The strains of Jagged's guitar rifts filled the venue and reverberated off the walls. Marinette caught herself humming along with some of his classic songs as she folded the tour t-shirts at the merch table in Rio, Brazil.
Adrien played around with some of the glow sticks, acting out the drum solo in the bridge. Marinette giggled and tossed a giant "Fang" crocodile stuffie at him. "Can you at least go get another box of the Jagged Stone Eiffle Tower sunglasses! I just sold the last set!" Marinette put her hand on her hip, and raised her eyebrow at him.
"Oh course they are the best seller! The designer is a genius!" Adrien winked. "And also…she's pretty hot too!" he added with a grin.
Marinette blushed, and pushed the empty box into his hands. "You're such a tease!"
"I just tell it like it is!" Adrien made a Chat-like bow, and headed toward the stock room.
If Marinette had not let herself drift into a pink-bubbled dreamland thinking of Adrien, she may have not been taken off guard when a high pitch voice cried out in horror, "Dupain-Cheng!?"
The pink bubbles popped, leaving none other than Chloe Bougious standing there with her wide open blue eyes staring at Marinette, with her mouth twisted up in complete shock.
"Oh, uh, hi Chloe! I guess we did run into you today, huh! How is the rest of the concert going? Did you come to get a t-shirt?" Marinette asked, holding up a black "Rock & Roll" t-shirt awkwardly.
"When you said you were coming to the concert too, you meant you were working at the concert?! Like…like a roadie!!!" Chloe asked in disbelief.
"Well, selling tshirts, but yeah! This way we get to come to the concert, and help out for free!" Marinette shrugged. "Did you still want the t-shirt?"
"Me want…want THAT?! I would never let that cheap cotton touch my skin!" Chloe huffed. "Don't tell me you talked my dear Adrienkins into this!"
"Yeah, where is your Sunshine boy?" Komar smiled, coming up behind, and draping his arm over Chloe's shoulder. "I had hoped we'd all get to hang out today!"
"Where have you been?" Chloe demanded. "As soon as we got in the doors you said you were going for popcorn, and then you just took off!"
"The line ups in this place!" Komar answered casually undeterred by her pout.
"And the popcorn?" Chloe asked.
"Oh! You wanted some too?" Komar asked in surprise.
The glare from Chloe's eyes set him off chuckling. "Fine, fine, I'll go get you some too." Then he called over his shoulder to Marinette, "see ya Bluenette! Tell your boyfriend 'hi' for me!"
Chloe turned away from him red as a cucumber, and looked to Marinette. Marinette internally cringed. Just her luck she was trapped with a tantruming Chloe! Neither noticed when Komar switched his route, and pushed open the doors to the stock room instead of tracking down popcorn.
Through the door the face of "Komar" morphed into the face of Chloe. Even her clothes and her signature walk was identical.
"Adrikiens!" the false Chloe called out. "Dupain-Cheng said you were back here!"
"Chloe?!" Adrien's head popped up from behind the large box he had just reached from the top shelf.
"I really hate to think that you came all the way to Brazil to do this menial labour! If you'd wanted a ticket you could have just asked!" the false Chloe sauntered over to him.
"Oh, I don't mind!" Adrien answered cheerfully. "Actually it has been pretty fun, and I've got to meet a bunch of people traveling!"
"Have you," the Chloe's voice turned thoughtful, but then she switched back to her usual tone. "But no one who is as amazing as me right?! I mean we've been friends since we were adorable little tots. No one could take my place, right?!" She leaned against his arm, and looked up at him with a coy smile.
"Chloe, you know I'll always be there for you, just like you've always been there for me!" Adrien reassured her.
"Well, that is a relief. I thought you'd gone and forgot all about me! You didn't even tell me you were come to Brazil with Marinette!" the Chloe challenged.
"You didn't tell me that you and Komar were coming either," Adrien pointed out.
