Boo!
It's time for more Miraculous Adventures!
Yeet.
Um... Archive Tags go!
Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng/?
Characters: Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Tikki, Adrien Agreste, Chloe Bourgeois Nino Lahiffe/DJ Echo
Unique Tags: Marinette is so smart OMG, Adrien gets his birthday part!, New Power is here!, And Mari will use it well
So, uh, yeah. New Ladybug Power.
I hope you like the Power Overhaul I did.
It took a bit of effort, but I think I managed to Power Balance well.
But anyways, lets get into the actual fic.
Also please leave a review, they give me LIFE.
Dupain-Cheng Bakery - Marinette's Room - Early morning
Marinette awoke with a loud yawn to greet the day.
Much like how the sun burned her eyes to "greet" her.
"Good morning Marinette!" Tikki greeted her chosen happily.
"Morning..." Marinette replied, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
Seeing her Kwami cheerfully flying around made her want to go back to sleep even more.
But alas, school is mandatory(At least, she thinks).
Climbing down the ladder to her bed, she went to her bathroom to get ready for the day.
Going through her routine, Marinette noticed something.
Not something that would cause alarm, but something out of the usual.
Aside from her morning greeting, Tikki hadn't said a thing to her.
Despite only knowing the Kwami for a few days, Marinette quickly figured out Tikki was a chatterbox, always talking to her when they were alone.
So her silence caught the Human's attention.
"You ok Tikki? You've been pretty quiet this morning."
Said Kwami flew around in small circles, occasionally glancing at her, looking like she was contemplating something.
Marinette, for her part, was patient in waiting for a response, using the time to finish up her morning rituals.
"Marinette." Tikki finally spoke to her Holder.
"Hm? Yes Tikki?" Said Holder turned to her, tying her hair into a bun.
"I've been thinking about it a lot, and I've decided to tell you about another of my Powers." The Kwami said, shocking the bluenette.
"I see why you've been so quiet today." She replied after a blink of surprise.
"I don't like leaving my Holders in suspense, so I'll just tell you. The Power I'm sharing with you is called Elytron, it allows you to redesign your costume to add magical effects to it." The embodiment of Creation explained.
"Well that's... Useful. How come you gave me Lucky Charm instead of Elytron? I get why Miracle Cure was needed, but, Lucky Charm?" Marinette questioned
"It was in case you went rogue. Lucky Charm is the hardest of my Powers to utilise, so it allowed for the highest chance of recovery for my Miraculous." Tikki explained, settling down onto Marinette's chaise and politely closing her eyes as her Holder got changed.
"That makes sense, hard to work with a Power that has a main property of being completely unpredictable."
"Indeed. Although you seemed to adapt pretty well to it." Tikki remarked, referring back to the Stormy Weather incident.
"Only because I had time to formulate a plan." Marinette retorted as she finished getting dressed.
"That may be so, but you succeeded despite having limited time and were able to keep a level head under pressure, those are quite praiseworthy qualities." Tikki said, flying into Marinette's purse.
"Hmph, thanks Tikki." Marinette said with a smile.
"Hehe, no problem Marinette!"
Mme. Bustier's Classroom - Before first class
"Hey Alya, how's your day going?" Marinette greeted her seat-mate as she(Mari) sat down.
"Good so far girl! And I feel awesome!" The brunette replied enthusiastically.
"Oh really? And what's the cause of your good mood?" She asked amusedly, already sure of the answer.
"Ok, check this- Last night Scarlett dropped by to give me an exclusive interview!"
"Really? That's awesome!" Marinette said, hiding her amusement as excitement for her friend.
"I know!" Alya exclaimed, joy overflowing out of her.
A feeling Marinette was beginning to share, knowing that she herself was responsible for this happiness.
"Good morning everybody!" Adrien loudly greeted them as he walked in, to which he was greeted back by the few members of the class that was there.
"So sunshine, did you see my interview with Scarlett?" Alya asked the blond boi.
"Sure did! I even got in as one of the first hundred subscribers on your blog!" He replied, happy to support his(potential) friend.
"Oh? What's your username?"
"It's -PunsRCool29-!" Adrien replied with a beaming smile that burned Alya's retinas.
Fortunately that was joke damage, so it wouldn't affect her permanently.
"So that comment, which was just all compliments, was you?" Alya had been wondering all someone could leave so many compliments in a single comment, but now she knew.
"Yes! It! Was!" Adrien answered, stealthily referencing Muhammed Avdol.
"Was that a Jojo Reference?" Well, it would've been a stealthy reference, had Emile not picked up on it as he walked in.
"Hoh? Why, yes it was!" The sunshine child fessed up, as he was already caught.
Adrien then proceeded to get up and begin a pose-off with Emile.
Adrien was much more experienced due to his modelling, giving him the advantage, but Emile had some pretty good moves of his own!
Meanwhile the class that were already there was just watching, while Alya was also recording the interaction for future nostalgia.
Eventually the other kids arrived, and Mme. Bustier walked in before calling for the beginning of class.
Time Skip - After class
"Dupain-Cheng!" Chloe called out to the bluenette, causing Marinette to look at her.
"What is it Chloe?" She asked the blonde, ready for another round of insults.
"I need to talk to you!" Said blonde announced, grabbing the baker's daughter's wrist and dragging her out of the room.
"Hey! Wait-" Alya tried to intervene, only to get intercepted by Sabrina.
