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After the heart-to-heart conversation with Lucas, the pair make their way to homeroom class. The brunette gave him an encouraging thumbs up as they both settled into their respective seats. They exchanged a brief but meaningful glance, a silent understanding lingering between them.

The moment was short-lived as Mr Clarke clapped his hands, clearing his throat, "I know we did introductions yesterday but... today at Hawkin's High we have a new student! Drumroll please!" he presented,

Hearing a noise, Will turned his head backwards seeing Dustin enthusiastically making a drum beat on the desk with his fingers, adding an element of humour to the situation. Will couldn't help but smile at Dustin's playful antics.

Then he noticed Lucas by the curly-haired boy's side with a fond expression plastered on his face; it was clear of the athletic boy's crush on him and the sight of the enthusiasm only deepened Lucas's feelings. Will giggled secretly; this situation was all so cute.

Finally, Mr Clarke waved his hands around, announcing the name of the new student, some of the members of the class rolling their eyes at the teacher's usual dramatic style, "For the first time ever... here we have Micheal!"

The brunette looked at the new student; oh... it was him.

The ravenette waved with an awkward smile, squeaking a, "Hi!" he seemed really nervous,

"Why don't you tell us about yourself Micheal, maybe some fun facts? We're all like one big family here!" Mr Clarke smiled, sensing the radiating nervousness from the ravenette.

"Well, um, I'm Micheal... but just call me Mike." he started, a sweat trickling down his forehead. "So, um fun facts, huh? Well, um, my teeth used to always fall out when I used to watch the movie 'Titanic'. I collect vintage rubber ducks and, um, I can skateboard, but I've broken my board way too many times to count." he said, giving some rather unconventional and quirky details about himself.

Will, who already wasn't particularly fond of Mike after the earlier incident, couldn't help but roll his eyes and slump in his seat with crossed arms at everything the tall boy was saying. He found Mike a bit much... annoying and a bully; great!

However, Mr Clarke, despite his showman-like skills was perplexed by the introduction clapping and exclaiming, "What a fascinating introduction, Mike! You're quite the unique addition to the class."

"Thank you." The ravenette nodded in a whisper.

The teacher continued, pointing out the only available seat. "It looks like we have a free space near our other new student Maxine!" he turned addressing Mike.

"Umm," Max quickly corrected him assertively, "No one calls me Maxine, it's Max!"

"Silly me." Mr Clarke sarcastically said, "I'll remember that next time!"

The teacher then addressed the whole class, "You kids talk amongst yourself... if you need me, I'll be going to get some photocopies! Be back in a jiff!"

The class quickly erupted into their own conversations as Mike quickly followed the advice, taking the seat that was coincidently in front of Will. Before sitting, the ravenette passed a glance at the brunette, giving him a short smile.

Will noticed, reluctant to take this attempt at an 'apology', he didn't believe it in the slightest; no one could be that socially unaware to just 'not know' how Troy acts. He averted his gaze to El, hoping to engage her in a conversation instead; from the corner of his eyes, he saw Mike frown, slumping in his seat.

Will didn't care at all about him...

He shook his head, speaking to distract himself from the awkwardness, "Hey, El, if you could be a superhero, like if you got chosen to be Elytron... hypothetically of course... would you?" he asked; his voice a tad strained.

El bubbled with energy as if waiting for this question, brightening up. Ever since yesterday, that was all El could think about; after all, when two mysterious superheroes pop into town, your mind starts to wander. So, with a smile, she began sharing her thoughts, launching into a happy rant,

"Of course! It'd be bitchin'!" she exclaimed, "I would love to have powers like Elytron; I could have a yo-yo weapon and defeat villains... OH and the costumes, my costume would be A-mazing!" she sang the last word. "But of course, I'd save the city and defeat all the Akumas and I'd make the city a better place and..." she continued rambling,

Will listened intently, soaking in every word.

"How about you?" she questioned, casting the brunette out of his thoughts, "What if you were Elytron?"

"Oh, um..." Will stammered; he didn't want to mention anything about the truth of the situation just yet, thinking he should keep it a secret for a while. Instead replying with, "I mean it sounds cool, but like I don't think I'd be able to; it's too much responsibility for me, but you'd make the perfect hero! As for me, I think I'll just support the heroes from the side,"

El hit his arm with a pout saying, "You need to be more confident in yourself Will!" she advised, "I think you'd make a great hero!"

"Maybe..." the brunette pondered but remembered the last time he tried to be confident and made the villain only become a larger threat than it was originally, he shook his head, "But never mind me, what were you saying about the costumes?"

