Heroes Rise!
The window opened, illuminating the dark room where the dark figure stood. The white butterflies fluttered all around and he smiled wickedly. It was his first catch of the day, and he was going to reel it in before it got away.
"So many negative emotions." he said. "I love it. Sadness, anger…this lucky girl will be the first to taste my power." he opened his palm, which was covered with a black glove, allowing one white butterfly to land on. He covered the insect with his other hand, transferring his energy into it. The insect itself became tainted, its pure white wings turned black with glowing purple markings. The man smiled wickedly at his newest creation while Nooroo watched helplessly from inside the Miraculous.
The man released the butterfly, allowing it to fly out the small opening in the window, releasing it onto the city of Paris to find its first victim.
"Go my little Akuma. Find her, and darken her heart!"
(~)
Marinette was already halfway home, the pizza sauce already drying up on her shirt, much to her dismay. This stain would be almost impossible to get off. As she walked, she felt something fluttering at her ear. She recognized the sound as butterfly wings.
The girl was rather surprised, she had never seen a butterfly of this variety before. Its strange black colored wings sent a shiver up and down her spine. It just didn't seem natural to her. The little insect kept on harassing her, even attempting to stick itself onto her backpack or her shirt or her shoulder bag, almost like it was trying to find something.
"Hey! Get away!" Marinette swatted the creature away before heading down her street. The butterfly flew away from the girl, leaving her be.
(~)
The dark figure angrily growled and stomped his foot. "What is happening?! Why didn't my Akuma work on her?! Her heart probably wasn't dark enough. Well, I most certainly won't make that mistake twice."
(~)
Adrien watched sadly as the city and its people passed before him, his head leaning against the car window. He was so hoping he would be able to give his father's secretary and his limo driver the slip this time around, and for a moment he did. He had informed his father to allow him to go to the mall by himself, which was one of the few things Adrien's father allowed him to do by himself. Using this, he hoped to get a glimpse of how school life was really like, only now it seemed he had made a big mess of things. He only wanted to make friends and feel like a normal kid for once, but it would seem that would never happen. At the end of the day, one can't be anything else but what they are. Adrien was just a rich kid, and no doubt that's all anyone would ever see him as. Marinette certainly didn't see him as anything different than that, and he thought maybe she would. Sadly, that was not the case. Maybe it was best if he didn't go after all. Last thing he ever wanted was to ruin someone's day.
"Your father will not be happy about this, young man. Nathalie said, looking at the boy from the review mirror. She sat shotgun beside the limo driver, who was as big as a gorilla, and trice was strong. Adriaen nicknamed him "Gorilla" for this very reason, to which even the driver himself didn't mind. Unlike his boss's secretary, he felt more sympathy for the young lad.
"All I want is to go to high school like everyone else." Adrien said, "What's wrong with that?"
Neither Nathalie nor Gorilla responded to his question. They just remained silent, which wasn't anything too new for Gorilla since he wasn't much of a conversationalist, but it was a tad new for Nathalie. She was always the one needing to school Adrien about running off and disobeying his father. He was lucky Gabriel wasn't a violent man, or else he'd smack his own son for his rebellious spirit. Then again, Gabriel wasn't always as around as Adrien would have liked. He spent most of his time working on his new fashion line or flying off to business meetings on his private jet, leaving Adrien to be home schooled at home, unless he was needed for a photo shoot anywhere else. At least Adrien got to travel, which was fun, but often times…it was very lonely.
He felt like a prisoner in his own home, like those princesses in fairytales who are forced to be locked up in a tower. As embarrassing as that sounds, it was Adrien's life. He was a sad little prince forced to live in a tower for the rest of his days, guarded by an overbearing parent.
Times like these, he wished his mother was still around. His father wasn't always so distant and cold. He used to be happy. Always smiling and cracking up jokes. His wife was the light of his life, his joy, his inspiration. They studied at the same fashion school where they fell in love. Adrien's mother would often tell her son about the fairytale romance she had with his father when she was young. It may sound strange, but Adrien did somewhat wish something magical and exciting would happen to him. Maybe he too could find an amazing girl to fall in love with and have a fairytale adventure.
