Notes: She's finally here…
Disclaimer: I do not own the Miraculous franchise
Miraculous Universe
Ch. 26: Truth and Lies
"You're up rather early, bambina."
"Yes, Mamma. I thought I'd go for a walk so I could take in the scenery."
"That does sound like a good idea. I wish I could go with you, but I've got work to do. I'll see you tonight."
"Arrivederci."
Lila was walking through the city, stopping only to buy a cup of coffee.
"I don't want to attract too much attention," she thought, "I never thought I'd get another opportunity like this."
She finally reached the Agreste mansion.
*BUZZ*
"Can I help you?" came Nathalie's voice.
She put on a big smile, "Buongiorno! Mi chiamo Lila Rossi. I hope I'm not being presumptuous in assuming you can speak Italian."
"I can speak several languages. Now what do you want?"
"I was sent for. I believe we have a mutual acquaintance."
"Oh…you're her. Please come in."
"Grazie."
She looked around as she was let inside.
"Where's Adrien?"
"He's currently working at a summer job. This way, please."
They walked into the atelier.
"Ah, so good of you to arrive here so soon," Amelie said.
"So nice to formally meet you."
"You of course know Tomoe Tsurugi."
"It's an honor, Tsurugi-san."
"Of course it is," Tomoe said, mostly to herself.
"This is my son, Félix."
He spared Lila a glance, but went back to looking at his phone.
"And I am Gabriel Agreste," he said, walking up to her.
"I'm such a big fan of your work."
"Let's get down to business. Amelie tells me you were an informant for Les Gang de Griffes. Exactly how did that happen?"
"My father passed away when I was fairly young. When my mother couldn't get a babysitter for me, she took me with her to work. One day, she was having lunch with Dr. Kananga to discuss the smuggling ring, when she got an urgent call and had to leave."
Flashback
"Dr. Kananga, I hate to impose, but do you think you stay here and watch my daughter? I promise I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Uh…sure."
"Thank you so much."
She then ran out the door. The doctor and Lila just looked at each other.
"So…does your mom do this often?"
"Oh, yes. I've gotten used to it."
A minute of silence went by.
"So are things really as bad as you say they are where you come from?" Lila asked.
"I'm afraid so. Those smugglers have a lot of tricks up their sleeves."
"Is that so? Well my mother told me that she heard Interpol is planning a raid soon in all possible locations where these smugglers have been sighted."
"Did she now?"
"She also said more thorough searches are going to be conducted in areas that are known to be very high traffic."
"Are you on the level, kid? Did your mother put you up to this?"
"My mother doesn't know that I know this. I listen in on all her phone calls. She's particularly moved by your plight. That's why she knows so much about the steps being taken to combat this smuggling problem."
"So when's the raid supposed to take place?"
"Tomorrow as a matter of fact. Interpol is sure they found a warehouse in Louisiana."
"Why should I believe you?"
"Do you really want to take a chance that I'm lying?"
Before he could make any reply, Mrs. Rossi returned.
"I'm back! Thank you so much for keeping my daughter company."
"It was my pleasure, Luciana. Perhaps when we're not busy, we can do this again. There's still so much to talk about."
"Oh, of course, Dr."
He gave Lila a look before he left, "Adieu."
Luciana let out a contented sigh as she sat on the sofa.
"Did you and Dr. Kananga talk about anything interesting?"
"Nothing important, Mamma, just…life."
The next day
*Knock knock knock*
"Dr. Kananga, what a pleasant surprise."
"Hello again, Luciana. I don't suppose you're free?"
"Oh, I wish I was, but I have an appointment right now."
"Well, I could always wait here for you to get back."
"Really? You wouldn't mind? I'd appreciate it so much. I hate for Lila to be alone so often."
"You run along and take care of business, while I stay here and mind things. When you get back, I'll treat you to dinner."
"You're such a gentleman, good sir. I'll be back soon. I'll be back, Lila!"
As soon as her mother was gone, Lila seemed to slither out of her room.
"You seem quite calm, Dr. Kananga. I assume the raid took place as scheduled?"
"What's your angle, kid? Why did you tell me all this information? Because I'm an ambassador?"
"I know you must be more than that. You've been lamenting the state of your country for years, and yet no progress in halting the flow of smuggled goods has occurred. You said that a lot of the goods wind up in Paris, and yet all searches have turned up nothing. There have been several people who've attempted to investigate the smuggling ring, and those that do turn up are always dead. You must be playing a different kind of game."
"Those could all be coincidences."
"You don't have to justify your actions to me, so-called doctor. I lie quite often, so I can usually tell when someone else is lying. I just want, as the Americans would say, a piece of the action."
"Excuse me?"
"If you let me in on your schemes, I'll give you all the information I can turn up. That's useful to your operation, isn't it?"
"It's worth talking about. Your tip yesterday came in handy, I'll give you that. What exactly do you want in return?"
"You're going with me to set up my own bank account. Henceforth, I leave it up to your good judgement to deposit however much you think the secrets I pass to you are worth."
"If this is a set up, I have ways to silence you."
"I would never lie to someone who's in a real position of power. You've got a good thing going, and I want some of that power."
He held out a hand, "Deal."
Present Day
"That day, I set up my own bank account that not even my mother knows about under the pseudonym Cerise Volpe. He then bought me a second phone that was strictly for business calls. Since that day, I was constantly passing him information I gleaned from my mother's conversations. I've got quite a bit of money saved up, and I want to keep it that way."
Gabriel nodded, "So be it, Signorina Rossi. First, I shall require your bank information. Second, we shall enroll you at the same lycée as my son. Being a student could come in handy. Third, to facilitate your visits here, I shall make you one of my models."
"Whatever you say, M. Agreste."
"I told you she'd be a worthwhile asset, Gabriel," Amelie said.
"I suggest you head back to the embassy and invite your mother over. Tomorrow we'll give her a good story," Gabriel said.
"As you say, Sir," Lila gave a bow and started to walk out, "Until tomorrow."
Soon, Lila stopped to get something to eat, and then she was back at the embassy. Her mother showed up just after she arrived.
"Oh, bambina, how are you?"
"Just fine, Mamma."
"Did you do anything fun while I was gone?"
"It's funny you should ask…"
The next day
"It's such an honor to meet the famous Gabriel Agreste."
"The honor is mine, Ambassador Rossi. I've been keeping up with all your hard work."
"Oh, well, I try to do what I can. You can't imagine how thrilled I was to hear that a group of Parisian heroes were responsible for finally getting those fiends arrested. I was so shocked to find out that Dr. Kananga was the ringleader."
"Yes, we owe much to the Miraculous heroes. Now, the reason I asked for you, Signora Rossi -"
"Please, no need to be so formal. Just call me Luciana."
"Very well…Luciana, the reason I asked you to visit is because I'd like to make your daughter one of my new models."
She gasped, "You want my Lila to be a model, just like your son?"
"I think she'll be perfect for my new lineup. However, has she been enrolled in a school yet?"
"Oh, I haven't gotten around to it. We only just arrived."
He handed her a tablet, "This is the lycée my son attends. I think you'll find it satisfactory."
"Oh, thank you, M. Agreste. I'll enroll Lila here immediately. Final year is right around the corner."
"Indeed it is. We can continue this talk at a later date. Nathalie can assist in putting together a schedule for Lila."
"You're too kind, M. Agreste."
"Please, call me Gabriel. When you next visit, I'll introduce you to some of my associates."
The next few days, Luciana got busy with work, which frustrated Lila. It wasn't until Friday that the Rossi women returned to the Agreste mansion.
"So glad you were free, Luciana. Allow me to introduce my friend and business associate, Tomoe Tsurugi."
"It's an honor, Mme. Tsurugi. You're such a genius."
"Finally," Tomoe said, "Someone who knows what they're talking about."
"I assume you made that robot dog yourself?" Lila asked.
"I wouldn't settle for anything less."
"You of course know my assistant Nathalie Sancoeur."
"Charmed, I'm sure," Nathalie said, not looking up from her tablet.
"I'm his sister-in-law, Amelie Graham de Vanily. I'm sure you've heard of me."
"Naturally," Luciana replied, "You come from a very well known family."
"And this is my son Félix."
"Buon pomeriggio, Signora Rossi," he said with a bow.
"Why, you speak Italian perfectly!"
"Grazie."
"My Félix takes advanced classes," Amelie bragged.
"If we might get back on topic," Gabriel said.
*BUZZ*
"I'll get the door," Nathalie said.
"I'm sure that's the intern. You may as well meet her as well. You may have seen her on television. She was part of my last fashion show."
