etta was happy to see her. "Is Nino going to make her dance?"
Make her dance….no. That would imply the task would be hard. And just like Alya guessed…
"Oh hey, Ladybug's dancing!" Ella cheered.
…
"And Nino passed his first challenge without much trouble! Thanks for playing along Ladybug, we love good sports!" Aurore cheered as the gameshow hung up. With the camera off Ladybug dropped her smile and was a little unsure of herself.
"Think that was the right thing to do? I mean it wasn't really a challenge because I didn't really need to be made to dance?" She asked Queen Bee. Nino was her friend, and she didn't want to be mean to him. But was it really that much of an accomplishment on Nino's end either…
"Oh relax, that show thrives on good sports as much as it does humiliating people. Alec just likes screwing with people and reveling in people's misery, but he's not hosting the show today so it's not a problem." Queen Bee reassured her girlfriend. Sure, maybe Chloe wouldn't have played along, but that was completely different.
"Yeah, it's like getting Jagged Stone on call. He's always a good sport. It's just how luck rolls sometimes." The robber who wanted to catch The Challenge added almost sagely from the pile just as the police finally arrived to take them away, causing the sagely wisdom to vanish from his voice in a second. "Please tell me how the show ends!"
"No." Officer Rodger bluntly told him as Ladybug started to untie the crooks for their transfer to the police's own cuffs and detainment.
…
"Now Simon, let's see who your hypnosis will enthrall!" Mirielle declared as the phone call rang. Simon looked bashful at the description.
"I'd never use the word 'enthrall'. That makes me sound like a supervillain."
Like Street Purger, Person Snatcher, Arsenal, Tantalus, Butcher Box, Break-a-Leg, and Cannibal Guy? Alya was probably being really stupid to jinx it, but at worst Simon wouldn't sound anything like that. Plus who was he going to get who'd possibly be a problem? She knew why KIDZ+ had Ladybug's number, she couldn't see them having someone like, Alya was just spitballing here, Gabriel Agreste's number or something. From what she'd seen of him via Marinette's work he was not going to give Alec his phone number for any reason. So he was probably just going to get someone harmless and nice or at least a weak willed celebrity who lived in or around Paris….
"Who is this?!" On screen was an older Asian Woman with dark glasses on her face. She looked like an older, much more severe Kagami. What were the odds that….
"It's…." Aurore began to explain before the woman immediately hung up on them, leaving Simon looking shocked and the two co-hosts exchanging looks of concern, the two looking like they had just seen something unfair in the extreme.
"Wait, wasn't that Tomoe Tsurugi of the Tsurgi Tech Company? The blind head of a major business?" Mirelle sounded like she wasn't sure this should count. How did a card-based hypnotist even win that challenge?
"Um, can someone get us the rulebook?" Aurore requested as someone ran over with a pair of rulebooks for both hosts to go over, even as Simon looked on in despair and the slightest glimmer of hope. Eventually the two looked up from the rules, looking unhappy.
"I'm….so sorry. The rules say that this counts as a legitimate loss. It's not fair, and I feel like Alec for saying it…" Aurore sounded like she hated sounding like Alec.
"But the only exceptions are if the challenged doesn't pick up or is incapacitated by an outside force. Being unable to do the challenge counts even if they are unwilling to participate…so the winner is Nino Lahiffe." Mirelle sounded like she wanted to be happier for Nino than she sounded.
"Um…hooray for Nino?" Ella half-heartedly chirped.
"Sorry dude…." Nino sounded like he wasn't happy to win this way as Simon walked off stage, to the pity of Nino and the co-hosts alike. Um…mom, please either get home quick or Hawk Moth, maybe go look for some other creep to turn into a physical monster instead of bothering the nice man in pink please?
…
Hawk Moth's observatory window opened up, disturbing his butterflies with sudden light as the villain sensed a powerful emotion he could use for his purposes. He did have to stand from his chair though, and his dummy set up. He was expecting a video call today you see.
"Well, I went to all that trouble to install that greenscreen in here and it ends up that dear Tomoe is the one who gets to feel Simon Says wrath. I can't say I find that disagreeable, though I guess I didn't have to send Nathalie and Adrien out of town today. Still, let's try this one out. Fly away my little Akuma, and evilize him!"
…
"I am Hawk Moth, you are now Simon Says. How unfair is it to be humiliated on live television? Everyone agrees you were robbed of a fair challenge, allow me to throw you a lifeline. I will make you a hypnotist not even Tomoe Tsurugi can resist, and in return all I ask is any Miraculous you might come across? Do we have a deal?"
"Simon Says yesssssssss."
…
"You think that Simon guy's going to be alright?" Ladybug asked Queen Bee. Queen Bee, who was aggressively plucking sushi with her chopsticks, grumbled about 'how her butt was perfectly fine, why would you want Foxbutt's instead'?.
Oh dear, she was going to be on that for a while. Well….Queen Bee was paying for the sushi….and maybe she was just needing some time to vent. Or possibly she was really just that hungry.
"...Three helpings?" The waitress questioned as she put down a new plate for Chloe to start destroying, muttering the entire time about 'how crooks were all idiots and how they liked Rena Rouge more because they were idiots. Queen Bee was peak Parisian physique, but Rena Rouge's excess kilograms were all concentrated where stupid guys always look. Bleh'…
"Well sushi is healthy food, and we do burn a lot of calories." Ladybug knew that well, and also that this conversation was not going to go anywhere good.
"...stupid guys….what do they know….." Queen Bee grumbled. "I don't know why some people even bother…ridiculous….why do Ladybug and Foxbutt think they're worth anything?"
Ladybug and the waitress looked at each other for the moment. The request to please not post anything was unspoken. It was probably not a problem to have something on the internet about how Queen Bee was only attracted to girls or how Ladybug and Rena Rouge found both genders attractive, but better safe than sorry.
"I'd offer to turn evil and let her vent her frustrations on me instead of binge eating sushi, but…." The waitress joked, very much not intending to see if you could will yourself angry enough to get Hawk Moth's attention.
"Please don't." Ladybug emphatically told the waitress. "Just no helping it. Some guys were a bunch of morons today, it can't be helped and she's going to be like this for the rest of the day."
"They must want me drinking lard…." Queen Bee muttered. Well, at least she hadn't said anything about puffer fish yet.
No, it really can't be helped. The waitress took out her phone, as if to look up if you could even drink lard, when her eyes went wide. Marinette just knew what this was going to be even before the waitress showed them what was playing on her phone right now. A man with purplish skin, a garish green and purple outfit, and a similarly colored top hat, was holding a dozen cards in one hand while behind him stood a mass of hypnotized staff and visitors of KIDZ+, including Aurore, Mirielle, and Nino.
"Tomoe Tsurugi didn't even pretend to partake in The Challenge, and that simply isn't going to do. It's terrible, for me, the masterful Simon Says, and for you, the viewing public at home. What a spoilsport! She's going to pay for it! By midnight tonight, she will be entertaining us at this TV studio. Tomoe, I'm coming to get you!"
….Well, this was bad. But at least he didn't look overly edgy. This was…well there was no such thing as a 'proper' supervillain, but more in the norm. No more racism, no more abductions, no more cannibalism, just someone with a genuine moment of frustration being turned into a monster by Hawk Moth. Ladybug didn't miss this…but this was better than cannibalism. Which was a low bar. Now she just needed Queen Bee to get out of her funk…
"I'm taking my sushi to go!" Chloe stood up quickly, dropping her chopsticks to the floor with a loud clatter. "Deliver it…."
"Um Queen Bee, where would we deliver it?" The waitress pointed out, catching how Queen Bee immediately realized she couldn't just have it delivered home.
"...I'll leave you my number, just leave it somewhere superheroes would find it and not, I don't know, Bob Ross or something! I'm going to hit that stupid outfit of his until I can't remember those ridiculous crooks!"
