EllaWaterfall2: Ship Marinette and Lavi? What even would their ship name be lol? Marvi? Laviette or Lavette? The 5-year gap between them might be a little too much. She's 14 and hasn't really developed mentally completely. I'd consider it if she was a little older or not mind the gap if they were like 20-21 and 25-26 or something. Their relationship (if with those conditions met) would definitely be a form a slow burn considering the issue between Lavi and emotions lol.

TrimusicaDrag00n90: You got that right. There will definitely be some chaos soon.

Alexc1209: Agreed. Akuma!Sabrina, however, is probably ecstatic about that. Who doesn't want food to be delivered to their door?

Chapter 21: Time Theory

Lou Fa had been preparing to go to bed when Lavi came back from his outing. She was sitting in front of the mirror undoing her hair. The scientist offhandedly remembered how each time the mirror was uncovered Allen would either leave the room or not look at it at all. The woman huffed as she glanced at the reflection of their little hideout. She honestly didn't know how the exorcists could do it.

They had told her wild stories about the times they had to rough it. Either in the snow or in the forests. Lou Fa shuttered as she was reminded of the tale Allen told her about the worst Inn they had to stay at. So, they were perfectly fine with their new set up. But just because they are doesn't mean I am. She frowned as she looked at the makeshift bed. The scientist chose to keep her disapproval of the shelter to herself. Provided the fact that it was supposed to be temporary. But with no gate available and them living off her salary (plus Allen's gambling rewards), she kind of hoped that they would move soon.

Maybe she was too comfortable with the idea of living luxuriously? With provided room and board from the Order, she forgot what it felt like to have walls that didn't keep a good majority of the cold out or blankets. The woman looked up briefly as she thought silently about her blankets back home. There was this one furry one she had gotten as a present one year and it was the warmest thing on earth. But now I'm fuzzy blanket-less!

She kept her mouth shut each time the boys spoke about their Inn horrors. "At least we have a bed, er sort of, this time, right Allen?" Lavi had once joked. She understood that sometimes it was necessary for them to live like this on missions. But at least missions were temporary. They could come home and sleep in a warm bed and eat free food. She glanced at the discarded take out bags and containers in the corner. I'm going to have to dispose of those soon.

And yet…a bitter feeling stirred inside her each time she remembered the place they lived in. It was constantly cold, the oven(what she assumed was one) didn't work, the icebox or whatever had nothing in it, she had nearly 500 run-ins with a billion of spiders and other bugs, and there was no running water! She had to start getting creative to stay clean. The girl glared at her reflection and gripped her hair tie tight in one hand. Half of her hair was pulled in the pigtail while the other was down. She would kill for a proper shower.

Closing her eyes, she sighed and rubbed her temple. This bitterness was starting to turn into repressed anger. She controlled her breathing before she heard something hit against the glass. She opened her eyes and saw a familiar butterfly fluttering outside on the balcony. She gasped and stood up. Her chair falling to the ground in her wake. It was the same thing that was after her in the ark! How did it find them!? She was about to run down the stairs when a large black figure suddenly slammed down on the butterfly. The noise it made created vibrations throughout the building.

To her left, she saw Allen and Kanda emerge from the door. Allen surveyed the room before seeing her fearful expression. Kanda trained his eyes on the door. Allen went straight to her side. "Are you okay? What happened?"

She stuttered for a bit, "It was—it—the butterfly from before! It was right there!" she pointed out the balcony. Just time to see the figure shrink down to reveal Lavi with his hammer. On the end of it was a crushed white spot that was oozing out a purple liquid.

"Got it!" Lavi's voice was slightly muffled by the doors. The Bookman opened the doors and strolled on it. She pursed her lips at the mud and the strange purple substance that he was trailing in. Hold it in.

"Lavi!"

The man in question stopped and rose an eyebrow, "What?"

Allen gestured to the mess, "We sleep there."

The man had the nerve, the gall, to shrug his shoulders and say, "oops." Hold it in. Hold it in. "I'll clean it up later." he waved his other hand before looking at the bug he killed. He scooted over to the pile of trash and snatched up one of those brown napkins. As he cleaned his weapon, she turned away from the mess and picked up the chair. The girl then allowed herself to fall in it. She looked over to the device by the lamp. Maybe I should talk to Silvia about finding a new apartment.

Thinking of that woman, she had gifted her with a lovely phone and a "plan" whatever that was. It was a fascinating contraption. It had a flat screen and she was able to use her finger to maneuver on it. She smiled as she remembered how they all huddled around the thing and poke at it when she brought it back. It took video, photographs, and made calls like an actual telephone. She wondered how this place was able to have such advanced technology. The order had portable phones but they were large and had to be lugged around by finders.

