Notes: Some ideas just come to me, others came from Zoe-oneesama
Disclaimer: I don't own the Miraculous franchise (or the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise)
Miraculous Universe
Ch. 8: Four is Death part 1
Time passed, and it was now a pleasant autumn weekend. Gabriel/Le Papillon had been busy with more work, so once again there were no Akumas for a while. Ladybird and Matou Noir took the opportunity to train a bit. Now though, it was just some friends visiting the museum. Alix was giving them the grand tour.
"It feels like ages since I've been here," Adrien said, "My mother used to take me to all the museums all the time."
"Get your art appreciation started early, huh?" Marinette said.
"Partially, but it was more because she was obsessed with discovering superheroes."
"How come you never said that before, mec?" Nino asked.
"Because all you ever want to talk about it movies and animé," Chloé said.
"Did she find anything?" Zoé asked.
"I don't know. She never told me anything."
"You know," Alix said, "I think my brother was researching something like that."
"Really?" Adrien was surprised.
"Yeah...or at least he was. He tends to get distracted easily."
After they had seen everything, Alix stopped by her dad's office. Her father was talking a younger man.
"Dad, I'm telling you, this is a new discovery."
"You've been saying that a lot lately, Jalil."
"I know I've discovered even more Egyptian gods, and maybe even some new pharaohs."
"While I don't doubt that's a possibility, you have a tendency to exaggerate...especially when you've been visiting those online forums."
"I swear it's true this time."
"Di you perhaps get the names of any of these pharaohs?"
"Uh, well, I'm pretty sure he's called the nameless pharaoh."
"How convenient," Alix commented.
"Mind your own business, Alix. I've even discovered a ritual to summon the dead."
"Now that's just ridiculous," their father said, "What, pray tell, does this ritual entail?"
"A living sacrifice. We should try it!"
M. Kubdel gave him a look, "Do you ever hear yourself when you talk? Jalil, stop trying to fake new discoveries for extra credit in your college classes."
Alix spoke up again, "Maybe if you spent more time studying and less time trying to make a name for yourself, you wouldn't keep getting wrong answers."
Jalil stormed out of the room.
"Will he be okay?" Sabrina asked.
"This isn't the first time he's tried making outrageous claims," M Kubdel said, "And it won't be the last. These must be some of your friends, I assume, Alix? Alim Kubdel, at your service."
"Just giving them the grand tour, Papa. There is one friend I didn't bother bringing. Kim's a bit too obsessed with athletics to appreciate art."
"It's true that certain types of art aren't for everyone. It's a matter of taste, after all. However, everyone can benefit from learning history."
Meanwhile, Jalil had found an isolated corner to brood in.
*The Lair*
Gabriel was sitting in his lair in the dark, turning the Butterfly Miraculous around in his hand.
"You need to stop skipping meals, sir," Nathalie said.
He didn't reply, instead using the Miraculous to transform.
"Another day, another try, Nathalie. I have a good feeling about today. I can feel some strong negative emotions right now."
"Where to?"
"At the Louvre."
"Optigami, head for the Louvre."
"Fly away, my little Akuma, and evilize him!"
"Have you ever thought about mixing it up and saying something else? Something that doesn't sound like a string of made up words?"
He leered at her, "I ignore you."
In no time at all, the Akuma and the Sentimonster reached the Louvre. The Akuma merged with Jalil's scarab pendant, while Optigami merged with a nearby section of the building.
"Good afternoon, young man. I am Le Papillon. I can feel your angry and frustration at not being taken seriously."
"If I had the means, I could show them I'm as good as any archaeologist. No, better than."
"Tell me, uh..."
"Jalil."
"Jalil, what do you need? Ask and you shall receive."
"For the power of a pharaoh and his gods"
"I think that can be arranged. You shall now be known as...Le Pharaon. All I ask in return is that you retrieve any Miraculous those interfering heroes may produce. Can you do that for me?"
"It will be done."
Jalil began walk to the exit as the purple energy engulfed his body. As soon as he was outside, his new form took shape. He was several feet taller and dressed as a stereotypical pharaoh: the headdress, the gold armor, a staff in one hand, a sword in the other, his shoulders adorned with the head of Osiris on the right, and the head of Anubis on the left. He began zapping multiple people with a beam that turned some of them into armored mummies, while others were merely regular mummies wrapped in bandages.
"Pharoah's Servants, Royal Guardians, go forth and add more to my ranks, and then return swiftly!"
The mummies fanned out through the area. Every person they touched became another mummy.
"FATHER! Come out!"
Back inside...
"Dad, that sounded like Jalil...if he was speaking through a megaphone."
The group headed outside.
"Jalil, is that you?" Alim asked.
"I am no longer simply Jalil. I am Le Pharaon!"
The mummies began to convene around their pharaoh.
"Come forth and face me, heroes! I will vanquish you and take your Miraculous! Every moment you delay, I will add more power to my ranks! I shall use these onlookers to bring forth my loyal priests!"
"What are your mummies gonna do?" Alix taunted, "Shuffle towards us slowly as possible?"
One of the mummies walked up to Le Pharaon.
"I will tribute my servant to unleash a powerful ka. Come forth, Diabound Kernel!"
In place of the mummy was a large white-scaled humanoid whose lower body was the head of a huge serpent. Two more mummies came forward.
"I tribute two more servants to summon another powerful ka. Come to my aid, Tragoedia!"
A large black spider-like centaur crawled forward.
"Something about this seems kind of familiar," Nino said.
"You children should get inside," Alim said, "Maybe I can talk him out of this."
"I'm not leaving you, Papa," Alix said, "We're not family for nothing."
"You peasants aren't going anywhere! Get them, Apophis Incarnation!"
A black and purple human/snake hybrid emerged from the ground, wielding a sword and shield. It had both a human head and a snake head. The snake head grabbed Sabrina by the back of her shirt and dragged her to Le Pharaon. A second Apophis appeared and grabbed Nino.