Nathalie and Marinette walked into the room.
"Good day, M. Agreste. Oh, I didn't know you had company."
"Marinette Dupain-Cheng, this is Ambassador Luciana Rossi."
"Pleased to meet you. I've seen you on television several times. You're such a caring person and a very hard worker."
"Thank you so much, young lady."
"And this is her daughter," Gabriel said, "She's going to be one of my new models."
"So nice to meet a fellow employee, so to speak. I'm Lila Rossi."
They shook hands.
"I don't know why," Marinette thought, "But there's something about her smile that feels off. Her mom's smile was definitely genuine though. It must be the eyes."
"Lila will be joining you and Adrien at school this year. While I'm sure she's used to being new to school considering all her travels, I trust you'll provide assistance should she ask."
"Of course, Sir. I can do that."
"Now onto the subject of models," Gabriel said, "I have a new project for you. Mlle. Rossi is still acclimating, so instead I want you to make a dress for your friend Mlle. Couffaine. Having the daughter of famous musicians in a fashion show will garner much attention."
"I can get started right away, M. Agreste."
"You may begin after you bring us lunch. I think we can discuss Lila's schedule over a meal, don't you, Mme. Rossi?"
"Oh, that would be delightful," Luciana said.
Marinette took everyone's orders and went to pick them up.
"While she's gone, may I ask a delicate question, Luciana? What happened to Signor Rossi?"
"Oh, well, there's not much to tell. He was always such a busy person. I swear all that stress would've likely killed him, but instead…accidents happen…even traffic accidents."
"I'm sorry for your loss. I know what that's like."
"You do, don't you? I met your wife once. She was a very lovely person."
"Yes, well, it seems your husband was able to provide for you even after his untimely passing."
"It makes me happy that his hard work paid off in the end."
"But enough of that. Tell me more about your work."
It took about 45 minutes, but Marinette got back and dropped off the food.
"You may start your assignment now, Mlle. Dupain-Cheng. Run along and get to work. Take your time, but try not to take too long."
"Yes, Sir."
She left quickly, while Gabriel turned back to his guests.
"Now let's get back to that schedule, shall we?"
Upon returning to the bakery, Marinette ran into Nino.
"Oh, hey, Nino. What brings you here?"
"Well, Alya's busy, Adrien's busy, so I thought I'd pop over and see how things are going."
"I'm glad you're here. I've got some news."
They went to her room and she told Nino, Adrien, and Kagami everything.
"I can't believe father would hire a new model just like that."
"It is nice to see that he hasn't forgotten Juleka," Kagami said.
"That was certainly a surprise when he gave me this assignment. Anyway, I remember seeing Mme. Rossi on television, but I didn't know she had a daughter."
"I'm still processing the incredibly obvious detail of Gabriel more than likely being Le Papillon, or Papillombre, or whatever," Nino said.
"We can discuss this with the rest of the team later," Adrien said, "Right now, though, I think we should let Marinette focus on her project."
"I actually need to run out and get a few things," Marinette said, "I'll see you guys later."
She stopped at a few stores, but of course saved her visit to Socqueline for last.
"Are you on another project, Marinette?"
"As a matter of fact, I am. This time, I'm making a dress. It's supposed to be for Juleka, but I'd better talk to her first."
"Oh, right, she got her start as a model during that last fashion show. It took Gabriel long enough to remember her."
"Talk to you soon, Socqueline."
"Knock him dead, Nette."
Marinette was now at the Liberty to talk with Juleka. She and Rose were hanging out on deck.
"Hey, Juleka. Luka's out working, I take it?"
"Yeah, he really wants that motorcycle. I'll tell him you came by."
"I'm actually here to see you. I'm an intern for Gabriel Agreste. I don't think I told you that yet."
"He finally saw how amazing you are?!" Rose exclaimed.
"I guess so…even if I mostly clean and bring food. Still, he gave me a special project. He wants me to make a dress for his second newest model."
"You mean me?" Juleka asked, "I thought maybe he forgot. Wait, who's the first newest?"
"Some Italian girl named Lila. She just arrived in Paris with her mother. Never mind that, though. Let me get your measurements and show you some of my ideas. We want this dress to be perfect for you."
With five of the team members busy with work, that only left Apireine, Bateleur, and Zorrua available for patrol.
"I feel like the odd man out," Zorrua thought, "Especially since I can't fly."
They came to a wide rooftop and stopped.
"This is as good a spot as any," Apireine said.
"For what?" Zorrua asked.
"There's something we want to try. It concerns our powers."
"We're trying to upgrade them, so to speak," Bateleur said.
The Bee and the Eagle turned to face each other.
"Are you sure about this?" Apireine asked.
"You said we need to be ready," Bateleur replied, "It's time we tested our limits."
"You're right. Let's do this. Venom!"
"Please don't jab me with it like you do everyone else though. Just kinda poke me."
"Picky picky."
The Bee stung the Eagle, who then began to try and move.
"Must…at least…be frozen…dramatically…"
She was now paralyzed in a pose where she looked like she was trying to leap into the air.
"Typical actress," Apireine said, rolling her eyes.
Once Bateleur stopped moving, the Bee took a deep breath and concentrated. She then pointed at the Eagle.
"Stand at attention."
Bateleur slowly did as she was ordered.
Zorrua was shocked, "Mec, it worked!"
Apireine smirked, "Raise your right hand."
The Eagle did so.
"Flap your wings one time."
She followed that command as well.
"Kneel before your queen."
The Eagle looked a bit like she was struggling, but followed the order.
"Stand up."
They were now eye to eye. Apireine held out her hand.
"Give me your Miraculous."
Bateleur was now visibly shaking as she reached towards her neck. Just as she was about to grab the talon…
"Liberation!" she growled.
There was a flash of golden light. Bateleur let out a gasp and began panting.
"You did it," Apireine said.
"We both did it."
"That was amazing!" Zorrua exclaimed, "I've got to get in on this."
"Go for it, Fox Boy," Apireine said.
Zorrua closed his eyes and formed a picture in his mind. He took a deep breath and held up his flute.
"Mirage."
A dozen copies of Zorrua were now standing on the roof.
"Okay, now close your eyes, count to ten, and then attack me."
The Bee and the Eagle looked at each other and shrugged.
"If you say so," Bateleur said.
The Zorrua copies began jumping around the roof. After ten seconds, the duo began charging at the many Zorrua copies. Each one disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"This doesn't seem any different," Apireine said.
Soon, there was only one Zorrua left. Apireine flew at him and quickly put him in a headlock.
"Looks like I caught you, M. Fox."
Bateleur thought she saw something out of the corner of her eye, and there was now a flute across her throat.
"Right idea, wrong fox," Zorrua said.
Apireine did a double take. The Zorrua she was grabbing was still in his usual orange, but the Zorrua behind Bateleur was in his stealth 'Silver Fox' outfit.
"But how…?"
The Zorrua in her grip poofed away like the others before.
She was surprised, "You made a solid copy."
"Now that's awesome," Bateleur said.
"Well, I only managed to make one become solid, but it's a start, right?"
"Practice makes perfect."
"I'd like to see what that bothersome butterfly and his popinjay of a peacock try now," Apireine said.
The few days left before school started went the same way. Marinette and Alya had their respective internships. Adrien and Kagami had their work at the bakery. Luka had his delivery job. Nino, Chloé, and Zoé did patrols. Soon enough, school started at last, and they all met up outside.
"You know," Marinette said, "It's too bad Kagami goes to a different school."
"Yeah, but I'm glad she has other friends to keep her company there," Adrien said.
"Bonjour, Marinette!" a voice cried out.
Everyone turned to see a girl running up to the group, her boots making a noticeable clip clop against the cement.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" Chloé asked.
"I'm sure Marinette must have mentioned me. I'm the new Agreste model. My name's Lila Rossi. You must recognize the surname as that of Ambassador Luciana Rossi. She's my mother, you know."
"... uh huh. Now what were we talking about?"
"Oh, and it's so nice to finally meet you Adrien," Lila continued, placing a hand on his arm, "Every time I stopped by the mansion, you were never there."
"Yeah, well, my summer job kept me busy," he replied, pulling his arm away, "Sorry about that."
Lila got really close to Marinette, "You'll help me find my class, won't you?"
Marinette leaned back, "Uh, yeah, of course."
"Show me now. Remember, you promised M. Agreste you would."
She held out her schedule. Marinette glanced at it.
"Follow me, Lila."
The two girls walked inside, leaving the rest of the team. No one said anything for a few seconds.
"I don't like her," Chloé said.
