It was a beautiful Friday afternoon in Paris. Henri Duval was walking along a path in the Luxembourg Gardens, flying a drone ahead of him, capturing the beautiful statues and summer blossoms from the sky. He was so captivated by the images being streamed to the screen on his remote control, that he failed to notice Roger Raincomprix, officer of the law, standing directly in front of him until it was too late!

"Mister Duval, how many times have I told you that you can't fly your drone here! You're scaring the birds away, and when the birds fly away suddenly like that, things get messy for those of us down here on the ground, if you know what I'm saying. Hand over your drone now, please! I'm confiscating it!"

"But officer… I'm just trying to show the beauty of Paris to everyone else! Please, let me just retrieve the video, and I'll be on my way…"

"No can do, Mister Duval. You know the rules! Hand it over." Roger frowned sternly and held out his hand.

Mister Duval flew the drone down and plucked it out of the air. He placed the drone in the policeman's hand and said, "I only want to help out the city of Paris! You don't understand!"

"You want to help the city of Paris, stop making birds poop on everything!" Roger shook the drone menacingly at Mister Duval. "You can have this back when you come to the station and pay your fine. Since this is not your first offense, you can expect that fine to be big, too!" He turned and walked away, muttering, "What is it with people and these birds, anyway? First Mister Romier, now this guy…"

Mister Duval clutched the controller in his hand and fell to his knees. I was going to use that video to secure myself a job in the Department of Tourism! What on Earth am I going to do now?

A purple butterfly flew into his hands and merged with the controller, darkening it. A mask-like energy signature illuminated his face.

"Remote Control, I am Hawk Moth. You want to control your destiny! I will give you control of the citizens of Paris! In return, you must bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous!"

"Nobody will be able to resist my control, Hawk Moth!"

Black and purple magic bubbles enveloped Mister Duval, leaving a six-foot-tall man dressed in a sleek black-and-silver metal costume. He held a tablet-sized black panel in his hands. As he ran his fingers over the panel, innocent bystanders nearby began moving en masse, falling victim to his direction!

Adrien was mindlessly scrolling through his Netflix watch list when the AKUMA ALERT message popped up in his always-open Ladyblog window. Let's see how well these phones work! He pulled his phone out, flipped it open, and tapped out a message.

[CN] Akuma at the Luxembourg Gardens. See you soon! =^.^=

Without waiting for a reply, he called for his transformation, put the phone in his costume pocket, and leaped out the window.

Chat Noir was crouched near the Statue of Liberty when Ladybug arrived on the scene. "Did you get my message, My Lady?"

"You don't strike me as the kind of person who makes cat calls, Chat…" Ladybug watched her partner smile at the pun. "But to answer your question, yes, I did. I like the phone idea so far." She considered the akuma. "This guy kind of looks like Master Chief," she commented absently.

"My Lady, you play Halo?!" Chat boggled.

"I'm more into Ultimate Mecha Strike now, but I know my way around the game," she grinned. "No time for that now, Kitty… let's get this akuma!" And without another word, she jumped into the fray.

It took Chat Noir a few seconds to get the dopey smile off his face and follow her.

Forty minutes had passed during the battle, with neither the heroes nor the akuma gaining a considerable advantage. Chat Noir called for his Cataclysm, and at a nod from Ladybug, dove to the pedestal where the akuma was orchestrating his attack on the heroes!

Remote Control fell backward as the Cataclysm destroyed the pedestal! He juggled the panel, struggling to maintain his grip on the slick device. His controlled minions went in random directions as his fingers slipped and slid across the panel.

Just then, a black-hooded, yellow-and-red clad figure landed about ten feet behind the akuma! Ladybug froze in horror, the memory of their last encounter etched in her mind. Her eyes slowly traced the length of the was sceptre to its forked end - the end that caused her best friend so much pain.

It's not glowing, so we're not in danger… yet. Well, the fact that Serket is *here* probably means that we're in danger. We'll probably know any second now if she's in league with Hawk Moth. Ladybug twirled her yo-yo and crouched, ready to spring into action.

It was Chat Noir who scored the decisive hit on Remote Control, however. Taking advantage of the distraction, he extended his staff and slammed the tablet to the ground, breaking it in two! A purple-and-black butterfly began to fly away.

