"Cataclysm!" Cat Noir screamed as he reached out toward the heart-shaped candle that was Akumatized. It dissolved, leaving Ladybug to de-evilize an Akuma butterfly.
Once that was finished, Ladybug threw her Lucky Charm into the air and called out, "Miraculous Ladybug!" reversing all the damage done by the villain.
"Pound it," The two superheroes unison as they bump each other's fists, as they do after every battle.
A beep sounded, and a light flashed on Cat Noir's ring. "Until next time, Milady," he said as he turned his body in the direction he wanted to go.
"Until next time," Ladybug smiled before they jumped away in opposite directions.
They fought the Akumatized victim since noon, and it was already past three. Considering the time, they would have missed the entire school day, but lucky for them, it was a Saturday.
Cat Noir ran on the streets, occasionally jumping to get closer to his home before converting back to civilian wear.
There were tons of people out and about, and he smiled and waved to most of them, but as he got to the middle of town, he saw people staring upward. At first, he thought they were looking up at him until he came into his second mid-jump, and a young woman fell literally into his arms. "Well, hello there. Fallen for me, I see," he joked.
A blue-green-eyed, brunette young woman didn't say anything, for she was stunned.
The crowd was cheering, and Cat Noir quickly realized what just happened. "Did someone push you?" He asked, looking up at the tall hotel building.
The young woman pushed herself out of his arms and began to run.
"Hey! Wait!" Another beep came from his ring: he only had four more minutes left before he changed back, but he chased after her anyway.
He caught up and grabbed her arm to stop her from running again. "No one pushed you, did they?" Cat Noir said with a soft voice, picking up on her silence. He sat her down on a bench and took a seat next to her. "Why did you jump?"
"I have no reason to be here," she answered bluntly, not looking at him as tears ran down her face.
"Everyone has a reason, a purpose," Cat Noir said, his voice still soft.
"Not me," she was about to stand when Cat Noir stopped her by taking her hand. Another beep, three minutes left now.
"I have to change back soon, but please let me help you."
"No one can help me. Not even you."
"You can't say that until you give me the chance to try," Cat Noir smiled gently.
"I guess," was all she could say, still not making eye contact with him.
The young woman wasn't in her right mind, and when the superhero told her that he would be right back because he was going to change back into whomever he was, she took that chance to leave.
Cat Noir was on the roof of a two-story building close by to where he left the woman.
"Plagg, claws in."
A tiny black cat with huge yellow eyes flew out of a black ring that had now turned silver.
"I can't believe you caught a woman trying to commit suicide," Plagg said as he was tossed a slice of camembert cheese.
"I can't either. I want to help her as much as I can," Adrien said, looking over his right shoulder at nothing.
"How so? She's not going to put her trust in someone she just met. Even if you are a superhero," Plagg responded.
"Maybe not right away, but she can get to trusting me within every passing day."
"That depressed emotion I felt earlier has reappeared," a man with a silver mask and purple suit realized. "Looks like she didn't commit suicide after all." Hawkmoth smiled, "Good! She will be the perfect pawn to get Ladybug's and Cat Noir's Miraculous."
Hawkmoth laid his hand flat out in front of him, and a white Akuma butterfly landed on it. He then gently cupped it with both hands, and Hawkmoth's power transformed it into the colors of black and purple.
He let go of the butterfly, "fly away my little Akuma and evilize her!" The transformed butterfly flew out the large round window and toward the location of its target.
The young woman began to walk across the street when something forced her to pause mid-step.
The Akuma entered her necklace, turning it black; Her necklace was made up of white rock beads.
A neon red outline of a butterfly materialized around the young woman's eyes, and a voice only she could hear spoke to her, "Dark Paralysis, I am Hawkmoth. No one ever wants to feel the way you've been feeling, and no one should ignore them. I have given you the power to make people feel the way you do as a payback to how they've treated you. But in return, I want you to get me Ladybug's and Cat Noir's Miraculous."
She smiled wickedly, "You got a deal, Hawkmoth." Black and purple smoke consumed her.
Screams originated from below where Adrien and Plagg were.
"What the?" The two looked over the side of the building and saw an Akumatized person in all grey.
Adrien couldn't tell from his angle, but he had a feeling the Akumatized person was the young woman he saved. "Oh no!"
"So soon?" Plagg asked, annoyed. "But we just fought and saved someone who was Akumatized not too long ago."
"It's nothing new. There's been more than one Akumatized victim in one day many times before." Adrien straightened, "You know the drill, Plagg."
"I know the drill all too well," he answered with a sigh.
