Inspired by lovelyblogtime's tumblr post about a prompt/episode she wanted to happen about a shape shifter that steals people's energy. Got inspired by it to write this! God I am so deep into this fandom! Wrote this pretty quickly because of how dark the theme is. Warning, this story will get pretty dark in later chapters, just a warning in advance. Consider this a late Halloween gift. Anyway, on with the show!

Chapter 1: Sleeping Beauties

Another girl hit the ground, the hollow sound of a body hitting the cold concrete echoed throughout the alleyway. Her skin turning a sickly white, calmy too, and her sunken eyes rolled to the back. 'Wasted my time,' the shadowed figure sneered at the fallen figure. This one bore an uncanny resemblance to his ex, his first victim, and caused him to drain more than was needed. No, she wasn't dead per say, but pretty damn close to it.

Had he not been the perfect lover before his transformation? Wasn't he caring towards her? Loving her? Gave her space when needed and rushing back when times got rough? He did everything for her and she walked away once she found someone else, someone 'better looking'. After three years, she left him for a younger man! She wasted his time, time he could never get back! The humiliation and rage he felt kept rising as he watched her drive off with her new lover, an immature brat that he doubt would stick by her for a year, let alone the three they had. He had never took notice of the butterfly landing on his heart-shaped charm on his silver chain. All he could remember was the dark voice in the back of his mind, the darkness swallowing him and the incessant need to feed.

His ex, of course, was the first. It wasn't difficult to lure her back; she was easy, a few whispers here and there and a overnight stay was all it took to win her back. But he didn't want her back, she was dirty, vile, but her energy was oh so delicious. Now she, and ten other victims, lay in a coma-like state in the hospital with no hope of walking up. This new woman would make his twelfth victim yet he never felt any fuller once he drained them of their life-force. In fact, this one had a pretty bitter life force that made him choke. He was getting sloppy, picking up any woman on the streets, young or old, to feed off and the voice was growing impatient.

'Bring me the Miraculous' it hissed. The Miraculous of his city's famed heroes: Ladybug and Chat Noir. He had not forgotten the deal but he still felt so weak and that last girl left a vile taste in his mouth.

'Perhaps a change is an order,' he thought. He had gone after women that resembled his ex: beautiful yet deceitful. Women that looked pretty but were cold, fickled or immature when it came to matters of the heart. All their life-force were sweet yet left a bitter aftertaste. He desired something pure, something loving and true. Someone who loved truly and deeply with all their heart the same way he did. Someone beautiful on the inside as well as the outside.

Yes, that would be his next target before he set off after Ladybug and Chat Noir.

Marinette trugged foward to school, her mind half muddy from last night's patrol around the city. She was seriously getting tired of Chat's never ending banter of cat puns and cheesy, romantic lines. Why couldn't he just focus on the patrol and not on her? Although she was flattered by the attention, it got annoying when it got in the way of their duties, plus Chat Noir just wasn't the boy she loved. With that note, the image of a blonde-hair model with a friendly smile invaded her thoughts. Marinette sighed as she thought of Adrien, how her knees got weak when he walked by and how tongue-tied she became when he spoke to her.

'Why is it when I'm facing akuma-ized villain and flirty catboys that I'm cool and collect, yet the second I see Adrien I turn into a huge idiot,' she thought sadly, remembering her last encounter with him and how stupid she probably looked.

"Marinette!"

The young French-Asian was snapped out of her thought and turned around to spot her friend, Alya, running towards her, waving a newspaper in her hand. Out of breath but buzzing with excitement, Alya shoved the paper into her friend's face "Check it out! Another victim was found!"

On the front of the paper were two images side-by-side: the left image was of a school portrait picture of a pretty brunette with brown eyes, smiling into the camera; the image on the right showed the inside of an alley covered in crime scene tape. Above was the headline: TWELFTH BODY FOUND! ANOTHER WOMEN LEFT IN A COMA! Marinette frowned and her lips formed a grimance as she briefly read the story below.

Another woman found comatosed, another victim of some unknown perpetrator that was going around targeting women, leaving them in a coma-like state yet leaving no trace of him or her behind. She remembered bringing this issue up with Chat Noir but neither knew if this was the work of an akuma or a regular criminal. Tikki couldn't sense any akuma nearby and if it was just done by a person, they would leave it to the police. The two superheroes wouldn't be on good terms with the police if they started doing their jobs as well. Beside, akumas were enough trouble for them.

"Can you believe it?" asked Alya, pulling the paper back and catching her breath, "Another victim found only two days ago. This one is the youngest. Amanda Bisset, age 16, daughter of a wealthy textile designer, attends Lycee St. Louis de Gonzague and studying chemistry was the latest victim of the Parisian Incubus."

"The Parisian Incubus? What?" questioned Marinette, giving her friend a puzzed look.

"That's what the paper is calling the criminal," Alya rolled up the paper as the two made their way into the school, "Kinda cheesy, I know, but all the victims last known movement involved them on a date with an unknown male. Amanda told her roommate that she was meeting a guy that night for a date."

"Same person?"

"No, its always a different discription of the person and they're usually vague when it comes to details, but it can't be just a coincidence! I mean twelve girls in coma in the past three month? The police are thinking it's a really talented man with different disguises or a group of men, each targeting a girl of their choice."

