Chapter 34: Reclamation
"For many weeks now, Paris has been plagued by the supervillain trio of Volpina, Serpentina and Drone. And Paris' heroes, Lady Nymph and Belle Aube have struggled against them."
The reporter spoke clearly into the camera.
"But hope was given today as a new hero arrived to fend off the villains. A hero dressed in black, and themed after a cat."
The screen switched to shaky footage of the new hero's arrival, getting in between Volpina and a civilian.
"This is the moment when he arrived, aiding Belle Aube and Lady Nymph's Champion in chasing away the villains, a feat that hasn't happened in quite a while. According to eyewitnesses, he goes by Chat Noir."
The footage zoomed in on Chat Noir.
"But, unfortunately, it's not as simple as yet another new hero arriving the fight the villains. Many have drawn comparisons between Chat Noir and the villain Catastrophe, also known as Adrien Agreste. Reports also say that Chat Noir wielded the same destructive energy as Catastrophe."
The picture of Chat Noir was squeezed to one side as a picture of Catastrophe appeared on the other side.
"From the accounts of Lady Nymph's former Champions, it is known that the source of Catastrophe's powers is separate from him, and was likely taken by Lady Nymph or Belle Aube when Catastrophe was defeated by them. So, it is possible that Chat Noir is a new hero with Catastrophe's power. But is equally possible that Chat Noir is still Adrien Agreste, leading many to be wary."
The screen switched to a random civilian with a microphone being held up to them.
"I really don't feel safe with this new guy like Lady Nymph and Belle Aube."
Then another person.
"It's just Catastrophe. I know it. I'm worried that he's trying to trick the heroes."
"What happened to the other hero, the Peacock one?"
"We need to give this guy a chance, he could just be a good guy with the same powers."
"I'm hesitant to say either way. I'll wait to see."
The screen cut back to the reporter.
"Tomas Dupain-Cheng, Lady Nymph's latest Champion, gives his first-hand account of Chat Noir."
The screen cut to Tom, standing outside the primary school, a microphone held up to him.
"Chat Noir showed up and was immediately on our side, and Lady Nymph assured me that we could trust him. He fought Volpina while Belle Aube and I fought Serpentina, and was very polite afterwards before he left."
The reporter was put back on the screen with the pictures of Chat Noir and Catastrophe in the corner.
"Opinions are mixed and it's yet to be seen what the truth behind Chat Noir it. Stay tuned for more information."
Adrien was just waking up from his nap when the others started returning.
"How'd it go?" Fu asked Chloe and Zoe, the first to arrive.
"All I had to do was tell Daddy that I was having a sleepover with Marinette." Chloe said.
She pushed her designer suitcase against the wall, full of the usual sleepover supplies, and rolled her shoulders.
Usually, she would have someone else carry such things for her. But since things needed to be kept secret and sneaky, she couldn't call on her staff to come into Sanctuaire de la Dame, and Zoe had straight up told her girlfriend to carry her own things, Chloe was left to carry her stuff herself.
"I live in accommodation, no need to tell anyone where I'm going." Zoe said, dropping her own bag next to Chloe's. "How's kitty cat?"
Adrien blinked up at her as he sat up on the futon, realising that Zoe was talking about him.
Beside him, Plagg complained about being disturbed.
"I'm fine." He said, rubbing his head. "I've got a bit of a headache, though."
Fu handed Adrien a bottle of water, which the boy happily accepted and drank.
He was feeling better by the time Alya arrived, who looked less than happy.
"Ugh, it took so much convincing to be able to stay overnight." Alya grouched. "I had to trade Nora an entire week of watching the terror twins, since mum and dad put her in charge.
"See, this is why I enjoy being an only child." Chloe said.
Alya gave her a side glare.
"Move over, it's my turn to lie down."
Alya shoved Adrien the rest of the way off of Fu's futon and lay down herself, facedown.
Reluctantly, Adrien got up.
"So, why is everyone staying overnight?" He questioned, looking at the girls' bags.
"Marinette says that we're finally going to take down the villains." Chloe answered.
"What?" Adrien questioned. "How?"
"Because you know who's behind all this." Alya lifted her head from the futon to answer.
"Meaning that we can find them and attack before they realise what's happening." Chloe smirked.
