A/N - Hey, welcome back to the story! This is the third and final part of Some Assembly Required, than we'll move on to the next episode/chapter of our tale. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Anon - You should definitely watch Voltron! It's an amazing show, and if you watch it it'll be more fun to read this story and see which characters take on which roles and qualities. And thanks so much! I'm glad you're enjoying the story!

SonicePrime972 - Yep! A Voltron AU through and through! Hope you enjoy it, though!


"Get up, you lazy lumps! It's time you faced the Gladiator!"

The paladins obeyed without question, too intimidated by Tikki's anger to argue. They put their water bottles to the side and circled up, while Plagg and Tikki retreated to the control room.

"You'll need your armor for this one." Tikki called back to them as she and Plagg took their places on the balcony. "Be prepared!"

One by one, the paladins heeded her words and transformed.

"Spots on!"

"Claws out!"

"Stripes on!"

"Ears up!"

"Shell out!"

As soon as they had on their armor, they drew their respective weapons, nervous but ready for the fight to come.

"To defeat the Gladiator, five paladins must fight as one!" Plagg announced. With the press of a button, the middle of the floor slid open and the Gladiator rose up on a platform.

It was a robotic creature, tall and lanky, with a humanoid figure. It's colors matched that of the castle, and it wielded a a long staff with electricity crackling at the tip. As soon as the platform stopped moving, it launched itself into action, hurtling towards Nino.

The poor boy just wasn't ready.

Drawing his shield, he was able to block the first strike, but the Gladiator used the staff to sweep him off his feet. Nino hit the ground, hard. He let out a yelp of pain as the Gladiator slammed the staff into his stomach, giving him a shock.

Alya rushed to Nino's aid, only to be blocked by the Gladiator. It slashed at her, and she blocked the blow with her flute. She almost expected it to snap in half, but it held just as good as a sword. The Gladiator took her moment of shock as an opportunity to strike her below the ribs, sending her tumbling to the ground next to Nino.

Chloe raced over, eager to prove herself. She hurled her trombo towards the Gladiator, delighted when she noticed the string lighting up with a charge. She knew that whoever touched it would receive quite the shock…

...so when the Gladiator stopped the trompo with its foot, Chloe was the one who was shocked, in an entirely different sense.

She yanked it back, attempting to knock it off of its feet, but it nimbly stepped out of her reach. As soon as the weapon was back in her hands, she launched it again, smiling as she caught the hand of the Gladiator… until it took hold of the string and yanked her towards it, jamming her with the staff. She yelped as she felt the shock, dropping to the ground.

It turned to Marinette, and she drew her yo-yo, swinging it in a circle to prepare for the attack. And yet when the Gladiator attacked, her vision went dark, and she was launched into another hazy memory.

...the sound of laughter as she took blow after blow, each from the same source.

"Pathetic," the voice rang out, taunting her. "You really are worth nothing, aren't you?"

Meanwhile, Adrien watched as Marinette froze, looking dazed and distracted, not even noticing that the Gladiator was about to strike her down where she stood.

Time seemed to slow down as Adrien began to run, faster and faster, each step taking him closer to Marinette.

As the Gladiator's staff came down to strike Marinette, Adrien threw himself in between them, blocking the blow with his own staff.

"Marinette, are you okay?" He called out. When she didn't respond, he made the mistake of looking back. The Gladiator took the opportunity to slam him in the stomach with its staff, tossing him backwards into Marinette, sending the pair tumbling to the floor. Adrien quickly maneuvered himself so that he was the one who hit the floor, absorbing the impact of the fall with a groan as his head smacked against the tiles.

"A… Adrien?"

He opened his eyes to find Marinette peering down at him in confusion. Her eyes were still unfocused, and she was just beginning to return to herself.

That's when they both became hyper aware of the position they were in.

In making sure he had been the one to hit the ground, Adrien had ensured that Marinette would land on top of him so she wouldn't get hurt… not stopping to consider the repercussions.

Because now that she was on top of him, he found that he couldn't breathe. Not so long as her bright blue eyes met his, not so long as he could feel her so close to him.

Judging by her expression, Adrien was hoping she might be feeling the same.

"Ahem!" Chloe interrupted. Marinette's eyes widened, and she quickly scrambled off of him. Adrien felt the loss immediately, and was reluctant to move now that Marinette was walking away.

Until she turned back and offered him a hand up, a small smile gracing her features. He took it gratefully, wincing with pain as he was forced to move.

Tikki stormed out onto the training deck, Plagg following close behind her.

"That combat simulator was set at a level fit for a child!" She snapped. "You're not even close to working as a team, let alone ready to face Hawkmoth!"


The paladins filed into the dining room, gratefully slumping into their seats. Finally, they were getting a break.

"Ahoy, young paladins!" Plagg called cheerfully, handing them each a plate of food. "I've whipped up a big batch of focusing food. After this meal, you'll be forming Miraculous six times a movement and twice on the astral conflux!"

None of them knew what that meant, but that was the last thing on their minds. They gazed curiously at the food, which seemed to be almost entirely cheese-based with a side of cookies.

"Smells great, Plagg," Marinette told him with a smile, picking up her utensils. "Thanks."

Just as they started to dig in, Plagg whipped a remote out from behind his back, slamming a button with his fists.

Suddenly, handcuffs formed around the wrists of the paladins, each of them now attached to the person next to them. Adrien and Alya were lucky enough to be on the ends, but Marinette, Chloe, and Nino were stuck in the middle.

Chloe was furious.

"What the f-"

"I saw a lot of solid individual performances today, but you're still struggling to work as a team," Plagg explained. "So welcome to the final bonding exercise of the day!"

