Chapter 3 Party Animals

Adrien paced in his room. He had to do something, but Party Crasher was outside the door. Without the power of Chat Noir he wasn't agile enough to get safely to the ground through the window.

Adrien heard a faint sound from the bathroom. He went in. Kim was still swimming in his huge bathtub!

Adrien touched Kim's shoulder as he came up for air.

"Adrien, what's up? Where's everyone?" asked Kim.

Adrien put a finger to his lips and whispered, "I've got to get you out of here."

"Is the party over already?"

"There was an akuma – Party Crasher. Wayhem, my biggest fan, got mad when he didn't get into the party. I don't know why my bodyguard didn't let him in – he let in everyone else."

"I didn't hear anything. I was too busy swimming. This is a great pool!"

"Party Crasher is the most dangerous akuma yet. A lot of people got captured, including Ladybug."

"Woah!"

"The akuma is in the house, right outside the door. If he touches you, you'll get caught in a mirror."

"I bet I could take him on."

"He can predict his opponent's movements so he's really hard to beat. The best way out is through the window, if you can jump to the tree and climb down. You're strong enough to make it."

"I can do it, no sweat. I can climb like a monkey."

"Get out the word once you escape. My father, Gabriel Agreste, is Hawk Moth. He's down in his lair beneath this house. He's got Ladybug and Chat Noir. He's even got the Guardian of the Miraculous, but he doesn't know it yet. Once Ladybug is forced to talk, Hawk Moth will be able to get his wish and Ladybug will be lost forever."

"Bummer!"

"I don't know how to get hold of the other heroes: Rena Rouge, Carapace, Viperion, or Pegasus. Only Ladybug knows. But if you get the word out they may respond. Be sure to warn them to be careful and not get captured by Party Crasher, too."

"On it!"

Kim didn't bother to put his clothes back on. He went to the window wearing only his swimsuit.

Adrien put on the Stationation music again to cover the sounds of Kim's escape.

Party Crasher spoke from outside the door. "Adrien, what are you doing in there?"

"I thought you might like some music, Party Crasher," said Adrien. "I didn't mean for you to be excluded from the party. It was a sudden thing my friends put together. I would have had my bodyguard let you in if I knew you were out there."

"I don't believe you," said Party Crasher. "You're only sucking up to me now because I got powerful. But keep the music on. I love a good dance tune."

Kim sneaked around the back of the house. Getting out the front was easy with the gate gone. He didn't have his phone, so he decided to go the riverside spot where the girls were planting trees.

Nino, Luka, and Max had already gone to the girls. They decided they needed to hide the Miraculous Box. Hawk Moth might have seen their faces at the party through the akuma victim's eyes, so it would be safer for Alya, Alix, Mylène, Rose, Juleka, or Marinette to keep it.

"So you ducked out of our tree-planting session with lame excuses to go party with Adrien?" asked Alya. "Nino, you're in big trouble."

"Yeah, I'm really sorry," said Nino.

Juleka mumbled something to Luka.

"I predicted you would be disappointed," said Max. "However, this akuma that captured Ladybug and Chat Noir is an urgent priority."

"So is hiding the box," said Luka.

"Where's Ivan?" asked Mylène. "Wasn't he with you?"

"He got captured by the akuma," said Luka. "I'm not sure about Marinette, but I think he got her, too."

"Marinette was there?" asked Alya. "I knew she was just making excuses!"

"Yeah, it was a guys only party but she disguised herself and got in," said Nino.

"What about Kim?" asked Alix. "I hope he got away."

"I'm here," said Kim, running up in his swimsuit.

"Did you really have a swim lesson after all?" asked Rose.

"Nah, I just took the chance to swim in Adrien's big tub. The akuma didn't see me – Adrien helped me get away. I have some info on Hawk Moth and the akuma."

"Spill the deets," said Alya.

Kim filled them in on what Adrien told him.

"What can we do?" asked Rose. "Do you think just call the police?"

"Party Crasher would just take them all out," said Luka. "We saw how fast he is; he can capture people with one touch."

"Or a beam," said Nino. "I saw him shoot one at Ladybug and Chat Noir."

"We seem to have a lot of Miraculous here in this box," said Max. "Perhaps we can all get powers and help."

They poked at the jewelry and picked it up, but nothing happened. They put it back.

"They aren't ready to activate, I guess," said Alya. "I know a little about this... from my interviews with Ladybug. They're usually handed out in wooden boxes. When the box is opened a little creature called a kwami appears. They tell you a transformation phrase. You put on the jewelry and say the phrase. Then they go into the jewelry and power you up."

"We have one box with a Miraculous ready to go," said Luka. "Which one is it?"

"Open it and see," suggested Kim.

"It will blow the secret identity of the hero who gets it," said Nino.

"This is an emergency," said Mylène. "We have to help Ivan... and the others."

Luka opened the box, which contained a pair of pince nez glassses.

In a burst of light, a tiny flying brown horse appeared.

"Why have you opened my box in front of so many?" said the kwami with a sad expression. "This is not proper."

"I'm sorry, Kaalki," said Max. "It's an emergency and we didn't know for sure it was you."

Others around him gasped.

"Max? You're a superhero?" asked Alya.

Max nodded.

"What is the emergency?" asked Kaalki.

"Ladybug, Chat Noir, and the Guardian have all been captured by Hawk Moth," said Kim.

