Warning: This chapter has more public humiliation, and some fighting. There's quite a few different needles in this chapter as well. This is where the real torture begins.

—

They say the first night in prison is the hardest. But at least in prison, there was a bed, a toilet, and three square meals a day.

By the soreness in her neck, Marinette figured she had gotten some sort of rest. Calling it sleep was generous. It was more like a shock induced trance.

She moved her arm that was sticking out of the door, sending a tingling sensation all down the limb. Her hand was tight, still attached to Adrien.

Then she heard sniveling.

"Kitty?" She asked softly.

He responded with a broken voice. "My lady…did I wake you?"

"I…don't know if I ever got to sleep."

"I didn't." He said without hesitation. "Thank you for holding my hand all night. It helped."

"Of course kitty." She rubbed her thumb over his knuckles. "How's your arm?"

"I can't feel it anymore. It's totally numb."

"Well, I guess that's a blessing in this case." She had her head resting on the ground, and peered under the door, trying to gauge what time it was. But there was only darkness.

Soon enough though, there was the light of flashlights in the hallway, followed by footsteps.

"They're coming for us." She said, untangling their fingers.

They drew their hands back in, and waited.

It was only a moment before the light fed through the cracks of the door and the clicking of heels came to a halt on the cement floor.

"Rise and shine happy campers!" Salo's sickening voice called.

The little slots in the doors opened, the brightness of the flashlight painful against the eyes.

"Arms out." One of the men demanded.

They both presented their wrists, so the chains could be reattached.

Then in a series of clicks, the locks were undone, and the doors opened.

Adrien nearly fell in his rush to get out, but he was grabbed by the arm to stay still.

"Eager are we?" Salo laughed. "Well, no worries, we'll get started right away."

They were ushered back to the room they were in yesterday. "Look at you kiddies. Bright eyed and bushy tailed. You wouldn't believe it, but so many people are excited to see you this morning."

They were both yanked into place, just barely out of reach from each other. Chains were bolted to the floor, replacing the ones on their wrists. While another pair hung from the ceiling, most likely for later.

Marinette looked up to Adrien, finally able to see his face.

He looked awful. Hair disheveled, skin pale and clammy, and his eyes dark with bags.

"Over a million viewers on the site." Stated a man from the corner.

"And it's not even six yet. Can you believe it?" Salo walked up to Adrien and started to untie his gown in the back. "Let's see, how is this arm doing today?" She pulled the gown sleeve forward, displaying a blackened bruise covering his shoulder. His arm looked bizarrely flattened and unnatural. "Oh, what a lovely shade of purple. Don't worry, we'll make sure you match all over soon enough." She patted his face. "But we're going to start with your lady first, is that okay?"

Adrien shook his head. "Hurt me first. Whatever you what to do to her, do to me instead."

Salo laughed, loudly and manically. "Oh you are so cute! But it doesn't work like that kitty cat! You see, she was the one who jailed my Eddy. So she has to be punished."

"Please," Adrien begged. "Don't hurt her."

"Hmph." Salo smirked. "You haven't seen anything yet."

The clock struck six am.

"Congratulations. Now begins day one of your sentence. Before we begin, I'd like to tell you the rules." She folded her hands in front of her, like a teacher talking to a particularly thick student. "Rule number one: There is no escape. So you can just forget that right now. Rule number two: We take turns here during our games. So when your partner is having fun, you are expected to be quiet and wait your turn. Rule three: If I ask you a question, you answer it. And rule four: you do exactly what I tell you to do, when I tell you to."

Marinette sneered. "And what happens if we break one of these rules?"

Salo smiled at the gumption. "Why don't you try me and find out?"

Marinette thought better of it, and stayed silent.

Salo turned to Marinette, appraising her. "So…Marinette Dupain-Cheng. How old are you, again? State it for those at home, so they can know."

"17." She breathed. So Salo knew her full name. She must have done her research last night.

"17! 17 goddamn years old! And you're playing superhero! The fate of the city of Paris rested solely on your shoulders, and you haven't even finished Highschool! That's…that's embarrassing! Who let you do this?"

Marinette didn't answer.

"I said, who gave you the earrings, Marinette?"

Marinette glared, making it clear she wasn't going to answer.

Salo punched her squarely in the nose, sending her stumbling, but the chains were too short to go anywhere and she fell on the floor.

Salo snorted. "Wow, you have no balance. Who knew Ladybug was such a klutz?"

Marinette glared up at her, blood dripping from her nose.

