Chapter 1
Chapter Text
Sin of Reveal. Chapter 1.
~}i{~
Gale-Dragon: Just a No Class Salt story that spawned from my Sin Kids A/U idea on Tumblr. Enjoy this somewhat sinful story~.
~}i{~
The Lord of Wrath, Satan, was just sitting in a nice comfy chair in the lounge of his main residence in the Ring of Wrath. Just reading an old book on medieval torture when the Lord of Lust sauntered in, their high heels clicking against the brimstone floor with each step, and places a small pile of papers on a nearby desk. The entity of Lust folded their arms as Satan looked up from the book when he asked, "Huh? What's this about?" He got up from his chair and then looks at the first sheet of a small stack of documents.
The Lord of Lust, Asmodeus, responded with an uncaring shrug, "Some little human with a pair of sausages attached to their head was trying to summon you but got me by accident.” They walked over to a rather comfortable looking couch when they added, “What's on that paper is what she wants to be done, and before you ask, she already made a blood sacrifice so you can't refuse. Check the top of the document." The Lord of Lust then proceeds to lounge on the couch without much of a care for the whole situation.
Satan raised a brow before he looks over the Payment section of the Blood Contract. He then clicked his tongue in annoyance at what he read when he got out in that same tone, "Cht! That’s hardy enough blood to cause any kind of meaningful Wrath. What did this human Sacrifice that had such a small amount of blood?" He looked over the document again to make sure he was reading it right.
Asmodeus only glanced at the other Lord when they said, "A pidgin. A pretty small one.” The entity of Lust gave a small shrug when they added, “Guess the little human didn't want a big mess to clean up. Shame that their need for cleanliness outweighed the necessities of invoking a Sin.” Asmodeus couldn’t bring themself to care about this situation. It was a Blood Wrath Contract, so it wasn’t the Lord of Lust’s department. Therefore, the lounging entity had no interest in it. Though it did raise the question of how that sausage-haired human summoned the Lord of Lust for a Wrath Contract…
Satan let out a small growl when he said, "Urg! Don't these humans understand that not much can be done with such a small amount of blood?"
Asmodeus let out a bored sigh when they said, "Well, they ARE human. They're fun to play with and are amusing, but they're not the brightest." Which all the other Lords of Hell can agree to in regards to their respective Sin.
Satan then looked over the Request section of the document. He raised a brow at what he was reading when he asked, "This is what that little human wants to be done to their target? What the heaven did this…” He quickly scans the name written on the document before he says, “Mary-net human do to warrant such animosity?" The Lord of Wrath then looks at the picture that the sausage-haired Summoner gave to identify the target she wanted. The picture of the bluette was crumbled and ripped at the edge. Satan tried to smooth the image out a bit to get a better look at it, only to see that the subject wasn’t even looking at whoever took the picture as they sat on a bench like they didn’t even know it was happening. In the photo, it seems like the bluette was clapping at what she was seeing as her focus was on something that was not on camera. ‘Feh, this Summoner couldn’t even give us a decent image of this target’s face,’ Satan thought with a frown. But at least the Summoner gave him a strand of hair, that was more useful in finding the target than the picture was.
Asmodeus stretches a bit before saying, "Since when do you care why humans hate each other? You hardly need any excuse to promote your Sin." The Lord of Lust can understand revenge sex and pitty sex as a small branch between wrath and lust, but Wrath was Satan’s domain, not theirs.
Satan let himself scoff when he said, "I normally don't, but this human didn't exactly pay for much to be done and they're asking for a heaven of a lot of wrathful things to be afflicted on one person." The Lord of Wrath didn’t care much for reasons behind why humans invoke wrath, but per the Laws of Heaven and Hell, there has to be some compensation for the work. For Hell, the compensation was blood. Therefore, there must be enough blood to cause whatever amount of Sin is being invoked.
Asmodeus hummed a bit when they said, "Hmmm, I guess that’s a valid question in this circ*mstance…” They then pull out a pocket watch and look at what's inside before saying, "Oh? That rude little fashion human's payment is due." The Lord of Lust sits up when they said, "She'd better have my payment ready for me to pick up." They then touch the watch's crystal to get the information they need. Asmodeus then says as they read the location of the Summoner, "Ah~ she's in Paris~. *Coos* I can check out the wonderful things in the city for fun after work~."
Satan glanced up at the other Lord of Hell when he asked, "Mind if I tag along?"
Asmodeus let out a curious hum when they asked, "Since when do you care about my Lustful interests?"
Satan cringed when he snapped out, "I am most certainly not! This Mary-net lives in Paris! I figure I just investigate what's happening between this human and that stingy client! Honestly, must you think about sex all the time?"
Asmodeus snickered before saying in a sly matter-of-fact tone as they got up from the couch and walked towards the other Lord of Hell, "I was talking about checking out the fashion, news, and technology in Paris. Lust is more than sex you know~.” The Lord of Lust leans closer to Satan when they added more seductively, "I didn't think you'd be such a Pervert~."
Satan blushes before snapping in annoyance as he shoved the other Lord of Hell away, "Shut up! Just do your thing and I do mine when we're in Paris!"
Asmodeus chuckles before saying, “Fine by me~."
Satan let out a huff when he said, “And in case you’ve forgotten, Asmodeus, I have to thoroughly scrutinize this contract because you oversaw it! You know very well how it is when other Sins conduct contracts that don’t correspond to them! And yet you still accepted that contract!”
Asmodeus let out a low hum when they got out, “Hm, you have a point in the interest but trust me when I tell you that I wanted to refuse the contract. The little sausage-haired Summoner must have thought I was you when making that contract.”
Satan raised a brow when he asked, “No offence Asmodeus, but how the heaven can a human mistake you for me? We hardly look anything alike, and that’s when you’re not trying to “Spice-up” the meetings with the other Lords of Hell.”
Asmodeus shrugged when they said as they folded their arms, “Must be one of those humans who don’t do any proper research. I mean, they poured the blood into the demonic circle BEFORE summoning me! Every text in the human realm states that you pour the blood AFTER you summon the Sin and reach an agreement for the amount of blood!”
“Oh!” Satan stated, realizing why the Lord of Lust accepted the contract knowing that the whole thing would have to be investigated. The Lord of Wrath then said, “So that’s why you didn’t refuse the contract, you couldn’t because of this Summoner’s incompetence.”
Asmodeus pulled a platinum-coloured key with a skull-shaped design from a pocket from the inner breast pocket of their outfit when they said, “Correct. And be thankful that those kinds of Summoners don’t appear often.” They waved a hand when they added, “Just do your investigation, then make the contract as much or little as you can, and just forget about the inconvenience when you get back. Shouldn’t take you too long.”
Satan gave an uncaring shrug before saying, “Quite true. I’ll start with the target. I simply must know why the Summoner believes this Mary-net deserves such wrathful things. Who knows, she might make a good underling for me.”
Asmodeus slid the key into a lock, turned the key, and then pulled it out. As soon as they did, the door glowed before opening a portal to Earth, more specifically, Paris. The Lord of Lust then told the other Lord of Hell, “Fine by me. I just need to pick up the Soul of Audrey the Style Queen and then I’ll spend a few days exploring Paris to see what’s new and fun~.”
“You do your thing and I do my thing,” Satan stated as he and Asmodeus walked through the portal.
~}i{ The Next Morning. Paris, France }i{~
A new Chat Group has been created.
Teenage Witch has renamed Chat Group to EMERGENCY!
Teenage Witch has added Ladyblogger, Turntables, Sunshine, Rollersnake, Teddy Bear, Tiny Actress, Anything’s Possible, Maximum Overdrive, AI Am I, LB Artist, Poison Ivy, Gothic Girlfriend, Fashion Baker, CN Writer, Kagami, and Pulling at the Heartstrings.
Teenage Witch: GUYS!!! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!!!
Teenage Witch: NO JOKE!!! THIS IS SUPER, SUPER, SUPER BAD!!!
Teenage Witch: ALL OF YOU NEED TO COME TO THE HOTEL!!! AS SOON AS YOU CAN!!! PLEASE!!! I’M NOT KIDDING!!!
Sunshine: Sabrina, what’s wrong?
Fashion Baker: What happened?
Teenage Witch: YOU NEED TO GET TO THE HOTEL!!! PLEASE!!! THIS IS IMPORTANT!!!
Ladyblogger: Did you find out who Hawkmoth is?!
Teddy Bear: Is someone at the hotel in any danger?!
LB Artist: Is Chloe throwing a tantrum?
Anything’s Possible: You’re finally ready to come out of the closet?
Teenage Witch: No. No! No! And what?
Anything’s Possible: Uh, never mind!
Maximum Overdrive: Sabrina, how about you take a few deep breaths and then tell us what happened.
AI Am I: Having the proper data allows individuals to make educated decisions.
Teenage Witch: Damn it! I want to tell you guys! But!...
Teenage Witch: I don’t think you all would believe me if I just tell you!
Teenage Witch: It’s better to show you while telling you!
Teenage Witch: Come to the hotel, all of you. You’ll see what I mean when you get here…
Teenage Witch: Please… This isn’t just for me and Chloe…
Fashion Baker: … Let me finish up with helping my parents with this order and I’ll head there.
Sunshine: Let me talk to Father about there being some kind of emergency with Chloe, okay.
Turntables: Adrien, I’m breaking you out when your old man says no.
Sunshine: But I haven’t asked him yet? How do you know he’ll say no?
Turntables: Call it a hunch.
Kagami: I shall join Nino in this endeavour.
Turntables: You are?
Kagami: Indeed. My mother said that she can provide the distraction so we can aid in helping Adrien escape.
Anything’s Possible: Kagami, no offence, but isn’t your mother just as strict as Mr Agreste and is against rebellion?
Kagami: She is, but unlike Agreste-san, my mother knows that I will become an independent adult one day and will have to make my own decisions in life. Thus, she is more willing to give me more freedom, provided I do well in learning how her company is run.
Kagami: So she has been teaching me how the business works and how it’s run. I have already done a few things for Mother’s company. I’m currently helping with the financial department and I’m learning a lot of interesting aspects in regards to money management. I plan on implementing some of those practices into my lifestyle next allowance period.
Fashion Baker: Oh cool! I learned the same thing when helping out at the bakery. I learned about the budgeting aspects of running a bakery after my parents trusted me more when helping out. Those budgeting techniques came in handy when my parents funded my first major design project. I’ll spare you all the details, but you get the idea.
Turntables: Totally dudettes! My mum taught me how to budget my allowance and those healthy skills helped me when djing and movie making. You wouldn’t believe how much goes into both hobbies, not just money.
Teenage Witch: Umm, as interesting as this topic is… Are you coming to the hotel?
Kagami: After Nino and I pick up Adrien.
Turntable: After Kagami and I get Adrien out of that stuffy mansion.
Sunshine: Can you two let me ask Father first!
Turntables: Dude, given his recent actions… I’m pretty sure your old man is going to say “No” and then say something along the lines of “There is no need to concern yourself with Chloe’s immature antics”. I mean, yeah, Chloe’s had some not so nice moments but that’s not a real excuse to brush her off. Especially when Sabrina created a chat group that’s called “Emergency!” and then started the conversation in all caps. You know Sabrina doesn’t get that wound up unless something is wrong.
Sunshine: … Good point… I’ll try to tell my Father that…
CN Writer: I noticed you used the word “Try” rather than “Will” in your text. Adrien, you don’t believe that your dad will listen to your concerns, do you?
Sunshine: I’m sure if I explain, he’ll let me go to the hotel. W/o the breakout.
AI Am I: This particular piece of data seems to fit the categories of “Doubtful” and “Concerning”. It’s admittedly a little unsettling tbh…
Ladyblogger: My parents have the twins today, but I promised my older sister that I would spend the day with her.
LB Artist: Alya, can’t you bring her to the hotel as part of spending time with her?
Ladyblogger: Oh… Uh, I guess, but what motivation would Nora have to go to Chloe’s hotel?
Teenage Witch: The hotel staff that was here last night made a lot of Audrey replicas to beat up if it means anything.
Gothic Girlfriend: So, whatever happened involved the “Worst Mother Ever” huh.
Teenage Witch: … That would be an understatement… But yeah, the so-called Style Queen is the reason behind what’s currently happening at the hotel.
Pulling at the Heartstring: Okay, I’m officially in. I’ll bring some tunes for us to use while beating those dummies up. You coming, Jules?
Gothic Girlfriend: Let me get the spiked boots on and I am.
Kagami: Okay, Mother is bringing her katana. Do you mind if she comes too?
Teenage Witch: Umm… Actually, I think that might be a good thing, uh, as long as the katana is only used on the Style Queen replicas.
Kagami: Is that horrible excuse for a human being going to be there?
Kagami: Mother’s words, but I agree with her opinion of that person.
Teenage Witch: Uh, no. Don’t know where she is, and in all honesty, I don’t care! As long as she’s away from Chloe and her family.
Kagami: Then yes, the katana is only going to be used on the replicas. As will mine.
Maximum Overdrive: Sabrina, judging by your words in your latest comment… Is whatever happened just as bad as the whole “The only thing exceptional about you is your mother” incident or worse?
Teenage Witch: … … … Um… I guess that depends on how you look at it in the full context? I mean… This new event kinda put a new spin on the “Exceptional Incident”, and could make that whole thing worse depending on your opinion… I, uh, personally think that what happened yesterday is much worse than the “Exceptional Incident” because of how out of nowhere it was for Chloe, her dad, and the hotel staff…
Anything’s Possible: Max, I’m picking you and Markov up on the way to the hotel. I want to beat up Chloe’s so-called mum! Even if it’s just a replica…
Maximum Overdrive: Well, this wasn’t what I expected to test Markov’s new defence system on. But not complaining.
AI Am I: I second the notion! I did my research on this Style Queen and cannot comprehend how someone as unpleasant as her became so well-known in the fashion industry. Also, I know that I do not understand the idea of “fashionable”, but her designs and critics didn’t seem to make sense to me.
Fashion Baker: Oh yeah, I remember Markov asking how things were “fashionable” 3 weeks ago. Admittedly he asked about the Style Queen specifically. His questions were reasonable, and I tried to explain the best I could about how there are people who are bad with their personal lives but excel in their professional lives. I admit that I liked the Style Queen only because of her designs and fashion critics, the rest of her not so much, especially after that “Exceptional Incident”, but when Markov asked his questions and pointed some things out…
Fashion Baker: Well, it made me realize that the Style Queen might not be that good of a fashion designer and the majority of the critics she made didn’t make any sense in regards to the design… I got rid of everything I had that had to do with her tbh…
Anything’s Possible: Oh, yeah… You asked me to help with that. I was wondering why you were getting rid of those, but I figured it had to do with the fact that she couldn’t even be considered a mother.
Fashion Baker: That too… Oh, and my parents are coming along with some treats! I told them that what Sabrina was texting about involved the Style Queen being worse than the “Exceptional Incident” and they’re in on beating up replicas of her with the tenderizer!
Rollersnake; Heading to the hotel right now!
Poison Ivy: On my way! With some honeysuckle flowers! To help relax us afterwards!
Tiny Actress: Ivan and I are heading to the hotel as we text!
Teddy Bear: And we’re bringing a new friend that has kind of become attached to us. Oh, Adrien, you might want to avoid Mylene and me for the day.
Sunshine: Um, why?
Teddy Bear: Because our new friend is a Ravan and you’re allergic to feathers.
Sunshine: Oh! Right! That’s what I was forgetting to tell you guys! I asked my doctor if I could do an allergy test last time I saw them and it turns out I’m not allergic to all feathers! Just feathers from pigeons, ducks, and geese! So ravens are fine for me to be around!
Tiny Actress: Oh, that’s good to know.
Sunshine: Also, Kagami, your mother doesn’t need to cause a distraction. Just make sure you and Nino are by the west wall of the mansion, I’ll meet you there.
Kagami: Did your Father approve of you going to the hotel?
Sunshine: … Just meet me at the west wall…
Turntable: I knew he’d say no. The Jerk!
Sunshine: … … … Yeah…
CN Writer: Nath and I are one block away from the hotel. We’ll be there in a bit.
LB Artist: Kinda wish we could beat up the real so-called Style Queen, but we’ll take the replicas.
Ladyblogger: Okay, Nora and I are heading to the hotel rn. The whole we get to beat up replicas of Chloe’s bitch-ass mother totally convinced her. Umm, her words, not mine!
Ladyblogger: I didn’t think Nora hated the Style Queen or even knew about her tbh.
Teenage Witch: Wow, I knew you guys had a list of bad people whose asses you want to kick if given a chance, but I didn’t know the Style Queen was that high on the list.
Turntables: sh*tty parents are close to the top of the list. Hawkdick is obviously at the top of the list with Chloe’s so-called mother being #2. Mr Agreste is sitting at #3. I know some of the class debated on this but Chat Noir’s dad has the #4 spot on the list.
Fashion Baker: Bob Roth is #5 on the list b4 you ask Kitty Section. Though, tbh, #4 and #5 tend to switch depending on whether or not Chat Noir makes a sour reference to his dad during an Akuma battle or if Ross does something that gets into the news again.
Pulling at the Heartstrings: Ah, good to know. And also nice!
LB Artist: We’re here! Do we need to tell the doorman that we’re here for Chloe or do we need a password?
Teenage Witch: Just tell him I asked you to come, he’ll know why you’re here. I’ll be down to get you when you all are here. Then I’ll show you what’s going on.
CN Writer: K. Got that everyone?
}{
All who were in the chat nodded before telling whoever was with them that wasn’t in the chat group what they needed to do before they headed towards the hotel.
~}i{ Roughly 20 Minutes Later }i{~
Soon everyone from the Miracuclass, Kagami and her mother, Marc, Marinette’s parents, Nora/Anansi, Luka, Markov, and a new Raven Friend were waiting in the lobby of the hotel for Sabrina. All were wondering what the orangette wanted to show them that made Audrey even worse.
Sabrina walked into the lobby, still relatively surprised by the sheer number of people who showed up, only gestured for the group to follow her into one of the larger meeting halls. The group followed with an odd mixture of curiosity, worry, and a bit of excitement for the beating of the replicas. Things were oddly quiet during this, mostly because no one was sure what to ask or say.
Soon, they all walked into the massive meeting hall. To their surprise, there were more people inside, alongside Chloe and Andre.
One of the strangers was a slender teenage girl who has wheat-golden hair with significantly shorter bangs and hot pink dyed strands to the left side, the ends reaching her shoulders and upper back. Her eyes are a vivid shade of azure and her eyebrows are honey-coloured. She has a peach skin tone, coral lips, and a dusting of light freckles over the bridge of her nose and cheeks. She wears a black faux leather jacket, a white top with pink, cyan and yellow honeycomb flower on the front, on her left wrist, she also wears two blue beaded brown bracelets and a red and yellow pattern wide white bracelet with a black lining on each and a luminous vivid opal-coloured beanie on her head, and yellow slacks. She was wearing a pair of custom-designed shoes. There was a man of average height with the same coloured hair as the teenage girl standing next to her, he was wearing a simple grey 3-piece suit, a silver-coloured watch, azure-coloured eyes, and shiny black shoes. He gave the group some kind of official vibe.
The second teen was a male with styled hair that spiked in the back with honey yellow highlights, dark grey eyes, had a slightly darker skin complexion than Chloe, he had pierced ears with two golden studs on each ear, wearing a bright blue, studded blazer over a sapphire blue shirt that was embroidered with red gems on the helms, wearing a pair of well-loved jeans that were stylishly torn at the knees and ankles, and blue sneakers that were covered with multi-coloured bejewelled studs. Next to this teen stood a man with a striking similarity that wore a less formal two-piece tux that looked more like a uniform with what looked like a pair of reading glasses hanging around his neck on a metal beaded eyewear retainers.
The third teen was also male with short cacao brown hair that was swept to the side with green eyes, wearing a casual forest green blazer with small animal silhouettes scattered over the fabric on top of an eggshell-coloured shirt that had a foliage design, had on a pair of what appeared to be homemade slacks that had images of flowers painted, and had a pair of open-toed shoes. The man standing next to this teen also had a similar appearance to him but was wearing more formal clothing.
The last of the strangers was a blonde man with green eyes in grey semi-formal looking clothing standing between a pair of blonde ten-year-olds also with green eyes. One of the twins was wearing a black shirt with white helms and a caller, paired with light grey slacks with dark grey helms, and bright blue shoes with red highlights. The other twin was wearing the same type of clothing as the other but the colours were inverted.
The Miracuclass, the parents, Nora, Kagami, Markov, Luka, and Marc were confused by the presence of these strangers. The men most certainly didn’t look familiar to them, but the teens alongside them did seem somewhat familiar to them for some odd reason. Rose was the one to ask, “Um, Sabrina… Who are these people?”
As soon as they heard the question, the strangers looked awkwardly at each other while Andre looked visibly uncomfortable and Chloe’s whole body seemed to be shaking as she tried her hardest not to burst out in some kind of emotion. The Dupont group glanced at each other at this…
What’s going on here?
Tomoe Tsurugi tapped her katana on the ground when she demanded, “Someone better say something to explain the situation with that worthless excuse of a parent. I will not hesitate to use my blade if any of you don’t start talking.” That got the group of strangers motivated to talk, somewhat. They gave the basic introductions. The wheat-coloured haired teenage girl was named Zoe Lee and her father was Zachary Lee. The black-haired teen with the yellow highlights was named Joey Bell and his father was Victor Bell. The teen with the brown hair was Donnie Rockkale and his father Hector Rockkale. And lastly, the twins were named Edward and Elysia Fog, though they preferred to be called Eddie and Ellie, with their father Robert Fog.
Okay, now that they knew who these people were, hopefully now they can find out why they’re here.
The Mayor of Paris took a deep breath before he finally said, “Uh, I guess to get the ball rolling on that topic…” He glances at the unknown men before saying in a tone that was a mixture of uneasiness, unwillingness, sadness, grief, and a dash of dismay, “These people are… Audrey’s other families… And the children she’s had with them…”
The Dupont group were able to put the pieces together before Adrien almost leapt to his childhood friend when he said excitedly, “Chloe you have siblings! Why didn’t you tell me about them? We could’ve had a lot more fun growing up!”
With that, Chloe let out the torrent of tears she has been holding back. Adrien was confused by the outburst. He just wanted to know why the mayor’s daughter never told him about her siblings, so why is she crying? Marinette noticed how the five individuals, who she now knows are Chloe’s siblings, started to go through the motions of going to comfort their sister before noticing each other doing the same thing and pausing, no longer knowing what to do. Andre was the one to comfort his daughter, he didn’t say the usual things he would say when Chloe got upset, he just stayed quiet as he rubbed her back as she continued to cry.
‘Wait a minute… Wait a minute… Wait a Minute! Oh! Hell!’ Marinette thought as she pieced those facts together before asking in a rather obvious expression of shock, “Did… Either of the Bourgeois know of Audrey's other families? And did these families know about each other?”
The man in the 3-piece suit, Zachary Lee, was the one to say in an unwilling tone, “What we got from Andre’s and Chloe’s reactions yesterday. No, neither of them knew about any of us.” He then looked at the other families when he added, “And from what we’ve learned, we “other families” only knew about Audrey's family in Paris but she never told them about any of us. We certainly didn’t know about each other.”
The teen with the black hair and yellow highlights, Joey Bell, was the one to say in a snippy tone, “The bitch was supposed to tell her Paris Family about all her Other Families, per the legal agreement with our dads.” The man in the 2-piece suit, Victor Bell, only scolded his son for using foul language around children, but he didn’t disagree with the comment.
The teen with the environmental-themed clothing, Donnie Rockkale, then explained, “Yesterday we were supposed to finally meet and supposedly move in with Mr Andre and Chloe, so we can be a nice blended family…” He looked at his dad, his siblings, and his siblings' fathers before adding, “Apparently we were all under the impression that… “She” was giving her Paris family all the letters from us… But it is clear now that “she” was just tossing them…”
The teenage girl of the group, Zoe Lee, then put in her thoughts about this whole thing when she said, “Dad and I were so excited to meet the Bourgeois in person finally.” She got all bubbly when she added as she looked at her father, who in turn smiled back, “The time dad and I spent on the plane ride here that wasn’t dedicated to sleep was pretty much us talking about what we planned to do with Andre and Chloe after we get settled in Paris!” Her face then fell when she said, “I think only…” Zoe glances at the Other Families when she said solemnly, “My new younger siblings and their dads know how it felt when we found out the truth of Mom’s deeds… And intentions…”
That was when Max finally inquired, “Hold on, the Style Queen suddenly invited ALL her other families to Paris under the guise of becoming a blended family with the Bourgeois? At the same time and without telling them about this?” When he got confirmation from the four other families, he then asked in a tone that was a strange combination of confused and suspicious, “Why invite all of you to Paris and expose her, um, quintuple-lives? Which could open up a lot of possible legal issues and unfavourable consequences to her professional career…”
“She tried to pass off her children as the payment she owed me,” said an androgynous voice that just flowed into the area, along with a sudden feeling of something with an unfathomable sinister aura. Everyone could only think that they were in danger! Tomoe and Kagami immediately wielded their blades the moment they felt the unearthly presence, ready to fight whatever this threat was. While Marinette and Adrien were practically preparing to transform into their hero personas on the spot, not even thinking about keeping their identities a secret. That was when the voice said, “Oh, sorry, let me tone that down. Can’t have any of you mortals pass out before the climax~.”
With that, the aura dissipated a great deal. Not enough to make everyone feel safe but enough so no one felt like they were going to die in the next minute.
That was when they noticed something that made them question, “How the hell did I miss that?!” Standing at a towering 260 cm was this androgynous-looking person with a wild, fiery mane of cyan hair that no one could figure out how long it was, neon green eyes that almost glowed, wearing a nice shade of ocean blue lipstick and eyeshadow, had on a navy-blue semi-formal-looking two-piece suit with a feathery looking tail coat attached that did little to hide that broad chest with an image of a white ram’s head with the negative space for the eyes and on the left shoulder and a white bull’s head with the negative space for the eyes and mouth on the right shoulder, and had on a pair of stunning neon blue knee-high heels. Something about this person just screamed danger, yet was oddly attractive. The entity in blue gave a casual wave of a hand, revealing that their nails were painted baby-blue, when they said, “Oh~, where are my manners~.” They did a rather exaggerated bow when they said, “I am Asmodeus, the Lord of Lust and Ruler of the Ring of Lust in Hell.” The entity then stood back up at their full human height when they added, “It is such~ a pleasure to meet everyone~.” They then stated in a serious tone, “Though I do wish it was in more satisfying circ*mstances.”
Tomoe was the one to ask, as her blade pointed where she heard the voice of the Lord of Lust, “Why is someone like you here? And why would you even care about the situation happening?”
Asmodeus placed an index finger to the side of their lips as they smirked when they said in an almost seductive manner, “Normally, having such a fun toy pointed at me like that would be such~ an enticing invitation~.” Tomoe visibly stiffened at this, both not used to hearing that sort of thing and the fact that someone dared to flirt with her while she was pointing a dangerous weapon at them. The others in the meeting hall were also uncomfortable with the sudden flirting. Asmodeus snapped their fingers and the next thing everyone knew, the katana in the fencing champion’s hands vanished in a veil of cyan mist. Much to her and the other’s horror. The bull’s and ram’s heads on the Lord of Lust’s outfit seemed to smirk at the reactions from the mortals.
Just as Marinette and Adrien were about to shout to transform into their hero personas so they could defend everyone, Asmodeus stated in a matter-of-fact tone, “I’m not here to fight, nor am I in the mood for the usual sensational activities.” Marinette felt Tikki subtly tugging on her purse strap, signalling her to hold off on the transformation while Adrien felt Plagg tapping out a morse code on his chest, telling him not to transform. The heroes didn’t like it, but if the Kwami were telling them not to…
The Lord of Lust then said in that same tone, “I originally came to collect the payment for the contract that Audrey made with me.” The bull’s and ram’s heads now looked like they had serious-looking expressions. It made the mortals wonder if those images were somehow linked to the Lord of Lust’s emotions. When asked what that line meant by Alya, Asmodeus explained while peppering in a few drops of a seductive tone, “To put it simply, Audrey made a Blood Lust Contract with me to become the most desired fashion designer and critic that can do no wrong in that career in the world. Not too hard to do on my end, but it was the payment that needed some thorough discussion.” The Lord of Lust then began walking around the group of mortals when they continued explaining, “The amount of blood she had was only enough to ensure 10 years of that, so she offered up her soul for an extra decade and a half. I agreed to it.” They then conjured up a sheet of paper that looked like a legal contract with Audrey’s signature clearly at the bottom of it. Asmodeus then continued, “Per the conditions of the contract, we are to meet 25 years and a day in the same location and time where the contract was established and then Audrey forfeits her soul to me.” The Lord of Lust then turned their attention to the mortals when they said seriously, “When I arrive at the location, I find 7 children. Six of them were the spawns of Audrey. The five younger ones argued about who was the “real” younger siblings of the oldest of her spawns. The younger ones didn’t even realise that they were related until I asked where Audrey was. I believe all their responses were along the lines of “What do you want with mom?” That certainly made things rather clear on my end.” They looked at all of Audrey’s children when they added in a serious tone, “She planned to use her children as a substitute for her soul. How utterly revolting.”
Oh… Oh… Oh sh*t! Audrey was willing to sacrifice all of her children to the Demon she made a deal with to save her skin and keep her career intact… … … That was such a betrayal on so many levels…
The mortals looked at Sabrina when she got out timidly, “I… I went with Chloe… We were supposed to meet the Style Queen for a Special Spa Day…”
That was when Zoe said, “Mom told me the same… Said it would be a great way to bond with Chloe as sisters…”
Joey scoffed when he got out, “Bitch told me that she planned for me and Chloe to go to a jewellery making event so we can have a Brother-Sister Day.” “Joey! Language!” Victor scolded his son.
Donnie then stated, “She told me that she got me and Chloe seats at a Clothing Up-Cycling Seminar as a way to bond as siblings…” It was clear that he was upset about the whole thing…
That was when Robert Fog stated in a deadpin tone, “Seems like the Style Queen made sure that all her kids would be at the location while not having to be there herself.” The twins glanced at each other at this, neither saying anything but were very aware of the situation.
Asmodeus folded their arms in front of their chest as they tilted their head to the side when they said, still in that serious tone, “As a being of hell, I have to admire the underhanded deviousness of her scheme. However, since it directly relates to a Blood Contract, more specifically the “Payment” for it. She basically “Violated” it by both not appearing as scheduled and not relinquishing her soul.” They snapped their fingers again, but this time the Contract vanished in a flash of blue. Asmodeus then said, “Therefore, I have every right to take back what I gave her by any means until I get her soul. As stated in the Blood Lust Contract.” Asmodeus then stated as the bull and ram heads gave an annoyed look, “It is quite clear she doesn’t care about any of her families, therefore it wouldn’t hurt her if they are harmed. So I have no interest in taking any of her spawns or her partners.”
That was when Tom asked, “Why are you telling us this?” While the baker was glad he was learning all this and that Chloe and her families are safe from harm from the Hell Lord, the one thing that was bothering him (and the other adults to be honest) was the fact that Asmodeus was being so open about this…
Asmodeus's answer was simple, “Since the only thing Audrey seems to care about is her career in the fashion world. Therefore, to “Hurt” Audrey in the most efficient way, I have to target her publicly to destroy her career. Very publicly, possibly on a large scale.” They folded their arms when they said, “Listen, I know that I’m not going to harm any of the families Audrey conned, but I’m sure all of you know that there are some humans who will target them just because they had no idea that Audrey was leading them on, or to “get their side of the story”, or even try to shift blame onto them.” Asmodeus turned their attention to the Dupont group when they said, “The adults already have a support system in place for such things, however…”
Max, who was hiding behind Kim at the moment, put the facts together when he stated timidly, “R-r-right, the kids are new to P-Paris and don’t h-have anyone but the Bourgeois and Chloe just has her dad and the hotel staff… S-s-so they n-need an actual support s-s-system… C-c-correct?”
Asmodeus smiled, as did the bull and ram heads on their suit, when they said, “Precisely!” They then looked over the group with critical eyes when they said, “Oh yes~, you all will do nicely for a support group~.”
Why did that statement come out that seductive? … …. … Oh right, it was the Lord of Lust saying it.
That was when Asmodeus finally noticed Marinette. ‘Hm? That’s the target that that stingy sausage-haired Summoner wanted to destroy… That must mean…’ The Lord of Lust thought as they glanced to the doorway of the humans started moving over to the new families and did some introductions and saw Satan in his human form lingering in the doorway.
Satan’s human form stood around 183 cm, had blazing red hair with orange and yellow highlights and lowlights that spiked like flames, and had on a pair of red-tinted shades that sat on top of a wide yet pointy nose. Wore a red suit paired with black trousers, both with red buttons but the suit had a pair of silver cufflinks in the shape of the letter “W”. And wore a pair of formal, polished, red shoes that gleamed under the lights of the hotel. To Asmodeus's eyes, the Lord of Wrath was transparent, which means that he was currently invisible to mortal eyes.
The Lord of Lust narrowed their eyes at the Lord of Wrath, who only tilted his head in response.
[So, what are the odds of my target being a part of this little “support group” for the kiddies of your target?] Satan communicated through his demonic link to the other Lord of Hell.
Asmodeus tilted their head to the side slightly when they replied, [Depends on the context, in all honesty. But it makes you wonder a few things…]
Satan shrugged his shoulders when he stated, [I’ll let you know what I find out about this Mary-net. But from the aura I’m getting from her, she seems more likely to receive praises than spite. Mind you there are some negative qualities I can vaguely pull from her aura, but that’s only because I was able to get close enough to sense them without her or her parents noticing me.]
Asmodeus raised an amused brow when they said, [Okay~ then~. Have fun stalking the little human~]
Satan frowned before snapping back in annoyance, [I AM NOT STALKING!! I’m just following her to find out if she is worthy of all those wrathful things the Summoner wants!] He folded his arms when he added, [Though even if she does deserve some wrath, I can’t do much to her because the payment was hardly the minimum.]
Asmodeus gave a small shrug when they said, [Do what you can is the best advice I can give you.]
Satan gave a small wave when they replied, [Oh please, I was just going to cause her to get a nasty-looking scrape no matter what I find out about her.]
[Fair enough, I suppose,] Asmodeus replied before turning their attention back on the mortals. Satan only folded his arms at this as he watched his target.
The Lord of Wrath just watched as Marinette talked to the others in the groups before they all went to beat up the Style Queen replicas.
~}i{~
Lila smirked as she tossed a black rubbish bag into her building’s dumpster. All traces of her little demonic ritual were gone.
The basem*nt of the building she and her mother occupied was typically off-limits to tenets, so it was the perfect place for Lila to perform the ritual that she found on the internet without being disturbed. She already returned the key to the basem*nt to its place so no one will ever know that she has been in there.
While Lila was sceptical about the whole thing at first, it proved itself to be the real deal very quickly. It just filled her with utter joy that she now had a way to eliminate any threats to her kingdom of lies without having to do it herself! Though Lila was a little annoyed that “Satan” said it would take a while before he could do anything, he assured her that he would do what she wanted to that goody-goody best he could. Lila didn’t care as long as she got what she wanted and she wanted that annoying goody-goody out of the way and to suffer!
Lila returned to her building unit, feeling good about herself knowing that her biggest annoyance would no longer be a problem. ‘I should order some of my favourite take-out to celebrate,’ Lila thought as she pulled out her phone with a smug smile. As she made her order, she thought with another smirk, ‘I think I’ll wait five days before I go back to school. Just so no one can blame me for whatever Satan does to that goody-goody.’
~}i{ Later that Night, With Both Heroes }i{~
The two heroes were sitting on their respective beds in their respective homes as they asked their respective Kwamis about the literal embodiment of lust keeping their word to only target Audrey and not touch any of the families she has conned.
The Kwami of Creation and Destruction answered with, “Despite being a Sin and Lord of Hell, Asmodeus always keeps their word. Which falls back on the habit they have of keeping to contracts and agreements.”
Both Marinette and Adrien responded with, “Really?”
The Kwamis nodded when they said, “Ironic, I know, but out of all the Seven Lords of Hell, Asmodeus is the best one to be here and handling this whole thing.”
Plagg told Adrien that if the Lord of Lust does anything he doesn’t like to just tell them “No”. The blonde model was confused by this when the black Kwami explained that Asmodeus might be the Lord of Lust but they’re big on having all parties happy so hearing the words “No” or “Stop” will cause them to drop their intentions. This made Adrien think about that.
Marinette noticed that Tikki kept glancing out the window and asked what was wrong. The red Kwami kept her big blue eyes at the window when she said, “I don’t know. Maybe I’m still feeling the remnants of the overwhelming aura from Asmodeus, but…” Her antenna twitched before she finished, “I still feel a small amount of hellish aura lingering in the background…”
Marinette glanced out the window when she said, “If we’re talking about a Lord of Hell… Then maybe we’re just feeling the aura from the hotel, probably by accident.” She looked at the Kwami before adding, “Don’t forget the Miraculous makes us Holders more aware of magic, so I guess we can feel auras a little easier too.” Tikki had to agree with that logic.
Soon, Marinette turned the lights off and went to sleep. Satan took a step out of the alleyway to get a better look at the window.
~}i{ Three Days Later }i{~
Satan took a bite out of the razzberry croissant he got from the bakery the parents of his target run. He had to admit, the humans made some tasty baked goods. ‘They could give Beelzebub a run for his Blood Crystals,’ the Lord of Wrath thought as he wrote in the notebook at a table in the Dupain-Cheng bakery. Writing in glyphs that were unrecognizable to mortals, though it would be easy for them to pass it off as a different language from some other part of the world.
Satan placed the croissant on the plate before he placed his elbow on the table and rested his chin on his palm as he re-read what he wrote. ‘I get that it’s only been a few days since I started following this Mary-net, but I figured I’d find something about her that would earn her some ire… There’s nothing about her that would… Aside from that crush on that blonde male but she seems fine with the other suitors for him… Damn, I’m going to have to watch her for a while.’ He narrowed his eyes before he glanced up just in time to see Marinette come into view. The Lord of Wrath picked up the croissant to finish eating it, so he can finish it before he has to follow the bluette. Though he had to wait a little bit before he could, so as not to raise the concerns of her parents. Satan could faintly feel the remainder of emotions from the whole event three days ago. Not his department of negative emotions but he can understand why those emotions lingered despite the smiles they had on their faces.
As Marinette left for school, Satan casually brought the plate and cup to the Return Section with his notebook tucked under his arm. He pleasantly thanked the Dupain-Cheng couple for the goodies as he left a nice tip (with the Earth currency of France), and then left the bakery. Satan then started walking towards Dupont to catch up to his target. Didn’t take too long, the bluette was waiting at a crosswalk for the light to change.
That’s pretty much been the routine the past few days for the Lord of Wrath. Have a nice little breakfast at the bakery while he waited for his target to head to school, he casually follows her to school, turns completely invisible before entering the school, goes through the school day with that red-headed woman’s class, either returns to the bakery for lunch or the cafeteria, hangs in the background as Marinette hangs with her friends, sometimes watch as Marinette helps her parents in the bakery, and lastly watch Marinette through her window as she winds down for bed. Mind you Satan couldn’t just enter the “living quarters” of mortals anytime he likes, that would be “invading their lives” which is not allowed due to the Laws of Heaven and Hell. But he was fine with the window.
As he followed Marinette onto Dupont grounds, invisible to mortal eyes, of course, he rolled his eyes when the “school routine” started.
‘Hi, Alya,’ Satan mocked in his mind when he saw the hombre-haired girl came into view.
Marinette smiled when she saw Alya. She then waved at her friend when she said, “Hi, Alya!”
Satan rolled his eyes when he mocked, ‘Hi, gurl, glad to see you’re on time again.’
Alya smiled and waved back when she said to her friend, “Hi, Gurl! Glad to see you’re on time again.”
Satan spotted Nino coming along before he mocked, ‘Yo, dudettes…’
Nino waved at the two girls when he got out, “Yo, dudettes!”
Satan followed the group into the school’s ground when he thought in annoyance, ‘The red-capped teen will stay behind and wait for the blonde boy Mary-net is pursuing… And the girls will be fine with that…’
That was when Nino said, “You two go ahead, I’m going to wait for Adrien, kay.”
Alya smiled when she said, “Sure thing, we’ll say hi to him when he walks into class,” she nudges the bluette when she added, “Righ, Marinette~.”
Marinette got all flustered and nervous when she said, “Um, yes! Of course!”
Satan rolled his eyes as he followed the girls into the school, not liking that he had the whole banter memorised. He did notice that Nino’s smile faded the moment the girls turned away from him. Satan knew something was bothering the chilled teen, but he didn’t feel any wrath from him so not his problem.
It didn’t take long before Nino saw the silver car pull up. He was about to say hi when he saw the blonde model come out of the car, but he heard through the closed door, “How the hell can you say something like that?!” Nino paused in his action, not sure who was practically shouting. Though it sounded a bit like Adrien… “Screw that! Do either you or father even understand what the hell happened to Chloe and Andre?! What they’re going through and are still going through?!” Nino looked at the driver’s seat to see The Gorilla having a worried look on his face. The bodyguard glanced in the red-capped teen’s direction and saw Nino with a relatively shocked expression on his face. The Gorilla gave the teen an “It’s bad” look on his face. The red-capped teen then heard Adrien shout through the car, “FAKE?!?! HOW THE HELL CAN YOU AND FATHER THINK THAT!?!?”
‘Uh-oh!’ Nino thought as he quickly put the facts together.
“YOU KNOW WHAT!! FATHER CAN JUST SCREW HIMSELF!!” Adrien snapped before he shoved open the door and exited the car with a scowl.
“Adrien!” Nathalie exclaimed in an odd combination of shock, dismay, worry, and confusion.
Nino’s jaw dropped when he saw Adrien slam the door to the car shut, practically in the secretary’s face. The normally laid-back teen has never seen his buddy this mad before, and it made him worry. Mostly about his best bud attracting an Akuma.
Adrien turned to see Nino standing there with that look on his face. The blonde model now felt a bit self-conscious when he said, “Hi, Nino… Um, how much did you hear?” A few seconds later the silver car drove off.
Nino blinked a few times before shaking his head to snap himself out of this trance and then said, “Enough to know that I don’t need to ask what it’s about.” Adrien lowered his gaze at this. Nino nudged the blonde to follow him into the school when he asked, “How’s Chloe and her new siblings doing? Are they settling in alright?”
Adrien glanced at the ground when he said, “Well, the other families are settling in but there’s still some uneasiness… And as it turned out, they already planned on the schooling… Zoe is a year younger than Chloe and has been enrolled to attend Dupont. I, uh, asked about that, Mr Lee explained that he and Audrey planned to have their daughters attend the same school. I mean, he technically did the work for that and submitted it two weeks ago… Zoe’s going to be in Ms Mendeleiev’s class though… Joey is 13 and Donnie is 12 so they’re going to be enrolled in the Jr High close to the hotel… The twins are 10 so Mr Fog and Andre are looking for a different Elementary school close by since their original plans for school fell through…”
Nino’s lips pressed in a line when he said, “Wow, sounds like they had everything planned for when they moved here…” He then glanced down as they climbed the stairs when he added, “Which also means that Audrey had also been planning on…” Adrien grumbled out “Yeah…” Nino then stated as they entered the school, “You… Didn’t mention how Chloe’s handling it.”
Adrien didn’t say anything as he just pulled his phone out of his pocket, unlocked it, scrolled a bit, and then handed it to Nino. The red-capped teen raised a brow at this but took the phone and looked at what was opened. It looked like a chat group between Adrien, Chloe, and Sabrina. The blonde appeared to have scrolled up to the start of the recent conversation.
}{ Chat Group On Phone }{
A: Chlo, do you feel alright enough to come back to school? Or should Sabrina and I tell Ms Bustier that you’re still…
C: … Daddy already called the school…
C: I’m not…
C: Exactly ready to… Get back into the swing of school just yet…
S: Still processing?
C: … Yeah… In more ways than one…
A: Can you explain? So we can understand a little better.
C: I can try…
C: Well, you all know that my, uh, “Younger Siblings” knew about me and not each other, right?
S: Yeah, it’s because Audrey was legally married to Andre, who is a very public figure.
A: Was?
S: Yeah… Andre submitted the Legal Divorce Papers yesterday. I doubt anyone who has been following the news would deny those papers… Wasn’t too hard, but now there’s going to be a Custody Court Hearing in regards to the Parental Custody of Chloe, and her younger sibling by extension…
C: I don’t know why they’re even bothering with that, she isn’t going to show. And it’s not just because that demon is going to be there to take her soul if she shows up…
S: It’s a legal procedure that they have to ensure the care and wellbeing of the minors… Even if they already know the outcome…
A: That sounds… Complicated… And kinda sad…
C: Kinda… But back to the story…
C: Basically, my Younger Siblings only knew about me because Daddy and I are public figures and was married to Daddy, so there was no way that person could hide us from them… So she kinda…
C: Well, she told the dads that she and Daddy had an open marriage. Which Daddy so totally did NOT know. But with my Younger Siblings…
C: *Sighs*, She basically “tailored” me to fit the interests of each of my Younger Siblings… Told them that I was like this super big protege, or something along that line, in their field of interest that’s stationed in Paris!
C: She… She made it so I would appear to be the perfect big sister to them!
A: And… And they… Told you this?
C: No… They would start saying something but not finish like they weren’t sure if they should continue to say or ask it, so I asked their dads…The dads managed to answer a few questions Daddy and I had… I can’t believe that bitch led them on like that! And more importantly, how she… She never told us about any of them! Like this whole time! Daddy and I just thought she was off travelling because of her career!
S: I get it… If Audrey lied to the families about you and Andre knowing about them… It made them wonder what other lies she told them… And your new siblings are not sure how to ask you without hurting your feelings, right?
C: … Yeah… I… I can’t blame them tbh… Their whole lives they’ve looked up to me, which I don’t mind tbh, but then learning that I didn’t know that they existed on top of Audrey set them up to be sacrificed with me w/o a second thought…
C: Guess they’re going through the same thing I am… And all of us are still… Processing the whole thing… Forget about Audrey and what she tried to do to us! We’re still wrapping our heads around the fact that our family practically quadrupled overnight! We now have five dads and six kids! I have no idea how all of us are going to work this whole thing out! I also have no idea how to be a big sister! And Daddy has only ever had me! He doesn’t know how to handle/raise multiple kids at once!
A: Yikes! I think I’m getting the big picture!
S: Agreed… On the upside, Asmodeus is keeping, um, his/her word about keeping you and your families out of harm’s way… Idk what pronouns to use with Asmodeus…
A: Um, let’s go with They/Them until Asmodeus confirms something.
}{ Back with Nino }{
“Dude…” Nino got out as he handed the phone back to its owner. He then added, “I knew that it takes some time to process the whole thing… I guess it’s just going to take longer because it is with five families learning to live with each other… On top of finding out about families that you didn’t know existed…” Nino couldn’t even imagine having to go through that himself.
Adrien sighed when he said in a downcast tone, “Yeah… And as you heard… Father doesn’t exactly believe that the so-called “Style Queen” could ever do such a thing…” He then scoffed when he added in a rather angry tone, “But the “Style Queen” telling Chloe that the only thing “exceptional” about her was her mother is perfectly fine to him!”
Nino was a bit apprehensive about the way Adrien was behaving. He’s never seen the blonde model so openly angry and upset… Disappointed and a little bit upset, yes. Completely angry and very upset, no… It made Nino worried about his buddy possibly getting Akumatized, but that was when he noticed a red caterpillar-like creature as long as an adult’s hand sitting on Adrien’s other shoulder. The red-capped teen quickly rubbed his eyes, just to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.
“What’s wrong?” Adrien asked his best friend when he saw this.
Nino looked at the weird creature on the blonde’s shoulder when he asked, “Uh, I, uh, think you have something…” He pointed at the caterpillar-like creature that tilted its head up in response.
Adrien glanced at the caterpillar thing on his shoulder when he explained, “Oh, that… Um, it’s kinda Asmodeus's way of countering Hawkmoth's emotional sensor thing he uses to hone in on negative emotions to Akumatize people… Uh, from what Asmodeus explained, it feeds on anger, despair, guilt, jealousy… It basically “eats” the emotions before Hawkmoth can catch them. Every member of Chloe’s family at the hotel has a few… Wait! You can see it?”
Nino was confused by the question when he replied, “Um, dude, it’s a little hard to miss once you notice it…” After a few seconds of awkward silence, the red-capped teen realised the answer about the caterpillar-like creature. “So, basically, we don’t have to worry about Hawkdick targeting any of them because of these little dudes?” Nino asked in an unsure tone. Adrien nodded in response. That was when the red-capped teen asked as they walked into class, “And you have one because?”
Suddenly they heard a sharp gasp. The two teens turned to see Ms Bustier in a state of panic, shock, and distress. All while staring at the red caterpillar-like creature on Adrien’s shoulder. Then the rest of the class noticed the creature…
Adrien quickly realised that his whole class could see the creature when he said, “But… Asmodeus said that the “Wrathflies'' can't be seen by average mortals. So how come everyone here can see it?” His father, Nathalie, and his bodyguard couldn’t see the Wrathfly so he knew that the Lord of Lust was telling the truth.
Ivan couldn’t help but say, “Well… Um, I don’t think any of us are technically “average mortals''. Unless Asmodeus's definition of “average” is different from our definition of the word…” The whole class did agree on that since there was some logic.
Mylene was the one to ask, “Is it… Safe for it to be around us?” Adrien quickly repeated what Asmodeus told him, the Wrathfly was pretty harmless in the mortal realm and that their threat level was on par with a regular caterpillar and then butterfly. Mylene got up from her seat to get a closer look at the little creature of hell. The multi-coloured-haired girl placed a hand to her chin before she said, “It kind of looks similar to a Swallow-Tail Caterpillar but with a red colouring.”
Alya pulled her phone out to take a picture but quickly realised that the Wrathfly didn’t appear on her phone’s camera. The blogger quickly commented, “It seems like “average mortals” aren’t the only ones who can’t see this little thing. Cameras don’t see them either.” She indicated her phone as Markov flew over to investigate.
The AI tilted his head to the side when he stated, “Strange? I can see this Wrathfly quite clearly… Does that mean that I am also not categorised as an “Average mortal”?”
Max gave a small smile when he said, “Markov, I don’t think a highly advanced Artificial Intelligence can be considered “Average” in any way.” That AI seemed to accept that logic.
That was when Nino asked his question again, and Adrien explained that he got one because Asmodeus decided to try their hand at running some mortal fashion shoots and chose to work with his father’s company, to further taunt the former Style Queen. Adrien then admitted that the Lord of Lust felt his conflicting emotions and gave him a Wrathfly to help. “So they gave you one because you’re totally upset about the whole “family” thing with Chloe?” Nino asked, now making sense of what he learned. Adrien nodded in response.
Miss Bustier let out a nervous chuckle when she said, “Oh, uh, that’s great that this Asmodeus is, uh, helping you, Chloe, and her new family through this… Um, tough time.” It was clear that the teacher wasn’t sure what to do in this kind of situation, both the hell insect and what Chloe was going through. Miss Bustier then stated that they needed to get back to class.
Satan, standing by the door unseen, as he looked at the insect from his Ring. ‘Oh, that’s why Ozzie wanted those. Ah, right that emotional terrorist is stationed here in Paris, so the Wrathflies would be a great counter for him… I sometimes forget that Ozzie does research…’ The Lord of Wrath thought before he focused his attention on his target. He raised a brow when he realised, ‘Huh? Why am I sensing… No, it couldn’t be!’
Satan tried to focus on his target, but suddenly an Akuma alert rang out. This caused the students to check the alert. As the Lord of Wrath clicked his tongue in annoyance when the teacher immediately went into super teacher mode and started the School’s Akuma Attack Protocol.
When this was happening, Satan noticed that Marinette managed to slip away from the group unnoticed before quietly rushing away. ‘Oh?’ The Lord of Wrath thought as he continued to follow, finally finding something of interest happening with the target. He also noticed the blonde boy sneaking away, but he wasn’t the Lord of Hell’s concern.
Satan followed the bluette into the girls’ restroom when he finally saw the source of the magic he sensed earlier.
Tikki flew out of Marinette’s purse when she said, “We need to act fast this time!” When the bluette asked why and if it was a strong Akuma, Tikki replied, “No, I just don’t want the Akuma to accidentally get on Asmodeus’s bad side. They’re still a Lord of Hell by the end of the day.” Marinette agreed on that, quickly transformed to Ladybug, and then rushed off to handle the Akuma.
Satan folded his arms when he thought, ‘Well, now. This changes everything.’
~}i{ Meanwhile }i{~
Something didn’t feel right to Asmodeus… During the two days that they have been “working” with the Gabriel Brand, more so to mess with Audrey, they’ve noticed some troubling signs with Agreste’s son…
For starters, Adrien Agreste was a CHILD!! Asmodeus, and nearly all their underlings, originally thought that the young blonde model was a legal adult with a rather youthful appearance, but the moment they found that Adrien Agreste was 16-years-old, the Lord of Lust immediately called the acting overseer of the Ring of Lust to have the appearance of the model removed from the “Approved Appearances of Famous Human to Use for Roleplaying” list.
Asmodeus might’ve been the Lord of Lust, but they had standards! Children are NEVER to be touched sexually! Ever! Not by anyone under their domain at least! So working with a Child in the modelling world where millions tend to desire others… Yeah, not something that the Lord of Lust liked doing… Made it a bit worse because Adrien was the feature model.
