Sin of Reveal Chapter 3.
~}I{~
The walk to Dupont was uneventful. Kim, Marinette, and Nino texted Kagami, to see if she found anything regarding the Summoner issue. The Japanese girl was reluctant to admit that she didn't but she was making some progress with her little art project. The progress pictures were looking great.
Marinette sighed as she got to her locker to grab her subject material for the class when she said, "I really want to get that issue resolved as soon as possible, not just for me…"
Nino opened his locker when he said, to finish what the bluette was saying, "Yeah, He's basically using up energy like keeping the oven on all day to make one small batch of cookies…"
Kim placed his bag in his locker when he added, "Eesh! Then we can't blame him for crashing on the couch… And that's just on his end…"
Marinette nodded as she unlocked her locker that creaked a bit as it swung open, looked in it, and realised that ANOTHER one of her spare pencil cases was missing! In anger, she banged the side of her fist against the neighbouring locker when the bluette got out, "How is this person breaking into my locker?" Marinette had a rather interesting organization system for her locker, it looked somewhat messy at first glance but a closer look showed that it was oddly well-organized as it could be with the limited space. While she didn't keep any important items, she kept everything else for school in the locker.
Alya was quick to say, "Seriously gurl? You've got a good lock, no one can break into it without actually breaking it. You probably just left what you're looking for at home, again."
Marinette glared at the blogger when she got out in annoyance, "Alya, this is the 3rd spare pencil case that I keep in my locker that has gone missing. I have not loaned any of them out recently nor have I taken any of them out, so the only logical thing that could happen is someone is somehow getting into my locker and taking it out."
"Not to mention some of Marinette's extra hair-ties have gone missing," Juleka threw in as she somehow appeared behind Alya with Rose by her side. The blogger understandably jumped out of her skin at the sudden voice from behind.
The girl in pink added in, "And a few of her pencils."
That was when Nath asked, "Come to think of it… Have you found your doodle sketchbook yet? It's been missing for the past week…"
Marinette was a little mixed on that question. Satan gave that sketchbook back to her after Botched Summon Number 6, but there was no way she could tell her class that. Marinette let out a sigh before she said, "One of the usual customers said he found it on the way to the bakery. Didn't say where but he saw my name in the sketchbook and decided to return it…" She shot a look at Alya when she added, "I did ask if he came from the direction of Dupont, he didn't so it wasn't me forgetting that I brought it back and dropped it on the way."
Chloe couldn't help but say, "Plus, if someone is breaking into Dupain-Cheng's locker, she Does have every right to be upset," as she shot a not-so-subtle glare at Alya. Made sense, given what happened in the past.
That was when Markov pointed out, "All these items missing from Marinette's locker are quite puzzling. The items themselves are not worth much in terms of money and they aren't typical items to take from another person. The only thing they have in common besides their owner is the fact that they only leave her locker if needed."
During this conversation, Max inspected the lock. There wasn't anything wrong with it nor did it look like it was tampered with. On the other hand, the padlock staple looked like it had been bent a little bit. Not enough to cause problems with opening and closing, but it was noticeable. Max thought it was a little odd but figured it was a combination of age and wore from being used by students. 'But still…' the techie thought as he looked over the locker again. Max couldn't help but think, 'Hmm, did someone make a copy of her locker key?'
Soon Miss Bustier's class went to their homeroom.
}{ 4 Bs Chat Group }{
Brawn: Both Asmodeus and Satan aren't going to like the news that the Summoner is going to call soon… They broke into Mari's locker again…
Battle: … Any damage this time?
Beauty: No, and that's kind of what's bothering me…
Brain: Hey, like Chloe said, you have every right to be upset about having your locker broken into! And you also have even more of a right to be pissed about having your things taken out of your locker w/o your permission!
Beauty: I know, but whoever this Summoner is is getting into my locker w/o "breaking" anything! They're getting in, going through MY stuff, and just closing my locker when they take something! Worst yet! No one has SEEN anyone strange near my locker!
Beauty: This is making me glad I don't keep the Miraculous in my care there… I don't want to imagine what could happen if I did…
Battle: … What kind of lock do you use?
Beauty: Stainless steel lock that needs a 4-number combination to open. But I keep the key for it on my keychain, which DOES NOT LEAVE my person unless it is in my room.
Battle: Hmm, that means that the person either found out the combination or somehow got ahold of the key to make a copy…
Battle: However, both seem unlikely.
Brawn: Yeah, both require being in Marinette's personal bubble, which she would certainly notice.
Beauty: Guys, please stop this conversation… I'm paranoid enough about the Summoner somehow stalking me and getting into my locker. Do you know how many times I look around in my hiding spots b4 and after I transform? I really don't need anything else to worry about…
Brain: Sorry Mari.
Brain: I hope that "Help" Asmodeus called is coming soon…
Beauty: Same… Tikki says she hopes so too…
Beauty: And in all honesty… I don't care who this help is, I just want them to find this Summoner and stop them!
~}I{ Elsewhere }I{~
A portal opened in a swirl of cyan and silvery blue within an empty alleyway behind a nightclub. A tall red-headed man with a white streak in his hair, dark blue eyes, wearing a black turtleneck shirt, khaki jacket with matching slacks, and black shoes walked out of the portal as he pulled a suitcase behind him with one hand and a small child that looked around six or seven-years-old with light-blonde hair with a few scattered streaks of red that was tied up in a pair of braided twin-tails with light blue eyes, wearing a pair of dark blue pants with white vertical lines going up the legs and a dark blue short sleeve shirt with white lines that form the letters 'U' and 'A' (1), had on a pair of grey boots, wore a pair of mismatched earrings dangling from her lopes, one earring was a small white feather and the other was a black skull, and had a gold chain bracelet with a decent-sized clear crystal that was in the shape of a five-sided pyramid with a sharp tip wrapped around her right wrist.
The man quickly glanced around and noticed the sign for the nightclub, which read "Lust Lounge" in curvy letters (in French). He sighed before grumbling in English, "Should have known Ozzie would've dropped us off at one of their establishments, but at least it's outside rather than inside."
The little girl looked up at the sign, and looked at it for a bit before saying, also in English, "What does the sign say, dad?"
The man, apparently the child's father, looked down at the little girl when he said in English, "Ah right, I should cast that language spell." He quickly manoeuvred the suitcase so it was standing on its own to free up his hand. The next thing to happen was the red-haired man muttering something as the tips of his index and middle finger of his free hand started glowing. He then pointed the glowing lights at the child. The light flew towards the girl and sank into her forehead. The red-headed man switched to French when he asked, "Better?"
The blonde girl blinked in confusion when she asked in French, "Did anything happen?" Not realising that she was suddenly speaking a different language.
The man pointed at the sign when he asked the child, "What does the sign say now?"
The girl looked at the sign and realised she could read it! "Lusty Lounge!" The girl said happily before the words truly registered and added with a giggle, "Yup! Definitely Aunt-cle Ozzie's businesses."
The red-headed man smiled at the child before saying, "Alright, we're going to check into the hotel that Ozzie booked for us and then start on the search for this "Annoying Summoner" that is causing trouble in Hell. You can be my assistant for this mission."
The blonde girl smiled before she said, "Okay, dad!"
With that, they left the ally way.
~}I{ Also Elsewhere }I{~
The Angel landed next to the Eiffel Tower, unseen by mortal eyes. Their sleek, silver sword gleamed in the light of the sun. In a soft flash of light, the Angel took on a human form. Soon people saw an adult with a plain face with soft features, long silvery-white hair that flowed down their back as some of the shorter strands hung over their left shoulder with one of them being a single braid with a white feather decorating the end of it, wearing an eggshell white blouse-like shirt with longs sleeves to his wrists paired with a grey vest, had on a pair of flowy dress slacks with matching grey shoes and held a pure white cane in hand.
