All rights to Miraculous Ladybug belong to Zagtoon, Method Animation, Thomas Astruc, and Disney. All rights to Persona 5 go to Atlus and Sega. This is my own creative work.
Footsteps never slowed, even in the youth of night. People ran to and from terminals in the busy airport, glued to their phones for travel times for their next flight or aweing at the plethora of lights there to greet the rising late autumn moon. Evenings brought out a hidden wild side in people.
A set of suitcases rolled along a spotless red carpet leaving thin grooves in its fibers. A thousand windows and security cameras were gleaming, refracting the indoor lights like a thousand eyes. It brought back an old thrill known only to them as they became leaves drifting on crisp winds in a forest of bundled bodies traveling in and out of security gates. Food courts wafted hot chocolate and sweet treats that left a few of their members weak in the knees from hours of flight. Akira Kurusu could not help the smile hearing a few stomachs grumble in the mass of beeps and calls from the overhead announcer.
Shifting his checkered scarf and hosting his back atop his black overcoat, he stopped just at the gate where the screen read for flights approaching. His group of friends stopped in turn, reaching almost to grab the screen, and dropping their coat sleeves to their elbows. Bones cracked and groans wailed, followed with the intake of the Parisian air rejuvenating their aching limbs.
Infiltration successful, he thought to himself smiling.
His loudmouthed partner in crime, Ryuji laughed overtaking the loudspeaker. "Yeah, ha, ha! We're finally here! I mean, can you believe we're in freakin' Paris!?" The other blond, Ann, took in another breath.
"The air really does taste different here. Wait, is that fresh-baked chocolate muffins I smell!?"
"There goes your modeling career…" Ryuji smirked.
"Shut up!"
"Now, now," giggled Haru in her lavender beret and fluffy pink fleece. "Let's not spoil our first moments in France with bickering. It has been a while since we've all seen each other. We should be sure to make this an enjoyable trip."
As Haru had said, it had been some time since Akira had gone home following the incredible year he had spent in Tokyo. One year jam-packed with life, loss, and learning, enough to probably cut some of his golden years in half and sprout grey hairs before he would turn thirty. People whose outlooks he changed and who changed him and basically taking society into a blender and turning it to mush.
It was a hard goodbye to the friends that became parts of him and who he'd taken the world with, but it had made the reunion all the sweeter when Ann hit them all up on a group video chat. Akira was glad to see everyone well and that they had all been making sure progress in their various goals and dreams. The model girl had given them the golden ticket of opportunity when she invited them all to Paris for her first overseas modeling job which was sure to get her name out overseas as she had hoped. She had said she owed it all to the friends who helped her discover herself and her life's path.
That last part had been word for word and had gotten some snickers from Futaba, guffaws from Ryuji, and tears from Morgana. Ann promised to give each of them a piece of her mind when they had met at the airport.
"I agree." Akira said, softly but commanding. "Let's make this one to remember."
"Hey, with this crazy group, anything's memorable." Ryuji laughed.
"Hello, are we there yet?"
A muffled voice came from Akira's backpack. The bag rustled and shifted, Akira even feeling a few kicks and pokes. The zipper budged from the other end and out popped a black furry cat's head. Morgana shook his fur into place.
"Jeez, you could at least be sure to let me know when we got here!" Morgana chastised. "All this time and you still can't show me any respect."
"You do recall I had to basically smuggle you in." Akira commented. The airport had a strict no cat policy.
"Airports are straight-up discriminatory."
"Kay, so what do we wanna do first, now that we're here?" Ryuji asked.
"Travel to foreign countries offers one a chance to expand their cultural and philosophical horizon, as I believe I once said during our excursion to Hawaii." Yusuke spoke in his ever-refined manner. "Let us take this chance for ourselves. I recommend visiting the Louvre."
"Ugh! We heard you the first fifty times, Inari!" Futaba groaned adjusting her glasses and black pinned beanie.
"I've definitely got to check out some of the department stores here." Ann noted. "You can expand your horizons, I'm expanding my wardrobe."
"Um, Ann?" Haru piped. "Don't you already have five closets full of clothes?"
"For real!?" Futaba yelled. "I thought you just had one of those infinite dimension bags! There goes my chance of seeing your x999 magazine collection."
"I think she still has that." Akira chucked.
"Everyone, calm down." Makoto chided, the last to speak, still prim and proper as always. "While I'm sure we all have ideas for sightseeing and such, let's not forget the real reason we've come to Paris. This is a major step in Ann's career and we are all here to support her. Work before play, remember?"
