Chapter Text
The next morning, Marinette actually woke up early for once. Just before heading out, she stood in front of the mirror, studying the coin-shaped necklace resting against her chest. "This old-school style doesn't really go with my outfit, does it, Mullo?"
"Doesn't it?" Mullo flew a loop around her, then added, "I think it fits you perfectly, one hundred percent."
"That's not the same thing." Marinette laughed, tucking the necklace under her shirt, then opened her little bag for Mullo to hop inside. She grabbed yesterday's homework and rushed off to school. By the time she reached the gate, a crowd had already gathered, buzzing with conversation.
She made her way to the classroom and found everyone huddled around Alya.
"Hey, Marinette, perfect timing. Did you check out my blog?" Alya beamed. All eyes turned toward her—well, almost all. Adrien hadn't arrived yet.
Marinette edged closer to Alya, doing her best to blend in like any ordinary girl. "Of course... the new superheroes, right? Viperien and Motimouse?"
"Viperion and Multimouse, girl." Alya corrected her with a grin. "By the way, I like your new necklace."
"Thanks." Marinette let out a few light laughs and jumped right into the conversation.
"They're so cool," Juleka murmured.
"Totally," Rose chimed in, cupping her cheeks. "They even saved Ladybird and Chat Noir. Oh, they're so brave, aren't they? They didn't back down even against Lady Wifi."
Juleka smiled and nodded, a faint blush rising to her cheeks.
"I love their outfits," Nino sighed.
"With Viperion and Multimouse around, Ladybird and Chat Noir's shoulders will feel a little lighter from now on." Mylène squeezed Ivan's hand; they exchanged a glance, clearly both relieved by the thought.
Max adjusted his glasses. "I'd say so. According to data projections, with the two new heroes on board, the success rate of superhero rescues will increase by 26.171967 percent."
"Too bad Alya didn't catch them in action—that must've been spectacular." Kim folded his arms behind his head, a little let down.
"If I'd been there, I would've drawn them for sure," Nathaniel sighed.
Alix teased from the side, "If all of Paris showed up, the superheroes probably wouldn't even have to break a sweat—the citizens could just overwhelm the villains with sheer numbers."
Everyone burst out laughing. No one noticed the faint pink that crept across Marinette's cheeks. When she got home after class, she'd definitely tell Mullo that this had been one of the best days of her life.
Before long, the classroom door swung open. Adrien strode in, radiating energy, and waved at everyone. "Good morning, everyone!"
Everyone smiled and nodded in greeting—except Marinette, who looked a little flustered. "Hey..." She gave a tiny wave, a nervous, shy smile plastered on her face. Her gaze clung to him as he chatted and laughed with Nino, following him until Miss Bustier walked in.
"Good morning, class! Hope you all had a wonderful day yesterday. Now, please open your books to page 79..."
—
"That's all for today. But before you go, could you all hold on for a moment?" Miss Bustier called out to the few students already gathering their things. She turned on the projector, and a poster for a design competition appeared on the screen. "Our school will be hosting a hat design contest. And Mr. Gabriel Agreste—Adrien's father—will be our judge. The winner's piece will be featured in Mr. Agreste's next fashion show, and it will be worn and presented by Adrien himself."
Marinette exchanged an excited glance with Alya—she was already itching to get started.
Just then, Mr. Damocles walked in and said a few words. "Now then, let me announce the theme of this competition—the bowler hat!" A sleek all-black bowler hat appeared on the big screen.
"A bowler hat?" Marinette turned to Alya, who just shrugged. Mr. Damocles kept talking, but Marinette's gaze had already drifted to Chloé in the front row. The latter flashed her a loser sign, making Marinette frown in annoyance.
During break, she and Alya huddled together, flipping through her sketchbook.
"A bowler hat? I've never designed a bowler hat!" She paced back and forth anxiously. "Top hats, flat caps, baseball caps, beanies—I've done all of those! Berets? Bring 'em on! Wide-brimmed hats? No problem! I've even designed a horned hat! But a bowler hat..." She bit her lip, frozen in place with frustration.
"And worse—I'm so clumsy. What if I trip during the exhibition and the hat flies right into Mr. Agreste? He'd end up in the hospital, Adrien would hate me forever, I'd be blacklisted from the fashion world, and my life would be over!" She rattled on, finally collapsing dramatically to her knees in front of Alya, as if all hope were lost.
Alya watched her, amused. She picked up Marinette's sketchbook and tried to reassure her. "You've got real talent, girl. Believe in yourself. I'm sure your skills will impress Mr. Agreste. Let me just take a look—"
"It's no use... I can't do anything right..." Marinette slumped into a chair, deflated.
