Butterfly Gala
Mornings before a party are often stressful, especially if there was a party the night before. Alya's studio apartment was a mess, with food and drink spilled on the carpet. But that was not the only things that were spilled on the floor.
As the light came in through the windows of the apartment studio, three figures held each other together in bed. Satisfied and more than warmly cuddling together in the large bed owned by Alya Cesaire.
Izuku was woken up by a couple of very satisfied groans and four large soft objects pressing against his body. His eyes quickly adapted to the low light after many dark nights as a vigilante. A skill he's developed to better fight in different circumstances and times of the day and night and it has served him well. However, he never thought he'd be greeted by the sight of Mina and Alya clinging onto him like he was a liferaft.
The lingering smell in the air jotted his memory back to the night before, earning him a deep blush on his face.
"What's wrong with me?" Izuku muttered as Alya's fox ears tickled his chin and Mina's horns poked his cheek. "What is it about me that makes women crazy?"
"You want the short list or the long one, babe~." Alya snuggled up against his chest, purring like a loving vixen. "Because, I can think of one or two things I'd like to add to the long one." She giggled like a playful vixen.
"Oh don't pick on him, Alya~." Mina lightly slapped her shoulder. "He's gone from an open relationship with one pink beauty to a threeway with a hot vixen. But she's right, mon petit Izuku~. You were amazing~!"
Mina snuggled deeply against his chest, remembering how the night before had gone. She hadn't had that kind of experience apart from dreaming and fantasizing. But now that she had experienced the thing in real life, she was very much looking forward to having it again. Given that Izuku was all for it.
"I'll, um, go, make us some coffee so we can talk about this like adults," Izuku said.
He tried to get up from the bed, but the two women were strong enough to push him down. He was dehydrated and needed water, he couldn't get up after the night before. And he knew that the two women were more than going to use that to their advantage.
Mina and Alya looked at him like two hungry vixens wanting another bite out of their bunny lover.
Izuku could almost have sworn blind that they had sharp teeth in their smiles.
"You stay down, lover. We'll make the coffee~" Alya said.
"We don't want a repeat of our first morning after now, do we~?" Mina teased Izuku, making him blush with embarrassment. "Did I tell you about how he jumped out of bed when he thought he took advantage of me, Alya? Now that's one story for ya." She got out of bed before being followed by Alya.
"No way, girl! Well, after last night there's no way that he'll think he took advantage of us." Alya giggled, swaying her hips and tail side to side as she smirked, looking at Izuku as he laid on the bed. "But don't worry, babe~. We'll take good care of you and maybe we'll do this again soon."
Izuku could already feel his soul leaving his body with his breath. If these two women thought he was a non-stop sex machine then he'd be dead before the month was over. But before he got laid down into an early grave, his phone started to vibrate. He picked it up, noting that it was Detective Naomasa calling him. He narrowed his eyes at the call.
Looking at the time above the caller ID on his phone, Izuku could tell that it was a call that had to do with him and Mina being late. His mind started to think of other possible reasons for the detective's call. Most of them were not particularly flattering or good for his and Mina's career. Maybe he had found out about their relationship with Alya and was calling them to tell them that Captain Kendo wanted their heads on a platter.
Izuku decided that he should be the one to take the bull by the horns and answered the phone.
"Hello?" Izuku asked.
"Bonjour, Izuku," Detective Naomasa called from the other end of the line. "I'm sorry to call you this early in the morning, but there is something that I wish to speak with you and Ashido."
"You wish to talk to us about something?" Izuku asked. "Did we break any rules or did we mess up on the paperwork yesterday?"
"No, no, don't worry about that. It's about a case I'm working on. Remember the big board?" Naomasa asked.
Izuku's mind was taken back to the night of the fight with the Bubbler and the reveal of Hawkmoth's influence over the underworld. He glanced at the kitchen where Mina and Alya were talking and keeping themselves occupied, not noticing that he was talking on the phone. He slowly made his way to the bathroom, without alerting the two women. After putting his pants back on, he closed the door behind him.
If Naomasa had found something on Hawkmoth, then he could figure out how to take him out as Chat Noir. But that made him wonder what his superior had found.
"Y-yes, I remember it. Did you add anything?" Izuku asked.
"I have something. I don't know how I could've missed it." Naomasa replied. "Meet me with Ashido in Captain Kendo's office. We need to get everything into the light before we can move forward."
"W-What do you mean?" Izuku asked.
"Like I said, we need to get everything into the light. If we get Hawkmoth out of his shadows, we'll be able to take down his empire," Naomasa explained. "Meet me at the office in ten minutes, I'll explain everything there."
Naomasa ended the call then and there, leaving Izuku in a conflicting spot. The young officer was conflicted, on one hand if they remained as they were they'd have to work twice as hard to find anything about Hawkmoth. But if Izuku did as Naomasa was saying then there was a chance that their investigation reached the ears of Hawkmoth's associates. Too many people on the case could cause too much noise and as far as he could tell, the dark architect of the criminal underworld had contacts all over the city. Maybe if he appeared as Chat Noir, he'd be able to stop Naomasa from talking to the captain.
"Izuku, the coffee is ready!" Mina knocked on the door, causing Izuku to flinch.
"We don't mean to rush you, babe, but the coffee is getting cold and we all have day jobs." Alya added from the other side of the door.
"Um, um, um, I'll be right out, girls." Izuku flushed the toilet, trying to make it like he hadn't just entered the bathroom for a private call.
Izuku stepped out, getting a good look at Mina and Alya now with their underwear on them. He blushed at the sight of them just sitting down like being in their underwear was the most normal thing in the world. He tried to act cool, but they quickly spotted him trying to hide his face.
Mina and Alya giggled at the way he was blushing.
"Seriously, Izuku? You are so adorable and so innocent at times." Mina giggled.
"Come on, there's no need to be shy, Izuku." Alya gestured to him to take a chair between them. "There's nothing wrong with looking at beautiful women that love you. Besides, you've already seen more of our bodies in one night than most men would in their lifetime."
Izuku didn't have any way of saying no to them.
"R-right. I'm sorry, I'm still getting used to the idea of this kind of relationship." Izuku took one of the coffee cups before taking a sip from it. "I mean, is this that kind of relationship or is this a one time thing? I'm sorry, it's just that this feels like it's moving too fast and I don't want to hurt you two."
Mina and Alya blushed this time at Izuku's words. They knew that he was probably the sweetest man alive and they were smitten by how he was playing the gentleman in a way that wouldn't hurt them. But from time to time it also made them feel like they needed to go check their teeth for cavities. They smiled at him just as Mina checked her phone for any new notifications.
Her eyes went wide as she looked at the time.
"Oh crap! Izuku, we gotta go!" Mina gulped down her coffee before pulling Izuku up from his seat. "We're going to be late for work!"
"Don't forget your clothes, you two~!" Alya held up their clothes. "I mean, I love what I'm seeing but I don't think being arrested for indecent exposure would look good on you two."
Izuku and Mina picked up their clothes, giving Alya a kiss on each cheek.
"We'll call you later!" Mina ran off, taking Izuku with her in hand.
"I love those two goofballs," Alya said as Izuku and Mina ran out of the apartment.
Izuku didn't have time to come up with an excuse or try to warn Naomasa in any way about what they were about to do. He found himself going through a cold shower, a quick change of clothes and the drive up to Captain Kendo's office in automatic as his mind was preoccupied on other things. He kept looking over his shoulder, wondering if someone was watching them to go tell Hawkmoth. After what had happened to the Bubbler, his brush with Dabi and Toga with Bunnix, and the rise of villain and criminal activity, he had been feeling like he needed eyes on the back of his head. But right at that moment, he had to work with whatever he could get.
