"Hi mister candy cane!"
The homeless man looked at the little girl curiously as she stood before him. His clothes were disheveled and ruined, the white now smudged into grays and browns. His once fancy mansion was reduced to a cardboard box.
"Hello." He grumbled, his voice was no longer strong, it was hoarse and weak.
"Are you alright, sir?"
"I'm fine." His stomach betrayed him and growled loudly.
"Here." From the plastic bag in her hand she pulled out a macaron. "My sister bought it for me. But she says I'll get a stomach ache if I eat all of them."
"I can't take this, I-."
"Heroes are supposed to help people in need." She wore a naive smile as she spoke, "And you look like a walking skeleton."
He took the macron, his aged and wrinkled hands shook as he held it. "Thank you."
"Nessa!" The girl turned to the sound of a voice.
"Bye, mister candy cane!" She ran off to an older similar looking girl who was chastising her for running off while carrying a large stuffed prize.
The homeless man took a small piece of the macaron before placing it in front of the cardboard box he called home.
"You should eat." A small voice remarked from the box. "You need a lot more than this mealy portion."
"I can survive a few more nights hungry." He grumbled as he ate his smaller piece of the macaron.
"Sir-"
"You'll need the energy for what I ask of you."
"What is it?" This got the being's attention.
"You saw that girl, right?" The homeless man gestured to the girl's silhouette in the distance, "Follow her and take your miraculous with you." His hands shook as he fumbled with his clothes. Underneath the rags of his shirt, he pulled out a pair of earrings. He was ashamed at how he obtained these jewelry, taking them from a dead girl's room. He thought he had finally succeeded, until everything went downhill. He lost everything, his life, Nooroo, and his own son. He was too blind to see how his actions had affected the people around him. But now he had a chance to make things right, even if it meant being condemned for his sins.
"But-"
"Please, this is my last request." He croaked out, "We both know I will not survive long in this world. Leave me behind and take it with you." With shaking palms, he placed the miraculous next to the remaining macaron piece. "I have committed too many sins to be saved now."
"Sir, I-"
"Gabriel, call me Gabriel." The man looked at the kwami with sorrowfully gray eyes. "Please, this is my last request, Tikki."
"May I at least eat with you, Gabriel?"
The man nodded, enjoying one last meal with the kwami. The pair of earrings laid between them, shining amongst the trash, dirt, and rot.
Gabriel hoped that whoever Tikki had as her chosen would be a better holder than he was. In fact, anyone would be a better choice than him. The macaron he ate tasted familiar, but he couldn't quite figure it out. Perhaps his starvation was eating what remained of his mind. He had lost it years ago, he was sane enough to know when his time was nearing the end. He was more than happy to let death take him from here, perhaps he could finally see his wife again. Though that was a fool's dream, he knew he was meant for hell while his wife was already beyond Heaven's gates.
He muttered under his breath, "May the next holder be better and stronger than I was."
The sinner let his eyes close to rest, his last sight was the small red black spotted kwami holding the pair of earrings, floating in front of him with a pitiful look. He let the darkness take him, his bones relaxed after years of stiffness.
"You can't just run off like that, Nessa Lahiffe." Amira scolded her younger sister, "What would've happened if you had gotten hurt? Or were kidnapped?"
"I'm sorry." Nessa had her head down, "I just wanted to explore."
"Well, as punishment, I will be holding Mini Miss Mischief hostage."
"Noooo!" She tried in vain to grab the stuffed Miss Mischief from her older sister's clutches.
"Don't worry, I'll save Mini Mischief!" Kumiko tried to do the same thing, but with little effect.
"Ah! I've been defeated by Paris' greatest heroes!" Amira faked being hurt, "Avenge me, my minion!" She threw the stuffed hero to Oliver who caught it.
"Minion? I thought we were equals?"
"I was the one who just spent over 15 euros to get the prize while you just stood there on the sidelines with the peanut gallery here." She gestured to Nessa and Kumiko who had now turned their attention towards Oliver.
"Yes, but your horrible aim cost you 15 euros. Also I'm no grunt, I'm hundred percent the boss in this scenario."
"Yeah right." She scoffed, laughing, "We're copartners in this nefarious scheme."
A voice came over the intercoms stationed around the festival grounds, "Attention all festival goers, the main event will start in five minutes."
"That is our cue, girls." Oliver dragged Kumiko off of Amira, "We better get there and find some seats before it gets too cramped."
"We get to meet Miraculous Squad?!" Nessa's eyes lit up, "What if we're in the front row? And Miss Mischief is in front? And she sees my costume? And makes me her sidekick? And-" She looked ready to burst with excitement.
"Let's start with finding our seats before someone faints from shock." Amira chuckled as her little sister bounced on her toes with joy.
Amira always wanted to see her little sister happy, Nessa deserved a childhood filled with good memories. It was moments that Amira never got to have herself.
"Mommy's working on a story. Why don't you play outside with your friends?" The excuses.
