Peter Gabriel – My Body is a Cage
Sh*t's going down!
"Ok, Nathalie, I'm going with you, Bee you're following me, Rena and Carapace you're meeting the Master, tell him what happened." Ladybug commanded.
"Nu-uh, girl! We're all going together, if this is a trap, the four of us will have a better chance than the two of you alone." Rena argued.
"I agree with foxy here, we can tell him what happened on our way to the mansion. My dude Chat needs us, and I sure as hell won't leave him alone with that man." Carapace retorted.
"Mr Agreste will regret ever laying a finger on Adrikins!" Queen Bee proclaimed.
"Are you sure guys? This could be our most dangerous mission ever!"
"Let's just save Adrien already." Carapace groaned impatiently.
Nathalie watched the heroes, smirking as she was almost sure who they were underneath their masks. She knew Adrien's friends all too well, it was one of her tasks on keeping an eye on the blond, the way the heroes talked at each other was far too familiar. "Alright, another reason I asked to meet you now, is because Gabriel won't be home for the night, he's having a meeting with the Tsurugis, so we will somewhat safe from him."
The heroes nodded, adrenaline already pumping their systems as they were preparing to save their partner.
"So, who is carrying me there?" The assistant asked.
A few blocks later, the team arrived at the manor, Carapace dropped Nathalie, who went to the large gate. She pressed a button on her keys, and the gate opened automatically.
When she opened the door, the heroes entered, feeling the eerie environment surrounding them.
"Damn, this place gives me the creeps." Carapace commented.
Not a single sound was heard inside, Nathalie headed to the study, knocking to confirm that no one was indeed in there. When she got no response, she slowly opened the door, raising a hand for the heroes to follow her.
Ladybug felt so out of place in that study. Any other time she would be pinching herself in disbelief for being inside the room where her idol created his most iconic pieces of clothes. But now, after hearing everything about what that man had done to his family, for his family, she couldn't help but trying to contain her tears from falling. She was feeling so many different emotions at the same time. Fear, for what they might find inside the secret room, relief for finally putting an end to this nightmare, anger for what that man had done to his own son, and terror for how they would find Adrien. From what the assistant had told them, things would not be looking good.
The spotted heroine observed the assistant approaching the imponent portrait of Mrs Agreste. The older woman pressed a specific part of the painting as if pushing a secret code, "Get behind me." She ordered them.
The team stood right behind her, and as she pushed the secret buttons, a trapdoor opened under them, and they descended in a secret elevator.
After their short trip inside the small elevator, its doors opened to reveal a massive basement. The dimly illuminated room had bridges on both sides with large cables passing underneath. The main bridge right in front of them connected to a garden on the other side of the room. Ladybug squinted her eyes, and that's when she saw it. There was a glass box, like a coffin resting in the middle of the garden, and right next to it, a human-shaped form was slumped on the floor.
The heroine left her friends behind and vaulted towards the small garden. She covered her mouth to contain the gasp that was released, as she took in the sight in front of her.
Inside that pristine glass coffin was a woman who Ladybug had only seen in photographs, who she had only heard about less than an hour ago. Bluebell eyes drifted below, and a sob escaped her mouth. Resting against the glass box was said woman's son, Adrien. He didn't seem to be awake, his form was curled in fetal position, shivering, One arm was stretched, chained to the coffin, with the clear purpose of keeping its owner in the room.
The blonde seemed to be having trouble breathing as a wheezing sound could be heard every time his chest moved. Ladybug kneeled, letting her fingers run smoothly through his hair. He looked so frail, so thin. And the bruises, who could have hurt this boy like this, there were marks on his arms and neck. His nose was smeared with dried blood. The heroine wept silently, hearing the gasps behind her coming from her teammates.
Carapace kneeled next to her, a hesitating green-gloved hand slowly approaching the unconscious boy. He tugged at the chain, however, it didn't stir even an inch. "Adrien, bro, please wake up… wake up…" He repeated in a low voice.
Queen Bee couldn't say a word, tears were flowing down her face, the snarky teen being completely silent for the first time in her life. Rena rested a hand on Ladybug's shoulder, futilely trying to contain her own emotions for the sake of her friends.
"Ade, wake up, we're here, please don't let it be too late!" She sobbed, her voice an octave higher than usual.
"How could you let this happen?" Carapace turned angrily to Nathalie who was muttering apologies between sobs, her current posture clashing with her usual kept one.
Ladybug's mind was racing, trying to come up with a plan to break the handcuffs that were trapping her crush's feeble arm, suddenly her protective instincts took over, "LUCKY CHARM!", she screamed. A clip fell to her hands, and she knew exactly what to do.
