Chapter 7: Villains Rising
Over at the Agreste Mansion, Alya and Nino were still gathered around the computer and watching as the news unfolded, delivering the events of tonight live all over Paris. They had watched as the news crew had filmed the intense battle between Ladybug, Cat Noir and the Joker and even watched with amazement as Batman had shown up to help. They had grown concerned when The Joker had unleashed his Joker Venom but had cheered when Ladybug blew it away. The whole scene unfolding on the news had been exciting and thrilling for them and they had enjoyed watching it.
"Whoo, hoo! Ladybug and Cat Noir were awesome against the Joker!" Alya exclaimed.
"And it was doubly awesome when Batman showed up to help!" Nino added, "Like major awesomeness!"
"The Ladyblog's gonna go through the roof in terms of views when I blog about this!" Alya shrieked, excitement coursing through her bloodstream, "I'll even title the story "Paris meets Gotham in epic battle"!"
But the excitement had turned into despair when they had seen the one thing they hadn't expected to see. The news crew had managed to capture footage of an akuma settling on top of The Joker and whisking him away in a bright purple light. That had caused the two teens to stare incredulously at the screen, unable to believe what had happened.
"No way...The Joker just vanished!" Nino cried, "Dude, that's not cool! That clown could come back and terrorize us again!"
"I know...our heroes almost got him and that butterfly thing caused him to disappear!" Alya muttered, "And yet, I can't help but feel I've seen one before..."
Alya couldn't possibly remember the time she had been akumatized as the phone-savvy villainess, Lady WiFi, but the sight of the akuma did ring a faint bell or two, like a memory locked away in the darkest corners of her mind and trying desperately to get out. Nino put a hand on his girlfriend's arm.
"I dunno why you get that feeling but one thing's for certain, Paris won't be able to sleep tonight." the pop-culture lover murmured, "Not while Joker's still loose."
"I'm sure Batman, Ladybug and Cat Noir will find him." the brunette girl replied, trying to sound optimistic, "In the meantime, I hope Marinette and Adrien are somewhere safe. They went out to find the heroes but they're not back yet..." she added, noticing that she and Nino were still alone together.
"I'm sure they're fine, those two always seem to find a way to stay out of major trouble, though how they do it is a mystery to me!" Nino chuckled.
Alya just grinned at him. That was something she liked about the young teen in the black spectacles, his ability to still make jokes in a time like this. Such optimism was something to admire about the boy. It was one of the reasons why she'd fallen for him. But any conversation that was likely to commence after Nino's last sentence was interrupted by a strange sound. The two teens jumped in their seats as they heard the door slamming open and they turned around to see four men in green uniforms and wearing helmets with question marks on their foreheads running towards them. That was strange, Adrien's mansion had a ridiculous amount of security! Nobody was supposed to be able to break in like this! How had they even managed to get past the Gorilla?
Alya and Nino got up from their seats, knowing full well that they were in trouble. Whoever these men were, they meant bad business and they had to get out of here. But the men took up strategic positions that fenced the two in like sheep in a pen. They both backed away, afraid on what was going to happen next. They couldn't get away, they were completely trapped.
"Wh-who are you?" Alya stammered, "What do you want with us?"
The men didn't answer. One of them just stepped forward and seized Alya by the arm. Nino lashed out, trying to protect her but another man grabbed his arms and forced them behind his back. The boy struggled but the men were much too strong for him. He watched as Alya's hands were tied behind her back by the man who'd grabbed her and another man plastered a strip of tape over her mouth to prevent her from screaming for help. The same thing was done to him. The four men dragged the two frightened teens out of the bedroom and downstairs. to leave the mansion. Alya and Nino struggled, desperate to get free but their efforts were in vain. They couldn't escape, they were tied up and gagged and utterly helpless. Whoever had ordered the men to do this was going to get them. And the two teens could only dread on who it was that wanted them...and why.
In another part of Paris, the meeting of a life time was taking place, and it was between Batman and Ladybug's number one foes. Now that Hawk Moth had emerged from the shadows, The Joker could get his first proper look at the man who had somehow managed to teleport him away from the Le Grand Paris and to this strange, dark, isolated room full of butterflies. He took in the purple suit, the oversized black lapels and the silver mask, as well as the cold blue eyes and the indigo cane the man carried. He didn't look like any normal person The Joker knew. He was clearly one of "those" people, the costumed freaks just like he and many others. That was already a good sign, maybe he was in good company. And given the man wanted to talk to him in particular, that meant he was in villainous company. That intrigued the clown. Looks as if France has its own demons too, and maybe this poor sap could be used to his advantage. The Joker stretched his arms but suppressed a pained grunt and covered it with a chuckle as he stood up, rubbing his hands together as he gave the silver headed man a delightful, and bleeding, grin.
"Well I must say, this is quite the place you have. Though I think my gaff is a lot better. Can give you the heebie jeebies!" he cackled as he went to shake Hawkmoth's hand, only to get nothing in response.
"I've watched you long enough to see that it's best I don't shake your hand, Joker, though I'm very impressed by the tricks you pulled off tonight. Surprised that a scrawny little thing like you can hold off three superheroes at once" the purple suited man responded with his own voice cool and calm, yet not intimidating the Joker in the slightest.
That was when the clown began to unbutton his shirt. He seemed almost offended by what Hawk Moth had said.
"Heh, I'm not skinny in the slightest, old chap! If you want a show of the ab-" he began.
"No no, none of that, thank you very much. Ignore what I said earlier. But like I said, I'd like to talk to you. And I'd rather there was a safe distance between you and myself." Hawk Moth quickly said, a tiny hint of nervousness in his voice.
The Joker buttoned his shirt back up and took a few steps back, smirking devilishly at the butterfly themed villain.
"So it's that kind of chat is it? The one where you don't wanna touch the other guy unless you have a ten foot pole! Ha, ha, ha, ha! I get that a lot." he said, his voice full of humour rather than offence, "It's like the world fears I'm a ticking time bomb waiting to go off! Speaking of which, I have my exploding alarm clock if you'd like to see the time!" he cackled, pulling out a huge alarm clock that looked more like a prop in a stage production than an actual clock from his coat, "Wanna see what happens when we hit midnight? The results are quite explosive!"