Marinette sighed.
She knew that Alya wanted to help, but Sabrina was much stronger than she looked, so it looked like she(Marinette) wasn't getting any help any time soon.
Accepting her fate, Marinette allowed herself to be dragged into a janitor's closet.
"So, Chloe, what is so important that you just had to drag me in here?"
At this, Chloe hesitated for a moment before letting out a sigh, slumping.
"I need your help."
It took Marinette a moment to fully comprehend what she just heard, because what-
"Excuse me?" She asked, more confused than anything.
To her knowledge, the only thing Chloe did when asking for something was demanding people to give her what she wanted.
But, asking for help? Never.
"Sigh, I know that we're not friends, and probably won't ever be friends, but I know that if you want something done right, you go to Marinette Dupain-Cheng." Chloe answered, huffing while looking away.
"Oh? And how do you know that?" Marinette asked, sending an accusatory look at the blonde.
"What? Do you need me list all the times you successfully helped our classmates with their problems?" Chloe responded sarcastically.
"...Fair enough..." Marinette reluctantly admitted that the Bourgeois had a point.
She did have a tendency to help people, even when they didn't ask for any assistance.
"So, what is this thing that's apparently so important that you came down from your high horse?" The bluenette asked, genuinely curious.
At last, Chloe hesitated for a moment before replying.
"It's Adrien's birthday in less than a week, and his Père won't allow him a birthday party to celebrate it." She said, getting strait to the point.
"What?" Her tone of voice made Chloe wince.
Now, Marinette was a calm, rational person.
And that's exactly why she was calmly planning Gabriel Agreste's murder.
"Yeeeeah... Gabriel isn't exactly the best when it comes to being a parent..." Chloe admitted, looking away from the enraged girl.
If there was one thing she knew about Dupain-Cheng, it's that you don't make her mad.
Marinette, for her part, took a few breaths to calm down.
"So, what you're saying is that you want me to throw Adrien a birthday party?" Marinette asked, deciding to focus on a topic that didn't make her want to commit a felony.
"Sigh, yeah... Look, I know that we don't get along, but I'm willing to pay-" Chloe was cut off by Marinette raising her hand.
"I'll do it." She simply said before whipping out her phone.
She was going to need help for a party on such short notice.
"Wh- what!?" Chloe was, to put it simply, surprised.
She didn't expect to be able to convince arch-nemesis so easily!
"While we might not get along, I have no qualms with Adrien, so I'd have to be extremely petty to ruin his birthday just because I don't like you." Marinette explained as she sent out a text to the class group chat.
Chloe's phone also pinged, as she was also part of the class groupchat.
Pulling out her phone, Chloe saw the message.
Breadstick: Emergency Meeting.
Well then, looked like it was class meeting time.
Time Skip: [2 minutes later] - Mme. Bustier's classroom
It didn't take long for the entire class to gather after Marinette sent out the alert.
Adrien, Alya, and Jax looked a bit concerned as they were probably told about what the [Emergency Meeting] message meant.
Emile, meanwhile, looked hyper-focused on her, though not particularly worried.
Otherwise, most of them were talking amongst themselves, wondering what brought this meeting on.
Marinette clapped her hands to get their attention on her.
"Alright everyone, I can tell that you're all anxious, so I'll get strait to the matter at hand. Due to an anonymous source, I discovered Adrien's birthday is in three days and his pa won't let him celebrate it!" The bluenette announced, earning gasps from many of her classmates.
"Bro! Why didn't you tell us?" Nino asked his most recent bro.
"That meanie! Everyone deserves to celebrate their birthday!" Rose said as she was hugged by Juleka.
"That's wickity wack dog!" Emile stated, frowning for the first time since his arrival at the school.
""Wickity wack"." Jax repeated from his seat besides the self-proclaimed Vampire.
"If you want me to punch that jerk I'll do it!" Alix offered(?), ready to drive her fist into Gabriel's gut and probably get sued in the process.
"G-guys, it's no big deal. This happens every year." Adrien said, only to realise what he just said when everyone started staring at him.
Deciding to file that away for later, Marinette cleared her throat, regaining the attention of the class.
"As you all can clearly see, Adrien is in desperate need of a birthday party, and we're going to give it to him!" Marinette announced, earning cheers from her classmates.
"That's really not necess-" Adrien tried to speak, but was cut off by the bluentte.
"Adrien if I have to get Scarlett involved I will!"
"But-"
"Nino! You're on music duty!"
"You got it dudette!" The aspiring DJ said, already preparing some songs.
"Nathaniel! Rose! Juleka! Alix! Decorations!" The four called out classmates gave thumbs up.
"Max, can you handle the virtual games?"
"I believe that is well within my capability, though I shall request Kim's help with the matter." The intellectual spoke, fist-bumping his best friend.
"That's fine. Ivan, Mylene, can you two get some board games?"
"Y-yeah!" Mylene replied while her boyfriend nodded.
"I can also help with that!" Emile piped in, wanting to join in on the fun.
"Good, and that just leaves the birthday food." Marinette said, ready to run over to the bakery to inform her parents.
"Maybe I can be of assistance?" Jax politely stated.
"Wait, really?"
"Yeah, I'm actually a pretty decent cook. I might not win any awards any time soon, but I cook for myself quite often." He revealed, seemingly proud of this fact.
"I can help too! My ma's a chef, and I learned more than a few things from her." Alya followed up, eager to help.