"We're getting you out of this damn place." Shakily, she bent the clip and proceeded to lockpick the handcuffs, however, due to her nerves, she wasn't succeeding. The heroine started to swear to herself, her vision started to blur due to the water that was being released from her eyes.
"May I?" Rena asked behind her in a comprehensive tone.
"It's just, he's usually the one to break us free whenever we're trapped, and now-" She gasped, not able to finish the sentence.
"It's okay, girl, I understand, this is hardly the first lock I've ever picked. When you're a journalist, you learn a trick or two about this stuff." Rena consoled her, her own voice thick with emotion, "Done!", she exclaimed triumphally.
The previously trapped arm fell limply to the ground, an ugly red patch of irritated skin enveloped the bony wrist of the boy's arm, some parts were already bruised and swollen because of the lack of blood flow.
Carapace and Queen Bee lifted Adrien until he was in a sitting position, his limp head bobbing back. The green superhero, hugged his best friend, lifting him up, so he could carry him away from the horrifying basement, however, just as he was starting to rise to his feet, tired green eyes peeked from behind golden eyelashes.
Adrien began to stir, and the turtle hero laid him on the floor to give him space the moment he noticed his best friend was starting to wake up.
Ladybug ran to his side, her earrings beeped indicating she was running out of time. She placed his head on her lap and started to softly fondle his hair. When emerald irises finally met sapphire ones, it was like something possessed the blond, as he scrambled away from her hold, Adrien looked at her in terror, gripping the glass coffin, it looked like his body was curling into a ball, as he raised his knees in front of his chest to shield himself from the other heroes.
"Please…" He rasped, his voice clearly strained from all the abuse it had endured these last days, "you have to go, he will see you, it will be worse, please!" He begged, gasping for air.
"What? Adrien, you're safe, we're here! We've come for you!" Ladybug argued, her heart breaking for the frightened boy in front of her.
"I can't risk them! I'm sorry!" He cried, weakly calling for his transformation.
All the occupants in the room froze as they watched their friend turn into the mysterious Hawkmoth's helper. The scarlet heroine stared gobsmacked at the boy in front of her. He was so beautiful, the way his suit was designed, her designer eyes couldn't help but notice the delicate details of the peacock miraculous, perfectly harmonizing with the delicate features of its wearer.
The scene was only interrupted by a dark chuckle looming from behind them, "We meet at last, Ladybug!" Hawkmoth snarked, behind him a swarm of butterflies started to fill the massive room.
Ladybug looked at Nathalie betrayed. "Don't worry, she didn't know I was here. She actually tried to help you, although she unwillingly helped me even more, talk about a competent secretary" The villain mocked.
"You're sick, using your son like that, how can you?" Carapace shouted.
"This is also for him," The villain's eyes drifted toward his assistant who had crumbled to the floor, defeated by her own stupidity, none of the heroes seemed to have noticed her, the villain smirked, "Fly away my little Akuma and evilize her!", and with that, one dark Akuma flew towards Nathalie, possessing her. When the dark bubbles left her body, a scarlet villain stood in the secretary's place.
"Nathalie!" Rena Rouge shouted.
"My name is not Nathalie anymore! I'm Catalyst now!" The villainess said as she approached her master, "Hawkmoth I give you the power to send out as many akumas as you wish. From now on, you are the powerful Scarlet Hawkmoth!" And with those words, the villain's suit changed its colour.
Ladybug's earrings beeped once again, "Someone is running out of time!" Hawkmoth taunted.
The heroine, however, ignored his comment, turning to the fragile boy, who seemed to be struggling to even stand on his feet. "Adrien, please, don't do this! I know that he has threatened you, but I promise you, your friends are safe! He can't hurt them!"
"Don't listen to her, son! She has no way of protecting them from me! Do you really want to risk their safety for her?"
The blond froze, looking between Hawkmoth and Ladybug. His doubts, however, were erased as Ladybug's earrings beeped a final time, a pink light enveloped the heroine, and when they subsided, a very familiar girl stood in her place.
"Marinette?" Adrien whispered in recognition.
"Yes, it's me! I'm safe, you don't need to help him! None of us is in danger! We're all here!" She confessed.
Their exchange, however, was interrupted by Hawkmoth, who had decided that now was the perfect time to attack. Three more butterflies had been corrupted while the heroes were all distracted, chasing after the three newbies in the team. They stood their ground, defending the untransformed Ladybug and themselves from being possessed.
The next moments passed like a blur, the heroes were getting fatigued, both Catalyst and Hawkmoth have been revealed to be excellent fighters as well, the akumas were still at large, and Marinette didn't have any more cookies to feed her kwami. The teen realized at that moment just how unprepared they were for this fight, they had recklessly rushed into the mansion, desperate to rescue their friend, her love. She was standing in the middle of a circle made by her teammates to protect her from the villain. Carapace's bracelet was beeping already as he had to unleash his power to protect them all when the fight was getting to hard for the three heroes to handle.
