Just as Hawk Moth thought Mr. Pigeon would accept his bestowed power without hesitation, like the fragile souls before him, the seemingly unassuming pigeon lover frowned.
In his mind, with a critical tone almost like "evaluating a product," he asked a question that nearly short-circuited Hawk Moth on the spot:
"Wait a minute… why doesn't your voice sound as good as it did in that video yesterday?"
Gabriel, in his lair, froze.
He opened his mouth, momentarily unsure how to respond.
Mr. Pigeon continued to comment to himself: "I'm also an internet user; I watched that 'miraculous Blog' video yesterday.
I thought if the voiceover in the video was already that good, then the real you would definitely have a more majestic and magnetic voice.
But… why does it sound even worse than the one in the video?"
Gabriel felt his temples throbbing.
He suppressed the urge to crush this ungrateful pigeon along with his whistle, pushing down the anger in his heart.
He couldn't be bothered to explain that the voice was dubbed by someone else; he simply continued his temptation with an undeniable, emphasized tone: "Don't mind these trivial details!
Accept my power, Mr. Pigeon!
Let all of Paris become the kingdom of you and your friends!"
Ultimately, his obsession with pigeons overcame his pickiness about "voice quality."
Mr. Pigeon agreed.
Purple-black energy enveloped him; his body began to twist and deform.
His grey-green clothes became more like bird feathers, and his movements became extremely comical and ridiculous.
He no longer spoke but instead emitted a series of lifelike "cooing" sounds.
"Mr. Pigeon," Hawk Moth issued the command through the mental link, with a hint of vengeful coldness in his tone, "Don't you think I only play funny tricks?
Good, now, bring them real fear!
Go, let your children occupy this city!"
"Coo-coo—!" Mr. Pigeon let out an excited cry, waving his arms like a conductor, leading his overwhelming pigeon army to wreak havoc across the city.
This sudden and large-scale "pigeon disaster" immediately spread to every corner of Paris through live news broadcasts on various TV stations.
Inside the Mayor's office, Mayor Bourgeois was leisurely reviewing documents, coffee in hand.
He had actually seen the stir his daughter caused on the blog yesterday, but he didn't take it seriously at all.
In his opinion, it was just a prank Chloé and her classmates pulled off to show off and be trendy.
But now, as he watched the pigeons flying everywhere, aggressively attacking, and the eccentric Mr. Pigeon on the screen, the coffee cup in his hand nearly slipped.
"This… this is real?!"
After a brief shock, a surge of ecstasy, like a fountain, gushed from his heart.
"An opportunity!
This is simply a godsend!"
Yesterday, he still thought his daughter's video was a bit of a mess, but now, it seemed like a stroke of genius!
Isn't this ready-made, ironclad proof of the video's authenticity?
He watched Mr. Pigeon's highly individual destructive behavior in the live broadcast, and instead of feeling any concern for the city's safety, a bold idea arose in his heart—he hoped he would make things even bigger!
As the saying goes, the greater the storm, the greater the profit!
Only such real, city-wide battle scenes could make Parisian citizens truly realize the necessity of heroes' existence, and only then could the images of Ladybug and Cat Noir be deeply etched into the heart of every taxpayer!
As for danger?
He wasn't the one getting pecked by pigeons, and besides, he glanced at the map; the main affected area of this pigeon disaster was concentrated in the city center and near the park, not extending to his daughter's school.
"Then let him go for it!
The bigger he makes it, the greater the impact!
After all, the city isn't his… *cough*, anyway, the city's repair work will ultimately be covered by Miraculous Restoration.
He just needs to step out afterward, deliver a passionate speech, calm the public, and praise the heroes, and he'll easily gain another wave of support.
Perfect!"
This calculating Mayor even began to leisurely ponder: "Even if the heroes can't win, it doesn't matter.
His image as Mayor has already been established through the Stoneheart incident the day before yesterday and his public statement of 'supporting heroes.'
If even the heroes can't win, they can't possibly expect him, an unarmed ordinary person, to do anything, right?"
Meanwhile, at François Dupont High School.
All the students saw the live news broadcast at the same time, either on their phones or on the classroom's projection screen.
"Warning! Warning! Due to unknown reasons, a large-scale bird attack has occurred in Paris!
