Whoop! Another chapter down. Finally decided to get Stormy Weather 2 out of the way and I think I did a good job adapting it considering that it is a filler episode and a show case. Anyway, next chapter is Midas (Bob Roth) and I’ll be releasing a few new designs. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter :)
————————————————————————————
Chapter Seventy-One: Stormy Weather
~Hawkmoth’s Lair~
“And this will repair the miraculous?” Gabriel asked, glancing at the molten gold that would make part of the cure. Su Han himself was grinding up meteorite dust as it was required. It didn’t look that impressive to him but this guy should know what he was doing since he was the celestial guardian… or so he claimed. Gabriel guessed that he wasn’t the true one and going by the legends that had been passed down by his father and his father’s father, this man was the sixth celestial guardian. According to the legend, the fifth celestial guardian known as Master Toutai was attacked by an unknown assassin, cutting his normally long life short and in his last moments, he passed the title onto his best friend in the order, one Master Su Han. Su Han then swore to protect the miraculous and continue his friend’s legacy until his soul was reborn. Having met the man though, Gabriel was certain the majority of that legend was fabricated. Su Han had expressed a desire to find the new mage but not to help him regain the title but to ensure that he himself remained the celestial guardian. As to how he would achieve that, all he knew as that Su Han needed to find him before the next spring festival which was only a few months away. Of course, that made him come to Hawkmoth. In return for helping him fix the miraculous and capture Anatis and Lady Noir, Hawkmoth was to help him find the mage. However, Gabriel had no intention of doing so. As soon as he got the mage’s identity, he would find a way to akumatize him. He would become his masterpiece, even more so than Luka Couffaine and Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Speaking of the students, he had also decided to lay low on targeting Luka or at least making situations to target him. Should a natural situation come up, he would take that chance but he also needed Luka to lower his guard and continuously targeting him wouldn’t make that happen. Besides, Lila wasn’t able to get close to him anymore. In that sense, she had outlived her usefulness but he wouldn’t throw her away just yet. She can still sow discord, similarly to how Chloe Bourgeois used to. Shame that Anatis put her on the right track but it is what it is. He’ll make do with the pawn that he has. Of course, he nearly lost Lila been in school thanks to the frame up job she did. Mr Damocles actually contacted the school board and it took all of his power to ensure that she got away scott free. He would have tried to get Luka expelled since it would have made for another attempt but the rest of the school board wouldn’t agree to that. Besides, he managed to get Lila to stay in school by suggesting that maybe she was acting out due to lack of attention at home. Naturally, the rest of the school board lapped it up and those didn’t… well they soon did after a rather generous donation to their bank accounts. He had also warned her to keep a low profile for now. A few snide remarks here and there should be enough. After all, words were often more damaging then actions. Gabriel frowned as Su Han cleared his throat, making him look at him. “Yes?”
“Are you listening?” He asked, crossing his arms.
“Yes, I am,” He replied, narrowing his eyes. Su Han huffed before turning back to the mixture. “But you didn’t answer my question. Will it repair the miraculous?”
“Yes, it will,” He replied, stirring the mixture. “This potion was created by the fourth celestial guardian, Sir Rene,”
He turned to the spellbook and turned the pages, coming to a stop when he came to the page about the aqua power up potions.
“According to Legend, Sir Rene also created the power up potions and shared them, along with this potion and a number of other unknown ones with the first celestial guardian despite being born in a different time,” Su Han replied, making Gabriel frown. “It is believed he used the rabbit miraculous to do so but no-one actually knows for sure,”
“Not even you?” Gabriel asked, crossing his arms.
“I did not inherit the title of Celestial Guardian in the same way as my predecessors therefore I do not share the same connection to them,” He replied, frowning as he poured the crushed meteorite dust into the molten gold. “Do you have the peacock feather?”
“Yes,” Gabriel replied, gesturing to Nathalie to bring it over. “This should suffice,”
“Hmm,” Su Han replied, taking it from her before he examined it. “It will do,”
Once he said that, he dropped it into the mixture, causing a puff of smoke the same color as the peacock miraculous to appear. Su Han turned to Gabriel, making him raise an eyebrow.
“The potion is done,” He stated, gesturing to it. “All that is required now is for you to inject it into the miraculous and state the incarnation. Once you do that, the miraculous will be repaired. However, it needs time to charge up it’s magic,”
“Charge up its magic?” Gabriel asked, frowning. “What does that mean? Will it be safe for me to use?”
“Once it is repaired, yes but the more it is charged up the more powerful it’s magic will be,” He stated, making Gabriel nod. “To charge it up, it must be around emotion,”
“Will it take time to charge?” He asked, making Su Han think.
“Depends on the emotions it is exposed to,” He replied as Gabriel listened. “If they are weak, it will take long to charge,”
“I see,” He replied, thinking. “I shall have Nathalie wear it-”
“Not her,” Su Han said, making him frown as he glanced at him. “She has been exposed to the broken miraculous. If she was to wear it again in her current state, it will make her worst despite been fixed,”
“I see,” He frowned, thinking. “Then I will have to wear it until it’s charged up. Will I know when it is?”
“Yes, you should feel it’s magic,” He replied, making Gabriel nod. “I should take my leave for now. We will talk again soon,”
“Thank you for your guidance,” Gabriel replied as Su Han left before he took out a syringe and used it to take some of the mixture into it. He moved it over to the peacock miraculous and pressed it against the cracks before injecting it into it. It filled the cracks and began to glow, making him smirk before he held out his arms. “Miraculous of the Peacock, repair yourself!”
The miraculous began to glow white before it floated in the air for a few seconds. Suddenly, it burst into light then fell out of the air. Gabriel caught it and held it up as he examined it. There were no more cracks on it at all but it looked slightly dull in color. However, overall it looked fixed. Smirking to himself, Gabriel fixed it on his shirt, allowing Duusu to manifest and the miraculous to change into a golden pin.
“Whoo!” Duusu declared as she floated up. “Oh! I feel so much better! What happened?!”
She looked around before spotting Nooroo and squealed, making Gabriel raise an eyebrow.
“Nooroo!” She gasped, hugging him before she pulled away. “Oh wow! Everything was so chaotic in my head! Like a nightmare that I had fallen into the wrong hands!”