"Great! Oh, and Chloe, since everyone's going to be busy with the preparations it's up to you and Sabrina to keep Adrien company!" Marinette finalised the last jobs.
"Hmph! Of course I have the most important job! Just be sure Adrien has an amazing birthday cake Dupain-Cheng!" Chloe responding in slightly threatening tone, but Marinette could tell it lacked the blonde's usual bite behind it.
"Alright then, let's get to work everyone!" As soon as she said this, everyone immediately rushed to preform their given tasks.
Meanwhile Mme. Bustier gave an exasperated, but happy smile.
She enjoyed it when her students worked together for a common goal.
Even if they were a bit chaotic about it sometimes.
Like the Halloween Incident...
Dupont Courtyard - At the end of the day
Marinette stretched as she walked out of her last class of the day.
Throughout the day she's been thinking what to get Adrien for his birthday.
The problem is... He's rich, so what could she get him that he couldn't get himself?
As she was pondering this conundrum, Jax strolled up beside her.
"Hey cutie-pie, you ready to get to work on a pie for Adrien's b-day?" He asked with a mild flirtation, amusing her.
"Sure. But I'm a bit concerned on what to get Adrien as a present since he could just buy anything he wants." She replied, shrugging.
"Does it really matter? I mean, as long it's a heartfelt gift from a friend, it'd make him happy, right?" He questioned with a head tilt.
"I guess..." That got her thinking of potential gifts, though nothing concrete quite yet.
"Well, regardless of what you get him, I'm sure he'll- WOAH!" Jax exclaimed as he was suddenly grabbed from behind and picked up off the ground.
"I got him! Let's go!" Rose said, carrying the boi taller than her bridal style as she ran off.
For someone so smol, she was surprisingly stronk.
"Hey! What are you doing?" Alya cried as Juleka ran by, carrying the dark-skinned girl on her shoulder.
Huh, guess the Couffaines decided on a double kidnapping this time-
"Gah!" Adrien panicked a bit as Emile ran after the two girls, apparently aiding in a triple kidnapping.
Well ok-
"Hey Ma-Ma-Marinette." Luka greeted her.
"Huh? Oh, hey Luka. I see that Juleka and Rose are on a kidnapping spree again." She returned the greeting to the partly-blue-haired teen.
"Yup." He then picked her up in his arms. "We're going for a record." He said, carrying her off.
Well ok then.
At least she might find some inspiration at The Liberty.
Dupain-Cheng Bakery - Marinette's room - The next day - 15:54/3:54PM
Marinette smiled as she worked on her present.
She decided a scarf would be a good gift(Mostly to stick it to Gabriel, since he's a designer and all), so she was currently sewing one up.
She made sure that it was silky-smooth and felt amazing to the touch, making it highly comfortable.
She sighed as she remembered when she introduced Jax and Alya to her parents.
Don't get her wrong, she loves her parents with all her heart, but her papa's subtle wink and her mama's not-so-subtle comment on how she "Approves" was exasperating.
"How is it going Marinette?" Tikki asked her Miraculous Holder.
"It's going great! I'm already halfway done, so I don't doubt it'll be done by Adrien's birthday!" Said Holder spoke with determination to get this done.
"Well, just letting you know it's almost dinner time." Tikki said, holding Marinette's phone up with the clock showing.
"Oh! Thanks for telling me Tikki!" Marinette replied as she got up to get ready.
Despite her initial reservations about having another sentient being with her at all times, Tikki had proven to be a great help in Marinette's day-to-day life, remembering things she forgot, helping to find lost items in small spaces, and just generally being a good friend.
'I wonder if this is what having a secretary feels likes.' The Human of the duo thought in joking amusement.
Dinner was a simple affair, passing by with no hangups, so Marinette was able to get back to work on the scarf.
She still had a few hours to work on her gift, and she was gonna use them well!
Kante Residence - Max's room - Same time
"Grenade!" Max called out.
"Woah! Thanks bro!" Kim said, narrowly avoiding the explosive, although still taking a little splash damage from it.
The two were currently playing video games, using the "Party preparations" as an excuse to hang out and chill.
They hadn't been able to hang out recently, too busy doing their own things.
So, it was nice to just be able to play together again.
Plus, they were technically working on the party V-games by testing to see which Adrien would probably like, so it's a win-win!
The Liberty - "Arts and Crafts" room - Same time
"Juleka! Do you think these decorations look good?" Rose asked her goth girlfriend.
"Anything you make looks good Rose." She replied, giving the blonde a little forehead kiss, causing the innocent bean to giggle.
She then returned the gesture by giving Juleka a kiss on the cheek.
Juleka responded with a kiss on the lips.
And eventually it just devolved into a complete make-out session between them.
Luka walked in ready to ask something, only to immediately backpedal once he saw they were busy.
He'll just come back and ask it later.
The Louvre - Kubdel Residence - "Arts" room - Same Time
Bam!
Slam!
Alix and Nathaniel crashed into the wall-canvas, painting it with the paint covering their bodies.
The two were done with their part of the project, so now they were just being idiots.
And what idiots they were!
But it was ok, as they were each other's idiots.
And if someone tried to get in the way?
Well...
Let's just say they were in for a bad time.
Oh, and being turned into a kaleidoscope of different colours via paint-related pranks.