"You really look ridiculous with those stupid pigtails. Like a baby. A toddler. Not a superhero in the slightest."

Marinette continued to glare, as she rubbed under her nose, smearing the blood away. This kind of thing wasn't that bothersome. Chloe had said worse before. People on the Ladyblog forums said worse.

Salo grabbed her pigtails and yanked, forcing Marinette to stand, while tears came to her eyes. "Is that what you are? A baby?"

Marinette rolled her eyes.

"Are you a baby?!" She yelled, shaking her. "That was a question!"

"Obviously not!" Marinette shot back.

Salo gave her hair another yank, rendering her silent.

"No…pigtails are for pigs! You're a little piggy, aren't you?"

Adrien watched, on edge. That punch looked like it hurt, but Marinette was tough.

"Yeah…let's make you a little piggy." She walked over to her table, and grabbed something.

Marinette and Adrien shared a look of apprehension.

Salo returned with a strap with two sharp, metal hooks on the end.

Marinette could see were this was going and backed away, reaching the end of her chains. Then she crouched and attempted to hide her face.

"Now now, that's no way to behave. Hold still!"

Just like with her earrings, Marinette kicked and wriggled, anything to keep that woman away from her. But Salo was a lot rougher this time, slapping her, hitting her, pinching her, anything to inflict pain. Finally, she trapped her face against the floor, and the hooks took hold in her nostrils. Not enough to pierce all the way through, but enough to hurt and draw blood. The strap went over the top of her head and attached to the collar, forcing her nose up like a pig snout.

Salo got off of her, and looked down on her with a grin. "You look absolutely ridiculous."

"Mari…" Adrien began, taking a step forward.

"You, shut up!" Salo commanded with a slap. "You are not allowed to speak. You are here to watch in silence!"

Adrien flinched at the tone.

Salo whirled around right as Marinette was trying to take the strap off. "On your hands and knees."

She did as she was told, her gaze on the floor.

"Look at me."

Glancing up, Marinette saw a camera right behind Salo, recording her humiliation for the world to see.

"What does the little piggy say?"

Her heart pounded and her cheeks burned. But she croaked out, "…oink."

"What was that?"

"Oink!"

Salo snickered. "No no, that's not what a real piggy sounds like. What noise does a real piggy make?"

Marinette snorted in her throat.

"That's a good piggy! Nice and loud! So everyone can hear!"

She snorted again, louder, making a really gross sound.

"Again!"

Over and over, she snorted like a pig, the camera swooping into her face and catching it all.

"Over this way now." Salo demanded, walking over to her other side.

The chains were heavy, but allowed for Marinette to crawl on her hands and knees over to where Salo demanded.

"Now over here."

Marinette crawled back and forth and back and forth. The cement was rough on her palms and bloodied her knees. But she did as told, choosing to be humiliated than to be beaten again.

Though she assumed that's what it would be like for a while, having to pick between two awful options.

"Oh, goodness me. You haven't eaten yet, have you? You must be starving!"

The last time she had eaten was breakfast yesterday morning, since the Akuma cropped up before lunch. Her stomach coiled tightly, nausea replacing the thought of food.

"Here, food for the piggy."

A rotten apple plopped in front of her.

Marinette turned up her nose in disgust. There was no way she was going to eat that.

"It's that, or nothing."

She rather take the nothing. She sat back, glancing up at the woman in refusal.

"You sure? I won't give you anything else today."

Marinette shook her head slightly. She wasn't desperate enough.

Salo kicked the apple away, not too far out of reach. "You'll want that eventually."

Marinette glanced at Adrien, who was looking at her with disgust. Not her, per say, but what was happening to her. Though it didn't exactly help.

"I can see you're tired of this game. Do you want to stop being a piggy?"

"Please…" Marinette groaned.

Salo grinned. "Alright then, stay still." She blessedly removed the hooks, Marinette's nose sore and still bleeding.

Then she tried to stand, but Salo kicked her in the side. "Did I say you could stand?!"

"No…" Marinette breathed.

"No, what?"

"No ma'am."

"Good girl," Salo snorted. "Stay."

Marinette remained on her hands and knees, her arms trembling and her knees aching. She could hear Salo coming around behind her, but didn't dare turn to look. Her hands were on her head, forcing her to look down.

Then, there was some snipping, and then a little more, and then something black fell on the ground in front of her.

Her pigtails.

Salo tussled what was left her hair, making it wild.

"What do you think, kitty cat? doesn't she look more mature?"

