HEARTLESS

Marinette awoke on Monday morning feeling better than she had in days. Her dreams had been full of herself and Adrien, both as themselves and as their superhero alter egos, wandering around Paris together, taking a romantic stroll along the Seine, sitting at outdoor cafés staring into each other's eyes—dreams which were now all within her grasp, because she and Adrien were...

Were they?

She thought they probably were. After everything that had happened over the weekend, it seemed extremely probable that her long-time crush was now her boyfriend.

And her secret partner in fighting evil, which admittedly was a little weird.

Marinette sat up, stretched, sleepily opened her eyes...

And cried out in alarm because Chat Noir was perched on the foot of her bed, his green eyes regarding her over a roguish grin.

"Good morning, My Lady," he said cheerfully.

Marinette placed her hand over her heart, which hammered wildly in her chest. "Adrien!" she hissed. "What are you doing in my room, on my bed?!"

Chat Noir raised an eyebrow. "Okay, seriously? After all your complaining about my cheesy flirting and come-ons, you're really giving me an opening like that?"

Marinette blinked, blushed, and threw her pillow at him. Chat Noir caught it, sniffed it, then gently tossed it back to her; it landed in her lap with a gentle *fwump*. "Adrien, seriously, what are you DOING here?"

Chat Noir shrugged. "Got up early, thought I'd drop by, see how you're doing." He smiled. "Love that little door over your bed. It must make coming and going as Ladybug a breeze."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Apparently it makes a good cat flap too," she said, shaking her head. "You're not gonna start stalking me or anything now, are you?"

Tikki's tinkling laughter filled the room. "Oh my GOD, I don't even know where to START to tell you what's wrong with what you just said!" she called out lightly.

Marinette groaned and pulled on her hair. "GAH! Too. Early. For. This!" She pointed up at the trap door. "Out," she commanded. "Go change back into Adrien outside and wait for me in the bakery. I'll be down after I get ready for school. We can have breakfast together." She smiled somewhat evilly. "I'm sure Papa would love to talk to you for the fifteen or twenty minutes it'll take me to come down."

Chat Noir's smile died, and he gulped nervously.

* * * * *

A dark place...

Hawk Moth watched the butterflies dance in his lair. "You understand what you must do."

"Yes, Hawk Moth," a cold, emotionless voice replied.

"I am placing my utmost trust in you. Every one of my Akumatized champions thus far has failed spectacularly. With you, I expect much more satisfactory results."

"I have never failed you before, Hawk Moth."

"You have never failed Gabriel Agreste," Hawk Moth countered. "You have yet to prove yourself to Hawk Moth."

"Of course, Hawk Moth."

Hawk Moth turned away from the bright window, smiling coldly at his latest champion. "Bring him to me, Heartless. Bring me my son. Bring me Chat Noir!"

"Understood, Hawk Moth."

As his latest Champion left, Hawk Moth leaned against his cane. "Soon, Ladybug. You will fall into my trap. I will have your Miraculous and my son's. And then..." He closed his eyes. "Then, it will all have been worth it..."

* * * * *

When Marinette walked downstairs, she found an unusual sight awaiting her.

Adrien was standing behind the counter, serving the steady stream of customers coming and going their morning breads and pastries. He gave her a wave as he put two croissants into a bag and handed them to a customer.

Marinette shook her head and turned to her father. "What's going on here?" she asked.

"Ah, good morning, Marinette!" Tom said cheerfully. "Well, we're a little busier than usual today, so when your boyfriend walked in, he jumped right behind the counter and started helping out!" He chuckled jovially, his girth quaking. "I don't know if he's sucking up or if he's just genuinely helpful, but either way, I'm impressed!"

Marinette shook her head. "Well, we don't have a lot of time if we're going to eat breakfast before we leave for school." Adrien started juggling four croissants, then passed two of them to a flustered Marinette, who barely caught them, losing her balance and ending up pinwheeling on the toes of one foot as she did so. "GWAH!"

Tom laughed uproariously. "I love this kid!"

Marinette blew upward on her bangs as she righted herself. "Yaaay," she muttered sarcastically. Shaking her head, she took a big bite of croissant, even as her mother rushed in from nowhere with two glasses of orange juice, handing one to each teen.

Several minutes later, they were on their way to school. As they waited for the signal to cross the street, Marinette asked, "What was that?"

Adrien chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry, it's just...I'm in a good mood today." He tilted his face up to the sun and closed his eyes. "For some reason, I just feel more free today than I've felt in a long time." He turned a lazy grin on her, his eyes twinkling. "Must be love."

Marinette blushed furiously. "S-so, umm...love makes your whole personality change overnight?" She brushed back some stray hair from her ear.

"My personality didn't change," Adrien said, putting an arm around her. "I'm just showing you who I really am. I want you to know who I really am."

"Oh," Marinette said softly, ducking her head and giving him a shy sideways look. "Sorry, it's just...it's a bit of a shock to see you acting so much more like, you know..."

Adrien gave her a soft smile. "I can dial it back a bit, if you want."

"N-no," Marinette said. "I mean...I want you to be who you want to be with me," she added. "Just...I'm still getting used to it, that's all."

Adrien chuckled. "Well, if there's one thing I know about you, My Lady, it's that you know how to put this kitty in his place. It's one of the many things I love about you."

They stood staring into each other's eyes for so long they missed two signal changes, and wound up having to run most of the way to make the bell. Neither of them minded.