Agreste Mansion - Front Gate - The next day(The day before Adrien's birthday)
It was after school as Adrien, Marinette, and Nino exited the car that had taken them to the Agreste Estate.
Nino wanted to come because he's a total bro, while Marinette was here either persuade Gabriel into letting Adrien have a party, or "Persuade him" into letting Adrien have a party.
Regardless of which method she needed to use, Adrien will be getting his birthday party dammit!
And so, walking up to the front door with the boys flanking each side of her, she pushed them open to reveal the main foyer.
It was time to confront a too-overprotective Père.
As they entered, they saw the man himself standing dramatically at the top of the main staircase.
It was probably supposed to look intimidating, but Marinette just thought it made him look like an overdramatic idiot.
"Gabriel Agreste, we're to convince you to let Adrien have a birthday party and we're not taking no for an answer!" Marinette announced to the man of the staircase.
"Your request it denied." He replied, not giving two iotas of care to what she just said.
"...Perhaps you didn't hear me. I said, we're not taking no for an answer!" Marinette stated more firmly this time.
"Denied." He replied again, looking down at her with a stern face.
Now Marinette was getting annoyed.
"I said-" She tried again, only to get cut off.
"Denied."
Marinette glared at him.
Gabriel stared down at her.
"...Fine!" She said, turning around and grabbing Nino's wrist, dragging him away and out of the mansion.
After getting out of the gate, she took a few breathes to calm herself.
Well then, looks like she's going to have to do this the hard way.
"Well that was a bust..." Nino said, dejected that he couldn't even get a word out.
"Oh no it's not!" Marinette retorted, beginning to march her way back home.
"Dudette?"
"Head to the park and tell everyone the party's on, Adrien just got delayed a bit."
She told Adrien that she'd get Scarlett involved if needed, and Marinette isn't a liar.
Scarlett is gonna get involved to make sure the prince gets his party!
A few minutes later
Adrien clicked away at the computer as piano music played in the background.
While he occasionally enjoyed playing it, today was not one of those occasions.
So while the recorded music sounded through the air he played Slush Invaders on his computer.
"Nice one." Someone complimented as he stuck Big Blue to the ground via Stick Michael before having Westick shoot a barrage of bullets, sending the big bad flying down the makeshift tunnel.
"Thanks." He replied, polite as always before realising that someone just spoke to him.
In his room.
Which had some of the best security in Paris.
Snapping his head around, he saw Scarlett, Paris' latest superhero.
Although what caught his attention was her new suit.
Instead of black, the spots on her outfit were an almost ethereal light blue, and her mask had been switched out for a visor emanating a low level of the same coloured light, hiding her eyes from view.
The most noticeable detail, however, was the fact that Scarlett herself seemed to be transparent!
"Scarlett!?" He called out even as she reached over to push one of the numbers on his keyboard, sending out Stick Sean to keep Big Blue moving.
"Focus on your game pretty boy." She replied with a confident smirk, spurring the blond into continuing the level.
It only took about a moment, as he was pretty close to the end of the level anyway, but he was still caught off guard by the hero's sudden appearance.
Once that was over and done with, he turned to the ladybug-themed heroine.
"Not that I'm upset you're here Scarlett, but why are you here?" Call Adrien paranoid if you want, but it seemed a little sus to him.
"Mlle. Dupain-Cheng sent me to take you to your party. So what do you say prince? Ready for your first birthday spent with friends?" She held her hand out, her warm smile radiating confidence.
Entranced, he gently took it and was hauled to his feet by the incredibly strong superhero.
"Alright! Let's go!" Her smile turned into a grin as she tugged him towards the window at a pace that nearly pulled him off his feet.
"W-wait!" He put an arm up to guard his face and braced himself for shards of glass to rain around him. Only to feel the gentle breeze of the air around him.
Lowering his arm and opening his eyes, he saw that they were outside, completely unscathed.
Looking back, he also saw his window was completely intact, not a single crack on it.
"Like it? It's one of the Powers Tikki gives me while transformed." Scarlett said, picking him up bridal style.
"Scarlett!?" He spoke, wrapping his arms around her almost instinctively.
"Hold on prince-y!" Was her simple response, leaping onto the wall surrounding the mansion and jumping over to the roof of another building before running across it
Despite himself, Adrien couldn't help but laugh in delight at the speed they were travelling. Even as his physics-knowledgeable brain took note of the lack of wind blowing against them.
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end, and the end of the ride came when they landed in the park close to his school.
"Oh my god it's Scarlett!" Alya yelled, catching the attention of their classmates.
"Hello again, Mlle. Cesaire." Scarlett greeted her with a nod, gently putting Adrien down.
"Dude! I know Nettie said she would get you involved if needed, but I didn't think she would actually do it!" Nino said, thoroughly impressed by his childhood friend.
"I know right!? How did she manage it Scar?" Kim added on, looking at the hero he wanted to challenge to a race.
"I'm a fan of the Dupain-Cheng pastries. Now if that's all I have something I need to do." She simply replied, walking away and slinging her yoyo out in preparation to leave.
"Scarlett wait!" Adrien suddenly called to her.
"Hm? Yes M. Agreste?" She turned towards him.
"I- Just, thank you." He said with a small, sincere smile.
"No problem prince-y." She returned the gesture before taking her leave.
Watching the hero disappear over the rooftops, Adrien sighed.
She was so cool, and she helped him out for little to nothing.
