Le Papillon Rising

Chapter 1

The small violet creature rests in the palm of his hand, shaking out its wings and looking up at him with huge eyes.

"Who… what are you?"

The thing smiles up at him. "Hi, Adrien! My name is Nuru, and I'm a kwami! I'm here because, apparently, you've been chosen to be the next weilder of the butterfly miraculous!"

Adrien's heard that word before. It's not a pleasant memory.

Run, get out of here!

No, Mom, please-

I have to fight, sweetie, please. I've got the Miraculous. It's my duty.

"What does that mean?"

The kwami begins explaining. The more he- it, talks, the angrier Adrien gets. Give people magic? What, so they can get themselves killed?

"The most powerful Miraculous, though, are the Ladybug's earrings and Chat Noir's ring, which are only given in an emergency," the kwami continues. "Together, they can do anything, with the power of a god."

This interests Adrien. "Anything?"

"Well, yeah!"

"Could… could they bring the dead back?"

It looks uncomfortable. "Well, yes, but-"

"How do I get them?" If this thing is telling the truth…

"You can't! You can only be given one Miraculous, that's how the scales remain balanced-"

Adrien looks down at the pin. "And this one… what can it do, again?"

"It can grant the wish of an outsider, and make them your champion!"

He looks down at the pin. The idea that's running through his head is sick, wrong, against all his morals…

"You said the Ladybug and Chat Noir Miraculous would only be given in times of emergency. Like, say… if super-villains began attacking Paris?"

"Well, yeah, exactly!"

"And with this…" he gestures to the pin. "That could happen."

Nuru suddenly gets the feeling that something is extremely wrong. "Adrien, you can't! The Miraculous are used for good!"

"This is good. I'm saving a life," he smiles sadly. "You can't stop me."

It bows its head. "Adrien…"

"Nuru… dark wings, rise!"

…

"Master! Master!"

Fu glances up at his kwami, before looking down at the customer. "Ah… master! Master!" Fu chants, grinning. "Just some chanting rituals, very… helpful."

He then proceeds to shove the man out the door.

"What is it?"

"I… I'm not sure. I felt Nuru, but it felt… wrong. Not evil, exactly, but definitely very wrong."

Fu shakes his head. "Do I need to take care of it?"

"No, master, you're too-"

"I'm still young, Wayzz! I'm only 184!"

"Nevertheless, I don't think you alone can stop this."

Fu sighs, and glances to the box. "I… I could always pull him out of retirement."

"… Master, you can't be serious. Anyway, Chat Noir without Ladybug?"

"I can find a Ladybug," Fu asserts. "We all knew he couldn't run from his past forever."

Wayzz is uncertain. "He hated being Noir, and he hates us for what happened to her."

Fu walks over to the box, opening it carefully. "I know. But we don't have a better option."

…

"Adrien!" Gabriel looks around the house. "Where is that boy…?"

"Right here."

He turns around to see his son staring him in the eye, a backpack over one shoulder.

"Adrien…"

"I'm going, Father. I need this."

"You don't. You're safe here. As long as you're here…"

Adrien clenches his fists. "I'm not made of glass, and you can't keep me safe forever."

"I can, and I will," Gabriel looks at his son coldly. He may have lost Bridgette, but hell if he's going to lose her child… even if Adrien hates him for it. After all, it was when Gabriel was fifteen that Fu decided to take him as a soldier of the Miraculous. Who's to say he won't try the same with Adrien?

Well, Gabriel Agreste for one.

He hits a number on his cell phone. "Nathalie?"

"Yes, Mr. Agreste?"

"Keep Adrien inside. Do not let him out of the house. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Mr. Agreste."

Turning away from his fuming son, Gabriel heads to his study. He has work to do…

Work that is not supposed to include that small silver box.

"No, no, I refuse. I'm not getting dragged back into this mess," he pushes the box off the desk, letting it fall open.

"Gabe, please! We need you!" the small black kwami appears in a burst of green light.

"After what happened to Bridgette? No thank you. I finally got rid of you, I'm not taking that ring back," Gabriel turns around, and begins walking. "Leave me be."

"Then Fu'll make sure it gets to Adrien."

The man stops in his tracks. "You wouldn't dare."

"I would."

"… When do we begin?"

…

A girl with dark hair and blue eyes came home that day from school, and found a small silver box, with kwami and earrings in tow, and took on the role of Ladybug. At least, that's what Gabriel figures, since a small girl dressed like Bridgette falls from the sky that afternoon. "Okay, this is too much," he mutters.

"What?"

"How old are you? Twelve? Fu's robbing cradles for his soldiers nowadays?"

"What are you talking about? I'm fifteen! Are you the partner Tikki mentioned?"

"Yes," he looks her over. The girl certainly looks younger than Adrien. She's in pigtails, for god's sake! He didn't even think about what working with a kid would be like…

"Well… sorry for crashing into you…" she looks embarrassed. "I'm- Um…" she pulls at her yo-yo, sending it right in between Gabriel's eyes. "So sorry!" she finishes.

Rubbing his forehead, Gabriel looks down at the kid, eyes wide, completely unprepared, and feels a surge of paternal affection. "Don't worry about it. I'll show you the ropes, okay? I was a mess at this at your age, too."

"Wait, you've been doing this since you were my age?"

This is going to take some explaining, isn't it?