List of non-Miraculous Characters to be kept aware of in this story:
Satan: A Lord of Hell who is the embodiment of Wrath and rules over the Ring of Wrath in Hell. Currently stuck in Paris because of the Over-Summoner's lack of patience and inability to listen to reason. Mirrors Azrael on the Scales of Balance.
Asmodeus: A Lord of Hell who is the embodiment of Lust and Rules over the Ring of Lust. Is irritated by this Over-Summoner's inability to listen to reason and the constant Summonings. Mirrors Uriel on the Scales of Balance.
Uriel: A Virtue of Heaven who is the embodiment of Chastity and oversees the Domain of Chastity. Currently in Paris due to worrying about her missing Hellish counterpart, Asmodeus, who she mirrors on the Scales of Balance.
Raguel: An Archangel of Heaven whose domains are Harmony, Justice, Fairness, Redemption, and Vengeance. He may be blind but that doesn't hinder his ability to perform his duties. Has the skills to discern truths from lies. His cane can turn into a sword if needed.
Azrael: A Virtue of Heaven who is the embodiment of Patience and oversees the Domain of Patience. Staying in Paris to balance out the energy due to Satan being stuck there. Mirrors Satan on the Scales of Balance.
Jason Blood: A Demonologist and an expert in all the Magical Fields. Has his own secrets that dwell within. (He's also a character from the DC Comics, if you know him more power to you!).
Kathryn Marks: Jason Blood's daughter. Sometimes acts like the typical 6-year-old she is and sometimes doesn't. She's more aware of things than people think. (Technically a DC Character, but was only used in one continuity and hasn't been used since, so she's somewhat more my character than theirs).
~}I{~
Sin of Reveal. Chapter 9.
~}I{~
Hours earlier, at 20:00…
Lila was walking along the sidewalk with a black plastic bag in hand full of stuff she wanted to get rid of but didn't want them close to her place. One of those being Alya's phone and Lila knew those things could be tracked when on, maybe if they were off. She wasn't sure about that last one but she wasn't going to take any chances. Also, Lila couldn't have any more nosey bodies finding out things they shouldn't.
So Lila figured that she'd toss this junk near her favourite fast food place. No one would be the wiser and she could easily spin some story about Alya visiting her home or something along that line to explain away the "visit" and telling her about some travelling adventure. Yeah, Lila will do that. It'll be perfect! No one would suspect her, especially if she claims that Alya was doing it to see more superheroes!
That's when Lila came to a bus stop with a nice bench and a rubbish bin. She smirked when she thought, 'Perfect.' Lila casually walked by and tossed the bag towards the rather small rubbish bin next to the seating area for the stop. She then kept on walking towards her favourite McWendy King.
However, the bag missed the small bin and fell under the bus stop seating area.
Of course, Lila kept on walking, thinking that the bag went into the bin and will be long gone before anyone comes to question her about 'Alya's whereabouts'.
The bracelets around Lila's wrists gleamed maliciously in the moonlight.
~}I{~
The night did not go as planned for the Miracuclass… Then again, when they thought Alya was going to clear her head while digesting what was learned about Lila, that was what they expected… Not her vanishing into thin air!
When they sent their texts and messages to Alya and she didn't respond, they called her. Only to realise that her phone was off…
Her phone was NEVER off! EVER!
Something Bad had to have happened!
So after the Césaires reported Alya missing, the Miracuclass and their families arrived at the police station to do the same. They just so happen to do it at roughly the same time.
Well, none of them were surprised to see Alya's parents there, but they were confused as to why Jason Blood was there too. At least until he told them that Kathryn was also missing.
Okay, seriously, what were the odds of this happening?
Jason checked the time on his cell phone when he stated, "If it was by design, then… I would assume this has to do with either the Over-Summoner or slave trading." He narrowed his eyes at the time read 03:43. Jason then looked at the Césaires when he asked seriously, "Do you mind if I call in someone who's good with finding missing people?"
Of course, Otis and Marlena agreed to that.
}I{ About 30 Minutes Later }I{
Azrael walked into the police station with two men trailing behind them.
The first has a muscular body, a wide chin, wears a black fedora with a red stripe around it, wears black slacks paired with a red shirt, and wears a pair of black glasses despite the fact that it was completely dark outside. While the other had rather bright ginger hair that was styled in a wolf-shave with the tips dyed cyan blue three cms, had oval jade eyes, had a horizontal scar over his small nose, thin pale lips, wore a plain light silver top with black elbow-length sleeves paired with khaki cargos and a vest that covered his thinner body, and calf-high combat boots. He had a simple gray pack on his back, which was probably full of supplies.
The green-eyed individual greeted the group when he said in an Irish accent, "Mornin', which one of yah asked fur me skills?"
Jason Blood moved over to the man when he stated, "That would be me, and you're going to be finding two children."
The green-eyed man narrowed his eyes when he asked, "Given the hour, I take it yah want them found quick, right?"
Jason nodded when he stated, "Correct. I'll cover the fee for both searches."
Otis and Marlena were shocked at this, but were greatful too.
However…
"How does this 'thing' work?" Sabrina asked the green-eyed man in confusion.
Azrael explained that one.
