Chapter Text
It was a completely normal day in Paris…well, as normal as it can be when Paris is attacked almost every other day by supervillains, but it’s been a slow week so far with Paris’s heroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir, mainly just needing to deal with Mr. Pigeon…again. But other than that, things have been relatively calm, with no major crisis…
“WHAT?!”
… Until today.
“What do you mean the Drama club is in danger of disbanding?! This can’t be happening!” A young teen wearing a pure white half-mask that covers the top of his face.
“I’m afraid that’s what it looks like, Claude. The school is going through some budget cuts, and our theater is in danger of being discontinued.” Fred Haprèle, who volunteers as the Drama club’s overseer and director.
“But…theatre is so important! It brings stories to life! It can convey emotion in ways no other media could ever! Threatre is… theatre is my life…” Claude says, tears starting to slide down behind his mask.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay, Claude.” Aurore tries calming him down, but Claude can barely feel his friend’s comforting touch on his back.
“I’m sorry, Claude. I truly am. It’s just that the drama club has been falling behind lately. We don’t have many members, and not many people come to the school shows.” Fred speaks sympathetically.
“There must be something we can do!” Mylène cries out suddenly, “I’ve really enjoyed acting ever since playing Agent Smith in Terrificator. Claude is right, Dad. Theatre is something magical that this school shouldn’t lose.”
Ivan places a consoling and comforting hand on his girlfriend’s shoulder.
“Marc and I have worked so hard on the sets and scripts for this school’s productions, it’s really helped me develop my art skills…the thought of not being able to continue…” Nathaniel drones off with a tone of melancholy.
“I know what you mean, this club made me want to try my hand at writing my own original script.” Marc also depressingly remarks.
“Aurore and I were both only scouted by KIDZ+ because a talent scout happened to watch us as we rehearsing for a play…” Mireille looks down sadly as she remembers how the club gave both her and her friend their big break.
Every student in the theatre club looks down, thinking back to how much fun they’ve had putting on plays for their friends and family.
Fred looks at every kid sadly. “I’m sorry, kids, I truly am. But, hope’s not lost yet; we can still raise enough support around the school to hopefully change Principal Damoclès’s mind. It’s not over until curtain call, everyone; remember that.
Everyone looks up at Mr. Haprèle’s words, slowly feeling a bit more hopeful…everyone that is except a certain mask-wearing actor who still looks rather fearful but hides his fear behind his mask.
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“The Drama Club is really in danger of shutting down?” Marinette cries out, shocked.
“That’s the rumor. Apparently, the club isn’t garnering as much attention as it used to, so Principal Damoclès is debating whether or not to simply shut the club down.” Alya said to her friend. “Rose, Mylène, and Nathaniel aren’t taking it very well, as you can probably expect.”
“I bet. I know it’s not one of our school’s biggest or most popular clubs, but those who are in it really put all of their passion into it,” Marinette says, looking off into space. “I remember going to see one of the plays with my parents, it was so easy to see how much effort went into the production and how much fun everyone was having.”
“I know. I post every performance on the school blog. They don’t get many views or comments, but the comments I do get all say that the performances are amazing.” Alya agrees solemnly.
“I know what you mean.”
Marinette turns toward the voice, and almost immediately, her heart starts to race, and her brain turns to mush. “ADRIEN!?...I-I mean-uh-hey, Adrien! How long were you there? Were you stalking- I MEAN- listening in on us!? Why would I say stalking?! That’s weird! I would never stalk anyone, especially not you! He he he…uh…How are you? You look dreamy…I MEAN GREAT! Not that you aren’t dreamy, of course, because you know… being a model requires you to look good. And from a very platonic point of view, I think you look hot- I mean, wait! That’s not what I meant to say! What I meant to say was you look…uh…Alya! You look like you have something to say! Don’t let me stop you!” Marinette immediately looks to her best friend with a look that clearly says, “Please help me!”.
Alya rolled her eyes fondly as she quickly (and with clearly practiced ease) does damage control for the poor girl…again.
