Waiting outside only one of the best bakeries in the city is a athletic-looking young man of Asian descent. He glances down at his watch for the fifth time then smirks. "Three... Two... One."

"I'M GONNA BE ON TIME!" Screamed a blue-haired girl as she burst through the front door with a box of what the athlete assumed to be filled with her parents' heavenly pastries. Noticing the box tilting a bit in her hands, he got down low and caught the box just in time before it could hit the ground. "Oh, God! Thanks, Kim!" She said, relieved as she took the box back.

Kim shoots her two finger guns. "Hey, when you grow up with someone as clumsy as you, you learn to stay on your toes," he said endearingly, earning a playful glare from the girl. "Come on, Marinette, you know I'm joking!"

She chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, now shut it, you. I refuse to be late this time!" She declared, already proceeding to her school, Francoise DuPont, one of the best schools in Paris according to many. Many students with connections can be found roaming the halls, some people have probably seen on television or in a magazine or two. Even the mayor's daughter goes there. You'd think that would be amazing, but... When you get to know her, you'll beg your parents to send you somewhere else.

"And you won't. Because I had Max hack into your phone and reset your alarm earlier than you set it." Hearing this, the bluenette stopped in her tracks and turned to Kim with a bewildered look that soon melted away and she nodded as if it were a normal thing. Because it is. Of course, she would have to talk to Max when she sees him in class later about hacking into her phone and then dish out punishment, Dupain-Cheng style.

"Well, that explains why I was so tired waking up," she grumbled before perking up. "But! It is a new day, and hopefully... Say it with me now, Kim."

"We won't have classes with Chloe this year!" They cheered as they stopped by the crosswalk

Kim crosses his fingers. "It can't happen again, it just can't!"

Marinette groaned. "It's like the universe is against us! But," she takes a deep breath to calm herself down as her mother showed her whenever she had a rough day at school. "Besides that, I see someone swapped out their mustard and ketchup hoodie," she said teasingly, pointing to Kim's bright red hoodie. "Finally!"

"Well, I'm sure Nath will be happy knowing he's won 'The Battle of the Purple Pants,'" he added, pointing to Marinette's pink jeans. "I miss seeing you in pink. You wore it all the time when we were seven."

"Yeah, but I figured it was time for a little change... Then I went back to wearing pink," she said with a roll of her eyes. "I just couldn't stay-"

"Ôi, chết tiệt!" Kim screamed before rushing towards the street while Marinette yelled after him.

"KIM!" That was when she noticed a car speeding towards a little old Asian man who probably didn't see the crosswalk light was red for pedestrians. Thanks to years of intense workouts for sports, Kim was able to pick him up and rush him to the sidewalk before the car could hit either one of them. "Oh my God," she gasped, looking more shaken up than the old man who oddly didn't look the least bit stunned.

Kim panted. "Sir, are you okay?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Thank you, young man." Kim beamed.

"My pleasure," he said before getting a quick smack to the back of the head from Marinette. "Ow!"

"That was for cursing!" She chastised, and for a second, Kim saw his mother. "I thought I taught you better, Kimmy."

He groaned. "You know I don't like that name!"

While the two of them bickered for a while like siblings, the old man reached into his pocket before pulling something out and slipping that object into the open pocket of Kim's backpack before making his way down the sidewalk.

🐞🥇

"Now remember, Max, I won't be home until late."

The bespectacled boy fondly rolled his eyes. He has a higher than superior IQ and yet his mother still insists on treating him like a child who needs to be reminded of little things. "Yes, mom, I remember. The food is in the fridge, set the alarm system, and feed Kareem."

"Hey, I hear that tone, mister. You may be a little genius, but I've still got to look out for you."

Max smiled at those words then readjusted his glasses. "Yes, mom, I know. Now put your phone down while you're driving."

"Just wanted to tell my son goodbye real quick. Love you!"

"I love you too, mom." He waited until she hung up before putting his phone back in his pocket and continuing his way to school, already seeing students flooding towards the school and a few cars stopping in front of the building to drop students off. The few who passed by him gave perplexed looks before quickly looking away, which, Max understood.

He is the smartest student in the entire school, smarter than the teachers in fact... Not that he's bragging, but when you look at his test scores compared to their own, then... Yeah. Students often wondered why he wasn't in university, or even working for NASA, but it was quite simple, Max wanted to have a normal childhood and graduate with his friends. He's gotten many offers to skip a grade or three, but each time, he's turned them down despite his friends' constant prompting to take this amazing opportunity, but he could tell they'd miss having him in class, and their glassy eyes are testimony.

"Hey, Max," greeted a familiar voice. The official genius stopped and turned to see a mop of red hair approaching him from behind.

"Hello, Nathaniel." He looks the redhead up and down with a smirk. "Finally wearing another color other than purple?"

