Chapter Thirty-Six
Panthera was greeted by a giant bear hug as she climbed back into her hotel room.
"Nora," she grunted as her sister wrapped her in the powerful embrace. "Why are you still up? It's the middle of the night!"
Nora pulled back, holding her by the shoulders. "Why am I still up?! Did you really think I was going to go back to sleep after you go racing out the window after some akuma! How on earth was I supposed to sleep after realizing that you and Marinette are the ones running around protecting this city from that madman!"
"Mar–" Panthera's eyes widened, and she pulled back. "Why would you say that, she's–"
Nora crossed her arms. "Either Marinette's Ladybug, or else you've been cheating on your girlfriend this entire time, which I greatly doubt."
"...You can't tell anyone."
"Can't believe you went this long without telling me."
"I wasn't allowed to tell anyone!" Panthera protested. "I mean, I am allowed to now, but a lot has been happening on the hero side of the mask and it's probably not about to stop."
Nora plucked at her mask– which held firm against her skin, and Panthera pushed her away. "How does this whole thing even work? There's like a little creature or something?"
"Kwami," Panthera replied, before closing her eyes. "Plagg, claws in."
The detransformation washed over her, and she couldn't help but nervously glance at Nora, who was watching her with wide eyes as the magic fell away. Her eyes followed Plagg as he came flying out of the ring, the cat landing in Alya's out held hand, tail flicking side to side.
"Cheese," Plagg demanded.
"I already fed you after the fight!"
"I just transformed you," Plagg said, rolling over with a paw over his forehead– a different kind of dramatics than what she was used to from him. "I thought you were supposed to be a hero– yet you're starving me!"
"Are... are you putting on an act because Nora's here?" Alya said, raising an eyebrow, and Plagg did nothing but give her a grin. "You little gremlin! I give you more cheese than is reasonable, you don't get to act like this!"
"Oh, he's the one eating all the cheese?" Nora asked, reaching a finger out towards Plagg– who puffed up and hissed– which didn't stop Nora from scratching the top of his head. "I thought it was weird how much you suddenly loved it. I swore you were going to start a cheese blog next or something."
Plagg turned towards Alya, eyes wide. "Can we?"
"I'm not stopping you," she replied, putting the Black Cat on her shoulder. "Anyways– Nora, this is my kwami Plagg, the embodiment of Destruction. Plagg, this is Nora."
"I know her well enough," Plagg said, waving a paw. "Maybe we haven't talked face to face but I lived with you all long enough. Her gym socks smell good."
"What?" Nora said, staring at Plagg.
"Alya doesn't let me keep the good cheese out of the kitchen," Plagg said. "And her room always smelled like... like I dunno, perfume and stuff!"
"If you want to see a room that smells like perfume go to Chloe's," Alya replied, rolling her eyes.
"And she never leaves out her socks for long enough– and used socks are the only thing that smell as good as cheese!"
"He likes camembert," Alya said, wrinkling her nose. "Before I wasn't able to get it that often, but now I can just order it from the hotel kitchen anytime, so now I don't have an excuse to keep that smelly stuff away."
"Oh, I thought your weird camembert obsession was a weird coping mechanism or something," Nora said, eyeing Plagg. "So how does the whole transformation even work? Magic words and boom you're a superhero?"
"It is a delicate process of human and kwami becoming one," Plagg snapped. "Our auras mingling. We share senses, powers– a sacred duty and bond!"
"Can I try?" Nora asked with wide eyes.
"Sure, why not?" Plagg said with a shrug, and Alya rolled her eyes.
"Just don't go activating Cataclysm," Alya said as she slowly slipped the ring off of her finger. A part of her wanted to hide the ring away, keep it from anyone– but she trusted Nora. Besides, she could see the eagerness in her eyes, and Plagg was okay with it. "You need to say 'Plagg, claws out' to trigger the transformation."
Nora watched the ring in awe as it shifted in her grasp, orange turning to black, a stripe of yellow embedded into the ring as it swelled in size. She slipped it onto her hand, looking at Alya for confirmation, who gave a nod.
"Plagg, claws out," Nora said– and a flash of green light surrounded her. Alya watched the transformation take hold, curious as to what her sister would summon. Black material covered her form, highlighted with neon green cloth that was very similar to her boxing attire. Instead of a mask a helmet covered her head, two fuzzy cat ears peeking up from it.