“I didn’t know you were a fan of drama club, Adrien.” Alya inquires, subtly changing the subject away from her best friend’s babble.
“I like theatre in general, my mom was an actress before…well, seeing productions makes me feel closer to her.” Adrien says, slightly sad.
Both Alya and Marinette grow quiet out of respect. Marinette in particular remembers how Adrien was willing to sneak away from his bodyguard to see Solitude, the rare film that his mother was the leading actress in…and then blushed as she remembered how Adrien’s fans thought that she was Adrien’s girlfriend.
“Is everything alright, Marinette?” Adrien asks, concerned as he notices Marinette spacing out.
“Huh? Everything’s fine!” Marinette almost panics but is quickly able to collect herself. “I was just wondering if you were able to watch the rest of Solitude, given that we were interrupted by your fans…and then by Gorizilla, your akumatized bodyguard.”
Adrien actually beams at this (causing Marinette to internally try to calm her racing heart) and explains, “Actually, you aren’t going to believe this, but after I got back home, I actually got to sit down with my father and watch the movie together with him. It was…nice.”
“No way, dude! Your old man actually did something like that?! I thought he was allergic to heartwarming interactions.” Nino chimed in after hearing what his best friend had to say.
“ Be careful, Nino. The last time you thought like that, you ended up bubbling all the adults in Paris.” Adrien teased, causing Nino to groan as he remembered his embarrassing transformation into the Bubbler.
“Don’t remind me, man. I must have had the MOST humiliating supervillain transformation with lame powers at that. I mean, seriously, bubbles? Hawkmoth couldn’t have given me anything cooler, it wasn’t enough he made me look like a joke; he had to go the extra mile with an embarrassing power to boot.”
“Hey, look on the bright side…at least you're not Mr. Pigeon.”
“That’s not much of a consolation, dude…”
Adrien pats Niro’s shoulder in a consolatory manner and then continues on from what Niro said about his dad. “You’re not wrong, though; it was a rare moment for him. I just wish we could have more moments like that…”
Adrien’s friends look at him with pity and were about to say something to comfort him, when suddenly…
“Shut up, Chloe!” A loud voice breaks out in the middle of the classroom.
The four friends and everyone else in the classroom turn towards the commotion seeing Claude glaring at Chloe through his mask’s slits.
“All I’m saying is that Drama Club really isn’t worth keeping around; most of the school doesn’t even know it exists,” Chloe mocks gleefully. “And they certainly aren’t going to keep it around because the stage is the only place you feel comfortable taking off that tacky mask of yours.”
Claude growls angrily under his breath as Alya and Marinette immediately go to put a stop to Chloe’s bullying.
“That’s enough, Chloe.” Alya firmly states, glaring at Chloe.
Chloe looks at her nails, uninterested. “I’m not wrong. Anytime he looks at anyone without that stupid mask outside his performances, he hides his face and tries to escape. It’s honestly pathetic.”
Marinette immediately leaps to Claude’s defense. “Claude is just shy; that’s no reason to make fun of him!”
Chloe scoffs. “Please, the only one more pathetic than him is you, Maritrash.”
Marinette also starts to get angry, leading Adrien to try and calm things down.
“That’s enough, Chloe! You’re taking things too far,” Adrien says, glaring disappointingly at her childhood friend.
Chloe rolls her eyes and says, “I’m only telling the truth, Adrikins. Honestly, theatre is overrated anyway.”
“That’s not how you were acting when you wanted the lead role in my short film when you found out Adrien was the male lead…” Nino mutters to himself, annoyed.
Just then, Lila jumps in to make the situation worse. “Marinette has a point; Claude has every right to be shy. I’ve met actors from Broadway, and Claude is nowhere near their level of talent.”
“Wait, that’s not what I meant!” Marinette yells, caught off guard. “Claude’s an amazing actor.”
Chloe scoffs. “If Claude’s the best they have, then no wonder the drama club is shutting down. What good is an actor who can’t face his fans off the stage?”