“Sorry, old friend but I’m afraid the nightmare is not over yet,” Nooroo replied, gesturing towards Gabriel who had crossed his arms in a stern manner.
“Dusuu, Kwami of the Peacock miraculous,” He stated, making her look at him. “I am your master, Gabriel Agreste. You will do what I say and we have rules that you will follow. Understood?”
“Y-Yes, Master,” She gasped, nodding as he smirked evilly.
“Excellent,” He replied, turning to the grimoire. “Now I have repaired your miraculous but the current guardian suggested that I need to recharge the magic of the miraculous. Is this true?”
“Y-Yes, Master,” She replied, pressing her paws together. “When a miraculous is damaged, its magic is consumed and drained, trying to repair it but exposing the miraculous to what it is connected to restores the magic or so Master Rene said. I don’t really understand how it works but Master Feng seemed to agree with Master Rene,”
“And how long will that take?”
“I… I don’t know,” She replied, making him frown. “The only other miraculous to have been broken was the rabbit miraculous but Fluff’s Miraculous is time based so she had to be passed through time,”
“I see,” He replied, turning to her and Nooroo. “You will stay with me and Nooroo then once it has recharged its magic, you will help me become more powerful and take Anatis and Lady Noir’s miraculous… and of course, help me find and akumatize the mage!”
“Y-You want to akumatize the mage?” She asked, fearful. “Master, you mustn’t! You wouldn’t-”
“You dare question me?!” He growled, making her gulp. “I am your master and you will do as I say. You will help me get what I want. Understood?!”
“Y-Yes, Master,”
~Deep Within the Catacombs underneath Paris~
Why did you show him how to fix the miraculous? Simme hissed as Su Han walked into the area with a cage that had two rats that he caught. He stopped at the place he had set up as a camp and placed the cage down before kneeling down in front of them. Rats again…
“It is the only thing that doesn’t raise suspicion, my lord,” He replied, bowing as Simme hissed in displeasure. “I know you prefer human chi-”
Yes!! I want the lifeforce of the mortals that idiot loves so much! Not of rodents! Simme hissed out, making Su Han flinch. Feed me real food!!
“Master, please. I can not right now,” He replied, making Simme roar in anger. “I w-will try to lure some homeless into here for you to feast on but for now, please enjoy the rats,”
Fine! But you better try or it will be your chi I’ll consume! Simme replied before Su Han’s head was forced back and his mouth opened in a silent scream as shadows poured from it, making the rats panic and attempt to escape. The shadows surrounded them, causing them to squeal and squeak in fear as the shadows closed in on them. Also instantly, the rats began to glow. Within seconds, they were turned into dried up corpses. The shadows returned back into Su Han, making him gasp as his eyes turned black before they turned black to normal. He blinked and picked up the cage before taking out the corpses of the rats and throwing them into the small pile of other rat corpses. As he did, the sounds of footsteps got his attention, making him straight up and turn around.
“Grand Mage,” Zoe Lee stated as she walked over and knelt down, bowing her head towards him. “You sent for me?”
“Yes,” He replied as he walked over to her. “I want a progress report,”
“Currently, I have moved back into the Grand Paris hotel and I will start attending Dupont High tomorrow,” She replied in an emotionless voice. “I haven’t yet made progress on tracking down the mage. The reason for the delay in joining the school was in order to build a ‘relationship’ with my half sister, Chloe. She is known very well in school and previously held the Bee Miraculous. She informed me that Anatis took it from her and advised her to seek help from a professional. Since she has done so and 'improved’ her lifestyle, she has become fairly popular at the school, especially with the girl who runs the ladyblog. She doesn’t realise this but she will help me infiltrate the school and find anyone who may have a connection to the holder of the eastern box. I intend to cause discord in the school in order to lure them out,”
“Excellent,” Su Han replied before dismissing her. She nodded and left as a shadow formed on the wall again.
And the mage? Simme’s voice echoed, making Su Han frown. The Spring Festival is three months away. You’re running out of time if you want to keep this level of power and magic that you have gotten used to.
“Finding the current holder of the Eastern Miraculous will lead us to the mage,” Su Han replied. “But we do need a back up plan in case that doesn’t,”
We should influence some people. Luring the darkness out of people’s hearts will make the mage act if he’s in Paris. Simme suggested, making Su Han think. Especially if it’s me who does it.
“Isn’t that risky?”
Isn’t waiting for him to appear just as risky? Simme countered. We can lure him out using Hawkmoth’s akumas. He can’t stand people been hurt so if I influence them like I did with Crescendo then he’ll come running to try and save them and when he does, you can finally have the power that belongs to you
“Yes but Toutai’s concubine is in Paris too,” Su Han replied, frowning to himself. His disciples had warned him that Mulan was active and looking for him. He knew what she wanted. She wanted revenge. She wanted to kill him and if she did, it would mess up his plans. He couldn’t allow that to happen. “If she sees me, she’ll try and get her vengeance for me taking Toutai’s life,”
Leave the influencing to me Simme replied, making Su Han glance at the shadows. I might be a little out of practice because of the cage but human hearts remain the same and I can influence them all the same too. It will also give me more strength to take down the mage when he comes out of his hiding place.
“Very well,"
~The Next Day~
Zoe glanced in the mirror as she applied some make up to her skin in order to hide the paleness. She leaned over and put her brush down before taking out her contact lens. They were slightly a brighter shade of blue then what her eyes colored in order to hide the dullness within them. She put them in as her kwami stayed in front of her before she brushed her hair. Once satisfied with her look, she added some lip gloss and got up before walking over to her wardrobe and putting on her leather jacket. It was one of the few things she was allowed to wear despite it not matching her mother’s usual taste. She grabbed her bag and turned to her kwami.
"Stingg, hide in my bag,” She ordered in a cold tone.
“Y-Yes, Mistress,” Stingg replied before flying into her bag. Zoe turned on her heel and left her room, heading to where Chloe was waiting for her. As soon as she saw her, she turned to her 'outside’ personality and gave her a bright smile, which Chloe returned.
“Hey, ready for your first day?” She asked, making Zoe smile a little.
“I’m a bit nervous,” She lied. She wasn’t nervous at all. “What if people don’t like me?”
