Chapter Text
Point of Vue Nathaniel
I remembered the first time I was akumatized.
Argos and Dragonica were wreaking havoc. One created sentimonsters, and the other gave them the power of wind, water, or lightning. Mister Bug had trusted Chloé Bourgeois with the Bee Miraculous because he told the team she was his childhood friend despite her appearance as a corrupt woman. And that trust was completely shattered when Chloé, aka Queen Bee, sided with Argos when she saw that Mister Bug had fallen madly in love with Lady Noire instead of her.
So, there were the heroes and the villains. And on the hero team, there was the most vulnerable but most powerful of us: DarkPixie, known as Juleka Couffaine, Viperion's little twin sister.
Apparently, the Butterfly Miraculous is similar to Argos's, the Peacock Miraculous; the two are connected by the wielder's imagination. Argos can imagine sentimonsters, DarkPixie can imagine akumatized ones. Both are very powerful, overflowing with imagination, and limitless, contrary to popular belief.
DarkPixie's emotions were transferred to her akumas, small, harmless-looking black butterflies that hid immense power within themselves. Most of the time, there were akumatized people with quite significant powers, and when DarkPixie was in a good mood, you could see heroes like Pirkell, SentiBulleur, Lady Wi-Fi, Befana, Quilin, or even Wish Granter. All these people were chosen at random, and DarkPixie, even hidden in the City of Lights, seemed so close to them.
All wonderful people, who remembered everyone once the fight was over. They could feel proud of helping Mister Bug, Lady Noire, and Viperion. Not me. Even though it's been a long time, I still have the bitter taste of Lady Noire's rejection at the gala, and I greatly envied Mister Bug and Viperion for having managed to steal her heart and make her happy. In the end, everyone had someone. During Valentine's Day, I kept my rage deep inside, envying those who were in relationships and who had someone.
As for me, I was just another man, working a small artist's job. I painted pictures that paid me enough to eat, pay my rent and bills, and buy my supplies. I earned a pretty good living, but my biggest dream was to make comics, and all I needed was a writer. I could never find one, even with my small group of friends, which consisted of Alix Kubdel, Kim LeChien, and Max Kanté.
I hung out in my free time at the Louvre with my best friend, Alix, known as Bunnyx. Only I knew she was a heroine and that her Miraculous was her family's pocket watch, which she had inherited. I knew everything about Alix. She knew everything about me, especially that I was bisexual and that, in my alone time, I would let myself be dragged to bars or nightclubs to sleep with anyone. Max and Kim saw me wasting away day by day, but they didn't say anything, much to my delight. They just encouraged me not to give up no matter what. Kim, Max, and I were so close that all our parents called us "The Disruptors."
That was life in Paris. Argos, QueenBee, and Dragonica attacked the Parisians, and Mister Bug, Lady Noire, and Viperion defended them with the akumatized people DarkPixie created.
Unfortunately, one day, when the heroine Princess Flagrance, aka Rose Vaillant, was diagnosed with cancer, DarkPixie couldn't take it, and one of her akumas felt her deep negative emotion. The little butterfly escaped, and at the same time, my graphics tablet, which I had bought over 10 years ago, died just as I was finishing another drawing that was close to my heart. It was frustrating. I hadn't noticed anything until I felt an evil power invade my body and transform me right in the middle of the Louvre Museum.
"No!" I heard a voice in my mind. "Please... tell me you're kind." I recognized the sweet voice of the Butterfly Miraculous's wielder in my head.
"Me? Kind?" I laughed at DarkPixie. "A lonely and broken person can never be kind..." I felt tears welling up in my eyes as the seconds ticked by, and sad flashbacks from the past reverberated through my mind. My lonely life, my crushes who got nothing in return, Lady Noire's rejection, the one-night stands that treated me like a piece of meat, the suicidal thoughts in my head, and a potential future spent alone and sad forever.
DarkPixie had tried to reason with me, "Listen, whoever you are, know that doing evil is never good. Do you have a civilian name? My friends and I can help you..."
