Chapter Thirty-Two
The sun was nearly touching the horizon as Silver Paw and Blue Wing made their way across the rooftops, their long shadows stretched out in front of them. Blue didn't take to the air, not wanting to be spotted, instead making long gliding bounds, wings giving the smallest of flaps to carry him through the graceful leaps.
Silver Paw smiled, hating that he could probably count on his fingers the number of times he had seen Blue this carefree. His steps were much more careful, as he had the Turtle Miraculous and Wayzz hidden away in a recently-formed pocket, making sure to keep them secure as they went across the city. The sounds of horns and sirens and people filled the air, even up here away from the streets.
"Paris is so beautiful at this time," Blue said, smiling out at the skyline. The sun was sinking in the west, but had yet to reach the horizon.
"It really is," Silver agreed.
"You know what else is beautiful?" Blue asked, turning towards him. Silver Paw went still, not sure how to react as those eyes turned towards him, so sincere despite the cliche that had just left his mouth. "You."
A humored smile flashed across Silver's lips, face growing warm. He honestly couldn't remember a time being called beautiful, that not being the first descriptor he'd imagine wanting to be called. Cool, handsome; those all came to mind, but at the same time he loved this all the same.
"Y-you're cheesy," Silver Paw managed to stammer out, and there was a gleam in Blue's eyes.
"Well, no matter how you slice it, I think being cheesy is grate," Blue replied with no hesitation– and Silver could only sigh. "What? Upset that my cheese puns are grater than yours?"
"Well, that depends on how you define a 'great pun', but I suppose I could give that to you," Silver replied, bumping up against him as they settled on the edge of a rooftop.
Blue Wing turned to say something to him, but fell quiet as he looked off in the distance. "Dang, that looks pretty bad."
Silver turned followed his gaze, looking at the smoke rising up. From their vantage point they could see the fire licking the top of the roof, heat distorting the air about it. Silver shuttered slightly at the sight, a heavy feeling in his gut. "That explains all the sirens... I hope no one's hurt, it's definitely big."
"Hopefully it doesn't spread," Blue Wing replied, while Silver's eyes scanned across the nearby roofs, trying to get some sense of where they had wandered. He felt a heavy feeling in his gut, rising to his feet as he started moving forward. "Where are you going?"
"I know that neighborhood," Silver said, voice turning urgent as he broke into a run– leaping over a street with no effort to stay hidden.
He heard the flapping of wings, a shadow falling over him as Blue took to the air to catch up. The smell of smoke was quick to fill the air, the sounds of shouts and sirens growing louder as they closed the distance between them and the fire. Silver Paw came to a stop on top of the building that stood across the street from the flaming apartment building, heart pounding as he watched the chaos unfold below.
"We're going to be seen!" Blue Wing whispered in alarm as he landed next to him. "We probably already have, we should–"
"That's Alya's apartment," Silver said quietly, eyes wide.
"The– the Ladyblogger?" Blue asked, but Silver wasn't listening. His eyes were scanning the street, which had the traffic barricaded off, multiple fire trucks and ambulances already there to combat the growing flames. A large group had gathered, how many were from the building and those who were just watching the sight before them, he didn't know. He spotted one person being loaded into the ambulance, and several others being treated with an oxygen mask over their faces.
A police officer was trying to keep people back, and Silver felt his stomach clench as he watched several firefighters charge into the building– there had to still be people inside. His eyes desperately searched the crowd, looking for familiar faces. He spotted Alya quickly– who was pushing her way through to the front, with Marinette and Miss Bustier in her wake– they must have just arrived. He followed her path and soon spotted Alya's family from there: her parents huddled close together, one of the twins wrapped in their arms.
"Silver," Blue whispered, sounding panicked. "We– we're being noticed. Maybe– maybe let's go detransform so we can approach your friend and–"
Silver Paw ignored him– jumping down from the roof to the street below, doing a flip to have himself land beyond the crowd, in the large space that separated people from the fiery building. He stared up at the towering flames, the heat running across his face. Everything around him seemed to dim as he stared up, panic running through him. This wasn't an akuma, there wasn't an object to break to end this, there was no one to stop this.
"Silver!" Blue Wing cried. "What are you doing?!"
He hadn't been focusing on people's reactions, but as he turned he saw that people were afraid, especially as Blue flew down to join him, no point in hiding now that they had been spotted. He looked out at the crowd again, no one was running, just backing away, several police officers watching them with wide eyes as they stood up front.
Alya's father had grabbed her, who was struggling against him. She didn't seem to even care about his and Blue's presence.
