"The Stoneheart copies are scattered all over Paris, and for the time being, they are showing no signs of movement. Police have cordoned off the areas."

"We won't stop until we find a way to get these people back to their normal selves, but for now, we're not making much headway."

"Paris is relying on our new guardian angels, Scarlet Beetle and Ikati Black, to save us all. Our lives depend on them."

🐈‍⬛🎮

"Come on, dad! I've waited forever for this! Besides, they aren't even moving!"

Gabriel Agreste learned from his own mother at an early age to never give in to pressure, from anyone and to say no when he feels like it. Of course, this contributed to his high fashion-type outfits while other kids wore jeans and cartoon character shirts, and over time, made him one of the most successful fashion tycoons in Paris, made him millions every six months, and brought him to the love of his life. And all he did was say no to some things in life that would either get him swindled, killed or both. But... There was just something about his son that made him forget the two-letter word.

"Adrien, your father's right," Emilie Agreste chimed in. Many women would be jealous. A woman in her forties not looking a day over twenty-five and showing no signs of greying? That is how beautiful she is. Though it could be due to the beauty regimes she does for her movies. "You were sick the first day yesterday, and now there are those stone monsters outside." She gently places her hands on the blonde boy's shoulders. "Sweetie, we're only trying to keep you safe."

"You've been keeping me safe for almost fifteen years now," he countered. "I want to meet other people-"

"You meet tons of other young models during shoots," Gabriel said.

Adrien scoffed. "Yeah, but they're all snobs like Chloe." His parents looked like they were biting their tongues to refrain from saying anything bad about the girl. "Come on, I'll be careful, Nathalie and Gorilla will be one call away. I'll be perfectly safe."

Gabriel and Emilie look from their son to each other, having a silent conversation. They knew this day would be coming, but they just weren't prepared for it. Adrien's a smart boy, knows how to spot unsavory influences a mile away, how to throw a punch thanks to Nathalie, but they still couldn't help but worry and they have even more reason to with Monarch running around!... But, as long as the tone monsters remain still and the heroes take care of everything...

Gabriel sighed in defeat, letting Adrien know he had won. "You can go-" He's cut off by Adrien pulling him in for a hug, which he gladly returns. "You're welcome, Adrien."

"Thanks, you guys!" He goes to hug Emile before bolting out of the door. "I'll see you later!"

"And stay away from Chloe!" Emilie yelled after him. "I'm serious, dear!"

"She's not terrible." Emilie shoots him a look that says, 'Are you sure about that?' "... Okay, maybe he should keep his distance."

"Yeah, with a ten-foot pole."

🐈‍⬛🎮

"So, what's this robot you're working on called, again?"

"They're called Markov," Max explained, speaking into his phone while the Kwami of Destruction hid in his shirt collar to remain unseen. "I'm almost done, but there are still some things I need to add-" An arm appears in front of him, blocking his path.

"Careful, citizen," said a police officer, putting a perimeter around one of the Stonehearts. "Just walk around."

Max nodded as thanks then continued his way to school. "... You think Scarlet Beetle will take care of this?"

"I'm sure of it!" Plagg nodded. "Once he purifies the Akuma or whatever Monarch's calling them, everything will go back to normal, or however normal things were before."

Max chuckled bitterly. "I don't think things here are ever going to be normal again." Max is the type of person who preferred facts over fiction (Sci-fi is an exception). So, when a tiny black cat appears out of a ring, saying he's something called a Kwami who can give whoever wears the ring powers, then Max is going to be a little skeptical and assume he's dreaming because that is the only obvious answer because cats do not fly, appear in flashes of light like the genie from Disney, and... Oh yeah! Your friends don't turn into rock monsters!

After pinching himself multiple times, Max deduced that he was not dreaming all of the events that happened today, Ivan really did turn into a rock monster and Plagg is real. His first instinct as a man of science was to ask all sorts of questions- 'How old are you?' 'What are you made of?' 'Are there more of your species?' 'What does the inside of the ring look like?' And to his own surprise, Plagg answered a few of his questions, but then cut right to the chase of why he appeared in the first place.

Imagine Max's shock when he was told he would become a superhero and save the day. He was understandably nervous at first, but those feelings washed away when he was told he would have a partner... Only to return when told what his powers were.

