Miraculous Devilman: Chapter 12
Disclaimer: We Do Not Own Miraculous Ladybug or Devilman. MLB belongs to Thomas Asstruc and Devilman belongs to Go Nagai. Also, this fanfic contains slight mature themes and mild language.
Chapter 12 - Part 1
The night was still. The only sounds heard were a pigeon cooing on a rooftop and the sound of wings flapping.
Devilman flew through the sky, a tired and defeated Adrien on his back. The blonde boy gripped Devilman's shoulders with the little energy he had, neither saying a word.
Plagg flew not far behind, deciding for once that it was not a good time to crack a joke or taunt his wielder.
Akira called out to Ryo with his mind, telling his friend what he was about to do.
("Really? You're doing this now? We were supposed to wait a day or two.") even in thoughts, the devilman could hear how annoyed Ryo was.
("Look, the plan changed, okay? Just take Miki to the Guardian, and I'll track you down there.") Akira chuckled as he heard a sigh in his mind followed by a stream of curses.
And so it was, at such an hour, that Akira found himself before a locked door in a nicer part of the city. He dusts off Adrien's shoulder a bit. "Alright buddy, you ready for this? I haven't been here before either."
The blonde boy shrugged. "Ready as I'll ever be, I guess."
"Don't sweat it, kid," Plagg finally spoke, "Master isn't as intimidating as he likes to think he is."
This makes both guys raise an eyebrow, before Akira knocks on the door.
No response.
He knocks again, louder this time.
Miki opens the door, "Akira, good to see…" her eyes widen a bit as she sees Adrien. She looks back and forth between the two, Akira with some healing gash wounds and Adrien with a bruise on his cheek.
Adrien's eyes widen as well. "Miki? What are you doing here?"
She gives Akira a quick death stare before putting on a smile, "Same thing as you I think. Getting a formal introduction. Why don't you both come inside?"
As soon as the door closes behind them, Miki pulls Akira down by the ear. "What the hell did you do to him?"
"Knocked some sense into him, that's what." He retorts.
"He looks like you beat him senseless!"
"It was just a bit of roughhousing. Besides, he was asking for it…Ow!" Akira stops as Miki pinches his ear harder.
"Ahem."
The three of them turned to see Ryo, his arms crossed and a stern look on his face.
Adrien's gaze lowered. "Mr. Ryo." He greeted him meekly.
"I've been up for over 40 hours now, Adrien. Let's just do what we need to." the detective grumbled as the Guardian stepped forward.
"Greetings, Chat Noir. It's certainly been a long time."
(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 only few know,
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
Master Fu extends a hand.
Adrien hesitantly accepted before taking a long good look at the old man, a sparkle of realization in his eyes. "It's you. The one who gave me my miraculous."
"Indeed." The Guardian nodded, offering the blonde boy a sincere smile. "I have been informed about your internal conflict. It is about time you learn the true importance of being a miraculous wielder." His gaze shifts to Miki. "And for you as well."
"I-I don't understand.." Adrien stuttered. "It is my duty to stop Hawkmoth. What else is there?"
Master Fu nods slowly, "Yes, you know your duty, but you do not understand the complete reason why, nor the importance of your place within the active wielders." He makes his way to the safe containing the Miracle Box and opens it. Fu then lays the box down on a small table and gestures to Miki and Adrien. "Both of you, sit."
The two do so as Akira and Ryo stand back and observe.
"For as long as history itself, the Guardians of the Miraculous were both heroes and protectors. We wielded the powers of the Miraculous and safeguarded their use as tools for righteousness. We have had high points and low points across our history, and I am sad to say our order is at a low. After vanquishing a great evil, the only wielder left, who was my master, gave me this Miracle Box." Fu opens the box, and the heroes marvel at all the different miraculouses inside.
"So many. How pretty." Miki gazed at them.
"Woah," Adrien couldn't help but admire the magical jewelry. He looked up at the Guardian. "Were you a wielder, sir?"
"For every Miraculous, there is a potential hero." Master Fu explained with a nod. "And indeed, I used to wield the miraculous of the turtle."
On cue, Wayzz phases out from a nearby tea table and waves at them.
Plagg notices his kwami friend and flies over to float beside him
Fu smiles, "For every hero, there comes a special gift: A power of great potential. They all possess greatness, but prime among the Miraculous are the Ladybug and Cat. These two bear the great power of creation and destruction respectively. However, if used in tandem, they also have another power." The Guardian's eyes seem to grow heavy.
"What is that power? Is it why Hawkmoth wants them?" Miki asks.
"Does Hawkmoth know about the other miraculouses existence?" Adrien asked.
The question makes Plagg snicker, which earns him a firm head slap from Wayzz.
Fu nods, "If one wields both the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous, they are granted a single wish. Anything they desire will become reality. I have no doubt Hawkmoth knows of many miraculous at this time, but whatever he desires can only be achieved by the divine wish."
Adrien snapped his fingers. "So that's why Vocaloader didn't try to take your miraculous." He looks over at Miki as he says that.
"I see, then why don't we wish Hawkmoth's miraculous back to us? I'd gladly offer my wish." Miki offers.
"It's not that simple," Fu responds, "As the Cat and Ladybug are balanced between creation and destruction, so too is the divine wish tied to a balance. Whatever wish is granted to the asker, its opposite is unleashed upon the rest of reality…" the Guardian's voice grows strained as his eyes seem to fill with pain, "The divine wish of the guardians is why I am all that is left. They wished for the defeat of their great enemy, but it came at the ultimate cost."
Miki sunk back as she absorbed this knowledge.
"…merde." Adrien looked at his ring as he took this in.
Master Fu continued, "I had explained the wish to Ladybug, though not its history. I would have told you, Chat, unfortunately, it is very difficult to get in contact with you. You are kept very busy and unfortunately unaware…"
Adrien's eyes widened again. "Ladybug has been in contact with you?"