"Let me go!" She cried. "I can help! I can help!"
His grasp was strong around his thrashing daughter, arms wrapped tightly as she struggled, and Silver knew she'd charge straight in, the raw emotions she must be feeling amplified with the knowledge of the Miraculous on her finger.
"No!" Otis growled, looking startled at the raw strength his daughter held. "Alya, you can't run in there!"
"Nora! Ella!"
"Nora already ran back in there, I won't let you do the same!"
One of dozens of conversations, echoing between shouts and the crackling of flames, a chorus of coughing as smoke drifted upwards. Silver soon made eye contact with Marinette, who had tears rolling down her face, Miss Bustier holding her in a hug, not letting her run forward.
Silver Paw looked back up at the growing flames, and Blue Wing recognized the look in his eyes as he took a step forward.
"You can't go in there– even our magic has limits!" Blue Wing cried, grabbing his arm. "You– you weren't there– but Stormy Weather– the lava– the heat– we can't–"
He pulled out of his grip. "There's people in there."
Blue looked like he was about to panic. "You could get hurt!"
"This is what the Miraculouses are for," Silver Paw replied– before turning and charging straight into the smoke-filled entrance.
Blue Wing couldn't move, adrenaline and fear pounding through him as he watched Silver vanish through the doors of the apartment complex. His wings were wrapped about him, trying to make sense of what he should do. Silver had seemed to almost be in a trance as he had come down here, barely paying any attention to the cries and shouts at their appearance– others demanding to know if an akuma or an avatar was at play with the fire.
Blue jumped back as a wooden beam snapped, falling down towards the street, cinders and ashes flying skyward with the crash. He barely noticed how the crowd behind him retreated as he drew closer– or perhaps they too were seeing how even outside of the building the fire was dangerous. He could feel the intense heat lapping against his face and his wings, and terror ran through him. It wasn't nearly as hot as the lava that had bubbled close to him– but the sheer horror of that heat rushing towards him was an intense memory, a cry scratching at his throat as he retreated again.
Nino is in there, Nino is in there, Nino had just run straight in there–!
It wasn't that he didn't want to help– it was that they couldn't! Their Miraculouses couldn't endure extremes, not with outside magic! At least, that's what Nooroo had told Father... and Father, if he knew that he was here he would be furious!
But there was no way Father wouldn't know, now that people had seen him here with Silver Paw, word would spread. He clutched his fan, hesitating. He was already out here, he was already transformed, the magic couldn't hurt him more than it already had. Summoning something like Maelstrom might have the raw power to put out a flame like this, but summoning anything that monstrous after Stormy Weather wouldn't create any good reactions. And something that could manipulate or walk through the flames would probably only be blamed for the fire itself...
He pulled a feather out of the fan, closing his eyes as he sent a pulse of energy through it, letting it merge with his fan, a pulse of light forming in front of him. The white creature spread its wings as it appeared, rising up into the air, its graceful flight contrasting with the fiery building behind it.
"Togekiss!" Blue called to the Pokemon. "Use Water Pulse!"
The Togekiss took a sudden descent straight downwards, spinning about as droplets of water formed in front of them– launching a rush of water straight at the entrance, smoke and steam sizzling as it hit. The Pokemon launched the attack again, before he heard a crack overhead, and Togekiss was flying down once more, eyes glowing with a Psychic attack as they caught a falling chunk of debris, the telekinesis fighting to slow the fall.
Swallowing, folding his wings tightly against his side, Blue ran in after Silver Paw.
It wasn't just the heat that instantly washed over him as he charged into the burning building, but the lack of oxygen. As he took in a smoke-filled breath it felt like his lungs were tightening, the pain that had formed from his broken Miraculous instantly flaring. He doubled over coughing when he was still just in the main entrance of the apartment, lungs gasping for air. His wings flared out, before instantly recoiling close to his body as the heat of the surrounding flames washed over them.
He fell to his knees, his suit protecting him from the cindered-covered ground, the heat seeping through. Instantly he felt himself drawing in air once more now that he was below the smoke, and while everything told him to run, he forced himself to crawl forward, searching. His panic was building up again, and he didn't know where to go, how he could find anyone in this. He didn't know where to begin, he didn't know what to do–
He could feel Duusu's emotions pulsing about in his mind in response to his panic, and he grasped his Miraculous. Emotions... he could sense emotions, if he reached out with his empathy. He crawled under a table, where the air felt a tiny bit more breathable, closing his eyes as he reached out.
