Chapter Text
The akuma had been an overworked businessman getting verbally abused by his boss an hour ago. Now he was a tall abomination with multiple tentacles coming out of his face, capable of extending many times their normal length. He looked like a humanoid squid and was, unfortunately, very interested in getting inside everyone's heads.
"Bow," he commanded, a deep voice echoing through the minds of every person nearby. "Bow to the Emperor, and become my spawn."
"Yeah, I'm gonna have to pass on that," Chat Noir said, vaulting sideways off a lamppost as a tentacle shot past his ear. "Purple's really not my color anyway. I'm more of a black and green guy, personally."
"Chat, focus!" Ladybug threw her yo-yo out, catching a tentacle before it could grab a fleeing civilian and yanking it off course. She had to plant both feet in the dirt of the yard she was standing in to keep from being dragged into the street.
"I AM focused! I'm focused on not getting a tadpole crawling into my eye!"
"Why did you have to mention that!? I was trying to forget about it!"
Three tentacles converged on where she was standing, but in less than a second she was already gone, jumping high in the air, making her way on top of the nearest rooftop, breathing hard.
"He's got more of those things than I’ve got lives," Chat quipped, landing beside her in a crouch. "Please tell me you have a plan."
"Working on it." She scanned the area below. The Emperor was ignoring them now, advancing towards a group of civilians who had frozen while they were trying to flee. Their faces were slack, eyes gone glassy purple. "He's charming them somehow. We seem to be able to resist it a little, though I’m not sure by how much."
"Yeah, not exactly interested in finding out the limit. My head’s already been feeling strange at times."
"Me too."
"Oh gross! Look away, My Lady." Chat gagged at the horrific sight below him where the Emperor was infecting people one by one.
Once he was done, the Emperor turned toward them with unnerving slowness. "Ladybug and Chat Noir, the capture of your Miraculouses was commanded to me in exchange for my power. I intend on fulfilling my end of the bargain."
"I think this might be one of my least favourite akumas," Chat muttered. "I’m going to be scarred for weeks."
"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug threw up her yo-yo, light spiralling down and transforming into something that would hopefully help in the fight. She stared at it.
"A bag of bird seeds?" Chat stated, confused on how that could possibly help them.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" She squeezed it in her hands, scanning the area. She saw the Emperor moving towards them with an intense gaze on his face. There were pigeons in the sky oblivious to all the chaos going on below. Some people who Ladybug could have sworn were stuck in place were now moving freely. That’s when the idea struck her. "The pigeons. Chat, the pigeons!"
"What about them?"
"I think he’s using his eyes to charm people. That’s what it looks like to me. So if I scatter this everywhere…" Ladybug trailed off, looking at Chat.
"You get a hundred flying rats between him and everyone. I like it. I take back every mean thing I've ever said about pigeons."
"You really mean that?" Ladybug raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, I take back half of what I’ve said. If they didn’t constantly torture me, maybe I’d take it all back." Chat crosses his arms, grumbling.
She cut a hole in the bag and hurled it in the sky above the Emperor. The bird seeds came falling out, and immediately there was a storm of pigeons surrounding him, practically blinding him and overwhelming his senses. The Emperor recoiled, tentacles flailing at the pigeons. Anyone that was still charmed was instantly freed due to the Emperor not being able to concentrate anymore.
"Now, Chat! Get them out of here!" Ladybug commanded, pointing to the civilians.
"On it!" He moved quickly, herding bystanders out of the area using his staff to make big leaps back and forth. "Come on, come on, this way! Those pigeons won't keep him distracted forever."
Chat was correct about that. The Emperor roared and swept an arm through the pigeon cloud, dispersing the birds from around him. He then looked right at Ladybug, narrowing his eyes. Ladybug felt the pull of his charm. It was a horrible tugging sensation right behind her eyes, like something trying to get a grip on her brain and sever her control over it.
"Ladybug, look out!"
She snapped out of it just in time to duck down flat. A tentacle passed a foot over her head, narrowly missing its opportunity to grab her.
"You okay?" Chat was there, hauling her up by the arm.
"Yeah, I'm okay." Her earrings beeped, reminding her that her transformation was about to end.