"Hey, Izuku, what do you think this meeting is about?" Mina whispered into Izuku's ear.
"Um, well, I'm not sure. Detective Naomasa must have something to show the captain," Izuku replied. "Regarding a case I mean."
"How do you know that?" Mina narrowed her eyes, slightly grilling at her partner.
"He… he might've called me this morning?" Izuku sheepishly admitted.
"What? No way! Wait, why did he call you and not me?" Mina asked, poking Izuku in an interrogative manner.
"I-um, well, I-I don't know…" Izuku stuttered as they entered the office of their captain.
Naomasa stood before Kendo as she held the records of the latest arrests around the city.
"Midoriya, Ashido, thank you for coming in at such short notice." Naomasa shook Izuku and Mina's hands. "We were waiting for you two so that we could begin."
"Yeah, but before that, how come you called Izuku to have us meet up with you here?" Mina poked Naomasa's chest. "If this is some machismo thing, I'll have you know that Izuku is more than man enough but not the whole brains of the Dynamic Duo!"
Izuku didn't know if he should feel happy or embarrassed at Mina's words. He covered himself, hiding his blush from both of his superiors. He honestly felt like a highschool student in one of those romance novels that was in a forbidden love affair or something of that nature.
"Please, Mina, don't say stuff like that." Izuku begged.
"Well, I," Naomasa began, getting a glare from Mina. "I mean, you tend to be on your phone a lot of the time during the morning and I needed someone that could focus in the morning."
"Hm, you get off this time, boss. But pull a stunt like this and you'll be getting some mean memes all over the internet." Mina huffed in anger.
"What's going on with you two this morning?" Kendo asked.
"Um, I, um, it's nothing, Captain Kendo." Izuku saluted his superior officer. "Nothing that you should worry about, I can assure you."
Kendo raised an eyebrow at Izuku's explanation. She couldn't tell what it was but the two officers had been behaving oddly for a while now. There was no way that they were doing anything illegal, but perhaps something that they wanted to keep underwraps. She'd have to grill them for answers later.
"Calm down, Mina." Kendo sighed. "Naomasa, please, tell me why you called us here for. Mayor Bourgeois wants to see if we can spare some officers for the Agreste Brand's Butterfly Ball, and I want to give him a clear no as quickly as possible."
"Well, you'll have to sing a different tune, captain," Naomasa said, getting Kendo's attention. "I've been tracking the changes and shifts of crime over the last twenty years and I've noted a pattern to the rise of villains and the steady flow of criminal activity in the opposite areas of the city."
Izuku stiffened up, knowing what Naomasa was talking about. He looked at Mina who gave him a concerned look.
"What are you saying, Naomasa?" Kendo asked.
"Over the last twenty years, there has been an increase of criminal activity all over Paris with several of these being linked to drug trafficking and large robberies, and criminal gangs with several powerful Miraculous users." Naomasa showed Kendo the pictures and files on the different investigations done on these groups. "In each of those cases, whenever the criminals were caught by heroes or the police, half of the money, drugs or stolen loot was missing."
"I remember some of these cases, my father worked on them," Kendo said. "He always wanted to know where the missing stuff had gone."
"What if it was paid as tribute to the one that was organizing these hits?" Naomasa showed the mugshot of five villains from different times. "During this time, members of these gangs and mafia families received or developed powered up Miraculous in exchange for following the rules of a criminal mastermind."
Captain Kendo looked at the pictures, recognizing some of them from her father's records. She remembered how her father and other officers wondered what had changed with these criminals but never got an answer. If she hadn't already been giving Naomasa her undivided attention, she certainly was now.
"Are you insinuating that there is a criminal kingpin hiding, detective?" Kendo asked.
"Exactly. But I believe that someone else has taken the mantle from the last kingpin." Naomasa pointed to the pictures. "Each of these criminals went from small-time crooks to villains only heroes could take them on. This man, Ivan Molkov alias Stoneheart, was arrested and processed for robbing the National Bank of Paris using his Miraculous, Rock Smasher."
"That was the debut battle for the current Number Two Hero, Dynamight." Izuku recounted, getting a look from Naomasa and Kendo. "Um, sorry to interrupt."
"He has a whole encyclopedia of heroes in his little head, he can't help it." Mina rubbed Izuku's head, patting it like if he'd been a good boy.
Izuku didn't need to be told that he had to better choose the moments to speak up. He did however keep his ears open for anything that could help him figure out who Hawkmoth was and what was his end goal. He sometimes forgot that he had to play the fool to get better results.
"Yes, Midoriya is correct, all these villains were caught, but others have been able to avoid justice thanks to the help of this criminal mastermind. And this has been going on for two decades," Naomasa said. "And now they're getting bolder and far more dangerous."
"What makes you say that?" Kendo asked.
Naomasa pulled out the arrest record of the Bubbler and the members of the Beauties and the Beast gangs.
"Over ten years ago, most villains had very little in terms of support items and gear to take their Miraculouses to their limit. But now they do." Naomasa pointed to the pictures of the confiscated gear. "Enhanced bulletproofed clothes, weapons that focus their Miraculouses, stocked hideouts, the list goes on."
"Not to mention that every time a villain like that shows up the heroes focus on them while the police are understaffed." Mina whispered, getting Kendo's attention.
Kendo narrowed her eyes at Mina and Izuku. She now had an idea as to why Izuku and Mina were in the room as this talk was happening.
"I assume that you two have been helping Naomasa without my knowledge, right?" Kendo asked.
Izuku and Mina flinched at the accusation. They tried to say something but the glare that their captain was shooting them was paralyzing. It felt like they were about to be scolded by their older sister and there was no way of weaseling out of it.
"They haven't been helping me, captain. They just helped me with a pair of fresh eyes and a new angle," Naomasa said in defense of the two officers. "And it's supported by a conversation that Bubbler had with the mastermind over the phone, he called himself Hawkmoth. Had the Bubbler scared straight."
Izuku tightened his fist at the mention of the villain's name. After nearly being killed by his assassins, the green haired officer was more than looking for a little payback.
"But as the prison report said, the Bubbler is in a coma." Kendo pointed out.
"Which proves that the Bubbler was telling the truth. He blurted out the boss's name and now he has no Miraculous nor enough working brain parts to talk." Naomasa picked up the pictures of the weapons. "I asked the boys and girls down at the lab and guess what they found on the costumes and the weapons we confiscated."
"Something that villains usually have to steal to have." Kendo sighed. "You think someone is supplying these villains with this equipment."
"It makes the most sense," Naomasa said as Kendo looked at Izuku and Mina, causing them to stiffen up.
"Alright, Midoriya, Ashido, you two go with Naomasa. I want a list of all the companies that provide and work with the elements and materials the csi lab found in the villains' gear." Kendo turned her hands huge, picking up the two officers and Naomasa like a mother scolding her children. "And if Naomasa ever asks you to do something without my permission, you come to me. Understood?"
Izuku, Mina and Naomasa nodded so fast their heads almost looked like broken bobble heads.
"Good." Kendo put the three officers of the law back on solid ground. "Now, I want you three to keep me in the loop. No more doing this on your own time unless you have to. If you're correct about this, then we could be looking at some heavy hitters out there. Be careful is all I'm saying. Dismissed."
