Note: This chapter has brief mentions of the previous two chapters. We are in the viewer's perspective.
—
Hawkmoth. We need to talk. —Salo.
Alya stared at the sentence over and over, her breath hitching in her throat. How could this happen? It couldn't! It just couldn't!
"I have to remove this link!" Alya stated. "Max, can I get on your computer?"
"Of course," he stated, taking out his laptop. "It's pretty obvious how she posted that. You are using a public server through blogspot, after all."
"Can you prevent her from doing it again?" She asked, logging into her account.
"Of course. No problem."
Incorrect username.
Alya clenched her fists. "That bitch kicked me out!"
"Now now, hold on." Max assured, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Let Markov try."
"Of course, this will be easy. One moment please." Markov plugged into the computer, and in a few seconds, the Ladyblog's dashboard appeared.
"Wonderful! I'll change my email and password too. After I delete this post!"
It was right up top, in the most plain and boring formatting. Just a white box with black text.
"Huh." Alya said aloud, staring at it.
"What's wrong, Al?" Asked Nino.
"There's no trash icon. No comment section, no share icon, nothing. I can't edit it or delete it."
"Allow me," stated Markov again.
A red triangle with an exclamation point came up on his face. "Whoopsies, we don't have access to the post."
"Whaddya mean we don't have access!? This is my blog, isn't it?"
"Yes and no." Said Max. "Everything around this post is your blog. But this box itself is not."
"Huh?"
"Think of it…as Salo cut a hole in your website and has this in the background, showing through."
"You can do that?" Asked Nino.
"Not easily, by any means. It's extremely complicated. I've never tried it myself. No need to."
"So…what do we do?" Alya crossed her arms, looking anxious.
Max screwed up his lip in thought, turning the laptop towards himself. He typed away, a next window coming up. In a flash of textual garbage, too complexed for anyone else to understand, he had a diagnosis. "Okay…well, the post has a slightly different URL, that's associated with the blog. But it's being hosted on a private server, which I can't access. At least not yet. I can try to take it down, but it will take me a few hours, at least."
"But we don't have a few hours! Hawkmoth could see this post at any second!"
"I understand. The other thing we could do, is delete the blog in its entirety. Then the post won't have a URL to associate with and will be unviewable."
Delete the Ladyblog.
Alya felt sick.
What was two years of hard work in exchange for her friend's safety? She still had all the videos, all the pictures, she could make a new website, right? One that got Marinette's approval before every posting.
"Okay—"
"Wait," said Nino. "Shouldn't we see where the link goes first? What if it helps the police find them?"
Alya gasped slightly. "I'm glad you thought of that!"
"Markov, initiate Backdraft operations." Max said.
"Backdraft initiated."
"What's backdraft?" Asked Alya.
"It's simply a protocol I use if I think my presence is being tracked, or I may be counter hacked. It's basically a fancy firewall."
"Oh, I see."
With the class gathered around, Max clicked on the link.
Another window popped up, with a loading wheel. It spun for a moment, then a big red 'X' covered the screen and the window closed.
"Hmm…how very interesting."
"What the heck was that?" Asked Kim, resting his chin on Max's head like a pest.
"Believe it or not, that was a video chat. But it uses facial recognition to get in."
"So it's not going to be helpful to us at all. Huh?"
"I can try to track it. Though it may be difficult since the page closes so quickly."
Nino whispered as quietly as possible. "Didn't the detective say he wanted to use your blog to help with the investigation?"
Alya scrunched up her face. Now she had to make two decisions. Stop Hawkmoth, or take the chance and maybe get a lead on Salo.
Any normal person would have gone with the absolute, but Alya was desperate.
"Leave the blog up. Do you think you can track the link?"
"I'll give it my best shot." Said Max, honestly.
Alya gave a twitch of a smile.
Something about her conversation with Hawkmoth earlier niggled in her brain. He had addressed her by her name, not as an Akuma. And when she asked him to leave, he left.
Of course, there was no trusting the man, that was obvious, but as far as villains go, she was much more willing to deal with him than Salo.
Alya shook her head. That was an insane thought.
