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"I can't believe it! We're really here at the Battle of the Bands!" Rose was hopping up and down excitedly. When the contest was first announced, she was super excited to enter along with Kitty Section. And after a bit of confusion regarding their entry, they were accepted as one of the acts to perform after their audition with Dancing on Sunshine.
Now, they were here in the green room area behind the stage in Jardin des Tuileries. Rose was bouncing around ecstatically in between vocal warm ups, while Luka was sitting on a storage crate, tuning his and his sister's guitars. Juleka was standing still as Marinette was doing some last minute adjustments to her costume pieces.
"This is crazy," Juleka mumbled, looking around at everyone else getting ready. "So many talented people here... There, that's Miss Yama from ProtoBlues... She's so cool. Nobody's ever seen her face."
Across the room, a figure in a red and grey bodysuit with lighting strips sewn into the seams turned to look at them through the black visor of her helmet. She offered them a small wave, and Juleka swallowed nervously while Marinette waved back.
"There's a lot of talent here to be sure," Luka added, twisting one of the tuning pegs and playing some practice chords. "But we're also part of that. We have Rose's song, Ivan's rhythm, and your wonderful costume and set designs, Marinette."
Marinette blushed a little while still focusing on tieing off the thread to fix the seam she was adjusting. There was still a feeling of lightness in her chest whenever she heard a compliment from Luka, as if her heart was singing.
"I can't take all the credit. It's you guys who bring everything to life. And I'm sure our little surprise will work wonders with your melody."
"You really are incredible, Marinette," Luka rested his guitar on his lap and smiled down at her, taking a moment to admire her care and attention to detail, and the fact she had supported them in all their efforts.
"I... I'm here for you," she stuttered, before quickly realising what she said and correcting herself.
"For all of you! I'm here for all of Kitty Section!" She quickly turned her attention to checking Rose's armour pieces in an attempt to hide her glowing face. Luka just chuckled to himself.
While Marinette was finishing the last minute costume adjustments, Ivan was doing checks on all their props and instruments. Kitty Section would be the last act to perform on stage, so they had to have all their equipment ready to set up in a flash. Ivan didn't mind being the one to do most of the heavy lifting; he wasn't going to make Rose set up a backdrop that was at least three times larger than her.
As he was about to start setting up his drum kit he heard a commotion just outside the backstage area.
"Seriously, leave us alone."
Ivan recognised the voice and quickly put down his high-hat stand to peek out from the temporary fabric dividers.
"I don't know why they let people like you into this event." Bob Roth. The ill-tempered toddler masquerading as a grown man with a fake tan. Ever since he stole their song, Ivan had felt uneasy about working with him. Sure, the Bob Roth Records deal was giving them a lot of opportunities, including taking part in this competition, but it was becoming very obvious that Roth wasn't the kind of producer the band should have. Especially after hearing from Marc about what he said to them.
"We're just here to support our friends. Don't you have more important things to do than follow us around?" Nathaniel was speaking calmly, but sternly as he stood protectively in front of Marc. Marc was doing his best to look confident, but his hands were starting to shake just a little. He instinctively reached out to hold his boyfriend's hand, and linked their fingers together.
"You ruined my son's signing with your little stunt last month."
"What stunt? Producing original work that people like?" Nathaniel was about to say a lot more, but instead he just held Marc's hand a bit tighter. This wasn't about attacking this man; this was about getting rid of him and protecting Marc. Nathaniel didn't want to cause another akumatisation, especially on an important day like this.
"We're not here for you. Go find someone else to bother."
Nathaniel turned to start walking away with Marc, only to stop as he heard the man utter something under his breath that made his blood start to boil. He spun around and was about to go off on him, but someone else beat him to it.
"Back off!" Ivan grunted as he stepped between them.
"Excuse me?!" Bob stared incredulously at the person in front of him, completely forgetting his former targets.
"You heard me! Leave them alone!" Ivan glared at the man, who was momentarily taken aback. But then his smugness returned in full force as he recognised the boy.
"Hmph, you're that drummer from that Kitty Division band."
"Kitty Section."
"Who cares. Nobody will care about you once you lose this contest. And you will lose. Did you forget my son is one of the judges?"
Ivan paled slightly as Bob stepped closer, starting to invade his space to look down on him.
"All it'll take is a few words and you're yesterday's toast. And I can't have that shame on my record label. And when your band discovers that you were the reason you were dropped, they'll dump you and come running back to me."
Roth turned to start walking away, but couldn't hold back a few more parting shots.
"Maybe I'll hook them up with one of the machines that my son uses. It'll probably sound a whole lot better than you."
Roth's arrogant laughter echoed in Ivan's ears. He brought his hands to his head, covering his face in shame as he ran for the backstage area.
Ivan found himself sitting down between a few large storage boxes, taking some deep breaths and wishing he had the power to take back the last 2 minutes of his life. He choked back a small sob as he looked up at a poster advertising the Battle of the Bands. Just above the logo for the contest was an image of Jagged Stone recreating his Rock Giant album cover.
He just ruined everything. He ruined their chances at winning the contest, and they might even be dropped from the Roth Records label. All because he had to open his mouth and say something. No, he couldn't let his friends get dragged down for what he did. Maybe he could save the band by just leaving. They could go on and easily make music using a backing drum track without him.
Without him...
"Resentment. Bitterness. Loneliness. How appropriate for the return of Stoneheart." Hawkmoth grinned maliciously as he infused one of his butterflies with dark energy and sent it through his window.
"Fly away, my little akuma, and evilize him!"
Ivan took out a photo from his pocket, showing him and Mylene on a date at Andre's ice cream cart. He really could use her company and advice now...
"Are you sure? I don't have to go..."
"Mylene, your father's putting on a show in Edinburgh! You have to go and see him live. And I'll miss you, but that means I'll be happy to see you when you come back."
"I'll miss you too."
She gave Ivan a long hug and kiss before joining her father on the train. Just before the doors closed, she called back to him
"Good luck with the Battle of the Bands. I'll be watching online!"
Ivan sighed, letting his head droop down as he held onto the photo, unaware of the purple butterfly slowly fluttering towards him. It had its sights set on the picture, ready to create a new villain for Hawkmoth.
"Ivan!" He jolted up to see Nathaniel approaching him and tucked the photo away in his pocket. Behind him, Marc shuffled forward, staying close to Nathaniel. He had his hood up and was fiddling with his gloves, evidently being a bit rattled from before.
