Chapter 15 - Consumed by Shadows

Under the shimmering glow of the moon, Chat Noir stealthily made his way back to his, dimly lit room, his mind consumed not only by frustration but also by a seething anger that threatened to consume him. With a swift and forceful motion, he shed his heroic facade, he began pacing back and forth in his room. "Can you believe her, Plagg?" he exclaimed, his voice dripping with a volatile mixture of disbelief and rage. "I presented her with irrefutable evidence that Marinette is colluding with that wretched Shadow Moth, and yet she dares to treat me as if I am the villain in this twisted tale!"

Perched on Adrien's shoulder, Plagg trembled slightly, sensing the explosive energy radiating from his holder. Plagg couldn’t believe what he was hearing from Adrien. Plagg didn’t know when it happened but this definitely wasn’t his kitten anymore, "Ladybug does have a point, Adrien. What you offered her wasn't concrete proof. And you do tend to disappear frequently during those wretched Akuma attacks."

Adrien's frustration reached its boiling point, causing him to snap at Plagg with an intensity that sent a shiver down the kwami's tiny spine. "Yeah, that's because I am Chat Noir! I have every damn reason to not be present! I’m the one busting my ass to save Paris!" His words reverberated through the room, filling the air with a palpable tension.

Plagg, his eyes wide with fear, attempted to reason with his enraged holder. "Have you ever considered, Adrien, that Marinette, considering the countless times she has been targeted by those accursed Akumas, might be grappling with some deep-seated trauma?"

Adrien's anger surged like a raging inferno, and he lunged toward Plagg, his piercing gaze filled with a violent intensity. "Why are you defending her now?" he hissed through gritted teeth, his voice dripping with malice and venom as he punched the wall beside him, leaving a small dent in the wall. Plagg felt sick to his stomach.

Taken aback, Plagg cowered slightly, his voice trembling as he defended himself. "I'm not defending her, Adrien. I'm simply attempting to help you see reason!" His words were barely a whisper, barely audible amidst the tempest of Adrien's fury.

Adrien's voice turned icy and menacing as he silenced Plagg with a forceful wave of his hand. "Silence, Plagg," he growled, his tone laced with a chilling threat. In an instant, Plagg's mouth sealed shut, his frightened eyes widening in horror. Throughout his existence as a kwami, he had encountered holders who had misused his powers, but the terror he felt at that moment surpassed anything he had ever experienced. "I don't wish to hear your voice any longer. You are my kwami. I alone dictate what is right and wrong," Adrien declared, his words punctuated by a violent outburst that echoed in the room, leaving an unsettling silence in its wake.

"And just so we're clear," Adrien continued, his voice a volatile mix of command and menace, "you are forbidden from leaving my side in public, and you are forbidden from departing my room when we are here. Do you understand?" His words hung in the air, heavy with the threat of consequences.

Plagg, his trembling intensifying, could only nod, a deep sense of powerlessness washing over him. He yearned to warn Marinette or Tikki, but Adrien's explosive and violent nature left him utterly helpless, a captive within his own existence. He could only hope and pray that Marinette would unearth the truth before Adrien's inner darkness consumed him whole, for the storm that raged within Adrien threatened to consume everything in its path.

He paced back and forth, his steps echoing in the silence of his room. The image of Marinette, entangled with Jay and serving the nefarious Shadow Moth, haunted his thoughts. He couldn't bear to see her caught in the web of darkness any longer. He had to find a way to free her from the clutches of evil and bring her back into the light.

But it wasn't just Marinette who had fallen prey to the machinations of the darkness of this world. Ladybug, the hero he had admired and loved from afar, had also become entangled in this twisted game. Adrien couldn't fathom why she had turned her back on their shared duty, why she had forsaken the very essence of what it meant to be a hero.

His heart ached with longing and frustration. He yearned for the Ladybug he had once known, the one who embodied hope and unwavering determination. He needed her to see the truth, to understand the consequences of her actions. If only she would submit to him, to his guidance, then everything could be restored to the way it was supposed to be.

As Adrien stared at the photographs of Ladybug and Marinette on his desk, a flicker of determination ignited within him. He couldn't sit idly by while his loved ones succumbed to darkness. He had to find a way to break through the barriers that held them captive. They were his and he would not allow them to continue to disobey him and insult him in such a way.

His mind raced, searching for a plan, a strategy that would bring about the change he so desperately sought. But time was running out, and the stakes were higher than ever. Adrien knew he had to act swiftly and decisively.

Plagg hovered in the dimly lit room, his emerald eyes filled with regret. How had he failed to notice the darkness that had taken hold of Adrien's heart? As a kwami, it was his duty to guide and protect his chosen Miraculous holder, but he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for not intervening sooner. Was this because he was ill-suited for the Black Cat Miraculous, Plagg wondered was this darkness in Adrien his fault. 

He had always known that Adrien wasn't like Marinette, the true holder of the Ladybug Miraculous. But Plagg had never anticipated the depths to which Adrien would sink. The weight of his father's influence and the shadows that lurked within his own soul had consumed him, twisting him into something unrecognizable.

Plagg had tried his best to impart wisdom to Adrien, to teach him about boundaries and the importance of autonomy. But it had become painfully clear that Adrien had become entangled in a web of darkness that even Plagg couldn't fully comprehend.

The kwami sighed, his tiny form slumping with defeat. He had underestimated the power of the darkness that resided within Adrien. The allure of his father's teachings had clouded his judgment, leading him down a treacherous path.

Plagg's mind raced, searching for a solution, a way to break through the barriers that held Adrien captive. He knew he couldn't give up on his chosen holder, not when the fate of Paris hung in the balance. But the task ahead seemed insurmountable.

With a heavy heart, Plagg reflected on the lessons he had tried to teach Adrien, the moments they had shared. He wondered if he had failed him and if there was something more he could have done to prevent this descent into darkness.

The guilt gnawed at him, consuming his thoughts and filling him with a sense of failure. How had he let things escalate to this point? He couldn't help but feel that he had failed not only Adrien but also Marinette and Tikki.

As a kwami, Plagg had a unique perspective on the lives of his chosen holders. He had witnessed Adrien's reckless behavior and his disregard for the consequences of his actions. Plagg had tried to intervene, to guide him towards a path of responsibility, but his efforts had often fallen on deaf ears.

The memories flooded back, each one a painful reminder of missed opportunities. Adrien's blatant disregard for Akuma's attacks and leaving Ladybug to fight alone. His relentless pursuit of Ladybug, even as she repeatedly made it clear that she did not return his affections. And now, his misguided attempts to force his feelings onto Marinette.

Plagg couldn't shake the feeling that he should have done more, that he should have been more assertive in his guidance. He had seen the warning signs, the cracks in Adrien's façade, but he had allowed them to go unchecked, hoping that Adrien would find his own way.

Regret washed over Plagg, his head drooping with a sense of defeat. He should have protected Marinette from the pain she had endured. He should have shielded Marinette from the turmoil that Adrien's misguided affections had caused. For the first time in a long while Plagg cried. He wanted to run to flee to Tikki, but given Adrien's commands that was no longer an option. Plagg felt alone and lost. He figured this must be what Nooroo and Dusuu were feeling as well.