Miraculous Knights Chapter 11

Soldiers patrolled the outer wall of the capital city of Pari, observing as local residents, farmers, and merchants from distant lands entered the mighty gates of the city. Despite the recent takeover of Hawkmoth, life had continued on for those not involved with the political ongoings of their kingdom. The only difference was the akuma knights, whose easily fluctuating emotions set some people on edge as they meandered about the city under Hawkmoth’s orders.

Two of the soldiers on the wall watched as an akuma knight terrorized some citizens, looking more like a monster than an actually knight.

“I bet I could out run it,” announced the taller of the two guards as he wandered back to the other side of the wall, to see no one suspicious coming from the farm lands.

“The Horrificator Akuma Knight can run approximately 46 kilometers per hour. Given your top speed is 17.25 kilometers per hour based on training records, you’d be stuck in Horrificator’s slime before you even started running Kim.”

“Come on Max, I bet I could beat it,” the soldier whined looking back down at the akuma knight.

“Highly unlikely, even for you.” Both soldiers turned to see the Miraculous Knights standing before them.

“Now don’t panic,” cautioned Jade Turtle, but it was too late. The soldiers took off at high speed running for the nearest bell tower, Kim surely beating hit top speed.

“Don’t panic? That’s the best you could come up with?” scolded Volpina.

“What? I panicked.”

“Can we please just focus on the job,” Ladybug looked around from their position as the bell rang, the akuma knight below making its way up to them, and another akuma archer aiming his arrow towards them.

“I’ll handle the archer, you go for the one coming up here,” Ladybug began to sprint towards the archer, using the spin of her yoyo as a shield.

“What one coming… up … here?” Jade Turtle and Volpina followed the shadow that perched along the wall, gazing menacingly at them. It opened it’s mouth and let out a burst of slime, sending Volpina and Jade Turtle in opposite directions.

“Nasty,” chided Volpina under her breath as she prepared her flute. Jade Turtle charged at the monster as Volpina played her song, draining the akuma knight’s power. The akuma tried to shoot out more of her slime, bug Jade Turtle was either too quick to dodge or used his shield. Realizing the source of what was draining her power, making the monster grow smaller, she turned her sights towards Volpina, which Jade Turtle was quick to react to, managing to fend off another round of slime before it hit Volpina.

“Keep playing,” He urged as he stood guard, protecting Volpina as she played. The akuma knight jerked back, the duo noticing an arrow lodged in the monster’s upper arm, forcing her to revert back to human form as she cried in pain.  Volpina stopped playing to see Ladybug break the bow of the archer she had been fighting with earlier. She nodded to her teammates and they jumped into the city, only to be greeted by two more akuma knights, one with a sword, the other holding an invisible weapon, shadows indicating a giant war hammer.


“You wished to see me?” Queen Bee entered the throne room, where sitting on the throne was Hawkmoth, a dark shadow covering most of his form.

“Yes, reports from the tower indicate letting the peacock miraculous escape.”

“They were being searched when Ladybug used her Lucky Charm item against one of the akuma knights.”

“Reports also say you let the crown prince escape.” Queen Bee scowled, remembering how she had her Adrien so close, but Ladybug stole him from her grasp.

“Same considering he is your betrothed.” She looked away, avoiding Hawkmoth’s accusatory gaze.

“You know, if this sort of behavior continues, our agreement can be called off. I’m sure there are more suitable matches for the crown prince, once more beneficial to the country.

Queen Bee glared at Hawkmoth, “Did the reports mentioned that I injured Ladybug? Even with Master Fu’s help, it’ll take weeks to recover from the damage of my sword.” She grabbed for the hilt of her rapier, proud of the damage they had done to her rival.

“Hawkmoth!” An akuma knight in the shape of a panther came running down the hall, bowing mutiple time to both Queen Bee and Hawkmoth as he entered the room.

“The Miraculous Knights. They are here.” Hawkmoths gazed shifted between the knight and Queen Bee, who had turned to stone in fright.

“Which Miraculous Knights?”

“Jade Turtle, Volpina, and Ladybug.”

“So they haven’t figured it out yet,” Hawkmoth chuckled to himself.

“Queen Bee! Find Ladybug and the rest, bring me their miraculous!” Queen Bee bowed and left the room, the panther akuma following her along with another knight accompanied by no weapon, save a bag.

Hawkmoth watched them leaving, leaving him in the company of hundreds of butterflies. He rose from his throne as a butterfly approached him.

“I think it’s time to finally unleash our true power.” He helding the butterfly in the palm of his hand as a dark magic changed the glistening white butterfly into one of darkness. One by one, more butterflies dared to get closer to their master, their glow diminished in the darkness of his magic.

“Fly away my little akumas, and evilize them!” The swarm of dark butterflies took off out the single window left open in the dark room, spreading their darkness to soldiers of the city.


“And that makes four,” congratulated Jade Turtle as he stood triumphantly over the akuma knight with the invisible hammer, now destroyed.

“I think you better stop counting, because we have a lot more heading our way,” Jade Turtle followed Volpina’s eyes to see the city overrun with dark butterflies, entering the armor of the soldiers, and fixing those they had only moments ago defeated. All three heroes groaned as the akuma knights stood back up along with the slime monster from before.

“This is going to be fun,” groaned Volpina.


Chat Noir used his quarterstaff to vault himself over the hills towards Paris. Even though the new armor with the ring was built to heighten his strength and reflexes, he doubted he would be able to keep up the endurance long enough to run to the capital, even if he did run on all fours.