"Yes, ma'am!" Izuku, Mina and Naomasa said at the same time before walking out of the office.
As they walked out of the office, Naomasa stopped the two officers.
"I'm sorry I put you two on the spot like that, but you two helped me find that there's more of a connection going on in this case," Naomasa apologized. "I don't want you taking any unnecessary risks. Understand?"
"You don't need to worry about it, boss." Mina wrapped her arm around Izuku's neck, pulling him into a hug. "The Dynamic Duo cannot be contained! That's right, right, partner?"
Izuku didn't know how to reply. Mina's super charged positive outlook meant that she was going to go all in on this case, even if it was on a small part. He couldn't deny that it was as intoxicating and contagious as it was adorable. One look at her bubbly personality and he thought that he could take on the world with her by his side. A feeling that he shared with Alya and her desire to learn the truth about everything and delve into the mysteries of heroes, as well as with Alix and her wild and carefree attitude that could bounce from anything. He didn't know how he got surrounded by three amazing girls that would do all these crazy things for what they believed in. He smiled, knowing that he could trust them with his life.
But he couldn't do that fully this time.
"Yes, detective, we will do the job and be careful." Izuku nodded with a small smile.
"Alright then." Naomasa handed Izuku the list of materials. "This is the list, look for the people that work with the materials and check who's gotten some of their merchandise stolen or misplaced. Stuff like on the list is not easy to hide."
"Don't worry, boss, we've got this!" Mina smirked. "No need to overthink things."
Izuku looked at the list and knew better than to go around poking questions without a good cover. He was a professional overthinker when it came to the branching possibilities of each action. He didn't always like what his mind eventually got to, but it always told him that there were other openings and possibilities. And this new opening was what he needed to get justice to the people Hawkmoth had been taking it from. Even if that meant leaving his partner out of the loop.
Izuku and Mina got into Alien Queen, taking off after the first lead they had on Hawkmoth.
"So partner, where do you think we should check out first?" Mina asked.
"Well, according to the list we need to look for anyone in Paris that handles strengthened kevlar, bulletproofed enhanced armor, highly reflective lenses, and super stretchy fabric for both suit and underwear." Izuku went over the list of materials. "Which means that we're looking for a company that supplies heroes with their costumes and support items. And if I remember correctly there's five prominent companies that cater to the top ten heroes and all new aspiring heroes all over the country."
"Ooh~, someone's been doing some research," Mina said.
"It isn't a big secret that heroes need a lot of equipment and that it needs to be maintained by big companies." Izuku recounted the possible providers. "The biggest ones are Shield Enterprises which also caters to heroes all over the world, Guardians Order which specializes on supplies resistant fabrics and weapons, Tsurugi Enterprises a mostly weapon and support item company but they've dabbled in suits."
"Tsurugi? That name sounds familiar." Mina tapped on the steering wheel as they drove on. "Why does it sound so familiar? Did we arrest someone with that name?"
"I hope not. The Number Three Hero: Dragon Lady is the heiress of the company, it's currently being run by her mother Tomoe Tsurugi." Izuku explained.
"Must be nice to be both a hero and have a whole company at your fingertips." Mina pouted. "Some bitches get all the luck."
Izuku held back a giggle at the childish pouting of the pink woman. He had seen her be a little envious of some heroines, but this was the first time he'd seen her actually call someone out for it.
"The last two are Endeavor Corp, and the Agreste Brand." Izuku finished. "We can discount Shield Enterprises, their materials are always fitted with trackers and are always under supervision as well as their headquarters being on the futuristic I-Island. As well as Guardians Order because it doesn't focus on the materials on the list."
"A personal island, now that's amazing," Mina said. "So we're looking for a company that's based in Paris and that handles those materials."
"Well, that narrows the list down to three possible options." Izuku wrote down the three company names of their possible suspects.
The situation had grown very complicated for Izuku and Mina as they went through the companies and their stock. Not only were two of the remaining companies linked to two major heroes of the top ten heroes, but they were very influential as well. The mayor would easily bend over backwards to keep them happy. But nevertheless, Izuku and Mina went on to uphold their duty.
They asked for the managers of the floor, the bosses and the people that worked at their warehouses of the Endeavor Corp. and the Tsurugi Enterprises. They went in playing the card of some people who had been counterfeiting costumes, and support items in the black market that were the real deal. Their little white lie got them a good look at the stocks of the hero companies with different results than what they had expected.
At the Endeavor Corp's warehouse, they found that there had been an accident. A failure in the electrics had caused a fire and several amounts of their stock had been damaged. Almost the same amount as what had been found from the arrests and others. Which meant that they were either covering their tracks very well or it was a crazy coincidence.
"Yeah, we're still cleaning up after the accident." The foreman scratched the back of his head. "Who would've thought that despite being experts on fire-based Miraculous, a fire would cause this much trouble."
Izuku and Mina looked at the remains of the fire with conflicted looks. It looked like the scene of a horror movie with all the remnants of the equipment being burnt and thrown back for recycling if they were of any use. They looked over the yellow line that separated that section from the warehouse from the rest.
"Is everything accounted for then?" Izuku asked.
"Apart from what went up in smoke? Hard to say." The foreman sighed.
"But this could've been a cover up, maybe?" Mina suggested.
"I doubt it, there's only two keys that open and lock this warehouse and I've got both." The foreman pulled out the keys from his shirt pocket. "Standard issue, keys are always worn where they'll be hard to snatch and easy to remember."
The Tsurugi Enterprises weren't that good of a lead from the very beginning. Not only were they unable to speak with the current CEO because she was having lunch with her daughter, but the person in charge of the storage and the distribution was taking a holiday. Which meant that they had to be satisfied with the records of the warehouse and the surveillance footage.
"This is so boring," Mina moaned. "We've already gone through ten of these recordings and all we've learned is that the security guard likes to eat his lunch around twelve at night and take a nap during his last hour."
"Yeah, not much here either." Izuku flipped through the pages of the warehouse records. "All of these are way too accounted for and everything is so streamlined that I can't find anything that could link the list to what they have."
"Can't we come back with a warrant or something?" Mina asked.
"Not unless we have a probable reason to investigate their warehouse." Izuku sighed. "Everything here seems accounted for. Which means we have to talk to our last suspect."
"Yep." Izuku closed the records. "Agrest Brand. Just in time before the Butterfly Gala."
"It's great that I love parties," Mina said.
Izuku and Mina drove to the center of Paris where they would find the headquarters of the Agreste Brand.
"The Agrest Brand building should be right up here," Izuku said.
"Whoa, take a look at that!" Mina pointed ahead of them to the large building.
The Agreste Brand headquarters building resembled a large silver and gray cocoon with shiny stainless glasses. The simple yet modern design made it stand out amongst the other buildings, not only for the state of the art office spaces and testing rooms it had but also because of the unobscured view it had of the Eiffel Tower and the rest of Paris. With a massive 'A' on the front, making the building have a regal look about it.
They had seen all the large billboards and posters that showered the streets of Paris, sporting beautiful models wearing the latest trends and calls to fashion. If it was connected to the Agrest Brand then it was an ensured hit, but that was only one of the company's major aspects. The other was hero equipment support.
"Whoa! Look at that building!" Mina pointed to the Agreste Brand building.
"Yeah, this is it, hopefully we'll get some information here." Izuku hoped as the car parked in front of the building.
Izuku and Mina walked into the building, passing the front door, getting the sense that they had entered into a time machine.
