Chapter 4: Pharaoh and the Ladybug
It was a relaxing weekend, and Leo was chilling in his room. "So, Shade, anything you want to do today?" Leo asks.
"After what we've been through, a break doesn't sound too bad," Shade nods.
Leo lays down and brings up his laptop. "Let's see what's going on on the Ladyblog," Leo said, bringing up Alya's newest video.
"Hey, peeps, Alya here bringing you the one and only Ladyblog. Huh, what's that?" Alya looks up towards the sky, a helicopter flying through the sky with Ladybug apparently hitching a ride with her yoyo tied around it. As she flies by, something falls from Ladybug and lands in front of Alya.
"Ladybug in action. Hang on, we're going for a ride," Alya said, going to pick the book up and gasping. "Freak out. This is not an ordinary book, it's a 10th-grade History textbook, and I should know because I have the very same textbook. Could Ladybug be a high school student in real life?" Alya asks.
"Whoa, Ladybug in her class? What if she is?" Leo asks.
Until Oliver walks into the room with Master Fu.
"What's up, baby bro? Anything new?" Oliver asks.
"Leo thinks that Ladybug could be a classmate of Alya's," Shade said.
"Really, dude? You really think that? There's no way," Oliver chuckled.
Until Cloud flies out of his pocket eating beef jerky.
"That could be a possibility, who knows," Cloud said.
"Let this be a warning for both of you to always make sure to cover your tracks when out on a mission," Master Fu said.
"But oh man, Alya is probably going to be clinging to that book like it's her lifeline," Leo said.
"Leo, nobody can find out the identity of you, or Oliver and Ladybug, or Cat Noir. We must get that book away from her and back to Ladybug," Shade said.
"How are we supposed to do that?" Leo asks.
"Don't you humans have a name for when a male asks to spend time with a female?" Cloud asks.
"You mean a date?" Leo asks, not sure.
"Yes, Oliver, Shade, and Cloud said in unison.
"Exactly, ask that female on a date," Shade said, causing Leo to turn bright red.
"Yeah, baby bro, do it. Ask Alya on a date."
"What?! Meega Naga Naga Naga Meega Naga bootifa," Leo said.
"Oh great, he's talking in Tantalog," Oliver sighed.
"Do it," Shade said.
"Naga-takabah," Leo said.
"Stop acting so scared," Cloud said.
"Meega Naga," Leo said.
"Leo, bro, you face evil Akumas, but you can't talk to a girl?" Shade asks.
"I think it would be easier to ask the Akumas," Leo said.
"Leo," Oliver, Cloud, and Shade yelled.
"Accata Okie-taka. I'll see what I can do," Leo reaches for his phone. "Oh, I really don't want to do this."
"Hello?" Alya said, picking up.
"Oh, hey Alya, it's me, Leonard. I mean, Leo. Um, I was calling to ask if maybe you wanted to hang out and, uh, I don't know, go somewhere," he said nervously.
"Sure, Marinette and I are going to an Egyptian exhibit. Marinette says she has a big scoop for the Ladyblog. I could really use some help," Alya said.
"Wait, what?" Leo said, confused.
"Hey, your brother Oliver's an IT guy, right? I might need some help," Alya said.
"Okay, where is the exhibit?" Leo asked.
"At the Louvre. Meet us there in an hour," Alya said, hanging up.
"Well?" Oliver said.
"She and Marinette are going to the Louvre for a scoop on Ladybug," Leo said.
"Plus, she needs your help, IT guy," Oliver "I'm sorry," Leo added.
"Fine, fine. If anything goes wrong, I'll grab the book. You just try to distract them," Oliver said.
"Then we go and get that book back," Cloud said, and Leo and Oliver nodded, understanding.
"Well, you two have fun, and be careful," Master Fu said.
"We will," Leo and Oliver said in unison.
At the Louvre, Leo and Oliver were waiting around the entrance when Alya and Marinette walked over to them.
"Leo, Oliver, I'm so glad you guys are here," Alya said.
"Yeah, I saw your latest entry," Leo said.
"I can't believe you found something about Ladybug," Oliver said.
"Can you believe it? I am this close to figuring out who Ladybug is," Alya smiled.
"How do you plan to find out when she's using a book every high school student uses?" Marinette asked.
