Sunday (3)

Marinette woke up at 8 a.m., she was getting ready for the spying mission. She was nervous, but confident enough in her abilities.

Marinette brushed her teeth and ate something really quick. Marinette had to wake up so early because of the time difference, she wanted to be in Paris at before 2:30 p.m. and wanted to start the mission at 3 p.m. when Gabriel is not in his house.

The quiet of the early morning pierced Marinette's ears as she tried to wake herself up for the mission since her body was slowly getting used to Gotham's time. She didn't wanna wake up Chloe or Lizzie who were sleeping so she was quiet with everything she did.

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'Hello, Ryu!' Hen said as she and Ryu hung out on a rooftop.

'Hey...' Ryu replied, trailing off because she's unsure of what to call Hen.

'Call me Hen!' Hen said as she sat down on the roof.

'Hey Hen, how are you doing?' Ryu asked as she sat down next to Hen.

'It's really nice there, I'm honestly so happy to be free of Paris, it felt like I was getting choked here,' Hen answered with a smile that hid the painful days she had before going to Gotham.

'I'm glad you're doing well now,' Ryu replied with a bright smile, Ryu didn't want to go to Gotham and preferred to stay in Paris.

'How are you and Luka?' Hen asked with a smirk.

'We're doing really well, I really love him,' Ryu said, blushing as the sunlight shined on Ryu's red face.

'You look so cute when you blush,' Hen teased as the both of them laughed and continued talking until the time of their mission.

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'Are you ready? Gabriel just left the house with Nathalie, leaving only Gorilla guarding the front door, he is probably forbidden from entering that room without any reason so we can sneak in just fine,' Hen said, analyzing the situation.

'I'm ready, come on, let's go,' Ryu said as she jumped on to the roof of the Agreste house.

The two heroes sneaked into Gabriel's Lair or the observatory where they suspected Gabriel was doing his Hawkmoth things.

'Is that an Akuma?' Hen whispered to Ryu who nodded in response. Hen quickly took a picture with her camera.

Ryu gestured to Hen to follow her down using the secret elevator where they reached Gabriel's atelier. They sneaked around to investigate the atelier and realized that the elevator can reach to a lower floor.

'What is this place?' Hen asked, surprised to know that there was such a room in the Agreste mansion.

'I had no idea there was even such a place, it's incredible,' Ryu commented as she walked along the catwalk that connected to a platform.

The Crypt had a long catwalk that connected to a platform that was supported by a few pillars. Lights lit up the walls that were far away from the catwalk. There were supports connecting everything and making it stable. Foliage and greenery were decorated all around the place, it was beautiful, but eerie, a strange feeling creeped onto the two heroes.

'This is unexpected...' Hen commented as she walked down the long catwalk to the platform in the middle. When she saw what was on the platform, her facial expression showed shock as she stared at Emilie Agreste's corpse laying in a glass coffin.

'What's there?' Ryu asked as she approached the platform.

'I-it-' Hen stammered, unable to calm herself down.

'Oh my goodness,' Ryu said as she saw the coffin. Just then, their weapons beeped, symbolizing that someone was calling them.

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'Mari left already?' Chloe asked Lizzie as she drank some water.

'Yeah, left before I woke up, I hope the mission goes well, then we will know who Hawkmoth is, even if it is someone we don't want it to be,' Lizzie remarked as she prepared to go out.

'Wait for me,' Chloe said as she quickly got ready and followed Lizzie out. The two girls were heading to a cafe to meet with Nathaniel and Max to give them a specially prepared reward.

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'Apparently we're getting a reward, what do you think we will get?' Nathaniel asked Max as he sat in the empty seat at the cafe.

'According to my calculations, it should be something that we really want or something that we would need to continue being with our mission,' Max said before adding, 'Either way, we'd probably like whatever we're getting.'

'They should be arriving soon, let's hope no one from our class comes here,' Nathaniel said as Chloe and Lizzie arrive.

'It's not Christmas or your birthdays, but here's a gift. This is the new laptop that Max has wanted for a long time,' Lizzie said as she handed the laptop to Max.

'Thank you,' Max said as he turned the laptop on and started exploring every inch of what it has to offer.