Adrien was staring, his mouth slightly open, and his eyebrows pinched.

"I asked you a question, maggot."

"Yes, she…she looks…nice."

Marinette took that as a clue that her hair cut was not well done.

Salo stood and studied her. "Hmm, you know, I don't really see it. I think…once a pig, always a pig."

Marinette snarled at her, spitting at her feet.

"A wild pig. Don't you think so, Pasolini?" She glanced at a man in the room, the same one who had dislocated Adrien's arm.

With a completely neutral expression, he started coming towards her, his steps slow and menacing.

Marinette immediately started to backpedal, scooting on the floor away from him. But soon, she was on the end of her rope and there was no where left to go.

Pasolini easily pinned her to the ground, her temple forced against the cement. Try as she may, there was no pushing up. Thankfully, he was only pinning her, and not doing anything else.

"Get off of her!" Adrien barked. "You're hurting—ugh!" Adrien was elbowed in the stomach, his words coming up short.

"It's only day one, so I'll give you a break, but remember the rules! No talking."

Adrien winced, but didn't say any more.

Marinette was breathing hard, her nostrils flaring as she glared up at Salo. The light was directly behind her, casting her into darkness.

She felt the piercing pain of the hooks in her nose again, forcing her nose up. The pain ease slightly if she raised her chin.

There was a buzzing sound as Salo rested a knee on her back. "Now, hold still."

Despite her rapid breathing, Marinette did hold firm. She had no idea what was happening and didn't want to cause herself anymore pain.

Something slid across her scalp, just on the side of her head above her ear. Then she felt the sensation of loose hair by her ear.

She was being shaved.

"No…no please…"

"Oh it's just a little." Said Salo. "It's in style right now."

She shaved right down to the skin, as Marinette felt her fingertips brushing against her.

Then the buzzing stopped.

"Hold her still, Pasolini, we can't have her move an inch for this."

The man moved a hand to her jaw, pressing her face hard against the cement. Then he replaced the knee on her lower back. She couldn't move, and she could barely breathe.

A new buzzing sound started, and Marinette felt Salo rest her hand on the side of her head. This buzzing was incredibly loud, and she could feel the vibrations in her skull.

Whatever she was doing, it hurt. Burning, stinging, itching, like a nail was being dragged over her scalp.

Or a needle.

A needle!

"What…are you doing…to me?" Marinette grit through her teeth.

"Shh…" Salo hushed, in a way that would have been soothing if it wasn't so condescending. "It'll all be over soon."

Marinette could barely see Adrien from here, but she could see that his teeth were exposed in a snarl.

Finally, finally, Salo finished her deed, and Marinette was pulled back to her feet. Her head hurt, and reaching up, she found blood on her fingers.

Then a mirror was in front of her, Salo holding it with a proud grin. "What do you think? I think it's so you."

Tears came immediately, because for a half second, she couldn't recognize her own face.

Blood was smeared all around her nose and mouth, and fresh drips still came from her upturned nose. Her eye was blackened with bruises. Her hair was chopped awkwardly and uneven, with her right side shaved clean. In fresh red ink, 'cochon', the French word for pig, was tattooed on her scalp.

Marinette choked out a sob. She was marked for life.

"You now how much people pay for tattoos these days? And I gave you one for free! No gratitude?"

Marinette just continued to cry. She felt hideous. She felt like a pig.

"I said, no gratitude?" Salo pinched the underside of her arm.

Marinette cried out, and then answered, "T-thank—Thank you ma'am!"

"You're welcome, little piggy." Salo laughed, and then shoved her so she fell on her rear.

Marinette glanced up to meet Adrien's eyes. He was also crying, but his nostrils flared in anger. How dare this woman? How dare she!?

Salo just waltzed around the room, looking between the two of them and her table filled with unimaginable torture devices.

"Now let's see. Before I damage the goods…" She waved over to a man at a computer. "I'm ready to connect that call, now."

"Connecting." He replied.

The screen that had been used the day before to show the news report lit up again, a phone icon on it. Then, Gabriel Agreste's face. It looked to be his personal cellphone.

Tom and Sabine were in the background, looking between him and another screen on their end.

"Monsieur Agreste! Wonderful for you to join us."

"I don't need your false pleasantries. Where are you? How did you get this number?"

"Oh come now Gabe, if you want to win, you have to play the game."

"I don't see a game. I see a sick creature torturing children."

She scoffed. "You're no fun." Then she tapped her chin, deep in thought. "Alright then, we'll start the bid at 50 million. Just a smidgen less than your net profit for this year. That's doable right? Surely your son is worth that much."

