Chapter 1: Heroes Unite Part 1
Chapter Text
Chapter 1: Heroes Unite Part 1
In the swirling void of an unknown hyperspace, three master duelists faced off against entities of devastating power. They were the Barians—fierce invaders from a dimension twisted in opposition to the Astral World, their very existence steeped in soul-shattering terror.
Yuma, Kite, and Shark stood firm. Each warrior locked in combat with a Barian adversary, their Duel Disks ablaze with summoned monsters and rising energy. The clash wasn't just a battle—it was a war between worlds, and the fate of their world Astral World hung in the balance.
Yuma stood tall amidst the chaos, his striking appearance impossible to mistake. His tan skin glowed under hyperspace's eerie light, and his red eyes burned with determination. Black and crimson spikes of hair jutted upward with defiant energy, framing the confident grin he wore beneath the Emperor's Key—suspended from a black string around his neck like a badge of destiny.
A white and yellow Duel Gazer hugged his face, its green lens gleaming in sync with his signature card: Number 39: Utopia. His outfit blazed with color and symbolism—a red vest with a white hood layered over a blue sleeveless shirt emblazoned with a green "D" for "Duel." His white pants bore three orange crescent moons interlocked in a yellow trim near the bottom hem, paired with a white belt streaked in brown and shoes streaked black and blue with white straps.
His gear told its own story: a brown fingerless glove on his left hand, a black protective pad over his right elbow, and a thick, dark blue bracelet set with light blue gems and red outlines on his wrist—a warrior's ensemble ready for the storm ahead.
Shark was a striking figure in hyperspace's dim glow. His pale skin contrasted with the shadowy swirl around him, while his deep blue eyes held a cold, unwavering focus. His dark purple hair hung like writhing tentacles—each curled at the end, evoking the deep-sea creatures that inspired his deck. Though vaguely reminiscent of pigtails, they added a wild edge to his silhouette, crowned by a blue-gray crest across his forehead like a mark of royalty from the abyss.
Adorning his neck was a gray, shark tooth-shaped locket—inside it, a fading family photo of himself, his sister Rio Kastle, and their parents. That small keepsake anchored him through the storm of battle. A scar etched into his right shoulder whispered of earlier duels, while a gray ring on his right hand shimmered faintly, catching the light as he raised his Duel Disk.
His Duel Gazer matched his aesthetic: gray and green with a piercing red lens, accented by a yellow spike and a blue D-Pad glowing along its edge. His attire blended menace and finesse—a dark purple jacket with gray sleeve cuffs studded in green gems over a maroon shirt. His dark blue pants and white shoes echoed the green gemstone motif, tying his look together with calculated intent.
Kite stood with quiet intensity, his pale skin nearly glowing against the darkness of hyperspace. His light blue-gray eyes scanned the battlefield, sharp and calculating, framed by blonde hair that curled upward into a rigid point. At the front, jagged dark green spikes and matching bangs added a layered edge to his look—like the static charge before a lightning strike.
His usual attire reflected his stoic presence: a sleek black trench coat with a raised collar swaying over a plain gray shirt, white pants tucked into black boots, and a fingerless black glove gripping his Duel Disk with precision. Two purple deck boxes hung from his belt, ready with Photon-powered tactics only he could master.
When he activated his power—Photon Transformation—his entire ensemble blazed from black to radiant white, as if his Duel energy burned through the fabric of his reality. Unlike traditional D-Pad Duel Disks, Kite's was a streamlined, single-bladed blue design that curved outward like a wing of energy mid-flight.
He didn't need a Duel Gazer to see the monsters that awaited his summons. In the throes of battle, his left eye turned a piercing red, etched with glowing marks that mimicked Duel Gazer symbols—a phenomenon he could trigger even as a spectator, though few understood how.
The fusion of Yuma and Astral erupted into a brilliant burst of ZEXAL energy—once a symbol of perfect harmony between soul and spirit. But the brilliance twisted. A dark aura began to seep through the transformation, the power warped by betrayal. Yuma's silence about Vector—his friend who was secretly a Barian—had fractured Astral's trust. Lies born of fear had poisoned their connection, and the resulting form, Dark ZEXAL, radiated chaos.
Yet even in the heart of corruption, Yuma's resolve blazed brighter than any shadow. Fueled by his unbreakable spirit and refusal to surrender, he shattered the taint of Dark ZEXAL. The fusion unraveled, returning both Yuma and Astral to their separate forms—bruised but free.
Astral, scarred by the deception, found himself unable to trust Yuma as deeply as before. But he never lost faith in Yuma's unwavering hope. That spark—so uniquely human, so fiercely resilient—birthed something new between them. A power stronger than before. A force born not of perfection, but of reconciliation and belief.
It was this new strength that turned the tide against Vector, toppling the Barian with the sheer will of a second chance.
Then the ground began to tremble.
"What's going on?!" Shark asked.
"This wasteland is collapsing in on itself!" Dumon shouted, his voice cutting through the rumbling chaos.
He stood exposed beneath the fractured sky, revealing his full form without the concealment of a cloak. His wisteria-toned skin shimmered with an eerie glow, complemented by short gray hair and two luminous blue markings etched down the sides of his face like alien warpaint.
Silver armor gleamed across his body, inset with pulsing blue gems that flickered in sync with the trembling earth. On the right side of his chest, the Barian Emblem blazed defiantly—an unmistakable badge of his allegiance.
Unlike most Barians, Dumon bore distinctly humanoid features, including a visible nose. But his gaze betrayed nothing. His eyes were a solid sheet of gray, blank and pupil-less, staring out over the battlefield with a calm intensity that belied the storm around him.
A screen flared to life beside him, projecting the image of his Barian ally in sharp, shimmering light.
"Mizar, we need to go!" he shouted, his voice tinged with urgency as the ground cracked beneath his feet and gravity fluctuated wildly.
"Dumon!" Mizar exclaimed, his voice sharp beneath his decidedly alien visage.
His mask-like face bore an otherworldly elegance, sculpted with jagged lines and marked by a wing-like protrusion jutting from the left side. Piercing blue eyes glared through the chaos, their luminescence cutting through the crumbling dimension like twin blades of judgment.
Mizar's body radiated power and poise—his yellow skin gleaming beneath ornate white arm guards and matching boots studded with shimmering white gems. A bronze-colored sarong hung around his waist, interlaced with white plating inset with gleaming green gems that pulsed with latent energy.
His shoulders curved upward into sharp, horned crests, framing a mane of long blond-orange hair that whipped like flame in the turbulent winds. At the center of his chest, the Barian Emblem dangled in the shape of a caduceus—an ominous symbol of status and resolve, swaying as the world around him began to fall apart.
"Listen to me, the energy from Yuma and Vector's battle has thrown Sargasso out of balance," Dumon said, his voice steady as dimensional rifts cracked open around them.
Mizar's piercing blue eyes narrowed beneath his alien mask. "So what?" he snapped, bracing against the unstable ground.
Dumon's armor glinted in the chaos. "Do you want to be stuck in this wasteland forever?"
A tense silence hung between them—broken only by the tremble of reality itself. Mizar growled low, frustration simmering beneath his skin.
"Next time…" he muttered, casting a sharp glare toward Kite.
Then, a vortex tore open beside him. The portal surged with energy, swirling like a wound in space itself. Mizar stepped into it without hesitation, disappearing in a flare of light and static, leaving only distortion in his wake.
Vector staggered through the debris, his body battered and barely holding together after the brutal clash. His gray-and-black skin was marked with faint cracks, lined with clusters of tiny pink gems that shimmered faintly under the unstable light. At the center of his chest, the Barian Emblem stood out—crudely shaped and jagged, more like a scar than a symbol.
His purple eyes, outlined in thick bands of black, flicked with defiance even through exhaustion. Spiked, bulbous tufts of light gray hair burst from his scalp in wild angles, the curled bangs framing his face like chaotic tendrils.
Around his waist, he wore a dark gray sarong adorned with pink gems that pulsed erratically, mirroring the instability of his wounded aura. From his back stretched two black demonic wings—jagged, asymmetrical, and veined with pink crystals that blinked like dying stars.
"You think you've won, but you're wrong!" Vector roared, his voice laced with venom.
His battered form trembled, yet his eyes still burned with defiance. "Mark my words—the lie that stained Astral will never go away! It will last forever! It'll gnaw at your bond and destroy it!"
With a final, maniacal laugh, Vector turned and stepped into a rift behind him. A portal hissed open, swirling with dark Barian energy. He vanished in an instant, leaving behind the echo of his fury and a battlefield steeped in silence.
Astral and Yuma barely had time to breathe before they were engulfed in a sudden shift. A surge of dimensional light wrapped around them—and in a blink—they were pulled into a waiting ship with their allies, escaping the ruins of Sargasso.
But the chaos wasn't over.
Just as the vessel sped forward, it clipped something solid—a roadway cutting across the fold of spacetime. The impact jolted the ship violently. Yuma and Astral, still recovering from their battle, were flung overboard, tumbling out the open hatch as the world fractured around them.
"YUMA!" their friends screamed, voices laced with panic as they reached out—too late.
The duo spun through one of the dimensional portals, engulfed in blinding light.
And then… they vanished.
(Play Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
Yuma ignites his Duel Disk, light flaring from the Emperor's Key around his neck. Just like in the original opening, his Duel Gazer locks into place... but then a blue vortex tears open below him. Astral hovers beside him as they're pulled into the swirling void.
Still together as one;
Cuz divided we're none;
Ready to go, we feel the flow!
The vortex flings them across time and space. With a sudden blast of light, they crash into the City of Paris. Yuma lands on his feet, Astral floating beside him like a guardian spirit. Without hesitation, Yuma draws a card and slams it onto his Duel Disk—Number 39: Utopia emerges in a pillar of golden energy.
So don't stand in our way;
You know we ain't afraid;
This is our time, we're in control!
Elsewhere, Plagg floats lazily toward his next bite of Camembert—but a sudden pulse of Miraculous energy rips through the air. He's sucked back into Adrien's ring just as Tikki is drawn into Marinette's earrings, causing them to transform into Ladybug and Cat Noir, who struck their signature pose with a powerful fist bump.
If I trip up today;
You just wipe it away;
All of my fears are gone, erased!
Back in the skies above, Yuma's friends rally aboard the Different Dimensional Airship. Shark and Kite leap into battle, summoning their aces—Number 32: Shark Drake bursts through cascading water, and Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon roars from a vortex of stars.
Let us tear down the walls;
'Til the final night falls;
The bonds of our souls can't be replaced!
The whole team comes together, forming a united front. They charge toward Hawk Moth, Vector, and the remaining Barians with radiant resolve.
Let us fight together;
Regret it never;
Our dreams will be…!
A colossal shadow blots out both worlds—Don Thousand looms large, his presence sending ripples across dimensions. Vector shifts from his human form into his true Barian self, unleashing devastation across Paris.
Halfway to,
Forever;
Our light comes shining through!
Yuma and Astral fuse once again—this time into ZEXAL II. In one sweeping motion, Yuma summons Utopia Ray Victory, which surges with power as it absorbs an Overlay Unit.
Reach down deep;
Beat defeat;
Do all that we can do!
Side by side, Ladybug and Cat Noir unleash their own monster companions, who rally behind Utopia Ray Victory for a synchronized final attack.
Halfway to,
Forever;
We've got nothing to lose!
Hawk Moth smirks, summoning an army of Akumas with a flourish of his arm as Vector prepares his counterattack, dark energy pooling at his fingertips.
Keep breathing;
Believing;
Halfway to forever-rrrrrr!
A radiant spiral of Miraculous jewels orbit the glowing Numeron Code as it pulses with cosmic energy. Astral and Yuma glance at each other, solemn yet empowered. They reach out—hands clasped in unity—while their signature monsters stand poised behind them.
The screen pulses with blazing light as the title materializes below the team.
Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
(End Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
In another world, a teenage girl sat quietly in her living room, sunlight pouring through the windows and casting soft warmth across her skin. Her medium-length black hair shimmered with deep blue reflections, swept into signature pigtails that framed her bluebell-colored eyes. The freckles scattered across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose caught the light like stardust, adding a gentle glow to her expression.
She wore a dark gray blazer with rolled-up sleeves, the inner lining patterned with playful pink polka dots edged in black trim. Beneath it, a white t-shirt hugged her frame, stitched in black around the seams and blooming with a delicate flower design beneath the collar. Her pink jeans were casually rolled at the ankles, matched with pink ballet flats that bore dark red soles.
A light pink purse hung neatly from her shoulder, resting against her side as she leaned back against the cushions. Soft eyeliner traced the shape of her eyes, adding a quiet sharpness to her thoughtful gaze. Round black earrings glinted under the shifting light.
This was Marinette Dupain-Cheng, daughter of Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng—a girl destined to carry more than just fashion.
Floating gently beside Marinette was a small, otherworldly creature—the Kwami known as Tikki.
Her crimson skin shimmered with black spots, and her deep blue eyes glowed softly in the morning light. Two delicate antennae curved above her head, and a short tail with three tips aligned vertically bobbed behind her as she hovered. Though small in stature, Tikki carried immense power.
She was a Kwami—a magical being tied to an ancient artifact known as a Miraculous. When bonded with a human holder, the Miraculous granted its user the ability to transform into a hero… or a villain, depending on the spirit within.
Thanks to Tikki, Marinette had become the luck-bringer of Paris: Ladybug. Together with her partner Cat Noir, they faced off against the sinister Hawk Moth—protecting the city from chaos with each miraculous battle.
But today, Marinette was focused on a different kind of mission—meeting her Great Uncle. With her parents away at a catering event, they had entrusted her to make him feel welcome in their home.
His arrival was imminent, so Marinette filled the remaining time with thoughtful preparations. "You'll see, Tikki. I'll say it just fine," she said, casting a determined glance at her floating companion.
Tikki hovered nearby, the fairy-like Kwami observing with quiet amusement as Marinette tapped the microphone button on the translator app she had installed on her phone.
"Welcome to my home. My name is Marinette," the pigtailed girl spoke clearly into the recorder.
The app processed her words in an instant, translating them into the desired language.
"欢迎来到我的家，我的名字叫马里内特。"
Hearing the translated phrase, Marinette took a breath and repeated the words out loud—but her pronunciation faltered, seeing a frowning face appear over her screen.
"No, that's not right," she muttered, tapping the microphone again to replay the statement. This time, she listened carefully, adjusted her tone, and repeated it with better accuracy, as a happy face appeared over it, indicating she got it correct this time..
"Good job, Marinette!" Tikki cheered, her tiny wings fluttering with pride as she floated beside her holder, beaming with encouragement.
Marinette's nerves were skyrocketing as her gaze fell on the bouquet of viola sorbet raspberry flowers arranged neatly on the coffee table. Their soft hues—purples, blushes, and berry tones—were meant to offer warmth, but instead they only reminded her how high the stakes felt.
"Do you think he'll like them?" Marinette asked, reaching for the bouquet and holding it up toward Tikki with hopeful urgency.
"Well of course! They're fine!" the Kwami replied cheerily, floating above the coffee table.
Marinette groaned. "They can't be fine, they have to be perfect!" she insisted, anxiety creeping deeper into her voice. "My mom's uncle is a super famous Chinese chef. He's very particular, so things have to be just right."
Tikki hovered silently for a beat, watching her holder's spiraling panic, when—
DING-DONG!
The doorbell rang.
Marinette froze, bouquet still clutched in her hands, her heart kicking into overdrive.
"That's him! Hide, Tikki," Marinette whispered, her voice tense with excitement as the doorbell echoed through the apartment.
Quickly, she opened her blazer, allowing the tiny Kwami to dart inside and nestle into the folds of fabric. Tikki tucked herself in just in time as Marinette spun around—only to trip over the back of the couch.
She let out a gasp, flailing forward. Her arms pinwheeled for balance, and she barely managed to catch herself before crashing into the coffee table. With a quick breath and a flick of her hair back into place, she straightened her blazer, brushed off imaginary dust, and walked briskly to the door.
Taking one last steadying breath, she opened it.
Standing in the doorway was a distinguished figure—an older, overweight Chinese man of medium height with a warm but discerning gaze. His short black hair was neatly combed, and his brown eyes carried both experience and gentle wisdom. Long, thick eyebrows arched expressively above them, framing a narrow mustache with a small gap at the center and a squared-off beard on the tip of his chin.
He wore a chef's uniform tailored to his signature look: a crisp white chef hat perched atop his head, a light gray shirt with sleeves rolled to his elbows, and four button details aligned along the left side. Matching gray pants and polished black shoes completed his ensemble, practical yet dignified. Slung over one shoulder was a brown leather side satchel—the kind that had clearly traveled with him across bustling kitchens and cultural borders alike.
This was Wang Cheng—a world-renowned culinary master, owner and head chef of Thousand Delights, one of the most esteemed Chinese restaurants in Paris. More importantly, he was Sabine's uncle and Marinette's great uncle—their family's link to tradition, flavor, and the art of precision.
"你好 (Hello)," Wang Cheng greeted warmly, his eyes crinkling with delight as he looked at his great niece.
"Uh—welcome Mari you're at Nette's," Marinette stammered, nerves scrambling her words. "I mean—welcome to Marinette's! You're Chinese!" she winced, realizing that somehow she'd made it worse.
"No no no no! In Mandarin!" she muttered, flustered as she reached for her phone and handed him a bouquet of flowers. She fumbled open the translation app she'd installed the night before.
"Welcome to my home. My name is Marinette," she whispered into the app's microphone.
As Marinette anxiously held out her phone, she didn't notice Wang Cheng gently smelling the bouquet—smiling at the fragrant viola sorbet raspberries before casually slipping a few into his leather satchel.
"Ugh, this is so lame," Marinette murmured, cringing as she held her phone out toward her great uncle.
"欢迎来到我家。我的名字叫马里内特。哎，这个真差劲。哎，这个真差劲。哎，这个—..."
Marinette's eyes widened in horror, as it kept looping "Ugh, this is so lame!" over and over again. "No—no—stop!" she whispered, frantically swiping to shut the app down. With a forced chuckle and a red face, she stepped aside to let her great uncle into the apartment.
After closing the door behind them, Marinette watched as Uncle Wang made his way toward the living room, then hurried to dial Alya.
"Alya, you've gotta help me!" she burst out as soon as her friend picked up. "I don't know what to do with my mom's uncle. You know, the one I told you about? I don't think I can pull this off…"
"Chill out, Marinette. I got the solution," Alya replied coolly from the park, juggling her homework while offering moral support. "Just hang tight."
"Thank you! You're amazing," Marinette breathed, heart swelling with relief. "Wait, what solution?" she blinked—only to realize the dial tone had replaced Alya's voice.
Marinette groaned, slipping her phone back into her pocket. Still entirely unsure of Alya's mystery plan, she took one last breath and walked into the living room to rejoin her great uncle.
Time drifted slowly.
Marinette shifted uncomfortably on the Dupain-Cheng family sofa, hands clasped tight in her lap as she sat beside Great Uncle Wang. He seemed perfectly at ease, inspecting the floral arrangement with quiet curiosity—occasionally scribbling something in a small notebook from his satchel—while Marinette's nerves danced like static.
Alya still hadn't called back, and the uncertainty gnawed at her.
DING-DONG!
The doorbell rang. Marinette shot up, her heart leaping with equal parts hope and dread. Alya's miracle solution? A mistake? Someone else?
She darted to the door, took a breath, and swung it open—
Only to freeze mid-motion, eyes wide.
It wasn't Alya.
It wasn't anyone she expected.
Standing on the other side of the door was none other than Adrien Agreste—Marinette's longtime crush.
He was striking even in the gentle hallway light: a fair-skinned teenage boy with smooth, brushed-back blond hair, swept slightly to the right. His emerald-green eyes caught the light as they met Marinette's gaze, framed by a subtle rosy hue on his cheeks, the tip of his nose, and ears that hinted he hadn't expected to be standing here either.
He stood about half a head taller than her, casual yet composed in a white button-down jacket with an upturned collar. The sleeves were rolled just past the elbows, and the jacket hung unbuttoned to reveal the black t-shirt underneath—marked by five horizontal stripes across the chest in shades of yellow, brown, bright green, navy blue, and purple.
His blue jeans looked just slightly weathered from wear, tucked into orange sneakers with crisp white laces. A familiar emblem—a black butterfly inside a circle—adorned the sides, subtle yet symbolic.
On the ring finger of his right hand gleamed what appeared to be a simple silver ring.
But beneath the surface, it was the Black Cat Miraculous, the enchanted jewel that granted Adrien the ability to transform into Cat Noir, her mysterious ally and partner in heroism.
"Hey Marinette!" Adrien greeted warmly, flashing a smile and waving as he stood at her doorstep.
Marinette's heart leapt into her throat. Her eyes went wide as the last person she expected stood before her. "ADRIEN?!" she blurted out, voice climbing in pitch. "What in the—uh—what are you—"
Adrien chuckled softly, the kind that somehow made it worse and better all at once. "Alya called me," he explained casually. "She said you needed someone who speaks Chinese?"
He straightened his back and gave a playful bow. "Well, here I am! Translator at your service."
Marinette blinked, words momentarily failing her as her brain short-circuited from admiration overload.
Adrien, meanwhile, felt genuinely glad to be here. His father—shockingly—had agreed to let him out for the afternoon when he framed it as a chance to refine his Mandarin. Add that to the chance to help out and spend time with a friend? Total win-win.
"No! I mean, yes! Uh, where's Alya?" Marinette blurted out, her head swiveling as she searched the hallway behind Adrien, half-expecting her best friend to pop out with a camera and say this was all one big prank.
But instead, her phone buzzed in her hand.
It was a text from Alya:
Totally real. Trust me. You got this.
Marinette stared at the screen for a beat, heart thudding. Yep. Adrien was really standing at her door. And Alya had really sent him.
The rooftop of Le Grand Paris was quiet, basked in golden afternoon light.
Then, with a ripple of cosmic static, a dimensional portal tore open in the sky. Yuma and Astral were flung from its core, spinning through the air before the vortex sealed behind them as though it had never existed.
Yuma barely had time to register the shift before crashing backwards into a rooftop air conditioning unit, denting the metal with a sharp thud. "Agh—what just happened…?"
A moment later, Astral floated down beside him, his translucent form flickering with residual energy. "Yuma, are you alright?"
"I think so…" Yuma groaned, sitting up and rubbing his shoulder. "Oh man... that came out of nowhere…"
He rose to his feet, scanning the unfamiliar skyline. As he approached the edge of the roof, he pulled out his Duel Gazer and tried to reach his friends.
The device responded flatly:
"I'm sorry, but the number you entered does not exist. Please try entering the correct number."
"Weird," Yuma muttered, trying again. Kite's number… Shark's number… nothing. After several failed attempts, he sighed and pocketed the Gazer. "What is this place?"
Astral floated higher, eyes narrowing as he spotted a familiar landmark in the distance—its iron lattice rising against the sky like a stitched seam in space-time.
"If I had to guess, we're in some alternate world. Specifically… Paris."
"Huh? Why do you think we're in an alternate world?" Yuma asked, blinking in confusion.
"When we fell overboard, we passed through a dimensional rift," Astral explained calmly. "The odds of it returning us to our world were extremely low. This… is something else."
"I guess that would explain why we can't contact the others." Yuma nodded, rubbing the back of his neck thoughtfully.
Then he paused, narrowing his eyes at Astral.
"Wait a sec—how do you even know what Paris is?"
Astral floated calmly beside him, his translucent body shimmering faintly. "I watched a documentary about it after you fell asleep during your geography class once. It was surprisingly informative."
Yuma blinked. "Well… what do we do, expert?"
"Judging by the position and layout of this building, I believe we are standing on the rooftop of the Le Grand Paris, a very famous and popular hotel." Astral glanced toward the rooftop staircase. "I believe it would be best if we familiarize ourselves with our surroundings and get to the ground floor."
Yuma dusted off his jacket and cracked a grin. "Alright, Paris documentary boy—lead the way."
The time had finally come. Marinette, Adrien, and Great Uncle Wang boarded Adrien's sleek car, en route to the prestigious World's Greatest Chef contest. The atmosphere was quiet, tension hanging gently between excitement and nerves.
Adrien, ever the peacekeeper, decided to break the ice.
"郑师傅，这是你第一次来巴黎吗? (Master Cheng, Is this the first time you've visited Paris?)" Adrien asked, glancing at Wang with a friendly smile.
Wang Cheng gave a soft chuckle as he gazed out the window. "不，我三十年曾经来过这里;你说一口流利的中国话。 (No, I have been here 30 years ago. You can speak Chinese fluently.)"
Adrien bowed slightly, appreciative. "谢谢，郑师傅。 (Thank you, Master Cheng.)"
Marinette, meanwhile, sat in the back seat, eyes darting toward every passing building, sign, and lamppost—anywhere but the two conversing in front. The Mandarin exchange sailed over her head, leaving her slightly detached from the moment.
Then, unexpectedly, Wang switched to English. "My English very bad. Not like your Chinese."
Adrien perked up, pleasantly surprised. "I thought you couldn't speak English."
"Me too!" Marinette chimed in from the back, her eyes wide with surprise.
Wang offered a humble shrug. "Oh, no, not good. My English not good."
Marinette couldn't help but giggle. For all his culinary mastery, it seemed language learning was still a challenge—and oddly enough, that was something they had in common.
It didn't take long for the trio to arrive at Le Grand Paris, the elegant hotel transformed into a hub of excitement for the prestigious "World's Greatest Chef" competition.
As Adrien's car pulled up to the curb, the entrance was already swarming with life—film crews adjusting equipment, fans pressed against velvet barriers, flashes going off in every direction, all eager to catch a glimpse of the world-class chefs stepping into the spotlight.
At the center of the commotion stood Alec Cataldi, the vibrant French TV host helming the live broadcast.
Alec was tall and charismatic, his tan skin glowing beneath studio lights. His shaved head and sharp dark brown eyes gave him an instantly recognizable profile, framed by thin eyebrows that lifted expressively with every on-camera pitch. He wore a light blue V-necked T-shirt with two buttons below the collar, white pants, and black-and-white sneakers that gave him easy mobility as he paced the press zone. On his left wrist, a black woven bracelet with white clasps, and on his right, a leather wristband with a silver buckle—stylish, casual, and camera-ready.
"Since our 'World's Greatest Chef' contest kicked off," Alec announced, beaming at the lens, "the best culinary masters from around the globe have been blowing our minds with their gastronomic creations!"
As the camera panned toward the newest arrival, Cheng Shifu stepped forward from the car, waving graciously to the crowd on either side. His presence alone stirred a cheer from a group of food aficionados holding signs with his name scrawled in elegant brushstroke font.
Behind him, Marinette and Adrien lingered at the open car door, watching the spectacle unfold with wide eyes—Marinette nervously clutching her purse, and Adrien casually adjusting his jacket collar, perfectly at ease in the media storm.
"Cheng Shifu, I am delighted and honored to have you here on our final show, where you will have the chance to defeat all of the chefs who have competed thus far," a distinguished man greeted as he approached the famous chef, offering a formal bow.
Cheng Shifu smiled at the warm welcome before he, Marinette, and Adrien walked into Le Grand Paris.
This was André Bourgeois—Mayor of Paris and owner of the renowned hotel. He was fairly tall and portly, with slicked-back gray hair and light, brilliant cobalt blue eyes. His dark gray dress jacket, fastened with three large black buttons, sat atop a crisp white shirt and bold red tie. A folded red handkerchief peeked from his upper-left pocket, matching his tie perfectly. He wore coordinating gray slacks and polished black shoes, with a tricolor sash—blue, white, and red—draped from his right shoulder. Its ends were tied with thick golden tassels that swayed subtly as he moved.
Inside the hotel, cameras resumed rolling as Alec Cataldi—still brimming with enthusiasm—turned to address viewers at home.
"Only one will be awarded the title of 'World's Greatest Chef'. The winner's dish will become the new Mayor's Special on the Grand Paris Restaurant menu!"
The broadcast transitioned smoothly to Alec standing beside Cheng Shifu, mic in hand.
"Tell us, Cheng Shifu, what dish will you be honoring our panel with today?" he asked, prompting Adrien to translate the question for the chef.
"My dish is: Celestial Soup," Cheng Shifu replied with quiet pride.
Alec's eyes lit up. "Wow! We've heard so much about your legendary Celestial Soup, but today—we'll actually get to taste it!"
With the cameras fading out and the crew stepping aside, Cheng Shifu was ready to begin.
"Would you like me to come with you, Cheng Shifu?" Adrien offered, stepping forward with a respectful tone.
"No, thank you Adrien. Cooking needs no words," the master replied calmly, allowing Alec to guide him toward the kitchen.
Once they were out of earshot, Marinette turned to Adrien, her cheeks slightly pink. "Thanks, Adrien. I'm totally sorry for bothering you for nothing. I really thought he couldn't speak English," she admitted, guilt nudging her voice.
"No problem, Marinette. It was awesome to be able to practice my Chinese," Adrien said, assuring her with a smile. "Especially with a Shifu."
"A Shifu?" Marinette echoed, blinking in curiosity. The term wasn't unfamiliar—she'd heard her mom say it before, even if she didn't speak the language herself.
"That means 'Master' in Chinese," Adrien explained gently. "Your mom's uncle is a great master!"
Marinette couldn't help but smile, her pride glowing through as she looked toward the kitchen.
"Well look who it is! My favorite person, Marinette Dupain-Cheng."
The voice snapped Marinette from her thoughts, making her spin around—startled.
Standing behind her was Chloé Bourgeois, a slender teenage girl of medium height. Her brilliant cobalt blue eyes sparkled with smug amusement, pale pink lips curled into a smirk. Her light honey blonde hair was parted down the middle and pulled back into a high ponytail, held firmly in place by a white hair tie.
Chloé was, as always, impeccably styled. Pale grayish cerulean eyeshadow traced her lids, accompanied by a soft scarlet blush and light brown lipstick. A gold chain necklace with a miniature disco ball shimmered at her throat, while white-rimmed sunglasses perched atop her head like a crown.
She wore a sparkly brilliant yellow bolero that ended halfway down her forearms, fastened with a light blue button and flanked by two decorative pockets. Beneath it was a white shirt patterned with black stripes across the chest down to her waist. Her white jean capris were cinched with a golden belt embedded with pyramid-shaped bumps, and on her feet, she wore pristine white dress shoes adorned with delicate bows and black-lined soles.
This was Marinette's longtime rival—and the daughter of Mayor André Bourgeois.
"I mean, seriously? Does your great-uncle really expect to win the contest with a soup? It's not even a main dish! Please," Chloé scoffed, tossing her ponytail with theatrical disdain.
Her snide comment was enough to make Marinette bristle, and even Adrien's patience began to wear thin.
"Doesn't he know how to make sushi like everyone else?" Chloé continued, pushing the button that finally snapped Marinette and Adrien's restraint.
"Japanese people make sushi, Chloé. Cheng Shifu is Chinese!" Adrien said firmly, correcting her with no trace of amusement.
"Besides, he's not like 'everyone else'," Marinette added, stepping forward with sharpened confidence. "My Great Uncle is the best chef in the world. His soup is legendary!"
"Well, I despise soup," Chloé huffed.
"So what?" Marinette shot back, crossing her arms—not even sure why Chloé's opinion should matter.
Chloé's lips curled into a smug grin. "Didn't you know? I'm on the jury." She flipped her ponytail again, voice dripping with self-satisfaction. "Your uncle will *not* be getting my vote, for sure."
Marinette stepped closer, defiant. "Oh yeah? Well, he doesn't need your vote to win!" She jabbed a finger against Chloé's chest. "There are other judges with much better taste than yours."
Chloé faltered, visibly ruffled, and Marinette smirked—leaning in with one final blow.
"Huh, silly me. You don't have any taste. I mean... look at what you're wearing."
Chloé's face flushed red as she turned on her heel and stormed toward the stairs. "You've made a big mistake," she snapped over her shoulder before disappearing upstairs.
Adrien watched her go, then turned to Marinette with an impressed grin. "Wow. You really stood up for Cheng Shifu. He would've appreciated that."
But Marinette's smile faltered, her gaze dropping toward the floor. "I'm not sure. I don't think he likes me."
Adrien blinked, surprised. "Oh no, you're wrong."
"No, I swear! He even ripped up the bouquet I gave him," Marinette said, her voice quiet, remembering the sting of rejection.
Adrien's expression softened. He understood—the meaning behind that gift, the vulnerability in giving it.
"Cheng Shifu isn't just a chef, Marinette—he's an artist. He told me he improvises with meaningful things that come his way," Adrien explained. "He said he was going to put flowers in his Celestial Soup. The ones he mentioned… they must've been from your bouquet."
Marinette's eyes widened, a quiet smile blooming on her face.
"So… you think he actually likes me?" she asked, her voice lifting with cautious hope.
"Totally!" Adrien exclaimed, placing his hands gently on her shoulders. "He's shown you great respect in his own special way. Kind of like how you do with our friends."
A pink blush crept across Marinette's cheeks as her heart fluttered. *If he keeps saying such sweet things, my heart might give out before the day is done, she squealed inwardly, trying to stay composed.
Once she calmed herself, she and Adrien made their way up to Le Grand Paris's restaurant—side by side, waiting for the competition to begin.
Meanwhile, in the gleaming kitchen of Le Grand Paris, Cheng Shifu had begun to prepare his signature dish. Anyone watching would have been mesmerized by the grace and mastery on display—knife strokes swift and precise, spices measured with intuitive finesse, and ingredients from Marinette's bouquet delicately trimmed and stirred in among exotic vegetables and herbs.
Colorful flashes of pink, violet, and orange danced across the cutting board and vanished into the bubbling pot, slowly transforming into a rich, vibrant purple broth—the legendary Celestial Soup.
As Cheng Shifu leaned in to taste-test the simmering mixture, he failed to notice a pair of eyes spying from the door to his left.
Chloé Bourgeois, smug and scheming, stood watching.
"Mr. Cheng, Marinette's looking for you outside," she called sweetly, feigning innocence.
The chef straightened, wiping his hands before nodding politely and stepping away to check on his great-niece.
The moment the kitchen doors swung closed, Chloé's mask dropped.
Her lips twisted into a devilish smile. "Let's see if the other judges enjoy your uncle's soup after this, Marinette Dupain-Cheng."
Without hesitation, she strode up to the pot and pulled off the lid. From her purse, she retrieved several questionable items—rancid spices, bitter powders, and one mystery vial. All of it went in, stirred rapidly, until the once-perfect soup dulled slightly beneath the lid.
Right on cue, Cheng Shifu reentered through the door.
"Marinette wasn't there—" he began, only for Chloé to brush past him casually.
"No speak Japanese. See ya," she chirped dismissively, once again throwing cultural ignorance into the air like glitter.
Cheng Shifu blinked in quiet confusion, brow furrowed. But with no reason to suspect sabotage, he simply returned to his station, carefully plating his now-tampered dish for presentation.
Unaware of the sabotage that had unfolded in his brief absence.
Meanwhile, with Yuma and Astral, the duo were going down one of the many halls of Le Grand Paris, trying to find a way out, until Yuma froze with widened eyes, as he turned and stared at a door labeled, "Janitor's Closer".
"Oh man, we've been here like six times already!" Yuma groaned, throwing up his hands.
"Perhaps it would help if you had read the map, like I tried to tell you," Astral replied, his voice calm but distant.
"Map? What map?" Yuma blinked.
Astral pointed to a large, clearly visible wall directory mounted right beside the closet door. Yuma paused, then flopped to the floor in cartoonish disbelief before springing back up and racing toward it.
"We will not speak of this when we get back home," Yuma muttered, scanning the layout.
Astral hovered beside him, silent for a moment.
"…Yuma," he said quietly. "There's something I've wanted to discuss. About Sargasso. And Vector."
Yuma turned, surprised by the shift in tone. "Now?"
Astral nodded, his glow dimming slightly. "I need to speak honestly. When Vector revealed the truth… when he twisted everything we thought we knew… I felt something inside me fracture."
Yuma's expression softened. "Yeah. I was angry too. I still am."
Astral's gaze drifted toward the ceiling. "It wasn't just anger. It was doubt. I began to question everything—our mission, our bond, even myself. And when you kept your connection to Ray hidden… I felt betrayed."
Yuma looked down, guilt flickering across his face. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I just didn't know how to explain it. I just wanted to protect you."
"I understand now," Astral continued. "But in that moment… I lost faith. And that loss allowed something else to take root. Darkness. It whispered to me. Promised strength. Promised clarity."
Astral lowered his head. "I let it in. I thought I could control it. But it consumed me. I became someone else—someone who fought without care, who welcomed pain, who saw you not as a partner… but as the source of my suffering."
Yuma stepped forward. "But you came back. You broke free."
"Because of you," Astral said. "You reached me. Even when I rejected you. Even when I embraced the darkness, you held on and helped me see the light of hope again."
Yuma smiled faintly. "That's what friends do."
Astral hovered in silence for a moment, the soft glow of his form flickering gently in the corridor's filtered light.
"Thank you, Yuma," he said at last—his voice quieter, steadier. "For trusting me even when I stopped trusting myself."
Yuma blinked, surprised by the sincerity in Astral's tone.
"I felt lost in that darkness," Astral continued, "but you never let go. You reached out—again and again—even when I closed every door. That perseverance… it wasn't just stubbornness. It was hope. Your hope."
Yuma's grip on the Emperor's Key relaxed, his posture easing. "I didn't know what else to do. I just kept believing you'd come back. That we'd get through it."
"You did more than believe," Astral said. "You fought—for me. For us. And for that… I forgive you."
Yuma's eyes widened, then softened.
"And I forgive myself," Astral added, almost as an afterthought. "Because this path was never meant to be walked alone."
Yuma gave him a quiet nod. "Nope. It's always been the two of us. Friends and partners 'til the very end, remember?"
"I remember," Astral said. "And I intend to honor it."
Their gaze met, no monsters summoned, no duels ignited—just understanding.
"Okay," Yuma said, straightening. "Now that we've patched up our emotional damage, can we please stop looping past the janitor's closet and actually find the way out?"
Astral blinked, then smiled. "Indeed."
Yuma's smile lingered as he turned back toward the map, letting his fingers trace the bold layout of Le Grand Paris. The conversation had left him quiet for a beat—no jokes, no frustration—just a moment to breathe in the strange stillness of this world they'd fallen into.
"Okay…" Yuma murmured, eyes scanning the hallway intersections and labeled wings. "If we're here…" He tapped near the entrance. "Then the entrance should be... that way."
Astral hovered closer, gaze following Yuma's path across the map. "Assuming this map is accurate."
"It better be," Yuma said, narrowing his eyes. "No more wasted time."
Astral gave a subtle nod. "Very well. Lead the way."
With one last glance at the map, Yuma turned down the correct hallway this time, his footsteps steady, heart braced for whatever they might find… or wouldn't.
The atmosphere in Le Grand Paris's dining hall buzzed with anticipation. The camera panned across glimmering cutlery and velvet-covered chairs, lights catching on polished surfaces. Alec Cataldi stood center-frame, brimming with enthusiasm as the broadcast rolled.
"As usual, our panel of gourmets is made up of André Bourgeois, the mayor of Paris and owner of this luxury hotel, plus his daughter Chloé, representing the younger generation," Alec began, gesturing toward the prominent duo seated at the judging table.
"Following them is hot rockstar Jagged Stone and his killer crocodile Fang, the divine head chef of this very hotel, Marlena Césaire, and finally, yours truly—Alec!" The logo for "The World's Greatest Chef" flashed boldly across the broadcast screen before fading as the judges reached for their spoons.
Jagged Stone towered confidently, an unmistakable figure in the spotlight. His moderate turquoise eyes gleamed beneath dark, dramatic eyeshadow and thick eyeliner, giving his gaze a wild, magnetic intensity. Black hair framed his face in jagged waves, the tips dyed a sharp violet. A matching beard and connected mustache wrapped his jawline in a rockstar's signature edge, while his split eyebrows curved like wings of rebellion.
His outfit screamed theatrical swagger: a glittering black jacket trimmed with yellow accents and flamboyant epaulets. Beneath it, he wore a sleek black undershirt with no collar—raw and ready. His pants added flare: yellow with bold black stripes running vertically, reminiscent of a bee's warning colors. Lacy, black fingerless gloves covered both hands, and his feet stomped the stage in black heeled boots, the soles etched with cryptic designs.
Around his neck, a statement necklace swung with every movement—two golden wings flanking a skull pendant at the center, a perfect fusion of glam and danger.
Beside him slithered his ever-present companion, Fang. The crocodile's pale brown scales shimmered with menace, jagged teeth glinting beneath glowing golden eyes with narrow, oblong pupils. A spiked collar circled his neck, completing the duo's look like a roadie with fangs.
Marlena was a petite woman with rich brown skin and warm, matching eyes. Her hair was tied neatly into a bun, emphasizing the structured grace of her presence. A bold pop of brilliant pink lipstick brightened her face, adding a dash of personality beneath her pristine chef's attire.
She wore a crisp white tunic with three white buttons lining each side of the front, perfectly pressed and spotless. Light blue pants offered a soft contrast to the uniform's formality, paired with clean white tennis shoes that spoke to function and comfort.
Atop her head sat a tall, classic chef's hat—embroidered with Le Grand Paris in shimmering gold thread, marking her as the culinary heart of the hotel with regal flair.
"It's time to determine the fate of Cheng Shifu's famous Celestial Soup. Let's get tasting!" Alec declared.
The jury leaned in—except for Chloé, who simply spun her spoon around with theatrical disinterest. Then, Alec took his first sip… and nearly choked.
"What IS this?!" he exclaimed, recoiling. Marinette, Adrien, and Cheng Sifu stared in stunned disbelief.
"Uh, I don't think this soup would fare well with our guests! I'll give it a 3/10," Mayor Bourgeois declared, holding up a rating plate.
"Seeing as it seems pretty unappetizing, maybe I'll pass on the tasting. But I'll still give it a zero!" Chloé added smugly, flashing her plate to the camera.
"Ech! It's like kissing a singer from the Zombeats! Negative zero," Jagged Stone groaned after his tasting, shaking his head while Fang gave a dubious hiss.
Marlena glanced at her spoon, then tasted delicately—her expression darkened instantly. "I'm sorry, but it's inedible. I give it 1/10."
"But this cannot be." Cheng Sifu started, baffled. Adrien and Marinette exchanged concerned glances. Without a word, the master chef walked up to the judges' table and took a taste himself.
"Uch! I don't understand, I never put these ingredients in. It's a mistake. Someone sabotaged soup!" he blurted after spitting it out, the realization hitting hard.
Jagged and Marlena exchanged startled looks, but Chloé simply smiled behind her spoon.
"I'm sorry, Cheng Shifu, but I'm giving you a zero, too, which brings your score to 0.8/10 - the lowest so far," Alec announced, stepping beside the chef and flashing his rating to the camera. "Your Celestial Soup will therefore not be on the hotel's menu this year, and you will not be named 'World's Greatest Chef!'"
The broadcast wrapped. Lights dimmed, chatter resumed, and the jury began to disperse—Marinette still reeling from the moment.
Then, as Chloé stood up, Marinette's eye caught something.
A flower petal.
Fallen from Chloé's jacket.
"This isn't right, and I'm certain Chloé's got something to do with it," Marinette said, voice low but firm.
"I'd like to say you're wrong, but I know her only too well," Adrien admitted, sighing.
Marinette hurried over to Cheng Sifu, who was still stunned, his pride crumbling.
"Uncle Cheng? I'm sure it's not your fault. In fact, I know it's not. I'm pretty sure Chloé's behind this. It was actually because of me. I provoked her, and—"
"Shame is on Celestial Soup. I shall never be 'World's Greatest Chef'!" Cheng interrupted, sorrow heavy in his voice. He turned and walked away, disappearing into the kitchen without another word.
"No! Uncle Cheng!" Marinette called after him, but there was no response.
"It's horrible to lose face in China," Adrien said gently, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Still upset, Marinette nodded. "Yeah, let's go."
The two began their quiet walk downstairs—hearts heavy, truths unspoken, and the storm of sabotage hanging unresolved in the air.
Far beyond the bustling heart of Paris, in a secretive, shadow-draped chamber, a tall window slid open—its panes parting like a curtain to let light spill into the gloom. The sunbeam scattered across fluttering white butterflies that spiraled through the air like summoned spirits, casting flickering reflections across the polished floor.
At the room's center stood a solitary figure: a man clad in a deep violet dress shirt with a butterfly-shaped lapel, sharp black dress pants complementing the sleek silhouette. At his collar shimmered a brooch—a delicate butterfly pin resting precisely in the center, as if guarding his voice.
His face, however, told no stories. It was masked in silver, the polished metal stretching across most of his face and neck in a cold gleam, hiding every emotion but amplifying his presence.
This was Hawk Moth—the elusive supervillain of Paris. Keeper of the Butterfly Miraculous. The architect behind countless transformations and tragedies, standing once again at the threshold of daylight... but cloaked in intent.
In a hidden chamber far above the rooftops of Paris, the tall window slid open with a whisper, casting pale daylight across velvet shadows and shimmering wings. White butterflies scattered from their gentle orbit, disturbed by the swell of dark energy beginning to pulse through the room.
Hawk Moth stood in the eye of the storm.
"A great artist was wronged today. I can feel it!" he proclaimed, eyes narrowing as the flurry of butterflies surged around him. The pain radiating from the city below reached him like a cry in the wind—raw, vengeful, and personal.
"I can hear his heart screaming for revenge."
He stepped toward the nearest butterfly, fingers poised to catch it mid-hover. But just before he made contact, something else gripped his senses—something deeper. Ancient. Alien.
"Wait. I feel something else. A great power unlike any other I've ever felt before. Something ancient...something terrifying."
A smirk curled across his masked face, calculated and sharp. While he didn't want to waste this chance to Akumatize someone, he couldn't let this unexpected opportunity go by.
"And it may be just what I need to turn the tide in this fight."
A single butterfly landed in his open palm. With deliberate motion, he cupped his hands around the delicate creature, channeling his twisted magic into its fragile wings. When he revealed it again, its form had changed—darkened to black and deep violet, pulsing with corrupted potential.
"Fly away, my little Akuma," he intoned, watching as the creature took to the air. "It's time we did a little… investigating."
The center of the window slid wider, granting passage to the butterfly as it flitted out into the Parisian skies—silent and sinister, its path now guided by vengeance and curiosity.
The Akuma drifted through the air with silent purpose, crossing the short distance to Le Grand Paris in seconds. Entering the kitchen, it saw Cheng Sifu stood despondent over his soup pot, the steam curling upward like faded dreams. But then, his gaze lifted—and froze.
The counter near the prep station was a mess. Containers out of place. Unfamiliar bottles. The unmistakable aftermath of sabotage. His eyes narrowed.
He picked up one of the bottles, inspecting its label. The anger flared instantly.
"Marinette was right. It was evil act by that brat!" he growled, voice thick with indignation. "No respect for Cheng Shifu! No respect for Perfect Soup!"
His grip on the bottle tightened. Rage trembled in his fingertips. Just as he turned to storm out and confront Chloé, a flicker of light caught the corner of his eye.
"Huh?" he muttered, looking toward the top of a nearby cabinet.
There, nestled among rarely touched cookware, lay a strange object—thin, white, and rectangular, softly pulsing with light. Cheng stepped closer, drawn by something he couldn't name. He reached out and picked it up.
The moment his fingers touched the card, a shadowy aura surrounded him. His breath caught. His pulse spiked.
"Urk! Wh-what's going on...?!" he cried, clutching his head. "Head…hurts...!"
A voice rang out, low and cruel.
"Yes, Wang Cheng... Let the Number take hold…"
Agony lit up his senses. He screamed. The mist wrapped tighter as a glowing yellow symbol that resembled a 59 burned onto his forehead, pulsing like a brand.
And in that moment, the master chef, as the aura surrounded him completely. When it dissipated, he had completely transformed.
His skin was now a pale, light grayish purple, catching the ambient light like twilight fog. Golden sclerae ringed his vivid orange eyes, their intensity barely constrained by the red markings that curled around his mouth, chin, and forehead, encasing the glowing 59.
Silver brows arched sharply across his face, each ending in an elegant curl, while his wild blond hair spiked fiercely skyward, matched by a bristling mustache and a beard touched by fire. Despite the transformation, the chef's hat remained—prideful, iconic. Slung across his shoulder, a satchel bore the brown Mandarin symbol for "Kung Food," encased in a circle like a badge of honor.
His attire fused tradition and battle-readiness: an orange sleeveless karate tunic with ragged edges, cinched by a black belt. A dark brown collar framed his upper body, and over the right chest, a red circle outlined in white carried bold Mandarin characters—"Kung Food", pronounced like a warning and a promise.
Strands of black fabric coiled tightly around his lower legs like shadows bound in ritual, and his shoes were midnight black with tan soles, ready to spring from kitchen to combat in an instant.
"I am Kung Food." he declared, voice crisp and fluent in perfect English. "Those who tasted your soup will become my servants. Everyone who wronged me will pay dearly. I will show them I am the greatest and most perfect chef in the world!"
As Yuma and Astral were finally descending the Hotel, the latter felt a faint ripple of energy shimmered across the air, brushing past them like an echo from the void.
Yuma frowned. "What's up?"
Astral's glow pulsed faintly. "I feel something… familiar," Astral said slowly.
Yuma's hand hovered over Duel Disk, instincts firing. "You think there's another Number card here?"
Astral's glow flickered gently as he considered. "I'm not sure. It's not like the usual Number resonance. And if that were the case… then that could mean Number Cards ended up in this world."
Yuma tilted his head. "And that's bad?"
Astral's expression deepened. "I'm certain. But if Number Cards have ended here, the real question becomes—how? How did they cross dimensions? Why would they appear in a world that should not be connected to ours?"
"So either something dragged the Numbers here... or this place is more tied to us than we thought." Yuma said.
"Exactly," Astral said. "There's familiarity in the energy—but not confirmation. We must proceed cautiously."
Yuma nodded, eyes sharpening with resolve.
Back in the grand dining hall of Le Grand Paris, chaos struck with a rumbling groan—literally. One by one, the entire jury (save for Chloé) clutched their stomachs as a monstrous ache overtook them.
"Ughhh, ooohhh…" Alec wheezed mid-segment, doubling over.
"My guts are killing me!" Jagged Stone roared, banging his fist on the table.
"I'm feeling quite… unwell," Mayor Bourgeois grimaced, bent over his chair, cradling his stomach.
Then—with a maniacal cackle—Kung Food vaulted onto the nearest dining table, arms raised high like a victorious warlord. Behind him, four levitating rice balls floated ominously, glowing with a soft orange hue.
"You've eaten my soup—now you belong to me!" he declared, voice booming, eyes ablaze.
The jury members shuddered, turned orange, then snapped to rigid attention.
"At your command, master," Alec intoned robotically. One by one, the rest followed suit.
Kung Food pointed directly at Chloé, who was distracted, chatting animatedly on her phone.
"Grab the girl."
Chloé blinked, mid-sentence. "So, I was wondering if you wanted to—uh… wh-wait! Hey! I'm Mayor Bourgeois' daughter!" She backed up fast, only to bump into someone behind her.
She turned—and froze.
"Daddy?!" she cried, voice cracking with dread. But the mayor was no longer himself. He seized her arm with eerie force.
"Kung Food will now create a new dish… Brat Soup!" the chef laughed, as the rest of the jury closed in, expressionless and ready.
"But I don't even like soup!" Chloé shrieked, struggling wildly as Kung Food chuckled gleefully at his newest captive.
And above it all, deep in the shadows—Hawk Moth's Akuma observed with quiet interest.
After seizing control of the jury and capturing Chloé, Kung Food turned his attention to the last cameraman lingering in the dining hall. With a snap of his fingers, the chef unleashed a volley of flying rice balls toward the terrified crew member.
The poor man didn't hesitate—he bolted from the room, his panicked footsteps echoing down the hallway. Bursting into the grand lobby of Le Grand Paris, he stumbled past Adrien and Marinette, who were calmly waiting for Cheng Sifu.
"Get out! Hurry! Get out while you still can!" the cameraman wailed, eyes wide with fear as he sprinted past, the rice balls hot on his heels. He fled the hotel entirely, leaving behind a lobby filled with bewilderment.
Adrien and Marinette exchanged confused glances, instantly on alert. Their tension mounted as one of the rice balls slowed, hovering directly in front of them. A shimmer pulsed across its surface—then it projected a glowing holographic screen with Kung Food's menacing image.
"Not polite to leave table without permission. Cut off all exits!" Kung Food barked through the projection, his voice sharp and commanding.
Adrien tensed. Marinette gripped her purse. As they processed the sudden reveal of a new "Akuma" threat, a deeper danger unfolded overhead.
Kung Food's henchmen had reached the roof, working swiftly. With an ominous tip of giant vats, they poured thick waves of caramel down the sides of Le Grand Paris, the sticky substance sealing windows and slathering doorways shut.
Back in one of Le Grand Paris's hallways, Yuma and Astral continued walking, their footsteps echoing softly against the polished tile.
Then—Yuma stopped.
"Whoa, what the heck?!"
Through a tall window set into the corridor wall, thick golden caramel suddenly began cascading down the sides of the building like a syrupy waterfall.
Without hesitation, Yuma ran over and tried to push the window open. It didn't budge. He squinted—and spotted a slow, sticky leak trickling into the hallway from beneath the sill.
"What is that?" Astral asked, floating over as Yuma crouched and dipped a finger into the viscous puddle.
"I think it's… caramel?" Yuma said uncertainly before popping the coated fingertip into his mouth. He blinked. "Yep, it's caramel."
Astral's eyes narrowed. "It's being deployed deliberately… as a containment measure."
"You mean someone's trapping people inside with dessert?" Yuma asked, half-dazed, half-disgusted. "That's gotta be the weirdest villain tactic I've ever seen."
Astral turned toward the stairwell, glow flickering. "Which means the situation has escalated. We may no longer be the only anomaly in this world."
Yuma cracked his knuckles. "Great. And here I was hoping Paris would be chill."
"We need to locate the source of the disturbance—and quickly," Astral said. "That substance could indicate the source of this energy I felt."
Yuma nodded firmly, his playful tone fading into focus. "Alright then—let's go find the dessert mastermind."
Without another word, he and Astral took off down the hallway, chasing mystery deeper into the Le Grand Paris.
Meanwhile, in the caramel-coated lobby, Adrien knelt beside a sticky puddle and gave it a cautious taste.
"Tasty but totally indestructible, so it looks like we're trapped inside," he said, rising to his feet with a grim look.
Just then, Marinette's breath caught.
"My Great Uncle is still upstairs!" she cried, voice tight with worry. "He might be in trouble!"
"Don't worry, I'll go find him," Adrien called, already rushing toward the stairwell. He meant what he said—but also needed a moment to slip away and transform into his superhero persona.
"Thanks. I'll... look for a way out of here…" Marinette added, glancing toward a quieter corner with purpose. She, too, had transformation on her mind.
Suddenly, a flying rice ball drifted overhead, its screen flickering to life. Kung Food's face loomed large.
"You are going to taste Kung Food's soup," he proclaimed, his voice booming across the empty lobby. "Everybody become my servants, and Kung Food become 'World's Greatest Chef'!" His sinister laugh echoed as the image stabilized.
Marinette recoiled.
"Uncle?!" she gasped, recognizing the man behind the voice.
The projection revealed Kung Food's henchmen dropping ingredients into the rooftop pool, churning a swirling broth while Chloé dangled above it—suspended like a garnish about to be added.
Realizing the danger, Marinette sprinted behind one of the lobby's ornate pillars. She didn't need to hide—there was no one left—but habit took over. Her mind was already racing when Tikki emerged from her purse.
"I never should have riled up Chloé! I've gotta save my Uncle!" Marinette exclaimed, her voice full of guilt and urgency.
"You'll do it, Marinette! I'm sure you will!" Tikki encouraged, glowing gently beside her, causing Marinette's resolve to solidify and cry out...
"TIKKI, SPOTS ON!" It was then Tikki was drawn into Marinette's earrings, vanishing in a shimmer of pink light. Instantly, both sets of jewels glowed red, forming the familiar ladybug spot pattern across their surfaces. Waves of pink energy cascaded over Marinette's body, sweeping upward as her casual clothes dissolved into light.
Piece by piece, her mission suit emerged: a sleek, form-fitting suit covered in red and black spots, followed by a matching mask that settled snugly over her eyes. Twin red ribbons cinched her pigtails in place with crisp precision, and her trusty yo-yo materialized at her waist, wrapping securely around her hips.
With her transformation complete, Ladybug snapped her yo-yo free from her belt, eyes sharp, focused and ready for action.
Meanwhile, Adrien had already slipped into the stairwell of Le Grand Paris and climbed several levels, making sure he was well out of earshot before transforming. Once he found a quiet landing, he pulled open his overshirt, allowing a streak of light to flutter free.
Plagg zipped out and hovered in front of him.
Plagg was small and slender, with sleek black fur, piercing green eyes, and cat-like ears perched atop his head. A tiny torso and limbs gave him an impish look, while dark blue whiskers—one on his forehead, one on each cheek—twitched faintly. Inside his mouth, a purple hue gave way to two sharp cat-like incisors.
"Time to transform!" Adrien exclaimed, his energy rising with the adrenaline of battle.
"You didn't happen to pick up a little piece of Camembert during all this cooking chaos, did you?" Plagg asked hopefully, tail flicking with anticipation.
"Cheese after the main meal," Adrien chided with a smirk. He raised his hand and called out—
"PLAGG, CLAWS OUT!"
Plagg shot into Adrien's ring in a burst of energy. In an instant, green lightning crackled around him as his transformation began.
Black leather wrapped around Adrien's body, forming a sleek suit complete with boots, clawed gloves, and a belt that curled like a feline tail. His blonde hair tousled further as a pair of black cat ears sprouted atop his head. A single swipe across his eyes summoned a domino mask, and his pupils narrowed into slits as his eyes turned fully green.
Flexing his fingers and swiping his claws through the air, Cat Noir narrowed his gaze and grinned.
After both teens completed their transformations, Ladybug and Cat Noir made their way toward the center of the caramel-coated lobby. As they reached the base of the grand staircase, they stopped in their tracks—each surprised to see the other.
"Cat Noir?" Ladybug said aloud, eyes widening at the sight of her partner already inside. Given the sticky barricades sealing off all exits, she hadn't expected backup so soon.
"Ladybug!" Cat Noir beamed. "I don't know about you, m'lady, but I'm a bit hungry." His tone was casual, teasing—relieved to see her despite the chaos.
Ladybug raised an eyebrow, smirk curling at the edge of her lips. "Let's go eat then. Shall we?"
Without another word, the two heroes dashed toward the elevator, their movements swift and synchronized. The rooftop awaited—along with Kung Food, his oversized soup, and one very precariously positioned Parisian.
While Ladybug and Cat Noir made their way to the elevator, intent on reaching the rooftop, they remained unaware that Kung Food was watching from above. One of his hovering rice ball drones had captured footage of their arrival—though, by pure luck, it hadn't recorded Marinette's transformation.
That luck wouldn't be enough to grant them a sneak attack.
"Surprise ingredients? Hah! Delicious!" Kung Food cackled, spinning around to face his hypnotized brigade. His eyes locked onto Jagged Stone. "You! Go capture them!" he shouted, finger stabbing forward like a command baton.
"Yes, Master Kung Food," Jagged Stone replied. Without hesitation, he took off at full speed—arms pinned back, sprinting Naruto-style toward the lobby to intercept the heroes.
Kung Food turned his attention to the massive soup-filled rooftop pool, where Chloé dangled precariously above the bubbling surface.
"Brat Soup even more powerful with superhero flavor," he mused aloud, licking his lips metaphorically as if savoring the recipe-to-be.
"I will not eat your soup!" Chloé shrieked defiantly, completely missing the point—despite being tied up like a garnish hovering over a boil.
"Foolish girl. You are not eating soup, you *are* soup!" Kung Food corrected, his sinister tone slicing through her delusion.
"Someone help! Let me down!" Chloé cried, twisting and flailing, but the ropes held firm.
"Don't worry, you will be let down soon enough," Kung Food said darkly. A cruel laugh echoed off the rooftop tiles as the strange symbol on his forehead pulsed—burning bright like a countdown to chaos.
At last, Yuma and Astral stepped into the grand lobby of Le Grand Paris. Unlike the caramel-slicked exterior, the inside remained immaculate—every tile gleaming, every surface untouched by syrup.
Yuma glanced around, half-expecting to see dessert slime dripping from the ceiling.
"Huh… clean as a whistle. Guess someone likes preserving the presentation," he muttered.
A sudden blur of red and black streaked across the mezzanin, both sprinting toward the elevator, urgency etched across their expressions.
Yuma stumbled back instinctively. "Wait—who are they?"
Astral hovered higher, his glow sharpening. "Unknown entities… I don't recognize them…"
"They kind of look like… real superheroes," Yuma said, eyeing the duo.
Then his gaze locked onto Ladybug's earrings as she turned—those spotted red studs flashing in the lobby light. And just behind, the gleam of Cat Noir's ring, pulsing with faint green energy.
Astral's tone shifted, eyes widening. "Those are…!"
Cat Noir pressed the control buttons for the elevator, only for nothing to happen.
"Ugh! It's jammed!" Cat Noir groaned, giving up when his attempts failed.
Just then, the floating rice ball that had been surveilling them from the shadows descended silently behind them and flared to life, projecting a shimmering holographic screen.
Kung Food grinned devilishly on the screen.
"Ladybug! Cat Noir! You soon have privilege to be ingredients in Kung Food's soup," he proclaimed, voice rich with theatrical menace. "But first—you taste my special of the day!"
The elevator doors hissed open—unnaturally smooth, like they'd been waiting.
From within, Jagged Stone stepped out, seafood mace resting across his shoulder. It gleamed under the lobby lights.
"Seafood appetizers," he quipped.
Ladybug's breath caught. "Jagged Stone!"
"Seafood? This scampi happening. Let's see if you can carry a tuna!" Cat Noir punned, staff ready, earning a sharp glare from Ladybug.
Before she could scold him, Jagged Stone swung his mace with explosive force.
"Look out!" Ladybug shouted as she and Cat Noir leapt backward, landing in perfect tandem atop the decorative show table in the center of the lobby. Seconds later, Jagged's mace pulverized the spot where they'd stood, sending shards of porcelain and crab legs flying.
From the sidelines, Yuma and Astral stared wide-eyed. "Yuma, we must help them!" Astral exclaimed.
"Huh? Why?" Yuma asked, thrown off by the sudden shift.
"Those two heroes. If they are what I think they are, then it's urgent that we talk with them!"
Yuma raised an eyebrow, watching the chaos unfold. "You sure? I mean, this isn't exactly screaming 'Duel' to me."
Astral's glow pulsed brighter. "Yuma, I understand your confusion, but please! Just trust me!"
Yuma hesitated for a beat, then smiled and gave a confident nod. "Okay."
Back atop the table's remains, Cat Noir twirled his staff. "That's not very 'rock and roll' of you, Jagged Stone."
Jagged Stone sneered. "Rock is one thing, soup is another. When I'm done with you, you'll be nothing but minced meat!"
With a primal yell, Jagged lunged again, his seafood mace swinging down like a tidal wave of crustaceans. Ladybug and Cat Noir jumped off the table just in time—splinters and shrimp flying as Jagged smashed through it.
"Don't be so sure!" a voice shouted.
Yuma darted forward, sliding across the lobby tiles with pinpoint speed. Jagged Stone, caught off guard, tripped over the unexpected interruption—his seafood mace swinging wide as he toppled.
Ladybug blinked in surprise, but didn't hesitate. Her yo-yo whipped outward, latching around Jagged's ankle. With a sharp tug and full-body spin, she sent the rockstar hurtling across the room and straight into the utility closet.
Cat Noir didn't miss a beat. "Delivery!" he chimed, slamming the door shut just as Jagged collided with a mop bucket inside.
Ladybug spun across the floor, snagged a rolling chair mid-motion, and wedged it beneath the doorknob with a cheeky flourish. She sat down elegantly, crossing one leg over the other and smiling with pride.
"Good job," Cat Noir said, exchanging a quick fist bump with her—appreciating her signature flair.
Then he turned to Yuma, who pushed himself off the ground, brushing off his hoodie as Cat Noir gave a smile. "Thanks for the help, kid. That was some good timing."
Yuma shrugged with a grin. "Hey, rockstars fall harder when they don't see the encore coming."
Ladybug stepped forward, eyes narrowing slightly. "Hold on—who are you?"
Flashing a grin, Yuma replied, "I'm Yuma. Yuma Tsukumo. World Champion duelist."
Ladybug tilted her head. "Duelist? As in... sword fighting or something?"
Cat Noir squinted. "You're not carrying a blade—or unless that hoodie's hiding a rapier?"
Yuma laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh—not that kind of duel. It's-"
Before he could explain further, a soft glow shimmered beside him. Astral floated into view, luminous and poised. "Don't try to explain. It's clear they have no idea what you're talking about."
"Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence." Yuma whispered.
Astral hovered slightly higher, folding his arms—if such a gesture were possible for his form. "They interpret 'duelist' as melee combat. A reasonable assumption, given that this world likely lacks any form of Duel Monsters infrastructure."
Ladybug's eyes locked onto the hovering figure. "Okay... and who exactly are you supposed to be?"
Cat Noir leaned in, eyes narrowing. "Are you his Kwami? Because that glow screams 'mystical floating mentor.'"
Yuma followed their line of sight, only to see Astral beside him—his eyes widened in realization. "Wait! You guys can see Astral?!" he shouted, pointing at the luminous figure hovering at his side.
Astral gave a slight nod, drifting forward with deliberate grace. "It is only natural, Yuma," he said calmly. "Those bonded to the Miraculous possess the ability to see beings like myself."
Ladybug's eyes widened. "You know what the Miraculous's are?"
Cat Noir tilted his head. "Please tell me you didn't just guess that based on the jewelry."
Astral hovered motionlessly, his glow steady. "Indeed. In my home world, the Miraculous's are spoken of in myth—fragments of ancient legends scattered across dimensional records. I had not expected them to be more than symbolic constructs."
He turned his gaze to Ladybug's earrings and Cat Noir's ring, his expression unreadable.
'Could this be the energy I felt earlier?' he wondered, sensing the rhythmic pulse of magic.
As he focused, the glow around him flickered briefly.
'No… it's completely different. So what's—'
A loud bang broke through his thoughts—the sound of a closet door rattling violently against the chair wedged beneath it. The furniture began to scrape forward, inch by inch.
Yuma glanced over with a wide-eyed look. "All in favor of continuing this explanation on the way up?!"
Ladybug and Cat Noir exchanged nods, already backing toward the elevator.
"Seconded," Ladybug said.
The four heroes slipped inside, the elevator doors sliding shut just as the chair gave another ominous screech.
Up on the rooftop of Le Grand Paris, Kung Food stood proudly upon the pool deck, arms crossed as steam curled from the massive makeshift soup pot below. Suspended above it by reinforced kitchen cord, Chloé dangled midair like garnish awaiting doom.
"This brat soup is going to be Kung Food's masterpiece!" the chef declared, his voice sizzling with theatrical flair.
Chloé winced at the pungent aroma rising beneath her. "Do you have to tie me up above this foul-smelling liquid?! My designer clothes are going to stink of grease!"
"Soup not greasy at all! Kung Food soup is perfect," he barked back, letting out a manic laugh that echoed across the tiles.
His amusement was interrupted by a sudden flicker—a flying rice ball drone floated down and projected a grainy holographic feed: Yuma, Ladybug, and Cat Noir had just entered the elevator. In the background, Jagged Stone smashed his way out of the janitor's closet.
Kung Food's smile vanished. "Bad sous chef," he muttered darkly.
Needing a new distraction to delay the heroes' arrival, he spun on his heel and pointed at his next available minion.
"You! Do me justice!" he bellowed at the mind-controlled Mayor Bourgeois.
"Yes, Master," the mayor replied woodenly before dashing off toward the elevator shaft, his every step fueled by corrupted obedience.
Kung Food turned back to Chloé, stirring the soup with his ladle. "Almost ready… Just need the final flavor."
Ladybug leaned against the elevator railing, eyebrows raised. "So you guys really came from another world?"
Astral nodded. "Yeah. Our ship crashed, we fell overboard, and something pulled us into a portal. Next thing we knew, we found ourselves in this hotel. We were looking for a way out… until that man who called himself 'Kung Food' showed up."
Cat Noir rolled his eyes. "Figures. Akuma's always know how to ruin a good escape plan."
"Akuma's?" Yuma echoed, puzzled.
Ladybug turned toward him. "Right, you wouldn't know about them. Long story short—there's a villain named Hawk Moth who's obsessed with the Miraculous's. He uses his powers to create Akuma's and corrupt people when their emotions spiral out of control. We fight back using two Miraculous's he desperately wants."
Yuma furrowed his brow. "So this Cheng guy? He's one of those victims?"
Ladybug gave a grim nod. "Yep. Powered up and stewing in revenge."
Astral crossed his arms. "Sounds eerily familiar. The way these 'Akuma's' feed off emotion—it's a lot like the Numbers."
"Numbers?" Ladybug asked.
Yuma let out a breath. "That's a whole other rabbit hole."
"Well, we got time. We've got nowhere to go but up," Cat Noir quipped just as the elevator lurched to a stop with a loud clunk. Both heroes slammed against the floor.
"You spoke too soon!" Ladybug hissed, quickly crouching into a defensive stance as Cat Noir scrambled back up and jabbed the buttons.
"Looks like the elevator short-circuited…" he muttered, tapping uselessly at the controls, trying to keep the mood light.
"I wish. Brace yourselves, boys," Ladybug said, her gaze sharpening just as the elevator doors slid open.
There stood Mayor Bourgeois, wielding a monstrous flail strung together with potatoes, sausages, lettuce, and carrots.
"Royal hotpot with its giant string of smoked sausages!" the mayor declared proudly, swinging the weapon in wide arcs that sent greasy air spiraling into the cramped elevator.
"Looks like a food fight is coming our way," Ladybug muttered, clearly unimpressed.
"I prefer my sausages with mashed potatoes," Cat Noir added, ever the punster.
With a roar, Mayor Bourgeois charged and hurled his culinary flail. The trio leapt—but the chain wrapped around their ankles midair, yanking them through the open elevator and flinging them like ragdolls into an adjacent hotel suite.
"Welcome to the world-famous Suite 36 of this hotel," the mayor greeted smugly as the heroes groaned on the couch, disoriented but determined.
"If we're not careful, we'll be the mashed potatoes!" Yuma warned Cat Noir, eyeing the mayor's weapon with growing dread.
"You're no competition, Ladybug!" Bourgeois sneered and lunged onto the coffee table, whipping his flail toward them. The linked sausages looped around Cat Noir's wrist and yanked him forward.
"Cat Noir!" Ladybug cried out.
"Now, for the finishing touch…" the mayor grinned, spinning his flail with flair—until it wrapped around the chandelier above his head.
His smirk faded instantly. "Uh-oh…"
With a mighty tug, the chandelier crashed down onto him, the flail cords twisting and binding him up in his own culinary chaos.
A beat of silence.
"…Uh, thanks?" Yuma blinked.
Cat Noir pointed upward toward the fresh hole in the ceiling. "Shall we go and find the head chef?"
Unbeknownst to the heroes, Kung Food watched the battle unfold from his sizzling command center, steam rising around him as a projector displayed Mayor Bourgeois's embarrassing defeat.
"Pea-brain! Useless! My recipe not perfect without those two!" Kung Food bellowed, slamming a ladle against the screen. He spun to face Marlena and Alec—his last two loyal sous-chefs—his fury simmering.
"Capture them, and don't mess up or you'll end up in the soup too!" he snarled.
"Yes, Master," Alec and Marlena replied, bowing in unison before sprinting out of the kitchen toward the dining hall.
Above the bubbling cauldron, Chloé twisted in her restraints, steam rising around her. "My hair is ruined! Do you know how long it took to style it this morning?" she screeched, glaring at Kung Food with venom.
Kung Food turned, voice dripping with menace. "That won't be a problem soon," he said, eyeing her with ghoulish delight.
"Ladybug, help me!" Chloé cried, kicking frantically as Kung Food released a deep, gleeful laugh. Her flailing only added to his amusement—as if seasoning the moment with extra spice.
Below the rooftop in Le Grand Paris's lavish dining hall, Cat Noir extended his staff through the hole overhead. He, Ladybug and Yuma clung to it, launching upward until they landed on the marble floor of the new room.
"We're almost there," Ladybug said, scanning the space as they regained their footing.
"Next stop, the roof," Yuma chimed in behind them.
"Great. All this fighting has made me hungry!" Cat Noir quipped, stashing his staff with a grin.
