Chapter 9

Two evenings later Luka and Nathaniel met each other in their alter egos at the park near the Louvre to train together. Super Snake had his lyre on his hands and Camouflage, whose outfit reminded a bit of the one he had as Viperion, but instead, it had darker green colors and the aquamarine highlights of his hair were neon-green instead. From his back Viperion removed his protection shield, then showed it to the redhead.

"Okay, you did practice yesterday the song with me and the other night too. You told me as well, you did practice at home, when your mother wasn't around, right?" Questioned Camouflage making Super Snake nod.

"I still wished to be able to play hero on the lyre," Complained Super Snake disappointed making his friend nod.

"Yeah I know, but that's on another level. I know playing this pop song isn't the greatest thing ever. This will turn out really well for you, just give it a chance," Camouflage said dropping his shield on the ground, then Super Snake stood on top of it and held the lyre beside him, then began to pluck on the strings of the instrument. After a few seconds, Super Snake moved his lyre down continuing the melody watching the shield levitate up slowly making Camouflage smile at seeing Nathaniel succeed slowly.

"Good, good. Keep on playing. Try to move forward now," Asked the turtle-themed hero watching Super Snake look at the front, still pulling the strings of the lyre, and feel the shield carry Super Snake above the grass. "That's it!"

Super Snake flew in a low tempo, going across the park aiming at the direction, where the Louvre was, and smiled as he spotted the pyramid. Super Snake rolled his eyes up at the top of the pyramid to admire it, while playing and heard Camouflage applaud at him, then the redhead looked back to see his friend applaud. Super Snake noticed how apparently he was farther away from the ground.

"Whoa," Super Snake groaned in surprise, while continuing to play the instrument and looked back at the front, thereafter he gasped as he came closer to the pyramid and stopped playing, falling with the shell down on the pyramid. "Ahhh!"

Camouflage observed Super Snake in surprise sliding down the pyramid on the carapace, then ran forward to approach the fried, which got up from the ground and looked up at the pyramid.

"Hey, that was actually good," Complimented Luka's alter ego earning Super Snake's attention, which smiled a little at his friend.

"Perhaps, I'm capable of to fly above the pyramid. What do you think?" Questioned the redhead making the turtle-themed superhero smile.

"Your limits are the ones you set for yourself. You don't know, what you can do if you don't try. You could take off like that before. I'm sure you can go higher than that,"

Super Snake smiled at his friend, then got on top of the carapace and placed the lyre on his position, to repeat the indie-pop song he had practiced for his new skill. Super Snake watched the carapace lift up, thereafter he looked up at the pyramid and flew above it carefully with Camouflage standing on the ground watching him arrive the top of the pyramid, then change his direction to move towards the museum. The older friend observed Super Snake approach the walls of the museum and floated in front of a statue, then looked across the side of the building, which contained after each placed window a different statue. Super Snake had an idea, then moved between the statues, trying to fly above them in a wave-like form.

The turtle-themed superhero smiled at seeing his friend get the hang of it, then looked around the area to see the few cars pass by the roundabout in front of the museum heading to their unknown destination. Camouflage looked back at his friend, which moved away from the building to approach the road, where from the opposite direction appeared other cars and Super Snake approached a dark-gray van, then got around the vehicle, which slowed down and stopped. The raven-haired superhero chuckled at seeing his friend trying to impress the driver and he ran toward his friend to check the scene out from close, then noticed behind the van three more cars line up and people stepping out from the car to approach the van to observe Super Snake. Super Snake spotted the people come closer and take out their smartphones to record him, making him feel nervous. He flew up in the air to go around the roundabout, then passed above the vehicles, just as he did before above the statues and he turned around to do the same thing, then ended up plucking the wrong string, getting confused with his melodia now and stopped playing, causing Super Snake to fall down on the bonnet of the van.

"Woah, are you alright?" Asked Camouflage running towards his friend to help him down of the car, then both looked at the people filming both superheroes with the smartphone, making Super Snake drop his mouth in shock at seeing, his failure was filmed as well.

"Uh…," Super Snake began, then felt his friend place his arm around his back.

"Wow, Super Snake, you did a really good job flying around with my carapace. Ladybug was right, this skill is useful for you. Not even Viperion was able to learn that skill as quickly as you did," Luka's alter ego made up, then looked at the citizens, that looked at the redhead with an astonished face and clapped gently with their hands to show their respect for the superhero. Super Snake smiled at his friend, who gave him a thumb up and he led the friend away from there to return to the museum.

