Kagami gazed down at her phone. She had received simple instruction from Chloe, who was her newest phone contact. All she had to do was talk to Sabine or Tom about the "party" Marinette wanted to throw. It was more than likely they would agree, but they needed to ask nonetheless. All of this. Just to confess to Adrien. It sounded like a plan she would read in her manga, but she was acting it out. A part of her felt slightly jealous, though for only a moment. There was still love for the blond in her heart. Though she would never reach out for those feelings again. One lie had ruined everything.
She had found someone who could make her heart race just as fast. Luka. It started with small conversations at first, but grew to sneaking over to his "house" in the dead of night. Though she should probably thank Marinette for locking her in that room with him. They had a very nice talk, though the moment he mentioned a music metaphor she quickly shut that notion down. Thinking about it now caused her to giggle at the memory. But now was not the time to dwell on Luka. She had to focus on Marinette.
Kagami looked up at the Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie and the golden design on the doors. Kagami had been here a few times, but each time she never once interacted with her parents with more than a formal greeting. She felt her stomach begin to tingle as the butterflies emerged. She had no idea why she was so nervous. What was the worst that could happen?
"You got this Kagami. Do it for Marinette and Adrien. So they can finally admit their feelings."
Kagami walked in the bakery and immediately her mouth began to water from the smell of the baked goods inside. The cornucopia of sweets and bread that adorned the display cases. It was like a small piece of heaven. Kagami spotted Sabine spreading some icing onto a cake, singing a song the entire time she did so.
Sabine had not even noticed Kagami enter. Her mind must have been focused solely on the cake. Right now the bakery was empty. No customers to order anything, no window shoppers, just her and her thoughts. Kagami just listened to her sing, watching Sabine lightly move her hips left and right as though she had the music in her head. When Sabine finally finished the cake she looked up and noticed that Kagami was looking at her.
"Oh, hello there. I am sorry I didn't notice you. You are Marinette's friend right? Um .. Kagami! What can I get for you today?" Sabine asked with a kind tone.
"I am not here to order anything. I came here to see Marinette. And to ask you about something she has been planning."
"Would it be a party I heard Marinette talking to herself about earlier? She seemed quite surprised that she was throwing one herself. You know how easily she can stumble over herself." Sabine laughed a bit at the thought.
"That is right. She made a mistake whilst talking to Adrien and mentioned a party. I had overheard it with Alya and Chloe. We decided that Marinette should go along with it. This would be a great opportunity. She can finally confess to Adrien."
"Oh scheming are you? Reminds me of when I was a young adult. Trying my best to tell Tom how I felt about him. I will be fine with you guys throwing a party. I'm sure Tom would be too. It would give us a chance to spend some time out in the town."
"Thank you very much Sabine." Kagami gave her a small smile while bowing her head. "I promise that this party will not get out of hand. I also came to speak with Marinette on a more personal matter. If you do not mind, may I go speak with her?"
"It is no problem at all. Here, I want you to take this up with you." Sabine reached into the display case and pulled out two sweets and placed them into the bag. After neatly folding the bag she handed it to the young fencer. "Tell her that this is from me. She loves eclair's. I put in a chocolate chip muffin for you."
"Oh, thank you. How much do I owe you?"
"Nothing at all. Now go on up and have a good time, Kagami."
Kagami grabbed the bag, not sure how to feel about the free sweets. For Marinette it made sense. But for her? She was not one to question Sabine's actions. After thanking Sabine she made her way through the back and up a set of stairs. As she climbed up the stairs to the trapdoor Kagami could hear Marinette talking. She assumed she was on the phone, until she heard another voice that was inside of the room. She lifted the door up slightly, curious as to who it was in the room. Her eyes widened when she saw a Kwami. One she had never seen before. One that was red with black spots.
"I don't know what I am going to do Tikki. Why am I so dumb! A party? I can't believe it! I'm not that dumb 15 years old anymore. I can actually talk to the guy now. But nooooooo! I had to fumble over my words like a damn idiot!"
"It will be fine Marinette. It's not like you can take advantage of the situation. All you have to do is throw the actual party. Then you will be able to confess to Adrien. It's only a few days away right?"
"That's the problem Tikki. It's me, remember? When have I ever been able to make a plan at the last minute? And actually pull through without a mess being made? I can tell you. 3 times. And it was because Ladybug was able to get it together."
