Chapter 27: Cheshire
This chapter begins at an unknown time in the future—perhaps ten years from the current date. (As a result, it's vital to get the time traveling points of time accurate.) Adult Bunnyx is pursuing a criminal—and it's worth noting as soon as possible that this adult Bunnyx is not the same era as the one seen elsewhere in this story. This adult Bunnyx is actually before that one chronologically. As in, if the adult Bunnyx we saw in the prologue and elsewhere is 26 years old, the Bunnyx we see here in the opening of "Cheshire" is only 25 years old.
The criminal already has the horse miraculous, the sunglasses, in hand as adult Bunnyx pursues her across the rooftops of Paris of the near future. Bunnyx specifically calls the criminal Miraculous Thief, her moniker. It's also heavily implied that Bunnyx and Miraculous Thief have crossed paths before. They're somewhat rivals, and Miraculous Thief is pretty much a Most Wanted enemy to Team Ladybug of the future—which, it is established that Ladybug has a team of superheroes in the future.
Bunnyx is communicating with that team over an earpiece headset. Adult Ladybug and Cat Noir promise they're just on their way. However, it's hard to follow coordinates as Miraculous Thief keeps using the horse miraculous to jump all around Paris. Bunnyx is literally right on her tail, following her through the same portals.
However, this allows Miraculous Thief to get a jump on Bunnyx. They grapple in close quarters as Ladybug and Cat Noir, adults, join the battle (perhaps with another adult hero or two for foreshadowing?). It looks like it might result in jail again for Miraculous Thief. However, someone is watching the fight. And that someone sends an akuma, upgrading Miraculous Thief to Cheshire by giving her the power of intangibility—basically what Troublemaker had.
This turns the tide despite Cheshire being outnumbered; she's also very confident. After all, she has a reputation for stealing miraculous. They fight. Cheshire proves to have some very upgraded martial arts acrobatic skills (a la Cheshire from Young Justice or Viper from Jackie Chan). While she grapples Bunnyx, Cat Noir moves in with a Cataclysm. Bunnyx tries to warn him, but it's too late. Cheshire twists, sending Bunnyx right into the Cataclysm. She's badly hurt. Fortunately, she's in superhero form, so she survives. Cat Noir is horrified at what he almost did.
While they're distracted, Cheshire moves for the rabbit pocketwatch miraculous and gets her hands on it. Bunnyx grabs for it back. They struggle, and time portals open around them as Cheshire tries to use the portals to escape while Bunnyx tries to close them. Ladybug holds Cat Noir back as the time portals are too dangerous—he could get launched into any point in history, and they'd never be able to find him.
Bunnyx and Cheshire fall into a portal. Cheshire inevitably has to make comments about "going down the rabbit hole" and starts calling Bunnyx "Alice." Cheshire kicks Bunnyx in her injury as they spiral through time. However, Bunnyx refuses to lose her grip on her miraculous. Cheshire falls off, lost in time. Moments later, Bunnyx herself falls out of time.
She's sent to the 19th century, surprising the clockmaker whose home she drops into. By now, Bunnyx is gasping in breath from pain. The clockmaker, confused and mildly panicked, asks what's going on and what's where and is she hurt and where did she come from and what is she wearing… Alix recognizes this scene; she's seen it in her Burrow, after all, so she knows what to do. The clock maker is one of her own ancestors. She shows him the watch, saying he has to listen closely and do exactly what she says. Again, he's very puzzled, but he recognizes the watch as an amazing work of art. She tells him a bit—that she needs his help and she needs to hide from enemies for a very long time.
The clockmaker isn't happy about this as she's injured, but she insists it has to be done. They work out a plan where he seals her inside one of the clocks he's making. Bunnyx uses the pocket watch to put herself in time stasis. As she's falling asleep, she entrusts the watch to him, deactivating it and disguising it and putting Fluff into a deep sleep. She tells him to pass it on to his children and their children. He asks about her, but she insists she'll be fine and will awaken one day because of his (great-great?) grandchild. The man is still perplexed but agrees. Bunnyx falls into a sleeping beauty sleep while the clockmaker, inspired by the rabbit miraculous, goes on to create amazing watches and becomes famous.
