Chapter 16 – Dethroning Satan
Alright, second chapter of what I internally call the Chausson-arc. If you think the comparatively dark conflicts of the Chausson-arc are uncharacteristic for the Miraculous-show, I'm pleased to tell you that's the point.
While I do enjoy the more "harmless" conflicts of the show, the question occurred to me several times: "What about actual criminals? Or people in abusive relationships/families?" Those are the kinds of scenarios, that turn into chapters of this story, so you can expect quite a number more of them. :D
-s-s-s- (Manuels POV)
"Okay, so now that we're out, what do we do exactly?", Charles asked me as though I knew what to do. I mean, I had done these things for a few weeks by now, so he had every right to assume so, but at the end of the day, I was still just improvising.
Even so, I was the only one present who had any kind of experience in dealing with akuma-attacks, so I should at least put in the effort. "We find those two children you mentioned.", I declared after a bit of thought, "If they have that good a relationship to Soleil, they must be on her protection-list as well."
"Right! Good call!", the guy just agreed without a second thought, "Follow me!"
As he took the lead and I followed, I couldn't help but worry about several things, "Lucifer's a flier with speed to fast for the human-eye, even without her boost. And on top of that, she has two magic swords on her side as well."
"Even IF she doesn't have any more powers up her sleeve, to which I say, 'Fat chance', I'm not quite sure what I can do against her at all."
"And to say I'm back to full strength already would be a massive lie as well. If Lucifer rejects her ideals anytime midbattle, I'm gonna be dead again within a few seconds. And this time, I'm damn sure not coming back again."
Just like the other times, the thought of dying sent an intense shiver down my spine. But I forced myself to shake off thoughts for now. I wasn't on my way to fight Lucifer now anyway. Right now, I was on my way to save two children.
As the two of us were running along the streets, I took note of all the people looking at us in what seemed to be confusion. The crowd itself seemed fairly calm for now, heavily suggesting that Lucifer hadn't made herself well-known just yet.
"Say, Gachett!", I called out to Soleils caretaker, who responded by halting for a moment, "What is it?"
"You said Soleil and her family is generally disliked, right?", I asked as we steadily continued walking, "So then… How did those two kids come to think of her as a sister?"
Gachett didn't stop walking for his answer, but he did look down in thought, "You know, honestly, I don't know. Those three kids had apparently been honorary siblings long before I was even appointed to Soleil. And, I guess, since she didn't have anyone else to lean on, I… didn't really want to question it."
"When you have something good in life, don't question it too much.", I recalled a quote from my psychology-schoolbook. It basically means, that thinking about things too critically too often can keep you from enjoying them.
Still, if Gachett really knew them as little as he seemed to, then that left me with a very critical variable, "But you're SURE they'll be on her side, right?"
"Soleil has oftentimes described them as ‚her only true friends'.", Charles tried to reassure me, and muttered something else under his breath, though allowing me to still make out, "Implying I'm just another employee in the process…"
He shook his head for a moment, as though to shake off that thought, and continued, "Anyway, Soleil has often taken care of those kids while their mother was at work for the day. And in turn, they have oftentimes defended her against their mothers hatred and mistrust. So I'm sure they'll be willing to help her.",
Something about that sentence rubbed me the wrong way, and kicked off a whole train of thought in a single go. "If their mother hates her, how come the kids came to love her in the first place? And how did she ever get to watch over them in the first place? Maybe she's on better terms with their father? Speaking of which, what does he do anyway?"
"What about the kids' father?", I asked out of nowhere, and immediately second-guessed it myself afterwards, "Wait, is that intrusive? It's really none of my business."
As though touching a sore topic, Gachett hissed uncomfortably, and refused the question, "I'm… not really in any position to tell you… None of us are really comfortable talking about it."
Before I could even think my own part, he also added to that, "Though, if you REALLY want to know, you could tell Miss Rouzet you're a friend of Soleil. She'll… most likely try to warn you then."
"Warn me?", I wondered about his choice of words, "The hell went down between those two?"
"It doesn't matter right now anyway.", the male-nanny, manny for short, wanted to close the subject, "Right now, we gotta get to the Arrete and Dennis."
"Right, you're right.", I admitted, though a heavy lump remained in my gut, "Soleil told me she was hated by association. But the mother of her sibs seems to hate her specifically. Something must have happened between those two in particular."
-0-0-0- (about 10 minutes later)
At long last we seemed to have arrived at our destination. A somewhat decent two-story building with fairly little to take note of. Safe for a giant magenta-coloured dome all around it!
Gachett and I were by no means the first ones here either. An entire squad of police-cars and fire-trucks had gathered in front of the entrance. The assembled firefighters were currently trying to break through the barrier using varying tools on each side. Suffice to say, the attempts were entirely in vain.
Apparently, they had tried a drill, a jackhammer, and a crowbar thus far, judging by all of those bent and broken at the side. And another group to the side was already discussing more options, as though that was going to work.
The squadron of policemen and -women meanwhile seemed quite unsure on what to do. And, I mean, can you blame them? What WERE they supposed to do? Fine and arrest the barrier?
"Regular humans can't usually do much about supervillains.", I contemplated to myself, and chuckled to myself ironically as I facepalmed at myself, "Right, I'M one to talk. When did I become such a hypocrite?"
Unfortunately, the patience of one of the policemen was running thin by the time we got here, judging by what his actions. "That's it. Out of the way!", he called out frustrated, and actually drew his service weapon!
"STOP!" In a complete spurt of the moment, I took a single leap towards him. And just before he could shoot into the barrier, I ripped his arm upwards, letting the bullet fly straight into the sky instead.
"Wait, BULLETS?!", I noticed shocked, "This is a KIDS SHOW! Why are there actual firearms here?! It's supposed to be electric shockers!"
