Chapter 2: Nino vs. ...

"Again."

Nino, transformed in his Paon outfit, flopped down on the padded floor. His chest heaved as he gulped in air. "Again?" he complained, refraining from making it come out like a whine. Barely.

"Again, Mr. Lahiffe." The no-nonsense voice didn't allow any room for negotiation.

"I thought I was under a minute," Nino replied. Anything to get an extra few seconds of rest.

"Sixty-five seconds, Mr. Lahiffe." Ivory shoes entered his line of sight. Nino glanced over to find the upside-down face of Gabriel Agreste frowning at him. Not a shred of sympathy on his face. He held a stopwatch in one hand and his tablet in the other. "My best time was twenty-seven seconds as Paon. Thirty-two seconds as a civilian."

"You attempted this course outside of the costume?" Nino asked.

"Absolutely." Gabriel held out one hand. Nino accepted and Gabriel helped him up into a sitting position. He handed Nino a sports drink. "You never know when you might be trapped without a way to transform. It's best if you keep your body in peak physical condition and not rely upon your powers as a catch-all."

"You were in shape then. I'm not."

"That's what we're here for," Gabriel replied.

"I bet you can't do that now," Nino muttered, somewhat under his breath.

Gabriel chuckled. "It's going to take much more than that to rile me. Stop dallying, Mr. Lahiffe."

"I understand," Nino said, struggling to his feet. "I think I might be a bit embarrassed too if I was a bit too old to beat the new kid."

Gabriel's lips pursed and Nino knew he had him. He eyed the course. "If I attempt this, you have to go until you beat my time."

Nino folded his arms. "That's assuming that you don't falter."

Two weeks ago, he wouldn't have dared to be so familiar with Adrien's father, but after talking with Duusu and training with Gabriel for nearly a week, he felt a lot more relaxed in the man's formidable presence.

Passion, Duusu had told him that first night when he peppered her with a million questions about everything. One of which was "why me?"

She had giggled and swirled around his head. "Gabriel senses your loyalty, but I sense your passion. You're so much like Gabriel was – full of life and fire and passion for the things you love. For Gabriel, it was fashion and designing. For you, it's your music. It enlivens you. Just like Gabriel uses his clothes, you show the world your emotions through your music." She smiled. "Us Paons are very passionate wielders."

The designer vanished into a storage closet, rummaging around for something before emerging at last, covered in dust. He held a red... kite? With a few twists and several hard shakes, the thin fabric stretched to form a large triangle. Gabriel knelt down and hooked a few metal poles underneath it. Ah, Nino now recognized the distinct form of a hang-glider. Gabriel stood, holding it by a thin string with a piece of Velcro attached to the top. "I need you to hook this to that other piece of Velcro up there," he said, pointing to a tiny black square at the top of a beam.

"Uh, ok," Nino said, taking the string and doing what Gabriel said. He flicked opened his fans and jumped back down to the floor, his fans extending to guide him gently to the ground.

Gabriel eyed the course again. "I'll have to get the touch pads working once more," he mused aloud. "It'll be easier than using a stopwatch." He looped the watch from his neck and handed it to the DJ. Then, he shrugged out of his jacket, tossing it to the ground and shocking Nino that he would just casually toss such an expensive jacket aside like it was nothing. "Ready?"

"What's the hang-glider for?" Nino asked.

"I don't have access to the fan gliders in my civilian form, and there really is no other way to cross the room."

"What?"

With a faint grin, Gabriel motioned to his watch. "Pay attention, Mr. Lahiffe."

"Go!" Nino cried, starting the timer. Gabriel took off, hopping up on a tiny brick to launch himself up to the next pole, swinging under and arching his back to effortlessly land upon a platform. Nino's jaw dropped as he watched the ex-hero duck, swing, and parkour his way around the room. When he reached the top, Nino gasped as Gabriel jumped backwards, twisting in mid-air... to catch the edge of the hang-glider, dislodging it from the Velcro holding and aiming it to the opposite corner. Gabriel landed with a neat roll and reached out, resting a hand against the wall.

"Time," he called to Nino.

Nino shook himself from his stupor and clicked the stopwatch. His eyes bulged. Gabriel climbed down the metal ladder and walked over, barely out of breath. He brushed his hands together and smirked at Nino, already suspecting the reason for his shock.

"Under a minute?" he guessed.

Nino gulped and nodded. "Fifty-five seconds," he said in awe. "How?"

"You don't trust yourself," Gabriel said, plucking the stopwatch from Nino's hands. "You hesitate way too long as you contemplate your next step. Don't think. Move. Let your instincts take over."