"Nope, because I only looked at our school that uses that book. I just need to figure out who lost their book last week. There are 43 girls in our class, not including myself," Alya said.
"Eegalagoo, you really have done your research," Leo said.
"No kidding, girl got deep into it, maybe too deep," Oliver muttered.
"Yep, and once I figure out Ladybug, finding out Cat Noir, Shadow Knight, or Silver Wolf will be a snap," Alya said confidently.
"No, the hell you won't," Oliver said under his breath.
Leo put a hand on his shoulder and looked at him, gesturing for him to calm down.
"Uh, don't you mean 42, not counting you or me?" Marinette said.
Alya looked at Marinette before nudging her. "I'm just messing with you. I'll drop you from my list only after you bring your book to class," Alya said as they entered the exhibit.
Walking through, a teenager with brown hair and glasses ran past them, bumping into Alya before he fell to the floor. Alya falls backward, only to be caught by Leo.
Alya blushes softly. "Uh, thanks Leo."
"N-No problem," Leo said, blushing.
Until Oliver and Marinette walked in.
As Marinette and Oliver walked in, Marinette glanced at Oliver, noticing his slightly tense demeanor.
"Hey, Oliver, is everything okay?" Marinette asked, concerned.
Oliver sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, just a little nervous about Alya's investigation. What if she finds out too much?"
Marinette smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, we'll figure it out together. Besides, Alya's smart, but she's not Ladybug."
Oliver nodded, feeling a bit more at ease. "Thanks, Marinette. I guess you're right. Let's just hope for the best."
With a nod of agreement, Marinette and Oliver joined Leo and Alya in the exhibit room, ready to assist with Alya's investigation.
Oh thank goodness it's safe." He said looking at an object.
"Uh I'm ok too." Alya said, offended.
"Sorry, hey you three are in the same class as Alix, right? I'm her older brother, Jalil. So, are you into King Tut as well?" He then spots his father and runs to
What is with that guy?" Leo asks
Some guys seen too much of night at the museum Oliver said
You can say that again. So Marinette you said there was something here that had to do with Ladybug." Alya asks looking in.
Uh yeah it's over there." Marinette brings Alya to a tapestry.
"Is that even possible?" Leo asks
Come on, let's see Leo , it's possible." Oliver said
As they looked at the hieroglyphics Jalil and his father walked up behind them.
"You see father it's all that is in front of you is Tutankhamen the first and his wife Nefertiti, between them is 100 mummies, she died several years before him and the Sun God Ra took her as his Goddess." Jalil said.
"Yes, I know all that. I'm the director of this exhibition after all." His dad said.
"Then you should know Tutankhamen wanted to bring her back to life, so he offered a new wife to the Sun God as a sacrifice. Nobody has ever deciphered the ritual, but I have deciphered it, I'm sure of it." Jalil said
As Jalil spoke about the hieroglyphics, Leo, Oliver, Alya, and Marinette listened intently, intrigued by his knowledge.
"That's fascinating," Marinette remarked. "But do you really think there's a connection to Ladybug?"
Jalil nodded eagerly. "Absolutely. According to the legend, the Sun God Ra had the power to bestow eternal life. It's said that Tutankhamen believed invoking Ra's power could bring back his wife."
"And you think Ladybug is somehow connected to this ritual?" Leo asked skeptically.
"It's a possibility," Jalil replied. "My research suggests that the ritual involved invoking the power of light and time, which aligns with Ladybug's abilities."
His father chuckled, patting him on the back. "Always the dreamer, Jalil. But let's focus on the exhibit for now."
As Leo, Oliver, Alya, and Marinette left the room, Jalil's father made a dismissive remark about the frescoes.
"Jalil, frescoes like these are often illustrations of legends, and those aren't true," his father said, walking away.
"But it is real, and I can prove it," Jalil insisted.
"And how do you plan to prove that?" his father asked skeptically.
"I just need Tutankhamen's scepter, and I can recite the spell," Jalil explained, reaching for the scepter only to be stopped.
"Are you nuts? I'd lose my job on the spot. It's a priceless artifact, not a toy," his father scolded.
"But father, what if King Tut figured out how to bring his wife back?" Jalil pleaded.
"Jalil, get your head out of these scrolls and focus on the real world, this one," his father retorted before storming off.