Well at least Chloe was not going for a fourth round of Sushi now.
…
With the drop off set, and a call to a now free Alya to go to the Tsurugi residence, Ladybug and Queen Bee swung off into Paris where there was a disturbance in the street. They two heroines landed on parked cars as Simon Says and his army marched through Paris. The army had gotten larger since they'd seen his threat live streamed for all to see.
"You know, if you want to go punch a grumpy blind lady in the face….don't…but do you have to hypnotize everyone else to do it?" Queen Bee was in fine antagonizing form as Simon Says, like most akumas, didn't look that bothered by being questioned.
"I'm a hypnotist, I enthrall. That is what I do. Speaking of which…"
And now the army of the mind controlled Parisians were swarming at them like zombies, with just as much groaning but no biting.
Ladybug started by wrapping her Yo-Yo around a boy around Manon's age, yoinking him out of the way and putting him away somewhere safe. Er…well after tying him up first. Rooftop luck, that way.
Queen Bee meanwhile just kicked two mind controlled Parisians, knocking them out and hopping over Mirielle, grabbing Aurore's trademarked umbrella from her before using it to jab at Parisians like a rapier. Ladybug meanwhile hopped over them, aiming a Yo-Yo right at Simon Says, who avoided the blow and threw a card (Simon Says freeze!) at her, which she similarly avoided.
She was then lunged at by an Italian girl with long black hair, who Ladybug caught and flipped over on her back before disarming a controlled officer of his riot shield, putting him down quickly before running at Simon. The shield would take the impact of the card and then she'd get in close.
"Simon Says shield me!" Simon instead threw cards into everyone around him, who promptly formed a massive wall of human flesh between her and the villain. The resulting impact was different than planned, instead of a crash, the blow was absorbed, knocking a half dozen of them over only as far as the rest of the enthralled held them up.
"Simon Says take her earrings!"
It also put her in a bad position, though she was thrown a lifeline in a yellow top just above her head, which she grabbed and was promptly yoinked over the crowd by Queen Bee, who was on top of a car a bit away and away the main mob.
"You need to lay off the macarons." Queen Bee joked, flexing her arms a bit from the strain of fishing her girlfriend.
"I'd eat sushi instead, but I'd have to get it away from you first." Ladybug joked back. "Maybe when this is over, I'll add an extra couple of orders just for me."
"Ha ha…."
"Simon Says swarm!"
Everyone enthralled by Simon Says suddenly ran at them, filling every unoccupied space in the street as they ran at them. Cars were climbed over as the human tsunami flowed at them like a flood.
"Jump!"
Ladybug and Queen Bee swung up to a building top, though the swarming humans turned, seemingly all at once, to the door of the building they just landed on to get in, or started climbing on the building itself to get them. Simon Says chuckled to himself.
"Now run along now little heroes! I've got a Tomoe Tsurugi to find, though I'll need a second army now. Well, that's what the Metro's for. Have fun with my first army! They'll bring me your miraculouses when they catch you!"
As Simon Says scampered down into the Metro, there was only one thing to do.
"Lucky Charm!"
And down came a ticket to the Jardin des Plantes. Ladybug stared at it for a moment, and with a bit of thinking figured out what it meant.
"Okay, I've got how we're going to deal with this army! Just make it easy for them to follow us. We're going to visit Alya's dad."
The two of them hopped in that direction just as the first hands reached the roof.
"I don't think zombie swarms are a traditional show of respect to your girlfriend's father in any culture…but I could be wrong." Queen Bee was sure this was not going to thrill the strange man, but if Ladybug knew of an empty exhibit to fill then good on her.
…
The Tsurugi facility was just outside of Paris, Rena was pretty sure there was some zoning requirement or something, but it was close enough to easily get into Paris itself while stepping around any restrictions of building a large building in the ancient city. Speaking of which, said large tower had a lot of floors to it, topped with a living area for the Tsurugi matriarch and heir on top that took up several floors.
Rena wasn't sure what floor had Tomoe's office in it, and while she'd normally just go on instinct to jump all the way to the top and find a highly placed office as was typical, the sides of the building were modern sleek glass. She wasn't bitten by a radioactive spider, so she'd just start sliding if she tried. Fortunately being the second superhero of Paris, second only to Ladybug in terms of fame and recognition, she could just walk into the reception area and ask 'hey, where's your boss' and get shown the elevator. It helped that said receptionist was already initiating villain attack procedures, seeing the news about Simon Says and his many loud rantings about wanting to get Tomoe Tsurugi on KIDZ+ for The Challenge by midnight.
Having seen Ryuko in suit a fair amount of times in the last week and before (she and Saint Scimmia weren't there for everyone of Hawk Moth's bad mood akumas, but they were there for many of them) and Kagami once after One Ronin, Rena wasn't sure what to expect of her mother. She'd seen her on T.V but she might have just been in a bad mood for being randomly called. Kagami was nice enough, she was awkward but she was nicer than Chloe was. Of course that fact was also why she was happy to be the one checking in on the two instead of Ladybug, and she was sure that Queen Bee would have volunteered if necessary to do the same.
"...You're not Ladybug." Tomoe Tsurugi simply stated, sounding somewhat insulted that they didn't send their 'boss' to see her.
Though Rena wasn't sure where Kagami got her nice enough attitude from. Then again Chloe, with work, was more personable than her father and no one ever said that Audrey Bourgeois was known for her kind and generous personality.
Tomoe's office was spartan. The woman's office was clearly high tech, with a variety of computer terminals, file cabinets, and the stuff an office needed, but there was nothing here of a personal touch. No swords on the wall, no trophies or hanging articles or portraits. The office was certainly not the mayor's office, who had a much fancier, more expensive, and presumably comfortable chair on top of hanging portraits of his election results. The only personal item that Rena could see at all was one of those practice wooden swords (a bokken, Rena thought it was called) that looked like it was also a cane leaning against Tomoe's desk.
"Ladybug and Queen Bee were closer to where Simon Says was rampaging than I was. So they're trying to deal with him while I make sure no harm comes to you or your staff." Rena Rouge gave her most professional response. Perhaps that would make the woman's pride feel better.
"If any of my employees are still here after the alert went off, they are at fault for what happens to them. They have plenty of time to get away without compromising their work. I will need no protection." Tomoe said dismissively.
Okay, very good thing Queen Bee was closer to Simon Says than this woman. The attitude…it was the sort of attitude that was close enough to Chloe at her worst that would surely lead to a fight or barbs. Like hates like and all that.
"I'll be happy to tell Ladybug and Queen Bee that you are that confident in them, but we prioritize the safety of the citizens before anything else." Be diplomatic Rena, be professional and don't snap at this jerk. You live with Nora, you can handle grating attitudes. This is just like with Nora, but with less of a chance of apologizing and someone who doesn't help out at home at all.
Tomoe got out of her seat, picking up her sword cane for a moment as if to start walking away without saying a word, before suddenly swinging the sword at her. She blocked the blow with her flute, a clang being heard through the office.
"The actual hell!?" Rena shouted at the woman. There was a villain with a rather dangerous powerset out to get you, and you attacked one of the people trying to keep you safe out of nowhere!? The woman's expression was that disapproval, though not because she was blocked if Rena was reading her correctly. There was also the slightest hint of 'you didn't disappoint me as much as I expected you to.'
"As I suspected, just trained instincts in the heat of battle. You lack a master in combat instruction and likely your own powers, and have learned everything by instinct and in the midst of battling Hawk Moth's little scribbles." Tomoe surmised. "It's passable, if just that."
"Well one of those 'scribbles' is probably going to kill you! And no, that is not me exaggerating, people who get akumatized always go for the most extreme responses." Rena had no patience for this woman. Yeah, she didn't have a 'master', the guy who would fill that role was dead because somehow her wish, whatever it was, caused him to die early. But she did not need some irritable blind lady tellinger her she didn't expect attempted assault 'properly' or whatever the hell she was on about.