But the part that Asmodeus COULD NOT STAND was the fact that Adrien himself had NO TRUE DESIRE to model! It utterly irked the Lord of Lust that the biological father of that child was forcing him to do something that he had absolutely no desire to do. Asmodeus could easily tell that the child was only modelling to make his father happy, but that only drew the “desire” out by only so much and it wasn’t the best-tasting lust. Not the worst but it was barely palatable.
During the 2nd day of “Working” with Gabriel, Asmodeus laid down the law so to speak. The Lord of Lust refused to allow Adrien to model in any of the photoshoots they were working on until Adrien could answer with complete honesty, “Is modelling what You desire to do? If not, then what do You truely desire to do?”
Adrien kept answering that he did want to model, but Asmodeus could small any lie, which was a perk of being the Lord of Lust. And they knew that the child wasn’t being truthful, even if he wasn’t aware of it. Yes, there was a rather big fuss from the Gabriel employees, mostly because they were worried about their boss. However Asmodeus silenced those employees when they stated in a no-nonsense tone, “Adrien has no true desire nor does he truely wants to be here and the one thing that I will never do is force someone to do something that they do not wish to do!”
That made the employees think about a few things…
Adrien tried to explain to Asmodeus that he was fine with modelling. However, the Lord of Lust stated to the blonde in a rather serious tone, “It’s only “fine” if you actually want to do it.”
“I do!” Adrien retorted, not understanding why the Demon Lord seemed so insistent on not letting him do the job his father wants.
Asmodeus folded their arms in front of their chest and asked seriously, “Is that what you truely want or is that what your father wants you to do?”
Now THAT put Adrien in a bind. Asmodeus appeared to know the truth and seemed to know when someone was lying. That meant that If Adrien said that he “wanted” to model or that his father wasn’t forcing him to model, Asmodeus would know that he was lying. But if he admitted that his father made him a model, even if Adrien didn’t care much for it, then it would cast his father in a bad light and make him unhappy! Gabriel might pull him out of school again!
Asmodeus felt the emotions coming from the child, not liking how much of it was negative. So the Lord of Lust gave the child a Wrathfly to help protect him from being taken advantage of by this Hawkmoth character.
But the Lord of Lust still felt like something was wrong…
}{ About 30 Minutes after the Akuma Alert and a Minute After the Akuma was Defeated }{
Asmodeus was sitting in an empty photo studio that the Gabriel Brand used for indoor shoots, using their powers to playback their interaction with Adrien. More specifically going over the emotions the child was giving off.
Fear.
Worry.
Dread.
Hopelessness.
And a dash of Despair.
Asmodeus narrowed their eyes at this, the bull and ram image on their suit mirrored the Lord’s mood. A child feeling these emotions over displeasing their parent can only mean one thing, and the Lord of Lust didn’t like it at all.
Yeah, Asmodeus had a soft spot for children. NOT IN THE PAEDOPHILE KIND OF WAY (1)! It was more of an “Aw, you’re a baby! Let me be your parent while I help you look for suitable guardians to take care of you” way or in an “OMG, I must protect the innocent children!” way. The other Lords of Hell teased the Lord of Lust about that but knew that it was best to just leave it at teasing.
Now, Asmodeus was compiling a letter to their investigation squad to do some research on Mr Agreste and the well-being of Adrien. They made sure to write that they needed them to look into what the child might need emotionally to find a suitable guardian for him.
Asmodeus tapped their sky blue pen to their chin when they thought, ’I might also need to bring in some of my workers for a few photoshoots, and I know I need to call my informants I have at that tv station. Just to make sure they’re holding up their end of the bargen~.’
The next thing the Lord of Asmodeus knew, Chat Noir suddenly swooped in. He landed easily on his feet before sighing in relief. The black cat hero didn’t see the Lord of Lust sitting nearby when he said, “Plagg, Claws In.” Asmodeus covered their mouth in shock as they watched the de-transformation and saw Adrien Agreste standing where Chat Noir was just moments ago.
Adrien sighed again when he told the black Kwami, “Plagg… Do you think that Akuma was right?”
Plagg’s tail twitched in annoyance when he snapped, “Kid! That Akuma was trying to get to you! And Ladybug told you that you and she were partners! Not to mention, she told you that you can choose the next temporary hero.”
This made Adrien smile a bit.
“My, my, my that was an interesting sight~,” Asmodeus said with a smirk, letting the hero know that they were there. The bull and ram heads mirrored the smirk. Adrien and Plagg jumped halfway out of their skin before they snapped their heads towards where the Lord of Lust was sitting. Asmodeus gave the two a playful smirk as they waved and said, “Hi~ Plaggy~. I see you’ve found a suitable~ holder for you~.”
Plagg gave an awkward wave back when he said in an unsure tone, “Uh, hi Asmodeus… Um, thanks for looking out for my kid.” Adrien almost looked scared to death that one of the Lords of Hell found out that he was Chat Noir.
Asmodeus folded their arms when they said in a playfully serious tone, “Well, I can tell you that this certainly changes things~.”
}i{ At the Same Time }i{
Marinette was worried as she made her way back to the bakery. The text from her mother was the main reason for that. When she came to a pause in traffic, she took her phone out of her pocket and read the text again.
“Marinette, you need to come home immediately! Something important came up and you need to be here so we can discuss this as a family.”
Marinette’s mind immediately went through worst-case scenarios! Hawkmoth found out that she was Ladybug and was trying to get to her through her parents! Bakery burning down! One of her parents was seriously hurt!
Tikki quickly and calmly assured her holder that everything would be fine. Assured that her parents probably just wanted to talk to her about her grades or the excuses she had to use to slip away to become Ladybug again. Marinette managed to calm herself down by the time she got to the bakery. The building was standing, which was already easing the bluette’s worries, but there was a closed sign on the door. Marinette blinked at this in confusion. It was odd that the close sign would be on the bakery at this time of day.
Marinette use her keys to open the door to let herself in, then closed the door behind her and locked it again, just in case it was a family meeting. She walked into the housing area of the residence when she called out, “Maman, Papa, you guys here?”
“In the living room, sweetie,” Sabine called from that area. She sounded uneasy for some reason.
Marinette cautiously walked into the Living Room where her mother and father were waiting for her, as well as a man in red sitting in one of the cushioned chairs. The bluette looked at the man when she thought, ‘Huh? That’s the customer who’s been coming to the bakery recently… Why is he here?’
That man in red smiled and gave a small wave at Marinette when he said, “Hello, little Ladybug Holder. And hello Tikki, it’s been such a long time.”
Before Marinette could go through the ‘Oh sh*t! How’d he know?!’ thoughts, Tikki phased out of her purse when the red Kwami snapped angrily, “Satan! What are you doing here?!” The bluette has never seen the red Kwami so enraged before.
The Dupain-Cheng family immediately questioned, “Satan?”
The man in red was quite casual when he said, “Yes, I am Satan, the Lord of Wrath and Ruler of the Ring of Wrath in Hell.” He then created a small plump of flames from his hands as a quick way to prove he was who he claimed to be. Not enough to set off the fire alarms, but enough to show it was real.
Tikki was still angry when she snapped, “You haven’t answered my question! Why! Are! You! Here!” It was more than obvious that she wasn’t the least bit thrilled to have the Lord of Wrath around.
Satan held up a hand as a silent way to tell the Kwami, “Hold on just a second” and that’s when Marinette’s parents registered Tikki. Causing them to also realise that the Lord of Wrath called their daughter “the Ladybug Holder” and everything just clicked into place.
“Marinette! You’re Ladybug!?” Both Tom and Sabine exclaimed in utter shock the moment they realised that their daughter was one of the heroes protecting Paris.
Marinette froze in shock at the fact that a Lord of Hell practically exposed her identity to her parents. Though, better that her parents found out rather than Hawkmoth.
The next thing Marinette knew, her parents had enveloped her in a family hug as Tom said, “Oh, honey, why didn’t you tell us that you were Ladybug? We would have been easier on you for missing activities here and school if we had known.”
Sabine then said, “We also could have helped you with alibies with your friends and helped you with your schooling.”
Tikki flew over to Tom and Sabine when she explained, “It was the Rule of the Guardians that prevented her from telling you about her superhero life… Something that I told her she had to adhere to.” The Kwami quickly assured, “It was only to keep you safe from anyone who wanted to get the Ladybug Miraculous!” Now that her holder’s parents knew that truth, there was no longer a point in hiding it but it would be best to explain this best she could.
Marinette hunched when she said, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you… I wanted to, but I didn’t want Hawkmoth to target you…”
Tom placed a hand on one of his daughter’s shoulders while Sabine placed a hand on the other shoulder when the taller baker said, “Marinette, we understand. Being a hero is hard, but you don’t have to do it alone. You have the other heroes, Chat Noir, and now you have us to support you in your endeavours.”
Marinette smiled before she pulled her parents in for a group hug. Tikki flew into the three and hugged her holder’s cheek, causing Tom and Sabine to giggle/chuckle at this adorable image.
Satan let out an audible cough to get the Dupain-Cheng family’s attention. When he had it, he politely said, “Now that that annoying piece of information is out of the way, I would like to get down to some amicable business.”
Tikki quickly glared at the Lord of Wrath when she said in a tone of annoyance and anger, “We don’t want any business with you!” Marinette was still taken aback by this sudden rage from the normally cheerful and happy Kwami. It made the bluette wonder what happened in the past to make Tikki to hostile towards the Lord of Wrath…
Satan let out a sigh when he said, “I’m aware, Tikki. However, I have business with your holder.” Tom and Sabine immediately went into protective parent mode at this. Satan quickly said, “That I am willing to negotiate with her and her family.” The Lord of Wrath knew that parents can be a force to be reckoned with in their own right, and he would like to avoid that kind of thing at the moment.
Tikki folded her arms as she flew up to the Lord of Wrath when she asked sternly, “And what kind of business are you inquiring about?”
Satan was quiet as he casually tossed a semi-transparent blood-red, crystal stone that was a little bigger than a clove of garlic onto the small table between the couch and chairs. The Dupain-Cheng family and the Kwami stared at the shiny thing for a few seconds before Satan finally said, “A Summoner wanted me to do so many unpleasant things to Mary-net, that I will spare telling you.” He then pointed at the crystal when he added, “But that was all the Summoner paid with, so I can’t do all the things they wanted me to do.”
Tikki looked between the crystal and Satan when she asked in confusion, “That little was allowed to be accepted as a payment for a Sin?”
Satan sighed when he said, “Unfortunately, the Summoner botched the ritual for a Blood Wrath Contract. It happened just before Asmodeus had to come to Paris for that Fashion Human’s soul if you want to know a when this Contract was established.”
Sabine picked up the blood coloured crystal and looked it over when she asked wearily, “And what is this that is considered “Payment” for you… Sins?”
Satan explained in a matter-of-fact tone, “It’s a Blood Crystal. They’re created via mortal blood, either human or animal, for Contracted Ritual Summons. It’s the currency for us Beings of Hell.” Sabine immediately dropped the crystal the moment she heard that it was made of blood.
Tikki raised a brow in confusion when she asked, “How badly did this Summoner “Botch” the Blood Wrath Contract if a single Blood Crystal was accepted as payment?”
Marinette and Tom asked what the Kwami and Lord of Hell were talking about. Tikki quickly explained the Laws of Heaven and Hell, mostly about how things work as payment for invoking either a Sin or an Angel. For Hell, the blood that is bartered for the Sins becomes Blood Crystals, which are used as currency in Hell.
Sabine clapped her hands together when she said, “Oh, so when you beings of Hell are called to Earth to do your respective Sin, you are given blood which gets turned into the Blood Crystals and then circulated in Hell as money.”
Satan nodded when he said, “Basically. But mind you we are only allowed to do as much as what it agreed upon or as much as we’re paid.” He motioned towards the Blood Crystal on the table when he added, “The Summoner who wanted Mary-net to “suffer a great deal” didn’t pay for much, therefore, I can not do much aside from possibly inflicting a nasty-looking scrape.”
That was when Tikki asked, “I’ll ask again, how badly was the contract botched if a single Blood Crystal was accepted as payment?”
Satan scoffed when he said, “The Summoner batched the Blood Wrath Contract by both pouring the blood into the Ritual Circle before the summoning and somehow summoned Asmodeus instead of me.” The Lord of Wrath folded his arms in annoyance when he added, “I had to scrutinize the whole thing because another Sin oversaw the Wrath Contract, unwillingly. And since the blood was poured before the summoning, Asmodeus had no choice but to accept the Contract, despite how little the pay was.”
Tikki explained to the Dupain-Chengs that the summoning for a Contract with a being of Hell is supposed to be summoned first, finding an agreement for the amount of blood for what the Summoner wants to be done, and then the blood is poured into the Ritual Circle once the agreement is reached to seal the deal.
Sabine couldn’t help but say in an uneasy tone, “I suppose we got lucky that this Summoner failed to do the Contract correctly…”
Satan shrugged when he said, “In a way, you did. But since Mary-net is the current holder of the Ladybug Miraculous, I would have gotten in trouble with a certain Angel whose name will not be mentioned if I had started on inflicting the damage before confirming that fact.” Tikki couldn’t help but giggle at the word “certain Angel”. Satan placed a hand to his chin when he said thoughtfully, “I don’t believe that the Summoner knew about the Holder status, since the focus of their wrath seemed to be on just Mary-net. But other than your Miraculous Holder status and that interest in that blonde boy in your class, I honestly don’t see any reason why this Summoner believes you are deserving of all the harm she wants to be inflicted on you.”
“Uh,” the ladybug holder got out before saying, “It’s Marinette, and, uh, is that good?”
Satan shrugged when he said, “Normally, I wouldn’t care since you mortals can be rather petty for any number of reasons. However since this summoner asked for so much to be done but paid barely the minimum, I had to at least find out why so much hate this time around.” The Lord of Wrath scoffed when he added, “Also, due to the request for so much wrath to be done, I was under the impression that Marinette would’ve made a good underling. Clearly, that is not the case.”
The Dupain-Chengs somewhat glanced at each other in an unsure manner when they heard this admission. Tikki wasn’t so surprised. The Kwami then asked, “So what are you going to do? You still have to follow through on the Contract, despite the bare minimum payment, but if you hurt Marinette, you’ll get in trouble with you-know-who.”
That was when Satan said, “This is where that “amicable business” needs to be negotiated.” He glanced at Marinette’s parents when he added, “And since Marinette is a child, I did need her parents to be aware of the whole situation. Sorry, Tikki.”
Tikki folded her stubby arms when she huffed, “Okay, now that you explained it, I’m not that angry at you. Still mad about you dropping Marinette Holder's status out of the blue though, but at least it was just with her parents.”
Satan shrugged when he said, “Fair enough.”
Soon, the Lord of Wrath started the negotiation with the Dupain-Chengs and the Kwami.
~}i{ Later that Night }i{~
Chloe stared at the Wrathfly that was currently sleeping at the foot of her bed. While she wasn’t exactly thrilled that she had to let that disgusting thing crawl on her person, she was too aware that it was the only thing preventing Hawkmoth from Akumatizing her, her dad, and her siblings and their dads…
Chloe pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them when she thought, ‘Siblings…’
She still couldn’t believe that she’s a big sister now after all this time… Well, technically she’s been an older sister the whole time and just wasn’t aware of it until recently… Chloe knew she wasn’t the nicest person and was the school bully, but that doesn’t mean that she can’t be a good sister, right? Or that she would be just as bad of a sister? Her younger siblings had had a high opinion of her before meeting her but now that they knew that it was a lie, would they still like her regardless? Or would she be a disappointment to them too?
Suddenly, Chloe’s phone dinged an alert and snapped her out of her spiral of negative thoughts.
The blonde looked at her phone to see who it was.
}{ Text on Chloe’s Phone }{
Unknown Number: Hey, Chloe, it’s Nino.
Unknown Number: I asked Adrien for your number…
Unknown Number: I figured that I… Ask you if you wanted any advice about being an older sibling.
Unknown Number: I talked to Alya and her older sister, Anansi, and they’re willing to help you adjust to being a big sis too.
}{ With Chloe }{
Chloe stared at the text for a while before she texted back, asking whoever was on the other end of that text to prove that they were Nino by answering the question she sent.
}{ Text on Chloe’s Phone }{
Unknown Number: Sailor Moon.
Unknown Number: I understand why you’re sceptical, especially after what’s been happening, but was that question the best way to prove that I was Nino?
}{ With Chloe }{
The mayor’s daughter sighed with relief before she saved the number and texted her reply.
}{ Text On Chloe’s Phone }{
Chloe: Well, other than me and Sabrina, you would be the only other person to know about THAT particular fact. Even Felix doesn’t know about it.
Nino: Um, okay… Uh, I’ll be willing to agree to that, only if you don’t bring up Adrien’s dick of a cousin if you can help it.
Chloe: Wow, he’s made that bad of an impression on you after only meeting him once?
Nino: Adrien didn’t tell you about what happened when that dick visited?
Chloe: Well, I know what I’m going to ask Adrikins next time I see him...
Chloe: Also… Were you serious about giving me advice about being an older sibling?
Nino: Yeah, I was.
Nino: Alya and Anansi are willing to give you advice too. Though I’m not too sure if their advice will work for you as an individual, it might work with you and your siblings as a whole.
Chloe: Oh, yeah… Alya has a pair of younger twin sisters and Anansi is her older sister, right?
Nino: Yup, you got it right!
Nino: Oh, letting you know that Anansi is one of those Protective Older Siblings, so I’m going to guess that most of her advice will lean more towards that mentality.
Nino: Not sure if it’ll be your thing or not, but it wouldn’t hurt to keep some of what she says in mind for the future. Just in case or you might be able to use that advice differently.
Chloe: I guess it wouldn’t hurt to know…
Chloe: And… Thanks… For, uh, reaching out to me…
Nino: No problem, and try to remember that you don’t have to be “the perfect sibling” or “the perfect daughter”, you just need to show that you care about them.
Nino: Also, you might have some disagreements or arguments with your siblings, but don’t stress about it too much, it’s normal for siblings to disagree/fight. It’s how you figure out what works and what doesn’t, but just make sure you talk to them after an argument/disagreement. Though wait a while for all the parties to cool down a bit before you talk to them about the fight, so you don’t start a fight again.
Chloe: Thanks for this. I… I mean it…
Nino: Your welcome, and if you need help, you’re allowed to ask. Not just me, Alya, and Anansi, you have our class.
}{ With Chloe }{
Chloe looked at the screen with a small smile.
~}i{~
On the roof of the hotel, Asmodeus was lounging under the moonlight as they knitted a section of a quilt while humming a chipper tune. The bull and ram heads on the suit were smiling cheerfully.
“You seem to be in a good mood, Ozzie,” Satan stated as he landed on the roof without a sound before walking over to the other Lord of Hell.
Asmodeus glanced up from their knitting when they said with a smile, “Ran into Plaggy and his new holder. Nice child, but he’s showing signs of emotional neglect.”
Satan scowled when he huffed out, “Seriously? Don’t you have a soul to collect?”
Asmodeus raised an amused brow, and the bull and ram heads followed suit when they smirked and said, “Ooo, sounds like someone~ learned something unpleasant~.”
Satan growled as he sat next to the Lord of Lust when he scoffed, “Well, since you found Plagg and his new holder, then you should know that I found Tikki and her new holder.” Asmodeus made a ‘go on’ motion when they saw that ‘I have more to say but don’t want to talk about it’ look on the other’s face. The Lord of Wrath growls before saying, “Turns out my target IS Tikki’s new holder!”
“Oh!” Asmodeus got out in a relatively surprised tone. The bull and ram heads on their suit now had on a shocked expression. They then had an ‘oh boy’ expression on their face, with the bull and ram heads following suit, when they said, “That had to be an unpleasant reunion… Is Tikki still mad at you for Joan?”
Satan looked like he swallowed an entire lemon when he said, “She didn’t say, but it was clear that she is.” He ran an aggravated hand through his hair when he growled out, “It was over 300 years ago and her holder wasn’t even my target! Those stupid humans interfered and burned the wrong soldier! And Tikki is still angry about it!”
Asmodeus sighed as they placed their knitting in their lap when they said, “Well, you do remember that Joan was also a favourite of-”
“Do not say that name!” Satan snapped angrily, almost dropping his human form.
Asmodeus rolled their eyes as they went back to knitting when they said with a sigh, “You get what I getting at though.”
Satan scoffed before saying, “Yeah, yeah, I know. Joan is the reason why it’s mandatory to research the target and sometimes the Summoner so that sh*t doesn’t happen again.” The Lord of Wrath folded his arms when he growled out, “Even if it wasn’t my fault…”
Asmodeus sided-eyed the other when they stated, “Unfortunately since the whole incident was because of the Blood Wrath Contract you had at the time, it is technically considered your fault.”
Satan let out a sigh as he rubbed his temples when he finally said, “Maybe I should’ve kept a closer eye on the humans I was using back then… But here and now, I’m making sure that this Contract goes through without a hitch and Tikki will keep this holder.”
Asmodeus raised a brow, with the bull and ram heads mimicking the emotion, when they asked, “Are you talking about the Blood Wrath Contract that was barely paid and that I was summoned to?”
Satan nodded when they said, “Yes, managed to reach an agreement with Marinette and her parents on the “Wrath” I’m going to inflict. I mean, as much as I’m allowed to do for a single Blood Crystal anyway.”
Asmodeus kept on knitting when they said, “Ah, so you’re going to stay to make sure your deeds are done to the letter and then you’re heading back to Hell.” They then inspected their quilt section before saying, “Good to know you’re planning things through.”
“Hey!” Satan got out in annoyance. He huffed before he got out, “I might not be as thorough as you when it comes to making plans, but I don’t start any Contract without a basic plan!” That was when the Lord of Wrath finally noticed what the other was doing and asked, “What are you making?” Asmodeus happily showed off the quilt section to the Lord of Wrath, with the bull and ram head grinning chipperly. The moment Satan saw the image on the quilt section, he immediately flushed red, and quickly looked away from the rather graphic display when he stuttered out, “Oh for Father’s sake! How can you make sh*t like that so casually!?”
Asmodeus raised an amused brow when they asked smugly, “Oh~? How can you take about torture so~ easily?”
Satan was about to retort but realised that the other was right and got out begrudgingly, “Alright, touche.” Asmodeus gave a proud smirk, with the bull and ram heads on the suit mimicking that same smirk, before finishing off their knitting as the Lord of Wrath sighed in annoyance. Satan then said in a bit more of a serious tone, “From what I’ve learned from watching Tikki’s Holder… There’s honestly nothing about her that would earn ire from others, even that romantic interest in that blonde boy in her class is fine for the others. Heck, she’s on friendly terms with her romantic rivals.”
Asmodeus thought about that for a bit before asking, “Hm, I know that Wrath is your thing and I know the bare minimum but isn’t that rather odd to hate someone that has literally done nothing wrong?”
Satan nodded when he said, “From what you got from the Summoner, she was certain that she hated Marinette. Correct?”
Asmodeus placed their knitting back on their lap to focus on their memory. After a minute or so, they finally said, “Most definitely. She wanted “that goody-goody” to suffer a great deal. Never gave a reason as to why. And she got rather angry when I told her that “I” couldn’t do anything right away but I pacified her by saying that “I” would do what I can.”
Satan huffed when he said, “You mean Me, right.”
Asmodeus glanced at the other Lord of Hell when they said, “Yes, but I told you. The Summoner thought I was you, even though I didn’t look like you when she summoned me.”
Satan grumbled out, “But how the Heaven did she batch the summon so badly? Not just the pouring the blood into the circle before summoning…” He waved a hand, causing a bit of mist to appear, 7 different summon circles suddenly appeared on the mist, and then Satan tapped on two of the circles when he said, “Wrath and Lust Summoning Circles have completely different designs, so how can any human alter one enough to summon Lust for a Blood Wrath Contract?”
Asmodeus leaned over a bit before asking, “You want me to give you an image of this Summoner so you can send someone to properly investigate her? Just an image of her face, nothing “else” if you’re going to be worried about that.”
Satan folded his arms as the mist with the images vanished before he said, “I’ll send someone to get that image once you’re done.” He looked at his fellow Lord of Hell when he added, “Something’s off about this whole thing. And I’m not just talking about the Miraculous being involved.”
“Hm?” Both Asmodeus and Satan vocalized as they both noticed a bright red, swallow-tail butterfly-like creature fluttering towards them.
“Huh? How did one of the Wrathflies mature so quickly? I just gave them out,” Asmodeus stated as the full-grown Wrathfly happily landed on Satan’s extended hand. The moment the Wrathfly touched the Lord of Wrath, the negative emotions it was feeding on were felt by its master.
“How can Father ignore all those facts?” “Does Father even care about what’s happening? Or does he choose not to care?” “Father broke his promise to me again…Why do I even bother by this point?” “Urg, I have to do a shoot with Lila in three days. I don’t want to work with her, she’s too clingy! Always touching me! Doesn’t Father read those complaints my co-workers send him? Or listens to me when I tell him that?” “Father went back on his word again… I wanted to hang with my friends today…” “Why do I even bother with asking Father to let me do things? He hardly keeps his word to me nowadays…” “Does Father know that he makes me feel like I’m not important to him? Like I’m not even his son…” “Why can’t Father act like one! I miss Mother too, but it’s getting harder to make Father happy… And he doesn’t even bother to spend any real father/son time with me…”
“My, my, my, you’ve fed on quite a few daddy issues,” Satan commented before the Wrathfly moved to sit on one of its master’s shoulders.
Asmodeus frowned with the bull and ram heads followed suit when they stated in annoyance, “So, that Wrathfly is the one I gave to Adrien, Plagg’s Holder. Seems like I made the right call to launch an investigation on that so-called father… I should also give him another Wrathfly larva.”
“Hm,” was all Satan got out as he folded his arms, thinking that there was more to this.
~}i{ The Next Morning }i{~
“Hey Nino, what’s wrong?” Kim asked Nino as they walked to school with Marinette as they agreed to do today. The tall teen noticed an irritated look on the normally laid-back teen’s face and was worried about something.
Nino let out a huff when he said, “Adrien texted me a few minutes ago, his dad is having him do an early morning photoshoot… He’s going to miss the first two class periods…”
Marinette raised a brow when she asked, “Hang on, didn’t Mr Agreste make Adrien do a last-minute photoshoot yesterday?”
Kim scratched his head when he asked, “Uh, didn’t Mr Agreste promise Adrien that he would have the day off to hang with us? Ignoring the Akuma attack.”
Nino scowled when he said, “And the time before that, and the time before that, and going back on his word to let Adrien attend the Art Expo with us… Mr Agreste’s word isn’t worth jack sh*t! He went back on all the promises he was making to Adrien for almost a month!”
Kim had a worried look on his face before looking over at Marinette when he said, “Mari, I know you like the guy’s designs, but this is a rather concerning behaviour for a parent.”
Marinette’s poster hunched slightly as an unwilling look crept on her face when she said, “After the whole thing with the Style Queen… I’m… Kinda less inclined to just put people I like on pedestals…” She sighed before saying, “So I’m a lot more willing to think that Mr Agreste is a bad parent than you think… Not as bad as the Style Queen obviously, but up there on the list…” The guys sympathized with her a bit. Marinette sighed again when she said, “Maybe Kagami can talk to her mother about doing something to get Adrien into a healthier household, or Anarka can find a way to legally kidnap him.”
When the three got to the school’s ground, they saw the Tsurugi’s car pull up. Kagami exited the car, and told her mother something before closing the door, the car then drove away, and Kagami walked up to the trio with a wave. “Greetings, how is everyone so far?” the Japanese student asked the three when she got close enough to ask.
Kim and Nino gave their answer with smiles while Marinette couldn’t even crack a pretend smile, which did not go unnoticed by the others and they asked what was wrong. To which the bakers’ daughter reluctantly explains the “unexpected visitor” to the bakery, while omitting the parts about Tikki and her being Ladybug.
Nino waved a hand in shock when he got out in dismay, “Hold on! You’re telling me that Satan just dropped by your place to tell you that someone wanted you to suffer?!”
Kim then added in the same tone, “And just negotiates some kind of medium because whoever “hired” him didn’t pay enough for what they wanted?!”
Kagami had a relatively surprised look on her face before she finally said, “Who do I need to stab?”
Marinette waved a ‘hold on there’ motion when she said, “I don’t know who, uh, “hired” Satan or why they did, but from what he told me and my parents… He found nothing about me that would “earn any ire” and was just willing to just talk about what he should do for the, uh, “payment” that he got from whoever hired him…”
Kim placed his hands on his hips when he said, “You know if it weren’t for the fact that this kind of sh*t happened recently and all the other magical stuff, I would think that you’re making the whole thing up. I mean, Mari, no one hates you enough to summon a demon to make you suffer.” Marinette, Nino, and Kagami gave the tall teen a look at this.
Nino turned his attention to Marinette when he asked, “So what did the dude want to do for that “Payment” thing?” They then entered the school building.
Marinette shrugged as they made their way to the classrooms when she said, “Well, from what he explained… He wasn’t paid the amount needed to do “any meaningful wrath”. I guess he was barely paid the minimum.” She thought back to the negotiation before saying, “To put it simply, the “payment” that was given to him would equal either half of a batch of macaroons getting burnt or me getting an ugly looking scrape.” Marinette looked at Nino, Kim, and Kagami when she stated, “It was pretty easy which one to choose.”
}i{ At the Bakery }i{
Six severely burnt macaroons were tossed into a food compost bin with a plop.
Satan clapped his hands when he said, “Perfect.” Then he pulled a contract out of the inside suit pocket and touched the surface of the paper. The letters glowed slightly before the paper vanished. Satan smirked when he said, “The Blood Wrath Contract has been completed as much as the payment was allowed, so my job is officially done here.”
Tom narrowed his eyes at the Lord of Wrath when he said sternly, “Good.”
Satan shrugged off the human’s tone when he said as he held up a finger, “Just one thing before I leave.”
Sabine was the one to ask in a suspicious tone, “And that would be?”
“I would like to purchase one box of razzberry macaroons, one box of razzberry croissants, and one box of razzberry cakelettes please,” Satan said cheerfully with a smile. As if he wasn’t doing anything that would be deemed evil among humans. Satan then said, “Those are for me to munch on when I return to hell. Your goods are quite delectable.”
Tom and Sabine blinked a few times before they glanced at each other, neither was sure how to process that comment.
~}i{ Dupont }i{~
Marinette then added, “From what he explained, whoever “hired” him messed up on the summon and the payment. Guess that was a lucky thing on my end, and that he seems to like the baked goods my parents make.”
Kim scratched his head when he said, “Maybe it was also a mistaken identity thing too? I don’t know anyone who would hate you enough to do that. You’re way too sweet to make enemies.”
Kagami raised a brow at the tall teen’s response before saying, “I shall have my blade ready in case there truely is someone who dislikes Marinette enough to do such a thing.”
Marinette gave a weary smile when she patted Kagami on the shoulder when she said, “I do appreciate the notion, but let's wait for proof of intent before we get the blades out. Okay?” Kagami gave a nod of understanding before she separated from the group to head to her classroom.
Nino placed a hand on Marinette’s shoulder when he asked, “You sure you’re okay? I mean, first the thing with Chloe and now your odd encounter with…”
Marinette shrugged when she stated, “I don’t know what to think, to be honest… Maybe I just need some time to let the information sink in…” As they walked into Miss Bustier’s class the bluette added, “On the upside, we don’t have to deal with him anymore.”
“Deal with who?” Alya asked from her seat when she saw and heard them walk in.
Kim quickly said with a nonchalant shrug, “Oh, she was talking about a super picky customer with a huge cake order. Lots of “No This” and “No That”, which made it a little difficult to find a good cake for them.” He then looked at Marinette when he added with a smile, “Good thing they were a one-time customer.” The bluette gave a short nod as they made their way to their assigned desks.
It would have been a pleasant morning if Lila hadn’t burst in with an overly cheery, “Good~ Morning~ Everyone~.” Quite literally. The class greeted Lila back, mostly in an unsure tone. The liar happily soaked in the greeting with a smile, until she opened her eyes and spotted Marinette staring back at her with a “What the heck is wrong with you” look on her face. Lila then thought in shock, ‘What the hell?! Why is she still here?! And not in excruciating pain?!?!’
Alya raised a concerned brow at the Italian girl’s sudden shift in emotions when she asked, “Lila, you okay? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
Lila thought quickly before saying with a squeak, “Oh! I just thought I saw a giant bug on the back wall!” Everyone in the room immediately turned to the back wall to see what the Italian student was talking about, some with fear on their faces. Lila took this opportunity to allow herself to show a potent scowl on her face. She was officially annoyed that Satan did do anything to that goody-goody as she wanted! ‘Grr! I’m going to have to summon that demon to remind him that he has to do what I want!’ Lila thought in anger before she quickly plastered a worried look on her face when she saw that Miss Bustier’s class started turning back as they said that there was nothing there. The liar quickly spun, “Oh, the side effects from my cataract treatment must be acting up. Don’t worry it’s only temporary.”
The class somewhat accepted this, some more easily than others, as Lila quickly moved to her assigned seat without any more fuss.
Marinette knew Lila was lying, again, but she couldn’t understand what the liar actually saw that would cause that reaction. At least not right away. That was when she felt her phone vibrate, notifying her that she got a text. Marinette pulled her phone out of her pocket to see the message.
}{ Three Bs Chat Group }{
Brawn: Hey Mari, call me crazy but I think Lila was looking at you when she looked like she saw a ghost.
Brain: Oh, good, I wasn’t the only one thinking that…
Beauty: You two… Think so?
Brawn: I know she was looking at you when her mood shifted… Which is kinda weird tbh…
Brain: Yeah, I’m agreeing with Kim on this.
Beauty: Her mood shifting suddenly doesn’t seem out of the norm tbh.
Brain: You’re talking about the whole “Manipulation by Emotion” thing, right, Mari?
Beauty: Of course I am! Nino, Kim, please tell me you’ve made SOME progress with the others on that.
Brawn: Well, I got Max, Markov, and Alix on board with the whole “Lila is a Liar” thing. Alix is currently talking to Nath about it, Max is easing Juleka and Rose into the fray, and Markov is going over facts with Mylene and Ivan.
Brain: Well… Managed to convince Alya to cut back on the “interviews with Lila” and take down the whole “Ladybug’s BFF” vid, but I had to do the whole “It’s for Lila’s safety”...
Beauty: … Damn, that means she STILL thinks that Lila isn’t a full-on liar.
Brawn: Sorry you have to deal with that Nino.
Brain: Yeah, Alya can be a little bull-headed but I’m getting her to think things through on a few things. It’s slow, but there’s progress.
Beauty: At least you are making progress AND getting her to think before she posts.
Brawn: I still think it was weird that Lila was looking at Mari when her mood shifted so quickly… It… Kinda seemed like Lila assumed Mari wouldn’t be in school for some reason…
Beauty: Kim, I think you might be overthinking this…
Brain: Yeah, dude, Lila might not be on good terms with Mari because of the lies but I doubt she’d have that extreme of a reaction.
Beauty: I much as I don’t like Lila, I’m going to have to agree with Nino on that. She might be having her period and just got hit with a sudden cramp. Probably lied because she didn’t want us to think she was in pain.
Brawn: Oh, I didn’t think of that!
Brain: Well, if that’s the case, then her sudden shift in mood might make a little sense. And why she made that lie to make us look away from her.
Beauty: Yeah, it’s the only thing I can think of that would make Lila have our attention off her that makes sense.
Beauty: I’ve had some cramps sneak up on me and trust me it’s not fun or is it something you want to want to share with a lot of people. I’ll mention to Alya about maybe taking Lila to the nurse if she continues to “act weird”.
Brain: Yeah, might be a good idea if Alya does that rather than you or us tbh… I’m surprised you even care if Lila is having her period?
Beauty: Hey! I may not like her but I’m not going to be one of those people who would purposefully make someone feel worse during the one time of the month when the body is a mess of hormones and practically turning against you! That’s already enough to deal with during that time, tyvm.
Brawn: Good point.
Brain: Very true.
}{ Miss Bustier’s Class }{
Marinette pocketed her phone before she leaned over to Alya and whispered her current theory about Lila but made sure to say that she was telling her as a fellow girl and not wanting to get along with her. The ombre-haired girl was a little confused but when she thought about it, it made some sense. Alya nodded when she whispered back that she will.
Lila was stewing a bit as she thought, ‘Good thing I kept a printout of that demon summoning circle, but that means I need to catch another pigeon to sacrifice. Thank god they’re stupid.’
~}i{ Back in Hell. In The Ring of Wrath, With Satan in His Office }i{~
Back in his demonic form, Satan popped one of the macaroons into his mouth before he placed his goodies into a subspace to keep them safe and ready to eat whenever he wanted. As he chewed he sat in his chair made of bones and scooted closer to his desk that appeared to have a vicious dragon motif and placed the Blood Crystal on the desk. Time to catch up on the paperwork needed to run a section of Hell.
“My Lord, how was your trip to the mortal world?” One of Satan’s minions asked as they walked into the office.
Satan swallowed the food in his mouth before he said as he looked over the paperwork on his desk, “The whole Blood Wrath Contract was an utter joke and annoyance, but the job was done to the extent that the pay would allow and I found a tasty little eatery that I plan to go back to if I’m ever summoned to the area again.”
“Oh, that sounds like it went well,” the minion stated.
Satan sighed when he said, “Well, the bad outweighs the good in this su-. Why are wearing such a ridiculous form?” The Lord of Wrath looked up to see the minion was taking the form that looked like a stereotypical devil from old human horror movies.
The minion looked over their form before saying, “I… Lost a bet with some acquaintances… This “appearance” was a part of the losing conditions…”
Satan raised a brow at this but wasn’t too surprised. He just sighed before he tossed the Blood Crystal to the minion when he said, “Place this in the “Payout” while I go over these to make sure things ran smoothly while I was gone.”
The minion caught the Blood Crystal easily enough before looking it over. They raised a brow and asked, “Uh, My Lord, where’s the rest of the payment from that “weird” Blood Wrath Contract?” By now there wasn’t a being in Hell who hasn’t heard about the Blood Wrath Contract that had Lord Asmodeus summoned for, so the Lord of Wrath wasn’t that surprised by the question.
Satan folded his arms when he scoffed out, “That IS the entire payment “weird” Blood Wrath Contract. Idiot Summoner not only didn’t pay the bare minimum but also poured the blood into the circle BEFORE the summon. Which is the reason why Asmodeus couldn’t refuse the damn useless contract.”
The minion raise a brow with a “What the Actual Hell?” look on their face when they got out, “Oh, one of THOSE Summoners… Hope you don’t have to deal with them again.”
Satan scoffed when he said, “Same, not just because of the lack of payment…” He then placed an elbow on the desk and rested his chin on the palm of his hand. Thinking back to what he learned before finding out that his Target was Tikki’s Holder.
“My Lord? What else was there that is bothering you?” the minion asked, somewhat confused at the behaviour of the Lord of Wrath.
Satan gave a one-shoulder shrug when he said, “There wasn’t anything the Target I had for that stupid Blood Wrath Contract has that would have caused anyone to hate her as much as this idiot Summoner. I sensed no wrath from the others around the Target, not even the ones who were pursuing the same romantic interest held no wrath for her… So it’s been bothering me that the idiot Summoner wanted so many wrathful things to happen to someone like that…”
The minion was a bit surprised by that admission when they got out, “How… Strange for that to happen… Maybe something that has happened in the past?”
Satan leaned back in his chair when he said, “Maybe… I honestly shouldn’t care about such a thing, but… *Sigh* Maybe I should drop by later in the week, just to see if anything has changed or something.” He then waved the minion off to continue their duties. The minion bowed respectively before leaving. Satan leaned back in his chair far back enough to allow him to look at the ceiling of his office when he thought as he narrowed his eyes, ‘Are you involved in this? … No, I doubt you of all beings would allow something like that to happen to another one of Tikki’s Holders… But involving both me and Ozzie with Plagg and Tikki’s current Holders? You have something planned, I know it.’ He then sat back up straight in the chair as he started looking through the paperwork.
Maybe Satan can send one of his underlings that were on relatively “good” terms with Tikki to keep an eye on Marinette… Just in case.
~}i{~
To be Continued.
~}i{~
- Think what you want with your interpretation of Asmodeus. Mine is that they’re willing to all kind of lusty things but is majorly big on consent and doing those things with Legal Adults! I do not believe that the Lord of Lust would ever touch someone too young to know what “sex” is or would force themselves on an unwilling partner! Plus Asmodeus’s domain is Lust and not all lust is sexual, so they would be interested in things that are “Desired”; technology, fashion, cooking, and art, are Desirable things! Therefore, Asmodeus would be interested in these!
~}i{~
Chapter 2
Chapter Text
Sin of Reveal Chapter 2
~}I{~
Gale-Dragon: Progress is the name of the game. Enjoy.
~}I{~
}I{ Two Days After the Previous Chapter }I{
Adrien stared at Asmodeus’ second human form, which looked rather similar to the form that they saw in the hotel but not as extravagant and wild. The second form’s cyan hair was tied back in a professional bun, and the images of the bull and ram heads were no longer on the suit that the Lord of Lust was wearing but were now a pair of dangling earrings (on the same side as they were on the suit), and their green eyes weren’t glowing as bright as before. In all honesty, this form was a lot more human-like than their prior form.
Asmodeus was talking to a group of seven demons as almost everyone from the photoshoot started coming in. The humans were a little curious as to why there were more demons this time around.
A few minutes later, the Lord of Lust came over to the humans with their entourage of minions. This somewhat made Adrien and his co-workers a little anxious. The Lord of Lust gave the humans a rather sassy smile when they said in a good-natured tone, “Everyone, these little lovelies are going to be your new co-workers and run things for me while I head back to Hell.”
Adrien blinked in confusion when he asked, “But… I thought you were going to stay until you got…” He looked slightly uncomfortable when he stated, “Chloe’s Mother’s Soul…”
Asmodeus softened their smile when they said in a pleasant and understanding tone, “That was the original plan. However, I only planned to stay in Paris for a week at most and made the plans to do so back in my Ring, and Audrey is proving to be quite the annoying little thing by avoiding me.” They folded their arms when they added in a more serious tone, “As much as I want to be here to capture her Soul myself, keeping the Ring of Lust in order is far more important.” Asmodeus then gave a cheerful smile when they finally said in a happier tone, “But my darling little underlings will eventually find her and bring her Soul to me in the end. So nothing too major there.”
Adrien was confused. Don’t all Demons from Hell hunt down Souls themselves until the person is caught?
Asmodeus noticed the teen’s confusion and explained, “Child, I run an entire level of Hell and can’t spend too long away from my Ring.” Adrien still looked confused. After thinking of a more human-Esque explanation before saying, “Think of a level of Hell is like a company or a city that I am completely in charge of. I have to make sure everything is running as it should while making sure all my denizens are satisfied.” Adrien was starting to understand but had a more innocent mindset compared to his co-workers. The Lord of Lust and their underlings made it obvious that they knew what the adults were thinking when Asmodeus stated, “Well, that kind of satisfaction too. After all, my level is the Ring of Lust~.”
Adrien gave his co-workers a confused look as all of them blushed red at what was said. The blonde teen could only blink in confusion, not completely understanding why the other humans had that kind of reaction.
Asmodeus chuckled when they continued, “And if I need to step away for a bit, I have to make the appropriate accommodations needed to run everything while I’m gone. You know, putting qualified individuals in the positions needed so everything runs smoothly and efficiently.”
Adrien nodded when he said, “Okay, I think I understand. It’s like when a boss of a company goes on a vacation and puts in a substitute in their place while they’re gone. But they do have to return once their vacation time is up.”
Asmodeus patted the teen on the head when they said, “That’s my situation. I may not have gotten the Soul I was promised, but she will be in my hands eventually. Even if I’m not the one to capture her.”
One of the demons commented in a bit of a New Yorker accent with a sassy smile, “Don’t worry, Boss. Tha huntahs will bring ya that deal-breakah before ya know it.”
Asmodeus cooed happily when they said, “I know~.” They then clapped their hands together when they stated with a cheery smile as if they weren’t talking about demonic topics, “Now, shall we go over what’s expected during the photo shoots with the Ash-Mode Brand~?”
The humans gave a rather weary look before they agreed.
“Now that issue with little Adrien,” Asmodeus started in a more serious tone before finishing with, “He isn’t modelling anything unless it is by his will, and his will only. I don’t care what that Gabriel fellow says.” They held out a hand to stop the human adults from protesting when they stated seriously, “I know that little Adrien is the face of the Gabriel Brand, but he is a child doing something that he does not want to do. As a general rule for my underlings, I do not allow any kind of Lustful activities with or involving children. Unless it is general childcare, watching over the child in a parental way, or teaching non-sexual subjects to said child.” With an almost sinister smile, the Lord of Lust said, “So~, here’s what we’re going to do instead.”
~}I{ The Next Day, at Dupont }I{~
Nino stared at Adrien in confusion when he stated, “Let me get this straight…” He took a deep breath before asking, “Instead of you modelling for the old man, the demons that Asmodeus brought to work with the Gabriel Brand is going to… Pose as you during all the shoots you're scheduled to do?” When Adrien nodded, Nino asked, “And… Everyone is cool with it? You included?”
Adrien nodded again when he said, “Uh, yes actually… I mean… It means that I can spend more time with my friends without having to worry about watching the clock.”
Kim couldn’t help but comment, “He’s got a point… How often has Adrien left in the middle of our outings because he had a photo shoot that had to start at a specific time? And that’s not including the times when Gabe springs a last-minute photo shoot on him.”
That was true…
Nath glanced at Adrien when he asked, “Speaking of the dick… I take it he doesn’t know about this little ploy?”
Adrien shook his head when he stated, “According to Asmodeus… If Father doesn’t ask about “me being a little off” during my photo shoots then the staff doesn’t have to tell him anything…”
The class looked at each other when they said in almost the same deadpan tone and at the same time, “They’re not going to tell him.” Much to Adrien’s confusion. The new Wrathfly perked up in interest at the commotion from the blonde model’s shoulder.
Marinette raised a brow at the Wrathfly as it looked around. Something was… Different about the Wrathfly… Like something happened to change it between the last time she saw it and today… ‘Oh!’ Marinette realised the difference before she thought, ‘It’s more active than before.’ Remembering that the Wrathfly usually just sat on Adrien’s shoulder and just looked around occasionally, now it seemed to be taking an interest in what was going on around it. But that was odd, it’s personality seemed to change… That was when Marinette concluded that maybe it was a part of its growth cycle.
Soon Miss Bustier started the class. But it wasn’t until the 2nd period when Lila came to class, spinning a story about helping the elderly on the way and just lost track of time to explain why she was so late. Miss Bustier only raised a brow at this but accepted the excuse when she told Lila to sit in her assigned seat. Lila did so with a chipper smile, not seeing the Wrathfly perched on Adrien’s shoulder. As she walked toward her seat, she shot Marinette a smug smirk before happily waved at Alya.
Marinette raised a brow at this while Alya was non-the-wiser. The bluette immediately had the suspicion that Lila was planning something. That was when Marinette felt her phone vibrate. Having a hunch as to who it could be, she checked her phone and was relatively surprised at the text group that appeared. Days like these made the bluette thankful for Miss Bustier having a lax phone policy. So she was able to respond to the group.
}I{ Text on Phone. Operation Liar Liar Chat Group }I{
Rollersnake: Call me crazy, but I swear I saw Lila smirking at Marinette!
Teddy Bear: Then I must be crazy too because I also saw it.
Tiny Actress: I think it must have been the angle you two were at.
Turntables: Mylene has a point, Ivan and Alix sit right behind Mari so they could see Lila’s face while she wouldn’t notice if they were glancing at her.
Fashion Baker: Yeah, she smirked at me… She MUST be planning something today!
Poison Ivy: Uh, Marinette, you might be overthinking it…
Teddy Bear: Rose, it was a smirk that broadcasted that she’s got something planned… I’m also a little creeped out by the fact that Lila was able to shift her “mood” so quickly when she greeted Alya…
Rollersnake: Yeah, I agree with Ivan…
Anything’s Possible: Mari, do you want us to help run some interference?
Fashion Baker: Long as you don’t do anything that can get you in trouble and she doesn’t get suspicious.
Maximum Overdrive: How about we keep an eye on Lila and try to play to her ego to avert whatever she has planned? Maybe gather some evidence to show Miss Bustier her malicious intentions toward Marinette and her inappropriate actions toward Adrien.
Sunshine: Okay, I get the part involving Marinette, but I don’t understand the part about me.
Gothic Girlfriend: Adrien… Are you telling us that you’re actually comfortable with Lila feeling you up all the time?
AI Am I: And by “Feeling Up”, she means if Lila has been touching your chest all the time, moving a little too close into your personal bubble w/o your permission, running her fingers over you despite you trying to move away, clinging to you every chance she gets, and springing kisses on you when you don’t want them and she thinks no one is looking.
Sunshine: … Markov, how did you know she was doing all that?
AI Am I: …
AI Am I: Adrien, I was giving examples of what being “Felt Up” were… I was not aware that Lila has been doing those things to you…
Sunshine: … Oh…
Teenage Witch: Omg! Adrien! Has she really been doing all that to you?!
Turntables: DUDE!! NOT COOL!!
Tiny Actress: Guys! We’re still in class!
Anything’s Possible: Okay, we’re also running interference between Lila and Adrien. No arguments!
Turntables: Don’t fight us on this Adrien! You deserve to feel comfortable around people!
Sunshine: … Um, okay…
Fashion Baker: Adrien, is this okay with you? I mean, yes, we’re kinda going against your wishes on this, but if she IS making you uncomfortable and touching you THAT much w/o your blessing… Then we’re going to make sure that you’re comfortable. You are allowed to say No to being touched no matter what the situation is.
Gothic Girlfriend: And please don’t use the “but I’m a model and I’m used to ppl touching me” excuse, because even when modelling “couples wear” there is only a Mutual amount of touching. So unless you’re modelling sex gear, sex wear, or in some kind of Playbunny, you shouldn’t be felt up on set, period.
Poison Ivy: Juleka!
Rollersnake: Okay, ew.
Sunshine: … Where did all… THAT come from?
Gothic Girlfriend: It was research when I decided to be a model.
Gothic Girlfriend: You know, to keep aware of things that might not be “up to snuff”, if you catch my drift.
Gothic Girlfriend: And when someone says “No”, it means “No”—no Ifs, ands, or buts about it.
Teddy Bear: I… I think we get the picture…
Teddy Bear: Wait? @Sunshine How do you not know these things? You’re the one who’s the professional model!
Sunshine: I… I don’t know to be honest… I mean… Yeah, sometimes I do photos that involve touching other models but those are all okay kinds of contact… So I guess no one thought I needed that talk?
Turntables: Dude… I’m not sure who I should be mad at for not telling you about that kind of thing…
Tiny Actress: Okay, before anyone causes a scene… Hb we agree to run interference with Lila on all fronts, collect evidence when we can, and not let on what we know.
Rollersnake: And Adrien, if Lila is giving you a lot of unwanted attention or is touching when you don’t want, tell her to back off in a way that makes you comfortable while letting her know that she is intruding on your boundaries. If she doesn’t, we’ll run some interference and get you away from her.
Turntables: Okay, that I think should work on all fronts.
Sunshine: Alix, I’ll try… No, I’ll do it! I’ll make sure Lila knows that I don’t want her on me!
Fashion Baker: Perfect! But how about one of us stick close by to Adrien, just in case Lila doesn’t adhere to his boundaries.
Fashion Baker: And by us, I mean one of you guys. Because Lila’s going to pull the “She’s jealous of me being with Adrien” card if I do it.
Tiny Actress: Yeah, we’re sorry about that, Marinette…
Tiny Actress: Now off phones b4 we’re caught!
}I{ Classroom }I{
Everyone in that chat tucked their phones away just in time, Miss Bustier was none the wiser. And neither was Lila.
As everyone had their attention on the front of the class, Lila smirked when she thought, ‘Enjoy your last day of happiness, you annoying goody-goody. Because soon enough, no one is going to see you ever again~.”
~}I{ Meanwhile; in the Ring of Wrath of Hell }I{~
“Good, and the skeleton of the structure is up to the standard code?” Satan asked as he looked over the plans for a new bridge before looking up at the base structure of the same bridge in the blueprints.
The Wrath Demon Underling bowed when they said, “It is, the workers made sure of it.”
Satan nodded as he signalled the workers to proceed with the construction. The Lord of Wrath was pleased that the new bridge was being solidly constructed ahead of schedule, which means that the plans for removing the old bridge can be safely dismantled sooner. The material from the old bridge can later be used for torturing the mortal souls that have been condemned to the Ring of Wrath.
“Satan!”
The Lord of Wrath raised a brow at this. The voice belonged to Asmodeus but that wasn’t their usual smooth and seductive tone… ‘Oh, Father, that’s already a bad sign,’ Satan thought before he turned to see that the Lord of Lust was walking towards him with an annoyed look on their faces. Asmodeus always did their best to sashay or move as fluidly as possible, them not doing that is… Not good. ‘And that’s another bad sign,’ The Lord of Wrath thought before he asked the other cautiously, “Oh, hello Ozzie. What brings you to this level of Hell?”
