46. Chapter 46
AN - this chapter was written before Queen Bee's episode. If you watch it before I do and before I get a chance to tweak this thing to match her abilities, then just go with it. Please and thank you :)
Chapter 46
Apathy, detachment, and just pure nothingness seeped through Ladybug's pores. It's tendrils spread through her, choking the life out of every cell, a slow, suffocating death.
She shook her head to clear it. "He's near."
"That's obvious," Rena Rouge remarked, her gaze flying around the street. But there were just the standard parked cars, buildings, and vegetation.
Shadow Heart was in his incorporeal form, hiding from them. "Coward," Ladybug called out.
His sudden laughter felt like she'd been dropped into a vat of old, dirty grease. She grimaced.
"Who's the fresh meat?" Shadow Heart asked, his disembodied voice now near Rena Rouge.
Staying in their triangular defensive position, the heroes' heads turned toward the sound. Carapace held his turtle shield out, ready to release the energy dome if needed.
"No point in learning my name since you're not going to be around much longer," Rena responded.
"The newfound hope and determination is mouthwatering." This time his voice came from Carapace's direction. "But your excitement is the cherry on top."
"Dude, I'm taken."
The despondency vanished from Ladybug so suddenly she nearly stumbled. He wouldn't have just left. Nino's suddenly tense form had her turning. She spun her yo-yo to disperse the grayish cloud hovering over him. Carapace's face went from slackening to snarling.
Shadow Heart appeared as himself, dark hood covering the top half of his face, not far from him with a taunting smile.
Carapace tensed, muscles coiling as if ready to spring.
"No," Ladybug warned.
But he leapt for the akumatized man, breaking their formation.
oOoOo
Chat, Queen Bee, and Gozu, Marinette's dad, ran toward the mansion. They were supposed to be stealthy, but with the extra girth the ox Miraculous added to Tom and his hefty trident-styled weapon, he kept knocking over smaller trees and sending birds flocking up into the sky.
"What if the window is closed?" Queen Bee asked Chat as they approached the mansion.
Chat wanted to roll his eyes at her constant pestering. "It won't be closed," he answered her as he untangled some vines from Gozu's horns. "He needs to focus on Shadow Heart for the fight and seeing outside helps his vision."
She tapped him on the shoulder, though it was more like sharp jabs, and pointed up at the mansion. "Then how do you explain that?"
The steel plates were indeed closed. "Well, that throws our plan out the window."
Queen Bee rolled her eyes.
Gozu raised a hand to speak and Chat couldn't hold back a smile. The man was the definition of a gentle giant. "Vol says it won't be a problem."
"What won't be?"
"I can break through walls. Or anything apparently. Not just trees."
Chat laughed.
"So do your thing," Queen Bee said with a flick of a hand.
Gozu looked apprehensive as he faced the window. It was rather high up. He'd have to jump and, with his size, that might be—
Gozu crouched, then shot up like a rocket.
Chat's mouth fell open. His Miraculous definitely held a ton of power.
Hey, I'm powerful too, Plagg whined.
Gozu ripped through the steel plates as if they were made of tissue paper, and Queen Bee smiled, until she realized Chat had seen it. She rolled her eyes and leapt in after Gozu, only to crash into him as he was flung from the room with a boom that left smoke curling out the window.
The missiles and turrets. Chat wanted to smack himself for having forgotten them. He ran to his partners after they hit the ground, apologizing for not having warned them.
Queen Bee had her trompo top-like weapon out and a fierce expression on her face. "So you weren't trying to sabotage the mission?"
"No!" He took a breath and lowered his voice. "For the last time, no. We have to stop Hawk Moth—"
"Hey," Gozu tried to cut in.
"What he's doing is wrong—"
"Guys."
"What I did was wrong and I—"
"We're not alone!"
Chat blinked and looked around. A large group of his father's henchmen were surrounding them. He pulled out his staff and hoped the others were ready to fight.
oOoOo
Ladybug and Rena Rouge ran after Carapace as he chased after Shadow Heart. What was he thinking? The akuma separating them was exactly what he wanted. If she survived this, she was going to—
"I'm going to strangle that man when this is over," Rena said under her breath.
At least she was staying positive.
