22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Adrien stood in his father's lair, surrounded by white butterflies. Moonlight shone through the open window. It was weird being up here by himself.

"Are you certain you have to do this?" Plagg asked.

"If I can get her Miraculous, this will all be over. I won't need to fight her or anyone else ever again."

"All right then. Don't do anything you'll regret."

If it brought his mother back without causing any harm, then he wouldn't regret a thing. "I'll see you in a bit."

Plagg nodded, then disappeared as Adrien removed his ring and placed it in the box.

Despite holding his father's butterfly brooch, he waited to put it on. He just needed a moment longer before he became Hawk Moth.

Gabriel had left him with several choices of who to akumatize, but Adrien wasn't certain. Ladybug always had a harder time with the more cunning people as well as the unpredictable ones.

The purple kwami hovered nearby, quietly watching him. Adrien felt bad for the little guy. It couldn't be easy having his father as his Miraculous wielder. "Are you ready, Master?" Nooroo asked.

Adrien shifted on his feet. "You don't have to call me that."

"Yes, Master."

He sighed and pinned the brooch to his shirt. At the command to transform, the butterflies surrounded him, then shot away as Nooroo's magic took over. The purple suit and mask fit him perfectly. Even the cane felt right in his hands. He'd thought becoming Hawk Moth would be foreign, but it was as natural as being Chat Noir.

The kwami was silent in his head. Compared to Plagg, that was definitely foreign.

Using his newfound powers, he looked over Paris, scanning all the various emotionally upset people. There were many. It was a bit overwhelming.

Focus on the type of person you want, Nooroo said. It'll help to narrow the search.

He nodded and decided on unpredictable. It went from thousands of people in his head to hundreds. Some were definitely disturbed, so he eliminated them as well, then those with violent tendencies.

A guy, walking aimlessly down a crowded street, liquor bottle in hand and swaying from inebriation, caught his attention. He mumbled about nobody wanting to get drunk and everybody judging him just for having a little fun.

Maybe the man had a drinking problem, but he seemed innocent enough.

Hawk Moth extended out an arm and a butterfly landed on his palm. After following his father's instructions to evilize it, he opened his hands and found the little insect still white.

Wouldn't that be his luck? If he couldn't even do this simple task, Gabriel would surely go back on their bargain.

He closed his eyes and sent his anger and frustration into the akuma. Come on. Evilize.

Peeking at the white butterfly, he exhaled in frustration. "What am I doing wrong, Nooroo?"

You're not upset enough. Think of what you hate most. Let it consume you.

What did he hate? He certainly disliked this. At times, he loathed his father. He hated that his mother died. He despised Marinette's bruises. He hated the guy who held part of Marinette's heart. What if she left him too? What if he became alone and bitter like his father? The fear, anger, and sorrow filling him flowed into the butterfly.

It's black wings flapped twice before it took to the air and flew out the window.

The man continued stumbling down the street as the akuma landed on his liquor bottle, connecting him to Adrien. He stopped, face no longer slack, and looked up.

"Boozer, I am Hawk Moth. Get me Ladybug's Miraculous, and...um, everyone will party with you and...no one will ever judge you for drinking to excess again?" He should've thought about what he was going to say first.

"They won't?"

"No," he said, forcing himself to sound certain.

Boozer raised his bottle in salute. "Then it's time to party!"

A black cloud transformed his drab clothes into a white seventies disco suit. He danced, or at least tried to, down the street. He tripped over his feet constantly and kept falling off balance.

Waving his bottle around, he hollered at the people near him to have a drink and join the revelry. They tried to ignore his antics as they passed, but he ended up splashing everyone. Angry faces went slack then turned jubilant.

Some started dancing. Others laughed until they fell over. One person bumped into another and got into a drunken fight.

The man didn't even seem to notice. He just kept onward, singing at the top of his lungs and waving his bottle around. Everyone who came into contact with the glowing alcohol acted as if they'd spent the whole night at a bar.

Well, that was one way to not ever be judged again.

Eventually, several dozen people were under the spell, causing quite the ruckus. Police had even been called to the scene, but they too got splashed and added their cars' flashing lights to the spontaneous party.

"Boozer, where are you going?" Hawk Moth asked, as the man walked away from the boisterous crowd.

"I'm gonna go get my friends."

"No. Stay where you are so Ladybug can find you."

"But I want my friends here," the man whined, slurring his words slightly. "You promised I could have fun."

"Fine." Hawk Moth sighed. "But be quick about it. We need Ladybug to easily find you."

"Yeah. Yeah." He whistled as he went, splashing people left and right.