Thank God he didn't have to use that power yesterday; The thought of destroying something when he loved to create was just unsettling. He'd rather have Scarlet Beetle's ability to create a seemingly random object out of thin air which turns out to be very helpful for battles. Speaking of Scarlet Beetle, he hopes he isn't being too hard on himself for not purifying the Akuma. It was his first day, after all, and everyone makes mistakes.

Hell, when he used his staff the first time, he propelled himself so high up with it, he was sure he could see Juleka's houseboat. Not sure how to shorten the staff, he proceeded to slide down like a fireman, only slower since there was nothing supporting the pole but purse magic he still has no clue how it works.

"Boom! We present to you, Bug & Cat Chat!" Max heard Alya exclaim as he walked into the courtyard. He looks up and sees Alya and Marinette surrounded by their other classmates (Minus Ivan, Chloe, and Sabrina) showing off something on Marinette's tablet. "We're bringing you all the latest news about the coolest superheroes and our new supervillain!"

Marinette squealed. "Our video's gotten so many hits! I still can't believe I let you talk me into this, Alya, but thank you!" She immediately pulls the girl in for a hug.

Max couldn't help but smile at how so carefree and happy Marinette looked. It seems like Alya helped build back the confidence that Chloe's broken through years of her bullying. This was something even Kim and Nino couldn't do. Speaking of Kim, he wonders how he's doing since yesterday. He hasn't heard back from him, but lo and behold, there he is, giving Marinette a pat on the back with a grin on his face...

Nope, it's fake. They've been friends for years, so of course, Max knows when he's faking his feelings. His smile is way too wide and his left eyebrow is twitching. Deciding to confront him about this later, Max makes his way towards the group to check out 'Bug & Cat Chat.'

"So that's Monarch," Juleka mumbled, pointing to the screenshot of the villain giving his speech to Paris.

Alya nodded. "Yeah, my little sisters were hiding under their beds the whole time."

"What do you think he even wants?" Alix questioned, glaring at the picture of the villain. "World domination, infinite power, the kill all his enemies?" She turns to Nathaniel, seeing what he thinks only to get a shrug from the redhead. With a bit of hesitance, she turns to Ivan, leaning against a wall, and asked, "So, you really don't remember anything?" He shook his head.

"You were totally going ballistic. It was so cool!" Juleka said, voice a little louder than usual.

Kim scratches the back of his head, opening and closing his mouth a few times before saying, "H-hey, Ivan. I'm sorry about what I did be-before you-"

"It's fine," he assured, knowing what he was trying to say. "And... I'm sorry trying to hurt you, I wasn't myself-"

A scoff sounded through the courtyard, making the students roll their eyes, knowing what was about to come next. "Please! Once a monster, always a monster!" Ivan scowled at those words and stormed towards the locker room as Chloe continued to make fun of him. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out!"

Marinette bit back an insult and followed Ivan after handing Alya her tablet.

Alya rolled her eyes. "Please! The only real monster in this city is you, Bourgeois!" Before Chloe could retort, she continued, "Your makeup gives people flashbacks to those creepy killer clown movies back in the eighties!"

"BURN!" Nino hollered, eliciting some cheers and laughter from the class.

Chloe sputtered for a moment while Sabrina tried to calm her down. "Do you know who my father is?!"

"Yes, the mayor of Paris who will drop important work that will probably help build world peace just to meet his bratty daughter's demands," the auburn-haired girl snarked.

Alix high-fives her. "Nice."

While everyone in the courtyard laughed at Chloe's flustered look, an irritated voice was heard over the laughter, "Chloe! What the hell?!" Immediately, Chloe tossed Sabrina her designer purse and ran towards the blonde boy standing by the entrance of the school.

"ADRIKINS! YOU CAME!"

Alix snickered. "Fucking Adrikins?"

"Holy shit, that's Adrien Agreste," Juleka whispered.

"Great," Nino said with an eye roll, then makes his way up the stairs. "Another rich brat. I'm out, dudes!"

Kim nodded and followed his friend. "Me too."

While Miss Bustier's students made their way to their classroom, not wanting to stay around and see how much like Chloe the new guy is, they miss him prying their heiress off of him. "Chloe, how many times have I told you to mind my personal space?"

