"Dad, I am begging you right now, do not embarrass me! Especially in the morning!" The designer merely chuckled and waved his son off as they made their way up the stairs to the school. "Come on! I'll do whatever you want!"

"Adrien, relax. It'll just be a quick visit, in and out." Noticing a few students whispering and pointing, he gives them a polite wave, then continues. "And you told me how creative your friends were, so this will be a wonderful opportunity for them."

Adrien groaned. Him and his big mouth. Why couldn't his dad just come to school via tablet like he usually does when going to business meetings with people he doesn't like? Though, that still won't save him from embarrassment as he just knows his dad is going to take one look at Marinette and ask, 'Oh, aren't you the young lady who danced with my son at his party?'

Then everyone's going to be looking at him all day with big smirks on their face and think, 'When's your dad planning the wedding?'

... For some reason, that didn't sound all too bad. It's certainly better than being married to some rich snob who only wants him for his looks and money. Plus, Marinette would probably make his suit, her dress- That is, if she wants to wear a dress, he's not judging-

'NO! Bad! She's just a friend.' Besides, he's sure Marinette doesn't even like him that way... Or anyone that way. Before he could speculate some more, he and Gabriel were already making their way towards the door to his classroom.

Adrien gives his dad one more pleading look for good measure. "Please, please, please don't embarrass me."

"Adrien," he chuckled. "What have you got to be embarrassed by? It's not like I brought photos of you when you were five and you went through your Team Rocket phase-"

"Not so loud!" Adrien groaned. After taking a few breaths to calm himself down, Adrien opens the door and makes his way inside. "Everyone, you all remember my dad, Gabriel Agreste."

🐦🦋

Gabriel tried not to cringe as the owlish man he recognized as the headmaster approached and immediately gave him a hearty handshake. "Ah! Monsieur Agreste, it is a pleasure to have you visit our school!"

The designer swore he saw the cartoon dollar signs in his eyes as he glanced down at his gold watch. Slowly, he pulls his hand from the man's grip. "Yes. Well, thank you for having me." If this man starts with the, 'If there's anything I can do for you,' routine just to get in his "inner circle", Gabriel might just pull out his hair. Hell, he didn't even have an inner circle. "Now, I'm sure you've informed the students-"

"Of course! They were all given a day to work on their individual pieces, and-"

Gabriel put a hand up to stop him before gesturing for Adrien to head to his desk. "A day? Monsieur Damocles, I'm not sure how you design articles of clothing, but you can't give students, some of whom I'm sure are inexperienced when it comes to designing, a day to complete a project. Why it took me a month to come up with the pantsuit Emilie wore to the charity gala last year." Out of the corner of his eye, Gabriel noticed a certain pigtailed girl with literal stars in her eyes. Resisting the urge to smirk, remembering that she was the girl Adrien danced with, he continued, this time, addressing the students.

"Now, let me give you a more... Updated explanation of what it's required of you all to do. As your principal informed you, I am holding a contest which is completely optional," he emphasized, getting the feeling Damocles left that part out. "But you are encouraged to participate either solo or in a group and create a bowler hat which my son will wear for his upcoming photoshoot. For those who do not know how to sew, you are free to sketch out a design which I will then bring to life, or feel free to upcycle." Looking around the room, he sees a redhead, a girl with rainbow hair, and a goth girl fighting the urge not to cheer and interrupt him. "Buy a plain bowler hat at the thrift store, make it look bold, unique. And for those who know their way around a sewing machine..." The pigtailed girl was practically bouncing in her seat. "Go nuts."

Around the room, it looked like no students had any qualms about designing or making a hat... Then, there was Chloé. She wasn't slick, giving the pigtailed girl a thumbs down and a mocking look... He really must learn that girl's name if she is to be his future daughter-in-law. Maybe he can have Adrien invite her and her family over for dinner.

"Well, if that's all," Gabriel continued. "I should be going. Adrien, Nathalie will pick you up after school." Off his son's nod, he made his way out, allowing Damocles to let out a sigh of relief.

