Marinette absently waved Alya good-bye as she left her home. The young guardian had a lot to think about…
"When there's something important going on, we make sure we're both in on it. I would never pull anything behind his back and betray his trust!"
That's where everything went wrong for Marinette, wasn't it? She chose to scheme behind his back instead of just telling him what was wrong… But then again, he might not take it so well considering how his first meeting with Su Han went. No matter what angle Marinette looked at it, she only saw a disaster waiting to happen.
It was a bomb and Marinette's the only one with the pliers to diffuse it. Pick the wrong wire, and everything blows up.
And it did blow up. And Chat Noir paid for it.
What could Marinette do to make it up to him when he's so far away?
0-0-0-0-0
"Blair's guardian had an interesting way of doing things."
"Indeed. It's a far cry from the guardians from the order."
"So, Plagg and Tikki got to do errands in the future? How exciting!"
"Will we get to send secret messages to our holders too?"
"Isn't it dangerous to share too much knowledge to too many holders?"
"Master Fu kept cautious for a reason. Knowledge like that shouldn't fall into the wrong hands."
"But shouldn't knowledge be shared among comrades like Marinette is doing with Alya? They work great together."
"Why can't Chat Noir drop in to help too? That way, Plagg can come over and play with us more!"
"You know why he can't! Chat Noir needs to keep his identity a secret!"
"But Blair knows a few guardian stuff…"
"That's different!"
"No it's not!"
"Yes it is!"
"NO. IT. IS. NOT."
Up in her room, the kwamis were chatting amongst themselves about what Blair disclosed about her guardian. It sparked quite a debate among them.
Marinette herself didn't know what to make of it.
Blair's guardian, Master Hisui, taught both the bug and the cat. That's not how Master Fu operated, but Marinette wished that was how it went. If what Blair said is true, and Master Hisui doesn't intend for Blair to be the next guardian… Then she must've been taught to help out whoever the next guardian will be. Being the guardian wouldn't be so bad if she could share some of the burden with more people like Alya.
… and perhaps Chat Noir.
He's smart. Silly at times, but smart. He knows a lot of random trivia. Who knows if some of those could be useful in decoding Master Fu's grimoire? He knows morse code and is studying another language, which could make him good at deciphering patterns… But what if he learns things he's better off not knowing?
Among the things Master Hisui shared with Blair was how to explore Cataclysm's full potential. Imagine Chat Noir pulling the same stunts Calico did during the apparition sweep last night… It'll be like pushing him one step closer to becoming Chat Blanc. Or an even stronger Chat Blanc in the event he does get akumatized. No! Marinette can't let that happen! He doesn't need to get any stronger! That's what the whole team is for!
Then again, Master Hisui also taught Blair some harmless but useful lessons, like how to make Translation Charms. It certainly came in handy when Blair got whisked away to the past and she doesn't know how to speak French. Blair also carries around a tin box of potions to keep herself healthy from afflictions like qi deficiency…
What about Chat Noir?
Whenever he is, are they treating him well? Did he have trouble with the language barrier like Blair did? Or did they give him a Translation Charm? If he gets sick, do they have a potion for him? If there's danger - of course there's danger, Blair, her bug, her fox brother and their guardian wouldn't be active at all if there is no danger - does Chaton have the power to fight back?
Everything hinges on the future Miraculous holders: People she doesn't know beyond what Blair said about them. How can she be sure if they're as nice as Blair is making them out to be?
How can she be sure Blair isn't lying?
That was when the school bell rang. It was time for afternoon classes and Marinette was going to be late!
"Alright, everyone! Settle down! I'm going back to school, so please don't make too much noise while I'm gone," Marinette commanded the kwamis and they calmed down, as best as little toddlers do.
As Marinette picked up her backpack by her chaise, she glanced at her window and spotted Blair's crimson hair headed to the park… With Alya?!
"What are they doing? Shouldn't Blair be back to covering Chat Noir's absence?"
