Chapter 17: Wayhem's Mayhem

"Wayhem?" scoffed Ascot.

"That's his name?" said Vesperia incredulously.

"Yeah," said Cat Noir bitterly. "He was akumatised into Party Crasher when he didn't get to go to Adrien's surprise party."

"So, Wayhem, if that's even your name," snapped Carapace, "care to explain why you killed Fabio Chapdelaine?"

"Does it matter?" said Wayhem. "He was just a guard!"

"He was a man with a family and friends, Wayhem," said Vesperia curtly.

"But he wouldn't have let me get through to Adrien!" protested the boy.

"Wait - you knew where Adrien was?" gasped Cat Noir. He feared for his own safety.

"Why not? I've been spying on him for weeks! I've been following his car, listening to his nanny and his teachers - I even snuck into his school once!" said Wayhem, as if there was nothing abnormal about that.

"And you were following him just to get his autograph or something?" pressed Carapace.

"Yeah, I was," said Wayhem hastily.

"You don't follow celebs like that, dummy!" sniffed Ascot. "Haven't you heard of signings?"

"I didn't just want his autograph," said Wayhem. "I wanted his blood. He didn't want to talk to me - he said he was too busy."

Cat Noir/Adrien felt a twinge of guilt. Had he not snubbed Wayhem, this may not have happened. He was too busy with photoshoots - he wanted to use what little time he had left to rest.

But seriously - killing more than one person over celebrity infatuation? What level of insanity was that?

"Are you saying," hissed Carapace, "that you tried to kill a model - a teenager like you - over an autograph?"

"Does it matter?" snapped Wayhem. That was the last straw for Carapace.

"YOU SICK BASTARD!"

Before anyone could stop him, Carapace launched himself onto Wayhem and started beating him up viciously.

"CARAPACE, NO!" shouted Cat Noir.

"YOU THINK AN AUTOGRAPH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN HUMAN LIFE? YOUR PRIORITIES ARE OUT OF ORDER!" yelled Carapace.

Kick. Punch. Kick. Punch.

"Please! Please get off!"

"I WILL NOT STOP! YOU DESERVE TO ROT IN HELL, YOU EVIL, SELFISH LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!"

Kick. Punch. Kick. Punch.

Cat Noir grabbed Carapace from behind.

"ENOUGH!" he shouted. "Carapace, let the cops deal with this! You can't beat him up, even if he murders someone! You'll just wind up in trouble!"

Carapace reluctantly stopped hitting Wayhem, but continued to look at him with contempt.

"Now, why don't the three of you re-generate? I'll deal with Wayhem, then we can all go home," said Cat Noir. Carapace, Vesperia and Ascot left, while Cat Noir tended Wayhem's wounds and packed him into the backseat.

"Am I in trouble?" said Wayhem tremulously.

"What do you think?" said Cat Noir savagely, as he bundled Wayhem into the car. "You killed a man, what do you expect?"

Wayhem wisely decided to shut up. As the other three came back, Cat Noir called Ladybug.

"M'lady? We found the killer, he confessed. His name's Wayhem - that's all we know of him - he's the President of Adrien Agreste's Fan Club, and he was trying to kill Adrien over a petty grudge. Yeah, we've got him now. We'll meet you outside the hotel in twenty. Yeah, thanks."

Carapace, Vesperia and Ascot got into the car. Cat Noir started up the engine and off they went.

"There they come, officer," said Ladybug to a policewoman, as Cat Noir drove up. "They've captured Fabio Chapdelaine's killer."

Cat Noir stopped the car and hauled Wayhem out. It didn't take long for Ladybug to recognise him.

"Isn't that the guy who was akumatised into Party Crasher?" she said.

"Yes it was, and it was Adrien he was after," explained Vesperia.

"So I'm guessing he killed Fabio Chapdelaine in trying to reach Adrien, and later injured another guard?" asked Viperion.

"That's right," continued Vesperia, "and he had no shame in doing so."

Wayhem was dragged to the front by Cat Noir and Ascot.

