Chapter Text
CHAPTER 1: Be my evil partner.
***
“Some days you're the only thing I know.
T he only thing that burns when the nights grow cold.
I can't look away, can't look away.
I beg you to stay, beg you to stay.
I don't know if you love me or want me dead.”
5 Seconds of summer - Teeth
***
“Sorry, m’Lady…”
“Sorry, mon Chaton…”
Alya heard the trembling and defeated voices of the Paris's heroes apologize in unison, while Shadowmoth’s purple and evil energy enveloped them both. Parisians' worst nightmare was slowly coming to life before the young woman's eyes: Ladybug and Chat Noir had just been akumatized.
Kneeling on the ground at the foot of the Tour Eiffel , Alya looked up at the two anti-heroes.
Ladybug… Her best friend… Marinette… was dressed in her usual costume whose colors were reversed. The spandex was now black with red spots on. Her gaze was empty of all her usual joy and kindness. The blue summer sky eyes became blood moons shining with an intense red.
Alya's frightened gaze then fell on Chat Noir… or rather Chat Blanc ? If she judged his immaculate white costume. The feline stood proudly beside his Lady. His eyes of an intense blue, cold and hard as ice, expressed and betrayed nothing. Not even the intention of an attack. At least for now.
The smirk and malicious smile that stretched their lips pierced Alya to the core.
“Alya! Don't stay there!”
The young woman's boyfriend ran to her and grabbed her by the wrist, quickly leading her far away from the two figures animated by Shadowmoth’s powers.
“Nino! No! You don’t understand. We have to do something! Without them, Paris is doomed!” She yelled.
“Paris is already doomed, Alya! It's too late!”
The young woman quickly freed herself from the boy's grip and hid behind a tree to observe the anti-heroes. "I refuse to give up," she mumbled.
“Alya! You-...”
“Shht! I'm trying to listen!” She interrupted him.
She grabbed Nino by his belt’s buckle and made him squat behind her. She then strained her ears, trying to understand the discussion that seemed to take place between the two anti-heroes and their creator.
“ If you want our Miraculous Shadowmoth, come and get them yourself! She heard the feline growl.
The kitty cat still seemed to have his claws. Which was reassuring and worrying at the same time. Very worrying.
Alya then saw the white clad cat take his partner's hand and slowly bring it to his lips to lay a kiss on it. A gesture that she imitated then, bringing the clawed gloved hand to her mouth and kissing the immaculate spandex.
“ I will not let him take our Miraculous, nor the supreme power he gave us, Chat Blanc,” she heard the young woman dressed in black and red declare firmly to the feline.
“ I won't let him either, Milady Black Bug! He won't take you away from me. I would eradicate him from this earth before he even looked at you.”
“You and me against the world…”
“As always, forever and ever…”
The feline put his fingers on Black Bug's forearm and ran them up to her shoulder, down her neck, over her jaw, before finally cupping her cheek and sharply pulling his partner's face to his. His lips pressed against hers and he kissed her fiercely and ardently.
Alya and Nino gasped in astonishment at the unexpected kiss exchanged by the two anti-heroes.
"I didn't know they had gone through this step," Nino whispered.
"Neither did I. As far as I know, they were just friends ," she replied, mimicking quotation marks.
Marinette hadn't told her anything. She was sure they weren't dating. At least, not before this double akumatisation that seemed to have freed them of all inhibitions and barriers that still remained between them.
Unfortunately their conversation attracted the attention of the cat's sensitive and sharp hearing. He turned his head in their direction but, as he was about to rush towards them, another figure appeared out of nowhere and interrupted Chat Blanc in his tracks: Shadowmoth. It was Shadowmoth . Paris' nemesis pointed his cane at his two greatest creations and sneered.
“Alya… it's getting dangerous…” whispered Nino.
The young woman ignored his warning, carefully watching the scene unfolding before her eyes.
“ Chat Blanc, Black Bug, the time for heroes is over. Give me your Mir-...”
