Chapter Text
"Anyway, that's why I still love Ladybug." Said Chloe, finishing her speech, while her class tried not to roll their eyes at her impassioned speech.
It was Friday, after school had ended for the day, and Chloe had gathered everyone in the courtyard, lashing out at anyone who tried to leave. From what the rest of the class could gather, someone had made a comment about how Ladybug seemed to hate certain people, which Chloe had overheard, thinking it was about her.
"What are you getting at?" Asked the new student, his dark blue eyes narrowed and exasperation in his voice.
Ryo was still considered the new kid, even after the first five or six weeks. Because of this, people were always happy to preach Parisian gratitude for Ladybug right to his face. Although he found Chloe's point of view interesting, it was incredibly cheeky and selfish, and he neither liked nor tolerated it.
It was true that he had been a little insolent as a child, but his parents' lessons in good manners—along with a few threats to take away his games—had mellowed him over the years.
Chloe had certainly never experienced that. Inside, he was seething. Not only was she a brat, but she was also constantly taunting him. As if it were his fault that she had lost her Miraculous.
"No one asked for your opinion, Usobuki." Chloe retorted. Ryo took that as an invitation to continue.
"You say she never gave you the Bee Miraculous because she 'fell out' with you. Although I could certainly see that point." " He said, pausing to allow himself a few snickers. "I also talked to some people. They said things about how you transformed in front of everyone, hijacked a train, and conquered the city for the Butterfly. Not to mention, you caused..." He then held out his hand, as if counting on his fingers. "...About half of the akumatizations in this city. So maybe that's why she hated you."
Marinette was standing nearby. She was one of the people Ryo had talked to, along with the rest of the class and the principal, and she had found traffic camera footage detailing this. She wondered why Ryo was challenging Chloe during one of her rants. If Marinette had been in her place, she would have simply kept her mouth shut.
Chloe looked like she was trying to swallow a frog.
"How would you know?" She said, trying to keep her cool.
"A certain blogger said something about how you were akumatized as a fake Ladybug. An old jealousy, perhaps?" He said, his voice still sounding calm, but there was an icy edge to it that seemed to cancel out his accent.
Everyone was surprised by the change in tone. Marinette realized that Ryo had quite a temper, she could tell by the way he said it and the way he tensed up. She noticed that his fists were clenched, as if he wanted to hit something but couldn't.
"I also spoke to a certain meteorologist the other day. She told me that you used an expression to describe her that suits you quite well here." Said Ryo, walking towards Chloe, the sound of his footsteps accentuating his gait. "Once a jerk, always a jerk." He muttered, with all the venom in the world in his voice. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm late for a movie with my dad. Thank you very much, Chloe."
With that, he began walking home, leaving the school behind him.
Chloe looked shocked. Everyone else headed for where they had intended to go before being interrupted by the tirade.
"Well, that wasn't pretty." Said Alya, slipping in next to Marinette.
"Do you think she'll be okay?" Asked Marinette.
"Probably." Said a blond teenager, joining the conversation.
"Hi, Adrien." Said the two girls, Marinette meekly.
"It was the first time I'd ever heard her get scolded. She might be a little scared, but she'll be back to normal by the end of the day." Said Adrien, looking uncertain. "But it was the first time I'd ever heard Ryo get angry. Let's hope he doesn't get akumatized. Well, I have to run. Piano practice and all that. See you later." He said, then ran to his car.
"Bye, Adrien." Said Alya. Marinette was still smiling like an idiot. "Hey, wake up. I want to show you something." She said, pulling Marinette out of her trance.
"Yes, what? New evidence about Ladybug?" Marinette asked.
"Well, it's about Ladybug, but not directly. Look at this." Alya said, taking out her phone and scrolling through some photos of a battle scene. In the background, on a building, there were some dark blue, black, and very few gold pixels. Another photo showed the same thing. Another was enlarged, revealing a cluster of pixels that looked like a humanoid silhouette, seemingly armed with a sword of the same dark blue color, but with a little gold on the hilt.
