Ƭհҽíɾ Ɓíցցҽsե Ɱísեɑƙҽ Ƴҽե

𝙲ի𝛼⍴եᥱ𝑟 22

Lila's arms and legs were marred with the damning brand; the word repeated itself multiple times, some areas even showing signs of bleeding from the ordeal.

Then, just as Shànyīn prepared for her next stitch, an unexpected guest arrived, crashing through the roof and surprising everyone with a resounding kick that sent the doll from her hand. Chat Noir landed in a crouched position, his eyes widening as he took in the scene. He was horrified at the state of his classmates, but Lila's injuries were especially severe. Her arms and legs were covered in the word "liar", the wounds bleeding in some places. It made him feel sick to his stomach, and his heart ached for his friends.

"What have you done?" he demanded, his voice quivering with anger and helplessness.

Shànyīn turned to him, her expression curiously innocent. "Gone too far?" she repeated. "Oh, Chat Noir, you have no idea what 'too far' even means. All my brother and I are doing is serving justice and revealing the truth."

Chat Noir, frustrated and infuriated, glared at her. "Justice? This isn't justice; this is cruelty! You're torturing them!"

Shànyīn narrowed her eyes. "Hmm, so I never endured any kind of torture thanks to Lila? Everyday. For two years, mind you."

He glared at Shànyīn, his hands shaking with anger. "That... that is still no excuse to be doing all this. It's way too much!"

He was ready to fight, to protect his friends, and to put an end to the torment. Shànyīn sighed with a faint, almost condescending smile and asked, "Why today, of all days, do you decide to intervene, Chat Noir? You've been absent for so long, neglecting your duties."

Chat Noir felt a surge of determination. "It's never too late to stand up for what's right!"

Shànyīn quirked an amused brow. 'What's right?' she mused.

Èguǒ had a mischievous smile on his face. "So, the hero who neglected his duties for so long thought he had a chance against us? How amusing."

Chat Noir's resolve had not wavered, despite the odds stacked against him. He couldn't let Shànyīn and Èguǒ continue to torment his friends. Pushing himself to his feet, he struggled to focus through the pain. His nose was bleeding, and his face was throbbing from the powerful blow. His miraculous no longer offered him the same protection it once had, and the sharp taste of blood filled his mouth.

"You were never cut out for this, Chat Noir. You're nothing but a pathetic coward." Èguǒ sneered.

As Chat Noir struggled beneath Èguǒ's foot, his voice trembled but carried a determination that refused to break. "I'll never give up," he gasped. "I'll do whatever it takes to stop you!"

He was met with an eye-roll from Èguǒ. In a split second, Èguǒ teleported behind Chat Noir and delivered a swift, powerful kick to the back of his legs. Chat Noir fell hard to the ground, winding him in the process. Èguǒ pressed his foot down on Chat Noir's chest, further crushing the hero beneath his heel.

"You think you can take us on? You're a waste of time, Chat Noir. Your attempts are futile." His now red eyes glared down at Chat Noir, his voice low and dangerous as he muttered low enough for only the hero to hear, "You really think you have what it takes, Agreste? Give. Up."

Chat Noir's eyes widened in shock and panic. How did Èguǒ know his true identity beneath the mask? He had been so careful, yet this akuma seemed to have figured out the truth. Chat Noir's heart raced as he grappled with the realisation that his secret was in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, Lila, who had been tied up and severely wounded, had managed to feel the sudden release of Èguǒ's magic, which held her captive. Despite the intense pain that shot through her body, she made a desperate attempt to sneak away, her intent being to escape this living nightmare. But Shànyīn was already aware of Lila's intentions and swiftly reached out to pull her back, gripping Lila's hair. Lila yelped out in pain. The tug was so hard that her head was pulled back enough to make her fall over. However, as she pulled, Lila's disguise came apart

There, Shànyīn stood, holding onto a wig.

Lila's face turned pale. Her classmates and everyone watching the broadcast looking at her with shock and disbelief.

"S-she's been wearing a wig this whole Time?" Alix whispered.

"M-maybe she has her reasons! We shouldn't judge her," Alya quickly responded.

Èguǒ couldn't help but chuckle as he saw Lila's unveiled appearance. "Damn! Fake personality and fake hair? What's next? Your eyes aren't even green!"

Chat Noir desperately tried to intervene on Lila's behalf. "S-stop! You can't... You can't expose her like th–" he urged, his voice strained and pleading.

Shànyīn discarded Lila's wig and fixed her with an innocent, calculating gaze. "It makes me wonder," she mused aloud, her voice tinged with an eerie sweetness. "Is Lila Rossi even your real name?"

Lila's internal struggle was evident on her face. She faced a dire choice: lie and earn another cruel brand or admit the truth, exposing herself entirely. Her fists clenched, and her heart pounded as she looked down, unable to meet the gazes of those around her.

Monarch's Lair...

Monarch's annoyance had been steadily growing as he observed the unfolding events, and he couldn't afford to let the twins' antics continue any longer. He had given them extraordinary power, and he expected them to have gotten the miraculouses ages ago.

But then again, Ladybug was still nowhere to be seen.

"Èguǒ," he began, his tone commanding and impatient, "this is not the time for games. You have an opportunity to seize Chat Noir's ring. Do it now, while he is incapacitated. The time for distractions has passed."

To his surprise, Èguǒ's response was not what he had anticipated. The young akuma's voice echoed in his mind, cold and unwavering.

"Get out of our heads."

Monarch had never heard such defiance from an akuma before. It was a direct challenge to his control. He tried to reestablish the mental link, but to his shock, he found it blocked. Èguǒ and Shànyīn had cut him off.

Monarch's heart raced with panic. The twins were supposed to be under his command. He had given them their powers and believed he had complete control over them. Yet here they were, acting on their own, and they had shut him out.

He continued to attempt to regain access to their minds, but it was futile. The twins had broken free of his control. Monarch was left in a state of frustration and confusion, watching the unfolding events on the broadcast without any ability to intervene.

Meanwhile...

The broadcast screen faced Èguǒ as he crouched beside Chat Noir, who wore a look of fear and desperation. He began to address the watching audience.

"This is what Paris calls a hero?" Èguǒ sneered, his tone filled with scorn. "Someone who neglects his duties just because his love for Ladybug isn't reciprocated? And now, when he wants to act like a hero, it's to defend a liar. I wonder why."

Chat Noir's voice quivered as he spoke up. "P-please... Don't do what I think you're about to—"

The city of Paris watched in shock and disbelief as their beloved hero was unmasked. Adrien Agreste, the charismatic, internationally loved model, was now exposed as Chat Noir, one of the protectors of Paris. The same hero who had been neglecting his duties. The revelation sent shockwaves through the city, and an eerie silence fell over the crowds gathered around the screens.

Adrien lay there, defenceless and defeated. His dual life, carefully concealed for years, had been unveiled before the eyes of Paris.

Back at the mansion, Monarch's staff slipped from his grasp, clattering to the floor as he stared at the screen with wide, disbelieving eyes. The truth was before him: his own son had been Chat Noir all along.