Some of the Angels from the Domain of Patience specialise in 'Seeking'. The Angel with the ginger hair and green eyes, who was apparently named Ricky, was one of these 'Seekers'.
'Seeking' involves using the lingering energy on an item or object of a person or pet to help locate said individual. Pictures of the person or pet worked too but not as effective.
Of course, Otis and Marlena had a photo of Alya on hand. Jason had a photo of Kathryn. The three gave Ricky these photos for him to use.
And, of course, the question about who the other man with the shades was.
Azrael glanced at this other individual when they stated, "His name is Kavod and he'll be acting as Ricky's protector for this job."
Then it was explained that there was one major downside to 'seeking', the person doing it will essentially hyper focus on what they're looking for and won't notice what's happening around them.
Okay, that's fair… Sort of… Maybe it would be a good idea not to think too hard on this right now, especially with the situation at hand.
Ricky looked at the pictures of the girls and mused, "Hm… The different ages narrows the possibilities of why they were taken, but they could've been captured by different people. Either or, I'll find'm." With that, the photos of Alya and Kathryn started glowing white before turning into orbs of light, then combined into one large orb, and Ricky gripped the orb which turned it into a white handheld tablet with the bulk of it being a screen. The strange device sprung to life and was already creating a map of Paris.
Ricky stared at the screen as it started creating two different paths around the Paris area when he stated, "Alrighty, their recent paths the past week are coming in nice and clear." He already found a few clusters with both paths when he asked, "I'm gunna show ya some of these locations that these two frequented, can ya tell me why they would be at these. So I can either eliminate or check them first."
Before anyone knew it, two astral maps of Paris appeared. One in front of Jason Blood and the other in front of the Césaire parents. However, the maps had different paths highlighted. Of course, Marlena and Otis looked to Jason for instructions on how to work this kind of map. Once that was sorted out, they were able to figure out the clusters.
Dupont, the Césaire's residence, Le Grande Paris, the Dupain-Cheng bakery, and the park next to Dupont. Then explained why the two girls hung around these. The Césaire's residence and La Grande Paris were where Alya and Kathryn currently reside. Dupont was a high school where Alya attends and Kathryn went there with her dad. The park across from Dupont is a common hangout for Dupont students and Kathryn liked the park because it was a nice park. And the Dupain-Cheng bakery was one of the most popular family-runned bakeries in Paris, and Marinette's residence was there so it was logical that sometimes Alya dropped by to say hi.
Ricky could eliminate the residences from his search list. Considering the Miracuclass and Satan witnessed Alya leaving Dupont and the school was closed after 18:00, it was safe to assume this location was eliminated after a quick check. Since the owners of the Dupain-Cheng bakery were here and could confirm that they hadn't seen Alya all day yesterday, this was eliminated from the search list.
Once that was done, Ricky headed off, passing by Azrael and Kavod without realising it as he followed the device that showed the path of the missing girls. The bulky man let out a sigh as he morphed into a black English Mastiff and then trotted off after Ricky.
Azrael looked at the group when they stated, "Given the size of Paris, it should take someone of Ricky's skill set a couple of hours to find both Alya and Kathryn."
Zoe couldn't help but comment dryly, "You're not going to tell us to be patient and wait, are you?"
The only thing Azrael did was raise an amused brow when they stated in a matching tone, "I was going to suggest that you all return home to get some sleep."
Oh… Right… It was still night…
~}I{~
Asmodeus was honestly getting worried about the building due to the miasma by this point. They could see that it was eroding the softer objects in the basement and was starting to affect the harder ones.
The paint on the walls were peeling in droves, the cardboard boxes appeared to be meeting, rust was eating away the metal objects, the snacks had already rotted despite them being fresh, the frog clock started slowing down, and…
Asmodeus weakly looked at the two girls whose lives were taken not even a half a day ago, but given the condition of their bodies due to the miasma… It wouldn't be surprising if one thought they were killed three weeks ago…
Coughing caught the Lord of Lust's attention. They looked up to see Trixx hovering nearby, covering his nose and mouth with his paws. Asmodeus managed to get out weakly, "Where… Where did… Alya… Hide your Miraculous?"
Trix coughed before he said, "Left front pocket. *Cough* the side she's laying *cough* on… I can't *cough* get at it unless *cough* her body moves so I can *cough* pull it out *cough, but I think Alya's body is *cough* the only thing protecting my *cough* Miraculous from the miasma."
Asmodeus leaned against the barrier when they got out weakly, "That's probably… The only good thing to happen here…" They glance at the Kwami and added, "The miasma is getting worse, you… You can't linger in here as long… Stay outside as much as… You can…" The Lord of Lust was low on energy… Lower than they have ever been… And did not have a way to replenish it…
Trixx could see the once vibrant colours of the Sin faded to an almost bad pale complexion. He didn't want to leave Lord of Lust alone, but… Asmodeus was right, Trixx couldn't stay in this miasma field much longer.
So the Kwami bolted to the sealed window. The moment Trixx was on the other side where there was fresh, clean air, he gasped to fill his lungs with that. The Kwami then laid against the window as he looked up at the night sky above and wished that someone, anyone, would find that miasma field and alert the proper people…
Trixx curled into a ball and cried himself to sleep.