"Sabrina!" Chloé and Zoé screamed.
"Nino!" Adrien, Marinette, and Alya screamed.
"You two shall be my priests," he bathed them in a blinding light, "You are now Guardian Priest Mahad and Guardian Priestess Mana!"
The two were transformed into tall Egyptian priest adorned with gold armor and white robes. Each held a staff, and then knelt before their pharaoh.
"Rise, my priests. Defend me when the heroes arrive."
Alya ran forward, phone in hand.
"Look, you royal jerk, I don't know what you're trying to do, but let them go!"
"You will make the perfect tribute. The ritual requires a sacrifice to bring back my queen."
The priest Mahad/Nino, who until then had been staring straight forward, suddenly jerked his head in Alya's direction.
"You want to use me to bring back your queen?"
"You are close to a worthy candidate, but no. Nothing less than one of the superheroes will do to bring back someone as powerful as my late queen. You will be used to bring forth another powerful guardian!"
One of the Apophis wrapped its tail around her until a mummy wrapped its arms around her.
"This feisty girl and one of my servants will be used to bring forth a more powerful ka! Be born, Phoenix God of Nephthys!"
Alya disappeared in a flash of light, leaving behind her phone. In her place was a large, golden dragon/bird hybrid covered in flames. The two Apophis creatures then grabbed Chloé and Zoé.
"Let me go, you undead idiot," Chloé snarled, "I'll beat you back to death with my bare hands!"
"I know just what to do with the two of you. The quiet one will be tributed with another of my servants."
Apophis threw Zoé into the arms of a nearby mummy.
"Behold my next powerful ka, Horus' Black Flame Dragon!"
Now it was Zoé's turn to disappear in a flash of light. In her place was a large, silver dragon/bird hybrid that shot black fire from its mouth.
"You just earned yourself another beating, pal!"
"How amusing. A change of scenery is in order! Let us make this area more suitable for one's self. Let it now resemble the Temple of the Royal Family!"
The immediate area now looked like in the inside of an ancient Egyptian palace, with torches, assorted statues, and a throne. The other Apophis threw Chloé to the ground.
"Watch what you're doing, ugly!"
"Let this young woman bring forth the guardian of the temple! Oh mighty ka, I summon thee! Holy Beast Serket!"
Chloé was gone, and in her place was a gigantic scorpion adorned with the eye of Ra on its back.
"Hurry, you guys," Alix said, "Before they get you, too. Dad and me will try to stop him. I hope the heroes are on their way."
Marinette was so shocked by what happened, Adrien had to grab her and pull her inside.
"Marinette, you better stay here and try to stay calm."
She snapped out of it, "What about you?"
"I dunno...I'll think of something."
He then ran deeper into the museum, which was now completely empty.
"This is way more crazy than the last three times," she said to herself, "All the more reason to take care of this. Transformez moi!"
Ladybird charged outside. Adrien went out a back door and transformed.
"Okay, you monster-summoning moron!" Ladybird shouted, "Unless you want me to thrash you within an inch of your life, I suggest you surrender now!"
Matou Noir ran up next to her, "That goes double for me!"
Le Pharaon laughed, "You fools! You foolish fools! You truly think you can defeat me? Attack them, my monsters!"
Horus and Nephthys opened their mouths, clearly about to breathe fire.
Ladybird and Matou Noir looked at each other and said, "Run."
They quickly dashed off in separate directions at the ground where they had been standing was now ignited.
"Serket, Tragoedia, Horus, after the cat! Apophis, Diabound, Nephthys, after the bug!"
The massive scorpion charged forward, pincers snapping, while the spider-centaur followed closely with its claws outstretched. Noir climbed up the nearest building, only to be met with the silver dragon flying overhead. He kept moving to avoid getting blasted by fire. Ladybird, meanwhile, was fighting off the three snake people, while at the same time avoiding staying in one place for too long so as to avoid the phoenix fire. The monsters were constantly avoided getting near Alim and Alix. The two of them walked forward.
"Jalil," Alim said, "Please stop this now. You don't have to do this."
"Don't you understand? I am Le Pharaon! I shall rule this land! The blood of the past rulers runs through my veins!"
"First of all," Alix said, "In case you haven't noticed, we're in Europe, not Africa. Second, even if our ancestry comes from North Africa, it doesn't include Egypt. Besides, do you know how many of those rulers and such were inbred?"
"Enough! I will deal with these heroes, and then my plans will commence. Apophis, detain them!"
One of the snake people placed its sword and shield on its back so it could more easily grab Alim and Alix.
"You would do well to surrender, heroes" Le Pharaon stated, "You are no match for me."
"What do you mean?" Ladybird shot back, "You're not doing anything!"
"Fighting you would be beneath me. My true power lies in commanding my guardians."
"Maybe you're just too weak to fight your own battles," Matou Noir said.
"You try my patience."
"That's fine. You must come up and try mine sometime."
"You think you are strong because you can avoid my beasts and make time for levity all at once? Very well then. I shall deal with you both myself! My servants, come to me!"
The six monsters stopped attacking and made their way to the pharaoh.
"Now this makes it a fair fight," Noir said.
"Whoever said I would make it fair? Serket, Tragoedia, Horus, I offer you in tribute to summon one of my own personal ka - Osiris the Heaven Dragon!"
The three monsters turned into energy and shot into the sky. Dark clouds filled the sky and blocked out the sun. Then, an absolutely massive, red, serpentine dragon with two mouths descended from the sky with a mighty roar.
"That dragon has two mouths," Noir said.
"That's the first thing you have to say?" Ladybird said.
"Apophis, Diabound, Nephthys, I tribute you to summon my strongest ka of all - Winged Divine Dragon of Ra!"
Now the other three monsters became energy, and they formed into a large golden sphere appeared through the clouds.