A soft whir caught their attention—a flying rice ball hovered into view, projecting Kung Food's face in front of them.
"Kung Food is generous," he declared, voice echoing through the screen. "No need to choose between cheese and dessert, you get to have both!"
The elevator bell rang ominously.
Ladybug turned just in time to see Alec and Marlena stride into the dining hall, wielding bizarre weapons crafted from food.
"Watch the spectacular demonstration of the famous thousand flying cakes!" Alec proclaimed as Marlena charged forward, unleashing a flurry of candy arrows.
Ladybug and Cat Noir backflipped out of range while blocking with their weapons. Yuma grabbed a silver tray from a nearby table, raising it as an improvised shield. The arrows clattered against metal and staff—then stopped.
Alec stepped up with flair, locking a round into his cheese-crafted crossbow. "Oh ho, our guests seem to have a few tricks up their sleeves! But how will they fare against the blinding stinging cheese bombs!"
He fired. Ladybug and Yuma dove aside just in time. Cat Noir swung his staff toward the incoming projectile—but as it burst on impact, a cloud of foul, eye-stinging smoke engulfed him.
"Aw! Oh man, this cheese really stings your eyes!" he groaned, eyes watering as the room reeked worse than Plagg's camembert stash.
Ladybug snapped into action, sprinting toward Alec and Marlena. Marlena fired more candy arrows—each narrowly missing as Ladybug weaved and dodged. When she got close, she struck Marlena's candy bow with a well-placed kick, sending her opponent stumbling.
The two locked into a furious hand-to-hand exchange. Marlena tried to land a punch, but Ladybug flipped overhead, using her back as a springboard and sending Marlena tumbling. Ladybug landed cleanly on the far end of the hall.
But Marlena recovered fast, resuming her barrage of candy arrows and pinning Ladybug down—forcing her to keep her distance from the still-disoriented Cat Noir.
Yuma spotted the perfect opening. He grabbed one of Alec's discarded cheese bombs and hurled it toward Marlena's feet. It exploded on impact in a burst of dairy fog. As the cheese bomb erupted in a stinging cloud, Alec and Marlena staggered backward, coughing and covering their eyes as the sticky haze engulfed them.
Yuma shielded his face with his arm and turned to the heroes. "Come on—let's get to the roof while we still have the chance!"
Cat Noir rejoined Ladybug, his vision now fully recovered and his staff at the ready.
"You're right. It's time for the main course," Ladybug quipped, flashing a determined grin.
At her words, the two heroes sprinted for the elevator, hearts pounding with urgency and resolve. Their footsteps echoed through the lavish dining hall as they launched upward once more—this time not to escape, but to confront.
They were eager to finish this fight.
But unbeknownst to them, Kung Food had just issued a chilling new command… and the final course was about to begin.
As the heroes burst onto the Le Grand Paris rooftop pool, the heat hit them like a wall. Steam rose from the bubbling broth where Chloé dangled precariously above the soup, her eyes wide with indignation and fear. Kung Food leaned over with sinister delight, giving the mixture a final taste.
"Ah, temperature is just right. Time to add main ingredient!" he announced, licking his lips with theatrical glee.
The elevator doors slid open—Ladybug, Cat Noir, Yuma, and Astral racing out only to freeze as they saw Chloé about to be lowered into the boiling cauldron.
"Ladybug, what took you so long!? Now get me down from here!" Chloé shrieked.
The Paris duo charged forward—only to be halted by Kung Food's commanding voice.
"Nuh, uh, uh!" he said, turning to them with a maniacal grin. "That brat is the main ingredient! If you try to save her, then I will need substitute ingredients!" He gestured toward his minions as Alec and Marlena stepped into view, joining Jagged Stone and Mayor Bourgeois at the edge of the broth.
Ladybug's voice cracked with urgency. "Cheng Shifu, I know you're more honorable than this! Don't let Hawk Moth control you!"
"I am not Cheng Shifu, I am Kung Food — the Greatest Chef in the world!" he bellowed. "And nobody will stop me from finishing my perfect soup!"
Suddenly, the glowing 59 mark on Kung Food's forehead pulsed violently with golden light. Yuma and Astral froze in alarm.
"That symbol…! He's not under the control of Hawk Moth…!" Astral exclaimed.
"He's been possessed by a Number!" Yuma added.
"Huh? What are you talking about? What exactly are Numbers?" Ladybug asked, her voice tense.
"Numbers are extremely dangerous cards," Astral explained grimly. "They amplify the darkness and desires of their holder, then take full control of them."
Ladybug's eyes locked onto the mark, her grip tightening around her yo-yo. "So this isn't Hawk Moth's doing. It's something worse…"
Cat Noir stepped up beside her, his staff at the ready. "Okay... so if this Number's the problem—how do we rip that card off him?"
"The only way we know how," Yuma said, stepping forward and pointing toward the chef. "Kung Food, I challenge you to a Duel!"
Ladybug blinked, confused. "Wait—what do you mean, 'Duel'?"
Cat Noir tilted his head. "Is this like… a cook-off with swords?"
Kung Food raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Now, why would I duel you, boy?"
"Because I have something you want!" Yuma declared. He reached into his deck box and drew a card, holding it high for everyone to see—Number 39: Utopia gleamed in the rooftop light.
"Oh!" Kung Food's eyes lit up with greed, a smirk spreading across his face. "So you too have a Number in your possession!"
"That's right. If you win, you can have it! But if I win, you let all these people go!" Yuma shouted.
The chef paused, torn between completing his soup and claiming another powerful card. But temptation won out. "Fine then. I'll beat you, take your Number card, and then use its power to make sure my soup is perfect in all ways!" he said with a wicked grin.
From behind his belt, Yuma pulled out two things. The first, a metallic holder containing a deck of cards. The second, a compact slab with a horizontal slot.
Ladybug stepped forward, concern etched across her face. "I hope you know what you're doing, Yuma."
With a practiced flick of his wrist, Yuma brought and attached the holder and slot up to his forearm. The deck's metallic holder locked into place along the side of his wrist, and the slot just above it—forming a two-part chassis that seemed to sync with his heartbeat. Its structure was unlike anything the heroes had ever seen—equal parts weapon, ritual, and badge of identity.
"Don't worry, Ladybug, because I'm FEELING THE FLOW!" Yuma shouted, his voice cutting through the tension like a spark.
He threw a red tablet into the air—the final catalyst. The device spun once, twice, then descended with magnetic precision, snapping into the wrist-bound frame with a click that rang like activated destiny. "DUEL DISK, GO!"
The screen lit up across its surface. Twin panels flared outward from the tablet, unfolding and locking into place with a hiss of energy. The panels had a total of five blue and white spaces with red, downward-pointing triangles on each one. The rooftop shimmered, reacting to the Duel Disk's ignition, as the air thickened with expectation.
The number symbol on Kung Food's forehead gleamed with intensity as his Duel Disk materialized in a burst of culinary spectacle. It wrapped around his arm like a gauntlet forged from gourmet steel—the base a crimson forearm brace styled like a lacquered cutting board, its golden noodle-pattern filigree glowing faintly beneath miniature cooking utensils embedded along the rim. At his wrist, a rotating spice-wheel deck compartment spun open, cards clamped in place like ingredients ready for battle. Near his elbow, a parchment-lined bamboo discard tray folded outward, pulsing with sesame-hued light and heat-warped runes that rippled like flames off a stovetop. Then, with a loud clang, five lacquered plate-shaped panels flared out in formation, each ringed by stylized holographic chopsticks.
Yuma tossed the compact, glinting lens into the air—its surface crackling with crimson circuitry as it spun like a summoned glyph. Mid-flight, it clicked open: one segment curving into a sleek earpiece, the other flaring into a glowing monocle. With reflexive precision, he caught the device and clipped it over his left eye.
"Duel Gazer, let's roll!" he declared, as the interface blazed to life in an instant, overlays illuminating his iris as targeting reticles and duel-zone data rippled across his vision.
Strangely, Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculouses pulsed, their left irises shifting with an unnatural glow—Ladybug's sapphire blue turned a vivid red, while Cat Noir's emerald green turned into a yellow-orange flare, while his iris turned golden, edged with brilliance.
"Augmented Reality Vision Link established." A female computerized voice said, causing them to gasp and instinctively stepping back as holographic projections bloomed around them.
Translucent screens hovered across the field—some pulsing with card data, others framing gridlike zones on the pavement.
Though the city remained unchanged, an unnoticeable slight greenish haze curled around the space, like tinted static bleeding into daylight.
Ready to start their Duel, Yuma and Kung Food drew five cards from their decks and shouted…
"LET'S DUEL!"
Yuma: LP: 4000
Kung Food: LP: 4000
TO BE CONTINUED…
Author's Note:
This idea popped in my head a while ago. Wanted to write chapters for my other stories, but lost motivation trying to write them. The constantly changing work schedule didn't exactly help either. Don't worry, they are not canceled, just gonna need time to get back into writing them. I wanted this Paris to be in the same universe as Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal, but Zexal takes place in the future, so I had to improvise. Intro will change at a later point, just need to figure out what kind of decks Ladybug and Cat Noir would use. (Feel free to give suggestions) As for how Kung Food's Number got into the world of the Miraculous, that will be explained in the next chapter.
Fun Fact by the way; Out of all the 100 original Number's, 30 of them never appeared/got mentioned in the anime/manga, Number 59 being one of them.
Rewrite Notes:
In case you didn't hear, I decided to rewrite the chapters from the ground up. Don't worry, most of the story dialogue and plot is gonna stay the same, just revising it and adding a bit more to make it better.
Bold - Computer/Eerie voices/ZEXAL
Italic - Inside Head
Bold and Italic - Singing
Underlined - Reading Text
Chapter 2: Heroes Unite Part 2
Chapter Text
Chapter 2: Heroes Unite Part 2
Last Time on Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL…
“What is this place?” Yuma asked, as he was standing on the edge of the roof of Le Grand Paris.
“"If I had to guess, we're in some alternate world, specifically in Paris." Astral said as he spotted the Eiffel Tower in the distance.
“Huh? Why do you think we’re in an alternate world?” Yuma asked, confused.
“When we fell overboard, we went through some interdimensional rift. The odds of it bringing us to our world would be very slim.” Astral explained.
“Well, what do we do?” Yuma asked.
“I believe it would be best if we familiarize ourselves with our surroundings.” Astral said, he looked towards the stairs.
(Scene Change To Judges not liking Wang Cheng's Celestial Soup)
"I'm sorry, Cheng Shifu, but I'm giving you a zero too, which brings your score to zero point eight on ten—the lowest ranking so far," Alec says apologetically. "Your Celestial Soup will therefore not be in the hotel's menu this year, and you will not be named World's Greatest Chef!"
Marinette runs up to her disheartened relative. "Uncle Cheng? I'm sure it's not your fault. In fact, I know it's not. I'm pretty sure Chloe's behind all this," she says, and her shoulders droop guiltily. "It was actually because of me. I provoked her, and—"
"Shame is on Celestial Soup. I shall never be World's Greatest Chef," Chef Cheng says sadly, walking back into the kitchen to pack up his ingredients.
(Scene Change To Wang Cheng in the Kitchen, holding Chloe’s bottle)
“Marinette was right. It was evil act by that brat! No respect for Cheng Shifu! No respect for Perfect Soup!” He yelled angrily, as he was about to leave, before a small blinking light was caught by the corner of his eye. "Huh?" he asked out-loud, looking over towards the source of the sudden light.
The light was coming from the top of a cabinet. He walked over to the cabinet to see what it was. He then saw that the object was rectangular-shaped, but that wasn't all; the object seemed to be a blank white card. The moment he picked it up, a shadowy mist appeared around the blank card, which then surrounded Wang Cheng. When that happened, he began to feel very strangely. "Urk! Wh-what's going on...?!" he asked in distress. "Head…hurts...!"
"Yes..." said a vicious-sounding voice, as a symbol that resembled the number 59 appeared on his forehead. "Let the Number take hold…"
(Scene Change to Rooftop Pool)
“Surprise ingredients?” Kung Food asked himself, seeing Ladybug and Cat Noir from one of his dumpling drones, before grinning. “Hah! Delicious! Brat Soup will be even more powerful with superhero flavor.”
“I will not eat your soup!” Chloe yelled, as she was hanging above the boiling broth..
“Foolish girl. You are not eating soup, you ARE soup!” Kung Food grinned, causing Chloe to scream.
“Someone help! Let me down!” She desperately cried.
(Scene Change to Ladybug and Cat Noir talking to Yuma and Astral in Elevator)
“To make a long story short, this villain known as Hawkmoth is after magical jewels known as Miraculous. He uses his powers to create Akuma’s and corrupt the people based on their emotions. We use the two particular Miraculous he wants in order to defeat the civilians and purify the objects used to convert them into the villain of the day.”
“And you’re saying that Cheng guy is one of them?” Yuma asked in clarity, getting a nod in response.
(Scene Change to Rooftop Pool, the Heroes confronting Kung Food)
“Cheng Shifu, don’t let Hawkmouth control you! I know you're more honorable than this!” Ladybug pleaded.
“I am not Cheng Shifu, I am Kung Food — the Greatest Chef in the World! And nobody will stop me from finishing my Brat Soup!” Kung Food exclaimed.
Just then, the 59 mark that Kung Food had on his head began to glow bright again, causing Yuma and Astral to gasp in shock. “That symbol…! He’s not under the control of Hawkmoth…!” Astral said.
“He’s been possessed by a Number!” Yuma finished.
“Huh? What are you talking about? What exactly are Numbers?” Ladybug asked.
“Numbers are extremely powerful and dangerous cards, as they can easily amplify the darkness and desires of their holder user, and possess them.” Astral explained, causing the duo’s eyes to widen. “But how did a Number get here in the first place?”
“I don't know, but there’s only one way to stop and save him!” Yuma said, as he then pointed to the chef. “Kung Food, I challenge you to a Duel!”
Smirking, Kung Food then said to the duelist, "Fine then. I'll beat you, take your Number card, and then use its power to make sure my soup is perfect in all ways!"
“I hope you know what you’re doing, Yuma.” Ladybug said, not sounding confident.
"Don’t worry Ladybug, because I'm feeling the flow!" Yuma shouted, as he activated his Duel Gear, while Ladybug and Cat Noir’s left eyes changed color, Ladybug’s becoming red and Cat Noir’s became orange-yellow, with his Irise being golden, as holographic effects appeared everywhere.
“LET’S DUEL!”.
(Play Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
The music starts up with Yuma activating his gear like in the original opening, before a blue vortex sucks Yuma and Astral into Paris.
Still together as one;
Cuz divided we're none;
Ready to go, we feel the flow!
Yuma then landed on his feet, as Astral floated next to him, before he drew a card and summoned Utopia.
So don't stand in our way;
You know we ain't afraid;
This is our time, we're in control!
Plagg was about to eat a piece of Camembert, before he was sucked into Adrien's ring, while Tikki she sucked in Marinette's earrings, causing them to transform into Ladybug and Cat Noir, who then Fist Bumped.
If I trip up today;
You just wipe it away;
All of my fears are gone, erased!
The rest of Yuma's friends then appeared on the Different Dimensional Airship, with Shark and Kite summoning Number 32: Shark Drake and Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon.
Let us tear down the walls;
'Til the final night falls;
The bonds of our souls can't be replaced!
Everyone then came together, as they all charged towards Hawk Moth and the Barians.
Let us fight together;
Regret it never;
Our dreams will be…!
The Giant Shadow of Don Thousand appears over both worlds as Vector goes from his human form to his Barian one, devastating the land.
Halfway to,
Forever;
Our light comes shining through!
Yuma and Astral then fuse into Zexal II as Yuma Summons Utopia Ray Victory as it absorbed an Overlay Unit.
Reach down deep;
Beat defeat;
Do all that we can do!
Ladybug and Cat Noir were then shown, as their monsters appeared and joined Utopia Ray Victory's attack.
Halfway to,
Forever;
We've got nothing to lose!
Hawk Moth smirked, as he held his arm out and created Akuma's, while Vector prepared to counter-attack.
Keep breathing;
Believing;
Halfway to forever-rrrrrr!
The Numeron Code was then shown, all of the Miraculous were spiraling around it. Astral and Yuma smile at each other and touch hands as they all come together with their aces standing out, with the title below them.
Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
(End Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
As Yuma and Kung Food drew their opening hands, Ladybug and Cat Noir just looked around in confusion, before suddenly, transparent versions of Tikki and Plagg came out of their Miraculous.
“Tikki?!/Plagg?!” Both heroes exclaimed in confusion, before turning to their new friends, while the Kwami's examined themselves.
"Yuma, Astral, what's happening?" Ladybug asked, seeing all the holographic effects around them.
“Your Miraculous’s must have given you both the ability to see Augmented Reality.” Astral theorized, seeing their left eyes now a different color.
“Augmented Reality?” Ladybug asked, not understanding.
“It is a virtual copy of everything around us. This allows the monsters and cards to appear to directly interact with the environment, but without actually damaging the real world.” Astral explained.
“But how is that-” Ladybug was about to ask.
“Ladybug, I don’t know what’s going on either, but I think questions are gonna have to wait! Right now, Yuma needs you!” Tikki interrupted.
“But…” Ladybug stuttered, as she turned to Yuma, who looked determined. Knowing that her Kwami was right, she sighed in defeat and nodded. “Okay.”
Tikki smiled, as she and Plagg flew next to their chosen, while Astral floated next to Yuma. “Be careful Yuma. He is not like any of the possessed duelists we faced. We must be vigilant.” Astral stated.
“Right.” Yuma said, turning his attention back to his opponent.
Kung Food: LP: 4,000
“Before we officially begin, allow me to explain the rules of how this duel works before you lose. See the numbers written next to where the brat is?” Kung Food asked, as he pointed to Chloe, as there was now a vertical number line, with 0 being where the top of the broth was, and counted up by 500 until it reached to 4000, where Chloe was currently hanging.
"Those are my Life Points." Yuma glared, rationalizing what would happen every time he lost life points.
Yuma: LP: 4,000
"Precisely. The closer they get to 0, the closer you can say goodbye to the brat.” Kung Food smirked, “Now, I will let you have the first move.”
“Fine by me.” Yuma said, as he examined his hand. “I set one monster face-down in Defense Mode. And that's all for now." Just as he said that, a card materialized onto the field, sideways.
"That means it's my turn." Kung Food said to him, drawing a card. After looking at it, he said to himself, "Fairy Meteor Crush... I'll save this for later..." Putting the Spell Card in his hand for the moment, he took a different card and played it, saying, "I activate the Spell Card Cost Down! After I discard one card from my hand, I can lower the Levels of all Monster Cards in my hand by 2 until the end of the turn!"
"No... That means he can Summon his monsters more easily..." Astral noted.
"And knowing him, he probably has a Level 5 or a Level 6 monster ready to bring out." Yuma added.
"That's right, Yuma!" Kung Food confirmed as he sent one of the cards in his hand to the Graveyard slot of his Duel Disk. "So now that my Level 5 monster is Level 3 for this turn, I don't have to release any monsters to Summon it!" Playing the monster from his hand he shouted, "I Summon the Catapult Turtle, in Attack Mode!"
The chef's first monster was a giant turtle creature, colored mostly green and black, with a large launching device built into its shell. The creature had mechanical-like properties, but it didn't appear to be fully-machine.
Catapult Turtle
Attribute: WATER
Monster Type: Aqua
Level: 5 - 2 = 3
ATK: 1000
DEF: 2000
Taking out two more cards from his hand, he then stated, "Since I can't see how strong your Defense monster is, I'll just end my turn with two face-down cards." After that, two more card images appeared on his side of the field. "Your move."
Catapult Turtle
Level: 3 + 2 = 5
‘Hmmm…’ Yuma thought as he looked at Kung Food's first monster. ‘Catapult Turtle... I remember Yugi Moto having that monster.’
“If I recall, it has a powerful special ability.” Astral’s voice said, causing Yuma to turn to him. “By releasing one of his monsters, his turtle can deal damage to your life points equal to half the attack power of the released monster.”
“Then I have to destroy that monster before it can hurt me, but the problem is that he put it in Attack Mode, even though its defense points are much higher..."
Yuma looked back at the man, noticing that he didn't seem too worried. This led the boy to suspect that he was up to something. ‘He must want me to attack him…’ he noted to himself. ‘But I have to at least try and take out his monster... Here goes…’
"Alright Kung Food! Get set to get decked! I draw!" Yuma said as he drew his next card. Placing the card into his hand, he then declared, "I Summon Gagaga Magician in Attack Mode!" In an instant, a robe and cloak-wearing man appeared on his field, ready to battle. He wore a mostly blue outfit with an orange flame pattern along the bottom. He had bronze shoulder pads on his coat and a large, crooked hat on his head. a long chain with a gold plate connected to it wrapped decoratively around his outfit, and a long red scarf covered the bottom half of his face.
Gagaga Magician
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Spellcaster
Level: 4
ATK: 1500
DEF: 1000
"Not only that, I'll also Flip Summon my face-down monster, Gogogo Golem!" he declared as he revealed his second monster, which was a large creature that seemed to be part-human and part-fortress came out of the ground to stand proudly next to Gagaga Magician. The monster flexed its blue and silver-colored mechanical arms as it showed off its olive green stone body. As it stood intimidatingly in front of Kung Food, its single red eye began to glow brightly.
Gogogo Golem
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Rock
Level: 4
ATK: 1800
DEF: 1500
"Wait, he's not going to try and attack, will he?!" asked Plagg. "That's just what his opponent wants!"
"Maybe so, but he should try and attack that Catapult Turtle anyway." Tikki told her Kwami friend. "Worst case scenario, he can at least force him to use one of those cards he placed."
Taking out another card from his hand, Yuma then told his opponent, "Now, I play the Spell Card Wonder Wand! By playing it on a Spellcaster-Type monster, I can give that monster 500 extra Attack Points! And I choose to play it on Gagaga Magician!"
After the card was played, the magic-using monster was given a long staff-like wand with a large, green jewel on the top. Gagaga Magician then swung the staff in front of himself, ready to display its power.
Gagaga Magician
ATK: 1500 + 500 = 2000
"Now, go! Gagaga Magician! Attack Catapult Turtle!" shouted Yuma as he pointed to his attack target. The magician then leapt forward, charging up the energy in his new wand so that it could strike down the giant turtle.
"I don't think so!" Kung Food shouted. "I activate Zero Gravity! When this Trap Card is played, all face-up monsters on the field are changed to Defense Mode!"
After the Trap was activated, Yuma's Gagaga Magician and Gogogo Golem, along with Kung Food's Catapult Turtle, all switched to Defense Mode, which also succeeded in stopping the spellcaster's attack. "I knew it..." Yuma said to himself with a slight scowl. "But at least he used up one of his cards... I still have a chance. Just to be sure, though, I'll use this to protect myself." Shoving one of his cards into the Spell/Trap Zone slot, he told the possessed Cheng, "I'll set a face-down card and end my turn."
"My turn, then!" the chef said, drawing a card from his Deck. After looking at it, he played it, saying, "I Summon The Bistro Butcher in Attack Mode!" Kung Food's new monster was a vicious-looking chef with dark-blue skin, sharp teeth, and pointed ears. It wore a red-tinted chef outfit that was in tatters, had a large hook on its right hand, and wielded a long knife in the other.
The Bistro Butcher
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Fiend
Level: 4
ATK: 1800
DEF: 1000
"Bistro Butcher...? That's unusual..." Astral said, "What's he up to now?"
"Now I equip my butcher with my Fairy Meteor Crush card!" Kung Food told his foe. "Now my monster can deal piercing damage when he attacks one of your defense monsters!"
"Huh? Piercing Damage? What does that mean?" Cat Noir asked.
"Normally if a monster in Defense Mode is destroyed by battle, my Life Points are safe, but since his monster can deal piercing damage, he can damage my Life Points, no matter how I position my monsters on the field!" Yuma responded, getting worried.
"Yuma! Don't worry about that too much!" Astral said. "Even though he can damage you more easily, it's not necessarily a bad thing!"
"How come?" asked Yuma.
"When Bistro Butcher damages your Life Points, you get to draw two more cards from your Deck." Astral pointed out. "You might be able to make a comeback afterwards."
"Really? That's weird." said Ladybug. "Why would he let him draw more cards? Something smells rotten around here..."
"Really? All I smell is soup." Cat Noir jokes.
Ladybug just sighed to herself from hearing her partner’s response.
"Go! Bistro Butcher! Attack his Gagaga Magician! Butchering Blade!" The mean-looking cook then snarled and ran towards Yuma’s monster, brandishing its sharp knife.
"I activate my Trap Card!" Yuma quickly shouted, tapping his Duel Pad's screen.
The butcher swung its knife at Gagaga Magician, destroying it and sending him to the Graveyard. However, it seemed that the excess power from the attack had been weakened, as the boy did not take as much damage as he would have, as Chloe didn’t lower that much.
Yuma: LP 4,000 - 400 = 3,600
"Hey! What gives?!" Kung Food protested. "How'd you cut the damage?!"
Yuma let out a sigh and answered him, saying, "Because I played my Trap Card before your attack hit." He then pointed at the card and told his opponent, "Thanks to Damage Diet, all the damage done to me this turn is halved. Which means your attack did only 400 points of damage instead of 800." Kung Food growled a little after hearing that.
"Phew..." said Plagg, wiping his forehead. "He saved himself from taking a huge hit there."
Grumbling a little, Kung Food then told Yuma, "Due to my Bistro Butcher's effect, you get to draw two more cards. So go ahead and draw your cards." Yuma nodded and picked the top two cards of his Deck. "But now that you've done that," the chef added, "I get to use this! I activate the Trap Card Appropriate! Now every time you draw cards outside of your Draw Phase, I can draw two more cards from MY Deck!" He then took two cards from his Deck as well.
"Rrrgh! So that's why he let him draw more cards!" Plagg grumbled. "As long as he has that butcher out, they'll both keep drawing more cards out of their Deck every time he attacks with it!"
Chuckling a little to himself, Kung Food then took one of the new cards that he drew and played it onto the field, saying, "I'll set a face-down card and end my turn." After saying that, the boy thought to himself, ‘I was going to use Catapult Turtle's effect to damage him even more, but because his Trap Card's effect was still present, it wasn't worth sacrificing my monster just to give him a measly 450 points of damage…’ He grumbled a bit, annoyed that Yuma threw off his plans.
Yuma looked over towards his opponent and thought, ‘Alright, good... My plan worked; my Trap Card persuaded him not to use Catapult Turtle's ability. But I have to get rid of his butcher before he draws too many more cards…’ Putting his middle and index fingers on the top card of his Deck, he then said, "It's my turn now!" After drawing his card and looking at it, he continued his inner monologue, saying to himself, ‘This card could help me... I need to show Mr. Cheng that he's only hurting himself with the way he is thinking…’
Playing another card from her hand, Yuma declared, "I activate the Spell Card Dodododraw! I send my Dododo Swordsman from my hand to the Graveyard, and then draw two more cards from my Deck! Deck, don’t fail me now!" And he did just that. After looking at his new cards, he grinned when he saw what one of them was. ‘Yes!' he thought happily to himself.
"Ha! Go ahead and draw more cards!" Kung Food taunted his foe. "You're only helping me out! Did you forget my Trap Card? Thanks to Appropriate, I ALSO get to draw cards from my Deck!" He then drew two cards as well and placed them into his hand. He then snickered a little to himself after seeing what he picked up.
"Aw man... Why'd Yuma do that?" asked Cat Noir. "Now that guy has even more cards to use against him!"
"Perhaps..." Ladybug began. "But if he drew the cards that he needed right now, it may have been worth the risk. I suppose we'll see very soon if Yuma made the right move or not." They continued to watch the game, anxious to see what would happen next.
"Next," Yuma began to say, "I'll Summon this monster in Attack Mode... Go, Zubaba Knight!"
In a flash of lightning, Yuma's next monster revealed itself as a knight wearing shiny gold armor with bits of red and silver in some places. It wore a red cape and wielded a pair of swords with jagged blades. It leapt onto the field from the sky above and shouted, "Zubaba KNIGHT!", after it took its place in front of its controller.
Zubaba Knight
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Warrior
Level: 3
ATK: 1600
DEF: 900
"Next, I'll switch my Gogogo Golem to Attack Mode," Yuma continued, "and then play Blustering Winds! It's one of the cards that I drew with my Dodododraw! Now my Gogogo Golem gains 1,000 attack and defense points until my next turn!"
"What?!" shouted Kung Food.
"Aw yeah! Now his monsters can take down both of Kung Food's this turn!" Plagg said, pumping his fist into the air. "And he'll even give him some damage, too!"
Yuma then pointed ahead and shouted, "Zubaba Knight! Attack his Catapult Turtle!" The Warrior-Type monster then jumped forward and slashed its swords across the giant reptile. Even though the knight's attack points were lower than its target's defense points, its special ability allowed it to destroy Catapult Turtle anyway. "And next, my Gogogo Golem attacks your Bistro Butcher!" the young duelist declared. And with that order, the giant rock monster moved towards Kung Food's remaining monster and slammed its fist down on it, crushing it into a pancake.
"Aaack!" grunted Kung Food as the force of the attack hit him hard.
Kung Food: LP: 4,000 - 1,000 = 3,000
"Yes! Yuma's in the lead now!" exclaimed Cat Noir.
Yuma then said to his opponent, "Alright, I'll now end my turn."
Getting up, Kung Food seemed to be angry for some reason. "How... how dare you..." he snarled as the mark on his forehead began to glow even brighter. "You... you ruined my chance... at a perfect victory... So now I'll ruin you!" Tapping on the screen of his Duel Disk, he then shouted, "I activate my Burst Rebirth Trap Card! By paying 2,000 of my Life Points, I can bring back one monster from my Graveyard and set it in Defense Mode!" He then selected his monster and placed it face-down on his field.
Kung Food: LP: 3,000 - 2,000 = 1,000
"Yeesh, what got under his skin all of a sudden?" asked Plagg. "Is he mad 'cause Yuma damaged him?"
"It seems so..." Ladybug said, looking at Yuma's opponent, who seemed to still be a bit angry about it. "From the look on his face, it seems as though he didn't want to use that Trap Card." the young heroine noted. "If my hunch is right, then I know for sure why he feels that way... We'll keep on paying close attention to his moves, just to make sure."
"My turn! I draw!" shouted the possessed chef. After placing the card in his hand, he then said, "I now Flip Summon my face-down monster! Hiita the Fire Charmer!"
The monster was revealed to be a young red-haired girl with a tan hooded coat, worn over top an open shirt with a black garment worn over-top her chest area, along with a short, black skirt. In her hand was a long staff with a burning torch on the top of it.
Hiita the Fire Charmer
Attribute: FIRE
Monster Type: Spellcaster
Level: 3
ATK: 500
DEF: 1500
"Hiita the Fire Charmer..." Astral began. "One of the six Charmer monsters. When Flip Summoned, it can take control of any opposing monster that matches its Attribute. In Hiita's case, she can take any one of Yuma's FIRE-Attribute monsters..."
"But..." Ladybug chimed in, "Yuma doesn't have any FIRE monsters on his field, so it doesn't work, right?"
"Perhaps, but I think Cheng played that card for another reason." Astral answered.
"What's that?" asked Cat Noir.
"The Charmers have another power," Astral replied, "and I'm sure that he's going to use it right now...!"
Taking another card from his hand, Kung Food then said, "Next, I'll Special Summon Inari Fire from my hand, which I can do if I control a Spellcaster-Type monster, in this case, Hiita the Fire Charmer." His next monster was a large, orange fox with a white mane and flaming tail.
Inari Fire
Attribute: FIRE
Monster Type: Pyro
Level: 4
ATK: 1500
DEF: 200
"And now, I'll release them both to Special Summon a monster from my Deck! Come forth, Familiar-Possessed - Hiita!"
After making that declaration, Inari Fire began glowing red as it turned into pure energy. It then phased into Hiita, causing her to gasp as her irises shrank. She then began to grow taller, her body changing to that of an 18-year-old girl with empty, red eyes. The flame on her staff grew as well, burning even brighter than before.
Familiar-Possessed - Hiita
Attribute: FIRE
Monster Type: Spellcaster
Level: 4
ATK: 1850
DEF: 1500
"I thought so." Astral told the others. "By releasing a Charmer, along with another monster that matches its Attribute, you can Summon their Familiar-Possessed forms from your hand or your Deck."
"So he got a tough monster out, so what?" asked Cat Noir. "The only monster he can attack is Yuma's Zubaba Knight, and it's not gonna do much damage to him."
"Heh heh... too bad that's not what I'm planning to do." Kung Food told him. "I'm planning something even worse in mind... to teach your friend never to get in my way again!" Playing another two cards from his hand, he then said, "Now, since I have a Spellcaster out, I can Summon these monsters as well! I play Nefarious Archfiend Eater of Nefariousness and Jigabyte, both in Attack Mode!"
The chef's first monster was a fiendish-looking marmot-like animal that had a large, red horn on its forehead, what appeared to be three pairs of eyes, large bat wings, and messy brown fur. It was busy chewing on a sinister-looking skull with its fanged teeth.
Nefarious Archfiend Eater of Nefariousness
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Beast
Level: 4
ATK: 1500
DEF: 200
The second monster was a large-sized, bipedal lizard with green scales, a long tail, clawed hands and feet, and radiating a powerful energy all around itself.
Jigabyte
Attribute: WATER
Monster Type: Reptile
Level: 4
ATK: 1500
DEF: 200
"No... he just Summoned three Level 4 monsters onto his side of the field." Yuma noted, getting a little concerned. "He's going to play his Number card!"
"I overlay Hiita and Jigabyte, both Level 4, and create an Overlay Network!" The two monsters then transformed into pure energy, one red and one blue, and flew up into a galaxy portal up above. "Unleash your flames upon my enemy! Scorch them and turn them to ashes!" Kung Food chanted, as the portal exploded, creating a mark on the ground that looked like a 59. "I Xyz Summon, My perfection! Number 59: Crooked Cook!" Kung Food finished, playing his Number card.
At that moment, a large, brown propane tank began to rise from the ground where the 59 mark was. The tank then opened up and revealed a human man inside of it. The front of the tank became the apron wrapped around his body, and other parts of it transformed into a frying pan, an arm-mounted flamethrower, and a silver propane tank that was worn on the man's back, and attached to the flamethrower with a long, thin hose. The top of the tank compacted itself and turned itself into a chef's hat, which prominently displayed the same yellow 59 mark that Kung Food had on his head.
Number 59: Crooked Cook
Attribute: FIRE
Monster Type: Warrior
Rank: 4
ATK: 2300
DEF: 200
Overlay Units: 2
Everyone stared at the powerful monster that Kung Food had Summoned to his field. "His Number card is... a chef?" asked Yuma.
"Well, since the Numbers reflect the personalities of those who hold them, it makes sense." Astral noted. "Since Wang Cheng is so good at cooking, his Number became a chef... But I wonder why it's called 'CROOKED Cook'...?"
"What the heck is that thing?!" Chloe's voice shouted, as everyone turned to her looking at the Number Monster in absolute fear.
"They've been dueling this the whole time, and she just notices how strange this whole thing is?" Plagg asked in confusion.
"That's because she doesn't have a Duel Gazer to see the virtual world." Yuma explained, before his eyes widened in realization, "But wait, if she can see Crooked Cook, then that must mean…" He then took off his Duel Gazer and gasped in shock, still seeing Crooked Cook. "His Number is real!" Yuma shouted in panic, causing Ladybug and Cat Noir to gasp in horror.
Meanwhile, in a shop, a small chinese man was enjoying his tea until his brown eyes shot open, sensing a strong and dangerous power. This was Wang Fu, Great Guardian of the Miraculous’s. His hair was medium gray, and he had a mustache, eyebrows, and goatee. He wore a red Hawaiian shirt with a white hibiscus flower pattern, tan capri pants, dark brown shoes, and a bracelet with triangular carvings and shaped like a turtle, with a black string tied through holes in the turtle's head and tail to make a loop.on his right wrist.
His eyes still widened with alarm, he ran to the window, seeing Crooked Cook in the distance, with its number-like symbol visible. His eyes then narrowed as he then said, “So, the time has finally come.”
"Now I use Crooked Cook's effect! By removing one Overlay Unit, I can eliminate every other card on my side of the field!"
"And why would you want to do that?" asked Yuma.
"Because for every monster card that I destroy with his effect, Crooked Cook gains 300 extra attack points!" Kung Food answered.
"Oh no!" gasped Yuma.
One of Crooked Cook's Overlay Units was then absorbed into him, which caused him to pull out a cooking pot before setting Kung Food's field on fire and destroying all of his cards, which included his Trap Card, Appropriate, and his Nefarious Archfiend monster. The yellow pixels that remained were absorbed into Crooked Cook's pot, as he started cooking what was in it. The Number then tasted what he was cooking, and nodded approvingly. As a result, his Number card became more powerful.
Number 59: Crooked Cook
ATK: 2300 + 300 = 2600
Overlay Units: 2 - 1 = 1
"You destroyed your own monster just to power up your Number card?" asked Yuma, who seemed shocked by the move, and not because of the advantage that it gave him. "How could you...?"
"That's the way this world works..." Kung Food told him. "The weak are discarded so that only the perfect can thrive! And now I'll show you just how perfect my Number is! Go, Crooked Cook! Attack his knight! Searing Oven Torch!" The chef monster then, quite literally, fired up his arm-mounted flamethrower and shot out a red-hot flame that incinerated Yuma's Zubaba Knight.
"Rrrgh... so... hot...!" Yuma said, as he could feel the heat from Kung Food's monster, while Chloe struggled, trying to escape while she was lowered.
Yuma: LP: 3,600 - 1,000 = 2,600
"Now do you see?" asked Kung Food. "Those that are imperfect will never succeed in this world! And with this Number card, along with all of yours, I WILL become one of the flawless elite!"
"Rrrgh..." Yuma groaned as he got back up onto his feet.
"Yuma! Are you okay?" asked Ladybug, concerned for her new friend.
"I'll... be fine, Ladybug." the duelist told her. "I promise."
"Oh dear... this does not look good..." Tikki stated. "At this rate, Yuma won't last much longer..."
"My turn's now over." Kung Food told his enemy. "Are you going to do the wise thing and give up, or are you foolish enough to continue this flawed Duel of yours?"
"Rrrgh... I'm still here, aren't I?" Yuma asked him back. "I'm not giving up! As long as I keep feeling the flow, as long as I high five the sky, I'll always get back on my feet and keep dueling to the very end!"
"Yuma…" Ladybug muttered.
"Now it's my turn! I draw!" Yuma then drew a card from his Deck to begin his turn.
"Yes, but don't forget: Since it's your Standby Phase, the effect of your Blustering Winds Spell ends." the chef reminded him. "So Gogogo Golem returns to its original attack and defense."
Gogogo Golem
ATK: 2800 - 1000 = 1800
DEF: 2500 - 1000 = 1500
Yuma grumbled a bit, wishing that his card's effect could have lasted longer. Looking at the card he drew, he placed it into his hand and said, "I'll switch Gogogo Golem to Defense Mode and end my turn."
"Hmph. That was a waste of time, Yuma." Kung Food taunted. "Nothing will save you now, so just admit that you cannot beat someone as perfect as I am!" He then drew his next card and smirked saying, "And if this won't convince you otherwise, nothing will! I play the Spell Card... Stop Defense!"
"No! Not that card!" Astral exclaimed.
"Now I can switch your golem to Attack Mode, making it and you completely vulnerable!" Kung Food told him as the Rock-Type monster switched positions.
'No... I was planning to use Gogogo Golem's effect to stall until I could counterattack…' thought the duelist. 'But it doesn't work if he's in Attack Mode!'
"Now, Crooked Cook! Destroy his monster!" ordered the possessed chef. The chef monster then fired its flames at Gogogo Golem, destroying it and sending out more damage to Yuma, making Chloe lower even more as she started to panic.
Yuma: LP: 2,600 - 800 = 1,800
After making his move, Kung Food taunted him further, saying, "Just face it: I learned that only the perfect can survive, and the flawed mean absolutely nothing! There is no hope for those that are imperfect, and there is no hope for you as well!"
But Yuma wasn't about to show any fear in front of his opponent. "That's where you're wrong, Kung Food." He told him. "While I'm not sure exactly where in the world you learned that from, thinking like that is never going to help you succeed at anything."
"What's that supposed to mean??" asked the chef.
"You keep saying how you want to be perfect, and that I and everyone else around you is flawed and worthless..." the duelist explained to him. "But I think that in itself is an imperfection that YOU have!"
"How dare you say that! I can be perfect at everything! And I will prove it by crushing you!" Kung Food said in a rage.
"You'll have to wait to do that, since your turn's over. It's my turn now!" Yuma then drew his next card and looked at it, causing him to smile. "You said that there was no hope for those that have flaws... but that's not quite true. I believe that there is hope for anybody that seeks it!"
"Huh? What are you talking about??" asked Kung Food, not understanding what she meant.
"Yuma... I know what you are planning to do. I am ready when you are…" said Astral.
Yuma nodded and played the card he had just drawn from his Deck. "I play the spell card, Monster Reborn, to bring back Gagaga Magician!" And with that, his blue robe-wearing magician returned to his field.
Gagaga Magician
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Spellcaster
Level: 4
ATK: 1500
DEF: 1000
"Next," he continued, "since I control a Gagaga monster, I can also Summon my Gagaga Child to the field!" He then placed his next monster in Defense Mode, and it appeared on the field as a young boy with a hat and robe similar to Gagaga Magician, but also wearing a school uniform, a pair of red sneakers, and carrying a blue popsicle.
Gagaga Child
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Spellcaster
Level: 2
ATK: 800
DEF: 1200
"Summon whatever you want!" Kung Food shouted at her. "Nothing you play can stand up to my Number card!"
"...Nothing except ANOTHER Number, of course." Yuma smirked, causing the chef to gasp in surprise. "I activate the effect of Gagaga Child!" Yuma declared. "By Special Summoning him with his effect, I can make his Level match that of another Gagaga monster I control. So I target Gagaga Magician, causing Gagaga Child's Level to change to four!" Gagaga Child then ate his Popsicle, as the stick showed his new level.
Gagaga Child
Level: 2 > 4
"This can't be!" protested Kung Food. "Now he can Summon an Xyz Monster!"
"I overlay my Level 4 Gagaga Magician and Gagaga Child to build the Overlay Network!" shouted Yuma as his two monsters became a pair of purple lights that flew into a galaxy-like portal in front of him.
"Wh-what's going on?!" asked Ladybug, shielding her eyes from the bright lights that were emitting from the portal.
"If I had to guess, Yuma's gonna Summon HIS Number card!" Cat Noir said with a smile on his face.
As the portal swirled in front of him, Yuma exclaimed, "That’s right, Cat Noir! I'm Xyz Summoning, Number 39: Utopia!" The portal then exploded into a powerful light, leaving behind a red 39 mark on the floor. From high above, a large, white and gold object began to descend to the floor in front of them. After it stopped coming down, the front parts of the object unfolded, revealing themselves to be incredibly large wings.
It then began to unfold into a human-like being that was covered in bright, shiny armor that was white and gold in color, with some sort of green "core" on its chest, and armed with a pair of large swords sheathed at both sides of its hip area. Its head was mostly covered by a similarly-colored helmet that had a pair of golden scythe-like protrusions coming out of the sides. Only a pair of small, red eyes could be seen underneath it. On its left shoulder pad, there was a red symbol resembling the number 39.
Number 39: Utopia
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Warrior
Rank: 4
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2000
Overlay Units: 2
"N-n-n-n-no way...!" said Kung Food, trembling a little. Even Crooked Cook seemed to be intimidated by Utopia's presence.
"So that's Yuma's Number..." said Cat Noir, in awe of the powerful monster his new friend had Summoned. "It's AWESOME!"
Kung Food grumbled a bit and told his foe, "You may have a Number on the field, but his attack points are less than mine! So next turn, I'll eliminate your Number and defeat you for good!"
"If you're so sure of that, then attack me." Yuma told him.
"What's he thinking?" asked Chloe. "He doesn't have anything to protect that…thing from his attack!"
Ladybug hummed a little to herself and pondered, 'Hmmm... He doesn't seem like he's making a mistake to me... I wonder what he's up to?'
"My turn! I draw!" said Kung Food as he drew his next card. "Perfect... as always." He then played the card he drew and said, "I Summon another Jigabyte in Attack Mode!" The boy then Summoned another humanoid lizard to his field.
Jigabyte
Attribute: WATER
Monster Type: Reptile
Level: 4
ATK: 1500
DEF: 200
"And next, I'll use Crooked Cook's remaining Overlay Unit and power it up even more!" He then sent the remaining Overlay Unit to his Graveyard, allowing him to destroy the monster that he had just Summoned and give his Number card even more power.
Number 59: Crooked Cook
ATK: 2600 + 300 = 2900
Overlay Units: 1 - 1 = 0
"Next, since Jigabyte was just destroyed and sent to my Graveyard, I can now Special Summon a new monster from my Deck; one that has 1500 attack points and 200 defense points! So I'll bring out Inari Fire!" He then Summoned a second copy of his fiery fox monster to the field in Attack Mode.
Inari Fire
Attribute: FIRE
Monster Type: Pyro
Level: 4
ATK: 1500
DEF: 200
"Oh no... If he attacks with both of those monsters, Yuma's Life Points' will drop to zero!" said Tikki.
'C'mon Yuma... you can't let him beat you... I know you can win!' Ladybug mentally urged her friend.
"Now, Crooked Cook! Show him just how imperfect he truly is! Destroy his Utopia!" Kung Food ordered his monster. The chef then fired its flames directly at Utopia. "You never had any hope against someone as flawless as me!" the chef shouted at Yuma, so sure that he would win.
"I wouldn't say that..." Yuma told him.
"Huh? What??" The chef was confused by what he meant.
"Your Number may have a powerful ability, but so does mine!" Yuma then took out a card from underneath Utopia and yelled, "I activate Utopia's effect! By using one Overlay Unit, I can negate your attack!" Everyone watched in surprise as Utopia drew one of its swirling orbs into his chestplate.
Number 39: Utopia
Overlay Units: 2 - 1 = 1
"Go, Lightwing Shield!" Afterwards, he then used one of his wings to block the flames being shot at him by Crooked Cook.
"Alright!" cheered Cat Noir. "He blocked the attack!”
"Phew... that was a close one." Tikki added, wiping her forehead.
'No... I can't let him... win... Can't let him!' the chef thought as he took another card from out of his hand. "I-I-I activate Book of Moon and use it to switch Inari Fire to Defense Mode!" He then flipped his monster face-down and placed it horizontally on his Duel Disk.
"I see..." Astral began. "If he had left that monster in Attack Position, he could have destroyed it and won the Duel." Ladybug stayed silent, but continued to root for Yuma in her mind, trying to send as many good vibes his way as possible.
"Rrrgh... I won't let you defeat me...!" snarled Kung Food. "I'll never become truly perfect if I don't beat you!"
"Sorry, Kung Food, but I'm afraid that you couldn't be 'perfect', as you say, even IF you defeated me." the duelist told him.
"What do you mean?!" asked the chef.
"...Because no one can be perfect." Yuma answered.
The chef gasped when he heard that. "Th-that's a lie! It has to be!"
"No, Yuma's right." Ladybug spoke up. "No matter how hard you try, achieving true perfection is impossible. And there's a reason why: It's because everybody's idea of perfection is totally different from another's. What you might see as perfection, others may see as completely flawed. There's no way that you can live up to anyone else's idea of becoming perfect, and trying to do so will leave you forever unsatisfied and unfulfilled."
"Shut up! What would YOU know about something like that?!" asked Kung Food. "How do you know how I feel?!"
"Because I used to think just like you did, that not being as good as possible would make me worthless." she answered him. "But then I learned that wasn't true: Like I said, what you may see as perfect, others may see it as a flaw. But it also means that what you might think is flawed and imperfect, someone else might see as unique and special. It's all of our unique attributes that make us who we are. And besides, why would you want to be what someone else wants you to be, when you can just be yourself instead?"
Kung Food said nothing in response. What Ladybug had told him seemed to affect him mentally. 'Be... myself...?' he thought as the number symbol on his head began to dull its light.
"I agree. You should never have to be anyone else but you, Cheng." Yuma told his opponent. "And my cards will help to convey those feelings! Now I draw!" After drawing his card, he smirked at what he drew, “Just what I needed! Go, Utopia!" Yuma shouted with a smile. "Attack Crooked Cook!" The mighty warrior nodded as he pulled out his sword. He then leapt forward and charged towards Kung Food's Number card.
"What the-? He's attacking him?!" Cat Noir exclaimed . "But his monster's weaker! It'll get clobbered!"
Ladybug said nothing in response to Yuma's shocking move. But his face seemed to suggest that she knew what Yuma was doing, and that her new friend wasn't making a mistake.
"Ha ha ha! So you HAVE given up!" the chef cackled. "After that big speech, this is the best you can do?!" He then pointed ahead and yelled, "Crooked Cook! Counterattack! Searing Oven Torch!" His monster then shot its fire attack once more.
"Not so fast! I use Utopia's effect once again!" Yuma shouted. "I remove his last Overlay Unit and negate my OWN attack!" And once more, Utopia absorbed his last Overlay Unit and put up his shield to block his own sword attack, along with Crooked Cook's flames.
Number 39: Utopia
Overlay Units: 1 - 1 = 0
"I don't get it... why the heck would he wanna do that?" Cat Noir asked, confused. "That move did him no good at all."
"Not quite, Cat." Ladybug told her. "I think this is part of his plan."
"So... he negated his attack on purpose...?" asked Cat Noir. "But why?"
Kung Food, however, figured that Yuma must have blundered. "So you realized that your monster was weaker than mine, and as a result, you stopped our attacks before they hit." he said to him. "You may have saved yourself, but without any more Overlay Units, I can destroy your monster! Your mistake this turn will lead to your failure! Something that never happens to someone as perfect as me!"
"Failures and mistakes are two very different things. After all, mistakes can be corrected!" Yuma responded, as he then held up the card he drew and said, "I play the Spell Card, Double or Nothing!"
"Wh-wha...?" the chef stuttered.
"This card has an incredible power, but I can only use it if my monster's attack is negated." the young duelist.
Kung Food gasped. "N-no! You negated Utopia's attack on purpose to play that, didn't you?!"
"Exactly." Yuma confirmed. "I guess your so-called 'perfect plan' didn't account for this little..." After shoving his card into his Duel Pad, he then told him, "Now, thanks to this Spell Card, I not only give Utopia a second attack, but now his attack doubles this turn if he DOES attack! Which is exactly what I'm going to do right now!"
Number 39: Utopia
ATK: 2500 x 2 = 5000
"F-F-FIVE THOUSAND ATTACK POINTS?!?" Kung Food cried out.
"Alright, Yuma!" cheered Ladybug. "Now end this!"
"You've got it, Ladybug!" Yuma then gave out his order to his monster. "Go, Utopia! Attack Crooked Cook and end this Duel! Rising Sun Slash!" The warrior nodded, rushing towards the enemy Number card once more, as he took out both of his swords and slashed them at Kung Food's Number card, destroying it in one mighty blow.
"NOOOOOOOO!!" screamed the chef as he took the massive blow, which succeeded in depleting all of his Life Points.
Kung Food: LP 1,000 - 2,100 = 0
WINNER: Yuma
"He did it!" cheered Cat Noir.
“Yes he did.” Ladybug nodded, before gasping as both of the heroes left eye’s returned to normal, the holographic effects and the transparent Kwami’s disappearing in the process.
Yuma then took off his duel gazer, as Astral then thrust his right hand out, in the direction of where Kung Food (who fell unconscious after being defeated) was, as a card-shaped light phased out from the chef's chest. The light then flew towards Astral himself and into his right hand, as the number symbol on Kung Food’s head exploded into thousands of golden particles, as he then turned back to Wang Cheng. At that moment, all the damage that was done to the hotel vanished, as if it never happened.
"Man..." said an impressed Cat Noir. "I never thought that a card game could get so intense.”
“Are all of these ‘Duel’s’ like that?” Ladybug curiously asked Yuma.
“Aside from the whole ‘Number Card possessing people’ thing, basically.” Yuma smiled, right before his Duel Gazer beeped. Confused, he pulled it out, seeing a notification.
“What is it?” Ladybug asked.
“I…got a message.” Yuma said, confused, as he opened the message. “‘Dear Yuma, Astral, Ladybug, and Cat Noir, meet me at this address as soon as possible. There are important matters we must speak of.’”
“Does it say who sent it?” Astral asked.
“No, it doesn’t. All there is is a map and addre- hey wait a minute! How did this guy even message me?!”
“Can someone get me down now?!” Chloe yelled, as the heroes turned to her, seeing she was still tied up.
“Here”. Ladybug said, as she took a picture of the map and address. “You go ahead, we’ll catch up.” She and Cat Noir went to help Chloe, as Yuma nodded and went towards the elevator, before anyone could ask him questions.
Meanwhile, in Hawkmoth’s lair, the villain smirked, as he had witnessed the entire duel. “How interesting...” he said, as the Akuma came back right before the window to his lair closed.
Later, inside of the Le Grand Paris' kitchen, Wang Cheng was making more Celestial Soup, as the jury decided to give him a second chance after learning about Chloe’s sabotage.
"Could you teach me how to make Celestial Soup, Cheng Shifu?" Marinette asked as she brought her great uncle more flowers.
"With pleasure, Marinette." Wang said.
"Cooking needs no words." Adrien smiled, as he was watching from the door.
"Seriously?” Chloe’s voice said, as she walked up to him. “Still making soup? I told you I hate soup! You think the jury is going to approve of this?" She said, annoyed.
"Didn't your father kick you off the jury?" Adrien asked in irritation.
"No he didn't! I... er... I... resigned." Chloe said in a nervous tone.
"I think Cheng Shifu and Marinette have got this covered. Why don't we let the real jury decide?" Adrien said as he pointed to the exit.
"Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!" The brat said as she stomped out of the kitchen, causing the blonde to scratch his head.
"Cheng Shifu's delicious Celestial Soup has received the highest marks overall, making you the final winner!" Alec announced, as “World’s Greatest Chef was back on the air, with the jury tasting the real soup.
"Ah, and it will soon be the Mayor's Special on the restaurant menu of my prestigious hotel!" Andre said.
"Rock n' Roll! I can't wait to get home and write a song about soup!" Jagged Stone shouted.
"Thank you, but no longer Celestial Soup. Now called: Marinette Soup." Wang said with a bow.
“谢谢! (Thank you!)” Marinette smiled.
"You're welcome." Wang replied as Alec walked over to the bluenette.
"Come over here and stand alongside your uncle, the "World's Greatest Chef"!" He said as Adrien gave her a thumbs-up. Marinette then went up to Wang and hugged him.
A little while after the show finished, Yuma and Astral had found the address they were given, as they were waiting for Ladybug and Cat Noir to arrive. They were snapped out of his thoughts by the distinctive whining sound of a yo-yo launching out and wrapping around something. They turned around as the two heroes of Paris landed in front of them.
“Sorry we took so long.” Ladybug apologized. “Had some things to do in our civilian lives.”
“I guess that’s the blessing and curse of a superhero. Having to live a double life.” Yuma grinned, as he entered what seemed to be a Massage Shop, where they then stood in front of an apartment door, and double checked the address. “Well, this is the place.” He then stepped up and opened the door, revealing Wang Fu on a rug in the middle of the room.
“Welcome, Yuma, Astral, Ladybug and Cat Noir.” He said, as the group walked in the room.
‘Wait, isn’t that…?’ Both Ladybug and Cat Noir thought, and got a good look at the man, recognizing him.
“I’ve heard many things about you from your father, Yuma.” Fu smiled.
“You know my dad?” Yuma asked in shock, causing the elder to nod.
“I'm guessing that you're not an ordinary senior citizen.” Astral said.
“Not really. And your arrival here was not by chance either.” The old man admitted. He got up from the floor, and walked over to the gramophone behind him. The heroes followed him with rising curiosity.
Once he reached it, the man pressed the eyes of the decorative dragons, revealing a set of hidden buttons and pressed some of them, imputing a code. The gramophone then opened up, revealing a black wooden box with a red symbol on top, leaving everyone speechless.
“Master Fu is the last known member of the Order of the Guardian, Guardian’s of the Miraculous.” A voice explained, as a small, light green creature that was about 4 inches tall flew out of the Gramophone. Its appearance includes yellow eyes, green pupils, and an antenna on its head. It also has a slightly darker green turtle shell on it’s back and a short pointed tail. “I'm Wayzz, Master Fu's Kwami. It's a pleasure to meet you Yuma,” The turtle Kwami introduced as he floated closer to Yuma, causing the duelist to back up a bit in surprise.
“Uh, you too,” Yuma greeted with a nervous smile, a little taken aback by Wayzz’s excitement.
“We guardians are responsible for protecting and distributing the miraculous. For the good of all humanity,” Master Fu began as he lifted the box out of the gramophone, and opened it to reveal the remaining two Miraculous inside.
“We are chosen in childhood, and trained for many years, especially for this mission. But when we were much, much younger, we… no, I made a mistake. The Guardians temple was destroyed, all because of me,” The Guardian revealed as he vividly remembered his time in the Order of the Guardians, both the good and bad memories.
“Two of the Miraculous were lost that day. The Butterfly, and the Peacock,” Master Fu explained as he pointed to the respective empty spots in the box, where the two Miraculous would have sat. But all of this left everyone speechless… which didn’t last very long.
“We’ve all made mistakes. I’ve had my fair share. All that matters is how we go on from there,” Ladybug comforted with a smile, making him return her kindness with a small laugh as he put the Miracle Box back into the gramophone.
“Sit, there are matters that need to be discussed.” Master Fu said as he gestured to a small table to the side of the room. Everyone then walked over to the table and sat down, with him soon sitting across from them. Once he was comfortable, he grabbed the teapot sitting on the table.
“Yuma, your father foreseen everything from the moment he went to Astral World, and wanted to guide you on your mission, which he knew would bring you here.” Master Fu revealed, shocking the boy.
“But why?” Yuma asked.
Master Fu sighed, before pulling what seemed to be a Duel Pad from underneath the table. “I believe it is best to see for yourself.” He said, as he set the device down, before a hologram of a man wearing an adventurer’s outfit appeared. This was Kazuma Tsukumo, Yuma’s Father. He had dark tan skin, brown eyes, black spiky with a smaller version of Yuma’s red hair and black beard.
“Dad?” Yuma asked as everyone stared in disbelief.
"Yuma, if you get this message, then the situation is much worse than I had hoped.” Kazuma stated. “Inside of seven ruins are the Seven Mythyrian Numbers. These cards are unlike any you have ever seen, and if they fall into Barian hands, an ancient evil will destroy everything you have been fighting for. That is why you must get those numbers before the Barians do. But these ruins aren’t just anywhere. Their entrance’s are hidden within an alternate world inside the city of Paris. Go to this world and head to these Coordinates. There you will find a young man named Alvis. He can give the clues you need to find the Numbers. Be careful my son. I know you can do it. In fact...I am counting on it." Yuma's father spoke as the message ended, leaving everyone speechless.
"Dad, I can't believe he knew this would happen." Yuma spoke, breaking the silence.
"Master Fu, did he tell you what was special about these Numbers?” Ladybug asked.
“Yes. He believed that obtaining these seven card’s would reveal the location of the Numeron Code.” Fu explained, causing Yuma and Astral eye’s to widen and gasp in disbelief.
“Numeron Code?” Cat Noir tilted his head.
“It is a powerful card that created the entire universe. It has records of everything and has the power to decide the fate of all reality.” Astral explained, causing the duo’s eyes to widen.
“Indeed. The Numeron Code is even more powerful than all of the Miraculous combined.” Fu added. “Control of the Numeron Code would mean control of the universe.”
“So what do we do?” Ladybug asked.
“Due to the Appearance of the Number you just obtained, and aside from the Mythyrian Numbers, I doubt that it is the only one that is in Paris. More are bound to appear, and it is only a matter of time before Hawkmoth discovers their power. We must be ready.” Master Fu said, as he then looked at Ladybug and Cat Noir. "With and without the mask."
“Wait, what do you…?” Ladybug said, before she and her partner quietly gasped, realizing what he meant. “But Master-”
“I know it was safer to not know each other’s identities, but things have changed. This is a battle we cannot lose.” Master Fu said, as the Paris Duo turned to each other.
It had been about half an hour since they left Master Fu’s Shop, as Ladybug and Cat Noir were standing on top of the Eiffel Tower, not sure how to reveal themselves, as Yuma sat about 20 feet away from where they were standing.
"M'lady, you know that I've always wanted to know who you are for so many reasons and for so long, but only if you were okay with it. Either way I'll always feel the same about you. You're the most amazing person I've ever known and probably ever will know," said Cat Noir, giving her a smile.
Ladybug smiled back as she quickly tried to process everything. They had been partners for a while now and there was an element of trust between them that couldn't be explained. She trusted her kitty more than she'd ever trusted anyone in her life. “So, how do you want to do this?”
Cat Noir said nothing, as he turned around and faced away from Ladybug. Realizing what he was doing, Ladybug did the same thing, both heroes now facing away from each other.
“Tikki, Spots off./Plagg, Claws in.”
With that, Ladybug and Cat Noir dropped their transformation and let Tikki and Plagg float into their hands, giving each of them food to get their strength back. They smiled down at them while they fought the temptation to look over their shoulders.
Yuma and Astral just stared in shock. This whole time they thought Ladybug and Cat Noir were wearing outfits that they made by themselves and they were just gonna take off their masks. They were not expecting their outfits to disappear.
"Kitty, even if this is something we need to do, I think...I think I'm ready for this. I trust you more than anyone and with everything that’s happened today, I do think we could be stronger together.” said Marinette, looking at Cat Noir's shadow on the ground right beside her.
Adrien smiled at his lady's words. He was feeling so anxious his body was starting to shake a bit. The moment he'd been waiting for for so long was finally here. Learning who the girl he loved was under her mask.
"Ladybug, I just want you to know that I love you no matter what," said Adrien, smiling down at the ground. "You, Plagg, this life, everything has been the best thing to happen to me and I wouldn't trade it for anything."
"Yeah, me too," said Marinette as she closed her eyes and turned around to look at her partner.
Somehow knowing what she was doing Adrien also closed his eyes and turned around, his heart rate climbing rapidly and his cheeks burning.
"On three m'lady?" asked Adrien, smiling.
"Sounds good Kitty...one," said Marinette.
"Two," said Adrien.
"THREE!" both said together as they opened their eyes. Both were instantly overwhelmed with shock and surprise as they froze on the spot, staring into each other's eyes in complete disbelief while they processed what they were seeing, both of their mouths slightly hanging open. For thirty whole seconds neither of them said anything as they just continuously stared at each other.
"I...I can't believe it," said Adrien as a tear trailed out of his eye and down his cheek, smiling at Marinette. This was something he never would have thought possible. And now that he was seeing it it was so much better than he could have possibly imagined. His partner and amazing lady was actually one of his closest friends all along.
Marinette was in more shock than surprise. Never in a million years would she have thought that her pun loving, flirty, silly kitty was actually the handsome and amazingly perfect Adrien Agreste. She wasn't smiling like him but she also wasn't disappointed, just taking it all in and processing it.
Adrien couldn't help himself anymore as he stepped forward and enveloped Marinette into a loving embrace, another tear of happiness running down his cheek as he felt Marinette slowly hug him back after a few moments.
As the shock of Cat Noir being Adrien was slowly fading, it was being replaced by pure joy as she heard him say how happy he was to learn that she was Ladybug. He wasn't upset, disappointed, let down, no...he was happy. And he was hugging her so tenderly which made her feel like she was on cloud nine.
After several more seconds of hugging each other both of the now revealed superheroes pulled back slightly and rested their foreheads against each other.
Tikki and Plagg were both hovering off to the side and both were feeling a huge weight lift off their shoulders.
"Oh man, it's about time. I've been waiting for this for so long and it baffles me that it took you this long to realize who the other was. I mean it was so obvious once you realize it," said Plagg flying around in circles.
"Stop it Plagg, let them enjoy this moment together," said Tikki, frowning at her Kwami companion. "After all, they've both been through so much together both as heroes and in their regular life."
Adrien barely even heard what the Kwamis were saying. He only had eyes for his beautiful partner.
"I can't believe that all this time you were sitting five feet behind me in school and I didn't even know it," said Adrien smiling brightly.
Turning to face Yuma and Astral, Adrien gently took Marinette's hand into his own.
"Well, I guess now we can officially introduce ourselves. I'm Adrien Agreste," said Adrien politely.
"And I'm Marinette Dupain Cheng," said Marinette, giving Adrien's hand a light squeeze of excitement. She was so giddy that the boy she's been in love with for months is holding her hand right now.
"Anyway, we've been good friends for a while now since I was first allowed to start going to school," said Adrien looking at the young duelist and blue being. "I was homeschooled most of my life until recently, and Marinette has become one of my closest and most valued friends. She's been so helpful and supportive of me as I adjust to this kind of life because I've been sheltered for so long by my father. She's made it so amazing and easy to enjoy."
With pure admiration in his eyes Adrien looks right into Marinette's again. Her beautiful blue eyes shining like two sapphires in the sun.
Marinette feels her knees going weak as she looks deeply into Adrien's green eyes. They're glowing like two emeralds as she completely loses herself in them.
“Well then,” Yuma said, as he stood up and offered a handshake. “It's great to officially meet you both! I can't wait to start working with you.”
Marinette smiled and nodded, as she and Adrien shaked Yuma’s hand, while Astral just stared at the scene.
'Miraculous Observation #1: Sometimes, people keep secrets from the ones we care for most to protect them.' Astral thought, thinking of when he found Yuma lied to him. 'When those secrets are revealed, it can either break the trust you have in them, or it can make their bond stronger. The result depends on if you truly understand the person's reasons for keeping it hidden in the first place. To make sure my bond with Yuma isn't severed again, I MUST remember this.'
Author’s Note:
This chapter was a little longer than I thought it would be. The duel was fun to write, while I was a little stumped on what to do after the duel, but I managed. Let me know your thoughts on the chapter. The reason why Kung Food’s Number was in the world of the Miraculous was because the Number’s connection to the Ruins that contain the Mythyrian Numbers. Expect more to appear in the future.
Kung Food was able to speak perfect English due to the Number that possessed him. As for why it gave him powers and became real, is because the Numbers are affected differently in Ladybug and Cat Noir’s World than in Yuma’s World.
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Chapter 3: Dueling 101
Chapter Text
Chapter 3: Dueling 101
It had been an hour since Marinette and Adrien revealed themselves to each other and to Yuma and Astral, as the four were currently heading towards the coordinates Yuma’s Father gave them. When they arrived, they seemed quite confused, at least for Marinette and Adrien. Normally the bridge over the Seine was bustling with cars and tourists, no matter what time of the day it was. There were cars doing their usual trips, but not that many people. In fact, there was no one standing by the bridge's steps that would lead onto the Pont.
“I think this is it.” Marinette spoke, as she spotted a dip in the ground, leading to an archway hidden in the shadows underneath the bridge, before they walked past the threshold of the hidden archway.
“Thanks for letting me know, Nathalie.” Adrien spoke on the phone. “I’m probably not gonna be back until dinner…Well, you remember Alvis, right?” The rest of the group froze for a second, as they stared at the boy with wide eyes. “Yes, that Alvis…I ran into him while I was with Marinette and her uncle, and he wanted us to catch up this weekend.” He half-lied, knowing that telling part of the truth would work. “Thanks for understanding. I’ll see you later.” He hung up.
“I was not aware that you and this Alvis were already acquainted.” Astral said.
“He was a close friend to my Mom.” Adrien explained. “Nathalie called to let me know that my Dad just left for the airport to go on an important trip a little while ago and he won’t be back until Monday. When I mentioned I was gonna be with Alvis, she said she would clear my schedule for the weekend.” Adrien smiled, as they continued walking.
“So what can you tell us about Alvis?” Marinette asked.
“Well, he’s a very enigmatic person. Haven’t seen him since my Mom disappeared.”
“Enigmatic?” Yuma asked.
“He never shows any signs of emotion beyond his cold demeanor, but at the same time, he never displays any hostile intent and otherwise seems friendly. Mom said he shared his knowledge and wisdom with her, but at the same time remained cryptic regarding his true intentions.” Adrien explained
“Yeesh. This guy sounds like some sort of fortune teller.” Plagg commented, as he and Tikki flew out, seeing that the coast was clear.
“Like I said, very enigmatic.” Adrien smirked, before turning to a frown as they now stood in front of a dead end. “Okay, now I am confused. Why would those coordinates lead us here if there’s nothing to find?” Adrien questioned as he put a hand onto the wall in front of them.
“Because Adrien… nothing is as it seems.” a voice behind the group spoke up, causing them to turn around as they saw a young man with tan skin, shoulder-length silver hair, and silver eyes come out of the shadows. His outfit consisted of a purple top under a white waistcoat with gold buttons, a long-sleeved purple jacket with a gray fur collar, silver buttons and a symbol on the back, purple trousers, and white boots with gray soles that attach around his waist. Around his neck was a strange red crystal, hanging off of a black choker.
“Alvis…” Adrien said.
“It is great to see you again, Adrien. Or would you rather go by Cat Noir?” Alvis smirked, causing the group’s eyes to widen.
(Play Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
The music starts up with Yuma activating his gear like in the original opening, before a blue vortex sucks Yuma and Astral into Paris.
Still together as one;
Cuz divided we're none;
Ready to go, we feel the flow!
Yuma then landed on his feet, as Astral floated next to him, before he drew a card and summoned Utopia.
So don't stand in our way;
You know we ain't afraid;
This is our time, we're in control!
Plagg was about to eat a piece of Camembert, before he was sucked into Adrien's ring, while Tikki she sucked in Marinette's earrings, causing them to transform into Ladybug and Cat Noir, who then Fist Bumped.
If I trip up today;
You just wipe it away;
All of my fears are gone, erased!
The rest of Yuma's friends then appeared on the Different Dimensional Airship, with Shark and Kite summoning Number 32: Shark Drake and Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon.
Let us tear down the walls;
'Til the final night falls;
The bonds of our souls can't be replaced!
Everyone then came together, as they all charged towards Hawk Moth and the Barians.
Let us fight together;
Regret it never;
Our dreams will be…!
The Giant Shadow of Don Thousand appears over both worlds as Vector goes from his human form to his Barian one, devastating the land.
Halfway to,
Forever;
Our light comes shining through!
Yuma and Astral then fuse into Zexal II as Yuma Summons Utopia Ray Victory as it absorbed an Overlay Unit.
Reach down deep;
Beat defeat;
Do all that we can do!
Ladybug and Cat Noir were then shown, as their monsters appeared and joined Utopia Ray Victory's attack.
Halfway to,
Forever;
We've got nothing to lose!
Hawk Moth smirked, as he held his arm out and created Akuma's, while Vector prepared to counter-attack.
Keep breathing;
Believing;
Halfway to forever-rrrrrr!
The Numeron Code was then shown, all of the Miraculous were spiraling around it. Astral and Yuma smile at each other and touch hands as they all come together with their aces standing out, with the title below them.
Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
(End Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
“Alvis…How did you…?” Adrien said, trying to find a way out of this situation, before Alvis motioned him not to worry.
“As you are most likely aware, the Miraculous’s have a magical effect that hides the identity of their wielder’s. However, I am quite familiar with magic and the supernatural, so I was able to see through the effect.” Alvis explained, as he stood in front of the dead end wall, before pulling out a blue crystal with a handle attached to it, and jabbed the bottom of the wall with the crystal, drawing a glowing blue semi-circle into it, before reaching the bottom of the wall again, and pulling the strange crystal from the wall. He then touched the space inside the semi-circle, causing the wall to break into pieces and dissolve into nothing with a blue glow, revealing that the wall was not a dead end after all.
“Woah!” everyone but Astral, who stared in amazement, uttered in awe at the sight of a secret entrance being revealed to them.
“This way, young heroes.” Alvis directed before he walked through the newly made threshold.
The heroes then followed the strange man through to the other side, right before the wall closed back up behind them. Looking around, they could see that they were in a hallway that opened up farther ahead with a doorway, which led to what seemed to be a large room.
Upon entering, the sight that greeted them left them in further awe, as they were all standing in a dueling field, with stone tablets hanging off of the walls, with what seemed to be monster cards carved onto them (Imagine the dueling arena in Yu-Gi-Oh GX).
“Amazing…” Yuma said, as he saw and recognized one of the carvings. “No way!” He exclaimed, as he pulled out Utopia, and put it next to one of the creatures that had been drawn on the stone slab. To everyone's surprise, the slab and the card were almost exactly the same.