* * * * *

The arrival of Adrien and Marinette at school attracted quite a bit of attention, largely because they arrived holding hands, talking and laughing. The sight drew many looks of jealousy and disappointment from Adrien's groupies, and reactions ranging from surprise to silent amusement from their friends and classmates.

As soon as Sabrina saw them, she stood up and readied her phone. "Adrien! Marinette! Smile!" They barely had time to react before she took their picture. She had a somewhat catty smirk on her face as she sat back down.

Marinette glanced at Adrien, then marched over to Sabrina's desk and frowned. "Sabrina, you're not conspiring with Chloé, are you? Helping her plan some kind of revenge?"

Sabrina snorted and waved a hand in front of her face. "No no, not at all! Actually, I'm twisting the knife."

Marinette recoiled. "Pardon?"

Sabrina's smile turned cold. "I just spent the entire weekend going back and forth between being punished for enabling Chloé's bullying and hearing lecture after lecture about how she's taken advantage of me and was never really my friend, and I've decided she hasn't suffered enough. I want her to see how happy everyone else is and how much nobody wants or needs her around. Seeing you two together? It's going to—"

"Stop right there," Adrien said, holding up a hand. "What you're doing right now? You're acting just like her. Try just living for yourself and putting Chloé completely out of your mind, alright?" With that, he gave Marinette a peck on the cheek and headed for his seat. Marinette's cheeks turned pink as she sat down behind him.

Adrien turned to Marinette. "Kinda psycho, that one," he whispered.

"Don't even get me started!" Marinette replied with a laugh.

"Wow, look at you two!" Alya said with a grin. "I can't even tell you how awesome it is seeing you together like this."

Nino thumped Adrien on the shoulder. "My man!" he said with a grin. "I always knew you had good taste."

Adrien and Marinette both blushed. "Y-yeah," Marinette said with a silly smile.

They talked amongst themselves for a few minutes as they waited for homeroom to begin. After the emotional rollercoaster the weekend had been, Marinette was ready for a nice, normal week of school, and some time to settle in and adjust to the idea of having Adrien as a boyfriend.

During the middle of roll call, however, all of Marinette's hopes for a normal week were crushed when the classroom door exploded inward, snapped clean in half, and nearly hit Mademoiselle Bustier. Some of the girls screamed; Mademoiselle Bustier jumped backward and pressed herself flat against the blackboard. "What in the—?"

With ominous, clanking steps, a science-fiction nightmare come to life took four measured, precise steps into the room, then turned right at a sharp ninety degree angle. Feminine, with a slender build, her body appeared to be mostly made of fluid black steel; her neck and upper chest were red. The point at which the red and black met was marked with a deep, pitted heart-shaped groove. Her face was an impassive steel mask with glowing dark blue eyes framed by narrow black detailing in the shape of eyeglasses. A stiff, backswept mesh of black wire "hair" crowned her head; on the left side, some of the metal hair was a vivid red.

Adrien gasped sharply. "N-Nathalie?!"

Marinette stared. "Oh my god...it is her," she whispered. "Hawk Moth Akumatized Mademoiselle Sancoeur!"

Nathalie took one step toward Adrien's desk. "You will come with me," she said in a metallic monotone.

Adrien frowned. "Nathalie, you're not yourself. You need to—"

Nathalie moved with impressive speed, picking Adrien up by the shirt. "Nathalie has been deleted. I am designated 'Heartless'. You will come with me," she repeated.

"LET HIM GO!" Marinette yelled, standing up.

Heartless' head turned to face her. "You will inform Ladybug that this boy is now Hawk Moth's prisoner."

"Like hell I am!" Adrien kicked off against Heartless' chest and backflipped away from her, landing on top of Sabrina's table. "I've had the best self-defense training money can buy! You're not taking me that easily!"

Heartless stared at him dispassionately and extended her right arm. Dozens of metallic cables snaked out, entangling his limbs. Within seconds, he was completely wrapped from neck to toe in steel cables. He struggled against his bonds, screaming obscenities. A second, smaller volley of cables wrapped around his eyes and mouth, blindfolding and gagging him. Heartless strode calmly and deliberately toward him and picked him up in a fireman's carry. "You will inform Ladybug that this boy is now Hawk Moth's prisoner," she repeated in the same flat, metallic tone. She then jumped through the outside window, making a loud, heavy *CLANK* as she landed outside.

"Dude, I knew she was a robot, but this is taking it a bit too far," Nino said into the empty silence.

Marinette shot him a glare, then turned to the front of the room, waving a hand urgently. "Mademoiselle Bustier, I need to—"

"NO, Marinette! Absolutely nobody is leaving this room!"

"But—!"

"A student was just kidnapped from my classroom!" Mademoiselle Bustier said sharply. "And not just any student, but the son of Gabriel Agreste! I cannot—I will not!—let any more of you out of my sight! Now sit back down this instant!" She pulled her phone out even as the rest of the class stirred into frantic motion, agitated conversation filling the air.

"But—!" Marinette insisted again.

"SIT DOWN, MARINETTE!" The room fell silent at the teacher's outburst.

Marinette clenched her fists at her sides, bowing her head. She looked around the room at all the sympathetic faces staring at her. She looked into Alya's worried, sorrowful eyes. She took in the terror on Nino's face.

She felt her own heart throbbing, a deep ache growing in her chest as a cold, sinking pit formed in her stomach.

She grit her teeth.