Ladybug picked up her pace. As they turned a corner, Carapace and Shadow Heart came into view. They fought, Carapace using the shield both defensively and offensively. He blocked and shoved with it, swiping and hitting simultaneously. His movements flowed as if the weapon and style of fighting were made for him.
Still, Shadow Heart dodged the attacks with ease, his form blurring when he was unable to get out of the way in time. The shield would just pass right through him. It wasn't fair. He had every advantage.
Shadow Heart spared them a glance and smiled as they approached. He flew to Rena and she shivered.
Ladybug flung her yo-yo the same time Rena struck with her flute. Shadow Heart vanished and the yo-yo ended up knocking the flute out of her friend's hand.
"Girl," Rena said in a warning tone.
"Sorry."
Rena picked up her weapon and they ran to the cloud that was Shadow Heart, luring Carapace even further away.
This was not going well.
oOoOo
Queen Bee threw her trompo at one group of his dad's hired goons and flinched as the explosion flung the henchmen back far into the gardens. When the top came back to her, she stood even straighter, her chin raised that much higher and practically pranced toward another group.
Chat shook his head and refocused on the three in front of him. He jabbed one in the stomach, while kicking another, only to miss the third. That one landed a punch that had Chat tasting blood. He growled and elbowed him hard. The big man just chuckled. The bastard could've at least winced. Or flinched or something.
The ground shook as Gozu charged. Chat smiled and stepped out of the way just as the overgrown goon was headbutted to...Belgium based off his direction.
More ran at them, this time with swords.
"Watch out," Chat warned Gozu.
Gozu turned and blocked a swing with his horns and met another with his trident. Chat jumped in, kicking the legs out from under the one rearing back after retrieving his sword.
Another explosion sounded and Queen Bee commented on how the blasts weren't even messing up her hair. The delight in her voice was infectious. They were doing it. They were working together better than he'd thought possible.
oOoOo
Ladybug and Rena Rouge rounded another corner and stopped dead in their tracks.
Shadow Heart had Carapace in his grasp, hands on his shoulder as if they were having a serious conversation, especially with the way Carapace just stared at him. Shadow Heart's hooded face turned to Ladybug and Rena and his lips stretched wide into a sickly smile.
"No!" Rena sprinted to her husband just as the akuma released him.
Carapace collapsed to the floor as if his bones had disappeared. He made no move to get up, not even a twitch to show he was alive.
Ladybug's heart clenched. He couldn't be dead. This wasn't supposed to happen. This—
As Rena Rouge tried to pass him to reach Carapace, Shadow Heart snatched her by the throat. She snarled and fought with her hands and feet, thrashing about like a wild animal.
Ladybug's yo-yo wrapped itself around his neck before she even realized what she'd done. She hooked the string around her arm and pulled it tight.
Shadow Heart gagged for air, but he didn't release Rena. Her movements slowed, the fury bleeding from her face.
Ladybug stepped back and jerked on the string. "Let her go!"
He didn't. And neither did he change to his incorporeal form to escape her hold.
She pulled even harder, making him nearly stumble in her direction. What little she could see of his face turned red, bordering purple. He couldn't last much longer. She dug her heels in and leaned back, the string growing so taut she hoped it didn't snap.
A growl rumbled from behind his gritted teeth and he lunged in Ladybug's direction, her yo-yo's string suddenly slackening.
Thinking it was an attack, she shifted into a fighting stance, but he just morphed into the dark cloud and shot away from them, leaving Rena to fall to the street.
She drew her yo-yo back to her and darted to her friend's side. "Rena?"
"I'm okay," she said, though she was shaking and her teeth chattered louder than a wood chipper. "I need to check on…"
Ladybug scrambled to Carapace and touched his neck. He was as cold as an ice cube, but he had a pulse. "He's alive."
Crawling to them, Rena confirmed for herself that his heart was beating, then wiped her eyes before the tears could fall. "I'm going to kill him."
She sighed loudly while trying to rub warmth into an unresponsive Nino.
At least he would be all right once she purified the akuma. "Let's get him back to the apartment."
Rena nodded. "And then we kick some ass."
oOoOo
Chat caught Queen Bee after one of her blasts sent her flying. "I'm pretty certain that's a long range attack, not for close quarters."
She jumped out of his arms with a huff. "And I'm pretty certain you should have never turned on Ladybug." She brushed some ash off her yellow and black bodysuit. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I believe it's time we stop Hawk Moth."
