32. Chapter 32
"For the record." Adrien moaned while sprawling near the banks of Seine. "Twiddle Gain finally nabbed the Most Annoying Akuma award from Jackady."
Marinette hummed as she rolled near his side. "Watching your father doing a Butterfly Dance in a live television must be a traumatic sight."
"Tell me more about it."
It was high noon yet the teenagers didn't budge an inch to spare their exposed skin from the pricking hot rays. They were too exhausted to move, and sunburns were the least among their concerns.
"We've battled forty-two clones, My Lady." the boy moaned again. "Forty-two pesky clones of nothing but an Akuma vessel - and we barely covered a single arrondissement."
"Are we going to play that blame game again, Kitty?" his companion slurred. "Because I was damn sure I warned you about that wormhole in the dumpster."
He sniffed. "Who would've thought TARDIS can be anything aside from telephone booths?!"
"Sometimes I forgot you're a nerd." the girl responded, raising her head a bit to check their sheltered kwamis.
Adrien's duffel bag was slightly zipped open on its side, revealing a grumpy-looking Plagg and an enervated Tikki.
"You guys okay there?" she probed.
"Ask me that again when you're not imposing a gavage." the black kwami groused between cheese bites.
"I thought tubes are unnecessary." his charger scoffed. "For a glutton like you."
The red kwami groaned, unsure if she was supporting his claim, or simply defending her counterpart.
Even though the Miraculous boosted their strength and protected them from harm, Marinette and Adrien would still need a sound mind and a stamina to endure lengthy battles. True that their powers could alleviate their pains, but not the fatigues and stresses that usually crept inside their bodies.
The kwamis weren't spared either.
In every Lucky Charm drops and Cataclysm hits, Tikki and Plagg would always exhaust themselves till de-transformation. They might be able to regenerate themselves by eating cookies and camemberts, but they also need recuperation - or according to Plagg's terms, savor the moment - else they would lose their control enough to endanger both the wielder and the Bestower. This might be the reason why nudging them to eat faster made them cranky.
"Think like we're batteries - for the sake of your geek mind." his kwami once explained. "We're stable if charged normally. We'll go haywire if charged forcefully, or charged in a wrong port. Continuous usage without charging, or barely charging, or charging in less than the minimal requirement, would be deadly. We'll electrocute you and smoke ourselves till both of us will never see the daylights again."
He thought it was pure baloney he even laughed on Plagg's face. Now that he was experiencing the severity of their situation, he couldn't help but feel remorse.
Marinette was informed by her kwami about the effect of constant transformation even before Bubbler's battle, as well as the Vanisher and Anti-Bug's. She also witnessed how a frazzled Tikki slept on her untouched cookie tower throughout the night.
This led her charger to be afraid that one day, the kwami might enter hibernation.
Thinking about it, she couldn't imagine the strains Papillion suffered on the ordeal.
Serves him right, she wanted to say but didn't have the heart to declare it.
Because at the end of the day, whether it was a good or a bad karma, all Miraculous holders must face the consequences of the each other's actions.
"We're set now." Tikki finally announced after licking the crumbs on her nubs. She never gobbles two cookies in one gulp, despite being a binge eater, but today was an exception.
"Plagg?"
"Mhmp - hmph." he responded, then eyed the teenagers. "Make sure to make this as your last transformation. Both of you are beyond the daily quota."
"We're very much aware on that." Marinette gave him a timid smile, then poked her partner. "Adrien?"
"Yeah, yeah." he made a cat-like stretch, much to her amusement, then sat up to look at the flying buttress of Notre Dame de Paris.
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The Gothic-styled cathedral has been erected in the 12th century was named after the Virgin Mary, also known as Our Lady, and renowned not only as one of the finest architectural buildings in Paris but also the main setting of Victor Hugo's famous novel.
Standing on the Point Zero, Ladybug and Chat Noir could sense the menace yielded by the gargoyles, as if they were being warded off like evil spirits - or probably they were being warned for an unknown threat.
