Chapter Two: The Akuma (Alya)

Alya covered her ears to block the sound. She needed to see what was happening, but students were running around like crazy, trying to get to the exit or hide under their desks. People were bumping into each other and falling to the ground, getting trampled by the feet of other kids. Alya rolled her eyes. You'd think people would be used to akuma attacks by now, she thought. That is if it is an akuma attack. I need to see what's happening.

Alya weighed the pros and cons before throwing caution to the wind and risking it. She crawled out from under her desk, peeking over the top to view the carnage. Before she could think about it, she was pulling out her phone and pressing the record button.

"Hey guys," she whispered. "It's Alya, here at the Collège Françoise Dupont, where an akuma attack, I think, is taking place." She glanced around. Standing in front of the broken window was what could only be an akuma. The person—probably male, possibly mid-twenties, undetermined race—was dressed in a burlesque parody of a stereotypical scientist's garb. The white lab coat was pitch-black, draped around the akuma's body like a cape, with purple symbols and shapes that Alya would describe as runes decorating the hem. She held the camera aloft and zoomed in on the akuma's face. Resting on the bridge of the akuma's nose were purple, butterfly-shaped glasses. Alya smothered a hysterical giggle. For such a seriously dangerous supervillain, Hawk Moth had a surprising obsession with the whole butterfly motif. The akuma stalked forward, eyes locked onto M. Hewett with an intense ferocity that could only mean one thing. "It looks like his akumatization has something to do with the famous scientist, M. Juste Hewett, who had graciously donated his time to do a short presentation for my class. Oh, I hope Ladybug gets here soon."

As soon as she murmured the wish, the iconic red-and-black spotted superheroine appeared in the open doorway to the classroom. Right behind her was the leather-clad Cat Noir, hand raised menacingly and prepared to call on the destructive power of his Cataclysm.

"Stop right there!" Ladybug whipped out her yoyo, wrapping it around the akuma's thin form and pulling him away from the frightened scientist. The akuma broke free and marched towards M. Hewett once again.

"Well, well, well, someone's feline pretty grouchy today." Cat Noir rushed past the akuma to reach M. Hewett first, crouching defensively in front of him, baton whirling in his hands. "What, no evil monologuing? No 'give me your miraculous?' I'd ask 'cat got your tongue,' but—"

Ladybug trapped the akuma's arm once again when it lunged for Cat Noir. "Careful, Kitty, we don't know what his powers are yet. Don't let him touch you!"

"You got it, Bugaboo!" Cat saluted, jumping out of the way of a beam of light that narrowly missed M. Hewett, who dove beneath the nearest desk. The akuma growled. Ladybug stumbled when the akuma suddenly turned, grabbing the machine from the lesson earlier. It played with the controls, turning the dials slightly and pressing down hard on the buttons.

"Please," Ladybug started, ever the diplomat, "put the machine down. You don't know what it does!"

That had been the wrong thing to say. The akuma whirled around, face contorting into a disgusting grimace as it shouted, "Of course I know what the blasted thing does! I built it! But my ex-best friend changed the blueprints around when he went and told everyone it was his idea and device, and the piece of trash is barely usable!"

Alya winced at the bitterness in those words. She used to think that, after a while, Parisians would learn to be better. They'd stop entering pointless fights and committing crimes, and they'd learn to keep their emotions under control. She'd seen first-hand how those kinds of things could negatively impact people and worked to control her unquenchable thirst for truth and knowledge and not to hurt anyone if she could help it. But Hawk Moth kept finding himself new victims, even if several of them have been tourists or new to the city.

Cat Noir stepped forward. "Listen, we can help. But you have to—"

Alya watched as the akuma raised a hand glowing with energy. She stared in shock, unable to move, as the beam solidified and went shooting in Cat Noir's direction. Time seemed to slow. Alya thought she could pinpoint the exact moment Ladybug forwent rational thinking and dove in front of her partner—her eyes widened, her mouth opened in a silent cry. Both Alya and the harbinger of bad luck reached forward to push her away, but they were too late. As soon as the beam reached her, Alya's world went black.