The wave of Emotions slammed into him, the commotion he had witnessed outside now washing over him with his sixth sense. The panic and the fear was the strongest, wringing about his heart, and it felt difficult to even take in a breath. Pain, hopelessness, desperation. They pounded through him with a vigor he didn't know was possible, and arms wrapped around his head as he tried to rid himself of it, to narrow his view, to focus just on one.
Fear, entrapment, pain– two stories above him. Blue opened his eyes as he cut off the connection, tears he might have cried leaving nothing but dryness as the heat and smoke hit his eyes. He saw that the fire had seemed to grow in the moments he had stopped, but now was not the time to pause. He focused on the place he had sensed the person above, and rushed for the stairs. His suit was giving him a resistance to the heat and fire, perhaps not a perfect one, but better than if he wasn't transformed. He just had to keep moving, he had to keep moving, keep moving, keep moving–
He choked for air as he continued up the stairs, feathers beginning to curl and darken from the fire spreading around them. There were parts of the building that seemed untouched by the flames, but even there the heat pulsed through the floor, cinders and ash drifting through the air. He could hear nothing– not the sounds of sirens outside, or the voice of anyone– only the crackling of fire and the sound of his own coughing as he made his way to the next floor. He stood there for a moment, calling on his empathy powers one more time– head turning towards where he was sensing the panic and pain.
The entrance into the apartment wasn't clear– the door and the walls had been eaten away by fire, part of the next story up exposed as it continued to burn. He cautiously made his way in, the floor feeling unsteady under his feet, and he hesitantly called out.
"Hello?"
The reply was instantaneous, desperate, and hoarse. "Help!"
The man was pinned under what looked like a large beam, charred and burnt, embers laced through it. It laid across both legs, one end of the beam having pierced the floor, the other burning with higher flames. As his eyes landed on Blue Wing they widened at the sight of the city's villain, but still his plea didn't fade.
"Help me!" He cried, eyes wild. "Don't leave me here!"
"I'm– I'm not," Blue said, eyes flickering across the beam, and he stepped forward.
The floor seemed to creak under him, weakened from where the beam had pierced the floor. He swallowed, closing his gloved hands a few times, before wrapping them under the burning beam, using his enhanced strength to force it upwards. The sight underneath made his stomach churn, and the cry from the man seemed to sear itself in his mind. He threw the beam to the side, gingerly scooping up the man, whose arms coiled around him in pain as he let out another scream.
Someone in such a condition probably shouldn't have been moved so liberally, but it was more dangerous to keep him here. Blue Wing staggered back as he heard the sound of cracking on the floor, moving towards a window, the glass cracked and shattered.
"Togekiss!" He coughed out, and a blur of white shot passed the window. Several Water Pulses were fired within, killing the embers and flames that stood near their exit. Glass creaked beneath his feet as he stepped onto the window sill, wings flaring open as he dove from the burning building, the air feeling chilled compared to the furnace they had just been standing in. His wings flapped wildly to slow their fall, struggling with the weight of another, managing a spiral down towards the road below.
He carefully set the man down, eyes flickering about. Togekiss was flying overhead, firing Water Pulse after Water Pulse, but it wasn't doing much more compared to the hoses firing blasts of water out at the flames. He spotted the Ladyblogger clutching a muscular woman as she was loaded into an ambulance, Silver Paw making his way back towards the building. They made eye contact for a moment, Silver giving a short nod, before rushing back in.
That must have been one of Alya's sisters... that meant one more was still inside. He swallowed, looking upwards again. "Togekiss– Rain Dance!"
Togekiss spun about, firing a pulse of blue light up towards the sky. From the light dark clouds slowly began to form, hanging low, gathering just above the building. Blue Wing flared open his wings as droplets of water began to fall from the sky, launching himself into the air. There was no time to pause and think, simply tapping into his empathy, reaching out towards the building as he flew, looking for the entrance closest to the ones he sensed.
On the outside of the building, the flames were being met with the Rain Dance, steam and smoke joining the dark clouds above. But inside, the fire seemed to grow even stronger. Parts of the walls were collapsing, sending cinders and ashes into the air, landing on his wings. Feathers curled, skin burning, and he wasn't sure if the black on the wings was from soot or searing.
One by one, he and Silver carried people out from the building, Silver Paw covering the lower levels, while Blue Wing flew up to the higher stories. Black dotted his vision each time he returned inside, never seeming to get enough air as made his way through the flames. His lungs felt tight, each breath hurting more than any relief it brought. Every inch of his skin felt hot, wings searing as if they had been branded– it hurt. It hurt so much, and it was only the thought of finding the next person that kept him going, getting them to the safety of the ambulances.
