Evening all (at least it is where I am)! I was working on chapters 24 and 25 tonight and decided that I wanted to give you guys a mid-week treat!
I know that for many people school has started back, so I want to give y'all a word of encouragement (or for anyone that could use a word tonight): "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him." -James 1:12.
Remember that any trial you are currently facing is only temporary. You WILL come out the other side stronger. Find a friend to talk to to help you through the darkness; read through the book of Proverbs (it was written to show us how to live our lives wisely); watch your favorite episode of Ladybug, remembering that good will always defeat evil.
I know it may sometimes be taboo to mention "religious" things on a site like this, but if there is anything I can be praying about for you, feel free to send me a PM.
Enjoy your bonus chapter this week!
Hawkmoth massaged the bridge of his nose as he detransformed. Even with Mayura by his side, they had been unable to defeat the heroes. Gabriel looked to the woman in question as she detransformed as well. It had all started so well…
xXx
Nathalie Sancoeur had been Gabriel's assistant since the Agreste brand had been a small start-up company, way before Adrien. Back then, Emilie would invite her around for dinner every week. The trio were almost inseparable. After Adrien was born, Nathalie was made his godmother. Everything was perfect.
Until Emilie became sick.
None of the treatments were working and doctors had no idea what was wrong with her. Refusing to see their wife and friend die, Gabriel and Nathalie hatched a plan. They would fake Emilie's death and continue seeking treatments elsewhere.
Gabriel knew how hard it was for Nathalie to see Adrien sobbing over the casket at the funeral, knowing full well that his mother was clinging to life in a state-of-the-art stasis pod below the Agreste mansion. Under the guise of business trips, the designer searched the globe for a cure to heal his wife.
In Asia, he heard legend of a book that contained powerful secrets; he dismissed the rumor as magic and nonsense.
One evening, Gabriel, Nathalie, and Adrien were going through Emilie's belongings to see if anything could be donated,
"Oh. I remember this book." Gabriel peered over his should to see what his son had found. It was an old book with ancient symbols decorating the cover. "I think you and Mom brought it back from one of your trips to Thailand. These jewelry boxes were in the box with the book. What should I do with them?" Adrien held everything up for his father to see.
"Hm. I will take a more thorough look at them later. Nathalie, I believe it is time for my son's piano lesson. Please see to it." Abruptly, he turned his back to them, pretending to rummage through the box he had placed on the bed.
"Of course,… sir." He could hear the melancholy in her voice. Losing Emilie devastated them all, but it brought the man and his assistant closer than it probably should have. In private, they could relax around each other because they alone knew the truth about Emilie; in public, the must play the part of employer and stoic employee. They took comfort in each other's presence, growing closer and more affectionate as the days passed.
Gabriel collapsed onto the bed. He and Nathalie continued to search for a cure together, but they had almost exhausted every possibility; chased down every natural and holistic healing ritual. Nothing worked. Was it time to give up? Could he permit himself to get close to someone again? If one didn't have attachments, one wouldn't be as hurt when they were inevitably severed.
Sighing, Gabriel picked up the Adrien had set down. He began to flip through it. Maybe it would contain inspiration for a clothing line down the road.
"These look like… superheroes?" Page after page contained people in colorful costumes. One page depicted a man carrying a cane, cloaked in purple. On the page opposite was an image of a brooch of some kind. "Wait, I remember this brooch! Emilie and I found it in Thailand!"
Standing, he located the jewelry boxes Adrien had shown him. Opening the first one revealed a brooch, but not the one depicted on the page. He shut the lid. The second box yielded the correct brooch. There was a purple jewel in the middle with white wings on either side. A bright light filled the room, circling Gabriel. The light faded and a small purple creature stretched, yawning. It looked around the room, confused.
"Are you my new master? Where is the Guardian?"
"I don't know anything about a guardian! What are you and what can you tell me about this book?" Gabriel shoved the book into the creature's face. It's eyes went wide.
"My name is Noroo and I am a kwami. I am a creature that grants super powers to whoever wields the Butterfly Miraculous." The kwami pointed to the brooch in Gabriel's hand. "The Grimoire belongs to the Great Guardian. It catalogs all of the Miraculous and their powers." Noroo landed on Gabriel's shoulder as he continued to flip through the pages.