“These Stone Tablets represent each of the Numbers that have been found.” Alvis revealed, causing everyone to turn to him, as he pointed towards what seemed to be a blank Stone Slab. “And those who have yet to take form.”
“Yet to take form?” Marinette asked.
“The Numbers start out as blank cards, before they take the form of something that whoever finds them desires the most, design themselves to fit their original owner's Decks and keep that form forever.” Astral explained.
“Indeed. However, there are a few Numbers that have already taken form without being found.” Alvis said, as they walked up to one of the Stone Tablets, which contained what seemed to be a Pegasus.
“Wait, is that…?” Yuma asked, as he recognized a strange symbol below the text of the stone tablet. “It’s the Barian’s Emblem!”
“Yes. A long time ago, this Number, along with six others, were connected to the lives of seven legendary heroes.” Alvis explained. "Because of this connection, an ancient evil machinated history against each of these legendary heroes, corrupting their original memories with his Over-Hundred Numbers into becoming the Seven Barian Emperors upon death.”
“But why?” Marinette asked.
“Why else? To make them serve as this evil’s instruments for his agenda so he can subjugate the universe.”
“He?” Yuma tilted his head.
“The Deity of Barian World.” Alvis closed his eyes, before turning to the rest of the group. “Don Thousand.” He said, causing Astral to quietly gasp.
“And if the Barian’s get those Mythyrian Numbers before we do…” Marinette realized, remembering the message from Yuma’s Father. “Where are the ruins and Mythyrian Numbers?”
“I’m afraid even I do not know their locations.” Alvis sighed, before looking around the room, pointing to six other tablets on the wall, each marked with the Barian Emblem. “Each of the ruins' entrances are hidden to the naked eye. However, if you were to learn each of the Barian Emperors' history with the Numbers, you should be able to locate them.”
"So where do we start?" Marinette asked.
Alvis said nothing, as he motioned everyone to follow him, walking over to a nearby door and opening it, revealing an entire array of cards to find on the other side. “If you are to fight the Barians and find the Numbers, you will need to build your own dueling decks and practice dueling until you are good at it. Almost every card that exists is in this room, with a few exceptions of course.”
“Amazing…” Yuma stared in awe, wishing that this wasn’t a dream.
"Now, as with any card game, it's important to have a good balance of different types of cards. Of course, while having good balance in your Decks is important, what's most important is to pick out the cards that you like the best and build something around them."
"The most interesting...?" asked Adrien, looking over the variety of cards. "But...there’s gotta be millions of them. How do we know which one’s to choose?”
“If it's proving too difficult to build a proper deck on your own, then you can take a survey, and an AI program will create recommended deck recipes for you.” Alvis said, as he picked up pink and white tablets on a nearby counter, and handed them both to Marinette and Adrien. “Everything is already set up. All you need is to create a password.”
He then helped switch on the devices, as the Duel Pad’s displayed a main menu of sorts in front of a colorful background, before he tapped on the screens, opening up the survey. "Just answer all twenty questions, then your Duel Pad will give you your recommendations," Alvis stated, as the two nodded, before they began.
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YUMA’S GONE?!” A young woman exclaimed, as Yuma’s friends were at his house, talking to a young woman with purple eyes and had her maroon colored hair done in a ponytail, which reached to her chest. This was Kari Tsukumo, a journalist and Yuma’s older sister.
“We were leaving after fighting the Barian’s, when he fell off our ship and went into some sort of vortex.” A girl with the appearance of a cat said, as she was trying to explain what happened to Yuma’s Sister, tears threatening to escape her eyes. This was Cathy Katherine, a stereotypical shy girl with an obsession with cats to the extent that she behaves like them and can control and communicate with them. She had two pieces of her gray hair held up by clips which gave her the appearance of having cat ears. She had large and expressive green eyes, which appear to have no eyebrows. She also wore a pair of large, square-framed glasses (She also has a pink Duel Gazer with a purple lens that she wears with her glasses off). Her outfit consisted of a lilac T-shirt with torn-ended sleeves and a red tie, black shorts held up by suspenders and maroon ankle boots with accessories being a cat tail, a collar with a bell, a matching bracelet on her right wrist and a star earring on her right ear (real ear). “We’re not sure where he is.”
“Yuma…” Kari spoke, seeing Cathy hold back the tears in her ears, convincing her that this was legit.
“I just don’t get it though.” A boy in a school uniform said, as he was sitting on the couch. This was Caswell Francis, class chairman and a friend of Yuma. He had blue hair over black hair in a bowl-cut style. “I can't possibly think of any logical reason for us to crash into a roadway like that. Unless…" His head shot up, as the others began to realize what he was saying.
"Alright, who jabbed the wheel the wrong way?" Someone next to Caswell asked. This was Bronk Stone, a Duelist and one of Yuma’s Best Friends. He wore a cap backwards with his black hair sticking out of the front and sides. He wore an orange t-shirt with a smiley face on it, which revealed the bottom of his stomach.
Everyone looked at a small boy, who was rubbing the back of his head. This was Flip Turner, a cheeky duelist and another friend of Yuma’s. “Hehe…my bad?” He said sheepishly.
“You idiot!” A young girl said, as he began to strangle Flip. This was Tori Meadows, Yuma’s Best Friend since childhood. She had dark green hair with lighter green bangs, while keeping it tied into a side bun, and hazel eyes. She wore a dark pink sleeveless shirt with frills over her shoulders, short white shorts and brown gladiator sandals (For reference's sake, she has multiple casual outfits). “Because of your stupid crazy driving, Yuma is gone!"
“It’s…not …my…fault!” Flip tried to say while being shook, before Tori was made to let him go. “I was flying the ship well, but some kind of weird energy sent me on the flipside and moved the wheel in the wrong direction!”
“Uh huh! A likely story!” Tori sarcastically said.
“ENOUGH!” Kite yelled, causing the two to jump back. “I am trying to concentrate, and all this yelling isn’t making it easier! So unless you want Yuma and Astral to never come back, I suggest you quiet down!” He then sat back down, before going back to messing with footage of Yuma’s Duel with Vector.
“Uh, what are you even doing?” Tori asked.
Kite said nothing, as he ran an analysis on Yuma in his new Zexal form, before getting results. “Just as I thought. Every time Yuma and Astral used the power of Zexal, they gave off an extremely strong energy reading.”
“And that’s good how?” Kari asked, not understanding what he was even talking about.
“Because the next time they use it, we can use these readings to pinpoint their location.” Kite explained.
“But we would need a strong power source to do that, and even if we did, Yuma and Astral only use Zexal in very tight spots. How will we even know when they are using it?” Caswell asked, as Kite turned to his robot assistant, Orbital 7, who turned his head, as everyone was looking at him.
“W-W-Why is everyone looking at me?” He said nervously, before he saw where this was going.
The time it took to build their decks felt as if it had been going on forever. For the French teens who were secretly costumed superheroes protecting Paris from the evil akumas of Hawkmoth, this was a new experience for them as neither Marinette or Adrien had ever never actually learned about how to build a Duel Monsters Deck, let alone know about Duel Monsters until today.
After they had finished the survey, their new Duel Pads gave them a few recommended Deck Recipes, which they each chose two that satisfied them, as they were searching around the room full of cards, gathering the ones they needed. That time had been spent with the heroes chatting to each other, mostly about what they enjoyed the most about their superhero lives and their abilities, and getting to know each other better.
“So why are you guys building TWO decks?” Yuma asked, as he was helping Marinette, while Alvis was helping Adrien.
“One Deck is for our normal selves, and the other is for our hero selves.” Marinette explained, as she double checked the card she grabbed. “If we only used one Deck, people would start piecing things together.”
“But if you used two different Decks, it would throw people off your trail.” Astral realized.
“Exactly.” Marinette nodded, as she looked through all the cards she got. “I’m good to go over here. You guys?”
“Almost done with my second deck…” Adrien said, as he was counting the number of cards he had, excluding the cards he already got for his Extra Deck. "Thirty-seven… Thirty-eight… Thirty-nine… Forty!" He smiled, satisfied, as he put his new deck in a white deck box Alvis gave him, before checking the time on his phone. “Looks like I should get going.”
“Same.” Marinette said, as she just received a text from her mother, saying that it was time to come home.
“Before you both leave, it would be wise for you to take these.” Alvis said, as he the two were each given a crystal that looked like the one Alvis used to get in. “These Access Crystals will allow you to enter and leave this place and bypass the defenses without deactivating them.”
“Just use this to draw a semi circle at the entrance, right?” Adrien asked, getting a nod from his friend. “Then I guess I’ll see you first thing in the morning.” He said, as he and Marinette exited the room, heading back towards the way they came in.
“So why are we using Orbital to track down Yuma and Astral?” Tori asked, as Kite was messing with the robot’s insides.
“Orbital’s power source comes from a Baria Crystal, a substance native to Barian World.” Kite explained, as he was almost finished making his adjustments. “If anyone is able to track down Zexal energy right away, it's him.”
“A-A-Are you this is a wise decision Master Kite?” Orbital 7 asked, a little concern.
“Do you have any better ideas?” Kite glared, causing Orbital to yelp and stay silent. “That’s what I thought.” He then finished up the adjustments, before closing up where he was working on Orbital. “There. Now all we can do is wait and hope this works.”
Later that night, in Marinette’s room, the young heroine was at her desk, watching some dueling footage, as she thought it might help with learning how to play better, when she suddenly heard a tapping noise from the balcony window.
Marinette paused the video as Tikki hid behind her computer. She turned to see who was there, but given the hour the possibility of who was limited. The moment her eyes landed on the window, she wasn't that surprised when she saw Cat Noir waving at her from the balcony. The bluette rolled her eyes fondly as she got up from her chair and walked over to the window. Marinette opened the window when she greeted, "Hey, Cat, what brings you here tonight?"
The black-clad hero gave her a cattish grin when he said, "I was on patrol in the area, so I figured I'd drop by one of my favorite people to say hi."
Marinette raised a brow in amusement when she joked, "Don't tell Ladybug that, or she might get jealous," as she stepped to the side to let the hero in.
“I’m allowed to like hanging out with other people.” Cat Noir smiled, before he said, “Though I'm not sure if it counts if two people are the same person.”
“I suppose that’s true,” chuckled Marinette, as Tikki came out of hiding.
When Cat Noir looked at her Duel Pad, he asked, "What were you watching before I came along?"
Marinette walked over to him when she said, "I was watching some Dueling Footage Elvis gave us before I had to go to bed." She sat back down in her chair when she added as she glanced at the black-clad hero, "I thought it would be a good idea to see how other people played the game and observe how they dueled." She then clicked play, resuming where she left off.
"Draw your last pathetic card so I can end this, Yugi!" said the voice of a teenage boy with short brown hair as he stared menacingly at his opponent from across a gigantic arena.
But the other person, another teenage boy - this one with very spiky hair - smiled confidently and spoke back to him, saying, "My Grandpa's Deck HAS no pathetic cards, Kaiba!" He then drew the top card of his Deck and added, "But it DOES contain... the unstoppable Exodia!!"
"Exodia?!? I-i-it's not POSSIBLE!!" Kaiba protested out of shock and horror. "No one's ever been able to call HIM!!!"
But it seemed that was no longer true at the time, as a large figure began to emerge from out of a five-pointed star that materialized onto the field. First the right leg, then the left, and then both the right and left arms, and ending with the head and body. The creature was known as Exodia the Forbidden One, the original undefeatable creature.
The creature known as Exodia stared down a trio of large, white dragons on the opposing field. But as big as those dragons were, Exodia's intimidating size dwarfed them easily. Its controller, Yugi, then declared to his monster, "Exodia... OBLITERATE!!!" And with that order, Exodia threw a gigantic fireball at all three of the dragons, destroying them all in one blow and ending the Duel.
The video ended, as Cat Noir saw a bit of a nervous expression on his partner’s face. "Mari? Are you okay?"
Marinette nodded as she got out, "Yeah, yeah, I'm okay. It's just… I don’t wanna mess this up."
Understanding what his lady was talking about, the black-clad hero took one of the bluette's hands when he said, "Hey, you’ll do great. I know you will. Don’t worry."
Marinette patted the other's hand with her free hand as she said, “Thanks.”
The next day, at around 8:45 in the morning, both Marinette and Adrien were back at HQ, sitting in the stands, wearing gray eye pieces Alvis made them, each with a colored lens that was designed to fit on one’s left ear, with Marinette’s being teal and Adrien’s being a dark green. Yuma and Alvis stood at opposite ends of the Dueling Field, their Duel Disks ready. Though they had seen Yuma Duel yesterday, and that he, Yuma and Astral explained the basics, Alvis thought that a proper demonstration of how to Duel was needed, since there weren't any stakes up for grabs this time.
“I will not be holding back, Yuma.” Alvis simply stated, as he activated his Duel Gazer, which had a red lens. “I expect that you and Astral do the same.”
“Heh. Wasn’t planning on holding back anyways.” Yuma grinned, also turning on his Duel Gazer, as Marinette and Adrien did the same, the way Alvis showed them how to.
“Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.” A computerized voice said, as a digital copy of the arena projected them all, as Yuma and Alvis both drew their opening hands.
“LET’S DUEL!”
Yuma: LP: 4000
Alvis: LP: 4000
“The first move is mine!” Yuma declared, as he took a card out of his hand and declared, "I Summon Gagaga Magician in Attack Mode!" After placing his card onto the card tray, his powerful Spellcaster appeared, ready to provide his assistance.
Gagaga Magician
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Level: 4
ATK: 1500
DEF: 1000
"Next, I'll activate my Gagagawind Spell Card!" Yuma continued. "This allows me to play any Gagaga monster from my hand and Summon it as a Level 4 monster! And I choose my Gagaga Mancer!"
Yuma's next monster was of an adult human woman wearing an all-black suit complete with a flowing cape, a gold mask over her eyes, a blue rose in her mouth, and carrying a long sword weapon with an ankh serving as the handle.
Gagaga Mancer
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Level: 4
ATK: 100
DEF: 100
"And now that I have two Level 4 monsters on my field," Yuma continued, "I'm ready to high five the sky! I overlay Gagaga Magician and Gagaga Mancer! With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network!” Everyone watched as both of Yuma's monsters transformed into purple lights and flew into a red summoning portal in front of him. "Celebrated marksman of the Gagaga clan... Draw your pistol and fire away in the name of justice!" the duelist chanted. "Let your determination guide your aim! I Xyz Summon, Gagaga Cowboy!"
After his summoning chant was finished, the portal began to glow brighter than before. Then, from out of the portal came a human man wearing typical western-style clothing, complete with a brown hat, an orange bandanna that covered the lower half of his face, a tan vest with a white shirt underneath, black pants with leather chaps and boots, and a tattered red cape. In his hands were a pair of shiny, silver pistols, loaded and ready to fire.
Gagaga Cowboy
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Warrior/Xyz/Effect
Rank: 4
ATK: 1500
DEF: 2400
Overlay Units: 2
“An Xyz Monster on the first turn. Impressive.” commented Alvis. “However, you are well aware that the player you goes first cannot attack on the first turn?”
"He won't need to attack you yet." Yuma said back to him. "I'm played Gagaga Cowboy in Defense Mode, which allows me to use one of his abilities! By using one Overlay Unit, he can hit you for 800 points of damage, even if it's my first turn!"
Alvis quietly gasped, as one of Gagaga Cowboy's floating orbs flew into one of his pistols.
Gagaga Cowboy
Overlay Units: 2 - 1 = 1
The man then fired the gun, sending a powerful shot of energy towards Alvis and hitting him hard, though he seemed unfazed.
Alvis: LP: 4000 - 800 = 3200
“Well played.” Alvis smiled.
"Thanks." Yuma smiled. "I'll set one face-down card and end my turn."
“Very well. I draw.” said Alvis, as he drew and examined his new card, before putting it in his hand and played a different card from it, “I'll start my turn with the Spell Card, Trade-In. By discarding one Level 8 monster from my hand, I can draw two new cards." He then took one of the other cards in her hand (which had a yellow-colored frame) and placed it into his Graveyard. Afterwards, the D-Pad allowed him to draw his extra cards. Taking one of the new cards that he had drawn, Alvis placed it onto the card tray and told Yuma, “I summon Maiden with Eyes of Blue!”
After the monster was revealed, it presented itself as a young woman with long silver hair, a mostly tan outfit (though the Maiden's was more ancient-looking in appearance), and stunning blue eyes.
Maiden with Eyes of Blue
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect
Level: 1
ATK: 0
DEF: 0
“Huh? Why did you summon a monster with no Attack or Defense Points?” Yuma asked in confusion, before he turned to Astral, seeing his eyes widened in shock.
"Next, I shall play this Spell Card." Alvis stated, taking the card that he had drawn this turn. "It is called Rush Recklessly. Now for the rest of this turn, this card will increase my Maiden's attack points by 700." After playing his card, a red aura surrounded the young lady on the field.
Maiden with Eyes of Blue
ATK: 0 + 700 = 700
“This is bad. By targeting his Maiden with a card effect, Alvis can now summon her Guardian Spirit to protect her!” Astral exclaimed, starting to panic, as the young woman got onto her knees and began praying. As she did, a bright light surrounded her and shot up into the air above.
"Wha-what's that??" asked Yuma, getting a little nervous.
"It is the instrument of your defeat!" Alvis told him with an assertive voice as he took out a yellow-colored card from out of his Deck. "The ultimate engine of destruction!" Reaching his hand into the air, he shouted out, "Descend now! Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
From out of the dark clouds above, a white lightning bolt shot down to the floor, giving off an incredible amount of energy that caused Smooth Talker to flinch and step back a little. Then, the light began to form into the shape of a gigantic dragon with large wings, shimmering white scales, and bright blue eyes, before it let out a mighty roar.
Blue-Eyes White Dragon
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Dragon/Normal
Level: 8
ATK: 3000
DEF: 2500
Everyone was in total shock: It seemed that, out of all the monsters Alvis could have Summoned, this was the last one they’d ever expected to see. "A-A-A B-BLUE EYES?!" Yuma stuttered in disbelief.
“Wait, isn’t that the same monster we saw in that video last night?” asked Adrien, recognizing the monster.
“Yeah. From what I read, only four were ever made, with one being ripped up.” said Marinette, as she was reading off of her Duel Pad, which showed information of the legendary monster. “That Seto Kaiba guy is the only person who’s supposed to own them. How did Alvis get one?” she asked, turning back to the Duel.
“Yuma, you must be careful,” said Astral. “Because Maiden with Eyes of Blue has another power.”
“Another power?” Yuma asked.
"Indeed." the visitor from Astral World replied. "In addition to having the ability to call the Blue-Eyes White Dragon to the field, she is also a Tuner Monster."
"A TUNER?!" exclaimed the boy. "You mean-?!"
Thrusting his hand into the air, Alvis shouted, "That’s right, Yuma! I tune my Level 1 Maiden to my Level 8 Blue-Eyes White Dragon!!" The young lady on the field outstretched her arms as she was bathed in pure energy that shrunk her down to a small ball of light that shot up into the air. It then came back down as a Synchro Ring. However, instead of being the usual green color, this ring appeared as pure white as it surrounded the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, turning it into eight smaller lights.
Level 1 + Level 8 = Level 9
“Almighty engine of destruction! Bathe yourself in holy light and evolve to your most supreme form! I Synchro Summon, Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon!" Alvis chanted, as the eight balls of light and the single white Synchro Ring were then engulfed into a larger sphere of white energy that began to shimmer like silver. Once the energy dispersed, a bright, silver-scaled dragon appeared, looking very much like the Blue-Eyes, but bigger. Its eyes shone like bright blue jewels as it let out a powerful roar and thrashed its twin tails.
Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Dragon/Synchro/Effect
Level: 9
ATK: 2500
DEF: 3000
"A Synchro Monster!" Yuma exclaimed in shock.
"Very observant." Alvis told him. "The Maiden's faith in her guardian spirit allowed it to evolve into a more powerful form. And soon, you shall be the first to bear witness to its great power. But first, I shall play Monster Reborn, to bring back the Blue-Eyes I used to summon it!” And in an instant, a dark-purple vortex appeared behind him, and out of it came the Blue-Eyes.
Blue-Eyes White Dragon
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Dragon/Normal
Level: 8
ATK: 3000
DEF: 2500
“Now Alvis can take out most of Yuma’s Life Points!” Tikki exclaimed in worry.
“Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon, attack Gagaga Cowboy with your Silver Lightning!” declared Alvis, as the silver dragon opened its mouth and fired a silver beam at Gagaga Cowboy, destroying it with one blow.
“I activate the Trap Card, Guard Go!" exclaimed Yuma, as he quickly tapped the screen of his Duel Disk, which then revealed his face-down card. "This card allows me to bring back the monster you just destroyed, as long as it was a Gagaga, Dododo, or Gogogo monster!" Yuma explained, taking his Xyz Monster out of the Graveyard, and then placed it back onto the field in Defense Mode.
“Good move, but I still have a second attack. Blue-Eyes, attack! White Lightning!” Alvis ordered his other dragon, as it attacked similarly to his first one, destroying Gagaga Cowboy a second time. “I’ll now set two cards face-down and end my turn.”
"Phew... that was a pretty good recovery on Yuma’s part." noted Tikki.
"Yeah, but I have a feeling that Alvis has a lot more in store for him later on..." Marinette added. Adrien nodded in response, agreeing with her, not knowing exactly what Alvis was capable of in a Duel.
“It’s my turn, I draw!” Yuma exclaimed as he drew his card. ‘Normally I only use Number’s when I am dueling someone who has one. But Alvis told me not to hold back, so this time is an exception.’ Playing the card he just drew, he said, “I activate the Spell Card Onomatopaira! By sending one card from my hand to the Graveyard, I can choose two monsters from my Deck with Zubaba, Gagaga, Gogogo, or Dododo in their names and add them to my hand!" After sending a card from his hand to the Graveyard, he then made his choices. "I choose to add Gagaga Child and Gogogo Giant to my hand. And then I'll Summon my Gogogo Giant in Attack Mode!"
Yuma’s new monster was a giant, humanoid rock creature, colored mostly brown and cyan. It looked almost robotic in appearance as it rose up from the ground, shining the one yellow eye on what would be considered its face.
Gogogo Giant
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Rock/Effect
Level: 4
ATK: 2000
DEF: 0
"Now, just by Normal Summoning my Gogogo Giant, I can use his special ability!" Yuma then declared. "It allows me to Special Summon any Gogogo monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode! And I choose my Gogogo Golem!" And with that, a large, blue and green-colored rock creature popped out of a violet-colored portal and took its place by the Yuma.
Gogogo Golem
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Rock/Effect
Level: 4
ATK: 1800
DEF: 1500
Then Gogogo Giant switched itself to Defense Mode due to its effect.
"Yuma originally didn't have a Gogogo monster in his Graveyard," noted Tikki, paying close attention to her friend's moves, "but when he played his Spell Card this turn, he must have sent Gogogo Golem to the Graveyard in order to pay the cost."
"In other words, he managed to use even the negative effects of his cards to his advantage." Marinette added.
‘Yuma's managed to pull off some more advanced tactics, such as with that Onomatopaira card…’ Astral thought, smiling at his ally. ‘He's improved so much ever since we met... And that might just affect the outcome of this match…’
"Now I overlay my Level 4 Gogogo Giant and Gogogo Golem!” Yuma shouted. In an instant, his two monsters transformed into a pair of orange lights that were immediately sucked up into a galaxy-like portal. “With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network, to Xyz Summon, Number 39: Utopia!” At that moment, the portal exploded, revealing a 39 mark upon the ground, as Yuma's ace Number card graced the field, ready to defend against Alvis and his dragons.
Number 39: Utopia
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Warrior/Xyz/Effect
Rank: 4
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2000
Overlay Units: 2
“I play one of my face-downs, Final Attack Orders!” Alvis interjected, revealing a Trap Card. “As long as this card is in play, all monsters on the field are forced into Attack Mode, and cannot change battle positions!”
“Oh no!” yelled Yuma, as Utopia got into an offensive position. ‘Now the only way Utopia can protect my Life Points is with his Overlay Units!’ Realizing he couldn’t do anything else, he said. “I end my turn.”
“Then I will draw." After placing his new card into his hand, Alvis then said, "Now that it is my Standby Phase, I can activate the effect of Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon. It allows me to revive any Normal Monster in the Graveyard." Taking a card out of her Graveyard slot, he then added, "And of course, the monster I choose shall be... the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
“But your Blues-Eyes is already on the field.” Astral said, before gasping in realization. “The card that you discarded when you played Trade-In!"
“Indeed. It was another Blue-Eyes!” Alvis replied.
Everyone gasped as a dark purple portal appeared on the field. Afterwards, the mighty three thousand-attack point dragon came out of the portal and went to Alvis’s field in Attack Position, on the right of Azure-Eyes.
Blue-Eyes White Dragon
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Dragon/Normal
Level: 8
ATK: 3000
DEF: 2500
"TWO BLUE-EYES WHITE DRAGONS?!" the boy asked.
“Indeed.” The young man confirmed, before saying, “Now, I will attack with my first Blue-Eyes!” The Blue-Eyes on the left then fired a white beam of light out of its mouth at Yuma’s Number.
“I activate Utopia’s ability! By using one Overlay Unit, I can negate your attack!” Yuma shouted, as one of the orbs orbiting Utopia shot into his chest and his wings uncurled into a protective shield.
Number 39: Utopia
Overlay Units: 2 - 1 = 1
"Go Lightwing Shield!" exclaimed Yuma, as the attack made contact, but didn't go through.
“My Battle Phase isn’t over yet. I will now attack with my second Blue-Eyes!” Alvis said, as his dragon made its attack.
“I activate Utopia’s ability once again, and negate your attack!” Yuma declared, as Utopia absorbed his second Overlay Unit, and stopped the attack from going through.
Number 39: Utopia
Overlay Units: 1 - 1 = 0
Taking out a card from his hand, Alvis then announced, "Now I activate the Spell Card, Tremendous Fire! By paying five hundred Life Points, this card deals a thousand points of damage to you!” He then played his card, causing a deep fissure to appear in the center of the field. Before anyone could say another word, flames began to erupt from the fissure, spitting out at both Duelists and causing them damage.
Alvis: LP: 3200 - 500 = 2700
Yuma: LP: 4000 - 1000 = 3000
“I end my turn.”
“Not good.” commented Adrien, looking at Yuma’s situation. “Utopia doesn’t have any more Overlay Units to protect himself.”
“And since Final Attack Orders is still in play, he can’t change to Defense Mode.” added Marinette, wondering how Yuma was gonna get out of this predicament.
“Come on deck, don’t fail me now!” exclaimed Yuma, as he looked at his new card, smirking. “I activate the Spell Card, Blustering Winds! This card allows me to choose one monster on my field and allow them to gain a thousand Attack and Defense points until my next Standby phase!" He explained, as gusts of wind swirled around Utopia.
Number 39: Utopia
ATK: 2500 + 1000 = 3500
DEF: 2000 + 1000 = 3000
“Now, Utopia, attack Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon with Rising Sun Slash!” ordered Yuma, as his Number took out both of his swords and slashed them at the Synchro Monster, causing it to explode. “Not only did I do a thousand points of damage, but now you can revive your Blue-Eyes anymore! I'll end my turn!” Yuma grinned, before seeing his opponent’s Life Points not change. “Wait, why didn’t you take any damage?”
“I activated the Quick Effect of my Kuriboh.” Alvis explained, as he showed a monster card that looked like a small brown fur ball with green arms and legs, before putting it in the Graveyard slot. “By discarding him from my hand, I took no damage from that battle. Besides…” Alvis said, drawing his card. “You fell right into my hands.”
“What are you talking about?” asked the young duelist.
“Because you attacked Azure-Eyes, you spared both of my Blue-Eyes White Dragons, and set the stage for my final move." Alvis replied. Taking another card out of his hand, he then declared, "I activate Polymerization!”
“Polymerization?!” Yuma exclaimed, realizing his opponent’s true plan.
“I fuse the Blue-Eyes in my hand, along with the two I have on the field.” declared Alvis, as a third Blue-Eyes appeared, before a beam of light struck the three dragons from above. "Behold, the might and splendor of the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" Alvis yelled, as the light died down, revealing a three-headed version of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Dragon/Fusion
Level: 12
ATK: 4500
DEF: 3800
“FORTY-FIVE HUNDRED ATTACK POINTS?!” Everyone in the stands exclaimed in shock.
“Yes, and it is time to put them into good use!” Alvis then pointed at Gaint Soldier of Stone and ordered, "Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, attack with Neutron Blast!" All three heads tilted back before launching three blasts of pure white energy, which combined into one large sphere at Utopia.
“Since only a Number can only be destroyed by another Number, Utopia is safe!” said Yuma, as the attack hit.
“Maybe so, but you still take damage.” Alvis pointed out, as Yuma’s Life Points dropped.
Yuma: LP: 3000 - 1000 = 2000
Alvis then looked at a card in his hand. ‘This card should defeat him on his turn. If he summons a monster that can probably be stronger than my dragon, Mirror Force can destroy it.’ He thought, as he saw Yuma’s head down. "I place one card face-down and end my turn."
It was then that everyone heard Yuma somewhat…crying? "Wow, and his Dad trusted HIM to help save the universe? I didn’t expect him to be such a…cry…" Plagg stopped his comment when Yuma’s crying got louder. But this wasn't crying…this was laughter. Yuma threw his head up and laughed loudly, making Marinette, Adrien, Tikki and Plagg look at him in surprise while Alvis smiled.
"Man, this is one of the best Duels I've ever had in my life!" Yuma exclaimed while smiling ear to ear.
"Huh?" Everyone but Astral and Alvis asked in confusion.
"I've battled many duelists before, with amazing skills, but you Alvis, you're one of a kind."
“The same can be said to you, Yuma.” replied Alvis. “I can see you have the great potential to forge your own path and become a powerful Duelist.”
“Hehe. Thanks!” Yuma smiled, rubbing his nose.
‘I can’t believe it.’ thought Marinette, as she and Adrien stared in shock, but couldn’t help but smile for their friend. ‘Even when he is in a very tight spot, he’s smiling and…having fun.’
Astral then looked at Yuma and smiled. "Yuma, the time is now to show Alvis our true power!" Astral shouted.
"Alright, let's do it!" Yuma shouted as well, before the two turned into red and blue orbs and shot into the air, causing those in the stands to stare in disbelief.
"Is this…?!" Marinette gaped, recalling what Yuma told them yesterday.
"It has to be!" Adrien finished.
"When two hearts join together in the spirit of hope, Nothing is Impossible!" Astral shouted, right before the two lights joined together.
"Go, ZEXAL Morph!" The two shouted together, as an explosion occurred.
Back at Yuma place, Kite was trying to reassure Kari that everything will be alright, just before Orbital began to beep very loudly.
“M-M-Master Kite!” Orbital exclaimed, “I am detecting a very faint signature of ZEXAL energy!”
“Pinpoint the energy source!” Kite ordered, figuring that it had to be Yuma and Astral.
“I-I-I’m on it!” Orbital saluted, as he projected a map they found on the ship.
‘Don’t worry Yuma. We’re coming.’ Kari thought in determination.
Everyone stared in awe, as what stood in Yuma and Astral’s place was what appeared to be Yuma, only he now wore a white suit that resembled spandex with red armor plating, his right now golden like Astral's left one, his hair gold and had a golden aura.
“This is…ZEXAL?” Marinette uttered in awe, seeing her friend’s new form and raw power.
"As long as I believe in Hope, and in my deck, victory will be in my hands! Time to see what I can do!" Yuma shouted.
"A truly powerful Duelist can shape the outcome of a duel! He can even generate the very card he needs to draw!" Astrals voice shouted.
Yuma held his hand up and it glowed brightly in a golden aura. He took the top card and drew it, making shines of light everywhere.
"GO SHINING DRAW!" The two shouted together, just before the effect of Blustering Winds ended.
Number 39: Utopia
ATK: 3500 - 1000 = 2500
DEF: 3000 - 1000 = 2000
Yuma looked at the card, and saw it was the one he needed, and shouted "I activate Rank-Up-Magic Numeron Force!"
“A Rank-Up-Magic Card?!” Alvis exclaimed in shock, not expecting something like this to happen.
"This card Ranks Up Utopia into a Chaos Xyz Monster!" Astral shouted.
"I rebuild the Overlay Network with Utopia!" Yuma shouted as Utopia turned into a glowing yellow orb and shot into a galaxy-like portal. “Grasp victory on the shining future! Gather feelings, connected by the hearts, and change the world! I Xyz Summon, Chaos Number 39: Utopia Ray Victory!" After Yuma finished his chant, the vortex exploded, and the 39 mark that it left behind was radiating an even brighter red light. Everyone watched in astonishment as Utopia emerged once more, only now he was encased with new armor.
Chaos Number 39: Utopia Ray Victory
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Warrior/Xyz/Effect
Rank: 5
ATK: 2800
DEF: 2500
Overlay Units: 1
“This duel is over, Alvis. Your fate is now sealed." Yuma said calmly. "Go Utopia Ray Victory! Attack Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"
"WHAT!?" Everyone asked in shock.
"Why are you attacking? Utopia Ray Victory's Attack Points are lower than my dragons!" Alvis said in confusion.
"I activate Utopia Ray Victory's special ability! By using one Overlay unit, Utopia Ray Victory gains your monster's Attack Points! Victory Charge!" declared Yuma, as Utopia Ray Victory grew two arms under his other arms and grabbed the swords behind its back. He threw his arms out with swords in hand and grew a fire aura around his body and started gaining Attack Points.
Chaos Number 39: Utopia Ray Victory
ATK: 2800 + 4500 = 7300
Overlay Units: 1 - 1 = 0
"That's enough points to win the Duel!" Adrien grinned.
"In that case, I activate-"
"If you're thinking about activating your face-down, you can forget it, because Utopia Ray Victory's special ability prevents him from being destroyed by spells, traps and monster effects while it battles!" Yuma cuts him off.
"NO!" Alvis said, his eyes widening.
"Go Utopia Ray Victory! Destroy Eternal Moon Dragon and end this duel! Rising Sun Double Victory Slash!" shouted Yuma, as Utopia Ray Victory threw its swords in different directions, and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon exploded in a puff of smoke.
“It seems I have been bested.” sighed Alvis, as he saw the rest of his Life Points drop to zero.
Alvis: LP: 2700 - 2800 = 0
WINNER: Yuma
Astral and Yuma broke ZEXAL and returned to their original forms, as the holographic effects then disappeared.
“That was a great duel, you two.” said Alvis, as he walked up to the duo and put his hand out, while Marinette and Adrien came down from the stands. “You both certainly earned that victory,”
“Thanks. You did really well too. You almost had me there for a minute.” Yuma replied, as he shook Alvis’s hand. “How did you manage to get all the Blue-Eyes cards anyways?”
“That will be a story for another day.” said Alvis, as he then turned over towards Marinette and asked them, "So, now that you have seen how a real Duel goes, are you both ready to begin practicing?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Marinette smiled, as she turned to Adrien, who nodded.
“Then take your place on each side of the field.” Alvis smirked, as the duo walked away from each other, and stood where Yuma and Alvis once were, while the former pair walked to the sidelines, ready to tutor them.
"Alrighty, Mari..." Adrien began to say to his partner, as they put on their Duel Pad’s and inserted their Civilian Deck’s. "Don't expect me to go easy on you just because this is just practice."
“Funny, because I was gonna say the same thing!” Marinette smirked. Stretching her left arm out, she then shouted, "Duel Disk, activate!" At that moment, the pink device's card tray slotted out and unfolded.
Adrien did the same thing with his white-colored Duel Pad as he activated it. He then clicked a button on the side of the lens he wore and said, "Activating Duel Gazer!" As he did that, Yuma and Alvis did the same.
"Augmented Reality Vision Link established." said a computerized voice as the digital copy of the arena appeared once more.
“LET’S DUEL!”
Author’s Note:
IT’S MY BIRTHDAY! So here’s a new chapter to celebrate!
If anyone is wondering, I will not be posting Marinette and Adrien’s duel next for three reasons. One, I feel like this chapter is already long enough. Two, Decks are still being figured out. (Feel free to give suggestions). Three, there will be a bit of a time skip, when Marinette and Adrien have gotten the hang of Dueling, right before Gabriel is back and our first REAL akumatized villain appears. Be sure to look forward to that.
Decided to change on how to write Monster Card info a little bit, adding what type of Monster Card it is, and if it has an effect.
Also, I did a bit of more research, and as it turns out, while I did mention 30 Numbers not included in the Anime/Manga, there were 24 more that only appeared in the Manga and not the Anime. Might be including those here.
Next Crossover Fanfiction Polls:
https://www.streem.tech/poll/770
https://www.streem.tech/poll/783
To vote, click or enter the links above.
Chapter 4: Stormy Weather
Chapter Text
Chapter 4: Stormy Weather
“Welcome to the finals of our KIDZ+ competition!” Alec Cataldi greeted in the T.V studio, while a limo arrived at the building. “Where today, one lucky winner will be announced as our brand new KIDZ+ weather girl!” The T.V. the host explained before the camera cut over to allow the TV audience an opportunity to reveal them.
On the left was Aurore Beauréal, a fair-skinned slender teenage girl, stood at medium height with fair skin, light cornflower blue eyes and long, straight, waist length light honey blonde hair with bangs, and a tiny cowlick on the right tied in low hanging pigtails with light blue hair ties. She wore makeup; a pale amaranth nail polish that faded to light cerulean nail polish, light fuchsia lipstick, and a light brilliant cerise-colored blush. She wore a light blue mini dress that reached slightly below her hips with short puffed sleeves with tiny white lace lining on the edge, a small yellow cloud pattern, a white Peter Pan collar, a white broad band around the waist, three layers of frilled edges at the hem, and small white lace lining at the dress openings and second frilled edge, and light yellow dress shoes with thick-heeled moderate amber soled.
On the right was Mireille Caquet, a Japanese/Korean-French fair-skinned slender teenage girl, who stood at a medium height with pale, light grayish scarlet lipstick, chin-length black hair with dark blue reflections in a face-framing bob with straight cut bangs slightly divided into three sections and upturned, almond-shaped dark tangelo eyes. She wore a long-sleeved pale, light grayish cerulean shirt with a gray cloud design, with three dark gray clouds printed the front, white jeans, and orange dress shoes adored with bows and moderate gamboge soles.
“We started off with 5000 contestants. But with the help of our audience at home, we whittled our talent down to just these two amazing young ladies! So, let's welcome our fantastic finalists!” Alec continued as the camera cut to him, Aurore and Mireille as they stood on the studio stage, looking right at the camera.
“To my right, Aurore Beauréal…” the T.V. host introduced as the camera switched to Aurore on his right.
“...and to my left, Mireille Caquet!” Alec continued as the camera changed to Mireille on his left.
“Who will be the lucky winner? Vote now! Text 1 for Aurore and 2 for Mireille,” the T.V. host finished as the camera shifted back to him.
(Play Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
The music starts up with Yuma activating his gear like in the original opening, before a blue vortex sucks Yuma and Astral into Paris.
Still together as one;
Cuz divided we're none;
Ready to go, we feel the flow!
Yuma then landed on his feet, as Astral floated next to him, before he drew a card and summoned Utopia.
So don't stand in our way;
You know we ain't afraid;
This is our time, we're in control!
Plagg was about to eat a piece of Camembert, before he was sucked into Adrien's ring, while Tikki she sucked in Marinette's earrings, causing them to transform into Ladybug and Cat Noir, who then Fist Bumped.
If I trip up today;
You just wipe it away;
All of my fears are gone, erased!
The rest of Yuma's friends then appeared on the Different Dimensional Airship, with Shark and Kite summoning Number 32: Shark Drake and Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon.
Let us tear down the walls;
'Til the final night falls;
The bonds of our souls can't be replaced!
Everyone then came together, as they all charged towards Hawk Moth and the Barians.
Let us fight together;
Regret it never;
Our dreams will be…!
The Giant Shadow of Don Thousand appears over both worlds as Vector goes from his human form to his Barian one, devastating the land.
Halfway to,
Forever;
Our light comes shining through!
Yuma and Astral then fuse into Zexal II as Yuma Summons Utopia Ray Victory as it absorbed an Overlay Unit.
Reach down deep;
Beat defeat;
Do all that we can do!
Ladybug and Cat Noir were then shown, as their monsters appeared and joined Utopia Ray Victory's attack.
Halfway to,
Forever;
We've got nothing to lose!
Hawk Moth smirked, as he held his arm out and created Akuma's, while Vector prepared to counter-attack.
Keep breathing;
Believing;
Halfway to forever-rrrrrr!
The Numeron Code was then shown, all of the Miraculous were spiraling around it. Astral and Yuma smile at each other and touch hands as they all come together with their aces standing out, with the title below them.
Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
(End Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
Despite not being able to find nor locate any of the Seven Mythyrian Numbers (or any Numbers in that matter) in the past week, Yuma and Astral had gotten adjusted to living in Paris. With the coming of morning, came new possibilities for the Heroes, as the Duelist and Blue Being were at Marinette’s place, hoping to hang out for a while, but then Marinette’s Mom sprung a babysitting job on her.
So now, she and Yuma were chasing the little troublemaker around the living room, trying to get an unfinished hat out of her tiny hands, while Astral just watched. The child they were chasing was Manon Chamack. She was a young child of very short stature with tan skin, messy dark brown hair pulled back into two pigtails, gold eyes, and two upper front buck teeth. She wore a white t-shirt with rolled-up sleeves about the elbows, light violet rolled-up denim overalls with a purple belt around the waist and a light purple and magenta flower pattern, and red Mary Jane dress shoes with black soles.
“Come on, Manon, give that back!” begged Marinette as she chased the child around her living room/kitchen.
“Come back here, you little stinker!” exclaimed Yuma.
“But I wanna be a fashion designer too!” Manon exclaimed, only to jump off of the couch just before Marinette could follow after her, making her end up face planting into the couch.
“Manon, please, it's not finished!” Marinette argued as she got up from the couch and tried to find Manon, right before she heard the child giggle from the kitchen. “You're gonna ruin it!” The stressed babysitter exclaimed as she ran after the little girl.
Another giggle from Manon gave her away, making Marinette scramble under the table to see her just as Manon moved to the nearby chair. Marinette lunged and promptly bumped her head on the table. “Ah! Nnnngh…”
“You okay, Marinette?” asked Yuma.
“Yeah, I’m good.” replied the fashion designer as she got up.
“She certainly is hyper, especially for her age.” Astral noted, as he was observing the scene.
“Gee, you don’t think?” Yuma sarcastically asked, before the sound of giggling caught his attention. “Hm?” Looking for the source of the giggling, the duelist spotted a lump in the curtains. Quietly getting Marinette’s attention, he silently told her to be quiet, as they quietly walked over to the curtain. Yuma then held out his hand, before counting up with his fingers. “One, two, three!” He whispered, before they quickly opened the curtain, revealing the hat on a doll, but no Manon in sight. “What the…?!”
Immediately, the two began to panic, until they heard someone messing with Marinette’s phone behind her. Turning around, Marinette then could see that the culprit was none other than her charge, perched in front of the T.V..
“I'm gonna vote for Mireille, she's the best!” Manon proclaimed, entering her vote through Marinette’s phone. But after she hit ‘send’ Marinette grabbed her phone back.
“Hey, my phone!” Marinette complained, only for Manon to jump up and grab Marinette's unfinished hat again, much to her exhaustiveness. “Ughhh... Why did I agree to do this again?” Marinette griped, feeling tired from watching the rambunctious 5 year old, as Tikki came out. “Stay low, Tikki!”
“Don't worry. You know what? If you can handle Manon for a day, any villain here on out will be a piece of cake,” Tikki encouraged from Marinette’s shoulder, making her holder smile.
But they were soon interrupted by the doorbell ringing, making Tikki hide before Marinette walked over to open the door.
On the other side was Alya Césaire, Marinette’s Best Friend.Alya was a Martiniquan Creole-French girl with a curvaceous body. She had heart-shaped lips which had brilliant crimson lipstick on them, grayish gold eyes, and a mole above her forehead. Her hair was wavy and reddish-brown ombre, growing slightly past her shoulders and had brilliant tangelo tips. She wore black horn-rimmed glasses, which had a white spot on each side. Her outfit consisted of a white tank top underneath a short-sleeved plaid shirt with white, beige, orange, and purple stripes; light blue jeans, and white sneakers with black tops.
“Alya?” Marinette questioned, while the reporter waved ‘hi’ to her with a smile.
“Hey, I got a huge scoop for you. Guess who's on a photoshoot in the park?” Alya asked excitedly, before she revealed a picture of Adrien in the middle of a photo shoot on her phone.
“Adrien is in the park right now?” Marinette questioned as Alya leaned against the doorframe smugly.
“As we speak!” Alya confirmed, seeing her friend happy, before looking at the young duelist, who was drinking water. Smirking, she joked, “Who’s he, your boyfriend?”
The moment Alya had said that, Yuma spat out the water he was drinking, before turning to Marinette’s friend with wide-eyes. “What?! No!” Marinette exclaimed. “Yuma is just a friend, right Yuma?”
“Y-Yeah! Besides, Marinette and Adrien just recently became a couple, so I couldn’t be her boyfriend!” Yuma said, causing Marinette to facepalm and Alya gasp in disbelief.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!” Alya cried, gaping at Marinette. “You mean you and Adrien...are officially...a thing now?!"
Marinette sighed in defeat, before saying, “Yes, and I was planning to tell you about it when we were ready until SOMEBODY ruined the surprise!” Marinette glared at the duelist, who began to panic.
“I thought she already knew!” Yuma defended, recalling what Marinette told him about her friends.
“Perhaps you should have double checked your facts before saying anything.” Astral pointed out.
“Not helping!” Yuma gritted quietly, so Alya couldn’t hear him.
“Well, either way, how did you do it? I mean...you could barely form a sentence when you tried talking to him. You were always like…” Alya began before she started to imitate Marinette’s usual responses to the blonde haired boy. Marinete’s words, not hers. “ ‘I... uhhh... dahee... wha... ahh…’ ”The reporter teased, mimicking the same flailing movements that accompanied the stuttering, much to Marinette’s amusement. She knew full well what she was like, so no use denying it.
“Stop it,” Marinette playfully commanded, before Manon grabbed her legs.
“Uh, who's she?” the kid asked, looking up at Alya curiously.
“Whoops! I forgot about this little detail!”
“And who's she?” asked Alya, giving Manon a wave.
“This is Manon, I'm watching her all afternoon for a friend of Mom,” Marinette explained, having about three seconds till her train of thought brought up the very reason why she couldn’t leave. “Oh no! I can't go out!” The designer exclaimed now seeing why this was going to be a challenging task.
“Let me guess. Another ‘you couldn't say no’ favor?” Alya guessed, already knowing her new friend’s overgiving and ‘need to please’ nature all too well.
“No, I just couldn't... say... no,” Marinette gave in.
“Look, no problem! I'll look after your ‘little detail’ for you,” Alya offered, right before Manon decided to run off back into the living room, much to Marinette’s exhaustion.
“Thanks, but I'm responsible for her,” Marinette argued with a tired look in her eyes. “Besides, I couldn't do that to you. She's... an absolute angel!” The designer tensely continued, before a loud crash was heard, making Marinette run after Manon, as she ran around with a pot and a spatula in her hands. “Manon! Put that down! Ugh! Come back!” Marinette demanded as she and Yuma continued to chase after Manon while Alya and Astral only watched the chaos. Alya even walked over to the back of the coach and leaned against it as she watched.
“Yoink!” Yuma said, as he managed to snatch the pot and spatula out of the child’s hands, while Marinette finally got her by the arm.
“You're just a pushover, Marinette,” Alya said as Marinette walked back to her, while Manon continued to pull on her arm as Marinette retained an iron grip on it. “I have to babysit my sisters all the time, which makes me an expert in dealing with angels,” The reporter revealed as Marinette stood tiredly in front of her. Manon tried to get away, but gave up, and turned her attention to Alya.
“And how do you deal with that?” asked Yuma.
“That’s my little secret, Yuni.” Alya replied.
“It’s…Yuma.” The duelist sheepishly replied, making the blogger a little upset that she got his name wrong.
“Who are you, anyway?” Manon demanded. But thankfully Alya knew exactly what to do, crouching down to meet Manon’s eye level.
“I'm a mythical unicorn from the world of Reespa, disguised as a totally fabulous human girl! I grant magical wishes, but only to little monkeys who behave!” Alya regaled, ending the claim by booping Manon’s nose, making her laugh.
“No, you're not! ...Are you?” Manon questioned before Alya grabs Manon in the air, spins her around, bringing laughter to the little girl before she puts her on Marinette's shoulders.
“Okay, let's all go to the park!” Alya proclaimed as she placed Marinette’s hands onto Manon’s legs and flicked her bestie’s chin with her finger before walking towards the door.
“Yay!” Manon cheered while Marinette processed what just happened. When her brain finally caught up, she just decided to roll with it.
“Okay!” Marinette exclaimed as she and Yuma walked out the door, Astral flying behind them.
At the KIDZ+ studio, everyone waited in anticipation.
“This is the moment we've been waiting for!” Alec announced, as the screen behind him counted down to zero.
“The viewers at home have made their decision, and the new KIDZ+ weather girl is…” The T.V. host said as the countdown finished, and the votes were totaled up on-screen, with 18% for Aurore and the other 82% for… .
“Mireille!” Alec announced loudly, causing Aurore to gasp in surprise, while the crowd cheered for their winner.
Aurore began to seethe as the cameras all focused on Mireille.
“Man, she crushed you, eh? Better luck next time!” Alec said to Aurore as he clapped for Mireille while she continued to glare at the winner in rage.
“Ughh…” Aurore growls out before she quickly leaves, very angrily, much to Alec’s confusion.
“What's the big deal? You only lost by half a million votes!” Alec remarked insensitively as Aurore left the studio.
Meanwhile, in a certain underachieving villain’s lair, Hawk Moth himself could sense yet another opportunity to obtain the Miraculous, as his window opened.
“The vibrations are so strong, I can feel the imminent anger and sadness,” Hawk Moth mused as the window of his lair opened up, as he stared out at the city in his window. “The moment of weakness at my next victim... Such easy prey for my Akuma,” So saying, he released a dark butterfly to seek out his next victim..
Back over at the KIDZ+ building, Aurore stomped into the elevator when it finally arrived, and once the doors were safely closed she backed into a far corner and curled up on the floor miserably.
“I should have won, I have the talent, the star looks, everything!” Aurore spat furiously while she continued to clutch her parasol like a lifeline.
“But she took everything away from me. They took everything away from me!” The pigtailed girl ranted, her grip on her parasol tightening in her anger.
“They…” Aurore said, just before the elevator suddenly stopped, and she saw the Akuma enter the elevator, via squeezing through the gap between the doors. The girl started swinging her parasol as a means to protect herself as the Akuma fluttered closer.
In her panic, she opens the parasol in an attempt to shield herself, but the Akuma takes the opportunity and infects it. The purple energy encases the middle of the parasol, allowing the purple mass to encase the tip of it while Aurore accepts the power of the dark butterfly.
“So correct you are. You should have won. Yes…” Hawk Moth crooned as he spoke through the psychic link to Aurore as she lifted her head to look straight ahead of her, her eyes darkening into a menacing stare.
“I should have won. Yes!” Aurore snapped as she stood up from the ground, gripping her infected parasol tightly in her hand and the telltale butterfly outline mask appeared on her face.
“Stormy Weather, I am Hawk Moth. I give you the power to seek revenge on them as my weather girl. All you have to do is bring me the Miraculous. Can you do that?” The villain questioned.
“Yes!” Aurore said, accepting the power, and allowing the purple energy on her parasol to elope her, transforming her into Hawk Moth's latest puppet.
Aurore now had light brownish gray skin, grayish mulberry-colored lipstick, and brilliant violet eyes. Her hair was now two tones with dark purple base and very pale blue bangs, while her large, pointed, low-angled pigtails were striped with dark purple and very pale blue spirals. On her face, she had jagged black face paint that surrounded her eyes and came down to her cheeks as lightning bolts. She wore a tight, muted-color purple and blue two-piece dress that poofed into a curved bell-shape around her waist, had small shoulder puffs with a narrow-ended-tube-shaped collar, and also featured five white lightning bolt patterns that had bright purple outlines. The sleeves became white gloves with two of the lightning bolts above her elbows. She wore muted purple tights with white low heel knee high boots that were angled at the "opening" near the calf, and two of the lightning bolts came out of the boots around the outsides of her legs near the knees. Her weapon was a closed dark purple parasol that faded to brighter purple at the tip and had a black handle with a double spearhead at the bottom.
“That's my weather girl. Show the world who the best weather girl really is!” Hawk Moth said, as the elevator doors opened, revealing Stormy Weather. The newly transformed villain smiled as the glowing butterfly outline disappeared right before she walked out of the elevator, set on causing havoc.
Meanwhile, over at the Place des Vosges, Adrien was having a photoshoot, busy posing as the photographer, Vincent, enthusiastically took his picture while Adrien’s bodyguard held up a white screen to help get better lighting.
Vincent was a tall man with dark amaranth hair, moderate tangeloish orange eyes and a soul patch. He wore a white t-shirt with a v-neck, red and green plaid pants with light gray suspenders, light gray work boots, and fingerless leather gloves with holes exposing his knuckles.
Adrien’s Bodyguard, Placide I.T., or better known as the Gorilla, was a large, tall man with black hair that had light gray sideburns on the sides of his head and dark blue eyes. Unlike the other people, he didn’t have eyebrows. He wore a dark grayish Persian blue dress suit with a pale, light grayish blue sweater underneath. He also sported dark sapphire blue dress shoes.
“Magnifico! Super! Come on now, I want to see hunger in your eyes!” Vincent exclaimed as he quickly took pictures while Adrien posed. The boy then saw Marinette, Yuma, and Alya walk by, who was with a little girl he’d never seen before, as they smiled and waved at him, before he smiled and returned the wave, before Vincent (annoyed by Adrien’s attention not being on the photoshoot) glared at him, pulling Adrien’s attention back to him.
“So how did you manage to confess your feelings to him anyways?” asked Alya, as the four sat down.
“Well, uh…” Marinette replied sheepishly, but on the inside, she was starting to panic a little. Their love was shown the moment they revealed their identities to each other. If she told Alya that, not only would that expose her identity as Ladybug, but Cat Noir’s as well.
“It happened during her Great Uncle’s visit last week!” Yuma suddenly interjected. “She said that spending all that time with him and Adrien built up her confidence!”
“Really?” Alya asked, before turning back to Marinette, who quickly nodded. “Well, guess I chose the right translator then!”
“Yeah, you did…” Marinette trailed off, before she turned to Yuma and mouthed, “Thank you.”
Meanwhile, over at the KIDZ+ building, Mireille had just entered the elevator holding her trophy, smiling and proud of herself. But her joy was put on hold when the elevator stopped on her floor and just as she was about to exit, her path was blocked by a cackling Stormy Weather.
“Hahahaha! I am Stormy Weather. The only weather girl who always gets the forecast right! And unfortunately for you, there's a freak icy front moving in right now!” Stormy Weather menaced. She lifted her parasol and with a blast of cold she transformed the elevator into a frozen cage.
“Somebody get me out of here! Help! Help!” Mireille shouted as Stormy Weather flew off.
Back in the park, Vincent was still taking pictures of Adrien, while Marinette, Alya and a bored Manon watched, as she crouched to the ground, as they watched the photoshoot.
“Bravo! That's it! Give me the smile when your mom brings in spaghetti! Okay! And now, Oh no! Mama dropped the spaghetti! And now, you have to eat the spaghetti off the floor! Oh yes, you're angry! Show me angry, yes, yes, yes!” Vincent exclaimed, as he continuously switched spots to get as many angles as possible.
During that time, Manon’s attention was pulled away from the photoshoot, and she spies a cart vendor selling balloons with Mireille on them. Must be a promotion for the KIDZ+ Weather Girl competition… which ended only a few minutes earlier, so why were there only balloons with Mireille on them?
But thanks to Manon’s five-year-old attention span, she didn’t think too much about it.
“Marinette, I want a balloon with Mireille on it! Can I? Can I!?” Manon asked, tugging on the designer’s arm. “...Marinette?” the five year old tried again in confusion. “MARINETTE!!!”
“Ah!” Marinette yelped, which unfortunately interrupted the photoshoot, much to Vincent’s displeasure.
“Ngh! Silenzio!” Vincent shouted, angered that he was interrupted, while the Gorilla lumbered over curiously.
“Sorry!” Yuma apologized.
“Come on!” Manon exclaimed as she continued to pull Marinette’s arm.
“Come on, small fry! Me and Yuma will get you that balloon!” Alya offered, trying to appease the tiny girl, but Manon merely jumped up and grabbed a hold of Marinette's thigh, not wanting to leave.
“No! I wanna go with Marinette!” Manon said, not wanting to take the easy path like most little kids do.
“Come on, Manon! I'm just as cool as Marinette is!” Yuma said, before getting an idea. “Plus, I can let you ride on my back like a horse!”
“Hmmm…” Marinette sighed out before looking back at Adrien's photoshoot, seeing that they were not doing them any favors, so… she had to appease the little girl. “I'll deal with it. I am her babysitter,” the designer reassured her and then started walking to the balloon vender, with some difficulty since Manon wasn’t letting go of her thigh anytime soon.
“But what about Adrien?” Alya questioned as the Gorilla walked back to the photoshoot.
“There’s always later.” Marinette said, as Yuma squatted down.
“Here, Manon, climb on.” Yuma said.
“Okay.” The little girl said, as she let go of Marinette’s leg and onto Yuma’s back. “Giddy up, horsey! Giddy up!”
“Okay, okay!” Yuma chuckled as he followed Marinette.
Meanwhile, outside the KIDZ+ studio, Stormy Weather had just exited the building, and walked down the red carpet a little and posed with her hands in the air; right hand holding her parasol; and a smile while the crowd chanted Mireille's name. But when they noticed the winner of the competition was not there, they immediately stopped cheering.
“Where's Mireille?” A civilian from the crowd wondered a little too loudly.
“Ugh…” Stormy Weather groans out, glaring at the offending civilian, infuriated that she wasn’t getting the attention she thought she deserved. But merely goes back to her previous pose. “For all of you who voted for Mireille, I'd advise you to move indoors,” the Akuma warned, right before lowering her arms and looking straight ahead of her. “It's going to get very blustery! Oh wait... too late,” Stormy Weather mocked, right before she swung her parasol. With each swing, gusts of wind sent people screaming into the air.
The area cleared, Story Weather flew away for more victims.
Over at the park, Marinette had just got Manon the balloon and was now digging into her purse to get the right change to pay for it while Manon held onto it in her small hand.
“Come on, let's go back,” Marinette said as she frantically dug into her purse, while Manon looked around and immediately saw the merry-go-round on the other side of the park.
“I want to go on the merry-go-round!” Manon shouts out in excitement while Marinette finally gets the right change out, and runs towards the merry-go-round. Marinette then gives the money to the vendor and runs to catch Manon.
“Manon, wait!” Yuma called out, as he, Marinette and Alya ran after her.
Meanwhile, Stormy Weather was flying above the city, growing more enraged as she saw multiple banners of Mireille, everywhere, and soon was stopped by a balloon of Mireille as it floated up to the sky, ending up above the Place des Vosges.
“Ughhh!” Stormy Weather growled as she stopped flying, looking for where the balloon came from. Only to see that a little boy had let go of the balloon and was now crying.
“Alright, little boy, here's another one!” The vendor said as he got another balloon and gave it to the little boy, making Stormy Weather immediately zoomed towards the offending balloons, right before she spotted Yuma.
“Hello. What have we here?” She asked herself, before getting a better look at him, gaining a mischievous smirk in the process. “He's quite a looker! Maybe I'll have some fun with him!”
At the photoshoot, Vincent was still photographing Adrien, but was soon displeased as he saw that the model now appeared to be tired.
“No, no, no! The boy has eaten too much spaghetti! Ugh, we need more energy! More romance! We need...a girl!” Vincent proclaimed, rambling on till he saw Alya sitting against a tree. “You! I need an extra!” The photographer exclaimed when he approached Alya, surprising her.
“Who, me?” Alya asked, pointing to herself to make sure he was talking to her.
“Sì! To pose with Mr. Adrien!” Vincent confirmed, making Alya smile brightly. This was just what she needed… or more like, what Marinette needed.
“You don't want me, I... uhh... I think I'm having an allergic reaction to this apple,” Alya protested, just before throwing the apple away.
“I know jutht(just) the perthon(person) you need! Hold that thought!” the reporter exclaimed, as she faked a swollen tongue, before leaving behind a confused photographer.
Alya booked it to reach Marinette and Yuma, just as the designer lifted Manon up and placed her on the unicorn on the merry-go-round.
“They need an extra to pose with Adrien!” Alya exclaimed in excitement… and out of breath.
“What? Seriously?” Marinette asked in shock.
“Is that boy your boyfriend?” Manon asked, wondering why her babysitter was getting so worked up about a boy.
“What?! No, I mean, yes?” Marinette stuttered, trying to figure out a not complicated answer that the five year old would understand.
“She’s in love with him.” Yuma whispered in Manon’s ear.
“Oooooh!” Manon realized, right before Marinette slapped a hand across Yuma’s mouth.
“Ow!” Yuma cried in pain, before saying, “Okay, I deserve that.”
“Go on! What are you waiting for?!” Alya questioned, wondering why her best friend was taking so long.
“But, what about Manon?” Marinette asked, bringing up the elephant in the room.
But that doesn't stop Alya from wagging finger towards Marinette and gesturing her move aside. The designer followed to a tee, before Alya jumped onto the unicorn behind Manon.
“You take care of Prince Charming, and I'll take care of Miss Unicorn here. You don't know how to control her anyway,” Alya said, while Manon found the new situation less than ideal.
“No way! Marinette's my babysitter!” Manon argued, not wanting to have Alya look after her.
“Trust me,” Alya reassured Marinette before turning her attention back to the little girl sitting in front of her. “Unicorns unite! Let's go to Rispa and find us some sad little village kids and grant those wishes! Yee-haw!” The reporter exclaimed, using her arms and legs to further emphasize her performance, enticing Manon.
“Yee-haw!” Manon repeated, joining in on the excitement.
“Those two.” Yuma grinned.
Marinette smiled before they ran towards the photoshoot as the merry-go-round started up. But when they were a good distance away, they heard someone screaming.
They stopped in their tracks, turned around and saw Stormy Weather flying in the air above the park. The weather themed villain quickly fired an icy wind at the civilians, blowing them away, before surrounding the merry-go-round and encasing it in an ice dome, trapping Manon and Alya inside. The sub-zero temperature froze Manon’s balloon, causing it to shatter in front of the two girls' eyes.
“Oh no!” Yuma exclaimed. “Alya! Manon!”
“Now for him!” Stormy Weather grinned, as she then fired icy wind at Yuma. Right when the attack was about to hit, the Emperor’s Key slightly glowed, as an invisible shield formed around Yuma, protecting him from the icy wind. “What?!”
“Incredible…” said Astral, as he looked at Stormy Weather, not sensing any Numbers coming off of her, as she fired at Yuma again, only for the same results to repeat itself. “The Emperor's Key seems to be able to protect you from Akuma’s.”
“Can we please save the observations for later?!” asked Yuma, as she turned to Marinette, who nodded before running off, while the duelist went to try and break Alya and Manon free.
Back in his lair, Hawk Moth stared at the boy in shock. "That's impossible," he murmured in disbelief, before looking at Yuma’s Key around his neck. “That pendant, could it be a Miraculous?” He clenched his fists as another dazzling thought entered his mind: if this boy truly was another Miraculous user, then surely the skills he displayed last week were thanks to his Miraculous!
“Run!” A civilian shouted, as Marinette ran to a bench to hide behind to transform. Once she was sure nobody could see her, she opened her purse to let Tikki poke out her adorable head.
“Time to transform!” Marinette worriedly exclaimed. Tikki flew out of her purse in a loop-de-loop as Marinette cried out, “Tikki, spots on!” The designer exclaimed before she transformed into Ladybug.
Meanwhile, Stormy Weather landed in the park, and continued her rampage, blasting the Mireille balloons, and causing everyone in the park to run away which interrupted Adrien’s photoshoot, giving the model the perfect distraction.
He ran back towards the equipment boxes in the treeline outlining the park, where his bag sat among, hoping to get Plagg. But when he opened his bag up, he was shocked to see it empty.
“Plagg? Plagg!” Adrien called out, looking around to try and spot the little nuisance..
“I'm not here! I'm sleeping!” The mischievous Kwami announced from one of the numerous equipment boxes, much to Adrien’s fondness as he held up a piece of Camembert.
Immediately, the Kwami smelt the stinky cheese and flew out of the box he was hiding in with unnecessary, but excited loop-de-loops. To Adrien’s smugness, Plagg had taken the bait and was about to take a bite, but stopped when he saw Adrien’s smirk.
“For your information, I can smell Camembert in my sleep. It's only one of my many talents,” Plagg bragged, before taking the… delicious cheese from Adrien.
“Great, but there's no time to talk cheese!” Adrien exclaimed as he got back to his feet, eager to fight the newest Akuma. “Plagg, claws out!” The model called out, causing Plagg to be sucked into the ring, just as he was about to gobble up the slice of camembert. He was sucked into the ring, and Adrien transformed into Cat Noir.
Ladybug had run out from her hiding spot, and was worryingly heading towards the merry-go-round.
“Why did I leave Manon? I should have never done that!” Ladybug griped, feeling guilty for not staying with Manon and Alya. “No. Alya's right. She's in good hands. I must trust her,” The spotted heroine realized. Manon could not be in safer hands at the moment.
She reached the frozen merry-go-round and stood next to Yuma, who was trying to break the ice with a large rock, while Alya was holding Manon in her arms to keep her warm.
“Any luck?” asked Ladybug as she turned to Yuma and Astral.
“Too…thick…won’t…break!” Yuma managed to say, as he kept hitting the ice, which was not seeming to even leave a scratch.
“Stand back. Let me try.” Ladybug said, as the duelist nodded and complied. “We'll get you out of there!” Ladybug shouted to the duo through the ice. Alya nodded in response, right before Ladybug pulled out her yo-yo and threw it, letting it wrap around the ice dome. She pulled on her yo-yo to cut through the ice. But the cord just slipped off of the dome and came back to her, bonking her on the head in the process, knocking her to the ground. “Or not? On to Plan B.” Ladybug remarked, as she got back onto her feet and ran to the dome to reassure the two girls trapped inside. “Don't worry, everything's gonna be okay!” The spotted heroine reassured, trying to keep them calm.
“Where is Marinette?” Manon wondered, looking around for her babysitter.
“She hasn't forgotten about you, Manon,” Ladybug replied, crouching down to meet the five-year-olds eye level.
“How did you know my name?” Manon asked, displaying the super power every child had… noticing things adults normally ignore, much to Ladybug’s nervousness.
“Ah! Uhh... Marinette told me! She's coming right back, I promise,” Ladybug reassuringly stated, as she turned to Yuma and Astral, who both nodded, before she picked Yuma up and swung away to save the day.
Stormy Weather was leaving the park, continuing to cause havoc with her lightning bolt blasts, and hovering in the air.
“Hey Ice Queen, what's with all the terrorizing?” A voice above Stormy Weather teased, annoying her enough to stop hovering and land on the ground. She looked around to see where the voice came from, only to see Cat Noir perched on the fence of the park above her. “Why don't you pick on someone your own temperature?” Cat Noir continued from his perch, feeling confident like he normally does.
“My name is not Ice Queen! It's Stormy Weather!” The weather villain growled, angered that the hero wasn’t respecting her power and her threat level.
He slid down the fence pole and landed on the ground a few feet away from her, spinning his belt-tail in his hand..
“Listen. I'm feline more generous than usual today. So cool down and we'll call it quits, 'kay?” Cat Noir offered, in a sort of flirty way in hopes to appease the villain… it didn’t work. Annoyed, Stormy Weather opens her parasol and fires a wind gust at Cat Noir, blowing him half-way across the city. “Waaaaaahhh!” The cat themed hero cried out as he flew in the air, before finally landing in the street. Feeling embarrassed, Cat Noir groaned in pain, just as Ladybug landed on the nearby street corner and ran to him.
“I thought cats always landed on their feet,” Ladybug teased as she let go of Yuma and leaned down to offer Cat Noir a hand to pull him up.
“Why thanks, my Ladybug, but I had it covered,” Cat Noir said, as he got back onto his feet, dusting himself off and kissed Ladybug's hand.
“Any time, Kitty.” The spotted heroine said as she placed her hands on her hips.
But they didn’t notice Stormy Weather had approached them on a gust of wind and now hovering a few feet away.
“We should be expecting lightning storms like right NOW!” Stormy Weather proclaimed right before she lifted her parasol towards the sky, sending a lightning blast to darken the sky with storm clouds. A bolt of purple lightning then came right towards Cat Noir but Ladybug dived towards him to get them out of the way.
The two of them roll a ways away from their previous spot, and land in an awkward position. When the cat boy lifted himself up, they blink at each other in surprise, before Cat Noir said, “Not how I expected to get a kiss.” Ladybug merely got over her shock and turned his head and attention back towards Stormy Weather as she floated a few feet away. “You just won yourself a catfight!” Cat Noir exclaimed as he and Ladybug got back onto their feet before running towards Stormy Weather.
“Black ice!” Stormy Weather shouted right before she used her parasol to coat the street with ice, making Yuma and Cat Noir lose their balance on the unexpected change. She then creates another wind blast, knocking Cat Noir, the cars lining the street and Ladybug backward, causing them to go flying.
With quick thinking, Ladybug used her yo-yo to grab onto a lamp post and held on as the wind tried to blow her away. She then spied Cat Noir in the chaos, about to be sent away by the wind and into the accumulating pile of cars behind them.
“Gotcha!” Ladybug shouts through the wind as she grabs Cat Noir’s tail and holds onto her yo-yo string. A few seconds later, the wind suddenly stops, sending them crashing face first into the ground.
Stormy Weather was continuing her mission of destroying the city, with a ring of powerful wind assisting by pushing cars out of the way…that is until she saw a screen with Mireille on it.
She blasted it with a smile before continuing on.
“A little Cat Noir will take the wind out of her sails!” Cat Noir proclaimed before he was about to run towards Stormy Weather. But he is stopped when Ladybug grabs him by his tail to stop him from doing anything reckless.
“Whoa, kitty kitty. You better think before you leap,” Ladybug chided before she let go of his tail, causing him to lose his balance.
“She’s right. Going in without a plan would greatly lower our chances of success.” Astral added.
“You got a plan?” Cat Noir said after getting his balance back, while Ladybug slyly smiled at him.
“Just follow my lead,” Ladybug said before running to a building to her right, jumped up onto the wall, and then ran along the face of a building. Cat Noir soon did likewise on the other side of the street.
“Hey, what about me?!” Yuma yelled at them, before he sighed in defeat.
Soon enough, they were close enough that Stormy Weather heard the commotion behind her. Quickly looking to see what it was, she was annoyed to see the two heroes coming towards her.
They launched themselves off the buildings and straight at her, spinning their respective weapons as they did.
“Not you again!” Stormy Weather growled before she fired a wind blast at them, knocking them backward through the air, along with several vehicles.
They were sent back to where they started minutes before, with Yuma looking at them in concern. “Are you guys okay?” asked Yuma.
“Yeah.” Ladybug said as they stood up and caught their breath, only to look up and see a bus about to crash onto them. “Look out!” Ladybug quickly grabs Cat Noir and Yuma to pull them close to her and uses her yo-yo as a shield, letting it cut a circular hole on the side of the bus, saving the three of them from being crushed to death. As soon as the danger passed, Ladybug stopped spinning the yo-yo, only for it to fall onto Cat Noir’s head.
“Ow!” Cat Noir cried, as he rubs his head to alleviate the pain, sending an angry glare at Ladybug, making her giggle at his pouting face.
Over at the park, Alya was playing with Manon to keep themselves occupied, while firefighters were working to free them by hacking away at the ice dome.
“Lemonade, crunchy ice, hit it once, hit it twice, freeze!” Alya recited, as they played the corresponding hand game, only to stop when saying ‘freeze’ making Manon lose… again.
“Hey, no fair, you always win, uni!” Manon complained, right before the sound of ice cracking could be heard around them. “What's that?” The five year old asked fearfully, the icicles above them grew longer as the temperature outside dropped.
“It's... the big goblin king! He ate too much and split his shirt! Wahahaha!” Alya exclaimed, trying to distract Manon before she playfully chased her out of the merry-go-round. Only for them to stop as they heard the ice cracking above them again, causing them to look up and see the icicles growing longer. “Wanna hear a story?” Alya asked nervously as she led Manon back to the merry-go-round.