"Merde," she spat. She looked up and gave Mademoiselle Bustier a defiant stare. "Sorry, but I don't have time to argue." Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she shouted, "Tikki, spots on!" In a flash of white light, Marinette's clothes were replaced by the bright red, black-spotted, indestructible skintight Ladybug costume.

Every student in the room gasped.

Ladybug looked around at her shellshocked classmates. Every one of them had been present for innumerable Akuma attacks—most of them had been Akumatized. To a one, they were all staring at her with wide eyes and slack jaws.

She looked at Alya, whose face was a mixture of disbelief and betrayal—as well as slowly dawning comprehension as gears began to turn in her head.

She looked at Nino, who mouthed "Wow" at her.

She looked at Mademoiselle Bustier, who had dropped her chalk and whose mouth was working soundlessly.

"Adrien needs me," Ladybug insisted firmly. "I'm the only one who can save him."

Mademoiselle Bustier numbly pointed to the window. "You...you're excused, Marinette—I mean...Ladybug."

Nodding her thanks, Ladybug ran to the window, detaching her yo-yo from her hip. Just as she was about to swing out into the city, a weight attached itself to her back. She froze. "What—?" She looked over her shoulder and found herself face-to-face with Alya. "Alya, get off me!"

"Oh hell no, girlfriend," Alya said fiercely. "You owe me a lot of explanations, and I'm not letting you out of my sight until I have answers."

Ladybug groaned. "Ugh! Fine! Hold on tight, then!" Shaking her head in frustration, she swung out into the city, Alya's arms wrapped tightly around her waist. The entire class rushed to the window to watch them depart.

* * * * *

Adrien was aware of having been shoved into the back of a vehicle. He heard the engine rumble to life, felt the car drive at high speed through the streets of Paris. Robbed of his sight, he had no idea where they were going. With his mouth gagged and his arms bound, he couldn't even transform—although he suspected doing so in front of one of Hawk Moth's minions would be the worst possible thing to do.

Once the vehicle stopped, he was hauled out and carried some distance. He heard doors open; after some time of hearing Heartless' metallic footsteps clank across hard floors, he felt the sensation of being in an elevator.

"I have returned with the boy," Heartless said tonelessly once the elevator stopped.

"Ah, excellent, Heartless!" replied a rich male voice Adrien had heard only once before—many months ago, at the Eiffel Tower, when he and Ladybug had fought Stoneheart. "Untie our guest. I wish to speak with him."

The cables binding Adrien were slowly, laboriously removed. He rubbed his eyes, wincing, and looked around.

He was in a dark chamber, illuminated by a single beam of strong sunlight that flooded into the room through a round window with a wrought iron floral motif. All around the room, white butterflies fluttered aimlessly to and fro.

"Welcome to my butterfly garden."

Adrien looked up as a man stepped into the center of the beam of light. He was tall, dressed in a dark, shimmery purple suit with black leather lapels that flared up past his shoulders, resembling stylized wings that framed a pink butterfly brooch which was pinned to his dark violet shirt. His head was completely covered in a shiny, skintight silver leather cowl; only his cruel mouth and his cold blue eyes were visible. In one black-gloved hand, he held a cane with a translucent jewel at the top.

Adrien swallowed nervously. "Wh-who are you?" he asked.

The man laughed. "I think you know who I am," he said. His eyes shone with malicious delight. "But manners, yes? Very well. I am Hawk Moth. And it is my immense pleasure to finally meet you, Chat Noir."

* * * * *

Ladybug and Alya swung through the streets, following the gunmetal grey SUV Heartless had taken Adrien away in.

"So all this time—ALL THIS TIME—you've been Ladybug," Alya ranted. "Marinette. My best friend. And you didn't say anything?!"

Ladybug groaned. "Alya, you're the comic book geek here," she said. "Isn't the first rule of superheroes—"

"Protect your secret identity so the people close to you don't get hurt," Alya said. "Yeah yeah, I know. But that's just in comics! This is real life! You're a real live superhero!"

"And you think that makes it any different?" Marinette asked. "You've seen what I'm up against! I can't risk anyone close to me getting hurt because Hawk Moth finds out he can use my friends or family against me!" She sighed. "Not that it's stopped him from Akumatizing my friends and even my papa..."

"Okay, okay, fair point," Alya said. "But still, I can't believe you've been Ladybug all this time and you know how obsessed I am and holy crap my best friend is Ladybug! Oh my god, now I know how Jimmy Olsen must feel!"

"ALYA!" Ladybug snapped. "I really need to concentrate right now! In case you forgot, my boyfriend's just been kidnapped!"

"Oh...right. Sorry." Alya paused. "Wow. That Nathalie chick picked the worst possible day to go after Adrien, huh?" She frowned. "So why did she get turned into a monster and go after Adrien?" She gasped. "Do you think Monsieur Agreste fired her because Adrien ran away from home?"

Ladybug almost missed her next swing. "Ran away from home? What?!"

"You didn't know? Oh—I guess he didn't want to worry you," Alya said. "Yeah, I heard it from Nino. Adrien had a big fight with his dad and walked out on him. He crashed at Nino's place last night."

Ladybug bit off a curse. "I'm definitely having a long talk with him about that after we rescue him."

"Oh, nonononono," Alya said. "You do not want to get involved in someone else's family drama. Trust me."

Ladybug's eyes tracked the SUV, and she grimaced. "Looks like I'm getting involved whether I want to or not," she said. "Look."

Below, the SUV pulled around to the back of the Agreste mansion.

"So what's the plan?" Alya asked.