A larger fight had broken out and several people started knocking over cars and chunking rocks at windows.

Hawk Moth grimaced. The sight made his stomach turn to lead, but he ignored the uneasy sensation. He had to be cold steel.

As alarms filled the air, Ladybug landed in front of Boozer, and Hawk Moth couldn't help but to exhale in relief.

"I don't know what you're up to," she said, "but this party is officially over."

"Out of my way, Polka Dot Girl." He tottered off to the side to go around her.

She gripped her yo-yo. "It's Ladybug."

"Get her Miraculous," he urged the akumatized man.

The guy stopped, swaying on his feet. "Oh yeah. I almost forgot." He hiccuped. Then he pointed his bottle at Ladybug. "Mothball says I need your Miraculous."

Her yo-yo fell as she stopped to laugh. "Mothball?"

Hawk Moth pinched his brows. "My name is Hawk Moth."

"That's what I said."

She wiped her eyes. "All right, sir—"

"Boozer."

"It's time for you to sleep it off." She shifted into her fighting stance.

A news van peeled to a stop near them and a team hopped out of the back, lights on and camera rolling. Good. Maybe his father would be watching the news and see that he was handling things fine on his own.

"Nah," Boozer said, wiping his chin with the back of his hand. "I'd rather party."

He suddenly pitched forward, as if a rug had been pulled out from under him, and stumbled around.

"Look, you're in no condition to take me on," she said. "Just tell me where the akuma is and I'll get you home, safe and sound."

He lifted his hands in a sloppy version of his own fighting stance, swaying slightly. Her head moved side to side as she tracked him. Then he ran at her, but ended up tripping over his feet.

Hawk Moth ground his teeth. This was useless. She would have his akuma in record time, and his father would think he was even more incompetent.

Somehow, Boozer got twisted around, flopped to his back, rolled over his head, landed on his hands and kicked Ladybug right in the stomach with both feet.

Her breath rushed out as she was pushed back a few steps.

Hawk Moth's mouth dropped open.

"Fine," she said. "We can do this the hard way."

She hurled her yo-yo at him, but he just bent backwards so far a normal person would've fallen right over. Her weapon sailed uselessly overhead. He straightened and stumbled around, tipping this way and that. Ladybug tried to anticipate his move, but, at the last second, he went in another direction and fell into her, sending them both to the ground. One second, he looked like a rag doll. The next, he lashed out with an elbow, but she was already on her feet.

Boozer stayed lying on his side, gazing up at her under drooping lids, and took a sip of his liquor.

Seemingly confused as to what to do, she exhaled in frustration. "Get up."

He smiled lazily. "I don't wanna."

Swinging her yo-yo, the little disk struck the ground where he'd been. The man rolled to his belly, then to his back, his side, and belly again as she tried to hit him with her weapon over and over.

His bizarre movements inched him closer to her, until he spun to his feet, and flailed his arms about. The wild barrage struck her several times before she gathered herself to block the rest.

Even though he was as limp as a wet noodle, his attacks were precise and heavy handed.

This was the strangest fighting style he'd ever seen. And Ladybug clearly didn't know how to work around it.

"Listen here, mister—"

"Boozer." He lifted his bottle in salute.

She grumbled. "Stop this nonsense, right—"

His constant swaying caught him off balance and sent him careening to the side. His bottle flew from his grasp.

Hawk Moth cringed, waiting for Ladybug to strike it with her yo-yo and eliminate it as a possibility of holding the Akuma.

And that was certainly what she'd intended. She'd reeled back, about to launch her weapon, but as the bottle flipped mid-air, the liquid spilled onto her.

Hawk Moth held his breath. Would it affect her?

She slowly blinked, her raised hand dropped to her side, her yo-yo fell from her grasp, and her perfect posture slumped.

No way. "Get her Miraculous!"

Boozer lowered his head and charged Ladybug like a bull, ramming her in the stomach.

She stumbled backward and laughed like Adrien had never heard. "Did you just headbutt me?" A snort punctured the laughter. "I can honestly say that was a first."

"Now," Hawk Moth said. "While she's distracted."

Boozer rushed to her, but she swung away from him...and ran into a parked car. "I'm okay," she yelled while still laughing, then took off again. This time colliding with a mailbox. Her merriment never lessened.

Hawk Moth winced each time she crashed into something. "Follow her."

oOoOo

Alya watched the news as Ladybug ran into a street lamp, still laughing with abandon. She jumped off the couch and grabbed her umbrella from the closet.

"Where are you going?" Nino asked.

"To help Ladybug," she said, nearly to the front door.