🐦🦋

"Derby hat, derby hat, derby hat, derby hat," Marinette muttered to herself as she flipped through her design book for any derby hat designs for the fifth time. And so far, nothing. "I don't have any derby hat designs. I've got top hats, caps, berets, sombreros, even those pointy princess hats." With a groan, she shut her design book. "Fuuuuck," she drawled, prompting Nino to give her a pat on the back.

"Aw, c'mon Daphne," Kim goaded, using her joke nickname. "I'm sure you've got a pattern lying around... There are hat patterns, right?"

"Let me see your designs book, Mari. There must be something in here you missed." She hands Nino her sketchbook and he begins flipping through each page while Max looks over his shoulder. "And, if there's nothing in here, I'm sure you can make bowler hat real quick. Course, there's the design and it's gotta wow Gabriel Agreste." Hearing her groan, he adds, "But I'm sure it will. The guy's chill."

After the whole Bubbler incident two weeks ago when he sent parents and soon, kids into the sky, Nino got to know M. Agreste a little more. Instead of the uptight, pompous asshole of a man he had pegged for, he turned out to be a kind, warm man. Hell, he even started voguing and he has the video and a photo of Adrien's look of embarrassment to prove it. And his wife? She's nothing like how Chloé might turn out in twenty years. Emilie is so energetic, knows how to liven a room, and even took over the DJ system so Nino could have fun with his friends on the dance floor. Then there's Nathalie, their assistant and whom he's pretty sure works out 24/7 if her breakdancing moves have anything to say about it. And of course, the bodyguard Adrien dubs, 'Gorilla' due to his height, build, and the fact that he doesn't really speak. You wouldn't expect him to dance like Michael Jackson, but there he was, doing The Moonwalk.

So yeah, Nino overreacted, he'll admit it. Adrien's family is nice and chaotic... Kind of like the class in a way.

Drawing him from his thoughts is when he hears some shuffling behind him. Turning his head, he beams when he sees the mop of blonde hair. "Hey, man!"

"Hey, Nino," Adrien greeted back before glancing at the pages. "Wow. I didn't know you sewed," he said jokingly, knowing who really came up with those designs.

Marinette snorted. "Blonde Wonder, Nino cannot draw to save his life. Nath and I tried to give him lessons, but..." She gives a thumbs down and sticks her tongue out.

"Yeesh. That bad?"

"It wasn't that bad!" Exclaimed Nino, getting a laugh out of Adrien, Max, and Kim. "Ah, what do you know? And anyway, I'm just here as Mari's moral support." At that, Kim and Max nodded along.

"Well, Mari, your designs look great," Adrien commended once he stopped laughing. "If anyone's winning my dad's contest, it's probably you."

Kim nods, a determined look on his face. "Hell yeah, she is! Mari was practically born with a needle and thread; if anyone's winning, it's gonna be her." Nodding, Nino fist-bumps him.

Marinette ignored their antics and looked up some derby hats on her phone, and as she suspected... Basic. Solid colors, nothing to make them stand out like most of Gabriel's designs. She's definitely sure she can create something memorable, but what?

"Why not go into town for some inspiration after school?" Max suggests. "That usually helps your rare creative slumps." Seeing her ponder for a moment, he takes Marinette's design book from Nino and hands it back to her.

"Yeah, that may help. Thanks, Max," she said, making him beam with pride. "Now, while we're on the topic of contests..." Hearing the tone in her voice, Max grinned while Nino and Kim inched away and Adrien look confused. "You're still getting ready for the Video Game Competition, right?"

"I'm insulted you would even ask that," the genius scoffed. "... But yes, I am." He and the pigtailed girl then perform a complex-looking handshake that could only be perfected by years of practice.

Adrien decides to ask, "What competition?"

"It's an annual school thing," Kim answered. "Students from different schools are selected to represent their schools in a video game contest at the stadium. It's a big thing, and Max and Mari compete every year and always win." On cue, the duo high-five.

"I don't doubt that," he chuckled, remembering back to his birthday. The party moved to the game room where an endless competition took place to see who could beat Max and Marinette. It was pretty brutal to watch. Every game they played, the two would always win, whether it was a fighting game, racing game, or even dancing. It even got to a point where Marinette needed a new controller because her's broke in half and Max's was literally smoking. And if no one believes him, Alya has it on video.

