Ooh, boy, it took a while to figure how I wanted to update this. I eventually got to it, but it was more hassle than I intended. Either way, this was the biggest story of mine when it was published (weekly updates in November... which is when I decided to retcon to when it takes place. Mid-November). Hope y'all enjoy!

GoTeam: It wasn't intended to be a shippy moment (I am a diehard lovesquare shipper and I have always believed in 'never interfering with the main ship of the show'), but I could see how it could be like that. It was intended to be more of a sympathetic moment (y'know, Marinette starting to realize that 'hey, there's more to this guy than what he's done to us' which is going to factor into the finale.)

Chapter One

The Banks of the Acheron

Lila. Mi bella. How I love you so. A man with a kind smile held out his hand and offered a multicolored bracelet. Now we match, my dear. He took Lila in a hug. Enjoy your last day of fifth grade. I'll pick you up from your grandparents' house at four o'clock. Then we can spend some time together, padre e figlia. I love you.

The sobs shook Lila awake as she looked down at her wrist, the bracelet still present. She checked her clock; it was a minute before she had to wake up.

"Happy birthday, Dad," she said softly to the empty room. Her father would have been forty-six today if it hadn't been for… the accident. It had a heavy effect on her mother, who was already quite busy and didn't have much time for her. The effect was nearly tenfold on Lila. Her father was the only person she felt closest to, her trusted confidant and the one who always saw the good in her. And now, he's gone. Sometimes Lila could look over her shoulder and think she saw her father, but it never really was him. Someone who looked vaguely like him, perhaps. Maybe his soul was watching over her.

Lila changed and saw the message her mom had left. It was the usual; where everything was, saying she wasn't going to be home. Luckily, it was a Friday, so if Lila wanted, she could spend some time with her so-called friends. Not that she would. She'd do the same thing she did every year; go out and get her father's favorite smoothie flavor, sit in the park and read, and if she felt like it, watch the home movies he had made. She checked the time. Thirty minutes until school started. Blinking back tears, Lila held her head high, grabbed her bag, and left the apartment.

The sound of humming caught her attention as she turned and saw Andrew Hendrol, the boy that made her question everything about herself. She wasn't entirely sure why he was walking to school. His family was as rich and influential as the Agrestes. Maybe his father was a lot less domineering than Gabriel.

"Hey, Andrew," Lila called over. The American teen smiled. "Hey yourself. How's it going?" Lila paused for a moment. "Fine," she replied quietly, then scolded herself. That lie was so obvious, and Andrew was a lot smarter than most of the others in the class. It was almost like he could read minds.

"Something the matter?" he asked kindly. "I'm always here to listen."

Lila paused for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Remember way back when we hung out, and I told you about my dad?" Andrew nodded. Lila took a shuddering breath. "Today… would be his forty-sixth birthday, and… my mom is going to be out all day." She glanced at his shoulder.

Andrew nodded. Lila rested her head on his arm; he was too tall for her to actually reach his shoulder, but she sighed contentedly. Lila knew she really liked Andrew; he was so comforting, so gentle, and pretty good-looking. If it wasn't for the other one she had eyes for, she'd be devoting all her attention to him.

At last she straightened. "Thanks," she said gratefully. "I needed that." Andrew nodded. "Y'know, if you open up to them a little more, they will have some sympathy for you. Everyone's gone through a time like that." He paused for a moment. "Well, maybe not exactly like that, but close enough. My great-granddad passed away in his sleep a few years back, a week after Thanksgiving. The same Thanksgiving my mom's side of the family held at his house. I barely got to know him." The two continued to the school, Andrew humming along the way. Lila could just barely recognize the song.

"Happy Birthday?" she asked. Andrew chuckled. "Yeah. It's my fifteenth. First birthday outside of the States."

"Oh. Are you… doing anything special?"

"Nothing terribly. My favorite dinner, presents, cake, video calls with friends, maybe a movie… it's a quieter, family thing this year."

"Do you like big parties?"

"Oh, I love them. But with my dad's business and stuff here and the fact that it's a school day… back home, we tend to throw big blowouts on the weekends so we can maximize time."

When they crossed the threshold of the building, Andrew slipped away from Lila's side. "I'm headed to the library. There's this book I've had on hold for two weeks and it's supposed to be here today," he explained as he turned back towards Lila. "Try talking to them," he said as he gestured to their classmates. "They'll understand, and a few will definitely help you feel better." He headed up the stairway to the library.