Asmodeus walked right over to Satan as they summoned a small stack of papers in their hands with a blue flame and held it out to the Lord of Wrath. Rather than ask and possibly add to the other Lord’s sour mood, Satan handed the blueprint to the Underling and took the stack of papers from Asmodeus. The Lord of Wrath carefully read the papers while the Lord of Lust just stood there, arms folded in annoyance. Satan raised a brow again before he asked in confusion, “Uh, Ozzie, why are you giving me the contract from that Botched Summoning?” He looked at the other when he stated, “Because I already completed that as much as the payment allowed and stamped it as such.”
Asmodeus let out an annoyed ‘Humph’ before saying in that same tone while doing their best to remain calm, “That annoying Summoner called again, and botched this new contract the same damn way!”
This got Satan’s full attention when he asked in a somewhat bewildered tone, “She poured the blood before summoning you? Again?”
Asmodeus growled in annoyance when they got out, “Before summoning “you” and criticized “you” for not “doing what she wanted” the first time, not to mention she paid the same ridiculously small amount of blood! That’s not the worst part! I literally just sat down at my desk to review what happened in my Ring while I was in Paris when she did the damn summon!”
Ooooohhhh, that explains the sour mood of the Lord of Lust… Wait…
Satan raised a brow when he asked as he pointed to the other Lord of Hell, “You followed the Summoning Laws for when there’s a Wrong Summoning for a second time by the same Summoner, right?”
Asmodeus had an almost insulted look on their faces when they stated in annoyance, “Of course I did! I told the little bitch that she wasn’t summoning you AND told her that she needed to pour the blood into the summon circle AFTER she does the summon. You want to know what her response was?”
“Something that I’m not going to like,” Satan commented with an uneasy look on his face, not liking where this conversation was heading.
Asmodeus scoffed before saying, “She waved “you” off and said “Yeah, whatever” and then proceeded to tell “you” what she wanted to be done to “that goody-goody”. Honestly, it’s like she didn’t hear me when I told her she summoned the wrong Sin!”
Satan let out a weary ‘hmm’ before he asked, “Did you tell her about the… Correct amount of blood needed?” The Lord of Wrath knew what would happen if the Lord of Lust told this particular Summoner, and he wanted to avoid doing that as much as possible.
Asmodeus shook their heads when they said, “That part I didn’t do this time around for two major reasons. The first is because of the Miraculous being involved and the second is that as much as Wrath is your domain, I am well aware that she isn’t going to be able to get the amount of blood needed that comes even remotely close to the payment for all that sh*t she wants to be done.”
Satan narrowed his eyes before he looked over the list the Summoner wanted to be done to Marinette. It was the exact same list as the prior one. He clicked his tongue when he said, “Well, you have a point on the possible amount of blood needed for all that is listed, but…” He held up the picture of Marinette, who seemed to be drawing or writing in a book and not looking at the camera, looked at it for a bit before he asked, “How did this Summoner know that I “didn’t do much” in a relatively short amount of time?” Asmodeus raised a brow at this before Satan explained, “It’s been roughly a week since the first summons. Granted I was using the first four days to scope the Target out, but that’s expected. I know I wasn’t giving this Summoner updates to the Target’s status and I know you were busy with other obligations to do that, so how did the Summoner know for sure that her list wasn’t being done?”
Asmodeus placed a hand to their centre chin when they said thoughtfully, “Hm, you have a point there…” Their eyes flicked to the photo in the other’s hand when they added, “And now that I think about it… The two photos of Tikki’s Holder that the Summoner gave us are shot at an odd distance… Far enough for her not to notice that someone is taking her picture but close enough so that enough of the details of what she looks like is seen.”
Satan placed the photo on top of the paper pile in his other hand when he stated with a sigh, “Well, I know what I’m asking that Ladybug Holder when I see her again…” He looked at his underlings when he ordered them, “Keep up with the construction as planned! When I get back from this annoying tick, I expect the bridge’s progress to continue!”
~}I{ Paris, France, Later that Day. After School }I{~
Something was definitely weird… Lila didn’t make a single move against Marinette… Yeah, she made a few unnecessary comments, but other than that, nothing… Adrien, on the other hand, got a lot of unwanted attention from Lila, more than usual. But thanks to the boundary system that the guys had put in place, they were able to keep Lila off Adrien when she got her hands on him. This also brought to light how often Lila invaded Adrien’s personal space. Yeah, they could’ve thought that the liar was just a little handsy with friends, but they’ve only seen her handsy with Adrien and no one else…
The class reported this to the teachers and texted Adrien to try to talk to Miss Bustier about it as soon as he could without Lila knowing.
On the way to the Bakery, Marinette filled Kagami in on the whole thing with Nino and Kim.
“Maybe just point out that Adrien has already informed her about his boundaries and that you’re simply restating that fact,” Nino suggested as they walked and talked. He then added, “Hopefully, she’ll listen and not try to spin your concerns as jealousy.” They were just making some suggestions on what Kagami should do if Lila tries to intrude on Adrien during fencing practice.
That was when Kim added, “And if she doesn’t listen or makes that jealousy claim, just point out that Adrien is looking uncomfortable.” He then scratched his cheek when he added, “I don’t think she would go as far as joining the team just to force Adrien to spend more time than he already doesn’t have, but trying to convince people that he offered to give her some pointers or show her the basics of fencing sounds like something she might do.”
Kagami narrowed her eyes when she stated, “D’Argencourt has a rather strict policy in regards to fencing tutoring, so even if Lila tries to do that tactic he’ll shoot it down immediately. Because of his schedule, Adrien isn’t allowed on the approved list of fencing tutors that D’Argencourt made. The whole fencing club and their friends know this fact, so if Lila does try that “tutor ploy” with them, they’ll know she’s lying right away and hopefully that will get them talking to the rest of the school.”
Marinette sighed in relief at that before she said, “That’s good, and hopefully it’ll get noticed by the teachers and get them thinking that Lila might have alternative motives to be close to Adrien.”
Nino told the others when they got to the bakery door, “Might be sooner than we think, Ms Mendeleiev seemed to have noticed the Boundaries Plan within the first hour of activating it. Although, I did see that she wa-” He then walked right into the door, which was locked for some weird reason. Nino rubbed his face as he tried the door again, that was when he noticed the closed sign in the window.
“Why is the bakery closed? At this time of day?” Kim questioned as Marinette took the keys out of her purse. He looked inside to see the lights still on but no one was inside.
Marinette unlocked the door when she suggested, “Let’s ask Maman and Papa.” She let her friends into the bakery before closing and locking the door behind her, just in case it was important.
“Marinette, is that you?” Tom called out from the living area. When Marinette replied that it was, the father told her to come to where he was for something important. The bluette did with the others following her behind her.
The moment she did, she saw the back of a familiar figure sitting on the couch and her parents sitting across from him. Marinette froze and caused Nino, Kim, and Kagami to stop right before they collided with each other. Trying her best to act casual, Marinette got out, “Oh, you’re back?”
Satan, in his human form, waved a hand while not looking behind him when he said, “I wish I can say that it was for the goodies made here, but that annoying Summoner called again and botched the Summon again. They somehow knew that I didn’t do what they wanted, so I have a few questions for you this time little Ladybug Holder.”
The Dupain-Chengs froze in shock while Nino, Kim, and Kagami had matching expressions of “What the freak did I just hear?!”
Seeing that hiding was pointless, again, Tikki flew out of Marinette’s purse when she got out angrily, “Satan!”
Satan sighed before he said, “Tikki, the questions aren’t bad, just-” When he turned to look at the Kwami, he realised what she was upset about this time. He saw the three other teens, staring at him and Tikki with wide ‘holy crap’ looking eyes. “Oh, whoops,” was all Satan got out sheepishly.
}{ A Few Minutes Later }{
After Kim, Kagami, and Nino went through the whole “Holy sh*t! Your Ladybug!?” thing and now understood why Marinette bailed on meet-ups when Akumas attacked, everyone just sat down and talked, with a nice large pot of soothing tea on standby.
“So that same person who…” Marinette started before taking her cup off the tray on the little living room table. Tikki took one of the treats, somewhat glaring at the Lord of Wrath.
Satan nodded in an annoyed manner when he said, “Correct. She summoned Asmodeus instead of me, thought they were me, wanted the same sh*t done, and paid the same pathetic amount as last time. According to the Laws of Heaven and Hell, normally the being that is summoned to the same wrong summons would tell the Summoner their errors and correct it so they do the summon properly next time.”
Tikki nodded when she explained, “It’s so that the Summon Centres can keep tabs on the locations and mortals that call their respective beings and monitor the safety of all involved.”
When the humans asked what these Summon Centres were Tikki explained that those operated like emergency call centres for the human but acted more like job dispatchers in a Union. Each of the levels of Heaven and Hell had one that focused on dispatching and monitoring their “workers” under their respective Sin or Vertue and ensuring that those “on duty” were the only ones summoned. Tikki also explained that the Summon Centres also keep track of Over-Summoners, or mortals that summon too often or more than needed, and put a block on them before they get out of hand. Satan then explained that the Summon Centres have a slight problem with keeping track of Wrong Summonings, and explained that it mostly causes problems regarding acting on the safety of the being that was summoned and just general tracking the location of the summoning.
“So that’s why you have a rule of informing the “Summoner” about the mistake, to protect those that are summoned to Earth,” Kagami summarised before taking a sip of the tea.
Satan nodded when he said, “To put it simply. Asmodeus has already informed the Summoner about the Wrong Summoning, as usual, but did not inform them about the true payment amount due to the Miraculous being involved and the fact there is no way the Summoner is going to be able to get that amount.” He sighed before saying as he ran a hand through his hair, “The real problem with this Wrong Summon is that it is somehow bypassing the network of the Summon Centres and summoning Asmodeus automatically no matter if they are on the “on duty list” or not. Even if the Miraculous weren’t involved, this is a major problem for Hell that needs to be dealt with.”
Tom couldn’t help but say, “I can only imagine…”
That was when Sabine asked, “So, you’re going to do the same as last time? Since the payment given is the same…”
Satan nodded when he said, “Pretty much, but this time I have a few questions that Marinette needs to answer.”
This got the Ladybug Holder a little nervous when she asked, “What kind of questions?”
Satan snickered at the child’s uneasiness when he said, “Not those kinds of questions. It’s just the timing of this second Botched Summon. It happened much too quickly after the first and the Summoner knew that I didn’t do her rather extensive list. That means that someone has been watching you.”
That was when Nino put the facts together and said, “And you want to know if she has noticed anyone paying unusually more attention to Mari, right?”
Satan nodded when he said, “Correct.” He let out a small growl when he added, “From what Oz, uh, Asmodeus told me, I doubt that Summoner is going to fix the summoning circle or start pouring the blood into the circle After the summon anytime soon, so it would be best to, oh, I guess intimidate this Summoner to do the summoning correctly so the Summon Centres can block her before things get worse.”
The humans wearily glanced at each other at this while Tikki had an expression that read “not surprised”.
Satan placed a hand on his chin when he said, “There is also the issue of that Summoner’s “to-do” list, not just the payment. To put it simply for you new ones, this Summoner wanted Marinette to suffer quite a lot. However, I cannot find a reason why anyone would want that, aside from that crush on that blonde boy in your class but you seem to get along with the other suitors.”
Kagami and Marinette glanced at each other in an unsure manner at this.
Satan then stated as he looked at the humans, “Until we can catch this Summoner and block them, keep aware and keep note of who is paying more attention to Marinette than usual. And I do mean Marinette and not whatever name she uses when she’s using the Ladybug Miraculous. The Summoner clearly doesn’t know about them being the same person.” Satan then commented on it being oddly lucky to have more eyes to watch with. Marinette could only give a nervous laugh when she heard that.
Later, Satan gave the teens all the tasks he wanted before he burned six macaroons to a crisp before heading back to Hell. But now…
}I{ In Marinette’s Room }I{
Marinette took a deep breath before slowly letting it out as she dialled Master Fu’s number as Nino, Kim, and Kagami sat nearby. This had to be done. Hopefully, Tikki will be able to explain that it was Satan who exposed her secret to others. True her parents knowing was one thing, but a few of her friends…
Marinette was hoping that Chat Noir wasn’t going to be mad about this when she told him…
~}I{ Later That Night, on the Roof of Master Fu’s Building }I{~
“WHAT?! I was supposed to be the first one to know!!” Chat Noir exclaimed in shock.
Ladybug made a calm-down motion with her hands when she said, “I know I promised, but the whole thing was out of my control! It couldn’t be helped!”
Master Fu rubbed his temples not believing what was happening when he said in an exasperated tone, “Granted it was an accident but still… Why is Satan involved again?”
Ladybug explained what happened while omitting things that directly involved her identity best she could. By the end, she just flopped on the nearby mat when she got out, “I know this isn’t ideal, but it’s still better than Hawkmoth finding out…” She looked at the other two when she said, “At least Satan isn’t interested in the Miraculous…”
Master Fu folded his arms when he said, “It’s because the Miraculous are technically considered Blessed Objects or objects blessed by Heaven to put it simply. Beings of Hell tend to avoid getting involved with them unless they want to have problems with the beings of Heaven…” He sighed when he added worriedly, “But it sounds like even if you did not possess the Ladybug Miraculous he still wouldn’t do much to you…”
This prompted Chat Noir to ask, “But who would hate civilian you that much?”
Ladybug shrugged when she said, “Given what Satan commented about this person… Someone who hates me enough to essentially make me suffer a whole lot… But I don’t know anyone who would hate me THAT much. I mean, yeah, I know a few people I dislike and them disliking me, but that’s kind of where it ends. Just dislike. I do have people I do hate for legitimate reasons, but I don’t know if the feeling is mutual or enough for them to summon a demon…”
Master Fu stroked his beard when he commented, “That is concerning on a few levels, and I am talking about this Summoner. If that person is that vindictive and continues to summon both the wrong Sin and that often… Then it could cause another unwanted problem…”
That was when Wayzz explained that Over-Summoning either a Being of Hell or Heaven can cause environmental problems for mortals. He explained that when summoned they take a little bit of the plane of existence of either Heaven or Hell, called Aura-oma and Miasma respectively. A little of these in the mortal plane is normal and tends to dissipate after a respectable amount of time if a Being of Heaven or Hell is involved, but these tend to gather in one location and thus cause certain places to have a pure feeling (Aura-oma) or a dreaded feeling (Miasma). If there is too much of a large amount of concentration of either can cause a lot of issues. Too much Miasma in one place can cause a lot of physical health issues while too much Aura-oma can cause a lot of mental anguish.
That was an odd barrel of yikes yet it was also informative.
The meeting ended with Ladybug telling Chat that he could tell some of his trusted friends his hero id, to make things even and to give the poor kitty some kind of support system. Chat Noir said that he’ll think about it.
~}I{ A Little While Later }I{~
Three Bs Chat Group has been renamed to Four Bs Chat Group.
Brain has added Kagami to Four Bs Chat Group.
Kagami’s screen name has been changed to Battle.
Brain: Hey Kagami, figured adding you to this would be a good idea after recent events. And before you ask, I’m Nino, Brawn is Kim, and Marinette is Beauty.
Battle: I assume that the letter B is a theme that you all agreed on.
Brawn: It ended up like that and we figured that we keep it up.
Battle: Well, at least you gave me a suitable screen name that goes with the B theme.
Brain: I figured you would like it, lol.
Beauty: I take it that we’re also going to use this to keep track of the “over-interested people around me” and keep each other informed about what we learned.
Brain: Bingo!
Battle: Sounds doable.
Brawn: We can also talk about just general stuff in here too. If you scroll up and read the previous posts, you’ll see what I mean, Kagami.
Battle: I can do that when I am in my room, after the Family’s Evening Meditation.
Beauty: Fair enough.
Beauty: And see you guys tomorrow.
~}I{ Two Days Later }I{~
Lila was getting irritated. She was peering around the corner to the canteen to glare at a certain bluette sitting with Sabrina, Chloe, and that new girl from one of the other classes going over some kind of project. Lila couldn’t care to learn her name, she seemed to know the mayor’s daughter so she probably knew her through him, or something along that line. Not like it mattered to her. What was annoying her was the fact that that goody-goody was still here! Going to school like it was any other day and not writhing in agony in some abandoned ally.
Lila let out a tsk before thinking, ‘Why isn’t that stupid Satan doing anything? I summoned him! He should be doing what I want!’ She glared at the bluette when she thought, ‘Looks like I’m going to have to kill another pigeon and remind him that he has to do what I want. At least those birds are stupid.’ She then huffed before she walked away in annoyance, passing right by a now confused Mireille.
Aurora came up to Mireille and asked her what happened, to which the other shrugged and replied that she guessed that someone was just having an off day. Both weather girls shrugged the whole thing off before they walked into the canteen for lunch.
Now with Marinette at her table…
“Okay, what do you think of this?” the bluette asked as she showed the three a decent-sized weekly schedule that was just jam-packed with names that were in
neat lines. Chloe, Zoe, and Sabrina looked over the schedule. It was basically a neat and well-organized timetable for which of the Style Siblings would spend time with another sibling with one of the Dads overseeing the timeframe. Marinette then said, “I tried to make it as cohesive as possible while factoring in school hours and events you have already had plans for.” The bluette gave the three a worried look when she asked, “Do you think this schedule will work?”
Zoe nodded when she said, “Yeah, it will.” She then looked at Marinette when she said, “I’m surprised that you managed to make this so quickly while being so thorough. Everyone in the family has their time divided evenly between one another.”
Chloe scoffed when she stated, “Well, making these kinds of things is one of Dupain-Cheng’s talents.” She then gave a small wave when she said, “I expect nothing less from her when it comes to planning.”
Marinette blinked in surprise when she asked, “Chloe… Did you just… Praise one of my skills?”
Chloe huffed when she stated, “What? I give the credit when it is due, so just take it and don’t make a fuss about it.” Sabrina, Marinette, and Zoe weren’t sure how to respond to this, but they continued with the task at hand.
~}I{ Later, at the Agreste Mansion }I{~
Nathalie raised a brow when she saw both Nino and Kagami standing in front of the door, together and looking a little confused. She let them in and asked why they were there. The duo simply told the secretary that they were working on a school project with Adrien. Nathalie quickly checked the blonde’s schedule to confirm this, and when she did she then inspected their bags. Nino and Kagami gave each other an “Is she really doing this?” look while the secretary removed everything that wasn’t “necessary” for the project, mainly from the red-capped teen’s pack. All of his music devices and movie idea notebooks. Nathalie gave the two students back their bags before allowing them to head off towards Adrien’s room.
It didn’t take long before they walked into the blonde’s vast room. Adrien happily let them in before he closed the door and locked it. Nino and Kagami found that odd, but they somewhat figured that the blonde did not want any type of interruptions from the others in the mansion. The Wrathfly was crawling on the closest bookshelf to the bed. Not even a minute later, the two guests were sitting on the blonde’s bed and then the blue-haired girl was the one to ask, “Is there something you wish to discuss with us, Adrien?”
Adrien blinked in amazement when he asked, “How did you know?”
Nino waved a hand when he said, “Dude, we finished the project three days ago, which you obviously didn’t tell your old man and Nathalie about. Then you ask us to come over to “Finish the Project”. It was a little obvious on our end that you wanted to talk to us about something.” The red-capped teen expected the blonde to give them a sheepish smile and awkwardly apologise for the roundabout way to talk to them, but Adrien didn’t.
This worried both Nino and Kagami as they watched Adrien fidget nervously with that silver ring on his finger.
That was when Kagami asked the blonde, “Adrien… Do you feel safe here?”
This confused Adrien when he asked, “Why would you ask that?”
Kagami easily explained, “You asked two of your most trusted friends to your house under a false claim so your father, and Nathalie by extension, would allow us in, and you looking nervous to the point that you are twisting your ring. A habit that you do when you’re feeling antsy or worried.” That caused Adrien to realise that he was indeed doing that and quickly stopped.
Nino did point out, “Also, Adrien, you didn’t answer the question.” He gave the blonde a worried look when he asked, “You can tell us if you feel like you aren’t safe with the dick. My mums already have a room ready for you to stay in while Kagami’s mum has the legal stuff covered.”
“Damn, how long have the two of you been planning for this?”
Nino and Kagami froze in confusion at the voice that most certainly did not come from any of the three people in this room. The two quickly, and frantically, looked around the room for that extra voice, only to be greeted by the Kwami of Destruction suddenly flying out of Adrien’s jacket pocket and flying right in front of the duo. “No, seriously, how long have the two of you had that plan up and ready to go?” Plagg asked as if he hadn’t just exposed his Holder’s identity to the duo.
Adrien took a deep breath before he said, “Uh, so, yeah, I’m Chat Noir.” He then just watched Nino and Kagami, trying to gauge their reactions. So far the two were just staring at him and Plagg with wide, surprised eyes. Adrien took another deep breath before he explained, “Okay, long story short, and I don’t know if you’re going to believe me on this, but… Someone hates Ladybug’s civilian ID enough to try to summon Satan, but because the payment for what they wanted to be done was too small, Satan ended up talking to her and he basically compromised her identity to some trusted people in her life. She told me and the Miraculous Guardian about it and to be fair, they said that I can tell some trusted people my identity. Ladybug said it can also work as a support system too. And well…” Adrien hesitantly looked at Nino and Kagami, still gauging their shocked reactions.
Plagg then finished the story when he said, “You two are the people Adrien can trust the most.” He folded his arms as he lazily floated around when he added nonchalantly, “The Gorilla is on that Trust List but, you know, the guy technically works for the dick so iffy on that.” Plagg then snickered when he said, “Adrien wanted to tell pigtails since she’s on the Trust List, but he wasn’t sure how to tell her without freaking her out.” Plagg then placed a paw to his chin when he added, “Luka would’ve been here two but there’s no way Adrien can think up something that wasn’t suspicious to get Luka here, so he’s next to tell when we can catch him when no one else is around. And Chloe still has too much on her plate, so Adrien didn’t want to add to that.”
“Plagg!!!” Adrien got out with red cheeks as he tried to catch the Kwami before he could say any more embarrassing things.
Nino and Kagami eyed each other during this before the red-capped teen flopped backwards onto the bed.
Plagg saw this when he got out, “Did he just faint?”
Nino waved a hand so the Kwami and his Holder could see when he said, “No little dude, I’m still conscious. I just need a minute for all this to sink in…” He let his hand fall on his chest when he finished talking.
Kagami inhaled softly when she said as calmly as possible, “I am honoured that you find us trustworthy enough to share your most treasured secret with us. As surprising as it is. Though I cannot imagine who would want to harm Ladybug in her civilian persona.”
Adrien was a bit taken aback by this when he asked in a slightly shocked tone, “You… Believe me about the Satan part?”
Nino pulled himself back into a sitting position when he said, “Well, given the whole thing that happened almost two weeks ago,” as he thumbed the picture on the nightstand of a 5-year-old Chloe and Adrien smiling at the camera. The red-capped teen then added, “It’s not that much of a stretch as you think.” He sighed before he said, “Though I’m going to admit, Ladybug in either persona is the last person I expected to be on the receiving end of a demon, and that’s excluding Hawkdick for obvious reasons.” Kagami gave a nod in agreement.
Oh, right…
Adrien moved his chair to the bed before sitting in it when he said, “You… Have a point…”
Kagami placed a hand on her chin when she mused out loud, “However, having two Lords of Hell get involved in our lives quickly… I can’t help but think that something is… Strange about it…”
Plagg was the one to say, “I can understand that line of thinking. Asmodeus came here under, uh, I guess we can use the words “legal reasons” to make it simple. The Legal Reasons that happened long before any of you were born, but Satan came under “recent Legal Reasons” even if he can’t do much about it…”
That was when Nino interjected, “So, it’s totally true that demons have to follow through on these “contracts” based on how much they’re “paid”? Like Asmodeus implied?”
Plagg nodded before he said, “That’s pretty much it. Even if the Miraculous wasn’t involved there wasn’t much Satan could do to Ladybug because of the bare minimum payment.”
“Bare minimum?” Kagami asked with a raised brow. She was doing her best to make it seem like she didn’t already know what was going on, but Nino would admit that she was doing a pretty good job of that.
Plagg gave a small shrug when he said, “Literally enough to guarantee that you have a Contract with the being of Hell but not enough to really do anything.” He placed a paw on his chin as he thought a bit before he finally said, “If I remember correctly… You need at least one Blood Crystal to “seal the deal” with a being of Hell… My best guess is that whoever hates civilian Ladybug thought that the amount for one Blood Crystal was enough for their whole list…”
Adrien couldn’t help but say, “Lucky for us, that wasn’t the case.” That was when he raised a brow when he asked, “Uh, how much are these, um, “Blood Crystals” worth? As a sense of value.”
Plagg’s whiskers twitched a bit as he thought before he finally gave his answer, “To be honest, I think the closest thing to a general idea of worth for humans would be that one gram of gold is equal to five Blood Crystals.” He folded his stubby arms again when he said, “Tikki might be the better one to ask about the whole “worth” thing that works in Heaven and Hell.”
Adrien had to admit that that was a lot more information to take in. But that didn’t stop him from saying, “So… You two are… Okay with being my support system as Chat Noir?”
Plagg somewhat whacked the blonde over the head with his tail when he said, “Kid, given how they have a plan for a safe house and legal negotiations in case your dad makes you feel unsafe, I think they’re on board with this.”
Nino nervously chuckled when he said, “Uh, yeah, what Plagg said.”
Kagami did point out in a serious tone, “And that will certainly be on the table, so to speak, now more than ever. Just as an emergency backup if it makes you feel better.”
That Adrien could agree to. Soon, the four made plans and threw around ideas on what Chat Noir can use.
~}I{ An Hour Later }I{~
A New Chat Group Has Been Created.
Chat Group Has Been Renamed to Secret Keepers.
Nino Has Added Kagami to Secret Keepers.
Kagami: Out of curiosity, how many chat groups does your class have?
Nino: Not including personal texts, a couple. Depending on the interest or ongoing project.
Kagami: I see.
Kagami Has Changed Their Screen-Name to Samurai.
Samurai Has Changed Nino’s Screen-Name to Kappa.
Kappa: I see someone is going through a little rebellion phase.
Samurai: Not really, but I might as well have a little fun with the Secret Keepers thing.
Kappa: Cool, but one thing I need to do.
Kappa Has Changed Their Screen-Name to DJ-Tunes.
DJ-Tunes: There, much better.
Samurai: I should have seen that coming.
DJ-Tunes: The fact that you know me enough to text means that we are good friends~.
Samurai: Are we going to avoid the metaphorical elephant in the room?
DJ-Tunes: … Well, I know I’m not going to be the one to tell them that they were in a Love Square with each other for a good while.
Samurai: Huh? Wait… Oh… Oh! That explains the whole “Other Girl/Guy I Like But They Love Someone Else” thing with both of them!
Samurai: Should we be glad that they finally “got over” that?
DJ-Tunes: Debatable.
DJ-Tunes: Hb we help the two with alibies when we can and text each other if they both ask us for an alibi so we can cover for them better.
Samurai: Should we get them together and tell them that we know that they’re heroes?
DJ-Tunes: As much as I want to do that too, they have to agree on letting each other know.
Samurai: Ah, so if they ask us if the other would be good to tell, we shall motivate them to do so?
DJ-Tunes: Correct.
DJ-Tunes: It’s probably going to be a while but as soon as you see an opportunity, take it.
Samurai: You do not have to tell me twice.
DJ-Tunes: Great!
DJ-Tunes: Do you think we should let Luka in on this or should we wait on Adrien to “find him alone”?
Samurai: I have a sneaking suspicion that he already knows. The black cat bookmark he got for Adrien and that cute ladybug charm bracelet he gave Marinette now make sense if they are the heroes.
Samurai: I do not believe that either of them has noticed.
DJ-Tunes: o.0! Okay! Yeah, going to add him to this.
DJ-Tunes: I wonder if his story is going to be believable. Though compared to ours…
DJ-Tunes Has Added Heartstrings to Secret Keepers.
DJ-Tunes: Hey Luka. I’m Nino, Samurai is Kagami. Take a look through this chat and share with us what you know.
Samurai: We now know that you are aware of who Ladybug and Chat Noir are.
Heartstrings: How did you find out?
DJ-Tunes: So you DO know.
Heartstrings: No point in hiding it here, and it seems you two found out. Hence this chat.
DJ-Tunes: Hmm, valid.
Samurai: How did you find out?
Heartstrings: I was out doing deliveries b4 an Akuma Alert, you know, doing my part-time job. One of those deliveries requested that I leave the goods at the back door, which was behind the building. Take a guess what I see on my way there after the Akuma Alert went out.
DJ-Tunes: Oh I think I have an idea. Tikki or Plagg?
Heartstrings: Tikki.
Samurai: She didn’t notice you?
Heartstrings: I think she was in too much of a hurry to notice me.
Heartstrings: After the Akuma Attack on my way home I saw Plagg going civilian. Again, he seemed to be in a hurry to get back to whatever he needed to be before the Akuma.
DJ-Tunes: Wait, these happened on the same day?
Heartstrings: Believe it or not, yes.
Heartstrings: So, how did you two find out?
Samurai: Satan blew Tikki’s identity because of a botched contract, twice apparently. And we learned about Plagg because he trusted us with that information due to the first.
Heartstrings: … Uh, why is Satan around?
DJ-Tunes: Okay, long story short… Someone actually hates Marinette enough to summon a Demon to “Make Her Suffer a Great Deal”, but due to the bare-minimum payment for the deed and the Miraculous being involved, Satan decided to talk to her. Thus compromising her identity with her parents. And believe it or not, this same person botched the summon a second time, which in turn caused Satan to compromise her identity to us and Kim.
Samurai: We just happen to go to the bakery with Marinette when Satan “let it slip”. And because of this, “Ladybug” told “Chat Noir” that it would be ok to tell a few trusted people his identity.
Heartstrings: … You know, if it weren’t for the thing with Asmodeus that happened recently… I would’ve thought that you were making this stuff up…
Heartstrings: Hang on… You said that someone hates “Marinette” enough to summon a demon to hurt her?
Samurai: That is correct.
DJ-Tunes: As hard as it is to believe, yes!
Heartstrings: … There are so many things wrong with that… I don’t know where to start.
Samurai: I understand your conflicted emotions. We felt the same when we found out.
DJ-Tunes: Yeah, if we hadn’t been there to witness it, we wouldn’t have believed it.
Heartstrings: I should be concerned that all “these sorts of things” are somehow becoming normal. Yet, I find it all, expected?
Samurai: The question mark at the end of that comment indicates that you are not sure about it.
Heartstrings: Kagami, think about it, I was told to leave a package in the back at the exact time “Ladybug” went into action, and then I happened to be in the right spot to see “Chat Noir” clocking out w/o him noticing me.
Heartstrings: You can’t tell me that there’s something else at play here in Paris.
DJ-Tunes: Hm, oddly valid…
DJ-Tunes: You think it was… Fate that we found out about LB and CN?
Samurai: It is not beyond the realm of possibilities.
Heartstrings: Hb while we try to figure That out, we make sure that no one else finds out unless Ladybug and Chat Noir wants them to know.
DJ-Tunes: Sounds like a plan.
Samurai: Agreed.
~}I{ Meanwhile, in the Ring of Lust }I{~
Asmodeus was in their office going over a stack of blueprints to ensure that the building planned was more than up to standard. The Lord of Lust has been making preparations for this particular building for easily 100 years. It was a longer time than some of the other buildings in the Ring of Lust, but with more and more new information on existing hobbies and new hobbies that fueled the wonderful feeling of Lust, the blueprints needed to be the appropriate edits to the blueprints to accommodate all the information.
Asmodeus got a little giddy at the thoughts of the library being completed and the denizens of the Ring of Lust happily taking in all the knowledge that will be filling the building. ‘Ooo! I can’t wait!’ the Lord of Lust happily thought. They looked over the blueprints again, just admiring the design.
“Huh?” Asmodeus vocalised when they were suddenly engulfed in a cloud of red smoke. “Oh, you’ve got to be!” The Lord of Lust growled out as they saw the blueprints disappear from their hand as they stood up from their chair, not the least bit amused by this interruption.
When the smoke cleared, Asmodeus was glaring at an angry-looking Lila when they huffed out in annoyance, “You again!” The Lord of Lust noticed that the Summoning Circle was glowing blood red. That caused Asmodeus to frown when they growled out, “And you ignored my words about pouring the blood into the circle After the Summon, again.” With an annoyed growl and pinching the bridge of their centre face, the Hell Lord told the human, “Do you just not listen to those that are trying to give you helpful advice?”
The angry-looking Lila let out an annoyed huff when she stated in an aggravated tone, “I wouldn’t be summoning you again if you had just done what I wanted you to do the first time, Satan.”
Asmodeus rolled their eyes when they stated as they folded their arms, “Oh for the lust of Hell! I told you before that I’m not Satan! I am Asmodeus! The Lord of Lust!”
Lila scoffed when she said, “Oh puh-lease, I used the diagram for Satan, you appeared so have to be Satan.” She waved a hand in annoyance when she said, “I copied it exactly, so obviously, you’re trying to get out of doing what I want.” Lila pointed to the Lord of Lust when she stated in her ‘mightier-than-thou’ tone, “I sacrificed blood for you to do what I want, and I want you to utterly destroy that Goody Goody!”
Asmodeus couldn’t help but think in annoyance, ‘Urg, another mortal doomed to the Ring of Pride.’ The Lord of Lust sighed before saying as they waved a hand to conjure up a sheet of paper with a blue feathered pen, “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”
Lila smirked as she went over what she wanted to happen to the “Goody Goody”. Since the whole thing was technically being recorded, even if it is basically a repeat of the same list as before, again, Asmodeus decided to just look around the room they were in discreetly.
The space was large, like a room in itself. Looked old, maybe a decade or so, and didn’t look like it got much traffic, the dust coving everything else was proof of that. There was a lot of stuff was stored here, old furniture and bulk items mostly. So was this some kind of basem*nt? The stuff looked like they had been moved recently, judging by some of the voids and skid marks on the ground, that was probably this Summoner’s doing to get the room she needed for the Summoning diagram. There was a childishly cute frog clock on the parallel wall that was still ticking away as if nothing else mattered. Asmodeus thought that the clock had to have been a present that couldn’t be thrown away after a child outgrew it before glancing down at the Summoning Diagram on the ground.
The Lord of Lust’s eyes narrowed at the symbols. ‘Hm, the outer ring is the correct one for the Sin of Wrath. The middle one is right for the type of task. But because the Summon is active I can’t read the inner ring and centre to see if it is correct,’ Asmodeus thought before seeing the little pigeon that was used as a Blood Sacrifice for the Summoning laying near the outer ring, blood completely drained from its body. Something caught Asmodeus’ eyes on the bird’s leg when they thought, ‘Oh, this one has a nice little band too.’ The Lord of Lust used their mist to collect the little forest green and dark blue string band from the pigeon as the little human kept talking. Asmodeus discreetly moved the band to their left hand to get a better look at it. When they did, they thought, ‘Hm, this is well made, like the other two. Wonder why a human was putting them on birds... Hm, perhaps they’re someone’s pets and that’s where this annoying Summoner is getting them…’ Asmodeus closed their hand, causing the little handmade band to move to their pocket as Lila continued to talk. The Lord of Lust looked over the “list” before thinking, ‘Urg, what the heaven did this Summoner think that the Ladybug Holder do to warrant such long, wrath-filled tasks?’
Well… Asmodeus can ask Satan when they give him this list, again.
~}I{ The Next Morning }I{~
“Seriously, Hawkmoth has the weirdest hours,” Ladybug commented as she released the purified Akuma Butterfly. They had just defeated Mr Pigeon, again. The red-clad hero folded her arms when she said, “I mean, come on, I have school and I don’t need Akumas waking me up before the sun.”
Chat Noir blew his nose in a handkerchief before he said in a nasally tone, “*Sniffs* Urg, tell be about it, but at least we didn’t need da Lucky Charm.” He then sneezed when a pigeon flew by. The Black Cat REALLY hated that he was allergic to those feathers. Chat Noir spent the entire fight sneezing, which caused him to throw all his attacks off balance.
Mr Ramier dusted himself as he apologised for getting Akumatized, again. The heroes were fine with the whole thing since no one got hurt and hardly any damage happened, but they did have to ask what set the man off so early in the day. That was when Mr Ramier explained what happened before his Akumazation. This caused him to go into a minor rant about how mated pigeons become completely lonely when their life partner goes missing. Well, that was how Ladybug and Chat Noir learned that pigeons mate for life… Weird fact, but from what Mr Ramier is saying, it seems like there are three of his Mated Pigeons Pairs missing their other halves and the ones still around are in distress over it. Mr Ramier was trying to find the missing pigeons but to no avail. Mr Ramier did show the heroes the distressed pigeons to prove his point, and yes, those pigeons were acting off from their normal behaviours…
Okay, so there was a valid reason for this Akumazation this time, kind of… … Might need to talk to the staff members of the parks to keep an eye on the pigeon population…
But now the Heroes needed to get ready for school.
~}I{ Elsewhere Roughly Two Hours Later }I{~
Lila yawned as she walked into the living room to the apartment she and her mother lived in for a while stationed in Paris. The liar was still in her night clothes as she continued with her morning routine. She grabbed her breakfast before moving back into the living room, got comfortable on the couch, turned the tv on, and flipped through the channels until she found something to watch. Lila got comfortable before she started eating while watching the show, ignoring the fact that the time was clearly displayed over the tv set.
Lila should be in school right now, but she already decided last night after summoning Satan that she wasn’t going to school for a few days. Lila had already sent her stupidly gullible teacher an email, posing as her mother of course. The email “explained,” that Lila had a minor but contagious cold and had to stay home for a few days, thus allowing her to be out of school without raising any suspicions about her “whereabouts” when that goody-goody is finally destroyed.
During a commercial, Lila pulled her phone out and quickly went to that website where she found that Demonic Summoning while looking up ways to make that goody-goody’s life miserable while at a distance. She was sceptical about the whole thing, but it summoned Satan on the first try. Sure, he hadn’t done what she wanted him to do yet but according to this site, all she needed to do was keep summoning him until he submits and finally does her list of things to do to that goody-goody. Sure, that meant that she had to keep that pigeon trap going, but those stupid birds gave her the steady supply of blood that was needed for the summoning. It was a great deal in Lila’s opinion, pigeon blood for Satan to do whatever she wanted. Besides, no one in the building went on the roof, just like no one went into the basem*nt, so no one was going to catch onto this whole thing.
Lila smirked as she turned her attention back onto the tv when she thought, ‘Once Satan destroys that annoying goody-goody, Adrien will be mine and no one will ever question me again. And if anyone else does, well, I can sick Satan on them. Easy as that. No one will ever know that I was involved.’
The tagline of the website Lila was on was visible on her phone. Summonings for all your needs! Desmond Tiny’s website guarantees an Angel or Demon will appear to do any deed you wish! (Within reason and doesn’t involve Death).
Lila just couldn’t wait until Satan finally submitted to her will. ‘Honestly, it would be better for everyone if he does it sooner rather than later,’ the liar thought with glee. That made her remember that she had a photoshoot with Adrien later today, but she can easily lie to her little sheep that the photoshoot happened before “she got sick”.
~}I{ Meanwhile, In Hell }I{~
“Again?!” Satan exclaimed in both shock and annoyance as he shifted in the… “Chair” he was sitting on. The Lord of Wrath was currently in Asmodeus’ office in the Ring of Lust, going over this 3rd Wrong Summon by this annoying Summoner. Satan let out a growl as he side-eyed the stack of paper with the “to-do” list from that Summon and stated, “I know humans can be stupid and foolish, but this is just sheer ignorance!” The Lord of Wrath flopped back in the chair, his back pressed against the cushions shaped suspiciously like those nursing sacks that were typically on the chests of female humans. ‘Oh, now I remember why I don’t come by Ozzie’s office,’ Satan thought as he rested one of his arms on the chair’s armrest, which was shaped suspiciously like the… Eh-hem, the reproductive organ of a human male… With an uncomfortable shutter, the Lord of Wrath asked the other Hell Lord, “Ozzie, do you have any chairs that don’t have a human theme to them?”
Asmodeus just snapped their fingers, and in a veil of blue mist, the chair Satan was sitting in was turned into a normal unthemed chair.
Satan blinked in confusion before he asked, “Uh, Ozzie, are you okay? You didn’t fight me on your choice of… “Decor” this time…” He was more than a little unnerved by the out-of-character behaviour of the Lord of Lust, who was usually more than happy to argue about the appeal of “Artful Lust” or something along that line.
Asmodeus let out an annoyed huff before they said, “Listening to that little bitch rant off on what she wanted to be done to Tikki’s Holder was such a turn-off. As much as Wrath isn’t my thing, I am aware that that list would take a lot of time to do, which I told her point blank.” Asmodeus growled when they asked, “Do you want to know what the bitch responded with?”
Satan folded his arms in front of his chest when he stated in an unamused tone, “Given the list and the blatant disregard of your words about when to pour the blood, I have a rather good guess as to what and a sneaking suspicion that we’re going to have to deal with them until we can get the bitch to fix the Summon to block them.” He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose when he said, “This isn’t good Ozzie…” Satan looked at the other Hell Lord when he added, “Whatever flaw this Summoner made to the Circle is bypassing All of the pre-established Summon Protocols. If it were a low-levelled or mid-levelled demon, we would have more time to figure the issue out. But you’re the one being summoned, and you know very well what that means…”
Asmodeus gave a short nod before saying in a serious tone, “Agreed, and the fact that the bitch seems convinced that the Circle she found was for you has me both concerned and suspicious.” They looked at the Lord of Wrath before asking, “Are you sure Tikki’s Holder is relatively pure? Payment aside, a lot of what the Bitch Summoner wanted to be done is pretty much your turn-on.”
Satan places a hand on his chin when he commented, “Under normal circ*mstances, you would be right. However… While she has her flaws, she’s one of those humans that are pure enough to access Heaven after her mortal life is over…” He thought about the time he spent scoping the bluette out and his actual interactions with her before he finally said, “That pursuit of that blonde male in her main school class would normally gain her some ire from others but she seems to get along with the other suitors for him, though I am only aware of two. Her sense of morality is easily considered black-&-white so I can see that rubbing other humans the wrong way but not enough for anyone on our side to get involved…”
Asmodeus raised a brow on all three of their faces when they asked in a disbelieving tone, “Really?” They then rested their centre chin on their palm as they placed an elbow on their desk when they stated in a more serious tone, “Be honest with me, besides Joan, when was the last time you had a target that was relatively pure?”
Satan folded his arms with a huff before he said sourly, “If we’re talking about the ones that didn’t have any combination of Fate or their annoying parent interfering? I believe the majority of the souls from that massacre event in the United States territory that the humans refer to as The Salem Witch Trials were it.” He sniffed when he added, “Humans can be such hypocrites under the oddest circ*mstances.”
Asmodeus allowed a smirk to appear on their lips when they said, “Oh~, so~ very~ true~.” The smirk quickly vanished when they stated, “But in all seriousness, that annoying Summoner is going to be a huge problem if we can’t put a block on her.”
Satan nodded in agreement when he stated, “It’s not just the matter of the pitiful payment, it’s the fact that they’re pulling you away from your duties without any notice and me having no choice but to carry out this energy-wasting task that takes me away from my own duties.” He growled when he got out, “And that’s just on Hell’s end…”
Asmodeus frowned when they said, “There is no way Heaven is going to miss two Lords of Hell constantly coming and going to Paris in tangent within such a short span of time…” They sighed when they added off-handedly, “At least the ones in charge of keeping the Balance are reasonable beings.” Asmodeus sighed before they stated seriously, “With how things are going and who is involved, I believe the best option is to call an old friend of mine to help Tikki’s Holder find this bitch of a Summoner.”
Satan slumped in his chair when he said in annoyance, “Urg, Ozzie, be serious, we don’t need one of your little “Flings” working on something like this.”
Asmodeus rolled their eyes with a huff when they stated sternly, “He’s not one of those kinds of friends. He’s a platonic friend, and strictly that.” Satan didn’t seem to believe that for some reason.
~}I{ At the Same Time… }I{~
“Are you sure about this information?” a harmonic voice asked, tapping an index finger on top of a silvery-white cane while speaking.
“Quite sure,” another voice stated. The sounds of paper flipping can be heard before this voice added, “Lord Asmodeus has a legitimate reason to interact with their Target’s family and give them minor creatures of Hell. They have already dispatched some Hunters to capture that target. All the Summon Centres in Heaven have been informed of who that human is and will not assist her in any way if she attempts to Summon any of the Angels to further her attempts to escape her Contract with Lord Asmodeus.” The sound of pages flipping was heard again before this voice stated, “Lord Satan, on the other hand, has no reason to interact with his Target, even less so due to the bare minimum payment for the… Tasks?”
The harmonic voice let out a small hum before asking, “You sound confused. Did the Summoner for that Contract word their tasks strangely?”
“Not… Particularly,” the other voice admitted before looking through the papers and stating, “The Summoner for that Contract… Asked for a lot to be done to the Target… But it obviously can’t happen because of the bare minimum payment… Only paid one Blood Crystal…”
The harmonic voice hummed again before saying, “So it’s likely Lord Satan was annoyed with the Summoner and decided to make his own entertainment for the task.”
“The first time, maybe…” The other voice commented.
“Hm? First time?” The harmonic voice asked in confusion.
A sound of shuffling papers could be heard before the other voice said, “Yes. Lord Satan has been spotted going into this Target’s residence a few days after the “Contract” has been completed… However, the Stationed Angels have confirmed that the Target’s family run a successful bakery in front of their home.”
The harmonic voice let out another hum before saying as they tapped the cane with their index finger, “So he could be going there for the baked goods because he happens to like them.” When they got a response from the other, the harmonic voice stated, “Have the Stationed Angels keep an eye on the establishment. Make sure to tell them not to interfere or let Lord Satan know that they’re there, just observe for now.”
The sounds of paper being filed away could be heard before the other voice said, “As you wish.” Then the sounds of wings flapping were heard, and then the other angel flew off to follow through on the order.
The owner of the harmonic voice held the cane in hand as they walked over to a wall. They held up a hand and ran their fingers over the bumps and grooves of writing on the wall. “Tell me what is happening in Paris as of now,” The harmonic voice told the wall before taking a step back.
The lettering on the wall glowed before it started changing shape. Once the letters stopped morphing, they glowed at the same time a new voice started speaking, relaying the information on the wall.
“Hm, so Tikki and Plagg are stationed in Paris. Presumably with the Kwami in their respective Miracle Box. However, Nooroo and Dusuu are in the hands of a darkened heart,” the harmonic voice stated before placing a hand on their chin and adding, “Is this a coincidence? Or is something else at play here?” After a minute the harmonic voice stated, “It would be best to wait to find out what is happening.”
~}I{ Back in Paris, At Dupont }I{~
Kim was writing down something in a notebook, trying to put his thoughts down. But he had the sense not to use anyone’s real names in this. The athletic teen needed to look at everything that he knew and maybe make some sense of what was going on. So far, he can write off Asmodeus’ part as something separate from the thing with Satan. Since that predates everyone involved.
‘Since this Summoner bothered Satan when Chloe was dealing with the fallout of finding out that she has siblings and Mari made that schedule for the Mayor’s New Family, it is safe to assume that she isn’t the Summoner…’ Kim thought as he drew a line through an equal sign between the words “Summoner” and “Heather”. He placed a hand on his chin when he thought, ‘There’s also the fact that she doesn’t actually hate Mari. Not seeing eye-to-eye on several things, but not hate.’
Right now, Kim was trying to narrow down the possible list of people who could be the Summoner that hated Marinette. While it sucked and made him a little queasy thinking about it, the tall teen HAD to look at the people closest to Marinette first before he could look elsewhere. At least Kim can eliminate himself, the Dupain-Chengs, Nino, and Kagami right off the bat.
“Kim, what are you doing?” Max asked the taller teen, trying to read what was on the paper.
Kim eyed the shorter teen when he said, “Oh, Nino dared me to write a horror/mystery movie script. I thought it would be an easy win, but it’s surprisingly challenging.”
Max had an ‘I thought as much’ look on his face before looking over what was written and asked, “So what do you have so far?”
Kim slid the notebook over to his friend for him to read when he thought, ‘Maybe Max can help with this.’ The tall teen then said, “I have a basic idea of where to go, but I’m having a little trouble on the mystery side of things.” Kim watched Max read his “script”, carefully reading the shorter teen’s expressions. “Sooo,” the tall teen drawled out before asking, “What do you think so far?”
Max gave an uneasy look when he said, “Well, first off… You might not want to use the scenario you have for Heather as a reason to why she can’t be whoever hired Satan… It can be seen as a “plot device” to the audience, not to mention it can cause your movie to be a little too busy. Plus…” The smaller teen subtly nods his head towards Chloe, who was sitting in front staring at the blackboard wearing what looks like a new jacket with a cool-looking bee on the back that was made of rhinestone and had her Wrathfly curled up on her bag.
Kim got the hint when he said, “Ah, poor taste and way too soon…” Max nods at this. The tall teen then said, “Thanks for catching that, but do you have any idea what I can use for Heather instead? I have the main characters confirm that Heather doesn’t actually hate Maryanna but she has her own stuff to deal with.”
Max suggested to Kim that he should keep the divorce and realisation of a second family part with Heather. It was dramatic yet real enough to avoid the “plot device” problem while ensuring that “Heather” would be too occupied to be the Summoner. Max then added, “I think it would be a good twist to make it seem like Heather is the Summoner by making her more aggravated and mean than usual, as noted by the other characters, but have the main characters slowly find out that her mood is because of the Family Issue.”
Kim quickly wrote that down, to keep up that facade, when he said, “Yeah, that sounds a lot better.” That was when the tall teen asked Max, “And about the whole finding out who the Summoner is…”
Max looked over the “script idea” again before he said, “Well, you are starting things off on a more realistic approach, that should be good to help the audience understand how that line of thinking works.” He looked up at Kim when he asked, “Do you at least have a motive for this Summoner to hate Maryanna that much?”
Kim shrugs when he gets out, “Not really, that’s what the Heroes are trying to find out… All they know is that the Summoner hates Maryanna enough to call upon Satan to, and I quote, “Make her suffer a great deal”, unquote.” He moved his arms as he tried to explain, “Because Satan wasn’t the demon summoned, he doesn’t know what the Summoner looks like and even he is confused by the fact that the Summoner wants so many wrathful things done to a relatively pure soul.”
Max raised a brow when he said, “I noticed that you used “relatively” rather than just pure or completely pure.”
Kim shrugged half-heartedly when he said, “Hey, no one is completely pure, and even you have to admit that having a too-perfect character in a tv show or movie can be a deterrent.” Max had to agree with that logic. Kim leaned back in his chair when he added, “Besides, Maryanna has reasonable flaws and does make mistakes. While she can rub people the wrong way when it comes to things she doesn’t like, she’s not going to go out of her way to hurt others and if she does it’s usually by accident, to which she’ll apologise for and try to correct.”
Max could understand that, but couldn’t help but say, “You really wrote yourself into a corner with that idea.” He then pointed out, “But it is an interesting concept and thought-provoking regarding the pettiness of human nature. Honestly, you and Nino should turn that into a movie when you find out the Summoner.”
Kim let out a nervous chuckle when he said, “Yeah, that might be a fun project.” He couldn’t help but think, ‘If only that were the case...’
Soon class continued.
~}I{ Later That Day at an Ash-Mode/Gabriel Brand Shoot }I{~
“All right, Kippin, it’s your turn to take the kid's form,” one of the demons of Lust stated as everyone set up for the photoshoot. All seven of the demons were in human form, and if the staff wasn’t already aware of that fact, they would’ve thought that they were new hires.
“Righty-o~,” the tallest of the seven said before they were engulfed in a silvery-blue mist. The next thing everyone knew, a tall Adrien Agreste was standing in the demon’s place. He brushed his now blonde hair out of his face when he asked in Adrien’s voice, “How do I look?”
The red-haired demon of the group with a more official appearance looked the other over when they said in a slightly unknown accent, “You kept your own height, Adrien is three heads shorter than you.”
Kippin made an ‘ah right’ motion before “Adrien” shrank down to the right height. “Better?” the look-alike asked, fixing the neckless with a pendant of a koala's head that he had around his neck.
The red-headed one nodded their head in approval before saying, “Much.” They quickly fixed the fake Adrien’s hair when they stated, “I am aware that you’re used to taking the appearance of taller humans for normal jobs but please remember that Adrien Agreste is much shorter than you.”
Kippin gave the other demon a thumbs-up when he said in Adrien’s voice, “Okay.” Everyone got ready for the job.
Soon the photoshoot started.
Everything went completely smoothly for the first 30 minutes, but that all changed when Lila Rossi arrived on set. The Lust Demons have already been informed about this teen by the Gabriel Employees and Adrien, but the demons were still unsure of how to handle the “conflicting information” they got… However…
“Adrien!” Lila gushed as she happily latched onto “Adrien’s” arm as soon as she was in range. “I’m sooo~ glad we’re working together again~,” the liar gushed as she dug her nails into the other’s arm.
‘Okay, ow! When was the last time she trimmed her nails?’ Kippin thought with a cringe that was seen by pretty much everyone but Lila. In Adrien’s voice, the demon got out in an uneasy tone, “Um, hi, Lila. Uh, can you loosen your grip on me a little?”
This only caused Lila to dig her nails deeper into the fake Adrien’s arm when she said, “Aw, but Adrien, I told you, I’m just physically affectionate with my friends.” She not so subtly brushed her chest against “Adrien’s” arm when she said that.
‘These actions are her definition of physical affection?’ the Lust Demon posing as Adrien thought as he tried not to cringe at the human’s nails digging into his skin. Kippin couldn’t help but think, ‘Hang on, considering how fast and hard she latch onto “Adrien”...’