}I{ 09:30, Dupont }I{
Miss Bustier knew right away something was wrong.
Then again, seeing her entire class coming in almost dead tired would set off anyone's alarm bell.
Of course, Miss Bustier asked what had happened. And, oh boy, did she not take that news well. Thank goodness Hawkmoth was no more. Of course, Caline did her best to assure her class that Alya and Kathryn would be found.
That was the hope of everyone in the class.
}{
Adrien was already making his route to search the city for both Alya and Kathryn.
Now that Hawkmoth has been taken care of, the teen no longer has to worry about that cloud or the Akumas, so all his focus can be dedicated to finding these missing girls!
Adrien took a deep breath when he told himself not to think about the bastard! He had to focus on finding his friend and the child! Adrien looked over the map of the city.
A gentle hand was placed on the teen's shoulder. Adrien looked up to see Marques staring at him with a worried expression. Plagg was hovering nearby with a matching emotion. Adrien glanced away when he said softly, "I want to help find them…"
That was when Plagg pointed out, "Didn't the class tell you about the Seeker who was already on that?"
Adrien was quick to say, "There's nothing wrong with adding more help!"
That was true, but Plagg still had his worries.
Marques took a deep breath before he signed, "It's clear that I'm not going to be able to stop you on this." He held up a hand in a 'hold on there' manner before his ward or the Kwami could reply, and then signed, "However, there are a few conditions that you have to adhere to unless you want me dragging you home."
Plagg raised a brow when Adrien asked in uncertainty, "What are the conditions?"
}I{
Lila was confused when she noticed her mother was still home. Granted, she already told the gullible woman that Dupont was closed for repairs from the last Akuma, so that part wasn't an issue, but it was strange that Mrs Rossi was still home at this time of day.
So Lila waited for her mother to finish her phone call before she asked, "Mama, is everything okay?"
Cecilia Rossi looked at her daughter in concern when she told her, "Not really. The landlord wants all the residents out of the building for a few days, starting today."
Of course, Lila was shocked and confused when she got out in dismay, "What?! Why?!"
Cecilia looked her daughter over when she asked, "Apparently, a lot of the other residents have been afflicted by something that's making it hard for them to breathe." Of course, she asked Lila in concern, "Have you been having problems breathing, excessive coughing, dizziness, or any combination?"
Lila was quick to assure, "I haven't been having any of that. I'm perfectly healthy." The liar couldn't help but curse the idiots for being too stupid to have their annoying health issue in the building to inconvenience her.
Cecilia let out a sigh of relief before saying, "I'm glad you are, but I can't help but worry… Especially when the landlord told me about having seven ambulances coming here in one day…" She then noticed that Lila was wearing two different bracelets on her left wrist, one gold with a white crystal and the other being silver with five small black crystals. Cecilia held up her daughter's left hand to look at the bracelets when she asked in confusion, "Where did these come from?" She didn't remember getting these for her daughter.
Lila preened when she cooed out, "Oh, Adrien gave them to me on our last date~. Isn't that sweet of him~?" She knew her mother would eat that up without a second thought.
Cecilia plastered on a smile when she said wearily, "Oh? That is…" She looked at the jewelleries when she asked in concern, "But… These look a little expensive…"
Lila pulled her hand away when she assured her mother, "I already voiced my concerns about that, but Adrien really wanted me to have them. With the approval of his father."
Cecilia placed her hands on her hips when she said with a small smile, "I'm glad he loves you that much, but I really do need to meet him one of these days." She then let out a sigh before she said in a more worried tone, "However, I can worry about that another day. I need you to pack all your essentials and clothing. We need to leave the building by 13:00. The landlord already reserved rooms for us in a nearby hotel."
Lila's expression shifted when she got out in dismay, "Wait? That soon?!" She looked at the kitchen clock to see it read '10:17' before telling her mother, "That's less than three hours!"
Cecilia placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder to calm her down when she said, "Hence why I want you to start packing everything you're going to need for the next few days now. Leave the heavier stuff behind." She smiled as she assured Lila, "If we can be packed and out by noon, I'll take you to McWendy King on the way to the hotel."
Lila let out a sigh before she said,"Okay, mama. Can I pack my collection and photos?"
Cecilia nodded when she said, "Of course, you can. Just be mindful of the space, okay, my Angel?"
Lila nodded as she went back to her room. When her back was to her mother, she smirked. Lila paused when she asked her mother in confusion, "Mama, why does the landlord want everyone out? Is something wrong with the building?"
Cecilia gave her daughter a worried look when she replied, "The building management and the landlord think that there's some kind of gas leak, given what's been happening… I'm inclined to agree. So no dallying."
Lila nodded when she said, "Yes, Mama." She turned to head to her room when She thought, 'How annoying, but that doesn't concern me. Besides, a free hotel stay for us.'
}I{
Kavod (still in that English mastiff form) used his teeth to grab Ricky's arm to prevent him from walking into traffic.
The Angel looked up in time to see a car passing. The ginger-haired man looked at the dog-formed being when he said, "Thank yah." He looked at the tablet with pictures of Alya and Kathryn in the upper left corner of the screen. Alya's picture was orange while Kathryn's was blue. The two converging pathways matched the pictures' colours, both were leading to a spot that was just ahead marked with a star on both.
