I can't believe its the end of the year. Next time I update it will be in 2019.
It was a gorgeous day. The sun was out, there was a light waft, and the temperature was just right. The kids were in school and Master Fu was at his shop working hard. In the back, Wayzz and Honorra were eating contently. In the guest room, Ning was finishing up a conference with her bosses.
"I understand, I've been away a long time. I just need two and a half weeks more to complete my assignment here."
"We've already given you two months to handle the problem in Paris. Why should we give you an extension?" The U.S.A Representative asked, more like demanded, to her. The woman tapped her fingers waiting for an answer.
"My team and I have gathered new information to handle the delicate situation here. I need the extra two and a half weeks to create a plan and execute it. I promise I'm ready for any new missions you need me for."
The five representatives talked amongst themselves. She could hear whispers of about "Yemen", "cease fire", and "monitoring." The France Representative started talking rapidly and she made out the words, "security" and "danger."
At last, they returned their attention to the video call. "You will be granted your extension and not a day more. The recent cease-fire between the two groups in Yemen needs your attention greatly. As soon as you are finished, you will take the nearest transport and arrive in Yemen. Are we clear?"
"Yes. Thank you for allowing me the extension. I will not fail both missions." The screen went dark and she closed down her special laptop. It needed to be recharged after the long conversation, which had lasted nearly four hours.
She felt Wayzz sit down on her shoulder. "Everything okay?"
Ning scratched his little head and reassured him everything would be okay. The situation in Yemen was critical. At the same time, figuring out who was Hawkmoth and stopping him also took priority.
Their only lead was the few memories she had snatched from Nooroo during his birthday. Those memories had had little to offer in information. While she was happy she had gained control over her new power, it didn't seem right to leave Paris unless she helped bring in Hawkmoth.
Even with a profile, my connection to Nooroo, and everything we've gathered about him, we're no closer to figuring out who Hawkmoth is and why he wants the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses.
"Wayzz, I feel useless in this situation. All my training as both a protector of peace and to become a Great Guardian, and still nothing has come of it. We still don't have Nooroo back or are any closer to saving Duusu as well."
Wayzz patted her chin and reached up to wipe a single tear from her chin. "There will always be challenges in life. You have conquered so many, the feeling of failure is new to you. I promise it will go away eventually."
Ning kissed the kwami on the head, thankful for his kindness and patience.
Honorra, who was on the computer again, called out. "You know, if you're feeling useless, I can suggest something to cheer you up." The magpie kwami beckoned them over.
Honorra was on the LadyNoir blog. She clicked on videos and selected a video of the duo facing Prime Queen, well what footage there was since Alya had been kidnapped at one point and lost her phone.
"I believe there is a saying about knowing your enemy and bettering yourself? What if we take a closer look at the videos to study the Akumas, while also, learning what our two lovebirds, need to improve on?"
"That is rather smart suggestion Honorra. Before I go on any mission, I like to research to learn all I can about where I'm going and who I'm dealing with. We should go to the beginning and watch the videos Alya managed to get."
Ning made some popcorn and got something to drink. Fu had remembered to stock up on hot chocolate and milk. After making her snack, she settled into a comfortable chair and started watching the videos, while the two Kwamiis nuzzled in her hair.
The first few videos, you could tell the teamwork between the two heroes was a bit shaky and they were having a bit of trouble with their enhanced abilities. Chat Noir was always overconfident, and Ladybug was a bit hesitant at times.
The first few Akumas were both dangerous, but at the same time, weak. Both Bubbler and Stormy Weather akumatized items happened to be big and obvious. They also had been a bit distracted from the main objective. While they had gotten their revenge, they also hadn't been very prepared when it came to the Miraculous duo.
The videos continued to play. With her expert knowledge on fighting styles, strategic planning, and assessment, the secret peacekeeping agent noticed small details which couldn't be overlooked. Ning also scrutinized the Akumas, trying to find a pattern to them.
After seeing all the videos, and washing her popcorn bowl, Ning started writing about her findings, on a clean page in her black notebook. Halfway through, Fu entered the residential area and took a seat, waiting patiently for her to finish.
"How was your conference?" he asked after a few minutes.
Sitting straight up, she had a small smile on her face. "I got a two and half week extension." Her smile turned into a frown. "It's not a lot of time and my intuition is telling me Hawkmoth is planning something big."
"I agree, after witnessing the events during Style Queen, I feel Hawkmoth is preparing for a big event. When or where in the city it will be, I'm not sure."
Glancing down in the notebook, Ning told him what she and the Kwamiis had been up to. "We know the basics about sentient beings being turned into Akumas. However, it's unclear why he targets these people when everyone experiences negative thoughts at least once a day."
"Perhaps Hawkmoth is only targeting people who have extremely powerful negative emotions at the time. After all, the stronger the emotion, the more powerful the Akuma," Wayzz suggested
It did make sense when you thought about it. Also, the small similarities between the Akumas, mainly their butterfly style masks or markings, was Hawkmoth's signature. He was taking ownership of the beings he changed.