Then the bell rang, and lunch was officially over. Alya and Nino found their seats, now feeling keenly aware that Adrien and Marinette were both absent from class.
"Oh," said Nino, holding up a pink backpack. "She left it here. Adrien's is here too."
Alya smiled fondly. "We'll carry them back with us."
—
Miss Bustier was nothing if not understanding. None of the students had their homework done from yesterday, so she just cancelled the assignment. Alya and Nino weren't given the missed work from this morning either.
She had a feeling they probably wouldn't be doing it anyways.
Alya had her phone out all day, plugged into a portable charger.
She constantly refreshed the page, hoping for something different.
But no. For hours now, Adrien and Marinette has been hanging by the wrists from chains.
Near the end of the day, Alya looked over to see Marinette speaking to the camera.
She rewound, found the time stamp and raised her hand.
"Yes Alya?"
"Marinette's saying something! She's speaking to us!"
"Are you sure?" Miss Bustier asked.
Nino was already next to her, looking at the screen.
"She's looking right at the camera. I don't think she's talking to Adrien."
"Can I turn on the projector?" Asked Max.
"Well…" Miss Bustier saw the first broadcast. She had turned away the moment Marinette was demanded to strip. She hadn't watched anything since, and didn't know if it was safe to show the students.
But looking around, she saw that they were all worried, and eager to see what Marinette had to say.
And so she nodded at Max.
In a matter of seconds, the website was up, and Adrien and Marinette's states were now visible to the room.
There was a round of gasps.
No one had watched the stream this morning.
"Is that…is that Adrien?" Chloe asked, with choking breath.
Regardless of the state of room, Alya hit play.
Marinette looked around, and then looked directly at the camera. She gave a tired little smile.
"Hey," she spoke in an absolutely broken voice. "If you're watching this, you…you're probably feeling a little hopeless. I don't blame you. I feel…pretty hopeless too. I mean, I'm…I'm stuck. I'm not sure how I'm going to get out of this. But…but Ladybug always saves the day, right?" She glanced away, choosing her words. "My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I'm 17 years old, and my favorite color is pink. I'm the daughter of the best bakers in Paris, though I might be a little bias." She smiled slightly. "Before I became Ladybug, I was a normal girl, with a normal life. What made me extraordinary, was my willingness to help others, and my kindness. So Paris, I have a favor to ask:
"Be helpful and kind. Go out of your way do something nice for someone once a day. If you can do this for me, then I know Paris will be safe until we return."
"I promise." Alya heard Chloe whisper.
She glanced over to Adrien, then off screen, and then back at the camera. "Maman, Papa...I'm really really sorry I had to hide this from you. I didn't want to, and some days I thought about how much easer it would be if I just told you. How I could explain the lateness and absences, and my bad grades. But I just had to let you think I was a bad kid. It was for your safety, after all...but despite my best efforts, this still happened, and now you're in danger. Please get somewhere safe. Leave Paris if you have to. I love you so much. I promise I'll be out soon."
Her brow crinkled, as she hesitated. Then, "Alya, I'm sorry too. You…you probably feel kinda betrayed right now. But, like I said, it was for your own safety. You were put in peril so many times because of me. How many more would that have been if Hawkmoth thought you knew my identity? After everything, I hope you finally believe me now...sorry, that was harsh. I...I'll forgive you, if you forgive me. Deal?"
Alya broke down sobbing. If there was anything else to be heard, she missed it. Of course she forgave Marinette! How could she not? Marinette picked her as Rena Rouge, time and time again!
And what did she do in return?
Stab her in the back.
Some best friend she was.
"Al…" Nino comforted. "It's alright."
"It's not alright!" Alya shouted, startling everyone. She hated how much of a mess she was. She was supposed to be a superhero, damnit! But at this rate, Hawkmoth would try to akumatize her again.
"She's right, you know." Said Miss Bustier, rubbing a hand under her eye. "It's not alright." She cleared her throat and spoke to the class. "I know things seem bleak right now. And it's okay to be upset. It's okay to grieve and to hurt. But it's never okay to hurt others to make yourself feel better. That's exactly what Salo is doing. That's what Hawkmoth has done for years. I know it hurts, and things seem hopeless. But we need to listen to Marinette, to Ladybug. Go out of your way to be kind to someone."
