Real life got in the way last week. That's why I didn't update last week.
Tom and Sabine were happily baking treats for Nadja Chamack. The woman was going to be throwing a small party at the TVI studio and wanted the best desserts for her work friends.
The people at the studio had been working zealously to find ways to uplift the spirits of the Parisians. Nadja had done several interviews with governmental officials. The police and terrorist division had created a joint task force to help find the mystery man.
"I hope Nadja's little party helps her coworkers relax a smidge. She expressed to me that several of them were going to be asking the higher-ups for longer breaks. They're that stressed out."
Tom understood that. Working at a TV studio was a demanding and stressful job. Having to work with the pressure of an emotional terrorist, who was becoming bolder each day, had to be wearing them down.
"Hopefully these apple tarts and cherry clafoutis will be so tasty enough to distract them. It is nice to try out a new recipe for a change. I've never even considered trying to bake cherry clafoutis before."
Sabine beamed at her husband agreeing with him. The business had grown so much from when they started. From simple bread to pastries and now high-end desserts, they were making a little nest egg for themselves and Marinette.
They wanted to support Marinette's dream of one day having her own fashion studio. A little extra money would help with putting down a deposit on a studio one day.
Speaking of their daughter, Tom asked Sabine where Marinette was. After all, she usually loved to assist them when she was making deserts for Nadja.
"Marinette is trying to get ahead in her coursework. With Monarch's increased attacks, she's worried that she's going to fall behind on it."
Tom beamed as he thought of how amazing his daughter was. She was always planning for the future. He put some apple tarts on a plate. "Well, I'm going to bring her a snack. Think you can get the tarts in the over for me."
Sabine laughed and assured him she could handle the baking on her own for a few minutes.
Tom made his way up to the apartment and knocked on the trapdoor to his daughter's room. "Marinette! I brought you a snack!"
Tom thought he heard something squeaking followed by a small crash. Marinette opened the trapdoor looking disheveled. "Thanks, Dad! I appreciate the thought."
"What was all that noise? I thought you were doing schoolwork."
"I am! You startled me while I was in my chair and it tipped over with me in it. I promise I'm okay!"
Tom laughed and told her to be more careful. He went back down the steps heading for the bakery. He had a lot more deserts to make.
At the Agreste Mansion, Gabriel was on the phone with Ms. Tsurugi about the latest updates on the Alliance rings. "Are you sure your scientists have created a fully functional network for the upcoming update?"
"My scientists are the best, Agreste-San. I have been on top of the project since its inception. That was years before I entered this arraignment with you."
"Forgive me for being a bit skeptical. This upgrade is important to my business after all."
"I assure you my smart fabric will be able to integrate with your new line and the Alliance ring. I will have the prototype delivered to you by next Monday."
"Very good. Make sure that it arrives on time. The upgrade needs to be finished within the next three months."
"Understood. Goodbye, Agreste-San."
"Goodbye, Ms. Tsurugi."
There was a knock on the door. "Father, can I speak to you?"
"Of course, Adrien. Come in."
Adrien entered looking skittish. He wasn't sure if his father would approve his request. If he didn't, Adrien didn't know what the punishment would be.
Gabriel relaxed his posture and tried to ignore the pain in his arm. The arm that had been partially Cataclysm was starting to lose strength. That's why he needed the smart fabric so badly.
Adrien took a deep breath and spoke, "I know that you're getting a shipment of smart fabric for your new line. I understand it might be difficult to work with. I was hoping maybe you could let me have a bit to give to Marinette."
He rushed on saying that his girlfriend had never used smart fabric before. He wasn't asking for enough to make an outfit. Just a square of it so Marinette could learn more about it.
Gabriel thought about it. He always ordered extra when he was using a new fabric. He needed to practice with it to help him use it correctly while designing. There should be a little bit extra for a medium size square.
Giving his son's girlfriend some of it might be an investment. Knowing she had some meant he could ask for a private piece. She knew how to be discreet.
Gabriel told his son he believed he could spare some of the fabric for his girlfriend. He wanted to see how well she could design with it.
Adrien thanked his father. He was going to call Marinette and let her know the good news.
Meanwhile, Nathalie was busy with a personal project. She was trying to figure out what type of crystal the mage made to speak with a kwami. If she discovered how he had done it, she could capture a new one.
