DISASTROUS

Paonne Bleu

Thirty minutes later, the Dupain family and Adrien sat in the living room above the bakery. Sabine Cheng was nervously turning a cup of tea in trembling hands. Adrien had an arm around Marinette; he had called Nathalie after the fight and asked her to send the driver out with instructions to wait.

Tom scratched his head, peering at the two teens. "What just happened?"

Marinette sighed. "We don't know, Papa," she said. "We have no idea who that was or where she came from."

"Hawk Moth is defeated and powerless," Adrien said grimly. "Whatever she is, her powers work like ours."

Sabine frowned. "So she has a Miraculous?"

"There is no Lion Miraculous!" Plagg exclaimed. "How many times do I have to say it?"

"Plagg," Tikki said in a weary, warning tone.

Plagg crossed his arms. "I'm just tired of repeating myself."

"He's not wrong," Nooroo said. "There are only seven Miraculous. Three of them are in this very building, Master Fu has three more, and the last one is lost to the world. And no, it isn't a lion, it's a peacock."

"But you can't deny that her powers were very similar to ours," Adrien said.

"I did sense something...almost familiar from her," Tikki said, frowning. "It wasn't a Kwami...I don't think." She shook her head. "Whatever it was, it felt—"

"Dangerous," Plagg finished, uncharacteristically serious.

A silence fell over the room.

"We need to ask Master Fu about this," Marinette decided. She looked at Adrien, an apologetic grimace on her face. "Can you tell Nathalie I'll look at whatever she wanted to show me in the morning? I don't really feel comfortable leaving my parents alone tonight."

Adrien nodded. "I could stay—"

"No," Marinette said, shaking her head. "I appreciate it, but I don't think Lioness will be back tonight. If...if something does happen, I'll call you."

Adrien sighed. "Alright." He stood up; Plagg flew into his jacket. "I'll see you in the morning. Be careful."

* * * * *

Nathalie was pacing restlessly in the foyer when Adrien arrived. When he walked through the front door, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God," she said. "That last message you sent had me so worried." She frowned. "He's not...is he...?"

Adrien shook his head. "We don't know what we're dealing with, but Hawk Moth has no powers. This wasn't him." He shrugged. "Marinette's coming over in the morning. Master Fu is supposed to meet us here anyway; we'll see if he knows anything." He paused. "You had something you wanted to show Marinette, right? She didn't feel comfortable leaving her parents alone tonight after what we just went through."

Nathalie nodded and walked up the stairs, headed for her office. Adrien followed. Once they were inside, she picked up a large, ancient book from her desk and handed it to Adrien. He opened it, flipping through its pages with a frown.

"It looks like some sort of encyclopedia of the Miraculous," Nathalie said. "It shows many different heroes and detailed drawings of the Miraculous. I've seen at least two Ladybugs and three Chat Noirs in there, as well as a..." She grimaced. "I'd rather not say a Hawk Moth, so I'll call him a Papillon, like the name Marinette uses when she transforms with that...that thing."

Adrien's eyes widened as he flipped through page after page. "Wow," he said. "This must be how Hawk Moth knew about the Miraculous in the first place. Where'd you find this?"

"A hidden safe," Nathalie replied. "It was behind the elevator leading up to the cloister. There were some other things in there, mostly related to that trip he took to Tibet. Some mementos of your mother." She sighed. "I put those in your room," she added. "I thought you might..."

"Thank you," Adrien said. He closed the book with a sigh. "I'm too tired to worry about this right now, but it looks like the pages are written in some sort of code anyway."

"And the information probably doesn't translate into French," Nathalie agreed. "Given the age of the book and the design, I'm willing to bet it's Chinese."

"Or close to it," Adrien said. "Plagg? Do you know anything about this book?"

Plagg, perched on Adrien's shoulder, shrugged. "It seems familiar," he said. "I bet Tikki would know more about it than I would. Master Fu would almost certainly know."

Adrien nodded, pulled out his phone, took a picture of the book, and texted it to Marinette. He then yawned, stretching and cracking his back. "I'm going to bed," he announced. "I have a feeling tomorrow's going to be a long day."

"Alright," Nathalie said. "Goodnight, Adrien."

Adrien was halfway to his room when his text alert chimed.

Tikki says she knows exactly what that book is, and we have to give it to Master Fu as soon as we can.

