Miraculous Devilman: Chapter 5 Marinette vs Lila-Part 2
Disclaimer: We Do Not Own MLB or Devilman. MLB belongs to Thomas Astruc and Devilman belongs to Go Nagai. Also, this fic contains slight mature themes and mild language.
(Insert Miraculous Ladybug theme music)
"In the daytime, we're Marinette, Adrien, and Akira,
Just normal teenagers with normal lives.
There is something about us no one knows yet,
Because we have a secret,"
"Miraculous and Devilman,
Fight till the end to stop Hawkmoth!
Miraculous and Devilman,
Together as one they'll save us all!
Miraculous Devilman!"
Miraculous Devilman
Chapter 5 - Part 2
Adrien and Kagami sat on a bridge, sharing an ice cream cone they got from Andre's cart. As Kagami was telling Adrien about a business trip to China her mother forced her to go, Adrien kept glancing over at Lila, who was watching them a few feet away. She was pretending to be busy with her ice cream cone, but Adrien can tell she was listening in on their date.
Adrien shifted uncomfortably. Why Lila? He wouldn't mind if Mr. Ryo was there, but he knows Lila has it out for him ever since he called her out on her lies…
"Adrien, are you listening?" Kagami asked, snapping Adrien out of his thoughts.
"Oh, yeah, totally." Adrien replied, trying to be smooth.
Kagami frowned. "This is about Lila watching us, isn't it?"
"What? Pfft, no, I don't know what you're talking about." he replied dumbly.
Seeing that Kagami wasn't convinced, Adrien sighed and leaned in, whispering. "Yes, it's making me a little uncomfortable."
Kagami nodded. "I see."
She looked over to where Lila was standing, a sly smile appearing on her face as an idea formed in her head. She scooped a spoonful of ice cream with her spoon. "Mmm, this blue raspberry swirl is delicious. Adrien, you have to try some."
Adrien raised an eyebrow for a moment, but smiled. "Sure."
He opened his mouth and Kagam fed him the scoop of ice cream. She looked back at Lila with a knowing smirk.
"Here, have some of this lemon-lime." Adrien offered her a spoonful.
Kagami smiled and opened her mouth, allowing Adrien to feed her the spoonful of ice cream.
"Delicious." she exclaimed. "Soft and sweet." She put a hand on his shoulder. "Just like you."
Adrien blushed at the compliment. "Well, thanks. And that blue raspberry swirl was sharp." He offered her a wink. "Like you."
It was Kagami's turn to blush, pulling a strand of hair behind her ear as she smiled.
Suddenly, Devilman falls out of the sky in front of them, roaring as he hits the water with a splash.
Adrien and Kagami jumped back in surprise. "What was that!?" they shouted in unison.
Lila rushed to the two, "Adrien! Are you okay?!" Her surprise and worry seemed genuine.
Adrien nodded. "I'm fine." he turned to Kagami. "Get to safety. Both of you. I'll distract this freak."
"No way! It's my job to watch you while Ryo is coming!" Lila steps forwards, Kagami following suit. "I will not simply abandon you here!"
They all get caught by surprise as a clawed hand grabs the rim of the bridge and Devilman pulls himself up. "Oh, for god's sake, I'm gonna…" he pauses as he realizes that there are other people there.
"Akuma!" Kagami gets in a fighting stance in front of Adrien. "Stay back! I'm not afraid to fight you if I have to!"
Devilman just grumbles a bit. "Not quite that kind of akuma, but whatever," he turns back in the direction of the school. "You three should get out of here, your buddy Marinette's gone berserk." He unfurls his wings and starts to fly off before suddenly taking a drill from the side. Devilman is knocked away, and the trio look to the direction the drill came from.
"Adrien Agreste!" Karmari suddenly appears a few feet away from the bridge, her armor making clunking sounds as she runs at high speed towards the trio. "I will show you what happens to those who hurt their friends!" Her eyes flash as she notices Lila standing there as well. "Well well, if it isn't the lying snake herself!" She then looks at Kagami. "And Adrien's new girlfriend! Looks like it's my lucky day after all! Now I can kill three birds with one stone!" She raises her arms, powering up three drills from her metal fingers.
"Run!" Adrien grabs Kagami's hand and starts running off the bridge in the opposite direction, Lila following suit.
Karmari fires up the drills, only for a yoyo to knock into one, which collides with the others into the bridge.
Lila, Adrien, and Kagami look up to see Ladybug standing on a streetlamp, twirling her yoyo in circles, a confident smile on her face. "I will take this from here! Take cover now, quickly!" she told the three of them.
Adrien smiled admiringly at Ladybug for a minute, to which Kagami noticed. "You heard her. Come on!" Kagami took his hand and both proceeded to run towards the park, Lila following close behind them.
Karmari growled at the red hero, beginning to reform its arms. "I will not have you interrupt me!" The arms take a cylindrical shape and start turning downwards. Ladybug unleashes her yo-yo and wraps it around the Golem's torso, pulling herself towards it.
"We'll have to see about…"
A shockwave cracks through the air as Karmari's arms, now in the shape of pile-drivers, slam into the ground. The earth trembles as the nearby buildings shake. Ladybug is knocked backwards, but lands on her feet. She takes a quick glance over Karmari's appearance, noticing the bright pink flower on her head crest.
"Okay, that looks like the akuma." Ladybug quickly jumps away as the golem launches another drill at her. Swinging around, she ropes Karmari's leg and begins to circle it, dodging stomps and fists. Ladybug knocks over Karmari with a leap and a kick to the face.
