Chapter Text
"Many centuries ago, a man created magical jewels that bestowed extraordinary powers on any who wore them. Throughout history, these jewels have been used for the good of humanity by heroes. But eventually, the creator of the Miraculous would move on to a new focus, Spinjitzu. With this study, he created a set of four powerful weapons that came to be known as the Four Weapons of Spinjitzu and is said to have used them to create Ninjago. When he passed away, he left the weapons in the hands of his two sons to protect. But the oldest was consumed by darkness and wanted to possess them. A battle broke out between the two brothers. And with the help of the Miraculous, the youngest managed to strike down the oldest and cast him into the Underworld. Peace returned, and the Miraculous were placed in the protection of an Order while the youngest hid the weapons away, so that they could never be used to free the eldest while darkness still dwelled within him."
A soft, nervous voice narrates for the owner's single-person audience while he nervously stares up at them. The voice belongs to a small, fairy-like creature, only a few centimeters tall, with its head being larger than its body. The creature lacks human facial features such as a nose and ears. But they have wide, pupilless, dark purple eyes. Their skin is light purple, and they have a dark purple spiral on their head. Their tiny limbs lack hands and feet, and instead have stubs. On their back are butterfly wings that have a sort of tail protruding from the lower corners of them.
"Ah, but that isn't all of the story." A new voice suddenly says.
The person the fairy was talking to turns to see a giant humanoid shadow with narrow, glowing red eyes.
"What your Kwami forgets to mention is that there are two Miraculous that stand above the rest. The earrings of the Ladybug, which wields the power of creation, and the ring of the Black Cat, which grants the power of destruction. According to legend, whoever controls both these jewels at the same time will achieve absolute power." The shadow reveals in a calm, manipulative voice.
His words cause the Kwami to flinch, and he quickly turns to the listener with a desperate expression.
"But nobody knows where these Miraculous are!" He desperately argues back in an attempt to talk the person down.
"But I have you, Nooroo. Remind me, what was your power again?" The person asks in a deep, older male voice.
"The Moth Brooch allows you to give someone their own superpowers and to make that person your devoted follower!" Nooroo reluctantly explains with a nervous expression.
"And with that power, you can easily find anything you're looking for; all you need is a little direction." The shadow emphasizes this last part in a tone that can make the listener tell he's smirking.
"And what better way to find superheroes than becoming a supervillain?" The man agrees.
Panic shoots into the Kwami, and he quickly tries to talk the holder of his brooch down.
"But, master, the Miraculous are not meant to be used for evil. You can't listen to him. He has fallen to darkness." The Kwami desperately explains with fear in his eyes as he stares between the two.
"I will have the absolute power I need, Nooroo!" The man screams at the Kwami while slamming his hand on a nearby table, causing the Kwami to flinch.
He then points at the Kwami. As he does, the sentient shadow shifts behind the man and grows in size to loom over both of them in a way only Nooroo can see, causing the Kwami to grow more fearful.
"Your Miraculous is mine to control! I am your master now, and you must obey me!" The man exclaims, causing the shadow's glowing red eyes close slightly, and he begins chuckling.
Realizing it's already too late and that he can't do anything, all Nooroo can do is look down sadly as he realizes he's about to be used to help the one he helped defeat before.
Feeling compelled to answer, Nooroo mumbles out.
"Yes, master."
After hearing this, the man reaches for the jewelry box on the nearby table and picks up a brooch with a dark purple, circular gem. He places it on his chest, and the brooch suddenly grows silver and dark purple butterfly-like wings.
"Nooroo. Dark wings rise." The man commands.
Suddenly, Nooroo gets dragged into the brooch, and the man's form changes. He's now wearing a dark purple suit with a black butterfly lapel that has the top wings go past the neck, matching purple pants, silver business shoes, black gloves, and a silver full-face mask with a butterfly indent on the front of the face and a hole around the lower face that exposes his mouth.
The man closes his eyes as he speaks in a low, determined voice to the only other occupant in the room.
"From this day forth, I shall be known as..."
He then opens his eyes to reveal dark purple eyes full of resolve.
"Hawkmoth."
The shadow behind him begins chuckling as he listens to his ally's decision before speaking in a menacing tone.
"Good. Then let us start by giving you that direction. But first, we'll need someone capable of retrieving it for us." The shadow recommends, causing Hawkmoth to reach out his palm.
Suddenly, dark purple energy emits from it and forms into a butterfly. Hawkmoth stares at it for a moment before adopting a smirk.
"Now, who shall be first, my little akuma?" He wonders.
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Meanwhile, the second Hawkmoth transforms; a being similar to Nooroo senses it.
The Kwami is light green, with a turtle shell on their back and an antenna atop their head. They have eyes with golden sclera and pupilless green irises.
