Marinette was pacing. They were all in costume, all powered up, because nobody knew if this was some trick.

Except for Skitter. She was… somewhere. She wasn't telling anyone. Rena Rouge thought she was still out of Paris, but Marinette bet she was somewhere close.

Hidden. Likely with enough bugs to blot out the sun. Ryuko and Carapace were in the other room, watching the voice to text transcript. If anything started going strange, they could cut the connection.

Kagami was at home. She couldn't get out tonight, but they would text her when the meeting was finished.

"Ready, Milady?" Chat asked.

"No." Marinette really wasn't. No more Hawkmoth. No more Akumas.

No more Ladybug and Chat Noir. Would they unmask? Go out and have a party? Or would they just turn and leave, always to wonder if the next person they saw in Paris had been the hero they'd depended on for so long. She shook her head. "But let's call him anyway."

Moments later, the phone conference was set up, and they were dialing.

"You know," Rena said. "Sooner or later, someone is going to wonder why so many burner phones are found dead in the trash."

"No," Skitter's voice sounded eerie. "Criminals dump them all the time."

"Hello," Hawkmoth answered. "Ladybug?"

"It's me, Hawkmoth."

"If only you had been so reasonable beforehand, I wouldn't have ha—"

"We're under Truce," Skitter said. "No needling, no powers. We say what we need to say. Otherwise we might as well stop."

"Apologies," the word sounded forced.

"You say you need a wish to cure someone? Who?"

"If I told you, you would know who I am."

So they're close to Hawkmoth. Marinette shook her head. That didn't really narrow things down, besides, she doubted someone would go through this for a stranger.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Chat asked.

"You can stand by me while I make the wish."

"There's a problem with that," Marinette said."They say the wishes won't work like that."

"The wishes change reality."

"In the way dynamite changes a fishing pond," Chat Noir said.

"So this was just an—"

"We have another option for you," Skitter said. "I'm texting you a link. Those are pictures, where I come from."

"I—Good God, what is that?"

"Leviathan."

"Good, it wasn't something really terrifying, like a postman," Chat whispered. Marinette stifled a giggle.

"I come from a different world. We have people like me, parahumans. Some can control bugs, some can call fire, some can build incredible machines, and some can heal a person directly."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Have you ever met anything like me?"

"…Not outside of a horror film, no."

"She's not from around here," Marinette finally said. "And she was the one who wanted to talk."

"Fine. What would you do?"

"Our sources claim that the best way to send me back may be the butterfly miraculous. You do that for me. I go and get the kind of healing that can help your… friend. If I can, once it's done, you turn over the miraculous and everything related. Then we go our separate ways."

"Wait a minute," Ladybug said. Why is she springing that? "No arrest?"

"I have to admit, that sounds unrealistic," Hawkmoth said.

"You want to be arrested?" Skitter sounded surprised.

"No. I am willing to pay the price, although I would prefer not to. My family may be shocked, but I have taken measures to protect them financially, although they may have to… relocate. I doubt Paris would be forgiving."

Marinette winced. He has a family? Somehow, she saw Hawkmoth as… A thing, a monster.

Not someone with a family. The next thing she knew, he'd be telling her his hobbies, and she really didn't want to hear about that. If she had to punch him, she wanted it guilt free.

"If you give up everything, I doubt you can hurt anyone. And it makes it more likely you're cooperate fully, right?" Skitter said.

"There is that…"

Marinette was frowning.

"What is it, Milady?"

"If we arrest Hawkmoth, they'll interrogate him. They'll talk about Kwamis. If they find out you can wish… If they believe…"

"We're just going to let him go?"

"No," Marinette said. "Hawkmoth, what other crimes have you committed? If you have, or we find out you have, we'll arrest you for them."

"Well, my lair isn't exactly up to Parisian code, no doubt the thing your friend was trying to discover when she terrorized the family. But if you're talking about conventional crimes? No. I'm rich. I have enough money to get anything I want legally and my tastes do not run to what I would need to obtain illegally. I want the miraculouses for my… associate. No other reason." There was a pause. "But what is to keep you from taking my miraculous and then failing to deliver?"

"Like Skitter said, we don't take it until your friend is healed," Marinette said. "We meet, if possible we send Skitter though, she gets the information and if your associate is cured, you hand the miraculous over to us."

"And if Skitter fails or I cannot open a portal home?"

"Then we leave. We'll be under truce. Even if things don't go right, we just withdraw and go back to normal the next day." Skitter's voice was calm. "And neither party will be any worse off for it. On the other hand, if this works, and if you're honest…"

"We all get what we want." Hawkmoth fell silent. "I must think on this. I will text you my answer tonight." Then without saying goodbye, he hung up.

"He's thinking about it. Good." Skitter said.

"I'd be more worried if he'd agreed right away," Chat added. "What do you think, Ladybug?"

"Yeah." Marinette shook her head. "But just ending…"

"We could always have a battle," Rena said, twirling her flute. "I mean, some last giant monster that I whistle up and you fight so Paris has closure."

"Yeah," Carapace said. "And you're completely free of mental influence, save for the part where Hawkmoth had you all do the chicken dance."

"Carapace?" Marinette said in a sweet tone.

"Yes?"

"I can always ask Skitter to send you the bees. All. The. Bees."

"Um, yeah, no need, no sign that he was using any powers, and Skitter, please don't swarm me."

"I won't. You're useful."

Rena hugged Carapace. "You got that right."

"Now lets get this all broken down and get back home." Marinette smiled. "It's in Hawkmoth's hands now." And I don't want to get grounded just before we can end this war.

When Adrien got home, he was surprised. His father was up. Usually, Gabriel would be in bed early, and then up very early. But he was standing, looking up at the portrait of Adrien and Gabriel.

"I'm sorry father, I was studying with my friends and lost t—"

"Hmm?" Gabriel looked at him, his expression distracted. "That is quite all right, son. Although I have not… Often shown it, your friends are by and large a good influence on you."

Adrien blinked. Who are you and what have you done with Father?

"Adrien. We have both experienced… Unpleasant events. Sometimes others may not understand what we have had to do. But you shouldn't worry. I have ensured that your financial status will be secure, and even if you should one day wish to leave Paris, you will be able to."

"What… Father is something wrong?"

"No. I am just… Thinking. It's wise to be prepared for all eventualities." Then he turned and smiled, the expression unnatural. "But you are right, nothing is wrong. I'd just been finishing up some paperwork with Nathalie and it sent my mind down… Unproductive routes. You'd best get to bed."

"Yes, Father."

Marinette had just gotten to bed when her phone buzzed. She reached out to grab it, then came to full wakefulness when she realized it was the burner phone. She looked at it.

I AGREE WITH YOUR TERMS. WHEN AND WHERE?

HM.