"But we were unpacking."

"We'll unpack later. Come on."

They'd just gotten home barely an hour ago, and then an akuma alert had been sent out, and she stopped everything to watch the news.

Nino locked the door behind them and followed her out of the building. "What are we gonna do?"

"I bet the Akuma is in the bottle. We're gonna get it and break Ladybug out of the spell, so she can de-evilize it."

"How are we gonna do that, babe, when Ladybug couldn't?"

As soon as they were in the loaner car, they drove in the direction the superhero had been heading. "He won't be expecting us."

"Did you see that dude fight? There's no way we can do anything."

"Nino. There is always a way. Besides, while he's focused on Ladybug, we'll be focused on him."

"And if that liquid gets on us?" he asked. She lifted the umbrella, and he took his eyes off the road long enough to glance at it. "That's my smart girl."

A red blur swung by, giggling uncontrollably.

"There she is," Alya shouted.

Nino swerved hard to make the sudden turn and slammed the gas pedal. "Do you see Boozer?" he asked.

She looked around. "No."

Another car, swerving all over the road, came up fast behind them. She clenched the door and the seat. "Nino!"

He pulled off to the side as the car sped by, the man's head hanging out the window as he whooped in delight.

Nino frowned. "He could've hit our car."

"Not us, huh? Just the car."

"It's a loaner. I have to be careful."

She rolled her eyes. "Come on. We can't let Hawk Moth win."

He pulled out onto the road and took off, just not as quickly as she'd hoped. Oddly enough, there wasn't any traffic, let alone police cars. Maybe they'd decided to stay out of the fight since several units had already fallen victim to Boozer's magic.

Ladybug swung back around their way and, upon seeing Alya pressed up against the window, she waved hi.

"That way!" Alya called.

"I know," Nino grumbled as he turned them around and drove off again. "I don't see her. Do you?"

Alya craned her neck to look out another window toward the night sky. "I don't see—"

The car dipped as Ladybug landed on the hood with a loud thud.

"Nooo," Nino moaned. "She probably dented it."

Ladybug slid off the car, walked to Alya's side, and swung open the door. "Alya!" The superhero pulled her out and wrapped her in a hug. "It's been forever! I've missed you."

With her arms pinned to her side, Alya looked back at Nino in question.

He simply shrugged.

It had been a little while since she stopped by her party. Maybe she was still grateful that Alya had orchestrated her rescue the last time. "We're here to help."

"Help?"

She nodded, her ribs starting to ache under the force of her hug. Man, Ladybug was strong.

"I don't need help. I'm just out having fun."

"No. You're under Boozer's drunken spell."

"Nah. I'm just having—"

Tires screeched in the distance.

Ladybug tilted her head toward the sound. "I don't know why that guy keeps following me."

Alya exhaled. "He's trying to get your Miraculous."

She tensed. "No one's gonna take my Miraculous."

Finally. "You keep him distracted, and we'll try to get his bottle."

"Good idea. I need another drink."

Alya groaned. "Sure. Just keep him busy."

Ladybug nodded and jumped toward the sound of the oncoming car. Her landing was a little off, but at least she didn't fall over.

Nino got out of the car and ran to Alya. "So what's the plan exactly?"

"Hide and sneak up on him."

He slapped a hand to his face. "That's it? I thought you had more than that."

"Don't give me that look. It's not like I've had time to really think about it." She grabbed his hand and pulled him around the side of the car to hide. "Now. Shh. I don't think he's seen us yet."

The car's engine roared as it raced toward them.

"I don't want to die today," Nino whispered.

She rolled her eyes again, but gave him an affectionate shoulder bump.

The car stopped. Music blared from inside, then grew louder as the door was opened.

"No more games, Ladybug."

That didn't sound like the same man who'd been shown on the news. Alya scooted to the bumper and peeked around the edge. Well, it was the same guy in the horrendous suit. Just the way he spoke was off.

"Chat?" Ladybug asked the akumatized man.

What? Was she confused?

"Give me your Miraculous," he demanded.

"Where's the real Hawk Moth?"

Oh, so Chat was controlling the guy. Interesting.

"That's not important," he answered.

"Does he have yours? Did you lose a bet? Or play a game of swap 'til you drop." She bent over, laughing.

"It's not funny."

She chortled that much more.

Alya snuck to the edge of the bumper closest to Boozer or Chat Noir or whomever. Talk about confusing.

"I know what you're doing," he said, his voice hard.

Hands on knees, she looked up at him. "Well, yeah. I'm laughing. It's kinda obvious."

"No. I know you're trying to turn Marinette against me."