"Feels like the Akuma is here." the feline hero said, followed by the toll of the north tower bells. Another hour has passed without them knowing again.
"Chat?"
"Hmm?"
"I think I overlooked something important."
The concerned laced in her voice made his faux ears twitch. "What is it?"
"Why Twiddle Gain chose Notre Dame as his sanctuary." the spotted heroine pondered. "All Akumas have powers associated with their desires, and while Twiddle Doom, his brother, can destroy reality, then it's a given that Twiddle Gain can alter it. And now that he went rogue, then that means he didn't want such changes."
She paused, then gave him an impassive look. "Where do you think is the ideal place to announce his plea?"
"One that has a historical reputation of changes and alteration. Renovations and restorations." her partner answered as he looked at the portal of the Last Judgement. "Definitely a modern-day Quasimodo - a monster by chance and not by choice. Yep, he's here."
Their eyes roamed around and noticed the lack of damages in the vicinity, as well as the absence of tourists despite being one of the most popular spots in the city.
"Seriously, we're walking straight to his trap." she confessed.
"Legends said that a kiss of true love while stepping on this plate would lead you to the right path." he commented while tapping the bronze piece of the platform with his pawed shoe. "As French would say, all roads lead to Paris."
She snorted, but that didn't mellow the mood. "Sometimes I forgot you're a dork."
"What can I say, Bugaboo." he wiggled his brows. "I am purr-ty cat-astic."
"Pray do tell the number of times we got lost because of that catastic attitude."
"You know, that's the rudest remark I've ever got from you today." his childish pouts successfully mellowed the mood.
They walked towards the entrance of the cathedral. Concerns grew when they noticed that the doors were closed, and wouldn't prod a bit when they pushed it. It was locked.
"I have a bad feeling about this."
"The owl goes not into the nest of the lark." he quoted. "But there are moments when the hands of a woman possess superhuman force."
She didn't know whether to huff with frustrations or to sigh with admiration. "Sometimes I forgot you're a nerd."
"I'd rather call it as brilliance, My Lady." he corrected. "With all the histories about shotgun marriages, and other shootings that befall on this place as we speak, what's the worst thing that can happen?"
She didn't answer him, and when he looked back, he found none.
Ladybug was gone.
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"CHAT?!" Ladybug exclaimed when a dark garb fell and draped her vision.
Squinting, she flailed her arms until her sight recovered.
She was still standing in front of Notre Dame, but not alone anymore. She couldn't find her feline partner, and the bypassers were giving her some quaint eyes. Of course, they would be, because a tight-fitting spandex outfit was considered scandalous during the early 19th century, especially for women.
"Excuse me!" she called, grabbing one of the men by his tunic. He flinched upon contact but didn't brush her hands off.
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but can you bring me to your Master?"
The man gave her a confused look. She knew he wasn't a commoner based on the clothes, and very likely a bourgeoisie, so asking him that way must be an insult. But then, Ladybug and Chat Noir had encountered several warped timelines to know the flow of the situation. The faster she could locate Twiddle Gain's vessel, the quicker she could return to her partner.
"I apologize young lady, but I have no idea on that statement." the man said while scratching his white beard, then looked around. "Oh, Henry!"
A similarly aged man but in more humble clothes walked towards them. "Yes, Monsieur Hugo?"
"This young lady here was asking for my Master, and I have no answer to that."
"Well, then." Henry gave her an inquisitive look. "Let me bring you to Trajin, as he might have an answer to your question."
She followed him when he entered the cathedral. He has a British accent, Ladybug noticed, and likely a foreman since he was carrying a toolbox of chisels and little hammers. Before he could lead her to the spiral staircase, a figure caught his attention.
"Trajin! Monsieur Trajin!" the Englishman waved his colleague, who stopped momentarily on his call. "Someone was looking for the Master."
"He's upstairs, Monsieur Sibson." Trajin stated matter-of-factly. "Chattering with Laverne, as usual."