Kagami could not help the gasp that escaped her lips. She quickly shut the door and looked at the ground. Marinette was Ladybug. She took a deep breath and exhaled out slowly. What was she to do with this information? Did anybody else know but her? This was something she would have to process later. Right now she has a mission to complete. Kagami looked at the door and began knocking loudly.
"Marinette you better be decent up there! I do not want to walk in on you naked again!"
It took only a moment for the door to open with an annoyed, but decent, looking Marinette. "Kagami, that is because you don't knock! Now get your big butt in here." Marinette said with a huff.
Kagami stifled a laugh and walked inside. She made her way to the chaise and presented the bag of sweets after she sat down.
Marinette grabbed the bag, taking out the pastry and biting down with a satisfied moan. Bits of jelly coated her lips as she enjoyed the heavenly treat. Kagami pulled out a muffin, the smell of melted chocolate wafted her nose before she bit into the treat. A warm sensation filled her mouth, signifying that it was fresh from the oven.
"So Kagami, what brought you here to my humble abode?" Marinette spoke between bites. Her previous attitude gone.
"It is about the party you are going to be throwing on Friday. The one in which you will confess to Adrien." Kagami thought it better to be more blunt in this situation. No need to beat around the bush.
"What? W-what party are you talking about? I am not gonna be throwing any party." Marinette avoided looking into Kagami's eyes. Her voice stammered from the lie.
"There is no reason to lie Marinette. I overheard you with Alya and Chloe. You want to throw a party so you can confess your feelings to Adrien. I have already talked with your mom about it. She was fine with it. And Chloe is apparently going to be planning."
"But…but… I was gonna…. You guys…" Marinette sat down next to Kagami. Her gaze was casted forward to the opposite wall.
"Matinette, we all know that if you tried you would overthink or overwork yourself. It is ok to have help. We want you to be happy with Adrien." Kagami grasped the young baker's hand and lightly squeezed. This caused Marinette to look at Kagami. A small smile formed on the girl's lips. "You deserve it. So please do not try and stop us."
Marinette let out a sigh of defeat. She shook her head gently before throwing herself onto the chaise.
"Fine. I'll let you guys help me. But how exactly are you going to do it?"
"I am not sure. But Chloe seemed to have an idea of how to do it. I do wonder what she had planned."
"Well it's probably going to be better than what I would have done last minute. So, was that the only reason you came over, or was there a certain boy you needed to talk about?"
Kagami felt her face turn pink at the words. Marinette could not be closer to the truth. She had fulfilled one part of her mission. Now it was time for her own personal quest.
"Y-yes. Tell me. I need your advice on how to date Luka properly. I really like him and do not want to mess this up.."
Marinette laughed for a moment before she sat down next to Kagami. She wrapped her arm around the fencer's shoulder and leaned her head in. A cutesy smile on her face.
"Well, how much time you got?"
Cat Noir had no choice but to race across the rooftops of Paris. His mind couldn't settle on a single thought when he was at home. He had to go out and let off some steam. The fact that his father was robbed, the strange Akuma he faced, realizing he was in love with Marinette and how he was gonna tell her. It was all too much to think about at once. This had been the best course to help calm down his mind.
He stopped on a building that overlooked the river. He could see Luka's home and see several lights on. He wondered if Kagami snuck over there again. He chuckled a bit before closing his eyes. He took a deep breath before honing his senses.
He had been trying to perfect this ability ever since he got the Miraculous. It was difficult to do so on the move, but if he could do it in the middle of a battle it would be quite useful. His ears were starting to pick up sounds from much further away. A couple argued over the plot of a movie, a baby cried in its cradle, the heavy footsteps of a person running. His nose was even stronger. He could smell fresh pasta from a restaurant down the street, popcorn from the theatre, and Marinette's perfume. That last one took him out of his trance. He was nowhere near the bakery and yet, he could still smell her.
"Damn…I have it bad." He swore he could hear Plagg laughing in his head. But he heard someone land behind him. Had to be none other than his lady of course.
"It is nice of you to join me tonight m'lady." Cat smirked as he turned around to look at her, though it was someone else entirely. He was met with a woman with giant butterfly wings that folded into a suit jacket. The woman held a cane, keeping it close to her chest as Cat jumped a few steps back. He grabbed his staff, arming himself for another battle.