"But Adrikins~"

"And that nickname," he groaned. "Look, you had your chance to be friends with me years ago, but I can't hang around someone who bullies people non-stop just because they have a little money and a lousy politician for a parent!"

Chloe scoffed. "You were actually serious? Adrikins, you really need to learn how life works, starting with school. Here, everyone fawns over you and treats you like royalty- HEY! Where are you going?!"

"Away from you!" He yelled over his shoulder as he made his way to class, only to move faster when Chloe ran after him.

"Wait! We have the same class together! You're sitting with me!"

🐈‍⬛🎮

"You know," Marinette started, turning down the volume on Ivan's phone connected to his headphones so he could hear her. "You should tell Mylene how you feel, Ivan." The burly young man blushed at those words. "Come on, I see the way you look at her. Besides, it might help take your mind off of everything."

Shooting her a look, Ivan points out the window at the dozens of stone statues.

"... Okay, that's a big reminder, but talking to Mylene is a start. What have you got to lose?"

"My dignity," he said bluntly, only prompting Marinette to encourage him even more.

"Ivan, I'm sure Mylene has feelings for you, too. Just go talk to her- Or- Maybe do something else, like send her flowers, draw her something," he listed. "If you're not good at drawing, I'm sure Nathaniel wouldn't mind-"

"I-I could... Write her song?"

Marinette felt just a pang of jealousy towards Mylene for having an admirer who was going to write her a song but set those feelings aside. "That's perfect! What girl wouldn't want a song written just for them? I say go for it!"

Ivan couldn't help but laugh at how more excited she seemed than him. "Yeah. I'm gonna do that- Whoa!"

"Now! I'm pulling you out of the door!" The pigtailed girl exclaimed, somehow pulling Ivan, who had to be twice her body weight towards the door. "Go to the music room! Write a song she'll love!"

"Okay," he chuckled, moving on his own now. "I'm going."

"Write that song or don't come back at all!"

🐈‍⬛🎮

"Sorry, I'm not signing any autographs," Adrien apologized to the student practically begging him to autograph their magazines and headshots of him. He didn't even want to know where they got those from. "Sorry, but I'd be totally cool hanging out. Just ask."

One brunette wearing a purple sweater squealed like a little schoolgirl at those words. Just to make their day, Adrien shoots finger guns in their direction. Thank God two students were there to catch them before they fell.

"Jean, calm down," a girl of Asian descent with her hair in a bob gently coaxed as she dragged her friend to class.

"He finger-gunned me!"

"ADRIKINS!"

'Not today, Satan.' Adrien darted into his new classroom and quickly shut the door behind him, not even sure why he did it since Chloe could still get in. He makes his way to his desk, unaware of the weary looks he was getting, and sits down next to a boy in a red cap.

"... So," red cap starts. "You're friends with Chloe?"

Adrien hears the slight irritation in his voice and is quick to explain, to everyone in the room, "Chloe and I are not-"

"BEST friends!" Chloe announced as she strutted into the classroom and she and Sabrina took their seats. "Adrikins and I have been best friends forever!"

The capped boy looked confused for a moment, glancing back and forth at Chloe then Adrien before it dawns on him. "Ah, I get it," he whispered to the blonde boy. "Delusional rich girl trope, huh? She thinks every other rich person is her friend and everyone below her status adores her, but really, they can't stand her?"

"Yeah," Adrien groaned, eyes trailing around the classroom to just get a look at it. "I don't even know why she- Hey!" He yelled, drawing everyone's attention towards Chloe putting gum on a seat iin the front of the class. "What the hell are you doing?"

Chloe smirked. "The brats that sat here yesterday just need a little attitude adjustment," she said as if it were obvious. "It's all about commanding respect, Adrikins. You'll learn it more while you-"

"Shut up, Chloe!" Yelled a girl with pink hair, followed by the other students.

"She didn't do shit!"

"And quit talking to him like a kid! It's fucking creepy!"

While Chloe suffered a verbal onslaught, Adrien grabbed a napkin and used it to remove the gum, right as two girls walked into the classroom.