Looking at me disapprovingly, the policeman ripped his arm away from me, and growled at me, "Great, where did you come from?"
Taking a protective stance between the man and the barrier, I tried to reason with him, "You can't just shoot at it-!" "Obstructing justice is a crime, Gilson.", the man interrupted me angrily, before taking aim again, "Now move out the way, or you get another meeting with god!"
"Wow, how did HE get his license?", I wondered at that comment. Supposedly, members of the police are mentally tested to make sure they don't do more harm than good when the situation gets stressful. But this one was outright threatening and taking aim at a civilian.
"Your shot will get deflected!", I quickly called out before my time was up here. Judging by the slightly softer stance of the policeman, he was, at least for now, listening to me.
"Wait, this could be important!", another, new voice, joined in. From a different front of the barrier, another policewoman stepped beside him, seemingly higher-ranking than him, judging by her having more stars on her uniform.
She gestured her colleague to lower his weapon, which he obeyed in spite of his still annoyed frown. After a pleased nod towards him, she turned to me again, "Gilson, was it? Lieutenant Viola Schonberg. You know something about these barriers?"
That lady, though a minor character, did radiate authority unlike even Raincomprix. I had to readjust to her presence for a moment, before a shiver ran down my spine and I got back on track, "Y-Yes, ma'am! We also encountered these before."
"We?", she repeated curiously, "Who is your accomplice?"
"Accomplice sounds like I'm a criminal…", I noted in the back of my mind, but put that on the backburner as well. Instead, I gestured Gachett, who had smartly stayed behind the blockades of the police-cars, to come along, "Come on, pal! It's cool!"
"Uhh, Charles Gachett, officer-, uhh- miss… ma'am?", he introduced himself nervously, causing her to slightly chuckle and reassure him with a calm gesture, "Miss is quite alright."
"Right, uhhhh…" Charles was clearly not used to talking to the authorities, so I took over instead, as that was getting standard business for me now, "There was another one at the hospital. Those barriers can't just be damaged or destroyed, but-"
"They can't even be DAMAGED?!", yet another panicked voice entered the conversation out of nowhere, this time from the police-cars.
A woman with straight black hair in a just as black suit hurriedly stumbled towards us, almost tripping over the shock-vest wrapped around her shoulders.
As that business-like woman tried to make her way towards me, the policewoman, (or lieutenant I guess,) stepped in and grabbed her shoulders, stopping her advance, "Miss Rouzet, please calm down!"
"Stop telling me to calm down!", Miss Rouzet, as the lieutenant called her, demanded, serious distress in her voice, "My children, the only lights of my life, are trapped in that hellish, apparently impenetrable prison all on their own! How do you expect me to CALM DOWN?!"
"Oh shit, she's the mother!", I noticed in worry. If her own kids are trapped in there, I couldn't expect her to think rationally. No way I could blame her, but it could turn into an issue if things got rough…
"On the plus side, they're not going to get hurt behind the barrier…", I muttered to myself, but not low enough for the mother not to hear, "And how the hell would YOU know that, huh?!"
By reflex taking a nervous step back and putting my hands up defensively, I quickly explained with an embarrassingly pitched up voice, "The barrier is supposed to protect them, not keep them trapped! It was the same thing for the two of us!"
"That's useful information.", Lieutenant Schonberg spoke to herself, before leading Miss Rouzet back to the cars again, "Please, Miss Rouzet, I must ask you to leave this to us. Raincomprix! You take care of her, okay?!"
"Understood, Lieutenant!", Sabrinas dad responded and led her back to safety.
"So, you two were trapped behind one of those yourselves.", the lieutenant returned to us again, definitely proving a closer attention to detail than 90% of the entire rest of the cast at once, "Then, if you're here, there has to be a way to get rid of the barrier after all."
"I mean, we didn't really get rid of it.", I corrected awkwardly, rubbing the back of my head as I looked downwards, "More like… went beneath it. The dome itself is still there, I'm pretty sure."
"The… dome?", she asked as her eyes went unfocused, "As in… open underneath?"
"Uhhh… yeah?", Charles confirmed carefully, "Is that… a problem?"
Suddenly facepalming, the lieutenant groaned in frustration, "AAARRGH! I'm so damn STUPID!" Pulling out her phone and putting in a number with practiced ease, she spoke to herself, "Why didn't I even THINK about that! As improbable as it is, I should have at least CONSIDERED it!"
Holding the phone to her ear whilst it was dialling, she added, "This stupid mass-deployment ends 15 minutes from now."
Keeping my distance now, I turned to Gachett again, "Guess the best we can do for now, is wait for those special forces."
"But… couldn't you…?" I could tell how he really tried to not say it, so I had to give him a little credit for that. Still, I couldn't just transform way out in the open here.
"Nope, nothing I can do here.", I interrupted him before he let on a bit too much, luckily making him catch himself just in time, "Right, not much to do now."
-x-x-x- (Narration)
With Charles, Manuel, Arrete and Dennis finally safe and sound under her domes, Lucifer was currently on a break on top of the Eiffel-tower. Her swords both put down and enjoying the brief moment of quiet and safety, the villain laid spread out on the floor, and taking long blissful breaths. "This is nice…", she spoke to herself as she enjoyed her break, "My loved ones safe, myself untouchable and the city quiet. If this could stay forever, I don't think I would ever need anything else…"
"A nice picture to imagine indeed.", Hawk Moths voice interrupted her break in her mind, "Together, we can make moments like this last forever, if you bring me Ladybug and Chat Noirs Miraculous. After all, with them out of the picture, I won't ever need to akumatize again, and you can protect your friends in peace."
While these should have been questionable claims, the Soleil in her was still too desperate to think critically. As humans tend to do, she was willing to accept even the shadiest way out, if it meant neither she nor her loved ones needed to suffer anymore.