Hawk Moth forced himself not to lose his temper. He'd only been standing here for a couple of minutes and already the Clown Prince of Crime was pushing his buttons. He had to remain patient or his butterflies would end up dancing around his grave. Closing his eyes briefly, he exhaled and held up a hand.
"I prefer to watch the sun and the moon to tell the time thank you." the purple suited villain said calmly, "And I'd rather not have any explosions going on thank you. I don't have the time to redecorate."
"Fair enough, better save this for later!" The Joker said gleefully, putting the clock away, "So Hawk-y, what's your deal and who are you when you're not in the supervillain gear? Are you the big enemy of Ladybug and Cat Noir like I'm the big enemy of Batman?"
"That is correct." Hawk Moth replied, tapping his cane against the floor, "I am the thorn in their side that keeps them on their toes and throws Paris in danger whenever I can. And all thanks to my very own Miraculous..."
He lightly ran his finger and thumb over the broach that he wore on his chest. That was his Miraculous, the item that gave him his insidious power. The Joker looked at it, curiously.
"So...what's a Miraculous then? Some fancy word for jewelry?" he sniffed.
Hawk Moth's response was a grin that was so chilling and demonic that The Joker briefly wondered if he would have any competition at all. He had a feeling the answer was going to be more fun than he thought.
"You have no idea..." the masked man purred.
"Well I'm a clown-y criminal who frolics around throwing punches with a bumbling idiot dressed like a bat so I dare you to surprise me!" The Joker challenged, his words not a threat but more like a friendly dare to see if Hawk Moth could surprise him with the answer.
Hawk Moth hummed to himself briefly, wondering what kind of reaction the crazy clown would give him after he explained everything about the Miraculouses.
"Very well. These Miraculouses might look like ancient or regular everyday gems, but they actually house incredible power, and a Kwami, little bug like creatures that guide the wearer. If I were to remove this broach, you'd see who I really am- "
"Mind if I take a peek?" The Joker asked excitedly, reaching his hand out in a funny fit, only for Hawk Moth to point his cane at him with a disturbed look in his eyes.
"Uh, no thank you. Can I continue?" he asked, trying to hold back his nervousness. While the clown could make him angry, he certainly knew how to make him feel like crapping his pants.
"Well I'm all ears, birdman" the Joker responded, cooly leaning back against the wall behind him. With that, Hawk Moth continued explaining.
"As I was saying, you'd see who I really am. If I let out a battle cry, I can transform or de-transform whenever I want. In this form, I have the power to corrupt these butterflies around us and send them out to corrupt any good hearted soul that might've been hurt or upset that becomes a big deal" Hawk Moth continued.
"Ah, so that whole thing with the monkey man the other night, am I correct?" the Joker questioned curiously, earning a nod from the purple clad villain.
"Exactly. Ladybug and Chat Noir have their own Miraculouses, and as you saw tonight, their Miraculouses can help them recover from any injury thanks to the magic powers they've been granted." he further explained. The mention of magic certainly upped the Joker's grin size.
"Magic, eh? What kinda magic, Hawk-old boy?" he asked, his voice full of utter curiosity.
This pleased Hawk Moth greatly: the clown was now getting VERY interested, and that's all that he wanted to know, but he had to keep him in the game.
"Ladybug's power is that of good luck. She can de-evilise the Akumas and their victims, and can create lucky charms that provide assistance to her and Chat Noir beating the victims. Chat Noir's power is the power of destruction. If you saw on the news, he's capable of destroying anything he touches by using the power of Cataclysm, reducing whatever he touches to rust or dust" the silver masked man explained. The Joker clapped his hands in delight.
"Now THAT is my cup of tea! Destruction, reducing things to ashes. I do wonder if it's been tried on a human? Or better yet a Kryptonian!" The Joker exclaimed joyfully.
"I'm afraid I have no idea. But imagine if you'd be able to combine those two powers" Hawk Moth replied with a deadly glint in his eyes.
"I imagine something, excuse the pun, "Miraculous" happens right?" the clown said gleefully.
"Yes indeed." the Miraculous villain purred, "When the two gems are combined, you will achieve godhood."
That made The Joker leap up in delight. His face looked more full of crazed glee than it usually did.
"HOT DOG!" he cried out in a fit of excitement, "Godhood eh?! Imagine all the chaos and misery I could cause with god powers! Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Not even Bats would stop me!"
That made Hawk Moth's smile fade a little. He wasn't going to share this power with The Joker and knew that he'd have to betray him when the time was right. Last thing he needed as the Clown Prince of Crime stealing his thunder.
"Yes, quite." he said, choosing his words carefully, "Speaking of Batman, I wish to know about him. I trust you can give me the info I need?"
"Well aside from the fact he's a lunatic dressed like a bat and armed to the teeth and has anger issues, not much." The Joker said, "Though I can tell you that he loves his gadgets and cars and he can punch like a a right son of a bitch! You should feel them, it's like getting whacked by a sledgehammer! Not to me, I don't register pain all that much anymore!"
"So I see." Hawk Moth said unsurely, "So tell me Joker, what is the secret behind his power? He must be a Miraculous wielder too am I right?"
The Joker raised an eyebrow at Hawk Moth.
"Sorry to disappoint you butterfly man but Bats is no "Miraculous Wielder"." he said grimly, his smile fading, "He's just a lunatic in a costume, just like me! Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha! He has no super powers or anything, just a hell of a lot of muscle and some really stupid toys!"
Hawk Moth's jaw dropped in disbelief. Batman...doesn't have a Miraculous? That disappointed him greatly and he didn't hide it.
"You mean...Batman's not a Miraculous? He's just armed and dangerous, nothing more?"
"Sorry to burst your bubble Hawk-y but they do say the truth hurts! It hurts more when I hit them with a baseball bat saying "Truth" on it! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"
Hawk Moth growled and resisted the urge of snapping his cane in two. The Joker was giving him mixed messages, and he just found out the Dark Knight of Gotham City wasn't a Miraculous holder! He glared up into the moonlight, one part of his plan now already in shambles! But then another thought came to him as he turned around to face the Joker, who was staring at the multiple butterflies in the room.