Alya breathed a sigh. Miss Bustier always knew what to say to make things better.
"Alya, can you come stand with me please?"
She nodded, getting to her feet. Up front, Miss Bustier hugged her, and held her around the waist, as she beckoned each one of her students forward.
"Alya, you're so smart."
"You've got a wicked sense of humor!"
"You're really perceptive, and notice things that others don't!"
"You always put in that extra bit of work to make a project look amazing!"
On and on, each student complimented her, as was custom in Miss Bustier's class. But all of them were genuine, not just going through the motions.
Except maybe Lila, but still, it was hard to tell. "You are really dedicated to your blog, and put everything on it, to make it just right."
Alya swallowed. That comment fell flat in comparison to the others.
Chloe came up, a scowl directed in Lila's direction, then she grabbed Alya by the upper arms. "You are fiercely protective to your friends. No matter who they are. If you feel friendly towards them, you protect them. And that's something I've always admired about you."
Alya wanted to cry again, but she spared Chloe the satisfaction. "You're just trying to be nice."
"Me? Nice? As if!" She scoffed, but they both knew it was true.
"The reason we do these activities," explained Miss Bustier, "is so that when you see someone having hard time, you take the time to cheer them up. It should be an automatic response."
"For Marinette and Adrien!" Cheered Kim in the back.
"For Marinette and Adrien!"
—
After school, Alya and Nino gathered their stuff from their lockers. It was time to head back to the Agreste Mansion, for their own safety. Though, the temptation to go out and patrol was strong. Yet the heat was still on, and it wasn't smart to risk it just quite yet.
"Alya?" A soft voice asked.
It was Choe. And she looked shy. Sabrina was no where to be seen.
"Hey Chloe," Alya said pleasantly. It felt better to just be nice, like Miss Bustier suggested.
"I…" Chloe started, then she turned away. It took a few tries, each time she started differently. Then, she finally managed out. "I don't know what to do."
"What?"
"I…I don't know what to do. Normally, when I want something, daddy just buys it for me. He takes care of everything. I've never been in a situation where I couldn't have what I wanted. But…but I can't do that with this. I begged daddy to save them. Both of them. And he tried! He talked to the chief of police and they got in contact with Europol…but basically…there's nothing they can do. So…I have to do it myself. I have to save them."
Alya scoffed slightly. "You can't save them yourself."
"I have too." Chloe said right back, her daily stubbornness shining through. "You don't understand!"
"Chloe…"
"I found the Bee Miraculous. Marinette dropped it, and I found it. Despite all my mistakes, all my insults and my cruelty, Marinette…Marinette let me become Queen Bee. Several times. She threw a party for me, when I felt like no one liked me. She went out of her way to help me reconnect with my mother. And…" She started to sob.
Chloe, it's me, Ladybug. You can trust me, you can tell me the truth.
You have a purpose.
"She spoke to me in a way no one else had before. She was so…so nice! And she meant it! Only Adrien ever treated me like that! But I was never mean to him!" She sniffed and rubbed her eyes. "That's why I have to save them! She has to know how sorry I am! How much I appreciate her! And how much Ladybug still means to me!"
Alya was touched. "Why you telling me this?"
"Because you're the Ladyblogger, duh! You've got to know something! Don't you have a hint to who Rena Rouge are Carapace are? Any way to contact them? I want to help them! As Queen Bee!"
Alya screwed up her lip. "And you don't care about the attention of being a superhero in the limelight again?"
"Puh-lease, if I cared about attention, I wouldn't look like this!" She gestured to herself.
Nino snickered. "I didn't even think you owned a track suit."
"How do you think I stay in peak physical form? By Instagraming all day?!"
"Still…"
"Fine! It's Givenchy! Give me a break!"
Alya and Nino shared a look of understanding. Now was the time to use all the help they could get. Alya reached into her bag and pulled out a little black box. "Chloe Bourgeois. This is the Miraculous of the Bee. You will use it for good. Until such a time that Ladybug and Chat Noir are safe, you will keep it safe and protect it."
"And you won't put it on your snap story!" Nino added, harshly.