“Stop it…” Claude says desperately.
Sabrina looks at Claude with pity. “Chloe, maybe we should stop… Claude looks nervous.”
“What was that, Sabrina?” Chloe snaps
“Nothing!” Sabrina instantly shrinking back
“I thought so.” Chloe says, turning away from her
Lila leaps onto the attack, acting sympathetic. “It must be a lot of pressure, Claude. You’re the star of the drama club, your club is probably looking to you to show everyone why your club is so important.”
“...They’re…looking to me to save the drama club?” Claude questions, sounding more anxious by the moment
“Don’t listen to them, Claude! We can figure something out together!” Rose yells, trying to be encouraging.
“I-I need to go…” Claude tries to leave but slips, causing his mask to fall off his face.
“Huh, I always thought Claude would look weird under his mask, but he looks like a normal dude.” Kim says bluntly…followed by Alix slapping him upside the head
“Shut up, you lunkhead!” Alix whispers harshly, but it’s too late as Claude hears what he said.
“M-my m-mask.” Claude sees his mask on the floor, and then as he turns and sees that all of his classmates are looking at him, all he can feel are all of those eyes staring at him, he instantly turns white and tries to hide his face. “D-don’t…Don’t look at me!” He grabs his mask, immediately putting it back on, and tries to run out of the classroom…only to bump into Miss Bustier.
“Oh my, Claude? Are you alright?” The teacher asks, concerned.
Claude takes a few deep breaths “...I may be a coward, but…” he turns and glares at the whole class, especially Chloe. “...but theatre is important! A powerful performance can change anyone, including those on stage and off, both actor and audience! That includes people like you, Chloe! I’ll prove it to you! All of you! I won’t let the drama club disappear!” Claude runs out of the classroom.
“Claude, wait!” Marinette runs after her friend, worried about him, but as she leaves the classroom after him… “Ow!” She bumps into someone. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to…Dad?...Master Fu?!”
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Meanwhile, in the boy's bathroom, Claude is looking at himself in the mirror, taking deep breaths.
“Come on, Claude. Think! Everyone in the drama club is counting on you! You have to show everyone how impactful theatre can be!”
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Somewhere, hidden in Paris, a sinister man smirks to himself as he senses strong negative emotions coming from Françoise Dupont.
“Such a poor, unfortunate soul, in pain and in need. Longing to show everyone the wonders of a good production and save the place he feels most at home. How lucky for him that I, too, am a fan of theatrics and am more than willing to lend a hand.” Hawkmoth allows a butterfly to land on his palm and covers it in his other hand as he infuses it with dark energy and then releases it to find its target. “Now go forth, my evil little Akuma, and help that despairing actor put on the performance of a lifetime!”
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Back at the boy’s bathroom, Claude fails to notice the Akuma flying into his mask, as a butterfly symbol appears over his face.
“Phantom of Françoise Dupont, I am Hawkmoth. You wish to show everyone at your school the awe-inspiring power of theatre? I can grant you the power to force everyone to finally see just how impactful theatre can be and save your beloved stage! All I ask in return is Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculous! Do we have a deal?
Claude smirks evilly. “Let’s give them a show they won’t forget!” Claude is covered in dark energy as he’s akumatized.
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Meanwhile, outside the bathroom, A few members of the drama club and their friends are knocking on the door of the bathroom.
“Claude, please come out! You don’t have to worry about trying to save the drama club all on your own! We all want to save it too!” Rose called out worried, with Juleka placing a reassuring hand on her back.
Mylene also calls out, “But, if we are going to save the drama club, we all going to need to work together! We need you as much as you need us! Please, Claude!”
Silence reigns for a couple of moments, and then Nathaniel tries to open the door. “Come on, Claude talk to u-” Then the door opens with a bang as Claude now with pale white skin, and striking golden eyes replaces his gentle blue eyes, and to top it off the costume of a gentleman thief complete with his iconic mask and a long flowing cape walks through the door with a flourish. “C-Claude?”