There was another pattern she saw. Hawkmoth would rotate through heavy hitters, before going with quicker opponents, and then creative ones. He was testing to see what combination would work in his favor.
As for Ladybug and Chat Noir, they need to work a bit more on coordination when attacking together. It also wouldn't hurt if they learned more about hand to hand combat. Too much dependence on a weapon or power could leave a person defenseless.
Gabriel Agreste was back in his secret room having another conversation with his wife. He touched the glass container, gazing at her peaceful expression and kind smile. "I wish I knew what you were dreaming off my dear Emilie. The longer you are away from me, the harder it is to continue on."
Removing his hand from the glass container, a rare smile crossed his face. "I love you so much Emilie and I'm doing everything I can to bring you back. I wish it wasn't taking a long time."
Of course, his wife couldn't respond verbally. He still felt her warmth and love through the glass. "I need the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses. Only with their power can I help you, but those foolish teenagers refuse to give them up. Even if I asked, I know they wouldn't understand and call me a fool.
I am no fool. The Miraculouses, so much power to keep everyone safe. To bring about peace. Nothing horrible would ever happen again to our family, to the world, if I had the Miraculouses!"
He remembered the night of Nooroo's birthday clearly. He had been able to use his connection to Nooroo, to project his astral self into the Kwamiis world. His astral self had just started to learn about the world and pick up on twelve little new minds when that annoying Peace Keeper had booted him out the Kwamiis world.
"I don't understand how she did it. My research in the grimoire revealed kwami with that ability. Of course, I'm still trying to understand the book. The linguist I asked for is finally ready to start. He wants to look at the original source, but I can't let him do that.
Who knows what damage he could cause accidentally by doing tests on the pages? No, he will have to settle for copies. He better translate those pages quickly. I'm paying him more than enough to do so."
Gabriel clenched his hands tightly. If he could successfully unlock the secrets in the book, he would be able to access more powers or learn ways to defeat Ladybug and Chat Noir. No one, especially a bunch of teenagers were going to stop him.
Returning to the house, he was greeted by Nathalie. "How are you Mr. Agreste?" she asked curtly.
"Fine, visiting Emilie has renewed my resolve to steal Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculouses. My end game still needs a bit more consideration before I use it." He placed his hands on Nathalie's shoulders.
"I will need your help to ensure the plan is successful. You are my most loyal employee and friend. Once I have figured out the right powers for you, do I have your permission to akumatized you?"
Nathalie smiled and nodded her head fiercely. "I will do anything for you, Gabriel if it means bringing back Emilie. Adrien will be so happy, he won't even question the fact that Hawkmoth did this for him."
Her eyes rolled to her right side, locking onto the painting. She may have been looking at the painting, but her mind was focused on the safe where the Peacock Miraculous lay.
Gabriel realized what she was thinking. "No Nathalie, the Peacock Miraculous is damaged. The answers to fixing it are in the grimoire. Once it's translated, you can safely use it. Until then, under no circumstances should you use it."
The assistant's lips frowned in displeasure before resuming their normal flat look. "I'll trust you on this. Since Adrien and the Gorilla will be at the photo shoot this afternoon, is there anything you need me to do?"
He mentioned several items he would need to finish his plans and she promised to go get them, leaving Gabriel alone in the house. It was the perfect time to turn into Hawkmoth and cause some trouble.
In his lair Hawkmoth opened the hidden window and started scanning the city, hoping to pick up on the strongest emotions. "Be patient my little akumas. The right target for you to transform will appear in good time."
About three hours later, Adrien was at his photo shoot, at the same building he'd been turned into a gold statue. Thanks to Style Queen interrupting the runway show, the rest of the show was being photographed to be in a special edition of all major fashion magazines.
Vincent, Adrien's photographer, was snapping away as Adrien posed with the new renaissance style fedora. So far Vincent wasn't getting the image he desired. "No, I don't want caring Adrien, I want to see your rebellious side. You need to show me the beast within you!"
Adrien imagined himself as his alter ego performing for the camera. He played with the hat, took it off to give some hearty grins. He even spun it around his finger before flipping it on his head.
"How was that Vincent?"
The photographer stomped his right foot and threw his hands in the air. "No, this isn't right! You're acting spirited and nonchalant. I need you to show me the beast inside! I need to experience your aggression, fierceness, and domineering!"
"Are you sure?" Adrien asked cautiously. Adrien wasn't aggressive or fierce. Those traits were seen in Chat Noir. "I'm not sure I can do that," he stated hesitantly.
"TRY! The editors want a fresh new take on Adrien Agreste. We've seen you sweet, playfully, and happy. Give me something new!" the photographer growled. He gripped the camera strap so hard, it started to tear.