"My theory is that another Miraculous holder is around, and they're watching Ladybug and Cat Noir to see if they're worthy of their Miraculous." Alya explained. "Or maybe it's a new enemy scouting the city before taking it over. They started appearing in photos about six weeks ago, at the start of the school year. So maybe they're a new citizen or a student. If there's no blue, gray, and gold on a building, then either the person is gone, they've been akumatized, or they're sick."
Marinette looked stunned. Someone was watching every battle, but for what purpose?
"Well, that's certainly interesting." Said Marinette. "Let's think positively and hope that they're an ally rather than an enemy."
Ryo headed for an alleyway not far from the school. His story about being late for a movie was just that. A story. He took his phone out of his jacket pocket and dialed his father's number. The message tone sounded.
"Hi, Dad. Just wanted to let you know I'm studying at the library for a project. I'll be home in a few hours. See you later."
He turned off his phone, then sighed darkly, giving free rein to his emotions.
A dark room. The shutters opened, filling the room with afternoon light.
"So, contempt and hatred have reawakened. I should thank Chloe Bourgeois." Thought Hawkmoth. A snow-white butterfly flew into his palm, which he covered. Particles of darkness gathered and a black and purple butterfly flew out of his palm and out the window. "Go, my Akuma! Blacken this young man's heart!"
Ryo was glad to be in this alleyway. He didn't want anyone to see what was about to happen. The akuma dug into his phone, and the outline of a purple butterfly appeared.
"Greetings, Rich Breaker. I am Hawk..."
"That's not my name." Ryo growled.
Hawkmoth was puzzled, but continued.
"I will grant you the power to make everyone feel the same way you do about..."
"I don't need you for that." Ryo interrupted again, his anger growing.
Once again, the Butterfly wondered how this boy had resisted him so well, when so many others had fallen, but he continued.
"In return, bring me Ladybug and Cat Noir's..."
"No." Ryo growled, closing his eyes, annoyed by the villain's insistence.
Hawkmoth felt a pain in his head, as if he had been staring at screens for hours. He closed his eyes...
And opened them to see a new world.
He was standing in water. Cold, black water flowed around his ankles. He could only see water in front of him, so he turned his head. A black sand beach lay about two meters behind him. He looked up. The sky was covered with dark, stormy clouds. He turned around and Ryo was standing above the water, looking at the man.
"What does this mean?!" Hawkmoth roared.
Ryo dismissed the question.
"You don't seem to understand the word no." He said.
"I offer you power! Strength! Everything a man could desire! Why did you refuse?" Asked Hawkmoth. He noticed small waves rippling around his ankles.
"I am no one's servant." Replied Ryo, simply shrugging his shoulders.
"But you could make your class hate Chloe Bourgeois." Hawkmoth insisted. The waves were now reaching his knees.
The boy seemed unaffected by the waves.
"I still won't do your dirty work." Ryo replied, his tone as cold and dark as the water around his feet.
Hawkmoth was starting to get scared. No one had ever resisted him like this before. He was almost certain it was all in his head, but the water felt real.
"But you would get..." He tried to continue, but a look in Ryo's eyes frightened him and forced him to stop. The pupils were a burning red. The waves reached Hawkmoth's waist and began to rock him. It took all he had to stay upright.
"I'm sure you know negative emotions, don't you?" Ryo asked. Hawkmoth nodded slightly. "And you know how they get stronger?" Once again, Hawkmoth nodded. "How do they get stronger?"
Hawkmoth swallowed; his throat was dry. He didn't answer when he realized what the boy was implying.
Ryo walked on water toward the man, his red pupils matching the villain's gray ones.
"You know that all too well."
The boy gave him a mischievous smile, then disappeared. Hawkmoth looked up and his jaw dropped.
A huge black tidal wave was rushing towards him. It was then that Hawkmoth realized he couldn't move. His target was at the top of the wave, his eyes still shining.
"See you later, Hawkmoth. I hope you'll still be alive when I come to see you." Said Ryo in a sinister tone, breaking into an evil laugh that rivaled Hawkmoth's.
It took all his energy, but Hawkmoth broke the telepathic link just before the wave crashed onto the beach.
Hawkmoth woke up in his lair, then fell to his knees and began to gasp for breath. He had never felt such a barrage of negative emotions before. He made a mental note never to try to akumatize this boy again. He directed his akuma toward another soul, one that was already wounded and that he had already transformed.
