MIRACULOUS
CH. 30
The Night Starts Here
The team disappeared into the portal as the two old men and old lady watched on. After a moment, Sazed broke the silence.
"It is time for me to depart, I think," he said.
"It is amazing you were able to endure the projection for this long and all the way from the Himalayas. Then again, that is to be expected for a man-made being to become something more, she said. Then bowed to him, "I mean no offense."
"I'm aware," Sazed said. "I am impressed you pieced that together."
"I may be blind but I am not ignorant," She said. "Fukuro," she called.
"Yes, mistress?" he said.
"Prepare for when they return."
"Are you erasing their memory again?" Master Fu asked.
"The time is nowhere near, so it is best for her to live with the innocence," she said.
"But she had already made her peace with her fate," Sazed suggested. "Won't you risk creating an even greater resentment?"
"It is the risk I'm willing to take."
"I believe you do what you believe is best, I understand," Sazed said. "My strength is running thin I must return to my body, I bid your adieu." He then disappeared.
Somewhere in the Himalayas…
Sazed cross-legged on top of the snowy mountain. He opened his eyes and got up on his feet. He tightened his winter ware and looked up with a smile. The kwami emerged.
"Do you really believe the young on can handle the burden, Master?"
"In time she will handle the power for an extended time, I think."
"As a homunculus, she was already able to summon numerous of champions with the butterfly miraculous. With experience, she might hold onto me for just as long as you, she wielded me once."
"One can only imagine what I have gone through as well as she will go through to achieve that."
"I believe we will never know."
Sazed that started to walk off.
"Good luck young ones."
Paris… Emilie's hideout…
Both women detransformed into their civilian persona. Emilie opened her tablet and dialed.
"You're all over the feeds," The voice answered. "Well done."
"It will only be a matter of time before we take back what we lost!" Emilie lost.
"I must say, it was rather imprudent to use the white plague before getting the miraculous."
"I will make sure they never know of their miraculous' additional capabilities and even if they did they have nothing that has the requirement to use the souls of the plague," she said, she then could have sworn she heard a light gasp from her contact.
"…"
"Gene?"
"Carry on and stay sharp. Apparently, your husband has extracted information from your sister and informed Mister Bug and his companions."
"Amelie," Emilie sneered.
"Do not disregard the possibility, if you have something planned, now is the time to execute," Gene said and cut off.
"So that's how it is, huh sis?" she muttered to herself.
"Ma'am?" Mayura said.
"Mayura, if my suspicions are true then they should be here any minute. Be ready for them and extort Mister Bug for the miraculous."
"You had that planned all along…" Mayura concluded.
"There's a reason I used the White Plague first," Lux smirked. "Be ready for them Mayura, I have to meet with Gene for our next move," she teleported out. Mayura wasn't convinced.
"Bringing the cavalry huh, Emilie?" she muttered and covered her face with her fan. Anticipating Pegasus's portal to appear. But what actually appeared was not what she prepared for…
"I don't wanna wait for our lives to be over…"
She heard someone sing smoothly, her eyes shot open, and turned to the source only to get knocked out before she could react.
Eastern Europe…
Marinette's had quite a conversation with Stef. Of how they each found out of their origins and how distraught they were and how scared they were for a while but how each got back up their feet. They also talked as much as they could of their respective adventures until Marinette finally realized for how long she was gone.
"Holy…! How long have we been talking?"
"A while," Stef admitted, "I bet they should be ready to take off again."
"Yeah, gotta get going," Marinette agreed, getting up.
"Remember, it's going to come back," Stef said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "The reminders will be painful but you'll be all right, I promise."
"I know," Marinette said.
"Hey, kid!" she heard Gorilla shout from the distance. "It's time!"
"I gotta go," Marinette said as she reluctantly walked away.
"Remember," Stef said. "It will come back, and when it does, fight it!" She waved back as Marinette was off back to the airport.
Paris… Nathalie's apartment…
"Mister Bug?" Rena asked as Mister Bug paced around as he pondered his next course of action.
"I've already searched this apartment through nook and cranny," he said.
"Why are we here then?" Carapace asked.
"I think we need this place to lock her in once we subdue her."
"Here?" Present Queen Bee asked.