One tragic day, his mother went missing. It was completely out of the blue. Adrien refused to believe she just left them, and Gabriel assured him that wasn't the case. However, he also didn't know why or how his wife just left. The police searched high and low for her for several years, but found no trace of her. From that day forward, Gabriel was a changed man. But not for the better…for the worse. Adrien felt like he was living with a stranger. His father was practically a prison officer, keeping his son at bay. It was far from a fairytale life.
The car came to a slow stop, arriving at the Agreste estate, which really did look like a palace…a palace with walls surrounding the estate with a large mansion within, standing tall and shimmering in the sunlight. And arc formed the main entrance, adorned with expensive elaborately styled steal gates. Adrien sighed as he exited the limo, only to stop on his tracks when he heard the sound of someone crying for help.
"Help! Someone, please!"
Adrien quickly spun his head to see an elderly asian man, knees to the floor, trying desperately to reach his cane. The poor man looked so helpless and week it tore Adrien's heart in two. Acting on impulse, Adrien ran past Nathalie and Gorilla, much to their surprise, and watched as the boy assisted the elderly man by giving him his cane and helping him stand up.
"Thank you very much, young man."
Adrien only smiled, not saying a word. He was just happy the poor old man could finally stand up again. "Adrien!" Nathalie called out, making the blond teenager jolt up in surprise. The woman could be very intimidating when she wanted to be. Adrien waved farewell to the old man and walked back towards the two adults.
As the gates opened and the three entered the estate, Master Fu smiled in satisfaction before walking away from the scene. Holding his cane over his back while whistling a happy tune.
(~)
The bell rang and the students exited the classroom one by one. Chloe was pouting throughout the entire class. "Where did Adrien go?" she asked Sabrina, "You don't think he went after that new girl, do you Sabrina?"
"Of course not!" her friend/personal girl servant said with confidence, "Why would someone as cool as Adrien ever want to have anything to do with her when he's already got the most amazing, smart and beautiful girl."
Chloe slammed her fists onto her desk, frightening Sabrina. "What?! Who is this tramp?!"
"I was talking about you."
Chloe blinked before calming down. "Oh. Right, of course! Obviously."
"Kim!"
Chloe and Sabrina turned their heads once they heard one of their classmates, Ivan, shout out the name of their other classmate, and clenched his fists, ready to punch him in the face.
"Ivan, what is going on?!" the teacher exclaimed, stopping the fight before it even began.
Ivan was a big looking fellow, strong and intimidating with his dark shirt with two intercrossed bones, dark pants and sneakers and perfectly cut hair with a cuff of it styled to the side of his forehead, dyed blond.
Kim was the jock Marinette spotted earlier, with his amber colored hair styled in a spiky hairdo wearing a red hooded shirt, and smiling smugly at Ivan.
"It was Kim!" Ivan stated, clenching his fist and aiming it back at the boy, "I'm gonna make him taste-"
"That's enough!" the teacher exclaimed, walking closer to the two boys and crossing her arms. "Ivan, go calm yourself in the principal's office. I will not tolerate violence in my classroom."
"But-"
"Now!"
Kim only chuckled and Ivan growled angrily as he crumbled a piece of paper in his palm before storming out of the classroom. Little did they all know, a particular butterfly with back wings fluttered by the window. From within his chambers the mysterious figure could feel the boy's sadness and anger. His previous option didn't have what it took, but this one most certainly did.
"Well, what do we have here? Another candidate, I presume? Perfect."
Ivan walked to the principal's office, angrily clenching the crumbled piece of paper in his hands. He didn't do anything wrong, and yet he was the one being punished. This just wasn't fair. Not fair at all. He was so lost in his angry thoughts he became completely unaware of the dark butterfly approaching him. The insect touched the surface of the paper in his hand, instantaneously dissolving into black particles which sunk into the paper, turning it dark purple. Ivan felt something overwhelm him. A strange yet incredible wave of power coursing through his veins. Red butterfly winged markings appeared around his eyes. His heart yearned for revenge, for justice, for satisfaction. His instincts were taking over, clouding his mind, his heart and soul. Within his head, he could hear a voice. The voice of a man he did not recognize, but at the same time felt compelled to obey.
