Notes: Now it starts to resemble the show a bit more, but hopefully more interesting

Disclaimer: I do not own the Miraculous franchise

Miraculous Universe

Ch. 7: School Daze

At last it was time to attend lycée. Marinette was especially excited.

"If I can take an art class, I can finally be in a class where I'm required to make sketches. I hope me and Alya have some classes together though."

She ran downstairs to get something to eat. There was a news report where Brigadier Raincomprix was talking about how his team dealt with another fight breaking out at that same nightclub from before. There was another story about a wealthy art collector named Cyrille Bleuchamp making a donation to the museum. Glancing at the clock, she grabbed her helmet and electric scooter. It was a nice early birthday gift from her parents, but as much as she liked it, she was eager for an upgrade to an actual motorcycle. She had to leave early to pick up Alya.

"There you are," Alya said, "I can't believe what a roll you're on. You're on time more often than usual."

"Gee, thanks."

"Nino told me that Adrien's picking him up."

"Really? What does M. Agreste say about that?"

"Not much since Adrien didn't tell him," Alya replied with a laugh.

Once there, they waited for the boys to show up. Adrien's car arrived soon after.

"How do, ladies?" Nino said.

"Alya, Marinette," he winked at Marinette when he said her name.

"Being sneaky, Golden Boy? Didn't know you had it in you."

"It's a new school year, Al, and I've made a lot of good friends. Now that it's lycée, I don't need most of my tutors anymore. That means I'll do whatever it takes to spend more time with my friends. It's about time that father learned he can't completely control me. I mean, it's not like I'm engaging in criminal behavior...yet."

"That's the spirit!"

"Alya, don't encourage him like that," Nino said.

"Au contraire, Lahiffe," Chloé said, "This is indeed a step in the right direction."

While everyone headed for the first class, that's when Marinette got a surprise.

"Mme. Bustier? What are you doing here?"

"Bonjour, Marinette. I'm the counselor here. I think it suits me better than outright teaching."

The first week went on like normal, with everyone getting used to their schedules. Then something big happened during lunch.

"Adrien, I'm so dumb sometimes."

"You, Marinette? Never."

Nino and Alya gave each other a knowing look.

"I know what you're thinking," Marinette said.

"No one would say you were dumb, Nette," Nino said, "However, you do sometimes forget things."

"Yeah," Kim said from the next table, "Like to breathe."

"Well this is more important than breathing...wait..."

"Don't get distracted, girl," Alya said.

"Right, well, calling myself clumsy doesn't work when it's something I was supposed to do. That's what I was getting at."

"Anything I can do to help?" Adrien asked.

"In a way," she pulled a small giftbag out of her backpack, "Happy Belated Birthday!"

"My birthday was months ago, back in March."

"I know! That's why I'm so dumb. I should've given you this already, but it wasn't quite ready, and since you don't advertise your birthday, I nearly forgot it came up."

"Sorry, force of habit. I never get a party, so I've kind of just forgotten about it."

"I called you, Adrikins!"

"And I told you how much I appreciated it, Chlo."

"Anyway," Marinette continued, "Open it up."

He took the giftbag and took out a small trinket that was clearly handmade.

"What is it?"

"It's a lucky charm...well, actually it's a bracelet. I made it myself."

Adrien looked entranced by the bracelet.

"You made this? How?"

"It's not that difficult. Anyone can do it. You just get a good piece of string and some colorful beads."

"Isn't she so modest?" Chloé said, half jokingly.

Adrien gave Marinette a hug, "Thank you so much, Mari. I've never received a handmade gift before."

"I could've bought you a handmade gift," Chloé snarked.

Adrien looked her, and they both stuck their tongues out at each other. That's when the bell rung.

"I better run," Marinette said, "Gotta at least keep up the whole getting placed on time streak."

Adrien was waving at her as she left. Suddenly, Nino was right behind him.

"Her birthday's in September, mec."

With that in mind, school continued. The next day, Marinette was in art class. Nathaniel was in the same art class as her, as well as a few others, like Marc and Mylène. Nate was doing sketches of Ladybird and Matou Noir. He then moved on to designing himself as a hero. The teacher praised his creativity, but suggested he try for something like scenery to really get attention. So he decided to look out the window at get a good look at the scenery. He wasn't sure how much time had passed by the time the picture was finished, but finished it was.

"What's that?" said a voice.

He practically jumped into the air. Chloé was now standing next to him, with Zoé and Sabrina close by.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"We're between classes. Is that your great work of art?"