The city government has issued an emergency statement, requiring all citizens to stay indoors, and all schools to immediately lock down and prohibit going outside!"
The homeroom teachers of each class immediately began to act, comforting students and maintaining order in the classroom.
However, in Ms. Caline's class, the atmosphere became unusually subtle.
"Ha!" Chloé looked at Mr. Pigeon jumping up and down on the screen and the pigeons flying everywhere, a triumphant, excited smile on her face.
"Did you see that?
Did you see that!
Now, no one should doubt the authenticity of my video from yesterday, right?"
"Chloé!" Alya suddenly stood up from her seat, an angry expression on her face.
She pointed at the injured passersby on the screen who were being attacked by pigeons, "Is this the time to be saying that?!
People are getting hurt!
And you're actually gloating?"
"So what?" Chloé shrugged indifferently.
"I didn't cause this.
Besides, what does their injury have to do with me?"
"You—!" Alya was so angry she couldn't speak.
Seeing that the two were about to argue again, Ms. Caline immediately intervened: "Sit down, both of you!
Alya! Chloé!
This is an emergency; no arguing!"
Marinette tugged at Alya's sleeve, softly comforting her: "Don't be angry, Alya, Chloé is always like this…" She said, while anxiously thinking: "What kind of excuse can I use to sneak out and transform under these school-wide lockdown conditions?"
On the other side, Sabrina was also quietly comforting Chloé: "Chloé, don't stoop to her level.
Arguing with someone like Alya truly harms your noble image."
Adrien looked at the live broadcast on his phone, the frustration he felt from not being able to fit in with the group was now replaced by a stronger anxiety called "heroic responsibility."
He wanted to rush out immediately, transform into Cat Noir, and fight that ridiculous Mr. Pigeon.
But… he was a little allergic to pigeon feathers.
Just thinking about the overwhelming feathers made him want to sneeze.
"Ah… Achoo!" He covered his nose and let out a loud sneeze.
However, he rubbed his nose, and his gaze became firm, "It's better than sitting here like an idiot!"
Jaden, meanwhile, leaned back in his chair, watching the screen at his leisure.
He watched Mr. Pigeon use pigeon-formed drills to bore into cars and pigeon-formed cages to trap passersby, a knowing smile on his lips.
He remembered very clearly that in the "original work," Mr. Pigeon was arguably the most consistently defeated villain—72 Akumatizations, 72 failures.
The only time he won was in a virtual game created by another villain, where Cat Noir chose his image, and he won.
This guy was just a unit of measurement.
However, he was now more curious about how Marinette and Adrien, these two heroes trapped in the classroom, would get out?
After all, at this moment, with all the teachers and students highly stressed due to the emergency, if both of them suddenly said, "I don't feel well and need to go to the infirmary," it would be too easy to arouse suspicion.
On the other side of the city, Mr. Pigeon was engrossed in his masterpiece.
He stood atop a building, arms outstretched, enjoying the "cooing" adoration of millions of pigeon subjects.
He watched his children fly freely and wreak havoc in the city, filled with an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.
He didn't care at all about the damaged buildings or the injured humans.
Hawk Moth, hiding behind the scenes, began to grow impatient.
"Where are the superheroes?" he growled at the empty lair.
"Why hasn't a single one appeared?
Where is Ladybug?
Where is Cat Noir?
Are they asleep?"
He wasn't making such a big commotion just for this ridiculous Mr. Pigeon to put on a solo show!
He wanted to draw out the heroes and seize their miraculous!
Just as Hawk Moth was puzzled, Mr. Pigeon, through the mental link, conveyed a decision that caught him off guard.
"Lord Hawk Moth, what should I do next?" Mr. Pigeon asked, his tone filled with anticipation.
"Of course, go find Ladybug and Cat Noir!
Force them to hand over their miraculous!" Hawk Moth replied without thinking.
"No, no, no," Mr. Pigeon shook his head (or rather, mimicked a head-shaking motion with a few coos), "Before that, I have a more important goal.
A method that can fundamentally solve all our problems!"
"Oh?" Hawk Moth became interested.
"Tell me about it."
Mr. Pigeon then solemnly announced in a tone full of sacred mission:
"I'm going to find the person from that video yesterday!
