Chapter 7
Ladybug was almost to the Agreste Manor when Plagg came darting into her vision in full panic mode. "Plagg, where is Chat?" Ladybug demanded."I don't have time!" Plagg gasped out. "It's a trap and Hawkmoth is going to have the cat Miraculous any second now."
"I don't understand." Ladybug said.
"He's been caught, they tied him up and…" Plagg cut off as he was sucked out of the air.
Ladybug stopped on one of the rooftops, trying to calm her breathing and think. It seemed as though Hawkmoth had the cat Miraculous, which most likely meant Chat was going to be out of the game, and not only that, but now she would have to somehow fight against Hawkmoth while he was using the cat Miraculous.
She pulled out her yoyo phone and called Alya. "Need the reserves, Ladybug?" Alya asked.
"Hawkmoth got Chat Noir's Miraculous, we're going to be in serious trouble. I need both you and our turtle friend to come and help me, I'll text you the address of what building I'm on top of." Ladybug replied.
Ladybug took a deep breath and looked around, hoping for some inspiration. A familiar voice called out from the direction of the Agreste Manor.
"Ladybug! Your precious Chat Noir doesn't have much time." Hawkmoth's voice called, floating through the city air. "Come on out and let's make a deal."
Ladybug snuck up to a higher roof and glanced over to see Hawkmoth standing on the roof of the Agreste Manor. Hawkmoth was wearing a black suit with a green tie, his now green eyes looking in her direction. He was casually using Chat Noir's staff in place of his usual cane.
Standing next to him was a female, dressed in Hawkmoth's usual attire, but instead of a suit, it was now a dress. She was currently holding onto an unconscious Adrien Agreste.
Ladybug felt rage coursing through her as she saw Adrien's unconscious form. She quickly swung onto the roof nearest them. "Let him go, Hawkmoth!" She screamed.
"Oh, I'm not Hawkmoth anymore." He said with a smile, "You may have noticed my wardrobe change, thanks to your little kitty's generous donation. Now I'm Chartreux Noir, now be a good bug and give me your Miraculous."
"Not a chance!" Ladybug growled. "Adrien doesn't have anything to do with this, let him go!"
Chartreux Noir raised an eyebrow and let out a laugh. "I'm surprised, you don't know Chat Noir's real identity. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, Adrien Agreste is Chat Noir."
Ladybug glared at him, trying to digest this information as she figured out how to wipe out her opponent and get Adrien out of harm's way.
"For Adrien." Ladybug said, dropping her head demurely, hoping to buy some time to work out a plan. She raised one hand to an earring, moving her other hand to her yoyo. She glanced up, keeping Chartreux Noir in sight.
She dropped the hand moving to her earring as her yoyo spun out and wrapped around Adrien. She pulled hard, but the female Hawkmoth held tightly onto the boy.
"Cataclysm!" Chartreux Noir exclaimed. He quickly bolted towards the tangled yoyo, reaching out with his charged hand. Ladybug quickly released the yoyo, pulling it out of Chartreux Noir's reach.
Chartreux Noir gave Ladybug a lazy smile, before he leaped onto the roof she was standing on, he pressed his charged claws to the roof. Ladybug quickly swung onto the roof of the Agreste Manor. She quickly dodged as the female Hawkmoth swung at her with her cane.
Ladybug reached out and caught the cane, throwing her opponent off balance. Ladybug used the distraction to dive for Adrien. She grabbed him around the waist, shoving hard at the female Hawkmoth, breaking the grip on her friend.
She draped Adrien over one shoulder and swung towards the ground, only to be intercepted by Miracule Queen. Ladybug looked at Chloe in horror, wasn't she supposed to be Adrien's friend.
"Why?" Ladybug asked in horror as she was frozen midair.
"That's a silly question." Chloe said. "Hawkmoth...I mean Chartreux Noir promised me a Miraculous if I helped him out. Unlike you!" She said rudely.
Miracule Queen grabbed Adrien and began pulling him from Ladybug. Adrien flopped unconsciously between the two of them, blood spattering on both of them.
"Ew!" Miracule Queen said in disgust, before her eyes widened in horror.
Both Ladybug and Miracule Queen paused their fight to examine their mutual friend. They saw blood dripping from his right hand, Miracule Queen lifted up the hand as Ladybug kept a firm hold on Adrien. They both let out gasps of shock and horror as they saw a gap where Adrien's finger used to be, bleeding out.
Miracule Queen looked at Ladybug, her eyes unfocused. "That's sick, that's really, really sick." She muttered.
The two girls landed on the ground as Miracule Queen dropped. Ladybug began taking deep breaths as she struggled not to go into shock, with Adrien laying on top of her. She grabbed his other wrist to feel his pulse. His heart was beating, but it was getting weaker.
In a panic, Ladybug cried out "Lucky Charm!"
A black and red Miraculous box fell into her hand. She opened it up to see a black and red bee Miraculous sitting on a soft looking material. Ladybug looked around and saw Miracule Queen briefly glow with black and red spots, then saw Adrien's bleeding hand also glow.
Miracule Queen looked at the Miraculous and then up at Ladybug. "Clearly you are supposed to give this to me!" She said reaching out.
"I don't think so, if I give this to you Chartreux Noir will know something is up, I...I think I'm supposed to give this to Adrien." She said.
"He isn't in any condition to fight." Miracule Queen argued. "He needs a hospital!"