"Um, what are you doing?" Asked a girl with dark blue hair tied into pigtails, hand on her hips, and giving Adrien an expectant look when she noticed the gum.

Adrien held his hands up. "Hey, I'm just getting it off your seat. Don't believe me if you want, I know anyone who's a friend of Chloe is terrible in all your opinions, but we're not friends."

"ADRIKINS!" She screamed again.

The blonde rolled his eyes and said to the two girls, "See you around." before heading back to his desk, ignoring Chloe burning holes into the back of his head and the pensive look the girl with blue hair was giving him.

"Dude, respect." Cap boy offers his hand for a handshake. "Name's Nino." Adrien shakes his hand. "Later, we're gonna make you some new friends."

Meanwhile, in the back of the classroom, Nathaniel's brooch started glowing again. He covered it with his hand before anyone saw it, and focused on the negative emotions.

Mortified... Heartbroken... Self-loathing...

'Welcome back, Ivan.' Nathaniel gets up from his seat and says to Alix, "Tell Miss Bustier I'm going to the bathroom." Getting a thumbs up in response, he makes his way out the door and into the janitor's closet, remembering he's seen Ivan go into the locker room, so he couldn't transform there.

Nooroo flies out of his pocket while munching on a grape. "Nathaniel, are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"

"Nooroo, I need those Miraculous," he countered.

"But why?" The Kwami pressed. "What wish is so important that it could affect the fabric of space and time?" He asked, flinching when he was met with a glare.

Seeing the look of fear in the Kwami's eyes, Nathaniel was quick to apologize. "Nooroo... I'll tell you later, alright?" When the Kwami nodded, he transformed, "Wings Rise."

Monarch tapped the gem on top of his cane, releasing the origami Akuma. "You know the way, little guy." The Akuma flies through the vents and makes their way into the locker room where Ivan sits on the floor, clutching something in his fist. The Akuma flies toward him and infects what he has in his hand.

"Welcome back, Stoneheart," Monarch crooned. "And this time, you'll have some help to keep people away from the love of your life. Just remember what I ask for in return."

Ivan just nodded and turned back into Stoneheart once again. And at the same time, all around Paris, the other Stonehearts unfreeze.

🐈‍⬛🎮

"Adrien Agreste?"

"Present."

"Chloe Bourgeois?"

"Present!"

"Ivan Bruel?"

The classroom wall bursts open, revealing Stoneheart. "PRESENT!" Chaos erupts, and students make a break for it, however, Mylene wasn't so lucky as Stoneheart grabbed her.

"Let go of me!"

While everyone else either ran out of the school or took shelter in the classroom that wasn't destroyed, Max made a break for the locker room, panting a bit since he wasn't exactly the most physically fit person in his class.

"Kid, you gotta work out more," Plagg told him as he flew out from his bag. "But hey! A day off from school! If you ask me, you seem like you could use one."

Max pushed up his glasses. "Maximillian Kante does not take days off from school. "Plagg, Claws Out!" Now as Ikati Black, he smashed a hole through the window with his staff since he just couldn't run out of the locker room right after Max ran into it. People will get suspicious. Plus, what's one cracked window compared to a destroyed wall?

He leaped through and started vaulting after Stoneheart who not only had Mylene but Chloe, too!

Ikati Black groaned. "Now I've gotta save Chloe? This day just keeps getting better. Hey, you!" Stoneheart and his minions turn to him. "Yeah! With the boulder for a brain! Let's settle this one-on-one until Scarlet Beetle gets here!"

Stoneheart bellowed, "SEIZE HIM!" And the stone beings run amok and surround Ikati Black, but the hero doesn't back down.

"Here's hoping your brains are made of rock, too!" He vaults himself on top of one of the Stoneheart's head and leaps off just before another can hit him, and instead, knocks the other copy out. Ikati Black then runs into an evacuated street and throws his staff. The weapon extends and embeds itself between two buildings, but the Stoneheart copies don't see it and trip when they run after the hero.

"Ikati: two. Rock monsters: zero," he said triumphantly before retrieving his staff, making sure to stay away from the Stonehearts' hands so they don't try to grab him. With most of them out of the way, he vaults after the original Stoneheart, wondering frantically to himself where Scarlet Beetle is. This is his chance to fix everything, after all!