Ladybug swung her yo-yo at the butterfly, captured it, and purified it, her eyes not leaving Serket. Serket gazed at the superheroes. It's almost like she's daring us to come and confront her. I don't want to take that risk… not without knowing exactly what we're up against. But… I have to know more. "What do you want, Serket?"

"Ladybug… it's a pleasure to meet you. Bring a message to the Guardian that Vengeance is coming to bring justice."

"Justice for what?" Ladybug asked. If she wants me to bring a message, I'm safe… for now… but I don't want to keep her around any longer than necessary.

"He'll know. Be a good girl and pass the message along. We will meet again soon." Without another word, Serket jumped into the air in the direction of the Palais du Luxembourg and disappeared into the afternoon sky.

Ladybug threw the Lucky Charm into the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!" she yelled. A swarm of magical ladybugs washed through the air, setting all the damage from the battle back to how it was before and freeing the people who were under the akuma's power.

Chat Noir put his hand on her shoulder. "What was that all about? Are you OK, Bugaboo?"

"I… don't know. I was terrified there for a second. I know what Serket can do to people, and I don't know how much our magic would protect against other Miraculous power." I need to ask Master Fu that when I see him next.

"Are you going to take that message to Master Fu?"

"I don't have a choice at this point. Maybe he knows something we don't about what the message means. I'll let you know what he says, Kitty."

"I'm all ears, My Lady. And a tail. But mostly ears," he grinned.

Ladybug smiled fondly at her partner. "Thanks for looking out for me," she said, and swung off toward home.

"Excuse me," said Mister Duval timidly. "Can somebody help me out here, please?"

"Serket showed up and, while she didn't help Ladybug and Chat Noir defeat my akuma, she managed to cause enough of a diversion to allow the heroes to win. Again," Gabriel fumed. "I must figure out the nature of this new person before she disrupts my plans to get the Miraculous for myself!"

Nathalie watched him pace the floor. "Sir, perhaps an alliance would be in order. If both of you want the Guardian, I see no reason why you should not work together to achieve that goal."

"I must get those Miraculous! The fact that Serket is on the scene now only intensifies my search for them! If she were to get to the Guardian before me, then everything I have worked for would be wasted! However… if we work together…" Gabriel hummed, sinking deep into thought.

Nathalie coughed.

"Didn't you see that doctor like I told you too?"

"Yes, sir. It looks like a virus that will have to run its course. I was given some medicine to help me sleep." She walked over and put her hand on his arm. "I'll help you get through this. We'll all get through this together."

Marinette and Master Fu were once again seated across from each other on the mat. Marinette lowered a mug of tea and asked, "Master, we're pretty much impervious to damage in our suits… but does that mean we're impervious to damage from other Miraculous wielders? I know when Hawk Moth fought against us on the Eiffel Tower, he was able to overpower us, but that was in hand-to-hand combat. What do you think would happen if Serket tried her attack on me or Chat Noir?"

"I'm going to ask you that same question back, Marinette. What has happened in the past when you have encountered Miraculous magic?"

Marinette thought for a second. "The most obvious one is that we're vulnerable to akumas - Rena Rouge, Queen Bee, and Carapace have all been akumatized while transformed. Chat Noir has been affected by… well… let's just say that there have been many times where he's fallen prey to akuma influence. So my guess is… yes, we can be affected by magic, but physical attacks probably won't hurt us."

"That is a good conclusion, Marinette. You are correct. I would recommend you both avoid Serket's sting in any case, regardless of whether or not it would appear to harm you. There may be adverse effects we are currently unaware of."

I'll have to keep a closer eye on Alya, then, just to be sure. The doctors didn't find anything wrong with her, but there's no telling what magic remains. "We'll be sure to stay out of harm's way." She paused. "One more thing before we get started tonight on what you had planned: When we ran into Serket earlier today, she said to give you a message. It was, 'Vengeance is coming to bring justice.' Does that mean anything to you?"

Master Fu hummed. "If we are correct that Serket's kwami is Vengeance, then it most likely means that Serket is seeking me out. For what reason, I cannot tell."

"Master Fu, why would anyone want vengeance on you? You're the kindest, wisest person I know."

"Thank you for the compliment, Marinette. I have no idea why someone would be coming after me, either." The last time someone came after me was back in the War, but that wasn't a threat from a Miraculous holder. It's been too long for that… unless…

"That's all I know from today. Let's move on to tonight's lesson! What are we covering?"