Ricky narrowed his eyes as he tried to look past the cars to see if he could spot the marked location when he told his companion, "Ah know yah don't know what the Alya cailín (Irish: girl) smells like, but can yah smell Kathy?"
Kavod sniffed the air. He let out a short sneeze as he looked at the angel.
Ricky let out a low hum when he said, "Ah figured on the exhaust of the cars, but can yah sense 'er up ahead?"
Kavod shook his head at the question.
Ricky looked at the tablet when he said, "Okay, that's weird… Kathy and Alya should be up ahead accordin' to this…"
Kavod nodded his head towards the other side of the street before tilting his head to the side as he looked at the angel.
Ricky let out a hum when he said, "True, but their Paths ends at the bus stop ahead…" He looked at the dog-formed being when he added, "Let's see what's going on there before makin' our next move."
Kavod nodded at this.
To any onlooker, it looked like a man was having a one-sided conversation with his really big dog, which was catching everyone's attention.
Once it was safe to cross, Ricky and Kavod did so and made a beeline towards the bus stop. On site, they didn't see anyone who looked remotely like Alya and didn't see Kathryn. That was already a red flag for the Seeker, and yet… The mark for this spot was still there.
Ricky narrowed his eyes as he looked over the bus stop area. It appeared to have been in place for at least two years, so one possibility was out. Since the path ended here for both girls, it means they couldn't have boarded the buses…
Something wasn't adding up here…
Kavod noticed something under the bench and moved to see what it was. Thinking it was weird, the dog-formed being crawled under the bench, much to the shock and amusement of the pedestrians nearby.
"What'cha find?" Ricky asked as he knelt to get a better look at the black bag that the other pulled out from under the bench. The tablet made a beeping, alerting the owner that he found items belonging to the two people he was looking for, then the mark for this spot vanished but the paths remained in place. Ricky narrowed his eyes at this before he shoved the tablet into his left inner vest pocket before he opened the tied plastic bag.
As soon as the bag was opened, a potent perfume smell wafted out.
Kavod whimpered as he backed away, the nearby pedestrians made a combination of noises that were a mixture of coughs and sneezes, and Ricky quickly closed the bag as he recoiled from the smell.
The Angel couldn't help but say out loud in annoyance, "Cé a chuir an Rós Nollag an cumhrán seo i mála!?" (Irish: Who the Christmas Rose put this much perfume in a bag!?).
Kavod laid on the ground as he whimpered, lowered his head to the ground, and covered his nose with his huge paws.
Ricky cringed as he used some of his angelic power to keep that smell in the bag long enough for him to look through it. Once that was done, he placed the bag on the ground and kept the opening big enough for just his hand. He felt inside the bag and pulled out the first item he touched.
Ricky raised a brow at the Boku no Hero Academia themed coin purse that had a coloured water stain on it.
Kavod's ears perked up at this.
Ricky checked the coin purse for any content when he replied, "Tá." (Irish: Yes). It was completely empty. That was certainly a red flag, but not for the obvious reason. Ricky let out a low hum as he placed the coin purse on the sidewalk and then fished in the bag for the next item.
That one freaked everyone nearby out of their skin, especially Ricky.
"An Rós Nollag torthaí!" (Irish: The fruity Christmas Rose!) the Angel exclaimed as he practically dropped the dead pigeon out of shock and dismay. Of course, everyone nearby backed away at that moment. Ricky was quick to pull a sanitized wipe out of a different pocket to clean his hand before using it to cover the poor bird to give it some honor.
Kavod's head shot up at the sight of the dead animal and the shouting, then tilted his head to the side with a low whine.
That, without a doubt, was one major red flag.
Despite the… Circumstance, Ricky had a job to do, so he unwillingly went back to the bag and pulled out the next item he touched. Thankfully, it wasn't something gross, but it did cause some cringe.
A broken sample bottle of perfume.
Well, that explains the smell from the bag… And why no one noticed the dead bird until it was out.
Ricky couldn't help but think that the perfume was a little too strong for a sample size. Still, a clue was a clue, so he placed that next to the coin purse before pulling out the last item in the bag.
A black smartphone with a silver edge around the screen and a ladybug ornament hanging off it with a magenta string. Like the coin purse, it was wet from what was believed to be the liquid from the perfume.
Ricky raised a brow at this item as he looked at the other objects from the bag. A bag of red flags.
Ricky pulled out a couple of evidence bags in different sizes and placed all the items in them. One object per bag, per protocol. Even the dead pigeon and the bag all the items were found in. Then placed all of these items into his pack.
After a quick round of asking everyone who was around the last 24 hours about seeing the children in the pictures he had on hand, Ricky could confirm that neither Alya nor Kathryn ever came here. Although, the fact that everyone mistook Kathryn for a boy in the picture was oddly amusing to the Angel and it made him wonder if Jason gave him this particular picture for that purpose or if the guy just liked the picture for a different reason.
Kavod moved to standing before he and Ricky started retracing their steps on the final path of the two girls, hoping to find more clues to the girls' whereabouts.
