Chapter 26: The New Student

Having not faced any akumas ever since Magician of Misfortune, Chloé Bourgeois was as free to attend class that day as any of her classmates, including Class Representative Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The teacher, Ms. Bustier, addressed them. "Class, we have a new student joining us today and she came from Italy so, please be understanding of eventual cultural clashes." She asked. "Please welcome Lila Rossi."

"Thank you, Ms. Bustier." A girl, presumably Lila Rossi, replied with a smile that might seem forced to a trained eye.

"Think nothing of it, Lila." Ms. Bustier politely replied. "Now, I'd like to introduce you to our class representative Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She not only can help you with class issues but, since her grandmother is Italian, she could help you adjusting as well."

'I thought she was Asian.' Lila thought but decided not to say anything. "Piacere di conoscerti, Marinette." She said.

"My paternal grandmother came from Italy but I don't speak Italian, Lila." Marinette explained. "I can figure out from the context that you're pleased to meet me, however."

"You're correct, Marinette." Lila commented. "Now, where do I sit?" She looked around and got a shock. "Is that Adrien Agreste?"

"You know my boyfriend?" Marinette asked in surprise.

"He's famous in Italy as well." Lila answered, much to Adrien's embarrassment. "I knew he lived in Paris but I never thought I'd become his classmate." 'Too bad I cannot steal him from Marinette right after becoming her friend.' Lila thought. 'The others might hate me.'

Lila was directed to a seat behind Chloé. "Nice to meet you, Lila." Chloé said. "I'm Chloé Bourgeois, daughter of Mayor Bourgeois."

"I'm Lila Rossi." Lila replied. "My mother is a diplomat and was recently transferred here and that's why I'm joining class at this time of the year."

"I guess we'll be great friends." Chloé commented. "By the way, this is my best friend Sabrina Raincomprix." Lila and Sabrina shook hands.

After introductions were exchanged, classes continued as normal. After the classes ended, Chloé and Sabrina had a serious talk with their kwamis. "What do you mean Lila could have a Miraculous?" Chloé asked Tikki.

"Plagg and I felt a new Miraculous being activated and I find it hard to believe it was a coincidence that it happened right when a new student arrived, Chloé." Tikki explained.

"I thought Hawkmoth had the only Miraculous not with us or the guardian." Sabrina commented.

"When the Butterfly Miraculous was lost, the Peacock Miraculous was lost as well." Plagg replied. "While my sugarcube and I once thought whoever had one of them had both, all this time without Hawkmoth using the Peacock power suggests it's not the case. Maybe Lila Rossi found it."

Meanwhile, at the school library, Adrien Agreste and a kwami were reading a book that didn't come from the library. "I don't understand, Duusu." Adrien said in a whispered tone so nobody would learn the kwami's name. "Why is Hawkmoth in a book about heroes?"

"That's not Hawkmoth, Adrien." Duusu explained. "That's a previous wielder. All Miraculous powers are supposed to be used for good."

"Okay." Adrien replied and then noticed Lila approaching him and placed another book over the Miraculous one.

"Adrien, do you mind if I sit here?" Lila asked. "The other tables are occupied."

"Okay." Adrien didn't believe her but didn't want to make a scene.

Lila sat down and noticed the Miraculous book. "Oh, a book about superheroes? Did you know my grandmother was a superheroine?"

"Really?" Adrien perked up, hoping Lila could help explain what happened to his mother. "Tell me more."

"Not here." Lila whispered. "We never know who might be overhearing. Meet me at the park."

Unbeknownst to Lila, Adrien or Duusu, there were people eavesdropping on them. 'Does Lila have a Miraculous?' Marinette thought in horror. 'What if Adrien finds her more impressive than me?'

Chloé and Tikki were also spying on Adrien and Lila. "Is that true, Tikki?" Chloé asked.

"It could be but I'm more concerned about the book Adrien has, Chloé." Tikki answered. "It's the Miraculous Grimoire and it was believed to be lost forever. We must recover it!"