In the city, Stormy Weather landed on top of a rooftop, looking out at the discord she had caused with a smile. “You showed them all who the real winner is, my weather girl.” Hawk Moth began, impressed with all of the chaos his Akuma had already caused. “But now is the time for you to fulfill your part of the agreement. And here's my plan.”
Over with the heroes, Ladybug reached up to the window of the bus and pulled it open, before moving out of the way for Cat Noir to extend his stick, holding onto it.
“Okay! It's one thing terrorizing people, but throwing a BUS at us?! That's beyond low!” Yuma complained, as Ladybug went out the window and landed outside the bus.
“I wonder why Stormy Weather is so angry?” asked Astral.
“Maybe she's got some anger issues?” Ladybug theorized as she grabbed the staff to help lift Yuma and Cat Noir out of the bus, and land outside of it.
“Or she didn't pass her driving test?” Cat Noir supplied as they jumped off of the tipped over bus, and landed on the ground, before their attention was pulled away by the screen, which Stormy Weather had cracked earlier, when the villain appeared on it.
“Hello, viewers! Here's the latest forecast for the first day of summer,” Stormy Weather announced before she stepped backwards and used her parasol to point at a map of France.
“Looks like Mother Nature had a change of plans. Summer Vacation is officially over!” The weather Akuma enthusiastically exclaimed as a giant snowflake appeared on the map.
“Already? But I look so good in a swimsuit,” Cat Noir remarked, before he grinned, much to Ladybug's chartian.
“The catsuit will do, thanks,” Ladybug replied, smiling at him as it began to flurry around them. “At least now we know where to find her,” Ladybug said as she looked back at the screen.
Back in Yuma’s World, on the roof of Heartland Tower, where the Different Dimensional Airship was located, Shark was leaning against the wall, as Rio, Kite and Orbital were standing next to him, seeing the rest of Yuma’s friend’s pant in exhaustion, as they were carrying suitcases and duffle bags.
Rio, Shark’s Twin sister, had dark pink eyes and like her brother, she had pale skin and dark blue hair with light blue bangs. Rio also wore a ring on her right little finger, which was previously owned by her brother. Rio's appearance attracts many initial admirers, including Bronk. Her attire included a white jacket over a light pink shirt, black stockings, white skirt and shoes. The left coattail of her jacket had a conch-like ornament hanging down.
“About time you showed up,” said Rio, as her brother stopped leaning against the wall. “Kite was about seconds away from leaving without you.”
“You try…carrying…a month’s worth…of supplies…up thousand’s of stairs!” Caswell complained, right before Shark began to lightly chuckle.
“Told you they would fall for that fake ‘Out of Order’ sign.” Shark smirked, as Kite grumbled and gave him ten bucks, right as everyone else cartoonishly fell, realizing what had happened.
“You mean we climb all the way up here for nothing?!” Flip whined.
“I knew something was off about his call!” Caswell added.
“I really need more female friends.” Rio pinched her nose in frustration, just as the elevator doors opened, revealing Kari, who was also packed and ready to go.
“You're coming too, Kari?” asked Tori in confusion, as everyone just stared in shock.
“Absolutely. What, you really think I’m gonna let you guys do this without me?” asked Kari.
“Maybe?” Flip smiled nervously, causing Cathy to slap him in the face, hard.
“Look, I don’t understand what sort of trouble Yuma’s been getting involved with, or what…” Kari paused, as she motioned towards the Airship above them, “THIS THING is, but I’m not gonna sit back, wait and hope my brother comes back! I’m not doing that again!”
“Yuma’s gonna be-” Shark stepped up, as Rio held her arm out to stop him.
“Her heart is telling her what to do.” Rio stated calmly. “We can’t change that.”
“But…” Shark tried to protest, only to be interrupted again as a green light was emitted from the bottom of the Airship, surrounding everyone in green rings. Realizing that it was too late, he sighed in defeat and said, “Just don’t slow us down.”
“Wasn’t planning on it.” Kari glared, before everyone was surrounded by a red light and teleported into the Airship's cockpit.
“To think that we have to stay on this ship for a month just to get to Yuma.” Caswell sighed, as Kari just stared in amazement, for she had never been on the Airship before.
“W-w-we were lucky that we can get to Yuma at all.” Orbital pointed out. “N-N-Number 66: Master Key Beetle, the Number t-t-that activates the ship’s engine, was still inside the c-c-cockpit when Yuma fell overboard, allowing us to still use the ship's functions. H-H-However, due to the other N-N-Numbers we have being with Yuma, we can only go at m-m-minimum speed.” Orbital explained.
“So that explains the month long trip…” Cathy realized.
“So let’s say we had the other Numbers, how much time would that save us?” asked Bronk.
“E-E-Each Number Yuma and Astral obtains activates one the Ship’s main gears, which moves a majority of g-g-gears and increases the Ship's capabilities. So by my c-c-calculations, we would be there in at least a day,” said Orbital, as he started up the Departure Sequence.
“Then we better stop wasting time.” Kite spoke as he took the wheel. “I’m driving.”
"You sure you know how to fly this thing?" asked Flip.
"Better than you can, that’s for sure." stated Tori.
“Oh, come on!” yelled Flip, upset that Tori was still upset with him.
"D-D-Departure Preparations are c-c-complete! We are ready f-f-for take off!” Orbital exclaimed, as most of the group each took a station while the rest was on standby, ready to take over when necessary.
“Hang on, everyone. This is gonna get a little bumpy.” stated Kite as he pulled the lever, causing the ship to take off at a high speed. Though it was fast enough to enter hyperspace, it was still a long journey with the speed they were going.
“Prepare for the worst weather in history!” Stormy Weather announced as the four heroes enter the KIDZ+ building, only to stop when Cat Noir sees a poster of Aurore.
“Hey! That girl reminds me of someone!” Cat Noir exclaimed, allowing Ladybug to put the pieces together as well.
“It's her! The Akuma must be in her parasol!” Ladybug realized, before they continued running towards the filming studio. They reached it, only to see it was locked.
“In Stormy Weather's world, it's Winter Wonderland FOREVER!” Stormy Weather continued from the screens flanking the studio doors.
Ladybug and Cat Noir then entered the studio, kicking down the door and running in. But they see no one there, only the camera playing….
“It's a recording!” Ladybug exclaimed, right before Stormy Weather cackled from behind them. They turned around to face her, just as she lifted her parasol up and fired a lightning bolt at a light. It fell to the ground towards the heroes, and they dive out of the way to avoid being hit. But all the lights go out in the building, making the studio pitch black as well.
“This is all going wonderfully according to plan. Soon their Miraculous will be mine. Bring them to me!” Hawk Moth demanded Stormy Weather. The Akuma giggled to herself before running off, while Cat Noir got up from the ground and saw her escape with his night vision.
“Frosty the Snowgirl's getting away!” Cat Noir exclaimed as he looked over at Ladybug and Yuma as they tried to find their way in the dark, only for Ladybug to trip on one of the fallen spotlights and fall to the ground. “Oh, do I hear a damsel in distress?” The feline superhero asked as he walked towards his friends to help them.
“Some of us don't have night vision…” Ladybug remarked as she reached out into the darkness, only for him to grab Ladybug's hand, while Yuma put on his Duel Gazer, turning on a Night Vision setting, enabling him to see in the dark like Cat Noir.
“No need to bug out. Just trust me!” Cat Noir exclaimed as his green filled sight allowed him to lead the way towards the escaping villain.
Meanwhile, at the Place des Vosges, the snow flurry was getting worse, while Alya is telling a story to Manon as they sit in a Ladybug themed car on the merry-go-round.
“Then the cyclops monster picked the princess up in his hand and said, ‘Look into my eye!’” Alya said, making Manon laugh as she continued to tell the story, as the firefighters continued to try and break them out of the ice dome, but having no luck. “Then, gluck! She stuck a finger right in it! As soon as she took a bite of the cursed potato, the poor princess fell into a deep, deep sleep.” Alya said, right before an icicle breaks through the top of the merry-go-round. “Hurry up, Ladybug…” The reporter said fearfully as she hugged Manon to comfort her.
Back at the T.V. station, With Cat Noir leading with his night vision, the two of them managed to follow her to the stairwell leading to the roof.
“Okay, that's enough! I think I can manage to–” Ladybug began as she was pulled up the stairs.
“Duck!” Cat Noir shouted, just before a fire extinguisher canister thrown by Stormy Weather narrowly missed Ladybug. But since she listened to the warning, she avoided the hit, covering her head just in case.
“--follow your lead on this one.” Ladybug finished, before Cat Noir grabbed her hand again and led her to the exit. They finally reached the top of the building, hand in hand as Stormy Weather floated high above them.
“You airheads! You fell right into my trap!” Stormy Weather exclaimed before she opened her parasol and made a whirlwind appear, surrounding the building to trap the heroes.
Stormy Weather smiled at her handiwork while Hawk Moth spoke once more, “The time is now! Bring me the Miraculous!”
“There's no way out! Party's over, fools!” Stormy Weather taunted from above.
“We're just–” Ladybug began, only to see Cat Noir still holding her hand. Annoyed, she turned to face him with a pout on her face, making Cat Noir nervously loosen his grip, letting Ladybug go.
“We're just getting started, Stormy!” Ladybug exclaimed, right before she pulled out her yo-yo and called for her, “Lucky Charm!” The spotted heroine shouted out as a flash of pink occurred in the sky, watching as some sort of object emerged from the yoyo, both items dropping down into Ladybug's hands. “A bath towel? What am I supposed to do with this?” Ladybug questioned when the random object landed in her hands.
“Great. So, we're about to be obliterated, but... At least we'll be dry.” Cat Noir remarked, trying to make things seem less bleak.
“Just hold your whiskers.” Ladybug said as she wrapped the towel around her forearm and tucks the end into itself, while Stormy Weather was ready for her next attack.
“All ‘Hail’ The Queen!” Stormy Weather shouted out before raising her parasol into the air, making a hailstorm with softball sized hail appear. Cat Noir barely had any time to grab Ladybug, pull her in front of him, and spin his staff to make a shield to protect them from the hail.
“So what's the plan for getting the Akuma back? My arm's starting to get a cramp!” Cat Noir warned, while Astral observed the situation, before an idea popped into his head.
“Yuma, try summoning Utopia and Crooked Cook!” Astral exclaimed.
“Huh?” Yuma asked in confusion, before his eyes widened in realization. “Oh yeah!” Grinning, he attached his Duel Disk to his arm, and took out Number 59: Crooked Cook from his Extra Deck, before placing it into a Monster Zone. “Utopia, Crooked Cook, help us out!” He exclaimed, as both Number Monster’s he and Astral obtained on their first day in Paris came out of a Galaxy-Like Portal.
“No! It’s those creature’s from before!” Hawk Moth exclaimed in shock, recalling what he saw during Yuma’s and Kung Food’s Duel.
“Crooked Cook, melt this hail with Searing Oven Torch!” Yuma ordered, as the chef monster nodded, firing up his arm-mounted flamethrower and shooting out a red-hot flame, which melted the hail.
“What?!” Stormy Weather exclaimed in disbelief.
“I hope you have a plan with that towel, Ladybug, because I don’t know how long he’ll be able to keep this up.” Yuma said to the red heroine.
Looking around, her Lucky Vision kicked in, as she saw a metal pipe connected to the main building, which highlighted itself in red with black dots. She then saw a HVAC tube on the roof of the stairwell, a metal crane, the bath towel around her arm, and the giant sign, each highlighting in the same color one after the other. Immediately, Ladybug knew what to do. “See that sign over there?” Ladybug asked, looking back up at Cat Noir, as she pointed to the billboard in front of them. “Check it out!” The spotted heroine exclaimed, letting Cat Noir quickly understand her plan.
“All right. Cataclysm!” Cat Noir yelled, as spots of black energy surrounded his gloved hand. “Hey, Coldilocks! Is that all you got?” the feline hero taunted, clenching his fist to keep his power contained as he, just before he made his move.
As Ladybug got back up to her feet, Cat Noir ran to the billboard, making Stormy Weather attack him with lightning as he advanced. “Utopia, protect Cat Noir with your Lightwing Sheid!” Yuma exclaimed, Utopia intervened and used its wings to protect the feline hero.
Despite Stormy Weather’s constant onslaught of blasts, Cat Noir made it to his goal, then slid along the length of the billboard and placed his hand squarely against, the main support of the sign, causing it to corrode and fall down like a like a poorly-built sandcastle on the beach, right toward Stormy Weather.
Ladybug then wrapped her yo-yo around Stormy Weather's ankle, while the villain was occupied with saving herself, blasting a hole into the falling sign. As Stormy Weather attempts to escape, the corner of the sign crashes into the HVAC tube Ladybug saw earlier, knocking it off to reveal the vent underneath it.
The spotted hero took off running, sliding under the pipe connected to the main building and jumped against the slow rotating crane before she landed over the HVAC vent. Opening the towel while she held her yo-yo, Ladybug soars in the air, pulling Stormy Weather down as well.
The scream from Stormy Weather made Ladybug smile as the Akuma fell past her. And thanks to the angle of the crane, her parasol was knocked out of her hand, flying into the air before Cat Noir jumped up and caught it. He tossed it to Ladybug as she returned to the ground, just after Stormy Weather landed on top of the billboard.
“Get out of here, you nasty bug!” Ladybug exclaimed as she caught and broke the parasol over her knee, throwing the remains to the ground.
A second later, the Akuma flew out and away from the parasol, causing Ladybug to pull out her yo-yo. “No more evil doing for you, little Akuma!” Ladybug opened up her yoyo, the inside glowing a heavenly white as it dropped to a foot above the ground, catching the Akuma she had freed from it. “Gotcha!” She swung the yoyo around herself and grinned. "Time to de-evilise!" she cried as she swung it about a bit more, a pink glow growing into a flash as she swung it outwards. Coming to a halt, the bluenette heroine opened up the yoyo, the Akuma no longer a gloomy purple, but pure white like how it was before Hawk Moth weaponized it with his magic. “Bye, bye little butterfly,” Ladybug farewelled as the butterfly flew away.
"Miraculous LADYBUG!" With that heroic yell, Ladybug tossed the towel into the sky, making Yuma and Astral watch in amazement as it exploded into a bright pink energy wave, before the damage that was caused by Stormy Weather was now fixed, and turned the weather back to normal.
Meanwhile, back at the park, a swarm of magical ladybugs swept over the merry-go-round melting the glacier around it.
“And after defeating the three-headed dragon with...Huh?...Taekwondo…” Alya trailed off in relief as she noticed that the ice dome was disappearing in a cloud of steam. The firefighters high-fived each other, glad that the two girls were freed from the icey prison. “The princess kissed her Prince Charming and…” Alya excitedly continued as she swept Manon into her arms, walking away from the merry-go-round.
“They lived happily ever after?” Manon wondered, thinking the story ended like all other fairy tales.
“Uh, sure. Until they had a dozen or so little monkeys like you who drove them crazy!” Alya teased, making Manon giggle.
Over at the KIDZ+ building, Stormy Weather turned back into Aurore, who looked around in confusion when she saw that she’s on the roof.
“Uh, what am I doing up here?” Aurore wondered, while Yuma, Cat Noir and Ladybug stood a few feet away from her.
“Pound it!” The three heroes exclaimed as they fist-bumped, proud that they took care of yet another supervillain, before they turned to the two Numbers.
“Thanks, guys.” Ladybug smiled, as the monsters nodded, before they turned into golden particles and went back into their cards.
In Hawk Moth's lair, the resident super villain was enraged that his latest Akuma was defeated.
"You may have beat me again, Ladybug and Cat Noir, but because of what I've witnessed today, your Miraculous aren't the only things I'll be after from now on." He grinned maliciously. "So starting today…I have a THIRD target! Someday, your Miraculous and that Boy’s power will be all mine. I don't care how many enemies I need to throw out to win. I will be victorious!” Hawk Moth proclaimed as the lair window closed up, leaving the middle-aged man in total darkness.
A while later, Marinette and Yuma had gotten back to the park, and ran towards Alya and Manon while they waited at the merry-go-round. But before they could get any further, Tikki poked her head out from the girl's purse.
“Hey, there's the photographer and Adrien waiting for you!” Tikki exclaimed as she pointed at the group in question, making Marinette stop in her tracks.
“You don't think it's too late?” Marintee asked her Kwami as she looked down at Tikki, wondering if she had missed her chance.
“Come on, Marinette. You saved Manon, and the whole world for that matter. Have some fun!” Tikki encouraged, hoping Marinette would take some time for herself, since she rarely did so.
“She does have a point.” Yuma nodded, agreeing with the Kwami.
“Marinette! Yuma!” A voice called out. Marinette then looked around for the source of the voice, only to see it was Manon as she ran to her with Alya following behind. Marinette smiled as she crouched down and swept the little girl into her arms.
“I know what your secret is!” Manon sang, much to Yuma’s and Marinette’s panic.
“W-w-what secret?” Marinette stammered out, worried that Manon found out that she was Ladybug.
“Ladybug is your best friend! That's how you both always know what the other one's gonna do!” Manon exclaimed, not knowing just how close she was to the truth, but was still so far away from finding out.
“Huhhh... Phew!” Marinette sighed, relieved that no one had found out. But Marinette soon placed her back onto the ground and the three girls walked towards the photoshoot.
“Can I have a lollipop? Can I? Can I? Can I?” Manon asked repeatedly, hoping that Marinette would cave in.
But she was in for a surprise when her babysitter said, “No, Manon. I have something important to do,” Marinette replied, putting her foot down, much to Alya’s pride. “Alya, Yuma, you'll watch her, yeah?” the designer asked, to which Alya nodded while Yuma gave a thumbs up in response, which allowed Marinette to run towards Adrien and the photoshoot that was about to commence.
“I'm ready for the photoshoot!” Marinette exclaimed as she ran to the photographer, and Adrien, who seemed happy to have her there with him. But before she could say more, the photographer had other ideas.
“Wait. Who is that angel?!” Vincient squealed as he looked at Manon, ugaling at the adorable little girl. Manon looked around to see who it was that the photographer was referring to, only to realize it was her.
A few seconds later, Vincent had Adrien posing with the little girl, taking photos of the two of them.
“Hohoho! Stupendous! Magnifico! Perfecto!” Vincent gushed as he continued to take Adrien and Manon’s pictures, while Marinette could only watch in slight disappointment, while Alya patted her on the back to comfort her a little.
Author’s Note:
If anyone is wondering, the timeline for the first three Seasons of Miraculous is super confusing, because aside from Origins and the Season Premieres and Finales, episodes can be watched in any order. So with the exception of Kung Food, and to save myself a HUGE headache trying to figure it out, I am going with the timeline that is provided by the fandom wiki.
Still taking suggestions for Marinette and Adrien’s Civilian and Superhero decks. Feel free to give ideas.
Next Crossover Fanfiction Polls:
https://www.streem.tech/poll/770
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To vote, click or enter the links above.
Chapter 5: Lady Wifi
Chapter Text
Chapter 5: Lady Wifi
It was almost the end of a school day, as Alya sat in class, and opened her notebook to a picture of Ladybug, before cutting out the face from the picture and moving it over the other student’s faces.
“I'm very pleased with how you all did on your last assignment,” Alya’s teacher praised the class. This was Caline Bustier, a tall and light-skinned woman with moderate vermilion hair, which she pulled back in a high bun, strong cyan eyes, thin light pink lips, and freckles. She wore a light cerulean jacket with a moderate opal popped collared shirt and a white undershirt beneath, along with a pair of white earrings and a small goldish white necklace. She also wore light cerulean pants and white high heel shoes.
“Some of you have really stepped up, and I do appreciate it. Now it's time to move on to our next assignment,” The teacher continued as Alya just moved her edited picture to see if Chloé would be a match. Only for the heiress to notice and point at Miss Bustier.
In response, Alya turned to see Miss Bustier right in front of her, her face filling the hole in the picture as Alya looked through it. To avoid getting into trouble, the reporter quickly put the picture away.
“Is Marinette still in the girls' room?” Miss Bustier asked, glancing at Marinette’s empty seat next to Alya.
“Uh, I don't know, miss,” Alya admitted, right before the bell rang, signaling the students to stand up and pack their bags.
“Tonight I want you all to read chapter three of the breathtaking France, the First Thousand Years. Then, answer this simple questionnaire,” Miss Bustier explained as she gave the homework assignment to the students on their way out. “See to it that Marinette receives her homework,” The teacher requested before handing two copies to Alya. She nodded in understanding and headed out of the classroom, pulled out her phone and tried to call Marinette.
But all she got was….
“It's Marinette, leave a message. Beep! He he.” The pre-recorded message replied, much to Alya’s annoyance as she hung up, and instead headed to the bathrooms to see if Marinette was there. But when she did not receive an answer, she left, making her way down into the courtyard, and saw two other students there as well.
The first was Rose Lavillant, a slightly tanned, fair-skinned, slender teenage girl of petite stature. Her hair was a honey blonde pixie cut with bangs that slightly covered her eyes to the right and a tiny cowlick on top. In regards to her face, she had thin eyebrows, round vivid sapphire blue eyes, eyeliner and light brilliant magenta lipstick.
The other was Juleka Couffaine, a VERY close friend to Rose. Juleka was a slender teenage pale-skinned girl who stood at medium height (albeit slightly taller than most other girls at her school). She had brilliant red eyes with dark eyeshadow and long black hair with dyed purple tips at the end and bangs covering the left side of her face. She wore a light violetish gray lipstick and her fingernails were painted light sapphire bluish gray with black nail art of intricate patterns on each one with different designs on each hand. Juleka wore a black turtlenecked, swan-necked dress with a sea green lined collar, side pockets, and black mesh sleeves. She also wore brilliant purple ripped leggings with rips above the knees and black high top sneakers with white soles. On her hands, she had black fingerless lace gloves that have a diamond pattern design that right ends halfway up the forearm, while the left is slightly shorter as compared to the right one. On her right hand, She sometimes wore an arctic blue wrist mirror with a royal blue gemstone in the center.
“Uhh, have you guys seen Marinette anywhere?” Alya asked, only for Rose and Juleka to shake their heads no.
The reporter headed back to the locker rooms and walked in, only to arrive and see Chloé at her locker. Alya quickly backtracked and hid to watch Chloé taking something from her locker that looked like… a Ladybug costume and yo-yo!!!
Alya was left in surprise as Chloé walked away, unknowingly going right past her.
“Chloé's Ladybug?” Alya wondered.
(Play Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
The music starts up with Yuma activating his gear like in the original opening, before a blue vortex sucks Yuma and Astral into Paris.
Still together as one;
Cuz divided we're none;
Ready to go, we feel the flow!
Yuma then landed on his feet, as Astral floated next to him, before he drew a card and summoned Utopia.
So don't stand in our way;
You know we ain't afraid;
This is our time, we're in control!
Plagg was about to eat a piece of Camembert, before he was sucked into Adrien's ring, while Tikki she sucked in Marinette's earrings, causing them to transform into Ladybug and Cat Noir, who then Fist Bumped.
If I trip up today;
You just wipe it away;
All of my fears are gone, erased!
The rest of Yuma's friends then appeared on the Different Dimensional Airship, with Shark and Kite summoning Number 32: Shark Drake and Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon.
Let us tear down the walls;
'Til the final night falls;
The bonds of our souls can't be replaced!
Everyone then came together, as they all charged towards Hawk Moth and the Barians.
Let us fight together;
Regret it never;
Our dreams will be…!
The Giant Shadow of Don Thousand appears over both worlds as Vector goes from his human form to his Barian one, devastating the land.
Halfway to,
Forever;
Our light comes shining through!
Yuma and Astral then fuse into Zexal II as Yuma Summons Utopia Ray Victory as it absorbed an Overlay Unit.
Reach down deep;
Beat defeat;
Do all that we can do!
Ladybug and Cat Noir were then shown, as their monsters appeared and joined Utopia Ray Victory's attack.
Halfway to,
Forever;
We've got nothing to lose!
Hawk Moth smirked, as he held his arm out and created Akuma's, while Vector prepared to counter-attack.
Keep breathing;
Believing;
Halfway to forever-rrrrrr!
The Numeron Code was then shown, all of the Miraculous were spiraling around it. Astral and Yuma smile at each other and touch hands as they all come together with their aces standing out, with the title below them.
Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
(End Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
Outside the school, Chloé started to board her limousine, as Alya followed her. After the limo left, Alya pulled out her phone to try and call Marinette again, only for it to go to voicemail… again.
“Hey, Marinette. Ring me ASAP. We gotta talk,” Alya replied to the voicemail, only to see someone about to walk past her.
This was Nino Lahiffe, a DJ, head of the school radio and Adrien’s best friend. Nino was a tall slender teenager, with short dark brown hair, dark skin, and moderate orange eyes. He wore a plain red cap, used black-rimmed glasses, and often had a pair of dark gray, blue, and orange headphones hung around his neck. He typically wore a vivid azure t-shirt with an eye design on the front (a design involving a black pupil, white sclera, a dark gray upper eyelid with lashes, and a light blue lower lid). Around his jeans was a brown belt, and while most of it was hidden by his shirt, one tip stuck out a little bit below the hem. Additionally, he wore lime green, pink, red, blue, and yellow wristbands around his right wrist, moderate azure jeans, and red and white high collar shoes with a white knight design on the tongues.
“Nino, wait!” Alya exclaimed, much to the DJ’s confusion. Nevertheless, he turned to face her, eager to help, only for Alya to grab his arm and start to pull him with her. “Come with me, I need your help!” Alya explained as she led the DJ to one of the benches in front of the school which sat along the banks of the Seine. They both sat down, and Alya placed Marinette’s bag next to her feet.
“So–” Nino began, only for Alya to shush him as she tried to call Marinette again. But...
“It's Marinette, leave a message. Beep! He he,” The recording replied, much to Alya’s annoyance. Marinette was always doing a disappearing act, and it was starting to get incredibly annoying.
“Ughh. I hate when she goes AWOL. She's not calling me back! Where is that girl?!” Alya griped. But Nino also knew what it was like to have a friend that disappears all the time.
“Seriously. My man Adrien's the exact same way. But I guess you gotta be sly when Mr. Control Freak is your daddy-o,” Nino explained, trying to make Alya feel a little better, before the reporter's phone rings.
Alya brought her phone up to hers and Nino’s eye level, and clicked on the alert to be greeted by a news report about the latest feat of Ladybug and Cat Noir.
On the screen was Nadja Chamack, a TV News Reporter and Manon Chamack’s mother. Nadja stood at a medium height with pale skin, moderate red eyes, and small lips with deep raspberry colored lipstick. She had short hair with a gradient of strong raspberry to moderate rose color. She wore a cuffed moderate blue blazer with a deep purple button and lining. Underneath, she wore a moderate mulberry-colored blouse. She had rose gold earrings. Around her neck, she had a gold chain necklace with a pale, light grayish-green five-petaled flower charm. She also wore a white watch on her right wrist, white jeans, and ankle-length deep scarlet high-heeled red shoes.
“Once again, Ladybug and Cat Noir have saved Paris from the clutches of a menacing villain, though it seems they haven’t been doing it alone lately. Less than two weeks ago, a boy that goes by the name Yuma Tsukumo has been assisting our two heroes, having the ability to summon strange creatures. While we are not aware what his intentions are or where his power comes from, Ladybug and Cat Noir have assured us that this young man can be trusted.” Nadja regaled as a video of Ladybug and Cat Noir played, bashfully waving to the crowd, while Yuma just smiled nervously, played. Alya took a closer look, then saw Ladybug's yo-yo in the girl's hand, beginning to connect some dots.
“Hey! I think I've just sniffed out who the real Ladybug is!” Alya proclaimed as she picked up Marinette’s bag, pulled out her tablet, and wrote down a message on a sticky note. Once she was done, she leaned into Nino’s ear and said… “Chloé!” Alya whispered.
Despite her confident answer, Nino laughed. This was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard! “Hah! Chloé? Seriously? She's too self-absorbed to think of anyone but herself, much less save the world. You are cray-cray, lady!” Nino exclaimed, not believing that Alya would think spoiled brat Chloé would be the selfless heroine Ladybug.
Alya only glared at him in annoyance, but then thought of the facts that proved his claim to be true. Chloé was not the first person someone would guess is Ladybug, due to her bullying and selfish nature. Not to mention her hair was the wrong color. But then again, it could be a front, so no one would suspect. And magic probably changed her appearance to protect her identity.
There was only one way to find out.
“I am so not! You'll see!” Alya exclaimed as she put Marinette’s tablet back into the bag and walked away, pulling Nino along with her.
Over in the city, Ladybug finished swinging, flipped behind a billboard, and reverted to being Marinette. Once the coast was clear, the young girl walked out from behind the sign to head back home.
“Time flies fast when you're saving the world. Day's already over!” Tikki exclaimed as she poked her head from Marinette’s purse, bringing up how the villain they had just faced cost Marinette a full day's work.
“Tell me about it. I missed an entire half day of school!” Marinette said, looking down at Tikki as she spoke to her and walked towards her home, slouching with a frown.
“Hawk Moth sure is keeping us on our toes!” Tikki complained, though Marinette giggled at her words.
“Hee-hee! You don't have any toes!” Marinette teased as Tikki dove back into her purse. As soon as the Kwami was out of sight, Marinette walked into the empty bakery and towards her mom at the cash register.
“Alya brought your school bag home for you, Marinette,” Her mother said as she pulled out Marinette’s bag from behind the counter and handed it to her daughter as she yawned in exhaustion.
This was Sabine Cheng, a highly upheld merchant, the co-owner of Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie and Marinette’s mother. She was a short woman with fair skin, short black hair with blue highlights and gray eyes. Sabine wore a white Cheongsam with a red, black and gold plant design, periwinkle pants and black and white dress shoes. She wore a silver band on her ring finger.
“Hey Mom…” Mairnette said, feeling drained as she takes her bag from her mom, before slouching, sluggish after today's events.
“You seem so forgetful these days. Maybe you just need some fresh air and extra exercise for that growing brain of yours!” Sabine suggested, offering some motherly advice for her daughter, having no idea just how much fresh air and exercise Marinette was getting these days.
“Good idea, mom. I'll start tomorrow,” Marinette said as she walked closer to her Mom who walked out from behind the counter and kissed her cheek before Marinette headed up to her room to start her mountain of homework.
“Ladybug saved Paris from destruction once again, but who's gonna save Marinette from her homework?” The aspiring designer grumbled as she pulled out her first assignment, only to see a sticky note on the screen. “What's this?” Marinette asked herself as she grabbed the note and raised to her eye level to read what it said. “‘Call me. I know who the real Ladybug is?’” Marinette read out, shocked. ‘Alya is the only one who’d put this in my room, what does she think?’
“No way! You think she knows?” Tikki asked, worried that someone found out Marinette was Ladybug, only for Marinette to not seem worried at all.
“I doubt it. Alya's always jumping to conclusions before she has her facts straight,” Marinette reasoned, knowing how eager Alya is when she finds a little piece of evidence potentially related to things she was trying to uncover.
“But just in case…” Tikki said, still worried about the possibility, only for Marinette to begin settling her doubts.
“No worries Tikki. I got it covered,” Marinette reassured, grabbing her phone to call Alya. “Dang. No signal,” she said. She went to the balcony and saw a man working on the cell tower that was right behind her chimney.
“Sorry, miss. Cell Tower maintenance. The whole neighborhood's down. No signal for the next few hours!” The maintenance man explained, much to Marinette’s disappointment. The cell tower always took so long to return to normal after its daily maintenance. Not only could she not call Alya, it also meant she couldn’t call Adrien and Yuma tonight either.
“Come on, Marinette. Try again later. Let's head down and finish your homework,” Tikki suggested, while Marinette slouched in the reality of the situation. Tikki zoomed down into her room, with the girl soon following, going to her desk and began knocking out her homework.
Marinette ended up burning the midnight oil as the the day slowly turned into dusk, then night, and fell asleep while doing the assigned homework.
The next morning, Chloe’s limo just pulled up in front of the school, just as another girl rushed over to open it, allowing Chloé to exit the car and start her walk up the stairs to enter the school, insulting/greeting people as she walked by.
The girl next to her was Sabrina Raincomprix, Chloe’s “all-purpose girl”. Sabrina was a short fair-skinned slender teenage girl with chin-length ginger hair that was styled in a bob-cut, strong cyan eyes, and light pink lipstick. Sabrina wore a white headband and glasses with a grayish-brown and gray rim. She wore a purple and blue argyle vest, and underneath that, a white long-sleeved dress shirt with a very deep purple bow tied to the collar. She had light blue shorts with a brown belt, black leggings with a dark blue argyle pattern, light arctic blue socks, and black hidden wedged-white sneakers.
“You need to have your head examined. If she's a superhero, then I'm the Wizard of Oz.” Nino claimed, still not believing that Alya thought that Chloé was Ladybug, as they were standing near the school’s front door, watching her.
“I'm telling you, she's Ladybug!” Alya exclaimed as she watched Chloé walk inside. Taking that as her cue, Alya walked in after her, determined to prove her theory right, even if some of the facts didn’t line up.
“Can you prove it?” Nino asked, curious to see what Alya had in mind to prove her theory right. To answer, the girl grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him along with her.
Meanwhile in Marinette's room, the girl and her Kwami had slowly woken up from their sleep with a simultaneous groan.
“Uh... what time is it?” Tikki asked, still tired from a night of sleeping on the hard desk, while Marinette grabbed her phone to check the time.
“Uhh, school starts in…” Marinette began as she checked her phone, only to be shocked to see the time. “AN HOUR AGO?!” The designer cried out in shock, not believing that she was so late. She had been late before, but not by this much!
Meanwhile, Yuma was running down the road with a backpack, trying to get to Collège Françoise Dupont. "Come on, come on! Get out of the way!" He said as he ran past a few people trying to reach his destination. “Move it! Heads up, coming through!”
“You seem rather distressed.” Astral noted, seeing the look on Yuma’s face.
“Well, you would be too if your friend enrolled you in a school you’ve never been to and didn't tell you until the night before!” Yuma yelled, referring to Alvis and his little “plan”.
“To be fair, he didn’t want you to miss out on your education.”
“But he could have at least warned me before enrolling me!” Yuma countered, before stopping at a red light. Worried, he said, “I just hope I’m not late!”
Over at the school, Alya had dragged Nino with her, and roped him in on her plan to get evidence from Chloé’s locker. Now they were standing in the locker room near Chloé’s locker, ready to enact the crazy plan Alya had.
Well, more like Alya was ready, and Nino was an unwilling accomplice.
“Now don't mess up your lines,” Alya reminded before she pushed Nino to where Chloé was getting her stuff for the day. The poor DJ stumbled to catch himself and crashed into the row of lockers, catching Chloé’s attention. All part of Alya’s plan.
“Oh, uhhh... Ladybug! Look over there!” Nino exclaimed, pointing behind Chloé to distract her. But when she didn’t see anything, Chloé became annoyed and turned back to Nino, her locker door wide open.
“Uhh, what kind of lame joke is this?” Chloé questioned, not understanding why Nino was talking to her, making him start to panic.
“Uhh, what I meant was…” Nino began, before getting closer to Chloé, right in her face.
“Did you see Ladybug yesterday? Isn't she amazing? I wonder who she really is,” The DJ rambled, leaning towards Chloé’s face, trying to be mysterious. But she merely pushed him away and turned back to her locker.
“Uhh... up too late DJ-ing, Nino? Obviously you didn't get your beauty sleep,” Chloé remarked, unaware of Alya sneaking towards her and taking a picture of the inside of her locker. But unfortunately for her, she was caught by Sabrina.
“Uh... Chloé! Alya's looking in your locker!” Sabrina exclaimed as a Vietnamese-French boy walked in, not knowing what was going on.
This was Lê Chiến Kim Ature, another student in Miss Bustier’s class. Kim was muscular and taller than the average student at school. He has olive skin and gray eyes. He had his hair, which is black with the ends dyed gold, styled into a sharp quiff. He wore a red, short-sleeved hoodie jacket with a big front pocket and hoodie and some white outlines at certain places. On the front of the jacket, there was a white logo, which is a downward-pointing pentagon outline outside of a smaller, filled-in pentagon with a red corner and a star. He paired his top with navy blue track sweatpants, and red, white, and black sports shoes.
‘So much for my plan,’ Alya thought, starting to panic, as she quickly hid her phone behind her back to try and get herself out of the mess she made. “Uhh... that's a lie! I so was not!” Alya denied before Kim walked over and took her phone, wanting to help Chloé since… Alya had technically invaded her privacy. “Hey! Give it back!” The reporter exclaimed as she tried to get her phone back from Kim. But he handed it to Chloé, who opened it up and found the photo Alya just took.
“Who's the little liar now?” Chloé rhetorically questioned as she showed the photo right back at the offending girl who took it.
Alya… was busted.
Very soon, Chloé, and Alya were sitting in Pincipal’s Office, in front of Denis Damocles, the principal of the school. Mr. Damocles was a stout man with amber eyes. He had large, bushy black eyebrows, gray sideburns and beard, a light gray mustache, and was bald on the top of his head. He wore a brown dress jacket with a chest pocket and pockets on either side of the waist over a yellow dress shirt with a white hue, a light chestnut brown necktie worn on his collar, dark vermilion, almost dark grayish-brown/dark grayish-tangelo dress pants, and grayish tangelo loafers with white strips above the tips of his toes.
Alya’s phone was on his desk, while Sabrina and Kim (who had no clue as to why Chloé was making such a big deal out of this) stood behind Chloé’s seat.
“She's guilty of invasion of privacy! I have proof!” Chloé accused, pointing to the phone on the desk, much to Alya’s annoyance.
“What?! Seriously! All I did was take a measly photo!” Alya argued, not believing that Chloé was being so dramatic. Then again, it was a small ignoring of privacy, but still.
“I'm sorry, Chloé. But I can’t punish a student for a photo of a locker,” Mr Damocles admitted, not seeing any other way to tell Chloé that Alya technically did nothing wrong.
“Then... then breaking and entering!” Chloé exclaimed, blowing the whole thing even more out of proportion. What was going on in that girl's head to think that taking a photo was considered ‘breaking and entering’?
“I didn't break into her locker! It was open!” Alya argued, defending herself.
“And nothing was stolen?” Mr Damocles asked. He wanted to get to the bottom of this so the students in his office could get back to class, and he could go back to work in peace.
“Only my very soul!” Chloé cried out as she slammed her hands onto the principal’s desk.
“My locker is my secret garden! They who enter uninvited, burglarizes my inner being and steal my life force!” The spoiled brat exclaimed, right before running to Kim to ‘sob’ into his chest, while Sabrina glares at Alya for making her ‘best friend’ cry.
Mr Damocles and Alya only watched in confusion before the principal recovered enough to get back on track.
“Right. An hour of detention for you, Alya,” Mr Damocles decided, turning to Alya as she was shocked at his words. Chloé smiled to herself, and turned to look back at the principal.
“Are my ears failing me? Did I hear you're giving one miserable hour of detention to a... a heinous criminal?” Chloé questioned, continuing to overreact to the situation.
“Sabrina!” The heiress summoned with a snap of her fingers, signaling her lacky… uh, ‘best friend’ to step forward and pull out a clipboard from who knows where.
“The school rules clearly state that any student guilty of vandalism or theft should be suspended for one full week,” Sabrina read out loud, much to Mr Damocles’s shock.
“Yes, but she hardly stole anything,” Mr Damocles argued, trying to defend Alya as Chloé stood in front of his desk, her phone in her hand.
“I'm not sure that my father would share your point of view,” Chloé threatened as she lifted her phone up, prepared to call her father, which made the principal very nervous.
“Uhhh, well, now, Chloé, let's not bother your father, I mean, the honorable Mayor with a minor locker situation…” Mr Damocles protested, trying to talk Chloé out of her threat.
But unfortunately for both him and Alya, Chloé dialed her father, and faced the wall to hide her smug face.
“Ehhh... what I mean is, you're suspended for a week, Alya,” The principal decided, falling right into Chloé’s trap as she stopped the call.
“What?! That is so unfair! I am so gonna protest this on the school blog!” Alya angrily exclaimed as she stood up from her seat. But her hope to get the principal to see reason was dashed away when Mr Damocles glanced at Chloé as she smugly held her phone.
Damocles could only sigh. His hands were tied.
“The school blog is hereby suspended as well for a week.” Mr Damocles concluded, angering Alya even further as she glared at Chloé.
“She's no superhero, she's super-psycho!” Alya growled as she grabbed her phone and stomped out of the office in anger.
Over in Hawk Moth's lair, the butterfly enthusiast himself could sense yet another opportunity to obtain the miraculous.
“Ahhh... School life. Such a science experiment. A petri dish of cultivating secrets, lies and betrayal,” Hawk Moth said as he stared out at the city in his lair. “The thriving vivarium for my evil Akuma’s,” The man cooed as he transformed a butterfly into an Akuma, allowing it to flutter free. “Fly away, my little Akuma, and evilize her!” Hawk Moth exclaimed as the Akuma flew out of the lair, and towards the school, intent on Akumatizing Alya.
Back at the school, Marinette was frantically running to the front door, while Tikki held onto her hair ribbon for dear life.
“I'm late, I'm late, I'm so, so late!” Marinette exclaimed as she ran to the school, up the front steps, and then ran up to the upper level classrooms.
But as Marinette ran upstairs, Alya ran downstairs before running away from the school. She ended up going to the bank of the Seine, ran down the stairs and stopped at the bottom, leaning against and sliding down the wall to sit on the ground. Feeling helpless, Alya pulled out her phone and tried to call Marinette, unaware of the Akuma fluttering closer.
“It's Marinette, leave a message. Beep! He he!” the voice message played, making Alya drop the call, and bury her head in her arms and knees.
But that prevented her from seeing the Akuma as it phased into her cell phone, evilizing her, and allowing the psychic link to form.
“Lady Wifi, I heard through the grapevine that you're seeking to unmask Ladybug... I'd like to help you if you agree to help me too,” Hawk Moth offered, eager to help this reporter find out the elusive Ladybug and Cat Noir’s identities.
“I'll expose the lies of anyone who covers up the truth! Sign me up!” Alya exclaimed, right before the link was cut off. She stands up from the ground, and the dark purple aura emerges from her phone, turning her into Lady Wifi.
Lady Wifi had a very deep violet butterfly-shaped mask on her face, and her eyes were moderate cerise. The top of her hair turned a slightly darker shade, and she wore a very dark purple supervillain jumpsuit, her lower arms, and legs white with three stripes that were white above each. On her chest was a glowing light brilliant rose Wi-Fi symbol, and a thin white line went around her waist, with the line creating a semicircle above a short vertical white line in the front, resembling a power button.
In Miss Bustier's classroom, Marinette quietly entered the class, and slipped into her chair as Miss Bustier wrote the lesson on the board. But she was surprised to only see Adrien and Nino. Wanting to find out what was going on, she leaned down to Nino and softly hit his shoulder to grab his attention.
“Where is she?” Marinette asked, whispering to not disrupt the class, and earn Miss Bustier’s ire so early in the day. But nothing could prepare her for the answer Nino gave her.
“She's been suspended…” Nino replied, leaning in closer to Marinette to relay the message.
“What?!” Marinette exclaimed, standing up from her seat in shock, not believing what she had just heard.
Unfortunately, it also was too loud, and brought everyone’s attention, Miss Bustier included, right onto her. “Marinette, if you're going to come late, would you please do it discreetly?” Miss Bustier asked, feeling disappointed in Marinette at the moment. She was never this late before, much less interrupted class if so.
“Sorry…” Marinette apologized, before sitting back in her seat, and allowed Miss Bustier to go back to teaching. But as soon as she could, she tapped Nino on the shoulder, getting his attention again. “What happened to her?” Marinette whispered to Nino. And once again, she was not prepared for the answer.
“The short story? Accused of breaking into Chloé's locker. I mean, Ladybug's locker…” Nino explained, telling Marinette what had happened, much to her shock.
“WHAT?!?” Marinette shouted out in surprise, not believing her ears. ‘Alya… thought that Chloé… was Ladybug? SERIOUSLY?!’ Marinette thought to herself. But once again, she caught everyone else's attention.
“That's it, Marinette! Go to the Principal's Office!” Miss Bustier ordered as she pointed at the door, having enough of Marinette interrupting the class.
With a sigh and frown, Marinette took her bag and left the classroom, while Adrien leaned over to Nino. “What are you talking about?” Adrien asked, learning from Marinette’s mistakes, and whispering so he wouldn’t get caught by Miss Bustier.
“Exactly what I said, bro. Alya says Chloé is Ladybug! She is crazy!” Nino exclaimed, shocking the model. He then glanced over at Chloé, only for her to wink at him. The action from the heiress confused him, but he then turned his head towards his tablet, trying to focus on the lesson.
Over with Marinette, she was walking towards the Principal’s Office, until she turned the corner and ran into someone, causing her to fall to the ground.
"I’m so sorry! Are you okay?" A familiar voice said.
"Oh uh yea I'm fine, Thank y-” Marinette trailed off as her eyes went wide to who she bumped into. “Yuma?!”
“Marinette?!” Yuma exclaimed in shock, as he quickly stood up and helped the girl up to her feet. “You and Adrien go to school here?”
“Yeah, we do.” Marinette replied, as she dusted herself off, while Tikki poked out of her holder’s purse and waved at the duo. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh, you know, just, looking for Numbers!” Yuma said, scratching the back of his head.
“I thought it was because Alvis enrolled you without being informed first.” Astral said, causing Yuma to fall over and the girl to place a hand on her mouth, trying to keep herself from laughing.
“Thanks for the help.” He said sarcastically to the blue being, before getting up.
“Well, looks like we could be classmates or something." said Marinette as she smiled.
“Yeah, that’s if I can find the Principal’s Office.” Yuma sighed.
“I was actually on my way there.” Marinette admitted, much to the boy’s shock. “Come on, we’ll go together.”
“Uh, sure…” Yuma said, as the duo went towards said destination, Marinette taking the lead. “So why are you heading to see the Principal?”
“Let’s just say I showed up late and got in trouble for interrupting class. I’ll explain why later.” The designer explained, as they had just arrived at the Principal's Office, and knocked on the door. “Mr. Damocles?” Marinette called out before she opened the door, and walked into the office. “Sir?” She questioned before they saw Mr. Damocles frozen in place, with a pink stop icon in front of him, causing Yuma and Marinette to gasp in shock.
“How peculiar…” Astral said, as Yuma ran to the principal’s desk, waved his hand in front of Mr Damocles to try and gain a reaction from him, but to no avail.
“He’s frozen!” Yuma exclaimed, before the computer screen on the desk suddenly lit up, revealing Lady Wifi.
Back in the classroom, the projector started up and projected Lady Wifi as well, surprising the students and Miss Bustier.
“I'm Lady Wifi, revealer of the truth! For our first exposé, your principal would like to share a little tidbit with you,” Lady Wifi explained to the camera. The students watched in both confusion and worry as Lady Wifi turned to Mr. Damocles and casually leaned on his shoulder. “So, Mr. Damocles, is it true you wrongly suspended a student named Alya today?” The internet themed villain questioned.
In Damocles’s office, Marinette leaned in closer to the computer as she watched the broadcast.
“Uh... yes, it is,” Mr Damocles admitted, feeling ashamed of his choice. Lady Wifi grinned in sick pride in herself as the man fessed up.
“So, you were biased? Unfair? Totally unjust?!” Lady Wifi interrogated, continuing to question him while Marinette grabbed the computer to get a closer look at the villain.
“Yes, I was,” Mr Damocles replied, just as Marinette suddenly noticed the ladybug charm on Lady Wifi’s phone instantly recognising who was behind the mask.
“Oh, no! Alya!” Marinette exclaimed in worry, as she opened up her purse to let Tikki fly out. “Tikki, time to transform!” The designer announced, as Tikki floated next to her holder.
“You're going to have to fight your best friend!” Tikki exclaimed, knowing that this would be a difficult Akuma to fight, much like when Nino was Akumatized into the Bubbler. Only this time, it was even more personal.
“Nope! We’re gonna have to save my best friend!” Marinette proclaimed, knowing that she would not rest until she had her best friend back, and said the words…
“TIKKI, SPOTS ON!” The designer exclaimed, transforming into Ladybug. Turning to Yuma and Astral, she then asked, “You ready to feel the flow, guys?”
“You know I am!” Yuma grinned, as he attached his Duel Pad to his arm.
“Then let’s go!” Ladybug exclaimed, as the three went out the door.
Over with the class, the projector continued to play Lady Wifi’s message.
“For my next scoop, I'll be taking you to meet the girl who's been hiding behind the Ladybug mask!” Lady Wifi exclaimed, right before she turned back to the principal. She swiped up on her phone, and sent the pink stop icon to Mr. Damocles, freezing him in place. The students were left in shock as Lady Wifi turned back to the camera. “Stay connected!” The internet themed villain proclaimed right before the screen turned off, breaking everyone out of their shock.
“Everyone, for your own safety, go directly home right now! And don't forget to read chapters four and five!” Miss Bustier exclaimed in a panic, worried for her student’s safety. At her words the students all run out, eager not to be caught up with the latest Akuma attack.
Adrien had managed to slip away from the crowd during the evacuation, and was thankful that he had the boys bathroom all to himself.
“We have to get to Chloe’s!” Adrien as Plagg flew out of his overshirt and floated in front of him.
“Why are you so worried about Chloe? We both know she isn’t Ladybug!” Plagg commented.
“But Alya thinks she is, and she’s gonna go straight to Chloe’s house!” Adrien countered. “PLAGG, CLAWS OUT!” He shouted out, causing Plagg to be sucked into the ring, and transforming into Cat Noir.
Meanwhile, back on the Different Dimensional Ship, it had been smooth sailing for the rest of Yuma’s Friends, as they were currently enjoying the ride, despite being on it for a few days already.
Well, almost everyone.
Kari, who was currently looking out the window, staring at the Different Dimension Tunnel and thinking about her brother. ‘How did I get into this mess…’ She thought, recalling what her parents said to her.
FLASHBACK
“Kari…” Her father said, as he was driving their family’s car, with Kari being in the passenger seat, and Yuma and her their Mother in the back.
“Why are you looking all serious of a sudden, Dad?” Kari asked her father.
“You need to keep an eye on Yuma’s Dueling.” Kazuma said, as he looked at the mirror, seeing Yuma sleeping on his mothers shoulder. “Before too long, he’ll be forced to take great risks.” He added, causing his daughter to gasp.
“What kind of risks?” She asked.
“You’ll know soon.” Her father simply replied, much to Kari’s irritation.
“Why do I always have to be the responsible one?” She complained.
“We need you to look after your little brother, Kari.” Mira suddenly spoke.
“Where will YOU be?!” Kari asked, turning to her mother.
“This is very important, Kari.” Mira said, as she looked down at the sleeping Yuma. “Yuma is going to face a lot of challenges. He’s got quite a road ahead of him. We need you to always be there for him, and to support him along the way.”
“Okay, whatever, but I want a bigger allowance.” Kari said, before she turned away.
END FLASHBACK
‘I didn’t understand what Mom and Dad meant back then.’ Kari thought as she returned to reality. ‘I was afraid that if Yuma Dueled, he would disappear like Mom and Dad did. But if I’d known that those risks would actually determine the fate of the universe…’ Her thoughts were then interrupted, as the sound of the door leading to another room opening was heard.
Turning her head out of curiosity, she saw Shark, Bronk and Flip carrying lunch for everyone, with Shark and Bronk shooting Flip an irritated look, while Flip looked excessively cheerful and was singing the most annoying song he knew for long trips.
“Fifty Six Kuriboh’s sitting on the wall,” Flip sang. “Fifty Six Kuriboh’s…”
“Hey guys,” Kari said casually. “What took you so long?”
“And if one Kuriboh should accidentally fall,” Flip continued, unable to get the song out of his head. “There’d be Fifty Five Kuriboh’s sitting on the wall.”
“Well, we were double checking our provisions for everybody, until SOMEBODY started singing and threw us off count, MULTIPLE times!” Bronk glared at Flip, who was still singing.
“And if one Kuriboh should accidentally fall…”
“If you say Kuriboh one more time, I will turn you into one!” Shark snapped, as he raised a fist, causing Flip to stop and yelp fear.
“This is gonna be a LONG trip.” Kari sighed, grabbing her food.
Back in Paris, the sun started to set, and Cat Noir ran along the rooftops, making it to the rooftop across from the hotel. He took out his staff and used it to zoom in on a window of the top floor and saw Chloé dressed as Ladybug, playing around with a yo-yo.
“Who's being a sneaky kitty now?” A voice next to him suddenly teased. Cat Noir looked to his left, only to see Ladybug and Yuma as the former crouched next to him, smiling at him.
“There’s a difference between being sneaky and keeping an eye out for Lady Wifi.” Cat Noir replied, only to get a kiss on the cheek, making him blush a little, as his girlfriend followed his example and used her yo-yo to watch Chloé, who kept playing with her copy yo-yo, and ended up tying herself up, landing on the floor.
“And Alya thinks SHE’S the real Ladybug?” Yuma asked, glancing at Ladybug’s yo-yo.
“Chloe’s obviously just a die-hard fan. A copycat?” The spotted heroine teased as she stood up and put her yo-yo away.
“Right,” Cat Noir replied, following in suit with his baton.
Back over in Chloé's room, the heiress was trying to untie herself, when her cell phone suddenly rang. Chloé quickly got back to her feet, and hopped over to her bag.
Once she reached it, she took her phone out, and answered it.
“Hello?” Chloé greeted, only to be met with silence. Just as she looked at the screen to see who the caller id was, the phone started to emit a bright pink glow, surprising her. Chloé threw her phone to the floor, allowing Lady Wifi to appear in the girls room, and landed on the ground a few feet away from Chloé.
“Well, hello there, Ladybug!” Lady Wifi exclaimed as she pulled out her phone, as Chloé tried to run away.But unfortunately for her, Lady Wifi swiped up on her phone and sent a pink pause icon to Chloé, stopping her in her tracks.
Outside the hotel, night had arrived, and the heroes had watched the whole interaction from their perch.
“We got Wifi!” Ladybug proclaimed right before she, Cat Noir and Yuma jumped off the roof and headed to the hotel to save the day.
In Chloé’s room, Lady Wifi smirked to herself in accomplishment as she sent a camera icon right above Chloé. After doing so, she walked over to the frozen girl and casually leaned on the girl's shoulder.
“Well, well... So my hunch was correcto-mundo,” Lady Wifi remarked to herself before she started up her broadcast.
To make sure everyone could see her broadcast, she had the message play on every screen in the city, and projected into the sky for all to see.
“Everyone thinks the girl beneath the Ladybug costume is a little angel. Think again, people! The real Ladybug is... Chloé Bourgeois, everyone!” The internet themed villain proclaimed, right before peeling off Chloé's mask, feeling proud of herself. But a second later, the real Ladybug Cat Noir, and Yuma kicked open the balcony door and entered the hotel, much to Lady Wifi’s confusion.
“Who are you?” Lady Wifi questioned, not understanding who was in front of her at the moment, much to the two heroes' confusion as they relaxed a bit. Thankfully, Lady Wifi caught up to what was happening, but she was not pleased. “But I thought you were Ladybug!” Lady Wifi griped as she turned to face the frozen Chloé, feeling like she had been taken for a ride.
“Sorry to bust your news story. Next time, double-check your facts,” Cat Noir remarked, bringing up a good tip that all reporters should know.
“And now, to cut your signal!” Yuma exclaimed, as he activated his Duel Pad, only enraged Lady Wifi even more.
“You'll be sorry,” Lady Wifi growled out before she used her cellphone to delete the pink icons, taking down the camera and releasing Chloé. Once she was free and the camera feed was down, Chloé resumed her running, but ended up tripping and falling in a tumble, causing her to watch upside down as the heroes stood in front of the latest Akuma.
“Alya?” Ladybug questioned, hoping that her best friend was still somewhere in there.
“Alya's been disconnected. I'm Lady Wifi. News flash! Ladybug, let's find out who you really are!” Lady Wifi proclaimed, right before she sent pause buttons at Ladybug. The spotted heroine jumped and dodged them, making them end up on the floor and walls, before she landed on the ground when in the clear.
“Words don’t seem to be cutting it. We need a plan!” Astral said.
“My thoughts exactly! Follow me!” Ladybug exclaimed to Astral before running towards the room door with the feline hero and duelist following behind. Since the door was guarded by Lady Wifi, they jumped up to get past the Akuma as she sent pause signs at them, only to miss once more as they landed behind her and escaped the room.
The three started running down the hallway with Lady Wifi following after while sending another pause sign at them. Ladybug, Cat Noir, and Yuma then turned left at the end of the hall, making the pause sign land on the elevator as they made it to the stairwell and started going down.
“So what's the plan?” Cat Noir asked as they ran down the stairs, wanting to know what kind of plan Ladybug had cooking up in her thoughts.
“She gets her powers from her phone, so let's lead her to the basement, where there is no service!” Ladybug exclaimed as they continued down the stairs, only to stop to see if they were low enough while Cat Noir continued going down.
“No service, no power. Nice one, My Lady!” Cat Noir praised, just as Yuma grabbed a spare wall board and began sliding down the railing.
“She'll never get any signal down there!” Yuma grinned, as he leaned forwards and passed the hero duo. “Last one to the bottom is a rotten duelist!”
“Oh, you are so on!” Cat Noir grinned, as he and Ladybug began to run faster, only for Lady Wifi to appear above Ladybug and send another pause sign to her. It nearly hit her, but she thankfully dodged it.
“We've gotta go lower!” Ladybug shouted before continuing to run down the stairs, as Lady Wifi laughed.
“I've got you now, Ladybug!” Lady Wifi cackled before sending another pause sign towards the heroes.
“Correction, we got you!” Yuma exclaimed, right before the Akuma had lost signal, which angered her.
The heroes waited at the bottom of the stairs, weapons out and ready for Lady Wifi to attack.
“Get ready!” Ladybug exclaimed as she spun her yo-yo into a shield.
“I'm always ready!” Yuma said, as his Duel Pad activated. But when he looked up, he saw that Lady Wifi was no longer above them, right before they heard a door open and close.
“She's gone back into the hotel!” The spotted heroine exclaimed, as she retracted her yo-yo. The four of them raced back up the stairs, only to see that pink lock icons had been put on all the doors.
“She locked all the doors!” Cat Noir remarked as they continued climbing up the stairs.
“Do you think she’s just hiding behind one of these doors?” Yuma brought up as they passed another locked door.
“Doubt it,” Ladybug argued as they ran up another flight of stairs, dismissing Yuma’s remark as quickly as they ran past yet another locked door. “It's locked!” The spotted heroine griped as they reached the top of the stairs, and to their surprise and suspicion, the door doesn't have a pink lock on it.
“She's left this one open,” Cat Noir pointed out as they stopped in front of it, ready to face whatever surprise was waiting for them.
“Let’s be cautious. This might be a trap.” Astral advised.
“Get ready for an ambush on 3. 1, 2, 3!” Ladybug counted down before they burst through the door, ending up in the hotel’s dining room. With their weapons out and ready to defend themselves, they looked around only to find that Lady Wifi was nowhere to be found, while cellphones suspiciously rested on all the tables.
“Ahhh... So much for the ambush,” Yuma remarked as Ladybug and Cat Noir relaxed and put their weapons away.
“Follow me,” Ladybug said, with Cat Noir following her immediately as they headed towards the dining tables.
“Where is she hiding? And what's up with all these phones?” Ladybug questioned while looking around, spying the phones on the tables.
“Wait…” Yuma said, gaining everyone’s attention. “Wasn’t she able to teleport through Chloe’s phone?”
Before anyone could say anything, a pink light came out from it like a spotlight from a phone on one of the tables, as Lady Wifi appeared with a cackle, and attacked them with pause buttons.
They dodge the first one and split up while Lady Wifi sends more pause buttons at Yuma.
“Hey, I thought it was you she was after!” Yuma exclaimed as he ran across some of the dining room tables, and flips over a table to use as a shield, only for it to backfire and push the duelist into a wall after Lady Wifi shot another pause button at him.
“I thought your Key protect’s you from Akuma’s.” Cat Noir said, as he went to help him.
“Better safe than sorry, Cat!” Yuma replied, as Lady Wifi went to swipe another attack at the duo, but Ladybug threw her yo-yo and tied it around Lady Wifi’s hand, preventing her from attacking. But when Ladybug tried to pull her away from the table, Lady Wifi disappeared, then started re-appearing above the undisturbed tables, one phone after another.
“Ha! You can't get me!” Lady Wifi taunted as she continued to disappear and reappear in showers of pink pixels above the tables.
“Yes I can,” Ladybug replied, before she started to break all the phones with her yo-yo, taking away most of Lady Wifi’s portals. Seeing that her strategy was failing, Lady Wifi ran towards the kitchen, with Astral and Ladybug following behind after destroying another phone.
But when they followed her in, Lady Wifi swiped an attack at Ladybug, and she dodged it. But the attack was a lock icon, so when it landed on the kitchen doors, it locked the door behind them, locking Yuma and Cat Noir out as well.
“No, no, no... Hold on in there, guys!” Yuma called out when finding he couldn’t get in.
Worried about his friends, Cat Noir quickly pulled out his staff and opened up a schematic of the hotel and zoomed in to find a way in. “Yuma! The service elevator!” The feline hero exclaimed, before they ran to the stairs to find the nearest service elevator.
Meanwhile in the kitchen, Ladybug had managed to keep Lady Wifi occupied for a good amount of time, dodging the Akuma’s attacks of Pause Icons. But she was soon cornered in between two storage shelves, where Lady Wifi used the opportunity to trap Ladybug with lock icons on her hands.
With Ladybug now trapped and struggling to get free, and Astral unable to help her, Lady Wifi smirked to herself in accomplishment as she swiped to send a camera icon into the air, right above her and Ladybug. The heroine was left in shock as the broadcast began, once again projecting into the sky, and playing on every screen in the city.
“Who is Ladybug? Is she a superhero or a super-weirdo? How can we trust the girl when we have no idea who she really is?” Lady Wifi questioned, her face taking much of the camera's space before she backed up and revealed the captured Ladybug behind her. “We have the right to know!” The internet themed Akuma exclaimed. She then grabbed Ladybug’s face and tried to remove Ladybug's mask. But unfortunately for Lady Wifi and fortunately for Ladybug, it wouldn't come off. “Why doesn't it come off?” Lady Wifi questioned, trying to get answers as to why this wasn’t as easy as it looked.
“Uhhh... because it's magic?” Ladybug supplied, stating the obvious.
‘Miraculous Observation #2: The Miraculous’s power prevents anyone except their holder’s from taking off their Masks.’ Astral mentally noted, right before the service elevator door opened up, and revealed Yuma and Cat Noir, pulling both girl’s attention from what was happening.
“You're out of minutes, Lady Wifi!” Cat Noir teased, right before hopping out of the service elevator and pulled out his staff, resting it cockily on his shoulders.
“Oh, how romantic. Tomcat's come to save his love bug,” Lady Wifi teased, as well as stating what everyone already knew as she turned to smirk at Ladybug, before swiping a lock sign at them, which they dodged.
But before they could do anything more, Lady Wifi sent another lock sign at Cat Noir and it knocked him into the freezer room making him crash into the wall and his ring fly off, releasing Plagg, and turning him back into Adrien. The both of them land on the cold floor.
“My ring!” Adrien exclaimed as he and Plagg got up from the floor and immediately went to the floor to find his Miraculous.
“Ooh... so chilly in here,” Plagg complained as he curled up into himself as he floated in the air.
“Where is it? I could use a little help!” Adrien remarked, asking Plagg for some help in getting the ring, and in turn, getting out of the room.
“Oh great! Now, he's gonna become a catsicle!.” Yuma growled, while Lady Wifi looked at the situation in accomplishment.
“Well, well... what am I gonna do with both of you?” Lady Wifi asked herself as she continued to watch Ladybug try and free herself, desperate to get out and help her partner.
As Lady Wifi contemplated what to do next Hawk Moth decided to come in at that moment.
“Get her to use her Lucky Charm! It'll force her to switch back, and her identity will be revealed. Then her Miraculous will be mine,” Hawk Moth commanded.
“If you don't get him outta there fast, your crush will soon be slush. Ha ha ha!” Lady Wifi taunted with a cackle before releasing Ladybug.
“Good luck with your cat popsicle! I have other news to cover!” the internet themed villain exclaimed, right before she jumped up into the air and disappeared in a shower of pink pixels.
“What does she mean by ‘other news’?” Astral wondered.
Outside the hotel, the Mayor, two police cars and a news cast crew were waiting as Chloé ran to the front door, peeking her head out to see if it was safe.
“Come on…” André encouraged Chloé, who immediately exited the hotel and hugged her father in relief. But suddenly, her phone rang, making the heiress stop hugging her father and check her phone, only for Lady Wifi to come out and land on the highest point of the hotel roof, where she began broadcasting herself.
“What's up, peeps! Listen everyone! I present you with the award-winning news story you've all been waiting for!” Lady Wifi proclaimed to the camera icon in front of her, while the broadcast played across the city.
Back in the kitchen, Yuma and Ladybug were trying to break down the door to the freezer room, punching and/or kicking it. But unfortunately, it wasn’t working.
“We'll get you out of there, Cat Noir!” Ladybug shouted through the door, while Adrien continued to search for his Miraculous, shivering like crazy in the process.
“Take your time!” Adrien managed to stutter out while he and Plagg were freezing their butts off.
Lady Wifi continued her broadcast, via the camera icon she left behind in the kitchen.
“Don't blink, 'cause Ladybug's about to drop the bomb on her real identity!” Lady Wifi exclaimed to the camera in front of her, excited for the mask to fall.
Back in the kitchen, a desperate Ladybug had pulled out her yo-yo. “Lucky Charm!” The spotted heroine shouted out as her superpower gave her…
“A frozen meal box?” Yuma asked in confusion, not sure how that was gonna help them.
“Hardly think this is the time to be thinking of your stomach.” Astral commented.
“This better be some lucky box…” Ladybug remarked before she looked around the room, her Lucky Vision kicking in, which highlighted a “Non-Microwavable’ warning on the box in her hands, the lock icon on the freezer door and then a microwave on the counter next to her.
“Of course, the microwaves!” Ladybug exclaimed as a plan formed in her head. “Their heat should short out the signal and unlock the door!” Understanding, Yuma grabbed a cart that just so happened to be parked in the kitchen, while Ladybug ran to the counter where the microwave was, and unplugged it. She then put the box in the microwave, took the microwave, placed it on the cart before Yuma turned it so the front would face away from them, and pushed the cart to the door.
Once it was right next to it, Ladybug plugged it back into the wall, changed the setting, and turned it on before kicking it to make the lock icon appear inside of the microwave as it heated up.
Inside the freezer, Adrien had finally found his ring underneath one of the numerous shelves in the freezer.
“Gotcha! Gotcha!” Adrien exclaimed in delight while Plagg floated next to him, covered in frost. How that happened so quickly, Adiren had no idea.
The microwave finally melted the lock icon, while Ladybug hid behind the ready-to-go-bomb about to explode.
“Come on, micro-thingies, jam this signal…” Yuma begged, right before the microwave exploded in a flash of electricity. “Yes!” Yuma cheered, as Ladybug moved the cart away from the door and threw it open, only to see Cat Noir was shivering. She only had two seconds to catch him before he fell to the ground, and held him in her lap to help him warm up.
“You okay, Cat Noir?” Ladybug worriedly asked, just before her Miraculous beeped.
“You used your Lucky Charm...there's not much time left,” Cat Noir pointed out, feeling both worry for his partner.
Unbeknownst to them, Lady Wifi was watching the whole interaction from the safety of her perch, smiling like a mad woman at how the plan was coming together.
“Exactly!” Lady Wifi exclaimed, feeling excited for the possible chain of events that was and/or could happen.
Back in the kitchen, Ladybug helped up Cat Noir from the floor, and they were ready to get back into the game.
“Zap open the kitchen door!” Cat Noir exclaimed as they stood in front of the locked door.
“We can't, the microwave's busted,” Ladybug admitted, gesturing to the broken microwave behind them, before asking Yuma. “Can you try summoning something?”
“Can’t do that either! This room is too small! If I try summoning a Number, the whole building might collapse!” Yuma replied, not liking the situation.
“I believe I’ve figured out what Lady Wifi meant by ‘other plans’.” Astral said, as he looked up at the camera in the corner of the kitchen roof above them.
“We’re being broadcasted.” the spotted heroine said, before getting an idea, as she gestured for Cat Noir to lean down so she could whisper her plan to him.
“Got it,” Cat Noir reassured, right before he grabbed a pan, and hopped onto the counter to put it over the top of the camera icon, blocking Lady Wifi's feed.
Meanwhile on the roof, Lady Wifi was now annoyed to find that her camera went dark.
“What is she up to?” Lady Wifi wondered before Hawk Moth decided to speak up.
“Don't let my Miraculous get away!” Hawk Moth growled.
“Right!” Lady Wifi exclaimed before heading towards the elevator, intent on revealing Ladybug’s identity.
Over in the kitchen, the heroes walked back over at the service elevator, aka the only way out of the room.
“We'll go and jam the Wi-Fi antenna,” Cat Noir explained as he and Yuma got into the cramped elevator, while Ladybug stood next to the small door and pressed the close button.
“Good luck!” Ladybug exclaimed as the door closed.
A few minutes later, Lady Wifi exited the elevator, just as Cat Noir opened the service elevator door, only to see a pause button fly right past him and Yuma. They quickly got out of the tiny elevator, and started to make their way to the stairwell as Lady Wifi continued to shoot more pause icon attacks their way. The two continued to dodge her attacks, and soon made it to the stairwell door, and ran in.
But before they did, one of Lady Wifi’s attacks hit the service elevator, and destroyed it, sending a cloud of debris up to Ladybug in the kitchen.
‘So much for that way out,’ Ladybug thought to herself. With the door locked and the service elevator destroyed, she had nowhere to go. She was trapped.
Cat Noir finally reached the top floor of the hotel, and spied the wi-fi antenna on top of the stairwell entrance, before they reached the top of the stairwell entrance and landed in front of it.
“Here you are!” The feline superhero exclaimed.
“Mind doing the honors, Cat Noir?” Yuma asked.
“With pleasure. Cataclysm!” Cat Noir shouted out, summoning his power. But before he could even put his hand on it, the tower glowed with pink lightning until Lady Wifi appeared at the top of the tower, looking down at him.
“Nice idea, Kitty Cat, but I'm not gonna let you cut me off so easily!” Lady Wifi exclaimed, right before she started firing pause icons at them, defending her source of power.
Back in the kitchen, Ladybug’s Miraculous beeped again, counting down from three minutes to two remaining.
“Hurry, guys,” Ladybug worryingly pleaded, hoping that her teammates could come through.
But this was Yuma and Adrien she was talking about… they always did in the end.
Lady Wifi kept attacking Yuma and Cat Noir from her perch, but they continued to dodge her. Cat Noir then pulled out his staff and threw it at her, but she dodged it. The staff sailed through the air, and then split into two, and since she saw it happen, Lady Wifi destroyed them. But she soon realized it was a diversion when she saw Cat Noir about to destroy the antenna.
“Nooooo!” Lady Wifi wailed as Cat Noir placed his hand onto the antenna and destroyed it. The remains and Lady Wifi fell and landed on the ground, the tower turning into rust, and shorting out.
Back in the kitchen, the pink lock and camera icons disappeared, letting Ladybug exit the kitchen, ready to help her friends.
On the roof, the broadcast had stopped playing. Lady Wifi recovered from her fall and looked at her phone, shocked to see her power was now gone.
“Lost the signal!” Lady Wifi exclaimed as Cat Noir jumped from the top of the stairwell and landed in front of her, confident he could take her now that she lost her powers.
“Gimme that phone!” Cat Noir demanded as Lady Wifi got to her feet. He lunged at her, trying to take the phone away from her, but she dodged him. It soon turned into a game of ‘Keep Away’ between the two of them, until Lady Wifi kicked him away.
Cat Noir quickly recovered, only for Lady Wifi to grab him and throw him to the ground, the feline hero finding himself defenseless. But before Wifi could do anything, Yuma quickly swiped the phone, just as Ladybug appeared. “Ladybug, catch!” Yuma called out, as he threw the phone at the spotted heroine. Once it was her hands, Ladybug broke the phone, releasing the Akuma.
“No more evildoing for you, little Akuma!” She exclaimed as she opened her yo-yo to reveal the sparkling pool of cleansing energy inside.