"Oh, yeah! Basically, I thought that if I was Elytron, my costume would be..."

Will watched her with a smile; she was so enthusiastic. He's relieved that she was so open to the prospect of being a superhero that if she found the Miraculous in her bag, she wouldn't think twice before jumping into action.

He looked at her bag where he slipped the miraculous into, knowing he made the right decision to entrust them to her.

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The event from earlier replayed in Mike's mind; his unresolved conflict with Will from the tarantula incident weighed heavy on him; the first new person he had met in this school, and they already hated him... He was at a loss for how to mend the situation.

Mike looked down at his desk, hearing the happy conversation behind him of Will and El; he wished he could have a friend like that; one he could talk to about absolutely everything; one he could be himself with.

In frustration, he sighed audibly, not even realising the sound escaping his lips. But this only resulted in Max, who was sitting by his side engrossed in her phone saying, "Can you breathe any louder?" sarcastically muttering, not even bothering to look up from her screen as she continued to scroll under the desk; she didn't seem annoyed or angered... more unbothered with everyone.

The ravenette turned to her, unsure how to navigate the situation, hoping he didn't make another person angry with him, apologising, "Sorry, Max. Really, really sorry!" he exclaimed.

The redhead rolled her eyes, maintaining her nonchalant attitude said, "You apologise too much, you know that?"

The ravenette, embarrassed and disheartened nodded, muttering another apology, even quieter this time, "Sorry," looking back at his desk once more,

For a moment, the pair sit in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. Mike wished he could explain the whole situation to her and help her see that he wasn't a bad person.

However, unexpectedly, it was Max who broke the silence, not even looking up from her screen, "You skateboard, right?"

Mike's eyes brightened at the question. It was the first sign of interest someone had shown in something he had shared about himself; whenever he used to bring up skateboarding to Troy, it was always more of a one-sided conversation as Troy would eventually shift the topic; not interested.

The ravenette wondered if this could be the olive branch he needed to make his first friend. With enthusiasm, he responded, "Yeah, I do! I love skateboarding since I was little, my dad doesn't really like it though, do you, um, skate Max?" he questioned a tad nervous.

The redhead smirked, and though she still didn't look up from her screen, Mike could sense... something forming between them, "Yeah; I skate almost every day." She admitted, "I used to take part in competitions back in California."

"That's so awesome!" Mike grinned, feeling a spark of joy in him; eager to keep this conversation going, "I always wanted to join a competition, I tried a few tricks but kept messing them up and breaking my board. I felt pretty dumb for that."

Max listened, remarking, "As dumb as bringing a tarantula gift to Will from Troy?" chuckling with a smirk.

Mike's initial excitement deflated upon realising his attempt to connect over skateboard was met with a reminder of how shitty of a person he believed he was... Did Max not want to be his friend and only engage him in conversation to make him feel bad?

Feeling guilty, he fell quiet, whispering another apology, "I know it was stupid of me... I am really sorry about that; I actually had no clue."

The redhead allowed a moment of silence to pass, finally looking up from her screen, and meeting Mike's eyes. Her expression softened saying, "I know... I can tell you're sincere and I've never been wrong when reading people," she bragged, "But why are you friends with Troy?"

The ravenette blushed embarrassed, admitting "I was homeschooled my whole life, and Troy was my only friend... so when he said I could make a new friend... I jumped at the chance."

Max frowned, her brows furrowing and taken aback by the idea that Troy was Mike's only friend; she obviously believed him; he seemed like a lonely guy who just wanted some company. Extending a hand, she said, "Troy won't be your only friend anymore. It's time to start making some new friends, starting with me. My name's Max!"

Mike's eyes widened in surprise and gratitude, accepting Max's hand; shaking it eagerly.

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Amid their homeroom class, Lucas was sitting next to Dustin; the curly-haired boy rambling over something that had piqued his interest; this was typical for the pair.

As Dustin clambered on, he couldn't help but notice that Lucas wasn't paying much attention to his enthusiastic monologue. In an attempt to regain Lucas's focus, he furrowed his brows, playfully poking the athletic boy's cheek, asking, "Are you even listening to me?" he said, turning his attention to the note in his hand, "What's that you're writing? Is it secret plans for our new D&D campaign? Is it a love-letter? Is it a ransom note?" listing possibilities.

Lucas with a faint smile on his face, decided to keep the note hidden until he was finished writing, "It's a secret... you'll find out in a bit."

Dustin's curiosity was now thoroughly piqued, he couldn't help but wonder what was in the note and why it was such a big secret.