}I{ About an Hour Later }I{
The class managed to eliminate more suspects from the list of people who could be the Over-Summoner.
So on the upside, the list was shrinking. Downside… They still had a couple of suspects they needed to look at.
Markov finished going through the school's security recordings and confirmed that no unknown adults have been captured on the cameras. However, he did note that one particular student of Dupont has frequented the locker area 63.9% more often than the other students. The bulk of which happened when classes were in session. Markov admitted that this student was on the current list of suspects and would most certainly have to be moved to the top of that list.
Even Miss Bustier had to admit that the AI was stalling on revealing who this student was. It wasn't until Damocles was in the classroom that Markov revealed the name of the student who was most likely the one breaking into Marinette's locker.
Lila Rossi.
Oh… Shit… If this was true, then that explains why Markov needed the Headmaster to be here…
To everyone's shock, Damocles confirmed that Lila had to be the perpetrator in the locker fiasco. He explained that a female student was in the lady's restroom when Lila stormed in and essentially ranted about her locker ploy being discovered. The only thing he could act on was on the parts regarding the school, but the 'rant' about 'Satan' was put in his part of the Over-Summoner file, in the back, behind the police report regarding Lila's prior school.
Which was probably why it was missed by the Miracuclass… The rest of the group couldn't finish reading the police report…
Wait…
Oh! Shit!
Lila WAS working with the Over-Summoner!
}{
Ricky and Kavod looked at an apartment building as they walked up to it.
According to the 'Paths' both Alya and Kathryn came to this location yesterday, but oddly enough, the Paths lingered in the lobby of this building.
Kavod tilted his head to the side as he continued to look at the building.
Ricky shrugged when he replied, "Maybe they know someone who lives here?"
The dog-shaped being glanced at the Angel with a flat expression.
Ricky pressed his lips into a line when he admitted, "Yah have a point, and it is rather suspicious that this was the last place they've been to at roughly the same time… Then their treasured items get tossed a ways away..." He looked at the entrance when he mused, "Hope they allow dogs or yah outtah luck."
Kavod let out a 'humph' before he noticed the Stationed Angel sitting across the street on a bench 'reading' a book. The dog-shaped being nodded his head at the other Angel.
Ricky let out a, "Hm?" before he turned to see what his companion was looking at. "Oh? An't that interesting," he got out as the Stationed Angel looked up at them and gave a polite wave. Ricky returned the gesture when he told the dog-shaped being, "Let's ask them after we give the building a check."
Kavod nodded in agreement before they moved to the entrance of the building.
Mrs Rossi was nice enough to let the ginger-haired man in despite being in a hurry.
Kavod tilted his head to the side as the woman passed him without even noticing him, already making a beeline to one of the two lifts.
Ricky let out a low hum as he closed the door behind him and commented, "She must have a lot on her mind if she missed yah."
Kavod nodded in agreement.
The other lift came down with a ding. Once the doors to the lift opened, Lila walked out with a suitcase rolling behind her. Of course, seeing a huge black dog so suddenly freaked the liar out.
Ricky gave a friendly wave when he said with a cheery smile, "Sorry 'bout that, but don't worry." He patted the dog-shaped being on the back near his shoulders when he added, "He's a gentle giant, so long as you don't do anything to provoke 'im."
Lila only nodded as she kept her distance from the giant dog.
Ricky moved so he was in front of Kavod, who sat down, when he asked, "Do yah mind if I ask yah a few questions?"
Lila replied wearily, "As long as it's only a few… But…" She looked at Kavod when she added potently, "Dogs that big are NOT allowed to be kept in this apartment!"
Ricky held up his hand when he said, "Ah'm not thinking about movin' here, just looking for two people who might've been here."
Lila raised a brow at the Irish man when she asked cautiously, "And who are you looking for?"
Ricky pulled out the two photographs from his outer, upper right vest pocket and showed the teen the images when he said, "These two. Their families reported them missing earlier today."
One of the pictures was of a smiling Alya as she held up the new ladybug phone charm, and the other was of Kathryn grinning at the camera with her ponytail completely out of view, wearing a red sporty shirt with yellow trimmings paired with blue shorts to her knees, her bracelets were clearly visible, and had mud caking her hair, face, arms, legs, and clothes.
Lila couldn't help but be taken aback by the images she didn't expect to be seeing so soon.
Ricky immediately noticed the reaction and asked in a serious tone, "Do yah know them?"
Thinking quickly, Lila replied, "That's Alya, the Ladyblogger, she goes to my school, Dupont. We're in different classes but I've seen her in the canteen during lunch talking about her blog." She glanced at the other picture when she added, "I don't know who the other girl is." Lila looked at the ginger-haired man when she said sweetly, "But I know Alya can't be missing."
Ricky raised a brow at this when he asked, "How can you be sure of that?"
Lila shrugged when she said, "I overheard her talking about how bored she was of Ladybug and wanted to see other heroes. I've heard her talking about plans to travel to see as many heroes as she could, I assumed she meant with her family or something." She was so proud of this lie and knew that it was going to end the fruitless search for a dead girl.
Kavod narrowed his eyes at the teen before him.
