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“All right kids! Your father and I are going to be in rehearsal all day, so you can have fun exploring Paris! Just don’t get into any trouble and remember to be at the concert by 8. We have front row seats reserved for all of you.”
Candace jumped came running in from the balcony of their suite in the Grand Paris hotel, “Does this mean I’m in charge? Please, pretty please say I’m in charge!”
Her mom gave her a tired look, “Wouldn’t you rather spend time with Jeremy in Paris rather than exhausting yourself running after your brothers and their friends? It’s not like there’s much they can do in an unfamiliar country,” The boys and their friends looked up innocently from where they were sitting on one of the king sized beds, “just walk around and see the sights, Candace!”
With that, the parents, dressed in their Lindonna and Max Modem outfits, walked out the door to meet with Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale.
Candace leveled a glare at the kids, “I don’t know what you guys are up to, but just know, I am on to you. If you cross one toe out of line, then…” She pointed two fingers at her eyes then at the boys.
“Hey Candace!” Jeremy said as he walked in from the balcony, “Would you like to go walk along the seine with me?”
Candace nodded with hearts in her eyes, and walked to the door with a final glare at her brothers.
“Wait!” Phineas called, “Before you go, Baljeet!”
“Oh yes!” Baljeet reached into his bag and pulled out something that looked like a mix between a ray gun and TV satellite dish, which he pointed at the pair. For a few seconds they were engulfed in sound waves and then, “Cool invention dudes,” Jeremy said, “What does it do?”
“It’s a universal translator!” Baljeet replied, “It syncs your brain waves to any language you hear and allows you to understand and speak it fluently. It lasts for up to two weeks.”
“What the nerd’s tryin’ to say,” Buford interrupted, “Is that you guys can speak french now.”
“Cool” Jeremy smiled.
“And why didn’t you pull that out before Mom and Dad walked out the door?” Candace whined.
Phineas and Ferb just shrugged, “They seemed so excited to learn French and the universal translator wouldn’t really help them with that.”
“Whatever,” Candace sighed, “just don’t do anything bust worthy today, please? Jeremy and I want to actually enjoy Paris.” And with that they walked out the door.
Phineas looked at the rest of the group, “Do we ever do anything bust worthy?”
Ferb shrugged.
“So Ferb, what do you wanna do today?”
They were all sitting on the stairs of the Trocadero, trying to ignore a weird guy who was surrounded by pigeons. Ferb looked over to his right to see a girl a few years older than them drawing in a sketchbook. He nudged his brother, who nudged Buford, who nudged Baljeet (“Ow!”), who nudged Isabella.
“Ask the question Isabella!” Phineas whispered loudly.
“What question?” Isabella whispered back.
“You know,” Ferb said, “The question you always ask.”
“Oh!” Isabella walked over to the girl and tapped on her shoulder, “Whatcha doin”?”
Marinette looked up at Isabella in surprise, then sighed, “I’m trying to design but everything’s just coming out depressed. I mean, I like blue as much as the next designer, but I don’t need an entire sketchbook of it. I was supposed to be hanging out with friends today, including the guy I like but,” She scowled, “His father decided that he needed to do a photoshoot today, and so wouldn’t let him come. I have two other friends, but they’re dating each other and it took less than a half an hour for me to get sick of third wheeling. I told them that I had some designing to get done, but…” she gestured helplessly to her sketchbook, “I guess it’s not going too well.”
“So, you’re feeling depressed because the guy you like couldn’t hang out?” Isabella glanced over at Phineas, who was listening to Marinette attentively, “Yeah, I’d feel depressed too.” She thought for a moment, “Guys, I know what we’re gonna do today!”
The rest of the group congregated around Isabella and Marinette, who seemed very surprised at her impromptu adoption by a group of American kids.
“If we can get...I’m sorry, what’s your name?”
“Oh, um, I’m Marinette.”
“If we can get Marinette together with the boy she likes...what’s his name?”
“It’s, uh, it’s Adrien.”
“If we can get Marinette together with Adrien, then I can get my matchmaker patch!”
“Umm, that’s very nice of you, and I hate to break it to you, but he’s totally oblivious and I’m a total ditz.”
Isabella patted Marinette’s arm in sympathy, “We have to try,” then more quietly, “At least maybe it’ll give me ideas on how to get through to an oblivious boy.”