"... you alright, big guy?" Nathaniel leaned forward and rested his hands on his knees, which was hardly necessary since even with Ivan sitting down they were about the same height.
"Y-yeah! I'm just... I should be asking you guys that."
"It's not the first time we've dealt with him," Nathaniel shook his head and reached forward to place a hand on Ivan's shoulder.
"I want to thank you for stepping in back there. It means a lot to me, and to Marc too." Nathaniel looked across at Marc, who nodded in agreement.
"... you guys are my friends. I couldn't let him say that..." Ivan sighed, still feeling unsure if he did the right thing. But those doubts were steadily dissipating as Marc gingerly put his hand on Ivan's other shoulder.
"Th-thanks for sticking up for us, Ivan," Marc stuttered while offering him a gentle smile.
"I'm taking Marc home, but we'll still be watching the show. I know you'll be great." Nathaniel opened his arms for a hug, and chuckled as Ivan jumped to his feet to wrap his arms around both of them.
Ivan walked them to the bus stop, oblivious to the purple butterfly that had lost its target and was flying away. Nathaniel and Marc both waved to Ivan as they got on the bus, and Ivan waved back with the content feeling that at least he did the right thing for his friends.
"The feelings are fading. No matter. In a contest like this there can only be one winner. And one of the losers is bound to be sore."
The akuma came to a rest on top of a light post, patiently waiting for its next target, scanning the moods of the surrounding people for any traces of negativity. And it started to detect some in a nearby trailer
"Ugh, these acts aren't anywhere near your level," Bob bemoaned as he paced across his son's trailer, scrutinising each of the acts set to perform at the contest.
"And that Kitty Division group... I should never have given them that contract. If Ladybug hadn't shown everyone what I said..." He scrunched up the flier in his hands and tossed it at the corner, where it missed the bin he was aiming at and landed in the middle of the floor.
XY was watching his father in the mirror he was using to style his hair. While normally he'd be hanging onto his every word, lately he was starting to feel his father wasn't entirely looking out for him. Especially since there was now a viral video of his father calling him talentless. Although the autotuned remix of Talentless Son was kind of catchy if it wasn't so hurtful.
"Even if one of them does win, you need to make it clear they aren't as good as you. Not even close. Bob turned abruptly, staring his son straight in the eyes in the mirror.
"That'll be easy, just use your image and reputation and say they aren't up to scratch."
XY sighed as he set down his styling comb.
"Dad, won't that affect my image if I end up bad-mouthing the winner?" he turned in his seat to look up at his father, seriously questioning his advice for once.
"That doesn't matter. People need to know it should have been you opening for that concert. Hell, you should be the one holding that concert. And by doing this you'll keep your spot on top of the industry. Just make sure to tear down all those groups, especially Kitten Segment."
"Kitty Section," XY corrected. Bob could see his son glancing at one of the drawers instead of focusing, and stepped in closer to get his attention.
"As your manager and your father, I know what's best for you. So do as I say."
Bob gave him the smile he always gave him, but XY was starting to see how hollow it was. He nodded in response, giving his own superficial smile in return.
An obnoxious ringtone filled the room and Bob held out his phone to let it play a bit more before answering it. He jolted and hastily left the trailer.
"No, I'm not late for the interview! I have it scheduled for 11:30. And it's only... 11:26. Look, if my driver hadn't been so spineless then I wouldn't be..."
XY closed the door, unwilling to hear more of him. What should he do? His father was the reason he had his career, so obviously he knew best, right? He wouldn't lie or deceive him or do something that might hurt him.
He sat down at the desk again, opening the drawer and taking out a big file of promotional materials for his latest products. All stuff for him to sell, all part of contracts that paid for his lifestyle and opportunities. But they weren't what he was after. He reached into a hidden compartment at the back, retrieving the latest Ladybug comic. His father forbade him from reading them after what happened at the convention, which majorly sucked because it was a good comic. He tried to sneakily read their issues online so his father wouldn't catch him, but it wasn't the same as having a real, physical comic book and getting to admire the art in person.
He flicked to a middle page, retrieving a page of notes he had hidden inside. Lyrics were scrawled down the page, along with chords and some melody samples for a song titled 'Erasable Ink'. It was the first time in a long time he'd written something entirely original, something that he wanted to produce. But when he approached his father with the name, he was immediately dismissed. Something like this wasn't in his style at all. And he was right, this wouldn't be like anything he'd made before.
An intern knocked on his door and told him he was due on set, and XY quickly shoved the papers back into the drawer to keep them safe from prying eyes. Time to play the role his father gave him.
Adrien sat back on his couch as his TV screen lit up in vibrant colours and triumphant music, and the logo for the Battle of the Bands flashed across the screen. The music blended into a cheering crowd as the title card transitioned to a wide shot of a temporary floating stage constructed over the Bassin Octogonal fountain.
"Welcome to the Battle of the Bands!" Alec announced with his ever-present enthusiasm.
"We're live at Jardin des Tuileries, where one of these groups will become the opening act for Jagged Stone's next concert! Let's meet our panel of judges. First up, you know her songs, you love her rhymes. It's Clara Nightingale!"
The camera cut to Clara, who stood up from her chair to wave to the gathered crowd with both hands. She performed a pose from her latest dance video to an even louder ovation before sitting back down.
"Second, he's made catchy tunes and amassed a large following of fans, and he's a regular jurist on Alternative Truth. It's XY!"
As soon as he realised the cameras would be on him, XY quashed as much of his internal strife as possible and presented his usual facade of disinterest in the screams and shrieks from the crowd. A few frames of XY looking conflicted managed to make it to air before being replaced with apathy. Hopefully nobody noticed the slip in the mask.
"And finally, while Jagged himself wasn't able to make it due to a scheduling error, he was kind enough to send his wonderful, devoted and, quite frankly, the hardest working agent I've ever known, Miss Penny Rolling!"
Penny remained seated and nodded politely at the camera as the feed cut to her close up, and turned to wave as some people started whistling for her.
"And now, without any further ado here's our first act. Please welcome, ProtoBlues!"
From backstage, Marinette and Ivan could hear a smooth jazz backing beat starting to build up, distinctive drums and bass, a few piano chords, all stopping abruptly for a moment as a chiptune riff amped up the audience. Ms Yama continued to play the melody on her setup, working synthetic sounds that were both nostalgic and innovative into the medley produced by the rest of the ensemble.
It was catchy and springy and uplifting, and Ivan would be enjoying it if his mind wasn't an active ping-pong match of anxious thoughts and regret. Roth wasn't lying when he said his son was one of the judges, and if he was going to talk down to them on air it could really hurt the band, and his friends.