I'm going to find that voice actor with such a good voice and have him narrate an epic, love-and-peace-filled segment for me and my children!"
Hawk Moth: "…Huh?"
"Yes!" Mr. Pigeon grew more excited as he spoke.
"And I remember that the Mayor's daughter is also in that class!
It's perfect!
I'm going to capture her!
Use her to force that foolish Mayor to give all the pigeons in Paris a permanent, legal home where they can poop freely!"
Hawk Moth fell completely silent.
He felt his brain, once again, filled with an indescribably absurd emotion.
He had thought that after yesterday's "collective prank," he had developed enough immunity to the bizarre thought processes of these humans.
He was wrong.
He never expected that his carefully planned Akumatization warrior, meant to spread fear, would… in the middle of a mission, suddenly decide to engage in "fan dubbing" and "real estate rights advocacy"?!
This pigeon… what does he want to do?
Does he want that boy named Jaden, with his damned, and Hawk Moth had to admit, magnetic voice, to narrate an episode of "Animal World" for his flock of flying pigeons?!"
"No…" Hawk Moth issued a firm denial through the mental link.
"Your goal is the miraculous!
Not some voice actor!"
"But with a voiceover, our actions will be more imposing!
With a legal home, our lives will be more secure!
This is much more important than any miraculous!" Mr. Pigeon argued self-righteously with his unique "pigeon logic."
Then, without giving Hawk Moth any chance to retort, he commanded his mighty pigeon army to change direction, sweeping overwhelmingly towards a clear target—François Dupont High School!
In the lair, Gabriel Agreste, once again, painfully buried his face in his hands.
Because upon hearing Mr. Pigeon's utterly absurd "fan dubbing and real estate rights advocacy plan," he felt his reason, long frozen by obsession and sorrow, crack once more.
"What kind of person is this Akumatization targeting?" He finally couldn't help but let out a low, angry roar through the mental link.
"This is no longer simply 'unprofessional'; this is an insult to the profession of a 'villain'!
His Akuma Butterfly is a ultimate weapon used to create fear and chaos, thereby forcing heroes to surrender their miraculous, not to narrate for pigeons or secure social welfare for them."
"Listen, Mr. Pigeon!" Hawk Moth's voice was filled with undeniable, forcibly suppressed anger.
"Now, you only have two choices!
First, immediately execute my plan, continue to create chaos in the city, and lure out Ladybug and Cat Noir for me!
Second, I will now release your Akumatization status and turn you back into that pathetic creature who can only be fed breadcrumbs in the park!"
To add weight to his threat, his mind stirred.
Far away on the other side of the city, the purple-black butterfly residing within the whistle, which served as Mr. Pigeon's token, immediately began to beat restlessly, showing signs of wanting to break free and fly out!
"No—! Don't you dare!"
Mr. Pigeon instantly panicked as he felt the powerful force about to leave him. He clutched the pigeon whistle on his chest with both hands in a fluster, terrified that the miraculous butterfly would fly away. If he turned back into the ordinary Mr. Pigeon, who would find a new, beautiful home for his beloved pigeons?
But he refused to give up his genius (as he saw it) plan. So, his eyes darted around, and he immediately switched to a more subtle, seemingly more "strategic" way of speaking:
"Hawk Moth, sir, please don't be angry! Listen to me!" He quickly explained with his pigeon logic, "Look, we've already caused so much destruction in the city, but those two superheroes haven't even shown a shadow! What does this mean? It means that continuing to cause simple destruction like this is useless!"
"So?" Hawk Moth's voice remained icy.
"So, we should split into two groups!" Mr. Pigeon's tone was full of confidence. "I'll send out a team of pigeons now to continue harassing pedestrians and buildings in the city, keeping up the heat, while my main force will execute a more brilliant plan—go to the school and capture the Mayor's precious daughter."
The more he spoke, the more he felt like a genius: "Think about it, Mayor Bourgeois values his daughter more than his own life! As long as we capture Chloé, he'll be as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, and he might even mobilize the entire city's forces to find her! At that time, I don't believe those two meddling heroes won't appear! This is the best strategy!"
Hawk Moth fell silent.
Although he utterly detested this pigeon's thought process, he had to admit… to some extent, his twisted logic seemed… quite reasonable.
