Miraculous Universe

by A Pair of New Shoes

My take on the Miraculous story, with a bit of inspiration from everywhere. A lot of changing, and some rearranging. Normal kids with normal lives? No such thing...especially not when magic and superheroes are involved.

16. Luka and Penny

Notes: I didn't plan on it, but it happened...

Disclaimer: I don't own the Miraculous franchise

Miraculous Universe

Ch. 16: Musical Madness Part 1

---

It was the end of January, and a few of the group were hanging out on the Couffaine houseboat. Some time after the fashion show, a few of them got together and made a band, just for fun. Luka was the guitarist, Juleka was the bass guitarist, Rose was the lead singer (for better or worse), Ivan was the drummer, and Adrien joined in on the keyboard when he could. Rose was singing a song she wrote herself called "I Love Unicorns".

"Just think, Jule," Rose said, "If our band performs a really good song, we could use it to help you get more attention. Then you could be a model/musician."

One Friday, though, after they played the unicorn song yet again, Adrien went up to Luka.

"Luka, I'm afraid I've been thinking."

"A dangerous pastime."

"I know."

"I'm sure that's more than your dad can say most days," Chloé said, looking at her phone.

Luka chuckled, "Please continue, Adrien."

"You know what would really get peoples' attention? A song about the Miraculous superheroes."

"The idea has merit. Any idea how to start?"

"Well...you're more of an expert at music than I am."

"Okay...well, let's start at the beginning. There must be something we can focus on concerning the song."

"What about something to do with the Miraculous?"

"That could work. Now let's see...something that rhymes with Miraculous, or at least has a similar pattern."

Adrien began to poke at the keyboard.

"Miraculous...Miracu-lous...Mi-ra-cu-lous."

Now it was Luka's turn to get an idea.

"Adrien, how do you feel about Marinette?"

"What's that got to do with the song?"

"It's leading up to a hypothetical question. Let's try this. Just pretend that Marinette was Ladybird."

Marinette overheard and tried not to say anything.

"I think I can do that," Adrien said with a smile.

"How would you describe her?"

"Where do I begin?"

"Well, just try and sum it up."

"Um...well...she's...she's the best!"

"Likewise," Marinette said, now leaning on his shoulder.

Luka snapped his fingers, "How about this? Mi-ra-cu-lous! Simply the best."

He stopped to think.

Nino chimed in, "Up to the test?"

Luka nodded, "That's good. Up to the test...when things go wrong. Miraculous..."

Marinette spoke, "The luckiest?"

"Good one. Miraculous, the luckiest. Hmmm..."

Alya walked up, "Maybe throw in something about the power of love. That always works."

Luka agreed, "Yeah, that's a good idea. Miraculous, the luckiest. The power of love..."

"Always so strong," Nino said, taking Alya's hand.

"Okay, I think that's the chorus taken care of. Now how about some verses?"

"I'm assuming that the song would be sung from the point of view of the heroes?" Marinette asked.

"Naturally."

"Like all of them?"

"That might clutter it up too much. Let's just focus on the original two. Some people already think they're a couple."

"Really? I see...well then...what do we really know about them?"

"The ladybug and the cat must go to our school," Adrien said, "It explains how they get there so fast."

"The short answer," Zoé said, "Is that you may as well guess about what they're really like."

"It needs to be upbeat," Marinette continued, "So I'll assume this girl has a relatively normal life. Well, normal except for the fact that she's a superhero."

"Get on with it," Chloé said, filing her nails.

"Okay, okay. Let me see... How's this? I live a life that's full of fun... That keeps me sharp and on the run."

"You came up with that pretty quick," Adrien said.

"You pictured me as the hero, so I did the same."

"Keep going," Luka said.

"Uh... When evil comes, I find a way...to use my force and save the day."

"Now we throw in some of those words that don't mean anything."

"Huh?"

Chloé spoke up, "You know, like...la-la-la, or doo-doo-doo, or oh-oh-oh."

"Oh, right, that."

"You're usually tripping over something, Dupain-Cheng. So how about something like...uh-uh-oh. I'm sure those words come out of your mouth pretty often."

"I'd be annoyed if it wasn't true."

"Ladies, please," Luka said, "Let's focus. Keep thinking, Nette."

"Okay, let me see... Life's got me spinning 'round. My feet are off the ground."

"Got enough in you for a few more verses?"

"And...and when the sun goes down...you better hang around?"

"What does the sun going down have to do with anything?" Adrien asked.

"Yeah," Nino said, "I mean, doesn't Ladybird usually end up fighting Akumas in the daytime?"

"I dunno. I thought it sounded dramatic."

"I think it works," Luka said, "Now let's try it again, but for the Cat hero. Who wants to give it a go?"

"How about you, Adrien?" Marinette said.

"Me? Okay, I'll try. Um... They look at me. They think I'm cool. I'm Matou Noir. At night I rule."

"You sound like you've thought about this for a bit," Luka said.

"Well, I think he's cool."

"Please continue."

"My ring is charged with energy. My claws are out, just watch and see."

"Okay, and then we throw in the uh-uh-oh thing, and..."

"Oh no, you'll never know. My force will only grow."

"Bring it on home, Adrien."

"And when the moon is out, you better hang around!"

"With that, we're back to the chorus."

"I think we've got a hit here, people," Alya said.

"Why don't you and Rose sing it, Jules?" Luka suggested.

"Ooh, this is so exciting!" Rose said.

After the song, everyone clapped.

"I have to admit," Chloé said, "That was catchy."

"Do you think there's a way we can get it noticed?" Ivan asked.

"I'm sure the opportunity will present itself," Mylène said.

"Let's call it a day and get something to eat," Zoé said.

"Sounds good to me," Nino said.

Early the next day, at the office of Bob Roth. He was having a chat with his son.

"I have some bad news, XY. Jagged Stone is coming to Paris soon."

"What's wrong with that?" XY asked, "Lots of people like his music. I like his music."

"What's wrong is that once he's here, no one will give you a second thought. As it is, not many people buy your music."

"That's probably because it's technically not my music. It's all synthesized and auto-tuned."

"You watch your mouth. If it makes me money, I don't care how it's done. We need something fresh to get people paying attention to you again."

"You mean like actually letting me write a song?"

"Of course not! I mean like holding a contest and stealing the best idea."

"Come on, Pop, that's stupid."

"What's so stupid about it?"

"How about the fact that whoever's idea we steal, they'll immediately figure out we stole it? Next thing you know, we've got a lawsuit on our hands. Those cost a lot of money."

"Not if we don't get caught. I don't know why I'm bothering to tell you, I already put out a notice. We should have entries pouring in soon. By next weekend, I'll - I mean we'll - be set."

Sure enough, Rose saw the entry and told everyone else.

"Should we submit the unicorn song?" Rose asked.

"As much as we all love that song," Luka said, "I think to really catch their attention, we should submit the Miraculous song."

"Yes, I guess you're right."

"Who brought the video camera?" Juleka asked.

"Me and Nino have it covered," Alya said.

"You just play the music, I'll take care of the rest," Nino said.

"Quick question," Chloé said, "Who exactly set up this contest?"

"It said Bob Roth and XY on the site," Rose answered.

Chloé looked skeptical, but said nothing. The band, all wearing domino masks to go with the song, performed and submitted the video.

"Thanks for making us these cool masks, Marinette," Juleka said.

"My pleasure! Now we just wait and see."

A week went by fast. Chloé and Zoé were having breakfast at the hotel when Bob Roth and XY sat at a nearby table.

"This is perfect! I knew my scheme would work. I've found the perfect video. Now we just go on TV, you say you made it up yourself, and then...profit!"

"The ones who submitted the video will track you down, Pop."

"That's what security is for, my boy."

"You do realize how serious plagiarism can be, right?"

"Keep your voice down!"

Chloé and Zoé shared a look. They headed for the Liberty after calling everyone.

"Bob Roth is up to something," Chloé said, "Keep an eye on the news today."

It took a while, but eventually, a special broadcast with Bob Roth and XY came on.

"My talented son, XY, has written a new song in honor of the heroes of Paris. Isn't that right?"

"Well -"

"There you have it!"

"How could he be so mean?" Rose said, sounding heartbroken.

"You should go there right now and demand an audience!" Alya said.

"I don't think they'll let us in," Juleka said.

"It won't hurt to try," Nino said.

"I normally avoid confrontations," Ivan said, "But this is pushing it."

"We'll take the band there, right, Chlo?" Zoé said.

"Obviously. Everyone in the limo."

Luka was smiling, but as everyone was leaving, his look became serious.

"Hey, uh, Chloé."

"What's the word, guitar man?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute? We can catch up to the others in a few minutes."

"I suppose so. Zoé, I'll be along shortly. You take charge in my stead."

"By your command," she replied with a salute, "We'll wait outside the building."

Once everyone else was gone, Luka put aside his guitar and took some deep breaths.

"You okay there, blue boy?"

"Chloé...there's something I've been meaning to tell you, and while this might not be the best time, I honestly couldn't think of when would be a good time."

"Well I suggest you just come out with it and not hesitate."

He blurted out, "I really like you, Chloé."

Chloé's eyes went wide with shock, "W-w-what?"

He looked concerned, "What's the matter?"

"I...I, uh...I..."

"Are you okay?"

"I...I have... I have a deep regard for you, Luka."