Her sister grinned at her, sharp canines visible as she looked over herself. A tail flicked out from behind her, and as she shifted you could see the faint pattern of rosettes on the suit. Alya felt her throat go slightly tight as she watched Nora, claws sliding out of her gloves near her knuckles as she closed her hands into fists.
"Heh, call me Leopard!" She said with a grin, slashing at the air. "This is awesome!"
"Y-yeah, you look amazing," Alya said, and Leopard sprang at the wall, easily clinging to the side. "Um– be careful– how on earth are we supposed to explain slash marks to the mayor?"
"Is this what it feels like to be a cat?" Leopard asked, giving her a fanged grin. "This is so epic– you get to do this every day?"
"Whenever there's an akuma," Alya said, that tension still ran through her. "Um– can you detransform? I need to go feed Plagg, doing several transformations in a row can take a lot out of him."
Leopard sprang from the wall, landing on the bed, rolling to her feet with ease. "How do you detransform?"
"Claws in," Alya said, and Nora echoed her, another flash of green light filled the room as the detransformation fell. Alya hurried and grabbed Plagg from the air the moment he appeared, the feline looking back at her.
She then snatched the ring out of Nora's hand the moment it was held out to her, and she hurried out the door with the promise of finding Plagg some cheese. She didn't put the ring back on, merely clutching it in her hands. It had yet to shift back to orange, instead looking just like when it was powered up, save for the green paw print.
"Now I'm not saying no to cheese," Plagg said as she hurried off to the kitchenette their hotel had. "But both of us know I don't need more after a short transformation. Especially when no one used any powers."
"You said you wanted some," Alya said quickly, pulling out some roquefort cheese, which the kwami happily snatched from her hands.
"Whatever you say," Plagg had immediately stuffed the cheese into his mouth. "Pretend like nothing's wrong then, I don't care."
Alya looked down at the ring in her palm, before closing it tightly in her hand. "I'm fine."
"So fine that you haven't reclaimed the Miraculous?" Plagg asked. "Give up on me that easily, huh?"
"...Nora's a perfect match for you, isn't she?" Alya finally whispered, hunching slightly.
"Yep, looks like it."
"And... and I'm not."
Plagg rolled his eyes. "We're a good match, kid. Our auras mesh well. Perfect? Nope– but that doesn't matter. You're my holder, not your sister."
Alya bit her lip. "Marinette is a perfect match. Nino is. Blue Wing, Mellifera... the only ones who haven't found a perfect Miraculous are me, Silver Paw... and Hawk Moth."
"Yet they've both managed to use their powers quite effectively," Plagg said, tilting his head slightly.
"But– but if we know that Nora is a perfect holder then wouldn't she– wouldn't she be a better choice than–?"
Alya was cut off as the last chunk of Plagg's cheese was shoved into her mouth. She recoiled in surprise, not liking the pungent taste that first, but it wasn't as bad after a moment, and not wanting just to spit it out she chewed and swallowed– while Plagg hovered in front of her with his paws crossed.
"Do you think Nora and Marinette would make a good match on the battlefield?" Plagg snapped. "They'd be a mess together. Take in the fact that Marinette would then lose her wings without you, that Nora has no experience with fighting akumas... and the fact that you were the one chosen to hold a Miraculous in the first place."
"Yeah, but–" Alya began.
"Lastly, kid, unlike many kwamis– I don't even want a perfect holder," Plagg said, tail curling. "No, I learned a long time ago that perfect Black Cats don't make the best cats."
Alya stared at him.
"I'm Destruction incarnate, and perfect holders need to embrace that," Plagg said quietly. "But I've been alive for billions of years. I know my powers, I know this universe, and most importantly I have Tikki. My complete opposite, and my other half. You humans... you don't have any of that, and someone that's a perfect match for Destruction... well, they're often not the most balanced when it comes to using their powers. Reckless. Careless." He hesitated. "Not that I think ill of your sister... she seems like the type that would mesh well with plenty of Miraculouses– but trust me when I say I don't want a perfect holder."
Alya opened her mouth, and apparently he knew what he was going to say– because he rolled his eyes and spoke before she could even get her thoughts into words.
"I'm not just saying that just to make you feel better– that's a Tikki thing, I just say things how they are." He eyed her. "Now, get me some more cheese since I used mine to shut you up, and get back and talk to your sister before she thinks she did something wrong."
Alya smiled softly, and opened the fridge once more.
