Miraculous: Athena

By Miraculous Mongoose

Chapter 1

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Ladybug sat at the top of the Eiffel Tower, waiting for Cat Noir to show up. She had something important to talk to him about. She tried calling him again, but only got his stupid voicemail in response.

“Where is he?” She muttered to herself. Ladybug fingered with the octagonal box that held the Horse Miraculous.

“You called, Bugaboo?” Cat Noir said behind her.

Ladybug shrieked and fell backwards, losing her grip on the box. “Cat! How many times have I told you not to call me Bugaboo!” She groaned after regaining the box and her composure.

“But just saying Ladybug is just so dull.” He fake pouted. “So, what did you wish to talk about M’lady?”

Ladybug gave him a dirty look. “I’m planning to visit the temple, and I want you to come with me. We *are* the holders of the two most powerful Miraculouses in existence after all.”

“And how do you plan to get there? Because this is certainly purr-plexing.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes. “With the Horse Miraculous, Kitty.” She said, showing Cat Noir the box. She opened it and the horse kwami Kaalki flew out. She put on the glasses, which turned red and black. “Tikki, Kaalki, unify!”

Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, her hands and feet became black, and her shoulders and knees became reminiscent of Kaalki’s pattern.

“So are we going or what, Bugaboo?” Cat Noir asked.

“Don’t call me Bugaboo!” She said. “Voyage!” She summoned a portal to the temple. “After you, Cat Noir.”

He stepped through and she followed. “Tikki, Kaalki, divide.” She said, turning back to Ladybug. “Shall we go meet the other Guardians?” She asked Cat Noir.

“We shall, M’Ladybug.”

Chapter 2

Lillian Montgomery

Lillian took a deep breath outside the classroom door. It was her first day at Collège Françoise Dupont in Paris. She gathered her wits and clutched her sketchbook with one hand and pushed the door open.

“Is this Ms. Bustier’s class?” She asked nervously. She looked around. On the right front row there sat a boy with glasses, a red baseball cap, and headphones around his neck. Behind him was a girl with black glasses and wavy brown hair with reddish ends. A large boy with a black skull t-shirt sat behind her, and behind him was a boy with red hair that partially covered one of his blue eyes.

On the left there was a blonde girl with her hair in a ponytail and sunglasses on her head. Next to her was a red haired girl with glasses and a white headband. Behind then sat another pair of girls. One had crazy, reddish pink hair  and the other had multicolored hair. Behind them sat a pair of boys, one very athletic looking and the other with glasses and a square afro. Sitting behind them were two girls. One had short blonde hair and the other had long black hair with purple ends. Behind them was a girl with long brown hair and green eyes.

“Yes, this is my class.” A red haired woman with a kind smile said. “I’m Miss Bustier. Who might you be?”

“I-I’m Lillian.” She stuttered.

“Lillian Montgomery?” Ms. Bustier asked.

She nodded.

“Why don’t you sit next to Nathaniel?” She pointed to the red haired boy in the back.

“Um, okay.” Lillian walked towards the desk and sat down.

“H-hi.” Nathaniel said, looking at Lillian. “I’m Nathaniel.” He held out his hand.

“I’m Lillian.” She said as she shook his hand, smiling. Their eyes met for a brief moment and they both looked away, embarrassed. Lillian’s cheeks were flushed.

*Am I getting a crush on him?* She asked herself silently. She looked back over again and he smiled slightly.

*I think I am!* Lillian thought.

Chapter 3

Adrien Agreste

“Welcome, Ladybug and Cat Noir, I am Zagnu. We have been expecting you two for months.” The monk greeted Cat Noir and Ladybug.

“So you must've heard of my amazing-ness and M’lady’s help.” Cat Noir said, smirking as Ladybug gave him a dirty look.

“We’ve heard of both of you equally.” Zagnu said. “We also know that Wang Fu has passed his guardianship to you.” He pointed to Ladybug. “Now come, we are preparing something for you.”

“Croissants?” Cat Noir asked hopefully.