"Tell me, Joker: do you happen to know WHY Batman is here? Is he here for you?" he asked in a sharp tone.
The Joker put on such a priceless innocent look that anybody looking at him would've found it hard not to laugh.
"Oh but Hawky, he's the reason I'm here! I saw him on the news while I was in Gotham! Opposites do attract but he certainly didn't come after me! I came after him! Hahaha!" he let out a mad cackle of insane joy, making Hawk Moth wonder just how nutty the green haired man was.
"But then if that's true that you arrived the day after...then why did he come here a day earlier?" he asked with confusion ridden in his soothing voice.
"I dunno, maybe he wasn't satisfied with the meal he had here and came back to complain about it!" The Joker snickered, making Hawk Moth frown in annoyance.
The butterfly themed villain wasn't sure if The Joker was tormenting him or just amusing himself. Either way, he decided not to try and push his buttons so he kept his temper in check, though every muscle in his body was screaming at him to clobber the crazy man already.
"In all seriousness though Moth-brains, I believe I DO know why Batman came in the first place." the clown murmured, his tone of voice suddenly softer and less insane. It was as if he'd transformed from crazy to sane in a split second.
"Do tell." Hawk Moth purred, raising an eyebrow in interest.
"I have many friends in Gotham City! I say many in the sense that they're people I call friends despite the fact they hate me." The Joker explained, "One of them is a puzzle-master known only as The Riddler. He's as nutty as a fruitcake and frankly, rather stupid for somebody who claims to be intelligent. What idiot leaves green question marks everywhere and gives Batman clues on how to defeat him?! But that's not important. What IS important is that The Riddler skedaddled off to France a day ago. I know this because I like to keep tabs on my criminal buddies to see how they're doing! I even watched him leave, secretly of course so he wouldn't see me, for the airport. I didn't care what he was doing as long as I still got my fun with Batman. Looks like Bats caught a whiff of him since he's now here in France too. I dunno if The Riddler brought him here or not but given I'm not the one who did it, riddle-boy must be the reason he's here."
Hawk Moth took all of this in with great interest. So France was actually being invaded by TWO of Batman's rogues? That certainly added more to the whole thing than he thought. So Batman came here just to catch The Riddler, which in turn led to The Joker coming here and the conversation that was now taking place. Fate had a funny way of making events happen, it really did. But for the Miraculous villain, he saw this as a good thing. How great would it be to team up with TWO of Batman's enemies to get what he wanted! He let out a cackle of delight, something The Joker was happy to see.
"Excellent, utterly excellent!" Hawk Moth crowed, "What good fortune this is. I get to meet one of Batman's worst enemies and now I find out there's ANOTHER one in France! Oh those Miraculouses are as good as mine..."
"Heh, good luck with trying to get through to stubble-boy. Either he's reciting a load of Doctor Who quotes, or he's gonna give you a lot of mad bullshit! Basically, he'll only listen to someone as mad as himself!" the Joker then added as he proceeded to gaze out of the circular window in front of him and Hawk Moth "And your in luck, Hawkman, because I might just know where to find him" he chuckled as he rested his pointy chin on his folded arms. Hawk oth frowned at him.
"How would you even know where he is? Like you said, he arrived here only a day ago, and you arrive a day later. How could you possibly know?" he inquired with a questioning look in his silver blue eyes.
"Haha! This is why you should always recruit the nutty ones! They always make themselves useful like me!" The Joker madly exclaimed as he twirled in his tip toes, making Hawk Moth resisting the urge to face palm.
"Can you get to the point, please?" he asked.
"The point is, I know where he is and where we can find him!" the laughing mass murdered retorted, "He has a safe house somewhere near the Rive Seine! If we wanna recruit him, we'll look for him there!"
"I see." Hawk Moth said, "And what will happen if we recruit him into my scheme to get the Miraculouses?"
The Joker grinned at his new friend, a twinkle of delight in his eyes.
"You may well get what you want." he purred, "The Riddler stages death traps and puzzles to test people on their intelligence you see. So I thought, what if we recruit him and get him to put Batman, Ladybug AND Cat Noir through his little games? Batman will likely survive but Ladybug and Cat Noir don't know The Riddler so they could well end up dead! And when they end up dead, we can take their Miraculouses from their dead bodies! So one could say that if all goes well, The Riddler will do our jobs for us! AH, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!"
Hawk Moth grinned maliciously with pleasure. He liked where this was going. This was a brilliant plan and he knew it.
"Joker...you may well have come up with the plan to end all plans..." the masked menace complimented, "This plan will get me those Miraculouses at last! And there might be a bonus too. If Batman gets distraught over the heroes's deaths, he could be vulnerable to my wicked little akumas! Oh yes...I could akumatize him and make him my ultimate servant while we use the Ladybug and Cat Miraculouses to become a god! With ultimate power plus the best lapdog we could ever ask for, we will be unstoppable! Not even the Justice League will be a match for us!"
Of course, Hawk Moth intended all of this for himself but to keep The Joker in the dark, he decided to include him in all of this so he wouldn't suspect anything. Plus The Joker was helping him right now so he may as well come off as grateful. The Joker didn't seem to suspect anything as he laughed with him.
"I know Hawk-Eyes! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! With Batman as our minion and god like powers, we can bring the world to its knees and everybody will fear The Joker and Hawk Moth when we unleash our power over all the helpless people of the world!"
Hawk Moth clenched his fist in utter delight, just picturing the images of two French superheroes dead and an Akuma Akumatising Batman. What a pleasant thought and it was bound to come true!
"What's more, we can find out who Batman is once I establish a mental link with him! If he even TRIES to fight back, we threaten to reveal to the world of who he is!" he exclaimed with a sickening grin, only for the Joker to chuckle as he waved a finger about.
"I'd rather that we don't do that at all, birdman." he said in a softer tone, actually trying to sound reasonable for once.
"Why not? It would be good leverage if we were to use it against him." the purple suited villain responded with a confused look in his eyes.
