Yo guys! So sorry for the late update. But between getting prepped for college and financial aid, applying for jobs and going to interviews, as well as having to print out resumes and student loan paperwork at the library(our printer ain't working) with minimal gas for the car I have been BUSY. BUT, I still make time for my fans and thus give you a new installment of this series!
BTW, just to be clear I'm doing my best to keep this up with recent canon. The most recent Akuma is still Trouble Maker, but I will work in Reverser when I can.
Chapter 3: Big Changes, All Around
"How could you?"
Gabriel perked up at hearing his son speak. Once they had been on the yacht, Adrien had grown quiet despite his earlier protests. But within the underbelly of Wayne's yacht the young Agreste had now broken his silence.
"Adrien..."
"How father?!" Adrien stood up, his voice rising. ''She was my friend! And you just left her behind with a supervillain on the lose?!''
''Adrien Augustus Agreste you will watch your tone this instant!'' Gabriel said in his own raised voice. Adrien flinched a bit but still stared back defiantly. ''As for your friend, it was unfortunate to leave her behind, but your safety was the top priority. Speaking of which…''
Adrien raised an eyebrow at his father's last sentence, followed by an immediate feeling of dread building in his stomach.
''You'll be leaving France indefinitely soon.''
Adrien felt everything slow down as the words left his father's mouth. His own became dry, and he could barely stammer out his response. ''W-what, why?!''
''These akuma attacks have become more and more frequent.'' Gabriel began, turning away from his son as he spoke, ''and not only that but they have literally hit close to home. Between Zombizu, Simon Says, and especially the Collector to name but a few, there have been too many times that you have been caught in the crossfire. Thus for your own safety you will be staying in America with one of my oldest and most trusted colleagues.''
''But what about you? You've also been affected by these Akuma attacks?! You were the Collector! And Ladybug and Cat Noir will-''
''Precisely!'' Gabriel said turning so sharply that Adrien could feel the vibration of air. ''That incident alone shows that these akumas are far too unpredictable, and forget about Ladybug and Cat Noir. They have barely defeated these villains only by the skin of their teeth. I may be grateful to them for their past service, but they are ultimately just children trying to do the job of adults.''
Adrien felt a small flare of anger at the jab towards his alter ego. Sure he and Ladybug may not be the most mature and were just teenagers, but they still had done alot more for the city than many adults had. They knew a thing or two about sacrifice and responsibility.
''But what about my friends?! Nino , Alya, Marinette, everyone, even Chloe!'' Adrien was surprised that he would miss the mean blonde. Just went to show how much he didn't like the idea of moving. ''I can't just leave him behind! You're gonna keep me from having friends for years, locked up in your stupid mansion, barely spending time with me your own son, now you're gonna ship me off to another country?! If you're this cruel, no wonder Mom le-''
WHAP!
Adrien's right hand instantly went to its corresponding cheek as his father's hand struck, producing a loud sound that seemed to cause nearby birds to disperse. Adrien saw that his father had a look on his face that was solemn, but also angry and even hurt. ''Adrien, you will not ever speak to me like this again. Ever since you've attended public school you've acted in a way very unbefitting an Agreste. Perhaps being away from those unruly juveniles will improve your matters.'' Gabriel then stood up and began to walk out the door. ''Once things have settled down, you leave Monday of next week.'' And once the door shut, the tears came.
Plagg, who had still been hiding in one of the cases, flew out and over to his host. ''Adrien, buddy. I'm so sorry…''
Adrien sniffed, sitting up from the white bed. ''It's okay Plagg. There wasn't anything you can do.''
Plagg shrugged. ''I guess you're right. But on the bright side, he did say indefinitely. That means you could still come back one day when Hawkmoth's defeated!''
''But who's gonna help Ladybug defeat Hawkmoth if we're gone?''
''Oh right. Well I hope they have Camembert in America.''
Adrien rolled his bloodshot eyes and laughed. ''Plagg, you're always thinking with your stomach. Well whatever happens, hopefully Master Fu can help Ladybug manage without us.''
….
Knock, Knock!