"Yeah, I get it.", Lucifer replied with a low voice as she slowly sat up, before she added with a higher pitch again, "But, if you'd allow me, there is one last thing I really need to get out of my system."
"I have kept my end of the bargain, Lucifer. It is about time you kept yours.", Hawk Moth was about to decline impatiently, but Lucifer argued, "Don't worry, you'll get your jewelleries in due time! In fact, this might help luring Ladybug and Chat Noir out!"
Though not quite fond of Lucifers way to drag things out, Hawk Moth decided, that perhaps it would be best to let his fallen angel let her way for now. After all, as much as she had been controlled, she might start to rebel against him otherwise. "Very well. Make it quick, and then fulfil your promise to me. I'll be waiting."
"Believe me, Hawk Moth.", the villain replied with a sinister grin on her face as she picked up her swords again, "I don't make promises I can't keep. And never in my life have I broken them."
-x-x-x-
As a light pink streak flew between the streets in quick, precise turns, so too did a few car-alarms activate. Though it could hardly care less about such minor material damage, if it just got to its target in time.
In but a few minutes, the streak touched down just in front of the gate of the Chausson-mansion, turning out to be Lucifer, the same sinister grin still on her face.
"Mistress is home.", she sung to herself as she put her hand on the scanner of the first gate, which soon blinked green and opened up for her, "And I brought divine justice with me…"
As she blinked into the retinal scanner with her deep red eyes, it came as no surprise when it didn't recognize her. "Well, I suppose ascending beyond humanity would change a few aspects of me…", she scoffed in annoyance, as she drew her two swords and got into stance, "But it won't matter. No bars of mere mortals could possibly hold a higher being."
A few quick slices, and instead of a gate, there were only a bunch of metal bars piled before Lucifers feet, as she hopped over them, "And to think Soleil felt oppressed by them, HAH! Oh, being in control for once feels great!"
Raising her gaze on the mansion itself, Lucifer fixed her sight on one specific window on the far right upstairs. Her pupils shrunk in ecstatic anticipation when she saw Soleils mother walk past it for an ever so brief moment. "Maman, papah… I'm coming home…"
-x-x-x-
"Fascinating…", Damien Chausson, who was currently checking the state of the mansion in his office, muttered intrigued. As he looked down at the tablet with which he controlled the mansion, he maximized the window that had caught his attention.
Intrigue was something that he rarely showed; therefore, his reaction caught the attention of his wife. "Must be incredible if it fascinated even you.", Eliana Chausson noted as she went to his side, slightly bending over to look at his tablet as well, "Whatever happened?"
Holding the tablet a bit lower so his wife could see clearly, he pointed to the camera-footage he had just maximized, "Someone, or something, literally tore our second gate to shreds."
Her eyes widening in bewilderment, she asked confused, "How…?"
"Well, if it was forced open, I would say somebody skipped out on gate-maintenance.", Mr. Chausson thought, "But it was entirely ripped apart. Maybe it had gotten rusty and weak?"
"Would still indicate a lack of maintenance.", Mrs. Chausson scoffed disapprovingly, as she went to the door of their office and called out, "MARTINEZ! Get up here!"
After around 40 seconds of waiting, the head of the Chaussons maid-staff was standing in front of their door. Though she didn't know what her superiors wanted from her, she still did her best to stand straight and not let them see the pressure they exerted on her. "You rang, Milady?", she asked, expertly preventing her voice from shaking.
"Finally, what took you so long?", the man of the manor asked impatiently, which the head-maid answered dutifully, "I was busy packing my things as you ordered!"
Eliana put a firm hand on Carlas shoulder and reminded her with a stern expression, "Don't get over-eager, Martinez. Until we've located your replacement, you'll stay right here, in our service."
"O-Of course, Milady!", Martinez confirmed, a slight shaking creeping into her voice at the stare the mistress pierced her with, "Uh- But this isn't why- I mean- Surely you wouldn't waste your precious time just to remind me of that, right?"
Scoffing at her mediocre people-pleasing, Mr. Chausson sat into his office-chair and asked whilst leaning over his desk, "Who is in charge of maintaining the front-gates?"
"Uhm, the front- I-I mean- That would be me, sir.", she stumbled over her words at the unexpected question, "Given that it's- you know- the thing keeping the masses out, I thought it would be best to take care of that myself!"
"You wouldn't happen to have, how should I say this… skipped out on your duties every once in a while?", Mrs. Chausson asked with a condescending grin, "After all, stainless steel shouldn't fall apart for centuries, given the proper maintenance."
"Fall apart?!", Carla called out in shock, and on pure impulse stumbled to the window, pushing it open and getting a good look at the gate herself. And the gate wasn't the only thing vandalized.
The finely trimmed bushes in the yard looked as though a tornado had blown across them. The trees were felled entirely and torn into thousands of fragments strewn across the whole yard. The finely made tiles on the ground were shattered and blown apart.
As a whole, it looked as though a bomb had blown up in the yard, though without sound or smoke.
Though she hadn't been directly involved in any before, she knew the pattern of that was displayed here: Chaotic rampage with a direct target. Behaviour of many supervillains.
Immediately turning around and running out the office, Martinez called through the halls, "Everyone! Prepare for evac! A supervillain is targeting the manor!"
"Martinez!", Lady Chausson spat after her, "We did not say you were dismissed!"
"My apologies, milady, but in a life-or-death-situation, professionalism is rather low on my priority-list.", Carla replied coldly, before marching away in a hurried but controlled manner, calling out more instructions, "Take only your wallets, everything else we can come back for or get somewhere else! And someone check the windows, in case we need alternate escape-routes!"
"What the hell is going on?!", Eliana Chausson spoke to herself, "All of a sudden, nobody listens to US anymore! As though all manner of status and relationship was forgotten in an instant!"
