. . .
. . .
. . .
Where...
Where am I?
For Riley Andersen, the moment occurred in a blur. One minute, she was in San Francisco...or rather, in the process of leaving San Francisco and attempting to run away back to her hometown of Minnesota. The next, a bright flash engulfed her and transported her to a dirty alleyway just outside her new house.
At least, that's where she expected it to be.
Sitting up and rubbing her head with a groan, Riley blinked her eyes as she took in her surroundings.
"Where are we...?"
"What just happened...?"
"What is this...?"
"Where do we go...?"
"Who do we trust...?"
"Where is Mom and Dad...?"
Barely comprehending the little voices in her head, Riley focused on one thing at a time, namely the last question they asked. Slowly standing up now and taking a series of controlled breaths, she walked away out of the alley and attempted to walk back inside her new house.
Except...it was not there.
In its presumed place was a simple restaurant which served as the base for an apartment building (or another residence?) above two stories; the Lucky Cat Café read the sign in gold colors against a black backdrop. Despite the simplicity of the setup, it was enough to make Riley's eyes widen in horror and her mind race around so hard and fast to create a tornado of emotions.
"Where are we...?"
"What just happened...?"
"What is this...?"
"Where do we go...?"
"Who do we trust...?"
"Where is Mom and Dad...?"
Her body moving on her own, Riley began to run and bump into a few pedestrians and passersby, some of them displaying concern for the poor girl. This only prompted her to pick up the pace and scramble away as they called out to her. In her run, she took a better look at the city that was supposed to be San Francisco...but it was not.
The city was essentially a futuristic San Francisco with a considerable hint of Japanese influence, an Eastern-Western blend of aesthetics that covered an extensive region on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Japanese flora and fauna such as cherry blossoms and bobtail cats were visible across the city, while several different landmarks familiar to San Francisco stood tall and proud, albeit with several different names adorned for a fair few. The Transamerica Pyramid, the Ghiradelli Square, and the Embarcadero (which is where she eventually ended up) remained largely the same, but the Coit Tower was rebuilt as a pagoda while the Golden Gate Bridge and the Port of San Francisco were renamed the Torii Gate Bridge and the Port of San Fransokyo .
That must be where I am...but—
"Where are Mom and Dad?"
There was that little voice again, pestering her about her parents.
They had a point, though...whoever they were.
"Mom! Dad!" Riley began calling out for her parents as she glanced around.
. . .
"Mom! Dad!" Riley shouted again, receiving no response from above the large crowd of people.
. . .
"MOM! DAD!" Riley screamed this time, blinking away the tears she never realized she had shed.
. . .
. . .
. . .
BOOM!
A sudden explosion shook the ground and caught the attention of many civilians, who were left clamoring and shouting in panic when a second explosion occurred. Glancing around to find many of the citizens running away from an incoming blue smokestorm, Riley remained in place and gazed at the destruction. One part of her mind justifiably screamed at her to run away and take shelter, while the other side inexplicably compelled her to run forward into the heart of the storm.
It took a full moment to choose her option.
Taking a deep breath, Riley charged forward and breathed rapidly before holding in the last one and leaping into the smoke. Immediately, she witnessed many a citizen scrambling away from the mayhem and madness, some of them even sporting several severe injuries scattered arond their bodies. The amount of blood dripping from and/or splurting out of their wounds made her sick and force back any incoming bile rushing up her throat.
Suddenly, she perked up at the sound of children crying and/or clamoring in panic. Rushing closer to the source, she eventually spotted a group of them being calmed down by a strange-looking woman, who was attempting her hardest to assuage the fears of her class. She had brown eyes and bright green hair that was tied into pigtails, while her outfit resembled that of a scientist's set, consisting of an orange lab coat, a light lavender dress shirt, purple skin-tight jeans with a dark grey belt and a yellow-orange logo buckle, and light pink and purple slip-on sneakers with lightning bolts on each side; she also wore a pair of purple gloves with matching goggles.
BOOM!
Barely having enough time to process the woman's strange getup, Riley, the woman, and the rest of the woman's class momentarily lost their balance as a tidal wave of black micro-sized robots came rushing towards them all. As the children screamed in terror, the woman placed herself in front of them, as the robots surrounded them on all sides and cutting off their dwindling methods of escape, prompting Riley to think and act quickly.
