Part 2
From his room, Adrien stared down sadly through the window as his grandfather was forced to trudge through the front gate. He slipped a bit on the slush covered ground, just barely able to keep his balance with his cane. A lump gathered inside of Adrien's throat that he quickly forced himself to swallow. Plagg slipped out of his sleeve and went up to the glass, looking a bit upset himself.
"Oh no! He's really leaving! He didn't even get to make any cheese! Some Christmas this is turning out to be, huh Adrien?"
Plagg looked up at Adrien, who was pressing his hand to the window. A lone tear fell down his cheek and he leaned forward, letting his forehead touch the cold glass as well. Then he clenched his free hand into a fist and scowled.
"This isn't right. He should be in here with us, he's family. He's my grandfather. I can't believe my father would do this to him."
"I'll say!" Plagg agreed. "We can't leave such a great man out there in the cold. Especially not when we haven't gotten to sample his work!"
The Kwami then turned around and phased through the door to the bedroom. A loud series of clicks were heard and then the door swung open, Plagg taking a little bow. Adrien ran over and out as fast as his legs would carry him.
"Good job Plagg. Now let's go."
Outside the front gate, Adrien Sr. set down his suitcase and sat upon it. He reached into his pocket and fished out his wallet, flipping it open to look at a photograph of a thin, fair-skinned, green-eyed young woman.
"My sweet Emilie, what did you ever see in that pig-headed snob?" He quietly grumbled. "Ignoring his own son and even throwing family out into the street."
He took another moment to stare at his daughter's image before putting his wallet away. Then he supported himself on his cane as he stood upright again. And as he reached down to pick up his suitcase, a dark purple butterfly fluttered up behind him. It landed on his cane, dissolving into it and corrupting the object. A gasp escaped the elderly man and he stood upright, a butterfly-shaped mask of light appearing over his face as a sinister voice sounding inside his head.
"Grampus, I am Hawk Moth. You've been rejected by a member of your family on the day where family is what matters most. And your poor grandson will be spending the holiday all alone. Well I want to help you bring Christmas back to your family. Use the power I am giving you to bring his friends to him as ornaments for his empty tree. But in exchange, I'm going to ask you to place two gifts under the tree for me. Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculous!"
"I understand." Adrien Sr. said with a sneer. "Do not worry, good sir, I will see to it that you get what you desire. As for the bug and the cat, they will be on the top of my naughty list!"
From his cane a dark, purple smoke came and enveloped him entirely. Once it cleared, he stood hunched over with a ragged cloak covering his body. He was coated with shaggy grey fur and from the back of his head, a pair of ram horns had grown. His cane had changed form too, no longer sleek and smooth but twisted and gnarled like a branch torn from an old tree.
Grampus looked towards the gates and chuckled. He crouched down and in a feat that defied his appearance, leaped up and over the gate. As he landed, he locked his gaze on the bodyguard, who took a step back in surprise. He then raised his fists and squared his feet, ready to defend himself.
"Ah, so you want to play?" The newly created villain asked mockingly. "Very well, but let's make this quick. I have other matters to which I must attend."
Meanwhile, back inside, Adrien was rushing down the stairway in the front hall. Plagg was flying beside him, keeping himself more or less at Adrien's eye level. The two reached the bottom of the stairs and Adrien dashed for the door. However, just as he was about to reach for the handle, he saw Natalie walking in from an adjacent room, her eyes on her tablet.
"Plagg, get out of sight quick!" Adrien whispered.
The Kwami found just enough time to hide before Natalie looked up. She spotted Adrien easily and frowned at him. Adrien looked her in the eyes for a moment, but then went straight back to grabbing the door handle.
"Don't tell me not to, Natalie. I'm not listening this time. My father has gone too far."
"Adrien, your father is just…" Natalie began.
"Wrong!" Adrien interrupted, turning to face her. "He's wrong! And I'm not letting him, or anyone else, stop me from leaving!"