'And for you, Nathaniel, we brought Marc all the way from Japan,' Chloe said as Marc popped up from the table behind.

'Marc?' Nathaniel asked, surprised, as he and Marc embraced each other.

'It's me, Marc. Chloe, Lizzie and Marinette convinced the teachers to let me come here for the rest of the exchange program,' Marc answered as he hugged Nathaniel.

'They're so cute!' Chloe whispered to Lizzie as Max just smiled at his two friends.

'Before we leave, so as not to be spotted, give us a quick update on what you've gathered,' Chloe said, getting them back to business.

'Right,' Nathaniel said as he and Max squeezed together on one side of the table.

'We have done a bit of research into Lila and have found some of her victims who are willing to testify against her, we also have video and audio proof of everything,' Max explained before adding, 'I have stored everything in multiple hard drives just in case anyone on her side decides to destroy my laptop or something.'

'That's good, we're gonna go first, have fun!' Lizzie said as she and Chloe left the cafe.

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A dinging sound sounded from Lizzie and Chloe's phones as they left the cafe.

'An Akuma alert?' Chloe asked as she stared at her phone before exclaiming, 'I didn't bring the Ladybug Miraculous!'

Chloe and Lizzie ran back home at the fastest speed they could. When they reached home, Chloe grabbed the Pegasus and Ladybug Miraculous, transformed into Ladypega while Marcus arrived as Midnight. 

'We won't have Marinette or Kagami on this mission, so we'd need to adapt,' Chloe said as she opened up a portal to one of the rooftops in Paris. 

'We'll follow your lead Madame Bug,' Masquerade replied. Madame Bug was the name that Chloe used when she used the Ladybug Miraculous. 

'Viper, any updates on the villain?' Madame Bug asked as she looked at Viper who has been scouting. 

'Yeah, she calls herself Countess Command, a teacher who's mad cause no one was listening to her in class, her voice can break things and also control people,' Viper reported. 

The group crowded on the rooftop and saw Countess Command. When she spoke, they could see yellow rings that came out and the area that came in contact with the yellow rings were destroyed, and the people in that area were brainwashed. 

Countess Command wore a golden dress that extended to her knees and wore a bun using yellow hair ties. She wore a fierce look that scared most students. She levitated above the ground. 

'What's the plan?' Masquerade asked Madame Bug. 

'Masquerade and Viper, evacuate the citizens, Midnight and I will find where the Akuma is, then think of a plan to destroy it,' Madame Bug said as she jumped down to start the plan. 

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'Hey Countess Command, why don't you command me to do something?' Midnight taunted the villain. 

'Midnight, you will be under my control!' Countess Command exclaimed as she used her powers to try and catch Midnight and brainwash him. 

'Can't catch me, you're too slow!' Midnight continued as he jumped around, trying to lead Countess Command to an empty clearing, so that the destruction won't be as bad. 

Madame Bug fought off the brainwashed soldiers with ease as they weren't in their right mind. She then got closer to Countess Command discreetly, realizing that her brown belt was a different colour from her gold painted body and hair. Madame Bug then ran away to a rooftop to meet with Masquerade and Viper. 

'I think the Akuma is in Countess Command's belt, it's the only thing that isn't gold colour,' Madame Bug said as they tried to think of a plan to get Midnight close enough to touch the belt with his Cataclysm. Madame Bug gave Ryu and Hen a call. 

They came up with a plan and headed to their respective posts. Masquerade was put in charge of telling Midnight, so she did. 

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'Midnight! Come,' Masquerade gestured to Midnight who has successfully lured Countess Command to an empty area created for Akuma attacks with destructive power. 

'What?' Midnight said as he disappeared from the battleground and appeared next to Masquerade. 

'Go find Madame Bug and the others, they'll tell you the plan,' Masquerade said. 

'Got it!' Midnight said as he jumped away to meet the others. 

'Countess Command, follow me!' Masquerade caught Countess Command's attention. 

'How do I know you aren't leading me to a trap? The past villains have been stupid, but I'll be different,' Countess Command replied. 

'Cause I think that your situation is understandable and I would secretly like to help Hawkmoth, those damn heroes think they're all that, what bull,' Masquerade put on her best acting skills which were good. 