"Come on, please let it be this easy…" She starts, just as the stone and metal golem begins to fall apart into rocks, tiles, and shrapnel.
Of course this thing had a trick.
Fragments of Karmari scattered and flew into the surrounding buildings, the pink flower sinking into the asphalt. The buildings rumble and seem to change shape. Street lamps bend into new shapes and the asphalt of the road forms into a lean shape around the flower. With a sigh, Ladybug now faces a dark, lean stone figure bearing the flower on its chest with a pack of five metallic wolves behind it. The two buildings apart from her are now mirror images of Karmari, but without a head crest.
"Perfect." The spotted hero grumbles.
"Need a hand, M'Lady?" Ladybug turned around to see Chat Noir standing there, holding his staff on his shoulders.
"Kitty, what took you so long?" she put her hands on her hips with a frustrated frown on her face.
"I had to get a couple people off my tail." He replied.
"Well, now that you're here, help me figure out where the akuma is hiding." she pointed at the newly-shifted figure. "This akuma seems to be able to shift things around it and take new forms.
I thought the akuma was in her head crest, but now I'm not so sure."
Chat Noir pulled his staff beside him and offered a grin. "Don't worry, we'll figure it out." he glanced around. "And I see that the demon isn't around to complicate things this time."
"Guess again, Catboy." The two heroes looked back as Devilman perched on a nearby rooftop. At the same time, a new figure landed behind the heroes. A gray and pink masked figure, who gave a friendly wave. "Hello there. I'm Multi-Mouse. Here to help."
Ladybug smiled. "Great. I'm Ladybug, though you probably already know that."
"Chat Noir. Pleasure to meet you." he said with a bow.
"I found her when this rock lady sent me halfway across the city. She pulled me out of a crater." Devilman chuckled. He glanced at Ladybug, then to Karmari's fragments. This was odd. Marinette couldn't be this villain if she was still Ladybug. He'd deal with that later.
"That must have been a "soaring" experience." Chat Noir said with a wink.
Ladybug rolled her eyes. "Still aloof as ever I see."
"You know it, Bug-a-boo." Chat Noir smiled at her.
The larger golems at this point began making their way across the bridge and towards the direction Kagami and Lila had run in.
"You may have expanded your numbers, pesky bug, but you are clearly outmatched!" called the asphalt figure, who pointed an arm at Ladybug. The metal wolves then rushed at her.
"Mice Multiply!" Multi-Mouse shouted, several copies of herself appearing in a flash of silver light. "Multi-Mice, charge!" all clones raised their swords and ran after the metallic wolves.
"We've got them! Go after the rock lady!" one Multi-Mouse clone shouted.
The asphalt figure only laughed, "You think you can stop me? I am the ground, you tread, and my chariot awaits." The asphalt warrior forms a stone horse beneath it, and charges past the heroes. Devilman takes off in pursuit of the golems.
"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug threw her yoyo in the air. Bright pink and red sparkles surrounded the yoyo. After a minute, the sparkles cleared, revealing a chainsaw as it fell into Ladybug's hands.
"A chainsaw? What am I supposed to do with this?" Ladybug questioned.
"Maybe it's sharp enough to cut through the figure." Chat Noir suggested.
Ladybug looked around. Her Ladybug vision spotted Chat Noir, the figure, a streetlamp, and the chainsaw. A grin curled on her face as a plan formed in her head.
"I know what to do." she told Chat Noir. "But I'm gonna need extra help." She handed him the chainsaw and swung her yoyo to a nearby building, preparing to jump. "Keep Karmari distracted meanwhile."
Before Chat Noir could reply, she swung away, leaving behind a gust of wind.
"Very well, M'Lady." Chat Noir extended his staff and took off in the direction the asphalt figure went.
(In a hidden dojo)
Master Fu sat cross-legged next to a small, round table, cup of tea in one hand and tapping his fingers anxiously on the tabletop with his other hand.
"Master, it's been only a few hours, I'm sure you made the right choice this time." Wayzz said, trying to comfort the old guardian.
"I can't help but have some doubt, Wayzz." Fu replied with a sigh. "If it weren't for my decision to trust her with those two miraculous, none of this would have happened. Who says I won't make the same mistake again?"
"Think positive, Master." Wayzz reassured him. "Your choices for Ladybug and Chat Noir were the best decisions you ever made. I'm certain those two, along with the next wielder of the mouse miraculous, will stop Hawkmoth and set things right."
Fu exhaled with a small smile. "Merci, my old friend. I'm glad to always have you by my side."
"You will always be my master, Master." the turtle kwami replied with a bow.
A knock is heard at the front door. Wayzz ducked behind a shelf. Master Fu got up, dusting himself off, slowly approached the door, and opened it.
"Master Fu!" Marinette stepped inside, with Ticki floating close behind.
"Marinette?" Master Fu's eyes widened. "What brings you here?"
Seeing as it was Marinette, Wayzz flew out from behind the shelf. "Is this about the one chosen to wield the mouse miraculous?"
"My Lucky Charm sent me." Marinette replied. "My vision told me that I will need another miraculous by my side to defeat the akuma."
"What about the chosen mouse wielder? Is she not helpful?" Fu asked, a concerned look on his face.
"No Master, Multi-Mouse is very helpful." Marinette assured. "However, I need extra support."
"Trust me, Master, we know what we have to do." Ticki added.
After a moment of thinking about it, Fu exhaled and relented. "Very well."