The guardian nods with a smile, "Yes, she frequently visits. Usually it's either to seek approval for enlisting a new hero or asking for advice on a battle. It seems luck has granted her more opportunity to 'swing by' if you'll pardon the expression."
"So that's why she showed up and left with Queen Bee. Huh." Miki puts a hand to her chin.
Adrien frowns at this new information about Ladybug, but brushes it aside for the moment. "Then, what is my purpose? What must I do to become the best Chat Noir I can be?"
Ryo then lays down a book on the table. Adrien recognizes it from his father's collection. "Simply put, you need two things. The first is training." Ryo turns to Fu, who nods to Adrien. The Guardian continues, "There are many abilities you both have yet to learn, the same can be said of Ladybug. Once you master what we can teach you, You'll have all the right tools. The other challenge you must face is one within yourselves."
"Within?" Miki tilts her head.
Adrien looked at his ring again, putting that hand on his chest. "I see." He looks up at Master Fu with a new determination. "Then I must start now. I need to be stronger for the next time Hawkmoth attacks."
Fu leans forward with a calm expression, "You must take a good look inside yourselves. Both of you are approaching a crossroads in your destinies." The Guardian turns to Adrien, "Chat Noir, you are the force of destruction, equal in power and importance to Ladybug. You must learn to control your power, lest you destroy yourself or those around you. More importantly, you must decide what sort of hero you want to be before that decision is made for you by someone else."
Adrien paused, taking all this new information in. His face slowly contorts to frustration. "Why am I only learning about all this now? Ladybug and I have been fighting Hawkmoth's pons for months, yet we are not any closer to stopping him."
He looks at his ring. "If I am Ladybug's equal, how come she kept all of this from me? Why won't she trust me?" He then stands up, his eyebrows furrowed.
"I don't want to be a hero who blindly follows. I want to lead, to be the kind of hero everyone can rely on."
"And you, Multi-Mouse," Fu then turned to Miki, "You have entered a new battlefield, one that is quickly escalating with possible enemies on all sides. You must decide who your allies are, and who your enemies are. When the world is enraptured by chaos, you will have to decide what and who you will fight for."
Miki was quiet, her eyes filled with a rush of emotions. What was she going to have to choose? Was something far worse on the horizon for her? She looks back to Akira, who gives her an encouraging grin. Then to Ryo, who gives her a not too odd look given the bags under his eyes. Miki turns back to the Guardian, "Whatever happens, I'll do what is right. I will protect those I love."
Smiling, Fu stood up. "Then I believe my decision has been correct. Welcome, Chat Noir and Multi-Mouse, to the order of the Miraculous. One day you will be guardians yourselves, but before that you have many battles to come." The Guardian makes his way to Adrien, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I see in your eyes that you still have questions. You are long overdue for some answers."
Ryo went up to Miki, "I can fill you in back at the apartment. Besides, I'm going to need you and Akira's help with something today. Let's head back."
Miki shrugged, "Sure. Come on Akira."
The devilman pats Adrien on the back before he makes his way out. "See ya later, yellow-top. Try to stay out of trouble." And with that the trio leave Adrien and the Guardian alone.
(Meanwhile, as night becomes morning)
An alarm went off with a loud "Beeeeeep!", waking up our raven-haired heroine. Rather than turning it off and going back to sleep like she would normally do, She sat up, stretched her arms with a yawn, and declared in a joyful tone, "Good morning, Paris!"
As she gathered her books for school, Tick peeked out of the little sewing drawer she sleeps in, rubbing her eyes. "Someone is up early," she said sleepily.
"Well, you know what they say, Ticki," Marinette replied with a raised finger. "The early bird catches the croissant."
"..that's not how it.." but Marinette was already making her way downstairs before Ticki could counter-argue, the ladybug kwami simply smiling in amusement to see her wielder so happy.
"Good morning, fille," Sabine was already downstairs with breakfast ready as Marinette came down and sat down at the kitchen table with a smile. "You're ready early."
"Morning, mom," Marinette replied, taking a bite out of the croissant that was laid in front of her. "Where's dad?"
"He's gone out to get more macaroon ingredients," Sabine explained as she poured her daughter a glass of milk. "Those macarons sold out quickly. Do thank your darling boyfriend again when you have the chance." She says this with a knowing smile.
"Mom," Marinette rolled her eyes with a smile. "I will." She checked the time. "Oh, I better leave now so I won't be late." she downed her milk, stuffed the rest of her croissant in her mouth, swung her bag on her shoulder, kissed her mom's cheek, and ran out the door. "Later, mom!"
"Have a great day." Sabine called back, sighing happily.
(In Hawkmoth's Lair)
Under the pale blue light of the great dome, three figures come together in a combination of their powers. Silene stands proud as Hawkmoth fills a new butterfly with evil energy. Natalie watches carefully, holding the peacock miraculous in hand.
"Are you positive you can accomplish this?" Hawkmoth postures as the butterfly glides towards the harpy.
"Of course. Merging biology is an art to demonkind, and I am a master. With your butterfly, Mayura's feather, and my demonic power, we can create the catalyst to a powerful vessel. It's strength will be more than a match for the coalition of heroes we now face." Silene turns to Natalie, "I am ready when you are. Once I have begun the merge, you should be able to de-transform before you take any significant damage. All I need is a single feather." The harpy opens her clawed hands. The butterfly lands in one, and Silene offers her other to Natalie.
The peacock bearer looks warily at the scaled hand. She clutches her miraculous, then looks over to Hawkmoth, who nods in approval. "Very well then sir." Quickly, Mayura transforms and focuses her power, creating a glowing dark-blue feather.
Silene takes the feather with her free hand, electricity beginning to crackle in her yellow antennae. She takes the feather and places it on the butterfly, then fires streaks of demonic lightning through them both. Suspended in midair, the "akuma" writhes and begins to change shape. Its eyes begin to glow bright yellow, and it's body grows slightly in size. The butterfly's antennae become hairy like a moth's, and its abdomen becomes a long hooked stinger. With an amused chuckle, Silene extends her hand as this new creature smokes with evil energy.