“All right guys!” Phineas declared, “Let’s set a romantic atmosphere to get Marinette her man! Hey” he looked around, “Where’s Perry?”
Perry scuttled away from the group and hid behind a wall when his watch started beeping.
“Agent P” Major Monogram’s face appeared on the tiny screen, “Dr. Doofenshmirtz has been spotted in Paris.” Pictures flashed across the screen showing Doofenshmirtz hauling a complicated piece of machinery up a ridiculously tall building, “We don’t know exactly what he’s doing there, but he has set up base on the top of Montparnasse tower. We understand that you live in the tristate area, so we’ll need you to use this highly experimental teleportation technology that most likely won’t vaporize you. I’d normally have Karl try it first, but I honestly forgot.”
Perry chittered a response.
“Oh, you’re already in paris? That’s just lucky then! Karl! I have a new highly experimental technology to try on you!”
“Will I get paid?”
“Don’t be ridiculous Karl!”
“Hey,” Phineas said, “Isn’t Paris the City of Love?”
Ferb and Marinette both nodded.
“Why don’t we do a hot air balloon tour of all of the city’s most romantic spots?”
Marinette looked at the group skeptically, “Aren’t you guys a little young to be building hot air balloons?”
“Why yes, yes we are.”
“Do you always play this song when you’re building something?”
“Yep! Why? Do you not like it? We can probably change it if we need to.”
“No, it’s a good song. I was just wondering.”
Her brothers were up to something. Candace knew it. She could almost smell it in the air. Wait. Candace sniffed, yep, underneath the smells of pastries and mouldy cheese, there was the unmistakable smell of ongoing welding. She’d know that scent anywhere.
She dashed off with Jeremy following close behind and rounded a corner to find a fleet of hot air balloons shaped like giant hearts.
“Boys! I warned you not to do anything bust worthy!”
Phineas looked at Ferb, “Does this count as bust worthy?” Ferb shrugged.
“You guys are so busted! I’m telling Mom!”
And with that she ran off, Jeremy in tow.
“Who was that?” Marinette asked.
“Oh, that was our sister Candace.” Phineas replied, “I hope she brings back Mom and Dad, they’d love to get a tour of Paris from above.” He clapped his hands together, “Well, are we ready to go pick everyone up?”
Candace burst through the door of the practice studio in the middle of a set, “Mom! Mom! Mom! The boys are building hot air balloons, you have to bust them!”
Linda sighed, “Sorry about her, Jagged, this is my daughter Candace. She’s a little...excitable.” She turned back to her daughter, “I thought you were going to enjoy being in Paris with Jeremy instead of chasing after your brothers.”
“But Mom! They’re building something incredibly dangerous that may or may not completely break the laws of physics!”
“No, Candace! Your father and I need to practice for the concert. I’ll see you tonight.”
“Oi, a song about bustin’ seems totally rock and roll! Not to mention breakin’ the laws of physics! Yeah! I’ll have to write it. Thanks for the idea, little lady!”
Candace just grumbled at the rock star and left.
“H-hi A-adrien.” Marinette waved at him shyly from a hot air balloon.
“Hi Marinette! What are you doing here?”
“I was plundering...wondering! I was wondering if you’d like to rum for a hide, I mean come for a ride, I mean…” She had gradually sunk lower and lower until she was almost completely hidden by the basket.
“What Marinette is trying to say,” Isabella interjected from the balloon she was sharing with Phineas, “is we were wondering if you’d like to come on a hot air balloon ride with us to all of Paris’s most romantic spots!”
Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, “I’d love to, but I’m kind of in the middle of a photoshoot right now…”
“Oh, we know, that’s why we’re inviting the photographer too!” Phineas said, “I’m sure you can get much better shots up in the air.”
Vincent clapped his hands together, “O fantastico! Adrien, get in the balloon, this is perfezionare.”
“Great!” Phineas pointed at another balloon where Buford and Baljeet were fighting over the controls, “These two will be your drivers and they’ll follow Marinette and Adrien closely enough that you can get all the best shots. Sound good?”
“ Fantastico ! Even better than spaghetti!”
Phineas raised an eyebrow at Adrien.
“I don’t really know either.”
“Good work Candace! The Pont des Arts is one of the most romantic spots in Paris!”
“Hey Phineas, Ferb, everyone,” Jeremy waved.