Marinette showed Lila around the school. They soon passed by the councilor's office.
"Mme. Bustier, this is Lila Rossi. She recently arrived in Paris."
"Nice to meet you, Lila."
"Thank you, Mme. Bustier. I'm an Agreste model. He discovered me not long after I arrived."
"Oh, that's nice."
"So if I'm called away during class, I'm sure everyone will understand."
"Uh, yes, of course."
"My mother's an ambassador, by the way."
"Oh, so she's that Rossi. I admire her dedication to her work."
"I'll be sure to pass on the message. Now we must be off to class."
She practically dragged Marinette out of the room. They headed for class.
"Class," the teacher said, "This is our new student: Lila Rossi."
"So nice to meet everyone! My mother is the Ambassador Rossi, and I'm now working with Gabriel Agreste. I've met a lot of other famous people traveling abroad with my mother, by the way."
"Yes, that's very interesting, Lila. I'm sure you can share your exploits with the class at lunchtime. Now would you like a seat up front?"
"Oh, no, I'm perfectly fine sitting in the back."
The next week or so, apart from bragging about her connections multiple times, Lila didn't say much. Every so often though, Marinette could hear Lila muttering under her breath in Italian.
"Wow, some of that stuff shouldn't be repeated," Marinette thought.
Surprisingly, Gabriel was accommodating to Marinette's schedule. The first weekend of back to school week, she rushed over to the mansion, coffee in hand to perhaps smooth over the situation.
"I wouldn't want your internship to interfere with your schooling, Mlle. Dupain-Cheng. I still expect to see you on the weekends. Excellent call on bring the coffee."
"Thank you for understanding, M. Agreste. Oh, and my project is coming along."
"Good to hear. How is Lila doing, in your opinion?"
"Would you like me to be honest, Sir?"
"From what I know of you, lack of candor has never been one of your traits."
"She's a bit of a braggart, Sir, but other than that, she seems to be fitting in nicely."
"Thank you for sharing. Run along and continue your assignment."
"Right away, Sir!"
As soon as Marinette was gone…
"Why did you ask her about Lila?" Nathalie asked.
"I may have placed Lila there to spy on Adrien and find potential targets, but that doesn't mean I won't keep tabs on her as well. She's clearly a very ambitious young woman. I don't want to discover that she's blurting out secrets in some vain attempt to garner attention."
It was soon the middle of August when another birthday came along.
"Happy birthday, Kim," Marinette said.
"Yeah, hope you've got something fun planned," Nino said.
"Nothing too crazy," he replied.
"That's surprising," Alix said.
"I'm just gonna go to the pool and hang out with Ondine. "
"I would think Ondine would have planned something special for you," Max said.
"Well, she hasn't said anything, so it must be a surprise, which is the best kind of prize."
"Who's Ondine?" Lila asked.
"Where did you come from?" Chloé asked.
"Ondine goes to a different school," Kim explained, "She's a great athlete, just like me. Unlike me, she's smart. Maybe not Max smart, but smart. She's also as tall as I am. She's my very special friend."
"You know, Kim," Zoé said, "You should come to the hotel tomorrow and we'll have a party. You can invite whoever you want. Right, Chlo?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Well, as long as it's tomorrow. I promised Ondine we'd do something together today."
"You mean like a date?" Alix asked.
He shrugged, "I dunno. I guess?"
"How can you not be sure if it's a date or not?" Max asked.
"I never thought about it. I don't think it matters too much. Anyway, I better get my stuff. She always gets there before I do."
He ran off, barely managing to avoid running into anyone.
"He sure is a ditz sometimes," Nathaniel said.
"What do you mean sometimes?" Alix said.
"It sounds like Ondine likes him, but he's oblivious," Lila said.
Chloé gave her a look, "You don't know what you're talking about."
"See you later, guys!" Kim shouted as he ran out of the building.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Chloé shouted back.
She chased after him, but he was already long gone.
"The one time I wish he wasn't a fast runner."
"Well, odds are he had to be good at something," Alix joked.
"What's the problem, Chlo?" Adrien asked.
"Kim forgot the present."
"I knew he would," Marinette said.
"You probably should've left a note," Alya said, "On his forehead."
Lila separated from the group and followed Kim from a distance. Ondine was, like Kim thought, already at the pool. Kagami was with her.
"Today's the day, Kagami. I'm going to tell Kim how I feel while we're out having dinner."
"Good for you, Ondine. It's always good to take action."
"Thanks for all your help. Kim should be here soon. He's always running late."
"Let me know how it goes. I'm going somewhere quiet to do some drawing."
"What about your mom?"
"She thinks I'm taking an extra fencing class."
Just as Kagami was walking out the door, Kim ran past her.
"Oh, hey, Kagami!"
"Have a pleasant birthday, Kim."
Kim went to change and then met up with Ondine.
"Hey, Ondine!"
"Happy birthday, Kim!"
"Thanks! How much time do we have?"
"At least an hour or two," she giggled, "Plenty of time for a swim."
"Okay then, let's have a race."
"You're on."
They swam several laps around the pool.
"Okay, I admit, you're the better swimmer. Are you sure you don't secretly have fins or something?"
Ondine laughed, "You mean like the kind you wear or actual fins?"
"Uh, either one, I guess."
"Sorry, Kim, but I'm just naturally gifted."
"More people ought to swim a lot. It's a great workout."
"Yeah, totally. I think I need to sit down for a bit."
They sat down on some beach chairs and began toweling off.
"I know I said I'd wait until dinner, but…"
Ondine looked Kim up and down. She took a deep breath.
"Kim, how long have we known each other?"
"Uh…pass."
"What?"
"We've known each other for a while. It feels like we've always been friends. I'm bad at time management, if you couldn't tell. I guess it's a good thing I'm a fast runner."
"Oh, okay. So, um…do you like me?"
"Well, yeah, obviously. I hang with you more often than I do with Alix or Max."
"Yes, but…do you think I'm pretty?"
"That's a silly question. Wait a minute, pretty? Oh no! Oh, man! I forgot!"
"Forgot what?"
"I was supposed to see Chloé before I left. The gift! No wait, I wasn't supposed to tell you. Ignore what I said. I'll be right back. I've to go get it."
He kept his swimming trunks on and just pulled on his shirt and shoes.
"Don't go away!"
He ran out the door. Ondine looked concerned.
"What does Chloé have to do with anything? I thought she was with Luka? Am I missing something?"
Lila had been watching for a while.
"Now's my chance," she said with a sly grin.
She slithered up to Ondine.
"You must be Ondine."
"Uh, yes. Do I know you?"
"I'm a new student at the same school as Kim. He told me about you."
"Really? What did he say?"
"Oh, you know - she's so smart, and tall, and athletic, and a good friend, and so on. Things like that."
Ondine said nothing.
"Don't tell me, you like him, right?"
"Well -"
"It's so obvious. Alas, the boy is oblivious…or is he?"
"What do you mean?"
"You've known each other for a while, right?"
"A few years, yes."
"I should think by now he's picked up a few hints that you want to be more than friends. Maybe he's stringing you along."
"Kim would never do that."
"Well, you know him better than I do. This is just my opinion. Maybe he's trying to be nice and he's hoping you eventually move on. Maybe you're not his type. I mean, not to be rude, but you're not exactly petite."
Ondine stood up and looked at her reflection in the water.
"It's a good thing this girl is so reserved," Lila thought, "She's practically an Amazon!"
Ondine sat back down, "Maybe Kim is too nice to tell me the truth."
"Maybe so. I mean, when the others asked him if you two were going on a date tonight, he avoided the question. Oh well, there are plenty of fish in the sea. I'm sure you'll make a fine catch for someone someday, giant mermaid that you are. I really must be going. Ciao!"
Ondine didn't even acknowledge Lila. She was lost in her own thoughts and started to cry.
LR: I've got a nice target picked out for you, Boss.
GA: Merci beaucoup
Gabriel and Nathalie were in the atelier as per usual.
"To the lair, Nathalie. It seems that our little spy has come through. I have a new Akuma victim. This time, I'll go big. Give me back the Peacock."
"Promise me you won't do anything stupid."
"Let it go, Nathalie! I probably won't even need to use it. I need it for my costume."
"Why? No one's going to see it. Oh, whatever. Take it!"
"Butterfly, Peacock, unify! Yes, I can feel such sorrow and sadness. Lila played her part perfectly. Fly away, my little Akuma!"
Kim ran all the way back to the school. Everyone was still hanging around outside, including Kagami. Chloé was expectantly holding a small box in her hand. Kim ran up and stopped to catch his breath.
