Chapter Four
The Agreste family wasted no time. Adrien was sent to his room for safe keeping, much to his annoyance, while Gabriel and Emilie met in the lair in the basement of the house.
"We'll need an army to protect ourselves," Emilie said, gazing out of the butterfly shaped window.
"Perhaps this can aid us," Gabriel said, holding out a box of smelly cheese. "Adrien gave me this. Each slice offers a different power to the kwamis."
"Anything that can help us?"
Gabriel pulled out the purple one. "This one is said to increase the kwami's natural ability meaning I'll be able to akumatize multi people at once. I only have one, however."
"I'll make sure my monster is as fearsome as I can make it. Thank you for repairing my miraculous."
Gabriel nodded to his wife then handed Nooroo the cheese. "Nooroo, power up."
He trembled as he ate.
"Nooroo, dark wings rise!"
"Duusu, feathers up!"
Soon Hawkmoth and Paonne were looking out the window, searching for energies to use to serve their purposes.
"Go, my akumas, and evillize your old prey." Violet butterflies flew out the window in a storm.
Paonne pulled out a pale feather, it turning blue in her hand. "There. A boy afraid of losing his friend. Go and transform his feelings of fear into a guardian."
"But Adri-kins would listen to me," Queen Bee insisted as Ladybug paced in front of her. "Let me go talk to him."
"Like how you talked to how many others and got them akumatized?" Rena mumbled.
"How dare you! That's ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous!"
"No one is leaving. We're going together as a team," Ladybug declared. "I just need to figure out how to get into the house."
"I could figure it out," Queen Bee said under her breath.
Ladybug rolled her eyes, looking up at the darkening sky. As she did, though, she spotted a something floating through the air toward Carapace. A feather. A blue feather.
"Carapace!" she shouted and threw her yoyo. It smacked him back and he fell into Rena, crashing to against the roof. Ladybug flicked her wrist and captured the feather. "No more evil doing for you. Bye bye, little feather."
The team watched it float away in silence.
"What does it mean?" Rena finally asked.
Beneath them, screams began to ripple through the city. Ladybug looked down and saw Stormy Weather spinning around her umbrella, sending out bolts of lightning. Behind her was Reflecta, shooting people with her bracelet.
"It's begun." Her blue eyes fell on Queen Bee. "Go talk to Adrien. We'll keep the akumas at bay. If you're not back in an hour with Chat Noir, we'll infiltrate the house."
"I won't fail you," Queen Bee promised and zipped away, swinging with her top.
Queen Bee swung through a window of Agreste home, landing in an upstairs living room. Adrien was standing in front of the burning fire, flames dancing in his green eyes.
"Adri-kins!" Queen Bee wailed and hugged him from behind. He didn't move. "We have to go right now, the city's under attack!"
"I know," he replied, stepping out of her embrace. His face was blank.
"Please, Adri-kins, we'll make everything right," Queen Bee insisted.
"You were so surprised when you found out I was Chat Noir. Why?"
"I…I…"
His eyes glared at her over his shoulder. "Guess we're not as good of friends as you thought."
"Adrien…please, we come back. We need you." Tears were in Queen Bee's eyes.
"I don't want to go back."
Suddenly Adrien lunged forward, hand outstretched. Queen Bee was too stunned to react as he pulled out her hair comb.
Chloe fell to the floor, staring at her childhood friend now turned enemy.
"I want you all to lose."
"Duck!"
Rena crouched and Ladybug hurled her yoyo, shattering Evillustrator's pen. The akuma flew out as Nathaniel fell to the ground.
"No more evil doing for you, akuma."
"We can't keep doing this!" Carapce shouted, tossing Riposte off his back.
The city around them was in flames from Stormy Weather's lightning bolts. Citizens of Paris had either been turned into Reflecta clones, or coal or fairies by Befana. Mothers ran to protect their children and people had boarded up their homes. Nadia was broadcasting from the news station, trying to understand this wild and unpredictable battle happening all around them.
"We need to stop Hawkmoth, once and for all," Ladybug muttered and pushed the call button on her yoyo. "Queen Bee? Queen Bee, come in!"
"I'm sorry, but Miss Bourgeois can't come to the phone right now," Adrien's voice drawled.
Ladybug jumped back. "What have you done with Chloe?"
"She's alive and uninjured, don't worry. But the home is secure and we're protected."
"By super villains, Adrien! Hawkmoth has released too many akumas to keep up with and the people are scared. People you used to protect."
Adrien was silent a moment. "Leave your earrings at my door in a show of surrender."
"I'm not giving up."
"I was hoping you wouldn't. See you soon, m'lady."
The call ended.
"Retreat!" Ladybug yelled and her and the heroes ran back into the city, plotting their next move.
Adrien stood at the window of the parlor, watching the fires spread through the city, the total chaos.
"Any moment now, your highness," Adrien sneered, looking back at Chloe tied up against the wall, her silent tears streaming out from under her blindfold. "Believe me, I know, I've sunk pretty low. But whatever I've done, you deserve."
His fist curled around her miraculous.
"Adrien."
"Quiet!" He smacked his fist against the glass, cracking it. "I'm the bad guy, that's fine. It's no fault of mine."
He remembered Marinette kissing Luka that day at school, so unbothered by his love for her. "And some justice at last will be served."
"Please listen," Chloe begged, leaning forward. But Adrien simply walked past her, facing his fireplace.
"Now it's time to step up or it's time to step down and there's only one answer for me. And I'll stand up and fight." The teeth of the comb cut into his palm. "Cause I know that I'm right!" His eyes lifted to the picture of him with his parents. "And I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready! Ready as I'll ever be."
Ladybug stood on a roof overlooking the Agreste home. Every window and door was boarded up just like when Simon Says had attacked, making it near impossible to get in. Smoke and cinders rose around her and seeing her beautiful city in chaos made her harden her heart. She had a job to do.
"Now it's time to rise up or it's time to stand down." She looked back at Rena and Carapce. "And the answer is easy to see. And I swear by the sword, if you're in, get on board. Are you ready?"
"I'm ready!" Carapace yelled, his eyes seeming to be shattered.
"We're ready," Rena chimed in, grabbing Carapce's hand. They thrust them in the air together.
"We're ready!"
"Ready as I'll ever be," Ladybug sighed, closing her eyes and seeing Chat Noir's face.
Emilie led Gabriel through the halls of their home, remote in hand so she could get through the bolted doors.
"Are you quite sure we can do this?" he asked her. This was a dangerous battle, after all. His son must have been torn between his family and his love. Gabriel couldn't be sure Adrien was entirely on their side.
"Together we will guarantee," Emilie promised, squeezing his hands.
Her smile, it was warm, and her eyes were sparkling. Gabriel felt his heart miss a beat and he smiled right back as she continued leading him through the halls.
"I'll make them hear me!" Adrien transformed.
"They can trust me!" Ladybug stared at the Agreste house, surrounded by fire, tears falling from her eyes.
"I'll save my home and family!" Emilie looked at the chaotic city, overcome with memories of when her family had been new, and Adrien was young. How happy they'd been.
Chat Noir turned from the window and turned to see Hawkmoth and Paonne standing in the room. Chloe was shaking but Adrien smiled. He never thought he would be comforted by Hawkmoth but seeing them standing together, a team of three ready to take on the world, made him remember how much he loved his family.
"I'm ready!" Carapce drew his shield.
"I'm ready!" Rena pulled out her flute.
"I'm ready!" Ladybug and Paonne's eyes had the same determination.
"Ready as I'll," Adrien looked over the city, flanked by his parents, "ever be!"