"Listen to me, my boy." the wicked man said, speaking to Ivan via telepathy, "I am HawkMoth. I am offering you now the power to avenge yourself on those who've hurt you. From this day forward, you shall be known…as Stoneheart!"
Ivan's smile grew, as he repeated the name "Stoneheart. I like it." from his palm, the crumpled paper began releasing dark colored ooze that extended from his hand and covering his body. His proportions started to change, the negative energy of the dark butterfly altering his appearance as well as his own soul. His skin became hard as stone, his eyes glowing a pure gold, his size increasing and his fists clenched tighter than before, still holding onto the crumpled piece of paper. The only thing reminding him of his motivation.
The principal screamed in terror once the door to his office was suddenly torn down, breaking into pieces. His eyes widened and drops of sweat dripped from his forehead. A creature, unlike anything he had ever seen before, made entirely out of stone, came in, roaring and towering over the man, nearly reaching the ceiling.
"KIIIIIIIIIM!" the stone golem roared, his golden eyes burning with angry and furry. The beast smashed the walls, causing the school to shake. Several students tumbled and fell upon feeling the impact. Alya took immediate action and led several frightened students out of the library. The security monitors on the wall shocked the students as they saw a creature made entirely of stone. Stoneheart had smashed right though the principal's window, and was now rummaging through the streets of Paris, continuously roaring Kim's name, over and over, each cry angrier than the last.
The principal took out his cell phone, trying his best to calm his racing heart, which was causing him to shake uncontrollably. He managed to dial the right number. "Hello, Police!"
(~)
Adrien sulked in his seat and rested his elbows on the table as he waited for his father to walk into the dinning room. The air suddenly became cold and uninviting. His father had arrived.
Gabriel Agreste was just as intimidating as he appeared to be. His platinum blond hair was sleeked back and wore an expensive white suit and a pair of gray glasses. His gaze was just as cold as his presence, which intimidated even Adrien. Nathalie stood a few feet away, allowing father and son to speak to one another.
"Adrien, I already told you, you are not allowed to leave this house unless I allow it."
"Then, can you allow me to go tot school?" Adrien asked hopefully.
"Out of the question!" Gabriel said loudly, briefly loosing his cool composure before resuming. "You have everything you need here."
"Except friends." Adrien stated, already tired of hearing the same speech over and over again.
"What about Chloe Bourgeois? She's your friend. And she's a very beautiful young lady."
"But she's the only one I got. Besides, we don't have anything in common anymore and she's so cruel and mean and…dad, please reconsider. I just want to be like everybody else."
"You are not like everybody else. You are my son."
"That doesn't mean you can keep he locked inside a cage!" Adrien exclaimed, his anger rising and his fists slamming the table.
"That's enough!" Gabriel yelled, his voice raising so much it echoed across the walls of the building, causing Adrian to step down. He couldn't argue with his father. Adrien knew first hand just how stubborn he could be. This was a fight he could never win.
"I will hear no more of this matter. Go to your room and study." with that, Gabriel left the room and Adrien hurried to his. He slammed the door, dropped his shoulder bag onto the table and landed face first into his pillow. His father would never understand him, and worse was that Adrien didn't have the courage to stand up to his father. He wanted to speak up but he didn't want to make there relationship even more strained.
It just wasn't fair.
(~)
Marinette dropped her things and collided with her bed, weeping. She could hear her mother's voice knocking at the floor door of her bedroom.
"Marinette, honey. You sure you don't want to talk about it?"
"I just want to be alone, mom."
"Your father and I are right here if you need us."
"Thanks." Marinette weeped as she held her pillow close to her chest. Her first year at a new school and everything was already going downhill. She had been humiliated all over again, just when she believed things were getting good.