"That's sick," stated Marinette as the two made their way into their class and in their seats. Alya nodded and continued going on about the case and its rise in popularity on the news. Other students started leaking into the classroom, some holding the same newspaper as Alya did and were reading the front page story obsessively, talking about it with each other. Adrien and Nino were the last to walk in and they, too, had the newspaper and were talking about the case.

"I knew the girl's father," said Adrien, his voice making Marinette swoon, she thanked the fact that she was sitting down so as not to lose her footing again, "He was pretty distraught about what happen to Amanda and the doctors aren't sure if or when she'll walk up."

"Creepy," Nino placed the paper in front of him, "That school she goes to is nearby too. You don't suppose this sicko will come to this school will he?"

"Hopefully not," chimed Alya, poking Marinette under the table so as to get her to say something to Adrien, "But there doesn't seem to be a pattern. The girls range from 20-16 in age, different ethnicties and have different social status and backgrounds."

"Maybe its something in their personality," addressed Nino, "Maybe the perpetrator knew the girls from somewhere or spotted them at a particular place and followed them from there?"

Alya and Nino went back and forth about the case, what the pattern or motive could be, whether it was a group or a single person, all while their two friend sat back in amusement. "They're really into this weird case, aren't they?" asked Adrien, looking up at Marinette.

Marinette bit back a squeal when Adrien spoke to her, "Uh...yeah, Alya really good at this sort of stuff. She has to be to be a reporter...umm, but hopefully the police will catch the person and help those girls..."

Marinette's saving grace was Mme. Bustier walking into the class just as the bell rang. She was sure her face had turn red and her stuttering was getting worse, but thankfully Adrien turn around before he could take notice. Aya patted her on the back, giving her a proud smile for talking to Adrien before shuffling the paper back into her bag. Mme. Bustier called attention to her class, a small smile on her lips but her eyes filled with slight apprehension.

"Students," she began, her voice wavering a bit, "Due to the situation that transpire near our school, the local police have decided to place a temporary curfew for all students in the local area. Starting today, anyone under the age of 21 must be in their homes, dorms or apartment by 9:30pm. Anyone found outside after curfew and not in the company of an adult will be severely punished and placed under house arrest and escorted to and from their home and school under the accompany of a officer."

"What!?" shrieked Chloe, "That is unacceptable! I shouldn't be punished because my dumb girl got herself killed off!"

"Chloe!" yelled Mme. Bustier before calming herself, reminding herself who's daughter she was, "This is for yours and everyone else's protection. Until we know who is responsible for these attacks, its best that everyone be home before sundown."

"My father will hear about this," hissed Chloe, picking up her phone, "This is so stupid. Some slutty girls get hurt and now I'm being punish. Ugh!"

Marinette rolled her eyes, leave it to Chloe to complete disregard the innocent girls being attack and make it all about her. 'The girls aren't dead you heartless witch,' though Marinette, 'But it's not like their situation is any better.' The first victim, the oldest, had been in a coma since the attacks started, three months. From what she heard on the news and read from articles, she wasn't brain dead nor suffering any internal injuries. Same with the other girls as well, no visible injuries, just twelve girls in a coma-like sleep.

The media had dubbed the victims the 'Sleeping Beauties' as they were all considered very attractive women and the way they were found; laying on their back, hair brushed back with the arms on their stomach, fingers interlock, made for a good story. A sort of twisted fairy tale coming true only sans the Prince Charming coming to walk them up. Marinette ignore the tantrum Chloe was throwing and made a mental note to visit the victims' hospital later on. After all, Marinette may have a curfew, but Ladybug didn't.

After Chloe calmed down, making a threat about calling her father to lift her and Adrien's curfew, Mme. Bustier started today's lesson, ironically, a continuation of medieval courtly romance and fairy tales. Specifically, La Belle au bois dormant. As the teacher talked about the symbolism involved with the tale, Marinette, actually paying attention, started writing down some the info that matched with the case. Beautiful women, meeting a 'prince', falling in love, falling into a deep sleep.

'Does he have some vendetta against pretty girls or was there something else about these girls that made them stand out,' Marinette started at her notes, going back to what Alya said earlier, 'Alya's right, there has to be a pattern. What makes these girls stand out from others?'

Once lunch period came, the students started picking up their stuff. Alya made a sly remark about having the boys, AKA Nino and Adrien, join them for lunch, much to Marinette's distress as her stuttering came back. Fortunately, or rather unfortunately, Chloe came in and stole Adrien away, making some excuse about him not spending enough time with her or something. While Marinette bit back anger and disappointment, she told Alya she would catch up with her later as she needed something from her locker, leaving before the other girl could get a word out.

Now in the safety of the empty hallway, Tikki popped out of her handbag. "Going to call Chat Noir," the tiny kwami stated, floating next to Marinette's head.

"Yep," she replied, pulling out her spotted compact/yo-yo, flipping it over to the phone setting, "Chat, meet me at Hotel-Dieu de Paris. I think it's time we ask about these 'Sleeping Beauties' epidemic."

"Be careful, Marinette," pipped Tikki, "I have a feeling the person behind this is bad news, more so than the ones we've dealt with up to now. Promise me you'll be extra careful."

"Don't worry, Tikki," replied Marinette, cupping her beloved kwami and giving the sprite a small kiss, "Nothing Ladybug can't handle."

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