“Time to de-evilize!” Ladybug shouted out before she threw her yo-yo towards the escaping Akuma, catching it in her yo-yo.(Gotcha!” A second later, she released the purified Akuma, setting the white butterfly free. “Bye, bye little butterfly.” Ladybug said as the butterfly flew away. She then threw the box lucky charm into the air.
“Miraculous Ladybug!” She cried out. No sooner than she did, the miraculous cure swept through the city, returning things back to normal. Alya’s phone was repaired, the cell tower on the roof was restored, the kitchen downstairs was returned to its former glory, and Lady Wifi turned back into Alya.
“What?” Alya wondered, before she looked in front of her to see Ladybug, Cat Noir, and Yuma.
“Pound it!” The three heroes exclaimed as they fist-bumped, feeling proud of themselves as Alya walked towards them in awe.
“Ladybug! Wow! And Cat Noir! Can I get a quick interview? Just let me grab my phone!” Alya gushed, right before going to find her newly repaired phone, while Ladybug’s Miraculous beeped, leaving one minute left.
“Uhh... gotta go. You've only got a minute,” Cat Noir pointed out right before the trio left the roof, leaving Alya all alone.
“So-- oh, no! Where did they go?” Alya questioned when she turned around and saw that they left, feeling disappointed that they didn’t stick around.
Meanwhile, the three heroes raced to the ground level of the hotel, and looked for a place for Ladybug and Cat Noir to transform back. Thankfully, there was a small janitor's closet next to the stairwell, so they entered it, while Yuma left the building, not wanting to blow their cover. Ladybug then transformed back into Marinette, and currently held an exhausted Tikki in her hands.
“Phew, that was too close for comfort!” Tikki remarked, feeling drained from the fight.
“Tell me about it,” Marinette agreed before she gently placed Tikki into her purse, while Cat Noir transformed back into Adrien. After he opened the door and saw nobody outside, they walked out of the closet and out of the hotel with a smile, before leaving to their respective homes.
Meanwhile in Hawk Moth's lair, the super villain himself was enraged that his latest Akuma was defeated… again.
“Your mask will fall one day, Ladybug. You'll have no choice then but to hand over your precious Miraculous!” Hawk Moth proclaimed as the lair window closed up, leaving the man in total darkness.
The night gave way to a new Saturday, beginning yet another weekend that seems to fly by quickly. Marinette was taking the time to gaze out at the city from her balcony, with Tikki on her shoulder.
“Got it!” A voice behind Marinette exclaimed, surprising the poor girl and her Kwami. Tikki flew off to hide behind her holder, as Alya climbed up onto the balcony and walked towards Marinette, which made the girl relax. “Wanna see my new smartphone? It puts my old phone to shame! Just look at these pics!” Alya exclaimed, showing off her new phone, and ended up showing off a numerous amount of pictures of Adrien.
“Huh? What's with all these photos of Adrien?” Marinette playfully teased while she grabbed the phone so she could make an attempt to see the pictures more closely.
“Well... with a mask and a costume, don't you think he looks a little bit like Cat Noir?” Alya questioned as she showed Marinette an edited photo of Adrien she made that showed just how similar the ‘two’ boys looked, much to Marinette’s horror.
“Are you out of your mind? He's tons more legit than Cat Noir!” Marinette exclaimed, trying to stop Alya from putting two and two together.
“Hey! I happened to think that Cat Noir is pretty slick,” Alya admitted, defending the feline hero.
“Anyway, stop taking photos of Adrien. Well, unless you give them to me, afterwards,” Marinette said, right before she snatched Alya's phone from her hand, shocking the reporter.
“Give it back!” Alya exclaimed, only for Marinette to smile and start a game of chase.
“Nope!” Marinette replied as she started to play ‘Keep Away’ with her best friend, who matched Marinette’s own grin, and ran towards her balcony hatch.
“Oh, come on, Marinette! What if you drop it? Everyone knows how clumsy you are!” Alya exclaimed, as Marinette climbed back into her room, with Alya following after. Both of them were laughing as they continued the game in the ground level of Marinette’s room.
Author’s Note:
Happy Halloween, everyone! I have been taking in Deck suggestions for Marinette and Adrien, along with Ladybug and Cat Noir, and wanted to say thanks. I am still taking suggestions, as long as they don’t contain Pendulum or Link Monsters. (For example, cards from Yu-Gi-Oh Arc-V, such as Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon, and cards from series before Zexal are okay.
Next Crossover Fanfiction Polls:
https://www.streem.tech/poll/770
https://www.streem.tech/poll/783
To vote, click or enter the links above.
Chapter 6: The Evillustrator
Chapter Text
Chapter 6: The Evillustrator
“Heeelp!” Marinette screamed as she ran through the halls of Françoise Dupont at night, being chased by Stormy Weather and Lady Wifi.
The designer ran away from Stormy Weather, but was soon blocked by the other supervillain. When she tried to escape, running back toward Stormy Weather, Lady Wifi sent a pink pause symbol at her. After Marinette was locked in place, Stormy Weather raised her parasol and aimed at the paused girl, freezing her in a block of ice. The two supervillains met up beside the ice block and shook hands in accomplishment. But then, a mysterious boy landed on the floor behind them.
The boy’s skin was pale purple, and his hair was brushed back while colored orange with purple tips. On his head he had a dark purple beret, and on his face, he had a deep violet butterfly-shaped mask, and his eyes were moderate cyan. He wore a white jumpsuit with dark purplish-black stripes and solid dark purple legs that became red halfway down his lower legs. On his chest, there was a black circle with smaller red, yellow, and blue circles inside. His collar was similar to Juleka's usual T-shirt, with a red collar underneath. A black drawing tablet was attached to the back of his right forearm. His pen was silver towards the tip, with the end being black with a red stripe in the middle.
The two supervillains turned around and saw the new arrival, who twirled his pencil in his hand, ready to make his move.
Stormy Weather quickly raised her parasol, opening it up to attack the boy, but he merely erased the parasol, much to her shock.
Lady Wifi then stepped up to attack, but he spun his pencil in his hand again before he drew a box around the two villains, trapping them in a see-through cage. Once the two super villains were taken care of, the mystery boy erased the ice block Marinette was trapped in, letting her stumble to her feet, before looking at her rescuer.
“Oh, Super Nathan, you're my hero!” Marinette gushed, right before running to the mysterious boy.
“It was nothing,” Super Nathan assured as Marinette tightly embraced him.
“I love you!” Marinette proclaimed, looking up at her hero, before he returned her embrace.
“I love you too, Marinette,” Super Nathan replied, feeling so happy at that moment. Literally nothing could bring him down right now.
“Nathaniel! What are you drawing?” A voice exclaimed, interrupting the sweet moment, and caused the boy to wake up, seeing a woman standing above him, and his sketchbook, pulling him back into reality.
The boy was Nathaniel Kurtzberg, a fairly short artist with turquoise eyes, and face length messy ginger hair. He had long bangs that brushed to the left side of his face, covering most of his left eye. He wore a red orange t-shirt with a black logo design on the front, similar to that of the band Magma. Over his shirt, he wore a dark gray dress jacket with a folded collar, folded sleeves, and side pockets. He wore purple jeans that were rolled up at the bottom revealing a light purple bottom, and his shoes were gray with white lace and a white section where his toes would be.
The woman in front of him was Olga Mendeleiev, a physics, science, math teacher. Ms. Mendeleiev was a tall woman with short dark purple hair, deep cornflower blue eyes, prominent lips, a beauty mark on her left cheek, and a pointy chin. She wore black square-framed glasses, along with a purple V-necked dress shirt with a white scientific scribble pattern and popped collar, underneath a white lab coat. She also wore a brown watch on her right wrist, blue jeans, a brown leather belt, and red high heel shoes.
“Wha, wha—” Nathaniel began, trying to defend himself, as Ms. Mendeleiev grabbed one of the loose papers in Nathaniel’s sketchbook, and waved it in the air above the boy.
“These artistic endeavors are clearly why you are failing science,” Ms. Mendeleiev berated as she let go of the paper in her hands, letting it flutter to the desk as she ridiculed the young artist.
“I'm sorry…” Nathaniel mumbled.
“You go march yourself down to the principal's office and show him that chicken scratch! Then you'll be really sorry!” Ms. Mendeleiev demanded, seeming to enjoy torturing Nathaniel as he packed up his belongings and headed to the classroom door. But as he did, he tripped over another student’s bag, and fell to the floor, his sketchbook flying out of his open bag. As the book fell to the floor, the pages were open for all to see, including Marinette and Alya as they saw what the drawing contained.
Chloé grabbed the book to get a closer look, while Ms. Mendeleiev picked Nathaniel up from the floor by his shirt collar, both embarrassing the boy further, and showed everyone just how strong the science teacher was.
“Ooh! Look, Sabrina! It's him as a superhero! And look who he's saving! It's Marinette!” Chloé snidely remarked, showing the drawing to Sabrina.
“Uh-” Marinette managed to say, as she turned to Adrien and Yuma, who were also speechless.
“He's so totally crushing on you, Marinette!” Chloé teased as she discreetly took a page out of the sketchbook. Ms. Mendeleiev then let Nathaniel go, which allowed him to save himself from more embarrassment.
“Gimme that!” Nathaniel exclaimed as he snatched his sketchbook from Chloé, not noticing that she had stolen a page from it, frantic to keep others from looking at it more.
“Enough! Nathaniel, go!” Ms. Mendeleiev demanded, as she pointed to the door. Nathaniel then used the getaway she gave him, and ran out of the classroom, away from being embarrassed even more.
Far away, in Hawk Moth’s lair, the villain chuckled to himself, as the window of his lair opened. “Ahh, Artists can be so emotional. I love it,” he purred as a butterfly landed on his hand, before he turned it into an Akuma. “Fly to him, my little Akuma. Draw him into our evil web!” He declared, releasing the blackened butterfly to fly off.
In the hallway, Nathaniel was on his way to the Principal's Office and dropped his pencil, but when he grabbed it, the Akuma flew in and possessed it.
“Are you tired of having your creative spirit crushed? Evillustrator, I'm your friend and patron of the arts. I'm here to offer you support. But I don't give this kind of power for free. I have a couple of items that need retrieving,” Hawk Moth offered.
“Just tell me what you want,” Nathaniel agreed, before the outline disappeared and the dark purple aura emerged from the pencil, turning him into what he looked like in his dream.
(Play Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
The music starts up with Yuma activating his gear like in the original opening, before a blue vortex sucks Yuma and Astral into Paris.
Still together as one;
Cuz divided we're none;
Ready to go, we feel the flow!
Yuma then landed on his feet, as Astral floated next to him, before he drew a card and summoned Utopia.
So don't stand in our way;
You know we ain't afraid;
This is our time, we're in control!
Plagg was about to eat a piece of Camembert, before he was sucked into Adrien's ring, while Tikki she sucked in Marinette's earrings, causing them to transform into Ladybug and Cat Noir, who then Fist Bumped.
If I trip up today;
You just wipe it away;
All of my fears are gone, erased!
The rest of Yuma's friends then appeared on the Different Dimensional Airship, with Shark and Kite summoning Number 32: Shark Drake and Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon.
Let us tear down the walls;
'Til the final night falls;
The bonds of our souls can't be replaced!
Everyone then came together, as they all charged towards Hawk Moth and the Barians.
Let us fight together;
Regret it never;
Our dreams will be…!
The Giant Shadow of Don Thousand appears over both worlds as Vector goes from his human form to his Barian one, devastating the land.
Halfway to,
Forever;
Our light comes shining through!
Yuma and Astral then fuse into Zexal II as Yuma Summons Utopia Ray Victory as it absorbed an Overlay Unit.
Reach down deep;
Beat defeat;
Do all that we can do!
Ladybug and Cat Noir were then shown, as their monsters appeared and joined Utopia Ray Victory's attack.
Halfway to,
Forever;
We've got nothing to lose!
Hawk Moth smirked, as he held his arm out and created Akuma's, while Vector prepared to counter-attack.
Keep breathing;
Believing;
Halfway to forever-rrrrrr!
The Numeron Code was then shown, all of the Miraculous were spiraling around it. Astral and Yuma smile at each other and touch hands as they all come together with their aces standing out, with the title below them.
Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
(End Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
Back in Ms. Mendeleiev's classroom, the science teacher was facing the class as she began to assign groups for the class's particle physics project.
“The next particle physics presentation group is Nino, Adrien, Alya and Alix!” Ms. Mendeleiev announced. At her words, Adrien and Nino fistbumped. “And then, Yuma, Sabrina, Chloé and Marinette,” Ms. Mendeleiev continued, causing Marinette to gasp in shock, slamming her head onto the table.
“So unlucky,” Alya pittyed, before she patted Marinette on her back. But it looked like Chloé wasn’t going to have any of this.
“Uh, Miss, can't you add Marinette and Yuma to another group? Sabrina and I work much better on our own,” Chloé demanded.
“This is a group presentation, not pairs! Deal with it,” Ms. Mendeleiev denied, not folding for the heiress. Unlike her colleagues, Ms. Mendeleiev didn’t bend to Chloé’s whims. Quite frankly, she didn’t care about what her father would do to her either, much to Chloé’s annoyance.
“I hate dealing with it!” Chloé growled, right before the bell rang, signaling everyone to pack up and head to their next classes.
“You wouldn't be willing to trade groups, would ya?” Marinette asked Alya, hoping that her best friend would help her out.
“And deal with that twosome terror? Sorry,” Alya refused as she placed a comforting hand on Marinette’s shoulder, while the designer slumped in disappointment.
‘Fair enough, it’s not like anyone would be in Chloé’s group willingly, save for Sabrina of course,’ Marinette rationalized. ‘Besides, at least Yuma’s in our group as well. That should make things a little more tolerable.’
“But I promise to talk all about you in between particles and the physics!” The reporter promised, immediately cheering Marinette up.
“You're the best!” Marinette exclaimed in excitement before she glomped onto Alya, sending both of them to the ground in a fit of giggles.
Soon, everyone was in the locker room, either getting ready for their next class, or talking amongst themselves. Chloé and Sabrina were two of those people as they stood at the heiress’s locker, discussing the assigned physics project.
“Forget it, Sabrina. I don't have time for some dumb project,” Chloé dismissed, as she closed her locker, turning to face the police lieutenant’s daughter. “Besides, now you have Marinette and that boy to help you,” The spoiled brat justified, thinking she didn’t need to do any work and pawn it off onto Sabrina… like she always did.
“Okay, that's fine, Chloé. We'll do the work. Don't worry,” Sabrina reassured. But there was one small detail that was different from the last time… Yuma and Marinette were in their group now.
“Um, is everything okay?” Marinette questioned as she and Yuma walked over.
“It is fine, Marinette,” Chloé dismissed.
“Well then, why can't you help us with the project?” Marinette asked, not willing to let Chloé back out of her fair share.
“None of your business, Miss Nosy!” Chloé exclaimed, trying to get Marinette to drop her insisting/interrogating.
“Uh, isn’t it since we’re part of this group?” Yuma questioned, making a point.
“It's okay, guys. The three of us will do all the research, and the writing for our project, and then, Chloé can present it! That way it's equal,” Sabrina assured in hopes to quell any conflict.
“That's not equal at all! Is that how you two work?!” Marinette questioned, realizing how Sabrina and Chloé usually ‘worked together’ with school work.
“Yeah! We've been doing this ever since grade school, when I started doing Chloé's homework! And we've been BFF's ever since!” Sabrina explained cheerfully.
“You got a problem with that? Come on, Sabrina,” Chloé demanded, turning to Sabrina to get her lackey to follow her. But Marinette wouldn’t have any of it. She had to get Sabrina to see that this wasn’t healthy.
“Sabrina, Chloé's totally taking advantage of you. You don't have to do what she says. That's not how a real best friend acts!” Marinette explained as she placed her hand on Sabrina’s shoulder.
“Ugh, not only am I Sabrina's best friend, I'm her only friend, so she better do what I say, 'cause without me, she has nothing.” Chloé threatened, grabbing the bespeckled girl possessivly.
“Well, I'd rather have no friends than be friends with you,” Marinette remarked, not wanting anything to do with a toxic relationship like Sabrina and Chloé had.
“Whatever. I've got more important things to worry about. My hair is a hot mess and Jean Claude promised to work his magic. Later!” Chloé farewelled, departing in a huff.
“I believe the term for their relationship is ‘Parasitic.’” Astral said, making the duo nod.
A few minutes later, in the college courtyard, Yuma and Marinette had grabbed their bags, and were leaving the building.
“Marinette!” Sabrina’s voice called out, causing her to turn around to see Sabrina before she slammed into Marinette, hugging her tightly.
“I can't believe you stood up to Chloé like that! It was so amazing.” Sabrina gushed as she backed up from the hug, not believing that someone stood up for her against Chloé. ‘Literally, no one has done that for me,’ Sabrina gushed in her head.
“Uhh, well...Yeah, what are friends for?” Marinette managed through her surprise.
“You are my friend, and I'm really super excited to hang out with you, and have a new best friend who actually helps with the project! We're going to have the absolute best time together! Then, we'll do the presentation, and tell Ms. Mendeleiev the truth about Chloé! Sound good?” Sabrina rambled, excited to have someone stand by her in a more healthy way.
“Sounds...great?” Marinette agreed, not sure how to take Sabrina’s excitement so quickly.
“YAY! Then I'll see you in the library, besties!” Sabrina cheered before she practically skipped to the library, leaving a smiling Yuma and Marinette behind, happy to see Sabrina enjoy herself for once.
Pretty soon, the group was in the school library. While other students working on the same project were searching the shelves for books to help in the research part of the assignment, Sabrina was finally putting her foot down.
“Ugh! What do you mean, you're not doing my assignment?!” Chloé complained.
“Marinette is right! I...I'm not your slave!” Sabrina exclaimed as she, Yuma and Marinette sat at one of the library tables, with Astral floating besides them.
“Well, she never actually said that…” Yuma began. Marinette didn’t exactly say anything along those lines, but he knew she still meant something like that.
“But Marinette didn't buy a super cute beret at Gabriel's, and I did! Perhaps I could lend it to you,” Chloé offered, pulling out the newly bought beret from her bag, showing it off to the bespeckled girl.
“Excuse me, but are you trying to bribe her into staying your friend? With a hat?” Marinette questioned, appalled with Chloé’s tactics of keeping Sabrina loyal to her.
“Uhhh... really, really adorable hat! That would look fantastic on me!” Sabrina gushed as she poked out from behind Marinette to get a better look at the hat.
“No, excuse from ME, but you are trying to steal my friend from me, with homework!” The heiress shouted at Marinette.
“Guys, can’t we all just get along so we can do the assignment?” Yuma pleaded, trying to break up the fight, just as a mysterious figure had seen the group from the second level of the library, and drew a beret on his drawing pad with his silver pencil.
“Stay out of this!” Chloé yelled, right before a shower of berets suddenly fell from above, and onto Chloé. “Ahh! My hair!” Chloé exclaimed, raising her arms to cover her head in a form of protection, while the mysterious figure drew a hairdryer onto his drawing pad. A second later, the giant hair dryer appeared out of thin air in front of Chloé. “Ahhh! Please! Please! Ahhhh!” The spoiled brat cried out as she ran away from the hairdryer, only for it to follow behind her.
Meanwhile Adrien, who was one of the students looking for books in the library, saw Chloé in distress close by and decided that Cat Noir should step in, and ran to find a good hiding place. Once he did, he started the transformation sequence with the familiar phrase…
“PLAGG, CLAWS OUT!” Adrien shouted.
Back with Chloé, she was still running from the giant hair dryer.
“No! Not the hair!” Chloé cried as she kept running from the hair dryer, while Marinette ran to hide behind a bookshelf, eager to transform.
“Time to transform!” Marinette said as she opened her purse to let Tikki out.
“TIKKI, SPOTS ON!” the pigtailed girl exclaimed, turning into Ladybug.
“No! Stop!” Chloé begged as the hair dryer finally cornered her against some shelves. Then Ladybug arrived, wrapped her yo-yo around the giant appliance and jumped onto the hairdryer.
“Run and hide!” Ladybug ordered, allowing Chloé to run as the hair dryer gained a mind of its own, trying to buck Ladybug off it like a rodeo bronco. While Ladybug tried to hold on and gain control of the hair dryer, Cat Noir had finally arrived.
“I got wind that you were being blown away by a hairy situation,” Cat Noir punned from the top of one of the bookshelves, smirking at his ‘clever’ wordplay, while Ladybug passed right by him.
“Fewer puns, more action!” Ladybug managed to say as she wrangled the hair dryer in, needing Cat Noir to have his head in the game. Thankfully, the hero in black stepped in and tried to spear the hair dryer with his staff, only for the appliance to move, which made him miss and hit the floor instead.
Ladybug unwrapped her yo-yo from the hair dryer and throwed it, making it wrap around a support pole in the library, and used the momentum to swing the hair dryer to the floor. Using this as an opening, Yuma grabbed a card from his Extra Deck and exclaimed, “Go, Utopia!” He then called forth his Ace Monster, which then stabbed the hairdryer with his sword, destroying it. The figure above them glared at them in annoyance for ruining his plan, which allowed the heroes to look up and see him from the upper level.
“Well, that guy looks pretty sketchy!” Cat Noir quipped, seeing the Evillustrator above them, right before he and Ladybug jumped up to the upper level, and went after the Evillustrator. But when they went after him, he drew a see-through wall in their path, causing them to knock into it and fall backward.
When they recovered and got back to their feet, they saw the artist was gone.
“Where'd he go?” Ladybug wondered as she looked for the Villain.
“I don't know, but he sure has a way of illustrating his point.” Cat Noir punned, trying to lighten the mood.
After the heroes left the library, they headed to the Le Grand Paris Hotel, hoping to get some answers from Chloé.
“Seems this Evillustrator is targeting you specifically, Chloé. Any idea why?” Cat Noir questioned Chloé, while Ladybug and Yuma sat on one of the couches in the room, and the heiress was doodling on a piece of paper. Only when she was done did she decide to answer.
“No. Everyone adores me,” Chloé declared.
“Yeah, because you're sooo adorable,” Ladybug deadpanned, but Chloé’s eyes lit up.
“Yessss! Ladybug just said I'm adorable! I totally need a picture of the two of us together!” Chloé squealed as she quickly latched on and snapped an unexpected selfie..
“Ugh! That was unpleasant,” Ladybug groaned as she peeled Chloé’s arm off of her, and walked away as the spoiled brat looked at the selfie she had taken.
All of this while Cat Noir only observed, not knowing how to help in this situation. He’d had plenty of times that this had happened to him as Adrien, but Marinette wasn’t really on the best of terms with Chloé, so he understands why she would object to a photo op, especially with Chloé.
“Well, I look great, of course, but your smile is all wonky. I'll take another!” Chloé decided before she once again, quickly wrapped her arm around Ladybug’s neck and took another picture of them.
“Oh, for crying out loud!” Yuma facepalmed, as Ladybug only slumped over and frowned, until the picture was taken.
“Sorry, I'm just a little camera shy,” Ladybug sighed as she peeled away from Chloé again, and walked away. The heiress gushed about the photo, while Ladybug was angered by Chloé's behavior. Cat Noir took the opportunity to walk over to his annoyed partner.
“Looks like somebody's got a fan!” Cat Noir noticed, trying to cheer her up. But it didn’t work.
“Yeah, great,” Ladybug groaned, her voice conveying her annoyance and anger.
“Come on, you gotta admit that having this girl worship you is pretty awesome,” Cat Noir remarked, trying to cheer up Ladybug’s sour mood.
“If by awesome, you mean clingy.” Yuma whispered to Cat Noir. While he hasn’t known Chloé that long, he knew enough that she wasn't the best person to be friends with.
“Not really.” Cat Noir replied, before spotting the paper on Chloé’s couch was Nathaniel's drawing. He picked it up, only to see it was spoiled by Chloé, mainly the parts with Marinette in them since they had ugly glasses and a mustache added to it.
“Isn’t this Nathaniel’s drawing?” Astral asked the feline themed hero.
“Well, now we know who the Akuma is and why he’s targeting Chloé.” Cat Noir said, as he picked up the drawing and gave it to Yuma.
“Well, if someone was teasing me and ruined something personal of mine, I wouldn’t blame them.” Yuma commented.
“What?! I did no such thing!” Chloé countered.
“What do you call this then?” Yuma asked, as he showed the picture to her, which made Chloé sweat drop, and further soured Ladybug’s mood.
“Ugh, seriously?” Ladybug declared as her hands angrily balled up into fists, before she opened the balcony doors, and walked onto the terrace. “You stay here and protect Chloé. Me and Yuma will look for Nathaniel.”
“Be careful, okay?” Cat Noir said, before they shared a small kiss, calming Ladybug down a little.
“Don’t worry. We will.” Ladybug said, jumping up onto the railing, looking out at the city in front of her before she grabbed Yuma, pulled out her yo-yo and swung away, leaving Cat Noir behind. Immediately after she left, Chloé ran to the balcony and waved goodbye to the retreating hero.
“Ahhh! Ladybug! Text me! OK!” Chloé exclaimed, causing Cat Noir to facepalm.
Soon enough, Ladybug and Yuma reached the Dupain-Cheng bakery, landed on the balcony, opened the trapdoor of Marinette’s room, and the spotted heroine transformed into Marinette. After climbing down to the ground level of her room, she threw her purse on her chaise, forgetting Tikki was in there for a second.
“Ow!” Tikki cried out, before she popped out from the purse, and flew to her holder. “Hey!” The Kwami exclaimed, causing Marinette to realize her mistake.
“Sorry, Tikki... Chloé! She just...fires up this little red bug!” Marinette said, apologizing for taking out her anger on her Kwami, before slipping back into her anger.
“Well, simmer down! A hot head isn't going to get you anywhere!” Tikki chided.
“I agree. We cannot afford you to be a potential candidate for Hawk Moth’s Akuma’s.” Astral added
“You’re right. It's hard to keep my cool. Especially in school,” Marinette sighed, right before she remembered an important detail. “Oh my gosh! Sabrina! The project!'' The designer cried out before she dived onto her chaise, grabbed her phone from her purse, and checked it, seeing a lot of missed calls from Sabrina.
“Uh-oh... Looks like we got ourselves a new BFF!” Yuma teased, making Marinette drape herself onto her chaise in defeat.
“What are we gonna do now?” Marinette asked, hoping to come up with a plan.
“Well, maybe we can-” Yuma said, before he and Tikki saw someone out the window. “Uh oh! Trouble!” He said, as Tikki hid in Marinette’s purse.
Marinette then looked up and saw that the one in the window was the Evillustrator, right before he erased the window pane, and entered her room.
“It's you! From the library! What are you doing here?” Marinette questioned, shocked that the villain was in her room as she sat back onto her chaise.
“Stay back! I know how to Duel!” Yuma exclaimed, as he attached his Duel Pad to his arm.
“Easy, tiger. I’m not here to fight.” The Evillustrator reassured, confusing the duelist.
“You’re not?” Yuma asked, before the Akuma shook his head.
“I just wanted to see you,” The Evillustrator pointed to Marinette, much to the designer’s confusion.
“Okay... But why did you attack Chloé?” Marinette asked, trying to get more information out of the Evillustrator. Thankfully, he was all too eager to comply.
“Because Chloé is cruel and selfish!” The Evillustrator growled, much to their surprise to find she actually agreed with him. This was the first time that she ever agreed with an Akumatized victim.
“Can't argue with that…” Marinette said, before asking, “Are you going to hurt me?” Marinette checked.
“You? You're Marinette! You're beautiful and sweet and... you're perfect and I could never hurt you!” The Evillustrator rambled, letting his crush on the girl show as he gushed about her.
“Wow...that's, uh... very, umm...flattering! Uh, thank you?” Marinette thanked, feeling flattered that the Evillustrator thought about her like that.
“So, I just came by to ask you, uh, well, it's my birthday today, and, uh, would you wanna come to my party?” The Evillustrator stammered out bashfully.
“Oh, umm... Actually, it's not really the best night. See, we got a presentation to work on, and...I have to call my friend, so we can meet and…” Marinette trailed off as she stood up from her chaise, grabbed a blue folder that was sitting on her storage trunk, trying to explain why she couldn’t make it. Not to mention that if she went, Ladybug wouldn’t be able to save the day.
“Oh please, Marinette! It'll just be you and me.” The Evillustrator begged. He then sketched something, and grabbed the resultant invitation that appeared to present it to Marinette on one knee.
“Oh my gosh! That's...me!” Marinette gushed, surprised to see herself so well drawn on the invitation before looking back at the hopeful Evillustrator.
“You like it?” The Evillustrator asked, his hopes laid bare to the girl standing in front of him, as she looked at the invitation… and saw an exclamation mark on the bottom left corner of the page, recognising the signature.
“I...love it! So much that I will absolutely be at your party,” Marinette decided.
“Huh?!” Yuma exclaimed, not expecting that response, as he stared at the designer in disbelief, who gave Yuma a wink (which Evillustrator didn’t notice). Realizing a plan was forming in her mind, he played along while Evillustrator’s eyes lit up at her response.
“On one condition,” the designer continued, hoping that he would comply with her simple request.
“Anything for you, Marinette,” The Evillustrator responded, wanting no more than anything to make the girl he loved happy, and have the chance to go on a date with her.
“You can't hurt Chloé anymore. I simply cannot bear violence,” Marinette said, laying it on thick considering she dealt with violent Akuma’s on the daily. But it's not like he knew, or needed to know that.
“For you and only you,” The Evillustrator agreed as he got up from the floor, and turned to face the erased window. “Meet you on the left bank, next to Notre-Dame, at sunset!” the artist themed villain announced as he drew a rocket pack on his drawing pad; which appeared on his back, and flew away through the damaged window, leaving the designer alone in her room.
“Ahh....” Marinette sighed as she sat back down on her chaise, not believing that she managed to talk to an Akuma without it turning south, while Tikki flew out of the girl's purse and floated in front of her.
“What are you thinking, Marinette?” Tikki asked as Marinette pulled out the crumpled drawing she took from Chloé’s room, and straightened it out to see it clearly.
“I'm thinking poor Nathaniel's got a crush on me. And his alter ego, the Evillustrator's gonna get crushed by Ladybug!” Marinette exclaimed, holding the drawing and invitation next to each other, and saw the identical exclamation mark signature.
“Yes, but... how exactly is Ladybug going to crush this crush when...you're going on a date with as Marinette?” Astral asked, bringing up the one flaw in Marinette’s plan.
“Astral’s right. You can’t be in two places at once.” Yuma added.
“Maybe some cool cat needs to crash the party,” Marinette remarked, thinking of the perfect solution to the problem… or more like a purr-fect solution.
Back at the hotel, Cat Noir was regretting his choice to stay behind and keep Chloé safe. Because now she was whining about doing her part of the homework assignment on her own.
“Ohhh... Sabrina is so selfish! Making me do this project by myself?! Ugh, my brain hurts…” Chloé whined as she sat in her pink single seat, holding her head to stop the incoming ‘headache’ she had. But then she looked up at the hero as he stood guard. With a sly smile, the blonde thought of an idea to get out of doing her work, and walked over to the unsuspecting Cat Noir. “Cat Noir, Are you any good at particle physics?” Chloé asked seemingly innocently, pulling his attention from guarding, and to the heiress as she asked her question.
“Oh, this cat's got particle physics in the bag,” Cat Noir bragged, much to Chloé's joy.
“Ah! Great!” Chloé exclaimed before she pulled him with her by his arm toward the chair she was just occupying.
“Sit, kitty!” The heiress ordered as she gave him the project. After she had pawned off the work to Cat Noir, she walked away, grabbed a magazine and sat down onto her pink lawn chair, intent on letting him do all the work.
“Now, make it sound purr-fect for my presentation. See what I did? I made a cat joke! Ah! I can be funny,” Chloé laughed, amused by her own joke before going back to read her magazine, much to Cat Noir’s annoyance.
“Yeah, hilarious.” Cat Noir agreed sarcastically, before his staff rang, much to his joy to get out of working Chloé’s project (when he had his own to finish, mind you) as he got up from the chair and walked to the balcony to answer it, seeing Yuma on screen.
“Any luck finding Nathaniel?” Cat Noir asked.
“Yep, and we’ve already got a plan. You can leave Chloé now, because we’re gonna need you to protect this girl instead,” Yuma reported just before a picture of the girl he needed to watch over appeared.
“Her name is Marinette. Really cute, isn't she?” Marinette’s voice teased, as she was off screen, not in her Hero Persona. They knew that Chloé might try and listen in on the conversation, so they were playing it safe, and it was a good thing they did, as Chloé's attention was brought from her magazine to the conversation on her balcony. “The Evillustrator is in love with her, and promises not to harm Chloé as long as Marinette comes to his birthday party. While he's distracted, we want you to take him down,” Ladybug explained as Chloé walked up to Cat Noir, dinged his bell, catching his attention, and pointed to the folder in her hand, telling him to do the project. He merely gave her a tense smile before he turned her around-his smile turning into a frown-and shoved her away. “Can you handle this by yourself?” Ladybug questioned, hoping that she could trust him to handle this on his own.
“Ha! Please! It'll be a cinch!” Cat Noir reassured before he closed the baton, feeling confident in himself before he went over to the balcony entrance to say to Chloé, “You're out of danger, uh, so I'll see ya! Later!” The black cat hero exclaimed, right before he ran off and jumped away. Chloé, who stood at the end of the pink couch-her arms crossed and a frown on her face-was left in shock.
“Later?! What about my presentation?! Ughhhh!” Chloé griped as she gestured to the folder on her couch, and growled in frustration. ‘Great, just great!’ Chloé thought to herself.
Back over at the Dupain-Cheng bakery, Marinette and Yuma were about to leave, only to come face-to-face with Sabrina. “Oh! Sabrina! You scared me,” yelped Marinette, as Sabrina walked over to the duo.
"Sorry… I was just waiting for you," said Sabrina. "Did you get my messages?"
“Yes! Yes I did! And I was totally gonna call you,” Marinette answered, telling the truth since she had planned on calling Sabrina before the Evillustrator had shown up.
"You were? I knew you would!" Sabrina beamed. "Eventually. And so? I did your geography homework!" She then handed Marinette her homework, much to the duo’s surprise.
"Whoa! You didn't have to do that," said Marinette.
"Well, since you're my new best friend, it's the least I can do."
"Thanks, but I just can't," she said, pushing it back towards her.
"Really?" said Sabrina, looking upset.
"Oh, okay, but just this once," said Marinette, taking the homework.
"Great! So, you wanna work on the physics project tonight?" Sabrina asked.
"Uhhh, I'm so sorry, Sabrina, I've got something really important that I have to do," said Marinette honestly.
"Something really important? Really? That's fascinating. Oh, you know who else uses that excuse all the time, don't you?"
"Um, no?" Marinette frowned.
"Chloé! I'm beginning to see how similar you two are!" said Sabrina looking upset. "I bet you'd expect me to do all the work like she did, right?"
"No! I don't! Really!" said Marinette quickly. "It's just that—"
Sabrina then snatched the homework back, looking upset. "I can't believe I did your geography homework for you…" She then turned away and ran off, rather upset.
“Sabrina-!” Marinette was about to give chase, only for Yuma to stop her. “Yuma?”
“You got somewhere important to be. Let me take care of Sabrina.” Yuma stated, causing the designer to hesitate, before nodding slightly, as the duelist then chased after the upset girl, yelling. “Sabrina, wait! I can explain!”
“Whoo-hoo! I thought I was going to have to save you from that girl's claws," said Cat Noir, as he landed in front of Marinette. “After all, I’m your knight for tonight’s ball, little lady.” Cat Noir proclaimed, as he bowed and kissed Marinette’s hand.
“That puts my mind at ease,” Marinette teased, while Cat Noir stood up and placed his hand on the wall and leaned against it.
“So, you up for helping a superhero?” Cat Noir asked.
“Me and Cat Noir? Fighting crime together? Amazing! What do I do?” Marinette exclaimed, acting excited, causing the feline-themed hero to chuckle.
“You just need to keep him away from the pen, Little Lady. I'll take care of the rest,” Cat Noir explained as he turned to leave, gave her a two finger salute and then jumped away. Once he had left, and made his way to the rooftops, Marinette used the opportunity to giggle to herself.
Meanwhile, back with Yuma, he had finally managed to catch up with Sabrina. Seeing that he wouldn’t leave her alone until she listened, she stopped and decided to hear the boy out. “So Marinette made a deal with the Akuma so that as long as she goes to his Birthday Party, he’ll leave Chloé alone?” Sabrina asked as she and the duelist sat down on a bench in the park. “Why would she do that?”
“Well, despite Chloé tormenting her, she doesn't want to see Chloé hurt. From what I hear, she has bullied Marinette for years, but that doesn’t mean she should treat her like the way Chloé has treated her. That would make her no better than Chloé,” Yuma explained.
“She does have some good in her. She just doesn’t like to show it in public,” Sabrina admitted, trying to defend Chloé. “Chloé thinks she has a reputation to uphold, despite what me and the rest of her family say. She thinks she has to be ruthless like her mother, and strives to be like her to win her approval,” the bespeckled girl revealed. “But in private, she is actually a nice person… when she wants to be. That type of mentality does not go away fully with a snap of her fingers, no matter what she thinks,” Sabrina admitted with a soft blush and fond smile, revealing a bit of Chloé’s more personal qualities that she kept close to the vest, and tried to defend the heiress.
“She seems to trust you enough to show that side of her,” Yuma said, now realizing that Chloé and Sabrina’s relationship was a little less toxic than it seemed. “Kind of reminds me of a couple of my friends back home.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” Yuma smiled, as he stared into the clouds, seeing the silhouettes of Shark and Kite. “They never really wanted me as a friend, but no matter how many times they pushed me away, no matter how many times they said they never needed me, I kept Feeling the Flow, and stood by their side to the very end.”
“They must be very special to you.” Sabrina realized.
“Yeah, they are.” Yuma nodded, before he stood up and said, “So, you wanna get started on that project?”
“Huh?”
“Well, it has to get done at some point, and with Marinette occupied with the Akuma and Chloé, well, not wanting to do the work, that just leaves the two of us.” Yuma said.
“Oh, right.” Sabrina nodded, before remembering what happened earlier at the Bakery. “Oh, man, Marinette! I should have listened to her! Now she thinks I hate her…” She trailed off, before looking at Yuma and asked, “Do you think she can forgive me?”
“Why don’t you go and talk to her before class tomorrow? You won’t know for sure until you try,” Yuma encouraged Sabrina, hoping she would go and talk to Marinette
“You’re right! I should talk to her!” Sabrina exclaimed, before she stood at Yuma with a certain look in her eyes. “Hey, uh, you won’t tell anyone what I said about Chloé, will you?” Sabrina asked, knowing that if it got out, Chloé would immediately know she blabbed, and things between them would never recover. Thankfully, Yuma only smiled at her.
“Our little secret,” Yuma said, making a ‘zipper lip’ gesture, and caused Sabrina to smile.
Down at the Seine near Notre Dame, as the day turned into dusk, Evillustrator was on a barge, preparing everything for his birthday date. As he sat on the top of the wheelhouse, he drew lanterns and small bushes along the sides, and on the deck of the barge. After that, a miniature display of the Eiffel Tower and a bench in front of it, appeared in the middle of the deck, foliage surrounding it.
But just as he finished drawing up two lanterns on either side of him and smiled to himself in accomplishment Hawk Moth decided to speak up. “That is a lovely little scene you're setting. But I don't want you to get distracted, boy,” Hawk Moth reminded Evillustrator. The purple menace didn’t give him these powers just to get revenge and impress his crush.
“But I just want Marinette to love me,” The Evillustrator argued, trying to appeal to Hawk Moth’s softer side… not that he had one though, but it was worth a shot.
“And I want the Miraculous. So get it! Or else,” threatened the man as he clenched his fist, paralyzing the Evillustrator’s hand, making him grab it to stop the pain and drop his pen.
“Okay, I will, I will!” The Evillustrator assured fearfully. Thankfully, Hawk Moth relented and his hand went back to normal. And just in time, for…
“Happy birthday,” A sweet voice behind the Evillustrator greeted, causing him to turn around. He then saw Marinette had arrived, and was standing near the gangplank that led to the barge, smiling.
“Marinette!” The Evillustrator exclaimed when he saw her, happy that she had come after all. He then jumped off the wheelhouse, and joined Marinette as they began to stroll down the barge. “Thank you for accepting my invitation,” The Evillustrator began as they walked down the length of the barge, Marinette in front and him behind her.
“Wow, it's so beautiful,” Marinette complemented as they walked, admiring the work the artist had put into this date.
“You like it? Well hold on, 'cause I'm just getting started,” Evillustrator proclaimed before he jumped up and onto the wheelhouse, ready to draw something else. But just as he was about to, dark clouds appeared, clouding the moon and blocking his light.
“Grr! Come on, you've gotta be kidding!” The Evillustrator growled, glaring up at the darkened sky above him. Marinette was suddenly surprised by his aggression, which made Evillustrator’s realize he might have been a little short. “Uhh, sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. It's just... I can't draw properly in the dark,” The Evillustrator explained before he leaned in close to one of the lanterns he drew up before, and continued to work on his drawing, while Marientte found that little fact interesting.
‘That could come in handy later on,’ The designer thought to herself as Evillustrator drew a glowing moon above the miniature Eiffel Tower, lighting up the barge.
“Voilà!” The Evillustrator exclaimed, feeling accomplished as the whole scene came together.
Soon enough Marinette and the Evillustrator were sitting on the bench in front of the replica Eiffel Tower while the barge moved along the river. As the Evillustrator played some music on his pad by drawing the notes and letting them fly into the air, Marinette looked up at the rooftops and noticed Cat Noir leaping across them.
‘Time to do my part,’ the designer thought to herself before turning to face Evillustrator. “You're so talented! I just don't understand why you wanna use your power to hurt people,” Marinette gushes as she scooted closer to Evillustrator, trying to establish conversation.
“Not all people. Just Chloé. And I'm never doing that again. After all, you were true to your promise, so I'll be true to mine,” The Evillustrator promised, stopping his melody to speak to her. Marinette smiled at his words before he continued to draw more music notes.
Meanwhile, as the barge passed under a bridge, Cat Noir landed on said bridge as the front of the barge went underneath, and leapt directly to the boat, landing as silent as his namesake behind the wheelhouse.
Over with the ‘love birds’ Marinette was still trying to strike up conversation to distract Evillustrator.
“I...actually draw a little too, I'm not as good as you are, of course,” Marinette admitted, hoping to keep him focused on her.
“I'm sure you're a wonderful artist,” The Evillustrator praised, trying to assure Marinette to not doubt her talents as he kept drawing the music notes to life.
“Well, can I draw you something special for your birthday?” Marinette asked, turning slightly to see Cat Noir was crouched on the top of the wheelhouse, ready to attack. But Marinette placed her hand behind the bench and looked back at Cat Noir, gesturing to him to back off. She then used her other hand to grab the top of Evillustrator’s pen, stopping the music again.
“That would be amazing,” The Evillustrator gushed, surprised that Marinette wanted to do that for him. But as Cat Noir took Marinette’s advice and backed up after seeing her grab ahold of the pencil, the artist noticed him retreating from the corner of his eye.
“Marinette, give me my pencil back. I need to draw something, now!” The artist Akuma demanded, trying to pull his pen back from Marinette… but she wouldn’t let it go.
“No, I'm keeping it!” Marinette exclaimed as she grabbed the pencil and got back onto her feet.
“Cat Noir! Now!” The designer shouted as she ran from Evillustrator, right before Cat Noir's staff extended in front of him, blocking his path and making him realize what was happening.
“Marinette! You're working with him?” The Evillustrator questioned as the designer turned back to look at him in apology when she was far enough away.
“I'm so stupid... I actually thought you liked me! But you're really just like Chloé. Teasing me, mocking me, leading me on!” The artist Akuma growled, his feelings of betrayal bleeding into every word. But his words did the trick as Marinette grew angry at his choice of words.
“Come on! Seriously? Why is everyone comparing me to Chloé?” Marinette shouted in disbelief, stomping her foot on the deck of the barge in anger. It was just the distraction Evillustrator needed as he kicked Cat Noir's staff, making it fly away from him, and into the air.
Thanks to its current length, it hit Marinette’s hand, knocking the pencil out of her grip. While both Marinette and Cat Noir were distracted, Evillustrator slipped off the bench, jumped up to grab the pen, and landed on the moon he drew earlier. Once he did, Cat Noir jumped up after him, staff raised above him to attack the artist, only for Evillustrator to draw something on his tablet.
A transparent cube then appeared from thin air, and fell at an angle that not only trapped Cat Noir, but also Marinette when it landed on the deck. When Marientte and Cat Noir were trapped inside the box, Evillustrator then landed on top of it, knowing they couldn’t try anything.
“And I'm taking back my promise! Chloé's gonna get a little lesson she'll never forget!” The Evillustrator exclaimed before he erased a part of the hull, and created a hole in the boat. As the boat started to sink, the artist escaped by jumping onto the wheelhouse roof, and then up onto a passing bridge, leaving Marinette and Cat Noir trapped.
“We've been penned in! Literally!” Cat Noir exclaimed as he tried to fight his way out by jamming the end of his staff into the bottom of the box. While doing that, Marinette watched as he struggled to free them, but then had an idea of how to get out.
“Cat Noir, your stick! Like this!” Marinette explained as she knelt to the deck, and made Cat Noir do the same as she placed the stick against the deck, facing up and at the top of the cube.
“And extend it!” The designer finished as she pointed to the top of the box, explaining her plan.
“Got it!” Cat Noir exclaimed, as he wrapped his arm around Marinette’s waist and pulled her in close and leaned in close with a smirk before she wrapped her arms around his neck. A second later, Cat Noir extended his stick, lifting himself, Marinette-who held onto him for dear life-and the cube into the air, extending the stick long enough for them to safely reach the rail of the bridge Evillustrator had used to escape.
Once the stick was leaning against the rail and the box flew off the end of the baton, Cat Noir quickly gathered Marinette into his arms and planted his feet onto his stick before leaning toward the ground and slid down to the end. His feet finally landed onto the ground, where he let Marinette back onto her feet, and retracted and spun his baton, before catching, and putting it away.
“We gotta go. Still got a lot more saving to do,” Cat Noir began as he turned to face Marinette after their daring escape.
“Right. You go and call Yuma, I’ll start heading towards Chloé,” Marinette vented as Tikki flew out of her purse, and floated next to her.
“Got it.” Cat Noir nodded, as he ran off and pulled out his staff, while Marinette ran to a hiding place, transformed into Ladybug, wrapped her yo-yo around a chimney and swung towards the hotel.
“Hmmmm.” Yuma said, as he and Sabrina were in the Library (which was still open, thankfully), reading books and taking notes at one of the tables.
“I think that's about everything.” Sabrina smiled, as she closed the book she was reading and double checked their notes.
“Finally!” Yuma slumped, his face hitting the table. “All that studying was making me tired.”
“Maybe we should take a break.” Sabrina suggested, right before a strange sound started coming off Yuma. Curious, he pulled out his Duel Gazer, and saw that he was receiving a call from…
“Cat Noir?” Yuma asked, confused on why the feline-themed hero was trying to contact him, before he answered it, seeing his friend appear on the lens, who was currently running across rooftops. “Hello?”
“Yuma, the Evillustrator took back on his promise and is going after Chloé! We need you!” Cat Noir exclaimed, causing the Duelist’s eyes to widen.
“On my way!” Yuma replied, as he then ended the call and turned to Sabrina, feeling guilty for the unexpected change of plans that occurred.. “Sabrina, I-”
“It’s okay, go! The project can wait!” Sabrina exclaimed, knowing that Akuma’s don’t normally take the word ‘no’ very well, if their actions afterwards in the past were any indication. Grateful that she understood, Yuma smiled and ran towards the exit, attaching his Duel Pad to his arm.
Over at the hotel, Chloé was in front of her bathroom mirror, trying to come up with an excuse for why she hadn't completed the project. "Boo-hoo-hoo! I'm so sorry, miss, but after what happened at the library, I simply couldn't work on my project! It would've been too...dramatic! Just look what it's done to my… my… hair!" Chloé said, pretending to cry, but then quickly stopped. "Oh, please. Who's going to believe that?! Even a stupid hairdryer couldn't make me look bad."
right before the door to her actual room rumbled, causing Chloé to cautiously walk out of her bathroom and to the door.
“Uh? Cat Noir? Is that you?” Chloé asked as she leaned her ear against the door, only for it to be erased, revealing the Evillustrator behind it. Chloé then ran away in fear, as the Evillustrator erased away more of her door. The spoiled brat screamed as she ran further into her room and hid under her bed, as Evillustrator entered the room.
“Chloé, where are you? Are you hiding? That is so cute. You're playing hide-and-seek. In the closet?!” The Evillustrator called as he walked further into the room-passing by Chloé's bed, as the girl hid underneath- before he turned toward Chloé's closet and started erasing things in it.
The girl screamed in shock from her hiding place, and that was all Evillustrator needed to find her, erasing the bed Chloé was hidden under with a sinister chuckle. When she saw her hiding spot was gone, Chloé screamed again as she got up from the floor and backed away from Evillustrator
“I win, Chloé! I found you!” The Evillustrator taunted, looking and sounding like a psychopath.
“Ah! My Chanel dresses! My Todelan heels! You're... you're a monster!” Chloé exclaimed, actually feeling emotion for her expensive stuff. Not that you can blame her… but still.
“You like to walk all over other people. But you don't like it when others trample on you! Do you, Chloé? Do you?” The Evillustrator questioned as he drew a giant heeled shoe that soon chased after Chloé. The girl screamed again as she was pursued by the giant shoe.
Thankfully for her, Ladybug appeared and broke the heel of the shoe, making it disappear before it stepped on the heiress. The Evillustrator was left angered as he looked over at the balcony door to see the spotted heroine standing there.
“Oops! Broke your heel! Better watch your ankles,” Ladybug teased as she spun her yo-yo with her hand-turning it into a shield- just as Cat Noir landed on the balcony and entered the room.
“Well, well, look what the cat dragged in,” Cat Noir greeted as he pulled out his stick, and smiled at his partner.
“No cat dragged me anywhere, Cat Noir. I flew in all on my own,” Ladybug responded, returning her partner’s banter with her own.
But their exchange was soon interrupted by the Akuma himself.
“In the comics, this is what's known as the final showdown. The thing is, if you knew her, you wouldn't be breaking a sweat to save her skin! She's the real baddie!” The Evillustrator shouted as he tried to justify his actions to the Heroes.
“Oh! It's not true! Everybody adores me!” Chloé denied as she sat on the floor to the side of the soon-to-be fight, staying on the hero's side of the room rather than the villain's. But as soon as she finished, Evillustrator drew up three boxing gloves and fired all of them at the other people in the room.
“Look out!” Cat Noir shouted as he spun his baton in front of him to block the incoming hit, only to get knocked out of the room by one of the gloves, dropping his staff and flying onto the balcony. Meanwhile, Ladybug dodged a boxing glove, and jumped up into the air, stepping on the passing glove to use the momentum and swing her yo-yo to disintegrate the last one with her weapon, saving Chloé from the incoming hit.
When Ladybug landed back on the floor, she threw her yo-yo at the Evillustrator, but he quickly drew a wall to protect himself from the weapon, causing Ladybug to grab it as it went back at her. Evillustrator quickly drew a buzzsaw and sent it toward Ladybug, who dodged it by using her yo-yo as a shield, but it only redirects it towards Chloé.
The buzzsaw was about to hit the heiress, but Cat Noir (who had just gotten back from his recovery on the balcony) stopped it by spearing the hole in the middle of the blade with his stick. The blade then slowed down and fell to the floor, mere inches away from Chloé before it disappeared. Cat Noir then grabbed his staff, spun it and then split it into two before he threw them at the Evillustrator, who unfortunately dodged them.
One half of the staff buried itself into the wall, but the other half of the stick broke a lamp that was mounted on the wall behind the Evillustrator, forcing him to walk closer to another working lamp. The sudden change allowed Ladybug to remember what she had learnt earlier.
“The light! Cat Noir! He can't draw in the dark!” Ladybug exclaimed as she turned to face her partner.
“Got it!” Cat Noir replied as he looked around and he saw a light switch on the wall behind him. Once that was in his line of sight, he called on his…
“Cataclysm!” The feline hero cried, summoning his signature move. But before he could use his Cataclysm to destroy the light switch, the Evillustrator erased it. This made Cat Noir break the wall instead, wasting his shot.
“Here you go, kitty. A little ball and chain to play with,” The Evillustrator taunted as he drew a ball and chain before they appeared on Cat Noir's ankle.
“Hey!” Cat Noir shouted in protest, not liking that the Akuma was playing dirty.
“Sadly, those who get in my way get erased,” The Evillustrator proclaimed before he erased a giant hole in the floor, which caught Cat Noir by surprise. He quickly fell into it, but Yuma showed up just in time and managed to grab him and help himself by grabbing onto the ledge, while Ladybug tried not to fall in as well.
“I…got you!” Yuma exclaimed, as Cat Noir grinned, thankful that his friend showed up at the perfect time.
“I had no idea you were this strong.” Cat Noir commented.
“Really helps…when you make food deliveries…up a huge set of stairs!” Yuma grinned, while the rapidly expanding hole forced Ladybug to back up, until it had no more space to expand. All of this, and to top it off, Cat Noir's Miraculous started to beep. “Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me!” The Duelist complained as Cat Noir’s ring lost one pad, causing the feline-themed hero to panic.
“Cat Noir’s and the boy’s Miraculous’s! Take them! Take them now!” Hawk Moth demanded.
“Before you go, you have something I want,” The Evillustrator explained, walking to the edge of the hole he made, and stared down at Yuma as he hung from the edge, with Cat Noir struggling to hold on to the duelist’s hand.
“Ladybug! This cat doesn't have nine lives!” Cat Noir shouted as he hung on to Yuma, leaving him defenseless.
Seeing no other way, Ladybug summoned her…
“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug shouted while her superpower gave her…
“A bouncy ball?” The spotted heroine questioned as the object landed in her hand and squashed it between her fingers.
“Just try and stop me with that, little lady!” The Evillustrator laughed, not seeing how Ladybug could use that tiny thing to stop him.
“Think of something, Ladybug! I’m starting to lose my grip!” Yuma exclaimed, as his hand hanging onto Cat Noir began to loosen a little. Ladybug looked around the room, and with her Lucky Vision, she saw the ceiling lights and lamps around the room, forming her plan.
“Gladly!” Ladybug exclaimed before she threw the bouncy ball at the lamps, letting the ball break them, and ricochet around the room to hit all of them, turning everything dark.
She then used the opportunity to throw her yo-yo at the artist Akuma, dragged the Evillustrator from his feet, which made him fall and drop his pen, letting it fly up into the air. Ladybug grabbed the pen in midair, landed in front of Evillustrator, and broke it, releasing the Akuma just before Cat Noir’s Miraculous beeped again.
“Hurry!” Cat Noir panicked, not sure how much longer Yuma could hold on. Thankfully the ball and chain disappeared, allowing Yuma to pull him out of the hole and back onto solid ground as he climbed out.
“No more evildoing for you, little Akuma!” She exclaimed as she opened her yo-yo to reveal the sparkling pool of cleansing energy inside. “Time to de-evilize!” Ladybug shouted before she threw her yo-yo toward the Akuma, catching it in her yo-yo. A second later, she released the purified Akuma, setting the white butterfly free. “Bye, bye little butterfly,” Ladybug said as the butterfly flew away. She then threw the bouncy ball charm into the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!” She cried out. No sooner than she did, the miraculous cure swept through the city, returning things back to normal. The damage inflicted by Evillustrator and the fight between them in the hotel room was repaired and the Evillustrator turned back into Nathaniel.
“Huh? Where am I?” Nathaniel questioned as he looked around to see where he was, only for his gaze to land on Ladybug and Cat Noir.
“Pound it!” The three heroes cheered as they fist-bumped, feeling proud of themselves for taking care of another supervillain, before Cat Noir waved goodbye before going to find a place to transform back. Ladybug soon followed his example and headed home.
Meanwhile in Hawk Moth's lair, the butterfly man himself was not dealing with the latest defeat well.
“Noooo! The Miraculous was practically mine! And they will be. Once I have them all in my grasp, I shall obtain my wish!” Hawk Moth proclaimed as the lair window closed up, leaving the man in total darkness.
The next morning had come quickly, as Marinette was in the locker rooms, overhearing Alya interview Chloé about Evillustrator’s attack last night.
“What happened when Ladybug and Cat Noir arrived on the scene?” Alya questioned, as she held up her phone to film Chloé as she interviewed the heiress.
“Well, to be perfectly honest, they only made matters worse. They came barreling in, and started smashing things to bits, throwing plastic balls around my room!” Chloé exclaimed, describing her account of the events last night-even though she was hiding for most of it-as she stood in front of her open locker.
“Plastic balls?” Alya questioned, not understanding what the spoiled brat was referring to. Marinette giggled to herself as she stood at her locker, and watched the exchange going on.
“I hope you had a good time last night taking care of that important thing you had to do,” A voice behind Marinette greeted, making her turn to see Sabrina behind her, a smile on her face and a new beret on her head.
“I'm really sorry about yesterday, Sabrina. But I can now meet you in the library and finally work on the project with you,” Marinette reassured the girl.
“No, Marinette. If anyone’s sorry, it’s me. Yuma told me about the deal you made with the Akuma yesterday. I should have stayed and listened to what you had to say.” Sabrina said, feeling guilty. “So, as an apology, I told the liberty of finishing the project myself.”
“You…finished it?” Marinette asked, not believing that Sabrina had worked a miracle. And in one night no less.
“Yep. All those notes me and Yuma took last night really helped.” Sabrina smiled.
“Nice new beret, by the way.” Marinette complimented, making Sabrina smile brightly at the compliment.
“I know, right! Chloé lent it to me, and I didn’t even have to convince her to do it. She really is my BFF!” Sabrina gushed, thankful for the ‘favor’ Chloé did, before she walked toward the heiress with a smile, saying, “Chloé! Your Geography Homework’s ready!” Marinette only watched with a fond look as she closed her locker, not knowing that Adrien was hiding behind the open door.
“Hey!” Adrien greeted from his spot, leaning on the locker, next to Marinette. But his greeting surprised Marinette so much, she jumped back from her locker and ten feet into the air before she realized who it was.
“Don’t scare me like that!” Marinette said, as she playful pushed Adrien, causing the boy to chuckle.
“You can blame him for that idea.” Adrien commented, pointing at Yuma, who was chuckling from the second floor, with Astral floating next to him. Realizing that he’s been outed, he yelped and began running away, right before the bell rang, signaling them that they needed to go to class, causing him to panic even more and run to class in a hurry, much to the couple’s amusement, as they burst out laughing.
Author’s Note:
I have decided what Marinette and Adrien’s Civilian Decks will be, with Marinette’s being a Madolche Deck (due to her living in a Bakery and the fashion they all wear) and Adrien’s being a Raidraptor Deck (to represent the irony of his Pigeon Feather allergy and how he wants to have more freedom from his father’s strict rules). Still trying to figure out their Ladybug and Cat Noir Decks. Feel free to give ideas.
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Chapter 7: The Berserk Princess Part 1
Chapter Text
Chapter 7: The Berserk Princess Part 1
In Barian World, Vector (who was still injured from his battle with Yuma and Astral) was limping his way towards the Barian Sea. “I will have my revenge…” Vector said to himself, limping his way to the burning waters. “Astral and Yuma are going to pay. They may have defeated me, but our battle is far from finished!” He then stepped into the Sea, the water now burning his ankles. Ignoring the pain, he continued making his way through the Sea to the center of Barian World, thinking, “Next time, I’ll crush them once and for all!”
When Vector heard a scream as he reached the Middle of the Sea, he dove into the water, his whole body starting to burn. “All I require is the strength, and if the legends are true, then I will definitely find it here, in the darkest depths of the Great Barian Sea!” He said, as he swam through a fissure. Upon passing through the lava base, he saw a strange emblem up ahead, one that was more advanced and more frightening than Barian World’s.
“Yes, this is it! The sacred resting place of the Great Barian Deity, Don Thousand!" Vector exclaimed, before raising his arm, his palm glowing with pink energy, and placed it over the Emblem on his chest and said, “Don Thousand! I offer you my Life Force in exchange for your great power!" He then held up a blank card, as the Emblem then exploded, releasing a pillar of fire over the Sea.
Back in their usual meeting spot, a Baria Crystal fell down and shattered as Dumon and Mizar appeared in the room, confused at what was going on.
“It feels as if the whole planet is breaking apart.” Dumon commented.
(Play Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
The music starts up with Yuma activating his gear like in the original opening, before a blue vortex sucks Yuma and Astral into Paris.
Still together as one;
Cuz divided we're none;
Ready to go, we feel the flow!
Yuma then landed on his feet, as Astral floated next to him, before he drew a card and summoned Utopia.
So don't stand in our way;
You know we ain't afraid;
This is our time, we're in control!
Plagg was about to eat a piece of Camembert, before he was sucked into Adrien’s ring, while Tikki she sucked in Marinette’s earrings, causing them to transform into Ladybug and Cat Noir, who then Fist Bumped.
If I trip up today;
You just wipe it away;
All of my fears are gone, erased!
The rest of Yuma’s friends then appeared on the Different Dimensional Airship, with Shark and Kite summoning Number 32: Shark Drake and Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon.
Let us tear down the walls;
'Til the final night falls;
The bonds of our souls can't be replaced!
Everyone then came together, as they all charged towards Hawk Moth and the Barians.
Let us fight together;
Regret it never;
Our dreams will be…!
The Giant Shadow of Don Thousand appears over both worlds as Vector goes from his human form to his Barian one, devastating the land.
Halfway to,
Forever;
Our light comes shining through!
Yuma and Astral then fuse into Zexal II as Yuma Summons Utopia Ray Victory as it absorbed an Overlay Unit.
Reach down deep;
Beat defeat;
Do all that we can do!
Ladybug and Cat Noir were then shown, as their monsters appeared and joined Utopia Ray Victory’s attack.
Halfway to,
Forever;
We've got nothing to lose!
Hawk Moth smirked, as he held his arm out and created Akuma’s, while Vector prepared to counter-attack.
Keep breathing;
Believing;
Halfway to forever-rrrrrr!
The Numeron Code was then shown, all of the Miraculous were spiraling around it. Astral and Yuma smile at each other and touch hands as they all come together with their aces standing out, with the title below them.
Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
(End Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
Meanwhile, back in Paris, it was raining as TVi News was reporting an event that had just happened recently.
"Welcome. Ladybug, Cat Noir and Yuma Tsukumo have saved Paris once again," Nadja reported as the scene showed the three heroes waving to a cheering crowd, with Cat Noir placing a hand on Ladybug’s shoulders. "Jean Duparc was Akumatized into the very menacing Magician of Misfortune, threatening to make the Eiffel Tower vanish in a puff of smoke." Nadja said, as Nadja said as she showed a side by side comparison of a boy and a drawing depicting the Magician of Misfortune.
The heroes were now traversing through the streets of Paris as they entered the subway. Once Ladybug and Cat Noir found a safe place to hide, they turned back into Marinette and Adrien, and began to go up the stairs.
“Phew…Another day of keeping Paris safe.” Yuma said, before sighing in defeat. “And another day of not finding any of those Mythyrian Numbers.”
"We're gonna find those Numbers, Yuma." Marinette said, trying to cheer the boy up. “It’s just gonna take some time.”
Sighing, he turned to Marinette, saying. “I know, it’s just I really wish we had found some sort of clue to one of them by now.”
“Alvis said that the clues to finding them are by learning of the Barian’s past lives as humans.” Astral recalled, as they made it outside, seeing that it stopped raining. “Bet we don’t know exactly when that was.”
“Guess it's going through every History Book we can get our hands on.” Adrien sighed, before he heard a tiny sneeze coming from Marinette. “Bless you.”
“Uh, that wasn’t me.” Marinette said, before they heard another tiny sneeze. Confused, she opened up her purse, only to find Tikki shivering like a leaf. “Tikki, you don’t look well.”
Concerned, Plagg flew out of Adrien’s pocket and went to the Ladybug Kwami, before placing a hand on her head. “Woah! Looks like Sugar Cube’s got a fever.” He said, feeling the heat of the Kwami’s head.
"I need you to take me to a doctor." Tikki weakly said.
“We’ve got to get you to Master Fu right away.” Marinette commented, before gasping when she remembered what time it was, “And be late for School again!”
“I’ll take Tikki to Master Fu.” Adrien offered, as he picked up Tikki and carefully placed her in the pocket inside his jacket.
“Are you sure?” Marinette asked. “I don’t want you to get in trouble for missing class.”
“It’s better than all three of us missing class.” Adrien replied, before giving a quick kiss on the cheek, running off and yelling, “I’ll meet guys at school!”
Darkness loomed over Vector before he finally woke up from his painful slumber. Looking up, he sees a shadowy large figure. Though he could see his appearance, Vector did see luminous inflamed eyes, along with a luminous red eye at the center of its abdomen.
"Don Thousand…" Vector spoke in the sight of his ultimate ruler.
"You awoke me to plead for a favor...the gift of my power. Why?" The shadowy figure asked, its eye’s staring down at Vector.
“There’s someone I must defeat once and for all, and I can’t do it without your help.” Vector explained.
“You speak of Astral.”
“Yes, and his pest of a friend, Yuma Tsukumo. Give me the power to defeat them, and I’ll do whatever you ask.” Vector requested.
Without hesitation, Don Thousand said, “Go to Paris in the world of the Miraculous and discover the location’s of the Seven Mythyrian Numbers.”
“Seven Mythyrian Numbers? In the world of the Miraculous?” Vector asked. While he had heard of the legends, he never knew that they actually existed.
“Retrieve them, and we will be unstoppable.” Don Thousand explained.
“If that’s what it takes to defeat Yuma and Astral, then consider it done!” Vector exclaimed, as he reached a hand out to Don Thousand. “Now, your power, give it to me!”
“As you wish…” Don Thousand said, as his claws glowed gold and reached into Vector's body and grasped the Barian’s crystalline heart, causing Vector to cringe in pain and scream. "Your life belongs to me now. In exchange, I will fuse your being with my power. From this day forward, you and I will be as one!" Don Thousand exclaimed, his body dissolving into black particles, which entered Vector, who’s injuries began to fade away, until he was at complete health.
A little bit later, Vector's unconscious body woke up on the beach, as the Barian felt Don Thousand's power flowing in his body, causing him to get up and laugh evilly, Don Thousand’s Emblem appearing in his left eye.
Meanwhile, back in Paris, Adrien sat there watching Master Fu begin the treatment to heal Tikki, Master Fu banging on his gong.
"Is she going to be okay?" Adrien asked, still feeling worried.
"'One who is burning with impatience can never eat hot porridge,'" said Master Fu.
"Um, what has this got to do with eating?" Plagg asked, confused.
"Silence, please. Reading energies," he said, placing his hands together and extending them towards Tikki. Sighing, he said, “We are finished. She will be fine, but it will be some time until her health’s been fully restored. Tell Marinette I will contact her when she has.”
“Of course. Thank you, Master.” Adrien sighed in relief.
“No, thank you. If you had not brought her here when you did, her symptoms would be much worse than they are right now.” Master Fu said, smiling at the Black Cat Miraculous Holder, who stood up and made his way towards the door, hoping he wasn’t in too much trouble for missing class.
Back in Barian World, lightning struck once again, as the world continued to shake, making structures fall and crumble to the ground.
“This could be the end of Barian World!” Dumon stated, seeing the destruction from their meeting spot.
“It would take an incredible force to destroy an entire world.” Mizar stated, hoping what his companion said wasn’t true.
“But that’s exactly what’s happening!” A familiar voice stated, causing the two Barians to turn and see…
“Vector!”
“Even as we speak, Astral is using his growing strength to threaten Barian World.” Vector simply stated.
“If that is true, then the fault is entirely yours!” Mizar said, putting the blame on Vector.
“How could I be to blame?” Vector denied. “After all, I am the one who tried to stop Astral.”
“You tried and failed!” Mizar snapped at the Barian. “And now, thanks to your recklessness, Yuma and Astral have grown stronger than ever!”
“I was defending our world!” Vector countered. “While you seemed to be obsessed with Kite and his Galaxy-Eyes; I’d never do anything so foolish.”
“Feel the wrath of my Galaxy-Eyes, and we shall see who the foolish one is!” Mizar threatened, his eyes glowing pink.
“This is not the time, Mizar!” Dumon told the yellow-skinned Barian, causing him to reluctantly back down.
“As you know, Astral has long been a threat to us! Many ages ago, he even defeated our great Deity, Don Thousand, and casted him into the depths of the Great Barian Sea.” Vector told the two, retelling the history of their world. “If he continues absorbing Numbers, he’ll soon be in a position to completely destroy Barian World. But never fear, Vector is here! I have learned of a way we can stop him.”
“How’s that?” Mizar asked.
“There are seven Mythyrian Numbers that are scattered across the city of Paris in the world of the Miraculous’s.” Vector explained, as he clenched a fist in the air. “When we acquire them, we can wield their power and use them to crush Astral!”
“The Miraculous’s are real?!” Dumon exclaimed in disbelief. “I thought they were a myth!”
“I wouldn’t blame you for thinking that.” Vector said, shrugging. “Magical Jewels that bestowed amazing power for those who wear them? It does sound crazy, but it’s the truth.”
“How did you learn all of this, Vector?” Mizar asked in suspicion, before he heard a buzzing sound “Huh?” He then spotted a fly near Vector, who had green hair on top of its head and orange rimmed glasses with a crimson “V”. “What a repulsive looking insect!”
“Hey don’t be rude!” The fly snapped in a voice, as he landed on Vector’s finger. “You think I enjoy coming back as a fly?! Let me tell you, it snicks, especially when I land on garbage!” He said, as he tried to scratch his face.
“This creature’s fate was sealed ‘til I decided to bring him here. Say hello to Mr. Heartland.” Vector said.
“That’s unfair! Why did you have to bring me back in this form?!” The fly, now revealed to be Mr. Heartland, complained as he pointed at Vector.
“The only reason I brought you back at all was to get the latest buzz.” Vector jokes, as a crystal moved up and showed the others a map, which contained several glowing points all over. “For such a tiny pest, he delivered big time! Heartland was full of useful intel that will lead us to the Numbers we need. He told me about the twenty-three locations Yuma’s father had explored back in his world, with seven of them connected to previously unknown Numbers hidden in the world of the Miraculous’s.”
“If your information is correct, then it is imperative we find those Numbers before Astral does.” Dumon said.
“We could discover something else.” Vector added, gaining Dumon’s attention. “If we travel to this world, we may find clues that could lead us to Nash.”
“To Nash?!” Dumon repeated in surprise.
“Yes. It seems like only yesterday we Seven Barian Emperors had our ranks reduced to five, when our fearless leader, Nash and Marin disappeared from Barian World.” Vector recalled, as they stared at the throne on top of the stairwell. “We may be led to our lost friends as we explore the dimensional doorways.”
“Vector is right.” Dumon nodded.
“Dumon!” Mizar exclaimed, turning to the gray-skinned Barian.
“We must split up and begin our search immediately!” Dumon spoke, before he vanished into a portal.
Sighing in defeat, Mizar turned his head away from Vector and said, “This had better work, Vector.” With that, the yellow-skinned Barian left, leaving Vector all to himself.
“And now, to wake up are two sleeping uglies.” He said to himself, as he teleported to two Baria Crystals, which each contained two sleeping Barian’s.
On the left was Alito, one of the shorter Barian’s and a friendly rival to Yuma. Alito wore dark red robes with a hood over his head and had eyes that glowed with an orange light. He was a red-skinned Barian with blade-like horns that protrude from the sides of his head and a decidedly alien-looking mask-like face. He wore a short crimson vest decorated with orange outlines, three yellow gems, and a high collar on, as well as dark red-black boots and an orange belt and arm guards adorned with yellow gems. Like Dumon, he also had a large Barian Emblem with an orange outline on the right side of his chest. He kept his Baria Crystal on his left wrist.
On the right was Girag, the biggest of the Barian’s. Girag had a decidedly alien-looking helmet-like face with two spikes prodding up above the eyes, with green hair in the style of a mohawk. In addition, he wore a dark brown suit with orange colored jewels adorned all over his body, and had a Barian Emblem with a golden winged outline on his chest. He also wore a brown cloak and hood, matching brown gloves and boots as well as a G-shaped belt.
"I'm cutting your power naps short, which should make you extra cranky. We're going to need both of you for this mission! You'll soon have a chance to help me get even with Yuma and Astral!” Vector laughed, as he spread his arms wide, making the two Baria Crystals glow with yellow energy, before he left in a portal.