The Kwami was peacefully sleeping in a matchbox like a bed. Unfortunately, the Kwami wakes up in a panic when they sense Nooroo's energy along with something sinister.
In their panic, the Kwami flies out of their makeshift bed and out of the loudspeaker of an old, octagonal-shaped record player resting atop a dresser.
The dresser is on the wall behind an older man in a red Hawaiian shirt with white flowers, brown cargo pants, and black slip-on shoes. The man is very short, with Asian features, and has grey thinning hair that already exposes the front of his head. He also has light skin, brown eyes, a split mustache, and a long goatee.
Filling the room around him are items that create both a relaxing and eastern feeling. Paper lamps on the wall where the lights are, a scroll with a picture showing acupuncture points, and a small table with different scented candles. The upper part of the room even has red flaps with a flower design.
The man is currently sitting on his knees, preparing to give his latest customer a massage as they lie their front on the bed mat. But before he can get started, the Kwami flies around his head while screaming in a hushed yet urgent male voice.
"Master, master." He chants, surprising the man as he tries to follow the Kwami buzzing around his head.
The customer looks up in confusion at the sudden noise since it didn't sound like his massager. However, the Kwami quickly hides before they can see him, and the older man plays along by closing his eyes and putting his hands together.
"Hmm. Master, master." He chants while slightly waving his hands over the customer's body.
He then opens his eyes and smiles at the customer. But it is slightly strained due to his nervousness and urgency.
"Chanting. Chanting, it's all part of the treatment." He promises the customer before repeating the movement.
He then pushes the customer up and pushes him out of the room.
"Thank you for coming, see you again next week!" He quickly tells the customer as he continues pushing the shocked and confused customer out.
"But I thought-" The customer is about to say, before the older man closes the door on them.
After closing the door, the Kwami flies out of the older man's back pocket as he turns around to stare at the Kwami.
"Master, the Moth Miraculous. I felt its aura." The Kwami reveals in urgency as the man turns.
The older man's eyes widen in shock before he looks down and places a hand on his chin.
"I thought it had been lost forever." He says in surprise.
The Kwami stares worriedly at the man before continuing.
"But master, it's a negative aura. I fear it may have gotten into the hands of a dark power!" The Kwami says panickedly as he waves his stubby arms around for emphasis.
Hearing that causes the older man's eyes to narrow in determination as he forms a plan.
"We must find Nooroo and his Miraculous." He says sternly before looking up at his Kwami.
"If it has gotten into the wrong hands, there's no telling what evil will come upon the world!" He continues to explain as he walks forward with his hands behind his back, his words causing the Kwami to gasp in horror.
The older man then raises his arm and displays a black string bracelet with a cyan turtle body charm.
"Time to transform! Wayzz-" The man says as he starts striking various poses.
He's about to continue before there's a cracking noise, and he doubles over in pain while holding his back with a grimace.
"Master. Please be reasonable!" The Kwami says soothingly as he flies in front of the man.
The man lies on his hands and knees while his Kwami stares at him in worry.
"You are-" Wayzz starts again before being suddenly interrupted.
"...Still young! I'm only 186." The older man suddenly cuts him off defensively, obviously not happy that Wayzz mentions his age.
However, he then sighs.
"But you're right, Wayzz." He tells his Kwami as he pulls himself up.
"I can no longer do it alone." He sounds a bit defeated as he says this and turns to the record player.
But his gaze soon turns determined as he walks to the record player.
"We'll need some help." He says firmly as he reaches for the eyes of the dragon design on the side of the record player.
When he presses their eyes, they glow red, and part of the box flips open to reveal multiple unlabeled buttons. The older man then quickly taps a few buttons, causing the box to turn ninety degrees with a mechanical shifting noise. The top of the record player flips open like a lid, and a few more lids slide open like sliding doors. When all the record player's safeguards open, it reveals a smaller, octagonal-shaped box with an intricate, red, circular Chinese symbol on top. On different areas of the box's sides are circular golden marks with Chinese symbols and indentations.
The box rises out of the record player and opens different compartments, presenting a wide array of jewelry. By the end, there are almost two dozen pieces exposed on the top and sides of the box.
The man stares at the box, determination flashing across his eyes as he plans to ensure that whatever is to come of the future is stopped.
"I swear on my name, Wang Fu, and as last of the Guardians that I will retrieve those Miraculous," He promises himself in a whisper.
-------------------
As these two individuals make plans for their future, we move on to someone much different. Within a small apartment room with plain walls that lack anything of personality, like posters, photos, or even shelves, a girl lies under some covers on her single-person bed.
Across the room at a small work desk, the person's phone repeatedly rings as an alarm they set goes off.
"Marinette! Your alarm has been going off for fifteen minutes." A mature woman's voice shouts in a muffled tone as they knock on the other side of the occupant's door.