'How can I be sure?' Countess Command asked, not believing it. 

'First of all, I get the useless power "Mirage" where all I can do is make illusions, it's stupid. Second, they're all about being amazing and nice, but they cause so much destruction, it's insane that they think they're good,' Masquerade spun up a web of lies to try and convince Countess Command before adding, catch me if you can. 

'Fine, Masquerade,' Countess Command said as she chased after Masquerade. 

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Ryu and Hen realized that an Akuma was attacking and they know that their only way of escape, would be where Hawkmoth is. They wanted to help the others, but were backed into a corner with no way to go, a quick message to the others that they can't escape. 

'Ryu, I noticed another place that connects to Hawkmoth's lair, it's a hidden trapdoor, we can use it to record Hawkmoth in action,' Hen said as they went to Gabriel's atelier. 

'I'm guessing the trapdoor between each floor is a safety measure for a blackout?' Ryu said as they jumped up to the trapdoor and peeked through to record Hawkmoth. 

Hen recorded the whole thing while Ryu waited below. They were waiting until Hawkmoth left to sneak back into the lair to exit the building. 

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Countess Command chased after Masquerade to the trap that Madame Bug has set up. 

Madame Bug used her Lucky Charm to get a net which she plans to use to capture Countess Command like a fish in a net. She set it up so that Midnight would be able to Cataclysm Countess Command's belt. They got it prepared as Masquerade appeared with Countess Command approaching behind her. 

Masquerade quickly mumbled "Mirage" to hide the trap that Madame Bug set up while using the same Mirage to set up clones herself to seem like she's on Countess Command's side. 

'WHAT ARE YOU DOING?' Madame Bug screamed at Masquerade, pretending to be afraid. 

'Go get them, Countess Command,' Masquerade said, pointing to the heroes' direction. 

Countess Command rushed over, but got caught in the trap. 'What?' Countess Command exclaimed. 

'I'd never betray them,' Masquerade said as Midnight charged up his Cataclysm. 

Just before the belt got destroyed, Countess Command sent an attack towards Midnight, but Masquerade blocked it with her body, crumbling her mask to pieces and hitting her to a building far away. Hawkmoth caught a glimpse of Masquerade just before he lost contact with Countess Command who got deakumatized. 

'WHAT?' Masquerade said as she felt the gentle breeze caress a part of her face that shouldn't be exposed. 

'Masquerade!' Midnight said as he ran to Masquerade to bring her to a safe place, the Dupain-Cheng bakery. 

Madame Bug quickly got rid of the Akuma and used her Miraculous Ladybug power to revert things, but Masquerade's mask who came in contact with the energy half a second after the belt was destroyed still remained broken. Madame Bug and Viper quickly rushed to check on Masquerade and Midnight's condition. 

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'Ryu, Hawkmoth's detransforming,' Hen whispered to Ryu as Hen who detransformed then transformed again could use her shapeshifting skill to become an Akuma while Ryu could quickly rush up the ladder without being seen by Hawkmoth. 

The two of them managed to run away and called the other heroes to meet at the bakery. 

'What happened to Masquerade?' Marinette asked as she saw Masquerade laying on her couch, looking pale. 

'She got hit by an attack, and the attack was probably very concentrated, it broke through her mask,' Chloe explained as Marcus brought water from downstairs. 

'How is she?' Marinette asked. 

'She's alive, unconscious, she probably needs more rest, I don't know, I'm not a doctor,' Chloe explained as Kagami checked up on Masquerade's condition. 

'Why'd the villain aim for her?' Marinette asked. 

'Actually, they aimed for me,' Marcus said, 'She saved me.' 

'We can't even bring her to a doctor, how are we supposed to explain this? We're not supposed to be in Paris and it's impossible to say that she was victim of an Akuma in Gotham,' Marinette explained. 

'Should we bring her back to Gotham, let her rest in bed, the transformation will probably wear off soon, she did use Mirage already,' Chloe asked. 

'Yeah, we'll bring her back,' Marinette decided as she took the Horse Miraculous and transformed into Pegasus to teleport them back. 

'Bye, let's call later at 11 p.m. Paris time,' Marinette said as they went back to Gotham, bidding goodbye to Kagami and Luka. 