Everyone went silent – Akira could literally see the snow covering their shoulders. Makoto was always the one to reign in those wild instincts with a little self-control, reminding them that letting loose was fine if it came with limits. Where would they be without her?
In fact, looking around, literally nothing had changed. For all the growth they did, Ann still had a weakness for sweets and a cute outfit, Yusuke lived and breathed paints and ate paintbrushes, Futaba spoke in her own secret language of gamer terms and references no one got and Ryuji was the guy to have at a house party. Not much change in their looks either, still sporting the same hairstyles and wardrobe picks they did on the very day he met each of them. Same story, different year, and it was its own kind of laughably disorienting.
Then there was Morgana. "I agree. Lady Ann is counting on us to help her through the terrible trials and tribulations of modeling. Fear not, Lady Ann, I will be there every step of the way!"
"It's not like I'm sweating buckets…" She muttered.
"Anyway," Makoto coughed. "Did everyone remember to review their French before the trip?"
"Uh… what about French?" Ryuji asked.
Suddenly the airport dropped a few degrees. Everyone paled as Makoto turned to face Ryuji directly, glaring.
"…You didn't study?"
"Um… No, ma'am…?" Ryuji sweat dropped. The iron Nijima held the poor bloke in a visual chokehold.
Futaba sighed. "Gold-trophy achievement. No trophy for you."
"Not like we expected anything from this idiot." Morgana muttered.
"What was that!?"
Makoto crossed her arms. "I told you about it during the group chat. Honestly, how are you going to communicate with the people around here? You can't just assume everyone knows Japanese…" She finished with a head shake and a sigh. "Just… try and have a translator app on you."
"Don't worry, Ryuji. If there's any problems, I can translate for you." Haru smiled. "I'm quite fluent in French after all."
"Senpai…"
Makoto flipped out her phone from her coat pocket, checking the screen. "That aside, we're supposed to be meeting with Monsieur Agreste's assistant. She should be waiting for us near the airport entrance. We can meet with her after checkout and baggage claim."
Everyone grabbed their carry-on handles and moved down the aisle before they were swept up in the influx of arriving people from the next flight. Akira heard something from Ryuji behind him echoing the fine art of procrastination to himself. No one paid him any mind as they trekked trough the metal maze following the signs to the baggage area.
The silent agreement was that Ryuji would be the one to haul the luggage. Ann had given him her three bags as punishment for his offhanded career, then Makoto offered her luggage as reprimand for his procrastination. Yusuke and Futaba were quick to jump on the bandwagon after that for no specified reason. The crass blond was soon waddling away from the conveyor lost in mounds of backpacks and stomping like an elephant as he dragged heavy bags out of the area as they looked for their guide.
Akira spotted her not long after, to Ryuji's delight as he collapsed in a limp mess near the entrance. She was clad in a wrinkle-less suit, combed-back hair, and a small pair of glasses with a tablet in her hand, standing straight as if imperfection in appearance was a sin. It flashed the image of Makoto's elder sister Sae in Akira's mind, if only a distorted reflection. There was something about her, Akira's sixth sense triggered, quite different from the elder Nijima. He honed on it as it was that sixth sense that led him to both his best friends and his worst enemies.
The woman stepped forward. Her legs moved as if independent of the rest of her body. "Konnichiwa, Takamaki-san." She spoke in immaculate Japanese. "Pari e yōkoso. Yoroshikuonegaishimasu."
"See?" Ryuji said panting. "People speak Japanese around here just fine."
Makoto only shook her head.
"My name is Nathalie Sancouer, and I am Mr. Agreste's personal assistant." Ms. Sancouer continued. "We have prepared the limousines for you and your party. Follow me and we can head out to where Mr. Agreste and your parents have arranged for your stay. I will give you a basic rundown of the campaign along the way."
"Oh, yes… Thank you." Ann spoke almost flustered in the face of professionalism.
The woman nodded and made her way out the building.
"An NPC overflowing with the lack of a backstory yet overflowing with capability." Futaba noted. "I am intrigued."
"She certainly seems devoted to her work." Yusuke noted.
Impressions going every which way, the group followed her to the pick-up area. Ryuji and Morgana had been somewhat vocal when they saw the 'limousines' were but a seat length longer than a normal car. If Makoto didn't silence them, the brick wall of a man driving the other car crossing his arms and growling at them certainly did. Both Ryuji and Akira blinked when the man had even picked up Ann's bags as if they weighed no more than a bag of in-flight chips.