In a matter of a few minutes, Lucas put his pen down, finished writing his note, and after a moment of consideration, decided to share his feelings with Dustin. He turned to him saying, "Okay I'm ready to show you," he said,

"Yes!" the curly-haired boy exclaimed in a chipper tone attempting to steal the note.

Lucas moved the note away, "But first I wanted to give you something else instead," he said, reaching into his bag and taking out the tarantula box that was initially given to Will.

With a deep breath, he spoke, "I knew you liked bugs and stuff, so I thought this would be a nice surprise for you."

"Holy shit! This is amazing!" Dustin's eyes lit up with surprise and anticipation as he opened the box, slightly seeing the spider crawl around inside. He exclaimed, "Suzie would be absolutely amazed when she hears about this! She loves bugs too!"

But the moment Dustin mentioned Suzie, Lucas's cheerful demeanour quickly shifted; he paused, crumpling the note in his hand unconsciously. The name Suzie triggered a wave of confusion and uncertainty in him, "Oh... who's- who's Suzie?"

Dustin responded, a hint of fondness in his tone, "She's a girl I met at camp! She loves bugs too and she's a certified genius!" he gushed.

Lucas forced a smile, but deep down, he was heartbroken and worried that Dustin might be interested in this girl, Suzie. The crumpled note in his hand was crushed even harder.

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Across town, hidden in a secret room, Vecna transformed; his broach alerting him of anger and despair; it was strong; it was... Lucas Sinclair. He chuckled, "Lucas has a sensitive heart!" he whispered to himself, a malevolent smirk spreading across his face as he saw the opportunity to manipulate the emotions to his advantage,

He chuckled, monologuing to himself in a sinister tone, "My dear pawn teetering on the brink of darkness; I can feel him embrace the emotions, filled with rage and despair,"

He tapped the Akuma in his cane, speaking, "Go on my dear Akuma, reclaim your owner," he said, popping the hood of his cane allowing the Akuma to flutter away to its target.

"Fly away my little Akuma and evilise him!"

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Lucas sat quietly, faking a smile as he nodded as Dustin casually mentioned Suzie; in that moment he realised that this girl that his friend was speaking so highly about may have taken a special place in his friend's heart. The curly-haired boy was currently speaking on tarantula facts as Lucas merely nodded along, inputting an answer every now and then. The weight of his realisation weighed on him, filling him with a profound sense of loneliness.

Clutching the crumpled note tighter in his hand, his despair intensified. The negative emotions swirling around him catch the attention of his Akuma, managing to hone in on his intense emotions; like a moth to a flame.

With a sinister flap, the Akuma managed to slip through the opened window unnoticed, fluttering to the crumpled piece of paper in his grasp; pain shot through him from his hand...

Lucas's eyes widened, glowing purple once more and he heard a voice in his head; a familiar voice, one he heard only yesterday, "Lucas," Vecna said, "I'm giving you the powers of Mecha-Tank back and this time you get extra help; get the miraculous of Elytron and Claw Noir and you can have the boy you want!" he said as Lucas's eyes narrowed.

"Sorry, went on a bit of a rant there..." Dustin apologised, "So, um, what was the note?" he asked turning to Lucas, seeing his distant expression.

"Lucas?" he questioned, waving a hand in front of his face, "Lucas?"

Worried by his friend's sudden unresponsiveness, the curly-haired boy grabbed Lucas's shoulder shaking him, trying to snap him out of whatever trance he was in. "Lucas? Are you okay? What's going on?" he asked concerned,

The commotion caught the attention of Will and El who flipped around to see their friend in distress. Will's brows fell seeing the purple eyes... he was being Akumatised; it was the signs; the unresponsiveness, the purple eyes, the ominous staring.

His expression turned to concern upon realising Lucas's state, he was being Akumatised again, urgently saying, "Please Lucas! You have to resist! Don't let it consume you!"

Dustin's eyes widened; now the whole class was looking at them, "Will what's happening to Lucas?"

Will blurted, "He's being Akumatised again!"

The students audibly gasped, suddenly funnelling out of the room pushing each other to get to the exit. The only ones left were: Lucas being Akumatised as well as Dustin, Will, El and Max who were trying to snap him out by giving him words of encouragement.

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As the class erupted into chaos, Mike snuck out with the rest of the students, but instead of making his way out the doors of the school like the rest of the class, he rushed to the bathroom for a moment of privacy for his transformation.

Locking himself in the stall, Plagg flew out from his bag, smirking with a comment, "Well, well, you are indeed one unlucky cat! You couldn't even make it past homeroom!"