Dropping all his papers in shock, Jalil frowned at the thought of his father hating his theory.
At his unknown location Hawk Moth saw what just happened. "There's nothing wrong with living out a fantasy, especially when I can make it a reality." Hawk Moth said turning a butterfly into an Akuma. "Fly my little Akuma and transform that young man." He said as the Akuma flies out the window.
Outside the Louvre Jalil was sitting by the fountain when the Akuma flies into his scarab necklace. "Pharaoh I am Hawk Moth. I have an endowed you with the power of the ancient gods, but you must do me a favor in return for this gift."
"My precious Nefertiti will come back to life." Jalil said as he transforms.
Back in the exhibit, Leo and Oliver were slowly sneaking towards Alya while she was distracted.
"This thing is hurting my eyes," Alya groaned as Marinette tried to find a clue. Alya turned to the book, and Leo quickly pulled his hand back, pretending to yawn. "Let me guess, Marinette is boring you too?" she asked.
"I stopped listening 10 minutes ago," Leo admitted.
"Like you got me interested in one part then just left me for the other," Oliver chimed in.
"Things would definitely be a lot more interesting if I just left to hang out with you," Alya teased, causing him to blush.
"Hey!" a man yelled as a large figure with clothes resembling an Egyptian, with a golden mask on his head, approached the exhibit.
"Tut, give me time!" he yelled as his mask changed to another form. He released balls of light, trapping people in orbs. "Move faster!" He moved his arms, sending them all out of the exhibit.
Leo, Oliver, and Marinette ducked for cover, while Alya took out her phone to record the action.
Running to their hiding spots, Tikki popped out.
"We have to transform. Tikki, Spots on!" Marinette said as Tikki went inside her earrings, transforming Marinette into Ladybug.
At his spot, Leo watches Pharaoh head towards the scepter. "Why do things never go easy for me?" Leo asks.
"It's the superhero luck," Shade said, popping out.
"He's right, you know," Cloud said, coming out of Oliver's pocket.
Oliver shook his head. "This is tiring," he said.
"Alright, guys, let's knock this Egyptian off his throne. Shade, nightfall!" Leo yells as Shade goes into his bangle, turning him into Shadow Knight.
"Fine, fine. Cloud, Fang's out!" Oliver yells as cloud goes into his necklace, turning him into Silver Wolf.
Alya watches as the Pharaoh takes the scepter. "O.M.G, I am actually at the scene before Ladybug, Cat Noir, or Shadow Knight and Silver Wolf. This is insane," Alya whispers as she records it all.
As Pharaoh moves to the scroll and takes it, the alarm goes off, bringing down a cage. However, Ladybug enters just in the nick of time.
"You know, that's called stealing," Ladybug smirks.
"It's not if it rightfully belongs to me," Pharaoh retorts.
"Maybe if you were the real Pharaoh, which you're not," Ladybug retorts, getting into position.
"Whoa, Ladybug in action, awesome," Alya says, marveling, when Ladybug waves for her to get away. "Ladybug waved at me, so cool."
Ladybug throws her yoyo at Pharaoh, but he catches it with ease and spins her around, throwing Ladybug into the stone wall.
"Sekhmet, give me your strength!" Pharaoh yells as a lion's face appears on his mask, granting him the strength to bend the bars. However, he sees Cat Noir, Shadow Knight, and Silver Wolf on the other side.
"You know, it's so nice to see someone with such good manners," Cat Noir says.
"I know, we should reward him," Silver Wolf adds.
Like a trophy right guys shadow knight said with a smile
"Or how about we send him back to his tomb in style?" Cat Noir grins.
"You read our minds," Silver Wolf says as they charge. Cat Noir jumps in the air, swinging his staff, but Pharaoh grabs him and throws him into the sarcophagus. Seeing what he thought was an opening, Silver Wolf charges in with his sword, only to have Pharaoh sidestep and knock him backwards with a powerful punch. Then Shadow Knight comes in with his shield, but Pharaoh grabs it and throws it back at them, sending him flying with the others.
As Ladybug, Shadow Knight, and Silver Wolf try to get Cat Noir out of the coffin, Alya records everything, but when she's distracted, Pharaoh walks up behind her. "Uh, hi," she said, terrified.