"Wait—"
Queen Bee flew inside his father's lair before he could utter another word. Another explosion vibrated the mansion, and he was right back to catching her.
She rolled her eyes. "Don't you dare say a word."
He put her on the ground and kept his mouth firmly shut.
Gozu asked if she was okay, and she nodded.
"How many missiles does he have?" She eyed her trompo and the smashed-through window as if an idea was brewing in her head.
"No. You blow up the house and you might kill one of the housekeepers," Chat said.
"Did you see anything in there?" Gozu asked Queen Bee.
She shook her head.
Gozu faced Chat. "What's the likelihood he's not home?"
"None. His akumas are in his lair and that's where he feels the safest."
Queen Bee and Gozu looked at each other.
"What?" he asked them.
"There weren't any white butterflies," she said.
"They're not always floating around. You probably just didn't see them."
Gozu placed a hand on his shoulder. "It was empty."
"He has to be in there." Chat slid out from under his touch and vaulted himself into the cavernous room. Before his feet even touched the floor, a missile shot his way. He knocked it off course, then another and another. Explosions erupted throughout the room. Smoke stung his nose as he just barely dodged a spray of bullets. Those were definitely not training discs.
He leapt and ducked and spun out of the way so many times his stomach was threatening to reject his breakfast.
Then the fiery tail of a missile caught his eye as he tried to evade another stream of bullets, cornering him. His heart kicked into overdrive and he prepared himself to take a couple bullets rather than a face full of TNT.
Yellow and black shot through the air, then the missile went careening off to the side. Chat lunged for Queen Bee, knocking them both to the ground to avoid the gunfire from one of the turrets.
A hulking grey form barreled into the wall, crushing the nozzle of the weapon. Gozu rammed into the other turrets before they could turn on, and Chat jumped up to help him. Queen Bee took out several of the rocket launchers and soon enough the lair was barely recognizable with the pockmarked walls and scorched floor.
"You saved me," Chat said to Queen Bee, still barely able to believe it.
"Well, yeah. I'm not a monster like—"
Chat sighed.
"—your father."
His mouth fell open, eyes flickering wide in surprise.
"You're not a monster. Just a disappointment."
While it was true, it still stung.
"You won't be forever though."
Gozu stepped to them. "There's nothing here. I've looked everywhere. "
Chat's gaze flew around the room. He was right. Running to the entrance of the secret passage, he stomped on the floor, but nothing happened. "It's not working."
"What are you doing?" Queen Bee asked.
"There's a vault in his office. He has to be there."
"Stand back," Gozu announced.
"What are you going to—"
When he called on his special power, Chat pulled Queen Bee back with him, far away from the the burly superhero.
Gozu balled his hand into a fist that glowed white, then slammed the marble floor. The ground bucked like a wave. The reverberations made Chat's legs feel like wet noodles. He and Queen Bee clung together as they wobbled, nearly falling over. A screeching groan had them looking all around just as the floor gave way.
oOoOo
Ladybug and Rena Rouge ran after Shadow Heart as he flew into a park. When he disappeared into a grove of trees lining the far end, they stopped to catch their breath and see where he could be hiding.
As they searched, the two superheroes didn't notice Shadow Heart sneak up from behind, quiet as a wolf on the hunt. He stretched out his arms, lips thinning to a slit, and lunged for them, making Rena Rouge's mirage disappear.
With her heart thumping wildly, the real Ladybug hurled her yo-yo around his torso, pinning his arms to his sides. Rena jumped out of her hiding spot and sprinted to him, her feet flying across the grassy expanse. He snarled and jerked side to side. Ladybug nearly lost her hold on him, but she gritted her teeth and redoubled her efforts.
He caught sight of Rena and stopped fighting against his binds.
"Hurry," Ladybug called to her.
Rena's eyes narrowed and she slammed into him, knocking them to the ground as well as the yo-yo from Ladybug's grasp. The string slackened, freeing Shadow Heart. He scrambled to his feet and went for Rena.
"Crap." Ladybug struggled to retrieve her yo-yo.
Rena evaded Shadow Heart's hands as she grabbed his hood and pulled him face first to the ground, then whipped behind him while twisting the cloth around his neck. He flailed, nearly latching onto her leg, but she stepped on his arms and leaned back, drawing his head back with her.
