Notes: Okay, so who here has played Sly Cooper?
Disclaimer: I do not own the Miraculous franchise, or the Sly Cooper franchise, or the James Bond franchise
Miraculous Universe
Ch. 18: A New Mystery
When she had free time, Marinette made sure to take the Tiger Miraculous back to the parlor.
"I always enjoy your visits, Marinette," Fu said, "Especially when you bring your mother's food along with you."
"Happy to be of service, Master."
"Incidentally, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. With all your new teammates, I only have four Miraculous on me. I was looking through the Grimoire, and I believe you can use your yo-yo to access the remaining Miraculous in the Miracle Box at any time."
"Really? I guess I should give it a try."
She transformed and opened up her yo-yo.
"So I open it as if I was using it as a communicator like this?"
"That's right."
"And then what?"
"Just try and concentrate on the Miracle Box and which Miraculous you want."
After a few seconds of thinking, she concentrated. The screen on her yo-yo now glowed a pinkish hue. She reached into the glowing screen and pulled out the Horse Miraculous.
"Hey, it worked! That'll come in handy. Thanks, Master. Can the others do this, too?"
"It would be rather silly if they couldn't. I encourage you all to experiment."
At the same time, Luka and Juleka had to bid Jagged Stone a fond farewell.
"I'll be sure to visit again when I can."
"We'll take care of things here," Juleka said.
"You've got your new family to take care of," Luka said.
The twins waved at Penny, Vivica, Xavier, and Fang.
"That reminds me," Jagged said, "After she saw the news report, Clara Rossignol left Bob's record label as well. Now that she's joined the same one we did, she saw how Kitty Section's superhero song was such a big hit. Naturally, she wants to sing it herself. She did ask if she could change the lyrics though."
Luka and Juleka looked at each other, "Figures."
Another month went by, and Adrien's birthday came and went as well. One night, Ladybird and Matou Noir were out on patrol. They passed by the most infamous club in Paris again.
"The police have yet to turn up anything about that place," Ladybird said, "But I don't like the looks of it at all."
"My Lady, if there's more to that night club that we don't know about, then we'd better be ready. Just like this smuggling ring that's been in the news for so long. If we could help shut it down, then we'd really be doing a good job."
"If that smuggling ring is as big and dangerous as they believe, then maybe we should train more to be prepared."
"You know, I can remember hearing news stories about the whole smuggling thing even back when I was a little kid. That's a long time to be in operation. I wonder…"
"What's on your mind, Chaton?"
"It's just a wild theory with no evidence to back it up."
"We're partners, so I'd like to hear it anyway."
"What if this smuggling ring has been using magic to stay under the radar for so long?"
"You mean…you think someone in that organization might have a Miraculous?"
"As the saying goes, there's no such thing as the perfect crime. Still, as I said, we have no evidence. It's just a feeling."
"It's certainly an interesting theory. Let's focus on something else for now. Come on!"
The pair began to race across the rooftops.
"No fair! You can fly!"
"I'm trying to alternate between running and flying. You never know when you won't be able to use flight."
After running around for a while in no particular direction, they stopped to catch their breath.
"It's a beautiful night out, isn't it?" Noir asked.
"It usually is around here. Want to spar a bit?"
"Really? If you're sure."
They traded punches and kicks. Sometimes whenever Matou Noir got too close, Ladybird would backflip away.
"When did you learn to do that?"
"I've been taking gymnastics recently."
"I've been thinking about trying something as well. Remember how we said that the Cat Miraculous is the Yin half?"
"That's right."
"Close your eyes."
She did so.
"Okay, open your eyes and look around."
She opened them to see that Matou Noir was gone. She looked around the area. The moon was high and the shadows were long, so she checked every dark spot.
"You're getting warmer."
She reached for one dark spot on the roof, when a pair of familiar green eyes appeared from the darkness.
"Gah! I didn't see you at all. How did you do that?"
"I just concentrated on blending in with the shadows."
"That's incredible."
"We have to adopt, adapt, and improve, My Lady."
"I hope the others are doing the same. Maybe we should all get together and train sometime."
In another part of the city, Zorrua and Tortank were having a chat.
"You've become quite skilled with your power, babe…er, I mean, Tortank."
"Yeah, but I feel like I could do more. If I've learned anything from all those shows and such you get me to watch, there's always room for improvement."
"Yeah, but how are we supposed to improve making force fields and illusions?"
"Are you sure those are the only powers we have? Do we really know the extent of these powers?"
"I guess you've got a point there."
"Maybe we can ask that guardian fella."
"Well, the only way I can think to improve my illusions is if they were actually solid."
"There must be a way for you to do something along those lines."
The duo sat down to think on this matter, with Zorrua placing his arm around her waist. In yet another part of the city, Apireine and Bateleur were flying around.
"Do you think there's a way for us to get stronger?" Bateleur asked.
"I…guess? How do you upgrade paralysis?"
"Good question. What about…mind control?"
"How is that an upgrade?"
"I'd say it's more like an alternative power. I was just thinking about how you're supposed to represent subjection."
They landed on the nearest building.
"Well how do you improve on freedom?"
"That's a fair point. What if we tried it on an inanimate object? Maybe it can unlock things."
"Bonsoir," said a new voice.
Apireine flinched, "Don't do that! How are you so quiet?"
Vipèrion chuckled, "I'm a snake. It's a requirement. Did I interrupt something?"
"We were talking about if we can improve our superpowers."
"I don't think you can improve on a reset button. Why the sudden interest in getting stronger?"
"You never know when it'll come up. That butterfly jerk could eventually make an Akuma that's more threatening. Or maybe someone else will come along."
"Yeah, and we have to be prepared," Bateleur said.
"You know, my sneaky serpent, since you're now technically an adult, your power no longer has a once per transformation use."
"So I've heard. I think I should focus on other abilities I might have other than the reset button."
"Like what?"
"You said I'm intuition, right? I must have other abilities that tie into that."
The three of them sat on the roof and looked over the city. Vipèrion began to strum his lyre.
A few days later…
Nathalie came upon Gabriel half working and half brooding.