Her eyes landing on an abandoned police cruiser labeled 1524, she rushed over and picked up a cinder block, which she threw into the window to smash it open. Reaching inside and unlocking the door, she rummaged through the vehicle to locate any weapons she could potentially use, ultimately finding a Remington 870 Police Magnum Riot shotgun and a M4A1 Carbine with a M68 Aimpoint red dot scope and mounted Surefire weaponlight. Grabbing any extra ammunition she could find as well, she took one moment to get acquainted with her newly acquired firearms, another moment to compose herself, and another to rush towards the group, taking aim with her assault rifle and opening fire.
Unfortunately, Riley severely underestimated the amount of power that the recoil could muster, resulting in her firing wildly and landing on her back. Fortunately, she did manage to score a couple of hits and direct the attention of the robots elsewhere. Unfortunately again, their attention was directed towards her, who recovered long enough to jump out of the way as they tore through the spot she previously was.
"Run!" Riley shouted towards the group, "Get out of here!"
Despite her hesistance, the woman nodded and quickly led the children out of the smoke just as the robots came back. Riley took aim with the M4A1 again, but this time leaned forward and set the switch to semi-automatic mode, destroying them at her own pace. Suddenly, she was briefly lifted into the air before landing atop the police cruiser, where she watched an adult man leap out of the smoke and elicit a battle cry. He appeared to be of African-American descent, donning a mostly green (perhaps a turquoise shade) armor with a built-in helmet, visor, and vambraces with phasma blades, accompanied by what appeared to be Japanese cropped pants with particular patterns layered over it. As such, all-black jikatabi shoes remained intact with the armor, albeit with red linings to accompany the black.
"These are green blades of fury!" The man yelled in defiance of the robots just as he was joined by another armored individual to lend a helping hand. This time, she appeared to be Korean with a skintight black-and-yellow suit with a matching helmet, black underclothing with a hint of red linings, and yellow maglev discs on her wrists and boots, each sporting a red spot in the center.
"Woman up!" The woman shouted as she used the discs to ride up the pillar of robots and bisect them at once, Riley watching on in shock and awe.
She's so cool...
As the man and woman reconvened and charged into battle together, Riley decided to follow them while helping to destroy the robots along the way. Eventually running out of ammunition for her M4A1 Carbine, she took cover and watched another individual join the battle, donning a battlesuit designed after a monster from those Japanese movies she would watch with her father. It had three eyes, predominantly blue skin with a hint of orange, and limbs that were a lighter shade of blue. On the rest of its body were flame-shaped spines; a spike-covered back; black, spiky, claw-like nails with a matching tail; two sets of horns on its head; and a four-fanged mouth.
"Double-sign spin!" The monster wielded a pair of metal vertical signs as he spewed fire on them and used them to cut through the robot pillars, "Now my signs are on fire!"
At the same time, a young woman joined him in battle as she bounced off the pilars. Out of the armored individuals she had witnessed so far, she was probably the least protected, although this could be excused with her tall, thin, and nimble build. She donned a lavender dress with white linings, a purple helmet with orange hightlights, dark magenta sleeves and tights, purple platform heels, and pink armor with a belt to match. Slung over her shoulder and dangling by her waist was an orange purse, which she stuck to the highest pillar and hurled a pink ball at.
BOOM!
The explosion caused a chain reaction that caused the other surrounding pillars to be engulfed in it as well, the many fragments floating up towards the sky.
"Now that's a chemical reaction!" The woman laughed in triumph as she joined her teammates and continued to take down the other pillars.
Riley laughed to herself as well, noting the good-mannered pun for what it was. Another idea forming in her head, she searched for any grenades or explosives nearby to replicate the success of the woman's action. However, before she could act on it—let alone expand upon it—more and more robots started forming, forcing her to discard the empty carbine and reach for her shotgun, which she used to blast apart any incoming projectiles and clear a path for herself.
Eventually, Riley ran out of shells for her Remington as she was surrounded on all sides, the worst possible time to run empty on a weapon. Still, being ever so stubborn, she wielded the empty shotgun like a baseball bat, ready to take down her opponents while mentally making sure-to-be-unseen apologies towards her parents, who were for sure worried about her wellbeing.
She was again interrupted before she could act on or expand upon her plan by the arrival of yet another armored individual. They wore a predominantly purple-and-black armored uniform with a dark green chestplate, a purple cape, silver gauntlets, retractable steel claws, black combat boots, and a black mask with yellow lenses. Using their retractable claws, they effortlessly sliced and diced through the robots as if they were little more than sandpaper. When they were finished, they turned to face a petrified Riley, whom they scoffed at in indignation.
"You really are a stubborn one, aren't you?" The individual remarked before handing her an object, "Here. Take these."