In Hawkmoth's lair, he finally felt the surge of negative emotion he was looking for. "Yes, the frustrations of creating a new image is always painful. My little akuma will give this soul all the power he needs to construct his new image."
He let the akuma fly away and was smiling. He felt a tingling in the back of his mind. "What do you want Nooroo?"
"The person you're attempting to akumatized is right next to your son. How is that keeping him safe?"
"Peace Nooroo. Adrien's bodyguard will handle everything, including keeping my son safe."
The akuma flew to the photoshoot area, spiraling down towards Vincent, who was too busy ranting to notice the purple butterfly about to land on him. On the other hand, Adrien did see it.
Without a thought the blond boy rushed the photographer, pushing him to the ground hard. Vincent looked up to start yelling when the akuma flew into Adrien's heart.
In his lair, Hawkmoth suddenly realized it was his son's mind connecting with him. "No, get out, come back to me!" he tried recalling the akuma, only for him to look down at his Miraculous started flashing and spurting energy.
There was a loud crack as a burst of energy sent the man flying into the wall, where he hit his head, and slumped down to the floor, unconscious. The Butterfly Miraculous fell off his shirt, returning to its dormant state.
Nooroo materialized clutching his head. He was experiencing a pounding headache. His body felt drained and he fell to the floor as well. "No, no, no! It's happening again!" the little being shouted out loud in anguish.
Gabriel had done the one thing Nooroo warned him not to do. He broke his oath about not akumatizing his son. It didn't matter it was an accident, the punishment was the same. Adrien would be cursed and Gabriel wouldn't be able to transform to break it. It was his master's worst nightmare come to life.
Back at the photo shoot, Adrien was screaming in agony. His body was changing, bones were rearranging themselves, the skin was being stretched and there was a huge amount of pain in his chest.
He fell to the ground, using his hands and knees to keep himself propped up. A white outline covered his body, sending pain all over his body. The blond let out another scream that changed into a roar as the curse took hold.
Plagg, who always hid during the photoshoots, watched in horror as his wielder started to sprout a long, furry, white, tail. Adrien teeth sharped and his ears moved to the top of his head and becoming cat ears.
The bones cracked and his skinny chest started to put some muscle on. His fingernails changed into sharp claws and his eyes turned pure gold. The teen pushed himself upright as he grew in height and size. Finally, the curse was complete.
Adrien Agreste was no more. In his place was a large bipedal, pure white, were-cat. He was completely without any rational thought or human emotions, to keep him from hurting anyone.
The creature sniffed the air and snarled at the people surrounding him. Everyone was standing terrified and didn't want to make a move. When the creature let out another roar, people ran away, triggering the predatory instincts of the were-cat.
He jumped off the stage, cornering Vincent. "Please calm down! Adrien, you know who I am. When I said to unleash the beast, I didn't mean this." Frightened he hit the shutter on his camera, blinding the were-creature.
The were-cat yowled in pain as he slashed his paw widely, connecting with the camera and demolishing it. Vincent let out a little girl's scream and ran away. The were-cat followed him, knocking over the Gorilla, in his continued pursuit to track down his prey.
"Not good, not good at all. Need to tell Master Fu!" Plagg wailed as he hurriedly flew in the direction of the shop. He needed to get there fast!
At Master Fu's place, Marinette on a whim had brought over some sweets to share with the old man and his guest. She was trying a new recipe for her tarts and wanted to see if the two adults liked them.
"Hmm, the texture of the crust is smooth on the tongue. I like the aftertaste," Master Fu said to the beaming teenager.
"The flavoring is well matched. I approve."
The Kwamiis were going to give their opinions on the tarts when Plagg came barreling inside the room. His eyes were wide and his tail was standing straight up. "EMERGENCY! Adrien's been cursed and is loose in the city!"
Everyone appeared to be stricken. Adrien cursed? It didn't make sense at all. Master Fu stared at Plagg intensely. "Are you absolutely certain Adrien has been cursed and not akumatized?"
"I'm the Kwami of Destruction, I know a curse when I see one! He pushed the intended target out of the way and the akuma went inside his heart. Only instead of Hawkmoth's mask appearing over his eyes, there was a loud crack and then Adrien was screaming. No purple smoke, just a white outline that turned him into a were-cat!"
Both Fu and Ning looked at each other as they both came to the same conclusion. "Hawkmoth broke an oath he made on his Miraculous," they said in unison.
Marinette, who was starting to panic, demanded to know what was going on exactly. She knew the seriousness of breaking an oath sworn on a Miraculous, but Master Fu had never explained what the consequences happened to be if you broke one.
Pulling out the Miraculous Book, Fu quickly flipped through the pages until he found what he was looking for. He laid the book flat so they all could see the illustration on the page.
The illustration showed a fox wielder making an oath, a picture of the oath being broken, followed by two black arrows pointing at the top and bottom of the page. The top one showed the wielder unable to use the Miraculous and the one cursed transforming into some creature.