Chloe took the box, reverently. "Are…are you sure?"
"The guardian gave it to us, and told us to give it to you when we felt it was safe."
Chloe, smiling, opened the lid, and a glittering yellow light appeared.
"Hello my queen!" Pollen sang.
"Pollen!" She scooped her up and held her to her cheek. Then she looked back to Alya and Nino. "When do we start our patrol?"
Alya laughed, happy to see Chloe so eager. "Soon. But we have some catch up to play."
—
It had never been this hard to akumatize someone.
Granted, Chloe Bourgeois had put up a great fight. But it was nothing like this.
Hawkmoth had assumed Alya would be the perfect candidate to become an Akuma. In all the times he had been around her, granted it was only a handful, she had been absolutely devastated.
Lady WiFi had been amazing, and given her powers of pausing, she would have been great.
But, she was not cooperative. Sure, maybe he could have pushed her a little more, put on the pressure. But it didn't feel right.
Nothing about this felt right.
And that's what made him so conflicted.
Because we was willing to do whatever it took to get Emilie back. Exploiting people who were having the worst day, who were in unbearable pain.
So why the hesitation now? This was Adrien, the light of his life. The only family he had left. He loved his son, although he often had a hard time showing it.
He reached out to Nino Lahiffe, who, admittedly, was not as visibly upset as Alya had been, but his hurt was still present. Nino was unbearably calm as he asked Hawkmoth to 'kindly f—- off.'
Next was Chloe Bourgeois. Surely she would agree, right? She loved Adrien!
Oh but she was nearly feral trying to get rid of him. She yanked on her hair and screamed and cried.
He left quickly, feeling her pain as his own.
He looked at Tom and Sabine, but didn't have the heart to even try. Ladybug's parents, now that was cruel.
He was beginning to run out of victims. Gorilla? Nathalie? Himself?
Lila Rossi! She was always ready and willing to be akumatized!
But then, he remembered with growing horror that she hated Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She may try to save Adrien, but she'd leave Marinette all alone to suffer. And that was almost worse.
He dropped his transformation, a dropped to his knees.
"Master? Please don't cry."
"I disgust myself." He whined in the back of his throat. "Why…why can't I do it? What makes this so different? Am I not desperate enough? Do I not love Adrien enough?!"
Noroo swooped in and nuzzled against Gabriel's cheek. "You love Adrien plenty. Don't beat yourself up over having sympathy for others in pain."
Gabriel swallowed, digesting the kwami's words. "I suppose...that means there's hope for me yet."
The elevator rose, bringing Nathalie into the room. "Sir, Madame Cheng has something to show you on the stream."
"She found something?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then we'll continue this later Noroo, let's go."
—
Sabine stood in the lobby, her phone in hand. Thankfully, the stream could be rewound to repeat anything that had happened. And so when Gabriel finally emerged from his office, she went to him, thrust the phone in his face, and pressed play.
"Notausgang."
"Pardon?"
"Notausgang. Does that word sound familiar?"
"No...it sounds German though. Why?"
"It's written on the wall behind you."
"Like Graffiti?"
"No...it looks like it's supposed to be there. Like a sign."
"A German sign on the wall? You don't think...we're in Germany, do you?"
"I have no clue where we are, but...why else would there be German on the wall?"
"Well, maybe we're still in France. Maybe not Paris, but Alsace-Lorraine or..."
"Notausgang is German for 'Emergency Exit'. It's everywhere in Germany." Gabriel responded. "Not so much in Alsace-Lorraine. If there's no French by it, it's safe to assume they are in Germany."
Sabine choked. "Oh no…no no no…"
Gabriel rested a calm hand on her arm. "Sabine, it's alright. This is good. We know we're looking in the wrong place, and we can tell the detective what we learned. Okay?"
She nodded, wiping her cheeks. "I just…they're so far…I feel so helpless!"
"I feel the same." He assured.
And he did. Not only did he have no clue where they were in Germany, but his akumas couldn't reach farther than Paris. Even if he were to go to Germany, he'd have to spend days hopping around from city to city. And that wasn't suspicious at all.
Still…if that's what it took.
First, they'd talk to the detective. Then they'd plan the next move.