“There is no more Claude, my dear friends, There is only the Phantom of Françoise Dupont! No worries, though, my thespian comrades! With my new powers, I will show everyone a production so grand that it will be sure to save our beloved stage! Now, I would love to stay and chat, but the show is about to start soon, and I must insist you all take your seats!” The Phantom raises his arms as fog escapes his cape, swallowing everyone within reach and making them disappear.
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In the principal’s office, Principal Damoclès is doing paperwork when suddenly the door is kicked open.
“What is the meaning of this?!” The principal cries out in surprise and alarm. “Wait, Claude? Is that you-”
The Phantom immediately cuts him off. “I’m afraid I’m taking on a new role at the moment, Principal Damoclès. The Phantom of Françoise Dupont is going to make sure the drama club isn’t going anywhere, so take your seat and prepare for a performance that is sure to shock and amaze!”
“Wait, Claude, stop-!” The principal is cut off as he is swallowed by the fog and disappears as the akumatized actor walks over to the P.A. system.
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(A few minutes earlier, back at Miss Bustier’s classroom)
Marinette is reassured by her friends who are part of the drama club with Claude that they’ll take care of him, freeing her to talk to her father and Master Fu.
“Dad? What are you doing here, and why are you with Master Fu? Marinette says, surprised by her father’s appearance at school and why he’s with the Guardian of the Miraculous.
“Oh, your mother forgot her paints for her afterschool class, and it was a slow day at the bakery, so I decided to close up early and drop them off. It’s a good thing I did, 'cause on my way, I ran into this old gentleman here who was experiencing some vehicle troubles.” Her father explained
“It was a good thing that your father arrived when he did, Marinette. I was in dire need of assistance.” Wang Fu said seriously causing Marinette to grow concerned thinking the guardian might be in trouble.
“Really? Why were you in need of help, Master Fu?”
Wang Fu then rubs his neck embarrassed. “My shop has a termite infestation.”
“...What?”
Fu continues to explain, “The apartment my shop is located in has termites and now needs to be tarped and fumigated for 24 hours, which means I need to find a place for this.” Rolling behind him is the gramophone that Marinette knows is hiding the Chinese Miracle Box holding all but 4 of the Miraculous.
Marinette tries to stay calm and collected (“Trying” being the operative word in this situation). “Wow…uh… that's an impressive gramophone! Sure looks like an antique that must have significant sentimental value and NOTHING else, he he he…
Fu amused aids in Marinette’s well-meaning but poorly executed cover story. “Indeed. It was the one item I couldn’t leave in my shop, however, my moped broke down on my way to my temporary residence, and so I was stuck there until your father found me.”
“It was my pleasure to help, although it’s surprising that you know my daughter, Mr. Fu, and what’s this about him being a “Master” Marinette? Tom asks curiously. Unbeknownst to them, Adrien also leans in, wanting to know how Marinette knows the Guardian of the Miraculous.
“Oh! Uh…this was totally going to be a surprise, but Master Fu was…uh…teaching me Mandarin! I heard he was teaching Adrien, and I thought I could surprise Mom for her birthday! So…I call him master as a sign of respect as my teacher! Marinette explains
The explanation satisfies Tom (and Adrien, who goes back to talking with Nino). “Well, that’s going to be a great surprise! Don’t worry; your mom won’t hear a thing from me!”
Both Marinette and Fu let out a sigh of relief as Marinette thanked her father.
“Well, Mr. Fu, it’s nice to meet my daughter’s Mandarin tutor. Let me just drop off these art supplies to my wife, and we’ll be on our way. Maybe you can tell me how my daughter’s lessons are going?
“I can assure you, Mr. Dupain, your daughter is one of the finest students I’ve ever had. Clever, hard-working, and most importantly, kind.” Fu says kindly, looking at Marinette with pride, causing her to blush and rub the back of her neck, embarrassed.
“That’s my girl,” Tom says proudly as her daughter smiles and heads back to her friends.
“Girl, you never told me you were learning Mandarin,” Alya says as Marinette sits down
“I did want to keep it a secret, and you, Alya, love to uncover secrets.” Marinette teases.