Adrien swung open the door and went to run out. But he had to stop cold at what he found awaiting him on the other side. A strange creature was right there in front of him, holding some sort of ornament that looked oddly familiar. It almost looked like… his bodyguard.
Before either Adrien or the creature could do anything, Natalie put herself between them. She held out her arms to shield him and ordered him to run. The creature struck her in the head with the hooked end of his cane and suddenly Natalie was covered in a red light. Her body went rigid and she looked like she was now made of porcelain, like a doll. Then the red light shifted to green and she shrank down, now dangling from the tip of the cane's hook by a little hook of her own.
"My, my, my… aren't you the pretty one?" The old creature said to himself, picking up the woman turned ornament and holding it by the one of the bodyguard. "What a nice start to my collection."
Grampus hooked the ornaments inside of his cloak and turned to face Adrien. The teen slowly started to back away from him, his eyes darting between Grampus's own yellow-green ones and the gnarled cane in his clawed hand. It may have just been his imagination, but when Natalie had been shrunk, he could swear that the monster before him had grown a little in size. He tried to think up his best chance to get away, but nothing was coming to him. If he made any sudden moves, he knew he would be joining Natalie and his bodyguard in no time flat.
"Fear not, my grandchild." Grampus said softly, sensing the teen's unease. "I mean you no harm."
Adrien stared at the intruder, wide eyed with shock. "Grandfather?"
"More or less." The creature replied. "I am called Grampus now. The villain known as Hawk Moth has gifted me a new form and with it, powers."
"What do you want?" The teen asked, despite already knowing part of the answer.
"Why, I'm here to help you, dear boy. I'm going out to find all of your friends and then bring them to you. But I'll need to borrow that photo that you showed me so I can recognize them all. I promise to return it to you when I'm done."
Grampus hobbled over to the table in the living room where Adrien had left the photo. He picked it up and stowed it away in his cloak. Then he went to leave back the way he had entered, pausing to look over his shoulder as he reached the doorway.
"I'll be back soon with all of them. Then you'll never need to worry about being alone again, no matter where you are."
"Wait!" Adrien called, reaching out with one hand. "Please don't hurt them! Don't hurt anyone!"
Grampus smiled, his crooked yellow teeth showing. "Oh, I promise that no harm shall come to them so long as they do not resist. But I will not let any stand in my way. Not the police, not that horrible father of yours and certainly not those selfish children who play hero. I look forward to meeting those two and putting them in their place for all the trouble they have caused! You'll see. When I am done with them, Paris will be a much better place for you to live. I'll see you again shortly, dear boy."
His gnarled cane in hand, Grampus ran out of the front door. He made it to the top step and cleared the staircase in a single leap, then cleared the gateway in another. Adrien watched in a mix of shock and horror as his akumatized grandfather leapt away from his house, hearing his wicked sounding laughter fade into the distance.
"This is horrible. I need to stop him before he captures anyone else!" Adrien said, running for the gate. "Plagg, claws out!'
Plagg was absorbed into his ring, causing a jet-black, skintight catsuit to appear on Adrien's body. Now the super hero Cat Noir, Adrien pulled out his staff and used it to try and contact his partner Ladybug. When he was unable to reach her, he used his staff to pole vault up to the roof of the next nearest building and try to pursue Grampus. He spotted the villain and started to run in the same direction, once more trying to message Ladybug.
"C'mon Bugaboo." He muttered to himself, quickly changing his gaze from Grampus to his staff's little screen. "I can't do this without you!"
By the time he had finished sending his message, he had found that Grampus was already gone. Cat Noir quickly made his way up to the highest point nearby to look around, managing to spot Grampus again. The villain had managed to put a good deal of distance between them, leaving the hero with little choice but to hope he could catch up before Grampus could find any of his targets.
Meanwhile, at the Cesaire apartment, the Cesaire family was relaxing together in the living room. Ella and Etta were scrambling around the living room like a pair of puppies. They stopped beside the couch, on which their older sister Nora was snoring loudly while napping. The twins started to push against the couch, the motions rousing Nora from her sleep.