He knew Mayor Bourgeois Bourgeois like the back of his hand. That slick politician's only weakness in Paris was his spoiled daughter. If Chloé were truly captured, he would absolutely turn things upside down. And Ladybug and Cat Noir, those two brats full of so-called "sense of justice," would never stand by and do nothing while a girl was in danger.
This path, it seemed… was more precise in hitting the heroes' weak spot than simple indiscriminate attacks… "Then, as you wish." Hawk Moth finally agreed to the plan with a reluctant tone.
"Excellent!" Mr. Pigeon cooed excitedly, and then he added softly, full of anticipation, "Then… after we catch the Mayor's daughter, can I also catch that voice actor named Jaden?"
Hawk Moth: "…"
He felt his last shred of patience had run out.
"Do whatever you want!" He waved his hand weakly, giving up on any form of logical communication with this pigeon. "Just get me the heroes! I only want the miraculous!"
"Oh, oh! The miraculous!" Mr. Pigeon only then remembered such a thing existed. "Then… what is the miraculous?"
This soul-piercing question completely shattered Hawk Moth's psychological defenses.
"Just lure them out first!" he roared.
Feeling his superior's towering rage, Mr. Pigeon finally dared not ask any more questions. He immediately carried out the order, summoning his vast flock of pigeons, which swept like rolling dark clouds towards François Dupont High School!
The school, meanwhile, had been in a sense of security, "watching the fire from across the river." But this sense of security was quickly shattered.
"Look outside the window!" a student sitting by the window suddenly shrieked in terror!
Everyone looked out at the sound, only to see a grey "cloud" made of countless pigeons, pressing in from the distant horizon at an extremely fast speed! The overwhelming formation was very much like a scene from a disaster movie.
All the students in the school instantly rushed to the windows, watching the terrifying sight. Some of the timid ones had already retreated inside the classroom, trembling and daring not to look anymore.
Soon, the pigeon cloud enveloped the entire school. They did not attack immediately but circled above the teaching building, forming a huge, constantly rotating vortex. Then, Mr. Pigeon, dressed in his comical outfit, descended slowly from the center of the pigeon vortex like a deity, landing steadily on the school's rooftop.
He cleared his throat and, with his unique, magically amplified cooing sound, issued his ultimatum to the entire school:
"Coo-coo—! Listen up, people inside! Immediately! Hand over Miss Chloé and that boy named Jaden, the one who's good at voice acting! Coo-coo! Otherwise, my children will begin to enjoy your beautiful teaching building! Coo-coo!"
His voice clearly reached every classroom and every ear.
In Teacher Caline's class, a deathly silence instantly fell.
Everyone's gaze unconsciously focused on two people.
One was Chloé, whose face instantly turned pale and whose body began to tremble uncontrollably. The other was Jaden, who was still leaning back in his chair, with even a hint of playful smile on his face.
"What a joke…" Chloé's voice was tearful. "He… why does he want to catch me?"
"And me?" Jaden stroked his chin, muttering to himself with interest, "Because of voice acting? This reason… is truly novel."
Panic began to spread in the classroom.
"What should we do? He's going to attack the school!"
"Teacher! Let's call the police!"
"What's the use of calling the police! Even the police were beaten to a pulp by pigeons!"
Amidst this chaos, Jaden slowly rose from his seat.
"It seems we can't hide," he said calmly, his gaze sweeping over the entire class, finally resting on Chloé.
"I think we need to go out."
"Are you crazy?!" Alya was the first to object. "Jaden! If you go out, you're just committing suicide!"
"That's right! Jaden! It's too dangerous outside!" Mylène also tearfully pleaded.
"You can't go!" Juleka even mustered unprecedented courage and stood in front of Jaden.
The boys in the class also gathered around.
"Jaden! Don't be impulsive!" Nino held his shoulder. "There are many of us; we can think of other ways! We can set up roadblocks! Or… or I can use my system to analyze the optimal evasive path for pigeon flight!" Max quickly tapped on his small keyboard.
"I can…" Kim thought for a moment, then deflated, "I don't seem to be able to do anything, but I can help you block pigeon droppings!"
Jaden looked at the classmates in front of him, who genuinely cared for him and worried about him, and a warmth flowed through his heart. He knew that his decision last night was not wrong. This feeling of being cared for and protected by others was so real.