Everyone used this strange device for something. Personally, she liked to take pictures of every amazing thing she saw. Naturally, that included Allen. The woman was sure that if she wasn't so conscious of him seeing all the photos, she would have filled the whole phone up with him. As for the wonder-boy himself, he liked to play a strange candy related game on it. Lavi spent his time soaking up information from the mighty "Google". As for Kanda, he liked to meditate with music playing in the background.

The thing also worked like the typewriter and sent out these things called "Texts". They were instant Letters sent back and forth to different people no matter the distance. How had the Order not already develop this tech? She had no idea. But oh once she got familiar with the concept was she so happy that it existed. No more waiting three months to get a letter back or even a week at the earliest. She could avoid awkward phone calls too! Though, Silvia teases me for sounding so…"Old fashion"? She didn't understand what that was about. Didn't everyone begin a text with "Honorable"? And end with "Respectfully Yours,"?

"I've solved the mystery of this place." Lavi suddenly said. That caught everyone's attention. "We are…in the future."

"What?" was everyone's deadpanned response.

"Hear me out! I heard from the little Ladybug that the year was…get this…2019!"

Kanda huffed, "That's a lie."

"I thought so too! So I asked a few locals before coming home and—and! I got this!" He pulled out a folded piece of a newspaper. He threw it to Allen, who caught it and gazed at it. She stood up and went next to him to see. It was cleaner than she thought and had vibrant pictures. It was like they were actually seeing people. She swore one of them was going to move. The headline read "Overseas Leader Threatens War via Tweet!" yet she zeroes in on the date above it.

"November 21st, 2019." they all read aloud.

It couldn't be. But it was! There in black and white, it said exactly as Lavi had claimed. She doubted that he would even try to fake something like this. But wait…if akuma still exists here then…Then that meant her generation—their era—failed. If she was being truthful, she always had a tiny feeling that the war would still continue after her life faded. That didn't mean that she didn't hope. The scientist glanced over at the love of her life and noticed the slight frown on his face. It was always hard to read him, but at that moment she had a good idea of what he was thinking.

"Wait!" she suddenly realized something. The children had no clue about the Black Order yet their powers were broadcasted every day. Everyone seemed to know about the magical heroes. Surely the order wouldn't have missed that. Yet they had no idea what the Order was, did, and what Exorcists were. Could be…? "if this is the future…what of the order? Even if our era lost, surely they're still around?" she tried to be hopeful.

"We'd have to find a way to call them. Allen have you tried to connect through Tim?" Lavi asked.

Allen nodded, "Yeah but all I got was static."

"That was without hooking Tim up to one of these new "phones" right?" Allen nodded again. "I see…maybe we should try a landline? Like how we usually do."

"Well, Tim doesn't require that like the other golems."

Lavi hummed. "I see. I don't have mine because we came through the Ark. And it destroys golems except for yours apparently."

The three looked to Kanda expectantly. He noticed their stare and frowned, "I don't have mine either for obvious reasons."

"But what if we had gotten lost in the Ark, Yu?"

"If you got lost, you mean. I don't get lost. The Moyashi and you do." Allen looked offended but didn't defend himself. It was well known that his directional skills were subpar.

"Hey! I only get lost when I follow the little bean!" Allen slowly turned and glared at Lavi. The bookman flinched under the gaze.

Lou Fa glanced down her the phone. Maybe…I could dial the number on here? She lightly pressed the button and her screen lit up. The picture that shone at her or the "Wallpaper" was a winter wonderland. It showed an open space covered in snow. There were rays of light that shone down on a lone bench. Considering the fact that it was starting to get cold outside, her new device could reflect that. Her eyes went to the little icon in the lower corner. It was a tiny silhouette of a phone. She pressed it and dragged her finger up. A strange pad appeared and showed a set of numbers and a little red button with that same icon.

If I remember correctly, the number is….751-o*. She pressed 7, 5, 1 and stopped. There was no - sign at all. Well, that was a bust. She looked back the group of exorcists, "So, what should we do now?"

They stopped talking and looked at her. All of them were silent as they pondered that. They were Ark-less, had no way to contact the order, and were possibly in the "future". What could they do? None of them wanted to stay here. No, they'd rather go back and continue on. After all, that's all the exorcists knew. The war controlled their lives. They knew not what they would even do without it. No one even breathed much of an idea of what they would do when it was all over. They were so far from the end of it to consider it.

As for Lou Fa, she didn't know if she wanted to go back. The order had given her so much during a time when she had little. Her passion for science could actually be achieved there. A good majority of her co-workers respected her. Nowhere else would she be taken seriously. It would be a long and tireless battle ahead to gain a shred of credibility from society. In this time, she was just a clothing model. A fine profession for her temporary purposes. She wanted more to even accept being stuck here. She just didn't know if this new time carried the same worldview as theirs. If so, then she would be stuck longing and no way.