"On it, Tikki." Chloé replied.

Later on, as Adrien and Lila met at the park, she presented him a fox-style necklace as a Miraculous that her grandmother supposedly used to turn into a superheroine known as Volpina. "Liar." Adrien heard Duusu whisper.

"So, how does it work?" A disappointed Adrien asked, hoping to see how Lila would talk her way out of it.

"I cannot show it here, Adrien." Lila replied. "Someone could see it."

'Good save, Lila.' Adrien thought.

Suddenly, to the surprise of not only Adrien and Lila but also of Marinette, who was spying on them, Superbug and Catgirl showed up. "Adrien Agreste, a friend of mine told me that you have the Miraculous Grimoire." Superbug said, making Adrien wonder if the part of having a Miraculous was Lila's only lie. "I need you to hand it over to me so we could use its data to have an edge against Hawkmoth."

"B-but... the book belongs to my father and it only has pictures and some gibberish." Adrien argued. "How can it help?"

"That 'gibberish' as you call it is a coded language, Adrien Agreste." Superbug replied. "Please hand it over before Hawkmoth finds out your family has the book."

Not wanting to face that risk, Adrien did what Superbug asked him to. "Thank you." Superbug said. "How, if you excuse me, Lila Rossi and I need a girl talk."

Taking the cue, Adrien left. "Lila, I don't know why you think it's a good idea to be publicly known as a friend of mine and I don't care." Superbug whispered. "But I know that's not a real Miraculous so let's make a deal: you let Adrien Agreste think you're the friend who told me about the book and I'll cover up so he won't be suspicious about you not using the Miraculous power to help me."

Lila was shocked that Superbug knew about her lie but could respect that Superbug was saving it for a deal instead of exposing her out of some 'self-righteous' morality. "It's a deal."

Superbug then spoke with her normal voice. "Lila Rossi, you broke one of our most sacred rules by allowing a civilian to know you have a Miraculous. To prevent the Miraculous from falling into wrong hands, I must seize it. Don't take it personally. The higher-ups made the rules, not me."

Lila wasn't sure if Superbug and Catgirl really had any higher-ups to answer to but decided it didn't matter since a deal was a deal.

Moments later, at Agreste Manor, Hawkmoth's search for a potential akuma was interrupted by Nathalie calling him. "Nathalie, you'd better have a good reason to interrupt me." He said.

"Gabriel, your son stole the book." Nathalie stated and readied herself for her boss' fury.

"WHAT?" Hawkmoth asked, justifying her fears.

Meanwhile, Adrien was walking back home. "Why did you call Lila a liar?" He asked Duusu.

"That pendant might look like the Fox Miraculous to the point even humans who saw the real thing could be fooled but I would have felt Trixx's presence." Duusu explained and then giggled. "But what're you telling your father?"

"That I handed over the book to Superbug to keep us safe from Hawkmoth." Adrien said like it was no big deal. "How important can that book be to him?"

As if on cue, an akuma jumped in front of Adrien and asked him "Where is the book?"

"F-father?" Adrien fearfully asked.

"Your father lost a very important book so I'm either recovering it or filling a new one for him. I am The Collector!" The Collector said.

"Father, please." Adrien pleaded. "Don't let Hawkmoth control you."

"Give me the book." The Collector demanded and threw an open book like it was a frisbee. Adrien ducked out of the way and the book hit a tree, absorbing it inside the book.

Deciding there was no reasoning with his father at that moment, Adrien decided to run away. Fortunately, he didn't have to run for long as Superbug and Catgirl showed up. "Give up, Gabriel Agreste." Superbug demanded.

"I'm The Collector." The Collector replied.

"Alright but there's no time to play Owl House." Superbug joked.

"Then just hand over the Miraculous and I might forgive you for stealing my book." The Collector offered.

"Hawkmoth will never have either of them!" Superbug declared. "Lucky charm!" She got a bicycle pedal.

