The Double Face of the Designer's Son

Chapter 11.

Adrien woke to the sounds of Claire talking... perhaps to herself. The intercom must have gotten stuck on.

"That should about do it. I'm exhausted."

There were sighs and shuffling noises as Claire prepared to go home. Adrien sat up. He had been about to call out to Claire when a new noise came into the room, barely audible.

"Now I know I've gotta get to sleep. I'm seeing things." A moment passed, then there was a light gasp. Adrien now heard feedback on the microphone, but there was something else there. It sounded like a struggle. Eventually, the noises stopped. Claire's voice pierced the veil of silence."I'll analyze their every weakness, Ghost Moth."

"Ghost Moth?!" Adrien exclaimed. This must be a new enemy. Perhaps it was that Hawkmoth had a new identity. The Miraculous had been passed to a new holder. "Wait. Claire knows Cat Noir's identity. This could be... incredibly dangerous. Plagg, claws-"

A loud noise shook the building.

"Oh, hello, boss." The intercom spoke again. "Glad to see you again. The security system has been reprogrammed to attack you if you come out of that room, so I'd step carefully." Adrien grinned. Claire without an Akuma would have been smarter than this.

"I think I know a way around it. Plagg, claws out!" Adrien transformed into Cat Noir and broke open his window. Analyst growled.

"Fine. I'll fight you the hard way."

Cat Noir jumped away from his house as fast as he could go. He couldn't let Claire catch him. He also had to alert Ladybug. Finally, he arrived at his destination. Cat Noir knocked on a window. When he received no response, he knocked harder.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," said a soft feminine voice from inside the room. "Just don't be too loud, the baby's asleep." A tired woman opened the window, squinted, put on her glasses, and blinked a few times. "Cat Noir?"

"Hey, Alya."

"What the hell are you doing here, Cat Noir? It's almost five in the morning." Alya yawned.

"There's an akumatized citizen and I can't find Ladybug anywhere. I need your help to alert her." Alya smiled.

"I'll be right back. Meet me at the front door in two minutes." Alya closed her window and Cat Noir jumped off the sill and onto the ground. He walked up to the porch and hid behind a potted plant. When the door opened a few moments later, Alya looked around.

"Why are you hiding behind a plant?" Cat Noir looked up to see Alya pinching the bridge of her nose with her eyes tightly shut.

"The akumatized woman knows my identity. If she gets a chance to expose me, I'm toast. I can't let her find me. She's probably hijacked every security camera in Paris by now."

"Alright, you're the expert, kitty-cat." Alya went back into the house for a moment. She returned carrying a Halloween mask and an oversized coat and held them out to her feline friend. "Here. Security cameras can recognize your face, but they can't recognize this one." Alya pulled out her phone and began to broadcast.

"Alya from the Ladyblog here. I've received a tip and a call for help. An anonymous source says a woman has been akumatized in the city. Ladybug, we need you, as soon as possi-" 

The transmission was interrupted as Cat Noir ran away and Alya ducked to avoid a drone, which flew in kamikaze fashion at her head and crashed in the street behind her. The villain came closer and grabbed her phone, using her jet pack to get out of range.

Marinette's phone buzzed on her bedside table. She rolled over and picked it up to see that she was being notified of a Ladyblog stream.

"An anonymous source says a woman has been akumatized in the city! Ladybug, we need you, as soon as possi-" Marinette sat bolt upright watching a drone diving onto the street. The camera showed the phone being lifted far above the city.

"Tikki, you need to see this!" On the screen, a woman with a gleaming strip of computer screen covering her eyes grinned. Pixels on the screen arranged into strange, angry digital eyes for the villain who hovered miles above Paris."Evening, ladies and gentlemen. Prepare yourselves for a show. I am Analyst. I know your every weakness. I can detect anything and nobody can stop me, not even your precious heroes. The weak bastards couldn't stop me, even if I didn't have one perfectly under my control. Cat Noir, I know your real identity. If you don't surrender your Miraculous, I can expose you to the whole world. The security footage is safe, sealed in my computer brain. All it takes is a few simple connections and everyone on the planet will know who you are. Don't even try to come for me or I'll reveal you to everyone." The villain paused as her screen updated itself. The eyes were less angry and evil but had more cunning, true to Analyst's original form, Claire. "As for Ladybug, you have weaknesses like anyone else. But I'm a sucker for a good show. Why don't you come to a little meeting at the top of the Eiffel Tower in fifteen minutes? My timer is set, dear heroine. You have until it goes off until I seal off this whole city and hunt you down until you can't hide from me anymore. Oh, and my analytics program works on firewalls, too! I can weaponize any piece of technology at the drop of a hat. Ciao for now, everyone! And as for you, Ghost Moth, I'll have everything you wanted by tonight, sir."

In his lair, a smile crawled across Ghost Moth's face.

"Now we have some spare time, dearest. Want to... do something with me?" He swept his girlfriend into a dip.

"You know I'd love to, sweetheart, but don't we have things to do? What if that assistant of ours can't get the job done, and we have to do a little persuasion to keep her working?"

"Oh, you're right, dear heart. You'll have to be satisfied with this for now." He kissed her but quickly broke it.

"When we get those Miraculous from her, we'll be able to do anything we want. And then I'll have my way with you. Until then, sugar," the woman said in a singsong voice. "I've got work to do too."

"I shall count the minutes," Ghost Moth whispered in her ear. She blew him a kiss and left the bunker where the lair was located. It was time for her to do her job.