"Whatever happened to you?" said Ladybug, with an unusual mix of concern and contempt.

"Um..." there was a pause, before Carapace spoke. "I beat him up. I lost my temper when he told us about what he did."

"Carapace!" scolded Ladybug. "We do not use physical aggression against people for anything other than self-defence. You could face charges for that!"

"As a matter of fact, Ladybug," said the policewoman, "as much as I wish I could arrest him, your friend can avoid charges. Wayhem is a dangerous criminal."

"Oh?"

"He tried to break into Jagged Stone's mansion about two years ago, and spent two days in jail," explained the police officer. "We thought he would learn his lesson, but about a month after his release, he reportedly tried to violate Clara Nightingale. He went on the run not long after."

"My God," said Rena Rouge. "First Lila, and now this guy? Paris is becoming a haven for criminals!"

"So, Wayhem Capaldi," said the police officer, "we're arresting you for stalking, first-degree murder and assault. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."

"I stand by my actions," said Wayhem thickly, "I've done nothing wrong."

But he couldn't resist the police officer as she bundled him into her car. She added, "And Carapace? You can consider yourself lucky."

She drove off, with Wayhem in the back. Cat Noir spoke first.

"I'd better return this car," he said, taking the Renault back to the used car lot. Ladybug spoke to the rest of the team.

"Well, everyone," she said, "besides Carapace's inexcusable - but understandable actions, you've all done remarkably. Cat and I couldn't have done this without you. Now, I'll take your Miraculouses separately, and then you can all go home."

Everyone returned their Miraculouses separately. Ascot was the last to do so.

"Well done, Chloe," said Ladybug, as she re-obtained the Horse Miraculous. "You didn't reveal your identity to anyone, did you?"

"No, Ladybug," said Chloe, and Ladybug knew she wasn't. "I didn't."

"Excellent," said Ladybug, bumping Chloe's fist. "I'll let you know if I need you again. But not a word to anyone, ok?"

"You have my promise," said Chloe, as she left.

Ladybug smiled to herself. To get to Master Fu's quicker, she fused the Horse Miraculous with her Ladybug Miraculous to get to Master Fu's. Then, upon returning the other Miraculouses, she swung back to Lyon at top speed.

She was surprised to see Cat Noir still on the pavement.

"Cat, what's up? Aren't you going home?" she asked.

"M'lady... I need to tell you something. No-one can see us, right?"

"No," said Ladybug, a little suspiciously. "Another love confession of yours?"

"No," said Cat Noir. "Plagg, Claws In."

And he de-transformed, turning back into Adrien. Ladybug was surprised.

"Oh, my goodness," she gasped. "Adrien?"

Then it dawned on her. Adrien was distressed because it was he who was being chased. He must have been blaming himself for the murder.

Ladybug thought a minute.

"I'll tell you who I am, see if that helps," she said. "You won't tell anyone, will you?"

"No," said Adrien earnestly.

"Tikki, Spots Off."

And Ladybug turned into Marinette. Adrien was surprised too!

"Marinette?" he said.

"M'lady to you," said Marinette quietly, and enveloped him in a hug. The kwamis were happy to see each other, too.

"Plagg, you stinky sock," Tikki was saying. "You've grown old!"

"And you haven't changed one bit, Sugarcube," Plagg said.

"Quiet, you two," said Adrien. "Come on, Mari. Let's go."

Marinette was surprised to hear Adrien using her nickname that was reserved for her family. Still, she thought, what an ordeal it must have been for him.

A bus caught them by surprise. Everyone in their class was boarding it. Bustier and Damocles were outside, looking hurried.

"Where have you two been?" said Damocles.

"We just went to buy something," explained Marinette.

"Well, run along, now," said Damocles. "We're going home."

So Adrien and Marinette boarded the bus, thus ending an overly eventful trip to Lyon.

Stay tuned for Chapter 18, to see how everything pans out.
I hope you liked the twist - in that none of the initial suspects were guilty of the crime!