Chapter Text
At last.
At last.
Gabriel had won.
He was going to get his wish.
His wife would be restored.
He just had to figure out how exactly to phrase it.
He frowned.
Turned to his enemies, paralyzed with Venom, wrapped in chains created with Genesis, locked in Shellter bubbles, blasted with a Sublimation-derived sleep-inducement to keep them unconscious, and with Gift orbs floating in front of their faces just to be safe.
It didn’t feel like enough, especially not for that damnable Ladybug, but it would have to do.
…and then, the idea came to him, a slow smile spreading across his face.
His son being Chat Noir could be easily dismissed. Clearly Gabriel had simply failed in keeping him under tight enough control- Emilie assisting him would make that much easier. And it wasn’t as though Chat Noir had ever really done anything to earn Gabriel’s personal enmity.
No. That was saved for Ladybug. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Who constantly defied him, rebelled against his perfect vision, entranced his son to break from his destiny, foiled Gabriel’s goals again and again and again-
Well.
No more of that nonsense. Not in Gabriel’s perfect new world.
“Are you ready to make your wish?” intoned Reality Itself as Gabriel turned back around, smile still firmly in place as he spoke.
“I wish-“
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Gabriel awoke abruptly in bed, straightening upright.
He paused.
Had it worked?
The clock resting on his bedside table- he’d gone for a model that also displayed the current date, because he was rich and he could- said… that it was two days before he’d akumatized Stoneheart. Two days before he’d debuted as Hawk Moth.
…and soft arms snaked around his waist. “Gabe? You alright?”
… oh god yes he was alright.
“Perfectly fine, Emilie,” he assured softly.
She was back.
She was back.
His family was one step on the road back to perfection.
…in fact, he could probably take the next step right now, seeing as Emilie was awake. As much as he wanted to savour this moment, he needed to ensure everything was perfect first. He could be utterly overjoyed by his success once that was handled.
“You don’t have any film shoots coming up, do you?” He asked.
“No, not for the next few weeks,” she said with a frown. “Did I forget to add that to the calendar?”
“I just wanted to make sure,” Gabriel assured, before adding with deliberate slowness, “I’d like to talk about Adrien. He’s been asking to attend public school this year, right?”
“Yes, I remember,” Emilie confirmed, with a lazy half-smile. “I’m not sure I love the idea of sending him out into the world without our supervision, but I suppose we can always send Placide along to keep an eye out, so it should be safe enough.”
“Well,” Gabriel explained, thinking quickly about what he remembered about his son before all his rebellions against Gabriel’s instructions had started up- he had been rather busy as a magical terrorist, after all. His recollections would likely be imperfect. “I’m truthfully a bit concerned about why he might want to attend public school so badly- I think it’s a symptom of something bigger we need to solve…”
And from the suddenly-concerned look on Emilie’s face, he knew she would agree with whatever he suggested wholeheartedly, unless it was completely unreasonable.
But he was certain she’d see this as reasonable.
___________________
“…and that’s all I know for certain before this reality was reset for me,” Nooroo finished softly.
His new holder was silent for a moment.
But only on the outside. Within, Nooroo could sense an utter firestorm of pure, undiluted, apoplectic fury.
“…this was done to us,” she hissed. “Some spiteful bastard did this to us when he didn’t even- and now she-“
She visibly restrained herself from screaming- it would awaken her family. And they needed all the rest they could get right now.
She rubbed her fingers over the cracked peacock-shaped pin she’d lifted from her bedside table, then carefully opened her drawer and slipped it inside.
She didn’t need it.
Not when she had another pin that was completely undamaged and very much usable.
“Nooroo,” she said slowly, feeling like her rage was choking her from the inside out, “I’m gonna need you to tell me everything your powers are capable of.”
“…and then what?” The sweet little butterfly fairy asked softly.
“And then, I’ll track this bastard down,” she declared, angry tears springing to the corners of her eyes as she envisioned her lying unconscious on that damned hospital bed. “And I’m going to burn everything he has ever loved in his life to the ground.”
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Adrien was excited.
Why wouldn’t he be, really?
For the first time in his life, he was going to be allowed to attend public school! He’d be able to meet people and make new friends! In a mere two days he would finally have the freedom he’d longed for for so long!
