"Marinette!" Adrien called out. "Plagg, Claws-"
'Alice' grabbed his shoulder. "Are you insane?" she hissed. "You're in no condition to go running after her!"
"Listen to the angel, kid," Plagg said. "It's no good if you also get captured."
'Alice' started. "Who and what are you?" she asked.
"Name's Plagg. I give the kid his powers. Powers he should not be using with a concussion!"
"I don't have a concussion..."
"You got some kind of head injury! Can you even stand up?"
"Of course I can... whoops." Adrien started falling forward before he was caught by 'Alice.'
"My point exactly!" Plagg said. "So could you lend a hand angel-face?"
'Alice' looked at Plagg.. "Why do we have to go after the girl?" she asked. "Why don't we take this chance to escape?"
"Not leaving my Lady hehind," Adrien slurred.
"Also Pigtails has the Ladybug Miraculous, a powerful artifact that is dangerous in the wrong hands," Plagg added. "And besides that, my kit isn't up to getting you out of here."
Just then, a tremor shook the studio.
"And we better get going before whatever caused that catches up with us," he added. "Come on, I'll scout ahead."
Hold on, Marinette, Adrien thought as 'Alice' helped him forward. We're coming.
-MtoLaCNBatIM-
Susie (Alice) followed the flying cat-mouse-thing as it flew ahead of her, wondering once again how her life had gotten to this point. Instead of being safe in her sanctuary doing... doing... something, she was out in the open studio, supporting a half-conscious hero while following a tiny spirit.
Fortunately, the cat-thing was very worried for the boy, never spending too much time away from them. Of course, that also meant that the cat could be leading them into a dead end and not knowing it.
Like now for instance.
"Oh, good job," she said sarcastically. "Why don't you lead the Ink Demon straight to us while you're at it?"
The cat gave her a glare. "Just go through the door, lady."
"What door? There's nothing here!"
"Yesh there is," the boy she was supporting added.
"No there isn't!" she snapped at him. "You're seeing thi-YOUCH!"
The little bastard bit her!
She stumbled forward, but before she could turn on the pest, a wave of nausea came over her. When her head cleared, her jaw dropped.
In front of her was a double set of doors. They were in better condition than many of the other doors in the studio, free of the accumulated grime and ink that just seemed to collect on every surface. The only sign of decoration was the cross carefully carved on the right door. The sign on the left door proclaimed it to be 'The Archives.'
"Okay, maybe there is a door," she admitted.
The cat rolled his eyes. "Are you going to admire it, or are you going to enter the counterpoint?" he asked before phasing through the door.
Fortunately, it opened inward, and Susie (Alice) was able to do so while maneuvering the boy inside.
-MToLaCNBatIM-
Marinette glared defiantly at her captors. Well, as defiantly as one could while gagged and bound to a table.
Unsurprisingly, her captors weren't intimidated. Or maybe they were, and she couldn't tell. It was easy to hide emotions when you didn't have a face.
Her captors were strange beings, composed of both liquid and metal. They slithered around on multiple inky tendrils while mechanical arms hung off the body. The main body was covered by an inky black coat with a hood. The face was covered by a glass plate, behind which glowing rainbow-colored ink swirled.
Seeing that her current tactics weren't working, Marinette took a quick look around. To her right, she could see Buddy strapped to another table and visibly sweating. To her right, she could see one of the slug things holding a jar that contained Tikki. Judging by the way the red kwami was bouncing off the sides while swearing in a dead language, something was keeping her trapped inside.
A door opened, and she turned to see the thing that had grabbed her enter the room. It looked like 'Alice' but not quite. The proportions were mostly human, but the arms were too long, and the hands were more like claws. Huge inky limbs that resembled wings grew out of the back slowly flexed. A halo shining with multiple colors floated above her head while her eyes also glowed with color. Colored ink seeped continuously from her eyes, leaving shining tear tracks.
The creature stepped towards Marinette and looked her over. "Now we come to the question," she said, her mouth not moving but her face flexing. "Do I kill you? Do I tear you apart to my heart's delight? The choices of the beautiful are unbearable. So how's a girl to choose?"
One of the slug-like creatures stirred. "The Master has ordered that the Subjects are not to be harmed, Subject: Seraphim," it droned.
The named subject huffed. "Then again, I don't have to," she said. "That's what I have him for."
At that, one of the doors opened and someone stepped inside. It was a man dressed in a grey jumpsuit, stained with ink. He was balding with wispy hair, and a glowing right eye. "Seraphim," he said. "Go out and patrol the west side. We may have some company soon." As the angel walked away, he turned to Marinette. "Hello, my dear," he said. "My name is Wilson. I am so sorry about your restraints, but the Keepers can be overzealous."
"What do you want?!" Tikki half-yelled, as she was the only one who could speak.
"Silence, spirit!" Wilson barked. "This does not concern you!" Composing himself, he continued speaking to Marinette. "You have certainly seen this world. Confusing and decaying. It needs order. It needs a savior." He looked her in the eye. "You can help save them all. All you have to do, is give me your jewel, and we can save everybody."
The two of them stood in silence, before Wilson realized his mistake and motioned a Keeper to remove her gag.
Once the gag was removed, Marinette fixed Wilson with a flat stare. "Really? That was your best attempt at persuasion? I've heard better from Hawkmoth. Tikki, Spots-"
She was cut off by a Keeper punching her in the side of the head before the other one replaced the gag.
Wilson shook his head. "Mister Drew said you were a stubborn one," he said. "But I had to try to get you to see the correct path."
"Careful, human," Tikki said, seeming to grow in size. "You do not know what you are dealing with. You meddle with forces beyond your understanding."
"Oh, am I?" Wilson asked. "I know exactly what I am doing. And my Masters will be most pleased."
Tikki's eyes narrowed. "Your Masters? Who could-" Her eyes went wide. "The Old Ones. You serve the Old Ones."
"They have revealed to me the true history of the world!" Wilson said, spreading his arms. "Of what you and that detective stole from them!"
"Oh, is Victoria still salty about losing her nephew?" Tikki asked, her voice dripping with satisfaction.
"Drew thinks I serve him, but he is oblivious to the true power of the Ink Machine!" Wilson continued. "With this wondrous device, I shall breach the barriers of the world and allow them to reclaim what is rightfully theirs!"
"And you believe that you'll get anything from this?"
"I shall be rewarded as their herald shall be! I must thank you. If you hadn't dropped in, this would have taken many more cycles to weaken the barriers enough to let them through. Now, the time of sacrifice is at hand," Wilson said, turning around and heading for the door. "I shall let you make peace with your gods, before your soul is sacrificed to my Masters."
Marinette gulped. Please hurry, Chat Noir, she thought.
-MToLaCNBatIM-
Inside another part of the studio, something exploded out of a puddle of ink. A large figure lurched upwards before finding his footing. He started stretching, trying to get rid of the kinks in his newly reformed body, while smacking his teeth together loudly. Looking in an unseen direction, he growled and spoke.
"I am the Ink Demon. This is my realm. And I will CONSUME those meddling heroes!"