“No,” Zagnu said, giving him an odd look. “This.” He opened a set of doors.

Inside, more monks with Miracle Boxes waited.

“We are aware that the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculouses have fallen into the hands of evil. We are willing to lend you four miraculouses to fill in the empty spots in your Miracle Box until the missing miraculouses are recovered.” Zagnu told them.

Both Cat Noir and Ladybug’s mouths fell open.

“*Four* new miraculouses?” Cat Noir exclaimed. “That’s amazing!”

“But how will we choose?” Ladybug asked.

“We have taken the liberty of choosing the most powerful miraculouses from each Miracle Box.”

After looking through the miraculouses, Ladybug spoke up. “We’ll take the Lion, the Zebra, the Flamingo, and the Owl.”

“Be careful not to lose them.” Zagnu warned as he gave two to Ladybug and two to Cat Noir.

“We will be.” Ladybug said, giving Cat Noir a hard look.

“What?” he asked, putting on an innocent face.

“Let’s just go.”

“Fine by me, Bugaboo.”

“Don’t call me Bugaboo!” Ladybug groaned. “Tikki, Kaalki, unify.” She summoned Voyage.

“After you, M’lady.” Cat Noir said, following Ladybug into the portal.

“Watch out for the-” Ladybug called out too late as Cat Noir tripped on a steel beam. “-beam.”

Cat Noir flailed his arms wildly, losing his grip on one of the miraculouses. He watched as it fell down the tower.

“We have to catch it!” Ladybug said just as Cat Noir leapt down.

“Don’t worry, cats always land on their feet!” He called up.

He reached the ground, but there was no sign of the missing miraculous.

Chapter 4

Lillian Montgomery

Lillian was walking by the Eiffel Tower, heading to her new home when something fell on her head.

“What the-?” She exclaimed. She examined the object. It was a wooden octagonal box with a red insignia on the top. “What is this thing?” She was about to open it when her phone pinged. “Oh, Mom’s waiting.” She muttered and stuffed the mysterious box into her bag and rushed off.

The next day Lillian entered Ms. Bustier’s class, and saw two new people that weren’t there the previous day. One was a blond, handsome boy, who sat next to Nino, the boy with the red baseball cap, and sitting next to Alya, the girl with the wavy brown hair with the reddish tips, there was a blue-black haired girl with bright blue eyes. Both were clearly exhausted.

“Who are those two?” She whispered to Nathaniel.

“The boy is Adrien Agreste and the girl is Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” He replied.

“Oh.” Lillian held his gaze a moment too long and they both looked away, a repeat of yesterday.

What neither of them noticed was that Lila Rossi, the girl with long brown hair and green eyes, was watching them intensely.

Later, Lillian looked around the cafeteria, searching for a place to sit.

“Hey, Lillian! Come sit with us!” Alya called.

Lillian headed over and sat down.

“So this is Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” Alya began, pointing to the blue-black haired girl. “Alix Kubdel,” She pointed to the girl with crazy pink hair. “Juleka Couffaine and Rose Lavillant,” She pointed to the black and purple haired girl and the girl with short blonde hair. “And Mylène Haprèle.” She pointed to the girl with rainbow hair.

“Nice to meet you all.” Lillian said, smiling.

“Where were you from?” Marinette asked.

“I used to live in Alabama, if ya'll don’t mind me saying.” She said, with the last part in a corny southern accent, sending the other girls into laughter. Lillian grinned. Maybe Paris wasn’t so bad after all.

Chapter 5

Lila Rossi

Lila watched Lillian talk and joke with the other girls. Already the new girl was more popular than her! The thought made her fists clench with rage. Lillian even had someone who liked her back! She had to do something about it.

She got up and walked towards Lillian, ignoring the suspicious look from Marinette.

“Hi, Lillian. I’m Lila!” She said in her sickly sweet voice.  “We’re in the same class, and I was wondering if we could switch seats? The air conditioning back at my table is very high and I have hyperhypothermalia, so I’m *very* sensitive to the cold.”