Luckily, this “moment” was interrupted by the official-looking Lust Demon giving an audible cough to get the teen’s attention before he said in a serious tone, “Miss Rossi, I see you have yet to be informed of the Touching Policy that the Ash-Mode Brand has in place.” He stared down at the sausage-haired girl when he stated in a serious tone, “According to that policy, all of our models are not to receive any full-bodied contact in any way or for any reason.” He points to the parts of Lila that were touching “Adrien” when he stated, “And you are already violating that policy.” This Lust Demon took a soft breath before saying, “While we are not familiar with the work policies of the Gabriel Brand, according to the collaboration agreement with the Ash-Mode Brand all these photoshoots will adhere to the Rules and Regulations of our Brand. So I recommend you reign in your…” He glances at “Adrien” before adding, “Physical Affection towards your fellow model.”
The Lust Demon in a male human form with short, wavy blonde hair with blue highlights and lowlights folded his arms when he stated, “While the Ash-Mode Brand doesn’t discourage touch contact between co-workers, that policy is in place for the models and other employees to feel comfortable in the workplace.”
The Gabriel Employees still had a hard time believing that the Lust Demons for the surprisingly real Ash-Mode Brand had those policies against sexual harassment, given that the company was controlled by the Lord of Lust… But given that they seemed to frown upon unwanted advances… It made some sense, but only if you knew the context.
The fake Adrien pulled his arm free of Lila’s grip when he said, “Yeah, uh, they are stricter with their rules than Father’s company. Since you haven’t been to the other shoots, maybe you should use today’s to read them.” He then thought as he rubbed his arm, ‘And adhere to them.’
Lila shot “Adrien” a quick glare, which the fake clearly noticed, before she plastered on a sweet smile and asked, “Aw, I’m sure you’re exaggerating. I mean it would be counterproductive for a fashion company to have a “no touching” rule for their models.”
The Lust Demons glanced at each other at this while Kippin thought in mixed emotions, ‘Uhh kay, is she new to the modelling industry or something?’ He saw a glint in the brunette’s eyes that seemed to mean something to her but he didn’t know why she was giving “Adrien” that look. The demon posing as the blonde male model couldn’t help but think, ‘Why is she giving me, or rather Adrien, the evil eye?’
That was when the official-looking one of the hidden Lust Demons pulled a pamphlet from a pocket and handed it to Lila when he stated in a matter-of-fact tone, “Here is the list of the rules and policies of the Ash-Mode Brand. I second Adrien’s suggestion about reading them during today’s shoot. You will still be paid for the day, of course.”
Seeing as she didn’t have much of a choice or any kind of opportunity to weasel her way out of it, Lila took the pamphlet with a forced smile when she said, “Well since Adrien suggested it, I better get right to reading this.” She then walked back to the dressing room, a scowl on her face the moment her back was to the others. ‘Cht! Stupid collaboration is ruining my photoshoot with my Adrien,’ Lila thought as she glanced at the pamphlet. As much as it annoyed her, she knew she had to read the blasted thing so she can continue modelling with Adrien, and maybe use those rules to her advantage.
As soon as the liar was out of hearing range, and out of sight, Kippin moved his sleeve up to inspect the marks on his arms. “What the!? I knew she was digging her nails into me but yikes!” were the words that came out of the fake Adrien’s mouth but it wasn’t in Adrien’s voice.
The other Lust Demons and Gabriel employees were quick to gather around the fake to see what he meant, only to see the nail marks on his arm. They weren’t bleeding but they were clearly visible on the skin. The official-looking one of the Lust Demons was the first one to inspect the injuries on the other before saying, “Hmm, while we demons are more durable than human mortals, we can still receive damage… But if she left these marks… Just how tight was she gripping you, Kippin?”
Kippin cringed when the other gently touched the nail marks before he said, “I just assumed that she kept her nails long, but if it was because she was gripping me that tightly…”
That was when the Lust Demon with the blonde hair with the blue tints quickly brought up, “Hang on… Kippin, Axel… She hasn’t been to the other Photoshoots with the other models to be informed about this “replacement plan”, so she wouldn’t know that Adrien isn’t actually working on these photoshoots…”
A Gabriel Employee couldn’t help but exclaimed, “That little! How can she do that to Adrien?! Granted it’s not the real one but still!”
The official-looking Lust Demon, Axel, used questions to point out, “Before anyone goes on the warpath, stop and think. Did she do it purposefully or accidentally? Also, is this a one-time thing or has she been doing that at every shoot? If it’s the latter, why hasn’t Adrien expressed that she has been doing it?”
The group glanced at each other in an uneasy realisation. Those were valid questions… And Adrien would’ve voiced his displeasure if Lila dug her nails into him hard enough to leave marks… Right?
Axel pushed his glasses up when he stated, “Owen, document these injuries.” He glances over to where Lila’s dressing room was with narrowed eyes when he added, “All of us might need to keep an eye on Ms Rossi during this “collaboration”, especially her interactions with whoever is in Adrien’s form.”
That was when Kippin said, “And maybe we should ask Adrien a few questions.” He rubbed the nail marks before he added, “Especially in regards to Ms Rossi’s definition of “Physical Affection” and if she is interested in becoming sexually intimate with him. I am not sure if he doesn’t know how to reject that kind of advance but it would be best to bite that nip before it grows.”
The Gabriel Employees couldn’t help but ask where THAT particular inquiry came from since it was out of nowhere to them.
Kippin told the others about how Lila was rubbing her breast against his arm, which caused the humans to go “Wait! She what?!” Kippin then added, “I’m a little more concerned about the evil eye she was giving “Adrien” every time “he” went against what she wanted.”
Axel narrowed his eyes at this when he stated, “Hm, I wonder if this is because Adrien is unsure about what’s going on with Lila or if he’s withholding information, but I’ll talk to him later regarding Lila.”
The Lust Demon with the New Yorker accent folded their arms when they stated, “If yah ask me, Ah don’ tink da whole “be gentle when trying ta get Lila off yah” is goin’ ta work with gettin’ her ta stop.” They then used their powers to playback what Lila said about her just being physically affectionate with her friends before saying, “I’ve seen this kinda ploy before. She’s tryin’ ta give a guilt excuse to continue doin’ what she’s doin’ even if it make da person uncomfortable.”
“Guilt excuse?” Vincent asked with a raised brow.
The Lust Demon with elbow-long brown hair that was tied back in a high braid was the one to explain in a soft tone, “A Guilt Excuse is pretty much an excuse or reason for one’s actions that are designed to provoke the feeling of guilt in others to get them to continue the action despite better judgement. It’s a type of emotional manipulation.”
The Make-Up Artist, Mal, folded their arms at this when they said, “That explains why Adrien doesn’t say anything about Lila. He’s way too nice and hates hurting others' feelings. Guilt-tripping works way too easily on him… We literally have to prod him with that same tactic to get him to admit out loud that he doesn’t like things.”
The Lust Demons quickly looked at one another before Axel asked, “Are you implying that Adrien will always place his constant well-being and comfort far below the immediate comfort of others even if he dislikes it a lot?”
Mal ran a hand through their hair when they said, “Not implying, I’m telling. I’ve had to tell Adrien that his down mood could push a photoshoot longer if he doesn’t tell someone what is wrong, as much as I hated doing it, and that is how some of us have learned how often Mr Agreste has been going back on his word to let Adrien spend time with his friends!” Mal sighed before saying, “I think this whole you guys posing as Adrien for the shoots has to be the best thing for him since he started going to public school and making friends that care about him for him…”
The Lust Demons glanced at each other at this.
Well now, wasn’t that some interesting information.
~}I{ Three Hours Later, in the Ring of Lust }I{~
Asmodeus was in their office, debating on what they should do.
True, they wanted to call that friend to help stop that annoying Summoner from continuing to summon them, but should they call him now or…
A hell-phone call interrupted Asmodeus’ thoughts. They answered the hell-phone with a chipper, “Hello~, the Master of Lust speaking~.” Asmodeus listened to the being on the other end as their expression quickly shifted to a look of concern. The Lord of Lust narrowed their eyes when they stated, “Are you sure about that?” They then listened carefully to the one on the line. The Lord of Lust glanced off to the side before saying in a serious tone, “You have my permission for this investigation. You made sure security cameras were also included in the collaboration?” There was a beat of silence on the Hell Lord’s end. Asmodeus nodded when they stated, “Good. Use that to keep an eye on this Rossi model and record any discord that would involve her interactions with Adrien. And I do mean the real Adrien and the ones that are posing as him at these shoots.” The Lord of Lust listen to the other for a bit before saying, “Hmm… Interesting… I’ll send someone over to collect that information to add to the investigation file I started on Gabriel Agreste.” They chuckled at the response from the one on the other end of the call before saying, “I did. The fact that the first Wrathfly he was given matured into an adult in a few days due to all the negative emotions towards his father was reason enough to start.” A serious look appeared on Asmodeus’ faces when they stated, “I see… Keep an eye on him.”
With that, the call ended.
Asmodeus sighed before they said out loud, “If it weren't for that damn “obey the Holder” rule implemented in the Miraculous, I’m sure Plagg would’ve done something to get that kid away from that guy…” They looked down at their hell-phone before they scrolled through the device for one particular contact. The moment Asmodeus found the contact, they tapped on it and waited patiently for the contact to answer.
“Azz-Azz? Is everything alright?” The contact asked as soon as they answered.
Asmodeus took a deep breath before they finally said, “Hey, Sis, I know I told you recently about finding Plagg, Tikki, and their new Holders, but…” They sighed again.
“Did the Summoner for that Wrath Task against Tikki’s Holder…” The contact started, knowing what was going on.
Asmodeus huffed before saying, “Yeah… 3rd time with the same mistakes, same pathetic payment amount, and same Father-damn list! And that’s only with Tikki’s Holder! Plagg’s Holder is dealing with an emotionally neglectful parent who I am starting to believe has been grooming him to be completely submissive and compliant and has to deal with a harasser using that to her advantage.”
The contact was quiet for a few seconds before saying, “I’ll inform the proper individuals of that. Hopefully, there will be someone there who can assist with both of the Holders alongside you and Satan.”
Asmodeus sighed before saying, “Same here, Sis. Same here…”
~}I{ 2 Weeks Later }I{~
Well… The past 14 days could be categorised as either Good News or Bad News…
Good News…
Adrien was getting the hang of enforcing his boundaries, and was liking it! His friends were encouraging and supportive of the blonde model doing this, even if it was against their own interest. Nino was so proud of his boi.
The demon of the Ash-Mode Brand has already gathered quite a lot of evidence regarding Lila’s behaviours towards Adrien. The security cameras were definitely the shining star in the whole investigation. Those caught pretty much all of Lila’s interactions with “Adrien”, including all of those unwanted hugs and kisses that she kept planting on “Adrien” whenever no one was looking… All the Lust Demons who were posing as Adrien were certainly uncomfortable with those due to Lila being under the Age of an Adult and the fact that the kisses and hugs were NOT Consensual! Plus, they all have verbally told Lila to stop on separate occasions as “Adrien”, to which Lila promptly ignored. Though considering that Lila actively hugged and kissed “Adrien” as soon as she knew that no one was watching proved that she did read about the Ash-Mode Brand’s policies, especially the “See Something, Say Something” rule, and was literally trying to bend the rules to suit her. But Lila didn’t seem aware of the active security cameras all over the photoshoots… Everyone sort of chalked that up to Lila thinking that the only security cameras were on the main set… So, the Lust Demons had quite a lot of evidence against Lila. This counted as Good News despite the uncomfortableness.
Chloe was adjusting to being the oldest of six siblings. Not completely, there are still a few hiccups and communication issues, but there is progress. The five families are getting more use to being one big unit. Chloe has started talking about her younger siblings in conversations regarding their interests.
Kagami decided to join the Art Club, to fill out the time that the Fencing Club isn’t in session. She already has a nice project in the works.
Bad News…
Axel had his talk with the real Adrien regarding his “relationship” with Lila. The Lust Demon wasn’t that surprised when the blonde model told him that the brunette was just a classmate and a fellow model, nothing more. What surprised him was the fact that Adrien didn’t see anything wrong with the girl latching onto him without any warning. When Axel asked why the teen would think that, Adrien explained that all the girls he knew growing up always latched onto him (Chloe included) and his parents always told him that that was how girls were and that he needed to be polite to them. Plus he was a model and was always in touch contact with other models and staff. This revelation actually made Plagg go, “Wait! What?!? I thought you didn’t shove them off because you didn’t like conflict!!?” That was when Adrien revealed that both his parents discouraged him from doing anything that could result in “bad press” and pushing girls off of him was something his parents considered “bad press”. Axel was certainly NOT thrilled to learn this and immediately went into teaching mode, telling Adrien what kinds of touch contact were appropriate and consensual, and then went over the touch contacts that were not okay. Adrien was… Shocked by how much touch contact that he received from others in the past was considered inappropriate. Thankfully nothing in the actual sexual contact category has happened to the blonde, but it was only a slight comfort…
Mister Pigeon made five more appearances… The reason Mr Ramier was Akumatized these times was the same… Missing pigeons… Seven more pigeons were missing… But this time the park staff did confirm that all the missing pigeons were tagged to monitor the pigeon population to figure out how to discourage them from grouping in places where they shouldn’t be and the tags weren’t transmitting signals anymore… They’re going to need to talk to the company that was in charge of the data for those tags… This made the Heroes and their allies wonder…
And lastly…
There were seven more Summons from this annoying Summoner… SEVEN! That was a summon every two days! The Summoner obviously started taking objects from Marinette to use as a method for finding her, to which Satan just returned because he already knew who she was so the items weren’t necessary. All these Unauthorised Summons either uprooted or halted all the major projects in the Rings of Lust and Wrath! Because the Summoner was still somehow summoning Asmodeus, they were always being pulled away no matter what they were overseeing! Heck! One of those summonses happened when the Lord of Lust was in the middle of a relaxing bubble bath, which sadly ended with Asmodeus even more aggravated! And because the Summoner wanted their Wrath Tasks to be done as soon as possible by the Lord of Wrath himself… Satan was travelling to and from the mortal plane almost non-stop! And it irritated him to no end that the only Wrath he could do and feed off of was burning some baked goods to a crisp! The Lord of Wrath was literally using ten times more energy for this Summoner's underpaying tasks than he was gaining!
The Dupain-Cheng Family was… Understandably mix on this whole thing… On the one hand, they weren’t getting the full force of that “task list” that was targeted towards Marinette… But on the other hand… It was painfully hard to ignore just how lethargic Satan had become due to the constant coming and going for almost nothing in return. Not including the baked goods they were giving the Lord of Wrath when he was there…
}I{
Like any other day, Kim and Nino dropped by the bakery to pick up Marinette for school, but this time around, they saw a rather unusual sight on the couch in the Dupain-Cheng residence.
They froze when they saw Satan sleeping on the couch. You wouldn’t know that the guy was the Lord of Wrath with how peaceful he looked in his sleep. The teens glanced at each other when the information sank in. Marinette and Tikki appeared a few seconds later. The bluette placed a finger to her lips as she got closer to her childhood friends before pointing to the door to leave the residence. Kim and Nino nodded as Tikki hid in Marinette’s purse before they left. The teens waved goodbye to Tom and Sabine on the way.
Once they were out of the bakery, Nino asked, “So… Did he just crash on your couch last night or…”
Marinette glanced to the side when she said, “Well, he came by yesterday afternoon and was too tired to leave after he did the usual… He didn’t even fight Papa when he offered him the couch to rest on…”
Tikki poked her head out of the purse a little before she said, “The fact that he’s still asleep proves that the issue with that Summoner is becoming a major problem faster than expected…” She somewhat tucked herself into the purse when she added, “That means that the Summoner is completely ignoring Asmodeus’ warnings and advice… That’s really bad…”
Kim rubbed the back of his neck when he said, “Yeah… And none of us are making any progress on finding that person…” He sighed before adding, “But considering how often they’re summoning, they’re impatient… Damn! They HAVE to be someone you come in contact with daily or something to KNOW that “The List” isn’t getting done! And being able to take some of your stuff without you knowing…”
“But who?” Marinette got out in an almost exasperated manner. She sighed before saying, “Other than our classmates and schoolmates, who else have I come in contact with that hates me that much?”
Nino wrung his wrists when he said, “Yeah, that last one is the part that’s making it difficult to find this dude…” He sighed before saying, “Okay, identities aside, we’re going to need more help on this.”
Tikki poked her head out again when she said, “I managed to talk to Satan before he passed out, he told me that Asmodeus was going to make a few calls and hopefully that help will come soon… Without compromising any identities.”
}I{ Meanwhile }I{
After Asmodeus made their calls, the Help was getting ready to head to Paris.
One just finished packing a suitcase and was waiting for the portal that the Lord of Lust would be sent, while the other was on the way out with their wing riding on the winds towards the destination.
~}I{~
To be continued…
~}I{~
Chapter 3
Chapter Text
Sin of Reveal Chapter 3.
~}I{~
The walk to Dupont was uneventful. Kim, Marinette, and Nino texted Kagami, to see if she found anything regarding the Summoner issue. The Japanese girl was reluctant to admit that she didn’t but she was making some progress with her little art project. The progress pictures were looking great.
Marinette sighed as she got to her locker to grab her subject material for the class when she said, “I really want to get that issue resolved as soon as possible, not just for me…”
Nino opened his locker when he said, to finish what the bluette was saying, “Yeah, He’s basically using up energy like keeping the oven on all day to make one small batch of cookies…”
Kim placed his bag in his locker when he added, “Eesh! Then we can’t blame him for crashing on the couch… And that’s just on his end…”
Marinette nodded as she unlocked her locker that creaked a bit as it swung open, looked in it, and realised that ANOTHER one of her spare pencil cases was missing! In anger, she banged the side of her fist against the neighbouring locker when the bluette got out, “How is this person breaking into my locker?” Marinette had a rather interesting organization system for her locker, it looked somewhat messy at first glance but a closer look showed that it was oddly well-organized as it could be with the limited space. While she didn’t keep any important items, she kept everything else for school in the locker.
Alya was quick to say, “Seriously gurl? You’ve got a good lock, no one can break into it without actually breaking it. You probably just left what you’re looking for at home, again.”
Marinette glared at the blogger when she got out in annoyance, “Alya, this is the 3rd spare pencil case that I keep in my locker that has gone missing. I have not loaned any of them out recently nor have I taken any of them out, so the only logical thing that could happen is someone is somehow getting into my locker and taking it out.”
“Not to mention some of Marinette’s extra hair-ties have gone missing,” Juleka threw in as she somehow appeared behind Alya with Rose by her side. The blogger understandably jumped out of her skin at the sudden voice from behind.
The girl in pink added in, “And a few of her pencils.”
That was when Nath asked, “Come to think of it… Have you found your doodle sketchbook yet? It’s been missing for the past week…”
Marinette was a little mixed on that question. Satan gave that sketchbook back to her after Botched Summon Number 6, but there was no way she could tell her class that. Marinette let out a sigh before she said, “One of the usual customers said he found it on the way to the bakery. Didn’t say where but he saw my name in the sketchbook and decided to return it…” She shot a look at Alya when she added, “I did ask if he came from the direction of Dupont, he didn’t so it wasn’t me forgetting that I brought it back and dropped it on the way.”
Chloe couldn’t help but say, “Plus, if someone is breaking into Dupain-Cheng’s locker, she Does have every right to be upset,” as she shot a not-so-subtle glare at Alya. Made sense, given what happened in the past.
That was when Markov pointed out, “All these items missing from Marinette’s locker are quite puzzling. The items themselves are not worth much in terms of money and they aren’t typical items to take from another person. The only thing they have in common besides their owner is the fact that they only leave her locker if needed.”
During this conversation, Max inspected the lock. There wasn’t anything wrong with it nor did it look like it was tampered with. On the other hand, the padlock staple looked like it had been bent a little bit. Not enough to cause problems with opening and closing, but it was noticeable. Max thought it was a little odd but figured it was a combination of age and wore from being used by students. ‘But still…’ the techie thought as he looked over the locker again. Max couldn’t help but think, ‘Hmm, did someone make a copy of her locker key?’
Soon Miss Bustier’s class went to their homeroom.
}{ 4 Bs Chat Group }{
Brawn: Both Asmodeus and Satan aren’t going to like the news that the Summoner is going to call soon… They broke into Mari’s locker again…
Battle: … Any damage this time?
Beauty: No, and that’s kind of what’s bothering me…
Brain: Hey, like Chloe said, you have every right to be upset about having your locker broken into! And you also have even more of a right to be pissed about having your things taken out of your locker w/o your permission!
Beauty: I know, but whoever this Summoner is is getting into my locker w/o “breaking” anything! They’re getting in, going through MY stuff, and just closing my locker when they take something! Worst yet! No one has SEEN anyone strange near my locker!
Beauty: This is making me glad I don’t keep the Miraculous in my care there… I don’t want to imagine what could happen if I did…
Battle: … What kind of lock do you use?
Beauty: Stainless steel lock that needs a 4-number combination to open. But I keep the key for it on my keychain, which DOES NOT LEAVE my person unless it is in my room.
Battle: Hmm, that means that the person either found out the combination or somehow got ahold of the key to make a copy…
Battle: However, both seem unlikely.
Brawn: Yeah, both require being in Marinette’s personal bubble, which she would certainly notice.
Beauty: Guys, please stop this conversation… I’m paranoid enough about the Summoner somehow stalking me and getting into my locker. Do you know how many times I look around in my hiding spots b4 and after I transform? I really don’t need anything else to worry about…
Brain: Sorry Mari.
Brain: I hope that “Help” Asmodeus called is coming soon…
Beauty: Same… Tikki says she hopes so too…
Beauty: And in all honesty… I don’t care who this help is, I just want them to find this Summoner and stop them!
~}I{ Elsewhere }I{~
A portal opened in a swirl of cyan and silvery blue within an empty alleyway behind a nightclub. A tall red-headed man with a white streak in his hair, dark blue eyes, wearing a black turtleneck shirt, khaki jacket with matching slacks, and black shoes walked out of the portal as he pulled a suitcase behind him with one hand and a small child that looked around six or seven-years-old with light-blonde hair with a few scattered streaks of red that was tied up in a pair of braided twin-tails with light blue eyes, wearing a pair of dark blue pants with white vertical lines going up the legs and a dark blue short sleeve shirt with white lines that form the letters 'U' and 'A' (1), had on a pair of grey boots, wore a pair of mismatched earrings dangling from her lopes, one earring was a small white feather and the other was a black skull, and had a gold chain bracelet with a decent-sized clear crystal that was in the shape of a five-sided pyramid with a sharp tip wrapped around her right wrist.
The man quickly glanced around and noticed the sign for the nightclub, which read “Lust Lounge” in curvy letters (in French). He sighed before grumbling in English, “Should have known Ozzie would’ve dropped us off at one of their establishments, but at least it’s outside rather than inside.”
The little girl looked up at the sign, and looked at it for a bit before saying, also in English, “What does the sign say, dad?”
The man, apparently the child’s father, looked down at the little girl when he said in English, “Ah right, I should cast that language spell.” He quickly manoeuvred the suitcase so it was standing on its own to free up his hand. The next thing to happen was the red-haired man muttering something as the tips of his index and middle finger of his free hand started glowing. He then pointed the glowing lights at the child. The light flew towards the girl and sank into her forehead. The red-headed man switched to French when he asked, “Better?”
The blonde girl blinked in confusion when she asked in French, “Did anything happen?” Not realising that she was suddenly speaking a different language.
The man pointed at the sign when he asked the child, “What does the sign say now?”
The girl looked at the sign and realised she could read it! “Lusty Lounge!” The girl said happily before the words truly registered and added with a giggle, “Yup! Definitely Aunt-cle Ozzie’s businesses.”
The red-headed man smiled at the child before saying, “Alright, we’re going to check into the hotel that Ozzie booked for us and then start on the search for this “Annoying Summoner” that is causing trouble in Hell. You can be my assistant for this mission.”
The blonde girl smiled before she said, “Okay, dad!”
With that, they left the ally way.
~}I{ Also Elsewhere }I{~
The Angel landed next to the Eiffel Tower, unseen by mortal eyes. Their sleek, silver sword gleamed in the light of the sun. In a soft flash of light, the Angel took on a human form. Soon people saw an adult with a plain face with soft features, long silvery-white hair that flowed down their back as some of the shorter strands hung over their left shoulder with one of them being a single braid with a white feather decorating the end of it, wearing an eggshell white blouse-like shirt with longs sleeves to his wrists paired with a grey vest, had on a pair of flowy dress slacks with matching grey shoes and held a pure white cane in hand.
The humans didn’t notice that the new arrival appeared out of nowhere, however, they did notice that this whitette didn’t seem to be looking anywhere. But no one gave a second glance at this person as they walked away, swishing their cane from side to side as they made their way towards a certain bakery.
~}I{ Back at Dupont }I{~
“Are you sure, Miss Bustier?” Rose asked the red-headed teacher in confusion.
Miss Bustier nodded when she said, “Mrs Rossi called me earlier and said that Lila was sick again.”
Mylene couldn’t help but say, “But… She’s been getting sick a lot lately. Is her mother sure that’s what is happening?” The short girl wasn’t trying to hammer in any suspicions about Lila’s truthfulness, or lack thereof, to the teacher, she was genuinely worried about any possible underlying health problems for a fellow classmate, even if it is the liar.
Caline understood the concern of her students when she said, “Yes, she’s sure. It’s nothing major, thankfully. Lila should be back in school Monday.” She then sighed before admitting, “I did tell Mrs Rossi that she should take Lila to a doctor if she gets sick again after this one clears up.” She then ushered her students back to their seats for the next class, stating that they needed to get all of Friday’s lessons out of the way unless they wanted extra homework over the weekend.
}{ Class Chat }{
Ladyblogger: Guys, I’m getting majorly worried about Lila! This is the 3rd time in 2 weeks that she’s been too sick to come to school!
Teenage Witch: Yeah, that’s like, not normal… And it is a little weird tbh…
Poison Ivy: I would think she would be lying with all these sick days, but if her mother is confirming…
Ladyblogger: ROSE! How could you!?
Gothic Girlfriend: Hey! Rose implied that if Lila’s mum wasn’t confirming all the sick days, she would think Lila is lying!
Tiny Actress: I’ll have to admit that I agree with Rose and Juleka.
Teddy Bear: Yeah, same.
AI Am I: If Mrs Rossi is confirming all these “sick days”... Then perhaps Lila’s immune system has been compromised? Or has one virus that has been making her sick off and on.
Rollersnake: Urg! Those sound bad! But I know my dad wouldn’t let me stay home on a school day unless I was super sick or contagious, and I’m going to assume that all caring parents are like that.
LB Artist: Yeah, and I bet they would check to make sure that their kid was sick first before letting them stay home.
Anything’s Possible: Urg! Been there, done that! There is no fooling a careful parent’s eye.
Turntables: Who hasn’t faked being sick when they were little?
Queen Bee: Wait, is that a thing? Faking illness to get out of going to school when you’re a kid?
Sunshine: I have never done that. Is that… Something everyone does?
Fashion Baker: It’s more along the lines of something that kids try to do to get out of going to school. Not everyone does it though.
Sunshine: Oh… Good, because I don’t think that would’ve worked on Father… Even if I had thought about it…
Ladyblogger: Sunshine, please don’t remind us about your utterly sheltered home life. Mom already thinks you don’t eat enough, especially with that strict-ass, so-called dad.
Sunshine: Can you PLEASE tell her that I am a Healthy Thin and not a model-starved thin! That’s the one thing that really bugs me regarding being a model.
Fashion Baker: I can confirm the healthy thin part. And Adrien, no offence, but the modelling industry DOES have an issue with fashion companies “requiring” their models to be a “perfect size” which, unfortunately, goads the models to “eat less to lose weight”. It is an unfortunate part of the industry and a lot of ppl can’t help but make that assumption…
Turntables: Okay, that’s a major yikes! And I also noticed that Adrien didn’t defend the dick this time.
Sunshine: … Yeah on what Mari said… And, uh, for what Nino said… … Um, Axel kind of gave me the “Acceptable Touch Talk” and…
LB Artist: Made you think what the dick has done to you that “isn’t okay” or told you that “it’s acceptable but makes you uncomfortable in some way”?
Sunshine: …
Sunshine: Mother always agreed with Father… But she always gave me a legitimate reason as to why Father is right…
Queen Bee: Yeah, Aunt Emilie was always good at giving a reasonable reason as to why adults do things. Waaaaay better than just saying “Because I say so”... I wish it were Gabe who disappeared two years ago rather than Aunt Emilie.
Gothic Girlfriend: …
Poison Ivy: …
Teddy Bear: …
LB Artist: …
Ladyblogger: …
Fashion Baker: …
Anything’s Possible: …
Maximum Overdrive: …
AI Am I: 0.o.
Turntables: … Dude, I… Dang! The way you’re always talking about your mum… I thought she disappeared like 5 years ago! Minimum!
Sunshine: Oh, um, no, she vanished recently…
Sunshine: Um… Is it weird to think that a male lust demon reminds me of my Mother in a way?
Fashion Baker: Axel reminds you of your Maman?
Sunshine: … Yes… He’s oddly motherly… Is… It… Strange to think that a guy can be motherly?
Gothic Girlfriend: In the wise words of the Animaniacs, “Gender is an outdated bunch of baloney!”
Poison Ivy: That’s my girl!
Gothic Girlfriend: 😀
Sunshine: Hey! To change topics… Maybe in the next interview, I have I can promote healthy model diets!
Teddy Bear: Hey, that’s not a bad idea.
Queen Bee: About time you use your model powers for something besides showing off that pretty face *affectionately*.
Rollersnake: 😂
Poison Ivy: Ooo! Perfect!
Gothic Girlfriend: Awesome.
Ladyblogger: And maybe there’s something in that diet that can help Lila stay healthy!
Turntables: I think I agree with Miss B about her mum taking her to the doctor first, b4 she does any major changes to her diet.
Maximum Overdrive: Agreed. It is best to talk to your doctor before you make any significant changes to your diet, especially if you are currently ill and change it so suddenly.
Anything’s Possible: Yeah, and from what I learned from my cousin, you have to start with small changes when going into a new diet so your body can adjust to it.
Ladyblogger: Huh, Nora mentioned the same thing when talking to the twins about her kickboxing diet.
}{ Miss Bustier’s Class }{
The teens quickly tucked their phones away before Miss Bustier noticed.
~}I{ At Tom and Sabine’s Bakery }I{~
The owners of the namesake business were keeping up with the usual hustle and bustle of their typical day. The only difference today was either one or the other checking on their “House Guest” every hour or when it slowed a bit. The Hell Lord was still asleep on the couch. The pair didn’t know if this was normal for Satan or not, but he WAS pretty lethargic last night… Maybe when Satan wakes up they can ask him if he can contact someone in Hell to help him.
Not even a minute after checking on their “guest”, a new customer walked in. Both Tom and Sabine took note of how this customer seemed… Oddly calming… The entire bakery seemed to quiet down as soon as he walked in. The silvery white-haired man turned his head from side to side as if trying to pinpoint something before his attention was on the bakery’s display case and walked in that direction, using his cane in hand to ensure he didn’t walk into anything. The moment he got close enough to the owners Sabine greeted the customer and asked if he was interested in any particular goods.
The man with the silver-white hair sniffed the air a few times before he said in an oddly harmonious voice, “While you’re goods smell divine, I will have to decline. I am here to discuss some important matters with the individual currently resting in your residence.”
Both Tom and Sabine glanced at each other before the taller asked the guy, “He’s not in trouble for what’s going on? Because it’s outside his control and he’s doing what he’s… Paid to do… And it wasn’t much…”
The silver-white-haired man let out a hum before saying softly, “So, you’re aware of who he is. This means that there was a reason for him to disclose that to a pair of mortals.” That was when both Tom and Sabine saw the cane in this person’s hand shift into a sword and then back into a cane. It was quick, but the two caught it all and knew that if anyone else happened to see would have written it off as a trick of the light. This man then stated in a serious yet still harmonious tone, “I am Raguel. And while I am from the opposite place as your guest, my main duty is to ensure that both our homes are in Harmonious Balance. As of now, I have to talk to him to understand what is going on to cause such Disharmony in his home.”
Okay, that put a few things in perspective for the Dupain-Chengs. So they let the silver-white-haired man in, so long as there was no fighting. Raguel’s only response was, “If we did then the Harmony of your home will be disrupted. I will not do such a thing.” before entering the residence, using his cane to guide him in.
The Dupin-Chengs thought about that as they continued with their business.
~}I{ Back at Dupont, During Lunch }I{~
Chloe, Zoe, and Sabrina appeared to be having a good lunch with Mylene, Ivan, Rose, and Juleka while the members of the Bs Chat Group were having a serious talk in the corner of the canteen.
“XY?” Kim suggested with a shrug. They were still trying to think about possible suspects of the identity of this Summoner.
Nino waved a ‘no way’ hand when he said, “Can’t be him. After that incident with Bob Roth nearly a month ago, the courts have XY living with his mum’s parents somewhere in Ireland. There is no way he can know what’s been going on here with Mari so quickly.”
Yeah, that was valid.
Marinette was stirring her drink uneasily. Given the topic and them not finding anyone who would fit… It was understandable…
That was when Kagami asked, “What about that Rila girl? She doesn’t like Marinette.”
Kim responded, “Well, we did think of her as a possibility, but Lila was out of school almost half the time of those rapid summonings and she isn’t in the Class Chat so she wouldn’t know if “the List” isn’t being done.” Nino and Marinette agreed with that statement, one more reluctantly than the other.
Kagami raised a brow at this before she asked, “Is the “she was out of school” part the only reason why she can’t be this Summoner.”
The twin-tailed teen frowned at the mention of the liar’s name before she stated sourly, “Well, as much as I don’t like her and she doesn’t like me, I don’t think she would do something as drastic as constantly summoning a demon to get back at me. Maybe once against Ladybug for bruising her ego in front of Adrien, but not me for noticing her lies… And I doubt she would have the space and means to summon multiple times, and she would have a more “I want you to do this petty stuff to her” kind of thing… Plus, if she’s not in the Class Chat then she wouldn’t know what hasn’t been happening while she is out sick, which her mother is confirming.”
Kagami thought about that before she submitted to that logic. But she did bring up, “What about that not-so-subtle interest in Adrien? Satan did bring up that Love Rival thing as another possible motive.”
Nino, Kim, and Marinette had uneasy looks on their faces when the red-capped teen said, “Well, yeah, that’s another good motivator, but Adrien has been telling her that he’s not interested.”
Marinette couldn’t help but slide in, “Now if only Lila can take a hint and stop trying to cling to Adrien every chance she gets… Thank goodness for the boundary system…” She took a sip of her drink. The others had to agree with that.
Meanwhile, at a different table. Alya was happily texting Lila about what went down in the class chat today, minus the stuff regarding the Ash-Mode Brand since she assumed the Italian girl already knew about it all due to the “collaboration”. The blogger had wondered why Lila hadn't joined the chat but as it turns out the Italian girl’s phone could only do personal text messages. Not too big a deal for Alya, she didn’t mind telling her friend what had been happening while she was stuck at home.
~}I{ Rossi’s Residence }I{~
Lila glared at her phone screen in annoyance. Her loyal little pawn had just told her that Marinette was still attending school as if nothing was wrong, not that the blogger knew that that was what she did.
Lila let out a ‘tsk’ before thinking, ‘Satan should just do what I want him to now instead of prolonging the inevitable.’ She quickly replied to that pawn of hers before she snatched the pencil case she stole from that goody-goody’s locker and grabbed her copy of the basem*nt key since she has been going there a lot and it was a pain to keep stealing the key from the real owners. Lila was smugly proud of herself for that perfect plan to break into that locker without anyone knowing, besides that goody-goody kept so much junk in that locker that she wouldn’t notice if anything was missing.
Now Lila needed to get to the roof to get a pigeon to sacrifice for that Summoning.
~}I{ About an Hour Later }I{~
An Akuma Alert went out. Marinette asked Kim to cover for her if anyone asks and Adrien texted Nino and Kagami to ask them to say that he was fencing with them. Chat Noir added a mask with one of those LED lights that shows the wearer’s mood to his costume because of all the Mr Pigeon fights. Ladybug thought the mask was adorable, especially since the “mouth” was like a cat’s.
Problem was… The Akuma wasn’t Mr Pigeon…
It was the former Style Queen...
Both Ladybug and Chat Noir were baffled that Hawkmoth would Akumatize her, especially with all the news coverage about all the scandals that Audrey was behind… This made them wonder if Hawkmoth even paid any attention to the recent news… This was going to reopen some wounds for the Style Queen’s families… … Maybe they should help them find a better name for their collective family members…
But at least the duo had some help… The Hell Hunters that Asmodeus sent to hunt down Audrey were fine with working with the Heroes, so long as they didn’t interfere with them dragging their target to Hell to face her due punishment. Both Ladybug and Chat Noir were “fine” with that but they needed the Akuma so it doesn’t spread all over Hell and for the Miraculous Cure to fix everything that the Style Queen destroyed or altered. The Hell Hunters were more than fine with that since they didn’t want anything to do with the Miraculous in Hell.
The Style Queen was running all over Paris in that gaudily Akuma form that she had the first time she was Akumatize, just more glittery and didn’t turn into a swarm of sparkles. That was good considering she was already giving her pursuers one heck of a runaround.
Urg! So much collateral damage and people getting hurt! They were going to need the Miraculous Cure!
“Bloody bitch!” one of the Hell Hunters growled out as they slammed an oncoming street light out of the way with their own spear. This one had the scary red-on-black demonic horns protruding from their temples that curved up and over their head, blazing yellow eyes with grey pupils that were slits, scaly-like hair that was earth-brown that only reached their shoulders, and wore what looked like black and silver midlevel armour that was clearly meant for combat. As they and the others landed on a nearby roof, this Hell Hunter snapped, “She’s causing far too much destruction fur muh liking.”
The second Hell Hunter with short dark blonde hair that was tied back in a high poney-tail with the bangs hanging over the right eye, had midnight blue eyes with bright silver split pupils, had a grey corkscrew horn that protruded out of their left temple that curved to the side slightly, and wore the same armour as the first but the colour-scheme was silver and dark blue readied a long-bow and shot a few arrows. Those arrows caught a falling car and stopped it from crushing a pair of pedestrians who were trying to get away from the scene. “Da,” the second Hell Hunter got out in a Russian accent before turning to their allies when they added, “Vouldn’t surprize me if Lord Asmodeus condemns her to a Stress Reliever in za Lust Ring.”
“Do… We want to know what that is?” Both Ladybug and Chat Noir asked in an unwilling tone.
The third Hell Hunter gave the two a look before asking in an accent that seemed like a mix of New Yorker and Kreal, “Yah two are undah the age of an adult, right?” This Hell Hunter had black hair that was styled in a wolf shave, red eyes with bright purple slits, wore the same armour as the others but had a more dark and light grey colour palette, and carried a double-bladed scythe.
As Chat Noir nodded as Ladybug asked, “Oh, THAT kind of stuff?”
The three Hell Hunters nodded.
Chat Noir was a little confused while Ladybug grumbled out as she folded her arms, “Can’t say that it wouldn’t be deserved…” That was when the black cat hero somewhat understood what was being talked about.
Soon they were back to chasing after the Style Queen… Paris was going to end up half destroyed by the time they could corner her, aren’t they…
~}I{ In the Dupain-Cheng’s Bakery }I{~
Satan slowly opened his eyes as awareness slowly crept back to the Lord of Wrath. Memories of the Dupain-Chengs getting him to the couch and then making him comfortable came back to him… Satan vaguely remembered that he talked to Tikki before falling asleep… When was the last time he spoke to her without her glaring at him? Ah, before Joan… Any time they met after that were glares… Same with…
Satan’s vision was blurry at first before they started to become more focused. Once his vision cleared, he saw the figure of the silvery-white-haired man sitting in a chair across from him. Satan rubbed his eyes when he got out in an embarrassingly tired tone, “Raguel? What are you doing here?”
Raguel tilted his head to the side a bit before he said, “It seems like you are more exhausted than you thought. But no one can blame you because of that Over-Summoner.”
Satan pinched the bridge of his nose before he grumbled out as he slowly sat up, “Urg, that’s why you’re here…” He let out a soft groan of annoyance before he said, “If it weren’t for the fact that the bitch keeps pouring the blood into the Summoning Circle Before she makes the summon, Asmodeus would’ve either rightfully cursed them or marked her as condemned… Possibly smited them on the spot…” He let out an unflattering yawn before adding tiredly, “What’s worse is not only that this Over-Summoner somehow knows that what they want isn’t getting done so quickly and continuing to do this Botched Summoning, but they’re NOT listening to Ozzie at all…” Satan rubbed his eyes again before saying, “Urg, Marinette is an unlikely target for Wrath and has absolutely no clue as to why this Over-Summoner hates her THAT much… Whoever they are… Still waiting on that image of that bitch from Ozzie…” With his eyes half-open, the Lord of Wrath added, “But I wouldn’t be surprised if all those Summonings made them too aggravated to make an image or ended up destroying the image because of their anger towards the Over-Summoner…”
Raguel let out a soft hum before saying, “I suspected as much in regards to this Summoner, but what caught my attention is the fact that you are referring to that Target by her given name. Does she know who you are as well?”
Satan let out a sigh, knowing full well that lying to this Angel was completely pointless. But at least Tikki wouldn’t be mad at him for telling Raguel about that particular fact. “Marinette is Tikki’s current Holder, I had to reveal that fact to her so we could make arrangements as to what I can do… Her parents had to know because Marinette is a child,” the Lord of Wrath told the Angel, which was probably all he needed to understand why the Dupain-Chengs know about him. Satan sighed again before saying, “And three other humans know about her and me. They’re Marinette’s friends and they’re helping with figuring out who this annoying Summoner is… Not that they’re having much luck on that… Tikki chose another relatively pure Holder, so not many true enemies except for that Hawkmoth character… But he seems to be more the Ladybug persona’s enemy rather than Marinette’s…”
Raguel let out another hum before saying, “Oh? That explains the rather strong magic energy that I’ve sensed lingering inside this building.” He tapped his cane before he said, “I’ve read that to-do list that the Summoner has been giving Lord Asmodeus and you… They gave the same list ten times… You have to be uneasy about the whole thing being targeted towards a relatively pure soul, correct Lord Satan?”
Satan sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose again before he admitted, “At first, I was under the impression that Marinette would’ve made a good underling with how much Wrath was targeted towards her, but almost a week went by and I got nothing that would vindicate such a list… The only things I could find were her back-and-white morals, which is more rubbing the wrong way than actual wrath, and that pursuing that blonde male classmate that has other suitors, but she seems to be on good terms with those suitors…” He slumped back against the couch when he added, “There is no reason anyone should hate Marinette THAT much… So, yes, I’m uneasy as well as exhausted…”
“How unusual…” was all Raguel got out.
Satan opened a tired eye at the Angel when he said, “You can talk to her if you want. She’ll come home soon. Doubt she’d even think to lie to you about anything…”
Raguel was quiet for a bit before he finally said, “I shall do so, however, it would be in your best interest to remain here until those under you can bring you a vile or two of Liquid Wrath.”
Satan let out an annoyed groan before he said, “Urg! You don’t have to tell me that, I know I barely have the energy to do anything… And Ozzie isn’t much better… Except they’re more aggravated than exhausted…”
Raguel couldn’t help but say, “That is understandable.”
~}I{ With the Heroes and Hell Hunters }I{~
Well, things have gotten… Interesting… At least for Ladybug and Chat Noir. The Hell Hunters seemed… Oddly casual about the situation… It was a little scary, to be honest.
The Style Queen had a hostage. A tall red-headed man with a white streak in his hair, dark blue eyes, wearing a black turtleneck shirt, khaki jacket with matching slacks, and black shoes was being held almost at gunpoint, or staff point in this case, by the Akuma, was just… Having a nice casual conversation with the Hell Hunters as if he weren’t in any danger!
The red-headed man just started the whole thing by saying, “Uh, okay… What did this Gholdengo (2) wannabe do to warrant the attention of a few Hell Hunters?”
This made the Hell Hunters laugh before the one with the spear said, “Nice to know yar keeping up-to-date on things. And ta answer your question… Tha bitch violated tha Lust Contract she had with Lord Asmodeus.”
The redheaded man raised a brow at this before he asked, “What kind of violation would require Hell Hunters?”
The Hell Hunter with the longbow scoffed before saying, “Za payment. Za deal was zat Lord Asmodeus got za blood first to start za contract and za clock for it, and once za time for za contract was up za bitch was to forfeit her soul. However, za bitch decided to sacrifice all of her children instead and decided to avoid Lord Asmodeus.”
The redhead let out a small hum before he said, “I see, so she refused to adhere to the original deal and thought using her own children would be fine…” He sighed before saying, “Honestly, people nowadays don’t seem to understand how Contracts work.”
The Hell Hunter with the scythe scoffed before saying, “If yah ask me, ah tink tha bitch planed ta use any children she made from da start.”
The redheaded man let out a distasteful groan when he got out, “Urg, that is several levels of lows on all ends.”
Both Ladybug and Chat Noir were looking back and forth between the Hell Hunters and this strange redheaded man during this weird conversation, not knowing if they needed to help the man or not. Did he even know how much danger he was in?
The Style Queen, on the other hand, was getting rather aggravated that these people were talking about her WHILE ignoring her. In furry, the Akumatized individual shoved the redhead to the side before she stormed over towards the Hell Hunters and snapped in rage, “How dare you lot! I am the Style Queen! The number one authority when it comes to what’s in and hot in the fashion industry!” She then started on a rant about how “exceptional” she was.
Ladybug and Chat Noir glanced at each other when the third sentence of that rant started. Neither was sure how to react to what they saw and what they were seeing.
When the Style Queen shoved the redheaded man to the side, he took the opportunity to snatch the Akumatized object on the Akuma, which was her sunglasses. It seems that Audrey’s blind fury at the Hell Hunters prevented her from noticing that she lost the item that kept her as an Akuma… Nor was she seeing the Hell Hunters readying their weapons to strike…
… … … …
Chat Noir leaned a little closer to Ladybug before he whispered to her, “Uh, should we look away before they… Slay her?” The “mouth” on the mask contorted into a befuddled frown as the “lips” moved in a talking motion as the Black Cat Holder spoke.
Ladybug returned the gesture and responded in a whisper, “Um, I guess that depends… How are you on gore or torture? And that’s not even including if they going to kill her in the most unpleasant way possible?”
The heroes looked at each other once more before the redheaded man walked over to them as he held the Akuma Item towards them when he said, “I believe that the two of you need this However, I recommend that you wait until the Hell Hunters finish their job before you cast that Miraculous Cure.”
Both Ladybug and Chat Noir gave the man an awkward thanks as they destroyed and purified the corrupted butterfly. While the two teens did this, they were able to hear the sounds of Audrey’s screams of pain while the Hell Hunters were doing… Whatever they were doing to her… The heroes couldn’t see what was happening since the redheaded man was conveniently blocking their view… Or was blocking their view purposefully. If it was the latter, then the two weren’t sure if they should be thankful for that or not… The man did ask the heroes about the LED mask that the Black Cat Hero was wearing, which neither hero was sure if he was asking to distract them from the “event” or out of curiosity and to be frank neither hero cared. The man found the reason for the mask rather interesting.
Not even a minute later the Hell Hunters had Audrey the former Style Queen in chains… Where did those come from? … Okay, maybe the two teenage heroes didn’t need to know how this thing worked… Nor did they want to know…
It made Ladybug and Chat Noir’s gut churn when Audrey tried to bargain her freedom in exchange for her children and their fathers. And to the Heroes’ surprise, the Hell Hunters were disgusted by the former Style Queen’s “offer”. One of them even commented, “And humans dare to call us evil. But that’s just… *Shakes head*.” Before they opened a portal to Hell and literally dragged Audrey through it.
After a minute or so, the redheaded man let out a sniff before he said, “If she was that quick to offer up those that are supposed to be close to her, then she couldn’t have been a pleasant person to deal with. What’s worse is that if she had thought about adding the lives of her children and their fathers to the Contract at the start, this whole thing wouldn’t have happened and she would have continued with whatever deal she made and the world wouldn’t have known about her deeds.” He glanced to the side to see that were some people lingering nearby, some with their phones out that captured the entire thing, and it was likely that it would be the leading story later in the day. He quickly noticed the body language of these two young heroes, both seemed majorly uncomfortable with what he had said. The redhead’s eyes glowed slightly and allowed him to see through the glamour that kept the two’s identities a secret. ‘Teenagers again… I wonder if they had any training…’ He thought before he told the two, “Do either of you mind if we talk in a more secluded location?”
Ladybug and Chat Noir nodded before the black-clad hero said, “Sure, but you have to answer some of our questions too.”
The redheaded man nodded when he stated, “Fair enough.”
The three quickly took off towards the roofs before any of the civilians noticed that they were gone.
After a minute or so of jumping from rooftop to rooftop, the teen heroes quickly noticed that the redheaded man was easily keeping pace with them. This was definitely out of the norm, more than usual to say the least. They passed by a billboard advertising a Gabrial Brand perfume featuring Adrien Agreste next to the perfume bottle, the redheaded man raised a brow at this before he glanced at Chat Noir. Soon, they landed on the roof of a particular building and the teens started their questions, starting with who the man was.
The redheaded man gave Ladybug and Chat Noir a polite bow when he introduced himself, “My name is Jason Blood (3).” He stood at his full height when he added, “I believe that Asmodeus informed Satan that I would be one of the few individuals coming to assist with this Overactive Wrong Summoner.”
Chat Noir raised a brow as the LED lights on his face mask morphed into a suspicious frown when he asked, “You’re the help that a Lord of Hell called?” He placed his hands on his hips when he got out, “I somewhat expected someone more on the devilish side.”
The redheaded man, Jason Blood, gave them a small shrug and a wiry smile when he replied, “Well, I can’t blame you for thinking that, given the situation. Though admittedly, you’re partially right on that.” Both Ladybug and Chat Noir glanced at each other at the answer. Jason then looked at the red-clad hero when he said, “Asmodeus made it clear that it is Ms Ladybug Holder’s civilian identity that seems to be getting the unwanted hate, correct.”
Ladybug subconsciously rubbed her left arm with her right hand in uneasiness when she said, “Yeah, uh, that’s what Satan told me…” She glanced to the side when she added, “That’s only part of the issue with that Summoner…”
Jason folded his arms when he said, “The frequency of the Summons. Asmodeus gave a nice little rant about that…” He narrowed his eyes as he glanced to the side when he added in a not-so-pleased tone, “Right after that Summoner called them during our call…”
Chat Noir blinked in shock as the LED lights moved the mouth into a Shocked Pikachu mouth before he asked, “You mean that this Summoner called Asmodeus while they were in the middle of talking to you?!”
Jason nodded when he said, “It was a video call rather than a phone call, so I actually saw the Summoning happen on their end.” He sighed before he said, “I knew for a fact that Asmodeus called when they weren’t on the Summon List, so as you can imagine, it was a surprise to me that it happened…” The redhead then narrowed his eyes when he added, “It took an hour and a half for them to return from that Summon. From what Asmodeus said the, and I quote, “Bitch of a Summoner criticised me as Satan for not doing what she wanted, ignored me, and then went on off on that stupidly extensive list, again!” end quote. As you can imagine, they weren’t exactly in a good mood after that. They nearly forgot that they were on call with me.”
This made Ladybug even more uneasy and Chat Noir rather concerned when he asked, “How can this Summoner still not listen to Asmodeus after, what ten Summons?” He looks at his partner for confirmation, and she nods before he continues, “And Asmodeus is trying to explain that the Summoner is doing the Summon wrong and that they need to stop!”
Jason taps his left fingers on his right arm as he kept his arms folded when he said, “Per protocol for both Heaven and Hell when something like that happens. Summoning Contracts with Angels and Demons are relatively easy to make, but the main thing that humans tend to overlook is that if the symbols for the Summon Circle aren’t right then they’re going to end up Summoning an Angel or Demon that doesn’t aline with what they wanted. It’s not an issue for mortals, but it is for both Heaven and Hell.”
Ladybug gave a shaky nod when she said, “Yeah… Uh, Satan explained that it causes a problem with tracking the Angel or Demon Summoned and their safety… There’s also the issue with blocking those Over-Summoners, right?”
Jason nodded before saying, “Correct, and I’m not surprised you were told this.” He sighed as he unfolded his arms when he stated, “Two things before you can ask your questions and use that Miraculous Cure.” He held up his left index finger when he asked, “Regarding the Rules for the Miraculous, is that particular one regarding knowing each other’s civilian identity still active?”
Well now, that was a little unexpected question for the two teens. There weren’t many people who knew about the Miraculous knew about the Order of the Guardians, much less about their rules… Only other Holders and members of the Order of the Guardians knew about those rules… So how did this man know?
Jason noticed the looks before he stated, “Long story short and without going into too many details, Wang Fu and I knew each other enough for me to know about the Miraculous.”
The two Miraculous Holders were… Still unsure of how much they should tell this guy… Yeah, he seemed to know the Guardian by name but… They didn’t know what their relationship was…
Jason sighed as he rubbed his left temple before he stated, “Listen, I’m only here to identify this Over-Summoner and get them to stop before something worse can happen. I’m not here for the Miraculous. However, they are somewhat involved in this whole ordeal.” He folded his arms again before he added, “Unfortunately, since Ms Ladybug’s civilian identity is the target of this Over-Summoner, I will have to know who she is so I can help figure out who this Over-Summoner is. And if that “can’t know each other’s identity rule” is still in place, then I am going to end up stepping on a few toes.”