"Seriously?" Ladybug groans. "As if our job isn't hard enough!" Shadow Knight and Silver Wolf yell, finally lifting the lid open and letting Cat Noir out.
The four heroes ready their weapons and charge. "Let her go!" Shadow Knight yells.
"Hiding behind an innocent bystander? That's weak, Pharaoh," Cat Noir said.
"Yeah, come out and fight like an actual Egyptian god," Silver Wolf said.
"I'm way more powerful than all of you," Pharaoh said, bending the bars back into place.
"And don't forget to check out the latest behind-the-scenes clips of my blog," Alya winks at them.
"That Alya girl is one brave chick," Cat Noir said.
"If by brave you mean bossy, feisty, and bold, then yes she is," Ladybug points out.
"Still, she is quite amazing," Shadow Knight said.
"Shadow, focus, we need to stop him," Silver Wolf said. Shadow Knight nodded his head.
"Alright, you three, time to bust out of here," Ladybug said.
"Cataclysm!" Cat Noir's hand glowed black as he destroyed the bars with ease. "So how do we find her?"
"Alya has a live stream on her blog," Ladybug said as she brings up Alya talking as Pharaoh was carrying her outside.
"Got to give the girl credit; she's committed to this," Silver Wolf said when Cat Noir's ring blinks.
"You three go ahead, I need to recharge," Cat Noir said.
"Hurry up; it's going to take all four of us to beat this one," Ladybug said as she and Shadow Knight and Silver Wolf ran ahead.
As the four heroes reached the lobby, Ladybug looked down at the live stream. "Ladybug, help! It turns out I'm going to be this guy's sacrifice to the Sun God," Alya said in a panicked tone.
"Hang on, Alya!" Ladybug runs forward and unintentionally steps into one of Pharaoh's time bubbles.
"Whoa!" Silver Wolf takes out his sword and destroys the bubble, freeing her.
"What would I do without you boys?" Ladybug smiles.
"Don't worry, we always have your back. We're a team," Shadow Knight said.
"And you'd be in serious trouble, milady," Cat Noir said, running towards them.
"Come on, you guys, we have to find the Akuma before he sacrifices her," Ladybug said as they ran up the staircase, only to see an army of mummies by the entrance. "I don't see Pharaoh or Alya."
"Let's get to the roof; we'll have a better view from there," Silver Wolf said.
"I got this," Shadow Knight said, yelled shadowgate as his bangles started to glow, creating a black portal.
As the four of them went through the Portal
As the four heroes reached the top through a portal, they saw Pharaoh had turned the civilians into mummies and was using them to create the Ankh, the Egyptian symbol for life. At the center was Pharaoh, preparing to sacrifice Alya.
As she struggled to escape, Alya noticed a symbol of a woman with black spots on the papyrus. "Hey, who's that?" she asked.
Pharaoh looked at the symbol. "Ladybug, my sworn enemy. My nemesis may have kept me from completing the ritual 5,000 years ago, but she will not stop Nefertiti from coming back this time."
"Hold up, Ladybug, 5,000 years ago?" Alya said, shocked.
"Everyone does have a past they can learn from," Ladybug said, surprised.
"Well, you don't look a day over 3,000," Cat Noir said.
"Now you boys know why I'm so much wiser than you," she smiled.
"Ha ha ha, history lesson is over, what do we do?" Silver Wolf asked.
"All I want to do is take him down and go home," Shadow Knight said, taking out his shield.
"O sacred Ra, God of the Sun. I, Pharaoh, offer to thee a pure soul. This sacrifice for the return of Nefertiti. I bow to you and present this gift with my mummies. We pray for the safe return of Princess Nefertiti. Awaken, Nefertiti! Awaken!" Pharaoh chanted as a beam of light shot into the air.
"Ladybug, help!" Alya yelled as the mummies carried her towards the light.
"What do we do?" Cat Noir asked.
"Cat Noir, Silver Wolf, can you two deal with the mummies? Shadow Knight, you get Alya, and I'll deal with Pharaoh," Ladybug said.
"Why do we have to do all the hard stuff?" Cat Noir asked.
"I'm the only one that can capture his Akuma, remember? Besides, you boys are the brave ones," Ladybug said, jumping down.
"I doubt she meant it, but I'll pretend she did," Cat Noir muttered.