Ricky folded his arms when he said in disbelief, "Is that so? Ah don't recall her parents mentioning any type of trip when they reported Alya missin'. And they were genuinely distraught about her bein' gone outta nowhere."
Lila faked shock when she got out in surprise, "She didn't tell her parents about the trip? How could she do that to them!?"
Suspicious, Ricky asked this teen, "Yah seem pretty sure that Alya is on a trip to see heroes despite only knowin' her from the blog and the canteen." He narrowed his eyes at the liar at this.
Annoyed, Lila retorted, "That's what I've heard her talk about as of late, so I assumed that's what's happening. Not my fault she went on and on about planning this Hero Tour for weeks almost nonstop."
Ricky let out a low hum as he pulled a pocket notebook from his front right lower vest pocket with a mechanical pencil attached, opened it, and started writing what he just learned. Without looking up, the ginger-haired man asked the teen, "Can I get your name so Ah can reference this later?"
'Like hell I'm giving you my name to expose my lies at school,' Lila thought before she said in a friendly manner, "Cassidy Fortune."
Kavod tilted his head to the side as Ricky glanced up at the teen when he asked, "Can you spell that fur me?"
Lila couldn't help but roll her eyes when she said, "It's spelt K-A-S-S-Y-D-D-E-E and F-O-R-T-U-N-E."
Ricky raised a brow when he asked, "Your given name is spelt that way?"
Lila couldn't help but snap in annoyance, "How else would you spell the name Cassidy?"
Ricky was taken aback by that response when he replied in annoyance, "Calm down! Just makin' sure. Eash, yah don't have'ta jump down me throat over that cailín." He wrote the name down as it was spelt for him, and adding the question mark symbol next to the name. He then looked at the teen when he told her, "Thank yah for answering me questions, Kassyddee. But can I ask one more?"
Lila was about to walk away when she said, "As long as it's just one."
Ricky pointed the eraser part of the mechanical pencil at the suitcase when he asked, "How come yah're not in school right now?"
For once, Lila told the truth by saying, "The landlord wants everyone out while the building is getting inspected for a gas leak." She then lied when she added, "So I had to pack all of my things up and then meet the rest of my family while we debated on which hotel we're going to stay in temporarily."
Ricky let out a hum when he mused, "Ah guess that's a fair reason to be outtah school." He let out a pleasant smile when he said, "Yah have a nice day."
With that, Lila promptly left, satisfied that she completely fooled this idiotic policeman. But then she remembered the giant dog sitting nearby, staring at her. Lila cautiously walked around the thing at a good distance before she hustled to the door.
Ricky wondered if this teen had a phobia of big dogs as he watched her quickly leave. The lights suddenly went dim as soon as the door was closed, which caused both the Angel and the dog-shaped being to look up at them in confusion.
Ricky let out a low hum before he mused to his companion, "Something's not quite right with that teen…" He glanced at the dog-shaped being when he asked critically, "Yah saw how she reacted when Ah questioned the spelling of 'her name', and why tell a big fib like that about someone yah only know from the eating area of a school?"
Kavod narrowed his eyes as he let out a small growl.
Ricky raised a brow when he mused critically, "Did she now? An't that a curious thing to think."
The nearby lift dinged as it reached ground level. Once the doors opened, a group of people walked out, one being Cecilia Rossi. All stopped when they saw the giant dog.
Ricky greeted the group with a pleasant smile and asked if he could ask them a few questions regarding a pair of individuals that he's looking for. When he got the 'yes' response from all of them, he showed them the pictures of Alya and Kathryn.
All but Cecilia identified Alya as the Ladyblogger, but all didn't know who the 'little boy' was. The misgender of Kathryn reminded Ricky of the conversation with 'Kassyddee'. Given that everyone else he's talked to thought that the younger of the two was a boy when upon first looking at her photo… How did this 'Kassyddee' know that the 'little boy' in the photo was actually a girl?
But Ricky will have to get back to that as he focuses on the current task at hand.
The Angel asked the group if they had seen either girl inside the building or around the place. When all said that they didn't see either around the building, Ricky then asked why everyone was leaving the place with suitcases. Their answers were the same as the teenager from earlier. Possible gas leak.
With that the group moved to leave, but not before telling the ginger-haired man that only small dog breeds were allowed in the building.
Ricky told them he'll keep that in mind as he waved them goodbye.
Once the group left, the angel asked the dog-shaped being, "Did you notice anything they didn't do?"
Kavod nodded his head upward towards the dimmed light.
Ricky nodded as he wondered if they were used to the lighting or if there was something else going on. The Angel then said, "Also… How did Ms 'Kassyddee' know that Kathryn was a girl despite the picture?"
Kavod narrowed his eyes at those words.
That was when he got an alert for a text. Ricky pulled his phone out and checked the message. He was rather surprised by the content when he murmured "Huh? Who's this Lila?"
The text read, "Lila was lying to you about who she is and how close she was to Alya. Come out and let me see these pictures. I want to confirm something."
It was from the Stationed Angel across the street.
Ricky narrowed his eyes as he pocketed his phone and told his companion, "Seems like we might have a more sure witness to this case." He then motioned the other to follow.
Kavod stood up and followed the Angel out of the building.