"About time you remembered," Chloé said, "I got you a bottle of water. Now hurry up and get back there."
Kim drank the entire bottle.
"Sorry, Chlo. Thank you, Chlo."
He grabbed the little box and ran back to the pool.
Meanwhile…
Ondine was still crying her eyes out when the Akuma merged with her swimming bracelet.
"Greetings, young lady, I am Papillombre. I can feel your pain and sorrow. The man you love doesn't love you back. I can help you get his attention. I'll make sure you can keep him all to yourself. All I ask in return is that you stop those meddlesome heroes and bring their Miraculous to me. Do we have a deal?"
She sniffled, "...that doesn't seem right."
"I only want to help you, my dear. Trust me. This is the only way."
Ondine was losing her resistance, "... okay."
Optigami was embedded in a nearby wall.
"I see that you're by a swimming pool. Do you like to swim?"
"It's the one thing I'm any good at."
"Then I shall give you the power to be an expert swimmer. I shall also give you power over water, so that all of Paris can be your personal swimming pool. Now for a name. Ah, I have it. Go show everyone what you're made of…Sirène."
As Ondine was engulfed in purple energy, all the water in the pool rose up and swept her out into the Seine. She disappeared beneath the water, while a large portion of it rose into the air and became condensation. It had now formed into a massive raincloud that seemed to cover the city. It then began pouring rain. So much rain that the water level began to rise.
"What the heck?" Chloé said, "This rain came out of nowhere."
"Something tells me it's not actually from nowhere," Adrien said.
"Is it just me, or do things look wetter than usual?" Nino asked.
They heard a scream from inside the school. Everyone ran back inside to see that Aurore was running around and waving her phone.
"Hey, Northern Lights, what's going on?" Alix asked.
"This freak storm just appeared, and now we're experiencing flooding. There hasn't been anything like this since -"
"The 1910 Great Flood?" Zoé added.
Everyone looked at her.
"What? It's an important part of history...and not just because it was in a movie."
"I suggest we get to the higher levels of the school," Max said.
"I hope Kim's not out in this weather," Nino said.
Chloé looked out the window.
"Luka," she said quietly to herself.
Luka had thankfully finished his deliveries for the day. He was already aboard the Liberty.
"Ah, the advantages of a houseboat."
"This is obviously the work of an Akuma," Juleka said, "Shouldn't you get dressed for your other job?"
"That's not a bad idea."
Just then, a large shadow passed beneath the houseboat.
"Well that's encouraging. Do you know where everyone else is?"
"Rose messaged me that everyone's holed up at school."
Luka transformed and leapt off the boat. Kim, meanwhile, had reached the pool before it really started raining, but looking around saw no sign of Ondine.
"Where could she be in this weather? I can't just stay here knowing she could be out there. I'm wearing swim trunks. I'll be fine."
Back at the school, the other team members wandered off to different sections of the school. They all transformed, climbed out windows, and headed for the roof.
"I hate all this rain," Apireine said.
"I think you look beautiful standing in the rain," Vipèrion said.
"Even telling me something I already know won't change things."
Bateleur raised one of her wings to cover the Bee hero.
"Is that better?"
"I guess…"
"Here I am," Seiryū said, "Do we have a plan yet?"
"We haven't even seen the Akuma," Ladybird said.
"Uh, team," Tortank said, "Looks like we've got a civilian who decided to brave the storm."
"Who'd be crazy enough to do that?" Zorrua asked.
"Wow! I can finally swim the entire Seine, just like I wanted."
Everyone shared a look, "Kim."
"I'll get him," Seiryū said.
She flew over and grabbed Kim.
"Come on, Kim, let's get you to the school roof."
"You can fly without wings? Cool!"
She placed him next to the team.
"Oh, hey, guys! Have you seen Ondine?"
"You mean she wasn't with you?"
"By the time I got back to the pool, she was gone."
"And you decided to swim through this flood?" Ladybird asked.
"I couldn't think of anything else to do."
"You would want to do something that ridiculous," Apireine said.
The group heard a loud splash and looked around. There was then another splash that sounded much closer. This time they saw a large tail disappear into the water.
"I think we'd better get away from the water," Ladybird said.
They then saw a large silhouette beneath the water's surface.
"Is that a shark?" Zorrua asked in a worried tone.
"There aren't any sharks in the Seine," Tortank said, "And if there were, they wouldn't be that big. Whatever that was, it looked like the size of a great white."
A large arm reached out of the water. The hand wrapped around Kim and dragged him down. Before anyone could respond, a wave of water sent them all flying backwards.
"I can barely fly in all this rain!" Apireine snapped.
"I know the feeling," Ladybird said.
Matou Noir shook himself off, pulled out his staff, and made it produce an umbrella.
"That's better."
"You suck," Apireine said.
Bateleur kept her wings at her sides.
Zorrua's ears drooped, "So was that a kraken or something?"
"That hand looked pretty human to me," Noir said.
"I think we need to go down and have a look," Vipèrion said.
"What?! Down into the water? What are you, insane?" Apireine shrieked.
"I guess so, because I'm going."
"You can't go alone," Tortank said, "I'm going with you. I just need to make an adjustment."
With a wave of her hand, her eyes were now covered by goggles.
"Time to channel my river turtle and sea turtle qualities."
"And what about you?" Apireine asked, "Are you also part sea snake?"
"Probably," Vipèrion replied, "But all snakes can swim."
He now had a visor over his eyes.
"Careful down there, mon tortue," Zorrua said.
"Count on it," Tortank said with a wink.
Apireine put a hand on Vipèrion's shoulder.
"Just…don't do anything stupid."
"Come on, you know me."
"Yeah, that's why I said it."
He placed his hand on hers for a minute, and then moved towards the water.
"Ready to go, fellow reptile?" Tortank asked.
"Here's a hint," he replied, diving into the water.
"Hey, no fair!"
Tortank dived in after him.
Meanwhile…
Kim was being held above water as the Akuma took him across the city. Vipèrion and Tortank spotted the enormous tail and swam as fast as they could.
"Are you tracking them?" Noir asked.
"Of course I am," Ladybird replied, "We should follow them on foot."
"I can still fly," Bateleur said, "I'll try to spot them from the air."
"Okay then. Head in that direction," she pointed.
Bateleur took off.
"You don't look much perturbed by this weather," Zorrua said to Seiryū.
"Why should I? I have the power of the storm," she replied, "I stayed behind to make sure nothing happens to any of you."
"How thoughtful," Apireine said, "Now let's move!"
They jumped across the rooftops, always following the signals from the Snake and the Turtle.
The Lair
"Water is leaking into your precious lair, Gabriel," Nathalie said, standing on the chair.
"It will all be worth it if this works, Nathalie."
The Flood
At last, the Akuma came to a stop, and then placed Kim atop the nearest building.
"That was pretty fun," Kim said, "But what exactly are we doing here?"
The Akuma revealed herself to be a giant mermaid. She pulled most of her body out of the water.
"At last you're mine, Kim."
"Do I know you?"
He gave her another look.
"Ondine, is that you?"
"Yes, my beloved, it's me! Except I'm not Ondine anymore. Now, I am Sirène!"
"You're a real mermaid now. With a tail and everything! You can swim better than ever."
"Yes, Kim, but -"
"And look at how huge you are! And I thought you were tall before."
"Yes, Kim, but what I was trying to say was -"
"Wait a minute. Did you just call me beloved?"
She moved her enormous face right next to his.
"You must know how I feel about you, Kim. Why do you keep denying your feelings? How long must I keep waiting for you to see that I love you?"
"You love me? Wow, that's awesome!"
She was stunned, "Is that all you have to say?"
"Well, I mean, come on, Ondine, I mean, Sirène. You know how I am. I'm not the best at expressing myself. You oughta know how I feel about you. You're my girlfriend."
"Wait…I am?"
"Yeah. I thought it was obvious."
"But…we never made it official."
"I didn't think we needed to. I thought we had a deep connection."
She was stunned into silence. The heroes had caught up, and were watching from a few buildings over.
"That's Ondine," Seiryū said, "I'm sure of it."
"I knew she was tall," Apireine said, "But I don't remember her being that tall."
Bateleur landed next to her.
"The Snake and the Turtle are swimming closer to the Aku-mermaid."
"How do you know that?"
"Fish eagles and sea eagles have eyes adapted for compensating refractions in the water. The water may be murky, but I can still more or less see them. Actually, there are plenty of spots where the water's not even that deep."
"Let's just try and get closer," Ladybird said.
Sirène was massaging her temples.
"You mean to tell me this whole time you considered me your girlfriend?"