He was now confused, "What?"

"I have to go!" she shouted, running off.

"Aren't you coming with us?"

"NO!"

She was glad she wore sneakers today as she ran all the way back to the hotel. Luka, meanwhile, looked a bit like he'd been slapped. Once she got back to her room, Chloé collapsed on the sofa.

"What have I done?"

Luka knew he had to get to the TV station, but at the same time, he was lost in thought. He grabbed his bike, rode it to the building, and let it fall to the ground.

"There you are," Juleka said, "What were you doing?"

"Nothing important. Let's get this guy."

He moved to the head of the group.

"It is just me," Juleka said to Marinette, "Or does he sound a bit angry?"

As the group walked up to the building, a pair of security guards stopped them.

"We're here to see M. Roth," Marinette said.

"Is he expecting you?"

"He should be," Luka replied.

"No deal."

"Don't you know who I am?" Zoé declared, "I am the daughter of Mayor Bourgeois! Do I have to call my father?"

"And you already know who I am," Adrien said, pointing to a nearby advertisement.

The guards looked at each other and shrugged.

"Whatever. It's not worth the trouble. Go ahead."

"Thanks," Juleka said.

The group went inside. The security guards looked at each other.

"How much do you wanna bet Roth is in trouble again?"

The group went up to the front desk.

"Excuse us," Marinette said, "Do you know where we can find Bob Roth?"

"Top floor."

"Thank you so much."

As they went up the elevator...

"You were really good back there, Zoé," Alya said, "You sounded like Chloé."

"I've been practicing. I wonder why she's not here?"

Luka softly banged his head against the wall. They got to the top floor and let themselves in.

"Excuse me, M. Roth," Marinette said, "But you have something that belongs to us."

"How did you get in here?" Bob demanded.

"I'm guessing security doesn't like you," XY said.

"You stole our song," Juleka said.

"J'accusé!" Nino exclaimed.

"You have no proof," Bob shot back, "If you went a few levels down to the news, who do you think they'll believe?"

"Why did you have to steal it?" Rose asked, "If you just gave us credit, you'd still make money."

"I don't expect a bunch of lycée students to understand, but if you must know, if everyone believes my son wrote it, that means straight profit. Everything that's his belongs to me. That's why I constantly push him into the spotlight. He's too stupid to do it himself."

XY, who had been facepalming the entire time, now sat up and looked at his father. He had a hurt look on his face.

"You seriously think you can come in here and try to intimidate me? I'm just as connected as any of the other elite people around here. You try anything funny against me, and I'll make sure you're blacklisted from whatever you attempt to do in your pitiful futures."

Everyone was annoyed by his threats, but Luka was seething.

The Lair

"Don't you have something else you could be doing?" Nathalie asked.

"I can feel such negative emotions, Nathalie," Papillon said, "Someone at the TV station is in such a tumultuous state."

"No doubt something to do with Bob Roth. He's such a sleazebag."

"Fly away, my little Akuma, and evilize him!"

"Didn't we talk about you not saying that anymore?"

The station

Bob Roth was still ranting.

"You think just because you're Gabriel's son you can stop me? He couldn't care less. You think you can influence the outcome by being the mayor's daughter? If I was guilty of plagiarism, and I'm not saying I am, it technically isn't a crime."

Luka had a lot of thoughts running through his head.

"How dare this jerk treat my friends this way? Maybe I should call dad. I can barely think about all this after what happened with Chloé. Should I not have said anything? Did I come on too strong? Does she not feel the same way? Am I not good enough? Why did she run? I just don't know!"

Luka was holding the domino mask he used for the music video. The Akuma flew in through the vents and possessed the mask.

"Good day to you, young man. I am Le Papillon."

"Now's really not a good time."

"What was that, Luka?" Juleka asked.

"Oh, but I think it is. I sense all your frustrations, your anger, your pain. I can tell you're usually a very calm and controlled person. Isn't it about time for you to let go and express yourself?"

"Not like that."

"Oh, come now. No one has to get hurt. They're trying to shut you up, so I'll give you the power to make them all be quiet and listen to you. Let them all hear the sound of Silence."

Luka was now overwhelmed by his emotions, "Hello, darkness, my old friend."

He placed the mask on his face as the purple energy encased his body. He was now wearing a black and purple jumpsuit. His skin had taken on an undead blue tint. The mask was now instead a biker helmet with no visor, so only his now angry, icy, snake-like eyes showed. He was also well over 7ft, so he strode over to Bob, looming over him.

"You keep away from me, you freak!"

Luka, or rather Silence, reached a hand towards Bob. Bob quickly pulled his son in front of himself.

"Hey!"

Silence touched XY's lips and said, "Shh."

A small jellyfish creature popped out of XY's mouth. Silence grabbed it and absorbed it. XY could no longer talk. Silence held out his other hand and did the talking motion.

"My name is Silence," he said, using XY's voice, "I won't rest until I have justice."

Bob Roth was already running out the door.

"Luka, wait!" Marinette called.

"My name is Silence."

"Whatever! You don't have to do this. There are better ways."

"You're a wonderful person, Marinette. You're very smart and very pretty. So when I say this, I mean it with as much love as possible. Shut up!"

He then stalked out the door.

Marinette looked shocked, "I never thought he'd say that."

"I think we'd better get somewhere safe while we wait for the heroes," Adrien said.

Zoé kept trying to message Chloé, but got no response.

"I'll see if I can contact the heroes," she said.

She then ran off in another direction so she could transform and head for the hotel to get her sister.

"Cover for me," Adrien whispered to Nino before he ran off.

"Cover for me," Marinette whispered to Alya and Nino before she ran around a corner.

Meanwhile, back at the hotel, Chloé was polishing her jewelry to take her mind off what happened. Her phone was on silent.

She sang to herself, "But square-cut or pear-shaped, these rocks don't lose their shape. Diamonds are a girl's best friend!"

She looked at her reflection in the diamond. All it did was remind her of what she did earlier.

She sighed, "I don't need love. For what good will love do me? Diamonds never lie to me. For when love's gone. They'll luster on!"

Zoé landed on the roof and changed back. She rushed to Chloé's room.

"Chloé!"

She jumped out of her chair, "WHAT?!"

"I tried texting, but you didn't answer. There's an Akuma at the TV station."

Chloé snapped to attention, "Well what are we waiting for? Any idea who it is?"

"Yes, but..."

"But what?"

"Well..."

"Look, I'm going to find out who it is anyway. I don't know why you're hesitating, so just spit it out!"

"Um...it's Luka."

"WHAT?!" she screamed, falling back onto the sofa.

"It's okay, Chlo, we'll help him."

"You don't understand! This is my fault! Well, okay, maybe only partially my fault."

"What are you talking about? You're nowhere near him."

"Earlier, when all of you left us on the houseboat, Luka had a chat with me."

"What about?"

"He...told me he liked me."

"He did?! Wait...what did you say?"

"I said... I said, I have a deep regard for you, Luka."

Zoé nodded her head in response. She then grabbed the nearest pillow and struck Chloé with it.

"Hey!"

"What is wrong with you?!"

"I panicked, okay?! How was I supposed to know he felt that way about me?"

"How could you not? You hang out all the time."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"So, you're telling me you feel nothing for him?"

"I didn't say that!"

"Well, clearly you didn't say anything at all! That doesn't matter right now. He's currently chasing that Bob Roth jerk for screwing over the band. Let's go help him, and then you HAVE to talk to him."

"Okay, fine."

They ran to the roof and transformed. They were now quickly flying to the TV station. Marinette and Adrien had already transformed, and were now searching for where the Akuma ran off to.

"Glad to see you here, My Lady. We have to be careful. This guy can steal your voice."

"No voice means no special power. Now where could he be?"

"It's a bit of déjà vu, isn't it? This was where we fought our first Akuma."

"Now we just have to find him."

At that moment, Apireine and Bateleur landed on the roof.

Apireine hesitated, "Do you think...?"

"What?"

"Do you think if I spoke to him normally he might stop?"

"I think right now he's more concerned about Bob Roth threatening his friends than what happened between the two of you."

As they were about to head through the door, Bob came running past them.

"Finally, some superheroes have decided to show up. Save me from that hooligan!"

Silence now came through the door. Apireine was surprised.

"Yikes! He's been working out."

Silence spared her a brief look, but said, "Don't get in my way."

He walked past her, but she ran in front of him.

"I know you're angry, but you have to stop."

"He deserves this!"

"I'm not arguing that he deserves to be punished, but this isn't you."

"I guess you don't know me as well as you thought."

He shoved past her to get at Bob. Bob was now making threats.

"I'm friends with the mayor! I'll get him to send the police to stop you!"

Apireine ran between the Akuma and his target.

"I won't let you do this!"

"You bet you won't!" Bob cried, shoving her towards Silence, "Go get him!"

Silence ended up stealing her voice.

"I warned you," he said in her own voice.

Bob, meanwhile, was taking the rooftop elevator.

"Sacrifices must be made and all that, Bee Girl, or whatever your name is."

Bateleur was now charging towards Silence. He quickly spun around and grabbed her around the neck. His other arm snaked towards her.

"Nice try, little birdy. Unlike the Bee, your power can't stop me. If I can get the Cat and the Ladybug, then I'll be set."

He threw her at Apireine and ran back inside.

"Well that sucked. You seriously can't talk, can you?"