“Oh, please!” Chloe gasped, making Zoe think for a second she had seen through it before she moved her arm around her. “They are going to love you! Just be yourself and not like Mum and you’re good,”
“Not like Mum?” Zoe asked, generally taken back by that. She had known Chloe had changed, especially since the last time they saw each other but as far as she knew, Chloe looked up to their mum and wanted to be just like her. “I thought you wanted to be like her?”
“I did until I realised what a bitch she was,” Chloe answered, again surprising Zoe as she looked at her nails. “She never has time for me, can’t even get my name right and basically acts like I don’t exist. When I was more naive, I thought that if I acted like her, she would love me but that isn’t the case,”
“What made you change your mind?” Zoe asked, finding the conversation interesting. It had been a long time since she had felt anything and hearing her sister speak ill of their mother sparked something inside her.
“Oh, a friend gave me some really good advice and a reality check,” She replied, making Zoe raise an eyebrow. She didn’t know Chloe had friends and the way she said it suggested a hidden meaning. “After that, I asked Daddy to get me a therapist and have been going to weekly sessions ever since,”
“You have a therapist?” Zoe asked as they walked out of the hotel and got into the car. Chloe nodded as she did up her seat belt. “Does it work?”
“Oh, definitely,” She replied as she took out her phone. “I’ve learnt so much about myself and Dr Lang is really nice and understanding. Mum doesn’t like it though. She thinks it’s a waste of time,”
“Well, if it’s helping you then that’s the main thing right?” Zoe asked, making Chloe smile and nod. “So who’s your friend?”
“Oh, no one really important,” Chloe replied, brushing it off. “I have loads of them now anyway. Even Marinette,”
“Marinette?”
“Oh, you are going to love her!” She gasped, making Zoe raise an eyebrow. “She is really into her fashion. Even Mum actually likes her stuff,”
“Really?” Zoe asked, surprised for the third time that day. “Well, that is surprising,”
“And we’re here,” Chloe stated as the car pulled up. “Thanks for the ride, Jean!”
“No problem, Miss Chloe,” He replied as the two girls got out. Zoe said her thanks quickly before joining Chloe outside of the school. She looked up at it as she followed Chloe inside, not really listening to her as she chatted.
“Oh and you should definitely avoid Lila,” She stated, getting her attention. “She’s this crazy liar and it’s best not to get involved with her,”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Zoe replied as Chloe led her to the principal’s office.
“Ok, here’s Mr Damocles’ office. Just knock and he’ll let you in,” She replied before hugging her. “I have to go to my class but I’ll see you at lunch,”
“Ok. Thanks, Chloe,” Zoe smiled and waved as she ran off but as soon as she disappeared out of sight, she dropped her cheerful expression. “Chloe’s changed a lot. No wonder why Mother thinks of her as a failure,”
She let out a sigh and shook her head, putting on her persona before knocking on the door.
“Come in,” A gruff voice replied, causing her to open the door. She walked in, causing Mr Damocles to look up at her. “Ah, can I help you, young Lady?”
“Hello, sir. I’m Zoe Lee, Chloe’s sister,” She stated, making him look at her in surprise. “It’s my first day here,”
“Oh yes! Of course!” He gasped, scrambling up and rushing over to the file cabinet. “Forgive me, I was just working on some important work. Now where is it?”
He flicked through the files as Zoe leaned over and looked at his computer, raising an eyebrow at the letter he was writing. It appeared to be addressed to Anatis, making her frown. She hadn’t met him or Lady Noir during the Crescendo attack as Su Han had ordered her to leave so she wouldn’t get caught up in it but she had seen him swinging through the city or on the news. There had been a couple of akumas since she came back to Paris and she watched the news about them. It fascinated her how people reacted to Anatis. The way the Parisians look at him when he does interested her, like he was their Savior. In a way, he kind of was. Him and Lady Noir were. They stood against Hawk Moth with their team of heroes while everyone else cowered away. Despite her allegiance not been with them, Zoe had fantasies about what it would be like to run with them when she saw them running about the city or fighting a few akumas but that would be for another lifetime. She was not there to run around with them. She was not on their side and if they got in her way, she wouldn’t hesitate to remove them regardless of what it might do to the city.
“Ah, here we go!” Mr Damocles stated, pulling out a file and walking over to her. “Your new student file,”
He sat down and opened it, taking out a couple of documents.
“Let’s see… this is a copy of your schedule, a map of the school and… ah, it appears your student file has already been completed,” He smiled, looking up from it and handing her the information. “Your home teacher will be Mrs Mendeleiev,”
“Oh, I was under the impression I would be with my sister,” She stated, making him frown.
“Well, Mrs Mendeleiev’s class is for students your age,” He replied, making her frown. “And she is very good at helping new students settle in,”
“Perhaps I should contact my step-father,” She replied, crossing her arms but Mr Damocles didn’t even raise an eyebrow. She managed to hold back a frown as she expected it to work but apparently, Mr Damocles wasn’t as much of a push over as she had been told. “You are aware of who he is,”
“Yes but my decision remains final, Miss Lee,” He stated, crossing his arms too. “The mayor may be in charge of the city but he does not have any power in my school and if you attempt to blackmail me, any of my teachers or the students by threatening to contact the mayor, I won’t hesitate this time to give you detention. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Mr Damocles,” She replied, frowning. How was she supposed to investigate the akuma class if she wasn’t able to be in that class? She would just have to find a different way. “I didn’t mean to cause offence,”
“Yes, well… I’m not surprised that you thought you could get away with that given who your mother is but please take a leaf out of your sister’s book and remove yourself from the path your mother has set you on,” He stated, surprising her. “You seem like an intelligent young lady and you can thrive here but only if you’re willing to try,”
“I… see,” She replied, getting up and taking the papers he gave her. “I will try my best, Mr Damocles so I better go to my home room,”
“Excellent,” He replied, causing Zoe to shoot him a smile before she got up and left. As soon as she was out of the office, her smile turned to a frown as she took out her phone and made a note to be careful around him. With that done, she looked at her map and walked over to the classroom, knocking on the door as she did. A stern voice told her to come in, causing her to frown before she opened the door and walked inside. The teacher raised an unimpressed eyebrow as she looked at her, along with her class.
“And you are?”