Marinette sank down onto her bed as she crawled back in through her balcony, Tikki flying off to the cookie jar on her desk to recharge. She sat there for a moment, taking in all that had happened that night. The fight she had just witnessed, from Wayzz awakening her all the way up to Master Fu vanishing through the portal.
He... he was gone.
Not permanently. Not forever. He... he was still there. Just on the other side of the world. The one constant aside from her kwami since she had become a superhero. The one that had helped her believe that she could be more than what she saw.
Tikki landed on Marinette's shoulder, pressing up against her. "You know, it's not really the middle of the night anymore. Closer to early morning."
"It's like nearly five," Marinette muttered, drawing her knees up– not caring a bit.
"Exactly," Tikki said, smiling softly. "So I don't think we're the only ones awake in the bakery right now."
Marinette blinked, the realization settling over her. She looked at Tikki, who was giving her that soft smile. Gentle, encouraging– and even though she had no energy, that she only wanted to collapse on her bed and not move, she slowly made her way down her loft, and to the trapdoor.
Tikki floated behind her as she made her way down the stairs, Marinette's heart starting to beat faster. She could hear noise from the bakery, her parents up and preparing bread for when the rest of the city awoke. Her heart was tight, realizing that the akuma attack had barely interrupted their routine. How much the city had grown used to the monsters that plagued their streets, the faith that all would be well soon after. The city had complete trust in her and her powers, and the fact that they did so easily frightened her.
"Marinette?" Sabine said in surprise as she came down into the bakery. "What are you doing up so early?"
"Akuma?" She whispered, and she felt Tikki hiding away in her hair.
"The attack is over dear, don't worry," she said softly with a smile. "It was quite a dangerous one– thank goodness it didn't come anywhere near here."
Tears stung Marinette's eyes– because if Wayzz hadn't awoken her it would have been right on their doorsteps. Sabine's warm gaze quickly turned to worry as she saw her expression, and stepped forward. Her arms were held out, and Marinette collapsed into the embrace, silent sobs choking her.
"Marinette?" Sabine asked quietly.
So much she could say– both lies she had practiced, and the plain truth she had been taught to hide. But now it did not need to be that way, and she could explain everything. Every last detail she had been forced to keep to herself, yet those words did not come. She just stood there cradled in her mother's arms, and said the only words she could manage to say, choking out the reality she had been hiding from them for so long.
"I'm– I'm Ladybug," she croaked, and her mother's arms stiffened around her.
At first Sabine didn't say anything, before raising her voice as she called back into the kitchen. "Tom? Tom– come here!"
"One minute, dear!"
"Thomas, turn off the oven and come here!" Sabine's voice turned to a shout, clutching Marinette even tighter. "Your daughter needs us!"
That early morning was not filled with the smell of baking bread, and as the sun rose the bakery stayed closed. Instead the small family could be found up in their apartment, curled up on the couch with their daughter between them as she told them all she had always wanted to tell them, a small kwami on her lap, for once not needing to stay hidden.
Lucie was waiting for Nino when he crawled in through his window, his mother being unable to sleep since the akuma alert had gone off. She was on her feet before the transformation even fell, arms wrapped around him as she how pale he was, eyes red and unfocused.
Nino broke down crying, his mother nor kwamis able to comfort him– not with the knowledge he had learned of what could become Blue Wing's fate.
When morning finally did come, when his mom was forced to leave his side to take care of a waking Chris, he picked up his phone and dialed Chloe's number– desperately seeking the knowledge that only she knew. And while Chloe wasn't the nicest person he knew, she unfortunately was a good friend.
He didn't get the chance to explain, and he wasn't even sure he could, but the moment she learned he was seeking 'Jaden's' identity behind his back she ended the call. Refused to even let him attempt to explain the reality of what was happening.
She blocked his number after his third desperate call, and his mother's phone received the same fate when he began to use that to repeatedly call his classmate. Her stance was clear, and until 'Jaden' himself was ready, she wasn't going to say a word.
Adrien was afraid to leave his room– not knowing what he would find beyond the door. Not knowing if the horrible anger Duusu so vividly described would be turned back against him, or if he would be locked back away in the attic, or if his kwami would be torn from him once more. No, leaving was not an option, and he hadn't even left for food. The bathroom gave him water, and otherwise he just laid there in bed– having no energy to transform, let alone even do something as simple as pick up a book to read.
He wasn't sure how long he was in his room, he couldn't even see the sunlight due to the covers that boarded up his windows, but soon Nathalie started bringing him food– and once he had started eating again his strength slowly seemed to return.