Adrien sent back a reply, then headed for bed. He tossed and turned for hours before falling into a fitful sleep.

* * * * *

It wasn't even eight in the morning when Marinette rang the bell at Adrien's mansion.

"Good morning, Marinette," Nathalie said. "Adrien will be down shortly. He's in the shower right now."

Marinette smirked. "Is he really showering, or is he just pretending to shower so he can transform?" At Nathalie's confused expression, Marinette shook her head. "Private joke." She held up a box she carried. "I brought some deluxe croissants from home to share with everyone."

Nathalie smiled slightly. "Well, today 'everyone' is just you, me, Adrien, and this Master Fu person, but thank you." She led Marinette to the dining room, then busied herself with her tablet while they waited for Adrien.

When Adrien entered, still drying his hair with a towel, he grinned wearily at Marinette. She got up and walked over, enfolding him in a hug and giving him a light kiss. "You smell better than you look," she said teasingly.

Adrien laughed shakily. "Didn't sleep well," he said.

Marinette sighed. "Neither did I," she admitted. "Hell, I spent the entire night as Ladybug just in case."

Adrien winced. "Ouch. I bet Tikki's exhausted this morning."

Tikki poked her head out of Marinette's purse and yawned. "Let's just say I really hope we don't have to fight Lioness again today."

"I'll go get that book," Adrien said. "Do you know when Master Fu is coming?"

Marinette shook her head.

At precisely half past eight, the doorbell rang again. Adrien and Marinette were in the dining room eating breakfast. Nathalie received Master Fu and led him in. He smiled broadly at the two youngsters. "Good morning, young heroes," he said. He took a seat; Adrien offered him a croissant, which he accepted gratefully. He looked at Marinette. "Your father might just be the best baker in Paris," he said.

Marinette blushed. "I certainly think so."

"Master Fu," Adrien said abruptly and without preamble, "shortly after you left yesterday, we fought a supervillain who called herself the Lioness. She couldn't have been Akumatized, and her powers seemed to work just like ours. Are there more Miraculous you didn't tell us about?"

Master Fu stiffened. "The Lioness?" He paled. "No..."

"Master?" Tikki asked. "What's wrong?"

Master Fu let out a heavy sigh that made him look every bit the old, tired man he was. Eyes clouded with old pain, he looked directly at Adrien. "It is time," he said gravely, "for you to know the truth about your mother."

* * * * *

"Several years ago, I began my search for an apprentice. Knowing how long my own training took, I was determined to train the next guardian over the course of a decade or more as my very long life neared its end.

"For decades, I have moved from nation to nation and city to city across the world, rarely staying in one place for more than ten years. As the fatigue of my many years of life began to set in, I decided to settle in Paris, which was to be my final home and, eventually, resting place.

"My back had only just begun to pain me, and one day I unfortunately fell while touring the Jardins du Trocadéro. I was aided by a very kind young woman, who insisted on staying with me until I felt well enough to walk home, then escorted me all the way back to my clinic. It's rather embarrassing for a healer of my skill to not be able to attend his own back pains, but I accepted her kindness with good grace and humor.

"At the time, I thought little more of it than an encounter with a very kind young woman. However, she began stopping by once a week to check on me. After her third visit, when she brought me some eclairs from her favorite patisserie, I took an active interest in her as a potential successor, and decided to test her.

"Without telling her exactly what it was, I gave her the Peacock Miraculous...then waited.

"For the next three months, that young woman, a wife and mother with a busy life, selflessly—and very secretly—used the powers of the Peacock Miraculous to help out wherever she could, making Paris a better place. She continued to visit me, eager to learn, and I taught her much about the Miraculous.

"It seemed I had found my apprentice and eventual successor. Until one horrible night..."

Aimée Agreste dashed through the dark, splashing through puddles left by the recent rain. Her heart hammered in her chest. With cold, numb fingers, she pulled a cracker out of her bag and fed it to the small, exhausted Kwami cupped in her hand. "Please," she whispered, green eyes warily scanning the rooftops as she made turn after turn, getting herself lost deep in the bowels of the city.

The blue Kwami whimpered as he nibbled on the cracker. "It...it hurts," he croaked. "I'm sorry, Aimée."

"Shh...it's okay, Duusu," Aimée whispered.