The Emotions he was sensing within the building were beginning to wane– but that wasn't bringing comfort to him. He nor Silver had yet to find the other sister of the Ladyblogger, and Silver Paw kept rushing back into the fire, desperation in his heart– and Blue knew it was to find the last sister. How badly the flames had reached Silver, Blue did not know, as his costume was the same color as the charred ash.
The top levels were beginning to crumble in, and Blue Wing did one more lap near the rain clouds, reaching out with his Miraculous. The feelings of all those he had sensed had been strong, desperate– like a shout in the night. And so when the smallest flicker of fear hit his heart, dull and dimming, he knew that couldn't be good. His eyes locked on the wild flames, trying to locate where they were coming from.
"Togekiss, give me a way in!" He cried, and his avatar soared out below him, eyes glowing with Psychic, moving burning debris to create an opening, which he dove straight into.
Smoke completely choked the air from floor to ceiling, and he found himself gasping for breath as he moved forward, fixated on the spark of Emotion he had sensed. He bumped up against a wall as he move forward, and there was no time to find an entrance– lashing out with a boot. It crumbled easily to the force of his enhanced strength, and he staggered into the room, eyes cracking open. There wasn't much remaining in what had once been a bedroom, the only color being the yellow of the flames curling against the walls.
He threw back the doors of a closet, and found the source of the small spark of Emotion curled up within. The little girl clutched a toy, eyes pressed shut. He reached out for her, the child almost limp in his arms. Eyes flickered open, before closing just as quickly, and he wasn't sure if she was even awake. He laid her against his shoulder, one arm coiled about her tightly, the other pressed against his mouth as he let out a violent cough.
He didn't notice the flecks of red on his glove as he staggered forward, searching for a way out.
There was so much smoke. Every breath in his body begged for air, choking against the smoke that burned his lungs. His vision blurred as he moved forward, clutching the girl in his arms. It felt like the building was swaying, no step feeling steady.
"Toge!" A voice cried, unfamiliar, but Blue raised his head, moving towards it. It was something in the nothingness. White curled among the smoke ahead, the steam from the Water Pulses quickly being whisked away in the horrible heat. Blue swayed as he stood in the window, looking blankly at the dizzying drop below. Rain pattered down from the sky, and he reached out towards it.
Something was slipping on him, and he barely managed to grab the girl in his arms before she slipped. He teetered there on the edge, fire against his back and the rain in front of him. The choice was simple, and he stepped forward, plunging down to the street below.
Wings flared open without much thought, harshly pulling him out of his fall. Pain rippled through them, the burns being painfully soothed by the falling rain. He struggled to keep his grip on the small girl he held, his sight flickering in and out of the darkness.
The road was hard, cold, and wet– and it was glorious. He barely paid attention to the clamor around him as he collapsed into the ground, ears ringing, gulping down the fresh air that now surrounded him. He closed his eyes, before letting the unconsciousness engulf him.
Alya felt sick as she watched Blue Wing falling from the top of what had once been her home, his wings barely open enough to catch the wind as he came spiraling down like a kite in a storm– being blown side to side as he clasped a small figure in his arms. His glide was far from graceful, but it was enough to keep him from crashing into the road, the boy immediately falling to his knees as he landed. He swayed there for a moment, still clutching the small figure in his arms, before he collapsed down onto the road, rain pattering about him. Alya's gaze, however, was focused on the limp figure in his arms, horror and recognition immediately flooding through her.
"Ella!" She cried, the sight of her still sister sending a pulse of pure fear through her.
Alya raced forward, her father's suffocating grip on her at last loosening, he moving forward as well. Alya was swifter, however, able to weave through those that stood between her and her sister, and she fell to her knees as she approached Blue and Ella. Her hands were shaky as she pulled Ella from Blue's limp grip, blisters and burns covering her sister's skin.
But her chest was moving up and down and she felt the smallest of breaths escaping her– and that was all that mattered in the moment. She was alive, she was out of the fire, and she was breathing, kwamis she was breathing–
She didn't realize what was happening as paramedics came forward, her arms coiling around Ella, and it took her father's hand on her shoulder to snap her back to reality, to loosen the desperate grip she had on Ella's small form, and to allow the paramedics to carefully load her on a stretcher. Instead her arms coiled around herself, panic surging through her again.