In the present day, Cheshire is spit out on the streets of Paris. She still has the future horse miraculous in hand. Hawk Moth senses a surge in power as she arrives; he recognizes it as another person using the power of an akuma that he did not provide. It takes Cheshire a moment to realize when she is. Then she has a second realization. The heroes of this time are just children—she can take their miraculous easily! She bolts off in search of prey—and as everyone in the future knows, there's one hot spot of superhero activity. She opens a portal using the horse.
It's school time for the main characters in the present day. Markov is projecting photographs of Kim (and Ondine and Tsuyu's) last swim meet for Le Chien Kim and Max Kante. Stella Tenebrae passes by and makes some comments about his form and his knees. Kim is intrigued, and the next thing Stella knows, she's roped into the conversation. Marie Chauveau and Suzette Rault are giggling and talking over a magazine. Etienne Fontaine passes by, sees what they're doing, and it disgusts him. Marie calls him out, "you won't know unless you try it." Etienne argues back that the only one for him is himself. He and Marie bicker, which is a battle of idiots. Suzette sorta fades into the background (she really hasn't had much independent personality, and even within the fic, the characters realize this). Jakeel Aristide is setting up a prank against Ms. Mendeleiev, but Jean Duparc glares at him and he sheepishly stops. Alya Cesaire is showing Marinette Adrien Agreste's newest commercial on the phone, and Marinette is all smiles. Alya tells her the piano background was played by Adrien himself. Adrien comes up from behind and asks if they like it. Marinette Dupin-Cheng dissolves into stutters. With her unable to talk, Alya compliments him on his piano. Nino Lahiffe chimes in, saying he actually ran soundboard for that recording. Alya is impressed. Nino mentions he's starting to get regular work as a DJ/sound technician between Adrien and Kitty Section and his reputation. Monique Imhof is applying lipstick to meet with Mathieu Anciel at a café; Nicolette lets her borrow her eyeshadow for the occassion. Juleka Couffaine is a bit in a daze over learning her brother is Alpha. Rose Lavillant notices and asks, but Juleka says she can't really talk about it. (If you want to put a face to these names, see (( photos . app . goo . gl / cgLSrNi71rxfep9e8 ))(remove the spaces).)
It's in the middle of this scene that Cheshire opens a portal in the middle of the school's courtyard. She loudly demands for Cat Noir, Ladybug, and any other heroes to show themselves, boldly declaring she'll steal their miraculous. Max Kante pauses for a good moment, recognizing the horse miraculous and wondering what went wrong. That's when Cheshire makes herself a threat by opening portals underneath students and teachers and sending them all over the world. Kim pulls Max behind the lockers. Marie and Etienne aren't so lucky. Suzette Rault blends into the background and is missed. Marinette and Adrien run off to transform. Marinette briefly talks to Tikki, wondering how this person has the horse miraculous. But there's no time for answers. Max and Kim are discussing the same thing. Alix Kubdel hears a ring and pulls out her pocketwatch.
Ladybug and Cat Noir return and confront Cheshire. She laughs aloud, saying that they really are children. That's when Miraculous Thief/Cheshire announces she's from the future. Max whispers to Kim that that's highly improbable, but it also offers a solid explanation about the horse sunglasses. He then suggests Kim transforms, but Kim points out that Ondine has the dolphin anklet and that he promised his team he wouldn't transform unless Ladybug and Cat Noir can't handle it.
Cheshire immediately begins to throw around Ladybug and Cat Noir due to their experience and age and size difference. Max snarks if this is enough of an emergency. Kim nods, but he tells Max that they have to escape first, so they sneak out.
Cheshire moves to take the black cat ring. Ladybug asks her that once she steals their miraculous, how is she going to get back to the future? That does stop Cheshire. It also causes Hawk Moth himself to intervene. Since it's obvious to everyone Cheshire is an akuma victim, he has no hesitation in talking to her. And he tells her that she cannot take the miraculous to the future—he needs them. Cheshire argues that she's going to collect the miraculous for her own reasons. Hawk Moth causes her to freeze up and feel pain.