"Oh, yeah." Adrien said.
He not only knew Xue Ying, but also where she lived.
Adrien then slumped.
"I've known her since you rescued me. I could have ended this a month ago." He said.
"Your recovery from the corruption did not allow this. And it did not occur to any of us to ask you once you had healed." Fu told Adrien. "We can all be to blame for not ending this sooner.
"Besides, we would have less of a chance of winning." Marinette said as she pushed herself into the room. "It would have still been just Chloe and my Champion, not good odds, even in a sneak attack. We'll have a better chance with you there now."
"I guess." Adrien said.
Marinette pushed herself over to Fu's computer and turned it on.
"Nathaniel couldn't get his parents to agree to the sleepover of even let him leave the house again." Marinette explained. "But we can include him via video call."
Logging into her own account, Marinette sent a call message to Nathaniel, who soon picked up, his image appearing on the screen.
"Hi, sorry I can't be there." Nathaniel waved his hands. "Have you started planning yet?"
"We're about to." Marinette said.
"I can't believe that I'm actually going to actively attack Mast-Xue Ying." Adrien shook his head.
Fu went shock still and everyone noticed it.
"Xue Ying?" Fu asked. "That is the name of the one who controlled you?"
"Yeah." Adrien said. "Do you know her?"
"I did know someone by that name. But I find it hard to believe that it is the same person. Then again, she could have survived." Fu was beginning to mutter to himself. "Someone with the same name and an obsession with collecting the Miraculous, it's too much of a coincidence.
"Master Fu, who is Xue Ying?" Marinette asked.
Fu sighed as he knelt down.
"I suppose that I'll need to explain to you all the full story." He said.
Alya sat up on the futon while Chloe, Zoe and Adrien found their own seats to listen to Fu.
"The Order of the Guardians were the original protectors of the Miraculous, trained in both mind and body to watch over the Miraculous and choose the correct wielders in times of peril." Fu started at the beginning. "At a young age, I was chosen to be a part of the Order of the Guardians, training to one day be a Guardian. Though the focus was on training, I did have some friends, one of which was Xue Ying."
Fu sighed again as he continued to give his history.
"The Order of the Guardians was male dominated, so Ying had disguised herself as a boy to get in. And she was the best of any of us, ahead in her training, very smart, a sure future Guardian."
Fu's face then fell.
"But things fell apart when we were given a test, to decide while of us were worthy of becoming part of the Order that directly interacted with the Miraculous, rather than just protecting them. During the test, Ying was revealed as a girl, and subsequently was failed, even though I had passed and she had done much better in the test than I had."
"They failed her because she was a girl?" Zoe frowned.
"They wouldn't like our current hero and villain teams then." Nathaniel commented through the computer speakers.
With the exception of Adrien, everyone to currently wield a Miraculous, hero or villain, was a girl.
Fu shook his head.
"There have been many female heroes in the past." He said. "And the elders claimed that they had always known Xue Ying was a girl when she challenged them on her fail, claiming that she failed due to other factors. I don't know if they were telling the truth, or only saying it to save face."
"So, Xue Ying failed the test, and that led to her wanting the Miraculous now?" Marinette questioned.
Fu shook his head again.
"If it was only that simple." He said. "The elders never explained exactly why Ying had failed the test, so she continued to believe that she was failed because she was a girl, and I sided with her. Then Ying came up with a plan that she told me would prove her worth to the elders, and I went along with it, because of the injustice I believe Ying had received.
Fu paused, looking regretful.
"What happened?" Alya prodded.
"Xue Ying's plan was never to prove herself, it was to take what she believed was owed to her." Fu switched back to formalities. "I don't remember much about what happened. But what Xue Ying did cause the temple we called home to be destroyed, and I was the only survivor in the end. I was thrown the Miracle Box and Grimoire and told to run, which I did. Along the way, a fall caused me to lose the Peacock and Butterfly Miraculous' and the Grimoire, and I was forced to leave them behind. When I finally got away, the temple was gone, and everyone with it."
Everyone was silent as they heard of Fu's loss.
"So," Chloe eventually spoke up. "This Ying woman is the same as Adrien's?"
"There are too many similarities for it to not be a high possibility." Fu said.