"I think we could give it a try on another place. To see how you will do there," Suggested Camouflage making Super Snake nod.

"Sure. I will do good too. You'll see it," Promised Super Snake making his friend smile.

"Showing confidence is a good start. Be aware to leave space to be yourself as well,"

"Yeah," Answered the redhead noticing the car colonne move on and a gray SUV joined from the other side remembering Nathaniel of something. "Have you already decided who you will give the bee miraculous?" Questioned the younger teammate watching the tall boy shrug his shoulders.

"Not really. I had Vivica or Wayhem in mind. Vivica maybe would have a hard time in dealing with that as she also has a role in Jagged Stone's team. Wayhem eventually is a better option. We still have this issue, that he guides the Adrien fanclub and I fear, that Hawk Moth might put an eye on him,"

"Okay. At the moment I only had Marc from Yi's class in mind. He's already a good person, but shy the way Marinette is…..was….. she's now confident," Mentioned Super Snake making the turtle superhero nod, then he widened his eyes.

"Hey one question. Do you know any girl, that used to be in our school named something like Socquline?"

"That name rings a bell to me…she…..oh wasn't she that girl, that stood up for Marinette against Chloe before she got expelled one day?"

"Yes. According to Marinette Chloe once convinced Kim to ask her out and he gave her a box filled with ants, causing her to fall off the springboard into the pool. That was the last time Soquline had it with Chloe's behavior and got after her. Both were at the principal's office and Damocles had no other option than kicking Socquline out of school. All because of her father's place at the city hall,"

"I'm pretty sure Marinette would be happy to work with her. From what I've heard from her, she's an excellent person,"

"If you can, ask her to join us. She also practices or used to practice some kind of martial art. She is basically a fighter of some sort. She's definitely an A-person for us," Super Snake commented making Camouflage nod, then clap the friend on his forehead making him yelp.

"Hey!"

"Good. I go with this choice, if things go wrong its your fault," Joked the boy observing Super Snake stuck his tongue out as a response.

Hydra and Onyx sat together on the roof of a property admiring the Seine and the building around the area.

"Today's test totally went downhill. I can feel it in my stomach. I sat there looking at the questions. They were written so confusing. Not that they were incoherent. The sentences made sense, just they used one word or another in a different way and that makes me feel like the sentence doesn't make any sense, but in reality, it does but I don't see, what exactly," The cat miraculous holder clarified and Hydra sat beside him listening to his issues. "I've been going through this topic again to check, what I remembered. I feel like, part of it came in the test at all, but the questions made it sound the opposite of what I thought it is,"

"Aren't you allowed to have a dictionary or similar with you during tests? That could at least help you out a little,"

"I haven't thought about it. The only problem for me there is, the time you need to seek through the book to look for a specific word. Or when there happen to be more," Stated Onyx making Hydra nod and place her hand behind his neck to caress him for comfort.

"This is now random, but can you have at the school something like a motivation poster as I do at the school?" Questioned Hydra watching Onyx shrug his shoulders.

"I have no clue. What even is my motivation? Become a doctor," Commented the boyfriend."Help people in the future,"

"Are you sure you're not wanting to become a doctor, because of looking good in white?" Questioned Hydra watching Onyx clap her arm away from him playfully.

"Shut up. That was the old new Jin is better than that," Stated the raven-haired superhero making Hydra smile and grab her boyfriend's hand.

"You know I had always liked the Jin, that was always looking for me when I was in trouble. The one you were back in Shanghai. The one before you got here. Then one before my father…..left," Added Hydra a little sad, then felt Onyx press her hand with his to give her consolation, afterward she leaned her face against the boyfriend's shoulder.

"That Jin is still here," Onyx commented. "He has just matured a little, gained a different role as a superhero…... Nothing I would have expected when moving to Paris,"

"I would question your situation if you didn't mature at some point in your teenage-hood," Commented Hydra bewildered, then Onyx chuckled understanding, where Yi was going with that.

"Alright, I meant by becoming a better person. I think becoming Onyx helped me grow as well. I saw, that Ladybug wasn't as old as I thought she would be and we both bonded somehow, getting to know each other and fix each other's problems. Fun fact it all started when Chloé was akumatized and made Ladybug reveal, what exactly led her to the issue of the previous superheroes to have their face revealed," Commented Onyx and Hydra moved her head away surprised.