Seeing Marinette and Alya filming from afar, he yells, hoping Scarlet Beetle is watching the live stream, "Scarlet Beetle! If you can hear me, I can't do this on my own!"

Marinette chewed on her nails. "Where is he?"

"Guys! Look out!" Someone yelled.

The two barely have enough time to react to a car hurtling towards them. Alya tries to get Marinette to safety, but she's frozen in shock. "Girl, we gotta go!" Seeing the car getting closer, Alya moves in front of Marinette, hoping maybe the impact will be just a little less painful for her new friend when all of a sudden, Scarlet Beetle swooped in and brought them to safety before the car could hit them. Alya's eyes gleamed. "You came!"

"Hey, I wasn't going to put people in danger again," he said before swinging after Ikati Black to join the fight.

"I'm glad you could make it," Ikati Black said to Scarlet Beetle when he caught up, getting a grateful smile in response. "I managed to take out a couple of copies, but there are still more, and I'm not sure how we're going to take care of them all."

"... What if we went for the original?" When his partner didn't have anything to say, he took it as a sign to continue. "Well, what if taking out the original Stoneheart turns everyone back to normal? It's... Have you seen Be More Chill?"

"Only fifteen times!"

Scarlet Beetle continued, "Well when you take out one Squip, you take them all out, but for us, instead of it being just any Stoneheart, we have to go for the first one- Ivan!"

Once they landed on a roof, Ikati Black gave him a friendly punch in the arm. "I knew you had ideas! And there he is!" He points to the Eiffel Tower. Stoneheart stands on the second floor with the police and news choppers surrounding him.

"I demand my daughter's safe return!" Mayor Bourgeois yelled through a megaphone.

It almost looked like Stoneheart was smirking. "You know what? You can have her!" He throws Chloe as she screams for her life!"

"Oh, HELL NO!" Scarlet Beetle yelled and surged forward towards the structure. When he was close enough, he could hear Chloe... Praying?

"I promise I'll be nice to everyone, say please and thank you all-" Her pleading is cut off when Scarlet Beetle catches her just in time. "... I didn't promise anything." Once she's back on the ground, she immediately runs to hug her father.

"We're clear to attack!" Roger yelled to the police force.

"WHAT?!" Ikati Black screamed, shocking Scarlet Beetle a bit. "Do you not see the other girl in his hand?! What if you hit her?! And do you not see what happens when you hit him? He grows!"

Roger merely pushed him to the side. "Step aside, kid, and let the pros do their thing! You and your bullheaded partner already failed once!"

Unbeknownst to Ikati Black, Roger's words hit a little too close to home for Scarlet Beetle. When students became aware that he didn't exactly excel in academics, they called him all sorts of things- Moron, meathead, idiot, you name it. He struggled not to cry in front of everyone, but it always got harder with each name.

"What the fuck did you just call him?" Ikati Black hissed in an almost cat-like manner. "Repeat it! What the fuck did you just call him?!"

"Settle down-"

Ikati Black snatched his megaphone and yelled through it, "FUCK OFF ROGER! The rest of you! Unless you wanna look like jackasses for firing at a villain while he still has a captive, you're all going to listen to me, and listen good! GOT IT?!"

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Good! Now, do not fire! If I see even a finger on your triggers, I'm going to start bashing heads!" Seeing Roger opening his mouth, he shoots him with the harshest glare he's ever mustered, making the policeman back down. "Understood?!"

"Sir, yes sir!"

The leather-clad hero smirked. Something about making adults cower before him just felt so right. He turns to a stunned Scarlet Beetle, his voice and expression gentler than just a few seconds ago. "Let's just say I've got a friend like you, and I won't tolerate anyone calling him names."

Scarlet Beetle subtly wiped a tear away. "Thanks, Ikati." Hearing a loud coughing sound, everyone whips their heads up toward the Eiffel Tower. "Oh, what's going on?"

Stoneheart coughs and spits out a small swarm of purple butterflies that flutter down to the ground and form Monarch. The villain speaks through his double, loud enough for the news choppers. "Listen carefully, Paris!"

"Monarch," the heroes simultaneously hissed.