The awkwardness as the boys and Futaba hopped in the car with the oversized man while Ann and the other girls rode with Nathalie. Throughout the first ten minutes of the drive, they had tried to start conversation with the driver about literally anything, from popular tourist destinations to foods to holiday plans to even the taboo factor of any conversation – personal history. The man had not even spoken a word to them, only kept his eyes on the road and obeying the directions of his GPS.
Even the introverted Futaba tried to coax words out of him and soon started poking him as if he were some robot with human skin. From a former shut-in who could not go out or talk to people without him as a handicap to someone who could speak any one of her mile-a-minute thoughts whenever she wanted made him proud. Of course, they had to step in when Futaba started reaching for his back to check if there was a wire panel on his neck.
The group merely whispered to themselves fawning over the passing sights. The wet streets rippled with the dancing glows of lights from passing store windows. Ryuji rolled down the glass letting his puffs of breath flow out as the chilly air cleared his head, bouncing his sight along every building wrapped in glimmering tinsel and caricatures. Yusuke framed his fingers looking out, every passing second a picturesque scene breathing back the joy of the holiday season.
From the front passenger's seat, Akira looked to the other limousine to where Ann was speaking with Ms. Sancouer. Anyone with eyes could tell that the girl was rattled with the pressure of what would no doubt be a milestone, despite all the encouragement sent her way. The girl was stumbling through all the rules, combing for little tips and tricks in the fashion industry, and anything that had the look of an official document could still send her mind reeling. She was, in many ways, still that passionate young girl he'd met at Shujin Academy a year ago, caught in the eye of a storm of rumors and cruel gossip.
They all knew though she found direction for that passion, that she could stir the winds her own way, given a chance to find her ground. She could model with the best of them. The thing is, she would.
Though younger by a couple of years, this boy she would be working with, this Adrien Agreste kid was her senpai in the fashion industry. He'd seen and done it all: magazine spreads, editorials, shows, commercials, short films and more as the face of the Gabriel Agreste brand. The guy had even touted accolades under his belt from various bigwigs, from "Hottest Teen Model" to "Most Handsome Young Male". The perfect combination of talent, hard work, and connections had put his face on every square inch of Europe.
Maybe that punch to the gut she was clearly feeling at the time was all the star power. And yet... Akira knew there was something else.
He was cut off from his thoughts when the car began to slow. The others snapped to attention as well, seeing the car ahead of them also slowing. Blinking, Akira looked out the window.
It came into full view once Ms. Sancouer stepped out with the girls and he followed suit. Along the edge of the city close by the waterfront stood an impressive building regaled in Christmas decor. It towered above their heads with light radiating from six stories worth of windows. It draped along every brick, every leaf showing immaculate detail, carved to the tiniest speck with pure perfection.
Yusuke pictured the building between his fingers. "Quite the building. Imposing, yet there is a regal elegance…"
"This is definitely a step up from that shoddy attic…" Morgana muttered from behind him.
Ms. Sancouer turned to the party. "This is Le Grand Paris, the finest hotel in Paris. Mr. Agreste and Takamaki-san's parents have made arrangements for you here for the duration of your stay."
"S-s-s-say what!?" Futaba yelled.
"Here!?" Makoto jumped. "For the entire month? Isn't that a little-"
"For real!?" Ryuji cried. Yusuke and Akira gave him the Japanese rundown and quickly wished they hadn't. "Woo-hoo! This is totally frickin' sweet! We're livin' the good life!"
"Oh, boy…" Morgana muttered.
"Uh, sorry…" Ann bowed to their chaperone blushing. "He tends to get… overexcited."
Ms. Sancouer, in the only show of reaction, adjusted her glasses. "We have prepared a luxury suite for you on the fifth floor. Take this time to settle in and gain your bearings. Tomorrow you will meet us at Place des Vosges at approximately 9:00 AM for a rundown of the shoot schedule."
"Y-Yes, of course!" Ann bowed.
"Well, then. On behalf of Mr. Agreste, we look forward to working with you. Enjoy your stay and have a pleasant evening."
With that, the woman returned to the car, stiff as a robot, and drove off. The imposing man who drove the other car followed suit. Soon it was just the eight of them again, standing at the street corner on luxurious red velvet with the late autumn chill on their necks.