"But," Max said, interrupting Adrien's thoughts and sounding a little annoyed. "To make things fair, each school has a contest to see who the best players are by having anyone who wants to compete play against the winners."

"Which are us," Marinette adds. "Just reminding you." Adrien laughed into his fist.

"And I'm guessing no one in the school has won against you?"

Marinette smirked, a smirk that reminded Adrien of a DC Comics villain. "They tried and horribly failed."

🐦🦋

"Mari's doing that scary look again." Alix promptly tilts Nathaniel's head down so he's looking back at her sketchbook.

"Ignore her, bud. She's just trying to intimidate the competition," she states. "Now, what have you got?"

"Nothing. Alix, I don't do fashion- Hell..." The redhead stands up and gestures to his current attire, a purple cardigan over an orange shirt and black jeans with grey sneakers. "Are you not seeing me right now? Plus, I design superheroes."

With a roll of her eyes, Alix has her friend sit back down. "And you design the outfits on them. So, designing a bowler hat should be a sinch."

"It's gonna look like it came straight out of Stan Lee's- God rest his soul- mind," he snarked. "But... Alright, I'll give it a go." The pinkette gives him an encouraging pat on the back.

"You got this, bud..." Her voice trails off when she notices something out of the corner of her eyes. "Hmm... Nath, make sure to keep your sketchbook on you at all times. Something tells me we've got a cheater in our class."

🐦🦋

Trocadéro. It's Marinette's usual spot where she goes to look for inspiration for a design. There are just so many interesting people who pass by, either just walking, painting the scenery, or playing instruments. She's gotten many ideas for outfits by coming here.

... So, that's where Alya went. No, she's not trying to steal her friend's design, just making sure Chloe's not around because knowing that girl, she probably saw Adrien gushing over Marinette's design earlier, got jealous, and is going to steal whatever she comes up with to pass off as her own. Well, not on her watch.

So far, nothing... Well, she wouldn't say 'nothing' when it's so lively around here. Not to say Martinique wasn't exciting, but when you see the same thing every day for years, it gets a little boring. Here, the food is amazing, the attractions are gorgeous, and the fashion is way different than what she's used to. Course, she does miss the beaches, and the colorful dresses all her friends wore, but Marinette had promised to make a few dresses for her after seeing so many photos Alya took of her and her friends back home. The creole girl swore her eyes grew to the size of saucers when she saw the designs.

Rousing Alya from her memories is when she notices a red mop of hair approaching Marinette. Thinking it's Sabrina, she gets ready to go over there and gives the ginger a stern talking to until she sees the purple cardigan. Relief washed over her when she sees that it was just Nathaniel. He's quiet, but actually, a pretty cool guy when you get to know him. The day after Adrien's party, they got into a long discussion about their favorite superheroes when they walked into class wearing the same Majestia hairclip.

It's gotten to a point where they started bringing comics and occasional manga to school to read during lunch and loudly discuss while Marinette and Alix watch on and think, 'Our little nerds.'

Speaking of, she's gotta give him his Black Panther comic back. It was an issue she hadn't read yet and he loaned it to her for the day. But before she could approach, she noticed another mop of red hair, just a lighter shade sneakily approaching the two from behind.

Sabrina...

With a sigh, Alya approached the ginger girl and grabbed her by the shoulder, making her let out a slight yelp, but Marinette and Nathaniel were too engrossed in their sketchbooks to notice. Thank God for artists. She pulls Sabrina over to a more quiet area and points to her phone. "Chloe asked you to take photos of Mari's design?"

Reluctantly, she nodded.

"She's going to pay some poor guy to make it?"

Another nod.

"All of this to impress Adrien and his dad?" One more nod. "Okay, you can see there's so much wrong with that, right? And, what do you get out of this, Sabrina? If- IF Chloe does somehow win, she's just going to take the credit and you'll get nothing. You know that, right?"

"... Yeah..."

"Girl," Alya sighed. "You've gotta have some self-respect. Isn't your dad a cop? Hasn't he taught you to stand up to people doing wrong things, be a whistle-blower, or something like that? Well, Chloe is the person you gotta blow that whistle on."