“We brought a balloon for you guys, hop in!”
Candace shook her head and waved her arms, “No! No, absolutely not! I’ll never…”
“Sure, I’ve always wanted to see Paris from above.”
Candace looked at Jeremy, then back at her brothers, “Fine, I guess just this once it might be nice…”
“Bravo! Hold you hand out for the lady! Give me that fire!”
“Who is he?” Candace jerked her hand at Vincent.
“Oh, he’s part of Adrien’s entourage.”
“Who’s Adrien?”
“Hello Perry the Platypus, what an unexpected surprise. And by unexpected I mean...legitimately unexpected, what are you doing in Paris?” Doofensmirtz gasped, “You aren’t cheating on me with another nemesis are you?!”
Perry shook his head.
“Oh, good. Well, I suppose you’re wondering what I’m doing in Paris.”
Perry nodded.
“Well, to be honest, I’m here for a rock concert. Some Parisian rock star, Jaguar Stoner, or something like that, is performing tonight with some guest stars from the tri-state area and Vanessa really wanted to go. How am I supposed to say no to my baby girl? So that’s why I’m here, a totally innocent reason.”
Perry gestured to the obvious Inator set up behind Doofenshmirtz.
“Oh that? That’s the Rock and Roll Understander-inator! You know how you want to go to a rock concert with your daughter, but end up miserable because you can’t understand a word the performers are saying? Well, no more! This will force all the rock stars to actually sing coherently so everyone can enjoy it! Pure evil, I know, right?”
Perry raised an eyebrow, then shrugged and attacked. It was still his job to stop the doctor, after all.
“And so anyway, this is the pool. It’s totally the best in Paris because of course it’s my Daddy’s hotel.”
Vanessa rolled her eyes. She didn’t even know Chole Bourgeois that well, but she’d insisted on hanging out while Vanessa was in Paris because they both had rich parents. Well, if there was anything to be said about having a supervillain as a father, at least it resulted in her being more down to earth than the mayor’s daughter.
“I’m going to go find Jean-what’s-his-name so we can get some drinks.”
Vanessa sighed in relief. At last, a moment alone. Being around Chloe was exhausting.
“Hey Vanessa! I didn’t know you were in Paris.” Ferb said.
She jumped and looked around, only to find Ferb sitting in the basket of a heart shaped hot air balloon. She had to admit this was better than any rom com she’d ever watched, but then again, goths don’t watch a lot of rom coms.
“Hey Ferb, I came to see the Jagged Stone concert, what about you?”
“My parents are singing in the concert.”
“Oh, that makes sense.”
“Would you like a tour of Paris? Hop on.”
Vanessa smiled, “Honestly, that sounds like much more fun than sitting around with miss blue-eyeshadow all day. Just let me leave a note.”
When Chloe returned with her butler, she found an empty roof with a post-it note stuck to one of the tables. She humphed and angrily tossed her ponytail. So what if little miss I-think-black-is-an-actual-color didn’t want to hang out with her. She was supposed to be meeting Sabrina at Montparnasse tower anyway.
“This is amazing, Marinette! I knew you were talented, but I didn’t know you were friends with so many talented people too.”
Marinette blushed, “I mean, I wasn’t, not really, I think they’re just in town for the concert tonight and somehow I got roped into building a fleet of hot air balloons. Not that I’m complaining! It’s been really fun especiallysinceIgettohagoutwithyou!”
“What was that?”
“umm...Just look at this amazing view?”
Adrien looked out and smiled, but Marinette kept her eyes on him, she’d seen Paris from above plenty of times. She could vaguely hear the clicking of Vincent’s camera in the background. Yeah, even if she could never confess to him, she could be grateful for moments like these.
“What is that?” The blond that had just appeared on the roof followed by a redhead looked at the fighting pair with disgust. Doofensmirtz took great offense to this.
“This is my Rock-and-Roll-Understander-inator! It’s an incredibly evil device that will change the face of music! Forever!”
“Ew. I don’t care about whatever that rusty pile of bolts is, I’m talking about that disgusting thing.” She pointed at Perry.
“That? That’s my nemesis, Perry the Platypus. And he’s not disgusting. I think he might have even better hygiene than me, I was raised by ocelots after all.”
“Whatever it is, just get it out of here, I won’t have it anywhere near me and since I’m in this building that needs to go.”