"Sir, if I may interrupt whatever you're doing, I think this could be important."
"What is it, Nathalie? I'm contemplating several things at once."
"I'm sure you are. Did you see this article?"
"Nathalie, that's not a real news article. It's just that stupid superhero blog created by Mlle. Césaire."
"Regardless of that, you should probably read this."
"Just give me the gist of it."
"Who is this mystery man, Le Papillon? As a future journalist, I will not make any baseless accusations, but I will, like so many others, speculate. Due to the infrequency of the Akuma attacks, we can assume that he must be a busy man with a demanding day job. Like so many villains before him, we may be able to assume that he has the money and resources to never leave his hideout as no sighting of him has ever occurred. As of yet, there seems to be no pattern in his selection of people he's turned into Akumas. As I myself am one of those people, I can only conclude that he is a very petty and anti-social man. Thanks to a recent interview with Ladybird and Matou Noir, we know that Le Papillon calls himself that because he possesses a Miraculous just like the heroes. The Butterfly Miraculous allows him to communicate with his Akuma from a long distance away, but even then, he's still required to be within a certain distance, otherwise he would be unable to do so. With the heroes continuing to protect our city and aid the police, I have no doubt that they'll soon uncover the identities of both Le Papillon and his cohort Mayura, a mysterious woman who wields the Peacock Miraculous."
"As they say in America, now that's a right pretty speech."
"Don't you get it, Gabriel?! That description practically screams you. There are more of them than there are of us. They're getting stronger. It's only a matter of time before they figure us out."
"Then it seems it's time to enact a new plan. I must lay low for a while."
"I doubt that will be enough."
"I must also divert their attention elsewhere. Nathalie, what news pieces pop up the most often recently?"
"The brawls occurring outside that nightclub, the occasional kidnappings, a few art thefts, and the hints of a smuggling ring."
"I have a theory that they're all connected."
"Really?"
"Stories about that smuggling ring have been popping up for the last few years. Drugs, weapons, art, you name it, they've smuggled it. It's odd how the police have yet to turn up anything."
"Okay, what are you getting at? You wouldn't care this much unless you were up to something."
"I also have a theory that magic might be involved."
"That's a bit of a jump, Gabriel. It's more likely they have someone inside the force."
"Oh, I've no doubt about that, but I still think magic could be a factor. Perhaps it's just a feeling."
"What, you think these gang members might have one of the missing Miraculous?"
"No...I think they might have several."
"How are you going to confirm it?"
"I'll just have to investigate that nightclub myself."
"Can't I just use the Peacock instead?"
"Of course your Sentimonster will scout the place, but I'll have to go in person to strike a deal with these gang members."
"If you do find them, what happens next?"
"I shall lull them into a false sense of security by assisting one of their jobs."
"That's awfully risky. These people are clearly professionals if they have yet to be caught after all these years."
"I understand that, Nathalie. I have my faults, but I create something worthwhile. Their drugs destroy, their weapons are niche, and art theft is the worst crime of all. Trust me, though, it's all part of the plan."
That night
"Go, Optigami, and spy on the club."
It was able to enter the club easily. Le Papillon and Mayura were staring at the screen, looking for anything out of the ordinary.
"There's the owner," Mayura said, "I'll follow him."
"René Lousteau," Papillon observed, "What horrible fashion sense."
Said man was dressed in a very loud suit and had greasy-looking hair. He simply went into a private room and did some painting.
"I don't think we're going to find anything tonight," Mayura said.
"We'll just have to keep trying."
The next couple of nights, they sent Optigami to the nightclub to scout the area. It wasn't until the end of the week that the club owner did something different. He swaggered into a back room, and Optigami followed suit. Le Papillon and Mayura left the lair and headed for the nightclub. Along the way, they kept glancing at the tablet screen. René entered a special room that was mostly soundproof. The room had a one way mirror and a large, rectangular table with six chairs. Optigami merged with the corner wall where it could see everything. In one chair was a woman in her 20s typing away on a laptop. She wore glasses and dressed very casually. In another chair was a fancily-dressed woman in her 30s, wearing a monocle over her right eye, and smoking a cigarette from a long holder. The evil duo paused to get a better look.
"I recognize that woman," Papillon said, "The self-proclaimed Countess Sophia Marceau from Belgium."
"Hey, beautiful, how's it hanging?" René said, obviously flirting.
The Countess leered at him, "I hate this music. I hate your clothes. I hate the smell...especially when you-know-who shows up."
The girl at the laptop snickered.
"You are breaking my heart, baby."
"Don't call me any of your obnoxious pet names. Save it for the trollops who frequent this dump."
Just then, despite being surrounded by smoke, her nose wrinkled.
"Ugh, he's here."
The door opened to reveal a skinny, but well-dressed man.
"Well, if it isn't the city's greatest art enthusiast, Cyrille Bleuchamp," Papillon said, "I knew he was up to something."
"I hate having to come here. It's beneath me," Cyrille griped.
"I don't like it any more than you do," replied the Countess, "But it's the safest place."
The young woman finally spoke, "Do you just straight up skip taking baths and showers or what? Seriously, you always smell horrible."
"That is my hair treatment, you little pest."
"No, it's more than that. You just inherently smell."
"I don't have to account to you, Élodie. At least I get results from my work."
"The fact that you don't hear about my work shows I get results. I don't need to brag."
"She's our best assassin, Cyrille," the Countess said, "Best not make her mad."
Cyrille sneered and sat at one end of the table. Finally, in walked a tall man holding a cane. Behind him was a woman who was slightly taller and twice as muscular. He sat at the other end of the table, while she sat next to him.
"My my," Papillon said, "That's Dr. Louis Kananga. It seems the ambassador leads a double life."
Cyrille spoke up, "This had better be important."
"Hey," the buff woman said, "Don't you dare sass Mr. Big."
"I can do as I like, Sévérine! I am not his subordinate. I am an equal partner! I have my own criminal empire to deal with."
"Don't forget that it's thanks to my connections that the police have yet to pick up on your activities," Mr. Big said.
Everyone waited for Cyrille to reply, but he simply grumbled under his breath.