At Collège Françoise Dupont, Ms Mendeleiev was teaching her science class, which was Marinette's class. "Combustion is a high-temperature exothermic redox chemical reaction between a fuel and an oxidant. Usually atmospheric oxygen…" Ms. Mendeleiev said, while Rose was slightly more focused on a news report on her cell phone.
"Today, Prince Ali, heir to the throne of the kingdom of Achu, will do the honors during his official Parisian visit by hosting a toy fundraiser for the sick children at the Paris City Children's Hospital," Nadja reported.
"He's just so gorgeous and with a heart of gold," said Rose, wiping her eyes with a tissue handed to her by Juleka and then blowing her nose. "Oh! You know what? I'm gonna write him a letter professing my complete adoration and utmost respect." She quickly then pulled out a piece of paper and began writing the said letter.
That's when Yuma and Marinette stumbled into the classroom and then tripped and fell in front of the teacher's desk.
“Ah, Mr. Tsukumo and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng. Glad to see you both finally join us.” The Science Teacher deadpanned.
“Sorry, Ms. Mendeleiev!” Yuma exclaimed, as he and Marinette stood up. “I was dealing with an Akuma!”
“At least you have a good reason for being late.” Ms. Mendeleiev said, before turning to Marinette, asking, “As for you, Marinette, what excuse do you have for us this time? Accidentally locked yourself in the bathroom again?”
"Uh, no! Of course not. I had to, uh, take my dog... to the vet! Because he... ate an entire wool sweater. Uh, it must've smelled like th—" Marinette stammered, til Rose, who just finished writing her letter to Prince Ali, unintentionally baled her out as she sprayed it with perfume, which the teacher gets a whiff of.
"Thank you, Rose. But I don't think our classroom needs extra refreshing," The Science Teacher said as she approached Rose.
"I thought someone packed a tuna fish sandwich, but it turns out it's Rose's perfume," Chloé laughed, as Marinette and Yuma then took this opportunity to take their seats.
"Ate a sweater?" Alya skeptically asked Marinette, while Ms Mendeleiev got to Rose, and confiscated the perfume.
"Furthermore, using your smartphone during school hours is strictly forbidden." Ms Mendeleiev scolded before confiscating the phone. "Take the rest of your things and go to the principal's office." Disappointed, Rose took her things and started to walk out of the classroom. “Watch what happens when you play with flammable substances in a chemistry lab.” She spritzed some of Rose's perfume inside a glass container with an open bottom and put it upright, trapping the air inside. Then, she pushed a button and a small flame came out of a tube, creating a small explosion, making all the students gasp in shock.
"Just to make sure you all remember that, I'll be quizzing you tomorrow on lab safety. Again!" Ms. Mendeleiev declared, causing most of the students to groan or whine.
“Heh. I’m pretty sure I can handle a little safety.” Yuma grinned.
“Don’t make me double it for you, Tsukumo!” Ms. Mendeleiev warned, causing the Duelist to yelp and cover his mouth.
Meanwhile, Dumon was in a large pinkish red energy ball, which allowed him to fly through Hyperspace. “Nash…where did you disappear to?” He mused, thinking the events that occurred previously would not have happened if his Barian friend had not disappeared. “We could truly use your help now.”
Back on the Different Dimensional Airship, everything during the group’s trip to find Yuma was going smoothly, until suddenly an electrical storm came out of nowhere.
“These lighting blasts are too close for comfort!” Tori commented, getting a nod from Rio.
‘There appears to be some strange force at work.’ Kite thought to himself, just before a strange flash of light passed by the ship, gaining everyone’s attention.
“What was that?” Shark asked, before the electrical storm started to calm down, making him suspicious. ‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this.’
Outside the School, Nino and Yuma were waiting for Adrien, who ran up to him, completely out of breath.
"You two really are made for each other," Alya said as she and Marinette watched Adrien arrive. "Neither one of you can make it to school on time. Since he missed chemistry class, it would be sweet if some lady could lend him her notes so he could get up to speed."
"You're right," Marinette giggled, as started to make her way towards him, before remembering why he missed class in the first place. ‘Tikki…’ She thought so focused on her Kwami, she wasn’t watching where she was going and tripped over someone's backpack, resulting in crashing into her boyfriend.
"Woah! You okay?" Adrien asked. "Nothing broken?"
"Uh, yeah, uh, I'm fine," Marinette assured him. “Just a little worried about…” She looked at Nino, who looked confused, before whispering, “You know what.”
“Don’t worry, everything’s gonna be okay.” Adrien reassured, making the designer sigh in relief.
“Anyways, I got something for you.” Marinette said, pulling out her notes from Chemistry Class and gave them to Adrien. “Since you missed class earlier.”
“Thanks.” Adrien smiled, as he gave a soft kiss on the cheek, before he and Nino left.
"D-did I hear you say, Prince Ali?" Rose’s voice asked, causing Marinette and Yuma to turn and see her talking to Chloe and Sabrina.
"Prince Ali's staying at Chloé's dad's hotel," Sabrina explained.
"The only hotel fit for a Prince, and I'm going to be the first to meet him. Isn't he lucky?" Chloe smirked.
"Oh, please, could you give him a special letter for me?" Rose asked, handing her a letter.
"No prob," said Chloé, much to everyone's surprise.
"Oh, that is so amazingly sweet of you to do that for me," said Rose excitedly, causing Chloe to laugh.
"You thought I was serious? You think I wanna get anywhere near this fish funk?" She asked before ripping the letter into pieces, causing Rose to gasp in horror and burst into tears as Chloé was about to step into her limo, leaving Rose crying on the ground.
“Not cool, Chloe!” Yuma yelled, as he ran up to the limo. Seeing the mysterious pendant around his neck, Chloe smirked and quickly snatched his Emperor's Key around his neck. Panicking, he yelled, “Hey! That isn’t yours!”
“It is now.” Chloe said, as she kept the Key away from him and stepped into the limo, which started to pull away.
“HEY, WAIT!” Yuma yelled, as he and Marinette began to chase the limo, Astral flying beside them, knowing how important that Key was.
‘Once Prince Ali lays eyes on me with this on, Prince Ali will forget all about those sick kids.’ Chloe thought to herself, before putting on the pendant and saw the running duo getting further away.
Back with Rose, she went to the riverbank and tried to write another letter, but she was still heartbroken. Finishing up, she picked up her perfume bottle, ready to spray her letter when she noticed a small piece of blank paper on the ground nearby where Vinyl was sitting, giving off a soft light.
"What's that...?" she asked, getting up and walking over to it. Upon picking up the paper, she felt something weird about it. It was made of too sturdy a material to be a candy bar wrapper, though it wasn't as tough as say, cardboard. Rather, it was somewhere in the middle. "Odd..." she muttered to herself again. "Where could this have come from...?"
Just then, a shadowy cloud appeared around the piece of paper, which then surrounded Rose herself. She gasped and began to hold her head while groaning in pain. “Yes, Rose…” A sinister voice spoke inside of her head. “Let the Number take hold…” The shadowy cloud around her grew bigger, as a bright red mark then appeared on the base of the right of her neck, which looked similar to the number 80. Rose then let out a scream as the fog dispersed all over her, which eventually dissipated, revealing her changed form.
Her skin was now a moderate green, her eyes were vivid blue-violet with brilliant fuchsia sclerae, and the bright red symbol on her neck was still on her neck. Her hair was a luminous vivid magenta with very light raspberry colored-edges on her bangs. It was long and tied back into a rosebud-like bun, (hence her name) and detailed with black horizontal lines and black leaves around the bottom half. A black tube came out of the top of the bun and hung down to the back of her knees, and the end of her hair was tied with a black band. Some black paint was around her upper face and over her eyes with a swirl below her left eye, like a mask. She also had luminous vivid cerise-colored lipstick.
Her outfit was a black turtlenecked skin-tight suit that covered her arms and legs. Narrow pink lines went down her puffed sleeves and puffed shorts, and they made a rose design on her chest. Her high heel shoes were connected to her suit, and they were also black, with pink cone-shaped heels and pointed pink tips to her toes. Her blaster was a dark purple tear-shaped bottle with pink horizontal lines, and the end was clear, rounded, light pink glass surrounded by dark gray leaf-like edges where it was attached to the bottle. Through the bottle and out of the end of the glass was a small, dark gray pipe, which was where the perfume shot out. The handle and the trigger were thin, curled dark gray metal wire, and over one part of the handle near the back, there was a round, dark purple piece with indented lines swirling around it.
"I'm coming, my prince!" She sang, before she headed to the direction of the Le Grand Hotel. Unknown to her, however, Dumon, who had appeared just a few moments ago, was secretly watching from a distance.
“So the Numbers in this world as well, and seem to affect the humans here differently.” Dumon said to himself. “Question is, does she possess one of the seven Mythyrian Numbers?”
Meanwhile, back at HQ, Alvis was working on some strange machinery, when he sensed something coming from the Duel Arena. Stopping what he was doing, he entered the Arena and saw the Stone Tablet above the mark that resembled the number 80 was giving off an otherworldly light.
“Hmm…” Alvis said, as the light started to die down, seeing the Stone now looked EXACTLY like a Duel Monsters Card, which showed a carved image of an armored man wearing a cape, and text in Astral World Glyphs.
Yuma, Astral and Marinette had finally reached Le Grand Paris and made their way up to the doorman.
"Hello! We're in Chloé Bourgeois's class, and we really have to see her," Marinette said.
"Are you two friends of hers?" The doorman asked.
"Friend of Chloé's? Ha, you must be kidding!" she said, causing Yuma to elbow her. "I mean— we're in the same class, that's all."
"If you're not friend’s, then I can't."
"Yes! We’re f-f-friends of Chloé's," she said quickly. "We're BFFs!"
"Aha!" the doorman smirked, leaning towards her. "Chloé doesn't have any friends!"
"Does that mean you're not letting us in?" Marinette asked.
"No!"
“Please, sir! Chloe stole something very close to me and I need it back!” Yuma pleaded.
“Sorry, kid, but no means-” The doorman stopped, before getting a good look at the duelist. “Hey, you're that boy who works with Ladybug and Cat Noir!”
“Uh, yeah?” Yuma said, not sure where this was going.
“The Prince told me he wanted to meet with you during his visit.” The doorman explained, before turning to Marinette. “I’m assuming this girl is with you?” Yuma nodded, as the doorman then opened the door, saying, “Then accept my dearest apologies, go right ahead. It would be rude to keep Prince Ali waiting.”
“Uh, yeah, right!” Yuma sweatdropped, as he and Marinette walked in, before turning to each other. “Now what?”
“Go to the Prince. We find the Prince, we most likely also find Chloe.” Marinette theorized, as they stepped into the elevator, unaware that they were being watched from the shadows.
‘How are Yuma and Astral already here?!’ Dumon thought, surprised to see the duo in this world, recalling that he had spotted the Different Dimensional Airship on his way here. ‘I was sure that I passed them!’ His thoughts were interrupted, as he spotted the possessed Rose approaching the doorman outside. “Wait, the girl…” He muttered, before pulling out a card and said, “Perhaps I can use her.”
"I've come to see Prince Ali," she said to the doorman.
"Ugh, what is going on today?" he sighed. "Do you have an appointment with the Prince?"
"No need, I'm his princess!"
He then grabbed her shoulders. "And I'm a monkey's uncle. Listen, kid, I-"
"That's no way to speak to a princess," she yelled furiously, pulling out her perfume gun and firing at him.
"At your service, Princess Fragrance," the doorman sang, kneeling before her.
"Thousand times better," Princess Fragrance smiled and entered the hotel. "Now, where's my wonderful Prince charming? We can't keep him waiting."
“Indeed. Waiting won’t bring you anything.” Dumon spoke, stopping the Princess in her tracks. Turning to the source of the voice, she saw the Barian come out of the shadows. “You have to make things happen. I can help you get your wish with this. All you have to do is use this.” Dumon said, as he threw a card at Princess Fragrance, who quickly caught it, and gave an evil smile.
Meanwhile, on the top floor of the Le Grand Paris, the crowned Prince of the Kingdom of Achu was attending a Press Conference. He was a dark-skinned handsome, slender teenage boy with olive-green eyes and short dark, slightly puffed curly hair with a curly goatee resting on his forehead. His lips were reddish-coloured and his cheeks and the tips of his ears were slightly tinted blood-red. He wore a white dress shirt underneath a light gray vest with a white pattern and a gray dress jacket. He had a white handkerchief folded into the left pocket on his jacket, and he wore a dark green tie. He also wore gray dress pants and black dress shoes.
"In honor of your presence here in Paris, Your Highness, I've taken it upon myself to organize a lavish fireworks display on the Seine River," said Mayor Bourgeois, making Prince Ali dashed to the window and see the barge of fireworks in the river. "They will be displayed from this barge."
"Thank you, or how do we say in your language? ‘Totally awesome!’" Prince Ali grinned.
"We shall have to see if it fits with the Prince's busy schedule. We have very little time for festivities. His Highness has many responsibilities." said a woman with a brown clipboard, much to the Prince’s disappointment. This was Miss Soraya Khan, Prince Ali’s chaperone, who is responsible for organizing the Prince’s schedule and keeping him safe from potential danger. Miss Soraya Khan wore a light pink draped turban, a light pink dress jacket and dress pants with a diamond pattern, and a white shirt underneath the jacket. She also wore a golden bangle bracelet on each wrist, golden earrings with dangling triangles, and a golden necklace with triangles on the front. The belt around her pants was golden with a golden belt buckle, and she had white high-heel shoes.
"Ah! Prince Ali, allow me to introduce you to my own princess, Chloé." The Mayor said, after Chloe cleared her throat and tapped her father’s shoulder.
"Hm, Prince, I brought you something special," Chloé said, handing him Yuma’s Key.
"Whoa! This looks like the Pendant around Yuma Tsukumo’s neck," said Prince Ali gratefully.
“That’s because it is!” Said a voice, causing the Prince and Chloe to turn and see Yuma walk up to them, causing Prince Ali to gasp and Chloe’s eyes to widen in disbelief.
“Is it really you? The legendary hero of Paris?” Prince asked.
“Uh, I guess you could say that.” Yuma said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Though Ladybug and Cat Noir are more of the legendary heroes of Paris, your highness.”
“Oh, such an honor to meet you in person!” Prince Ali smiled, shaking the Duelist’s hand. “I've heard many tales of you and your heroic triumphs with Ladybug and Cat Noir here in Paris! You three are a legend amongst my people.”
“Gee, thanks.” Yuma smiled.
“Yuma, remember why we are here.” Astral reminded the boy.
“Oh, uh, your highness, like I was saying, that Key is actually mine, so can I have it back please?” Yuma asked politely.
“Oh! Is it really?” The Prince asked, looking at the Key in shock, before turning to Chloé, who laughed nervously as her eye twitched. “I see…” He glared, before placing the Key in Yuma’s hand. “I am so sorry you had to go through all this trouble trying to get this back.”
“It’s not your fault, your highness.” Yuma said, putting the Emperor's Key back around his neck. “You weren’t the one who stole it.”
The press continued to take pictures, and Marinette stood from the back, hiding behind the bar.
"Nadja Chamack. Don't be bemused; it's just the news!" said Nadja, as she didn’t notice the Princess Fragrance exiting the Elevator. "Prince Ali, do you have anything to say about your official Parisian visit?"
"I'm very happy to be here," said Prince Ali, before turning to Yuma. “Especially with one of Paris’s heroes.” Princess Fragrance switched modes on her perfume gun from pink to green, and she fired a green perfume right at Chloé.
"Prince Ali, where is…" said Nadja, but stopped when everyone smelled a disgusting smell. "…that-that smell coming from?! Like rotten fish?!"
“Oh, man that stinks!” Yuma exclaimed, as everyone covered their mouths and noses and slowly turned towards Chloé.
"What? That's not me!" said Chloé, sniffing herself, realizing that it was the opposite of what she said. "It-it is me! Ew!"
Suddenly, a pink cloud covered the nearby paparazzi, causing everyone else to look at them.
"At your service, Princess Fragrance." The paparazzi sang as they bowed to the villain in question.
"Who-who are you?" Prince Ali asked nervously.
"I'm Princess Fragrance, and I've come just for you! In just a spritz, you'll be mine, Prince Ali!" Princess Fragrance exclaimed, as the red 80 mark on her neck glowed brightly, causing Yuma, Astral and Marinette’s eyes to widen.
"This is bad!" Marinette said as she quickly jumped to the synthesizer and launched the confetti cannons. The confetti fell over everyone and blinded Princess Fragrance briefly, allowing everyone to escape.
In his room, Adrian was watching the entire thing on TV.
"What or who is that?" He asked, before spotting the red mark that resembled the number 80 on the base of the right of the villain’s neck. "Plagg? Plagg, let's go!" He looked around for Plagg and found him in a trashcan, eating his Camembert. "There's a Number causing trouble in Paris!"
"But I'm still chewing!" Plagg complained, much to Adrien's annoyance.
"PLAGG, CLAWS OUT!" Adrien yelled, and Plagg flew out of the trashcan and into his Ring, transforming him into Cat Noir.
At Le Grand Paris, Prince Ali, his chaperone, Mayor Bourgeois and Chloé escaped to the stairwell, while Yuma ran to Marinette during all the chaos.
"Quickly, Prince! This way!" said Mayor Bourgeois, as Princess Fragrance began to follow them downstairs. Mayor Bourgeois led them into a corridor, a side room, and locked the door.
"We'll be safe in here. It's a reinforced door," Mayor Bourgeois assured them.
"So much chaos! How is anyone supposed to stick to a schedule around here?" Miss Soraya Khan moaned, before she and the Prince stepped away from Chloé, who still smelled like rotten fish.
"What is that?" Chloé asked, as Mayor Bourgeois looked down and saw a fog of perfume leaking out from the cracks in the door.
"Get back!" The Mayor said as he, the Prince, his chaperone, and Chloe backed away.
Outside, Princess Fragrance sprayed under the doorway and sang, "My Prince, my Prince, smell the fragrance of my eternal love!" Then, to everyone's surprise, they saw the fog being sucked away. Princess Fragrance turned and saw Yuma and Marinette using vacuum cleaner’s to suck up the perfume.
"Seriously?!" she said angrily, before she then used her perfume gun like a rocket to launch herself into the air and landed on the vacuum cord, plugging it off. She then pointed her gun at the two and said, "Looks like you're powerless now!"
Before she could spray the duo, the Mayor gets out of the room, before they all run down the corridor, causing Princess Fragrance to run after them. She spun around, creating a perfume fog around her.
"You can't escape my perfume! La la la la la la!" Princess Fragrance exclaimed as she spun around, creating a perfume fog around herself. Mayor Bourgeois opened the stairwell door and let everyone in first, but the fog hit him before he got inside. Yuma and Marinette were able to escape the mist themselves by using the service elevator. "Get them," Princess Fragrance ordered Mayor Bourgeois.
"At your service, Princess Fragrance," Mayor Bourgeois sang and began chasing after them.
Yuma and Marinette had finally reached the Kitchen and exited the elevator. She picked through the door and saw Prince Ali, Miss Soraya Khan, and Chloé had just entered the dining hall.
Chloé looked towards Butler Jean while pointing at her father. "He's under the spell! Shut the door!"
"But it's your father!" said the Prince's chaperone.
"Who cares? Shut it now!" Chloé ordered, right before Jean used a broom, pushed Mayor Bourgeois out of the way, and shut the door behind him. However, a perfume fog emerged inside the nearby elevator, and all of them, except Jean, ran off.
"At your service, Princess Fragrance!" Jean sang.
Princess Fragrance then began making her way towards them. "Come into my arms, my sweet Prince!"
"Pee-ew!" said a voice, and everyone turned to see Cat Noir sitting on the windowsill. "Can we get a little fresh air in here?" He then leapt off the windowsill, placed himself in front of Princess Fragrance, and pulled out his staff.
"No one will take my prince away!" Princess Fragrance said before firing some perfume, only to have Cat Noir knock it out of her hands with his staff. The feline hero then uses his staff to lift the villain up and throw her towards the kitchen.
"Uh oh!" Marinette said, quickly leaping out of the way just as Princess Fragrance went straight through the door.
"Nice to see you finally made it." Yuma asked as he walked up to Cat Noir.
"Yeah, and now to get everyone to safety." The feline hero replied. He then extends this staff out of the window, making a fireman's pole. "Emergency evacuation, everybody down!"
"It's much too dangerous for the prince." Miss Soraya Khan complained.
"More dangerous than staying here with the supervillain?" Yuma asked, while Cat Noir noticed some mixing bowls on the cart nearby and grabbed one.
"No, she's right.” Cat Noir said, placing one of them on Prince Ali’s head like a helmet. “Safety first!" He joked, making the prince smile, as the feline-themed hero slid down his staff first, followed by Chloé, Prince Ali, and Miss Soraya Khan, who was also wearing a mixing bowl on her head.
Once everyone but Yuma and Marinette were outside, Princess Fragrance looked out the window and saw them get inside the Prince's Chaperone's car and drive away.
"My Prince!" she cried, before Utopia suddenly flew up outside the window, preventing her from escaping. She then turned around and glared at the duo, with the number-like symbol glowing brightly. “You…!” She growled, pointing at Yuma and Marinette, the boy having his Duel Disk active and Utopia in one of his Monster Zones. “You two are ruining everything!”
“Indeed. They are the one’s keeping you from your true love.” A new voice suddenly spoke, as the gray-skinned Barian came out of the shadows, causing Yuma and Astral to gasp in disbelief.
“Dumon!” Astral shouted.
“Dumon? Wasn’t he the Barian that was Dueling your friend back in that Sargasso place?” Marinette asked, before getting a nod from Yuma.
“How nice that you remember me.” Dumon said, as he now stood next to Princess Fragrance. “Then I guess you know why I am here then.”
“The Mythyrian Numbers!” Yuma realized.
“Indeed. I must admit, though I have just arrived in the world of the Miraculous, I was not expecting you both to already be here.” Dumon stated, causing Marinette’s eyes to widen. “Even so, that just makes things easier for us.”
“If it's a Duel you want, it’s a Duel you’ll get!” Yuma shouted, as he pulled out a card from his Extra Deck and held it out to Marinette. “Hey Mari, ready to take these clowns down?”
Uponing seeing what the card was in her friend's hand, she accepted it and smirked, “You know I am, Yuma.” Quickly putting it in her own Extra Deck, she pulled out her Duel Pad, and attached it to her arm.
“So you taught this girl how to Duel.” Dumon commented, impressed by this sudden turn of events.
“Yeah, that’s right, and Yuma also taught me that I can’t lose to you!” Marinette replied, before extending her arm out. “Duel Pad, Activate!” She exclaimed, the pink colored device’s card tray shot out and unfolded.
Princess Fragrance smirked evilly, as her left arm then glowed a bright pink, before a pink and black colored Duel Disk materialized, with the same red 80 engraved in it.while a white and purple mechanical shaped Duel Disk manifested on Dumon’s wrist and went up his arm, featuring two green crystals. Though at first glance it doesn't seem to have any Monster Card Zones, the cards were actually meant to be placed on the side.
“Duel Gazer, let’s roll!” Yuma said, as he and Marinette pulled out their Duel Gazer’s and turned them on.
“Augmented Reality Vision Link established.” the computerized voice said as a digital copy of the dining hall projected around them all. Drawing their five cards, Yuma, Marinette, Dumon, and Princess Fragrance then yelled…
“LET’S DUEL!”
TO BE CONTINUED…
Author’s Note:
I bet you weren’t expecting any that happened in this chapter, were you? Next time, we will begin with our first Tag Team Duel (which will probably be a while before its posted), and Number 80 (and probably its Chaos Form) will be revealed. As for why I chose Number 80, it kinda matched with Rose’s personality. And for those who don’t remember, Marinette’s Duel Gazer is Silver with a teal lens.
Also, tomorrow is my parent's 10 Year Wedding Anniversary! Please wish them safe travels as they are going on a cruise to celebrate.
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Chapter 8: The Berserk Princess Part 2
Chapter Text
Chapter 8: The Berserk Princess Part 2
Last time on Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL…
“Yes, this is it! The sacred resting place of the Great Barian Deity, Don Thousand!" Vector exclaimed, before raising his arm, his palm glowing with pink energy, and placed it over the Emblem on his chest and said, “Don Thousand! I offer you my Life Force in exchange for your great power!" He then held up a blank card, as the Emblem then exploded, releasing a pillar of fire over the Sea.
(Scene Change to Vector making a Deal with Don Thousand)
“Go to Paris in the world of the Miraculous and discover the location’s of the Seven Mythyrian Numbers. Retrieve them, and we will be unstoppable.” Don Thousand explained.
“If that’s what it takes to defeat Yuma and Astral, then consider it done!” Vector exclaimed, as he reached a hand out to Don Thousand. “Now, your power, give it to me!”
“As you wish…” Don Thousand said, as his claws glowed gold and reached into Vector's body and grasped the Barian’s crystalline heart, causing Vector to cringe in pain and scream. "Your life belongs to me now. In exchange, I will fuse your being with my power. From this day forward, you and I will be as one!" Don Thousand exclaimed, his body dissolving into black particles, which entered Vector, who’s injuries began to fade away, until he was at complete health.
(Scene Change to Rose Watching the News on her Phone)
"Today, Prince Ali, heir to the throne of the kingdom of Achu, will do the honors during his official Parisian visit by hosting a toy fundraiser for the sick children at the Paris City Children's Hospital," Nadja reported.
(Scene Change to Chloe ripping up Rose’s Letter)
Rose gasped in horror and burst into tears as Chloé was about to step into her limo, leaving Rose crying on the ground.
“Not cool, Chloe!” Yuma yelled, as he ran up to the limo. Seeing the mysterious pendant around his neck, Chloe smirked and quickly snatched his Emperor's Key around his neck. Panicking, he yelled, “Hey! That isn’t yours!”
“It is now.” Chloe said, as she kept the Key away from him and stepped into the limo, which started to pull away.
“HEY, WAIT!” Yuma yelled, as he and Marinette began to chase the limo, Astral flying beside them, knowing how important that Key was.
‘Once Prince Ali lays eyes on me with this on, Prince Ali will forget all about those sick kids.’ Chloe thought to herself, before putting on the pendant and saw the running duo getting further away.
(Scene Change to Rose spotting a blank piece of paper on the ground)
"What's that...?" she asked, getting up and walking over to it. "Odd..." she muttered to herself again. "Where could this have come from...?"
Just then, a shadowy cloud appeared around the piece of paper, which then surrounded Rose herself. She gasped and began to hold her head while groaning in pain. “Yes, Rose…” A sinister voice spoke inside of her head. “Let the Number take hold…” The shadowy cloud around her grew bigger, as a bright red mark then appeared on the base of the right of her neck, which looked similar to the number 80. Rose then let out a scream as the fog dispersed all over her, which eventually dissipated, revealing she had changed to Princess Fragrance.
"I'm coming, my prince!" She sang, before she headed to the direction of the Le Grand Hotel.
(Insert Marinette and Yuma entering Le Grand Hotel, with Dumon secretly watching in the Shadows)
‘How are Yuma and Astral already here?!’ Dumon thought, surprised to see the duo in this world, recalling that he had spotted the Different Dimensional Airship on his way here. ‘I was sure that I passed them!’ His thoughts were interrupted, as he spotted the possessed Rose approaching the doorman outside. “Wait, the girl…” He muttered, before pulling out a card and said, “Perhaps I can use her.”
(Scene Change to Press Conference, as Prince Ali gave Yuma his Key back)
"Prince Ali, where is…" said Nadja, but stopped when everyone smelled a disgusting smell. "…that-that smell coming from?! Like rotten fish?!"
“Oh, man that stinks!” Yuma exclaimed, as everyone covered their mouths and noses and slowly turned towards Chloé.
"What? That's not me!" said Chloé, sniffing herself, realizing that it was the opposite of what she said. "It-it is me! Ew!"
Suddenly, a pink cloud covered the nearby paparazzi, causing everyone else to look at them.
"At your service, Princess Fragrance." The paparazzi sang as they bowed to the villain in question.
"Who-who are you?" Prince Ali asked nervously.
"I'm Princess Fragrance, and I've come just for you! In just a spritz, you'll be mine, Prince Ali!" Princess Fragrance exclaimed, as the red 80 mark on her neck glowed brightly, causing Yuma, Astral and Marinette’s eyes to widen.
(Scene Change to Princess Fragrance seeing Prince Ali escape in his chaperone’s car)
"My Prince!" she cried, before Utopia suddenly flew up outside the window, preventing her from escaping. She then turned around and glared at the duo, with the number-like symbol glowing brightly. “You…!” She growled, pointing at Yuma and Marinette, the boy having his Duel Disk active and Utopia in one of his Monster Zones. “You two are ruining everything!”
“Indeed. They are the one’s keeping you from your true love.” A new voice suddenly spoke, as the gray-skinned Barian came out of the shadows, causing Yuma and Astral to gasp in disbelief.
“Dumon!” Astral shouted.
“How nice that you remember me.” Dumon said, as he now stood next to Princess Fragrance. “I must admit, though I have just arrived in the world of the Miraculous, I was not expecting you both to already be here.” Dumon stated, causing Marinette’s eyes to widen. “Even so, that just makes things easier for us.”
“If it's a Duel you want, it’s a Duel you’ll get!” Yuma shouted, as he pulled out a card from his Extra Deck and held it out to Marinette. “Hey Mari, ready to take these clowns down?”
Uponing seeing what the card was in her friend's hand, she accepted it and smirked, “You know I am, Yuma.”
Everyone then put on/summoned their Duel Disk’s and Duel Gazers, as a digital copy of the Dining Hall projected around them.
“LET’S DUEL!”
(Play Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
The music starts up with Yuma activating his gear like in the original opening, before a blue vortex sucks Yuma and Astral into Paris.
Still together as one;
Cuz divided we're none;
Ready to go, we feel the flow!
Yuma then landed on his feet, as Astral floated next to him, before he drew a card and summoned Utopia.
So don't stand in our way;
You know we ain't afraid;
This is our time, we're in control!
Plagg was about to eat a piece of Camembert, before he was sucked into Adrien’s ring, while Tikki she sucked in Marinette’s earrings, causing them to transform into Ladybug and Cat Noir, who then Fist Bumped.
If I trip up today;
You just wipe it away;
All of my fears are gone, erased!
The rest of Yuma’s friends then appeared on the Different Dimensional Airship, with Shark and Kite summoning Number 32: Shark Drake and Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon.
Let us tear down the walls;
'Til the final night falls;
The bonds of our souls can't be replaced!
Everyone then came together, as they all charged towards Hawk Moth and the Barians.
Let us fight together;
Regret it never;
Our dreams will be…!
The Giant Shadow of Don Thousand appears over both worlds as Vector goes from his human form to his Barian one, devastating the land.
Halfway to,
Forever;
Our light comes shining through!
Yuma and Astral then fuse into Zexal II as Yuma Summons Utopia Ray Victory as it absorbed an Overlay Unit.
Reach down deep;
Beat defeat;
Do all that we can do!
Ladybug and Cat Noir were then shown, as their monsters appeared and joined Utopia Ray Victory’s attack.
Halfway to,
Forever;
We've got nothing to lose!
Hawk Moth smirked, as he held his arm out and created Akuma’s, while Vector prepared to counter-attack.
Keep breathing;
Believing;
Halfway to forever-rrrrrr!
The Numeron Code was then shown, all of the Miraculous were spiraling around it. Astral and Yuma smile at each other and touch hands as they all come together with their aces standing out, with the title below them.
Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
(End Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
Inside Prince Ali's chaperone's car, they were speeding away from the Hotel while at the same time still holding their breath so as not to take in Chloé's fish smell.
"Can we open the windows?" Cat Noir asked. "This fish smell is even too much for a cat."
The chaperone nodded, as she opened all the car windows, getting Prince Ali and Cat Noir to immediately gasp for fresh air, before they spotted Utopia, who was flying outside of the Le Grand Hotel, vanish into Golden Particles.
“Looks like Yuma is keeping her busy.” Cat Noir commented, as he turned to the Prince’s chaperone, asking, “Is it alright if I can use your car’s monitor?” Getting a hesitant nod, the feline-themed hero then began messing with said monitor, before the screen then displayed the words, “Connecting to Dueling Network…” before showing what was happening back at the Le Grand Hotel, with a “LIVE” was in the top right corner. “Good, they're just starting.” The feline-themed hero sighed, before seeing four portraits (one in each corner) of each the duelists, each with Player Name's and Life Point count.
Yuma: LP: 4000
Marinette: LP: 4000
Dumon: LP: 4000
Princess Fragrance: LP: 4000
“Wait, a Tag Duel? But who’s teamed up with Princess Fragrance?” He asked, before spotting something on the silver-skinned person. Gasping silently, he thought ‘That Emblem! Looks like Barian World finally decided to show their faces around here.’
“Um, do you mind explaining this ‘Tag Duel’?” Prince Ali asked, curious by what Cat Noir meant, while Chloe stared in shock, seeing Marinette there, wearing the same kind of gear Yuma had on.
“I think it’s better if you just watched, Your Highness.” Cat Noir grinned, as he began to explain the rules of the game.
“LET’S DUEL!” Everyone on the screen exclaimed, as they all drew their opening hands.
Meanwhile, back at the Le Grand Hotel, the four Duelist’s prepared themselves, as four images of their faces appeared in between the two sides, with Yuma and Marinette’s backgrounds being blue and Dumon and Princess Fragrance’s being red.
“Since this is a Tag Duel, we will each start off with 4000 Life Points, and turn order will be determined randomly.” Dumon explained, as the four portraits began circling around each other. “Should one person lose all their Life Points, their Teammate loses as well.”
Nodding in understandment, Yuma and Marinette looked at the circling portraits, as they began to speed up.
‘Okay, Marinette. This is your first Duel against Barian World.’ Marinette thought, staring at her opponents. ‘With Tikki still recovering, you’ll have to do this by yourself. I just hope all that training paid off.’ The portrait’s then stopped, as they all lined up perfectly.
Turn Order: Princess Fragrance, Marinette, Dumon, Yuma
“Well, looks like royalty goes first.” Princess Fragrance smiled, as she examined her hand. Taking a card from her hand, she then declared, "I'll begin by playing the Spell Card, 1st Movement Solo!" After she played it, a large, digital replica of the card materialized in front of her.
"Now..." began Princess Fragrance, "Since I currently do not control any monsters at the moment, 1st Movement Solo allows me to Special Summon any monster from my hand or my Deck that's Level 4 or lower and has 'Melodious' in its name. And I choose to play Serenade the Melodious Diva from my Deck in Defense Mode!" Upon saying that, her Duel Disk's auto-shuffling function mixed up her cards; when it was done, one card was left sticking out from the top. Princess Fragrance pulled it out and placed it onto the card tray face-up and horizontally.
After playing her Monster Card, an enlarged digital copy of the card appeared in front, a young maiden with pink skin and hair rose up from out of it. She wore a dress that was colored yellow and orange on top, and red on the long skirt below, along with yellow frills at the very bottom of it. The red part was decorated with musical notes, and on her back was a pink, wing-shaped object.
Serenade the Melodious Diva
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Fairy/Effect
Level: 4
ATK: 400
DEF: 1900
"Since Serenade was Special Summon, I get an extra Normal Summon this turn, as long as the monster I summon is a Melodious monster! So, give a warm welcome to Aria the Melodious Diva!" Her new monster was a pink-skinned girl with violet hair, wearing a skintight, burgandy bodysuit, an orange skirt, and boots similar in color to her aforementioned bodysuit.
Aria the Melodious Diva
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Fairy/Effect
Level: 4
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1200
“Now, I will use my second Normal Summon to bring out Soprano the Melodious Songstress!" Her new monster was a green-skinned woman with a dress that seemed to incorporate blue-and-orange colored armor in most places, such as on the upper body, the sides of the hips, the shoulders and even on her lower arms. The shirt portion was white, with that same orange color decorating it on the bottom. She had long, red hair, but her eye color was unknown, as she was wearing a yellow blindfold.
Soprano the Melodious Songstress
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Fairy/Effect
Level: 4
ATK: 1400
DEF: 1400
"And since I now control a Melodious monster," Princess Fragrance continued, "I can also Special Summon Canon the Melodious Diva in Attack Mode to join it!" Her forth monster had violet skin and blue hair that was shaped similarly to a flame. She wore a dress that was colored dark purple, dark blue, light pink, and black, and had on a pair of golden glasses.
Canon the Melodious Diva
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Fairy/Effect
Level: 4
ATK: 1400
DEF: 2000
“She has four Level 4 monsters…!” Astral commented with wide eyes, causing Yuma and Marinette to panic a little.
“I Overlay both my Level 4 Serenade and Level 4 Aria!” Princess Fragrance declared, as the two monsters turned into yellow lights, before shooting into the sky. “With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network!” After stating that, a galaxy-like portal appeared in front of her, as the two lights entered it. “Accursed armor with a soul of madness! Unleash the drumbeats of Chaos itself!” The possessed Rose chanted, as the portal then exploded, leaving a red mark that resembled the number 80 on the ground. “I Xyz Summon, Number 80: Rhapsody in Berserk!”
From high above, a large object that had two small purple spheres circling it began descending to the floor below. It then began to unfold itself into a more humanoid form, taking on the appearance of a large, armored human with huge fists, a long, purple cape, and piercing red eyes, along with the 80 mark that had appeared on the ground earlier was also imprinted upon the neck area of the armored monster.
Number 80: Rhapsody in Berserk
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Fiend/Xzy/Effect
Rank: 4
ATK: 0
DEF: 1200
Overlay Units: 2
“So that’s your Number card.” Marinette glared at the princess, who chuckled a little bit.
"Indeed. This card's power shall present itself much later on..." Princess Fragrance said to her two opponents. “But first, I will Overlay Canon and Soprano, and build the Overlay Network once more!”
“Again?!” Yuma exclaimed, as just like before, the remaining two monsters turned into yellow lights, as they were then drawn into a red portal that formed in front of her, opposed to the galaxy-like one she had used to summon her other Number.
"I Xyz Summon... Fairy Cheer Girl!" Princess Fragrance shouted as a young girl with blue fairy wings and a green dress came out of the portal with a pair of yellow lights swirling around her. She had short blue hair and carried a pair of yellow pom-poms in her hands. She gave out a slight giggle after floating back down to the ground.
Fairy Cheer Girl
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Fairy/Xyz/Effect
Rank: 4
ATK: 1900
DEF: 1500
Overlay Units: 2
‘Fairy Cheer Girl?!’ Yuma thought, recalling that card. ‘Doesn’t Tori have that Monster?!’
"Next, I will use Fairy Cheer Girl's ability!" stated the princess. "Once per turn, I can use one of her Overlay Units in order to draw another card!" Octavia's new monster then drew in one of her lights and absorbed into one of her pom-poms.
Fairy Cheer Girl
Overlay Units: 2 - 1 = 1
She then shook her pom-poms excitedly, releasing a power that flew into Princess Fragrance's Deck, prompting her to draw another card. After doing so, she then told her opponents, "Now, I activate one of the abilities of Rhapsody in Berserk! It allows me to target any other Xyz Monster I control and lets me equip said target with it! Just watch!"
Everyone looked on as the possessed Rose's Number monster stood up and glared at Fairy Cheer Girl. The cutesy cheerleader looked over at the scary creature, shivering. Just then, the Number split itself into pieces (which sended the Number’s Overlay Units into a purple vortex) and attached itself right onto Fairy Cheer Girl's body, causing the monster to scream in pain and terror as the armor changed sizes to fit her. "AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"
Meanwhile, on the Different Dimensional Ship, everyone was either doing a few practice Duel’s or going through their cards, in case they were attacked, as Tori heard a high pitched scream.
“Huh?” Tori said, as she looked around.
“Something wrong?” Bronk asked, as he just finished his Duel with Caswell.
“I could have sworn I just heard someone screaming in pain.” Tori said, before turning back to her Deck, which had her Fairy Cheer Girl on top. “Maybe it was just my imagination.”
Back at the Duel, the dark cloud that was Princess Fragrance's Number monster had fully attached itself onto Fairy Cheer Girl's body. The little fairy put on a smile, but it wasn't a pleasant-looking one. She now had a very wicked-looking expression on her face, and a red 80 mark on her neck like Princess Fragrance did.
Horrified, Marinette asked her opponent in a slightly disappointed tone, "Rose... what did you do to her?!"
"First off, it’s Princess Fragrance!” She snapped, before regaining her composure. “And for your other question, it's quite simple, actually. Rhapsody has the power to possess any Xyz Monster I choose. When it does, it increases that monster's Attack Points by 1200!”
Fairy Cheer Girl
ATK: 1900 + 1200 = 3100
“And in addition, Fairy Cheer Girl is now treated as a Number monster; which means now she can't be defeated by anything but another Number in battle!" Princess Fragrance added. “To end my turn, I will Set one card face-down.”
‘Great, the Duel just started and that royal already has a major advantage.’ Marinette thought in annoyance. Looking at the holder that contained her Extra Deck, she thought, ‘From what I remember about Tag Team Duels, nobody is allowed to conduct their Battle Phase until everyone’s had a turn, so I’m gonna to find another way to get rid of that Fairy Cheer Girl.’ A plan starting to form in her mind, she then said, “Alright, it’s my move! I draw!” She drew her first card and added it to her hand, before taking another out and placing it into her Duel Pad's Spell & Trap Zone slot. "First, I'll place one card face-down and play the Spell Card, Double Summon! This card lets me Normal Summon TWO monsters instead of one this turn!" Marinette declared, before taking another card out of her hand, and added, "Next, I'll Normal Summon Madolche Mewfeuille in Attack Mode!"
After the digital card appeared on the field, out of the card came a small, pink cat with blue eyes, wearing a long, brown, belt-like garment around itself. It seemed to look more like it was a stuffed toy, based on the stitchings that appeared to encircle the bottoms of its four paws.
Madolche Mewfeuille
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Beast/Effect
Level: 3
ATK: 500
DEF: 300
"Now," Marinette started, continuing her move, "Mewfeuille hates being all by itself, and since I Normal Summoned him, his special ability activates! So now I get to Special Summon ANOTHER ‘Madolche’ Monster from my hand! Luckily, I already have his best friend right here to join him!" Taking out another card from her hand, she then shouted, "I Summon Madolche Messengelato in Defense Mode!" Her second monster was a small-sized human boy who was dressed like a mailman. He carried a large, green bag full of letters while also holding one envelope in his gloved hand.
Madolche Messengelato
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Warrior/Effect
Level: 4
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1000
"Now I'll use the effect of my Madolche Messengelato! Since I Special Summoned him, and I also have a Beast-Type Madolche monster on the field with him, I can now take any Madolche Spell Card or Trap Card out of my Deck! And I choose the Field Spell, Madolche Chateau!" After she said that, her Duel Pad automatically shuffled her Deck; when it was finished, the card that she chose was left sticking out of the Deck Zone slot so that she could put it into her hand. After she took it, Marinette then placed the card into her device and exclaimed, "And now I'll go right ahead and play my Field Spell right away!"
Upon playing her card, the field then began to change. In an instant, the walls and ceiling disappeared, as a large castle appeared behind Marinette. The building was quite... unique, to put it lightly; it appeared as though the entire structure was made out of sweet foods such as cake, cookies, flan, pancakes, and more. The ground underneath everyone’s feet changed as well, creating a jigsaw puzzle-like design, which also appeared to be made of sweets.
“What did that Baker’s Girl do to my Daddy’s Hotel?!” Chloe exclaimed in anger and horror at what happened to her home.
“Don’t worry! What you are all seeing is all virtual reality! Every card that’s played is not actually real.” Cat Noir reassured the blonde.
“But what about those weird…Number thingies Yuma uses?!” Chloe yelled, causing the hero to turn to her.
“Other than that.” He nervously chuckled, causing the blonde to glare at the hero, while Miss Soraya Khan drove the card underneath the bridge above the Seine, hoping to hide until the threat was taken care of.
Seeing that they haven't been followed, the chaperone sighed in relief, before remembering Chloe's fish smell. “I’m gonna go get some air fresheners.” She gagged, getting out of the car, and gasping for fresh air.
“I doubt that can get rid of this smell.” Chloe muttered.
“Which is why you are staying outside the vehicle.” Miss Khan stated, as she held her breath and opened Chloe’s door.
“WHAT?!” Chloe exclaimed in shock, as the Chaperone quickly pulled her out. Before the blonde could get back inside, the adult quickly closed it and all the windows before locking it from the inside, causing Chloe to fume in anger.
“Now that my Field Spell is out, all ‘Madolche’ Monsters on the field gain 500 Attack and Defense Points!” Marinette exclaimed.
Madolche Mewfeuille
ATK: 500 + 500 = 1000
DEF: 300 + 500 = 800
Madolche Messengelato
ATK: 1600 + 500 = 2100
DEF: 1000 + 500 = 1500
“Next, I’ll use my second Normal Summon to bring out Madolche Anjelly!” Marinette declared, playing her next card. Her next monster was an adorable little angel girl with long brown hair, a pretty white dress, and small little angel wings. In her hand was a small spoon. At the moment, there appeared to be some red gelatin in the utensil, which Anjelly immediately put into her mouth, letting out a content sigh from how good it tasted.
Madolche Anjelly
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Fairy/Effect
Level: 4
ATK: 1000 + 500 = 1500
DEF: 1000 + 500 = 1500
“I Overlay Madolche Anjelly and Madolche Messengelato!” Marinette declared, as both of her monsters turned into orange lights. “With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network!” The lights then shot into the sky, before entering a red portal that appeared in front of Marinette. “I Xyz Summon, Madolche Queen Tiaramisu!"
From out of the red portal came a large and beautiful throne. Sitting on that throne was an even more beautiful woman. She wore a crown on top of her lilac-colored hair, along with dazzling robes of gold and chocolate-brown that draped to the ground. In her hand was a long scepter that shimmered in the sunlight. Swirling around her were two orange-colored orbs of light.
Madolche Queen Tiaramisu
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Fairy/Xyz/Effect
Rank: 4
ATK: 2200 + 500 = 2700
DEF: 2100 + 500 = 2600
Overlay Units: 2
"If you like Tiaramisu right now, then you'll love this!" Marinette said as she pulled out a card from underneath her Xyz Monster. "By using one Overlay Unit, I can normally have her send one Madolche monster in my Graveyard back into my Deck, but since my Field Spell is out, it gets sent back to my hand instead!" After she said that, Tiaramisu raised her scepter and drew one of her orange orbs into it.
Madolche Queen Tiaramisu
Overlay Units: 2 - 1 = 1
Marinette then used the effect to send Messengelato back into her hand. "Not only that," she then told her opponent, "But now her power lets me shuffle one card on YOUR side of the field back to YOUR Deck!"
"WHAT?!?" exclaimed the possessed Rose.
“That’s right! While your monster can’t be beaten except with a ‘Number’ monster, its power can’t protect it from card effects! Sorry, Rose... but this is for your own good!” Marinette said, as her Xyz Monster sent Princess Fragrance’s monster off of the field, leaving only two yellow orbs and a black mist. “And since your Xyz Monster is no longer on the field, its Overlay Units and the Number that was attached to it are automatically sent to the Graveyard!” The princess growled, as the two yellow Orbs and black mist were sucked into a purple vortex. “I don’t have any other moves to make yet, so I’ll end my turn.”
“Very well, then. I draw!” Dumon said, drawing his card and putting it in his hand, before staring at Yuma’s partner. ‘That girl, I sense something strange coming from her. According to the legends, Duel Monsters doesn't exist in this world, and yet, she’s Dueling like it always has.’ Dumon thought, before turning to Astral, continuing his inner monologue, ‘Not only that, she can see Astral clear as day. I wonder…’ Dumon decided to put those thoughts aside, as he took a card out of his hand, and said, “To start, I will Normal Summon Star Seraph Scout in Attack Mode!” From above Dumon, a yellow portal opened up, as the monster he played began to descend from it and land in front of him. The monster was a black and almost kite-like entity with wings. It had glowing golden lines on parts of its body, and the thing that could be considered a head was a glowing golden crown.
Star Seraph Scout
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Fairy/Effect
Level: 4
ATK: 1200
DEF: 1800
“When Star Seraph Scout is Normal Summoned, I’m allowed to Special Summon a ‘Star Seraph’ Monster from my hand.” Dumon stated, as he took another card out of his hand, which started to glow, and said, “And I’ll choose to Summon Star Seraph Sage!”
Appearing next to Scout was a floating blue object that looked almost like some sort of crown. Its head was an ornate golden object with spikes, and on the front of it was a black crest that resembled a face.
Star Seraph Sage
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Fairy/Effect
Level: 4
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1400
“And now I activate my Sage’s ability! By sending one Spell Card from my hand to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon ANOTHER ‘Star Seraph’ Monster from my hand!” Dumon said.
“Another one?!” Marinette asked in shock.
“Yes! I discard Shard of Greed, in order to Summon Star Seraph Sword!” Dumon exclaimed, as he discarded said Spell, and played a third Monster, which also descended from the yellow portal, before it vanished. The monster was a floating entity that resembled a sword with a golden blade. On the front of its handle-shaped head it bore the same crest as Dumon's other monsters.
Star Seraph Sword
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Fairy/Effect
Level: 4
ATK: 1400
DEF: 1000
“I now Overlay all three of my Star Seraph Monsters!” Dumon exclaimed, as his monsters then turned into three yellow lights, before they shot up into a galaxy-like portal that appeared above him. “The glorious halo manifested in the heavens above, come to me, so you can unleash your holy lightning and smite the unworthy!” Dumon chanted, as the portal exploded, leaving a yellow mark on the ground that looked like the number 102. “I Xyz Summon, Number 102: Star Seraph Sentry!”
Out of where the portal descended was a golden spinning top, before it glowed and transformed into a giant golden archer with golden wings, the same yellow 102 glistening on the archer's right wing, along with 3 yellow glowing orbs circling it.
Number 102: Star Seraph Sentry
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Fairy/Xyz/Effect
Rank: 4
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2000
Overlay Units: 3
Back with Cat Noir, everyone stared at the monitor, impressed but horrified by the beast’s size.
“Now I will activate Star Seraph Sentry’s ability! By using one Overlay Unit, I can target one monster you control, then cut its Attack Points in half and negate its effects!” Dumon exclaimed, as his Number materialized an arrow of light out of one of its Overlay Units and fired it from its bow, striking Marinette’s Xyz monster through the chest, causing it to grunt in pain.
Number 102: Star Seraph Sentry
Overlay Units: 3 - 1 = 2
Madolche Queen Tiaramisu
ATK: 2700/2 = 1350
“I Set one card face-down and end my turn.” Dumon stated, as a card materialized face-down on his field.
“Alright, it’s finally my turn! I draw!” Yuma exclaimed, beginning his turn. “To start, I Normal Summon will be my Goblindbergh, in Attack Mode!” Once the card materialized, a red and orange plane carrying a metal crate shot out of it, with the plane being flown by a goblin-like creature, dressed as a pilot.
Goblindbergh
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Warrior/Effect
Level: 4
ATK: 1400
DEF: 0
"And Goblindbergh is going to fly in and activate his special ability! When he's Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or below monster from my hand! Appear, Gagaga Magician!" Yuma declared, as Goblindbergh dropped the metal crate its plane was carrying onto the ground. Upon impact, the crate opened up, as Gagaga Magician stood ready for battle.
Gagaga Magician
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Level: 4
ATK: 1500
DEF: 1000
“Next, I activate the Spell Card, Gagagawind! This card lets me Special Summon a ‘Gagaga’ Monster from my hand as a Level 4 monster! Come on out, Gagaga Girl!” Yuma explained, as another monster similar to Gagaga Magician came out, and by its appearance it was clearly female, had blonde hair, wore a black and pink outfit (similar to Gagaga Magician) and held a cell phone.
Gagaga Girl
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Level: 3 > 4
ATK: 1000
DEF: 800
“I now Overlay Level 4 Gagaga Girl and Level 4 Goblindbergh!” Yuma yelled, as his monsters turned into a pair of lights, one orange and one purple. “With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network!” Yuma declared, before both lights shot into a galaxy-like portal in front of him. “Messenger of Light, my battle starts here! I entrust my wishes upon your white wings!” Yuma chanted, as the portal then exploded, leaving a red mark that resembled the number 39 on the ground. “I Xyz Summon, Number 39: Utopia!” From where the portal was ascended Utopia, in his sealed form, before unfolding himself, emerging into his true form, brandishing a pair of giant swords.
Number 39: Utopia
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Warrior/Xyz/Effect
Rank: 4
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2000
Overlay Units: 2
“It’s him! The armored warrior from before!” Prince Ali said in astonishment. “Now Yuma is for sure to win!”
“Please, as if he and Dupain-Cheng can pull this off.” Chloe denied. “Both of those ‘Number’ thingies have 2500 Attack Points. If they battle, it would just end up in a draw.” Chloe pointed out.
“I activate Gagaga Girl’s special ability!” Yuma’s voice said, pulling everyone’s attention back to the duel. “When she's used for an Xyz Summon, I can target one Special Summoned Monster on your side of the field and reduce its Attack Points to zero!”
“What?!” Chloe and Prince Ali exclaimed in disbelief, while Cat Noir just grinned.
“Go, Cell Phone Subtraction!” Yuma exclaimed, as Gagaga Girl appeared as a spirit in one of Utopia’s Overlay Unit’s and clicked a few buttons on her phone, before holding it out towards Dumon’s Monster. The phone then shot out a purple light, which enveloped the Over-Hundred Number.
Number 102: Star Seraph Sentry
ATK: 2500 > 0
“NO!” Dumon exclaimed.
"Yes! Now, I play the Spell Card Wonder Wand! By playing it on a Spellcaster-Type monster, I can give that monster 500 extra Attack Points! And I choose to play it on Gagaga Magician!"
After the card was played, the magic-using monster was given a long staff-like wand with a large, green jewel on the top. Gagaga Magician then swung the staff in front of himself, ready to display its power.
Gagaga Magician
ATK: 1500 + 500 = 2000
“Now go, Utopia, attack Star Seraph Sentry, with Rising Sun Slash!” Yuma ordered, as the warrior pulled out his sword and leapt towards his opponent.
“I activate Star Seraph Sentry’s effect!” Dumon interrupted, catching his opponents off guard. “By removing all of my Number’s Overlay Units, not only is it safe from destruction, but all the Damage I take from this battle is cut in half!” As soon as Utopia was about to strike down Star Seraph Sentry, its Overlay Units intercepted the attack, causing them to be destroyed instead.
Dumon: LP: 4000 - (2500/2 = 1250) = 2750
“Alright then, Gagaga Magician! Attack Princess Fragrance directly!" Yuma ordered, just as the monster then jumped forward and fired a blast of magic from his new wand.
"If you actually think that I'm going to allow you to beat us that easily, you had better think again! I activate the Trap Card, Xyz Reborn!" Princess Fragrance declared, as her facedown card revealed itself. "This lets me bring back an Xyz Monster from my Graveyard! Rhapsody, return to the field!" The Princess explained, as her Number emerged from a purple portal, which blocked the attack from Gagaga Magician’s magic. “Not only that, but this Trap Card becomes an Overlay Unit for Rhapsody.” The princess added, as her card turned into a purple orb, and began circling around the armored monster.
Number 80: Rhapsody in Berserk
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Fiend/Xzy/Effect
Rank: 4
ATK: 0
DEF: 1200
Overlay Units: 1
“I’ll Set two cards face-down, and end my turn.” Yuma stated, as two cards materialized onto his side of the field.
“I thought as much." Princess Fragrance replied. "Now it's my turn... I draw!" The Princess then placed her drawn card into her hand before laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Marinette asked, glaring at Princess Fragrance in suspicion.
“Oh nothing. It’s just that I drew the card that will end this Duel!” Princess Fragrance smirked, before revealing the card that caused Yuma and Astral to gasp in disbelief.
“It’s Rank-Up-Magic Barian’s Force!” Yuma exclaimed, recognizing the card, while Marinette's eyes widened from what her friend just said.
“That’s right!” Princess Fragrance yelled. “And now, I will-”
“I play my Trap Card! Lightforce Sword!” Marinette suddenly interrupted, her face-down card flipped face-up, a sword shooting out of it. “This card picks one random card from your hand and banishes it face-down until your 4th Standby Phase! And since you only have one card in your hand, there’s only one card it can pick!”
“No! My Barian’s Force!” Princess Fragrance exclaimed in panic, as Marinette’s sword then darted downward and stabbed the Barian Card, throwing it to the side.
“Sorry, your Highness, but it looks like you’re gonna have to wait a while before you get to use your trump card.” Marinette smirked.
“Grrrr…!” The possessed Rose growled, before saying in anger, “I end my turn!”
“Phew. Talk about dodging a bullet there.” Cat Noir sighed in relief.
“Huh? What do you mean?” Prince Ali asked the feline-themed hero in confusion.
“From what I know, Rank-Up-Magic Barian’s is a very dangerous card.” Cat Noir explained. “It has the power to evolve an Xyz Monster into a Chaos Xyz Monster, one with 1 Rank higher.”
“Okay, that sounds bad.” Chloe admitted.
“And it doesn’t stop there. After the Chaos Xyz Monster is summoned, the user is allowed to target an opponent’s Xyz Monster, and steal one of its Overlay Units.” Cat Noir added, shocking the Prince and blonde.
“But didn’t you say that Xyz Monsters need their Overlay Units to activate their abilities?” Prince Ali asked, realizing how powerful the Barian Card can be.
“Yeah. Let’s just hope they end this Duel before that sword’s effect wears off.” Cat Noir said, as they all turned back to the monitor, while Miss Khan returned to the vehicle.
“It’s my move! I draw!” Marinette exclaimed, drawing her next card.
“Before you play anything else, I play my own Trap Card, Wakobu!” Dumon exclaimed, revealing his face-down card. "This Trap Card protects my monsters from destruction and makes all of the battle damage I take this turn become zero! Which means my Life Points won't be going down!"
‘Dang it, and with Princess Fragrance’s Number in Defense Mode, I can’t damage her either. Looks like I’m gonna have to play it safe for now.’ Sighing in defeat, she said, “I switch my Queen to Defense Mode, then Set one card face-down. I end my turn.”
“What a waste of a turn, human. You only delay the inevitable.” Dumon said, as he drew his card. Chuckling a little, he then declared, “I play the card I just drew, Rank-Up-Magic Barian’s Force!”
“No!” Astral exclaimed, as Yuma and Marinette gasped in horror.
“This card lets me evolve my Number into a Chaos Xyz Monster!” Dumon explained, as he inserted the card into his Duel Disk. “I rebuild the Overlay Network with Number 102: Star Seraph Sentry!” Dumon’s Number then turned into a pink light, before it entered a black portal above him. “Manifestation of holy light, endow thyself with Barian’s chaos and quell your opposition once and for all! Unleash the full wrath of the heavens! Go, Chaos Xyz Evolution!” The portal then exploded with Dark energy, as the yellow 102 symbol on the ground grew darker and gave off an evil aura. “I Xyz Summon, Chaos Number 102: Archfiend Seraph!”
Descending from where the black portal was a humanoid figure clad in blue-gray armor that made him resemble a demonic knight. In his hands he carried a long silver spear, and on its back were two large wings made of armor. Glowing towards the end of his right wing in yellow was the number 102. Appearing on the ground near the demon knight's feet was a red diamond-shaped crystal with gold plates on it.
Number C102: Archfiend Seraph
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Fairy/Xyz/Effect
Rank: 5
ATK: 2900
DEF: 2400
Chaos Overlay Units: 1
"What...what is that thing...?" Chloe asked, sweating a little upon seeing the scary-looking monster that was just Summoned.
"I don’t know..." Cat Noir replied, as he, Prince Ali and Miss Khan stared at the monitor with wide eyes. “But I don’t think it came to say hello.”
“Now the other effect of Barian’s Force activates, letting me steal an Overlay Unit from an Xyz Monster you control, and I choose Madolche Queen Tiaramisu! Go, Chaos Drain!” Dumon exclaimed, as the crystal began to surge with pink electricity, and shock Marinette’s monster. Madolche Queen Tiaramisu then screamed in pain, as she was enveloped in a pink aura, while her remaining Overlay Unit flew towards the Chaos Number.
Madolche Queen Tiaramisu
Overlay Units: 1 - 1 = 0
“Tiaramisu!” Marinette called out to her monster, as the electricity stopped, the aura vanishing while the yellow orb then turned into another red crystal, which then stood by the original. “Are you okay?” The queen panted in exhaustion, but then nodded to her owner.
Number C102: Archfiend Seraph
Chaos Overlay Units: 1 + 1 = 2
“This is the end of the line for the three of you!” Dumon exclaimed, confidence in his voice, which made Yuma, Astral and Marinette a little nervous.
Meanwhile, back at Master Fu’s Massage Shop, Tikki was shivering, laying next on the table with a Kwami sized blanket over her. “Marinette…” She weakly said in her sleep, feeling something bad was happening.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Author’s Note:
MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!
I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. Part 3 won’t be for a while for a few reasons. One, the screen on my laptop broke so I have to connect it to my TV if I am gonna be able to write. Two, I still need to figure out how to write the rest of the match. Hope you understand.
Next Crossover Fanfiction Polls:
https://www.streem.tech/poll/770
https://www.streem.tech/poll/783
To vote, click or enter the links above.
Chapter 9: The Berserk Princess Part 3
Chapter Text
Chapter 9: The Berserk Princess Part 3
Last time on Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL…
“Since this is a Tag Duel, we will each start off with 4000 Life Points, and turn order will be determined randomly.” Dumon explained, as four portraits of each of the duelists began circling around each other. “Should one person lose all their Life Points, their Teammate loses as well.”
(Scene Change to Princess Fragrance Xyz Summoning her Number)
“I Overlay both my Level 4 Serenade and Level 4 Aria!” Princess Fragrance declared, as the two monsters turned into yellow lights, before shooting into the sky. “With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network!” After stating that, a galaxy-like portal appeared in front of her, as the two lights entered it. “Accursed armor with a soul of madness! Unleash the drumbeats of Chaos itself!” The possessed Rose chanted, as the portal then exploded, leaving a red mark that resembled the number 80 on the ground. “I Xyz Summon, Number 80: Rhapsody in Berserk!”
From high above, a large object that had two small purple spheres circling it began descending to the floor below. It then began to unfold itself into a more humanoid form, taking on the appearance of a large, armored human with huge fists, a long, purple cape, and piercing red eyes, along with the 80 mark that had appeared on the ground earlier was also imprinted upon the neck area of the armored monster.
(Scene Change to Rhasody in Berserk entering Fairy Cheer Girl’s body)
“Rhapsody has the power to possess any Xyz Monster I choose. When it does, it increases that monster's Attack Points by 1200!”
Fairy Cheer Girl
ATK: 1900 + 1200 = 3100
(Scene Change to Marinette’s Turn)
“I Overlay Madolche Anjelly and Madolche Messengelato!” Marinette declared, as both of her monsters turned into orange lights. “With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network!” The lights then shot into the sky, before entering a red portal that appeared in front of Marinette. “I Xyz Summon, Madolche Queen Tiaramisu!"
Madolche Queen Tiaramisu
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Fairy/Xyz/Effect
Rank: 4
ATK: 2200 + 500 = 2700
DEF: 2100 + 500 = 2600
Overlay Units: 2
"If you like Tiaramisu right now, then you'll love this!" Marinette said as she pulled out a card from underneath her Xyz Monster. "By using one Overlay Unit, I can normally have her send one Madolche monster in my Graveyard back into my Deck, but since my Field Spell is out, it gets sent back to my hand instead!" After she said that, Tiaramisu raised her scepter and drew one of her orange orbs into it.
Madolche Queen Tiaramisu
Overlay Units: 2 - 1 = 1
Marinette then used the effect to send Messengelato back into her hand. "Not only that," she then told her opponent, "But now her power lets me shuffle one card on YOUR side of the field back to YOUR Deck!"
"WHAT?!?" exclaimed the possessed Rose.
“That’s right! While your monster can’t be beaten except with a ‘Number’ monster, its power can’t protect it from card effects! Sorry, Rose... but this is for your own good!” Marinette said, as her Xyz Monster sent Princess Fragrance’s monster off of the field.
(Scene Change to Dumon thinking about Marinette’s Dueling)
‘That girl, I sense something strange coming from her. According to the legends, Duel Monsters doesn't exist in this world, and yet, she’s Dueling like it always has.’ Dumon thought, before turning to Astral, continuing his inner monologue, ‘Not only that, she can see Astral clear as day. I wonder…’
(Scene Change to Dumon summoning his Number)
“I now Overlay all three of my Star Seraph Monsters!” Dumon exclaimed, as his monsters then turned into three yellow lights, before they shot up into a galaxy-like portal that appeared above him. “The glorious halo manifested in the heavens above, come to me, so you can unleash your holy lightning and smite the unworthy!” Dumon chanted, as the portal exploded, leaving a yellow mark on the ground that looked like the number 102. “I Xyz Summon, Number 102: Star Seraph Sentry!”
Out of where the portal descended was a golden spinning top, before it glowed and transformed into a giant golden archer with golden wings, the same yellow 102 glistening on the archer's right wing, along with 3 yellow glowing orbs circling it.
(Scene Change to Princess Fragrance drawing a card, causing her to laugh)
“What’s so funny?” Marinette asked, glaring at Princess Fragrance in suspicion.
“Oh nothing. It’s just that I drew the card that will end this Duel!” Princess Fragrance smirked, before revealing the card that caused Yuma and Astral to gasp in disbelief.
“It’s Rank-Up-Magic Barian’s Force!” Yuma exclaimed, recognizing the card, while Marinette's eyes widened from what her friend just said.
“That’s right!” Princess Fragrance yelled. “And now, I will-”
“I play my Trap Card! Lightforce Sword!” Marinette suddenly interrupted, her face-down card flipped face-up, a sword shooting out of it. “This card picks one random card from your hand and banishes it face-down until your 4th Standby Phase! And since you only have one card in your hand, there’s only one card it can pick!”
“No! My Barian’s Force!” Princess Fragrance exclaimed in panic, as Marinette’s sword then darted downward and stabbed the Barian Card, throwing it to the side.
“Sorry, your Highness, but it looks like you’re gonna have to wait a while before you get to use your trump card.” Marinette smirked.
(Scene Change to Dumon beginning his turn)
“I play the card I just drew, Rank-Up-Magic Barian’s Force!”
“No!” Astral exclaimed, as Yuma and Marinette gasped in horror.
“This card lets me evolve my Number into a Chaos Xyz Monster!” Dumon explained, as he inserted the card into his Duel Disk. “I rebuild the Overlay Network with Number 102: Star Seraph Sentry!” Dumon’s Number then turned into a pink light, before it entered a black portal above him. “Manifestation of holy light, endow thyself with Barian’s chaos and quell your opposition once and for all! Unleash the full wrath of the heavens! Go, Chaos Xyz Evolution!” The portal then exploded with Dark energy, as the yellow 102 symbol on the ground grew darker and gave off an evil aura. “I Xyz Summon, Chaos Number 102: Archfiend Seraph!”
Descending from where the black portal was a humanoid figure clad in blue-gray armor that made him resemble a demonic knight. In his hands he carried a long silver spear, and on its back were two large wings made of armor. Glowing towards the end of his right wing in yellow was the number 102. Appearing on the ground near the demon knight's feet was a red diamond-shaped crystal with gold plates on it.
(Scene Change to Cat Noir, Chloe (who was outside the vehicle), Prince Ali, and Miss Khan staring at the monitor with wide eyes)
"What...what is that thing...?" Chloe asked, sweating a little upon seeing the scary-looking monster that was just Summoned.
"I don’t know..." Cat Noir replied. “But I don’t think it came to say hello.”
—-------------
(Play Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
The music starts up with Yuma activating his gear like in the original opening, before a blue vortex sucks Yuma and Astral into Paris.
Still together as one;
Cuz divided we're none;
Ready to go, we feel the flow!
Yuma then landed on his feet, as Astral floated next to him, before he drew a card and summoned Utopia.
So don't stand in our way;
You know we ain't afraid;
This is our time, we're in control!
Plagg was about to eat a piece of Camembert, before he was sucked into Adrien’s ring, while Tikki she sucked in Marinette’s earrings, causing them to transform into Ladybug and Cat Noir, who then Fist Bumped.
If I trip up today;
You just wipe it away;
All of my fears are gone, erased!
The rest of Yuma’s friends then appeared on the Different Dimensional Airship, with Shark and Kite summoning Number 32: Shark Drake and Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon.
Let us tear down the walls;
'Til the final night falls;
The bonds of our souls can't be replaced!
Everyone then came together, as they all charged towards Hawk Moth and the Barians.
Let us fight together;
Regret it never;
Our dreams will be…!
The Giant Shadow of Don Thousand appears over both worlds as Vector goes from his human form to his Barian one, devastating the land.
Halfway to,
Forever;
Our light comes shining through!
Yuma and Astral then fuse into Zexal II as Yuma Summons Utopia Ray Victory as it absorbed an Overlay Unit.
Reach down deep;
Beat defeat;
Do all that we can do!
Ladybug and Cat Noir were then shown, as their monsters appeared and joined Utopia Ray Victory’s attack.
Halfway to,
Forever;
We've got nothing to lose!
Hawk Moth smirked, as he held his arm out and created Akuma’s, while Vector prepared to counter-attack.
Keep breathing;
Believing;
Halfway to forever-rrrrrr!
The Numeron Code was then shown, all of the Miraculous were spiraling around it. Astral and Yuma smile at each other and touch hands as they all come together with their aces standing out, with the title below them.
Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
(End Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
—-------------
The Tag Duel between Yuma, Marinette, Dumon, and Princess Fragrance was getting more intense with every turn they took, as Yuma, Astral and Marinette stared at Dumon’s Chaos Number in concern.
Current Stats:
Yuma:
LP: 4000
Card(s) in Hand: 0
Face-Down Card(s): 2
Number 39: Utopia
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Warrior/Xyz/Effect
Rank: 4
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2000
Overlay Units: 2
Gagaga Magician
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Level: 4
ATK: 2000
DEF: 1000
Wonder Wand
Card Type: Equip Spell (Equipped to Gagaga Magician)
Marinette:
LP: 4000
Card(s) in Hand: 2
Face-Down Card(s): 1
Madolche Queen Tiaramisu
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Fairy/Xyz/Effect
Rank: 4
ATK: 1350
DEF: 2600
Overlay Units: 0
Madolche Mewfeuille
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Beast/Effect
Level: 3
ATK: 1000
DEF: 800
Madolche Chateau
Card Type: Field Spell
Lightforce Sword
Card Type: Trap
Standby Phases since Activation: 0
Dumon:
LP: 2750
Card(s) in Hand: 1
Face-Down Card(s): 1
Number C102: Archfiend Seraph
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Fairy/Xyz/Effect
Rank: 5
ATK: 2900
DEF: 2400
Chaos Overlay Units: 2
Princess Fragrance:
LP: 4000
Card(s) in Hand: 0
Face-Down Card(s): 0
Banished Card(s): 1
Number 80: Rhapsody in Berserk
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Fiend/Xzy/Effect
Rank: 4
ATK: 0
DEF: 1200
Overlay Units: 1
‘Things just got from bad to worse!’ Marinette thought, before turning to Princess Fragrance’s banished card. ‘Though I managed to stop Rose from evolving her Number, I wasn’t able to prevent Dumon from evolving his and stealing my monster’s Overlay Unit!’ Turning to her Madolche Queen Tiaramisu, she continued her inner monologue, ‘It already had a powerful ability by negating my Queen’s effect. What can it do now?’
“I assume that you are trying to figure out what my Chaos Number's new power is.” Dumon stated, causing the trio to glare at him. Pointing his hand out, he then exclaimed, “Well let me show you! I activate Archfiend Seraph’s special ability! By using one Chaos Overlay Unit, the effects of one of your monsters are negated, and its Attack Points become Zero!”
“ZERO?!” Yuma and Marinette yelled in horror.
“That’s right, and the monster I choose is Utopia!” Dumon declared, as one of the red crystals on the ground shattered and its power flowed into Archfiend Seraph.
Number C102: Archfiend Seraph
Chaos Overlay Units: 2 - 1 = 1
The demon knight then thrust his spear forward and shocked Utopia with bolts of red electricity, causing the Messenger of Light’s to grunt in pain while its body turned gray.
Back with Cat Noir, he, Prince Ali, Miss Khan, and Chloe (who was still outside the vehicle) stared at the monitor in horror, as they watched Utopia’s Attack Points drop.
Number 39: Utopia
ATK: 2500 > 0
“No! Utopia!” Yuma cried out to his ace.
“Now, Archfiend Seraph, attack Utopia with your Crimson Star Spear!” Dumon ordered, as Archfiend Seraph then charged forward and became shrouded in crimson energy.