He walked over to another small table in the corner of the room, picked up the miracle box, and set it down in front of Marinette. He pressed his thumbs on certain symbols on the box and typed in a four-digit password, unlocking the box. The box opened, and the spaces holding each piece of miraculous jewelry appeared in a circular formation.
"Marinette Dupain-Cheng, you must choose an ally you can trust to fight alongside you on this mission." Master Fu declared. "Choose wisely. The one you decide will ultimately determine the success of this fight."
Marinette scanned through the miraculouses, searching for the one she saw in her vision. She picked up the bee barrette with a determined smile.
Master Fu raised an eyebrow. 'Are you sure?" he questioned. "You know what happened last time."
"Trust me." Marinette responded. "This time it will be for the right purpose." She placed the miraculous in her pocket. "Ready Ticki?"
The ladybug kwami smiled. "Always, Marinette."
"Ticki, Spots on!" She re-transformed, waved goodbye, and ran out the door.
(At the Le Grand Paris hotel)
Ladybug landed on the hotel balcony, panting as she paused to catch her breath. She walked up the balcony door and pulled at the door handle. To her surprise, it was locked. She knocked on the door.
"Go away, Sabrina!" a voice shouted from inside. "I told you, I don't want to see anyone!"
"Chloe?" Ladybug called out. "It's Ladybug!"
No answer. Ladybug knocked. "Chloe, please let me in. I need your help."
Still no answer. With a sigh, Ladybug pulled a hair clip out of her hair, and twisted it into the keyhole, unlocking the door. She opened the door and walked inside. The room was dark. All window shutters were closed and the lights were off, except for a single lamp in the corner of the room. There, sitting on a bed, was Chloe, her back facing Ladybug, a blanket over her shoulders.
"Chloe?" Ladybug said again. She stepped closer towards her.
"Please, leave me alone." Chloe said with a sniff. "I don't want anybody to see me like this, especially you."
Ladybug walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Chloe, please talk to me."
Slowly, Chloe turned around.
Ladybug's eyes widened. Chloe had a big purple bruise on her cheek. Her eyes were red and puffy, her hair pulled in a messy knot instead of her usual ponytail.
"Chloe, what happened to you?" Ladybug asked, genuinely concerned. "Who did this to you?"
Chloe shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I can't tell anyone." Tears forced their way in the corner of her eyes as she added, "It's not like anyone cares anyway."
Ladybug exhaled and knelt down to face her. "Chloe, it's me, Ladybug. You can trust me. Please, tell me the truth."
Despite everything Chloe has done to her, Marinette has said it herself that nobody deserved to be mistreated. She will help Chloe, for she will need her help back.
Chloe took a deep breath and said, "I was walking home, when..a thug cornered me in an alleyway and beat me up. He threatened to do it again if I told anyone." Chloe rubbed her arms.
"And this thug, do you know who he is?" Ladybug asked.
"I..I don't know. He was wearing a hoodie, and.. I didn't see his face." Chloe replied, involuntarily shaking. "Please, no more. I don't wanna talk about it anymore."
Ladybug knew she had to comfort Chloe somehow, but she needed to know the rest of the details.
"Is this why you haven't been coming to school?" She asked.
Chloe bit her lip. "Yes...but..it's not just that. It's because…. I have no reason to go. Nobody likes me, I have no friends..." Tears ran down her face as her voice quivered, "My own mother doesn't even remember my name. There's nobody who cares about me, so what's the point of even showing my face?"
Ladybug frowned for a minute, before placing both hands on Chloe's shoulders. "I care about you, Chloe. And there are others that care about you more than you think. I know there is good in you." She offered her smile. "Remember when you helped me during Heroes Day? If it weren't for your help, Hawkmoth would have taken over the city and everyone's lives would still be under his control. You can change things for the better, you can redeem yourself, but you have to be willing to take the first step." She pulled out the bee barrette from her yoyo, and held it out to Chloe. "Do you want to be a better person?"
Chloe wiped away her tears and nodded. "I do."
With a smile, Ladybug handed her the miraculous. "Chloe Bourgeois, here is the miraculous of the bumblebee, which grants the power of paralyzation. You will wield it for the greater good."
Chloe opened the box. A sparkling yellow blur flew out and circled Chloe a few times. After a couple seconds, the sparkles cleared, revealing Pollen, the bee kwami.
"I am at your service, my Queen." Pollen said with a kind smile.
"Once the mission is complete, you will return the miraculous to me." Ladybug instructed. "Can I count on you?"
Chloe clipped the barrette to her hair and gave a confident smile. "I will make you proud, Ladybug. Pollen, Buzz On!"
Bright yellow light surrounds Chloe as Pollen is sucked into the barrette. Black and yellow magic climbs up her body as Chloe's clothes are replaced with a black and yellow jumpsuit. A black and yellow mask appears over her eyes, two black antennas sprout out of her forehead, and her hair twists into a braided ponytail. Chloe, now Queen Bee, places her hands on her hips as the bumblebee symbol appears behind her, her transformation now complete.
(Back at the fight)
Lila and Kagami make their way to a square clearing in the city, the golems in close pursuit. As one is about to grab them, Devilman dives into its head and brings it to the ground. The two girls find their way across the square and take cover in one of the buildings. What follows is a large bout of devastation as Devilman trades heavy blows with the golems in the square. Shortly after, the Multi-Mice clones join the fray as the metallic wolves are being gradually worn down. The asphalt horse rider makes it to the square and charges towards the far end where Kagami and Lila hid, only to have it's horse tripped over by an oncoming Chat Noir's staff. The rider falls into the dirt of this square park, growling as Chat Noir lands in front of it.