Sabrina almost screamed, "You think it's that easy? Her dad's the mayor! I-if I say something to Chloe, tell her no, she might convince her dad to fire my dad!" Alya's eyes shoot open. "I... I can't have that Alya. He'd be crushed, he loves his job."

"HEY! No feeding the pigeons, Mr. Ramier!"

"... He's a little overzealous at times, but he still loves what he does," the ginger continued, ignoring her dad berating Mr. Ramier for the tenth time this week. "Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but Chloe holds a lot of power. I wouldn't mind having a... Different friend, but only when she's not around. Okay?"

"..." With a sigh, Alya relented and pulled her in for a hug. "Alright... But just know, if there's ever a moment where Chloe threatens your dad's job, expect a riot." Hearing a quiet laugh, Alya slowly released the shorter girl. "Look, I'm not gonna stop you from doing whatever Chloe's having you do right now, but just know, Marinette's smart and will probably have a backup plan set to humiliate her."

"Oh, I know," Sabrina said before leaving, Alya watching her with a wavering smile before making her way towards Marinette and Nathaniel to give the redhead his comic book back... Only, he was gone.

🐦🦋

"Aw, the poor guy," Nooroo said dismally before taking another bite out of his strawberry. "He just wanted to feed the birds."

"Yeah, and it's a public park," Nathaniel adds. "I saw a guy skateboarding without a shirt on and no one batted an eye. But no, a man feeding the birds is some sort of federal offense. I mean, yeah, I get that if you feed them, they'll just shit everywhere, but Roger didn't have to be a dick about it."

Nooroo ate the last of the fruit before saying, "Ready!"

"Nooroo, Wings Rise." Monarch takes an origami butterfly out of his bag before converting it into an Akuma. It flutters out from behind the column he's hidden behind before making its way over to the poor pigeon man and infecting his bird call. "Mr. Pigeon, I'm Monarch. Look, you're obviously not doing anything wrong, but the police and park keepers don't see it that way. Nothing should stop you from taking care of your friends, right?" Noticing a pigeon standing by his foot, he quickly shoos it away. "Anyway, in return for these powers, I just need Scarlet Beetle and Ikati Black's Miraculous. Deal?"

Instead of responding, Mr. Ramier just chuckled, allowing him to transform into Mr. Pigeon.

"... I have a good feeling about this. Wings Down." Nathaniel hands Nooroo a blueberry to charge him up. "Now, let's get home before Paris gets overrun by pigeons."

🐦🦋

"Tikki... I'm not the only one seeing this, right?"

Tensely, the Kwami responded, "Nope. Just walk away slowly, and make no sudden movements."

Kim gave a silent nod and began to back away from the large cluster of pigeons that have blocked his usual route home. He tries not to flinch when a few flap their wings and continue to back away. "Okay... Not gonna upset the birds." Before he could take another step, at the worst time ever, his phone decided to ring. Loudly. "Shit."

Immediately, the pigeons flew toward the athlete, forcing him to run as fast as his legs could take him, but somehow, the birds were just as fast. Seeing he was coming up to an alley, he veers left and to his absolute luck, the pigeons just fly past him.

"Thank," Kim panted. "God." Hearing his phone still ringing, Kim decided to see who called him at the worst possible time and sees that it was Max. He answers. "Hey, Max," he greeted, still out of breath. Please tell me you're not the only one who got attacked by pigeons."

"Then I'd be lying, Kim. They've taken over my street and chased me all the way to the park! Are you alright?"

Kim chuckled. "Almost got pecked to death, but other than that, I'm fine." Hearing his friend let out a relieved sigh, he smiled. "I'll try to catch up with you later when... You know, Paris is not all taken over by pigeons."

"You too, Kim. Stay safe." With that, he hung up.

"Do you think it's an Akuma?" Tikki wondered, getting a shrug from her Chosen. But, it seems her question was answered when she heard a voice coming from someone's phone.

"... This is just one of the many alarming situations giving authorities cause for major concern... Yes, I've just been told that someone named 'Mr. Pigeon' is making an announcement." Tikki and Kim exchanged a look before listening again.

"Oh, dreary day, poor Parisians!" The athlete tried not to cringe when the new voice let out a pigeon coo. "Sorry to ruffle your feathers-"

"Oh my Kwami," Tikki groaned into her nubs.