Hearing that finally causes the one under the covers to jolt awake, revealing a teenage girl around sixteen with long, messy black hair that falls past her shoulders, light skin, a straight nose, and wide, bright blue eyes filled with panic.
The girl is dressed in a black short-sleeve shirt and pink pajama pants and looks around the room in a panic. However, her panic soon lessens as she realizes where she is, and she takes a few deep breaths.
"Marinette. You need to hurry. You're going to be late for your first day of school." The woman calls out again.
"Right! Sorry, Mom!" Marinette calls out as she jumps out of her bed and heads for a small closet built into her room.
"I expect you downstairs in ten minutes!" Her mother announces authoritatively.
"Of course, Mom!" Marinette exclaims as she grabs some clothes in a hurry.
"And please try to dress nicely today. It's the first day of your new school year." Her mother tells her, causing Marinette to pause.
"I-I'll try." She promises in a somewhat hasty manner.
"That's all I ask." Her mother says before Marinette can hear her walking off.
As Marinette gets ready, her mother enters the living area of their apartment while her husband works in the kitchen.
Marinette's mother bears a strong resemblance to her. She is a short Asian woman, shorter than Marinette's height, with light skin, short black hair in a bob-style, a round face, and narrow grey eyes. She is wearing a white cheongsam dress with light pink flowers running along it, perwinkle pants, and black and white dress shoes.
Meanwhile, in stark contrast, Marinette's father is a large, bulky man who's almost twice his wife's size and four times as broad. He has light skin with a slight blush on his cheeks, short brown hair with long bushy mutton chops, and a thick mustache. His eyes are wide and olive green. And he's wearing a short-sleeve light blue shirt with a button-up collar, beige shorts, and brown work shoes. Atop his head is a chef's hat with a matching white apron.
"Don't you think you're still being a little hard on her, dear? We're starting to rebuild our business, and I think she's learned a lesson in these three years." His voice was deep and mellow, but full of worry as he listened in on his wife and daughter while making breakfast.
"I know, dear. But Marinette needs a firm hand still, especially since she hasn't forgiven herself. I'd like her to dress like she used to before everything happened." Sabine sighs to her husband.
"If you say so. But I do think it might be best to ease up on our Little Mari. She already went through enough when she felt she lost her dream." Tom tells his wife in a slightly somber tone.
"She'll find another passion someday, Tom. If nothing else, it's nice to know she still enjoys baking." Sabine tells him with a comforting smile as she puts a hand on his shoulder.
"That could be because we made her work in the shop more to ensure she didn't have any free time." He chuckles somewhat bittersweetly before hearing the door to his daughter's room open.
They soon watch as she comes out in rather plain clothing. She's in a baggy, light grey hoodie, light blue jeans, and black ballet flats. On her back is a red and black backpack. Meanwhile, her long black hair is combed but not styled, while her eyes convey a sense of tiredness.
Seeing her daughter's outfit causes Sabine to sigh.
"Marinette... I told you to dress nicely for your first day." She says sadly as she gives her daughter disappointed eyes.
"But this is what I'm comfortable with," Marinette says awkwardly, obviously uncomfortable with the thought of wearing something else.
Hearing this, Sabine wants to say something before her husband comes in.
"Now, why don't we all enjoy some breakfast. We can talk about it more then. Do you at least have a nice shirt on, Marinette?" Tom asks with a smile.
"Uh, I have this." She tells him as she pulls up her hoodie to reveal a white short-sleeve shirt with black accents.
"I think that's alright. Besides, it's chilly today, isn't it?" Tom asks his wife with a slightly pleading look.
When Sabine sees the expression on her husband's face, she can't help but sigh in defeat.
"You're right." She agrees.
After that, the family of three sits together at the table and eats in a somewhat silent manner.
"Thanks for the food." Marinette thanks her father as she finishes her plate and heads for the door.
"You're welcome, honey. Have a great day at your new school. I hope you make some new friends. I'd love to hear you talk about them." Her father says with a proud smile, causing Marinette to smile back.
"I'll try, Dad." She promises, but there's a reluctance in her tone that signals she won't really.
"Have a good day. And be careful." Her mom tells her.
"Thanks. You guys have a good day at the store." She tells them before leaving.
Before she does, though, Marinette grabs a box of macarons that her father made for her to pass out to her new classmates.
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Later, Marinette walks through the streets of Ninjago City with her head down and her hood over her head.
"Have a good day at the store. Yeah, they'd already try to do that. It's not like they need me to say it, especially since I was the one to ruin it anyway." She mutters to herself in a self-deprecating manner as she stops at a crosswalk.
She then lets out a heavy sigh and tries to do what her father often suggests nowadays: think positively.
"At least I still don't have to worry about Chloe anymore since I transferred schools." She tries to smile to herself before glancing up slightly to see if the light's changed yet.