"The curses can vary between users. A vast majority will be turned into a monster of some kind. They will slowly lose their humanity until they remain monsters forever," the Great Guardian explained.
"There must be some way to break the curse. I freed Adrien when he was cursed by Dark Cupid when I kissed him. Do you think it would work again?"
"I don't believe in this case, true loves kiss has the right magic to fix this," Tikki replied.
Marinette turned to Tikki, asking she had any idea of how to break the curse, but the little ladybug shook her head.
"None of my wielders ever broke an oath. Did any of you have a wielder who broke an oath?" she asked the others. Both Wayzz and Honorra shook their heads. Plagg was so frantic he couldn't remember if he knew how to break the curses or not.
In her mind, Ning was going over everything she had ever read or learned about curses and how to break them. Then she felt a tingle in the back of her mind and looked down at her charm necklace. Nooroo's charm was starting to twinkle.
Forming the connection, she opened her mind to the vision of the past the kwami wanted to share with her. She was standing in a temple in Ancient Greece. Tied to the floor in front of her was a half man half lion. The creature thrashed about as two guards kept him under control. A few feet to the right was a whimpering woman.
"Beloved Goddess Psyche, I beg of you to please restore my husband to normal. He was cursed by an evil spirit, who pretended to be a messenger of Hera. Can you help him?"
Ning/Psyche replied she would do what she could. Summoning a butterfly, she held it out for the woman to touch. "To save your husband, there are three ingredients to break the curse. One is a symbol to represent the soul. Two, the love of the person who cares about them the most. Three, words of truth; either to take responsibility or forgive the one who cast the curse. Only then will it be broken."
Ning came out of the vision and interrupted the discussion, "I know how to fix this." Everyone listened closely as she explained the memory she had just experienced.
"To break this curse, we need something to represent Adrien's soul. This symbol has to be important to him and express who he truly is at heart."
"Count out the Miraculous. When he changed into there were-cat, the ring melted into his fingers/claws," Plagg moaned in despair over his wielder.
Blocking out the little kwami's tears, the young woman explained the other two items needed. The person who loved Adrien the most and words of truth.
"Well, I love Adrien more than anything, so we already have number two. I don't know what I should be telling the truth about, but I'm sure I can think of something. I just need to keep Adrien from hurting anyone until then."
Master Fu took a deep breath and gently grabbed the bluenette's wrist as she started to get up. "Marinette, you may love Adrien with all your heart, but the one who loves him the most would be his father. Nothing is stronger and purer than the love a parent has for their child."
Shocked, Marinette started sputtering and waving her arms around at the suggestion. "Master Fu, I think that's a terrible idea! Mr. Agreste, I mean I know he loves Adrien, but I don't think he can say it out loud."
Master Fu inclined his head giving her a fond look. "Do you always say you love someone out loud? Love is not always said but can be felt and heard through our actions towards others. Only as you Marinette, can you help Adrien's father find the strength he needs to save his son."
Screams and shouting could be heard outside. There was a loud roar, which echoed across the city. Police sirens were flashing brightly. "What about Adrien? We can't just let him run loose! Hawkmoth's going to suspicious if Ladybug doesn't show, and extremely suspicious if Chat's not there either."
"We'll handle Adrien. Give Tikki the Miraculous so she can hold your form," Ning instructed as Marinette removed her Miraculous and slipped the earrings around Tikki. With a quick hug, she ran out the door heading for the Agreste mansion.
Pivoting on her feet, Ning instructed Master Fu to start preparing her disguise makeup as she hurried into the guest room, to look for the proper clothes. Plagg trailed after her, asking what he could do to help.
Were-Blanco, as the media had dubbed him, was terrorizing Marché des Enfants Rouges. It was the oldest marketplace in the whole city and housed not only fresh food but small restaurants for people to relax in as they shopped.
Several people were running away as the monster ran into the different stands tearing them apart. His tail swung like a baseball bat, smashing tables to bits.
Were-Blanc picked up a chair and threw it at the running ground. A mother with a small child was hit in the back. She fell down, unable to move. Her child pleaded with her to get up.
Were-Blanc stalked over, his padded feet made him super quiet. The child was staring straight at the monster, only for him to keep losing track of the creature. Were-Blanc's fur appeared to have the ability to make him invisible if he wanted to be.
The child shut his eyes and prayed for a miracle. There was a loud roar and he felt a something big jump over him. The child's eyes opened as he looked behind him. The monster was tearing into the fresh meat at a butcher's stand. The child has rushed away as his mom found the strength to get up and get him to safety.
Were-Blanc ripped into a huge steak, shoveling the food into his mouth. He was starving. He had grown bored with chasing the human with the shiny object around his neck, which is why he had followed the scent of fresh meat here.
As the monster stuffed his mouth with a huge turkey, his ears felt the change in the air. His tiny whiskers jiggled before going still. Swiftly, he turned around, his claws just missing the skin of Officer Roger, who thankfully only had his shirt torn and the top part of his pants missing.