"Ya see, I don't mind using it as leverage, but if we were to reveal to the whole world who he is, it would just take the fun away. I mean...I THINK I know who he is, but that doesn't bother me much. But the whole world knowing who he is will just kill the Batman of the man in the mask. He won't be known as Batman anymore, you see?" The Joker tried to explain, actually sounding logical for once in this conversation.
That made Hawk Moth tap his chin in thought "Hmm, fair point. We can just scare him into thinking we'll reveal his name. But I don't care if Ladybug's and Chat Noir's identities are revealed to the world or not. As long as they'll be out of the way and their Miraculouses are in our grasps, I'm happy." the mysterious villain explained, using his own logic to respond with the nutcase of a man, who grinned.
"Quite glad to reach an agreement, old boy. So, shall we pay Eddy a visit?" he suggested with a wink.
Hawk Moth nodded slowly.
"Be my guest my snickering friend..." he crooned.
The man that Hawk Moth had been informed about by his new friend wasn't up to much at the moment. He was sitting alone in his room of computer monitors and television screens as he prepared for his big night ahead. He had ordered his goons to get the unfortunate sods who would be part of his games and was waiting to hear from them. It intrigued him to see that his victims were gonna be schoolchildren. What would Batman's reaction be if he saw that children were in danger? Would it make him lose his concentration and not think properly and therefore, lose the game? And how would he react if he saw a child die in front of his eyes? The Riddler was fascinated by such ideas and hoped to see the results. He spun his bowler hat around on his finger, grinning to himself.
"When the children arrive, the games begin and given Batman's here in France, I'll be able to catch his attention easily enough, that is if my wimpy taxi driver doesn't direct him to me first, and then I can show him just how deadly my safehouse is! And I'll finally prove to the shaven monkey that I, The Riddler, am better than him!"
"You certainly love talking to yourself, don't you?" a certain soothing voice spoken from the darkness.
If the Riddler didn't love himself so much, he'd just frown and turn around in a calm manner...instead he squealed like a girl and turned around in such a frantic blur that the Flash would've given him a medal. Waving his arms about, he tried to switch his cane into its gun mode, but instead found himself falling flat on the floor in his mad bitch fit.
"Wh-Who's there!? How the hell did you get on here!? It's foolproof! No fool should be able to get in here!" the Riddler let out as if he was an owl that could talk and had done enough hooting for one night.
"It might be foolproof, but not strong enough to resist magic users" the voice replied as its owner stepped out of the shadows, revealing himself to be none other than Hawk Moth, unsurprisingly, given he had the power of teleportation, with an akuma flapping its wings above him.
The Riddler climbed to his feet and frowned at him.
"Who the hell are you!? A pantomime villain!? A cosplayer that's gotten crossed with Red Tornado and Huntress!? Are you a lonely fool!? Did Batman send you!?" he yelled angrily, waving his cane about like he was trying to swat flies out of the air.
Hawk Moth couldn't help but smirk: this was the genius the Joker was speaking of? More like some nutty professor that literally lost his marbles.
"Heh, rest assured I have nothing to do with the Bat. But I can gladly tell you that I've come across an associate of yours" Hawk Moth replied, his soothing tone slipping into the Riddler's tense muscles, relaxing him a bit, though he cocked an eyebrow upwards in response.
"An associate? Don't make me laugh! Geniuses work alone!" he exclaimed, his eyes going crazily wide.
But a sudden toothy grin lightening up the darkness sent chills running through him.
"Is that the right way of speaking of an old friend?" the giddy voice of the Joker questioned as he strutted out of the darkness, an Akuma flapping above him "Hello, boy genius!"
The Riddler suddenly calmed down and allowed his jumpy nerves to subside. He know understood what was going on and how he'd been found. The green clad villain frowned at his two purple visitors.
"Oh, you." he sighed, "Should've expected you to show up Joker. When there's a Bat, there's always a Joker. In which case, riddle me this: How are Batman and The Joker related?"
"They drive you both insane!" The Joker laughed, slapping his knee in hysterics.
The Riddler scowled, angry that the clown had worked out that riddle. If The Joker was making him look like an idiot then what chance would he have of proving he was better than Batman!
"Good answer." the puzzle master muttered, "Now get out of here! I can't afford to deal with you two clowns! I've got a Batman to deal with!"
"Oh but we want to help deal with Batman Riddler." Hawk Moth purred softly, "Joker's told me about you and how you desire to prove yourself smarter than him. Maybe we can help you in that regard..."
The Riddler paused for a moment, curious as to what this stranger was getting at. Cautiously, he answered.
"OK...but first, I want you to tell me who are you and what you think you can do to help me?" he demanded.
"I am Hawk Moth, and that's all you and the Joker need to know of for the time being." the silver headed villain replied, his tone growing sharper as he answered the question.
The Riddler frowned at him in confusion.
"Hawk Moth? What kind of a name is that? There's nothing about you that suggests your basing yourself off a hawk or a moth. Considering you use butterflies, why not call yourself Papillon?" he pointed out.
In response, Hawkmoth narrowed his blue eyes sharply, "Only one other person had that name and will forever keep that name. Now tell me what your planning to do, or so help me-
"Now now, temper tantrums won't get us anywhere. My goodness I am being logical today! Hahaha! What a surprise!" The Joker butted in and burst out laughing, making Hawk Moth sigh in defeat while the Riddler cringed in annoyance.
"Ugh...just what is your plan, Riddler?" Hawk Moth simply put in.
The Riddler hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should answer this stranger. Would Hawk Moth hijack his plan if he told him what it was? But Hawk Moth had stated he wanted to help him. The Riddler wasn't the kind of person who asked others for help but he supposed there was no harm in letting this purple-clad stranger in on his scheme. Maybe he could help in ways that would benefit him greatly. Running a hand across his stubble, he made up his mind.
"If I tell you, you won't try to stop me or hijack my plan will you?" he asked curiously.
"Why would I want to do that my good man?" Hawk Moth replied politely, "We want to help you, why would we betray you?"
"If you want to prove yourself as Batman's superior then we can help! So what are you up to?" The Joker inquired.
Deciding to trust them for now, The Riddler answered. He could always back stab the two later and just tell Batman that he did the whole thing himself without any help from them. Nobody would know and he'd be considered the superior mind.