Henry sighed, and then glanced at the heroine. "Monsieur Le Bossu was on top of the tower. His quarter was at the south near Emmanuel, but if he's not there then likely he's in the other tower with Denise-David. Don't fret - he might be intimidating, but he's kind. He's just too scrupulous for a professional carver."
Ladybug nodded, then began climbing the 387 stairs as she unhooked her yo-yo. Twiddle Gain's vessels were fond of surprise attacks, and since this was the first time she got separated with Chat, she was anxious about the pending danger that awaits her.
Once she reached the highest floor, she got a glimpse of a hunchbacked man leaning on a balcony next to a stoned Strix. His brows were creased as he looked at the astonishing view of old Paris.
She didn't need a verbal confirmation to know that she was sometime around the 1820s, the era wherein the government gave Notre Dame back to the Catholic church, leaving the institution to handle the repairs caused by the French Revolution.
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"LADYBUG?!" Chat exclaimed when a sudden air whooshed and creaked the cathedral doors open, revealing a crowded nave.
Several people in extravagant clothes were sitting in the pews, and each aisle was decorated with intricate flower arrangements. A familiar floral scent permeated the air, in which the feline hero considered as associated to the red rose petals that were fluttered by the wind.
The organist played one of Wagner's notable pieces, but when he looked around, he saw that the bride was already near the altar.
Despite her face was covered by a thin veil, he could still identify her from afar, especially the groom whom he had an estranged relationship since he was young. The bride's blonde hair was neatly pinned by a feathered brooch, which shone brightly against the light, and her green eyes were gleaming towards the tall man in a tux.
As far as Adrien remembered, the groom never sported such heart-warming expression, not even towards his son, so seeing him like that was quite refreshing.
He was clearly young, probably around mid-twenties or early thirties, with his ash blond hair combed neatly on his back. He wasn't wearing his usual black-framed silver glasses, and his blue eyes weren't dead.
The couple was obviously happy, and undeniably in love with each other. They were wearing an affectionate smile, and they were looking at each other as if nothing exists in the room.
Not even their child.
He didn't need a verbal confirmation to know that he was sometime around the late '90s, the year when Gabriel married a beautiful woman who became Mrs. Agreste.
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"Monsieur Le Bossu?" Ladybug said as she walked towards the hunchbacked man.
He glanced at her with disinterest, then focused his attention back to the skyline. "What do you want?"
"Twiddle Gain." she declared. "Unless it was you."
Bossu scoffed, then turned his body around to face her. "What is it for you then, if I were Twiddle Gain?"
"I'm going to release you from your sufferings." she answered, earning a snort.
"Lies!" he laughed maniacally. "Pure lies! You're spouting nothing but lies! Lies! Lies!"
"But I am not - "
"Liar!" the man growled, then gave her an accusatory look. "You told us that you're going to defeat Papillion, but look what happened?"
She was taken aback. "I am, but - "
"No buts! I won't listen to a liar like you! All of you are liars! Liars! Liars!"
The heroine eyed the hunchback when he patted one of the carved chimeras. "Do you know these gargoyles? These monsters...and those stone creatures there? They were all made by me! By yours truly! But look what happened - have you seen my signature placed on them? No! They were all removed and claimed by Le Duc!"
She traced the bat signature stamped on one of the stone carvings with her covered fingers, then looked at the man with unpretentious sadness.
As a fellow artist, she couldn't imagine the struggles and the anguish one felt whenever someone stole their ideas or discredited their works, much more if these were forged and selfishly declared as someone's property. She had experienced it with Chloe before when she copied her hat design, but she was able to turn the tables around when her classmate also copied her signature.
Unfortunately, on Bossu's case, he failed to do a comeback.
"Was it because of my deformities?" the man muttered then gloomed at the spotted heroine. "Was it because I am a hunchback?"
She shook her head. "No, I don't think - "
"If these people realized that a mere hunchback carved these stones that overlooked their city, would they still care for this church?" he brushed her off. "If they learned about the person behind Ladybug, would they still respect you?"
She was silent.
"A clumsy and shy as a superheroine? Huh, you think people would still praise you? Like you? Worship you? No!"
