When you live forever...

You become numb to the world. But your anger means more.

Fire in the heart sends smoke into the head.

-German Proverb

--

Marinette

I had just gotten over the fact that I may or may not love my best friend when the news blared with another akuma attack of some type. When I looked at the screen, my heart stopped.

It wasn't an akuma. It was Hawkmoth, Gabriel himself.

Mason chose that exact moment to barge through my door, already transformed. George and Fred followed suit, looking beyond tired but transformed as well. I looked at the screen. "You saw too?"

Mason checked the screen, and her eyes widen. "No." She said. "We didn't come here because of that. Did you not feel it?"

I tilted my head. "No. Feel what?"

Mason gave a big sigh of relief, before her face went hard and she dropped a ring into my hand. My heart stopped again. I knew this ring. "We all felt something weird a few minutes ago, and when we followed we found Gabriel and that on the ground. Adrian was nowhere to be seen."

I was frozen, staring at the ring in the palm of my hand. It was silver, with a few small engravings, some words lost in time and a cat paw. Tikki whined when she saw it, flying to sit in my hand, hesitated to touch it, like it might burn her.

I didn't feel anything. I didn't feel anything so he can't be dead. Where is he? What happened? Is he a special case? Would I not feel him die because we're equals? Please tell me he's okay, I can't deal with it again not another death I'm not strong enough please-

"Marinette." Mason shook me, and I looked up to meet her eyes, mine blurring with tears. "I know how much he means to you, and I can't possibly know how much it would hurt if he was gone. The connection you guys share is more powerful than a nuclear explosion. He's not dead."

I blinked, eyes clearing. Tikki looked up. What?

When I didn't say anything, Mason sighed. "He's not dead. Gabriel had a kid with him, and he said that Chat Noir had gotten sick and disappeared. I don't know where he is, but I'm positive he's not dead, like I'm positive that Gabriel does know where he is."

Suddenly, the pain and sorrow all turned into rage. I took the ring, slipping it onto my finger. I looked at the twins, really looked at them. I could see their kwami in their miraculous, drained. "You two stay here and rest up. Only come if it's an emergency. Mason, you're with me."

If either of them wanted to complain, they kept quiet about it, transforming back and slumping into the couch. Mari the cat joined them. Tikki was silent as I transformed. The ring around my hand stayed on, shining brightly around the red of my suit.

With a nod at the other girl, I opened my patio door and jumped out.

xXx

Gabriel sat at the top of the eiffel tower, crossed leg and waiting. Around him, a few akuma wandered, causing petty trouble and keeping the cameras on him.

Mason and I landed a few feet away, glaring. "There you are!" He chuckled, and suddenly each akuma fell to the ground, black moths flying out of them and back to Gabriel, absorbing through his clothes. I guessed they took more energy out of him then he thought was necessary. He was there to fight them, he wanted to be at full strength. "I wish it was all of you, though. I have a few words for those twins." He raised a hand, one that was missing a finger. "And some vengeance to serve."

Mason growled, shifting her feet as if read to attack. I held her back, staring at the immortal in front of me. "What you did, all those years ago." I started, uncaring of the news stations recording me. "Why? Why kill off all of your friends? The last of your true family? Your village?"

For a second, I could see pain in his eyes, but then it was gone. "There can only be one, Netta." He said after a moment. "That was something you and Arden never understood."

"Are you saying that Paris set us up for failure?" I demanded, and he winced. "She's the one who gave us our powers. She and Sirap-" I paused as the other immortal froze at the name. "Gabriel." I hissed his name out, low and softly so that only he and Mason could hear it. "Have you been listening to Sirap?"

Gabriel didn't answer, instead materializing a sword to his hand. He looked at it for a second. "You've lived a long life, Netta. Many of the other immortals thought of you as a mom. It's time you were put to rest, next to your children." He threw a sword at me.

I moved to duck under, when Mason grabbed the sword by the hilt, followed the momentum, before swinging it around and throwing it back, running after it. By the time Gabriel had deflected the blow with another sword, Mason was already on him. Sparks shot off from Mason's claws hitting his sword.

Mason smiled something wild before raking her claws along the immortal's stomach, adding salt to the wound by kicking him back in the same place. Gabriel grunted, staggering back and holding his stomach. A black moth flew out of his body, going to a downed pedestrian.