"As you can gather Joker, this is one of my lairs and you probably know that it's full of traps and and puzzles to test the Dark Knight." The Riddler explained, "I've sent my men out to kidnap a class of schoolkids to put in my puzzles and when Batman shows up, my safe house's features will be tested on him and if all goes well, I'll beat him once and for all!"
The Joker didn't look too impressed whereas Hawk Moth looked intrigued, running a hand down his masked chin in thought.
"Geez Riddler, do you EVER come up with an original plan anymore?" the clown sneered, "You tried that last time, and the time before that, and the time before that, and the time before that, and..."
"Yes, yes, Joker we get it." Hawk Moth said quickly, "This plan of yours is intriguing Riddler. And now here's where we intend to help you..."
"Go ahead, I'm listening." the puzzle master said, smiling dryly.
Hawk Moth chuckled cooly as he began to explain away.
"As you've noticed, I have the power to Akumatise ordinary people and make them into monsters. Evilise them, to make it more simple. If Batman were to come here with Ladybug and Chat Noir, and if they were to become trapped at a certain point, we can have them bare witness to your plan succeeding. Not only will we get Ladybug's and Chat Noir's Miraculouses, but Batman will get so angry and upset about it that he himself will be akumatised. With that, he'll be our slave forever. The Justice League won't be able to stop us then." he explained, earning an intrigued look from the Riddler.
The green-clad criminal grinned from ear to ear as he took this in. Hawk Moth could turn people into super villains? And if he managed to upset Batman enough, Hawk Moth could turn him evil too? He liked the sound of that.
"Batman as our slave eh? Sounds like my kind of paradise!" The Riddler exclaimed excitedly, "I can have Batman grovel at my feet forever and kiss up to me, saying that I'm smarter and better than him! Oh yes, I'll get a kick out of this! Ha, ha, ha, ha!"
The two purple villains smiled wickedly. The Riddler was hooked like a fish and part of their plan now. How easy it had been to convince him to join them with such a promise! They intended to dispose of him later but for now, they looked back at The Riddler and smiled at him.
"We're glad you approve Riddler." Hawk Moth purred, twirling his cane around, "Together, the three of us will break the Batman and make him our slave forever."
"And with the power of the Miraculouses, we can make all who appose us kneel down before us and beg for mercy! And then we give them no mercy!" The Joker cackled.
"Speaking of Miraculouses, what are they?" the cluemaster wondered, "They some kind of magical item from a cheesy anime show?"
"They're nothing of the sort my friend. They're the real thing." the silver-masked man explained, "The local heroes, Ladybug and Cat Noir, are powered by those items..."
"Oh yes, now I remember!" The Riddler suddenly recalled, snapping his fingers, "I was there when I watched Batman and those ladybug and cat-themed teenagers fight off that gorilla man! So you say their powers are a result of those "Miraculous" things? If I recall, the cat boy can destroy things and the ladybug girl can make items appear and repair everything." he paused, grinning wickedly as he realized something, "Oooooh...imagine what I could do with that kind of power!" he said gleefully.
Hawk Moth nodded, as if sharing his enthusiasm.
"And if your traps work Riddler, we'll be able to pry those Miraculouses from their dead bodies, or even better, make them surrender the gems to us." he said, "Our plan is foolproof. It can't possibly fail!"
"It's the best plan ever since the guy who invented the word "plan"!" The Joker cried excitedly.
Both the Riddler and Hawk Moth frowned at him, then the Joker stuck his hand out in front of himself, grinning weirdly.
"Well? Hand in hand? Together as a team boys or what?" he asked in a simple tone, earning a shrug from the other two men.
"Ugh, whatever you say." the Riddler moaned as he put his hand on top of the Joker's.
"I normally wouldn't be so childish, but this is actually a better team up than instead of me talking in someone's head. Together it is then" Hawk Moth stated as he put his hand on top of the Riddler's.
"YAY! Scissors beat paper!" The Joker exclaimed as he made a gesture of the said tool, pretending he was snapping through the Riddler's and Hawkmoth's hands.
"Can someone just gag him and tie him up?" The Riddler thought with a cringe as the Joker patted Hawk Moth's shoulder.
"Right, let's get this party started, shall we!?" he yelled happily as he twirled on his toes, heading to the computer.
"My men should be bringing in the children I selected to be my targets so once they arrive and Batman and his teen sidekicks show up to save them, the party will REALLY get going." The Riddler purred, sitting down beside The Joker and watching the screens, "Oh look, here are my men now!" he exclaimed with delight.
Surely enough, there they were. A couple of vans drove up outside of The Riddler's safe house and the doors opened up, the drivers stepping out. They opened the back doors to the vans and dragged out several children, all of them bound and gagged as they were hauled out of the van. Every single child the Riddler had captured was in Marinette and Adrien's class. Alya, Nino, Lila, Juleka, Rose, Kim, Max, Ivan, Alix, Mylène, Nathanel, Sabrina and even Chloe Bourgeois had been seized from their homes or wherever they were hanging out and taken to the safehouse in the vans. They all looked either scared or angry as they were shoved through the front door. The Riddler grinned, his eyes all aglow from behind his purple-lensed glasses. The bait was here! Now he just needed to wait for the moment to hook his fish!
"All too easy." The Riddler purred, "My men may not be able to deal with Batman but they're competent enough to steal a whole class of wimpy, snot-faced, bratty kids!"
Hawk Moth seemed rather intrigued by the selection of children that The Riddler had chosen as his targets and watched as they were filed through the front door on the screen.
"I recognize those brats..." he murmured, "Yes...they were all my akumatized victims once! I could even tell you the names of each of them as they were akumatized!"
"I recognize the blonde girl." The Joker muttered bitterly, pointing at Chloe as she was pushed through the door, "She dared to stand up to me when I was causing a riot in that stupid hotel earlier! I'd love to see her suffer! Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"
"Well with any luck Joker, you'll get your wish..." The Riddler purred, "You see, one challenge I have involves an exploding phone. I've put bombs in each kids' phone so if Batman manages to save them all, one of them will end up dead anyway since only one of the bombs is real. And Batman will never guess who's got the real bomb!"