"Well, I -"

"I like to think I'm a patron of the arts. I'm sure Zoé will attest to that."

Zoé looked like she was thinking, "I suppose...in a way..."

Chloé clearly didn't like that answer, "I'm sure Sabrina will attest to that."

"Absolutely, Chloé," Sabrina agreed.

Nathaniel had become more open, but someone like Chloé was unexpected.

"Oh, well, you know, it's okay," he muttered.

Chloé gave him a look, "Seriously? What is wrong with you? Are you blind? How could you say something like that?!"

Nathaniel panicked and ran out of the room, trying not to cry.

Meanwhile...

Gabriel knew that in the first or second week of lycée that someone was bound to get overly emotional. To satiate his curiosity, he headed for his lair. Seeing this, Nathalie followed suite.

"Finally trying again, Gabriel?"

"Yes, my dear Nathalie. There's always an emotional teenager in lycée. It's too easy to find a target, really."

He transformed and used the Butterfly Miraculous to scan the area. At last, he found a target that seemed interesting.

"I think this one will do nicely. A young artist whose work has been insulted. We can all relate to that."

"Well since you were taking so long, I acquired some butterfly cocoons. They've already matured, as you can see. Lucky for us that you set up a garden in here."

Le Papillon held out a hand for the nearest butterfly. It was now an Akuma, and it flew out through the sunroof.

"Fly away, my little Akuma, and evilize him!"

"Are you going to say that every time you do this?"

"Are you going to make a sarcastic remark every time I do this?"

"Probably."

He groaned, "Whatever. There's something else I've been thinking about. Now that the heroes have shown themselves, we should find out who they are as soon as possible."

"Maybe it's time to take a more hands on approach."

"What do you mean?"

"According to the grimoire, the Peacock Miraculous allows you to create your own loyal Sentimonster. No more having to coerce your Akuma victim."

"Yes, it's about time we tried it out. I leave it to you, Nathalie."

"I was hoping you'd say that," she pinned the brooch onto her suit, "Transformez moi!"

Nathalie's skin was now light indigo, her hair was short and blue, her sclerae were violet, and she no longer wore glasses. She wore high-heeled boots, indigo tights, and a cocktail hat that covered her right eye. Most striking of all was her blue coat with a fuzzy collar and rounded points at the bottom that made it resemble peacock feathers. She reached into the coat and pulled out a large hand fan.

"You're unrecognizable, Nathalie."

"I'm not Nathalie. My name is...Mayura."

"Very well, Mayura. Now how does it work?"

She unfolded her hand fan, "Like this."

The large hand fan was comprised of eighteen metallic peacock feathers, all of which had actual small white feathers at the top edge. She plucked a feather and charged it with dark blue energy.

"First I create the Amok like so. Then, much like with the Butterfly, I find a strong emotion, in this case your determination to discover at the identities of the heroes. I place the Amok into an object, like my tablet. Now I can create the Sentimonster. I've already thought of a good design."

The Amok merged with her tablet, and then she held out her hand. A mass of blue energy appeared before her. It took the shape of a large blue origami butterfly with huge eyes on each wing.

"I call it Optigami," she said, letting it land on her finger, "Whatever it picks up with its eyes will show up on my tablet."

"A perfect creation, Mayura."

"Go to the school, Optigami. Keep both eyes open and catch those heroes."

The Sentimonster, being like paper, simply folded itself through the cracks of the sunroof without any need to open it.

Meanwhile...

Back at the school, Alix stomped over to Chloé, and despite being shorter, she was certainly louder.

"What did you say to him?!"

"What are you talking about?"

"You did come off as rather rude, Chloé," her sister said.

"Did I? Maybe so, but I can't stand people like that."

"What do you mean by that?" Alix demanded.

"Nathaniel clearly has talent, and yet he doesn't seem to even realize it. He's always...I wouldn't even call it modest. More like ignorant."

"I realize you don't know him that well," Alix growled, "But if you were trying to pay him a compliment, you could've worded it better. Now I'm going to find him. Honestly, and on his birthday."

She ran out of the room to find her friend.

Zoé looked at her sister, "You're taking this a bit seriously, aren't you?"

"You know as well as I do how it feels to try your best and not have it be good enough. If someone gives you a compliment, you take it. Don't just sit there and mutter about how you're not good enough."

Nathaniel was hiding near a tree in the courtyard. The Akuma flew up and possessed his pencil.

"Hello there."

"Huh? Who are you?"

"I am Le Papillon."

"You're the guy who turned Aurore into Climatika."

"I was just giving her what she wanted. I can do the same for you."