"Alright dudes and dudettes! It's time to party!" Nino announced as he started up some groovy music to start the hype.
As Adrien went to begin his first birthday party, he wondered what the warm feeling in his chest was.
Eh, it was probably due to his new classmates throwing him a birthday party.
Meanwhile, Scarlett had just phased through the roof of her house, becoming visible again as she allowed light to touch her once more, and landed in the bathroom.
"Tikki, Spots Off." She said, causing the transformation to fall.
"Phew! Excellent work Marinette! While past Ladybugs have used Elytron to phase through objects, you're the first to become invisible with it!" The Kwami announced proudly as she happily ate a macaroon.
"Thanks Tikki. But it's probably just because science has become more advanced since then, so I have access to knowledge my predecessors didn't." Marinette explained as she too ate a macaroon.
She thought she deserved it for a job well done.
"Maybe so, but it was still really creative of you! But I have to ask, why did you transform in the bathroom?" Tikki asked as Marinette unlocked the door.
"Simple, I needed an alibi for why I wasn't at the party at the same time as Scarlett." She shrugged as she opened her purse.
"Oh, that explains it! And you wouldn't even be lying about it!" Tikki said, catching on.
"Yup!"
Heading downstairs, she quickly rushed out the door and over to the park, where the party was going strong.
DJ Nino was on the mix
Kim and Alix were arm wrestling.
Ivan, Mylene, and Emile were talking by the food table.
Juleka and Rose had disappeared off to somewhere, probably to make out.
Adrien was playing against Max and doing pretty good against him.
Luka was vibing to the music and- Wait, Luka?
Taking a second to rub her eyes, she confirmed that yes, Luka was here as well.
Walking over, she greeted the aspiring musician.
"Hey Luka! Didn't expect to see you here." Marinette said while taking a seat next to him.
"Well life is always full of surprises, and many of them are bound to be good ones." He replied cryptically.
"Pft! You're right on that one!" She agreed, nudging the boy with an elbow.
Luka opened his mouth to speak again, only to shut it as he turned his head with a concerned look on his face.
Looking over to where he was facing, Marinette saw why.
Gabriel's assistant Nathalie and Adrien's bodyguard(Whose name she didn't know) had just gotten out of a car and were making their way over.
And Nathalie didn't look too pleased.
Seeing Nino leave the DJ table to move over towards Adrien, Marinette quickly decided to leave before someone got Akumatised.
And she just knew someone was going to get Akumatised from this.
A real shame too, as she literally just got here for Adrien's party.
Rushing out of the park, she quickly found an alleyway to transform in.
Looking around to make sure no one was watching, she called upon her transformation.
"Tikki, Spots On!"
As soon as the light passed over her she grabbed her yoyo and made her way to the rooftops.
Swinging back over to the park, she started hearing... Music?
Oh boy, it was a boss Akuma.
Landing in the park, she immediately span her weapon around in preparation for an attack.
"Scarlett? Ugh, I just transformed and you're already here! Do you have a future-seeing Power or something?" The Akumatised Nino said, rolling his shoulders.
She had to admit, his Akuma form wasn't half bad. It was mostly normal clothing- Jacket, pants, boots, gloves, and Nino's signature cap and headphones. It was mostly black, but with neon green lining and highlights, creating a sort of nightclub vibe around him. The final piece was a mouth guard with a line going from one side to the other, moving as Nino spoke.
"Perhaps I do, M. Lahiffe. But if I do, I'm unaware of it." Scarlett replied, not slowing the spin of her weapon while beginning to circle around the Akuma.
"Nino ain't jamming no more! Now I'm DJ Echo!" The Akuma, to her complete disinterest.
"No, you are Nino Lahiffe, aspiring DJ and the Butterfly's current victim." She stated, looking right into his eyes.
He stared back, the atmosphere around them growing tense, each of them mentally preparing for their opponents first move.
Then, as if some inaudible bell just rung, they charged.
Echo tried for a punch, only to be forced back by Scarlett's sweeping kick. He tried engaging once more, but his fist was deflected before the Ladybug Holder smashed her own into his face, knocking him a ways away. Getting back up, he adjusted his cap before slamming his fist into the ground, shattering it and knocking Scarlett off balance before charging her, tackling the Holder to the ground before laying into her, each hit breaking the ground below them even more and sending shockwaves through the air.
Scarlett gritted her teeth as she held her arms up in defence, letting them take the abuse. Quickly calculating her options, she dropped her guard while tilting her head, causing the next strike to miss and strike the ground. Quickly, she reached up and gripped his head before slamming it into the ground beside her, consequently getting him off of her at the same time.
Rolling away, she got up and clipped her yoyo to her hip while she regained her bearings. This was going to be a bit more difficult than she thought.
Clearly there was something more to "DJ Echo's" attacks, as even through the Miraculous Suit her bones felt like they were shaking from the sheer impact of the blows.
Seeing the Akuma clamber to his feet and begin charging at her, Scarlett began making plans and countermeasures, specifically ones involving Elytron.
Hopping up off the ground while crossing her arms, she allowed herself to be launched away from her opponent due to the kinetic energy stored within the blow.
Wait a minute, kinetic energy? That could work!
Performing a few flips to right herself while keeping her momentum going, her artistic mind began designing the details of her new suit.
Once she landed and skidded to a stop, she stood up and called upon her latest Power.
"Elytron: Kinetic Reverb!"