Ryuji was quick to feel another as the girls turned their glares on him.
"Honestly, could you at least TRY to show a little more decorum!?" Ann yelled. "We're in Paris, for god's sake!"
"Uh, we're staying in a luxury suite at the best hotel in Paris! How do you NOT get excited at that!?" Ryuji strolled in through the doors of the hotel. "This already beats Hawaii by a mile!"
The others turned to exchange looks.
"He's certainly… enthusiastic." Haru murmured.
"On a more frank note, it is a bit difficult to not share in his enthusiasm," Yusuke smiled, despite himself. "It is not often one enjoys such luxuries as this."
"He's got a point." Akira added.
"It's just like he said that one time." Makoto sighed. "Our group is the same no matter where we go…"
.
One step into Le Grand Paris hotel and the normal world became a giant landfill. After grabbing their keys they followed the hotel staff to the elevator and were carried up to the fifth floor where their hotel room lay in wait. Opening the double doors, the group's breaths were near sucked out and danced away into the luxurious space before them.
Then Akira's, at least, froze in midair.
There was such a thing as curtains that were too lush, or red velvet cushions that were too much like clouds. Also, when people spoke of marble floors so polished you could see your reflection in them, it was mostly an exaggeration. Here, it was not. Electronics-wise it had amendments that staff likely knew most of their group would never have the budget to touch in their lifetime, all under the near moonlike radiance of the chandelier above the pit. Four beds were aligned on both sides of the wall next to a long stretch of windows overlooking the city, set as though wrinkles were a sin.
His eyebrow twitched.
"We're really going to be staying here… for a whole month…" Makoto muttered.
"It is rather similar to my arrangements, but even I have to admit it is a bit…" spoke Haru. If the heiress to a large corporation found it extravagant, there was no other word to be had.
"A query, Haru." Futaba said. "When exactly DO the maids come and clean your room?"
"Oh, I believe they come in periodically when I'm off at classes. Why do you ask?"
The former shut-in groaned.
"Dudes, seriously! Why are you sweating this?" Ryuji shouted laughing taking a running start to the pit. With a hop off his good leg he bounced into the seat, reclining into the cushions. "We got this sweet pad for a whole month! I say drop the wet puppy acts and let's live it up like kings and queens!"
"Agreed." Yusuke said. "We should not squander our hosts' graciousness. I should think the food here is quite exquisite."
"You guys are so carefree…" Morgana shook his head.
"Aw, man…" Ryuji giggled. "Do you think I'm gonna get looks from all the cute French girls? S'like, I got that Japanese mystique that makes 'em wonder what's on my mind?"
"Highly doubtful…" Yusuke said.
"You're full of it." Ann said.
"What mind?" Morgana quipped.
"That's a bit much…" Haru mumbled.
"Don't say such ridiculous things…" Makoto scolded.
"Dude, come on." Akira chuckled.
"Grand slam seven-hit combo!" Futaba cheered.
"…You guys are damn brutal, you know that?"
"Ugh, so you're the riff-raff that's going to be polluting my airspace?"
The group all turned to the doorway at the snide voice. Its owner stood at the entrance crossing her arms with a foot out to display what looked like designer-everything. A dirty blonde ponytail that near sparkled, makeup on every visible inch of skin and a nose pointed upward as though the air they shared was foul. Baby-blue eyes glanced at the whole lot of them and it was clear she was not impressed with what she saw as she scoffed.
"I was wondering what kind of backwater no-talent no-name could have fished up, but I didn't think he was that desperate." She chided. "He really scraped the bottom of the barrel if he went for this sorry lot."
"Um… excuse me?" Ann asked.
"Wow, ugly and a dimwit to boot? What's wrong, don't they know how to speak refined language in the boonies?" She continued to mock them. It was clear it was getting on some of their nerves. "Let me make this simple for you: You. Losers. No Annoy Me."
"Sorry, but… who are you?" Akira said knowingly. "The housekeeping?"
The girl scoffed again, and once more for good measure. "Do I LOOK like housekeeping to you, you four-eyed bumpkin!? I am the illustrious, incredible, beautiful, talented, beloved, and humble Chloe Bourgeois! Clearly, I should have been chosen for Gabirel's fashion shoot and given the chance to model with Adri-kins but I guess his picking a hopeless amateur just proves even the most talented can make terrible decisions."
"Chloe, darling!" A shrill voice came from the other side of the hall.
