One of the armed officials brusquely grabbed Gabriel's arms and binded them with cuffs. Adrien watched as the man was silent and didn't made any move of protest against the arrest.
The model then started moving towards them, shock controlling his body, but stopped for a moment when he saw the look in his father's eyes. He was shaking his head as he expressed a sadness in him he hadn't seen since his mother disappeared. But Adrien was not going to let his father be taken away just like that.
''Wait!'' He started calling for the officers as they were coercing Nathalie to go with them.
But as he started to move again towards the scene he felt something slashing against his face.
Marinette didn't know what to do as she watched disaster unfold. Adrien at her side didn't do anything at first, but then he called for the officers and she knew she had to stop him before he made a mistake. Before she could, however, she saw a small lightning bolt cross the cat hero's face. Confusion overwhelmed her until she saw in horror that her partners mask had flown away when the lightning hit it.
A loud gasp from various people of the crowd, including the special forces, woke her from the shock of what just happened, but Adrien was just stood there staring at the mask on the floor.
''Adrien Agreste?''
''It can't be''
''It makes so much sense!''
The heroine heard those comments as she finally took action, trying to shake his partner from his shock first.
''What a nice party!'' Exclaimed a voice she really didn't want to hear right now, making her look from her paralyzed boyfriend to the blue girl who just walked in from the main door, as if she was a guest late to the gala instead of a villain about to cause mayhem.
''Lila'' Ladybug muttered to herself, then noticed the small black butterfly.
Luka bit his lip as he saw Gabriel Agreste being taken away by the police, then as quickly as he could started running towards any private spot to transform into Viperion. He heard Chloe's steps behind him as they both ran, and he decided he had no time to lose on trying to get the girl out of the place.
He found the men's bathroom and transformed inside, not bothering to check if there was anyone listening from one of the stalls. When he came out, Chloe was taking her pepper spray from her purse and tying her long hair back into a ponytail. He knew there would be no point -And no time- to argue with her, so he just gave her a look and started running back to the main room.
But when he turned a corner, he saw that the whole place was surrounded by a wall of strong winds.
''What is this?!'' He exclaimed frustrated. He couldn't even peek what was happening inside, the winds carrying all the curtains and fabrics that used to cover the tables and windows of the room.
Viperion tried touching it but a commanding ´´Stop!´´ Coming from behind him made him hesitate just millimeters before the weird, giant tornado touched his fingertips.
Chloe then approached the wall of wind, a decorative chandelier on her hands, and poked at it with one of the ends of the object. It got sucked out of her hands immediately and disappeared, probably already part of the whole bunch of things that were spinning around the room.
''I can't use my powers if I can't see what's going on!'' He complained, hands on his hair in desperation. They did not see this coming, at all. The dragon user didn't do anything like this on their first fights!
''Let's try surrounding it, we might find a way in'' Said Chloe, strangely collected as she put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. He nodded, then he grabbed her bridal style.
Chloe looked like she was about to protest, but he interrupted her before she could say anything ''This is faster'' he said and he leaped.
Marinette had her eyes on the Akuma flying towards her as two men that appeared behind Pavona. The dragon and the butterfly miraculous new wielders were already transformed, silently joining the girl as she smiled starting at Marinette.
''Spots on!'' She called and started spinning her yoyo to repel the butterfly, but got distracted as a powerful gust of wind started blowing.
The previously impeccable event room was quickly becoming a mess, with fabrics and diamond shaped gold decorations floating around. The guests finally catched on that this was not part of the show, and started screaming and running around, only to find themselves surrounded by a wall of wind at every corner of the room. Celebrities, reporters, models, designers, heroes and villains, all of them were trapped now inside of what was virtually the eye of a giant tornado.
Ladybug saw some of the civilians being blown away by the wind as they touched it, trying to escape, and anger took over her. People were getting hurt! She stared at the dragon wielder, deciding that he needed to be down first. But she didn't even need to move towards him because he quickly took the naginata sword out of its sheath and ran towards her at superpowered speed.