Lila looked at the crowd. "Yeah," she said to herself. "Maybe he's right. I should at least try telling them one truth."

Marinette ran into the school, about five minutes early, a new record for her. When she got to the courtyard, she groaned, annoyed at the sight she beheld. Her entire class, minus Adrien, Chloé and Andrew, was around Lila. She was likely telling another one of her stories about how she "saved Prince Ali's pet turtle" or "sprained her wrist while shooting free throws with a professional basketball player" or something like that. Something began to simmer inside her. She wasn't sure if it was exasperation or anger. It didn't help that she was already a little upset because her parents were on her case about attendance. Again.

Alya walked over to her best friend. "Girl, I know what you're gonna say," she began slowly.

Marinette blinked in confusion. "Say about what? I knew Adrien had a quick photoshoot he needed to do before school." Alya stepped back a little. "Two things. One, no, and two, why do you even… never mind. It's just…" Marinette looked at Alya dead in the eyes. "What is it?" she asked. Alya sighed. "Today is… was Lila's dad's birthday… but-'

"Let me guess, Lila's throwing a huge party with all the most important people in Paris?" Marinette asked, extremely annoyed. "I'm going to tell you one more time. Lila is a liar! And I have absolutely had it with her little stories and connections and trying to make me look bad! I'm going to march up to her and tell her to stop lying to everyone, once and for all!" Marinette started stalking over to the bench where Lila was.

Alya sighed and put her face in her hand. "Marinette, please don't do it," she said softly, but she knew it was futile. Once Marinette got going, it was extremely hard - no, impossible - to stop her.

"So, Lila," Marinette began when she got to the bench. "It's nice that it's your dad's birthday." Everyone else immediately tensed up. Marinette didn't notice. "You know, if you could tell me what his favorite cake flavor is, I can see if my parents can whip one up. Or, maybe even cater the party." Nino was making a cut it gesture with his hand. Max and Kim shared a look. Everyone had the same thought going through their minds. She doesn't know.

"Is Ladybug going to be at the party?" Marinette continued. "I mean, she would be if you were inviting the most important people in Paris." Lila glared at Marinette. "It's not like that," she growled out. Marinette looked surprised. "So, it's just a family party? Ok, I understand. I can respect that. How old is he turning?" By now, everyone else was stepping back. The anger radiated from Lila like the sun's light, and it was nearly burning them all.

"He would be turning forty-six," Lila said through clenched teeth. "If he was still alive!" Marinette stepped back, shocked. Oh, shoot, she thought to herself. That's what Alya was trying to tell me! "Lila, I- I'm sorry, I didn't know," Marinette stammered, but it was too late. Lila was really upset.

"What did I ever do to you to deserve... this?!" Lila shouted, gesturing vaguely. "All I did was tell a few stories, and there you are, trying to disprove every single one because why the hell not?! Everyone in our class has something special going for them! Alya's a blogger, her boyfriend's a DJ, Max is a supposed genius, Nathaniel makes comics, Chloé's father is the mayor, Sabrina is her little servant!" Lila took a breath. "Rose, Juleka and Ivan are in a band and Mylene's their backstage helper, Alix's dad is the curator at the Louvre, and even Kim is the jock of the class!" Her throat was really parched at this point. "Adrien's a model, and you are just everywhere! You do commissions for Jagged Stone, your talents have been recognized from Gabriel Agreste and Chloé's mom, your parents own the number one bakery in Paris, and you're so insufferably kind and generous! Where does that leave me?!" she asked angrily. "So our little war has been fun and all, but now you've taken it too far! You're just so possessive of "your" Adrien that you won't let anyone else get close to him! Newsflash, every other girl in Paris has a crush on him in some form! But you're not any different from them, because under all that recognition and talent, you're just an overly-obsessed little fan who wants everything she can get from him! You even stole his phone!"

Marinette gasped. "How did you-"

Lila scoffed. "I have a way of finding things out. And finally, you're so obsessed with him you can't even form a sentence! At least I have the guts to talk like a coherent human being when I'm around my crush!" She huffed. Everyone around her was shocked, appalled. Marinette was right the whole time?

"Now, if you all will excuse me," Lila said calmly, like nothing had even happened. "I'm going to go talk to my crush. Maybe then she'll finally realize she. Has. No. Chance." Lila strutted off, away from the crowd of her class.