"She's going to be okay," Otis said softly in her ear, wrapping his arms around Alya. "They're going to help her, she's going to be okay."
A part of her wanted to scream that he couldn't promise her that. That the wounds on the young girl was not something that could simply be washed away– but yet another part of her grasped onto what her father was saying, because it was the only hope she could have. Ella and Nora were alive, and now the only thing she could do was pray that the doctors could save them. That they would be alright.
"Blue!" A voice screamed, one that was as desperate as her own had been, and Alya looked up, watching as Silver Paw raced towards her. She instantly tensed up, expecting an attack– but Silver was only racing towards the limp figure of Blue Wing collapsed on the ground. "Get away from him– get back!"
Silver's voice was a snarl, and it was only now she realized how close she was to Blue Wing, that she had been touching him. She could have easily snagged the Peacock Miraculous from his chest, though her mind was far from that. She could only stared at the furious Silver Paw as her father pulled her away, and the Fox villain's attention turned toward his friend as he knelt down, taking Blue into his arms.
It was now she realized just what condition the Peacock was in, his once bright blue outfit almost the same gray as Silver, soot smeared across the clothes. His wings though... those weren't part of a costume, but real flesh and feathers. The plumage was charred, the sheen they had once had now nothing but withered wings. Blisters and burns seared into his skin, and just like Ella, his breathing was short and shallow– alive, but far from well.
Silver's eyes looked up, desperately flashing about at those watching on. "Help!" He cried, voice cracking slightly, before he broke down into coughs from the smoke that had burned his throat. "He– he's barely breathing–! Help, help him, please–!"
He stood up, easily holding Blue in his arms with the strength his magic gave him, but as Silver moved forward those around him moved back. Silver Paw froze, and his eyes turned towards the ambulances, and he took a hesitant step forward.
"Please, help him, he's hurt– oh kwamis, he went in because of me, why did I let him go, why did I let him–"
"Toge?" A voice called, and Silver Paw turned, looking at the avatar that had just landed. The Togekiss was preening its feathers as the Rain Dance faded, and Silver Paw stumbled towards them. "Kiss?"
"Help him," Silver Paw begged, laying Blue Wing down in front of the Pokemon, and the Togekiss stared up at the Fox. "He made you, you have to help him, please. You– you can do something, you have powers. Um– H-heal Pulse, use Heal Pulse, please."
"Kiss," the Togekiss let out a soft cry, looking at Blue Wing, but did nothing.
"Recover, H-healing Wish, Heal Bell–" Silver Paw rattled off healing moves that Pokémon could use in the games, and at the last one the Togekiss paused, sitting up and alert. "Yeah– Heal Bell, you can learn that– use it, please, do something, help him–!"
Togekiss opened their wings, letting out a low call, the chime-like cries echoing through the air. You could feel the energy radiating about as the voice reverberated about them. Alya took in a sharp breath, knowing that in the games Heal Bell didn't heal damage like other similar moves, but it instead eased status conditions.
Conditions like burns.
She watched as the blisters and burns on Blue Wing began to close, soft blue light pouring out from them as they were sealed shut. Alya's eyes looked out towards the ambulances, watching as people scrambled back from stretchers and the wounded– the same blue light washing over them– sealing up the burns on their skin. Other injuries still remained, some still desperately breathing in the air from the oxygen masks, but the burns were gone.
Blue Wing remained unconscious, his breathing shallow, and Alya didn't know what to do. Silver clutched him tightly, the Fox shaking as he held him. Alya hesitated, but it was her father that spoke next, raising his voice above the silence that had settled around him, his gaze locked towards the paramedics.
"He needs an oxygen mask," he said, voice low and hoarse. "He's– he's barely breathing."
No one moved.
"That's a child," Otis said, pointing a finger towards Blue Wing's body. "A child who just risked his life to save my daughter. To– to save others here too. You give that boy an oxygen mask, you get him the help he needs, or so help me–"
"Y-you heard him," Alya said, finding her own voice. "You saw what he did, what his magic just did– you can't do nothing."
"Even if he didn't do anything," Alya's head turned, and saw Marinette making her way through the crowd– and for a moment she swore she saw Ladybug as she stood there– tall and determined. "It's not your choice to help him or not, it's not even just your job– it's what anyone here should be doing."
There was silence, but as Silver Paw moved forward again, holding his companion tightly, no one moved back. Silver Paw and Blue Wing were allowed to approach the ambulances and paramedics, Silver carefully laying him on one of the stretchers. The vehicles with Nora and Ella had already left, rushing for the hospital, and so Alya watched as an oxygen mask was slipped over Blue Wing's masked face, his wings splayed open as he laid there. The burns were healed, but still the feathers were dull and far from the bright hues she had come to know.