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"Masquerade looked familiar," Gabriel thought to himself as he sat down and tried to think of where he saw her face before. A sudden thought clicked in, Lizzie Hearts. 

'Nathalie! Book me a flight to Gotham, right now for the closest date possible,' Gabriel ordered Nathalie. 

'Why sir?' Nathalie asked. 

'I know who Masquerade is, and it's time to hunt her,' Gabriel said as he thought up his plan while Nathalie made the necessary arrangements. 

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Marinette took her camera out and showed everyone all the things she captured while she was in the Agreste Mansion. She sent a copy of everything to Bruce who decided to try and find Gabriel in Paris, but Gabriel was long gone. Boarding a flight to Gotham. 

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Lizzie opened her eyes, her world was spinning around and she couldn't make shape of things scattered around. 

'Lizzie, you're finally awake,' Marcus whispered in a soft tone as he fed some water to Lizzie. 

'Too... loud, ringing,' Lizzie said as she tried to sit up while placing her hand on her head. 

'Pretty sure you need to lay down for now,' Marcus said as he laid Lizzie back down while going out to call the others. 

Lizzie rested for a few more minutes, but got too bored to stay still, plus she was feeling better, so she decided to just relax by using her laptop. 

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Night rolled around, the dark sky lit up by stars radiantly. The natural state of the universe in all it's glory. A breeze blew in to the lively living room of the three girl's apartment. The group of friends were gathered to watch Lizzie's first song's premier and a movie later. 

'I am so excited,' Lizzie said, she was feeling much better after resting and was back to her happy self on the left side of the sofa. 

'They've been doing a lot of advertising for it, it's gonna blow up,' Marcus said, cradling Lizzie in his arms as he sat to her right side. 

'Popcorn, cause we had extra from the movie night,' Marinette said, carrying a bowl of popcorn while sitting on the floor in front of Marcus and Chloe. 

'I want some,' Damian said as he sat next to Marinette. 

'I've got drinks,' Chloe said as she passed the soft drink to everyone. Sitting down next to Jon on the right side of the couch. 

'Thank you,' all of them thanked Chloe for the drinks and Marinette for the popcorn. 

The countdown started, they waited as they read the live chat, it was full of supportive comments. 

3...

2...

1...

The first notes rang through the speakers of the television. 

https://youtu.be/NLphEFOyoqM

(A/N: This is the song)

'You wrote this song, right?' Marinette asked as they reached the pre-chorus. 

'Yeah, was thinking of a trilogy of songs with a story, the protagonist has never fallen in love before, but someone tells the protagonist they're pretty and they get a valentine, but they don't know if the guy actually likes them and they have a song about an unrequited love, then they get heartbroken because the guy was just being friendly,' Lizzie explained as the chorus started playing. 

'I love the gentle voice you used,' Marcus commented. 

'Thank you!' Lizzie thanked. 

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After the song, they watched James Bond for bonding reasons. As it came to an end Marinette went to wash the dishes with Damian tailing her. 

'I seriously don't need your help,' Marinette said as she started washing the popcorn bowl. 

'But I can still help, I wouldn't want you to just do it alone,' Damian replied as he wiped the bowl that Marinette passed to him so he could put it back. Damian opened the cupboard above Marinette to place the bowl as Marinette filled the drink cans with water to recycle. 

As Marinette finished, she realized that Damian was right above her and it made her blush a bit, but she quickly calmed herself down before Damian noticed anything. 

'I have to go back soon,' Damian said as he grabbed a cup of water to drink. 

'Yeah, there's still school tomorrow,' Marinette replied as she also drank some water, lifting her chin up to chug the water. 

Damian couldn't help but blush. Everything Marinette did was beautiful to him, like a goddess sent from the heavens, no, Marinette is a goddess to Damian. 

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The boys left to go home, they walked in the empty streets of Gotham, the city of crime. The silence was broken by their conversations that rang through the empty streets. 

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OMG, I am finally done! It took me forever cause I've been experiencing Writer's Block, and I couldn't write anything for so long. 

I unlocked my inner comedian for this one. Hope you enjoyed, please tell me what you think of it. I will focus more on Daminette in the next few chapters.