"Behold," she utters as the bug gives a small chittering roar with open mandibles. Its wingspan is now roughly as wide as a human hand.
Natalie's eyes widened in shock and intrigue, the most emotion that could ever be seen on her ever-stoic face. She de-transforms, only feeling slightly strained by her use of the peacock miraculous.
Hawkmoth's eyes widened as well, his mouth contorting in a long, sinister grin. "Fascinating."
a shiver flows through the butterfly villain's spine as he absorbs the aura of their new evil creation. "With our abilities combined as one, it will take more than luck for Ladybug and Chat Noir to stop us this time."
"And now to take our next victim," Silene gave a sawtooth grin, "Lila did inform us of that…former partner of your son."
Hawkmoth nodded. "It seems he finally did something useful. Poor Kagami must be utmostly devastated by this turn of events. Let's help her, shall we?"
"I couldn't agree more," the harpy sneered.
(At school, in the girls locker room)
Lila sat on a bench in the locker room, a small pendant in her hand. It was one of her latest bits of handiwork, made from mostly metal along with some other material. The bauble at the end of the chain was made into the shape of a fox's head, with yellow gems for eyes. She grinned at her latest creation before putting a hand over it as she heard someone walking into the room.
Marinette stepped inside, almost shining with joy. It was a complete one-eighty from when Lila first talked to her in the locker room. Her smile falters when she notices the brunette.
"Lila." Marinette greeted solemnly before making her way towards her locker.
"Hello, Marinette," Lila responded. "Seems today's a good day for you, as it's my last here for a long time."
Marinette raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't question it as she responded with, "Indeed. Let's just say I had a special time with my friends over the weekend."
"Ooh. No doubt it had something to do with Luka?" Lila asked, though not really expecting an answer.
A small smirk formed on Marinette's face. "As a matter of fact, it does." she closed her locker as she adds, "We took our friendship..a step further." her eyes widened as she realized what she just told her. "Hold on. I shouldn't be telling you this." she pursed her lips as she continues, "Not that it matters now, with Adrien up for grabs and all."
"Hey, it's not like you can talk with Alya about it," Lila postured, "But really, with how long I'll be gone, it wouldn't surprise me if you got back together. And yes, my little Adrien escapade is going nicely. Kagami hates his guts now, and Chloe of all people is looking after him now. Not that either of us really had to worry about her though…" She then stops herself too. "And why do I tell you this either?"
"Wait, what?" Marinette's eyes widened. "Adrien went to Chloe for consolidation?" A sound that was a mix between a sigh and snicker escaped her lips.
That sound made Lila sneer, "I know, right?"
A moment of silence lapses between the two.
"I still hate you." they say in unison.
It is then that another female entered. The two turned to see Alya standing there, an expression of confusion and annoyance on her face.
"Morning, Lila." The auburn-haired girl greeted. Her face then turns serious. "Marinette."
"Alya." Marinette greeted her ex-best friend in the same tone she had greeted Lila.
"See, what'd I tell you?" Lila puts on her nice face. "What brings you around here?"
"I was looking for you, actually." Alya dubiously gestured a thumb to Marinette.
"Why?" Marinette asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Can we talk?" She eyes Lila. "Alone?"
Lila shrugs and stands, making her way out and gliding her free hand against the lockers, "Guess I'll see you later. By-bye." Neither Alya nor Marinette notice the gem on Lila's choker light up for a second as she leaves the space.
Once there were only the two of them left in the locker room, Marinette crossed her arms. "Okay, what is this about?"
"I…" Alya rubbed her arm, a hesitant look in her face. "I had a talk with Nino-"
"Oh great, you talked with Nino. How wonderful." Marinette said sarcastically.
"Hear me out." Alya insisted, exhaling as she continued, "He said that I was too harsh on you even after the misunderstanding was cleared up,"
("misunderstanding is one way of putting it.") Marinette thought in annoyance, but bit her tongue as Alya kept explaining.
"Look, I admit that this..tension has gone on long enough. So, let's bury the hatchet and move on."
she extended a hand towards Marinette.
Marinette scoffed. "You're not even going to apologize? You don't get to accuse and dump your best friend, then just expect things to go back to normal afterwards." She put her hands on her hips as she added, "However, you're not the only one who had a talk with her boyfriend. For their sake, I'll be mature and accept this civil agreement." She grasped Alya's hand, squeezing it tighter than necessary. "Call us now acquaintances if you want, but you and I cannot honestly be friends again until you own up to your mistakes." With that, Marinette rushed past Alya, purposely bumping shoulders before exiting the locker room, leaving the auburn more annoyed than she was when she first came in.
(Return to the Guardian's dojo)
Adrien now sat cross-legged across from Master Fu, each with a cup of tea by their side. Wayzz and Plagg watch this attentively, curious on how this will play out for the blonde boy.
"Sir," Adrien began, clasping his hands together as he prepared his questions. "Why did you choose me?"
"There were a few reasons," the Guardian answered, taking a sip of tea. "When we first crossed paths, I could see that you were kind at heart. After all, you did come to my aid when I first tested you. I also saw that you had great potential, but you were held down by factors outside your control. Besides, I needed someone patient who could keep an eye on Plagg," the last part Fu says with a grin.
"He can be quite a handful." Adrien admitted with a faint smile.
"Humph, like you're one to talk." Plagg shot back, sticking his tongue out at his wielder.
Fu then resumed his previous tone, "But perhaps the deciding reason is that you worry. Destruction is not a power to be wielded lightly, and so far you've been mostly careful with it."
Adrien bit his lip. "Ladybug would say otherwise. She's always nagging me about being too reckless with my power, and often leaves to the same tasks in every fight." He then paused. "Will everything I say be confidential, sir? There are some things I wish to get off my chest."
The Guardian nods, "Please, by all means. I would like to understand your thoughts."