"What do you mean?"

"You feel upset and insulted. Your hard work was mocked. I am an artist myself, so I know your pain. I can give you the power to punish those who insulted you. Anything you draw will happen in real life. With my help, everyone will notice and appreciate you. All you need is a new name."

Nathaniel was now lost in his new role, "Call me...Le Dessinateur."

"The Sketcher/Cartoonist...how clever you are. All I ask in return for this is the Miraculouses of any heroes who try to stop you. They look like ordinary jewelry, but they're the source power for these heroes. Take them and they can't stop you. Can you do that for me?"

"You can count on me, Le Papillon."

In a flash of purple, he had his new costume. A black domino mask, a white long sleeve shirt with black stripes, black pants, red boots, and a black béret. His hair was no longer hiding half his face, but swept back and spiky. His pencil and sketchbook were now a pen and tablet. He gave an nasty grin as he marched back to the classroom. Alix managed to catch up to him.

"Nathaniel, wait a minute. I...whoa."

Normally, Nate was only a few inches taller than Alix, but in his akumatized state, he was now at least a foot or so taller. He stopped to look at her, but then kept walking.

"Nate, are you okay? I know you've been akumatized, but you can fight it off."

"Stay out of my way, Alix. You're my friend, and this isn't about you."

"What is it then? That dumb blonde just sucks at talking to certain people."

"It's not just her! No one else ever takes me seriously. Just because I'm quiet, I get ignored all the time. No one ever appreciates what I can do. Now please stay out of this."

He used his pen and tablet to draw a wall that blocked her path. Alix tapped on the wall.

"It's real and it's solid. I'll go around it then."

The new villain made a giant hair dryer to blow people out of his way. Adrien saw him, so he rushed to the nearest restroom. Making sure no one else was inside, he changed into Matou Noir.

"I think I'd better watch what happens first before I outright attack him. Besides, I need Ladybird."

He managed to sneak outside and reach the window to the art class. At the same time, Nate finally reached the classroom.

"Chloé!"

"Oh, it's you. You got superpowers just like Aurore. Can't say I really like the outfit."

"Chloé," Zoé said, "Is being so nonchalant really the best idea right now?"

"You're not the first to insult me and my work," the new Akuma hissed, "But you will be the first to pay for it!"

"You really thought I was putting down your drawings?"

"You were a jerk in the past. Old habits die hard."

Chloé paused at that remark, but soon continued, "I won't deny that. If someone isn't my friend, I do tend to just ignore them. I'm not trying to deliberately be cruel, but I admit I can be blunt. I was NOT insulting your art."

"...what?"

"If I sounded harsh, it's because I couldn't stand how you seemed to put yourself down. You've always been a good artist, but I've never said anything until now. I thought your drawing was beautiful."

"...really?"

"NO!" Papillon barked, "She's lying! She's never acted like this before, so she must be faking."

Le Dessinateur steeled his resolve, "How do I know you're not lying?"

"Look, I'm trying to pay you a compliment. All I ask is that when someone gets complimented, they take it, instead of brushing it off and thinking their work isn't good enough."

That's when Matou Noir decided to show up. He knocked on the window, so Marinette opened it to let him in.

"Don't mind me, just here to clean up."

"If there was anyone who could cause everyone to ignore you, it's a superhero," Papillon said, "Get him out of the way!"

Le Dessinateur drew a giant boxing glove that started punching at Noir. He managed to dodge most of the blows. Annoyed at this, the Akuma smirked and erased the nearby window. The next punch sent Noir flying through the hole and out into the courtyard.

"Why am I always the one sent flying?"

Thankfully, Marinette had snuck out to find an empty restroom and transform. She ran to join her partner and helped him up.

"Are you okay?"

"I am now that you're here, My Lady."

"Lucky Charm!"

She received a lightbulb.

"That doesn't do a lot of good when we're outside," Noir said.

"No, but it does give me an idea."

He gave her a look, "Was that meant to be a joke?"

"I will neither confirm nor deny."

Meanwhile, the day was rather windy, and Optigami wasn't the fastest flyer.

"Can't that thing go any faster?"

"This thing was made for stealth, Papillon. It can only go so fast, and it can only do so many things."

Back at the school, several other classes had gathered to watch. Alya was there to get footage, of course. Le Dessinateur decided enough was enough and drew a huge 16 ton weight attached to a rope above the heroes.

"Is that a 16 ton weight you're about to drop on our heads?" Noir asked.

"Yes it is."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because it's funny."

"Not when someone could get killed!"

