Adrien kept running to the sound of Marinette screaming.
She was in danger, and he needed to help her.
But his mind couldn't shake the image of the brown-eyed, blonde girl he and Keefe had run into earlier.
With the three of them having a staredown, it felt like the three of them had some unknown connection. He'd felt it, deep down.
He finally made it to Marinette.
Who was straddled tightly in one of the group's arms, an orb of neon yellow flames in the other hand.
Everblaze.
Adrien shook his head in confusion and denial, but the word kept bouncing in his brain, like it was associated with the ball of fire.
"Ah, well, look at that," the person right behind him said. "You've got no help, and we know there's something about you."
Adrien tried to Cataclysm her, but two cloaked people pinned his arms behind him as the main person pulled down their hood, revealing a woman with reddish brown hair and ice blue eyes.
Eyes that looked remarkably like Keefe's.
That's when Adrien turned and saw Alya, Chloe, and Nino, passed out on the ground, cloths tied around their mouths.
And Marinette was still being held tightly, the flames even closer to her face.
"Ah, the famous Cat Noir," the woman said. "You ever thought about trying to fight without that mask of yours?"
Adrien pursed his lips together. He wouldn't let this group get the best of him.
"Fintan, let the girl go," the woman ordered. "We have other ways of getting this boy to talk."
She snapped her fingers shortly after Marinette fell to the ground, and a cloaked person started swirling together black mist, forming an unnaturally dark arrow. It split into several and all surrounded Marinette, who was too scared to move.
"Shadowflux," the woman explained. "Changes everything it touches. And we've already seen what it can do to a person. I remember when we took out the moonlark with shadowflux. Broke her right arm, hand included, and she was stuck with echoes that trapped her in nightmares and fear and darkness until that pathetic Flori took them away."
Adrien felt blood drain from his cheeks as he saw the arrows move closer to Marinette.
"So, you're going to tell me everything you know about the Black Swan," the woman said, her face inches from Adrien's.
"I... I don't know what you're talking about," he stammered.
"Well, maybe this will get you talking," the woman snapped her fingers again.
Everything seemed to slow down as the arrows ripped into Marinette, who collapsed down, doubling over and clutching her chest in pain.
"No!" he cried. "Don't touch her!"
"We'll leave you alone when you let me know what you know about the Black Swan," the woman grit her teeth together.
"Honestly, I don't know what you're--" Adrien argued when the point of a silver door handle shaped thing was suddenly a hair away from his forehead. A second was aimed at Marinette's chest.
"Don't give me that look of confusion," the woman sneered. "Surely you should know what a melder is."
Adrien didn't say anything, but the look of confusion said it all.
"Causes temporary paralysis," the woman explained. "Enough blasts and it's as if you're dead."
Adrien still didn't respond.
"Get her again," the woman ordered.
The person who had made the shadowflux began crunching their fingers into tight fists, and Marinette screamed, her breath quickening, her fingers digging into the crevices between the stones on the ground.
"I remember when the moonlark had the same reaction," the woman recalled, and Adrien swore she saw a grin on her face. "You're just lucky we're not breaking any of her bones yet."
Adrien felt enough rage form in his brain, and he felt his mind go black.
When he opened his eyes, all the cloaked figures were on the ground, Marinette regaining her breath, tendrils of shadowflux moving silently in the air as they dissipated.
"Are you okay?" Adrien asked, running over to her.
"The... others..." she panted. "They... did something... the gags... get them off..."
Adrien ran over to the building, using his baton to raise up to the roof, hastily ripping off the gags.
"A...Adrien?" Chloe asked groggily. "What happened?"
But Adrien could see the group members slowly getting up, Marinette slowly crawling out of sight.
"Long story," he said. "But it's not safe anymore. We need to--"
The other side of the roof caught fire, scorching down and going after the figures.
Adrien turned to see a girl about his age, with messy blonde hair in tiny braids, sky blue eyes filled with rage as she commanded the flames.
"Go, go!" she yelled. "You four get out of here!"
Adrien had no reason or motive to disobey, but he saw the brown-eyed girl on the roof across them, staring the members down.
"The moonlark is here!" someone shouted.
"Well someone get her!" the woman yelled.
The moonlark backed away a little, her eyes meeting Adrien.
