There will be an original akuma in this chapter. This is because I think that Gabriel akumatizing himself is overdone.
Ning was watching the international news. They were replaying an earlier broadcast done by Nadja Chamack.
"Don't be bemused, it's just the news. Earlier today, Paris was once again under threat by Monarch's partner Mayura. A few weeks ago, Mayura was responsible for several assaults on former Akuma victims."
A video appeared on the screen showing Mayura inside the Louvre. She was endeavoring to get to the basement, probably hoping to gain access to artifacts not on display.
As the video played out, Chat Noir had placed himself firmly in front of the door that allowed access to the lower levels. Ladybug was fighting Mayura with her yo-yo. Mayura was using her battle fan to deflect the weapon.
"Both the heroes and the police believe that Mayura was attempting to search for magical artifacts that might be stored in the lower levels. Since Monarch stole half the magic stored in the Miraculouses, he has become a greater threat than before."
"Extra security measures are being taken to protect our museums and sites of historical significance. Antique stores now must run background checks on their customers, as well as their items. Anyone owning an antique, especially jewelry, is urged to secure them in a way that will not allow theft of the item."
"Ladybug and Chat Noir have commented they are working on a way to identify objects that have traces of magical energy on them. We will update this story when more information is available.
"Parisians will not allow Monarch or Mayura to gain any more power. This is Nadja Chamack asking you to stay in tune with the news."
Ning turned off the broadcast. She knew Ladybug and Chat Noir were using magic detection meters as they worked on the security grid. There had to be a reason they were not revealing this fact to the public right now.
The most probable explanation was her father forbade it. He had valid concerns when it came to people having access to that information. Monarch was the perfect example of what happened when bad people gained access to powerful magic.
"It's also likely that father hasn't had time to fine-tune the magic-detecting meters. The type and the origin of the magic are vital when learning about magical objects," the young woman added to herself.
It might be a good time for her to practice wielding her magic via her staff. Her aptitude for magic was still developing. If she was called in to deal with another magical threat, she needed to be ready.
After collecting her staff from her bedroom, she proceeded to the gym. She laid out a few gym mats before grabbing practice dummies to use for targets. After completing a few stretches, she was ready.
The crystal at the end of her staff was glowing brightly. In the last few months, she had been able to quadruple her magic reserves. She also mastered the different movements for casting a spell.
Twirling the staff in her right hand, Ning locked eyes on one of the dummies. She performed the first spell her father had taught her while making sure she spoke clearly.
The crystal glowed brightly. A beam of magic spiraled toward the dummy. As soon as the beam hit the dummy it fell over. The dummy appeared to be slightly singed.
"Alright, next time use less power when casting a disabling spell. On to the next one."
This time she had to rotate the staff several times in front of her. Taking a big step forward, she called out the words. The dummy glowed for a second.
She walked over and tried to move the dummy. It didn't budge at all. Ning did a lot of tugging and pulling. When that didn't work, she knew the spell had been performed correctly.
I've mastered this spell. Do I even need to practice the basics anymore? I can do them in my sleep.
She resolved to go against protocol and started working on the intermediate spells. Ning had a good handle on most of them. She still needed a bit of practice on the more challenging spells.
The first intermediate spell she practiced was for making auras visible to the naked eye. An aura was the energy surrounding a person. It changed according to emotions or actions.
Without another person in her gym, she had to be satisfied with viewing her own aura. Her aura reflected her steadfastness and her love for her family. "This aura reading at least proves I'm getting better at identifying my emotions and accepting them."
Over in Paris, Monarch was alone in the house. Nathalie was handling some corporate business at the main office. Adrien was still at school and the Gorilla was doing who knew what with his free time.
Duusu was observing Monarch as he attempted to use the Kwami Rings, as she had nicknamed them, to call on Trixx's defensive power.
"False Trail! False Trail!" the supervillain shouted. The ring flashed for ten seconds and then died. The man whipped his head towards the fearful kwami. "Why isn't this working?!"
"Defensive powers are fueled by your energy, remember? Because you only have half the magic, you need to use twice as much energy to activate the power."
"That's what I'm doing and it still isn't working!" the man snapped at her.
Duusu recoiled slightly before standing tall. She would not cower in fear anymore. "No, you're not! As the Kwami of Healing, I can tell your barely giving the minimum right now."