"Am I missing something here?" Ladybird asked, "How is dropping a 16 ton weight on someone funny?"

"You've never watched British comedy, have you?" Noir asked.

"Uh, not as such."

"Then you have so much to learn."

That's when Alix finally caught up. She brought Marc with her.

"Nate, stop being evil and let the heroes help you!"

"Yeah, everyone knows your drawings are great," Marc added.

"I told you stay out of this, Alix! That goes for you, too, Marc!"

"While he's distracted," Ladybird whispered to Noir, "Get him back in that classroom and keep him there. I'll take it from there."

He winked at her and charged towards the Akuma. Le Dessinateur was so busy arguing with Alix, he noticed too late that Matou Noir was running at him. Before he could react, Ladybird tied him up with her yo-yo so he couldn't move.

"Hey! No fair!"

Noir picked him up and threw him back into the classroom through the very hole he had gone flying through.

"How the tables have turned, art boy."

Le Dessinateur was worming his way out from the yo-yo string to draw something else, but before he could, Matou Noir pounced on him and they began wrestling across the floor.

"Alix, Marc, follow me," Ladybird said as she ran inside.

She leapt through the window and tightened her yo-yo string so Le Dessinateur couldn't get free. The Akuma's hand had a death grip on the pen though.

"Marc, get the lights and cover that window. Alix, find something to cover this hole."

Marc flipped the switch and used a tarp to cover the window in the door. Alix grabbed a large pallet and used it to cover the whole that used to be a window. Ladybird loosened her yo-yo.

Le Dessinateur wasn't happy, "It's too dark! I can't draw if I can't see!"

"Exactly! You can't, but I can," Matou Noir said as he snatched the pen from his hand, "Cataclysm!"

As the pen dissolved, the Akuma emerged and tried to fly away, but Noir grabbed it tightly. It struggled to get away.

"This thing is pretty strong for being so small."

"Hit the lights! Let's get back outside quick."

The duo leapt through the hole again.

"Think it'll work if we just fist bump?" Noir asked.

"Let's find out."

"Miraculous!" they shouted.

The damages, while minor, were repaired, and just as Matou Noir released the Akuma, it was purified.

"Au revoir, petit papillon."

That's when the art teacher came outside with the other students.

"Thank you for that, heroes," he said.

"Yeah," Nathaniel said, "Sorry about that."

"Hey, you have a right to be upset," Noir said, "It's not your fault some jerk took advantage of you."

Chloé walked up to Nate, "I'm not sure if you remember anything I said, so I want to apologize again. I didn't mean to upset you. Your work is amazing, but as someone who's rarely ever had their work complimented, I don't like seeing other people think they're not good enough when being flat out praised."

Nate smiled, "I appreciate that, but as they say, an artist's harshest critic is themself. I'm glad you think my work is good, and I'll try not to sound like I'm not grateful. However, I know I can always strive to do better."

Chloé smiled, "Can't we all? Now enough with all this sappy I'm so sorry stuff! I can't believe I'm saying this, but let's get back to doing schoolwork."

Optigami had finally arrived. It embedded itself into the nearest wall.

"Well, we'd best get going," Noir said, "Hope everyone's having a fun week."

"Until next time, everybody," Ladybird said.

As they walked into the hallway, Matou Noir shuddered.

"Is something wrong?" Ladybird asked.

His tail was twitching, and he started looking around, "I don't know. I just had this sort of funny feeling."

Papillon and Mayura took notice of the cat's sudden behavior.

Papillon looked at his partner, "You don't think he suspects...?"

"How could he?" Mayura countered, "They don't even know we have the Peacock."

"Make sure you change back somewhere that you're sure is private," Noir said.

"Oh, well, of course. See you next time."

Matou Noir ran off quicker than usual.

"That darn cat is going too fast," Papillon said, "Follow the bug."

"I'm not sure what he was so worried about," Ladybird thought to herself, "But if someone like him, who seems pretty laid back, is now kind of suspicious, I'd better be extra careful."

She used her yo-yo to get to the roof of the school, and then leapt from one building to another, until she found an isolated spot. She ran inside and found the nearest janitor closet.

"The door was left open. There's that ladybug luck."

Just as she ducked in, Optigami showed up.

"Where'd she go?" Papillon growled.

That's when they noticed someone pounding on the janitor closet door.

"Oh, shoot! Hello! Anyone out there?"

Alya's phone vibrated, "Hey, Marinette. Class was let go early after what happened. You're where? Be right there."

Optigami hid itself on the ceiling.

