Apprentice

Part 11: All For You

Luka jumped onto the balcony and stood next to Marinette. His blue eyes searched hers. 

"Are you scared?" he grinned stepping closer to her.

Mari's heart was racing. After all she'd gone through. She didn't need another betrayal! She never excepted this from one of her best friends. 

The Apprentice looked happy, confused, and excited. Marinette couldn't read his face. She stepped back, afraid of her friend looking like this. Luka grabbed her wrist and spun her around. She tripped and he tried to catch her. But she shoved him away. 

"What are you doing?!" she said standing up straight. Under the moonlight, Luka sighed and pushed some hair off his masked face. 

"Marinette. I know you'll be mad."
"I am." 
"But you need to listen." 
"Me? I need to listen?! No, you do! Look at yourself, listen to your head! Luka you are not evil. Don't let Hawkmoth get to you!" 

Marinette leaned forward and held out a hand while talking. Luka's eyes flashed purple and he aggressively pushed her hand away from him. She stared at him, as he shook his head, eyes glitching purple back to blue.

"I'm trying Mari. I'm fighting him. I became an Apprentice to destroy them from the inside. I did this for you." he said. Marinette gasped. 

"Luka, this is so dumb, Hawkmoth can control you-" 

"Mari..."

"He's gonna take over your mind! You're only helping him-"

"MARINETTE!" Luka shouted."I did this all for you!" tears fell down his face. Marinette gasped, staring at his eyes. They glitched blue to purple again, and Mari took another step back. 

They were silent for a moment while he collected himself. Then like a broken screen, his entire body glitched and he was standing perfectly normal, tears gone. 

"Anyways..." he said smiling sideways with the moonlight on him. Was he not going to address what just happened? "Marinette. My plan is to destroy Hawkmoth and free Paris. Save you. I'll do it when least expected...when Ladybug is captured." He said into the distance. Marinette gulped when he said that.

"What...what makes you so certain he'll catch her?" She said defensively.

"Oh we-I mean they will get her sooner or later. We're stronger than people think." 

"Chat Noir is still fighting, what about him?" 

"The cat? Aw, he'll be easy. Once Hawkmoth has Ladybug, the cat is never far behind." 

Marinette looked right at him. 

"Luka, I know your trying to do the right thing..." Mari started.

"I am doing the right thing, but the hard way." he interrupted.

"...but this is stupidly dangerous. You cannot beat a villain by being one of his minions." Marinette looked at him, really worried. 

"Sure I can, and I will. For you, Marinette. I love you..." Luka said leaning in for a kiss. Marinette's reflexes kicked in, and she kicked him in the shins. He grabbed his leg and looked at her in surprise. Marinette stretched out, and tried to rip off his mask, and turn him back to normal, but he grabbed her arm and they froze on the balcony staring at each other in the moonlight.

"Luka. You are one of my best friends. I thought I could like you more but..." Marinette said pulled her wrist out of his grasp. 

"You like a certain hero in cosplay, right?" Luka said sarcastically, but with a sad look on his face. "Don't worry Marinette. You can love someone who actually knows you..." Marinette's face went hot. 

"Just...I...ugh!" she said standing defiantly. "I'm not going to kiss some villain's bodyguard cause he says he'll beat up someone for me that I can obviously beat up myself!" Luka looked at her puzzled. "You think that a butterfly getup and a messed up head! You are a real nice guy, but this is making you creepy! So please, as my friend, stop trying to do this plan! You are going to corrupt yourself!!" Marinette shouted.

She caught her breath. Luka looked surprised, but then suddenly he smiled. 

"I'll do it for you, gemstone." he saluted her, then jumped off into the sky.

"LUKA?! What are you doing? This isn't going to work!" she yelled after the Apprentice disappearing into the inky dark sky, under the purple dome. 

As he flew off, a sad smile was on his face. Suddenly there was a glitch in his eyes. Blue to purple then back to blue. His bittersweet smile flashed into a determined frown. Wings flapping behind him.

At the moment there was only a little real Luka there. Hawkmoth's spell over him was making him more and more of an Apprentice and less of himself.

He was fighting it now, but could he hold this up? Luka's only motivation of staying the same was doing all of this...

all for her...