"Ivan, are you alright? You seem tense," Marinette asked as she adjusted the straps of his prop armour. Ivan just turned his head and nodded, giving her a little nervous smile. She gently patted his arm and hopped down from the crate she was standing on.
"I'd better go take my seat before someone else does. Don't worry, you're going to be great," she reassured one last time before heading out the side exit to sit in the audience.
Marinette ducked into the last empty seat in the reserved section just as ProtoBlues had finished their performance, and joined the crowd in their applause. The cameras cut to the panel of judges for their comments and in one sentence, Marinette was immediately looking for places to transform.
"You sure put in a lot of work to play a bunch of beeps," XY commented dismissively, propping his head up on his hand in an attempt to look bored. Penny glanced across uneasily as the musician continued to berate their set, while a few people in the crowd jeered at his criticism.
"The 80s called. They want their neon back. And their style."
"I think you really had pizazz! A clever blend of chiptunes and jazz!" Clara quickly cut in, trying to keep the mood positive.
"That soothing beat and peppy tune, I can see your band going places soon."
Marinette relaxed back into her seat as the mood lifted again thanks to Clara and Penny providing genuine feedback to the performance. The akuma's wings fluttered where it was resting, unable to find an emotion strong enough use yet.
"It's time for our second band. Put your hands together for Steve and the Blockheads!"
Alec jogged off stage as the curtain pulled back. The luminescent stage elements from before were replaced with stacks of brightly painted cardboard cubes, and the group were even wearing cubic cardboard costumes with cube heads. The spirits of the crowd instantly lifted as the Blockheads started playing a jaunty little jam on pixel styled instruments.
Backstage was another story.
"Wow. Not cool." Juleka looked disapprovingly at XY from one of the broadcasting screens as ProtoBlues left the stage to rest in the green room. Juleka would have gone over to console them if she still wasn't so starstruck. And it looked like Ms Yama was handling it well, having a small pep talk with her band.
"XY was being really mean. And Ms Yama was wonderful! Why did he say such awful things? Do you think he'll say things like that about us?" Rose nervously fiddled with the chestpiece of her armour.
"Just forget about him. It doesn't matter what he thinks." Luka shook his head, trying to hide the bitter edge to his words. Ivan bit his lip and gripped his fist tighter for a moment. Maybe he should tell them now, tell them that he's going to be the reason they lose and step out so XY might not be so harsh on them...
Steve and the Blockheads finished their performance to raucous applause from the audience as well, and Penny was also quick to praise them for their ingenuity.
"The way you brought the set and your costumes and the music style together was wonderful. Did you really make all the set pieces yourselves?"
"Hmph, it shows."
Penny shot another agitated look at XY as he interrupted her, berating the performers on stage for their childish designs. With each word, the akuma's wings beat a little faster, and it started to hover towards a dark corner backstage.
Ivan was brought out of his spiraling thoughts as someone rushed past him, sniffling and crying under their cardboard head. He quickly followed after them, reaching out to place a hand on their shoulder.
"What's wrong?"
"He said our costumes looked like old junk. I spent two weeks cutting old boxes and painting to make them! I was up until 2am last night putting on the last top coat!" The Blockhead lifted their hands to their face, struggling to remove the cubic costume. Ivan quickly helped them remove the head and handed them a napkin from the snack table so they could wipe their eyes.
"I... I think you look amazing. And it's really thoughtful that you recycled your costume." Ivan looked closer at the cardboard head in his hands.
"You... you really think so?"
"Yeah. So much stuff gets thrown out and wasted, but you're here giving it new life. It's so cool."
The akuma stopped in its tracks and flew back into the shadows as the Blockhead wiped their tears and took a few deep breaths. Hawkmoth grumbled in his lair as his akuma lost its target yet again. There was so much background negativity building up in that event, why had nobody surrendered to their negative feelings?
XY was struggling to keep up with his act. He had to focus hard on keeping a stiff upper lip and not bobbing his head to the pristine harmonic notes of the Starfish Sirens. It didn't help that they were singing one of his favourite songs as a kid; it was the first song he ever performed for his parents too, before his father started sending him to music theory lessons. He knew all the words by heart and had to consciously stop himself singing along.
What should he say? His father told him to badmouth everyone. Maybe he could say something about their costumes; sure it was creative to hop around in a faux fishtail, but why put yourself through that sort of hassle? But he's already ragged on the first two acts for their aesthetics being outdated. How about bringing up how old the style was. Barbershop style a cappella originated in 1938...
"...and honestly it should stay there. People aren't interested in that stuff anymore." XY leaned back against his chair, ignoring the disdain being thrown at him from the crowds.
Clara sighed a little, starting to get a little fed up with her fellow judge's attitude. But her clear-cut professionalism was on display as she launched into her review of the performance.
"I could listen to your runs non stop. I think my next song will be barbershop.
Maybe a shanty of the sea, so poetic. I'm excited to explore your mermaid aesthetic."
The two performers held a look for a moment; Clara's with a self-satisfied smirk, XY's with an apathetic eye-roll. It felt like everyone was starting to turn on him. What did he care? He only had to do what his father told him to do.
Sensing the tension, Alec quickly thanked the Starfish Sirens for their wonderful performance and moved back to centrestage.
"Alright everyone, we're down to our last band. Give it up for our final act: Kitty Section!"
The crowd clapped and cheered as they watched the stage curtains opening, and the applause petered out in confusion at the dark, seemingly unprepared stage. The set pieces were painted with murky colours and none of the lights were turned on. As the crowd began to murmur amongst themselves, Marinette giggled quietly to herself where she was watching in the audience.
"Show time."
Anticipation was building as a single figure draped in a dark hooded shawl emerged from the back of the stage and slowly paced to the front. A single sliding bass note rang out, clear and concise over the singer's footsteps. The tone was followed by a guitar riff that resonated through the tension in the air as the person finally reached the front of the stage, taking hold of the microphone.
"When your sun shines..." she spoke in a stage whisper, focusing all the built up attention on her standing on the darkened stage. She slowly reached up to the clasp of the shawl.
"...I GO RAINBOW~!"
The crowd went wild as Rose threw off the shawl, revealing her costume. Luka and Juleka joined her on stage, while Ivan emerged from under a cloth that concealed both him and his drum set. As soon as they were in place, they all performed the signature kitty claws pose, and the special stage lights flared on, revealing bright coloured rainbow designs painted all over the stage in special paint. The group's masks and armour pieces were also lighting up under the ultraviolet lights, as were special decal stickers they had applied to their instruments. The audience lost their minds at the sudden transformation from gloomy to kaleidoscopic.