"Now then, we've got another shipment coming in, but the increasingly frequent fights occurring at this place are attracting too much attention."
"Is not my fault they act crazy after taking our stuff," René said, "Besides, every time the fuzz arrives, they find nothing."
"I hate to agree with him," Countess Marceau said, "But he's right. So why start worrying now?"
"For one thing, it's not just the police anymore," Mr. Big continued, "We have superheroes running around this city, and it seems like more and more show up every day."
"Those pests don't suspect anything either," Cyrille said, "Just because they can do more than the police doesn't mean they'll accomplish anything."
"I've seen them pass by the club now and then," René said, "They leave once the brawls have been settled."
"There's also this whole Akuma thing that's been going on. The police are more alert than ever thanks to this Le Papillon guy."
"Is that not a good thing for us?" René asked, "If they have to deal with supernatural threats, they'll miss the normal crimes."
"It's possible, but the heroes and this Papillon are using Miraculous. Which means they'll likely be on the lookout for magic. If they decide to get involved, they'll know how to deal with our secret weapons."
"Yeah," Élodie said, "And what about Interpol?"
"Interpol has been after us for years," Mr. Big replied, "What have they turned up? Nothing! Oh, sure, they've caught a few grunts over the years, but we eliminate them before they can talk."
"Still, the shipment is tomorrow night, yes?" Cyrille said. "If the heroes or the police get suspicious, we just need something to distract them."
The group sat in silence, thinking of a plan.
"It looks like they're done talking," Papillon said, "Mayura, get their attention."
As the pair kept heading towards the nightclub, Optigami made its presence known.
"What is that thing?!" Mr. Big shouted.
Optigami squeezed through the doorway.
"After it!"
The gang leaders followed it to the roof. They all came to a sudden stop. There before them stood Le Papillon and Mayura. Optigami landed on his cane.
"Mesdames et Messieurs, permettez-moi. I am Le Papillon, and this is my associate Mayura."
"You trying to start something, butterfly man?" Mr. Big growled.
"Far from it, Mr. Big. I'm here to make a deal."
"What could you possibly offer us?" Countess Marceau asked.
"You're not the only one here with a Miraculous," Cyrille added.
"Don't tell him that, idiot," Mr. Big hissed.
"Do as you please with your powers. You think I'm your competition, but I'm actually here to lend my assistance. Am I correct in assuming that since you're having a meeting that you have merchandise arriving soon?"
No one said anything.
"If so, I can provide a distraction for the police and the heroes."
"What, with another butterfly?" Cyrille asked.
"Are you referring to this Sentimonster? Mayura created it to be a spy. She can easily make another one that can occupy the time of those meddling fools."
"Why should we believe you?" Mr. Big asked, "You clearly want something."
"I wouldn't dream of taking whatever Miraculous you might have. I simply ask that if the heroes get involved, you take theirs. I don't care how you get them. I'm sure you have no reservations concerning lethal methods."
They all looked at each other.
"I suppose if we have time," Mr. Big said, "The shipment is this weekend."
"I'll be there," Mayura said.
She and Le Papillon then departed.
"Do you really trust them, Doctor?" Cyrille asked.
"Of course not! But if they're going to keep the cops away, then I'll take advantage of it. We just have to make sure we backstab them before they inevitably do it to us."
"I will say," Countess Marceau spoke up, "They both have good fashion sense."
The next day at lycée, it was lunch time when Chloé and Zoé sat down with Sabrina.
"Hey, Sabrina," Chloé said, "You want to work on our homework together later?"
"If we all chip in," Zoé said, "We can finish quickly and watch a movie or something."
Sabrina said nothing, just stared at the table while eating.
"Uh, Sabrina?"
Chloé looked at Zoé, who shrugged in response.
"Sabrina," Chloé said as she poked her.
"Huh? What?"
"Are you okay? You seemed spaced out."
"Oh, sorry. I was thinking about something else."
"Like what exactly?"
"Dad's been extra busy lately. Those brawls at that nightclub are more frequent than ever, and now all of a sudden, dad's boss is breathing down his neck to do something about it. It doesn't make any sense, because he's the one who always insists on searching the place."
"Don't worry, Brina, I'm sure there's an explanation."
"I wish the heroes could help in some way, but I don't even know how they could start."
"I have a feeling they'll start an investigation soon enough."
That night, the streets of Paris seemed very quiet. Mayura was looking over the nightclub. She then took off towards the police station. Once she was close enough, she waited for Brigadier Raincomprix to come outside. She then created an Amok and placed it inside a coin she brought with her. The Sentimonster she created looked like a shadowy humanoid figure.
"Larron, I am Mayura, and I command you to lead that policeman on a wild goose chase towards the other side of the city. With your speed and agility, he'll never catch you."
It bowed to her, and then leapt off the building. Roger was patrolling ever closer to the nightclub. Behind the building, several workers, overseen by René, were getting into a large truck and heading out.
"That smoothly dressed moth man better keep his end of the deal," René muttered to himself, "We've been police-free this long."
Just as Roger was driving past the nightclub, the shadowy Sentimonster ran past the front of his car.
"Hey, you! Watch where you're going!"
Larron paused to make itself look more obvious.
"So, you want to spend the night in jail, is that it? Okay, wise guy."
Larron then sped off into the night.
"Halt in the name of the law!"
Roger sped after him, but the Sentimonster easily hid in the shadows.
"Where'd he go?"
Roger got out and looked around. High overhead, Bateleur was watching. She flew over to the Eiffel Tower to make a call. In another part of the city, Apireine was waiting on a rooftop. Vipèrion showed up behind her.
"About time you got here."
"Sorry. To keep you waiting. You may now bask in my presence."
"Hey, that's my line."
*Beep Beep*
"That's my trompo that doubles as a phone. Excuse me. Hello?"
"It's me."
"Obviously. What's the sitch?"
"I just spotted Roger. You know, Sabrina's dad."
"I don't know any other Roger."
"He's on patrol and chasing down a suspicious character."
"Good for him. Does he need assistance?"
"Quite a bit, I should think. I got a fairly good look at the suspect. It wasn't a person. It's a Sentimonster."