"There is a reason why you can't use both powers at the same time. Humans have limits on how much their bodies can handle. You are prioritizing attacking your foe instead of escaping."
She pointed at the fox ring while explaining the flash was caused by his underlying desire to cause harm. "Unless you are one hundred percent focused on using defensive magic the problem will persist."
Monarch growled but did as she said. He concentrated on protecting himself and called on the power one more time. "False Trail!"
This time it worked. An illusion of Monarch appeared before him. It was pale and translucent. Still, it worked.
He gestured to the illusion wondering why it wasn't perfect. Rolling her eyes, Duusu gave him the same lecture Ladybug had given Rene Rouge. With time and practice, he'd be able to use False Trail properly.
"You should get some rest. You used a lot of energy this time."
Monarch ignored her as he moved to another ring. This time he selected the bee ring. He placed his hand on the small table. "Honeycomb!"
Instantly the tabletop was covered in a honeycomb. The stand and legs were still normal. "Now what's wrong?"
Duusu repeated that he had only half of the Kwamiis' magic. "You know it's not as strong. Even as an adult, the magic can't go past the limited amount you possess."
Her master stated he would just have to find the perfect defensive power that would help him trap the heroes. He decided to try the tiger's defensive power. "Denying!"
The ring flashed magenta then stopped. Duusu quickly answered the unspoken question. "You have to have a target in mind to use the tiger's defensive power. While the power is similar to the turtle's power, the tiger's makes the target's most powerful desire unavailable to them."
That was useless he was in a physical fight with the heroes. He would use it so they couldn't take his Miraculous. Then again, it didn't have to be his desire, did it?
"Can I transfer defensive magic through the Alliance ring?" he necessitated
The peafowl informed him if the Akuma knew what the defensive power was, they could use it. However, it would drain them greatly. "It's like one of Nooroo's past wielders said, the more you use the more you lose."
Monarch started wobbling and stumbled to a small stool he'd set up in the lair. He was used to standing for long periods. Still, even he had to sit down once in a while.
Duusu sighed as she went over to her master. "You need to rest, sir. Attempting to use three defensive abilities in a row takes too much energy from you."
Gabriel was breathing extremely hard. He pointed to the table and the kwami retrieved a thermos that had been stuck to the top. The designer took several gulps until he got his breathing under control.
He started to get up only to fall back down on the stool. He attempted to stand only to be forced back in his seat by Duusu. She folded her arms and gave the man a stink eye.
"How many times do I have to tell you to rest?"
"I can rest in my own bed."
"You're too weak to even stand! Call Nathalie to come to help you. Because if you keep disregarding my advice, you're going to get very sick."
Begrudgingly, Gabriel called his assistant. She returned to the mansion fifteen minutes later. It took another fifteen minutes to get her boss in bed and to stay there.
She pinned the peacock Miraculous back onto her outfit. Duusu followed Nathalie, happy to be with her more sensible wielder. "I'm glad you got him to listen to you."
"Gabriel has always been a bit stubborn when it comes to taking care of himself. It took both me and Emilie to persuade him to stay in bed," Nathalie commented as went to fetch her things from her desk.
Without being prompted, Duusu let the woman know that if Gabriel stayed in bed the rest of the day, he would be healthier by tomorrow. She also added if her other master continued to act irresponsibly with defensive magic, it would hurt him instead.
Nathalie remarked there were only a few videos of members of Team Miraculous using their defensive powers. A few had never even used them during a battle.
Duusu hovered as she watched Nathalie retrieve her things from the desk. As they made their way up the steps, the kwami nuzzled the woman's face. Nathalie patted the kwami on her head as a sign of affection.
In her room, Nathalie settled into her bed to get some work done. The little kwami yawned before settling on her pillow to take a siesta.
Later after school, Marinette stopped by Master Fu's to pick up the new Kwamiis to take care of. Upon entering the apartment, she was ambushed by Runner and Sheeba.
"Thank you for agreeing to take care of us," Sheeba said politely.
"Indeed, it's been ages since we've been out in the human world," added Runner excitedly.
Marinette held out her hands for the two Kwamiis to rest on. They did so before looking up at her eagerly. "So, have you two decided who you want to stay with yet?"
Sheeba shook her head. "We wanted to hear more about your homes before we decided."
Marinette giggled in her mind. Kwamiis were quick to change their personality if it meant getting out of their box to explore. She was looking forward to seeing their true personalities come out.