Perry glared at the girl and Doofenshmirtz just looked at her in shock, “We’re in the middle of a battle, he can’t just leave!”
“Do you know who I am? My father is the mayor of Paris. He can have you deported and your… pet ...put in a shelter. Don’t make me call daddy!” She brandished her bejeweled phone threateningly.
Perry put his hands up in surrender and walked toward the door. Chloe smirked.
“What? You can’t do this! You can’t kick out my nemesis!”
Perry waved at him sadly before walking through the door. Chole smiled at him nastilly before flipping her hair and leaving as well, her red-head following behind her. Doofenshmirtz fell to his knees and buried his head in his hands.
“No! My nemesis! You can’t leave me!”
He stayed there for a while until a purple butterfly landed on the long forgotten Inator, turning it a dark purple.
“Hello Doofen-doom. My name is Hawkmoth. I’ll give you the power to make sure that your friend…”
“He’s my nemesis!”
“Oh... your nemesis , never leaves you again…”
“Woah, I didn’t know you had such cool fireworks in Paris,”
“What?” Marinette and Adrien looked out and saw the bright green rays that were targeting civilians.
“Those aren’t fireworks,” Adrien said, “We need to land now!”
“Ok, everyone, just press down on the levers to descend!” Phineas said, “If they’re not fireworks, what’s going on?”
“It’s an akuma,” Marinette said, “A local supervillain, Hawkmoth, is able to use people’s negative emotions to take control of them and give them superpowers. Ladybug and Chat Noir should be showing up soon, but it’s dangerous to be in the air during an akuma attack.”
The descent was too slow and the akuma was getting closer and closer until they could see him clearly. He had a long purple lab coat on over a black jumpsuit completing the look with sickly green skin and bright orange hair.
“I am Doofen-Doom! I’ll make sure no one can ever leave someone important to them again!”
“Dad?” Vanessa cried out in shock. She knew her dad was evil, but somehow this was a little much. Then Doofen-Doom started shooting lasers from his eyes. The green “fireworks” they had seen earlier suddenly made much more sense.
Marinette and Adrien watched in shock as each of their new friends’ balloons were targeted by the akuma’s lasers. It still wasn’t clear what the lasers did, since they all looked ok, but started panicking immediately after the light cleared.
“Marinette, get down!” Adrien yelled, knocking into her in an attempt to push her out of the way as the balloon was engulfed in bright green light.
“Are you ok, Marinette?” He asked.
“Yeah, I think so. I don’t feel any different. What about you?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He blushed as he realized the position they were in, “Here, I’ll get off of you.” He went to stand.
“Ow!” Marinette cried and Adrien stopped, “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“I don’t know, it just felt like I was being ripped apart when you moved.” She blushed, “Sorry that’s probably super weird.”
“Akumas are super weird. Here, I’m gonna try to get up again, you tell me if it hurts.”
“Yep!”
“Yeah, I felt it this time too. Maybe we should try getting up at the same time?”
They managed to do so, even if it was rather awkward. Then they managed to take a look at the situation.
“Well,” Adrien said faintly, “I think I understand what Doofen-Doom meant when he said no one would ever be able to leave again.”
“Are we really…?”
“Yep.” Adrien nodded, “We’re literally attached at the hip.”
This was bad.
Now that they were back on the ground, things honestly didn’t seem much better. Phineas was stuck to Isabella, Candace with Jeremy, Ferb with Vanessa, and Buford with Baljeet. Vincent had run for cover shortly after landing, not stuck to anyone since there had been three people in their balloon. Marinette supposed there were benefits to third-wheeling after all and she was starting to wish she’d just stayed with Alya and Nino despite the awkwardness. At least then she wouldn’t be stuck with the decision between leaving her partner to fend off the akuma himself or revealing her secret identity to her crush. Except, wait...Marinette made a sound halfway through a groan and a whine. Even if Chat was able to handle the akuma himself, which he probably could, she wouldn’t get unstuck from Adrien until she cast Miraculous Ladybug, which...required being transformed. She wasn’t getting out of this, was she? Chat was going to kill her.
“Are you ok Marinette?” Adrien looked worried, but Marinette couldn’t tell if he was worried for her or just because of the akuma in general. He always hid away during akuma attacks, just like she did, but he was just scared, not, well, sneaking away to save the city.