Nathaniel let out a mirthless laugh. "Hey, despite what some may say, I made purple everything work... Besides, I outgrew that shirt, anyway."

To quote Marinette, 'It was a fashion tragedy!' Nathaniel Kurtzberg had to be the worst person when it came to picking out clothes. Last year, he wore the same grey blazer he's wearing now, a purple t-shirt, purple jeans, and purple sneakers. Max didn't even care much for fashion, but even he could see that outfit had to be burned. At least the orange shirt pairs nicely with his purple jeans.

"Oh yes, you have grown an inch," Max smirked, subtly comparing his height to the redheads and relishing in the fact that he's only the second shortest boy in class. "Congratulations, shortie."

"Congratulations, shortie," he mocked. "I'll get there!" Max only snickered until he noticed something glimmering on the collar of Nathaniel's blazer.

"That's quite a nice brooch," he pointed out. "Where did you get it?"

"I found it in this jewelry shop on my way home. It looked nice, so I figured, 'why not?'" Max nodded, paying no mind to the almost nervous look on Nathaniel's face. He did, however, notice an old man struggling to pick up his cane and quickly made his way over to help since no one else was around. Or, they were, but decided to ignore him. Honestly, the nerve of some people.

"Here you are, sir," he said, handing him the cane, earning a grateful smile.

The old man gave a polite bow of his head. "Thank you, young man. I'm glad to see there is hope for this generation," he chuckled.

"Yeah, we're terrible," Nathaniel chimed in.

Max looks like he wants to say something but then nods. "Well, we aren't exactly the best, but most of us are doing our part."

"Yeah, by making dumb YouTube videos and creating weird slang that eventually dies down when white people start saying it."

"Hey, you said it, not me," he said before turning back to the old man. "Stay safe sir."

"Bye," Nathaniel said with a wave as they continued their way to school.

"You too, boys," he said then looked back at the pocket of the young bespectacled boy's backpack to make sure the small box was safe and secure. Honestly, kids, these days need to be more aware of their surroundings. He could've easily picked their pockets and they wouldn't notice.

🐞🥇

"That's my seat!"

"And that's my cue," Nathaniel groaned as he made his way up the stairs leading to his desk in the back, the perfect place to sketch where the teacher wouldn't notice. "Later, Max." One thing he noticed, was his old deskmate wasn't sitting there anymore, now he was in the front. Poor guy.

While Marinette and Chloe went at it over who-knows-what this time, Nathaniel reached into his messenger bag and whipped out his sketchbook and a pencil in record time.

"Not even a minute," a pink-haired girl piped up.

Nathaniel snorted. "Hey, you know me, Alix. I never let this thing out of my sight." Alix tussled his red locks in only a way that showed they have been friends for a very long time to build up this level of closeness.

Her eyes dart to the scene in front of the class that the four girls are making... Well, more like Chloe is the one making a scene while Sabrina is just her hypeman, Marinette looks like she'd rather be anywhere else, and the new girl appears to be defending Marinette before Kim even has the chance to.

"And I am his best friend! He adores me, so go on! Move!"

Alix gagged and Nathaniel rolled his eyes. A new year, another year of being forced to endure little miss 'I'm the mayor's daughter.'

"Anyone who's friends with her, I either feel sorry for them, or I hate them."

"If they're anything like her," Nathaniel added.

"I heard- Well, more like Chloe bragged- that Adrien Agreste is coming here." She pulls her phone out of her pocket and opens up the mentioned's boy's verified Instagram. "So that might be the guy she's talking about."

That's why the name sounded so familiar. He's Gabriel and Emilie Agreste's son, the occasional model for his father's fashion empire, and not too bad around the eyes- 'Cool your Bi ass, Nath!' He sounds like the type of person Chloe would be friends with- rich, handsome, famous parents, of course, she'd be forcing students into different seats so she could sit closest to him.

He looked to the front row where Marinette and the new girl glare at Chloe and Sabrina... No, not yet.

"Everyone, go on and take your seats." Hearing this, Alix gave Nathaniel a quick side hug before heading to her seat next to Mylene, a stout girl with rainbow dreadlocks. "For those of you who don't know me, I'm Miss Bustier. I'll be your teacher this year."

"Ugh! He should have been here by now!" Chloe exclaimed impatiently.

Miss Bustier continued, clearly used to this, "Those of you who have P.E., Mr. D'Argencourt is expecting you at the stadium. The rest of you can head over to the library-"

"Kim!" Boomed the voice of Ivan, a burly student dressed in black, not gothic black like Juleka.

The brooch on Nathaniel's blazer glowed a bit in response to Ivan's anger. He almost felt like he had to lie down.

Kim raised his hands in defense. "Hey, relax! I didn't mean anything by it-"

"What is going on?" Miss Bustier questioned, hands on her hips.

Ivan scowled. "It's Kim! I'm so gonna get-" Miss Bustier interrupted before he could finish that possible threat.

