A/N: We're nearly at the end of this fanfic guys… this is the three chapter finale. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy it. :D Also, posted some fanart on my deviantart iHateFridays if you wanna have a look.

Love. Life. Living. What does it all mean?

A boy grimaced as he slumped to his knees. The corpses of his family laid ahead of him. He was all alone.

I suppose it meant something to me once…

A small, dark butterfly flew towards him, landing in the birthday card in his hand.

But it doesn't matter now. I'm tired of holding on.

"Johnathan Couture… so tired of being the victim, being subject to the same torment over and over again… how about I give you the retribution you so dearly deserve?"

"Yes, Hawk Moth…"

A wave of dark energy consumed the boy; he stood up, a dark grin spreading across his face.

I'm sick of the same stuff over and over again… it's time to end it all.

The boy walked ahead, blood dripping down his cheeks. The ground cracked beneath him.

I'm no hero… but I'll save everyone.

People screamed as buildings began to fall apart. The sky darkened.

… ah. Who am I kidding… I don't care about anyone else. I'm just tired.

The boy stopped, gazing ahead. His grin grew as he eyed two superheroes.

… hey. You think you can stop me. That's adorable.

His face melted.

But the truth is, I've already defeated you.

...

I woke up with a gun at my throat.

I stumbled back, nearly falling off the bed. Of course, it was the Butterfly Man.

"No sense in delaying things anymore, hmm?" he asked.

Before I could say anything, he pressed the trigger.

… but it didn't hit me.

Standing in front of me was a hero… one I'd never seen before. He wore a black, teal, and cyan suit, appearing to be slender and muscular. His suit had a snake texture along with the same kind of underbelly like a snake and had a cyan colored mask around his eyes. His eyes and hair highlights were green. He wielded a lyre.

Wait… I stared up at him. Luka?! When did he become a freaking hero?!

"You…" the Butterfly Man growled. "What are you doing here?!"

Luka glowered at the Butterfly Man. "I'm saving my fri- uh, this innocent civilian - from you."

And then, like I was a baby, he picked me up. He kicked the window open, jumping down, still holding me bridal style. We raced down the streets, going faster than what my mind could actually comprehend. I held onto Luka's neck, trying not to pass out.

Finally, we stopped, ending up near Le Grand Paris of all places. Luka put me on the ground. I breathed out, my head spinning. I almost crashed right into the damn hotel.

"What the fuck," I turned on Luka.

"That guy was going to kill you, John," he told me. "I had to go in and save you."

"How'd you even know he was there?" I asked.

Luka grimaced. "I suppose some introductions are in order…" He spread his arms. "My name is Viperion. I've got a power called Second Chance. This power allows me to go back in time to a specific marked point. In an alternate timeline, that butterfly guy killed you. We all found out about it too late." He grimaced. "So I used my powers to come in and save you."

He showed me his snake head bracelet. It was a neat looking thing, carrying the same colour scheme as the rest of his costume.

"Another time traveller, huh?" I asked, letting him help me up.

"Well, I can't exactly open holes in the fabric of space and time, but…" he shrugged.

"Great, I get to stay alive…" I grumbled.

"That guy's gonna be coming after us," Viperion bit his lip. "The good news is, he won't come near us here."

"Why?" I asked.

"That's the bad news," Viperion shook his head. "There's another villain inside the hotel."

"Fantastic," I groaned.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir are on the way," Viperion held out his fists. "So don't worry, John. This'll get sorted out in no time!"

"You heroes are always so… optimistic," I breathed out. "How do you do it?"

Viperion shrugged. "Well, being negative doesn't get you anywhere, does it?"

I gazed up at him. My throat was dry.

"Negative emotions can slow us down, but…" I gazed at my hands. "They're a part of us. We can't let them control us."

"Right," Viperion put a hand on my shoulder. "Well, John, what do you want to do now?"

My body shivered. I did not want anyone else pointing guns at my throat.

"... Chloé's gonna be in there," I grimaced at the hotel. "She'll need our help."

For once, the inside of Le Grand Paris was a total mess. In other words, actually not appealing to look at. Windows were shattered, people were lying around, unconscious… and the ones that weren't were in tears. Judging by the tables and decorations on the wall, the thing looked like a rich kid's birthday party got gate crashed.

I scowled, walking up to a butler standing by an elevator.

"Where's Chloé?" I asked.

"Up on the roof," the butler replied. "You're that friend of hers, aren't you?"

"Dream on," I grunted, walking past him. I went into the shiny elevator. Viperion hovered behind me, before taking a step back.

"John, you find Chloé, and get her and yourself to a safe place," he told me, eyes narrowed. "I'm gonna go after the villain." He put a hand on his chest. "I won't go too far, though. Hang on tight! And look out for Ladybug and Chat Noir when they come."

I nodded. Before I could turn away, he grabbed my arm.

"One more thing," he handed me a small box. "Use this when it's an emergency."

I gave him a nod, the elevator door closing in front of me. I gazed at the box in my hand. I put my hand on the lid.

Nah… I'll save it for later.