It wasn't what it had once been– his lungs burned just from walking across his room, and coughs permeated his heavy breathing. But standing didn't feel like an impossible chore, and he only blacked out if he didn't sit up slowly and carefully. Duusu fetched him anything he needed, and slowly everything stopped feeling like a blur.
He did not see his father for nearly a week after that.
Gabriel Agreste came into his room without even looking at him– and perhaps at another time Adrien would have panicked for not being dressed presentably for the man, but not this time. No, his panic was instead a raw terror from the sight of him, sure that he was coming to fulfil his promise of taking him to the basement to be with his mother. His breathing was heavy as he laid there on the bed, Duusu on his chest, tail feathers spread out as she let out a hiss. Gabriel said nothing as he sat down next to his son, just running his fingers through his hair.
His father's expression shifted slightly as Adrien let out a cough, something lingering somewhere in those gray eyes. Adrien stared up at him, grasping that faint spark, as if willing it to return. For it to be concern, worry, anything– for it just to be what his father was truly thinking.
"Nathalie and I have been talking," Gabriel finally said, and Adrien's eyes slipped towards Nooroo, who hovered behind his master– the kwami looking so frightened as he often did. "We decided we have two options from here. We can try for the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses once more... or perhaps we could take another route."
"Another route?" Adrien whispered, tilting his head to better look at him.
Gabriel's fingers were still being run through his hair– repetitive and distracting. "To create a sentimonster that could... heal your mother."
Confusion pulsed through Adrien. "Why... why haven't we done that before...?"
"It would need a source to power it, son," Gabriel replied. "And even if it was to work... it would awaken your mother, but she would still bear the scars of the Miraculous. She would be suffering, in pain– no, the Ladybug and the Black Cat are the ones that can truly make her whole... but akumas haven't been enough to claim them."
They said nothing, sitting there in silence.
Gabriel reached into his pocket, pulling out a small piece of paper, holding it out to Adrien. He carefully took, unfolding it to look at the description of a sentimonster and akuma within. He frowned, because this was not the sentimonster his father had just been describing to save his mother.
"This... this is just Nathalie's powers, isn't it?" He asked quietly.
"In a way," Gabriel replied. "Though the Bee completely immobilizes, which surprisingly won't help us win this fight." His hand curled around Adrien's, crumpling the paper into his hand. "I know this has been hard on you, Adrien– but this could be what gets us the Miraculouses we need. No one needs to be hurt, all we need to do is listen."
"I– I can't–" Adrien croaked. "Feast– I almost–"
"Feast was a step too far," Gabriel whispered, grabbing his shoulders, and pulling him up so he was sitting on the bed, and blackness appeared at the corner of his vision. "This akuma will hurt no one, and this fighting will finally be over."
Adrien looked at Duusu, who was clinging to his shirt, looking up at Gabriel. Adrien swallowed. "You promise?"
"Yes, son."
"...Okay," Adrien whispered as he slumped in his father's grip, nothing else he could say. "One more. I'll help you with one more akuma."
"Wonderful," Gabriel said, smiling– and a smile should have been reassuring. It should have meant safety– yet Adrien could barely even notice it. Instead Adrien found himself being pulled to his feet, the world spinning about him, clinging to his father to keep his balance as his mind tried to catch up with his body.
Nooroo hadn't said a word the entire time– and he wondered if the kwami was under orders, or if he had nothing to say. He was guessing orders, however– as he was never more than a mere foot away from Gabriel's shoulder, and the panicked looks he threw at Adrien seemed to be forced away just as quickly. Adrien cupped Duusu in his hand, watching as his father headed towards the door, before looking back at him.
"He's happy," Duusu whispered. "Very happy."
That's what gave Adrien the courage to make his way forward. It felt like he was dragging himself across the room, falling behind even as his father just took a few steps out into the hallway. He didn't let himself stop, even as his lungs began to burn– and he thankfully found Nathalie waiting for them right outside, who offered him her arm. He clung to her, she being the only thing that was keeping him from collapsing as they made their way down the stairs and into his father's office.
He felt nothing but fear as they stood on the elevator that took them up into the hidden lair.
"Our poor friend has been aching for the truth for a long time now," Gabriel said with a smile as they rose up, before he stepped forward, the stained glass window sliding open– lighting up the lair. "But these last few days have been particularly difficult on him– I have felt him calling out for our help through my Miraculous, and now we can finally both get what we have all been seeking. Nooroo, dark wings rise!"