The inner workings of the building made it a combination of the classic style that one would've seen in a period piece and modern pieces fit for a modern art museum. The halls and offices were decorated with paintings and statues of ancient Greek and Roman gods and people, a large bright crystal chandelier hung in the middle of the floor, modern couches and lights illuminating the building's inside. There were pictures of the different designs, clothes, and costumes that the Agreste Brand had created along with some of the heroes they had sponsored and helped throughout their career. These pictures included Mirko, Enginium, Dynamight, and Foxthrob. Each piece and picture showed the influence that the company had and all that was only a small taste that the Agreste Brand was capable of.
"I feel poor," Mina muttered at the sight of all the pieces of modern and classic art.
Izuku couldn't deny his partner's claim. The amount of art, decor and furniture was more than anything they could've bought with their salaries combined. He tried to get some kind of feel for the place, but he came to the conclusion that the one in charge of all this was enigmatic to say the least. There seemed to be a contradiction to the decoration, but in a sort of harmonic form. It was like being inside of a butterfly sanctuary but with butterflies of different colors and sizes.
The clacking of shoes caught the attention of the two offices, snapping them out of their stupor. They looked and saw a young man with short blond hair, fair skin and blue eyes. He wore a somewhat tacky looking black suit with golden buttons on his stomach, a white shirt and a blue tie and matching handkerchief. He walked with a straight and very educated step until he came to a stop before the two officers.
"Bonjour, and welcome to the Agreste Brand building. My name is Neito Monoma and I'm Monsieur Agreste's assistant," he introduced himself. "How may I help you today?"
"Bonjour, I'm officer Mina Ashido and this is my partner Officer Izuku Midoriya." Mina and Izuku pulled out their badges, proving who they were. "We're here to talk to your boss about some stuff that's been popping up that might be stuff that's gone missing from his stock."
"We would just like to ask him some questions, Mr. Monoma," Izuku added.
"Oh, I see." Monoma placed his hand on his chest before his hair casted a dark shadow over his eyes. "You pathetic doughnut munchers are here to waste Monsieur Agreste's time with some poor excuse to make your jobs feel superior!"
Izuku and Mina's view of the educated man standing before them shattered. His face had turned into one of mockery and disdain to anyone that was not him or his boss.
"E-Excuse me?!" Izuku stuttered.
"You coppers are all the same! Losers in a dying profession that is barely limping as it is, trying to get as much during the sad thirty years that you have to get your butts out of bed! All you are now is a bunch of road sweepers with blue suits! You think that you can stain the honor of Monsieur Agreste and all the good he has done for this city! Well think again!" Monoma ranted like he had a personal vendetta against the police and they just so happened to be the ones in uniform. "I hope you've got something good between the two of you because if this is nothing more than a dead end, I will make sure that some very powerful people have your badges by the end of the week!"
"Monoma."
A clear young voice spoke with authority and self assurance. It was the kind of voice that would tell you to politely mind your manners as easily as it would scold you with a single word.
But it was a voice that Izuku felt like he'd heard before.
Izuku and Mina looked past Monoma and saw the man that owned the building and was the CEO of the Agreste Brand, Adrien Agreste. He had bright green eyes with fair skin and short blond hair that was combed to the side, leaving him a youthful look to his persona. He wore a dark gray three piece suit with a white shirt and a green tie around his neck with black shoes.
"I recall telling you not to antagonize people that come into the building," Adrien said with a slight glare.
"My apologies, Monsieur Agreste. But you know how obstructing the police can be to the office." Monoma bowed to his boss as he joined them.
"Obstructing?!" Mina snapped between her teeth.
"Be that as it may, they are here for a reason and I'd like to get it out of the way, I still have to fix the last few details of the Butterfly Gala later this week," Adrien said in an almost robotic tone as though he was bored with just speaking for more than a few sentences. "Now, what is it that you wanted to ask me?" He turned to Izuku and Mina.
Izuku and Mina almost flinched while being under the shiny green eyes of the CEO. His gaze was almost as cold as ice and completely nonsensical to everyone that wasn't in his league.
"We've found some materials and items in some black market spots that we believe to be stolen," Izuku said.
"And you believe that these ill gotten goods are mine?" Adrien asked.
"Well, we were hoping that you could check your records and see if anything has gone missing or if you've had anything that wasn't delivered or returned." Izuku didn't take his eyes off of the CEO but could only hear Monoma stifling a laugh.
Izuku had to hold back the desire to glare at the lousy assistant.
"We would like to know if anything has gone missing from your company," Izuku said.
"I see. But I'm afraid that I cannot give you that information, officers. Good day to you both." Adrien turned to leave with Monoma by his side.
"Hey, wait up! You're not even gonna say you'll look into it?" Mina snapped.
"Unless you have a warrant, I'm not obligated to show you anything, officer. The Agreste Brand doesn't allow anything to get out of our sight without us making sure it goes where it's supposed to be." Adrien walked away, not even looking back to the officers. "I hate repeating myself, so I ask you to leave now before my assistant asks security to kick you out."
Izuku didn't know what happened next, but his body moved on its own. He reached out, grabbing Adrien by the shoulder, stopping him.
"Sir, plea-" Izuku was cut off by a quick elbow to the stomach, courtesy of Monoma.
"I will give you the benefit of the doubt because this is the first time you come here," Adrien said as Izuku stumbled back. "But I don't allow anyone to touch me unless I give them permission. Rest assured that I'll look into this claim of yours." He walked away as Monoma followed behind him with a smile on his face.
Mina rushed to her partner's side, helping him up. She glared at the two men as they walked into the elevator. She helped him back to the car where she tightened her hold on the steering wheel.
"Assholes. Those two are assholes!" Mina snapped. "I should arrest them for assault."
"Don't. If what they said was true then they can spin it however they like to make us look bad." Izuku let out a breath. "All we know right now is that Adrien Agrest may have something to hide. Everyone else was open to help us with the investigation and he didn't even blink when we mentioned the black market stuff. But we need more evidence, just in case."
Izuku did his best to hide his glare as Mina drove out. The elbow he had received was child's play compared to the heavy hitters he'd gone up against. But he had gotten what he was looking for. He had just wanted to hear Adrien a little closer and clearer. He could've sworn it was the same voice.
Izuku had been in the game long enough to know that there were times to act and times to think of a new approach. But right now, he had to get their findings to Naomasa and find which way to proceed. He and Mina had returned to the police headquarters to report their findings.
"So what did you find?" Naomasa asked. "Anything on the big companies? Did they answer anything?"
"Apart from an asshole assistant? Not much." Mina crossed her arms in anger at Monoma.
"Monsieur Agreste is someone that holds everything tightly to his chest. And nothing short of a warrant by the most important judge in Paris will make him tell us anything." Izuku rubbed his bruised side. "And now he'll be expecting us next time we pop by. What about you, sir?"
Naomasa shook his head.
"I looked at the records of anyone that had suddenly developed a different Miraculous but I ended up with the same result. Most of them are either freed or incarcerated for the most part." Naomasa rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Stoneheart has been placed in solitary since his arrest and has been a model prisoner. The Beauties and the Beast gang have been freed under bail and are under house arrest. And well, you know what happened to the Bubbler."
Izuku and Mina looked at each other and wondered what to expect from the next step of the investigation. They had a good amount of suspicion towards the Agreste Brand, but the officers couldn't blame the works of a massive criminal conspiracy on people just because they didn't like them. If they could get information about Adrien Agreste and the possible moves of his company then they could make a case.