She soon became too busy deflecting blows from the dragon to protect herself from the Akuma, and the little butterfly was above her as the man kept attacking her. To her horror, however, the insect went past the heroine.
All of this took only seconds, and she couldn't react fast enough as she realized who the victim really was. It was not her with her anger, it was Adrien's shock and despair.
''Chat Noir! Watch out!'' She screamed, parrying another blow from the dragon. She heard Pavona laugh as the boy only moved his eyes to look at her with those sad eyes before his ring absorbed the Akuma.
Adrien reacted only when it was too late, shaking his right hand in an attempt of avoid the inevitable. Purple enveloped him for a moment, then revealed what looked pretty much like the boy in his elegant suit minus the mask, but everything was now white. His suit, his hair, his skin. Everything white except for his eyes, that were blue instead of the usual green.
''No'' She whispered, watching her worst nightmares unfold in front of her eyes. Again.
She didn't have any time to mourn or help her partner, because the dragon launched another series of attacks towards her.
''Alright kitty boy, bring me your partners miraculous along with yours, if you would be so kind'' Said the voice of the butterfly user, a bright pink mask over his eyes as he communicated his orders to his victim.
Still fighting, Ladybug saw that Adrien slowly moved and looked at his ring, then whispered something. A pale blue light transformed him into Chat Blanc.
The sad blue eyes of the white cat started aiming at her as she tried to repel the dragon, and a ball of power formed on the tip of one of his fingers. She knew what happened with that, and realized that she couldn't move or everyone behind her would vanish.
''Hey, wait-'' Started saying the dragon as he noticed that he was on the line of fire too, and he stopped attacking her to try and get out, but it was too late. The white ball launched towards them at sickening speed, and Ladybug saw it coming towards her with horror.
Alya and Nino were hiding below one of the buffet tables, the only thing that
offered some sort of protection against the winds and the cameras. They wanted to transform and help Ladybug as soon as possible, but they weren't the only ones that thought of hiding. Jagged stone and what probably was his assistant were there too, hugging each other in terror as the battle unfolded.
Alya bit her lip as she watched her best friend fend off the dragon user, while Adrien stood there, unmoving. His mask had come off in front of live television and his father just got outed as Hawkmoth, she didn't blame the boy for being too shocked to move immediately, but someone had to help Marinette!
Pavona hadn't even summoned her sentimonster yet, and Alya wondered if she was just playing around with the red heroine when she saw the little black butterfly approach Adrien from above. The boy was giving her back to her, but she could tell that the akuma had gone to his ring, transforming him into a pale version of himself.
''I'm officially scared'' Said Nino by her side, watching as his bro got akumatized for the first time, then transform into a white version of Chat Noir. Chat Blanc? She shook her head, this was not the time for wondering what his akuma name would be! She needed to transform and help, not sit here just observing! And where was Viperion?!
''Oh shit'' Cursed Nino, taking her attention away from her scouting of the place to find a private spot to transform. Chat Blanc was aiming his power at Ladybug and the dragon, and Alya knew that the heroine was not going to avoid the blast. Would she be able to repel such a thing with her yoyo? She had no idea, but the ball of energy was getting bigger and bigger and it didn't look like something you just… spinned away.
Ladybug stood in her place, watching the white cataclysm fly to her face with a horrified expression, but right before the impact, Alya could swear she saw her friend frown in determination.
The light that enveloped the whole place was not white. It was pink, and when it dissipated, everything was the same except for the light magenta shining figure that floated where Ladybug was just moments ago. Her eyes were a bright red and Alya saw them stare at the white cat menacingly. Was that Marinette? Was this Creations pure form? The reporter had no idea what to expect anymore, but she was tired of being an expectator anyways.
''Let's go, Nino'' She said to the DJ on her right, who stopped staring at the battle to look at his girlfriend like she just spoke Chinese.
''But-'' the boy was about to protest, but Alya interrupted him by calling her transformation. That made Jagged and his assistant turn their heads towards her, probably just noticing their presence.
''Not a word, to anyone'' She coolly warned the star, who nodded despite his shock.