"Whoever's in that closet must be Ladybird," Papillon said.

"Are you sure about that?" Mayura asked.

Alya showed up with the janitor.

"Sorry about that," Marinette said, "I went to hide, but got stuck in here."

"What're friends for, Marinette?"

They thanked the janitor and went on their way.

"That was one of Adrien's friends, right?"

"That was Marinette Dupain-Cheng," Mayura said, "You don't think that she could...?"

"The baker's daughter? She locked herself in a closet. She couldn't possibly. Get Optigami out of there before someone sees it."

As soon as the coast was clear, Optigami flew back to the lair.

"We'll have to wait for another opportune moment, Nathalie. A new line up of mine is in the making."

"Anything special?"

"I'm using the designs of the Miraculous to make accessories."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Wouldn't that makes things confusing for us since we're trying to get more of these things?"

"Perhaps, but it's also to our advantage. If other people have trinkets with a Miraculous design, if someone should notice ours, we won't look suspicious."

"I suppose that makes sense."

Because of that, for the next month or so, there was no sign of Le Papillon. Something else did happen during another lunch break.

"Happy Birthday, Marinette!" Adrien shouted.

"Mec, she's sitting right next to you," Nino said, "You don't have to yell."

"Let him have his fun, Nino," Alya said.

"I don't want to rain on your parade," Marinette said, "But my birthday was last week."

"Right, and I'm sorry I couldn't make it to your party of whatever you ended up doing," he replied with a frown, "The price of being famous. Anyway, I got you a present."

He held out the same giftbag she gave him. She reached inside and pulled out...

"My bracelet? No, this is a brand new bracelet."

"I made it myself. I very proud that I managed to pull it off actually."

"Where did you get the supplies? I doubt your father let you go out shopping."

"Zoé helped me out with that. Apparently your friend Socqueline was very helpful as well, from what I was told."

"Happy to be of assistance," Zoé said.

"Hey!" Chloé said, "I helped too!"

"Telling me to just order from a catalog and have it delivered isn't really helping, Chlo."

"Yeah, well, I'm the one who told you to reuse the giftbag."

"So...do you like it?"

"I love it, Adrien. Thank you."

The bell rung.

"See you later, Adrien. Thanks again," she gave him a peck on the cheek.

As she walked off though, she thought, "I can't believe I just did that!"

Chloé was shocked, and waited to see Adrien react. Nino and Alya didn't know what to say.

Finally, Nino settled for, "Mec, you better get back to class."

Adrien was just sitting still in his chair, as if he wasn't sure how to process what happened. When Nino finally spoke up, it seemed to snap him out of his trance.

"Huh? Oh right, sorry. Uh...see you guys later."

As everyone headed for the classes. Nino and Chloé ended up walking and talking together.

"Was he okay?" Nino asked.

"From what I heard, isn't that just a more subdued reaction to how you were when you first met Alya? Which you've yet to act on, by the way."

He cleared his throat, "Yeah, well, this isn't about me."

"Adrien knows about love between family, barring his father. He knows about love between friends. He's never experienced what you might call romantic love. Oh, sure, me and Kagami tease him from time to time, but he always just laughs it off."

"So this really is all new to him?"

"Such are the consequences of a sheltered life. It's one of the reasons I wanted him to come to school. He should be free to make his own decisions. I mean, you know, to an extent."

After that, the week went on without anything happening for a while. Until one day, in theater class. Juleka had decided to take theater along with Luka, Nino, Alya, Adrien, Marinette, Chloé, Zoé, and a few others. Juleka was usually a very mellow person, but she was starting to get discouraged with how others got more attention.

"I can't help that I'm so shy and quiet," she thought, "It's not like a model has to say anything."

Sometimes, one of the other students, like her brother, would ask if she wanted to give a little speech, or try out for a part, but she would always say no. One day, Chloé walked up to her.

"Why are you in this class exactly?"

"Why are you?"

"Answering a question with another question, are we? I'm in here because it means people have to pay attention to me. Also because my sister likes acting. You, on the other hand, are so introverted, I just wonder why you're putting yourself through this. I mean, even Mylène has more courage than you."

Juleka ran out while mumbling, "I have to use the restroom."

Chloé walked over to Luka, who was relaxing in a comfy chair, and poked him.

"May I help you?"

"You better get some kind of big brother type of speech ready. I think your sister is upset."

He immediately leapt to his feet, "What? Why?"

"I was just asking her why she's taking this class when she always avoids doing anything. I think she might've taken it the wrong way."

"She's probably gone to hide in the restroom. I can't go in there."