And sure, it was only a few days away, but he was still excited!
Plus it didn’t hurt that Mom was home from her latest movie shoot. She’d be able to see him off!
He sighed, stretching his arms, basking in the sunlight of the mansion’s courtyard.
And he was quickly joined, Mom beaming cheerfully. “Adrien! Enjoying your morning?”
“I finished my physics lesson with Nathalie early, so she suggested I go outside for a bit!” Adrien reported happily. “Enjoy the warmth before summer’s over.”
“How eminently practical,” Mom noted with a teasing grin. “But then, Nathalie’s a practical woman.”
She joined him on the bench, and they sat in happy silence for a moment.
Then, she spoke up. “Adrien, your father was talking to me earlier…”
“…okay?” He said in confusion- after all, Mom spoke with Father frequently. Because they were married. He wasn’t sure why suddenly the fact that two married people who shared a bed had spoken to each other was pertinent to him specifically.
“Well, long story short, I’ve already taken action to step back a bit from my next film,” she explained. “It wasn’t too early to find a new lead actress, and my audition for the role was a bit sloppy anyways to be truthful- I’m still in it, but I’ll be able to remain in Paris longer, so now there’s no need for you to go to public school!”
…what.
“I mean, Gabriel explained all his concerns about how lonely you’ve seemed without me around, and it makes so much sense! Of course you’d be desperate for more with me being so absent! But don’t worry, I’ll be around a lot more for the rest of the year.” She beamed cheerfully. “So everything’s handled! Don’t worry, we’ve already called in to cancel your enrolment- and if you have any worries about your education, we’ll just step up your personal curriculum with Nathalie!”
Then she shrugged. “I mean, it’s hardly a perfect solution. I’ll still be leaving again eventually. But we can tackle that as it comes, right?”
…no.
No, no, no no no no no no no no no no no no NO-
“That sounds perfect, Mom,” Adrien lied, plastering an innocent smile onto his face, before he stood. “I should probably go practice piano. Father wanted me to start on a few more complex pieces, and the more time I spend working on that…”
“Oh! Of course, sweetheart, go on,” she assured, still smiling broadly. “And let me know if he’s getting a bit ornery over that, would you? I know his expectations are sometimes a bit extreme.”
“Of course, Mom,” he assured, still with that smile plastered over his face, before he re-entered the house.
He managed to hold it in until he got to his room, closing the door behind him, as close to privacy as he could get, before he grabbed a pillow and hurled it across the room, then threw himself onto his bed and let out a muffled scream.
The sort of tantrum Father would normally berate him for, but Father wasn’t in the room right now, was he?
Just… why?
Why why why why why he had been so close how could she do this how could Father do this it wasn’t fair it wasn’t it wasn’t IT WASN’T-
This. This couldn’t be his life forever, could it? Locked up in this mansion, only allowed outside for work or for studying (and the way his mother approached it, fencing was indeed academic)-
His room- two storeys tall, and larger than most family-sized apartments- suddenly felt entirely too small, too constricting.
Air. He needed air. He walked over and slid the window open. A warm breeze slipped gently into the room- and, a bit surprisingly, a butterfly, with jet black wings and purple markings.
Father would be furious to see an insect in Adrien’s room.
All the more reason to let it stay, he thought spitefully, before it abruptly fluttered over to his hand and…
A soft purple glow sprang to life around the edges of his vision, and a soft voice sounded- but there was no one else in the room, so how-?
Goddamn, no wonder my akuma went straight for you, commented the voice in surprise. Your parents suck.
Instinct prompted Adrien to respond quickly, “They’re not that bad! They- they see to my education, and my needs-“
And ban you from ever touching a sidewalk without their say-so? the Voice asked drily. Yeah, mother and father of the year right there, Sunshine.
They fell silent for a moment, and there was a sound like shuffling papers, before they spoke up again. What would you say if I said I could get you out?
…what?
“Get me out?” Adrien repeated, hope suddenly rising.
And make it so they can never drag you back here, the Voice declared firmly. All you have to do is tell me you want it… and then trust me when the weird shit happens. What do you say, Sunshine? You want out?