"If one is going into battle, one should accept that any engagement will end in death. If Simon Says shows up, I will either die or he will die."
"We're trying very hard to not have that happen!" Oh god how did Kagami come out of this woman without being worse than Chloe?! Also sorry Nora, you were Rose compared to this woman!
"Then why isn't Simon Says dead?" Tomoe Tsurugi asked bluntly. Um…..what?
"Because we don't kill people whose only crimes are feeling legitimate emotions an evil man exploits for his own gain?" Rena had no idea why this conversation was happening.
"Oh don't give me that. If Ladybug kills anyone she can undo it with that power of hers. Instead she's wasting her time immobilizing her opponents or saving lives she can just as easily bring back later. So much wasted motion." The last part was just Tomoe shaking her head, sounding like she was talking about martial arts or swordplay instead of human life.
"Yeah, because it is so easy to say 'oh Majestia should just throw bad guys into the atmosphere', 'Ladybug should strangle people',..." Rena was not having this conversation. She had these edgelords on superhero blogs, she did not need one of them on the internet.
"Do you think I've never taken a life? How naive. I practice what I preach unlike many."
She got the distinct impression the woman was almost amused as she walked past her, stunned by the casual admittance of…she really hoped it was self defense but Rena was not going to be a Euro on it.
"...For those who only put in some effort without proper training, you five heroes do well enough. I might not even need to draw steel today. I do expect competence, but I also find myself disappointed at the idea I don't get to fight one of these scribbles Hawk Moth likes unleashing on this city. Though if you are going to stick around, go find my daughter on the training level and inform her of the present situation. There are no disturbances on that level that would let her know of such things, and it is the opposite direction of where I keep my true sword. If this Simon Says does arrive here…don't stop Kagami. I do expect her to know what must be done in the midst of battle, especially when magic is at play. She's so far behind what I learned by her age, but it isn't entirely her fault. I'm busier and people are nosier."
And with that casual admittance to wanting her daughter to kill when Tomoe clearly saw no long-term consequences, the woman left her office.
'...Never be akumatized….' she thought about the woman who'd probably fit in with last week's carnival of terrible people. You'd probably turn into something horrible.
Rena wasn't sure if going down the stairs to the training floor was going to make her feel better. It was probably as much of a pain as the woman who had it made. But it was also in the opposite direction of Tomoe so…good.
The training floor wasn't anything that was obviously twisted at first glance. It looked like something out of anime, as cliche as it was to say. Wooden flooring, training weapons on the side, things for shooting arrows into lined up on the wall to be used as required…nothing gruesome or anything. Rena was half expecting spike pits and lava with how Tomoe talked.
Then she looked a bit more closely and noticed what looked like training dummies weren't made of wood or straw. Standing against the wall were lines of what Rena could only describe as training robots, the likes of which she'd seen in behind the scenes videos for the United Heroez. In fact…oh crud she thought that it was the same company that Tomeo ran who provided robots suited for being used in training….oh crud.
"She…does she really use robots used for superhumans to train her daughter, and herself I guess." She said the last part aloud only to be slightly fair. On a bit more glance there was a panel on the side that looked like it had information on it. It was in Japanese though, so she didn't know what was being said, but the numbers gave her a slight idea. It looked almost like a scoreboard, and Tomoe had a very high number. Much higher than Kagami's, though when you had several commas in your number that wasn't the fairest judgment. Kagami had several commas, Tomoe just had even more.
And looking at the robots again, all of them were armed. Some of them had swords of various sizes, lengths, and forms, from katanas and tantos to broadswords and fencer rapiers. Others had large clubs, some with spikes and some with studs. A few robots even had guns.
The United Heroez training robots did not get armed with what looked like actual melee weapons. They were mostly brawling practice to let superheroes with destructive powers practice without risking injury to other humans, and while some of those robots did get armed with guns, they were not used unless the hero using them wanted them to. And Rena had a much easier time imagining say….Thorn or Mercury wanting to practice dealing with gunfire than Kagami necessarily wanting to be shot at.
"Lord." Rena Rouge muttered. And honestly she had no idea if the fact that the blind woman also clearly used this stuff too made it less terrible, or just made it more unsettling somehow. Because Tomoe was the parent, and thus she had more free will to not do so. She was just going to think about that, and Tomoe talking about what she was like at her age, when she tried to go to bed later, she just knew it, and she'd not sleep easily tonight. But first, where was Kagami?
There was another room beyond this one, might as well look in there. Though she really hoped that was not the saw blade death trap room.
It wasn't. In the five seconds Rena had to look at it before she was attacked, Rena realized it was a locker room/shower area. She could probably have taken more in before a naked Kagami kicked her, the shorter girl pinning her to the wall with a single naked foot holding her in place.
Well….it sucked to meet Tomoe Tsurugi, but this was another reason it was a good thing Ladybug was dealing with Simon Says and not here. If Marinette didn't blow up at Tomoe for being…well a bitch and decide that Kagami needed to spend even more time away from her even at the risk of stumbling into a third girlfriend, well first Marinette would have seen all of this and decided Kagami really needed that beach day with friends and then Ladybug would have gotten an eyeful of a naked Kagami pinning her to the wall with a Tsurugi brand foot. Which would have given Chloe more reason to complain that Marinette had seen all the girls who wanted her naked but Chloe and that would surely have spiraled into some sort of mess.
Though Kagami being far away from that woman wasn't a bad thing…..and maybe the view wasn't bad….
Said girl who needed some space from her mother realized who she was after a second and let off the pressure, letting Rena move again. Kagami's expression was apologetic.
"Rena Rouge, my apologies. I wasn't expecting you. Usually when something comes in here, it is one of mother's robots with a surprise training exercise."
Rena used words never to be said around Etta and Ella. The actual…those things came in here!? Kagami didn't seem to find that a problem as she opened a locker to retrieve a set of clothes. "My mother has the same training, no need to be worried. I'm guessing there is a problem?" Kagami questioned, and only seconds later seemed to realize that she was not Ryuko. "I mean, why else would a hero be here? Has someone been akumatized?"
Was it worth letting Kagami know they knew she was Ryuko? On the one hand that would
probably make the entire thing easier, but Kagami had already instinctively acted in self-defense once in less than two minutes. Would she do it again? Also could they do it without necessarily revealing their own identities?
She'd think about that for a bit while Kagami started to dress herself. Until then, the facts.
"A show called The Challenge had a hypnotist named Simon try to hypnotize a randomly called celebrity. They dialed your mother…"
Kagami let out a knowing sigh, not needing more to be said.
"I'm guessing that you came here to try and get her to leave." Kagami didn't question that said request did not go well as she pulled a legging up over her leg covering up….oh….oh dear….Kagami had scars. "Don't worry, my mother will survive. She had more scars at my age than I do." Kagami said as if noticing her distress.
That was not a good thing! The only good thing, if you could call it that, in all this was it clear the scars that looked like they came from bullets were from rubber ones. Mylene had shown the six of them some pictures of the difference once.
"We still don't want anyone to get hurt, and we can't be sure your mother won't be hurt. Or you." Okay, did she go 'we need Ryuko' now, or was that still going to go badly?
She quickly filled in Kagami on what Ladybug and Queen Bee were doing, and how they hoped to stop Simon Says and his army of controlled citizens before they got here. Kagami fully dressed herself in that time, the final touch being a beaded choker necklace that Alya would actually be a Euro to be her Miraculous.
"I see. What of Ryuko and Saint Scimmia? Have they arrived?" Kagami inquired, and Alya had to admit that Kagami was a lot better at not leaving hints without Marinette around. If she wasn't already in the (all but certain) know, she'd not have noticed any hint of Kagami covering her own identity.