The teenager explained what her home was like. Runner was captivated by how much work went into running a bakery. It sounded like fun.
Sheeba, on the other hand, was fascinated when Marinette spoke of the Agreste Mansion. She had constantly wanted to see the inside of a mansion. Hearing that Adrien played piano cinched her desire to stay with him.
Master Fu was pleased that the two Kwamiis had been able to decide without fighting. Both Kwamiis adored the lifestyle of sophisticated humans. He had feared they would both try to claim Adrien as their caretaker.
"Can you stay for a bit, Marinette? I have discovered some new information that I believe will be able to help in the fight against Monarch."
Marinette was intrigued by what Master Fu had discovered. She settled down while the Kwamiis went to the kitchen. Marianne had made them snacks to eat.
Master Fu took a sip of his tea before explaining his new discovery. "I was reviewing the pages on transformation potions. There were unfinished recipes."
Marinette's eyes widened. "Mayura attempted to make her own potion and it nearly killed her. How can you be certain these recipes are safe to make if they're incomplete?"
Master Fu answered that as the new Celestial Guardian, he possessed innate knowledge about Miraculous-related items. One of them included knowing that these unfinished potions wouldn't harm the Kwamiis.
"I have been reviewing the notes, and have determined that one of the incomplete recipes is a size-shifting potion."
That surprised her. Why would the Order of Guardians attempt to produce such a potion? Why would a wielder need such a potion? The Kwamiis were small enough to get into most places. Not to mention they could phase through solid objects.
"I believe I can figure out what ingredients are needed to finish this one. All potion ingredients relate to the type of transformation that is desired."
"Have you made any additional discoveries?"
The old man nodded as he continued to discuss the pages. He had finally cracked the ancient dialect in the journal entries. What they revealed was astonishing.
"When magic was more abundant, the powers of the Miraculouses were stronger than they are now. For example, Lucky Charm could summon multiple objects for several different problems at once."
"Throughout the centuries, magic has waned. There is less ambient magic to work with. That's why the Kwamiis' magic, while still impressive, can't accomplish what they use to."
Marinette asked if there was any way to bring the Miraculouses to that power level.
The man shook his head. "Human activity has destroyed many sacred locations where magic gathered."
He closed the book and stroked the cover. "Since I've become the Celestial Guardian, the Miraculous Book has revealed new secrets. I thought I had decoded all the pages. Now I know there's much more to learn."
The next day at school, Nino asked Marinette if she could call an emergency class meeting during lunch. Skeptical of what he wanted, she agreed to do it.
When lunch started the whole class remained in Ms. Bustier's room while the teacher went out to lunch. A lot of the kids were eyeballing Marinette.
"So, Marinette, what is the big emergency you wanted to talk about?" Kim asked.
"Actually, Nino's the one who wanted this meeting. Nino, you're up."
The cap-wearing teen gave everyone a hearty wave. "Dudes and dudette, it's time for us to stop being bummed out. I know I was upset when I learned Ladybug and Chat Noir can't call on their team for help anymore."
Each classmate flinched slightly when they said that. While some heroes knew who their teammates had been, a majority weren't aware of the connection the class shared.
"Even without their teammates, our heroes need help. I'm forming a civilian resistance against Monarch. I want all of you to join!"
Prince Ali raised his hand. "What do you mean by civilian resistance?"
"Simple. We're going to be heroes' eyes and ears on the streets. If we spot an akuma, we follow and trap it. Offer services to help people with problems so they won't be targeted."
"Then there's the most important objective of the civilian resistance," Nino stated. He looked each of his classmates in the eye before adding, "We are going to figure out how Monarch is giving the magic he stole to the Akumas."
Markov beeped indicating he had something to say. "We would need a significant amount of data to come to an answer. How is our class supposed to do that when it's safer for us to stay out of Ladybug and Chat Noir's way?"
Max answered his robot's question. "There are many methods we can use to gather data. Studying video footage, and conducting interviews with victims. I can create a mathematical formula to determine how long the Akumas can use the stolen magic."
Kim hooted that he would be delighted to help his two best buds figure this stuff out.
Nathanial cleared his throat. "Marc and I are about to release our new comic. We could add a section for readers to email theories on the subject."
"That is an excellent idea, Nathanial. May I offer my resources to the resistance movement?" Prince Ali asked.
"What do you me, Ali?" Rose asked curiously.