“Oh, I’m Zoe Lee,” She replied, going with the shy but polite act. “It’s my first day here and-”
“Ah, yes. I was informed of a new student joining my class yet again,” She remarked before glancing around the room. “Have a seat next to Miss Borealis ,”
Zoe nodded and took her seat, glancing around at her new class. Mrs Mendeleiev took the register before Aurora began to introduce her to the rest of the class and explained her role in it. Finally, the bell went signalling the first lesson of the day. The students all got up and headed to their classes, causing Zoe to find her way to her next one. The rest of the morning went that way until they found themselves back in Mrs Mendeleiev’s class for Science. This time, however, Zoe noticed a new addition to their class, making her raise an eyebrow. Sat in the back was Luka Couffaine, son of Jagged Stone and the winner of the violin contest she had entered. She had no idea he was even in her class as he hadn’t been in any of their classes that morning. What made it even stranger was no one seemed bothered by it, not even their teacher. Instead the students greeted him, making him smile and wave back.
“Ok, Zoe, this is the only student you haven’t met yet,” Aurora grinned, gesturing towards him. “This is-”
“Luka Couffaine,” She smiled, making everyone look at her. “We’ve met before,”
“Yeah, I remember,” Luka smiled, glancing at her with tired eyes. That surprised her a little as last time she had seen him he didn’t have dark circles under his eyes. It looked like he hadn’t slept in a long time. However, she didn’t have time to think about that as he stared at her. His eyes hardened a little as he scanned her, making her feel concerned as if he was looking deep into her soul. However, she mentally shook it off. It was just her imagination as there was no way that he couldn’t detect her true intention. “Zoe right? I had no idea you went to this school,”
“Oh, I didn’t when I joined that contest,” She smiled, rubbing the back of her neck. “I actually moved back here after that and Chloe recommended the school,”
“Chloe recommended it?” Jean asked, making Zoe nod. “Wow, I’m so proud of her! I knew she had changed but to actually recommend it!”
“We’re all proud of her,” Luka commented, making the rest nod before he turned back to Zoe. “Anyway, welcome to Dupont,”
“Thank you but why weren’t you in class earlier?” She asked, causing everyone to look at her. “Did I say something wrong?”
“Guys, it’s fine,” Luka stated, making her look back at him. “I have therapy every Monday Morning so I’m excused from my classes during that time,”
“Oh I’m so sorry,” She gasped, making a mental note. “I didn’t mean to pry,”
“It’s fine, Zoe,” He replied as Mrs Mendeleiev clapped her hands, causing everyone to go to their seats. Though Luka raised an eyebrow. He couldn’t pinpoint but something felt off with Zoe. He had felt it a little at the contest but brushes it off as Melodie due to how she acted and since Zoe had disappeared at the end of it, he couldn’t confirm if it really was Melodie so he just forgot about it, especially with the other things that had occurred since then. However, now it was back on his mind. Not that he wanted it to be. In fact, it was the last thing he needed. He was already struggling with sleep and he didn’t need another thing to keep him up late again. He frowned before jumping as Mrs Mendeliev called his name and asked him if he was paying attention. “S-Sorry, Miss,”
She gave him a look before continuing what she was saying.
“Now as I was saying, these tests are designed to check your GPA scores,” She stated, passing the tests around. “It is designed to find areas of weakness and struggling, which we will work on once we get the scores back. I expect you all to try your best and take this seriously. Getting a good score could be the difference between free time and extra tutoring. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Miss,” Everyone replied as Zoe raised an eyebrow.
“Now because you’re new here, Zoe. I won’t have you sit the test today. Instead, I will have you do some work sheets,” She replied, making Zoe nod as she headed back to her desk and took them out. She walked back over and placed them on her desk. “However, once you’ve settled in , you will take it. Understood?”
“Yes, Miss,” Zoe replied, feeling that Mrs Mendeliev wasn’t the type of teacher she wanted to piss off. She would have to maintain her 'outside’ persona with her in order to keep her off her back. With that, Mrs Mendeliev started the test and took her seat at the front of the class as she waited for the time to pass. Zoe worked on the worksheets as best as she could but part of her was slightly distracted by her encounter with Luka. Despite the fact that she didn’t think that he could work out her true intention, it didn’t settle her mind. She had come across people who had tried to figure her out before and each time, she had convinced them that they should trust her but something told her it might not be this easy this time round. She frowned a little to herself and quickly glanced behind her, half expecting Luka to be glaring at her but instead, he was focusing on his paper as if nothing was the matter. Maybe she was overthinking it. Yeah, that would be the case. She was in a new place and had a new mission. She always got nervous when getting a new mission so that was it. There was no way he knew anything other then what she wanted him to see. That look he gave her earlier? It was him trying to remember her name. It was that simple but she should definitely keep an eye on him. He might be useful in her plan after all… plus he was cute. Looking back at her work, she put it to the back of her mind. After that, time passed pretty quickly and soon she found herself walking with Kagami, Aurora, Luka and Felix towards the canteen for lunch. She wasn’t sure about Felix or Kagami but Aurora and Luka seemed really nice and she was certain that his reaction to her was fluke. She smiled as he laughed full hearted at something Aurora had said before Kagami made a witty comment.
“Oh damn, Kagami has a sense of humour,” Aurora grinned, lightly knocking her shoulder with the girl as she grinned. Kagami gave her a smile and turned to her.
“Well, I do have more then one emotion,” She grinned back, making them all laugh. “Unlike Felix,”
“You wound me, Kagami,” Felix replied, dramatically holding his hand to his heart before he looked at Luka. “Have you seen how mean she is to me, Luka?”
“Hmm… well, she kind of has a point,” He laughed, making Felix gasp dramatically again as the girls laughed. “But you’re getting there,”
“Rude!” Felix gasped before bursting into laughter with everyone else. Once they stopped, he and Kagami turned to them. “Well, we’ll see you after lessons. Uncle has requested our presence for lunch today… assuming he actually turns up,”
“Yes but at least, Adrien won’t eat alone,” Kagami replied, making everyone nod before they said their goodbyes. They waved and left the school as the other three headed to the cafeteria. Almost instantly, they were greeted, causing them to wave. Aurora made a beeline for a girl with wavy hair and glasses before sitting next to her as they began to chat. Luka, on the other hand, walked over to a girl Zoe recognized and hugged, giving her a soft kiss on the cheek. The girl giggled and hugged him back before pressing a kiss to his cheek. Zoe felt a tingle of jealousy but shook it off as Chloe came over and dragged her towards the group.