She had asked Duusu if she recalled anything about the mage's crystal. The little peafowl shook her head. By the time her Miraculous was made, the original crystal was hidden.
"Can humans make crystals in this age?" Duusu asked innocently.
"With the right tools and materials, scientists can create synthetic crystals. I know the mage used magic to create his, but that is not possible for me. I've placed an order for the items I'll need to conduct my research."
Nathalie missed Duusu scowling. Why couldn't her secondary wielder be less persistent? There had to be a way to stop her from going forward with this project.
"Nooroo and I really need to push the limits of our bonds if we're going to put an end to this."
"Ms. Nathalie, can I have permission to check on my "brother?" He's been feeling overwhelmed trying to read Ms. Tsurugi's emotions during business meetings."
"I suppose a quick check would be fine. You can also remind your "brother" to be tougher when it comes to making Gabriel takes a thirty-minute break every day."
Duusu bowed her head. She promised to be back in six minutes at the latest. The peafowl made her way to her second master's office. Seeing that he was alone, she bravely approached him.
"Master Gabriel, Ms. Nathalie has given me permission to check on my "brother's" health. He's been feeling slightly off the last few days."
Gabriel frowned at hearing this. He hated it when the Kwamiis tried to gain more freedom than necessary. Then again, Nooroo had admitted to having a few headaches lately.
"You may check on Nooroo for five minutes. Then you will return to Ms. Nathalie, am I clear?"
The little peafowl nodded as Nooroo flew out of the man's suit pocket. Duusu started using a tiny bit of her magic to soothe the butterfly's headache. Under her breath, she asked how he was.
"I'm feeling better already thanks to you "sister." Under his breath, he asked why she was really there.
Duusu flew behind him and started rubbing his head. She needed to make sure the magic spread evenly. "Nathalie's trying to recreate the Mage's miracle stone. We can't let that happen."
Nooroo asked her to take a look at his antennas. They had been drooping a little. He then whispered, "Find a way to sabotage her. We can't allow her to figure out how to make one."
Duusu's eyes went up and down quickly as she finished her checkup. She floated down next to Mr. Agreste. "I have cured Nooroo of his headaches for now. Hopefully, they won't return."
"Thank you Duusu. You may return to Nathalie."
Duusu started to go then stopped before turning around. She gave an award-winning performance by remembering to tell Gabriel that Nathalie wanted him and Nooroo needed to take a thirty-minute break every day.
Catching his "sister's" eye, Nooroo understood what she was hinting at. They could get together on those breaks to discuss slowing the villains down.
Duusu left the office with a satisfied smirk on her face. Emilie was right that sometimes deception was needed for the right reasons.
Two days later, the equipment Nathalie needed was delivered to the main office at Gabriel. The equipment was too dangerous to have at the mansion regarding the amount of heat needed for the creation of synthetic gems was extremely high.
Instead, the equipment was set up in a special lab that had recently been added to the building. The employees assumed that Mr. Agreste was trying to save some money by manufacturing some of the gems used in his accessory line.
Indeed, the Verneuil oven would be used during the day by the company. The plan was for Nathalie to come to use the lab at night a few times a week. Of course, it would take countless hours for the gems to be made.
It would be worth working overtime if she discovered the right combination for creating a miracle stone. Nathalie planned to start using it in a week. The staff needed to get used to the machine before she could start using it for herself.
Until that happened, Gabriel and Nathalie were ready to launch their next Akuma attack. The woman had already agreed to be akumatized. They just needed to come up with a reason for it.
As soon as Gabriel and Nathalie were alone in the house they started plotting. They were in Nathalie's room looking for something to inspire her akuma.
Nothing was catching their eye until Nathalie spotted her old safari outfit in a display case. She tugged Gabriel's sleeve and pointed at the outfit. "I think this would be a good object to use."
"I haven't been on a vacation in years. My motivation would be I've sacrificed a lot for you. Because the heroes haven't caught you yet, so I can't take one."
Gabriel stroked his chin thoughtfully. It was a good plan. "The safari outfit fits with the idea you're hunting the heroes. Since you mentioned sacrifice, the power of the goat would be appropriate in this situation."
"You'll need to be careful about what you sacrifice. I can't have you giving up something important, like your health, for this one."