The older man from the massage parlor is crossing the street. However, he's doing it while the light is still green and a car is about to hit him.
Adrenaline pumping and instincts kicking in, Marinette pushes past someone and bolts for the older man. She then grabs his arm that's holding a cane and yanks him out of the car's path, hugging him to ensure his safety as she's breathing heavily with wild eyes.
After a few moments of deep breathing as her mind tries to catch up with everything, Marinette slowly looks around to see everyone staring at her and the older man with wide eyes. She then looks down at the man in her arms to see if she's alright and sees him smiling at her.
"Thank you, Miss." He says gratefully, waking Marinette up.
She quickly gets out of the road and back on the sidewalk. She then releases the man and realizes she lost her box of macarons.
"Waaitt! Where are they?" She asks in a panic, her voice slightly breaking while she looks around wildly for them.
"Are you alright, Miss? Did you lose something helping me?" The older man asks in concern as he stares at her while holding his cane with both hands.
But Marinette doesn't hear him in her desperation. Instead, she continues to anxiously look for the box on the ground before finally seeing it, the box slightly open from the impact with the ground, but none of its contents spilled out.
Seeing that causes Marinette to sigh in relief as she picks it up and closes it. She then turns around and realizes the man she saved is staring at her, causing her to blush in embarrassment.
"Oh, uh, sorry about that. Are you alright, sir? I didn't mean to ignore you like that." She nervously tells the man as she looks at the box, unable to meet his gaze.
"Don't worry about it, Miss. It would be bad for me to get mad at you for searching for something you dropped as you ran to save me, especially when it smells so sweet." He tells her with a kind smile as he catches a whiff of the box's contents.
"...You can have one if you want." She tells him with a smile as she opens the box for him to take a macaron.
The older man happily takes the offer and throws the cookie into his mouth, humming in delight at the flavor.
"Mmmm, delicious." He tells her with a bright smile, causing Marinette to smile back at him.
"Thanks. They're from my family's bakery. Here." Marinette says before pulling out a business card for her family's small bakery.
"Thank you, young lady. I'll be sure to come for more if they're all as delicious as that one was." The older man promises.
Marinette gives him a thankful smile before seeing the light at the crosswalk about to change for a second time and realizing she needs to hurry.
"Thank you, sir. I have to go now. Stay safe." She tells him before running off, not knowing the older man had slipped something into her hoodie as she held him when she first saved him.
-------------------
Finally, Marinette arrives at a three-story school building and stares up at it with anxiety written all over her. Biting her lower lip, Marinette prepares to enter, but ends up tripping on a step up.
"Ow." She mutters as she rubs her head after slamming it into a metal bar, causing the people around her who see it to laugh.
She groans at this and decides to salvage what's left of the situation by climbing the stairs and going into her classroom. She quickly finds it and takes her place sitting at one of the front desks of her classroom.
"See that girl in the front?" Someone behind them suddenly comments in a not-so-whisper to the person next to them.
"Yeah...?" The person says in confusion.
"That's the girl who used to stalk Adrien Agreste." They reveal in a somewhat gleeful tone.
"Are you serious?" Their seatmate asks in surprise.
"Yeah, she's been coming here since she had to change schools." The other student nods.
Their words cause Marinette to groan before grabbing the strings of her hoodie and pulling them to close her hood over her face. She then lays her head on her desk, leaving the box of macarons open with some business cards next to them for her parents' new bakery.
No matter how much time passes, it doesn't seem like she can escape that scandal.
-------------------
Meanwhile, somewhere far away from Marinette's school, a blonde teen about her age is running in the direction of his school doors while a car pulls up in a hurry behind him.
The young teen is quite handsome; he has an average height, light skin, bright green eyes, a rather pronounced nose, and styled blonde hair that sweeps to the right.
Along with his looks, the teen is wearing the latest fashion. He has an orange jacket over a black short-sleeve shirt with green lines around the collar, dark green jeans, and red and white sneakers. Slung over his back is a black backpack.
Meanwhile, the person who steps out of the car is a woman, somewhere in her late thirties to forties, wearing a black suit. She has light skin, long black hair tied in a bun, full pink lips, and light blue eyes behind oval glasses. The left side of her bangs is dyed bright red.
"Adrien, please. You know your father wants what's best for you. Don't you remember what happened last time?" The woman asks desperately as she looks at the now-named Adrien with worried eyes.
The blonde teen turns to her and glares at her in frustration.
"But this is what I want to do. I wanna try to live normally for once." Adrien shouts back at her as he stares down at her from the stairs.
"But what if it ends up like the last time. What if someone else starts stalking you again? What if that girl returns? The restraining order ended last year." Nathalie argues back in clear worry, but also anger that he'd pull this stunt.
Adrien bites his lip at that, knowing she makes a good point. But the emotional side of him refuses to bend to her logic.