"All right, I got it, Carapace, Pegasus, Rena you come with me. Ryuko, you wait here, and Queen Bees head out there and help Rocket," Mister Bug ordered.
"You thought it up quick," Ryuko said.
"Again, we have little time to lose. Pegasus?" Mister Bug asked.
"I'm on it," he affirmed, opening a portal. The Two Queen Bees stared at each other, both having an idea why they were pinned together.
"Let's move."
Ryuko stayed behind and looked around the apartment and wondered why Mister Bug haven't found any clues. Though it was mainly she left without anything to trace her with so she supposed it would make sense Sanceur would clear her desk. After finding little, she proceeded to her vinyl records on the bookshelves.
During her search, she then proceeded to her bookshelf. She found an interesting set of vinyl records she was well aware of such as Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach. She also found some classic Japanese composers she grew up listening to such as Michio Miyagi, Nakao Tozan, and Komei Abe.
She quickly found a hidden stash though all she saw vinyl records such as studio albums and singles from a specific artist, separate from the rest of her collection, the "Backstreet Boys," she never heard of them. Of course, she concluded that Sanceur must have taken all of the essentials but she must have missed something if she left in a rush…
Among the vinyl collection, an old newspaper fell off, peaking her curiosity. She picked the page up and saw the highlighted article. It was from 20 years ago… she read with the best of her French ability, she knew her French well.
Search Called Off For Missing Ambassador
TOKYO- After a full year of bloated Japanese security budgets, a massive search ended when rescue workers were unable to find the body of Nathalie Sanceur. Sanceur, 30, French Ambassador missing since Friday was last seen on the Majima Construction parking lot…
This was followed by more information she didn't find useful.
"'An ambassador missing since Friday…?'" she repeated.
Emilie's hideout…
Mister Bug, Carapace, Rena, and Pegasus jumped into the apparently empty hidden loft. It appears to be isolated.
"Are we too late?" Rena asked. She looked at a desk and quickly saw a laptop. "Why would they leave this here?"
"Found something?" Mister Bug asked. Rena opened the laptop and saw a picture of Nathalie with Adrien as a wallpaper.
"Hey, it's Nathalie's," Carapace pointed.
"Gabriel Agreste's secretary?" Pegasus asked.
"The audacity of seeing herself with him…" Rena growled, making a fist. Mister Bug's heart sunk at seeing himself with Nathalie, he remembered taking that picture and could've sworn she was genuinely happy in the picture. Considering what had happened he checked her expression in the picture. Her smile is completely sincere, none of the malice he expected to see. He really didn't know what to think of her anymore.
"Maybe she really cared for him…" Mister Bug said.
"Don't go soft on me," Rena retorted still looking at the laptop and began to surf her data. "You have to how things are if you want to catch up with Ladybug."
That stung Mister Bug, given his emotional state and stood there for a moment, and didn't say a thing.
"I say we search everywhere," Carapace suggested, breaking the ice.
Everyone else turned to investigate and saw that it was quite big for a loft that was supposed to be hidden. Rena looked around the tabloids she herself already investigated in hopes of finding something new. She then saw that there was a Spotify account open in a minimized window and saw that she was under an alias, "Emma Agreste" With her curiosity peaked she clicked to see what kind of music she heard. She clicked on "play…"
"Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" by the Backstreet Boys plays
Alya raised an eyebrow when the music boomed through the speakers. She was pretty sure she heard the song before but the fact that it was in the account of someone like Sanceur froze her for a bit.
Before she knew it, a strong hand grabbed hers with a tight grip which hurt her. She saw that her attacker was none other than Nathalie Sanceur with an infuriated look on her face, blushing steaming red. She wordlessly punched Rena in the face, knocking her out.
"Hey!" Carapace yelled, throwing his shield at her, hitting her in the head. She then grabbed the shield and threw it back at him.
"Nathalie!" Mister Bug charged at her, spinning his in an attempt to subdue her. She grabbed the string and pulled him towards her and head-butted him.
"Forgive me, lady," Pegasus said as he created a portal below her and took her to the roof, causing her to fall and hit her back on the floor. She quickly recovers and knees him in the face.