Alya then smirks. “True, but I have to wonder if you want to learn Mandarin to surprise your mom or because you found out that man was Adrien’s teacher.”
“Alya!” Marinette playfully shoves her best friend's shoulder, then frowns as she notices something strange. “Huh, the others aren’t back with Claude yet?”
“Maybe they’re still coating him out of hiding? He’s super bummed about the drama club, Chloe and Lila were SO not helping, and to top things off his mask fell off in from of everyone in class and so he got scared.” Alya theorized. “I swear, Ladybug is amazing, and I trust her completely to always save the day, but I have to wonder what she was thinking giving Chloe of all people a miraculous.”
Marinette chuckles nervously. “Heh heh, who knows! I’m sure she knew what she was doing and DIDN’T accidentally lose the miraculous, with it unintentionally ending up with Chloe.”
“True, I can’t see Ladybug being that clumsy. I’m sure she knew what she was doing.” Alya agrees, stretching back in her seat, as Marinette continues to chuckle weakly.
Just then, the P.A. System goes off, and a voice that isn’t the principal’s comes on.
“Attention students, teachers, and staff of Françoise Dupont, as well as those of you who are simply fortunate enough to be here at just the right time and place! The show is about to start soon! Please walk into the dark, creepy, and foreboding fog that is currently spreading across the school and take your seats! Popcorn and refreshments will be provided, and attendance is mandatory! So don’t even try to run away! Mainly because the fog has already covered all the exits, so running is an exercise in futility! And don’t you worry about admissions! Chat Noir and Ladybug will be paying for all of your tickets with their miraculous! Oh, and just a reminder, things such as flash photography, talking on your cell, and recording are forbidden. Please have some respect for your fellow moviegoers. Your phones will be returned to you after the showing is over. This message has been brought to you by The Phantom of Françoise Dupont, your master of ceremonies for this evening's entertainment, also brought to you by the always generous Hawkmoth, Paris's #1 supervillain we all love to hate” After that announcement, fog begins to come out of the speakers and the students start to panic.
“So guessing we found out what’s been taking the other so long to get back, huh Marinette? Marinette? Alya asks her best friend, only to notice her best friend missing.
“Adrien! Where did you go, dude?!” Nino calls out, also noticing his best friend's disappearance.
The fog fills up the classroom, consuming the entire class.
“Oh no,” Is the last thing Alya says as everyone disappears within the fog.
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Both Marinette and Adrien run into the girls' and boys' bathrooms, respectively, and prepare to transform.
“Tikki, Spots-/Plagg, Claws-” They both start yelling, before being stopped by their Kwamis.
“Wait!/Hold it,” Both Tikki and Plagg calls out at the last minute.
“Huh? What is it Tikki/Plagg?” Both holders ask, unaware of the similar conversations going on.
“There’s a unique familiar energy coming from that fog, Marinette!” Tikki explains
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“A unique familiar energy? What do you mean by that Plagg?” Adrien asks his kwami as he says something similar to his counterpart.
“What I mean, is that I’m sensing another Plagg. Not only that, I think it’s one we met before!
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“Another Tikki? What are you talking about? And what do you mean one we met before?”
“Kwamis are the same across the multiverse and timelines, Marinette. Every timeline and dimension has a Tikki and a Plagg, and we’re all aware of each other,” Tikki explains
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“Don’t ask me to explain how it works. We’d be talking for the rest of your life, and you’d still probably not understand a fraction of what I was talking about. I barely understand it, it just is what it is. As for why, the energy is familiar…well…Remember when everyone in Paris had that fever dream, where everyone was singing, and Santa was Akumatized? Plagg explains bored
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“THAT WAS REAL?!” Marinette exclaims, shocked.
“Hee hee…yeah.” Our universes were getting really close during that time, and so the people of Paris were connecting subconsciously to their musical counterparts, enough so that they could actually “peek in” to that universe in their sleep through the eyes of their counterparts” Tikki says
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“So there is an actual universe where we randomly burst into song?” Adrien asks flabbergasted
“Pretty much. And that’s still one of the more normal universes.” Plagg says.