The LED lights on Chat Noir’s face mask morphed into a potent frown when he said in an annoyed, sarcastic tone, “Oh, joy, another person that gets to know M’Lady’s identity before me…” His cat ears drooped at this.
Ladybug gave her partner an understandably conflicted look on her face. She wanted to comfort her partner and tell him that things would get better and that she’ll let him know once this was all over, but at the same time, she knew what was at risk right now. Even more so because she had someone who was somehow stalking her… Ladybug wasn’t sure what to do…
Jason glanced between Ladybug and Chat Noir. He let out another sigh before he stated, “I’m going to have to track down Wang after this and talk to him, but you two can tell each other who you are under the mask to lessen the strain of this whole thing if you truely want.”
Chat Noir and Ladybug glanced at each other before they both said that they needed to think about it. Jason only nodded when he replied, “Fair enough.”
Soon they exchanged questions and answers before the Miraculous Cure was cast. The Lucky Charm summoned for it was an old, simple key to a door. Not the weirdest thing that they got, but it was a little odd. Once the Miraculous Cure did its thing, Chat Noir left but not before Ladybug apologised to him for this whole ordeal. To which the Black Cat hero responded that it wasn’t her fault that someone else wanted to cause trouble by not listening. With that, the teens split with Jason Blood following the ladybug holder.
~}I{ Meanwhile, in Hell }I{~
A vase collided with a wall with a satisfying crash and shattered into pieces. Asmodeus let out a low growl as they watched the vase shards fall to the ground. That didn’t make the Lord of Lust feel any better…
One of the Lust Demons got their Lord’s attention by asking if they were all right.
Asmodeus sighed as they pinched the bridge of their centre head before saying, “That Over-Summoner…” They growled when they snapped out, “How can any mortal be so egotistical that they ignore any reason that I can give them so they stop Summoning every other day!? Impatient little bitch!!!”
The nearby Lust Demons huddled in fear at their Lord’s uncharacteristic display of anger. Upon feeling their underlings’ emotions, Asmodeus quickly calmed down and apologised for their outburst. The underlings understood why their Lord was enraged and knew it wasn’t directed at them, but it was still scary to see.
“I honestly hope that Jason finds that Over-Summoner and stops them…” one of the underlings got out.
Asmodeus sighed before saying, “Same here… Hope he can work with Raguel when they meet…”
~}I{ An Hour Later at the Dupain-Cheng Bakery }I{~
Marinette texted Kim, Nino, and Kagami about the situation and asked them to come over to share their “Find the Summoner” data with Jason Blood and Raguel. The boys agreed to come over but Kagami had fencing practice with Adrien but sent them her section. Tikki wasn’t happy that yet another person knew her Holders’ Identity, but knew it was needed to end this whole Over-Summoner issue. It also surprised Marinette that the Kwami already knew Jason Blood. Guess that meant that the guy was telling the truth about knowing Master Fu…
To give Satan some sleeping space, since the Lord of Wrath was still too tired to do anything other than acknowledge that Jason was there, and avoid customers hearing what they were doing, the group decided to do their data sharing on the roof of the bakery.
Jason looked over a part of the data when he said, “Eesh, it’s one thing being told about the frequent Summons, but seeing how often it happens… I’m surprised Asmodeus was able to get anything partially done in the Ring of Lust.” He then added, “And this certainly explains why Satan isn’t in the mood to do anything.”
Raguel ran his fingers over the papers when he stated, “Very true.” His fingers ran over a particular bit of information before he asked the teens and Kwami, “You have noted that your school seems to be the epicentre of this Summoner’s source of information and the items used for locating spells. Does that mean you believe that the Summoner is among the individuals there?”
The teens could only stare at the Angel as he appeared to read with his finger when Tikki explained, “Given that the items were taken from Marinette’s school locker, which she has been locking, and no one at the school has noticed anyone strange or unusual on school grounds, we have come to the assumption that the Summoner is either someone who goes to the school for a legitimate reason or is using someone who goes to the school to get information on Marinette.”
Raguel nodded when he said, “Reasonable conclusion, and the first place that we need to start our investigation.”
Jason looked at the Angel of Justice when he stated, “I can work something out with the school’s headmaster so they can have a more legitimate and more mortal reason as to why we are there.” He felt his phone vibrate and was quick to answer it, only to see that it was a text. He quickly responded to the text before he said, “And we’ll have a little helper who can bypass any suspicions that the students might have about us.”
Raguel let out a hum before he said, “So, you brought your daughter along.” He turned slightly towards the redheaded man before asking, “I can assume that it is more because she needs the Magic practice and learning how the Magical aspect of the mortal world works?” Jason simply replied with a, “yes”. Tikki quickly threw in that they also needed to keep the Miraculous Identities a secret.
Kim raised a hand when he asked, “Uh, not to be rude, but it is kind of bothering me… But Mr Raguel, why are you pressing your fingers against the paper while you read?”
Raguel didn’t seem surprised by the question when he responded, “This is how I read what is on any type of surface. I use my spiritual energy to raise the letterings so they’re easier for me to read.” Kim, Nino, and Marinette seemed confused by that answer.
Jason seemed to understand what was going on when he told the teens, “Raguel is blind, so he reads by touching. He uses his magical energy to turn normal letters into brail when his fingers touch the surface.”
The three teens let out a collective, “Oooohhh,” now understanding the oddity… And why the Angel was using a cane… Okay, it seems so obvious now and it made the teens feel a little self-conscious about missing the signs.
Raguel then asked, “Come to think of it, Lord Satan said that three mortals outside this family know the truth, so where is the third one?”
Nino easily responded, “Oh, Kagami couldn’t miss fencing practice, so she’s probably sparring with Adrien right now.”
Kim quickly threw in, “You’ll meet her later, possibly at school.”
Raguel gave a simple nod before the group continued with their discussion.
}I{ At Dupont’s Fencing Club Lockers, Roughly 30 Minutes Later }I{
Adrien slumped on the bench when he told Kagami after his little rant about the recent events, “Sorry that I ended up complaining to you about that Jason guy…”
Kagami shook her head when she stated, “It is fine, and you do have a right to not like something even if you know that it is not your fault or Ladybug’s.”
Plagg floated between the two when he said, “Agreed.” He folded his stubby arms as he closed his eyes when he added, “It’s been a while since that guy was involved with the Miraculous though.”
Kagami tapped her chin before she stated, “So, that part was true… Interesting.”
Adrien couldn’t help but agree with the bluette when he said, “True, and it makes me wonder how Master Fu met him…”
Plagg was oddly quiet at this.
~}I{ About an Hour Later, in one of the Suites of Le Grand Paris }I{~
The child that came with Jason Blood stuck a red pin onto a map of Paris when she got out with a smile, “And, done~.” She happily took another look at her work, holding the crystal to her bracelet in her hand.
If someone were to look at the array of red, blue, and yellow pins stuck onto the map of the City of Love, they would think that the child was trying to plan a sightseeing trip with all the pins being places she wanted to go to.
Suddenly, the door to the room unlocked and Jason Blood walked in when he said, “Kathryn (4), I’m back.”
The girl, Kathryn, looked over to the redhead when she said, “Hi, Dad. Did you find the Target that the Annoying Summoner was after?”
Jason moved closer to his daughter when he said, “I did. As expected Archangel Raguel is involved, and Satan is rightfully exhausted enough to sleep an entire day.”
Kathryn stared at her dad with a worried look when she said, “Well… From what we were told… He was going back and forth between Earth and Hell in rapid succession… And for hardly anything in return…”
Jason nodded when he replied, “That’s the reason why we’re here. To find that Summoner and fix the Summoning Circle so Hell can block her.” He let out a sigh before he added, “Though considering what’s been happening… I have a feeling that Hell is going to have other plans for this Summoner even after the block is in place.”
Kathryn shrugged her shoulders when she stated, “Can’t blame them, whoever this Summoner is is causing problems for Aunt-cle Ozzie and Mr Satan.”
Jason let out a hum before saying, “Very true, and why I don’t want you making any attempts to get close to this Summoner even after they’re found.” Kathryn stated that she knew. The redheaded man looked over the map when he asked, “I see you’ve been doing a little Dowsing while I was out. Find anything interesting?”
Kathryn smiled as she let go of the crystal, which was attached to a golden chain, letting it drop to the chain’s full length before it started glowing silver. That was when the crystal dower moved on its own and started wrapping itself around the girl’s right wrist, reforming into the bracelet she was wearing earlier. Kathryn looked down at the map when she said, “I sure did.” She pointed at the red pin on the Eiffel Tower when she explained, “These pins indicate the man-made magic areas.” She then pointed at the blue pin on the Louvre when she said, “These are natural magic areas.” She then pointed at the yellow pin on the map when she explained, “And these are just weird clusters of the magic of unknown origins.”
Jason looked over the map when he said, “You did a pretty good job.” That was when he realised the yellow pin on the building of Dupont. “Huh, that’s a coincidence,” he muttered under his breath, but his daughter still heard it.
Kathryn blinked when she looked at her dad when she asked, “What is?”
“That high school, Dupont,” Jason said as he tapped on the building on the map. He then added, “The Target goes to that school, and it’s where the Over-Summoner seems to be getting their information on her.”
Kathryn tilted her head to the side before looking at the map when she said, “Weird, but… According to the Dowsing Crystal… That big cluster of magic has been there for a while… My best guess might be a year or two…”
Jason then stated as he patted his daughter on the head, “Well, we’re going to the school tomorrow. I know you’re going to try to figure out that cluster, but I need you to do a job as my assistant for this mission first.” Kathryn’s eyes lit up at this.
~}I{ Secret Keepers Chat Group }I{~
Samurai: Can we retract the “wait for an opportunity”? Adrien is rightfully unhappy about this “help” learning Ladybug’s identity before him.
DJ-Tunes: At least the dude’s cool. And pretty knowledgeable about the occult stuff.
DJ-Tunes: Oh, that reminds me. He and Raguel want to talk to you, Kagami. Just to see if what you know matches up with what Kim and I know.
Heartstrings: Should we tell them about this?
Samurai: How about, if they don’t ask we don’t have to tell them.
DJ-Tunes: LOL, same thing with the Lust Demons at the photoshoots.
Heartstrings: Jules told me about that… Do either of you know if the dick asked anything?
DJ-Tunes: He hasn’t noticed a thing.
Samurai: Nor has he noticed that Adrien has been told about “what is an appropriate touch” and has been establishing actual boundaries.
Heartstrings: …
Heartstrings: Excuse me? Did I just read that Adrien didn’t have any boundaries before?
Samurai: Mostly the stuff regarding others touching his person. You weren’t aware of it?
Heartstrings: No!
Heartstrings: Wait… Other people touching him? Oh, no wonder I didn’t know. I have a habit of not touching others unless they want the contact. You can ask Jules if you want confirmation.
DJ-Tunes: Oh, that’s a reasonable excuse not to notice.
Heartstrings: So… Gabe never gave Adrien any type of talk regarding personal space and boundaries?
DJ-Tunes: Given that Axel went over all the types of touches that are appropriate and the ones that aren’t… Yeah, it seems like it… I don’t know the scale of that issue, but it apparently made Adrien “re-assess” all his prior interactions with a lot of his co-workers and other people he had to interact with in the past.
Samurai: Oh… So That’s what Mother meant when she describes Adrien as being “unwittingly placid around others despite the unfavourable company”.
Samurai: No wonder it didn’t take much convincing to get Mother aboard the “backup plan”.
Heartstrings: … I have no idea how I should respond to that information.
DJ-Tunes: I feel ya.
DJ-Tunes: Oh, speaking of Adrien… I think he might figure out who Ladybug is tomorrow. Or at least gets a clue about her ID.
Samurai: Why?
Heartstrings: Why?
~}I{ The Next Day }I{~
Adrien couldn’t believe what he was seeing when he walked into school.
‘What’s he doing here?’ The blonde model thought as he rubbed his eyes, ensuring he didn’t see things.
There, standing on the ground floor talking to Damocles and another man with white hair with a young girl around Nino’s kid brother’s age standing next to him was Jason Blood. Adrien was too far away to hear what he was talking to the headmaster about, but whatever it was Damocles seemed to be agreeing to it, whatever it is.
“Yo,” Nino said softly as he placed a hand on Adrien’s shoulder that didn’t have the Wrathfly before noticing what the blonde was looking at. Knowing he had to keep playing that supportive friend who only knows one side of things, Nino asked Adrien in a whispered tone so no one could overhear, “Is one of those dudes with Damocles that Jason Blood fellow?”
Adrien turned his head to his friend as he nodded and whispered back, “Yeah, the one with the red hair. I don’t know who that other person is… Or the little girl” He glanced to the side when he mumbled, “But he better have not been told M’Lady’s identity before me…”
The Wrathfly Larva’s antenna twitched in interest as it lifted its head to get a better look at what was happening. It grew just a little bit, it wasn’t noticeable unless you were looking or wanted to measure it.
The only thing Nino could do was squeeze his boi’s shoulder.
However, this did make Adrien think, ‘Wait, does that mean that Ladybug goes to my school?’
~}I{ Meanwhile }I{~
Cassandra Rossi was starting to get a little concerned about the school that her daughter attended…
As she sat at her desk at work, looking at that recent email from the school explaining why they have closed yet again on her phone. The only reason why Cassandra hasn’t transferred to another school by this point was the fact that the school had that online curriculum that they had established when that Hawkmoth character appeared and started interrupting everyone’s daily routine. Plus it was a good school.
Cassandra sighed again as she exited the email and sent Lila a text, asking her if there was anything in particular that she wanted for dinner.
Don’t get the mother wrong, she loved her daughter and wanted to ensure that she had a good education but she was honestly getting worried about Lila’s social health. Yes, Lila assured her that she still kept in contact with her classmates and her boyfriend, but Cassandra worried about the tenuousness of those bonds. Especially that boyfriend, Adrien if the mother remembered correctly. Cassandra was just… Okay, Lila assured her that Adrien was an absolute gentleman and they weren’t doing anything she didn’t want her to do, but the mother was just unsure about this whole relationship with this boy that she didn’t even know… And all the excuses he was giving to Lila to avoid meeting her made Cassandra a little suspicious and added to that worry…
Cassandra rested her cheek on her hand and placed her elbow on her desk as she pondered over whether or not she should cut back her hours at work so she could be… More involved in her daughter’s life… Well, more than just providing a home, necessities, and a comfortable life… Cassandra had to admit, it sucked that she couldn’t spend as much time with her daughter as she wanted because of her rather busy but very well-paying job, but she was the only one who can take care of Lila right now…
‘Maybe I should give my parents a call,’ Cassandra thought before she read the text from her daughter.
Mrs Rossi just wished she could do more for her daughter as the mother glanced at the school’s email, DuponScuolaSuperiore.org.
Cassandra didn’t think it was odd that the French school’s email had the Italian words for High School in the email. After all, all of the prior schools that Lila attended since Jr High had Italian words in their .org emails.
}I{ Rossi Residence }I{
Lila was just lounging on her bed as she photoshopped some images of her and Clara Nightengale together to make it look like they were hanging out. She smoothly responded to her oh-so-gullible mother’s text before she checked her text from her loyal little pawn to see if Satan finally did what she wanted.
Lila had to do a double-take at what she read to make sure she was reading it right.
“An inspection of the school? For what?” the liar got out as she texted her pawn to get some answers.
The text from Alya was reasonable when it read, “Nothing major, just a random inspection to ensure that the school is up to code and the students are thriving. It’ll take a while for them to complete since it’s just two ppl doing it.”
Lila narrowed her eyes as she responded to that text as she thought, ‘Satan better do what I want. Because it’s going to be a pain to take something from that goody-goody’s locker with people actually watching.’ But ultimately, Lila already had an idea as to how she can distract these people just in case she needed to get into that goody-goody’s locker.
~}I{ Back at Dupont, During Lunch }I{~
“Hi! I’m Kathryn and I’m helping my dad with the inspection!” Kathryn said happily to the group of students at a table. She held up her vibrant blue notebook with a sparkly purple pen tied to the notebook with a simple string when she added, “Since dad and Mr Raguel are busy with the building and staff, I’m going to be asking you how you’re liking the school and if there’s anything you’d want to change.”
The group at the table glanced at each other before asking the girl if it seemed like she was given a lot of work. But Kathryn told them that she was only asking if they liked the school and what they would like to change, she told them that her dad and Mr Raguel would be asking everyone more specific questions. She was just doing this so it was something that the two adults didn’t have to worry about. The group felt that that seemed fair and reasonable, so they answered the girl’s questions.
Kathryn happily tallied off the responses for the yes/no question and wrote down any changes the students wanted. As she did this she kept a close eye on the students, getting a read on their energy and watching for their micro tells to see if there was anything else. So far nothing with this group.
Kathryn noticed another group trying to comfort a pair of blonde girls with Wrathflies at a different table. ‘I should do that group last,’ the child thought as she moved to a different table. She knew that if Wrathflies were around, there were some negative emotions in the air. Also, it looked like that group was doing a good job of cheering the blonde girls up and Kathryn didn’t want to interrupt that.
Meanwhile…
“Her statements match Kim and Nino,” Raguel stated as he and Jason Blood entered the students’ locker room.
The redheaded man vocalised his agreement as he looked around the area. As expected, there weren’t any students present, all too busy eating their lunch and enjoying their free time before classes resume. When he spotted the particular locker he was looking for, he stated, “Ah, there’s her locker.” Jason then walked over to that locker with the Angel of Justice following.
The first thing they did was inspect the exterior. The only “damage” they could find was the bent padlock staple. After taking a few quick pictures of the outside with a pocket-sized digital camera, Jason quietly used a lock charm to disengage the lock, which Marinette did give her permission for, and opened the locker. The creaking sound made both the redhead and the angel cringe. After inspecting the door and finding nothing wrong, it was closed and relocked.
Rubbing his ears, Raguel stated, “Mm, other than that unpleasant sound, the door doesn’t seem like it has been tampered with…”
Jason narrowed his eyes at the lock when he stated, “So someone either picked the lock or knows the combination to it.”
Raguel nodded before saying, “I can give her a lock that will keep track of the fingerprints of whoever touches it.”
Jason folded his arms when he stated, “That will probably be the best option right now.” He places his left hand on his chin when he added, “But what bothers me is that no one has noticed anyone strange near her locker…”
Raguel could only hum in agreement as he stated, “True but that lock will tell us who it is should they break in again.” It could cost them an unwanted summon but if it’ll get them the culprit in the end, it was worth it. The two proceeded to look around the locker room to keep up appearances.
~}I{ Hours Later, After School Hours }I{~
Oh, Satan was NOT amused, not at all.
Granted he knew it wasn’t Asmodeus’ fault for sending him the papers for that Over-Summoner’s demands, the Lord of Lust was following the rules after all. But the Over-Summoner, yeah, he was definitely allowed to hate with a burning passion! Heaven! Satan will be more than happy to share punishing that soul with Asmodeus when it was time for that soul to go to Hell, or sooner! And Satan wasn’t known for sharing his condemned souls!
‘Urg! Father knows that Ozzie deserves to punish that annoyance in wrathful ways,’ Satan thought as he chugged down a vile of bright, vibrant, blood-red liquid the size of a soda bottle as he stormed past the humans who couldn’t see him. Despite his anger, he had the forethought to put on glamour to stay hidden after one of his minions brought him three vile of Liquid Wrath and the Contract from that Botched Summon…
Thankfully, Satan had enough sense not to harm his underling or harm the Dupain-Cheng family and their business out of rage. Yes, he was still pissed, but he was the Lord of Wrath, he can focus and control his own rage. However, he needed to talk to Marinette, NOW!
So he ordered the minion to keep an eye on the Dupain-Chengs after drinking one vile of Liquid Wrath. He left the bakery without either of the owners noticing but made sure to order the underling to tell them that he needed to collect some wrath on his own to build up his strength. He was currently drinking one vile on the way to his destination, but for Heaven’s sake! He was THAT low on energy to need two vile and still not feel at a quarter of his strength!
As Satan swore and cursed that annoying Over-Summoner, he arrived at his destination with a scowl.
~}I{ Dupont, the School’s Main Area }I{~
As of now, the only ones in the school were Jason Blood, Kathryn, Raguel, Miss Bustier, her class, Kagami, Marc, Zoe, Damocles, and Ms Mendeleiev. Luka came by to pick up Juleka but got caught up in a conversation with the rest of Kitty Section. Marc and Nath were discussing what they should do for their next comic issue. Everyone else was just hanging around chatting with one another. They weren’t in any hurry to go anywhere, but the science teacher seemed to have stayed to ask the redheaded teacher a rather odd question that caught the Miracuclass’ attention immediately.
Ms Mendeleiev was able to see the Wrathflies on Adrien, Chloe, and Zoe! Of course, Damocles was confused about the question, he couldn’t see the Wrathflies. Kathryn seem to find the whole thing funny while Jason tried to shush her. Raguel didn’t seem bothered by the whole thing, but his attention was on-.
Satan burst into the area as he snapped angrily, “MARINETTE!! THIS IS GETTING OUT OF HAND!! THAT ANNOYING OVER-SUMMONER IS JUST NOT LISTENING AT ALL!!!”
“What the?!” Was the immediate thought of Jason Blood, Marinette, Nino, Kim, Kagami, Kathryn, and Raguel the moment this happened.
Satan stormed up to the surprised and baffled bluette when he snapped, “YOU MUST KNOW THAT SOME MORON HATES YOU THAT MUCH!! I DON’T CARE WHO IT IS OR IF YOU ARE THE LADYBUG HOLDER!! THIS IS NO LONGER A MINOR ISSUE!! TELL ME WHO THEY ARE!! NOW!!!”
The only thing Marinette could do was let out a shocked and surprised squeak, not being used to the Lord of Wrath being, well, so wrathful.
Most certainly annoyed with the whole thing, Tikki flew out of her hiding spot when she got out, “Oh for the love of cookies! Did you have to barge in like that?” She then folded her arms with a glare.
Calming down a little bit after seeing the little red Kwami, Satan stated in a serious tone that was shrouded in annoyance, “Tikki, I just got another botched contract from that annoying Over-Summoner from one of my underlings who also brought me some Liquid Wrath and I am not the only one who is angry and annoyed by them. Progress in both the Lust and the Wrath Rings are being completely uprooted because of that annoying Over-Summoner's inability to listen to beings higher than themselves and their unknown reason of haterade towards your innocent holder.”
Jason interrupted the moment with a cough, getting both red beings’ attention before he said, “Uh, actually, I’m pretty sure Tikki is more upset about,” he points his thumb in a certain direction when he finishes, “That.”
Satan raised a brow before he looked to where the other was pointing, and realised the audience that was staring at him with looks that seemed like a combination of shocked, confused, and ‘what the hell?’ to a varied degree depending on the person.
Marinette felt like she was going to die from the lack of feeling in her major organs.
Adrien was paralysed with pure shock at the realisation that he now knew who Ladybug was under the mask but NOT in the way he wanted to learn. Plagg was currently debating if he should intervene or not.
Kim, Nino, Kagami, and Luka were having a holy sh*t moment.
Alya dropped her phone. Thanks to the phone case, the phone hit the ground with a soft non-damaging thunk. Nath and Marc did the same but with their sketchbook and notebook respectively.
The teachers’ jaws dropped as the headmaster appeared to have stiffened a little too much.
Rose covered her mouth with one hand in shock as hers and Juleka’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Ivan and Mylene somewhat pinched each other’s arms to make sure they weren’t seeing things.
Max and Markov had an interesting look that read “exe has stopped working”.
Sabrina covered her mouth with both her hands with a “What?” expression on her face, Zoe covered her ears in a “What did I hear?” manner, and Chloe covered her eyes in an “I can’t believe what I’m seeing” manner.
Both Raguel and Jason had more “how did this happen?” looks on their faces.
Kathryn was the only one here that didn’t seem to understand what was going on.
One of Satan’s eyes twitched in disbelief at just how many mortals he didn’t notice when he arrived. He ran a hand over his face when he got out in a tone that felt like a mix of bewilderment and dismay, “Oh you’ve got to be f-”
A lorry passes by the school with a loud honk.
“LANGUAGE!” Miss Bustier, Damocles, and Ms Mendeleiev scolded at the same time out of the habit of being educators.
~}I{~
To be Continued…
~}I{~
1… 😗 🎶 This is a nice little Easter Egg. If you get what it is, good. If not, that’s fine. I just decided to make this kid is a fan of the show.
2… Oh, come on! We now have a Pokemon made of pure gold and the Style Queen Akuma is basically Audrey covered in gold paint (not counting the powers). I’m surprised no one else made the comparison. I guess the only thing I regret about this is comparing such a fun, strong gimmick Pokemon to someone like Audrey.
3… Remember when I said that there was going to be a Special Guest appearing in this story~? (on Tumblr). Well, here he is! If you know about him, that’s great! If not, just google “DC Jason Blood”.
4… Kathryn Marks is the daughter of Jason Blood and Glenda Marks in one continuity of the DC Comics. However… She’s an infant in that… And she never reappeared in later media… Here’s her bio link https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Kathryn_Mark_(New_Earth)#:~:text=Kathryn%20Mark%20is%20the%20daughter%20of%20Jason%20Blood%20and%20Glenda%20Mark. Obviously, I aged her up, gave her an appearance that was a mix of Jason and Glenda, and gave her some magic to use in this.
~}I{~
Chapter 4
Chapter Text
Sin of Reveal, Chapter 4
~}I{~
Wang Fu panted as he rode his bike towards the school that Ladybug and Chat Noir attended, pedalling as fast as he could while adhering to the road rules of Paris. That text from Marinette was the reason behind the Guardian of the Miraculous’ current actions. As he kept peddling, Wang thought, ‘How did more people find out?’ It didn’t take him long before he got to Dupont. After carefully looking around for any onlookers, he quickly locked his bike to the school’s bike rack and then rushed into the school.
Wang felt his heart stop when he saw… ‘This many!’ the Guardian immediately thought when he saw the members of Miss Bustier’s class who were there, Luka, Kagami, Miss Bustier, Ms Mendeleiev, Damocles and Tikki floating out in the open. That alone was enough to tell the Guardian who these people were. Wang could feel the panic inside his gut surge a bit when he thought, ‘How did this many people find out?!’
Tikki floated over to Wang when she said in a tone that was unusually down for the usually cheerful Kwami, “Hi, Guardian… Yes, all these people know and I’m sure you want to know how.” Wang nodded dumbly, still in shock over all this. Tikki huffed before she narrowed her eyes and turned her whole body to look toward the girl’s restrooms.
Wang Fu looked in that direction only to see Satan leaning against the wall next to the girl’s restroom, on the opposite side of the hinges. The Lord of Wrath noticed that the old human was there before he said, “Ah, you’re the Guardian human that Tikki contacted. I’m Satan, the Lord of Wrath.” He shrugged when he said, “You can blame me for blowing that secret to these mortals.” He ran a hand over his face before adding, “How I missed all of them is currently beyond me.”
Wang looked at Tikki when he asked in a bewildered tone, “Again?!”
The red Kwami gave a shrug when she said in that same uncharacteristic tone, “I’m just as surprised as you. Especially on this scale.”
Raguel walked in when he stated, “I was sensing right. Fate had a hand in that outburst.” The only things Satan did was scowl and click his tongue.
Wang was confused and startled by the sudden appearance of this person. Tikki quickly filled the Guardian in on what was currently happening, which relieved the Guardian. At least until Wang noticed Jason Blood nearby but standing off in the corner with Kathryn. The two stared at each other for a good few seconds in silence before Wang asked the redheaded man in a defensive tone, “What are you doing here?”
Jason glanced away from the Guardian when Satan stated, “Asmodeus pulled in a favour from him.” The Lord of Wrath sighed in annoyance, “He and Raguel are the ones on the Search for that annoying Over-Summoner that just can’t seem to understand that they are not doing the Summon right, or even understand that they aren’t Summoning me. And don’t get me started on the frequency of those Summons”
For some reason, that scenario sounded familiar to Max.
After a few seconds, Jason glanced back at Wang when he stated, “I’m not here for the Miraculous, but the Over-Summoner is actively causing problems in Hell that could upset the Balance.” Kathryn looked between her father and the older human.
Wang Fu glared at the redhead before he turned his attention to the group of onlookers when he stated, “As long as you don’t touch any of the Miraculous, I guess I can tolerate this.”
The group couldn’t help but wonder what had happened between the two.
Wang sighed before asking, “So where’s…” He paused, unsure if he should say Ladybug or Marinette. Not to mention he was NOT comfortable with how many people were here and KNEW who she was.
Ms Mendeleiev motioned her head towards the girl’s restroom when she stated, “She’s in there. Just blowing off steam over what happened. Mr Blood gave her some kind of noise-suppressing charm so she can scream if she wants.” She folded her arms when she added, “Can’t blame her, but at least Hawkmoth won’t sense her emotions.”
Wang raised a brow when he asked how that was possible. Satan was more than willing to explain, “I’m absorbing her emotions since it all falls into the Wrathful category.” He sighed before he added, “It would be a rather nice meal if it weren’t for the circ*mstance surrounding it.”
Alya raised a brow at this before asking with some mixed emotions, “Uhh, not to be rude but… Shouldn’t you be happy that… Uh, someone feels a lot of wrath no matter the reason or something along that line?”
Satan shrugged and stated in a rather nonchalant tone, “Meh, that’s a fair thought. And yes, while I adore the idea of you mortals being all hateful and angry with one another, there is a difference between wrath that is one’s own and wrath that is made because of unavoidable circ*mstances that you just can’t stand.” He made a circular motion with his right hand when he stated, “This whole thing would be considered the latter.”
Raguel added, “Aside from Fate interfering in Satan’s ability to sense mortals within this building, this whole event is because of an unknown mortal that is idiotically becoming a major problem for all involved.”
Satan growled before he stated sourly, “Agreed! What kind of moron of a mortal refuses to listen when they’re told that a Summoning is incorrect?! Multiple times in a short timeframe, mind you!” He then grumbled out in annoyance, “A Summon every two days! How impatient can a mortal be?!”
While something finally clicked in Max’s mind as he slowly glanced at Kim, Juleka couldn’t help but say in a deadpin tone, “So… Whoever is causing this… “Thing” is causing major problems and keeps doing it by beating the dead horse despite the warnings…”
Satan and Raguel asked the goth in pure confusion, “When did the beating of a dead horse get involved in this?”
The group just stared at the Angel and Sin with an “Uhh…” look when they heard this line.
Jason wirily explained, “Beings of Heaven and Hell are quite literal, so it would be best to avoid using any type of slang around them. It is one of the main reasons why you have to be careful with the wording when it comes to contracts with them.”
Ahh, okay, that explains the quirk of the “Otherworldly” individuals.
Satan slumped against the wall when he got out, “Despite this… Issue, it might work in our favour with more mortals on the lookout for this annoying Over-Summoner.”
“More mortals?” Everyone but Kim, Nino, Kagami, and Luka stated in confusion. Those four were looking a little pale.
“Lord Satan! It might not be the best time to say that,” Jason got out before the Lord of Wrath could continue on that.
However, Adrien seemed to put the facts together and thought about them for a few seconds before he glanced at Nino and Kagami, both of whom noticed and couldn’t help but feel a little guilty about the whole thing coming to light in such a way. Adrien then glanced to the side, and the feeling of betrayal started surfacing.
Everyone snapped out of their confusion and thoughts when Raguel stated a little too calmly, “We can at least remove these mortals from suspicions with one question.”
Tikki couldn’t help but fold her stubby arms when she deadpanned, “Must be nice to be able to do that no matter the situation.”
Satan groaned before he got out, “Tikki, just let him do this so we can at least eliminate these mortals from that suspect list, and honestly, I don’t care that he does it long as there’s some kind of progress on finding this Over-Summoner.”
Tikki glared at the Lord of Wrath before sighing and conceding to the process, whatever it was. Jason did vocalise that it needed to be done as Kathryn looked between her father and Wang Fu.
Raguel turned his head towards the group of mortals, causing them to be filled with a nice bundle of uneasiness, before he finally asked them, “Are any of you the person who despises Marinette Dupain-Cheng enough to summon a demon of Hell to cause her nothing but misery?”
A flurry of emotion filled the area. Most are dismayed and confused. Everyone exclaimed that they would never hate Marinette or do something like that to her. Chloe and Zoe ended up jinxing, “Hating Marinette that much is ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!” It caused the half-sisters to side-eye each other, but it didn’t make them feel better about what was happening. No one could blame them.
Wang Fu and Kathryn were undoubtedly confused by how… Blunt the Angel was being… Even less so when Raguel stated after everyone has calmed down a little, “All of you speak the truth. Therefore, you all are eliminated as the Over-Summoner.”
Okay… That was a little confusing… Not to mention weird…
Jason quickly explained, “Archangel Raguel can tell when someone is telling falsehoods. This is a handy tool for someone whose main duty is to uphold Justice.”
Raguel hummed a little before he stated, “It is also good for eliminating individuals that have nothing to do with certain events or have no knowledge of them.” He turned an ear towards the entryway when he added, “However, it seems as though this was meant to happen.”
Wang Fu, Tikki, Adrien, and a hidden Plagg glanced towards the entrance to the school to see what the angel was talking about. Though they saw a quick flicker of light, they assumed that it was from a passing car, they didn’t see anything else.
That was when Alya finally realised the facts in front of her when she exclaimed in shock, “Oh my God! That’s why Marinette kept saying that Lila was lying about being Ladybug’s Bestie! She’s Ladybug!!” Satan, Raguel, Kathryn, and the teachers were confused by this outburst while the rest of the mortals were looking at the blogger with a “really?” look. Alya took notice of the looks when she stated, “Now it all makes sense why Marinette never got along with Lila!” The faces didn’t change. Alya couldn’t help but ask, “Why aren’t you guys surprised by this?”
Ivan couldn’t help but say, “That Marinette is Ladybug, yes, we’re surprised by that.”
Adrien couldn’t help but think bitterly, ‘Some of us…’ Satan could feel the blonde model’s anger and was more than happy to absorb it, but the Lord of Wrath had to pity the Black Cat for being the reason why he found out this way.
That was when Ivan added, “Learning that Lila lied about being best friends with Ladybug, not really. Especially since she’s lied about all her other famous connections and some of her achievements.”
When Alya almost sputtered out the question of what her classmates were talking about, they were more than willing to lay out the facts for the blogger. How Jagged Stone never owned a cat and that no one could find any information about an unreleased song entitled ‘Lila’, how Clara Nightingale always credited the people who helped with her music, how Prince Ali of the Kingdom of Achu has only worked on children’s charities, how there was no way that Lila would have met Bruce Wayne at the base of Mt Everest because he was working on a charity involving preserving the rainforests during the timeframe Lila gave them, though for some reason Jason looked the most confused when he heard this, how impossible it would’ve been for her to have met Stan Lee last summer, and the less said about how Lila knew the former Style Queen the better.
Kathryn couldn’t help but say, “Why does this remind me of half my classmates from last year when we have to share our weekly story assignment?”
Jason couldn’t help but say, “Well… That’s… Quite a lot of tales this classmate of yours had told…”
Raguel commented in a deadpin tone, “If she was telling those as a means of entertainment, it wouldn’t be much of an issue. But from what I’m hearing, she’s telling these lies for attention and adoration.” He turned his attention towards the students when he asked, “Though I would like to hear more about how Marinette doesn’t like this Lila classmate.”
Nath said, “Well, Marinette doesn’t like liars so she never tried to get along with Lila, but then again, Lila doesn’t exactly like Marinette either.”
Satan’s interest peaked when he asked, “How so?”
Rose twiddled her fingers together when she admitted, “Well… Marinette never fell for Lila’s lies, so I guess Lila took offence to that or something.”
Alix placed her hand to her chin when she commented, “And Lila is willing to be petty against Marinette, but I never saw anything more than that…”
Alya quickly said, “But Lila HAS tried to mend fences with Marinette, but you know how Marinette is! Besides, Lila might’ve told a few lies but she’s not some kind of a vindictive jerk! She’s been nothing but nice and kind to the rest of us! No way she could Summon anything, let alone a demon! Plus she’s been sick a lot lately!”
Raguel's brows furrowed slightly at this when Satan got out, “Oh, so the little liar is just prideful. *Scoffs* Getting one’s pride slightly bruised isn’t enough to warrant such a lengthy list of Wrathful things to do to another soul.” He then thought about that for a bit before he asked, “What did you mean by her being sick a lot?” Miss Bustier was the one to explain that Lila got sick three times over the past two weeks. She threw in that she planned on telling Lila’s mother about maybe taking her to a doctor if she got sick again. Raguel raised a brow when Satan commented, “Hm, sometimes I forget how fragile some of you mortals are.”
That was when a loud bang was heard from the girls’ restroom door. The sound was sudden and made everyone jump. Well, everyone but Satan.
The Lord of Wrath glanced at the door when he stated, “I see, she’s been holding in a lot of rage for a while. Hmm, feels like most of it came about before the Over-Summoner. I’m going to guess that the Hawkmoth character is the reason behind that.” He sighed before he commented in a somewhat exhausted tone, “Honestly, a Soul like her shouldn’t have to bottle up that many negative emotions. Even if it is beneficial to me at the moment.”
Then things were quiet.
}I{ At the Same Time }I{
Hawkmoth was just standing in his lair in confusion.
Well, confusion would be an understatement for what he currently felt. He was utterly baffled! Completely and utterly baffled!
He had felt the unbridled, raw anger and emotions from Marinette Dupain-Cheng. He also felt some emotional distress from some others at Dupont, but they were mere candles to the inferno coming from the aspiring designer!
At first, he was ecstatic that Marinette Dupain-Cheng was finally feeling some negative emotions! She had so much wonderful potential to become Hawkmoth’s masterpiece! She would most certainly get him Ladybug and Chat Noir’s Miraculous! But as soon as Gabriel scurried to his lair and transformed into Hawkmoth, that wondrous emotion he wanted to lock onto as quickly as possible to send the Akuma had up and vanished! Just like that! Just gone all of a sudden! It was as if someone flipped a light off without warning!
Now Hawkmoth was just… Just trying to lock on the other emotions he felt close to Marinette, but he couldn’t feel those either! Nothing! Absolutely nothing was coming from his son’s school! All those emotions! The anger! The disbelief! All just gone! Like they were never there!
“How was that even possible?!” Hawkmoth said out loud in shock.
}I{ Back at Dupont }I{
Ms Mendeleiev was wrapping bandages around the semi-swollen left hand of an unusually quiet Marinette.
Normally, the stern science teacher would have scolded the student for being so reckless when throwing a fit. But given the current situation and what has been revealed…
“How does that feel? Not too tight is it?” Ms Mendeleiev asked the bluette as she finished off the wrappings.
Marinette tested the mobility of her hand, which was a little difficult given the swelling and bandages, but she was able to move her fingers well enough without too much discomfort. The bluette shook her head, not trusting her voice at the moment.
Meanwhile…
Adrien took the opportunity to talk to Nino and Kagami, in private. While Satan was absorbing all the negative emotions, it didn’t mean that the emotions weren’t being felt… But the two did pacify the blonde by telling him that they promised Marinette that they wouldn’t tell anyone that she was Ladybug after the previous time Satan blew the secret.
Nino placed a hand on Adrien’s shoulder that didn’t have the Wrathfly on it when he said, “While we weren’t going to tell you, we would’ve encouraged either you or Mari if one of you wanted to tell the other identities.”
Kagami couldn’t help but say, “We thought it wouldn’t have taken long before one of you wanted to tell the other, but…” She sighed when she added with a more crestfallen look, “We certainly didn’t think Satan would expose Marinette for a third time…”
Adrien raised a brow when he asked, “Third time?”
Nino explained, “Satan had to tell Mari’s parents so he could reach an agreement on what he can do for the payment without doing too much harm to Mari after the first of those summonses. We were the second time.” Now Adrien understood. The red-capped teen tilted his head to the side when he said, “You can still tell her about… Chat, but…”
Adrien nodded when he said, “Yeah, it might be a good idea to wait a few days… She’s already under a lot of stress and I don’t want to add to that until that settles down a little bit.” He glanced at the Wrathfly on his shoulder when he tickled its cheek when he asked, “You think she would be okay with me giving her my Wrathfly for a few days?”
Kagami shrugged when she said, “It might help with preventing Hawkmoth from targeting her when she’s at school or out and about, but she will still be feeling those emotions.”
That was when Nino pointed out, “And Satan is currently crashing at the Dupain-Cheng residents, so he’s helping even if it is for a more selfish reason.” Well… That was true… He sighed before he said, “Honestly, after all the Summons and seeing how it was affecting the literal embodiment of Wrath and what he’s mentioned about how it was affecting Asmodeus… We haven’t been able to find one person who would hate Mari THAT much, let alone someone who wouldn’t bother listening to a higher power.”
Plagg floated out and landed on Adrien’s free shoulder when he got out in a thoughtful tone, “Yeah, that’s an oddly specific person…” He tapped his chin when he mused, “Asmodeus told this Over-Summoner that they were summoning the wrong Sin, but not the real price for that long list. But since the Miraculous are involved, they can’t…” Plagg scratched his head when he added in annoyance, “Damn! If that Over-Summoner would listen to Asmodeus, all the protocols for Over-Summoners could be followed and all this could’ve been avoided!”
Adrien patted the Kwami on the head as he agreed with him.
Also at the same time, in another room…
Max folded his arms as he gave Kim a stern look when he stated dryly, “So, that “script” of yours?” Markov was hovering next to the techie.
Kim rubbed the back of his neck with a nervous chuckle when he got out in an equally nervous tone, “Yeah… I was a little worried about the Heather part giving it all away.”
Max raised an amused brow before he said, “Well, I can understand why you used different names that sounded similar, but why did you use Heather for Chloe?”
Kim twiddled his index fingers when he said, “My sisters like the movie and musical… And Chloe does somewhat share the same characteristics as the Heathers.”
Markov vocalised, “Kim does have some logic to that.”
Max nodded before he asked, “So the whole Mystery part of that “script”, is that the situation that the real Satan is talking about?”
Kim nodded sadly when he said, “Yeah, pretty much… Satan was oddly nice during the whole thing. He was rightfully annoyed, but believe it or not that outburst today has to have been the only time he’s been wrathful. Outside him wanting to torture the Over-Summoner, of course.”
Max placed a hand to his chin at this before he said, “As fascinating as that is, I believe our main priority is locating this Over-Summoner and stopping them before anything worse can happen because of their illogical haterade of Marinette.”
Kim folded his arms as he raised a brow and questioned, “Illogical haterade?”
Max stared at the tall teen when he stated as he moved his arms to emphasise what he was saying, “Look me in the eye and tell me anyone who would hate Marinette enough to summon a demon constantly. Just Marinette and not including Ladybug.”
Both Kim and Markov did have to agree when they stated, “Good/Valid point.”
}{ About Five Minutes Later, in the School’s Library }{
Raguel held out a simple silver lock with an old-fashioned scale pressed into the metal when he stated, “Here, this lock is programmed to detect and store the fingerprints of whoever touches it. I recommend that you use this in place of your usual.” Marinette timidly took the lock and looked it over, as she did the metal turned gold wherever her fingers made contact. That was when Raguel stated, “To anyone without any Magical or Spiritual Awareness, it should look identical to your usual lock but it will use a different key. I’ll give that to you before I leave.”
Marinette looked at the angel when she asked, “But it’s not going to stop whoever is breaking into my locker, it just tells us who they are, right?”
Raguel simply said, “It should work as a normal lock, but given how this person has been getting in. I am sorry to say that it might be a possibility.”
Marinette looked at the lock when she said, “But… If this lock keeps track of fingerprints then… You’ll be able to figure out who the person is… And hopefully, the Over-Summoner too.”
Satan scoffed when he stated, “That IS the goal, but I know Ozzie isn’t going to like the fact that it might cost another unwanted Summon.” Raguel and Jason agreed to that.
The next thing everyone knew, Miss Bustier’s class came in with some office supplies and somewhat dumped them on one of the library tables, closely followed by Zoe, Kagami, Luka, and Damocles.
Jason and Satan looked over the items when the Hell Lord asked, “What are all of these supposed to be?”
Rose was the one to say with a smile, “Oh, these are just supplies we’re going to use to help find out who this Over-Summoner person is!”
Juleka popped next to the other when she added, “Write down people who might not like Marinette, think about possible motives to hate her and figure out if we can contact them to confirm or deny our suspicions.”
Nath poked his head out from behind the headmaster when he said, “And since some of us are visual thinkers… We thought it would be a good idea to use a board to show who might be a possible suspect and who has been eliminated from the list.”
Jason folded his arms when he said, “Not a bad idea, but I hope you have a place to keep that so no one outside this group doesn’t find it.”
Ms Mendeleiev shrugged her shoulders when she stated, “I can keep the chart in one of the empty cupboards in my classroom. It’s probably the only place in the school where a locked cupboard isn’t going to pique anyone’s interest or even notice.” Well, that was a true statement. Given that the science teacher was known to keep some dangerous chemicals locked in her classroom when not in use, it made hiding the chart in there all the easier without it looking out of place. Ms Mendeleiev folded her arms when she stated, “But to keep this whole… Thing a secret from the rest of the school body, it would be best to work on it either after school hours or in smaller groups while making sure to communicate the results to one another.”
Yeah, that was reasonable.
Jason nodded at this before he stated, “That might work, but Raguel and I are still going to have to find and talk to whoever is getting into Ms Dupain-Cheng’s locker.” He looks at the Angel when he adds, “Raguel will obviously be the one to interrogate them to see how involved they are with the Over-Summoner.” The Angel of Justice only gave a nod.
Not even a few minutes later, everyone started on the “project”. Everything went smoothly until Alya said, “Hey, guys, since this is kind of a class project, maybe we should bring Lila in on this. I mean, she might've lied about knowing people but she would certainly want to help us with this.”
Marinette’s response was immediate when she snapped, “ABSOLUTELY NOT!” She was quick to wave her hands when she added in aggravation, “There is NO WAY she is going to be told about this!!”
As a few of the girls tried to calm Marinette down, Nino told his girlfriend, “Babe, I get it she’s your friend and you want her involved, but given the tension between Mari and Lila… I don’t think that’s a good idea as of now.” The red-capped teen didn’t trust Lila with this knowledge nor could he fully trust Lila not to make things worse over pettiness. However, he wasn’t going to let Alya’s trusting nature get the better of her right now.
Alya tried to protest, but Alix did point out that while Lila is nice and caring towards the rest of the class, minus Chloe, she does not seem to want to even try to get along with Marinette despite what she claims. Mylene did add that they currently couldn’t trust Lila to help Marinette without causing some sort of issue. Although Kim did comment that he wouldn’t put it past Lila to try to sabotage their mission in some way out of a misguided attempt to be petty.
However, it was Raguel who ended the discussion by saying, “In case you also forgot, Marinette is the Ladybug Holder and the number of mortals who know is already too many. It would be in everyone’s best interest to keep it at that number.” He then turned his attention towards Alya when he added, “Also, given from what I’ve heard, this Lila seems to adore attention being on her and has been frequently absent from school. From experience, I can tell you that this combination is not something that should be included in this group.”
Satan glanced at Marinette when he commented, “And given your reaction, I take it trusting that Lila is one of your reasons to “dislike” her?”
Marinette folded her arms in a huff when she stated sourly, “Given how she started with that “Ladybug’s Bestie” claim, I don’t even want to know what she would do if she knew I was Ladybug!” This made Alya feel very guilty about her part in that. The bluette hunched her shoulders when she added, “Besides… We can’t trust her with this information, period.”
Satan did point out that since she’s been absent from the school during most of the period of the rapid summonings she couldn’t have known that “The List” was even being done. He then huffed out that they should keep her out of this no matter what while somewhat giving the blogger a stern look. Alya shrank in fear under that, but who could blame her? He was the freaking embodiment of wrath!
It didn’t take long before they went back to the “Project”. The first person they eliminated was XY.
~}I{~
After explaining to the Dupain-Chengs the new situation, the whole Ladybug Group spend the majority of the next day looking at the people who might’ve disliked Marinette, went over their motivations that resulted in that dislike, checking on their whereabouts during the timeframes for the Summonings, and then update the board once the information was confirmed.
Max, Markov, Alya, and Nath checked out the people online who had some issues with the MDC brand, but the majority of those were outside Paris and wanted Marinette to be able to ship the commission while the minority thought that Marinette should charge more for her amazing designs. It was safe to say that no one hated MDC and wanted her harm or knew her real name, so those ‘critics’ were quickly eliminated from the possible Over-Summoner list.
The rest of the class, Luka, and Kagami did a lot of the gumshoe tasks of doing some surprise interviews on the few people who didn’t like Marinette who lived in Paris. A good amount of those people did have some good motives for not liking Marinette, however, none of those people had any kind of direct connection to Dupont or any means of knowing the bluette’s whereabouts enough to learn that ‘The List’ wasn’t getting done. There were a lot of eliminations in this section, but there was still a good number that couldn’t and were on the pending list.
Miss Bustier, Ms Mendeleiev, and Damocles checked some of the school records to see if there were any issues with Marinette from some students and former students. They found nothing too major and most of those were misunderstandings. The only constant students with issues with Marinette are Chloe and Lila, but Chloe’s gotten better and is now on more friendly terms with the bluette while Lila was out for the majority of the time of the Summons. So there was no one that they could add to the Possible Over-Summoner list. However, when they looked at the timing of the theft reports Marinette filled out they noticed that the timing and amount of items taken were… Odd…
Well, it certainly made the science teacher wonder if the person getting into the bluette’s locker thought that she wouldn’t notice if all these items went missing. It also made Damocles wonder if he should add security cameras to the locker area, but after looking through the School Board Guidelines that idea was quickly snuffed out. Well, there was a security camera right outside the locker area. All they needed to do was watch the timeframe from that camera around when the theft reports happened, but that was still a lot of video feed to go through… Markov happily volunteered for that.
Tom and Sabine took a more subtle approach when talking to their customers, but they weren’t able to find anyone as of yet.
Chloe and Zoe opted to keep an ear open when they were out with their siblings and fathers for anyone saying anything suspicious since those were prior commitments that they couldn’t miss.
Jason and Kathryn decided to do a different type of gumshoe investigation, with some of the Stationed Angels. They would be asking around the Magical Side of Paris hoping to find the location where Asmodeus was being summoned to. Though it would be more along the lines of them asking if the magic civilian has noticed any new pockets of Miasma looming around any areas or looking for these pockets. Since the Lord of Lust has been summoned so many times in a rather short time, there had to have been a large cluster of Miasma in the place where they were summoned to. So far, nothing was coming from that. Which was both odd and very concerning.
Master Wang Fu was… Meditating the whole day to come to terms with the fact that so many people now knew who Ladybug was…
While the Ladybug Team was updating the Board, Satan and Raguel made some calls that seemed oddly cohesive…
Satan was on his hellphone, apparently talking to a Stationed Devil, when he stated in a tone that was trying to control his aggravation level, “Listen here! I need you in Paris within the next day to help find a huge ass cluster of Miasma. I’m sure you’ve heard of that Over-Summoner so I don’t need to explain why.”
Raguel was talking to a Stationed Angel on his skyphone, explaining the situation before saying, “I know that there are already Stationed Angels here in Paris, but this situation is becoming rather big very quickly.”
Satan ran a hand over his face with a growl when he told the devil on the other end of the call, “Then tell that husband of yours that you won a sightseeing trip in Paris or something. I don’t care what excuse you use, just get your ass to Paris! We’re going to need all the help we can get to stop this from getting even worse!”
Raguel nodded his head when he replied to the angel on the other end of the call, “I understand that you already made a commitment to your partner, but perhaps you can do two things at once by doing those promised things in Paris while you seek out the Miasma cluster.”
Satan stifled a cackle as Raguel raised a brow before both of them said into their respective calling devices, “Not with the way you always talk about him.” After a beat of silence, the two then said into their phones, “Good, now do your best to get to Paris, Crowley/Aziraphale.”
Jason was the only one in the Ladybug Team who seemed to know what was going on with those calls.
}I{ Meanwhile }I{
A disguised Lila walked back into the apartment building she and her mother were living in with take-out from her favourite fast food joint that was luckily close by. Yeah, she had to leave the apartment to get it but she couldn’t risk using the delivery option and the other residents taking notice of how often and where it was being delivered too. Lila didn’t want any blabber-mouths telling her mother that she ordered food from a fast food place a lot. Not because her mother would’ve given her that boring lecture about how bad it was to eat fast food so often, but because that would have made the woman suspicious as to HOW she was paying for the fast food. Sure, Mrs Rossi gave her daughter a nice allowance every other week but it wasn’t enough to be eating fast food every day, sometimes more. This, in turn, would lead the mother to check Lila’s bank account and see that she was receiving payments from the Gabriel Brand and learn that Lila somehow got a job without her knowledge. And Mrs Rossi, unfortunately, has the authority to remove Lila from that job and possibly learn about the school never closed for extended periods of time. That would be bad for both Lila’s income, having time with her Adrien, and her little kingdom at school. So, walking to get her favourite food was worth her mother not finding out about her manipulations. And Lila made sure to toss the wrappings from the fast food in the rubbish bin that she had in her room since her oh-so-trusting mother didn’t touch that.