Taking the object in question, Riley gazed at it: a pair of red earrings with five black spots in a quincunx pattern on them both.
"A pair of earrings?" Riley tilted her head, "Why?"
"They're earrings ," The individual mockingly enunciated, "You wear them on your ears."
"I know, but...why?"
Huffing beneath their mask, the individual did a facepalm and regained their composure to explain a little more carefully, plucking up from the ground one of the small mini-robots and holding it up to her face.
"These are Microbots. They are the primary threat in this city at the moment, being controlled by a supervillain named Yokai. A superhero team named Big Hero 6, they're the ones capable of stopping this threat and are doing it right now. But they can't do it alone; that's where you come in. When you put those earrings on, you yell "Tikki, Spots On!" and you'll be able to help them. You need to dismantle the Microbots so they can be sucked up into the portal in the sky. When there's substantial damage to be repaired, you shout "Miraculous Ladybug!" But that will give you about five minutes before you transform back into your civilian identity, so you'll need to say "Tikki, Spots Off!" before then."
"Wait, wait!" Riley shook her head and flashed the earrings in their face, "Who's Tikki? Big Hero 6? And how will I able to help them with...with these?"
"You'll know, kid," The individual replied more calmly, "You'll know when you'll just...take that leap of faith."
Taking a moment to consider her dwindling options, a group of Microbots reformed a few feet from where they stood, prompting the individual to sigh and draw their claws once more.
"You better make a decision, kid," The individual addressed her one more time, "Because this city is counting on you."
With that, the individual charged into battle, tearing their way through the Microbots and drifting further away from an ever-so confused Riley, who continued gazing at the earrings in contemplation. The sounds of terrified exclamations derailed her train of thought and prompted her to run towards the source, which happened to be the green-haired woman and her class being surrounded again. With no time to waste, she put on the earrings and struggled to remember the incantation the individual told her.
. . .
"Tikki..."
. . .
. . .
"T-Tikki..."
. . .
. . .
. . .
"Tikki, Spots On!"
Suddenly, Riley was engulfed by a bright flash of white light and she felt a surge of energy coursing through her veins. The clothes she was previously wearing seemed to presently disintegrate into thin air, causing her to squeak and cover her presumably naked body despite the bright light, closing her eyes in embarrassment. She then felt a new set of skintight clothes clinging on to her as the bright light dimmed and she landed softly back on the ground.
Opening her eyes, Riley slowly breathed and glanced down for any sign of change. Gasping softly, her hands were now gloved in a red fabric with black dots, as was the rest of her body. Turning back to the rear window of the police cruiser, her second gasp was far more audible as she took in her new appearance. While her eyes and hair remained largely the same, she now wore a red leotard/jumpsuit covered in black dots with a turtleneck-like collar and a red mask with five black dots in a symmetrical design. Glancing down to her waist, tied to it she spotted a red circle with a smooth surface and five black spots in a quincunx pattern, much like the earrings she currently donned. It had a design of shiny golden spirals that surround the spots with a black string with a small red hoop.
Gingerly taking up the object to examine, Riley tilted her head again.
"A Yo-Yo...?"
"Help! Somebody help us!"
Her head shooting up and turning towards the group of terrified children who were being shielded by the green-haired woman now, Riley gasped and rushed towards them, the Yo-Yo in hand as she hurled it at the pillars of Microbots that surrounded the group. Miraculously, she cut down every single one of them with a single throw, surprising herself as much as the group.
"Uh...I meant to do that?" Riley chuckled awkwardly as the Yo-Yo—now glowing pink—returned and destroyed a Microbot pillar behind her, "And that?"
"That is so cool!" A young blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl with a light pink short-sleeve blouse with puff sleeves and a dark pink suspender skirt exclaimed in awe, "How did you do that?"
"Well," Riley feigned coolness as she was flattered by a fan, "Practice makes perfect, kid."
DING!
Suddenly, the Yo-Yo made impact with the back of her head, temporarily stunning her and sending her falling to the ground, making the group wince in pain. A minute later, Riley shot up and brushed the dust off her suit.
"And apparently, so does good aim," Riley remarked.
At that comment, more and more Microbots appeared behind her, causing Riley to groan, "I think you should run now."
"But what about you?" The woman frowned, continuing to shield the children.
"I'll be fine!" Riley lied before admitting under her breath, "I hope..."
Silently gesturing the young girl to get back to her group, Riley took a deep breath and wielded her Yo-Yo as she hurled it at her opponents, buying the group enough time to make it out to safety. One by one, she broke apart the Microbots, quickly adapting to the newfound fighting style involving the rather unconventional combat weapon. Unfortunately, she kept bonking herself in the face with the Yo-Yo despite her considerable improvement.