The humans didn't notice that the new arrival appeared out of nowhere, however, they did notice that this whitette didn't seem to be looking anywhere. But no one gave a second glance at this person as they walked away, swishing their cane from side to side as they made their way towards a certain bakery.
~}I{ Back at Dupont }I{~
"Are you sure, Miss Bustier?" Rose asked the red-headed teacher in confusion.
Miss Bustier nodded when she said, "Mrs Rossi called me earlier and said that Lila was sick again."
Mylene couldn't help but say, "But… She's been getting sick a lot lately. Is her mother sure that's what is happening?" The short girl wasn't trying to hammer in any suspicions about Lila's truthfulness, or lack thereof, to the teacher, she was genuinely worried about any possible underlying health problems for a fellow classmate, even if it is the liar.
Caline understood the concern of her students when she said, "Yes, she's sure. It's nothing major, thankfully. Lila should be back in school Monday." She then sighed before admitting, "I did tell Mrs Rossi that she should take Lila to a doctor if she gets sick again after this one clears up." She then ushered her students back to their seats for the next class, stating that they needed to get all of Friday's lessons out of the way unless they wanted extra homework over the weekend.
}{ Class Chat }{
Ladyblogger: Guys, I'm getting majorly worried about Lila! This is the 3rd time in 2 weeks that she's been too sick to come to school!
Teenage Witch: Yeah, that's like, not normal… And it is a little weird tbh…
Poison Ivy: I would think she would be lying with all these sick days, but if her mother is confirming…
Ladyblogger: ROSE! How could you!?
Gothic Girlfriend: Hey! Rose implied that if Lila's mum wasn't confirming all the sick days, she would think Lila is lying!
Tiny Actress: I'll have to admit that I agree with Rose and Juleka.
Teddy Bear: Yeah, same.
AI Am I: If Mrs Rossi is confirming all these "sick days"... Then perhaps Lila's immune system has been compromised? Or has one virus that has been making her sick off and on.
Rollersnake: Urg! Those sound bad! But I know my dad wouldn't let me stay home on a school day unless I was super sick or contagious, and I'm going to assume that all caring parents are like that.
LB Artist: Yeah, and I bet they would check to make sure that their kid was sick first before letting them stay home.
Anything's Possible: Urg! Been there, done that! There is no fooling a careful parent's eye.
Turntables: Who hasn't faked being sick when they were little?
Queen Bee: Wait, is that a thing? Faking illness to get out of going to school when you're a kid?
Sunshine: I have never done that. Is that… Something everyone does?
Fashion Baker: It's more along the lines of something that kids try to do to get out of going to school. Not everyone does it though.
Sunshine: Oh… Good, because I don't think that would've worked on Father… Even if I had thought about it…
Ladyblogger: Sunshine, please don't remind us about your utterly sheltered home life. Mom already thinks you don't eat enough, especially with that strict-ass, so-called dad.
Sunshine: Can you PLEASE tell her that I am a Healthy Thin and not a model-starved thin! That's the one thing that really bugs me regarding being a model.
Fashion Baker: I can confirm the healthy thin part. And Adrien, no offence, but the modelling industry DOES have an issue with fashion companies "requiring" their models to be a "perfect size" which, unfortunately, goads the models to "eat less to lose weight". It is an unfortunate part of the industry and a lot of ppl can't help but make that assumption…
Turntables: Okay, that's a major yikes! And I also noticed that Adrien didn't defend the dick this time.
Sunshine: … Yeah on what Mari said… And, uh, for what Nino said… … Um, Axel kind of gave me the "Acceptable Touch Talk" and…
LB Artist: Made you think what the dick has done to you that "isn't okay" or told you that "it's acceptable but makes you uncomfortable in some way"?
Sunshine: …
Sunshine: Mother always agreed with Father… But she always gave me a legitimate reason as to why Father is right…
Queen Bee: Yeah, Aunt Emilie was always good at giving a reasonable reason as to why adults do things. Waaaaay better than just saying "Because I say so"... I wish it were Gabe who disappeared two years ago rather than Aunt Emilie.
Gothic Girlfriend: …
Poison Ivy: …
Teddy Bear: …
LB Artist: …
Ladyblogger: …
Fashion Baker: …
Anything's Possible: …
Maximum Overdrive: …
AI Am I: 0.o.
Turntables: … Dude, I… Dang! The way you're always talking about your mum… I thought she disappeared like 5 years ago! Minimum!
Sunshine: Oh, um, no, she vanished recently…
Sunshine: Um… Is it weird to think that a male lust demon reminds me of my Mother in a way?
Fashion Baker: Axel reminds you of your Maman?
Sunshine: … Yes… He's oddly motherly… Is… It… Strange to think that a guy can be motherly?
Gothic Girlfriend: In the wise words of the Animaniacs, "Gender is an outdated bunch of baloney!"
Poison Ivy: That's my girl!
Gothic Girlfriend: ?
Sunshine: Hey! To change topics… Maybe in the next interview, I have I can promote healthy model diets!
Teddy Bear: Hey, that's not a bad idea.
Queen Bee: About time you use your model powers for something besides showing off that pretty face *affectionately*.
Rollersnake: ?
Poison Ivy: Ooo! Perfect!
Gothic Girlfriend: Awesome.
Ladyblogger: And maybe there's something in that diet that can help Lila stay healthy!
Turntables: I think I agree with Miss B about her mum taking her to the doctor first, b4 she does any major changes to her diet.
Maximum Overdrive: Agreed. It is best to talk to your doctor before you make any significant changes to your diet, especially if you are currently ill and change it so suddenly.
Anything's Possible: Yeah, and from what I learned from my cousin, you have to start with small changes when going into a new diet so your body can adjust to it.
Ladyblogger: Huh, Nora mentioned the same thing when talking to the twins about her kickboxing diet.
}{ Miss Bustier's Class }{
The teens quickly tucked their phones away before Miss Bustier noticed.
~}I{ At Tom and Sabine's Bakery }I{~
The owners of the namesake business were keeping up with the usual hustle and bustle of their typical day. The only difference today was either one or the other checking on their "House Guest" every hour or when it slowed a bit. The Hell Lord was still asleep on the couch. The pair didn't know if this was normal for Satan or not, but he WAS pretty lethargic last night… Maybe when Satan wakes up they can ask him if he can contact someone in Hell to help him.
Not even a minute after checking on their "guest", a new customer walked in. Both Tom and Sabine took note of how this customer seemed… Oddly calming… The entire bakery seemed to quiet down as soon as he walked in. The silvery white-haired man turned his head from side to side as if trying to pinpoint something before his attention was on the bakery's display case and walked in that direction, using his cane in hand to ensure he didn't walk into anything. The moment he got close enough to the owners Sabine greeted the customer and asked if he was interested in any particular goods.
The man with the silver-white hair sniffed the air a few times before he said in an oddly harmonious voice, "While you're goods smell divine, I will have to decline. I am here to discuss some important matters with the individual currently resting in your residence."
Both Tom and Sabine glanced at each other before the taller asked the guy, "He's not in trouble for what's going on? Because it's outside his control and he's doing what he's… Paid to do… And it wasn't much…"
The silver-white-haired man let out a hum before saying softly, "So, you're aware of who he is. This means that there was a reason for him to disclose that to a pair of mortals." That was when both Tom and Sabine saw the cane in this person's hand shift into a sword and then back into a cane. It was quick, but the two caught it all and knew that if anyone else happened to see would have written it off as a trick of the light. This man then stated in a serious yet still harmonious tone, "I am Raguel. And while I am from the opposite place as your guest, my main duty is to ensure that both our homes are in Harmonious Balance. As of now, I have to talk to him to understand what is going on to cause such Disharmony in his home."