Silver Paw stood at the end of the stretcher, his arms wrapped around Blue's shoulders, his gloved hands falling right over the Peacock Miraculous so none could take it. Togekiss fluttered near, looking over their creator and the other wounded. After a moment of thought the bird lifted one wing, sending a sparkling burst of light into the sky, where it fell down onto one of the stretchers that was being loaded into a departing ambulance.
Healing light washed over them as the move Wish touched them, closing the wounds one him. Not completely healing them, but the state the man was in was far better than what it had been before.
Nobody looked afraid as the Togekiss flew over to another stretcher.
"This wasn't just from the fire," one of the medics said, adjusting the oxygen tank. "Not if the burns were fully healed– does he have any preexisting conditions?"
"Yes," Silver said hoarsely. "This is my fault. I shouldn't have let him go in, I shouldn't have let him use his powers."
"We need to take him to the hospital."
Plagg twisted against Alya, and she touched her pocket– the broken Miraculous. How much it had hurt the son of Hawk Moth, she did not know, but clearly it had left its impact on him. Alya felt like she should do something, but she couldn't move from where she stood. She didn't know what she should do. Her home was ashes behind her, and she did not know her sisters' condition.
Marinette's hand fell on Alya's shoulder, and she didn't have to turn around to know it was her. She grabbed her hand, tears stinging her eyes, and Marinette's arms wrapped around her. "What– what do we do?"
"Nothing we can do," Marinette whispered, holding her tightly. "This wasn't an akuma, my powers can't reverse this... I'm sorry."
"Ella," Alya whispered. "She, she wasn't moving. She–"
"She will be okay," Marinette said, her hug tightening. "She's going to be okay, your family is going to be okay."
Alya watched the Togekiss go from stretcher to stretcher, ambulance to ambulance, releasing the healing Wish down onto those that were hurt. She... she needed to get the Pokemon to the hospital, to where her sisters were. These powers needed to be used on them, they needed this healing, they needed to be okay, they had to be okay.
Togekiss landed at the foot of Blue Wing's stretcher, before opening their wing one last time, letting a Wish fall down onto an unconscious Blue Wing. The white light ran across him, and the teen turned, one wing being pulled against him as he shifted. His eyes fluttered open, saying something against the oxygen mask, though Alya could not hear it from where she stood.
"I'm here," Silver Paw said, grabbing one of his hands. "Do you remember what happened? How are you feeling?"
"I'm tired..." Blue whispered, slowly sitting up. He reached to take off the oxygen mask, but Silver Paw grabbed both of his hands.
"You need to keep that on, young man," the medic near him said. "You're having difficulties breathing, and I'm not sure how much smoke you breathed in."
Blue scrambled back slightly from the unfamiliar man, up into the chest of Silver, who held him tightly. Blue Wing's eyes flickered about, before reaching for his Miraculous, and he didn't relax until his gloved hands fell across it.
"I'm okay," Blue muttered. "This is normal, I'll feel better in a few minutes, this is normal..."
"Just keep it on longer," Silver Paw said, stopping Blue as he reached for the oxygen mask again. "Please. It's not hurting you, it's helping you."
"I have to go, please..."
"You're hurt."
"But Father–!" Blue said, panic in his voice.
"I'm already well aware of what you've been up to, son," a deep voice said, and Alya tensed up against Marinette at the sound of that horribly familiar voice. "And I don't recall giving you permission to run off and play hero."
It was a voice the city had only heard a few times, but knew all too well. All eyes turned, desperately searching, and Alya felt her stomach tightening, dread bubbling up within her. The memory of the fight against Stormy Weather was all too fresh in her mind. Her hand tightened around Marinette's as they turned, looking at Hawk Moth as he leaned up against the remains of the entrance of what had once been her apartment, scowling out at his son.
Silver Paw immediately moved in front of Blue Wing, drawing his flute. His eyes locked on Hawk Moth, before scanning the sky. Alya did the same, and soon saw a flash of yellow as Mellifera flew down, landing not far from Hawk Moth. A Venom was pulsing about her hand, ready to attack anyone that came near.
"F-father," Blue Wing stammered, pulling the oxygen mask from his face. He tried to rise, but grabbed his head as he sat up, swaying in place.
"Get away from him," Silver Paw snarled.