“Listen up, everyone! This is my sister, Zoe!” She declared, gesturing towards her and causing everyone to look up. “She’s new here and just started today,”
“Hi, Zoe,” The girl who kissed Luka declared, smiling brightly as everyone else said hi and welcomed her. “I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng,”
“Oh, Chloe mentioned you,” She smiled, making Marinette smile too. “She said you’re really into fashion,”
“I am!” She gasped, clearly excited to share her passions. “I actually have my own store and I’ve been making clothes for years! Oh I could totally make you something as a welcome gift!”
“Oh, that’s ok,” Zoe gasped, holding up her hands. “I wouldn’t want to trouble you with that,”
“Oh, it would be no trouble at all,” She gasped before making a thinking face. “Though, I won’t be able to do it yet. I’ve got a few commissions to do for a couple of clients plus I’m still working on that thing,”
“That thing?” Zoe asked but Marinette brushed her off and said it didn’t matter. “Oh, ok,”
“Anyway, I’m right in thinking you were part of that violin contest right?” She asked, making Zoe nod and ask her how she knew. “I was there, supporting Luka,”
“Oh that makes sense,” She gasped, rubbing the back of her neck.She hadn’t really paid attention to anyone else but the other contestants and the only reason why she did that was to play the role. Master Su Han had seen it as a chance to spy on the heroes, believing it was certain to cause an akuma but he had also ordered her mother to find a way to get into Paris. While her mother was making the arrangements, she had entered the contest but because the akuma had been too violent, she hadn’t been able to observe it. Instead, Su Han got her out of there. While usually he didn’t care for casualties, he did see her as an asset. “Are you friends with Luka?”
“I’m his girlfriend,” Marinette grinned proudly, causing Luka to blush a little. “But he’s also one of my best friends,”
“Melody..” He mumbled with red cheeks. Zoe however felt a bit disappointed but brushed it off. Having a relationship was too much a distraction so it wasn’t like she was going to pursue him but it would have been nice to flirt with him a little. Everyone smiled and chatted while they ate lunch, causing Zoe to get to know them but their peace didn’t last. Instead, a girl with frankly terrible taste in fashion and god awful haircut sundered up to them and gave the fakest smile Zoe had ever seen. She noticed that Luka visibly tensed up as she smirked.
“Hi everyone!” She gasped in a cheerful manner before turning to Luka. “Freak,”
“Lila, you know what I’m going to say,” He stated in a calm manner, despite the fact that she had just called him a freak. She however tossed her head and turned away from him as she faced Zoe.
“I’m just introducing myself to the new student here. Besides, I’m within the legal requirement,” She stated in a vindictive manner, gesturing to the fact that she was in fact on the other side of the table far from him. Since her attempt at framing him and losing her most loyal ally, Lila had been showing her true colors. She had for the most part stuck to the restraining order but that didn’t stop the snide remarks. “After all, the restraining order only says I can’t be in a certain radius of you, not your friends. Besides, I’m probably not your biggest worry right now. I hear that Bob Roth and your step father are out on bail. Be a shame if anything was to happen to you again,”
She smirked evilly at him as she flipped her hair and turned to Zoe.
“I’m Lila Rossi by the way,” She smirked, holding out her hands. “I suggest you join me instead of these losers. I have lots of connections so if you want to be successful, you should be with me,”
“Um…” Zoe replied, not sure what to say. She was sure Chloe had said she was a liar and if it was just the two of them, she would shut her down. However, she had a persona to maintain. She went to open her mouth but before she could, Chloe butted in.
“Rossi, no one here likes you,” She declared, crossing her arms. “And I’ve already told her that you’re a super liar!”
Lila narrowed her eyes before flicking her hair and walking away. Zoe watched as she shoved some poor student to the ground and left the room.
“Well, she was something,” Zoe laughed, making everyone nod before she turned to Luka. “What did she mean by Bob Roth and your step father been on Bail?”
“It’s a long story,” Luka sighed, making her raise an eyebrow. “Bob Roth released my relation to Jagged Stone without our permission and it directly led to a very dangerous situation for me regarding my stepfather. The court case for that is coming up next week and not only are we pressing charges against Mr Roth, we’re also suing him. As for my stepfather… Well, we’re also pressing charges against him. I’m going to be off for a few days to deal with it. I hope Anatis and Lady Noir are able to come by. I would feel safer if they could,”
“I’m sure they will,” Marinette replied, gently taking his hand. “You’ll be ok,”
“Thank you, Melody,” He replied but he still looked shaken up. “Mind if we change the subject? I don’t like to talk about that,”
“Sure,”
~A Few Days Later~
Su Han frowned to himself as he watched the students from Dupont High from afar. Zoe had settled in nicely and no one had suspected a thing. Her first report to him was that no one seemed to be suspicious when it came to miraculous. However, she also knew it would take time to conduct a full search. He did not expect good results in just a few days and he considered himself a patient man when the end results would benefit him. However, Simme was not. He was whining for more than just rats. Luckily, their plan to corrupt people would gain him energy. It wasn’t quite the same as consuming souls and life force but it would stop him whining at least. Presently, he was terrorizing some pigeons as Su Han watched the school. If his calculations were correct, the mage should in fact be the same age as the students who attended the school and given that the amount of akumas in that school, there was no way he could stay away if he was in the city. Or at least that’s what Simme said. Su Han wasn’t so sure but it was the best lead they had plus if the mage wasn’t there then the guardian of the eastern miraculous box might be. Though that could be a teacher or a student. Who knows what happened after he was eaten by that sentimonster? Su Han narrowed his eyes as he watched a number of students come out of the school. He jumped a bit closer in order to hear more.
“Oh that is terrible,” A ginger haired girl with glasses gasped as she walked out with two blonde girls. Behind them, a girl with dark hair walked hand in hand with a boy with black hair with teal blue highlights. Su Han pursed his lips as he stared at the youth. In his day, that child would be punished for daring to wear such an extreme hairstyle, especially if he was part of the order. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Oh, that’s ok, Sabrina,” The blonde girl with an umbrella stated, holding up her free hand. “It’s only a small drop and Mrs Mendeliev is helping me catching up,”
“She’s got this,” The rebellious youth smiled before he turned to her. “But seriously, we don’t mind helping you if you need it,”
“Just let us know,” The girl with the dark hair smiled before the two of them said their goodbyes to the girl and walked off. The blonde girl smiled and waved in reply but another girl walked past her, causing the other students to tense up as she stopped in front of her.