"How could you leave her alone in such a dangerous place!? She is your daughter, Alya!" The fights.
"Daddy hasn't brought any women over to the house, has he? You would tell mommy if he did?" The lies.
"Get out! Just get out! I don't want to see you anywhere near me or your daughters ever!" The sound of doors slamming shut and her father weeping from the other room. She never told him she could hear his cries, but she made sure he knew she was on his side.
Her mother never cared about her, she just cared about writing the next big thing.
"Amira?" She was pulled out of the past by a hand on her shoulder, Oliver's hand. "Are you okay?" She had come back when they were sitting in some seats, the stage just a few rows in front of them.
"Yeah, just spaced out for a bit. I'm fine." She smiled, he didn't look convinced, but he said nothing and turned to the stage.
The mayor stepped out onto the stage, taking her place at a podium and smiling towards the crowd.
"Good people of Paris." She spoke into the microphone attached to her ear, "Several decades ago, the city was terrorized by the supervillain known as Hawkmoth, our emotions manipulated against us, turning us into monsters." Sabrina had recalled her days as one of Hawkmoth's victims. But those nightmares were over, here she grew up stronger and more confident than ever. She was a far better mayor than her predecessor, cutting out toxic people out of her life.
"But we had hope, the heroes Ladybug and Chat Noir came to our rescue. They saved us from ourselves." Sabrina's smile fell, "But then Hawkmoth vanished so did Ladybug. I believe that they had their final battle but at the cost of her own life, sacrificing herself for the people."
Her grin came back "Then they appeared. For four amazing years, they have protected our city from criminals and disasters. I have the honor and pride to welcome the Miraculous Squad!"
The crowd erupted into applause as colorful lights and smoke began to cover the stage.
As Amira turned her attention towards the stage, she hadn't noticed the little red kwami staring at her from her little sister's hoodie.
"You're late." Lila frowned as several figures jumped down from the nearby rooftops.
"We got held up." The saccharine sweet voice of the grey and pink mouse eared girl made Lila have a headache. She playfully bounced on the jumping rope that was her weapon, "Being a hero is hard work, you know?"
"Yeah, held up." Wyvern, the red scaled hero scowled, a large blade attached to his back. "Then why were you taking pictures by the Seine?" Black, yellow, and blue lines slithered up his body suit, he had scales resembling armor. A pair of red and yellow horns decorated his head. His mask imitated a dragon's face.
"It was just a few autographs." The mouse giggled. "How many fans do you have, lizard?"
"It's Wyvern, not lizard."
"Could've fooled me, where are your wings? Couldn't pay for rentals?" Honeycomb said as she boredly played on her phone feature of her top. Her outfit was mostly black with yellow stripes, a large mound of fluff around her neck and upper chest. Her hair was styled into an intricate hairstyle with a bee shaped hair comb attached to it. She wore high heels that she taped impatiently with as she spoke.
Wyvern pulled out his blade, pointing it at both Honeycomb and the Miss Mischief. "It would be a shame if someone were to ruin your pretty little outfits with a rainstorm before the big show."
"You two stop fighting." A pair of yellow eyes glowed from the shadows, "This is supposed to be a celebration, not a goddamn reality show." Carnivore Reign wore a fuchsia colored sophisticated coat with stripes down the sides over a dark pink shirt. He strutted up to the rest of the squad and Lila in black pants with golden stripes, with dark fuchsia and white shoes with golden paws imitated in the toes. A golden belt slinked behind her, resembling a tail. One of his hands had a golden claw which was attached to a Panjas bracelet.
He used his claw to lower the sword from his teammates, unfazed by the stern look in Wyvern's eyes. "There is plenty of time for autographs later, right now we need to smile and wave for the masses."
"Fine, but I better get some good shots for this." Honeycomb rolled her eyes, closing the top.
"May I introduce the Miraculous Squad!"
Carnivore Reign smirked, his fangs glistening in the stage light, "It's showtime."
Maria had turned away for one second and Amelia had disappeared. Her daughter went missing during the festival.
"Please, have you seen her?" The panicked woman held up a picture of her daughter on her phone to a bystander, but they shook her head. She had spent hours looking for her. What if she got hurt? Or kidnapped? Amelia was all alone and most likely scared out of her mind.
It was just her, just Maria in Amelia's life. Her father was gone, her grandparents were in a retirement home, and she had no siblings of her own. She informed the security guards and they told her they would keep an eye out.
It was Maria's fault, she was a horrible mother. She should've kept a better eye on her, now she was gone, her baby, her child.
She had crumbled and began crying on a secluded bench, feeling useless and pathetic.
"I can help you, Maria." A voice whispered in her mind, "You have lost something precious to you, so have I. It's the Miraculous Squad's fault. This is their festival and they have taken Amelia from you."
"Y-you're right, it's their fault, not mine." A glowing neon purple mask had appeared in front of her teary eyed face. "Can you help me get her back?"