"Which means Mayura could be lurking about. Where's he at now?"
"He was at the nightclub, but now he's being led away from it."
She realized what she said as soon as she said it.
"He's being led away from the nightclub on purpose."
"Let's deal with the Sentimonster first, Bateleur. Try to get in touch with the rest of the team."
"You think we'll need them?"
"Probably not, but they wouldn't like being left out."
She hung up.
"Let's go, la vipère."
She took off flying and he ran to keep up.
"Did I hear you right when you said there's a Sentimonster on the loose?"
"That you did. Which means that peacock lady is probably nearby."
"I vaguely remember her."
"You do? How?"
"A lot of my akumatization is hard to recall, but I do remember that she showed up to give me that giant snake Sentimonster."
Meanwhile, Roger thought he had closed in on the culprit, having cornered him in an alleyway, but when he shined his flashlight, the alley was empty. Larron had merged with the shadows and easily avoided detection.
"We need the law farther away from the nightclub," Mayura said, "Larron, get his attention and start running."
Larron snuck up to the police car and kicked it.
"Hey, get back here!"
Larron began to sprint away, at first with its long arms trailing behind, but it switched to a quadrupedal lope. This was not lost on Roger.
"Something tells me I've got my work cut out for me today."
He got back in his car and continued the pursuit.
"There he is, and there it is," Apireine said, "Keep an eye out for that bothersome blue bird."
"I'm on it, bee-utiful."
"Leave those kinds of jokes to the cringy cat."
The Sentimonster was soon cut off by the other heroes, except Matou Noir. Larron skidded to a stop and dashed into the nearest alleyway.
"Wow, that thing sure is unsettling," Zorrua said.
"How can we catch a living shadow?" Tortank asked.
"I have an idea," Ladybird said, "Try to surround it."
Larron kept disappearing through the shadows.
"I can't paralyze it if I can't hit it," Apireine said.
Vipèrion said nothing, just kept looking around. Every time one of the others followed the Sentimonster into an alley, there was nothing there. Larron would then emerge from another alley. It was heading for another alley, when Matou Noir leapt from the darkness to tackle it.
"This is one slippery Sentimonster."
"Apireine," Ladybird called out, "Get ready!"
She nodded, "Venom!"
"Everyone else, move in!"
Larron noticed the team was closing in, so it once again ran into the shadows. Ladybird stayed where she was and seemed to be in deep thought.
"Dang, it got away again," Apireine grumbled.
Vipèrion grabbed Apireine and pulled her close, "Look out!"
Larron had tried to pounce on the Bee hero. It was now in the middle of the heroes.
"Won't it just dissolve into the shadows again?" Tortank asked.
That's when a soft glow appeared from Ladybird. She concentrated more and she went from glowing to emanating a light. Her light began to intensify more, and it caused Larron to cower.
Apireine took her shot, "I guess light does beat darkness."
The Sentimonster was now paralyzed. Quite a distance away, Mayura was overseeing the area.
"The Ladybug made herself her own personal lightbulb. Wait until Gabriel hears about this."
With a snap of her fingers, the shadow Sentimonster was gone, and she ran away as fast as she could before she was spotted.
"Ladybird, that was incredible," Matou Noir said, "How did you do that?"
"Like we said earlier, you're the Yin and I'm the Yang. You use the dark to your advantage, while I create light."
"See?" Tortank said, "I told you there was more to our powers."
"I guess we really do need to try new things," Zorrua said.
"Bateleur, take a look over by the nightclub," Apireine said, "Just a look. You know, in case there's another fight outside."
She gave a salute and took to the sky.
"Thanks for the help, heroes," Roger said, "However, I can't help but feel this was a distraction."
"Oh, I have no doubt it was," Ladybird said, "But to what end?"
Everyone headed back home. Once the sisters reached the roof of the hotel…
"Nothing?"
"It was cleared out," Bateleur said, "I guess they heard that the police were nearby and didn't want to take any chances."
They de-transformed and went inside.
"What's on your mind, Chlo?"
"Let's wait and see what happens before I tell you. I'm going to bed."
The next day when Roger went into work, he was called into his superior's office.
"You were made a fool of, Brigadier Raincomprix."
"I'm sorry, Neyla, but I -"
"Don't call me by my first name right now. This is serious."
"I apologize, Captain Jourdan."
"These annoying magic users sent you on a wild goose chase. Maybe you're not getting enough rest."
"I can assure you, Captain, I feel fine."
"While you were busy chasing a fake criminal, something went down at that disgusting nightclub. We don't have any details yet, however."
"I'll get right back on it, Captain."
"You've been on it for a long time, Brigadier. I think you should take some time off."
"But, Captain, really I -"
"I don't wish to discuss it any further. Go home for the day. We'll talk it over tomorrow."
Roger walked out of the police station and into the closest alleyway to let off steam.
The Lair
"I knew this would happen," Papillon said, "Poor Roger is all hot and bothered after what happened last night."
"I did my part," Nathalie said, "This is all you."
The city
"How is it my fault that a magic robot led me away from that scummy nightclub? I never get any assistance."
Although he no longer had to deal with traffic and other similar situations, Roger still wore his whistle as a reminder of how he got started. The Akuma merged with said whistle.
"Brigadier Raincomprix, I am Le Papillon."
"Get out of my head. One of these days I'll arrest you."
"I have no doubt. However, right now you ought to focus on the drug runners."
"What do you know about them?"
"I'm not involved with them, but I make it my business to know what goes on in this city. I admire the work you do, and so I wish to help you."
"I could come after you instead."
"You have no clues about me, as opposed to knowing so much about these smugglers. With my help, you'll track them down in no time. Won't that impress your boss?"
"And what must I give in return?"
"Put a stop to any vigilantes in the city. Strip them of their powers. They'll only make your job harder."
Roger was now consumed with emotion, "Yes...anyone who breaks the law must be brought to justice."
"You shall have all the power you need...RogerCop."
Roger was now a tall, bulky cyborg. He started to walk in the direction of the nightclub.
"I am RogerCop. I must serve the public trust. I must protect the innocent. I must uphold the law."
