Clapping as he emerges from the shadow. "Must have been a good fight."
"Whatever that thing is, stop it!"
"Now why would I do that?"
"You know my power. I can destroy you!"
"Without sustenance, you will also die."
"If I have to die to stop you, I will!"
"But I am the only one who can stop it, so you won't destroy me, right? I have the power to free you of sustenance."
A flurry of long buried wishes went through her mind. Feeling human. Satisfying the constant ache for the Sustenance. Dancing in a dress. Being free. She could almost do it, the key is right in front of her-
But it wasn't enough for her to forget what type of person Von Richter is. Her need for Sustenance is his only tool to hold her down. He'd lead her on to use her, but never help.
So when Data 7 attacks their creator, she does not stop him.
"AAAAH! STOP IT! THE CITY WILL BE DESTROYED WITHOUT ME! YOU NEED ME!"
"Stop, Data 7. It's true."
Data 7 growls a bit, but gets off of the mad scientist.
"As you can see, me and Data 7 feel no remorse to you. We might not be able to kill you, but as long as you're alive, we can cause you a lot of pain."
Even bleeding on the floor, Von Richter smirked knowingly. "You finally learned something from me."
She pulls him up with one hand. "You will take us to the control room immediately, and if it doesn't look like a control room, you're gonna regret the day you've been born." She fears having to deliver on that statement, since torture was never something she intended to do, but if that's what it takes to save the city, she'll do it.
"Of course. This way." Von Richter pointed towards one of the doors with his less-harmed hand, still hanging in the air from his shirt's collar.
Cybersix and Data 7 run to the door and peek behind it, still holding the doctor in the air.There's a hallway. They're all too preoccupied to see Jose reaching for the elevator.
"This door."
It opens on it's own. Peeking in reveals more tanks of monsters in green goo, and a control desk at the far end.
They run to the desk and, with a shove into his chair: "Change the Island's course! Now!"
The madman chuckles menacingly. Cybersix slaps him so hard that he almost loses consciousness. He turns the screen on, and while it's loading, says: "Here you go, Bitch. Here is your ci-"
The screen shows metallic tentacles grabbing the ledge that holds the laboratory. A glowing, huge, red eye rises above the cliff's edge.
"It's in the wrong place! Impossible!" He pauses. "Jose. He betrayed me… well, so much for Jose. There's still time to-"
"It's still close enough to the city to destroy it. You are not going anywhere until you move it into the forest."
The mechanical voice of the computer expresses that Meridiana was supposed to be completely destroyed in "120 seconds."
"There's no time!"
"Just do it!"
Von Richter changed the Island's course.
Distracted by the sudden earthquake the Isle Of Doom caused, neither Cybersix nor Data 7 stopped their monstrous creator from reaching the button on a nearby wall.
"I know how good you are, but not enough for this."
Apparently Data 7 hadn't inflicted wounds too severe for Von Richter to be an asshole. The glass tanks shatter. Sustenance floods the floor. The asshole runs off, while Cybersix and Data 7 are surrounded by their horrifying siblings.
But the monsters start surrounding their creator. When she looks into the eyes of the freakish creature in front of her, they soften. The creature points to the door. The computer calls: "45 seconds."
And at that moment, three thoughts went through her mind.
I can survive.
I have to see Lucas and Julian again.
I want to live.
She hastily cups some Sustenance and throws it down her throat while she and Data 7 run for their lives, reaching the exit 30 seconds before the explosion. They run and leap away, and when the huge explosion burns the laboratory, they are just far enough to be safe. At the end of the day, finally, they get home.
"Cybersix! I thought you died!"
Adrien laughs lovingly. "Shhhh. someone could hear you."
"You're alive!!!"
"And I intend to continue that way."
Julian giggles. He hugs Adrien tightly.
"I need to go to school now Julian. Don't forget to say hi to Data 7."
"Data 7 is alive!!!"
Julian ran off, assumably to the nearest subway entrance. Adrien watched the cute little ball of energy until he disappeared around the corner.
Though, when he got to the school, he noticed the sign was a lot blurrier than he remembered. He reached towards his glasses in order to clean them, only to find out he isn't wearing any.
It's easy enough to assume he's forgotten them at home, until he recalls last night's events, including giving Lori his glasses as his own alternative identity.
"Adrien!"
The literature teacher turns around only to be attacked into a bear hug.
"Cybersix, don't ever scare me like that again, you have no idea what I've been through last night."
Actually, she does have an idea, having been terrified for Lucas's life countless times before.
On the other hand, 'she' is currently a 'he' and 'Cybersix' is dressed as 'Adrien' and-
"Wait. You know?!"
Lucas laughs and lets him go, to Adrien's slight disappointment. "Here, Lori gave me this. Told me your 'kinky girlfriend' gave it to her." He winked, seemingly amused, and pulled a pair of glasses out of his pocket. He also wiped some tears from the corner of his eye, but Adrien could pretend he didn't notice it as he put on his glasses.
"Geez, you really do look like her. How did I not see it for so long?"
"Beats me. You knew she was in my apartment, but you'd assume I'm dating me before you'd consider a superhero might have a secret identity."
They shared a light hearted laugh.
A pause. "I understand why you hadn't told me. Losta people would've been, well… not too understanding about it. But I don't mind. It sort of blends really well. And you're pretty hot as a guy." Lucas starts rubbing the back of his head, blushing, seemingly at the realisation of what he'd just said. "I mean, not that you ain't hot as a girl. I mean, I like how you do 'em both, is all, like, not in a creepy way, it's just that... Oh geez you heard everything I said about Cybersix oh fuck-"
Adrien laughs uncontrollably. He isn't sure if it's out of amusement, or out of pure, unadulterated happiness. He doesn't even know what the symptoms of such happiness are, but Lucas is flooding him with amounts he had never felt before. He hugs Lucas tightly.
Lucas hugs back, tenderly, and Adrien wants to stay in his hold forever. But they have classes to teach, and he has to let go.
"Can we go have lunch after work? Now that you know the secret, there's no reason not to show you my apartment, and there we could say anything, secret or not."
"I'd love to. At any day. Every day, if possible."
Adrien laughs again. "Perhaps that can be arranged."
The bell rings.
"I'll wait at the entrance."
"I'll see you there."
They exchange last loving glances, and separate to their classes. The students are bewildered to see Adrien late for anything, but it's a small price to pay for the days of happiness to come.