"A ball? What's it gonna do, roll after us?"
The sphere transformed into a colossal dragon/bird hybrid.
"The ball was a Transformer? Why would it be a ball?"
"Seriously, you keep observing the least important part of all this," she turned to Le Pharaon, "I'm guessing you want our Miraculous?"
"Indeed. It will prove I am the strongest."
"Really?" Noir said, "Because Le Papillon gave you your power. It can be taken away at any time."
That gave him pause, "You're right. Then I shall use your Miraculous to overpower him and take over Paris!"
*The Lair*
"He seriously thinks he can betray me?"
"You did give him a lot of power, Gabriel," Mayura said, "He's summoning giant monsters. Of course he thinks he can take over."
"No matter. With all that power, he has to get the Miraculous. Once he does, I'll take the powers back. By the way, it said I couldn't copy Miraculous powers. Isn't his power just like yours?"
"Uh, no, because he has to tribute people to summon the monsters. The Peacock makes them from emotions. It's not the same thing at all."
*The Duel*
"Lucky Charm!"
She received a pair of earrings identical to the Ladybug Miraculous.
"Ra! I command you to transform into your Phoenix form!"
The enormous dragon/bird hybrid was consumed by flames, and was now a giant bird made entirely of fire.
"I offer you a choice, heroes: surrender, or I will use Ra and Osiris to annihilate all of Paris."
"Everything?" Ladybird asked, "Even the museums? Doesn't that go against what your family wants?"
He hesitated again, "I am merciful. A pharaoh appreciates fine art. I will start by destroying the rest of the city."
Ladybird and Matou Noir looked at each other.
"You win, Le Pharaon," Ladybird said.
"We don't want you to cause a Cataclysm," Noir added.
"Then prostrate yourselves before me."
The pair began walking forward.
As they passed Alix and Alim, Alix said, "You're doing the right thing. Compared to him, you're naught but scarab beetles."
"Thanks for the support," Noir said.
Once they reached Le Pharaon, they got on their knees, and bowed before him.
"Excellent. Now give me your Miraculouses, starting with you, wielder of the Ladybug."
He extended his hand, and she gave him the fake earrings.
"With this," he said with a maniacal laugh, "I have vanquished my foe. I'll use you to resurrect my queen, and then take over the world!"
"That imbecile doesn't even notice she hasn't de-transformed!" Papillon screeched.
That's when Matou Noir jumped up and grabbed the scarab pendant, crumbling it to dust.
"NO!"
The monsters began to fade away, while the Akuma tried to fly off. Ladybird jumped up and hugged Matou Noir.
They both shouted, "Miraculous!"
The wave of energy repaired the damages and changed everyone back to normal.
"Dang," Alya said, "Another attack where I barely got any footage."
"Is that seriously what you're worried about?" Chloé snapped, "We got turned into monsters!"
Chloé looked like she was about to pounce on Alya, but Zoé and Sabrina tackled her with a hug. Nino walked up to Alya, held up two fingers, and then poked her on the forehead.
"Ow," she rubbed her forehead, "What was that for?"
"Just my way of saying, sorry, Alya, maybe next time."
"Where'd you even get the idea for that forehead poke thing?"
"Some show about ninjas you probably haven't seen."
Alim and Alix walked over to Jalil, who seemed to be passed out on the ground. Alim lightly slapped his face.
"Son, are you okay?"
He stirred, "What? What happened?"
"You were akumatized, you big goof," Alix said, giving him a punch on the arm.
"Hey! What was that for?"
"For making me worry. You're my big brother, after all."
They helped him up.
"Dad, I...I did make up all that stuff I said. You were right. Both of you were right. I was getting impatient and overly ambitious. I'm going to buckle down and do some proper studying. Maybe some day I'll have your job."
"Well now, son, let's not get carried away."
Alix started laughing.
"Thank you, heroes," Alim said.
"Yeah, you saved me," Jalil said.
"Hey, that Papillon jerk took advantage of you," Noir replied.
"That's right," Ladybird added, "If not for that interference, you and your family could've easily talked this whole thing out."
"Hey, wait a minute," Alya said, "Has anyone seen Marinette and/or Adrien?"
"I saw them go hide in the museum somewhere," Ladybird answered.
"Yeah, we told them that was the safest place to be," Matou Noir added.
"Well, we'll leave you to it."
"Yeah, until the next adventure."
The duo leapt off into opposite directions. They left so fast that Optigami couldn't keep up.
"Honestly," Papillon said, "This Sentimonster was supposed to act as a spy, but so far all it's good for is surveying the battlefield."
"It's better than nothing," Mayura said, "Besides, you never know. One day they might slip up. Optigami, return to base."
Both heroes found secluded alleyways to change back in. They waited until the others had gone back into the museum, and then walked back to the front of the building.
"Marinette?"
"Adrien?"
"I thought you were in the Louvre?"
"I got worried when everyone disappeared, so I went looking for others to see if I could help them to safety. I thought you were in the Louvre?"
"The building was deserted, and it made me feel uneasy, so I got the same idea: look for other people that I could possibly help. Like they say, great minds think alike."
"Probably a coincidence, really," she replied, "Or is it?"
"There you are!" Chloé said, pulling Adrien into a hug, "I'm glad you're safe."
"Gosh, Chlo, I...I was going to say, I didn't know you cared, but that would be a lie. I know how much you care."
"Glad you avoided this crazy mess, girl," Alya said.
"Yeah, that was...a trip," Nino said.
"I think it'd be a good idea to get something to eat," Marinette said.
"Second!" Zoé chimed in.
"You always want to try more food," Chloé said.
Just as they were all walking off though...
"Hey, wait a minute!" Nino declared, "That was Yu-Gi-Oh!"
Meanwhile...
"It was close, Nathalie," Papillon said, "But that université student was far too arrogant."