This puzzle intrigued The Joker and Hawk Moth. So it seemed that The Riddler had a contingency plan that would make Batman mad, even if he did save everybody at first. They couldn't wait to see who was the unfortunate sod who had the real bomb in their phone.
The Joker grinned and slapped the Riddler's back, making him squeal in shock.
"By Joe Eddy Eggy, you really are a genius! Hahaha!" he laughed madly, making the Riddler and Hawkmoth cringe in nervousness.
Elsewhere, Batman had returned to the rooftop of Alexandre's home, recovering whatever strength he had left in him after his fight with his clown like nemesis. He was doing his hardest to fight the boiling anger inside of him, remembering very well about Ladybug's and Chat Noir's warnings of what the Akuma could do.
Don't lose your temper. Keep under control. You can't let yourself become vulnerable to an akuma... Batman told himself mentally.
He repeated those words over and over, knowing that repetitive thinking often turned into actions. The more he thought about it, the more he'd keep himself under control. He entered the house and walked into the bedroom where The Riddler's unfortunate taxi driver was still imprisoned. He was glad Ladybug and Cat Noir weren't here right now, he couldn't imagine that they would've approved of methods such as this. They struck the Gotham vigilante as the type of heroes who had heavy standards and never resorted to things like psychological or mental torture to get what they wanted. It was better that he was alone. He'd be able to call them when he got the information he required and then the trio could all storm The Riddler's safehouse together.
Batman pulled the bed away from the wardrobe doors and immediately, the terrified Frenchman tumbled out, gasping for air and shaking like mad. He looked half mad.
"Merci! MERCI!" he screeched, "I thought I was gonna lose ma sanity in there! I have a nasty feeling I'll be suffering from claustrophobia for ze rest of ma life!"
He turned around and saw Batman, screaming like a little girl at the sight of him.
"SACRE BLEU!" he shrieked, "Le Batman! Whatever it is monsieur, please don't hurt me! I had some crazy nut trap me in ma own wardrobe! I can't take anymore torture!"
"I'm not here to hurt you." Batman said, his voice low and measured, "I just need to know one thing. You're The Riddler's taxi driver and you took him somewhere. Where did you take him? Where can I find him?"
Alexandre was so traumatized by his being trapped in the wardrobe for a long time that he didn't even bother asking how Batman knew he was working with The Riddler. It was possible he and that man who locked him in there to begin with were in together but Alexandre didn't care or event think about it. He just immediately opened up and spilled everything to him.
"He's in his so-called "safe house" along le River Seine!" he exclaimed, "It's just north from le Eiffel Tower! It's a building standing by itself with darkened windows and a welcome mat at the door! It doesn't stand out much but you should find it monsieur! Just don't hurt me sil vous plait?!"
Batman raised his hand, signalling for him to stop and that he could calm down.
"Alright, that's all I needed to know" he stated as he turned on his heels.
But Alexandre suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder, only for the dark costumed man turned around to face him, firmly grabbing his arm and held it down with a warning look on his face.
"What is it now?" he asked with a hint of irritation in his voice.
"Y-You won't have me arrested, will you!? I've had enough of getting mixed up in this shit! I swear, I'm telling ze truth! I won't work for madmen ever again!" he begged as he sunk to his knees, breaking down into an emotional fit.
Batman looked down at the pathetic Frenchman, almost feeling sorry for him. It was often hard to watch people breaking down be it because of sanity slipping or emotional matters. He decided that he would leave Alexandre alone. The poor man had been tortured enough tonight, he didn't deserve anymore. He softened his gaze.
"No. You're an innocent in all of this." he said, "Not all people serve madmen by choice. I won't have you arrested. That'll give you a chance to redeem yourself."
Alexandre let out a great sigh of relief, feeling his heart beat slowing down in response.
"Oh merci monsieur..." he sighed happily, "I'll find some way to repay you for your kindness!"
"No payment necessary. Just forget you ever saw me." Batman said bluntly.
He turned on his heels and left the room, his cloak billowing out behind him like giant wings. Alexandre watched him leave and then leap out of his window. He wondered what would happen if Batman caught The Riddler. Hopefully the big-headed, ill-mannered man would get what was coming to him. He didn't care anymore. As Batman left, he closed his balcony window and drew in the curtains.
"I think I'm in for an early night tonight..." he murmured to himself, keen to escape into sleep so he could put all of this behind him...
Marinette was hiding behind the back of her home, speaking frantically on the phone to her mother and father as Tikki floated above her, listening in while munching on the second cookie she had been given. The bluenette and the Kwami had retreated to here after Ladybug's earpieces started bleeping once the battle with the Joker was other. Marinette would switch back to her heroic alter ego soon, but first she had to speak to her parents to see if they were okay. Seeing the Joker threatening them had certainly shook her hard, and right now she was trying to calm herself down once her mother had answered.
"Mom!? I saw everything on the news! Are you and dad okay!?" she almost screamed as she began to hold a shaking hand to her mouth.
"Calm down Marinette, we're fine. We're just a little shaken." came the voice of Sabine, who sounded quite relieved, though slightly on edge.
Marinette couldn't blame her mother for feeling that way considering this was the first ever time she and Tom had been threatened, especially by a dangerous lunatic like the Joker.
"But what's more important dear is if you are alright. Are you still at the Agreste Mansion?" her mother then questioned with a great amount concern in her voice.
Thinking quickly, Marinette responded as soon as she heard her mother finish her sentence.
"N-No! I was coming after you, but Adrien said it was best I stayed at home and keep myself locked in! I-I'm sorry, I was just so worried, I f-felt like I had to do something!" she exclaimed, moving her hand over her chest to steady her heartbeat, which had increased greatly, and the poor French girl was trying not to cry about it.
"While that was a crazy idea, it's understandable dear. You were worried, but where you are right now is the safest place. Just keep the doors locked and wait until we get back. We might be a while yet" Sabine explained from her end, her tone dropping to a more softer and comforting one.
Her words, however, made Marinette frown slightly.
"What do you mean a while?" she asked nervously, only to relax when her mother's voice took on a reassuring tone.