Alya didn't argue. She flipped through the designs one by one. Suddenly, a shadow fell over the sketchbook.
"These designs are really impressive, Alya. Didn't know you had such a gift," Adrien teased.
Alya smiled back. "Thanks, but you're giving credit to the wrong person—these are all Marinette's."
"Really?" Adrien's eyes widened in surprise, turning toward Marinette, who was now hiding behind her chair out of sheer shyness. "You're so talented. I bet you'll take the crown."
"Really? Thank me—I mean, thanks to you I could—uh—I mean, thank you." Marinette clapped a hand over her face in embarrassment. She'd blown it again.
Adrien blinked, momentarily stunned, then quickly recovered his smile. "I believe in you, Marinette. You've got this." With that, he walked off.
Alya watched him disappear, let out a soft sigh, then turned to Marinette, who still couldn't face reality. "He's gone, Marinette."
Marinette sank back into her chair with a groan. "I did terribly just now, didn't I?"
Alya rested her chin on her hand. "Could've been worse—at least you managed to say words in front of him." That made Marinette look up, a little wounded. Alya chuckled, pulled out her phone, and tapped the timer. "You've got nine hours left to design. Aren't you going to get started?"
"What?!" Marinette shot up. "Alright then—time to head to my secret garden for some inspiration." She grabbed her sketchbook and bolted out the school gate, waving back at Alya as she ran. "I'll be done in no time!" Alya just sat there on the bench, shaking her head with a light laugh.
Marinette ran all the way to the park and plopped down on a set of steps. She opened her sketchbook, tapping her chin with her pencil, still unsure where to start.
"Trouble?" Mullo poked her head out of the bag.
"Yeah, but maybe not," Marinette murmured. "I entered a design competition. The winner's piece gets shown at Mr. Gabriel Agreste's next fashion show—and worn by his son, Adrien."
"Agreste? Who's that?" Mullo tilted her head.
"Mr. Gabriel Agreste is a famous fashion designer, and his son Adrien is a model. Oh, he's handsome, kind, cheerful, brave, upright..."
"Alright, alright. So you like this Adrien kid?"
"What?!" Marinette's eyes flew open, her hands waving frantically. "Do I? I don't think so. I mean, Adrien's a great guy, and I admire him—" She caught Mullo's teasing look, paused for a moment, then finally admitted it. "Yeah, I like him—but he doesn't like me back."
"You never know. Maybe he's secretly in love with you too?" Mullo giggled. "Oh—Marinette, I like you—Oh—Adrien, I like you too—" Mullo mimicked them both in an exaggerated tone, making Marinette laugh shyly. "Alright, you little mischief-maker." She giggled, turning her attention back to the bowler hat. "What theme should I give this hat... a wildflower?"
She sketched out a draft in a few strokes, then frowned almost immediately.
"What's wrong?" Mullo asked.
"This doesn't quite work together, Mullo." Marinette tore out the page and started fresh on a blank sheet. Time slipped by, and before she knew it, a pile of crumpled paper balls had gathered around her—yet she still hadn't landed on a satisfactory design.
Just as Mullo let out a yawn and Marinette chuckled softly, a man in a gray suit sat down on a nearby bench. He started feeding the pigeons, but soon a park warden came over and chased him off.
"That poor man," Marinette said sympathetically.
"Yeah, poor guy," Mullo agreed. "Hey, don't you think he kind of looks like a bird among humans? Especially a pigeon, right?"
"Hmm... now that you mention it, yeah, a little." Marinette chewed on her pencil, then suddenly felt a spark of inspiration. "I think I know exactly what kind of hat to draw now." Her pencil flew across the sketchbook page, and before long, she stopped. She held up her work and gave a satisfied nod.
"Yes, this is it!" Marinette packed up her sketchbook, tossed the trash, and rushed home to start sewing. But when her hat finally started to look like something, she felt something was missing. She glanced at her sketch and it hit her: "Feathers! Oh no, I forgot to pick up a pigeon feather—" She grabbed Mullo and dashed back to the park. Pigeons were scattered all over the ground, but as soon as she approached, they fluttered away. She searched around, finally picking up a feather in perfect condition. After admiring it for a moment, she strode off with a smile.
But just as she was about to leave the park, a gust of wind swept through and snatched the feather right out of her hand. She cursed under her breath—that feather was her prized find—and chased after it. She followed it all the way to the park entrance. Somehow, more feathers had begun to drift through the air. Her gaze kept following that fated feather. Finally, her feather landed on the shoulder of a passerby.