"Give it up already. You can't beat us." Chat Noir twirls his staff with a cocky grin. The asphalt warrior then lashes out at him, now bearing a long staff of its own. "I won't let you stop me here! No one gets by Karmari!"
"You might wanna rephrase that, stonehead!"
The others turned to see Ladybug running towards their direction, with Queen Bee right behind her. Devilman sneers as he fires a Devil-beam through a golem, blowing it's leg apart, and the Multi-Mice have just finished reducing the metal wolves.
"So that's where you ran off to, calling in some more help." Devilman laughs.
As Ladybug and Queen Bee join the fray, Karmari's constructs are forced back into a corner. Ladybug quickly overpowers the leader with Chat Noir, and the akuma is now very exposed.
"Let's get this over with," Chat Noir prepares a charge. "Cataclysm!"
With a burst of energy, Chat Noir lunges at the asphalt warrior, aiming for the metal flower on its chest. However, the figure pulls an arm forward to take his blow. The flower is somehow jettisoned from the asphalt as it disintegrates, and is absorbed into the remaining golem, now somewhat resembling the original Karmari.
"Oh, come on!" Chat Noir stares at the new Karmari as it throws itself into a nearby building.
"Dammit!" Devilman follows up, "Get ready for phase 3". The buildings rumble and reform around the Karmari Golem, layering on top and increasing its size. The heroes stand back as what now faces them is a 50 meter tall titan of metal and stone, It's arms formed into drills, ears are pierced as the metal weapons are clanged against each other and whirl to life in a torrent of fury.
A mad scramble follows as Karmari roars and lashes out in all directions. "Everyone, scatter and regroup with me!" Ladybug calls out to the others. The Titan is big, but thankfully, it is just slower than the heroes can all run and fly away from. After getting some distance away, the Titan begins a path of mindless destruction. While chaos fills the city as evacuation is under way, the heroes have a moment to gather themselves on a rooftop.
Devilman is the first to make remarks. "So I take it you're coming up with a plan, fearless leader?" He looks at Ladybug, then turns to Queen Bee. "And if it isn't the hornet herself. Heh."
Queen Bee rubbed her arm awkwardly. "Nice to meet you too." She mumbled sarcastically.
Ladybug rolled her eyes. "Look, whatever hard feelings you have, put them aside for now. She's part of the plan, so listen up." She turns to Chat Noir. "Still have that chainsaw I gave you?"
"Sure do." He pulled out the chainsaw from seemingly behind his back.
Ladybug nodded. "Good." She gestured to Multi-Mouse and Devilman. "You two surround Karmari and keep her distracted. I'll wrap my yo-yo string around the legs, making her trip," she pointed at Queen Bee. "Then you'll paralyze her with your stinger, allowing you," she looks at Chat Noir. "To cut through the flower, release the akuma, and allow me to purify it." She clapped her hands together as she concluded her explanation. "Is everyone clear on the plan?"
"Got it, Ladybug." Queen Bee replied.
"Clear on this "sharp" plan, M'Lady." Chat Noir said with a wink.
"Sure thing." Multi-Mouse replied with a thumbs-up.
"Let's do this!" Devilman responded, punching a fist to his palm.
And so, united as one, the team makes their way back to the raging Karmari in the distance. The Multi-Mice lead the charge with Ladybug tailing. As she zips across the buildings, Devilman matches her pace in his own flight, making sure the others can't hear.
"Ok, so…that's not you, right?" He scratches his chin looking at the red hero.
Ladybug shook her head. "Of course not. I can't afford getting akumatized. It's probably Lila again," she bit her lip. "You'll keep my secret, right?"
Devilman pounds his chest, "I keep my word. It's Ryo you gotta look out for. What makes you think it's the Lila chick?"
"It's a long story." Ladybug replied. "I'll explain it later."
With that, Devilman shrugs and rockets up with his wings and flies to the front.
The team begins their attack, Devilman harassing Karmari with devil-beams and weaving around its swings in the air. Queen Bee runs around the Titan, taunting it and dodging stomps left and right. The Multi-Mice swarm it's legs, wearing down its balance. However, the main Multi-Mouse hears a ringing from her pendant.
"No, not now! Come on, you got this." The multi-mice move faster, but are scattered as Karmari begins driving her arms into the ground, tearing apart roads and buildings alike. Chat Noir attempts to help the two, extending his staff long enough to try to trip Karmari, but her sheer size outweighs any leverage he can gain. He is thrown up into the air, managing to land on a roof nearby.
Ladybug is able to wind her yo-yo around Karmari's leg, and starts trying to circle the Titan. She makes one circle around, but is stumbled over by a powerful stomp. One of the Multi-Mice rushed to help her up.
"Are you…okay?" The copy asks, it's voice sounding a bit fuzzy.
Ladybug nodded. "It seems your miraculous's time is almost up. Let's end this."
The copy nods in response and offers a knee. Ladybug uses the copy to get into the air and start gaining momentum again. A quick wrap around the legs, and she begins circling Karmari once again. The Titan begins shrugging off Devilman's beams and tries again to thwart this attempt, spreading its legs out as far as it can before the string begins to tighten. All the while, Karmari fires off more drill from its mass, nearly striking Ladybug many times. The cord is tightening gradually, yet the Titan refuses to go down. The multi-mice clones began climbing up its body, trying to strike its joints, and soon it began to wobble.