"But what if it doesn't? What if I can finally live like a normal kid? I want to try. What are the chances that I run into that girl or someone like her again?" He argues back in a slightly desperate tone before he sees the same older man Marinette saved in the corner of his eye.
The older man is now lying on his knees, feebly trying to reach for his cane after seemingly losing his footing, while it remains just out of his reach. Adrien watches in horror and disgust as someone walks right past him before running past Nathalie and his bodyguard, who also comes out of the car, to help the older man.
He quickly grabs the man's cane and hands it to him before gently helping the man up, keeping his grasp on the shorter man as he tries to regain his footing.
"Thank you, young man." The older man thanks with a grateful smile as he stares up at Adrien's face.
Adrien nods happily before turning around. When he does, his face widens in horror as he realizes Nathalie and his bodyguard are now guarding his path to school.
While Adrien might have a chance getting past Nathalie, his bodyguard is another story. His bodyguard is built like a gorilla. With a massive upper body of muscle, while still having a strong, if not as pronounced, lower body. He has short black hair with grey sideburns, and a gruff face that makes him look even more like a gorilla, with a strong jaw, straight nose, and no eyebrows on his light skin. Not to mention a very thick neck.
And right now, that same man is leaning against the stairway next to Nathalie while glaring at him, as if telling him to try getting past him with his dark blue eyes.
Seeing this causes Adrien to sigh as his shoulder sag in defeat before he walks over to the two.
"I just wanna go to school like everybody else. What's so wrong about that?" He asks them in defeat before looking up at their unmoved faces with a pleading expression.
"Please don't tell father about this." He begs them before the two have Adrien get in the car, and they drive off.
As the group drives off, the older man smiles while watching them leave. Unlike with Marinette, he didn't set anything in the boy's pocket. Instead, he's making plans to do something else. With that in mind, he puts the cane over his shoulder and begins walking away normally.
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But further within the school, something is happening. One of the teachers is sitting in their office, staring at some papers with a frustrated expression before crumpling them.
The man in question is a man in his thirties with short brown hair, elegantly combed to the sides, and a matching curly brown mustache. He has light skin, deep blue eyes, a long, massive nose, and pronounced ears. He's also dressed in a white fencing outfit.
He is Armand D'Argencourt, the school's gym teacher and a skilled fencer. But what he takes the most pride in is being a man with a proud heritage of royalty. And it's that heritage that causes him run for mayor of Ninjago City so that his family can regain some honor.
Unfortunately, he's finding it hard to gain any support. No one seems to share in his vision or goals. It doesn't help that his supposed family's past was during the times of kings and kingdoms, not related to the present, when there's an emperor.
"Cowardly scoundrels! Can't they see that being a leader is in my blood?!" He demands in frustration as he slams the papers onto his desk.
Unknown to the man, his growing frustration is becoming the perfect catalyst for Hawkmoth and his mysterious sponsor to use.
-------------------
"Ah, I can feel a perfect pawn. A man who believes he should be king but can't find any support for his dreams. Well, why don't we offer him our services?" Hawkmoth asks with a smirk, causing the shadow's red eyes to close slightly in glee.
"Yes, they'll do perfectly." The shadow agrees sinisterly.
With that, Hawkmoth sends the butterfly in his palm flying off into the city with a smile.
"Go, my little akuma. Let's allow this king some power while we acquire the ultimate prize." Hawkmoth confidently announces as the two watch his butterfly fly away.
-------------------
Meanwhile, there's another party making its move. The person in question is a man far older than the one Marinette and Adrien met. If compared to something, you would compare them to the martial arts masters seen in movies.
The man has a long, white, flowing beard that easily reaches their waist and hides most of his facial features. There's a slight tan to his skin and wrinkles from age. The man is wearing white robes, a conical straw hat hiding his hair except for a braided ponytail that runs down the back of his head, and wooden sandals. And in his hands, he has a bamboo staff that's taller than he is, using it as a walking stick.
The man is casually walking through the streets, but he is looking up at the sky, knowing that something is approaching. Without any words, he looks back in front of him and continues slowly walking down the street.
-------------------
Meanwhile, back in Armand's office, he's staring at his desk with his head in his hands, frustration still clear on his face as he tries to figure out what to do, but knows he's limited on time.
With a sigh, the man roughly grabs his fencing saber as he leans back in his chair. Unknown to him, the butterfly was already upon him and flew through his window, heading straight for the weapon he just grabbed.
Upon landing on it, the butterfly seems to melt into the blade with a slight purple glow. When it does, a magical purple outline of a butterfly appears in front of Armand's face, and he's suddenly able to hear Hawkmoth's voice.
"Darkblade. Your ancestors had the power to rule at their fingertips. How would you like to regain that power by creating an army so powerful that no one can stop you from returning your family's name to its former glory?"