I put the box in my pocket. The elevator slowly rose up, approaching the roof. Before long, I was standing on the roof. Ahead, I saw Chloé Bourgeois herself, standing by her lamp. A scowl was on her face. She glowered at a broken wire on the ground.

"My bee signal!" she roared. "Who did this?"

"Chloé," I walked over to her.

"Jeremy?" Chloé turned on me. "What are you doing here?"

"There's supposedly an akumatized villain running around," I told her. "I don't know much, but I think we should probably get out of here."

"Well, if there's a villain running around, then I should be here to stop it!" Chloé put a hand on her chest. "I'm Queen Bee, after all!"

I grimaced. "Chloé, I… fine." I shook my head. "Whatever. Let's just get out of here."

I grabbed her arm, leading her away from the bee signal lamp. We went back into the elevator, lowering down to the floor.

"Slow down, Jason!" she shoved me away. "Is it Sabrina again?"

"I don't have a damn clue," I shrugged. "Probably just some rando."

Unfortunately, that was not the case. As we made our way back up to the mess of the lobby, we saw possibly the most horrifying thing in all of existence...

My reflection.

Okay, I'm just kidding. It wasn't that bad, but it was up there.

There were these two giant, floating heads right in front of us, attached to each other like two sides of a ball. They had light pink skin, with matching red hair, and huge, fat noses. Their eyes glowed a demonic red, making me want to jump out the window and never look back.

"Daddy?" Chloé stammered, grabbing my arm. "Mom?!"

"Wait…" I almost fell on my ass. "Those are your parents?!"

"Haha!" the André head shouted. "I am the most powerful of all the supervillains. I am HEART HUNTER!"

"No, I am!" the Audrey head snapped. "You're just super annoying." She turned on Marinette's mom and dad, who were standing by the window. "Ugh, they're so in love." She zapped them with a bright pink beam, making them fall over.

What is actually going on… I took another step back.

"John, we've got to let Ladybug know!" Chloé snapped. "Where is she?! Can't you call her or something?!"

I felt the dots connect in my head.

"Oh, we've gotta let her know, alright," I grimaced. "... But not about this."

"Chloé, my princess!" Heart Hunter André beamed down at his daughter. Chloé slipped behind me. And I wanted to slip away and never come back.

"You're going to give us all your love." Heart Hunter Audrey told her daughter.

"Nah-uh, sorry," Chloé waved a hand. "No way, I don't love anyone."

"Of course you do, darling," Heart Hunter André replied.

"A friend you love is right there," Heart Hunter Audrey agreed. "And besides, there is someone you care about very deeply… YOURSELF!"

Her eyes lit up. Chloé and I darted out of the way, avoiding the beam.

"Come on, Joseph!" she shouted.

We headed towards the door, passing a spooked Jagged Stone. He crossed his arms.

"Hey hold up, heartbreakers," he waved his hands, his pet alligator putting its head on his lap. "I'm not in a relationship, okay."

We were forced to leave Jagged Stone behind as we burst out of the hotel, breaths coming hard and fast. We hid behind a wall, leaning against it.

"Great, what now?" Chloé huffed.

"Am I really a friend you love?" I raised a brow.

Chloé crossed her arms. "That's not important right now! We need to get Ladybug here so I can become Queen Bee!"

"Well, according to Viperion, that thing back there is the lesser of two evils, at least compared to something else," I scowled.

"What are you talking about?" Chloé asked.

I grimaced. "I don't think we should get into it right now…"

"Are you saying there's another villain running around?" Chloé grumbled.

"Listen, just…" I pulled out my phone. "Viperion might still be around. He can deal with your heart hunting parents. I think it's about time Ladybug finds out about this other little issue. Trust me… it's far worse."

I sent an, ahem, text to a certain someone.

Me: hey marinette, theres a big bad villain coming for me… do u know ladybug? I need to see her right now.

Marinette: Huh? What do you mean?

Me: kinda struggling here, let ladybug know please… were at le grand paris.

I grimaced, putting away my phone.

"It's back!" Chloé gasped, clinging onto my arm.

Heart Hunter burst out of the hotel, grinning widely and terrifyingly. People screamed and ran for their lives.

"Ladybug loves everyone," Heart Hunter Andre cackled, licking his lips. "She'll make a great dinner!"

"And for dessert, the cat!" Heart Hunter Audrey agreed. "I'm sure he's very tasty."

"Well, for now, you don't get either of them."

Viperion made his reappearance, winking at Chloé and I. Chloé shivered, digging her nails into my skin.

"Oh ho, an appetiser?" Heart Hunter Andre grinned down at Viperion.

"I suppose a few morsels can't hurt," Heart Hunter Audrey agreed. "All leading up to that sweet, sweet main course!"

And to think that this was the LESSER of two evils. Then again, the Butterfly Man was far more direct. Then again again, he was far more personal to me than the Heart Hunter monster. And trust me, that shit scarred.

Viperion jumped back, avoiding some bright pink lasers. Heart Hunter chased after him, getting further and further away from Le Grand Paris.

Chloé shook her head, glowering at me. "I wasn't scared. And I bet, as soon as Ladybug comes, I'll get to be Queen Bee again!"