Apireine gave her an annoyed look.

"I'm not sure if this is better or worse."

Apireine took out her spinning top, twirled it around a bit, and then used it to hit Bateleur on the head.

"Ow, okay, okay! Let's follow him."

Inside, Ladybird and Matou Noir were still looking for the Akuma.

"I'm pretty sure he headed for the roof," Noir said.

"I'll check there. You keep looking around here, just in case."

"Got it."

Just as she was about to head for the roof, she was surprised by Silence. She barely let out a startled yell before he quickly took her voice as well.

"That takes care of both of the bugs," he said in her voice, "I have other things to do, but while I'm here, I may as well take your earrings."

Matou Noir's staff came out of nowhere and smacked Silence in the helmet.

"Back off, tall boy," Noir hissed.

"I knew your boyfriend would be nearby. I like a challenge, so go ahead and run away. What plan could possibly work when you can't use your powers? Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

Silence entered the nearby elevator, waved at them, and left.

The Lair

"Uh, Gabriel," Nathalie said, "I just had a thought."

"What about?"

"So this Akuma you made only has one superpower, and that's to steal voices."

"So what?"

"Well, that's not exactly what you'd call a combat skill. I mean, if he was here right now, and he stole your voice, what's to stop you from doing something to warn people or finding a way to stop him?"

"All right, you have a point. What's your idea?"

"What else?" she replied, transforming into Mayura.

The city

Silence was making his way to city hall when Mayura caught up with him.

"Silence, I am Mayura. I'm here to assist you in your goal."

"I don't need your help."

"By help I mean I shall give you a Sentimonster that you can control. Would that suffice?"

"Perhaps...what did you have in mind?"

Mayura created an Amok and had it possess Silence's helmet. She then created a Sentimonster that looked like a large white snake made up of a multitude of smaller snakes. It appeared to be an amalgam of various snake species. It had the length and build of a constrictor, a rattlesnake tail, and a cobra hood. It rose up, spread its hood, and stared at Silence.

"This shall be your Sentimonster. Feel free to name it. As they say, this is your party."

Silence reached out and touched the snake's head, "Maggie."

"Very well. Maggie, you shall obey the commands of Silence."

It seemed to acknowledge the command by flicking its tongue. It then draped itself across Silence's shoulders. Silence easily bore the weight and began to pet the snake-like Sentimonster.

"I shall be observing from a distance, but I shan't get in your way."

Mayura folded up her fan and leapt away. Silence said nothing. With his new servant in tow, he continued on his mission.

The TV station

Noir ran up to Ladybird.

"Are you okay?"

She shook her head and pointed at her neck.

"He took your voice? What are we gonna do now?"

She thought for a minute, and then snapped her fingers. She used her yo-yo to send him a message.

LB: We need to trick him into thinking I can still use my power.

"I guess that could work."

Just then, Apireine and Bateleur came down the stairs.

"Hey, guys," Bateleur said, "Sorry to interrupt."

"It's okay," Noir said, "It was a one-sided conversation."

Ladybird rolled her eyes and punched him on the shoulder.

"I think I like it better when you do more than just roll your eyes when I make a joke, My Lady."

"You lost your voice, too?" Bateleur asked.

"What do you mean by that?"

Apireine pointed at herself and lightly smacked the side of her head.

"Oh...that. Well, we have an idea, but we don't know where the Akuma went."

"Bob Roth said that he'd call the mayor for help, but I doubt he ran to city hall."

Apireine was using her trompo to type a message.

AR: Bob is likely hiding. He'll call the mayor to send the police. What if the mayor gave the police another order?

Bateleur gasped, "You're saying the Akuma is probably at city hall."

Apireine nodded.

"Silence could easily steal the mayor's voice and trick Bob. We should go there now."

AR: Silence won't hurt the mayor. He only wants Bob. Let the police pick him up. They'll bring him back here.

"How do you know?"

"Because he wants Bob to confess that he plagiarized Kitty Section's song," Noir answered, "For that, he needs a camera."

At that moment, Bob Roth was hiding in the sewer. He called the mayor.

"André! It's me, Bob Roth. This creepy kid is after me and making baseless accusations. Can you please send the police over here as soon as possible?"

"Calm down, Bob. Of course I'll help out a friend. Start walking towards city hall and I'll have a police car on the lookout to pick you up."

"Yeah, thanks. Gotta go."

Silence hit the button to end the call. André was in the corner, a snake coiled around him like rope.

"Thank you for your contribution, M. Mayor," Silence said, using André's voice, "Now for the next step of my plan."

Bob was heading towards city hall, when a police car pulled over.

"It's about time you got here," Bob griped.

Brigadier Raincomprix slapped the handcuffs on him.

"What's the big idea?"

"The mayor says you're under arrest and to be taken to the TV station."

"No! There must be some mistake!"

The other band members, Mylène, Nino, and Alya, were still in the limo.

"I don't like hiding here while Luka's akumatized," Juleka said, "He was there for me when I was an Akuma."

"I don't like it either," Alya said, "And not just because I could be getting footage for my blog."

"Look," Rose said, "A police car. They must be here to help."

Once they saw Roger dragging Bob Roth kicking and screaming into the building though...

"Okay, maybe we should try to help somehow," Mylène said.

"What are we going to do?" Ivan asked.

"I know what I'm going to do," Juleka said, getting out of the limo, "I'm going to follow them straight to Luka and put a stop to this."

"She's certainly become more assertive," Alya said, "Wait for me, Juleka!"

"Wait for me, mon chère," Nino said.

They went into the building, leaving Rose, Mylène, and Ivan in the limo.

"I can't leave Jule by herself," Rose said, "I may not be able to do anything, but I can't do nothing!"

"We're with you," the other two said.

Rose got out and headed for the door, with Ivan and Mylène close behind.

Meanwhile...

"I keep telling you, this is a mistake," Bob snapped, "That creeper wants me here!"

"Save it, Bob," Roger replied, "You know, this isn't the first time you've caused trouble."

They finally reached the main broadcasting room.

"M. Mayor," Roger called, "I brought M. Roth as ordered, sir."

"Excellent work, Brigadier," came André's voice.

A snake shot out of Maggie and coiled around Roger.

"What's the meaning of this? This is no way to treat the law! Where's the mayor?"

Silence leapt down from Maggie's head and stole Roger's voice.

"I'll take it from here, officer," Silence said in Roger's voice.

He gently pushed Roger into a nearby chair and placed him in a corner next to Alec Cataldi, who was similarly tied up. Silence now turned his attention to Bob.

"I could steal your voice, but what good would it do? I want you to confess."

"Never! You have no concrete evidence. It's my word against yours."

"I can easily use my power to ruin your reputation for good," he said, switching to André's voice, "Perhaps I should call Gabriel Agreste to let him know one of his business associates is crooked."

"I suppose next you'll threaten my son?"

"That would be pointless," he replied, switching to Apireine's voice, "Since you barely seem to care about him. How about instead of calling Gabriel, I call Jagged Stone?"

"No, not that! Don't get him involved! I'll do it."

All the screens were now broadcasting live feed.

Alec's voice rang out, "Mesdames et Messieurs! We have a great show planned for you today! Here's the one and only Bob Roth with a special announcement."

Bob was hesitating, "I...uh...well, you see..."

The four heroes were racing back to the broadcast room.

"Why don't we just let Bob confess first?" Noir asked.

Ladybird shook her head.

LB: That would be revenge, not justice

"She's right," Bateleur said, "Being forced to say it under duress doesn't count."

AR: Plus he could use that as an excuse to just take it back afterwards

LB: Cat and Eagle, distract the Akuma, while we get Bob out of there and take care of our problem

"That shouldn't be too hard," Noir replied.

As soon as they came through the doors though, Matou Noir got a bad feeling. He barely saw the movement out of the corner of his eye.

"Get back!" he shouted.

He dove forward as Maggie took a snap at him.

"Oh, geez!" Noir shouted, "Big snake!"

Maggie reared up, spread its hood, rattled its tail, bared its massive fangs, and hissed.

Silence gave a mirthless laugh in Apireine's voice, "If anyone was fast enough to dodge my Sentimonster, I knew it would be the Cat."

"Are you going to let your pet here do your fighting for you?"

"I'll take you on myself," Silence shot back, switching to Ladybird's voice, "Maggie! Get those bugs!"

The giant serpent slithered over to Ladybird and Apireine, who were in the process of flying over to Bob and pulling him into another room. Bateleur joined the fight against Silence.

"I hope you like noise, Silence," she said, spinning her bullroarer around.

"That's, like, so annoying," he said, now in XY's voice.

He caught the bullroarer and pulled her closer. He then grabbed her arm and threw her at Matou Noir. The Cat quickly jumped back up and started taking swipes with his staff. Back with the insect duo, they were running from the great white snake, but Bob wasn't helping.

"It's bad enough that we can barely fly in here," Ladybird thought, "But his constant complaining is grating."

"Where are you taking me?! Can't you go any faster?!"

They rounded a corner and saw a supply closet. They dove inside and locked the door. Apireine kept her hand over Bob's mouth.

"If this thing is similar to a real snake," Apireine thought, "If we keep still and quiet, it can't hear us via vibrations or otherwise. Although..."

