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" Give me your miraculous, son."
Adrien took a step back. Earlier this day, his recklessness, or tired state, resulted in his father seeing him detransform, therefore founding that he is Chat Noir. That could have been more or less easily explained, or bargained.
But then, him finding out that his father... Gabriel Agreste, living with him under one roof, had been his greatest enemy all along was... a much more frightening predicament. Gabriel was Hawkmoth. And now was questioning Adrien, politely requesting the thing that he'd always demanded: Black Cat miraculous. Adrien could have been brave. But facing his father was something that had never been easy for him. And facing his father who simultaneously was the Paris' greatest villain... That was a nightmare come true.
"I... can't." he stammered, his left hand subconsciously coming up to cover the ring on his finger. As if in protection. As if his small hand would have sheltered his little kwami of destruction from his father's wavered, quiet rage.
Gabriel sighed, the sound of it so familiar, but sending unpleasant shivers down Adrien's spine. The sigh of impatience. Of disappointment. Of a distant storm coming from afar.
"Adrien, be reasonable. I'm not asking you to bring down the moon, but simply for you to pull out the ring from your finger and hand it to me. " - he stretched out an open palm expectantly.
Still insecure, but having a greater feeling of duty, Adrien tried standing a bit taller, tried to swallow the knots of obedience he'd always felt toward his father, and answered simply: "No."
That seemed like an opening to act for the man, so it was his turn to straighten his back and press together his lips into a thin line in a clear disapproval.
"Alright then. - he started, taking poised steps towards Adrien. - This calls for more... precise methods."
Before the boy could react, his father forcefully grabbed his arm and tugged it towards himself, reaching for the miraculous. Adrien yelped, adrenaline on high he tried clawing his hand free. They struggled, growls and huffs echoing in the room under the quiet of the night.
"Stop resisting!" - Gabriel snarled, tightening his grip to the point of bruising. - "You don't understand! This will be easier for both of us!"
"No! Never!" - with growing panic Adrien thrashed. Acknowledging the fact that he and his father had actually physically fought before wasn't difficult - they were both unaware of their real selves then. But now, being on the receiving end of his own father's assault made his gut twist. The designer was cold but he never unleashed his anger with actual violence.
Apparently, abusing the powers of the miraculous came to him with side effects of thinking that any abuse was now appropriate. And it showed at that moment, when Adrien tried shoving him away, Gabriel - older, more trained and stronger - loosened his hold, only to struck his son across the face.
The boy tumbled back two steps with a screech, eyes wide. The pain a distant echo of what just happened. His full attention was on his father, who, breathing sharply through the nose, straightened, composing himself. The act was so fake, so forced. No amount of sugarcoating and manipulating was now of any use - not, when his father had shown his true intentions. And began approaching Adrien again.
"Stop right there!"
That's when a small black creature zipped from his hiding place and floated before the blond boy.
"Plagg!" "Well, so that's the black cat's kwami" - Gabriel's icy stare met Plagg's intense green, challenging, but not feeling threatened enough, the man just kept approaching. - "Move, kwami, you have no say in this."
"You demand my miraculous. You hurt my chosen. - the cat-like being hissed, flying closer to his opponent's face - I think it's kind of MY problem as well, human."
"YOU are a kwami, granting powers is your purpose - to serve the holders. I am above you, so I can demand what I wish to have. Once I obtain the miraculous you will answer to me, so better prepare your little self, and move!"
With a quick move of his arm, Gabriel reached to grab Plagg, but the kwami was faster and bit into his skin with sharp, bad-luck-bearing fangs, leaving the human awkwardly waving his injured hand.
"Me-ow - the cat scorned - It is not so clever, daring the kwami of destruction. Ask Adrien, he barely puts up with me, even when I am being nice, like a good kitten..."
"Insolent creature!..."
"Plagg, don't..." - Adrien's entreating whisper cut through, but Plagg just continued, his face falling to a frown:
"But right now I have no intentions in being nice, in fact - he floated a bit away, toward an open space, but still between the son and the father. - I happen to be quite enraged, you know. My little self - he spat - feels rather underestimated. If you don't appreciate me in this form, I can show you what happens when you misjudge the Black Cat's power."
Atmosphere in the room changed, thickened. His body began buzzing slightly with energy, but the kwami decided to first turn to his holder and ask with a wicked little smile:
"But since I have to respond to my chosen... Well, Adrien... tell me: Do you need your kwami's help? Not speculating or anything, you just have to say it."
Hesitating just a little bit, not knowing what to expect, Adrien reached to his swollen cheek, then looked between his kwami and his father - the villain in all this and then answered, his voice barely above a hoarse whisper: "I do. I need your help."
Happy with the answer, Plagg smirked. Then his focus returned to Gabriel before him and his face changed to a sneer conveying an evil promise. The man didn't so much as blink at the sight, but then, the kwami opened its mouth and began chanting.
The voice wasn't entirely his; it came out as if from within him, from within the power he bore. A dark, bubbling energy covered his small body. Particles of air around the three of them began buzzing as well; the temperature in the room rose.
Adrien felt a fizzing sensation on his hand and, feeling baffled, looked at his ring. It was now black and too was emanating that similar magic. A shiver went down his spine, an impression that nothing was right about all this.
In a passing moment, the sphere of energy that was Plagg began growing, black and purplish orbs surrounding it circled and spun, expanding, sizzling. When it reached its chosen size it lowered to the ground, steadily lessening its intensity. The chanting sound, now low and rumbling, became one with the surroundings, but it quickly found its home again - within the black energy in the center of the room. Then, the hymn distorted into voice. Voice that roared. And the magic burst with a strong wave that tumbled the nearest furniture, crashed the TV, and sent the two humans present in the room to the floor.