The exorcists each looked away in thought, but she found her eyes turn to Allen. It was easy enough for her, an insignificant intern, to depart from the order. But for Allen or the rest of them? No, they were bound by that place whether they wanted it or not. If they stayed here, the order would be losing three important tools. Hell would break loose. Any fighting chance they had would flicker out in an instant.

However, it seems that none of them had a choice. From a certain lens, it looked as though fate was finally being nice. It was giving them a way out. A path to freedom. Would they accept this? Would they settle down and let themselves live in this "new time"? Could they allow themselves to live a full life here? Fighting the mildest form of Akumas for the rest of their lives? Or…would they go back to an era that could kill them at any time? Where their lives were controlled by an unforgiving war that had no end? Would they chase after their world? Clouded by the memories and bonds of others to guide them back to a tragic existence.

"We continue looking for a way out," Allen spoke up. There was resolve in his eyes. They all looked to him and he continued on. "There has to be. If a Noah can travel here and encounter us back in time, then there is a way."

They all nodded in agreement. Tyki was here. There was a possibility of leaving. The only one in their way of that path was Tyki Mikk. That would be their next move. Track down the Noah and find out how they could move about between times. Then use that path to go home. They all silently knew their roles in this game of chess. All they had to do now was make their next move.

Having the exorcist's help was pretty beneficial, but Marinette couldn't deny how right it felt to swing by Chat's side in the glimmering lights of their city. Her and Lavi had already made some discovery in the case so now she could roam the city in search for the Akuma. Usually, this wasn't even a job to do. They just patrolled to see if Akumas would sprout up in their sleep. Sometimes there were a few monsters. Other times, it seemed that Hawkmoth had something important to do. Every Akuma made a loud entrance and demanded the miraculous.

Not a single one had lurked in the shadows and hunted the citizens before. Everything was usually a wide scale attack. Not something calculated like this. Was…was Hawkmoth trying a new strategy?

Ladybug landed on the famous Notre Dame cathedral before sitting down. Her partner showed up not long after. The cat boy slid next to her with a grin. "You're looking pawsitively radiant, My Lady." She gave him a smile. Silently thankful that during this trying time, he was a constant.

"Thank you, Kitty." she breathed out. "You look…." she scanned her partner over to return the compliment. He was smiling, but he looked tired. His hair shone less. The exposed skin on his face was lighter and paler. "…exhausted. Have you been getting enough sleep?"

Chat suddenly looked sheepish. He scratched the back of his head. "Somewhat." she opened her mouth to retort. "But I'm feeling perfectly fine right now! Your very presence gives me energy. You could say that you give me…wings." he wiggled his eyebrows.

She huffed, "You know too much caffeine is never good for you."

"Well, you better to send me to the ER, Milady! I think I might be overdosing!" he placed a hand over his heart and another on his forehead. "Oh! I can see the light!" Chat swayed slightly before falling next to her. His head laid next to her leg. His eyes closed and he made a fake pained expression. "The only thing that can save me now is a True Love's-Ack!" she pinched his nose and he pouted at her. The boy sat up and rubbed his nose.

"It seems you're cured."

"On the contrary, I'm more addicted than ever." He winked at her.

Ladybug smiled for a moment before turning back to reality. "Be truthful with me, Chat. Are you getting enough sleep? You can go home and take a rest."

He shook his head quickly. "No! I've been sleeping fine! I go to bed on time and wake up on time! It's just…" he trailed off and had a distant look in his eyes. "The truth is…well the truth is silly."

"I doubt that." she placed an encouraging hand on his shoulder and lightly squeezed. "I won't laugh at you."

He pursed his lips before sighing. "Dreams…no Nightmares. I've been having nightmares and they're ruining my sleep." He looked ashamed.

Ladybug scooted closer and smiled at him. "That's not silly. That's pretty normal."

"Normal isn't how I'd describe them. They're weird and repeat the same themes over and over again. I see this same…monster over and over."

"Are you okay with describing it to me?" she carefully asked.

He nodded, "It's all red. It looks like an automatic doll, I guess? Maybe more like a puppet? It keeps attacking me—er…My Friend."

She tilted her head, "You or your friend?"

"Er…it's me…I know it's me. But, I'm like…in the body of my friend—It's really weird! And…then there's the other side of the dream. I'm me again, but someone around me suddenly…passes." she tensed at the suggestion. "And this man—no clown suddenly asks me "Would you like me to revive them?" and every time…every single time, I say yes. Even though I know It doesn't work."

"What do you mean it doesn't work?"

"It's…it's too disturbing for me to describe." he confessed. "but…I know that this thing is trying to turn me into a monster. Yet I say yes anyway. Whether it's one of my friends or my parent—parents, I just say yes."

