"Not too bad for a Knightmare?" Lorepost #1
This fic is very heavily inspired and is based on "Eres perfecta para mi" by Jazkernix on Ao3.
Despite being in Spanish only, that work is what I would call a textbook example of a greatly written "Friends to lovers" trope.
There's something about Adrien finding a friend in someone you'd never thought he would, such as Juleka. Even more, it's a very good "Popular, outgoing blonde boy x Shy, introverted goth girl". You can say it's cliché, but who cares if it's a nicely done cliché?
What inspired a rewrite from me was a particular scene in the beginning of Eres Perfecta, where the morning after Adrien was rejected as Chat Noir by Ladybug, he is almost akumatized at breakfast. I saw that, and with the songs at the top of my playlist, I couldn't hep but imagine a scenario in which he WOULD be akumatized. So with a middle age themed song in my earbuds I got to some hardcore thinking and came up with the following.
The first time it happens, Adrien has his social and emotional brakes off. He's sad because of what happened last night and he's not in the mood to pretend to be The Perfect Adrien right now, so when this coward of a Butterfly intrudes on his mind, he completely roasts him. He states how hollow Hawkmoth's offer is, some wacky powers for a few hours with no lasting effect, because after that Chat Noir and Ladybug would definitely stop him and reverse whatever has been done. That, and he is not going to accept anything from a coward who doesn't even have the guts to show himself. So with that he simply rejects the butterfly telling him to come up with something of value next time if he wants to akumatize him so much, much to horrified and secretly furious Nathalie's shock.
Still he 1insists on going to school after that shit show, and reluctantly Nathalie let's him go, but not before making him promise to call if anything happens. He fought hard for the right to go to school, so he's not going to let some "almost akumatization" stop him.
Then the friendship between Adrien amd Juleka starts just like in Eres perfecta where Adrien wants some quiet instead of usually familiar loudness of his friends. Most of the time he prefers it to cold silence of his mansion, but not this time. Therefore he finds a quiet spot and drops to sit there when he bumps into Juleka he didn't notice was sitting just there.
She didn't notice him too because she was way too busy drawing. He notices and even though she tries to hide it, he praises her because the art he saw with his eye is very, very good. After that it becomes their thing to spend breaks in that quiet spot where people don't come, and where there's a perfect balance of sun and shadow. He asks her questions about her work and gives some ideas, and sometimes she talks about her ideas and he listens. It's a very comfortable for both of them to have someone to listen, or to talk, or even to silently coexist in the same space.
Fast forward few weeks, Juleka finishes her art piece of Chat Noir on the gothic style rooftop. Adrien has his hopes up when he learned that she hoped to ask someone out with this drawing, thinking it was for him as Chat. Instead, he is a bit heartbroken once more (Even though he doesn't know why, not like he has any feelings for the goth. At least at that time) when it's for Nathaniel.
He and Kurtzberg didn't see eye-to-eye ever since he came into the class and got introduced as Chloe's friend. Despite his dislike of the redhead who still dislikes him, he says nothing to Juleka, and reluctantly wishes her luck when she goes to actually confess.
Nino sees this and obviously feels for his bro, but this is not about that.
What happens next is Juleka gets rejected because Nath is gay and has eyes for someone else. She takes it well, or at least as well as she could, and runs away crying.
In doing so, she runs past Adrien who was walking to the car since the lessons ended. Seeing the state of his friend, he makes a quick decision for a ride to be damned as he went after her. Eventually she stopped and fell to her knees in their spot.
Adrien expected to see her weeping, but instead he found her trying and failing to maintain composure due to her fear of akumatization. Once again he makes a quick decision, which turns out to be a correct one.
He hugs her and tells her that she can fall apart because he will hold her, and she can feel whatever she feels because he will stand guard in case an akuma comes. And in that moment? For Juleka it's more than she could ask for so she does as she's told and just wails into his shirt.
Nathalie, worried at such a sudden run off, finds them and Adrien shoo's her away.
As she calms down a bit, Adrien gets more mad for her, because how dare that prick hurt her like that? So he feels immense sadness and anger for his friend.
Then, an akuma comes, Juleka sees it and panics, but it's Adrien who's frozen in an emotional spiral, so Couffaine can only look in horror as the butterfly lands onto her drawing. She expects to once again be akumatized, but is surprised when it's Adrien who's covered in magic bubbly goo.
This time Hawkmoth comes more prepared than the last time and the situation is more favourable to him. He offers Adrien power, but not to fix any wrong longterm, rather to simply comfort his friend he cares so much about.
"We meet once again my dear friend. I've thought about what you have said and that is why I had to... rethink some of my ways. Last time you have rejected me because I have offered you the wrong thing, for which I apologise."
"If rich talk is the only thing you changed, I recommend you stop wasting both our time."
I agree, but it seems I have mistaken you for a selfish person when in reality you are the furthest thing from selfish. That is why I make my offer once again, not for your sake this time, but for your friend's." - and there it was. The more Adrien talked to the man who was behind all of chaos in Paris, the more he grew unsettled. He might be a coward, but he is no fool. It's only the second time they talk like this, and already he knows something very personal about him, about what kind of a person he is.
"State your offer then." Adrien said with tone of a disinterested business man, something Gabriel took a little pride in because it seems that the lessons payed off and his son would make a good heir one day.
