Chapter Text
Chloe had carefully planned her party for the eclipse. All her classmates were invited, mostly so she could show off how well she planned the party and the kind of expensive viewing glasses her dad could buy. If sunsets and sunrises were supposedly romantic, Chloe assumed she would get extra romance points for viewing an eclipse with Adrien. What she didn't account for, what she didn't think of accounting for, was Adrien never showing up to her party.
Marinette, Alya, and Nino were standing in a corner of the rooftop of the hotel Chloe's father owned. They all had on the fancy glasses meant to keep their eyes safe from the harmful rays. Marinette kept glancing around, same with Nino, both unsure why Adrien hadn't shown up yet.
“It's not like Adrien to be late,” Nino muttered. “Especially for something as cool as an eclipse.” Nino shook his head. “Wonder if his dad changed his mind about letting him come.” Marinette sighed, one hand on her purse, worried about Tikki's attitude early that morning.
#
“I don't think you should go to Chloe's eclipse party.” Tikki said as Marinette finished getting ready. “You don't even like Chloe.”
“I know she just invited me to show off, but Alya is going to be there, and Adrien.” Tikki sighed.
“I still don't think it's a good idea.” Tikki insisted, actually frowning at Marinette, something the girl didn't see the Kwami do often.
“What's with you today?” Marinette asked. “You usually encourage me to interact with Adrien more.” Marinette tilted her head, but Tikki didn't elaborate, just huffing and settling into Marinette's purse. Marinette rolled her eyes, shutting her purse and putting it over her shoulder as her father announced Alya's arrival.
#
Adrien was woken by primal hissing noises. He sat up straight in bed, seeing it was still dark outside. His clock said it was three am, and he squinted in the faint moonlight and glow of his alarm clock. A small black shadow was flitting around hissing and slashing at objects in its way. Adrien lowered his feet to the floor.
“Plagg,” Adrien whispered, fearing the worst. The only answer was another hiss and a flash of green as Plagg glanced at him, before returning to his attempts to tear up Adrien's ping pong table. Adrien walked across the floor, barefoot. “Hey Plagg.” Adrien tried again, but still the only response was hissing. Adrien reached out, pulling his hand back as Plagg snapped at it. “Plagg, it's me. Adrien.” Adrien felt his heart thud, not wanting to be afraid of his Kwami. But Adrien remembered the scroll, the little drawings of destruction.
The Kwami stilled, arms hanging limply at its side. Plagg looked over at Adrien, blinking. Plagg slowly nodded, curling up in a little black circle right there on the ping pong table. Adrien sighed. He slowly walked back to bed, fearing worse was yet to come.
Adrien woke, again to hissing noises, but this time at least, it was more his usual time. Adrien spotted Plagg chewing on his mouse cord. Adrien jumped up. “No Plagg!” Adrien ran over cupping his hands around Plagg, scooping him away from the mouse. “Do you want to get electrocuted?” Plagg didn't answer, at least, not with words. “Ow!” Adrien pulled his hands apart, inspecting the two tiny teeth marks on his finger. Plagg hissed again, applying those sharp teeth to a fallen ping pong ball. Adrien checked his mouse cord, seeing a few teeth marks, but no exposed wires.
Adrien went around his room, unplugging everything. At least that way, Plagg wouldn't get shocked. Adrien watched Plagg move from the ping pong ball to a leg of his Foosball table. He was chewing away ferociously. Adrien crouched down, trying to talk some rationality back into Plagg. Adrien didn't even get a glance.
“And later-” Adrien swallowed, shaking his head. He didn't want to think about, much less voice aloud how later, as the eclipse began, it was going to much, much worse. “Plagg,” Adrien moaned, “that's not camembert.” At the mention of his favorite cheese, Plagg stopped chewing. He eyed Adrien with interest, feral interest.
“Camembert!” Plagg hissed. Adrien shivered, Plagg's words were harsher, more wild than usual. Adrien swallowed, feeling like it wasn't a good idea for the Kwami to eat.
“Later,” Adrien said, “after the eclipse.” Plagg eyed Adrien, stalking forward. Adrien held out his palms. “Plagg, just rest today, okay.” The Kwami showed no signs of hearing him. Instead, Plagg crouched, whiskers twitching in the air, eyes on the silver ring. Adrien glanced at the ring, began to pull back his hand, but it was too late.