"What are you little bugs up to?" She asked, glancing over at them.
"We're trying to move the couch." They answered in unison.
"With me on top of it?" Nora asked with a chuckle. "Good luck with that!"
She sat up and stretched before standing and lifting the couch up, the twins dangling from the side. They giggled and kicked their legs a bit before letting go and dropping back to the floor.
"So, what were you trying to move the couch for anyway?"
"Looking for presents." Ella and Etta answered, starting to look a bit sad. "Still nothing."
"Typical." Nora muttered, rolling her eyes. "So where are Alya and Cappie? They go somewhere?"
"They're up on the roof." Ella answered.
"They said they needed a little peace and quiet." Etta added.
"Oh, so that's what they're up to." Nora said, smirking knowingly.
"Up to what? Up to what?" The twins asked, starting to get excited. "Are they wrapping our presents?"
The two went to find their older sister and her boyfriend. But before they could get too far, Nora picked them up by the back of their shirts. They kicked and flailed their arms to escape, but couldn't get free from Nora's fierce grip.
"Oh no you don't." She said. "We're going to leave those two alone. Let's find something else to keep you little Sapotis from wreaking havoc."
On the rooftop, away from the eyes of her family, Alya was enjoying a moment with Nino. The boy was holding up a sprig of mistletoe over their heads while the two shared a quick kiss. Nino's glasses started to slip off and Alya caught them before they could fall, pushing them back up onto her boyfriend's face. They giggled and separated for a moment.
"Sorry about that." Nino said.
"Well it is a little annoying that it keeps happening." She admitted. "But I guess it's not that big a deal."
"Think of it this way." Nino said, taking her hand and lacing their fingers together. "We can always try again."
Alya placed her free arm around Nino's neck and went to kiss him again. But before their lips could meet, something landed on the roof with a heavy thud. They looked towards the source and found a cloaked figure with grey fur and ram horns standing near them.
"How touching. What a lovely couple you two make." The figure said, taking a step closer and seeing them back away. "Now, now, there's no need to be shy. In fact, stay nice and close to one another. You'll look much nicer hanging on the tree that way."
Not wasting a moment, Grampus swung down with his cane. It struck Nino and Alya's entwined hands and the two were reduced down to a single ornament, the two still holding onto one another. Grampus let out a satisfied sigh and his body grew a little bit taller and a bit more muscular. He was starting to stand more upright and his fur and teeth were looking healthier as well.
"Ah, so invigorating." He mused happily before taking a closer look at his new acquisition. "How precious. Just like a pair of turtledoves."
He placed the ornament onto his cloak and started to look around from his vantage point. So many of the streets were unfamiliar to him, but he did recognize some of the buildings. Enough so that he could make his way to his next target. With another mighty leap, he cleared to the next building and then the one after that and the one after that. His next destination entered his field of vision and he grinned to himself, letting out another dark chuckle.
Grampus landed down on the street, passerby crying out in fear and running away as fast as they could. He paid them no mind and stepped up to the door of the Dupain-Cheng Bakery, tenderly opening it and stepping inside. The moment he did, Sabine looked up from her place at the register and gasped at the sight of the creature before her.
"Hello, madam." Grampus said. "Is your daughter at home? If so, I will be taking her with me. I know a young man would love to have her help decorate his Christmas tree."
Sabine ran towards the stairs, bolting up them as fast as her legs would carry her. Grampus shook his head and followed, holding his cane at the ready. As he neared the doorway, a large man burst through with a rolling pin in hand. Sabine's voice called out to him, begging him to come back. But Tom was already trying to fend Grampus off. He swung the rolling pin at the creature's face, only for Grampus to catch it with his free hand.
"That's no way to treat a patron, sir." Grampus hissed before swinging his cane at Tom's side.