The transformation enveloped his father, who reached out as a white butterfly materialized in his grasp. He closed his hand around it, charging it with dark power. Adrien watched as the akuma butterfly fluttered out towards the window, looking so harmless in the moment. Hawk Moth looked back at him, and he slowly pulled away from Nathalie, knowing what was expected of him.
"Spread my feathers," Adrien whispered, brilliant blue instantly surrounding him as Duusu was drawn into the Miraculous. The magic pierced through him as he transformed, his wings unfurled from his back, the energy from the Miraculous both giving him the strength to stand– yet seeming to burn as it danced across his skin.
He fell to his knees as the magic engulfed him, a violent coughing escaping from him. The fit didn't last for long though, wiping the specks of red off of his gloves as he was able to stagger to his feet. Blue Wing carefully grabbed his fan, selecting a feather from within– bright and brilliant compared to the ones that curled from his wings. He let it fly away, the feather floating off after the akuma.
He closed his eyes, feeling the amok as it drifted off across the city. It had far to travel, but like how his days had been, the minutes seemed to all blur together. One moment he was waiting, and next glowing masks appeared around his and his father's faces, the connection forging between them and the one they would akumatize. He could feel the Emotions running through the teen, perhaps only a year older than him. Longing, confusion, anger. Unanswered questions that only brought frustration, and just the need for understanding.
"Adrien," a voice whispered in his ear– and Blue Wing only had the energy to blink tiredly as he turned his head, looking at Pollen as she rested on his shoulder. "Run."
"Pollen, buzz on," Nathalie said, the kwami turning into a burst of yellow light, being whisked away from his shoulder as Nathalie transformed into Mellifera.
"Truth," Hawk Moth said with a smile. "I am Hawk Moth, and just like you I am tired from the hidden secrets and the lies. And with the power I will grant you will make it so no knowledge will be hidden from us."
Blue Wing closed his eyes– because this was almost over. One more fight, and then it would all end. He would have his mother back, his family back– and then they could at last be whole.
Nino was the first one with his phone out as the akuma alert echoed through the classroom.
There wasn't much information currently available, but for Nino that didn't matter. He was already reaching down, grabbing his bag where his kwamis were hidden away. "The akuma is heading in our direction– we should all evacuate right now!"
It was easy to pull off such lies with Marinette and Alya also in the classroom, as one of the three of them would be the first to sprout them out, and the others would easily back it up. "This one looks like a dangerous one," Marinette said as she stuffed her phone away, grabbing her coin bag. "We need to get to ground level!"
And with three students near the front of the classroom scrambling towards the door, everyone else was instantly following, leaving no time for the teacher to give opposing instructions, as they all slipped away. Nino didn't watch to see where the girls were going, just charging down the hall as other students came out of their classroom.
He transformed into Carapace the moment he was alone, Trixx settling into his hood with a huff. Finding the akuma wasn't difficult, because while they didn't leave a trail of destruction, there was a path of distressed civilians in their wake– their lips glowing an eerie white as words trailed from their mouths. They were clearly aware of what they were doing, eyes wide as they unwillingly spoke, others covering their mouths to try to silence themselves.
"What does the akuma do?" He asked as he landed down among them– and was frightened as a dozen people answered his question in unison.
"He makes you tell the truth," They called together.
"They have to answer any question," someone else said– someone who didn't have glowing lips. "Hey– what's your favorite color?"
"Don't!" Carapace snapped at the man, who was snickering as different colors were shouted out from those hit by the akuma. "This isn't a joke!" He closed his eyes. "Um, anyone that wants to answer– do you know where the akuma was going?"
The akuma's truth powers clearly weren't like kwami orders, as no one was affected by the way he had phrased the question, all of them replying again. "He's looking for Jagged Stone."
Carapace left shortly after that, because this wasn't an akuma they could wait around and fight. An akuma that forced people to speak the truth... that was almost as frightening as Feast had been, simply because of what could be learned with such powers. He moved as fast as he could across rooftops, and for a moment was tempted to switch over to Silver Paw just for the agility.
"No, as much as I don't like it, Wayzz's powers have the best options right now," Trixx said, peering out from the hood as they went. "Truth and Deception could be a risky mix as well– his powers might be able to directly counter illusions, depending on what exactly Hawk Moth gave him."
