AN - I accidentally published chapter eight first, but chapter seven is also up. Please read that first!

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Kagami smoothed down her jeans, seated outside the café and waiting patiently for her friend. She tapped at the table, admiring the scenery and the layout of the venue. Ivy was grown strategically up the side of the two-storey building, with arched red windows and a door to match scattered over it's face. Poles connected a shaded area, which had fairy lights and assorted potted flowers dangling from it. It was quiet and calm, unlike a certain bluenette who was rushing to get there on time.

Marinette lost a fair chunk of time to her little meltdown, and was running late. 'Maybe mother was onto something when she set all those ridiculous alarms...' She shook the thought from her head, skidding to a halt before she turned the corner. She took the moment to relax herself, looking down at Longg for support. He gave her a reassuring nod from her pocket, and she walked over to Kagami.

"Sorry I'm late, I had to take some extra security measures so that mother doesn't find out I left."

"Who even is your mum, the FBI?" They both laughed, settling into eachother's company.

"So, how're you finding school?"

"It's pretty cool, I'm actually socialising for once in my life. My folks are ecstatic that I have friends, now."

"I think it's great that you're getting along well with the class. Chloe hasn't given you any more trouble, has she?"

"Nah, and she couldn't touch me even if she tried. One of the positives of spending so much time alone is that I've accepted pretty much all of my faults." Kagami thought back to what the black-clad kitty cat had said about Mari, but brushed it off. 'That girl clearly doesn't know Marinette well at all.'

"Alright, but if she pulls anything with you, let me know." Mari spoke, unable to break the other's slight daze. She just stared over at Marinette, taking in all her features under the soft light. Her wide eyes, immaculate brows, her perfectly curled lashes. The faint freckled that dotted her nose, which was perfect and round, just like the rest of her face.

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'Why is she staring at me? Was it something I said? Maybe offering help made it seem like I think she can't handle herself! What if-'

Marinette was getting increasingly more stressed under Kagami's gaze, worried by how intensely focused she was. Kagami had a stare that could cut through lead, which Mari witnessed when Chloe received that chewing-out on Monday.

She snapped out of her thoughts when she felt a hand on hers, looking down to find that Kagami was holding it, interlacing their fingers. She had a goofy, genuine smile on her face.

"Calm down, Mari! I can practically feel your brain going into overdrive. As cute as you are when you're nervous, I don't want you to be all stressed out."

"Sorry, you were just... staring..." Marinette mumbled out, looking away to hide the blush spreading across her face. Lots of people told Mari she was cute, but no-one had ever said it so casually, like it was simply factual.

"You don't need to apologise, I'm sorry for staring. Your perfect face is kinda hard not to look at, y'know." Kagami said exactly what she was thinking, for once, and immediately cringed. 'Jesus Christ, I had no idea compliments could come out so cheesy by accident...'

Mari was trying her hardest to form a comprehensible set of words, effectively unable to respond from sheer flusteredness. She was saved from trying to decipher whether or not that was Kagami trying to flirt with her, by a loud rumble from somewhere close by. Cracks appeared along the ground beside her, and she jumped up out of her chair, her hand still wrapped in the taller girl's. She sprinted off, pulling Kagami behind her, and found an alleyway a safe distance away to hide in. Marinette went to transform, but stopped just before she let the phrase leave her mouth. Instead, she fabricated an excuse to sneak off.

"I left my bag at the café! If mum calls me and I don't answer, I'll have hell to pay, I need to go back and get it." She explained, dashing away before Kagami could get a word in. when she was out of sight again, she transformed, and followed the cracks to their source.

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The cat was facing off against a giant rock dude, and she was quite obviously losing. She called up her cataclysm, and in a last-ditch effort to knock the guy down, she lunged for him. Lucky for the rock pile, she missed, slipping and hitting the ground. She didn't pay any mind to the screaming civilians who were now fleeing the cracks that crept along the newly destroyed floor; instead, she followed him to his apparent destination.

The Eiffel Tower.

She plopped down on a roof nearby in an attempt to catch her breath, before she went back in. A light thud sounded behind her, and she turned to see someone dressed in red and black.

"What's going on?" they asked, crouching down next to her.

"This stone guy is stomping around, he nearly stood on a child! And he's got no care for anything in his path. He seemed pretty intent on getting to the tower. I'm guessing you're Wyvaer?"

"Yeah! You got a name?"

"Not yet, Lady Luck said you could help with that."

"So you've met LL already? She's pretty great, isn't she?"

"I guess so. Now, what're we gonna do about our homie hanging off the tower?"

"Not sure. Have you tried using your power yet?"