Ivan held up his rainbow patterned drumsticks, spinning them in his fingers before setting the beat for the rhythmic foundations of their song. Juleka continued to build the mood as she slapped at her bass, playing faster and faster notes to build up to her brother striking a chord. Rose grabbed the microphone with both hands and started to perform the opening lines to Power of Rainbows.
"Hiding away, alone in the shade,
Feeling my colours starting to fade.
I see a dream, the movement in illustration.
Finding much more than monochrome inspiration!"
Luka kicked into a quick guitar solo, finishing his last chord by panning across the audience with the neck of his guitar, making them jump up in a cheering wave.
"Tearing up, falling apart
moving on from a rocky start
Deep down I'm sure my heart knows...
I have the Power of Rainbows!"
Juleka spun around during a bass riff, throwing her hair over her shoulder to more screams from the crowd. Her bass solo carried Rose through the second verse, and Ivan watched as people were jumping up and dancing. And for that moment, it didn't matter what he was worried about. It was just him at the music. His drum solo kicked off the final chorus, and everyone was on their feet at the big finale. The cheers lasted a good minute, and Luka quickly pulled Ivan out from behind the drums so the group could pose at the front of the stage for everyone.
Alec eventually managed to calm the crowds down so the judges could give their opinions. And Clara was immediately glowing with praise for the song.
"Astounding, exquisite, the marvels before us.
I would say more but I'd sound like a thesaurus.
There's not much need for more words of praising,
Because everyone here thinks you were..."
Clara raised her arms to prompt the audience around her, and they quickly chimed back in a unison rhyme of
"AMAZING!"
The camera switched over to XY, and the atmosphere immediately became frigid.
"Do you really think people can relate to lyrics like that? That line about 'the sweetness of hue'... so ironically bland."
Rose flinched, since she was the one who picked out that line. Juleka rested her hand on her shoulder, trying not to glare at XY. She was failing too, especially when he continued his tirade against them.
"And those costumes, they were cute last time, but don't you think the novelty is kind of wearing off? No wonder you had to rely on that cheap trick with the lights."
Luka turned to the rest of the band and just shook his head dismissively. It was obvious he still had a grudge against them for what happened during the 'I Love Unicorns' debacle.
"The worst part was that drumming. I'm surprised you could hear anything over the sounds of a building collapsing. Where's the talent in bashing some sticks against-"
"Alright, that's enough out of you." Penny reprimanded, resisting the urge to reach for her pen on the table. The camera to zoomed out to focus on all three of the judges as people started shouting in support of Penny.
"They just performed a song that rivals the entire Paris Top 10 list. Everything about that was impeccable; the theatrics, the details, they even gave everyone equal time in the spotlight. So there's no need to be so mean."
"The crowd's more pumped than I've ever seen!" Clara added, keeping her stage face on as she gestured around her, prompting supportive yells from the audience.
"Just because a bunch of people got pumped up from one song doesn't mean the band is any good."
"Uh, yeah. It kind of does. That's why you used them for 'inspiration', right?" Penny raised an eyebrow.
"Ugh, none of you know what you're talking about!" XY dragged his chair back roughly and stormed away from the table, going back to his trailer. Alec quickly called the cameras to him and threw to a commercial break.
"See you after the break, where we'll decide the Battle of the Bands!"
Penny immediately slumped in her chair and sighed, shaking her head. Clara moved into XY's seat to place a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you alright, Penny?" She didn't rhyme; it wasn't the right time.
"Yeah. I can't believe he acted like that. That was so unprofessional."
"Let's not think about him. After all, we have a contest to decide. And I have ice cream in my trailer." Penny smiled as she stood up and followed her, while Clara hummed the chorus of Power of Rainbows with a little dance in her step.
XY slammed the door behind him and slumped in front of his mirror again, letting out an exasperated sigh. He was a top selling artist, what did any of those people know?
Obviously, that the song was a banger. Even XY couldn't deny that. But he had to do what his father told him to do... He had to...
He leaned forward against the table, closing his eyes and hearing his chain clinking from where it hung from his neck. The gold felt so heavy today. He felt like it was weighing him down, dragging him into a dark place...
"Prince Perfect, I am Hawkmoth. The pressures of pleasing everyone are weighing heavy on you. I'm giving you the power to be exactly what everyone wants. Especially me, because I want you to retrieve Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous."
XY opened his eyes, seeing the purple butterfly-shaped glow outlining his face in the mirror. How could he say no? He could finally meet everyone's expectations, and be who everyone expected him to be.
"..I am going to retrieve the Miraculous for you."
"You- you picked a fight with Bob Roth?"
Ivan nodded as he explained to his bandmates about what happened earlier.
"That's why XY was being so harsh on us. It's my fault, I just couldn't let it go."
"No, it's not your fault. I would have done the same thing." Luka lifted his mask up, reaching out and taking one of Ivan's hands.
"Besides, Jules and I talked about it a few times. If we had the chance to leave the contract we would. He's not the kind of person who should be managing us."
Juleka nodded and placed her hand over her brother's in holding Ivan's.
"If we did get thrown out by Mr Roth, we wouldn't go back to him," Rose placed both of her hands on Juleka's.
"You're one of the most important parts of our band. You even helped me write the other verses for our song today. We need you, not him."
"You guys..."
Ivan bowed his head and placed his other hand on top, feeling relieved that at the very least, Kitty Section would still be working together.
"We're in this together." Juleka affirmed, and the group dipped their hands before raising them up with a small cheer.
"Okay, places everyone, we're coming back from the break," A director announced as she walked across the stage with a clipboard, prompting all the bands to gather around. Alec was up in front, having some sort of hand gesture conversation with Penny and Clara. In the end, all three of them shrugged and Alec got ready to go live again.
"We're back! And it's time for the judges to announce the winners of this contest-"
"That won't be happening."
Everyone turned to the source of the voice. His figure was exaggerated by a puffy pink doublet with gold piping on the sleeves and matching gold striped breeches. The sound of his white knee high boots resonated over the crowd as he sauntered over to Alec in the middle of the stage. His grey streaked hair was styled into curls on either side of his head, supporting a golden crown studded with pink jewels on his head. He reached for the microphone from Alec, snatching it for him with a white gloved hand, and using the other to shove the man backwards.