He slowly walked past the police station. A random civilian was looking at his phone, so he didn't notice his trash fell outside of the trashcan.
"Monsieur, you are guilty of littering."
He shot a beam from his wrist at the man. A pair of bracelets appeared on the man's wrists, one red, one blue.
"You are sentenced to pick up all trash in the area."
The man was dragged by the magic handcuffs all around the area. As RogerCop kept walking, he passed by a woman who parked in a no parking zone.
"You are violating the law. Your car will be impounded."
He picked up her car quite easily and crushed it into a cube. Meanwhile, Apireine and Bateleur were out flying.
"You're sure you didn't see anything last night?"
"Not a thing. Although it was pretty dark, and eagles aren't known for their night vision."
"There's the place down there. It looks fairly normal at the moment. Wait, what's that?"
"It's Roger, and he's been akumatized!"
"Oh, no! You call the team. I'm going to get Sabrina."
"You want Sabrina here?"
"She might be able to help."
Apireine flew as fast as she could to Sabrina's house.
*Knock knock knock*
"I'll get it, Maman. Apireine?! What are you doing here?"
"I need your help. Your dad's been akumatized."
"What can I do?"
"Maybe you can talk to him and get him to stop. Even if you can't, I'd like you to be there once we stop him."
"I'll be right back, Maman," Sabrina called.
"Be careful, mon ange."
As she was flown over to the Akuma, she started to make conversation.
"I hope dad's okay. I wonder what caused him to get akumatized? Although I have an idea."
"What's that?"
"I was telling a friend of mine how dad's boss has been getting after him more often lately for not turning up anything connected to the incidents at the nightclub. Dad's always tried to do the best he can with what he's given. Honestly, if she's so smart, why doesn't his boss do something about it?"
"Why indeed?"
Bateleur landed in front of RogerCop.
"Officer Raincomprix, I'm going to have to ask you to stand down."
"I don't take orders from vigilantes."
"Hey, we've always tried to work with the police. We've never overstepped our boundaries."
"I would say to tell it to the judge, but I have been given emergency powers. I will deal with you and your cohorts myself."
He raised his arms and began firing red and blue lasers. Bateleur ran before she could be hit. Apireine arrived and dropped Sabrina next to her father.
"Papa, please don't do this!"
He ignored her and looked at Apireine, "You are under arrest for bringing a civilian into a combat zone."
"Papa, I came here willingly. I know you're in there. Please stop and let's talk about this."
He turned to look at her. His face was a blank expression.
"You are in a stressful situation and liable to say anything. Please get to a safe distance, citizen."
"Okay, that's it!" Apireine said, "I'm ending this now!"
RogerCop raised his arms again, causing Apireine to hesitate. RogerCop was then hit in the back by Tortank's shield. He turned to face her.
"I shall arrest you for assault with a deadly weapon."
He fired his laser to handcuff Tortank. Zorrua began to play his flute loudly and off key. RogerCop turned again.
"You are under arrest for disturbing the peace."
He too was handcuffed.
"Hey, look at me," Vipèrion said, "I'm jaywalking."
"You are under arrest for that."
Another pair of handcuffs were dealt out.
"I can top that," Matou Noir said, "I'm laying in the middle of the street."
"You are under arrest for impeding traffic and being an obvious cat burglar."
As the handcuffs appeared around his wrists, he said, "What, because I'm a cat? Doesn't that count as profiling? Or maybe it's just playing into animal stereotypes."
"Good work, RogerCop," Papillon said, "Take his ring and lock him away."
RogerCop began to walk towards Matou Noir.
"Lucky Charm!" Ladybird said, creating a bowling ball.
"A bowling ball? How can I…? Wait a minute. If he can't move because we keep breaking different laws, then what if it's something really serious?"
"Hey, officer," Bateleur said, her wings around her like a coat, "Would you like to buy a watch?"
"You are under arrest for hawking merchandise without a license."
He managed to hit her with his laser handcuffs.
"No, you fool!" Papillon growled, "Focus on the cat."
"I can top all that!" Ladybird said, holding up the bowling ball, "I have a bomb, and I'm going straight to the police station with it."
"You are under arrest immediately for engaging in a terrorist activity. I am authorized to use lethal force."
He began stomping rather quickly towards her.
"Venom!"
As RogerCop froze up, he managed to say, "You are…under arrest…for things…not normally considered illegal."
Ladybird sighed in relief, "Thanks for the save. Now where's the Akuma?"
"I think I can answer that," Sabrina said, "It must be in his whistle. He's had it for years."
Apireine yanked the whistle from RogerCop's neck, and then helped Matou Noir up.
"Do us the honors, Chaton," Ladybird said.
"Gladly, My Lady. Cataclysm!"
The whistle was destroyed, and the Akuma started to fly away. Roger was back to normal, and the handcuffs on everyone disappeared.
Ladybird and Matou Noir said, "Miraculous!"
Needless to say, the woman from before was happy her car was no longer a cube.
"What happened?" Roger asked.
"You got akumatized, Papa."
"Sabrina? What are you doing here?"
"I should ask you the same thing. Why aren't you at work?"
"My boss told me to take the day off. I was mad because it seems like even though we all know that nightclub is hiding something, I have to do all the work myself."
"Maybe it would be a good idea to take the day off, Papa."
"I'll go home for a while, but Captain Jourdan isn't the highest ranking person there. I'm going to talk to her superiors."
"Maybe that's a good idea, Papa. Let's get back to the station and get your car. Then we can go home and have something to eat. Thanks, heroes!"
"It was our pleasure," Bateleur said.
As the sisters flew back…
"I think this proves that the brigadier is onto something," Bateleur said.
"I think we need to check out that nightclub ourselves."
"When?"
"Tonight."
"By ourselves?"
"We're going stealth mode for this mission. If things get messy, we'll call the others."
That night, the sisters were perched atop a tall building that overlooked the nightclub.
"At long last, we're about to investigate this ugly building," Apireine said.
"Château Noir, I think it's called."
"Right, very fitting. So, ready to go?"
"Yes, but you aren't."
"What do you mean?"
"If we're going to be stealthy, you might want to change your outfit. The color yellow is a bit too bright, isn't it?"
