Chapter Text
Y/n grunted, sweat dripping down his forehead.
"Come on Y/n! You can do it! Just three more!" Ziggy floated above Y/n, being an excellent spotter--despite her small size as a kwami she wasstrong. "28!" Y/n was lying down on a weight-lifting machine, lifting one and a half Adrien's in weight. "29! 30!"
Y/n put the weight weight up on the rack and promptly got up only to fall into a pile of mush on the ground. Ziggy giggled, already used to Y/n laying down in a puddle of sweat after workouts.
"I told you not to push yourself too hard, your miraculous already makes you stronger and more agile when transformed." Y/n rolled over to face Ziggy.
"Yet you didn't object when I turned the basem*nt into a home gym." He laughed.
"Of course not! Basic exercise is good, you just don't have to become a pile of mush before you go to bed every day! Your miraculous has you covered!"
"But what if someone takes it? What if I can't transform and someone is in danger?"
Y/n knew that running around as Bouc Brun would already boost his capacity and strength because of all the running and fighting, but he couldn't help but worry that something would happen--and he would be too weak to stop it. To tell the truth, he kept having nightmares. Y/n shivered at the image of Martha bloody on the road, he had been there that time, but... her wide eyes in shock and mouth agape always managed to jolt him awake--his eyes wet and Ziggy worried sick because he had been screaming.
"Besides, I can do this now!" Y/n flexed his bicep and Ziggy laughed
"Okay, you win, just... take it easy, ok?" Y/n nodded.
Y/n slinked around the corner, going into an alleyway three blocks away from the Agreste household, he pulled out the weird-looking car keys with the number 12 marked on them and handed them to Ziggy.
"Are you sure you want me to stay in the alleyway until you come back?" Ziggy murmured.
"Yes, we can't have the house we are targeting be at the center of the blackout--too risky." He whispered, his black helmet muffling his voice ever so slightly.
"Okay, I'll be waiting here." Ziggy went up to right under a rooftop slope and hid behind a bird's nest. She pressed the button and gave Y/n a nod before he ran off.
Y/n climbed the wall easily, kind of proud of himself for remembering to practice parkour as well as basic exercising. He spotted an open window on the 2nd floor and ran up to under it, using the old bricks just like the holds he would use in rock climbing. Man, that gym was expensive. Y/n was glad he was able to build his own here.
He got hold of the windowsill and clambered in, and—oh crap this was Adrien's room. How was Y/n this stupid? From the corner of his eye, he saw Adrien sleeping, and Plagg mumbling about camembert cheese. Thank the stars, Plagg was the one security system Y/n wouldn't be able to shut up. He tip-toed through the room and slowly opened the door, before closing it and looking around the hallway. He looked at how sterile the house looked, how could anyone live in this? Much less a fashion designer. At least addsomecolor, good grief.
Y/n peeked through all the doors, a risky move but he had no idea which room was Grabriel's. He turned a corner, peeking into one room after the other, some doors squeaking ever so slightly. He saw the room with the painting of Emile and winced. There had to be a rule about how keeping the corpse of your dead wife in a secret basem*nt under your house was the definition of insanity. Perhaps even worse.
Finally, one door creaked open, revealing Grabriel's bedroom. Y/n took a breath and slinked in, inching closer to the bedside table which he was sure Gabriel kept the rings in. The bedside table held a lamp, Gabriel's glasses, and one white ring. Where was the other one? Y/n looked over at Gabriel sleeping, he slept like he was in a coffin--even when unconscious he looked psychotic. On his finger was a white ring. Panic rose through Y/n and he could feel his heart beating in his chest. At least the hand with the ring was on top. Y/n took out the two replacement rings. He carefully picked up the ring on the dresser, placing it in a little pouch he had taken with him. He replaced it with another white ring. Gabriel's breathing hitched, and Y/n shoved the sac into his pocket, frozen with another replacement white ring in his hand.