"Totally."
"What about what happened earlier?"
"Uh…which part?"
"I asked you if you thought I was pretty, and you said that was a silly question."
"Oh, well that's because I don't think you're pretty. I think you're beautiful."
"Really? No, hold on! What about the other thing? You went to see Chloé about a present. Are you two seeing each other or something?"
She held a massive fist over him. The heroes got closer, but made no attempt to interfere. Vipèrion and Tortank jumped out of the water to rejoin the group.
"Hey, whoa, calm down!" Kim exclaimed, "No, me and Chloé aren't a thing. We both know she's with that musician guy. Why am I blanking on his name?"
"You mean Luka?"
"Yeah, that's it. I certainly wouldn't try to steal a woman away from another man. Besides, if I tried that with Chloé, she'd beat me into a pulp. Anyway, I knew you were going to do something nice for me on my birthday, so I wanted to get you something, too. I asked Chloé to help me decide what to get. She's good at that sort of thing. I also knew that, scatterbrain that I am, I'd probably forget it. So I asked her to hold onto it for me. I knew she'd remind me. But, big dummy me, I forgot to get the present from her before I left to join you at the pool. When you said the word pretty, I was reminded of it. That's why I ran off all of a sudden. Sorry about that."
He pulled the box out of his pocket.
"I had a hard time holding onto this with everything that was going on, but I wasn't about to lose it."
He opened the box to show her a heart-shaped brooch.
Sirène was surprised, "So…you really do like that I'm fairly muscular?"
"I think it'd be weird if you weren't with how often you work out."
"And you don't mind that I'm so tall?"
"I like that I can look you in the eyes."
"But someone told me that you only called me your special friend."
"Well being friends is an important part of a relationship, isn't it?"
"Why not just say I'm your girlfriend?"
"I don't really like talking about that stuff with everyone listening, but you know what? I'll get over it!"
"This person also said that when the others asked you if we were going on a date tonight, you didn't answer the question."
"That's because I wasn't sure if you can still call it a date when you're already a couple. I'm not exactly an expert on this stuff."
"Will you get on with it, you idiot?!" Apireine screamed from across the way.
"What I'm trying to say is…I love you, Ondine."
She was tearing up again, "Really?"
"Really really."
Sirène fell backwards into the water. She then began leaping through the waves while cheering loudly.
"He loves me!"
"I wish we had some popcorn," Bateleur said.
"I wish them happiness," Seiryū said.
"I wish it wasn't raining!" Apireine snapped.
Sirène pulled herself back onto the roof with Kim, grabbed him, and began kissing him repeatedly. Ladybird and Matou Noir got closer.
"Excuse us," Noir said, "We hate to interrupt, but if you could help us out with this whole flooding thing, it'd be a big help."
Sirène looked at them, "Huh? Oh, yeah, sure."
She tore off her bracelet and threw it at them. She then proceeded to squeeze Kim like a doll.
"Thanks. Cataclysm!"
The bracelet was dust, and the Akuma lay still on the ground.
"Guess even a magical butterfly can't stand all this rain," Ladybird said.
The duo shook hands, "Miraculous!"
At last, the rain stopped, the clouds cleared away, the water retreated, and most importantly of all, the water damage was gone.
Lair
"Thank goodness for that," Nathalie said, "Do you know how much it would've cost if the heroes didn't fix everything?"
Gabriel simply grumbled under his breath.
City
Ondine was now being carried bridal-style in Kim's arms.
Her eyes opened, "Where are we? Why are you holding me like this, Kim?"
"Because you're my girlfriend and I love you, of course."
"Really?! So it wasn't just a wonderful dream?"
Kim handed her the brooch.
"Does this answer your question?"
"Oh, Kim, it's beautiful."
"Not as beautiful as you, mon sirène."
"Ahem," Ladybird said, "Can we give you a lift back to the pool?"
"As fun as this is, Kim," Ondine said, "I'm not wearing any shoes. With their help, we can get ready for dinner quicker."
"Good point. Yeah, a ride would be appreciated."
Bateleur took Ondine, while Ladybird and Apireine took Kim. As the couple went inside to change, the heroes were gathered atop a building across from the pool.
"You really helped Kim with all that?" Noir asked.
Apireine shrugged, "Well, I mean, he asked me. It would've been rude not to."
"I said you were a romantic," Bateleur said with a smirk.
"Whatever! It's no big deal. Crisis has been averted. I'm going home."
She quickly flew away.
"See you guys later," Bateleur said.
She then flew off in an attempt to catch up with Apireine.
"She sure can be temperamental," Zorrua said, "That's not a complaint, just an observation."
"I'd complain about it," Tortank said.
"I'll have a chat with her," Vipèrion said.
"Uh huh, we know what that means," Tortank replied, trying not to laugh.
He smirked, "Until next time."
Everyone else went back to the school to hide and de-transform. Marinette had ducked into a closet. As she walked out, she checked her text messages.
"Anything important?" Adrien asked.
"It's from Nathalie."
Mlle. Dupain-Cheng,
Due to the circumstances that have occurred, you will not be required to come in this weekend. Please stay home and continue your project. I will expect an update on your assignment next weekend.
Signed, Gabriel Agreste (et Nathalie Sancœur)
"How very generous of your father."
"Nathalie probably made him do it."
"Wait a second. I just thought of something. Come on."
The duo ran back to the front of the school. Kim and Ondine were still there telling everyone what happened, while the others shared their experiences and congratulated them. Kagami was at the front of the group.
"Nice to see you again, Ondine," Marinette said, "That's a really pretty brooch."
"Thanks, Marinette. Kim got it for me. Well, we'd better get going. We have plans for today."
"See ya later, Nette," Kim said.
The couple walked out the school doors, but Marinette followed them. As she walked out, Alya, Kagami, and Chloé were following close behind.
"Ondine, there is one thing I'd like to ask," Marinette called out.
"Huh? Oh, sure."
"I wanted to ask, do you remember what made you so upset?"
"Some self-doubt, I'm afraid."
"Well all have that at some point," Alya said.
"That's true, but I've never heard you express such feelings before, Ondine," Kagami said, "Was it accidental on Kim's part?"
"A little, but as I've discovered, it was a misunderstanding."
"Did anyone else say anything to you?" Chloé asked.
"Uh…now that you mention it, yes. Some new girl was asking me questions and kind of insinuating things. I'm sure it wasn't intentional though."
"Do you remember who she was?"
"What was her name again? Oh, right, Lila. That was it."
She looked at her phone.
"Shall we, Kim?"
"Right away, mon cher."
As soon as the couple left…
"I knew that Lila girl was trouble," Chloé said.
"Let's not jump to conclusions," Alya said.
"I agree," Kagami said, "Even if she insulted my friend and didn't apologize, and I feel like beating her within an inch of her life, it does no good to make snap judgements."
"It was her fake smile and sneaky eyes," Chloé continued, "It gave me an off feeling. Call it instinct."
"Sounds like you've been taking lessons from Luka," Alya teased.
"Shut up."
"I will admit," Marinette said, "There's something about her that seems off."
"What makes you say that?" Adrien said, walking up to the girls.
"Several times now, I've heard Lila saying a few…questionable things in Italian. I guess she doesn't know I can speak it myself."
"I certainly don't want to make any assumptions, but it seems way too, what's that phrase? Out of left field. There's no conceivable reason he'd hire a new model out of the blue like that, even if she's the daughter of an ambassador."
"I guess all we can do is be careful."
The girls and Adrien went back inside the school to get their things. Chloé stayed outside and closed her eyes, enjoying the sunshine. Luka came up from behind and wrapped his arms around her. Surprisingly, she didn't jump to flinch.
"Hello, my pirate king."
"Are you better now, my empress?"
"Much better, in fact."
"Because you're dry?"
She turned to face him, "Because you're here."
The next day, Kim was up early for once and waiting outside the school.
"I can't believe I'm here early."
At the same time, Lila was out and about looking for another target.
"I can't believe this!" Lila thought, "She goes from a hulking barbarian to the size of a whale, floods the lower parts of the city, and what did she accomplish? Nothing!"
Stalking about the city, she spotted Kim.
"Well look who it is. If I can get that imbecile akumatized, it would make for a nice bit of revenge on him and his giant girlfriend. This time, though, I won't take any chances."
She called Gabriel.
"Yes, Mlle. Rossi?"
"I'm about to deliver once again, M. You remember that mermaid from yesterday? Well this is her boyfriend. No doubt waiting for her to go on a date. It would be such a shame if she never showed. I must be getting back to work. Ciao!"