"DUDE!" Carapace shouted. "You need to chill, lady!" He charged with his shield. Nathalie was ready for the impact but Mister Bug, still on the floor; grabbed her ankles with his yoyo string. Mister Bug pulled her off her feet, but Nathalie quickly motioned her bound legged and dropkicked him in the face, then poofed into gold dust. She landed on the floor and looked up to see Rena with her flute.
"Thought I was out cold, didn't you?" she asked. A portal appeared under her and fell in, landing on Nathalie's back.
Nathalie jabbed behind her knee, knocking Rena off her. She suddenly felt a pull from her still bound feet, hanging her upside down.
"It's over Nathalie. Time to talk…" he was cut off when she pulled herself up to his level and flipped over and hanged the tube before dropping with force, trying to pull him up. Mister Bug saw what she was doing and let go of his yoyo, freeing her feet from the string then flipped again, grabbing Carapace by the neck with her legs.
"How can she move like that?" Rena asked. "She's not even transformed!"
Nathalie began to roll around the floor, avoiding portals Pegasus had been making underneath her and even on her way, while Carapace tried to break free.
Mister Bug grabbed her by the wrist with his yoyo and pulled her towards him.
"Let him go!" he yelled, yanking her up on her feet, releasing Carapace in the process. She tried to kick him but dodged and released her, giving him the freedom to move. The two briefly exchanged blows in a quick scuffle.
"Now!" Carapace shouted.
With a grin, Mister Bug stepped aside and a portal appeared behind him with Carapace charging at her with his shield. Distracted by another portal behind her, she was rammed by Carapace and knocked into that portal and saw that she was in her apartment.
"Ryuko!"
"WATER DRAGON!"
Nathalie's legs froze in solid ice. Mister Bug stepped in and detransformed. Nathalie then froze metaphorically as her eyes widened upon seeing the identity of the other half of the due that had caused her trouble.
"Adrien?"
Only to be punched in the face, knocking her out.
Song ends
Meanwhile…
The two Queen Bees did whatever they could to dig people out of the rubble and away from the areas where the plague still in the air. Future Queen Bee was contacted by her communicator.
"How are things in your end, Rocket?"
"Bad," Rocket replied. "They're still people too out of it to even get up and run from the spread." He said as she carried three people on his back. "I'm having a hard time holding my breath as it is, let alone running with people on my back."
"You suit and powers have you covered for a while but be sure to back down when you run out of juice," she said.
"Gotcha!" he said.
"Ok, did Mister Bug made you boss?" Present Queen Bee crossed her arms.
"We have no time for this," Future Queen Bee muttered.
"What? So you all high and mighty because you're from some 'Planet of the Apes' future?"
"'High and mighty?"' Future Queen Bee repeated. "You do realize I am you, right?" she jumped off.
"You expect me to believe that?" Present Bee followed. "You couldn't possibly know who I am even if you keep growing in my backyard."
Future Queen Bee sighed and looked at her with annoyance.
"Mom used to lock us up in a soundproof panic room just so she could spend her hours partying. When you were a kid you hated being you and you wanted to escape it by pretending to be a cat 24/7."
Present Queen Bee was taken aback by that.
"How did you…"
"I told you, I know."
"What the… How the hell do I become you?" Present Queen Bee sneered.
"Now it's not the time to talk about it!" She and her younger self made their way to Rocket's location where the place seemed like a shelter where dozens of people laid down in delirium. They both were shocked and saddened by the display. Future Queen Bee made a fist.
"I really hoped I could stop it this time…"
"Little help?" Rocket said.
Then a portal opened behind him and almost everyone emerged.
"Pegasus, Rena, Carapace?" Future Queen Bee saw them coming in.
"We're here to help!" Carapace said, flexing his arm.
"Where's Mister Bug?"
"He said he wanted to interrogate Mayura alone," Pegasus said, pushing his sunglasses with his fingers, causing Rena to scoff.
"Wish I could give her a piece of my mind…"
"Hey…" Carapace said, touching her shoulder. "Don't let anger get to you or you're no better than them."
Rena shook her shoulder off and took a few steps away, hugging herself.
"Come on, as if you don't want to get back at them for what happened to your dad…"
"I do!" Carapace retorted. "But but after that, then what? What do we become if we took it into our own hands?" He gently turned her around with his hands on her shoulders. "We have to leave it to him. It's better that way and you know it."
Rena looked up at him and looked down.