Adrien took a deep breath. "Most of the time, I feel like everything people know about me is all a lie. My father places all these expectations on me daily that I can never seem to satisfy, and anytime I try to speak up about it, he makes it seem that it's just because of my "incompetence' and doesn't give me the chance to explain myself." His eyes lowered as thoughts of his father threatened to overwhelm him.
"I have to act calm and happy around my friends, because if they ever really knew that the Adrien Agreste wasnt who they envisioned, I would, again, be an incompetent disappointment." He ran a hand through his hair. "But recently, I exposed the truth to a few of them, and now I'm scared that they don't like me anymore. The only time I could show something of my true character is behind a mask, and even then I have expectations weighing me down."
A sad chuckle escaped his lips. "Ironic, isn't it? The most freedom I feel is when I'm not "myself" but some heroic identity that people can admire." he rubbed a thumb against the ring. "But freedom is really an illusion I tried to convince myself to believe, another lie within a lie."
Adrien squeezed his fists. "And when I try to make my own choices, I only mess things up more than when people make decisions for me. As Chat Noir, I must do what Ladybug expects me. As Adrien, I must abide by what everyone else expects of me." Adrien looked down at his hands, despair returning in his eyes. "How can I expect anything from myself when I can barely meet the expectations from everyone else?" He looked back at the Guardian with an expression that was pleading for answers.
Master Fu stroked his beard, making sure he processed everything said. "You carry many burdens, Chat Noir. And it appears I have given you another. From what you have told me, it sounds like Ladybug has taken it upon herself to 'lead' the others. I should have expected as much given everything she's told me."
He offers Adrien a smile, "Yet despite all your struggles, you still fight on. You still do the mask when the akumas attack. You may see it as a 'lie', but your heroism is real and remembered by many. Tell me, is it the place of leadership with Ladybug you wish to share, the appreciation, or is it somewhere in between?I know at the core you wish to do good, but what is it that truly troubles you?"
Adrien took a moment to think about the new questions. "I…I guess it's more about not having my own clear identity. I am "Adrien Agreste" and "Chat Noir", but I don't really know who I am. I am "Ladybug's partner", but I don't know who I am further than that."
"Then perhaps you require further exploration," Fu offers. "While wearing the mask may not give you 'freedom' as you imagine it, you are certainly given an opportunity. I know it seems otherwise, but the heroes of the miraculous did not only fight the akuma." He gestures to Plagg and Wayzz. "The heroes' duty is to defend the people. It may do you some good to spend more time among them. In the periods between battles, try exploring what you can do. See what good is achievable when you aren't fighting back the akuma. Then, you may find yourself closer to what you are looking for, what all humans are looking for. A purpose they can be fulfilled by." The Guardian stands and closes the miracle box, once again placing it in the safe.
Adrien took in these words, relieved he now has a direction to help him find his way. "Thank you so much, sir." Adrien slowly stood up. "I think this will help."
Master Fu smiled, moving back to the table and towards Adrien. He rests a hand on the hero's shoulder. "I am glad to have spoken with you, Chat Noir. I do not know what battles lie ahead, but I know you can face them with the aid of your allies. I won't push you any further today, but know that I believe in you, my boy." Fu gives Adrien a gentle pat on the shoulder.
Adrien smiled at the Guardian before checking the time. "Oh no! I'm so late for school!" he dashes for the door, waving back one more with another "Thank you again for your time!" then leaves with a gust of air in his wake.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Plagg quickly after his wielder, waving goodbye to Wayzz and Master Fu as he exits.
"...did they not sleep? It's already the next day." Wayzz puzzles.
Fu yawns, "Perhaps. And we're overdue as well. We don't have any appointments today, friend." The guardian locks the door and makes his way to bed, the kwami floating to rest with him.
(In another area in Paris)
("You disappoint me.")
Those words rang through Kagami's head as she ran down the sidewalk. She had expected some reaction from her mother regarding current events, but not this. It's like her mother knew their relationship wouldn't work from the start. She didn't even seem surprised when Kagami spilled the news, claiming she didn't need her vision to see the situation. It is said by some that words can never hurt, but this was the final straw for the young fencer. A last betrayal by one she always held dear.
So Kagami found herself running and running further and further. Her tears fought forward and streamed back in the wind. Her chest began to tighten under the strain, but she kept on going as if racing towards some end to this pain. She had been used by Adrien as some placebo for his love of Ladybug. Her own mother used her as some political bargaining trick her whole life. She knew that. But for a time, she believed Adrien might be different, might help her break this cycle of cages upon cages she found herself in. So many expectations, and yet he still put more upon her in the end. If she weren't putting all her breath into running faster and faster she would have roared in fury at the heavens themselves.
But eventually she could go no further, all the pain and rage could not push her forward. Panting, she once again found herself beneath that familiar bridge. "Why?" She growled with the last of her breath. "Why do they treat me like I'm just some puppet? Why does he get so much when I'm the one wronged here…is there no justice in this world?"
She crumbled against the side wall of the archway. Regaining some strength, she breathes harder. Then she growled again, "Everyone always says 'poor Adrien. Poor 'boy' they all treat him like some prince…and yet…argh!" She punched the brick beneath her. Pain. She punched again. And again. "All he cares about is that stupid Ladybug! All mother cares about is her own standing in this world! Is it so much to ask for someone to care?! Is it so much to ask that I have at least one good thing in this rotten life?! Is it impossible for someone to truly love me for me!?" She punches the ground over and over, before pulling her hands to her face. Red. All she can see past the tears is red.
"AAAAGGGGHHHH! I HATE YOU! WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME!?" She tears at the ground in fury as if it will give her some answer, but she just breaks down under it all. A small puddle of blood and tears forms under her as she wails in solitude.
Unseen, the demonic Akuma flutters towards the emotionally broken fencer, chittering with a gleeful malice. It lands on her back, suddenly mutating and burying its proboscis into her neck. Kagami rears back, howling in pain as the Akuma fills her veins with a dark poison. The akuma itself absorbs into her skin, merging into her very heart. A glowing symbol covers her face, in the shape of six wings glitching between yellow and pink. Struggling under the pain, Kagami hears two voices in her head.