"Well not every hero is out for every bad guy. The only one of us who gets involved in every fight with an akumatized villain is Ladybug, and that's out of necessity. Sometimes I'm not available, sometimes Queen Bee isn't, so the two newer heroes aren't expected to show up at every fight. No reason to expect them to be any more constant than we are." Rena noted. There were times that they showing up would have been a help, but they understand life got in the way.
They could have used Saint Scimmia against Break-a-Leg: that guy was just spitefully making everyone around him break their own legs and that Monkey Miraculous power to make the power malfunction would have been very appreciative. But if Saint Scimmia was busy that day, it wasn't her fault.
"It might be better if Saint Scimmia doesn't show up." Kagami quickly admitted. Was this about the fight against Cannibal Guy where you accidentally got eaten? Kagami also realized she might not have ever been seen meeting her properly. "I have…not met her outside of battle, but I've found that those who wear religion too openly are often prone to being problematic. Not that those who are religious are untrustworthy, but if one's inner self created with a Miraculous or being made evil comes out like that, it is odd. To me, but if you are in fact religious I mean no offense."
Oh hey, there was that awkward Kagami that usually required Marinette to come out.
"Oh don't relax, I get it. Um, before I say anything more…."
"I destroy the monitors and microphones every time I use this facility." Kagami said, sounding a bit surprised that Rena knew her identity. Rena would assume that checking for bugs was part of the madness that was her mother's training and that Kagami had long aced it.
"...Yeah, I get it Ryuko. Honestly Queen Bee's a bitch to deal with sometimes, but she's getting better and isn't unsalvageable. Hell she's mostly salvaged at this point. Saint Scimmia should be the same." No way Saint Scimmia could be worse than Chloe, unless she found a Lizard Miraculous and called herself Chameleon. Then it might be a problem.
"Longg." Kagami simply said as out of her locker flew a little red dragon Kwami. The Kwami bowed to her.
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance at last, Rena Rouge. I've long wished to ask how Trixx fairs, as well as Pollen and Tikki. Though I understand that you may not have the time to transform to let us speak." The Kwami was quite polite and well spoken.
"Trixx's fine. He's happy and has no issues, though I do worry when he gets bored."
"A wise concern. A bored Trixx is more dangerous than many a Kwami, despite his lack of raw destructive potential."
"I understand that you are unwilling to show your own identity. It would compromise your lovers identities and likely requires their permissions which you currently do not have." Kagami sounded fine with the lack of a reveal on her end and knew why she couldn't right now. Still…
"Um, not quite 'lovers'. We're not at that place yet, and if we were I would only be with Ladybug. Queen Bee and I don't, despite what some corners of the Ladyblog say."
…She and Chloe had looked at the tag for 'Queena' fics once. Never again. Moderating that end of the Ladyblog's fanfic discussion thread was left to the poor, hard working soul that was Markov. She was happy moderating the reactions to that one fic where Hawk Moth lusted for Mr. Pigeon and they had an egg together instead, thank you very much.
"You have no need to worry about complications from me in regards to your love life, wherever you are in it. I promise you that. There is another who I'm interested in, my attentions will be firmly there and not interfering in your own affairs." Kagami said earnestly.
Kagami…that would be so nice if Ladybug and Marinette were two different people. The sound of an approaching crowd, and the bending of perimeter fencing and building security apparatuses like security booths by a large crowd.
"Want to talk about our love lives later?" Rena quipped as Kagami shouted "Longg, Bring The Storm!", transforming into Ryuko, the girl being quite ready to get going.
"Actually yes." ….why did she make that quip? "Though if you could perhaps do a favor in using Mirage. My mother will give me less grief if I'm taken away from the building by force by two superheroes, you and Saint Scimmia, than if I do not show myself in battle. I'd suggest leaving the building to the southwest, as the cameras present there have the least visual range and you won't have to keep the Mirage up too long. You can stay in here and recharge your Kwami afterwards, I'll hold the line"
Sure thing.
"Mirage!"
…
Instinctively on seeing the army before her, at the command of a person who, once like her, was under the thrall of a wicked man, Ryuko's thoughts began to race. Magically ensnared and transformed, Simon Says was no more in control as she had been…but there was something she was thinking about.
She could probably take out all of the people between Simon Says and her. She had a sword, she was trained to do so. She knew how. Then Miraculous Ladybug…yet she hesitated on the thought.
Before today, she had only chanced on those who were like her, or like 'her' in the way One Ronin was her. She was empathetic about that, even when they were monsters before Hawk Moth. Her mother would scoff at her thinking that, but Ryuko had empathy. She understood what it was like to be used by Hawk Moth, even as someone who'd never considered cannibalism.
…She was quite sure that it was no 'mistake' on Saint Scimmia's end that got her eaten by that one. She would watch that one going forward.
This was the first time where she was up against people, not monsters…and Rena Rouge had pointed out something to her before she created a diversion for her mother. Rena was clever, the idea of masking her retreat with the idea that 'if Kagami is controlled by Simon Says you will be in more danger Mrs. Tsurugi' would make it easier for her after this was all over. Her mother was swayed by logic like that. But Rena Rouge had also pointed out to her that there were rules. While heroes were not prohibited from killing entirely, every death was highly scrutinized, and even when revived later by magic those who managed heroic affairs had no tolerance for killing enthralled civilians. Ryukp was still new enough to be considered on probation legally, and if she took one life in Simon Says' army, she would likely be considered, at best, a violent vigilante and at worst a villain.
Ryuko felt like Rena Rouge and Ladybug wanted to be her friend if things continue as they are, and that maybe Queen Bee might one day. If anyone controlled by Simon Says died at her hand, that wouldn't happen. If anyone died because of her today, Marinette….
Ryuko would fight today, and no one would die. That was simply how it would be done. Her mother would disapprove, but what Ryuko did and what Kagami did were two different things. She sheathed the sword of the Dragon Miraculous as she landed in front of Simon Says and his thralls.
"Oh, the new hero sheaths her sword. I didn't even make you do that. A good hypnotist shouldn't claim credit where it is not his. Especially the greatest of all hypnotists, Simon Says!"
He was a little arrogant. She was pretty sure that was the dark power of Hawk Moth screwing with your head. He was probably more humble without it. Regardless of who Simon Says was, Ryuko pulled her sheath over her back, holding the covered blade out towards who Simon Says currently was.
"If you draw your sword, you should be ready to use it. A mightier swordswoman than I has said that many times to me. However, as I do not plan on taking a life today, the sword will remain sheathed."
And before the evilized villain could react, she was on his controlled horde. With the sheathed sword she jabbed, she swung ,and she whacked. As men fell she kicked and punched at their replacements, taking more down, but they continued to come. Paris was a city of millions after all, and Simon Says had time to get all the way here.
If she wasn't stronger and faster than she was without her Miraculous, she may be in trouble. But her greater abilities meant she could keep up with their numbers, and by her count she had struck to the ground thirty-nine...forty-seven…fifty…but more kept coming.
She jumped out of the reach of the mob, gripping a side of the building to keep herself out of reach. She saw that purple mask flash on Simon Says, meaning that Hawk Moth was talking to him. Whatever it was, she wasn't going to wait to see if it was just Hawk Moth ordering Simon Says take the Dragon Miraculous.
"Simon Says be a ladder and scale the building! Get that girl's choker!" He threw cards into dozens of his victims, who suddenly surged towards him, slowly forming a human tower of victims as they started to reach her. She needed to use one of her powers, and she wondered if the power could affect her in an incorporeal state. In that case she didn't just need to be something else, she needed to stop the cards.
"Lightning Dragon!"
She turned into lightning, her body burning with the cosmic heat of a lightning storm, which she aimed right at Simon Says.
"Simon Says stop!"