"Unacceptable.", Damien concluded coldly, as he sat up from his desk again, and wandered towards the door himself, looking after the busied head-maid surrounded by the hurrying employees rushing up and down the halls, "If a mere security-breach is all it takes to break down the walls between nobility and staff, perhaps immediate termination would be the best course of action after all."
With an arrogant humph, Eliana turned towards her husband and answered, "Right you are, darling. Though, for the time being, just Martinez will be enough. We can't replace the entirety of our housekeeping staff overnight."
"Very well, I'll prepare her papers.", the lord of the manor concluded indifferently, walking back to his desk, "Would you care to fetch her in the meantime, love?"
A slightly spiteful grin on her face, Eliana accepted, "Nothing would please me more…"
-x-x-x-
As Mrs. Chausson exited her office, she was struck by a sudden wave of nausea, though it left just as quick as it came. When she paid attention to it, she also noticed a strange smell in the air.
However, before she could even check what was going on, a short figure with provokingly pink hair and dark armour appeared further down the hall. Its red pupils shrunk with an ecstatic expression when it laid eyes on her
However, before she could even see what was happening, However, before she could even check what was going on, a short figure with provokingly pink hair, dark armour and red wings appeared further down the hall. Its red pupils shrunk with a fanged grin when it laid eyes on her, as it approached her with a disturbingly serenity, "Hi there! Missed me yet?"
Steadfast as ever, Mrs. Chausson refused to back down even against a hellish appearance such as this, "And who is it who dares to speak to me as though to an equal?"
The demonic looking creature responded with an arrogant chuckle, "Ah HAH Ha ha! An equal? Surely you're joking! You're nowhere near an equal to me! Calling you my inferior would be too generous!"
"Oho! Someone certainly thinks quite highly of themselves!", Mr. Chausson reacted as he came out of his office to join his wife. "Martinez papers will have to wait for now, I have decided. At least until we've found and fixed this security-leak."
"D'aww, and here I was already preparing my farewell-speech.", his wife mourned her wasted efforts, before turning back to the uninvited guest, "But, more importantly, I believe the consequences of Martinez failures are standing right before us."
"Carlas failures?", the entity asked confused, before letting out a disappointed sigh, "Hah, even when the end approaches, you blame everything on the staff."
Obviously no strangers to them, neither Damien nor Eliana Chausson were even slightly fazed by the threat. Instead, Damien replied coldly, "Your threats are big talk and nothing else. I don't know, how you broke through our security, but you'd best not think you could actually lay a hand on us."
Scoffing at his arrogance, the girl-seeming being replied, "Psh, breaking through is a bit harsh of a formulation. After all, I have a right to live here too. Or don't I, Father?"
That was an announcement, that actually broke their composure for an ever so slight moment. Whilst Damien Chausson seemed scandalized at what could be no more than an empty claim, his wife balled her fists as she turned her gaze towards him.
"Damien, darling…", she growled with the intent to murder in her eyes, "Care to explain before she does…?"
"I only have one daughter, and she is everything that you are not!", he yelled back, finally losing his calm and controlled manners, "Obedient, composed, properly educated! NOT some ghoulish, pathetic worm like you!"
Seeming incredibly satisfied at his outburst, the unknown girl laughed with a surprised expression, "Oh wow! Beneath that unfeeling, cold façade, there's some actual emotion brewing! Even willing to snap at your own daughter, are ya?!"
"Again with this…", Eliana growled impatiently, this time directing her question at the girl before them, "Explain, street rat! Who are you really?!"
Laughing a spiteful laugh into herself, Damiens daughter decided that she was done now, "Yeah, perhaps I've messed about enough with you." Drawing the both of her swords, she explained vaguely, "You could say, I'm… the improved daughter of Damien Chausson and Eliana Allee Chausson." Putting the swords blades atop each other, she continued, "I used to go by the name Soleil Chausson, and was forced to sacrifice my free will to protect those I cared about. To you and from you, that is."
Looking to the side, trying and failing to follow, Eliana interrupted for a moment, "I'm confused. Soleil, are you doing this unsightly cosplay-thing to annoy me? Is this all just a prank? Because I'm not one for jokes and you should know that."
"The only jokes around here are you two.", the girl claiming to be Soleil Chausson reacted at the sudden interruption.
Damien Chausson, finally having reclaimed his composure, reacted to that comment rather unamused, "Now THAT is a mediocre insult at best." Holding on to the doorframe of his office, he barely caught himself from falling to the ground as he was hit by a sudden nausea as well, "Dear god, what is that smell?"
"You have a very effective gas-based heating-system in your mansion, you know?", Soleil explained with a devilish grin, "Quite fitting, that your own daughter will use your own home to kill you both in a spectacular fashion!" Getting ready to grate her two swords together, she called out with an ecstatic grin, "See you in hell! I'll visit you someday to see you suffer!"
A single strong motion, a spark, and one moment later…
-x-x-x- (Manuels POV)
Those two Rouzet-kids had just been rescued through a tunnel dug by special-operators, which I had absolutely no clue existed here. And as Mrs. Rouzet embraced her kids, choking up tears in relief that they were safe and sound, I also recognized her son specifically.
He was the very same boy I met when The Bubbler was happening. The one over whom I met Soleil in the first place. Come to think of it, I do owe the kid in that regard. "That's the third time I just so happen to come across him. Quite a small world after all."
But the heartfelt reunion between the mother and her children was harshly interrupted just a few seconds later.
An explosive blast sounded throughout the entire city, shocking most definitely every soul in Paris and possibly beyond that as well.
At first, I was admittedly stunned by the bang, holding my ears, and trying to make the ringing go away. But after a few seconds, I looked around and easily spotted a huge smoke-cloud rising up into the sky.
"In that direction… lies the Chausson-manor, I believe.", Charles informed me, sounding a bit unsure himself.
