The air in Miss Bustier's classroom was thick with the scent of old paper I sat in my usual spot, leaning back with a deceptive laziness. In reality, I was focusing hard on a single point on my desk to keep from hearing the rhythmic tapping of Alya's scissors.
Alya was currently busy cutting out a picture of Ladybug, holding it up and squinting as she placed the cutout over various classmates' faces. She was hunting.
"I'm very pleased with how you all did on your last assignment," Miss Bustier said, her voice a calm anchor in the sea of noise. "Now it's time to move on to our next assignment." She paused, glancing around the room. "Is Marinette still in the girl's room?"
"Uh, I don't know, miss," Alya replied, her eyes never leaving her Ladybug cutout.
I glanced at the empty seat next to Alya. I knew where Marinette was or rather, I knew where Ladybug had been. My senses had picked up the faint trail of her transformation earlier that morning. The bell rang, a sharp vibration that I absorbed into my heels to keep my head from spiking.
"Tonight, I want you all to read chapter three of The Breathtaking France," Miss Bustier announced over the shuffling of bags. She handed two questionnaires to Alya. "See to it that Marinette receives her homework."
As the class cleared out, I lingered. I could hear Alya's frustrated sigh as she dialed Marinette's number, only to get the voicemail.
"Ugh, I hate when she goes AWOL," Alya muttered as we walked into the locker room. I stayed near the door, my ears twitching. I heard a locker click open nearby. It was Chloe's.
Alya gasped, hiding behind a row of lockers. My Apex Instinct zoomed in. Inside Chloe's locker sat a Ladybug costume and a yo-yo.
"Chloé's Ladybug?" Alya whispered, her heart rate spiking with excitement.
I frowned. No way, I thought. The scent was wrong. Chloe smelled like expensive roses and hairspray; she didn't have the "spark" of a Miraculous holder.
"Alya, don't jump to conclusions," I said, stepping up beside her. "It's probably just a costume."
"Are you kidding, Finn? Look at it! It's a sign!" She didn't listen. She bolted out, dragging a confused Nino along for her investigation.
I shook my head and headed home. I needed to center myself. The Wolf Miraculous was humming against my skin, sensing the rising tension in the city. "She's going to get herself into trouble, Axel," I said as I entered my attic.
"The girl with the phone is persistent," Axel said, popping out of my pocket. "But the blonde girl... she's a lure. This is going to end badly."
The next morning, the "badly" part arrived.
I arrived at school to find the atmosphere changed. It was no longer buzzing with curiosity; it was sharp with anger. I found Alya standing in front of Principal Damoclès' office, looking ready to explode.
"It's unfair! I'm suspended for a week? For a photo?!" Alya shouted as she stormed out.
"Alya, wait!" I called out, but she was already down the stairs. My Sixth Sense gave a violent, jagged jerk. The air suddenly felt cold and static-heavy. It was the exact sensation of an Akuma entering the area.
I looked up. Alya was clutching her phone, her eyes clouded with dark purple energy. Hawk Moth had found his mark.
"Tikki, time to transform!" I heard a whisper from around the corner. Marinette had finally arrived, only to see her best friend get "evilized."
I ducked into the library, hiding behind a stack of books. "Axel, she's targeting the truth. Let's make sure she doesn't find it. Axel, Let's Hunt!"
The silver light swept over me. I felt the Apex Instinct sharpen. I could "see" through the walls of the school—Lady Wifi was already taking over the broadcast system.
I leaped out the window and onto the roof, moving toward the Grand Paris Hotel. I knew that's where she'd go for Chloe. I landed on the hotel balcony just as Ladybug and Cat Noir arrived.
"Who's being a sneaky kitty now?" Ladybug asked, looking at Cat Noir.
I dropped down from the ledge above them. "Make it a pack," I said, my voice a low rumble.
"White Fang!" Cat Noir grinned. "Glad you could join the party. We've got a lady with a serious signal problem inside."
"She's in the basement," I said, my ears flicking toward the elevator shaft. "I can hear the data humming. But she's moving fast. She gets her power from the wifi signal."
"No service, no power," Ladybug nodded. "Let's lead her to the basement."
The fight was a blur of pink icons. Lady Wifi was fast, using her phone to teleport and pin us down. At one point, she pinned Ladybug to the kitchen wall with lock icons.
"Who is Ladybug?" Lady Wifi shouted into her camera, her voice broadcasting across the city. She tried to pull off Ladybug's mask, but it wouldn't budge. "Why doesn't it come off?"
"Because it's magic?" Ladybug retorted.
I lunged forward, swiping at the phone in Lady Wifi's hand, but she vanished in a flash of pink light. "She's playing a game of hide and seek with the signal!" I yelled.
Cat Noir headed for the roof to jam the antenna. I stayed with Ladybug, helping her break the icons holding her. My Immortal Pulse allowed me to tank a few of the "pause" icons that Lady Wifi threw my way, my body breaking out of the stasis in seconds instead of minutes.
"Go help Cat Noir!" Ladybug yelled, grabbing a microwave for her Lucky Charm. "I've got an idea to jam the signal in here!"
I sprinted up the stairs, my wolf-speed making the climb effortless. I reached the roof just as Cat Noir was dodging a barrage of symbols.
"Need a hand, Cat?" I asked, sliding across the roof.
"Just help me reach that antenna!"
I let out a low, focused growl—the Alpha's Howl. It didn't knock her back, but the frequency was designed to mess with electronic signals. Lady Wifi's phone flickered, her aim wavering.
"Now!" I yelled.
Cat Noir slammed his hand into the antenna. "Cataclysm!"
The metal crumbled. The pink light died. Below us, the icons vanished. Ladybug finished the job, breaking the phone and purifying the Akuma.
Later, after the "Miraculous Ladybug" fixed the hotel, I stood on a nearby chimney, watching Alya blink in confusion. Ladybug and Cat Noir shared a "Pound it" moment. I stayed back, my silver eyes watching Marinette as she detransformed in an alley.
She looked exhausted, but relieved. My Apex Instinct was calm now, no longer screaming.
"You're not going to talk to her?" Axel asked, peeking out.
"Not yet," I said. "She has enough on her plate with Alya and her homework."
The next day at school, Alya was back, showing Marinette her new phone and her latest theory that Adrien was Cat Noir. I sat behind them, listening to Marinette defend Adrien with a stuttering mess of words.
"Are you out of your mind? He's tons more legit than Cat Noir!" Marinette cried.
I leaned forward, resting my chin on my hand. "I don't know, Marinette," I said with a wink. "I think the Cat has his charms. But the Wolf? He's the one you really have to watch out for."
Marinette turned bright red, her mouth hanging open. Alya laughed and elbowed her.
"See? Even the new guy thinks the heroes are slick," Alya teased.
I just smiled and went back to my book. I was starting to like this world. It was messy, loud, and dangerous but as long as I had my pack, I was exactly where I was meant to be.