“Never!” The feline shouted, pointing a luminous white sphere in the direction of his enemy. “Thanks for the unlimited powers. I can now make the Butterfly and the Peacock an extinct species,” he added as he sent the ball of destructive energy towards Shadowmoth.
In a final protective reflex, the man raised his hands in front of his face, which was ineffective, a second later he’d been reduced to a heap of ashes.
"Good kitty ," Ladybug said, reaching out her hand and scratching under Chat Blanc's chin. “ Now, we are the ones who are going to take this city to make our law reign there.”
Black Bug tugged at her partner's white bell and pulled him into a powerful kiss, sealing their victory.
“Alya…, we really have to go!”
Petrified, the young woman nodded and let herself be dragged far, far away from there by her boyfriend.
After a while, Alya came to her senses and stopped.
“Nino, we have to go to Marinette's! Right now!”
All around them, the sounds of explosions rose in the air and vibrated the surrounding buildings.
“Why? It's too dangerous! We must take shelter!”
“Trust me, Nino!”
“Fortunately Marinette has such caring friends as the two of you. One day, my little baguette will forget her head. You can go up to her room and pick up her Math book, no problem.”
Alya gave her best friend's father a fake smile and nodded, dragging Nino behind her down the stairs. She opened the hatch and quickly rushed into the bedroom with her boyfriend.
“What are we doing here, Alya? We don't even have Maths class today… Unless… Do we have Maths class?”
“With those two akumatized, I doubt that the collège will still be up in the next few minutes!” she replied, her voice trembling and filled with concern. “I'm really annoyed that you learn it this way, Nino… But the situation is far too serious and urgent,” she added, her eyes crestfallen.
She walked over to Marinette's sewing box and opened it, revealing a multitude of colorful spools of thread. Immediately, a small creature came out of her bag and came flying in front of her eyes.
“Alya! What are you doing?!” exclaimed the little fox.
“Marinette and Chat Noir were akumatized, Trixx. I have to protect the other kwamis, I have no other choice…” she declared sadly, while composing the secret diagram to reveal the Miracle box.
“Marinette? But no, it's Ladybug who-... Oh…OH!!” Nino suddenly understood.
Alya gave him a sympathetic look and handed him the Turtle bracelet, as she revealed the Fox's necklace that was hidden under her blouse.
“How long have you known Marinette is Ladybug?” he asked, still surprised by this revelation.
“A little over two months…”
She took the Miracle Box and placed it in safety inside Nino's school bag.
“And Chat Noir?” he asked.
“She doesn't know who he is. Me neither, although I have my suspicions…” she mumbled. “Now, let's get out of here as quickly as possible and hide the box before Black Bug arrives.”
They made their way to the hatch to leave the room, but before Alya could grab the handle, a light portal opened suddenly in front of them, revealing a white and blue figure with two bunny ears.
“Alya! Perfect, you are there just in time!” exclaimed the surprise guest.
The girl looked strangely at the newcomer, carefully detailing her from head to toe.
“Oh sorry ! thought Ladybug must have told you about me already. I’m Bunnyx! The bearer of the Rabbit’s Miraculous and the guardian of time,” she introduced herself.
“Guardian of time? Like the past, the present and…”
“And the future too. That's right, Nino,” she agreed.
“You… you know m-my… n-name?” the boy stammered.
Bunnyx walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder, her lips curving into a mischievous smile.
"I know the name of every member of Ladybug's team, it's inevitable with my power and the knowledge it brings to me," she replied. “Besides, if I'm here today, it's to reassure you Mini Rouge and, you too, Franklin!” she exclaimed, winking at them.
Nino pouted at his nickname, while Alya was still inherently serious by his side.
“Reassure us? Do you at least know what's going on here, Bunnyx?” Alya inquired, nervous.
“What's destined to happen... The loop must be closed. We cannot change the course of history. I have already tried and it was a failure. What happens today is inevitable. But not irreparable,” she explained.
Alya raised an eyebrow in utter disbelief.
“I don’t understand… Ladybug and Chat Noir couldn’t avoid this akumatisation? Was it inevitable?” she asked.