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“As interesting as that is Tikki. What does that have to do with anything? We still need to transform and stop The Phantom from kidnapping everyone in school.” Marinette asks connerned for her friends and family.
“It's because The Phantom wants to show us this universe, that we SHOULDN’T stop him at this moment,” Tikki exclaims.
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“Huh? We shouldn’t we do that?” Both Marinette and Adrien ask confused
“Because in this universe, Hawkmoth has already been defeated, meaning we could find out who he is!” Both kwamis explain
“What?!” Both heroes scream, surprised.
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“This could be the break we’ve been waiting for, Adrien! We can find Hawkmoth, save Nooroo, and save the world!” Plagg cheers
“You’re serious? Adrien asks, wanting to be absolutely sure
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“It’s risky, but this might be the best chance we’ve got at discovering who Hawkmoth is,” Tikki explains.
“...You’re right, Tikki. This is an opportunity we can’t afford to miss out on!” Marinette exclaims confidently.
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“Of course, I’m right, Adrien… Though I wish I wasn’t…” Plagg suddenly bemoans.
“What is it, Plagg?” Adrien asks concerned
“You’ll see, it’s just…I don’t like this universe Plagg. He has a curse. One, I wouldn’t wish on anyone,” Plagg exclaims dramatically much to Adrien’s confusion.
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“Besides, what’s the worst that can happen, Tikki? The movie is somehow about me and is going to reveal my mega crush on Adrien and that I’m Ladybug?” Marinette laughs to herself and walks out of the bathroom…and as she opens the door…She sees Adrien walking out of the bathroom right next door.
“ Adrien/Marinette? What are you doing here?” They both exclaim upon seeing one another.
“Uh…Hiding from the fog, but it’s getting in there too,” Adrien explains, first coming up with an excuse on the fly.
“Oh, that’s really smart! I…uh was looking her my parents!” Marinette exclaims
“...You were looking for BOTH your parents in the girl's bathroom?” Adrien questions
“Uhhhh…of course not! I was just thinking maybe my mom and dad got separated and decided to see if she was in the bathroom.” Marinette panics, trying desperately to convince her crush.
“Oh…I guess that makes sense…I think? Anyway, hey Marinette, I was thinking…the fog has pretty much covered the entire school, so maybe we should give up on trying to escape and see if the others are alright.” As Adrien says this, he thinks to himself. ‘Hopefully, while I’m gathering intel, Ladybug can deal with The Phantom…’
“That’s a great idea, Adrien! Maybe my parents were already taken by the fog!” Marinette agrees while she also thinks to herself ‘Okay kitty, I’m leaving The Phantom up to you! I have complete faith in you!’
Both of them nod to each other, take a breath, take each other’s hand, and run into the fog.
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When the fog clears, the two of them notice that they’re in the largest theatre they’ve ever seen. Big enough to fit everyone in the schools, with a screen big enough to be seen from the very back.
“Wow…” Marinette says in awe of the massive theatre.
“I know, right?” Adrien says, reminding Marinette of who she’s standing next to…and whose hand she’s still holding.
“Ah!” Marinette quickly pulls her hands away and chuckles, embarrassed. “He he he…”
“Marinette/Adrien!” Alya and Nino spot their best friends and run up to them immediately
“Girl, where did you go? You disappeared out of nowhere! Alya exclaims, shaking Marinette’s shoulders
“Yeah, dudes, you had us worried sick!” Nino agrees with his girlfriend eagerly.