"Wait…...she was guilty of it?" Questioned Hydra. "I mean…..was it an accident or…."

"Well, technically it's an accident, yes. You know, out of, what do we call this….personal gain….she had gotten distracted and on getting the miraculous she needed, she led without her knowledge Hawk Moth into her former guardian's hands, which ended up taking the miraculous box for his use. I think Chloé on that day was akumatized and led the previous superheroes to reveal their identities. I was on that day locked up in the school among other students and heard it from third parties. The actual story, Ladybug told me in little detail a long while ago. If I were you, I wouldn't talk to her about it. She doesn't like to remember that and I can comprehend it. It wasn't a smart deed,"

"We all do mistakes. Sometimes they're bigger, than what we wanted them to be," Mentioned Hydra making Onyx nod, then both heard a splash on the water and Onyx got up to analyze the surroundings spotting by a bridge Camouflage standing on top looking at the Seine river where Super Snake sat on top of the turtle superhero's protection shield waving at his friend with the lyre. Hydra got up as well to analyze the scene, then got admired as she observed the snake-themed superhero try to glide above the water with the help of the skill the group discovered with the grimoire.

"Why is he training above the water?" Questioned Hydra watching Onyx shrug his shoulders.

"Well, he's gotta know, if he's capable of doing that above the water….just in case," Guessed the raven-haired superhero exchanging looks with his girlfriend. "What do you say, shall we join them?" Questioned Onyx, then Hydra looked around the area to look at the tower of the Notre Dame to see the clock.

"Perhaps, we should better get home or my mom gets worried about me," Commented Hydra making Onyx nod.

"Sure, where did you tell her you were going?" Questioned Onyx.

"You. You're the only person, I can entrust the superhero thing," Mentioned the dragon-themed heroine earning a nod from the boyfriend.

"Yeah, weird I said I was going to study at Luka's house," Onyx commented embarrassed. "Well, now I get a more logical and easier solution," Pointed the tall boy out making Hydra smile.

"My mom likes you. You have never disappointed her," Hydra stated making Onyx smile and share both his hands with his girlfriend admiring each other.

Hawk Moth and Silver stood together in the hideout holding a tablet in their hands with the sketch of an origami based butterfly. Silver looked at the object curious while listening to Hawk Moth talking.

"This is the prototype of sentimonster we….I mean Nathalie was created last time to follow the previous alter egos of the superheroes. We will do the same now, just the sentimonster will go after one of the heroes and watch him transform back. This you will be able to see on the tablet and save it here like a regular video recording," Explained Hawk Moth making the woman nod.

"Alright and how is the Optigami going after a superhero? Won't they come out, when there's trouble in the city?" Questioned Silver making Hawk Moth nod.

"Most of the time yes, but…...I have an idea, I just need your help," Mentioned Hawk Moth. "Are you willing to let yourself get akumatize in order to obtain the superheroes' attention?" Questioned Hawk Moth watching Silver drop her mouth surprised at his question, then looked down at the tablet, where the display's screen had gotten darker reflecting the face of the peacock miraculous holder. "You don't have to decide that now, you can think about it for the next 24 hours. All you can do now is to just create Optigami, afterward you can go back home. Perhaps you'll get lucky and the heroes get out at night and it spares us this idea,"

"I…..I will think about it," Silver said a little tense about the offer, then moved her fan up to pluck out a feather and place it above the screen to see it disappear into the device. "Optigami. Once again we call for your help. Be our eyes in this difficult time, follow one of the superheroes you see and report me about their identity," Silver asked moving her hand up to summon the paper-like butterfly, which revealed its eyes by the wings making the woman wide her eyes curious, then held out her hand to watch the Optigami fly away to perform its task making Hawk Moth grin.

"Good, you can put down your cover. Sentimonsters do stay awake, when you deactivate your miraculous," Pointed Hawk Moth out making Silver nod.

"Fall my feathers," Silver said destransforming back into Mrs. Rossi, then she showed her boss the tablet, which he shove back at the woman.

"Keep it with you. You're the only one, that can recall the sentimonster back," Commented Hawk Moth making Mrs. Rossi nod and walk out of the area, followed by the villain place his staff under both his hands to observe the woman leaving. Hawk Moth tapped with his finger on top of the sphere expecting the woman to sense any negativity in herself in the next couple of minutes.