A sob shook Marinette as she ran off towards the bathroom. She didn't know why the insults had hit that hard, they just… did. Maybe it was because, deep down, she felt that way about herself. Lila had somehow amplified every insecurity she had ever had. Not even Tikki could help her get out of this one.

"Ah, finally," Shadow Moth said as his window began to open. "Marinette's emotions are at the perfect level for akumatization. This will be perfect. The ultimate villain, the last day of Ladybug and Cat Noir!"

Then he was left with the choice to give her a sentimonster. Previous attempts with sentimonster and villain pairings all ended in failure, but some did manage to hold their own. Truth, Yūrei, and, of course, Antibug all did well with their sentimonsters. However, Gigantitan failed, as he tried to eat his lollipop sentimonster, and Monsieur Rat… that event saw the dawn of a Mouse Miraculous wielder and the most humiliating defeat of Shadow Moth's entire career. Of course, Marinette was no Xavier Ramier, but still…

Shadow Moth grabbed a butterfly out of midair, corrupting it in record time. "Fly, my akuma," Shadow Moth commanded. "And at last create my most powerful warrior!" He began to laugh maniacally. Ladybug and Cat Noir were doomed.

A small flash of gold eclipsed his vision. Briefly, Shadow Moth wondered if Dragonus was out and about. He had made a graphic threat about Shadow Moth attempting such a plan a while ago, but Shadow Moth brushed it aside. He didn't intend to give Marinette any destruction powers. What she would get would be much better. So much better. Dragonus would be envious, indeed.

"Okay," Alya began. "So, Lila just ousted herself as a liar and a witch and sent Marinette running off. The question is, where do we go first? Do we confront Lila, comfort Marinette, or go to Mr. Damocles?"

"I say we split up," Rose said. "The girls will go comfort Marinette, the boys go get Mr. Damocles, and we all confront Lila together." Everyone nodded at Rose's suggestion. "We'll make Lila pay," Juleka muttered. The two groups split off.

No one noticed Adrien crossing the threshold of the school. "Where's everyone going?" he asked himself. Plagg poked his head out. "Cheese stash, maybe? Or a surprise cheese party?" Adrien sighed at his kwami's ridiculousness. "What's with you today?" he asked. Plagg shrugged. "Hey, I'm just telling you what I think." Adrien shrugged and headed up to Ms. Bustier's classroom. And then remembered Ms. Mendeleiev was filling in for Ms. Bustier while she was out for the morning.

He saw the crabby teacher scrawling on the board, and glanced to the back. Andrew was reading at his desk, like he always did. He was somehow the only person who hadn't gotten on Ms. Mendeleiev's bad side once. An impressive feat, considering the teacher was mostly on the bad side.

A cold gripped his spine, and he wasn't quite sure why. He had only felt that cold a few times. When his mother started having dizzy spells, when Nathalie started having dizzy spells, and whenever Dragonus showed up. He'd come to equate that chill to one particular emotion. Dread.

"Marinette, it's okay," Tikki said, trying to comfort her friend. Even if she knew it was a futile endeavor. "Lila doesn't know Adrien's out, so she can't find him!" Marinette shook with another sob. "But when he does... and she tells him… it's too horrible to even imagine!" She didn't notice the akuma fluttering closer. But Tikki did.

"Marinette, look out!" she shrieked. But it was too late. The akuma sank into her bag, turning the pink purse to black. The area around her eyes darkened as the black eye mask formed.

"Princess Justice," Shadow Moth said. "I am Shadow Moth." Marinette grimaced and clutched her head. "Get out of my mind!" she yelled at the villain, desperate to not give in.

"You've been wronged by Lila Rossi, haven't you? In fact, you've been wronged so many times in your life, and you haven't even reached adulthood yet. Most of them tried to take your loved one from you. I'm giving you the power to enact justice upon them," Shadow Moth continued, secretly glad for the power boost of unification. Her willpower was extraordinary, yes. But even the strongest wills break under pressure. "In return, bring me Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculous, as well as the Dark Dragon Miraculous, the one Dragonus has."

"No!" Marinette yelled. "I won't do it!" The black mask pulsed harshly as Marinette tried to fight off his influence.