Adrien let out a groan and his eye flickered open. "Ladybug?" He asked, looking down into Ladybug's eyes, before he realized his position and quickly rolled off of her. His eyes quickly fell on Miracule Queen as he tried to bite off a moan of pain, his hand instinctively moving to clutch his injured hand.
"What's happening?" He groaned, laying back on the ground, trying not to fall unconscious.
Ladybug quickly pulled the material out of the box and began wrapping Adrien's injured hand. "We don't have much time, Hawkmoth took Chat Noir's Miraculous and is now Chartreux Noir. He and female Hawkmoth were last seen up there." She said nodding up towards the roof, listening as footsteps came running in their direction.
"Adrien Agreste, this is the Miraculous of the bee, I think." Ladybug said, handing Adrien the black and red spotted bee.
"Wow, I didn't know your Lucky Charm could make a Miraculous!" Adrien exclaimed in amazement, "But I'm on it." He said quickly snatching it up and clipping it into his hair. A black and red striped bee appeared in front of him. "Buzz on!" Adrien quickly exclaimed. He quickly transformed into a red and black striped suit. He jumped to his feet and looked down at his previously injured hand. He saw his hand was now complete, no finger missing! Only a slight throbbing pain jolting through his hand every few seconds.
Chartreux Noir arrived at the edge of the roof, Miracule Queen quickly dropped to the ground, letting out a dramatic moan. "Ahhhhh, Chartreux Noir, watch out King Bee just stung me!" She called out.
"Impressive, but it's no use, you'll be changing back soon my dear Ladybug, and then I snatch your Miraculous up." Chartreux Noir said with a purr.
"My Lady." King Bee whispered to Ladybug, throwing her a determined smile.
Ladybug took a deep breath, forcing herself to accept that the man standing beside her was, in fact, her trusted partner. "Let's do this!" She exclaimed.
The two heroes worked in tandem, with King Bee launching the spinning top up towards Chartreux Noir, clutching the string as it quickly pulled him along.
Chartreux Noir rolled his eyes before exclaiming "Cataclysm!"
King Bee threw him a humourless smile as he sailed past him and landed next to the female Hawkmoth.
"Venom!" He shouted, quickly spiking her in the neck. "Sorry Nathalie," he whispered. "But soon you won't remember any of this."
The female Hawkmoth dropped down to the roof paralyzed. He quickly executed a backflip to dodge Chartreux Noir's extended staff. He watched as Ladybug landed behind Chartreux Noir. Chartreux Noir quickly spun and hit her with one clawed hand. King Bee watched in horror as Ladybug disintegrated before his eyes. He turned to charge as Chartreux Noir bent down to search through the ashes. King Bee hit the roof running, causing Chartreux Noir to quickly spin around and extend the staff.
King Bee hit the staff out of the way with an inarticulate cry of rage as his tears began to blur his vision. He charged forward, attempting to get close to Chartreux Noir, who blocked him with the staff at every turn.
"I don't have time for this!" Chartreux Noir exclaimed in annoyance. "Cataclysm!" He yelled.
King Bee quickly began dodging out of the way of Chartreux Noir's touch, while attempting to grab the staff. Suddenly a green shield flew through the air and slammed into the distracted Chartreux Noir. The distraction was enough for King Bee to gain a firm hold of the staff.
Carapace quickly flipped into view, landing and dodging under Chartreux Noir's claws to retrieve his shield. He landed another hit as he quickly dodged by, earning a growl from Chartreux Noir, who grabbed the shield in a claw, causing it to disintegrate.
Just then, Miracule Queen landed on the roof. She charged towards King Bee as Chartreux Noir let out a laugh. "Looks like you're outmatched children, now how about you accept your defeat and go lick your wounds." Chartreux Noir said, giving King Bee a pointed look before looking down at King Bee's injured hand, which gave a particularly nasty throb.
Miracule Queen suddenly changed course and body-slammed into Chartreux Noir at the same time a familiar black and red yoyo wrapped around his wrist. Miracule Queen got a firm hold of the ring on Chartreux Noir's hand as she untransformed.
She began attempting to pry the ring off. Chartreux Noir clenched his hand in a tight fist, and let go of the staff. He quickly grabbed Chloe and threw her off of him. Carapace quickly swiped his legs out from under him as King Bee landed a blow with the staff in the opposite direction.
Chloe quickly jumped up and ran over and grabbed onto the ring again.
Chartreux Noir yelled "Cataclysm!"
Chloe absorbed the full force of the destructive power and disintegrated. King Bee let out a strangled "No!".
Rena Rouge quickly took Chloe's place, using her enhanced strength to pry open Chartreux Noir's hand as Carapace jumped in to grab the ring and rip it off. King Bee began ruthlessly hitting Chartreux Noir, attempting to distract him enough to block him from calling out another Cataclysm.
Carapace managed to pull the ring off, leaving Gabriel Agreste laying on the ground, his arm still wrapped up in Ladybug's yoyo and King Bee landing a final blow, knocking him unconscious.
The four heroes gasped for breath, from the intense fight, when they heard a giggle from the Agreste Manor rooftop behind them. They turned to look and see A young female, dressed in a Hawkmoth suit, giggling as she held Nathalie over the edge of the roof.
"Thanks for the Miraculous!" She called out, dropping Nathalie over the edge before tearing off into the night.