"Okay," Nino said, taking a deep breath. "Ready?"

Gabriel cleared the time and met Nino's eyes. "Ready."

Nino tore off, reinvigorated by the small pep talk.

"We're going to try something different today," Gabriel said. He held a crossbow in his hands. A red bolt rested on it. He hefted it and fired the bolt across the room, where it embedded into the wall. "Try to get that arrow before I do."

"Why?"

"Your physical condition is improving," Gabriel said, "as is your agility and instincts."

Well they sure better be, Nino thought. After all, for the last week he had been running that obstacle course in addition to hopping on beams and the tops of poles for agility. He was loathe to admit, but Gabriel's brand of strictness quickly molded Nino into a pretty formidable fighting force.

"However," Gabriel continued, walking to stand beside Nino, his hands clasped behind his back, "your role in the group is that of distraction. You have to master the art of distracting your enemy. That also means you cannot let your emotions get the better of you in battle and become your distraction."

Nino scratched his head. "Okay."

Gabriel motioned to him. Nino bit his lip, then launched himself at the arrow. He learned after Gabriel's demonstration of the obstacle course never to underestimate him. The clever designer was up to something, Nino was certain. He just needed to get to the arrow before-

"Hawkmoth was my wife."

Nino faltered and stumbled, crashing to the floor. Gabriel calmly strolled past him and with a deft tug, yanked the bolt out of the wall. He twirled it between his fingers as he turned back to Nino. "My win."

"Dude, Hawkmoth is your wife?" Nino screeched, scrambling to his feet.

"I said 'was'," Gabriel replied, just as calm. "She used to wield the Butterfly Miraculous before she vanished. I told you not to let your emotions overtake your sensibilities in battle," he scolded.

Nino waved his arms. "You can't just drop a bombshell like that and expect me not to react!" he spluttered.

"Yes, I can," Gabriel retorted, reloading the crossbow as he scanned the room. "And you better expect your enemies to use every advantage they can seize to catch you off guard." He fired and the bolt sailed across the room, once again sinking into the wall opposite them. "Again."

Nino growled and shot off like a rocket. He took two steps and slammed face-first to the ground. Gabriel, once more, sauntered over to the arrow and grabbed it. "My win. Again." It was a good thing that Gabriel Agreste didn't share any peacock-like mannerisms, because Nino knew the man would be preening with smugness in front of him if he did.

The tiny smirk was enough to shatter his pride.

"Urgh, what was that?" Nino demanded. Gabriel pointed to the crossbow. Nino realized Gabriel had stuck it low and swept Nino off his feet.

The former hero squatted down beside Nino. "Any reason you decided to act like a civilian and run straight for it?" he asked.

"What else am I supposed to do?"

Gabriel pointed to the walls. "Get creative. You can run along the sides of buildings, can't you?"

Nino winced. Oh, right. Gabriel stood. "Detransform and run a few laps. You let your temper get the better of you that time." He walked away, not allowing Nino a chance to argue.

Grumbling under his breath, Nino released his costume and started around the room. Duusu floated beside him. "Why can't I seem to get the hang of this?" he asked his kwami. "Mr. Agreste is right – I need to stop acting like a child and keep my wits about me."

Duusu nuzzled him. "Cheer up, Nino," she said. "Gabriel is really proud of the progress you've made so far."

"Doesn't sound like it," he gasped, tagging the far wall and turning back around.

"He's hard to read," Duusu agreed. "But remember, I've known him for years. He just wants you to succeed and not make the same mistakes he made and that he's watched Ladybug and Chat Noir make. He wants the best for you."

Nino sprinted to the wall, running up a few feet before backflipping off and landing in a low crouch. He immediately turned. "Uh-huh." He didn't have to try too hard to express his doubt.

"Still though," Duusu said, tilting her head thoughtfully, "I think you could use a bit of ammo..."

When Gabriel called time a few laps later, Nino struggled to keep his face smooth of any expression. His heaving shoulders helped to hide that.

Gabriel cast him a pointed look. "You can transform back, now," he said.

A few murmured words and a flash of blue, and Nino was ready for round two. Or was it three or four by now? Gabriel fired the bolt again and turned to Nino.

The DJ motioned ahead with a flourish. "After you," he said in a sweet voice. Gabriel's eyes narrowed.

"Mind games won't trick me," he said, setting off at a clipped pace, throwing a cautious glance over his shoulder every couple of steps.