"Oh no—" Marinette groaned.
She crept closer, hoping to retrieve the feather, while sizing up the boy as she moved.
He wore a helmet and a T-shirt with a Jagged silhouette print on it—probably a delivery driver, she thought. And he had great taste—judging by his black-and-blue ombré hair and that shirt. He was holding his phone with a slight frown, more absorbed in the screen than in her approach—which gave her some hope of success.
Holding her breath, she reached out carefully, her fingertips just a hair's breadth away from that perfect feather. But unfortunately, he turned his head.
"Hello?" He looked at her in mild surprise. "Can I help you with something?"
"Ah!" Marinette whipped her arm back, hands behind her back, standing ramrod straight. She forced a smile. "No... nothing at all..." She scratched her chin awkwardly, eyes locked on the feather on his shoulder. "I mean, the feather."
"The feather?" He tilted his head and followed her gaze to his own shoulder. A smile crept onto his face when he saw it, which sent a soft pink blush blooming across Marinette's cheeks.
"Do you need it?" he asked. It sounded like he already knew the answer, but Marinette was too flustered to notice. She nodded frantically, terrified he might say no.
"I do! It will make a bowler hat! I mean—I'll make it! I'll use it to make..." Her voice faded with embarrassment, and she wished she could just stop talking.
Luckily, he didn't comment further—he just smiled and handed the feather back to her.
As his hand reached out, she noticed his nails painted with black polish. For some reason, it reminded her of Juleka.
"Thank you." Marinette took the feather, clutching it tightly between her fingers. She held it up in front of her face, then curiously peeked over it—only to find his gaze, warm with amusement, resting on her cheek. A jolt of electricity shot from the ground straight to the top of her head. She dropped her eyes instantly, staring at the ground nearby, but the ghost of his blue eyes still lingered in her mind. Her heart fluttered.
"You're welcome," he said gently. "So, does that mean you're a designer?"
"Me? No way—I'm just, you know, interested in fashion design..." Marinette stammered. "And besides, no one would care about my designs anyway..." She avoided his gaze, a little deflated, and let out a bitter laugh.
"Really?" The boy seemed surprised. "I don't think so."
Now Marinette was the one taken aback. "You—you don't?"
He smiled knowingly. "Nope. How could something created by a soul as interesting as yours ever be ordinary? And besides... you know, when I talk to you, I can hear a really wonderful melody inside you. It sounds... adorable."
Marinette's eyebrows lifted slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing her face. Then warmth crept into her cheeks, a soft rosy glow spreading across them. She looked at the boy's sincere face, feeling a little dazed.
What did he say?
She can't tell.
Her ears seem to be broken - she can't hear anything but a buzzing noise right now.
What on earth is he talking about?
God.
He's laughing.
Is she having hallucinations? Or has she gone crazy?She actually thought that smile was so charming.
That sucks.
What's wrong with her?
Oh, wait. Why is he so panicked?
"Are you okay？"
She snapped back to reality. The boy looked at her worriedly.
"I—I'm fine.Did something happen?" She glanced around, confused.
"Nothing." He shrugged, a smile lit up in his eyes again. "I thought you were going to pass out—you looked really red and barely said a word. "
"Oh— really?" She saw him nod with a grin and cringed inside. "I'm sorry... I was just daydreaming..."
"No worries."The boy said, "By the way, I'm Luka, what about you？"
“Ma-Ma-Marinette.”She said—her tongue got tangled again.
“Nice to meet you. Ma-Ma-Marinette. ”Luka chuckled a few times, then noticed her embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to mock you."
"It's okay! Absolutely nothing wrong!" Marinette hurriedly said, "I don't care."
"Really?"Luka asked.At that moment, his phone rang. "Sorry." After checking the information, he let out a soft sigh.
"What's wrong?"
"Akuma alert."Luka said concisely, "I think we'd better hide up quickly."
Marinette's alarm bells went off.
"I really don't want to say goodbye to you... (This only confused Marinette more) Hope there are fewer pigeons in Paris next time we meet." They both glanced up at the gray birds circling, swooping, and fluttering above them.
"Yeah..."Marinette muttered to herself. So many grey pigeons were just too much to handle.
Just before he left, Luka turned back and flashed her a smile. " If you were planning to take a bus home, walking would be faster—at least until the pigeons start flying." He gave her a wink, then strolled off with style. "Goodbye—"
"G-goodbye—" Marinette panted. As soon as Luka left, Marinette quickly ran to some dark spot, and then opened her small round bag, and let Mullo fly out.