Ladybug and Alya froze.

What?!

"Did he just say what I think he did?" Nino asked suddenly behind Alya.

She nearly jumped out of her skin. "Holy bananas, Nino." She took a breath to calm her heart. "Yeah. Let me listen."

"I never thought you'd stoop to using people," Chat/Boozer said.

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"I know you were in her room."

She crossed her arms. "How?"

He paused, then said, "I smelled you."

"So what." She threw up her arms and ended up swaying. "I was just checking on her since you care about her."

How come Marinette never told Alya she knew Chat...and that he visited her?!

Nino elbowed her. "Are you going to get the bottle or what?"

What she really wanted was to sit right there and get the rest of the scoop. But Nino was right. She frowned at him. "Fine."

"Just know that it won't work," Chat said. "She knows what it means to be a real friend."

Ladybug sighed with more exasperation than Alya had ever heard her own mom emit when dealing with the twins. "I didn't and won't give you my Miraculous because I am your friend."

Alya moved in a crouched position while holding her umbrella at the ready.

Chat/Boozer shook his head. "This is a waste of time." He held out his hand. "Give me your Miraculous."

"No." She stuck out her tongue at him, then snickered uncontrollably.

He growled. "There's no point in talking to you like this. I'm letting Boozer off his leash and…"

Alya had accidentally slid over some loose gravel, producing a slight crunching sound. She wished she could disappear in the middle of the road.

"And?" Ladybug asked, waving her arms to get his attention.

Chat/Boozer turned toward Alya, but Nino jumped out from the front of the car beside Ladybug. "Hey Lame-o!" He threw his shoe at him. "Over here."

"Ni—" The akumatized man's stiff Chat Noir-like posture went limp, and he looked up, swaying once again, back to his old self.

Maybe the surprise had lost Chat Noir's connection to him.

"Sweet," Boozer said. "More people to party with."

Alya jumped on his back, swinging her umbrella at the bottle in his hand. He switched his grip, but she latched her legs around his waist and hooked an arm around his neck. Though she wasn't certain what that actually gained her.

"Get off me."

She kept batting at his bottle, but he kept moving it just out of her reach.

"Ladybug," Nino said, "do something."

The superhero, practically on the ground in tears from laughing so hard, would be helping no one. Alya grumbled.

"Hold on, Babe. I'm coming." Nino grabbed his other shoe and hurled it.

The darn thing somehow hit her on the head! "That is not helping!"

Boozer jerked side to side, clearly trying to knock her off, but she held on tighter. At one point, she was certain they were going to fall right over, but he always managed to maintain his balance. How could someone be so floppy, yet so in control?

He lifted his bottle, as if to toss it at her, and she shrunk back behind him even more. Knowing it wouldn't be enough, she popped open her umbrella and managed to shield herself from the splash.

"I can't see." He swatted at her umbrella. "It's in my face."

"Now, Nino!"

"Oh god, oh god, oh god." Nino's voice grew louder as he approached them. Then there was a wack and a cry of pain from Boozer.

Glass shattered and the akumatized man stopped flailing about.

"What happened?" Ladybug asked as Alya jumped off the man and closed her umbrella.

"The Akuma!" both she and Nino shouted.

Grabbing her yo-yo, she captured the butterfly. "Did you guys just save me?"

"Yes," Nino said as Alya merely shrugged.

"Well, thank you." She looked around them, then lowered her voice. "I, um, didn't give anything away, did I?"

"No," Alya rushed to say before Nino could mention what was said about Marianette. Her husband looked at her, but kept his mouth shut.

There were more and more curiosities piling up around her best friend and Adrien. And she was determined to solve this puzzle.

AN - somebody made me art! Nekozuki2018 did, and it's awesome! It's my cover art on fan fiction and it's also on both of our tumblr blogs. I feel very loved right now. It's the same with all of the comments. I had my monthly everything-is-pointless day (I hate hormones. Lol) and going back to reread the comments and seeing the art pulled me through it enough to finish a chapter. It's hard to write when you lack the will to do anything. XD

Exploring Hawk Moth's power was a lot of fun. I, of course, made some stuff up, so it's not entirely canon, but that's okay. And I've wanted to do an out-of-it Ladybug since the bachelor/ette party. Lol. If you're wondering about Boozer's fighting style, I totally used drunken Kung fu for him. It made perfect sense.

Btw, we're close to the halfway point!

If you don't have an awesome sister, I'd let you borrow mine if I could, but I can't, which is good because I wouldn't really because she's mine. Haha! I'm just teasing...or am I? :P

Update: edited