"Scarlet Beetle, Ikati Black, hand over your earrings and rings, now! You'll end the terror you've brought unto this city and the innocent people in it!"

Feeling a burst of confidence, Scarlet Beetle approaches the Monarch standing in front of him and Ikati Black, clapping a slow, sarcastic clap. "Great show, Monarch, wonderful. But let's not swap the roles, okay? Without you, Ivan Bruel wouldn't have turned into Stoneheart, and neither would the innocent victims! And no matter how damn long it takes, we WILL hunt you down, find you, and take YOUR Miraculous!" He throws his yoyo at the multiple corrupted butterflies, catching them with it while everyone watched, astonished. "Let me make one more thing clear, Monarch! And this goes out to all of Paris! We will not rest until you are all safe again!" He opens his yoyo, a massive flurry of white origami butterflies comes out before gently raining down into the cupped hands of civilians as they cheer on the heroes.

Ikati Black gave an impressed nod. "Whoever that guy is... He's amazing."

"Ugh! Those cheesy monologues are the only things I HATE about heroes! Stoneheart, they're trying to take her away from you! Take their Miraculous so they'll be powerless against you!"

Stoneheart begins to climb higher up the Eiffel Tower while the stone beings stalk towards Scarlet Beetle and Ikati Black.

Ikati Black extended his staff and hooked an arm around Scarlet Beetle. "Going up!" He vaults them over to the tower, and the two begin scaling the structure. "So, what's the plan?"

"First, Lucky Charm!" A parachute drops in his hands. "I was kind of hoping for something to help pry his hand open, but... Wait! I've got it! I'll be right back!" He swings over to the hand that's holding Mylene and hands her the parachute. "You're gonna want to hold this."

She looks at the parachute for a moment, nervous. "Why?"

"Trust me," is all he says before tying his yoyo around Stoneheart's fist and leaping to the other side. "Put it on as quickly as you can!" Scarlet Beetle gives his yoyo string a quick tug, pulling Stoneheart's hand and Mylene kisses the Akuma. Out of shock, Stoneheart lets go of her, and Mylene screams for her life until she remembers the parachute, hastily puts it on, and pulls on the cord to slow her descent.

While Stoneheart is still distracted, Ikati Black grabs the possessed object in Stoneheart's hand and yells, "Cataclysm!" destroying it with the destructive energy in his hand, making him a little giddy. "Okay, that was pretty cool! Evil butterfly coming your way, Scarlet!" He sees black and purple smoke surrounding Stoneheart, turning him back into Ivan, and he begins to fall from the Eiffel Tower. "I gotcha!"

While Scarlet Beetle purifies the butterfly that started this whole mess, Ikati Black jumps after Ivan. After securing an arm around him, Ikati Black extends his staff to the ground and slowly lowers himself and Ivan back down, just in time to hear,

"MIRACULOUS SCARLET BEETLE!"

Ikati Black looked up to see thousands of ladybugs swarming around Paris turning everyone back to normal and fixing the damage caused. "Damn. This is... Amazing!"

🐈‍⬛🎮

"DAMNIT! DAMNIT! DAMNIT!" Nathaniel yelled, hitting his fists against his bedroom walls. "You have gotta be kidding me!"

Nooroo felt as though he was watching a child throwing a tantrum, once again, making him wonder what he had got himself into.

🐈‍⬛🎮

Scarlet Beetle makes his way over to Ivan and gives the restored note back to him. "I think this is yours', but, word of advice? You won't know how she feels until you give it to her. I read the lyrics, and you've got some talent, man."

Ivan gives a faint smile. "Thanks... But, I don't..."

"Why don't I just do that for you?" Scarlet Beetle takes the note and hands it to Myléne. "Courtesy of him." He points to Ivan with his pinky finger. "We'll leave you guys to it."

Before leaving, Ikati Black gives Ivan a thumbs up.

🐈‍⬛🎮

"So, I'm thinking for our next post, we find out who's under the masks!"

Marinette didn't even need time to think about that. "Wouldn't that be dangerous, Alya? I mean, think about it- If everyone knows who Scarlet Beetle and Ikati Black are under their masks before Monarch is defeated, then Monarch will know who they are and go after them, their friends, their family."