Soon the girl was seized by an older man with more gray hairs than he probably should have and a sash around his primed suit. Ms. Bourgeois was struggling to escape his grasp and resorting to dirty tactics like clawing at his limbs stepping on his foot. The man, sweating buckets and whimpering out promises of shiny things, still managed to hold the screaming girl in place.
"Just what do you think you're doing, daddy! I am not done educating these commonfolk!"
"I'm sorry, sweetie, but you know you're under house arrest after the last incident! We can't have you being impolite to the guests and making the situation worse!" The man reasoned. By now he had her suspended, her legs flailing in midair.
"This is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! Go back to your dumplings and red underwear, you losers!"
The man bowed to their party as he side-shuffled to the elevator at the hall's end. "So terribly sorry about this. Don't mind my daughter. We hope you enjoy your stay at Le Grand Paris and please do not hesitate to let us know if you need anything!"
With a yelp, he shut the double doors. Behind were more muffled screams and footsteps.
"Uh…" Morgana gaped. "What the hell just happened?"
"Got me." Ryuji muttered from the pit. "What was that chick sayin', by the way?"
"It's… better if you don't know." Makoto muttered. Ryuji's lack of studying came in handy.
They'd done the smart thing and put it out of their minds. In five minutes since the encounter the group had unpacked their suitcases and loaded their things into the closet spaces, grabbed their night clothes and gave the room a much-needed dose of imperfection to feel at home. Most of the group was piled at the pit while Ann and Haru had pulled their magazines from their travel packs and were scanning through the contents at their beds.
Ryuji and Futaba had been flipping through a guidebook Makoto had grabbed for them just before leaving Japan, two and four pairs of eyes scanning over the best locales Paris had to offer. Akira had passed a glance at Futaba's urging. It had bits on everything from monuments and tourist spots to popular cafes with their signature dishes that could blow LeBlanc out of the water. Sojiro would slap him for the thought.
"So we got a plan for what we wanna see first?" Ryuji spoke over the TV playing. "We wanna check things out orselves or do we get on one of those tour bus things and-"
"AAAAAAAHHHH!"
Everyone jumped at Ann's scream. Ryuji outright rolled onto the center table, while Morgana jumped and flailed airborne.
"W-What is it!?" Makoto shouted.
"THIS!" Ann called, pointing to her magazine. "I knew I recognized the name!"
Her finger was practically burning placed on the ink-laid temple of an admittedly attractive man. Tan skin with raven hair more curly than Akira's own, coiled with the sheen of a few gallons' worth of hair gel. The top of his chest was exposed with the top buttons opened, an easy device for garnering hungry stares from ladies. His image was plastered in several poses on the two open pages on the magazine held in Ann's trembling hand.
"Ms. Sancouer was mentioning him during the ride over! Antonio Silva!" She turned the magazine back to her and flipped through the pages. The whole thing might have been dedicated to this guy. "He's supposed to be a major model from Barcelona: he's sored all kinds of awards and he's all about doing charity work for rainforests around the world!"
"Uhhhh, so?" Ryuji asked.
"She said he's going to be in the campaign! He flew from Spain all the way over here!"
"… Whatever."
Ryuji had hopped beside Yusuke and Makoto and joined them in flipping through the channels. Ann growled and scoffed, muttering something Akira's trained ears caught along the lines of 'uncultured blond ape.' Morgana might have had more of an effect on her than he thought.
Haru, who had been startled into dropping her own read on gardening, returned to her reading. "Speaking of famous people, has anyone heard the rumors? Supposedly, there are actual superheroes in Paris. A lot of the locals talk about them."
"Um, I know we're all big fans of superheroes, but it's a little farfetched to say they actually exist." Makoto answered.
"True. There are some things that solely lie in the realm of fantasy." Morgana added. "Even considering us."
"Hold up, you're talking about those two, right? Ladybug and Cat Noir?" Futaba had her laptop out in a heartbeat typing faster than the human eye could follow. Her screen exploded with windows that were either the most realistic photoshops Akira had seen or were actual newspaper clippings. "They're totes a big deal around here. They've shown up more than once and gone all Super Sentai on supervillains, actual supervillains!"
That was his answer. "Go figure."
"That's quite the unexpected surprise." Yusuke added.
As if to challenge his statement, the TV changed immediately. 'Breaking' was spelled in all caps stretched across the screen. A red-haired reporter soon appeared, reading professionally.