“…yes,” Adrien whispered softly- and maybe it was impulsive, but if the Voice was telling the truth- “I want out.”
Then let’s-
Then another impulse struck him. “Wait! I don’t even know your name!”
The Voice fell silent again, before suddenly snorting. Oh yeah, wow, I really jumped the gun, sorry about that. The name’s Duskwing. Pleasure to meet you, Stray.
And that was when the world rippled slightly, and Adrien was just barely aware of dark mist bursting up from his hand and flowing over his body before everything went black.
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Admittedly, Gabriel should have gotten to this sooner.
But he needed to figure out where he stood in this new timeline- fortunately, it seemed to be generally the same as in the previous, minus the fact that he and Emilie lacked the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculouses. But that was a small price to pay.
And he had some plans for how he was going to spend the rest of his day once this job was over with.
But he did have to ensure Adrien was firmly under control- it wouldn’t do for him to somehow become Chat Noir again. That sort of rebelliousness was simply unacceptable.
He knocked on his son’s door. “Adrien?”
Hmm. The door was locked.
Well, he’d have to fix that at some point. There was such a thing as too much privacy, and clearly in this timeline, Adrien had it.
“Adrien, I’d like to speak with you. Now.”
No response.
Fine. His son wanted to be disobedient? Gabriel could correct that easily enough.
But first, he had to get in. And with the door in his way…
He looked down, considering what shoes he was wearing.
…thirty seconds later, having done the smart thing and asked Placide if he had a key- which he did, for emergencies or for when Gabriel ordered him to hand it over- Gabriel promptly unlocked Adrien’s entirely-too-secure door and entered-
Just in time to see his son balancing casually on the windowsill.
His son, who was not wearing fine Gabriel-brand attire, but a sleeveless black hoodie- with cat ears on the hood- over a dark green shirt, black fingerless gloves that climbed up to his elbows, and dark jeans tucked into what looked suspiciously like combat boots.
His son, who was grinning ferally.
His son, who was also wearing a black domino mask
His son, who had claws, feline eyes, and a cat tail.
“Adrien,” Gabriel hissed, as forcefully as he could. “Get down from there immediately.”
Adrien tilted his head curiously.
And then a bright purple mask flared to life around his face.
“Hmm… okay!” He agreed cheerfully.
Before, without hesitation, leaping out the window with superhuman strength, over the wall around the mansion’s courtyard, and away over the rooftops in a matter of seconds.
“ADRIEN!” Gabriel screamed, rushing to the window-
But he had no Miraculous to track down his errant son with.
The Miraculous he was supposed to have was in the hands of someone else, who had akumatized his son.
…WHAT THE FU-
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Somewhere, everywhere, and nowhere all at once, Reality decided some smug satisfaction was in order.
___________________
Rooftops, Stray decided, were amazing.
So was air, actually. And sunlight. And having a hood with cat ears.
He was surprisingly fond of the cat ears.
He couldn’t help but laugh out loud, coming to a stop in his wild run, his muscles burning pleasantly, catching his breath. He’d gone so far, and now Paris was his oyster! He was free!
…now what on earth was he going to do with that freedom?
Paris was his oyster.
But it was a very, very large oyster.
What should he do first?
See the sights?
Explore the streets?
Splurge on the baked goods Father always ordered his nutritionist not to let him have, even if they’d be ultimately harmless?
A sudden rush of spite ran through him at that last one, and he decided that yes, baked goods it was.
…hmm.
Where was a good place to start with that?
“Duskwing?” He asked cautiously, and was rewarded by a sudden flicker of purple.
What’s up?
“Well, uh… can you recommend any bakeries? I wanna stuff my face.”
Silence for a moment, before Duskwing unmistakably burst into laughter. Hang tight, Sunshine. I’ve got you covered.
And indeed, half an hour later… and on a different rooftop, because Stray couldn’t sit still… he was promptly ambushed by a young woman, wearing a purple-and-black suit straight out of a supervillain comic book and a darker purple domino mask. Jet black locks tipped with- you guessed it!- neon purple spilled down her back, and a pair of gleaming violet eyes.