Ladybug landed on the rooftop of a building a short distance from the mansion. "The plan is you stay put," she said as she firmly detached Alya from her person. "I've already got one friend in danger. I don't need to worry about two." She swung away, launching herself at the mansion like a red cannonball.

Alya crossed her arms. "That's so not fair," she pouted. "You know I can't thwip."

* * * * *

Adrien barked out a shaky laugh. "You think I'm Chat Noir?" he asked incredulously. "Dude, your mask is on too tight. I'm just a normal kid."

Hawk Moth snorted. "I have little patience for games, child," he said. "I have waited too long for this day. I will not be delayed by your pathetic attempts to feign ignorance." He leaned against his cane, sneering down at Adrien. "Go ahead, Chat Noir," he said. "Transform. If I simply took your Miraculous off your finger now, it would be useless to me. Without its power..." He chuckled darkly. "You won't survive the tender ministrations of my champion."

Adrien clenched his fists, glaring at Hawk Moth. "I don't know what you're talking about," he grunted. "But know this. My father will never rest until—"

Hawk Moth threw his head back and laughed. "Your father is of no concern to me, boy! The only one coming to save you is your precious Ladybug, and I want her to come." He extended a gloved hand, palm turned upward and spread open. "The ladybug Miraculous and the black cat Miraculous. Together, they represent absolute power." He curled his hand into a fist. "Together, they will make my dream a reality. And all that stands between me and everything I desire is you and that wretched girl." He rapped his cane sharply on the floor. "All you need to do is give me your Miraculous." His lip curled into a sneer. "Or, fight Heartless until you wear yourself out. Even if you manage to defeat her on your own and release her Akuma, you know what would happen without Ladybug here to capture it, right?"

"Tch," Adrien spat, his jaw tightening.

"You can either surrender your Miraculous willingly, or we can force you to transform, and then I will take it by any means necessary," Hawk Moth commanded coldly. Then, he grinned wickedly. "How about this as an added incentive? Do you not realize, Chat Noir, that this is your chance? Here we are, face to face at last. If you can best my champion in combat and defeat me, you can take my Miraculous. Then, this will all be over!" He spread his arms wide. "Paris, safe forever from rampaging supervillains! Your life returned to one of peace and tranquility! You and Ladybug free from the endless cycle of battling my evil Akuma!" He tapped the butterfly brooch he wore. "One way or another, one of us is leaving here without his Miraculous." He narrowed his eyes. "Now, make your choice."

Adrien looked up at him, eyes hard and determined. "Alright, Hawk Moth. If that's the way you want it?" He curled his right hand into a fist.

"Plagg, claws out!"

* * * * *

Ladybug prowled the halls of the mansion, searching for any sign of Adrien or Heartless. The entire house was eerily quiet. She crept into the grand atrium, her footsteps echoing through the cavernous room. "Alright, Mademoiselle Sancoeur," she said to herself, "where are you hiding my Adrien?" She walked up the first set of steps, examining the enormous family portrait on the landing. Her eyes filled with tears, and she clenched a fist. Shaking her head, she made her way to the room where Gabriel Agreste had activated the mansion's security system during the Jackady incident.

As soon as she set foot in the room, she spotted something out of place. The large portrait of Adrien's mother hung loosely from the wall by the two corners on the left side. Frowning, she walked over to the painting, examining it. She slipped her fingers behind the loose side and pulled. It easily swung away from the wall on sturdy hinges. Ladybug peered closely at the wall behind the portrait. She could just barely see seams, carefully hidden by the diamond pattern of the wall. A small, almost invisible sliding handle sat to the left, near the hinges holding the painting in place. "A secret room?" She carefully slid the false wall panel open, revealing a cramped, hollow space behind it containing a hexagonal lift platform. From somewhere above, she heard loud, metallic clanks. She narrowed her eyes and stepped onto the lift. There was a single button set into a handrail. She pressed it; the platform juddered, then began to ascend. She looked up and watched a panel in the ceiling slide open, yawning onto darkness with hazy light at the edges. The metallic sounds became more pronounced, along with familiar grunts of exertion.

She detached her yo-yo from her hip, every muscle in her body tensing.

* * * * *

Chat Noir's baton clashed against Heartless' steel skin once, twice, then a third time before he skidded across the chamber, crouching low to the ground in a three-point stance, his baton held parallel to the floor and perpendicular to his body. "I don't want to fight you, Nathalie!" he yelled.

"Nathalie has been deleted. I am designated 'Heartless'. You will surrender your Miraculous by choice or by force." Heartless' eyes flashed brightly; she extended her right hand, firing five tiny tracer missiles. Chat Noir leapt straight into the air, spinning his baton to form a shield against which the missiles exploded harmlessly. He extended his baton to the floor, contracted it for two seconds, then extended it again to vault himself to the ceiling. He coiled his legs and left arm against the ceiling, then launched himself at Heartless, spinning his baton above his head with a wordless yell. Heartless dispassionately launched a net of cables to intercept him.

A red yo-yo wound itself around the net, yanking it off course and sending it skittering against a far wall hidden in the shadows. The yo-yo jerked back, wound itself around Heartless' legs, and pulled hard, sending her crashing to the floor.

Chat Noir landed, leaning heavily against his baton and taking deep, gasping breaths. He looked up through dripping bangs at Ladybug, who stood atop Heartless, her eyes burning with fury. "What kept you?" he asked lightly.