"Stop in the name of the law Akuma! You're under arrest for destruction of public property!"
Were-Blanc roared and leaped on top of Officer Roger, pinning the man to the ground as he started to choke the life out of him. His gasping screams alerted the other nearby officers, who had been waiting on his word, to start firing their guns at the creature.
The creature let the man go as he dodged around the projectiles, sometimes using his claws to deflect them. With primal instincts ruling the creature, yet at the same time drawing on the human intelligence, Were-Blanc went on the attack.
He jumped on top of the canopies of the stands, then ran on all fours. He would run about five feet, the jump, twist in midair, and land in a different section of the market, away from the people firing guns.
Once he was in a different section, he dove under the stands, before slowly crawling under them, then leaping out and ambushing the officers. He kept trying to go for their jugular to make the killing bite, only to miss by mere millimeters.
The were-cat was getting angrier and deadlier. He was tired of all the attacks and wanted to kill something badly. Coming upon Officer Roger, who was still trying to gasp for air, the monster licked its lips.
Officer Roger couldn't even scream as the creature pounced at him. He hoped his death would be swift.
A twirling silver baton knocked the creature off course. The were-cat screeched in pain, landing in a fruit stand, the juices sticking to his fur.
Officer Roger opened his eyes and was happy to see "Ladybug" and "Chat Noir" standing there. "Thank goodness you're here! This Akuma is out of control! We can't figure out what this one wants."
"Ladybug" gave the man a sharp look. "This isn't an Akuma Officer Roger."
Hearing this, the man already pale skin turned stark white. "Not an Akuma? How can that be?! You're telling me monsters are real?!"
"Sir," "Chat Noir," said in a commanding tone, getting the policeman to turn his focus from the creature to him. "That were-cat isn't a monster. It is a person who has been cursed. We need a little more time before we have everything we need to break the curse. Keep everyone away and inform the media about this. We can't have anyone get to close. We don't know if the curse will affect them or not."
"I'll do my best, but you better take care of this quickly."
The two heroes nodded as they leaped after the were-cat, who had escaped as they were talking to the police. The two of them tracked the creature, who was leaving a sticky trail of fruit juice and blood from the meat he consumed, on the street below.
"He's heading to the Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature!" "Chat Noir", who in reality was a disguised Peace Keeper, called out to her partner. Plagg had been astonished by the fact Peace Keeper, had made duplicate disguises of the young teenagers, for just this type of emergency.
Plagg was hiding in the collar of the costume, ready to assist Peace Keeper, so she could channel more of his power, through his Kwami Charm, when the time came for it.
The disguised Tikki yelled back. "We can't let him get there! He can hide amongst the taxidermy animals or gravely injure someone!" They picked up the pace.
The ladybug kwami was getting worried. She could only hold her human form for another seven minutes before reverting back to her normal form. Since it was Peace Keepers own life force, powering the transformation, there was no guarantee the woman would have enough energy to keep her human and channel Plagg's powers.
They spotted Were-Blanc jumping into an upstairs window of the museum, not even caring as the glass shards cut into his skin. Taking one look at each other, they dove for the entrance and rushed in to warn the people about the cursed creature there.
Back in the lair, Gabriel finally woke up. He had a huge goose egg on his head and he felt sick to his stomach. Frazzled, he picked up his Miraculous and put it back on. "Nooroo, where are you? We need to get the akuma out of Adrien!"
Nooroo coughed loudly from the floor. His master picked him up, wondering why the tiny creature didn't just levitate from the floor. "Nooroo, Darkwings Rise!"
Nothing happened except Nooroo coughing some more. "You…broke your oath…master. Now…cough you must…cough…suffer the consequences of your actions. You cannot…cough…use your own Miraculous and your son has been cursed."
Seeing his kwami was fighting for his breath, Gabriel stuffed him into his shirt pocket and took his secret elevator back to the atrium. Swiftly striving towards his TV, he turned it on and was shocked to see what was happening.
"This is Nadja Chamack, reporting to you live from the studio. For those of you just tuning in, we have confirmation from the police, the being dubbed, "Were-Blanc", is not an Akuma, as originally identified. Both Ladybug and Chat Noir have identified the creature as being a cursed human, and urge everyone to stay out of the way, to avoid being cursed themselves.
We're waiting for further information about the situation, but we can only hope our heroes know what they're doing to help this poor soul. To the citizens of Paris, please be careful."
Gabriel felt like he had been punched in the gut. He looked at the camera footage seeing a huge white, golden-eyed, were-cat, causing the destruction of property and injuring people so badly, it was pure luck they hadn't died.
"What have I done? WHAT HAVE I DONE?" the man yelled at himself angrily. He threw the TV to the floor then flipped the table over completely. He kicked Nathalie's desk over and tore the power cord to her computer completely apart.