Plus it gave him a chance to think.

He had betrayed his friends.

He had betrayed Ladybug, the woman who still believed in him after all these years.

Why?

What was there to gain joining Hawkmoth, who cared for nothing more than their miraculous?


Adrien snuck out of his room and down the castle hallways, transforming into Chat Noir when he was sure the coast was clear. He made his way onto a balcony where he found Honey Bee waiting.

“You ready?” She asked, her weapon of destruction, a trompo held readily in her hands.

“Don’t you think we should gather more evidence and consult Ladybug and the others first?”
“How much more evidence do you need,” Honey Bee pulled out two slips of paper. One was taken at Papillion’s Tower, the other from the castle. The handwriting was the same.

“If we do this now, it’ll save everyone, especially Ladybug.”

Chat hesitated. He had discovered Honey’s real identity a month earlier at a since her and her family were staying in the castle as guests, even though he had known her as Honey Bee for several months prior. And after their attack on Papillion’s Tower, she came to him, not Master Fu or Le Paon, or even Ladybug with what she had learned about the identity of Hawkmoth. The risk was great, but their reward could be greater for everyone.

“Fine.” Honey Bee smiled and led him back inside the castle.

She led him up one of the more isolated towers of the castle, not even Chat Noir as Adrien would visit that tower.

“You sure he is up here?”

“How come you never question Ladybug? You only question me?”

“Sorry.” Chat looked away, slightly regretting his decision. Honey Bee was normally kind when around the rest of their team, but after they met each other outside of the team, she grew quiet around the rest of the team except for him.

“I’ve done some investigation on my own.” She continued to lead him up the stairs until they came to a closed door. They both leaned in to hear gentle flapping of wings.

Honey Bee took some steps back, taking Chat Noir with her. She threw her trombo at the floor before the door. Once it made contact, energy radiated from the samll this, sending it pulsing into the door, utterly destroying their obstacle. The trombo returned to its owner as she withdrew her secondary weapon, while Chat withdrew his quarterstaff. She nodded to Chat, who returned the nod as they pounced into the room, only to be surrounded by swarms of butterflies.

“Honey Bee!” Chat called out, the butterflies separating him from her. He felt someone beside him and turned to find Hawkmoth.

“You? What have done to Honey Bee?” Chat leapt at Hawkmoth to attack.He countered with his own cane, barely flinching.

“Nothing, just waiting for the opportune moment to take your miraculous.”

“How could you do this?” Chat continued to attack, but Hawkmoth receded into the swarm of butterflies.

“Power, the center of every man’s being is the desire for power, and I desire the ultimate power. Now give me your miraculous.” Chat could feel someone reach out for his hand, which he quickly jerked close to himself.”

“You are not getting my miraculous! Honey Bee!” He called out, searching the butterflies for his teammate.

“Do you really think you all would stand a chance against me. Destroying my tower was a minor setback, but my akumas are stronger, and they grow even more with every knight added to my rank.” The swarm of butterflies was almost to much as Chat collapsed to the ground. How would they stand a chance if he and Honey Bee had the element of surprise, and were still overwhelmed by Hawkmoth’s akumas.

“Join me.”

“What?” Chat looked up to see Hawkmoth looking down on him.

“Join me, I’ll let you keep your miraculous for the others. I’ll promise you anything you desire.”

“No, I won’t join you.” Chat attempted to back away, to find the wall or opening where they entered, but the room seemed to go on forever.

“There is no escaping this Chat Noir. You either give me your miraculous, or join me.”

What choice did Chat have, without his miraculous, Ladybug would be at half her strength. So long as he wore the ring, they were stronger. They stood the best chance if he kept it.

“Fine, under one condition.”

“Name your price.”

“You will not hurt Ladybug.” Hawkmoth smiled as smile on the devil could wear as he extended his hand toward Chat Noir.

“Deal.”


Chat Noir fell on the grass, tumbling a bit before he came to a stop. He stared up in the sky, as blue as his lady’s eyes.

He gave it all up, for protecting her, which may have seen noble at the time, but now was only a foolish act to keep himself safe. If he had given up the ring, he could have saved Ladybug another way, instead of being a coward at the first sign of danger.

Chat placed on arm over his eyes and began to cry.

He should have done something to warn them, something more. But he was scared. Scared of his miraculous being taken away, scared of losing everyone. But he ended up losing so much more that day.

“Maman, look, it’s Chat Noir.” Chat Noir lifted his arm, to see a young girl and her mother, probably from the farm not to far away from where he lay. He wiped away what remained of his tears and sat up at the little girl ran up to him.

“Where’s Ladybug? Why isn’t Ladybug with you?”

“Manon!” The little girl’s mother pulled back on her daughter’s shoulder, keeping her from getting closer to Chat Noir, “Sorry sir, she loves it when I tell her the stories of the Miraculous Knights.” Chat smiled at the woman then turned his attention to the little girl.

“Well Manon, I’m off to save Ladybug from some very bad knights.”

“Ladybug doesn’t need saving. She’s ladybug.”

“You are right about that. She is amazing.”

“But she needs Chat Noir. They’re partners and partners need to stick together.”

Chat smiled at the little girl, whose eyes were filled with hope at the very thought of Ladybug and Chat Noir.

“Then I can’t keep my partner waiting,” Chat stood up and brushed what grass clung to him.

“Both of you stay safe, and thank you little princess.” Chat picked up his shrunken staff and extended it, once again flying over the hills with new determination.

He had to be there for Ladybug. He may not have been before, but now he would be there for her and his team, no matter what it took.