That was worrisome. A monster? How could a clown turn someone grieving into a monster? She held back a gasp. Could he be dreaming about being akumatized by Hawkmoth? Have I been blind to my partner's emotional state?! She instantly felt sympathetic towards his situation. She too had dreams of being akumatized before. Especially after an emotionally taxing day. Whether it be dealing with Chloé or having something bad happen to her, she'd feel those strong emotions and then fearfully suppress them. If Hawkmoth got to her, then it would be over for everyone else.

Ladybug wrapped her arms around her partner and gave him a tight hug. He stiffed in her embrace before relaxing and returning the gesture. "It's alright, Chat. I too have had similar dreams. Just know that we're in this together." she squeezed him slightly, "It may not be safe to know a lot about each other, but don't let that prevent you from talking to me about things like this." The heroine pulled back and gave him a smile. "We protect each other. I won't let anyone—Hawkmoth or otherwise—hurt you."

He grinned and his cat eyes glittered in the light. The boy sniffled and rubbed his eye. "Thank you, Ladybug." She smiled and they hugged once more. This one lasted longer than the first. They pulled away afterward and leaned on each other's shoulders.

Ladybug looked out at the sea of lights and felt somewhat content. She glanced back her to partner and noticed that he seemed hesitant again. "Is there something wrong?"

He was startled for a moment before opening his mouth, "Did…did your dreams mention anything about….Innocence?"

She sat up straight at the familiar word. "No. You dreamt about Innocence?"

"Yes, before the exorcists told us about it, the monster in my dream kept saying "Hand over the Innocence" or something."

"So it thought you had it?" he nodded. She furrowed her brows and cupped her chin. "Did you get to see it at all?"

"No."

"I see." she hummed, "I have no idea what that means then…If only there was a way we could find a lone piece of it." Unknown to her, Chat was sweating with worry. He looked oddly nervous. "Maybe run some tests on it too. Your dream could have been telling you something."

"That's not reassuring at all." he nervously laughed.

"Oh! I mean…not all of it. You know dreams are just cloaked with symbolism. What you see isn't necessarily a literal interpretation." she quickly saved. "Too bad dreams are confusing." she nervously laughed and rubbed the back of her head. Silently, she cursed herself. How could she slip that out so easily?

"Yeah…I wish I knew what they meant." His eyes drifted off as he fixated on an unknown point out at the world. She could see the battle being waged in his eyes. He had not been comfortable disclosing the whole dream, but the small portion he gave her provided some insight. Chat must be hurting in his civilian life and it was affecting his sleep. Without breaking the rules that were so carefully laid out, she could only help him when they were like this. If only I knew….she stopped that idea before it could continue.

Death seemed to be the main factor in these nightmares. Death could mean literal death or something more abstract. Ladybug recalled her teacher trying to explain the symbolism to them in one session. Death had appeared on that list. Marinette expected it to be something like the fear of death or something literal. Ms. Bustier had informed them that Death could mean something was ending or changing.

There was also the subject of Innocence. It struck her as odd that he would dream about the substance way before the discovery of it. Was this another case of dreams hinting towards the future? As for the strange clown that he told her about. She was confident that it had to represent Hawkmoth. The man was the only one capable of using emotions to manipulate other humans. But bringing people to life? Would he even be able to do such a thing? Would his kwami allow that? I'd have to ask Master Fu.

"I believe…" she started off out of nowhere. "...that it's all going to work out in the end. In the end, we'll be happy."

Chat looked at her with a soft expression before turning towards the wind. She ignored how photogenic the moment made him. The wind combed through his hair as he smiled. "Yeah…there's six of us now, so it's only a matter of time. And then, you think you and I could go grab some coffee? I'll make sure they put enough aphids in it!"

She rolled her eyes. "If you do that, I'll make sure they serve you a Rat."

"My Lady! You're too cruel to me. Don't you know I only enjoy mice?"

"Of course, my apologies. I forget you prefer high-quality rodents."

"My, my, and here I thought we were so close. How could you forget what I love to roast?"

"Rhyming now, are we?"

"Yes, it's fun. Don't you agree?" she giggled again. Chat's expression was bright as he doubled down on the puns and rhyming. Ladybug had to try very hard to not laugh at his attempts. He gave her a wink and cracked a joke. That was enough to send her over the edge. For the first time that night, she let out a full laugh and he joined in with her. The air suddenly felt lighter. Tension eased itself off her shoulders. Only for it to hide away and lurk around to wait before reappearing later. For now, she enjoyed this peaceful moment. It made her forget that a monster was raging the city in the dark of the night.