Apireine tapped Ladybird on the shoulder and pointed to her nose while flicking her tongue. Ladybird nodded and looked around. She sprayed the room with air freshener and poured some bleach on the floor near the door. That's when they heard the Sentimonster getting closer. All they could do is wait. Maggie kept moving forward and pausing to flick its tongue out. It took a few minutes, but the modern day Titanoboa finally passed by the supply closet. They waited another minute before they checked outside the room. There was no sign of the Senti-snake.

"We'd better move quickly," Ladybird thought.

They walked quickly, but quietly. That's when something caught their eye. It was XY, and he was in the prop room, motioning them over.

"So this is where you've been hiding, boy? A lot of good you are."

All three rolled their eyes. Apireine shoved Bob into a chair and wrapped him up with some nearby rope.

"Hey, you can't do this to me! Do you know who I am?!"

Ladybird was making a fake stinger to trick Silence. XY just kept out of the way and smiled at seeing his dad tied up. He then decided to peek outside to see if that large snake was back yet. He snapped his fingers to get the heroes' attention. He gave them a thumbs up to signal the coast was clear. Ladybird patted his shoulder as she left the room. Before Apireine left, she wrote down some instructions and handed them to XY.

"As soon as you get your voice back, bring your dad to the broadcasting room. Trust me!"

The insect heroes hurried to rejoin the fight, Apireine now holding her fake stinger. Matou Noir and Bateleur were still fighting Silence. Ladybird and Apireine ran into the room, and Silence immediately noticed the stinger.

"Impossible!" he snapped in Apireine's voice, "How did you manage to use Venom?"

As soon as it was out of his mouth, Apireine tossed aside the fake stinger for her real one.

"Clever, but futile. You think your Venom will work on me?" he said as he tapped his helmet and backed away, "I've got my own venom. Maggie! Get back up here now!"

There was a loud crashing sound. Clearly the Sentimonster was just smashing through the floors and walls to get back to its master. Its massive head broke through the floor and it hissed at the heroes.

"Maggie, my beauty," Silence commanded, "That Bee is your snack. Sic her!"

Maggie, despite her size, was very fast. Apireine flew into the air and began dodging her bites.

"I can't waste this Venom shot on the Sentimonster," she thought, "But as long as she's attacking me, I can't get close to Silence."

Despite this fact, she at least made it appear she might use Venom on the Sentimonster. This caused it to back up a bit, if only for a few seconds every time. At that moment, the other teens ran into the room. Alya already had her phone camera on. Juleka, although surprised by the giant snake, kept running towards Silence.

"Luka, you stop this right now!" she shouted.

"Stay out of this, Jules," he said in XY's voice.

"He talks with his hand?" Ivan said, "That's so weird."

"Look out!" Matou Noir said, grabbing Juleka.

Maggie's massive tail was whipping around as it continued to snap at Apireine. Ladybird flew up and wrapped her yo-yo around the snake's mouth.

"I doubt this'll last very long," she thought.

Bateleur swung her bullroarer to attract the snake's attention. Despite its mouth still being tied shut, it moved towards the loud noise and swung its head down to make it stop. Silence took advantage of the distraction to run towards the door. Before he could exit, Juleka, Ivan, Nino, and even Rose, all tackled him to the ground.

"Get off me, you cretins!" Silence shrieked in Alec's voice.

"He's really strong," Nino said.

"And the talking hand thing is still creepy," Ivan added.

Silence was slowly getting back up, despite having four people on top of him. Apireine dove down and used her Venom on the Akuma.

Matou Noir quickly ran over to the Akuma and shouted, "Cataclysm!"

Hearing this, Maggie turned towards the Cat and tried to strike him with its tail. Just as it was swinging its tail down, Matou Noir destroyed the helmet, causing the Akuma, the Amok, and all the stolen voices to fly out. As soon as that happened, its tail stopped in mid-air. The great serpent dissolved into blue energy.

"That was a close call, Minou," Ladybird said.

"It's good to hear your voice again, My Lady."

"Here it is again then. Lucky Charm!"

She received a magazine. She used it to smack the Akuma away before it possessed anyone else.

"I'm thinking of a word, partner," Ladybird said, "Do you know what it is?"

"I have an idea."

They fist bumped.

"Miraculous!"

All the damages were fixed, and Luka was laying on the floor. Apireine ran for the nearest restroom, made sure no one was around, and de-transformed. She then ran back to where Luka still lay unmoving.

"Luka, are you okay?" she grabbed his shirt, "Please be okay!"

He groaned, "I'll be fine. Just please stop yelling."

"You jerk!"

"I was just freed from being akumatized. How am I a jerk?"

"For making me worry. Don't do that again."

She helped him up. That's when they heard someone yelling.

"Untie me, you moron! Where are we going?"

XY was wheeling his father into the room, still tied to the chair. Chloé got Matou Noir's attention and pointed at the video camera. He looked at her, and then at the camera. He had a realization and nodded.

"There you are," Bob snarled at Luka, "You're the troublemaker that started all this. As if you could ever get me to admit I stole that Kitty Section song and forced my son to claim it as his. No one's going to believe you!"

Luka and Chloé looked at each other and smiled.

"What are you smiling about?"

They pointed behind him. He went pale as he saw the camera was pointed directly at himself. On top of that, that's when Roger walked up.

"You know, M. Roth, this isn't the first time you've been in trouble for this sort of thing."

"I'm the last person that should be judging," Alec said, "But this doesn't look good for you."

Bob nervously addressed the camera.

"What I meant to say was that I loved Kitty Section's song so much, we're in talks for a record deal."

XY was trying very hard not to laugh, "Better give them that in writing, Pop."

He produced a pad and paper. Bob was scowling at his son, but quickly and crudely wrote a statement. While he did that, the remaining heroes made their exit. Each one found a different rest room to de-transform in. Optigami had already taken its leave.

The Lair

"It serves that imbecile right for such business practices," Gabriel said.

"You're just saying that because he got caught," Nathalie replied.

"Well, obviously. He's making us all look bad."

The studio

"I, Bob Roth, promise the band Kitty Section that we will enter talks for a record deal. Yours, Bob Roth."

"I'm sure you won't mind if I hold onto this?" Luka said, snatching up the paper.

"There'll be time for negotiations later, I'm sure," Roger said, "I think you kids had better run along home."

"Yeah, let's go home," Juleka said, hugging Luka.

"First let's get something to eat," Luka said, "I'm starving."

After a quick bite to eat, they all hung out on the Liberty. Anarka was waiting for them.

"I saw what happened, Luka. Makes me glad to know you have the sense to not fall for any of that scallywag's tricks. I have to go run an errand. Man the house until I return."

"Aye aye, Mom."

"I've got to be getting home," Adrien said.

"Same here," Mylène said.

"Ditto for me," Ivan said.

"I should get home and post on my blog. Come on, Nino. It's your turn to have dinner with us."

"Works for me."

"I should head back as well," Marinette said.

"We can give everyone a lift," Zoé said, "Right, Chlo?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure. Why don't you take care of that? I'll wait here."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm betting Juleka here wants to escort Rose home. That means you'll have to come back. I can wait."

"If you say so, Chlo. Everyone inside!"

Now that everyone had left, that left only Chloé and Luka.

"You probably don't want to talk to me, but I have to talk to you."

"I'm not the type of person to ignore someone," he replied.

"I know, but I had to say it. I at least owe you an explanation."

"That would be nice."

"Luka...I'm s...I'm s-s-s..."

"You're what?"

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't explain myself properly. You're not the problem, I am."

"What are you talking about?"

"Look, I do have feelings for you, okay? I just...don't know if I'm ready for anything serious. I'm not really all that good at expressing these types of feelings to anyone but family."

"The fact that you didn't say anything hurt more than if you were honest."

She sighed, "You make it sound so easy."

"Nothing's ever easy. The fact that I was akumatized proves that even I'm not perfect. So...do you think you'll ever truly reciprocate my feelings?"

She sighed again, "Yes, but can we please just take it slow?"

"I would never want to make you feel uncomfortable."

She smiled, "I appreciate that."

"So...do you wanna just hang out or something?"

"Sure, that's fine."

"Do you mind if I play some music?"

"That's one of the reasons I come here. Just as long as it's nothing too crazy. I'm feeling a little tired."

Luka nodded, "As you wish."

Chloé laid down on Luka's bed, while he sat in a nearby chair. She started to doze off as he began playing his guitar. Even though she was falling asleep, she thought she recognized the tune. Luka smiled at her, and then began to quietly sing.

"'Cause I will wait, I will wait for you. And I will wait, I will wait for you."

That night...

Bob Roth answered his phone, "Yeah?"

"'Ello, Bob."

"Now's not a good time, Jagged."

"I saw what happened on the telly, Bob."

"I would've gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for those meddling kids."

"Two of those so-called meddling kids are my kids."

Bob went pale, "...what?"

"Even if they weren't, being caught on camera admitting you lied and stole from teenagers isn't a good look."

"Oh, come on. I said I was sorry. I'm going to give them the record deal eventually. Besides, this whole thing'll be forgotten in a month or less."

"I'll let it slide this time, Bob, but if you pull something like this again, especially concerning my family, I swear we are through. I'll take my business elsewhere, and I'll take Kitty Section with me."

"I promise it won't happen again."

"One last thing."

"Yeah?"

"Don't forget I have a pet crocodile."

"..."

"Have a pleasant evening, Bob. See you real soon."

