Adrien remained on the bench for only another minute before pulling himself to his feet. Dejected, he returned to the car, not saying a word to the gorilla, who was looking concerned. He probably saw Marinette running by crying. As they pulled up at home, Adrien slowly stalked to his room and collapsed on his bed.
"What have I done?" he said aloud, though this time more to Plagg than to himself. The kwami flew out of his jacket and considered his owner.
"You only crushed your friend's spirit," Plagg said casually, almost as though this was amusing. Adrien ignored his tone for now.
"I never should have said yes," Adrien shook his head, "I really messed up, Plagg."
"Hey, anybody can make a mistake," the kwami replied, taking a softer tone. He acted indifferent, but Adrien knew that he genuinely cared for him.
"Maybe I can talk to her as Cat Noir," he suggested, sitting up suddenly, feeling hopeful again.
"Why would Cat Noir know that she's upset?" Plagg asked him, "That would be tough to explain."
"Well, maybe I can say I was nearby and saw her in the park."
"Adrien," Plagg looked him dead in the eye, "I think you've done enough damage tonight."
"You're right, Plagg," Adrien sighed, "She probably hates me now. Maybe someday I can get her to forgive me." He stood up and stalked over to the window, leaning against the frame as he stared out into the night sky.
Marinette threw herself into her desk chair, resting her head in her hands on the desk and just let it all out. She cried uncontrollably, her loose hair now sticking to her wet cheeks, unable to formulate any coherent thought in her mind. Everything had gone wrong. She wasn't sure how it had happened, or when it had happened, but everything was wrong now.
"Marinette," Tikki flew up beside her, resting a tiny arm on her shoulder, "It's not your fault." The kwami was at such a loss for words, but she was doing her best to be encouraging. Her voice sounded just as pained as Marinette felt.
"I'm so stupid, Tikki," Marinette sobbed, not lifting her head from the desk, "Why would I ever think A-Adrien would love me?" It was hard for her to say his name anymore, hard to even think about him. Images of his face flashed through her mind, smiling, but suddenly that smile looked like it was mocking her, cruelly tearing apart her dreams.
Tikki remained quiet, just hugging Marinette's shoulder to try and provide some comfort. Suddenly she pulled away and started shouting something, but Marinette was too lost to hear what. Something had disturbed her, but Marinette didn't even care anymore.
All of a sudden, a strange, cold session washed over Marinette. It didn't remove the pain she felt, but somehow seemed to… solidify it, holding it in place. Then the voice came.
"Hello, young lady," a voice spoke to her as though whispered directly into her ear, a familiar voice. Hawk Moth. A stab of panic tore through her troubled mind as she realized what had happened: she had been hit by an akuma.
"No," she lifted her head and shook it fiercely, trying to free herself from that voice, "No! I don't want to be a villain!"
"Of course not," the voice came, silky smooth, piercing into the depths of her soul, "but don't you want to express your pain? Show others how you feel?"
"No, no I don't!" she shouted. Now her whole body was shaking as she tried to pull herself out of her despair, but the only emotion that came in its place was anger, and that was just as bad in this case. For the briefest of moments, though, the cold feeling that had come with the touch of the akuma seemed to lessen.
"You have to fight it, Marinette!" Tikki shouted, "Don't let him control you!"
"Of course you do," the voice came again, still smooth but with a twinge of frustration in it, "Look at you, sitting in your sorrow, while all around you people are sitting happily with their loved ones. How is that fair? Why should they be so happy when you're so miserable?"
Marinette felt her resolve weaken. Thoughts of happy couples all over Paris just made her despair and anger worse. It wasn't fair, was it? Why should they get to be happy? Why should Adrien get to be happy when she was sitting here in tears?
"Yeah," she said, the cold of the akuma's influence growing, "Why should they?"
"Heartbreaker," Hawk Moth said, his voice strong and confident again, "I give you the power to spread sorrow all over Paris, but in return you must do something for me. You must bring me the miraculous of Ladybug and Cat Noir."
"Yes, Hawk Moth," Marinette's voice had grown cold as she answered. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a tiny voice protested, trying to pull her out of it, but it was quickly drowned out as she felt the akuma's magic spreading out from her infected purse to consume her whole being. She welcomed that power as it embraced her, felt the strength it gave her. Yes, she would bring her pain to all of Paris, especially the one that broke her heart.
Hawk Moth felt the emotions, so dark and troubled, as his akuma homed in on its target. As it flew, he began to consider what type of powers he would be able to grant to this poor girl. Perhaps he could have another Dark Cupid? That would be useful.
He felt as the akuma found its target, felt the psychic connection made between them. Through it, he projected his will onto his victim, and soon she would… Hmm, that's strange, he realized. Normally as soon as his akuma touched the victim, he would have control over them and be able to formulate their powers immediately. Once, when he infected a teacher, it took him a moment before he could subjugate her. Her willpower was strong, but he broke her quickly enough, and now he would break his newest victim.
"Hello, young lady," he spoke softly to her. He felt her panic. She had an understanding of what was going on, and unlike most of his victims, she was resistant to it.
"No," she shouted back at him, trying to banish his hold on her mind, "No! I don't want to be a villain!" She was stronger than he realized.
"Of course not," he said carefully, "but don't you want to express your pain? Show others how you feel?" He needed her to want it, to break her down so he could control her properly.
"No, no I don't!" she shouted. He felt a pulse of energy and growled in frustration. What's with this girl! he wondered. Her will was so strong, for a moment he felt like he might lose her. He needed to break her, he needed to overpower her surprising willpower!
"Of course you do," he insisted, trying to keep his voice steady. He needed to say something that would get to her, remind her of her abject misery and keep her focused on it. "Look at you," he went on, "sitting in your sorrow, while all around you people are sitting happily with their loved ones. How is that fair? Why should they be so happy when you're so miserable?"
He felt her start to weaken. Yes! I will control her, he told himself.
"Yeah," he heard her response. Something broke in her then, an iron wall of resistance that had prevented him from getting through, now shattered as she welcomed the sorrow to consume her. "Why should they?" she agreed.
Now he could sense her full essence. No, not another dark cupid, but something similar. She was not consumed by humiliation as much as sadness, so that would be the focus of her power. All was clear to Hawk Moth now.
"Heartbreaker," he said, confident as he began to channel his strength into her, "I give you the power to spread sorrow all over Paris, but in return you must do something for me. You must bring me the miraculous of Ladybug and Cat Noir."
"Yes, Hawk Moth," she answered, now cold and obedient. The power began to overwhelm her. Now she was under his total control, and this time he knew he would succeed!