Chloé rolled her eyes, "Zoé, go get Juleka out of the restroom."

"By your command," she replied with a bow.

Meanwhile, at the Agreste mansion, Gabriel had free time, so he once again transformed and looked for a new target.

"I feel the sadness, the sorrow, the depression, the anger one feels about themself. The perfect target for my Akuma."

My reached for the nearest butterfly.

"Don't let me interrupt your evil monologue, Gabriel."

"Just open the skylight, Nathalie."

As the Akuma flew out, Nathalie transformed into Mayura. She set her tablet on the small table and sat in the nearby chair. Optigami was also on the table. It had been sitting there with its prominent eyes closed, still as a statue, until it was given an order.

"Time to go, Optigami. Spy on the battlefield, and help us discover the identities of the heroes."

Its eyes opened, and it followed after the Akuma. The Akuma had a head start, and being an actual insect, was a faster flier. It managed to work its way through the vents to reach the restroom Juleka was crying in.

"She's right. What's the use? I'll never work up the nerve to speak out in public."

The Akuma merged with her wrist mirror.

"Hello there, my dear."

"Who's there? Wait...you're Le Papillon."

"Right you are. I feel your pain of no one ever paying attention to you. Of how others simply overshadow you. Every great artist starts at the bottom, and they have a lot of competition before they reach the top. I can change that for you completely."

"How? What's the point?"

"I shall give you the power to make anyone act the exact opposite of how they normally would. Those who would outshine you will now be silent. Those who would criticize will now compliment. You shall be called...Inverso."

Juleka's resistance waned, "That sounds good to me."

"All I ask in return is that you give me any Miraculouses you can get from those meddlesome heroes. Do we have a deal?"

"Deal. I don't want them getting in my way."

Juleka's entire person, clothes and body, were now an alternating black and white. The only part that had any color was her glowing purple wrist mirror. Inverso decided to head back to class. As she exited the restroom, she ran into Zoé.

"Excuse me, I...Juleka?"

"Not anymore," she said, grabbing Zoé by the arm and dragging her back to the classroom, "I am now Inverso."

Marinette was about to help Zoé check the restroom, when Inverso swaggered into the class.

"Hello, all! I am Inverso! It's time for you to experience what it's like to be your complete opposite. Let's start with Chloé."

"Me? What did I do?"

"You told me what I already knew. I don't like that."

She zapped Chloé with her wrist mirror. Chloé suddenly fell to her knees.

"I'm so sorry for what I said. Please don't hurt me."

Zoé's jaw went slack. Seeing her sister begging someone was something she never thought she'd see.

"Change her back," she snapped at Inverso.

"Why? Now she's far more tolerable. If you don't like it, let's see how it affects you."

Zoé was now zapped with the mirror. She suddenly started screaming at Inverso in English.

"I'm sorry what?"

She was now speaking in French, but with an accent, "I said, you stupid French jerk, that you're going to regret doing this to me and my useless sister!"

Marinette managed to sneak out and, after a quick scan of the area, went to the restroom to transform.

"Why are you acting so aggressive?" Inverso asked, "You should be just like your sister. You're one of the best in the theater, now you should be terrible."

"Oh, I am terrible...terribly violent!"

"Zoé, please don't provoke the Akuma."

"Stay out of this, Chloé!"

The teacher had been in the restroom, when she came back in, "What's going here?"

She was quickly zapped by Inverso.

"Whatever," the teacher shrugged, "Don't care. Bye."

Adrien was waiting for an opportunity to sneak out. Ladybird had snuck in and was hiding in the teacher's office, waiting for Matou Noir to show up before she tried to stop Inverso. She didn't want to think about what would happen if she was zapped.

"Making people act differently isn't really that bad," Ladybird thought, "I mean, it's certainly not ideal."

Inverso was surprised by Zoé's new attitude, but she proceeded to zap Alya and Nino. Alya had been recording this on her phone, but once she was zapped, she dropped it.

"I'm am gonna mess you up, woman," Nino said, "You and your ugly outfit."

"Oh, don't it, Nino," Alya said in a soft voice, "It's too dangerous."

She then zapped Mylène and Ivan, and they now both looked really angry. Luka calmly walked up to Inverso.

"Juleka, please snap out of this."

"I'm not Juleka! I'm Inverso! Even you're better than me at everything."

Adrien managed to sneak out. Checking to make sure the hallway was clear, he transformed and ran back into the room.

"I'm not trying to one up you," Luka said, "If you need help, all you have to do is ask. You're my sister."