*CLICK*

A week later, and the weekend was almost here again. The sisters had just got back from school.

"Hey, Chloé," Zoé said, "Apparently, Jagged Stone is coming to Paris for a special concert."

"I knew that already," she replied, looking at her phone, "But they haven't even started ticket sales. What could they be waiting for?"

"Do you think he'll stay here while in Paris?"

"We're the best hotel in the city. He'd be a fool not to."

Zoé walked out onto the balcony.

"Hey, Chlo."

"Yes?"

"You're not going to believe this, but he's outside the hotel."

"He, who?"

"Jagged Stone.

"What? Are you sure?"

She ran out to join her. There was a long limo by the curb. Even from the fifth floor, the purple hair was unmistakable.

"That's him, right?"

"I'm sure it is, but then lots of people have purple hair...for some reason."

He then pulled an enormous crocodile out of the limo.

"Oh...yeah, that's him. We better get down there quick before daddy freaks out!"

André was walking around the lobby to relax.

"Another beautiful day," said, "It's nice to be in the hotel for a while. It makes me glad I have capable staff to run her in my stead."

Armand tapped his shoulder, "Uh, sir?"

"Yes?"

That's when he saw an astounding sight.

"What in the world?"

In walked Jagged Stone, clad in leather, partially dragging his pet crocodile by a leash attached to a harness. His agent Penny Rolling, wearing a smart business suit, walked ahead of him. His guitarist, a young woman named Vivica, brought up the rear.

"Excuse me, Monsieur," André said, "But I must insist you not bring that animal in here."

"Hey, where I go, Fang goes."

Just then, the girls ran out of the elevator.

"Papa," Chloé said, "This is a very prominent guest."

"Oh, uh, remind me who he is. I'm not up to date on all these famous people."

"This is Jagged Stone," Zoé said, "The rock star."

"A rock star, you say? Oh, well, I don't think we've ever had one of those."

"This place looks nice enough," Penny said, "But we'll have to see your best suite."

"I was recommended to come here," Jagged said, "I heard it was the best hotel in town."

André immediately perked up, "Is that so? Well, M. Stone, of course you're welcome here. You shall have our finest suite."

Chloé whispered something to him.

"Oh, yes, one with a large bathtub for your...exotic pet. I suggest the service elevator for such a magnificent animal."

"We'll show him the way, Papa," Chloé said.

"Thank you, my dears. I'll make sure all your bags and equipment are brought to your room at once, M. Stone."

"Rock on."

They were soon on the 5th floor, down the hall from the girls' rooms.

"Here you are, Jagged Stone," Chloé said, "I hope it's satisfactory."

"There should be plenty of room in the bathtub for this handsome creature," Zoé added, about to pet Fang, but deciding against it.

"I think this'll do. Penny?"

"It's indeed everything our source said it would be. How about you, Vivica?"

"As long as I don't have to share a room with Fang," she said, half joking.

"Don't hesitate to call on us if you need anything," Chloé said, "Oh, and we're both fluent in English if that's easier for you."

"Finally, they're teaching these kids something they'll need," Jagged said, switching to English, "Now that you mention it, there is something I need."

"Just say the word, M. Stone," Zoé said.

"First off, none of that M. Stone rubbish. Just plain Jagged will do. Next, I'll be having a concert soon, and I want the good people of Paris to know how much I love 'em. I've had a lot of good memories here. I need something that really shows off how I feel and who I am."

"What did you have in mind?" Chloé asked.

"I think the best thing would be a rockin' pair of sunglasses. I'm picturing some shades that sport big Eiffel Tower symbols in the national flag colors."

"We realize that sounds like a difficult request," Penny said.

"Actually," Chloé replied, "I think we can get you exactly what you want. Let's roll, sister dear."

As soon as they left the room...

"Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"

"I'm thinking you think too much, Zoé. However, if by that you mean we get Marinette to do it, then yes."

"This seems a bit short notice."

"I doubt Jagged is in any hurry."

"Shouldn't we ask if she's not busy first?"

"Oh for the love of...fine."

C: Hey, baker girl, are you free?

MDC: Yeah, why?

C: Be right there

"Let's go, Zo."

They got in their limo and were driven straight to the bakery.

"Hello, girls," Tom said, "To what do we owe this visit?"

"We're actually here to get Marinette for an art project," Chloé said.

"We don't trust anyone but her to handle it," Zoé added.

Sabine chuckled, "You'd best save such flattery for Marinette herself. Go right on up."

They headed for Marinette's room.

"Knock knock! We've got a special mission for you, MDC."

"Chloé? That was fast."

"Time is of the essence, but there's no need for you to rush."

"Okay, so what's this special mission?"

"We need you to make a pair of sunglasses," Zoé said.

"Make sunglasses? But that's -"

"Well what we mean is, take a pair of ordinary sunglasses and make them extraordinary."

"In what way?"

"Decorate them with a big Eiffel Tower on each side, with the French flag colors."

"That's awfully specific. It also doesn't sound like something either of you would wear."

"That's because it's not for us," Chloé said, "However, if we tell you who it's for, you'll freak out so much you won't be able to focus."

"You probably shouldn't have said that either."

"Look, let's just go to that Socqueline girl's shop and you can get what you need."

"First we need to find a good pair of ordinary sunglasses."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Zoé said.

So the trio headed for a nice store to shop around. On the way, they passed by a souvenir stand. Marinette looked over all the sunglasses. She picked up a pair that were similar to the description.

"Are these what you had in mind?"

Chloé raised an eyebrow, "If you want it cheap, yes, but we hired you because we want it done right."

"But hey, at least now you have a bit more visual representation," Zoé said.

They found a good pair of regular sunglasses, and then headed to see Socqueline.

"Back again, Nette?" she said.

"Yeah, this should be quick."

"She's not here for one of her pet projects though," Chloé said, "This is special."

"Oh yeah? How special?"

"You can't tell anyone."

"I promise."

Chloé leaned in close and whispered into her ear.

"Really?"

"Really really."

"I see why you didn't tell her."

"Okay, I think I've got what I need," Marinette said.

"Let's get back to your house then," Zoé said.

"We'll pay," Chloé said.

Zoé practically pulled Marinette out the door.

"Let me know how badly she freaks out," Socqueline said, "I don't think you have my number yet."

They exchanged numbers.

"Got it. I'll be sure to take a picture. Thanks for your discretion," Chloé said.

They were soon back in Marinette's room. The sisters played a card game while Marinette worked.

"I summon Sacred Pollux and Sacred Caduceus, and then Overlay them to Xyz summon Sacred Beehive. I set a card and end my turn."

"I summon Raid Raptors - Skull Eagle, and then special summon Raid Raptors - Heel Eagle. I Overlay them to Xyz summon Raid Raptors - Devil Eagle. I detach 1 Xyz Material and target one special summoned monster you control. You take damage equal to its original attack. I set a card and end my turn."

"I summon Backup Operator, and then special summon Backup Secretary. I use them to Link summon Honeybot. I use Cyclone to destroy your face-down card. I attack your Eagle, and then attack directly. I end my turn."

"I activate Restriction Release. I pay 1000 life points to special summon 1 Ritual monster from my hand, but it cannot attack. That's okay, though, because next I activate Rise of the Salamangrate. I Reincarnation Ritual summon Salamangrate Emerald Eagle. Since I summoned it by using a copy of it, I can destroy all your special summoned monsters. I attack directly. I end my turn."

"I activate Resurrection of the Dead to bring back Sacred Beehive, and then use it to Xyz summon Spinbreaker Vespenate. I also summon Bee Force - Arbalest the Rapidfire. I activate Enemy Controller to switch your Eagle to defense. I attack with Vespenate to inflict piercing damage. My other monster attacks directly. Not so tough now, are you?"

"Hey, it's not like I haven't beat you before."

"You had the luck of the draw."

Zoé now leaned in close and whispered, "You don't think we're pushing it by playing with cards that basically scream out our superhero identities, do you?"

"Watch this," Chloé said, "Hey, Marinette. Adrien said he wants to marry you."

Marinette made no reaction.

"See? She's off in her own little world right now."

"Okay, they're finished," Marinette said.

"Most impressive," Chloé said, "They look exactly like what was described. I'm sure he'll be thrilled."

"He who?"

"It's a surprise, Nette," Zoé said, "Let's deliver the finished product."

Meanwhile, as they were busy with the sunglasses, Luka and Juleka went to the hotel.

"Excuse us, M. Mayor."

"Oh, it's you. The delivery boy, right?"

"I'm not on duty at the moment, but yes. This is my sister, Juleka."

"A pleasure, young lady."

"Hi."

"We're actually here to see Jagged Stone," Luka said.

"I know you two are acquainted with my daughters, but I'm sure M. Stone is rather tired after his trip."

"The thing is, M. Mayor," Luka leaned in close and whispered, "He's our father."

"Is that right? Well...now that I look at you, I can see the resemblance."

"Yeah, and we're the ones who recommended he stay here."

"In that case, I certainly couldn't turn you away. Take a spare key to his room. As long as he doesn't mind, you're free to visit any time."

"Thank you so much," Juleka said.

"In fact, I shall escort you myself just to make sure you're not interrupted."

"We'd appreciate that," Luka replied.

A quick elevator ride and they were outside Jagged's room. As they reached for the handle, they could hear something banging on the door from inside.