Okay, that put a few things in perspective for the Dupain-Chengs. So they let the silver-white-haired man in, so long as there was no fighting. Raguel's only response was, "If we did then the Harmony of your home will be disrupted. I will not do such a thing." before entering the residence, using his cane to guide him in.
The Dupin-Chengs thought about that as they continued with their business.
~}I{ Back at Dupont, During Lunch }I{~
Chloe, Zoe, and Sabrina appeared to be having a good lunch with Mylene, Ivan, Rose, and Juleka while the members of the Bs Chat Group were having a serious talk in the corner of the canteen.
"XY?" Kim suggested with a shrug. They were still trying to think about possible suspects of the identity of this Summoner.
Nino waved a 'no way' hand when he said, "Can't be him. After that incident with Bob Roth nearly a month ago, the courts have XY living with his mum's parents somewhere in Ireland. There is no way he can know what's been going on here with Mari so quickly."
Yeah, that was valid.
Marinette was stirring her drink uneasily. Given the topic and them not finding anyone who would fit… It was understandable…
That was when Kagami asked, "What about that Rila girl? She doesn't like Marinette."
Kim responded, "Well, we did think of her as a possibility, but Lila was out of school almost half the time of those rapid summonings and she isn't in the Class Chat so she wouldn't know if "the List" isn't being done." Nino and Marinette agreed with that statement, one more reluctantly than the other.
Kagami raised a brow at this before she asked, "Is the "she was out of school" part the only reason why she can't be this Summoner."
The twin-tailed teen frowned at the mention of the liar's name before she stated sourly, "Well, as much as I don't like her and she doesn't like me, I don't think she would do something as drastic as constantly summoning a demon to get back at me. Maybe once against Ladybug for bruising her ego in front of Adrien, but not me for noticing her lies… And I doubt she would have the space and means to summon multiple times, and she would have a more "I want you to do this petty stuff to her" kind of thing… Plus, if she's not in the Class Chat then she wouldn't know what hasn't been happening while she is out sick, which her mother is confirming."
Kagami thought about that before she submitted to that logic. But she did bring up, "What about that not-so-subtle interest in Adrien? Satan did bring up that Love Rival thing as another possible motive."
Nino, Kim, and Marinette had uneasy looks on their faces when the red-capped teen said, "Well, yeah, that's another good motivator, but Adrien has been telling her that he's not interested."
Marinette couldn't help but slide in, "Now if only Lila can take a hint and stop trying to cling to Adrien every chance she gets… Thank goodness for the boundary system…" She took a sip of her drink. The others had to agree with that.
Meanwhile, at a different table. Alya was happily texting Lila about what went down in the class chat today, minus the stuff regarding the Ash-Mode Brand since she assumed the Italian girl already knew about it all due to the "collaboration". The blogger had wondered why Lila hadn't joined the chat but as it turns out the Italian girl's phone could only do personal text messages. Not too big a deal for Alya, she didn't mind telling her friend what had been happening while she was stuck at home.
~}I{ Rossi's Residence }I{~
Lila glared at her phone screen in annoyance. Her loyal little pawn had just told her that Marinette was still attending school as if nothing was wrong, not that the blogger knew that that was what she did.
Lila let out a 'tsk' before thinking, 'Satan should just do what I want him to now instead of prolonging the inevitable.' She quickly replied to that pawn of hers before she snatched the pencil case she stole from that goody-goody's locker and grabbed her copy of the basement key since she has been going there a lot and it was a pain to keep stealing the key from the real owners. Lila was smugly proud of herself for that perfect plan to break into that locker without anyone knowing, besides that goody-goody kept so much junk in that locker that she wouldn't notice if anything was missing.
Now Lila needed to get to the roof to get a pigeon to sacrifice for that Summoning.
~}I{ About an Hour Later }I{~
An Akuma Alert went out. Marinette asked Kim to cover for her if anyone asks and Adrien texted Nino and Kagami to ask them to say that he was fencing with them. Chat Noir added a mask with one of those LED lights that shows the wearer's mood to his costume because of all the Mr Pigeon fights. Ladybug thought the mask was adorable, especially since the "mouth" was like a cat's.
Problem was… The Akuma wasn't Mr Pigeon…
It was the former Style Queen...
Both Ladybug and Chat Noir were baffled that Hawkmoth would Akumatize her, especially with all the news coverage about all the scandals that Audrey was behind… This made them wonder if Hawkmoth even paid any attention to the recent news… This was going to reopen some wounds for the Style Queen's families… … Maybe they should help them find a better name for their collective family members…
But at least the duo had some help… The Hell Hunters that Asmodeus sent to hunt down Audrey were fine with working with the Heroes, so long as they didn't interfere with them dragging their target to Hell to face her due punishment. Both Ladybug and Chat Noir were "fine" with that but they needed the Akuma so it doesn't spread all over Hell and for the Miraculous Cure to fix everything that the Style Queen destroyed or altered. The Hell Hunters were more than fine with that since they didn't want anything to do with the Miraculous in Hell.
The Style Queen was running all over Paris in that gaudily Akuma form that she had the first time she was Akumatize, just more glittery and didn't turn into a swarm of sparkles. That was good considering she was already giving her pursuers one heck of a runaround.
Urg! So much collateral damage and people getting hurt! They were going to need the Miraculous Cure!
"Bloody bitch!" one of the Hell Hunters growled out as they slammed an oncoming street light out of the way with their own spear. This one had the scary red-on-black demonic horns protruding from their temples that curved up and over their head, blazing yellow eyes with grey pupils that were slits, scaly-like hair that was earth-brown that only reached their shoulders, and wore what looked like black and silver midlevel armour that was clearly meant for combat. As they and the others landed on a nearby roof, this Hell Hunter snapped, "She's causing far too much destruction fur muh liking."
The second Hell Hunter with short dark blonde hair that was tied back in a high poney-tail with the bangs hanging over the right eye, had midnight blue eyes with bright silver split pupils, had a grey corkscrew horn that protruded out of their left temple that curved to the side slightly, and wore the same armour as the first but the colour-scheme was silver and dark blue readied a long-bow and shot a few arrows. Those arrows caught a falling car and stopped it from crushing a pair of pedestrians who were trying to get away from the scene. "Da," the second Hell Hunter got out in a Russian accent before turning to their allies when they added, "Vouldn't surprize me if Lord Asmodeus condemns her to a Stress Reliever in za Lust Ring."
"Do… We want to know what that is?" Both Ladybug and Chat Noir asked in an unwilling tone.
The third Hell Hunter gave the two a look before asking in an accent that seemed like a mix of New Yorker and Kreal, "Yah two are undah the age of an adult, right?" This Hell Hunter had black hair that was styled in a wolf shave, red eyes with bright purple slits, wore the same armour as the others but had a more dark and light grey colour palette, and carried a double-bladed scythe.
As Chat Noir nodded as Ladybug asked, "Oh, THAT kind of stuff?"
The three Hell Hunters nodded.
Chat Noir was a little confused while Ladybug grumbled out as she folded her arms, "Can't say that it wouldn't be deserved…" That was when the black cat hero somewhat understood what was being talked about.
Soon they were back to chasing after the Style Queen… Paris was going to end up half destroyed by the time they could corner her, aren't they…
~}I{ In the Dupain-Cheng's Bakery }I{~
Satan slowly opened his eyes as awareness slowly crept back to the Lord of Wrath. Memories of the Dupain-Chengs getting him to the couch and then making him comfortable came back to him… Satan vaguely remembered that he talked to Tikki before falling asleep… When was the last time he spoke to her without her glaring at him? Ah, before Joan… Any time they met after that were glares… Same with…
Satan's vision was blurry at first before they started to become more focused. Once his vision cleared, he saw the figure of the silvery-white-haired man sitting in a chair across from him. Satan rubbed his eyes when he got out in an embarrassingly tired tone, "Raguel? What are you doing here?"