"Sometimes I really hate the timers."
"There’s never a time where I DON’T hate them." She briefly looked at where the Emperor was then immediately looked away. "I need to find a spot to recharge."
"Go. I'll keep this purple calamari busy." He grinned at her, leaping up with his staff up to meet the next incoming tentacle with a smack.
Ladybug swung away with her yo-yo, searching for an isolated spot to feed Tikki.
~~~
Marinette's earrings gave their last beep as soon as she found a dark alley to detransform in. Her lungs burned from pushing herself so hard to create some distance between her and the akuma.
The pink light from her Miraculous glowed over her body, Tikki dropping into her waiting hands, looking absolutely drained.
"Tikki, are you okay? Sorry, I had to hang on until the last second."
"I'm… fine. Just need a minute, and a snack." Tikki said, her voice thin.
"Right. I’ve got your macarons right here." Marinette opened her purse, reaching in for Tikki’s food. She rummaged around, feeling multiple objects, but not the macaron. She frowned, starting to panic over the possibility of forgetting to put in an emergency treat. Finally, she found it wrapped in a scrap piece of paper that she should have gotten rid of ages ago."Here, eat and recharge. We don’t have much time before Chat will need backup. I don’t want to let him fight that evil mind-squid alone for long."
"Working on it!" Tikki exclaimed, her mouth filled with a big bite of the macaron.
Marinette paced, worried about how Chat was doing. An akuma this strong would take the two of them working at best to defeat it. She’d call on Alya if she could, but Alya was attending the wedding of a distant relative she had met only a few times throughout her life. She wouldn’t be back for another few hours. Marinette’s phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket. She took it out to see who it was.
Chloé: are u seeing the news? that tentacle guy is seriously gross. please tell me u are somewhere safe and havent had a tadpole go up ur eye. which by the way nearly made me actually throw up. hawkfreak has issues.
Chloé: marinette?
Chloé: i know ur reading these. it literally says message read. answer me or im gonna start freaking out.
Marinette felt touched that Chloé was thinking about her, but she didn’t have the time to respond.
"Tikki, how are we doing?" Marinette asked, putting away her phone.
"Almost done!" Tikki put the remaining piece of the macaron in her mouth, chewing as fast as she could.
Suddenly, there was a loud stomping noise nearby. Marinette turned her head, taking caution to cover her face with her arm. She saw the Emperor at the entrance of the alley.
"Found you," the Emperor announced, triumphantly and taunting.
"No, stay back!" Marinette yelled. She didn’t know what to do. This alley had a dead-end at the other side, so there was absolutely nowhere for her to run.
A tentacle was launched at her, wrapping around her wrist, hauling her forward off her feet. Throughout it all, she kept her face hidden with her other arm, desperately hoping that Chat got here soon.
"The earrings," the akuma said. A glowing purple butterfly appeared on his face, signifying that it was now Hawkmoth speaking directly. "At last. After all your struggling in vain, I’ll finally have the Ladybug Miraculous!"
"Get off me!" Marinette struggled with all her might, but it was no use. The tentacle had a too strong grip on her.
The akuma didn't even seem to register her struggling as a threat. He used a second tentacle to reach for her ears and simply took her Miraculous away. Tikki gave a small, awful cry of despair and dissolved into a puff of pink light.
"Tikki!" Marinette screamed.
"Now," Hawkmoth murmured through the Emperor, grabbing her other wrist with another tentacle. "Let's see who you—"
Something black slammed into him from the side. The impact sent him crashing into the dead end of the alley. Marinette landed hard on the ground, wrist throbbing.
"Run!" Chat Noir told her, carefully not looking at her so that he wouldn’t find out her identity. Instead, he was staring daggers at the knocked down akuma.
"Chat, what happened?"
"I’m so sorry. I couldn’t keep him distracted for long. He was dead set on going after you. Now, go!" His voice cracked in agony over failing to have his partner’s back. He spotted the Ladybug Miraculous in the Emperor’s grasp, his eyes widening at the horrible sight. "Oh no, he has your Miraculous!? He's getting up, Ladybug! You need to leave!"
Marinette bolted away before the akuma could shake off the blow that was dealt to him. She had to do something, and do it fast.