Chapter Text
A while ago, Ladybug had realized that a team of teenage superheroes wasn't going to work. They were busy with school, extracurricular activities, and sleep. Working towards a solution, she started to collect more heroes.
By now, every secondary Miraculous had a teenage as well as an adult holder. When the teenage one was preoccupied, the adult would substitute.
This had, for example, solved the problem that Caline Bustier's whole class went missing during an Akuma attack. Although she didn't know exactly which of her students were Ladybug and Chat Noir, the entire Team Miraculous evolved around her class and, by extension, the Francois Dupont High School.
Caline had tried to uncover part of her students/teammates. Some were evident, like King Monkey, whose goofy personality couldn't be anyone else's than Kim's. Rose as Pigella and Juleka as Tigress Poupre were non-brainers for anyone who had seen the couple together for more than two seconds.
The other advantage was the missing time limit for adult holders. Therefore, they were preferably used during particular difficult battles. Most of the time, Ladybug created a team of all ages to have the best chance.
So right now, Caline wore the fox pendant and answered to the name Vulpa, from the Latin word vulpes. It was better than nothing, but she wondered how the kids had managed to create cool, meaningful names in a matter of seconds when this was the best she could come up with.
Running alongside the Bee hero, who was the mother of the original one – because she wore goddamn sunglasses – and Miss Hound, whose power Caline hadn't understood yet, Ladybug explained how to defeat the Akuma.
“This one seems to be accompanied by a Sentimonster. The object holding the Amok might not be the same as the akumatized one, but we need to make sure by destroying the Akuma first.” The team nodded. “Chat Noir, are you ready?”
He lifted his hand, “always, milady.”
For a while, Caline used to think these two were Alya and Nino, but then Alya appeared as Ladybug's replacement, so there went that.
“Reine Jaune,” because Queen Yellow wasn't fancy enough, “prepare your venom.”
“Venom,” she said rather half-heartedly. Caline figured she was in it for the publicity.
The Akuma was nothing out of the ordinary. A poor Parisian who had been dealing with a heartbreak. “Prince of Shadows” was not a witty name either.
The only thing fairly pristine was the addition of Sentimonsters. When the first one appeared, Ladybug had explained its source as a new peacock holder – the second Miraculous the Guardian had lost.
Except nobody knew this new villain. Hawkmoth had been a public figure by now and had been seen in person. About his partner, however, there was no information at all. Theories had been flooding the Ladyblog discussion board ever since.
They would be in it for the money, while others said them to be Hawkmoth's spouse. Maybe that poor person was kidnapped or blackmailed into helping him. Caline herself believed it to be Hawkmoth himself who had simply combined both Miraculous which was why nothing had been leaked about another person.
She would soon be proven wrong.
Finally being face-to-face with the Akuma, Reine-whatever jumped to immobilize its arms when suddenly, a blue figure kicked her mid-air to the ground.
“Now!” the person commanded.
Vulpa was behind the others, but even she wasn't able to react as they all were constricted by tentacles of shadows, like a snake hunting its prey. The prince of shadows sat on a pillow with long black waves flooding down, laughing in victory.
The black fog vanished enough to let them see the blue woman striding towards Ladybug, her dress swirling up the shadows that had sunken to the ground.
“Who are you?” Ladybug demanded.
“Isn't it obvious?” She said as she snipped against the brooch – the peacock brooch – resting on her chest.
“You're Hawkmoth's new partner.” She struggled to free herself.
“You can call me Mayura.” Mayura. Sanskrit, Caline noted. Whoever that woman was, she must be a scholar. Makes her wonder why someone of her intellect would work with a butterfly villain who called himself a type of moth. Mayura radiated pure elegance, each of her words and moves was calculated. Reaching for Ladybug's earrings, she purred, “but you will remember me as the one who stole your Miraculous.”
Was it getting hot in the shadow embrace? Caline had always fancied women who carried themselves with pride and dignity. And her outfit? Knee-high boots, fur, and a purple-based color palette? That woman knew what she was doing.
“I don't think so,” Ladybug smirked. In a matter of seconds, she activated her Lucky Charm – a leaf blower – sucked in all shadows, and kicked Mayura into the next wall. The pillow thingy came flying as the tentacles had no way to escape, and Chat Noir called upon his Cataclysm.
Everything was restored, and the purified objects were released into the air.
“Miss Hound, follow Mayura!” Ladybug pointed to the escaping villain.
“Um, do I have to throw my ball at her?” It was only her second or third mission, so she stood around uncertainly with the ball stretched out towards Ladybug.
“I'll do it!” Vulpa informed and was already on Mayura's heels. Chasing her over rooftops she passed in a feather-light step, Vulpa struggled to stay on her toes. When Mayura looked over her shoulder to grin at her pursuer, Vulpa nearly lost it.
Catch me if you can.
Mayura couldn't have much experience with her Miraculous. It even was her first day in the field. So why could she so effortlessly run from her?
The distance between them grew as Vulpa gradually lost her stamina.
At a ledge, Mayura did a forward backflip, and Caline could swear time stood still for the moment Mayura's face came into view and winked at her.
Screeching to a halt at the edge, Vulpa looked down to find any trace of the supervillain lost in the wind.
Fuck.
How could this be?
No, no, no.
At a relaxed, defeated pace, Vulpa jogged back to the team.
This grace, this self-confidence, this provoking, witty nature.
This woman.
Who was she?
Caline always praised herself for being exceptionally observant and perceptive. So, breaking it down, she was most likely educated and/or into fashion.
The only fashion people she knew were the Bourgeois and the Agrestes since their kids were in her class. Mrs. Agreste was gone, and Audrey was impatiently waiting for her to return to the team.
Or maybe Mrs. Agreste wasn't dead but had been undercover as a villain. However, that would make Adrien's father Hawkmoth. Yeah, no. Even rich people didn't fake their demise to suddenly appear stealing jewelry from teenagers. That one seemed a little far-fetched.
She also doubted any of the female school staff would play as a supervillain. Olga Mendeleiev was holed into all kinds of science but not into ancient culture or languages. The new teacher, whose name Caline always forgot, had a thing for history but more of a very ancient dinosaur one.
Trips to museums had constantly proven to be complicated. With Chloe stirring up trouble everywhere, there was no way she remembered any of the archaeologists or researchers.
Mayura's identity would remain a secret for now.
“I'm sorry, Ladybug. I couldn't catch her,” Vulpa panted once she arrived.
“It's okay. Thank you for trying.” Ladybug encouraged.
“Pound it.”
Vulpa's outfit:
