The new project is out! :)
If you didn't mind the bloody nose, bruised skin and scratch marks on his right cheek, he actually looks pretty cute. Well, from what you could see of his face that wasn't hidden by his mask. Ladybug had never seen him up close before, seeing him usually as he was running away.
But Ryuko really did a number on him. Most of his cuts were still bleeding. When Master Fu said subdue him, he didn't mean maim him. At least she was merciful enough to knock him out.
Ladybug stood against the furthest wall away from the cage. There are stories of this man ripping a person's rib cage out of his chest from three feet away. He's chained to the wall, but she'd rather keep all of her organs than take the risk of getting any closer.
She almost felt sympathy for him until a chill racked down his spine. She was being watched.
"I know you're awake. You can stop pretending now."
A low chuckle vibrated from his throat. He slowly lifted his head up and peeked one eye open. They were glowing purple. "What gave me away?" His voice was a low growl that echoed off the stone walls of the prison.
"You're poor muscle control. Next time you try to fake being severely unconscious try to remain perfectly still," she said. A cruel smirk crossed his face, practically oozing his bad intentions. It's probably the last thing his victims ever see. "I like you." She tried to fight down the blush that was trying to come up from his ever so blunt statement.
He tried to take a step forward but was yanked back by the chains. It was then he noticed his entrapment. The chains attached to steel cuffs that were wrapped around his wrist and ankles. The chains clacked and clanged as he tugged at them.
"Careful. You might pull your arms out of their sockets." These chains have been melted to double- reinforced stone walls and the cuffs were coated in numerous sealing spells. The only way out of them were the keys. He'd tear a limb off before he managed to get free.
It was almost an hour later before he tired himself out. He managed to weakly glare at her from his slumped position on the floor while he was heavily panting. He realized he couldn't force his way out of the chains so he tried a different approach. "Are the chains really necessary? I'm practically harmless in my current state."
"You killed two of my men as soon as you arrived here," she blanched.
"Exactly. If I had my full strength you would all be dead by now."
"Lucky us." There was a knock on the stone entryway of the dungeon. Rena was holding a tray of today's lunch for the prisoners: steak and potatoes.
The Black Plague stared at the plate in Rena's hand. She pulled out a key and opened the cell. With a quick sneer in his direction, she dropped the plate at his feet, walked out of the cell, locked it back and went to stand by Ladybug.
He stared at the plate then looked up at them. "Steak and potatoes? I never would've thought that I would get treated with such kindness when I finally got captured."
"And I never thought that the Black Plague would be so talkative."
"And handsome."
Ladybug scoffed. "More like full of yourself."
"So you don't think I'm handsome? I don't know. You were checking me out pretty hard earlier."
He's seriously been awake for that long. Ladybug sputtered as the blush she was trying to fight down became prominent. Rena's bewildered stare didn't help either. Trying to get things back on track, she asked: "What is Hawkmoth planning?"
The grin slipped away, replaced with a toothy grin. His teeth were sharp. "Can't say."
"Why's that? Bad kitties get punished you know."
"Can't be worse than what Hawkmoth can think up."
"We'll see." Ladybug started to walk away with Rena on her tail. The Plague looked up at me before I could pass him. The purple glow seemed to start fading from his eyes. "Hawkmoth is going to come."
"We'll be ready."
"Everyone says that until he comes. Volo vobis felix funus."
"What does that mean?" she thought. She continued to walk away. She had to go report to Master Fu. She spared him one last glance before she walked out of the dungeon and left him to the silent darkness. She didn't notice the black tattoo that formed on her arm.