The prince explained he knew historians in Achu who studied the country's past culture. That included folklore and myths. They could compare those to the current situation to see if there was any overlap.
Rose and Juleka volunteered to help him sort through the information. Alix promised to talk to her dad and brother about historical culture.
Mylene said she could get in touch with other environmental groups. "Several of them have protested development on sacred lands. They might have some suggestions."
"I'll help you with that, Mylene," Ivan told her. She flushed at his words.
The class looked over at Chloe and Sabrina. Sensing their eyes on her, Chloe sighed. "Alright, I'll go to City Hall after school to talk with my dad about a few ideas for the resistance."
"I'll also talk to my dad. I can learn if the police have made any progress with discovering Monarch's identity," Sabrina added.
"Good ideas. Alya, can you ask Nora if she's interested in starting a group at her school?"
His girlfriend gave an affirmative. She also volunteered to ask her parents if they would start resistance groups where they worked.
Adrien asked what he and Marinette should do. Nino had a crazy look in his eyes. "I've got a special assignment for you two. Since Monarch can't akumatize either of you, your job is simple."
His lips formed a deranged smile. "Create a situation that would get someone akumatize. Then you can watch to see how the magic is being sent."
"NO!" both the couple and surprisingly, a few classmates, yelled at Nino.
Marinette berated Nino about how bad that idea was. Strangely, Alix also got on his case saying that no person would agree to that willingly. Adrien pointed out they would be acting like Monarch if they did that.
Nino waved his arms frantically. He promised not to carry out that plan. The entire class agreed if he broke his promise, then his music collection would be given to charity.
Instead, he asked Marinette to speak with the other class reps about his idea. Adrien was to get his fencing associates on board with it as well.
Hidden inside Marinette's purse, Runner calmed down. His hackles had been raised when Nino started talking.
"I admire the young man's spirit. His idea will help the whole class fill some of the emptiness left by the weakened bond."
Tikki nodded before saying it was only a temporary fix. "Humans in this era, especially teenagers, are quick to create strong bonds with one another. Even without being full-time wielders, it's apparent how much the kids relied on their Kwamiis for comfort."
"It is also noticeable in our "cousins" and your "siblings" behavior as well," Runner remarked. The thylacine-like kwami hummed before adding, "I have rarely seen the souls of wielders and Kwamiis interwoven like this."
Tikki agreed with him. The rarity of this type of bond made it even clearer that they needed to complete their task quickly.
It appeared that Mr. Monlataing was already working on a resistance project. He had gotten permission from Mr. Damocles to create a mural on the back wall of the courtyard. The art teacher was ecstatic about creating a masterpiece for the school.
The art teacher wanted to make something inspiring and optimistic for the whole school. He had spent a week creating the sketch of what he wanted. At last, he was satisfied with his design.
He was setting up the painter's tape when Marc stopped to observe. "Mr. Monlataing, what are you doing?"
"I'm going to be painting a beautiful mural, Mr. Ansel. I want to show how when faced with a challenge, we should look at it from a new angle."
Marc was not an artist but he was wondering why the painter's tape was being placed at different angles. "I wish you luck on your mural."
Mr. Monlataing started painting soon after. He was using the Cubism style co-created by one of his favorite artists, Pablo Picasso. By the end of the school day, he had completed the background of the mural.
The man took a step back to admire his work. "Magnificent! It's my best work yet."
The art club walked over to see the progress of the mural. Mr. Monlataing saw their awed expressions. "I'm glad that you all like the mural so far."
Nathaniel eyeballed the mural and said, "The ugh background colors are very um unique." Seeing the teacher looking at him the boy quickly shoved Alix forward.
"Ms. Kubdel, I know your forte is street art. In your expert opinion, does this count?"
Alix started sweating and bobbed her head. "Looking great there teach. Keep up the good work."
Mr. Monlataing was getting the distinct feeling that the kids weren't impressed by his work. "I know the mural isn't finished. It will look much better when the entire project is done."
Of course, Kim had to show up that minute and put his foot in his mouth. "What is everyone looking at? Oh, hi Mr. Monlataing! Did Principal Damocles ask you to paint over the graffiti?"
The art teacher was shocked to hear his work described like this. "This isn't graffiti, Kim. I'm using Cubism to create a mural of Ladybug and Chat Noir standing on the Eiffel Tower."
He noticed the art club expressions change from subtle confusion to relief. Could it be that no one knew what he painted? "Did any of you know what I was painting?"