As Lila walked into the main lobby, she heard one of the other tenants of the building throwing one heck of a coughing fit. It made her jump because of how sudden it was before snapping her head to the person, an elderly man with his worried daughter and son-in-law standing nearby. Lila scowled at the people before she continued on her way back to her unit a little faster than before. As much as she loved lying about being sick to get sympathy and having people do stuff for her, she didn’t want to actually get sick.
Not noticing the “stranger” left, the couple fussed over the older man when the daughter got out, “Papa, are you sure you took your medicine today? You’re coughing more than usual.”
The daughter’s husband then said in a concerned tone, “Agreed. Maybe we should stop at the doctor’s office and get you looked at, just in case.”
The elderly man didn’t want to but knew it would be best to do so. He coughed again, but this time, a faint dark purple nearly black mist escaped his mouth. However, none of them saw it.
Lila got to her unit without much delay and then proceeded to eat her lunch as she scrolled through her phone. She DID think it was a little odd that her loyal little puppet didn’t send her the daily updates but brushed it off as Alya thinking that the day’s events were too boring to tell her.
Lila frowned when she realised that that meant that Satan STILL hadn’t done anything to that goody-goody! ‘Why the hell isn’t that stupid demon NOT doing what I want even after all those sacrifices?’ Lila thought with a growl.
Well, she knew what she was going to do after she ate. But those plans got delayed when she realised that she didn’t have any more items she stole from that goody-goody’s locker. Lila clicked her tongue at this. Yeah, this was annoying but this didn’t deter her, she already had her perfect method of getting into that goody-goody’s locker and she was brilliant enough to avoid suspicion from all those gullible idiots at school. Lila smirked when she thought, ‘I don’t even have to worry about those inspectors. There are other ways to get things from that goody-goody,’ before she glanced at the printout she made of the Summoning Circle for Satan from that website on top of her desk.
}I{ Later that Night }I{
Everyone on the Ladybug Team returned to their respective homes, exhausted by all the work they did but still uneasy by what they found out regarding the reason why the Miasma needed to be found. Not just because it was the place where Asmodeus was being summoned, but because the Miasma was being released into the area with every Summon and that stuff was toxic to mortals… And that there was a legitimate website dedicated to Summoning Angels and Demons.
Yeah, Jason Blood showed them the website since it was the most accessible place to get that information. At first, he thought that there might’ve been an error on the Satan page, but when he looked it over, the information was correct. This caused Jason to theorise that the Over-Summoner either skipped a step on the Summoning or did not follow the instructions that were in place.
}{
Adrien was sitting at his desk as he looked through the Summoning Website on his computer. “Wow, this Desmond Tiny is incredibly thorough,” the blonde told the black Kwami as he scrolled up to the summoning circle. He then pointed to the text right above the image when he added, “And check this out.”
The text clearly read, “All Summoning Circles Must Be Drawn By Hand. Please Use The Image Directly From Our Site As For Reference. Do NOT Print The Summoning Circles Out, Doing So Will Corrupt The Image And The Summon Will Not Work As Intended.”
Plagg floated by Adrien with his arms folded when he said thoughtfully, “Maybe Jason is on to something with the Summoning that the Over-Summoner is using. Most Humans are prone to making mistakes when they don’t follow pre-established instructions.”
Adrien looked at the Kwami when he said, “True, but these instructions are pretty hard to miss…”
Plagg glanced at the blonde when he asked, “Have you heard of the “What Colour was the Horse” story?”
Adrien nodded when he told the Kwami the short story about a crime involving a mounted police officer on a horse and how dozen of CSI were meticulously going over the scene, taking pictures and notes for hours. As Adrien came to the end of the story, he stated, “After the Chief of Police finished reading the reports, his only question was “What colour was the horse?” After all that time gathering evidence and taking pictures and notes, none of the CSI noted the colour of the horse. The moral of that story is “If you can miss something that obvious, what else could you have possibly missed?”... Oh…” He got a sheepish look on his face when he got out, “I see your point.”
Plagg patted the teen on the cheek when he said, “It’s okay, I understand that you notice the obvious rules, but there are people out there who either skim them over or don’t even bother to read them.” He glanced at the computer monitors when he added, “It seems like the Over-Summoner is in the latter category…”
}I{ Meanwhile, in Vacant Room Inside the Eiffel Tower }I{
Raguel was going over the information he had just acquired. He tapped his cane as he reviewed the “oddities” during the interactions with those mortals. More specifically Alya’s and Miss Bustier’s words regarding Lila.
The angel felt the wall for that particular piece of information before tapping it, causing it to play out loud, “But Lila HAS tried to mend fences with Marinette, but you know how Marinette is! Besides, Lila might’ve told a few lies but she’s not some kind of a vindictive jerk! She’s been nothing but nice and kind to the rest of us! No way she could Summon anything, let alone a demon! Plus she’s been sick a lot lately!”
Raguel placed a hand to his chin as he went over this oddity. ‘The words that were spoken are lies yet she believes that she is speaking the truth… Interesting…’ The Archangel of Justice thought before he went over what Miss Bustier said about this Lila. Raguel furrowed his brow when he thought, ‘Same with her…’ He then tapped his left hand to his chin when he thought, ‘Both involve this Lila…’
After some thinking, Raguel decided that he needed more information to solve these oddities.
}I{ A Few Hours Later }I{
Satan was sleeping on the couch of the Dupain-Cheng residence. The Lord of Wrath was still low on energy even after multiple viles of Liquid Wrath. He would have drunk the last one, but he decided to save that for an emergency. So he still had to sleep occasionally to replenish his energy, but at least he was also absorbing the negative energy from the neighbourhood.
Satan rolled to his side as he continued to sleep.
The Dupain-Chengs had a guest room, but the Lord of Wrath declined the offer to sleep there. Citing that he needed to be close to the doors in case one of his underlings came by and needed his attention. Plus, what Satan did NOT want to admit was that he… Felt weird when he was around the Dupain-Chengs… They… They were good people… They were kind people… Definitely not the kind of souls that would be in Satan’s circle, both socially and in his Ring… But… It was… Strangely nice for some bizarre reason… Satan knew that they would be loved by Azr-.
Suddenly, there was a loud blaring noise that echoed throughout the residence.
Satan shot awake with a jolt, nearly falling off the couch. As he tried to figure out what was happening, he felt a breeze coming from the back of the residence, the same direction as the noise. He was quick to move towards that location, to find the source of both the sound and the breeze. On the way, Tom, Sabine, Tikki, and Marinette joined the Lord of Wrath in following the noise. All looked rather spooked by the sudden wake-up call.
That was when they saw that the back door was open a quarter of the way.
Satan ran a hand over his face when he got out in a loud, groggy tone, “Who forgot to lock that?”
Tom walked to the door as Sabine turned the lights on while Marinette moved towards whatever was making the noise. The taller human inspected the door as the youngest shut the noise maker off. Tom saw the scratch marks on the lock of the outside end of the door and told the rest of the small group, “No one forgot to lock it, someone picked the door open!”
Satan frowned when he stated, “Then I guess it was a good thing you set the alarm system. The thing scared the would-be intruder off.” As Tom closed the door and re-locked it before using a sack of flour to block the door from opening, the Lord of Wrath then said, “But why is the damn thing so loud?”
Sabine joined her daughter to look at the alarm system when she stated, “It’s not supposed to be.” She analysed the system and noticed an addition that was certainly not there the last time it was looked at. “Who added that?” Sabine asked as she pointed to the addition.
Marinette turned pink when she got out nervously, “Oh… I thought I told you about it…” Both Tom and Sabine looked at their daughter when they asked why she did it. Marinette nervously fidgeted with her fingers when she admitted, “I… I just… Just wanted to make sure that… That you were all safe… Especially since…”
Satan watched as the parents told their daughter that they understood but they gingerly told her that the siren was too loud to use. He watched as Marinette adjusted the volume of the make-shift addition as Tom wrote a note to get someone in to add extra locks to the back door. Sabine then told Marinette to go back to bed. The youngest complied as she headed back to her room with a yawn. Once he heard the sound of the hatch to Marinette’s room close, Satan glanced at an uneasy-looking Kwami and asked, “Tikki, do you know anything about that little extra attachment to the alarm system?”
The little Kwami was quick to say, “I thought she was making that to put in her school locker! You know, to help alert everyone that it was being robbed so that they can catch the person breaking in! I didn’t think she would instal it here!” She shrank a bit when she added meekly, “You can’t blame her for it… She deserves to feel safe in her own home… Her parents too…”
The Dupain-Cheng couple knew it was true, but that didn’t stop them from worrying. Satan could feel the emotions of the youngest member of the house and learned something unexpected. The parents were next to return to bed. However, the two entities weren’t ready to go to bed just yet.
Satan told Tikki to follow him as he went to the front of the Dupain-Cheng Bakery. He made a small red light and silently commanded it to light up the doorway. The red Kwami gasped as she covered her mouth with her paws at what she saw. Another make-shift siren was attached to the alarm for the bakery entrance. Tikki’s antenna twitched when she got out in disbelief, “When did she!? How did she!? Do all the doors have one?!”
Satan folded his arms, causing the light to dissipate, when he said, “Yes, they are, and all are armed to go off should someone try to force their way in. I have no idea how she installed them without anyone noticing.”
Tikki’s antenna dropped in worry as Satan narrowed his eyes in uneasiness.
~}I{ At Dupont, A Few More Hours Later at 08:55 }I{~
Marinette yawned as she rubbed her eyes, trying to wake herself up more as she sat in her assigned seat in Miss Bustier’s classroom.
Alya nudged the bluette before she whispered to her, “Gurl, please tell me you didn’t pull another all-nighter.”
A still sleepy Marinette shook her head when she got out in a tired tone, “No. Someone tried to break in and set off the alarm... Woke everyone up…”
Nino and Adrien were quick to turn around in their seats when the blonde asked the bluette in shock, “Someone tried to break into the Bakery?!”
Marinette shook her head again when she said, “Not the Bakery… Our residence…” She then yawned again as she rested her head on the desk when she grumbled, “I couldn’t fall back asleep after that…”
Nino had a worried look when he asked, “Was anything taken?” The bluette grumbled out a No and the alarm scared the would-be intruder off before they could get in. He then asked with a raised brow, “Mari, are you going to be okay today?” When he heard the bluette grumble out a she’ll be fine and that she was just tired, the red-capped teen then asked, “Don’t you think a nap in the nurse’s office would be a good thing?”
Adrien offered to help walk Marinette there. The bluette told the blonde that she’d think about it but she didn’t want to fall behind in class. Everyone glanced at each other in a worried manner. Who can blame them? After, eh-hem, recent events, Miss Bustier’s class was even more worried about the bluette. She didn’t need any more things to stress her out. They needed to both find a way to cheer her up and hopefully find some clue as to who this Over-Summoner was.
}{ Meanwhile }{
Lila frowned as she chugged her coffee down as she made her way to school. She was annoyed that she needed the coffee to wake herself up and by the fact that she failed to break into that goody-goody’s home to steal any small trinket to use later to summon Satan, more to avoid having to break into a locker with two extra sets of eyes around. As she tossed her now empty coffee cup into the rubbish bin a little harder than needed, Lila thought in aggravation, ‘Urg, what kind of idiot sets an alarm on the back door of their house?’ That alarm nearly stopped her heart and could’ve gotten her caught! She huffed before she thought, ‘If her stupid parents put the alarm on the back door, then they wouldn’t have any alarms on their bakery door.’ Oh! That would also allow Lila to wreck the place so they won’t open! And she can steal something from that goody-goody while she’s at it! She can do that tonight if she wanted!
Lila quickly plastered on her best smile as she came to Dupont when she thought, ‘Yeah, but so Mama doesn’t find out, I’ll take a few things from that goody-goody’s locker and then wreck that bakery during the night. I just need to keep watch for those investigators, but that should be easy.’ Lila walked into the school without much care, already had her wonderful tales ready to tell her gullible classmates so they can adore her as they should.
On the upper level of the school, Kathryn watched the brunette enter. Her dark eyes on the new arrival with a critical gaze. The black skull on one of the child’s earrings glowed slightly. Kathryn brought her hand on that same side up to the earring and rubbed it with her index and thumb. She narrowed her eyes at Lila, who entered her assigned classroom.
}{ In the Locker Area, a Few Minutes Later }{
Jason Blood was testing the door to Marinette’s locker. It had such a nasty creak that he stopped after the second test. ‘Urg! Why is this one so noisy?’ the redhead wondered as he closed the locker and locked it with the new enchanted lock. He placed his right hand to his chin as he moved to an unoccupied locker and tested the door. It hardly made any sound. Finding that odd, Jason decided to test the doors of the other lockers that didn’t have a lock. The last time he was here, he and Raguel only looked in Marinette’s locker and looked around the immediate area, but this time… He was checking all the doors to the lockers he can open.
Jason closed the door to the last locker without a lock before placing a hand to his chin to think about this weird discovery.
“Is there something wrong, Mr Blood?” Fred Harprele asked as he noticed the redhead in the locker area.
As the part-time teacher walked in, Jason stated, “I guess you can say that.” He motioned towards Marinette’s locker when he said, “Ms Dupain-Cheng has informed me that someone has somehow been breaking into her locker and stealing some of her supplies and asked if I can figure out how this unsub (1) is breaking in. She permitted me to look at it on the condition that I lock it when I’m done.”
Fred nodded when he said, “I’ve heard about that.” He folded his arms as he thought about those reports before he said, “Though I do have to admit, that this is quite bizarre…”
Jason raised a brow when he asked, “How so?”
Fred shrugged his shoulders slightly when he said, “Well, for one thing, whoever is getting into Ms Dupain-Cheng’s locker has been taking one to four things at a time and seemed to assume that she wouldn’t notice.”
Jason looks at the bluette’s locker when he said, “I did see that her locker looks messy, but I noticed that it’s oddly organized. Perhaps whoever is breaking in thought she wouldn’t notice missing items in a supposedly messy locker.”
Fred looked at the locker in question when he vocalised, “True, but the items being taken are stuff that they could’ve just asked to borrow from other students.” When Jason asked what sort of items, the part-time teacher stated, “Stationary stuff mostly. You know, pencils, erasers, markers, glue sticks, and pencil cases. I think a few of Ms Dupain-Cheng’s spare hair ties have been taken… And I believe her little doodle sketchbook was taken.” When Jason asked how small the sketchbook was, Fred moved his hands to give a size estimate when he said, “Smaller than her usual sketchbooks but bigger than those pocket notebooks.”
Jason narrowed his eyes when he thought, ‘So everything that has been taken are things that you can stick in a pocket or a bag relatively quickly.’ He then told the part-time teacher, “I think Ms Dupain-Cheng is more upset that this person is breaking into her locker and bypassing her lock than the items taken.”
Fred grimace when he said, “I can’t blame her. Heaven knows she deserves someplace safe to put her things here at school.”
That got Jason’s attention pretty quickly when he asked, “Are you saying that Ms Dupain-Cheng had her locker broken into in the past?”
Fred gave a sad nod when he said, “That’s the reason why she started using a lock and kept using the lock even after the issue with the other students has been resolved.” He then noticed the new lock when he said with a sigh, “Let’s hope that will keep this person out, especially if this person somehow made a copy of the key to the prior one.”
Jason raised a brow at this before he stated, “Let’s hope so… But maybe you can answer one question I have about Ms Dupain-Cheng’s locker.” When Fred asked what it was, the redhead stated, “Well, when it was opened it has such a terrible creaking sound, which is making me glad that my daughter and Raguel aren’t here. I thought it might’ve been age but none of the other locker doors has that creaking issue. Did anything happen to the door to cause it to become creaky?”
Fred shook his head when he said, “Besides the occasional Akuma attack on campus, which is fixed later by Ladybug’s Miraculous Cure, I don’t think so. Plus, I doubt Ms Dupain-Cheng would do anything to her own locker.”
Jason placed a hand on his chin with a hum of suspicion before he asked, “What about the other occupied lockers? Do any of them have a creaking issue?”
Fred shook his head again when he said, “Not that I’m aware of, but you wait for the next class change and listen for any if you want.”
Jason folded his arms when he said, “I might have to do that.”
}I{ Later, During Lunch }I{
“Hey, Alya, should Marinette be falling asleep in class like that?” Lila asked her pawn oh-so-innocently, hoping for a chance to both dig at the bluette and to get information on if her list is being done.
As the blogger glanced at Marinette, who was still having trouble staying awake at a different table, she debited on telling Lila the entirety of the situation. On the one hand, her classmates told her facts that proved Lila was lying the entire time, but on the other hand, she was her friend and shouldn’t be left out. However, the class, Angel, and Lord of Hell explicitly told her not to say a word about it to Lila… Plus, if she told Lila then that would breach the trust she had with Marinette! Not Ladybug, Marinette!
But Alya really wanted her two best friends to get along… ‘Maybe I can use this to help and technically I’m not breaking my word not to tell her,’ the blogger thought before she turned to Lila when she said softly, “Someone tried to break into Marinette’s residence last night. Poor gurl couldn’t fall back asleep afterwards.”
Lila covered her mouth to hide a smirk, but it appeared to be in shock to others, when she got out, “No! Why would anyone break into her home?” Internally, the liar happily patted herself on the back for manipulating her obedient little pawn so well.
Alya shrugged when she said, “I don’t know, the alarm system scared the idiot away before they could get in.”
Lila bit the palm of her hand at this, to prevent herself from saying anything about that. ‘Grr! I wish I could forget about that! Damn thing made my ears ring the entire night!’ she thought in annoyance before she plastered on a worried look when she asked, “That’s still terrible. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Alya smiled as she patted her friend on the shoulder when she said, “I wish you could and I would love for you too, but maybe you should wait until Marinette is less sleep-deprived. She might not be in the best mood.”
Lila smiled when she said, “Oh, okay, thanks for the advice.” But internally, she was smirking at the opportunity to paint that goody-goody in a bad light. But she couldn’t help but think, ‘So Satan isn’t doing my little task list. But at least I know what to do later~. Both during PE and tonight~.’
What happened next made Alya happy but Lila annoyed. Adrien was taking Marinette by the hand and leading her in the direction of the nurse’s office, he was clearly worried about her. Alya uttered a, “Yes!” under her breath while Lila frowned.
The brunette was going to have a nice word with Adrien later at the shoot today.
}{
On the way to the nurse’s office, the two Heroes made a quick detour to the locker area. Marinette just wanted to grab her spare jacket, for some familiar comfort and warmth because the nurse’s office was always cold. Adrien was still pretty worried about his partner, and what happened last night was just adding more and more unneeded stress on Marinette. The cat hero wanted to help his lady out in some way.
Adrien quickly glanced around, making sure that there wasn’t anyone around, Marinette unlocked her new lock. The blonde cringed when the creaky door opened. The bluette noticed and said, “Sorry about that…”
Adrien rubbed his ears when he said, “It’s not your fault.” He looked at the locker door when he added, “But I don’t remember your locker being… Noisy.”
Marinette grabbed her jacket, then quickly closed the locker to avoid listening to the creaking, and relocked her locker when she said, “Yeah, I don’t know what happened. It was fine one day and then started making creaking noises the next…”
As they made their way to the entrance of the locker area, Adrien placed a hand on his chin when he said, “That’s kind of weird that it came out of nowhere, M’Lady.” Marinette nodded. However, once both registered what was said, they paused before slowly turning their heads to look at each other.
With a shocked expression on her face, Marinette got out softly in disbelief, “Ch-Chaton?!” Before Adrien could even think to deny that, Plagg poked his head out from his Holder’s jacket pocket and gave the bluette a wave with a nervous chuckle. Marinette faced forward, pinched the bridge of her nose when she grumbled out, “I am not awake enough to have this sink in…”
Adrien shrank a bit as he twisted his Miraculous on his ring finger before he finally said, “Sorry…”
Marinette sighed before she said, “It’s not your fault… It’s… It’s the “recent events”... Arg, I think Mr Raguel might be right on that fate thing being involved…”
Adrien placed a comforting hand on the bluette’s shoulder when he asked, “Uh, maybe a nap will help you process this a little better.” Marinette only nodded, fingers still pinching the bridge of her nose. The blonde gently encouraged the bluette towards the nurse’s office, not realising that Raguel was nearby and heard everything.
As the angel turned an ear to the footsteps of the two heroes. “{Seems you are still lingering around, Fate,}” Raguel said softly in an unknown tongue that was spoken among the other angels. That was when a giggling noise was heard echoing nearby, however, only a few would be able to hear that. Raguel made no motion to pinpoint the noise when he asked, “{What reason do you have to expose the identity of Tikki’s Holder to so many people and caused Plagg’s Holder to speak a word that allowed another to find out who he is?}”
The giggling voice did so for a few seconds before saying, “{Oh, just setting forth things that need to happen, all according to plan~.}”
Raguel furrowed his brows at this as the giggling vanished. ‘So… Lord Destiny is involved in this…’ The angel thought before going over the facts that he was aware of. Destiny, the eldest of The Endless, had absolute power over their realm, which was a garden containing all possible destinies of present, past and future. Destiny has power over the predetermined course of events as well as the absence of necessity and constraint in choice, but that only pertained to beings that were not Entities or other Endless.
Raguel placed the second knuckle of his right index finger on his chin when he thought, ‘Lord Destiny can only influence and interfere with mortals while their child, Fate, can cause or create specific events to push mortals in the direction Lord Destny needs them to be, but…’ He moved his hand away from his chin when he thought, ‘Neither can directly interfere with the Lords of Hell and the Virtues of Heaven. The only reason Fate was able to mess with Lord Satan’s ability to sense mortals was the fact that he was trying to conserve what little energy he has stored and the fact they were targeting the mortals directly… This also means that Lord Destiny couldn’t interfere with the Summoning Website since that directly affects Lord Asmodeus…’ Raguel had to conclude that Lord Destiny was trying to set everything up for something big later in time.
Raguel knew better than to question what the event could be. The Archangel of Justice could trust Destiny’s decision. Not like there was any choice in the matter.
“Something wrong, Raguel?” Jason asked the angel when he walked up to him.
Still, in that language of the angels, Raguel stated, “{It seems that Plagg and Tikki’s Holders now know who the other is.}”
Jason folded his arms, understanding the other perfectly, when he asked, “By choice or by accident?”
Raguel responded, “{There are no accidents when Fate is involved.}” This caused the redheaded man to raise a brow. The angel then stated, “{Rules of the Miraculous or not, this is Lord Destiny’s will. The Guardian will have to accept that and help assist in this endeavour.}”
Jason stiffened as he looked to the side when he said, “I think you would have better luck convincing him than I would…”
Raguel raised a brow at this before he said, switching to French, “That is a rather odd truth…” He could sense that the other did not want to talk about whatever transpired between him and the Guardian in the past. The angel nodded when he said, “Very well, I shall go to his residence and talk to him, after the school day.”
It was Jason’s turn to raise a brow when he asked, “You think something will happen today?”
Raguel tilted his head to the side slightly when he said, “Not particularly, but there is something I would like to confirm.”
That was when Jason’s cell phone went off. Raguel asked what was going on, since as far as the angel was aware the only people who would contact the redhead at the moment were Kathryn and that-
“Akuma Alert?” Jason vocalized as he looked at his phone screen. Raguel raised a brow at this as the redhead read the alert that he didn’t remember setting. Jason narrowed his eyes at the news when he stated, “Seems Hawkmoth is being active. Should we get our little Heroes and help deal with the Akuma?”
Raguel shook his head when he stated, “I’ll catch up with the Plagg, you stay with Tikki. She needs her rest.” And with that, the angel motioned for the other to follow as he headed towards his destination. Jason didn’t need to think too hard about what that could mean.
}I{ A Few Minutes Later }I{
A decision was made and with a plan in place, Mr Bug and Raguel headed off to fight the Akuma while Jason stayed behind to keep an eye on a sleeping Marinette with the Black Cat Miraculous on her ring finger and Plagg snuggled in the pocket of the jacket she had.
}{
While everyone from Dupont was either out following the strange Akuma battle or following the news of the battle from a safe place, Lila walked out of the locker area with a smug smile on her face as she zipped her bag shut. ‘Seriously, that goody-goody is so stupid she hasn’t noticed anything missing from her messy locker,’ Lila thought as she flipped her hair when she decided to head home to start her little ritual, and then she’ll head to her latest photoshoot with the Gabriel Brand and remind a certain blonde that she should be the only girl he should pay attention to. The liar just couldn’t wait to remind Adrien that he was hers and for the eventual downfall of that goody-goody. She was so enthralled in her thoughts that she didn’t notice that someone had spotted her.
As Lila left the school, Kathryn poked her head out of the school’s main entrance. The child watched the teen walking off the school’s ground as if it were just a normal day and nothing was happening. Kathryn thought that was a little odd. That brunette was a little too at ease walking outside, given that there was an ongoing Akuma attack that could come along at any minute. Kathryn raised a brow at this.
The black skull earring glowed again.
}I{
The battle with the Akuma was oddly easy. Mr Bug had a hunch that the fact that he was using the Ladybug Miraculous played a factor in that, but he was sure that no one would’ve anticipated an actual angel joining in on the fight. Well, at least the Akuma battle didn’t take as long this time around.
Raguel used his sword to break the item the Akuma Butterfly was residing in. Once the corrupted little creature fluttered out, Mr Bug caught it with his yo-yo to purify it. The red-clad hero then tapped the yo-yo to open and let the now pure white butterfly out when he said, “Bye-bye, little butterfly.”
Raguel held his sword as he would a cane when he asked the hero, “Just out of curiosity, why do you and Ladybug say that every time the Akuma is captured?”
Mr Bug shrugged when he said, “It’s just something we do.” He then looked at the Lucky Charm that he created earlier that he didn’t even use... An old simple red key with black polka dots… Same as last time… How weird… But Mr Bug threw the Lucky Charm into the air as he called for the Miraculous Cure, which in turn fixed everything that was destroyed or altered.
Raguel walked over to Mr Bug as the little ladybugs did their work when he asked, “What was wrong with the Lucky Charm?”
Mr Bug shook his head when he said, “Nothing was wrong with it, it was just… The same item M’Lady got the last time we used the Miraculous Cure.” Raguel raised a brow before he asked what the Lucky Charm was. Mr Bug replied, “It was an old-looking key. Don’t know what it goes to or why we got it a second time in a row…”
Raguel said nothing until he sensed that mortals were starting to gather. “It would be best to return before those uninvolved notice your absence,” the angel told the red-clad hero. Mr Bug nodded before they headed off before any of the civilians could ask any questions.
}I{
It didn’t take long before Adrien and Raguel were back at Dupont and no one was the wiser. Marinette woke up from her nap and traded the Black Cat Miraculous for her Ladybug Miraculous before they headed back to their last class of the day. It was noted that Lila was absent. Alya texted her, asking where she was. When Lila texted back, saying that she felt safer at home rather than at school during the Akuma attack, Jason and Raguel thought that odd. However, once it was explained to them that one of the Akuma attack protocols was to stay or go to someplace safe, it was brushed off as normal but a tad odd. Though Raguel felt something out of place about the text, he couldn’t read the text on a mortal device, he didn’t know what it was.
On the upside, they were able to add more information to The Board that some of the smaller groups had gathered.
~}I{ An Hour Later, At a Gabriel/Ash-Mode Brand Photoshoot }I{~
“How long does it take mortal businesses to process sexual harassment claims?” The blonde Lust Demon with the blue highlights and lowlights asked their fellow demons and Gabriel employees. They then morphed into Adrien Agreste in a plume of blue mist and then added in their own voice, “No seriously, when did we send the first one to Mr Agreste?”
The Lust Demon with the high braid scowled when they said, “You’d think he would be all over those claims, but given what Axel learned…”
The Lust Demon with a New Yorker accent then said, “Tha dick should at least take notice of the numbuh of claims and complaints he was gettin’, especially since they involve his kid.”
Vincent couldn’t help but add, “Sometimes I think the boss just believes that guys can’t be sexually harassed.” He waved a hand while he set up his camera when he said, “He always seems to find a way to downplay those “Touches” in one way or another. Sometimes he even tells the staff who send in the complaint to stop making up lies regarding his son.”
As another Gabriel staff member got the set ready, they said, “Hence why everyone started sending in their complaints regarding any sexual harassment of any kind anonymously.”
The tallest of the Lust Demons, Kippin, scoffed when they stated sourly, “The number of Sinners condemned to the Ring of Lust that have targeted males for their sexual pleasure would say otherwise.” This made the humans look at this Lust Demon with somewhat baffled expressions. They shrugged when they stated, “What? Sinners who’ve been condemned to Hell are sent to one of the Seven Rings, sometimes more than one, depending on what crimes they’ve done during their life. The Ring Lust gets the Sinners that have done Crimes Against Lust to, eh-heh, torture for as long as they’re condemned.”
The mortals glanced at each other at this. What the Lust Demon said made logical sense, but… Okay, maybe they should ask questions about that at a later date.
Lila arrived on set, none the wiser about what had transpired. She happily hugged “Adrien”, who did not welcome it. But before the Lust Demon posing as the blonde model could try to pull away, Lila hissed in “Adrien’s” ear, “We need to talk about your actions earlier and if you know what’s good for you, you’d better come with me during the break.”
Before “Adrien” could answer, Lila pulled away and headed towards her changing room. The demon posing as the model scratched their cheek in confusion before asking Axel when the liar was out of range, “Umm, did something happen between Lila and Adrien at their school or something? The little annoyance wants to talk to “Adrien” during the break and apparently isn’t taking no for an answer.”
Axel only raised a brow at this.
}{
As Miss Bustier’s class worked on “The Project”, Adrien got a text from Axel. The blonde boy read the text with a confused look.
“Did something transpire between you and Lila today? Or anything out of the ordinary?”
Adrien thought back on the day. Other than his catty slip-up and fighting as Mr Bug with Raguel… There was nothing out of the ordinary that had happened… And Lila hasn’t bothered him at all today… Adrien replied to the text.
}{
Axel read the text he got from Adrien with a critical eye.
“Can’t say anything big happen involving Lila today, and she hasn’t bothered me at all. I think she’s finally understanding my boundaries!”
Axel narrowed his eyes at the text before pocketing his phone and said to the Lust Demons, “Adrien says that nothing has happened, but I don’t think he’s aware of what Lila thinks needs to be “talked about”.” He glanced at the Lust Demons when he stated, “Zahare, humour her, but make sure to do so in the range of the security cameras that can record sounds.”
The Lust Demon posing as Adrien, Zahare, said in the blonde model’s voice, “Way ahead of you on that.” They fold their arms when they stated, “Hopefully, it will be something that will make Mr Agreste act.” A gleam reflected off of a silver vine-shaped band on their middle finger.
“Good,” was all Axel stated before they went to their places for the photoshoot.
}I{ At Dupont }I{
Jason Blood cringed as he hung up his cell phone before he told the group of humans, “Well, that Over-Summoner acted again. Asmodeus and Lord Satan aren’t thrilled…”
A thought came to Marinette when she got out, “You don’t think that…”
Jason raised a brow.
The next thing everyone knew, they were in the locker area and Marinette quickly opened her locker. The door practically screeched as it did. Nearly everyone covered their ears at the sound.
“Sorry…” Marinette said self-consciously before she inspected her locker. She let out a growl when she snapped, “My emergency sewing kit and my sweatbands have been taken!”
Jason inspected the locker door when he said, “I just checked this, the only thing off about this is the noise.” Marinette apologised again. The redheaded man waved a hand when he said, “It’s not your fault for that, but…” He held up the new lock when he said, “We might have our little thief’s identity at hand.”
Progress!
}I{ At the Photoshoot }I{
“All right! Everyone take five!”
Everyone on the set happily relaxed at those words. “Adrien” stretched his arms forward, the vine-shaped ring gleamed in the light. That was when Zahare noticed Lila giving them the look. “Adrien” rolled his eyes before he went along with the liar’s whims. Zahare managed to subtly direct Lila to a secluded area that had security cameras that could record audio. When they stopped, right in the range of that security camera, Zahare asked the liar in Adrien’s voice with a sigh, “What did you want to talk about, Lila?”
Lila scowled when she snapped, “Don’t play dumb with me, Adrien! You know what you did!”
Zahare frowned when he said, still playing the part of Adrien Agreste, “Lila, you haven’t bothered me at all during school, so I have no clue what you’re implying. If anything you think happened that I should know, tell me what it is to make me understand.” He folded his arms when he stated, “I’m not a mind-reader, you know.” Though the Lust Demon couldn’t help but think, ‘Thank goodness on that.’
Lila let out a growl when she snapped, “You spending time with that goody-goody instead of me!”
Zahare raised a brow when they vocalised in Adrien’s voice, “Pardon?” They couldn’t help but think, ‘What the heck is a goody-goody?’
Lila rolled her eyes in annoyance when she stated sourly, “That Marinette bitch. We had a deal, remember.”
“Adrien” cringed at the tone. Somewhat thankful that the real Adrien told the Lust Demons about that so-called “Deal”, Zahare said in a controlled voice, “I remember. However, just because that means that we’re “friends” as long as You adhere to your end, doesn’t mean that I can’t hang with my other friends.”
Lila growled when she spat out, “That deal meant that you were mine! And I don’t want you spending even a second on that goody-goody!”
Zahare took a step back in uneasiness when they got out, “Lila, the deal was I don’t expose that you’re a full-blown liar to the school and you leave Marinette alone. There was nothing in that where I agreed to be “yours” in any way whatsoever.” The demon couldn’t help but think, ‘Did Adrien… Misunderstand what this brat was talking about at the time? No, he couldn’t have, he laid the groundwork for that deal.’ If that was the case then what was this liar’s problem?
Suddenly, Lila shot her hand out and gripped “Adrien’s” upper left arm in almost a death grip. She glared at the blonde with a snarl on her face.
“Owch!” Zahare got out as he moved to try to remove the appendage cutting off his circulation. They could only barely feel that the brat was digging her nails into their arm. Okay, maybe it wasn’t “painful” for a demon of Hell but it would certainly be painful for a human, especially a teenager. Zahare had to play that part to avoid suspicion.
Lila yanked “Adrien” close until they were nearly face-to-face when she snarled out, “Now, you listen here, Adrien. You are MINE! You are NOT to spend ANY time with any of the other girls outside of the school’s classes. I will only allow you to spend time with those idiotic boys because they are worth something.” She clenched “Adrien’s” arm tighter when she snapped, “I can just as easily get rid of anyone in the school as I can get your father to remove you from school!” Zahare could sware that he was losing feeling in their arm when Lila snapped, “You are MINE to do with as I please, got it!”
“Adrien” yelped in pain as Lila gripped his arm even tighter before he got out, “Owch! Okay! Okay! Owch! Now let go!” Zahare couldn’t help but think, ‘Yikes! What the f*ck?!’
Lila smirked as she released her grip on her prize. “Adrien” immediately cradled his arm to relieve some of the pain. Then Lila said in a sweet tone as if nothing had happened, “I’m glad you saw the error of your ways. I’ll see you tomorrow at school.” She then happily left, thinking that she made her point and that it would be adhered to and not caring what she had just done. Lila didn’t even notice “Adrien’s” green eyes glowing purple as he glared at the back of her head.
The other Lust Demons rushed to the scene, alerted to the situation by the demon watching the live feed from the security cameras.
“Zahare! Are you okay?!” one of the demons asked as they helped their fellow hell-born up.
Axel was quick to inspect the injury on “Adrien’s” arm. “What the?! You’re bleeding?” Sure enough, blood was slowly oozing out of the little nail indents on Zahare’s arm and was already starting to bruise. One of the other Lust Demons was quick to apply first-aid to the injury while another took pictures to add to the case file.
That was when Kippin said, “If that brat was gripping Zahare THAT tightly! She could’ve done worse to Adrien if it were him!”
The Lust Demon with the high braid gasped at what they were seeing before looking at Axel when they said, “Axe!”
Axel already had his hellphone out when he stated, “Already ahead of you on that.” He quickly dialled a number before moving the device to his ear. When the Lust Demon heard the contact pick up, he stated, “Jorni, make a copy of the security feed from camera T-66, audio included, and put it on a jump drive. I’m bringing that to Mr Agreste, personally.” Axel’s eyes narrowed at that last part as they glowed a vivid shade of reddish-blue.
~}I{ Meanwhile }I{~
Wang Fu was sitting in the middle of his residence, just taking in the information that Raguel had just told him. The Guardian of the Miraculous took a deep breath before he let it out slowly and then said, “You know this goes against what I have been taught, right?”
Raguel made no motion when he stated seriously, “That may be true, but whether or not you are willing to go along with this ordeal, mortals cannot fight Lord Destiny.”
Wang Fu let out another sigh before he said, “Just… Just let me think about it… Before I make a decision…”
Raguel only gave a nod as he made his way to the door. Before he could leave, he paused when he stated, “It would be best not to linger on that for too long.” With that, the Angel left.
Wayzz was floating nearby as he stared worriedly at Master Fu, who had his head lowered in deep thought.
~}I{ Back at Dupont }I{~
Ms Mendeleiev wasn’t sure what she was witnessing when she saw Jason Blood use a USB connector and plugged it into the enchanted lock before connecting it to the computer in the school’s library. She and the rest of the Ladybug Team watch anxiously as the red-headed man typed on the computer, apparently using whatever program needed to get to the information on the enchanted lock. Kathryn was by her father’s side, watching him work.
When Jason Blood was able to pull the data he was looking for, he stared at the screen when he uttered, “That can’t be right…”
Ms Mendeleiev looked over the redhead’s shoulder to see what he was looking at. She narrowed her eyes at what she saw when she asked, “This is… Accurate?”
Jason clicked a few keys and used the mouse to refresh the page. Nothing had changed. He folded his arms when he said, “Seems like it, but that raises even more questions…”
Marinette looked over the redhead’s other shoulder and hovered right above Kathryn’s head to look at the results. She did not like what she was seeing when she asked in an uneasy tone, “Mr Blood… How come only you, me, and Mr Raguel are logged in as having touched the lock?”
Right on the monitor, showing just what the bluette described, were the images of Raguel, Jason Blood, and Marinette. Even showing which fingers had touched the lock. But that was about it.
Jason Blood narrowed his eyes at the data when he said in a calm tone that was a little unnerving to the students, “It seems like this person got past the lock without touching it.”
Ms Mendeleiev narrowed her eyes in suspicion when she folded her arms when she asked in that always logical tone, “Then how did this person get into a structure that only has one means of getting in when it has a mechanism blocking it that you cannot avoid touching and leaving it unscathed?” She remembered the current weather before she added, “It would be too warm for gloves and I’m sure it would have been noticed if someone was wearing latex.”
Jason nodded when he stated, “Quiet true… And if you don’t include Meta-Humans, individuals with unnatural abilities, and magic… I’d say there’s something I missed when I looked at the locker…” He narrowed his eyes when he added, “Whatever method this person is using, it’s safe to assume that they’re doing it so they can grab items of Ms Dupain-Cheng to use for the Summoning…”
There was an oddly familiar squeak from the main entranceway of the library. Everyone turned to see Fred Haprele staring at them with a rather bewildered look.
“Mr Haprele!” “Fred!” “Dad!” were the responses from whoever was in the library, which was pretty much whoever was aware of Ladybug’s identity.
Fred gave an uneasy cough as he rubbed the back of his neck and avoided eye contact before finally saying, “Umm, Mylene was supposed to meet me in front of the school after it let out… We were going to go over her practice lines for the upcoming auditions for the school play… So when she didn’t show, I got worried…” Mylene realised that she had forgotten about her meet-up with her dad and then gave a sheepish yet apologetic look to her fellow students. Fred took a deep breath before he asked, “So the reason why Mr Blood and Raguel are here is…”
Jason Blood gave the part-time teacher a quick and simple explanation of the situation with the Over-Summoner. Since Fred didn’t seem to be aware of the “Ladybug Situation”, the redheaded man didn’t have to delve into that.
Fred took in that information when he said thoughtfully, “That explains the new lock…” He then noticed that the new lock was “plugged into” the computer. He blinked a few times before he added, “Well, that’s… New…”
Jason Blood glanced at the computer monitor when he stated, “The “technology” in Heaven and Hell work a little differently from what mortals are used to. However, it’s bringing up some more issues regarding Ms Dupain-Cheng’s locker…”
This was an uneasy truth to swallow…
~}I{ Later That Day }I{~
Chloe was currently spending some time with Joey Bell and Robert Fog while Zoe was with Donnie Rockkale and Andre Bourgeois. All five families were still adjusting to living together, but they were certainly getting better at that. The schedule that Marinette made was certainly the biggest reason for it.
But right now, Robert Fog was teaching Joey and Chloe how to bake. Nothing complex or anything like that, just some simple cookies. Chloe, of course, has never done this sort of thing before. Both the baking and having a little fun doing it.
Mr Fog placed the tray of semi-circular cookies into the oven before he pressed the button to start the cooking. The adult took the oven mitts off before turning to the two teens when he said, “Alright, cookies should be done in a couple of minutes.” He looked the two over when he added with an amused smile, “So maybe both of you want to use that time to wash up?” Joey and Chloe had flour splotches of random sizes scattered all over their clothing, arms, and a few on their faces.
The raven-haired teen with the yellow highlights looked at the blonde with a playful smirk before he said, “Hm, I don’t know, the flour-stained look could be the next big fashion fad.”
Chloe gave a playful scoff before she struck a pose and said, “Oh, puh-lease, I make this look good.”
Joey snickered before he said, “And here I thought Donnie was the flour child of us.” Chloe puffed her cheeks as she pouted.
Mr Fog just smiled at the interaction.
~}I{ Meanwhile }I{~
“Has anyone seen Axel?” one of the Lust Demons asked the others and humans.
Kippin thumbed the Gabriel Brand logo when they said, “He’s at Mr Agreste’s house. He wanted to make sure the dick saw the proof of Lila’s actions.”
“What happened with Lila?” the Gabriel Brand Staff asked at the same time.
The next thing everyone knew, the sounds of something being destroyed filled the air. The humans’ first instinct was “AKUMA!” but the Lust Demons knew better and rushed towards the source of the noise. When they got there, they saw that it was Axel but was surrounded by an aurora of raging blue flames.
“Axel! What happened?!” Zahare got out as the Lust Demons gathered around their ally. Avoiding the debris on the ground.
Axel let out a demonic growl when he hissed out, “Showed the bastard the video. Take a wild guess what he thought.”
The Lust Demons looked over their ally, it was disturbingly clear that he was beyond angry. Pairing that with what he had just told them, the reason for the rage was clear as a sunny day.
The Lust Demon with the highlights and lowlights folded their arms when they asked, “Dick didn’t care?”
The flames around Axel flared angrily for a few seconds before he said, “Worse! He thought the whole f*cking video was fake! He claimed that the brat would NEVER do such a thing to his son!” The flames were now an inferno. The Lust Demons didn’t seem affected by the fire, but the humans nearby were feeling the heat. No pun intended.
Kippin growled when they got out, “Puh-lease tell us the dick asked why we would do such a thing or ask about his kid.”
“Neither!” Axel growled out, the inferno was still raging. The usually formal Lust Demon then growled out when he said, “Bastard told me that he shouldn’t be surprised by demons pulling that kind of skit! Said that he won’t tolerate us making HIS staff look bad!”
The Lust Demons glanced at each other before they looked at Axel when one of them vocalised, “Staff? Just staff? The Dick didn’t think that the situation his son was in was of any concern?”
Axel pulled the inferno into his body when he said in an eerily calm tone, “Adrien, didn’t even come up once when talking to the bastard. Not even when I pointed out how tight the brat was gripping his arm.”
“That’s f*cked up!!” one of the humans exclaimed from where they were huddled.
The Lust Demon with the high braid replied with, “Understatement.” They looked at Axel when they asked, “Knowing you, you’re not going to allow Adrien to return to the Agrestes.”
Axel expelled blue smoke from his nostrils before he stated, “I’ll talk to the Bodyguard. He cares for Adrien as if he were his own, he’ll want him to be safe. And I’m planning on going over Agreste’s head at school.”
Kippin couldn’t help but ask, “What are you planning?”
Axel narrowed his eyes when he said, “Adrien told me that Lila is one of his classmates.” He glances at his allies when he added, “You saw and heard what was recorded. I’m sure Dupont would be much more willing to view it with concern and actually take action.”
~}I{ Back at Dupont }I{~
“And… Completed!” Max said as he took a step back from Marinette’s locker to admire his work.
Unless you were looking for it, the small motion-activated camera was hidden right between the locker’s left wall and Marinette’s rather large and bulky history book that was angled up to catch sight of whoever opened the locker. Max then carefully looked over the little trigger trap he set up on the back of the locker door latch, making sure that it wouldn’t slip out of place.
Alix looked at the set-up when she said, “Okay, so you set this up to turn on and record whenever someone opens the locker door. That’ll save the recording space and catch the creep breaking in.” She moved to close the locker door, cringing at the sound it made when it did. The skater rubbed her ears when she added, “Wish you can fix that awful sound.”
Marinette apologised for it.
Kim patted the bluette on the shoulder when he said, “Mari, stop apologising for something that isn’t your fault.” Marinette gave the taller teen a wiry smile.
Kagami stared at the locker door before she asked Max, “You do realise that the majority of the recordings will be of Marinette going in there, right?”
Max nodded when he stated, “I am aware, but that’s expected since the locker is assigned to her.” He then pointed at the enchanted lock when he added, “Plus, who else but Marinette would have a key to that?”
Jason was the one to input, “Given that the lock is technically Raguel’s, I’d say he’s the only other one who would. Though, I doubt he would open the locker without Ms Dupain-Cheng’s permission nor will he give that key out to another.” He looked at the locker and felt something odd about it. Like something was different since he looked earlier… But everything looked the same…
That was when Sabrina said with a big smile, “But now we have a way to prove that whoever is breaking in is doing so!”
Juleka was the one to say, “Problem is… We’re going to have to wait until after the Over-Summoner uses those items for the Summoning.”
Kathryn looked up at her dad when she said, “Aunt-cle Ozzie and Mr Satan aren’t going to be happy…”
Jason had to agree with that statement as Marinette sighed. Both seemed aware of what was in store when they had to tell the two Lords of Hell this news.
}I{
And they were right… But as long as there WAS a chance of catching the Over-Summoner, they were willing to tolerate it.
~}I{ The Next Morning }I{~
Damocles paused the video with a bewildered expression on his face before he looked at Axel, who was standing on the other side of the headmaster’s desk. The owl-like man took a calming breath before he asked the Lust Demon, “Why are you showing me this?”
Axel pushed his glasses up when he said, “I know that Ms Rossi is in the same class group as Adrien and given how she acted when she thought she was alone with “Adrien”, I want you to move Lila to another class. The farther away from Adrien and the fewer classes they have to have together, the better.”
Damocles looked uneasy when he restated, “Let me rephrase that a little better… Why are you showing me this and not Mr Agreste?” He held out a hand when he added, “While I’m certainly going to look into the things that involve this school and I do care about the well-being of my students… But considering that Ms Rossi is a model for The Gabriel Brand and… This involves his son’s well-being… Shouldn’t you show him this video first?”
Axel folded his arms when he stated coldly, “I did.”
Damocles felt some indigestion boiling in his gut before he asked in a not-so-willing tone, “And… Is he going to fire Ms Rossi for the… Incident in the video?”
Axel huffed when he stated sourly, “He made a big stink about the video being fake and told “us demons” that he won’t tolerate such things against his staff.”
Damocles blinked, slowly digesting the information he was just told. He glanced at the computer screen when he asked, “Did… He even bother to check the video with a very specific scenario, wording, and people involved for authenticity?” He looked at the Lust Demon when he added with a raised brow, “Or even asked about his son? Or why you would even cast Ms Rossi in that light?”
Axel folded his arms when he stated with a frown, “He did none of the above.”
Ah! Now Damocles understood the demon’s concerns regarding Adrien here at school... Especially the part about keeping Lila away from him… The Headmaster took a deep breath before he said, “Let me get this run through an authenticity program, per standard protocol regarding video evidence that was recorded off the school grounds, and I’ll implement a class transfer for Ms Rossi.” He glanced at the computer monitor again before he said as his eyes narrowed, “To be fair, Ms Rossi has been having some ongoing problems with a different classmate. This video is adding even more to that…” Damocles looked at Axel when he added, “If the video turns out to be authentic, which I’m sure it is, I will have to call Ms Rossi’s mother for a parent/teacher meeting to discuss these rather serious issues. I would like to use the video during that meeting, to show Mrs Rossi proof of the behaviours.”
Axel unfolded his arms when he stated, “As long as Lila isn’t in the same classes as Adrien, that is fine.”
Damocles let out another sigh before he said, “This also means that I have to alert the School Board regarding Adrien Agreste’s home life if his father doesn’t seem all that concerned about him after watching that recording.”
Axel was business-like when he stated, “That’s also fine. I can give you a copy of the file that I and my allies have already made regarding that topic.”
“You…” Damocles got out in disbelief. He stared at the demon before he asked carefully, “I apologise for being rude and maybe a little hypocritical but why would a group of demons care about the well-being of a human child?”
Axel kept up that stern business-like tone when he stated, “Lord Asmodeus and us Lust Demons frown upon those who would harm or abuse children, no matter the mortal species. The entire time we’ve worked with Adrien, he is showing signs of being groomed.” He held up a hand as if to grip something that wasn’t there. A quick flash of blue fire appeared before disappearing, leaving a folder in the demon’s hand. Axel placed the file on the headmaster’s desk when he said, “Here’s a copy. Everything we have found out is in there.”
Damocles glanced at the file before looking at the demon when he asked in a rather uneasy tone, “When you say “groomed”, do you mean…”
Axel cringed when he got out in disgust, “Thankfully, no! It’s more along the lines of being conditioned to be compliant and submissive.” He was then quick to explain that Lust Demons, in general, despise the idea or action of sex with a child and minors, so of course they would jump in to help them out of a “bad” situation.
Damocles was oddly impressed by this tidbit of information. But he had to tell the Lust Demon, “You are aware that until I ‘verify’ the video, Ms Rossi will continue to be in the same class as Mr Agreste, right?”
Axel frowned before he said, “Unfortunately. However, I take it that it is on your priority list?”
Damocles nodded when he stated, “2nd from the top as of now. I’ll send the video out to the School Board, requesting it be run through the authenticity program as quickly as possible.” Axel gave an approving nod at this.
Soon, Axel left the school and the Headmaster was already filling out the request, marking it as a high priority. After Damocles sent the email, he had a thought. Since this was officially an ongoing investigation, he couldn’t disclose too much regarding the video but he can certainly ask Miss Bustier to be more aware of Adrien’s and Lila’s interactions with each other and keep them separated no matter what. Also… It made him question a few things regarding some of Ms Rossi’s claims.
Damocles thought about the line of leaving Marinette alone in every way… What did that imply? The headmaster narrowed his eyes as he looked at the computer monitor. He moved to the computer and went right to the video. Damocles quickly fast-forward to the part where Lila’s animosity towards Ms Dupain-Cheng was on clear display. The Headmaster stroked his beard as he paused the video.
Damocles originally thought that Ms Rossi was simply misunderstanding Ms Dupain-Cheng's actions, but now… Maybe he needs to take another look at those bullying complaints Ms Rossi made against Ms Dupain-Cheng… And talk to Miss Bustier about those interactions. After all, the redheaded teacher was the one who helped the brunette student fill out those complaint forms.
When he started that process, Damocles paused and thought about Ms Rossi’s apparent haterade of Ms Dupain-Cheng. ‘That level of hate doesn’t just appear out of nowhere…’ The headmaster thought before his mind went back to The Board, which ended up being a nice big Venn Diagram. Right now, Lila seems to fit into the ‘Hates Marinette’ bubble and the ‘Access to Dupont’ bubble nicely in that video on top of her obvious possessiveness of Adrien…
Damocles placed a hand to his chin when he wondered, ‘But… How was she able to get into Ms Dupain-Cheng’s locker? And where would she Summon a Lord of Hell without anyone noticing?’ He wasn’t liking where this thought train was going, even though it made so much sense. However…
Damocles stroked his beard when he thought, ‘But… Ms Rossi has been absent the majority of the time during the Summonings and how would she know that nothing has been going on with Ms Dupain-Cheng?’ It was the ‘Wouldn’t Listen to a Higher Power’ bubble that he couldn’t put Ms Rossi in and as far as Damocles knew, she wouldn’t have a location where she could Suommon any Demon without being seen. The Headmaster frowned when he thought, ‘Even if Ms Rossi has nothing to do with the Over-Summoner, she has displayed concerning behaviours towards her fellow students both on and off school grounds. I must take the appropriate actions regarding that.’
And with that, Damocles started on that task. The first is re-reading those complaint files.
}{
Marinette yawned, somewhat swaying as she tried to keep herself awake.
The rest of the class, minus an oddly late Lila, was staring at her in worry. While they were impressed that the bluette was able to arrive early again, they couldn’t help but wonder why she was so tired today. There wasn’t an Akuma last night so…
“What?!? Someone tried to break into the bakery?!?” Alix shouted after Marinette told the class what happened.
The tired bluette pulled out her cell phone when she said, “Yeah…” She let out a yawn as scrolled through her phone when she added, “Whoever it was tried to get in through the front entrance…” When she found what she was looking for, she showed it to Nino when she said, “Since the bakery is a legal and popular business, so, of course, we have a working security system with active cameras to protect both our customers and livelihood.”
Adrien looked over Nino’s shoulder as the red-capped teen pressed the play button. From what the two could see, there appeared to be someone dressed in the stereotypical robber clothing, black balaclava and all, picking the lock to the bakery’s front door from the outside. The two buds glanced at each other for a second before their eyes were back on the screen. The video continued to play as the intruder managed to pick through the lock on the bakery door and slowly opened it. But before the intruder could even take a step into the building something made the intruder lept a half-meter in the air before bolting off, leaving the door still open. A minute later, the bakery’s lights came on and the entire Dupain-Cheng Family came into the camera’s view, it was obvious that they came to inspect the scene.