Bunnyx gave her a satisfied smile.
“You see, you learn quickly. Ladybug made the right choice by telling you her secret.”
“But... Why... Why was this meant to happen?”
“Every event has a reason to exist. I can’t say more. You don't have to know anything about the future. All I wanted to make sure was that you got the Miracle Box and told you that the two of you are the ones who can save them,” she confessed.
Bunnyx turned her back to them and put one foot inside her burrow.
“Don’t think too much, follow your heart and your instincts,” she declared before disappearing completely.
Alya looked at Nino, determined.
"My instinct yelled at me to get out of here because we have already wasted a lot of time," she admitted.
They left the room, passing Marinette's parents who told them to be careful on their return way because an akuma alert was processing. So far, the scale of the disaster and the seriousness of the situation didn’t seem to have filtered through to the news. Not yet.
An explosion sounds nearby, suddenly and brutally shaking the whole bakery, as the two teenagers excited it.
“Hurry up! We find a corner away from prying eyes, we transform and we hide the Miracle Box into a safe place.”
Alya and Nino stopped in a deserted cul-de-sac and called their transformation. Rena Rouge quickly drew out her flute, showing a projection of a small image: a screen, or at least, the closest thing to it, to take a look at the situation in Paris.
Nadja Chamack was on the screen. “Don't be bemused, it's just the news! Ladybug and Chat Noir were the target of an akumatisation. The policemen have been mobilized in order to neutralize them. We recommend that all citizens stay at home and don’t go out under any circumstances."
The sequence suddenly changed on the screen, leaving the silhouette of the presenter, to give way to shocking images of the city of Paris.
"The Tour Eiffel and the Arc de Triomphe are the scene of a colossal fire, the firefighters are on site, trying to control the flames. The Pont des Arts, meanwhile, was unfortunately destroyed by an explosion."
The on-screen image changed once again, showing TVi's studio again, but this time the presenter was absent and had given way to the anti-heroes of Paris.
They stood there, hand in hand, blue eyes and red eyes, shining with unparalleled anger.
Obviously, laws enforcement had no chance against the power of Black Bug and Chat Blanc.
"Rena Rouge! You stole something from me! I give you fifteen minutes, not one more to bring the Miracle Box to me here, otherwise...”
A dark smile and an evil sneer emanated from her partner. Chat Blanc pointed a finger crackling with energy in front of the camera. “Otherwise...” he continued, “...what will happen to this camera will also happen to all the people you care about."
The next moment, the image was black and gray static, after Chat Blanc turned his power against the television camera.
Rena Rouge gulped with undisguised fear and worry. Her whole body began to shake and seemed heavier than ever, giving her the feeling that, from one second to another, her knees would collapse, no longer bearing her weight.
"Nino, call your parents right now! Tell them to leave the town. Tell them the threat is serious and they are in serious danger!" She firmly exclaimed.
Rena Rouge immediately applied her own advice, forcing her parents and sisters to leave the city until the situation was resolved. "Be careful when you leave the city, there are explosions and fires everywhere. The west of Paris is still clear, take this direction…" she said. "No, I can't come with you Nora. Nino and I are stuck at Marinette's, because of a... a... a risk of a landslide in her street! Don't worry about me, everything will be fine."
She quickly ended the discussion and turned back to Carapace. "Is your family okay?" She inquired.
"Yes, my little fox ."
"Perfect, now that our loved ones are safe... Let's hide this box before they find us!"
"Do you have any idea where we can go? Marinette knows where to find us and I have the feeling that it won't be long before the whole of Paris falls into ruins…"
Rena Rouge pinched her lips and began to think quickly about a solution.
"Ruins! Of course! You're a genius, Donatello !"
Carapace addressed his girlfriend with a wide smile.
"I much prefer being compared to a Ninja turtle than to Franklin. However, I still don't understand what my genius idea was…," he replied, confused.
Alya rolled her eyes and pulled him firmly by the hand to follow her.