Just then Kendo walked up to her three officers with the stereotypical grouchy look a police chief would carry.
"What part of don't do anything stupid, didn't you three understand?" Kendo asked. "I just got off the phone with the mayor, and it turns out that two of my officers have been harassing members of high esteem. What happened?"
"We didn't do anything! We went to ask a few questions to Adrien Agreste and first we were met by his assistant, a walking pile of burning-!" Mina began.
"Mina, please." Izuku stopped his partner. "We went there to ask him a few questions and he refused to answer any of them. We didn't mean to cause any distress."
Kendo noted that Izuku was trying to cover up for his partner's outburst. She had dealt with several unwilling or, as she'd put it, snobbish high society people that thought that speaking to the police was below them. However, that didn't change the fact that someone had called her men out for doing their job. Her hands were tied on what happened next, but she could use it to her advantage and that of their case.
"But Izuku, it was that Monema jerk that elbowed you! Isn't there a law that says anyone that attacks an officer gets an ass kicking?!" Mina argued.
"That's enough Ashido. As much as I believe you, it's your word against that of a respectable member of French high society." Kendo held out a note. "Which is why I'm assigning you three to a special assignment tonight."
Izuku stopped Mina before she could argue at their new orders. Any snap from their part would only cause more trouble. Adrien Agreste had a lot of sway on the city's government and some other members of the French Government and they were just a pair of officers. They needed to play it smart and not jump ahead of themselves.
"A special assignment?" Naomasa asked, taking the note. "I hope it isn't to check for DUIs all night."
"Not necessarily, but you three will be in the thick of it. But remember to step carefully." Kendo turned around after giving them that warning.
Naomasa looked at the note in his hands, getting a raised eyebrow on his face. He showed the note to Izuku and Mina, who looked at it with curiosity and uncertainty.
"You're kidding me, right?" Mina asked.
"Not the worst thing in my opinion." Naomasa handed the note to Izuku, who could only see this as an opportunity.
Izuku looked at the note, which had an address and a bit that said 'security detail and management'. He scratched his chin, wondering how this could work in the pursuit of their investigation. But he still had time before the night and he wanted to learn as much as possible before diving into the event that was filled with more dangers than a den of snakes and scorpions. And for that, Izuku and Mina had to make a stop.
"Hello, my lovelies~!" Alya hugged Izuku and Mina before kissing them both on the cheeks. "To what do I owe this unexpected arrival? Or were you waiting to have a repeat of last night?"
Izuku blushed at the idea of having another threesome the day after he had his first one. He did not say that there wasn't an appeal to having another night of passion with Mina and Alya. But they had a job to do and for that they needed to know what they were up against.
"Maybe next time, Alya baby~. For the moment, we need your help on a little situation we have in our hands." Mina sat down on the couch along with Alya. "What do you know about the Butterfly Gala?"
Now it was Alya's turn to be confused.
"The Butterfly Gala? What do you two want to do with that menagerie of old fossils and stuck up snobs?" Alya asked.
"We have been assigned to help there with security and we were hoping to learn more about the event before going." Izuku sat down next to Alya. "We know this is a weird thing to ask, but I remembered that you wrote a piece on the gala and w-we were hoping you'd be able to tell us what we can expect."
"You can surely go online and get other articles about it. My editor gave me some strict guidelines and I hated every second of it." Alya ranted. "But I can see that you want someone with knowledge on the inside to see what's really going on."
"What do you mean?" Mina asked.
"The event might be called the Butterfly Gala but it would be better called the place where the rich and famous of Parisian high society go to get their kicks while looking at pretty clothes." Alya pulled up her phone. "Half of the people are so far up their own personal or family glory that they don't care about what's going on. They could be being served by robots and they wouldn't know anything better."
Izuku and Mina looked at the pictures, which showed the theme of the gala and the different guests. They saw that the theme was indeed a flamboyant recreation of the aristocratic clothes from before the French Revolution. Amongst the distinguished guests, there were politicians, high members of society, owners of subsidiaries that belonged to the Agreste Brand, and even a few heroes of the top ten. If the high end decorations and fine cutlery and clothes being worn through the whole event weren't intimidating enough, the varied guest list did.
"Wow, that's a big party." Mina pointed out.
"No kidding. That's Shoto Todoroki aka Freezerburn, and Kagami Tsurugi aka Lady Dragon, both of them the top heroes and both connected to big hero companies." Izuku pointed to the pictures.
"Yep, the only way into the gala is with a special mask that they send you and must wear what they say is acceptable. Unless you are a waiter or a member of the cooking staff." Alya swiped to the different pictures. "Not easy to break in unless you're invited."
Izuku couldn't blame Alya for pointing it out, but at the very least Mina and him were supposed to be there with Naomasa for work. So being there wouldn't be an issue, the problem was getting in without an invitation mask. But as she said, a waiter wouldn't be noticed amongst the others in the middle of the gala. And hopefully that would be enough to get close to Adrien Agreste and get the information.
Saturday had arrived and the three officers of the law arrived just in time for the opening of the doors. They stood by the entrance along with the rest of the hired bodyguards as all the guests came in and the paparazzis took pictures by the dozen of every single one of the arriving guests. And for the first thirty minutes, it was a living nightmare for the officers.
"Monsieur maire! Monsieur maire! A picture please! A picture!"
"Madame Audrey Bourgeois, what are you wearing tonight?"
"Lady Dragon, are you and your mother excited for the new line up being presented by the Agreste Brand?"
"Is that Foxthrob and Dynamight coming together?!"
Izuku, Mina and Naomasa were stuck keeping the paparazzi away from the door as the guests entered. They had been flashed in the face so many times that they were almost begging for the last of the guests to arrive.
"I think I'll go blind!" Mina shouted.
"Don't worry, Mina. Just don't look at them directly!" Izuku said.
"The shift can't be over soon enough!" Naomasa gritted his teeth as Queen Been stepped on his shoe. "Ow!"
"Oh, sorry, didn't see you there. My adoring fans were just keeping my attention!" Queen Bee posed for the paparazzi, much to the other heroes' cringe.
Izuku and Mina wanted to keep the flow of people moving, praying that the next shift would come sooner rather than later. Had they not been stuck keeping the fans and the paparazzi at bay, they would've enjoyed the arrival of the fancy dressed heroes and people. However, the flashing lights were making their eyes burn and their nerves shattered. They were counting the seconds to the time that they could do anything but keep the rabid fans at bay. They honestly thought that this job couldn't get any worse.
"Well would you look at that, the doughnut munchers are actually doing something for a change!"
Izuku and Mina groaned in annoyance at the arrival of the resident jerk. They turned around to see Adrien Agreste arrive with his assistant Monoma, who wore a grin that bordered on the smile of a serial killer that had just gotten away with murder.
"It seems you are now earning your paychecks, you fossils." Monoma chuckled at the officer's misery.
"Monoma, please, the guests are waiting. We've wasted enough time here." Adrien walked past the officers, not even sparing them a glance from the side of his eye.
Izuku and Mina suppressed the need to glare at them as Monoma passed them by.
"Asshole assistant." Naomasa nodded. "I get it."
Izuku narrowed his eyes at the assistant and the CEO, making sure that no one noticed him. He needed to go inside and get information out of them. He turned around and spotted the waiters going around the back of the building. All he needed was an opportunity to slip in and find a way into the dance floor.
"Alright, I need to go in while the getting is good." Naomasa cut off Izuku's train of thought. "Cover for me, I'll be right back."