"Don't worry, dear, nothing's wrong. Captain Roger and his men just want to ask us some questions over everything that had happened, the usual. That and the medics just want to make sure your father is just fine. Once that's done, we'll be home." Sabine told her in such a calm voice that Marinette could tell a comforting smile was on her mother's face.
"Okay, mom. I'll keep everything locked and I'll wait until you get home. Give dad all my love" she said as she could feel her heart slow down a bit to its steadier pace.
"Merci, I will my dear. See you soon, and I love you." Sabine replied from her end.
"Love you too, mom. Bye." Marinette replied before ending the call.
With her nerves relaxing, Marinette slumped against the wall behind her with her chest heaving in and out as she exhaled, glancing up at Tikki as the Kwami finished her cookie. The little red creature had a sad look on her face as she faced her owner. She looked almost guilty over the whole thing.
"I'm really sorry about all that's happened, Marinette, especially with the Joker getting away." she said in a regretful tone, only for the French girl to smooth her affectionately.
"It's not your fault, Tikki. If anyone is at fault here, it's the Joker. And he won't be free for long, I can promise you that!" she said, her tone growing slightly sharper as she came to the end of her sentence. Tikki took notice of this, so she floated in front of Marinette's face, concern in her eyes.
"Marinette, don't let vengeance cloud your mind, because that'll help the Joker and Hawk Moth beat you. You have to be calm and steady your emotions" the Kwami instructed, earning a sigh from her owner.
"I know Tikki, it's just seeing that...that monster threatening mom and dad like that, it gotten me so angry and upset. I don't want that feeling ever again, Tikki." she explained, earning a nod from the Kwami.
"I understand, Marinette. Just keep everything at ease for the time being." she said softly, making the baker's daughter smile.
"Thanks for still believing in me." she spoke in a grateful voice.
"You're forever welcome, Marinette. What are we to do now?" Tikki asked as the bluenette pushed herself off the wall.
"We transform now, meet with Chat, and find Batman. Hopefully he's got a way to handle all this." Marinette replied as she clenched her fists, ready to get into action.
Tikki took notice of this and smiled "Just say the magic words, Marinette." she said sweetly, earning a quick nod and a smile from her Miraculous bearer.
"TIKKI, SPOTS ON!"
Later that night, Cat Noir pole vaulted into the air with his staff and hurled from one building to another. He hadn't powered down since The Joker's attack, something he didn't need to do since he hadn't used his Cataclysm yet. He was free to go on for as long as he wanted. He landed down on the building, feet first, and sprinted towards the edge. Cat Noir rather liked these late night runs. There was an air of beauty to a Paris night that he couldn't quite explain or put into words and the air sweeping over him made him feel exhilarated and like he could fight for the country. It was motivating and comforting at the same time.
Cat Noir leapt into the air and landed onto another building, another perfect landing for him. He then stood up and held his staff on his shoulder. He decided that he would wait and see if Ladybug or Batman, or preferably both at once, would come across him at all. He looked up at the moon, hoping that Paris wouldn't be seeing it for the last time tonight. With The Joker around, this could be anybody's last night.
"Hawk Moth and all his akumas...they seem almost irrelevant now The Joker's here..." he murmured, "I sure hope we can catch him next time we find him. If I could, I'd personally Cataclysm him out of existence and send his ashes as far away from here as possible!" he growled, clenching his fist.
"Weren't you the one who warned me about expressing such desires could result in me being akumatized?" a familiar voice asked from behind, making Chat's eyes widen in surprise.
Whirling around on his feet, the blonde haired superhero came face to face with Batman. It was spooky, almost like a horror movie in how he'd just appeared completely out of nowhere and as silent as a grave. Upon seeing him, a run of shame and guilt went through the young French kid, who rubbed the back of his head nervously.
"B-Batman...I'm sorry, I- "
"There's no need to apologise, Chat Noir. This is the first time you've encountered someone like the Joker, yes?" The Dark Knight softly interrupted and stood directly in front of the young boy, who sighed and nodded.
"Yes...there were a fair few that were similar to him, but they were mostly brainwashed or upset. The closest person to the Joker who I can compare to is Hawk Moth. He almost doesn't have any reason for why he's doing what he does. H-He just brainwashes innocent people into doing his dirty deeds, for what? To seek joy from it!?" he vented, only to get a raise of the Bat's masked eye.
Chat sighed again and ran a hand through his hair. "Again, sorry. I guess the Joker does that to you...but I never thought of Hawk Moth like that before..." He trailed off, utterly unsure of what to say.
Batman truly pitied the young fighter in front of him. It reminded him of whenever and whichever Robin encountered the Joker for the first time. They always gotten so angry and livid beyond belief at whatever cruel crime he pulled off for the first time they were dealing with him. But he had seen much worse. One time the Joker kidnapped Lois Lane because Clark Kent was managing to expose a crime the Joker and Two-Face were pulling off in Metropolis. Superman almost erupted like a volcano when he saw the Joker was going to shoot Lois. He had the nutter by his throat and was about to literally drive his fist through his chest but stopped at the last second. Batman was relieved beyond belief his best friend didn't sink to that level, because that would've led to utter chaos beyond belief.
Back to the main point, though, he decided to put a comforting arm on the feline based superhero, getting him to look up to him "I know the feeling. Just don't let those sort of feelings cloud your mind and heart when you come face to face with a situation."
Cat Noir couldn't help but smile at how understanding and sympathetic the Gotham vigilante was being towards him. Then again, he did have a teen sidekick, the famed Boy Wonder Robin, so he imagined Batman knew very well how to handle teenagers and how to speak to them.
"You know, the rumours always said that you're a cold-hearted, stoic, grim-faced kind of guy." Cat Noir said, hoping he had chosen his words wisely, "But you seem to be a very nice guy when the situation calls for it."
"Sometimes my tough demeanour isn't always appropriate to use, especially in situations like this." Batman explained, "I prefer to let Gotham know that I still have a heart, even if I can't show it much."