Marinette knocked twice on the wooden door to Master Fu's shop. As she had hoped, his area wasn't affected by the Underminer's attack much, aside from some cars rumbled out of place and some spilled garbage can and a few wailing car alarms. The pain in her abdomen had subsided, but Marinette still felt like it was bruised.
''Just a second.'' Came a voice from inside, followed by the door opening to a small Chinese man in a Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts. He greeted her with a smile which she returned. ''Hello Marinette.''
''Hello Master. Are you ok?''
''I'm fine. Though I sense the recent attack is troubling you. Please come in. '' Marinette complied and walked into the studio and sat on one of the floor pillows. Tikki immediately began chasing after Wayzz, the two kwamis becoming a blur of red and green. Master Fu then sat down on a pillow opposite her. ''Well, today's villain was certainly no akuma.''
''You can say that again.'' Marinette said, still rubbing her stomach. Master Fu noticed, raising an eyebrow. ''Were you injured?''
''You could say that.'' Marinette answered. She could practically feel the swelling from where the Underminer hit her. The magical fabric of her Ladybug suit was very durable, as in all her battles it had never really taken any damage. It was waterproof and fireproof, but it sure wasn't armor.
Master Fu nodded and then stood up walking to his storage room, motioning for Marinette to follow. She did and he reached onto a shelf and handed her jar of yellow orange herbs. ''This is Calendula. It is good for soothing bruising of the body. Apply to a few tablespoons of water to create a paste of fair consistency and leave it on for about 5 minutes, twice a day.''
''Thanks Master.'' Marinette said putting the jar in her purse. ''Now about the Underminer, I'm trying to figure out where he came from. And why he did what he did?''
The two walked back to their pillows and sat down. Master Fu began to rub his chin thoughtfully. ''Marinette, you know that the Miraculous are not the only source of superhuman abilities in this world.'' Marinette looked perplexed, but listened as Fu continued.
Fu pulled out some folded newspaper clippings and gave them to her. One column showed a woman with blue hair and a green and blue neon costume carrying soot-covered children through some kind of portal. Another showed several individuals in red costumes and black masks. A bulky but muscular man, a curvaceous woman, a baby, a blonde boy and skinny dark-haired girl being led into an arrest van by police officers.
''Who are these people?'' Marinette asked handing the photos back.
''Well first off Marinette, you can see that the citizens of Paris are very greatful for the efforts of you and Cat Noir. However in other places, superheroes were not appreciated for too long. Due to resulting collateral damage from their heroics the American public pressured their politicians to ban them.''
Marinette shook her head sadly. She was familiar with the story, having had it talked about in school before. Unlike Americans many other countries didn't agree with America's ban on supers, fortunately. Though there were some that unfortunately did.
''I know, Master. It's sad to think that there are those who use their unique abilities for good, yet people are so ungreatful.''
''That may be so Marinette, but remember that there are always two sides to every story. There have been heroes who've cause severe collateral damage in their actions. You may have your Ladybug Wave, but others are not so lucky.''
That reminded Marinette of what was troubling her before. ''Master, my Lucky Charm wave couldn't fix the damage from the attack. Why?''
Master Fu raised his fist to his chin, ''There are limits to the special powers of the Miraculous. As I said before, there is balance in the world that cannot be compromised. The wave can repair damage by other Miraculous entities such as akumas, because it is balancing out the negative magic that has been unleashed. That is what was implied during my training at the temple.''
''It makes sense.'' Marinette thought. Though she wished there was something to balance all the innocent people's injuries and trauma. She turned back to the newspaper.
''So this Underminer originally fought one of these heroes?''
''Yes. Specifically this family of superheroes.'' Fu said pointing to the picture. ''There is Mr Incredible and Elastigirl the parents. Then there are the children.''
Marinette focused on the girl. She had dark hair like hers, pale skin and rather slender. ''That girl seems alot like me.''
Master Fu nodded. ''Marinette, you have wielded the Ladybug Miraculous for close to a year and have done very well. But what happened today is now a clear sign that you and Cat Noir are about to enter a larger world. And thus you must be ready.''
Marinette stood up, curling her hands into determined fists. ''Don't worry Master Fu. I'll train harder, and be ready next time! And I still have those transformation macaroons.''