Naomasa blended into the wall of paparazzi, making his way to the back entrance of the building.
Izuku kept his eyes on his superior, knowing that he had the same idea he did. Only problem was that he couldn't drop the whole mess on Mina. He needed to wait for the change in shift. He decided to take the remaining ten minutes of their shift to recall everyone that had entered the gala.
The amount of elites, heroes and influential figures that Izuku had seen enter the gala was astounding. It seemed like the only ones that weren't invited were the police, him, Mina, and the rest of Paris. The elites were inside, which meant that any of them had connections to the Agreste Brand. And what scared him was that several of them were part of the top ten heroes, including his friend, Bakugo. He knew that Bakugo would never work with a villain, but the fact that he was in the private party of a possible criminal kingpin made things much more difficult.
"Finally! I thought they'd never get here!" Mina cheered at the sight of the arriving officers.
"Thank goodness," Izuku muttered, knowing this would be his chance. "I'll go get Detective Naomasa, you take a break, Mina."
"Thanks, partner, you're the best!" Mina hugged Izuku as they clawed themselves free of the bands of crazed fans.
Izuku and Mina made it out of the wall of fans, panting and exhausted.
"You know, I used to want to be an idol and get people cheering my name on a daily basis," Mina said. "But after this fiasco, no thank you. I swear, some of those people were trying to grope me."
"Same here. I think someone tried to take my wallet." Izuku dusted himself off.
"Can you blame them? You two are utter knockouts."
Izuku and Mina turned to see Alya standing there with a camera in hand.
"Alya, what are you doing here?" Izuku asked.
"Not that we're not happy to see you, girl. But you made it sound like you would rather chew your own foot than come back to this gala." Mina placed her hands on her hips.
"Well, let's just say that I thought you two could use some pick me ups, courtesy of your favorite journalist." Alya looked through the lens of her camera looking at the large amount of paparazzi in front of the doors. "Also, Sean, the one that was supposed to take care of this, came down with the flu. So here I am."
"That's a shame." Izuku rubbed the back of his head.
"Yeah, but I did get some interesting tips from Sean," Alya said. "Turns out that the Agreste Brand has been going through some house cleaning. Of the get out of our sight and don't come back kind. So what will it take for you two to help me get back and get a peek at the festivities?"
Izuku saw his chance.
"Well, I have to go get Detective Naomasa and tell him we're off the hook. I'll be back if Mina isn't too tired to stop you." Izuku walked towards the back door, hoping that Mina and Alya caught on to what he was saying.
Mina and Alya smirked as they watched Izuku head to the side entrance. They watched as he snuck past the one security guard as he dozed off to the land of the Sandman. Despite his by the book and usually law abiding demeanor, both girls knew that their loving boyfriend was sneakier than he let on. Which brought them plenty of pleasure and entertainment when they caught him doing so.
"I love when he plays the bad boy." Mina smirked with Alya nodding in agreement before following after him.
Izuku knew he didn't have much time before Alya came in after him. He needed to find Naomasa and learn what he could from Adrien Agreste. He didn't know what to look for exactly, but he hoped that by now he'd have enough alcohol to loosen up.
Izuku spotted a waiter's outfit next to Naomasa's discarded trenchcoat. An idea popped in Izuku's head as he took the outfit. Once the suit was on, he entered the kitchen and picked up one of the food trays before going into the gala.
The gala floor was full of people, going about their business and enjoying the party that was the Butterfly Gala. The theme of this gala was the Roaring Twenties and the dance floor was more than living up to the time of crazy parties and music of the time. Only difference was that the alcohol was not being prohibited by the authorities. It felt like the times in which Hemingway and other American writers had discovered and explored.
The walls were decorated with fabulous bright curtains that glowed with the bright lights from the chandeliers. There were tall silhouettes of dancing girls wearing long pearl necklaces while dancing to the beat of a live jazz band playing their instruments. The costumes and suits people wore were a vivid representation of what the fashion was during that time. Waiters rushed from side to side, moving drinks from the bar to the tables and to the people walking and talking to the beat of the music. The guests were living it up in the scenes as though they were plucked straight into the long past decade. It was a scene that one could believe was magical and a return to the time in which Swing was king and the need to enjoy luxury was a given.
But Izuku knew better than to become hypnotized by the glamor and the people around him. His eyes surveyed the room, spotting Naomasa walking towards a group of guests with a tray of drinks. He quickly made his way around the bustling music and the hungry and thirsty guests. Before he knew it, his tray was empty, much to his shock.
"How much do people drink at these parties?" Izuku muttered.
Izuku spotted Naomasa taking orders from some of the guests, keeping his ears open. He followed to where Naomasa was looking, noticing Adrien speaking to the CEO of Tsurugi Enterprises, Tomoe Tsurugi. Izuku made his way towards them, keeping his face hidden and far from sight. Using a bunch of empty glasses and an empty bottle of champagne as cover, Izuku made his way to the group.
"Izuku, what are you doing here?" Naomasa whispered.
"I came to tell you that the shift is over, detective." Izuku whispered back.
"Excuse me," a seductive voice called, causing Izuku and Naomasa to flinch.
Naomasa turned to see the hero Foxthrob, wearing a bright white dress with an orange pearl necklace and a matching feather boa and high heeled shoes.
"I would like another glass of wine, if you don't mind." Foxthrob handed Naomasa her empty glass as Izuku hid part of his face.
"Right away, miss." Naomasa sheepishly picked the glass.
Naomasa gestured to Adrien with his neck, getting Izuku's attention. He wanted him to keep an eye on the CEO.
Izuku followed Adrien Agreste in the guise of a waiter. He made sure to pick up on anything that could imply that there was more to the CEO's actions. Dodging guests, and other waiters while carrying a tray full of empty glasses, he managed to keep track of the man. But all he had learned was his views on the lower class and that his deals with other companies and heroes from America were on the rise. He did also notice that for such a skinny and uptight man, Adrien Agreste was eating almost everything that wasn't made out of glass or plastic.
"As my assistant has explained, the Agreste Brand will be reaching the rest of Western American continent within the end of the month," Adren said.
"Gotta admit, you don't seem as enthusiastic about it as one would expect, Monsieur Agreste." Shoto commented. "Apart from Shield Enterprises, you are the one that's been on the rise more often than the other Parisian companies."
"Monsieur Agreste doesn't need to brag. Everything is according to plan, thus he doesn't need to show off." Monoma smirked, making Izuku cringe at his smugness.
"If you'll excuse me, I need to freshen up." Adrien walked away with Izuku following behind him amidst the sea of people.
Izuku used this chance to follow the man into a more secluded area. He was tired of following him but he knew that he had to get something, anything in terms of information. He stopped just outside of the bathroom door, using this chance to stop and take a breath.
"Anything?" Naomasa asked, catching up with him.
"Not yet." Izuku panted, whispering in case someone was listening.
"Are you in position?"
Izuku and Naomasa stayed silent, hearing the conversation on the other side of the door. Naomasa looked into the bathroom door using his Polygraph Quirk to see what was going on.
"You have to be finished before the end of the gala. I'm making this call to remind you that if you fail, you will lose more than just any silly little thing I can get my hands on." Adrien kept talking on the phone. "And be sure to clean up afterwards. The police came looking and if they weren't incompetent they could've found something. Move them to the old warehouse at Seine River next to the broken lifting bridge. Fail, and you can kiss your Miraculous goodbye."