"Fang," Jagged shouted, "Get back from the door so they can come inside."

The siblings walked inside, followed by André, and closed the door.

"Dad!" they exclaimed.

Jagged leapt from the sofa, "Kids!"

They all hugged each other.

"How long has it been? You two are so tall now."

The pair then went to hug Penny.

"Oh, it's you again," Jagged said, "So you're the mayor as well. I can't keep up with everything."

"I decided to make sure your children wouldn't be interrupted on their visit."

"Much obliged."

Juleka was now petting Fang, while Luka revealed a small paper bag from his pocket. He pulled out a piece of chicken.

"Fang, I'm sure you need a soak in the tub. Come on and you'll get a treat."

The mighty croc sat up and followed them to the bathroom. There was a knock on the door.

"It's us again," came Chloé's voice, "We have what you wanted, M. Stone."

"I wish they wouldn't call me that. Makes me sound old."

"They're just used to being formal around here," Penny said, opening the door.

As soon as they walked inside, Marinette gasped. Chloé quickly covered Marinette's mouth so she didn't scream. She also took a selfie and sent it to Socqueline.

The shop

Socqueline got a text message. It was a picture of Chloé and Marinette. With one hand, Chloé was taking the picture. With her other hand, she was covering Marinette's mouth. Marinette's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her head. Socqueline laughed to herself.

The hotel

After she made several muffled noises, she seemed to relax, so Chloé let her go.

"Jagged Stone?!"

"That's my name."

"You're the one who asked for these special sunglasses?"

Penny took them from her, "Hey, these are really nice. Have a look, Jagged."

He put them on and looked in the mirror, "These are absolutely rock and roll! How do I look, Vivica?"

"Like you're ready to put on a show."

"Exactly! Where did you get these?"

"Our friend Marinette made them," Zoé said.

"Whoa, wait a minute. Marinette Dupain-Cheng? We saw you on TV. The Agreste boy was wearing that cool bowler hat you made. Dig me, Penny. I'm wearin' an MDC original!"

Marinette was a bit embarrassed, "You're too kind, Jagged."

That's when Luka and Juleka walked into the room.

"Hey, Dad, we finally got Fang into the tub," Luka said.

The siblings froze in their tracks. Everyone was now staring at them.

"Did you just say Jagged Stone was your dad?" Chloé asked.

"Uh...yeah."

"Surprise," Juleka said.

André spoke up, "I'm surprised how long you managed to keep something like this a secret."

"We had to be really careful. When their mum got out of the business, she didn't want them to deal with my type of lifestyle. I can't say I blame her. I'm glad they could grow up relatively normal. I tried to visit when I could, and if not, I'd call."

"So both of your parents are/were musicians?" Marinette asked.

The Couffaine twins nodded.

"That explains so much," Zoé said.

"Now that it's all out in the open," Juleka said, "Chloé is the one that helped me start my modeling career."

"I saw you on telly, sweetheart," Jagged said, "You looked beautiful."

"Thanks, Dad."

"Gabriel and Nathalie must've figured it out and didn't tell anyone," Chloé said, "Even Nadja seemed to realize a connection."

"Well, we knew that it was bound to come out sooner or later, regardless of the steps we took," Penny said.

"I'll bet that jerk Bob Roth will blab after what just happened," Vivica said.

"Did something happen?" Marinette asked.

"I chewed him out after what happened with the Kitty Section incident. He tries anything like that again, he's through."

Chloé went up to Luka and dragged him into the next room.

"You mean to tell me that you could've just told Bob Roth you were the son of Jagged Stone and he probably would've given up?"

"It's possible."

"Why didn't you tell him then?"

"For one thing, I wanted our band to win on our own merit. For another, we've kept our relation a secret for so long already. I wasn't going to blow it just because of this. And besides that, who's to say he'd believe us?"

"I just can't believe it. This is why you were always so vague about him."

"Does this change how you feel about me?"

"Excuse-moi?"

"Now that you know I'm not just a poor delivery boy, but the son of famous musicians. Does it alleviate your fears?"

"You don't really think I'm that shallow, do you?"

"If I did, we wouldn't be talking. It was an honest question."

"Well here's an honest answer. No, this doesn't change anything. I l-...liked you just fine before I knew you had connections. You already knew that."

"It still helps to hear it."

"If I didn't think so highly of you, I wouldn't let you in on certain secrets. Wait, are you insecure about all this? Is that why you asked? Do you feel like you're not good enough?"

"I told you I'm not perfect. Even when you've never said otherwise, certain thoughts pop into my head."

"Well, use your dumb music to get them back out. Just because we're...whatever we are right now, instead of being official, that doesn't mean I think I'm better than you. Although I do usually think I'm better than most everyone else."

Luka laughed.

"Look, you moss-covered rock, you know how I am. Normally I hate people."

"Did anyone ever tell you you're cute when you're busy hating people?"

"Besides myself? I don't think so. I just want you to know that...I don't hate you."

"I don't hate you, too."

They were leaning in closer...

"You're what?" came a familiar voice.

They leaned back from each other and said, "Marinette."

The pair re-joined the group.

"A bakery?" Marinette asked.

Penny was explaining, "That's right. In order to promote Jagged's new concert, Bob made arrangements with Alec Cataldi to get Jagged on a reality television show. We had to fight over which one."

"Bob wanted me on some stupid show about wife swapping or something along those lines," Jagged said.

"We managed to come to an agreement for the show Fill My Shoes. The basic premise is that Jagged will attempt to do the job of someone else. We had to fight them again on what exact profession we'd go with. Thanks to a timely suggestion, we settled on working at a bakery. I wrote down the name somewhere."

"It wouldn't happen to be Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie?"

She checked the card, "Yes, that's it exactly. How did you know?"

"They're my parents."

"I get to meet your parents?" Jagged said, "Rock and Roll!"

"I'm sure they'll be thrilled," she replied, half serious/half sarcastic.

"So can you bake as well then, Marinette?"

"I couldn't call myself the daughter of bakers if I didn't learn to bake myself. My paternal grandfather was a baker, and my maternal uncle is a great chef. I've learned to make French, Italian, and Chinese dishes."

"A cook/baker and a fashion designer. No wonder that Adrien kid likes you."

Marinette seemed to seize up, "How did you know we were dating?"

"You are? Rock on!"

Marinette glared at the Couffaine siblings and Bourgeois sisters.

"We didn't tell him a thing," Luka said.

"Why would we tell someone we just met?" Zoé said.

"They didn't have to tell me anything," Jagged said, "When we saw him on the telly with you, it was pretty obvious. You probably didn't notice because of the cameras, but the entire time, he was looking at you."

Marinette smiled at the thought.

"Now if you lot don't mind, I need to relax and catch up with my offspring here."

"Oh, of course," Marinette said.

She gave Luka and Juleka a hug before she ran out.

"Do enjoy your stay, M. Stone," André said, "Come along, girls."

Zoé waved at the twins before she followed André out. Chloé held eyes with Luka for a few seconds. He smiled at her, so she also gave a small wave before leaving.

Time passes...

It was another week before they began running commercials about Jagged Stone going to help out at the bakery.

"Girl, I can't believe it!" Alya exclaimed, "Not only are they filming a show in your house, but Jagged Stone will be there."

"As long as they don't go anywhere near my room."

"I don't know if you've ever seen Nette here when she's angry," Nino said, "But it's scary."

"Is it really that bad?" Adrien asked.

"Hey, Kim," Nino called, "Remember that one time Marinette got mad at you for that prank?"

Kim's eyes went wide as he wrapped his arms around himself and began to shudder.

"There, you see?"

Adrien cleared his throat, "So, Mari, how'd it go with that driving test?"

She smirked, "Let's just say my grandmother's premature gift of a motorcycle will finally be put to good use."

"Premature? When did she give it to you?"

"I think I was 10 at the time. She's bad at remembering dates because she travels a lot. I haven't been driving the motorcycle yet because I'm getting it looked at. Since it's a few years old, I wanted to make sure it's in perfect working order."

"Hey, since you made Jagged Stone's sunglasses, that means free advertisement," Alya said.

"I mean, at least some people should already know after the fashion show," Nino said.

"Not everyone is going to watch a fashion show, but lots of people watch reality TV."

So that Saturday, Marinette woke up early (although not nearly as early as her parents).

"Got to look decent if they point that darn camera at me."

The hotel

"You'll be okay by yourself, right?" Penny asked.

"I don't like being left alone with Fang," Vivica said, "But I'm sure I can handle it."

There was a knock at the door.

"Who could that be?" Penny said, mostly to herself.

It was Chloé and Zoé.

"Good morning," Zoé said, "We actually came by in case you needed us to watch your room...and/or your crocodile."

"Honestly, I'm just as fine with going back to sleep," Chloé said.

"We appreciate the thought," Penny said, "But Vivica is staying behind."

Vivica ran to the door, "Please stay here with me. I don't want to be left alone with Fang."

"Oh, come on," Jagged said, "Fang won't hurt you."

"I know that...but, what if he gets hungry or something and I'm not around to keep an eye on him?"

"Well, since you girls were nice enough to volunteer," Penny said, "By all means stay and keep Vivica company. We better get going, Jagged."

"Rock on, ladies. Be good, Fang."

As soon as they left, Chloé collapsed on the couch.

"I'm going back to sleep. Don't wake me up unless it's an emergency."