"Ivan, go to the principal's office! The rest of you, get where you need to be."

Nathaniel quickly gathered up his things. He couldn't waste this opportunity while Ivan was still angry. He bolted out of the door and made his way into the fortunately empty bathroom. Making sure the coast was clear again, he opened the side pocket on his bag, allowing Nooroo to fly out.

"Are you sure you want to do this? Champions are meant to help people."

"Well... Now they're not called Champions anymore," he stated while trying to come up with a new name before recalling a character from some manga he read before. "They're... Akumas. And I am helping in a way. Ivan gets to let out his anger, and... Th-that's it. And I'll call him off if something goes wrong, alright? Besides, I've already got an amazing design planned out."

Nooroo sighed. There was just no saying 'no' to that face. "Okay."

Nathaniel beamed. "Nooroo. Wings Rise," he whispered and flinched once again as the butterflies surrounded him. He whipped out his cane and got to work on creating an Akuma. Since he didn't have a live butterfly to transfer the magic of his Miraculous to, he reluctantly tore out a page in his sketchbook and got to work on creating an origami butterfly while reminding himself to buy some origami paper after school.

Nooroo had explained to him, "As long as it resembles a butterfly, you can use it to help you create a Campion." Fortunately, his cousin taught him origami when he was seven and he's gotten pretty good over the years.

When the paper butterfly was complete, Monarch covered it with his hands and focused on his power. Once the weird feeling in his hands left, he uncovered the origami butterfly and sees that its' white wings have turned into a dark purple and... Appeared to be alive! Its wings are fluttering and everything.

Once Monarch was over his amazement, he sends the Akuma off. "Go ahead, Akuma. Ivan should be on his way to the office."

While he waited for the Akuma to go find Ivan, he messed around with the purple crystal on top of his cane until a hologram appeared and showed the home screen of a cell phone. "Shit, this thing is a phone?" He scrolls through the apps, seeing stuff like a flashlight, calendar, map, and something that looks like a social media app... He'll check that out later.

"Who's there?!"

Monarch blinked when he realized that his Akuma got to Ivan. He could really get a feel of his emotions- Anger, self-loathing, and... Broken-hearted?... Strange, but he can work with that. "Well, my name's Monarch, and- Get this. I can help you get revenge."

"... What?"

Monarch nodded even though Ivan probably couldn't see him. "Look, here's the deal. You're angry, and you have every right to be, so... Why not let some of that anger out? And in exchange for this, I want you to find the Ladybug and the Cat Miraculous. You'll know them when you see them. Do we have a deal, Stoneheart?" He feels Ivan's reluctance. "Come on. What have you got to lose, huh?"

"Yes, Monarch."

Monarch silently cheered before calling off his transformation. "Wings fall. Well, I think you and I should head home. I doubt they'll keep the school open." On cue, a crash was heard from outside, followed by screams, and then a loud, almost gravelly-sounding voice yell,

"KIM!"

Nathaniel winced. He did not think about that. "Let's hope those holders show up before he kills Kim."

"Nathaniel, what powers did you give him?" Asked Nooroo.

"Well, basically he's a giant stone monster," the redhead explained as he put his phone to his ear on his way out while Nooroo hid in his hair. "And get the more you hit him, the more powerful he gets-"

"Why did I come to school today?"

Nathaniel's hand was just an inch away from the doorknob when he heard that, and his Miraculous glowed as he felt someone's negative emotions not too far from where he was.

Mortified, stressed, anxious...

Curious, he looks around the locker room to see who else is there and hopes they didn't hear him. Believing he might have just been hearing things and the negative emotions are coming from outside the locker room, he's about to leave again until he hears some faint crying... Coming from a locker.

He heads toward the locker where the crying is the loudest and knocks. "Um... Is someone in there?"

"... If I say no, will you leave?"

"Well... Probably not. There's some guy outside destroying stuff, and it doesn't really seem safe."

The person in the locker sighed. "I knew I shouldn't have come to school today, I knew something bad was going to happen."

Nathaniel furrowed his brow. "You knew a student would turn into a stone monster and is going on a manhunt for-"

"KIM!"

"... Kim."

"Hey, it took everyone's focus off of me."

Feeling Nooroo nudge him with one of his... Hand... Flipper... Nubs, urging him to ask follow-up questions, Nathaniel asked, "Well, what happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

"No offense, but I don't feel comfortable venting my problems to someone I just met."

Nathaniel chuckled. "Hey, understandable. But, if you're worried about me judging you, you should know, I have no right to judge anyone- Not when I wear purple jeans of all things."

"... You wear purple jeans?"

"I happen to make them look good," the redhead smirked, earning an eye roll from Nooroo that unknowingly mirrored the person in the locker.

"I'm sorry, but no one can make those look good... Except... Maybe Marinette."