Her suit shone a brilliant white as it broke into particles and reformed around her, turning into it's new form.
It's appearance now held several black armoured segments, with gauntlets, grieves, hip guards, chest piece, and mouth guard. Each part having dark glass sections lining them, as if they were meant to contain something but were currently empty.
"Pft, what's that meant to do? A simple costume change won't make a difference!" DJ Echo mocked, not the slightest bit concerned about Scarlett's attire.
"Oh, I think you'll be surprised that it does in my case." She let out a witty retort as she lowered into a battle stance, letting her eyes communicate the cheeky smile she had under the mouth guard.
Irritated at the attitude, DJ Echo charged at the hero, swinging his fist right at her face.
Not that it did him any good though, as Scarlett easily caught it, the glass panels on her suit lighting up a brilliant red as she did so.
"Wha-" Was the only thing he could get out before Scarlett's fist collided with his face, sending him flying while diminishing some of the glow of her suit.
"Ugh..." He groaned as he got back up, glaring down the Holder that was casually walking towards him.
Suddenly, a purple butterfly-shaped mask lit up on his face.
'DJ Echo, your physical attacks won't work on her anymore, aim to take her earrings instead!' The Butterfly ordered, offering insight on how to best his opponent.
Giving a nod of acknowledgement, he breakdanced back up to his face and stared down the powered-up heroine.
He started their tango anew by charging her, only for Scarlett to fall to her back and use her legs to propel him past her.
Once the two got back up, he tried it again... Only to get Judo thrown into the dirt.
'That isn't working Echo! Grab. Her. EARRINGS!' The Butterfly man yelled as his Akuma got back to his feet.
But then the DJ-based Akuma noticed his head feeling rather light.
Feeling around his noggin, he found his headphones missing.
"Looking for these?" Scarlett suddenly spoke, spinning the headset around her finger.
"...Dammit." Was all DJ Echo muttered in defeat.
'My Akumas are idiots...' Was the Butterfly's last transmission(Heh) before the Ladybug Holder broke the headphones and released the butterfly trapped within.
"No more evil-doing for you little guy." Scarlett said as she opened her yoyo and swung it to catch the corrupted insect.
"Bye-bye little butterfly." She spoke, releasing the now-purified butterfly.
"Miracle Cure!" And finally, she cast her restorative Power, fixing everything that got damaged.
"Ugh..." Nino, now de-Akumatised, groaned as he came to his senses.
"Need some help?" Scarlett offered him a hand which the boy gratefully took.
"Let me guess, I got Akumatised?" The glasses-wearing teen asked, looking down in a mix of sadness and shame.
Sadness for ruining his new bro's first birthday, and shame for getting Akumatised.
"Yup. But don't worry about it. Your Akuma actually gave me the excuse to try out a new Power, so thanks for that." She replied, giving the male a headpat before placing his headphones back on his noggin.
"Heh, thanks dudette. I just hope this won't happen every time I try to throw someone a party." He joked while moving the headphones to around his neck.
"Ha, well regardless of whether or not it happens, you can be rest assured that I'll be there to save the day!" She proudly announced starting to spin her yoyo, ready to swing away and rejoin the party now that the battle was over and her classmates were returning.
"Oh my God Scarlett that was awesome! And your outfit rocks!" Alya said, walking up to the hero with her phone out, making sure to capture every part of her redesigned costume.
"Ah, Mlle. Cesaire. Why do I have the feeling seeing you at Akuma attacks will be a common occurrence?" She asked the aspiring reporter, who just looked a bit sheepish in response.
"Hmph. Regardless, I am needed elsewhere in my civilian life, so farewell for now." Scarlett waved before zipping away, getting waves from her classmates in return as she swung off.
Landing in an alleyway, she called off the transformation, returning her to good ol' Marinette.
"Excellent work Marinette! I can proudly say that you're truly embodying what it means to be a Ladybug!" Tikki said after diving into Marinette's purse for a cookie.
"While I have no clue what that exactly means or entails, thank you Tikki." The Human replied, gently rubbing the top of the Kwami's head, causing them to giggle.
"I'll admit that I'm a bit surprised you only needed one use of Elytron to succeed!" The Kwami stated, surprising the bluenette.
"I can use my Powers multiple times?"
"Uh... Yes? Where did you get the impression that you could only use them once?" Now Tikki's curiosity was peaked, as she never said her Power usage was limited.
"Mainly from the fact that you said you need to recharge your Powers." Marinette replied, filling the embodiment of Creation in on the miscommunication.
"Oh, I see what happened. I meant as in recharging my Powers to maximum capacity. To explain, think of my Powers as a battery: You can use whatever it's powering, but the energy contained within will eventually run out, so you need to recharge it." She explained to her Holder, causing the Human to nod.
"Got it. Good to know that I'm able to beat Akumas even while I was unknowingly limiting myself. But regardless, how many times can I use them?"
"It varies between Holders, and can even change over time, but right now you have three uses of Elytron, four uses of Miracle Cure, and seven uses of Lucky Charm." Tikki answered, surprising the Human.
"Wow, that's... Impressive? I think? I have no frame of reference so I don't know if those numbers are any good." Marinette said, unsure of the results even if they sounded impressive to her.
"I'd say it doesn't really matter, since even those who don't mesh well with certain Miraculous can become experts in utilising them given enough time." Tikki replied before diving into Marinette's purse. "But regardless, don't you have a party to get back to?" She said, shocking Marinette.