Raguel tilted his head to the side a bit before he said, "It seems like you are more exhausted than you thought. But no one can blame you because of that Over-Summoner."
Satan pinched the bridge of his nose before he grumbled out as he slowly sat up, "Urg, that's why you're here…" He let out a soft groan of annoyance before he said, "If it weren't for the fact that the bitch keeps pouring the blood into the Summoning Circle Before she makes the summon, Asmodeus would've either rightfully cursed them or marked her as condemned… Possibly smited them on the spot…" He let out an unflattering yawn before adding tiredly, "What's worse is not only that this Over-Summoner somehow knows that what they want isn't getting done so quickly and continuing to do this Botched Summoning, but they're NOT listening to Ozzie at all…" Satan rubbed his eyes again before saying, "Urg, Marinette is an unlikely target for Wrath and has absolutely no clue as to why this Over-Summoner hates her THAT much… Whoever they are… Still waiting on that image of that bitch from Ozzie…" With his eyes half-open, the Lord of Wrath added, "But I wouldn't be surprised if all those Summonings made them too aggravated to make an image or ended up destroying the image because of their anger towards the Over-Summoner…"
Raguel let out a soft hum before saying, "I suspected as much in regards to this Summoner, but what caught my attention is the fact that you are referring to that Target by her given name. Does she know who you are as well?"
Satan let out a sigh, knowing full well that lying to this Angel was completely pointless. But at least Tikki wouldn't be mad at him for telling Raguel about that particular fact. "Marinette is Tikki's current Holder, I had to reveal that fact to her so we could make arrangements as to what I can do… Her parents had to know because Marinette is a child," the Lord of Wrath told the Angel, which was probably all he needed to understand why the Dupain-Chengs know about him. Satan sighed again before saying, "And three other humans know about her and me. They're Marinette's friends and they're helping with figuring out who this annoying Summoner is… Not that they're having much luck on that… Tikki chose another relatively pure Holder, so not many true enemies except for that Hawkmoth character… But he seems to be more the Ladybug persona's enemy rather than Marinette's…"
Raguel let out another hum before saying, "Oh? That explains the rather strong magic energy that I've sensed lingering inside this building." He tapped his cane before he said, "I've read that to-do list that the Summoner has been giving Lord Asmodeus and you… They gave the same list ten times… You have to be uneasy about the whole thing being targeted towards a relatively pure soul, correct Lord Satan?"
Satan sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose again before he admitted, "At first, I was under the impression that Marinette would've made a good underling with how much Wrath was targeted towards her, but almost a week went by and I got nothing that would vindicate such a list… The only things I could find were her back-and-white morals, which is more rubbing the wrong way than actual wrath, and that pursuing that blonde male classmate that has other suitors, but she seems to be on good terms with those suitors…" He slumped back against the couch when he added, "There is no reason anyone should hate Marinette THAT much… So, yes, I'm uneasy as well as exhausted…"
"How unusual…" was all Raguel got out.
Satan opened a tired eye at the Angel when he said, "You can talk to her if you want. She'll come home soon. Doubt she'd even think to lie to you about anything…"
Raguel was quiet for a bit before he finally said, "I shall do so, however, it would be in your best interest to remain here until those under you can bring you a vile or two of Liquid Wrath."
Satan let out an annoyed groan before he said, "Urg! You don't have to tell me that, I know I barely have the energy to do anything… And Ozzie isn't much better… Except they're more aggravated than exhausted…"
Raguel couldn't help but say, "That is understandable."
~}I{ With the Heroes and Hell Hunters }I{~
Well, things have gotten… Interesting… At least for Ladybug and Chat Noir. The Hell Hunters seemed… Oddly casual about the situation… It was a little scary, to be honest.
The Style Queen had a hostage. A tall red-headed man with a white streak in his hair, dark blue eyes, wearing a black turtleneck shirt, khaki jacket with matching slacks, and black shoes was being held almost at gunpoint, or staff point in this case, by the Akuma, was just… Having a nice casual conversation with the Hell Hunters as if he weren't in any danger!
The red-headed man just started the whole thing by saying, "Uh, okay… What did this Gholdengo (2) wannabe do to warrant the attention of a few Hell Hunters?"
This made the Hell Hunters laugh before the one with the spear said, "Nice to know yar keeping up-to-date on things. And ta answer your question… Tha bitch violated tha Lust Contract she had with Lord Asmodeus."
The redheaded man raised a brow at this before he asked, "What kind of violation would require Hell Hunters?"
The Hell Hunter with the longbow scoffed before saying, "Za payment. Za deal was zat Lord Asmodeus got za blood first to start za contract and za clock for it, and once za time for za contract was up za bitch was to forfeit her soul. However, za bitch decided to sacrifice all of her children instead and decided to avoid Lord Asmodeus."
The redhead let out a small hum before he said, "I see, so she refused to adhere to the original deal and thought using her own children would be fine…" He sighed before saying, "Honestly, people nowadays don't seem to understand how Contracts work."
The Hell Hunter with the scythe scoffed before saying, "If yah ask me, ah tink tha bitch planed ta use any children she made from da start."
The redheaded man let out a distasteful groan when he got out, "Urg, that is several levels of lows on all ends."
Both Ladybug and Chat Noir were looking back and forth between the Hell Hunters and this strange redheaded man during this weird conversation, not knowing if they needed to help the man or not. Did he even know how much danger he was in?
The Style Queen, on the other hand, was getting rather aggravated that these people were talking about her WHILE ignoring her. In furry, the Akumatized individual shoved the redhead to the side before she stormed over towards the Hell Hunters and snapped in rage, "How dare you lot! I am the Style Queen! The number one authority when it comes to what's in and hot in the fashion industry!" She then started on a rant about how "exceptional" she was.
Ladybug and Chat Noir glanced at each other when the third sentence of that rant started. Neither was sure how to react to what they saw and what they were seeing.
When the Style Queen shoved the redheaded man to the side, he took the opportunity to snatch the Akumatized object on the Akuma, which was her sunglasses. It seems that Audrey's blind fury at the Hell Hunters prevented her from noticing that she lost the item that kept her as an Akuma… Nor was she seeing the Hell Hunters readying their weapons to strike…
… … … …
Chat Noir leaned a little closer to Ladybug before he whispered to her, "Uh, should we look away before they… Slay her?" The "mouth" on the mask contorted into a befuddled frown as the "lips" moved in a talking motion as the Black Cat Holder spoke.
Ladybug returned the gesture and responded in a whisper, "Um, I guess that depends… How are you on gore or torture? And that's not even including if they going to kill her in the most unpleasant way possible?"
The heroes looked at each other once more before the redheaded man walked over to them as he held the Akuma Item towards them when he said, "I believe that the two of you need this However, I recommend that you wait until the Hell Hunters finish their job before you cast that Miraculous Cure."
Both Ladybug and Chat Noir gave the man an awkward thanks as they destroyed and purified the corrupted butterfly. While the two teens did this, they were able to hear the sounds of Audrey's screams of pain while the Hell Hunters were doing… Whatever they were doing to her… The heroes couldn't see what was happening since the redheaded man was conveniently blocking their view… Or was blocking their view purposefully. If it was the latter, then the two weren't sure if they should be thankful for that or not… The man did ask the heroes about the LED mask that the Black Cat Hero was wearing, which neither hero was sure if he was asking to distract them from the "event" or out of curiosity and to be frank neither hero cared. The man found the reason for the mask rather interesting.
Not even a minute later the Hell Hunters had Audrey the former Style Queen in chains… Where did those come from? … Okay, maybe the two teenage heroes didn't need to know how this thing worked… Nor did they want to know…
It made Ladybug and Chat Noir's gut churn when Audrey tried to bargain her freedom in exchange for her children and their fathers. And to the Heroes' surprise, the Hell Hunters were disgusted by the former Style Queen's "offer". One of them even commented, "And humans dare to call us evil. But that's just… *Shakes head*." Before they opened a portal to Hell and literally dragged Audrey through it.