Devilman, seeing an opportunity, flies up high above the fight. He aims himself, and fires into a dive. He rockets down towards Karmari with the speed of a jet. Then, with the crack of breaking the sound barrier, he makes an impact with Karmari, blasting her backwards. The stumble becomes a trip, and soon Karmari falls over. Dust and debris are blown in all directions as the mass of rock and metal craters into the ground.
"Now, Queen Bee!" Ladybug commanded.
"Venom!" bright yellow light surrounds the bumblebee-themed hero as her hand forms into a bee stinger. She jumps up and stabs the stinger into Karmari, paralyzing the titan from head to toe.
"Chainsawism!" Chat Noir jumped into the air, raising the chainsaw, which spun with whirring sound, and landed on Karmari's head, sawing his way through the crest. The Titan roars in pain as it's head splits open, crumbling into rocks. The heroes look, but find no akuma in the rubble.
"What? No akuma?" Ladybug's eyes widened in shock. "How?"
"Do you think it's another illusion?" Chat Noir asked. "Volpina has done this before, she could have done it again."
"Illusions don't make you bleed." Devilman retorts, pointing to a wound on his chest.
Ladybug was dumbfounded. "This doesn't make sense. How could we have done all this fight, and no real person akumatized this whole time?" her shoulders slumped. "All of this was for nothing."
"No, it wasn't for nothing." Chat Noir put a hand on her shoulder. "We stopped that...thing from destroying the city. We still completed our duty."
A laugh can be heard from inside the rubble of the Titan as it's larger body crumbles away. All is reduced until nothing but the asphalt warrior from before remains. It cackles as it reforms into a shape resembling Hawkmoth.
"I must admit, I wasn't expecting you to bring Queen Bee of all people, but I guess that's heroes for you."
Everyone's eyes widened at this, a small gasp escaping Ladybug and Chat Noir's lips.
"Hawkmoth!?" Ladybug and Chat Noir exclaimed simultaneously.
The figure extends its arms in a mocking gesture, "Well, how about I just ask you directly? Give me your miraculous." An arrogant grin covers his face.
Glares crossed the miraculous duo's faces.
"We will never hand our miraculouses, or any miraculous for that matter." Ladybug replied.
"The only miraculous that's gonna be taken is yours, Hawkmoth, back to its rightful owner." Chat Noir added.
"So you say, but this war of ours is entering a new phase. Soon, my plans will yield the greatest of results, and already I have proven that I can attack you by means other than akumas! Just you wait, Ladybug and Chat Noir! One day I will ..."
In a flash, the main Multi-Mouse slices the figure clean in half with her sword. The figure falls silent and crumbles.
"Oh, shove it up your ugly ass." She scoffs at the rubble.
Ladybug sighed. "Well, looks like our work here is done for today." She tosses her yo-yo in the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!"
Bright red sparkles flew around the city, reverting back all the damage. Buildings put back to shape, cracked roads mended back together, the blows on the bridge are undone, and all rubble was magically cleared away. Ladybug held out two fists for a group fist bump. In a circle, Ladybug, Chat Noir, Queen Bee, and Multi-Mouse join fists.
"Pound it!" They say altogether.
"Hey, where's my fist bump?" Devilman asked, holding out his own fist.
"You'll have to be part of team miraculous longer to be part of the group fist bumps." Ladybug replied.
Devilman crossed his arms, sticking his lips out in a pouty manner. "So I do the group's dirty work and don't even get a thank you? How rude."
With a smile, Multi Mouse said, "Thank you for your brave heroism, Mr.…." the beeping on her bracelet grows loud. Multi-Mouse stares at her bracelet as the meter reaches zero. "Uh oh." All of the copies suddenly disappear as the mouse hero's suit begins to disappear, starting from her arms.
"You need to get out of here!" Ladybug yells, as Chat Noir steps back. The two are caught off guard and start to panic as they try to figure out what to do. Panic sets in, with Queen Bee and even Devilman feeling worried.
Miki, for her part, is full fight or flight.
('I can't let them see me like this, I'm pretty sure Ladybug has a secrecy pact or something. What do I… How do I..?') "No!" Multi-Mouse tightens her fists as her only thoughts are about Milo and keeping the suit on. She feels an intense strain, something overwhelming all of her mind. She blacks out for a second before coming to her senses.
To everyone's shock, the suit has completely returned.
"What the?" Devilman tilts his head.
"How?! I thought…" Chat Noir is lost for words.
Ladybug falters for a moment before Queen Bee offers something, "Hey, didn't Hawkmoth say during Heroes Day that an adult could keep the suit on for as long as they wanted?"
Chat Noir and Ladybug turn to Queen Bee, then to Multi-Mouse, and finally to each other. "Come to think of it, Bunnix is probably always in hero mode. Maybe we can learn to power the suit directly with our life force or something." Ladybug observed.
"Looks like we can learn some things from you, newbie." Chat Noir said to Multi-Mouse with a smile.
Multi-Mouse jumps in glee, her eyes lighting up behind her mask. "Woah, does this mean…a…heh…ack!" All of a sudden, Multi-Mouse crumbles to the ground. Devilman hurriedly kneels down and gets her into a sitting position. Coughing can be heard under the mask as Miki's entire body shivers. The suit once again begins to vanish, but this time it is much slower. The other heroes scramble to help Multi-Mouse before realizing that their own miraculouses are beginning to chime for time.