She watched Lillian as she went over two conflicting thoughts. Should she do the ‘right’ thing and give Lila her seat, or should she stay with her friends?

Before Lillian could answer, Rose piped up. “You can have my seat, Lila!”

Lila internally groaned. “Thank you, Rose! You’re too kind!”

She later excused herself and went to the bathroom. “That stupid, little nitwit…” She muttered. As Lila went back to the lunchroom, she overheard Marinette.

“It’s not even cold!”

“She’s right, you know.” She heard Rose say.

Juleka mumbled something that couldn’t be understood.

“Why lie though?” Lillian asked.

“Who cares? Lila is a liar!” Marinette exclaimed.

Lila couldn't believe her ears. Marinette was getting the others to side up against her? She ran back into the bathroom and began to cry, but her spirits lifted when she saw a black butterfly heading towards her.

Chapter 6

Lillian Montgomery

Lillian was finishing her lunch, her mind still buzzing at Marinette’s outburst. Furthermore, she couldn’t help but think of Nathaniel. Suddenly, the doors burst open and Lila stumbled through.

“Akuma in the bathroom!” She yelled before collapsing on the ground, à la Professor Quirell.

The room burst into chaos. Everyone ran in separate directions. Not knowing what else to do, she followed Alya outside. “What’s an akuma?” She panted.

Alya stared at her. “You seriously don’t know what an akuma is?”

“Nope.”

“Well basically, there’s this evil guy, Hawk Moth, and he has these butterflies that can turn people into supervillains. For some reason he always wants Ladybug and Cat Noir’s-”

“Who are Ladybug and Cat Noir?” Lillian interrupted.

“How do you not know about Ladybug and Cat Noir? They were even in New York City at one point!”

“I lived in Alabama!”

“Well, anyways, Ladybug and Cat Noir are Paris’ superheroes, but they also get others to help out. So far there’s been Rena Rouge, Queen Bee, but she got demoted because she betrayed Ladybug and Cat Noir, Carapace, Pegasus, Viperion, King Monkey, and Ryuko. They all help defeat the akumatized villain, and they are totally awesome! But Hawk Moth always wants their miraculouses, which give them their powers.”

“Hey, where is everybody?” Lillian asked, noticing they were alone.

“I don’t know, but I’m sure everyone’s ok…” Alya sounded doubtful. “Hey, where are you going?” She called after Lillian, who had run inside.

The lunchroom was full of chaos. Lillian looked around. Some students hid behind tables, others, like Alya, had run outside, and in the midst of it all stood a girl in indigo robes that were sparkling with golden stars and silver moons. In her hands she held twin golden blades, and she was standing over a girl with blue-black hair in pigtails. Marinette. Lillian looked around and spotted a trash can lid and some tarp. She grabbed both and snuck behind the girl in robes.

“I am Hecate.” The girl proclaimed. “I have power over everything and everyone.”

“Yeah, yeah, keep talking,” Lillian mumbled softly. She was right behind Hecate and banged the lid onto her head. Hecate collapsed, and Lillian secured her with the tarp.

“I’m not sure how long it’ll hold, so c’mon!” She said, and helped Marinette up.

“Thanks, Lillian.” Marinette said.

“No problem.”

Then, the windows exploded.

Chapter 7

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Marinette ran, feeling guilty for leaving her friends, but she knew that she couldn’t do anything as Marinette. She ducked into an empty alley and opened her bag, letting Tikki fly out. “Tikki, spots on!” Ladybug hopped out of the alley and headed back to the school. While running, she called Cat Noir on her yo-yo. “Cat Noir! Akumatized villain at Collège Françoise Dupont! Meet me there ASAP!” She closed the yo-yo just as she heard a scream. “That can’t be good.” She muttered.

The scream had come from Rose. She was shaking her arm frantically as golden light spread up it. Within seconds, she was encased in the light. When it fell, Rose had been replaced by her akumatized form, Princess Fragrance.