Tom was turned into an ornament and Grampus grew a little in size again. Now with the obstacle out of the way, he entered the kitchen where he found Sabine trying to hurry the girls up towards Marinette's room. She saw Grampus approaching and felt a pit in her stomach, knowing that something terrible must have happened to her husband. But she steeled her resolve and ordered the girls to go on without her. Marinette did so reluctantly and Sabine quickly grabbed a broom, placing herself between Grampus and the girls.
Grampus chuckled. "My, my, what fire you have in your eyes." He said, swinging his cane downward and snapping the broom in two. "You will be a welcome addition to my set!"
Upstairs, in Marinette's room, the girls shut the door just as Sabine let out a cry. Marinette paled and closed her eyes, clenching her fists. Kagami placed her hand onto the other girl's shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze.
"I'm sorry Marinette. But we have to keep moving. We cannot let her sacrifice be in vain."
"You're right." Marinette said, regaining her nerve. "Quickly, to the roof. Maybe if we can spot Ladybug or Cat Noir, they can stop that villain before he gets anyone else."
Kagami nodded and started to head up to the loft over which the skylight was located. As she climbed up, she noticed that Marinette wasn't following. Looking down, she saw Marinette was still below, the girl retrieving her purse from her desk.
"Now isn't the time to be gathering your things!" She said, giving her friend a condescending look.
The door to Marinette's room flipped open, a horned head poking up through the opening. Grampus found his target and fully entered the room, starting to advance on Marinette. In his hand was an ornament that looked horrifyingly familiar to her. Noticing that she was looking at it, Grampus held it out for her to get a closer look.
"Beautiful, isn't she?" he asked. "I'm sure you will be just as stunning. Now no more of this nonsense. I mean, honestly, where were you going to go?"
He stepped closer to her and she in turn took a step back. Grampus lifted his cane to strike, smiling cruelly at the girl. But suddenly, he felt something landing on his back and a pair of slender, yet strong, arms had wrapped around his neck.
"Run! I'll keep him busy!" Kagami shouted from the creature's back.
"What? No!" Marinette replied. "I can't leave you too!"
"I said GO!"
Once more with reluctance, Marinette hurried away from the danger. She went down from her room into the apartment and then from there back into the bakery. Once she was confident that she had enough distance, she hid from sight and opened her purse, allowing Tikki to fly out.
"So much for Hawk Moth staying quiet. Why can't villains take the holidays off?" Marinette asked.
"Well if we ever find him, we can ask him in person." Tikki answered. "But for now we have other problems!"
Marinette nodded. "Tikki, spots on!"
Tikki flew into Marinette's left earring, causing a bright red, skintight suit with black polka dots to appear on her body. No longer was she Marinette Dupain-Cheng, but the beloved hero Ladybug. She took out her trusty yo-yo and went to confront the villain that had invaded her home.
Back upstairs, Grampus was smiling as he looked at the small, porcelain figure of Kagami. He put it away with the others in his cloak and went to descend from Marinette's room, having a little trouble fitting through the door. Once he had returned to the living room, encountering Ladybug on the way. The hero stood her ground in front of him, twirling her yo-yo while she looked him in the eyes.
"Stop right there, you!" She demanded.
"How rude." He replied. "Apparently manners are not one of your powers. The least you can do is call me by my name, Grampus."
"What have you done with the people who live here, Grampus?!" Ladybug asked. "Why did you attack them?"
"They were in my way." Grampus answered. "I only came here for their daughter. Not that I will complain about the additional ornaments. I'm collecting them for my grandson, Adrien."
"Grandson?" Ladybug repeated, her eyes widening. "You're Adrien Agreste's grandfather?"
"Correct. And you are that selfish little hero who keeps letting Paris be attacked by Hawk Moth. How dare you allow such a thing to keep happening. Do you really enjoy playing hero so much that you would allow innocent people to be attacked again and again?"