"But…I'm confused." Adrien said. "Mas-Xue Ying can only be in her late forties to fifties. And you're, you know, older. But you make it sound like you're the same age."
Fu stroked his beard.
"The Xue Ying who controlled you already has access to dark magic to allow her to corrupt the Miraculous. It is not a stretch to believe that she is the same person, using the same sort of dark magic to slow her aging." He said.
"What else could that magic allow her to do?" Nathaniel asked.
"Who knows." Fu answers. "But we likely would have seen them by now if they were something dangerous to us."
"No matter who she is, we need to take her out." Marinette said. "And now that we know her name, we can find out where she lives."
"Or, I could just take you to her place directly." Adrien suggested.
Everyone looked at him.
"You know where she lives?" Marinette asked.
"Yeah. I stayed with her after, you know, I got exposed." Adrien explained unsurely.
"She took the guy who she was mind controlling, and so would turn on her when freed, to her home?" Zoe laid out.
"This woman is dumb." Chloe added.
"Well, that quickens our plans." Marinette said.
"So, what?" Alya asked. "We go there, break in and take her down before she can do anything?"
"That's the basics." Marinette admitted.
"You'll need to be careful. Xue Ying will no doubt have protections around her home." Fu warned. "Your best strategy would be to lure her away from that protection.
"Wait a minute." Tikki spoke up. "What if she's not there?"
"Yeah, she's likely done a runner." Plagg agreed.
Marinette sighed. "They we'll just have to hope that Xue Ying doesn't remember that Adrien knows her address and is still there."
"This is a very 'what if' plan." Nathaniel commented.
"Unfortunately, it's the best we have." Nooroo said. "Taking the time to scout out the house and make a better plan means that the villains have time to attack again, and it risks Xue Ying remembering about Adrien knowing her address if she hasn't already."
"So, when do we attack?" Alya asked.
"When it gets dark." Marinette answered. "We've always been active during the day, and Xue Ying will expect us to be 'honourable' heroes. So, she'll hopefully not be expecting an attack at night."
"And who are you going to choose for a Champion?" Nathaniel asked. "Yourself, again?"
Both Marinette and Nooroo shook their heads.
"Bind is not an effective Champion, even flying, my inability to use my legs is a disadvantage. I only worked because of Adrien's attachment to me." Marinette said. "We need someone more skilled. But it's also best that they're in the know."
"So, me, Nathaniel or Zoe?" Alya said.
Marinette nodded.
"Better choose one of the girls." Nathaniel suggested. "Champion or not, my parents aren't going to want me to leave. And it would just make things easier for after the fight."
"Okay." Marinette said. "So, our options are Lady Wi-Fi and Skóni. Zoe, how-"
Marinette broke off as she suddenly realised something, staring at Zoe with wide eyes.
Zoe raised an eyebrow in response.
"I just realised that we never told you." Marinette said.
Zoe was only meant to know that Chloe was Belle Aube. She had never been told about Marinette being Lady Nymph. Yet, that fact had slipped everyone's mind, so they had continued to act like Zoe was in on all their identities.
"Oh, god." Chloe put her fingers to her forehead, realising what Marinette had just figured out.
"Wait, Zoe didn't know?" Adrien questioned, confused.
Zoe started to grin, then laugh.
"So, I wasn't meant to know. Nice to know why I was left to figure out your identity instead of being directly told." Zoe laughed. "Don't worry, I'll keep things secret. Unlike you."
It wasn't a malicious jab, just an obvious joke.
"I wasn't worried about that." Marinette said. "Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Skóni's dust control gives good short- and long-range attacks, and can easily take care of Volpina's Mirage, but requires her to be constantly moving. While Lady Wi-Fi can immobilise the villains with an accurate enough attack and travel along data points, but is reliant on a data signal."
"Go with Zoe, I lost my fight and she didn't." Alya said, looking away.
"And I say go with Alya." Zoe rolled her eyes. "As much as I'd love to kick butt with my girlfriend as Skóni, your abilities will be more useful. Besides, I'd give away Chloe's identity by flirting with her."
Zoe give Chloe a grin as she once again made her girlfriend blush.