Plagg pounced, launching himself into the ring. Adrien felt himself transform, but everything felt different this time. Adrien wasn't in control of his body. He could see, he could hear, he knew what his body was doing, but he couldn't do anything about it. It was like a first person cut scene in a video game, except he could feel the movements of his body.
Plagg was in control. And the first thing he did, was walk Adrien's body to the little fridge, pulling out the camembert. Adrien felt his mouth twist into a smirk. He smelled the stinky cheese as Plagg brought it to his lips, even tasted the cheese as his body was forced to eat the slices of cheese. Adrien would have gagged, but with Plagg in control, his body easily consumed the cheese.
“Ugh, Plagg,” Adrien tried to speak, not that his body spoke. At least until Plagg decided to speak.
“Mmm, camembert!” Plagg wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Then, out into the world he jumped, through Adrien's window. And off they went.
“Plagg! What are you doing! My eyes have no protection, so if you accidentally glance at the sun-”
“Blah blah blah.” Adrien felt his left hand imitate a sock puppet. “Don't worry your pretty little blond head off. I'm getting you glasses. Then I'm gonna destroy some stuff.” Adrien felt his face contort in a strange way, a malicious frown. Adrien sighed, watching his body go across the rooftops of Paris, heading in a very familiar direction.
“Chloe's party?” Adrien whispered as his body flipped through the air, landing upright on the diving board. Plagg crouched, grinning as the guests and Chloe gasped at the unexpected guest.
“Sorry to just drop in,” It was Plagg talking, but Adrien had a sickening feeling his voice didn't sound any different for it. “But I heard you have the best glasses in town.” Plagg hopped of the diving board, landing near the table where a few stray glasses lay. “Thanks.” Plagg put the glasses on, and Adrien saw the world darken slightly. Adrien felt his hands flex, and he tried to resist, tried to keep his mouth from opening, his hand raising, trying to break Plagg's control.
“Cataclysm!” And while the movements were slowed, Adrien couldn't stop Plagg from activating his power. Plagg eyed the area of the floor where the support beam was hidden. Adrien felt his body shift, aiming for the beam.
“No!” Adrien pushed his way into control, for a split second. He managed to change his body's trajectory, rolling and scraping his hand against a pool lounge chair instead. It broke apart and he heard the guests begin to freak out. Plagg got up, saluting the guests with a sloppy smile before he left the hotel rooftop. Plagg was back in control, leaving Adrien frustrated he lost control again so easily. “Plagg!” Adrien shouted, still not able to actually shout. Adrien sighed, at least in five minutes he and Plagg would be separated.
“Did you forget Adrien? Just a little camembert and I'll be fine.” Adrien heard his body say. Adrien swallowed. But as Plagg continued moving across rooftops, Adrien wasn't sure where he was going to strike next.
#
Marinette could only watch in horror as Chat Noir crashed Chloe's party. She saw Alya take out her phone to start recording for her Ladyblog. Marinette wasn't sure why Chat Noir would destroy a chair. Marinette felt her purse lurch, reminding her she had a job to do. Just as Chat Noir saluted to the stunned guests, Marinette was pushing her way through the crowd, with Alya. They both ended up on the west side of the roof, watching Chat Noir flee.
“You know, I heard the solar eclipse makes animals crazy, but I had no idea it affects superheros too!” Alya was squealing. “Hope Ladybug isn't affected, cos a showdown between Chat Noir and Ladybug would be great for my Ladyblog!” Marinette numbly nodded, pushing away form the wall and dashing to the elevator.
“Hey, wait for me!” Alya called out, just missing the elevator door as it shut, with Marinette inside heading down.
Marinette opened her purse. “What is going on Tikki?” She asked.
“Plagg went feral. He took over Chat Noir's body. He needs camembert if Plagg doesn't want to lose control of the body.” Marinette nodded. There were more questions on the tip of her tongue, but the elevator was going down fast and Marinette had to stop feral Plagg.
“Tikki, spots on!” By the time the elevator reached the ground floor, Marinette was Ladybug, with a pair of eclipse glasses as a new accessory.
Ladybug used her yo-yo to get up high, scouting for Chat Noir. First she looked towards the various cheese shops and grocery stores she learned carried camembert from Plagg's time as her guest, but she caught sight of him, heading a slightly different direction, to a building a few blocks closer one with a few pieces of camembert stashed away.