Gabriel clenched his jaw. "How much for both of them?"

"I'm afraid Chat Noir is the only one up for sale. I still have so much planned for Ladybug."

Gabriel opened his mouth to respond, but Adrien beat him to the punch. "Don't you dare give her a single cent, Father!"

Salo whipped around, glaring at him. "Shut up!"

But Adrien was undeterred. "They'll just spend the money to do this to others! Don't let that happen!" His speech was cut short as Salo clocked him in the jaw.

He hit the ground hard, and she gave him no time to recover as she kicked him over and over with her steel toed boots. She didn't finish until he was gasping for breath.

Then she turned back to the screen. "60 million. And the price will continue to rise day by day. And you'll end up having a very expensive funeral with a closed casket."

Gabriel had his eyes shut tight, like he was being presented with the hardest choice in the world.

Because he was.

Finally, he swallowed and looked off to the side. He gave whoever was there a soft smile and nodded. "No deal, Salo. I don't negotiate with terrorists. I will find my own way to save my son. One that doesn't benefit you. I love Paris, almost as much as they do. And I refuse to be responsible for its downfall. Not when my son has worked so hard to protect it."

Salo frowned hard. "You've spurned me, Gabriel Agreste. I'll take you next. Once I've finished with your son. This was your only chance to save him. But I'll let you say goodbye."

The camera moved past Salo to Adrien who was lying on the ground. "D-Dad…"

"Hang in there, Chat Noir. Just a little while longer."

"I…I love you, dad."

"I love you too, son."

The call ended.

"Sickening." Salo scoffed. "You'd think a man that rich wouldn't care about the money. But I guess I was wrong. He doesn't really love you. He was just trying to make it easier on you. How does it feel to be rejected by your own father, huh?"

Adrien took steadying breaths, his chest hurting from her kicks. At least, that's what he assumed the pain was from.

"That was a question!" Salo shouted, right in his ear.

"He didn't reject me," he breathed. "I wanted him to stay out of it."

"You're an idiot. But everyone knew that. Chat Noir has always been the dumb one. Isn't that right, Ladybug?"

Marinette was still lying on the floor. She didn't sit up, but she answered, "Chat Noir is a genius. He's goofy, but he's smart."

"He's an idiot!" Salo yelled back. "He's a retarded piece of shit!"

Adrien clenched his eyes shut. It was just words. Just words. Lies.

"You're not trying to drown me out, are you?" Salo asked, getting in his face. "Because I can do this all day, dumbass."

"We hate liars." He stated, firmly. "And you're nothing but a liar."

Salo laughed. "You're a child. You don't think I can hurt you? Didn't you see what I did to your little Love Bug earlier? You looked so angry."

Adrien opened his eyes to glare at her.

She smiled maliciously. "Want to see if we can make her look that angry, too?" Then she looked over his head, to Pasolini.

The man came over and pressed a hand to Adrien's head with little effort. He was already exhausted.

"Now let's see." Salo's hand caressed his cheek. "My my, you don't have your ears pierced. I would have thought you did, considering Ladybug's Miraculous are earrings. What if there was an emergency, idiot? What would you have done then?"

"Just…hope there wasn't one?" He asked, nervously as she traced his ear with her finger.

"Childish. Stupid. No matter, I'll fix that now."

There was a hard pinch, and Adrien felt something sharp on his neck, right beneath his earlobe.

"There, we have a pretty diamond one. Well, it's not really diamond. I think it might be glass. Either way, it was on sale for like five bucks. You're not allergic to any metals are you?"

"…no? Did…did you pierce my ear?"

"Doesn't hurt as much as you're expecting it too, hmm? Not to worry, we have plenty more to do. Let's see…oh, we'll do this pretty gold one next."

So she pierced his ears. One piercing after another, passed the lobe and into the cartilage, where the gun snapped through with a crack. Where it hurt significantly more.

Ten piercings on each side. By the end of it, his ears were red, itchy, and pulsing.

"Well what do you know? I'm all out of studs. Oh, but I think this is a good look for you. Don't you think so, Ladybug?"

Marinette watched from where she laid on the ground, her tears never stopping. "You're still handsome." She stated.

"Hmm, still handsome, huh? Well, we'll work on that in a bit."

Pasolini sat Adrien up, as the camera zoomed in on the fresh piercings.