"Nope! She gave them up! Purple jeans are my thing now," he said smugly while the person in the locker laughed.

"Alright... I guess I'll tell you what happened."

Nathaniel blinked, not expecting that. "Oh. Y-you don't have to-"

"No, it's fine," they sighed. "It'll be nice getting it out into the open, I guess... So, I was walking to school, and I noticed this guy who was probably a few years older was staring at me."

Already, Nathaniel and Nooroo weren't liking where this was going.

"And he started following me. I-I tried not to look back, but I just needed to see if he was still following me... He was, and he sped up until he grabbed my wrist." They take a deep breath before continuing. "He called me a 'pretty girl,' said I shouldn't be walking alone, and offered to give me a ride to school."

"Oh my God," Nathaniel angrily muttered while Nooroo patted his shoulder to calm him down.

"... And... I'm kind of reactive."

Nathaniel and Nooroo exchanged confused looks. "... What?"

"Yeah... He reached for my thigh, I screamed, and kicked him in the balls." Immediately, Nathaniel broke out into laughter while Nooroo struggled to stay quiet even though he's seen people do that dozens of times the past few centuries. Anne of Cleeves had a mean kick. "And a few students saw that."

Nathaniel finally stopped laughing, but a few snickers managed to escape through his lips. "Okay, I've only known you for like three minutes, but you're officially the most badass person I know." Thank God Alix wasn't around to hear that.

"Not really, It was just a normal reaction," they said sheepishly.

"Hey, whatever you wanna call it." Then, an idea came to mind when he heard a crash from outside. "Hey, you mind telling me what this guy looks like? I want to warn my friends."

"Sure. He's kind of tall, brown hair, and has a pin-up girl tattoo on his right arm."

"Ah, your classic asshole." He smiled hearing the person laughing again. It sounded so nice. "Well, I'm gonna get home. My mom's probably worried right now. What about you?"

"I'm pretty sure I'm safer here than outside, from the monster and from students I don't even talk to crowding me and asking if I can show them how to fight." They and Nathaniel laughed. "Be careful."

"You too," Nathaniel said as he and Nooroo left.

🐞🥇

"BABY, ARE YOU OKAY?!"

Once the ringing in his ear left, Nathaniel tried to reassure his mother that he was okay, but it was kind of hard to do that thanks to her crying. How was he supposed to know Stoneheart would mess up the school's Wi-Fi router? "M-mom, I'm okay. Are you alright?"

His mother sighed out of relief. "Yes, dear, I'm fine, but that... Thing threw a car in front of the door and now we're all stuck inside. Nathan, please promise me you'll stay inside until the police handle this."

"I will, mom."

"Nathan, I'm serious. Please, I can't lose you. Alright?"

Nathaniel tensed a bit before sighing, understanding why she was so worried. "Mom, I'll be fine, okay? Nothing's going to happen. I love you."

"I love you, too, sweetie. I'll call you later." After a few seconds, she hung up, and Nathaniel immediately fell back on his bed while Nooroo watched with concern. The Kwami curled up by his holder's side and hugged him to the best of his abilities. "Thanks, Nooroo." For a while, the two just stayed like this until Nathaniel got an alert on his phone.

He blindly reached for it and looked at the screen. Some girl named Alya is doing a live stream. Curious, he decides to check it out.

"Alya Cesaire, live on the scene in Paris, where a supervillain is attacking and looking for a student who goes by the name of Lê Chiến Kim! Did I say that right?"

"Yep," Marinette's shaky voice confirmed from behind the camera. "Alya, we really should be getting out of here! Or at least hide behind something!"

Nathaniel laughed. "How is she always getting roped into stuff?"

The two girls ran behind a tipped-over bus. Marinette continued to record the fight while Alya gave her commentary.

"Oh, looks like the police are here," Alya pointed out. Marinette panned the phone towards the police force shooting... What looked like small rocket launchers at Stoneheart. But when they hit the Akuma, he only grew larger. "... Okay, note this. If you hit that thing, it'll just get bigger!"

"Do you think the police notice?" Asked Marinette, and at the same time, the police fired at Stoneheart again. "Nope."

Nathaniel rolled his eyes. "It won't be long until the holders show up." He gets up from bed, stretching out his limbs. "Nooroo, I've been meaning to ask, do Kwami's eat?"

The Butterfly Kwami nodded. "Yes, it helps us recharge. I'll be fine with whatever you have, but I do prefer fruit." Nathaniel held out his cupped hands for the Kwami to settle in before making his way towards the kitchen.

🐞🥇

"You'll be safe, dear," his mother told him. "If that rock monster wants to get to you, he's gotta go through me first!" She exclaimed, flexing her toned arms while his father laughed.

"Khuyen, its' got to be thirty times your strength," he pointed out, receiving a dismissive wave from his wife.