"Okay, fair point. One second."
Her outfit was now almost completely black. Even her hair was now black. The parts of her gloves, boots, and mask that were once yellow were now a dark blue. Her wings were now red.
"How's this?"
"Much better I'd say. Although..."
"What now?"
"You don't look like a bee anymore. You look like a wasp."
"Well then while we're undercover, you can call me...Vespireine."
"Queen Wasp?"
"What? Some wasps have a queen."
"I just meant that it's clever."
"Oh, well thanks."
"You two weren't really planning on going by yourselves, were you?"
Vespireine sighed, "Do you always have to just pop out of nowhere, you bothersome bard?"
"Do you have a limitless supply of alliterative names for me?"
"I do, actually."
"That's a nice new look you've got."
"Yes, I know, thank you, but…hey, wait a minute. You changed your costume, too."
"Like you said, stealth mission."
His costume was now light grey, dark grey, and black. His hair was black, with the ends being white. His mask was black, and his eyes were red.
"You didn't just pick those colors because they're dark, did you?"
"No, I actually patterned my costume after the common European adder. Did you know it's one of the few snakes where the sexes can be determined by color?"
"First you teach us about flying snakes, and now this."
"I didn't get to tell you that they don't actually fly, but glide. Although I'm sure that was obvious."
"That costume looks good on you."
He bowed, "Thank you, queenie."
"Wait a minute. What am I saying? Don't change the subject. How did you know we were here?"
"I just happened to be outside when I noticed you two flying off in the distance. After what happened earlier today, I thought you might require assistance. I followed you, but even then, I knew this must be where you were going."
"Did you call the others?"
"Of course I did. If you're actually going to investigate that nightclub, it could get dangerous, powers or no powers."
Just then, the others came running up.
"I appreciate you taking the initiative," Ladybird said, "But this will definitely require all of us."
"Oh, pouah, fine! Before we do anything though, you, fennec fox, you'll have to change."
"What? Why me?"
"Because orange is too bright of a color."
"She has a point," Tortank said, "Ooh, how about you switch to a silver fox instead? I showed you a picture before."
He thought for a moment, "Oh, right. I've got it."
In a flash, all the orange parts of his costume were now silver.
"Ta da! How's this?"
"Very sharp," Tortank said.
"Much better," Vespireine said, "You next, Tortank. I know you're going for the sea turtle look, but you'll have to try something less conspicuous."
"I figured you'd say that. I was thinking about it. Okay, here I go."
Her costume changed to a blackish brown with many small yellow spots.
"How do I look? I copied the look from the European pond turtle."
"Beautiful as always," Zorrua said.
"Yeah, okay, whatever," Vespireine said, "Now we can go. Everyone remembers what the owner looks like?"
"Yeah, he's been on the news a couple of times," Vipèrion replied.
"Everyone, make sure you've got an ear piece," Matou Noir said.
As they got closer, they could see there was already another fist fight taking place in front of the nightclub. They split up to peek through the different windows. It was a very large nightclub, so it took a while before they managed to spot the club owner dancing his way to the middle of the dance floor. Somehow, he was louder than the music.
"Look tall! Stand tall! Feel funky!"
"There you are, René Lousteau. You call that dancing?" Vespireine thought.
After about half an hour, René swaggered back through the crowd and into one of the back rooms.
"I can't see him anymore," Bateleur said.
"Yeah, me neither," Zorrua said.
"Let's head for the back," Vipèrion said.
The back of the nightclub was close to the Seine. René came out a back door and began smoking a cigarette.
"Who's got the juice?" he said to himself, "I do, ha ha!"
After a few minutes, he looked around and began walking closer to the riverfront. He kept looking around, as if expecting someone to be watching him.
"Keep it smooth, baby," he mumbled to himself.
He at last came to a solitary door close to the water's edge and punched in a secret code.
"I guess we'll have to follow him inside," Matou Noir said.
"Wait, I just thought of something," Ladybird said, "If he puts up a fight, there could be collateral damage. We should try to get the civilians out of the nightclub first."
"Allow me," Zorrua said, running off.
He leapt to the top of a nearby building.
"Mirage."
Suddenly, from around the corner came a squad of police cars.
"Attention! This is a raid! All civilians clear the area!"
The message spread fairly quickly, and all the patrons ran for it. Even the minimal staff hightailed it out of there. As soon as the area was clear, Zorrua leapt back to the ground.
"Mission accomplished."
"Well, now," Tortank said, "Since they left the door open, we may as well go in."
They began to look around for any signs of René. They had to talk fairly loud due to the music.
"You know," Zorrua said, "This music is kind of catchy."
"Too loud for my tastes though," Vespireine said.
"We'd better leave it on," Ladybird said, "Otherwise he might get suspicious."
"Hey, over here," Bateleur said, "I found a hidden room. All that's in it is a one way mirror and a table with six chairs."
"I'll bet the gang leaders had a meeting here or something," Vespireine said.
"I think this door here leads to the basement," Vipèrion said, "It being locked was a bit of a clue."
"Allow me to use my universal key," Matou Noir said, "Cataclysm."
The door turned to dust and they walked in. They could hear René talking to himself again.
"Make art, breathe art, feel art, be art!"
They quietly descended the stairs and peeked inside. René was painting several pictures, and making a mess in the process. After a while, he looked at his phone.
"Uh oh. The boss."
He placed his phone on a nearby table with the speaker on.
"About time you called, Le Chiffre. Let me guess, you got caught up painting again."
"Hey, it's a hobby. Besides, I make money on the side by copying real paintings."
"Yes, yes, I know. Just make sure you remember to do your actual job."
"Hey, all the merchandise is sold out, boss."
"So soon? Good. No trace for the police to find. Now get working on your other job."
"What, already? I just did that last week."
"Are you really surprised how quickly people can burn through money, real or fake?"
"Okay, I'll get on it right now."
"I'll send someone over to make sure it's flawless. Don't disappoint me, Le Chiffre. You're one of the few people in this organization that I actually trust. You and Sévérine that is."
"Happy to be of service, Mr. Big."
The phone call ended.