Master Fu smiled. ''I know you will Marinette. I've seen on the news that your kickboxing lessons have helped you as Ladybug.'' For the past two months Marinette had decided to refine her knowledge of martial arts to help fighting Akumas hand to hand. Luckily, there were Muay Thai lessons held at the local gym. She convinced her parents to sign her up not just because of the fair price but also that with all the Akuma activity it would be good to know how to defend herself.
''Goodbye Master.'' Marinette said, bowing and walking out of the door as Master Fu bowed back. Marinette then quickly returned to her parents bakery and home. Once inside, she saw that aside from some spilled desserts and a bit of broken china the establishment was well intact. Still, Marinette got a chill up her spine. There was always something so...unsettling about Akuma villains literally hitting close to home. Or in the case of Evillustrator and Puppeteer, hitting home itself.
Just then, Sabine walked into the room carrying a broom and dustpan. Seeing her daughter, she dropped both and ran over to hug her. ''Oh Marinette! Sweetheart are you alright?''
''It's okay I'm not hurt mom. I'm okay. Do you need me to help you with this?'' She asked, gesturing to the mess in the bakery.
''No it's alright dear. I can handle this. I tidied up what little damage there was upstairs before you got in. Your father is out trying to help the injured. Though you won't believe this, Ladybug saved me from the Underminer!''
''Really?'' Marinette said, doing her best to act surprised.
''Yes! I was walking back with the supplies when that giant drill came up through the ground. The shaking caused some debris to fall and it slid onto my leg but Ladybug got it off and pulled me out of the way before I was crushed! She really is a hero.''
Marinette smiled as she headed upstairs. ''She sure is. I'm gonna call my friends and make sure they're okay.'' She headed up to her room, and found that a few things were knocked over but otherwise everything was normal. She flopped onto her bed and sighed. ''Boy Tikki, it's been a long day already. Now things are just more complicated.''
The small kwami exited her owner's purse and rested on her shoulder. ''Marinette, don't feel discouraged. You still managed to stop the Underminer and having other heroes around will be very helpful dealing with Hawkmoth and his akumas.''
Marinette couldn't argue with that point. Sometimes even the combined might of her and Cat Noir could barely overcome the akuma of the week. And it was especially bad whenever Cat Noir was somehow possessed by some of the villains. It seemed like one day she wouldn't be able to count on him. Speaking of which…
''And how could Cat Noir not show up in the face of such a major threat? I really could have used his help.''
''I don't know Marinette. Maybe his civilian self got stuck somewhere. I'm sure he's fine. But like Master Fu said, there's still a bigger world of heroes out there.''
Marinette sat up, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. ''I have heard some things in the news about vigilantes at night here in Paris. Perhaps I could meet some of them then.''
''That's a great idea Marinette.!'' Tikki said.
''But first thing's first, I should see how my friends are doing.'' Marinette said, getting out her phone and beginning to dial her classmates.
''I sure hope Adrien is okay…''
…
Violet looked out at the sky from her seat on the DevTech industries private jet. The sky was a reddish blue, joined by a dimming sun and the white misty puffs of cloud that dotted it all. The look of the approaching evening was beautiful, and Violet hoped it would be the same in Paris. Being in French class, she was fluent in the language and knowledgeable of the culture and deep down always wanted to visit France. She just thought it would have hopefully been under more romantic circumstances as opposed to hero work.
Just then, an tan-skinned female attendant walked up to her seat. ''Ms Violet, we'll be landing shortly at the DevTech private airport.''
''Thanks for the heads up, I'll let Dash know.'' Violet said with a smile, before getting up to find her younger brother. Walking to another section of the plane, she saw the blonde 10 year old- clicking away at his Playstation Portable, with various cases of sports and other assorted games lying about the table by the seat.
''Hey Dash, we'll be landing soon.'' Violet told her brother. He barely looked at her, clearly obsessed with the games he requested from Winston for the trip. Violet, with a subtle movement of her left hand created a purple energy orb around the device, levitating it into the air to her brother's dismay.
''Awww, c'mon Vi! It was the 3rd quarter, and my player almost scored the goal.''