Simon threw a card at her, but before it could even contact her the card burned up. Yes. Simon Says' was startled, he was in a panic. This was hers. Now she just needed to get those cards, as surely that was where…
"Simon Says protect me!" He threw a card at a young man with a goatee and some sort of stick sticking out of his mouth, maybe a lollipop or something, who quickly moved in front of Simon Says and spread his arms wide. No….
She barely avoided hitting this innocent man, crashing behind Simon Says. No matter, she still had two powers and her sword. Sheathed or not, it would hurt this monster made from a man and let her…
"Simon Says break!"
She swung her sheathed blade just as he threw a card at it, which upon contact immediately shattered into pieces. Simon drew a half dozen cards more seconds later.
"Simon Says give me your Miraculous!"
She avoided the volley, but she was aware that his thralls were closing the space she had to dodge even without looking behind herself to see for certain.
…
Meanwhile in Hawk Moth's lair, the titular villain was smiling. Oh this was going well. If this kept up he wouldn't even need to try and figure out why he couldn't seem to tag Chloe Bourgeois with an Akuma or figure out what he'd replace 'Copycat' with. A pity, he'd been starting to come around to the name Copyfox….though he was also partial to Beetwo. Alas, Simon Says was doing so well he'd never get to try those out.
Oh….Faux Fox. That was a good one, much better than Copyfox. He was on a roll now that Simon Says was on his own. Oh…wait, Wanna Bee…
…
"What do you think you are doing! This is my property, you are trespassing and will be punished if you do not leave. I will call the police."
Ryuko, and fortunately the entire army and Simon Says, looked up to a nearby open window where her mother was looking down…or at least it looked like that. Her mother's pose was wrong, she was off in her posture. Her head would not be looking down like she could see Simon Says, and she was talking wrong. Simon Says however did not notice these characterization problems.
"Oh excellent! We don't even have to take an elevator to get your attention! Make the ladder!"
They were quick at it, and while that gave her some seconds she still was in a dire spot. Should she use Wind or Water Dragon now or…an orange blur!
She jumped to meet the blur, catching the gloved hand of Rena Rouge with her own at the peak of her own leap, the Fox hero's momentum from her own excellent jumping abilities carrying them across the entire army, grabbed her and the two crossed the army on a lesser width and landed out of harm's way. Just as they landed the ladder reached the window where her mother was, only to prove her right when the mother poofed away in orange smoke. Simon Says' face was unimpressed.
"An illusion!? How dastardly! But unlike me, you only get one of those!"
Rena Rouge, who now had the attention of Simon and his controlled company, smiled.
"Oh doesn't Hawk Moth tell you anything? We just need a break, we're not down for the day."
"..." Hawk Moth was saying something to Simon Says now. Ryuko didn't look Rena Rouge in the eye as she explained how he blocked her with an innocent man. Rena frowned.
"Yeah, that is going to be a problem. You did the right thing, but that doesn't mean this fight's any more over."
Ryuko got the impression that Rena was wondering how to get Simon to drop the army without, say, letting him run off with her mother to the studio and catch him there. That was plausible…but also possibly unethical. There was also the question of what would happen if her mother did kill Simon Says, could Ladybug still revive the innocent hypnotist? The sound of a screaming string was the next sound that Ryuko heard, alongside the landing of two pairs of additional feet just behind her and Rena. The new arrivals were both welcome sights.
"Sorry we're late, we had to make a donation." Ladybug declared to Simon Says in way of greeting, much to the disconcertion of the villain.
"What did you do with my first army!?" Simon Says questioned, sounding dumbfounded the army had been bested. .
"You can see it at the zoo when we're through with you!" Queen Bee declared with the utmost confidence. Rena blinked, as if she got how that worked. Was Rena Rouge fond of such facilities?
"I've used Lightning Dragon and lost my sword, and Rena Rouge has used Mirage to get me out of a tight spot. He's using human shields to keep me from getting him with one final strike." Ryuko quickly filled in Ladybug on what had happened so far.
"I see…"
Ladybug was unlike her mother. There was no disapproval in her words, tone, or expressions. The first heroine of Paris was simply thinking, going through the scenario at hand to figure out what to do next.
"Give it up Ladybug! You can't beat my armies and stop me from getting that woman to play along! But I'm a fair performer, if you give me the Miraculouses now without any further fuss I'll leave you four with your free will and I'll even let you offer the third, fifth, and eighth hypnotism commands I plan to give that spoilsport Tsurugi!"
"Tempting offer, but let me put in a counter-offer. Lucky Charm!"
Ryuko was…often baffled by what this power created, as much as she was by how the heroine then used said object to solve the crisis at hand. It seemed to know more than the heroine did, which made Ryuko wonder if the Kwami of the Ladybug was aware of things while Ladybug was transformed. Was Longg?
The Lucky Charm had created…a jar of something. It was yellow, highly concentrated, and the jar itself was a fairly large jar.
"Okay, what's in that thing?" Queen Bee questioned as Ladybug examined it, curious herself. Rena Rouge looked it over for a minute and blinked.
"Well, you should know, it's pollen."
"Pollen?" Somehow it sounded like the two heroines were talking about two different things.
"No, like from trees and flowers and stuff. Some places it gets thick enough to coat stuff like snow. And Ladybug's got a big jar full of it." Rena Rouge's tone was in borderline unease, like she did not want to get anywhere near that much pollen. Ryuko didn't have allergies personally, but she could understand why many would prefer to steer clear of so much allergen.
"Simon Says seize their MIraculouses!" Simon had enough of bantering as Ladybug got that look in her eyes of having some sort of zany plan.
"I've got it! Queen Bee, Rena Rouge, flank them! Ryuko, use Storm Dragon to blast them all with this pollen!"
All three of them nodded as Ryuko was handed the jar, opening it just as she activated Wind Dragon. The resulting tornado sucked in the entire jar of pollen, and her reduced speed while in tornado form meant that as she blasted into the army she wasn't using dangerous winds. The hundreds of surging thralls only got ruffled hats instead of being blown into each other like dominoes.
"Achoo!
"Ackhakaaaa!"
"Chahggghhh!"
However, they were all sneezing, stopping their charges to sneeze, hack, cough, and otherwise not be all that effective. Simon Says, who was covering his nose with one hand, was muffled as he prepared a card to throw at Ladybug. However, her Wind Dragon's reduced winds were still enough to cause the card to veer off course, so he missed her as she got closer, closer….
And then Simon Says got kicked by Queen Bee, causing him to drop all his cards as they spun in the air. Ryuko broke off Wind Dragon as she reformed, grabbing four in one hand and tearing them in half, as Ladybug, Queen Bee, and Rena Rouge got the rest. Eventually out of one of the ones in Rena Rouge's grip flew out an akuma, who Ladybug then immediately captured.
"No more evil doing for you, little akuma! Time to de-evilize!"
And then the butterfly, now a pure white, flew out of the Yo-Yo.
"Miraculous Ladybug!"
With that, everything was restored, the people returned to their lives where Simon Says had barged in, and with a quick invitation, Ryuko joined in for a group high five. Maybe in a few more team ups with these three, she'd do this on her own initiative.
"Where…..oh no…." Simon Grimault, freed from Hawk Moth, stared in horror, but before Ladybug could walk to him, Ryuko stepped over to him, trying her best to show an empathetic expression. She wanted to, but she knew her faults and expression was one of them.
"You shouldn't worry. You were legitimately upset, a completely human reaction. Someone was just able to use it for their own purposes. You were not at fault."
"Yeah, Hawk Moth is. Plus there will be other competitions." Ladybug assured him.
"I suppose so. I just…never felt so bad after something went wrong." Simon admitted, sounding ashamed of himself.
"Did you ever run into a scenario as unfair as being told to use visual illusions on a blind woman?" Ryuko pointed out.
"True…."