"Ha." The Collector scoffed. "Two or three more charms and you'll get the whole bicycle." He said and then threw his book at Superbug but Catgirl intercepted it. "Cataclysm!" The cat themed heroine said and it destroyed the book, freeeing the akuma and turning the Collector back into Gabriel Agreste.

Superbug then purified the akuma. "No more evil for you." She tossed the lucky charm into the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!"

"What happened?" Gabriel Agreste asked, feigning confusion.

"Mr. Agreste, you were akumatized over a book Hawkmoth must never have." Superbug answered. "I'd explain more right now but Catgirl and I must recharge. Bye."

After the two superheroines left, Adrien approached Gabriel. "Are you okay, father?" He asked.

"Let's go home, son." Gabriel replied and walked home.

Chloé and Sabrina took the former's limousine to Master Fu's massage parlor. "Back so soon, Ms. Bourgeois?" Master Fu asked. Unsure of how much, if anything, the Mayor's daughter told her friend, Master Fu decided to tread with caution.

"Master Fu, we found something you lost when you were a child." Chloé stated and showed him the Miraculous Grimoire.

"I thought it was lost forever!" Master Fu said once he recovered from the shock of seeing the book again after all those years. "Where did you find it?"

"It was with the Agrestes and that explains how Gabriel Agreste was able to make Miraculous-looking jewelry." Chloé answered and showed the fake version of the Fox Miraculous.

"Chloé, I know he's a friend of your family but I'm afraid..." Master Fu hesitantly said.

"That he might be Hawkmoth?" Chloé asked and Master Fu nodded. "I understand and, to be honest, I can even imagine why he'd do this. He wants his missing wife back and doesn't mind the consequences of making the magical wish to accomplish it."

"And they bother you?" Master Fu asked with a smile. "Good."

"But how can Gabriel Agreste be Hawkmoth if he was one of the akumatized victims?" Sabrina asked in confusion.

"Right after it was discovered he had the Grimoire?" Chloé asked in disdain. "That coincidence is ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous! Why else that book would be special to him?"

At Agreste Manor, father and son were having a stern talk. "That book is a one-of-a-kind book your mother bought during a trip to Tibet, Adrien." Gabriel told his son. "Why did you take it?"

"I wanted to know more about my mother, Father." Adrien answered.

"And where's the brooch?" Gabriel asked, more worried than angry.

"Here." Adrien meekly said and opened a hand to show the Miraculous.

"You didn't use it to transform, did you?" Gabriel asked, more worried than ever.

"No, Sir." Adrien answered. "Duusu told me not to."

"Good." Gabriel was relieved. "This Miraculous is the very reason your mother is no longer with us."

"Did she fight Hawkmoth in the past?" Adrien asked, shocking his father.

"No, and that's all I will ever tell you about your mother's fate." Gabriel replied with his typical "that's final" tone.

Meanwhile, back at Master Fu's...

"Is the Peacock Miraculous a brooch?" Chloé asked, surprising Fu and the kwamis.

"How did you figure it out, Chloé?" Tikki asked.

"Because that makes it another "coincidence" for Gabriel Agreste to explain." Chloé replied and showed a picture of Emilie Agreste on her smartphone. "Recognize this?" The Mayor's daughter asked after zooming in Emilie's brooch.

"It's either the Miraculous or, assuming Gabriel already had the book before his wife disappeared, a copy." Plagg commented.

"I'll concede it might be that but it's still too much of a coincidence that, of all Miraculous she could be wearing a copy of, she's wearing one based on the other missing Miraculous." Chloé stated.

"Not that we can be sure she didn't take it with her when she disappeared." Sabrina added.

"Either way, it should be investigated." Tikki commented.

"I'll investigate it." Master Fu said. "Chloé, Sabrina, just keep doing as usual and let me handle it."

"Master, don't you think you should let them help?" Wayzz asked his wielder. "They know their way around him."

"And I know a secret hiding spot where Gabriel is likely to keep things he doesn't want anybody to know he has." Chloé added.

End chapter

Author's Note: Because of my end of year plans, I'm posting this chapter one day earlier than initially planned. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.