"But-"
"Are you still on that 'I lost' thing? I thought you got over that." Chloe frowned. "You lost because I wasn't there. But now, I will be there. So, you won't lose."
"Uh, thanks?" Alya said unsurely at Chloe's semi-assurance.
"What Chloe is trying to say," Marinette said, giving Chloe a quick glare for her poor wording. "Is that just because you lost once, doesn't mean that you'll do it again. You'll know to be careful and have teammates this time around."
"So, you're choosing Alya?" Fu asked.
Marinette looked at Alya for an answer.
Alya hesitated for a few seconds. "Alright. Yeah. I'll do it." She then transitioned to looking determined.
"Good." Marinette nodded with a smile. "Is everyone ready?"
Both teens and Kwamis nodded.
Marinette then turned to her boyfriend.
"So, Adrien, where do we go?" She asked.
Xue Ying slowly brewed her tea, making a cup for herself and her two companions.
It was late, already dark outside, but Lila and Sabrina had yet to leave her home.
After finally being forced to flee after a long string of victories, Lila was not in a good mood and did not want to return home. And where Lila was, Sabrina would be.
Honestly, it wasn't the first time the three of them were forced to run and concede victory to the heroes. It only happened a couple of times, but the heroes would manage to get the upper hand through trickery or dumb luck. But those occasions were not consistent and could have easily gone the other way, this time was a thorough victory for the heroes, thanks to Chat Noir.
"Stay your anger." Xue Ying advised her wards. "Their victory was through surprise. Now that we know that he is also with them, we will be prepared."
"I still don't like it." Lila huffed as she crossed her arms. "I mean, he betrayed us."
She pretended to cry, trying to make Xue Ying think that she valued their close-knit group the same as she did.
Xue Ying saw straight through her attempts but didn't comment.
"Oh yes, how dare Adrien turn on the people who manipulated him into hurting his friends." Trixx made an appearance to be sarcastic. "I wonder if Sabrina will have to same reaction."
"What?" Sabrina asked, turning to the Kwami.
"Nothing." Lila pushed Trixx back into her pocket with a finger. "Stay down and be silent." She ordered.
"Drink your tea. I've added some nice herbs for you." Xue Ying told Sabrina.
"Thank you." Sabrina said, taking a drink of her tea.
She had been feeling rather shaky lately, and her parents had commented on her increasing paleness. Perhaps she was coming down with something.
Deciding to turn the TV on as background noise for them, Xue Ying used her remote.
Only for it to do nothing.
"Maybe it needs new batteries." Sabrina suggested.
"I just put ones in yesterday." Xue Ying frowned.
While Xue Ying got up to get new batteries, Lila turned to her phone, only to frown herself.
"Your Wi-Fi is acting funny." She complained.
Xue Ying turned to look at her.
Sabrina took out her own phone to look.
"She's right. It keeps turning on and off, and the name keeps changing." She said.
Suddenly, Xue Ying's TV turned on, going to the one of the online streaming services and switching between shows on its own, then turning you the YouTube connection and showing a video of one of the villain attacks.
Eyeing her TV warily, while backing away, Xue Ying turned to Wayzz.
"What's going on? Is this your doing?" She demanded.
"This isn't us." Wayzz said calmly.
Xue Ying's phone suddenly sounded the alarm, it was the app installed that was meant to tell her when her intruder alarm had gone off.
"Girl's, transform and go outside!" Xue Ying turned to Lila and Sabrina, who were looking sufficiently freaked out. "I believe that we have visitors to greet."
Nodding, the girls transformed.
"Trixx, Let's Pounce!"
"Buzz On!"
Xue Ying hung back as she sent her girls out to face the danger, waiting to see exactly what to expect. It wouldn't do to be taken by surprise again.
She watched as Volpina and Drone stepped hesitantly outside, on full alert.
It was this alertness that allowed them to dodge the yoyo that came down to wrap around them at the last second.
"The heroes are here!" Volpina hissed loudly as she looked out for the next attack.
She quickly held up her flute as Belle Aube came down on her, with Drone using her spinning top to knock away purple pause logos that started raining down on her.
Xue Ying paused for a few seconds before she fully comprehended what was happening.
"How could I be so stupid." She hissed to herself.
She had forgotten that Adrien knew her address, the Adrien who was now on the side of good.