"Yeah, life sucks sometimes, but when it happened to you everyone agreed it was unfair. It can be worse." Queen Bee finished. "Now, normally this is where we'd offer to swing you home and stuff, but this far out isn't as good for the whole swinging and jumping bit so um…do you have money for a taxi? These costumes don't come with pockets."
…
"If you had defeated Simon Says once, I suppose it makes sense you would defeat him again. But I did defeat you eventually. Ladybug, Rena Rouge, Queen Bee, Ryuko, I will figure out what defeated you even if I have to try everything possible and impossible!" Hawk Moth gave a good foiled speech as his window sealed away the light. With a sigh he transformed back to Gabriel Agreste. He supposed it could have been worse, he could have had a villain trying to kill him instead of someone else. He was not against risking his life of course, he'd gladly see billions die to revive his wife and the idea of him dying in the process had crossed his mind, but not having to die was a good thing too.
RING RING RING
Though what were the odds that this call was The Challenge calling him to try to get him to participate…and after he was done he might be able to do the Copycat thing, but without Cat Noir. Twisted copies of Rena Rouge and Queen Bee would be much more fun than this call would be.
"Gabriel Agreste speaking." He answered, sure it wasn't that gaudy game show.
"That was a subpar assassination attempt." Tomoe pointedly told him. "What sort of assassin doesn't even get into my residence before being defeated? Your wife put more effort into trying to kill me than you did Gabriel, and she was the docile twin. Do you really think you can defeat Ladybug and her subordinates with this sort of effort?"
"I assure you, I was not aiming to send you an assassin today. You simply created such negative emotions in that Simon person I had to jump on it. What sort of artist doesn't try to use every inspiration that comes to him?" He really wasn't trying to kill Tomoe today. His wife had created much more dangerous creations with the intent of killing the woman, and Tomoe Tsurugi had wanted them to be that way.
Gabriel shook his head. Sometimes he did not understand the business side of his company, or the people side, or people in general for that matter. Why did Audrey and Andre Bourgeois marry in the first place? Why did Xavier Ramierez get so flustered so easily in regards to pigeons? Why was the best way of forging business deals between his brand and Tomoe's was letting his wife create nightmarish demons to try and kill the blind woman at the blind woman's own request?
There was a reason people were Nathalie's responsibility and he stuck to the art of fashion and creating supervillains. People were strange, alien things. It was why Adrien wasn't allowed to leave his home most of the time. Well that and other reasons. Dealing with this woman didn't help Adrien's arguments about being allowed to run around Paris on his own like he wanted to. Emilie put her foot down to the mad woman whenever Tomoe wanted to also have her daughter face Sentimonsters, and she was always happier with Adrien being safe at home after those arguments.
"Then why are you using others? You still have the superior Miraculous to the Butterfly in your possession. You are more of an artist than your wife, you can create something far more fearsome than Simon Says."
Gabriel warily looked at the Miracle Box, shaded as it was in the dark. He was the only one to have figured out its combination for a reason. He knew Nathalie too well…
"Ladybug and her friends have proven themselves to be more of a nuisance than expected. Plus I still need to find the Cat Miraculous first. Nathalie can't run the business end of my company, help guide Adrien, and take over as Hawk Moth should I also fall into a coma."
"You fear your death."
He'd glare at the blind woman if she was here. She would notice it, she could sense such things even with her eyes long lost.
"I fear leaving my wife in a fate worse than death, or the idea that I may not be able to save her from it. I will gladly die if I can save her, but I will not risk it all recklessly."
"Just don't half ass your attempts on someone's life next time. I'm not half-assing my own end of our arrangement in producing technology that can channel magic."
Yes, the Alliance project. Tomoe's company provided technology people wanted, he made it appealing in design to be adopted and omnipresent among the masses. Together it would be a product that would sell quickly and spread everywhere as the next must have item. And if he so happened to find any more Miraculouses…well some features weren't listed in the instruction manual. Until then though…
"Well perhaps next time one of my creations decides it wants to kill you, you'll give them more than five seconds of your time to infuriate them first. My 'scribbles' are powered by their negative emotions, so if you want a more dangerous foe you need to give them more of a reason to want to kill you first." He quipped back as Tomoe almost chuckled. Well…if she did, at least he could give Mr. Ramier a break. And maybe finally break Ladybug. As long as they stayed away from his perfect son at least. He'd rather not have his son in danger while he tried to take the Ladybug Miraculous and figure out where the Guardian hid the Cat Miraculous. Of course, he could probably put more effort into looking for the Miraculouses, but his villains were rarely suited to sleuthing (Mr. Pigeon was probably one of the better ones to attempt a search of Paris, and he was Mr. Pigeon), and he didn't like leaving his mansion and Nathalie was already quite busy so…he was in this for the long haul. Tomorrow was another day though, and another chance one of the millions of Parisians would find one and not be so capable with it. Millions of little Parisians, a few boxes, surely someone would find one soon. Someone as stupid as that 'Oxtoppable' person, only just one he'd find first.
…
Eventually Simon was gotten out of Tsurugi property and returned home, after which Ryuko waved them goodbye, not obviously showing that she knew they knew her identity. That part Alya filled them in on back in Paris proper to get the sushi that had been dropped off. Also on some other things.
"...Oh god, and I thought Gabriel Agrestre was a terrible reclusive weirdo." Chloe sounded like she was almost happy her parents just ignored her. "That woman makes him look like just some reclusive weirdo."
"...I don't think Kagami even realizes that something is wrong. She seems convinced that she has it easy, and if her only comparison is her mother's childhood…" Alya winced. Passing on a softer touch didn't quite work if the lighter touch was a non-lethal bullet." I cannot in good conscience leave her alone in that place."
"So what…how are we going to keep her out of there without either having her mother try to kill us, or her wanting to date Marinette and we're somehow okay with it?" Chloe said both possibilities as if they were equally terrible, though Marinette and Alya could tell Chloe would rather not leave Kagami alone with her mother no matter what.
"We can probably put more of an effort to ensure she's present for akumas, but that's only so much. She's probably getting away as much as she can right now…think we can find a way to get Tomoe Tsurugi arrested?" Marinette wondered aloud as Chloe had a rough smile.
"Alas, that's tricky, and I'm not even saying that because she's rich and powerful. You'd need to do it in a way that won't just let her slip back to Japan with Kagami to avoid the problem. Japan, or some other country. Maybe not Belgium or something, but you get what I mean."
There were more ways for people a few social rungs higher than 'Street Purger' to avoid consequences than just throwing money and soft power at their problems.
"...Well, there goes 'hey I'm Rena Rouge and the Tsurugi residence is filled with killer robots'." Alya hated to admit that was going to be a problem.
"...Is it enough to just get Kagami out of her house more?" Marinette hated to imagine that was all that could be done.
"No, but it is what can be done right now. Getting Kagami out of that place more is the start. Honestly you need her to ask herself 'wait, is my life not normal?' She can't get out of that place if she thinks nothing is wrong." Chloe sounded like there was more she wasn't saying. "And then she'll either realize that something is wrong and want to fix it, or she'll deny that something is wrong and get more and more upset as she denies that something is wrong. If the latter happens, that denial could come out in several ways."
Neither Alya and Marinette necessarily felt like asking what those 'several ways' were, and Chloe didn't sound like she would elaborate. Chloe's gaze was elsewhere as she nibbled on some sushi. Anywhere but Marinette.
Marinette, whose expression looked like she was thinking about everything she knew and remembered about Chloe and Kagami at once, looked quite bothered, so Alya, with a slight grin and no sushi in the way, gently pulled Marinette's head down into her lap and patted her head comfortingly. Things were more complicated than they perhaps should be, but that didn't mean they couldn't be overcome. Sometimes you just couldn't use the brute force, simplest, or most straightforward method.
But they would get Kagami out of that place, even if they had to just start with 'get her out of it more' for the time being.
…
At the same time, Kagami was also taking some time to herself, though unlike the others talking about now she didn't quite grasp the oddities of her situation.