''Too bad. We're about to land soon, so be ready. Remember, Mom and Dad said that I'm in charge.''
''Fine.'' Dash said with a pout sitting back into his seat while Violet sat opposite him. Eventually, the voice of the pilot came over the loudspeaker telling them to buckle up for landing. The two did as they were told, and seconds later felt the plane touchdown on the runaway and begin slowing down from descent. The two then head to the exit door where the attendant from before and another blonde female carried their bags down with them. Violet, seeing how the blond one was struggling with Dash's bag, created a force field and levitated it, continuing down to the limousine that awaited them. After everything was loaded, they began the drive through downtown Paris, and Violet was taking in the sights. The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre. It was all breathtaking. But then the limousine came to a sudden stop.
''Hey driver, what's going on?'' Dash asked.
''Sorry Mr Dash, it seems there is a bit of a jam at the moment. Appears to be construction or roadwork of sorts.'' The driver said with a moderate English accent. He was a man in his late 50's, balding, pale skinned and slender but still with a professional yet not indifferent demeanor. As he kept looking around, his eyes widened a bit. ''Ohh my, seems there was more than just construction going on here.''
Violet was puzzled. ''We'll go check it out and come back. C'mon Dash.'' Both of them were wearing their hero suits and masks since this was a mission of course. The driver nodded and the two young Supers walked to the front to see the commotion. They saw various men in construction uniforms, police officers, firemen and a couple of paramedics. Some civilians stood nearby behind the streets that were blocked off with police tape. Some began to look over at the two. ''Regardez, les super-héros!(Look, Superheroes). The people began waving over to the two and yelling loudly. Dash ran up to them, exchanging some words before running back to Violet. ''Seems the people like us here Vi. Though I can't understand a word they are saying.''
Violet chuckled. Of course Dash didn't know a lick of French aside from ''bonjour'' a few choice words from their dad's talks about his archnemesis Bomb Voyage. Luckily she was in honors French class. She walked over to the crowd, waving and smiling. ''Bonjour, je suis mademoiselle Disappear. Moi et Speedo sommes là pour vous aider. Qu'est-il arrivé?(''Hi, I'm Miss Disappear. Me and Speedo are here to help. What happened?'')
One of the people, a young girl with pink hair and a skateboard helmet pointed down a street. ''That happened.'' She answered in English. Dash and Violet looked down the street and gasped. There, surrounded by police vehicles and personnel was the Underminer's driller. The two then began looking around at the chunks of debris being cleaned up, the damaged windows and broken glass that littered parts of the sidewalk.
''The Underminer guy got here?'' Dash said in shock. ''Man he really did a number on the place.''
''That I agree with.'' Violet said. That's when she pulled out her smartphone and when to Chrome. Typing in ''underminer attack paris'' yielded her millions of search results. She clicked on a Youtube link and then it went to fullscreen mode. A woman appeared on screen with purple hair, white pants and a long blue shirt. '' I'm Nadia Shamack reporting to you on another attack on Paris. Just less than three hours ago, a mole-man in a large drill called the Underminer declared war on the surface and proceeded to cause havoc and destruction throughout Paris. Though luckily he is in police custody now thanks to the intervention of Ladybug.''
''Ladybug? Does that name sound familiar, Dash?'' Violet remembered that they were here to gain more support for the movement to bring back Supers, and France was a country that took it easier on superpowered individuals.. Winston had listed some during being lectured on the pan and this Ladybug seemed familiar.
''And I can't believe the Underminer was caught by her, but not Dad.''
''Maybe she's stronger than he is.'' Dash said with a chuckle. Violet laughed herself. There was no way anyone like this could beat her father. He was one of the strongest remaining supers, at least for now anyways.
Just then, Violet saw something out of the corner of her eye. With it being early night, it was dark out but the figure was somewhat illuminated in the street lamp. The figure was wearing a full metal mask and then after looking for a few seconds there way went quickly down a dirt road.
''Shit!'' Violet thought. ''I could be another lead. She turned to her brother. ''Stay in the car or limo, don't leave unless I told you so.'' Before he could protest, Violet raced down the street, the hunt was on for fleeing individual. Though the thing was, he had no intention of being the prey...