"Yeah, that's DEFINITELY Lucifers work.", I combined, holding my shoulder uncomfortably as I subconsciously took a step back, "If Ladybug and Chat Noir weren't on the case before, they definitely are now."
"M-Maman… What was that?", the boy asked barely above a whimper, a fearful shaking in his voice as he clung to his mothers leg.
Biting down an honest answer, she replied carefully, "I… don't know either. But until this insanity is resolved, neither of you are leaving my side, alright?"
Reinforcing her point by putting a hand around each of her children, she added fiercly, "Nobody will ever hurt you. I'll fight heaven and hell to keep you safe!"
"Funny she would mention it.", I thought on a sidenote, "Since we're literally fighting Lucifer."
"I- Yes, maman.", the girl replied with a shaking voice, "Ladybug will fix everything again, right? She'll bring Soleil back, won't she?"
Patting her daughters head, Mrs. Rouzet answered with a calming voice, "Of course she will, Arrete. She always does, after all. But until then, we have to stay safe ourselves."
At the scene unfolding before me, a sense of guilt stung me in the heart. Even though the only plan I had was heavily dependent on Soleils protection-targets…
"I can't do this.", I had to accept, the clump in my throat nearly chocking me, "I can't ask this of them. Asking a sick-with-worry mother to send her terrified children towards a supervillain, with their only protection being a half-dead teen and a hopelessly overwhelmed caretaker. How could I?"
Choosing my cursed morality over my intellect once again, I pulled Charles to the side and briefed him in quickly, "Alright, new plan: Charles, you stay with the Rouzets and find a safe place to hide. I'll confront Lucifer on my own."
"What? Where is this coming from now?", he asked confused, "You were killed less than a week ago by a supervillain! What makes you think this is a good idea?!"
"Lucifer is not going to hurt me and won't just ignore me either. Our well-being is her number one priority.", I reminded him simply, "So, if I confront her directly, she has no choice but to talk to me. She's not just gonna leave me unprotected again."
"And you didn't do this from the start because…?", he asked carefully, to which I replied matter-of-factly, "I WANTED to, but you refused to punch me in the face. And besides… " I looked back to the Rouzets, who were currently being calmed by the lieutenant, "Saving those two kids had to come first either way. Now stay with them, and don't do anything stupid!"
With those instructions, I just left him behind as I already ran off to find and confront Soleil.
-w-w-w- (Narration)
As Manuel was heading out on his mission, Charles was left behind, dumbfounded at the boys recklessness. "Sure, just go on and fight again.", he thought to himself, "At least don't die this time."
"He just left, didn't he?", lieutenant Schonberg asked with a sigh, "He does that a lot, from what I hear. You got any info on that kid?"
Unsure on what she wanted from him, Charles replied carefully, "Uhhhm… Honestly, I don't really know him all that well."
Looking at him in confusion, she questioned, "But… You came together. Did you just give a complete stranger, a minor no less, a ride in your car?"
Being put on the spot like that, Charles felt harshly uncomfortable. "You know… When you put it like that… I- I mean, we're not complete strangers. We're more along the lines of… fleeting acquaintances? He's a good friend of a kid I cared for over the past few years."
"Soleil Chausson, I take it?", Schonberg combined easily, "The two have done the city a great service thus far… As messed up as it is, that we're actually allowing this to happen."
An awkward silence set in, which the lieutenant forced herself to break after a few seconds, "Is it really true, that the boy died and came back to life?"
"I... sincerely don't know...", Charles admitted carefully, "Soleil did imply something along those lines, but I didn't really get a straight answer to that either."
"…What is up with the kids of this town recently?", Schonberg asked herself rhetorically, "First Ladybug and Chat Noir show up and fight supervillains, then Gilson marks the civilian-hero. The Chausson-girl joins in before getting akumatized herself, and now the boy seems to replicate Jesus' revival-tactics on top of that!"
Getting increasingly frustrated with all her unanswered questions, she finally just called out, "What the hell is going on with Paris this year?!"
-w-w-w- (Manuels POV)
"Whoa… I guess that's one way to lead the heroes to your location.", I mumbled to myself in awe of the spectacle in the sky that was happening now.
As soon as we had made it out of the main-entrance again, Charles and I got aware of the black clouds with pink lightning flickering through it, that had formed all over the entire sky. Those black clouds all slowly swirled around a deep red spot in the skies which pulsed with a magenta energy in regular intervals.
If I didn't know better, I would have thought a portal to hell had opened just now. Though, honestly, with a villain calling herself Lucifer, how far off could I be?
Either way, now I knew where to find her, and immediately made my way towards this beautifully terrifying phenomenon.
And as I quickly noticed, I wasn't the only one by now. Across the rooftops, I saw Ladybug swinging with her yoyo towards the hellish vortex, closely followed by Chat Noir whom I heard make some passing joke that I couldn't make out though.
But in the moment, I couldn't care less anyway. Instead of lingering on it for any longer, I let out a loud whistle to gain their attention. Seeing as they were stopping for a brief moment and looking around in confusion, I called out to them, "Ladybug! Chat Noir! Down here!"
Their look of confusion immediately turned into one of shock once they saw me. With one quick leap they landed in front of me, Chat Noir with a worried expression, Ladybug with one of barely held back anger.
"Manuel!", the spotted heroine started with an accusatory tone, "I don't even want to hear your reasoning, you are NOT supposed to be anywhere but the hospital!"
"Uh- Wait, I-", I tried to interject, but Chat Noir wouldn't let me, "No, no. I am entirely with Ladybug on this one. This here goes beyond irresponsible."
"But I-!"
"The word 'but' is off limits today!", Ladybug shot my second attempt down. She tried to take a deep breath, but it turned into a mad hyperventilation instead, "Hah- Hah- ARGH! I can't even think straight like this! You're such a careless, stubborn idiot!"