Ladybug gasped. She looked around and spotted Hecate, who was holding her swords, one of which was tinged pink. Rose’s favorite color. She understood what had happened. The blades had turned Rose into Princess Fragrance. Before she could act, Hecate threw her swords like a boomerang, hitting various students and employees. Soon, Stoneheart, Horrificator, Reflekta, Evillustrator, Stormy Weather, Timebreker, Reverser, Zombizou, Dark Owl, Dark Cupid, The Mime, Copycat, Antibug, and Miraculer joined Hecate’s army.

Ladybug knew she had to act now. She readied her yo-yo as Cat Noir spoke behind her.

“So, where’s the big baddie that needs some talking to?”

“Cat! Stop sneaking up on me!” Ladybug exclaimed. “Besides, we can’t let Hecate, the one with the swords, reach the remaining students.” She pointed to a small group containing Alya, Nino, Lillian, and Max.

“They’re all that’s left?” Cat Noir asked.

“I’m afraid so.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” He extended his staff to the ground. “Climb on up!” He called down to the students.

Alya, Nino, and Max climbed up.

“Wait, weren’t there four of them?” Cat Noir asked.

“Maybe she made a break for it.” Ladybug said, though she wasn’t very optimistic.

“Let’s hope so…” He replied.

Chapter 8

Lillian Montgomery

Lillian was running as fast as her feet could carry her. Seeing nearly all of her friends turned into those villains had scared her. She ran aimlessly, searching for someone who could help. She burst into her home, hoping her mother would be home.

“Mom- oof!” She tripped on one of her books, sending the contents of her bag flying, including the box she had found the day before. She stared at the box and curiosity got the best of her. Lillian opened it, and suddenly a small ball of silvery-blue light flew from it. She dropped the box in surprise.

As the light faded, Lillian saw what had been inside it. It was a light blue creature about four inches in height. It had no toes or fingers, just paddle-like limbs. On its forehead it had a blue v shape with a white feather design on the end. Two antennae curled like braids behind its back. It had five blue tail feathers with a mix of light blue and white design.

“Hello!” The thing said with a distinct feminine voice. “I am Unna!”

Lillian chose that moment to scream.

“Shhhh!” Unna said. “No one must know I exist!”

“What are you?” Lillian asked after calming down.

“I am the owl kwami, also known as the kwami of resilience.”

“Kwami?”

“Kwamis are what power miraculouses.”

“Like Ladybug and Cat Noir? Because my friend Alya told me about them.” Lillian said, slowly adjusting to the situation.

“Exactly! To transform, say ‘Unna, wing it’ and to detransform you say ‘Nest time’.” Unna said. “Also, you’ll need to wear the necklace when you do so.”

“Necklace?” Lillian asked.

“Just look in the box.” Unna told her.

Lillian pulled out a necklace. It had a horizontal stone cut into a rectangular shape that looked like lapis lazuli, but had four silvery streaks, dividing it into fifths. On the sides there were identical silver wings, and the chain was silver too. When she put it on, the chain turned to gold and the wings disappeared. The stone became pure teal.

“Well, here goes nothing.” Lillian murmured. “Unna, wing it!”

The same silvery-blue light that Unna momentarily surrounded Lillian. When it fell she was in a completely new outfit.

She had a skintight suit that was white on the top half, and light blue on the bottom. The colors were divided by a curved v shape that laid slightly above her waist. On her shoulders, she gained silver-blue feather designs that looked like wings. A blue rope threaded with black was wrapped around her waist. The mask followed the same color scheme as the rest of the suit. The teal in her hair had become white, and her eyes turned bright blue. And, to top it off, five blue tail feathers identical to Unna’s were on the back of her waist.

“Sweet!” She exclaimed. “Now to help my friends.”

Chapter 9

Adrien Agreste

“We’re going to need reinforcements, no matter what.” Cat Noir told Ladybug.

“But Hawk Moth knows the identities of every wearer except us. We can’t risk it.” She said.

“We’ve risked it before with Chloé.” He pointed out.

“But how would we get the right miraculouses to the right people? We don’t even know who King Monkey is!”

“We’ll have to do without him then. Also, I’m positive they would love to be heroes at least one more time.”