Ladybug was taken aback by his accusation. While she was hesitating, Grampus leapt forward and swung at her with his cane. Ladybug quickly ducked under the attack and rolled to the side. She was starting to feel at a disadvantage with his larger size and longer reach. She ran for the stairs and led Grampus outside where she could have more room to maneuver, as well as avoid any damage to her home. Once she got out onto the street, she turned to face the villain who had been closely on her tail.
"Ah, so you wished to face me outside?" Grampus asked, smiling with a little amusement. "Do you think you'll have an easier time against me this way?"
"Maybe." She told him, twirling her yo-yo once more. "I've learned not to take chances, especially against a villain!"
"Well if wanting to make things easier for yourself is your desire, then perhaps you can just surrender your Miraculous to me? After all, it is the time of year to be giving to others."
"If that's the case, then maybe you wouldn't mind giving me that cane of yours?" Ladybug replied. "I'm guessing that's where your akuma is hidden."
"Clever, very clever." Grampus said, giving her a devilish grin. "I can see you are going to be quite the nuisance. Best to make this quick."
Leaping high into the air, Grampus aimed for Ladybug with his cane upon descent. She leapt out of the way with ease, finding he was already on top of her again, swinging his cane back and forth rapidly. As she dodged each of his strikes, Ladybug watched for an opening to retaliate. When Grampus went for a big swing again, she sensed her opportunity and launched a kick that sent his cane flying from his hand. The cane flew a good ten feet or so away and clattered onto the ground. She ran over to grab it, only for it to suddenly fly up off of the ground and back into Grampus's hand.
"A nice try, but not nice enough, my dear. But please accept this consolation prize."
Grampus swung his cane and struck a garbage can, sending it flying towards Ladybug. She dodged just in time, the can crashing onto the street and the trash withing going everywhere. A second can soon followed, adding to the filth on the street as Ladybug once again got out of the way just in time.
The sound of a siren began sounding and a police car drove onto the scene, catching the attention of both the hero and the villain. It came to a stop not far away, Officer Roger stepping out and holding his megaphone to his lips. As he spoke, he held out his free hand to point towards Grampus.
"You there! Cease with your attacks on the people of Paris and surrender!" Roger barked with authority. "And also, no littering!"
No sooner had those words left the law enforcer's mouth than Grampus leapt towards him, striking him with the crook of his cane. In a bright flash of red and green lights, the police officer was reduced to a smaller, porcelain version of himself. Grampus's fur grew wilder and darkened in color as the result of his latest capture. The tips of his horns extended and curved a little more. He started to stand upright more, an audible crack sounded as he stood taller, now nearly eight feet in height.
"Merry Christmas to me." Grampus said, placing his newest ornament into his cloak and returning his attention to Ladybug. "Now, it is time for you to give me my present."
"Sorry, but you aren't on her Christmas list!"
Grampus looked up and found Cat Noir descending towards him rapidly, his staff in hand. The villain stood his ground calmly and once the hero was almost on top of him, he side-stepped and readied to swing his cane at Cat Noir's backside. However he found that instead of aiming for him with his staff, Cat Noir instead stuck it into the ground and then quickly swung himself around, managing to kick the cane from the villain's hand.
"Well aren't you the tricky one?" Grampus chuckled. "I thought you were foolish enough to give up the element of surprise, yet you were trying to make me lower my guard with that sneaky move! However, it was all for naught."
Just as before, the cane flew back to Grampus, who caught it and went right for Cat Noir. He swung low and Cat Noir leaped over it and used his staff to propel himself away, landing by Ladybug's side. The two heroes took a stance, keeping their eyes on their enemy.
"I saw what he did just now." Cat Noir said, not letting his gaze shift. "It seems like his cane is where the akuma should be, just a shame I couldn't get it away from him for long."
"Well if you had shown up just a little sooner, you would have seen that I already tried getting his cane away from him. He calls himself Grampus, and it seems like the more people he transforms with his cane, the stronger he becomes." Ladybug said. "We need to try and catch him off guard. If I can keep him busy, maybe you can use your cataclysm on it."