Nathalie assured him she knew what to sacrifice to get the Miraculouses. It wouldn't be her health or life. She stood still as Gabriel transformed into Monarch.
He created an akuma and told it to possess the outfit. Once it turned black, he looked at Nathalie. "Safari, I will turn you into the ultimate hunter. With the power of the goat, you will use the power of sacrificing to your advantage. End the heroes and bring their Miraculouses to me."
"Understood Monarch." The smoke covered her body for a few seconds before dissipating. Nathalie had been turned into a purple-skinned big game hunter.
She held out her crossbow and saw five bolts with the goat symbol on them. She hoped she didn't need to use all of them to catch her prey. As a backup weapon, she had a signal whip.
She smirked as she loaded the crossbow. "Let the hunt begin."
At school first period was already midway over. Ms. Bustier was going over the process of translating French into a different grammar system, such as English.
Adrien was diligently taking notes. Inside his bag, Tazzy and Plagg were playing a game.
Tazzy used his strong teeth to create origami toys for Plagg. Plagg was batting around one shaped like cheese. Tazzy chuckled softly at his "cousin's" antics.
"How long has it been since we played this game?" Tazzy asked curiously.
"At least five hundred. Modern toys have nothing on you cousin."
Tazzy smiled before quickly cleaning his teeth. Sometimes it was aggravating to keep his teeth constantly clean. "Is today schedule A or is it schedule B?"
"Neither, today is a half day. These are the best days because Adrien feeds me extra food because he has double fencing and Chinese lessons. Extra food keeps me from getting bored and destroying stuff!"
"Seriously, Plagg? Which is bigger? Your stomach or ego?" Tazzy laughed.
Before the kwami could retort, Adrien's phone started ringing. They moved out of the way as they heard a choir of alarms going off. That many alarms could only mean one thing.
Ms. Bustier checked her phone. "There is an active Akuma in a neighboring zone. Return to your homes ASAP."
The class grabbed their bags and left the school in a hurry. The Gorilla wasn't waiting outside for Adrien so he went with Marinette. When they were safely in her bedroom, they let the extra Kwamiis out and told them to stay put.
The second the heroes left, Tazzy floated up into the air and headed for the balcony.
"Where are you going?" Raffa asked curiously.
"To help the heroes. This attack has ruined their happy day. I intend to fix that."
Vollo glowed and suggested that they all go. Raffa quickly shut him down by necking the eel-like kwami. "Neither of us is going anywhere. Tazzy, please stay here like you're supposed to."
Tazzy shook his head. "From what we have heard from our "siblings is true, then a situation will arise where our powers are needed. I intend to be there when that happens."
"You are being foolish, "brother." I know you will go with or without my permission. Go if you wish," Raffa declared. She then necked Vollo again and told him he was staying with her where she could see him.
Vollo pouted profusely and it didn't get them anywhere. Raffa warned him if he didn't settle down, she keep necking him. The eel-like kwami settled down while Tazzy left to assist the heroes.
Ladybug and Chat Noir had found the Akuma. Currently, they were trying to evade her whip.
The duo bounced away as Safari pursued them. Chat Noir was the one who realized what she was up to. "She's trying to herd us into an alley!"
"You're right. I bet she plans on using her crossbow on us once we can't escape," Ladybug replied. "We can't let her do that!"
"Split up! She can't pursue both of us at the same time!" Chat suggested.
"Meet up at our usual spot, okay?" Chat nodded as the heroes headed in two different directions.
Safari saw the heroes split up. "Which target should I pursue?"
Monarch replied, "Chat Noir is the weaker of the two. Take him out and then go after Ladybug."
Safari loaded the crossbow. "It's time to take down the king of the urban jungle."
Chat was sprinting as fast as he could. He needed to create enough distance so he could slip into the sewers. His fake ears twitched and he ducked to the right.
A bolt whizzed by his head and lodged itself into a chimney. He jumped over it hoping it would slow Safari down. That's when the Akuma shouted, "Offering!"
He skidded to a stop as the chimney vanished and in its place was Safari's whip. He didn't know Monarch could transfer the magic into a weapon!
Safari marched closer as she equipped another bolt. "I should have known the heroes were nothing but cowards. Because I can't take a vacation with Monarch still active!"