"We made Ladybug into a piggy, but I think we'll keep the cat theme for you. A mangy, feral alleycat." She took out the studs from his middle cartilage piercings and replaced them with small hoops. Then she threaded twine through the hoops on both sides and tied them together on top of his head, yanking it tight so his ears pinched to a point.

Like a cat.

Adrien hissed in pain.

It wasn't enough to scream, but it sucked. And the pain got worse the longer it was held. It would have been surprising if the piercings didn't just rip out of his ears.

"Meow meow kitty cat?" Said Salo in a disgusting sugary voice. "Can you say meow meow?"

"Meow meow..." Adrien forced out, despite the pain.

"Like a real kitty." She demanded.

He rolled his eyes and meowed, imitating a cat. He did it often enough as Chat Noir that it was easy. But outside of the mask...it was just weird.

"Is kitty cat hungry?"

Not if she was going to give him a rotten apple too.

A can opened, and with a splat, a cylinder of meat plopped on the ground in front of him.

Cat food.

Of course. This woman loved being literal.

"This isn't rotten. Fresh from the store. You're a growing kitty. Go on..." She pushed his face into the food with her foot on the back of his head. "Eat it."

He got some of the mush up his nose as a result.

"I'm not hungry." He argued.

"Nonsense, I could hear your stomach growling all night. Eat up."

Adrien closed his eyes. Just pretend it's pate, like at one of father's fancy dinner parties. He told himself.

Then he took a bite. It wasn't the worst thing he had eaten, and it smelled better than Camembert. But the texture was disgusting, and he was eating off of a dirty cement floor.

Knowing that his father was watching him at that moment also was a kick in the shin.

Salo waited until he swallowed to laugh. "Ha! He actually ate it! What a dumb pussy cat!"

Adrien spat out the second bite in his mouth.

"No? Not hungry?"

"You bitch…" He hissed.

She scowled, her fist clenching. "Oh, you don't get to call me names."

"That wasn't one of your rules." Adrien spat.

Her hands darted out, latching onto his throat above his collar. Her fingers curled into his skin as she pressed down on his adam's apple. He coughed and choked, taking hold of her wrist with his good arm.

"I could crush you under my thumbs. I could break you, kill you with no problem. It's a mercy that I haven't already. Do you understand?"

Adrien's gagging and choking was her only answer.

She dropped him, and he fell to the ground.

Salo snapped her fingers and Adrien was yanked up on his knees. Pasolini grabbed hold of the twine between his ears and forced him to look up.

"I thought you were smart enough not to pick a fight with me. Guess that's what I get for thinking so highly of a big dumb idiot." She scooped the rest of the cat food in her hand and shoved it in his face.

Adrien kept his mouth firmly shut, but the food smeared all over, even going up his nose. Salo wiped her hands clean on his robe.

"We're going to mark him." She told Pasolini, who simply nodded and pushed Adrien back down on the ground, a knee on his back and his hands holding his face flat.

Just like with Marinette, Adrien's head was shaved on the side, the left, right above his ear.

Then, the tattoo gun started up and Salo got to work etching a foul name on the side of his head. It ached, and the drumming of the gun was unbearable. Adrien clenched his eyes shut and willed the pain to go away, but it went on and on.

"There. Fitting, for you."

Adrien sat up on his own, his battered knees aching at the movement.

Salo thrust the mirror into his face, showing the abuse she put him through.

His word was 'chatte' the French word for pussy, but not the feline form.

"Are you going to think twice before sassing me next time?" She asked, pinching his cheek.

"Yes ma'am." He whispered back.

"Good." She snorted. "Now, I've got other things to do. But we'll have more fun tonight." Then she called to the others in the room. "Suspend them for now."

The cameras were still rolling as Salo left the room. Men came and changed out their chains, attaching them to the ceiling instead. With a loud cranking sound, the chains shortened, so they were just barely able to reach the ground. Adrien cried out in pain from his bad arm.

Then slowly, the others left the room, until Adrien and Marinette were alone.

"Do you think they're watching?" Marinette asked.

"They have to be." Adrien gestured towards a camera with his head. "They're broadcasting us to all of France."

"Yeah…" She breathed. She didn't have an escape plan anyways. The chains were almost medieval in design, the kind with a pin that had to be broken with a chisel. Breaking the link to the chains was the only way out, and that wasn't happening anytime soon.

"How's your nose?" Adrien asked.

"It hurts. How're your ears?"

"Hurts."

He was tired. Such little sleep and all he had gone through already, he just closed his eyes, and begged for sleep to come.