Marinette climbed up to her balcony to get a better look, just in time to see Blair leave Alya alone in the park. Alya, who was always so strong, level-headed, and would never back down from a fight… She was down. Defeated. Anger rose within Marinette.
"What did Blair say to her?!"
This is a tactic Marinette is familiar with - Lila catching her alone in the bathroom and saying what she said... Blair did the same to Alya, didn't she?!
"Marinette, calm down. Maybe you're jumping to conclusions on this," Tikki tried to appease but it all fell on deaf ears.
Because that sly vixen-cat wasn't done yet. With the zoom function of her phone, she saw Blair duck between a mailbox and a poster of Adrien the Fragrance and transformed into Calico. She stuck to the shadows and from the looks of it, she's inching closer and closer to Francois Dupont.
Who else is she going to go after next?
That's it. She's had it. It's time to confront this suspicious cat!
"Tikki, spots on!"
0-0-0-0-0
"Awfully suspicious of you trying to break into my school like this."
Ladybug had a lot of things she wanted to ask Calico, first and most importantly:
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be playing your part?"
It's the one thing this alley cat promised to do that made Ladybug even consider trusting her… And she's not doing it right now. What gives?!
"Uh… How did you find me?" Calico had the audacity to ask, ears folded into her flaming red mane.
Ladybug glare intensified as she pointed back to her home with her thumb.
"I could see you from my bedroom window."
Calico scratched the back of her head and let out a nervous laugh.
"… Would you believe me if I said I wanted to ask for Carapace's autograph? I happen to be a huge fan of turtle heroes you see…"
If looks could kill, Calico would be ten feet under by now.
0-0-0-0-0
Despite the fact that Marinette is a little less than three years younger than Blair, the way Ladybug glared down at Calico had the cat feel their real age difference. Chronologically speaking, this Ladybug could've been the same age as Calico's grandmother's grandmother… Which incidentally, as Blair doesn't have any other grandmother figure, made Calico think of Shizuke's grandmother.
Hisuikame, the turtle heroine two generations ago. The current guardian in charge of a certain Miracle Box. Protégé of the legendary Ladybug, who is currently glaring down at her with the disappointment of a hundred grandmamas. Clearly, Master Hisui took a few pages off Ladybug's book. From the narrowing of her eyes to the scrunching of her little nose, the grandma guardian has taken after her mentor.
This is how a fourteen-year-old had this seventeen-year-old totally schooled.
"Don't try to lie your way out of this!"
"I'm sorry. It's classified information. This is all part of the mission," Calico explained as calmly as possible, doing her best not to break out in cold sweat.
Ladybug's eye twitched. Not a good sign.
"Fine. Don't tell me what you're doing here. But can you tell me what were you doing with Alya at the park?" Ladybug asked sharply, fists shaking in anger.
Well crud. She saw that too. Just when Blair succeeded in convincing Alya into telling Marinette herself of Alya and the miraclass's identity shenanigans. Now Ladybug is grilling Calico about it.
Words caught in Calico's throat. She could spill everything Alya told her to justify her actions. Clear her name to the angry bug heroine. Make her stop looking at her like she's… like she's a villainess.
But Calico swallowed those words down.
"I can't tell you."
Ladybug's glare intensified but Calico stood firm and put on her best poker face.
Calico can't throw Alya under the bus.
If one of them has to suffer the brunt of Ladybug's wrath, it would be better if it's Calico, wouldn't it? Unlike Alya, Calico isn't gonna be one of Ladybug's constant allies. She's just a substitute cat for a week. Ladybug's relationship with her turning sour is inconsequential compared to ruining Ladybug's lifelong friendship with Alya… This is what Calico tells herself to do what she needed to do.
Calico has interfered enough as it is.
Losing her idol's approval is the consequence of her actions. Calico would deal with it the same way she deals with anything else that doesn't go her way in life: put her big girl pants on, face it head on like a champ, and salvage what she could.
Bluebell met emerald green, neither backing down.
An explosion went off in the distance.
Over the horizon, a sleek, obsidian black tower decorated with glowing green techno lines stood as high as the Eiffel Tower. Both the bug and the cat knew what this meant.