"You think that'll stop me, Teo?" She pulled Kim in for a vice-like hug that knocks the wind out of him a bit. "I'll move heaven and earth for this kid."

Kim beamed and returned the hug. "Cảm ơn mẹ."

Teo joined, making it a group hug, and gave Kim a firm, reassuring squeeze on the shoulder like he used to when Kim was younger to calm him down. "Why don't you get upstairs and relax, alright? Trust me, things will get better later."

Things haven't gotten better. Ivan is still out there, still made of stone, and is still looking for him. Thank God the new girl- Alya and Marinette are live streaming the whole event so the students can keep up with everything. Alya is not going easy on the police.

"Oh for the love of- Quit shooting at him!"

"What even caused this?" Marinette wondered.

Kim sighed. "Probably my fault." What other reason could there be? He was the last person to interact with Ivan before he turned into that thing, and he's after him, so of course, it's his fault! He wasn't trying to hurt his feelings or anything, just mess with him a bit... Although looking back on his choice of words, they probably could've been a little nicer.

With a groan, he grabbed a pillow off of his bed and yelled into it, "God, I'm an idiot!" Rousing him from his self-loathing is when he hears the theme song to an old American science show. Kim eagerly pulled his phone out of his pocket and read the text.

Max Makes Mechs:
Hey, are you okay? I assume you're home.

Son of Poseidon:
Yeah I'm alright. Minus the giant rock monster who's after me

Max Makes Mechs:
Well, once the police realize that firepower is no good, I am 75% certain they will find another solution

Son of Poseidon:
... Only 75%

Max Makes Mechs:
...

Son of Poseidon:
Max...

Max Makes Mechs:
Oh, it appears I have homework. Bye!

Son of Poseidon:
Max?

Son of Poseidon:
MAX!

"You're no help, bud!" Kim yelled at nothing.

It was an odd pairing to some, the jock and the nerd, but they've been friends since they were ten when Kim needed tutoring. Kim's other tutors quickly gave up on him since he just couldn't seem to grasp the lesson, but Max was the one who stayed and explained the lessons in a way Kim's past tutors couldn't. And over time, the two slowly became friends and found out they had quite a few things in common.

For instance, they both loved binge-watching old sci-fi and fantasy movies and went to conventions for those whenever one was in town. Sports was another thing- Kim for the competition and Max for the statistics involved.

By the time they started going to DuPont, the two were practically inseparable and always made sure to sit next to each other in whatever class they had. Max even slowly integrated into Kim's friend group comprised of him, Marinette, and Nino Lahiffe, who have been friends with him since those 'Mommy and Me' class days.

The four of them had to be the oddest friend pairing in school. Hell, all they needed was a Great Dane, a van, and they'd look like the Scooby Gang.

Kim chuckled to himself, glad he was able to cheer himself up despite everything going on. Deciding he needs another distraction, he decides to do the homework he got on the first day of all days!

He reaches for his backpack and starts taking out a folder, then looks into the side pockets for a pencil, only... He finds a strange box. "What's this doing here?"

Kim opens the box and finds a pair of black earrings. "Hm?" Before he can pick them up, the little pieces of jewelry start glowing bright red, making him yelp and throw the box to the floor. "Oh, shit- What the hell?" The bright red light from the earrings swirls around him, prompting Kim to shut his eyes tight and wait for this to be over.

"... Hello!"

Slowly, Kim cracked an eye open and sees a... A... Bug... Devil... Thing... Although he will admit, it is kind of cute. But that doesn't mean he'll just drop his guard. "Hi?"

Noticing him reaching for one of his pillows, the bug-devil is quick to stop him, "Wait! I'm not going to hurt you. Let me introduce myself. I'm Tikki, and I'm your Kwami!" The thing- Tikki chirped.

Kim furrowed his brow. "A what?" Experimentally, just to make sure this wasn't a dream, he poked at the Kwami's midsection, making them giggle. "Okay, so you're real. This isn't like a crazy dream I'm having? I'm not in a coma because Ivan knocked me out?" The Kwami tilted their head in confusion. "It's a long story. Anyway, I'm Kim."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Kim! Now, I know this all may seem a little strange, but I was sent to help you save the city!"

Hearing this, Kim's eyes lit up. "Wait, wait, like a superhero?" Tikki nodded. "Oh my God, this is going to be so cool! Don't worry, I'm not going to say a word; I know how this goes. You tell one person, they can't keep a secret, and soon, everyone including the supervillain knows."

Tikki grinned. They were already starting to like this guy. "You've got it! Just put the earrings on and I'll explain everything."

Remembering he threw the earrings to the floor, Kim picked them up and put them in the piercings he got a while ago. Thankfully they haven't closed yet. Suddenly, they turn into golden star-shaped studs, but he didn't seem to notice.

"So, what's next?" He eagerly asked.