"Oh right! Adrien's party! I better get back to everyone!" The Chosen of Creation said, rushing out of the alleyway as the Kwami ducked into the safety of the accessory, giggling about her Holder's forgetfulness.
After a minute of strait running(Geez, she went pretty far) she managed to return to the park where everyone had already gathered.
Upon arrival, she saw Adrien and Nino having a bro-hug, likely meaning Adrien had no hard feeling over Nino getting Akumatised.
What bro-ness!
Suddenly she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders.
"Hey girl! Good to see you're back!" Alya remarked with a smile.
"Hey to yourself. Sorry I was gone so long, but I went further than I meant to." Having a mode of magical transport sure made it easy to get around.
Maybe a bit too easy. She'd have to keep track of how far she goes in the future.
"No worries, just be sure to keep me updated so I know that you're ok." The reporter-to-be assured the girl, affectionately rubbing her head like a puppy.
An exceptionally adorable puppy, but a puppy none-the-less.
After Alya's warm re-welcome to the party, Marinette simply decided to take a seat at the food table and relax.
She just fought her Akumatised friend, give her a break!
"You ok Marinette?" Adrien asked, taking a seat next to her.
He had just got done with confirming his broing bro-status with big bro Nino and that they're totally super bros now.
Bro...
"Just a bit tired after all that has happened." She replied, slumping in her seat.
"Well if you need anything just let me know as I'm always happy to help a friend!" He said cheerfully, as it was true!
He would be more than happy to kick the Butterfly villain between the legs for daring to hurt and Akumatise his friends!
"That's kind of you, but today's your birthday, so you should enjoy it." Marinette lightly elbowed him, amused at his attitude.
Unbeknownst to Adrien, his blue-haired friend was also thinking about kicking a certain Butterfly in the balls for his villainy.
In his lair, the Butterfly Holder shivered and crossed his legs in fear, even if he didn't know why.
Regardless of coincidentally coinciding thought processes(Try to say that five times fairly fast fluently), Marinette decided to abandon her butterfly-destroying thoughts(For now) and focus on her blond friend.
"Speaking of which, how has your first birthday been so far?"
"Pretty good, minus the whole Akuma Attack thing. But still, I've been enjoying it. And..." At this, Adrien bright smile shrunk into a small one while his tone became sincere. "Thank you, for setting all this up for me. I truly appreciate the effort you put into it despite not even knowing me for a week."
"..." Marinette looked at the green-eyed teen for a moment before exhaling through her nose. "No problem Adrien, everyone deserves a chance to celebrate their birthday." She stated, gently placing a hand on the taller teen's shoulder as they shared a smile, and a moment together.
Platonically, of course.
After a few seconds, Adrien took a breathe.
"Lets talk about something else." He said as Marinette removed her hand.
"Right, uh... Oh! Wanna hear something funny?" She asked, grinning.
"Sure, why not?"
"Alya thinks I have a crush on you!"
"Wait, what?" At this, Adrien flashed her a confused smile.
"Yup! She think I'm in love with you!" Marinette said amusedly.
"Oh? Are you?" Blond boi teased, causing the bluenette to laugh.
"Nah. Don't get me wrong Adrien, you're cool and all, but I'm just not into you romantically."
"That's fine, I'm just happy to be your friend. Not to mention it's actually a bit refreshing from all my fangirls." He replied, cringing at the cringey fangirls who were super-mega cringe.
So cringe...
"Geez, are they really that bad?"
"Yes."
"..." Marinette wisely dropped the topic while reaching over and grabbing a drink to sip on.
"...So, why does Alya think you're crushing on me?" Adrien changed the topic back to something amusing.
"Long story short, I kinda recognised you on your first day at school but couldn't figure out where I seen you before, so I kinda stared at you for a while and Alya mistook it for attraction." Marinette explained before sipping her drink again.
"Ah, I see."
The conversation devolved into a slightly awkward silence for a moment before Adrien picked it back up.
"So... Does Juleka always kidnap her classmates?"
"Pretty much. She always does it at least once for newcomers of the class, and does it on occasion when it seems like someone's stressed out. Honestly, I'm a bit surprised that they took so long to kidnap you and the others." Marinette commented, recalling how it didn't even take Juleka a day before kidnapping Nathanial.
Either she was getting sloppy or it took her a while to get Luka on board with the whole quadruple kidnapping thing.
"Well it's good to know that it wasn't just because Alya and myself were famous." Sunshine Blond Boi said, getting a shocked expression from Marinette.
"Alya's famous?"
"Uh, yeah? She did kinda get an interview with Paris' new hero after all." Oh, right, how could she forget that?
"Right... Fair enough I guess."
"Speaking of which, thanks for getting Scarlett to help out. I have to say, getting to meet a superhero on my birthday definitely makes it a memorable one." Adrien said, looking in the direction he last saw Scarlett heading, which coincidentally was also the direction Marinette came from.
Huh, strange.
"No problem. I'm just happy that she's a fan of my family's pastries, otherwise I'd have nothing to bribe her with!" Marinette joked, laughing, with Adrien soon joining in.
After a few moments they calmed down, and Adrien asked a question that caught the bluenette off guard.
"Hey Marinette, when's everyone else's birthdays?"