"Marinette and Alya cannot be hit no matter what."
Trixx snorted. "We don't want anyone getting hit."
Their conversation came to a sudden end, however, as Carapace at least reached where the fight was taking place– looking out at the street that had become a battlefield. He came to a stop up on the rooftop, staring out with wide eyes as Ladybug and Panthera wove between attacks down below, outnumbered compared to the five attackers turned their way. Truth was attempting to fire beams of lights at them, which Ladybug was doing her best to block with her yoyo. Above them was a sentimonster shaped like a giant eye, shining a spotlight down below. Mellifera flew not far from it, and while Carapace's gaze was at first drawn to the fact that Hawk Moth was there, it was the last Miraculous holder that captured his focus.
"Blue," he whispered desperately.
Blue Wing was not directly in the fight; he, like Carapace, was up on the rooftops, one hand wrapped around a pole to keep himself balanced as he looked on. Carapace took a step forward, but was cut off by a hiss from Trixx.
"Nino– the girls."
Carapace hesitated for one moment, before leaping down from the roof. He gritted his teeth together as he fell, pulling out his shield, landing near the heroes as he raised the shell up, blocking a beam of light from Truth. Panthera gave him a nod– before leaping off after Mellifera. The woman, however, didn't take a chance to use Venom, but instead swooped out of reach. Even Hawk Moth, who had shown how powerful his direct combat skills were before, was keeping some distance, and they couldn't pursue with the akuma and the avatar closely pressing them.
"Don't let Lighteye's spotlight touch you!" Ladybug shouted to him as she swung away from an attack. "It keeps you from moving!"
"They're herding us," Trixx muttered to Carapace as he charged forward.
Carapace risked a glance upwards, looking at the other Miraculous holders– who were all above them, spread out in a triangle on the surrounding buildings, or flying in the air. Easily ready to leap into action if needed. The fact that Mellifera wasn't directly pressing them with Venom made sense. Sure she could paralysis them, but if they couldn't move then they could say a word if Truth's light hit them.
They weren't here to win a physical fight, they were here to make sure the akuma's power touched them.
"Go to Blue, try to get him out of here," Carapace said to Trixx– who immediately rushed away at his word. Keeping Truth's power away may have been the most important thing in the moment, but making sure Blue Wing did not return from this fight with the monsters he called his family was far more critical.
"Spread out!" Ladybug called as the heroes found themselves coming closer together, backs to each other as their eyes scanned their attackers. "They're trying to get us to stay near each other!"
Her wings flared open, and she took to the sky, rushing towards Lighteye. The avatar immediately turned his gaze at her– a bright beam of light engulfing Ladybug. Carapace's eyes widened as she froze up in the beam, beginning to fall, but his worry didn't last for long. She fell right out of the spotlight the avatar was shining, instantly regaining control of her wings. She swooped under the avatar, rising behind it, using her yoyo to lasso it to redirect its gaze elsewhere.
"You don't understand!" Truth snarled, grabbing the end of Panthera's baton as she swung it at him. "You think you're protecting others by hiding your name– but you're only hurting them!"
"You don't know how many people would be hurt if people did know!" Panthera replied, ducking out of the way of a blast of Truth's ray.
"My mother said the same thing!" Truth roared, leaping forward, and Carapace rushed forward with his shield, knocking the akuma back as he pounced at Panthera. "She said she was trying to protect me– but I have the right to know who he is! I had the right to know from the start!"
"You know, you're right," Carapace said, which caused the akuma to pause for a moment. "Hidden identities can hurt some people. Hawk Moth and Mellifera are keeping secrets as well, and because of that they're attacking the city unhindered– why do their secrets get to stay hidden?"
A mask flared over Truth's face, and he smirked. "I'm not an idiot, Carapace. Hawk Moth may cower behind his secrets, but if those are what must stay hidden for me to let the rest of the world live in the truth they deserve, then so be it!"
He shot a ray straight at him, and Carapace raised his shield to block it, before racing away. He hadn't expected to be able to turn an akuma against Hawk Moth, but it had been worth the try. Of course Hawk Moth would have probably removed his powers if the akuma had even considered it, but that would have also kept Truth from being able to continuously attack them.