"The Contessa may look down on me, but I give the boss results."
He put aside his paint supplies and walked over to a large machine in the corner. It was a printing press, and there were a few clearly counterfeit bills scattered around the floor. René walked up to a nearby mirror and tugged at his lapels.
"Transformez-moi."
His suit was now an alternating black and white with a fur lined collar. He also had a pair of small, slicked back horns on his head, and a black and white domino mask. With a wicked grin, he walked over to the printing press and picked up one of the counterfeit bills. After looking it over, he held out a large paint brush in his other hand.
"Genesis!"
He then began to make more counterfeit bills.
"He's using a Miraculous for that?" Vespireine asked.
"Wouldn't the magic fade away eventually?" Vipèrion wondered.
"Long enough for them to use the money and make a getaway, I'm sure," Ladybird said, "According to the Guardian, that's the Goat Miraculous. It represents passion."
"I guess he's passionate about money," Zorrua said.
"Let's get in there and stop this," Bateleur said.
"You don't have to tell me twice," Tortank said.
Matou Noir leapt down the steps and into the basement.
"René Lousteau!"
"Hey, come on, bro! I'm in my costume. There is no René Lousteau here. In the criminal underworld, I am Le Chiffre!"
"The Number?"
"Of course! Because I make the money, literally! Big numbers equal big money!"
"Okay, whatever you're calling yourself, hands up."
"What do you want, annoying superhero persons? You're totally bumming my house up and bringing me down. So very uncool."
"Look, you lounge lizard," Tortank said, "You and your gang have caused trouble in our city long enough."
"I know you tough cowboys must have good taste. With costumes like that, you must be connoisseurs of finer things, just like me. I'm sure we cats can make a deal. See the money? Take all you want. I just make more."
"First of all," Bateleur said, "You can't bribe us. Second, especially not with fake money."
"We won't let you keep using the Miraculous for selfish purposes," Ladybird said.
"What is this talk of miracles, girly? Have you no vision? Are you hearing what I beam to you? Are you picking up what I'm throwing down? You think you can swing the bat?"
"I'm sorry, what?" Zorrua asked.
"Do you know how long we've ruled this city? You really think you can take us all down? Don't show me a little mind when talking about such big things. You have no idea what you're dealing with!"
"After we take you in," Ladybird said, "We'll deal with the rest of your gang."
He laughed, "You take out one member of Le Gang des Griffes and it changes nothing. I probably shouldn't have said the name of the gang. Oh well, it makes no difference, because you have to get past me first. Show me your bling and let me shine you!"
"I don't know where you learned all this slang," Vespireine replied, "But I do know your suit sucks, and your villain costume is barely an improvement."
René shrieked, "Let's dance!"
He dashed over to a large wooden crate that bore the label "Art Supplies", but was in fact full of guns.
"Good thing I had this delivered after the last raid. Duck and cover, little critters!"
Everyone dived behind something to hide as he started to fire.
"Will our suits protect us from a gunshot?" Zorrua asked.
"I guess it's possible," Ladybird said, "But I'm in no hurry to test it."
The large handgun Le Chiffre was firing soon ran out of ammo, so he switched to a smaller gun that held more bullets. However, due to his erratic firing, it too soon ran out of ammo. He dug around in the crate for another magazine.
"Why didn't they give me extra ammo? What's the point of a gun if I can only use it once?"
He decided to just try for a bigger gun. Now he was using a machine gun to send bullets flying everywhere. Tortank was attempting to crawl closer.
"Okay, you're in a basement with a gun-toting maniac. Try not to panic. You're the shield. You're the tank. You are the embodiment of protection. This is what you trained for."
She was getting close to the middle of the room.
"Le Chiffre could see her," Zorrua thought, "I have to do something."
When the villain paused to breathe, Zorrua quickly threw his flute at him.
"Ow! Hey! So totally uncool, bro!"
Tortank leapt from her hiding spot and shouted, "Shell-ter!"
The force field now stood between the heroes and Le Chiffre.
"Ooh, so shiny, pretty girl, but that won't stop me!"
He began firing again, but the bullets bounced off the force field. When his gun was empty, he threw it down and grabbed yet another. Nothing got through the force field. He was getting frustrated and dual wielded pistols at the force field to no avail. Now they could hear him muttering under his breath.
"No, no, no. It can't be!"
He dug through the crate yet again, but he had exhausted his supply. Matou Noir charged forward while getting ready to strike with his staff. Le Chiffre met the staff with his paint brush.
"Nice try, kitty cat. I don't need a gun to put up a fight."
He kicked Noir's legs out from under him and ran over to his paint. He threw several cans around him. Bateleur ran forward to get him.
"Can't fly down here, eh, birdie?"
Bateleur was trying not to slip on the paint. Le Chiffre smacked her with his paint brush. As the others chased after him, he began running and jumping over the various junk in the basement. Ladybird tried to hit him with her yo-yo, but he managed to hit it away. Everyone tried to hit him, but he was surprisingly agile.
"What's the matter, heroes? Never taken parkour lessons?"
"This guy gets my goat," Matou Noir said.
"Is this really the best time for that?" Vespireine asked.
Le Chiffre ran upstairs.
"At least up there we have more room," Ladybird said, "Come on!"
Back in the main room, he was nowhere to be found until…
"Hey! What did you do?! Where are my peoples?!"
Ladybird and Vespireine flew to the second floor, with Zorrua leaping up to follow them.
"Venom!"
"Trying to sting me, nasty bug? Better not waste your shot."
Zorrua managed to tackle him to the ground.
"Let go, you mangy fox!" he said, kicking him in the face.
As he got back up, Ladybird tied him up with her yo-yo, but his painting hand was still free. He had an annoyed look on his face. He then quickly jumped down to the first floor to avoid getting stung. With his paint brush, he kept taking swipes at the others as they tried to grab him. He yanked on the yo-yo- hard enough that he pulled Ladybird down with him. Suddenly, the music turned off.
"Hey! Why'd you kill my tunes?"
Tortank's shield came flying through the air and hit him in the face, knocking him over. He managed to worm his way out of the yo-yo string and began trying to crawl away. Matou Noir and Vipèrion grabbed him and threw him down the stairs. He landed hard on the basement floor. Bateleur was suddenly right behind him.