This is enough of a distraction that the injured Ladybug and Cat Noir can escape. Ladybug says they need a plan as Cheshire's genuine Cheshire Cat-like abilities are even more difficult to deal with than Shadow Boxer's shadow steps. That's when they collide with Alix.
Alix Kubdel is surprised but says that they're just the people she wanted to see. Her pocketwatch chimed, which is something she didn't think it could do. Then it left a holographic message—for Ladybug! It's two hundred years old, how does it have holographic technology?! Ladybug listens to the message, which directs them to a certain museum. Ladybug and Cat Noir race in that direction. Alix follows them closely, rollerblades attached, because she feels she's involved and she's not missing out.
Cheshire is released from Hawk Moth's grasp only to see her prey has escaped. She tells off Hawk Moth for letting them get away. Hawk Moth tells her she's to respect him in the same way she'd respect him in the future, the one who gave her powers. Cheshire realizes what Hawk Moth thinks and plays along with it. However, she overplays her hand, and Hawk Moth sees through her coy behavior. He also pretends to play along, letting her go to track the heroes again.
The trio arrive at the smaller museum, not the Louvre, which has a display of historical woodwork. Cat Noir wonders what they're looking for, and Ladybug mulls over the riddle left in the pocket watch. Alix is attracted to the giant old clock, and she recognizes it as her ancestor's handiwork. Ladybug says "that's it!" and tells Cat Noir to Cataclysm it. Alix is horrified and tells him to stop, but Cat Noir charges in. From the remains of the broken clock, adult Bunnyx arises, in civilian form.
She stretches, saying it feels good to be out. She then thanks Ladybug and Cat Noir for getting her message in the pocket watch. They have no idea who she is. The woman stands next to Alix. Don't they see the resemblance? Cat Noir asks "aunt?" To which the woman huffs, saying he could have at least said "big sister." Alix starts to answer "wait, are you…" when the lady interrupts and asks for the pocket watch. Alix hesitates for a moment. She then holds it out. The woman accepts it. "You're me, aren't you?" Alix asks.
Adult Alix smiles and awakens the pocket watch as the rabbit miraculous. Fluff appears, amazing young Alix. Ladybug is also surprised to see adult Alix here. Adult Alix feeds Fluff as she explains what happened in the opening—not so nicely ribbing Cat Noir for his future self Cataclysm'ing her ribcage. Adult Alix explains she's part of a team Ladybug and Cat Noir create in the future, and her ability is time travel. She now has to take Miraculous Thief, now akumatized by the future butterfly user into Cheshire, back to the future and prison before things get worse.
Meanwhile, Max Kante and Le Chien Kim have talked. Max devised a strategy to help Ladybug and Cat Noir with the help of Markov calculating the odds. They just need to get that information to the heroes. Max says he knows of the horse's powers, so they'll use that to their advantage. He and Kim take off on the trail of the fight.
Cheshire has used the portal to get to the top of the buildings, demanding the heroes reveal themselves as she sends Nadja Chamack, Alec, Roger, and several others all over the world. That's when the present Hawk Moth's akuma arrives and double akumatizes her. Now, in addition to intangibility/invisibility as well as teleportation, he also gives her the power to travel through time (like Time Tagger, minus the graffiti). It's the carrot to his stick. Now, Cheshire can return home with whatever miraculous she can steal in the present. However, the ladybug and the black cat miraculous will be his—and now he has power over Cheshire to enforce it.
With Fluff restored, adult Alix transforms back into Bunnyx. Young Alix gushes over how cool her future self is. She is thrilled that she will make enough of an impression on Ladybug and Cat Noir that they trust her with becoming a full-time heroine. However, she does ask about her pocket watch. What if her father asks for it back? Bunnyx whispers something to her, causing Alix to cheer more. Cat Noir asks her what she said, but Bunnyx says that as someone responsible for time, she's very good at keeping secrets. (She told Alix that Alix would receive the present rabbit miraculous before her father asked about the pocket watch, meaning Alix would officially become Bunnyx soon, which is what made young Alix so happy.)
Ladybug and Cat Noir also use this time to recover their strength and kwamis. While waiting on Ladybug, Cat Noir quietly asks Bunnyx if he and Ladybug are a couple in the future. Bunnyx uses his exact words, saying that Ladybug and Cat Noir of the future are more like a roller coaster.