Shadow Moth growled. "Resistance is futile. Everyone gives in eventually," he said, his voice low and angry. Marinette could feel more and more of her will slipping away. Using the last of her strength, she plucked out her earrings and gave them to Tikki. "Get as far as you can! Find Cat Noir!" she yelled at her kwami. The last thing Marinette heard before the smoke encompassed her was Shadow Moth's scream of anger of losing one of the jewels he so desperately desired.

When the smoke receded, Princess Justice kicked down the door to the stall. Her black stiletto boots clacked against the tile floors. She was clad in a black bodysuit with a red Libra symbol emblazoned on the chest and a sort of cape-skirt around the back and sides of her waist. Her purse, now black with a golden Libra symbol and a diamond studded strap, still hung off her shoulder. A black mask similar to her Ladybug mask adorned her face, sparkling with six red rubies around the outside of her eyes, which had turned into red irises, making her look like a spider. Black lipstick highlighted a cold and expressionless face. Her hair was long, flowing, and black with gold and red highlights. A golden crown with red jewels inlaid in it rested on top of her head. In her hand, she clutched a gold scepter with an emerald on top.

Princess Justice grinned. "Oh, Shadow Moth," she said slowly, almost amused. "I promise, all who have wronged me will get what they deserve."

Alya and the other girls were listening outside the bathroom door when it exploded, throwing them to the ground and revealing an akumatized Marinette behind it. Alya's heart sank. They were too late. Princess Justice smirked at her friends, all of them looking up at her in fear and shock. Then she laid her eyes on Alya.

"Oh, Alya," she said, her voice sickly sweet on her lips. "I always knew I could count on you, even when everyone was against me. For this, a… reward, if you will." She unlatched her purse. Red ribbons leapt out and began wrapping around Alya, silencing her terrified scream. The ribbons turned into a hooded cloak, and the thing that was once Alya stood and bowed to Princess Justice.

The other girls began to scramble to their feet, but Princess Justice released more ribbons and bound them all, turning them into more of her servants. She allowed herself another smirk when she saw them rise. "The boys," she commanded. "Where are they?"

The servant that had been Alya stepped forward. "They went to get Mr. Damocles. After you left, we split up to get people to confront Lila." Princess Justice smirked again. "Perfect. Make sure you capture Chloé as well. She will face justice, too." Her servants bowed and fell into step behind her as they headed for the principal's office.

"Where is everyone?" Adrien asked, glancing around. Ms. Mendeleiev looked up. "Probably planning some shenanigans to skip my class," she replied, sounding a little disappointed. "And I had planned a great lesson." Adrien couldn't help but feel that sense of dread clench his body in cold, clammy sweat.

Andrew looked up from his book. "You hear that?" he asked. Adrien and Ms. Mendeleiev turned their heads towards him. They focused, and they heard shouts and screams outside. "It sounds like… chaos. A new villain, maybe?" All three got up and exited the classroom… to see a frightening sight before their eyes. A dozen or so red-robed figures stood, holding two poles to which Chloé and Lila were tied to. A new villainess commanded the figures, and Adrien could immediately tell it was bad. The hair color, the build, the face only barely disguised by an eye mask. Marinette was akumatized.

Andrew raced off to a different classroom and slammed the door. Adrien was tempted to follow, until he saw Marinette look up at him. A delighted smile broke across her face. "There's Adrien! Get him, I need him!" A few of the red-robed figures began to rush the stairways on the left and right sides of him. The only other place he could go was the classroom, and he didn't like his chances of jumping out.

"Adrien," Ms. Mendeleiev said calmly. "Follow me." She ran right towards the smaller group of figures. Adrien, seeing no other good options, followed her. He was amazed when she slammed right into them and attacked them with a ruler. "Go!" she yelled. "I'll hold them off!" Adrien ran down the stairs and right to the front entrance of the school.

"Stop him!" Princess Justice yelled. "He's to be my prince!" Snarling, she opened her bag and sent ribbons directly at Ms. Mendeleiev, turning her into one of her servants. Adrien wanted to help her, but he knew he couldn't do anything. As himself. Quickly, he ran into the subway entrance and hid in a service tunnel. Plagg poked his head out. "Oh, this is really bad," he said, concern apparent in his voice. Adrien nodded. "You're right, but it's nothing me and m'lady can't handle. Plagg, Claws Out!"