"Paris now belongs to the pigeons! Flap flap!"

After a beat, Kim cleared his throat. "Well... This is gonna be a weird one. Ready for a bunch of pigeon puns?" Tikki shook her head. "Neither am I. Tikki, Spots On."

Scarlet Beetle swings out of the alley and takes to the rooftops to look for this so-called, 'Mr. Pigeon,' only to find airplane shapes made out of pigeons flying through the sky. "Okay, weird!

"Tell me about it," Ikati Black chimed as he landed next to his more muscular partner. "What's next, fighter jets? But get this, the pigeons aren't after civilians, only the police." Scarlet Beetle furrows his brow as he takes in this information. "Before transforming, I caught a cluster of them attacking two officers and leaving civilians alone. When I went to help, they were gone without a trace. Something tells me Mr. Pigeon had a problem with the authorities."

Not that he really blames the guy. Is Ikati Black still a little bitter towards the police after Stoneheart? A little bit and for good reason. Immediately after Chloe, the mayor's daughter was safe, they were going to shoot at Stoneheart and put Mylene, a girl with no status in danger... Screw bitter, he's pissed! Especially towards Roger for what he said about Scarlet Beetle!

"Then we need to find Mr. Pigeon and quick," Scarlet Beetle said, drawing Ikati Black from his irate thoughts. "Any ideas?"

"... Do you know where we can find a police uniform on short notice?"

🐦🦋

Scarlet Beetle tugs on the collar of the police uniform for the fifth time. He has no idea how the officers wear these things when they're so constricting. Plus, this on top of his usual outfit is just uncomfortable. To distract himself, he starts to whistle 'La Marseillaise.'

Ikati Black sticks his head out from behind a tree. "I told you to act natural," he deadpanned.

"What? This is natural," Scarlet Beetle said with a cheeky grin.

Before the leather-clad hero could retort, he feels something drop on his shoulder. Looking, he sees that it's a pigeon feather, making a sense of dread wash over him. Hesitantly, he looks up and sees a massive cluster of pigeons flying overhead, creating a large, ominous shadow over him and Scarlet Beetle. "Shit."

Hastily, Scarlet Beetle whips out his yoyo, not really sure how he'll use it, but knowing it's better than being unarmed. Ikati Black is at his side in an instant, twirling his staff, but their weapons are no use against the pigeons as they form a barrier and start carrying them away. "What the-!"

"Đụ! They're everywhere!" Scarlet Beetle cried. Finally, to his relief, the pigeons reach the roof of Le Grand Paris hotel and drop him and Ikati Black off before flying away. "Finally!" He starts to remove his police uniform while Ikati Black looks around.

"Alright," he muttered. "Where's that bird-brain?" Answering his question is a loud flapping heard from above. He and Scarlet Beetle look up and find a swarm of pigeons. And standing on top of them is... Some guy in a jacket made of feathers? It certainly is a nice outfit, just different is all, and definitely not what they were expecting from this guy.

With the sound of Mr. Pigeon's bird call, the pigeons start to circle around the heroes before forming a shield to keep them in. Scarlet Beetle leans over to Ikati Black and asks, "You're a cat, don't you eat these things?"

"Only if they're cooked," he retorted, when out of nowhere, a giant cage is brought down over them, imprisoning them. "Shit."

"Yes! Take their Miraculous! Do it now!"

Mr. Pigeon complied and blew into his birdcall again. The pigeons on top of the cage turn around and point their rear ends at Scarlet Beetle and Ikati Black, making all of the color drain from their faces.

"Christ! That's not what I meant! Something less gross, please?! I still have to watch this! Ugh!"

Before Mr. Pigeon could call off his command, Ikati Black yelled, "Cataclysm!" and destroyed the bars of the cage. Mr. Pigeon starts to back away while the heroes advance on him. "Looks like this pigeon's a chicken. Wouldn't you say, Scarlet?"

The Akuma makes some more bird noises. "Oh, I'm not flying away. Simply killing two heroes with one stone." He sounds his birdcall before jumping off the edge of the roof, and much to the heroes' belief, some pigeons catch and whisk him away, leaving another group of pigeons to dive towards Scarlet Beetle and Ikati Black while they run for the rooftop entrance and quickly shut the door behind them.