“No!” Ladybug picked up the pace, finding herself at pace with Chat Noir. “Hey, Chat Noir!” She shouted. She was greeted with a cheeky grin.
“Ah, hello Ladybug.” His tone was the same, but there was a slightly different air about him. Similar to when he had been hit by the anti-cupid's arrow, but more dangerous. Dangerous in the way Plagg didn't have one target like when Chat Noir had been hit by anti-cupid's arrow, dangerous because his only goal was destruction of anything he could cataclysm.
“Stop this now!” Ladybug threw her yo-yo, tying it around Chat Noir's legs. He tripped on the roof, tumbling. He countered by throwing his baton at her. Ladybug moved sideways, easily dodging it, but in her moment's distraction Cat Noir pulled the strings off his legs.
“Now now, if I don't get a slice of camembert, we'll have a case of revealed identity.” Chat Noir tsked at her, waggling his finger before he turned to run again. Ladybug tackled him.
Adrien watched as Ladybug tried to restrain Chat Noir, restrain Plagg. He found himself relaxing, sure Ladybug would be able to stop him. Surely her lucky charm would be able to fix this, allow him to regain control of his body. Plagg fought back, tumbling and hissing at Ladybug as they rolled and tumbled, trying to pin the other.
Or, Plagg, decided to throw Ladybug across the roof at the first chance he had. Ladybug rolled into the roof access door. Ladybug quickly scrambled to her feet. She glared at Chat Noir, knowing he wasn't himself, knowing it was up to her to stop him. Ladybug twirled her yo-yo, flinging it straight up into the air.
“Lucky Charm!” She shouted, trusting Tikki to give her an item to save the day. When the light faded, Ladybug held out her hands...but nothing dropped into them. “Huh?” Ladybug tilted her head. Chat Noir was gone, with each rooftop getting closer and closer to her parents' bakery. Ladybug started moving forward, intending to chase him down and stop Plagg. Then she tripped, landing hard on her knees. Ladybug clenched her jaw standing again, starting to move again.
Little klutzy mistakes slowed her down enough, so by the time Chat Noir stood outside her parents' bakery, Ladybug was on the rooftop a few buildings down. Chat Noir entered, by smashing the display window with his baton. Ladybug would have followed. Except she transformed back, though Marinette was fairly sure it hadn't been a full five minutes.
“No!” Marinette yelled as she returned to normal. Tikki landed on her shoulder. “Tikki, what happened? What about the Lucky Charm? What do I do now!”
“Marinette,” Tikki started speaking, firmly, harshly even. Marinette paused, waiting for Tikki to advise her. “You have to stand up to Chat Noir.”
“I know, but-”
“No, you don't. You need to do this, as Marinette, not as Ladybug.” Tikki floated in front of Marinette's face. “When Ladybug arrived the person Plagg took over stopped fighting for control. He can stop Plagg, but he won't even try if Ladybug shows up again.” Marinette shook her head.
“I can't. I can't fight Chat Noir as me. I-I'm klutzy and tired and I'm no match for Plagg in Chat Noir's body.” Tikki rested her forehead on Marinette's.
“Yes you are. You know how he fights, you know Ladybug's moves, and you care about the bakery. You have to stand up to him.” Marinette looked into Tikki's eyes, blinking. “You have to trust the person Chat Noir usually is to be able to control Plagg. That is what's best right now.” Marinette slowly nodded.
“Okay. If this is the best way to help Plagg and the real Chat Noir, okay.” Marinette heard her father shout. “Better hurry.” Marinette stood up, Tikki flew into Marinette's purse. Marinette slid down the fire escape stairs. She ran to the bakery, heart pounding, brain whirling at the possibilities. She only knew one thing: Plagg would not be allowed to destroy her parents' bakery, one they had scrimped and saved and worked so hard for every single day.
Marinette barged through the front door, the happy tinkling of the bells ironic against the scene of broken glass, her parents standing in a corner of the kitchen, and Chat Noir's head in her fridge, pulling out the camembert Marinette had to stash there while Plagg had been with her.
“What do you think you're doing Chat Noir!” Marinette yelled, already setting her body to get ready for a fight.