"Even you're hopelessly optimistic," I chuckled, darkly. "And to think you were one of the most negative people I know."

"Huh?" Chloé tilted her head. "I'm not 'hopelessly optimistic'! I'm perfectly realistic! Utterly ridiculous!"

"Yeah, right," I grumbled, sinking deeper into the wall. "I don't really think you should know about this other villain, Chloé."

"Why not?" she asked.

Before I could respond, a flash of red and black passed us. Ladybug landed in front of us, yoyo in hand.

"A little birdie said you wanted to tell me about a villain coming for you," she told me, arms crossed.

"Yeah…" I looked at Chloé, raising a brow.

"Ladybug!" Chloé cried, waving her arms. "My bee signal broke! But I can still help you, don't worry! Just give me my Miraculous."

"Um…" I gestured at Chloé, then in the opposite direction.

"Chloé, um…" Ladybug took a deep breath. "Listen, John and I need to talk for a bit. I'll get back to you a bit later, okay?"

Chloé titled her head. "But he's not a hero! Why are you giving him attention and not me?!"

"Chloé, please…" Ladybug sighed.

Chloé crossed her arms, storming away. "Fine! But you owe me answers!"

And so, that left me alone, standing with Ladybug, hidden behind the walls of Le Grand Paris.

"So, John, tell me about this villain," Ladybug said.

"Okay, so…" I breathed out. "You remember a while ago? When Hawk Moth was turning all the villains red or whatever and there was this guy in a butterfly tuxedo outfit trying to kill me?"

"Yes, I remember!" Ladybug nodded. "I've been trying to find out more about him… who is he?"

"That's the funny thing…" I rubbed the back of my head. "How do I put this simply… well, um… basically, he's me."

"Huh?" Ladybug made a face.

"He's an adult me from an alternate timeline," I told her. "An adult me that… that became Hawk Moth."

"He… is?" Ladybug asked, tilting her head. "Wh… what's he doing in this timeline? Why is he? What does he want?"

"He wants me dead for some reason," I told her. "Apparently, I'm going to stop him from doing something back in his own timeline."

"I see," Ladybug frowned.

"He tried to kill me today, but Lu- Viperion saved me," I told her.

Ladybug's face went red for a second. "Viperion? He must've used his powers." She narrowed her eyes. "And where is this - this alternate version of you now?"

"I haven't got a clue," I shrugged. "I nicknamed him the Butterfly Man, by the way."

"An alternate version of you that's also Hawk Moth, trying to kill you…" Ladybug tapped her fingers together.

"Yeah, I know," I groaned. "Being me is just fantastic."

"Well, don't worry, John," Ladybug put her hand on my shoulder. "Me and the other heroes will take him down for you."

"Can you, though?" I asked, making a face. "He's pretty tough… I don't mean to scare you, but in his own timeline, he…" I grimaced.

"He what?" Ladybug asked.

"Don't worry about it," I sighed. "If you think you can take on the Butterfly Man, well… you might need my help. That guy is me, after all… even if he's really not that similar to me."

"Of course," Ladybug nodded, squeezing my shoulder. "You've been helping us quite a bit with other villains."

My cheeks burned. "Thanks, man. Just… once he's gone, can you do me a favour?"

"What is it?" Ladybug asked.

"Never talk to me again," I told her. "Never get me involved in anymore akuma attacks." I waved my hands. "Not because I hate you, Ladybug. I just don't want any part in it. Just cut me out completely. Even in your civilian identities, if your civilian identities know me."

Ladybug raised her brow. "Well… um, alright. I'll do my best." She tilted her head. "John… I don't know if you'll be able to help us against the Butterfly Man as a civilian."

"Hey, I've helped you before as a civilian, right?" I shrugged. "Like I said, once this is done, no more. I don't want any more part in this. Okay?"

Ladybug nodded. "Okay. I understand."

We shook hands.

"So, what's our first step?" I asked.

"First, we track down the Butterfly Man," Ladybug told me. "And then-"

"Ladybug!"

We turned, spotting yet another new hero. She wore a red bodysuit with the image of a black dragon's tail. She also had a black collar/turtleneck, black forearm-length gloves and black legs starting in the middle of her lower legs. On the back of her head, she had four red dragon-like horns. On her back was a holder for her sword. On her face, she wore a red mask around her eyes. Her eyes were a bright gold.

Freaking Kagami too? I thought.

"Ryuko!" Ladybug gasped. "What are you doing here?"

Ryuko trembled, expression darkening.

"I found Chat Noir," she told Ladybug.

"You did?" Ladybug asked. "Where is he?"

Ryuko fell to her knees. "He… he is dead."

Viperion stumbled back, a flash of yellow and black taking down Heart Hunter. He grinned at the superhero before him.

"Thank you, Queen Bee," he beamed at her.

"Of course," Queen Bee grinned. "Finally, I've got back the title I deserved! Suck on that, Ladybug!"

Still, her body trembled. A dark, looming figure watched from the shadows.

"Heh…" the Butterfly Man grinned. "Never change, Chloé..."