"To transform, you say 'Spots On.' To detransform, 'Spots Off.'" Kim nods along. "Your special power is called, Lucky Charm, with it, you can summon any object to help you in battle."

"Alright, anything else?"

"Yes, the stone monster outside? It's carrying a vessel that the holder of the Butterfly Miraculous used to store their powers and corrupt it-"

"Wait," Kim interrupted. "Butterfly Miraculous? It sounds cute."

"Only when in the right hands," Tikki said solemnly. "Now it's in the hands of a dark holder and must be retrieved before the current holder can use it to create more monsters! To save whoever the stone monster is-"

"Ivan," Kim corrected.

"To save Ivan, you need to break the object where the Butterfly Holder stored their powers." They add, "Usually, butterflies are used, so look out for that."

The athlete nodded as he took in this information. Spots on, Spots off, Lucky Charm, break an object, catch a butterfly, fix everything. "... Okay, I'm just hoping I can remember all of this," he admitted sheepishly. "I'm not really the best when it comes to-"

"You've got this Kim," Tikki encouraged, lifting his mood a bit. "I believe in you."

He gave a determined nod. "Alright. Tikki. Spots On."

The Kwami flew into his studs turning them into red earrings with black spots like a ladybug. The transformation started from the neck down, cropping his hoodie, turning it a brighter shade of red, and turning the now elbow-length sleeves and his hood black, and five black spots were scattered on the back.

Red opera gloves with black spots on the front appeared next, followed by black pants that extended into a sort of a bodysuit to cover his midriff and red sneakers with little ladybug wings on the side. Next came a mask, just a basic red one with black spots, then his hair. His signature quiff became longer and tied by a black hair tie into a ponytail.

Once the transformation was over, Kim took a look at himself in the floor-length mirror attached to his closet door and just stared at himself for a while. He barely even recognized himself. Then his eyes trailed towards something attached to his hip. A yoyo.

"So awesome."

Then a scream was heard, snapping him out of his stupor. "Right. Gotta help Ivan." Before he leaves, Kim gathered a few of his pillows and puts them under his blankets. So if his parents walk in while he's gone, they'll just think he's asleep. It worked in the movies, so why not in real life?

"Alright, I've got a yoyo. It's probably like Spider-Man! Just throw it..." He throws the yoyo out of his open window, and it grasps to a chimney. Giving it a small pull, the yoyo whisks him out of his room as he screamed for dear life.

"Oh, shit! I didn't think this through!" Before he can slam into the chimney, he yanks his yoyo back and throws it at a statue, giving him a new destination. "Okay, just get lower." He gives the string a light tug, making it lower him to the ground. "There," he panted. "Man, I've gotta practice with this thing-"

"LOOK OUT!"

"Huh- AH!" A black blur barrels into him, knocking them both down to the ground.

"Sorry. I'm still trying to get the hang of this."

Kim chuckled. "You too?" He helps him and the other person up and sees that they're a guy who looks around his age, dark skin, hair in dreadlocks, and tied into a low ponytail. Kim gets a look at the other guy's outfit and sees that it's all leather with some hints of neon green that gave his outfit sort of a futuristic look, plus the green visor glasses.

"Again, I am so sorry!"

"It's alright," Kim reassured. "I nearly crashed into a chimney, so don't feel embarrassed. So, did you meet this Kwami who gave you powers?"

The other hero nodded. "Yes, and I assume you're the partner he told me about. My name is Ikati Black. And you?"

Kim tensed a bit. This guy already had a name picked out, and it sounded awesome. "Well... Call me... Scarlet Beetle."

Ikati Black smirked. "Really? That's the best you could come up with?"

"Hey! You don't hear me saying anything about your name," he retorted.

Before Ikati Black could say his comeback, a crash was heard from a distance followed by the stone monster yelling, "KIMMM!!"

Not noticing Scarlet Beetle flinch, he pulled out his weapon, a metal staff. "Well, I believe that's our cue. I hope you know how to use your yoyo because I'm still getting the hang of this thing." With that, his staff extended, propelling him towards where the stone monster is as he screamed.

Taking a moment to pump himself up, Scarlet Beetle threw his yoyo and also screamed, probably never going to get used to this.

🐞🥇

"WHERE ARE YOU KIM?!"

"Relax, he's bound to show up," Monarch's voice reassured in Stoneheart's head. "But remember what I asked you to do. I'm checking out a live stream and would you look at that? The Ladybug and Black Cat holders have arrived. Get their Miraculous first, bring them to me, and then you can go after this boy, alright?" Not really. Once he has the Miraculous, he'll revoke the Akuma before Kim can get hurt.

"Tsk, tsk," Ikati Black said as he landed in the stadium stands. "Are you really so insecure that you must pick on someone who is an ant compared to you?"

Scarlet Beetle dropped down next to him. "Nice one," he whispered, earning a grateful smile from his new partner.