"Yeah, but I slipped up and ended up ruining the floor. Which is odd, since I very rarely screw things up." She finished the line in a matter-of-fact tone, gesturing to herself. Wyvaer just quirked an eyebrow.

Lady Luck appeared behind them, and they both stood up to greet her.

"What's the deal?"

"Boulder brains over here committed several acts of destruction of property, and very nearly hospitalised a couple civvies. Wy and I were just trying to form a plan."

"Kitty here says that brute force won't work, and she's only got a couple minutes left before her transformation wears off. I haven't used my powers yet, though."

LL stared off at the stone guy as she thought, and decided the best plan of action was to ask Tikki.

"Hey, you in there?"

"Yup!"

"Great, do you happen to know how to defeat this massive rock monster?"

"There's a weird energy radiating from him. It's... angry. Something has taken advantage of his mind being weakened in a time of despair."

"So there's a person in there somewhere? That's horrible!"

She returned to the real world, immediately making a run for the tower. She beckoned for the others to follow, and they just shrugged and complied. LL shouted as they ran.

"This thing was a human at one point! He isn't doing this on his own, he's being controlled. We need to save him!"

"And how do you propose we do that?" the cat replied.

"There has to be a source of this transformation – like the miraculous. We find it, we break it, and he should detransform."

"A source, you say? I think I saw something in his fist earlier."

"Yeah, and he hasn't opened that fist since!" Wyvaer added.

"Alright, so we need him to open his hand up and drop the object. How do we go about that?" LL thought aloud, and as if it'd been summoned by the phrase, her vision changed. She looked around her newly grayscale environment, a little bewildered. She looked back at her teammates, and something clicked when she locked eyes with Wy. But there was a piece missing in her plan.

The trio arrived in front of the Eiffel Tower, sliding to a stop.

"Cover me while I use my ability, I have a plan."

"Sure thing, Lady!"

Lady Luck called her lucky charm, and into her hands fell a large box. She turned it over, looking for a label, and discovered it was a large inflatable pool.

'This is the missing piece!'

"Kitty! I need you to get up there and distract him! And Wyvaer, prepare to use your power. I'll need you to call 'sea serpent' on my signal."

"On it!" they called out, simultaneously.

The cat climbed and hopped her way up to where the victim was standing, gathering his attention with some name calling and generic insults. LL used her new superhero prowess to blow up the pool, dragging it to just the right spot. She gave the go ahead to Wyvaer, who stepped into the pool and summoned her power. She turned into water, filling the container.

"Knock him off now!" LL shouted up at kitty, who nodded, before driving the rock pile off the edge of the tower. Just as she'd hoped, his fist loosened as he fell, releasing what used to be a phone. He landed safely in the pool after detransforming, and the phone shattered on the ground. A small black and pink butterfly was released, and they all watched as it flew of. Wyvaer slowly formed back into a person, helping the guy out of the pool.

"What happened? Do you know how you became that villain?"

The boy, who Wy now recognised to be Ivan, her classmate, just shook his head in confusion.

"I remember being angry at Chloe, she sent a message to everyone in class that told them I liked Mylene. I got so... angry. I saw the butterfly, and heard this little voice in my head, telling me they could help me, if only I gave into my misery. After that, it's all black. I woke up in that pool."

"That really blows. We don't know if you're safe from this mysterious evil for good, so please try to keep positive for awhile." LL said.

"Talk to people, ok? You don't have to handle everything alone." The cat appeared out of nowhere, dropping down beside Ivan.

"Whoah, when did you get here? You're like a shadow or something, I swear." Commented Ivan.

"Or... A Chat-ow..." Wyvaer added.

"Chatow? Now that's a name I can get behind!" She giggled, and everyone smiled.

"Good job gang! Up high?"

"Up high!" the others responded in unison. They high-fived, and Chatow's miraculous started beeping frantically.

"Uh-oh, looks like I gotta split for now. But good job you guys, today rocked!" She jogged backwards away from the scene, dropping a wink and some finger guns at her little joke. LL facepalmed, but Wy laughed.

"I can get Iva- I mean, this guy, home on my own. Catch you later!" Lady Luck waved goodbye, locking arms with Ivan and making the move to leave. But before she could fully turn away, Wyvaer grabbed her wrist, pulling the tall hero down to kiss her cheek. She sprinted off before she could even begin to think about what she'd just done. LL buffered for a couple of seconds, her mind trying to catch up with what just happened. She turned to face Ivan, beaming like the cat who caught the mouse.

"Did you see that? She kissed my cheek!"

Both heroes had completely forgotten about their café date.

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This is the longest chapter so far, and boy did it take time. Wondering who the elusive and goofy Chatow is? You'll find out soon enough! Ciao ~