"Vorath, wake up!" Andrew hissed at his kwami. Vorath blinked and flew out of his hoodie. "What, no 'good morning, partner. How was your well-earned nap?' Honestly, for your birthday, you're so cranky," Vorath replied. Andrew shook his head. "We have a problem. A big one." Vorath yawned. "On a scale of 'gang of muggers' to 'dinosaurs coming from the past', how big are we talking?" Andrew looked his kwami dead in the eyes.

"Armageddon," Andrew said, totally serious. Vorath's eyes bugged out. "No! You can't mean it!" he yelped. Andrew nodded solemnly. Vorath floated closer to his partner and friend. "Which one?" he asked. Andrew sighed. "Marinette's been akumatized. And I'm starting to wonder if my protection will hold up."

Vorath scoffed. "You've just turned fifteen years old. I gave you those mental protections for your eleventh birthday. If you're worried about any mind-control powers, remember her and the Psycho Ranger. You're fine." Andrew felt like growling at Vorath, if only for being so glib about his past enemies.

"I meant Shadow Moth, Vorath," he said calmly as to hide his emotions. "If he is able to overwhelm Marinette's will, where does that leave me?" Again, Vorath scoffed. "Your mental protections might take a pounding, but you'd still be able to dispel him," he replied. "At least, I think."

Andrew peeked out the window, watching Princess Justice and her army move out of the school. "That's a chance I can't risk. Perhaps the time to remove Hawk Moth from the picture is coming closer," he said softly. "That'll have to be done later. Won't a certain cat need backup with his lady indisposed?" Vorath asked.

Andrew nodded. "Vorath, Dragon Up!" A flash of gold later, and Dragonus soared out of the classroom and out of the courtyard, following the scent of sulfur. The scent of destruction. The true scent of Cat Noir.

Tikki flew around, the earrings in her tiny paws, a few tears dripping down her face. She hadn't been able to help Marinette overcome the sadness, and felt even more useless due to the fact she couldn't help fight off the akuma. Now she had to find Cat Noir, who could have gone anywhere, and hope he would be enough to save Marinette. Worst of all, she might not be able to help him other than transforming him.

Briefly she thought of Vorath, the kwami she considered a little brother. He and his Dark kwami friends had been able to provide advice and strategies for their wielders in the past, even when transformed. Then she thought of his fall to darkness, and how it had been partially her fault. The Darks never really cared about good and evil, only seeing them as restrictions. They just wanted to be free and explore the world, and as such, a lot, if not most, of their wielders used them for evil purposes. And a few liked it. Tikki had gotten fed up with all of it and harshly told off Vorath, who ran off and came back a few hours later, powering his wielder who was at the head of nearly two dozen Dark Miraculous wielders determined to destroy the temple. They were thwarted, the other twenty imprisoned, and the Dark Dragon Miraculous taken far west. Now the Dark Dragon was back, and today would have been the perfect day for him to take over.

Tikki heard wings beating overheard. Much too big to be a pigeon. She dove for cover, and saw Dragonus flying in her direction. The villain paused, sniffing the air. "Where could he be?" he asked himself. "All I can smell is milkweed and cloves… and sugar?" Dragonus looked around. Tikki mentally smacked herself. The Dark Dragon had a unique ability to sniff out powers. A blind wielder often used that ability. Her scent, and by extension, Ladybug's, was sugar, Plagg's, and by extension, Cat Noir's, was sulfur. Milkweed was Nooroo's and cloves was Duusu's scent. A thought shot through her mind. If we can get the Dark Dragon Miraculous, we could find Shadow Moth! Maybe that's who Dragonus is hunting down.

"Ah," Dragonus said. Tikki stayed low and quiet. "There it is. Brimstone and expensive cologne. Kitty's not too far." He ducked into a nosedive and flew quietly through the streets. After a moment's hesitation, Tikki followed. Dragonus was the only way she could find Cat Noir. And maybe, he could be persuaded to help them.

Cat Noir leapt over the rooftops, watching Princess Justice and her procession. He had noticed something strange about how the servants were created. Princess Justice didn't capture everyone at the school. Most had fled, but before that at least twenty students weren't wrapped in ribbons, and a few teachers were left alone, too. Quite odd. He looked at Princess Justice again. The bag had to be where the akuma was hiding, but a small part of him thought it was her scepter. He hadn't seen her use it, but it might do something. Cat Noir felt an inexplicable ache in his heart every time he looked at her. No, he chided himself. Marinette's just a good friend. I'm in love with Ladybug. Speaking of which, where is m'lady? He sighed. Guess I'll start up the fight. I'm gonna need her help.