"You'll never be able to help me. Not you, not your friends, not my friends. No one!" I hissed at the woman. "And my name is Evillustrator!" I felt DarkPixie tremble with terror. "Thank you for your unexpected gift, by the way." I placed a hand on my chest, tapping on my three favorite colors, and a new tablet appeared on my right arm. I realized later that the infected akuma must have slipped into my own stylus because I was still holding it in my hand as I pressed down on my tablet and started drawing.
I had cut the connection with the one the Parisians called DarkPixie and started drawing anything and everything, erasing things I didn't like, as I started to leave the museum. Alix recognized me, and I told her not to fight me and to run away from me. I didn't want to hurt the one who had always been a great support despite all the suffering I felt and endured. She ran away and hid while I continued walking down the street and out of the museum.
The few Parisians who crossed paths with me were wavering between admiration and fear. And when I smiled evilly at them while sidestepping a badly parked bus, fortunately without passengers or driver, they started running away in all directions. I laughed heartily, knowing that nothing could stop me. I had become strong enough to fight. I had become strong enough... to get revenge. And I had to get revenge by erasing the things I didn't like.
Erasing... that was all that mattered to me in the past. I wanted nothing else. I begged any God not to cross paths with my only friends because I didn't want to hurt them. They were innocent, unlike me.
I had been walking for a few minutes before seeing a person sitting on a bench in the Place du Trocadéro, writing in their notebook, concentrating and paying no attention to the people who were running away when they saw me coming. A small part of me wanted to remove the bench and scare this person, and the other part was curious. And it was the second part that won out when I heard the person humming like a melody as I got closer and closer. I decided to jump right in front of them, preventing them from running away. Whoever it was, I felt my icy heart warm.
I landed in front of a pretty woman with a messy appearance but a cute little face. Short, messy blue hair, a red hoodie, emerald green eyes so beautiful they mesmerized me, and pink lips that made me want to taste them. Looking more closely at his ripped pants, I realized this person wasn't a woman but a man. A man so attractive that I remember standing there for several minutes before sitting down next to him and taking his notebook, staring at his scribbles while he froze almost in terror, staring at me.
It turned out that said scribbles were writing. Better yet, while the handsome man tried to take his notebook back, I remained focused on reading. Every word, every letter, every paragraph... everything was incredible. And the worst part was, it was about superheroes, my dearest wish for a potential comic book. Before I knew it, I had already read the whole thing. It was true that there wasn't much writing, but I already found it incredible.
"Um..."
I turned back to the handsome man and smiled at him as I handed him back his book. "Wow..."
"Do you... Do you like it?" He asked shyly, playing with the cord of his sweatshirt. "If it... if you don't like it... that's okay." The handsome man lowered his head in sadness. "What I write is really bad..."
"Not at all, it was incredible!" I smiled at him, placing my hand on his chin. "You really have a talent, it's true. The twists and turns, the characters' feelings, the chapter endings. Everything is so... incredible." God, just by touching his skin, he was soft. As soft as soap. I wanted to lean into him and kiss him, but if I did that, I would risk scaring him even more than I was. "I'd like to read more of them, if you don't mind." I said, gently taking both of his hands in my own.
"Really... Really?" The handsome writer looked at me. Those eyes, which I perceived as beautiful emeralds, pierced mine, and I could only freeze in place as he spoke and looked at me with admiration.
I nodded, the words choking in the back of my throat. He was seductive, as beautiful as a painting in the Louvre. Lord, who was he? An angel fallen from the sky? A magnificent dream?
"Well..." the handsome man played with a lock of hair, "It's not much at the moment... but I like to be inspired when I find beautiful places." He stared at the Trocadero square and pointed at the fountain. "Seeing that mermaid over there, I thought... it would be nice to write about a woman saving a pirate man. My head keeps overflowing with stories, and I... I try my best to describe the feelings I see and transfer them into my little book."
"Talk to me, my love." I froze as I said the words, coming out so naturally that I thought this handsome lover would get scared and run away. "Tell me the other stories you write. I want to know everything, oh my handsome writer." I was relieved to see him smile and that he wouldn't run away despite my mistake.