The smoke having cleared up for the most part, Riley glanced up to find the portal in the sky that the individual was talking about, watching as the dismantled Microbots were sucked inside as a giant robot clad in red and purple armor battled a black-clad individual, possibly the "Yokai" figure they were referring to. Understanding and accepting the situation at hand, she continued to help the superheroes battle and defeat the Microbots before the robot managed to apprehend Yokai.
However, the portal—which had fell out of the sky due to the deactivated Microbots—was still functioning and violently shaking, something that the reunited team noticed.
"It's still on!" A person donning indigo armor hopped off the back of the robot as he shouted in urgency, "We have to shut it down!"
"We can't!" A blonde man with a blue blazer shook his head in distress, "The containment field is failing. The portal is gonna tear itself apart!"
"We need to get out of here, now!" The person instructed and took off with his team, initially unaware that his robot companion failed to move from his spot, "Baymax!"
"My sensor is detecting signs of life," The robot merely stated.
"What?"
"Coming from there," The robot then pointed at the portal, "The life signs are female. She appears to be in hyper-sleep."
"Callaghan's daughter," The person stated in realization, "She's still alive."
"Abigail..." The now-unmasked Yokai gasped in shock.
The boy then climbed aboard the robot's back, "Let's go get her."
"The portal is destabilizing," The blonde man protested, "You'll never make it."
"She's alive in there," The person protested back, "Someone has to help. What do you say, buddy?
"Flying makes me a better healthcare companion," The robot simply stated before he took off to the skies and soared straight into the portal. As the rest of the team took cover, Riley glanced between them and the portal, which was destablizing double-quick with every passing minute.
A bad feeling growing in the pit of her stomach, Riley made a split-second decision and rushed towards the portal, closing her eyes before leaping inside.
Reopening them, Riley choked on her breath upon discovering that she was in deep space (or a realm resembling it), immediately regretting her very bad idea.
"This was a very bad idea...!"
Shaking her head to rid it of any negative thoughts, Riley nonetheless found herself spinning and holding her lunch before bumping and crashing into the nearby debris that floated around with her.
Managing to latch onto another piece of debris, Riley took a moment to catch her breath before taking a look at her new surroundings.
This was not space.
It was another universe.
A void universe, primarily consisting of the colors blue, purple, and even a hint of pink.
Before Riley could remain entranced, the cry of a familiar name caught her ears.
"BAYMAX!"
Riley looked up to find the person and the robot—Baymax—separated a few inches apart. The red-and-purple armor had been damaged considerably to the point where Baymax's upper half was visible, while the person attempted to reach out for him atop a shuttle, most likely containing the daughter of Callaghan they had mentioned earlier. Floating closer and closer to them allowed her to listen a little better to their conversation.
"I'm not gonna leave you here! I'll think of something..."
"There is no time. Are you satisfied with your care?"
. . .
. . .
. . .
"I can't lose you, too..."
"Hiro, I will always be with you..."
The person named "Hiro" blinked away his tears and shared a hug with the robot called "Baymax", his final one before they separated for good.
"I'm satisfied with my care..."
Riley blinked away a few tears of her own when Baymax detatched and launched his right rocket fist, which activated and propelled Hiro and the shuttle towards the portal. Without thinking, she launched herself at the shuttle and carefully held on before pulling her Yo-Yo and hurling it at the now-deactivated Baymax, watching the tool wrap around his waist and pull him towards the shuttle and the portal by extension.
On the other side, as Big Hero 6 and the remaining citizens took cover and awaited the inevitable explosion, Hiro, Riley, Baymax, and the shuttle shot out of the portal just in time and landed in a safe radius before it finally collapsed. When the mist cleared, Hiro glanced up and back to where the portal once stood only to find Baymax laying there still in a deactivated state. Gasping in shock, he rushed over to examine him to ensure his identity and check for any injuries. Spotting the string of what appeared to be a Yo-Yo wrapped around his body, Hiro pulled on it before following it to an unconscious young girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a red costume with black spots who was sprawled out on the ground and groaning in pain.
Is she a Ladybug...or a watermelon?