Before Ladybug could jump me in a hysteric overreaction, Chat Noir grabbed her arm and gave her a calming look. Turning away with a huff and ripping her arm away, she let her partner take over, "Now, Manuel, you're a bright dude. You don't need ME to tell you that you still have to rest."
"I know, but-", yet another attempt at explanation was launched, and immediately interrupted when the feline hero raised a finger, "So, you should go back to the hospital and leave stone-hunting to Soleil, right?"
"That thing IS Soleil!", I finally yelled back at them, before they could just leave me behind again, "Obviously I can't rely on HER to hunt the stone on this one!"
Looking a bit dumbfounded, Chat Noir held in. "…Oh…", he finally reacted after a few seconds, before turning to his partner who still had her back turned, "Milady, I think we may have-"
"I heard him!", she cut Chat Noir off without even turning to face us, "If that's the case, you, Manuel, point Chat Noir in the right direction, and then go right back to the hospital and stop hunting Soleil!"
"Whoa, now YOU hold it right there!", I called back at her before she could just swing away again. Now I could finally feel my frustration hit its tipping point, and I refused to hold anything back now, "I did not just get up and hunt Soleil for funsies! SHE came to ME, okay?!"
I could see Ladybug stopping her movements right in her tracks, signalling to me that she was at least listening. Therefore I continued my explanation, "Soleil turned into Lucifer to protect the people close to her. Those are her manny, her honorary siblings, and apparently me."
All three of us turned quiet for a moment. Admittedly, I left out a few things to get my own head out of the noose, but the important bits were told now.
"Soleil is a Chausson, correct?", Ladybug asked as she looked down, placing a finger on her chin in thought.
"Right, even if she doesn't really share her families' ideals.", Chat Noir confirmed matter-of-factly, before asking suspiciously, "Wait, you don't hold a grudge against them too, do you?"
Letting out a sigh, she finally turned back to us and reminded him, "Chat Noir, even if I did, you know I wouldn't let that make a difference. It just explains why she destroyed the Chausson-manor."
Giving a sigh of relief, the feline remembered, "Right! I should have known better than to think you biased!" Taking out his pole again, he got ready to launch himself across the rooftops again, "Right then! Let's bring this fallen angel back to the light! Care for a quick stop at the church first? I left my crucifix at home."
Letting out a groan at his joke, Ladybug just threw her yoyo at a chimney above, getting ready to leave herself.
Me, on the other hand, couldn't hold back a snicker, "Pfft, maybe stock up on holy water as well. And don't forget to burn the sage when the demons get too close."
Giving me a bright smile, he pointed to me and told his partner, "See?! HE gets it!"
"Let's just go.", Ladybug sighed exhausted and launched herself atop the roof.
"WAIT!", I called after her, "Can I come too?! I'm on her protection-list, she won't hurt me!"
"NO!", both of the heroes shot me down vehemently, with Ladybug adding, "Manuel, you're the ONE person I can't save if I fail to protect you! If there is even the SLIGHTEST chance that you could get endangered, I'm not taking it!"
Swinging her yoyo to the next chimney already, she repeated the plan to us, "I'll face Lucifer, so her boost activates. Then you point Chat Noir in the right direction, and leave the rest to us. And I BETTER not see you anywhere near the battlefield later, Manuel!"
And just like that, she was gone.
"That I could get killed again…" That line kind of struck a chord with me. I was lucky enough to get revived from a perma-death once, and even that already defied the laws of live and death. It was perfectly reasonable to argue that, if I die one more time, that would be it. No more second chances. Just the end.
"There she goes. Like the beautiful angel she is.", Chat Noir mused happily, causing me to snap back to reality myself, "Focus, Cat-anova! Once the stone activates, we'll have a few minutes!"
"I'LL have a few minutes.", he corrected me strictly, "YOU do no more than point me in the right direction."
I looked at him quite unimpressed. It was obvious that he couldn't sense it just by the way he was talking about it. "And then what?", I just asked him rhetorically, "Search high and low everywhere in that direction? YOU can't sense how close you are to it, and I can't estimate a proper distance from it."
With an uncomfortable expression, Chat Noir signalled me that I hit the nail on the head on that one. But that didn't mean he was going to leave me to it, "In that case, why don't you hop on my back? You'll definitely be safer with me than on your own."
"Can't argue with that.", I agreed with him. In spite of pretty much all my actions so far, I was actually not all that keen on dying. Neither am I a masochist. I just make bad decisions.
But, because neither this world nor my nemesis wanted me to live, the stones aura activated with a sharp increase at once. And just based on my reaction, Chat Noir could tell too, "So the stone is active now?"
Standing there, and forced to contemplate my life choices, I could only answer with a pained, "Noooo…"
"…'No, it's not active', or 'Please no'?", Chat asked confused, to which I pointed right in the direction of the hellish vortex, "Why…?"
With my gesture, Chat Noir understood what I meant, "That just seems intentional now."
"It definitely is.", I confirmed, "My nemesis sure as hell doesn't want me to stay safe."
"That hooded woman that was with the Pharao?", he asked, which I confirmed as well, "Yup. But we can talk about that later. Let's go already!"
Heaving me on his back, Chat Noir immediately jumped up onto the roofs and continued leaping straight towards the hellish vortex and, more than likely, the battlefield.
-w-w-w- (Narration)
"Quite disappointing…", Lucifer commented coldly, as she hovered barely a meter above the ground to choke Ladybug mid-air. With her air-supply having been cut off for half a minute already, the spotted heroine was now just hanging limp in the villainesses iron-grip.
"Taking me on alone was a bold move, Ladybug.", Lucifer continued, and tossed her unconscious opponent to the ground like disposed garbage, "Not exactly smart, but bold nonetheless."
Drawing one of her swords and shooting it tightly into the ground just inches from Ladybug, she added whilst zoning out for a second, "Kinda reminds me of someone, now that I think about it."