"No one ever said this superhero thing was easy," Silver Wolf sighed.
"Emba-chua," Shadow Knight said.
"Awaken, Nefertiti! Awaken!" The Mummies chanted, carrying Alya towards the light. Cat Noir jumped down onto a lamppost.
"How about we wrap this up?" he asked.
"Cat Noir!" Alya said with joy.
"Seize him!" Pharaoh ordered as most of the mummies chased after him. Suddenly, Shadow Knight dashed towards Alya.
"Out of the way!" he yelled as he grabbed Alya and took her to the roof.
"Horus, give me your wings!" Pharaoh yelled as his mask changed to resemble a falcon.
On the roof, Shadow Knight set Alya down when Ladybug arrived.
"Good job, Shadow Knight," Ladybug smiled, but Alya interrupted with her phone.
"You're here live, folks, where the Shadow Knight just saved my life. Thanks a lot," Alya said.
"Thanks, but this is far from over. I need to help Ladybug..."
"Find the Akuma, it's in his pendant. I pay attention to these things," Alya interrupted again.
"Wow, you continue to impress," Ladybug smiled. Suddenly, Horus flew in and knocked Ladybug off the roof.
"Ladybug!" Alya yelled as Ladybug used her Yoyo to avoid hitting the ground.
Alright you step away from the girl."Shadow Knight glares, taking out his shield. Shadow Knight charges bringing his shield down, but Pharaoh catches the blade in-between his hands. "Uh oh." Shadow Knight said as Pharaoh threw him off the roof sending him falling to the ground.
"Shadow knight !" Alya yells when Pharaoh picks her up and carries her to the light which traps her and lifts Alya up to the circle of darkness high in the air.
"Are you okay, buddy?" Cat Noir asked.
"I'll live," Shadow Knight said.
"Are you sure, baby bro?" Silver Wolf whispered.
"Yeah, I'll be fine, Ollie," Shadow Knight whispered back.
"We need to get to Alya before she reaches the circle of darkness," Ladybug said as the three of them sprinted to the Louvre, only to see Pharaoh block their path.
"You will not get in the way of bringing back Nefertiti. I'll finish you. Anubis, bring me mummies!" Pharaoh's head turned into a jackal, and beams shot out of his eyes.
Silver Wolf pulled out his sword and threw it, hitting Pharaoh in the head, causing him to scream in pain. Using this opening, Ladybug threw her Yoyo, tying him up. Seeing his chance, Cat Noir used his staff to pole-vault over Pharaoh and ran up the Louvre towards Alya.
"Horus, give me your wings!" Pharaoh yelled as he took off into the air with Ladybug flying along with him.
Climbing onto his back, Ladybug yanked the cord, causing the pendant to fall to the ground. "Cat Noir, Silver Wolf, Shadow Knight, get the pendant!" Ladybug yelled.
The three heroes stopped what they were doing and ran for the pendant, with Ladybug right behind them. As they were about to reach them, Pharaoh got in their way.
"Oh no, you don't. Moon Call!" Silver Wolf's bracelet glowed as he took a deep breath, releasing a Sonic wave in the form of a howl, sending Pharaoh flying backwards into the wall.
Seeing this chance, Ladybug walked up to the pendant and punched it, destroying it and freeing the Akuma. "No more evil-doing for you, little Akuma. Time to de-evilize!" Ladybug caught the Akuma in her Yoyo, turning it back into a butterfly. "Bye-bye, little butterfly. Miraculous Ladybug!" Ladybug used her powers to turn all the mummies back into humans, save Alya, and
turn Pharaoh back into Jalil.
"What the? What happened?" he said.
"Pound it," the four heroes said.
"Nice timing out there, Wolfy; today you won us the battle," Cat Noir said as Alya ran over to them.
"Ladybug, you guys were so awesome," Alya said.
"Thanks, good to see you're okay," Shadow Knight said.
"Looks like someone's in love," Silver Wolf said with a chuckle.
Shadow Knight just pulled his tail, and Silver Wolf made a yip sound.
"Fine, fine, just get off my tail," Silver Wolf said as he pulled it away from him.
"Hey, Ladybug, I need to ask: how old are you really?" Alya asked.
"Much older than a high school student, that's for sure," Ladybug said, leaving.
