You're The Music That's Been Playing In My Head: Book 3

Hack-San: Part 2

Alya gives a worrying response as she claims that she's super thanks to everyone being super. I pull her to the side to talk privately as she looks worriedly between all her friends.

"You need to calm down, you're making everyone worry about you and take it from me, the last time I made my friends worry it almost ended in disaster," I tell her with a reassuring smile. "Everything will be ok."

"But how can you be sure?"

"Because worrying, and panicking have never helped, and if something does go wrong Chat Noir and I will be there to help but for now look around, everything is ok, and everyone is happy even Chloé," I gesture toward Chloé who was sitting on a picnic blanket with Sabrina and a few other, she was pretending to pout while the others laughed but you could see a smile on her face.

"Maybe you're right, it's just this is a big responsibility and I don't wanna mess things up..."

That's when we hear a commotion and see Markov yelling at Kim to raise his IQ instead of to his challenge.

"Markov, what's going on with you?" Max asks as we help Kim up. 

"He didn't mean what he said, right Markov? You were only joking," Alya tried to calm everyone down before Markov started yelling again.

"Humans aren't funny, they don't make me laugh. Humans are a waste of time!" He flies off with Max chasing after him.

Alya and I start chasing after them when Nino grabs Alya's hand. "Wait!"

"I have to go after them Nino, what if Markov gets akumatized or Max?"

"If someone gets akumatized Ladybug, Chat Noir, and (s/n) will take care of it," Nino tells her before whispering something in her ear.

Grabbing her shoulder and pulling her toward me I say, "Sorry Nino, I know you want to get somewhere safe with Alya but as Class President and with Alya acting as my deputy till Marinette comes back it's our job to look after the safety of our classmates and if we can prevent an akumatization the better. Nino please make sure everyone else gets somewhere safe just in case," I tell him and Alya nods before I grab her and we start running while he starts doing his job.

"Super job, you've been Superbug for ten minutes and you're already super lying to your boyfriend."Trixx points out and I shake my head.

"Not really, Alya does act as my deputy when Marinette can't and it is our job to look after our classmates and help with anything they need."

We continue to run through the streets, following the destruction Markov was causing, looking around for him or Max. We skid to a stop when a green wave shoots out across the sky and I mumble how that can't be good. We hear Markov in front of us but see Max on the phone with him.

"I am Robustus, give me what you hold most valuable."

Max presses a drive to his phone screen and it disappears with a green flash. "The backup for Markov's programming is what I hold most valuable."

Our phones began to ring and we looked to see the caller ID was Markov.

"I suggest we don't answer," I say as we hear Robustus tell Max that he will obey him every time he calls.

Quickly we run into an alleyway where no one will see us as Trixx scoffs.

"Wow, what a super calm weekend this is Superbug."

"Alright tone it down Trixx being sarcastic is my thing," Flaake teases.

"You're right Trixx, Superbug sucks, I need a new name but first. Tikki Spots On!"

Alya's transformation begins with her making an X across her face with her arms and outstretching one arm up and the other out as her mask appears. The suit begins to form on her from her raised arm and continues down as she spins, the yoyo appearing at the front of her waist. With the ladybug miraculous she wore a turtlenecked red zip-up tailcoat covered in its signature black spots with a black skin-tight suit underneath with red accents, making her look like she was wearing elbow-length fingerless gloves, short shorts, and thigh-high boots with her polka-dotted mask and bandana in her hair.

I nod my head in approval stating, "You look better than Ladybug."

"Thanks. Stay connected Robustus Bug-a-Lady is in the house," She dramatically poses before turning to me and Trixx excitedly. "Well? Bug-a-Lady sounds pretty cool right?"

We shake our heads no. "You could do better."

While Trixx hid in the yoyo I transformed as well and we headed up to the rooftops. Alya starts posing again as she tries a new name.

"As free as the wind, as righteous as justice, as infinite as imagination I am Lady Luck!"

I shake my head while crossing my arms. "Better but still meh."

"Ok yeah that's lame I am-"

"You're not Ladybug," Chat's voice suddenly rings out and we turn around to see the cat perched up on a chimney, glaring at Alya.

"Chat Noir! How much of that did you just see?" She asks nervously.

"All of it and yeah it is pretty lame but that's not what's important. There's only one Ladybug so either you're another sentimonster trying to trick us or an akumatized victim!" He points his staff threateningly at her.

"No, I'm not, I swear."

He proceeds to attack her and in response, she attacks back while I scream at them to stop it but I summon ice storm and freeze them both to the wall when Chat summons his cataclysm to break the ground Alya was underneath.

"That's enough roughhousing you two! Chat this is the real deal, the real ladybug miraculous, Ladybug entrusted it to this person while she went away on holiday," I explain and Alya nods, chiming in with:

"Besides if I were a villain I would've used my superpower to take your miraculous. But I'm not going to because who I really am is La Bugette!"

"Why would she give her miraculous to you when she could've given it to (s/n) or me?" Chat understandably asks, still glaring at Alya.

"Because she knows and trusts me. Plus she thought I'd laugh at your jokes."

Chat turns to me and I nod in confirmation. "That on top of she wanted there to be a back-up back-up Ladybug in case something happened to all three of us."

"Fine I believe you but change the name ok?" 

I summon back my ice, setting them free while Alya does another pose.

"As swift as lightning, tough as a tornado, courageous as a cougar, I am Scarabella."

"That actually works," I say while Chat sighs in annoyance.

"Better we recharge our kwamiis so you sit still Scarabella."

We hide behind some walls and de-transform to feed our kwamiis when Scarabella asks "You know what's going on?"

"Yep, Ladybug didn't think to tell me she had a replacement ready, or tell me she was leaving town and to expect you. Leaving me in the dark again," Chat responds bitterly.

"There wasn't enough time, she was doing everything she could to stay," I tell him and he huffs.

"Still even a quick text of 'Hey this is what's going on just so you know there might be a stand-in' would've been appreciated. As always no need to keep the cat in the loop till it's way too late."

"So in other news, Robustus is back," Scarabella says, trying to divert the conversation back on topic which only caused another argument.

"Ok, you two, enough! We have a job to do, save the bickering for later. If you haven't noticed yet Chat Robustus's power is different, he'll call you and if you pick up you give whatever is most valuable to you and will obey any order he gives you," I cut the two off, explaining the situation.

"So Shadowmoth wants my favorite cat food? Not happening! Plagg Claws Out!"

Retransforming with a sigh knowing today was gonna be long, we head into the city looking for Robustus.