~}I{~
Marinette was staring at her old locker with a blank expression as she sat on the bench. Just… Mulling over the fact that Lila was the one who was breaking into it…
The one who has been stealing her things… Who violated a space that Marinette considered hers…
Who tricked the entire class to leave their lockers open so she could break and alter the hinges of the locker door at her leisure…
Marinette didn't understand why Lila was going this far… Why work with someone who was causing so much unneeded trouble for Hell? Why did Lila do such terrible things to people she dislikes? Why would she try to destroy others for such petty reasons? Why?
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
That was the main thing Marinette couldn't understand. Sure, they disliked each other, that was normal for teens. After all, it was impossible to get along with everyone. And sure, there might've been some pettiness between them, but again, they were teenagers full of hormones, emotions, and trying to figure out themselves.
But how the hell did Lila hate Marinette enough to follow the whims of a moron who is earning the ire of two Lords of Hell? The bluette knew the liar was smart enough to realise that something was going to go wrong and get the hell out of dodge… Although it was up in the air about whether to report the Over-Summoner or not, Lila should've known that continuing to follow the Over-Summoner was going to get her dragged to hell…
Also…
Lila was out of school for most of the Over-Summoner was actively summoning 'Satan', and wouldn't know that nothing was happening to Marinette to tell the Over-Summoner…
That was one of the biggest issues regarding this dilemma… Unless…
Was there someone else at this school working with the Over-Summoner?
"Netty… You shouldn't be doing this to yourself…" Kim stated as he sat next to her on the bench. He took a deep breath before he added, "But, I get it… Lila's been a petty bitch to you, worse than Chloe during her bullying days while framing it as you being the bully," Kim glances at his childhood friend with a worried expression when he says, "And I'm with you on the whole 'how could she hate you THAT much' thing." He points at the doorless locker when he adds, "I mean, what the hell did Lila think you did to her to do THIS and get behind the Over-Summoner, who I'm thinking hates you more for some bizarre reason."
Marinette continued to stare at the doorless locker when she finally said, "But why?" She finally looked up at the taller teen when she said softly, "Why do all this? And why do they hate me THAT much? Enough to make even Satan of all beings uneasy and he is wrath."
Kim didn't have an answer to that.
Tikki poked her head out of Marinette's purse when she said, "And that's what's really bothering you, isn't it? You don't know why they hate you that much…"
Xuppu poked his head out of Kim's jacket pocket when he added, "That's also probably why Satan is also uneasy about this whole thing. Well, aside from the stupidity of the Over-Summoner. The only kinds of wrath that Satan actually dislikes are Random acts of Violence, Stereotyped Hate, and Motiveless Hate." He looks around when he says, "But still… How can someone hate pigtails that much without anyone picking up on it?" Xuppu then looked up at Kim when he states, "It doesn't matter how good a mask you put on, one's true feelings will slip out of any crack in it no matter how good it is."
Marinette shrugged her shoulders when she suggested, "Maybe this person does all this when they think people aren't around… Like how Lila thought she was alone in the girl's restroom…"
"Fair point," Kim, Xuppu, and Tikki said at the same time.
The tall teen stared at the bluette for a few seconds before he gently wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into an one-armed hug. He rested his cheek on her head when he said softly, "We'll stop this Over-Summoner… And slap some sense into Lila. Hopefully, she'll serve her time for her past actions and repents… For her own sake…"
Marinette rested her head on Kim's shoulder when she said softly, "Same…"
Even though she disliked Lila, even though she hated the fact that Lila lied to manipulate others, even though she despised the fact that Lila didn't care for others, and even though she despised Lila trying to force Adrien into a relationship with her and invaded his personal space…
Marinette didn't want Lila to get dragged to hell for being involved in something she completely underestimated and wasn't her doing.
That was when both Kim and Marinette got a text at the same time.
The teens pulled their phones out to check what it was about. To their's and the Kwamis' confusion the their text said the same strange strange thing.
"Come to Miss Bustier's classroom. Our suspect pool just shrank significantly and we might know where our missing members might be. You might not like what you hear, but after you calm down enough, we shall head out to save them."
The text was from Raguel.
Kim and Marinette glanced at each other before they stood up and left the locker area, running into Jason Blood and Uriel along the way.
Tick.
}{
Chat Noir landed on the roof of a café and looked around for any familiar sights. He clicked his tongue in annoyance when he didn't see who he was looking for.
A reminder alarm snapped the black cat Hero out of his thoughts.
Chat Noir pulled his staff out and opened it to activate its communication feature. He snapped a picture of the street signs and sent it to his bodyguard. Once the Hero got a response to the image, he headed off to the next possible location.
Tock.
}{
Marques let out a sigh of relief as he relieved the image of the photo. He gave the thumbs up respond to the picture before he pocketed his phone as he continued on his side of the search.
The deal that the bodyguard had with Adrien was that they will search the city for Kathryn and Alya so long as 'Adrien' sends a photo of his current location to him every five minutes. No selfies, since 'Adrien' would be in his Hero persona during the search, but of buildings and street signs.
This was to ensure that Adrien was alright and where to find him just in case something happens.
In all honesty, Marques hopes that they find the girls so Adrien can focus on coming to terms with the downfall of Hawkmoth.