"Looks like your plans are coming to an end." Wayzz said happily.
"Not yet." Xue Ying snapped back.
She ran further into the house, into her room, and grabbed the Miraculous Grimoire, flipping it open to the back.
"Just in case." She muttered to herself.
Rip!
Xue Ying tore the final pages from the book, folding them up and storing them in her jacket pocket.
"Now, to deal with those heroes." Xue Ying said. "Wayzz, Shell On!"
As soon as Serpentina burst through her front door, she aimed towards Belle Aube, who was still fighting with Volpina.
Belle Aube saw her coming from the corner of her eye but didn't take her focus away from Volpina.
She didn't need to worry about Serpentina, because Chat Noir was there to land in between them, pushing back against Serpentina's shield with his staff.
"So, you'd really turn on us that much, Adrien?" Serpentina softened her voice for the boy. "You'd really betray me?"
"You don't get to talk about betrayal." Chat Noir said, kicking Serpentina.
Lady WiFi ducked and then jumped to avoid Drone's attacks, sending out her own when she could, though they all either landed uselessly on the floor or were blocked by Drone's spinning top.
"You move pretty fast for someone who's being controlled." Lady WiFi remarked.
"I am not being controlled!" Drone frowned under her helmet.
"Yes, you are." Lady WiFi grunted as she blocked a punch. "Just like Adrien was as Catastrophe."
"No!" Drone rabidly shook her head. "L-Volpina is my friend. And I will help my friend, no matter what!"
"Even if it means hurting others?" Lady WiFi responded. "Think! If this really the sort of person you are?"
Lady WiFi knew that her words wouldn't magically bring Drone to her senses, and for all she knew Drone already wasn't a good person without the corruption. But her hope was to make Drone fight the corruption enough that she was distracted, to make fighting easier.
"Be quiet!" Drone bared her teeth.
Well, the Champion had got through to the villain in a way, but it was making her attack more as a result.
Belle Aube spun her yoyo, making sure to keep Volpina in view.
"How does it feel to know that this is all coming to an end?" Belle Aube goaded.
"The only thing coming to an end is your time as a hero." Volpina responded.
Belle Aube smirked.
"Your base is discovered. Your ridiculous master's identity is known. And we have the best of the best on our team to match your pitifulness." She gloated. "I guess that you're going blind or something, to not see the fall coming your way."
Volpina growled, jumping away and looking for an opening so that she could use her Mirage.
Chat Noir was not being aggressive with his opponent as his teammates were, just automatically blocking and parrying the attacks Serpentina sent his way.
But Serpentina was not truthfully putting her all into the fight either.
And she was still talking to him.
"Adrien, I know you don't want to hurt me." Serpentina said gently, despite the reverberation of her shield.
"The feeling wasn't exactly mutual, considering that you've hurt me." Chat Noir shot back.
"I didn't want to, Adrien." Serpentina said. "But sometimes things need to get worse before they get better. Yes, I hurt you, and it hurts me that I hurt you, but I only did it to free you from your father."
If Chat Noir had cared to notice, he would have seen that each block and parry made led him further away from his teammates.
"Adrien, I see you as my child, I only want to care for you." Serpentina continued her manipulation.
Chat Noir's faces curled up in anger.
"Cataclysm!"
"Shel-"
Serpentina didn't have time to activate her power before Chat Noir's destructive touch made her shield crumble into dust.
But Serpentina didn't run, instead she opened her arms invitingly.
"It's okay to be angry." She said. "And it's okay if you never forgive me. But I can see you're hurting."
Chat Noir started huffing, dropping his staff to the ground, his anger drained.
"Come on, Poppet. Let mama make it all better." Serpentina invited.
Tears started making their way down Chat Noir's cheeks.
He stumbled forward before letting his head fall to Serpentina's chest, sniffing.
"There, there." Serpentina grinned triumphantly as she patted Chat Noir's back.
Belle Aube kept moving, her environmental awareness turned up to the max.
Volpina had managed to summon her favourite Mirage of duplicates of herself.
But a trick could only be pulled so often before people grew wise to it. So, when one of the Volpinas made a dive at her, Belle Aube ignored it, letting it dissipate when it made contact.