"Anything you want to know about us?" Cat Noir asked.
"I think I'll be finding out soon enough," Alya said, pointing at Shadow Knight's bangle and Silver Wolf's necklace.
"Oh boy, uh, we gotta run!" Shadow Knight ran away as fast as he could, with Silver Wolf following behind him, and Cat Noir leaving in another direction.
In the Egyptian exhibit, Leo reached into his bag and pulled out Ladybug's history book, attaching a note to it. 'As much as I want to find out who Ladybug is, I can't,' Leo sighed, placing it by the entrance and leaving.
Unknown to him, Marinette walked in right after, searching for the book. 'Where is it?' she asked, spotting her book with a note saying, 'Try to keep better track of your stuff. I don't want to have to bail you out of trouble all the time. S.K.'
Tikki popped out and smiled along with Marinette. 'Wow, if Cat Noir found out, I don't know if he would have done this,' Marinette said.
'Shadow Knight is a good friend of Marinette,' Tikki smiled.
'Yeah, he is,' Marinette said, taking the book and leaving until she saw Oliver waiting for her.
'You need to be more careful, next time Ladybug,' Oliver said with a smirk."
Marinette's heart skipped a beat as she processed Oliver's words. Her mind raced, wondering if he had somehow figured out her secret identity as Ladybug. She tried to maintain her composure, but inside, she felt a surge of panic.
"Um, what do you mean by that?" Marinette asked, attempting to keep her voice steady despite the sudden rush of anxiety.
Oliver's grin widened, his eyes sparkling mischievously. "Oh, nothing specific," he replied casually, enjoying Marinette's reaction. "Just a hunch. You know, with all the superhero stuff happening lately."
Marinette let out a nervous laugh, relieved that Oliver's comment seemed more like a playful tease than an actual revelation. "Oh, right. Silly me," she said, trying to play it cool. "Well, let's go then."
She turned to leave, but couldn't shake off the lingering feeling of unease.
"Oh, by the way, FYI, I know you're Ladybug, Marinette. It's kind of obvious. Well, that's all. You tried to grab the book from Alya multiple times, and Leo and I tried to, also," Oliver said
Marinette froze in her tracks, her heart pounding in her chest. She felt a rush of emotions—surprise, fear, and a touch of embarrassment. She had been careful—or so she thought—but Oliver's words made her realize that perhaps her attempts to retrieve the book hadn't been as discreet as she had hoped.
"Um... I..." Marinette stammered, struggling to find the right words. She glanced around nervously, wondering if anyone else had overheard their conversation.
Oliver's expression softened as he noticed Marinette's discomfort. "Hey, don't worry," he said gently. "Your secret's safe with me. I won't tell anyone."
Marinette let out a sigh of relief, grateful for Oliver's understanding. "Thanks, Oliver," she said, offering him a small smile. "I appreciate it."
With that, they continued on their way, Marinette feeling a mixture of relief and gratitude that her secret identity as Ladybug remained intact—for now.
Meanwhile, Leo was walking through the halls. "You did the right thing, Leo," Shade said.
"Thanks, Shade, but I gotta know, why would a 5,000-year-old hero need a history textbook?" Leo asks.
"One problem at a time, Leo," Shade said as they entered the exhibit.
"Leo, you're alive!" Alya said, running to him. "What happened to you?" Alya asks.
"You won't believe it, that Pharaoh guy grabbed me and threw me into a supply closet, trapping me inside," Leo said.
"Well, at least you weren't a mummy trying to sacrifice me," Alya smiles.
"You were about to be sacrificed?" Leo asks.
"I know, crazy, he said I reminded him of the queen he tried to sacrifice the first time," Alya said.
"Wow, well, you're certainly pretty enough. Wait, what did I just say?" Leo blushes, with Alya turning a little red at the compliment.
"W-Wow, nobody has ever said that to me before. Really?" Alya.
"Well, yeah," Leo said, when Alya looks away before turning back and pecking him on the cheek.
"So, uh, thank you, m-maybe we can hang again, bye-bye," Alya said, walking away.
Leo blushes as he reaches up to touch the cheek she kissed.
"Hmm, she certainly is a unique human, I approve," Shade chuckles.
"S-Shut up," Leo glares before following her.