"Nino, he's worse than last time," A voice whispered in Carapace's ear– Trixx having returned. "He won't listen to me, and I– I don't even know how he got out here, he can barely–"
"I'll– I'll switch Miraculouses," Carapace whispered. "He'll listen to Silver, he'll have to, we'll–"
He was forced to move as Mellifera swooped down on him, forcing him back towards Ladybug and Panthera, and of course the akuma. His shield was raised as a Venom came close, holding his ground as he blocked the strike, throwing his shield after her as she flew away. It struck her in the legs, knocking her off balance, and he jumped up to grab his shield as it came flying back.
It was unnerving, watching as the Bee holder retreated. His enemies so close, yet just lurking above. Watching, not drawing in near unless they had to. Carapace's eyes desperately flickered towards where Blue was up on the roofs, closer than he had been in days, yet too far away.
"Nino!" Trixx hissed, snapping his attention back towards the fight. "Use Barrier, now!"
Carapace didn't know what Barrier was, but as his eyes turned back he found Ladybug trapped in Lighteye's spotlight, Panthera leaping at the avatar to try to knock the beam away as Truth prepared to fire another beam of light. Carapace could sense Wayzz in his mind, a hum that echoed Trixx's urgency, and he raised his arm that held his Miraculous, aiming it towards the heroines. "Barrier!"
His bracelet lit up with a green light, which fired out towards Ladybug. It hit her moments before Truth's light hit, a green glow lighting up in Ladybug's eyes. Panthera's baton forced Lighteye to turn away, the spotlight being thrown up towards the sky– and Ladybug fell to her knees as she was free from the light.
"Ladybug, who are you?" Truth snarled, stalking towards her, and Ladybug looked up at him. The green glow in her eyes remained, her lips lacking the light of the others who had been attacked by Truth– and she threw her yoyo right at the akuma's face. Carapace's bracelet let out a beep, the same as if he had summoned Shell-ter.
"What was that?" He asked Trixx, heart pounding, taking in the fact that Ladybug was okay.
"Barrier is another of the Turtle's power– it provides mental Protection," Trixx muttered.
He gave a small nod, before charging forward. It had been enough to protect Ladybug's identity at that moment, but now he was on a timer– and he knew their enemies weren't going to let him retreat easily. His eyes drifted up towards where Blue had been– who was no longer there. Carapace's panic surged for a moment, but soon spotted the Peacock once more, this time standing closer to Hawk Moth. That in itself wasn't reassuring, but the fact that he was moving about was. That Blue was now more alert, eyes flickering across them.
He was tackled from behind, Panthera knocking him to the ground as a beam of light fired above them. "Pay attention, Carapace!"
"Sorry, I–"
She grabbed him by the shoulders, rolling them across the ground to avoid another blast. "Worry about Blue Wing later, the akuma comes first!"
"But–"
No time to protest, however, because she was again rolling to her feet, charging back towards the fight. Carapace ran after her, shield raised as he slid in front of the girls, blocking another beam of light. His bracelet beeped again, reminding him he couldn't stay here for long. They were all being dangerously pushed close together again, the heroes' attempts to spread out being cut off by blasts of Truth's light, forcing them back to avoid being hit.
Ladybug was the only one that could safely dive into the beams of energy, the glow of the Barrier still shining in her eyes. But while the Protection could hold against Truth's light, it was not the same for Lighteye's spotlight.
Once again Lighteye showed down on Ladybug, who went still as the beam washed over her. Panthera leapt up towards the avatar, ringed hand raised as if about to summon her attack– and so Lighteye swiftly turned their gaze towards the Black Cat instead, freezing her right in her tracks. Carapace threw his shield at the avatar, only for Mellifera to snatch it right out of the air. Truth turned towards the frozen Panthera, a glow lighting up as he prepared to fire his attack. Carapace didn't have time to think, and he charged forward and slammed into Panthera, knocking her away from Lighteye just as the blast of Truth's light was fired.
Tingles ran through Carapace as the attack hit him, instantly taking hold. He could feel the energy dance along his lips, his tongue, into his mind– an alertness around him as time seemed to slow down.
Truth walked forward, a smirk on the akuma's face. As he looked down at him. Carapace tried to move, to run, or even roll away– but Lighteye's spotlight was washing over him. His muscles were tensed, and refused to relax. Able to do nothing more than flick his eyes about in the panic overtaking him.
"And what is your name, Carapace?" Truth asked as he came to a stop in front of him.
He couldn't stop the words forming on his tongue, nor fight the wave of energy that washed over him as he found himself speaking against his will, the truth falling from his lips.
"My name is Nino. Nino Lahiffe."