"The same old, tired tricks." Belle Aube sighed. "What a one-show pony."
With practiced ease, several of the fake Volpinas fell to the hero's yoyo, and she didn't even need to look.
She was just showing off at this point, she already knew which Volpina was real.
Lady WiFi sighed as she sent Drone over her shoulder.
"Perhaps the corruption is squashing your fighting ability." She theorised. "Or you're just not good on your own."
"Shut up! I am not being controlled!" Drone shouted. "I want to do this!"
"De-nial is in Egypt." Lady WiFi quipped with a grin.
"Agh!"
Drone was getting angrier and angrier.
"Come on, how many times have you gotten to use that power of yours, by the way?" Lady WiFi continued.
"Why don't I show you? Venom!"
In her anger, Drone shot forward without much plan.
Lady WiFi smirked.
Last second, she ducked, letting Drone sail over her, before grabbing Drone by the ankle.
Like a hammer-thrower, Lady WiFi began spinning around, continuing to hold Drone by her ankle.
"Let go!"
Drone tried to kick with her free foot.
"If you insist." Lady WiFi said. "Incoming!"
"Ahh!"
Drone cried out as she was sent flying.
The villainess then grinned when she noticed that she had been sent flying at Belle Aube's back. Rolling once on the ground as she landed, Drone leapt forward with her Venom ready.
But then Belle Aube turned her head and grinned.
Drone didn't have time to react as Belle Aube ducked under her Venom before grabbing her arm and once again sending her uncontrollably flying, this time into a cluster of Volpina clones.
All but one Volpina disappeared as Drone smashed into them.
"No!" Volpina cried out.
Shaking her head, Drone looked up to see what had Volpina so alarmed, only to be met with her friend's frozen expression of fear.
Looking back down, Drone gasped in horror when she found the tip of her Venom buried in Volpina's leg.
"No!"
Drone sat up as she put her hands to her mouth in horror.
She was then left frozen in that pose, similar to Volpina, as Lady WiFi's pause symbol hit her in the back.
"Alright!" Lady WiFi cheered as she jumped up and down in celebration.
"Too easy." Belle Aube gloated.
"High five?" Lady WiFi asked her teammate, holding up her hand.
Belle Aube regarded the hand.
"Sure. Why not?" She shrugged, holding up her own hand.
They slapped her hands together, grinning at their victory.
"Now, lets take those Miraculous before something happens." Alya reminded.
"Oh, I have wanted to do this for so long." Belle Aube rubbed her hands together gleefully.
With one quick movement, the Fox Miraculous was in Belle Aube's hands.
Lady WiFi, knelt down to Drone, picking the Bee Miraculous from the back of the villainess' head.
"Ugh!" Lady WiFi held the Miraculous in a pincer hold as she pulled her face.
She could feel the corruption leaking from the Miraculous.
In a flash of colourful light, the two villainesses detransformed.
"Lila Rossi." Belle Aube raised an eyebrow as she saw who had been under Volpina's mask. "I am not surprised that she turned out to be a villain. In fact, I'm willing to admit that I feel slightly foolish for not working it out earlier."
"Sabrina." Alya looked sadly down at the girl under Drone's helmet. "She just can't catch a break. First your slave, now the villain's."
"Hey!" Belle Aube protested the statement that Sabrina had been her slave.
"Come on, let's get them tied up before the Venom wears off." Lady WiFi said.
Belle Aube pulled her yoyo string between her hands.
"Gladly." She said.
Serpentina continued to cradle Chat Noir close to her chest, basking in her victory.
The heroes thought that Adrien had been cured, but she had dug her claws too deep. And now, Adrien would always return to her, and the Black Cat Miraculous was back in her hands.
Serpentina then realised that things had gone quiet.
Looking back to the battlefield she had left her wards and the other heroes at, Serpentina was both horrified and disgusted to see that both Lila and Sabrina were detransformed and tied up, their Miraculous' no doubt in the hands of the heroes.
"Adrien, it's time that we depart." Serpentina curled her lip.
"Now?" Adrien asked.
Serpentina released her hold to put a hand on Adrien's cheek, bringing his attention to her face, which had softened once more.
"Remember that I only want your safety, and it is not safe her." Serpentina told him.