He sank to his knees and started crying, tears falling from his eyes. "I'm a monster. I'm sorry Emilie, so very sorry!"
There was pounding on the front door, but the man ignored it. He pressed his forehead to the floor in despair. There was a loud bang as someone kicked the front door in and force upon the doors to the atrium so hard, the slide slight off track.
"Mr. Agreste, you need to get up! Adrien's in serious trouble!" Marinette yelled as she hurried over to the man, reaching out to help him up only for her to push her away.
"Leave me alone!"
"Please, you need to get up sir. It concerns Adrien's current situation. Mr. Agreste, Adrien's been cursed! You need…"
"THERE IS NOTHING I NEED OR CAN DO ABOUT MY SON!" He whipped around and wrapped his hands around the teenager's throat, in an attempt to choke her.
Shocked by his reaction, Marinette managed to draw back her fist and punch him in the eye, so he let go. She gasped for air staring down at her fashion idol, who seemed to be regaining control of himself.
"Mr. Agreste, I didn't run a marathon here for no reason! Ladybug and Chat Noir, know how to break the curse on Adrien, but they need your help to do so."
The man froze as Marinette in a rush told him what was needed to break the curse. Gabriel loved his son more than anything in the world and he would gladly set the record straight with his son, but what could he use as a symbol for his son's soul?
"The symbol has to represent something very personal to Adrien. A part of him that's so valued, he would never let go of it," Marinette insisted as the two humans searched the mansion for something to use as a symbol.
Gabriel snapped his fingers and rushed over to his son's desk. He snatched something off it and stared at it for a few minutes. "I have what the heroes need. We need to hurry."
Back at the museum, Peace Keeper/Chat Noir was doing her best to keep Were-Blanc contained in one room. Tikki had to duck out about a minute ago when she was about to revert to her normal form.
She blocked the cursed creature's claws with the staff and pushed him up against a taxidermy grizzly bear. "Why can't cats get the simple concept of staying put?" she grunted putting all her strength on her staff.
Were-Blanc dug in his feet and pushed the staff away. It went flying into another room. In the split second Peace Keeper/Chat Noir lost her grip on the staff, the cursed human raked his right leg claws on his opponent's.
Unlike the real suit, this costume wasn't magically reinforced. The claws tore through the fabric, straight into flesh drawing out blood. Plagg felt the human starting to buckle under the pain and loss of blood.
"Hey, alley cat! Bet you can't catch me!" the tiny kwami cat dove into the hallways, leading the cat creature away. Hopefully, it would give Peace Keeper and Tikki enough time to recover, so they could help.
Back with Marinette and Gabriel, between the police blockades and shutting down of public transportation, the two of them had to run most of the way to the museum. When they were about eight blocks out from the museum, they were flagged down by Officer Roger, who drove them the rest of the way, after finding out why they had come here in the first place.
On the front steps of the museum, the two disguised heroes had managed to restrain the creature with the magical yo-yo string. It was taking both of them holding on tightly to keep the were-cat from busting free.
Gabriel froze in place as he looked at the creature his son had become. The creature roared and jerked its head as it tried to bite anyone who came to close. The tail kept slamming on the steps breaking tiny chunks off. It was thrashing around throwing its body weight around and its ears and eyes searched for any weaknesses of his captors.
Marinette squeezed the man's arm, giving him a reassuring look. Taking a deep breath, Gabriel walked closer until he was just out of striking range. "Adrien, can you hear me?"
The monster spit at him, its eyes narrowing at the man, specifically at his jugular vein.
Gabriel Agreste swallowed his fears and held out the symbol he had brought. The picture of Adrien with his mother. He was so much like Emilie and even during her absence, his son had never forgotten her love and warmth, the same warmth he shared with others.
"Adrien, this isn't you. You're not a monster. Please, son, come back to me." The creature lurched forward, nearly tripping the heroes, who Marinette joined, holding the string tightly.
Gabriel took a step back as the were-cat nearly bit his nose off. He almost snapped back at him, a force of habit when correcting Adrien's behavior. No, anger wasn't what was needed.
Mr. Agreste took off his glasses and bravely stepped closer towards the danger, despite yells to stay back. "Adrien, the love I have for your mother is nothing compared to how much I love you. If anyone's a monster, it's me. You're a monster right now because I wasn't the father you needed.
We should be coming together instead of distancing ourselves from one another. It's my fault you've been cursed and I'm so sorry I put you in danger like this. Please come back to me."
With a burst of fury, Were-Blanc broke free of the yo-yo string and lunged at the fashion monger. However, he wasn't aiming at the man's jugular, but the photo in the man's hands. He touched it with a claw and purred.
There was a loud crack in the air as purple, white, and pink bursts of energy shot out of him. Everyone shielding their eyes, hearing the screaming and yowling, which slowly turned back to normal human sounds.
Lying on the ground, in slightly destroyed clothes, was an unconscious Adrien. The akuma flew out of the boy's heart and turned to dust. The curse had been broken!