Chat grabbed his baton and twirled it around for protection. "Why are you helping Monarch if he's the real reason you can't go on vacation?"
"I wanted to go on a safari vacation! Your incompetence is the reason I can't! Monarch promised me a safari and he's keeping it!"
She aimed and fired another bolt. Chat deflected it and it landed on the street. He pole-voted off the rooftop and landed on the street next to it.
He smashed it and took off again. Safari let out a scream of frustration and continued her pursuit. She would not let her boss down.
Ladybug had managed to get to their secret spot in the sewer system. She tapped her foot anxiously. "Please let him be okay. I can't take down the Akuma on my own this time."
She heard something sloshing through the pipes. She pressed herself up against the wall. Her yo-yo was swaying back and forth primed for attack.
Chat Noir came around the corner without his weapon. Panting, he tried to catch his breath only to be strung up a pipe. Ladybug came out of hiding and asked, "Which way does the cat jump?"
"Left, because he's never right. Are ladybugs actually lovebugs?"
"Only if you can snare a ladybug's luck."
Ladybug released her partner. With Monarch giving Akumas kwami magic it became essential for the duo to have code phrases. That way if they got separated, they could verify the other's identity.
"What happened to your weapon?"
"Safari has the goat's power. Her crossbow darts strike something and she uses Offering to get what she wants by sacrificing something she doesn't need."
She asked what Safari had sacrificed to get his weapon. Whatever she kept was likely to be holding the akuma.
Chat said it was her glasses. "She also sacrificed her whip. I smashed the second bolt so she didn't get anything that time."
It would take only one bolt striking them directly and they would lose their Miraculouses. Ladybug remarked, "It would help if we could figure out who she is."
"I think it is Nathalie. Her hairstyle is very distinctive. Also, she has been mentioning lately how she needs a relaxing vacation." That's when his cat ears twitched again.
"She coming! We need to get topside!" Ladybug grabbed her partner and swung them across the divide. They were halfway down the next pipe when another bolt was shot at them.
It missed them by half an inch. The two heroes quickly climbed back to street level. Safari appeared across from them. She was holding the bolt she had previously fired.
"I'm pleased that I put so much fear into you. Thanks for letting me retrieve it," Safari remarked as she loaded the bolt once more.
The heroes tensed as the Akuma pulled off her tracking device. She pressed a button and flung it towards them.
That tracker started beeping loudly. It landed in front of them. The device started playing a devastating high pitch noise.
Safari watched with pleasure as the noise stopped the heroes from moving away. They were on their knees, hands over their ears, crying out in pain. She raised her crossbow.
Unseen by anyone, Tazzy had finally arrived. He had lost track of the heroes when they went into the sewers. He was hovering near a car that was a few feet away from the fight.
Tazzy had excellent control over his ability. He knew he needed to act now. Right before Safari pulled the trigger, he used his power. "Everlasting Light!"
Similar to Glitter's power, his power created a powerful light. However, while Glitter's power Prism created a large number of rainbow lights, Everlasting Light acted differently.
Everlasting Light was an intense golden light that grew brighter and brighter around its target. As the target moved, the light of love would drive back those who wished the target harm.
That's what was happening to Safari. The glowing light was getting too intense for her to handle. She was backing away as the heroes stepped closer.
Chat Noir kicked out his leg, disarming Safari. Ladybug took the weapon and broke it over her knee. Still no akuma.
With no objects left on her, the heroes retreated. Tazzy held his position watching the Akuma. After his power ran its course, Safari blinked several times
Monarch's mask covered her eyes. Tazzy moved a bit closer to hear the conversation.
"They've retreated sir and my crossbow is destroyed. I need a new power."
The smoke covered her again and when it disappeared, she was holding a hunting rifle. The little kwami bet the bullets inside contained his "cousin's" power.
"I got to find the heroes now!" Tazzy whispered to himself. He took off as fast as he could.
Meanwhile, the heroes were on their way to the mansion. Ladybug had summoned her lucky charm and it had been a magazine photo of people in safari clothes. Chat Noir mentioned that he had noticed one in Nathalie's room before.
They were halfway there when bullets started flying at them. Ladybug screamed and Chat Noir stumbled. Turning around, she saw Safari readying to shoot at them again.