Ladybug turned her gaze downward and found herself back in reality. She spotted a white speck along with the dark buildings. It stood out thanks to the reflection from the various streetlights bouncing off it. The heroine pulled out her yo-yo and slid it open. She used it to zoom in on the image. To her surprise, she found the speck belonging to a certain Allen Walker. Behind him was the familiar ginger, Lavi, and Walker's special pet, Timcanpy. They were walking around without a care. She debated silently whether to go down there and speak to them. It wasn't their patrol days today after all.

No, they could be just getting back from work…That's right. They never said that their Organization wasn't stationed in France. She believed their power, but the slim knowledge of their Black Order made her uneasy. There was also the added fact of Lavi's obvious marvel at normal, modern appliances that made her wonder.

"Oh! It's Allen and Lavi." Chat chimed. "Should we say hi? Maybe escort them home? It's pretty dangerous nowadays."

"I'm sure they can take care of themselves, but…I'm curious about something."

Chat grinned, "Oh! You wanna follow them? Alright! Let's go." Chat stood up and expanded his baton. It allowed him to soar up and be cloaked by the night sky. He allowed himself to fall in their direction. The cat landed on a rooftop across the way. Ladybug took a less direct route towards the duo. Her red suit was practically a target on her back. She stayed close to rooftops and chimneys while following after them. A part of her felt guilty to do this. Especially since the comfort, Lavi gave her after the latest incident.

Hesitant, Ladybug joined her partner behind a chimney. They laid down on the roof and looked over the edge at the pair. The two were in front of a small appliance store. It had a large display of televisions. They all played the news. On it was a warning against a sweet looking woman. The image switched over to the hospital that was near Notre Dame. Everyone had solemn expressions.

"It seems things haven't changed." Lavi sighed. "Another horror story."

"It could be the result of another broker." Allen cupped his chin in thought.

"Or Akuma." they both nodded at that.

"We should stay out a little longer. Just in case we find it."

"If," Lavi emphasized. "This is an extremely large city compared to what we're used to."

"I think Guangzhou was a lot bigger." Lavi pursed his lips and nodded at that.

"The point still stands. Without a carriage or car to get around fast enough, any Akuma could slip out the city before we find it."

"True, but it's not like we could just get one. Between Lou Fa's income and my gambling rewards, we probably can't afford one."

"Yeah. In the past, all we had to do was let them know that we were apart of the Black Order and they gave us first class seats, rooms for inns, bar tabs, and everything else."

"Not all of them." Allen countered.

"Those missions usually sucked the most." Ladybug found it interesting to know that the order would cover any expense the Exorcists had on these "missions". She wondered if they covered their secret boat ride here. Maybe even their food and lodging too. She was aware that Paris was an expensive place to live in. "Speaking of Akuma, there's evidence of one running around these parts."

"An actual one?"

Lavi nodded, "I investigated a crime scene and saw the usual bullet holes, ashes, and evidence of the virus. All things related to a level one." Level one? "I even ran into an Inspector." Allen tensed before slapping his hands over his face in a groan.

"I had completely forgotten about Link."

"Yeah, this is like two strikes already. Going somewhere without your little stalker and being gone for a long time with no contact."

"Technically three. I'm not supposed to be in the Ark without him, let alone use it."

She found this to be odd. Why would he need someone to be with him in this Ark? She assumed it was the boat that Lavi mentioned. What does he mean by "use it"? Can Allen navigate a boat? She had a hard time visualizing him sailing.

Lavi let out a low whistle. "You're going to be in so much trouble if we get back." the fact that he used "if" made it clear that they were struggling to get home. Or that Lavi wasn't all that optimistic about being able to leave.

"Uh, don't forget about the reports that you guys will have to do." She tilted her head. They had to do reports. Ladybug glanced at Chat Noir and saw him cupping his chin in thought. She wondered if the reports functioned like book reports. Did they have to write down everything that occurred on their missions? If what they said about the Order not knowing about us is true, then those reports will definitely tell them everything.

"You're included in that too! Trouble doesn't get you out of it! Besides, I already started mine!" Allen turned to his co-worker and gave him a deadpanned expression. He crossed his arms and silently challenged the notion. Lavi was quiet for a moment. "Yeah, I asked Lou Fa to start a rough draft."

"Lavi!"

"What? She asked if I needed help."

"I can't believe the nerve of you!"

"She offered her assistance! You're just jelly that she didn't ask you!" Lavi stuck his tongue out at the enraged teen. The two continued to bicker over it. Although it was mostly Allen lecturing Lavi.

Ladybug glanced over at her partner and found him smiling. "What is it?" she whispered to him. He seemed startled by her voice and his cheeks reddened a bit.

"Sorry. Their dynamic reminded me of my best friend and me."