Nino followed. "I know I'm not very good at distracting people," he said, his voice dripping with innocence. "Not everyone has a flair for dressing up like a woman and lip-syncing 'Sisters' with a partner."

Gabriel tripped over his feet.

Nino surged forward, eyes lighting up as he snatched the arrow from the wall. He turned to Gabriel, raising the arrow above his head in triumph. Gabriel pushed himself to his feet.

"Duusu, you little traitor," he muttered, his face aflame with embarrassment. He shook his head. "How long have you been waiting to reveal that little gem?" he asked ruefully.

Nino rubbed his neck. "Duusu told me when we were doing laps around the building," he confessed.

The corners of Gabriel's lips twitched despite the red tinge still on his ears. "Well, you certainly used that knowledge in the best possible manner. Congratulations, Mr. Lahiffe. I believe you've grasped today's lesson spectacularly."

And with the grace of someone desperately attempting to save face, Gabriel Agreste quietly exited the building.

Gabriel Agreste stood in the middle of the warehouse, eyes closed as he mentally plotted his course. A shuffling noise behind him indicated the arrival of Nino.

"You're late," he called out, disapproval thick in his voice. He opened his eyes and pointed up at the red arrow. "I have my path already mapped. I'll give you a ten second head start." He lifted his stopwatch. "Begin."

There was no movement behind him. Gabriel pursed his lips. "You're wasting your advantage," he called out. "I won't give you another."

A slamming noise startled him. He glanced skyward to spot a flurry of blue descending from the skylight. "Sorry," Paon gasped, dropping down beside the designer with a thud. "There was a problem with..."

He trailed off as his jaw dropped open. Gabriel's eyes widened and he whirled around. If Paon was standing in front of him, then who entered earlier?

Ladybug and Chat Noir stood there, wearing matching expressions of complete shock.

The four of them stood there facing each other for a long moment before Gabriel shook himself out of his stupor first. "What are you two doing here?" he snapped.

Chat recovered first. "I could ask you the same," he said, folding his arms.

"This is my property," Gabriel retorted. "And you both are trespassing."

"Yours?" Ladybug blurted out. "Master Fu said this place was abandoned."

Ah, he should have known that conniving old man wouldn't leave well enough alone. Gabriel's eyes narrowed. "Did he now?"

She nodded. "We're sorry," she apologized. "Master Fu said this would be a perfect place to train. We didn't realize you owned it."

"Who's this?" Chat said, pointing to Paon.

Paon hunched his shoulders and shot a nervous glance to Gabriel, but the designer stepped forward and rested a hand upon the blue-clad hero's shoulder. "This is the newest member of your team. Meet Paon."

Paon wiggled his fingers in a shy greeting. Chat eyed him with undisguised suspicion but Ladybug brightened and stepped forward. "Hello, Paon," she said with a smile.

"Ladybug, you trust him?" Chat asked. "This could be another Volpina."

She shook her head. "No, Chat, I don't believe so. I think Master Fu sent us here specifically to meet these two."

Oh, she was perceptive.

Chat wasn't quite convinced. "How come you never showed up in battle?" he asked Paon, the accusation as obvious as his crossed arms.

Gabriel answered in his stead. "He's only recently acquired his Miraculous. He's spent the last two weeks training. I refused to send an untrained hero into battle to stumble about like you two did. He would have only gotten in your way."

"And now?" Ladybug asked.

"He is ready." Paon perked up and beamed with pride. Ladybug and Chat Noir still looked a bit doubtful. "Hmm, perhaps a small demonstration, Paon?"

Paon looked to him. "What did you have in mind?"

Gabriel pointed to the arrow. "First one to get that arrow wins?"

Paon stretched and rolled his shoulders. "So, the usual then?"

"Somewhat." Gabriel looked to the other two heroes. "We'll be working as a team. Let's see how well Ladybug and Chat Noir pair up against us two. Us versus them? What do you say?"

Ladybug and Chat Noir looked a bit uncertain. "I don't know," Ladybug replied, biting her lip.

Paon smirked and turned to Gabriel. "Oh, I get it," he said. "I think they're afraid they'll be soundly defeated by a newbie and a civilian. Don't you?"

The fashion expert nodded with a shrug of indifference. "Appears that way to me."

As expected, Chat's eyes narrowed at the challenge issued by his father. "You're on! Let's show them how this works, Ladybug."

"Ugh," Ladybug said, slapping her forehead in exasperation. "I can't believe I'm agreeing to this."

"Ready?" Gabriel questioned. They nodded. "Begin."