Izuku and Naomasa's eyes widened at the end of the conversation. They moved away from the bathroom as they heard Adrien walking out. They waited behind the band as Adrien walked away from the bathroom.
"Did you hear that, boss?" Izuku asked.
"I did. We need to go now," Naomasa said. "If we're lucky we'll catch him in the act. Let's go. I'll go check up on what he said, you get to Mina and contact the chief."
Izuku nodded as they made their way out of the gala.
As they ditched their waiter uniforms, they passed Mina and Alya as the pink officer was 'escorting' the journalist out of the gala.
"Hey guys, you took long enough-where are you going?!" Mina called out but neither replied.
"Must be something in this fancy food." Alya shrugged.
Naomasa got in his car and drove off as Izuku looked around for a way to get into his suit.
Izuku ran away from the gala, passing people before going into one of the dark alleys. He took off his uniform, getting into his costume. He should've called in for back up. But he needed to catch the criminals before they got away. After the call Captain Kendo had received thanks to Adrien Agreste, he couldn't risk the possibility of any more heat coming down on them yet.
Izuku fired his grappling hook into the night, pulling him up to fulfill his mission.
Izuku landed on the rooftop of a nearby building, spotting the warehouse that Adrien Agreste had spoken about on the phone. It looked abandoned and covered in cobwebs with flickering lights. No one in their right mind would think that place was still in use.
He noted movement on the inside, some silhouettes moving past the windows and the lights. Izuku looked down, hearing the sound of an engine turning off. He saw detective Naomasa getting out of his car with his weapon drawn. Izuku wanted him to stop and call for backup, unless he already had, but he couldn't overthink things. If they could get this illegal criminal activity, then they could bring down Hawkmoth in one fell swoop.
"Show time," Izuku muttered, going towards one of the open windows.
Izuku snuck inside as Naomasa went in through the side entrance. Neither of them knew what was about to happen, but they had a job to do.
Izuku slowly and quietly looked around the dimly lit corridor. He couldn't hear any movement from where he was, but the closer he got to the end of the corridor. Could they have all gone to the lower levels of the warehouse? He counted the steps that he was hearing and could tell that there were at least ten people down on the ground floor. He peeked into the room below him, noting that the sound of paper falling was echoing in the room apart from the footsteps. Narrowing his eyes, Izuku stuck to the shadows as he saw the floor was empty, no people, no silhouettes, nothing.
A pit grew in Izuku's stomach as he realized that this was all wrong. He had seen movement through the windows, heard footsteps all over the place and now he didn't even hear Naomasa. He frantically snapped his head from side to side, trying to see something, anything apart from the many large wooden crates and pieces of machines that laid down covered in dust.
He dropped down, hoping to find Naomasa quickly before whatever was going on could spring on them. His heartbeat grew loud between his ears as he approached the sound of paper falling. He pressed his back against one of the wooden crates, turning towards the sound. That's when he saw a single photocopier under a single light.
The papers had a single word printed. Mort. Death.
All the hairs on the back of Izuku's neck shot up. He jumped back, narrowly avoiding a black hand that broke out from the wooden crate he had been hiding in. However, he was then met by another black hand from behind, hitting him to the ground.
Izuku got back to his feet as ten of the crates were smashed open, revealing the same being.
All the figures wore the same imposing costume that sent chills down the spine of anyone that stood against them. They wore a full bodied black and gray suit that was as sleek as it was intimidating. The face was covered in a full black visor with the silhouette of a butterfly on it drawn around like a faceless horror. Armored and vicious, the figures all walked towards Izuku like a squad of Storm Troppers with kill on their minds.
"I was wondering who would be the one to get here," The imposing black figures said at the same time. "But I don't believe that I know who you are. Why don't you sit down and we can have a little chat." He gestured to a single metal chair behind Izuku.
Izuku pulled out his kali sticks in a defensive position, never taking his eyes off of Hawkmoth.
"My name is Chat Noir. And I'm the one who's going to take you down, Hawkmoth." Izuku looked at the different clones as they started to circle around him.
"Let's see what you're made of then." Hawkmoth snapped his fingers, making his clones charge at Izuku.
Izuku blocked a punch to his head with his right forearm. Using the momentum, Chat Noir judo flipped the clone into another clone. He ducked under another swing from another clone. He jumped back as three clones jumped at him with their fists raised up. Without thinking, he rolled over one of the remaining wooden crates, pushing the crate between him and the three clones.
Izuku used this chance to fight back. He jumped in as the crate was broken by the three clones. He swung his kali sticks against the clones, smacking their faces, arms and legs. He continued fighting the different clones, dodging and ducking under the blows of the clones. However, he was then grabbed by one of the remaining clones. He was tossed against one of the remaining crates, smashing it. Izuku grunted in pain before he was met with another clone.
"You should've sat down," The clone of Hawkmoth said.
Izuku didn't give him a chance to attack. He swung his leg under the clone, bringing him down to the ground before punching him across the face. Chat Noir looked up at the remaining nine Hawkmoths, narrowing his eyes behind his cracked goggles. He pulled out his grappling hook as the clones rushed after him. He fired it, missing the clones, but not the crate. With a strong pull, Izuku brought one of the remaining crates against the backs of three clones. Izuku reeled back his grappling hook before running in once more. He was still outnumbered but he worked around them.
Izuku ducked and dodged, using the clones against each other. He blocked one punch before kicking another clone across the chest. Using the momentum of the kick, he pulled the first clone into another clone.
However, as the fight seemed to be turning in his favor, Izuku was met with a punch across the face. It felt like a rock had been slammed on the right side of his face. But he quickly turned, landing a punch on the clone's throat with his kali stick.
One of the remaining two clones snuck up from behind him, catching Izuku by surprise.
Izuku tried to break free but it felt like he was wrestling a bear that was giving him an actual bread hug. He looked up and saw the final clone coming at him. He got punched in the face and in the stomach, being used like a punching bag. The pain was greater than what he was expecting, but he worked through it. Pushing back against the clone in the back, he kicked the other clone away. Izuku used this chance to slip out of the grasp of the clone. The Miracle-less vigilante grabbed his hat, putting it on the face of the clone, blinding it. He used this chance to smack him across the face with his kali stick.
Just as the other clones were getting back up to attack Izuku, gunshots were heard from the other side of the floor. The bullets struck the clones, knocking them back, leaving scratches on their costumes.
Izuku turned to see Naomasa on the other side of the shots.
"It seems the party began without me, Chat Noir!" Naomasa reloaded his weapon, aiming it at the original Hawkmoth. "Hands in the air, Hawkmoth! You're under arrest!"
Hawkmoth walked into the battleground after staying out of it for the most part. The vigilante and the officer couldn't see it, but he was glaring at them through his faceless mask. His Butterfly silhouette visor glowed ghostly blue, causing the clones to disappear.
"It seems we've got an uninvited guest to this little reunion." Hawkmoth pointed to Naomasa. "Now, you, I know. Detective Naomasa from the Paris Police Department. A clean officer of the law. Sadly, I don't want nor need you on my side." Hawkmoth punched his chest over and over, causing small rocks to sprout from his fists and body.
"Too bad, that's as far as you'll go! Stop or I'll open fire!" Naomasa warned.
Izuku looked at the small rocks, wondering where he'd seen them before.
Hawkmoth continued walking towards them, not even phased by the gun aimed at him.
"Not one more step!" Naomasa warned as Hawkmoth picked up one of the broken crates.
"Naomasa-!" Izuku jumped ahead, pushing Naomasa to the side.