"Brilliant idea, Milady. But I'll need a really good opening. One mistake and I might end up an ornament." Cat Noir replied, a sly smirk coming to his face. "Although maybe that wouldn't be so bad if it were your Christmas tree I was decorating."
"Sure." Ladybug said, smirking a little as well. "But that would mean you'd have to be kept in storage for the rest of the year."
"The both of you are being a bit rude." Grampus called to them, sounding annoyed. "You speak to each other as though I am not here. Do you think that you have the upper hand simply because there are two of you and there is only one of me? Because if that is the case, you children are about to be disappointed."
Grampus reached into his cloak and pulled out his first ornament, Adrien's bodyguard. He held it out and tossed it upwards. As it arched through the air, it let out a green glow and grew in size. Then the green glow became red and the porcelain bodyguard turned once more into flesh and blood. Only now the man looked much like Grampus, being covered in coarse, dark fur with a set of horns on the top of his head. He laid his now yellow eyes on the heroes and let out a snort before lowering his head and charging at them.
Ladybug and Cat Noir dodged to either side as the literal beast of a man passed by. His horns made contact with a parked car and put a massive dent into its side, pushing it over a few feet from where it had sat idle. The minion turned and looked from one hero to the other, clenching his fists and growling softly. He settled for charging at Ladybug, leaving Cat Noir to his master.
With a large leap, Grampus closed the distance between himself and the male hero. He swung his cane and Cat Noir dodged out of the way, not making an attempt to counter attack. Grampus took the opportunity to swing again, this time with a large arc to the side, which Cat Noir avoided with a backflip.
"Are you waiting for me to give you an opening?" Grampus asked, swinging at Cat Noir again. "I'm well aware of what your powers can do, and I won't allow you to best me so easily! What say we invite some more friends to join the festivities? After all, the more the merrier!"
Grampus leapt backwards and reached into his cloak. He took out the other seven of his ornaments out and threw them into the air. Like the first, they grew with a green glow and then transformed with a red one. Each of Grampus's victims, now in his beastly image, stood out on the street. Within seconds, they were all lunging at Cat Noir, trying to pin him down.
"Yikes! I wasn't expecting so many guests at this party! No worries, there's enough Cat Noir for everyone!"
Cat Noir tripped up one of the minions, the one he recognized as Natalie. He felt a small pang of guilt and made a mental note to do something nice for her later, once this was over and she was herself again. Next, he found the towering image of Marinette's father bearing down on him, trying to grab him with a wide sweep of his powerful arms. The hero saw a chance and slid between the minion's legs, suddenly finding himself directly in front of Grampus.
For a moment, time seemed to slow down for Cat Noir. He couldn't recognize the creature anymore, he seemed far too different from the kind, elderly man he cared for so deeply. The poor boy was at a loss for what to do. His earlier attempt to get the cane away from him so Ladybug could capture the akuma within proved not as easy as he had hoped. If he wanted to get any chance of freeing his grandfather from Hawk Moth's control…he would need to fight back. But he was starting to lose confidence that he could do that.
"You're distracted, little hero." Grampus snarled, lunging at his prey. "If you want to make this easy for me, why not simply surrender and hand over your ring?"
"Not a chance!" Cat Noir replied, finding his nerve again and dodging. "I don't plan on making things easy for you, Grampus! In case you hadn't noticed, this cat isn't afraid to use his claws!"
He charged at Grampus and the two engaged in combat, striking their staff and cane against one another. As he held his own against the villain, Cat Noir noticed that some of the minions were starting to surround him. His suspicions grew as he also noticed that they were not attacking, but simply cutting off the area behind him. Meanwhile, the rest were backing up the bodyguard in his ongoing battle against Ladybug.