"Shadowmoth. Right on cue," Calico quipped.
The cat heroine pulled out her baton and was about to move out when she was pulled back by the tail. Ladybug shot her a stone-cold gaze, her iron grip on Calico's tail tightened.
"No. You are going to go back to covering for Chat Noir's civilian identity," Ladybug squared her shoulders with authority.
"But most of your team is stuck in class by now and the attack is too far away to call for an early dismissal! You're already down one cat. Please, let me help," Calico said.
Ladybug let go of Calico's tail, which made the cat stumble but she found her balance quickly by grabbing the fire exit's rail. Ladybug paid her no mind as she opened her yoyo to check on her heroes' schedules.
"Kagami's fencing class is cancelled. She'll have to do."
The most skilled fighter of team miraculous just happened to be free. How convenient. Does Ladybug know everyone's schedules? … Kinda creepy, but admittedly practical. If she has to loan out the Miraculous by handing it to them personally, it would save her a lot of time if she knows where they should be found at any given time.
"But what about Rena Furtive? Don't you need her?"
If Calico has to play Adrien, then Alya couldn't go out as Rena Furtive. Ladybug hesitated for a second, before her features hardened with determination.
"… I've made do without her before. I can do so again."
Calico appraised her like she's questioning her capabilities. She's fought this bug before. Compared to Bugsy, her strength lies in strategy and coordinating a group.
"It wouldn't hurt to have more players on the team."
Ladybug fumed red.
"True. But I don't need a cat who'd pull things behind my back."
Without looking back, Ladybug swung away. Calico glared at her retreating figure. As much as she idolizes the legendary bug, Calico doesn't like feeling sidelined.
0-0-0-0-0
"Ladybugs. Why do they all have to be so stubborn?" Calico muttered to herself.
"Hey, Blair," Trixx said, poking out of her fiery red mane. "I get that Ladybug's favor is important to you but… Thanks for taking the heat for Alya."
… Calico did not know how badly she missed getting reassurances from good old Trixx until this Trixx just gave it to her. It hit right in the feels for Calico. But she held herself together.
"With convictions like hers, I'm sure Alya would make the right choice eventually. It wouldn't be fair if I robbed her the chance to set things right on her own terms."
Calico tried to play it cool but the trickster kwami saw through her, judging from the proud smile the little fox is shooting her. Trixx always had a knack for seeing through her facades, even when she was a wee little girl… Back when Trixx's holder was her mother… Shaking off the nostalgia, Calico pulled out the Fox Miraculous from within her suit pocket.
"… Besides, it's not that big of a sacrifice. If I was able to turn one Ladybug's opinions of me around for the better, I'm sure I can manage the same with this bug."
Trixx grinned with excitement. "But what about the guardian's orders?"
"I've already excused Adrien going AWOL for a couple of hours. It would be a waste if I don't use it," Calico smirked.
Calico may have missed her chance to change his test answers now, but at least she's well covered. She'll think of another way to solve that problem some other time.
For now, Shadowmoth's attack is more important.
Regaining Ladybug's approval by showing how competent she is as a superhero is even more important.
"C'mon Trixx, we got a Fox to pick up."
0-0-0-0-0
On her way to where she predicted Kagami to be, she spotted Nino who stood in front of the school. Eyes meeting, they covertly moved to an empty alleyway. He heard about Shadowmoth's latest attack and wanted to help so he excused himself out of class. Ladybug was glad for this stroke of luck.
She told him to go straight to the black tower to contain the potential attack radius while she goes out to get Ryuko.
This should be fine.
She doesn't need her entire team out every time she handles an akuma or a sentimonster. She's handed out Miraculous without Rena Furtive making sure the coast is clear before. She's handled attacks without Chat Noir before too.
Everything will work out just fine.
0-0-0-0-0
Calico did a barrel roll midair then landed right in front of Alya who hasn't left the park bench. The cat heroine stood tall as she presented the Fox necklace to Alya.