“We heard the voice on the P.A. call himself “The Phantom” and immediately tried to get out of there. Pretty obvious that an Akuma attack was going down. Marinette wanted to find her family, while I wanted to see if there was an escape route. Sadly, the fog rolled in and swallowed us up.” Adrien explains
Alya accepts that explanation and turns to Marinette to explain the situation. “Well, your parents are fine; they were swallowed up by the fog along with your Chinese tutor. According to the ones in our class who went after Claude, he’s the one who got akumatized. They tracked him down to the boy’s bathroom, and when Nathaniel tried to open the door, The Phantom came out and captured them all.” Alya then looks around the theatre and sighs. “Looks like he’s managed to capture everyone in school. Plus, he took our phones, so we can’t call for help, and worse, I’m not going to have anything to post on the Ladyblog.”
“Uh…Alya? I don’t think not being able to record an Akuma attack is the worst thing on that list.” Marinette says, amused.
“Maybe not, but it’s absolutely killing the reporter in me to not be able to cover the event.” Alya says, smiling back.
“Marinette!” Suddenly, two pairs of arms reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace.
“Ah!” Marinette yells as she’s smothered with love.
“We were so worried about you!” Sabine exclaims, checking her over for injuries.
“Are you okay? You aren’t hurt, are you?” Tom asks panicked
“I’m fine…Having…trouble…breathing…though…” Marinette gasps as her parents immediately let her go.
“Sorry…” Both her parents reply, looking a bit embarrassed.
Marinette gives them a reassuring smile and says, “So I guess The Phantom got you guys too?”
“I’m afraid so, sweetie. That fog quickly spread throughout the whole school, there wasn’t time for anyone to escape.” Her mom explained
“Principal Damoclès and the rest of the teachers are trying to call everyone down, it looks like it’s working for right now. Everyone is now worried about the “show” that the Akuma was talking about.” Her dad says, bringing both her and Adrien up to speed.
“The Phantom must not have wanted to start the viewing until everyone is paying attention. If The Phantom is Claude, then he’s going to want to show this viewing to as many people as possible. Claude said before running out of the classroom that he’ll show everyone how impactful theatre can be.” Marinette theorizes.
“Your friend Alya thinks the same thing as well. That’s why she’s trying to get everyone to sit down. She believes the best thing to do in this situation is to do what The Phantom says and wait for Ladybug and Chat Noir to save us. I frankly agree with her; the panicking doesn’t seem to be doing much anyway.” Sabine explains
Then, out of the corner of her eye, she sees Master Fu struggling with his gramophone, and Marriette excuses herself and sneaks over to her. “What’s going on, Master?”
“Ah, Marinette! I see that you and Adrien have been caught as well. “Sigh” It appears the magic within this place is tampering with the seal on the Miracle Box…” Fu explains, strangely exasperated.
“What?!” Marinette whispered shocked, all while being careful not to raise her voice too loud.
“Yes, the Kwamis within are now able to come and go as they please, and I am trying to convince them to stay put, but…” Fu explained looking sternly at the gramophone as several noises come from within.
“I want to see Alya again! Trixx shouts
“Can we watch the movie too?” Ziggy asks
“I have been in that box for centuries too long, I simply must take advantage of this opportunity to stretch my legs.” Kaalki snorts
“It’s boring in here, it looks so much more fun out there!” Mullo complains
“Yeah! I want to run wild!” Roaar exclaims loudly
“Brothers and sisters, please calm down. You know full well we cannot be seen by anyone. Be reasonable.” Sass says, trying to maintain order.
“As you can see, it’s easier said than done…” Fu says with a sigh.
“How about a compromise? They can watch the movie, BUT they have to stay hidden within the gramophone. How does that sound?” Marinette asks.
“A fine idea. Does that work for you all?” Fu asks the kwamis, who all seem to agree to the arrangement. “Thank you, Marinette. You seem to have quite the knack for handling Kwamis.”
“They’re nothing compare to Maron, Master. I’m glad I could help.” Marinette says happily and walked back to her friends.
“Hey, Marinette. What was that all about?” Adrien asks
“Adrien! Uh…well…uh…Master Fu’s gramophone was making these strange sounds, so he wanted someone to have a look. I…uh…managed to fix it, so there’s no more trouble! Marinette explains trying so hard to act normal in front of her crush.
