Dead

Chaos Strikes Pt 2

"What's going on?" I demanded, watching my bodyguard as he crossed the room to check the windows. I saw him open his mouth to speak before his eyes went wide. He jumped back and grabbed me, shielding me with his body just as the window shattered, glass flying everywhere.

"Well, well, well. Such a disloyal monkey." I looked up as Gorilla pushed himself up and saw a woman clad in a deep blue outfit with a long trailing blue skirt and short blue hair, half covered by a cap with feathers on it.

She stepped into the room, coming closer to Gorilla and me. In turn, Gorilla turned and tried rushing me to the door but not only was it blocked, but there were others trying to get in. At the front of them were akumatized victims I'd fought before, Reflekta and Princess Fragrance.

"Hand him over like a good monkey. You've served your purpose well. I will take care of young Mister Agreste from now on." The woman, who I recognized as Hawk Moth's right hand woman, Mayura, held out her hand towards us. Gorilla stepped in front of me once again and Mayura sighed. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you."

She got into a fighting stance, but before she could do anything the door to the room burst open, sending the items Gorilla had used to barricade it flying. Gorilla switched sides to protect me from the debris, giving Mayura the perfect chance to grab me and pull me towards her.

She set me on the roof before looking back into the classroom, which was being overrun with dozens of akumas. Standing up straight, Mayura reached into her fan and pulled out a feather. Closing her hand around it, she whispered something into it. Stepping closer, I'm able to make out her words.

"You've always been excellent to Adrien. I won't let you fall like this." Opening her hand, the feather flew away when she blew it, landing directly on the top button of Gorilla's suit. "Gorilla, I am Mayura. You had betrayed someone who had given you a chance, but you had stuck to your duty admirably. I grant you a guardian of your own, to protect you from this mob."

Gorilla bent down on one knee, giving up fighting off the akumas. They fell on him quickly, but it wasn't long before the feather had created a Sentimonster that took the shape of... Chat Noir. Mayura seemed as surprised as I was, but she didn't waste much time mulling it over. 

Grabbing my hand, she pulled me along behind her as we ran along the top of the buildings. I assumed her suit was making her fast, but she wasn't running so quickly that I fell behind or stumbled. She had slowed down so that she could keep pace with me.

I took this as my opportunity to get some answers. After all, if my father was Hawk Moth, he'd want someone he could trust to be his partner, and I could think of no one better for that role than...

"Nathalie, wait." Mayura stumbled before slowing to a stop and whirling to face me. 

"How could you know that? The suits quantum masking makes it so that no one can recognize the user of the Miraculous."

"I know it's you, Nathalie. Just like I know my father is Hawk Moth." Nathalie sucked in a breath and stepped towards me. Grabbing my forearms, she pulled me closer with a desperate look on her face.

"Adrien, none of this was your father or me. I promise you, there's a reason we're doing this-"

"Why? What could be so important that it's worth destroying Paris for?" I demanded, getting angrier as I realized how dumb, and blind, I had been. The love of my life was the exact same girl who had been by my side for so long, my father was Hawk Moth, and his assistant was Mayura. 

"It's... not my place to tell. But if you'll come with me, your father will explain everything. Now hurry! We're not safe here." Mayura grabbed my hand again and her words from earlier finally sunk in.

"Wait... what do you mean, none of this was my father? Those are akumas! Who else besides Hawk Moth could-"

"Someone stole the Butterfly Miraculous from your father and they're going on a rampage. I managed to protect the Peacock Miraculous and your father but it's dangerous for everyone at this time. Your father wanted to come himself, but he seems to believe whoever stole the Butterfly Miraculous can find him."

"How... how is that possible?"

"I don't know, but we need to get to safety before-"

"Adrien?" Mayura jumped in front of me as we turned to see who had spoken. Mayura blocked my view, but adjusting a bit let me see who had called my name. Standing before us was none other than Rena Rouge, the vixen hero. "What are you doing? I told you to stand by-"

Her eyes turned to Mayura and seemed to realize who she was for the first time. A terrifying scowl fell upon her features and Rena pulled out her flute, spreading her legs to steady herself as she glared daggers at Mayura.

"You."

"We meet again." Mayura grinds out, holding her fan up, ready to fight.

"The queen is looking for you. Come quietly and nothing will happen to you."

"Woah! A- I mean, Rena Rouge! Isn't that a little dark, you know, for a hero?" She turned to look at me and I saw a strange white light in her eyes flicker. 

"Y-yeah, it is. A-Adrien..." She seemed to change in an instant. "Adrien! Thank goodness you're okay! I know why you didn't hear the message earlier! It's Marinette! You're the only one who can s-"

"What? What about Marinette? RENA?" But her eyes had changed again, and the white light covered almost half of her iris now in each eye. Her expression turned stony, and she held up her flute once more.

"I'm to escort you to see the queen, sir. The order doesn't say anything about any fowl, though. Must not be anyone important, so I'm allowed to do with you as I please." Rena Rouge crouched down, preparing for a fight and Mayura assumed a similar stance.

"Wait! Rena! Come back! What happened to Marinette? Re-"

"Adrien, get out of here! This girl is gone! She's under the control of the queen. Go find help. If we were found this quickly, it's only a matter of time before your father is, if he wasn't already. Get out of the city, I'll hold her off."

"Don't hurt her!" I cried, not knowing what to do. I knew how capable Nathalie was, but I didn't trust that white light in Rena's eyes. It was so blank, so cold. There was nothing I could do without transforming and even if something big was happening, I couldn't just reveal my secret identity to one of our enemies.

Nathalie... is an enemy.

"Adrien, go!" Nathalie shouted, rushing towards Rena. 

This isn't your fight. Marinette needs you. With that thought pounding in my head, I ran in the opposite direction, looking for somewhere to transform. If I had learned anything, it was that the queens were usually at the center of everything. 

"So, let's follow the birds from earlier, and see where they lead." I said to myself. I found a fire escape leading down into a vacant alley and climbed down, hopping off the last rungs at the bottom and landing with a thud.

I called out my transformation words, and only then did I realize how quiet Plagg had been all day, ever since the meeting earlier, in fact. I opened my shirt wondering at his behavior but found nothing.

"Plagg?" I said aloud, searching my pockets. "Plagg?"

"... Plagg?"