But he still gently pushed away Juleka, who was blocking his way, and shook his head, refusing everyone's "good intentions."
"Thank you, everyone," he said with a smile, but his eyes were unusually firm. "But now is not the time to solve problems with cleverness or brute force."
His gaze once again accurately locked onto Chloé, who was already terrified and distraught.
"Miss Chloé," his voice was not loud, but it had an undeniable power that could cut through all the noise. "It seems that this time, only the two of us can solve it."
"No! I don't want to go out!" Chloé shrieked, shaking her head desperately, hiding behind Sabrina. "I don't want to see that lunatic! My dad is the Mayor! He'll send the army to save me!"
Jaden looked at her like this and said unhurriedly: "Chloé, I know you're scared. But think, why does Mr. Pigeon want to catch us? Because of that most popular video of us yesterday. I can probably guess what he wants to do."
He paused, then threw out a bait that Chloé couldn't refuse.
"So, now we only have two choices. First, we hide in the classroom like this, waiting for him to lose patience, command those thousands of pigeons to tear down the school, trap all of us here, and even… harm one of us. Then, the heroes might come, or they might not. Even if they do, you're just an ordinary, panicked student like everyone else, waiting to be rescued."
His tone shifted slightly, filled with a peculiar, captivating magic.
"Or… second. The two of us, actively walk out. Go face him, go solve the problem. Go ensure the safety of every student in the school. By then, you, Chloé, your glorious image, will be projected into everyone's hearts through the city-wide live broadcast. You will no longer be the Mayor's daughter who only shows off; you will be a true queen who bravely steps forward in times of crisis to protect her classmates."
He slowly extended his hand towards Chloé.
"And, Chloé…" He delivered the most fatal blow. "Have you forgotten? This time, it's a city-wide live broadcast. All your classmates, all the citizens of Paris, are watching."
"Live broadcast," these two words, like a sharp sword, instantly pierced through all of Chloé's fear and hesitation.
She immediately pulled out her phone, and sure enough, on the screen, the live broadcast cameras of major news media were already aimed at the entire school from high above. She could clearly see that her classroom window was the focus of one of the live broadcast screens.
She wasn't a fool. She knew what this meant.
To be a coward, trembling behind her classmates in front of all Parisians? Or, as Jaden said, seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a brilliant, fearless hero image?
The answer was self-evident.
Fear, in the face of the immense desire for "image" and "glory," instantly became vulnerable.
She took a deep breath, pushed aside Sabrina, who was blocking her way, and stood up from her seat. She straightened her expensive clothes, raised her proud chin, and her face regained that arrogant queen-like expression.
Although her slightly trembling fingertips still betrayed her inner nervousness.
"Hmph," she snorted, saying in a very reluctant, as if coerced, tone, "Fine! Since you've said so… I'll go with you! I want to see what that stupid pigeon really wants to do to us!"
With that, she didn't look at Jaden's outstretched hand but walked directly, with her queen-like stride, towards the classroom door.
In the classroom, everyone was stunned by this dramatic change.
Marinette, Alya, Mylène, Alix, Juleka, Rose… these girls looked at Jaden and Chloé, who were resolutely (as they thought) walking towards danger, their eyes filled with worry, admiration, and an indescribable complex emotion.
They felt that Jaden's image, at this moment, had risen countless levels. He was not only powerful, not only gentle, but he also possessed a nearly supernatural charisma that could persuade the most stubborn people and turn the worst situations into opportunities.
Their concern and worry for him, at this moment, almost overflowed.
Meanwhile, Nino, Marc, Nathan, and the other boys exchanged glances. They had just been thinking about how to solve the problem with roadblocks and calculations, while Jaden, with a few words, had directly "turned" the other core figure of the incident. This way of thinking filled them with genuine admiration.
"Jaden…" Marinette couldn't help but whisper.
Jaden turned his head and gave her, and everyone who cared about him, a confident and reassuring smile.
"Don't worry," he said, "everything will be fine."
After speaking, he turned and followed Chloé's footsteps. The two of them, one in front and one behind, slowly walked out of the classroom door, under the complex gaze of the entire class, filled with worry and admiration, towards that dangerous stage, which was focused on by countless pigeons and the eyes of the entire city.