Kim was preoccupied with his phone, so he didn't notice Lila walking up.
"Happy birthday, Kim."
"Huh? Oh, thanks, Lila."
"Doing anything particularly special?"
"I'm going out with Ondine."
"I would've thought she'd be here already then."
"I'm early this time. Yay, me!"
"Say, Kim, may I ask? When I saw Ondine I said to myself, she's so pretty. Do you have a picture of her, by any chance?"
"Oh, sure," he said, holding out his phone, "Here you go."
She reached out her hand, "May I…?"
"Uh, sure, I guess."
He handed her his phone while he looked around a bit in case Ondine was getting close. Lila took a picture of the picture, and then handed the phone back to Kim.
"You're a lucky man."
"I know I am, thank you."
"Excuse me for a moment."
"Okay."
She walked around the corner and sent the picture to Gabriel.
LR: Get her out of the way.
Lair
"Nathalie, I shall soon have my next Akuma victim. However, I must make sure he and his lover are far apart. As soon as she shows up, it'll ruin everything. I won't have any repeats after what happened with the reporter girl and that tasteless nerd each breaking free of my Akuma."
"What exactly do you intend to do?"
"The boy is in love, so I'll give him the power to spread hate."
"It's a little late to be bitter about Saint Valentin, isn't it?"
Gabriel ignored her comment and continued, "To keep his mademoiselle away, I'll need a Sentimonster. Something that keeps with the theme."
Nathalie rolled her eyes, "Okay, what about a swan?"
"A swan?"
"Swans are associated with love, Gabriel. They mate for life, and their necks even make a heart shape when they swim next to each other at a certain angle. On top of that, they're very territorial and aggressive when guarding their cygnets."
"That sounds perfect, but in order to make sure the young couple stays apart and ensure the lad is akumatized, we have to make the Sentimonster first."
"And if you want to do that, you'd have to leave your precious lair. Heaven forbid!"
Gabriel sneered at her, "You're not helping."
"I will now. Give me back the Peacock. It's the only way this plan will work."
He reluctantly handed it to her, "Very well."
"Transformez-moi! Send me her picture on my tablet. I'll call you. Optigami, make sure the coast is clear."
The origami butterfly slid through the tiniest crack and surveyed the nearby area.
"Where will you place the Amok?" Gabriel asked.
"I'm taking a pair of spare glasses with me."
She glanced at the tablet. Satisfied with the result, Mayura opened the skylight and flew out.
"I'll head for the school and check nearby."
She leapt from one roof to another, until she finally spotted Ondine. She spread her hand fan, made an Amok, and placed it inside the glasses. The Sentimonster took on a swan-like shape, but much larger, at least 16 feet tall. The carpal spurs on each massive wing were now longer, making it resemble a pterosaur. Rather than the short legs of a regular swan, its legs were much longer and thicker, with the signature feet of a cassowary. It looked around with its long neck and black eyes. It let out a hiss, showing the serrated edges of its beak.
"Olorotitan, I am Mayura. You will obey my commands."
It bent its neck to the ground in acknowledgement.
She held out the tablet, "Here is your target. Find this woman, take her outside the city, and eliminate anyone that tries to stop you."
The great bird took to the sky and began flying in circles. Chloé was looking at her phone out on her balcony, but was starting to doze off. That is until she saw the great form of the Sentimonster.
"What in the world is that?!" Chloé exclaimed, taking off her sunglasses.
Zoé and Sabrina rushed out to take a look.
"It looks like a giant bird," Sabrina said.
"Sort of like a swan, but on steroids or something," Zoé said, "Which means it must be a Sentimonster."
"Which means that Peacock woman is out there somewhere," Chloé said, "Let's get out there and call the others. You'll keep an eye on things here, right, Brina?"
"I'll hold down the fort, Chlo."
The sisters headed for the roof and transformed. Meanwhile, Olorotitan spotted Ondine and dove down.
"I'm almost there, Kim," Ondine said to herself.
A huge shadow covered the poor girl. She looked up and screamed as the mighty bird landed in front of her and hissed. Ondine tried to run, but the Sentimonster grabbed her in its beak and took back to the sky. Mayura unfurled her fan to make a call.
"Mission accomplished, Papillon."
"Excellent. Now to wait for the other signal."
GA: Work your magic.
Lila smirked as she looked over at Kim.
"It feels like it's been a while, Kim."
"I guess she's just running late. There's a first time for everything."
"Well, you tell yourself whatever helps you feel better."
"What do you mean?"
"Maybe she forgot it was your birthday. Maybe she doesn't care."
"That doesn't sound like her."
"Well, after all, you know best. I just think since she likes you so much that she wouldn't leave your side on such an important day."
"Maybe something came up."
"Or maybe she realized it wouldn't work between you two."
"What are you talking about?"
"I don't want to be rude, but while you're a fine athlete, you're not exactly the brightest bulb."
"I'll admit I'm not very book smart, but I get by."
"Perhaps Ondine realized that wanting is better than having. Well, it doesn't matter. You'll get over her and find someone better. I really must be going."
Kim had never felt so alone.
"Did I do something wrong?"
Lair
"Ah, there it is. Time to get to work, my little Akuma."
As it quickly flew to the school, Kim was sitting on the steps. He stared at the empty box that once held Ondine's brooch. The Akuma merged with the box.
"Greetings, young man. I am Papillombre. I can feel how sad you are. I can help you express that pain."
"No thanks."
"They say that Paris is one of the most romantic cities, and yet here you are, all alone. Where is your beloved? Where are your friends? Why should they all be happy and not you? Is that fair?"
Kim was losing his resistance, "No, it's not."
"Well then, I say that if you can't be happy, then why should they get to be happy? Misery loves company."
"Yeah, but what can I do?"
"I shall give you the power to spread hate."
"But the opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference."
Papillombre groaned, "Just trust me. I give you this power, and you get me the Miraculous. Do we have a deal?"
Kim sighed, "Leave it to me."
"Then I dub thee…Le Dislocœur."
Kim was now a foot taller and clad in a black outfit with red accents. He had a large pair of wings on his back, and was armed with a large bow. The akumatized box was left sitting on the steps.
"Everyone will feel my pain and despair!"
He flew into the air and searched for a target. Upon finding a couple out on a date, he aimed his bow at the couple, and an arrow was magically created for him to fire. The magic arrow split in two and struck both the man and woman. The couple began arguing and screaming at each other.
Kim gave a sinister chuckle, "Now that's funny."
Meanwhile, the other members of the Miraculous heroes had met up atop Le Grand Paris.
"A Sentimonster without an Akuma? They haven't done that in a while," Ladybird said.
Bateleur was keeping an eye on the Senti-swan, when she spotted something else.
"It looks like they're back to the norm, because now there is an Akuma. He's flying around and shooting arrows at people."
"Yeah, but the Sentimonster is heading outside the city," Tortank said.
"An Akuma and a Sentimonster not working in tandem?" Matou Noir said, "What are they up to?"
Zorrua twirled his flute and used it like a telescope.
"Hey, wait a minute. That Sentimonster has someone in its beak."
"It would be prudent of us to split up and go after both targets," Seiryū said, "Perhaps in the process we can lure both of them closer together."
"Good idea," Ladybird said, "Seiryū, you'll go after the Sentimonster, and take Bateleur, Tortank, and Zorrua with you. The rest of us will go after the Akuma."
"Grab onto my back, Zorrua," Seiryū said.
"Let's go, Tortank," Bateleur said.
"Ready to go, Chaton?"
"Any time, My Lady."
"I can get there without a lift, thank you," Vipèrion said.
"Good, because I don't feel like carrying you right now," Apireine said.
He merely smiled as he dove off the building and opened up his flight suit. Apireine flew after him, while Ladybird gave Matou Noir a lift. As they got closer to the Akuma, they could see the results of his arrows. People all over the city were yelling at each other, if not outright beating each other up.
"Ah, the old hate plague routine," Vipèrion said, "I'd better make sure we don't get hit."
"No, you'd better make sure you don't get hit," Apireine said, "If his arrow turns you evil or whatever, then we don't need your power opposing us."
"What about your power?"
"Just like with this jerk, you simply have to avoid getting hit."
The Akuma noticed the four heroes had arrived.
"You can't stop me! Everyone must suffer as I have suffered!"
Apireine rolled her eyes, "He sounds like someone from the drama club."
He started firing arrows at the team. They all narrowly dodged the shots.
"Did you ever even take an archery class?" Noir taunted.
The Akuma growled as he fired another arrow straight into the air. As it came back down, it split into 50 arrows. Ladybird deflected the arrows with her yo-yo. Noir did the same with his staff.