"My poor child. Such a horrible fate," calls a feminine voice not unlike her mothers. This voice is more gentle however, and pulls at her soul, "My dear. You have suffered at the hands of these wretches for too long. You have been powerless despite all your strength, but we can help you. Trust me, honey. Trust Silene."
"Gestalta, I am Hawkmoth. Genuine love is difficult to find. It would be so much easier if people would love you unconditionally. We give you the power to make anyone love you. All I ask for in return is Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculouses. Do we have an agreement?"
Kagami groans under the strain, but falls to the floor as her heart stings with pain.
"We can give you what you truly want. Love, true and untarnished. You will have the hearts of all you touch. You will know something real. Is that not your desire?" Silene asks in a soothing voice.
Kagami's mind is almost blank from the pain, but the words resonate in her head. Unable to answer properly, her body succumbs to the combined wills of both villains. Her last thought before the void takes her…("maybe…even if it's not real, I can feel love in my heart…")
(Back at the school)
It was a rather typical morning bustle for the students. Their first classes were nothing remarkable so far. Marinette had noticed that neither Akira nor Miki were to be found. Nino seemed a little out of sorts, mostly concerned by Adrien being missing. Alya seemed both anxious and suspicious, shooting Nino a strange look a few times while avoiding Marinette's gaze.
Strangely enough, Chloe and Sabrina were in their usual spots and didn't seem fazed by the fact that Adrien wasn't present.
("Perhaps Lila was telling the truth?") the raven-haired heroine wondered.
She immediately shut that thought down. No way. Once a liar, always a liar.
Marinette took a peek at Lila, who was eyeing the door for some reason, as if she knew something was about to happen.
The demon acolyte herself was masking a silent panic. For all her air of confidence and schemes, she had gradually lost all the headway gained during her "Karmari" exploits. Of course she was less than pleased at how Hawkmoth handled the victims she had created, but now she was getting sidelined. The other students still listened to her, but Lila could see some of Marinette's passive influence rubbing off on Nino. Now, she had used the ladybug "golem"s eyes to see what Silene had created, and it looked to be a nightmare. They hadn't told her anything at all, and now she was going to just be sacrificed to their latest plot? Lila decided to just run as soon as trouble started.
As there was time before the next class started, Nino made his way to Chloe's desk. "Hey…uh, is he alright? You know, alright for how things are?" Nino tries his best to be vague.
Chloe sighed. "He ran off somewhere last night, saying he needed some fresh air." she lowered her voice to a whisper as she added, "He didn't return, and hasn't answered any of my calls. Maybe better luck if you try?"
Nino gave a small nod, "That sounds like the best idea, I just hope it's not too…"
The classroom window shatters in a shower of tempered glass and wood. A scream, and everyone turns their heads as they see a inky black mass crash into the room and wrap itself around Kim, who was unfortunate to be in its path. Everyone either rushed to his aid, or froze where they stood . Lila makes a break for the door in the chaos.
The inky black now envelopes the boy, and the others see as a red glow appears where his heart would be. The glowing heart then dispersed into the ink, and the mass left Kim, now forming into a shape roughly resembling his.
"Kim!" Max rushed to his friend, holding Kim in his arms. "Are you okay!?"
Kim is silent for a moment, before his eyes begin to glow with a light pink haze. The Inky black "akuma" forms two glowing eyes and a mouth on its "face" and asks, "Where is Adrien?" in a garbled voice.
Everyone backs away in fear, some holding onto each other while others shakes their heads. "He-he's not here." Mylene stutters, hugging Ivan tightly.
"I-I sug-gest checking his home," Madame Bustier said with a quiver in her voice. "Please, d-don't hurt my students."
Gestalta shakily tilts her head, "Oh really? Today of all days?" her voice growing louder and more volatile. "Then you all will help me find him. Hold the nerd."
Kim grips Max in a vice, and the inky black Gestalta jumps at Ivan and Mylene, enveloping both of them before they can react.
"Let's get out of here!" Marinette shouts. "Before we're all taken!"
Without any hesitation, the rest of the class dashed for the classroom door, forgetting about their backpacks and other belongings as they ran. As two more glowing hearts are absorbed by the akuma, the class is in a flurry as Gestalta leaves her new servants with the order, "Seize them!"
They burst through the door, the students shouting in panic as they all dispersed in different directions, some warning the others classes about an akumatized villain in the building, while others rush out of the school. Gestalta quickly absorbed Max, then took on a more fluid form and dove into the air vents as Kim and the newly possessed Max ran to capture the other students.
Marinette rushed to the bathroom and locked the stall door, Ticki flying out of her pocket. "Looks like this new akuma has beef with Adrien." the ladybug kwami remarked.
"It's got to be Kagami!" Marinette exclaimed. "We got to stop her. Ticki, Spots on!"
A bright pink aura surrounds Marinette. Her red and black suit and mask with black polka dots appeared on her, red ribbons wrapped around her pigtails, and her yoyo appeared around her waist. Marinette, now Ladybug, spun around, lifting her leg high, and struck a pose, the ladybug symbol appearing behind her as her transformation was now complete.
In but a short time, Gestalta had hunted down each of the students and teachers, growing exponentially faster and stronger the more servants she created. Now walking out the main entrance of the school, she gestured outwards. "Go, take everyone. Take them all until you find him. But none of you shall take his heart, for it belongs to me." She gives a portion of her inky mass to each of her servants, having grown a bit herself from each heart taken.
Gestalta takes a moment to observe her form. The hearts she has taken manifest themselves as glowing shapes on her body. With some focus, she reshapes her inky form into one resembling her original body.