"So, Princess, didn't think I'd see you here," Cat Noir said from the rooftops. Princess Justice turned and smiled coldly at him. "Hey, kitty. How about you come down and play?" she replied as she twirled her scepter.

Cat Noir leapt down. "Marinette, I know this isn't you," he said, his tone giving away the silent message. Please come back to your senses.

Princess Justice laughed. "Oh, I think your 'Princess' is locked in another tower, kitty. Besides, I've been trodden on by a lot of people. I'm just doing myself, and Paris, for that matter, a favor. I was hurt deeply by someone, and she'll pay for it." Cat Noir glanced up at the two poles the robed and hooded servants held. Lila and Chloé were still tied up, Chloé shouting for help, Lila silent.

"I don't know what Chloé could've done that she already hasn't," Cat Noir said. "Besides, she's not going to help Shadow Moth anymore. She might as well have changed, right?" Princess Justice sneered. "You would simply forgive another person's crimes because they weren't themselves? Oh, right, I forgot. That's your job. No, it wasn't Chloé, not today. Frankly, I had to question my choice to tie up Chloé. She would have made an excellent guard."

"No, I wouldn't!" came Chloé's reply. "You already got Amber! Why would you want me? You want to complete the set?" Princess Justice waved her hand. A red ribbon covered her mouth, muffling the screams and obscenities she began shrieking. "The pest will get what she deserves. So will Lie-la," Princess Justice said, smirking at her little pun. Cat Noir felt like slapping himself. Of course it was Lila. That girl almost got her akumatized before.

"Now, since you're here and Adrien's gone," Princess Justice continued. "I'm going to assume you hid him in his mansion. Seems like the thing you would do." Cat Noir coughed into his fist. "Speaking of Adrien," he said quickly, hoping he didn't stammer. "He told me that making a bad guy suffer doesn't turn them into a good guy. Maybe if we tried to help Lila instead of hurting her, she'll turn out better!"

Princess Justice snarled. "If there's one thing about Adrien that I find a little annoying, it's that he always seems so naïve. Really, he thought Chloé throwing a party would make her change? Or would leaving the situation alone change it? Maybe you're just like him. But you'd make a very powerful servant. How about-" she froze in her tracks, like she had heard what she had just said.

At that moment, Cat Noir took advantage of the moment, striking and lunging at Princess Justice with his staff. She sidestepped and hit him with a burst of energy from her scepter, knocking him back. "Restrain him! Take his Miraculous!" she ordered. About five robed guards moved forward and pinned the feline hero to the ground, one taking his staff and another taking his belt. Their grip was unshakable; Cat Noir could barely move from the ground. One was moving for his ring, ready to pluck it off and hand it to the villain. Cat Noir gulped. Any day now, m'lady!

"Well, this is an… interesting development," Dragonus commented as he watched Princess Justice effortlessly send Cat Noir to the ground. "Cat's got guts, I'll give him that. But not enough to do what needs to be done." Quickly, he went through the list of powers he had absorbed. "Malediktator, no, Pixelator, no, Princess Fragrance, no, that makes me sneeze. Miracle Queen… too uncontrollable. Simon Says, yes!" He quickly created a deck of cards from his nanobots and infused them with the villain's power.

"Dragonus Says, turn on your comrades!" he yelled as he threw the white cards, now with a symbol of a knife emblazoned on their faces, at the robed guards, striking them perfectly. Almost immediately, they got off of Cat Noir and started attacking each other.

"What are you doing, you fools?!" Princess Justice shrieked. "You're supposed to be getting that Miraculous!" Taking advantage of the chaos, Cat Noir grabbed his belt and staff and raced off, Dragonus following him from the air.

Dragonus landed right in front of Cat Noir. "Hey, Kit-Cat," he said nonchalantly. "Come with me if you want to live." Cat Noir lowered his staff and looked back at the crowd. Princess Justice was already regaining control of her horde. Seeing no other option, he nodded. Dragonus smirked behind his mouthplate as he changed into his dragon form. "Hop on," he said, his voice much deeper. "But don't scuff the scales. It takes forever to buff out scratches." Cat Noir straddled the giant beast's back. "Fly us out of here!" he yelled. Dragonus flapped his gargantuan wings and the two took to the sky.