Nino watched the musician and the woman with caution as he called for his own transformation, and then they both got out of their hiding place to join the battle.
Pavona was enjoying every second of this.
She knew on the back of her mind that she should take the chance of having Chat Noir under their control to get his ring immediately, but seeing him fight with Ladybug was something she didn't want to miss. She loved the desperate expression on Adrien as the world saw his face and his father was taken away.
Dragon's tornado barrier was strategically put to block the battle from the officers and the ex-villain, the only people trapped inside being most of the guests and her targets. She supposed the other heroes would be around to interfere, but she still had her golem to summon if that happened.
The Akumatized cat then started charging his power while aiming it at his partner, and the face the heroine made was delicious. Pavona didn't even care if Dragon was caught on the crossfire and his barrier dropped, this was exactly what those two deserved! she couldn't contain her laugh anymore, but then cut it short as she realized that Ladybug was not going to get out of the way of the blast. Would her miraculous disappear along her if that growing white ball of destruction hit her? Pavona panicked, she needed those earrings!
The blue girl pulled the arm of the man beside her, but the moth was too occupied looking at the unfolding events with sweat on his brow.
''Don't let him destroy the earrings!'' She ordered him.
''I can't control him properly'' He said, gritting his teeth.
''Then take his Akuma away!''
But it was too late, a bright pink light enveloped the whole place, and for the second it lasted, Pavona thought they all died.
She breathed again, not really realizing she wasn't the whole duration of that moment, when she saw the room once more. Everyone on her sight looked utterly confused, then she noticed the white-pink figure that floated where Ladybug was moments ago.
Pavona and her allies didn't dare to move, not knowing what was going on, but then she remembered the dark figure that attacked her in her room and she understood.
''Creation…'' She whispered in awe, not able to take her eyes off the shining shape of a young woman as she approached the akumatized cat.
''Should I recall his akuma now?'' Asked moth by her side, and she shook her head. The man didn't look sure of her instructions, but since she knew way more about the miraculous than he did, he obeyed. At least she thought that was the reason why he listened to her.
''I need the earrings'' Pavona said again, but she wasn't so sure anymore this was the way to get both jewels. The two white figures were about to fight for real now, and she didn't know if the result of the fight would be favorable to her. Was Ladybug conscious under that mystical form? She wondered, noticing how the cat looked apprehensive of fighting the goddess.
Moth instructed again for the cat to take the earrings, casting a bright pink mask on both of them as they communicated.
''N-no'' Said the cat in a shaky voice as he positioned himself in a defensive way, watching the white pink figure approach him.
Dragon looked unsure of what to do, Pavona could tell he was sweating in fear as he recovered from the shock of almost being vanished from existence. He was probably a lot less experienced in battle than moth- Agent A.- was, because the other man didn't seem as paralyzed by seeing what basically was the pure form of creation itself.
Creation was nearly at touching length of the cat, who started panicking. The akumatized hero started backing away and desperately casting another ball of energy. Creation didn't stop him when he threw it, missing her by a hair. The ball hit a portion of the wall of wind behind her, making a giant round hole where a bunch of people were bundled up before. A second later, pink light restored the damage like it never happened, and the guests that returned from who knows where looked at each other in confusion and fear.
The witnesses that weren't directly attacked seemed to be hypnotized by Creation, even the people that were just moments ago still filming everything dropped their instruments to the floor, not bothering with them as they observed. Pavona knew that they were probably feeling the same as her, a sort of attraction to the goddess of life. The only reason she wasn't as vulnerable to the hypnotic sight was probably because she was transformed with a miraculous of her own. It was a weird mix inside of her. She loathed Marinette, but Creation's pull contrasting that hatred confused her brain each time she glanced at the shining figure.
As she looked around, she noticed the two other heroes joining the battle and frowned. They would not interrupt her plans. Pavona summoned her golem using the same object she did the last time, a piece of wood recovered from her destroyed house, but she immediately knew it would be a weaker version of it. Her fear of Chat Noir was now replaced by a new fear she had gotten in the past days: She would die soon if she didn't get that wish. The fuel for her creation being dampened by her colliding emotions resulted in a significantly smaller golem appearing by her side.