"How interesting, taking hearts allows me to take more advanced forms. I wonder…" after some straining, the hearts light up and cover Gestalta in a pink glow. As the flash fades, Gestalta now bears a much older appearance, that of Riposte. "I don't remember my first time being akumatized, though it seems my body does." She then turns to her servants. "Well, what are you waiting for? Search and capture!"
"As you command!" the possessed servants respond before scattering. However, Gestalta reaches an inky limb, grabbing Nino.
"Not you. I'd like to have a little talk with you."
Nino looks at her with confused eyes, "Sure. Anything."
(Meanwhile)
Ladybug swings up onto a high roof, but the city is already falling to chaos. As the servants infected with ink made contact with people, the ink would grow and spread further. What was once a single chain of inky servants became a stronger wave as more hearts were taken, their "love" seemingly empowering those possessed to move faster and become stronger. The police were of little help, quickly falling under possession as Gestalta's power began taking the city. Ladybug did her best to help the people by blocking roads and tripping servants by moving things with her yo-yo, but there was only so much to be accomplished.
With a frustrated sigh, she pulled out the cellular device on her yoyo and called Chat Noir.
"This is Chat Noir. Purr-ease leave a message after the tone. Meow."
With an eye-roll, Ladybug recorded her message, "Chat, meet me at the school. We gotta discuss the situation of this new akuma. Hurry."
After sending the voicemail, Ladybug swung from streetlamp to streetlamp, swatting some love-ified zombies out of the way as heads back towards the school.
(Somewhere else in Paris)
Adrien ran down the street, heading for the school. He quickly skids to a halt when a crowd of pedestrians lunge for him, some inky substance dripping from them.
"Giiive us yourr looove.." one pedestrian slurred it's words, the others reaching for him, their pupils dilated and..bright pink?
Adrien quickly turned and ran in the opposite direction, ducking into an alleyway, pausing to catch his breath.
"Oh great, now everyone is a simp," Plagg groaned as he flew out of Adrien's pocket.
"This feels like Zombizu all over again." Adrien pointed out. "Better go stop the puppet master. Plagg, Claws Out!"
A green aura surrounds Adrien as Plagg is sucked into his ring. A black suit and mask appear on him, black cat ears grow on his head, and a silver staff appears in his hands. He slashes his claw-like hands before striking a pose, the black cat paw symbol appearing behind him.
(Elsewhere in the city)
Deep beneath the streets, down in the sewers, Nino finds himself in a dimly lit tunnel. He stared in wonder as Gestalta's inky mass reformed into something resembling the original Kagami. She somehow looked more regal, her "clothing" being more elaborate and many glowing heart symbols appearing on her body.
The akuma tilts her head at the boy, "What is it?"
"You look really cool." Nino quickly responds with a grin.
This takes Gestalta aback, though her surprise becomes a frown as she takes more notice of his pink glowing eyes. "I…thank you." she murmured. "Walk with me. Nino, was it?"
"Sure thing, dudette," the latino linked arms with Gestalta, adjusting his cap.
As the two make their way along the tunnel walkway, she starts with, "So tell me. Do you know about…Adrien being Chat Noir?"
"I just found out yesterday." he answered.
"Wha…How?" Gestalta half-blurted.
"He apparently went to Chloe's for consolidation, and she called me asking for help because Adrien locked himself in the bathroom. Of course I came, thinking my bro just needed someone with him, given he just went through a breakup and all.." he paused, a frown taking his face. "What I didn't expect was for him to break down screaming about being a liar, and when I pushed him to tell me what that was really about, he transformed right in front of me."
He took off his cap, lowering his gaze. "I was..shocked, to say the least. Hurt by the fact that he didn't trust me enough with this secret all this time, but he's still my friend and I promised that I'll still support him no matter what."
He held up his pinky finger as he added, "and I made him swear not to keep secrets from me anymore, you know, so that a situation like this won't happen again."
"Like what? Like me?" the akuma's voice grew slightly warped. "You think he hurt you? Huh. hehehehehe…" Gestalta halted, gripping Nino tightly. Her form grew slightly larger, and her once regal appearance began to grow black and inky again. "Just how do you think I felt? That snake told me he was in love with someone else this whole time. He claimed he loved "both of us" after everything we had been through! But I know the truth now, that he never loved me to begin with. He just used me for his own desires! What do you say to that!?" her limbs begin forming into tendrils that wrap around Nino's form. A second pair of glowing eyes form on her inky face, challenging the boy to answer. He is afraid, but still in awe. In a trance-like voice, Nino responds with, "That must have hurt, a lot. Is there anything I can do to help?"
The akuma growls, "Stupid puppet. Maybe if I…" a pause, and then her inky form lurches as if retching. A glowing heart is ejected from Gestalta's mouth, and it absorbs back into Nino's chest. The pink glow in his eyes ceases, and he comes to his senses.
"Ugh, what happe…woah!" He jolts with wide eyes as the akuma slowly releases him, reforming into Kagami's human shape.
"Please. I need you, anyone, to understand what this pain is." she moves closer to Nino, who is still trying to get his bearings. The memory rushes back, and he realizes what he's already told the akuma.
"Oh man. Dudette, I didn't.." he paused as he thought about Adrien's actions and hearing it from Kagami's perspective. He pondered what he might have felt if Alya had done something similar to him. While their temporary breakup was bad, this was something different. "Man, that really sucks. I, I can't believe Adrien would go to that length." he looks over at Kagami with sympathy. "You didn't deserve that." his fists tightened. "He shouldn't have done that." his eyebrows furrow. "Where is Adrien? We need to talk. Again."
Kagami's eyes glow with what look like tears. "You…you actually understand. I…I don't know how to thank you…" She takes Nino's hands with a tearful glee.
"Well, I kinda went through a breakup myself." Nino said with a comforting smile. He rubs his fingers gently around Kagami's. "It wasn't as severe as this, but, glad I could help."
Gestalta's cheer was then suddenly broken. Her attention turns upwards as a glowing heart chimes on her body. "They've found him." Kagami's eyes fill with bloodlust, "Now I can deal with him myself. I'll make him pay for what he's done!"