From the blade in the ground emitted a spark, and in just a few seconds, another small barrier had formed over the unconscious victim, this one in black and pulsing with a sinister energy and just barely bigger than the heroine herself. "Now, off to skin the feline and make a coat out of him!", Lucifer told herself whilst landing.
As she turned around to hunt down the second of her targets, she let out a held in breath, calming herself down but also feeling a part of her strength fade away. "Those stones… really do make me more brutal.", she noted as she became self-aware of the cruel line she just said, "Taking the ring will be quite enough. Manuel wouldn't like me becoming completely ruthless."
"What are you doing?! Take Ladybugs Miraculous!", Hawk Moth called out in frustration, but Soleil temporarily declined, "Not just yet, Hawk Moth. We don't know if Chat Noir will show up if Ladybug can't be saved no more. What if he disappears forever out of a broken heart?"
Hawk Moths answer took a while to come, so instead, the villainess added, "Chill out, SHE'S not gonna do anything problematic. Nothing gets in or out of that barrier other than me, and she doesn't have any room to move anyway."
"If this fails, Lucifer, you will no longer be able to protect your loved ones.", Hawk Moth reminded her, cruelly tugging at his victims heartstrings, "Take on this responsibility if it pleases you, but if it backfires you'll only have yourself to blame."
"I have quite a few responsibilities on my back already.", Soleil reminded him confidently, "One more will make no difference."
"LADYBUG!", Chat Noir, who had just landed on the roof nearby, called out in distress as he saw his beloved down on the ground, "What happened?!"
"For the future: Could you try NOT giving away our position just for the sake of the dramatic?", I groaned in frustration. The best thing I had going for me was the element of surprise, and this guy's first move was to ruin that for me.
I saw Lucifers eyes widening as she saw me, calling out in confusion, "Manuel? What are you doing here?"
"Stone hunting.", I replied matter-of-factly, as Chat Noir brought the both of us down from the roof, "Not to be unfair, but you, of all people, should understand."
Clenching her fists, she growled. "I understand what they do." But with watering eyes she added half-crying, "But why are YOU so intent on fighting me?! Do YOU want to make me miserable too?!"
Holding my hands up defensively, I tried to keep a composed tone of voice through my skyrocketing heartrate, "I just want my friend back! The Soleil that cared for her friends without bringing harm to others!"
"Do you STILL not understand that this is all FOR you?!", Lucifer yelled back, her voice starting to crack slightly, "Once Hawk Moth has the Miraculous, that's it with all the akumatizations! No more supervillains, no more power-stones, no more PAIN!"
"And what afterwards?!", I threw back myself, getting more heated in the argument myself, "When HAWK MOTH, of all people, gets limitless power, what do you think will follow?! Do you really think HE will use those powers for good?!"
As though struck by a punch to the chest, Lucifer stumbled back a bit, as her expression finally showed a hint of uncertainty. A signal for me to land one more finishing blow, "There would be no more akumas, because Hawk Moth would wreak havoc himself!"
Admittedly, that was a lie. I was well aware of what he was going to use the Miraculous for, and the motive was… well, I couldn't stand behind it, but I could understand him at least. But who cares? In the moment, that white lie was to help me break through to my friend!
The purple outline of Hawk Moth shined up around her face, meaning that the man himself was now talking to Lucifer. However, I, obviously, couldn't hear what he was telling her. But it seemed as though Soleil and him were in a harsh conflict now, given that she had a pained expression and shook her head.
"SHUT UP!", she yelled in the air, "Why won't you tell me what you need them for?! What is your motive?!"
In the corner of my eye, I saw Chat Noir drawing his combat-pole and getting ready for an opportunistic strike. Usually, I'd be encouraging this, but right now, something strange was happenings, which caused me to hold him back, "Wait a moment…"
As Soleil thrashed her head around, she kept yelling back at Hawk Moth, "No! You can't make me do this! Stop ordering me around!"
Whilst fighting for control, she was emitting the dark aura again, causing me to subconsciously shield my stomach. But, unlike any other time, it was only emitting from one half of her body.
And then, she let out one final defiant scream, "I REFUSE!" A bright-violet line drew her body in half, and with a blinding light, Lucifer was torn in two halves.
-x-x-x-
When the blinding light subsided, even I couldn't tell what had happened. Where before Lucifer had stood, Soleil was laying unconsciously on the ground, with Lucifer just half a meter next to her, also unconscious.
"What…", I asked very carefully, "…just happened?"
"…I don't know.", Chat Noir admitted as well. But then, he quickly got a move on, running towards his lady, "Ah- Ladybug!"
That weird lightning-shield that had entrapped Ladybug had disappeared for the time being, so Chat Noir took the opportunity to pick her up bridal style.
Though I still had a wary eye on the unconscious Lucifer, I did follow suit and ran over to Soleil. "Hey, Soleil! Can you hear me?" When I shook her shoulder slightly, she soon stirred awake, "W-What happened?" She looked up at me confused, "Manuel? Why are you out of the hospital?"
"You were akumatized!", I reasoned nervously, "What was I supposed to do?"
Those words shook her awake at once. Her eyes shooting wide open, she suddenly shoved me out of the way just before Lucifers sword would have flown right through me. "WHUA, what was that?!", I called out in a bout of panic, before I got up again.
Barely half a meter next to us, Lucifer too had gotten up again, and now hovered menacingly above us.
"WAHHHH!" In my panic, I just grabbed Soleil and stumbled several steps away with her, "CHAT NOIR! WE'RE LEAVING! RIGHT NOW!"
Reacting to my panic with professional composure, he reached out to me, "Probably for the best! Hang on now!"
To my genuine surprise, that absolutely shredded Cat-Boy leapt all the way up to the rooftops again, despite all three of us clinging to him. He certainly didn't have the title of superhero for naught.