"What about when the show starts?" Zoé asked.

"...fine, or that," she put on her eye mask, "Now hush."

Zoé and Vivica walked to the other side of the room.

"So you guys are friends with Jagged's kids?"

"Yeah, we all go to the same school. They're a year ahead of us though. Also, I'm not sure if the word friend is enough to describe what Luka and my sister have going on."

"You mean him and her are a thing? That's so weird. They seem nothing alike."

"I think that's what attracts them to each other, but no, they're not a thing...not yet anyway."

Meanwhile...

"Where do you think you're going?" Bob demanded.

"I want to see the show," XY replied.

"You can watch it anywhere."

"I'm your son. Why can't I see it in person?"

"I don't know why you'd want to, but fine. Whatever!"

Elsewhere...

"Avast, my loves," Anarka cried, "You'd best get ready now if ye want to see the show in person."

Luka was already getting dressed, but Juleka was still half asleep.

"They might not even let us near the bakery if they're filming," she mumbled.

"I'm sure as long as we stay out of the way, no one will object," Luka said, "If anyone asks, we're just friends of Marinette that were in the neighborhood."

"What about that jerk Bob? He's probably figured out that we're Jagged's kids."

"I'm sure Penny will take care of it."

So the siblings rode on Luka's bike over to the bakery. The news van was out front, as was Bob's car, and Jagged's limo. The siblings stayed outside and looked in through the window. Inside, Jagged was being handed an apron.

"I advise that, despite the apron, you wear something you don't mind getting dirty," Sabine said.

"So you two are Marinette's parents? Rock on."

Tom gasped, "You know our Marinette?"

"As a matter of fact, you see these sunglasses? She made them for me."

"That's our daughter," Sabine smiled, "When she's given a task, she won't stop until it's finished."

"And it has to be perfect," Tom added.

"I can guarantee it's perfect."

Bob barged his way into the store.

"Aren't we ready yet?" he griped.

"Just checking the equipment," Alec replied.

"Have a croissant, M. Roth?" Sabine asked, holding out a tray.

Bob grabbed one without acknowledging her.

Sabine switched to Mandarin, "I don't like that man."

Marinette answered back, "I don't like him either after what he did, but this is good for business."

"May I have a croissant, Mme. Cheng?" XY asked.

"Of course you can, dear. Marinette, go and hand these out to the folks outside."

"Yes, Maman."

As she went outside, she heard a familiar voice.

"Can we get one of those?"

"Luka? Juleka, too? I should've known you'd be here."

"Nice maid outfit," Juleka said.

"Gotta play it up for the camera. Does anyone else care for a croissant?"

After all the treats were gone, Luka tapped her shoulder.

"Looks like they're finally starting. You'd better get in there."

"Hey! Why don't you both wait in my room? They won't go up there."

"Really? Thanks, Marinette," Luka said.

"We promise we won't snoop," Juleka added.

The twins rushed through the store and upstairs.

"Who were they?" Bob asked.

"Just some friends of mine," Marinette said, "They won't interrupt the show."

"They'd better not."

"Hello, and welcome to Fill My Shoes!" Alec announced, "We have a special guest today: Jagged Stone!"

"Rock and roll, Paris!"

"We're here at the Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie. Jagged Stone is going to learn what it takes to be a baker from the best in town."

Tom and Sabine took turns explaining their morning routine and all the variety of baked goods they produced. Jagged Stone grabbed a baguette and pretended it was a guitar.

"Bread, cheese, and plenty of dessert! Rock on!"

"Those teens who ran through here looked familiar," Bob thought, "Wait a minute...those were the brats from before with their dumb band. Jagged said two of them were his kids. Those have to be them. Why else would they be here? If I could get the word out about it on this show, the views would go through the roof. I've gotta make it look like an accident though. Otherwise, Jagged will sic his giant lizard on me."

Bob grabbed a nearby broom and waved it around.

"What are you doing?" Penny whispered.

"Uh...I saw a bee. There it is!"

He swung the broom at a bag of flour on the shelf, knocking it over and spilling the contents onto Jagged.

"Oh my," Sabine said, "Are you okay?"

Jagged smiled and said, "Hey, Alec, look at me! I'm a ghost!"

"What are you doing with the broom?" Marinette asked.

"Oh, I, uh…thought I saw a fly," Bob answered.

"You said it was a bee the first time," Penny said.

"Right this way to the bathroom, M. Stone," Tom said.

Penny followed Jagged, but gave Bob a look before she did. While they were busy, Bob grabbed the cameraman and dragged him towards the stairs.

"Hey!" Marinette shouted, "You can't go up there! That's my room!"

"We, uh, need to check the wiring," Bob said in an obvious lie.

In her room, the twins were watching the show on a small television. The hatch opened up.

"Ah ha! I knew there was someone up here!" Bob said, "Causing trouble, no doubt."

"We were invited up here," Juleka said.

"Yeah, and besides, we weren't interfering with the show," Luka added.

"Don't I know you two?"

The hotel

Even though the show had been on for a while, Chloé refused to wake up.

Zoé started to shake her, "Chloé!"

"What is it now?"

"Luka's on the show."

Chloé yanked her mask off, "WHAT!? What's he doing there?"

"I'm betting Bob Roth has something to do with it," Vivica said.

The Lair

Le Papillon was standing in the dark, waiting for an opportunity. Nathalie was in a chair watching the show.

"I think Bob's causing trouble again," she said.

He gave a sinister smile, "Perfect. Fly to the bakery, my little Akuma, and await my command."

"So that's why we're down here. You knew this was bound to happen."

"Of course. He's almost as reliable as the Style Queen."

The bakery

Penny was helping Jagged clean off the flour when they heard Marinette scream.

"What's going on out there?" he asked.

"I think we'd better check."

"A likely story," Bob's voice rang out, "You expect me to believe that? I know who you are."

"Bob!" Jagged shouted, "What's all this then?"

"I caught these kids trespassing. I demand they be removed from the premises!"

"I told you," Marinette said, "I invited them. They're my friends. Now get that camera out of my room! Penny, you're the reliable one. Please handle this."

"Filming on the property was part of the agreement," Bob said.

"In the bakery, yes," Sabine countered, "But our daughter's room is off limits. You agree, don't you, Mme. Rolling?"

"Come on, Penny, you've got to deal with this," Jagged said.

"Penny, we're sorry," Luka said, "We just wanted to see the show."

"You keep out of this, Jagged Junior," Bob said.

Penny was looking rather annoyed by the affair, but once Bob said that, she seemed snap.

"What did you just say?!" she demanded.

"You think I don't know these two are Jagged Stone's children? Of course he would produce kids with hair like that."

The hotel

Chloé got up off the sofa and walked towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Zoé asked.

"Oh, I'm going over to the bakery to kill Bob Roth," Chloé said, leaving the room.

The bakery

"That's enough, Bob," Penny said, "Get back downstairs, now!"

"I'm just making sure things don't get delayed."

"You're the one causing the holdup, Bob," Jagged said.

Everyone began arguing with each other. It was all too much for Penny.

"That's enough!" Penny screamed, "Go to a commercial or something! I'm going to the bathroom. We're all going to get this under control once I've had 5 minutes to CALM DOWN!"

She went into the bathroom and slammed the door. As soon as she was alone, she dropped to the floor and took deep breaths while clicking her pen. The Akuma, which had been circling the bakery due to the growing hostility, now honed in on Penny. It squeezed into the bathroom and possessed the pen.

"Greetings, Mme. Rolling. I am Le Papillon. I can feel all that pent up stress and frustration. Why not let yourself go for once? They all look to you for results. See how well they do when you're not around."

Penny hesitated, "Yes, I…no. No, I can't."

"Did I mention that you can get even with Bob Roth?"

All of Penny's negative emotions were now elevated.

"I'm in."

"I shall give you the power to phase through anything so they can never touch you, much less catch you. You shall be known as…L'Insaisissable."

With a wave of purple energy, Penny was now dressed like a stereotypical punk-rocker. She wore a black t-shirt with a skull on the chest, a purple vest with jagged sleeves, black pants with jagged, pink lines, and black platform boots. Her face was painted black and white like a skull, with the exception of her lips and eyebrows which were purple. Her hair was now in a purple mohawk design. Her ears had three piercings each. Even her pen was now black and purple and topped with a small skull.

"Let's cause some chaos," she said.

With a click of her pen, she became intangible and disappeared. Back downstairs, everyone was still going back and forth, but they were being a bit more calm about it.

"The ratings are through the roof," Bob said, "We can't stop now."

"Not only did you invade our daughter's privacy," Sabine said, "You deliberately called out these two as M. Stone's children when it's obvious that it was meant to be between them."

"I warned you about this, Bob," Jagged said.

Suddenly, Sabine felt someone shove her.

"Keep your hands to yourself, M. Roth," she snapped.

"I didn't touch you! I'm over here."

"I thought I saw something," XY said.

Another bag of flour was thrown across the room, covering a few people, though mostly Jagged, in the stuff.

"M. Roth, enough is enough," Tom said.

"I'm right here! I'm nowhere near your supplies."

"BOO!"

Everyone jumped back. The Akuma stood in the middle of the group.

"Bonjour, everyone. You'll have to solve your problems yourself. I'm not Penny Rolling anymore. I am now L'Insaisissable!"

She grabbed the camera.

