Chapter Text
Marinette had to keep hidden, not to draw attention to herself, not to transform, not to expose the Kwamis that she kept hidden from those looking for them. All around her were enemies, wearing that horrid white plastic-like armor or those gray uniforms that reminded her of Nazi uniforms from the Second World War. Even in the skies above as the shrieks of the alien aircraft sounded as they flew by, under the large triangle-shaped ship that floated above. She hated seeing that ship, a 'Star Destroyer' as it was called. She wished that she had Adrien's Miraculous, so she could use Cataclysm on it and turn that ship and every Imperial Soldier into dust!
It had been five months since that day when the skies became dark as the Star Destroyer first appeared overhead, just a few hours after Ladybug and her team ended the latest attack by Shadow Moth. Many people had looked up at the ship when it appeared, only to end up having to run for their lives when it opened fire. Green blasts of energy rained down upon the city, destroying many buildings, and killing thousands. This was followed by swarms of fighters coming out of it, alongside the landing craft that unleashed hordes of Stormtroopers and armored vehicles unlike any seen on Earth. This also had happened around the world as cities were attacked, armies wiped out with very little resistance, and even Superheroes like the United Heroez, were no match for the might of what was called the 'Galactic Empire'.
The Battle lasted only ten hours before the last world leaders surrendered to the invasion's overall commander, a human by the name of 'Tarkin'. The cruel man soon showed his acceptance of the Surrender by having them killed. Those nations that had refused surrender had all been destroyed. The United States, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Palestine, Iran, and North Korea were now nothing but scorched wastelands, their people nothing but ash that still floated in the skies of Earth.
Same with the Order of Celestial Guardians, whose Temple was now once again Destroyed, this time by The Empire. The Monks were slaughtered by Stormtroopers and worse...
Red-blades.
She had seen those black-clad monsters when she used Kaalki to go to the Temple to get help, welding growing red blades of plasma, taking down Guardians, and taking the Miracle Boxes that were held in the temple. Marinette had to escape back before the Red-Blades came after her.
She remembered seeing red.....
She remembers the monster that had entered Agreste Manor and brought death to that house. The sound of the boots, the snapping of Gabriel Agreste's neck, Adrien yelling as he attacked the monster, Nooroo screaming as he was taken by it...
That Horrible breathing sound haunted her nightmares since then, along with the monster's face, a mask black as the night.
Marinette knew that he was still out there, somewhere in the rest of the Galaxy. But for all she knew, the monster was still hiding, waiting for her to appear as Ladybug, so strike her down as the Red-Blades did to her fellow Guardians, to Su-Han. She had to destroy the Miracle Box as the Empire had the Compusses in their possession and would try and use them to locate the Mother Box, its pieces on the bottom of the river. But she did not know if the Empire knew she was Ladybug, as they had not raided her home, but Imperial Officers and Stormtroopers did sometimes come to the bakery.
She had to hide, had to keep safe, had to stay just Marinette and not turn into Ladybug, not expose the other Kwamis to the Empire. She wished that Adrien was with her, to help keep hidden. But Adrien was busy with his own mission of Revenge, going around as Chat Noir and destroying Imperial Walkers and Tanks, even Killing Imperial Troops. Felix himself had been helping him, no doubt. He still had Barkk and Durrusu with him.
The rest of her friends and classmates were alive, although some had lost their families in the Invasion. They were part of the Paris Resistance against the Empire, fighting the best they could against the Imperial Forces, even without Miraculouses. they had vowed not to allow their home to be enslaved by the Imps. Marinette worried that they would get captured and that Alya may get forced to tell the Imperials that Marinette was Ladybug. Chloe and Zoe were still at the Hotel, as Chloe's Father and their Mother were killed by the Imperials. The Imps had picked their own Mayor for Paris and the Governor of Earth; Tomoe Tsurugi. From what she had heard Kagami, Tomoe was given the governorship of Earth by Tarkin and she was just as ruthless as her Imperial Overlords
Marinette knew she had to do something, but she dared not risk transforming into Ladybug, to be the symbol of hope.
For in the Shadows of Paris under The Empire, Hope dies.