''Don't let them interfere!'' She ordered the sentimonster, pointing at the fox and the turtle as they approached.
The first thing the creature did was start pounding with one hand on the floor where the heroes were. They avoided his first hit but Carapace had to use his shield for the second one, a surprise attack with his other hand that was so unexpected it caught Chat Noir by surprise the last time it was used. Pavona was in awe, how did he know the golem was going to do that? Well it didn't matter much, both heroes were trapped under the incessant pounding of the sentimonster, not being able to leave the shield for risk of getting hit.
Meanwhile, Chat blanc kept firing and missing his blasts of destruction, and everything he hit was being restored immediately. Creation was not even bothering to look at anything else other than her partner, who kept backing away from her. Eventually she caught his right hand as he was casting another one, and that pink light started emitting again. She was purifying him!
Frustrated, Pavona told the moth to order Chat Blanc to escape and bring the ring, but it was too late. Creation was now hugging the Akumatized cat, and when the shine stopped making looking at them impossible, Chat Noir was back to normal.
Chat Noir was still transformed when he found himself embracing the most beautiful being he had ever seen. Shocked, he realized that this was Marinette turned into Creation. Did she lose control? Or she had to do it out of necessity? He tried to remember what happened after his mask dropped, and the memory of the black butterfly entering his ring told him everything he needed to know. He looked around, expecting to see clues of what he had done, but he only got more confused.
A wall of wind was surrounding most of the room, and a bunch of guests were staring mesmerized at his Lady. He didn't blame them, the white-pink figure was like a lightbulb to a fly, it was really hard to stop looking at her. He briefly wondered if Destruction had the exact opposite effect when he realized the goddess started moving towards Pavona.
''My Lady?'' He called for her, not sure if she really was in control of her actions or not. The white figure kept floating towards the blue girl, who started looking more and more nervous.
Pavona ordered her allies to protect her, but neither of them dared to move. Were they betraying her? Or just realized they had no chances against the pure power of creation?
''Ladybug!'' He tried again, but she was not listening to him. Crap, he thought, she was not in control after all. He couldn't let her do something she would regret! He started running to put himself in between the villain and the goddess, calling forth his cataclysm.
He looked into those shining red eyes, and he could swear he saw affection in them as she lifted a finger and touched his right hand, where he held his power. It was like someone putting down a candle's flame with two wet fingers, his power vanished as soon as she touched him, staining her fingertips red for a brief second. Why couldn't he do for her what she did for him?! That hug she gave him earlier should have dropped her transformation!
''Please, don't do this, we can handle her'' He said, another cataclysm forming in his hands as he grabbed her arm. This time Creation recoiled, as if she just got burned by his touch. That spot where he just grabbed her turned black-spotted red for a second, showing what was beneath the white pink light before being covered again by the power. A flicker of hope crossed his mind as he understood what he had to do. She looked at him with what he interpreted as annoyance, then lifted that same arm to the air, palm open.
Pavona started nervously laughing behind him, she hadn't called her golem back for some reason, the creature's fists still clashing against Carapaces shield.
''What are you going to do to me? ´´Create me?´´ heal me? '' She mocked. Was she really underestimating a god?
''Lucky charm'' Said Creation with a cold, calm voice, and a giant sword landed on her hand. This time the blue girl did show fear in her face as she realized what Creation could really do.
Pavona uselessly tried to protect her face with her arms as Creation lifted her new weapon, but when she was about to strike a green shield formed around the blue girl. Carapace? but he was…
Chat looked back at where he thought the other two heroes were, and to his confusion they were still there. But then he noticed the fists of the golem were going through the shield, and hitting the ground. It was an illusion! Since when? He didn't have time to wonder, as Creation was about to strike again and the crack on the turtle's protection told him that it wouldn't resist a second one.
He had to stop her, and for that he needed a bigger cataclysm than what he was able to produce right now.
So he transformed into Destruction.