The following day, Adrien was sleeping blissfully in his room, still worn out by yesterday's events. Being cursed into a were-cat before being restored to his human self, had been too much for his body to take. He would need plenty of rest before he could resume his regular schedule.
Plagg was also joining him. After the chaos of yesterday, the kwami couldn't stand to be away from his wielder, even if it was for a few minutes to go eat cheese. He had been so scared thinking he would lose Adrien forever. So Plagg slept nestled by his boy's neck.
Gabriel was in his own bedroom, just sitting at his desk. Nooroo was perched on the woodwork on top. "Master, are you okay?" He knew his master wasn't okay, but he needed some way to start a conversation.
"No Nooroo, I'm not okay! My son was almost lost to me because of something I did! I promised I would never hurt Adrien and I have. What I did was unforgivable! I don't blame Nathalie for yelling at me last night."
Last night, after Gabriel had tucked Adrien in bed, Nathalie had returned. The look on her face had been enraged. She had shoved the container of parts into his chest before tearing him a new piece.
He had not contradicted her as she called him awful names and threatened to have Adrien removed from his custody. She even went as far to tell him to consider giving up on both his plans and the Miraculous. After that she stormed off and promised to return to the mansion in a few days, to see if her boss had got his act together.
The Butterfly Miraculous lay on the desk in front of him in dormant form, just a tiny jewel. Since Nooroo hadn't disappeared into the Miraculous, the man had not completely rejected the Miraculous.
"I don't know what to do. My plans for the final battle are almost complete and some have already been set in motion for the day. I could have Emilie back with us soon. I could give up the Miraculous then."
Nooroo waited patiently for the man to speak again. He had high hopes the man would realize what he was doing was not only wrong but dangerous. There was a nibble of doubt that nothing would change.
"I don't want to risk Adrien life ever again. I should have been more careful. I need to complete construction on his dome shelter. I wish the contractor would finish making the frame for me."
He continued to stare at the Miraculous for a few minutes. Adrien would be safe if he never used it again, but without it, he could not awaken his wife. The need to be a family again was his motive.
Her image had freed their son from his curse. Her presence could still be felt all over the mansion. It would be cruel to leave Emilie in her enchanted sleep forever.
He picked it up and put the Miraculous back on his shirt. "Can I use the Miraculous now Nooroo?"
The kwami's eyes drooped in sadness with his hopes dashed by his master's decision to keep the Miraculous. "You can use the Miraculous again, now that the curse is broken. However, the same oaths will still apply, including the one for Adrien. If you break your oath again, nothing will break the curse this time."
He was being given a second chance. He would not repeat his mistakes. Instead of planning any villainy today, he would work on finishing building the protective dome shelter to keep his son safe during the final battle.
Downstairs in the hidden safe something was happening. The Peacock Miraculous was glowing brightly. The pin was vibrating as it rocked side to side before it started to roll around the safe and came to a stop, with the front of the pin, facing up.
In a tiny burst of light blue light, a kwami emerged. She was a beautiful shade of light blue and had five peacock feathers for a tail. The eyes on the feathers were black, orange, and dark blue. On her head were three little feathers with tiny blue ovals at the end. She had a red dot in the center of her forehead.
The kwami's eyes opened and they were a pale crimson with a dark blue sclera. The peafowl blinked several times before glancing down at her Miraculous. "Like I suspected. My Miraculous has been damaged. No wonder I was lost in limbo."
Turning her attention away from the Miraculous, she cautiously peeked her head out of the safe. There was no one in sight. I have about five hours of energy stored up. I need to find the Great Guardian and warn him what's about to happen she thought.
After a deep breath, she dove out of the safe and into the mansion. Because of the damage to her Miraculous, her senses had been damaged as well. Her sight was blurry and her hearing had been dampened.
Knowing humans rarely looked up unless they had a reason, Duusu stuck close to the ceiling as she maneuvered from room to room. Reaching the door, she phased through it. Her head feathers jolted then pointed her to the right.
"I really hope Wayzz doesn't go dormant until after I find him." Duusu took off in the direction she felt her "brother's" energy was coming from. As she traveled, she kept a lookout for landmarks, to help her get back to her Miraculous.
Duusu followed Wayzz's energy at a moderate pace. It was important that she conserve as much energy as possible. The less she used, the longer she could linger outside her Miraculous before she was forced to return.
Duusu stopped for a second and began to cough. "Cough, cough, ack." Squinting, she saw the outline of a small fountain in front of her. Hesitating for only a second, dove into the fountain and started gulping down some water.
Once her throat stopped hurting, she waited a full minute before levitating out of the water source and hiding behind a tree. The wind ruffled her tail feathers, tickling her skin. "Hah, hah, it feels great to be tickled once more by the wind." Her head feathers pulled in towards the left this time, so off she went.