A silent black form ghosted overhead. Aimée ducked behind a dumpster.

"It's useless to hide from me, Paonne Bleu," a harsh voice called from above. "I can sense your Kwami! Give me your Miraculous and I'll spare your life!"

"I need to get you to Master Fu," Aimée whispered. "He'll know what to—"

"There you are," the harsh voice said. The dumpster was shoved roughly aside, leaving Aimée exposed and defenseless. The cruel, beaked black cowl of her pursuer twisted into a sneer. "I know who you are," he chuckled. "Yes...you're the wife of Gabriel Agreste. Well...this is very interesting. Your husband and son...I wonder if their safety is worth the life of that pitiful Kwami..."

Aimée's eyes hardened. "You will not hurt my family!" She stood up, adjusting the peacock-shaped ornamental buckle attached to the thin golden chain belt around her waist. "Duusu, show your feathers!"

Duusu was sucked into the Peacock Miraculous, which shone more brightly, its feathers glistening in the night. A semi-sheer baby blue body stocking spread outward from the Miraculous, covering Aimée from neck to toe. As the body stocking finished forming, a minidress made of huge dark blue feathers fell into place over her body, joined by elegant sapphire high heels and matching opera gloves; a bright blue feathered fan appeared in her left hand as a bejeweled sapphire mask covered her eyes.

Paonne Bleu staggered, a sudden wave of dizziness washing over her.

The dark figure cackled throatily. "My Blight is eating away at your Kwami," he said. "You no longer have the strength to resist me..."

"DAZZLE!"

The grimy back alley lit up with strobing blue light. The dark figure roared in rage and covered his eyes as strobe after strobe went off.

When the blue light finally faded away, Paonne Bleu was gone.

* * * * *

Aimée staggered through the door of Master Fu's clinic, cupping Duusu against her heart. Tears streamed from her eyes. "Please," she sobbed. "Please, help Duusu..."

As Aimée laid Duusu on the meditation mat in the center of the room, Master Fu studied the shivering Kwami, a grave expression on his face. "This..." He swallowed. "What has happened?"

"I was attacked," Aimée choked out between sobs, "by a man dressed like a crow..."

Master Fu paled. "No," he breathed. He looked down at Duusu, his eyes clouded. "Duusu...Paonne Bleu...I am sorry, but this blight is beyond my ability to heal." He bowed his head and closed his eyes. "Duusu will die unless he is sealed inside the Miraculous." He looked up at Aimée. "Forever."

Aimée gasped. "I...I can never—?"

Master Fu shook his head sadly.

Aimée bowed her head. "I see." She sighed. "Master...the crow man, he...he knew my face. Knew my name. My family..."

Master Fu closed his eyes and stroked his beard. "Then he will pursue you, threaten them, until he gets what he wants."

"Indeed I will."

Master Fu and Aimée turned to the door, where the Crow stood, leering down at them. "So, you must be the Great Guardian," he said. "It would appear I have found the treasure trove." He grinned maliciously. "I can sense another Kwami...I know you have the Miraculous. Give them to me!"

Master Fu narrowed his eyes. "I do not know how you came into possession of the Disastrous," he said, "but you will not have the Miraculous! Wayzz, transform me!"

"You will not fight this battle alone, Master!" Aimée quickly opened the secret chest containing the Miraculous and snatched up the Black Cat ring, sliding it onto her finger. "Plagg, claws out!"

* * * * *

Master Fu looked down. "Your mother fought beside me as Chat Noir," he said. "She used Cataclysm on the Crow. He...he was barely alive enough to flee, but the wounds she inflicted..."

Adrien gasped. Marinette clawed at her pale face with trembling fingers.

Plagg frowned. "I don't remember any of that," he said.

"No, you wouldn't," Master Fu said remorsefully. "You knew Paonne Bleu for less than five minutes, and were never truly bonded to her. I used acupressure techniques to remove your memory of that horrible night."

"And...and my mother?" Adrien asked hoarsely.

Master Fu looked at him, eyes clouded with pain. "She feared there were others out there like the Crow," he said. "She feared that he somehow survived her attack. And she couldn't bear the loss of her Kwami..." He sighed. "Duusu remains asleep inside the Peacock Miraculous and can never be revived.