"I'm not done with you, yet!" Mr. Pigeon yelled as they make their way down the stairwell.

Ikati Black's ring starts to beep. Only four minutes left. "I need to recharge!" He reminds Scarlet Beetle. Soon, they make it to the lobby floor of the hotel where Mayor Bourgeois is trying to tend to a large crowd of guests until he spots the heroes.

"Scarlet Beetle, Ikati Black!" He called, trying to maneuver his way through the crowd. "Oh, I'm in great danger of losing big bucks if my guests leave Paris!" The two rolled their eyes. That's what he's concerned over? "You are going to get rid of those pigeons, aren't you?" Before either one could give an answer, Ikati Black's ring beeps again.

"Yes, but I have an urgent need if you catch my drift."

Andre coughed into his fist. "Ah. Yes, I see. Head to the royal suite." He points to one of the elevators where a butler is currently waiting. Quickly, Ikati Black runs inside and presses any button. "There's paper in there, but perhaps you would prefer-"

Ikati Black holds up a finger, cutting the mayor off. "Don't you even dare. And any room is fine, but I could also use some Camembert if you've got any!" He yelled as the doors started to close.

🐦🦋

"How would you like your Camembert?" The butler inquired.

"Runny, please," Ikati Black answered before shutting the door, with only twenty seconds to spare when suddenly, a knock was heard. 'That is not him.' He opens the door and to his shock, finds the butler again, but only this time he's holding a plate.

"Unpasteurized Camembert, matured for two years." He hands him the plate. "Enjoy."

"Thanks!" He closes the door again, and in five seconds, he transformed back. Plagg spirals out of the ring and lands on the bed, exhausted. "Are you alright, Plagg?"

The Kwami let out a long, exaggerated groan. "Oh, the exhaustion! My poor aching body! I cannot move a muscle!" With a fond roll of his eyes, Max approached with the tray. "Go on without me!"

The bespectacled boy smirked and sets the tray down in front of Plagg before removing the cloche, revealing some camembert. Plagg gasps and pounces on the repugnant snack. "My gooeyness!" Immediately, he begins devouring the cheese while Max tried not to retch.

"Try to hurry," Max urged. "Scarlet Beetle needs us."

🐦🦋

"Okay, they're all going in the same direction," Scarlet Beetle murmured to himself as he watched the pigeons flying in clusters through the dining hall's large glass window. "... Guess that's where we'll go." At that, the elevator dings, and in it Ikati Black.

"Ready to head out?" Scarlet Beetle makes his way inside.

He presses a button. "Going down."

🐦🦋

Scarlet Beetle and Ikati Black follow the pigeons all the way to The Grand Palais where they fly through the open doors. The heroes stand on either side of the doors and peer in to see a big cage full of police officers just in the center of the room. Ikati struggled hard not to laugh at their predicament.

"Looks too easy, don't you think?" Scarlet Beetle asked. "I don't see Mr. Pigeon anywhere and they're just out in the open." Ikati Black nodded, urging him to continue. "... Let's head to the roof. I think I have an idea."

As they make their way up to the roof, Mr. Pigeon addresses his pigeons from atop some scaffolding. "Perfect timing! We're ready to greet them, aren't we?" He strokes a pigeon while it perches itself on his finger. "They're going to fall right into my trap. And it won't be long before you get your Miraculous, Monarch."

"YES! I-I mean, great. I know you're going to do great."

Mr. Pigeon furrowed his brow. He doesn't know why he keeps forgetting this guy is much younger than people make him out to be. It's obvious he must be in his teen years judging by his voice and the obvious cracking.

So busy stroking a pigeon, Mr. Pigeon doesn't notice Scarlet Beetle and Ikati Black overhead, spying on him through the glass roof. Ikati Black's eyes hone in on something around Mr. Pigeon's neck like a necklace. "See that bird call? I bet that's where the Akuma might be. Think you can open the window?"