Once ready, they charge outside to take on Cheshire. Bunnyx pales. Classic parts of Paris are changing. Posters and statues depict different people. Some monuments are gone while new ones take their place. Cheshire has taken to not only scattering Parisians around the world but also through time. She appears before them, and everyone is shocked to see a double akumatization. Hawk Moth himself is thrilled and thanks his future self for sending such a powerful ally.
That's when Kim and Max show up. Max announces he has an idea that can help. Alix is surprised to see her classmates there. Bunnyx practically facepalms as she knows what's coming. Max managed to paint a huge target on himself, so Cheshire demonstrates her full powers by sending Kim and Max elsewhere in time. She then turns to do the same to the heroes.
Bunnyx steps forward, telling "Mini Bug" and "Kitty Noir" to stay back. Her powers with the rabbit will allow her to return from where and whenever Cheshire could send her. They won't be so lucky.
So it's time-space teleport spam as Bunnyx and Cheshire fight, using portals to throw punches and sending each other throughout history. Cheshire is still calling Bunnyx "Alice" and making jokes about the classic story. Ladybug, Cat Noir, and Alix are all amazed at first. However, Ladybug realizes they have to act, so she uses her Lucky Charm.
With the help of Alix and Cat Noir, as well as future Ladybug and Cat Noir hijacking one of Cheshire's portals, they're able to subdue her. Hawk Moth is shocked to see such a powerful opponent defeated. Surely his future self sent this particular opponent because he knew she'd change the past? Cheshire laughs as Ladybug goes to break her akumatized items. "Who said the butterfly user of the future is you?" Hawk Moth's connection to her is severed as Ladybug purifies both akumas. It's a four way "Pound It" with two Alixes.
Bunnyx reclaims the future horse miraculous, and present Ladybug does her world-healing wave, restoring the timeline and returning everyone to when they need to be. None of the present characters recognize the true identity of Miraculous Thief, even when she's reduced to civilian form (though she is still talented in athletics and martial arts).
Bunnyx says she's taking Miraculous Thief to prison. She opens a portal and forces her rival through. Miraculous Thief swears she isn't done yet; she will claim miraculous. Before Bunnyx herself can leave, Ladybug quietly asks her if her ability to travel through time means she knows everyone's identities. Bunnyx confirms this is the case, and she does mean EVERYONE. However, future Ladybug trusts her to keep those a secret; and she knows how to keep her lips closed.
In the Agreste Manor, Gabriel is dejected as it appears he won't be Hawk Moth in the future. Does that mean he loses? Nathalie tells him that's not necessarily true. It could mean that he's already won.
Bunnyx and Miraculous Thief arrive in the future. No one else is around yet. Bunnyx asks Miraculous Thief very coldly if she's the one who stole the butterfly miraculous for "that vixen," the new enemy of all of Paris. Miraculous Thief's ego pretty much confirms that to be true. Bunnyx internally feels sorry for Nooroo.
Miraculous Thief plays her final card. She says she realizes who Bunnyx is now. Alix Kubdel. And if Bunnyx wants to keep that secret, she'll let Miraculous Thief go. Bunnyx isn't having it. She says she knows why Miraculous Thief does what she does—more heroes appeared in Paris but no one ever trusted her, no one noticed her. Even her best friend forgot her. No one thought she had any talents or any personality beyond being someone's shadow. So she's doing this all for revenge. She's found a way to steal power for herself. And if Miraculous Thief doesn't want everyone to know that she's really Suzette Rault, she won't whisper a word about who Bunnyx is. Miraculous Thief acknowledges that her rival played that well and that she will keep the secret.
(Perhaps to help with the timeline, this adult Bunnyx mentions she needs to take a trip to the Paris catacombs soon so she can start the B Team in motion.)
To be continued in Chapter 28: Mama Piper…
A Note from the Author: Thank you for reading this far and putting up with my summary format. This is one of the chapter concepts I like the best, and I would love to hear what you think. Please let me know! This is where the meat of the original concepts really starts to show, and it only gets more exciting from here!