Before it could reach him, my yoyo had caught it. There it would stay, trapped until Adrian could turn it to dust. Speaking of, I walked up, tense in my steps. "Where is he?"

Gabriel took a second, before smiling. "Why, he's right here." He tapped his brooch, chucking.

My breath caught, something that was half panic and half cold hearted dispair. No. No, that couldn't be right, I- I would've felt it… He's not gone, no, Arden… no, no, NO!

That's when Mason did something I've never seen before.

She was already crouched on the ground a few feet away, but her posture changed. All 4 limbs rested on the ground, her ears flattened against her head, fluffy tail pointed and straight, she looked exactly like a dog about to attack. No, not a dog, a wolf.

"You fucking BASTARD!" She howled, leaping forward with such a fast fury that I could barely see. Gabriel barely got a sword out in time, throwing it at her. That did nothing, as she vaulted off the floor of the tower, landing on the side of the tower before pushing off to tackle the immortal directly, claws pushed directly into his face.

That didn't look like Mason, didn't act like Mason, that wasn't Mason. That was something feral. Wild.

Gabriel blocked her claws with his sword, pushing her back. She skitted on her feet, one hand clawing at the ground to stop herself, causing scratch marks. No longer relaxed nonchalant, he made his move, running towards the wolf with sword in tow. His amulet glowed with different colors as he called on their power. Using them.

My despair was replaced with uncontained anger.

I spun my yoyo, throwing it. Gabe barely had time to place his sword in between his neck on the yoyo. If he hadn't, the yoyo would've choked him. After a second of a stalemate, neither weapon able to break the other, I spun my yoyo back, running towards him.

He swung, aiming for decapitation, maybe, when I fell to the floor, sliding under him and going for a kick once I found proper purchase in the floor. He jumped away in time, but had to block Mason as he moved away, which let her push him dangerously to the edge.

He swung, Mason flipping backwards to dodge while I grabbed his sword with my yoyo, yanking to make him drop it. He lost his balance, rolling on the floor to block my next swing and grabbing his sword back, bringing it back up to block Mason. But this time, she was ready, grabbing the sword blade instead to keep it still before drop kicking him.

I moved to her side as Gabe coughed, backing up and clutching his stomach. Mason shook her hand, glanced at the slightly torn fabric as it started to darken from the blood underneath. Her eyes dilated, before going back to normal with a blink.

Gabe staggered up, taking his sword and throwing it. I leaned out of the way, but he had already materialized another one, running forward towards us. I jumped back as he swiped at my abdomen. He didn't end there, spinning and stabbing at Mason, intending to hit her gut.

She growled, batting the sword away with her claws, causing a loud ting. For a second, the sound paused everyone in their spot, everyone breathing deeply. Then Gabe chuckled, and his multicolored amulet turned to an solid Amber, and he attacked.

Mason's eyes widened as she was suddenly on defense. Gabe was moving fast, almost a blur. It reminded me of Cheche. I narrowed my eyes, moving forward to help when a sword was suddenly in front of me. I narrowly missed it, but by the time I had rightened myself, the two were already fighting by the edge.

In a second, a bluish grey color mixed with the Amber in his amulet, and with his non sword hand, he darted out, grabbing Mason by the neck and dangling her off the side. Surprised, she gurgled for a moment, clawed hands grabbing his arm to either pry it away of relieve pressure, but he was to strong.

I stopped half a dozen feet away, my stance as commanding as possible. "Gabriel. Put her down, right now."

His eyes flashed with something akin to recognition, but soon it was gone and he laughed, hooking his sword to his suit for a free hand. I inched forward, but a breathless gasp from Mason stopped me. I stopped, glaring instead, my mind on overdrive. If she was dropped and couldn't stop herself, I'd have to drop with her and land somewhere lower on the tower so Gabe couldn't stop me.

Gabe started talking about something completely different. "I can feel him, in here." He tapped his amulet. "All that power, but alas, all inaccessible. He has been called for by someone else."

I blinked, and it took a second to realize he was talking about Adrian. Something turned to stone in my stomach, and I made a sound not quite human. "What do you mean, 'called for'?! Bring him back!"

"Worry about the ones still here, Netta." He scowled, before taking Mason's hair clip out, holding it in his hands. Mason transformed back, taking in a bit of air when her hoodie lessened the stress on her neck. "Heh, the number just gets smaller and smaller."

And he threw her off the side.