"The hunt for my vacation is over!" Safari aimed the gun. At the last second, she jerked the gun up and the bullet went flying into the air. She started swiping at her butt.
Tazzy was already biting her in another spot. This one, the back of her leg. Safari tried to shake him off only for Tazzy to move to her midback. That caused Safari to lose the gun as she tried to grab him.
He moved up and took out a chunk of her hair. When her hands came to slap him, he bit both palms. He scurried off her head and scratched her neck.
Before Safari could try to reach for him again, the purple and black smoke reappeared. He dashed away and dove inside a wall. He peeked out a tiny bit and saw the Akuma revert to being Nathalie.
"I'll wait a bit before heading back to Adrien. I'm sure he'll be interested in what I saw."
Later that night, Fu and Marianne were at an Italian restaurant having a date night. Marianne had suggested it to help her love to take a break. He hadn't wanted to at first.
The RMC insisted that he go out and they would stay put watching over the Miraculous Boxes. Holly pointed out that she and her "siblings" were very mature thanks to their concepts. Fu had reluctantly agreed to let them watch the apartment.
The waiter took their order from the couple and promised to be back soon with breadsticks.
"How long has it been since we've had a date at a restaurant?" Marianne asked.
"Too many years to count, my love. I often dreamed of taking you to a restaurant while I was away from Paris. I'm delighted that my dream has come true."
He placed his hand over Marianne's and smiled at her. She returned the smile and squeezed his hand. It was nice when it was just the two of them.
"I just realized something," Fu said. He continued, "We should do date night at least once a month. A chance to relax and reconnect."
"I would like that very much. Also, let's make it a rule to not talk about work for the rest of the night, okay?"
Fu agreed with her. They started chatting about places they would like to go to for a short honeymoon. They agreed that they would visit another country, but it had to border France.
"I've always wanted to visit Andorra. It's a beautiful country and the capital, Andorra la Vella, is the largest city. Many tourists visited there for excitement and pleasure," Marianne suggested.
"I've heard part of its charm is the architectural structures. It would be fascinating to see the Romanesque homes and churches."
"They also have shuttle bus tours. We wouldn't have to drive ourselves."
They talked about it a bit more and decided that a four-day trip to Andorra would be the perfect honeymoon for the. Marianne agreed to start looking into tours they could join before setting a date.
A short time later, their meal arrived. Two plates of spaghetti and meatballs. Garlic bread and a cup of fruit for sides. Lastly, two glasses of cider.
Marianne inhaled the scent of the spaghetti and smiled. "There is nothing better than a fresh pot of steaming hot spaghetti."
Fu took a few bites. "Italian noodles are very different than the ones in China. The flavor is more savoring than the ones I grew up with."
They both took a sip of cider. It was a pleasant taste. "Hmm, perhaps we should ask for dessert when our waiter comes back?" Marianne suggested.
"I agree. It would be nice to have some Zabaglione before we go home."
Later, the couple strolled back to their apartment. When they reached the door to their home, they heard voices inside. Fu flung the door open ready to cast a spell.
Ning held out her staff ready to block any attacks. Once she realized who was at the door she relaxed. The Kwamiis came out from hiding behind her.
"I did try calling and it went straight to voicemail. When I got here, I used my key to let myself in. I decided to keep an eye on the apartment until you got back."
Marianne hugged her while Fu said they would remember to check their voicemail the next time they went out.
"We are very pleased to see you, daughter. I admit I'm surprised to see you here. I thought that you were temporarily suspended from missions for the time being."
Ning rolled her eyes. "I am still temporarily suspended. I just explained to my supervisors that it was impossible to come up with a strategy to prevent Monarch from becoming a global threat. That is, as long I was in New York."
She smiled before adding, "After all, I need to experience Monarch's new powers firsthand to come up with a solution. How close are you to deploying the protective field for a real Akuma attack?"
"A few more tweaks have to be made to extend the range of the field doesn't interfere with airplanes or subway trains. Hopefully, it will be ready to use by the next attack," Fu replied.
"Hope it's during the next week. My supervisors granted me only a week to do my research. While I'm here Father, do you mind taking a look at the Kwami Charms?"
Fu agreed to do so and give her a magical exam. He wanted to see if her energy levels had stabilized now that Monarch had his own version of the charms.
This was going to be an interesting week.