Ladybug hesitated. “Alright,” She said after a moment. “I’ll get the Miracle Box. Make sure they don’t get the students.”

“You know I excel in purr-tection.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes. “Just keep them safe.”

A while later, Ladybug returned. “I’ve got it.”

“Let’s have a look now shall we?”

Ladybug brought out the Fox, Turtle, Horse, Snake, and Dragon Miraculouses. She handed Cat Noir the Horse and Dragon.

“Get these to Max and Kagami, I’ll handle Rena Rouge, Carapace, and Viperion.” She said.

“I’ll find Kagami first, so I can think of a way to get Max from Alya and Nino.” He said as he vaulted off.

“If I were Kagami, where would I be..?” Cat Noir muttered to himself. “She might be practicing with her mother at Jardin des Tuileries!”

Sure enough, both Tomoe and Kagami Tsurugi were there. He landed nearby and cleared his throat. “Ms. Tsurugi? I’m Cat Noir, and there’s an akumatized villain close by. We need both you and your daughter to split up and hide.” He paused. “For your own safety, of course.”

How will I know if Kagami is safe, though?” Tomoe asked.

“Ma’am, we’re professionals.”

“Very well then.” Tomoe walked off to her self-driving car.

Kagami watched her mother depart. “Why is it that I don’t believe you stated the whole truth?” She asked, turning to Cat Noir.

He grinned. “Right as always.” He brought out the Dragon Miraculous. “Kagami Tsurugi, here is the Miraculous of the Dragon which grants the power of wind, water, and lightning. You'll use it for the greater good. Once the mission is over, you'll return the miraculous to either Ladybug or me. Can we trust you?”

“Yes, you can.” She put the choker on. “Longg, bring the storm!”

“We’re meeting up at Collège Françoise Dupont, but I need to make a quick stop on the way.” He told Ryuko.

“See you there, Cat Noir.” She lept away.

Cat Noir headed where the three students had been. Alya and Nino weren’t there, which made his job much easier.

“Hey, Max, catch!” He tossed the Horse Miraculous to him. “We’re meeting up at Collège Françoise Dupont.” He said and vaulted away."

Chapter 10

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Ladybug raced back to Collège Françoise Dupont with Viperion right behind her. Cat Noir, Rena Rouge, Carapace, Ryuko, and Pegasus were waiting for them.

“Alright, so this is what we know,” Ladybug began. “The only true akumatized person is Hecate, who is the one with the golden swords. Those swords can turn anyone into their akumatized form, so don’t let them touch you. Miraculer and Timebreaker are both very dangerous. Miraculer can steal our powers and Timebreaker can freeze us and go back in time. Stoneheart absorbs all damage, and it makes him stronger, so don’t attack him. Princess Fragrance can control anyone who smells her perfume. Zombizou’s kisses are infectious, and Dark Cupid can turn all emotions negative. Horrificator can trap anyone in her goo and she feeds off fear. Reflekta turns people into copies of herself. Evillustrator can draw anything, the Mime can mime anything, Dark Owl has an endless supply of weapons, Stormy Weather can control the weather, and Copycat and Antibug have identical powers to Cat Noir and I.”

“They do have weaknesses, though.” Cat Noir said.

“Yes. Evillustrator can’t draw in the dark, Reflekta’s beams can be reflected, the Mime can only mime one thing at a time, Princess Fragrance’s perfume is highly flammable, Antibug can only use her Anti Charm once, and same goes for Copycat’s Cataclysm.”

“So what’s the plan?” Rena Rouge asked.

“Lucky Ch- huh?” Ladybug exclaimed.

“Wooaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!” A white and blue figure hurtled towards the superheroes. “Oof!”

The figure slammed into the roof where the heroes were.

“Are you alright!?” Ladybug ran towards them, but froze in shock. Her necklace was the very same one that Cat Noir had lost. She had the lost Owl Miraculous.