"Get out of here," she whispered.
"I'll get Marinette," Adrien said. "You three need to find a place to hide until this is all over!"
"Let us know when it's safe," Alya said.
"I will," Adrien said. "Now go!"
The three heroes quickly started running away.
"Marinette!" he cried. "Where are you?"
"A...Adrien?"
Adrien turned to see Marinette in a dark corner, staring at a boy with jagged bangs, the tips dyed silver.
"It's you, isn't it?"
Adrien froze. No one had said anything, but it didn't feel like he was hearing this boy's thoughts either.
"You're the other one."
Huh?
"What are you--" he began, but the boy put a finger against Adrien's mouth.
"Don't say it. Transmit it."
Transmit it?
This is weird, he thought.
"Ah," the boy transmitted-not transmitted. "So you'll think it, I'll speak with shadows. It'll be safer this way."
Oooo....okaaaaaay....
"So, who are you?"
Uh... I'm Adrien, and this is Marinette.
"And are you aware of who you're trying to fight?"
Not exactly. I don't even know who you are.
"Oh, right. I'm Tam. You can trust me."
And how do I know I can trust you?
But as Adrien stared into Tam's silvery-blue eyes, he could see fear.
"Because me and my friends know what it's like to deal with the Neverseen."
Neverseen?
"My friends are already trying to help," Tam whispered. "We know how to fight them."
They all ducked a spear of shadowflux.
"But it looks like they found another Shade."
What's a Shade?
"Oh... uh... I'll explain later. If I can."
And just like that, Tam began to run off.
Wait...
Adrien looked at the building where the Neverseen were standing in front of, to Marinette, who was still recovering from the shadowflux stuff, to Alya, Nino, and Chloe, on the roof of the building, trying to size up the situation, to the small group of people having a standoff with the Neverseen, to Keefe, who was trying to sneak away.
He looked down at his ring.
I've got a plan, he transmitted. But you have to trust me. I need you to get your friends away, or at least keep this Neverseen group distracted. I'll Cataclysm the building.
He could see Tam's face twist into confusion.
Long story, but don't worry, if everything goes according to plan, it should work.
"Got it. I'll let the others know."
Adrien watched as Tam ran to the standoff.
"Marinette, will you be okay?" he asked.
"I don't know," Marinette said. "When I had that weird shadowflux stuff in me, and they were digging into the deepest parts of me, it felt like I was being torn apart. I still feel a little weak from the blow."
Adrien bit his lip.
This Neverseen group was obviously not caused by an akuma. Not even Hawkmoth would think of stooping this low.
"Well, I need you to get the other three and find a safe place," Adrien instructed. "I'm gonna hit the building with a Cataclysm and take out the Neverseen. Then maybe we can either have defeated them or have bought some time to hide away."
He was a little surprised to feel Marinette tightly wrap her arms around him, but it was clear she wasn't ready to let go for a little while.
So he started hugging her back.
"I'll go get the others," she finally said, swinging her yo-yo and flying away.
Adrien stared at where she had been standing for a moment before shaking his head. Time to put his plan in place.
Stealthily, he snuck behind the building to see the Neverseen and the brown-eyed girl, the "moonlark," staring at each other.
"Face it, you're finally going to get destroyed," the woman sneered. "I'll just take Keefe, get rid of you, and all will be well."
The moonlark said nothing.
Adrien knew he had to get her out of the way or else she would be crushed.
But he couldn't help staring at her eyes again, feeling a glimmer of something, like they were... connected in some way.
He shook his head again. There he was, constantly being distracted.
That's when he saw swirls of black mist surrounding the teenagers.
Tam gave him a small wink.
It was now or never.
"Cataclysm!"
Adrien felt the force of the Cataclysm form in his hand, and he pressed his palm against the side of the building, watching it turn black and tilt at the Neverseen, crumbling into large pieces.
And in the corner of his eye, he could see Marinette, Chloe, Nino, and Alya, watching as the damage unfolded.
Adrien knew why.
He'd never really felt a Cataclysm that strong.
What had really happened was that he had felt something else.
A pool of energy in the back of his mind.
And he'd channeled it into his Cataclysm.
Without much effort.
Well, it left him a little weak as he started scrambling away, seeing the teenagers all escaping as well...
Only the moonlark wasn't there.