"The judges won't be deciding who will open for Jagged Stone. Because that old fossil won't be performing." His face twisted into a condescending smirk, his eyes dark behind an intricate pink masquerade mask. He puffed out his chest, with a gold glint shining off a brooch in his white lace jabot.
"I am Prince Perfect. And I am the one performing INSTEAD of Jagged Stone!"
As soon as he said those words, the posters around the venue all flickered and the image of Jagged Stone was replaced with one of the villain, posing in front of a set of turntables. Prince Perfect cackled as the audience started fleeing the event, and turned to all the acts gathered on stage.
"Since there's no more battle, there's no need for any of you to be here. Maybe I'll clear out some competition while I'm here!" His eyes settled on Luka, who was standing protectively in front of his sister.
"Starting with you!"
He snatched a pixel patterned electric guitar from one of the Blockheads, gripping it by the frets and and lifted it over his head like an executioner preparing his axe. Luka didn't budge, staring the villain down with a glare. He hated the thought of damaging an instrument, but he instinctively raised his own guitar to protect himself from the vicious attack. The force knocked Luka off his feet, and Prince Perfect reared back for another strike.
Before he could swing, Ivan quickly turned one of the stage lights onto his face, and the villain had to cover his eyes with a shriek.
"Everyone run!" Ivan reached to grab Luka's hand, pulling him up to his feet and guiding him to the edge of the stage where everyone was running for cover. Ivan stopped at the edge of the walkway, using his body to block the path off the stage.
"Go on! I'll hold him off!"
"Ivan!" Luka called back to his bandmate as he was dragged away by the surge of panicked performers escaping the stage. Prince Perfect kicked the lighting rig, crashing it onto the walkway and separating Ivan from the group.
Luka stopped as he, Juleka and Rose got to Place de la Concorde, and he turned back, lifting off his mask again.
"I... I have to go back. Ivan's still there. And Marinette! Did she get away?"
Luka ran back towards the battle to find her. Juleka reached a hand out to stop him, but was held back by comforting Rose.
"Marinette! Marinette!"
From inside the dressing room she snuck into, Marinette held back her guilt as she released Tikki from her purse.
"Sorry, Luka. But Marinette's about to have a costume change. Tikki, spots on!"
'I'll be the one performing INSTEAD of Jagged Stone!' Adrien watched in horror as the show was upended by the newly arrived villain. People were screaming as they ran for safety, and the camera was knocked over in the fiasco. There was a heavy cracking sound and the image glitched for a second before the feed cut to a technical difficulties screen.
"I hate these surprise twists they throw into competitions," Adrien groaned.
"Plagg, claws out!"
Prince Perfect smashed his guitar at Ivan, with an ear-splitting screech coming from the speakers as the instrument splintered apart on the ground. Ivan dodged around the front of the stage, trying to keep the villain distracted until the heroes arrived. Hopefully it would be soon, since the show was live.
"Quit dancing around you little runt!" Prince Perfect picked up a microphone stand to swing at Ivan, and he quickly held up a bass drum to block. After a few strikes, Ivan was knocked onto his back and the villain picked up a length of cable, raising it over his head with a laugh as he prepared to lash him.
Instead, the cables lashed around a yo-yo string and the prince was yanked from the stage, landing in the mess of chairs looking at Ladybug standing on the judge's table.
"Attacking innocent people? Dreadful, 0 stars. Ivan, get to safety!"
Prince Perfect ignored the boy running away behind him as he focused his attention to the hero.
"Ah, you made it. How about I give you an encore; This one's called Smashing Success!"
Prince Perfect jumped up and axe kicked the table, splitting it in two. Ladybug dodged back and swung her yo-yo at the villain, managing to restrain his arms to his sides.
"I've got you now. Why don't you just surrender and make this easy on everyone."
"Why? Because I am the first musical escape artist!" As he said those words, he fiddled with his hands a little and leaned over into a backwards handspring with all the strings falling away from him. Ladybug gasped as she quickly withdrew her yo-yo and dodged Prince Perfect throwing half of the judge's table at her. As she prepared the kick away the other half, a steel baton extended from behind her and struck it out of the air.
"Sorry to cut in. Mind making our number a duet, m'lady?" Chat Noir ran up alongside Ladybug.
"It's always been a duet. Now let's end this number already."
Prince Perfect huffed as he grabbed one of the table legs and held it out in front of him.
"You think you have a chance against me? I could easily beat both of you, since I am the best sword fighter in Paris!"
The table leg transformed into a pink-bladed sword in his hand, and he launched forward into a fleche attack. Chat Noir quickly readied his staff and deflected, starting a fierce sword fight between them.
"Wow, you're not kidding about being good. Who's your teacher?" Chat Noir quipped, relying on the fencing training from his alter ego to keep up. Ladybug tried to help by throwing her weapon to restrain him, but he even managed to deflect her attacks in addition to striking at Chat Noir.
"I taught myself. I'm just that good." Prince Perfect boasted, rearing back for another stab. Chat Noir quickly extended his staff to strike the sword out of his hand. He parried the attack, but then Ladybug quickly restrained his arms with her yo-yo again.
"Hmph, you'll never get me. I am the vanishing star'
He threw his sword at Ladybug. She dodged the blade, then released Prince Perfect in order to catch the sword to stop it hitting anyone. She turned back and found that the villain was gone. Chat Noir was frantically looking around, while his ears twitched occasionally.
"Another one? Do you think another container of glitter is in the cards, Ladybug?"
"Let's find out. Lucky Charm!"
Chat Noir covered his partner as she threw her yo-yo into the air, summoning a red and black spotted cowbell. She looked it over a couple of times before quickly moving into a back to back stance to catch the villain coming.
Prince Perfect chuckled as he watched the heroes paranoidly scanning the surroundings. The purple light mask appeared on his face, revealing his location.
"Well, are you going to attack them?" Hawkmoth huffed, with his patience already tested that day.
"I'm not beating them two on one. Let's let them flounder around for a while. I have to go be a perfect son. And maybe we can grab a hostage to even the odds. After all, I am the only singer who dances on air."
Prince Perfect reappeared on top of the lighting rig on the stage. Ladybug saw him and quickly threw her yo-yo to catch him, but he simply flew off into the sky. The heroes followed him onto the stage, watching him leave.
"He's gone. Any ideas where to, m'lady?"
"Not a clue. How can we fight against someone who can decide everything that they are?" she sighed, looking down at her lucky charm. Why wasn't it useful to them just now? Then she caught a glimpse of something in its reflective surface.