The ravenette scrunched his face, retorting, "Bite me! It was better than yesterday; at least I found my class today!"

Plagg rolled his eyes, "I say we go home and call today an early vacation." he suggested, a tad sleepy, "I am tired," faking a yawn

"You're actually so lazy!" Mike rolled his eyes

"You try doing this for billions of years!" the Kwami argued.

"I bet I can do it better than you." the tall boy placed his hands on his hips.

"Excuse me, hair spray!" Plagg bit back, "I'll let you know being a Kwami is difficult work."

"Like eating smelly cheese all day?" Mike raised an eyebrow.

"You try living in a ring! It's brutal!" Plagg rebutted

Mike and Plagg continued their playful argument for a while but the ravenette eventually realised the urgency of the situation, cutting the banter short, saying, "Alright, alright. We can argue later... we've got bigger things to worry about!"

"Aww, I hate transforming!" the Kwami pouted,

With that, Mike held his hand in the air, "Plagg, Claws Out!"

Plagg rolled his eyes being pulled to the ring. Mike's clothes changed once more like a puff of air, replacing his outfit with the leather of the catsuit.

Now he was ready to serve justice.

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Still in the class, Dustin, Will, El and Max tried talking to Lucas, telling him happy memories and giving him the strength to break free from his angered state, but the athletic boy couldn't hear them; their voices coming out muffled, only Vecna's voice echoed in his ears, "So do you accept, Mecha-Tank?"

"Yes, Vecna," he chuckled sinisterly with dark energy, a purple smoke encapsulating him; transforming him into Mecha-Tank once more.

In a desperate effort to reach his friend, the brunette stepped forward, but before he could make progress, the sinister energy from Lucas's transformation propelled him backwards; flinging Will through the air, crashing into the whiteboard on the wall before falling to the floor, dazed and injured.

"Will!" El screamed. She wanted to run over to him but couldn't due to Mecha-Tank's large size. The room fell silent as the friends stared in shock and awe at Lucas's transformation.

The impact of the transformation was tremendous, causing debris to fall from the ceiling; adding to the chaos. As the dust and debris settled, the once unified group was now scattered. Mecha-tank seized Dustin, clutching him in a powerful grip and without hesitation, crashed through the wall, creating a gaping hole in the classroom.

Seeing this, Max and El tried to save Dustin by hurling objects at Mecha-Tank; throwing books, bags, and chairs, Max even threw her skateboard but to no avail. The resistance was futile and only seemed to anger the villain.

In a heart-wrenching turn of events, Mecha-Tank extended his other arm, clutching both El and Max before leaving through the hole in the wall,

"El! Max! Dustin!" the brunette yelled despite his injuries, limping after them. Standing at the edge of the broken wall, he called out to them, his voice filled with worry and despair. "No, no, no!" he panicked.!

Just as hope seemed to wane, a sudden burst of energy filled the classroom. Claw Noir stepped in with his usual attire, as calm and collected as ever.

Will turned his head, rushing over with a limp, his voice filled with urgency as he grabbed Claw Noir's hands, "Claw Noir, you have to help them! Mecha-Tank took my friends, and I don't know what to do! Please save them!" his voice quivering.

The ravenette noticed Will's limp and asked, "Are you okay, Will? You're injured."

The brunette merely shook his head, dismissing the claim, "My injuries don't matter. Please go save my friends; they need you!" he quivered,

Claw Noir squeezed Will's hands, "It's going to be okay, Will; I promise! Me and Elytron are going to save the day and get your friend's back!" he said softly.

Will's eyes filled with hope, but the name of 'Elytron' caused him to flinch; it haunted him, "And what if Elytron doesn't show up?"

"He will," Claw Noir said softly, "I trust him,"

The brunette's face softened as the ravenette approached the broken wall, turning to Will once more and saying, "We'll save your friends!" he smiled, jumping out of the hole, extending his stick to keep up with the robot that was only getting further away.

Will watched, standing near the edge of the broken wall; suddenly noticing a small black box with red lettering on the floor... the miraculous box he had given to El; he realised it must have fallen out of her bag when she threw it at Mecha-Tank. He said he'd never be a hero again, not after the last time, but his friends were in danger, and he was the only one who could capture the Akuma...

He clutched the box tightly, popping the lid open. The moment he did, Tikki swirled around him with a bright grin, almost as if she knew this would happen,

But before she could even speak, Will exclaimed, "I think I need Elytron!" 

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3531 Words

Stay Safe <3