Ladybug didn't know if she was trying to strangle him to death or snap his head off. Both were bad. "Rena, stop," she demanded once she reached them.
"Relax. I'm not going to kill him." Focusing on Shadow Heart, she taunted, "Someone can't change forms when they're in pain, can they?"
He responded with a jerk that almost caused Rena to fall off him.
"His earring," Rena commanded. "Try that."
Ladybug removed the jewelry and snapped it in half. An akuma flew out. She exhaled in relief and caught the black butterfly in her yo-yo. "How did you know?"
"I got a good view of him when his hands were around my neck." She jerked the hood wrapped around his neck back to her. "Not fun is it?"
Sometimes, Alya scared her.
Ladybug purified the akuma and contacted the police as Rena's foxtail necklace beeped. She only had a minute left. "I'll watch him until the police get here," Ladybug said while hogtying him with her yo-yo. "You go recharge."
Rena released the now-not-so-scary man with a disgusted look on her face and ran out of view.
oOoOo
Chat fell through the floor with a yelp, arms and legs flailing, then landed hard on his back. A low groan escaped his lips as he attempted to move his limbs.
Queen Bee flew to the ground and brushed the dirt off her suit. "I thought cats always land on their feet."
"I'm not a real cat and you're not a real bee."
She said nothing as she stepped to him and held out a hand. He just stared at it.
"Offer expires in three, two—"
He grabbed it and got to his feet with another groan. At least nothing was broken. "Thanks." He looked around through the hazy room. Thick chunks of concrete and wood littered the ground and dust filled the air. "Where's Gozu?"
"I don't know." Concern flashed across her face as she searched for him. "Where are we?"
Dark curtains were torn, partly hanging off their rods and...a desk was crushed under the weight of a large section of the ceiling. His dad's office. His gaze flew to the painting of his mom and sighed. It sparkled in the thin streams of sunlight filtering in through the space.
"Chat Noir," Gozu said "Queen Bee, come here. Quick."
They ran toward the sound of his voice.
"Over here," Gozu called. "She's hurt."
Natalie held her stomach with both hands and Gozu's even larger ones covered hers. "It's a stab wound," he said.
Chat landed next to them and tried to see what he could do to help. "We need to get you to a hospital."
"Adrien, you need to know—"
"Where's the Gorilla? Is he hurt too?"
She shook her head. "He's been akumatized."
"That's not possible. There's already an akuma out there."
"He can do more than one now."
"What? How?"
She took a labored breath. "The book. He finally figured out the potion that gives him the ability."
"Shit." He pulled out his staff and opened the phone to call Ladybug and warn her.
"I tried to stop him," Natalie continued with a shake of her head. "When he couldn't akumatize me, he...he…" A tear leaked from her eye.
Chat white-knuckled his staff as the phone continued to ring.
If he's not here, then he must have gone after Ladybug himself, Plagg said.
"Do you know where he went?" Chat asked, his heart, his very soul in a vice. If Hawk Moth hurt Ladybug again, he didn't know what he'd do. But the prickly rage building within him was a clue.
Blood seeped through both her and Gozu's hands. The look on his face said they had to do something quick. To top it off, his Miraculous beeped.
Chat bent to pick her up. "You go refuel. I'll take her to a hospital."
"Wait," Queen Bee said. "I can help. Put her back down."
"Is it your special power?" he asked as he did what she'd said.
She nodded and called the power to revitalize, her hands turning golden and practically glowing. Gozu gently removed Natalie's hands from the wound and Queen Bee touched it with her own. A bright light flashed, forcing everyone but Queen Bee to look away.
When her hands returned to normal, she carefully lifted them to show not even a scratch on Natalie's stomach through her cut blouse.
oOoOo
Ladybug ran through the mansion doors, only to be blinded by a golden light. Rena and Carapace stopped behind her, all shielding their eyes.
"What is that?" Ladybug thought aloud.
Queen Bee's special power, Tikki answered
Before she could ask what the power was, the space returned to normal and they rushed inside.
"Chat?" Ladybug asked the three superheroes surrounding someone. No one heard her over their bout of jubilation. They hooted in victory, then, much to her surprise, hugged one another. She'd never seen Chloe so...warm before.
"That was amazing," Chat said to Queen Bee.
She just brushed back her blond hair like whatever she'd done was no big deal.