Ladybug twirled her yo-yo as she tried to watch her many opponents. The minion versions of Alya and Kagami ran to either side, attempting to flank her while the bodyguard once more charged her head on. She threw her yo-yo over at a lamp post and swung out of the way just as the three were nearly on top of her. But as she was in the air, Ladybug suddenly found another attack coming her way. The minion version of Roger had flung a trash can lid in her direction, hitting her in the shoulder and making her lose her grip.
Cat Noir watched as Ladybug fell to the ground and her enemies began to swarm towards her. Feeling a bit of panic, he shoved away from his own opponent and pole vaulted over the minions who were standing behind him. Once he landed, he rushed over to Ladybug's side just as the bodyguard reached her first. The massive minion grabbed her and started to reach for one of her earrings. Cat Noir let out a defiant cry and threw his staff like a javelin, nailing the minion in the chest and making him let go of Ladybug.
"Ha! Nice try, but not nice enough!" He said, kneeling down to offer his hand to his partner. "Are you alright, Milady?"
Ladybug sat up and looked at him, smiling gratefully. But then her expression suddenly turned to one of shock.
"Cat Noir, look out behind you!"
It was too late though. Grampus had taken advantage of Cat Noir's chivalry and thrown his cane at the hero's backside. By the time Ladybug had warned him, the cane had already struck. In a flash of green and red lights, Ladybug watched as Cat Noir was turned into an ornament.
"One down." Grampus said, extending his hand and retrieving his cane immediately.
"Excellent work!" Hawk Moth's voice sounded in Grampus's mind, the butterfly mask appearing over the villain's face. "You have only Ladybug left, and you can use Cat Noir against her and then secure both of their Miraculous!"
"Of course, my good sir." Grampus said. "You shall have them soon enough. I will make quick work of the bug."
He threw the new ornament up and Cat Noir returned, now coated in dark fur and sporting short, sharp horns on his head. Ladybug stared silently at him, starting to feel more cornered than before. Grampus and his minions were all around her, leaving her with only the option of a tactical retreat.
Ladybug threw her yo-yo out towards a streetlight, using it as an anchor to swing herself up and away. Once she had gotten onto the nearest roof, she broke into a run to put as much distance between herself and Grampus as possible. Grampus smirked as he watched the hero fleeing from him and his minions.
"So much for her. I thought a hero would stand and fight. Oh well, I suppose I shouldn't complain if she wants to make things easier for me."
With a wave of his clawed hand, all of his minions turned into shimmering spheres of green light. They flew back to him, little porcelain figures once more. Grampus put them away and took out the photo of Adrien's class, looking it over as he calmly began to walk down the street. As he strolled in the opposite direction of Ladybug, the light mask reappeared on his face, an angry voice ringing out in his mind.
"What are you doing, Grampus?!" Hawk Moth demanded. "Why are you letting Ladybug get away?!"
"Because I don't see why I need to be in such a hurry." Grampus answered. "I'm her enemy and I have her partner. She cannot ignore either of those things for long. Why should I pursue her when we both know she will eventually return to me of her own accord? I'll just continue to find the decorations for Adrien's tree until she is ready to confront me again."
"Ladybug has a knack for doing the unexpected." Hawk Moth warned. "It would be best for you to corner her while you can and strike while she is unsure of her next move."
Grampus scoffed. "I think that someone is just anxious for his presents." He noted. "I have every intention of fulfilling my end of our bargain. But my first priority is my grandson. I wouldn't expect you to understand, but I have to put Adrien first…. considering that nobody else will."
Hawk Moth twitched uncomfortable, gripping his cane tighter. He'd never admit it, but those words stung him deeply. As he fought back the angry bile bubbling inside him, he composed himself again to give his response.
"Very well, but be quick about it!"
Grampus put the photo away and leapt up to the rooftops again to better continue his search. Off in the opposite direction, Ladybug had found an alley in which to hide after she felt she had put a gotten far enough from the villain. She was feeling uneasy. Between being greatly outnumbered and losing Cat Noir, she was having trouble thinking of a way to solve the problem. The more she thought about it, the more it became clear that her best, and possibly only, option was to enlist some help.