"Oh, you know, it takes us girls a while to get dressed before going out on a date," Ladybug said with a smirk. She looked around the room. "So is this your dad's panic room or something?"

Chat Noir blinked. "What?"

"I mean, the secret entrance behind your mother's portrait, the super high tech elevator, it just seems like a panic room kind of thing to me."

Chat Noir stood to his full height, collapsing his baton. "What are you talking about?"

Ladybug blinked. "You mean you don't know where you are?"

"Yeah, this is Hawk Moth's lair," Chat Noir said slowly, his brow furrowing.

"Indeed it is, Ladybug!" Hawk Moth stepped out of the shadows, cane tucked under one arm, and clapped his hands slowly and sarcastically. "So good of you to join us. Heartless, her Miraculous, if you please."

"At once, Hawk Moth." Ladybug barely had time to react before she was propelled into the air by Heartless. She somersaulted away, landing at Chat Noir's side, staring down their foes while she twirled her yo-yo at her side.

"So, this is the notorious Hawk Moth," Ladybug said. "Nice to finally meet you face to face."

"Likewise," Hawk Moth said, sketching a bow. He raised a hand to stop Heartless, who was about to fire another volley of tracers; Heartless took a step back, arms at her side, awaiting orders. Hawk Moth leaned against his cane, a cruel smirk on his face. "I believe we can postpone the festivities for a moment longer. You seem as though you have something you wish to say."

"Yeah, I do," Ladybug said. "First of all, why is your secret lair in Gabriel Agreste's mansion?"

Chat Noir's eyes widened.

Hawk Moth chuckled. "That, Ladybug, is an excellent question, and one I reluctantly must refuse to answer."

"Okay then, how about this: why are you after our Miraculous?"

Hawk Moth gave her a surprised smile. "Oh? You do not know the history of your own Miraculous?" He laughed. "I suppose I should have expected as much, though I would have expected the son of Gabriel Agreste to be more informed." He glanced at Chat Noir. "Surely you know the history, no?"

Chat Noir scowled. "Stop trying to provoke me," he said.

Ladybug blinked. "He knows you're—"

"Yeah."

Hawk Moth laughed darkly. "I know a great many things, Ladybug, though I must confess...your identity still eludes me. But no matter. I shall know soon enough." He shook his head. "We have dawdled long enough. Once I have your Miraculous, you will understand everything. Heartless, you may continue."

"At once, Hawk Moth." Heartless shot a steel cable from her arm, snapping it like a whip. She sprinted toward the teens, who leapt to the sides, their weapons lashing out. Heartless' fluid steel skin shrugged off their attacks with ease; she caught Ladybug around the ankle and slammed her into the floor.

"LADYBUG!" Chat Noir sprinted over, his body parallel to the ground as he arced his baton out to sweep Heartless' legs. She failed to fall; her cable wrapped around Chat Noir's neck and slung him across the room to land in a heap.

"Careful, Heartless," Hawk Moth said. "I don't want Chat Noir to die."

"Really? Because you've sure done a heck of a job of trying to kill us over the past year!" Ladybug shouted. Her yo-yo flashed out and seized Hawk Moth around the waist, dragging him to the ground. He let out a grunt of surprise, but quickly slipped his cane beneath her cable and pried it loose. He pushed himself up, grimacing.

"Careful, Ladybug," he said as he brushed dust from his suit. "I only said I don't want him to die. I have no problems whatsoever with crippling him. Heartless!"

"Understood, Hawk Moth."

"NO!" Ladybug yelled as Heartless sprinted toward Chat Noir, cables lashing around his knees and wrists. He grunted and strained against the hold.

"Give me your Miraculous, Ladybug!" Hawk Moth yelled, his face twisted into an expression of manic triumph. "If you don't want to see this boy broken and beaten into the ground, TAKE! OFF! YOUR! EARRINGS!"

"DON'T DO IT, LADYBUG!" Chat Noir screamed. His scream became a strangled cry of pain as Heartless' cables pulled at his limbs.

"ADRIEN!" Ladybug screamed, eyes wide and full of tears. She turned away from the sight of Chat Noir being tortured, then glared hatefully at Hawk Moth. "LET HIM GO!"

"Your Miraculous!" Hawk Moth demanded. "It's the only way!"

Ladybug bowed her head, clenching her fists at her side. "You'll release him? Unharmed?"

"You have my word," Hawk Moth said. "I have no particular desire to see Chat Noir suffer."

"NO!" Chat Noir yelled.

Ladybug sighed. "Fine." She reached up to her ears...

"DON'T DO IT, MARINETTE!"

...and removed her earrings. In a flash, her transformation broke, leaving Marinette holding her earrings in one hand, tears spilling from her eyes. Tikki hovered in front of her, eyes wide and sad.

Hawk Moth grinned savagely. "Good, good!" he said. "Now, hand them over!"

"I'm sorry, Tikki," Marinette whispered, bringing the earrings to her lips and kissing them.

"I know, Marinette."

Marinette looked up fiercely. "You will release Chat Noir," she insisted.

"Of course," Hawk Moth replied with a single nod, holding his hand out expectantly.

Marinette walked toward him, head bowed, holding out her hand, fingers curled around the Miraculous. As soon as she was within arm's reach, her hand poised above his, her head snapped up, a defiant glare in her eyes. Her other hand struck forward like a cobra, plucking the Butterfly Miraculous from Hawk Moth's chest.