"I guess I'm not a good enough actress to conceal my identity." She idly noted to Longg, who nodded.
"No one is perfect, not even I, a Kwami of Perfection. Plus…."
Longg felt the bubbles boil up in the back of his throat. Oh, someone using a wish….that made the protective enchantment even more problematic.
"There's something else?" Kagami caught, as Longg tried to figure out how to explain without constantly spitting out bubbles. They were frankly quite revolting. He and his many Kwami brothers and sisters owed the Wizard so much, but he could have made sure the bubbles at least tasted better when they stopped them from revealing information, for good or for ill. Perhaps a peppermint flavor would have made the entire thing less aggravating.
"Oh, there are many other things on my mind. Some of which are hard to explain at the moment," though Longg suspected that they could talk about them more freely when Kagami was more closely associated with the Marinette, the Ladybug Miraculous holder and the original successor of Master Fu, and her associates. He was quite sure whoever made the wish wasn't her, if he'd have to guess it was probably Alya. Alya always meant well….but jumping to stop an ultimate power wish with a plan which ultimately had unexpected and unpredictable consequences seemed like an Alya thing to happen, especially if it was either that or Monarch doing whatever wicked thing he was after, "and others are a bit…less complicated but by no means small things. For example…do you wonder why I was hidden in that school?"
"I've wondered why." Kagami admitted. Longg was curious how Trixx never wandered off and found his box; he could expect Tikki and Pollen to stay still but not Trixx. Trixx wasn't Plagg, but Trixx wasn't what would be called obedient either. But that was a point to ask his fellow Kwami later.
"Allow me then to tell you a tale of the end of an ancient order. The Order of the Guardians were an order of wise men founded thousands of years ago to safeguard and hand out the Miraculouses in times of need to avert disasters and bring good fortune to the world. The greatest of guardians stood guard over a Miracle Box, a sacred container that held a selection of over a dozen Miraculouses with a broad theme to them. For example I came from the first Miracle Box created, of whom twelve members are the basis of the Chinese Zodiac."
"The Dragon and the Ox…so there is also a Snake, a Dog, and Tiger, a Pig, and so on." Kagami surmised as Longg nodded.
"Correct, though there were several others in the box as well. Another box held a set of Kwami who became the basis of Navajo medicine circles, but I could go on this tangent for a while. I could also note how my own Miracle Box is the oldest and most powerful, though each Miracle Box has a range of powers that allows the user to perform very similar feets, though that is also a tangent, so back to the main topic at hand. The Order recruited promising young boys from across the lands, mostly in Central and Eastern Asia, and my final guardian was one such candidate. He was considered a prodigy of one of the two primary duties of a guardian, an impeccable eye for finding the best candidates to hold a Miraculous. However in the art of safeguarding, in combat and being like a sentinel, his talents did not lay. He also did not get along with his teacher, the Celestial Guardian, though I must confess that was not an uncommon trait among aspiring and senior members of the Order."
"Why?" She questioned how bad the Celestial Guardian was to be around. Longg, without saying anything, slipped into her secret hiding spot for material her mother would not approve of and took out a manga, turning to a page of one of the collected volumes to show the character Katsuki Bakugo.
"They have very similar temperaments, drives towards their duty as efficiently and well as possible, and utter lack of people skills." Longg explained, which quickly gave Kagami knowledge of what the man had been like. After Longg put the contraband back, he continued.
"My final guardian missed his family, and he was unhappy with his lot in life. Eventually he grew tired of it, especially after one most terrible training session with the Celestial Guardian, and so in the dead of night he slipped away from the temple and sought to leave. He could not return to his home village, but he could get away from the Order of the Guardians. Eventually though, the smell of smoke and the distant screams drew him back to the Temple, which was being beseeched by…." Longg bit his tongue, trying to find the right words. "...well, I don't know."
"You don't?" Kagami questioned as Longg shook his head.
"When inside a Miracle Box, my awareness of the world is limited. But even within it I could sense malevolence, brutality, and darkness. I could also hear the screams, just faintly. What happened next is second hand knowledge, but the temple attacker destroyed the Temple and took as many Miracle Boxes as possible, but several escaped his reach. One Guardian, not realizing that my final guardian had avoided death with his running off with an intent to desert, threw him the Chinese Miracle Box where I and the others resided, a staff that lets one track it anywhere, and the last grimoire of the Guardians secret and extensive lore left in the Order's hands, and was told to run. My final guardian did, and as a result survived, though during his flight he was separated from two Miraculouses. One of them is in the hands of Hawk Moth now."
Longg didn't quite remember what happened last time, but it was a different end for the Guardians, just around the same time. Master Fu in that version of events had also lost the Grimoire and his staff, though in this iteration of time he kept hold of both.
"...So Hawk Moth destroyed the Guardians?" Kagami guessed as Longg shook his head.
"No, it wasn't him. He wouldn't have been alive at the time. My final guardian lived near to his two hundredth birthday, and there is no indication that Hawk Moth is that old. I do believe that Hawk Moth likely found the Butterfly Miraculous around where the temple had been, but only he'd know for sure. Anyway, for over a hundred years, my final guardian protected me and my fellow Kwami from the Chinese Miracle Box, only hearing scattered tales of his fellow survivors, before eventually ending up in Paris. He quite liked this city. Eventually though, the evil that had destroyed the Guardians returned. It came from America this time."
Longg had seen that at least some Miraculous using superheroes were active right now in America. He hoped those specific Kwami, among them Liiri, Taimma, Hassek, Honee, Cooho, and Kellp, were not the only ones left free.
"After a few close calls and near disasters, my final guardian realized that this enemy, long lived as him, could track Miracle Boxes but not the Miraculous themselves. So he hid me and the other Kwami in places that he felt would lead them to being found only by the best candidates in theory. He has a good sense about such things, and he did find the correct candidate for one of the two most important Miraculouses, though that doesn't make him infallible nor immune to unforeseen events or chance."
Kagami muttered something about Saint Scimmia. Longg was thinking about Oxtoppable personally.
"He also hid the Grimoire somewhere. After which he took the empty box and his staff and left Paris, drawing the enemy away. That was some time ago…."
Longg feared that Master Fu was dead. He only hoped that he took that thing with him. Because Longg feared what it sticking around could mean for an already difficult fight with Hawk Moth, also known as Shadow Moth, also known as Monarch…whose true identity did not survive the Wish but he remembered he was associated with a woman in a pantsuit who he managed to drive away with some stupid act of his. A consequence of delving in dark abuse of power for months, Longg believed, warping his ideals.
"How many Miraculouses are hidden in Paris?" Kagami asked for clarification, wanting to know the exact number. It was a fine way to not dwell on dark memories mostly lost.
"My Miracle Box held 19, and if I may be dour and assume Hawk Moth also has the Peacock Miraculous as it was lost alongside the Butterfly we know he has, I can say that 11 still remain unfound and are most likely scattered throughout Paris."
Kagami nodded, leaning back and thinking to herself. Longg wondered if the girl was considering how to search all of Paris for 11 small boxes. Personally Longg would hope to find Orikko and use Sublimation, that would be the optimal means of seeking them out. Though as much as Longg wanted to see them again, he would be fine to see Hawk Moth defeated first, then the rest of them reunited. Only time would tell.
So some notes.
Fun fact, I did not start this chapter with the idea that Tomoe was some sort of crazy nutcase, I was aiming for her to just be a jerk. However being the sort of person who would program robots to attack you in the shower, like she built her own legions PROXYs or Cato Fongs, ended up developing and being just funner, and also a more divergent take on a bad parent than Audrey B or Gabriel A.