"The posters, they have Jagged Stone on them again."
Chat Noir hopped up to take down the banner. Indeed, Jagged Stone was back performing at the concert.
"Maybe he can only have one declaration about him at a time."
"That's true. Which could be trouble for us if he says something that traps one of us..." Ladybug looked down at the cowbell again, and a sense of realisation spread over Ladybug's face. Chat Noir promptly clued in.
"I got it. I'll try to keep tabs on this not-so-little prince. You go do whatever you need to do." Chat Noir jumped up onto the lighting rig and gave a bow before starting to vault and propel himself across Paris in pursuit of the villain. Ladybug smiled to herself that Chat Noir was starting to intuit her Lucky Charms as well.
Marinette perused the various Miraculous. Her first thought was to recruit Luka as Viperion again, but her gut feeling was saying he wasn't what they needed. She needed someone more defensive, like Carapace, but his power wouldn't work well in this case.
"Prince Perfect is a lot of things. I'll need a person who can stand up to anything. Someone who will endure whatever they need to protect other people," she thought aloud. As soon as she said 'protect other people' her mind was made up, and she reached down to take the Miraculous she needed.
"Time for the curtain call!"
Despite the villain being gone, Ivan was the only one in the backstage area. He was packing up Kitty Section's gear so nothing else would get broken, although he did wince at the massive scratch in Luka's guitar.
As he closed the instrument cases, a microphone slid off the top and rolled away underneath a dressing trailer. Ivan set the instrument box down and walked around, hoping to find it.
"Looking for this?"
To his surprise, instead he found Ladybug holding the microphone.
"Ladybug?!"
"I know you're trying to clean up here, but I need your help with something else." She set the microphone down on a nearby ledge and reached into her yo-yo for a small black box.
"Ivan Bruel, here is the Miraculous of the Ox, which grants the power of resolution. You will use it for the greater good."
She held the box out to him, and Ivan stared, mouth agape at it as it was placed in his hands.
"Once the job is done, you will return the Miraculous to me. Can I trust you?"
"I... Am I really worthy of this? I'm just..." He was about to hand it back when Ladybug closed Ivan's hand around the box.
"I wouldn't be asking you if you weren't worthy. You held back a villain without any powers to protect your friends."
With a steadfast look in his eye, Ivan nodded and opened the box. He blinked a couple of times as a blue glowing orb formed out of the box and flew around him a couple of times.
"Yo, I'm Stompp. And you are?"
"I... Ivan. Did you just appear out of this box?" Ivan looked back down, seeing there was something else tucked away, a black and gold nose-ring.
"Mmhm, I'm your kwami, here to give you your superpowers to fight against Prince Perfect."
"I'm really going to fight him again?"
"Hm... you sure this guy's up to snuff?" the ox kwami gave a side-eye at Ladybug, "You need to be tough to use my power, in body and in mind. Do you think you have what it takes, kid?"
Ivan looked down at the nose-ring in the box. He was certain he made the right choice when he defended his friends earlier from Bob Roth. And he thought about the people who might have been hurt before, and how he put himself in the way to save them.
"People are in danger, and if I can do anything to help, then I will. I'm going to protect my friends."
The kwami unfolded its arms and smiled, hovering closer and pressing their foreheads together.
"That's what I like to hear. Well, what are you waiting for? Put on the Miraculous."
Ivan pushed the nose ring up onto his septum, making sure it was secure. Unbeknownst to him, the Miraculous' appearance changed, now sporting an intricate celtic knot pattern in a brass-like material.
"Now say 'Stompp, get moving', and I'll give you your powers."
"Stompp, get moving!"
The ox kwami flew into the nose ring, turning it back into it's charged form. The five spikes all sparkled in gold as power started to surge around Ivan's body. He exhaled roughly through his nose, creating a puff of blue steam that obscured his face. As the steam cleared, a dark blue and black mask had appeared across his eyes, and the patch of blonde hair had taken on a blue shade. Ivan pounded his fist into his palm, with the force creating a burst of blue light that enveloped his hands in black gauntlets. The magic continued to course up his arms, dressing him in a deep navy bodysuit with patches of black on the chest, legs and arms, and fitted him with black hoof-toed boots. A belt with a golden ox symbol clicked in place around his waist, and gold marks quickly traced over all the black patches of his suit. Finally, a dark blue barbut helmet appeared over Ivan's head, growing two black and gold horns on either side, and he reached up to fasten it over his head.
Ladybug nodded proudly at the new hero and opened her bugphone to check on any updates from Chat Noir.
"He sent me a link to the Ladyblog?" She followed the link, finding a series of new posts detailing the path of the prince through Paris, starting from a clip of the concert to various photographs sent in by civilians. The latest update was an interview being shot at the TVi studios showing Bob Roth boasting about his achievements to Nadja Chamack, but then there was a loud crash off screen and someone dressed in pink abducted Roth from the set
'You're coming with me, dad' was the last thing heard before the feed was cut off.
"So Prince Perfect is at the TV studio attacking Bob Roth. He called him his father... The villain must be XY."
"We have to protect Bob Roth?"
"I know how you feel. I don't feel good about protecting certain people either," Ladybug placed a hand on the hero's arm reassuringly.
"But it's not just about protecting them. It's also about stopping the villain before anyone else gets hurt. Including himself."
Ladybug started zipping herself over to the studio, with the newly recruited hero following close behind. The conflicted look on his face matched the new question forming in his mind.
Why would XY turn against his father?
"Let me go! Release me right now!" Bob yelled as he was carried up onto the roof of the studio. As soon as they were outside, the villain dropped him on his back and kicked the door shut, denting the handle to stop him escaping.
"Xavier-Yves..."
"I'm not XY. I'm Prince Perfect! And I can finally be the perfect son you always wanted!" There was a venom laced in his words that chilled the blood of anyone who heard them. He started pacing towards him, with his steps lifting him up into the air.
"What sort of son should I be for you now, dad? An obedient one that does everything you say? A chart-topping artist that will bring you more cash to spend on useless junk? Another trophy for you to parade around as if you own everything I do?!"
Bob Roth slowly backed away from the villain, grumbling that the city's superheroes weren't here to save him yet. He let out an undignified squeak as he felt himself reach the edge of the roof.
"But do you know what I'd rather be?" Prince Perfect leaned in close, sneering at how his father leaned back over the edge to escape from him.
"I'd rather be a self made artist. With no need of a manager. I am someone without a deadbeat father."