"Well, that's because we were being spontaneous!" the Chloe sputtered.
"Well, same with us," Adrien countered.
"When have you ever been 'spontaneous?" the Chloe crossed her arms. "I always heard that your father mapped out your whole life and had every second planned."
"You know what it was like, so why are you so surprised that is not how I want to live my life any more?" Adrien asked in a hurt voice.
"I guess, but you could at least tell me next time you're globe trotting with the Baker-girl! We've at least got to be able to tell each other what is going on in each other's lives!" the Chloe pouted.
Adrien set down the box with a sensitive smile, and put his arm around the Chloe's shoulder. "Don't worry Chlo! You've always been part of my life, and you always will!"
"Aw thanks Adrien," the Chloe smiled, giving him a hug and smiling deviously into his neck. Swiftly she kissed him on his collar leaving a bright red smudge of lip stick.
Adrien stepped back from her in surprise, and said "uh…Chloe? What was that?!"
"Oh, nothing, I'm just glad we are going to be lifelong friends," the Chloe smiled innocently at him. "I'll see you back in Paris! Enjoy the rest of the concert!"
"Aah…okay…I better get these boxes back to Marrinette. I'll see you back home in Paris then!" Adrien picked up the box.
There was a high pitched whine over his shoulder, and he felt a prick on his neck that made him flinch and look around. He turned to find the Chloe unassumingly reapplying her lipstick. She looked up at him questionly, and gave him a little wave.
Adrien shrugged, gave a smile back to her, readjusted the box he was carrying, and return to the merch table to find Marrinette angrily folding t-shirts.
"Here are the famous sunglasses!" Adrien announced setting the box down on the table. "You wouldn't believe who I ran into!"
"Ahh! That Chloe! She just drives me insane!" Marrinette fumed throwing an extra-large t-shirt on the growing pile.
How did she guess? Adrien wondered, but then remembered that Chloe had mentioned that Marinette had been the one who had told her where to find him.
"Do you know she spent the last 15 minutes telling me how utterly ridiculous I am for making you sink to my level and 'huck my wares!' Where does she get off pretending she is so much better than anyone else! I really really thought I'd moved past this with her, but I…I…is that lipstick?!" Martinette broke off from her vent against Chloe to rub the collar of Adrien's shirt.
"Oh, yeah, that was just Chloe…" Adrien started to explain before fire erupted behind the typically cool pools of Marinette's eyes, and she jumped the table. "I'm gonna kill her! Putting the moves on you!" Marrinette fumed on the warpath in search of Chloe.
"Whoah, whoah, no one is putting the moves on anyone! I'm all yours, Chloe knows that!" Adrien tugged her back by one hand, and his calm gaze melted her resolve to squash the Queen Bee.
"I'm sorry, I know that you are the most loyal person in the world," Marrinette drew back towards Adrien. "And as crazy as Chloe makes me, I know that she has always valued you in her life…it's just that she…!" Marrinette reved up again.
"I know," Adrien smiled understandingly at Marinette. "Chloe has always been…a bit…'Chloe.'"
"Does she really have to always be soo 'Chloe' though!" Marrinette whined. Then she noticed the pained look on Adrien's face, and put her hand gently on his, and her voice softened. "I know she's been there for you in some of your worst days…with your mom…and then your Dad. Sometimes I honestly think she is the worst villain in our story, and then suddenly she does something that shows she really does have a heart…it'd just be nice if the sweet didn't come with so much sour!"
Adrien raised his eyes to her, and a smile broke through. "Despite her being so difficult you're still trying to see the best I her." Then he leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "You really are Ladybug through and through Mi'Lady!" Then he kissed her softly on her temple, making her face warm all over again.
Around the corner Alcuin, along with another volunteer named José, returned carrying a box of rolled up Jagged Stone posters. "Well this is the last of it, and then we'll be officially sold out!" Alcuin announced proudly.