Tick.
}{
A young woman with skin with a blue tint that was possibly from some blush, big eyes with tiny pupils, her white hair was short with a blue streak that was worn in a sideways ponytail, and was wearing a simple light blue dress was standing in front of her building as she watched the team of inspectors gearing up in hazmat suits and checking their devices in worry.
How could she not be worried? Something in her building was harming her tenets and she didn't know what!
Phantasma could only hope that these inspectors could figure out what was going on and help get it fixed.
Tock.
Once the group of inspectors were geared up, they went into the building. They started at the top and worked their way down. Their detection tech didn't pick up anything harmful inside the units, but they were detecting a smidget of an unknown gas element in the halls on the higher floors.
The middle floors were coming up the same for the units, except there was more of the unknown gas in the hallways… And when they got to the third floor, they immediately got a higher reading of this unknown gas…
"Hey… Did Ms Phantasma tell any of you where the tenets were when they suddenly collapsed?" one of the inspectors asked as they used one of the temporary master keys to open the first unit of this floor to check it.
As one of the inspectors looked through the notes, the four others checked the nearby units.
The unknown gas was more plentiful in the hallway than these united.
Tick.
The inspector looked through the notes when they informed their co-workers, "According to Ms Phantasma and the other tenants… The majority of the ones that collapsed in the hallway and the rest in their units."
One of the five searching inspectors entered another unit when they asked in suspicion, "And which floors were these units on?"
The inspector with the notes looked through them to find that data. When they found it, they told the team, "Between ground and the second floor."
The other inspectors paused what they were doing before they turned, looked out the units they were in,and stared at one another in an 'Are you thinking what I am?' manner before they moved to the second floor.
Tock.
The devices detected an uptake in the unknown gas the moment the lift doors opened to the 2nd floor.
A quick check of the units revealed that there was a small amount of this unknown gas.
The 1st floor was the same way, only there was more of the unknown gas.
Seeing a clear pattern, the group of inspectors could deduce that the source of this unknown gas was either on ground level or the basement.
Tick.
}{
The Miracuclass and the Dupont staff were in utter shock at this new information.
How could they not be after learning that Lila wasn't working with the Over-Summoner, she WAS the Over-Summoner!
Tock.
}{
The moment Chat Noir heard the 5-minute timer go off, he skidded to a halt, almost falling over the edge of the roof in the process. He pulled his baton off its dock and looked around for a street sign to take a picture off. He didn't see one from his vantage point so he took a picture of the neighboring building and sent it to his bodyguard.
Chat Noir let out a sigh as he started on writing a text to the Gorilla about getting something for lunch. Before he could send the text, a sudden gust of wind blew by, causing the black clad hero to lose his grip on his weapon. Chat Noir watched in dismay as his baton fell into an alleyway. He flinched when he heard the weapon hit the ground.
Tick.
That was when Chat Noir heard a high pitch voice shout from the alleyway, "What the?!"
The black clad hero raised a brow at this before he carefully climbed down the walls into the alleyway to investigate the strange and oddly familiar voice.
Then the high pitched voice said, "Wait a second?" then a gasp, and the voice shouting, "Chat! Chat! Over here!"
Tock.
Chat Noir looked down as he was halfway to the ground when he saw a small, orange, fox-like Kwami bouncing in the air as he waved his paws to get his attention. "Trixx?!" The black cat hero got out in shock before he let gravity take him down. He landed gracefully on his feet when he asked the Kwami in confusion and dismay, "What are you doing here? Out in the open like this?"
Tick!
}{
All Marinette could get out in shock was a confused and distraught, "Why?" Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Tock!
}{
The group of inspectors couldn't believe how high the levels for this unknown gas was on ground level, and when one of them waved their detector near the basement hall, the thing went AWOL.
Tick!
"What the?! The levels are off the charts over here!" that inspector told their teammates.
Another inspector had to conclude that the source of the unknown gas was in the basement.
Tock!
}{
Trixx practically cried in relief when Chat Noir knelt to talk to him.
Tick!
}{
Uriel manifested an arm-length chain between her hands when she stated coldly, "Where is this Lila Rossi? I would like to 'test' these on her."
As much as Satan loved the fact that his Heavenly sibling was full of anger, the fact that it was one of his more mild-tempered sisters… Yeah… That was a concern…
Azrael had to ask wearily as he pointed at the chains, "Those come with cuffs, right?"
Tock!
}{
The group of inspectors cautiously trooped into the hallway leading to the basement.
Tick!
}{
Satan couldn't help but ask gleefully, "Can I be the one to tie her up in those?" as he excitedly pointed at the chains in his sister's hands.
Tock!
Uriel raised an amused brow at this.
Tick!
The Miraculous group didn't know what to think of… This…
Tock!
}{
"Where's Alya?" Chat Noir asked the Kwami as he looked around, looking for any sign of the blogger. Then realising that there was no place for her to hide and he didn't see the Fox Miraculous.
Tick!
Trixt's tears turned to sorrow when he hiccuped out. "Alya…"
Tock!
}{
A hazmat covered arm reached out to the doorknob as the other used the key to unlock the door.
Click.
~}I{~
To be continued.
~}I{~