Scarlet Beetle scoffs before flexing. "You dare doubt these bad boys?" While he's not looking, Ikati Black tugs on the collar of his suit to relieve himself of the rising heat. "Anyway! Let's get this sucker open." With little to no effort, he opens the skylight of the roof, but a draft of feathers hits his face and even worse- Neck.

Kim's neck has always been his ticklish spot, and Marinette, Nino, Max, and Alix always took advantage of it every chance they could get. He tries to hold off, but the feathers just keep coming, and he laughs loud enough for Mr. Pigeon to hear him.

"... Well shit," Ikati Black squeaked. He grabs Scarlet Beetle's hand and jumps inside, landing across from Mr. Pigeon who backs away and lets the pigeons carry him to safety. The two vault and swing after him until he sounds his bird call and beckons swarms of pigeons to form two spheres where his hands are.

"I've got a bone to peck with you two!"

"With pleasure!" Ikati Black yelled before surging forward with his staff ready. He manages to duck and dodge some of Mr. Pigeon's attack, but a swarm of pigeons coming at him from behind distract him from his next attack, hitting him back towards the cage.

Scarlet Beetle tried to nab Mr. Pigeon's bird call, but on his third try, Mr. Pigeon hits him back against the cage, too.

"Get us out of here, Scarlet Beetle!" Roger pleaded, making Ikati Black roll his eyes.

Scarlet Beetle throws his yoyo into the air and yells, "LUCKY CHARM!" giving him a coin. "... well, we're screwed." But then his Lucky Vision gives him an idea when he spies a beam and then a vending machine. "... Or not. Ikati, get ready." Without another word, he runs towards Mr. Pigeon, slides under his next attack, and wraps his yo-yo string around the Akuma's ankle. He jumps up to the beam and back down, creating a pulley, then runs to the vending machine at the far end and uses the coin to get a bag of popcorn. "IKATI!" He throws the bag into the air.

"ON IT!" Ikati Black throws his staff at the bag, making it burst open and spread popcorn everywhere, mainly on Mr. Pigeon. "Snack time!" The pigeons start to swarm around Mr. Pigeon and eat the popcorn off of him, preventing him from reaching for his bird call.

While he's disoriented, Scarlet Beetle pulls his yoyo and lifts Mr. Pigeo up by the ankle, and his bird call falls to the ground, which Ikati Black grabs and breaks in his hand, releasing the Akuma.

"Get over here, you!" Scarlet Beetle yelled before catching the Akuma in his yoyo. "Gotcha!" Then he releases a newly purified origami butterfly.

Hearing a quick, "CATACLYSM!" Scarlet Beetle turns to see Ikati Black sifting through what remained of the vending machine before pulling out the Lucky Charm coin and tossing it to him. "Can't forget that!"

With an appreciative nod, he tosses the coin into the air and yells, "MIRACULOUS SCARLET BEETLE!" His cure spreads around the city, returning the officers back where they originally were, repairing any damage caused by the pigeons, and turning Mr. Pigeo back to Mr. Ramier. He rubs his eyes to see where he is.

"What happened? Where am I?" He turns to see the two heroes high-fiving.

🐦🦋

"Ugh! Dumb pigeons!" Nathaniel yelled into his pillow while Nooroo awkwardly pats his shoulder. "God! Nooroo, remind me to never re-Akumatize that guy again! Ever!"

🐦🦋

It was finally the week of the derby hat contest. And Mr. Agreste was right about designing and sewing being a long process.

"Very nice, girls," Gabriel commended as he checked out the first derby hat made by two girls, one goth, one in all pink. Yet, they're somehow friends. Their hat appears to be steampunk-inspired- Not the vision he had for Adrien to wear to the show, but still creative. He makes his way over to the next hat, obviously upcycled and quite typical for the bohemian-looking girl.

Her hat is a nice white one with a simple peridot-green ribbon wrapped around it and a fake purple gem attached with fabric glue. "Hm. Thrift store?"

"It's where I get most of my clothes, actually," she sheepishly admitted. Gabriel chuckled.

"No need to be embarrassed. It's good for the environment and you can find all sorts of wonderful clothes people toss out." He points to her jacket. "Like this denim jacket for example. With a few patches or pins, you can make it your own." As the rainbow-haired girl beamed, he made his way over to the next group, one comprised of a redhead and a girl with pink hair.