"I hate this place." she said as she sat back up and turned on her computer, hoping some music might calm her down. But, the moment she turned on her computer, she spotted something on the web search page. It was a live news report regarding a strange stone-like creature. Marinette's curiosity got the better of her. Maybe this was for some new film or something? She didn't entirely know why but she just clicked on it and, sure enough, a live video stream appeared, showcasing the police attacking a strange stone-like monster. Even stranger, the channel it was one clearly stated that this was actually happening at this very moment. Suddenly, Marinette's phone rang, in which an image of Alya appeared. She had nearly forgotten they had exchanged numbers. Or rather, Alya insisted they did. She pressed the button and answered.
"Hello?"
"Marinette! Have you seen the news?!"
"Yeah, I'm watching it right now. What's going on?"
"Don't you know? It's a real life monster!"
Unbeknownst to her, a strange object rolled out from her bag, almost as if it had a mind of its own.
(~)
Adrien heard the sound of gigantic footsteps just outside his house. He quickly ran out to inspect what was happening and, sure enough, his eyes widened in horror to see a giant stone monster attacking the Paris Police. The cops continuously shot bullets at the creature, to which its body was impenetrable to. Worse, with each attack the monster grew bigger and larger than before.
"KIIIIIM!" He roared in anger, smashing the cop cars as the cops themselves ran away in fear. There was no stopping this thing.
Adrien rushed to his room and turned on the television and immediately appeared the mayor, Chloe's dad, holding a press conference regarding the monster's attacks.
"I ask every Parisian to stay home until the situation is under control." the mayor said, right before getting bombarded with even more questions. The news anchor woman appeared on screen, with an image of the Mayor stood beside her as she explained the situation. Fear was evident in her eyes as well.
"As unbelievable as it may be, it seems a real life stone golem is spreading terror in Paris. The security forces are trying to take care of this monster, but our resources show that this is a fight they can easily win."
As Adrien listened, an object from his bag rolled out and reached the table, almost as it if had a mind of its own.
(~)
Marinette watched in fear at the monster smashing up even more cars in its way. This was just what she needed, not only was she humiliated at her new school, but now there was a dangerous monster wreaking havoc.
"What is going on here?!" she desperately asked. Then, suddenly, she noticed something in front of her. It was a strange looking little black box. "Where did this come from?"
(~)
Adrien reached for the remote, only to find a strange looking little black box in front of him. He had never seen this before, and he was very certain it wasn't there a minute ago.
"Where did this come from?"
(~)
At the exact same time, both Adrien and Marinette opened their respected boxes, which contained some kind of jewelry inside. Adrien's carried a silver ring while Marinette's carried a pair of black earrings. The moment the lids were lifted, a beam of bright light emerged from the jewels, causing the two teens to drop their respected boxes and step back from the lights. Adrien's was green while Marinette's was red.
Marinette hesitated to open her eyes upon seeing something emerge from the light. It was very small, bright red in color with a red dot on its forehead, and a slightly larger head compared to the rest of its body. The creature was incredibly small snd floated in front of the teenage girl. The creature opened its big blue eyes, and stared directly at Marinette.
"AH!" Marinette let out a terrified scream and literally jumped right out of her seat, falling onto the ground and crawling away from whatever the heck it was that was floating before her. "W-what is that thing?!" she cried out, reaching towards her nightstand and using it to support her as she stood up.
"Please, calm down." the little creature said, speaking in with an adorable voice like those anime fluffy sidekicks from television. She was undoubtedly female by the way she sounded.
"You-you can talk?!" Marinette exclaimed while taking one of her perfume bottles from the stand's surface.
"Yes, and I-Hey!" the little creature flew out of the way the moment Marinette threw one of her perfume bottles at the creature. Next, she threw several of her stuffed animals and even a few of her notebooks to try and frighten the creature away. The little red pixie only dodged every incoming attack.
(~)
The mysterious green light vanished, allowing Adrien to see what it was that had appeared before him. It was a strange looking creature with a tiny body and head slightly bigger than its body. It was colored black all over with cat-like ears and cat-like green eyes with a little tail and two long whiskers sticking out of his cheeks.