Chat Noir placed his hand over Serpentina's and pushed into her hand, smiling.
"Okay, he said.
Chat Noir's hand slid down Serpentina's wrist and hand as she dropped it.
Chat Noir then pulled away from her, suddenly looking guilty.
"What?" Serpentina asked in confusion.
Then green light washed over her as she was forcibly reverted back to Xue Ying.
Looking down at her hands in shock, Xue Ying looked back up to Adrien, eyes widening when she saw the Turtle Miraculous between his fingers.
"You…you ticked me!" Xue Ying realised.
"What can I say?" Chat Noir gave a melancholic smile. "I had a good teacher."
With a kick of his foot, Chat Noir's staff was back in his hands and aiming at Xue Ying.
"Now, it's over." Chat Noir stated.
Xue Ying's look of shock morphed into one of betrayal and anger as she put her hands in the air in surrender.
"I swear, daddy, I don't understand what's going on." Sabrina pleaded with her father as she was placed in the back of the police car.
"I know, pumpkin." Roger tried to be as gentle as possible with his daughter. "I've been told that you were mind controlled. And I want nothing more to take your straight home. But we need to go through with procedure."
"But daddy." Sabrina sobbed.
"Don't worry, I'll get this sorted out as soon as possible. Until then, can you be my brave little girl?"
Sabrina sniffed.
"Y-yeah." She said.
"There's my girl." Roger said, trying his best to hold his own tears.
During his time as Lady Nymph's Champion, he had been told of Catastrophe's corruption. It horrified him to learn that his own daughter had been going through the same thing without him ever realising.
Nearby, Lila was putting on her own round of waterworks.
"I'm sorry." She openly wept. "I'm-I'm sorry. I didn't want to do it. But I was controlled as well. She-she made me do it."
"I'm sure, sweetie." The police officer said. "But you need to go to the station until the situation can be evaluated, regardless."
Lila was then pushed into a separate police car to Sabrina.
"Let go of me! Unhand me you wretched fool!"
Unlike the two younger girls, Xue Ying did not acquiesce to her own arrest, biting and snarling.
The officers kept her pinned as she was read her rights.
Xue Ying pushed back into the officer, her hands meeting his belt, which got her roughly shoved into the car.
Belle Aube and Lady WiFi presided over it all, grins practically splitting her faces. Lady Nymph's symbol was bright over Lady WiFi's face as she watched the scene through her Champion's eyes.
Once his daughter was secure, Roger walked over to the two girls.
"Is this it?" He asked hesitantly. "Are they the final villains?"
"Yes." Belle Aube smirked.
"Lady Nymph says that all the Miraculous that the villains were using are now in our possession. They will not be used for evil again." Lady WiFi spoke for Lady Nymph.
"What about Catastrophe?" Roger inquired.
"The guy helped us take down the villains. Enough with the suspicion already." Belle Aube said impatiently.
"Adrien Agreste was under the effects of corruption during his time as Catastrophe, and now that he is free of that corruption, he became a hero who helped us put an end to the villains. He would be here himself, but he was scared that he'd get arrested too." Lady WiFi spoke for Lady Nymph again.
"I know he's innocent. But we'd still like for him to turn himself in, he's still an underage minor going around without his legal guardian after all, and we'd like a statement from him." Roger said.
"We'll talk to him about it." Lady WiFi said.
"That aside. Paris owes you heroes a great debt. You have stopped these villains and we won't forget your service to the city." Roger said.
"I expect a celebration you know." Belle Aube said. "A large float, maybe something named after me. Make it an official day."
Lady WiFi rolled her eyes at Belle Aube.
"Come on. It's late." She said, dragging Belle Aube away by the arm.
"I better get my parade!" Belle Aube shouted back as she was led away.
Lady Nymph sighed, relaxing on her throne as she disconnected from her Champion.
She turned back to the other two occupants of the room, who were watching the emergency news report of the arrest of the villains of Paris with glee.
"They did it." Nathaniel could be seen crying through the video chat that was still active.
"Chloe and Alya are bringing home the Fox and Bee Miraculous." Lady Nymph said to Fu. "We got them all back."
Fu smiled back. "Thank you, Marinette." He said.