At his last word he shoved Bob backwards. Bob reached out to try and grasp the air, trying to do anything to stop his fall. As he did, he saw a black cat figure leaping up to fight his crazed son.
"What are you doing?! SAVE ME YOU USELESS-!" He felt himself being grabbed around the torso. Ladybug's arms certainly felt a lot girthier than normal. Then he looked up at her and realised it wasn't Ladybug.
The hero set Bob down next to Nadja's news van, where the journalist was about to start a live broadcast.
"Stay here." The hero's words were stern and gruff. At first Bob glared back disparagingly for daring to tell him what to do. Who did this hero think he was? He wasn't revered like Ladybug or Chat Noir. He was some other hero who looked a lot less-
He stopped that thought as the hero gave him a neutral, disapproving look, and he immediately cowered behind the reporter. Nadja hardly batted an eye as she stepped forward with her microphone.
"Pardon me, hero, but before you go, can we have your name?"
"I'm... Oxenfree." He turned to look back up at the roof and started to jump up on nearby buildings to scale up to the top.
Chat Noir was chasing down Prince Perfect by jumping around the various air ducts and billboards, while the Prince evaded him with his aerial dance.
"What's the matter? Can't keep up?" he teased, barely missing with a strike of his staff.
"Stay down you mangy cat! You can't stop me, I am the musical magician!"
Prince Perfect flipped and landed on the roof, then produced a typical magician's wand from his sleeve. He pointed it towards the cat, firing sparks and playing cards and flowers at the hero.
"Ooh, fancy effects." Chat Noir rolled underneath some pipes to evade the magic effects. He extended his weapon into the ground to launch himself towards the villain, spiralling his staff to deflect another blast of cards. He swung his staff at the villain as he landed, but Prince Perfect seemed to disappear into a pile of pink confetti. Chat Noir looked around confused for a second before he was struck from the side by a shot from Prince Perfect's wand.
The cat hero was thrown against an air duct. He stumbled a bit and tried to stand upright, but his left wrist was tied to the grille with a string of handkerchiefs. Before he could try to free himself, Prince Perfect magicked another length of handkerchiefs to secure his other wrist, with his staff clanking to the floor.
"Did you like my little disappearing act?" He smirked, starting to reach out for Chat Noir's Miraculous.
But a large black gauntlet caught his hand before he could reach. Prince Perfect was briefly intimidated by the imposing horned figure looming over him.
"What- Who are you?" he demanded, glaring defiantly at the new hero.
"I'm here to stop you," Oxenfree pushed Prince Perfect away and raised his hands in a defensive stance, keeping him away from Chat Noir, who was trying to reach for his staff with his foot.
"Ugh, another meddling hero getting in my way. You think you can defeat me?!"
Prince Perfect fired off a few blasts from his wand. Oxenfree crossed his arms in front of him, blocking the flurry of cards and sparks effortlessly.
"Rrrgh... Take this!"
Prince Perfect fired his wand at one of the billboards, making the supporting struts disappear and starting to collapse it on the heroes. Chat Noir gasped fearfully, but Oxenfree's face remained stoically determined.
"Fortitude!"
Oxenfree punched both of his gauntlets together, releasing jets of blue sparks all around him. His suit began to light up, with the darker parts starting to glow a dark blue and gaining a metallic finish.
The billboard continued to fall towards Oxenfree, but he simply raised a hand and caught the large sheet of metal. His hand left a significant dent in the material, and he casually let it drop to the side away from Chat Noir.
Prince Perfect looked in horror as the hero just brushed off the falling billboard, and quickly pointed his wand straight ahead, firing a stream of magic energy towards him. Oxenfree blocked the attack with his palm, starting to walk slowly towards him.
"No! Stay back! You can't stop me! You can't!" Prince Perfect's cries grew louder as he made another wand to fire another stream of magic at Oxenfree, but he simply raised his other hand to deflect it and continued to press forward.
"I can finally be what everyone wants me to be! I don't have to live with his expectations any more! I have to succeed! I can't go back! You can't make me go back!!"
Hearing the desperation in his voice, Oxenfree suddenly realised what caused XY's akumatisation. He continued walking forward, grabbing both of the wands and lifting Prince Perfect's hands over his head and started to push him backwards.
"I... I am... I am an immovable obstacle!" Prince Perfect quickly made his declaration and covered his entire body with a pink metallic sheen. He laughed in triumph as Oxenfree couldn't move him any more.
"You can't stop me now! Now I can say I am a-"
He was cut off by Ladybug suddenly landing behind him and taping over his mouth with a roll of red and black spotted tape. He let out some muffled screams as Oxenfree stood back and went to help Chat Noir up, who had been dropped on the floor the second the previous declaration was made.
"Thanks for the help, big guy. Now... where do you think the akuma is? The mask maybe? Or how about the crown." Chat Noir looked over the frozen hero curiously, before Ladybug pointed out the golden brooch.
"There. That looks like the chain XY always wears."
"Gotcha. Cataclysm!"
Chat Noir touched the brooch and watched it corrode, landing in pieces on the roof and releasing the dreaded purple butterfly.
"Show's over, akuma!" Ladybug purified the butterfly and released it. Then she hurled the roll of tape into the air, summoning the Miraculous Ladybugs to clear the battle damages from the rooftop, and fix the damages caused to the stage at the filming site.
Prince Perfect's metal shell fell to pieces as he collapsed to the floor, and the purple smog surrounded him as he transformed back into XY. He looked around to try to get his bearings, seeing Ladybug and Chat Noir and... a really cool looking bigger hero raising their fists together.
"Pound it!"
"I... I was akumatised," XY slumped even lower on the ground, looking at his hands on the cold concrete slabs.
"I already said so many horrible things, and then I..."
He stopped blubbering as he saw a black hoof designed boot step into his view, and he looked up at the hero kneeling down.
"Go back. Say what you meant to say." His voice was still harsh, but XY could hear there was some warmth there.
"But... But my dad..."
"Have faith in your decisions."
Ladybug and Chat Noir looked proudly at Oxenfree as he helped the artist to his feet, then picked him up to take him back to the competition. While he was holding onto the hero, he mumbled something quietly that was almost lost to the wind. But he heard it.
"Your new friend might have helped you succeed, Ladybug, but soon my expectations will be fulfilled, and I'll have my perfect victory!"
XY walked silently into his trailer and closed the door, leaving Oxenfree and Ladybug to duck behind another trailer for Oxenfree to detransform.