Her eyes brightened with enlightenment. Now that she thought about it. It was similar to her and Alya. They did playfully banter back and forth. As well as poke fun at each other. Yet she also could connect it to the kind of banter her and chat took part in. Ladybug smiled and nodded her head.

"Yeah, me too." The heroes looked back down at their temporary partners. Allen was still pouting from the interaction, but it seems like the lecturing had passed. Lavi was still smirking mischievously.

"Anyway," Lavi clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "we should get some snacks for the night!"

"Bakery run?" Allen offered.

Lavi nodded, "Bakery run! To the T&S Bakery!" T&S! That's my parents! Our bakery!

Chat hummed, "They have good taste. Do we continue after them?"

Ladybug thought about it as she watched them walk away. She knew exactly where they were going. "No. Not today. Let's just end the patrol. It's late already and I have an exam in the morning."

Chat clicked his tongue and seemed to have remembered something. "I just now realized that I have one too."

"You do?"

"Ha…yeah! It's exam season ya know?" he chuckled nervously.

That was right. "Of course. Well…when you have time, I want to talk to you about the missing cases."

"Oh yes, I heard from the news that you're helping the police out. Sorry, I couldn't be with you that day. I had classes."

"It's fine! I should've called you but I—" she remembered the horrific scene and the grieving mother. "I…was just interviewing a family and following the detective around. I wasn't very useful."

"I doubt that! Are you going to go back?"

"Of course! This weekend, I have time. You think you can set aside a day or two for investigating?"

"For Paris, Anything." he grinned.

She smiled at him and reached out towards him. The heroine gave his hair a playful ruffle before jumping up. She took her yo-yo out and spun it around. "Keep by your baton. I'll call you!" He looked like he melted at her last words. Ladybug threw her yo-yo to the wind.

Swinging and soaring above the world, Ladybug swooped in low above a group of adults. They were all giggling. She smiled even though she felt worried for them. With this monster out and about, she was concerned for anyone who wandered alone. But at least they have each other. With that thought, she foolishly left them behind.

Laughter rang through the streets of Paris. Their origin came from a group of drunk University students. There were six of them. Four boys and two girls. All just stumbling around and giggling. In their hands were half empty bottles of beer. It looked as though they had been coming home late from a party. One of the girls had stood out from all the rest. She had long blonde hair and brown eyes. Around her neck was a chain that had a crystal ball pendant. The ball was an eerie green that looked like it had smoke trapped inside of it. The ball was encased in a twisted wire cage. The girl seemed to be the most intoxicated out of all of them. She kept rambling on and on about her precious necklace.

"Okay, okay! Give it up, Anna!" the other female groaned. "You know magical necklaces don't exist."

"You say that but do you forget we live in Paris and have three magical superheroes?" A man spoke with a slurred voice.

"Six." another male corrected.

"I know but hear me out! Ever since I got this, wicked shit has been happening to me." the girl spoke with such conviction.

"Oh, yea?"

"Yea! Like there was this one time I was going to clean the family aquarium and…and—listen!—and the water! It…it floated by itself!"

"You sure you weren't high?" they all laughed at that.

"No, no but I'm serious." Anna giggled.

"HA! The day you have a magical necklace is the day I get my letter from Hogwarts!"

The six happily went on their way until they ran into a small child. It was a young girl. Her hair was short and red. She wore a white hairband and glasses. Her outfit consisted of a light gray long-sleeved dress shirt underneath a purple, dark purple, and blue diamond checkered vest, along with a dark gray bow attached to her dress shirt collar. As well as some bright blue shorts with a brown belt, black leggings with a dark blue argyle pattern and a bright blue band above the feet, and white sneakers with black soles. At the sight of her, the group stopped and stared.

"Hey, kid! Don't you think it's way past your bedtime?" one of the guys called out to her, but they received no response. Anna's necklace seemed to glow, which caused her eyes to turn downward at the gem.

"I'm starving." the girl mumbled and caused confusion among the group of friends.

"What? Hey, listen! Just go home! I'm sure your parents are concerned."

At that, the girl's mouth stretched into an impossible grin and she giggled madly. Her skin turned gray and a black star appeared on her forehead. She shrieked and her body expanded. Large cylinders ripped through her clothes and metal started to replace her skin. All that was left of her was a floating ball-shaped creature with dozens of gun barrels protruding from it. It's face looked like a mask with two striped horns. The mask looked like it was crying in agony. The group gasped and stared in horror.

"Holy fuck!"

"What is that!?"

The demon's cannons twisted towards them and light emerged from them. Some of them turned and tried to escape. Not wanting to die, but Anna was too shell shocked to move. She was the only one who stared down the barrel in paralyzing fear. Her body was shaking badly and she muttered under her breath.

"God save me."