Regaining consciousness, Riley sat up and rubbed her eyes before glancing over to where the portal once stood, finding a deactivated but still alive Baymax sprawled out on the ground. Chuckling to herself in pride, she felt inclined to give herself a pat on the back were she not so much in pain.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Blinking for a moment, Riley glanced up to find a hand outstretched for her to take. Following its direction, it belonged to the person in the indigo armor, a young Japanese boy her age with fair skin, brown almond-shaped eyes, and messy black hair. Another moment was taken to blink again, only this time to process and memorize the physical characteristics of the very cute boy before her.
The very cute boy who was offering her a hand up.
"Y-Yeah..." Riley smiled and giggled, much to the boy's...Hiro's confusion before she caught herself, "I mean...yeah. I'm good."
Taking his hand to pull herself up, Riley cleared her throat and regained her composure, "How about you? Are you good?"
"Yeah," Hiro nodded, "For lack of a better term. I... Thank you. For my friend Baymax, I mean."
"No problem," Riley shrugged as she summoned her Yo-Yo back, "It was too easy."
DING!
Suddenly, the Yo-Yo made impact with the back of her head again, temporarily stunning her and sending her almost falling to the ground...again. This time, momentarily wincing in pain, Hiro managed to catch her in her arms, Riley falling face-first into his armored chest. A moment later, Riley and Hiro realized what happened and separated from each other rather quickly.
"S-Sorry," Hiro smiled awkwardly.
"No, I should be sorry," Riley returned the awkward smile and glanced towards her Yo-Yo, "I really...need to learn how to control this thing."
"No worries. Just curious, though. Who or what are you supposed to be?"
"Who or what did you think I was?"
"A Ladybug...or a watermelon."
"A watermelon?" Riley chuckled before frowning, "Well, actually..."
Glancing all over her costume, which was indeed red with black spots, Riley immediately shook her head.
"No, no! I'm not a watermelon. Don't make me second-guess myself!"
"My bad, my bad," Hiro raised his hands apologetically, "A Ladybug, it is. Although, I have a feeling that the "Watermelon" identity may become a running joke for you in the future."
"Thanks for jinxing me," Riley smiled despite remaining unamused, which Hiro returned just as police sirens blared in the distance, "I should go."
"Don't you mean, we should go?" Hiro smirked that time.
"I barely know you," Riley shook her head, "And you need to help that woman in the shuttle. Although, I have a feeling that this "Ladybug" will cross paths with you again in the future."
"Thanks for charming me," Hiro chuckled.
"No problem," Riley nodded before using the Yo-Yo to swing away to a nearby rooftop, where she watched Hiro and his team make their escape, but not before handing over the person formerly known as Yokai and the woman named Abigail over to law enforcement. The former was detained and placed in a police cruiser while the latter was placed onto a gurney and loaded into an ambulance. Now turning her attention to the amount of collateral damage sustained by the battle, Riley thought to what the masked purple individual said and nodded to herself.
Spinning her Yo-Yo at a rapid speed, Riley then tossed it high into the air as she shouted:
"Miraculous Ladybug!"
Suddenly, a swarm of magical ladybugs appeared out of thin air. Accompanied by a vague pink aura, they spread out in all directions and began to fix the damage done to the city since the battle began. Buildings were rebuilt, roads were repaired, and cars were reconstructed to name a few side effects of the so-called Lucky Charm conjured by Riley. Hiro, his team, the police officers, and the surrounding citizens looked around in awe and wonder as Riley worked her unintentional magic.
When everything was fixed, Riley summoned back her Yo-Yo.
"Tikki, Spots Off."
And with that, Riley transformed back into her civilian form, hoping that everything would go back to normal for a moment or (at the very least) be the least strangest occurrence that happened to her today.
Alas, fate had a sneaky way of proving her wrong. The moment she transformed into her civilian form and took off her earrings was the moment they started to glow and levitate a few inches from her hands. Emerging from them was a tiny-bodied, big-headed creature with brilliant crimson red skin, dark blue eyes, and freckles across her face. With her two antennae; a short tail with three aligned-vertically tips; a a large black spot on her forehead, back, and each side of her head; and overall red skin, she almost resembled the insect that was a Ladybug...save for her equally tiny fingers and toes.
No way...
"Now that's better!" Tikki yawned and stretched before taking notice of a still stunned silent Riley in her presence, "Oh, my goodness! You must be...my new master!"
Her jaw still hung agape, Riley's eyes twitched before she rubbed them again to ensure that she was indeed awake and not in a fever dream. When she confirmed it, she took a deep breath (Tikki plugged her fingers into her ears as she did this, still smiling) and did the one thing most sensible people would do in this situation.
She screamed in utmost terror.
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"
"Yep, I forgot how loud this part could be," Tikki remarked with a giggle.