The handsome stranger shifted almost awkwardly on the bench. "Really?" I nodded, longing to hear his sweet, melodious voice again and again. "Well... there are many things I would like to see in real time, but I know it's almost an impossible dream... First, there's..."
While he was telling me about his other notes and what he was imagining, I was drawing on my tablet, and various things appeared before us. My sweetheart, this beautiful writer, had even told me that he wished to see shooting stars one day. I looked at the sky, which had begun to darken as time passed, night had begun to fall on the city, and I drew on my tablet, creating shooting stars.
"Are you still drawing on your tablet, Gentle Artist?" The handsome writer asked me, smiling, as his gaze focused on the fake stars in the sky.
I shook my head, "No, my love. I used to paint on canvas before I was like... this." I pointed at myself, smiling, "And I like sketching too." I sketched quickly on my tablet, trying to remember one of my latest drawings, which was just a selfie of Alix, Kim, Max, and me in hero costumes fighting against Argos, and one of a sentimonster he'd created.
"My God, it's beautiful." The handsome stranger's eyes lit up when he saw my drawing. "The movements, the expressions, the skills... everything is so..." He looked at me with stars in his eyes.
I blushed when I heard him compliment my art. "Thanks, love. That's so nice."
He glanced at the paper and then at me for a few minutes before letting out a small laugh. "You drew yourself, it's adorable."
"Yes, it's true..." I blushed in turn. "The heroes of Paris inspired me, and I would love to fight alongside them one day. Unfortunately, I could only immerse myself in my art and put my comic book dream aside."
The handsome writer awkwardly played with his hair. "I... I don't usually ask this, but... would you like to make a comic book with you? I've dreamed of doing one for a long time, but I've never been able to find someone to draw the scenes I imagine." He lowered his head with his shyness. "If you want..."
"A comic book? Us? Together?" I felt my heart stop for a moment. "Of course!" Without hesitation, I jumped on him, taking him in my arms, and leaning towards him. "That would be incredible, my cute love."
He gently raised his hands and wrapped his arms around my neck, clinging to me like a lifeline to keep from falling off the bench.
Noticing the position we were in, I stood up and helped him straighten up. "I'm sorry, my love. I got carried away."
"It's okay, Artist." He gently placed his hand on my cheek, and I stroked it. "I... I really liked having you in my arms..."
"Come with me, beautiful writer of my heart..." I got up from the bench and knelt down, holding out my hand, inviting him to follow me. "I will show you a place where inspiration can never be interrupted in your head, oh sweet creature."
The handsome writer had taken my hand in his and I had carried him bridal style, spreading my angel wings and flying to my favorite place, Where I had wanted to go with someone for so long but I could never find anyone to take there...
I had taken him to the Eiffel Tower, my favorite place to draw. Except for usually, I had taken advantage of my akumatization to go to the top of the tower, admiring the magnificent city from below. "Every time I come here, I can draw inspiration from the city of Paris for my drawings. It's the second place that makes me feel good." I had gently set the handsome stranger down and taken his hand, not wanting to let go.
"What's the first?" The handsome stranger had smiled at me.
I continued to look at him and stroked a lock of hair, tucking it behind his ear. "The Louvre Museum, my love..." The magnificent writer had started to blush at the sound of the nickname again. Seeing that he hadn't flinched once since I'd dropped him off, I continued, "Even if the paintings are beautiful, they'll never be better than what I have in front of me..."
"Stop," the handsome stranger looked away. "You're making me blush, it bothers me."
"Don't you like it, my love?" I lowered my head, staring into the handsome stranger's eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to be offended by my words, handsome stranger."
Handsome stranger shook his head. "It... It's not that..." He bit his pretty lip before looking me in the eyes. "I don't think I'm that great. No one's ever complimented me like that before... It... It doesn't really bother me, it touches me." He let out a sigh. "I'm not used to receiving compliments from people I've only just met. Only my family has ever complimented me so far."