"The following morning, I awoke to find the Peacock Miraculous missing, and a letter your mother had written. She went to Tibet to search for a way to heal Duusu. She asked that neither you nor your father be told any of what had happened.

"After that..."

"She disappeared," Adrien said hoarsely. He looked away, eyes wet and dark. "Three months later, Father took a trip to Tibet. When he came back, he was so cold and distant..." He clenched his fists.

"I had hoped the appearance of the Crow was an isolated incident," Master Fu said. "I watched and waited, and finally had convinced myself that this was so. But now...if the Lion Disastrous has been found, is being used..."

"Disastrous?" Marinette asked.

Master Fu stood and began to pace. "Just as the Ladybug and the Black Cat are opposites—creation and destruction—so too do the Miraculous as a whole have their opposite number: The Disastrous. Seven jewels created to contain the power of malevolence and pure evil, inhabited by demons known as Kwoni." He looked at Adrien, Marinette, and Nathalie. "Where the Miraculous exist to empower humans to become protectors, the Disastrous enable humans to become monsters. Those who wield the Disastrous are a plague on mankind, bent on destruction, using their power for their own selfish ends, and always with the ultimate goal of destroying the Miraculous and devouring the Kwamis to absorb their power."

Marinette gasped. Tikki paled.

"Over two hundred years ago, my master and his disciples recovered the Disastrous and buried them in seven different locations," Master Fu continued. "They should have remained sealed until the end of time. When the Crow surfaced that terrible night, I had feared the worst, but prayed that it was only chance that led to one of the Disastrous being found." He sat down and sighed. "If the Lion Disastrous has now fallen into human hands, then we must assume the others will not be far behind."

Adrien, Marinette, and Nathalie looked at one another, as did Plagg, Tikki, and Nooroo.

"So...what do we do?" Adrien asked.

Master Fu rested his elbows on the table and steepled his fingers.

"The Miraculous must all be bequeathed to worthy holders," he said. "Including my own Turtle Miraculous." He shook the bracelet around his wrist. "I had intended to leave the Fox and Bee sealed, but...I fear that is no longer an option."

"We should give one of them to Nathalie," Marinette said immediately.

Nathalie blinked. "M-me? No." She shook her head. "I could never do what you and Adrien do."

"I don't think it's a good idea," Adrien said. "Not that Nathalie isn't capable of being a hero, but..." He sighed. "I can't risk anything happening to you. Especially not with your heart condition. We're lucky what Hawk Moth did to you didn't kill you."

"Heart condition?" Master Fu asked, raising an eyebrow.

Nathalie adjusted her glasses. "I have a pacemaker," she said. "And went through many surgeries as a child. I'm...I have to limit my physical activities."

Master Fu frowned thoughtfully. "Would you object to allowing me to read your energies later? Call it a healer's curiosity."

"Of—of course," Nathalie said. "By all means."

"Marinette, the book," Tikki interrupted.

"Oh! Right." Marinette pushed the forgotten book across the table to Master Fu. "We found this in a safe in...in Hawk Moth's lair."

Master Fu's eyes widened. "This...! I've been searching for this for decades!" He opened the book reverently. "Thank you for finding this. This is the most critical resource of information about the Miraculous ever written. This book contains secrets even I don't know."

"It's written in a very complex code," Nathalie said.

"This is no code," Master Fu said with a chuckle. "It is very ancient, powerful magic." He flipped through the pages, his eyes scanning the illustrations. He stopped on a page depicting a fox-themed heroine and an illustration of a foxtail pendant. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Miraculous chest, from which he removed that very pendant; he placed it against the illustration, and the coded pages of the book began to glow brightly, the indecipherable lines and dots transforming into flowing Chinese script.

The others stared at the book. "How did you—?" Adrien asked.

Master Fu laughed softly. "The fox's power of illusion is the key," he said. "A man could spend his entire life trying to decipher the information in this book and lose his sanity in the process, but without the Fox Miraculous, the book cannot be read..."

* * * * *

A tanned, tall, buxom girl stood outside Collège Françoise Dupont, looking up at the building with shrewd olive green eyes framed by brown hair cut into razor-straight bangs and tied in foxtails on the sides.

"Hm-hmm," she chuckled to herself, flipping her hair absently. "This place doesn't look like much. Once school starts in September, I'll be running it inside of a week..."

À SUIVRE...

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