After a minute or so, the redheaded man let out a sniff before he said, "If she was that quick to offer up those that are supposed to be close to her, then she couldn't have been a pleasant person to deal with. What's worse is that if she had thought about adding the lives of her children and their fathers to the Contract at the start, this whole thing wouldn't have happened and she would have continued with whatever deal she made and the world wouldn't have known about her deeds." He glanced to the side to see that were some people lingering nearby, some with their phones out that captured the entire thing, and it was likely that it would be the leading story later in the day. He quickly noticed the body language of these two young heroes, both seemed majorly uncomfortable with what he had said. The redhead's eyes glowed slightly and allowed him to see through the glamour that kept the two's identities a secret. 'Teenagers again… I wonder if they had any training…' He thought before he told the two, "Do either of you mind if we talk in a more secluded location?"
Ladybug and Chat Noir nodded before the black-clad hero said, "Sure, but you have to answer some of our questions too."
The redheaded man nodded when he stated, "Fair enough."
The three quickly took off towards the roofs before any of the civilians noticed that they were gone.
After a minute or so of jumping from rooftop to rooftop, the teen heroes quickly noticed that the redheaded man was easily keeping pace with them. This was definitely out of the norm, more than usual to say the least. They passed by a billboard advertising a Gabrial Brand perfume featuring Adrien Agreste next to the perfume bottle, the redheaded man raised a brow at this before he glanced at Chat Noir. Soon, they landed on the roof of a particular building and the teens started their questions, starting with who the man was.
The redheaded man gave Ladybug and Chat Noir a polite bow when he introduced himself, "My name is Jason Blood (3)." He stood at his full height when he added, "I believe that Asmodeus informed Satan that I would be one of the few individuals coming to assist with this Overactive Wrong Summoner."
Chat Noir raised a brow as the LED lights on his face mask morphed into a suspicious frown when he asked, "You're the help that a Lord of Hell called?" He placed his hands on his hips when he got out, "I somewhat expected someone more on the devilish side."
The redheaded man, Jason Blood, gave them a small shrug and a wiry smile when he replied, "Well, I can't blame you for thinking that, given the situation. Though admittedly, you're partially right on that." Both Ladybug and Chat Noir glanced at each other at the answer. Jason then looked at the red-clad hero when he said, "Asmodeus made it clear that it is Ms Ladybug Holder's civilian identity that seems to be getting the unwanted hate, correct."
Ladybug subconsciously rubbed her left arm with her right hand in uneasiness when she said, "Yeah, uh, that's what Satan told me…" She glanced to the side when she added, "That's only part of the issue with that Summoner…"
Jason folded his arms when he said, "The frequency of the Summons. Asmodeus gave a nice little rant about that…" He narrowed his eyes as he glanced to the side when he added in a not-so-pleased tone, "Right after that Summoner called them during our call…"
Chat Noir blinked in shock as the LED lights moved the mouth into a Shocked Pikachu mouth before he asked, "You mean that this Summoner called Asmodeus while they were in the middle of talking to you?!"
Jason nodded when he said, "It was a video call rather than a phone call, so I actually saw the Summoning happen on their end." He sighed before he said, "I knew for a fact that Asmodeus called when they weren't on the Summon List, so as you can imagine, it was a surprise to me that it happened…" The redhead then narrowed his eyes when he added, "It took an hour and a half for them to return from that Summon. From what Asmodeus said the, and I quote, "Bitch of a Summoner criticised me as Satan for not doing what she wanted, ignored me, and then went on off on that stupidly extensive list, again!" end quote. As you can imagine, they weren't exactly in a good mood after that. They nearly forgot that they were on call with me."
This made Ladybug even more uneasy and Chat Noir rather concerned when he asked, "How can this Summoner still not listen to Asmodeus after, what ten Summons?" He looks at his partner for confirmation, and she nods before he continues, "And Asmodeus is trying to explain that the Summoner is doing the Summon wrong and that they need to stop!"
Jason taps his left fingers on his right arm as he kept his arms folded when he said, "Per protocol for both Heaven and Hell when something like that happens. Summoning Contracts with Angels and Demons are relatively easy to make, but the main thing that humans tend to overlook is that if the symbols for the Summon Circle aren't right then they're going to end up Summoning an Angel or Demon that doesn't aline with what they wanted. It's not an issue for mortals, but it is for both Heaven and Hell."
Ladybug gave a shaky nod when she said, "Yeah… Uh, Satan explained that it causes a problem with tracking the Angel or Demon Summoned and their safety… There's also the issue with blocking those Over-Summoners, right?"
Jason nodded before saying, "Correct, and I'm not surprised you were told this." He sighed as he unfolded his arms when he stated, "Two things before you can ask your questions and use that Miraculous Cure." He held up his left index finger when he asked, "Regarding the Rules for the Miraculous, is that particular one regarding knowing each other's civilian identity still active?"
Well now, that was a little unexpected question for the two teens. There weren't many people who knew about the Miraculous knew about the Order of the Guardians, much less about their rules… Only other Holders and members of the Order of the Guardians knew about those rules… So how did this man know?
Jason noticed the looks before he stated, "Long story short and without going into too many details, Wang Fu and I knew each other enough for me to know about the Miraculous."
The two Miraculous Holders were… Still unsure of how much they should tell this guy… Yeah, he seemed to know the Guardian by name but… They didn't know what their relationship was…
Jason sighed as he rubbed his left temple before he stated, "Listen, I'm only here to identify this Over-Summoner and get them to stop before something worse can happen. I'm not here for the Miraculous. However, they are somewhat involved in this whole ordeal." He folded his arms again before he added, "Unfortunately, since Ms Ladybug's civilian identity is the target of this Over-Summoner, I will have to know who she is so I can help figure out who this Over-Summoner is. And if that "can't know each other's identity rule" is still in place, then I am going to end up stepping on a few toes."
The LED lights on Chat Noir's face mask morphed into a potent frown when he said in an annoyed, sarcastic tone, "Oh, joy, another person that gets to know M'Lady's identity before me…" His cat ears drooped at this.
Ladybug gave her partner an understandably conflicted look on her face. She wanted to comfort her partner and tell him that things would get better and that she'll let him know once this was all over, but at the same time, she knew what was at risk right now. Even more so because she had someone who was somehow stalking her… Ladybug wasn't sure what to do…
Jason glanced between Ladybug and Chat Noir. He let out another sigh before he stated, "I'm going to have to track down Wang after this and talk to him, but you two can tell each other who you are under the mask to lessen the strain of this whole thing if you truely want."
Chat Noir and Ladybug glanced at each other before they both said that they needed to think about it. Jason only nodded when he replied, "Fair enough."
Soon they exchanged questions and answers before the Miraculous Cure was cast. The Lucky Charm summoned for it was an old, simple key to a door. Not the weirdest thing that they got, but it was a little odd. Once the Miraculous Cure did its thing, Chat Noir left but not before Ladybug apologised to him for this whole ordeal. To which the Black Cat hero responded that it wasn't her fault that someone else wanted to cause trouble by not listening. With that, the teens split with Jason Blood following the ladybug holder.
~}I{ Meanwhile, in Hell }I{~
A vase collided with a wall with a satisfying crash and shattered into pieces. Asmodeus let out a low growl as they watched the vase shards fall to the ground. That didn't make the Lord of Lust feel any better…
One of the Lust Demons got their Lord's attention by asking if they were all right.
Asmodeus sighed as they pinched the bridge of their centre head before saying, "That Over-Summoner…" They growled when they snapped out, "How can any mortal be so egotistical that they ignore any reason that I can give them so they stop Summoning every other day!? Impatient little bitch!"
