Lady Midnight in Paris

Chapter 10

Adrien collapsed to his knees. He looked around for Plagg, but he had disappeared back into the ring.

Midnight had taken his ring.

Midnight had taken Marinette.

Ladybug was nowhere to be found.

Eagleflight had left in fear.

Half of Paris had been weakened.

He ran.

He ran off of the bridge, down the abandoned streets, past Marinette's bakery, past his school, and stopped in front of a familiar building.

Adrien opened the back door and walked up the stairs. He hesitated before knocking quietly on the door to the apartment.

"Come in."

Adrien entered. Master Fu and Wayzz sat, waiting. They were gazing at the opened Miraculous chest, faces full of sorrow.

"I was so sure..." Fu was mumbling. Wayzz rubbed his shoulder with his tiny limb. "I was so sure that Eagleflight would've been enough."

Adrien kneeled before the Chinese elder. "We need to find her. Rena Rouge. We need her help."

"Bring her to me. I will see if I can regain her strength."

Adrien used a car that had been abandoned with the keys still in the ignition. He drove over to the school and scooped up Alya Cesaire and laid her to rest in the backseat. Her eyelids drooped with weakness, and was faintly aware of Adrien's presence.

"Where...where's Mar?" she asked.

"She's fine," Adrien said absentmindedly, buckling her seatbelt. "Just rest."

When Alya was secured, Adrien drove horribly back to Master Fu's apartment. After he carried Alya upstairs and laid her on the floor, Master Fu kneeled beside her.

He held out his hands.

Adrien waited, arms crossed nervously. He fingered the place where his ring used to be. He was still getting over the fact that Alya was Rena Rouge.

He'd always thought that they'd find out each other's identities in a more...nicer way. But that didn't matter at the moment. Paris was threatened by the most powerful akuma they'd ever seen, and Ladybug was nowhere to be found.

Please, please forgive me Alya. I know we all needed our identities to be secret.

Alya's eyes opened. She looked around, and fear flooded her eyes. She noticed Adrien in the room. "Adrien?"

"Hey.." Adrien knelt by her side. "How are you feeling? Do you feel stronger?"

"Yeah. What happened?" She sat up and stared at Master Fu. "Who is he?"

"Alya." Her attention snapped back to him. Her big hazel eyes were full of confusion and fear. Adrien took in a deep breath. "We need Rena Rouge."

Her eyes widened. Her shoulders clenched. "How did you--"

Just then, Master Fu interrupted them.

"I'm glad to see you awake. Now, about the Miraculouses." Master Fu held out the black hexagonal box. Adrien stood next to him. The Fox and the Bee Miraculous were still in their spot, but in their own individual boxes. "We must call on you again."

Alya glanced at Adrien. "What are you talking about? I demand to know why I was dragged here!"

Adrien held out a hand to reassure her. It looked bare without his ring. "Alya, I'm Chat Noir."

Alya stared blankly at him. Suddenly, she gasped.

Adrien couldn't help but smile. He expected the same thing to happen with him and Ladybug. He was sure that they knew each other in normal life somehow.

"Please, will you help save Paris?" said Master Fu. He held out the little box to the girl.

Alya glanced at Adrien. She smiled softly, and nodded. She reached for the box.

-----

Hawk Moth couldn't control the amount of power he had given this akuma.

Midnight was trapped in a glass enclosure, too thick to penetrate, even with her powers. It had been specially made by Hawk Moth, as a trap for Ladybug and Chat Noir. He never imagined that he would use it on one of his own akumas.

"Let me out! I need to finish the job!"

"No." Hawk Moth said, not looking at her. "I will not let you endanger the lives of children. You have completed the job I asked for." He held up Ladybug's earrings and Chat Noir's ring. "But I will not set you free until you are under control."

A bang on the glass caused Hawk Moth to jump. He turned. "I am under my own control! Why does everyone keep telling me what to do! There are too many expectations! I am my own person!" shrieked Midnight. Her red eyes blazed. A flash of blue in them startled Hawk Moth.

Was that the girl I akumatized? Is she trying to fight back? That takes extreme willpower...the kind of willpower I've only seen in two people in my life...

"Now, now," Hawk Moth said in his sultry voice. "Remind me again who gave you your powers?"

Midnight growled, and banged her fist on the glass. "I won't stop! I won't stop until Ladybug and Chat Noir are ensured to never ruin Paris again!"

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bRO. Marinette's got WILLPOWER AF. 

HOPE YOU ENJOyED ThiS chAPtER. see you next chapter!

peace out,

anicm