"WHAT?!" Hawk Moth yelled. "NO!" Dark purple bands of light washed over his body as bright pink flashes of light ribboned over his suit and cowl like cracks. His transformation exploded away from his body in a flurry of pink and lavender butterflies made of light, which flew to the corners of the room and vanished.

Gabriel Agreste stood in the center of the sunbeam, screaming his rage at the ceiling, as a pink Kwami flew away from him, coming to rest on Marinette's shoulder.

"FATHER?!" Chat Noir cried in disbelief, sinking to his knees as Heartless' cables released him. Heartless took a step away, her head bowed.

"Adrien," she said in as soft a tone as her metallic voice would allow. "Please...forgive me..."

Gabriel lunged at Marinette. "GIVE ME BACK MY MIRACULOUS!" he roared.

Marinette stepped to the side, sticking out one foot to trip him. He crashed to the floor, landing on his face.

Chat Noir rubbed his wrists and walked over to his father, grabbing him by the collar and hauling him to his knees. "WHY?" he snarled.

Gabriel looked into his eyes, his face drawn. "For her," he said roughly. "For your mother." He looked between the two teenagers. "I..." He bowed his head. "The Ladybug Miraculous and the Black Cat Miraculous...together, they give a single person unlimited power. Creation and destruction. I..." He swallowed. "I could bring her back. I could...I could turn back time, keep her safe. We could be a family again." He looked up at Chat Noir pleadingly. "Adrien, please. We could be a family..."

Chat Noir threw him roughly to the ground. "Do you think she'd want that? Do you think she'd be happy with what you've done?" He bowed his head, clenching his fists at his sides. "I want to see her again more than anything," he said. "But we...we can't live in the past. If she's out there, if she's still alive, I'll find her one day. I want to know what happened to her just as badly as you do. But this? This whole plan of yours? It's insane. She would never want this. I don't want this." He looked up at Marinette and swallowed, licking his lips. "I've moved on, Father. I've decided to live. It still hurts, but...I have friends. I have someone I love."

Gabriel pushed himself to his feet, straightening his jacket. "Son, if you would just take Ladybug's Miraculous...combine its power with your own..."

"And WHAT?" Chat Noir snarled. "Become a god? Decide what the world is supposed to be? Father, that's nonsense!" He reversed his transformation; as Plagg popped out of his ring, he put his hands on Gabriel's shoulders. "What happened to you?" he demanded hoarsely.

Gabriel brushed him off and turned away, mouth set into a grim line.

Marinette finished putting her earrings back on, then stepped between the two, waving a hand. "Umm...I'm sorry to interrupt," she said, "but Mademoiselle Sancoeur is still Akumatized. Shouldn't she—?"

"The Butterfly Miraculous' power works differently from yours, Ladybug," the pink Kwami said.

"Nooroo, are you alright?" Tikki asked. "You look awful."

"This past year hasn't been easy for me," Nooroo said. "I've..." He glanced at Gabriel. "Nevermind that. Once a champion has been empowered by the Miraculous, there are only three ways to restore their humanity. You already know one: the power of the Ladybug Miraculous. The second is for the wielder of the Butterfly Miraculous to release them. The third, well...the third is death."

Marinette frowned. "Alright. Tikki, as soon as you recharge, then I can—"

"You cannot save Nathalie, Ladybug," Gabriel interrupted. He looked Marinette in the eyes. "The Akuma is in her pacemaker."

"Pacemaker?!" Adrien and Marinette cried, staring at him in shock.

"She was born with a heart defect," Gabriel said. "Her father and I were close friends once. He begged me to..." He bowed his head. "I paid for the many operations necessary to keep Nathalie alive." He looked across the room at Heartless. "You cannot reach her Akuma without using Chat Noir's Cataclysm. Which will kill her immediately."

"No," Marinette whispered, drooping.

"You bastard," Adrien growled, fists clenched at his sides. "How could you?"

"There's still a way to save her," Gabriel said. "Give me back my Miraculous. I can release her."

"You're never putting on the Miraculous ever again!" Marinette shouted. "I looked up to you! For years! You've been my idol, my inspiration! How...how could you, you heartless monster?!"

"Everything I've done has been for my family," Gabriel replied dispassionately. He adjusted his ascot and straightened his glasses, then calmly stepped backward into the shadows. "This is not over, Ladybug, Chat Noir," he promised. "Enjoy your victory while it lasts. Even without the Butterfly Miraculous, I will do whatever it takes to see all my dreams become reality."

"STOP!" Marinette yelled. She and Adrien charged into the shadows. Adrien pulled his phone out and activated the flashlight app, searching the darkness.

There was a grinding sound from somewhere behind the wall. Distantly, they heard the roar of a motorcycle engine.

"Father," Adrien said numbly, his shoulders slumping.

Heartless approached them, her footsteps clanking on the cold floor. "It seems I have no alternative but to exist like this for all time, or accept death," she said.

Marinette's jaw tightened. "No," she said. "I will save you." She looked down at the Butterfly Miraculous, which she still clutched in her hand. She looked at Nooroo, who was hovering nearby. She opened her purse and pulled out a plastic bag containing two cookies. She broke one in half and offered it to Nooroo. "Here," she said.

Nooroo blinked. "Th-thank you, Ladybug," he said.

"Marinette," Ladybug said with a smile. "I'm Marinette." As Nooroo ate, she studied the Butterfly Miraculous, her brow furrowed.

"Marinette?" Tikki asked. "What are you—"

Nodding firmly, Marinette pinned the brooch to her jacket.