“Aurora, I heard you drop a whole point on your GPA,” She gasped, making Aurora glance at her. “You know I tutored Prince Ali for a certain amount of time-”
“Lila, save your lies,” Aurora replied, making her grit her teeth a little. “I already have a plan to regain it,”
“Oh, of course but I hope it works out,” She replied as they went to walk around her but Aurora stopped and asked her what she meant. “Oh, I’m just saying you can’t be Little Miss Weather Girl and Little Miss Good Grades at the same time,”
“That’s not true!” Sabrina gasped, making Lila laugh.
“Of course, it’s true. That’s the way life is. You can’t have everything,” She replied, making Aurora frown and look upset. “Oh, I better not make you cry otherwise you might turn into Stormy Weather and rain on me. What a pathetic power,”
“Oh and been Volpina was better?!” Aurora gasped, clearly angry at the comment but Lila smirked. “Besides, I won’t transform since I already have a plan,”
“Yeah right!” She stated, making both her and Sabrina gasp. “Once a villain always a villain. It’s only a matter of time before Hawkmoth gets to you again,”
With that, she turned away and left, leaving both Aurora and Sabrina shaking with anger. However, the two girls shook it off and went their own ways, causing Su Han to narrow his eyes as Simme crawled over to him.
The blonde child… He hissed, making Su Han nod. She is perfect…
Su Han nodded before the shadows moved from him and followed the girl as she got into a car and drove off. They attatched themselves to the car as it drove through the city before it came to a stop near a building. The girl got out and walked through the doors, causing the shadows to follow her. Just before she entered into the building, the shadows latched onto her leg and began to fill her mind with negative thoughts.
I’m just saying you can’t be Little Miss Weather Girl and Little Miss Good Grades at the same time… Lila’s voice echoed in her mind, making her frown as she pressed the lift button. She tried to shake it off but the shadows tightened their grip. It was a slower way then the way they had done to Crescendo but it was still effective… plus it was more enjoyable this way. That’s the way life is. You can’t have everything…
“That’s not true,” She muttered as the lift opened.
Oh, no! I better not make you cry otherwise you might turn into Stormy Weather and rain on me. What a pathetic power!
“My power wasn’t pathetic,” She muttered before shaking her head. “Beside, I’m not going to be Stormy Weather again,”
Once a villain always a villain. It’s only a matter of time before Hawkmoth gets to you again…
She’s right, you know… Simme’s voice echoed, causing Aurora to gasp and look around wildly. But why resist when you could use that power to put that child in her place?
“Who are you?!” She gasped, making him laugh. Her panic only increased when the akuma appeared. “Oh no! An akuma! Stay calm, Aurora!”
Why resist? Simme asked again, making her squeak in surprise as the lift suddenly came to a stop and the lights went out. Your anger is fair and your judgement should be swift. Show the world who the most powerful villain is!
Aurora’s eyes turned completely black as the lights turned back on, allowing the akuma to fly into her umbrella and open up the connection to Hawkmoth.
“Stormy Weather, people have told you that you’ll never change,” Hawkmoth declared in her mind as she stared into space, listening to him. He had his reservations about akumatizing her when he felt her rage but he wasn’t about to miss a chance to try and get the miraculous. “Well, they’re right. People don’t change, they grow. This time, your powers will be even stronger as you know them well! Show them how you’re able to control all of the forces of nature!”
“Alright, Hawk Moth,” She declared as a truly dark grin appeared in place of her usual smile, making him laugh as the purple smog encased her.
~At the Liberty~
“No!” Luka gasped, jolting awake. He let out a sigh as he looked around, realising he was in his room. He glanced at his notepad and realised he had fallen asleep while doing his homework. He wasn’t surprised since his sleeping pattern had gone out of the window again. His nightmares about the flood had gotten a hundred times worst since finding out what it was. His sleeping moments were haunted by the cold icy glare of Lady Blanche and the horrible laughter of Simme. His waking moments weren’t much better. Sometimes he felt like she was stood behind him and he would jump, despite nothing been there. He also found it hard to look at Lady Noir. He hadn’t fully told her everything but he knew he would have to at some point. He knew that but he was afraid of her reaction. Luckily, she had the charm on her so he wouldn’t have to face Lady Blanche any time soon but part of him still worried. He had told her that he had experienced something that allowed him to make her an anti-akuma charm. However, it seemed that he couldn’t make himself one no matter how hard he tried and he had tried. He asked Tikki why and she suggested that it was because he lacked the energy to do so. Creation couldn’t come from nothing. It required something, even if it was the smallest spark. Since Anatis was trying to create an anti-akuma charm from nothing, he wouldn’t be able to do it. Now if he faced an akuma, he could create one because he would have his spark. He argued that he was facing the akumas but she pointed out that he hadn’t actually been targeted by Hawkmoth since the scarlet attack. On one hand, that was a good thing but on the other, it meant he had no real inspiration to create the charm. Typically, when he finally came up with a way to protect himself Hawk Moth would stop targeting him. He sighed and got up, walking over to Tikki who was also taking a nap. He gently poked her, making her wake up. “Hey…”
“Luka?” She asked, looking at him before frowning. “Are you ok?”
“Not really…” He admitted, making her fly over to him as he sat on his bed. “Sorry for waking you up but…”
“Another nightmare?” She asked, making him nod. “Same as usual?”
“When isn’t it?” He asked, frowning. “Do you think it will ever go away?”
“Of course,” She replied, resting in his hands. “You went through a lot when you faced Lady Blanche. It’s natural to having trauma from that,”
“I know…” He muttered, looking down. “I just… I hate that I can’t look at Lady Noir without thinking about how I failed her,”
“You didn’t fail her,” She stated, making him frown. “We stopped that from happening,”
“I know but if I hadn’t thought about telling Marinette then maybe I wouldn’t have-” He cut himself off as he sighed. “Despite it, part of me still wants to tell her and the other me. He said the time would come but what if I tell her and it’s even worse then this time? What if I can’t save anyone?”