Chapter 11

Lillian Montgomery

Lillian stared at the group in front of her. They all had unique animal themed outfits. She saw a ladybug, cat, fox, turtle, horse, snake, and what she thought was a dragon.

She groaned and got up. “Yeah, I’m okay.” She looked up and frowned. “Why are you staring at me?”

“Y-your necklace. Where did you fi- I mean get it?” Ladybug stammered.

“It fell on my head.” She mumbled softly.

Ladybug pulled Cat Noir aside. They talked in hushed, inaudible tones.

“So, what’s your miraculous?” Carapace asked.

“My kwami said it was the owl.” Lillian said.

Ladybug and Cat Noir returned.

“Alright, if it means more help, you can join us.” Ladybug said.

Lillian grinned.

“Now, what should we call you?”

She hesitated before answering. “Athena. Call me Athena.”

“Niiiccceeee.” Rena Rouge whistled. “Greek Goddess of wisdom, right? Symbol is the owl?”

“Yep.” Athena replied. “Now how about we kick some villainous butt?”

Cat Noir grinned. “I think you’ll be a great addition to the team.

Ladybug groaned. “Just what we need, another jokester.”

“What’s wrong?” Athena asked. “Are you wondering *who* will be the better at puns?”

Cat Noir cracked up. “I like you already!”

Chapter 12

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug summoned her lucky charm. “A roll of duct tape!?” She exclaimed.

“You gonna use it to tape Cat Noir’s mouth shut to spare us from his puns?”

Cat Noir chuckled. “Good one, Athena… Hey!”

Athena snickered.

Ladybug rolled her eyes and looked around. She spotted the villains weapons, the heroes around her, and some discarded trash can lids.

“Alright, here’s the plan…” She began to whisper to her friends.

"Second Chance!"

"Whirlwind!"

"Water Dragon!"

The heroes summoned their powers.

Cackling filled the air."You fools! You think you can stop me? I have an army of villains to aid me!"

Ladybug looked, and saw Hecate wasn't kidding. Mr. Pigeon, Pharaoh, Rogercop, Darkblade, Animan, Simon Says, Pixelator, Guitar Villain, Puppeteer, Volpina, Collector, Prime Queen, Despair Bear, Gorizilla, Frightningale, Style Queen, Maldiktator, Anansi, Weredad, Party Crasher, Kwamibuster, Ikari Gozen, and about a billion Sapotis had joined her ranks.

"Oh my…" Ladybug muttered.

"We don't have time to waste!" Rena Rouge said.

"You're right."

"Let's kick some villainous butt!" Athena cheered.

Chapter 13

French Miraculous Superhero Team

Rena Rouge leapt down from the building, grinning. She loved being a hero. Carapace landed next to her. "You focus on Anansi, I'll work on Volpina." She told him.

"Be careful!" Carapace replied and ran off.

Rena Rouge weaved her way to her evil counterpart, and raised her flute. Volpina did the same. Volpina brought her flute down, but it dissolved in a blue and silver mist, revealing Miraculer.

Orange spots appeared on her suit as she drained Rena Rouge's power.

Carapace was battling Anansi, using his shield to block her punches.

"You little flyweight!" She roared.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Miraculer standing over Rena Rouge, causing him to falter.

Anansi took that moment to punch him, sending Carapace flying.

Viperion battled Reflekta, unaware that the second change timer was running out. The snake head reached the end just as she saw Miraculer steal Rena Rouge's powers. He attempted to turn back time, only to find out he couldn't. In his confusion, Reflekta zapped her own brother into a copy of herself.

Ryuko was fending off the Sapotis, but to no avail. They surrounded her. "Lightning Dragon!" She called, and she managed to fry a few clones. Her necklace began to beep. The Sapotis swarmed her.

Pegasus was narrowly dodging Kwamibuster's attacks. Her rays were coming dangerously close to him.

He threw his horseshoe at her, but missed.

Kwamibuster took the opportunity to zap him.

Pegasus barely had time to hide before Kaalki was sucked into her vacuum.