"Uh huh," was all she said, wondering if he would ever realize the hypocrisy.
"No matter. There's always next time," he said, walking away, "There will always be a next time."
A few weeks later, and the weather was a little cooler. Gabriel was keeping himself busy as always, when he suddenly let out a sigh.
"Something wrong, sir?" Nathalie asked.
"I've been thinking, Nathalie."
"Oh dear."
He continued, ignoring her remark, "I'm sure Tsurugi-san expects Kagami to carry on her work, but I know for a fact that Adrien has no interest in my business."
"Nevertheless, sir, he's learning about business in general. We made sure he's getting the proper classes, in school and out."
"Of course, of course, but he has no eye for craftsmanship. If he was in charge right now, he could easily be fooled by some charlatan."
"So what's the solution, sir?"
"Since I cannot rely on my progeny, I must find a young protégé. What better place to look than the local lycée? There must be someone in that inferior school that has what it takes to impress even the Style Queen herself."
"That's quite the high bar."
"It's just the sort of challenge a budding young couturier needs. Send word to the principal and make the announcement. By the end of next week, you will be there in my stead, but I shall still act as judge, jury, and executioner."
"Still keeping yourself isolated, Gabriel?"
"I have an image to maintain, Nathalie. Besides, if I show myself now, it won't be big enough surprise once the fashion show starts."
She walked out, muttering under her breath, "Drama King."
So it was that on Monday, the announcement came over the speakers.
"Attention students! This is your principal speaking. A special announcement to all those with a mind for fashion. We will be hold a contest at the end of next week. Gabriel Agreste himself will personally judge your best work. All who wish to participate are free to do so. Just remember, no plagiarism. If you try it, M. Agreste will find out."
Later that day...
"Aren't you excited, girl?" Alya asked, "Finally you can show everyone what you're made of!"
"Believe me, Als," Marinette replied, "I'm very excited...but I'm also worried. What if I'm not good enough?"
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained, Dupain-Cheng," Chloé said.
"Are you going to enter?"
"Me? Of course not. I may have inherited my mother's talent for discerning excellent design, but also like her, I do not excel at actually creating anything."
"You've made lots of creative things," Zoé said, "I'll never forget my first Christmas present."
That actually gave Chloé pause for a second. She then shook her head and cleared her throat.
"Yes, well, making art isn't nearly the same as making clothes."
"But you could call making clothes an art," Marinette said.
"You know what I mean."
"Any idea what you'll make, Marinette?" Sabrina asked.
"That's right," Alya said, "It's got to be something special."
"Maybe I should try for something simple," Marinette said, "Something that could be worn by anyone."
"That's all well and good," Chloé said, "But it's more than likely that old Gabe will make Adrien model it. Which means, whatever you're going to make, no feathers."
"Feathers?"
"Adrien is allergic to feathers."
"I never even thought about using feathers, but now that you mention it..."
"One last piece of advice: no glitter."
"Oh, I never use glitter. It's too messy."
"Well then my work here is done. Girls, let's roll out."
"Bye, Marinette," Zoé said.
"Good luck, Marinette," Sabrina said.
Marinette and Alya walked to her scooter.
"Any idea what you'll make?"
"Well, I made Adrien a scarf for that one Christmas, but it has to be something he can wear at any time. I think the best thing to design would be...a hat."
"Great idea," said a familiar voice.
Marinette seemed to leap a foot into the air. Adrien and Nino seemed to appear out of nowhere.
"Adrien! Did you hear all of that?"
"I figured Chloé would drop a few hints, but yes, I confess I eavesdropped. I look forward to seeing your work. I know it'll be immaculate. There's my ride. Later, guys."
"There you go, Nette," Nino said, "You've got his support."
"That's all well and good, but it's Gabriel the Ice King that I've got to impress. I don't even know where to start."
"Just go to your usual inspiration spot and it'll come to you, I'm sure," Alya said.
"You know what? You're right. I'll call my parents and tell them I'm going to the Jardins du Trocadéro. Call you guys later."
Upon arriving, Marinette did a quick walk around. There weren't too many people in the area, save for one man in a rather nice grey suit, complete with bowtie and hat. He was feeding the many, many pigeons, calling them with a bird whistle.
"Here again, M. Ramier?"
"Bon après-midi, Marinette. You know how much I love coming here."
"Weren't you warned about feeding the pigeons by the police one time?"
"Oh, well, yes, I suppose..."
Marinette waved as she headed for the steps. She sat down and began thinking. More and more pigeons seemed to show up.
"I wonder...what would the best kind of hat be? Something sharp."
She began to make some sketches, but nothing seemed to really strike her.
"M. Ramier has a nice hat, but no, that's not quite right."
That's when she noticed two pigeons that seemed to be having a dispute. The first one was a mottled grey and white. It walked up to a piece of bread. Just as it was about to pick it up, another pigeon, this one more black in color, shoved it out of the way. The two birds began walking towards each other, wings flapping and heads bobbing. They proceeded to peck at each other.
"For being called rock doves, they don't seem particularly peaceful. It reminds me of an old comedy movie Zoé showed me. What was it called?"
That's when she got an idea and began to sketch.
"That's it! What could be more dapper than a derby? Or rather, bowler hat, I should say. Yeah, that looks good, and these pigeons are making me think feathers could...wait, Adrien's allergic to feathers. Well...it's not like he's the only one who'll wear it. I'll just have to make two hats: one with real feathers, and one with faux feathers."
"Xavier Ramier!" a voice called out.
"Oh, uh, Brigadier Raincomprix. So nice to see you again."
"I gave you fair warning several times," Roger said, "It's illegal to feed the pigeons."
"Yes, but -"
"I happen to know that you've been kicked out of every park. It seems I have no choice to do the same here."
M. Ramier dejectedly walked away. He was so upset, he barely seemed to register where he was going, but he eventually made his way to a bench down by the Seine. Marinette, meanwhile, headed back home to begin working on the hat.