Meanwhile, in Hawkmoth's basement
"My Akumas are idiots..." Was his last transmission(Heh) before the Ladybug Holder broke the headphones and released the butterfly trapped within.
'Are you sure it's the Akumas that are idiots, and not the one who Akumatised them in the first place?' His Kwami snarked at him through their connection.
He sighed, before dropping his transformation.
"Nooroo, Dark Wings Fall!" Hawkmoth announced dramatically like the overdramatic Beeper that he is.
And in his place, stood Gabriel Agreste and his Kwami Nooroo, who needed a pay raise for everything he goes through with this man.
"I would appreciate a little less sass from you." Gabriel stated as his Kwami plucked a grape from it's place.
"Silly Gabriel, Sass is the Snake Kwami of Intuition, and concepts can't exist twice over." Said Kwami joked, throwing the grape in the air before catching it in his mouth.
He sighed, deciding to not deal with the little Butterfly Kwami.
Still though, he wondered about his opponent, Scarlett.
His opinion of her was mostly neutral. He couldn't bring himself to dislike her, even if she was preventing him from resurrecting his wife. After all, she was just doing her job as a hero to stop the villain, and yes he was aware that he was the villain in this situation. While Emilie wouldn't approve of his methods, he was doing what he had to do.
Still, he couldn't help but be a bit impressed by the Ladybug Holder, as according to Nooroo she only recently became active, meaning she had no experience and was still able to take down Stoneheart with little to no difficulty. And considering the golem's powerset, it was impressive, to say the least.
Not bad for a supposed rookie.
Still, it was a shame that no other Holders made an appearance, as even if they weren't the Black Cat, he still could've captured them and utilised their Powers.
Especially if he handed it to Natalie and Akumatised her. The unrestrained Power of a Miraculous would surely allow them victory, even if they were up against the two Omega Class Miraculous.
Alas, it was simply not meant to be. At least he only had to worry about the Ladybug. Bright side.
Hmm... Speaking of the Ladybug Miraculous...
"Nooroo, would you mind explaining the restoration wave that Scarlett does after each battle?" Gabriel asked his Kwami, who hovered over his shoulder as the Human walked towards the comatose body of his wife.
"Certainly. The Miracle Cure is an incredibly useful Power, as to expected from one of the two strongest Miraculous. As the name ascribes, it is capable of curing any ailment or injury inflicted upon someone, even death itself in some cases. However, it should be noted that it needs some sort of energy supply, either from the Miraculous, it's Holder, or an alternative source. The reason Scarlett is capable of restoring to much in one go is because she's using the purified energy from our butterflies as fuel, thus allowing her to repair all the damage caused by the Akuma." Nooroo explained, floating through the glass coffin to land on Miss Emilie's shoulder.
The reason he was explaining this? Well, there was two reasons actually. The first was that this was better than uniting Tikki and Plagg and essentially retconning the entire universe for the simple task of healing someone. The second was while Emilie had her faults, Nooroo missed her as much as Gabriel. Not to mention if they got Tikki, they could also heal Duusu and her Miraculous.
"Hmm... I see. If that is the case, then victory may be closer than initially expected." He stated, laying a hand on his wife's coffin. "Don't worry Emilie, soon you'll be walking among the living once again." After a few moments of enjoying her presence(Even if she was in a coma), Gabriel turned to walk to the elevator.
He had work to do.
Meanwhile, Emilie's spirit rolled her eyes at her idiot husband.
She loved him, but sometimes he could be real oblivious when it came to the obvious answer.
You, like simply asking for help!
You'd think that'd be obvious.
And there it is ladies and gentlemen.
For the record, I love Sassy!Nooroo, so expect to be seeing more of him in this fic, sassing the hell out of Gabriel.
I also made Gabriel ten times smarter in this universe! Don't question me on this.
We also got a sneak peak at Emilie's current state in this universe, which will be explained at a later point in the fic(Roughly around when Mayura takes the stage, so a little ways off till then).
Now it's time for some-
TV Tropes
Adaptional Badass: Marinette is noticeably stronger here than canon, being able to solo Stoneheart, Stormy Weather, and DJ Echo and come out victorious each time.
-In the "Scarlett's First Interview" Omake, the Butterfly is said to have a second Power, when most canon Miraculous only have one.
Adaptional Intelligence: It is shown that Gabriel's intelligence has been upped by the fact that he's willing to consider other options than rewriting reality to save Emilie.
Adaptional Personality Change: Marinette here is much more calm and level-headed than her canon self
Adaptional Superpower Change: As mentioned above, the Butterfly has a second Power, this implies that the other Miraculous also have extra Powers.
For Want of a Nail: Due to the changes made(And me not liking Bubbler), Nino is instead Akumatised into DJ Echo.
Named By The Adaption: In canon, Hawkmoth never says the Butterfly's Power Name, but here it's referred to as "Metamorphosis".
TV Tropes
If you see any Tropes that would fit in this fic, please let me know!
But anyways, lets answer some reviews!
ghost83: Hey ghosty-boi! You don't have to worry about Adrien, he's a little bean in this fic.
15-heidune: Thank you for the compliments by fellow Hooman! And sorry, no Black Cat Holder for now. And not for a long while as I've given Fu Adaptional Intelligence, so we probably won't be seeing them for a while. But fret not! Every Miraculous Holder will be getting their Kwami friends, just not in the canon order.
Welp, that it's for this chapter.
As always, I hope you enjoyed. Au Revoir.