As Gabriel turned away from the group and headed in a slow languid walk away from them, he cast a meaningful look to him. Nino picked up on the order. It was time to put his distraction abilities to use. He withdrew his fans. He wasn't going to disappoint Mr. Agreste.

"So uh, Master Fu?" he questioned. Ladybug ignored the question and attempted to sidestep him, but he casually cut her off.

She frowned and withdrew her yo-yo. "Sorry about this," she said in an apologetic voice to Nino, flinging her weapon forward.

Nino clipped his fans together and twirled his wrist in a tiny circle. The fans spiraled outward, forming a shield around his fist. Ladybug's yo-yo bounced harmlessly off of the blue barrier.

"Sorry for what?" Nino replied with a cheeky grin.

Fifteen seconds.

Chat smirked. He darted forward. Nino met him mid-stride and snapped his fans closed, bending down. He swiped at Chat's feet, using the bundled mass to trip the determined boy. Wasting no time, Nino opened one fan and flung it backwards at Ladybug who had taken the opportunity to attempt to dash by Nino when he was focused upon Chat. It smacked her on the back, knocking her to her feet.

Nino stepped in front of them both, holding out both fans like wings. He swept them around him, buffeting the air surrounding him in strong gusts. Ladybug shielded her eyes. Chat squinted against the wind.

Thirty seconds. If Gabriel needed more time than one minute, he had seriously overestimated the retired superhero.

Nino thought fast and bowed low, stretching his fans out behind him. He fluttered the tips of the fans, turning his desperate attempt at distraction into an impromptu dance. He summoned to his mind every single strutting peacock image he could muster and channeled all of their vain glory into his dance. He kicked, slid, fluttered, and dazzled Ladybug and Chat Noir with wild arm movements and exaggerated footwork.

Forty-five seconds.

Ladybug and Chat Noir were slowly regaining their senses, climbing to their feet and exchanging a look between them that spoke of years of experience. They needed no words to plan their attack. Nino started to sweat and debated belting out a hearty peacock shriek.

A red arrow thudded in the ground at their feet. The three looked up to spot Gabriel standing upon the platform. He climbed down the ladder and stepped up beside Nino, eyeing him with a strange look upon his face. He appeared to be fighting the urge to laugh.

"Our win," he declared, his voice steady despite the obvious struggle to maintain a neutral expression.

Ladybug and Chat Noir gaped at them both. "Wow!" Chat gushed at last, turning to Nino. "You're pretty good for only been training for two weeks!"

Nino scratched his head. "Thanks," he said, a bit embarrassed. He glanced to Gabriel. "I uh, had a good trainer."

Gabriel shot him a withering glare. Nino grinned back, the picture of innocence.

"Oh, can we train with you?" Ladybug asked, bouncing on her feet in excitement. "Chat and I really need the experience."

Gabriel groaned, and Nino knew he would pay for setting him up like this. But Chat was correct: he was battle-ready in only two weeks and held his own against two experienced heroes. Gabriel picked up the crossbow and fired the arrow again at a random location. Gabriel turned and met each of their eyes. "I won't go easy on you."

Ladybug smiled. "I should hope not. Hawkmoth won't." Chat nodded.

Gabriel sighed, resigned to accept his fate. "First one to get the arrow wins. The other two run laps." Gabriel paused, staring at each of them in turn. "Well?" he snapped. "What are you waiting for?"

And the three heroes shot off, leaving Gabriel to watch them with his hands clasped behind his back. As Nino hopped over the barriers, he thought he spotted something in the shadows. A red and white pattern. He blinked and the shadow disappeared. Must have been his imagination. He turned back to see if Gabriel had noticed anything unusual and spotted the designer scowling at the same darkened corner. After a moment, something passed across his face and he inclined his head in a respectful nod. Nino smiled, glad he wasn't seeing things, and redirected his focus back on the course. He wasn't about to place anything but first.

The End

Author's Note: The comment about Gabriel dressing up as a lady and lip-syncing 'Sisters' is a reference to a scene in the movie "White Christmas", where Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye do exactly that (one a bit more reluctantly than the other) to distract a crooked landlord and a sheriff and buy time so the two sisters in question can escape out the back window. If you haven't seen the movie, you should check out that scene at least!

I had always kind of hoped that Gabriel would eventually hand off the Peacock Miraculous to Nino as a sign of his acceptance of him, but alas, it appears that will only happen in this story.

Thank you again for all of your support! And a special thank you to PerditaAlottachocolate for helping me with the ideas and editing!