I gently removed my hand from his, cupping his face, and looked into his eyes. "Beautiful writer, tender love, I tell you sincerely today, and I will tell you again and again: you are magnificent, so much so that I'm going to dream about you a lot if I can sleep tonight."
"Outward beauty should never be taken lightly, dear artist." He placed his hands on mine and pressed his forehead against mine. "Falling in love with someone who looks beautiful is a bad thing. There is... There's a saying that says: never judge a book by its cover."
"You're right, my love..." God, I'd been so close to him while talking that I'd felt my lips brush against his. "However... I fell in love with you because of your writing in your book, not just your looks." I could feel his breath against mine. "And... if you don't mind, I'd love to learn more about you, Beautiful Writer."
"That's okay..." the handsome writer smiled at me, and "Cute Artist." He closed his eyes as he leaned toward me.
My heart had literally stopped at the feel of his soft lips on my own. Far too much was happening inside me. My heart was burning like the flames of hell, my stomach was shaking like a carnival ride, and my legs were shaking so much they seemed to turn into marshmallows. As for my head, even though I didn't really feel the power of my akuma, I felt like it had exploded and that I was dead and in heaven.
As I opened my eyes and pulled away to catch my breath, I truly believed I was dead for good and that an angel had decided to give me the most wonderful kiss before taking me to heaven. Yet, it was very real.
"I can feel your hands trembling on my hips, my darling artist." Handsome Writer smiled at me, wrapping his hands around my neck. "Is everything okay?"
I gently nodded my head. "I can't tell if this is an endless dream, if I died and landed in heaven, or if I'm truly awake, my love." I raised my hand and gently caressed one of his cheeks. "You're beautiful..."
"I find you handsome too, Artist." The handsome man took my hand in his and kissed it tenderly. "Seeing you say such beautiful things to me, and when I see your face looking at me with all that love, I feel my fingers itch and I want to write."
"Your hands mustn't get too tired writing, my love." I smiled at him. "But if you wish, I have other plans in mind for her pretty hands that won't be damaged because of me."
"What is it?"
I gently let go of his hand and stepped back to stare at the platform of the Eiffel Tower. I tapped on my three colors, bringing up my tablet, and with my stylus in my left hand, I created a pretty little dance floor with a carpet, tables decorated with scented candles, flowers scattered around, streamers, and a stereo playing one of my favorite love songs. The handsome writer stood there, admiring my work.
I tapped on the three colors again, and my magic tablet disappeared in a few seconds.
"Can I ask you to dance?" I lowered myself as best I could, holding out my free hand, not wanting to lose contact with his beautiful emerald-like eyes.
The writer nodded and took my inviting hand in his. We headed toward the large dance floor I had created and began dancing while the city below quieted.
One hand on her hip, the other in hers, unwilling to let go. We began dancing together on the carpet I had designed while the music hummed softly in our ears. I took advantage of the magic of my akumatization and the magic of the tablet, choosing the song I liked to dance to with my love. I could feel my love's hands trembling around my neck and then relaxing as time passed. Our steps were very slow at first, gradually, and eventually we were dancing in perfect sync.
Keeping our rhythm, I leaned my head towards him and gently placed my lips on his. "Are you afraid of me, my love? I can feel you trembling too."
My sweet writer had shaken his head, "I'm not afraid of you, Artist. I'm just a little cold..."
I jumped in place as I felt a rush of autumn sales run through my body. "Oh my God! I'm such an idiot!" As quickly as I could, my tablet reappeared, and I designed a blanket for my love. The fabric appeared, and I wrapped my sweet love inside. "Better?"
"Much better. Tanks so much... Sweet Artist." I admired my handsome writer's smile as he warmed himself to my creation.
"If you wish for anything else, just say the word, my love." I leaned toward this handsome man, "I am at your command."
"I don't need anything else. Thank you, Artist." Handsome writer smiled at me, taking my hand. "The fact that you take good care of me warms my body... and my heart."
He was so gorgeous... so handsome. Gently caressing his cheek with my hand, I was about to lean towards him, stealing another kiss. He closed his eyes in turn and leaned towards me...