“Luka, listen to me,” Tikki stated, making him look at her. “Yes, you made a mistake but that doesn’t mean the events that occurred were your fault. We both know that Hawkmoth and Su Han took advantage of the situation and caused the events. Yes, you had a choice when it came to telling Marinette about it but they also had a choice. They didn’t have to go through their plan or be the way they are,”
“I know, Tikki,” He sighed, nodding. “I’m trying not to blame myself… I’ll get there eventually. It’s just… It’s hard and I know blaming myself isn’t helping but-”
“You feel responsible,” She concluded, making him nod.
“Even for things out of my control,”
“Luka…”
“I know,” He replied, sighing. “I know I’m not but it’s part of my complex or at least that’s what Dr Lang says. She says I need to learn to accept that I’m not responsible for everything and everyone,”
“She’s right,” Tikki stated but before they could continue the conversation, the boat shook heavily. Luka jumped up and rushed upstairs, only to be greeted by a terrible sight. The sky was blood red and there was an orange glow to the area like a fire had been lit. In the distance, they could see what appeared to be a huge volcano. Luka stepped back in horror as his mind flashed back to the Paris he had witnessed. Even though it was a different look, he couldn’t help but feel a wave of panic wash over him. It could be Simme for all he knew. Feeling a panic attack creeping up on him, he rushed back inside and into his room, causing Tikki to look at him with concern. “Luka?!”
“It’s… it’s not the same,” He muttered, trying to calm himself. He began to mentally count, using the technique that Dr Lang had taught him before taking a deep breath. “It’s not the same,”
“Take deep breaths, Luka,” Tikki stated, causing him to nod and do so as she looked over “I hope Plagg didn’t use his cataclysm,”
“C-Could he cause that?” He asked, starting to calm down as he realised that it was probably an akuma. He shook his head before taking one last breath. “We need to transform,”
“Are you going to be ok?” Tikki asked, concerned written over her features.
“I’ll be fine. It was just a small moment of panic,” He admitted but he was slowly getting better with handling them. Tikki nodded before he swiped his earrings. “Tikki spots on!”
The red glow covered his body, leaving Anatis in his place before he opened his porthole and climbed out. He threw his yoyo and swung towards the Volcano, heading to the building where Lady Noir was already waiting. He landed next to her, causing her to look at him.
“Looks like Stormy Weather’s made a comeback,” She stated, making him frown before she looked over at him. “So far, she’s not made any actual attack apart from the big volcano but according to the experts, it’s moving us away from the sun,”
“Away from the sun?” He questioned, frowning.
“That seems to be her goal,” She confirmed as Stormy Weather flew a bit closer to the helicopter, filming the scene. Anatis frowned as he watched her. It wasn’t because she ignored them but because her song sounded distorted and she seemed to be in rage. It reminded him of something but right now, he couldn’t put his finger on it. “She seems to be more interesting in the camera then us,”
“Well, let’s see what she has to say,” He replied, making her nod as Stormy Weather focused her attention on the camera.
“I’m using this volcano to move the Earth away from the sun!” She declared, making the heroes frown. That definitely appeared to be her goal. “Soon, the world will be plunged into a perpetual winter and all earthlings will be nothing but frozen food! Then you’ll see how truly powerful I am!”
She burst into evil laughter as lightning struck around her, making the heroes frown.
“So that’s her play,” Anatis stated, pulling a thinking face as Lady Noir looked at him. “She’s trying to prove a point and show her power but why? Aurora isn’t usually this type of person. I know she’s been akumatized but she knows her worth and doesn’t need to prove it. The times she has been akumatized… it’s not because someone questioned her ability but jealousy… so why the sudden change?”
“Perhaps we need to do some detective work,” Lady Noir replied, making Anatis nod. “Let’s start with her classmates. Maybe someone saw something,”
“Sounds good to me,” He replied, nodding. “She seems more interested in playing up for the cameras right now anyway,”
Lady Noir nodded before the two of them headed off to find Aurora’s classmates to see if they could find the cause of her sudden akumazation.
~At the Grand Paris Hotel~
Zoe frowned to herself as she looked over at the volcano that the akuma had summoned. She wasn’t sure what to make of it but it would give her a good sense of how the heroes worked so she was watching the battle… except there wasn’t much of one. She thought that Anatis and Lady Noir would charge head first into a fight but instead they had left the scene. Not that Stormy Weather had noticed. She seemed too busy, showing off her power before flying off. Zoe frowned as she had waited on the roof to see when she would come back. Hearing the lift ping, she let out a sigh before turning around to face the butler.
“Mademoiselle, I know this is your first time seeing an akuma but please come inside. We can watch it on the news,” He stated, making her frown before she nodded and turned to follow him but before they could, a loud thump caught their attention. Zoe turned around and saw Lady Noir and Anatis where she had stood. “Ah, Mademoiselle Noir and Monsieur Anatis, what can we help you with?”
“We’re trying to find out what caused Aurora to turn back into Stormy Weather,” Anatis explained, making him frown and nod. “Could we come inside and question Miss Raincomplex? We were informed she was here and might have seen something,”
“Yes, of course,” He replied, allowing them to come into the lift. Zoe sneaked a peak at the hero as Jean leaned over and pressed the button. Lady Noir was humming a little and Anatis seemed to be thinking. However, he noticed her staring and gave her a gentle smile, making her cheek flush slightly.
“You must be Zoe,” He stated, making her blink and look at him in surprise. “I’m Anatis and this is Lady Noir,”
“Welcome to Paris!” The cat girl grinned, holding up her fingers in a peace sign. “It’s nice to meet you by the way,”
“It’s nice to meet you too,” She smiled, making the heroes smile back. “But how did you know about me?”
“Oh, my informant told me about it,” Anatis confessed, surprising her. “Nothing bad I assure you,”
“My informant also told me,” Lady Noir added in, surprising her even more. “Nothing bad either,”
“You have informants?” She asked, surprised. Both Anatis and Lady Noir grinned, making her feel a little on edge. It was the type of grin that told her that it wasn’t just one person. They had multiple in the school. She would have to be careful. “Wow,”
“Here we are,” Jean stated as the lift stopped and opened, causing them to walk into the penthouse. Chloe was curled up in her blanket, holding Mr Cuddly while Sabrina was pacing. “Mademoiselle Sabrina, Anatis and Lady Noir wish to talk with you,”
“Oh,” She gasped, walking over as Zoe hovered nearby. “Is everything ok?”