(Meanwhile)
Deep below the city, back in the caves beneath the catacombs, the new trio of demon hunters make their way to the old ruins where Ryo and Akira had found the demonic glaive.
"Woah, this place is huge," Miki stared at the temple in wonder, "Who managed to get this underground?"
Akira looked warily to Miki as Ryo began to explain the last trip they had made down here. He really didn't want to have brought Miki down here, hoping to keep her away from any more demons. Unfortunately, both Ryo and Miki had insisted on going as a trio. Still, the devilman was filled with a soft and silent dread. The last thing he wanted was for her to get jumped before he could do anything about it, especially with how easy it was to get lost in the winding tunnels. At the very least, Akira had convinced Miki to stay in Multi-Mouse mode, which brought him some comfort.
As Ryo began to further survey the structure, looking for any other entrances besides the now broken one, Miki heard a ringing coming from her sword. She flipped open the hilt to see the green paw symbol of Chat Noir.
"Hello?" She answers the call as Akira looks over in curiosity.
"Hey Mousey! We got another akuma on the loose, but don't worry, I got this under control!" Chat Noir says through the other end. Some faint crashes and weird slurring can be heard behind Chat, but the cat hero smiles and gives Multi-Mouse a thumbs up. "Like I said, we're all under control, so let Akira know that we got this. Oh, gotta go. I'm in a hot purr-suit. Kitty out!"
The call ends, leaving Miki and Akira very confused.
(Elsewhere in the city)
Gestalta moves through the city with Nino in tow. Her form greatly increases in size as more hearts and ink are delivered to her base form by the mindless hordes. Gestalta now bears a serpentine lower-half, and Nino sits on the tail in fear. The glowing pink eyes of all the people look half-dead and inhuman, chilling him to the core. Their uneasy yet orderly walking keeps him from being as calm as he was down in the sewers.
"What have you done to all these people?" He utters.
"The same thing I had done to you," Gestalta turns her "head" back to answer. "This revenge of mine requires the power of people's hearts. It's what allows me to take different forms. The more hearts I have, the truer a shape I can take."
Nino takes a minute to get a better look at "Kagami". Her serpent parts have very pointed, armor-like scales. Her four glowing eyes give off the reserved and calculating air that she had projected in all previous encounters Nino could remember of her. That vulnerable side he had seen beneath the city was gone, as if she was hiding it underneath her armored appearance.
"So you're just going to what, give Adrien a stern talking too?" Nino poses, to which Gestalta scoffs. "Please. That's what I tried before he told me the truth. I'm going to show him just what damage he's done and then beat him into submission."
"Oh, that makes sense." Nino replied, before he registered what she said. "Wait, What!?"
Gestalta only sneered as she began to move faster along the streets towards the city square.
"Now hold on, you can't just…" Nino begins before he finds himself tossed to the ground.
"I can't just do what? Look at what I can do!" Gestalta nearly roars at the boy, but then pulls back. "You know what? Go to Adrien. My servants will not stop you. Tell him that I challenge him to a duel in the town square. You can watch as I destroy him, either of your own accord or under my control. Your choice." Energy seems to crackle as heart symbols light up over her form.
Without further hesitation, Nino gets up and runs off in search of his friend.
(Over at the docks)
As the chaos reaches the dock, Luka guides a crowd of other fleeing civilians onto his family's boat. Just as the last person gets on, the wave of ink zombies charges close behind. Luka, still on the dock, unties the boat and yells for his mother to set sail.
This will take time, and the ink-zombies are fast approaching. Luka decides to hold them off as the others escape.
Nearby, a green kwami observes as Luka pulls his guitar up and whacks the first zombie sideways. He dodges past their lurching grabs and knocks them to the ground, using the bottle-neck given to him by the dock to his advantage. He holds them all back, and once he gains a brief pause in the wave Luka turns back to see the boat making its escape.
"They made it," he smiles and turns back to the ink-zombies, "Mom's gonna be mad when she realizes I didn't get on the boat." As he readies himself for another wave, the ink-zombies all stop and wait. Luka is confused for a moment before he sees a particular figure moving forward from the horde.
Juleka, eyes glowing pink and ink flowing across her form, approaches Luka.
"Sis?" Is all he manages before the other zombies imbue their own ink upon her. Using said ink, Juleka forms massive gauntlets over her arms. Hesitant to fight his own sister, Luka backs away to the dock's edge as Juleka begins to charge him. "C'mon, Juleka. Please don't make me do this…" Luka quickly dodges Juleka's punches, only for her to turn and tackle him. Losing his balance, and feeling the ink starting to consume him, Luka hops backwards and pulls the both of them into the water. ("Let's see if this really is ink.") he hopes.
Having seen all this, Wayzz is taken aback. Now certain within his heart, he flies down to make sure the two don't drown.
Luka pulls Juleka up to the surface before Wayzz gets to them, and swims to the other side of the river with his sister.
As they catch their breath out of the water, Luka sees that all of the ink has dissolved in the water and diluted. "Well, how about that? Juleka?" He quickly turns to his sister, who quickly grabs onto him. "Now you will join..! Huh? Why isn't it working?" Her glowing eyes flare in annoyance as Luka chuckles in confusion.
All of a sudden, a green force field forms around Juleka, separating her from Luka.
"What the?" The blue boy looks around, wondering what source of this magic was coming from. He then hears the sounds of a yoyo being extended.
Up on the street lamps that lined the boardwalk, Ladybug made her way towards him, swinging around another lamppost before landing on her feet and running to him.
"Luka! You have to get to safety! You're-" she pauses as she sees the possessed form of Juleka struggling against the green barrier as Luka gets up on his feet. She then looks over at the water, the boat floating in the distance. "Why are you not on the boat?"
"Well, I had to get my sister," the musician grins and gestures over to Juleka. "Turns out that if you get them in the water, they get separated from the ink and can't spread whatever it is that's infecting them."