Hawk Moth tilted his head. "Me? I'm not the one that led him into a burning building, Fox. I must say, I don't appreciate you associating with my son behind my back."
"I'm not the one that handed him a broken Miraculous!" Silver Paw screamed.
Blue Wing grabbed Silver Paw by the shoulders as he staggered to his feet. "Don't. Silver, stop, please."
"He's hurting you!" Silver cried, eyes shining with rage.
"Such anger," Hawk Moth mused softly. "Such a fierce drive to protect… would be a shame to let that go to waste."
Hawk Moth opened up the top of his cane, where a white butterfly materialized. Despite all those that were gathered, a silence was in the air as they watched Hawk Moth pick up the delicate insect, dark energy surging through it as his hand clasped about it. An akuma fluttered out from his hands, drifting towards Silver and Blue.
The akuma sank down into the Fox Miraculous, Silver Paw's eyes widening as a glowing mask appeared over his face.
Silver Paw was stiff the moment the akuma touched his Miraculous. He could feel a connection forming in his mind, his emotions surging as a glowing purple mask appeared around his face. He had been connected to the Butterfly before, but this was nothing like then. It felt suffocating as Hawk Moth entered his mind, the intensity of his emotions spiking to levels he had not known. The fear, the anger– it was almost too much to handle.
"F-father, wait!" A familiar voice cried, the voice he had once heard from the Butterfly, but it was not the one in his mind now. "Not him, please, h-he's–"
"I'll deal with you later," Hawk Moth snapped– his voice reaching both Silver's mind and his ears, it seemed to consume him, and he grabbed his head as if he could pull the voice from him. "As for your friend… Well, I have a little proposal for you, Fox."
Silver sank down into the street, gripping his head tighter. He felt hands on his shoulders, Blue standing there, and it was that he tried to latch onto. "N-no…"
"Velvet Paw," Hawk Moth said softly, the voice seeming to stroke his mind, balance within the chaos his emotions had become. He was safety, he was shelter, he was the one to listen to. "Aren't you tired of fighting a battle you cannot win? Of endless fights that will never change a thing? I could give you the power of infinite Deception, endless illusions at your beck and call. You would be able to strike from any direction, unseen– and take Ladybug's and Panthera's Miraculouses with ease."
"Silver," A voice croaked above him, and one eye cracked open. Blue was holding him tightly, eyes wide and afraid.
"With the Miraculouses in your hand you can accomplish anything," Hawk Moth continued softly. "Heal Blue Wing, make his family whole, protect him from all that stand in your way."
"N-no…" Silver Paw stammered, eyes pressing shut. This wasn't right, this calmness wasn't what he sought– this voice was the one who had sparked his anger, who created the fear. The Butterfly provided a sense of trust– and Papillon's voice had created that comfort, but as for Hawk Moth...
Lies. Deceit.
"You can end this fight, Velvet Paw," Hawk Moth whispered. "No one else would have to be hurt, this will all be over."
Silver Paw's eyes snapped open, amber gaze seeming to glow in the setting sun as another pulse of rage surged through him– one that was not brought on from the akuma within him. The mask flickered about his face as he whipped his head up towards Hawk Moth, forcing the words from his mouth.
"Shut. Up."
And the mask shattered.
Hawk Moth stumbled back as if feeling a recoil, the akuma butterfly melting out from the Fox Miraculous and flying into the sky. The false emotions faded from around him, only leaving him with the anger that had broken him free. Silver Paw pushed himself to his feet, breathing heavily– the mental struggle having left him drained. Still he stepped forward, glowering at Hawk Moth.
"Just shut up," Silver snarled. "You do nothing but lie, you do nothing but hurt people– you've twisted a Miraculous that is meant to help to your own selfish needs! You make promises to your victim– only to make them fight your battles. You terrorize this city, enslave kwamis, hurt your own son–" His voice broke, cracking with emotion. "And you– you don't even care! You're a monster, you're heartless, you're–"
He fell silent as Blue Wing wrapped his arms around him, burying his head into his shoulder. "Silver, stop, please."
Silver Paw fell silent, breathing heavily as Blue held him. His hands wrapped around Blue's, wanting to pull him closer. He needed to get him away from here– yet he needed to stop Hawk Moth. He swayed there as he clutched Blue, and the Peacock holder lifted his head, looking out at Hawk Moth, tears in his eyes.
"Father, I'm sorry," he croaked. "I shouldn't have come, I shouldn't have worried you– please, let's go home. No akumas today, no fighting, please– let's just go."
Hawk Moth watched him emotionlessly. "Then come."