"I can't believe how much we sold!" Adrien said looking around at the remaining stacks of merchandise left.
"Alcuin! Você nunca vai acreditar nisso!" Carlos called, heading over to their booth. "You'll never believe it! I mentioned to Jagged Stone back stage that this was your first concert, and that you were volunteering back here, and he absolutely insisted that you come watch his final song from the wings!"
"Você está falando sério!" Alcuin exclaimed. "Are you for real! That is amazing!" The boy looked like he might pass out from the sheer anticipation of seeing the one and only Jagged Stone up close!
"You two can come too!" Carlos waved at Marinette and Adrien.
"Who us?!" Marinette pointed at herself and Adrien in surprise.
"Yeah, sure! You two have been working non-stop, and it'd be a shame if you didn't at least get to see one of the performances! Hey José! Are you okay to cover the booth?" Carlos asked.
"I've got this! I got to see Jagged's sound check this morning. Take the kids, they don't want to miss the finale!" José reassured him.
Carlos gave him a thumbs up, and turned to lead the teens backstage.
Jagged Stone was just about to lead into his final song when the four of them were guided to a space at the edge of the stage, crowded in among extra spotlights, and the tangled cords of a fog machine. Alcuin's eyes grew round as he took in the massive venue from the stage. Thousands of fans held out their phones and glow sticks, creating waves of light flickering in the dark like a tidal wave rising up around them. The speakers blasted the electric sounds of the band, and the spectators were sure their ears would be ringing by the end of the concert, but none of them cared. Jagged Stone was a performer not to be missed.
"My first live concert ever was Jagged Stone too!" Adrien whispered to Alcuin, who had gone absolutely speechless. "Trust me, this is going to be amazing!"
But Adrien had no idea what was in store for them this time!
"This last song I wrote for the girl who has saved my life more than once over the last couple years." Jagged announced to the awed crowd as the smoke cleaned, and the lights dimmed to a cool blue. Jagged took his seat at a grand piano, and broke into his rendition of "Miraculous." "Ladybug, this one is for you!" Jagged said into the microphone. Adrien and Marinette had of course heard it the first time he shared it with an audience a couple years back, but that was before their reveal. Somehow hearing it again together on their Miraculous trials made it feel more significant to the point it made made them well up inside.
Adrien and Marinette were not the only ones getting a bit emotional over the signature anthem of the Parisian heroes. High up in the rafters, near the edge of the stadium Lila seethed with every note. Her teeth grated against each other, and she stormed out of her seat, seeking out any space away from that annoying song. Ducking down behind the merchandise table she slammed her hands over her ears, but it didn't help. The taunting repeating cords plucked at her eardrums and her nerves snapped. She pounded her fist against the bottom of the table she sat under in frustration, causing a stuffed Fang toy to fall down into her lap. She glared at the toy crocodile and then her furrowed brow eased and a smile crossed her face. "I'm tired of being ignored! I'm tired of everyone gushing over that smug Ladybug! Screw him, I'm done being patient!"
Ducking under the table, and moving to the bathroom, she burst into the stall, and clicked the lock. Immediately she pulled back her collar to her reddish-orange jacket, and rubbed her finger against the butterfly miraculous that was pinned there. "Come now Nooroo, find me our prey!"
Her eyes lit up, letting the emotions of the crowd flood over her, and her breath hitched in her throat. Before she had only focused on one at a time in close contact. Hawkmoth must have trained for years to master his ability to shut out the distracting emotions of the city, and hone in on just one target. She was emotional, searching, scanning, nearly crazed in desperation to find host for her akuma. That idiotic song about Ladybug was creating so many positive emotions in the audience, she frustratedly discarded one, and then another target.
…but then she got a deep sense of longing and heartbreak. Someone…a young man…on the stage…one of those in the band…the blue-haired guitarist in fact was having a peculiar reaction to the Ladybug song. Oh please tell me that sap isn't in love with that red spotted goody-goody! Lila felt herself vomit in her own mouth a little, repulsed by his feelings. Just then Jagged Stone started up the second verse, and Lila couldn't take another second of it!