"Devilman, please watch her." Ladybug said as she prepared her yoyo. She turned to Queen Bee. "Let's go!"
Queen Bee nodded, and the two waved goodbye before jumping away to a rooftop.
Chat Noir looked at his beeping ring, the paw print symbol fading away.
"Well, this cat gotta scat." he said with a wink. "See you around, you two." He extended his staff and took off.
Multi-Mouse held her head. "I..feel..dizzy…" she faints as her suit continues to slowly de-transform.
"Ah, shit. What do I do now?" Devilman looks around. "I need to get you out of here." He grabs a hold of Multi-Mouse, spreads his wings and flies up to the rooftops. He settles on a flatter rooftop and lands, setting the hero down. Devilman then prepares to fly off again, "I figure you wouldn't want me to stick around, but then again, you look really worn out so…" he looks back and sees the face mask disappear. His blood comes to a complete stop as he sees Miki, now unconscious. Devilman immediately reverts into human form and rushes to her side. "No…it can't be. Miki?" He scans over her body and sees that her shivering is continuing. He starts to lightly shake her, trying to wake her up. He panics as she stops responding.
"No! Not like this!" Akira then pauses. He remembers what Ladybug said about vitality and the pendant. Putting a hand over Miki's forehead, he tries to channel his own vitality to Miki. ('First my parents, then Sachiko. I'm not going to lose you too!') Akira then feels a tap on his shoulder, and the addition of some energy to his soul. He doesn't look, however, only focusing on Miki. Luckily, her eyes begin to open.
"A…Aki…Akira?" She manages. A surge of relief fills Akira.
It is then Miki who panics. "Akira! What are you…" she shakes for a moment before her shoulders slump. "You…you saw me, didn't you?" Akira gives an apologetic smile and nod. "Wait. How are you here?" Miki looks around her, seeing the rooftop around her, then gasps. "You… You're..!" Akira's eye's widen as he scrambles for words. He hadn't thought of what might happen if she found out, and he certainly wasn't expecting it to happen like this. "Look, Miki. I can explain…I…this is…"
"You're the Devilman…" Miki tries to stand up, but wobbles over. Akira holds her steady, but feels a rising despair as she looks at him in a new light. ('This is it. She sees what I am now.') Akira stammers as Miki's eyes begin to well up. "Miki, I… please… if you don't want…"
A feeling, something that Akira can't entirely describe washes over him as Miki suddenly pulls him close into a hug. It's a rush of many different emotions. Some fear, a bit of shock, but mostly it is something…pleasant. It overwhelms the Devilman's heart, and he returns the embrace to his partner. "Miki…"
she sniffles a bit, replying, "So you're the one I would see on those nights in Japan. The one who fought off those things I could only imagine were nightmares. And this whole time, I was fighting beside you today." Akira begins to feel his own eyes well up a bit. "I thought… I thought you would hate me when you saw what I've become." He struggles before giving in to his tears as Miki chuckles warmly. "Silly, I could never hate you. Even if the world turned against you, you're still my Akira." This new warmth envelopes the both of them as they ease their embrace and meet eyes. The two share tears and smile as they now have a greater understanding of one another. Without a further moment's hesitation, the two share a kiss.
Milo smiled at the heart-touching moment. "How lovely. Certainly more progress than the other two have ever made." he adds with a small chuckle.
As the two pull away, Akira looks over at the kwami. "So I guess we have another roommate now?"
"Do not worry, I hardly take any space." Milo said jokingly. "My name is Milo. Nice to meet you." He looks over to Miki. "And I must say, you did very well for your first time."
Miki chuckles lightly, "Then I'm sure this will be fun. Now, how about we get off this roof?" Miki once again tries to stand up, but her legs buckle. Akira quickly holds her steady before picking her up in bridal style. "Take it easy, new hero of Paris. Looks like you really pushed yourself today. I'll be sure to treat you well once we get home." "Oh? Looking forward to that then." Miki smiles with a beaming light as Akira unfolds his devil-wings and takes off into the sky, holding her tight.
(Meanwhile)
Ladybug and Queen Bee landed on the balcony of the Le Grand Paris Hotel, their miraculouses beeping loudly.
After a few more seconds, Queen Bee's whole body engulfs in a yellow flash of light as she de-transforms.
Chloe pulls off the barrette and hands it to Ladybug. "Did I..do good?" She asked.
Ladybug smiled and nodded. "You did good, Chloe." She pats her on the shoulder. "You did good."
A smile spreads on Chloe's face, feeling good to be praised by her idol. Before she knew it, she wrapped her arms around Ladybug in a hug. "Thank you, Ladybug."
Ladybug chuckled a little, returning the hug. She slowly pulled away as her earrings beeped again, the dots now down to one.
"Stay in school, Chloe." Ladybug said. She turned around and swung her yo-yo. She turned back one more time and added, "Also, if you be kind to others, they will be kind to you." With that, she swung away.
Chloe watched until she was out of sight.
"Chloe, are you feeling better now?" Chloe turned around to see Sabrina standing a few feet away, holding a ladybug costume in one hand and chat noir costume in the other. "Let's play superheroes, that always cheers you up."
Chloe shook her head. "No need for that, Sabrina. I already played my part as a hero today." She pointed at Sabrina's shoes. "In fact, let's go shopping for new shoes for you. My treat."
"Really?" Sabrina said in surprise, wondering where this kindness was suddenly coming from.
Chloe smiled and nodded. "Really."