"Nadja Chamack here with a breaking news bulletin." The woman read. "We've just received word from witnesses and updates on social media that the recurring Akumatized villain, Archangel, has once again appeared."
The image to her right expanded, and their whole group's eyes widened in unison. The 'villain', as he was described, appeared in full splendor, though he hardly looked the part. Clad in golden armor with a razor-like sheen to it as well as a pale pallor that was almost sparkling, he descended to the streets on massive angelic wings. Whatever cameraman had been taking the shot was brave to want to close in on the strange being, catching the glint of the feathers that, up close, resembled blades more than anything.
The angelic being struck a chord within the group of rebels, thinking back to another villain that bullied others under the name of the divine. This one at least did not look to be bossing people around, at least. Instead, the man leaps to the air again and launched a volley of feather from his wings. They slashed the buildings, leaving deep grooves in the concrete. What looked to be permanent damage instead was fixed, to some degree, as the struck buildings and everything inside, was washed over with a glowing white wave.
It sent a flash across the screen that made the group blink. When they opened their eyes again, the buildings and people, stone and flesh, had soon become pristine diamond, refracting the light from the streetlamps. Everyone gasped in horror.
"People of Paris," the villain growled in a strong Hispanic accent. "How dare you not shine as my love wishes you to! Have you no taste, no sense of beauty!? I shall make everything perfect for my beloved goddess!"
"Dude, is this for real!?" Ryuji cried, eyes bulging. "There's a goddamn supervillain running around!"
"He is hardly one to speak of beauty." Yusuke mumbled angrily, keeping his eyes locked on the buildings the villain had touched. "All he has brought forth is garishness at its finest."
No doubt the attack's effect brought back memories of his former mentor's inner workings. It raised a greater hate of the garish and gaudy in the young artist's views. Everyone else, however, was watching with dread or babbling messes of panic in Ryuji and Futaba's case that humans had been affected. Even on the screen, people were running in the streets for shelter, screaming for help. Akira winced almost feeling the hits as some unlucky souls were struck and turned to life-sized jewel figurines.
What was going to happen now? Would this be fixed? Could this be fixed? Should someone call the army or the national guard? How do you stop someone who was making Paris into a diamond wasteland? Were they needed?
"Hold on, we've just received another update!" The reporter cried.
Akira blinked. The others froze, sweat dripping down.
"Good news!" The reporter broke into a smile. "Ladybug and Cat Noir are on the scene!"
The cameraman turned at this announcement. On the roof of an adjacent building stood two figures in true heroic fashion with hands at their hips. One was a ponytailed young girl in a skintight red suit with black spots. The other was a boy in a black suit with cat ears, a tail, and ferocious green slits. The girl broke out a yoyo that spun with such force it glowed while the boy unleashed a staff.
"Sorry, Archangel, but we'll need you to come back down to Earth again!" Ladybug announced.
The two dropped to the ground. Cat Noir followed up. "Hate to say it, but it's not too 'heavenly' around here with the likes of you!"
Those that had stuck around exploded into cheers, as though the danger had already been passed.
For twenty minutes, the group had watched the heroic duo battle the twisted angel. No one said a word, no one's eyes had even twitched or settled their jaws back into place from where they dropped. Only Akira, who had settled back into a strange calm yet still felt the hairs on his back stand on end and sweat run down his neck.
The pair made a dance out of the fight against him. For every swing of Ladybug's yoyo, Cat Noir closed in with a swipe of his baton. After a flying kick from the boy, Ladybug would swing in and kick harder. Their opponent was no slouch, shooting feather that slashed things apart and crystallized the remains after, his slices perfect and pristine with the cuts appearing as smooth as sheets. All the while the villain was roaring and screaming like a wild animal and betraying his angelic form with no pattern to his strikes whatsoever. Ladybug was caught in the line of fire and barely recovered from the force of what almost looked like a missile with wings, stumbling onto the nearest rooftop.
Cat Noir had barely blocked the flurry of swipes and slashes as Archangel closed in, and one lucky hit sent the cat-themed hero flying into two buildings. Another blast of feathers came forth and Cat Noir barely had time to block with his staff. The weapon turned to diamond and Cat Noir had to leap out of the way of the rest. He extended his baton out, expecting something, but quickly changed course and arced on a streetlamp before rejoining Ladybug.
"Cat Noir's staff has been neutralized, same as in the previous attack!" Ms. Chamack cried. "What will they do now?"