"Nooroo, dark wings rise!" Lila commanded, and she transformed into Falfalla, and released a blackish, purple butterfly from a locket she wore around her neck. "Let's get their attention little akuma!" she grinned.
Luka had always loved the Miraculous song his Dad had written for Ladybug. Especially after helping her as Viperion, he had listened to it even more. It was beautiful…like the kind of person she had always been for the people of Paris and the world.
…After finding out the secret of Ladybug and Chat Noir during Wishmaker though…the song just reminded him of the reason that he was not the one Marinette was destined to love. He had come to terms with that a long time ago. The song just had always needled at his heart every time he had to do a show. He sighed, and looked out into the crowd. In that glance he noticed the flicker of butterfly wings moving past the spotlight, coming towards him.
He wasn't the only one who spotted it. "Akuma!" shrieked the drummer behind him, and Jagged Stone jumped up from his piano bench so quick it crashed to the stage floor.
Luka was no novice to akuma attacks and stepped back, and then braced himself to mentally fight for control over his own mind with this new Hawkmoth when his back was literally up against the wall. The butterfly though never touched him! His father, Jagged had flung himself in front of Lucka, sacrificing himself to the akuma's power.
"Dad!" Luka called out in horror, as he saw the purple butterfly span across Jagged Stone's features. "You've got to fight against it! Don't let this Hawkmoth use you!"
"This is not Rock and Roll!" Jagged protested to the butterfly weilder, who had reluctantly accepted this unexpected target as her new vehicle of destruction.
"What is truly not 'Rock and Roll' is that I happen to know that your handler, Bob Ross charged all these fans of yours double the price he told you on each ticket and is keeping the extra profits!" Falfalla exclaimed. "What a way to take advantage of your true fans!"
"He did that to my fans!" Jagged Stone said in angry surprise. "That is lower than low! He told me this concert tour the money was going to charity!"
"I think he needs a reminder of the power in your music…Guitar Villain!" Falfalla nudged.
"No one takes advantage of my fans and gets away with it!" Jagged gritted his teeth, and his form was overcome by the akuma's bubbling purple butterflies transforming him back into Guitar Villian once more.
"Dad, no!" Luka urged.
"Exit, stage left?!" Adrien took Marinette by the hand, and with a nod, they ran backstage to transform.
"Rock is not just to line your own pockets Mr. Ross!" Guitar Villian shouted out to the air! "The music is for the people!" With that he took his guitar and pointed it out towards the crowd. "Rocking rift baby!" he sang, and the floor seats raged into a chaotic mosh-pit of fans.
The man himself, Bob Ross tried to sneak out, and ran down the aisle to the other side of the stadium, but he couldn't out-run Fang! Suddenly, Guitar Villian's morphed crocodile sprang up from the stands as a massively powerful dragon, spreading his bat-like wings blocking the exits.
"How do we stop him?!" Alcuin asked from the side of the stage, frozen into one spot.
"The only ones who can save my Dad now are…" Luka said, but his voice drifted off when a blur of red and black flew overhead.
"Ladybug and Chat Noir?!" Alcuin whispered in awe.
"Ladybug and Chat Noir," Luka confirmed with a smile.
"Guitar Villain! You could've just played your last song to bring down the house! You didn't have to literally tear down the rafters!" Chat Noir called out, flinging himself against the akumatized rocker, and knocking out of this path toward a huddled group of fans cowering in front of him.
The fans ran off now that the coast was clear, and Guitar Villian straightened himself to his full height and tilted his guitar at Chat Noir.
"Not so fast!" Ladybug yelled, and snagged his guitar with her yoyo.
"You're not going to steal my guitar!" Guitar Villian bellowed, and whipped his electric guitar back. "Fang, let's give them an encore!"