The rhythm of Gabriel's breathing became more rapid, Y/n watched as his mouth opened and then closed. Gabriel let out a breath, and Y/n stood there silently as his face returned to normal. Y/n held up the white ring, looking defiantly at Gabriel's hand. He reached his hand out, bending over the sleeping Gabriel in a way where he was practically standing on his tiptoes not to touch him. He looked over, and spotted Nooroo sleeping soundly--his eyebrow bridge crinkled permanently stuck on a worried expression. His heart sank, he wanted so badly to whisper he was sorry.
The ring slid off easily, and Y/n quickly slipped the replacement ring onto Gabriel's finger. He shoved the real ring into the little sac, the two rings made a clink sound and Y/n froze. He looked over to Gabriel, whose breathing had changed yet again--his breaths becoming inconsistent and bordering on jolting him awake. Y/n rushed out of the room, only sparing a glance back to see both Gabriel and Nooroo still asleep before closing the door.
Y/n swiftly tip-toed down the hallways, which resembled a psych ward almost uncannily. He paused at the door leading to the room with Emilie's painting. Against his will, his feet moved toward the painting. He leaned forward, opening it revealing the peaco*ck miraculous behind it. He held it, the miraculous glitching from its discreet to charged form. That same pang of guilt and regret, unable to help Duusu. The miraculous glowed slightly as a kwami appeared from it. Duusu blinked, looking at Y/n. Y/n blinked, looking at Duusu, and dropped the miraculous, the metal making a clang upon hitting the floor.
"What's a lady like you doing here?!" He gasped. She gasped? In French, Duusu went by he, in English, she. Eh, bigender icon it is. "...Are you my new holder? But how'd you get here?" She went from ecstatic to angry in about two seconds. "Are you going to try to kidnap me?!" Well, no going back now. Y/n took off the helmet, about to say something--anything--"YOU'RE A MAN LADY!" Duusu burst into a fit of laughter before continuing. "The stars sent me a twin!"
"Sorry to disappoint but I'm not. I put on a disguise, I'm just a guy."
"Ah." Duusu deadpanned. "Then what are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry... I just, your broach is broken, and I want to help you." Duusu's eyes sparkled for a second.
"You're going to help me?" Sparkly tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "I've been feeling so strange for so so long!!" She started sniffling, and Y/n took her and nuzzled her against his cheek.
"I know, I know. I'm going to try my best to help you. Has Mr. Agreste hurt you?" More tears formed in his eyes, and Duusu started openly sobbing.
"I hate him. I hate him! I HATE HIM!" She started getting erratically angry, and loud. Y/n looked around before brushing off Duusu's tears. "Will you be my master instead?" Y/n looked on at Duusu in shock. "Just say spread my feathers! Then we can help each other!" Duusu picked up the broach and clipped it onto Y/n's coat, and Y/n went pale.
"Duusu," Y/n tried to muster out anything, a way to gently let him down. Y/n murmured to himself. "Spread my feathers..." He slapped his mouth with his hands, panic taking over him. Was hethat stupid?
Duusu smiled and was wished into the miraculous, Y/n watched in terror as his skin turned blue and a dark blue tailcoat adorned with silver lining appeared on him. Black thigh-high riding boots with silver buckles were visible when Y/n looked down, and a decorative but hefty fan was in his hand.
"I'm sorry Duusu, I--I can't right now. If I use your powers, I could get hurt since your broach is broken. Fall my feathers." He sighed a breath of relief as he returned back to normal, and he unclipped the broach and held it. "But, I promise I will be with you throughout it." Duusu nodded.
"But you still care about me?" She looked at Y/n trying to find any kind of sympathy or love on his face.
"Of course I do, you deserve to be happy and loved. If no one will, I'll love you. You're a good kwami." Duusu giggled.
"You're talking to me like you've known me forever." Her face changed from that of bemused to quietly grateful. "Maybe the stars really did send you." Guilt tugged at Y/n.
"You know what," Y/n didn't care if Master Wang Fu would hate him for lying, if Ladybug and Adrien would be anxious, if Mr. Agreste found out he had stolen from him--these kwamis, they had been through enough. "let's get Nooroo too... you two deserve to be happy." Duusu smiled.