"That is indeed dire," said Kaalki. "You can make a portal to Hawk Moth's lair if you know where it is. But the Butterfly wielder is formidable to face alone, and worse if he has an akumatized champion with him."

"Is there any way to get more of you active, without the Guardian?" asked Max.

"There is a small supply of activation boxes inside the Miracle Box," said Kaalki. "There is a secret compartment on the underside."

Luka looked under the box and found a switch. He clicked it and a hexagonal wooden box popped out into his hand. He clicked it again, but there were no more.

"There is only room for four activation boxes in the Miracle Box," said Kaalki. "The others must be in use."

"Only one more hero can be activated," said Nino. "It can't be Carapace, since his Miraculous isn't here."

"It could be Rena Rouge," said Alya. "Her pendant is here. But illusions won't do much good in this situation."

"I have an idea," said Alix. "See that blue watch? I met someone from the future who uses that one. I'm not sure how it got back in the box. It was in my family for a long time in disguise. Time travel's complicated."

"You know how to use it?" asked Kaalki.

"I met the kwami and I know the transformation phrase. I'm going to be the Rabbit holder in the future. Future me said I would get it when I'm cool enough. I think the time is now!"

"The Guardian must have approved you, or will," said Kaalki. "Go for it. But know that traveling in time is very dangerous."

Alix picked up the watch and placed it in the small hexagonal box. She opened it and a small blue and white rabbit appeared in a flash of light.

"Alix, we meet again. Or is it the first time? I guess we meet again for the first time," said the kwami.

"Fluff, nice to see you again," said Alix. "I'm ready to become Bunnyx."

Gustav (who Adrien had nicknamed the Gorilla) was playing with his new superhero action figures. He had earplugs in his ears to shut out the loud music from the party.

Two superheroes appeared in front of him, one with an umbrella and bunny ears, and the other with dark glasses and a hairstyle like a horse's mane. The latter was vaguely familiar to him from a news report about the Startrain, so he decided to trust them.

Gustav removed his earplugs to hear what they had to say.

"Someone is ringing the doorbell," said Pegasus. "It's another guest for the party. It's very important that you let them in."

Gustav nodded and pressed the switch for the intercom.

"I'm Wayhem, Ardien's biggest fan," said the young man at the gate. "Please let me in for the party."

Gustav pressed the switch for the gate. The young man bounded it, carrying a box with a disco ball inside.

"Thanks!' said Wayhem. "This is the happiest day of my life!"

Bunnyx and Pegasus looked at each other.

"We've changed the timeline, whatever it costs us," said Bunnyx. "That'll keep Hawk Moth from creating the Party Crasher."

"Let's go up to the party and tell everyone about Hawk Moth," said Pegasus. "The Guardian must be there in disguise. He'll know what to do. He can stop Hawk Moth before he activates another akuma."

Wayhem joined the party as everyone was grouped around a short person on the floor wearing a red motorcycle helmet.

"It's-a me, Marino," said the person in what sounded like a fake Italian accent.

Pegasus made a portal to bring himself and Bunnx into the room.

"Everyone stay calm," said Pegasus. "We need you all to leave peacefully and quietly."

The guests murmured in surprise.

"What's going on?" asked Adrien.

"We have information that an akuma may attack here soon," said Bunnyx. "Everyone please follow standard evacuation procedure."

By now, everyone in Paris had been drilled about akumas – everyone left quietly.

(Markov, the little robot, unplugged from Adrien's computer and went with Max. The music volume in the room went down dramatically.)

"I hope the Guardian comes back," said Pegasus. "I didn't want to cause a panic and another akuma."

A minute later, Ladybug and Chat Noir came into the room.

"I heard about an akuma coming," said Ladybug. "I'm here to help."

"Me too," said Chat. "What kind of powers does it have?"

"It's good you're here, Ladybug and Chat Noir," said Bunnyx. "We have information from the future."

"Is it safe to tell us? Won't that mess up the timeline?" asked Ladybug.

"We already changed it, by preventing the akumatized person from getting upset," said Bunnyx.

"It was a huge disaster and both of you were captured," said Pegasus. "We had to stop it at all costs."

"We have to tell them quickly before our memories fade," said Bunnyx. "Hawk Moth is... is..."

"In this house! The lair's in the basement!" Pegasus blurted out.

"In this house?" asked Chat Noir. "How could he be here?"

"I... forget," said Pegasus. "But... follow up..."

The two new heroes became transparent and started to fade away.

"We've changed our own timeline..." said Bunnyx. "Like in Back to the Future."

"Goodbye," said Pegasus.

"They're gone..." said Chat. "I hope they're still all right as their original selves in this timeline."

"Me too," said Ladybug.

"So, we follow up on a secret lair in the basement," said Chat. "How did he get in there without the family finding out?"

"Chat, we once suspected Gabriel Agreste as Hawk Moth," said Ladybug. "I think we have to re-open that investigation."

"But he's in Japan..." said Chat Noir in a trembling voice.

"Is he? It would be an excellent alibi if he has a way of faking that."

A purple and black butterfly flew at Chat Noir's ring. Ladybug managed to catch it with her yo-yo just in time.

"You're really upset, aren't you Chat? What is it? Don't you want to get to the bottom of this?"

"He's... he's my father. Gabriel Agreste is my father."

"Oh Chat, I'm sorry. I didn't know Adrien had a secret brother."

"He doesn't."

"Adrien?!"

The End