The nearby Lust Demons huddled in fear at their Lord's uncharacteristic display of anger. Upon feeling their underlings' emotions, Asmodeus quickly calmed down and apologised for their outburst. The underlings understood why their Lord was enraged and knew it wasn't directed at them, but it was still scary to see.
"I honestly hope that Jason finds that Over-Summoner and stops them…" one of the underlings got out.
Asmodeus sighed before saying, "Same here… Hope he can work with Raguel when they meet…"
~}I{ An Hour Later at the Dupain-Cheng Bakery }I{~
Marinette texted Kim, Nino, and Kagami about the situation and asked them to come over to share their "Find the Summoner" data with Jason Blood and Raguel. The boys agreed to come over but Kagami had fencing practice with Adrien but sent them her section. Tikki wasn't happy that yet another person knew her Holders' Identity, but knew it was needed to end this whole Over-Summoner issue. It also surprised Marinette that the Kwami already knew Jason Blood. Guess that meant that the guy was telling the truth about knowing Master Fu…
To give Satan some sleeping space, since the Lord of Wrath was still too tired to do anything other than acknowledge that Jason was there, and avoid customers hearing what they were doing, the group decided to do their data sharing on the roof of the bakery.
Jason looked over a part of the data when he said, "Eesh, it's one thing being told about the frequent Summons, but seeing how often it happens… I'm surprised Asmodeus was able to get anything partially done in the Ring of Lust." He then added, "And this certainly explains why Satan isn't in the mood to do anything."
Raguel ran his fingers over the papers when he stated, "Very true." His fingers ran over a particular bit of information before he asked the teens and Kwami, "You have noted that your school seems to be the epicentre of this Summoner's source of information and the items used for locating spells. Does that mean you believe that the Summoner is among the individuals there?"
The teens could only stare at the Angel as he appeared to read with his finger when Tikki explained, "Given that the items were taken from Marinette's school locker, which she has been locking, and no one at the school has noticed anyone strange or unusual on school grounds, we have come to the assumption that the Summoner is either someone who goes to the school for a legitimate reason or is using someone who goes to the school to get information on Marinette."
Raguel nodded when he said, "Reasonable conclusion, and the first place that we need to start our investigation."
Jason looked at the Angel of Justice when he stated, "I can work something out with the school's headmaster so they can have a more legitimate and more mortal reason as to why we are there." He felt his phone vibrate and was quick to answer it, only to see that it was a text. He quickly responded to the text before he said, "And we'll have a little helper who can bypass any suspicions that the students might have about us."
Raguel let out a hum before he said, "So, you brought your daughter along." He turned slightly towards the redheaded man before asking, "I can assume that it is more because she needs the Magic practice and learning how the Magical aspect of the mortal world works?" Jason simply replied with a, "yes". Tikki quickly threw in that they also needed to keep the Miraculous Identities a secret.
Kim raised a hand when he asked, "Uh, not to be rude, but it is kind of bothering me… But Mr Raguel, why are you pressing your fingers against the paper while you read?"
Raguel didn't seem surprised by the question when he responded, "This is how I read what is on any type of surface. I use my spiritual energy to raise the letterings so they're easier for me to read." Kim, Nino, and Marinette seemed confused by that answer.
Jason seemed to understand what was going on when he told the teens, "Raguel is blind, so he reads by touching. He uses his magical energy to turn normal letters into brail when his fingers touch the surface."
The three teens let out a collective, "Oooohhh," now understanding the oddity… And why the Angel was using a cane… Okay, it seems so obvious now and it made the teens feel a little self-conscious about missing the signs.
Raguel then asked, "Come to think of it, Lord Satan said that three mortals outside this family know the truth, so where is the third one?"
Nino easily responded, "Oh, Kagami couldn't miss fencing practice, so she's probably sparring with Adrien right now."
Kim quickly threw in, "You'll meet her later, possibly at school."
Raguel gave a simple nod before the group continued with their discussion.
}I{ At Dupont's Fencing Club Lockers, Roughly 30 Minutes Later }I{
Adrien slumped on the bench when he told Kagami after his little rant about the recent events, "Sorry that I ended up complaining to you about that Jason guy…"
Kagami shook her head when she stated, "It is fine, and you do have a right to not like something even if you know that it is not your fault or Ladybug's."
Plagg floated between the two when he said, "Agreed." He folded his stubby arms as he closed his eyes when he added, "It's been a while since that guy was involved with the Miraculous though."
Kagami tapped her chin before she stated, "So, that part was true… Interesting."
Adrien couldn't help but agree with the bluette when he said, "True, and it makes me wonder how Master Fu met him…"
Plagg was oddly quiet at this.
~}I{ About an Hour Later, in one of the Suites of Le Grand Paris }I{~
The child that came with Jason Blood stuck a red pin onto a map of Paris when she got out with a smile, "And, done~." She happily took another look at her work, holding the crystal to her bracelet in her hand.
If someone were to look at the array of red, blue, and yellow pins stuck onto the map of the City of Love, they would think that the child was trying to plan a sightseeing trip with all the pins being places she wanted to go to.
Suddenly, the door to the room unlocked and Jason Blood walked in when he said, "Kathryn (4), I'm back."
The girl, Kathryn, looked over to the redhead when she said, "Hi, Dad. Did you find the Target that the Annoying Summoner was after?"
Jason moved closer to his daughter when he said, "I did. As expected Archangel Raguel is involved, and Satan is rightfully exhausted enough to sleep an entire day."
Kathryn stared at her dad with a worried look when she said, "Well… From what we were told… He was going back and forth between Earth and Hell in rapid succession… And for hardly anything in return…"
Jason nodded when he replied, "That's the reason why we're here. To find that Summoner and fix the Summoning Circle so Hell can block her." He let out a sigh before he added, "Though considering what's been happening… I have a feeling that Hell is going to have other plans for this Summoner even after the block is in place."
Kathryn shrugged her shoulders when she stated, "Can't blame them, whoever this Summoner is is causing problems for Aunt-cle Ozzie and Mr Satan."
Jason let out a hum before saying, "Very true, and why I don't want you making any attempts to get close to this Summoner even after they're found." Kathryn stated that she knew. The redheaded man looked over the map when he asked, "I see you've been doing a little Dowsing while I was out. Find anything interesting?"
Kathryn smiled as she let go of the crystal, which was attached to a golden chain, letting it drop to the chain's full length before it started glowing silver. That was when the crystal dower moved on its own and started wrapping itself around the girl's right wrist, reforming into the bracelet she was wearing earlier. Kathryn looked down at the map when she said, "I sure did." She pointed at the red pin on the Eiffel Tower when she explained, "These pins indicate the man-made magic areas." She then pointed at the blue pin on the Louvre when she said, "These are natural magic areas." She then pointed at the yellow pin on the map when she explained, "And these are just weird clusters of the magic of unknown origins."
Jason looked over the map when he said, "You did a pretty good job." That was when he realised the yellow pin on the building of Dupont. "Huh, that's a coincidence," he muttered under his breath, but his daughter still heard it.
Kathryn blinked when she looked at her dad when she asked, "What is?"
"That high school, Dupont," Jason said as he tapped on the building on the map. He then added, "The Target goes to that school, and it's where the Over-Summoner seems to be getting their information on her."
Kathryn tilted her head to the side before looking at the map when she said, "Weird, but… According to the Dowsing Crystal… That big cluster of magic has been there for a while… My best guess might be a year or two…"
Jason then stated as he patted his daughter on the head, "Well, we're going to the school tomorrow. I know you're going to try to figure out that cluster, but I need you to do a job as my assistant for this mission first." Kathryn's eyes lit up at this.
~}I{ Secret Keepers Chat Group }I{~
Samurai: Can we retract the "wait for an opportunity"? Adrien is rightfully unhappy about this "help" learning Ladybug's identity before him.