"Evillustrator !" Lady Noire, Viperion, and Mister Bug appeared before us, ruining our wonderful moment. "We found you! Release the civilian! NOW !!!"
I wrapped my arms around my love, not wanting the one who had broken my heart to take the man I had fallen madly in love with. "Go away, all of you!" I hissed at the three heroes. "Don't you see how much you're hurting me?! Leave me alone!"
"If you don't free him..." Lady Noire had her staff ready, followed by Mister Bug with his YoYo and Viperion with his Lyre. "You leave us no choice!"
"No, please!" Handsome Writer stood in front of me, arms spread wide with the blanket over him. "Don't hurt him. He didn't hurt me and he didn't take me hostage..." He looked into Lady Noire's eyes. "Please, don't hurt him!"
"He's a public danger, stay away from him." Viperion had tried to approach, but seeing my crazed gaze, he made no further move. Lady Noire and Mister Bug had also frozen at the sight of my furious gaze.
My tender love had gently extended his hand towards the heroes. "Don't come any closer. Let me do it..."
Lady Noire had trembled. "But..."
"I'm telling you to stay back!" My handsome lover had shouted to the heroes, who had instantly backed away from the fury of the man I love. I was impressed in turn, frozen in place as my hand nearly touched the three colors on my jumpsuit, ready to attack the three intruders.
Lady Noire had nodded and signaled to her two lovers, "Very well. But if we sense danger for you, we'll attack without hesitation!"
"You better not to act." My handsome writer had whistled at them, and I fell more and more for him, seeing that he was ready to defend me at all costs, despite my power and near-evil nature. He calmed down and turned back to me, using his sweet voice that made my heart race. "Hey..."
"Our evening is ruined, my beautiful love." I sadly looked into the eyes of this handsome lover I had only just met but who made my heart race from thousands of miles away. "I had so much to show you..."
Handsome writer had shaken his head, giving me the most wonderful smile that reassured me. "There may be more, Cute Artist. I'm sure that with my little ideas, our future evenings will be perfect."
"Yet... I would so love to stay like this, my love. Feeling this powerful power and having the right to happiness fills me to the highest degree." I stroked his hands while continuing to stare into his eyes, keeping an eye on the three intruders at the same time. "I would so love to keep this..." Our eyes met before lowering to my stylus, where the powerful butterfly was hiding.
"Please..." The handsome man stroked my cheek. "I really like you and... and I'd like to know you without that mask."
"Don't you like it ?" I grabbed his hand and kissed his palm beneath the glove of this beautiful angel. "I thought you liked my style, my sweet writer."
"Yes, it's true, I love you very much..." he blushed. "But I don't want you to be mean... I don't want to see you hurting people who are doing nothing wrong. Please..." My love bit his soft lip, then looked at me with the most sincere gaze in his beautiful emerald eyes. "Even... Even though it's only been a few hours since we met, I... I have to tell you something." He remained silent for a moment before opening his mouth. "I love you, Artist."
I really thought I'd died and gone to heaven at that moment. No one had said those three little words to me, which meant so much. Alix had said she loved me, but she said it because we were childhood friends, nothing more. But hearing those three little words from the mouth of this handsome writer who made my heart race made me want to fly into the air and scream with joy. I prayed to any god that this wasn't all a horrible dream.
"If that's what you want then... Okay, I won't hurt anyone anymore because I love you too, Writer of my heart." I leaned towards him and kissed him on the mouth, savoring the taste of his lips for a few more seconds. "I'll be deakumatized on one condition..."
My love turned even redder, glancing back, seeing that the heroes hadn't left. "What is it?"
"Just tell me your name, my love and beautiful writer of my heart. Your name will be enough to convince me." I didn't want to leave this wonderful dream anytime soon without knowing a precious piece of information. I had to know what my love's beautiful name was.
He blushed and I could feel my heart exploding. Even when he looked at me like he did, I felt like I could give him anything. "Marc. I'm Marc Anciel…"
"Marc…" I softly repeated that sweet name, running my thumb over his lip. "Very well, my handsome Marc. I'll keep my word." I turned back to the heroes, holding out my hand, the one with the akuma in my pen, while Marc held the other. "Just tell DarkPixie… that I'm truly sorry."