"It's time to fight!" Marinette shouted with full enthusiasm.
"It's my turn!" Mullo cheered.
"Yeah–Mullo, Get Squeaky!" A flash of pink light, and Multimouse appeared. She bounded onto the rooftops, darting through the city. As she reveled in the wind brushing against her face, a familiar voice called out: "Multimouse!"
She skidded to a halt and followed the sound. There, under a tree, stood Ladybird and Viperion, while Chat Noir paced back and forth wearing a park warden's hat.
Multimouse dropped down to the ground, and Ladybird waved her over.
Ladybird glanced at Chat Noir, who was acting especially odd, then explained to Multimouse: "We're going to use the park warden to lure out Mr. Pigeon—the new akuma—because he seems to only target wardens who stop him from feeding the pigeons."
"Got it."
"When the pigeons carry Chat Noir away, the three of us follow. During the fight, I need you both to use your powers freely—don't worry about the consequences; I'll fix everything. Also, after the battle, if you both have time, I'd like to talk to you." No sooner had Ladybird finished than a swarm of pigeons snatched Chat Noir away. The three of them followed the birds to the rooftop of the Paris Grand Hotel, where the pigeons suddenly dropped a cage that trapped them inside.
"We walked right into a trap!" Multimouse said.
A purple butterfly emblem appeared before Mr. Pigeon, and after it faded, he cradled a pigeon and declared, "Hand over your miraculouses! Or else my pigeons will—"
"Cataclysm!"
The cage shattered instantly. Mr. Pigeon's face froze for a moment, but he quickly blew his whistle, sending a wave of pigeons hurtling toward the four heroes. Chaos erupted. And to make matters worse, Chat Noir kept sneezing uncontrollably because of his feather allergy.
"Enjoy yourselves, superheroes!" Mr. Pigeon laughed as he slowly backed away. Just as the group burst through the flock, he stood at the edge of the rooftop and leaned backward, falling.
"No—!" They scrambled to the edge, watching helplessly as the pigeons carried him off to safety.
Ladybird slammed her fist on the ledge, though her face showed no real anger.
If Mr. Pigeon had looked back, he would've noticed one superhero was missing—Multimouse.
During the skirmish with the pigeons, she'd used Multitude to create multiple copies of herself and slipped onto his birds. That way, they could track his location through the signal Multimouse emitted.
"Alright, let's go now—" Ladybird leaped onto the ledge, but Viperion held her back. She raised an eyebrow, confused. "We only have five minutes," she said, frowning.
"I know," Viperion replied, pointing downstairs. "But Chat Noir's gone down to recharge."
Ladybird's brow furrowed deeper. Clearly, she wasn't thrilled. "How long do we have to wait?"
Viperion shrugged, signaling he had no idea.
She had no choice but to jump down and head downstairs, with Viperion following behind.
Once Chat Noir was recharged, Multimouse's location signal came through. When they reached the destination, they found all the park wardens tied up and locked in cages, while Multimouse was under siege by a swarm of pigeons.
Mr. Pigeon stood high above, waving his arms and mimicking pigeon calls, as if cheering on his flock.
"Ganging up on one person isn't very fair, Mr. Pigeon." Ladybird summoned her Lucky Charm—a single coin. "That's not enough to bribe me," Mr. Pigeon sneered, then blew his whistle, sending another wave of pigeons charging at them.
Chat Noir swung his staff while sneezing uncontrollably, which actually made a few pigeons back off. Meanwhile, Viperion unleashed a sonic wave, but the pigeons wobbled in the air for a moment then dove at him again.
Ladybird whipped her yo-yo to drive the birds back, scanning the area, but the flock made it nearly impossible to assess her surroundings. Worse, she couldn't harm the pigeons.
So they were stuck.
"Look, victory belongs to my pigeons!" By now, Mr. Pigeon had popped open a bottle of champagne—clearly enjoying himself.
"Second Chance!" Viperion activated his rewind.
"Well, well. At least I have room for trial and error now," Ladybird thought. Just then, a vending machine caught her eye. She made up her mind and hurled the coin at it.
Mr. Pigeon saw it and blew his whistle again. The pigeons swarmed toward the machine to peck at the coin. With the birds out of the way, Viperion triggered another rewind.
"Multimouse! Use your rope to tie up Mr. Pigeon!" he shouted.
In an instant, a jump rope flew out from the pigeon flock and wrapped tightly around him.
"No!" he yelled. At that same moment, Ladybird used her yo-yo to snatch the snack dispensed from the vending machine and hurled it at Mr. Pigeon.
"Chat Noir!"