"Mother May I, I will give you the power to find your child and inflict the same pain onto others. They didn't help you in your time of crisis, they deserve to pay."
"I'll do it, Hawkmoth."
The voice stayed quiet for a few seconds before responding, "I am not Hawkmoth, you may call me Chrysalis."
Maria let go and allowed the purple to consume her.
Mother May I stood in her place.
"Hello Paris!" Carnivore Reign had taken over for the Mayor, "How are we doing tonight!?"
He got an energetic cheer and clapping from the crowd in response.
Amira listened to the hero's speech, her eyes lingering on her little sister who was staring at Miss Mischief, barely able to contain her joy at seeing her favorite superhero.
"I can see someone has a favorite." Oliver whispered next to her, "So who's your favorite hero?"
"Are we talking old or new?"
"New first, then old."
"Wyvern for new and Carapace for old."
"Really, why the dragon? Got a soft spot for mystical creatures?"
She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, right." She didn't want to admit her younger self had liked this fantasy book series with dragons and it made her inner child squeal seeing a real life hero based on a dragon. "I just like their powers."
There was also the fact her father used to be the turtle superhero.
Amira had caught on to her parents' secret during one of their fights. They hadn't seen her, eavesdropping on their argument. She had come down to snatch a cookie, she had snuck back to her room with the knowledge that her mother and father had been superheroes. At first it had been amazing, learning her parents were once real superheroes, but then it became a burden on her shoulders. If they had been heroes years ago, why weren't they heroes now? Did they do something wrong?
He raised an eyebrow, "So it isn't because he looks like a knight? Fueling your fairy tale fantasy?"
"What about you, Mr. stripes?" She gestured to the striped sweatshirt.
"Actually, I didn't pick out this sweatshirt, Lucia did." He sighed, "She insisted that we should match for the event with her as Honeycomb and me as Carnivore Reign."
"Seriously?" She nearly gagged, they were cousins, yet Lucia seemed to cling onto him like a boyfriend. Amira thought it was creepy, and it seemed Oliver thought the same as the look in his eyes were of concern and disgust.
"Oh Miraculous Squad~" A sing songy voice interrupted the performance. It was a woman dressed in a 1960s style dress. It was black and white with bows in the style of butterflies scattered throughout the attire. She looked doll-like, her smile was unnerving with red lipstick and her black hair in a short bob. Her white pumps clicked against the ground. A white headband rested on her head and a dark purple purse was looped around her shoulder.
She was headed towards the stage.
"Sorry, but we're not taking volunteers at this time." Miss Mischief subtly gestured to the security guards who were stationed around the event.
"Please help me find my daughter." Her voice didn't sound human, it was high pitched and glee, sounding more like an animated movie princess.
"Excuse me?"
"My daughter, she's missing." Her smile didn't disappear even when her tone was growing frustrated. "And you will help me find her."
"I'm sorry, but I can't help you, ma'am. Perhaps if you talked to our security her-"
Crack! Half of the woman's face split open like a broken teacup.
"You won't help me?" Her voice wavered, "But you're supposed to be heroes, you're supposed to help people, people like me."
"Look, lady-" One of the guards tried to grab her but she grabbed him instead. The guard was tall, muscular, and looked strong enough to bench several weights.
Only for the woman to break his arm in her skinny grip in a matter of seconds.
The woman tsked as the guard screamed in pain over his broken limb, "Didn't your mother teach any manners? You don't grab a woman without her permission and you don't interrupt a conversation. Clearly Mother May I must teach you some manners."
She pulled out something from her purse, it was a mace, a giant, spiked mace.
The guards went flying into the stage from the impact of the weapon.
That's when the crowd began to panic.
"Akuma!" Someone had yelled and the people began to run away from their seats in fear and terror. Amira was pulled further into the alarmed mob, away from the stage. She was being pulled up stream by the strong current of people, unable to find Nessa or Oliver or Kumiko.
Suddenly, she was pulled into an area between booths, it was Oliver. Neither her little sister nor Kumiko were with him.
"Amira, are you okay?"
"Where's Nessa and Kumiko?"
"I thought they were with you." Amira's blood turned cold. Their little sisters were still out there, in the chaos.
"You stay here, I'll go out and look for them." Oliver seemed to have the same thought.
"No, I'm not letting you go out alone."
"Then we split up, you take the upper area and I take the lower area." He rushed off, leaving Amira alone.
She fell to her knees trying to comprehend what was happening.
There was an akuma which meant Hawkmoth was back. None of the heroes were prepared for an akuma and Nessa was caught in the crossfire.
That was when she saw something glistening on the ground, it was a pair of earrings. She held them in her hands, they were red with black dots.
Suddenly a flash of light momentarily blinded her. A few moments later, a small red creature appeared in front of her. It was floating and had black spots on its forehead.
"Hello, my name is Tikki and you have been chosen to be the holder of the Ladybug Miraculous."
This had to be a dream, this couldn't be happening to her. If she had been younger, this would've been a fantasy come true.
But now? It was a nightmare.