Nino glanced to his left, where Alya sat at the end, then to his right, where Chloe sat in the middle. He tried pulling away from either of them, but the handcuffs held tight.

"Plagg," Nino warned. "I want you to think about what you're doing."

The boy just laughed it off.

"Oh, this one's a classic! You get to feed each other! Isn't it great?"


Volpina waltzed down the hallway, yanking the boy along with her.

She believed his name was Max… but then again, she really didn't care. He was nothing to her but someone to be Akumatized.

"Where are we going? I don't… I don't want to be the Gamer again!" He protested, trying to worm his way out of her grip, to no avail. Volpina simply laughed.

"You really think you have a choice?" She taunted him. "Besides… this is your chance to get revenge after that worthless little girl beat you the first time."

"I don't care about that!" He insisted. "You and Hawkmoth forced me to fight Marinette! I don't want to be part of your-"

Max was cut off as she shoved him roughly through the door in front of them, tumbling to the ground. He looked up, and found himself face to face with-

"No! Not you… not again!"

Hawkmoth only smiled, as a black butterfly formed in his palm.

"Fly, my little akuma, and evilize him."


"Ow!" Nino cried out. He had almost been able to get a bite of his food, before Chloe yanked at his hand. She ignored him, simply picking up her own spoon… and in the process forcing Marinette's hand into her food.

"Oh, great," Chloe complained. "Now you've defiled my food!"

"It's your fault!" Marinette shot back.

Tikki groaned from where she sat at the head of the table, eating freely without any restraints.

"Do Earthlings ever stop complaining?" They all looked up at her, offended.

"Can't you just give us a break?" Adrien pleaded, beginning to get angry. "Everyone has been working really hard today."

"Yeah!" Chloe stood up defiantly. "We're not some prisoners for you to toy with, like… like…" She struggled to finish the phrase.

"Like a bunch of toy prisoners!" Nino finished for her.

"Yes! Thank you, Nino!"

"You do not yell at the Princess!" Plagg reprimanded them.

"Oh, Princess of what?" Alya scoffed. "We're the only ones out here and she's no Princess of ours!"

Suddenly, she was smacked in the face with food. Glancing up, she found Tikki glaring at her, having just hurled her dinner at Alya. Nino's eyes narrowed.

"Go loose, Alya!"

He grabbed her plate of food and chucked it at Tikki, only for it to be intercepted by Plagg… who quickly lobbed food at all of them until they had each been hit.

"Oh, it's on now!" Marinette declared.

It was a while later when they finally settled down, each of them covered with food and drink… but each of them laughing and having fun as well.

"Do you see what you're doing?" Tikki cried gleefully. "You're finally working together as one! As a team!"

"Hey, she's right!" Marinette said with a smile.

"Yeah, I… actually don't hate you right now." Chloe admitted.

"You guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Nino asked them with a grin.

"Let's go form Miraculous!" Alya cheered.

"Yeah!" The paladins agreed.

"...actually, I was thinking dessert. But yeah! Let's do it!"


It wasn't long before the paladins were sitting in the cockpits of their mechas, ready to take off on Marinette's command.

"Everyone ready to do this?" She asked.

"Roger that!" Nino saluted.

"It's on!" Alya chimed in.

"I was born ready!" Chloe bragged.

"Yes, m'lady!" Adrien finished, grinning ear to ear. Marinette blushed.

"Then let's go!"

The mechas let out a roar, and the paladins whooped as they felt themselves pulled together to form something much greater than themselves… something Miraculous.

Tikki smiled.

"I told you I could get them to do it," She told Plagg. "They just needed a common enemy."

"It's true," He agreed. "Like the old proverb says, 'A man can be driven to do anything if a beautiful woman is just really, really mean to him'."


"Man, that was so cool!" Alya exclaimed. The paladins had returned from forming Miraculous and were relaxing together on a group of couches. "I'm so charged up, I don't know if I'm going to be able to sleep tonight!"

"Not me," Chloe yawned. "When my head hits the pillow, it's gonna be lights out."

"Nino plopped down between the two girls, wrapping an arm around Alya.

"I just want you to know that I realized when we were in Miraculous, we're brothers, man. You know?" He grabbed Chloe too, pulling her in for a hug, albeit reluctantly on her part. "Like, we're totally connected. No secrets, no barriers, no nothing. Brothers all the way. I love you guys."

Adrien smiled at Nino's antics, placing a hand on Marinette's shoulder. She looked up at him with a soft smile that stole his breath away. He couldn't help but give a grin in return.

"G-force mess with your head a little bit?" Alya teased Nino, nudging him with her elbow. He suddenly realized that he still had his arm around her, and quickly withdrew it, rubbing the back of his head with a fierce blush.

"Y-yeah, maybe a little. It's been a tough few days."

The team began to say their goodnights, each departing for their own quarters. Except…

"You going to bed, Marinette?" Adrien prompted her, noticing she wasn't getting up to leave.

"In a minute." She replied quietly, forcing a smile.

"Good work today," He told her. "We're really coming together."

And with that, he left.

As soon as all her fellow paladins departed, the smile dropped as she pulled a picture from her pocket - a picture of her parents.

Where are you?

Meanwhile, Hawkmoth grinned at his new creation.

"This Akuma will allow us to destroy the paladins. Then, Miraculous will be ours."


A/N - Hey, hope you liked that chapter, and enjoyed the peace our team got to experience... because it won't last long!

As always, please leave a review with your thoughts, suggestions, and predictions, and I'll see you in the next chapter!

~ Elizabeth (FanOfDeliciousFlavour)