“We’ve been questioning Aurora’s classmates to find out the cause. A few of them mentioned you were talking with her as she left school,” Anatis stated, making Sabrina nod. “Did anything happen?”
“Yes!” She gasped, making them frown. “Aurora was talking to me about her GPS score and Lila Rossi overheard us and offered to tutor her, using it to spit one of her lies. Obviously, we didn’t believe her and when Aurora called her out on it, she made fun of Aurora and called her a villain and told her that her power was pathetic. She was really mean but Aurora brushed it off or at least, I thought she did. I should have known,”
“Sabrina, take a deep breath,” Anatis ordered, causing her to nod. “You did nothing wrong. As per usual, Lila was the cause of this so I’m not even surprised. It also explains why Stormy Weather seems to be trying to make a point. In her mind, she’s proving that she is in fact more powerful than Lila said. Thank you for this information, Sabrina. It’s been very useful,”
“You’re welcome, Anatis,” Sabrina answered, feeling a bit calmer. “But does this mean Aurora is going to hurt Lila?”
“Probably,” He sighed, frowning. “I suppose we better go make sure she’s ok,”
“Do we have to?” Lady Noir whined as the two headed walked back over to the lift.
“Yes,” He replied, though he didn’t sound happy about it before he looked at everyone. “Stay inside, wrap up warm and keep calm. We’ll get Paris back to normal soon,”
“Ok!” Sabrina nodded as they disappeared into the lift. Zoe watched as her eyes lingered on where the heroes had been. Sabrina moved closer to her. “You know Chloe has a life size cut out of him. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if you borrowed it,”
“What?” Zoe asked as Chloe shot up.
“Hey! That is my lifesize cut out!” She declared, making Sabrina smile. “If Zoe wants one, Daddy can buy her one too!”
“You have a lifesize cut out of Anatis?” Zoe asked as Chloe grinned proudly. “Do you have a crush on him or something?”
“Who doesn’t?” Chloe asked as Sabrina blushed a little. Zoe wasn’t surprised by that. The boy was attractive. “I still need to get a life size cut of Lady Noir as well,”
“Wait what?!”
“What? I have a crush on her too,”
~The Rossi’s House~
Anatis landed on the window seal, frowning as he noticed the window was open. Lady Noir landed next as he climbed inside then followed. Both of them shivered as they glanced around Lila’s room. It was freezing to the point of seeing their breaths and the masks covering her walls did not help. Anatis walked over to the laptop on the floor and picked it up, frowning as he saw ice on it. He glanced over and saw an icy patch on the wall.
“Seems Aurora came here,” He muttered, making Lady Noir nod as she shivered. “I’d guess she came through the window and fired at Lila but she got out of the way before it could hit her,”
He walked over to the door and opened it, finding the hallway covered in ice too. It was colder here as well.
“I think we better use our winter suits,” He stated, getting a nod from Lady Noir before they both took out the power up snack and ate them, turning their suits into their winter ones. Anatis walked into the hallway and followed the ice through the house. “She must of ran downstairs,”
“And Aurora followed,” Lady Noir replied as they made their way downstairs. As soon as they did, they saw Mrs Rossi frozen with a look of shock on her face. By the way she was standing, it appeared that someone had pushed her in front of them. “Did she seriously sacrifice her own mother?”
“Are we really surprised?” Anatis questioned as they followed the ice. “She caused her and her father to be akumatized,”
“True but still…” Lady Noir mumbled as they came across her father in a similar way. They made their way past him, coming to the back door which was open. They walked outside and came to a stop as they found Lila frozen in the garden as she attempted to run away. “Did her no good in the end,”
“You’re right about that,” Stormy Weather’s voice declared, causing the two heroes to gasp and look behind them before she attempted to freeze them. The two heroes jumped back, avoiding her ice as she cackled before they took out their weapons and charged at her. She dodged them and fired more ice at them before Lady Noir dived at her. She almost got to her but last second, Stormy Weather turned on her and hit her with a strong gale, smirking as she did. Lady Noir was knocked to the ground and Stormy Weather pointed her umbrella at her, only this time it didn’t appear to have ice. Lady Noir gasped as a bolt of lightning almost struck her but Anatis pulled her out of the way and threw his yoyo towards Stormy Weather, who knocked it back with ease and sent him a glare that could kill. “You’ll never defeat me, you stupid bug! I’m a hurricane!”
With those words, she directed her umbrella at them and summoned strong winds, sending them crashing through a building roof as she laughed evilly.
“Ouch,” Anatis gasped, rubbing his back as Lady Noir got up. He pulled himself up as well before turning to her. “Are you ok?”
“Nothing broken,” She grinned, making him smile back. “But Stormy Weather is so much more stronger and… colder then before,”
“You noticed too,” He sighed, frowning. “Something about all this doesn’t add up. I know she went after people before but to completely try and plunge the earth into a new ice age just to prove a point… even for an akuma, it seems extreme,”
“That and she certainly seemed willing to kill us,” Lady Noir replied, making him frown. “I’m pretty certain that bolt of lightning would have turned me to dust. Thanks for the save,”
“Anytime, Kitten,” He smiled before making a face. She raised an eyebrow. “She knocked us into this building right?”
“Yeah,” She replied, a little confused as to why he asked.
“Then why hasn’t she chased after us?” He questioned, making her frown too. Most normal akumas chase after them. That’s usually their whole goal. Sure, there were a number of them that completed their goal first but they always went after them afterwards. The only one that didn’t really do that was Crescendo. Sure, she had tried to take their miraculous but her behaviour was erratic and she kept on changing her goal. “Something isn’t right at all,”
“She reminds me of Crescendo a little bit,” Lady Noir mumbled, making Anatis look at her before he pulled a face, like he was thinking. “Like the erratic behaviour and the killer streak. You know what. Just ign-”
“That’s it!” He gasped, making her jump a little. “That’s what I couldn’t place. Earlier when she was focused on the camera, I c