At the Agreste mansion...
"Time to, as they say, step up my game, Nathalie."
"Ugh, please don't try to sound cool, Gabriel."
They were soon in the lair and transformed.
"I can feel such sorrow and despair."
"Who is it this time?"
"You remember that fellow you keep seeing in the park surrounded by those horrid pigeons?"
"Xavier Ramier?"
"Such a fine suit to wear, and yet wasted by likely being covered in bird droppings." he said, creating an Akuma, "Well now it's time to put those annoying Aves to good use."
"I'm sure," Mayura replied, "Optigami, follow the Akuma."
In no time at all, the Akuma honed in on M. Ramier and possessed his bird whistle.
"Bon après midi, monsieur. I am Le Papillon. I felt your frustration and sorrow. I can help you change peoples' minds about you and your pigeons."
"Really? How can you do that?"
"I will give you power over all the pigeons in Paris. I can think of no better name for you than...Monsieur Pigeon."
"This seems a bit extreme, sir."
"Don't the pigeons deserve to have someone fight on their behalf? After all, we brought them here to begin with."
"Yes, that's an excellent point."
"When the heroes show up, do what you can to take their Miraculouses from them."
"It's the least I can do, Le Papillon."
With a wave of purple energy, M. Ramier was no longer in a grey suit, but a skin-tight jumpsuit. The body was black and grey, while the head was pink. He was also taller and more muscular. He blew his bird whistle, and the sound seemed to travel across all of Paris. Hundreds of pigeons flocked to his side.
"My dear friends, I am M. Pigeon. With my help, all of Paris shall be ours. You, Jacques, you shall be my transportation."
The black pigeon from before stepped forward. With a blow from the whistle, Jacques suddenly grew large enough that M. Pigeon could ride on his back.
"You, Maurice, shall be my lieutenant."
A white and brown pigeon stepped forward. With a blow from the whistle, Maurice was now twice the size of an ordinary rock dove. M. Pigeon climbed atop Jacques.
"Let us now sally forth and engage our foes forthwith."
The pigeons formed an enormous flock that shaped itself into the silhouette of a pigeon. Marinette was already working on the hat, when suddenly...
"Why did it get dark outside?" she asked, walking towards the window, "...oh."
The pigeons were swarming all over the city. She grabbed a pair of binoculars to look at the Eiffel Tower. M. Pigeon was perched atop it, overlooking the city as his army seemed to cover every arrondissement.
"Looks like another job just got pushed to the front of the queue."
Over at the Agreste mansion, Adrien was looking out his windows at the chaos.
"It's like that movie about those birds. This is going to make me sneeze like crazy, but duty calls."
Ladybird was now leaping across rooftops, swinging her yo-yo around to scare off any nearby pigeons. Some of them scattered, others headed straight for M. Pigeon. Matou Noir had extended his staff and was swinging it back and forth to make the pigeons move, all while keeping his face covered. He got a call on his staff.
"Y'ello?"
"The Akuma's on the Tower, Chaton. Let's head there right now before this gets too crazy."
"Uh, no offense, but, you are outside, right?"
"What I mean is that they're not really doing anything."
Several of the pigeons were now flying around M. Pigeon.
"So, the heroes arrive at last. Now they can witness my triumph. Maurice, hold them off. Jacques, let's head for city hall."
He blew his whistle and every pigeon joined into a massive cyclone of birds that was now headed straight for the duo.
"Is that a pigeon the size of an eagle?" Noir asked.
"Is that a pigeon the size of a horse?" Ladybird asked.
The pigeons dive bombed the duo. As they ran, Matou Noir started sneezing.
"Sorry, but I'm allergic to feathers."
"Apologizing for an allergy is silly. Why not just cover your face?"
He smacked himself on the forehead, "Why didn't I think of that?"
Another whistle rang out. The pigeons flew off.
"Where'd they go?"
"You go put on a mask...you know what I mean. I'll take a look."
While Matou Noir dived into an alley, Ladybird noticed a lot of the pigeons heading for the police station. She followed to check out what was going on. Tons of pigeons were now blocking every exit to the police station. The rest were heading for city hall.
"What's he going there for?"
Matou Noir reappeared next to her, "Maybe they want a law passed."
"Hey, wait, that's exactly it. This pigeon guy probably wants to coerce the mayor to pass a law that makes it legal to feed pigeons and such. No wonder he's barricaded the police station."
She turned to look at Noir, but even though she told him to put on a better mask, she was still taken aback. The lower part of his face was now covered.
"Guess I'll have to emote with my eyes more, huh?"
"It would also help if you talked a little louder. Let's go!"
All across the city, people were alternating between looking out the window and watching the news.
"This is Nadja Chamack. Don't be bemused, it's just the news. This sudden take over by pigeons is clearly the result of a new Akuma. We've just spotted him at city hall."
Over at Le Grand Paris, Chloé was looking out the window, while Zoé was watching the TV. As soon as Nadja said that, though, Chloé immediately turned to the TV.
"What? This nut job Akuma is going after daddy?"
M. Pigeon broke down the down the door to city hall himself, but before he could walk in, he noticed the news crew.
"Greetings! I am M. Pigeon! I am here to force the mayor to rescind any laws that are disadvantageous towards pigeons."
"Okay," Nadja said, "Anything else?"
"No, that's pretty much it. Farewell!"
Due to the erratic nature of the Akuma and the pigeons, Optigami was having a hard time finding good spots to hide that would provide a good view.
The Lair
"Have I mentioned how much I hate pigeons?" Papillon griped.
"Increasingly, today, Gabriel," Mayura replied, rolling her eyes.
The Fight
M. Pigeon was about to walk inside, but the heroes arrived.
"Not so fast, birdman!" Matou Noir said.