"Shut up! It's time for you to change."

She then zapped him as well. Luka now had a nasty look on his face.

"You've always been useless, Juleka."

"...what?"

"I hate you. I should've called dad and left with him a long time ago. You've always been holding me back! You think I like being the one people ask for advice all the time? No one ever asks me about MY problems!"

That's when Optigami finally arrived on the scene and merged with the wall.

"Why is she just standing around?" Papillon asked, "And why does your Sentimonster fly so slow?"

"I already told you last time," Mayura replied, "Don't make me explain it again. You're in no position to criticize when all your Akuma can do is change a person's personality."

Inverso looked broken, "This isn't working at all like I hoped. Why is everyone being such a jerk? They should all be a bunch of cowards."

"I guess it just goes to show that making someone the opposite is way too unpredictable," Noir said.

"I'm not in the mood right now," Inverso growled.

"Well then reject the Akuma and end this without a fight," Ladybird said.

"Don't tell me what to do! Let's see how you like it!"

Before they could react, both heroes were zapped. Matou Noir walked over to the corner and sat down.

"What are you doing?" Ladybird asked.

"Nothing," he replied, "What do I care?"

"You know what? Fine! I don't need you! Destroying things is stupid anyway. You're lucky you're handsome, because you sure aren't funny."

"Whatever."

"Lucky Charm!"

She received a small mirror. She had an idea.

"Hey, you monochromatic reject of an Akuma! What happens if you try to zap someone again?"

Inverso perked up, "Yeah, that's right. That should shut you all up."

She began firing her beam at Ladybird, who used her mirror to redirect every beam. One of them hit Matou Noir in the face.

"Hey! Cut it out!" he snarled.

One of the beams ended up hitting Optigami, which cut the feed.

"Confound this imbecilic Akuma!" Papillon screamed.

"Just call back the Akuma," Mayura said.

"No! I want any trace of this stupid idea erased. Let the heroes purify the Akuma. Get Optigami out of there. It's useless if it can't see."

Optigami emerged from the wall, but it was having trouble flying properly, so it slowly crawled away. Back at the fight, Ladybird kept redirecting the beams. They didn't seem to have any extra effects, apart from making the already angry students even more angry. Chloé was hiding behind Zoé, but Zoé charged at Inverso and tackled her to the ground. The two began wrestling each other.

"Get off me, you blonde bimbo!"

"Look who's talking, you fashion challenged maypole!"

Luka leapt into the fray, and now Inverso had to fight off both of them. Nino was about to join in, but Alya grabbed his arm.

"Nino, no," she said, "It's far too risky."

He looked her in the eye and tilted her chip up, "Ne t'inquiète pas, ma belle."

He then kissed her full on the lips. He gave her a wink, and then quickly spun around and pinned down Inverso.

"Get off me, you cretins!" Inverso cried, "You should all be cowering before me!"

Luka scoffed, "As if!"

That's when Mylène and Ivan joined in. Ivan being the largest one there, sat down roughly on Inverso's midsection, knocking the wind out of her. Mylène then sat in his lap, adding more weight.

"You want this to be over, useless kitten?" Ladybird asked, "Use your power on her wrist mirror."

He gave an annoyed snarl, "Fine!"

He walked up to where Inverso was buried beneath a pile of other students. He then tore her wrist mirror off.

"Cataclysm!"

The wrist mirror shattered, and the Akuma was flying away. Ladybird used her mirror to smack it to the floor. The effects of Inverso seemed to be wearing off. Ladybird grabbed Matou Noir and the Akuma and they went outside. She placed the dazed Akuma on the ground, pinning it gently with her foot.

"Are you okay?" she asked her partner.

"I...I guess. I don't really remember all that happened."

"Let's just put it behind us, yeah?"

"Works for me."

She threw the mirror in the air and they fist bumped, "Miraculous!"

"I don't even think the Akuma caused any damages this time," Ladybird said, lifting her foot up to release the butterfly.

"I don't think we even did any fighting, but I feel out of it," Noir said.

"Same here. See you next time."

They both hidden corners of the campus to de-transform and headed back to class.

"Adrien, what are you doing here?"

"Hey, Mari. I went to get help, but I don't remember what happened."

"I know I was doing the same thing, but I can't remember much of anything either."

Back in the classroom, everyone was getting off of Juleka. Luka helped her up.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I...I don't really remember what happened, but I know I didn't like it."

"I know you were akumatized, but my mind's a blank after that."

Marinette and Adrien walked in to see everyone standing around, trying to remember.