At least in this verse, and possibly also Miraculous Demigods, I'm leaning into the idea that every Miracle Box has, at least at a certain core, an array of powers that are meant to fill similar niches or mirror each other, even if they might not always be on the same power level. Until anything New York shows up it won't be the most obvious thing, but so far I've come up with powers that are clear parallels, similars, or opposite foils to that of Tikki, Ziggy, Orikko, Stompp, Longg, Sass, Daizzi, and possibly also Pollen, though of the names that have popped up for N.A Miraculous users so far, the Tikki like power is not currently in use and has not yet been found in story. In this scenario, Liiri may be a foil power wise, in at least this path of theme, to Nooroo. Namewise Taimma, Hassek, Honee, Kellp, and Cooho are the Thunderbird, Buffalo, Bear, Otter, and Salmon Kwami, while Tikki's alike but different power comes from the Owl Kwami Tsilligi and Daizzi's is the Woodpecker Kwami Pappa.
The one Kwami that is known to be active in New York that was unnamed, the Wolf Kwami, has yet to have any ideas made for it yet.
Also, fun story. A joke about how it was literally against a nebulous set of rules for Queen Bee to kick some crooks while they are down actually evolved into a world building about heroes having some actual rules and foundation in the world. There is likely going to be few points to organically expand on them, so here is a basic rundown based on my own thoughts and some feedback from Spacebattlers Capmorgan5599 and ThanatosTiger.
France, alongside the United States and dozens of other countries including Prince Ali's home country, most of the EU, Canada, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, have signed an international accord that dictates how superhumans, superbeings, magic, etc are handled legally, how they should behave, and so on. This treaty was determined primarily by the United Heroez a few decades ago, who wrote out hundreds of pages of rules, procedures, and expectations that was, after feedback from world leaders, submitted worldwide. The countries that have not signed this tend to fall into three categories: countries without superheroes, countries who do not like anything American telling them what to do,and those who feel that one or more of these rules is a significant handicap for their own personal safety or morality.
For example of the latter category, due to their need for a more ready and active military force, Israel and South Korea have not signed onto the United Heroez penned international statute because it prohibits the use of superhumans in offensive war operations, only in defensive or civilian protection operations, though these countries would have their own individual side-treaties for cooperation and ease of interaction versus those who don't sign for the second reason.
On some more broad and more important rules than 'when you can kick a villain in the balls' (I believe the current Knightowl wrote those rules out personally) and how they'd pertain to Ladybug and co.
Any new Superhero that appears in a signatory country first enters a period of probation where their personal attributes, such as morality, dedication to the greater good, respect to citizens, property, and personal liberties, and other major aspects of being a hero are reviewed over the course of months by a panel of experts, which I do believe includes the Knightowl before Barbara Keyes. Character witnesses may be called from the superhero's municipality of focus as necessary. A hero that passes the muster is then given full protection and rights under the statute, while a hero that is found wanting is not. While under probation, and after passing muster, local government and police forces are expected to cooperate. Events like, say, canon Rodgercop where the police turn against Ladybug and Cat Noir due to a supervillain, are not allowed. A situation like Canon Copycat would at least temporarily put Cat Noir on thin ice, but I suspect shapeshifters are not unheard of and Copycat would be defeated before Cat Noir could get into any real legal trouble.
Within a reasonable period of time after a hero or heroes start operating in a city with full coverage under the law, either the hero or the local government, ideally both, must set up means of communication, liability, and responsibility. On, say, Andre's end he has to provide Ladybug and company accommodations and compensation if necessary, which does include arranging therapy sessions with registered heroic trained therapists provided by the United Heroez, while Ladybug would be expected as the S4 Guardian to represent the heroes if anything was to go awry or they'd need to meet with, say, the Prime Minister. Which I'm sure would help her S4 stress levels…Master Fu would be in violation of this part if he was not dead in this AU at this point. While Marinette is preferred to schedule her own therapy sessions as well as for those she is responsible for in a S4 context, others such as a S4 show context Andre, Cat Noir, and Rena Rouge can recommend her therapy per several specific clauses.
The city of Paris, or a larger or smaller municipality that covers their work area, can pay Ladybug and friends for their service if they were to request it. Ladybug cannot ask, say, Mr. Ramier to pay her a Euro every time he's deakumatized, but they would be paid akin to civil servants like a policeman or fireman. They cannot, however, have additional sources of income such as designing or model work if they do this, and the United Heroez prefer to earn an income by other means, like side jobs and action figure sales. If a hero with a private identity was to be paid this way, they are paid via a P.O Box, which is to be provided anyway for private identity heroes. The upkeep of the P.O Box, including setting it up and making sure it is not filled with bombs, is the responsibility of the municipality (Andre).
Anyone arrested by a superhero in costume is considered a legal arrest, and a superhero may attend court proceedings in costume if their identity is not public knowledge. Defense lawyers can ask for proof of such a hero's true identity, of which there are several methods that may be used. Ladybug could have Uncanny Valley brought in to use her immunity to Quantum Masking to certify Ladybug's identity, for example, while someone considered familiar with Ladybug could ask her questions to verify her identity. The extent is up to the Judge or other prosiding official.
Ladybug holding onto the Miraculouses, instead of handing them to the government, is protected under the statute's clause about magics and unknown alien technologies. This would also cover the Prodigious if China was to sign the statute, and if this was to turn into a crossover or something it would also apply to, say, the Omnitrix, Calamity Box, Riptide, and a Palisman. Sentient beings that are not human are also protected, so as an example Tikki is considered to have human rights the same as Marinette. This would also apply to Markov, though he would require a few more tests than Tikki does.
No one, be they local leaders or corporate sponsors, can prevent a hero from saving another. This is a more known aspect of the law publically, and has its own nickname as the 'Waddleduck Protocol'.
Supervillains are categorized by their danger to society and human life as well as their individual choice. An Akumatized villain is on the bottom of the list of supervillains because they are not in control of themselves and are covered under the enthralled civilian statute. Hawk Moth is on the other end, and if he was to ever be captured he would get the book thrown at him. Supervillains are categorized by their level of danger to those around them and intent to do harm, and are distinct from regular criminals like bank robbers.
Marinette is not allowed to act against those who have the potential to be labeled as supervillains, by any definition, without probable cause. For example if she was active when Emilie and Gabriel were using the Peacock Miraculous, she could not arrest Gabriel because he had the possibility of becoming Hawk Moth. Marinette could, however, arrest Hawk Moth upon proving beyond doubt his intent to use Nooroo to create Akumas, or if she was to use the Rabbit Miraculous to come from the future with evidence of intent. In the case of the latter, Hawk Moth cannot be charged for the crimes he will commit and killing him would be more heavily scrutinized the farther away from his crimes you time travel, though implements and means to become a villain will be removed. This is informally known as the 'Hilter Time Travel Clause'.
A panel exists to go over any and all use of lethal force by a hero. Civilian deaths are heavily scrutinized, but the panel is not heartless. You mostly get in trouble if you are being a reckless idiot or callus, and that trouble is not merciful.
Local municipalities may request certain alterations to the statutes based on their heroes specific powers or circumstances. For example, this would mostly apply with Ladybug and her tendency to hit things with national monuments, as her Miraculous Ladybug means this is not as big of a deal as if say, Majestia started using Madison Square Garden to hit Techno Pirate. The review for this local and individual allowance is a fairly quick process, and if the review goes in the direction of the alteration any pending charges (say, for property damage and recklessness) are dropped.
Ladybug may freely act within the borders of any country that has signed the statute, and with some regard for differences in countries with similar but different statutes. Ladybug cannot act in countries that have not signed any statute without specific allowance from the national government or with approval of an international review panel to determine if the threat she is chasing is worth the potential problems if she was caught. Hawkmoth would qualify as one if he fled into a non-signatory nation, though perhaps not Season 1 Hawk Moth.
Upon the defeat of Hawk Moth, Marinette can retire as Ladybug and not be required to resume duty or give up her abilities if she so chooses, as applies to all other heroes.