While momentarily caught off guard by the sudden voice in his head, Armand can't say that what it's offering isn't tempting. In fact, it feels like something is pushing him to agree. His darker thoughts begin to surface as the butterfly outline continues to remain on his face. So, in a much darker tone, he smiles as he speaks.
"Very well, sorcerer. I shall gladly accept your help if it means I reclaim my honor." He accepts the deal, causing a dark purple smoke and slug-like substance to begin covering his body as the butterfly outline vanishes.
Armand can feel the creep up on him. But for some strange reason, he felt calm about it, even though the texture of the substance was like some weird sludge. But the moment it reaches his head, everything seems to go blank for him, and yet, not quite. It's like he's resting but still awake.
Meanwhile, once the substance dissipates, it isn't Armand standing there anymore. Instead, a black knight in grey and black armor, wielding a massive medieval sword with one arm, takes his place. There are red flame-pattern accents on the shoulders and a red crest in the center of his chest with a black dragon. The helmet has four glowing red eyes in a butterfly wing pattern. The sword has the same dragon crest on its guard and an ocean wave design on the base of the blade, while red lines run along it.
"Henceforth, Darkblade and his kingdom shall rule. Let all join the banner!" He commands as he heads for the door.
Instead of opening the door, Darkblade lifts his sword and swiftly cuts it into several pieces. It's like the sword weighs nothing to him with how easily he swung the blade around.
Once outside, he meets a shocked janitor who appears to be sweeping the grounds.
"Armand? What are you wearing?" The janitor questions in confusion, but looking at the door pieces in shock.
"Thou art no longer Armand. Thy name is Darkblade. And thee shall be the first to join thy army to reclaim mine birthright." Darkblade announces in a medieval speech pattern as he points his blade at the confused and slightly worried janitor.
He then holds his blade with both hands and aims the crest at the janitor. A blast of red energy suddenly fires from the crest and hits the janitor, causing them to turn into a knight.
They're like a squire, with glowing green markings instead of red. They also have a Y-shaped opening on their faceplate that's also glowing green. The new knight also wields a giant axe almost twice their size, instead of the broom they had before or a sword.
The knight silently kneels to Darkblade, causing him to nod in satisfaction.
"A perfect first squire. Now bring thy more volunteers; so we may reclaim the land in the name of Darkblade and his wizard!" He orders while pointing his sword toward a classroom.
-------------------
Meanwhile, with Hawkmoth and the shadow, the shadow can't be more ecstatic.
"A perfect first pawn. Their ability to create an army will provide us with the necessary manpower to acquire the items we must seek." He announces, causing Hawkmoth to nod.
"Where will we need to go first?" Hawkmoth questions.
"You don't need to worry about that. I shall guide you and the army in the direction myself." The shadow promises.
"First, we'll need to allow Darkblade to amass an army, to ensure that any obstacles we might face will not be an issue." The shadow explains.
"And to give time to draw out the other Miraculous users," Hawkmoth adds with a nod.
"That is likely. But if everything with my plan goes well, we might not need them." The shadow says sinisterly, causing Hawkmoth's eyes to narrow in suspicion.
-------------------
Later that day, Marinette is sitting in her classroom, slightly dozing off as her second teacher goes over the semester introductions. Luckily, it seems like people have stopped talking about her, at least, in a way she can hear them. And most took the treats she offered from her family bakery.
"Hopefully, we might get some more customers." She thinks as she takes a glance at the stack of business cards.
But she soon jumps out of her thoughts as the teacher freezes their introduction when a school alarm goes off. The class looks around in confusion before the teacher cuts in.
"Alright, everyone. Heads under your desks. Keep quiet, this isn't a drill. At least, not one I'm aware of. We need to barricade the door." The teacher announces as they push their desk toward the door.
Marinette does as she's told and quickly ducks under her desk. She can hear others do the same, but they are whispering about their new situation. Not that she isn't curious and worried as well. A lockdown on the very first day of school is worrying.
Soon, her phone beeps with a notification, and when she opens it, she's confused as what looks like a parade of medieval knights seems to walk through the streets.
"What's going on?" She can't help but mouth to herself before the camera shifts from an aerial view of the knights to the newswoman sitting in the helicopter.
She's a tall woman with pale skin, brown eyebrows, full lips with raspberry lipstick, orangish-brown eyes, and magenta-dyed hair in a grown-out pixie cut. She's wearing a dark blue blazer with a deep purple lining over a purple blouse, greyish white jeans, and high-heeled scarlet shoes. Around her neck is a gold chain necklace with a five-leaf clover flower charm, accompanied by bright pink earrings.