(In a hidden dojo)
Master Fu smiled proudly as he placed the bee barrette back in the miracle box.
"You chose well." He said to Marinette, who sat across from him.
"Thank you, Master." Marinette replied with a smile. "So did you. Multi-Mouse helped a lot, I'm sure I'll need her help again soon."
Master Fu exhaled in relief. "That is good to know."
Little did the two know, a hidden figure was watching them from the shadows, taking notes on their entire conversation.
(Later that night)
Streetlights lit up the mostly empty roads, a cool breeze blew through the night air.
Chat Noir jumped from rooftop to rooftop, his hair bouncing in the night breeze. He landed near the Eiffel Tower, and climbed up the structure to the top floor. Once there, he sat on the railing and looked up at the moon shining in the distance.
Chat Noir sighs to himself. "Why is the world so unfair? What did I do to deserve being treated this way?
I work so hard, smile at everyone, act like everything is perfect, when it's far from that." He sighs again. "I wish I could tell you this, M'lady, but you wouldn't understand. Your life is perfect. You always save Paris, everyone adores you, and you get to make your own decisions." He twirls the staff in his hands. "If only I could be more useful."
"Are you kidding me? You're half of what keeps this city from becoming a hellhole." Devilman perches nearby, folding in his wings. "Having a rough time, big cat?"
Chat Noir's eyes narrow as he glances over at Devilman. "What are you doing here?"
Devilman, who was originally on his way to Marinette's before he saw Chat Noir on the top of the Eiffel Tower, shrugs. "Eh, just cruising. Figured I'd try and find the black cat himself. You out thinkin'?" He sits down next to him.
Chat Noir nods. "Yeah, I just needed a breather." He pauses for a minute. "You didn't hear all that, did you?"
Devilman chuckles as his ear wings open up. "With my devil ears, I hear hell. Though it seems you are going through your own hell." his smile becomes a concerned frown.
Chat Noir deadpans. "Very funny."
He runs his fingers through his hair. After a few more minutes of silence, he sighs again. "I just want to be...appreciated. It feels like no matter what I do, it's never good enough. I do everything my father says, and he never gives me the time of day. I obey Ladybug's commands when we fight, but she gets all the credit. I smile and wave at all my "fans" but none of them care for who I really am. I'm sick and tired of feeling like I'm second best. Why can't I just be... normal?" He exhales and turns to look at Devilman. "And here I am, sitting on a roof, and complaining about my life like a middle-aged man.״ he puts his head in his hands.
Devilman puts a hand on Chat Noir's shoulder. "Hey, everyone needs someone to lean on from time to time." He reverts back into human form so the two can look eye to eye. "And if it makes any difference, I really appreciate you. You decided to trust me after all I'd done, and because of that, we were able to save Miki and Ladybug. Maybe it's corny to say it, but... you're my hero." he smiles with a slight blush of embarrassment.
Chat Noir looked up with a hopeful look in his eyes. Before he knew it, he wrapped his arms around Akira in a hug and closed his eyes for a moment. "Thank you."
Akira returns the hug, chuckling a bit. "No problem, Catboy."
Realizing what he's doing, Chat Noir slowly pulls away, rubbing his head awkwardly. "I guess I needed to get all of that off my chest," he offers a small grin. "I'm "feline" a bit better now."
Akira laughs. "Well, that's "purr"fect. Hehe. So, you mind if I hang out with you for a while?"
Chat Noir smiles. "Sure." He rests his chin on his fists. "I could use a friend."
Akira grinned. "A friend?"
Chat Noir scratched his head. "You may be weird and annoying, but you did help out a lot today against the akuma. Well, fake akuma." He held out a hand. "Truce?"
Akira gave a small laugh. "Haha, of course." He gave Chat Noir a friendly punch on the shoulder.
Chat Noir smiled again and looked out at the moon for some time. He then asked. "So, how's life? Well, outside fighting akumas with us, that is."
Akira clamped his hands together. "Well, outside of your akumas, I have to keep an eye out for mine. Silene is planning something big, but now she's waiting. Otherwise it's fine. Miki is really enjoying herself here, so that makes me happy. And Ryo...well he's Ryo."
Chat Noir nods. "I see. Well, hopefully we'll stop that demon and Hawkmoth for good soon. And yeah, Mr. Ryo sure is something."
Akira raises an eyebrow. "Wait , how do you know him?"
Chat Noir bit his lip, then replied, "He taught my other self fencing for some time before I returned to the academy." (HahahaHaHaHaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA)
A deadpan expression wipes over Akira's face. He then begins to chuckle, then he starts roaring with laughter. "Are you fucking kidding me?! This is rich!"
Chat Noir stares at him confused. "Are you okay?" He raises an eyebrow.
Akira turns to Chat Noir with wild eyes. "Oh I'm doing great…" he widens his smile, "…Adrien Agreste." Akira once again begins to laugh.
Chat Noir's eyes widen as large as saucers. "What!? I'm not.. That's not...I'm not Adrien!"
"Oh spare me, spare me, spare me." Akira calms down enough to talk. "You're the only bloke in this city that Ryo has ever trained. But I guess this makes us even now, eh?" The Devilman leans back on the metal, arms behind his head with a cheeky smile.
"Yeah, I suppose so," Chat Noir said, scratching his head. His eyes suddenly widened again. "Wait, does that mean you know who Ladybug is!?" he suddenly grips Akira's shoulder. "Tell me, please!"