"Get close to me, snake boy," Apireine said, using her trompo to protect both of them.
"Thanks for the save," Vipèrion said.
The Akuma snarled, "How dare you?! No love! No friendship!"
He quickly fired an arrow at Vipèrion, but Apireine shoved him out of the way, taking the hit. She fell to the ground.
Team B
The other four heroes caught up to the Sentimonster.
Seiryū gasped, "Ondine? Why would it capture her?"
"Do you think?" Bateleur said, glancing behind her back at the city, "The Akuma might just be Kim."
"I see the practicality. They used this bird beast to keep Ondine away to upset Kim."
"This thing looks like a cross between a cassowary and a swan," Tortank said.
"I know cassowaries can be bad, but why a swan?" Zorrua asked.
"Swans have hard beaks, talons, powerful wings tipped with spurs, and they're very aggressive."
Seiryū flew above the Sentimonster.
"I want you to drop onto that monster, and then I want you to make it drop Ondine. I don't care what you have to do."
"I'll think of something," Zorrua said.
"Good, and then I'll catch her and take her back to the others."
She maneuvered closer, and then Zorrua jumped onto the back of the titanic swan. He tried plucking a few feathers, but it didn't seem to notice.
"Okay, time to fight dirty."
He crawled along its back and onto its neck. It tried doing a barrel roll to make him fall, but he held on tight. He kept going until he reached its head. He took out his flute and struck it in the eye. It let out a hiss in pain, dropping its prey. Ondine screamed as she fell, but Seiryū quickly caught her.
"Oh, thank you so much! Wow, you're really strong."
"No thanks needed, my friend. Let's get you back to the city and away from this creature."
Olorotitan turned around to pursue the Dragon and her friend.
"Throw me at that monster!" Tortank shouted.
Bateleur spun around and sent Tortank flying at the Sentimonster's head. She slammed into it, shield first. Olorotitan was knocked off course, while Tortank continued to fall. Bateleur was about to go after her.
"Never mind me," Tortank shouted, "Get Zorrua of that monster's back."
Bateleur hesitated, but nodded and took off. Flying up to the Sentimonster, she grabbed Zorrua and banked away.
"Wait, where's Tortank?!"
Team A
"Queenie, are you okay?" he asked, shaking her.
Her head snapped up and she glared at him. Her irises were red, and her lips were black.
"Don't touch me, you stupid snake!" she snapped, slapping his hand away, "I don't need you. I don't need anyone!"
She flew into the air.
"Now I can look down on you, like you deserve."
"Good work, Le Dislocœur," Papillombre said, "Recruit her to your cause."
The Akuma flew over to the Bee.
"Apireine, now that you've realized you're too good for these idiots, why not help me defeat them and continue spreading hate?"
"That's a good idea. Glad I thought of it!"
She began flying around erratically while swinging her trompo at Ladybird and Matou Noir. The Akuma flew off into the city to continue his quest to infect everyone.
"Did the Akuma look familiar to you, My Lady?" Noir asked.
She kept dodging attacks.
"Now that you mention it, the build and the hair looked very familiar."
"I'll deal with her," Vipèrion said, "You go after Cupid's evil twin."
"Good luck, buddy," Noir said, "You're gonna need it."
The Ladybug and Cat ran after the Akuma.
"Hey, where do you think you're going?!" Apireine shrieked, "We're in the middle of a fight!"
She started to fly after them, but Vipèrion had quickly climbed up the nearest building and tackled her, knocking her back down to the ground.
Team B
Tortank was still falling through the air.
"I hope this works. Shell-ter!"
She formed a force field a few feet beneath her, closed her eyes, and braced for impact. She landed roughly on the force field. Opening her eyes, she looked around.
"I'm not moving. The force field is staying in midair. I can't believe that worked. Now let me try…"
She concentrated, and the force field started to slowly move forward.
"I did it!"
She called Zorrua on his flute.
"Hello?"
"You can stop worrying, Fox Boy. I'm right behind you."
Bateleur slowed down, and was now flying alongside Tortank.
"I guess that's one way to fly," Bateleur said.
"You can drop Zorrua onto my force field. That way you can keep up with that swan monster better."
"I appreciate it."
She carefully set him down, and then flew higher into the sky.
"This is so cool," Zorrua said.
"You're not the only one who's been thinking about enhancing their power."
Olorotitan was starting to catch up to Seiryū and Ondine. It reached out with its massive talons in an attempt to grab them. Bateleur dove down, and just as she got near the Sentimonster, she flipped around so that her boots collided with the great swan's head.
"Thank you for the save," Seiryū said.
Bateleur gave a salute and took off, wanting to intercept the Sentimonster again.
"Do you have a specific spot you'd like me to put you down?"
"Take me to Kim's school, please," Ondine said, "He's probably still waiting for me."
Bateleur wrapped her bullroarer around the swan's mighty neck and began pulling. It thrashed about in an attempt to get free.
"Need any help?" Zorrua asked.
"Who, me? You act like riding on the back of a giant swan is something unheard of."
"Glad to see sarcasm runs in your family," Tortank said.
"Nino, do you think you can access the Miracle Box?"
"I've never tried before, but now's as good a time as any."
He concentrated on his flute. A screen popped up and began glowing a faint reddish hue.
"I think I've got it. What do you need?"
"Get me the Monkey!"
He reached through the screen and pulled out the simple gold circlet. He tossed it to Bateleur, who quickly placed the circlet on her head.
"Eagle, Monkey, unify!"
Chestnut-colored pads appeared on her knees, elbows, and shoulders. She also now had a chestnut-colored belt with a small line of rope acting like a tail.
"Cool look, mec," Zorrua said.
"Yeah, what's your new name?" Totank asked.
She grabbed the Rúyì Jīngū Bàng that appeared on her back and extended it even longer.
"You can call me Gargoyle!"
She flew up and swung the staff down, striking the head of Olorotitan. The giant swan was sent hurtling down to the ground.
Team A
Vipèrion had Apireine pinned to the ground.
"Get off me, you jerk! You're just giving me more reasons to hate you!"
"You're better than this, queenie. Don't let this power control you."
"No one and nothing controls me! Maybe I like being angry."
"That gives me an idea," he thought, "You're cute when you're angry."
"Shut up! I don't need you to tell me how beautiful I am. Now give me your Miraculous. It'll look better on me anyway."
She kicked him in the gut and slid away.
"Everything looks good on you," he replied through the pain.
"Stop doing that! Your pathetic flattery won't stop me."
She tackled him to the ground and punched him.
"Do you really hate me that much?"
"I absolutely loathe you," she snarled.
"Do you really? Just how much do you hate me?"
She attempted to punch him again, but he grabbed her wrist. She started pulling on his hair with her free hand. They began rolling around, each trying to pin the other to the ground.
"If I knew every language in the world, it still wouldn't be enough to convey just how much I truly hate you!"
"Well then it pains me to do this."
"Do what?"
He grabbed her ponytail and pulled hard.
"OUCH! Why you miserable punk!"
She elbowed him in the chest.
"That'll teach you to respect your betters, you proletariat bard."
He grabbed her by the leg, swung her around, and sent her flying into the side of a building.
"Wanna play rough, huh?"
"Bring it on, baby."
She flew at him, shoving him into a nearby wall. She then reached down and grabbed his legs, and then slammed him into the ground. They were both panting hard.
"Stay down, peasant."
"Come and make me, evil queen."
She flew at him again, but when she got close enough, he smacked her in the face with his lyre.
"You horrible beast!"
She wrapped her trompo around his neck, pulled him close, and kicked him in the chin. He didn't get up from where he lay. She walked over and reached for his Miraculous.
"Time to take what's rightfully mine."
He smirked, "I agree."
He pulled her into a bear hug.
"Let me go, you creep! I'll make you pay for attacking me!"
He moved one hand to grab her by the hair, and then pulled her into a forceful kiss. She tried pulling away, but only managed to get an arm free. She grabbed his shoulder and began squeezing it, hoping that would get him to stop. She then managed to wrap her legs around his waist and began squeezing, but he still held fast. The growls she kept emitting were starting to sound less angry and more sensual. She finally managed to pull away.
"I hate you," she sighed, "Oh, how I hate you."
"Show me how much you hate me, my queen."
She slapped him in the face, and then proceeded to roughly kiss him again.
Team B
Seiryū landed by the school steps.
"Kim, are you here?" Ondine called out.
Then she spotted something on the steps.
"Hey, this is the box my brooch came in. What's it doing here? It wasn't that purple and black color before."