Alya furrowed her brow in thought. She hadn't even thought about that. "Yeah, you're right, girl. That'd be awful, and it'd be on me!" She pulls the shorter girl in for a side hug. "This is why I'm glad to be working with you!"

"Ditto," Marinette giggled. "Oh! How about this? I can show off some outfits inspired by the heroes I've been planning out!"

"Oh, I didn't know you sewed!"

"Just a bit."

As they walked into the classroom, Marinette smiled at the sight of Myléne and Ivan sharing a chaste kiss before making their way back to their desks. Then she notices the empty desk Chloé and Sabrina took...

"Alya... Follow me, please." She takes the creole girl's hand and brings her over to her original desk, feeling just a bit devious when she sits in Chloé's seat.

Adrien gave a slow clap similar to Scarlet Beetle when he confronted Monarch. "Bad. Ass. I like you!"

Marinette gave a wave of her hand. "Oh, stop!"

"A-HEM!" Chloé stormed over to the blue-haired girl who didn't look the least bit afraid while Sabrina seemed to be trying to keep her calm. "What do you peasants think you're doing in MY seat?!"

Adrien smirked as he leaned back in his seat. "A little thing called 'sticking it to the man.'"

"And what that means is," Marinette continued. "I'm not putting up with your shit anymore, Chloé! And neither is anyone else around here! So take your attitude, your bleached hair, and go get lost!" All of the other students laugh and cheer her on while Chloé takes Marinette's previous seat, angrily. Sabrina looks conflicted for a moment, never hearing anyone back talk Chloé like that, especially Marinette. Remembering that she's still standing around, she scurried over to the desk and took her seat next to Chloé.

🐈‍⬛🎮

Nathaniel holds his hand out in front of him, feeling a few raindrops hitting his hand. "Shit." He heard it was supposed to rain today, but he left his umbrella right on his bed. It was right in front of him, too. At least his home was about a five-minute walk, he could bear it.

"Hey. Do you want this?" A familiar-sounding voice asked.

Turning his head, he sees a boy who looks just a bit on the feminine side with messy black hair and beautiful green eyes holding out a red umbrella.

"A-are you sure?" Nathaniel stammered. "I don't want you getting soaked because of me."

"It's alright," he assured. "I'm wearing a hoodie, so I'll be alright. Go ahead."

"... Thank you," he said, taking the umbrella. "H-hey, before I go, have we met before?"

"Well, you're wearing purple jeans, so I'm guessing you're the guy who was talking to me while I hid in my locker."

It soon dawned on Nathaniel. "Oh my God, you're the guy who kicked that asshole!"

He laughed. "Yeah, and you're the guy who stole Marinette's jeans."

"No, she stole my look then gave it back because she knows I look better in them... I'm Nathaniel." He holds out his hand for a handshake.

The other boy takes his hand. "I'm Marc." Interrupting this friendly moment is a peal of thunder in the distance. "Oh, I better get home before the rain gets worse." Marc slips his hood over his head and makes his way down the stairs. "I'll see you around, Nathaniel."

"You like him, don't you?" Nooroo giggled at the flustered look on his holder's face. "I can sense your emotions, Nathaniel, Marc's too."

Nathaniel rolled his eyes. "I don't care, Nooroo... But, how does he feel about me?"

"I thought you didn't care," Nooroo said in a teasing fashion.

🐈‍⬛🎮

Marc still couldn't believe he had talked to Nathaniel twice! The short comics he posts on the school website sometimes are only one of the sources of inspiration for the stories he writes, so of course, he's a little excited! It's just unbelievable... And they met while he was hiding in a locker. But at least he managed to sound casual and not like a fanboy when giving him his umbrella, so that's something to be proud of.

Hopefully, they'd talk some more throughout the school year, maybe even hang out sometime. Rousing Marc from his daydreaming is when he passes by a small jewelry store he usually goes to.

He decides to take a quick look at the new window display and sees a few things he might wear such as choker necklaces, studded bracelets, and even a few chains for his belt. But then something catches his eye. It's a small brooch bejeweled, aquamarine in color, and shaped like a spread-out peacock tail. He can't stop looking at it and even thinks about going in the store to buy it, but the sound of thunder is quick to make him hurry home, still thinking about that brooch.