The purple dragon flew overhead and launched itself at the stage. Luka ran, and pulled Alcuin down to the stage just as the dragon swooped in to try to snatch him up. Then the dragon wheeled around for another pass.
"What is it that Falfalla has on you?!" Ladybug yelled, trying to swing pack in time to save Luka and Alcuin. "Don't do this Jagged!"
Chat Noir blocked a blast from Guitar Villian that had been aimed at Ladybug.
"No!" Ladybug screamed realizing that the dragon was going to get to Alcuin and Luka before she could.
But then she saw Chloe bolt from where she had been sitting near the stage, and pull herself up on stage and jump between the monster and the boys. She had nothing in her hand by a can of hairspray, but sprayed it right in the face of the creature, making it veer up, and shake it's head angrily. This gave Ladybug just enough time to swoop in, and grab Alcuin, Luka, and Chloe out of the way. She set them up on the second bowl of the stands, and turned to look back down at the thrashing dragon, who clawed at his eyes, shaking his head, and then snorting out fire in his frustration.
"Ladybug! I can help!" Chloe grabbed onto Ladybug's arm. "Don't leave me out of this again! "Please!" she added.
Ladybug hesitated only a moment, looking back to see Guitar Villian hitting Chat Noir's baton from his hands and closing in. She closed her eyes tightly, blocking out the needling flashbacks to how demeaning and condescending Chloe had been earlier. "Alright," Ladybug opened her eyes, and looked hard at Chloe. "You've got to use your venom to immobilize the dragon so no one gets hurt!"
"Got it!" Chloe's face flooded with determination and purpose.
"Marrinette reached into her yoyo, and drew forth the bee miraculous comb, and placed it in Chloe's palm.
Chloe nodded at the bee kwami, and excitedly put it in her hair and called out, "Pollen, Buzz On!" Yellow and black striped cross-crossed around her, and even before she was done transforming she was leaping down to the seats below to confront the dragon.
"Alcuin! Go help your cousin, Carlos and the rest of the security team get everyone out of here!" Ladybug instructed, and after a mere moment of surprise that Ladybug knew his name and apparently his cousin's too, he had dashed away. Ladybug yanked Luka down beneath the chairs next to her.
"We might need a second chance! Are you ready to take on your father?" Ladybug asked searchingly.
"I'm always here for you Ladybug," Luka said meaningfully. "Let's save my Dad!"
Ladybug drew out another miraculous, the snake miraculous this time, and pressed it into Luka's hand, as Sass popped up beside them. "Don't wait! We are going to need all the time we can get!" Ladybug instructed.
"Sass, Scales Slither!" Luka called out, and then swiftly set his miraculous bracelet, saying "Second Chance!"
In the next five minutes Viperon saved Ladybug once, and Queen Bee three times. The fith time Viperon distracted the dragon with his lyre, leaving Queen Bee just enough time to summon venom and neutralize the fire breathing monster.
"Fang! What did you do to him!" Guitar Villian spun around. "Guitar Solo!" he called out and hit Ladybug, Viperion, and Queen Bee to the ground.
Chat Noir jumped to their rescue, and knocked the guitar out of his hands, and Guitar Villain flung himself after it.
"I'm out of time!" Viperion called out in alarm.
"We've still got time!" Queen Bee touched her blinking hair comb. "Let's just get him!" she stomped ahead obstinately.
"But Chloe!" Ladybug exclaimed. "You and Viperion are going to change back any second!"
"Just go!" Queen Bee called breaking into a run towards Guitar Villain. "I'll be the hero!"
"Chloe! No! Just wait..."Ladybug called after her as Guitar Villain turned with a raised eyebrow from his fight with Chat Noir to see Queen Bee racing toward him. One second later Chloe was hit by a beam of his guitar and was in mid detransformation, and started head-banging uncontrollably.