Chloe was sitting on a bench at school when the akuma found her. As she mentally replayed the beating she had received, the akuma sank into her necklace and the bond was formed.
"Narcissus, I am Hawkmoth." Said the villain, slightly out of breath. "Do you want to prove that you're not as bad as they say? I'll give you the power to make others worship you and say you're pure. In exchange, bring me the Miraculous of Ladybug and Cat Noir."
"Of course, Hawkmoth." Chloe sneered as the purple mist caught up with her.
When the smoke cleared, Chloe had yellow skin, purple eyes, and was wearing a black bodysuit with the symbol of justice in yellow. Her hair was black, still in a ponytail. A silver tiara perched on her hair. She held a scepter in her right hand and her necklace was rose gold.
Narcissus shot two purple lightning bolts from her scepter. They struck two students, who immediately began to buzz.
"Chloe is pure, Chloe is perfect."
Once she heard the buzzing, Marinette sighed and slipped into the locker room, quickly and quietly transforming into Ladybug. She didn't notice Adrien sneaking into an empty classroom, nor the flash of green light as he transformed into Cat Noir.
"Well, that went well. I managed to scare h..." Ryo thought to herself before being interrupted by screams coming from the school. "I guess I didn't scare him enough."
Narcissus already had several people singing her praises when the heroes arrived at her party.
"Again, Chloe? I thought you had changed, but not like this." Cat Noir joked.
"There is no Chloe, only Narcissus, and I will be avenged!" Narcissus shouted, shooting bolts of purple energy.
"Chloe, if you want to be cleared of guilt, give up your akuma!" Ladybug shouted, trying to keep her eyes fixed on the villain and the sky.
"Give me your Miraculous!" Narcissus said, continuing to fire wildly, trying to hit the heroes.
The heroes continued to dodge and spin as the bolts flew past. Ladybug's constant monitoring of the sky made dodging more difficult than it should have been.
"You know, my lady, if you want to find a cloud that looks like me, wait until the end of the fight." Said Chat Noir.
"I suppose you're right." Ladybug conceded.
She would contact the person another day.
Hawkmoth opened a telepathic link with his warrior.
"Use your servants as a shield! Ladybug and Cat Noir won't dare cross them!"
He sensed that his servant agreed.
"This time, I will win." He thought.
Realizing that he was still a little weak from his encounter with his future victim, he opened the intercom on his cane to ask Nathalie for a bottle of water.
His train of thought was interrupted when he noticed something heading toward his window. It was too big to be a drone, but too small to be a low-flying jet.
"What is that?" He wondered as the object crashed into his window, sending shards of glass flying everywhere.
He had just enough time to activate the security system. But a circle of energy destroyed all the rockets and missiles he had replaced since the Robostus incident. Quickly activating the fluorescent lights in the lair, which he hated to use because they weren't very flattering, as he had learned from Nathalie after losing Dark Owl, he was able to see his opponent.
He was a sinister figure who, judging by his build, was a young man or teenager. He was dressed in a tight-fitting midnight blue jumpsuit, embellished with deep black patterns and reinforcements, creating a striking contrast. Bronze-colored straps and buckles adorned his thighs, arms, and chest, where a stylized breastplate and angular shoulder pads of the same color added a martial touch. His helmet, in shades of metallic blue and silver, was adorned with sharp spikes on top, evoking a predatory sea creature. Beneath the mask, his eyes glowed an intense red, while his mouth was frozen in a metallic smile. His hands were clad in black gloves, ending in sharp bronze claws, and he pointed a threatening finger forward.
In his left hand, he held a broad blade of dark, almost black metal, the center of which was crossed by a flamboyant pattern of dark blue and black, suggesting an intense and dark internal energy. The guard was a complex assembly of blue and organic pieces, reminiscent of stylized flames or crystal shards, with a small red gem set at the base. Near the tip, the blade was framed by other blue ornaments and held a milky orb of a very pale red color. The handle was a simple black metal grip, flaring slightly toward the pommel, which was also decorated with blue accents. The whole thing gave off an impression of fiery, aggressive, and dark power.
On his left wrist was a silver bracelet topped with a kind of black glass.