"Huh. Well, that was easy. Get their Miraculous, Stoneheart!"

Scarlet Beetle's first instinct is to rush over and start hitting the stone monster with his yoyo, but then he recalls the live stream. "Don't hit him-"

"Or he'll grow," Ikati Black finished. "I saw the live stream, too. So we- DODGE!" He screamed before grabbing Scarlet Beetle's arm and vaulting them across the stadium before Stoneheart could hit them and hid behind the seats. "... yeah," he panted. "Dodge his attacks."

"Well," Scarlet Beetle dusted himself off. "My Kwami mentioned I had a special power where I could summon things. What about you?"

"My power allows me to destroy whatever I touch, but I only get one shot at it. And five minutes after I use it, I transform back." Scarlet Beetle's eyes widened at this new information. "So, any ideas?"

The red-clad hero frowned a bit and messed with the sleeves of his hoodie. "Uh... N-not really. Sorry, I'm not the best when it comes to-"

Ikati Black smiled at him kindly. "It's alright. Check this out." He pulls Scarlet Beetle up with him from behind the seats so the two have a clear view of the stone monster trying to find them in the stands. "See his right fist?"

"Yeah," Scarlet Beetle nodded. "He hasn't opened it once..." Then it occurs to him, "That's where the... The vessel might be!"

Ikati Black quirked an eyebrow. "Vessel? Oh! Where the villain stored their power," he says, recalling his Kwami's words from earlier. "It is a possibility, but how do you suppose we get it? It looks like he's got an iron grip."

Scarlet Beetle glanced down at his yoyo then back at the stone monster. "... How strong do you think our weapons are compared to his own strength?"

"Well, considering they're possibly magic, your yoyo string is endless like my staff," Ikati Black calculated. "I think they could hold him off on their own if used by the right person. Why do you ask?"

"We're gonna do something crazy," Crimson Beetle smirked. "But first. Lucky Charm!"  A small flurry of ladybugs appeared above him and formed a... "A wetsuit?"

Ikati Black clicked his tongue. "That's... Some secret weapon."

"Yeah, I'm not sure what- Oh God! What's going on?!"

The leather-clad hero's eyes widened in concern. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

"Everything's gray!... Except... There's a hose... His fist... Marinette and that other girl- Alya!..." He blinks as his vision turns back to normal. "... I think I have an idea!" Ikati Black smiled proudly, and Scarlet Beetle was overcome with a sense of familiarity for a moment before remembering his plan. "Would you be alright sort of being bait while I do my plan?"

"I think I can handle that. Good luck, Scarlet!" He said before vaulting down towards the field. "Hey, rock golem! Yeah, over here!"

The stone monster growled. "My name is STONEHEART!"

Ikati Black rolled his eyes. "And I care about this, why?

"Ouch. The cat's got claws. No matter, though. Take him out!"

At Monarch's command, Stoneheart throws a punch at the cat hero, only to miss when he vaults out of the way. "GET BACK HERE!"

"Sure," he snarked, continuing to leap out of the way of Stoneheart's punches. "I will be sure to add that to my To-Do List, right under, 'not a chance in hell!'"

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"Damn," Alya whispered from the stadium entrance. She wanted to get more close to the action, but Marinette was able to talk her out of it, explaining that they might need to make a quick getaway if things go more awry. "This cat guy's a total badass. Mari, what do the viewers at home think?"

Marinette gave a low whistle as she read the comments. "They're loving him! The rest are wondering where the one in red went... Oh! There he is!" She eagerly points to the red-clad hero making his way towards a faucet connected to a hose sticking out from the ground on the sidelines. "Is that a wetsuit? What's he going to do with that?"

"We'll just have to see!" Alya cheered. "Watch closely, you guys! This is history in the making!... Is... Is he running towards us?"

"Ikati!" Scarlet Beetle hollered as he ran towards the two girls with the wetsuit. The arm and leg holes are tied with the hose going through the neck hole. "Get ready! Hey, real quick. When I give the signal, I need you two to run over and turn on that faucet over there." He hastily points to the mentioned faucet. "Okay? Thanks!"

"Wait!" Alya yelled after him as he swung back towards the fight. "... Did we just get asked to help heroes?"

Marinette was quick to shake her head. "No, you were asked to help heroes. I'm just going to record."

Alya gave the viewers a quick thumbs-up before sprinting towards the faucet, making it just in time when Scarlet Beetle yelled as he was trapped in Stoneheart's first along with Ikati Black, "NOW!" She turns the nozzle with a little struggle since it was rusty, and water started flowing. In just a few seconds, Stoneheart's fist was forcefully opened by the wetsuit in his hand being inflated by water, freeing Scarlet Beetle and the vessel.