Chat Noir was the first to arrive back, detransforming back into Adrien.
He didn't join in the cheer, instead dragging his feet over to his girlfriend and collapsing on her lap.
"I'm tired." He mumbled into Lady Nymph's stomach.
"Me too." Plagg sighed. "And I'm hungry too."
He curled up on the wheel of camembert that had already been left out for him, lazily chewing on it.
Lady Nymph smiled down at him.
"I am so proud of you today, Adrien. You saved Paris." She said. "My perfect kitty hero."
Adrien lifted his face up to allow his girlfriend to kiss him.
"Oh, by the way, took this from Xue Ying's house before I left."
Adrien turned to Fu, handing him a book alongside the Turtle Miraculous.
"The Miraculous Grimoire." Fu gasped, taking it. "Thank you, Adrien. With this, we can finally repair the damage done to the Peacock."
Adrien smiled before returning to being comforted by his girlfriend.
Lady Nymph's Tiānshǐ returned, so she detransformed and embraced her boyfriend again, practically bringing him onto her lap.
Zoe laughed.
"Get all the way on there." She encouraged Adrien.
And, finally, Chloe and Alya returned soon after, bursting through the door.
"Who is the most badass, beautiful and amazing girl in the world?" Chloe boasted.
"You are!" Zoe sang, running over to her girlfriend and embracing her.
Chloe hugged back, even picking Zoe up and spinning her around.
"That's right." Chloe grinned. "Though, you are a very close second." She booped Zoe on the nose.
Zoe blinked in surprise, blushing.
"Yes, revenge." Chloe grinned.
She finally got Zoe to blush after so long of being on the receiving end.
Wanting to prolong her victory, she gave Zoe a kiss.
"Here you go." Alya walked over to Fu and handed him the Fox and Bee Miraculous'.
"Thank you." Fu said, taking them. "This is a joyous night indeed."
"Of course it is, we won." Alya said.
"I'm happy it's over." Marinette said.
The warning about tempting fate had long slipped their minds.
"Breaking news!" The TV interrupted their celebration. "The villain known as Serpentina has just escaped police custody. The officers in charge of her transportation found unconscious."
"Oh no." Marinette said as everyone's faces turned to horror.
"Though the villain has been stripped of her powers, she is still considered to be highly dangerous. So, civilians are urged to be careful."
"Why can't this all be over?" Adrien started crying into Marinette's lap.
"Come on, we'll catch her again soon. And we'll be safe since she doesn't know her identities or where you're hiding." Alya tried to comfort him.
Chloe started laughing.
"Why are we so worried?" She said. "Like the news said, she's powerless. We took her Miraculous. Meanwhile we have all seven."
"Do not underestimate Xue Ying." Fu warned. "She was able to take the Miraculous from me in the first place with no Miraculous of her own, and still has her own magic."
"No offence, but you're an old man. Anyone could have beaten you. Meanwhile, I could beat her blindfolded now." Chloe waved off.
Fu frowned but didn't respond.
"Still," Marinette said. "We should keep on the look out for her. The sooner she's in custody, the better."
"Yeah, okay." Chloe said.
"Now, I think it's time we settle down." Marinette said.
Everyone yawned as they agreed, getting ready for the actual sleepover part of their plan, Nathaniel signing off the chat so that he could sleep in his own bed.
With one last parting look at the Miraculous and Grimoire sitting on Fu's desk, Marinette left the room.
Author's note: Please comment.
And an era comes to an end. The villains are defeated and all the Miraculous have been reclaimed.
But five chapters still remain, and Heroes Day was mentioned by hasn't happened yet. With Xue Ying still out there, it's not over yet.
I hope I left enough clues for people to realise that Xue Ying is a former member of the Order of the Guardians.
I forgot to mention this in the last chapter, but the reason Alya got the Peacock over Nathaniel is her stubbornness. Alya's stubbornness would lead to her endangering her life by using a broken Miraculous if she could stop the villains, while Nathaniel would probably listen to Marinette and Fu about not using a broken Miraculous, so Adrien wouldn't get prompted to act.
And though it's not art for this story, if anyone's a fan of Madoka Magica or Shugo Chara, I posted a big project I just finished making to my DeviantART and Tumblr.