"Hawkmoth." Said the warrior. His voice was definitely masculine, with a strange but vaguely familiar accent that was not from France.
"Who are you?" Asked Hawkmoth.
"No one important." Replied the man.
Hawkmoth did some mental calculations, assessing his opponent. This newcomer was either a small man or a teenager; he seemed to be about the same height as Adrien. He then drew his sword from his cane.
"Whoever you are, you're clearly against me." He growled, adopting the fencing stance he had been taught since he was a child. "And I won't let another opponent show up in my city."
The man tightened his grip on his sword.
"I doubt it." He said calmly.
His sneer deepening, Hawkmoth attacked, but the warrior parried the blade of the cane sword with a simple movement of his own blade. The man behind the mask was a master swordsman, but Hawkmoth prided himself on being one of the best fighters in Paris. The two blades met again.
The fight with Narcissus had intensified, as she was using her servants as shields. Ladybug had left and returned with Ryuko to get some extra help in the fight.
"Cat Noir! Did you find where the akuma is?" Ladybug asked.
"The best guess is her necklace. She keeps one hand on it when we get close!" Her partner replied. "Good to see you again, Ryuko!"
"Circumstances demanded it." Ryuko agreed.
"I guess you can't change heroes after all?" Asked Cat Noir.
"None except Chloe. I learned my lesson with her..." Ladybug couldn't finish her sentence as she had to dodge a bolt of energy. "Ryuko, get on her shield!"
"Okay!" Replied the dragon heroine. "Wind Dragon!" The wind not only penetrated Narcissus's human shield, it also carried away his scepter. His servants were freed and fled, screaming.
The battle between Hawkmoth and the man had been raging for several minutes. Hawkmoth was still weak, but he managed to strike the man's sword, nearly knocking it from his grasp. And now, the warrior was being pushed back, barely deflecting the rapid blows of the cane sword. Hawkmoth knew the fight would soon be over. He took his blade and swept the man's feet.
The warrior was now on the ground facing his opponent. He seemed out of breath. Hawkmoth was about to finish him off, but the warrior spoke.
"Before our confrontation ends, I wish to confide a secret to you." Said the man.
"What is it?" growled Hawkmoth.
The man seemed to smile behind his mask.
"I am not left-handed."
At that moment, quick as lightning, his sword changed hands, snapped the cane, and as a dark energy covered the blade of his sword, cut Hawkmoth's in two, sending small metal shards everywhere.
The man was definitely smiling behind his mask now.
"I was playing with you. I can't believe you fell for the 'I'm out of breath, don't kill me' thing. Frankly, I'm disappointed. You're supposed to be smart." He said, placing the blade of his sword on his shoulder.
"What do you want? My Miraculous?" Asked Hawkmoth, raising his fists. If he had to lose, he would knock out a few of the warrior's teeth.
"No, no, no." Said the man. "What I want. Until I get my hands on what I'm looking for..." He paused, then lunged forward. "It's your power!"
The warrior swept Hawkmoth's feet out from under him, and the villain crashed to the ground. The man pressed his free hand against the Butterfly Miraculous.
Hawkmoth could only let out a cry of agony as the warrior began to drain some of his powers, listing them as he went.
"Akumatization, telepathy, empathy, body control. Useful, very useful." He said as the symbol of the Butterfly Miraculous appeared on his bracelet.
"I beg you." Hawkmoth managed to say, his voice muffled by pain, but to no avail.
The red eyes of the man's helmet glowed as he seemed to begin searching through Hawkmoth's memories.
Emilie using the Peacock Miraculous. Emilie falling ill. Having to tell Adrien about her disappearance. His first transformation. His first akumatization. Every villain. Every failure. The guilt. The shame. The loss, all brought to the forefront of his mind, and the man uttered two words.
"Gabriel Agreste."
He was about to leave when Mayura entered Hawkmoth's lair, fury in her eyes and determination in her posture.
"Stay. Away. From. Him."
Cold rage permeated every word as the man and the butterfly looked at her.
"Fine. Another one." the man growled.