Boom

Dust and debris flew into the air and clouded the whole street. The monster halted it attacks and waited until the dust settled. When it did, there was only one survivor from the blast. Standing there, with their eyes shut tight and their arms curled around their head was Anna. Around her was a green sphere. Dust bounced off of it, indicating that it was a shield of some kind. Realizing that she wasn't dead, the girl opened her eyes.

"I'm…alive? But how?"

"How indeed." came another male voice. She whipped her head around and saw a tall figure behind her.

He was a handsome, tall man with wavy, long and dark hair, tied in a ponytail and pulled over his shoulder. His skin was a burnt umber shade with seven crosses engraved in his head. He also sported a mole under his eye. Eyes that were a startling gold. His outfit was strange, to say the least. It was a white and black outfit combination. His pants were black and form-fitting. Over them were boots that reached pasted his knees. On his chest, he wore a white coat that only had one sleeve and the front was cut open at the neck and expanded outward before coming to a point towards the man's lower abdomen. Like an upside down Arrowhead. The only thing keeping it from falling open was the fact that it was held together above his navel.

He strolled over with a smirk on his beautiful face. "You have something I want."

"Oh my god, is this a fever dream?" she spoke her thoughts aloud.

The man laughed and stopped at the edge of the barrier. "No, but you'll wish it was."

"Wha—"

He placed a hand on the surface and purple lightning crackled around it. From his hand, cracks formed and spread. She watched as it consumed to orb around her and shatter into millions of pieces. Anna shrieked and covered her head to save herself from the shards as if they were normal glass. This has to be a dream! The girl cried out as she was seized by her neck. Her eyes stared up a the man in fear. His response was to grin at her. Suddenly, she was thrown to the ground once more. Elise gasped and stared back at the man. He had her necklace in his hands. The realization of it made her place her hand to her chest.

"Finish her, I have what I wanted."

"Wait! No-!"

Boom!

When the dust finally cleared this time, all that was left was a pile of ash and clothes. The monster looked towards the man. It watched as he mercilessly crushed the gem in his hands and let the dust carry into the gentle breeze.

"Good work, Akuma. I think now is your time." right when he said that, the monster's body inflated into something large and round.

It grew to be the size of the whole street. Once it stopped, however, purple cracked appeared on its surface. It ran all the way down until something busted out of the top. Its laugh was maniacal and feminine.

"Thanks for Raising me~!"

The strongest hero of them all, the mother of Ladybug, had been busy sweeping the floors from all the flour used that morning. It would almost be time for her new regulars show up. They always appeared around the same time every day, just after they closed. Sabine had guessed that it was because of the fame they had. With no masks to hide behind, it's not like they could wander around so easily. They were not like their own heroes, who could probably walk around unnoticed by the citizens they save. She smiled sadly and glanced up. Her dear husband was preparing dinner and their daughter was busy either sleeping or studying in her bedroom. She hummed at the thought of Marinette actually sleeping at this time. The girl didn't seem to grasp the fact that sleeping in late normally meant waking up later.

Sabine placed her broom to the side and glided over to the counter. She heaved the heavy cash register and placed it in the little nook, under the counter. The money had been taken care of earlier. It was put away for safekeeping as always. The bakery's co-owner turned away and prepared a tray for the unsold pastries. Suddenly, the door behind her swung open. It was the one that led up to their residency. Her large husband walked through with that same smile that she adored. He was carrying two bowls with clear foil wrapped around the top. It had condensation on the inside from the steam. He walked over and placed a bowl in front of her and onto the side. Her slippers clicked behind her as she pulled out two stools for them. The couple sat together with provided spoons and matching grins.

"Did you get Marinette her bowl?" she asked as she stirred her soup.

"I left it on her desk. She wasn't up in her room." That caused her actions to halt. Is she…? "She's probably in the bathroom getting ready for bed."

She hummed but said nothing further. They took in a few bites before they noticed the two figures outside their door. She realized she forgot to turn the sign over. Well, late customers weren't that bad. One went to knock when the other pointed at them. Sabine and Tom waved for them to come in. They opened the door and were greeted by the chime of the bell.

"Hello. Is it too late to order?" they synced. The boys looked at each other for a moment. The albino in the group seemed a bit more upset than the ginger.

"Not at all! Come! Come!" Tom waved them over to the counter.

Sabine remembered the order from last time and recited it for them. "4 chocolate croissants?" Sabine inquired, knowingly. The boys nodded.

The redhead added to the order, "And some regular pieces of bread as well as..." the boy hummed, "éclairs." Sabine nodded. She got up and turned away to prepare their treats. The woman packed two bags to make sure everything would fit nicely. Her ears picked up on the clinking of coins. "That won't be necessary, boys."

"I insist." The hero, Allen, spoke without missing a beat. "It would be wrong to not pay."