DJ-Tunes: At least the dude's cool. And pretty knowledgeable about the occult stuff.
DJ-Tunes: Oh, that reminds me. He and Raguel want to talk to you, Kagami. Just to see if what you know matches up with what Kim and I know.
Heartstrings: Should we tell them about this?
Samurai: How about, if they don't ask we don't have to tell them.
DJ-Tunes: LOL, same thing with the Lust Demons at the photoshoots.
Heartstrings: Jules told me about that… Do either of you know if the dick asked anything?
DJ-Tunes: He hasn't noticed a thing.
Samurai: Nor has he noticed that Adrien has been told about "what is an appropriate touch" and has been establishing actual boundaries.
Heartstrings: …
Heartstrings: Excuse me? Did I just read that Adrien didn't have any boundaries before?
Samurai: Mostly the stuff regarding others touching his person. You weren't aware of it?
Heartstrings: No!
Heartstrings: Wait… Other people touching him? Oh, no wonder I didn't know. I have a habit of not touching others unless they want the contact. You can ask Jules if you want confirmation.
DJ-Tunes: Oh, that's a reasonable excuse not to notice.
Heartstrings: So… Gabe never gave Adrien any type of talk regarding personal space and boundaries?
DJ-Tunes: Given that Axel went over all the types of touches that are appropriate and the ones that aren't… Yeah, it seems like it… I don't know the scale of that issue, but it apparently made Adrien "re-assess" all his prior interactions with a lot of his co-workers and other people he had to interact with in the past.
Samurai: Oh… So That's what Mother meant when she describes Adrien as being "unwittingly placid around others despite the unfavourable company".
Samurai: No wonder it didn't take much convincing to get Mother aboard the "backup plan".
Heartstrings: … I have no idea how I should respond to that information.
DJ-Tunes: I feel ya.
DJ-Tunes: Oh, speaking of Adrien… I think he might figure out who Ladybug is tomorrow. Or at least gets a clue about her ID.
Samurai: Why?
Heartstrings: Why?
~}I{ The Next Day }I{~
Adrien couldn't believe what he was seeing when he walked into school.
'What's he doing here?' The blonde model thought as he rubbed his eyes, ensuring he didn't see things.
There, standing on the ground floor talking to Damocles and another man with white hair with a young girl around Nino's kid brother's age standing next to him was Jason Blood. Adrien was too far away to hear what he was talking to the headmaster about, but whatever it was Damocles seemed to be agreeing to it, whatever it is.
"Yo," Nino said softly as he placed a hand on Adrien's shoulder that didn't have the Wrathfly before noticing what the blonde was looking at. Knowing he had to keep playing that supportive friend who only knows one side of things, Nino asked Adrien in a whispered tone so no one could overhear, "Is one of those dudes with Damocles that Jason Blood fellow?"
Adrien turned his head to his friend as he nodded and whispered back, "Yeah, the one with the red hair. I don't know who that other person is… Or the little girl" He glanced to the side when he mumbled, "But he better have not been told M'Lady's identity before me…"
The Wrathfly Larva's antenna twitched in interest as it lifted its head to get a better look at what was happening. It grew just a little bit, it wasn't noticeable unless you were looking or wanted to measure it.
The only thing Nino could do was squeeze his boi's shoulder.
However, this did make Adrien think, 'Wait, does that mean that Ladybug goes to my school?'
~}I{ Meanwhile }I{~
Cassandra Rossi was starting to get a little concerned about the school that her daughter attended…
As she sat at her desk at work, looking at that recent email from the school explaining why they have closed yet again on her phone. The only reason why Cassandra hasn't transferred to another school by this point was the fact that the school had that online curriculum that they had established when that Hawkmoth character appeared and started interrupting everyone's daily routine. Plus it was a good school.
Cassandra sighed again as she exited the email and sent Lila a text, asking her if there was anything in particular that she wanted for dinner.
Don't get the mother wrong, she loved her daughter and wanted to ensure that she had a good education but she was honestly getting worried about Lila's social health. Yes, Lila assured her that she still kept in contact with her classmates and her boyfriend, but Cassandra worried about the tenuousness of those bonds. Especially that boyfriend, Adrien if the mother remembered correctly. Cassandra was just… Okay, Lila assured her that Adrien was an absolute gentleman and they weren't doing anything she didn't want her to do, but the mother was just unsure about this whole relationship with this boy that she didn't even know… And all the excuses he was giving to Lila to avoid meeting her made Cassandra a little suspicious and added to that worry…
Cassandra rested her cheek on her hand and placed her elbow on her desk as she pondered over whether or not she should cut back her hours at work so she could be… More involved in her daughter's life… Well, more than just providing a home, necessities, and a comfortable life… Cassandra had to admit, it sucked that she couldn't spend as much time with her daughter as she wanted because of her rather busy but very well-paying job, but she was the only one who can take care of Lila right now…
'Maybe I should give my parents a call,' Cassandra thought before she read the text from her daughter.
Mrs Rossi just wished she could do more for her daughter as the mother glanced at the school's email, .
Cassandra didn't think it was odd that the French school's email had the Italian words for High School in the email. After all, all of the prior schools that Lila attended since Jr High had Italian words in their .org emails.
}I{ Rossi Residence }I{
Lila was just lounging on her bed as she photoshopped some images of her and Clara Nightengale together to make it look like they were hanging out. She smoothly responded to her oh-so-gullible mother's text before she checked her text from her loyal little pawn to see if Satan finally did what she wanted.
Lila had to do a double-take at what she read to make sure she was reading it right.
"An inspection of the school? For what?" the liar got out as she texted her pawn to get some answers.
The text from Alya was reasonable when it read, "Nothing major, just a random inspection to ensure that the school is up to code and the students are thriving. It'll take a while for them to complete since it's just two ppl doing it."
Lila narrowed her eyes as she responded to that text as she thought, 'Satan better do what I want. Because it's going to be a pain to take something from that goody-goody's locker with people actually watching.' But ultimately, Lila already had an idea as to how she can distract these people just in case she needed to get into that goody-goody's locker.
~}I{ Back at Dupont, During Lunch }I{~
"Hi! I'm Kathryn and I'm helping my dad with the inspection!" Kathryn said happily to the group of students at a table. She held up her vibrant blue notebook with a sparkly purple pen tied to the notebook with a simple string when she added, "Since dad and Mr Raguel are busy with the building and staff, I'm going to be asking you how you're liking the school and if there's anything you'd want to change."
The group at the table glanced at each other before asking the girl if it seemed like she was given a lot of work. But Kathryn told them that she was only asking if they liked the school and what they would like to change, she told them that her dad and Mr Raguel would be asking everyone more specific questions. She was just doing this so it was something that the two adults didn't have to worry about. The group felt that that seemed fair and reasonable, so they answered the girl's questions.
Kathryn happily tallied off the responses for the yes/no question and wrote down any changes the students wanted. As she did this she kept a close eye on the students, getting a read on their energy and watching for their micro tells to see if there was anything else. So far nothing with this group.
Kathryn noticed another group trying to comfort a pair of blonde girls with Wrathflies at a different table. 'I should do that group last,' the child thought as she moved to a different table. She knew that if Wrathflies were around, there were some negative emotions in the air. Also, it looked like that group was doing a good job of cheering the blonde girls up and Kathryn didn't want to interrupt that.
Meanwhile…
"Her statements match Kim and Nino," Raguel stated as he and Jason Blood entered the students' locker room.
The redheaded man vocalised his agreement as he looked around the area. As expected, there weren't any students present, all too busy eating their lunch and enjoying their free time before classes resume. When he spotted the particular locker he was looking for, he stated, "Ah, there's her locker." Jason then walked over to that locker with the Angel of Justice following.