Meanwhile In Another Universe. . .
The city of Paris was known by many names.
The City Of Love.
The City Of Light. (Aka "La Ville Lumière")
Une Capitale De La Mode. (Aka "The Fashion Capital")
La Dame De Fer. (Aka "The Iron Lady")
Even Paname.
But to one Parisian girl, there was only one word to call it.
Home.
"In the daytime, I'm Marinette: just a normal girl with a normal life. But there's something about me that no one knows yet, because I have a secret..."
Running across the rooftop was the girl named Marinette Dupain-Cheng, an attractive teenage French-Chinese girl with a slim and shapely build who stood at average height. She had a fair skin tone followed by shoulder-length black hair with blue reflections that were tied back in pigtails, bright bluebell eyes, light pink lips, bright bluebell eyes, and light freckles on both sides and the bridge of her nose. She was currently dressed in a red jumpsuit made of indestructible fabric covered in black spots and a black collar/turtleneck, giving off the appearance of a ladybug; a red mask with five black spots in a symmetrical design was on her face with the waterlines of her eyes are colored black. On her ears were a single earring each, both red with five black spots in a quincunx pattern, and the bands holding her hair back transform into red ribbons, fittingly resembling the antennas of a ladybug when moving and especially flying.
You may probably wonder: why is this normal girl with a normal life running around while dressed like a superhero?
Well, if you were paying attention, there was something about her that no one knew yet, because she had a secret.
I live a life that's full of fun
That keeps me sharp and on the run
When evil comes, I find a way
To use my force and save the day
Landing gracefully on the last rooftop, Marinette assessed the situation: a group of Stigma mercenaries robbing the largest bank they could pinpoint, the fourth such robbery occurring this year...or perhaps it was the seventh. In any case, they clearly believed that they had complete control of the situaion, taking hostages as they attempted to break inside the vault. An easy target on a hard day, right?
Wrong.
For Marinette, it was the complete opposite: a hard target on an easy day.
(Uh-uh-oh)
Life's got me spinning 'round.
(Uh-uh-oh)
My feet are off the ground.
(Uh-uh-oh)
And when the sun goes down,
That's when I become…
Smirking ever so smugly, Marinette produced her signature weapon—an indestructible red Yo-Yo with black spots—and hurled it at a nearby flagpole, using it to swing into the bank and make a dramatic entrance for the Stigma members to notice.
Indeed, she was a superhero.
Miraculous! Simply the best!
Up to the test when things go wrong!
Miraculous, the luckiest!
The power of love, always so strong!
Their attention now mostly drawn elsewhere, the mercenaries split into three groups. One would quickly gather the money, the other would use the hostages to bait before making their escape with the first group. Meanwhile, those who were keeping guard opened fire on the heroine with their M4A1 Carbines, Daniel Defense M4A1 Carbines, and Heckler & Koch HK416 Carbines. Acting quickly, Marinette retrieved her Yo-Yo and spun it very fast, creating a pink shield that deflected the bullets and protected her simulatenously.
SMASH!
Suddenly, the glass ceiling above the mercenaries shattered and in dropped a Colombian boy around her age with a slender build, landing gracefully a few feet from where they stood. He had a light golden-brown skin tone; dark, slicked-back auburn hair; and freckles across his nose and cheeks that complemented the dark tint on his eyelids. He was currently dressed in a textured black skin-tight catsuit with metallic details; matching gloves with retractable claws; steel toe-capped boots with a hidden wedge and paw-shaped treads. Connected to a zipper on the front of his costume was a golden bell on his neck, while wrapped around his waist was a long belt that hung from the back like a cat's tail. Fittingly, he wore black cat ears and a black mask to cover his face, the latter of which only made his cat-like eyes with hazel green sclerae, emerald green irises, and slitted pupils stand out more.
Camilo Madrigal, formerly known as Caleb Martinez, drew his signature weapon—a shiny dark grey Staff with a glowing green paw print near its upper end—from the small of his lower back and charged the mercenaries as they stopped to reload. He swung and hit them to send them flying away lightly while also spinning it around fast enough to create a grey-colored shield to deflect the bullets that came from their Glock 17 and SIG-Sauer P226R pistols. Fortunately, Marinette intervened, rushing forward and hurling her Yo-Yo at them, sending them flying back and/or knocking them unconscious.
"Cat Noir," Marinette greeted her boyfriend with a smile, "Your timing is inpeccable."
"Only for you, my Lady," Camilo smirked as he held out a hand for Ladybug to take, which she did with a giggle as they both charged into battle.