"I hate it when you're right…"
"No you don't," he said with a grin.
Meanwhile…
Fingers snapping right in her face caused Nathalie to stir. She quickly realized she was tied on a chair. After a brief struggle, she realized it was pointless and saw the spotlight on her and it was a boy wearing a black short sleeved hoodie with a mask with neon marketing sight with messages passing by. Saying things like "Hello Kitty" or "The Purrfect Hero." More cat puns that even she never heard.
"Wakey, wakey," he said with a radio voice.
"Mister Bug…" she said, groggily. "Or should I say Cat Noir? For a moment I thought I actually knew you…" she concluded earning a scoff from her interrogator.
"And what if I told you if you did?" he asked then removed his mask and lowered his hoodie. "Thanks, Pegasus," he whispered, then he whipped her glasses and put them on her, giving her a clear view.
Her eyes widened more than Adrien remembered her ever doing. She simply stared and froze like a deer in headlights. She seemed like she was about to say something but all she could muster was a wordless gasp. He also noticed she had a red bump on her right side of her forehead, aside from the bruise in her left cheek her gave her.
"What's wrong?" he asked. "Saw a ghost?"
"Adrien…" she breathed with a tear cascading down her cheek, unable to contain a sniff. "How…"
"Looks like you weren't as perceptive as you thought."
"Your mother would've never guessed…"
"Where is she?"
"She didn't tell me."
"What?"
"She anticipated my capture so she kept her location to herself."
"What is she up to?"
She stayed silent. She looked down and began to take deep breaths.
"Nathalie…" Adrien prompted. "She saw you an expendable didn't she?"
Ryuko then appeared behind him and walked up to him.
"Adrien…"
"Yes, Ryuko?"
"I believe you need to take a look at this," She said handing him a scroll, he then looked at the old newspaper article. He took a peek at it and gasped.
"Nathalie… you too…"
"I'm expendable…" Nathalie muttered in shame. "I have already served my purpose…"
"IS THAT WHAT YOU THOUGHT WHEN YOU DESINTEGRATED SENTIBUG!" Adrien yelled, harshly poking the bump in her forehead.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Nathalie bellowed painfully.
"You really see yourself as inhuman? Subhuman? Something with no right to exist just because, huh?" he asked, poking her bump again.
"AAAAAAHHHHH!"
"Not to mention the way you mocked us for caring for someone who was more human than you!"
"Adrien…" Ryuko was perturbed by what she saw as she backed away from the scene, frozen in place.
"So the Blue Mustang created you too, huh?"
"A French ambassador in Tokyo was kidnapped and experimented on to death in research on life creation…" she said. I'm the last living first generation of homunculi, created with her remains."
Adrien and Ryuko stared back in awe. She covered her mouth with both hands and looked away shutting both her eyes tightly while Adrien looked like he was about to puke.
"Are you saying Marinette was made by someone else's remains, too?"
"No," Nathalie said immediately. "Marinette was a newer and 'cleaner' generation of homunculi. She was created with more complex spells and chemicals. I have been told I resembled too much like the French ambassador they used so they wanted to create something more pure and devoid of independent thought. Or at least that was the idea."
After a moment of silence, Adrien turned to Ryuko.
"You should head back and help the others."
"Will… you be well?"
"This is something I need to do on my own. Besides, it's gotten more personal," he said. She hesitated but nodded.
"Good luck," she said and headed off.
Adrien grabbed another chair and sat on it backward, still facing the tied up Nathalie.
"Where is my mother?"
"On her next phase as we speak."
"I know you two got together after my sister died in the womb," Adrien said.
"Your mother sought us out," Nathalie revealed. "And we knew about her connection with the white plague. The Blue Mustang saw this as an opportunity to gather the lives claimed by the plague to use the ladybug and black cat miraculous. We never intended for her to get her wish…"
"Nathalie…" he seethed.
"We used her…"
"So it's true, you were the one who brought the peacock and butterfly miraculous to my parents in the first place, huh?"
"Guilty as charged," she admitted, looking away. "We took advantage of her desperate situation and we knew of all the sacrifices it would require for our plan to work. She knew your father would have never agreed to it."
"So, she faked her illness to trick him into becoming Hawk Moth and lure us out."
