Chloe Bourgeois, the darling of Paris, looked out unseeing over the city, hands gripping the railings tightly. It wasn't fair. It. WAS. NOT. FAIR.
Nathalie had called her earlier to see if she knew where Adrien was. She honestly hadn't known, though she made a private guess with herself that he'd just blown off his bodyguard for fun. She knew he didn't take his own safety seriously. Not like she did. Then a little later Nathalie had called her father. Who'd taken the news of an akumatised man kidnapping rich children very seriously, and locked her in her room. No amount of pleading could stop him treating her with cotton wool. And while Chloe did take her safety seriously, she... she Just Hated It. Hated having to be the special one. No wait, she did kind of like that – who wouldn't – but she hated the walking on eggshells that came with it. No lapse allowed. Ever. Adrien understood that, her only friend who did. And he was kidnapped. She missed him so hard it burned.
It. WAS. NOT. FAIR.
A light purple butterfly fluttered down to the railings. She looked at it, surprised. It wasn't exactly the time of night for butterflies, and it didn't seem scared of her, but Hawkmoth's akumas were usually much darker. This one was barely darker than moonlight. Her misery wanted no company. Except Adrien's, because that would make this whole sorry thing all over. She reached out carefully to tap the butterfly with one long nail, intending to shoo it away. Instead, it absorbed into her fingernail.
"Chloe. I am Hawkmoth. I feel the injustice burning in you. Your friend is taken, and maybe you will be too."
"Not if Daddy has anything to say about it". The words came out clipped, angry. "Adrien's on his own, and I can't change that." And there it was, the honest feeling under the anger. A need, a desire, to somehow help him – and the impotence of being unable to do anything that could.
"It's as if you think there is nobody more powerful in this city than your father". The voice almost purred with laughter. But there was something in it... Chloe stopped dead still. Years of absorbing political subtleties kicked in. While nobody remembered their conversations with Hawkmoth, her instincts insisted there was something... off about this.
"Wait. You could have taken me over by now. What's this really about?"
"No matter how strong the light of injustice burns, I can't take anyone over until they accept my deal."
"Like I would ever accept your deal". She knew that was wrong, she had accepted it once before. She still didn't know what that deal had been, though she had some guesses. But bluffing had always stood her in good stead. And... there was still something else up. She could smell it, like a shark can smell the tiniest hint of blood in the deep. There was a weakness in her opponent, and by all the gods she was going to hold fast until she saw where the crack was.
"There's no time for this, child." Hawkmoth sounded impatient. Good. She could wait. "We both want the same thing. Adrien freed."
Wait, what? Usually the akumatised victims were shouting out for Ladybug and Cat Noir. What did Adrien have to do with this?
Not that it mattered. He had her attention now. "So what deal are you offering?"
"I will give you the power to free Adrien. And in return, for me..."
There was only a small pause, as if the person on the other end of the connection was having to make themselves say something they didn't normally.
"You will free Adrien".
Really, there was no choice. "I accept your deal, Hawkmoth. Now, how am I going to do anything about it from here? Do I get to fly?"
Hawkmoth sounded almost... tired. That was unexpected.
"No. I can usually only make one akuma at once. The one that powers the man who took Adrien was not a strong one and he isn't constantly using the magic, so I've been able to hoard enough power to make a second – but your powers will be quite limited in comparison. You can go anywhere, through any door – they will open at your touch. That will get you out of here. I can't change your appearance... but that is to your advantage, my dear."
Chloe nodded. It made sense. Searching the city for Adrien would take time – but the Darling of Paris was perfect bait. The kidnapper would take her right to him.
"You need to hurry though. I can't control what people do with their powers once they get them. They're not puppets. And this one..."
Chloe smirked. "Choose the wrong sucker, did you? My, even Hawkmoth can make mistakes."
"Just... get on with it." Chloe frowned. She thought she'd caught the hint of... something like the tone in her father's voice when he locked her doors. A hint of all the bad things that could happen to a stolen child... and an unspoken "Please".
She shrugged it away, knowing that she'd likely not remember any of this later, and walked to her door. As promised, it opened at her touch.
Alya Cesaire startled at her phone's ring tone. "Chloe? What is Chloe ringing me for?"
Alya's best friend and current evening study buddy shrugged, "Maybe she wants you to update the Ladyblog faster?"
Alya put a finger to her lips to ask for quiet, then pressed "answer" and "speaker".
"Alya speaking."
"I need you to put an update on the Ladyblog. A message to Ladybug."
"To Ladybug?"
"Yeah. Adrien's been kidnapped. By someone akumatised."
Marinette smothered her panicked scream with a cushion.
"Nobody knows where he is. But I think I can find him."
"You... how?"
"He's kidnapping rich brats."
Alya and Marinette looked at each other for a puzzled moment, before the meaning of Chloe's words dawned on them.
"Chloe, no! What are you doing?"
The voice on the speaker was impatient. "Just hurry up and put up that message to Ladybug, ok? It's not like I have superpowers or anything." The call disconnected.
Alya dived for her laptop. Marinette grabbed her things, shoving them into her bag. "I'd better go home. Right away."