"Come on, follow me! Before I change my mind and decide to call you Franklin or Caroline…"
Rena Rouge and Carapace were sinking into the dark and humid quarries of the Parisian underground, the smell of limestone and soil floated around them as they finally reached the famous ossuary of Paris: the Catacombs.
“It’s creepy,” Carapace murmured as he stopped at the height of a centuries-old human skull.
“Creepy but here, we are in security. They won't be able to find us here and the Miracle Box will be safe,” replied Rena.
The fox heroine placed the box containing the precious Miraculous in a small recess, dug in the wall of one of the galleries through time and erosion. She then turned to Carapace, who was nervously fidgeting on his shield.
“Is everything okay?”
“I can't get in touch with Adrien. I'm worried about my dude,” he admitted.
“The fifteen minutes imposed by Black Bug before she and Chat Blanc attacked our loved ones have passed... Let's hurry and make a run to the Manor to check that Adrien is okay. The residence becomes a real fortress in case of an attack targeting the Agrestes. If he’s at home, he will be safe,” she said, only half convinced by her own words.
The two heroes quickly emerged from the underground excavations and set out on the Parisian rooftops in order to reach Agreste Manor as soon as possible.
They stood in front of the windows of Adrien's room but they didn’t detect any movement inside.
"There’s a window open over here," murmured Rena Rouge, as she silently entered the room.
Carapace immediately followed her, entering the vast and luxurious room.
“Adrien?” he called in a low voice, circling the room and the adjacent bathroom. "I'll go check the other rooms of the house," he added when he couldn't find his friend.
"You take the left part and I take the right part of the Manor?
The hero nodded. "We have to do it quickly, we'll meet again here in five minutes," said Carapace.
"Okay!"
The two heroes split up to search after Adrien and returned without finding a living soul inside.
"There’s no one," declared the fox girl. “I suspected as much…”
"Well, I don't know what your theory is about Chat Noir, but I found something that should interest you about Gabriel Agreste…" He handed her his discovery, a tablet that was open on an astonishing and particularly interesting page.
"It's the Guardian's grimoire," said Rena Rouge, stunned. "It's translated into French… Nobody has the translation except Ladybug and-..."
"Shadowmoth?" He interrupted her, fully aware of his partner's reasoning.
"Exactly, Hawkmoth or Shadowmoth, whatever, and Mayura have a stolen translation from the former guardian of the Miracle Box…"
"Gabriel Agreste is Shadowmoth," concluded Carapace.
Rena Rouge raised her head and locked her eyes with her boyfriend's. The dismay, the worry and the fear reflected in their eyes and they needed a few moments to get out of their torpor.
"Since Shadowmoth has been reduced to dust before our eyes... This would explain why Mr. Agreste isn't here," exclaimed Rena Rouge, pacing the floor. "Mayura must have been his assistant, Nathalie, and she must have run away when things turned bad," she noted.
"It still doesn't tell us where my bro is!" He said angrily. "I’ll try to call him on his cell phone again,” Carapace muttered, pulling out his shield and showing a holographic screen.
Adrien’s image briefly appeared but disappeared almost immediately when the call was instantly redirected to his best friend’s voice message.
"Still no answers," he lamented. “He always answers my calls... Do you think they’d hurt Adrien to reach us?” he wondered, very worried.
"I don't think they can reach Adrien," she replied.
Rena Rouge walked up towards her boyfriend and put a hand on his shoulder.
"I don’t think you’re going to like it... B-but... I... I think A-Adrien is... I think he’s Ch-Chat N-Noir..." she said with a shaking voice.
Carapace's eyes widened and gasped, remaining frozen. The room was silent. Rena gently rubbed her partner’s arm, assuring him that they would find a solution to save Marinette and Adrien when suddenly the Manor began to shake, the windows of the room shattering around them.
In the midst of the glass debris, the silhouettes of Black Bug and Chat Blanc appeared and stood opposite Rena Rouge and Carapace.
“Looking for someone? Maybe a handsome blonde model boy with green eyes?” Sneered the white-claded feline.
To be continued...