A cold fear began to form in her gut as flashbacks of failures and disappointments assaulted her mind. Her breathing hitched, her body shivered, and her knees wobbled and weakened until she collapsed on the floor.
"Do you think your beloved parents would still love you once they learned about your identity? How about your friends? You have no idea how much they would loathe you, mock you, and of course, they would incriminate your imperfections. Because you destroyed their hopes and dreams for being a superhero."
She couldn't say anything to the man because she knew deep inside he was right.
"You, Ladybug, are nothing but a failure."
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"Mother?" Chat Noir said as he walked towards the couple. "Father?"
The bride looked at the groom with apprehension, and with a nod, she greeted the hero with a bone-crushing hug.
"Are you...are you my son?"
Chat nodded, returning the same gesture, unaware how tears began to spill from his eyes. His childhood memories resurfaced again as he recalled the times his mother hugged him this tight as if she didn't want him to let go.
Young Gabriel looked at him with a pursed smile. "You called me your...your Fa-Father?"
Never in his dreams, he ever encountered a stammering Gabriel Agreste or wished to see him wearing a delightful smile as he wrapped his arms around him. It was something impossible to happen in his Reality, but at least the warped timeline offered him such treat.
Even though the said treat was short-lived.
Seconds later, he realized that the couple was actually trying to crush his bones forcefully. When he pushed them back, he could see the madness and anger swarming in their eyes. It was a terrifying sight.
"Why are you here?" the groom demanded. "You shouldn't be here."
"Father, let me explain - "
He clicked his tongue. "You're a disappointment."
He froze. It wasn't the first time Gabriel expressed his dissatisfaction towards him, but the sting that embedded on his tone was still there. Hearing it again was quite painful for him to bear.
Whenever he earned a B-mark, he would say 'you could've done better.' then walked away. If it was A-mark, he wouldn't spare it a glance then walked away. After photo shoots, he would look at his modeled pictures briefly without any encouragements or a simple remark like 'good job'. Such stoic attitude was also prominent even in his extra-curricular activities like fencing, piano and Mandarin lessons, and even though he did everything to meet up with his expectations, he still couldn't satisfy him.
His father was very hard to please.
But what he didn't expect was his mother raising her hand against him.
He knew it was coming but decided not to dodge it. Her slender hand hit the side of his cheek, and the contact made him flinch.
He couldn't believe that his sweet beloved mother was capable of slapping him. He cupped the spot with his clawed hands, then looked at the person with bleary eyes.
"Why, Mother?" he uttered as he met her murderous green eyes. "Why are you doing this to me?"
"I don't want a child to begin with. I don't want you to begin with. You're not supposed to exist in this world." she told him. "I can't believe I bore a son who's a pathetic loser."
He was silent.
"You think being a superhero could save your reputation? No! In fact, you're just a second-rate one!" she scoffed with a glare. "Nobody loves you. No one. Not even us. Not even your Lady."
"No, you're wrong. She's - "
"She's a liar, my dear. She was doing it out of pity. All the people whom you associated with were doing these out of pity. You're unloved."
He stepped back, trying to control his sobs as his body quivered with anxiety. He had a history of panic attacks, and most of the time he was able to pacify himself with the help of Plagg. Unfortunately, the charm didn't work.
"Those pathetic human beings that you saved before? They'll hurt you once they learned about your identity. They will condemn you. They will chase you and blame you for their misfortunes."
"If your parents never loved you, then how much more the people that surround you?" the groom added. "Do you think your friends would be so proud of you? Of course, the answer is no."
Smirking, his mother grabbed a fistful of his blond hair, then whispered a terrifying revelation.
"You, Chat Noir, are nothing but a failure."
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"No, you're wrong." Ladybug declared as she recovered from her stupor. "I am not a failure."
Tikki's voice prodded her mind, reminding her of the illusions and mind games caused by Twiddle Gain. And most of all, her beloved Kitty.