“Really? Well, that’s really kind of you, Marinette!” Adrien praises her, causing her heart to skip a beat.
“No…Really?...No…it was nothing! No trouble at all!” Marinette exclaims, tripping over her own words.
“Attention, students!” The principal’s voice rings across the theatre. “After much deliberation, we decide that it would be best if we do as the villain says and watch the film. Everyone, please take your seats!”
“Awesome! Watching a movie instead of going to school? Best. Akuma. Ever!” Kim says pumped
“You know, it’s more than likely that we’ll end up having to make up the work we missed after the akuma is defeated.” Max explains to his best friend
“Don’t give them ideas, egghead. Let’s just make the most of this unexpected day off!” Alex cheers, happily munching on some popcorn.
“I hope Claude will be alright…” Rose says, concerned for the fate of her friend.
“Don’t worry. Ladybug and Chat Noir will save him; they always do.” Juleka comforts her best friend.
“This situation would have already been dealt with if Ladybug was able to ask me for help. Alas, I’m sure she’ll figure something out eventually; she always does. Chloe says smugly.
“Sure, Chloe, whatever you say…” Alya says, rolling her eyes.
“Are we sure Ladybug is going to save us? I mean, she already failed to stop this from happening. Maybe she’s already failed.” Lila cruelly remarks
Adrien was about to leap to her lady’s defense when an unexpected voice beat her to it.
“Oh, shut up. If you think Ladybug is going to fail, you're dumber than you look.” Chloe snaps back.
Even though everyone knows Chloe is a Ladybug fan, it was still shocking to hear her, of all people, come to another’s defense.
“Chloe’s right…Wow…that felt weird to say…” Alya said, looking shocked at herself for having said that. “Anyway! Ladybug hasn’t failed us before, and neither has Chat Noir! And they won’t now!”
“Yeah! Ladybug always saves the day!” Adrien says with absolute certainty, causing the whole theatre to cheer loudly for their heroes, causing Lila to back off.
Fu looks at the two heroes he selected with pride, once again assured that he made the right choice for Paris’s protectors.
Meanwhile, Marinette is trying so hard to hide her embarrassment at the heaps of praise being tossed onto her, although she is beaming with pride at the amount of people who appreciate her and her partner’s efforts…she’s especially glad when she hears the growing number of people who praise her partner as well, knowing there is no way she could ever do her job with out her loyal partner and is glad others are starting to see it too. ‘Still,’ Marinette thinks to herself, ‘It’s weird to be defended by Chloe of all people, especially since it’s partly her fault this Akuma happened in the first place…”
“I still can’t believe Claude was akumatized. We should have never left him alone…I, of all people, should have known better than anyone about how Hawkmoth takes advantage of people at their lowest,” Aurore says remorsefully.
“There’s nothing you could have done, Aurore. Once Claude got it in his head that it was up to him to save the drama club, there wasn’t much anyone could do. You know how much pressure he puts on himself. He’s always wearing a mask, and not just the one on his face. He always puts on a brave face for our fellow club members, always assuring us everything will be okay, while never letting us know how scared he truly feels,” Mireille explains sadly.
“Well…this time we’re going to help him! After this situation is dealt with, we’ll let him know we have his back like he’s always been there for us!” Aurore says with confidence as the other members of the drama club agree enthusiastically, with renewed vigor to save their friend and their club.
Marinette and Adrien overhear this and smile, knowing that after they deakumatized Claude, he’ll have his friends to fall back on and won’t feel so stressed out. But, that was a problem for later. Right now, this might be their best opportunity to find out the identity of their archnemisis, and they can’t afford to miss out on anything if they are to liberate the miraculous on the butterfly from the forces of evil.
So, unbeknowsed to either of them, both having complete confidence in their partner’s ability to handle things without them, form a look of absolute determination as the lights dim and the screen lights up about to reveal a film that… just as The Phantom of Françoise Dupont promised…is going to shock and amaze everyone watching…and perhaps change some people as well. One thing is for sure, however, after this movie is finished…Nothing will EVER be the same again.