“Yeah, I guess, um...no probably not honestly. I think this is a little much for me…” She looked at the rest of the group. Adrien knowing would be bad enough, but it would be unbearable for everyone to know, “Do you think we can go somewhere with less people? I, um, I’m feeling claustrophobic.” There, a reasonable excuse to get away from everyone that isn’t … I’m ladybug and have to reveal my identity to you so I can save Paris. Oh no, even if she transforms, Adrien wouldn’t! Well, they’d cross that bridge when they came to it. At least whatever disguise they came up with couldn’t be as bad as Chat’s banana suit. Hopefully Chat would just show up soon so Marinette would only have to worry about purifying the akuma and cleansing the city.
Adrien was silently panicking as Marinette led him away from the crowds. A large part of him was grateful to be going somewhere alone in case he had to transform. Ladybug probably wouldn’t be happy if he had to reveal his identity to Marinette, but it was better than leaving Ladybug to die if she got in over her head. Hopefully Ladybug would be able to handle it alone.
The journey to the nearest alley was objectively short, but took almost quadruple the time it should have because they kept tripping over both their own feet and each other's. It was like a three legged race but worse because if you tried you pull away from your partner it physically hurt. Finally they made it. Marinette took a deep breath as she thought about what to say, but she was interrupted before she got the chance.
“Come on Sugar Cube, don’t you think this is at least a little bit funny?”
“Don’t call me Sugar Cube!”
“That wasn’t an answer! Admit it, you think this is hilarious!”
Struggling to stay in the air in front of them were two kwamis who, like their owners, were attached at the hip.
“Plagg?”
“Tikki?”
Marinette and Adrien looked at one another, then back at their kwami’s as the wheels in their heads started to turn.
“Sorry about forcing a reveal like this,” Tikki said, “It was going to have to happen eventually and well…”
“We didn’t want to deal with the drama of you two both waiting for your partner to show up while the akuma is running wild out there.” Plagg said bluntly.
“Well Milady,” Adrien smiled sheepishly, “I guess you’re stuck with me.”
“Well,” Candace said, “I never thought I’d find anyone who could cause more chaos than my brothers.”
“Hey,” Vanessa scowled, “that’s my dad you’re talking about!”
“So Baljeet,” Phineas tried to turn to look at the nerd, but ended up tripping over Isabella and they both ended up on the ground, “What can you tell us about the situation?”
“Well,” he said, “it seems like Marinette and Adrien were right. It’s a supervillain named Hawkmoth who possesses normal people. They seem to have real life superheroes, so cool, named Ladybug and Chat Noir who always show up to save the city.”
“Whoa,” Buford walked over to Vanessa easily, considering he had decided it was easier to just carry Baljeet in a wedgie hold rather than trying to walk attached at the hip, “Do you and that guy shop at the same stores?”
The group looked and saw a boy dressed in black leather with cat ears and a girl in red spandex with black spots attached to him.
“Well, that kinda explains why they’re called Ladybug and Chat Noir.” Phineas said.
“Hello kids,” Chat said, “you guys really should find cover, we’ll take care of the akuma.”
“Are you sure you can fight him like that? We can’t even walk!”
“Well,” Ladybug shrugged, but looked worried, “We have done it before. We just need to find the akumatized object and break it. It’s usually an object of personal significance, so it’s normally not too difficult to identify.”
“Yeah,” Chat grimaced, “It’s not fun , but it’s possible.”
Phineas frowned, “Well that won’t work, fighting a supervillain is supposed to be fun! It’s summer!” He looked between the heroes and the hot air balloons that were still parked nearby, “Ferb, do you still have the blueprints for our non-lethal weaponry collection?”
Ferb nodded and pulled said blueprints out of his back pocket.
“And Isabella, do you think you could modify the hot air balloons aesthetic from romance to war?”
“Pretty easily, I got my war-banner-design patch last month.”
“Well Ladybug and Chat Noir,” Phineas said with determination, “I know what else we’re going to do today.”
An object of personal significance? Perry put away his listening device and headed back towar Martparnosse tower. There was only one place the Akuma could be.
“Mom! Mom! Moooom!” Candace came tripping into the practice studio much slower than she preferred.
“What is it now, Candace?” Linda sighed.
“Phineas and Ferb are fighting a supervillain! They modified the hot air balloons into war machines and are chasing after a flying pharmacist!”