They look at me and think I'm cool.
I'm Cat Noir; At night I rule.
My ring is charged with energy.
My claws are out, just watch and see.
Side by side, Ladybug and Cat Noir utilized their respective weapons and skillsets to save the hostages, take down the bad guys, and look good while doing it. The former even could not but laugh when the latter sang a verse for their proclaimed theme song. As such, she decided to oblige him a little.
(Uh-uh-oh)
Oh no, you'll never know
(Uh-uh-oh)
My force will only grow
(Uh-uh-oh)
And when the moon is out,
You better hang around!
Marinette shook her head with a smile as she charged again at the Stigma mercenaries alongside Camilo, singing along fully to the beat of her punches, kicks, and hits.
Miraculous! Simply the best!
Up to the test when things go wrong!
Miraculous, the luckiest!
The power of love, always so strong!
Eventually, Ladybug and Cat Noir saved the day, the hostages and crowd who had grown outside cheering for the heroes. After helping the police detain the culprits and leading them away in handcuffs, they received another call for help regarding another group of Stigma mercanaries causing chaos. Exchanging knowing looks, they merely shrugged before taking off, but not before acknowledging their cheering audience with a couple of friendly smiles and cordial waves.
BRING!
Meanwhile, just as the summer school semester ended, a wealthy teenage girl named Chloé Bourgeois and her best friend Sabrina Raincomprix walked out of the building past the other students who engaged in small talk. She paused to close her eyes and take a whiff of the fresh air...before opening her eyes in terror and gagging at the foul stench of raw fish. Fortunately, her foul mood subsided when she caught a glimpse of her unofficial crush/boyfriend.
Luka Couffaine was simply walking her younger sister Juleka to the car of their mother Anarka, who would drive her home; he had another "study session" to attend to and would be picked up later. Of course, she knew better if not more. Her body acting against her will, she inched closer and closer to him as he began to sing as the car drove off.
Another day, I'm back at school
I think about her, she's so cool
She looks at me, I look away
But does she see me anyway?
Chloé frowned to herself—
Of course I see him.
That's why we're dating, right?
Although, dating seems like a bit of a stretch, and we're taking our time before we even consider crossing that line.
Although...one year seems like enough time, right?
—before realizing her stepsister Zoé Lee and her four friends—Aurore Beauréal, Mireille Caquet, Jean Duparc, and Marc Anciel—sang along with him to encourage her to approach him.
(Oh-oh-oh!)
She's got me spinning around
(Oh-oh-oh!)
My feet are off the ground
(Oh-oh-oh!)
And when the sun goes down,
That's when she becomes…
Shooting her stepsister and new friends a playful glare, the seven of them plus Luka and the rest of the student body caught a glimpse of two familiar heroes running across the rooftops of Paris. As their fellow classmates cheered them on, Chloé, Luka, Zoé, Marc, Aurore, Mireille, Jean, and Sabrina exchanged knowing smiles.
They're back...
As Marinette and Camilo sprinted to their next mission, they both sang along to the chorus to the former's theme song.
Miraculous! Simply the best!
Up to the test when things go wrong!
Miraculous, the luckiest!
The power of love, always so strong!
They then caught an over-the-shoulder glimpse of seven individuals donning costumes similar to theirs giving chase from several rooftops away, smiling in acknowledgement.
Having snuck away to transform into their respective superhero forms, Chloé, Luka, Zoé, Marc, Aurore, Mireille, Jean, and Sabrina pursued Marinette and Camilo as the latter three sang along with them.
Chloé merely rolled her eyes before they met with Luka's, the boy smiling pleadingly at her. Acting a tad more bashfully, she decided to sing as well as a means to appease him.
I am a cat, just chillin' out
But in the night, he's all I think about
I feel so strong when he's around,
He picks me up when I am down
Luka smiled more gently before Zoé, Sabrina, Aurore, Mireille, Marc, and Jean provided back-up vocals for Chloé, much to their confusion.
(Oh-oh-oh!)
Oh no, you'll never know
(Oh-oh-oh!)
My love can only grow
(Oh-oh-oh!)
And when I see his smile,
That's when he becomes…
Eventually catching up to Ladybug and Cat Noir, who greeted them courteously, Diva Destruction (Chloé), Viperion (Luka), Vesperia (Zoé), Rooster Bold (Marc), Vixen (Aurore), Polymouse (Mireille), Shell Shock (Carapace), and Miss Hound (Sabrina) joined the couple into battling the next wave of freelance Stigma mercenaries.
Miraculous! Simply the best!