"I'm sure you're watching the show, heroes. Try and catch me. I'll be the one who comes out on top, while you'll be losing your Miraculous."

Marinette was upstairs in her room the whole time.

"I can't believe they came into my room. I'm just glad they didn't stay in it long. Still, I feel bad for Luka and Juleka."

That's when she saw the Akuma on the TV screen.

"I should've known this was gonna happen."

Meanwhile…

Adrien was watching the show as well.

"I can't believe Bob did that. No wait, yes I can. Uh oh, an Akuma. I'd better get over there."

He looked out the window to be sure.

"Huh…the streets seem a bit empty today. Oh well."

Also meanwhile…

Apireine was flying over to the bakery. If she didn't already know where it was, the crowd gathered outside was a dead giveaway. As she hovered over the bakery, she could see Matou Noir running in her direction.

"If he's heading this way, then there must be an Akuma."

"What's she doing here already?" Noir wondered, "I know she can fly, but still."

A whistle got their attention, and they both saw Ladybird on the balcony.

"Glad you two could make it here so quickly. There's an Akuma on the loose downstairs."

"I hope Marinette's okay," Noir said.

"I put her out of harm's way."

"You think just us three will be enough?" Apireine asked.

"It doesn't seem like the Akuma is going anywhere. Let's go!"

Suddenly, Ladybird was kicked off the balcony. Matou Noir immediately grabbed his staff and swung it. The Akuma clicked her pen and it phased right through her. She clicked her pen again and tripped Matou Noir. Apireine swung her trompo at the Akuma, but another click left her untouched.

"L'Insaisissable is my name! You can't touch me, heroes!"

"Why couldn't she pick a shorter name?" Apireine snarked.

"Don't let Le Papillon control you like this," Ladybird said, flying back to the balcony.

"I've had it up to here with all these rules. It's time to rock and roll!"

She disappeared again.

"Okay, this is obviously going to be a big problem. Lucky Charm!"

"A broken plate?" Noir said.

"I'd throw it at her if I could," Apireine said, "But seeing as how it wouldn't hit her…"

"The answer's never that straightforward," Ladybird said.

"Well, I suppose you're the expert on that, little ladybug."

"What do we do until you figure it out, gorgeous?" Noir asked.

"Let's just keep trying to catch her. I'll think of something."

The trio went inside.

"No sign of the Akuma in here," Apireine said, "You'd think Marinette could keep her room a bit more tidy."

"Hey, I'm sure she tries," Ladybird said, "When someone's in the business of being creative, one tends to get messy."

Ladybird was tackled to the ground. The Akuma was on top of her and reaching for her earrings. Matou Noir hissed at the Akuma and used his staff to smack her hand.

"Ow! Why you stupid cat!"

Apireine's trompo knocked her pen out of her other hand.

"NO!" she shrieked as she dove for the pen.

Matou Noir and Apireine dove for it as well. The three were now wrestling over the pen. While they did that, Ladybird noticed the broken plate on the floor.

"Wait a minute," she thought, "She wants my earrings. I need to make sure she can't take them. What does a broken plate…? That's it!"

The Akuma managed to click the pen and phase through the floor. The heroes were alone in the room again.

"Wow, this lady is good," Ladybird said, "She's very good. I'm not sure how we can beat her. You saw her, didn't you? She almost got my earrings!"

The Cat and the Bee were looking at her like she was crazy. She motioned towards the broken plate. The two seemed to understand.

"Venom!"

"Cataclysm!"

The Akuma dropped from the ceiling and grabbed Ladybird. She held her in front like a human shield.

"I suggest you back away with those powers of yours," she said, "Otherwise, the ladybug will have it far worse than just having her earrings taken away."

The hatch opened, and Luka and Juleka stuck their heads into the room.

"Penny, please don't do this," Juleka pleaded.

"We're sorry if we caused any trouble," Luka added, "It's just that you've been gone for so long. We wanted to be close when the show started."

"You and dad worked so hard to keep us a secret. You're like a second mom to us."

The Akuma actually seemed to hesitate. She then shook her head.

"A pretty speech, but I have a new job. Look on the bright side, now you'll know who Ladybird really is!"

She grabbed Ladybird's earring, but when she tried to remove it, her hand stayed attached to the earring.

"You know, this is kind of painful," Ladybird said, "So I'd appreciate it if you'd stop pulling so hard."

"What's going on here?!"

"As Marinette would say, just a trick of the trade. I used super glue."

Apireine immediately ran over to the Akuma and stung her. Matou Noir walked over and snatched the pen from her hand.

"I'm helping you avoid writer's cramp."

The pen disintegrated, and the Akuma flew out.

"You okay down there, My Lady?"

"I have a paralyzed person attached to my ear. So, no, not really. Help me up, please."

He extended a hand to help her up.

Once she took it, she said, "Let's clean this place up, shall we?"

"If you say so. I think it looks cozy."

"Miraculous!"

Penny was now completely free to move. Luka and Juleka went over to her.

"Penny, are you okay?" Luka asked.

"I was akumatized, wasn't I? I let all that stress get to me."

"We all need a little stress in our life," Ladybird said, "It keeps up going. Too much can be bad for you, of course. Too little can leave you…what's a good way to put it?"

"Laying around like a sack of potatoes," Apireine said, "Bien joué and all that. I have to get going."

She quickly went to the balcony door and flew away.

"I'd better go tell Marinette it's safe to come back," Ladybird said.

"And I've…probably got things to do as well…I mean, nothing leaps to mind at the moment, but…"

They both went out the balcony as well and ran off. Ladybird went to a nearby alley and changed back. She was walking back to the bakery when…

"Oh, there you are."

Marinette jumped and let out a cry of surprise.

"Oh, it's you, Chaton."

"Did Ladybird tell you we took care of things?"

"Yes, she did. Shouldn't you be going?"

"I just wanted to double check that you were okay."

"I appreciate your thoughtfulness. Adieu, Minou."

He gave her a bow and launched himself into the air with his staff. Marinette ran back to the bakery and hugged her parents.

"Marinette, thank goodness," Sabine said, "Where were you?"

"Ladybird took me somewhere safe since the fight was in my room."

"Bless that bug-theme superhero," Tom said.

Penny was now downstairs, and she was being hugged by Juleka, Luka, and jagged Stone.

"I'm sorry if I was only adding to your stress, love," Jagged said.

"It was more Bob than you. As for you two, if the secret is out, we're going to make sure this doesn't change anything. We want you both to finish this year and your last year of lycée."

They all turned to look at Bob Roth.

"I swear I wasn't trying anything funny. Ask my son."

"Well -"

"Shut up, XY! I only want what's best for you and your family."

Jagged looked like he wanted to hit Bob, but took a deep breath instead.

"We'll discuss this later, Bob. Right now, I just want to get back to the hotel. Let's go."

He put his arm around Penny as they headed for the limo. Luka and Juleka followed close behind. Before Luka got in the limo, he saw Chloé walking up.

"I didn't expect to see you here," Luka said.

"I…I wanted to ask if you were okay."

"I'm fine, thanks."

"I hope the fact that people have clued into your relationship with Jagged Stone doesn't ruin our…time together."

He winked at her, "Never. Shall we?"

"But I'm not your family."

"No, but we are going back to the hotel. We can at least give you a ride."

"Oh, right. Thanks."

On the sidewalk next to the bakery, Bob Roth was pacing.

"That was a close call, but we're still in," Bob muttered mostly to himself.

"You're really cutting it close with these stunts, Pop."

"I'll be fine as long as you keep your mouth shut. I have to get back to the office. This show is obviously over."

XY was fed up with his dad's attitude, so he left the bakery and had a walk around the city. As he thought things over, he ended up at the hotel he knew Jagged Stone was staying at.

"I know he won't want to see me. I'm Bob Roth's son. I shouldn't be trusted. Maybe I'll just hang out on the roof for a while."

Chloé and Zoé were back in their room. Jagged Stone was having a talk with the twins.

"Well, now that everyone's figured out you're my kids, I was wondering if maybe either of you would like to join my band?"

"We're already in a band, Dad," Juleka said.

"You could always tour with me. We could perform one after the other. Maybe even side by side."

"I'm not sure if I want to be a rock star," Luka said.

"You're brilliant when it comes to music, son. You ought to share that talent with the world."

"Come on, Dad, you don't need me or Jules. You've got Vivica."

"Vivica is great, don't get me wrong, but you have a gift."

"Jagged, we talked about this," Penny said, "They should finish school. Besides, if you tried just taking them on tour with you, think what Anarka would say."

"Sometimes I miss those days when we were a duo. She was a great artist."

Vivica took her guitar and started to leave.

"Where are you going?" Jagged asked.

"I've been inside all day. I'm going to hang out on the roof for a while."

Vivica found a chair to sit on and began to play.

"I honestly don't know all that much about music, but I can tell you're good."

She was startled. She didn't even notice he was sitting out here as well.

"Who are you?" Vivica asked.

"Nobody important," he replied, "My name's Xavier-Yves. What's yours?"

"I'm Vivica. I hope I wasn't disturbing you."

"Not at all. I'd like to hear you play some more. It'll be a nice change of pace for me to hear some real music."

"I'm not sure what you mean, but if you're okay with it, then I'll play. It relaxes me."

So the two sat there in silence. The only sound was the strumming of a guitar.