“Not good!” Cat Noir exclaimed. “If this attack goes through, Yuma will lose most of his Life Points!”
Just when Archfiend Seraph was about to reach Yuma’s Number, the duelist quickly reacted and said, “I activate one of my Face-Downs! Shift!” One of Yuma’s Face-Down Cards then flipped over, as he explained, “This Trap Card lets me force your monster to attack a different monster on my field! So I'll redirect your attack to Gagaga Magician!”
"Urrrgh... Fine! Have it your way!" shouted Dumon. "Then I'll take him out instead!" And with that, the Barian’s Chaos Number then collided with the Gagaga Magician, destroying him.
“Thanks, Gagaga Magician.” Yuma grunted, as he told the Battle Damage, the crimson energy shocking him a little.
Yuma: LP: 4000 - 900 = 3100
“You may have spared your monster this turn, Yuma.” Dumon said, as he ended his turn. “But next time, you won’t be so lucky.”
‘I hate to admit it, but he’s right. With Utopia’s effect negated, I can’t use his Overlay Units to protect him!’ Yuma thought, as he stared at his deck. ‘I can think of one way that can turn this Duel around, but the question is, can I draw it?’ Determination filling him, he then said, “Alright, it’s my move!” Pulling out the top card, he looked at it and said, “I summon Cardcar D!” Yuma’s new monster began speeding down the street made of sweets. It was a blue car, flattened almost paper-thin, and bearing a phoenix-like insignia with a large, red "D" printed upon the hood.
Cardcar D
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Machine/Effect
Level: 2
ATK: 800
DEF: 400
"Now I activate the effect of my Cardcar D!" Yuma then stated. "On the turn in which it was Normal Summoned, I can Tribute it and draw two cards from my Deck!” Thrusting his hand into the air, he then shouted, "Cardcar D! I release you!" And with that, the newly-Summoned monster vanished from sight as soon as it appeared, allowing Yuma to draw his two new cards, causing him to smirk, as he saw what he just drew. ‘Yes!’ Inserting one of the cards in his Duel Pad, he exclaimed, “I activate the Spell Card, Rank-Up-Magic Numeron Force!”
‘No! That’s the card that defeated Vector!’ Dumon thought, before looking at his Face-Down card.
“This Spell Card evolves my Number into a Chaos Xyz Monster!” Yuma smiled, as Utopia started to turn into a yellow light. “With Utopia, I-”
“I activate my Magic Jammer Trap Card!” Dumon interrupted.
“Huh?!” Yuma’s eyes widened, as the Barian’s only Face-Down revealed itself.
“By discarding one card from my hand, I can negate the effect of Numeron Force and destroy it!” Dumon exclaimed, as he discarded his remaining card, causing Utopia to turn back to normal (was still gray), while Yuma’s Spell Card shattered into a million pieces.
“Oh man!” Yuma complained, upset that one of his most powerful cards was just destroyed.
“It was a good try, Yuma.” Marinette said, trying to comfort the boy a little.
Sighing in defeat, he said, “I’ll switch Utopia to Defense Mode and end my turn with a Face-Down.”
“Of course you will.” Princess Fragrance responded, drawing a new card, as the light from Marinette’s Lightforce Force dimmed a little bit.
Lightforce Sword
Standby Phases since Activation: 1
“Just three more turns and Barian’s Force will return to my hand.” Princess Fragrance smiled, as she Set a monster Face-Down in Defense Mode. “The clock’s ticking.”
“Yeah, for you. I draw!” Marinette said, drawing her card. Looking upon it, she thought to herself, ‘This will work.’ Smiling, she exclaimed, “I play Swords of Revealing Light!” Inserting the card into her Duel Pad, large glowing swords then materialized and slammed down into both Princess Fragrance’s and Dumon’s fields, freezing their monsters in place.
“Swords of Revealing Light?” Dumon asked, slightly surprised.
“That’s right. Now until the end of Princess Fragrance’s third End Phase, neither of you are allowed to attack us.” Marinette said, before pointing at the possessed Rose’s Face-Down monster. “Also, all Face-Down monsters are flipped Face-Up, so it’s time to see what you’re hiding!” The swords then shined onto Princess Fragrance’s card, making the monster reveal itself, which was a grinning black blob inside of a dark bluish jar, causing Marinette’s eyes to widen.
Morphing Jar
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Rock/Effect
Level: 2
ATK: 700
DEF: 600
"It was a Morphing Jar!" Cat Noir said grimly, which prompted the three to turn to him with a worried look on their faces.
“Huh? A Morphing Jar?” Miss Khan asked, both confused and concerned.
"When a Morphing Jar is flipped Face-Up, all players must send all the cards in their hand to the Graveyard, then draw five new cards from their deck.” Cat Noir explained.
“And why is that bad?” Chloe deadpanned.
“Princess Fragrance and Dumon didn’t have any cards in their hand, so now they have more options to work with!” Cat Noir glared, as he saw Marinette discard her remaining two cards.
“Now, for everyone to draw their new hands.” Princess Fragrance smiled, as everyone began drawing their cards.
Upon drawing her fifth card, Marinette’s eyes widened, as she spotted a familiar card in her hand. ‘This is…!’
FLASHBACK
“Purge Ray?” Marinette asked, as she and Tikki were at HQ, looking at the Trap Card Alvis gave the designer, mostly at the strange text that was written on it.
“It is a very powerful Trap Card. By Tributing an Xyz Monster, you are allowed to Special Summon a ‘Number’ monster from your Extra Deck, as long as it's the same type and 1 Rank lower than the Tributed monster.” Alvis explained, making the two more confused.
“But wouldn’t this card be more useful in Yuma’s Deck?” Marinette asked, as Alvis lightly smirked.
“I believe it would be better to have it and not need it rather than need it and not have it.”
END FLASHBACK
‘Alvis, I’m gonna have to thank you after this one.’ Marinette thought, before looking at her Xyz Monster, who nodded at her master. “I don’t like Tiaramisu suffering from the pain you caused her, so I'll use her to rebuild the Overlay Network, in order to bring out another ‘Madolche’ Xyz Monster!” Her queen then turned into an orange light, before it flew into a newly-opened red portal. “I Xyz Summon, Madolche Puddingcess Chocolat-a-la-Mode!”
A tiny, blonde-haired girl with grayish-colored eyes then jumped out of the portal, landing on the puzzle shaped ground, putting her hand on her hip area and striking a cutesy pose in front of Princess Fragrance and Dumon. She wore a fancy, brown crown on her head, there was a large cherry entwined in her hair, and her clothes appeared to be a fusion of both a royal dress and chocolate cake, due to its deep chocolate brown color.
Madolche Puddingcess Chocolat-a-la-Mode
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Fairy/Xyz/Effect
Rank: 5
ATK: 2500 + 500 = 3000
DEF: 2200 + 500 = 2700
Overlay Units: 1
"Chocolat-a-la-Mode! Attack Princess Fragrance’s Morphing Jar with Choco-Boot Kick!" Marinette ordered, as the tiny little princess then jumped forward towards the black blob. Though Chocolat-a-la-Mode was small, she showed no fear as she delivered a power kick right in the Morphing Jar's face, destroying the creature in the process. Taking Purge Ray and a second card out of her hand, Marinette then said, “I’ll Set two cards Face-Down and end my turn.”
“You've only been wasting time and turns, delaying the inevitable with each card you play!” Dumon glared at the designer, as he drew his card. “Playing like that will cost you dearly! I activate Archfiend Serpah’s ability once more! By using one Chaos Overlay Unit, the effects and Attack Points of your Madolche Chocolat-a-la-Mode are no more!” The last of the red crystals on the ground shattered and its power flowed into Archfiend Seraph.
Number C102: Archfiend Seraph
Chaos Overlay Units: 1 - 1 = 0
The demon knight then thrust his spear forward and shocked the Princess with bolts of red electricity, causing her body to turn gray.
Madolche Chocolat-a-la-Mode
ATK: 3000 > 0
“Now Archfiend Seraph’s OTHER effect activates!” Dumon declared.
“Other effect?!” Marinette asked.
“Yes! When Archfiend Seraph runs out of Overlay Units, you take 1500 points of damage!” Dumon exclaimed, as Marinette’s eyes widened, just before the red electricity transferred from her monster to herself, causing the secret heroine to scream in pain.
Marinette: LP: 4000 - 1500 = 2500
“Marinette!” Yuma called out, looking concerned.
“Oh no…” Miss Khan said, putting her hands on her mouth. Cat Noir, on the other hand, had his attention elsewhere, while he saw Marinette taking the damage, he spotted something from the corner of the screen, making him silently gasp, before quickly taking a deep breath before quickly exiting the vehicle.
“Cat Noir?” Chloe asked, as he saw him run and leap off.
Groaning in pain, Marinette thought to herself, ‘Man, Yuma wasn’t kidding about the Numbers being able to inflict real damage…’ Her thoughts were interrupted, as she saw a notification pop up in front of her.
Cat Noir: Prince Ali is in a safe location. On my way back. Hang in there, Mari! I know you can pull this off! P.S. Look at the Window.
‘Even when he’s not here, he worries about me, but has faith in me at the same time.’ Marinette smiled, before looking around and spotting an Akuma watching the match from the open window. ‘It seems our Duel has caught Hawk Moth’s attention.’ She sighed, before shaking her head and bringing her attention back to the duel. ‘Worry about Hawk Moth later, Marinette. Right now, you have a Duel to finish!’
Looking at his hand and making his decision, the Barian took all of the cards in his hand and placed them in his Duel Disk. "I Set one monster Face-Down in Defense Mode, then FIVE cards Face-Down and end my turn!"
‘Five Face-Down cards?’ Yuma thought, as he looked at one of his own Face-Down cards. ‘Better safe than sorry!’ Tapping the screen on his Duel Disk, he quickly yelled, “I play Release, Reverse, Burst!” As the Trap Card revealed itself, Yuma explained, “By Tributing 1 ‘Utopia’ monster on my field, I can destroy all of your Set Spell and Trap Cards!”
“What?!” Dumon exclaimed, as Utopia began to dissolve into golden particles. Thinking quickly, the Barian then revealed one of his Face-Down cards and yelled, “I chain your Trap Card with the Quick-Play Spell, Emergency Provisions! This card lets me send any amount of my Face-Down cards to the Graveyard, and for each one I send there, I gain 1000 Life Points!” His Face-Down’s then shattered into a million green particles, and they then went into Dumon, all while Utopia vanished from the field.
Dumon: LP: 2750 + (4 x 1000) = 6750
‘Dang it! Looks like I’m not gonna be able to finish him off this turn!’ Yuma thought while he examined his hand, before he drew his card. “To start, I’ll play my own Xyz Reborn, to bring back Utopia!” The Messenger of Light then emerged from a purple portal that appeared on the ground, just as Yuma’s other Trap turned into a yellow orb, which then started circling the Number.
Number 39: Utopia
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Warrior/Xyz/Effect
Rank: 4
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2000
Overlay Units: 1
“So that’s why he got rid of Utopia.” Prince Ali realized, causing his chaperone to turn to him.
“What do you mean, Your Highness?” She asked.
“Utopia originally lost its Abilities and Attack Points from Archfiend Seraph’s effect, so by sending Utopia to the Graveyard and then bringing it back…”
“It would be as if nothing ever happened!” Miss Khan finished, realizing what Yuma was going for.
“Go, Utopia! Attack Archfiend Seraph!” Yuma’s voice called out, causing the eyes of the three present to widen, seeing the Warrior of Light pull out his sword, and charge towards the Barian’s Chaos Number. “Now I activate Utopia’s special ability! By using one Overlay Unit, I can negate an attack!” Utopia absorbed his only Overlay Unit and put up his shield to block his own sword attack.
Glaring at the screen, Chloe thought, ‘It’s that same combo from last time!’
"Since my monster’s attack was negated, I am able to play the Spell Card, Double or Nothing!" Yuma exclaimed, as his Spell Card materialized on the field. “Now Utopia can attack again, with double the attack points!”
Number 39: Utopia
ATK: 2500 x 2 = 5000
“Let’s try this again!” Yuma then held his arm out and said, “Utopia, attack Archfiend Seraph with Rising Sun Slash!” The Number nodded as took out both of his swords and slashed them at the Chaos Number, causing it to explode.
Dumon: LP: 6750 - 2100 = 4650
“I’ll Set one card Face-Down, and call it a turn.” Yuma said, as a Face-Down card materialized on his field.
“Then I’ll play one of my own Face-Down cards, DNA Surgery!” Marinette exclaimed, as she tapped on her Duel Pad, making one of her cards flip over and reveal itself. “This Trap Card makes all Face-Up monsters on the field a Monster Type of my choosing, and the type I am choosing is Warrior!”
Madolche Mewfeuille
Monster Type: Beast/Effect > Warrior/Effect
Madolche Puddingcess Chocolat-a-la-Mode
Monster Type: Fairy > Warrior
Number 80: Rhapsody in Berserk
Monster Type: Rock > Warrior
‘What is she up to?’ Princess Fragrance glared in suspicion, as she then drew her card, as Lightforce Sword dimmed a little once more.
Lightforce Sword
Standby Phases since Activation: 2
Evilly smirking, she said, “I activate Polymerization, to fuse Mozarta the Melodious Maestra, Elegy the Melodious Diva, Score the Melodious Diva, Soprano the Melodious Songstress, and Shopina the Melodious Maestra from my hand!”
“What?!” Yuma and Marinette exclaimed, while Astral glared at the possessed Rose.
“Of course.” Astral said, gaining his friends' attention, (though Marinette didn’t look at him, as it would raise suspicion for her to Hawk Moth and those who were watching the Duel with Cat Noir). “The Melodious Archetype is based around Fusion Summoning, so the chances of her performing a Fusion Summon were extremely high.”
“And you didn’t tell us this before, why?!” Yuma yelled in frustration.
“You never bothered to ask.” Astral simply replied, causing the duelist to fall to the ground.
“Uhhh….” Prince Ali and Miss Khan just stared at the screen in confusion, seeing Yuma just talking to thin air.
“It’s official, Yuma has completely lost it.” Chloe facepalmed, before gagging a little, forgetting about the fish smell coming off of her.
Meanwhile, in Hawk Moth’s lair, the villain himself couldn’t help but chuckle at the scene his Akuma was giving him. “It seems the boy is able to communicate with a creature nobody else can see.” He said to himself, getting more interested with the boy, before turning his attention to Dumon. “Perhaps his opponent could enlighten things for me.”
“If you’re done talking to yourself, I will go ahead and continue my turn.” Princess Fragrance said, as she placed the rest of her hand in the Graveyard, causing the five monsters she said earlier to appear before being drawn into a red and blue-colored vortex. "Echoing melodious voice! The flutter of angel wings! By the guidance of the baton, assemble your power, and come to the stage, to sing the song of passion!” Princess Fragrance chanted. “I Fusion Summon, Bloom Prima the Melodious Choir!”
The monster she summoned was a minute pale-skinned Fairy with blue hair styled in notes which also had curls around them, and two white and blue campanulas attached to her back via stems, with pistils not unlike speakers. She wore a mostly yellow dress, shaped like a lilybell, that had a flowy blue under-dress with pink notes marked, and orange breastplate and arm folds. The Prima blossomed, singing a youthful ascending scale, and concluding her debut with a giggle.
Bloom Prima the Melodious Choir
Attribute: LIGHT
Monster Type: Fairy/Fusion/Effect
Level: 7
ATK: 1900
DEF: 2000
“Now, for each Fusion Material I used to summon Bloom Diva, she gains 300 Attack Points! And as you saw, I used five!” Princess Fragrance smiled.
Bloom Prima the Melodious Choir
ATK: 1900 + (300 x 5 = 1500) = 3400
“You’re lucky I can’t attack yet, otherwise you would have lost, so I end my turn.”
Swords of Revealing Light
End Phases since Activation: 1
“In that case, I activate my Purge Ray Trap Card!” Marinette exclaimed. “By Tributing an Xyz Monster, I can Special Summon a ‘Number’ Monster from my Extra Deck, as long as it's the same type and one Rank lower than the monster a tribute.”
“But you have any-” Dumon stopped mid-retort, as he gasped in realization.
FLASHBACK
“If it's a Duel you want, it’s a Duel you’ll get!” Yuma shouted, as he pulled out a card from his Extra Deck and held it out to Marinette. “Hey Mari, ready to take these clowns down?”
Uponing seeing what the card was in her friend's hand, she accepted it and smirked, “You know I am, Yuma.”
END FLASHBACK
“No! The card Yuma gave you…!” Dumon exclaimed in disbelief.
“About time you figure it out!” Yuma grinned, as he then turned to Marinette and said, “Let’s finish this, Marinette!”
“With pleasure! I release my Madolche Puddingcess Chocolat-a-la-Mode,” Marinette exclaimed, as her small monster entered a portal vortex, before it turned into a galaxy-like one, “In order to bring out Number: 59 Crooked Cook!” Out of the galaxy-like came a large, brown propane tank, which then opened up and revealed a human man inside of it. The front of the tank became the apron wrapped around his body, and other parts of it transformed into a frying pan, an arm-mounted flamethrower, and a silver propane tank that was worn on the man's back, and attached to the flamethrower with a long, thin hose. The top of the tank compacted itself and turned itself into a chef's hat, which prominently displayed a yellow 59 mark.
Number 59: Crooked Cook
Attribute: FIRE
Monster Type: Warrior
Rank: 4
ATK: 2300
DEF: 200
Overlay Units: 0
Back at Miss Khan’s vehicle, Chloe stared in disbelief, recognizing the monster Marinette summoned. “Why that little…!” Chloe exclaimed, before she stormed off, wanting to pound Yuma to the ground from allowing someone like Marinette to use that card.
“Now, it's my turn! I draw!” Marinette exclaimed, drawing her card, before seeing Cat Noir, who’s left was now a different color, secretly enter the Chateau land quietly in the middle of the sky (Note that he actually enter a window landed on a chandelier, since the Field Spell which still active), and give Marinette a thumbs up, indicating he was ready when the Duel’s over. Smiling, she then said, “I activate the Spell Card, Raigeki!” Insert the card into her Duel Pad, she explained. “When this card is played, all monsters you control are destroyed!”
“What?!” Princess Fragrance exclaimed, as a sudden thunderstorm came out of Marinette’s card, and struck her monsters with a lightning bolt, causing them to explode. Huffing in annoyance, she then said, “I swear, on my next turn, I’m gonna-”
“I’m afraid there isn’t gonna be a next turn, Princess! And my next card is gonna prove that!” Marinettte interrupted, as another card materialized on her field, revealing it to be…
“Monster Reborn?!” Princess Fragrance exclaimed in shock. “That allows you to revive any monster no matter whose Graveyard it's in!"
"I'm glad you know the rules, now, guess which one I want.”
"I'm glad you clearly know the card's effect," Marinette said with her own amusement, "Now be reborn, Number 80: Rhapsody in Berserk!”
‘What?! Why is she picking Rose’s Number?!’ Astral thought in disbelief, as a purple vortex opened in front of Marinette, with Princess Fragrance’s Number emerging from it.
Number 80: Rhapsody in Berserk
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Fiend/Xyz/Effect > Warrior/Xyz/Effect
Rank: 4
ATK: 0
DEF: 1200
Overlay Units: 0
“Now, I play my final Face-Down card, Graverobber!” Marinette exclaimed, a little imp carrying a card appeared from Marinette's now-revealed Trap. “Graverobber normally lets me pick one Spell Card from my opponent’s Graveyard and lets me use it as if it were in my hand. However, since this is a Tag Duel, I get to pick from any Graveyard, aside from mine of course.”
“I’m well aware of the Trap’s effects, human.” Dumon glared, as he pointed at her. “I’m also aware that should you use the Spell of your choosing, you lose two thousand Life Points, leaving you with only five hundred left!”
“That’s a risk I’m willing to take, because the card I choose is…” Marinette said, as the imp flipped over the card it held, revealing it to be, “Rank-Up-Magic Numeron Force!”
Marinette: LP: 2500 - 2000 = 500
“No!” Dumon exclaimed in disbelief. “Now you can evolve one of your Numbers!”
“That’s right, and I know which one I’m picking!” Throwing her arm out, Marinette then exclaimed, “With Rhapsody in Berserk, I rebuild the Overlay Network!” Princess Fragrance’s Number then turned into a bright and pure purple light, before swirling around in the sky. “The melody that calms the soul, the god of integrity that repairs the world! Sing the somber song and bring about a peaceful end to those who have departed from our mortal realm! Go, Chaos Xyz Evolution!” The light then stopped swirling around, as it then exploded with a light blue energy, causing a 80 mark, radiating a powerful light on Marinette’s field. “I Xyz Summon, Chaos Number 80: Requiem in Berserk!”
Descending from where the explosion occurred was armor that was now painted in a white and gold color scheme, and the helmet more akin to that of a gladiator rather than a dark medieval knight. Instead of a cape, two long, red appendages sprouted out of the back of the armor, serving as a crude set of wings. Circling around was a single purple orb.
Number C80: Requiem in Berserk
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Fiend/Xyz/Effect
Rank: 5
ATK: 0
DEF: 2000
‘Of course!’ Astral thought with wide eyes, realizing Marinette’s motives. ‘Marinette wanted her opponent’s Number so SHE could evolve it!’
“Now I activate my new monster’s effect!” Marinette declared. “I can equip him to another Xyz Monster I control and give it two thousand Attack Points! Requiem in Berserk, lend Crooked Cook your power!” The armor nodded, as it attached itself to Crooked Cook, fitting him perfectly.
Number 59: Crooked Cook
ATK: 2300 + 2000 = 4300
“No! Wait, time out!” Princess Fragrance pleaded, fear in her eyes.
“Sorry Rose, but like I said before, this is for your own good! Crooked Cook, attack Princess Fragrance directly with Chaos Berserking Searing Shot!” Marinette ordered her monster, who then fired two fireballs at the possessed Rose. Unknown to them, the Akuma then started to fly towards Dumon.
“AAAACK!” Princess Fragrance grunted as she was thrown down to the floor hard from the impact.
Princess Fragrance: LP: 4000 - 4300 = 0
WINNERS: Yuma and Marinette
“Yes!” Prince Ali cheered, as Miss Khan sighed, relieved that it was finally over, before seeing the monitor automatically log out and go back to its standard functions, while Chloe (who had come back because of the civilians passing by her on the way to the Hotel, ran away from her, not wanting to deal with Chloe’s stench) sniffed herself, glad that the fish smell was finally gone.
“It’s over…” Marinette sighed in relief as she and Yuma took off their Duel Gazers, causing the holographic effects to disappear, returning everyone back to the Dining Hall. Astral then held his hand out, causing a card-shaped light to come out of Princess Fragrance’s chest, before flying towards the hero's direction, all while the Number symbol on Princess Fragrance’s neck exploded into thousands of golden particles, before turning back to Rose. However, instead of it flying into Astral’s hand, it stopped in front of Marinette, who looked confused. “What…?” Hesitantly, she held her hand out and grabbed the light, before it revealed to be Number 80: Rhapsody in Berserk and its evolution, Number C80: Requiem in Berserk.
Suddenly, Astral’s eyes widened, as new memories started to flood his mind.
FLASHBACK
Lightning strikes, as Don Thousand and Astral face each other. The former was surrounded by a red aura, while the latter took on a blue aura and both flew up to the sky, causing an explosion.
END FLASHBACK
‘Another piece of my memories have been restored! But how? I was not the one who obtained the Number.’ Astral thought, before turning to Marinette's Earrings. ‘Could there be some sort of connection with me and the Miraculous?’
“I knew you could do it.” Cat Noir’s voice said, as he jumped down and went to check on Rose, who was lying down on the floor, completely motionless.
“Thanks Cat.” Marinette smiled, before she, Yuma and Astral ran (or in Astral’s case, flew) over to Rose, hoping that she would be alright from that last attack.
At first, the young girl said nothing, but then, Rose began to groan as her eyes slowly opened. With a tired tone of voice, the girl said to her friends, "...Thank you... so much... for getting that... thing... out of me..." After that, she moaned one last time and fainted.
Cat Noir checked Rose’s pulse and breathed a sigh of relief. "She's okay..." He told his friends. "She just passed out... I don't blame her, though, with everything that she's been through." He then glanced over to where Dumon was, only to find a strange sight. “Where’d Dumon go?”
Confused, Yuma, Astral and Marinette turned their heads, only to confirm that the Barian was indeed gone. “He must have escaped just as the Duel ended.” Astral theorized, before turning to the feline-themed hero. “Can you play back the footage to see which way he went?”
“I’ll try…” Cat Noir nodded, as he pulled out his staff, and went to find the file containing today's Tag Duel.
Marinette, who still held the Number and Chaos Number in her hand, held them towards Yuma and said, "Here’s Rose’s Number by the way, Yuma."
Shaking his head, the duelist pushed the cards back and said, "No, Marinette. You hold on to it. It's not mine to take. You won the Number, fair and square."
"But-” Marinette protested, as she pulled out Crooked Cook. “What about Crooked Cook? He’s one of your Number’s"
“Well, it was originally your Great Uncle’s, so it would kind of make sense for you to have it.” Yuma shrugged, as he looked at Cat Noir and the unconscious Rose. “Plus, it would mean that we would get to be part of your Civilian Deck. Whenever you play those Numbers, you can think of us. You get what I’m saying?”
Marinette, left speechless, softly smiled and nodded, as she put the Numbers into her Extra Deck.
“Guys…” Cat Noir’s voice said, causing them to turn to the feline-themed hero, who’s eyes were widened in disbelief. “You might want to take a look at this…”
Concerned, the group walked over to Cat Noir as he held out his staff, showing everyone what was on screen.
Just before Crooked Cook’s attack hit Princess Fragrance, the Akuma from before flew to Dumon, as a purple glow then came off of its body, consuming the Barian like it was eating him alive, making him cry out in utter shock as he became a glowing figure of light, then in a split second, he vanished into thin air, almost as if he was never there in the first place.
Yuma, Astral, and Marinette could only stare in disbelief.
Meanwhile, in a certain dark room just being lightened up by the only window as Dumon suddenly appeared in a flash of purple light, as he looked around frantically. “Where am I? How did I get here?” He asked himself.
"Far from anything comforting, but you look like you're not the one for luxury, am I right?" a certain soothing voice echoed from the dark corner of the room, causing the Barian to stand guard.
“Who’s there?!” He called out loud, startling the clouds of butterflies that had settled on the floor. “Reveal yourself!”
In answer to his question, the owner of the voice came out of the shadows and stepped into the light, revealing himself to be the Villain of Paris himself.
"Greetings Dumon. I am Hawk Moth, and I'd like it if the two of us could have a little...chat."
Glaring at the villain, Dumon readied to Summon his Number, only to spot the familiar shape of the Butterfly Miraculous, causing him to stand down and say, “I’m listening…”
Sunset soon came to Paris, as Yuma, Astral, Marinette, Adrien, Tikki (who Marinette retrieved a little while ago) and Plagg were on top of the Eiffel Tower, watching the fireworks that were going on at the Pont des Arts.
“That Akuma must have transported Dumon to Hawk Moth.” Marinette grimly said, recalling what happened after the Duel.
“Yeah…” Adrien sighed.
“So what are the chances of Hawk Moth and Barian World teaming up?” Plagg asked, as he munched on a piece of Camembert.
“Very likely.” Tikki replied. “Though we have won today’s battle, this war has only just begun.”
“Well, you know what I say to that?” Yuma asked, gaining the others' attention. Determined, he jumped into the air and said, “I say ‘Bring it on!’”
Author’s Note:
First off, I would like to say that everyone needs to give thanks to Monty Eggman, who has been helping me write this and coming up with some of the summoning chants. We’ve been working together and helping each other with each other’s stories.
Second, I am now allowing you all to post fanart on twitter (I know it's called X but it will always be twitter to me.) If you want to post and share fanart on twitter, use #ZEXALMiraculous in your tweet.
Lastly, if you have not heard, two of my other projects, Pokemon Loud Brawlers and Yu-Gi-Oh: Ouroboros, are canceled, because I plan on sort of combining the two into a new project, Yugioh Zexal: Pokemon Adventures, where its a NSL AU (I know, but bear with me), where 5 years ago, Lincoln got a strange Key from his grandfather Albert and met a strange being named Astral the next morning, while his Grandfather disappeared. Now, present day, after being blamed for Lynn Jr's loss on her championship game, Lincoln ends up going to Kanto, where he will finally be free from his families rule of "No Duel Monsters" (which he had been secretly playing ever since meeting Astral) meet several kinds of Pokemon, including Pikachu, and eventually a very injured Miraidon, who will serve as Lincoln's other Companion and Duel Runner.
PS: Laptop’s screen is still broken and cannot fix it, so chapters won’t be so frequent.
Next Crossover Fanfiction Polls:
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Chapter 10: Fly Away, Mr. Pigeon
Chapter Text
Chapter 10: Fly Away, Mr. Pigeon
As a new day came to Paris, Yuma, Marinette and Adrien were sitting in their classroom, hoping for a nice, quiet day at school. That all went out the window when Mr. Damocles came in to make an announcement that included a slideshow, which immediately piqued Marinette’s interests.
“You only have one day to work on your fashion piece, and it must be your own design,” Mr. Damocles explained as he faced the class as they listened, Marinette more than the others since she was the resident fashion designer. “In ten hours your fittest presentation will be judged by none other than the great fashion designer Gabriel Agreste…” The principal announced as Ms. Bustier grabbed a remote and pressed a button on it to make a picture of the fashion designer appear on the projection screen, and Mr Damocles to adjust his stance to gesture towards it.
Gabriel was a very tall man with a fair but rosy-tinted skin tone and a pointy chin. He had pale, light grayish cerulean eyes and combed-back light blond and gray hair.
He wore black-framed silver glasses, had a white high collar dress shirt underneath a medium gray striped vest with red buttons and a cream-colored dress jacket without buttons, along with a red and white-striped ascot tie. Underneath the tie, he had what people didn’t realize was the Butterfly Miraculous pinned on his shirt. He also wore red dress pants and a pair of white dress shoes, with black soles, and red shoelaces. On the middle finger of his left hand, he had a silver band ring, which was sometimes depicted on his right hand.
“Wait, isn’t that your dad, Adrien?” Yuma asked his friend, causing the boy to scratch the back of his neck in slight embarrassment, and shyness.
“You are correct, Yuma. In fact, Adrien will model the winning design in his next photoshoot,” The principal continues, explaining the contest while Nino softly jabs his elbow into Adrien, in an encouraging way, as Marinette’s excitement turns into pure joy. Her pupils figuratively turned into hearts while turning to face Alya with a smile, to which she responded with a smile of her own, and a calming hand on her best friend's shoulder, as the principal continued talking.
“And now, to announce this year's theme:…” Mr Damocles began, getting to the requirements for winning the contest, causing Ms. Bustier to change the picture on the presentation screen, from the man who believes himself to be a decent father, to a picture of what looked like a…
“Derby hats,” The principal proclaimed, which caused Marinette’s joy to take a sudden drop as she glanced over at Alya.
“Derby hats?” Marinette asked, confused as to why the theme was such a… unique choice, before she glanced over at Chloé as she looked at them and made an exaggerated thumbs-down at her.
‘Yeah… this was not going to be pretty.’ Adrien thought.
(Play Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
The music starts up with Yuma activating his gear like in the original opening, before a blue vortex sucks Yuma and Astral into Paris.
Still together as one;
Cuz divided we're none;
Ready to go, we feel the flow!
Yuma then landed on his feet, as Astral floated next to him, before he drew a card and summoned Utopia.
So don't stand in our way;
You know we ain't afraid;
This is our time, we're in control!
Plagg was about to eat a piece of Camembert, before he was sucked into Adrien’s ring, while Tikki she sucked in Marinette’s earrings, causing them to transform into Ladybug and Cat Noir, who then Fist Bumped.
If I trip up today;
You just wipe it away;
All of my fears are gone, erased!
The rest of Yuma’s friends then appeared on the Different Dimensional Airship, with Shark and Kite summoning Number 32: Shark Drake and Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon.
Let us tear down the walls;
'Til the final night falls;
The bonds of our souls can't be replaced!
Everyone then came together, as they all charged towards Hawk Moth and the Barians.
Let us fight together;
Regret it never;
Our dreams will be…!
The Giant Shadow of Don Thousand appears over both worlds as Vector goes from his human form to his Barian one, devastating the land.
Halfway to,
Forever;
Our light comes shining through!
Yuma and Astral then fuse into Zexal II as Yuma Summons Utopia Ray Victory as it absorbed an Overlay Unit.
Reach down deep;
Beat defeat;
Do all that we can do!
Ladybug and Cat Noir were then shown, as their monsters appeared and joined Utopia Ray Victory’s attack.
Halfway to,
Forever;
We've got nothing to lose!
Hawk Moth smirked, as he held his arm out and created Akuma’s, while Vector prepared to counter-attack.
Keep breathing;
Believing;
Halfway to forever-rrrrrr!
The Numeron Code was then shown, all of the Miraculous were spiraling around it. Astral and Yuma smile at each other and touch hands as they all come together with their aces standing out, with the title below them.
Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
(End Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
Class had been let out early so the students could complete the challenge with ample time, but that didn’t help Marinette. She paced in the courtyard, looking at her sketchbook while Yuma and Alya sat crossed legged on a bench, and Adrien leaning against the wall next to Astral, watching their friend having a hard time.
“Derby hat? Derby hat? Derby hat? Derby hat...! I don’t have any derby hat designs,” Marinette frustrateidly exclaimed as she paced in front of her friends. “I’ve got top hats, caps, even two-horned hats! Need a beret? I’m your girl. A sombrero? No problem-o. But a derby?!” Marinette exclaimed as mimed the corresponding hats, causing Adrien and Alya to chuckle at her antics, while Yuma and Astral just looked confused.
“Uh, quick question. What even IS a derpy hat?” Yuma interjected.
“A derpy hat, commonly also known as a bowler hat, is a style of a hat that was worn by many stylish Englishmen who attended the Epsom Derby. Americans identified the hats with the races and thus the nickname stuck. The hat Americans named derby was in fact a bowler hat, a style introduced in England during the 1850s.” Adrien explained, showing Yuma a picture of said hat on his phone.
“Oh, THOSE kind of hats!” Yuma realized, recognizing the hat he once saw in World History class back in his world.
Marinette looked back down at her sketchbook in panic.
“You know what? It won’t even matter, 'cause I’ll probably make a total fool of myself at the event, most likely trip over my stupid derby and collapse on your father, give him a full-blown concussion with my hard head! I'll never be a world-renowned fashion designer. MY LIFE WILL BE OVER!” The poor girl wailed, spiraling as she imagined the most ridiculous worst scenario she could come up with.
“Marinette!” Adrien yelled, as he grabbed her shoulders. “Breathe.” Taking a few deep breaths to calm down, the boy model then asked, “Better?”
“Yeah. Thanks.” Marinette smiled.
“All this over a derby hat?” Alya asked. “Let me see your sketchpad, girl,” The reporter insisted, to which Marinette immediately complied and handed over the pink book to her best friend.
“There must be something in here,” Alya said as she started going through the book while Marinette sat between her and Yuma, while Alya rearranged her sitting position to place the book on the corner of the bench and lean over it to get a better look at the designs.
“Wow, Marinette. Those are some awesome designs.” The boy model said, impressed by the amount of skill it had taken for someone to draw up such unique designs.
“Well, I got some inspiration from my Madolche cards.” Marinette said, as she pulled out her Civilian Deck and compared some of the cards with her drawings.
“You're super talented, Marinette. You seriously have a good chance of winning,” Adrien praised, causing the designer to smile.
“You really think so?” She asked.
“I know so.”
But unknown to them, Chloé and her ‘friend’ Sabrina had watched the entire interaction from the other side of the courtyard. And to say Chloé wasn’t happy was an understatement… She was livid.
“Did you hear how impressed Adrien was with Marinette's desi–” Sabrina began to ask, only for her to be interrupted by the angry Chloé as she continued to look over at the four, leaning against a metal pole.
“Of course I heard! Her? Win the contest? As if,” Chloé snarled, as she glanced at Sabrina, then back at Alya and Marinette while she spoke. “When Adrien sees my design he'll convince his father to award me the winner. Hm!” The heiress said, turning to look back at Sabrina before pointing to herself, leaning down to get into Sabrina’s personal space, before going back to lean against the metal pole, and looking back at the four.
“I'm sure he will, Chloé. You’re a born champion. Your design will blow everyone else's out of the water!” Sabrina encouragingly praised, trying to continue being on Chloé’s good side.
“Yeah, it will. As soon as I can get my hands on the sketchpad!” Chloé proclaimed as she watched Alya give Marinette her sketchbook back.
As soon as Alya gave the book back, she checked her phone to see the countdown she had on it, changed into 09:00:00.
“Only have nine hours until show time,” Alya reported as she watched the countdown continue, suddenly making Marinette nervous.
“Yikes! I'm off to my secret garden of inspiration,” Marinette replied while she walked backwards as she spoke, not aware of her surroundings. “I’ll see you later,” The designer exclaimed as she turned around, only to run into a wall. But she quickly recovered and ran towards the exit. “AH! I'm okay. I'm okay, I'm okay,” Marinette reassured as she ran past the door, almost running into another wall, then yelped before she changed directions, and ran out the door. All of this while Alya chuckled at the girl's antics.
Meanwhile, Hawk Moth stood in his lair as the window opened dramatically to let in a beam of sunlight, prompting the butterflies to stir.
“The time has come for us to find our next victim, my wicked little Akumas. And to prey upon Ladybug, Cat Noir and Yuma. Their powers must be mine!” Hawk Moth proclaimed.
“You mean OURS.” A new voice stated, causing the villain to turn and see Vector in his Barian Form step out of the shadows. “You must be Hawk Moth, forceful holder of the Butterfly Miraculous.”
“Yes, and you must be Vector, Yuma’s arch enemy.” Hawk Moth assumed, seeing the Barian’s appearance match up with Dumon’s description. “I am pleased that you accepted my offer.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Hawky.” Vector smirked, shaking Hawk Moth’s hand. “An enemy of Yuma and Astral is no doubt a friend and ally to Barian World.”
“Indeed, which brings me to one of my questions. What can you tell me about the Numbers?” Hawk Moth asked the Barian, an evil.
Back at HQ, Alvis, who was meditating in his room, felt a familiar presence, as he opened his eyes and commented, “It seems that the gears of fate have begun to turn.” Touching the red crystal around his neck, it gave off a soft glow.
Meanwhile, in the Different Dimensional Airship, the team from Yuma’s world in the command bridge, staring at Brock and Caswell in disbelief.
“What do you mean we’re already almost out of food?!” Everyone yelled at the two, causing them to cover their ears.
“I mean that most of the food rations we prepared for the rest of the trip are gone. We’ve only got enough to last us until morning.” Brock explained, before glaring at the others. “So either it somehow grew legs and walked away, or SOMEONE has been having a few midnight snacks!”
“You’re blaming us?!” Shark yelled, walking up to the boy. “How do we know that it wasn’t you?!”
“Well….I…” Bronk stammered, realizing that his theory makes him a suspect to the others as well.
Before he could say his alibi, beeping could be heard throughout the ship, causing everyone to jump a little. Confused and on guard, Kite turned to his robot assistant and asked, “Orbital! Status Report!”
“I-I-I’m working on it!” Orbital replied, as he ran a quick status report on the ship. His eye widening, he yelled, “M-M-Master Kite! Some of the s-s-ships gears are reactivating! We’re g-g-gaining speed!”
“What?!” Kite asked in disbelief, as he ran over to the main control panel. Sure enough, he saw images of the pillars that activated the ship's gears slowly but surely becoming active once more. ‘I don’t understand. I thought we needed the Numbers to reactivate the gears. We’ve been on this ship for weeks, and those gears haven’t moved an inch. So why are they activating now? Unless…’ His eyes widening in realization, he exclaimed, “Make sure this ship is going at full capable speed!”
“On it, sir!” Orbital saluted, as he pulled the lever, causing the ship to slowly gain speed.
“Everyone, buckle up. We’re getting close to our destination!”
A little while later, Marinette had made it to her ‘Secret Garden of Inspiration,’ the Trocadero, and was sitting on the steps that offered a front row seat view of the Eiffel Tower, trying to get inspired to draw some designs. But as she finished drawing an Eiffel Tower inspired derby hat, she ripped the paper out and started again.
“Geez, it’s hard to be creative under pressure,” Marinette remarked to both her Kwami and to herself as she re-drew the derby hat outline to start the process over again.
“Marinette, you save the world under pressure. I think designing a hat should be a piece of cake!” Tikki encouraged as she pokes her head out of Marinette’s purse, trying to support Marinette.
“Hm, a cake derby hat. Stylish and tasty,” Marinette joked right before they chuckled at the idea. Afterwards, Marinette kept drawing new designs in her sketchbook-sticking the tip of her tongue out in concentration, which was an unconscious habit she picked up over the years-but ripped them out, on the account that they didn’t seem quite right, all while the discarded designs were crumpled up and formed into a pile.
“Are you alright Marinette?.” A new voice asked, as she saw Astral fly towards her.
“I’m fine. It’s just-” Marinette paused, as she looked around, not being able to spot Astral’s human companion. “Where’s Yuma?”
“He is searching every inch of this area for Number Cards or anything that could lead us to one of the ruins.” Astral said, as he pointed to the boy, who smiled and waved, before bringing his attention back to his Duel Gazer. Upon seeing the pile of ripped out paper, Astral assumed, “Are you still worried about the competition at your school?”
Groaning, Marinette asked, “Wouldn’t you be? This is the career starting opportunity of a lifetime. On top of that, this contest is closely connected to Adrien and his father, who is a man who could make and break my future. Both with my fashion career, and my relationship with Adrien.”
As she became more dejected, Yuma walked over to his designer friend, just before a man walking like a bird sat down on a bench ahead of Marinette, leaving them curious.
This was Xavier Ramier, a tall and muscular pigeon lover, with moderate orange hair and strong gold eyes, olive skin and very thin lips. He wore a gray elegant suit complete with a gray hat, a dark gray waistcoat decorated with a square pattern, a white shirt, a big teal bow tie, dark green vest and brown sandals worn with white socks. He also had a bird call whistle on a string hanging from his neck.
“Well, happy day, happy day! Splendid is the afternoon day.” Mr. Ramier cheered with a smile as a pigeon landed on his outstretched, bent arm. Mr. Ramier scratched under the pigeon’s beak while it was perched on his arm. “Ah, Edgar, you fancy one,” Mr. Ramier happily fed Edgar the pigeon a couple of bread crumbs before the bird jumped up into the air and flew in a circle leaving the man giddy. “Fantastic, dazzling performance,” The man gushed as Yuma and Marinette watched him with a fond smile.
But then, a police officer approached him, startling the surrounding pigeons. This was Roger Raincomprix, Sabrina’s father. He was at medium height and a bit overweight. He had pale skin, short orange hair on the back and sides (but had gone bald on the top) and eyebrows, vivid spring green eyes, and a large nose. His police cap was dark blue and had the word "police" written in all uppercase white letters. He wore a blue polo shirt with a badge with the flag of France on his right arm. His shirt had three buttons, and beneath them were light blue lines. On his right wrist, he wore a wristwatch and on his left wrist, he wore a medical bracelet. He also wore dark blue pants with a black belt, a baton attached to the belt, and black work boots. His silver police whistle dangled from his neck, like a necklace.
“Scram, you winged rats!” Officer Roger shouted out as he walked up to Mr. Ramier, scaring the pigeons as he did so. He then stood in front of the bird loving man, arms behind his back, looking down at him. “How many times do you need to be told, Mr. Ramier? No! FEEDING! The pigeons!” The officer exclaimed, while firmly pointing at the man as he did so, before grabbing the bag of food from the bench, holding his arms behind his back, hiding the bag of food with it. “It’s strictly forbidden. If everyone feeds them, they’ll leave their waste everywhere!”
“But, who’s going to feed my poor pigeons?” Mr Ramier asked, trying to speak up against the stubborn officer.
“All the park keepers know about you, Mr. Ramier. You’re banned from every park in Paris. Leave now or I’ll call the authorities. Oh, wait. I’m the authorities. GET OUT!” Officer Roger shouts at the man, before Mr. Ramier walks away sadly.
“Sheesh, I almost feel sorry for him,” Marinette admitted, as the group watched Mr. Ramier leave.
“What a unique character.” Astral exclaimed, somewhat interested in the man.
“He was like… a human bird. All he needed was a feather jacket to complete the look,” The red kwami pointed out, unknowingly giving Marinette just the idea she needed.
“A feather jacket, hmm?” Marinette thought over, as she saw her Deck Box poke out of her purse, before going into another design frenzy. “Nice thinking, Tikki,” She praised as she started drawing again.
Mr. Ramier-known as Xavier to his close friends-had walked well enough away from Trocadero and sadly sat down on a bench that was on the banks of the Seine river. He felt hopeless as he hunched over himself, his bird call hanging limply from his neck.
“Poor Mr. Ramier, the feeling of injustice, such easy prey for my Akuma.” Hawk Moth said as he held out his open left palm, allowing one of the butterflies to land and be coated in his dark magic.
Impressed, Vector gave out a whistle and commented, “So that’s your power…impressive.”
Hawk Moth nodded, as he held his hand out, allowing the Akuma to fly off. “Fly away, my little Akuma, and evilize him!” Hawk Moth said, as the Akuma flew through the city, and to Mr. Ramier.
Soon, it finds the despairing man, and flutters to his bird call, and immediately infecting it, creating the psychic link between the pigeon lover and the twisted man.
“Mr. Pigeon, I’m Hawk Moth. Neither this police officer, nor any other of the park keepers, should stop you from taking care of your friends. What would Paris be without pigeons? What would pigeons be without you?” Hawk Moth asked, causing Mr Ramier to chuckle and spread out his arms like wings.
No sooner than he did, the telltale black and purple aura surrounded him, and soon disappeared, to reveal the transformed man.
Mr. Ramier, now known as Mr. Pigeon, was more muscular and fairly white skinned supervillain and wore a full body skin-tight jumpsuit with black forearms, waist and thighs, dark gray belly, light gray chest, shoulder and biceps, and pale, light grayish amaranth shins and head. The suit also had black stripes on his triceps and around his upper hips, along with two lozenge light blue diamonds where his bow tie was. He seemed to still carry a bird call whistle around his neck.
He laughed triumphantly, flapping his arms, and making pigeon noises, before he ran off down the length of the Seine.
Meanwhile, Marinette was deep in her concentration-her tongue tip still sticking out-when she finally completed the design.
“Yes!” Marinette exclaimed in excitement as she took her phone from the unoccupied side of the book and she held up a drawing of her finished design, all while Sabrina snapped a photo of the design. Happy with herself, Sabrina fled her hiding place and went back to Chloé, all while Marinette had no idea what had happened, as she was more focused on her Kwami and friend’s reactions.
“Now that’s a derby!” Tikki praised, causing Marinette to look away from her design, and back down at her Kwami with a bright smile.
“Thanks, you guys. Yours and Tikki’s support means the world to me,” Marinette gushed as she closed her book, placed it next to her and started picking up her discarded ideas. She needed to get home as fast as possible so she could start working on the hopefully winning design.
Sabrina had reached Chloé as the heiress stood in her hiding place, feeling confident in herself. “We're so awesome!!” Sabrina happily exclaimed as she showed the picture on her phone to Chloé.
“We?” Chloé coldly questioned as she snatched the phone away from her slave, which hurt Sabrina, but she didn’t let it show.
“Oh right, sorry! You're so awesome, Chloé,” Sabrina reassured, with a hurt look on her face as Chloé looked at the picture of the design.
“When are we-- uh, you, going to make the hat?” The bespectacled girl asked, even though she most likely knew the answer to that question.
“And ruin these nails? Of course not.” Chloé scoffed, holding out her newly manicured nails out towards Sabrina.
“Daddy’ll pay someone to do it.” The spoiled brat declared before she walked off with Sabrina following her.
Very soon, Marinette had made it back to her house, and raced up to her room to begin working on her hat. The time flew by fast as Marinette got out the necessary fabric, needles, thread, and hat construction pieces she needed to create the faux feathered design. It was a labor of love that had taken painstaking patience to do, as Marinette measured and cut the pieces of fabric to suit her needs, even when Marinette poked her fingers with needles every now and then, and having a quick snack-thanks to Tikki bringing her an apple-but the hat was almost complete.
But as the young designer gave it a once over, she suddenly realized that something is missing. Immediately, she frantically looked around the top of the desk, coming up empty. She then looked under her desk to see if what she was looking for had dropped to the floor, which confused Tikki as she floated above in the air while Marinette continued her search.
“What are you looking for?” Tikki asked, just before Marinette got out from under her desk.
“A feather!” Marinette cried in a panic as she stood up from the ground, her hands on her head–which she had a habit of doing while she was freaking out–before turning to face her Kwami.
“I forgot to pick up a fake feather for the hat! It has to have a feather!” The designer exclaimed before she raced out of her room, with Tikki following behind her.
“Why do you need a fake feather? Can’t you just get a real one back at the park?” Tikki asked, flying into Marinette’s purse.
“Adrien has a feather allergy, remember? I have to consider that when he tries it on.” Marinette explained, as she left the bakery.
Back at the Trocadéro, Yuma sighed in annoyance, being unsuccessful in his search around the area. Marking the area off on his map, Yuma started to make his way back to HQ. But as he was about to leave, he saw a swarm of pigeons descend on Officer Roger and attacked him, causing him to cry out in pain.
“What the-?!” Yuma cried out in disbelief, as the pigeons stopped attacking the officer and stared at Yuma, making him panic. “Uhh…nice birdies?” He pleaded, only for the birds to fly towards him, causing the boy to run away as fast as he could.
A little while later, Marinette was sitting on the bus, deciding that returning home would have been quicker that way, but was proven wrong when the bus stopped moving. Soon, Marinette had enough of waiting, especially when the light had turned green and the bus still hadn’t moved.
“Come on! Can’t we go any faster?” Marinette asked as she walked to the front of the bus towards the driver.
“Sorry folks, we have a situation here,” the bus driver explained as Marinette reached the front of the bus, only to see that a bunch of cars were being held up by a cluster of pigeons.
“You’ll need to get off the bus now,” the driver continued, just before the doors opened, but her attempts were stopped when she looked down at the ground to see a whole bunch of pigeons in front of her.
“Ah! Uh, this is weird,” Marinette remarked before she got off the bus, careful not to step on any of the weirdly acting birds. The streets were littered with pigeons as she walked down, when she heard Yuma screaming. “Yuma?” Marinette asked, as she turned to the direction of the voice, only to see Yuma and Astral coming towards her, with the boy running for his life.
“RUN!” Yuma cried out as they went past her.
Confused, she turned to where the boy came from, only for her eyes to widen in horror, seeing an entire flock of pigeons coming in their direction. Not wanting to take any chances, she ran the same direction the Duelist went, hoping to catch up with him before the birds did. When she did, she yelled, “WELL, THIS IS THE WEIRDEST SITUATION I’VE EVER BEEN IN!”
“THAT MAKES TWO OF US!” Yuma yelled back, as the duo tried to shake off the chasing birds.
Back on the Different Dimensional Airship, the vehicle kept gaining speed, as the main gears were getting close to fully activating.
“Orbital, status report.” Kite ordered, as he was at the wheel.
“According to m-m-my calculations and the rate of speed we are gaining, I-I-I say that we will be at our d-d-destination in less than two hours.” The robot confirmed, displaying a graph of the ship’s speed.
“Finally.” Shark sighed in relief, as he stood up and stretched. “I can’t wait to get off this hunk of junk.”
“Come on, Reginald. The ship’s not that bad.” Rio said, though in reality, a change of scenery would be nice, especially after spending weeks in the same place.
“Let’s just get Yuma so we can go back home.” Kari said, hoping to make this quick and easy.
Little did she know that her wish wouldn’t be coming true.
Panting in exhaustion, Yuma and Marinette were now deep in one of the subway tunnels.
“I think…we…lost them…” Yuma said, trying to catch his breath, as Marinette pulled out her phone, hoping to find out what's going on.
“Pigeons have taken over Paris. This is just one of the many alarming situations giving authorities cause for major concern,” Nadja reported, as pictures of pigeon infested areas were shown behind her. But soon, she was interrupted by someone giving her a tip from her earpiece. “Yes, I’ve just been told that someone named ‘Mr. Pigeon’ is making an announcement,” The reporter continued, which immediately gave Yuma, Astral, Marinette and Tikki a good clue as to who was the current Akumatized victim of the day.
“Oh, dreary day, poor Parisians,” Mr. Pigeon announced as he stood on the Eiffel Tower. “Sorry to ruffle your feathers, but Paris now belongs to the pigeons! Flap flap!” Mr Pigeon continued as he flapped his arms like wings and made pigeon noises.
“I do not know about you three, but I find this situation rather ironic.” Astral commented, as Marinette put her phone away.
“Ironic or not, Paris needs us!” Marinette said, as Yuma got his Duel Pad ready. “TIKKI, SPOTS ON!” The young designer called out before she transformed into Ladybug. No sooner than she had transformed, the three exited the subway, as Ladybug grabbed Yuma and started jumping from roof to roof like an acrobat, looking for Mr. Pigeon. But just as she had jumped down from one roof and onto another, she looked up at the sky, only to stop running when she saw pigeons flying through the sky above her in the shape of airplanes.
“Now this is weirder than weird,” Ladybug remarked as she, Yuma and Astral saw the unusual behavior the pigeons were displaying.
“Birds of a feather flock together,” a voice from a ledge above her flirted, causing her to look in the direction of where it was coming from, and see Cat Noir as he laid across the roof under him.
“Are you being cocky or charming right now?” Ladybug teased her boyfriend.
“Can’t you tell?” He asked, before his bravado shattered as he suddenly sneezed and rolled down the roof to where Yuma, Astral and Ladybug were, looking up at Ladybug with a bashful smile.
‘Miraculous Observation #3: While they can protect their holder’s identities, the same cannot be said for their allergies.’ Astral thought as the cat-themed superhero stood up from the roof, only to sneeze again.
“Bless you.” Yuma said.
“Thanks,” Cat Noir responded, right before he was almost ready to sneeze again. But managed to stop himself with an awkward smile, getting his head back into the game. “These birds are only part of the problem. The park keepers in Paris are vanishing without a trace,” The cat superhero reported, pulling Ladybug from her amusement of watching Cat Noir dramatically sneezing from the feathers.
“What? We have to track down Mr. Pigeon ASAP,” Ladybug proclaimed, her focus for the job at hand coming back full force.
“Where are we gonna find him?” Chat Noir questioned, as she tried to think of a plan to solve that little detail.
“Hmm, I don't know where we can find him, but I do know where he can find us,” Ladybug replied, knowing exactly what to do to draw out the villain of the day, while she glanced over Yuma with a sly smile.
A few minutes later…
Soon, the two heroes were at the Place des Vosges, where Yuma was wearing a police cap and pretending to be an officer, with Ladybug and Cat Noir hiding behind a tree nearby.
“You sure this is gonna work, Ladybug?” Yuma asked the spotted-heroine
“Let me answer your question with a question. Have I ever steered you wrong?” Ladybug asked the duelist.
“Not that I know of.”
“Then, trust me on this. It's bound to work!” Ladybug said.
Unknown to them, a pigeon was watching the trio, before it took off to fly back to Mr. Pigeon, as he stands on a statue in the city. The pigeon overlord then extends his arm out, letting the little winged spy land on it, before bringing it closer to him so it could report its findings.
“Ladybug and Cat Noir? Job well done, buddy-boy,” Mr Pigeon praised, using his pointer finger to tickle the bird's chest in affection. “Let’s get them!” The bird man proclaimed, commanding the pigeons to flock and carry him off.
“Where is he? He should've been here by now.” Ladybug said, as they have been waiting for a few minutes now.
“I don't think this is working.” Astral commented, causing the two to glare at him.
“Thank you, Captain Obvious.” Yuma sarcastically replied to his companion, before hearing a strange flapping sound. He looked up in the sky, seeing a bunch of pigeons forming a big ball and started carrying him away, causing Ladybug and Cat Noir to poke their head’s out from their hiding spot.
“What the-” Ladybug exclaimed in surprise, before the two ran out from their hiding place and gave chase.
Chuckling a little, Cat Noir smirked as he joked, “Well, at least he finally gets to ‘High Five The Sky’!”
“While I find that joke funny and clever, now might not be the best time.” Ladybug replied, trying to keep herself from giggling, as they kept leaping over rooftops to keep up with the pigeons. Before long, they soon reached the roof of the Le Grand Paris hotel and the pigeons dropped Yuma off.
“NOT AGAIN!” Yuma yelled, as he landed on the same large air conditioning he crashed into during his arrival to Paris. Groaning, he looked around, and saw that the pigeons that took him to the rooftop were looking at him. While he was looking around the roof, seeing that there were more pigeons surrounding him, Ladybug and Cat Noir arrived, and joined up with him.
“So what are the odds of crashing into this thing a third time?” Cat Noir jokes, causing Yuma to glare at him. Awkwardly clearing his throat, he helped the duelist up and said, “So, where's that bird-brain Mr. Pigeon?”
“He's gotta be here somewhere,” Ladybug concluded as they stood on the rooftop, waiting for the villain to show up.
But they were unaware that Mr. Pigeon was already there, lifted by a swarm of pigeons behind them, and staring down at them.
“If you want to give Paris back to the pigeons for good, you must first rid the city of those two pests,” Hawk Moth commanded, bringing a twisted smile to Mr. Pigeon.
He brought his bird whistle to his lips, and sounded his call, causing the pigeons to start to circle around the three.
“Call me crazy, but I feel like bird seed all of a sudden,” Yuma admitted as the pigeons formed a dome to keep them in, making them shield their eyes from the birds as they stood back to back.
“Got any bright ideas, guys?” Cat Noir asked as he tried to keep himself from getting any feathers in his eyes, and especially near his nose.
“You're the cat, don't you eat these things for breakfast?” Ladybug questioned, as the pigeons that were surrounding them blocked their sight. While they were distracted, more pigeons brought down a gigantic cage over them, imprisoning the heroes. “Look!” Ladybug exclaimed once she was able to look through the bird cyclone, only to see that the three of them were trapped. The pigeons flew away, their job of distracting the heroes, complete.
“Turpy day. I'm so ruthless,” Mr. Pigeon cooed as he towered above the trapped heroes on his platform of hovering pigeons, chuckling to himself.
“Excellent. Now take their Miraculous!” Hawk Moth ordered, as Mr. Pigeon commanded the pigeons holding him up to lower him down to the trapped heroes.
“Coo-coo, coo-coo! You're Miraculous. Give them to me or face the wrath of my feathered friends,” Mr Pigeon demanded, before he sounded his bird call. Some of the pigeons start banging on the top of the cage, causing the top to lower down on the heroes, while others turn around and point their behinds at the heroes.
“He wouldn’t…!” Yuma gulped, eyes widening at the situation they were in.
“He would.” Cat Noir finished, before sneezing again.
“Dada-dee, on the count of three, my beloved pigeons will commence fire,” The pigeon overlord sang as the pigeons lowered him to the roof, where he stepped off and stood a good distance away from the cage. “You can still save your sorry skins by handing me your Miraculous. One, two…” Mr Pigeon offered, counting down with his fingers, while Ladybug suddenly thought of a way out of their predicament.
“Cat Noir, the bars!” Ladybug shouted, which Cat Noir immediately caught on.
“Cataclysm!” Cat Noir called out, summoning his powers. He then placed his hand on the bars and wiped it across them using his Cataclysm to destroy the bars of the cage. Mr. Pigeon only cowers back toward the edge of the rooftop while the heroes advance on him.
“Well, well. Looks like the pigeon's really a chicken,” Cat Noir snarked as Mr. Pigeon jumped up onto the rail of the roof, looking like he was about to jump.
“Any last words, bird brain? You can’t fly out of this one.” Yuma smirked. But unfortunately for them, Mr. Pigeon didn’t and instead, stood his ground.
“Me? I'm not flying away. I'm just killing three birds with one stone,” Mr Pigeon responded. He sounded his bird call and jumped over the edge of the roof. The heroes ran to the rail, to try and help him, only to see some pigeons had caught him, lift him back up and take him away.
They only watched as the pigeons that were lifting the villain into the air, while another group of pigeons formed into a giant rock-like flock.
“Coo! Coo! Merry Christmas!” The bird man shouted as he flew away and the rock-like group of pigeons dived towards the heroes.
“Duck for cover!” Yuma yelled, as they ran towards the roof access door, and ran inside, closing the door behind them, and holding it to stop the pigeons.
A second later, a bulge formed in the door as pigeons slammed into it, but they fell down to the ground in relief.
“Ah!” The three of them yelped, glad to make it out of that disaster unscathed.
“Well that’s the worst Christmas present I’ve ever gotten.” Yuma stated.
Back outside, Mr. Pigeon saw they had escaped, but only chuckled. “I'm not done with you yet!” Mr. Pigeon shouted as he rode away on his cloud of pigeons.
The four of them started running downstairs, when Cat Noir's ring beeped. He looked down at it, and saw he only had four minutes left.
“I've gotta get out of here before my secret identity's revealed!” Cat Noir reported as he realized just how close this was going to be.
“Yeah, you wouldn't want to let the cat out of the bag,” Yuma remarked, trying to add a bit of humor to the situation before continuing her path down the stairs.
“Ha ha, very funny,” Cat Noir deadpanned.
They soon make it to the first floor and start to head out the building. On their way out they see a crowd gathered at the entrance, with the Mayor of Paris among them.
“Ladybug, Cat Noir, Yuma! I'm in great danger-- of losing big bucks if my guests leave Paris!” André wailed as he ran to the heroes, hoping to have the Akuma taken care of quickly.
Cat Noir’s ring beeped again, making him so nervous that he got ready to bolt.
“You are going to get rid of those pigeons, aren't you?” The mayor pressed, while Cat Noir kept fidgeting, and Ladybug only fondly smiled at his antics.
“Of course we are, but before we do I have an urgent need,” Cat Noir admitted, trying to get the mayor to let him transform back into a private space.
"An urgent need? I see, head to the royal suite,” André said, allowing Cat Noir to race over to the elevator, where a butler was waiting inside, while Ladybug remained standing next to the mayor.
“There's paper in there, but perhaps you would prefer... a litter tray?” The mayor jokes, in an attempt of humor, much to the feline hero’s slight embarrassment.
“Uh...? Oh right, no need for litter. But, um, could I have some Camembert?” Cat Noir requested before the elevator door closed. Mayor Bourgeois looks back at Ladybug and Yuma, who gave an exaggerated shrug. Like they would tell the father of their school bully why the cat-themed asked for that specific cheese.
Over at the Royal suite, Cat Noir raced into the room, just as Butler Jean had opened the door.
“'Scuse me, sorry. Emergency!” Cat Noir exclaimed as he slammed the door behind him. A second later, there's a knock on the door, making Cat Noir open it, only to see it was Butler Jean once again.
“How do you like your Camembert?” Butler Jean inquired smoothly.
“Runny!” Cat Noir responded before he slammed the door again. Once again, a second later, there's another knock on the door. Quick as a whip, Cat Noir opened it again to see Butler Jean holding out a plate with a cloche towards him.
“Unpasteurized Camembert, matured for two years,” Butler Jean said as he handed Chat Noir the silver plate.
“Thanks!” Cat Noir exclaimed before he took the plate and he slammed the door again. A second later, his last pad disappeared, and his transformation ran out. Plagg spiraled out of the ring and landed onto the bed of the suite.
“Oh the exhaustion! My poor aching body, I can't move a muscle!” ‘Plagg, the Cheese Annihilator’ complained while Adrien walked over to him, the silver plate in his hands.
“You wanna bet?” Adrien asked as he placed the plate in front of Plagg, and removed the cloche from it to reveal the Camembert. Its noxious fumes rose from the cheese, and attracted the little kwami’s attention.
“Yesss! My gooeyness,” Plagg gushed, and like a starving lion, he leaped over to the cheese with renewed strength, and started devouring it like a pig.
“Eat up buddy. Our friends need help,” Adrien said, as he leaned against the bed post, watching as Plagg scarfed down his favorite snack.
Meanwhile, over in the Le Grand Paris Hotel’s restaurant, Yuma, Astral and Ladybug stepped out of the elevator into the dining hall, able to see the action that was going on outside, through the near floor to ceiling windows.
“Great, we can get a much better view from up here,” Ladybug remarked as they walked up to a window, seeing large groups of pigeons flying by, but also noticed something else.
“Odd, the pigeons are flying in the same direction.” Astral noted.
“Better go follow them,” The spotted heroine decided, just before the elevator dings, bringing their attention to it to see Cat Noir was waiting for them inside.
“Ready when you are, you three,” Cat Noir said, while Ladybug and Yuma walked over to the elevator.
“Let's go!” Ladybug exclaimed just as the elevator doors closed in front of her after they stepped inside.
They followed the pigeons to the Grand Palais and looked inside to see a big cage full of park keepers, seemingly unguarded.
“So that's where Mr. Pigeon's keeping them,” Ladybug noted as she looked past the corner they were hiding behind before moving back to Yuma and Cat Noir, who were a few feet away from her, but the latter started to sneeze. Thankfully Yuma stopped him before he alerted Mr Pigeon.
“My pigeon radar is on high alert,” The feline superhero groaned as he rubbed his nose to stop it from itching.
“Either your radar is on the brink or Mr. Pigeon's left the park keepers unattended,” Ladybug opined worriedly.
“Let's set the cat among the pigeons,” Cat Noir exclaimed, excited to let his claws out for a scratch fight.
“Hold up, Kitty,” Ladybug argued. “It's too easy. I've got a plan,” She said before running around the other direction, with Cat Noir following.
But they didn’t see that a pigeon was above them, watching them before it flew inside.
“Perfect timing, hootie hoo! We're ready to greet them, aren't we? They're going to fall right into my trap,” Mr Pigeon exclaimed as the spy pigeon flew back to him. “It won't be long before you get your Miraculous, friend.”
“I can't wait, my dear Pigeon,” Hawk Moth said, feeling confident in his choice in akumatizing the pigeon lover in the first place.
Up on the roof of the Grand Palais, Ladybug and Chat Noir were running up to one of the access hatches of the building.
“If we can destroy that bird call, we'll be able to capture the Akuma,” Ladybug explained as they reached the hatch, which was conveniently right behind Mr. Pigeon, allowing them the element of surprise. “You open the window, I'll grab him and yank him up onto the roof, then you snag his bird call away from him,” the spotted superhero explained as Cat Noir crouched down to the latch on the roof hatch.
“Let's go, early bird gets the worm!” Cat Noir quipped, opening the skylight as Ladybug got ready to attack. A draft of air sended feathers at his face, making him sneeze, and Ladybug missed Mr Pigeon when she threw her yo-yo. After the failed attempt, the Akuma turned around to see the flabbergasted heroes above him.
“So much for the element of surprise,” Ladybug remarked as her yo-yo returned to her.
“We really should have gotten him allergy medicine before coming here.” Yuma sweatdropped, as the three of them jumped inside, and landed on the walkway Mr. Pigeon was on, right before he jumped to the ground and let the pigeons break his fall.
The heroes leapt off of the walkway and landed on the ground, rolling into a run, as they chased Mr. Pigeon until he sounded his bird call. The pigeons flew to him, forming two spheres around his hands.
“Deedly-dee dee, come closer, I have a bone to peck with you,” Mr Pigeon sang, ready to fight.
“I'd be honored,” Cat Noir answered, right before Mr. Pigeon hit him and Ladybug back towards the cage with his pigeon weights.
“Get us out of here, Ladybug!” An entrapped park ranger exclaimed from the cage, as she got back onto her feet, with Mr. Pigeon advancing.
Seeing no other option, Ladybug pulls out her yo-yo and summons her…
“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug cried out, as a flash of pink occurred in the sky, watching as some sort of object emerged from the yoyo, both items dropping down into Ladybug's hands.
“A coin?” Ladybug asked, staring at the object in confusion. “What am I supposed to do with this?”
“Play a game of Heads or Tails?” Yuma guessed.
“I doubt it.” Ladybug replied, as Lucky Vision kicked in, highlighting a beam, a vending machine, then the coin itself. A second afterwards, she looked ahead of her and saw Mr Pigeon continued to advance on them, forming a giant flock.
“You can't bribe yourself out of here!” Mr. Pigeon threatened before he threw the sphere of pigeons at them.
Immediately, Ladybug started running towards him, but then slid on the ground and under his legs, using her yo-yo to wrap around his left ankle. She then got up to her feet, ran until she was under the beam she spotted, and then jumped up to a pillar to push herself up to the beam, grabbed it, made like an acrobat, and swung herself to the top of the beam, and back down, making a pulley.
Ladybug then dropped back to the ground and ran to the vending machine at the far end, and inserted the coin. Pressing a couple of buttons, she was rewarded when she got what she needed…a bag of popcorn.
“Cat Noir!” Ladybug shouted out, causing the feline hero, and Mr Pigeon to turn and look at her. Cat Noir then got back to his feet, just before Ladybug had thrown the bag in the air.
When he saw what she was up to, Cat Noir grinned, “Yeah!” He then threw his staff right at the airborne bag, which popped it open, showering the contents onto Mr Pigeon, much to the villain’s surprise.
“Snack time, pigeons!” Ladybug proclaimed, as the pigeons went after the popcorn, landing on him.
“No!” Mr Pigeon cried out as the birds turned on him, favoring the food over obedience.
Ladybug took advantage of the villain’s distracted state, and pulled on her yo-yo, lifting Mr. Pigeon up into the air and hanging from the beam the yo-yo string was wrapped around, allowing his bird call to fall to the ground.
“My bird call! Nooo!” The pigeon man exclaimed as more pigeons surrounded him, trying to get the remaining popcorn on him.
“Cat Noir, grab it!” Ladybug shouted as she kept holding onto the yo-yo string, keeping Mr Pigeon up in the air. Chat Noir followed through, and grabbed it, but then he sneezed and threw it upward by accident. ‘Curse his allergies,’ Ladybug thought before running to get it, dropping Mr. Pigeon. When Chat Noir recovers from his sneeze, he runs toward the bird call too, just before Mr Pigeon lands on the ground and also runs for it.
They all lunge for the bird call, and all manage to get to it, with Mr. Pigeon's hand landing on it first, then Cat Noir's, then Ladybug's.
Suddenly getting an idea, Yuma suddenly pointed in a random direction and yelled, “Hey, look! A human-sized Pigeon!”
“What?! Where?!” Mr. Pigeon replied, as he turned around, not realizing he fell for the oldest trick in the book.
Seeing Yuma wink at her, she smiled and used Cat Noir’s hand to break the bird call into pieces.
“Yes!” Ladybug exclaimed.
“Ow!” Cat Noir said, as he held the aching hand Ladybug used to destroy the bird call.
“Sorry.” Ladybug apologized, as while Mr. Pigeon faints. A second later, the Akuma flew out of the broken bird call, causing Ladybug to pull out her yo-yo. “No more evil doing for you, little Akuma!” Ladybug opened up her yoyo, the inside glowing a heavenly white as it dropped to a foot above the ground, catching the Akuma she had freed from it. “Gotcha!” She swung the yoyo around herself and grinned. "Time to de-evilize!" she cried as she swung it about a bit more, a pink glow growing into a flash as she swung it outwards. Coming to a halt, the bluenette heroine opened up the yoyo, the Akuma no longer a gloomy purple, but pure white like how it was before Hawk Moth weaponized it with his magic. “Bye, bye little butterfly,” Ladybug farewelled as the butterfly flew away.
"Miraculous LADYBUG!" With that heroic yell, Ladybug tossed the Lucky Charm into the sky, as it exploded into a bright pink energy wave, making the workers return to their parks and everything was quickly fixed, even the broken bird call.
“Huh? What happened? Where am I?” Xavier questioned, looking around confused, while Yuma, Ladybug, Chat Noir stood nearby.
“Pound it!” The two heroes cheered as they were about to fist bump, before they saw the sky start to turn blue.
“Now what?” Ladybug asked, as they saw a dimensional portal open, before the Different Dimensional Ship came out of it.
“What is that?!” Cat Noir spoke in shock.
“It’s the ship that was contained in the Emperor’s Key.” Astral spoke, gaining the hero's attention. “But who’s driving it?”
“YUMA! ASTRAL!”
Gasping in surprise by the familiar voice, Yuma looked closer at the vehicle, before seeing Tori and the rest of his friends waving at them. “It’s Tori and the others!” Yuma happily exclaimed, as a red beam came down, teleporting Yuma’s friend’s down to him. “Guy’s, I’m so glad you’re okay! How did you-?”