"I might be clumsy and shy and totally opposite from my civilian self, and I do admit that I have flaws and imperfections, but I am not a loser. True that my counterpart wasn't as interesting as my masked self, but I am not that naive to be manipulated by someone like you!"
Bossu cocked his brows with a bemused grin. "Oh really? Then prove it."
Recovering her focus, she spun her yo-yo, prepping herself once the man rammed his body towards her direction. Unfortunately, it was the stoned chimera that was rammed towards her direction.
She did a barrel roll and dodged it successfully, however, the fragments grazed her suit and ripped its surface. Some bits flew on her exposed skin, causing some thin cuts. Before she could regain her balance, another chimera flew and attacked her.
So she flipped and ran inside the hall.
"Coward!" the hunchback bellowed. "You were running away again!"
"I'm not!" she shouted, which taunted her attackers to be more brute.
Think, Marinette! Think! she cursed mentally. Think how to outwit that hunchback!
She was calculating that Twiddle Gain would utilize the gargoyles purposely, and probably the facade later on. But after hearing some loud creaks and heavy footings beneath the floor, she knew that the latter became operational.
A small bird monster zoomed past her, and with the aid of her yo-yo, she hit the bird's head out of spite, making the monster crumbled into stone fragments. She observed and waited for a few seconds in case the fragments would assemble and revive themselves. Nothing happened.
"Too brittle!" she realized with a huff, then smashed another monster. And another. And another one.
"Where's the sledgehammer when I need one?!"
The enemies weren't as sturdy as Stoneheart, but she was outnumbered. And despite being easy opponents, she was more than happy to have some reinforcements.
Where are you, Adrien?
She was unsure whether her partner was teleported to another dimension, or probably remained unharmed in the reality. If that would be the case, then likely he was doing his best to retrieve her. If not, then she must corner Twiddle Gain's vessel head-on in order to get back and save her partner.
To do so, she must call her trump card.
"Lucky Charm!"
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"No, you're wrong." Chat Noir declared as he recovered from his stupor. "I am not a failure."
Plagg's voice prodded his mind, reminding him of the illusions and mind games caused by Twiddle Gain. And most of all, his beloved Lady.
"I might be a symbol of destruction and bad omens, but I didn't use my power to inflict harm, much more on destroying people's lives. I admit I am weak, and a sucker for social pressures, but that doesn't mean I am a loser. True that I am different from my masked self, that I am more raucous and wild, but I am not that stupid to be manipulated by someone like you!"
The bride dropped him with raised brows. "Did you know that mothers know best?"
"You're not my mother." the feline chuckled darkly with a mocked glare. "You have her image, but you are not my mother. Even you, Stick Man. My real father has more angst and venom than you."
"How dare you." the groom growled with fury.
"You're not my parents, both of you. You're not my mother." his attention focused back again to the white woman as he wiped the wet smears using his leather-covered hand. "Because my mother never denies my existence. My mother never hits me, nor curses me, and most of all she never glares at me. She loves me so much, and if she ever meets my Lady, she'll definitely wish nothing more but my happiness."
Where are you, Marinette?
He knew she was transported to a different dimension, and even though she was capable of winning her own battles, he couldn't help himself but fear for her safety. But as her brave Knight, he must focus on his own battles first before dealing with other matters. No one could simply rescue a Princess without killing a Dragon.
Or in his case, Dragons.
Clearing his thoughts, he raised his hand to summon his destructive power, which caught everyone's attention. A collective gasp from the audience sounded, followed by the couple who cowered towards the altar.
"You-you can't do this." the groom paled, stepping back. "You can't kill us."
"You're a monster!" the bride accused him.
"I am not a monster, and you are not my mother." he retorted with full conviction. "And you know what gives?"
It pained him to see how the woman shivered as she pleaded to spare her life, and how the man wrapped his arms around her like his real Father should do to his real Mother.
"Wha- what?"
"Because my mother...my real mother..." he emphasized stoically. "Never calls me Chat Noir."
The hero called, wishing that a single blow was enough to eliminate the hollow faces of two people he cherished most of the world.
"Cataclysm!"