The red-clad hero took the vessel, a small purple rock, and threw it to the ground, releasing a purple butterfly. Before he could catch it, he heard rumbling behind him and turns to see Ivan and Ikati Black surrounded by a bunch of rocks that soon disappeared into purple smoke. The small boulder disappeared into the same smoke, turning into a crumpled piece of paper... Nerves rising, he slowly unfurls the paper and reads what he wrote earlier.

'Dude, just ask her out already or I'll do it.' Yep. Poor word choice.

"What's going on?" Ivan asked as Ikati Black helped him up. "What am I doing here?"

Ikati Black smiled. "It's a long story. If you don't mind explaining, do you remember what happened?"

"Yeah, this guy in my class, Kim, wrote a note saying he'd..." He pauses for a bit then continues, "Saying he'd ask out this girl I like before I did. Then I got mad, my teacher sent me to the principal, and then I heard this voice."

"A voice?" Scarlet Beetle wondered.

Ivan nodded. "It sounded like a guy, around my age. He called himself Monarch said he'd help me get revenge, and I had to take some jewelry you guys have and give them to him." Ikati Black and Scarlet Beetle feel for their ring and earrings, both wondering what would have happened if Stoneheart managed to take them.

"Alya, maybe we should stop rolling," Marinette whispered as she ended the live stream. "Sorry about that, Ivan."

He smiled at the pigtailed girl. "It's fine, Marinette."

"Now onto some pressing matters," said Alya, taking her phone from Marinette and starting the live stream again, this time just pointing her phone at the new heroes and being sure to keep Ivan out of the frame. "Are you two going to be doing stuff like this every day? What are your names?"

They smirked. "Call us Scarlet Beetle and Ikati Black," the ladybug hero said before swinging away while Ikati Black vaulted in the other direction. While in mid-air, though, Scarlet Beetle just couldn't shake that feeling that he had forgotten to do something. With a shrug, he continued to make his way back home, moving much easier than he was a few minutes ago.

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"And thanks to the amateur footage provided by these two young ladies, Parisians now know the names of their new heroes."

Kim looked more excited at his friend and her new friend getting recognition for their work than his own. "I can't believe I did that!" He grabbed one of his pillows and screamed excitedly into it. "Is this going to be a normal thing? Me and Ikati fighting Monarch and stuff?"

"As long as he keeps turning more innocent people like Ivan into villains, then yes," Tikki confirmed. At the mention of Ivan, Kim frowned. "... Kim, I really think you should apologize to him the next time you see him."

"Yeah," he sighed. "I know..." Suddenly, the feeling that he had forgotten something returned for the fifth time since he got home, but he wasn't sure what it was.

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Just at the very top of the Eiffel Tower, the corrupted origami butterfly created by Monarch landed and started to rapidly flap its wings. In a matter of seconds, more were created, dozens, fifties, hundreds, and they flew all around Paris, landing on the unsuspecting Parisians and turning them into mini copies of Stoneheart and making them freeze in place, much to the horror of those who weren't infected.

"Nooroo... Explain, please."

"It's what happens when the Akuma you send isn't purified. It multiplies, fuses with people, and turns them into copies of the original Akuma."

Nathaniel smirked as he watched this happen all from the comfort of his room, thrilled to have an army to control and take the Miraculous... Only, none of them were moving.

Nooroo continued, "If Ivan's emotions become negative again and he turns back into Stoneheart, the copies will be able to move and follow his orders, along with yours to an extent."

His smile only grew wider, startling Nooroo a bit. Seriously, that smile really did look unsettling in the Kwami's opinion. "Well, it shouldn't be long until that happens. Ivan can be pretty sensitive. And when the right buttons are pushed, he'll become Stoneheart again, and Scarlet and Ikati will have to face him along with his army!" Then Nathaniel catches something out of the corner of his eye- One of the akumas!

Not wanting to turn into a Stoneheart, he gets ready to throw something at it before Nooroo stops him. "Wait! It's your original Akuma. It won't turn you into one of them." Calmer than he was a second ago, Nathaniel allowed the Akuma to perch itself on his finger.

"... Wings Rise." He brings the Akuma to his cane's gem, storing it inside for later before pulling up the phone hologram again. "It only seems fair to introduce myself after they did." He taps the live stream icon.

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"Hello, my fellow Parisians," Momarch's voice said from every television, phone, laptop, and tablet in the city. Parents held their children close when the image of a young man suddenly appeared on their screens while others leaned in close and listened intently. "While you all have two superheroes, you have one supervillain. Be warned, once the Stonehearts unfreeze when my original Akuma returns, your lives will never be the same again. And you have your wonderful saviors to thank for this."

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Kim looked at the earrings in his hands one last time before placing them back in the box. What was he thinking? He wasn't cut out to be a superhero, he's easily distracted, can't come up with plans without someone starting one for him, he caused Stoneheart to appear! And because of him, Paris is doomed!... They deserve someone better than him, and Tikki deserves a better holder.

"Remember my name, Paris. I am Monarch."