"Your friend has had her heart broken by someone who's heart knows no kindness. The emotions I feel from her are one of the most pure in all of Paris, and I feel that you care for her deeply."
Adrien held his pocket face as he sat behind the table with a silhouette made of smoke, but internally he grew only more fearful. Not because he was afraid for himself, but because he learned that Hawkmoth felt emotions of people not affected by akuma, that also meant that he probably felt his fear too, but Adrien refused to show it.
Gabriel however was even more surprised by Adrien's actions. He had just told him something very intimate about this girl, and he knows that he cares a lot for her, yet even after that he felt no fear from him. He sat with the same disinterested fave as if this happens every odd day.
"Congratulations, you have the basic power of empathy. That is supposed to make me join you how exactly?" He had not felt such rush of blood in a very long time. Here his son, who he thought to be quiet and obedient was showing his long grown teeth for the first time and Gabriel felt thrilled by the danger.
"Your friend has been very caring to you, a definition of what a good friend should be. Now what kind of friend would You be if you didn't help her in her time of need?"
"Get to the point, Hawkmoth."
"... I can give you power to make sure nothing harms her. The power to make her safe and happy while making those who wronged her pay. You are caring, but I also sense a very, very well hidden piece of what smells like anger. While my power wouldn't make any lasting change, it's showing that you care that matters.
Take my offer and you can make her feel better, you can take the pain, the hurt and the sadness away.
All I ask for in return is that you try to take the miraculous of Ladybug and Cat Noir. Those are the only ones I need. You won't succeed most likely, but should you, and the power I give you will be yours. You and your girl friend can be safe and happy. How does that sound?"
"... I need some time to think."
"Of course, call me when you are ready." Hawkmoth poofed out after a snap of his fingers but Adrien wasn't stupid enough to think that he was truly alone and unobserved.
But he started to think. This is the closest they've managed to get to Hawkmoth, and he said that he needed ONLY Cat Noir's and Ladybug's miraculous, so that's something.
There however were more disturbing thoughts going through his head. Thoughts about how he felt useless as of late. Whenever he came for patrols, someone was already there with Ladybug. How she said that he was just like any other holder on the team as if he wasn't there from the beginning just like her, and stuck through thick and thin with her.
After that a dangerous thought crawled into his mind: What if he doesn't fight it this time?
What if he simply let's go and let's whatever happens happen?
After all Ladybug doesn't need him.
She and her sidekicks can save the day on his own.
That, and the idea of taking every piece of hurt and sadness from Juleka, making her safe and happy did sound very tempting.
So he agrees. Worst case scenario he's simply fooled by the man and Ladybug is proven right after defeating him, but otherwise? He can help his friend, even if for a little bit and he gets info on the man behind it all.
"Hawkmoth."
"Yes?" The smoky figure with a cane forms in front of him in the mindspace.
"I agree to your terms."
"Very well!" Adrien couldn't see, but he could hear his smile.
"So... what should I call you, my champion?"
"Knightmare."
"Wonderful. A name of a fighter for the one who fights for others! So fight then, oh venerable Knightmare!"
In that moment Gabriel made a great blunder. He forgot that his son was not a simple human, he was a senti-being, one made of the most potent emotion - love. And he still had his amok on him, so when he gave that command, Adrien would obey it no matter what.
So he started to fight, fight against the only thing he could in that moment between him agreeing to Hawkmoth's pact and before he is transformed into an akuma. Adrien started to fight Gabriel himself and his magic.
There's a distinct change when a person goes from resisting him to submitting, but what he felt in that moment was like nothing else before.
First Hawkmoth felt the strings slip from the boys mind. He was no longer controlling what went through his mind.
Then it was his body, because he felt the magic go taut. Hawkmoth was outraged and fascinated at the same time, no one else before was able to get out of his control before. It seems that his dear boy had much more talent than he let on.
His fascination was cut short when the flet the pull on his magic. String by string the control was slipping from his hands and before he could do anything, he heard Adrien's distorted voice in his head now.
"W-what are you doing?! I am in charge!" He said as he sent a charge of energy to the Knightmare.
"A-a-argh!! You!!... you. Are. Not. Let, me, GO!!"
And in one moment it all fell apart. No longer is the Great Hawkmoth a puppeteer, but just a magic battery.
What happens next is that still afraid Juleka who is in Adrien's clutches hears the bubbling finally grow quiet. Except instead of Adrien she is met by the dark grey metal helmet of a knight. He stands up and lifts her in his arms.
"A-Adrien?!"
"Yes, mi'lady?"
"What are you doing? Fight it! I know you can!"
"There is no need, Mistress. Now I have the power to make sure you and your heart is safe no matter what." - with a metal snap of his gauntleted hands her leggings and shirt started to transform into an elegant medieval dress in black and purple colours.
"W-what are you doing?"
" 'Tis only fitting that the Lady of Paris be dressed in the finest silks, is it not?" Her face was red from crying, but the blush still made her even more red somehow.
"I meant why are you doing this? Did you get akumatized instead of me?"
"You bear no blame for my own choices, mi'lady."
"But why? Why do something like this for me?"
"Why wouldn't I do that for you, mi'lady? Your happiness is my only wish."
What happens next would probably be in the next post because this already too long. I started this as a masterpost about this fic, but now it will be just a first of many loreposts. If you have any questions and/or ideas, feel free to comment or send me an ask about it, cheers!