Adrien blinked twice before reacting. He let out a short scream and instinctively took one of the pillows from the couch of his room and tackled the strange creature, pinning it to the ground while sustaining the pillow in place.
"Hey! Is that any way to say hello?" the creature said from under the pillow, his voice muffled.
Hesitantly, Adrien slowly lifted the pillow up, only to be startled when the creature flew out like a rocket before hovering before the young boy, blinking. Adrien had never seen a creature like this before. He honestly didn't know what to think. A strange black little fairy creature just magicaly appeared out of a box that came out of nowhere. This sounded a lot like the stories in his comic books.
The teenage boy stood up and gently poked the creature's little stomach. "Wow. Are you some kind of genie, or something?"
The little creature laughed, "Ha! Seriously? You humans still believe in genies? Wait, is this Persia again?"
"Uh, no. You're in Paris."
"Oh, sweet! I always wanted to see Paris. Wait, are you the kid who opened my box?"
"Uh, yeah." Adrian replied, still confused as to what was going on.
"Well, I suppose introductions are in order. My name's Plagg. Nice to meet you, um…?"
"Adrien."
"Adrien! Oooh, nice digs you got here!" Plagg said as he flew around the room, which was almost as big as a ballroom, minus the fancy stuff. It had a variety of arcade game consoles, including a foosball table, a rock climbing wall, a large laptop on a neatly organized desk and even some stairs that led to a higher level where Adrian kept his books, comics and dvds. Plagg first choose the foosball table and started bitting the heads of the tiny metal human-like toys.
"Ow! That tastes terrible!"
"Hey, don't touch that!" Adrien called out as he tried to capture the little creature, only to have him fly away from his grasp. "Hey, get back here!"
Plagg reached the game consoles and started jumping on the buttons before noticing the handle, "Oh, shinny. Is it edible?" he asked. Rather than have Adrien answer for him, he went along and took a bite, but gained the same reaction as he did with the foosball table. "No, not at all. Oh, what's that?"
Adrien once again tried to grab the creature, but he only flew away, trying to find something else to eat.
(~)
"Please, I'm trying to explain-will you please stop that?! Hey-No, don't you dare throw that monkey!" the pixie once again managed to avoid another incoming stuffed animal as she flew closer to the frightened girl.
"What are you?! Some kind of mutant cockroach mouse thing? A mouseroach?!"
"No, calm down! I'm not going to hurt you, Marinette."
"How do you know my name?! Wait, are you an alien?!"
"No, if you will just let me explain-Hey!" the little pixie found herself now trapped inside a glass cup. Marinette finally managed to capture the little thing. The creature only sighed. "Fine. If this reassure's you."
"Who are you and how do you know my name?!" Marinette said demandingly.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tikki, I'm a Kwami."
Marinette blinked, "Okay, so how did you get in my room?"
"Through that." Tikki pointed her adorable little hand towards the box from which she had emerged, which contained a pair of stunning black earrings.
"You came from the jewelry box?" Marinette asked, growing more and more confused.
"Yes. But those aren't just ordinary jewels."
(~)
Plagg was now trying to take a bite out of the remote control, after having tasted nearly everything in Adrien's room. Adrien climbed up his wall before leaping down and tackling Plagg, landing stomach first on the couch now holding the creature in his hands.
"Alright, enough fooling around! How did you get here and what do you want?" Adrien asked, demanding to get some answers.
"First of all, you only had to ask. Second, I'm a Kwami and I came from that box with the ring." he turned his head towards the box, which was still on the table. Adrien followed his gaze, arching an eyebrow in curiosity.
"What's so special about a ring?"
"It's no ordinary ring. It's magic. It can give you the power to destroy anything you touch. Of course, it can't do that without me."
Adrian blinked in confusion. "Wait, magic? Power of destruction, why would I want something like that?"
"It's this whole yin and yang concept thing, it's hard to explain."
"I know all about that stuff. I've studied chinese culture for years, but what's that got to do with me getting the ring?"