He picked up a handful of glass shards and threw them at her, and Mayura deflected them with her fan, thinking they were mini explosives. It was the perfect distraction for the man to rush forward, place his hand on her Peacock Miraculous, and absorb her powers, listing them as he did so.
"Amokization, control and destruction of sentimonsters. Thank you for the very useful powers..." He paused, his eyes shining again as he began to read her memories, emotions, and identity. "Miss Nathalie Sancoeur. In hindsight, it's not very surprising."
He released her, and Hawkmoth caught her before she could fall. The man looked at his bracelet to see the symbol of the Peacock Miraculous, and headed for the broken window.
"Hawkmoth, Mayura, you are both the first to feel the power of Tregear! The Dark One!" Tregear declared as he jumped out of the broken window, leaving his defeated opponents behind.
"Miraculous Ladybug!"
The victory cry led to the repair of all the damage in Paris, the safe return of all citizens, and the dark purple smoke of the akumatization drifting away from the Narcissus, returning it to Chloe.
"Well done!"
The three heroes pumped their fists in celebration, while Chloe approached and was about to let Ladybug enjoy the moment, but a dirty look from Ryuko prompted her to leave.
"I guess I have to give you back my Miraculous." Said Ryuko.
"Sure, just give me a minute with Cat Noir, okay?" Asked Ladybug.
The dragon heroine nodded and hid in an alleyway.
"Something bothering you, my lady? You seemed distracted." Asked Cat Noir.
"I got some information from Alya and I was keeping an eye out. She said that recently, during every fight, there was someone in blue, black, and gold watching us. I wanted to see where it was." Ladybug replied.
"Well, I didn't see anything. I'll let you know if I notice anything, Bugaboo." Said Cat Noir as his Miraculous beeped again. "I have to go." He said before jumping away.
Ladybug ran to where Kagami was standing just as the Japanese girl removed the necklace and retrieved the Dragon Miraculous.
"Thanks for your help." Said Ladybug.
"No problem. I'll always be here if you need me."
"Thanks." Ladybug spun her yo-yo and jumped. "See you next time!"
Gabriel Agreste watched the magical ladybugs repair the window of his hideout. After making sure there were no major injuries, just a few scratches that were healing quickly, he hurried over to Nathalie, who was once again coughing violently due to her use of the Miraculous. Duusu quickly said that Nathalie was mostly healed, that she just needed rest and to avoid overexertion for a few hours. Gabriel looked at the blue and purple kwamis in front of him.
"Do either of you know anything about a Miraculous with such an ability?" Gabriel asked.
"Unfortunately not, Master. There is no such Miraculous." Nooroo replied, puzzled, while Duusu muttered something, trying to remember if he had ever heard of anything similar.
Gabriel lowered his head in silence, trembling with silent fury and fear. Not only had he nearly died, but his warrior had failed and he had been attacked in his own lair. He felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Nathalie's.
"He didn't kill us. We should be grateful for that. He may have our powers, but there are still two of us. He's alone. I can still feel my powers. He hasn't stolen them completely."
"It's like he made copies and took them. He said he was playing with me. Like I was a training dummy, a toy. If he'd been serious from the start, I would have fallen." Gabriel said, sure that Tregear would return to his lair to finish the job.
Nathalie nodded.
"Maybe we should stop the akumatizations for a few days, huh?"
Gabriel was about to say no, but a pleading look from Nooroo sold him.
"Yeah, let's do it."
Tregear flew into an alleyway. A backpack was waiting for him. He could still feel the powers of Hawkmoth and Mayura in the bracelet he had used to absorb their powers.
Without a word, a dark blue energy flowed over his body, erasing the costume and sword. The resulting boy stood up, looked at his watch, and walked out of the alley, heading toward his house.
Ryo Usobuki walked to the gates, opened them, and headed straight for the front door. He looked at his phone to see that his father had sent him a message saying he would be home for dinner.
He sighed and climbed the stairs to his room. He set his backpack down near the desk and took off his hoodie. He sat down in his desk chair and turned to his game consoles.
He then looked at his bracelet containing the powers of Hawkmoth and Mayura.
"I didn't expect to fight Hawkmoth so soon. But hey, now that I have his powers and those of his friend, all that's left are the good guys, and I'll be ready to start the big game." He said to himself.