Adrien groaned, but unwilling to miss anything that was happening, he just blinked away the blurring vision and focused on the scene before him.
And he couldn't find the words or thoughts for what he saw.
For in the place where Plagg had been the moment before, there now took a stance a man... a male. With black-purple like skin (was it fur?). Untamed hay of black hair with cat ears peeking on the top of his head. From where Adrien sat on the floor, he could see that he was clad in some kind of armor, which seemingly posed as more of a statement, that actual protection. Layered shoulder pads and gauntlets he wore were made from some kind of metal. On his hips hung two thick-looking leather belts holding shielding metal plates that went down his thighs. Between them, a cat tail was hanging, involuntarily lashing sideways. The leathers on his feet were weirdly similar to Adrien's boots that he wore as Chat Noir.
The male visibly took a breath and straightened his position, pushing large (clawed!) hands into his lower back, stretching up. And, hell, was he tall. His body was well build, shoulders and legs massive (not Gorilla-like massive, but still). He looked... powerful. Really god-like. Fitting to the powers he possessed.
"Oh my...I hate this body". He spoke, and it wasn't the pitched sound coming from a condensed ball of fur and power. His voice was deep, almost ancient, if you could put a sound into such category. But he was... he still seemed himself.
"Plagg?" - Adrien's uncertain voice called and the cat-god turned his attention to him. Glowing eyes met the boy's greens and he smirked.
"The one and only". He crooned, nonchalantly bowing his head. His feline vision noticed something more, and suddenly his expression fell. Fell and turned into fury so intense, the blond boy shrunk, though knowing he wouldn't be on the receiving end of that anger. He gulped all the same, as cold sweat prickled on his forehead. Plagg noticed that too. "Yeah, well, I kinda consume your energy when I'm like this, so...Let's make it quick."
With those words he again centered his attention to the man slowly scrambling from the floor a bit away. Hearing being approached, Gabriel collected himself and stood, but not much was left of his former composure, when he took in what he was dealing with.
"What... What is this? Who-?"
"Now, now, Gabriel Agreste~ - Plagg purred ominously , eyeing the man from under his tightly knitted brows. - I think we were just being accustomed to one another, little human". Taking advantage of his cowering, he stood right in front of the man, much taller and mightier. Then he pursued his lips, flashing his sharp, animal-like fangs, effectively gaining the level of intimidation he wanted. Low growl leaving his throat was just an additional bit.
Gabriel swallowed hard, trying not being unsettled by the turmoil.
"I will not be threatened in my own house! You have no right to-!"
Tried and failed.
"Just like you had the right to raise your hand on your kid!? In the house that is just as his as yours! - Plagg bellowed, rage boiling up, he pointed clawed finger at the man, canines barred. - This isn't your only crime, you know, Hawkmoth. "
He flexed his claws and shook them in a quick motion, which activated his dark, destructive powers. Black and amethyst orbs rounded and burned one of his hands. Phantom wind whipping his hair in every direction.
The sight was surreal. Adrien might have been accustomed to some kind of magic, even as great as Ladybugs restore spell or his own destruction, but what was happening now in his room, wasn't like anything he'd ever dreamed. The immortal god-like creature appearing out of nowhere was something even years of dealing with supernatural stuff wouldn't have prepared him for it. Maybe it was because of the emotional havoc of the day, or that his link with humanoid Plagg was distorting his thinking... Still, he looked at his father recoiling with fear under his kwami's glare and danger of his powers and he couldn't stand it. He couldn't.
"Plagg! - his voice came out much more strained than he anticipated it. Yet he continued - Plagg, don't hurt him!"
Lime green stare turned to him, puzzled, but it was quickly replaced by a, somewhat, kind expression.
"Oh, I'll only shake him up a little, don't worry kid."
With that, his power-free hand grabbed Gabriel by the front and lifted him with ease, drawing the cataclysm hand nearer as well.
"Where were we?"
"Marinette! Marinette! You have to wake up!"
Woke up by the alerted voice of her kwami, the girl rose from the bed and looked around, trying both to take in the situation and stay conscious while doing so.
"Tikki, what happened?"
"Marinette, you have to transform! I felt Plagg's aura, and it's not good!"
"What do you mean?"
The little red kwami, though still anxious to get to her balanced other half, she knew she had to explain the situation first. Prepare her chosen.
"I felt Plagg's aura. A strong one. He's... he's took his humanoid form!"
Blue eyed girl halted mid movement from her pacing and stared at Tikki.
"Human form? Not transformed? You can do that?"
"Yes, we can. But it comes only when the situation is really bad. Marinette, that means that Chat Noir may be in a serious danger and Plagg took his form to protect him!"
Chat Noir, or rather the boy wearing the miraculous was in danger. The kwami can transform into humans. That's new. New, and scary.
Marinette's anxiety rose, but the call of duty and care for her partner - her dear friend - was stronger. So she gathered her thoughts and balled her fists.
"Is there something I need to prepare myself for?" - she asked seriously.
The kwami solemn face was telling her a lot already, but she had to hear more.
"Most probably for a fight. And that you'll find out Chat Noir's identity, but the situation requires it! Also, you need to hurry: we can take a human form, but in the result we use up our chosen's energy. Plagg can be careless, let's make sure he stays in control."
Marinette nodded, her expression firm and confident when she straightened her posture.
"Okay. Okay. Let's go. Tikki, spots on!"