"Didn't you know that some eagles knock goats off the mountain side?"
She easily picked him up over her head and threw him into the printing press.
"Hey! Let me out of this thing!"
Vespireine flew over and turned the machine on.
"Oops! How did that happen?"
There were now a lot of banging noises coming from inside the machine.
"Ow! Hey, no fair! Ouch! That smarts!"
He finally managed to shove his way out of the machine. However, the ordeal left him exhausted. He held the paint brush in front of himself, as it was the only weapon he had, but he ended up backing into a cardboard box and fell inside it.
"So totally uncool."
"Oh, shut up," Vespireine snapped, "Are those clips on his lapels the Miraculous?"
"The ones that look like goat horns?" Ladybird replied, "Yes, that's them."
Vespireine grabbed the Goat hair clips, and handed them to Ladybird.
"My Miraculous, my nightclub, my counterfeiting operation…they're all past tense."
"Do you ever stop talking? I still owe you a sting."
As the paralysis took effect, he managed to say, "You…crackerbox!"
"Did someone already call the police?" Matou Noir asked.
"I took care of it," Vipèrion said.
While waiting for the police to arrive, Vespireine started looking around the basement. There were several pieces of art adorning the walls.
"All forgeries, of course," she quietly said to herself, "Although they do seem familiar."
She began taking pictures of every art piece. She also noticed a piece of paper with a list of dates and times on it.
"I didn't know your spinning top could take pictures," Vipèrion said.
"You never quite know what your suit can do until you try."
She sent the pictures to her phone, and they got everyone's attention.
"Hey, do these pictures look familiar at all?"
"I'm sure I've seen some of these at one of the art museums," Matou Noir said, "But if I recall, they were stolen at some point."
"This joker doesn't seem the type to rob an art museum," Zorrua said.
"Plus from all the paint supplies," Ladybird said, "It's obvious he made these copies himself."
"Okay, but he must've had the original at some point so he could make a copy to begin with," Vespireine said.
"Couldn't he just look up a picture on the internet?" Tortank asked.
"If this guy really believes he's an artist, then it's not the same," Ladybird replied.
"I think we'll have to ask someone at the Louvre about these paintings," Bateleur said.
At last, they could hear several police cars pulling up. They tied up René using the yo-yo around his arms, the trompo around his legs, and the lyre as makeshift handcuffs. They then carried him upstairs as the police entered en masse, with Roger leading the charge.
"Here's the culprit, Brigadier," Ladybird said.
"If you'd care to take a look in the basement," Matou Noir said, "We'll show you the evidence."
"Keep an eye on him, men," Roger said, "Lead the way, heroes."
Downstairs, pictures were taken of the printing press, fake paintings, and various guns.
"I think we have enough here to put you away, M. Lousteau," Roger said.
The paralysis had finally worn off, "You never proved that I was distributing drugs, copper!"
"Maybe not, but all those illegal weapons and the counterfeiting operation should be more than enough to earn you a prison cell."
"Oh…yeah. Merde."
As the police dragged René away, a policewoman was walking up to Roger. She glanced at René, but said nothing.
"Well, Brigadier Raincomprix, it seems I misjudged you. Thanks to the combined efforts of you and the superheroes of Paris, we're one step closer to uncovering this entire smuggling operation. And I'm certainly not just saying that because you went over my head."
"Oh, yeah, sorry about that, Captain Jourdan, but you know how it is. A cop has their instincts."
"Of course. I'll leave this crime scene to you. I just wanted to get a look for myself. See you tomorrow."
Nearby, a figure in the shadows had been observing everything. They quickly ran off into the night.
"You okay, baby?" Tortank whispered.
"Well, being kicked in the face hurts," Zorrua replied, "But I don't think it left a bruise or anything."
Soon a news crew arrived on the scene.
"This is Nadja Chamack. Don't be bemused, it's just the news. Tonight sees us once again on the property of the popular nightclub Château Noir. The nightclub's owner, one René Lousteau, is being taken into custody. Any words for the viewers, Officer Raincomprix?"
"I can't take all the credit, Nadja. If not for the heroes' assistance, we may never have cracked this case."
"However," Vespireine said, "If not for the determination of Brigadier Raincomprix, we may never have begun a proper investigation."
"Needless to say," Roger continued, "Thanks to our combined efforts, this nightclub is being shut down for good."
The hooded stranger in the shadows ran back to the base. She ran all over trying to find Mr. Big, who it turned out was in the gym with Sévérine. There was a TV in there, but it was muted and on a nature show.
"Back already, Élodie?"
She noticed the television, "Boss, where's the remote? Put it on the news. They arrested René and shut down the nightclub."
"WHAT?!"
Sure enough, there it was. A line of police tape blocked off the nightclub, and René was sulking in the back of a police car. Mr. Big sent out a mass text.
Mr. Big: Watch the news NOW!
Countess Marceau was laughing, "That greasy fool finally got arrested!"
Cyrille Bleuchamp was slightly worried, "If they caught him, I could be next. Bah! My Miraculous is far more useful than his. Besides, he was just a nightclub owner. I'm a philanthropist and patron of the arts. Hee hee hee!"
"As someone once said, I love it when a plan comes together," Gabriel said.
"Too bad it wasn't really your plan," Nathalie said.
Tomoe Tsurugi was always in the habit of listening to the news.
"Now this is quite the different news story."
"What was that, Okaasan?"
"Nothing, child. Run along to your room."
Miles away in London, a certain woman was watching the news story with a feeling of annoyance. Miles away in Italy, Ambassador Rossi eagerly watched the news report, while her daughter kept alternating between looking at her phone and the television. Back at the crime scene, the heroes were just leaving.
"Well, we really must be off," Ladybird said.
"I'm sure your team can handle this," Bateleur said.
"Your daughter will be so proud, Brigadier," Vespireine said.
They were all about to head off.
"Wait a minute," Roger said, "I never said thank you."
Matou Noir smiled, "And you'll never have to."
They exchanged salutes as the team dispersed.