"Well, aren't you full of questions. And I thought pretty people were dumb." Plagg said, making Adrien pout in annoyance. "Okay, to put it simple: That ring is called a Miraculous, a special type of jewel that has been around for centuries. Bestowed upon only the most worthy, a.k.a. you."
"Me?"
"Yeah, because you're pure of heart, or something or other. Anyway, that ring, the ring of the Black Cat, it can give you the power to destroy, so long as I'm inside of it, and since you've been chosen, it's up to you to use its power to help protect mankind just like the ones before you."
"So, what you're saying is that, with that ring…I can be a super hero?" Adrien's eyes widened in awe at the very idea of him becoming an actual superhero like the ones in his comics. It was a dream come true.
"Well sure, if you want to get all technical." Plagg said, rolling his eyes, "Now that that's all cleared up, can you let me go? And maybe get me something to eat? I'm starving!"
(~)
"You see, with those earrings, I can bestow upon you the power of creation."
Marinette's cheeks blushed, "Whoa, whoa! Slow down there, I'm only fifteen!"
"Not that kind of creation, silly." Tikki said with a giggle, "I meant the ability to create anything out of thin air. Many before you have worn those earrings to help protect mankind from evil, and now you have been chosen to carry on that legacy."
"Me? Wait, you're saying I'm supposed to become some kind of superhero or something?"
"Basically." Tikki replied calmly.
Marinette shook her head in disbelief, "This is crazy!" she said, reaching out her hand towards the door on her floor, calling out to her parents. "Mom! Dad!"
"No, Marinette!" Tikki cried out and, in a blink, she magically flew right out of the cup like a ghost, hovering before the girl, stopping her from alerting her parents. "I know this is a lot to take in, but you have to trust me! Now that you know the truth you and your partner are the only ones who can stop Stoneheart!"
"Stoneheart? You mean that giant rock monster on the news?"
"Yes! He's not just any ordinary monster, he's actually an innocent human being."
"What are you talking about?"
"You see, there are more Miraculouses like mine. One of which had been activated at the same time you activated yours. The Black Cat's ring! They have been partners against the forces of evil long since time began, and you must team up again in order to save that poor innocent."
"But, how did he become a monster in the first place?" Marinette asked, slowly calming down from the shock of before.
"There is another Miraculous, but it is being used for evil. It can be used to create these things called Akumas, which are dark butterflies that control and turn people into a manifestation of their deepest desires. It was once used to help others, but now it's power is being used to create villains by influencing their darkest emotions. You, Marinette, you're the only one who can stop this!"
(~)
"Are you serious?! You expect me to save that stone creature from an evil spell?" Adrien asked, having having Plagg explain the whole situation to him.
"Actually, you won't be doing it alone." Plagg said as he played with a roll of toilet paper, dancing over it as it rolled on the floor. "Another Miraculous was activated at the same time I was. The Ladybug earrings. Both wielders of the earrings and the ring have been partners in crime for ages. You just have to find her. You can't be able to save this guy without each other.
"How am I supposed to do that if I'm stuck here?" Adrien said, clenching his fists in frustration. "I'm not even allowed to go to school. What good is a superhero if he can't even leave his own house?"
"Not much." Plagg said, still rolling on the toilet paper. "But, with that ring you'll not only have the power of destruction, but also the abilities of a cat. Including being able to slip in and out without making a peep." he said, catching Adrien's attention.
Being able to leave the house whenever he wanted to, and not have anyone realize it. If he had a double identity he could have the freedom to do what he never could as ordinary Adrien. Not only that, but he will be helping people as well. He never felt like he was accomplishing much with his modeling job, if he could even call it that, but this…this could change everything.
He could be free. He could be somebody else. And, if it was true that he would have a partner at it as well, even better! He wouldn't have to share his newfound freedom alone! He could meet somebody else, maybe make a real new friend, even if it was while wearing a mask.
At this point, he really didn't see any downside, aside from the fact his father would probably catch him being late to photo shoots or piano lessons. But, he'd father face that than live his entire life cooped up in a tower. At least, as a hero, he won't get punished. He can finally live!
"Everything will change if you accept this ring." Plagg said, "But, if you do, there's no going back."