Ladybug peeked out from her hiding place, checking her surroundings. Once she was sure the coast was clear, she made a run for her house. She entered through the skylight, once more making certain she was not being followed or watched. Then from a large trunk inside of her bedroom, she pulled out a bright red, spherical container with multiple black spots across its surface.
"Note to self, find a better hiding place for the Miracle Box." She thought, again looking around to ensure she was alone.
She set the Miracle Box down on the desk and pressed one of the spots on the side. A small drawer popped out, holding one of the many Miraculous within. Not wasting a moment, Ladybug took it out and quickly stowed the box back where it had been hidden before returning to the streets.
-Meanwhile, at the Jardin des Tuileries-
Juleka ducked down behind a tree, remaining absolutely silent. Kim and Max were nearby, seeking out their only remaining opponent. The girl watched carefully from her hiding place, a fresh snowball in her hand.
"Come on out, Juleka!" Kim called. "We already got Alix and Rose. Now it's just you against Max and me! You can't win!"
Suddenly a snowball came flying towards them, catching Max in the chest. He let out a cry as he was eliminated from the game and Kim stormed over towards the place from which the snowball had been thrown. But he found nothing except the footprints that Juleka had left behind.
"Man she's quick." Kim grumbled, looking for the girl. "And worse, she's really good at keeping quiet."
Kim started to keep watch all around him, turning slowly and trying to watch his back. A bead of sweat ran down the side of his face as he became suspicious of every tree, bush or anything else where Juleka would be able to hide herself. Off to the side, the rest of the two teams all watched as the boy basically walked around, turning in little circles over and over.
"This might take a while." Alix noted. "Juleka is practically a ninja. Kim won't see her until he's already been hit."
"Well I hope that this is resolved quickly. The temperature has dropped a bit since we've started and it's only going to get colder." Max stated. "I for one wouldn't mind some hot cocoa about now."
"That sounds like a plan." Luka said. "I think I have a way to wrap this up quick."
Luka pulled out his phone and swiped over the screen with his finger. A quick couple of taps later, a phone started to ring from over by the carousel, not too far from Kim's current location. The boy turned instantly towards the source of the noise and caught Juleka in the middle of trying to silence her phone. With a cocky smile, Kim launched his snowball at her while she was distracted, getting a direct hit on the girl's side.
"And that's game!" Kim cheered, pumping his fists into the air. "The winner is team Kim!"
Juleka sulked and looked at her phone's screen to see who had ruined her cover. Her eyes widened when she found that her brother was the one to blame. She looked up at him, seeing him wave at her with a small smile on his face.
"Traitor." Juleka grumbled.
"Sorry sis, but you take some of the blame you know." Luka said. "You always forget to turn off your phone. Besides, you would have done the same thing if our places had been switched. And now we can all go get some hot cocoa."
"Yes, we shall." Max said, adjusting his glasses. "Courtesy of Kim, of course."
"Yeah!" Kim said. "Wait…why me?!"
"Winner treats." Luka said.
"Shouldn't it be the losers treat the winners?" Kim asked, crossing his arms.
"Normally, yes that would be the case." Max said. "However we decided to mix things up a bit, and that it would be the captain of the winning team who treats everyone to cocoa after the game."
Kim frowned and then turned his back to them. "I don't remember anyone telling me that. But I'll do it just this once. And only because it's Christmas. But the losers don't get marshmallows in their cocoa!" He said firmly, just before starting to soften up just a bit. "Nah, that's not really fair. Marshmallows for everyone. Let's go."
The group of friends made their way from the park over to a café a couple blocks over. Kim went inside to wait in line and place their order while the rest waited for him outside. While they waited for Kim, they chatted about their plans for the holiday and enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere. The street was devoid of any other cars or people aside of them, making it feel as if they had their own little piece of Paris to themselves. They were so wrapped up, that the tall dark shadow that loomed from the building across the street went unnoticed.
TBC