Daunting Discoveries ('Miraculous' Fanfic #2)

Chapter 14: Devastator's Despair

3rd Person's P.O.V.

Screams ran through Paris as Devastator roamed the streets. As his shoes made contact with the concrete beneath his feet, a greyness seeped out of them. Everything he touched, with either his fingers or feet, became grey and lifeless. Around him, despair poisoned the air.
He was now at the park. The same park in which he had hidden in the fountain with Marinette. The park where he had endured countless photoshoots, all for the sake of his father. So much time and energy pretending to be someone he wasn't, all to gain his father's affection. Only to find out that he was...

Unlike most villains, he did not intentionally hurt people. Instead, he trailed his hand along the string of healthy green-leaved trees. Behind him leaving a trail of grey, dead trees. Beneath his feet, the grass withered. Some citizens of Paris that were caught in the greyness that seeped out from him, not able to escape in time, were grey and hunched over, slowly trudging along, all happiness and joy gone out of them, in its place, lonely despair.

It was this sight that met Marinette Dupain-Cheng as she, having ran towards the source of the screams, emerged from one of the many streets of Paris.

Her heart almost broke to see Adrien, her dear, sweet Adrien, cause all of this chaos and despair. For a moment, she felt fear. It was one thing to face a villain when she was Ladybug, protected and powerful, but to face this awful akumatized Adrien as herself... she felt vulnerable. Terrified. For a moment she remained in the shadows, unable to overcome her inertia. Then she drove herself into action with a single thought,
"Come on Marinette. Adrien needs you."

Marinette cautiously walked to the edge of the park, close enough to talk to Adrien, but not so close that she would get affected by the greyness surrounding him.

She took a deep breath, then yelled out,
"Adrien!"

The figure of grey turned to look at her. His face filled with sadness, he listlessly looked at her as though she were a stranger.

"Adrien, please! I know you're upset, but this isn't the way! We can do this together, but please. Please Adrien. This isn't the answer."

The villain hesitated a moment, as though considering her words, then sadly shook his head,
"No Marinette. You don't- you don't understand. Besides..." he paused, "it's not Adrien anymore. My name is Devastator."

Devastator was inwardly struggling for control. On one hand, there was Adrien, desperate to just end all this. On the other hand was Devastator, being honed to get revenge on those that had wronged him. From afar, Hawk Moth felt his son trying to stay somewhat in control and not intentionally hurt any of the innocent civilians surrounding him. Felt that there was a small piece of his mind that he was blocking Hawk Moth from controlling.
Had it been any other random person, he would have forced Adrien, or rather Devastator, to do his bidding, as he had with Evillustrator. But he merely shrugged and let it be, for he knew that Devastator was still causing enough chaos to draw out Ladybug and Chat Noir, and he still had enough anger inside that he would do what had to be done and retrieve the Miraculous of the Ladybug and the Black Cat.

Devastator turned away from Marinette, the love of his life, and sadly trudged along and continued to spread his sad greyness throughout Paris.

Marinette gave a huff of frustration, trying to figure out the best way to save Adrien.
Coming to a decision, she ran around the greyness that was spreading, and towards the general area Devastator was heading to. Once she reached there, she stood and waited. Devastator came into view once more.

Marinette felt a tremor of fear, then she raised her voice once more,
"Adrien. Please. I'm begging you. Stop this. This isn't the answer. Please Adrien."

Devastator felt his heart relent for a moment. Then, as the events of this day flooded through his mind, with some prompting from the Akuma's dark energy, he hardened his heart.

"I already told you, it's Devastator, I'm no longer that pathetic... 'Adrien'! You don't understand."

Marinette stood still, as though frozen. She had tried one more time to convince Adrien, and failed. There was only one other thing she could think of that could possibly work. It was risky. Terrifying. But this was Adrien she was talking about. She had to save him.

Having made her choice, Marinette began to walk towards Devastator, towards the greyness that surrounded him. As she drew closer, Devastator looking at her with shock, Adrien took over, yelling,
"Marinette, no!"

But it was too late, she stepped into the greyness. As her feet made contact with the grey ground, all of her bubbly joy was sucked out of her, replaced by lonely despair. No longer standing upright, she hunched over, her face becoming sad and grey. Her once bright bluebell blue eyes became dull and sunken. Her lustrous hair now grey and matted.

Doubt overwhelmed her.
"What on earth was I thinking?"
"This was such a stupid idea!"
"I should just give up."
"What's the point? Hawk Moth is going to win anyway."

Then a tiny flicker of hope, like the smallest stirring of an ember, appeared in her heart. A whisper so weak, it could barely be heard.
"Adrien needs you."

She slowly turned and began to shuffle towards Devastator. Every single step was an immense battle. But at last, Marinette stood before him. Devastator could only watch in astonishment.

With great effort, she spoke, her voice horrible and dry,
"I love you."

Then the young protagonist slowly lifted her arms and embraced him for several moments, her touch filled with all of her admiration, respect, and love for him.

Warmth overtook the sad coldness inside Devastator, and all of his anger and upset dissipated like dew on a sunny day. He fought and broke Hawkmoth's hold over him.

Then he changed from Devastator to Adrien, and a white butterfly flew out of his shoes.

Devastator was no more.