The guilt-ridden expressions on the students' faces gave him the answer. "What did you think I painted?"
A couple of kids divulged they thought he had painted the school or a statue. A few thought he was trying to make a boat. No one saw the tower.
Marinette assured the art teacher once the mural was done no one would question what it was. Seeing the man's crestfallen expression, she quickly ushered the art club out of the building.
In the courtyard, Mr. Monlataing stared at his mural unhappily. "How can I inspire the students if they can't even tell what I painted?" The man didn't notice that an akuma entered his paintbrush.
"Picasso, I am Monarch. Your art is remarkable. It's a disgrace that no one seems to appreciate it. Let me help you."
The art teacher attempted to let go of the paintbrush. His hand wouldn't open enough for it to drop. "Stay out of my head, Monarch!"
In his lair, Monarch counted to ten. He couldn't lose his patience if he wanted to complete the akumanzation process. "I'm only voicing your thoughts, Picasso."
Monarch pressed on as he proceeded to find the chink in the man's mental armor.
"You've dreamed of creating a masterpiece to inspire the world. Now's your chance to inspire all of Paris." Monarch smirked as he felt the man's defenses lower a bit more.
"Accept my power and the illusionary magic to make your dreams into reality. All you have to do is get Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculouses for me."
The art teacher's resistance faltered completely. "My artwork shall be their doom."
The purplish-black smoke worked its way around the art teacher. A crazy look appeared in his eyes before the smoke covered them. When it vanished, the art teacher now resembled the subject from Picasso's renowned painting, "The Old Guitarist."
His Alliance ring glowed orange indicating the magic transfer in progress. The new Akuma's head lolled to the side due to the rush of magic. Jerking his head up, Picasso stormed out of the school in search of the art club members.
From across the street, Marinette observed the newest Akuma head away from the bakery. "Sometimes I can't tell if it's a curse or a blessing that Monarch can't hurt me."
Runner bayed it was a blessing in this case. He hovered adjacent to her head, reminding her to keep a sharp eye out if the Akuma used any of his "cousins" magic.
Marinette transformed into Ladybug. She sent a text message to Chat before telling Runner to keep close. She took off swinging with the little kwami running through the air after her.
Alix was bellowing at Kim for his insensitivity to the art teacher. She kept punching the boy in his arm. Marc and Nathanial stood there watching.
"You need to use your brain to think before speaking! You hurt Mr. Mon…." Alix was cut off as she was splattered with blue paint. A second later, Alix transformed into a series of cubes.
Having barely registered the transformation, Marc and Nathaniel found themselves covered in blue paint. The same thing happened to them. Kim scanned the streets and froze as the Akuma approached.
Picasso's head tilted completely to the side. His feet twisted around as he stared at Kim. "Ah, if it isn't the art critic. Are you going to call me graffiti as well?"
Kim took a step back as the Akuma moved forward. "I apologize for what I said. I'm a mindless jock, remember?"
The Akuma suddenly straightened up completely. He held out his guitar-shaped paintbrush. "Perhaps, you need to see things from a new perspective."
He flicked his paraphernalia at Kim. The teen closed his eyes, expecting to be transformed. That didn't transpire because he was yanked away from where he'd been standing.
Ducking behind a large truck, Ladybug quickly freed Kim from her weapon. "Get out of the area. I don't want any civilians in the area."
"You got it, Ladybug," Kim promised. He got ready to sprint when he recalled something. "Hey, can you say hi to Xuppo for me, please?"
"I promise, now go!" Kim took off as the truck turned into hundreds of cubes.
Picasso tutted at the heroine. "It's not really heroic to save someone who can't appreciate art."
"Appreciation comes in many forms," Ladybug replied. She whirled her yo-yo around to shield herself.
Picasso laughed as his entire head spun around once. "Your little toy won't protect you from my artistic talents!"
He attacked and Ladybug dodged. She tossed her weapon at his head only for the Akuma to do the splits. He scuttled rapidly toward the heroine. He attempted to headbutt her.
Ladybug leaned out of the way. She flung her yo-yo out and pulled herself up to the top of a tree. Picasso returned to his normal shape and rushed over to the tree.
The spotted heroine jumped and managed to grab hold of a window ledge. She climbed up the building until she was on the roof.
Chat Noir appeared a few seconds later. "Sorry, I'm late. Couldn't come up with a good excuse to get away."