"Wait, Marinette! You can't just—you don't know what'll—!" Adrien protested.

Marinette smiled at him. "Trust me, Kitty." She took a deep breath. "Nooroo, become my wings!"

Nooroo flew into the Miraculous, which grew bright pink wings. Marinette spun in place as her clothing transformed into a bright pink bodysuit with shiny purple leather boots and gloves that reached her knees and elbows, respectively. Large, angelic pink butterfly wings exploded from her back, twin tails trailing to her ankles, lavender darkening to violet. A purple butterfly mask covered her eyes, and a slim, tapered wand appeared in her hand.

She smiled serenely as she flew—flew—over to Heartless, placing her gloved hand on one steel shoulder.

Champion, I release you. Return to your human form.

A swarm of pink butterflies engulfed Heartless. The black Akuma emerged from her chest, turning pure white of its own volition and fluttering up to the ceiling. Slowly, the steel form of Heartless was replaced by the prim, professional Nathalie Sancoeur. She blinked rapidly, reaching up to adjust her glasses.

"Th-thank you," she said. She rushed over to Adrien and swept him up in a hug. "I'm so sorry! And...and about your father..."

Adrien's eyes widened. "You...you remember? Everything?"

"Yes," Nathalie said, tears welling in her eyes.

In a bright flash, Marinette returned to normal, and Nooroo flew across the room. "When used the way it was meant to be used, the champions empowered by the Butterfly Miraculous retain their memories," he explained. "Hawk Moth's corruption of the Miraculous forced Ladybug to free them using her power, which erased all memory of everything they said and did while changed." He turned and regarded Marinette. "You have no idea what you've just done, do you?"

"I've saved the life of someone very important to the boy I love," Marinette said, looking down at the brooch pinned to her jacket. "Right now, that's all I care about." She walked over and pulled Adrien from Nathalie's embrace, wrapping her arms around him. Nathalie stepped back and gave them space as they held each other, drawing on one another for strength.

The window irised shut, casting the lair of Hawk Moth in darkness for the last time.

* * * * *

Gabriel Agreste scowled as his motorcycle roared through the streets of Paris.

Gone. Everything gone. Ruined! All because of that girl...

And his son. His eyes tightened.

"Adrien. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. You will not stand in my way. I was so close...!"

He made a sharp turn; his only immediate plan was to escape to the south of France as quickly as possible. There was no doubt in his mind that within the hour, he would be a wanted fugitive. He had to move quickly...

"This isn't over, you wretched girl!"

* * * * *

Marinette, Adrien, and Nathalie stood in Gabriel Agreste's vacated office, their faces solemn.

"Adrien," Nathalie began, "I...I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am. Your father..."

Adrien shook his head, raising a hand to cut her off. "As far as I'm concerned, Father died at the same time Mother disappeared. I don't know who that man is." He paused, then clenched a fist. "No. I do know who that man is. That man is Hawk Moth, and it's my responsibility to find him and make him answer for his crimes."

"Our responsibility," Marinette said softly, wrapping her arms around Adrien and leaning her head on his shoulder. "We're in this together."

Adrien laid his hands over hers. "I only ask one thing of you," he said. "No one must know my father is Hawk Moth. Not yet. I..." He swallowed.

"I understand," Marinette said, giving him a firm squeeze as tears leaked from her eyes. "You've suffered enough already."

Nathalie adjusted her glasses. "What...what do we do about his disappearance?" she asked. "Gabriel Agreste can't simply vanish from the face of the Earth without raising questions, investigations..."

Adrien looked up at her. "You practically run his business," he said. "If you convince everyone he's gone on sabbatical, or is in seclusion, or...or has fallen ill, they'll accept it without question. We keep things running, I continue doing the photo shoots...we make it appear as though everything is normal." He sighed. "Father is such an elusive and unapproachable man to begin with that I don't think anyone will suspect anything."

Nathalie nodded. "Alright." She frowned. "Just in case, I need to get you up to speed on everything you'll need to know to...to take over."

Adrien sighed. "Alright."

Marinette frowned. "What do we do about, you know, new designs? This isn't going to work if his brand just stops out of nowhere. People are going to know."

Adrien frowned. He looked at Nathalie, who shrugged helplessly. After a moment, Adrien broke free of Marinette's embrace and turned, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"I guess...that's where you come in," he said.

"Me?!" Marinette repeated, eyes wide.

Adrien shrugged. "Father liked your hat, Jagged Stone liked your album cover...I think you can—no, I know you can do this." He stared deeply into her eyes. "Please,", he whispered hoarsely.

Marinette swallowed heavily. "A-alright."

"What do we do with the Butterfly Miraculous?" Plagg asked suddenly. "No one person is meant to wield two Miraculous at the same time, after all."

"But at the same time, we can't risk its power falling into the wrong hands again," Tikki pointed out.

Marinette sighed. "We'll worry about that later. For now, you're all just going to have to trust me to keep it safe."

"Hey, if we can't trust Ladybug, who can we trust?" Adrien said with a ghost of his usual rakish grin.

Marinette's phone rang. She blinked, then pulled it out. Her eyes widened. "ALYA! Oh my god, I just left her—"

The door to the office slammed open, and Alya stormed in, disconnecting the call before Marinette could answer it. She marched up to Marinette and shook an angry finger in her face. "Don't you ever. EVER! Leave me on a rooftop like that again what are those flying things?"

Adrien and Marinette exchanged a look and laughed shakily.