"Thank you," a familiar feminine voice responded in awe, softer than the usual clipped tone she used.
"Natalie?" Ladybug asked.
The small group turned to look at her. They all started to speak at once, telling her about what had just happened as Gozu helped Natalie stand.
"Where's Hawk Moth?" Ladybug asked.
"Wait," Chat said. "He didn't confront you?
She shook her head just as an akuma alert sounded. Their phones showed multiple locations. "The system must be glitching."
"It isn't," Natalie said. "He can akumatize as many as he wants at one time now."
Ladybug looked at her phone. Five akumas. No. Six now. "Do you know what he's planning?"
She shook her head.
"He's trying to separate us," Chat said.
Queen Bee added, "So we're easy to pick off."
"Dude, that's brutal." Carapace looked at Ladybug. "What are we gonna do?"
"We'll have to separate. We can't let them destroy Paris."
Gozu shook his head.
"I know," she said to her dad. "But we don't have a choice. Just keep your eye out for Hawk Moth and don't try to confront him by yourself." She gave them their orders and everyone went after their assigned akumas.
oOoOo
Nathaniel answered his phone and sighed in relief when he heard Ladybug's voice.
"Is everything okay over there?" she asked.
"Yeah. The news said the murderer has been caught but—"
"There are akumas everywhere. I know." Her voice held a hard edge that made him smile. She was the coolest. "Have you transformed yet?"
"I was just about to."
"Hurry. I haven't figured out what Hawk Moth is up to, and I'm counting on you to protect my mom and Master Fu."
He swallowed, his heart thumping hard against his ribs. "I'll do my best."
"I know you will, Nate. I believe in you."
His heart wanted to burst.
She hung up, and he turned to the Guardian. "She's already after the akumas."
"Good." He handed Nathaniel a larger box than what had held Alya's fox necklace. "You are a loyal friend, caring, and strong willed. The dog Miraculous suits you."
Nathaniel took the black open cuff necklace, touched the beautifully carved dog heads at the ends, and placed it around his neck. It reminded him of a collar, yet didn't feel restrictive.
A brown kwami flew out with a large smile on her small snout. She gave him the command to transform and, in a flash, he was standing, filled to the brim with energy. A nearly invincible feeling rushed through him. "Woah."
"What do you smell?" Master Fu asked.
He furrowed his brows, but inhaled. Everything hit him at once. They each had a unique scent—the apartment was filled with them—and he could name each one. Marinette's was most obvious, probably because he'd spent more time with her. He knew the soft floral scent as if it had always been there, just out of reach of his conscious mind.
At the end of his inhale, he caught another smell, strong and acrid. It made his nose curl. "Danger."
"Where?" Master Fu asked.
He took another deep breath and shook his head. "Everywhere."
"Focus."
He nodded and closed his eyes, listening as his kwami showed him how to pinpoint each thread, just as he had naturally done with his friend's scents. "There's one." He cocked his head to the side. "Two." His eyes flew open, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. "They're coming this way."
AN - Ha! I tricked you. No Hawk Moth in this one, but he'll definitely be in the next chapter. He gets his own POV and a couple flashbacks.
Again, I'm making so much stuff up now, but this fic is AU anyway, so that's okay. If not, sorry? Man, this story is going to seem so off after the series actually gives us Hawk Moth's backstory and more miraculous wielders. I might have to come back and update it, but not if it means major rewrites. I'll just have to put up a canon divergence warning or something. I'm rambling, forgive me.
Does everyone know how grateful I am to have people reading, commenting, favoriting (I'm over 400 now!), and following? 'Cause I honestly feel lucky and flabbergasted by the response this story has gotten. I'm pleased I get to entertain you and maybe make your day a little better.
I had an unintentional rhyming sentence, and my sister was like 'what are you? Dr. Seuss?' I laughed. She laughed. The edit was made, and that's how we work. No ego, just fun (especially when it's midnight and I'm dead tired and slightly delusional). Thanks, sister!
Oh, I almost forgot, Gozu is an actual thing in Japanese Buddhism. He's a half-ox, half-man demon general, guarding the gates of Hell alongside his horse head buddy, Mezu. They do other things too like torture the wicked and hunt down escaped souls. I based his weapon on the Korean dangpa. Vol is Russian for ox, or that's what google said it was. I didn't make anything new up, just borrowed from different sources.