Mister Bug nodded. He came towards me, taking my pen, and then Lady Noire Cataclysm, and I returned to my normal form. Bug summoned a Lucky Charm and threw it into the air with its remedy, repairing the damage I had done. Viperion played a tender melody with his Lyre, feeling the atmosphere become romantic even though my scenery had disappeared.
"And what about yours, my dear Artist?" Marc, my love, had asked. "Evillustrator isn't too bad, and I wouldn't be too used to calling you Artist."
I missed a heartbeat as the evil, powerful power evaporated within me. "Nathaniel. Nathaniel Kurtzberg!"
"Nathaniel..." Marc had hugged me, "Nath..." and I had hugged him back as we descended from the Eiffel Tower. Things had happened too quickly despite us. First the exchange of numbers, then the dates, then our collaboration. Before I even said Akuma, we had kissed passionately after another date and ended up at my place where our sweaty bodies finally connected after so many days of waiting. Lots of torrid nights where I told him I loved him and he told me the same thing while the flesh slapped loudly in my own room.
The more I saw him, the more he made me want to stay with him and protect him at all costs. It's an understatement to say that I couldn't bear a single second without seeing him, and it was mutual, since he often kept me from going too far while I was working on my paintings. We had become inseparable, much to the misfortune, or joy, of our friends. Alix had even organized a party in Marc's honor and welcomed him into our group of friends.
Even though sometimes, people were reluctant when they saw us walking the streets of Paris, hand in hand. We were happy, and that's all that mattered to me. I had finally found the missing part of my life, which was none other than my beautiful writer, and I didn't intend to let him go anytime soon.
Our love was so powerful that I was akumatized again, wearing the same clothes. Only this time, I had become a hero. I begged DarkPixie not to do the same to my love, but Marc insisted on fighting with me after much persuasion after seeing me akumatized. So we were in battle together: me, the hero Mightyllustrator, and him, the hero Reverse. He always hid his beautiful face under his hood, but I could be happy knowing that only I could be close to his face, see him blush, and kiss him.
And at the end of each fight against the elemental Sentimons and the manipulated Parisians, we would each check each other's wounds before passionately kissing. He made me truly happy. And being separated from him for just a few seconds drove me so crazy.
Months passed, and I took advantage of a moment while being akumatized to draw another setting for a rendezvous at the Eiffel Tower and tell DarkPixie to call the others for my marriage proposal.
A red carpet, roses surrounding us, forming a heart, with Mister Bug, Lady Noir, Viperion, Bunnyx, DarkPixie, Bulleur, Lady Wi-Fi, Princesse Flagrance, Gamer, DarkCupid, and finally, Glaciator.
I set foot on the ground, reciting every word my heart wanted to say to the man I love, and when I saw his eyes filled with tears as I took the box out of my bag, I knew I didn't want to go back. I had admired and loved him for months, and I wanted to continue doing so for the years I had left to live.
He had cried. Me too. He had said yes, and I almost fainted. We stood up and shared another passionate kiss in front of our friends, who almost did the same. The only difference was that Lady Noire had trouble kissing both of her lovers at the same time, and it always ended in giggles and blushes.
So many sweet and precious moments that I'd never want to forget. Marc and I learned the identities of the other heroes as our confidence and fighting techniques grew. I even learned that Lady Noire, my old crush, was none other than my love's real cousin. What an incredibly sweet and cruel fate.
Why am I telling you all this, you might ask?
Because I was, despite myself, the first person to be akumatized into a Villain, even for a very long time, and I almost destroyed the handsome man who would become my fiancé, but also... my one and only love. It's a good thing it was only my head that was controlled, not my heart. This same heart beating in my chest was stolen from me by that handsome stranger on his bench, who was my other half, whom I had searched for so many years.
My Reverse... AKA Marc Anciel.
My writer...
My other half...
My fiancé.