"I'm afraid this confirms my hypothesis," Seiryū said, "The Akuma is Kim. That explains why the Sentimonster targeted you. Speaking of which…"
Olorotitan crashed into the ground, as Gargoyle flew past Seiryū and Ondine.
"We'd better keep moving."
Seiryū nodded, "Right. Ondine, hold tight to that box. We're going to help Kim."
Tortank and Zorrua showed up atop her force field.
"Come on up, Ondine," Tortank said.
Zorrua jumped down and held his hands out so Ondine could use them as a step. She did so, and Tortank took her hand to pull her onto the force field. A loud trumpeting noise rang out. It was Olorotitan, and it was running straight for them.
"I'll handle it this time," Seiryū said, "Water Dragon!"
She sent a torrent of water at the giant swan, but it seemed unfazed.
"Like water off a duck's back, as they say," Zorrua said.
"How about this? Lightning Dragon!"
She then sent a wave of electricity through the water that now covered both the Sentimonster and the surrounding ground. It screeched in agony as it was electrocuted. After about a minute, Seiryū stopped, and Olorotitan fell to the ground.
"Since a Sentimonster isn't truly alive, I doubt it'll stay like that very long."
"All the more reason to hurry and find the others," Gargoyle said, "I'll fly ahead."
"Right behind you," Tortank said.
"Up ahead over there," Seiryū said, "Isn't that Apireine and Vipèrion?"
"It looks like they're fighting," Zorrua said.
"Um," Gargoyle hesitated, "You could say that."
Team A
Apireine had finally calmed down and snapped out of the brainwashing.
"I know that whole kissing to break the spell thing always seems to work in stories, but why did our fighting slide right into…well, that?"
"Hate is an unhealthy emotion, but it's a strong one. It can be manipulated just like any other. I knew if I got you worked up enough, a part of you would shine through. Like the saying goes: sometimes being in love is being with the person you hate most."
"You're indeed very wise, kingsnake."
"It was more painful than I thought it would be, though."
"I'm sorry about that."
"Hey, you know what they say, queenie: the more you love someone, the more you want to kill them."
"But you don't kill them, because you love them."
They stared into each other's eyes.
"AHEM!"
They turned to see the rest of the team looking at them.
"An Akuma is still causing trouble," Seiryū said, "Yet here you are making out."
"I can explain," Vipèrion said.
"Don't you judge me!" Apireine shouted, "I was hit by a brainwashing arrow and he snapped me out of it the best way possible. That's all there is to it. Now where's that Sentimonster?"
A loud honking sound rang out as Olorotitan chased after the team.
"Here it comes now," Tortank said.
"Well then let's go find our fearless leaders and end this nonsense already!"
They all headed to the other side of the city. Apireine glanced at Gargoyle.
"Wait, are you wearing a new costume?"
Meanwhile…
Ladybird and Matou Noir kept hiding behind buildings to avoid the hate arrows. When they got too close for the Akuma to shoot them, he swung his bow at them like a bat.
"Leave me alone and give in to despair!"
"You're a real ray of sunshine, you are," Noir said.
"Kim, I know it's you," Ladybird said, "We want to help you."
"No one can help me! I'm alone! Maybe I deserve to be alone, but as they say: misery loves company."
He shot an arrow into the air, and then flew away.
"On the retreat already?" Noir asked.
The Akuma flew around and aimed a kick at the Cat, who easily blocked it with his staff. Just then, the arrow from earlier came back down and struck Matou Noir.
"Are you okay?" Ladybird asked.
He hissed at her and pinned her against a wall. Just like all other victims of the hate arrows, his irises were red, and his lips were black.
"Don't act like you care! I hate how you can manipulate me. I hate how you make me feel weak. I hate how you interfere with my life. I hate you…so much!"
"I've never seen him like this before. I know it's the Akuma doing this, but still, it's so jarring…Wait a minute."
She reached out and placed a hand gently on his cheek.
"What do you hate the most about me, Chaton?"
He let her go and began punching the wall and the ground, all while snarking and screaming like a wild animal. He dropped to his knees to catch his breath. She slowly walked over to him and began petting him. He looked up into her eyes.
"... I hate…that I don't hate you."
She kissed him gently on the lips, freeing him of the brainwashing.
"What would my life be without you, My Lady?"
"Heads up, you two!" Apireine shouted.
The other six team members came running and flying up, Olorotitan in hot pursuit.
"I think it's time we put an end to this nonsense," Seiryū said, drawing her sword.
She charged at Olorotitan and began striking it any time it got too close to Ondine.
"Is it true that Kim is the Akuma?" Ondine asked.
"With your help, not for long," Ladybird replied.
Matou Noir let out a loud whistle, "Hey, fallen angel, or whatever your name is! Look what we've got!"
The Akuma turned to shoot at him again, but his eyes went wide when he saw her.
"Ondine?"
"Kim, I know that's you," she called out, "Please help me! That Sentimonster's after me! It kidnapped me!"
He glared at the titanic swan, "You took my Ondine?"
He dove at the Sentimonster and collided with it, sending the both of them into the Seine. Olorotitan grabbed Le Dislocœur in its beak and then smacked him away with its wing. He crashed to the ground next to Ondine.
"Kim, are you okay? Oh, here's the akumatized object."
"Mademoiselle, I thank you," Noir said, "Cataclysm!"
Mayura was hiding around a corner.
"A bit more fine tuning and this plan might've worked out much better. Oh well."
She snapped her fingers and ran off. Olorotitan dissolved into blue energy.
"I should've known that Peacock was sneaking around nearby," Apireine said.
"Let's just hurry and fix this," Ladybird said, "Shall we?"
"As if you needed to ask," Noir said.
They hugged each other, "Miraculous!"
Kim opened his eyes and jumped to his feet.
"Ondine! You're here!"
"Well, yes and no. We're nowhere near the school at the moment."
"I never should've doubted you or myself. That weird girl kept saying mean things."
"You mean that Lila girl?"
"Yeah, and she was saying things like how now that I'm your boyfriend, you don't care as much anymore."
"If I ever see her again, I'll make her eat those words."
She kissed him and linked arms with him.
"Now I believe we had a date."
"Lead the way, mon sirène."
The pair started to walk away.
"Thank you for everything, heroes," Ondine said.
"Yeah, if you ever need our help, feel free to ask," Kim said.
"Thanks for the offer," Matou Noir said.
The happy couple continued on their way.
"Have a good day, my friend," Seiryū softly said.
Everyone convened on top of a building.
"You know, there wasn't really that much damage to fix," Vipèrion said, "At least not the physical kind. Some of these people might have emotional issues to deal with."
"Like they say: if you can't handle me at my worst, you don't deserve my best," Tortank said.
"Hey, wait a minute," Ladybird said, "You're wearing the Monkey."
"I needed another weapon to use against that monster swan. Right now, I'm Gargoyle."
"She put up one heck of a fight, too," Zorrua said.
"And you," Ladybird said, "You're using your force field like a hoverboard basically."
"It's been a day for new ideas," Tortank said.
"I have an idea," Apireine said, "I want to strangle this Lila girl."
"Get in line," Seiryū said.
"You really think she's doing this on purpose?" Tortank asked.
"If so," Noir said, "Is she doing it just because she can, or because she wants these people akumatized?"
"I'm willing to bet that it's both," Gargoyle said.
"We'll have to keep a close eye on her," Ladybird said, "For now, though, I have to get back to work. Adieu!"
"So…who wants to grab a bite to eat?" Matou Noir asked.
"I could go for something," Zorrua said.
"Same here," Tortank said, "I'm really hungry."
"I'll gladly join you," Seiryū said.
"I would," Gargoyle said, "But I'm kinda tired after fighting a dinosaur swan. I need a nap."
"I've already got plans," Apireine said.
"Same here," Vipèrion said, "Bon après-midi."
Everyone went their separate ways to find a safe place to de-transform. As they agreed, Adrien, Kagami, Nino, and Alya went out to lunch. Chloé and Zoé went back to the hotel, with Zoé passing out on the sofa. Chloé was relaxing in a chair on the balcony and began dozing off.
"Hello again," Luka said.
She lifted her sunglasses, "I was wondering where you were. Come sit down over here."
"Is that an order, my queen?"
"If it gets you to do what I say quicker, then yes."
He sat down on the deck chair. Chloé sat down behind him and began to massage him.
"You are incredibly good at that."
"Was there ever any doubt?"
He gave a contented sigh, "Never."
She leaned in and whispered, "I hate you."
He looked back at the playful look on her face and smiled.
"I hate you, too, my queen."