"I guess...since you know...it's time to tell you everything," Marinette said.

---

Epilogue

---

Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Alya stood on a rooftop overlooking Collège Françoise Dupont, which was surrounded by reporters and television news crews, all fighting to overcome a police cordon.

"Yikes," Chat Noir said. "I guess I'd better transform back so you can officially 'rescue' me."

"Oh, they're not here for you," Alya said. "Well, not entirely." She coughed and pushed her glasses up. "I...might have forgotten to tell you this when you were sharing your mind-blowing secrets with me? But...someone in our class leaked what happened."

Ladybug turned and glared at her, eyes narrowed.

Alya waved her hands in a wide-eyed warding gesture. "Wasn't me!" she protested. "Do you really think I'd tell the whole world your identity after—"

"YES!" Ladybug and Chat Noir both said.

"Sorry, Alya, but you really kinda would," Chat Noir pointed out.

Alya's shoulders slumped. "Okay, so I probably would," she admitted. "But this time, I didn't." She frowned. "I think it was Sabrina."

"Makes sense," Adrien said. "She's on a vindictive streak against Chloé. If Chloé found out you were really Ladybug, it'd break her."

"Hmm. That alone makes it tempting to let the world know my secret," Ladybug said. "Still...I'd really rather not have my whole life turned upside down like that just yet." She frowned. "Is there any proof?"

"You mean besides the dozen or so eyewitnesses?" Alya asked, arching an eyebrow. At Ladybug's glare, she sighed and shook her head. "Nobody got pictures or video that conclusively prove you're Ladybug. I mean, there's pictures of Ladybug leaving the room, but nothing from you transforming."

Ladybug nodded thoughtfully. "Then as long as everyone who was there can keep quiet, we can still fix this." She looked at Alya, tilting her head. "That is, if you're willing to help us cover this up."

Alya frowned. "I don't see how that's even possible at this point, but..." She shook her head and sighed. "It's funny. I've spent so much time trying to expose Ladybug, but now..." She looked between her two friends. "I guess now, I have every reason in the world to want to protect your secret."

Ladybug smiled. "That's exactly what I was hoping you'd say." She reversed her transformation, then touched the brooch on her lapel. "Nooroo, become my wings!"

Alya's eyes widened as Marinette transformed again, this time into her shining pink butterfly costume.

Marinette folded her arms over her chest in a V, her hands extended flat, palms toward her shoulders, fingers pointing into the sky. A stream of white butterflies fluttered from the tip of her wand. She held out one hand, and a single butterfly alighted on it. She covered the butterfly with her other hand, closing her eyes. It turned a bright pink, then fluttered up to Alya's face and sank into her glasses. A purple hologram, shaped like the outline of a butterfly, formed over her face; a similar one formed over Marinette's.

And a soft voice filled Alya's mind even as the same voice spoke two feet in front of her:

Cover Story, I am Papillon. I grant you the power to protect your friends' secrets until such time as you choose to be released from this obligation.

Alya smiled. "Okay, Papillon."

Pink butterflies swirled around her body, and she transformed into an exact copy of Ladybug. Papillon released her transformation and nodded to Chat Noir, who stared between the two in confusion.

"Okay, what just happened?" he asked, blinking.

Marinette smiled. "Come on. Let's go save our day."

* * * * *

"—son of renowned fashion designer Gabriel Agreste, was kidnapped from Collège Françoise Dupont this morning. He has been safely rescued by Ladybug and Chat Noir, who in a press conference outside the school announced the defeat of the supervillain Hawk Moth, purported to be the source of every supervillain attack on Paris in the past year.

"In a related story, an alleged leak of the true identity of Ladybug earlier today has been refuted, as the girl purported to be Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, was seen in the company of Ladybug and Adrien Agreste, having snuck out of school on her own—"

Marinette turned off the television and flumped back on her bed. "So I'm grounded for a week—again," she said tiredly.

Chat Noir grimaced. "So much for going to the movies this Saturday," he said.

Marinette shrugged. "They might let me off the hook early. I was so worried about my boyfriend I wasn't thinking straight, after all."

"You sure weren't," Chat Noir agreed with a grin. "So, Alya's your Akuma now."

"Not my Akuma," Marinette said. "My Champion. The best part is, nobody ever has to know she has shapeshifting powers, so until I figure out what to do with the Butterfly Miraculous..."

"Alya with superpowers. I honestly hoped I'd never see that happen again."

Marinette giggled. "Well, Cover Story isn't as dangerous as Lady Wifi was."

"This is still Alya, right?" Chat Noir sighed. "Well, I'd better get home. There's a lot to do, and I don't think your parents catching me up here is a good idea."

"Yeah," Marinette agreed. "See you at school tomorrow," she said, standing up.

"Looking forward to it, My Lady," Chat Noir replied, leaning close. He brushed Marinette's hair away from her face, then closed his eyes. Marinette leaned in, her own eyes closed as her lips met his.

When she opened her eyes again, Chat Noir was gone. She smiled happily, touching her lips with her fingertips, then lay down on her bed, giggling dreamily.

Across the room, still pinned to her jacket, the Butterfly Miraculous twinkled.

* * * * *

"Master? What do we do about the Butterfly Miraculous? Nooroo is safe, but—"

Master Fu smiled as he looked out into the night sky. "We trust the ladybug," he said. "After all, it was time to start passing on the Miraculous and their secrets anyway..."

FIN.

---

Author's Notes

POWERED BY DREAMHOST