Though probably the coolest part was the cloak that streamed out behind her, shaped like a pair of butterfly wings, and came with a hood that sported a pair of butterfly-like antennae.
“Duskwing?” He asked, because you could never be too certain.
In response, she flashed a purple mask of her own, raising an eyebrow.
“Fair enough,” he said with a shrug, gesturing for her to take a seat- he’d found a brilliant little spot with a killer view of the Eiffel Tower and the sunset.
She joined him, holding out a box of baked goods. “I got a bunch of different things,” she reported. “Just don’t take any of the sugar cookies. Those are for a friend. He really likes them.”
…well, she had brought him pastries out of the goodness of her heart, so he supposed he could leave those tempting, frosting-and-sprinkles-covered circles alone. “Thank you!” He chirped happily, taking a macaron from within the box and munching on it- passionfruit! He loved passionfruit!
“…this isn’t just a social call,” Duskwing noted idly. “I’m here for another reason.”
…and he probably should have seen that coming.
“What reason?” He asked, somewhat suspiciously.
“Let me start by saying I’m not taking your powers away,” she clarified quickly. “I meant what I said about giving you an exit route. But we need to talk about how this is going to work.”
She reached behind her idly, under her cloak, and produced a cane of all things, before opening the top and releasing a black butterfly with purple patt- wait a minute.
“One of those was in my room before you started talking to me!” He realized.
“It’s called an akuma,” Duskwing explained. “My powers let me make them… and in turn, they give other people powers. Or, normally, one other person. I’m not supposed to be able to make more than one at once.”
She nodded idly to the jet-black ring on his finger, adorned with a vibrant purple paw pad.
“…but you just did,” he said in confusion, looking at the akuma as it fluttered down to rest on Duskwing’s outstretched finger.
“I found a workaround,” she said with a shrug. “Normally, people I empower would feel compelled to follow my commands- the superpowers would come with automatic loyalty.” She raised an eyebrow. “Do you feel particularly like obeying my every command?”
“…not really,” Stray admitted. “I mean, I’d still probably do it just because I owe you for… all of this. Or if you said ‘please’.”
“Bingo,” she declared. “I can’t control you. I can talk to you, I can negotiate with you, but I can’t make you do anything. That’s the ‘how’- by giving that control up, I can make a second, or a third, or as many uncontrollable akumas as I want.”
She shrugged. “Of course, that would be extremely stupid since I’d have no way of stopping ‘as many uncontrollable akumas as I want’ if things got out of control, but in theory it’s possible.”
“…so you could make more people like me?” Stray asked.
“I’m going to make more people like you,” she said bluntly. “I kinda need to- I’ll explain that part later. I just wanted to let you know that you probably won’t be alone forever. I don’t know when I’ll start my real operations, but it’ll be soon. So brace yourself.”
“…I will,” he promised. “Thanks for telling me.”
Duskwing nodded. Then, she looked up at him for a moment, frowning softly. “…look, that mask connection goes both ways. If you need to ask me anything, you can. There’s a few extra powers I packed into your design that you haven’t had to use yet.”
Stray couldn’t repress a grin at that. “More powers?”
“You’ll probably figure it out pretty soon,” she assured with a wave. “They’re not subtle. And I’m saying this as the woman who turned you into a literal cat-boy wearing almost all black.”
Stray snorted.
“Anyways, have fun,” she commented airily, standing and placing the akuma back inside her cane. “I’ll get in touch when I can. You stay safe in the meanwhile, alright? No getting into trouble.”
“Scout’s honour,” he deadpanned, holding up the box of pastries so she could remove the sugar cookies.
“You were never a Boy Scout, Stray, I’ve seen inside your brain,” she shot back, before without further ado leaping down from the roof and into the nearby alleyway.
There was a brief ripple of purple light from below, but Stray didn’t pay it much mind, turning instead back to watching the sunset, spearing a croissant on his claws and starting to take bites.
Oh yeah.
He could get used to this.
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AN: I’ve been sitting on this AU for a little while and finally decided to just go for it! Please, feel free to leave questions, speculation, and criticism of the constructive variety in the comments. This is not going to be a one shot, but this is decidedly not a personal passion project, so updates will more or less be whenever I feel like- but I’ll try and make it sooner rather than later!