"Plagg! Claws out!" Adrien transformed back into Cat Noir and jumped down in front of the Akumatized woman.
"You again? I've already been saved by Hawkmoth," the woman said. "I no longer need your services. I like who I am now; I have the power to teach those who have hurt me a lesson."
"Don't fall for his tricks. He didn't save you," Cat Noir told her.
"Yes, he did. Because I was granted powers, people will now listen to me." A pulsating grey light illuminated her.
"Have you ever talked to someone about whatever's going on?" Cat Noir asked, trying to get through to her.
"No one ever listens. No one ever takes my side."
"Whatever's going on, I'm sorry, but this isn't the way. Whatever you have that's been Akumatized, please give it to me so I can destroy it."
"Don't listen to him, Dark Paralysis," Hawkmoth told her. "Yes, he may have saved you from committing suicide, but I gave you powers that he could never give you."
"He's just using you to get mine and Ladybug's Miraculouses," Cat Noir added. "He uses people's pain to do his dirty work." He reached out to her, but she jumped seven feet away from him.
"Tell me, Cat Noir, do you wish to do something about your cooped-up life?"
His eyes became wide, and he gasped. "How did-," He trailed off.
"I can feel everyone's pain; their depression, anger, guilt, fright." Dark Paralysis stepped a foot back toward him, "You want to escape the confines of your home and do all the fun stuff your friends can do without question."
Cat Noir swallowed. He kept quiet, hoping she didn't know who he was under the mask.
Dark Paralysis laughed, "Oh, don't worry, who you are is not important to me. You're not the one I'm after."
"His identity is important to me. I want his Miraculous!" Hawkmoth cut in.
Dark Paralysis moved another step closer to Cat Noir, "Would you like to feel what it would be like to take revenge, Kitty Cat?"
"I'll pass."
"How can you live with someone who won't allow you any freedom?" She reached her hand out, palm facing him, "Your childhood was taken away from you."
"He's just trying to protect me. That's all." Cat Noir answered, walking backward to avoid her hand. "It may be harsh sometimes, but he means well."
"They never mean, well. They never think about what they have said or done." She continued toward him, "Now hold still."
"No thanks. You see, I'm booked for today."
"I'm sure you can squeeze some revenge in."
"Uh, rain check?" He jumped onto the roof of a parked car.
"Why wait when revenge is sweet."
"I'd prefer to talk it over."
"If you think just talking would work, then why haven't you done so sooner?" She swung her arm at his leg, causing Cat Noir to jump backward off the car.
Dark Paralysis walked to the other side of the car, "you sure are stubborn—" She smirked when she sensed someone with anger tread close by.
She slid four feet to her right, her arm extended outward to her side, her victim turned grey and ran toward their target, and she finished her sentence, "—And you're no fun."
"Hey!" Cat Noir said offensively. "I am too, fun! You should hear my jokes."
"Enough chit-chat!" Hawkmoth cut in. "Get him!"
Dark Paralysis quickly headed for Cat Noir with her hand once again out toward him.
He twirled his staff in front of him to avoid her touch.
"You know," Cat Noir began, "peer pressure isn't the best way to start a friendship."
She caught his staff in mid-spin and threw it on the ground, causing him to gasp.
Cat Noir continued to duck as Dark Paralysis went after him. He backflipped away from her only to have her right on his tail. He made sure not to get himself cornered, but he couldn't manage to keep her at bay.
He felt as though this was a cat and dog chase, and the dog was winning. As she was going after him, she was transforming people who came across her.
Cat Noir had to get Dark Paralysis off the streets, so he ran on all fours up the side of a building. He needed to stop her; he needed to find a weapon.
He was also scared of becoming her victim. He didn't want to imagine what he would do to his father.
When Cat Noir got them onto the roof, he didn't give himself time to shift his angle for Dark Paralysis swooped her leg underneath him, and he fell forward.
Dark Paralysis was on her knees on top of him now. "Yes, you have him! Now take his ring," Hawkmoth said with excitement in his voice.
"I have to make a quick stop before I get to my main target. I'm gonna have to take that ring back to give it back to Hawkmoth."
"The ring's not his! It never was." Cat Noir had a hold of her wrists, but she was strong. "The ring is mine. It was given to me to protect the city."
"Whatever. You'll give me that ring, then I'll help you help yourself get the revenge you deserve."
"Never!" He continued to give it his all to go against her strength, but he knew he wouldn't be able to hold her off for too long.
"Ladybug! Help!"
"By the time she shows up, it'll be too late, Cat Noir. And I will finally win after all these years." Hawkmoth smiled in triumph.
Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Stay tuned for the next chapter.