Silver grasped Blue tighter, not wanting him to leave, but still he slipped his arms away from him. He watched as Blue Wing stumbled forward, away from his side, and he reached out for him. Blue just shook his head, before making his way towards Hawk Moth and Mellifera. He could go to him, he could run to him– but Hawk Moth still had his akuma butterfly flying overhead. There were too many people here, many of them injured, and now was not the time to provoke him to attack.
Hawk Moth grabbed the top of his cane as his son came closer, grasping the crystal top. The man's gaze was on Blue, eyes empty despite his son's walk clearly being painful, the boy staggering, but soon he came to a stop in front of his father, lowering his head. Hawk Moth turned slightly, hand tightening around the cane– and Silver Paw rushed forward.
With a single fluid motion Hawk Moth drew the sword hidden within the cane, spinning around. The blade came swinging down towards Blue Wing– but Silver Paw got there first, leaping between the two. A burst of pain raced through him as the rapier was brought down on his face, and he let out a cry of pain the same moment Blue called out his name.
Silver fell to his knees, grabbing his face. The magic of the suit had shielded him, but against a weapon of another Miraculous even it had its limits. He could feel the blood soaking his fingers, his face feeling like it was on fire, only where his mask rested being free of the burning pain the slash had brought.
Such a blow with such a weapon should have been devastating, but with Trixx's magic surrounding him only the skin had been broken open, blood dripping down his forehead and cheek as he pulled his hands away. His ears were ringing, commotion about him, yet none of it truly seemed to reach him as he pushed himself to his feet.
"Father, please, stop!" Blue Wing's voice cried out, it being the only one that seemed to stick in his mind. He looked out towards Blue, who was gripping his father's arm, tears falling down his face, panic in his eyes. "This was my fault, not his, please don't hurt him, please–!"
Hawk Moth ripped his arm from Blue's grasp, turning. Gasps and shouts from the crowd echoed about him, and as Silver looked out he saw the akuma that had nearly akumatize him swoop down and merge with the helmet a firefighter was wearing, a mask flickering over his face.
"We are leaving," Hawk Moth said, his voice instantly causing all to fall silent. "If anyone dares to follow, this fireman will gain the lovely ability to truly fight with fire." He grinned out at them. "It would be a shame for more to burn down tonight, wouldn't it?"
With that Hawk Moth turned, leaping up towards the roofs of the buildings. Mellifera went after him, her wings humming as she rose into the air. Blue was the last one to move, eyes wide as he looked back at Silver, wings slowly flaring open. Then he too was gone, flying up after the ones he called family, leaving silence behind.
Silver Paw forced himself to turn despite the pain and the blood, staggering towards the fireman who gripped his helmet, moments away from being consumed by the akuma. He ripped the helmet from his head, throwing it to the ground with all the force he could muster, where it broke into two, the dark butterfly rising up from it.
He turned to the crowd, pointing to the helmet as the akuma flew away. "We can break free of Hawk Moth's control," he cried, voice hoarse, though it carried through the street. "He may whisper in our mind, tell us to attack the city– but in the end we can break where the akuma is hiding, and have heroes heal all the wounds he has left."
No one said a word, but all were watching him.
"Akuma victims are given magic by Hawk Moth, told to attack the city– and they have no choice. But at the end of the day they are freed, they can go home, and they're safe." Silver's voice cracked. "Blue Wing does not have that option. He was given a Miraculous, told to attack the city– but he can't get away. When he goes home, he goes home to Hawk Moth. When the attack fails he's not freed with a Miraculous Ladybug, instead he takes the blame."
Silver Paw pointed to the slash on his face, the blood dripping down, painful and stinging.
"This was meant for Blue Wing," he croaked. "Hawk Moth tried to do this to his own son."
He was crying, and it felt like a struggle to breathe, but he forced himself to keep talking, to keep going while all were watching, none trying to stop him.
"We don't blame the ones who are under Hawk Moth's control. We don't call them villains, we try to save them– and Blue Wing is no different," his eyes scanned the crowd, mask keeping the blood from his eyes, though his tears blurred his vision. "He needs help, he needs to be saved, and I've been trying, I've been trying to help him, trying to stop Hawk Moth, but I can't do it alone!"
He drew his flute, raising it over his head.
"Paris... Ladybug, Panthera– anyone. Please, help me. Help me save Blue, help me save him from that monster– Mirage!"
With that he brought his flute down, summoning a dozen illusions of himself, which all scattered as he turned and ran, leaving all that were watching behind.