“YUMA TSUKUMO!” Yelled a voice Yuma wasn’t expecting, as its source stormed over to him.
“Kari?!” Yuma exclaimed in panic and disbelief, seeing an angry expression on her face.
“Kari?” Ladybug asked, before turning to Cat Noir, who shrugged.
“Yuma’s older sister.” Astral simply said, causing their eyes to widen.
“Oh boy.” Cat Noir sweatdropped, as Kari now stood in front of her brother, before grabbing him by the neck.
“Did you have any idea how worried we were!? We've been looking for you for weeks!" Kari shouted while strangling Yuma's neck.
“Nice…to…see…you…too…Sis…” Yuma managed to say.
"Alright, aright, easy there Kari…" Bronk said, causing her to let go. "Still, we're happy you’re okay."
"Hehe, same here." Yuma spoke, rubbing his sore neck.
"So uh… Yuma, who are your new friends?" Flip asked, seeing the two heroes behind them.
“It’s a long story…” Yuma trailed off, before Ladybug’s earrings beeped, causing her and Cat Noir’s eyes to widen.
“Well, look at the time!” She awkwardly smiled, as she rubbed the back of her. “Looks like we better get going, right Cat Noir?”
“Oh, uh, right!” The cat-themed hero trailed off, as the two backed away. “Wish we could talk more, but we’ve got places to be!”
Seeing that they just going to leave him at the worst time, Yuma cried out, “Guys-”
“We’ll meet up later!” Ladybug called out, as she swung away, while Cat Noir went in the other direction.
“Hang on. Those were REAL superheroes?!” Caswell asked, as Yuma’s friends stared in disbelief.
“Should you really be surprised, especially with what we go through every day?” Yuma asked.
“Touche.” Caswell sighed in defeat.
Meanwhile in Hawk Moth’s lair, as the villain and Barian witnessed the scene, Vector couldn’t help but chuckle, “Well, looks like the rest of Yuma’s friends finally decided to come out to play.”
“And why are you laughing at this?” Hawk Moth glared at the Barian. “If they are as powerful as Yuma, then we will be outnumbered indefinitely!”
“Relax, Hawky.” Vector smirked, as he didn’t seem too worried. “This just means we get to crush them all at once! Besides…” He trailed off, as he opened a portal. “I know where to get reinforcements.”
A while later, the young designer managed to get back to her home with only 58 minutes left to work on her hat.
“There's no time to lose. I have less than an hour,” Marinette frantically exclaimed as she glided into her swivel chair, and kept working on her hat.
Meanwhile, Yuma and his friend were now at a cafe, discussing the recent events and new information Yuma had learned ever since his arrival in this world.
“From the sound of things, it seems like you’ve been busy.” Shark said. “Though I still think you made up that part about this Alvis guy having all the Blue-Eyes White Dragon’s.”
“I’m serious!” Yuma defended, though they didn’t seem convinced.
“Either way, these Mythyrian Numbers…” Kite trailed off, taking a sip of his drink. “You say that they're connected to the Barians when they were once human?”
“Yeah. Alvis said that the clues to their locations lie within their past.” Astral spoke.
“Their past?” Tori asked.
“The Barians do not remember their lives as humans. If we are to find the Numbers we need, we must find out who they once were.” Astral continued.
“As if it would be easy, though.” Yuma sighed, before pulling out his map of Paris. “We’ve been searching for weeks and still haven’t found anything.”
“And that Hawk Moth guy isn’t making it any easier, is it?” Rio asked, getting a nod from Yuma.
“Hmm…” Kari hummed, as she was deep in thought. “Maybe we need to look at this from a new angle.”
“Huh? New angle?” Yuma asked his sister.
“When you first vanished, I went through some of Dad’s old things, hoping to find out where you went.” Kari explained, as she pulled out a few books. “That’s when I stumbled upon his old expedition notes of the places he visited.”
“Do you think they can tell us where to find them?” Yuma asked.
“It’s worth a shot, isn’t it?” Caswell asked, as their waiter came with their food.
“Finally, I’m starving!” Flip said, drooling over his meal, before getting into it.
“So WHEN are you gonna take us to this ‘Headquarters’ of yours?” Kari asked her brother.
Over at Collège Françoise Dupont, everyone was getting ready to present their hats. Alya tried calling Marinette but she didn't respond.
“Where is that girl?” Alya wondered as a woman entered and approached Mr Damocles, along with Adrien and Nino.
This was Nathalie Sancoeur, Gabriel’s personal assistant, who stood at an average adult height. She looked very beautiful and was about in her early 30's, had pale skin with wrinkles under the eyes, bluebell eyes and black hair with a streak on the left side of her head that was dyed a red color. Her hair was pulled back into a bun with the hair on top with a piece of it hanging over her face. Nathalie had glasses with black and red striped frames and she wears very pale blue eyeshadow. She wore a red turtleneck sweater, a black dress jacket, black pants, and black medium-heel shoes. She also had round creamy-white earrings.
“Hello, Mr. Damocles, I am Mr. Agreste's executive assistant Nathalie,” Nathalie introduced, while Mr Damocles was confused when he didn’t see Mr Agreste anywhere with her.
“Hello, miss. Pardon me, but where is Mr. Agreste?” Mr Damocles asked.
Nathalie held up a tablet, answering the principal’s question as it revealed the fashion designer on the screen.
“I'm here,” Mr Agreste said, looking bored already.
“Ah, uh, hello Mr. Agreste. Welcome to our school,” Mr Damocles greeted uncertainty.
“Adrien, take Nathalie around,” Mr Agreste instructed, and like the dutiful son he was, Adrien obeyed.
Meanwhile, Chloé noticed that the fashion designer had ‘arrived’ and was starting the judging.
“Ah, there's Mr. Agreste! He's coming this way,” Chloé exclaimed, before composing herself and posing, with Sabrina following suit.
Mr. Damocles, Nathalie were led by Adrien, to see Juleka and Rose's hat, which seemed to have a steampunk theme to it.
“As you'll see, Mr. Agreste, our students have poured their hearts and souls into their projects.” Mr Damocles explained, just as Marinette rushes in and carries her box over to Alya with Adrien noticing as she rushed past him.
As soon as she placed the hat box onto the pedestal, she let out a sigh of relief. She made it.
“Where have you been?! You got your hat?” Alya questioned, as Marinette straightened up. She had run all the way over, despite being just across the street.
“Yep, here,” Marinette sighs out, right before she takes off the hat box from the pedestal, revealing her feathered creation. Alya marvels at it, but then her expression darkens, confusing Marinette. “What?” Marinette asked, wondering why Alya seemed so upset.
“But, it's the same as Chloé's,” Alya said, causing a panic in Marinette.
“What?!” Marinette exclaimed, right before she looked over at Chloé as the judges walked over to see her hat… an exact copy of Marinette’s!
“Uh, hi Mr. Agreste. I'm Chloé Bourgeois. You know my father, André Bourgeois, the mayor?” Chloé greeted the judges, much to Marinette’s rage.
“Ugh, that thieving little brat!” Marinette growled out, seething as she glared at the thieving girl, while Alya was worried for her best friend.
“Do you want me to take care of it?” Alya asked, placing a comforting hand onto Marinette’s shoulder.
“I think I can handle this,” Marinette reassured with a smirk as she crossed her arms. If Chloé’s hat was an exact copy of hers, then she would have no problem with setting the record straight.
The judges then move on from Chloé and Sabrina, and finally reach Marinette's hat. Immediately, Mr Agreste could see something was up.
“Hm, turn the tablet back to Ms. Bourgeois' hat,” The designer requested, making Nathalie follow his command and turn back to see the other hat, seeing that the two were identical.
“Is this a joke?” Mr Agreste questioned, not finding the situation funny at all.
“No fair! Marinette copied my design! It's scandalous, how could you do that?” Chloé wailed, not even putting in any effort to sound sincere as she fake cries. But Marinette continued to keep her cool, and decided to make her move.
“I apologize for the situation Mr. Agreste, but I can prove that this derby hat is MY original design,” Marinette reassured, channeling her inner Ladybug to boost her confidence.
Thankfully, it worked and Nathalie turned the tablet back towards her, while Chloé snapped out of her fake crying to see what she had up her sleeve.
“Go ahead,” Mr Agreste said, giving Marinette the floor to defend herself and her work as she picked up her hat from the pedestal.
“Um, everything on my derby hat is hand-made-- from the embroidery, to the weaving of the band, to the stitching of the brim,” Marinette explained, while she pointed to every detail she mentioned, making Chloé recoil.
“All done by myself. And last, there's a special design element that only the true designer knows about: I signed mine,” The young designer continued as she turned her hat upside down and revealed the hidden signature in the gold detailing.
A second afterwards, Chloé stepped back in shock, and knocked over her derby hat stand. Everyone turned to look, and it showed Marinette's signature as well.
“Daddy!” Chloé bawled out as she ran out of the school crying. Once she was gone, Nathalie once again turned the tablet back toward Marinette.
“Very exquisite creation. You definitely have the laboring hands of a hat maker, miss…” Mr Agreste trailed off.
“Marinette, the girl I’ve been telling you about.” Adrien introduced as he put his hand on Marinette's shoulder, feeling proud of his girlfriend.
“Congratulations on your demonstration, Miss Marinette. You're the winner,” Mr Agreste announced, offering the closest thing to a smile he could manage. Marinette gasped in happiness.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Marinette repeated, ending each ‘thank you’ with a bow in her excitement.
“Adrien will wear your derby on our next advertising campaign,” Mr Agreste explained, just before Adrien put his hands over hers as they held onto the hat. Immediately, she smiled and blushed in response.
“Awesome job, Marinette,” Adrien congratulated, making her blush and smile even wider. Adrien then begins to put on the derby hat. Realizing that he wasn’t sneezing, he smirked at his girlfriend and asked, “Did you use a fake feather?”
“I had to consider your allergies, especially with how bad they can be.” Marinette smiled, before winking at him, causing him to give out a chuckle.
‘I’ve got my eye on you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.’ Gabriel thought, as he stared at her deck box. ‘I don’t know why Yuma Tsukumo trusted you to use one of his Numbers, but I will not let you or that boy get my son involved in this war.’
Author’s Note:
FINALLY! I thought I would never get this done. I finally managed to replace my laptop so I could continue writing. Thank you Aemon_Targaryen13 and DragongirlFury28 for helping me get this one done.
In case you haven’t heard, I am officially uncancelling my story, Yu-Gi-Oh: Ouroboros (Loud House x Yu-Gi-Oh x Xenoblade Chronicles 3 crossover) and giving it a major rewrite. In addition, I still plan on continuing this and starting Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal: A Loud Journey (Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal x Loud House x Pokemon crossover) very soon, so be sure to expect that.
Fan Art (use these #’s on Twitter (X) for the story you want to post fanart of: (match spelling and casing)
Yu-Gi-Oh Ouroboros: #YugiohOuroboros
Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir: #ZEXALMiraculous
Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal: A Loud Journey: #PokemonLoudZEXAL
Chapter 11: Pixelating Panic
Chapter Text
Chapter 11: Pixelating Panic
It had been two days since Yuma’s friends had arrived in Paris. While they were either looking through his father’s notes or exploring the City, Yuma was currently with his class at the Le Grand Paris, currently on a field trip.
“Thanks to the generosity of Mr. Bourgeois, we're able to have our work experience field trip today at the Grand Paris luxury hotel.” Ms. Bustier told her class, as she saw Kim put on a bellboy hat, before seeing Alix and Ivan having a pillow fight.
Turning to the duelist with a cheeky smile, Alix suddenly called out, “Hey, Yuma! Think fast!”
“Huh?” Yuma asked in confusion, as he saw the two of them throw pillows at him. Not being able to react in time, the pillows hit the boy in the face.
Sighing at the sight in front of her, the teacher of the class continued, “You'll be graded on your effort, which will affect whether you pass or fail the class.” This caused Alix and Ivan to stop immediately, as they began to panic and clean up their mess, causing Sabrina and a Female Worker to giggle. "Do you have Marinette, Alya and Yuma on your list, Mr. Bourgeois?" Ms. Bustier asked the mayor, the two standing in the hotel's main hall while the mentioned students awaited their job assignments.
"It doesn't look like it." Mayor Bourgeois replied, both adults so caught up in fixing this misunderstanding that they didn't notice Marinette staring lovingly at Adrien as he manned the front desk with Chloé.
"I bet I know who helped Daddy make the assignments." Yuma whispered to Marinette and Alya, seeing Adrien manning the front desk with Chloe, who was clinging to the poor boy like a leech, making him uncomfortable.
"Of course, she gets to spend her entire day with Adrien... Ugh! This is gonna be the worst day ever!" Marinette griped, frustrated that Chloé had used her 'kind gesture' to spend all of her time with Adrien.
“When is she going to accept that Adrien is already in a relationship with you?” Alya asked her best friend, who replied with a shrug.
"It must be an oversight." Mayor Bourgeois theorized, still searching the list in his hand for the names of the three students.
"Daddy!" Chloé called out to her father, pulling his attention from the list and onto her as she waved a new list in the air for him to see. Now seeing his daughter had the jobs for Marinette Alya and Yuma, the Mayor walked over to Chloé so she could give him the assignments.
"Thank you, sweetie." Mayor Bourgeois thanked his daughter before reading the new list. "Oh yes! Alya, you're going to be... sorting trash at the main dumpster." André read from the paper, causing Alya to gasp out of shock when hearing her assignment. "And, Marinette will be…" Mayor Bourgeois continued, only to be interrupted when the main doors opened, allowing Jagged Stone, Fang, and Penny Rolling to appear in the lobby, their heavy luggage with them.
Penny Rolling was a slender dark-skinned woman with pixie-cut purple hair, strong fuchsia lipstick and light brown eyes. She wore a black jacket with a silver buckle and zipper over a white t-shirt with a V-neck, black pants, and black shoes. She also wore a silver necklace with a green skull pendant, one sphere-shaped earring on her right ear, and wristbands: a red band on her left wrist, and black and pink bands on her right wrist.
"WOW!" Chloé exclaimed in awe, immediately knowing who just entered the building.
"Hey! That's…" Marinette began, she herself recognising the rockstar on sight as well before Mayor Bourgeois walked up to them.
Recognizing the man, Yuma sweatdropped as he exclaimed. “Oh no!”
(Play Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
The music starts up with Yuma activating his gear like in the original opening, before a blue vortex sucks Yuma and Astral into Paris.
Still together as one;
Cuz divided we're none;
Ready to go, we feel the flow!
Yuma then landed on his feet, as Astral floated next to him, before he drew a card and summoned Utopia.
So don't stand in our way;
You know we ain't afraid;
This is our time, we're in control!
Plagg was about to eat a piece of Camembert, before he was sucked into Adrien’s ring, while Tikki she sucked in Marinette’s earrings, causing them to transform into Ladybug and Cat Noir, who then Fist Bumped.
If I trip up today;
You just wipe it away;
All of my fears are gone, erased!
The rest of Yuma’s friends then appeared on the Different Dimensional Airship, with Shark and Kite summoning Number 32: Shark Drake and Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon.
Let us tear down the walls;
'Til the final night falls;
The bonds of our souls can't be replaced!
Everyone then came together, as they all charged towards Hawk Moth and the Barians.
Let us fight together;
Regret it never;
Our dreams will be…!
The Giant Shadow of Don Thousand appears over both worlds as Vector goes from his human form to his Barian one, devastating the land.
Halfway to,
Forever;
Our light comes shining through!
Yuma and Astral then fuse into Zexal II as Yuma Summons Utopia Ray Victory as it absorbed an Overlay Unit.
Reach down deep;
Beat defeat;
Do all that we can do!
Ladybug and Cat Noir were then shown, as their monsters appeared and joined Utopia Ray Victory’s attack.
Halfway to,
Forever;
We've got nothing to lose!
Hawk Moth smirked, as he held his arm out and created Akuma’s, while Vector prepared to counter-attack.
Keep breathing;
Believing;
Halfway to forever-rrrrrr!
The Numeron Code was then shown, all of the Miraculous were spiraling around it. Astral and Yuma smile at each other and touch hands as they all come together with their aces standing out, with the title below them.
Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
(End Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL: Halfway to Forever)
"Ah, Mr. Stone, welcome to the Grand Paris Hotel!" Mayor Bourgeois greeted the rockstar, recognising him from his daughter's class rep campaign launch party. "I am Mayor Bourgeois and the owner of this luxury establishment, in fact, the most luxurious in all of Paris. How might we serve you?" André questioned, hoping to please Jagged in any way possible.
"How'd you think? I didn't just come here to admire your lobby." Jagged responded, a little more irritable than normal due to being tired from a previous long trip before arriving.
"Jagged would like to check into your most luxurious suite." Penny revealed to Mayor Bourgeois, telling him why they decided to come to the hotel.
"And Fang better get a real bathtub, not a tiny water hole like the one in that hotel across the street." Jagged Stone half-heartedly threatened.
"We have everything you need, Ms. Fang. Even a state-of-the-art entertainment center!" Mayor Bourgeois pitched, causing Penny to giggle at his misunderstanding.
"Fang's me crocodile." Jagged Stone corrected, pointing at the animal in question as he wagged his tail while looking up at his owner. At the sight of the normally dangerous animal, Mayor Bourgeois suddenly became very nervous.
"Mr. Stone, we have everything you require for your...Fang." Mayor Bourgeois nervously assured, his voice trailing off into a stutter when saying the crocodile's name. "Would he, um... enjoy a bubble bath?" André inquired, again prompting Penny to giggle at his question.
"Crocodiles don't like bubble baths, that dries their scales out!" Jagged Stone exclaimed, concerned about Mayor Bourgeois's ignorance in taking care of his beloved pet.
But unbeknownst to the conversating adults, a photographer quietly sneaked into the hotel, slipping behind the decorative divider across from the front desk.
This was Vincent Aza, Jagged Stone’s self-proclaimed biggest fan. Vincent was tall with pale skin, strong cyan eyes, and pale, light grayish gold hair, with the tips of his hair dyed light brilliant magenta in an ombré manner. He wore a white V-necked t-shirt with jagged sleeves, with Jagged Stone's face logo in black on the front. On the back of the t-shirt was black text with Jagged Stone's name above a list of places. He had a silver necklace with a silver skull pendant around his neck and black, fingerless, lace gloves with thick black bands around the ends of the holes. Also, he wore a black belt with a dark gray buckle, dark blue jeans with three horizontal holes on each front upper leg, and black boots with silver back heels and silver skulls above the ankles.
Unfortunately for him, both Fang and the girls see the photographer after he snuck in, while Fang decided to follow the guy when he saw him. As such, when the photographer saw Fang next to him, he yelped in surprise and jumped out of his hiding spot, revealing himself to a suddenly annoyed looking Jagged and Penny.
"Oh, no. Not him again." The rockstar groaned, seeming to have encountered this specific photographer before.
"Remember me, Mr. Stone? Vincent Aza!" The photographer exclaimed, unintentionally introducing himself to the others in the room. "Just one photo to show everyone in the world that we're best buds! Come on, please! I'm your biggest fan!" Vincent begged.
"I know, you've been to my last 36 shows. But we are not friends." Jagged replied, having had enough of Vincent's super fan behavior since he's been stalking him for a while now. But that didn't stop Vincent from walking over to the rockstar and wrapping his arm around his shoulder, holding up his camera so he could take Jagged's picture.
"There! Look into the lens!" Vincent cheerfully instructed, making Jagged uncomfortable as he tried to take his picture. Fortunately for Jagged, Vincent gets interrupted by Yuma, who stood in between him and the celebrity. “Hey, kid! Buzz off! You’re in my shot!”
“Look, sir, I don’t think Mr. Stone is comfortable taking photos right now. Maybe you should-” Yuma tried to say, only to get interrupted by the photographer.
“Oh, what would you know about Jagged, kid?”
“Not a lot, but I do know that his privacy is being invaded! So I think it's best that you respect-”
“I said, ‘Buzz Off!’” Vincent exclaimed, as he then shoved the boy aside, causing him to collide with a wall.
“Ugh…” Yuma groaned as he hit the ground.
“Yuma!” Adrien gasped from behind the front desk as he ran up to the boy. Holding his hand out, he asked the duelist, “You okay?”
Grabbing his friend’s hand, Yuma got up and said, “Yeah, I’m good. Been through a lot worse, believe me.”
Glaring at the photographer in anger, Penny took his camera away and said, “What is wrong with you, shoving a kid like that?!”
“I….I just wanted…a picture…” Vincent trailed off, realizing the mistake he had just made.
"Didn't you hear Mr. Stone? You still haven't got it, have you? No photos!" Penny ranted as she quite literally threw Vincent out of the hotel, his camera following behind. Thankfully, Vincent managed to catch it in time before it could hit the ground and break. "Good reflexes." The fuchsia-haired assistant complimented when seeing Vincent save his camera. "Now don't let me see you near Mr. Stone or harm that boy again. Or next time, you won't get your camera back and I will call the police." Penny threatened before walking back into the hotel, leaving Vincent to seeth with his rising anger as he began to walk home.
Deep below the city, Hawk Moth's lair window opened up as he sensed Vincent's negative emotions, disturbing the resting butterflies to start fluttering around the observatory-like space.
"I sense brewing anger and frustration. Perfect father for my evil little Akuma’s. It won't be long now." The villain observed to himself before he transformed one of the white butterflies into an Akuma, allowing it to flutter free from his grasp after its transformation.
"Fly away, my little Akuma, and evilize him!" Hawkmoth exclaimed as he watched the Akuma flutter through the lair window, targeting an angry Vincent.
“Really sorry about that guy. He just can't keep away from me.” Jagged Stone said, as he walked over to Yuma, who was dusting himself off. “Still, you really stood up to that guy.”
Nervously scratching the back of his head, Yuma sheepishly smiled and said, “Well, it seemed like the right thing to do.”
“I can respect that.” Jagged nodded, as he began to take a closer look at the boy. “You know, you kind of look familiar. Have we met before?”
“Well, sort of…” Yuma trailed off, recalling his first day in Paris.
FLASHBACK
"Rock is one thing, soup is another. When I'm done with you you'll be mincemeat." Jagged said charging at Ladybug and Cat Noir.
“Don’t be so sure!” A voice shouted, as Yuma ran and slid in front of him, causing the rockstar to trip. Ladybug, a little shocked by this sudden event, used this opening to tie her yoyo around Jagged Stone’s leg and pulled him away as she spun him around and threw him into the janitor's closet, right before Cat Noir slammed the door shut. Ladybug slid over on a chair and used it to block the door in order to prevent the controlled rockstar from escaping.
END FLASHBACK
“Really sorry about that by the way, Mr. Stone.” Yuma said to the rockstar, who just shook his head.
“Nah, man. It’s cool. You did what you had to do, and please, just call me Jagged.” Jagged replied, as Fang walked up to the duelist and began to rub his head against Yuma’s leg. “It seems that Fang likes you.”
“I can tell.” Yuma nodded, as he knelt down and began to pet him, much to the crocodile’s glee.
“Why don’t we talk more later? If you want, I can give you some tips on being a Rock-N-Roll artist.” Jagged Stone suggested, before turning to the teacher of the class. “If that’s alright with you, Teach.”
“I don’t see any harm in that.” Ms. Bustier said, causing Yuma to smile back at her, before turning back to Jagged Stone.
“Sure, and if you want, I can give some tips in Dueling!” Yuma exclaimed, causing the rockstar to smirk.
“Looking forward to it.”
Due to the distance between Le Grand Paris Hotel and the Agreste Mansion, the Akuma didn't take long for the Akuma to find Vincent and enter his camera to evilize him.
"Pixelator, I am Hawk Moth. I'm giving you the power to capture your hero's smile, forever." The supervillain offered to Vincent through the newly created psychic link between them. "But in return, you'll need to do some capturing for me as well." Hawk Moth outlined, laying out his newest akuma's part of the deal.
"Yes, Hawk Moth." Vincent agreed, quickly turning into the new villain with the bargain now struck. The once Vincent now wore a full jumpsuit that was mainly black with blue areas and thin glowing light blue stripes, with his face being the only part of his body revealed. The top of his head was blue, with his hair, entirely light orchid, sticking out and brushed towards the right side of his head. His skin was tanned, and his eyes were moderate arctic blue. Around his head and covering his eyes, he wore a black circled piece with a glowing light blue horizontal stripe in the middle on the front, a light blue circle line with lines inside over his ears, and a blue camera with a white spot beside it, black buttons on the side and a lens over his left eye. At the center of his chest, there was a pixel image of a lens surrounded by light blue, with a black pixel outline and purple, blue, and white pixels making up the lens. Blue areas of the suit were around his upper shoulders, partially on the sides of the front, around his waist, his forearms, the fronts of his upper legs, and his lower legs. The light blue stripes, some ending with circular ends, were vertically down the sides of his shoulders, on the sides of his upper arms, around his neck to the center, and down the center to the middle of his lower legs. Other lines were on the sides of his upper legs, the backs of his lower legs, and the front of his waist as stripes. His feet, mostly covered with blue, had black soles and toe covers, with light blue lines up sides, around the sole.
Back at Le Grand Paris, Jagged Stone and his entourage finally checked into one of the available suites, and headed up to the corresponding floor via the elevator that Mr. Bourgeois directed them to. Once the door closed, however, the mayor breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Jagged didn't decide to leave for another hotel.
"Mr. Bourgeois, you haven't told Marinette what job she'll be doing." Ms. Bustier reminded the mayor, standing next to Alya and Marinette even after the interaction they witnessed earlier.
"Ah, yes. Of course, Marinette." Mayor Bourgeois muttered to himself before checking the list his daughter had given him. "You will be a gopher. And as luck would have it, I've got a job for you already." the mayor revealed, turning to face the girl in question as she processed her assignment with confusion.
"Gopher? What’s that?” Yuma asked, confused.
“I don’t know, but something tells me it's not the animal.” Alya mused, a little concerned for her bestie and the job Chloé had assigned her.
"I'm guessing it's about as bad as trash duty." Marinette remarked as she turned to glare at Chloé before she and Ms. Bustier walked over to Mayor Bourgeois, who led them to the elevator Jagged Stone and his posse had used.
“Come on, Marinette! it can’t be that bad.” Yuma said, as the mayor pressed a floor button and sent the elevator up to the floor where the majority of the hotel's suites were located, leading her to Jagged Stone's one to receive elaboration about Marinette's job.
"Mr. Stone is going to need a unique pair of shades for tonight's gig. Red, white and blue with two large Eiffel Towers on them." Penny explained to Marinette, Ms. Bustier and Mayor Bourgeois, Jagged playing with Fang behind her as she spoke. "Can you get that for him?" the fushia-haired assistant questioned Marinette, who was still unsure of what exactly she was supposed to do.
"Of course we can! Marinette here is our gopher for today. She'll take care of that for you." Mayor Bourgeois responded, answering for Marinette instead of letting her speak for herself.
"Wait, you still haven't told me what a 'gopher' is." Marinette pointed out, wanting to know what her job entailed.
"A gopher is an employee who goes for anything a customer needs. Anything at all." Mayor Bourgeois explained to Marientte, finally telling her what she was meant to do for the day. "So go ahead. Goph!" The Mayor encouraged as he and Ms. Bustier left the room.
“Oh! I get it! Gopher as in ‘Go for’!” Yuma realized, as they went back to the elevator and pressed the button to go to the ground floor.
“Huh. Guess that’s one way of putting it.” Marinette commented as the elevator doors closed.
“Well, it could have been worse.” Yuma smirked, causing Marinette to frown at him.
“Easy for you to say. The glasses he wants don't exist!" Marinette protested, knowing without a doubt that no retail store sold anything like what Jagged Stone wanted.
"Those sunglasses exist somewhere... Get creative!" Yuma encouraged, unknowingly sparking an idea in Marinette's mind.
" ...Of course!" Marinette exclaimed as the elevator doors opened, allowing the designer to run like crazy to the exit and passing by Chloé and Adrien at the front desk.
"Failed as a gopher already? Not surprised. Don't let the door hit you on the way out!" Chloé taunted Marinette as she worked on her manicure, while the pigtailed girl barely registered her words as she exited the hotel, eager to get home and start working on her idea. But as she left and Yuma had closed the elevator doors, Pixelator had arrived back at the hotel, much to Kim and the bellhop's surprise and causing them to move and block the door as he stood before them.
"Excuse me sir, can I help you?" the bellhop asked, Kim standing next to him on his left.
"Look into the lens…" Pixelator purred as he pointed to his headset, prompting Kim and the bellhop to pose for what they thought was a picture. But once they did as the Akuma instructed, Pixelator zapped and digitized them, leaving only Kim's bellhop hat as evidence of their presence.
"Photo finished." the Akuma said before walking into the lobby, stepping on the hat as he walked. When he entered the building, however, both Chloé and Adrien immediately took notice of him as he walked towards the elevator.
"Oh, look what the cat dragged in." Chloé cruelly remarked as she watched Pixelator pass them. "Let me handle this, Adrien. Watch and learn." the heiress told Adrien before walking out from behind the front desk, heading towards Pixelator.
"Excuse me…" Chloé called out, only to be ignored by the Akuma, much to her displeasure. "Excuse me! You can't be a guest at this hotel! My father only allows the most important celebrities. Like me." the blonde brat stated, not noticing Adrien's angry glare in her direction due to her mean words while Pixelator stopped walking, waiting for her to finish talking her 'high and mighty' spiel.
"Well then, I am Pixelator. Your number one fan." Pixelator greeted as he finally turned around to face Chloé, giving her a little bow as he spoke.
"Moi? Oh, my, you're flattering me." Chloé gushed, absolutely loving the praise she was receiving. "Keep going." the heiress encouraged, striking a pose.
"A photo of you, sweet miss…?" Pixelator asked before trailing off, not knowing her name… which should have been a dead giveaway that he wasn't who he said he was.
"Chloé, of course." Chloé replied as she kept posing, still not registering the danger she was in. But the same couldn't be said for Adiren, who soon realized that Pixelator was an Akuma.
"Look out, Chloé!" Adrien exclaimed, jumping over the front desk and running to save his friend.
"Look into the lens, miss!" Pixelator instructed as he prepared to zap Chloé, only for Adrien to attempt to push her out of the way and ending up with the both of them getting zapped. The next thing either Chloé or Adrien knew, they were transported into a white endless room.
"What the…" Adrien uttered as he took in their new surroundings.
"What just happened?" Chloé exclaimed, she herself not understanding how they got to where they were.
"I think we've been like... digitized or something." Adrien theorized, looking around the white void they were in.
"What do you mean, digitized?" Chloé interrogated.
"I don't really know, but I don't think it's a good thing." Adrien admitted as he rose to his feet, still looking around to try and find anything other than white while Chloé remained sitting on the ground.
"Well, I can fix this. Leave it to me." Chloé assured as she pulled out her phone from her pocket, calling her father so he could rescue her. "Daddy?..." the blonde brat spoke into the phone, only to be met with silence. "Daddy??..." Chloé tried again as she rose to her feet, being met with the same result. "DADDY?!" the heiress shrieked, now realizing that she was trapped and her father couldn't fix her problem this time.
'Well, there goes that plan.' Adrien thought to himself, his hopes of getting out quickly so he could join Yuma and Marinette in fighting the latest Akuma now going down the figurative drain.
While Adrien and Chloé were stuck in Pixelator's white void, over at the Dupain-Cheng household and in Marinette's room, the designer in question was rummaging around her room, trying to find something.
"Where did I put them... " Marientte muttered to herself, digging through one of her storage bins. But her efforts were rewarded when she found what she was looking for. "Voila!" the pigtailed girl cheered as she pulled out an old pair of shades from her bin.
"But they're pink." Tikki pointed out, flying over to her holder.
"They won't be when I'm done with them." Marinette responded, revealing just what her plan was to her Kwami. "This is either gonna be the most amazing pair or the ugliest pair of shades in shades history." the designer admitted as she placed the shades onto her desk, soon pulling out some markers, a pair of scissors and construction paper to begin creating Jagged Stone's requested glasses. "Ms. Bustier is grading me on effort, right?" Marinette remarked, the words of her teacher ringing through her thoughts as she glanced up at her Kwami.
"Don't worry, I'm sure Jagged Stone will love them!" Tikki encouraged, just as Marinette popped the lens out of the shades, accidently hitting Tikki with them in the process. "Or hate them." the red Kwami added after recovering from her sudden tumble, returning to Marinette's side as she spoke. With her Kwami's encouragement, Marinette soon got to work, crafting the glasses to Jagged's preference while Tikki watched from the curve of her desk lamp.
Meanwhile in the white void, after Adrien and Chloé had had enough sitting where they landed, they decided to walk around and explore the void. But after a good amount of time had passed, they soon found that there seemed to be no end to the space in sight.
"Ugh! I still can't get through to Daddy! How can there be no cell reception here?" Chloé exclaimed as she still tried calling her father, following behind Adrien as he led the way and growing more frustrated the longer she went without her desired results.
"The void seems to just go on forever. No doors, no walls, no nothing…" Adrien observed after he stopped walking, now seeing just how trapped they were while Chloé finally stopped trying to contact her dad.
"You mean we're stuck here?" Chloé exclaimed, scrambling to Adrien's side and clinging to his arm. "Just…" the blonde brat began, only to fully take in their situation and begin to relax.
"Just the two of us?" Chloé purred as she leaned further into Adrien's personal space, much to the boy's discomfort as he realized that she was right.
"Uh, no." Adrien argued in a nervous voice, not exactly happy with the idea of being stuck with Chloé. "There's gotta be a way out somewhere." The model reasoned out loud, only to find Chloé nuzzling into him as she hugged him.
"I hope…" Adrien muttered to himself, feeling like he got the short end of the stick… once again.
Meanwhile, inside of the Emperor’s Key, Astral had been staring at the ship's main gears, deep in thought. ‘Ever since our arrival in this world, we have collected two more Number cards.’ He thought, as he raised his right hand out, causing a yellow 59 and red 80 to fly out from it and into two of the pillars, causing them to activate. Continuing his inner monologue, Astral thought, ‘But what caused some of the remaining Numbers to come to Paris to begin with? Could it be their connection to the Mythrian Numbers, or was there another force that Alvis did not tell us about?’
Bringing up the person in question, he began to wonder, ‘Alvis…I do not know why, but I am sensing something familiar and powerful inside of him, and that troubles me. Just who is he, and why does he have every Blue Eyes along with every card relating to them?’
Back in Paris, Marinette raced back to Le Grand Paris, the finished pair of shades in hand. But as she entered the hotel and looked at the front desk expecting to see Adrien and Chloé, she was met with an empty front desk with no one meaning it.
"Adrien? Chloé?" Marinette called out when she saw the two missing, only to be met with silence. “That’s weird. Adrien wouldn’t want to flunk out on such an important assignment. Chloe maybe, but not Adrien.”
"They’re probably fine, Marinette." Tikki said, flying out of her holder's purse to float in front of her since they were alone. "Let's just focus on getting Mr. Stone's glasses for now, okay?" The red Kwami pointed out, prompting Marinette to get up from the desk and head up to Jagged Stone's suite, Tikki herself flying after her. As she did, the designer was totally unaware of Pixelator being on the same floor and going door to door looking for Jagged Stone, having already taken a few celebrities captive. However, that was the least of her current concerns as she gave the shades to Penny.
"Thank you, Marinette. I'll get them to Mr. Stone as soon as possible." Penny thanked, holding the completed shades in her hands as she stood in the doorway of the suite.
"Can't you deliver them to him now?" Marinette asked, eager to hear Jagged Stone's reaction to her work.
"He's... busy with something at the moment." Penny said.
"Okay, no problem. Just trying to do the job right the first time." Marinette replied, understanding that the rockstar wanted to be undisturbed with what he was doing.
"Got it." Penny said, reaching to close the door.
"Thank you." Marinette responded, just before Penny closed the door. With her job now complete, Marinette walked to the elevator, unaware of Pixelator arriving at Jagged Stone's suite door after she left. "I hope Mr. Stone likes them." The pigtailed girl muttered to her Kwami, pressing the elevator button to summon it.
"Hard work always pays off." Tikki encouraged after poking her head out from Marinette's purse, both not hearing Pixelator knocking on the suite door behind them. After the Akuma knocked on the door, Penny opened it a bit to see who it was and was greeted by the sight of Pixelator.
"Who are you?" Penny questioned from behind the ajar door, only for the Akuma to step in front of her as he prepared to digitize her.
"Look into the lens!" Pixelator chanted before he zapped Penny, the sound and flash of the blast causing Marinette to turn around and see Pixelator before going into the elevator.
"Time to transform!" Marinette announced after the doors closed, Tikki flying out of her purse. "TIKKI, SPOTS ON!" The designer exclaimed, triggering her transformation into Ladybug. When she was finished turning into her alter ego, she exited the elevator and headed over to Jagged Stone's suite to save him from the Akuma.
After Ladybug began making her way to Jagged Stone's rescue, the rockstar had been examining the cards Yuma had laid out on his bed, trying to get a better understanding of them. “So in order to Summon an X-Y-Z Monster from the Extra Deck, I would need two monsters with the same level on my field…” He said, holding Gagaga Cowboy in his hand.
“Basically, but there are some ‘Xyz’ monsters that require more than two monsters or have to meet a certain criteria.” Yuma explained, as he pointed to another Xyz Monster, ‘Baby Tiragon’. “Those kinds of monsters are usually very powerful.”
“You sure about that kid? That little guy only has nine hundred Attack and Defense Points. Fang could chew him up for breakfast.” Jagged Stone commented, not sure how something so weak could be so powerful.
“He may be little, but he has a very powerful effect.” Yuma smirked. “When he uses an Overlay Unit, a Level 1 Monster on my field gains the power to attack my opponent directly.”
“Really?” Jagged asked, now intrigued by the small creature on the card. “Well, I guess the old saying is true; ‘Never judge a book by its cover.’”
Their conversation was then interrupted, as Pixelator broke into the room. "Hey there! Time for your photoshoot!" Pixelator greeted Jagged Stone, surprising the rockstar enough to go behind Fang as the Akuma walked towards him.
"How did you get in here? I don't know about any photos." Jagged Stone demanded, already not having any bit of what Pixelator was suggesting.
Springing into action, Yuma began to gather up his cards and prepare his Duel Disk as he called to the rockstar, “Jagged, by me some time!”
"On it! Fang, attack!" The rockstar commanded his crocodile, only for Fang to roll over and ask for belly rubs, leaving Yuma and Jagged defenseless.
"See you later, alligator." Pixelator quipped before he zapped Fang, sending the reptile away in a shower of pixels.
"What? Fang? Fang!" Jagged Stone exclaimed when he saw his beloved pet no longer in the room. "Who are you?" the celebrity questioned with dread, looking the Akuma dead in the eye as he spoke.
"I am Pixelator, your biggest fan, Mr. Stone. Can I call you Jagged?" Pixelator introduced himself with a bow, attempting to put his idol at ease.
"No!" Jagged Stone denied.
"I want to immortalize you, Jagged! I'll be your one and only fan! You will belong to me for eternity!" Pixelator proclaimed as he walked up and climbed onto the bed as well, causing Jagged Stone to back himself to the wall as the Akuma went to his knees to beg for said 'photo'. "Now, look into the lens." The Akuma said, preparing to zap Jagged Stone while the rockstar looked away from the camera.
But just before Pixelator was about to digitize his idol, Yuma managed to step in front of him just in time, the invisible shield the Emperor’s Key gave absorbing the attack. “Sorry, pal! No flash photography!” Yuma exclaimed, as Ladybug finally made it to the room and threw her yo-yo to wrap around Jagged Stone's waist. With a strong tug, she pulled him out of the way, saving him as well as knocking Pixelator onto his back in the process. “Ladybug! Glad you could make the scene!”
“Glad you were already here!” Ladybug said, as Pixelator picked himself up and turned around to see Jagged sitting at Ladybug's feet, recovering from the sudden whiplash as she spun her yo-yo into a shield behind her.
"So, you're Ladybug. I've heard such pathetic things about you." Pixelator taunted the spotted heroine, who was unfazed by his words as she stood ready for his attack. "Look into the lens!" The Akuma exclaimed before he started zapping at Ladybug, making her dodge the blows.
“Yuma, protect Jagged! I’ll handle this guy!” Ladybug yelled, making the duelist nod as he pulled Jagged Stone to safety behind one of the suite's divider walls
Once Jagged had some cover, Ladybug jumped around the room in an attempt to get closer to Pixelator, still dodging zaps her way until she grabbed a flower vase with her yo-yo, and threw it at Pixelator. Fortunately for the Akuma, he dodged it and ran to the corner of the room to prevent any more sneak attacks before he kept blasting at Ladybug. The action soon grew too wild for just the bedroom area of the suite and soon progressed into the main area, causing Yuma to tell Jagged Stone to hide under a table while Ladybug kept avoiding Pixelator's zaps. After Ladybug had made a full lap around the suite in avoiding the zaps, Pixelator finally landed a hit on her right arm when she pulled out her yo-yo to attack him.
The hit then digitized her arm, rendering it useless as it forced her yo-yo to fall to the ground.
“Ladybug!” Yuma called out to the heroine, who hid behind the luggage cart next to the windows of the bedroom area, the Akuma still blasting at her. Seeing Ladybug cornered, Pixelator began to advance onto Ladybug, which she countered by kicking the luggage cart at him, letting it crash into Pixelator and the wall on the other side of the room. While the Akuma was occupied with recovering from the crash, Ladybug tested to see if her arm was still usable, using her left hand to do so as it passed through her arm like it wasn't even there.
"AH!" Ladybug exclaimed in shock when she saw that her hand went through her pixelated arm, even testing it a few more times to make sure she wasn't imagining it. Groaning at the situation, Ladybug grabbed her yo-yo from the ground and ran to Jagged Stone before swinging them out of the room window to safety.
“Guess it’s time to test out the new toys.” Yuma smirked, as he followed Ladybug out the window, pressing a button on his wristband, causing a yellow beam of light to shoot out of it and attach itself to one of the buildings. Cheering in amusement, the boy began to swing after Ladybug, just as Pixelator got up from the ground.
"Ugh! Where did they go?" Pixelator shouted in frustration as he looked around to see the room empty of his idol.
"If you want Jagged, you must find Ladybug." Hawk Moth reminded Pixelator, much to the akuma's exasperation.
"I don't have time to deal with this Ladybug!" Pixelator yelled out in frustration, walking to the window that the heroes had escaped through.
"Yes, you do. Plenty of time." The Villain said before he clenched his fist, suddenly taking control of Pixelator's body as it began to writhe with pain.
"Okay, okay! Tell me what to do." Pixelator strained to say in an attempt to appease the person that gave him his powers and had control of him as long as Pixelator had said powers. Thankfully for the Akuma, it was enough for his benefactor to stop controlling him.
"I command an excellent photograph of Ladybug and Yuma Tsukumo with their Miraculous’s and Numbers. I want those powers!" Hawk Moth demanded, as Pixelator recovered from the show of force Hawk Moth had demonstrated on him. "So listen very carefully."
While Pixelator was listening to the plan Hawk Moth was outlining for him, Ladybug had decided to bring Jagged Stone to Collège Françoise Dupont in an attempt to keep him safe.
“Sorry, Jagged, but this is for your own safety.” Yuma told the rockstar as he, Ladybug and Jagged occupied Mr. Damocles' office alongside the principal himself.
"But I can't stay here. I'm performing tonight." Jagged Stone protested.
"Don't worry, you'll get to do your gig.” Ladybug assured the rockstar.
“While we’re catching Pixelator, we need you to stay put where no one would think to look for you." He explained, hoping that it would be enough to appease him for the time being.
"Ladybug, is this safe? This is a school." Mr. Damocles asked as he sat at his desk, not exactly comfortable with the idea that the target of an Akuma was so close to his students.
"Yes! Pixelator would never imagine his idol would actually want a day out at school." Ladybug confidently replied, only to see Mr. Damocles had become offended by her words. "I mean, isn't school awesome?" The spotted heroine nervously added, trying to salvage the situation.
“Nice save.” Yuma whispered to Ladybug.
"This is ridiculous. I don't have time for this." Jagged Stone ranted, not liking that he had to hide from an Akuma instead of getting ready to rock out on stage. "First, I get practically hijacked by this crazed fan, and then, I'm attacked by some super weirdo, then…" the rockstar listed off in frustration, only for Yuma and Ladybug to start connecting the pieces between these occurrences.
"Wait, what do you know about this crazed fan?" Ladybug interrupted, forming a theory that the crazed fan and Pixelator are the same person.
"He's come to every one of my shows this year." Jagged Stone began. "He's also sent me stacks of letters, gone through my trash… even followed my mother to her weekly bingo night!" the rockstar elaborated, revealing just how crazy Vincent's behavior towards his idol had been.
"How creepy." Ladybug remarked with a shutter. “But it sounds like it's worth checking out.”
“Luckily I know someone who can help us.” Yuma grinned, as he pulled out his Duel Gazer and entered his sister’s Number.
Meanwhile, at HQ, Kari was on the main computer, going through her father’s old files, before a call notification appeared on the main monitor. Seeing who the caller was, shequickly answered, causing Yuma to replace the notification. “Hey Yuma, what’s up?”
“Kari, this is very important! I need you to search the database for the address of a guy named Vincent Aza!” Yuma told her sister.
Seeing the serious expression on her brother’s face, she told him, “Hang on, give me a sec.” Putting the screen with Yuma on the side, she opened the database which contained every person in the city. “Vincent…Aza…” She said, as she entered said name, before getting a picture of Vincent, along with information about him, to appear on screen. “Okay, got it. Let me send it to you.”
“Thanks, sis.” Yuma smiled as the call ended.
“Now to get back to work…” Kari mused, as she sent the information about Vincent and was about to close the database, only to stop as something had caught her eye. “Wait a sec…” She said, as she enlarged one a selfie of Vincent with a statue of a man riding a pegasus behind him, before zooming in on the statue. “Isn’t one of the Mythyrian Number’s a Pegasus?” Wanting to make sure if her hunch was correct, she pulled up a picture of one of the Stone Tablets in HQ, and began to compare the two.
Getting a notification on his Duel Gazer, Yuma grinned as he said, "Got his address."
“Good. Let's go there and see if we can find any clues.” The heroine in red announced before they went to leave, walking to the office door.
"You're not gonna leave me here, are you?" Jagged Stone cried out as the two heroes left, only to receive the same reaction Ladybug had gotten earlier from Mr. Damocles when talking bad about the school. "I mean, isn't school awesome?" The rockstar said, parroting Ladybug from earlier.
Getting on top of the school roof, Astral materialized outside of the Emperor’s Key. Upon seeing Ladybug and her right arm being pixelated, he asked his companions, “I’m assuming that there’s trouble afoot?”
“Yeah, we’ll fill you in on the way!” Yuma exclaimed, as he and Ladybug began to swing away towards their destination.
While Yuma, Astral and Ladybug were heading out to Vincent's house to see if he really was Pixelator, Adrien and Chloé were still wandering around the white void. But much to Adrien's annoyance, Chloé was growing more and more irritating the longer they were trapped.
"Daddy! Daddy!" Chloé kept yelling, still trying to get through to her father with her phone while Adrien stood ahead of her to talk to Plagg with some form of privacy.
"Plagg, I gotta find some way to transform." Adrien whispered to his Kwami, pulling his overshirt open the slightest bit to allow Plagg to poke his head out.
"Come on, what's the rush?" Plagg whined, hoping to get Adrien to take a break for once. But with the angry look Adrien gave him, the little cat Kwami knew that wasn't going to happen. "Fine. If you insist, at least find me some cheese." The black Kwami requested in resignation, right before Adrien looked back and saw Chloé coming towards him.
"I'm gonna see if there's a way out down there." Adrien reported, pushing Plagg back into his overshirt. "Don't go anywhere, it could be dangerous." The model warned, much to Chloé's sudden worry.
"Dangerous?" Chloé squeaked, cowering a bit at Adrien's words… which is exactly what he wanted to happen.
"You're not scared, are you?" Adrien slightly teased, glancing back at Chloé as he spoke
"Scared, moi? As if! No way!" Chloé denied, allowing Adrien to chuckle to himself in accomplishment as he ran to find a way out by leaving Chloé behind. Suddenly, his attempts were halted when Chloé screamed and ran to Adrien, jumping onto his back and pointing at a newly pixelated Fang as he occupied the spot she was in a moment ago. At the sight of the crocodile, Adrien was also scared and stood still out of shock.
'Can this day get any worse?' Adrien thought to himself as Chloé kept screaming her head off, not looking to get down from her spot on his back.
"Ah, the Champs-Élysées… Perfect. May the photoshoot begin." Hawk Moth’s voice ordered his Akuma, prompting Pixelator to jump off the monument and land onto the ground with ease.
From there, he started to zap people and digitize them, hoping to draw Ladybug out of hiding so she could tell him where Jagged Stone was. But after zapping an angry driver out of his car, Pixelator's rampage was halted when he spotted someone snapping pictures of him from their car.
"Amateur." Pixelator critiqued before he zapped him, continuing to deliver his brand of chaos throughout the city.
While Pixelator was at the Champs-Élysées, Yuma, Astral Ladybug had finally arrived at Vincent Aza's house, soon entering his room and being greeted by a lot of photos of Jagged Stone on the walls.
"Oh, this isn't creepy at all." Ladybug muttered to herself as they walked into the room. But as they did, they suddenly stopped and spied photos of some very familiar people on the wall to her right. "What?" The spotted heroine quietly exclaimed before she walked to the wall and got a closer look at the photos.
“It appears that whoever this ‘Pixelator’ hits with his power gets transported into these frames.” Astral commented, realizing that the photos were the prisons Pixelator sent his victims to.
“It sure seems that way.” Ladybug nodded, seeing many people trapped in the photos, before her eyes widened upon seeing Chloé and Adrien amongst them, the former screaming in terror.
"Ladybug?" Adrien questioned out loud when seeing his girlfriend above them.
"What are you two doing in there?" Ladybug asked Adrien.
"Ladybug! Remember me? Your biggest fan?" Chloé called out when she realized who Adrien was talking to, eager to speak to her idol. "Please, please get us out of here. It's terrible in here!" the blonde brat begged, holding a sighing Adrien's arm while she spoke. "I mean, it's only terrible when you're not around." Chloé admitted to Adrien, who tried to get her to let go of him.
“Yuma! Over here!” A new voice farther down the wall called out, causing the duelist eyes to widen. bringing over to the corresponding photo, revealing a trapped duo he was not expecting to see.
The first was a boy with silver hair with long bangs, which swept to the left, lime-green eyes and had fair skin. He wore a white spandex bodysuit with matching boots with different shades of blue and yellow trimming. He also wore a golden brown-stripe belt with a hostler holding his retractable whip, a blue cape and red mask.
The other was a girl with long red hair. Her attire was a pink and white shirt, which reached below her waist, black compression shorts and a pair of boots in the same colors as her shirt.
“Nelson?! Anna?!” Yuma exclaimed in disbelief, not expecting the two to be in this world. “How did you guys get here?!”
“Well, we were walking around Paris looking for you, some weirdo took a photo of us and we ended up trapped in here!" Anna explained, looking up at Yuma through their prison.
“I meant how did you get to Paris in the first place!” Yuma glared, causing the two to nervously look at each other.
“Uh….well…” Nelson tried to say, scratching the back of his head.
“Yuma, we can worry about that later! Right now, we’ve got to deal with Pixelator!” Ladybug told her companion.
“Right.” Yuma nodded, before turning his attention back to the two trapped in the frame. “Do you know where you were when you got captured?”
“Yeah. It was somewhere called the Champs-Élysées!" Mireille elaborated.
“Then that’s where we’ll go!” Ladybug exclaimed, as she, Yuma and Astral left the room, heading out to face Pixelator and free the innocents he captured.
At the Champs-Élysées, Pixelator continued to zap people into his white void in hopes of drawing out either the Heroes or Jagged Stone. But his progress was halted when Nadja Chamack and her cameraman, who were cowering behind an abandoned car, decided to make their presence known to the Akuma.
"Excuse me, sir, sir?" Nadja spoke up, bringing Pixelator's focus onto her and her cameraman. "Care for an interview with the reporter who spreads the villains' voice?" The reporter nervously asked, causing Pixelator to smile at her deviously at her request.
This led to the photographer themed Akuma to appear on Nadja's latest news report, with Jagged Stone and Mr. Damocles watching the interview in the principal's office.
"I will continue my photoshoot until Jagged Stone turns up here in the flesh! Where are you, Jagged? Your biggest fan awaits you!" Pixelator taunted, making the rockstar nervous as he watched the interview. "All I want is one photo! Otherwise, the people of Paris will be nothing but memories." The photographer Akuma then zapped Nadja and the cameraman with an evil laugh, cutting off the transmission.
"This is terrible!" Mr. Damocles cried out in fear.
"I've got to do what Pixelator says!" Jagged Stone proclaimed, now seeing that he couldn't keep hiding from the Akuma.
"Surely, you can't be serious! It's dangerous out there!" Mr. Damocles protested, not believing that Jagged Stone was going to risk his life in such a way.
"Who cares about danger? Jagged Stone can turn down a television appearance!" Jagged Stone exclaimed, much to Mr. Damocles's sudden disappointment. "Just imagine what it would do for my career!" The rockstar said, his thoughts trailing off to the perks of said appearance.
Back over at the Champs-Élysées, the police had arrived to stop Pixelator, forming a brigade to block him from going any further into the city. Even Lieutenant Roger appeared from his car and began to advance on Pixelator, only to be zapped away by him as the Akuma began to advance onto the police barricade locking him in.
"Got an itchy trigger finger, eh?" Ladybug's voice taunted behind Pixelator, making him turn around and see her standing behind the Akuma. At the sight of the heroine, both the police and other civilians hiding around the area cheered in joy.
"I was expecting you, Ladybug." Pixelator menacingly greeted right before he started zapping at her again.
In response, Ladybug dodged the beam by jumping onto the side of a building, running along it for a few seconds before jumping off to land onto a lamppost, the Akuma still blasting at her the whole time. Making like a fireman, Ladybug slid down the lamppost and landed back onto the ground before running to hide behind a car to catch her breath. But the break didn't last long, for Pixelator found her very quickly, jumping onto the roof of the car she was hiding behind.
"Look into the lens!" the Akuma exclaimed before Ladybug slid underneath the car and ran away as he tried zapping at her again.
Seeing her getting away, Pixelator jumped off the car and ran after Ladybug, who continued to dodge his attacks before seeing a lamppost ahead of her. With an escape plan in mind, Ladybug tries to grab the post with her yo-yo, but due to using her non-dominant hand, she fails and tumbles to the ground. Thanks to her stumble, Pixelator caught up to Ladybug and prompted her to scoot away from the Akuma, only to finally be cornered between Pixelator and another car as he prepared to blast her away.
“Hey! Pick on someone your own size!” Yuma’s voice exclaimed, as two yellow energy beams shot down from the sky and towards Pixelator, before they began to wrap around his legs.
Looking up, the villain saw Yuma on a nearby rooftop, the energy attached to his wrists “You?!”
“Yep, and I’m not done yet!” Yuma grinned, as he used the beams like ropes and began to pull the villain towards him. This caused Pixelator to start spinning around in the air, before hanging upside-down right below Yuma. “Give up?”
“Never!” The villain replied, struggling to get out. “Nothing is going to stop me from getting my photo of Jagged Stone!”
“Then we have a proposition to make.” Ladybug said, halting Pixelator from trying to escape and look up towards the ground. “If you free those innocent people, we’ll let you go and organize a photoshoot with him.” She offered, her words suddenly intriguing the photographer Akuma.
“No! Don’t listen to her! She’s trying to trick you!” Hawk Moth’s voice suddenly said to Pixelator.
"Why should I believe you, Ladybug?" Pixelator questioned, deciding to take Hawkmoth's advice to heart.
"Because you have no choice. We’re the only ones who know where Jagged is." Ladybug explained, knowing that they had an upper hand in this standoff. And thankfully, their efforts were rewarded.
"How about I free half of them now and the other half after the photoshoot. Deal?" Pixelator countered, the spotted heroine's bluff working in her favor.
"Okay. It's a deal." Ladybug agreed, knowing that it was better than nothing at the moment. "Yeah, right." The heroine in red muttered to herself.
‘We just hope that one of the people he releases is Adrien, because we could use the backup right about now.’ Yuma thought, as he saw that the power for his Duel Pad was starting to run low. ‘Why did Alvis make these prototypes run off the power of my Duel Disk?’
“Good, now put me down this instant!” Pixelator ordered.
“Okay, if that’s what you want.” Yuma teased, as the battery for his Duel Pad died, causing the energy beams to disappeared, which made the Akuma to fall to the ground, thankfully landing in the bushes. Getting up, Pixelator started freeing people, causing them to appear in the spots he had captured them from.
Thankfully for Yuma and Ladybug, this included Adrien and Chloé, who ended up back in the hotel lobby while Nino was reading his Math book at the front desk, who fell out of his seat when they appeared out of nowhere. Alongside them, Jagged Stone's crocodile Fang had appeared back in the rockstar's suite and scared Sabrina to the point of fainting in fear.
"Wow. Dudes! You scared me!" Nino exclaimed as he rose to his feet, Adrien breaking away from Chloé to run over to the computer to see the live stream playing as half of the digitized citizens were back.
"Fill in for me, will you Nino?" Adrien requested from his best friend before leaping over the front desk, racing off to help Ladybug defeat the Akuma.
"What do you think I've been doing this whole time?" Nino called back, not quite sure as to why Adrien had run off when he just got back from Pixelator's prison. But that was the least of Adrien's concerns as he exited the hotel and ran through the streets until he found a billboard to hide behind so he could feed Plagg before transforming.
"If you want my opinion, I think someone's been Akumatized." Plagg spoke up, holding a piece of camembert in his grasp before throwing the whole thing into his mouth, eating it in one gulp.
"I think you're right. But where's the Akuma?" Adrien wondered out loud to his Kwami, right before he proclaimed…
"PLAGG, CLAWS OUT!" The model shouted out before he transformed into Cat Noir. Now in his alter ego, Cat Noir went off to join his lady in the upcoming battle against the latest Akuma.
Thankfully it didn't take long for Cat Noir to arrive at the Champs-Élysées. But once he arrived, he saw Yuma motioning that his Duel Pad was out of juice, and Ladybug alone and cornered by Pixelator himself, which didn't do the feline hero's nerves any favors as he analyzed the precarious situation.
"I've kept my part of the deal, Ladybug, now bring me Jagged Stone!" Pixelator demanded from Ladybug as she stood up to her full height, over prompting Cat Noir to start sneaking over to them as quietly as possible. As he did, Ladybug spotted him from behind Pixelator and was glad to see he was there to help.
"Pixelator, I know your Akuma's inside your glasses!" Ladybug loudly said, offering Cat Noir as much help as she could in that moment. But it did the trick when Cat Noir heard her and nodded at her to say that he got the plan, still sneaking over to Pixelator.
"Stop wasting time!" Pixelator exclaimed, having had enough of Ladybug's stalling just as Cat Noir got close enough to take his glasses off. But before the feline could even lay his hands onto the Akumatized visor on Pixelator's head, a civilian spotted him.
"Yeah, go Cat Noir." the civilian praised, causing Pixelator to turn around and see Cat Noir.
“Oh, come on…” Yuma muttered, as he saw the two of them starting to fight, both of them pressing their palms together as they each tried to push the other back. But due to Pixelator's size and strength with him being older than Cat Noir, he throws the feline off of him and onto the ground, quickly grabbing Cat Noir by the ankles and throwing him over to Ladybug's feet.
"Thanks for dropping in." Ladybug greeted her partner, holding her pixelated hand to help him up. However, she forgot about her right hand's current state and was unfortunately reminded of that when Cat Noir's hand went right through it when he tried to take her up on the offered help to his feet.
"Not very handy, I see." Cat Noir remarked, trying to lighten the certainly dim mood Ladybug was feeling about her right arm being rendered unusable.
“I don’t think now's the time, Cat!” Yuma called out.
"What about our deal?" Pixelator growled out as Cat Noir got back onto his feet, not liking that he was blindsided.
"I told you she would betray you." Hawkmoth berated. "Capture them already, I want their Miraculous’s!"
With a zap at the heroes, Pixelator began a barrage of attacks, making the two heroes backflip away as they dodged the zaps, landing in front of an abandoned bus before pulling out their weapons.
"Together!" Ladybug exclaimed to Cat Noir, the two of them advancing to attack Pixelator, Ladybug with her yo-yo and Cat Noir going in from above. But when Pixelator jumped out of the path of Ladybug's yo-yo, it crashed into a car and went back to its wielder, while Cat Noir tried his hand at an attack.
"Ahh!" Cat Noir shouted as he came hurtling towards Pixelator, spinning his staff to gain more momentum. But just as he was about to hit the Akuma with his staff, Pixelator zapped Cat Noir, digitizing him for the second time that day.
No sooner than when Pixelator zapped Chat Noir, the hero in black was sent back into the white void, landing on the ground with a belly flop.
"No, not again…" the feline hero groaned as he laid on his stomach in the white space, not happy to be trapped yet again.
Getting a call from his staff, the feline pulled it out and answered, seeing Yuma on the screen. “Cat Noir, you okay?”
“I’m fine, but on the plus side, Chloé's not in here with me again.' Cat Noir said as he picked himself up.
With Cat Noir back in the white void, it left Ladybug on her own with Pixelator yet again, much to the akuma's twisted joy as he intended to fully use the opportunity to defeat the bug superhero.
"When the cat's away, the mice will play." Pixelator taunted Ladybug, cracking his knuckles as he spoke.
“I’m gonna try to find a way to escape and break everyone else out.” Cat Noir said through Yuma’s Duel Gazer. “Think you two can manage?”
“We’ll try.” Yuma said, as he hung up.
"Ready to become immortalized?" The Akumatized photographer rhetorically asked Ladybug, eager to unleash his unrelenting fury onto the spotted heroine.
"Can't wait to live it up." Ladybug quipped back right before she had to dodge Pixelator's zaps. “A little help here, Yuma?!” Ladybug cried out to the duelist.
“Sorry, Ladybug, but I’m out of juice!” Yuma cried out, trying to get his Duel Disk to turn on.
“Are you kidding me?!” Ladybug asked as she ran across the road towards the building on her left, only to trip and fall to the ground, much to her frustration before quickly getting back to her feet. She then jumped into a purple car and did a high jump, rolling through the air but suddenly fell to the ground because of one of the villain's shots zapping her right leg. After landing next to yet another car, Ladybug saw her leg going right though the ground and lifted it up to see that it was as pixelated as her right arm, only to cower when she saw Pixelator approaching her.
"Look into the lens!" Pixelator proclaimed, ready to send her into the white void with Cat Noir, only for Nelson and Anna to run up and block his shot.
“You want her?! You're gonna have to go through us first!” Anna exclaimed.
“Guys, what are you doing?!” Ladybug exclaimed, not expecting this sudden turn of events. “If he captures you, you'll be sent over to Hawk Moth and he'll use you as a weapon against us!
“If it means protecting Yuma’s friend, if it means repaying the debt we owe Yuma, then we’re willing to take that chance!” Nelson exclaimed, not backing down as he turned up to see his friend staring in awe at them.
“Guys…” Yuma smiled at the two, before a voice suddenly spoke.
"Hey there, Pixelator! I heard you wanted my photo!" A voice behind the Akuma called out, causing Pixleator to turn around and see it was Jagged Stone who spoke up from his spot standing on top of a car roof.
"Jagged! It's about time you showed up." Pixelator greeted his idol, walking over to the car Jagged was on top of, the rockstar blew a kiss to some hiding fans behind him and sending them into a fit of squeals.
"Get out of here, Mr. Stone!" Ladybug shouted to the rockstar, trying to follow after Pixleator to stop him. But thanks to her digitized limbs, Ladybug could only fall to the ground in frustration, unable to do anything to save Jagged from Pixelator.
"It's me you wanted all this time, right? Well, here I am. In the flesh." Jagged Stone proclaimed, striking a pose while Pixelator stood right in front of the car he was standing on.
"Look into the lens…" Pixelator instructed, ready to take Jagged Stone's 'picture'.
“Jagged, get out of there!” Yuma called out, as Pixelator was about to take the ‘picture’.
"Wait, wrong side. This isn't my best angle." Jagged Stone interrupted, rearranging himself into a different pose. "No, no, wait. The lighting's all wrong. Does my nose look shorter this way?" the rockstar questioned in seeming indecisiveness, still trying to find the perfect pose. "Oh, I know, this is better." Jagged Stone remarked, going into yet another pose, as he secretly winked at the heroes, making her and Yuma realize that he was stalling for them to think of a plan.
"Ugh... Hurry up already!" Pixelator yelled, growing impatient enough for Ladybug to get to her feet.
"Lucky Charm!" The spotted heroine shouted as a flash of pink occurred in the sky, watching as some sort of object emerged from the yoyo, both items dropping down into Ladybug's non-pixelated hand ."A powder compact?" Ladybug muttered to herself.
“Hardly think this is the time to think about powdering your face for your little kitty cat!” Anna joked, causing the spotted heroine to glare at her.
“Ha ha. Very funny.” Ladybug sarcastically remarked.
"There, I think I'm ready." Jagged Stone decided, finally settling on a pose now that Ladybug had done her thing.
"No more moving! Look into the lens!" Pixelator yelled to the rockstar, having enough of Jagged's antics and prompting him to keep his eyes closed for the time being.
"Don't do it, Mr. Stone!" Ladybug shouted to Jagged Stone, hobbling over to the Akuma and rockstar as fast as she could on one leg.
Meanwhile, Cat Noir had finally figured out how to escape the void.
"Cataclysm!" Cat Noir shouted, activating his power and using it to make a crack in the white space, freeing himself and the people trapped in the photos. "Yes!" The feline hero exclaimed when he saw his plan had worked. But he was soon greeted by the sight of Ladybug trying to get to Pixelator as he had Jagged Stone at 'gunpoint'.
"Come on, open your eyes." Pixelator encouraged the rockstar, not seeing Ladybug catching Cat Noir in her Lucky Vision and triggering her mind to highlight her partner, his staff and the powder compact as a plan formed in her mind.
"Batter up!" Ladybug exclaimed before she threw the compact over to Cat Noir, who caught onto what she was thinking and hit the compact with his staff. The Lucky Charm then sailed through the air towards Jagged Stone and Pixelator, the Akuma zapping at the rockstar as Jagged slowly opened his eyes. Before the beam could even reach Jagged, the compact got in the way and reflected Pixelator's beam right back at him, zapping the Akumatized photographer into the white void and leaving the Akumatized object behind.
"What... How did... Huh?" Pixelator stuttered out as he stared out in the white space, left in surprise that he had been defeated.
Over in Hawk Moth's lair, the resident supervillain glared out of his observatory-esque window, displeased with the knowledge that his Akuma had been defeated. "Next time I assure you it won't be a photo finish!" Hawk Moth vowed with an angered clench of his fist. "I won't stop, Ladybug! I'll destroy you!" The butterfly themed villain shouted from his lair, the white butterflies still fluttering by him and unaware of Hawk Moth's fury.
"Miraculous Ladybug!" Ladybug cried out as she threw the compact into the air, summoning the magic ladybugs and cleansing cure. The cure then swept through the city, reversing any lingering damage and restoring Ladybug's pixelated limbs back to normal. When she saw that her limbs were solid once again, Ladybug happily crushed Pixelator's visor and freed the Akuma.
"No more evildoing for you, little Akuma!" Ladybug exclaimed as she opened her yo-yo to reveal the sparkling pool of cleansing energy inside. "Time to de-evilize!" she shouted before she threw her yo-yo toward the Akuma, catching it in her yo-yo. "Gotcha!" Ladybug cheered when the yo-yo was back in her hand. A second later, she opened her yo-yo once again, setting the white butterfly free. "Bye, bye little butterfly," Ladybug said as the butterfly flew away, turning to see Pixelator turning back into Vincent.
"Huh? What happened? Where am I?" Vincent wondered as he looked around in confusion, his gaze quickly landing on Yuma, Ladybug and Cat Noir.
"Pound it!" The three cheered, bumping their fists in celebration before Ladybug and Cat Noir started heading off back to the hotel on different routes, hoping to join back up with their class before the day was over, while Yuma stayed behind, staring at a nervous Nelson and Anna.
A little while later at Le Grand Paris, the 'Work Experience' field trip was finally over and the class was standing in the lobby while Ms. Bustier spoke with Mr. Bourgeois regarding the trip.
"Thank you very much for this work experience day, Mr. Bourgeois. I'm sure we'll all remember it for a long time to come." Ms. Bustier thanked the mayor, happy to have had such an opportunity for her class to learn from.
"So will I." Mayor Bourgeois replied as Penny stood just behind him, the day having been eventful in more ways than one. But with a discreet cough from Penny, the mayor suddenly remembered…"Oh, wait, I almost forgot. Jagged Stone is giving a concert tonight, so, I'm giving tickets to the students who demonstrated the greatest effort today." André announced, leading to Penny walking over to the class and giving tickets to Marinette, Alya, Adrien and Nino, passed by Chloé who was expecting a ticket but was sorely disappointed.
"Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!" Chloé exclaimed when Penny walked past, not liking that she wasn't being given a ticket for all her 'hard work'. But her reaction was enough to cause a smile to appear on Marinette's face as she looked over at the heiress in question.
'Serves you right, you brat.’ Marinette thought to herself, glad that Chloé was given a taste of karma that she so sorely deserved.
“Excuse me, but has anyone seen Yuma?” Ms. Bustier asked around, confused as to where the boy was.
“Oh! Uh…” Marinette gulped, trying to come up with a believable excuse. “He had a family emergency back home, so he couldn’t come back after his Hero work.”
“I see.” Ms. Bustier nodded, believing the excuse. “Well, if you see him, be sure to give him this, okay?”
Seeing her teacher holding out another ticket to her, the designer nodded as she put said ticket in her pocket. Grabbing her phone out of her purse, Marinette was going to text Yuma about his ticket, only for her to get a message from him.
Yuma: Kari’s got a lead on one of the Numbers. Need you guys, RIGHT NOW!
Eyes widening, she turned to Adrien, who had his phone out with the same message on screen and nodded at Marinette, before the two quietly left the Hotel.
Author’s Note:
I apologize for the long update. So much stuff has been happening in my personal life lately, making me unable to write. Thank you to DragonMasterWarrior and DragongirlFury28 for helping me with this one. Next Chapter, we will start exploring the first of the ruins that contain the Mythyrian Numbers.
I am also considering to start a Mario: Thousand Year Door and post Xenoblade Chronicles 3 crossover, where the members of Ouroboros are taken from their respected worlds and end up in the Mushroom Kingdom, and team up with Mario and Luigi as they travel to Rogueport to find the Crystal Stars and stop the X-Nauts from world domination. Let me know your thoughts.
Fan Art (use these #’s on Twitter (X) for the story you want to post fanart of: (match spelling and casing)
Yu-Gi-Oh Ouroboros: #YugiohOuroboros
Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir: #ZEXALMiraculous
Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal: A Loud Journey: #PokemonLoudZEXAL
Chapter 12: UPDATE
Chapter Text
Hey, everyone. Sorry for the long wait. If you are confused about this update, I completely understand. I just want to inform you all that while I was trying to write the next chapter and turning the Duel from "A Duel in Ruins" into a Duel with TCG ruling instead of Anime Ruling, with the exception of Numbers having the "Cannot be destroyed by battle except with a "Number" monster", I went back and reread the previous chapters and thought, "I think I could do better." So, expect the previous chapters to be completely rewritten from the ground up. Hope you all enjoy. (Don't worry, Chapter 12 is still in development)
Also, we have reach 10,000 views on Fanfiction and 15,000 views on DeviantArt! Thank you all for your support!
Rewrite Progress:
Chapter 1: Complete and Posted
Chapter 2: In Progress
Chatper 3: Not started
Chapter 4: Not started
Chapter 5: Not started
Chapter 6: Not started
Chapter 7: Not started
Chapter 8: Not started
Chapter 9: Not started
Chapter 10: Not started
Chapter 11: Not started
Chapter 12: In Progress
Replies to Comments:
Announcement:
Iron-ninja211: Don't worry. That is still being worked on.
Polly: You never know until you give the rewritten chapters a chance.
Alex: Thank you.
nightshroud96: Thanks for wondering about that. No, I am going to just replace the chapters with the new and updated ones.
Blazemander on Chapter 1 Wed 16 Aug 2023 06:25AM UTC
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deathfang1920 on Chapter 1 Mon 23 Oct 2023 05:10PM UTC
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Supernova77 on Chapter 3 Wed 27 Sep 2023 05:33AM UTC
Last Edited Wed 27 Sep 2023 05:58AM UTC
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