"I love you." She giggled. Y/n put his helmet back on and turned to the door before he heard a ruckus in the hallway.
"Who's there?! I heard you!" Gabriel was outside in the hallway, roaming like a prison guard. A shiver ran down Y/n's spine. The footsteps stopped at the closed door. Y/n looked at Duusu, and Duusu teared up.
"Thank you." She took the miraculous from Y/n's hand. "I love you, master." She put it back in its resting spot and pushed the painting closed before nuzzling Y/n. "You'll come back for me, right?"
"What? No! You can come with me now," Y/n moved towards the painting, and Duusu moved between them.
"He'll know! I don't want you hurt!" Duusu turned angry, trying to push Y/n towards the window. "Get out! Get out!" Y/n's face was pained, he looked right at Duusu. "You'll be my master when you come back too." Her voice was shy of a whisper. "I can feel it."
"Are you sure?" Y/n walked to the window hesitantly, "I can help younow." Duusu broke into a fit of laughter.
"I may be broken, but I'm not stupid." She went up to Y/n who had now opened the window and cuddled his neck. "Love you later." He flew back to the painting and fazed through it.
"You're in here, aren't you!" Mr. Agreste's voice boomed through the door. Y/n clambered through the window and shut it, the door opening right after.
He held his breath, climbing down the side of the mansion--his gloves the only reason his sweaty palms didn't make him fall. He stuck close to the sides of the house before getting to the back of it, able to climb out and run for his life. He made three left turns, then a right, two left turns, four rights, straight. He let out a gasp and slinked into an alleyway before looking behind him for anyone following him. Nothing.
"Hey, Ziggy, it's me." Ziggy flew down to Y/n, relief evident on her face.
"Oh! You're okay! Finally, we can turn this off!" Ziggy went to press the button, and Y/n snatched it. "You snatched that faster than Marinette would snatch a photo she secretly took of Adrien!" Y/n burst out laughing.
"I'm glad no one took your sense of humor while I was gone. But sorry, we have to keep this on for a least another two hours. Mr. Agreste woke up, and—if he saw me, then the lights turning back on right after would be suspicious."
"Isn't that excessive Y/n?" Ziggy raised an eyebrow, or rather, the part of her face that was supposed to hold one.
"You can never be too careful. We'll just leave this here and come back, say, two and a half hours later. No, I'll set a time for 2 hours and 47 minutes, if it's an even number it'll be suspicious."
"How about we go to bed, and I go back and get it in 2 hours and 47 minutes? You need sleep, Y/n."
"Are you sure? I've already bothered you enough by making you wait here..."
"No. You need to go to bed--and don't even think about trying to get anyhomeworkorcommissionsor exercise in beforehand. Bed. Sleep." Y/n laughed.
"Okay, but I'm counting on you."
"Reports are saying the blackout lasted from 12:23 am to 4:06 am, luckily, it seemed to be another glitch in--"
Y/n clicked the remote for the TV to turn it off and kept shoveling spoonfuls of cereal into his mouth. He groaned, slapping both his cheeks after swallowing to try to feel more awake. He went into his room, about to walk into the closet when he stopped, looking at the ornate box that now held two white rings sitting on his dresser.
How could he have been so blind? He should have either not gone in the room at all or taken the peaco*ck miraculous all together. Now he had put Duusu in danger in case Hawk Moth ever found out. He breathed in, trying to collect himself.
"Hey, it's okay Y/n. You did good, you weren't caught. Besides, it's Adrien's birthday today, and you'll be able to give him your gifts!" Y/n nodded. He couldn't tell Ziggy what happened, could he? Duusu counted on him, but for what? It's not like he could sneak in again, it would be too risky. Even if he told everyone... he would have to explain the world he was from, and how he knew the show.
Martha. He had screamed it upon waking up. Martha's rotting corpse, covered in maggots and bugs, birds pecking at her eyes. Y/n sighed, trying to shake off the nightmare from last night.
