The ground wasn't what Gabriel expected to meet. But he slammed into it, unable to utter even a single groan at first from the impact.
It jarred his entire body but not sent even the slightest hint of pain through his spine or each limb. But his head was feeling dizzy.
" Sorry for the rough landing." Quinn quickly pushed himself onto all fours and then to his feet.
He stepped back and put his hands behind his back. " A important information for you. No one can see or hear us. We can only observe. "
Gabriel pushed himself to his feet and stumbled on the uneven surface before closing his eyes and shaking his head, as he opened his eyes up and was stunned what he was staring at.
The sky above them was terrifyingly dark red, the sun was nowhere in sight and the buildings were a steel frame or cracked stone ruin. In full view where bodies of dead people laying on the ground, all emotionless.
All they could hear was the wind. It was low, relentless, and loud in the silence. It was like a scene from a apocalyptic movie.
" What is this place? "
" Paris. More specifically, what's left of Paris... In Future. "
The fashion designer blinked at him in confusion before looking back at destroyed city. " What happened here? "
" You win." Quinn laughed, a little painfully. " You finaly create supervillain who defeated Ladybug and Chat Noir. "
" It destroyed the city. "
" No, it wasn't Akuma. It was your wife. "
" That's impossible!" Gabriel argued, " She'd never d-"
" You get Miraculouses and made your wish. " Quinn shot him a pointed look." But Emilie wasn't quite the same women you knew. Ultimate Power give her life back but not her soul. "
" She was like a empty shell with heart blacker than coal. She stole Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous , and then use their fuse power to turned into monster who terrorized the whole world. " Quinn said, speaking slowly as to make every word sink in Gabriel's face. " What you see now, Gabriel, she had this done. "
Gabriel could feel Quinn's words boring themselves into his mind. Everything he said sounded disturbingly true.
" What happened to Adrien? "A Fashion designer worked his jaw in anticipation of answer.
"He's dead." Quinn revealed, his voice a soft murmur. Gabriel followed his gaze to people bodies just few meters from them. And when he recognized... the one boy, it was like a sharp slap in the face.
Adrien was lying on his side, blood was trickling down the corner of his mouth. Teeneger boy's lifeless eyes looked at girl with her hair tied in two pigtails lying next to him. Their bloody fingers laced together.
Gabriel painfully walks over to the young blonde. He tired placing hand on his son face but his fingers and hand, went right through Adrien without problem.
" How did that happen? " He asked, as a teribre sharp of pain piercing his heart.
" Your son was murdered by a supervillain called Lady Maladie. She was the one who brought you the Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous. After you get the magical jewels, you lost interest in that supervillain."
Quinn do long dramatic pause before he continue his explanation to fashion designer question.
" And when Hawk Moth go away, Lady Maladie can do whatever she wants. Sadly, all she wanted to do was destroy. So, she killed all members of Miraculous superhero team , your son and a lot of people in Paris. "
" If she kiled Nathalie too? " The fashion designer spoke hesitantly.
" Actually, you were the one that kiled Nathalie. "
Gabriel leaned back, apprehensive. " What?! "
" The Ultimate Miraculous Power is the one that shapes reality but due to the universe needing to maintain a state of balance, there is a reaction to every wish granted. You wanted Emilie came back to life. And Nathalie had to pay the price for her return."
Quinn said that and snaps his fingers, the world around them simply melted away. Now thay were inside the repository located beneath the Agreste mansion.
From where Gabriel was standing he saw himself standing in front of Emilie's glass coffin.
His future version hold those two miraculous in the palm of his hand. Ladybug and Cat Kwamis, glaring at him dispassionately. They both stared at men for a few seconds, before they both said at the same time:
"What is your wish?"
" I wish for my wife to be revived."
A flash of white light.
Silence.
Long and creepy silence.
" Emilie..." Future Gabriel murmured, his words slow and quiet.
At this, Emily suddenly took a sharp intake of breath, her eyes open as wide as it was physically possible to open them. And then a second later she stand on her feet.