Instead of making a hat, they came up with a design. Gabriel takes the redhead's sketchbook and examines the expertly-done sketch- A blue hat with two black feathers and one white tucked into the sash. Simple yet still very nice. "Impressive design," he said before handing the redhead his sketchbook back.

"All him, Mr. Agreste," the pink-haired girl said, nudging the blushing redhead in the arm.

Gabriel gave the young man a nod. "Keep up the great work. You've got quite the talent." With that, he made his way towards the next hat. The pigtailed girl, much to his joy. But then he does a double-take when he catches something out of the corner of his eye. Chloe's hat. It looks exactly like the pigtailed girl's. His expression darkens, unknowingly matching Adrien.

"Is this a joke?" He finally asks, gesturing to Marinette's hat, then Chloe's.

Chloe stomped her foot on the floor. "No fair! No fair! Marinette copied my design! It's scandalous, how could you do that?!" With that, she cries dramatically and covers her face so no one can see her non-tear-stained face.

Gabriel and Marinette gave a simultaneous roll of their eyes before Marinette says, "I apologize for the situation Mr. Agreste, but I can prove that this derby hat is MY original design."

Everyone watching leaned in all at once, wondering how Marinette would take the blonde down a peg. Marinette continues, "Well, everything on my derby hat is hand-made-from the embroidery, to the weaving of the band, to the stitching of the brim." Chloe recoils. "All done by myself and if you don't believe me, you can simply check out my design book. And last, there's a special design element that only the true designer knows about: I signed mine." She holds up her hat and shows the gold signature hidden in the golden embroidery, unnoticeable unless you turn the hat upside-down.

Aghast, Chloe knocks over her derby hat stand. Everyone turns to look at it on the floor, and it shows Marinette's exact signature. Humiliated, Chloe runs away crying. "DADDY!" Reluctantly, Sabrina follows, but not before giving Marinette a thumbs up and shooting Alya a grateful smile.

Gabriel beckons Adrien over so they can examine the hat together. Both are visibly impressed. "Very exquisite creation. You definitely have the laboring hands of a true designer, miss..."

"Marinette," Adrien confirmed, a little too eagerly

Gabriel smiled. Now he knew his future daughter-in-law's name! "Congratulations on your demonstration, Miss Marinette. You're the winner." Hearing this, her classmates gather around and shoot her proud looks while he puts the hat on Adrien, only to notice one little thing. "Oh, dear. I hate to ruin your moment, but Adrien is allergic to feathers."

Marinette was quick to wave him off. "Don't worry. Thanks to those creepy tabloid magazines, I thought ahead and used a fake feather for this hat. Can't have Blonde Wonder sneezing during his show."

Adrien's eyes were practically sparkling. 'She's so thoughtful!' With a nervous smile, he says, "Th-thanks, Marinette! I love it!" He really hopes no one heard his voice cracking a bit and adjusts the hat.

🐦🦋

"So, we didn't win! But at least Chloe got humiliated!" Alix cackled on her way out of the school with Nathaniel, Rose, and Juleka. The latter was currently wearing hers' and Rose's hat and making it look amazing. "What do you guys say we get some ice cream? On me."

"'Lix, it's your birthday tomorrow," Nathaniel reminded her. "We should be buying you ice cream."

"Yeah, and I'm getting an ass-load of money from relatives," she retorts. "It's fine, dude."

Rose cheered, "I'm getting strawberry!" Then she skipped down the stairs, much to her friends' amusement. "And a ton of SPRINKLES!"

"Don't go overboard!" Juleka yelled through her cupped hands. "You remember what happened last time!" As she ran after the blonde, Nathaniel groaned.

"God, I want what they have. I'm Bi, and can't find a single date!" Sympathetically, Alix pats his shoulder. "How do you handle it, Alix?"

"Simple. Skates over dates." She suddenly perks up. "That reminds me- How are my skates coming along, and did you add the flames like I asked? I wanna look badass when I kick Kim's ass tomorrow."

The redhead fondly rolled his eyes. "Oh, ye of little faith. Just wait until you see them tomorrow."

"GUYS! ICE CREAM!" Rose screamed.