"Nice timing, kitty. We need to look out!" She pushed her partner down as a shower of blue paint came raining down. Both heroes then rolled in opposite directions before springing up.
The akuma had shifted his body again. They could only see his side profile. "It's about time you showed up alley cat. My masterpiece wouldn't be complete without both heroes."
Chat Noir hissed and swung his extended baton. Picasso jumped back and launched himself forward. The Akuma shifted from a side profile to a head-on one.
Ladybug took a running leap and booted the Akuma off the roof. Picasso landed on the roof of a car and rolled onto the street. He was twitching as he struggled to stand up.
The heroes dove off the building and stuck the landing. They hustled over to get the akumatized item when the Akuma popped up. "You two keep getting in my way. Possibly, right now is the perfect time to use a new trick Monarch gave me."
The heroes tensed ready for anything, or so they thought. Picasso grinned and shouted "False Trail!" There was a huge puff of smoke blocking the Akuma from sight. Two cackling voices rang out of the smoke.
"You'll never figure out which of us is real!" The teen heroes' eyes started darting around.
"Can you hear him?" Ladybug whispered to her partner.
Chat Noir used his cat ears to pinpoint the sound. "He's circling us. The smoke's thinning. Be ready."
Unbeknownst to the heroes below, Runner was watching the fight from above. He had finally caught up. The kwami eyeballed the situation as the Akuma, and his illusionary double moved in.
This is not good. I had no idea that Monarch would encourage the use of defensive magic, Runner thought to himself.
He didn't know how long the Akuma could keep the power going. Clearly, he couldn't allow the heroes to attack the wrong target. "Time to put some soul power into this fight. Soulfire!"
Soulfire was Runner's defensive power. It created a protective sphere around the user in the form of kindred spirits connected to the user's soul.
When Runner used it by himself, he needed to focus on the soul of the individual he was trying to protect. Focusing on two souls at the same time was very tricky.
On the street level, the heroes were stunned by what just happened. Picasso and the illusionary double had rushed in from different directions to attack.
As the blue paint flicked through the air, a sphere encased them. The defense was made of the images of their whole team. Ladybug used this opportunity to summon her Lucky Charm. A red and black spotted canvas fell into her hands.
"Are you going to fight art with art, My Lady," Chat Noir asked as he kept an eye on the sphere. The defensive power was waning already.
"Indeed I am. I need you to use Jinx on the canvas."
Picasso was staggering to his feet. Neither his master nor he had expected what just happened. "They have made a mockery of my art for the last time!"
Picasso strummed his guitar-shaped paintbrush. A wave of blue paint crashed against the sphere. He grinned as he saw their protection vanish. "At last, my masterpiece is finished!"
Picasso started strolling over, intending to take his prize. He froze as he saw the heroes standing there perfectly fine. Ladybug was grinning as she held a blue-covered canvas.
The paint on the canvas started bubbling. The Akuma stumbled backward to get away. It was too late as the magical paint burst off the canvas and covered him head to toe.
Chat Noir watched in pleasure as the Akuma turned into hundreds of little cubes. "Isn't it tragic when an artist is overcome by his work?" he joked.
Ladybug rolled her eyes and told him to Cataclysm the item already. Her boyfriend did as she asked. Within a minute and a half, the city was restored to normal.
Mr. Monlataing blinked a few times. He was puzzled about how he ended up in the street. A gloved hand reached out as Chat Noir helped him up.
"Oh dear, I was akumatized wasn't I?"
"It's nothing to be ashamed of sir. Take this double magic charm. It will prevent you from being akumatized again," Ladybug said as she placed it in his palm.
"Thank you. I apologize for letting my students' comments get to me. It was very unbecoming of me."
"Hey, it happens. Everyone has their own perspective when it comes to art. Good luck with your future artwork." Ladybug and her partner bounced away.
Mr. Monlataing thought over what Ladybug just said. Perhaps he needed to look at the situation from a different perspective.
The next day at school, there was an announcement. There would be no afternoon classes. Instead, the students were requested to help with the mural by painting their own inspiration on the wall.
It took a few hours for the paint to dry but it was worth it. The mural was now of the city with the different heroes all over it. On the street section, the little people were carrying signs proclaiming their support for the Miraculous team.
Mr. Monlataing was pleased with the final result. The mural was a masterpiece worthy of his and his students' talents.