Cat Noir nodded understandingly. The criminal scum that Batman had to deal with daily wouldn't take him seriously if they thought he was some big softy. But the good people of the world would appreciate Batman better if they knew he had a heart like they did. Before anymore conversation could go on, the distinctive sound of a yo-yo whirring through the air caught the two black-clad crime fighters's attention. They saw a red and black spotted yo-yo wrap around a TV aerial and then the person who was using said yo-yo emerged up onto the roof. It was Ladybug. She had spotted them and had decided to join in, wondering what was happening.
"Hey Bat and Cat, what'd I miss?" she asked, "Is the Joker still hiding after he was whisked away by the akuma?"
Batman nodded with a grim look on his face.
"I'm afraid so. Not a clue of him anywhere." he admitted with a tinge of guilt in his voice. Ladybug pouted slightly upon hearing this, but it wasn't Batman's fault as he didn't know where Hawk Moth was based and neither did she or Chat. But the Caped Crusader then looked up and pulled out his pad, getting up a map of Paris on it.
"But I have located the Riddler. If we can bring him down first and do it quick, we can focus on Joker and Hawk Moth once we're done with Riddler." he informed the two youngsters, who looked closely at the pad to see that Batman had placed a marker on where the Riddler was located.
"I know that place, it was once a posh cafe, except it had a more nineteenth century look to it. A shame it's now housing a criminal." Chat noted. Batman nodded in agreement before placing his pad away.
"Something tells me I'm going to need your help in this, you two. But I want you to promise you follow every command I give once we get there." he said with his tone growing slightly sharp, only to get a quick nod in response.
"He's your villain, Batman. Your words are worth to take in mind" Ladybug pointed out.
A small smile formed on the American vigilante's lips as he began to turn around.
"Good to know" just as he was about to turn around though, Ladybug stopped him with a question.
"Um, Batman? Before we go any further, just a quick question, please?" she politely requested.
The vigilante gave her a nod, allowing her to go on.
"Why have you and the League never bothered with Paris and us before? We're not mad or anything, just curious." she explained.
The question stopped Batman dead in his tracks. He hadn't expected Ladybug to ask something like this, nor had he expected such a question to be asked. He supposed nothing went over this teenager's head, something he found to be very impressive. She was almost as sharp as the many Robins he'd mentored over the years. He turned and gave his answer, hoping it'd satisfy the spotty heroine's curiosity.
"We've been well aware of your activities for a long time." Batman explained, "It helps how the Justice League is mounted on a satellite so nothing slips under our radar. We had often thought about approaching France and getting involved. But we decided against it. It wasn't that we didn't care about France, we care about EVERY country. No land on Earth is below our interest. We just thought that if we got involved, we'd just attract more trouble. And it seems we were right as my being here brought The Joker to you..."
He paused as if needing to collect his thoughts. Ladybug patiently waited for him to continue.
"Also, we could tell you two were young teens who were too busy with college life to get too involved with the League. So we thought it'd be best to observe from the shadows, though the League made a promise that if something happened in France that got TOO out of hand, we would move in. Does this answer your question?" he asked.
The explanation almost threw Ladybug and Chat Noir off guard, especially the second part of it. The Justice League were basically still watching over them but didn't want to give to intervene in case of bigger trouble escalating, and they didn't want to wreck their civilian lives? That was...very kind of them actually. Ladybug smiled at Batman.
"It certainly does. Thank you, Batman" she said in a pleased tone.
"It really does. We're both glad you guys are counting on us to do our job, but we certainly don't mind a helping hand once in a while" Chat Noir noted, earning a lighter look from the Dark Knight.
"You're welcome." he said.
"Well then, that's that sorted so let's find The Riddler!" Ladybug announced.
"Yeah, and then he can answer this riddle: what happens when he dares to hide in our city?" Cat Noir sneered.
"He gets a beating from you both." Batman said, half humorously.
Ladybug and Cat Noir both snickered as they jumped off the building and swung off into the night with Batman leading the way. The Riddler's coordinates were in his hands and it wouldn't take long for them to get there. The Riddler had started this whole mess and Batman was keen to make him pay for it.
A few minutes passed, almost half an hour, before the heroes arrived at the puzzlemaster's safe house. There it was, standing alone unnoticed and unwanted by the rest of the city. It was almost like an outcast in a city of otherwise perfect architecture. Chat Noir tapped his finger in mock thought.
"Hm, abandoned, almost untouched, almost uncared for by the authorities...villains sure love choosing these places as their hideouts, don't they?" he pointed out as they observed the outside of the safe house.
"It might look derelict and simple, but knowing the Riddler he's probably got a lot of built in defences. Your both going to have to follow my instructions very carefully" Batman responded as he began to approach the front door, with Ladybug readying her yoyo.
"So I take it trying to open the door won't be so simple?" she asked lightly, earning the shake of the head from the vigilante.
"It certainly won't. Like I said, do everything I say and you'll both be alright." Batman reassured as he could then hear some sort of humming and clicking sounds coming from inside the door's frame. Something told him that it had to be containing a clearance system designed only for the Riddler to get past of.
But little did Batman realize was that he, Ladybug and Cat Noir had all made the biggest mistake they could've made. They were standing on the welcome mat. The welcome mat hid a sophisticated panel that could detect feet despite the fact there was a straw mat on top and it didn't recognize the feet that were now standing above it. This in turn activated one of the safe-house's security features, which was an electrical surge that leapt up from the floor and struck the intruders. The heroes all flinched in surprise as they were electrocuted. Luckily for them, The Riddler had turned the power down so it wouldn't kill them, just stun them. The trio all collapsed on top of each other, knocked out cold by the shock. Once everything was calm and still again, three Riddler henchmen seized the unconscious bodies and dragged them inside the building.
The Riddler had watched all this from his computer room, grinning like a hobgoblin to himself.
"Perfect...now the games can begin..." he purred to himself, earning some smiles of approval from Hawk Moth and The Joker, who were standing directly behind him and sharing his delight. The plan was about to begin, and soon the Miraculouses would be theirs...
This isn't good. The three big villains have teamed up, Marinette and Adrien's class are all going to be sacrificial lambs and Batman, Ladybug and Cat Noir are gonna be forced to play The Riddler's games! Will they succeed? Tune in next time as it's time for a riddle...