"Stompp, get dozing." The ox hero transformed back into Ivan as the kwami left the nose ring. It hovered over the boy and patted his head gently.
"That'll do, kid," Stompp said proudly as Ivan pulled off the nose ring and cleaned it a little on his shirt. He put it back in the box to return to Ladybug.
"Thank you, Ivan. I was right to trust you." She smiled before jumping up onto the roof of a trailer and leaping away
straight into another trailer to detransform.
Marinette had a peek outside before stepping out of the trailer, and immediately jumped as someone called her name.
"Marinette!"
Luka ran up to Marinette and threw his arms around her, holding her close and breathing a sigh of relief.
"I was looking everywhere for you. Are you okay?"
"Luka... I..." Marinette brought her arms up around Luka's waist.
"I'm sorry. I was trying to get everyone away and I had to hide... I should have told you where I was..."
"No, don't be sorry. I'm just glad you're safe." Luka stood back with a smile, resting his hands on her shoulders. They just stood there for a second before they heard someone walking out from behind another trailer.
"I, uh... I dropped this while I was cleaning up."
"Ivan!"
"Ivan!"
Luka and Marinette both rushed over to him to give him hugs, and he almost dropped the recovered microphone in surprise.
"You're safe! Thank goodness."
"I couldn't let him hurt you guys."
"And we're back again at the Battle of the Bands!" Alec announced into the microphone to the returned crowd. Even an akuma attack couldn't dampen the spirits of the music loving audience.
"We're just waiting on our last judge to... hm?" He looked to the side as one of the interns handed him an envelope, which Alec quickly opened and read.
"Well, the judges have all made their choice... And they all agreed on the best act of the day..." He paused for the drama as everyone moved to the edge of their seats.
"It's Kitty Section!" Alec announced to roaring applause. Clara and Penny both stood up to cheer for the band, and the other acts joined in the celebrations. Steve and the Blockheads even removed their cardboard heads to salute them.
"And there you have it folks! Our winners of the Battle of the Bands!"
Rose jumped into Juleka's arms with a delighted squeal as the end cards for the competition were displayed, right before the program ended broadcasting.
"We won. We won." Juleka repeated, still struggling to comprehend that they just won the competition and would be opening for Jagged Stone. Rose still hadn't let go of her while still buzzing with excitement and euphoria, while Luka was casually playing on his guitar to try and relax the group after such an intense day.
"Um, hey..." The group turned to see XY walking up to them, except he didn't look the same. He wasn't wearing his chain anymore, and his hair wasn't styled up into that tall quiff, instead it was slicked back and tied with his bandanna. He was looking away from them, shamefully avoiding their gaze and fidgeting with his jacket.
"Can I... talk to you guys?"
Luka's tune completely stopped, and he was about to get up and say something, but Ivan held him back. He stepped forward to address him.
"What did you need, XY?" He spoke gently, having an idea of what he was trying to do.
"It... It's just Xavier now," he paused, looking up at the much larger teen. "I'm so sorry. For everything. I shouldn't have listened to dad about stealing your ideas. And those things I said to everyone was his idea. He wanted me to say your acts weren't good. And I liked all the songs. Ms Yama even sampled Rock and Roll Fighter V. I loved playing that as a kid."
Xavier took a step towards them with a look of enthusiasm in his eyes that they'd never seen from him before.
"But you were definitely the best song of the day! That special touch with the rainbows appearing out of nowhere was genius! And I don't know how you make your cutesy lyrics mix with your heavy metal vibe so well! They're a perfect match, even if they're so different. That belted solo was powerful! And you two were crazy! Those riffs and wailing chords..."
He stopped to take a breath before turning to Ivan.
"But your drum solo, it was like thunder in the back of the performance... It was incredible! And inspiring! I don't think I could ever do something like that with my mixer. I... I actually need a good beat for a new song I'm working on... could I get your input on it?"
"What do you think you're doing?!"
Xavier winced and cowered close to Ivan as he heard his father yelling and storming up to him.
"I told you that song was rubbish. It doesn't have a place with your brand!"
Bob Roth towered over his son, who held his hands up defensively. He let out a small squeak as he felt Ivan's hand resting on his shoulder, and turned to see him smiling supportively. Xavier swallowed nervously, and looked back up at his father.
"Dad, the whole reason I started singing was because it made you and mom happy. But now everything is just about marketing a brand and selling out. I don't like it anymore... I want to make music that I want to make!"
"You have an image to maintain. You're a chart topper! You are not throwing away a successful career for some sappy drivel! I know what's best for you. You would be nothing without me."
Before Bob could say another word, Ivan stepped in between them, giving the manager the same look he gave him earlier that day.
"You again? Haven't you learned your lesson yet? Do you want your band to end up as a washed-up one hit wonder? Because I can tear up your contracts. I don't want my record label associated with someone with your attitude."
"I'm sorry that I was so aggressive towards you." Roth flinched at the monotonous delivery of the apology, and seemed to recoil as Ivan straightened his posture and stared the man straight in his eyes.
"But you still attacked my friends. And that's not alright. So go ahead and threaten me all you want; I'm still going to stick up for them no matter what. Because that's what friends do. They support each other."
There was a silence around the two of them for a beat, before a voice rang out over them which stunned them all to further silence.
"There! See that? That's rock and roll!"
People gasped as they heard the familiar gravelly voice of Jagged Stone, who had just arrived to see Penny on the way back to the hotel. He walked straight up to Ivan, pushing Bob out of the way and ignoring his sputtering objections.
"That was real. Bold. Rebellious. What's your name, young man?"
"I'm Ivan..."
"Yeah, you're the drummer for Kitty Section, right?! Penny told me you guys were killer. Can't wait to have you open for me. Bring some of that awesome with you on the day!"
Jagged gave him a nod and waved to everyone as he left. The group cheered after him, then turned to have a team high five. Nobody noticed as Bob slunk away, grumbling that nobody understood the music business. Well, almost nobody.
Xavier sighed as he watched his father walking away. When did he stop believing in him? Did his father ever support him before?
"Xavier?"
He turned back to the others. Ivan was holding a hand out for him. Xavier nervously looked at everyone else watching them and reached out to shake it, but yelped as he was pulled in and wrapped up in a big hug from Ivan. It took a second, but then he started hugging back, then the rest of Kitty Section joined in.
In the middle of the group embrace, Xavier mumbled the same words he had said to Oxenfree.
"Thank you."
And Ivan was sure that he made the right choice to stand up for his friends, including the newest one.