Up to the test when things go wrong!
Miraculous, the luckiest!
The power of love, always so strong!
In another location, Clara Nightingale recorded a session of her singing the official theme song for Ladybug...while dressed in a surprisingly accurate Ladybug costume.
Another day, I don't know why
He looks my way, and I get so shy
So insecure, oh, in myself
'Til someone says they need my help
When asked about this decision, Clara merely stated that some of the voice actors who had worked in animated films had dressed as their respective characters to fully lean into them and get in the mood. The producers were understandably confused, but nonetheless satisfied with her answer.
(Oh-oh-oh)
Oh yeah, they'll never know
(Oh-oh-oh)
' Cause I'm unstoppable
(Oh-oh-oh)
And when it's time to go,
That's when I become...
Snatching a prop microphone off its stand, Clara sang into it in the heat of the moment as she belted out the chorus.
Miraculous! Simply the best!
Up to the test when things go wrong!
Miraculous, yeah I got this!
I've gotta confess, I feel so strong!
Then she did it again, much to the amusement of the producers as well as Jagged Stone and Penny Rolling, the former providing a guitar solo in the background.
Miraculous! Simply the best!
Up to the test when things go wrong!
Miraculous, yeah I got this!
I've gotta confess, I feel so strong!
Meanwhile, Kagami Tsurugi watched from a distance as Félix Fathom exited St. Catherine's Academy For Gifted Students. It was one of the many schools that took in a majority of the students from Collège Françoise Dupont after its major overhaul and restructuring. Félix had decided on St. Catherine's after a few years spent in homeschooling, and he was close to reaching his graduation. The thing was, due to the amount of friends he had made over the course of his semester, he did not plan on leaving any time soon...much to the concern of his Aunt Amelie.
Watching Félix interact with his new friends Allegra, Allan, and Claude, Kagami touched her heart before her vermilion red eyes met his bright green ones. Both exchanged smiles before she hastily made her leave, her heart pounding against her chest as she suppressed a rather girly giggle.
I'm watching him, he looks at me
We know our names, not our identities
He's super cool, he's pretty fast
And he knows how, how to make me laugh
Suddenly, a security alarm rang out just a few yards from where Kagami stood, prompting her to respond to it as she transformed into her superhero form.
(Oh-oh-oh)
He's got me spinning 'round
(Oh-oh-oh)
My feet are off the ground
(Oh-oh-oh)
And when it's time to go,
That's when I become...
Now fully transformed and ready for battle, Ryuko leapt onto the crime scene...
Miraculous! Simply the best!
Up to the test when things go wrong!
Miraculous, yeah I got this!
I've gotta confess, I feel so strong!
...and drew her sword, cutting an opponent's assault rifle in half.
Miraculous! Simply the best!
Up to the test when things go wrong!
Miraculous, yeah I got this!
I've gotta confess, I feel so strong!
Ladybug and Cat Noir threw punches aplenty...
(Oh-oh-oh)
He's got me spinning 'round
...Viperion and Diva Destruction landed kicks galore...
(Oh-oh-oh)
My feet are off the ground
...and Vixen and Polymouse blocked blows by the dozen.
(Oh-oh-oh)
And when it's time to go,
That's when I become...
The new Team Miraculous took a moment to breath...
Miraculous, simply the best...
Up to the test when things go wrong...
Miraculous, yeah I got this...
I've gotta confess, I feel so strong...
...before launching themselves back into the heat of battle.
Miraculous! Simply the best!
The power is on when things go wrong!
Miraculous, the lucky charm!
The magic is on, always so strong!
Miss Hound, Shell Shock, Polymouse, Ryuko, Vesperia, Rooster Bold, and Vixen threw punches and landed kicks...
Miraculous! Simply the best! (Miraculous, you are the best!)
Up to the test when things go wrong! (Ohhh!)
Miraculous, the luckiest!
The power of love, always so strong!
...around the same time as Ladybug, Cat Noir, Diva Destruction, and Viperion did.
Miraculous!
All eleven members threw their last punch against their respective opponents, knocking them out and securing a final victory. Once all the hostages were safe, secure, and accounted for, they cheered for the heroes, who regarded the growing crowd before them with kindness and grace. Sabrina, Zoé, and Mireille giggled as the more attention-craving members such as Chloé, Aurore, and Jean practically basked in the feeling while attempting (and mosly failing) to answer many of their questions.
At least they had an answer to their questions.
The new Team Miraculous needed one for their own.
Where had Marinette and Camilo gone for a full year?
And why now?