“Wow Candace, you’re really a font of inspiration!” Jagged said, pulling out some paper to write down his new ideas.
“Mom! I’m being serious! Look! The supervillain even attached Jeremy and I at the hip!”
“Awww,” Linda smiled, “It looks like you and Jeremy are really getting close. I’m so happy for you honey. Paris really is the city of love, isn’t it?”
“That,” Candace spluttered, “that’s not what I meant.”
“Honey,” Linda smiled at her husband, “Do you remember when we were young and in love like that?”
“Yes dear,” Lawrence replied, “I remember it like it was yesterday. We went everywhere together. I remember my parents remarking that we were attached at the hip as well. Ah, what nostalgia. And I still love you every bit as much as I did then.”
“You always know just what to say.” Linda blushed.
“But Mooom!”
Meanwhile, a fleet of hot air balloons were flying around Paris, chasing after Doofen-Doom. They were still heart-shaped, but Isabella had painted a jagged line down the center of each one and painted one side either black or a dark red. They had all added war paint to their cheeks, even Chat Noir and, on Chat’s insistence, Ladybug. They were meeting the akuma’s lasers with shots of their own and were currently being led on a chase around the Eiffel Tower.
“Ladybug! Chat Noir! Give me your miraculous! Aren’t you grateful that your partner can’t ever leave you again?”
“Nope, the purr-fect partner doesn’t need to stick around. The im-purr-tant part is they always come back to glue. ”
Everyone, even Doofen-Doom, stopped fighting to glare at Chat. Ladybug just looked dead inside.
“Ferb,” Phineas said, “Add pun war to the list.”
Ferb nodded and wrote it down.
“Alright, Vanessa!” Ladybug yelled, “Do you know where the akuma could be? Normally we’d go for the weapon, but he doesn’t seem to have one.”
“I don’t know! It might be in his lab coat, he wears it everywhere.”
“Perfect, Lucky Charm! ” The gang watched in amazement as a red and black plunger materialized out of nowhere and fell into Ladybug’s hands. Ladybug started to look around for what they could do.
“Ladybug! What if we shot the plunger at Doofen-doom’s face from Ferb’s crossbow then you get the lab coat while he’s blinded?” Phineas suggested.
Ladybug looked around and nodded. That would work. She tossed the plunger toward Ferb, who caught it deftly as loaded it into his crossbow.
“Ok Ferb, wait for us to get closer to the akuma, then shoot.”
Ferb nodded and Ladybug guided her and Chat’s balloon toward Doofen-Doom, who was too busy monologuing to listen to their plans.
“Ah heroes, did you decide to give up your miraculous to thank me? That’s so sweet of you, you shouldn’t have! Now we can go and find my nemesis together and make sure he never leaves me again!”
“Ferb, now!”
Ferb shot the plunger, which stuck itself to Doofen-Doom's face. While he struggled to get it off, Ladybug anchored her yoyo on their balloon, held onto Chat and swung toward the akuma.
“ Cataclysm!”
The lab coat disintigrated into dust and the group held their breath.
Nothing happened.
No dark butterfly flew out.
Doofen-Doom finally managed to get the plunger off and flung it down, where Phineas and Isabella caught it.
“Well that didn’t work” Ferb said.
Perry let go of his glider and rolled as he hit the roof. Ladybug had said that all he needed to was break the Inator and Doofensmirtz would be freed. He was just readying a kick to the self-destruct button when his watch beeped again.
“Hello again, Agent P.” Major Monogram said, “So I’ve been doing research on the situation in Paris…”
“You mean I’ve been doing research.”
“Stop complaining Karl! That’s your job! Anyway, So we’ve learned that cute little butterflies are what carries this villain’s power. It’s so sad, people using something as beautiful as butterflies for evil.”
“You’re crying, Major.”
“No one asked for your opinion, Karl! So Ladybug always captures the butterfly after breaking the akumatized object. If she doesn’t it multiplies and basically causes the apocalypse. So, if you happen to break the akumatized object, don’t let the butterfly get away!”
“If you happen to come in contact with the butterfly itself, just think happy thoughts and you should be safe.” Karl added.
“Good luck, Agent P.”
Perry saluted in affirmation before ending the call. He’d need to do this carefully. He walked up to the Inator and gently pressed the self destruct button. As the machine exploded he launched himself at the small butterfly making its way through the smoke and caught it.