Ladybug groaned, and smacked her forehead with her palm. Chloe never listened! Ladybug flung her yoyo to the stands, and put her arm around Luka's waist. Then she jumped up to the lighting apparatus above the stage, and switched on a giant spotlight, blinding Guitar Villain just ask Viperion lost his power and retransformed into Luka.
"Ladybug be careful!" Luka urged. "I won't be able to turn things back if…"
"Don't worry Luka, Chat Noir and I should only need one take to sort this out and get your Dad back!" Ladybug put a hand on his shoulder, and then leapt off to help Chat Noir.
"Here Sass," Luka said looking after her, and holding out a snack for the snake kwami. "I don't think this new Hawkmoth is as 'level headed' as Gabriel Agreste, and that's saying something! We better be ready if they need our help!"
Meanwhile Falfalla clenched her hands as she dictated her plans to Guitar Villian, and had him corner Chat Noir, using him to bait Ladybug. In mid-swing Ladybug saw Chat Noir pinned down, and swung in to rescue him.
"Now, is our chance to prove our power!" Falfalla clenched her fists, and the purple butterfly that masked Guitar Villian's face flickered.
"Didn't you want the Ladybug and Chat Noir miraculous' as a souvenir of my concert?" Guitar Villian asked Falfalla.
"Forget it, just destroy them! Destroy them now!" Falfalla shrieked in a manic voice, gripping the edge of the porcelain sink.
"But I thought…" Guitar Villian looked puzzled.
"Are your powers tied to your ability to think?! Just blast them into a pulp with as many decibels as you've got!" she demanded impatiently.
"That's not much of a musical dual," Guitar Villian frowned.
"This is not a game! I want to win for once, not just play around till Ladybug gets some lucky charm!" Falfalla, pressed her index finger into her brow, fighting a stress headache. "They are going to stop you from getting justice for your fans!"
"I owe it to my fans to stop Bob Ross! He had been taking advantage of everyone, especially me for too long!"
Just as Ladybug and Chat Noir were going to intervene and grab Bob Ross out of danger Guitar Villian turned his power against them and bellowed out, "awesome solo!" blasting them full force out of the air.
Just as they tried to pick themselves off the cement floor, another blast, and then another hit them making them writhe in pain. Debilitated with the full force of the music. "You inspired me for a time, but I can't let my fans down!"
"What are you doing!" Komar raced into the bathroom where Falfalla was manipulating her akuma victom.
"I'm tired of waiting around for you to let me use my power. The have no idea what I'm capable of! Now I'm the one in control!" Falfalla stomped her foot like a spoiled child in the candy aisle.
"You fool! It is impossible to underestimate you! You're going to ruin everything!" Komar grabbed her by the arm.
"Get off me pest! I know what I'm doing!" Falfalla snarked at him and tried to rip her wrist from his vice-like grip.
"Child, I've forgotten more than you'll ever know!" Komar stared her down, holding her up by the arm before him.
Back down on the concert floor Ladybug caught her breath long enough to summon her Lucky charm and a beach umbrella popped open in front of her and Chat Noir blocking them from Guitar Villain's blast.
"Just let me crush them now! What are we waiting for! Then we can just pick your precious miraculous' off their unconscious bodies!" Falfalla growled.
"There is more at stake than just their miraculous'!" Komar gritted his teeth. "Do you want to throw a tantrum like a toddler, or are you going to become a force of nature to take the whole earth?!"
Lila bit her lip, and looked down. "Fine, we'll follow your plan and get things ready for the real show.
Sullenly, and with no shortage of eye-rolls, Falfalla released the akuma, and Guitar Villian crumpled to the ground, regaining his true form.
Komar released his grasp on Lila's arm, and she rubbed the blotchy red marks his tight grasp had left. He turned to walk out the door, and turned slightly. He barely looked over his shoulder, and said lowly, "Try something like that again, and next time I won't be so understanding."