"Great. Another Akuma. Thought Hawk Moth was done for the day."
"No please! I am not your enemy! I am here to just talk with you and Ladybug. But I can see she isn't here." The girl spoke as she sat down on a small dormer. Her appearance was slightly different from an Akuma. She looked more like a hero. Though so did Volpina and looked how that turned out.
"If you aren't our enemy then how do you have powers? Did you break free of Hawk Moth's control?" Cat Noir circled around her while keeping his staff pointed at her. He wouldn't let his guard down so easily. She could be a threat.
"No. Hawk Moth won't be bothering you anymore. I have his Miraculous." She moved a piece of the jacket out the way and showed the Butterfly Miraculous on her dress shirt.
Cat's eyes widened as he ran over to inspect the jewel. He couldn't believe his eyes. For years Ladybug and him tried their best to find out who the masked man was. They were always distracted by his Akumas or their powers running out. They never had a chance to act outside of that other than patrols. Their personal lives left no room for any real recon.
"How did you get this?"
"I have been tracking the Akumas that he sends out. It took me a while to do so. They seem to vanish when they get closer to their home. Must be a result of Hawk Moth. I triangulated the best possible area and began to narrow my search. I found an old warehouse swarming with butterflies. I grabbed the jewel from him when he wasn't looking and was able to overpower him after that. Then I did my best to find you. I would have preferred Ladybug since she is your boss, but you would be easier to find."
That last statement struck Cat in a weird way. He heard this before, him being second fiddle. This time though, it sorta stung. He wasn't some employee.
"Just because she leads us doesn't mean she is the boss of me. We are equal partners." Cat said with a slightly annoyed tone. He could feel his ears flatten on his head. "Glossing over that, who are you exactly?"
"Oh, I almost forgot. You can call me Monarda. I don't want to reveal myself just yet though. But, I think I will be able to help you out with finding the Peacock Miraculous. I could make a hero that will be able to track down the jewel." Monarda held out her cane and showed him the pommel. Inside was a single silver butterfly resting inside. "I only have one butterfly, but I think I can make it count. Do you think Ladybug will approve?"
Cat Noir was about to say something when he heard noise behind him. Ladybug had landed on the roof looking tired and confirmed it with a yawn. She looked at Monarda with a confused look as she approached Cat Noir.
"Who is this? Did you find a cosplayer who wanted to travel like a hero does?" Ladybug asked with a cute smile on her face.
"This is Monarda. She recently was able to find Hawk Moth and take his Miraculous. She was able to track him down with time we honestly don't have. She said she would help us track down the Peacock as well!"
"I don't know Kitty. I don't know if we can trust her. What if she is just an Akuma? Or an Amok. We both know they are impossible to tell apart."
"You can't fool this nose." Cat Noir tapped his nose as he turned to his partner. "I've noticed Akumas and Amoks have a strange scent to them. She has no strange scent. I need you to trust me Ladybug. I know that is asking a lot in this situation, but I have a good feeling about all this. We are one step closer to finally winning this war!" Chat Noir said with a smile as he looked down at her. He could see the doubt lingering in her eyes, but he knew her trust in him would overshadow it all.
"Ok Kitty. I trust you."
"Great. So Mona-"
Time seemed to have slowed for Cat Noir. At first he felt fine, but then he felt cold metal pierce his back. His senses went into overdrive and his protection instinct kicked in. He pushed Ladybug back, knowing what could have happened he hadn't. Her face had a look of confusion at first, then horror. He hadn't even heard her move, but his hair acted like whiskers for just a moment. They sensed the movement behind him. He should have listened to her.
From below his chest emerged the blade. The blade was below the sternum, but did it hit organs? The blade was coated in his blood and sprayed across Ladybug's face. The face that had a smile just a moment ago. Why did it have to go away? Why did the look of absolute horror occupy her face? He didn't know what to do. The blade had to be magical to pierce his suit. He could use his powers to destroy the blade, but he was feeling weak. He could feel himself be lifted in the air. His sense of smell failing some, he could tell that she was human. Not an Amok or Akuma.
He looked back to see the crazed face of Monarda. Her eyes showed the insanity behind them with vicious cruelty. Her laugh rang through his ears as he whispered Cataclysm. His ring charging with power, but no force of destruction formed in his hand.
"hehe...HeHe...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"
"CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTT!"