… Previous attack?
"LUCKY CHARM!" Ladybug answered.
Her yoyo spun above her in a shower of glowing hearts. From out of the glow came… a plate?
"A plate?" The reporter echoed the question in their heads. "What is Ladybug going to do with a plate? We've seen some strange Lucky Charms in our time. You never know what will come out of them!"
Ladybug seemed struck with inspiration at that point. Whispering something in Cat Noir's ear he flipped back while Cat Noir took the lead ahead. Archangel was quick to fire another round of feather, but Ladybug spread her legs and stood her ground. As if locked on the centermost feather she tossed the plate and caught it as it bounced back, knocking the feather back. It rebounded off the other crystallized objects and back towards Cat Noir who batted it with his staff.
It bounced around and around between the points repeatedly. The plate, the rubble, a house, Cat Noir, a streetlamp, the plate again, the house, Cat Noir, the lamp, the plate. As it returned to Cat Noir a final time, he knocked the blade upward and swung it again, this time into the villain's back. His wings suffered the same fate as the surrounding area as the villain plummeted to Earth screaming.
Cat Noir approached, his claw glowing with a blackened light. One his fingers brushed the wings, they crumbled to dust leaving him free to catch the villain. It was no small feat for the boy who had just been rammed through several buildings to restrain the clearly older man. A single flower, black as coal, fell from the man's suit, which Ladybug picked up and ripped apart, unleashing a black butterfly.
Her yoyo flicked, catching it out of the air. Moments later she tossed up the plate she had summoned. "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"
Whatever else might have happened afterward was cut off in the storm of cheers and the wash of red light which restored everything. Buildings were returned to stone, debris had been set back into place, and people were free and back to flesh. The image shrunk back to the upper right as the woman continued, an impartial smile on her face.
"And there you have it folks, once again, Paris has been saved by our local heroes, Ladybug and Cat Noir! This marks the tenth time this month they've defeated the Akuma villain Archangel, but many wonder, will he return again?"
The screen shut off.
Seconds felt like eons as it reflected their frozen, gaping faces. No one spoke a word.
Akira, on the other hand, settled back into the seat, leaning, with a wry smirk on his face. "Clearly this isn't going to be a normal trip…"
Morgana sighed. "Is anything we do ever normal?"
This has to be the longest chapter I've written since my early writing days. I always thought, it isn't ready until you've crammed about 5000+ words into a single chapter and kept readers going for a time. On the other hand, I think it's necessary when you're trying to shove eight characters together in a single scene.
So here we have the introduction of the Phantom Thieves, the other main protagonists of the story. I'd like to hear the feedback from everyone as to how I've written them. I have Masquerade under my belt as practice for writing the characters of Marinette and Adrien, but I've got nothing but my experience with the Persona games for the Phantom Thieves. Hopefully I've written them to true character, since they are all so distinct and unique.
Writing wise, this chapter, it's hard to say how I did. I don't know if I should have included more emotion. After all this is told from Akira's POV and he is pretty much a window for the player themselves. The prose itself, I am taking a meh attitude with since I want to cram into my own head that pretty prose is nothing next to the actual story.
So some things I want to get down right away:
For the P5 protagonist, I decided to go with Akira Kurusu as his name. I know there's also Ren Amamiya from the animated series, but Akira from the OVA seems to be the more generally accepted canon name for him.
I would like to point out that while you read in English, they are in France. In the show, it is said that they are speaking English, even though they are technically in France. Everyone had to learn French per Makoto's instructions, and classic Ryuji didn't study. Also, for those interested in knowing what Nathalie said in Japanese (yes, actual written Japanese), it was "welcome to Paris. We are pleased to have you."
In regards to their meeting Chloe. She is under house arrest following the events of Miracle Queen. I didn't think she should just get away with it, and some people have conceived punishments for her as well. This story only covers as far as the end of season three, so the events of the New York special aren't relevant here.
So for reviews:
Cold-heart-Angel23: There will be targets for the Phantom Thieves to strike, but I have some surprises for the Palaces themselves. I hope you'll look forward to it. Also, don't worry. I will really tone Marinette down – I don't really think anyone liked her stalker-esque behavior in Season 3. Also, she's got her own issues.
Matt: There will be some fun things ahead for the whole cast. No LGBTQ ships here, sorry. In terms of ships, I leave that to the readers' imaginations.
That is about it. Thanks to everyone for reading so far. As always, review, favorite, follow!