-o-o-o- (2 minutes later)
"Alright, we should be safe here… for a while at least.", Chat Noir claimed as he closed the drain to the underground above him. Sliding back down to the three of us, he asked curiously, "So, uh… Soleil, what happened there?"
Soleil just sat there, staring blankly into space. After a few seconds, she replied quietly, "I don't know… I was just so angry. And indecisive. Like two parts of me fighting for control."
"But you were so viciously determined before that.", I pointed out slightly confused, "You were willing to kill to protect me and the others. What made you second-guess yourself?"
Looking downwards as if trying to recall, she eventually answered, "Hawk Moths orders…" Blinking back the tears forming in her eyes, she barely sobbed, "He commanded me to kill you. He said, if you refused my protection, then death would be only salvation I could grant you."
Shaking her head to get rid of those thoughts again, she continued with a slight growl mixed into her voice, "But I refused to listen. Or, at least on the one hand I did. On the other, I was so damn frustrated with you and everyone else, I could practically feel the bloodlust swell up in me. I was torn in two."
"Quite literally.", Chat noted by the way, making me gesture him a "Shut up."
"So, if I understand correctly…", I tried to summarize what just happened, "There were two motives in you, which conflicted so much that you tore yourself apart. And now we basically have two Soleils."
"One that only wants to protect.", Chat Noir picked up, gesturing to Soleil, and then to the outside, "And one that's just lashing out against the world."
Cowering on the ground, Soleil let out a small whimper, "I'm so sorry… I was supposed to help everyone… But instead, I let myself become another puppet of Hawk Moth…"
"What, you think any of us hold that against you?", I asked nonchalant, as I put a hand on her shoulder, "Even I was akumatized once. And I'm supposed to be the substitute-hero."
"Please don't cling to that title.", the voice of Ladybug unexpectantly entered the dialogue, "You playing hero has killed you once already."
With all of us turning to where the voice had come from, we, sure enough, saw her finally standing there again.
"Milady!", Chat Noir called out and embracing her tightly, elated at seeing his partner awake again.
"Chat Noir...", Ladybug replied still slightly tired, not yet returning the hug, "Did you take care of everything?"
"Sure did!", the cat confirmed proudly, pulling out the purple shining stone from one of his pockets, "Reliable as always."
"What?!", I asked confused, gesturing wildly at the stone, "When in the world did you pick THAT up?! How did you even find it?!"
"You and Lucifer were arguing for over a minute, and I spotted it in the corner of my eye.", Chat Noir explained with a grin, "Also, I feel like I should mention something a bit more... concerning."
Capturing all our attention with that, he continued with a far more serious tone than before, „These stones here… seem to be immune to our powers. I wanted to destroy it with my cataclysm, but this thing just absorbed its power like it's nothing."
A shiver ran down my spine. Was that new? Or did we just never try thus far? Either way, it did give me more and more data as we went on, „So these stones are particularly designed to counter your powers." Taking it from Chat Noir, I just accepted fates whims, „Fine then, give it here. I'll take care of this."
I dropped it to the ground, and stomped on it as I had several times before, shattering it instantly. „Wait, what was that?", Ladybug asked suddenly, confusing me yet again, „What was what?"
„I saw that too!", Chat Noir supported her argument, „There was a sort of… glow coming from you when you destroyed the stone."
„Do you feel any different?!", Ladybug asked quickly, inspecting my eyes specifically, „Any negativity or the like?"
„Uh- No, I feel just fine.", I denied, uncertain about her claims, „Besides I didn't see anything."
"Actually, neither did I.", claimed Soleil as well, making Ladybug breathe easier, "Okay, good. So, you didn't absorb its negative energy."
When a strange aura is supposed to show up, but you can't see it, you should usually be quite concerned. But personally, I was a bit too far into the hundreds of plot-threads at this point, that I failed to really care.
"Either way, can I go home now?", I just asked instead, disinterested in fighting Satan himself unnecessarily, "I have absolutely nothing left to do here."
Looking fairly surprised, Soleil asked uncertainly, "What, not gonna fight my other self like you always do?"
I mean, I couldn't blame her for thinking so. Unless I'm missing one now, the only supervillain I DIDN'T confront in one way, or another was Shadow Play.
But honestly, the battles I had engaged in were always just inevitable. Either they hunted me down, or I needed to get straight through them to break the vissaxum.
"My objectives are all completed.", I explained simply, getting ready to leave already, "The stone is broken, and I got my friend back. Unless the hooded woman shows up, I'm just about done now. Dealing with the akuma is your job, ain't it?"
"It definitely is.", Ladybug confirmed, and sent me a relieved smile, "Thank you for finally taking care of yourself."
I gave her a soft grin back, and turned to leave, "Soleil, you coming too? Better not to get in the way."
Though a nowhere near contend expression on her face, she did pick herself up and wandered after me, "Yeah... Leave it to the heroes to clean up my mess..."
There was quite a bit to unpack about that quote, but there was time for that later. Right now, we were getting out of the warzone.
-e-e-e-
Holy crap this one took forever! I deeply apologize for that, but in my defence, I did need to write this one twice. I was nearly done when I somehow got a virus that corrupted a bunch of my files. Didn't exactly cause any meaningful damage and wasn't a lot of troubel to deal with, but was quite a pain to rewrite the whole chapter.
Either way, I also apologize for making Ladybug and Chat Noir look a whole lot weaker and less reliable than in the show. That's for the sake of establishing the influence of the stones and how much of a problem they are. But don't worry, they will adapt and get back on their winning-streak very soon, in spite of the stones!
Next time on Superheroes and Animations:
With the stone broken, no shadowy clone in sight and the masked woman nowhere to be found, Manuels part in fighting Lucifer was finally done. But it seems as though his overly responsible, and less than careful ways are rubbing off on Soleil...