"Why is your face covered?" he asked, "Wait, are you perhaps allergic?"
"Didn't I already tell you?"
"Uh...no."
"Well then it must be none of your business!"
While Ladybird fought back a laugh, Noir charged forward.
"Stop him, Jacques!"
The horse-sized pigeon slammed into the cat hero. Matou Noir used his staff to beat back the bird, while said bird kept pecking at him.
He blew his whistle, "Maurice! I'm going inside. Make sure they don't follow me. However, I shall allow the news crew inside. Once the mayor give in to my demands, they'll be there to broadcast it."
Maurice flew at Ladybird's face, so she began spinning her yo-yo in front of herself. As soon as the news crew were inside, the rest of the pigeons were flying everywhere.
"I can barely see anything," Ladybird thought, "I hope everyone else is inside. Oh no..."
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Alya and Nino a good distance away.
"At least they're not too close this time. Still, I'd better tell them to get farther back."
Once Ladybird was a certain distance away, the pigeons immediately went back to city hall.
"I just can't keep you away, can I?" she asked Ayla.
"At least now you know they won't go a certain distance."
"This looks pretty bad," Nino said, "You're being overwhelmed by numbers."
Matou Noir soon came running up, "Oh man, that giant pigeon is tougher than he looks."
"Why's your face covered like that?" Alya asked.
"I'm allergic to feathers, and I didn't bring any antihistamines."
The Lair
"The heroes are overwhelmed and I can't even enjoy it. Curse these Akumas and their personal agendas."
"The heroes are backing off. Maybe Optigami can get a good look at them now."
The Sentimonster flew closer to the heroes.
The Fight
"Too bad we're not operating on RPG type rules," Nino said.
"What does that mean?" Ladybird asked.
"I just meant that, in a lot of video games, if something can fly, it's weak to electricity."
"Nino, are you suggesting they zap all the pigeons with lightning?" Alya asked, "That seems a tad excessive."
"Well...uh...I'm sure they'd be fine after these guys did their world healing wave thing."
"Regardless of that fact, they're still just birds. Honestly, if you really wanted to get rid of pigeons, everyone knows they hate water."
"They do?" both heroes asked.
"Yeah, and strong spices. You know, like pepper, or chili, or even onions."
"I've never heard that," Nino said, "How did you know that?"
"Uh, hello, my dad works at the zoo. Of course I'm going to learn all about animals."
"Lucky Charm!"
She created an sign that read "Open".
"I know what to do. Minou, wait here, please. I'll be back as soon as I can."
"You already have a plan?"
"Or something like it. If it works, it'll be a game changer."
She sped off as fast as she could,
"Gabriel," Mayura said, "Ladybird's leaving. She must be up to something."
"Well then follow her!"
Optigami left its hiding spot to tail Ladybird. However, Matou Noir was able to spot it.
"What is that? Another Akuma? No, it can't be. It's not the right color."
He used his staff to reach the top of the nearest building.
"This thing isn't flying very fast. I'm sure I can catch it."
He started to run on all fours, perhaps out of instinct since he was hunting. He finally got close enough and pounced, grabbing the thing between his hands.
The Lair
"What happened?!" Papillon shrieked, "Where's the picture?"
"I think someone grabbed Optigami," Mayura said.
The Fight
Matou Noir was holding on tight to the thing that looked like a large butterfly.
"What is this thing? It looks like a butterfly, but those huge eyes on its wings look functional. I may be wearing gloves, but I can still tell this thing isn't real. It's almost like paper."
The Lair
"Matou Noir has Optigami!" Mayura cried.
"Just get rid of it then! You can always make a new one."
"I guess I'll have to, otherwise he might figure out what it is."
She concentrated on her Sentimonster, held up her right hand, and then snapped her fingers.
The Fight
Optigami faded into blue energy and disappeared.
"What was that thing? I better ask Master Fu after all this."
Ladybird, meanwhile, finally reached Fu's shop. Making sure no one was looking, she went inside and de-transformed.
"Never underestimate pigeons," he said.
"I know they're actually rather impressive birds, but that's a moot point right now. We can't get past them. I had an idea though. I know I haven't had a lot of practice, but I need a second Miraculous."
"That's certainly surprising, but if you're sure."
He opened the briefcase and set the Miracle Box on the table. Ladybird looked over the trinkets, and then grabbed the choker.
"This is the one. I need the Dragon Miraculous."
"I suppose now's as good a time as any to try. Simply put on the Miraculous, concentrate, and then say, unify."
She placed the choker around her neck and closed her eyes.
"Unify!"
Her new outfit was still red and black, but the right half was mostly red, while the left half was mostly black. A gold border was between the black and red. Her gloves now completely covered her hands, with the fingers being a light blue. Her hair was now in a small ponytail, and there was a small, wing-like horn on each side of her head. She also had a belt with a large buckle. On said buckle were three small symbols: a yellow lightning bolt, a blue water droplet, and a white cloud.
"Wow, this looks great. I better hurry back."
"Be careful, Ladybird. Or rather, whatever your new name is."
"New name?"
"A new name for your new costume."
"I'll think of one on the way."
Meanwhile, Mayura just finished making another Optigami, and was sending it back to the battlefield. New Ladybird was finally back with the others.
"Ladybird," Matou Noir said, "I saw the strangest...whoa, what happened?"
"Well, our civilian friends here gave me an idea. I went back to the base and unified with the Dragon Miraculous."
"That's so awesome!" Alya and Noir said at the same time.
"Do you have a new name?" Alya asked.
"I was thinking about it...along with a few other things. Call me...Lady Qīnglóng."
"That's quite a mouthful, My Lady. So what's the plan?"
"Lucky Charm!"
She created a pepper shaker.
"You take this shaker, while I clear the way first."
"After you, Lady Q."
She charged ahead, and once she got close enough to city hall, the pigeons took to the air to dive bomb her.