She grasped the Lucky Charm Adrien had given her on her birthday, pleading for some miracle, her pleas seemed to have been heard, as a feather connected to the charm, "No!" She screamed.
"Marinette, I now know the truth! Let me help you in your time of need, let me give you a guardian, let me protect you one last time, my lady…" the strained voice of her love resonated inside her head. Her vision got blurry with tears, "You're too weak to handle this Adrien, please don't do that!" She knew, they needed help, but he was so sick already. If he used the power of his damaged miraculous again, he may not survive, she couldn't bear losing him, there must be another way!
"Bugaboo, let me help you, let this be the last good thing I do, you won't stand a chance like this…" his voice was shaking.
Marinette looked at her friends, Carapace's miraculous beeped one final time, he transformed back to Nino, the teen didn't even have time to stand up as a scarlet Akuma flew towards him. She saw Rena shouting in despair. Queen Bee was hardly standing her ground. The designer closed her eyes crying silently, "Ok… Adrien, I… I love you!"
"I love you too!" He answered. And with that, a majestic and giant phoenix flew from the floor behind her.
Hawkmoth who had sneaked to steal her miraculous in the middle of the mess that was happening took a few steps back. The giant bird flew after him, trying to attack him, but he saw how it was faltering, as if it was lacking in energy, it reflected just how weak its master was.
Although he still needed to be careful, he smirked. Both Rena Rouge and Queen Bee were fighting Catalyst and the akumatized turtle hero, at the same time defending themselves from the butterflies that were still chasing after them. Marinette ran to his son's side, the latter, using her will to control the beast he had created. In a quick motion, Hawkmoth grabbed one butterfly, corrupting it with his hands and released it.
The new Akuma flew straight to his son's miraculous, fusing with it before any of them could prevent it.
"NOOOO!" Marinette screamed. The villain didn't even need to convince his son. The boy was far too weak to prevent the possession, his spirit was broken, his mind was reeling with negative emotions.
Both the teen and the beast he had created changed to a sick blue colour. The Phoenix was no longer protecting Ladybug, it was at his mercy, both of them were at his mercy, victory had never been so close. The last two standing heroes were so distracted by what had happened, that they didn't even notice the giant bird changing its target from Hawkmoth towards them.
"Give up, Ladybug! Look around you, you're surrounded, I won! If you want to save them, give me the earrings! Adrien will have his mother back, he won't remember any of this, you won't have to worry about us anymore!" The villain argued.
Marinette looked around the room, the Phoenix had managed to pine both Rena and Queen Bee on the ground. Nino and Nathalie were walking towards them to fetch their miraculous. She looked at Adrien who had blood flowing from his nose, he was kneeling, using his last strength to control his creation, he was no longer in control of his own body, he was just a shell of the boy she had loved since that day on the rain in school.
In a last desperate act, she ripped the lucky charm, its beads falling to the floor to release the feather that was powering the Phoenix. It dissolved into thin air, and a wail of pain was heard as the love of her life fell to the ground. It was too late however, the fallen heroines had been stripped from their powers, two akumas had fused with them possessing the two. She was alone, truly alone this time, "Smart move, very Ladybug-like, I must admit. Too late, unfortunately. Last chance, give me your miraculous and you all walk out of here just fine."
She closed her eyes, with a silent apology to her kwami she started to remove her earrings, weeping as she remembered everything that had happened since she was given this amazing gift. Before Ladybug, she was just a clumsy girl, trying to survive school, she had friends, but no one was really close to her and she didn't have the confidence to get close to anyone. But then, Alya came to school, and she gained a best friend. Then she was given a pair of earrings and an amazing partner who showered her in affection, she regretted not having appreciated her partner more, but that was only because she was so distracted by the new boy that had joined her class, this extraordinary, kind, ray of sunshine, that in the end had revealed himself to be the Cat that followed her through everything that was being put in their way. And now… Now he was dying, betrayed by a man who had never deserved to be called his father.
She handed her dearest possession to said man, who had detransformed to retrieve the ring hidden in his vest, her kwami had disappeared into thin air, renounced by her chosen. Her teammates and Nathalie had returned to normal, starting to make sense of their surroundings. Nino recovered rapidly as he started to run towards the villain trying to stop him.
Gabriel, however, was faster than any of them, and before Nino could tackle him, he joined the two most powerful miraculous, which had fused together like two magnets, and shouted, "I WISH MY WIFE WAS ALIVE!"
And that's it for the week! I know it ended in a cliff-hanger, but I'll try to update next weekend (no promises though).
I started the story with this particular scene in mind, so it feels good to be finally posting it.
Anyway, hope you liked the chapter, and see you next chapter.