While she stood there and process where she is. Future Gabriel took step towards her, wrapping his arms tightly around her. Emilie's eyes are cold when she hug him back.
A few steps from them, Nathalie stood and watching this scene. She have a half happy and half wistful smile on her face.
Future Gabriel pulled away and pressed a kiss to Emilie's forehead. Then Tikki and Plagg flooating in front of his face they gave him a sad, almost pitying look.
" Wish granted." Kwamis' voices sounded weird in percect sync, " And now it's time to restore the balance of the universe. "
The other kind of great white energy wave popped off two Miraculouses and hit Nathalie's chest. Future Gabriel looked at her. They held each other's eyes for a moment, everything seemed fine for a few seconds...
And then Nathalie said something too quietly for him to hear before she gave him smile, made him look scared. That was a smile of person who accepted fate and decide to meet death fearlessly.
The world slowed around Gabriel as he watched her eyes roll back in her head. Watched her knees give out as she fell to the ground. Nathalie was pale and motionless and cold when future Gabriel catch her.
The fashion designer just watching as future version of himself held Nathalie in his arms, numb and shock.
The scene soon faded and Quinn and Gabriel were standing in a destroyed city, again.
Silence hung between them for an instant.
" Why did it have to be her? "
" The wish demands an equal price. Magic choose person who pay. But nobody know or can understand what makes magic tick. "
" And it choose Nathalie. " Gabriel felt his stomach twisting up into knots and it felt like there was a rock lodged in his throat.
" Let me guess - you never worried about payment of wish because you thought it'll be someone you don't know. Just one faceless person in a sea of people. Person whose death you never noticed. "
The moment Quinn saw Gabriel's face the former miraculous holder knew he have right.
There was a long pause and then Gabriel glances at Quinn, thin brows furrowed in question. "And I...?" He's silently asking. " What's my part in this dark future? "
" And you were witness all of this." Quinn said, looking away. "You looked at deaths of all those innocent people. Until there was nothing left of the world you know. Nothing. "
There was no pity in his tone, if anything, calmness colored his last words. They stood there for a minute longer before Gabriel spoke again.
" That's not what I wanted. "
" I know." Quinn said then turning back to Gabriel with a cold expression, his eyes grim but resolute. " But that is how this ends. "
Rumbling thunder stressed the importance of his words.
The metallic scent that drifted through the air before turquoise raindrops start dropping out of the dark sky. Make the whole scene more serious and sadder.
" That can't be true." Gabriel eyes got a little teary, his words were full of raw emotion. Anger, hurt, grief.
Quinn was quiet at this.
" You lie! " Gabriel accused, his palm turning into a fist. There was an edge to his tone, something like a mix of guilty and anger.
Lighting flashed around them, mixing with the sound of thunder and rain.
"Why would I lie to you? What benefit would that give me?" Quinn smiled weakly. " My spirit live inside Butterfly Miraculous. What's happening in the real world had no effect on me or my home, I have no reason to lie."
A fashion designer looked at view in front of him.
The rain cane still down heavy.
There was no life. There was no joy. Only rain. Pouring down on the world. Dead and sad as turbulent as the emotions seeping throughout the city.
And this all that's left rain, death and darknes.
Gabriel close his eyes, clenching them so tightly that he thought if he perhaps tried hard enough, he could open them to see something else standing before him. Anything else. But... as his eyes opened, the scene did not change
A loud thunder echoes as Quinn closed the distance between them. Fashion designer looked at him cautiously.
Wordlessly, past miraculous holder placed a hand on his arm. With the strange beam of light shining up from ground, both men were teleported back to room with tapestries. All former holders still stood here like stone statues with the warm glow of the candlelight in the room dancing over them.
The silence stretched between them.
The only sound Gabriel can hear was the beating of his own desperate heart as he slowly came to pedestals under his tapestries.
~ Hawk Moth ~
The most powerfull powers,
Must never be deployed,
For no one shall control,
Just what will be destroyed.
So goes the sad tale of man,
who pollute the butterfly and future.
•
...to be continued
Thank you for sparing time readin.
Encouragement or constructive criticism is greatly appreciated :)