"Water Dragon!"
The picture of the water drop on her belt was now glowing brightly. She raised her hands at the pigeons and a torrent of water fired from them. Every single pigeon scattered. She kept firing water as she started to slowly spin around like a sprinkler.
"Come on, Chaton!"
"Right behind you, My Lady!"
Once they reached the door to city hall, even the two bigger pigeons backed off.
"To the mayor's office," she said, "Scatter that pepper so they don't follow us."
"Way ahead of you."
Matou Noir left a line of pepper by the door, making the birds back away. The flock began to fly all over the building, looking for an open window. Meanwhile, in the mayor's office, M. Pigeon was waiting for the mayor to comply.
"I've been waiting for 30 minutes, M. Mayor. I told you to eliminate any laws that discriminate against Columbidae."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"He means the bird family that consists of pigeons and doves," Noir said.
"Of course a cat would know about birds," M. Pigeon said, "The mayor has been stalling this entire time."
"I told you, anything to do with lawmaking takes time," André said, "There's a lot of paperwork involved. On top of that, I received an important phone call."
M. Pigeon's eyes were wide, "You're still on speaker phone! How long is this going to take?"
"Hey! You try anything funny, pigeon man," Chloé's voice rang out from the speaker, "And I swear I'll come down there myself to give you a beating! Why should the heroes have all the fun? Daddy, er, the mayor, already said he was going to agree to your terms. So be patient and BACK OFF!"
"Yeah, what she said," Zoé said in the background.
The entire conversation, Matou Noir was sprinkling pepper at every window. M. Pigeon finally noticed.
"Wait, what are you doing? What is that?" he sniffed, "Is that pepper?!"
"Yeah, want some?" Noir said, throwing a handful into the Akuma's face.
M. Pigeon began to sneeze and rub his eyes.
"How dare you?" he staggered to a window and opened it, "Jacques! Maurice!"
The two large pigeons were flying towards the window, while M. Pigeon was blowing away the pepper on the windowsill.
"M. Mayor," Lady Qīnglóng said, "Hide under your desk please."
He did so.
"Wind Dragon!"
She created a strong wind current that blew all through the room. Matou Noir had run behind her.
"What now?" he asked.
"As soon as he gets close enough, grab that bird whistle. It has to be where the Akuma's hiding."
A blast of wind sent the two large pigeons tumbling through the air. Another blast lifted M. Pigeon into the air.
"How dare you attack me with this abnormal weather?! Let me down this instant!"
"Good idea," she said with a smile, and the wind immediately died down.
As he fell, M. Pigeon quickly said, "The irony of a man dressed like a bird being unable to fly!"
He hit the floor hard. He still tried to get up, but was in a daze.
"I'll take that whistle, thank you," Noir said, "Cataclysm!"
The whistle crumbled and the Akuma flew out of the pieces. Noir swiped at it, causing it to fall to the floor.
"Ready to go, dragon lady?" he asked, holding out his hand.
"Always," she shook his hand.
"Miraculous!"
M. Ramier was lying on the floor. The mayor emerged from under his desk to look around at his once again tidy office. Outside, the pigeons had all dispersed. The two enlarged pigeons were back to normal. M. Ramier finally got up.
"What happened? Why am I in the mayor's office?"
At that very moment the new Optigami arrived and merged with the wall.
"You were akumatized, M. Ramier," Lady Qīnglóng said, "Le Papillon took advantage of you."
"I do remember that I was upset about not being able to feed the pigeons."
"M. Ramier," André said, "It's illegal to feed the pigeons. However, if you can find a spot that's in a secluded place where the birds won't make a public mess, I'm willing to leave you in peace. After all, we each have our passions."
"Oh, thank you, M. Mayor. I promise not to disrupt the parks anymore."
"Thank you again, heroes."
"Our pleasure, M. Mayor," Noir said.
They escorted M. Ramier out of the building. André took it off speaker phone.
"Are you okay, Papa?" Chloé asked.
"Just fine, mon ange. Thank you for asking."
"You'd do the same for us, Andy," Zoé said.
"You were pretty awesome, Papa, not letting that Akuma intimidate you. See you at dinner maybe. Au revoir."
André smiled to himself.
The Lair
"Did you see that?" Papillon said, "Ladybird had a different costume. She must've used a second Miraculous. That means there are more in Paris."
"It also means she's more of a threat."
"If they can gain more power, then there must be a way for us to do so."
City Hall
"Thank you for saving me, heroes," M. Ramier said, "I'm going home to find a place where I can spend time with my pigeons without disturbing the peace."
"Good idea, M. Ramier," Noir said.
They all waved goodbye.
"Now that we have free time, Lady Q, I have something to tell you that might be important. I think we'd better head back to base first. Make sure you take the long way."
She winked, "I understand. See you in a few."
Optigami appeared right behind them.
"They're running off again," Mayura said, "Shall we try to follow them again?"
"They're going too fast. Besides, if that pesky cat saw your Sentimonster already, he probably knows what to look for. Wait for another day when their guard is down."
Optigami flew back to the lair. After running around the city, the duo carefully went into Fu's shop.
"I saw most of what happened on the news," Fu said, "You were an expert with the Dragon."
"Thank you, Master," she said, handing him the choker, "But I'll stick with just the Ladybug for now. I'm sure there are things about it that have yet to be unlocked."
"You're probably right."
"Master," Noir spoke up, "I saw something weird earlier. This creature that looked kinda like a butterfly was following Ladybird. Its wings were sharp and pointy, like paper. It had two huge, creepy eyes on its wings. I managed to grab it, but it dissolved into this dark blue energy."
Fu was thinking, "Unless I'm much mistaken, that was a Sentimonster. It's a construct made by the Peacock Miraculous."
"So the bad guys have a second Miraculous."
"What does a Sentimonster do?" Ladybird asked.