"On it!" Chat Noir extended his staff and smashed the packaging, showering Mr. Pigeon with a whole bag of crumbs.
"Time to eat, pigeons!"
The pigeons swarmed around Mr. Pigeon, pecking at the food. Somehow, one of them bit through the cord of his whistle, and it fell. Multimouse, who was close, caught it and tossed it to Chat Noir. He summoned Cataclysm and destroyed it the moment it touched his hand. Then an akuma flew out.
Ladybird swung her yo-yo to purify it. After releasing the butterfly, she caught the coin Viperion had shaken from the vending machine, tossed it in the air, and cried, "Miraculous Ladybird!"
Red ladybugs swept across Paris, restoring everything back to normal.
"Pound it!"
Just then, Multimouse's necklace chimed. She looked at Ladybird, slightly at a loss.
Ladybird squinted, then let out a sigh. "You can go for now. But from now on, all of us will take turns patrolling each night—I'll arrange the schedule later. Don't forget to show up."
Multimouse smiled, waved to the group, and left first. She landed in a nearby alley and detransformed the moment her feet touched the ground. Marinette appeared, catching Mullo, who looked utterly famished.
"Sorry, I didn't know pigeons could be so fierce." Marinette fed Mullo a piece of cheese, her expression apologetic.
Mullo swallowed the cheese in one bite, let out a satisfied burp, and rubbed her belly contentedly. Marinette couldn't help but laugh.
—
Back at school, Alya anxiously checked the time, silently praying Marinette wouldn't be late.
And as if on cue, Marinette arrived with seconds to spare.
"There you are. Where've you been?" Alya asked.
"I—I—I was just polishing some details—" Marinette panted. Once she caught her breath, she pulled out her hat. Alya gasped in admiration, then tilted her head in confusion. "Wait... this looks exactly like Chloé's!"
"What?!" Marinette spun around and saw it was true—and worse, Chloé was staring back at her with a smug, challenging look. "She copied me!" Marinette fumed. "We have to tell Miss Bustier!" Alya insisted. "That's not fair!"
Marinette paused, thought for a moment, then regained her composure. "No need—I've got proof." She lifted her chin, radiating confidence.
Sure enough, she proved it with the unique signature on her hat. And her design won the approval of Mr. Gabriel Agreste himself.
"You really are the best, Marinette," Adrien said with a warm smile.
"R-really?" Marinette beamed shyly, watching Adrien put on the hat, her heart racing with excitement. Unfortunately, Adrien also had a feather allergy, which rendered her carefully chosen feather useless. She looked at it, and unconsciously, Luka's face drifted into her mind—his smile, his voice, his warmth—
She found herself looking forward to seeing him again.
No matter how many pigeons Paris had.
—
"You're here."
Multimouse had barely steadied herself on a rooftop when Ladybird spoke.
She nodded, waving a quick hello to Viperion, who was already there.
"Where's Chat Noir?" she asked.
"He's on his way." Ladybird glanced at her yo-yo and closed it. "—He's here."
The next second, Chat Noir appeared before them, effortlessly waving, winking, and cracking jokes, though Ladybird didn't seem impressed. She cleared her throat, drawing the attention of the other three.
"I called you all here because I have something to say."
"We're all ears." Chat Noir leaned on his staff, grinning.
"Please don't interrupt me. About a week ago, Chat Noir and I were chosen as the superheroes tasked with protecting Paris. I represent creation, and he represents destruction. Originally, the Guardian planned for only the two of us to act when akumas appeared, but yesterday, we nearly failed. So the Guardian brought in the two of you to help us. Viperion represents intuition, and Multimouse represents multiplication. During battles with akumas, I need you to fully utilize your abilities and adapt on the fly."
"In daily life, I don't often have time to patrol or help civilians outside of akuma attacks, so I'll need the three of you to take regular shifts, assist people in need, and help maintain peace in Paris." "And finally, the root cause of all this is the misuse of the Butterfly Miraculous. Somehow, it fell into the hands of Hawk Moth. He represents transmission and can create followers, giving them unique powers. He uses this to spread chaos in order to steal Chat Noir's and my miraculouses. Because by combining our powers, a user can make one wish—but at an equal cost. That's why we have to stop Hawk Moth—to keep the miraculous from being used for selfish gain, and to protect peace in this world."
"From now on, we'll work together to save Paris. And no matter what, under any circumstances, you must never reveal your true identities—not to family, not to friends. Not even to each other. Any objections?"
They all shook their heads. "No."
Ladybird let out a breath, relieved. A soft smile crossed her face as she extended her fist. "Partners?"
"Partners!"