"Alya Cesaire, here is the Miraculous of the Fox which grants the power of Illusions. You will use it for the greater good. Once the job is done, you will return the Miraculous to me. Can I trust you?~"
Alya got a good laugh from Calico's dramatic delivery of Ladybug's speech.
"You're having way too much fun with this."
"Heh, it's not every day I get to live the guardian dream to recruit heroes.~"
Alya rolled her eyes as she put her Miraculous back on and transformed. Calico looked at her expectantly, which soothed the turmoil this cat stirred mere minutes ago. Despite everything she confessed, it's a relief to see this cat didn't think less of her.
"C'mon. Paris is in trouble and Ladybug needs us," Rena Furtive said as she scouted ahead.
0-0-0-0-0
Carapace arrived at the scene. He scanned the area and breathed easily once he spotted Rena Furtive is in position atop a building. She's hard to spot unless you know what to look for. Carapace has gotten pretty good at spotting her.
The new cat was with her, flaming red hair standing out against the bright blue sky.
Calico. Or rather, Lila was it?
As soon as the akuma alerts went off, she excused herself by faking a headache and the class did their best to support her cover for her exit. Nino offered to help her get to the clinic so they could both go out. With Alya already gone, Nino bets she's already at the akuma attack site. He wanted to go. He was going to stick with Lila so they could get their Miraculous at the same time, but Lila insisted on Ladybug's stern Miraculous-loaning procedures and split up… Which Ladybug still enforces on everyone, regardless of Shadowmoth already knowing who some of them are.
A large circular green window opened up at the top of the black tower, energy crackling within. It shot three car-sized balls of energy. One of them hit a poor pigeon - it disintegrated into data which the tower absorbed. The two remaining balls flew straight towards the building Rena Furtive was perched.
Before Carapace could do anything about it, two basketball-sized black spheres of destructive energy met the tower's shots head on and dispersed them into harmless green sparks.
There was a loud holler as the red-haired cat vaulted off the building, and from Carapace's view, her silhouette overlapped with the sun. A metal pole extended all the way to the ground and the black cat heroine spun down acrobatically. Ten feet of the ground, Calico retracted her staff and did a three-point landing. She quickly got up, flipped her hair as she twirled her staff before settling into a heroic pose.
"Your hero is here!" she heralded her own arrival.
Lila is really hamming it up, huh?
Carapace looked up to the building where Rena Furtive is hidden, no longer able to see his girlfriend. She should be safe.
"Hey-o, Carapace! Care to join me down here?" Calico called out.
As soon as Carapace was by her side, Calico draped an arm across his shoulders and pulled him down into a half-hug, one finger pressed onto her ear - or rather, her ear piece.
"I get you're worried about your girlfriend, but try to be subtle. Eyes on the tower and not on her. Got it?"
At the warning, Carapace stiffened. He turned his head back to the tower on reflex but Calico held him down. He nearly gave away his girlfriend's location! Once he calmed down, Calico let him go. He shot Calico a grateful look.
"Thanks, Li-I mean, Calico! I owe you one."
Calico raised a brow at him, but didn't point out his near slip-up. She turned to the tower, quietly observing it.
Instead of eying the tower, Carapace's focus was zeroed in on the cat who made a spectacle of herself. With all eyes on her, no one is looking back up at the building… Protecting Rena Furtive didn't stop at disintegrating the tower's shots, didn't it?
Ladybug swung down with Ryuko in tow. As soon as Ladybug's eyes landed on Calico, her face contorted with rage.
"You-"
Whatever Ladybug was going to say was cut off when the tower's circular window and a beam shot down, projecting an image of Max's akuma form.
"Greetings! I am Gamer 3.0," the hologram said. "I prepared a game to accommodate a team… I was expecting a larger party, but at least the key players are here."
Gamer 3.0's analytical gaze were trained on Ladybug who was side-glaring a nonchalantly whistling Calico. What's with them?
"What's the game then, Gamer?" Ladybug growled.
"Today I felt like branching out. Instead of my usual fighting games, how about a multiplayer dungeon crawl game?"