Hawkmoth tossed the broken crate at Izuku, smashing it on the vigilante's body.
The sound of the simple act echoed through the warehouse like if a shot had been fired.
Izuku was sent backwards, crashing against the remaining pieces of machinery. The air was knocked out of him as he fell to the cold dirty ground. His mouth was filled with the metallic taste of blood. His head was spinning and his hands trembled, but he was still conscious if only by a cat's whisker. He looked up to what was happening, barely clutching his kali sticks.
Naomasa could only stare in shock at Chat Noir. He didn't even know if most of the top ten heroes could've taken that kind of blow. He turned his sights back to Hawkmoth and fired without a second thought. His bullets struck Hawkmoth's faceplated mask with a perfect bullseye. But no matter how many shots he scored, the criminal mastermind's stride was unbroken. All Naomasa's shots were doing was making Hawkmoth's rocks glow like magma red.
"What the hell?!" Naomasa growled as Hawkmoth got only a half step away from him.
Naomasa tried to fire again, but Hawkmoth caught his arm.
"Now that wasn't nice." Hawkmoth tightened his grip on Naomasa's hand, snapping his wrist.
Naomasa bit his tongue. He wouldn't give this villain the satisfaction to hear him scream. He dropped his gun as Hawkmoth picked him up like a ragdoll.
"I like your pluckiness, detective. But you're in my way." Hawkmoth pulled back his right arm as the rocks on it glowed magma red. "Any last words?"
Naomasa looked back at Izuku as he had managed to climb back to his feet. He shot him a smile.
"Eat this." Naomasa pulled his gun with his left arm, aiming it point blank at Hawkmoth's face.
Naomasa pulled the trigger, letting the last bullet hit Hawkmoth's face.
Sparks flew as Hawkmoth staggered back, recoiling from the point blank shot. He held his face as pieces of the mask fell down to the floor.
Izuku and Naomasa heard Hawkmoth growl and grunt in pain before he straightened himself up.
"Clever. Very clever. Guess you had that one last bullet to make one futile attempt to get a kill shot, didn't you?" Hawkmoth turned, revealing a hole in his mask, showing his left green eye and a tuft of blond hair.
Izuku's eyes widened at the sight before him. His mind started going over who he knew that had both blond hair and green eyes as Hawkmoth walked back to Naomasa.
"I figured it was worth the shot." Naomasa chuckled. "Guess you're not as perfect as you portrayed yourself to be. Not a good knock off."
Hawkmoth tightened his fist in anger at Naomasa's jab. At that moment, he lost all control. He brought down his glowing and empowered fist on Naomasa. Hawkmoth let out a single roar of rage and anger.
The shock wave was so strong that it sent Naomasa's gun away, leaving cracks on the ground.
Izuku hid behind a crate as Naomasa's gun fell next to his foot. He picked it up in shock. His heart pounded against his chest as he slowly processed what just had happened. His hand tightened his hold on the discarded weapon. His teeth gritted against each other. The fear that had clung to his stomach and heart was now taking the form of a fire.
"That was uncalled for," Hawkmoth panted. "I admit that. But, I have to make an example of those that challenge me. You understand, don't you, Monsieur Chat Noir? That's what he called you, right?" He paced around, looking for where Izuku might've hidden himself.
Izuku fought the pain and the ache that was coursing through his body like an electrical fire. He picked up his weapons and a few more pieces as he moved behind each crate. He looked to see Hawkmoth pacing, like he hadn't just killed someone. Gripping a piece of broken crate with a jagged end, he could only think of fighting some more.
"You don't want to talk, I understand. Let's change the subject then. Why haven't you used it, your Miraculous?" Hawkmoth asked. "So far, you've battled several of my own Miraculous with nothing but your fists, weapons and wits. Is it because you need to meet a certain criteria? Or perhaps you don't feel you need to? No. That's not the reason."
Hawkmoth's one visible eye widened at the realization.
"You don't have one, do you?" Hawkmoth asked.
Izuku grew tired of listening to the madman. He threw the piece of crate at Hawkmoth, hoping to hit him in his exposed eye.
But before the jagged piece of wood could hit Hawkmoth, he created a wall of bubbles around him.
"I'll take that as a yes. You have truly impressed me, Chat Noir." Hawkmoth smiled behind his broken mask. "But that makes me wonder. I believe there's a way for us to work together."
"You have nothing to offer me!" Izuku snapped from his hiding spot.
"Oh, but I do. You wish to be a hero, even without a Miraculous. But what if I could give you what you've always wanted? A Miraculous of your very own." Hawkmoth made a black butterfly appear in the palm of his hand. "Your skills are very valuable to lose and a waste to get rid of. You could be the hero you've always wanted. I'll even let you pick the perfect Miraculous for you. All you have to do in return is look the other way in certain situations. When I tell you to look away. What do you say?" Hawkmoth walked towards the crate he'd heard the voice had come from.
Izuku grunted. He wouldn't lie. The offer had been what he'd hoped for for the longest time. His dream of being a hero that brought smiles to everyone and stopped villains from committing evil was something that he hadn't let go. A part of him started draining his will to hold Naomasa's weapon. He glanced down to see Naomasa's bloodied badge and ID.
"You will never have me, Hawkmoth. I will bring you to justice." Izuku declared, putting the gun into his pocket.
"We'll see." Hawkmoth threw the crate out of his way only to find nothing.
Hawkmoth turned around, spotting Izuku throwing a smoke bomb at him.
The black smoke covered the warehouse floor, blinding Hawkmoth.
Izuku ran out of the warehouse, taking Naomasa's gun, badge and ID. The pain in his body was taking its toll, he knew wouldn't be able to run away fast enough. He turned back as Hawkmoth came out, using the Bubbler's Miraculous to capture the smoke. The black clad vigilante turned to the Siene River and its pitch black waters.
Izuku dived in, allowing the currents to take him away from the location.
Hawkmoth made it to the edge of the river, narrowing his eyes at the black waters.
Mina and Alya had gone back to Mina's apartment for some unwinding girl time. They had had enough snobbery for one evening and they wanted to spend time just watching a movie, eating popcorn and maybe a beer or two.
"I gotta say, this is a goofy horror movie, but in a good way," Alya said.
"Yeah, Izuku told me about it one day, but I just got around to see it," Mina shrugged. "Say, where do you think he and Naomasa ran off to? They shot out like a pair of bats out of hell."
"Your guess is as good as mine, girl. We should call him to see if he's okay." Alya picked up her phone.
Before Mina could reply or make a remark, she heard a knocking on her door. She looked at the time and wondered who could be in the hall at this time. She walked towards the door with some curiosity.
"Who is it?" Mina asked.
"Mina… it's me, can you open up, please?" Izuku said from the other side of the door. "I need you."
Mina and Alya's hearts skipped a beat.
"Wow, Izuku, you're being far more forward than I thought." Mina opened the door as Alya joined her.
However, they lost any blush when they saw the state Izuku was in on the other side of the door.
Drenched in the river's waters, Izuku stood with his damaged Chat Noir suit still on. His mask and hat was barely clinging in his right hand as splinters fell off of his body. His hair was messy, drenched in a mixture of water and blood. His face was bruised with some blood dripping from the side of his mouth, a cut on his forehead and a large bruise on his left cheek and eye.
"Sorry, I didn't know where else… to… go…" Izuku collapsed before Mina and Alya.
The girls snapped out of their stupor, barely catching the unconscious Izuku before landing on the floor.