"Spot on, Adrien," she admitted. "But never in a million years, I would have imagined you being Cat Noir. You caught me completely off guard. I can only wonder how she would react…"
"I'll deal with that when the time comes."
"Make no mistake, Adrien," Nathalie warned. "Your mother sees you and Marinette as well as myself as expendable. She mocked you constantly for how you two are infatuated. You better be careful with her…"
"Where is she?" he asked, leaning towards her. "Tell me what she's up to?"
"The Blue Mustang is using your mother to create an army of 'The Taken' an army of creatures from the dark realm."
"WHAT!?"
"What you heard," Nathalie said bluntly. "She really believes her plan is foolproof. That she will get both your miraculous and get her daughter back, but Gene has other plans…"
"Gene? Name drop much?" he asked. Nathalie stiffed, realizing her mistake, and lowered her head again. "If they need the miraculous to make a wish, why would he use the white plague? Why killing all these innocent people?" He asked. Nathalie looked back up again.
"Why don't you ask Plagg?" she asked. Adrien was taken aback.
"Plagg? What does he…?" he was cut off by vibration. What the hell?"
"Cartman," Nathalie winced as she angrily whispered his name.
"Hey, one more thing," Adrien said as he got up from his chair. "I just might like to know about THIS!" he emphasized the last word as he harshly poked her bump in her forehead.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Nathalie screamed painfully. "Is that why you don't have the peacock miraculous anymore? Cartman beat us to the punch, didn't he?" he asked. Before Nathalie could respond, the vibration got worse and he now had a hard time keeping balance.
"Adrien!" Tikki appeared from hiding.
"What's going on, Tikki?"
"A new sentimonster!" she replied. "It's ramping on Paris!"
"Cartman!" he concluded.
"He has made his move," Nathalie said.
"What?"
"Cartman is only a mercenary. He must have his own agenda for taking the peacock miraculous. He's undeniable trying to decimate Paris in search of your mother," she said.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!
Everyone was knocked off their feet by the seismic wave.
"Damn it!" Adrien sneered. "Gonna have to cut this short."
He grabbed Nathalie by the chair. He intended to grab her by the shirt but noticed that she was wearing a summer dress. He blushed as he finally realized how little she was actually wearing. Adrien blushed and got his head at the game.
"Adrien, is your father okay?" she asked. At first, he was going to blow her off but he somehow saw that she was sincere. He quickly calmed down a bit and nodded.
"Yeah, he's safe," he answered. Nathalie smiled and looked down again.
"I'm glad…" she said.
"Sorry, Nathalie," he said and then punched her in the face again, knocking her out. He then rushed his way to the roof and saw what was threatening Paris. It was a gigantic sea, a monster-like creature. Most notably has tentacles covering its mouth.
"Adrien, it's…" Tikki began,
"Cthulu?"
"BRING ME AGRESTE!" Cartman yelled in a new blue peacock suit, on top of the creature's shoulder. "Freaking plague! Show yourself you little douche!"
The creature let out a loud roar, causing Paris to tremble in a string vibration, literally shaking the ground.
"Adrien, we don't know what he's really up to and he clearly doesn't know where your mother is," Tikki said.
"I know," Adrien said. "It's obvious what's next… TIKKI, SPOTS ON!"
Meanwhile… in Gabriel's private jet…
Marinette woke up from her nap in the plane and saw that the sky was orange. She snapped up and made her way to the cockpit.
"Gorilla!"
"Easy, kid," he said. "Piloting isn't my first and foremost job.
"Co-piloting doesn't make it easier you know," the co-pilot said.
"Sorry but I can't help but notice if something is going on," Marinette said.
"We seem to be approaching Paris but we can't get a hold of the control tower."
Marinette tried to see in the distance but no sign of any building in Paris.
"I've got a bad feeling about this…"
Author's Note: I'm gonna stop there.
So, yeah, not much is coming to mind as I write this. So yeah, what follows will most likely be a two-parter. Among what happens will be Marinette's long-awaited return as what was intended to be the climax of the "White Plague" aftermath has escalated the way it did.
Also, remember Chloe's cat-like behavior all the way back in chapter 2? Yep, it's finally addressed here, and let's just say there is more to dive into her in this story.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please comment, and look forward to the next one.