Both Nino and Adrien looked up at Marinette where they were sitting when the bluette said with a yawn, “We called the police this time and gave them the video…” Her eyes were almost closed when she said in a tired tone, “Maman and Papa already called a locksmith to replace all the locks of both the bakery and the home…” Marinette yawned again before saying, “Satan is wondering if whoever tried to break into the bakery is the same one who tried to break into our residence the night before…” Tikki floated out of Marinette’s purse to pat her cheek, trying to soothe her a bit.
Ivan was the one to say, “Well, you do have to admit that two break-in attempts over the past two days involving the same location are a little weird…”
Mylene then added, “So, Satan might have a point…”
Alya looked at her friend when she asked, “You… Didn’t go back to sleep again… Correct?”
Marinette just slumped over her desk, no longer able to stay awake. Tikki looked at the blogger and shook her head. The little Kwami looked at her holder in worry, not liking how many bad things were crashing down on her Holder like this. Miss Bustier asked Kim and Adrien to take Marinette to rest in the nurse’s office. The two did so carefully, Tikki followed by hiding in the athlete’s hood on the way out.
As soon as they left, Nath got everyone’s attention when he asked, “Guys, does anyone find it weird that someone would break into Marinette’s place? I get that her family’s bakery is popular, but breaking into the residential section first then the bakery the next night seems… Pretty weird…”
Everyone looked at one another when Rose asked as she shrank in her seat, “You guys don’t think…”
Juleka placed a hand on the pink-wearing girl’s shoulder when she said, “It would be one heck of a coincidence if it weren’t.”
Everyone glanced at each other before Alix asked, “We’re going to add this to The Board, right?” The rest of the class agreed to that.
}{ Meanwhile }{
Lila growled as she chucked the now-empty coffee cup into the nearest rubbish bin as she made her way to school. She was aggravated about her failed attempt at breaking into the Dupain-Cheng’s bakery last night. Just like the night before, the damn alarm attached to the door scared her out of her skin before she bolted off and rushed right home before she knew it. Thank goodness her mother is a heavy sleeper.
Lila fumed as she stomped towards Dupont when she thought, ‘Damn it! Who the hell puts an alarm system on a pathetic excuse for a bakery?’ She took a deep breath, calming herself down when she thought that she needed to make up an excuse as to why she was late today. Lila frowned when she thought, ‘Urg, I should have called in sick, but I already used that ploy too much this month and she didn’t want to raise the school’s suspicions.’ Lila smirked when she thought that she could make up some story about helping a sweet old lady with a litter of cute puppies home and just lost track of time. The brunette smirked when she thought that those gullible idiots would eat that crap up and worship her even more.
~}I{ Elsewhere }I{~
Jason Blood and his daughter decided to do more asking around other areas of Paris. To both bide their time on the Over-Summoner’s actions and make some progress on finding the location Asmodeus was being Summoned to.
However, it was raising some major concerns…
“So, those rumours about some stupid human causing trouble with Hell by summoning Lord Asmodeus with a Wrath Summon multiple times true?” a male grey-feathered Winged Sirien behind a fruit stand asked when Jason asked about a cluster of Miasma.
Currently, the father and daughter were in a bizarre within the Magical Side of Paris where a lot more individuals with magic roots and attributes gathered. Both were asking around for the Miasma in question. So far, nothing.
Jason folded his arms when he said, “I shouldn’t be surprised that word of the Over-Summoner has spread.”
The Winged Sirien made a low clicking sound when he said, “So, it is true.”
The creatures nearby heard this and started murmuring among themselves, most commenting on the idiocy of the humans.
Kathryn moved closer to her father when he said, “You are aware that it’s just one human doing this?”
The Winged Sirien shrugged when he said, “A really stupid human if they’re not listening to The Lord of Lust multiple times.” The flying being moved his wings as if they were arms as he tucked one under his chin and the other across his chest when he said thoughtfully, “However, that means that there has to be one nasty spot polluted with Miasma…”
Jason nodded when he stated, “A spot that has to be here within the boundaries of Paris. Where there are easily hundreds of people of all kinds who will be affected by it, even more so if it’s not located, purified, and the Over-Summoner captured.”
A nearby Minotaur took a step forward when she asked, “If any of us finds this Miasma concentrated area, who should we report it to? You?”
Jason turned to the towering creature when he stated in a serious tone, “You can report it to me if you wish, but you can also report it to any of the Angels or Demons you find. If you happen to know where any Stationed ones are, go there and give them the information. It doesn’t matter which, both Heaven and Hell are keeping in communication regarding this issue.” He took a deep breath before he added in a more serious tone, “You don’t need me to remind you all that you need to avoid getting close to the Miasma Cluster.”
There was a surge of murmurs, telling each other to spread the word of what to do.
A little while later, Jason and Kathryn left the bizarre and returned to the more mortal-known streets of Paris. The next thing to happen was the father-daughter duo sitting on a bench in a nearby park, munching on some food while they thought over the situation at hand.
That was when Kathryn spoke up by asking, “Dad… Do you think that this Over-Summoner has some degree of magic and is hiding the Miasma Cluster?” She then took a bite out of her food as she waited for a response.
Jason took a sip of his drink before placing it on the ground next to his feet when he explained, “If it were a low-level or mid-level demon in this situation, then there could be a possibility of that. However, this is a Lord of Hell that is being Summoned, meaning that there is a lot more Miasma coming from Hell with each Summon.” He looked off into the distance when he narrowed his eyes when he stated, “It also means that this Over-Summoner isn’t using any magic to hide the cluster.”
Kathryn swallowed what she had in her mouth when she asked, “So how is the Over-Summoner hiding the Miasma if not by magic?”
Jason placed the side of his index finger of his right hand on his chin when he said thoughtfully, “My best guess is that either the Over-Summoner scouted out a location that would be able to hide the Miasma Cluster from casual sight naturally, or they’re doing the Summoning underground where there’s little to no possibility of anyone happening onto the location… However, that only applies if the Over-Summoner is aware of the Miasma…”
Kathryn looked at her father with her big dark eyes when she asked, “Dad, do you think that the Over-Summoner can’t see how much Miasma is gathering in the Summoning Spot?”
Jason folded his arms, eyes still narrowed, when he explained, “I’m not going to say that all individuals with Magic or have even the smallest amount of Awareness would know that Miasma was bad, but anyone who can see or feel Miasma would stop Summoning when the Miasma gets to the point where it’s not harmful yet but it will still look and feel bad…” He leaned back on the bench again when he stated, “The other issues are the Over-Summoner’s haterade for Ms Dupain-Cheng, how they know that what they want to be done isn’t being done in a short amount of time, and the unwillingness to listen to Lord Asmodeus…”
Kathryn followed her father’s actions by leaning back on the bench when she said, “True, that is a weird and specific Venn Diagram.”
That was when Jason noticed an oddly familiar figure coming into view, and he could tell that the poor man was… Not in a good state of mind… The redhead narrowed his eyes when he told his daughter as he quickly snatched his cup, “Grab your drink, we’re going to see if we can talk down Mr Ramier and prevent him from getting Akumatized again.” He then stood up and walked briskly towards the pigeon-obsessed man.
Kathryn followed her father’s lead and trailed behind him with her cup in hand.
}I{ Elsewhere }I{
Wang Fu closed the last of the small black boxes with a deep sigh. The Guardian of the Miraculous was hoping he was making the right decision… Even if Destiny is involved in this…
Master Fu then moved to a drawer, opened it, and slowly pulled out a picture frame with an old, black-and-white photograph inside. The image depicted a much younger Wang Fu on the left side of the photo, a young dark-haired man in his early twenties with bright eyes and a smile in the middle, and another person on the right that was obscured by a reflection of light but Wang knew who that person was. He pondered when the last time he looked at this was, but then he remembered why he hasn’t looked at it…
The Guardian placed the photo back into the drawer and closed it.
THAT happened a long time ago… No one had any control over any of the factors that caused it… Just… Just how it ended… And it ended Badly…
…
Maybe it was time to finally put it to rest…
~}I{ Dupont }I{~
After Kim and Adrien brought Marinette to the nurse’s office, Tikki kept close to her Holder, while the boys left. As soon as they were out the door, the blonde boy got a text from Axel. When Adrien read the text, Kim looked over his shoulder to see the text.
The text read, “Adrien, keep your distance from Lila! Do NOT allow yourself to be alone with her! Keep to your male friends!” The next to be sent was a video with the accompanying text, “Watch in private. It’s proof that Lila shouldn’t be around you.” A following text was sent that read, “You can show to your trusted friends if you need to, just don’t let Lila know about its existence.”
Adrien and Kim glanced at each other before quickly ducking into the boy’s restroom to watch the video.
It was the same video Axel showed Damocles… And neither Adrien nor Kim was able to suppress their shock and dismay when they watched it. Plagg managed to sneak a peak at it via still hiding in his Holder’s jacket. The Kwami of Destruction wanted to Cataclysm that liar, right then and now.
Kim was oddly the voice of reason when he told the blonde, “Okay, Axel was right. I’m telling the other guys about this, no argument about it, and we’re not letting Lila anywhere near you.” He pointed at the phone when he stated, “Given what Lila said, I’m pretty sure she doesn’t know about the whole “Replacement Ploy” the Lust Demons have been doing.” Kim folded his arms when he said, “Meaning that she thought she was threatening you.”
Adrien was feeling his breakfast fighting to come up from his stomach at the realisation. Never has he ever felt his internal organs revolt in such a way.
Kim placed a hand on the blonde’s shoulder, causing him to snap out of his thoughts. The tall teen then asked the model, “I’m guessing you never thought she would do such a thing, huh?” Adrien could only give an uneasy shake of the head, not trusting his voice. Kim rubbed the back of his neck when he said with a sigh, “I’m with you on that. I thought that Lila… Just didn’t like Mari because of their distinct and somewhat clashing personalities…” He paused, placed a hand on his chin, and commented, “At least that’s what was presented to us…”
Adrien finally found his voice when he got out, in a rather weak and uneasy tone, “I just… Just… Just thought that she wanted attention… And that… She didn’t like Marinette because she never believed any of her tall tales…”
Kim pressed his lips into a line before he said, “I thought the same thing at first, but once I became aware of the lies and Lila’s dislike of Mari, I saw that she was going out of her way to hurt Mari in some way, usually a backhanded comment or a snide.” He uneasily glanced to the side when he added, “But that video… It showed some concerning behaviour that’s straight out of left field and it’s… Worrying…”
Adrien couldn’t help but say, “You don’t think that…” He didn’t want to say it, but it was too hard to ignore.
Kim narrowed his eyes when he said, “Well, Lila has definitely moved higher up on the suspect list, but…” He looks at Adrien when he asked, “Lila’s been absent from school the majority of the time of the Summoning, so how would she know that nothing’s being done to Mari? Not to mention the apparent sheer animosity from the list that Satan told us about?”
Adrien look at his phone’s screen when he got out, “But… Lila showed in that video that she hates Marinette…”
Kim couldn’t help but point out, “True, but would anyone be THAT hateful of someone for the callouts over lies?” He took a deep breath when he stated, “But there has to be something else going on between Mari and Lila if there’s that much hate towards Mari.” The tall teen realised the time when he got out, “Yikes! We need to get back to class!”
As they moved to leave the restroom, Adrien asked Kim in a worried tone, “Umm, you aren’t asking about the… Deal I made with Lila?”
Kim’s hand was on the door as he looked over his shoulder at the blonde teen and said, “Maybe later, but…” He gave the other a small smile when he stated, “You did it to protect Mari, even if Lila wasn’t really keeping up her end.”
Adrien blinked in confusion when he asked, “What do you mean by that?”
Kim pulled the door open when he said in a weary tone, “I’ll explain later. We need to get back to class.” He ushered the blonde out and both made their way back to class. On the way, Kim sent a quick text to the guys in Miss Bustier’s class saying, ‘Keep an eye on Lila and keep her away from Adrien! We’re having lunch on the roof for an important meeting regarding her.’
}I{ With Jason Blood and Kathryn }I{
After a successful process of calming down Mr Ramier, Jason Blood made a quick call to Asmodeus…
Jason had his phone to his ear when he asked, “Every time?”
Asmodeus’s voice was heard coming from the other end of the call when they said, “Yes, the annoying Over-Summoner seems to believe that the entirety of blood from those pigeons is enough to warrant any deed from Hell. Don’t know why she would think that.”
Jason raised a brow when he asked, “From what you’re saying, you don’t think that this Over-Summoner did any real research regarding the Summoning.”
The redhead could hear an exhausted sigh coming from the phone before Asmodeus said, “Given that the little bitch STILL think’s I’m Satan no matter how many times I tell her, I’m damn sure she did the bare minimum.” The Lord of Lust then growled out, “And it hasn’t even occurred to her that she drew the damn Summoning Circle incorrectly!”
‘Interesting comments,’ Jason thought before he asked the Hell Lord, “Is there anything distinguishing about the Over-Summoner you can tell me? So we can have an idea of what we should look for on our search?”
Asmodeus let out a huff before they said, ”She’s got quite the ego on her. I mean, despite being in the presence of a Lord of Hell, she expected me to bend over backwards for her!” The Lord of Lust let out an angry growl before snapping, “I expect Lucifer to give me no less than 100 years to punish that bitch in my Ring for all this sh*t!”
Jason cringed as he pulled the phone away from his ear at the sudden surge of volume to the other’s voice. Kathryn looked up worriedly at her dad.
Asmodeus caught themselves before they said through the phone, “Ah, sorry, Jason, but the little bitch is driving me crazy with rage! I can’t get anything done and everything that is being worked on is constantly being put on hold every damn time this Over-Summoner comes calling.”
Jason put the phone back to his ear when he said, “Understandable, and I’m sure Lucifer will grant you and Satan 100 years to punish the Over-Summoner, each.” He rubbed the back of his neck when he asked, “But I was talking about the Over-Summoner’s appearance. So anything about her that I should look for while searching through Paris?”
The faint sounds of tapping could be heard coming through the phone before Asmodeus said, “Hmm, I never did get a good look at the bitch, especially after the 8th Summon. However, I do remember that ridiculous hairstyle that’s just “Do you honestly think that’s stylish?” It makes her look like she’s got sausages dangling from her head.”
Jason raised a brow at the oddly familiar description when he commented, “That’s a weirdly specific visual.”
Asmodeus somewhat cackled before they said, “You prefer I use an “Alternative” word to describe that terrible hairdo?”
Jason was quick to say as his cheeks flushed pink, “No! That’s quite alright. But what I meant was that that hairstyle would be rather unique and hard to miss.” He glanced at his daughter, who appeared to be thinking about something.
Asmodeus let out a hum when they said through the phone, “True, but you know how humans are with their “Fashion Fads”, no matter how ridiculous they might be.”
Jason sighed before he stated, “True, but next question.” He took a breath, let it out, and said, “What was her hair colour?” The redheaded man had a good hunch as to whom would fit that description should the Lord of Lust say one specific colour.
“Either Earth brown or cacao brown, possibly somewhere in between,” Asmodeus stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
Jason asked the Lord of Lust if there was anything else he should know about. Asmodeus commented that he had a sexual harassment investigation going on with the Gabriel Brand, and asked the redhead if he could keep an eye on Adrien Agreste when he’s at Dupont. Jason agreed to that before the call ended. He glanced at his daughter before he asked, “Does that description sound familiar to you too?”
Kathryn look at her dad when she said in a serious tone, “It fits with that Lila Rossi girl.” The skull earring glowed a bit when she said, “You know, that girl left the school during the Akuma Attack.”
Jason nodded when he said, “Yes, I was told about the Akuma protocols about moving to safe spots and staying safe.” He folded his arms when he added in a rather displeased tone, “But the school was already a safe zone and wasn’t on the path of the Akuma, so she shouldn’t have left.”
Kathryn narrowed her eyes when she stated, “She walked out of the school as if it were the end of the day.”
It was Jason’s turn to narrow his eyes when he asked, “She… Walked out? She didn’t look around to make sure it was safe? Moved along the walkway in the shadows? Or kept herself hidden?”
Kathryn shook her head when she stated seriously, “She walked right out into the open and didn’t seem concerned about the Akuma coming along.”
Oh, that was certainly a flag on the suspicious pole.
Jason unfolded his arms when he said in a serious tone, “That certainly is suspicious.” He placed the side of his left index finger on his chin when he added, “Although, that behaviour is rather odd regarding the issue with Hawkmoth…”
Kathryn tilted her head to the side when she asked, “Do you think she’s working with Hawkmoth in some way? On top of possibly being the Over-Summoner?”
Jason glanced down at his daughter when he said, “It is possible, but until we have proof it’ll be nothing more than speculation.” He leaned against a nearby tree, thinking over what he currently knew, and then wondered out loud, “But even if we do find proof, the issue behind both is Why?” Kathryn mimicked her father by leaning on the same tree when she asked what he meant. Jason held up his left index finger when he stated, “First off, why would she, a teenage human, work for a terrorist like Hawkmoth? There has to be a reason behind that.” Jason flicked his extended left index finger to create a floating list made of magic in front of the two magic users, for their eyes only. He entitled the list ‘Why someone would want to work for Hawkmoth’.
Kathryn looked at the blank floating list for a few seconds before she said, “Well, I guess the powers and abilities one can get via Akumatizion can be alluring.” She glanced at her dad when she added, “People are attracted to power. Mr Luthor is a good example.”
Jason added that to the list when he said, “You’re not wrong, but from what I recall about Hawkmoth, he likes to lock onto negative emotions and use that to his advantage.” He tagged that line with the words ‘Possibly how they would meet’. Jason then asked, “What else could come from working with Hawkmoth?”
Kathryn shrugged when she threw in, “Maybe protection or exemption from Akuma Attacks?”
Jason added that to the list, tagging the words ‘Possibly a way of bribing compliance’ under it. He thought briefly before adding ‘Sympathizing’ and tagging underneath ‘Might believe Hawkmoth is right or good in some way.’
Kathryn looked at her father before asking with a raised brow, “Really?”
Jason shrugged when he said, “People like that exist in the world. Doesn’t make the person or the reason good, but it's a possibility.”
Kathryn looked at the floating list when she suggested, “Well… If we’re talking about that kind of thing, what about Hawlkmoth making a deal? Maybe he’s offering something else for the person’s cooperation outside Akumazation?”
Jason added that to the list, tagging it with ‘Possibly more bribery in play or the person is getting something else out of it’. He placed a hand on his chin when he said, “I think we have all that we can think of for this. Now for the next Why.” He then created a new list, entitled ‘Why Would Lila Rossi Summon Satan to Target Marinette Dupain-Cheng?’. Jason then added the line ‘Unbridled animosity towards a human teenage girl’ at the top of that list.
Kathryn looked up at her dad in confusion after reading that line.
Jason noticed before saying, “I read the ‘To Do List’ the Over-Summoner gave to Asmodeus. A lot of what’s on it are things Satan would’ve enjoyed doing if the payment was correct and wasn’t targeted towards a relatively pure soul.”
Kathryn couldn’t help but say, “That makes sense. And if the Over-Summoner is that Lila girl, then the real question would be does she hate Marinette a lot more than she lets on? Or is someone else pulling the strings?”
Jason put the first question on the list when he said, “I’m sure the latter isn’t a possibility, since Asmodeus would have noticed another’s influence and told either I or Satan.” He looked at the new list and asked, “Okay, what do we know so far about this Lila Rossi?”
So the father and daughter added what they knew about Lila Rossi. She was a student of Dupont, classmates with Marinette, liked telling tall tales, apparently lies occasionally, adored attention on her, disliked Marinette because she didn’t ‘fall’ for her lies, daughter of an Italian Diplomat, travelled a lot for her mother’s job, and apparently had a weak health record. For the last three points of this, Jason would have to ask the teachers and Headmaster to confirm.
Jason held up his left index and middle fingers when he stated, “Which brings us to the second question regarding if she’s both on Hawkmoth’s side and the Over-Summoner, ‘Is she aware that there are consequences in aiding Hawkmoth or constantly Summoning a Lord of Hell?’ Granted the latter is ambiguous at best, but surely she’s aware of how dangerous and wanted by the authorities Hawkmoth is.”
Kathryn thought about that before she suggested, “Maybe it’s like the whole ‘Pet Tiger’ situation. It’s a dangerous creature but some people believe that they can tame it by caring for it and they take comfort in the fact that they have ‘control’ over it. Maybe Lila thinks that she’s in control by ‘helping’ Hawkmoth?”
Jason conceded that the idea was a possibility, but couldn’t help but say, “While this is all interesting speculation, but truth be told, the issue with Hawkmoth is an issue for the Miraculous users and the Paris Police to solve…”
Kathryn had to throw in, “We can still help them. Maybe after we finish the thing with the Over-Summoner?”
Jason glanced to the side as he somewhat hugged himself when he said, “As much as I would like to help… I’m not sure if Wang would accept it…”
Kathryn looked at her dad with a confused look when she asked, “The Guardian of the Miraculous? Why wouldn’t he want help with finding Hawkmoth?” She stared at her father, reading his body language and sensing his mood before she asked, “Did whatever happen in the past between you two that bad?”
Jason didn’t answer.
~}I{ Back at Dupont }I{~
The class continued as scheduled, even after Lila arrived late. Yes, she spun her little story about why she was late and the class ‘praising’ her, but Miss Bustier kindly reminded her that while it was good to do a good deed she shouldn’t overdo it. Lila, of course, was quick to reply in that chipper tone while mentally patting herself on the back for a ploy well done.
When Lila saw that Marinette’s seat was vacant, she tried to suppress her joy as she walked to her seat. However, that didn’t go unnoticed by a few eagle-eyed watchers.
}I{ Meanwhile }I{
“I can assume that we have an agreement?” Axel asked the Gorilla in a serious tone.
The bodyguard looked up from the demon’s phone screen when he gave a stern nod. The Gorilla handed the phone back to the owner before giving him a firm handshake, sealing their deal. The Gorilla then signed his question to the Lust Demon.
Axel gave a nod before he said, “Your place should be fine, just make sure Adrien is aware of this and you have some of his necessities.”
The Gorilla nodded and sighed, “I’ll grab those when I go to the Agreste Manor. I doubt the boss or Nathalie would notice me doing that. They’ve been oddly busy over the past year.”
Axel raised a brow when he asked, “How do you mean?”
The Gorilla thought about that for a bit before he sighed, “Mr Agreste is always in his home office and hardly ever comes out, Nathalie usually brings him food to his office. While Nathalie seems to always have her nose in her tablet and unless it is for the job, she hardly looks up from it. Hell, I could probably perform a Riverdance solo somewhere in the mansion and neither would bother looking to see what‘s going on.”
Axel blinked when he said, “That’s a weirdly specific scenario, but is that the case with those two?” The Gorilla nods. Axel folds his arms when he asks, “Do you think it’s the business or something else?”
The Gorilla’s lips pressed into a line when he signed, “They claim that they’re working on important things with the Gabriel Brand, but I’ve worked for the Agreste’s since Adrien was a little toddler and I’m aware how the business side of a fashion company is run. From what I’ve noticed over the past year, Mr Agreste has been having a lot of ‘video business meetings’ in his home office that require no interruptions unless it’s an emergency. Nathalie, on the other hand, has been covering for Mr Agreste a lot. She’s been telling people that Mr Agreste was out of the home office when he was actually in and I’ve noticed that she hasn’t been going to the photo shoots as often.” He paused to hunt for the right words to use before he finally signed, “But that’s also strange since she seems to know what’s happening at those shoots she’s missing… Mostly…”
Axel raised a brow again when he asked, “Mostly?”
The Gorilla signed, “Well, most of the information Nahalie has about the photo shoots were pretty accurate unless it partans to…” He had a look of realisation on his face before he signed with a more serious expression, “Lila Rossi… Nathalie and Mr Agreste seem to believe she can’t do anything wrong.” The Gorilla rolled his eyes as he signed that last part.
Axel rolled his own eyes when he commented dryly, “From what I and my allies have seen and experienced, that is far from the truth. And that was long before that security video.” He looked at the bodyguard when he asked, “Do you suspect something is going on between those three?”
The Gorilla frowned when he signed, “I know there’s some kind of deal going on between Mr Agreste and Lila Rossi. I’ve heard them mention it a few times I’ve heard her and seen them interact. Nathalie knows about it since I’ve heard her ‘remind’ Lila about it.” He shrugged his shoulders when he signed, “I don’t know what it could be, but it’s got me worried and suspicious.”
Axel then asked, “Have you asked either Gabrial or Nathalie about what this deal could be?”
The Gorilla frowned when he signed, “Both told me that it’s none of my business and to just do my job.” He huffed before signing, “They seem to still think that I’m just the muscles of the staff with little ability to think.” The Gorilla sighed before signing, “While I do take my job seriously, I’m not blind to Adrien’s discomfort when Lila’s around.” He frowns when he signs, “But after that video, I’m Not letting her anywhere near him!”
Axel found those statements interesting before saying, “I’ve alerted the school about Lila. The process might take a while but the teachers will be aware and do their best to keep her away from Adrien until they can transfer her to another class.”
The Lust Demon bid the bodyguard farewell as they parted ways. Both on their heading towards their respective destinations.
~}I{~
A familiar giggling echoed through the darkness. Soon, the giggling voice said, “Perfect, all is going as planned.”
~}I{~
To Be Continued…
~}I{~
1… An Unsub is a word used by individuals in law enforcement to refer to an unknown perpetrator of a crime and is short for Unknown Subject.
~}I{~
Chapter 5
Chapter Text
~}I{~
Sin of Reveal. Chapter 5.
~}I{~
Gale-Dragon: Well this ended up longer than originally planned (no surprise there) and I ended up deciding to move some plot to the next chapter. Anyway, there’s going to be some more characters joining the fry and some are just popping in to say hi. Plus a nice little musical number. Enjoy~.
~}I{~
A shadow crept on the walls of an alleyway as the person walked through it. That person stopped just short of where the alley ended and the sidewalk began. After looking to the left and then the right, the person muttered to themself, “{Hmm, it seems like Satan staying here longer than he’s supposed to wouldn’t have made a difference here. So many stagnant emotions... With so much suppressed emotion in this city, it’s no wonder there haven’t been many activities for both sides in the past year…}” The person folded their light forest green-clad covered arms over an emerald green vest with fringe where the sleeves might have been when they added in an oddly calm but annoyed tone, “{That means that this Hawkmoth character needs to be dealt with.}” They sighed before grumbling, “{So I need to find Tikki’s and Plagg’s Holders to deal with the guy as soon as possible.}”
A pedestrian walked past the alleyway and the person who was standing there was gone.
}I{
When lunch started, the guys from Miss Bustier’s class quickly grouped. All were somewhat dropping some hints about their “planned lunch meeting” they made in the guys-only chat group. A few girls laughed about it and told the guys they couldn’t get upset when they made a girls’ outing. The guys agreed with smiles as they casually walked away with their lunches, subtly tugging Adrien along.
While Lila didn’t like that, she knew she couldn’t try anything to get the model away from the guys unless she wanted anyone to question why. Also, much to her annoyance, Marinette was in school as if it were any normal day and the only reason she missed most of the morning lessons was that Miss Bustier told her to go to the Nurse’s Office when she couldn’t stay awake. Lila’s little attempt to break into the bakery spooked the bluette enough to keep her up the entire night, again. That was about the only good news that the liar heard this morning. Lila scowled when none of her little sheep were looking when she thought, ‘Stupid Satan! Why the hell isn’t he destroyed that goody-goody?!’ She plastered a smile back on her face when she thought, ‘I’m going to have to show that demon who’s boss.’
After the guys made their way to the roof of the school. The location was on Kim’s insistence much to the guys’ confusion. Once they arrived and closed the door (making sure that they fixed it so they could get back inside when needed), Kim told Adrien to show them the video Axel sent him. The blonde didn’t seem comfortable with this, but if what the tall teen told him was true then they had to know. So Adrien showed the rest of the guys the security video.
It was easy to read what Nino, Ivan, Nath, Max, Markov, and Marc (who tagged along because he and Nath were supposed to eat lunch together today) were thinking while they watched the video. Confusion at first, shock at the Character Reveal, and anger once the information sank in.
“Dude! So THAT’S why Lila looked almost happy when she saw that Marinette’s spot was empty!” Nino shouted as he ran a hand over his face. He then growled out, “She actually hates Marinette?! On top of hurting who she thought was Adrien!?”
As Nath tried to calm Marc down, the writer snapped, “Even Chloe never did such things to either Marinette or Adrien!”
Nath rubbed Marc’s shoulders when the redhead added, “Okay, I’ll admit that Marinette can make disagreements and cause some misunderstandings, but hate? Hell no! And did you see how tightly Lila was gripping the Fake Adrien? He was in pain!”
Ivan was muttering, “I can’t believe Lila dislikes Marinette that much!” He ran a hand through his hair when he got out, “Not to mention how possessive Lila acted towards Adrien… That’s…” The realisation sank in when he got out, “Oh, God! When she was always pushing into Adrien’s personal space! It wasn’t because she was physically affectionate! That was possessiveness!”
Markov was analysing the video when Max stated in a serious tone, “I assume that we are all in agreement about sharing this… New information with the rest of the group, informing Marinette that we will be keeping an eye on Lila so she never gets the opportunity to get her alone, and ensuring that we keep up the Boundary System in regards to Adrien.” The guys readily agreed to that.
Adrien was feeling very self-conscious right now. He twisted the silver ring on his finger when he asked, “No one… Is mad that I…”
The guys glanced at each other before Nino said, “Adrien, dude… Given how you were raised…And I’m not sure how much of that was just the old man or both your parents, but… We aren’t mad at You. I mean, sure, we’re disappointed that you kept quiet about Lila but we know you didn’t know any better… We’re focusing our anger on your parents for teaching you that All lies are like tabloids and should be handled as such when they really shouldn’t.”
Ivan then explained, “Different types of lies require different solutions to handle. Lies for attention, yeah, that you treat as a tabloid. Lies to deflect attention, those are suspicious but those do have to be looked into later down the road depending on the situation happening and handled as such. Lies to misdirect or mislead people, have to be researched or found out and then dealt with the person who had told the lie or lies. And lies that will lead to people getting or being hurt or harmed in any way, well, That requires action, period.”
Adrien was taken aback by this explanation. Not that this information was bad, it was just… Something the model didn’t think was something complex. Then again, Adrien didn’t know that there was more than one type of lie…
Marc then stated when they said, “And Adrien… That last type of lie on that list is what Lila has been doing to Marinette… Plus, she was subtly lying to your class about you two possibly being more than friends…”
Adrien seemed more than surprised when he got out, “Wait, she did what now?”
Nath didn’t look fazed by the response when he stated, “Yeah, Lila has been ‘dropping a lot of hints’ about your ‘relationship’, but the girls only thought she was talking about a good and healthy friendship despite the fact she ‘doesn’t get along with Marinette’. We’re so going to have to tell them it isn’t because. One, you obviously aren’t in a romantic relationship with her. Two, that is clearly done without your knowledge. Three, that is evidence that Lila is trying to manipulate others via lies. Four, it’s a huge dick move to force someone into a relationship that they don’t know about or even want. And five, clearly this is both an attempt to further paint Marinette in a bad light and try to manipulate you to do what she wants!”
Max pushed his glasses up when he commented, “These are all concerning facts from Lila that can’t be ignored. Even if she has nothing to do with the Over-Summoner situation, this is still something that needs to be brought to light and the school needs to be notified of this so they can take the appropriate actions.”
Kim couldn’t help but add, “Agreed! Plus, Adrien is allowed to have relationships with other people! Both platonic and especially romantic!” The tall teen then gave the model a humorous smirk when he added, “Although, he’s been ‘off the market’ for a while, so more platonic relationships than romantic.” Adrien flushed pink at those words.
Markov then chimed in, “Which is possibly the reason why our female friends haven’t started thinking that Lila was in a “secret romantic relationship” with Adrien.”
Ivan placed a hand on his chin when he commented thoughtfully, “You know, now that you mentioned it… It’s sounding like Lila doesn’t know anything about Adrien outside school and those modelling shoots…”
Nino frowned when he folded his arms and stated in a bitter tone, “Ten Euros on Lila wanting Adrien to herself because of his status rather than him as a person.”
Adrien glanced away when he said self-consciously, “Do you want that now or later…”
The rest of the guys stared at the blonde model at those words in disbelief. This one comment revealed so many things that put a darker light on past interactions and revealed more unwanted but needed facts about Lila’s character… Yup, they’re going to have to tell the rest of the class and the teachers this, even if it has nothing to do with the Over-Summoner.
The guys agreed that they needed to eat lunch while they had the chance, so they did.
}{ Meanwhile, in Dupont’s Cafeteria }{
Since Lila hasn’t done anything to that goody-goody in a while and that worthless demon clearly isn’t doing his job, she decided to do a little damage while framing the whole thing as an ‘accident’ before she gives Satan a piece of her mind later in the day.
Lila smirked as she filled a large coffee cup almost to the top with freshly brewed coffee. As much as she wanted to fill it up completely, she couldn’t unless she wanted it to spill over the edge while walking and burn her own fingers, but there was still going to be plenty of the hot liquid that would be all over that goody-goody. Satisfied with her plan, Lila quickly looked around the cafeteria to pinpoint where her target was and they casually left the coffee station.
A hand carefully reached out over the coffee station and tapped a finger on the top coffee cup lid on decent-sized and neatly stacked lids. Raguel quickly turned his attention to where he heard Lila walk off with furrowed brows. He quickly and carefully moved to the side and then went ahead of the liar’s trajectory, while keeping track of her energy. None of the ‘average’ students noticed this, but Fred saw it and was a little concerned about what it was about.
The moment Lila got close to the table of her classmates, specifically on Marinette’s side, she happily announced about ten paces away, “Hi everyone~.” When the majority of the girls returned the greeting, Lila made her move. The liar pretended to trip forward and feigned her throwing her coffee cup as ‘dropping mid-trip’ right at Marinette! (0).
Everyone who saw this happening gasped, a few screamed, and a person or two shouted, “Look Out!”
Since the liar was too close to Marinette to make any attempt to get out of the way, there was no way the bluette could dodge the oncoming boiling hot beverage. Just as Lila planned.
The coffee splashed and there was a hiss of the hot liquid burning a surface. The students and part-time teachers could only gasp or shout in shock.
“OH, GOD! I’m so sorry!” Lila managed to get out in her best acted apologetic tone as she ‘got her footing back’ and looked up expecting Marinette to be writhing in agony because of the hot coffee. But to her genuine shock, the bluette was conspicuously missing from the spot where the coffee was splattered over.
Alya, Rose, Juleka, Mylene, Alix, Sabrina, Chloe, and Zoe were looking to the left. Lila followed their gaze to see Marinette standing up about five paces away from the table she was sitting at, looking like she was still in shock. As the bluette blinked to get her thoughts back and realised she wasn’t in any danger, she heard a voice directly behind her saying, “That was close.” Marinette turned to see Raguel standing right behind her with his right hand still somewhat clutching the right side of the collar of her shirt.
The whitette released his grip on the bluette as Jason Blood and Ms Mendeleiev rushed in, both somewhat shouting, “What’s going on here?!” and “What happened?!” Kathryn trailed behind her father and then stood in the main doorway to the cafeteria.
Raguel answered when he said, “There seems to have been an incident with coffee.” He turned his attention to the soaked seating that was oozing steam and spreading across the small imperfections in the wood. Rose and Alix, both of whom were sitting next to Marinette with one on each side, quickly stood up and away so they wouldn’t get burnt by the still-hot coffee. Raguel sniffed the air before he said, “Judging by the potent smell, I can guess that was freshly brewed.”
Jason was the first to inspect the seat while using a handkerchief to cover his nose and mouth, followed by Fred and Ms Mendeleiev. The moment the redheaded man saw that the coffee was almost corroding the wood the seat was made of just from the temperature made him cringe and couldn’t help but comment, “Thank goodness this didn’t hit anyone. It looked like it would cause some nasty 3rd-degree burns had it made contact with skin.”
The moment those words registered in her brain, Chloe quickly stated in a worried tone, “Yeah! Dupain-Cheng would’ve gotten those if Mr Raguel hadn’t been nearby and yoinked her out of her seat!”
Jason’s head immediately snapped to the bluette when he got out in shock, “You were sitting in that spot, Ms Dupain-Cheng?”
Not trusting her voice at the moment, Marinette nodded. She then got a good look at the seat she was occupying and couldn’t hide her cringe when she saw just how hot that coffee was. She didn’t want to think about what could’ve happened if that hit her. That was when Marinette remembered that Lila was the one carrying the coffee. Slowly, the bluette turned her attention towards the liar with a somewhat bewildered expression. As Marinette did, she couldn’t help but think, ‘Did she… No! She’s petty! She wouldn’t do something as malicious as that! And! She could’ve hit one of the others!’ Marinette knew for a fact that Lila didn’t like her, but the bluette was sure that the liar wouldn’t do anything past petty remarks and actions.
Lila noticed the stare and was quick to shout, “You can’t possibly think that I did this on purpose!? It was a complete accident!” She then started her crocodile tears. Lila could at least try to paint the bluette in a bad light after her failed attempt to hurt her.
The other female classmates from Miss Bustier’s class, Jason, Ms Mendeleiev, and Fred glanced at Marinette in confusion. The bluette looked at them as she shook her head in small motions, not really believing that Lila could do such a thing to get back at her.
‘Hmm, another false claim… And a major one too,’ Raguel thought before his attention was on Lila. He furrowed his brows when he thought, ‘I wonder…’ He moved until he was right in front of the liar when he stated, “Lila Rossi, did you try to purposely spill that hot coffee on Ms Dupain-Cheng?” Nearly everyone in the cafeteria gasped in shock at the blunt words from the white-haired man.
Jason looked between the Angel of Justice and the brunette with a critical gaze. As far as he knew Lila Rossi fit the physical characteristics of the Over-Summoner, but the fact that this petty human teenager would be vindictive enough to call upon ‘Satan’ so often was one of the things that bothered him the most. It made Jason wonder if Raguel was catching on, and if he did then he would be the best one to pull information.
Lila quickly said in her most distressed tone, “O-of course Not!! I would never do such a thing!!” She squeezed out a few more crocodile tears, doing her best to put on her performance.
Lies. Was what Raguel immediately got the moment he heard those words. Undaunted, the whitette asked the redheaded man in that unchanged tone and without moving his posture, “Jason, is there a coffee cup lid anywhere on the ground?”
The redheaded man raised a brow at the question before he looked around the spot where the coffee was drenched. He saw that the group at the table had already vacated it because of the limited untouched space from the spreading coffee. Coffee… Just the coffee and the cup… Jason looked over the area again before narrowing his eyes when he responded to the angel, “I don’t see a lid to a coffee cup anywhere.”
Raguel’s attention was on Lila again when he asked, “Lila Rossi, why didn’t you have a lid on your coffee cup?”
Lila was quick with an answer when she said with a sniff, “I-I didn’t see any when I got my coffee.”
Lie. Was what Raguel immediately got the moment he heard those words. Not like he needed to hear them to know it was a lie, he already confirmed that there were indeed lids when Lila was there, in easy access for everyone to find. ‘So, she chose not to use a lid…’ Raguel thought as he furrowed his brows. All these facts told the Angel of Justice that this human wanted to harm Marinette and make the whole thing look like an accident. But for what purpose? ‘Unless…’ Raguel thought before he asked the brunette, “Lila Rossi… Do you despise Marinette Dupain-Cheng?”
‘Of course, he would be blunt about it,’ Both Jason and Kathryn thought at the same time. Both are somewhat used to the Angel of Justice being straightforward.
An echo of shocked gasps surged throughout the cafeteria. Then a murmur of whispers of suspicion followed.
Lila covered her mouth to hide her annoyance before she said in her carefully controlled tone of distress and shock, “How?! How can you say that?!” Internally, she was thinking, ‘Crap! I need to get that idiot off that! People might start thinking things they shouldn’t!’
Undaunted, Raguel stated, “Please answer the question.” His own suspicions were growing.
Keeping that same carefully constructed distressed tone, Lila got out, “I-, uh, well… I’ll admit we don’t get along, but despise is such a strong word!”
Truth. That was what Raguel immediately got when he heard those words. However… Just because what was said was true doesn’t mean that the questioning should stop.
Lila continued with those crocodile tears still flowing, “And that’s certainly mean of you to make that claim over a small accident!” The liar was certain that that would get this official to stop, take back what he said, and apologise to her.
Lie. Was what Raguel immediately got when he heard those words. He frowned when he stated coldly, “Lila Rossi, what has just happened is by no means ‘small’. Had that coffee made contact with Marinette Dupain-Cheng, she would have suffered from significant burns that would have caused her a great deal of pain and permanent damage!”
That made all the people in the cafeteria cringe at those words, Lila included. However, her reason was that this official was pointing out the biggest reason for her little skit.
Raguel continued in that same tone, “But since I was able to prevent that from happening, I will give you this warning, Lila Rossi. Your only warning.” He furrowed his brows as his focus was on the liar when he added after he tapped his cane on the ground, “Be more mindful of your surroundings and take caution with your actions. And should you cause another incident like or similar to this, there WILL be consequences.” Raguel then pointed his cane towards the Ladybug Holder when he stated, “If you understand, then apologies to Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”
Everyone could tell that the white-haired man was serious about what he said, and now that the rest of the student body thought about it… Yeah, the coffee was pretty hot and could’ve caused a lot of pain…
And that put Lila in a huge bind. Obviously, she didn’t want to apologise to that goody-goody. However, if she doesn’t then it’ll end worse for her and the beautiful kingdom she made here in Dupont would crumble to the ground when the others start thinking… Lila most certainly couldn’t have that.
So the liar swallowed her pride and begrudgingly apologised to the bluette when she said, “Marinette, I’m so sorry for my clumsiness that almost got you burnt. I honestly didn’t intend for it to happen.” Thankfully, Lila’s acting skills made everyone think that she meant those horrible words. At least, that’s what she thought…
The majority of the students weren’t sure if Lila meant the apology and felt like she was just saying she was sorry to get out of trouble, the girls of Miss Bustier’s Class were decidedly mixed about the whole thing. The two teachers, on the other hand, had their suspicions, and the Blood father-daughter duo seemed to have gained a new theory regarding their suspect.
However, the only thing that Raguel was able to tell from the apology was that the entire thing was a lie. The angel’s suspicions about this liar only grew.
}{ Meanwhile }{
“Are you sure?” Damocles asked into the phone with a raised brow. Currently, he was sitting behind his desk, doing a little investigation on something that had been nagging him since he saw the recording Axel had shown him. Damocles wanted to do a little more digging while he waited on the School Board’s response regarding Adrien Agreste’s situation and for the class transfer to officially go into effect. He listened to the person on the other end of the call give their response. When the other finished, he stated in confusion, “I mean no disrespect, but I don’t have any incidents noted in her school transfer record about such a thing, and I’ve looked. Is it possible that there was a mistake on your end?”
Damocles yanked the phone away from his ear when the person on the other end of the call shouted into their phone, “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??!?! I CALLED YOUR SCHOOL RIGHT AFTER THE POLICE TOLD US TO INFORM YOU OF HER DEEDS SO YOU CAN ENSURE SUCH A THING DOESN’T HAPPEN AGAIN!!! GET THAT SOCIOPATH INTO THE APPROPRIATE FACILITIES!!! AND GET HER WORTHLESS EXCUSE OF A PARENT TO UNDERSTAND THE HARD TRUTH!!!”
The headmaster slowly and carefully placed his phone back on his ear when the shouting ended and he tried to keep things professional when he said, “What do you mean you called right after you talked to the police? I hadn’t received any calls from you or your school, at all! Please don’t shout your response!” Damocles listened to the person on the other end of the call explain what they did, in an indoor voice that still sounded angry. He raised his brow in confusion before he responded, “Um, but I was telling the truth, this is the first time I’m talking to someone from your school.” Damocles had a thought before he asked the person on the other end of the call, “Hmm, hang on if both of us are swearing that we’re telling the truth… Then… What is the number you were given for us in her transfer file?” The moment the headmaster of Dupont heard the strangely familiar combination of numbers read to him, he couldn’t help but say, “Well now, isn’t that an interesting coincidence? THAT just so happens to be the very number I have listed for Your school in Ms Rossi’s file. The only reason I didn’t use that number was because my grand nephew is a current student at your school. So I asked his parents for it since they would have an up-to-date number.”
The line was silent for a few seconds before the person on the other end of the call asked their question. Damocles narrowed his eyes when he replied, “I have no idea if Mrs Rossi is covering up what her daughter did at your school. Like you, I have had no luck with getting her in for any sort of parent/teacher meeting or even having a proper conversation with her regarding her daughter. Heaven knows this point needs either.” The person on the other end of the call made some curious inquiries. Damocles raised a brow when he answered, “Yes, the only communication I had with Mrs Rossi was via email, even though I have left her messages on her phone.” Another question was asked. And again Damocles answered the oddly specific question, “Yes, that's happening here too. I was worried about Ms Rossi’s schooling because of all those work trips and sick days, but her homeroom teacher worked out an online solution.” Yet another question was asked, this time it raised a concerning flag. Damocles’ eyebrow shot up when he responded in shock, “That’s the very scenario Ms Rossi has with-! Wait! Is that what happened between her and-!” The person on the other end of the call interrupted Dupont’s Headmaster and told him a brief synopsis of what happened at their school.
Damocles could feel bile boil in his gut as he listened to each word the other headmaster spoke over the phone. What he was hearing was a clear pattern of behaviours that honestly frightened him. This was painting a rather clear picture of what could’ve happened if Axel hadn’t shown the Headmaster that video or if his staff and most of the students of Miss Bustier’s class hadn’t voiced their suspicions regarding Lila… It made him sick that he could’ve easily fallen into the same pitfall that the other Headmaster fell into.
However, THAT sort of behaviour doesn’t just manifest out of nowhere, which means that what happened at Lila’s prior school couldn’t possibly be the first ‘incident’ she caused.
With a new goal, Damocles asked the other Headmaster in a serious tone, “Seeing as it’s far too clear that anything I have in Ms Rossi’s file can’t be trusted, would it be possible for you to get whoever is in charge of that case to contact me? The sooner the better, because I think there might be another incident like yours here but possibly worse.”
}{
Mylene sent a quick text to Ivan, explaining what happened in the cafeteria. She asked him to tell the guys about it and help keep Lila away from Marinette in the foreseeable future. Ivan was more than willing to do that and let's just say that even Adrien was pissed as well.
“Dudes, I know the Wrathfly is blocking Hawkmoth, but I think it might be a good idea to calm down before we get back to class,” Nino stated in a worried tone, especially when he saw the creature in question grow 30 cm in less than a minute.
Adrien could feel the Wrathfly readjusting itself on his shoulders due to its new size. This helped with cooling him off rather quickly as well as the others when they saw how big the Wrathfly got so suddenly. Adrien took a deep breath before he said, “Okay. Okay. First off, we’re going to have to tell the rest of the class the truth about how much Lila hates Marinette…”
Marc was the one to say, “Agreed, the teachers still need to be alerted to this issue.” They shrugged when he added, “On top of all the lies she has been telling everyone.” Marc placed a hand on their chin to think before they wondered out loud, “Hmm, I wonder how many of those lies were maliciously intended to hurt Marinette?”
Ivan folded his arms when he pointed out, “Given that it’s more likely than not that Lila tried to spill piping hot coffee on Marinette on purpose just moments ago… I’m starting to think a lot of those lies were.” He let out a low growl when he added bitterly, “I originally thought that she was exaggerating some misinterpretations between her and Marinette, but now I’m starting to think that she was doing it out of pure spite.”
Kim couldn’t help but comment suspiciously, “Given how Lila acted in the security video… Just what did she think happened between her and Nette to make her so hateful? Not to mention there’s an entirely different issue with her possessiveness towards Adrien that I know doesn’t happen overnight.” He looks at Adrien when he asks the blonde, “Which makes me wonder how long this has been going on?” Kim was quick to say as he defensively waved his hands, “We’re not blaming you for not speaking up because that’s what you sorry excuse for parents trai-, I mean, taught you! But we do need to know how long you’ve had that issue with Lila! So we can tell the teachers and give them an accurate timeline of that issue!”
Nath thought about something for a few seconds before he asked, “Actually, Adrien, how about you tell us how often Lila tried to insinuate herself into your personal space or tried to get you to pay attention to her.” He looked at the other guys when he added, “It might be a little much, but maybe we can pinpoint when Lila started becoming possessive of Adrien.”
Max liked that idea when he threw in, “Very true, and we can also use that data to find out when Lila started hating Marinette.”
That was when Markov pointed out, “While that is a good idea on that side of the investigation. I believe I can pinpoint when Marinette started on her dislike of Lila.” When he was asked how by the boys, the AI stated, “Marinette is Ladybug, therefore, she immediately disliked and distrusted Lila when she heard about the ‘Ladybug’s BFF’ lie.”
Everyone looked at each other with an ‘Oh, yeah,’ expression on their faces. None of them could believe they had forgotten about that important piece of information.
That also made Adrien remember something from the past when he got out in realisation, “Ah! That’s why she called out that whole ‘I’m a descendant of the Great Volpina and that makes me a better hero than Ladybug’ skit Lila tried to use on me! Marinette never met her before that day!”
The rest of the group quickly got out in several different emotions, “Wait! Lila did what now?”
Adrien quickly explained what happened before Lila was Akumatized into Vulpina, including the fact that he had found a book filled with Miraculous Heroes of the Past and brought it to school with him to look through it. The guys somewhat glanced at each other before Marc told the blonde model, “Okay, let me break that down for you.” The writer held up their right index finger when they asked, “The reason you were initially interested in talking to Lila was the fact that she claimed to be “Laydybug’s Best Friend” and thought she could pass a message to her, correct?”
Adrien nodded sadly when he said, “Yes…”
Marc continued, “And you showed Lila the book and the page with the Fox Miraculous, correct?”
Adrien nodded when he said with a small smile, “Yes, that’s right. The book turned out to be Father’s book of inspiration that Mother gave him during one of their travels. Which is why he was so upset when I took it.”
Markov raised his claw when he asked, “Did you know about that fact before you found the book or after he enacted his punishment for taking the book out of the mansion?”
Adrien blinked in confusion when he said, “Um, no. Father told me about it after he got the book back from a good samaritan, and inspected it for any damages.”
That was when Nino asked in a tone that was a mixture of confusion, concern, and suspicion, “You mean you knew nothing about a priceless and sentimental object that your Mum gave your old man until you happened to come across it? And your old man didn’t bother to explain why he was so pissed about you losing it until after he got the book back?”
Adrien was quiet for a few seconds before he said self-consciously, “I’m… Sure Mother and Father had a very good reason for not telling me about it… And Father was just… Very upset about the book that he might not have been thinking clearly…”
The guys had a shared expression of doubt at the answer.
Ivan brought the main issue to the forefront when he asked Adrien, “Back to the original topic, Lila saw what the Fox Miraculous looked like from that book, right?”
Adrien nodded when he replied, “Right.”
Nath then asked, “And instead of Lila promising to tell Ladybug about the book, she asks you to meet her in the park after your fencing practising, correct?”
Adrien nodded when he said, “That’s right…” He wasn’t sure where this conversation was going.
Kim was next to ask, “But instead of doing what she promised, Lila “reveals” that she has the Fox Miraculous and is a descendant of an “amazing hero” by the name of Volpina?”
Adrien nods when he says, “Yes, she did. I thought it was weird that she was telling this to a stranger that she just met that day… I certainly didn’t think she should’ve done that, but since it was a lie…” He sighed before he added, “She never had the Fox Miraculous, ever…She bought a lookalike necklace to make me think she was…”
Max had a thought before he asked the blonde, “Adrien… Think back, your bag was heavier with that Miraculous Book in it, right?”
Now that Adrien thought about it… “Ah, it was!” He got out in realisation, but then he remembered that his bag didn’t have that weight after he left the library… “Did I… Accidentally drop it in the library in my haste to get to fencing practice?” Adrien wondered out loud.
Max then asked the blonde with a brow raised in suspicion, “You said that you wanted to check the Miraculous Book to see if Lila’s fake matched, were you able to do that?”
Adrien shook his head when he said, “No, I was about to but Lila stopped me and assured me that Vulpina was in the book.”
Max narrowed his eyes at the answer when Ivan asked, “And that was when Lila went on with her little speech about how she was a better hero than Ladybug, right?”
Adrien nodded when he replied, “Yes, I did think that was weird but I wasn’t sure why until I learned that she was lying about being Ladybug’s Best Friend.”
Marc folded their arms when they explained, “I think it was the conflicting stories Lila told you.” The writer made a circular motion in the air when he added, “She started out saying that she was Ladybug’s Total Bestie but later berates her by downplaying her heroics while saying she’s better.” Marc then places their knuckles on their hips when they state, “That doesn’t sound like something a ‘Total Bestie’ would do. Which you caught on to even if you didn’t realise it.”
Kim couldn’t help but comment, “I don’t know about you guys, but it sounds like Lila went out of the way to learn what Adrien likes a lot, find something to pass off as the real McCoy, and tried to put herself on a pedestal to make him interested in her.” The tall athlete cringed at the implication when he added, “That’s a few levels of yikes right there.” The others had to agree, even Adrien. However, the blonde model was very creeped out that Lila’s unwanted attention started that far back before she even joined the class.