Cat Noir and Ladybug were fighting their way to Hecate. In their way was Evillustrator and Puppeteer. Evillustrator drew Ladybug and Cat Noir dolls and tossed them to Puppeteer.

"Ladybug, come to life!" Puppeteer said.

"No!" Cat Noir cried, but it was too late. Ladybug had lost.

"Cat Noir come to-" Puppeteer began.

"Oh no you don't!" Cat Noir yelled and used his staff to knock the doll out of her hands. He then proceeded to destroy Evillustrator's drawing pad.

He looked around. There was no sign of Carapace or Pegasus, Rena Rouge was powerless, Ryuko was imprisoned by the Sapotis, and it looked as if Viperion had been turned into a Reflekta copy. Then he spotted a flash of blue and white, and his spirits lifted. Athena hadn't fallen. At least, not yet.

Chapter 14

Lillian Montgomery

Athena was barely able to fend off the villains. Her rope twisted around Stormy Weather, but a blast of lightning threw it free. Her necklace was on its last segment. Suddenly, Cat Noir's staff slammed in front of her.

"Can't let my fellow comedian become a mind controlled zombie." He said with a grin. "Now follow me, I know a place where we can regroup." He vaulted off.

"Where are we going?" She asked. "And what about the others?"

"Ladybug's under Puppeteer's control, Pegasus was zapped by Kwamibuster, Viperion is a Reflekta copy, Rena Rouge is powerless, Ryuko is trapped, and Carapace is who knows where." He tried to open a manhole, but found it locked. "Cataclysm!"

He slid it open. "You coming?"

"...Okay."

They ran for about 30 seconds before Athena's necklace gave a final beep. She tripped in surprise as she turned back to Lillian.

Cat Noir stared at her. "You look familiar, but I can't quite place it." She said.

"Does this mean I can't be Athena anymore?" She asked miserably.

He hesitated. "Well, *Ladybug* decides who gets to be heroes, and she's not here… *And* she has no way of knowing that I know your identity…" He grinned.

Lillian gasped. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

Unna moaned.

"Looks like your kwami needs to refuel." Cat Noir remarked. "What do they eat?"

"I don't know. I transformed almost immediately after I met her." Lillian said.

"Candy! I like candy!" Unna declared.

"I only have cheese."

"Cheese is good, too."

"So, what's the plan?" Lillian asked as Unna munched on some of Cat Noir's camembert.

"Maybe find Carapace. The more backup we have, the better. Then after that… I don't know." He said. His ears were flattened and he sighed. "I've never faced a villain without Ladybug. I've never faced anyone alone."

"But you're not alone. You have your kwami, and you have Unna and I." Lillian said, her voice full of sympathy. "And we'll have Carapace soon enough."

Cat Noir smiled. "Thanks, Athena." His ring beeped. "Hold that thought!" He ran behind a corner as Lillian cracked up.

"You all better?" She asked Unna.

"Sure am!"

"Unna, wing it!"

Chapter 15

Nino Lahiffe/Adrien Agreste

Carapace sailed through the air. He didn't know how far Anansi's punch had and would send him. His bracelet was beeping, indicating that Wayzz was losing energy. He spied the ground coming up.

"Shell-ter!" He yelled, protecting himself as he slammed into the Arc de Triomphe. The structure shook and began to fall, but luckily his shield held. Carapace soon blacked out.

Cat Noir and Athena scoured the city, searching for Carapace. They soon came across the ruins of the Arc de Triomphe and the fading glow of Carapace's Shell-ter. When they reached the spot, they found Carapace out cold. As the two of them watched, a green light emitted from his bracelet and Wayzz flew out. Carapace was returned to his civilian form.

Cat Noir gasped, as did Athena, though hers was much quieter. "Nino?" He asked.

Nino awoke to the sound of his name.

"Nino, wake up!" Someone said. It sounded like Adrien.

"Nino?" Another voice asked, this one more feminine.

He opened his eyes to see Cat Noir and Athena standing over him.

Cat Noir breathed a sigh of relief. "So you're Carapace, huh?"