"I remember something," Chloé said, "Juleka needs more confidence."

"Is that true?" Luka asked.

"Yeah...I was thinking of dropping the class. I'm not good enough. I'm just not confident."

"I'll support any decision you make, Jules, but all you have to do is ask me or anyone else for help."

"That's what I was trying to tell you," Chloé said, "You don't seem to fit in this class, but you have to start somewhere. Why are you in this class?"

"Because...I was hoping it would give me confidence. One day I'd like to be a model."

"Well why didn't you say so?" Adrien spoke up, "I can give you some advice."

"There's nothing wrong with getting frustrated, Jules," Luka said, "But I'll always be there to help. We're not twins for nothing."

She finally smiled, "Thank you."

"You've got a great smile, Juleka," Marinette said, "Thank you for sharing it."

"Hey, Nino," Alya whispered to him, "Do you remember anything?"

"Uh...no, I don't think so. Why?"

"I feel like something happened that I should remember. Something important."

"Now that you mention it, I do have this funny feeling like something crazy happened."

That's when she noticed her phone was still recording. She stopped it and started replaying. Since it was sitting on the floor most of the time, she didn't catch much of anything.

"This doesn't do any good if I didn't catch anything," she thought, "Still, I did get a shot of the Akuma. I can at least post that. So the Akuma made everyone act the opposite? Wow, I sound so submissive, and Nino sounds so forceful. Wait, what did he call me? Ma belle? Since when does he use pet names? If he's acting the opposite here, does that mean he still has feelings for me, but just hasn't acted on them?"

She looked over at Nino, and he looked right back.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, no, just thinking."

Meanwhile, back in the evil lair. Papillon was pacing back and forth, while Mayura was looking over Optigami to make sure it was now working correctly.

"I need a new strategy, Nathalie. Using these petulant high school students isn't cutting it."

"If you don't mind my saying so, sir," she said, changing back, "It's obvious this isn't just about testing the abilities of the Miraculous. What exactly are you trying to accomplish?"

He froze. He then walked over to a wall and hit a hidden switch to reveal another small room. Nathalie looked inside to see...

"It can't be. We buried her."

"No, Nathalie, we did not."

There in that hidden room was a large cryogenics tube. Inside was none other than Emilie Agreste.

"Between the time of the funeral service and the burial, I removed her body and placed it in here. The casket was empty. As long as the cryo-chamber is working, her body will be kept intact."

"But...but why?"

"I've read and re-read the Grimoire, Nathalie. Whoever has the Ladybug and the Cat Miraculouses can use their combined power to make a wish that will change the world. If I can obtain that power, I can bring Emilie back to life."

"Gabriel, that's insane. I read that passage as well. It has to be an equivalent exchange. If you brought her back, it'll kill someone else. It could be you, or me, or even Adrien."

"It sounds cruel, Nathalie, but it's a price I'm willing to pay. I can't stand the thought of a world without her. I miss her too much. Can't you understand that?"

She sighed, "Of course I can, sir. She was my friend. Everything I've tried to do for you and Adrien is because I cared about her."

"Then you understand why I must get the Miraculous. Until I get the Ladybug and Cat, I'll gather as many as possible to gain an advantage against the heroes."

"So these first three times were basically testing the waters before you try something bigger."

"Exactly. I'm perfectly aware that plans don't always work. It bothers me, but I've waited this long. Eventually, I will succeed. No, I must succeed."

"I would do anything to have her back, Gabriel. I'm sure Adrien would as well."

"There's no reason to bring Adrien into this. He's still young and quite naïve. While I'm sure he'd like to have her back, he'd likely object to our methods. He's read too many books and watched too many movies about superheroes. He's too good for his own good."

"I understand, sir."

He closed up the hidden room.

"I think I'm going to take a nap before I continue working."

Nathalie had lost track of time. Adrien was already home.

"Please be quiet, Adrien. Your father is taking a nap."

"Oh, okay. He probably needs it."

"Adrien...may I ask you a hypothetical question?"

"Of course."

"If there was a way to bring your mother back, would you do it?"

He looked shocked at first, but then he just looked sad, "I do miss her, Nathalie, but nothing can bring her back. It wouldn't be right to do so anyway. If media has taught me anything, it's that there's always a price to be paid when trying to resurrect the dead. It hurts, but all we can do is remember her and move on with life. I wish father could see that."

Once he disappeared into his room, Nathalie went to the sofa and sat down.

"You might have a point, Adrien, but your father's not the only one who can't move on. I will help him bring back Emilie...no matter the cost."