Adrien was just fine with that. He didn't want to go back. Looking at at the silver ring in his palm, his choice was clear.
(~)
Marinette was on her knees while trying so hard to process all this new information. This little magical pixie creature pops up and tells her she was chosen to become a superhero and save the city.
"There must be a mistake! The only superpower I have is supper clumsiness!" she said, gripping her hair. Marinette could never be a superhero. Superheroes were strong, confident, fearless and graceful, while Marinette was shy, clumsy and lacked any form of grace whatsoever. In short, she was no Bridget.
If her sister were still here, it'd have been she who'd have been chosen, not her. She was the strong one, the smart one, the beautiful one. She was a real hero in Marinette's eyes, and she knew she could never come close to becoming the woman she was.
But, with Bridget gone, who else could take the mantel? Someone braver than Marinette.
"I know! Alya! She's supper brave and fearless, and she adores superheroes! She'd be perfect for this job, you should go and choose her instead."
"No, Marinette. You were chosen, and once you are chosen there's no going back." Tikki firmly stated, while hovering a few inches away from the girl's face.
"You don't understand, I'm not superhero material. I'm clumsy, I trip over my words, when things get hard I run and hide I'm…" the poor girl sighed, hanging her head in shame. "I'm no Bridget."
"Wait, Bridget?" Tikki felt she had heard that name once before, but wasn't entirely sure from where.
"My sister. She's the hero of the family. Or, at least…she was." Marinette stood up and walked over to her nigh stand, in which a picture of a young Marinette and her sister hung by a ladybug magnet in the right hand corner of the mirror. "Whenever I was scared, she was always there to keep me safe. She was my best friend. I can never be like her."
"You're right." Tikki said, taking the girl by surprise. "You can't be like your sister. You can only be like you."
"But me isn't cut out for this."
"Well, I believe you are. And so should you."
(~)
Adrien proudly placed the ring on his left hand's finger, and once he did the object shimmered in the sunlight, making the young boy smile.
"So, you ready?" Plagg asked.
Adrien smirked. "More than ready."
"Great! All you have to do is say my name and "Claws out!" That's the activating phrase."
"Got it. Plagg, Claws out!" upon Adrien's command, Plagg was immediately sucked into the silver ring like a vacuum, all while the young boy smiled as the ring itself turned black, and a green paw print appeared on it. From the ring, he could feel hid body changing and a newfound energy coursing through him. There were no words to properly explain what it was that was happening to him, but he never felt more alive.
Over his eyes, a black mask appeared, covering most of his face, including the tip surface of his nose and his cheekbones, while leaving his mouth and forehead bare. His hair became messier, which he loved. Under normal circumstances, he always had to keep his hair perfect to maintain that supper model image. But not this time. A pair of black cat ears appeared on his head, and while he still had his human ears, these new ones still felt just as real. His entire body became submerged with a green energy, changing his ordinary cloths into a full body black cat suit, hugging his upper arms, perfectly showcasing more muscle than he had before and a yellow cat-bell appeared around his neck. He could feel his physical strength increasing. His hands were gloved with black gloves with long sharp fingernails to resemble claws, and they felt every bit as real as his new ears. Last but not least, a silver stick appeared around his waist, followed by a long belt that resembled a cat's tail, which also felt real and moved according to Adrian's mood. Once the transformation was complete, Adrien admired his new outfit. Normally, a cat suit was worn for female heroes or vilenesses, but in this case he made the whole male black cat superhero work. He looked at his reflection on the blank screen of his laptop, noticing his eyes. His irises were now a much stronger emerald green and his pupils were now partly slits, resembling that of a cat. The whites of his eyes than turned light yellow green. He had never felt more alive.
"This…is…amazing!"
(~)
"So, all I need to do is break the object the bug is in, right?" Marinette asked as she placed the magic earrings onto her ears. She was surprised at how easily they stuck, she barely felt the needle go through her ear hole.
"It's called an Akuma." Tikki corrected.
"Akuma, okay." the girl repeated, "That should turn this guy, whoever he is, back to normal?"