"So what if I do?" The Devilman's eyes glinted darkly, "She made me promise not to tell anyone after I figured it out." His grin goes sawtooth. "Frankly, I'm surprised you haven't figured it out."
Chat Noir's shoulders slumped. "Aw, you're such a tease, just like Plagg." he looks up at the moon again as he adds, "I just don't see anyone that resembles Ladybug."
Akira gives him an odd look before shrugging it off.
Seeing as it was late, Chat Noir stood up. "Well, thanks again for all this. We may have started off on the wrong foot, but I'm glad to have you as a friend." He extends his staff and turns one more time with a smile. "See you tomorrow." He poles away to a rooftop, his tail wagging side to side as he goes off.
Devilman takes off into the sky, flying into the night.
(At Marinette's house)
Marinette stood on her balcony, waiting for Devilman. Ticki floated beside her, looking out for half-devil as well.
"That's very mature of you to share this information about Lila with him, Marinette." Ticki remarked.
"Whether I like it or not, He's part of our team now." Marinette responded. "He might as well know why Lila is a threat. She's definitely working with Hawkmoth."
"Is that so?" Marinette jumped slightly as she saw Devilman standing on the roof like a gargoyle.
"You have got to stop with those surprise appearances." Marinette said with a shake of her head. Akira slides down the shingles and lands on her roof floor, "You rang me up, fearless leader?"
Marinette nodded. "You remember how I told you Lila is a cunning liar who made our whole class believe she was one of us?"
"Yeah, and?" Akira raises a brow.
"Well, with her deception and Hawkmoth's persistence, it makes sense that they would team up." She crossed her arms. "Both of them have something to gain by defeating me."
"So, you think she was trying to frame you? I mean, that thing did talk some mad shit to your buddy, Alya." Devilman now strokes his chin.
Marinette rubbed her arms. "And the scary thing is...some of those things were true. I am mad at her for how she has been treating me lately, but I would never hurt her." she clasped her hands together. "That's what makes Lila dangerous. She twists up her lies with the truth, turning the situation in her favor."
"And now she's got Ryo pulled into this scheme of 'getting closer to Adrien'. Heh, wonder what's gonna happen next."
"So my point is," Marinette continued. "We gotta keep an eye on her."
Akira nods, "Sure thing. I could try to get Ryo in on this too, though knowing him he's probably doing that already." He stretches his arms as he walks over to the railing, unfolding his wings at the same time. "Well, I do have one thing for you too. I figured out who Chat Noir is."
"At this point, I'm not surprised." Marinette replied. "Let me guess, he tried asking you who I am."
"Sure did, but I told him about our promise." Akira chuckles. "I bet that riles him up real good."
Marinette sighed and nodded. "Sounds about right, but Chat Noir knows how insistent I am about this, so he'll respect my wishes." She yawned as she realized how late it was. "Today's been a long day. You should go home and rest."
The Devilman spreads his wings with a smirk, "Alrighty then, Marinette. Be careful. Maybe tomorrow I'll figure out who gave you that miraculous to begin with." And thus, Akira rose up with a gust of wind and disappeared into the dark of night.
(Meanwhile)
As the moon reached its peak over the sky, Lila and Silene stood together under the bridge. "Beautiful, is it not?" The white harpy asked, her feathers almost glowing in the moonlight. Lila simply looked to her newest patron, and back to the moon. "You did well today, I'm sure that my gift will bring you whatever it is you seek."
Lila took a moment to ponder that encouragement. What was it she actually wanted? Was it Adrien? To spite Marinette? Some form of power or influence? For the longest time she simply sought people's awe, but in the past year she had gained so much. She had started out having a crush on Adrien, but was that feeling still there? Was that why she carried on? For now, she settled on a maybe. She would do what she could for now to make those who stood against her suffer. Silene smiled as she could sense the malice in her new ally.
At the same time, Ryo sat at his apartment desk. Akira and Miki were asleep. "I'm so close now." He smiled, his eyes widening as he saw all of his gathered work before him. The book of the Miraculous and other related relics, his audio logs, and the map of Paris he had made to track all of the heroes' comings and goings. "Now, all I have to do is meet this 'Guardian of the Miraculous'."
End of Chapter 5 - Part 2
Author's Notes:
Dancecat25: "It's the Miki Mouse Clubhouse, come inside, it's a fun ride.." Oh, bonjour, beautiful readers. A few surprises we brought you this chapter. Miki the miraculous Mouseketeer (Hehe, get it?), the Multi-Mouse/Devilman reveal, the start of Chloe's redemption arc, and so on. Hope you enjoyed the Chat Noir/Adrien/Akira/DM reveal. I was laughing almost as hard as Akira at that moment. Now our half-demon hero knows both miraculous duo's identities. Who is this "she" Master Fu was talking about? Well, you'll just have to wait and see.
Aladar Caval: Well I certainly had fun with this. Got some good Miki x Akira, and now we're getting close to a huge status quo change. Go fuck yourself, Thomas Ass-truck! Two amateurs are writing more progress than you.
Dancecat25: That's right, shove your own show up your ugly ass, Asstruc. Our five chapter fanfic is better than the entire current season 4. I can't even go through half an episode without cringing so much. And to all you Adrienette shippers out there, I can hear your frustration with Chat Noir/Adrien's blindness and stupidity:) Anyways, looking forward to bringing you more drama for the next cooldown chapter. Until then, Bug Out!
Aladar Caval: See you all later. Let us know what you think in your reviews, or share any memes/jokes you come up with. "Til' all are one!"