"Don't be bemused, it's just the news, this is Nadja Chamack. Ninjago City is invaded by what seems to be medieval knights. What people first thought to be a parade turns out not to bring joy as the knights attack and turn anyone in their path into more knights to attack the city." Nadja announces in a controlled, professional, but slightly urgent tone as the camera zooms back to the streets where the squire knights drag a few people to Darkblade before he turns them into more knights.
"Police are doing their best to put an end to this sudden outbreak of knights, but are finding their efforts ending up in vain as they continue to lose officers to the knights," Nadja announces as the camera soon zooms to officers firing at the knights. But bullets and tasers seem ineffective against their armor.
Marinette gasps as she watches one of the squires cut through the patrol car the officers were using as cover before relifting their axe.
"The knights seem to be heading for populated areas of the city and are now going toward Numen's High School," Nadja reveals as her cameraman aims the camera along the path the knights are walking to reveal their close-by Marinette's new school.
She's not the only one. She can hear some of her classmates begin to panic as they realize the knights are heading for them. But her mind is focused on following the broadcast, hoping that something will change or that this is all a prank.
"The leader of the knights, Darkblade, has been seen commenting on how he won't stop until the entirety of Ninjago City turns into his previous kingdom," Nadja reveals before the cameraman returns the video feed on Darkblade as he leads his knights.
"We do not know where these knights came from or how their leader is doing this. But we urge everyone to remain calm and try to avoid areas where we are broadcasting the knights." Nadja announces.
"Families are recommended to stay in their homes and bar the doors and windows until authorities find a way to evacuate everyone or stop these knights. Please, remain calm as city officials try to find a way to de-escalate the situation." Nadja pleads into the camera with eyes full of worry.
Before anything else, there's a scream outside the door, causing everyone's panic to grow.
"Everyone, stay under your desks." The teacher announces in a whispered shout.
After they say that, they cautiously try to peek through the door window to see what's happening. Before needing to jump back as an axe embeds itself into the door and the desk blocking it. The teacher lets out a scream of surprise at the sudden attack and looks at the door in fear.
Marinette can hear her classmates also begin to freak out as they listen to the knight continue to slash at the door until it finally breaks, revealing a set of five knights entering the classroom.
"You can't be in here!" The teacher shouts as they grab a chair and raise it defensively as a makeshift weapon.
The squires don't say anything, though. Instead, one swiftly cuts the chair in half, causing the teacher to stare at the two pieces in their hands in shock. The squire then walks up to the teacher and grabs them by the collar before throwing them into the hallway, where other knights wait.
It seems like Darkblade sent groups of knights out while the bulk of his army dealt with law enforcement.
After dealing with the teachers, the remaining knights get to work by grabbing the students in the classroom. Some try to fight back. But the supernatural strength these knights seem to have makes it impossible for them to do anything.
One particular knight cuts the two-to-three-person desk Marinette's hiding under in half before tossing half away to get to her, grabbing her by her hoodie, and lifting her in the air.
When he does, the instincts Marinette's mother cultivated in her by teaching Marinette martial arts kick in. She tries to trap the knight in an armbar to force him to let go. But the knight uses their axe to keep them stable while continuing to hold her like she weighs nothing. Marinette tries to struggle a little more, but nothing she does seems to move the squire before they slam her on the remaining half of the desk, causing her to let go.
The squire is about to pick her back up and leave before there's a sudden shout in the hallway by an old, slightly strained voice.
"Ninja go!"
Suddenly, a miniature tornado of golden energy flies into the room and begins attacking the knights, spinning them around rapidly before throwing them in various directions, sending them to different parts of the classroom or out into the hallway, one even gets thrown out a window.
The class watches in shock as the golden tornado that saved them slows down, revealing the man in white robes walking through Ninjago City before the chaos started.
"Urgency can be a problem. But in this case, it's a solution. I suggest you all leave and find somewhere to hide while you have the chance." The older man says in a wise, calm tone, like he didn't just come in as a natural phenomenon and take down all the magic knights.
Despite the craziness, that is all the class needs to hear before they start running, some not even bothering to grab their bags. But some don't forget to thank the older man for saving them. By the end, the only two occupants left are Marinette and the older man. But as Marinette grabs her bag to go, she suddenly finds her chin lifted by the older man's bamboo staff as he stares at her features.
"Hmm. Young. But already full of many regrets that have aged them drastically. Once so full of life and steel. But now, brittle. But not beyond repair." He notes as he observes her features.
"S-sorry." Marinette stutters in confusion, but doesn't do anything against him.
"The choice wasn't bad. However, there is much we need to fix if you're to be ready." The man continues, seemingly ignoring Marinette's discomfort.
"I'm sorry, sir. But I need to get home. I have to check on my parents." Marinette tells him nervously.
Hearing that causes the man's eyes to slightly dim in sadness.
"I'm afraid it might already be too late for that." The older man says grimly while giving her a look of pity and sadness.