"Yes, and once you do you have to capture it."
"Right, and the charm thingy, what was it again?"
"The Lucky Charm. It's your secret superpower, along with enhanced strength, flexibility and agility. You'll be able to do things you never could before!"
"Urg! All of this is going way too fast, Tikki, I'm…" Marinette sighed sadly, "I'm sorry, I just can't do it. Even if I do get all that stuff you said I'm not brave enough to fight a monster!"
"I know you're scared, but you don't have to be. I'll be with you throughout the whole thing, even if you can't see me. You might not believe in yourself right now, but I do."
Marinette was still very hesitant, but most of all…she was scared. She was downright terrified. She couldn't do this, she knew she couldn't. Even if Tikki did believe in her.
"All you have to do now is say my name followed by "Spots On!"." Tikki explained.
"You mean like: "Tikki, Spots On"?"
"Yes, but before-Whoa!" before Tikki could explain anymore, the little Kwami was immediately sucked into the left sides earrings, which shimmered, changing from black to red, and five spots appeared on both earrings. The young girl felt a sudden wave of power overwhelm her body, her hair flew upwards as if by an invisible wind, frightening her all the more.
"What's happening?!" she cried out. Pink colored sparkles surrounded her body, and before long all she could see was pink. Her room faded from sight as her body began to change. Her muscles tensed, becoming firmer and she could feel her meek form shift into someone stronger, more confident and courageous. She felt like she could lift a person with ease over her shoulder if she wanted to. These new emotions frightened her.
She felt something tingle at her face, feeling something placed upon her eyes, like a mask of some kind and sparkles landed on her hair. Her cloths disappeared and she felt a new outfit magically placed upon her, covering her entire body from her neck down. Once the transformation was complete, the sparkles disappeared. Marinette's room was back, as if she never left, which she didn't. She turned around and gasped upon her new reflection on the full body mirror.
Her hair was no longer black with blue hues but was now instead a cobalt blue shade, removing any trace of black she once had. Her eyes remained the same, but her eyelashes became more definitive, almost as if she were wearing mascara, but not too much as to make her look cheep. A red mask was now on her face, rounded with black spots and a black outline, partly covering her cheek bones. Her full body suit was also red with red spots all over, minus a pact of black around the high collar of her neck, feet and hands. From her fingers to her elbow the suit was colored black as were her ankles. Around her waist was a rounded red colored object with red spots. She looked like a ladybug themed superhero. The earrings she had placed on were still present, but now resembled her entire new wardrobe, complete with black spots and all. Her pintails remained the same, only had grown but three inches more and her ribbons were now longer, almost resembling bug antennas.
Marinette was freaking out! Here she was wearing a full body superhero outfit which made her blush at the very feeling of wearing it. Her parents wouldn't even left her wear mini skirts, there was no way they would let her so much as go downstairs in this getup. And she wouldn't blame them. This girl in front of her looked beautiful and confident, which was not Marinette at all.
"How do I get out of this thing?!" Desperately, she tried to remove the mask, but to no avail. The thing appeared to be glued to her face. This must be magic. She grunted in frustration once she realized there was no way she could remove this outfit.
"Tikki, if you can hear me please change me back. I'm not going anywhere in this thing! Tikki? Hello?" Marinette tried calling out to the Kwami, but there was no response. She even tapped on her earrings, but still no response. "Great, what am I suppose to do now?" she asked herself.
The girl turned her attention towards the news once more, where the anchorwoman was giving the latest news on the creature's rampage.
"After destroying the Chatelet Tower, the creature, referring to himself as "Stoneheart" is now heading for the Tour Montparnasee!"
Marinette's eyes widened when she spotted a familiar image on the screen ridding a bike, following the creature.
"Oh, no. Alya!"
(~)
"You tub they'll be up to the challenge, Master?" Wayzz asked his human companion as he closed the lid on the box, containing only two remaining Miraculous jewels. A bee comb and a fox tail necklace.
Master Fu nodded his head, "I have made only one mistake in my life, Wayzz. I won't make another…"
(~)