The first thing they did was inspect the exterior. The only "damage" they could find was the bent padlock staple. After taking a few quick pictures of the outside with a pocket-sized digital camera, Jason quietly used a lock charm to disengage the lock, which Marinette did give her permission for, and opened the locker. The creaking sound made both the redhead and the angel cringe. After inspecting the door and finding nothing wrong, it was closed and relocked.
Rubbing his ears, Raguel stated, "Mm, other than that unpleasant sound, the door doesn't seem like it has been tampered with…"
Jason narrowed his eyes at the lock when he stated, "So someone either picked the lock or knows the combination to it."
Raguel nodded before saying, "I can give her a lock that will keep track of the fingerprints of whoever touches it."
Jason folded his arms when he stated, "That will probably be the best option right now." He places his left hand on his chin when he added, "But what bothers me is that no one has noticed anyone strange near her locker…"
Raguel could only hum in agreement as he stated, "True but that lock will tell us who it is should they break in again." It could cost them an unwanted summon but if it'll get them the culprit in the end, it was worth it. The two proceeded to look around the locker room to keep up appearances.
~}I{ Hours Later, After School Hours }I{~
Oh, Satan was NOT amused, not at all.
Granted he knew it wasn't Asmodeus' fault for sending him the papers for that Over-Summoner's demands, the Lord of Lust was following the rules after all. But the Over-Summoner, yeah, he was definitely allowed to hate with a burning passion! Heaven! Satan will be more than happy to share punishing that soul with Asmodeus when it was time for that soul to go to Hell, or sooner! And Satan wasn't known for sharing his condemned souls!
'Urg! Father knows that Ozzie deserves to punish that annoyance in wrathful ways,' Satan thought as he chugged down a vile of bright, vibrant, blood-red liquid the size of a soda bottle as he stormed past the humans who couldn't see him. Despite his anger, he had the forethought to put on glamour to stay hidden after one of his minions brought him three vile of Liquid Wrath and the Contract from that Botched Summon…
Thankfully, Satan had enough sense not to harm his underling or harm the Dupain-Cheng family and their business out of rage. Yes, he was still pissed, but he was the Lord of Wrath, he can focus and control his own rage. However, he needed to talk to Marinette, NOW!
So he ordered the minion to keep an eye on the Dupain-Chengs after drinking one vile of Liquid Wrath. He left the bakery without either of the owners noticing but made sure to order the underling to tell them that he needed to collect some wrath on his own to build up his strength. He was currently drinking one vile on the way to his destination, but for Heaven's sake! He was THAT low on energy to need two vile and still not feel at a quarter of his strength!
As Satan swore and cursed that annoying Over-Summoner, he arrived at his destination with a scowl.
~}I{ Dupont, the School's Main Area }I{~
As of now, the only ones in the school were Jason Blood, Kathryn, Raguel, Miss Bustier, her class, Kagami, Marc, Zoe, Damocles, and Ms Mendeleiev. Luka came by to pick up Juleka but got caught up in a conversation with the rest of Kitty Section. Marc and Nath were discussing what they should do for their next comic issue. Everyone else was just hanging around chatting with one another. They weren't in any hurry to go anywhere, but the science teacher seemed to have stayed to ask the redheaded teacher a rather odd question that caught the Miracuclass' attention immediately.
Ms Mendeleiev was able to see the Wrathflies on Adrien, Chloe, and Zoe! Of course, Damocles was confused about the question, he couldn't see the Wrathflies. Kathryn seem to find the whole thing funny while Jason tried to shush her. Raguel didn't seem bothered by the whole thing, but his attention was on-.
Satan burst into the area as he snapped angrily, "MARINETTE! THIS IS GETTING OUT OF HAND! THAT ANNOYING OVER-SUMMONER IS JUST NOT LISTENING AT ALL!"
"What the?!" Was the immediate thought of Jason Blood, Marinette, Nino, Kim, Kagami, Kathryn, and Raguel the moment this happened.
Satan stormed up to the surprised and baffled bluette when he snapped, "YOU MUST KNOW THAT SOME MORON HATES YOU THAT MUCH! I DON'T CARE WHO IT IS OR IF YOU ARE THE LADYBUG HOLDER! THIS IS NO LONGER A MINOR ISSUE! TELL ME WHO THEY ARE! NOW!"
The only thing Marinette could do was let out a shocked and surprised squeak, not being used to the Lord of Wrath being, well, so wrathful.
Most certainly annoyed with the whole thing, Tikki flew out of her hiding spot when she got out, "Oh for the love of cookies! Did you have to barge in like that?" She then folded her arms with a glare.
Calming down a little bit after seeing the little red Kwami, Satan stated in a serious tone that was shrouded in annoyance, "Tikki, I just got another botched contract from that annoying Over-Summoner from one of my underlings who also brought me some Liquid Wrath and I am not the only one who is angry and annoyed by them. Progress in both the Lust and the Wrath Rings are being completely uprooted because of that annoying Over-Summoner's inability to listen to beings higher than themselves and their unknown reason of haterade towards your innocent holder."
Jason interrupted the moment with a cough, getting both red beings' attention before he said, "Uh, actually, I'm pretty sure Tikki is more upset about," he points his thumb in a certain direction when he finishes, "That."
Satan raised a brow before he looked to where the other was pointing, and realised the audience that was staring at him with looks that seemed like a combination of shocked, confused, and 'what the hell?' to a varied degree depending on the person.
Marinette felt like she was going to die from the lack of feeling in her major organs.
Adrien was paralysed with pure shock at the realisation that he now knew who Ladybug was under the mask but NOT in the way he wanted to learn. Plagg was currently debating if he should intervene or not.
Kim, Nino, Kagami, and Luka were having a holy shit moment.
Alya dropped her phone. Thanks to the phone case, the phone hit the ground with a soft non-damaging thunk. Nath and Marc did the same but with their sketchbook and notebook respectively.
The teachers' jaws dropped as the headmaster appeared to have stiffened a little too much.
Rose covered her mouth with one hand in shock as hers and Juleka's eyes widened in disbelief.
Ivan and Mylene somewhat pinched each other's arms to make sure they weren't seeing things.
Max and Markov had an interesting look that read "exe has stopped working".
Sabrina covered her mouth with both her hands with a "What?" expression on her face, Zoe covered her ears in a "What did I hear?" manner, and Chloe covered her eyes in an "I can't believe what I'm seeing" manner.
Both Raguel and Jason had more "how did this happen?" looks on their faces.
Kathryn was the only one here that didn't seem to understand what was going on.
One of Satan's eyes twitched in disbelief at just how many mortals he didn't notice when he arrived. He ran a hand over his face when he got out in a tone that felt like a mix of bewilderment and dismay, "Oh you've got to be f-"
A lorry passes by the school with a loud honk.
"LANGUAGE!" Miss Bustier, Damocles, and Ms Mendeleiev scolded at the same time out of the habit of being educators.
~}I{~
To be Continued…
~}I{~
1… ? ? This is a nice little Easter Egg. If you get what it is, good. If not, that's fine. I just decided to make this kid is a fan of the show.
2… Oh, come on! We now have a Pokemon made of pure gold and the Style Queen Akuma is basically Audrey covered in gold paint (not counting the powers). I'm surprised no one else made the comparison. I guess the only thing I regret about this is comparing such a fun, strong gimmick Pokemon to someone like Audrey.
3… Remember when I said that there was going to be a Special Guest appearing in this story~? (on Tumblr). Well, here he is! If you know about him, that's great! If not, just google "DC Jason Blood".
4… Kathryn Marks is the daughter of Jason Blood and Glenda Marks in one continuity of the DC Comics. However… She's an infant in that… And she never reappeared in later media… Here's her bio link wiki/Kathryn_Mark_(New_Earth)#:~:text=Kathryn. Obviously, I aged her up, gave her an appearance that was a mix of Jason and Glenda, and gave her some magic to use in this.
~}I{~