"Whatever you tell it to do," Fu explained, "If it was a paper butterfly with giant eyes, then it was most likely meant to be a spy."
"Then it could've seen us?" Ladybird said, slightly worried.
"I think it's safe to say that since they haven't come after your civilian identities, they've yet to actually see anything worthwhile. I guess you could say luck is on our side."
"Does that mean it's gone for good?"
"I'm afraid not. They can simply make a new one."
"So whoever has the Peacock can just create and destroy a creature whenever they want? That seems stronger than the Butterfly. Is a Sentimonster alive?"
"Only in the most basic way," Fu replied, "It's incapable of doing anything that it's not told to do."
"So it's more like creating a robot," Noir said, "Admittedly one with sentience."
"Isn't that bad?" Ladybird asked.
"Well, I mean, a lot of people forget that there's a difference between sentient and sapient."
"Remind me what that is."
"A sentient creature's intelligence is dependent upon emotions, while a sapient creature's intelligence is dependent upon wisdom, knowledge, education, and exposure."
"The Peacock is the Miraculous of emotion," Fu said, "Hence the name Sentimonster."
Noir continued, "There's a psychoanalytic theory that your mind is divided into three agents: id, ego, and superego. The id is what you might call a mindless primitive. It represents all your base instincts. The superego is the part that tells you to be logical. The ego is the mediator."
"So," Ladybird said, "A Sentimonster is just an id? It's not even an animal, because lots of animals can learn. Like you said, it's basically a robot. That's a relief. I mean, if you can make a Sentimonster look like anything, can you imagine how crazy it would be if the Miraculous could actually make a real life human being?"
"That would be so messed up," Noir said.
"That reminds me," Fu said, "They could easily make a Sentimonster that looks like someone you know."
"We'll just have to do like on TV: come up with a question only our closest friends would know."
"Well, now that's taken care of," Ladybird said, "We should be getting home."
"Yeah, I guess so," Noir said, "Until next time."
"I hope M. Ramier finds a spot to be with the pigeons that's out of the way," Ladybird said, mostly to herself.
The next day was thankfully uneventful. The kids were all in class, while Fu was on break and taking a walk. He found what he was looking for.
"M. Xavier Ramier, I believe?"
"Why, yes. Do I know you?"
"We might've said hello now and then. My name is Fu. I believe I have a solution to your problem. If you'd care to follow me."
Fu led M. Ramier to the edge of the city. There was a large building that seemed to be abandoned.
"No one lives here?"
"It's one of the older buildings. It's what's at the top I'm sure you'll like."
He opened the door to the roof. There were several pigeon coops, although they were all empty.
"A long time ago, the people who lived here raised pigeons. Some of the birds still come here out of habit."
Just he the words left his mouth, several pigeons landed atop the coops.
"It's like my own private pigeon sanctuary," M. Ramier said, "This building is nowhere near any of the parks. I don't now how to thank you, M. Fu."
"Your company is enough for me. My beloved Marianne discovered this place. She loves birds as well."
"Well you're both more than welcome to join me any time. I just have to buy a bicycle."
Fu reached over to pull out some collapsible chairs that had been kept there. He offered one to M. Ramier. He sat down and began tossing bird seed across the roof. Fu leaned back and relaxed to the sound of gentle cooing.
Later
The week went by, and Marinette finally finished both versions of her bowler hat. She was excited when school ended that Friday. She got the boxes out of her locker. Almost everyone was there to see the results of the competition.
"I know you'll do great, Mari," Adrien said.
"Adrien? I didn't think you'd still be here."
"It's because Nathalie is coming."
"I thought your father was the judge?"
"He is, but he still refuses to leave the house. Nathalie will likely be carrying her tablet with the camera on."
Just then, the bodyguard opened the door, letting Nathalie inside the classroom where the displays were set up.
"Adrien."
"Nathalie. Don't bother apologizing for father's absence."
She instead turned on her tablet's camera and held it up where everyone could see it. Gabriel's face was now on the screen.
"Let us begin."
Nathalie began to walk him around every display.
"Needs more work. A valiant effort, but no. Rubbish. Next. Next. Is that a bowler hat?"
"Oui, M. Agreste," Marinette said, "I thought a nice hat would be the best thing to make."
"Is it made out of feathers?"
"Correct, M."
"That explains why Adrien is standing so far back."
"I know about his feather allergy, M. Agreste. That's why I made a second look alike hat with faux feathers."
As she switched the two hats, Adrien came closer.
"It does seem rather impressive. Adrien, put it on."
"Yes, Père."
"How does it feel?"
"Very comfortable, Père."
"You're not just saying that because she's your friend, are you?"
"I wouldn't want to insult you or Marinette."
"Step back so I can see both hats."
Adrien placed the hat on the stand and walked away. Marinette got the original hat out of the box and set it next to the copy.
"Practically indistinguishable. I see you cleverly stitched your name into the hat as well."
"Every artist needs their signature."
"Very well, Mlle. Dupain-Cheng, your bowler hat will be included in the next fashion show. It won't be for several months yet, but as they say, good things come to those who wait. Nathalie, bring Adrien home."
"Yes, sir," she replied as the screen went black, "Come along, Adrien."
As he walked by Marinette, he whispered, "I told you so."
Alya and Nino both hugged Marinette.
"Girl, you actually managed to impress THE Gabriel Agreste!"
"Adrien looked very classy in that bowler hat," Nino said.
"I've gotta admit," Chloé said, "It would seem you've done the impossible. However, this was just round 1. The fashion show is where you'll really be tested."
"Are you about to say what I think you are?" Marinette asked.
"You'll have to impress the toughest critic of all time..."
"The Style Queen," Chloé and Zoé said.
"Zut alors."
"Don't worry, Marinette," Alya said, "You can take her on, too."
"I'm going to try, but from what I've heard...she'll be worse than 5 Gabriel Agrestes."