He paled. "Uh, I don't know what you're talking about, dude. I'm just me." He tried to feign innocence as he hid his bracelet.

"We saw you detransform." Athena said. Her blue eyes were sympathetic, as if she'd experienced someone seeing her detransform as well.

"Wait, how did you two know my name?"

This time it was Cat Noir and Athena's turn to pale.

"Uhhh…"

Nino's mind began to race. Cat Noir had sounded like Adrien, and he knew his name… "Adrien?" He asked.

Cat Noir's eyes widened.

"Is the cat out of the bag?" Athena teased.

Cat Noir ignored her. "How did you know?" He asked Nino.

"You talk the same way, and you know my name." He said.

"Promise me you will never, ever, breathe a word about this to anyone." Cat Noir said.

"Don't worry, dude. I can keep secrets, just like I keep Marinette's."

"What about Marinette?" Cat Noir was confused. What secret could his very good friend have?

"Oh, just that she has a major crush on you…" He trailed off, obviously realizing he had just blabbed a secret.

Athena cracked up. "Bwahahahaha! You didn't know a girl had a serious crush on you? That is so priceless!"

Chapter 16

Lillian Montgomery

While the two boys got oriented, Athena formed a plan in her head. Hecate was the main target, but getting to her was impossible. The akuma had to be in the bracelet she wore, as there was only one. Hawk Moth wanted miraculouses…

After a while, she'd come up with a plan. "Cat Noir, Adrien, whatever. I've got a plan!" She began to whisper.

Cat Noir turned to Nino. "We'll need the Turtle Miraculous back." He told him.

"Good luck dude and dudette." He told them with all sincerity.

"Thank you, Carapace." Athena said with a wink.

The pair left.

"Hecate!" Athena shouted at the entrance of Collège Françoise Dupont.

"We give up! If you free all these people, I will give you my miraculous." Cat Noir added, a seldom heard tone of solemn in his voice.

"Very well." Hecate said. She raised a sword and golden light enveloped the school. When it fell, everyone was back in their civilian forms.

"Cat Noir! What are you doing?" Ladybug pushed her way to the two heroes.

"Don't worry, everything will be just fine." He said.

"Hand over your miraculouses!" Hecate shouted.

Every hero in the vicinity approached the villain.

She held out her hand.

Athena stepped forward and began to undo her clasp. She suddenly stopped and ran forward, snagging the bracelet. "Cat Noir, catch!"

"Cataclysm!" He destroyed the bracelet and the akuma flew out. "It's your turn, M'lady." He said.

"Time to de-evilize!" Ladybug captured the akuma and grabbed some of the unused duct tape. "Miraculous Ladybug!"

Chapter 17

Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Lillian Montgomery

It was two days after Hecate. Lila had been deakumatized and had left in her usual huff. Marinette took her usual seat next to Alya when she heard someone speak.

"Hey, Alya, could I trade seats with you?" Adrien asked.

Marinette went wide eyed as he sat down.

"Marinette," Adrien said, looking into her eyes. "I've come to realize that you mean more to me than I used to think. You've always been there when I needed it most. You're such a supportive and kind person. You're more than just a friend, and I was wondering, if um-" His face went red. "If you'd like to go out on a date with me?"

Marinette's jaw dropped, as did nearly everyone else's in the room.

"How romantic!" Rose squealed.

"I- um-" Marinette was at a loss for words.

Adrien's shoulders slumped.

"I mean- YES!" She threw her arms around the boy she'd loved since the second day of school.

Everyone cheered. Well, everyone but Chloé and Lila.

Chloé threw a temper tantrum, but no one seemed to mind.

Unbeknownst to both of the miraculous holders, Tikki and Plagg popped out of their bags and grinned at each other.

"I'm happy for them," Lillian told Nathaniel. "They just seem made for each other."

"They certainly do." He replied.

"Oh, um Nathaniel?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want to come over to my house to work on homework?" She hoped her cheeks weren't red.

"Sure!" He smiled.

Lillian gave him a bigger smile. It wasn't a date, or even a declaration of love, but it was something.

End of Book One