Nino folded his arms when he stated dryly, “So, she targeted Adrien on day one, huh?” He looked at the others when he added, “That seems like a huge red flag and it’s kind of making me wonder how far she’s willing to go just to have Adrien for herself?”
The blonde in question couldn’t suppress a creeped-out shutter at the words. True he was, unfortunately, used to unwanted attention from his fans, even if he didn’t like it, but what was being implied here was… Both worse and creepy… It was also making Adrien realise that Lila isn’t to learn that he was dating, ever! He didn’t want to think about what the liar could do to them if she ever found out!
The guys agreed, they were going to tell the teachers later… After they were sure Lila wasn’t around.
}{
As the school day went on, Lila quickly realised that her classmates were being a little too obvious that they were wary of letting her be anywhere near Marinette. Not that the bluette wanted to be any type of close to Lila. But they’ve more or less gone out of their way to make sure that Marinette always had someone with her when she had to go somewhere in the school. Maybe Lila underestimated how her classmates would react, but they were still under her control as far as she was concerned.
When school ended, Lila happily told her classmates that she promised Clara Nightengale that she would help her with a project before adding that she’d meet up with Adrien for their shoot later in the day. To the blonde male’s credit, he was able to give the liar his model smile and told her that he’ll see her later. Adrien quickly sent Axel a text after the liar was well out of sight, giving the demon the heads up about Lila. Axel quickly responded that he and the Lust Demons had a plan in place.
The class was quick to text each other to meet up in Ms Mendeleiev’s classroom to make some progress on their board.
}{
It didn’t take long before Miss Bustier’s class, Ms Mendeleiev, Kagami, Marc, Fred, and Luka managed to sneak into the science classroom with Raguel, Jason, and Kathryn without the rest of the school knowing, somehow... Damocles already alerted the staff and the little “Ladybug Group” that he was busy with a serious school-related project and couldn’t participate in evidence gathering today but to keep him up-to-date on the progress.
The first thing on the agenda was to inform the Dupont Teachers about Lila’s… True intentions towards Adrien and Marinette. Or at least trying to steer the conversation on Lila… However…
“It was all an accident!” Alya exclaimed in dismay when Alix brought up Lila as a potential suspect on their list.
Raguel was quick to correct, “It wasn’t.” Everyone turned their attention towards the angel when he explained, “During my conversation with Lila Rossi, she only told one truth, everything else were lies.”
Jason narrowed his eyes when he asked, “Okay, which of the answers she gave was the truth?”
Raguel was, of course, direct when he responded, “When Lila Rossi admitted that she didn’t get along with Marinette Dupain-Cheng and that ‘despises’ was a strong word.” That was when he noticed a strange oddity in what he had said. That made the Angel of Justice wonder something, but he had to get back to that at a later date.
Alya was quick to say, “See! Lila can tell the truth!”
Chloe couldn’t help but snark, “Out of how many statements she made in the cafeteria? One of those was claiming that the whole thing was an ‘accident’. However, if That wasn't true… Then it means that she wanted to burn Dupain-Cheng with the coffee.” Alya became very quiet at this. Chloe then said in a more normal tone, “Yes, it seems like she Can tell the truth but only when it suits her. Although that doesn’t tell us anything that we don’t already know...”
Raguel tilted his head up when he stated, “True, she told the truth, but I believe that she should be put higher up on that suspect list.” Alya was flabbergasted, as well as some of the other girls. While surprised but not as much as the others, the boys were also confused by what the Angel of Justice had said. Even Marinette was confused by this.
Jason narrowed his eyes when he stated in a matter-of-fact tone, “She didn’t answer your question about despising Ms Dupain-Cheng if I remember correctly.”
Raguel nodded before he said, “Yes, and that’s not the only thing that signalled that Lila Rossi was trying to manipulate the narrative by deceit.” He noticed that same oddity in what he said again, but again, he would have to look into that later. Raguel turned his head towards the group of teenagers when he stated, “Do you remember how you reacted when I asked you if you hated Marinette Dupain-Cheng?” The humans grumbled and mumbled about how they reacted. Raguel tilted his chin down when he asked, “Now, remember, how did Lila Rossi react when I asked her if she hated Marinette Dupain-Cheng?”
Now that they thought about it…
“Oddly calmer compared to how the other students reacted to hearing the question,” Kathryn stated, folding her arms when she did. She narrowed her eyes when she added, “From what I saw, Lila’s actions of surprise looked like she saw a cat appearing out of a hiding place she didn’t notice rather than the “Excuse me!? What the hell are you talking about?!” type of surprise that the other students had after hearing Sir Raguel’s question.” Everyone but Raguel and Jason stared at the child with an odd expression that was a mixture of shock and confusion. Kathryn noticed the looks before asking, “What?”
“Nothing!” The Dupont group got out a little too quickly. All somewhat realising that if her father worked alongside both Angels and Devils, then his daughter would know more… Words that children her age wouldn’t use.
Unbothered by the odd outburst, Raguel stated, “What also bothers me about Lila Rossi is that her vocal tone didn’t sound genuinely stressed when she answered.” He lowered his head when he said, “It sounded… Practised… As if it was something she planned to say if she was ever confronted about her ‘dislike’ towards Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” Raguel then tilted his chin to the side when he added, “That is not something that someone would do if they had innocent intentions.”
Kim raised a hand when he said, “Uhh, actually… Um, I think there might be a reason for that… Uh, Axel, one of the Lust Demons working for Asmodeus, sent Adrien a security video from one of the Gabriel Brand photo shoot locations that… Uhh, shows that Lila might ‘dislike’ Marinette a hell of a lot more than she lets on here at school… And some other concerning flags… I think it might be a motive for Wrath… Uh, if that’s how that works…”
Ms Mendeleiev narrowed her eyes when she stated, “Show us this security video.” Adrien, once again, pulled up the video and handed his phone to the teachers as he explained that the him in the video was a Lust Demon posing as him at the photoshoot. All three of them huddled around the phone and watched it with the audio on low in the far corner of the room so only they could hear it. Much like the guys did earlier, the three teachers showed exactly what they were thinking when they were watching the video. Confusion at first, shock at the Character Reveal, and anger once the information sank in. “Caline!” Ms Mendeleiev almost growled out as she turned her attention to the redhead teacher.
Miss Bustier already had her phone out, texting, when she said, “I’m already on it!” She was asking the headmaster for a formal request for a class transfer for Lila Rossi. Caline had never seen such possessive and aggressive behaviours in any of her students! Ever! And she was not going to allow That to fester and possibly gain Hawkmoth’s attention for Akumazation.
Nino did admit to the teachers that this was something that they had to tell them, regardless of whether it had to do with the Over-Summoner or not. Fred told the guys that they did the right thing by alerting them to the problem so they could officially work out a solution to it. The part-time actor then added, “Hopefully, we can get Ms Rossi’s mother in for a proper discussion about… THAT behaviour from her daughter.”
Ms Mendeleiev couldn’t help but ask as she eyed the part-timer, “Speaking of, how has communication with her been?”
Fred shrugged his shoulders when he replied, “I haven’t the slightest clue…”
Both the science teacher and the part-time teacher glanced at Miss Bustier, who was still typing her text. Jason glanced between the teachers before he asked, “Umm, is it safe to ask if Ms Rossi should be moved up on the list of suspects or should we move her on the van diagram board just for reference?”
The girls glanced at each other in confusion as Ms Mendeleiev moved Lila’s name to the overlapping area of the van diagram board for ‘Access to Dupont’ and ‘Hates Marinette’. Rose looked at Adrien when she asked, “Umm, Adrien… Does that video… Shows how much Lila dislikes Marinette?”
Adrien avoided eye contact when he got out in uneasiness, “Uh, let’s just say that… I, um, don’t want to be alone with Lila… And neither should Marinette… At all…” He twisted the silver ring on his ring finger when he added, “Also… Don’t tell Lila about the ‘Replacement Ploy’ the demons are using at the Gabriel Brand shoots or that… I’m dating…”
“That bad?” Juleka asked in a worried tone.
Adrien gave the goth a shaky nod when he replied equally as shakily, “Yeah… I… Don’t… Don’t think it’s a good idea to let Lila know about either… At least until everything gets resolved…”
Alya felt her stomach tie itself in knots after hearing this. She didn’t WANT to believe that someone she considered a friend, someone that she could trust even if they lied a little bit for attention, could be so… Spiteful and hateful… ‘No! There has to be some kind of big misunderstanding and misinterpretation!’ Alya thought, trying to put a logical spin on what she was hearing.
“Huh?” Miss Bustier got out as she stared at the screen of her cellphone, confusion plastered all over her face.
Ms Mendeleiev raised a brow when she looked at her co-worker and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Miss Bustier looked up at her fellow teachers when she said in a tone that was a mixture of confusion, concern, and worry, “Damocles… He just replied that he already put in the papers to transfer Lila to a different class…”
Fred raised a brow when he asked as he looked at the two female teachers, “He did? When and why?”
Miss Bustier’s phone rang an alert when she replied, “We’re about to find out.” She read the text, showing her emotions as she did. Confusion, surprise, critical, and then raised her brows as she texted her response. As Caline did that, she told the group what the Headmaster’s response was, “Hm, apparently a co-worker of Adrien came to him with a security video that showed some worrying behaviours from Lila… And was worried that it might happen here at Dupont since they know Adrien and Lila are classmates…” The redheaded teacher then looked at Adrien and Kim when she asked with a raised brow, “Would that co-worker happen to be this Axel, would it?”
Adrien shrugged when he replied honestly, “I guess he did. The Lust Demons are very… By the book when it comes to rules…” He took his phone back from Ms Mendeleiev when he added, “I’ll text, asking if he did,” and then proceeded to do that.
Jason raised a brow when he commented, “Both demons and angels are rather ‘by the book’ when it comes to rules and regulations from the Ring or Domain they come from, not just the Lust Demons, but each type of demon and angel follow the ones that are in place for the task before them.” He folded his arms when he added in suspicion, “But that also makes Axel’s actions a little strange.”
“How so?” the Dupont body of the group asked in confusion at the same time.
Jason closed his eyes, almost as if he was pulling up a memory, when he said, “Given that a child is the main target of a harasser while Lust Demons are around… According to their protocols, the first ones they inform about the harassment, especially sexual harassment, would be the parents or legal guardians of the child. Then secondary guardians, like schools, caretakers, or work. Depending on how bad or unresponsive the priors are, the next report is to the authorities.” He placed his left hand on his chin when he added critically, “Obviously, Axel alerting Adrien to this was to make him aware, but going straight to the school headmaster rather than the parent or current guardian first is a rather odd thing to do… Unless…” Jason opened his eyes as he looked off to the side when he muttered, “Well if you take into account that the parent is the boss of the workplace… No, the protocols would’ve been the same…”
Adrien and everyone else in the group seemed to catch on before he texted the question “Did you show Father that security video too?” and then sent it to Axel. Kim and Nino looked over the blonde’s shoulder as he waited for a response. When he got one, he quickly read it.
}{ Text on Adrien’s Phone }{
Axel: “Yes, I showed the Headmaster of your school the security video I sent you. For your well-being and to make your school aware of the harassment if THAT’s how she chooses to act in a Work Setting.”
Axel: “As for your “Father”...”
Axel: “He was the first one I showed the recording to…”
Axel: “However…”
Axel: “He accused “Us Demons” of casting his employees in a bad light rather than what happened in the security video and who was featured in it…”
Axel: “He also claimed that Lila would never do such a thing to anyone… Obviously, that is untrue.”
Axel: “I talked to your bodyguard and showed him the recording as well. He’s more than willing to let you stay at his place. He’s not letting you return to the Agreste’s home, especially after he learned of Mr Agreste’s lack of response.”
Axel: “He’ll get what he can of yours and set everything up at his place so you don’t have to worry about those. Make sure you text him.”
}{ Back in the Science Classroom }{
Neither Kim nor Nino knew what to say regarding the text messages, or at least vocalised their thoughts without being shouted at for foul language.
Adrien, on the other hand, had a more… Conflicted expression. He was feeling so many negative emotions right now. Heartbreak, anger, disgust, dismay, uneasiness, denial, and hate were swirling around the blonde model’s mind. Adrien was so engrossed in his negative thoughts that he didn’t even think about Hawkmoth or notice the Wrathfly changing forms.
“Uh, Adrien…” Nino said cautiously as he tapped his buddy on the shoulder.
This snapped Adrien out of his spiralling thoughts and looked at his best friend in confusion. Nino pointed his right index finger upward, right above the blonde’s head. Adrien looked up to see what the red-capped teen was pointing at, and what he saw was something he did not expect. A bright red, swallow-tail butterfly-like creature was fluttering above everyone’s heads.
Jason watched the now-mature Wrathfly hovering in the air when he commented, “That was a quick metamorphosis… A little too quick compared to the normal time it takes… It’s also larger than normal…”
Adrien then stated more bitterly than he would’ve liked, “What do you mean? Sure, it turned into an adult Wrathfly a little faster than the other Wrathflies I’ve had, but not by much.” This caught the Blood father-daughter duo’s attention rather quickly.
Truth. Was what Raguel got when he heard those words. Which, of course, caught his attention just as quickly as the Bloods. While Raguel didn’t come in contact with the harmless creatures of Hell, he knew well enough that Wrathflies mirrored Calmflies from the Domain of Patience and knew that their growth cycle was nearly identical to one another. In almost a concerned tone, the Angel of Justice asked the blonde model, “Adrien, how many Wrathfly have you been given since you first met Lord Asmodeus?”
Adrien looked at the Angel of Justice when he replied in confusion, “Oh, uh, this Wrathfly is the 7th. Why?”
Truth. Was what Raguel got when he heard those words. Upon hearing this information, the angel’s expression was that of pure concern.
Chloe was the one who looked at her childhood friend when she got out in complete shock, “Adrien, are you telling me that you had seven Wrathflies, all of whom matured within your care since you learned about the deal that Audrey made to become the Style Queen?”
Adrien turned to the Mayor’s Daughter when he nodded and said, “Yes, they grow very quickly.” He sighed when he added half-heartedly, “But you already knew that since you and your family have them…”
Chloe and Zoe exchanged worried looks at those words, that no one could miss, before the younger sister finally said in an unsure tone, “Umm, Adrien… All of us just got our 3rd Wrathfly yesterday…”
Adrien was very confused by this until Jason explained, “The growth cycle of a Wrathfly from larva to its final form takes roughly a week and a half if they find a location where a lot of people with negative emotions like to gather, but if the Wrathfly is feeding off of one person… It should take longer for them to grow, usually between three to four weeks, and that’s if they experience an average level of negative emotions.” He nodded his head to the Style Siblings when he added, “However, given what happened with their families, their Wrathflies are growing by normal standards.” It was clear why he wasn’t delving deeper into that statement outside the bare minimum, and no one could blame him.
That was when Kathryn added with a worried look on her face, “And by that logic, if seven Wrathflies matured that quickly in succession by feeding off of one person within the timeframe it took for others to mature just two…” The child didn’t need to continue that sentence to get the point across on what that meant.
Nino took a deep breath before he told the blonde in a tone that made it clear that while he was worried, he was trying to be serious, “Adrien, my dude, I know you don’t want to hear this, but… If Wrathflies aren’t supposed to grow that quickly by one person, then… Your home life isn’t… It doesn’t seem like it hasn’t been…” The red-capped teen was struggling to get his point across without being harsh or upsetting his friend.
Adrien lowered his gaze, letting his hair obstruct his eyes when he said almost coldly, “The Gorilla offered to let me stay with him, so… Maybe I’ll do that… Just… Just until things cool off…” He then started texting his bodyguard, but he wasn’t moving as fast or enthusiastically. Adrien didn’t seem to notice that he was texting slower than he normally does.
As the other members of the Dupont body… Digested that information…
Raguel placed a hand on his chin in thought.
To the Angel, something wasn’t adding up with this scenario. From what he’s hearing, the Black Cat Holder has had a long-term issue regarding his home life, meaning that the boy has experienced negative emotions on a constant level. However, Plagg’s Holder has never been Akumatized… That was both a good thing and a suspicious thing. Good because he held one of the two Miraculous that the emotional terrorist wanted, but suspicious because this teenager was never targeted even after feeling negative emotions all the time… After all, Hawkmoth seemed to target any negative emotion to use to make Akumas yet never seemed to notice any of the ones coming from Adrien…
Raguel furrowed his brows as he knew he had to keep that information in mind for later but for now…
Marinette placed a hand on Adrien’s shoulder when she said, “Adrien… Stay with the Gorilla for the time being and make sure you get another Wrathfly, okay?” The blonde boy nodded solemnly. Marinette couldn’t help but worry about her partner. Yeah, sure all this recent sh*t has been putting the Ladybug Holder on edge, but the Black Cat has been dealing with issues for far longer. Marinette couldn’t help but think, ‘It’s a miracle that both of us haven’t been targeted by Hawkmoth…’
The now mature Wrathfly suddenly flew off to the side, causing everyone to turn their attention towards where it was going, and they saw it land in the hands of Satan. The Lord of Wrath was standing in the doorway, with five other Wrathflies fluttering around him. Satan stared at the newly matured Wrathfly for a few seconds before he finally stated, “I’m not surprised that this one fed off the same negative thoughts as the others…” He looked up at Adrien when he finally said, “Given the fact that you’re the Holder of the Black Cat, it is rather concerning that you’re constantly in the negative emotional range.”
That gave everyone in the room another ‘Holy sh*t!’ moment.
Seeing as it was pointless to hide, Plagg came out of Adrien’s sweater pocket when he said, “Seriously? Was blowing Tikki’s Holder’s identity wasn’t enough for you? Now you gotta reveal mine too?”
Seeing the little black Kwami hammered in that whole thing in for all the Dupont onlookers of the group that Adrien was indeed Chat Noir. Aside from Marinette, Nino, and Kagami, they had more of a ‘Really?’ vibe hovering around them. On the other hand, Jason, Kathryn, and Raguel sensed a pattern happening.
Tikki flew out of Marinette’s purse when she stated flatly, “Now you know how I feel.”
There was a rather surprised squeak coming from Fred when he saw the Kwamis. Everyone turned to see the part-time teacher looking between the two sprites and then Adrien and Marinette. It then dawned on the group that the guy was only aware of the Over-Summoner investigation and not the identity of Ladybug until now. Fred put a hand to his head when he started wobbling and said shakily, “I… I need to sit down…” And he very nearly fell over had Ms Mendeleiev not caught him. Fred didn’t faint, although he certainly wasn’t capable of standing at the moment so he was given a chair to sit in while he… Processed this…
Jason sighed before turning towards the Lord of Wrath and asked, “I take it there was an actual reason this time for yet another reveal, Lord Satan?”
The Lord of Wrath walked into the classroom angrily as the Wrathflies loyally fluttered after him. The next thing the group knew, another person came into view and walked in. When this figure came into view and with them brought a calming aura, one that completely contrasted with the one that surrounded Satan.
This person was roughly the same height as the Lord of Wrath. They wore a loose, light forest green shirt with sleeves that covered arms and an emerald green vest with fringe where the sleeves might have been, this vest was decorated in colourful strings that were skillfully embroidered to look like cicadas, the slacks were the same shade of green as the top they wore but was also decorated in embroidery from the knees to the helm that looked like a forest-scape, and wore emerald green boots that shined in the light. This person’s long hair was midnight black which gleamed jade green in the light and hung loose, their hair reached their elbows with the strands that were tucked behind their ears cascaded over their shoulders and rested on their chest. They had a rather plain and androgynous face with piercing bright jade eyes. Their arms were currently folded over their chest as they walked over to the group and asked calmly, “These are the ones that are aware of you and Tikki’s Holder, correct?”
Satan scoffed before he snapped back, “Except for Marinette’s parents and the Guardian of the Miraculous.” He looked around to see who was there and noticed one missing when he added bitterly, “And the Headmaster of this school.” The Lord of Wrath clicked his tongue before he told the teachers, “Inform him of this, now!”
The teens and teachers were staring at the two otherworldly beings in confusion while Raguel bowed when he greeted, “Archangel Azrael.”
The being in green nodded his head at the Angel of Justice when he greeted politely, “Good to see you again, Raguel.” They looked over at the Kwamis when he also greeted them politely, “It’s good to see the two of you again. Tikki, Plagg.”
The two little sprites waved to the Archangel before Tikki asked them, “What are you doing here, Azrael?”
The Archangel, Azrael, glanced at the annoyed-looking Lord of Wrath when they said, “Satan has been here too long.” Their attention was back on the Kwami of Creation when they continued, “I came to balance things out until he can return to Hell. Although, even with his presence, the emotional state of Paris is already compromised by Hawkmoth.”
Marinette almost slapped her forehead when she got out, “sh*t! I forgot about him!” Out of everything that had happened recently, she couldn’t believe that the emotional terrorist slipped her mind as it did.
Raguel was the one to say as he turned an ear towards the Ladybug Holder, “Given that we have been focused on finding this Over-Summoner, no one can blame you.” His attention was on the being in green when he asked, “I take it that you would like to help with taking down Hawkmoth, Archangel?”
Azrael nodded when they said, “Yes. He is disrupting the flow of energy from both Heaven and Hell. It has been getting worse the past month or so.” They glance at Satan when they adds, “That isn’t because of your end.” All the Lord of Wrath did was huff in annoyance. Azrael let out a sigh before they asked their sinful brother, “Satan, can we speak with Tikki someplace-”
Satan snapped back, “There’s nothing to talk about!” He then stormed off with the Wrathflies loyally following behind their master. It didn’t take long before the Lord of Wrath was gone.
Azrael let out a soft sigh. Tikki looked up at the Archangel with a questioning look. Azrael then looked at Jason when he asked, “Did Ozzie tell you what this Over-Summoner looked like?”
Jason narrowed his eyes at the van diagram board when he said, “They admitted that they stopped paying attention after a while but they remembered the hairstyle the Over-Summoner had and their gender.” He looked specifically looked at Lila’s name on the board when he added, “Both of which match Ms Rossi.”
Alya immediately denied such a claim, being a little too vocal about it. Nino calmed her down when he said, “Easy now. While we’ve proven that Lila isn’t the nice, innocent friend we thought she was. Do you really think that someone our age would be that petty to constantly summon a Sin just because one person slighted her over a few lies?”
Alix did add, “I hate to say it, but… Lila is also a popular model for the Gabriel Brand. And we all know that some hardcore fans can…” She glances at Adrien when she says carefully, “Overdo it in a lot of ways…” Alix looked at Jason when she said, “And there are some die-hard fans who do dress up as their favourite model daily.”
Jason shrugged when he said, “Fair enough, but there is the issue of How a possible hard-core fan of Ms Rossi would have access to this school and knowledge of Ms Dupain-Cheng’s current status.”
That was a valid point…
Azrael pulled their Skyphone out of their pocket and scrolled through their contacts when they said, “Let me call Ozzie and hopefully they’ll be able to give us some more specific details about this Over-Summoner.” They hit the contact they were looking for before they put their Skyphone to their ear and waited.
}{
Asmodeus was rubbing the temples of their centre head as they read the progress report of the new hobby library that was still under construction. In fact, the walls for it had just been set. The Lord of Lust let out a tired sigh as they placed the paper on their desk.
This library should’ve been open to everyone in the Ring of Lust by now, but because of the constant summons from that Over-Summoner… Granted, things could’ve easily progressed without Asmodeus’s presence, but all the demons who dwell in the Ring of Lust couldn’t stop themselves from worrying about their lord when they up and suddenly disappeared right in front of them in a plume of red smoke!
The sound of an incoming call on a Hellphone broke the Lord of Lust out of their thoughts.
Asmodeus manifested their Hellphone to see who was calling and was pleasantly surprised by what they saw. They answered the Hellphone with a lackadaisical pleasant greeting.
}{
Azrael raised a brow at the out-of-character tone when they returned the greeting before asking, “Ozzie… Are you alright? You don’t sound like yourself.” They listened to the other essentially ranting about the Over-Summoner and how annoyingly unreasonable she was being. Azrael let out a hum before saying, “I know reading about this problem is one thing, but hearing you talk about it…” The Archangel took a breath before asking their sinful sibling, “I know it might irritate you, but can you give me more details about the Over-Summoner? Not just their personality.”
Azrael carefully repeated the description they were told by Asmodeus, minus the more profane language that was being used, until they got to one section of the rant. They asked the Lord of Hell in confusion, “Are you sure about that?” They paused as they listened to the other before asking with a raised brow, “That’s unusually… Inexact for you…” Azrael listened to the other before they replied, “Hmm, even if you are currently aggravated by the Over-Summoner, you are hardly THAT off regarding the age of a human mortal… Oh…” They were quiet for a bit before they pulled the Skyphone away from their ear to look at the screen when they added off-handedly, “I hope they call when they calm down after that…”
Jason looked concerned when he asked the Archangel, “What did Asmodeus say?”
Azrael looked between the redheaded man and the Angel of Justice when he stated in an unsure tone, “Ozzie claimed that the Over-Summoner was between 30 and 80 years of age…”
“What?!” Both Jason and Raguel exclaimed in confusion the moment they heard those words.
The rest of the group looked plain confused by this, but the two Kwamis seemed to understand when Plagg stated in shock, “Wait? That kind of estimate sounds more in line with Belphegor, not Asmodeus!”
Tikki noticed the confused looks from the mortals and child and quickly explained, “For entities, us Kwamis, and long-lived spirits, we tend to have trouble with gauging the ages of mortals. Mostly relying on the energy they give off to help us give a rough estimation on their age. It’s not accurate, there is roughly a decade of leeway from the age of the person. However, Asmodeus and Archangel Gabriel can get the most accurate reading of a mortal’s age, usually within five years.”
Kathryn couldn’t help but comment, “That makes sense, given their personalities…” She looked at her father when she added, “But that makes the half-century gap all the more stranger, right?”
Jason nodded when he stated, “No matter how tired, annoyed, angry, or any combination of the three Asmodeus is, they wouldn’t have been off THAT much.” He placed a hand on his chin when he mused out loud, “Unless…”
Raguel turned an ear towards the redheaded man when he asked, “If you’re thinking the same as I, then I would assume you wouldn’t mind me doing a little divine test?”
Jason shrugged his shoulders slightly when he stated, “Not at all, but don’t forget to also keep aware of any Miasma Clusters.”
With that, Raguel left as the rest of the group went to update Damocles and the Dupain-Chengs on the situation and inform Azreal about Hawkmoth.
}I{ Meanwhile }I{
One hour past the scheduled end time for the photoshoot, Lila finally left the set. But not without kissing an unwilling “Adrien’s” cheek when she thought no one was looking.
The moment the liar was out of earshot, the Lust Demon posing as Adrien conjured up a bottle of hand sanitiser and a face cloth. Then proceeded to douse the cloth with the sanitiser before rubbing it over the spot Lila kissed and stated in disgust as they turned to the rest of the staff, “Oh, for the lust of Hell! How many f*cking times has she been told by “Adrien” to stop with the touching and kissing?!”
The Lust Demon with the blue highlights and lowlights scoffed before saying, “Before or after her little “confrontation” with “Adrien”?” They sighed when they added, “It’s why we’ve been making sure she’s never alone with whoever is posing as Adrien. And even then she always finds a way to plant an unwanted kiss on him.”
One of the other Lust Demons pipped up by asking, “Any progress with getting the dick to understand how bad the brat is or getting Adrien to a safer home?”
Axel let out an annoyed sigh before he stated, “Adrien’s bodyguard offered him to stay at his place during this whole debacle. And Zero progress with convincing Mr Agreste about Lila.” He rolled his eyes when he added, “Doesn’t seem to matter how much evidence we show him, he keeps insisting that we’re faking it to make the bitch look bad.”
Kippin raised a brow when they asked, “Hang on? How the Heaven can he ignore all that evidence? And think that we of all beings could fake those? And when they implicate a child in all this?”
Zahear couldn’t help but comment, “You’d think that the brat was his child rather than Adrien with how much he’s ignoring all the evidence.”
Vincent looked between the Lust Demons before suggesting unwillingly, “Uh, I hate to bring this up but… With how much the boss is essentially… Putting Lila on this ‘can do no wrong in any way’ pedestal… You guys don’t think that…” He didn’t want to say it, but given their information so far, it HAD to be a possibility.
One of the other Gabriel employees waved that off when they stated, “With how much the boss adores and is loyal to his missing wife, doubt it.”
The Lust Demons knew better regarding this kind of thing, that humans could do some pretty out-of-character things or go against their usual moral compass in the throes of grief. And while it made them cringe at the thought of Gabriel Agreste bedding with a child his son’s age, it was a logical explanation as to why the guy seemed to deny that Lila could do anything wrong. But still… Why believe in this liar and apparent predator in the making over the wellbeing of his own child?
~}I{~
As soon as Lila got home, not surprised that her mother wasn’t home yet, she snuck into the basem*nt of the apartment building and did her little ritual to summon Satan to “remind” him that he still needed to do what she wanted. However, this time around, Lila made sure to add that Satan should cause Adrien to become enamoured with her and adore her as he should.
Oh boy, did Asmodeus not like that one bit.
The Lord of Lust growled when they snapped, “Listen here you little bitch! I’ve had to put up with all your stupidly selfish ranting and your complete inability to have even the slightest bit of patience, but there is no chance in the bowels of hell am I going to stand back and let you have any way with a child!” Asmodeus had already gained more than enough evidence of harassment of that poor boy by a fellow teenager named Lila Rossi and the lack of parental care from his so-called father, there was not a chance they were going to let even more vile beings come in contact with that child. ‘Honestly, what the Heaven is wrong with this bitch?’ they thought as they tried to focus on the energy the mortal was giving out.
Lila glared at who she believed was Satan, she started on another rant about how he should be doing as she wants because she summoned him. Of course, Asmodeus kept sliding in that she had been doing the summoning wrong and that he wasn’t Satan, not that Lila took notice or heed. All of which is currently being written down on the floating paper and blue quill.
‘Hmm, that’s strange…’ Asmodeus thought as they focused on the energy from the mortal before them. They narrowed their eyes when they thought, ‘That… Doesn’t make sense?’
~}I{ About an Hour Later }I{~
Chloe sat in the chair as she awkwardly glanced around the Dupain-Cheng’s bakery as Zoe, Joey, Donnie, Ellie and Eddy sat at the same group table as her.
They had… As siblings… Gotten into a rather big fight about… What their family should be called… They could’ve kept the term “Style Siblings”, but they didn’t want to be seen as the children of the disgraced Style Queen, not after what she tried to do a second time… So yeah, they tried to come up with some kind of name that they could use without it having to do with their birther… And they just couldn’t agree on what to call themselves…
Marinette, her parents and Tikki carefully watched the six siblings from the kitchen. None were sure how to… Help them… The Dupain-Chengs only had one child, meaning Marinette never had siblings, and Tikki didn’t have much experience in this kind of thing outside of the one-sided tales from her past holders.
The six siblings stayed in the bakery until all the customers left. Well, all the mortal customers anyway…
“Oh my~, these baked goods are divine~,” said a man with short white hair, dark eyes, a proper khaki suit with a white shirt underneath, a khaki bowtie, and a smile. He had a half-eaten chocolate chip scone in one hand and a cup of tea in front of him.
Across from the man in khaki was a man wearing black that didn’t look proper, had shoulder-length reddish-brown hair, wore a pair of sunglasses even though he was indoors, somewhat slouching in his chair, and didn’t seem interested in any of the goods. The reddish-brown-haired man rolled his head when he stated, “Come now, they can’t possibly be that good.”
The man in khaki offered the man in black the scone when he said, “No, really, try one. They’re good.”
The man in black motioned his head as if he were rolling his eyes as he took the scone and then took a bite of it. He was pleasantly surprised by the taste and flavour of the baked goods. He couldn’t help but vocalise, “Oh! This is sinfully good!”
The man in khaki gave the other an ‘I told you so’ look.
Marinette took a deep breath as she and her parents walked over to Chloe and her siblings. They were going to ask them what was wrong when there was a loud crashing sound coming from the Dupain-Cheng living room. Then there was shouting.
Everyone’s attention was in the direction of the noise, just in time for Satan to burst into the bakery as he shouted, “I told you that there’s nothing to talk about!”
To everyone’s shock, Azrael was quick to follow their sinful brother when they said, “Satan! Please, we have to talk about Joan!”
Satan turned to the one in green when he snapped, “No! We Don’t!” He growled when he added bitterly, “I know I should’ve been more aware of who I was using to complete the contract, but it wasn’t my fault she was burned at the stake!”
Azrael took a calming deep breath when they said softly, “I know… But it was meant to happen…”
Satan was confused when he parroted, “Meant to happen?” That was when it slowly dawned on the Lord of Wrath before he snapped out in anger, “That f*cker is behind that sh*t!” There was a brief surge of a fiery aura surrounding Satan when he growled out in anger, “The bastard had her die in such a manner and with my pawns! And never told us! Just to change a few protocols!”
Azrael exerted a calming aura to counter Satan’s when they said, “I feel your pain… I wouldn’t have known had I not asked them if there was a moment to speak with you about Joan in a calm manner.” They sighed when they added, “They made an offhand comment that gave it all away…” Azrael glanced to the side when they stated, “Which was on purpose, mind you.”
“f*cking typical of that bastard!” Satan snarled as the flames around him grew.
Azrael held up a hand when they stated seriously, “Brother, temper. You might set off the sprinkler system.” That cooled the Lord of Wrath off rather quickly. The Embodiment of Patience let out a breath when they said softly, “I’ve been trying to tell you this for the past 100 years, waiting for an opportunity to talk to you.”
Satan ran a hand through his hair when he snapped, “That’s part of your problem! You just sit back and wait! You should’ve acted before things got worse!” He sighed before adding softly, running a hand down his face as he did, “But I guess that I’m also at fault for it too… I never bothered to even wait to hear you out…” Satan scoffed as he looked away when he grumbled out, “Not like it matters by this point…”
Azrael just stood there for a few before they sang out softly, “Don't be upset or mad at all.” That got everyone in the bakery’s attention when the Embodiment of Patience continued, “Don't feel regret, or sad at all.” Satan looked away when Azrael continued, “Hey, we’re still the same family in the end.” They moved to the side as they continued, “And I'm fine, I am totally fine…” Azrael placed a hand on the glass of the bakery as they continued, “I will stand on the side as you shine.” They dug their nails into the clear material as they continued bitterly, “I'm not fine, I'm not fine!”
Satan took a half-step forward, almost reaching one of his hands out, but looked to the side and defensively crossed his arms.
In a whirlwind of magic, the environment changed into an oddly soothing meadow of flower buds. The Dupain-Chengs, Chloe, Zoe, Joey, Donnie, Eddy, Ellie, the man in khaki, the man in black, and a hidden Tikki couldn’t help but look around as they both admired the place while trying to figure out where they were.
“I can't move the mountains,” Azrael sang as stones pierced the ground in the background. They then looked down at the buds peaking out of the grass as they continued, “I can't make flowers bloom.”
Satan glanced up worriedly at the Embodiment of Patience, but when they turned to look at him, he glanced away.
Azrael had a crestfallen look on their face as they continued, “I can't take another night up in my Relm. Waiting on a miracle.” They then conjured up a glowing gold ribbon as they continued to sing, “I can't heal what's broken.” The ribbon then snapped in two down the middle as one of the halves whimsically floated over towards the Lord of Wrath, who seemed to understand the meaning of this and turned away from their sibling.
The mortals and the men in the suits looked up in confusion when the sky seemed to darken as Azrael continued singing, “Can't control the morning rain or a hurricane.” It was a white cloud passing by the wind’s volition. They all looked worriedly at Azrael when they sang, “Can't keep down the unspoken invisible pain. Always waiting on a miracle, a miracle.”
Azrael then made their way over to Satan as they continued to sing, “Always walking alone.” The Lord of Wrath then glanced at the Embodiment of Peciance as they continued, “Always wanting for more.” Satan couldn’t help but look at Azrael as the song continued, “Like I'm still at that door, longing to shine like all of you shine.”
Satan took a deep breath before he jumped in by singing, “All I need is a change.” Azrael looked at the Lord of Wrath with a surprised look on their face as Satan continued to sing, “All I need is a chance.”
Azrael smiled as they sang, “All I know is I can't stay on the side!”
That was when the two entities sang together, “Open your eyes! Open your eyes! Open your eyes!” With that last line, Azrael and Satan faced each other with open arms as both of their wings emerged from their backs. Both of them had eight wings, all symmetrical with the most upper and lower sets being the smallest, roughly half the size as the ones in the middle. Azrael’s wings were covered with green feathers and had a sparkling soothing aura emitting from them while Satan’s wings had sharp blood-red feathers that gave off a more sinister aura. Both of their wings look almost ethereal to the mortals watching.
The two entities almost danced as Satan sang, “I would move the mountains!” as he waved his hands and the pillars of rocks in the background turned to dust.
As Azrael moved, they waved their hands over the field as they sang, “Make new trees and flowers grow!” And the buds on the ground burst open into a menagerie of colours.
They both continued singing together, “Someone please just let us know, where do we go?” The pedals from the flowers then scattered and floated around the two in an almost whimsical motion as they continued to sing, “We’re waiting on a miracle, a miracle!”
The two halves of the golden ribbon floated back to Azrael when they sang with a smile, “I would heal what's broken!” They cupped their hands under the two ribbons as they glowed white. The halves merged back into one as it floated alongside the flower pedals.
Satan couldn’t help but belt out with a smile, “Show this family something new!” The six siblings couldn’t help but glance at one another at this line.
The two entities then sang together as they twirled as their wings fluttered in joy, “Who we are inside, so what can we do? We’re sick of waiting on a miracle! So here we go!” They then took to the air when they sang, “We are ready!” Their wings practically glowed as the two continued to sing as they flew over the mortals, Kwami, and men in suits, “Come on, we’re ready!”
Azrael was beaming when they sang in joy, “We've been patient and steadfast and steady!”
The two otherworldly siblings continued singing together, “Bless us now as you blessed us all those years ago!” The pedals started swirling around everyone as if they were now stars in the sky as the two entities sang, “When you gave us a miracle!” Satan and Azrael softly landed on the ground as they finished off the song together with, “It’s never too late for a miracle.” (1)
Satan then pulled Azrael into a hug, and the Archangel returned the hug. Their wings slowly pulled back into their human forms. The six siblings couldn’t help but stare at the two entities before they glanced at each other.
The man in khaki clapped excitedly with the heels of his palms never separating when he said, “Wonderful! Simply wonderful my Lords!”
The man in black clapped his free hand on the wrist of the hand holding a scone when he said, “That’s one way to patch up a row.” He then popped the rest of the scone into his mouth and chewed on it.
Both Satan and Azrael suddenly became aware of the audience they had and both turned pink with embarrassment.
Sabine awkwardly coughed when she asked, “Um, it’s nice that you two… Finally, talk out your issues, but…. Can you bring us back to our bakery?” She was quick to add as she waved a hand over the landscape, “This is lovely though.”
Azrael looked embarrassed before waving their hand and the next thing everyone knew, they were back in the Dupain-Cheng bakery. Relieving the mortals when they saw the familiar setting. The archangel apologises for the improv teleportation and song while Satan’s face turns redder than his hair.
Marinette let out a nervous chuckle when she said, “I guess that no one is immune to some family drama…”
Sabine smiled softly when she agreed with her daughter as she said, “I suppose not.”
Tom couldn’t help but say a little fondly, “I guess if all members of the family try, they can work their way through the issue.”
The step-siblings glanced at each other at these words. Yeah, sure, it might not have been directed at them, but it still applies! They’re a family! Sure they suddenly became a bigger family than they expected, but a family nonetheless. And if a pair of Entities could work out an issue that lasted more than 100 years, they can work out their issue!
Wait... Hang on…
“Why is Satan and Azrael inside a bakery!?” Joey, Donnie, Eddy, and Ellie shouted in utter shock at the same time the moment the realisation of what just happened sank in.
Oh… Whoops…
“Well now… Looks like we’re going to be staying here a little longer, eh, Aziraphale?” the man in the black suit stated dryly as he sipped his drink.
The man in the khaki suit playfully nudged him with a scolding, “Crowley…”
}I{ An Hour Later }I{
Jason Blood raised a brow when he said into his cell phone in confusion, “Are you sure?” He was holding the device in his right hand and holding it to his right ear.
Asmodeus’ voice came through the device clearly when they stated in a serious tone, “Trust me, I had to do a double take, but I’m sure. *Scoffs* not like the bitch noticed anything past the sound of her annoying voice”
Jason looked at a magic-made copy of the Venn diagram board the Dupont Group had at the school, now trying to figure out where to put this new information as he continued talking to the Lord of Lust on the cell phone, “But you’re sure about the age of this Over-Summoner?” He took out a marker with his left hand and wrote this information outside the Venn diagram.
Asmodeus hummed through the phone when they stated in a serious tone, “Despite the conflict between the energy between her soul and her physical being… I’m sure the paedophile of an Over-Summoner is at least 30.”
Jason froze when he heard those words. It took a moment for him to get his voice back before he asked in uneasiness, “Uhh, Ozzie… Why are you using THAT word in your description?” He pulled the marker away from the board as he listened, to avoid accidentally writing something that he shouldn’t.
The Lord of Lust growled through the phone when they got out begrudgingly, “The bitch had some “new orders” to add to that already long list of sh*t.”
Jason glanced to the left when he got out in a controlled tone that did little to hide his disgust, “Please tell me that the Over-Summoner didn’t want Marinette to be…” He couldn’t finish the sentence nor did he want to.
Asmodeus huffed through the phone when they stated, “Oh, thank Father, No!” Jason let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. The Lord of Lust continued in a tone that was a mixture of disgust and annoyance, “The paedophile bitch wanted “Satan” to make Adrien Agreste fall in love with her! She wanted that poor child to be infatuated with her!!”
Jason cringed at the words, tone, and volume before he stated bitterly, “Ew! That’s not much better…” He raised a brow as he looked at the Venn diagram again when he asked in confusion, “Hang on, when did Adrien get involved in this?” Jason knew that it couldn’t be a coincidence that the Holder of the Black Cat Miraculous was now being targeted by this Over-Summoner, abide in a different way.
Asmodeus told the redhead to hold on a second, and then the sounds of papers being moved was heard coming through the phone. While he waited, he drew a new Venn diagram on the board. Labelling them as ‘Hates Marinette Dupain-Cheng’, ‘Believes Adrien Agreste Should be Hers, Possibly Obsessive of Adrien Agreste, or Possessive of Adrien Agreste’, and ‘An Adult who has the Same Appearance as Lila Rossi’. He then wrote in the overlapping area for all three circles ‘Over-Summoner’. Jason made a little note to change the name of the circle when more data was acquired and drew an arrow that connected the note to the ‘Adrien’ circle. The redhead took a step back to look at the new Venn diagram with a critical eye.
Despite the coincidence of both Ladybug and Chat Noir’s civilian identities being involved in this new Venn diagram and the earlier information from Asmodeus, he knew that the Miraculous couldn’t have been involved. Jason then looked at the ‘An Adult who has the ‘Same Appearance of Lila Rossi’ circle, still convinced that that teen had some hand in the Over-Summoner fiasco.
Asmodeus' voice came through the phone, that Jason somewhat forgot he was holding to his ear, “Sorry for the wait. Had to look through the stupid list to find out what the paedophile bitch wanted with poor Adrien, but I can’t say it answers your question.” When Jason asked what the Lord of Lust meant, the entity explained, “Aside from me telling her directly that that order was never going to going to happen, even if Satan was doing this sh*t, apparently the paedophile bitch wants Adrien for his status and to provide her with anything and everything she could want. She never mentions why he’s involved other than the fact that she wants the poor boy.”
Jason raised a brow yet again at the words before asking in confusion, which was also mixed with disgust and uneasiness, “Uh, that sounds more in line with the aspect of Greed rather than Wrath or Lust. Even if the Summoning was correct, a request for a completely different Sin wouldn’t be adhered to unless the Summoner agrees to pay extra for the proper demon to come in and complete that. Also, gross.”
Asmodeus scoffed when they replied, “Trust me, I know this, but the paedophile Over-Summoner won’t listen to me every time I try to explain it to her! With her, it’s “Yeah, whatever, you gotta do what I say because I’m your Summoner”! It’s like her oversized ego won’t listen to anything that doesn’t involve her getting her way!” The Lord of Lust growled when they added, “Not like I would allow anyone from any of the other Rings to put any child with someone like this Over-Summoner.”
Jason let out an uneasy hum before he commented, “I can’t blame you…” He glanced to the side before he asked, “Uh, not to force a change of topic, but how’s the whole Agreste investigation going?”
}I{ Meanwhile }I{
Adrien expected the Gorilla’s place to be smaller than the Agreste Mansion, but he failed to account for the fact that that also meant that the space inside would’ve been smaller.
The Gorilla’s home was a small two-story building. Inside, the walls were painted a colour palette of calming coral blue. The foyer, living room, home office, a small bathroom, and kitchen were on the ground level while the first level were the bedrooms, full-fledged bathroom, and a storage room. The stairs that connected the two floors were an oddly wide spiral staircase with a firefighter’s pole in the middle. Adrien suspected the bigger size was because the Gorilla was a big person.
On ground level; the foyer was simple, it was the entryway with a shoe rack with a coat rack right next to it on the left side of the door, to keep those items organised and easy to select, and a tabletop on the right side of the door. The table top had a shallow dish that was used to keep the car keys in place and a little plaque that read ‘Welcome Home’ in neat cursive letters. The living room had a basic layout, the beige couch parallel from the flat-screen TV at a comfortable distance with a coffee table in between the two things, a matching chair at a slight angle next to the couch, the entertainment system right under the TV with a clear bookcase stocked with DVDs and CDs, there was another bookcase but this one was cyan and was stocked with books with one of the shelves having a clear glass bowl that had different coloured bookmarks inside, and soft-looking dark blue carpet to pull everything together. The kitchen had the necessities, a coral blue decent-sized fridge paired with a freezer, pure back oven with a stovetop, silver microwave, four wooden cupboards painted cyan, and an ocean blue dining room table with four matching chairs that were placed precisely at each side. Adrien was used to the dining room and the kitchen being separate, so the fact that the dinner table was inside the kitchen threw him off a bit. The home office was just that, a home office with a desk, filing cabinets, a chair, a computer, and office supplies. The small bathroom only had a simple white loo, sink, and some towels to dry one’s hands.
On the first floor; The Gorilla’s room was across from the guest bedroom, Adrien didn’t seem much inside and he wanted to let the guy keep that space as his own. The bathroom was certainly smaller than Adrien’s personal bathroom back at the mansion, but it still had a step-in shower on the right side of the space, a jacuzzi tub on the same side, the loo was on the left side of the space along with the sink, there was an open cupboard between the shower and loo that was stocked with towels and other bathroom supplies, the sink had everything the two needed for teeth care and hair care all neatly arranged to be in easy reach. The guest bedroom was also painted coral blue with the basic furniture needed for a bedroom. The Gorilla managed to already get Adrien’s important bedroom stuff, even a good chunk of his clothes. The blonde teen was surprised by how much his bodyguard was able to sneak out. According to Adrien’s messages, neither Nathalie nor his father even noticed the Gorilla’s deeds or that he currently wasn’t home. That unnerved the blonde teen. The storeroom was just that, it was full of stuff that the Gorilla wanted to keep stored.
It was going to take a while for Adrien to adjust, but if he was being honest, he liked the Gorilla’s small place better than Gabriel’s too-huge mansion.
~}I{ Elsewhere }I{~
Uriel, The Archangel of Chastity, hummed happily as she fluttered around the space as she placed a nice stack of books in empty seats. She was so excited for the Cross-Dimensional Book Club meeting that was only days away. Oh! She was so looking forward to seeing everyone again!
That reminded the Entity of Chastity.
She manifested her Skyphone and quickly contacted her counterpart in Hell.
Asmodeus was confused by the call until Uriel reminded them about the Book Club. The Lord of Lust was taken aback by the fact that they completely forgot about this event that they were looking forward to. The Entity of Chastity understood her counterpart's reaction when she told them, “Listen, Azz-Azz… It’s the Over-Summoner’s fault that you’re… Not being your usual self…”
Asmodeus let out a sigh when they stated, “That and I’m getting nothing done and I have to waste time listening to the paedophile bitch going off on what she wants to be done to Tikki’s Holder.”
Much like Jason, Uriel was disgusted when she asked, “Please tell me that the Over-Summoner didn’t want Tikki’s Holder to be…” Her dominion forbade her from saying anything more than what was needed. Not like she even wanted to finish that sentence in the first place.
Asmodeus was quick to explain, “Oh sh*t! No! Thank Father! But the bitch wanted Plagg’s Holder to fall for her! Who might I add is the same age as Tikki’s Holder. The bitch is at least 30 years old! And she wants this poor child to be enamoured with her! How revolting!”
“Ew!” Uriel got out before trying to get her sinful sibling’s mind on a more pleasant thing by adding, “How about you take your mind off that horrible little human for a while? Grab your recent favourite story and share it with the others during the Book Club! You can’t be Summoned while you're here in this Pocket Dimension, so this will be a nice break from everything. You deserve it.”
Asmodeus let out a low chuckle when they said, “You’re right, I do need some good time away from that bitch. I’ll make sure to let my fill-in know what to expect. Hopefully, some progress will get done.”
Uriel was glad her sibling was feeling better. She bid them farewell and that she was looking forward to seeing them at the Book Club meeting. Asmodeus returned the notion before the two hung up and continued what they were doing before the call.
~}I{~
“Hmm,” Kathryn hummed out as she did her dowsing over a map of Paris. Her dowsing crystal remained unmoving aside from the child carefully guiding it over the map. Kathryn narrowed her eyes as she used her magic to wrap the dowsing crystal around her wrist, turning it back into a bracelet.
The young magic user knew something wasn’t right about this scenario. An entire Miasma Cluster in the city of Paris should have been easy to find, especially if it was from a Lord of Hell, but this cluster was nowhere to be found. Logically, one would assume that it isn’t in Paris, however, Dupont was close to the centre of Paris, which was where the Over-Summoner was getting all her information about what hadn’t been done to Marinette. Also factoring in the fact that the Over-Summoner had little or no patience, so she would want to act on the info right away. Meaning that the lair the Over-Summoner was using had to also be close by rather than putting in any effort to do the Summoning outside of Paris.
But there was no easy way to hide a Miasma Cluster that big without a high level of cloaking skills or find someplace where it could easily be contained. Both of these aren’t easy to come by without sheer determination or just plain luck.
If Kathryn had to guess from the information she had learned, it had to be a location that the Over-Summoner found by luck or coincidence. She placed a hand on her chin as she thought about what the Lord of Lust ranted about and her discussion with her father. One major piece of information Kathryn got was that the Over-Summoner didn’t do any proper research on the Summon, so it was logical to think that she didn’t bother finding a location that could hide a Miasma Cluster. But if the Over-Summoner couldn’t see or feel Miasma, as Kathryn and her father suspected, then the Over-Summoner wouldn’t think to find a suitable location that could hide a Miasma Cluster or that there was such a thing as Miasma. Making the child believe that this Over-Summoner was just plain lucky that she happened to find the one spot in Paris that could hide a giant cluster of Miasma.
It made Kathryn wonder if the Over-Summoner was simply passing off some sheer luck as her skills or something along that line.
‘Yeah, she’ll definitely be condemned to the Pride Ring for the bulk of her afterlife sentence,’ Kathryn thought as she looked at a picture of Marinette Dupain-Cheng that had been given to her by the bluette’s friends.
It was so unnerving that this relatively pure soul was the target of so much Wrath. Heck, even Satan himself admitted that he couldn’t find much that the bluette had or could do that would insight wrath, and the possible motivations that were found she was on good enough terms with the others that there was no real wrath. That was the one major thing about this issue that the child couldn’t understand… Kathryn then thought bitterly, ‘Then again, humans can be petty over the most ridiculous of reasons or even no reason at all.’
~}I{~
The basem*nt of the apartment that Lila Rossi was currently living in was dark. Not because the lights were out and it was underground, but because of a dense smog that was dark purple, nearly black, that hung heavily in the air. It blanketed everything that was in the space, even the incorrectly drawn Summoning Circle that was made with black sticky tape. There were thin strips of dark purple smog rising from the Summoning Circle as if it were steam at a steady rate.
Lila got tired of having to draw the Summoning Circle every time, it took up too much of her precious time, so she tried a few different methods to see which of them lasted the longest and found that the black sticky tape did the deed. All she needed was to pour blood on it and, bang, Satan was Summoned. Without fail. Everything was perfectly set for Lila’s ploy, all she had to do was to break Satan to finally do what she wanted.
The wisps of the Miasma silently knocked on the door leading up to the apartment building. Only a small stream of it managed to squeeze through the keyhole of the door, but it dissipated after only travelling the length of the hallway that connected the basem*nt to the rest of the apartment. The small steady stream of Miasma continues to flow out of the unobstructed keyhole. None of the residents were aware of the ticking time bomb they were living over.
~}I{~
To be continued.
~}I{~
0… I’m just going to plug this Coffee Spill story by Quicksilversquared, again, enjoy. https://archiveofourown.org/works/32891107 .
1… Hehe, yeah, this song suits Archangel Azrael and them wanting to reconnect with Satan after the fallout that happened when Joan was killed. And yes, I changed a few lines to suit this story. Don’t be mad. And yes, I did slide in a moment from Hazbin Hotel’s More Than Anything if you noticed.
~}I{~