"Noroo, what is a Miraculous?"
The kwami cleared his throat, "Many centuries ago, magic jewels bestowing extraordinary powers were created. These were the Miraculous. Throughout history, heroes have used these jewels for the good of the human race. There are two Miraculous that are more powerful than the rest." Gabriel's ears perked at that. "The earrings of the Ladybug, which provide powers of creation; and the ring of the Black Cat, which grants the power of destruction."
As Noroo told his tale, Gabriel found the page that spoke of the most powerful Miraculous'. It contained an image of someone clearly wielding great power. Noroo continued.
"According to legend, whoever controls both of these jewels at the same time will achieve absolute power. It is possible that this 'absolute power' is the ability to make any one wish become reality." Gabriel's eyes flashed. An idea had already taken root.
"Any wish?"
"Yes, Master. But there could be consequences…"
"I don't care. I need this absolute power, Noroo." He stroked the picture of Emilie on the nightstand next to the bed. "I must have those Miraculous!"
"But Master," Noroo began carefully. "Nobody knows where these Miraculous are. Only the Guardian would know."
"I guess we'll have to find this guardian and the Miraculous then, won't we my little Noroo?" Gabriel removed his ascot to attach the brooch to his shirt. The wings fell away, leaving only the purple jewel. "Tell me the powers of this Miraculous."
Noroo fluttered down to the book, flipping back to the image of the man with the cane. "My jewel allows you to give someone their own super powers and make that person your devoted follower."
"If the Ladybug and this Black Cat are superheroes, what better way to lure them out of hiding than flooding the city with supervillains?" A dark grin shadowed Gabriel's face. His grief, once turned to acceptance, now turned to desperation. What he had once dismissed as nonsense was his one shot at saving his beloved wife.
"I'm sorry, sir…" Gabriel stopped short, whirling on the kwami. The poor creature trembled. "The Miraculous are to be used for the benefit of mankind, not for evil." Noroo immediately regretted his words. A dark aura poured out of the man in front of him.
"Well, that's too bad, my little kwami. Because your Miraculous is under MY control and I will do whatever is necessary to achieve this absolute power! IS. THAT. CLEAR."
Noroo bowed lowed, resigned to his fate. "Yes, Master."
"Good. Then let's begin!"
Months would pass before the first akuma attack, the infamous first appearance of Ladybug and Chat Noir, and Hawkmoth's first defeat. Like a bad guy in a Saturday morning cartoon, none of Hawkmoth's schemes would pan out. The heroes always won the day.
One morning during breakfast with his son, Gabriel had an epiphany. I am one person, but they are a team. Maybe I should recruit a partner. He even already had someone in mind.
It was clear from the moment Nathalie put on the Peacock Miraculous that something was wrong. Gone was the doting godmother and private confidant. The shrewd and stoic persona Nathalie wore in public became her new personality. Many of the latest akumas had been her idea, researching the general population for who would be the most likely to exude negative emotions. While Gabriel was all for doing whatever was necessary to retrieve Ladybug's and Chat Noir's Miraculous' in order to save Emilie, his heart was torn. Truth be told, he was in love with both women. Now, they were both slipping away…
xXx
"Sir?"
Gabriel shook his head, returning to the present. Nathalie and her kwami were waiting for him by the lift platform.
"Forgive me; I was lost in a memory." He took her hand in his, lifting it to his lips. "I apologize for losing my temper today, my dear. We were just so close…"
She removed her hand from his grasp. "No, we weren't. They have increased their number, which gives them more coverage and more opportunities for defeating your akumas and my manipulations." As the lift returned to its position in Gabriel's office, Nathalie moved beneath the painting of her friend. "If we want to save Emilie, we need to take more drastic measures. Perhaps it is time we recruit someone else…"
"Who do you have in mind?" Gabriel stepped aside as Nathalie began to flip through files his desktop monitor.
"Someone I've been keeping an eyes on for a while. Not only does she hate Ladybug with a passion, but she may be able to help us turn all of Paris against the heroes."
Gabriel's professional persona slipped as a Hawkmoth-like laugh escaped. Yes. Lila Rossi would be a great help indeed…