It took a full half hour before she finally found Master Fu's place. She landed on a windowsill, peering inside. She could make out a slightly blurry green figure sitting on short man's shoulder. There was also a woman with dark hair talking with him, with a bluish-white figure sitting on her head.
"Here goes everything." Duusu started to phase through the window, only to start having another coughing fit. Her little body felt sluggish as she forced her way through. With a trilling sound, she managed to get through the window and fall to the floor.
She heard someone call out her name and felt someone pick her up. She was feeling sick to her stomach so she closed her eyes for a few minutes to rest.
What seemed like as only five minutes, Duusu blinked open her eyes. She was lying on her back with the Great Guardian above her as he finished the healing ritual.
Next, to her, Wayzz and a kwami she didn't recognize, were holding her hand/paws lending her a tiny bit of their energy. The woman with the dark hair had a few berries in her hand. She held one out and Duusu opened her mouth letting the human feed her.
After a few more berries, the peafowl sat up. "I thank all of you for helping me. How long have I been out?"
"An hour and a half. You were really drained of energy," Wayzz replied.
Duusu winced when she heard that. It meant she had only three hours, maybe even less because of how long she was out. "I must have used up more energy than I thought to get out my Miraculous."
"Which is why a Kwami shouldn't force themselves to come out of their Miraculous when it's not in use," Master Fu gently scolded her.
"I had to risk it, Guardian. There are very important things I must impart to you to help you in the immediate future. Hopefully, one day, I can be rescued, but today is not that day."
The old man understood and told her his name, before introducing her to Ning and Honorra. Both bird based Kwamiis were happy to meet each other and spoke about the difficulties of having feathers that needed constant attention.
Ning interrupted their conversation to remind them time was short. They needed to hear Duusu's information before she had to hurry back to her Miraculous.
It went unsaid, no matter how much they wished they could follow her back to her Miraculous, they couldn't because Duusu would have to go super fast and they wouldn't be able to keep up.
"You're quite right Ms. Sun. The first thing I need to report is my Miraculous has been damaged, which is the reason I'm sick and my senses aren't working properly."
"But my Miraculous was damaged, and I'm not sick. My senses also are working fine," Honorra pointed out.
"We fixed your Miraculous before we released you Honorra," Ning reminded her. "Duusu's pin is still damaged. Until it's fixed, she's going to remain sick."
"This is terrible news. I promise once we retrieve your Miraculous, it will be fixed," Master Fu told the little kwami.
Duusu felt very grateful to know her Miraculous could be repaired. She preceded to tell them what she remembered on her trip here knowing it could help find Hawkmoth.
"I remember stopping in a park with a water fountain. I passed by some underground entrances where the sounds of a train were coming from. I clearly smelled a river and I saw a lot of cars jammed together around a monument.
As for the home where my Miraculous is, it was very vast and had high ceilings. I had to creep along the top and I think I felt marble, but I can't be a hundred percent sure. I remember the rooms had a lot of sunlight in them, but not a lot of color to the rooms. It was mostly white. That's all I have to give to you about my journey here."
They assured her the little bit of information she had given was a big clue to where she had come from. They asked her if there was anything else she could tell them.
"I know there's a woman in the house most of the time, but she doesn't live there. It was her thoughts and feelings which helped me start to collect energy to break free. Besides Hawkmoth and the woman, I'm unsure how many other people are in the house."
"If the woman isn't there all the time, she might be a housekeeper or a personal assistant to Hawkmoth civilian life," Honorra suggested.
"That's entirely possible. Duusu, what can you tell us about your vision of the future, which you sent Master Fu?" Wayzz inquired urgently.
"A great battle will be happening soon and Hawkmoth will have more power than ever before. The people of Paris will be scared and fearful of the many dangers in the city. I sensed many Miraculous users fighting Hawkmoth. My vision didn't tell me who won the conflict."
The two humans looked at each other thinking the exact same thing. Hawkmoth was planning a massive attack to overwhelm the heroes, in a final gambit for the Miraculouses. They needed to prepare for it.
The little peafowl cleared her throat, gaining the humans' attention again. "You will need an advantage if you hope to have a chance to win the battle. You will need all the powers of the Universal Circle to secure a victory."
Ning understood what she was saying. She removed Duusu's Kwami Charm, from the box and held it out to her. Duusu imparted some of her energy into the charm. Afterward, she snuggled with Ning to create the bond needed to activate the charm's power.
"Thank you for the gift Duusu. I promise I will do everything in my power to rescue both you and Nooroo and bring you home," Ning told the little kwami, who smiled upon hearing this.
Both Wayzz and Master Fu could sense Duusu's energy reserves were starting to dry up again. She needed to return to her Miraculous quickly before she lost the ability to be seen by humans.
Duusu was very sad to have to return so quickly to her Miraculous. Still, she had gained hope for the future and knew she had a big family waiting for her. It would be enough to keep her going for now.
Hugging everyone, she phased out of the shop and headed back to her Miraculous, alone once more.