Tom chuckled as she shook her head. With the bags in her hand, she passed them over to the other hero. He gave her a quick nod and smiled. "No, I insist. They're just ones that didn't get sold. Our family usually eats them anyway."

"Then it would better if I pay for them," Allen challenged.

No one to be defeated so easily, she met his challenge. "Heroes eat free! Besides, I already did inventory and recorded today's earnings. Would you want me to go through all that trouble again?" she poked to see if he had a thoughtful tendency. She suspected much, but one was never sure.

It seemed that comment made him stumble. He pursed his lips and clenched his hand around the money. He put his hands together and seemed to come to a conclusion. Allen looked up and pushed the money towards her. "Please just let me pay for them!" this was his last ditch attempt.

Standing firm, she fired back. "No!" The two stared each other down. Each looking for a sign of weakness in the other. She could see him slowly revert to familiar tactic. The "Bambi" eyes. They were too cute to resist. Marinette had used them one too many times before. She felt herself falter under the pressure. With a sigh, she caved. "Fine." the other brightened up immediately. "that'll be 17.29€."

The albino handed her 20€. "Just keep the change," he added. She went to refuse when he pulled out the Bambi eyes again. Sabine sighed again. Tom chuckled at her dilemma. The woman felt a sensation run down her back. She looked back and saw a peek of dark hair poking in behind the back door. Its familiarity with her own made her know instantly who it was.

"Ah, Marinette!" she called out and the door cracked open to reveal her daughter. The girl's cheeks were red from being caught.

"Sorry, I heard voices and came to check it out," she mumbled. Sabine looked back and notice the two looking at the girl with a sense of familiarity. The ginger seemed to have a knowing air to him while Allen was confused.

That reminds me! Sabine placed her hands on her hip and gestured for her daughter, "Marinette, don't you have something to say?" The girl was confused for a moment. She seemed to spot Allen and grow shameful. With her head hung low, she walked towards her mother. Sabine placed her hand on the girl's shoulders.

The girl looked up at a surprised Allen. "I'm sorry for staring at you like that A—er…Mr. Hero, sir," she spoke politely.

He looked even more confused before he looked enlightened. "Oh…Oh! Um, it's okay! You're not the first nor will you be the last. But thank you for apologizing." The embarrassed girl just pursed her lips in an awkward smile.

The ginger decided to speak up, "Wow, Madame, I didn't know you had a little sister!"

The couple laughed. "No, no, no. This is our daughter, Marinette."

The hero reached out his hand towards Marinette. "Lavi. Bookman Junior. Feel free to refer to me as Junior." Marinette shook his hand. Jr? Sabine wondered who Bookman Sr. was.

Marinette switched over to Allen, who shook her hand and greeted her. "Allen Walker. A pleasure to meet you formally."

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng. But I'm sure you guys figured that out." The two laughed and nodded. Marinette smiled and looked back up at her mother.

"Did you get your dinner, Marinette?" The girl nodded,

"Yeah, I was eating it in the living room before I came down because of the noise." That made her feel relieved.

Suddenly, the clock chimed. She hadn't noticed how late it truly got. "Go on and get some sleep Marinette. You have school in the morning."

"Ah, right!" the girl turned and ran off.

"We should be going as well," Lavi said as he stared at the time. "Our food will get cold and her highness will not be pleased about it."

"Yeah, Kanda really is a pain about that kind of thing." Allen instantly replied. Sabine gave him a stern look and shook her head.

Sabine clicked her tongue in a small chide. "It's unwise to talk like that behind someone's back, Mr. Walker."

He blushed in shame and lightly scratched his cheek. His eyes turned away. The scene reminded of her of Marinette. "Sorry ma'am." he apologized politely.

Lavi grinned and bumped Allen's shoulder. "Yeah, Moyashi! Yuu wouldn't like to hear that you've been dissing him!" Allen's reply was a simple pout. He made no move to create a retort.

Tom and Sabine laughed. Tom offered them a wary smile. "Be careful out there boys. It's dangerous nowadays."

The two boys shared a look. It was as if they knew something that the couple did not. With matching grimaces, they nodded. Allen headed towards the door with Lavi in tow. "Don't worry! We're tougher than you think!" Lavi called out as the bell chime saw them out.

I hope so…

*751-o: Now, phone numbers back then were short (around 2-4) and some had letters as well as the location in front of the number. So something like Brooklyn 258b. Since the order has no known location (For obvious reasons), I had to omit the location and just go with the numbers. It could've been an operator type of situation, but I wasn't able to find that out.

This next chapter is something I've been looking forward to getting to for a while. It's potentially going to be finished earlier than anticipated. So, I might drop it late next week between Thursday and Saturday. So be on the lookout!

Ciao-su~!