Ladybug's eyes widened. "Really?" She then noticed Wayzz from the corner of her eye, the turtle kwami giving her a knowing look. "I see." she turned her attention back to her boyfriend with a smile. "In that case, let any citizens you come across know to head for the water. I must go find the source and take her out."
The two begin running away from the docks back into the city. After getting out of sight, Luka grabbed Ladybug gently by the arm and pulled her into a kiss. Ladybug couldn't help but smile as they pulled away.
"For good luck." Luka said with a grin.
"I don't need it, but thank you." With a nod, Ladybug extended her yoyo to a nearby lamppost and swung away in the opposite direction.
Wayzz, who stayed with Juleka to ensure her safety, smiled to himself. "He is worthy."
(Meanwhile)
Ink zombies fell down like bowling pins as Chat Noir knocked them away with his staff. He gives his weapon a twirl before tossing it like a boomerang at another squad of mindless minions. "Is that all you got?" the cat hero taunted, before another group dogpiled on top of him.
"Chat Noir!"
Suddenly, the zombies part as the panting form of Nino makes his way to his friend, pausing as he rests his hands on his knees.
"Nino? What are you doing here?" Chat Noir uses his staff to push his way past the parting zombies. "And why aren't they attacking you?"
"Kagami..*pant* told them to.. *pant* not to follow me.. *pant* she challenges.. *pant* you to a duel, you must *pant* stop her before she *exhale* possesses everyone."
"Woah, slow down." Chat Noir waved a halting hand at his friend. "So Kagami is akumatized?"
"Si." The red-capped boy nodded. "She wants revenge for what happened between you two. She told me how you broke her heart." his voice becomes serious as he adds. "She claims you used her, made her think that you loved her when you didn't." He puts his hands on his hips. "Now, tell me the real truth."
Chat Noir's face lowers as he takes this in. "I.." he looks down at his ring before sighing. "She is right. I did break her heart. She has every reason to be angry at me. But..she is mistaken about one thing." He took a deep breath as he added rather meekly. "I did love her. Well, love her in a different way than I thought I did." he ran a hand through his hair. "Someone recently taught me that there are different kinds of love, and that the way I felt about Kagami is like how Alya feels about her sisters." The cat hero's shoulders slumped.
"I never really sorted out my feelings, which is what led to all of this now." he gripped his staff, his face now determined. "For now, I must try to make things right and stop this chaos."
Nino, who had been standing there quietly, finally spoke. "So, you gonna duel her?"
Chat Noir nodded. "I have to." a weak smile formed on his face. "At least this should feel familiar." he muttered under his breath.
(Ladybug symbol gets closer to screen as the Batman music plays)
Our spotted heroine swings around the city in search of Gestalta. She dodges ink zombies left and right, who all appear determined to follow her. Some go as far to stack one top of each other in an attempt to reach Ladybug's height in the air, stretching their arms for her, barely missing.
"Where is a fire hydrant when you need one?" Ladybug mumbled as she swung back down to the ground, opting to run along the pavement than swing in the air. She thought about using her Lucky Charm, but decided to save it for when she actually needs to fight the source. Swinging into a leap high above the rooftops, Ladybug spots a larger mass moving along a distant street. The serpentine Gestalta is making its way towards the town square.
"There you are," Ladybug began a hot pursuit, quickly catching up to the akuma. As Ladybug drew close and landed on a rooftop, Gestalta spotted her and turned.
"So, you've come." She reared back, her form becoming inky and fluid. "Tell me Ladybug, how much do you know about what has happened around you?"
"I am aware that you and Adrien broke up, and you are seeking revenge on him." Ladybug replied, spinning her yo-yo in fast circles. "Like him or not, I can't allow you to harm anyone else on my watch."
Gestalta reforms her mass into a giant scorpion, and begins to leap and crawl up the building towards Ladybug. The hero manages to leap away and starts making circles around the large arachnid to try and tie it up. As she swings down however, Gestalta once again becomes a pool of ink, causing Ladybug to fall to the ground. Barely recovering, Ladybug catches a glimpse of the inky mass falling down towards her, spearing out like a pitch black blanket lit up by hearts. Before she can run far enough away, Ladybug is caught in the torrent of Gestalta and consumed.
As Gestalta grabs the earrings off the now possessed heroine, magical pink sparkles fly out of the ink, revealing the exposed form of Marinette.
Everything falls still as Gestalta leaves her standing still. The akuma's four-eyed demonic form writhes before Marinette.
"No. Nonono. No! No! Why is it you?!" She growls at Marinette, who can only stare back at her in confusion. "And all this time it was you he…no. I will not tell you. That much will not be taken from me!" Gestalta declares as she turns away in fury. If she had been angry before, this was all just more fuel for the fire. Gestalta would unleash her wrath. Kagami would unleash this new pain on Adrien once he came for their duel. But now she has just the tool she needs. Taking a form much like her base human look, Gestalta held the ladybug miraculous in her hands.
"Oh Adrien," she smiled with a malicious fury. "You have no idea what you're in for."
(To be continued)
Author's Notes:
dancecat25: Bonjour, beautiful readers. Quite the inky chapter, eh? (that was lame, I know). There is a lot of pressure on Adrien and Nino here. That pressure is certainly gonna weigh down on their friendship moving forward.
Aladar Caval: At last we have an "akuma akuma" as dumb as that may sound. This has probably been the most fun I've had with an akuma since Breakdown or Vocaloader. And just like those other two, they've taken Ladybug's miraculous. Hm…maybe a switch up is in order sometime.
dancecat25: Yep. Gestalta shall prove to be our strongest villain yet. So hyped for what we have in store for you next. And where is Lila in the midst of all this chaos? Well..you'll see. Until then, Bug Out!
Aladar Caval: Prepare for the final battle of this ill-fated Adrigami arc. Are you happy now, Adrienette fans? Get ready for a Devilman crybaby reference too, you'll know it when you see it. 'Til all are one!'