Hearing that causes Marinette's eyes to widen in terror before she smacks the staff away and runs for her home. As she does, she pulls out her phone and begins calling her mom's number first.
The sound of ringing accompanies her as her mother refuses to answer her call. Eventually, it goes to voicemail, and Marinette frantically hangs up before calling her father. Unfortunately, nothing changes with him. By the time her second call goes to voicemail, Marinette is already a few feet away from the school and is still running.
"Please be okay, please be okay." She repeatedly pleads before turning the corner and slamming into something.
She falls to her butt and looks up to see another knight. But before the knight can do anything to her, the older man appears and quickly smacks him in the side of the head with his staff. He then slams it into the stunned knight's chest before doing a quick twirl of his staff as he turns and does a spinning back kick, sending the knight flying.
As Marinette stares in shock from the floor, she's suddenly smacked on the back of the head by the bottom end of the older man's staff.
"While I said urgency can be the solution to some problems, that doesn't mean you should recklessly charge ahead without putting any thought into how you move." The man reprimands her in a calm tone, like scolding a child without any anger.
Marinette rubs the back of her head in pain while wincing before looking up at the older man.
"I need to check on my parents." She tells the man urgently as she stands up.
Only to wince again as the man taps her on the top of her head with his staff again.
"If you took a moment to observe what lies in front of you, you'd realize it's already too late." He says gravely as he points down the street with his staff, revealing that a lot of knights are down the street.
"No..." Marinette mutters as her eyes widen in horror, her grip tightening on her phone.
She then turns to the older man with desperation.
"You can fight those knights, right? Can't you get through them so I can check on my parents?" She pleads with him.
Her question causes the older man to solemnly lower his head, causing his hat to cover his eyes.
"I'm afraid not. I'm afraid even I can't fight an entire army on my own. And, if your parents are nearby, they're likely captured already." The older man explains.
Hearing that causes Marinette to hold her head in her hands with a look of pure despair coloring her features. The older man gives her a look of pity before speaking up.
"But there is still a chance to get them back." The older man finally says, causing Marinette to look up at him through tears with a surprised expression.
"There is?" She asks hopefully.
"To likely save your parents, we will simply need to defeat the one controlling them." The older man informs in a matter-of-fact tone.
"But how are we supposed to do that? Who even are you?" Marinette asks in confusion.
"You may call me Sensei Wu. And I am here to have you help me save all of Ninjago." The now-named Sensei Wu introduces himself with a slightly stern tone.
"How can I help?" Marinette asks with confusion and worry.
"Check your pocket." The man states while pointing at her hoodie pocket with his staff.
Blinking in confusion, Marinette reaches into her pocket, only to blink in surprise as she feels the item the man she helped planted in it. She pulls it out and realizes it's a small octagonal-shaped box. And the box has the same symbol as the one in the massage shop.
"What's this?" Marinette asks in confusion.
"Open it." The man says calmly.
Carefully, Marinette follows his directions and slowly opens the box, only to drop it in surprise as a bright red light shines in her face. She covers her face quickly, but the light already vanished. When she removes her arms, she's met with the sight of a Kwami smiling directly in her face.
The Kwami is red, with large black spots on its forehead and on the lower corners of its face. They also have dark blue eyes with long eyelashes and three tail feathers on their bottom. Atop their head are two antennae that fall backward.
Marinette is frozen for a moment as she stares at the smiling Kwami. She then lets out a scream of terror and rapidly crawls backward.
"Ahh! Help! It's a giant bug! A... a mouse! A... a bug-mouse!" She screams before getting smacked on the head by Sensei Wu.
"Everything's okay! Don't be scared!" The Kwami shouts in distress with a smooth, feminine tone as she watches Marinette's panic in worry
"Calm yourself, or you'll draw attention to us." Master Fu reprimands simultaneously with the Kwami, but it's too late.
The knights finally seem to notice them despite one of their companions already being sent flying. They then raise their weapons like spears and charge. Seeing that causes Marinette to freak out even more.
"Ahhhh! They're charging!" She screams in fear.
But Sensei Wu doesn't seem worried.
"Ninja go!" He announces as he suddenly begins rapidly spinning, almost immediately creating the same golden tornado he used to save Marinette before.
He then envelops Marinette and the Kwami with the tornado before rapidly spinning away from the knights and jumping onto a roof. But he doesn't stop there. In a moment of tornado-themed parkour, Sensei Wu jumps from rooftop to rooftop to gain more distance from the knights before stopping and landing on a street decently far from where the knights were.
As he releases Marinette while ending the rotation, the girl stumbles backward before falling, her world still feeling like it's spinning.
"I think that might have been too much for her." The Kwami says nervously as she floats next to Sensei Wu's head while the two stare at Marinette.
"Then, it seems we have a long road ahead of us." Sensei Wu sighs.