"Tonight, Marinette, we'll be learning more about kwamis. As you have learned a bit about what each kwami represents, you must now learn the unique, individual personalities of the kwamis. You will have to use your knowledge of not only the kwami, but also the Miraculous powers and concepts in order to make wise choices, should the need arise in the future where you have to give them out. Please, fetch me the Miracle Box."

Marinette got up and crossed to the credenza, and returned to the mat with the gramophone. Master Fu opened it and extracted the Miracle Box. "Once you are comfortable with the kwamis and the Miraculous, I think I can entrust you with the code." He placed the Miracle Box between them and opened the lid. "Now, Marinette… who would you like to meet first?"

Later that night, Marinette was laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. "Oh. My. Goodness. Tikki! That Rabbit kwami - Fluff - certainly lives up to her name! She is SO. CUTE."

"They're not all like that, just so you know, Marinette," Tikki giggled. "You'd never believe the stories I have about some of them! And even though they're friendly with you, they don't always get along with each other! Put Fluff up against Sass or Orikko, for example, and you'll have a fight on your hands!"

"Does that work with the kwami wielders, too? Like, if the Snake and the Rooster were active at the same time?"

"You won't have to worry about them together… they get along great! Just don't throw the Rabbit into the mix and you'll have issues. Put her with Barkk, though, and it's a match made in heaven!"

"Barkk… that sounds like the Dog kwami. Right?"

"You've got it, Marinette!"

"I'm sure I won't get him out anytime soon… not with Chat around," she laughed.

"Actually, the seven kwami from the top level of the Miracle Box are compatible with everybody. We might get on each others' nerves from time to time, but we all know how to play nice with everyone. It's only with the other twelve Miraculous that you'd have to worry. They require… let's say, a more delicate touch."

"Good to know! And speaking of Chat…" Marinette's eyes drifted to her nightstand, where the flip phone was charging. "I know it's not an emergency, but I really should text him and tell him what I learned tonight about Serket. He'll need to know that before he decides to go and jump in front of her to protect me." She picked up the phone and tapped away at the keypad.

[LB] Hey Kitty… got some good stuff to share. You free tomorrow night to catch up?

"Don't take too long, Marinette. You've got that big date with Luka tomorrow and you don't want to be too tired for that!" Tikki teased.

"It's not a big date, Tikki… he's just coming over for a guitar lesson."

"Yes, and I'm sure you two will make beautiful music together, won't you?" She dodged a stuffed animal that Marinette tossed at her.

The phone buzzed and Marinette read the response.

"Plagg… that's when my dinner with Kagami is! What am I going to do? Ladybug is important to me, regardless of how she feels about me romantically…"

"You're overthinking this, Adrien. Just see if she can meet up earlier in the day!" Plagg smugly smiled at his wisdom.

[CN] Um… tomorrow night isn't good, I have something going on. How about earlier in the afternoon?

He hit Send and waited for an answer.

"Tikki… that's when my date with Luka is! What am I going to do? Chat is important to me, regardless of how he feels about me romantically…"

"Oh, you're finally admitting it's a date with Luka, then? Relax, Marinette! You'll meet up with Chat soon enough. Just enjoy your time with Luka without stressing about Ladybug stuff!"

[LB] No, that won't work for me, I'll be busy then. How late are you busy tomorrow night?

[CN] I don't know, but I can't stay out too late - I have an early morning Sunday commitment.

[LB] Maybe we can stage an akuma attack so we both have an excuse to get away ;-)

[CN] You know, if you wanted to see me, all you had to do was ask =^.^=

"I'm going to kill him. I'm going to string up his flirty, furry butt and kill him dead, Tikki."

[LB] !

[LB] What do you think I'm doing, furball?

[CN] Just teasing, Bug. Text me Sunday around 10 and we'll meet up. Deal?

[LB] Deal. Good night, Kitty /(%)\

[CN] Sweet dreams, My Lady

Marinette flipped the phone closed, turned off the light, and drew the covers up to her shoulders. That night, boys with messy hair and beautiful smiles filled her dreams.

Next time:

* "Yes! I think I got it!"
* "This is the most valuable lesson she can learn."
* "You want to know what I want? I'll tell you what I want."