Think happy thoughts. Perry thought of the boys he called home. He could do that.
“Alright, any other ideas on where the akuma could be?” Chat asked as Ladybug maneuvered their hot air balloon to dodge a laser.
“AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!”
“Dad!”
“Someone catch him!”
Ladybug and Chat Noir swung to catch the falling former Doofen-Doom, then landed on the ground. Ladybug used her yoyo string to reel in their hot air balloon as the others came down to join them. Both she and Chat were worriedly searching the sky for any sign of the butterfly.
“What happened?” Isabella asked, “I thought we had to break something to free him.”
“We do,” Ladybug replied tightly, “the fact that we didn’t is bad. If someone else found the object and broke it without capturing the akuma, then it will multiply and make the situation even worse.”
“Has that ever happened before?” Buford asked.
“Only once.” Chat didn’t elaborate any more on the painful memory.
“Alright, so we just find the butterfly and catch it. Sounds simple.” Vanessa said.
“It’s really not,” Ladybug said, “It’s one small bug and one big city. We don’t even know where the akumatized object was!”
They were debating where to start looking while scanning the sky for any sign of the akuma when they were interrupted by Phineas.
“Oh there you are Perry!”
The group looked on in shock as Perry chittered, releasing the dark purple butterfly he had been holding between his teeth.
Ladybug looked at the platypus in shock before leaping into action, “No more evil doing for you little akuma.” The group looked on in awe as she released the now white akuma from her yoyo, “Bye, bye little butterfly.”
“Good job Perry,” Phineas hugged his pet, “You just helped save Paris!”
Perry chittered in response.
Candace, and by extension Jeremy, had finally managed to drag her mom outside, where the city was in chaos, people were stuck together left and right, and most importantly, the boys were talking to the local superheroes as their hot air balloons drifted in the air.
“Mom! Look! Look! There’s the boys! Bust ‘em! Bust ‘em! Bust ‘em!”
“Just a minute Candace! My earring got stuck on my jacket. Stupid hoops.”
Candace just watched helplessly as Ferb handed, was that a plunger?, to Ladybug and she threw it in the air. A swarm of thousands of ladybugs washed over everything, fixing all the destruction, unsticking everyone, and even blowing away the hot air balloons that everyone had forgotten to tie down in their rush to find the akuma. Then even the ladybugs disappeared. Ladybug and Chat Noir waved to her brothers and their friends then launched themselves away.
“Alright Candace, what is it you wanted to show me?” Mom looked up to see Candace looking heartbroken and the boys and their friends a little ways away, “Hello boys! Are you having fun?”
“Yeah Mom!” Phineas said, “We’re just getting the authentic Paris experience!”
Candace looked to the sky for any signs of the long gone hot air balloons, “but, but, but…”
At the concert that night, the group ran into Marinette and Adrien again, only this time they were holding hands.
“Yes!” Isabella whispered, “I got my matchmaker patch!” She looked over at Phineas, “Now if only I can get my getting-through-to-the-oblivious-idiot-I-like patch…”
“Hey Adrien, Marinette! Glad you guys could make it!”
“Yeah,” Adrien said, “My dad was so happy with the photos from this afternoon that he let me hang out with friends tonight. Marinette got us the tickets cause she’s practically Jagged’s neice.”
“Awesome!”
Jagged came on stage with Lindonna and Max Modem, “Hello Paris! This first song is dedicated to my newest inspiration, Candace Flynn! And without any further ado, here’s Busted ! Rock and Roll!”
Doofenshmirtz was out of breath by the time he finished climbing the stairs to the roof where he’s stashed his Inator.
“I’ll...be a little late...for the concert...but at least...I’ll be able...to understand it.”
He stopped short as he took in the pile of bolts and parts that sat where his Rock-and-Roll-Understander-inator used to be. A little yellow post-it note sat on top of the pile.
Sorry I couldn’t wait for you to destroy your Inator. I had to free you from the akuma. I’ll see you for the next scheme.
P.S. Don’t worry. I’ll always be your nemesis.
Doofensmirtz put the note in his pocket, then shook his fist at the sky.
“ Curse you Perry the Platypus! And Ladybug and Chat Noir to a lesser degree, but mostly Curse you Perry the Platypus!”