Princess Justice growled when she saw the two flying away, and nearly screamed when she saw them be cloaked in an illusion. Shadow Moth opened a link. "Get those Miraculous, or you can say goodbye to your powers, Ladybug," he sneered. Princess Justice took a deep breath. "They can't get far. And do not call me Ladybug. She is gone. There is only Princess Justice, not Ladybug." Shadow Moth severed the link. "At least, not yet," she muttered darkly.

The servant that had been Alya stepped forward. "My princess, there are still more people to convert. Next time we catch them, they will be outnumbered and easily defeated," she said. Princess Justice waved her off. "Yes, yes, they will be. But as long as they roam free, they are a threat." She turned to her army. "Five of you will escort me," she barked. "Bring the prisoners with us. The rest of you, split into teams of two and spread out. Meet me in one hour at Place de Vosges." The robed servants nodded and separated. Princess Justice returned her gaze to the sky. "This city is mine, ring-bearers. You can't run forever."

"Why'd you help me?" Cat Noir asked Dragonus. The two landed on top of the Louvre Palace. "Some elaborate plan to take my Miraculous?" He clenched his fists in case he needed to fight.

Dragonus just shrugged. "Call it a conscience attack, if you like. But the truth is, you were getting pounded and my plans need you," Dragonus replied. "I'm not a killer, for your information. All that big talk about 'crushing you two' and 'die braver than most' is my villain act."

"Well, thanks for the save, but m'lady and I can deal with this from now on," Cat Noir said. He opened up his staff into its phone mode. "C'mon, m'lady, pick up," he whispered urgently. "I need you, now more than ever."

Dragonus just chuckled softly. "Y'know she's not gonna pick up, right?" The draconian supervillain - or was it anti-hero now, Cat Noir thought - held out his hand and inspected his claws. "She's not picking up for you, or me, or anyone else. Well, except for a certain, I want to say, middle-aged supervillain?"

"What do you mean?" Cat Noir asked slowly. Dragonus seemed to realize his mistake. "Uh, what? I didn't say anything! Nope, nothing at all. She's just pranking you, that's all," he said as he laughed nervously. "Just an elaborate prank, yeah, totally."

"What. Do. You. Mean?" Cat Noir asked angrily. "Tell me, or I swear, I'll shove your gold-plated tail right up your gold-plated-" He paused as he saw a small red sprite with a black spot on its forehead fly over to the two of them. "What's going on?" Tikki asked quickly, seeing the tense situation between the two boys.

Cat Noir glanced at the two black dots that were in Tikki's hands. Suddenly it all began to click. The way Princess Justice had called him kitty. The way Ladybug called him kitty sometimes. The way Princess Justice held herself, confident and in control. The way Ladybug held herself. The red rubies on Princess Justice's black mask. Ladybug's colors. The way Princess Justice had selectively picked her servants. The faces of all the people Ladybug had de-akumatized. Princess Justice's voice. Ladybug's voice. He didn't see any earrings on Princess Justice. Because they were right in her kwami's paws.

Cat Noir felt dizzy. "No," he said as his stomach churned and boiled like lava. He felt like he was going to throw up his intestine. "No no no," he stammered as he fell to his knees, then fainted. With the last of his consciousness, he could hear Dragonus say, almost sarcastically, "Oh, dear. Is he dead?" No, no, I'm not, Cat Noir's subconscious seemed to mutter. Death isn't this painful.

Yeah, it's an Akumanette fic. This specific story was what got me thinking about my OC's powers to begin with. For all interested, Princess Justice's outfit is based on Audrey's from Descendants 3 (mostly because her song is an earworm and I had seen no designs based around that. Surprising considered all of the "Queen of Mean" amvs and animatics). Mostly just a few grammar updates and added content, nothing much. Fun fact, the first chapter was first posted after Halloween. As always, tell me what you think (and for the love of God above, be polite and civil with your reviews!), and keep yourselves safe, healthy, and brush your teeth!

So, sad edit: Just thought I'd use this little part down here to pay my respects to Technoblade after his tragic passing the other day from cancer. I haven't seen any of his stuff before, but I know he touched the hearts of a lot of people, and I thought it would just be a nice little thing to say rest in peace. Hopefully humanity can find a cure for cancer in the near future. So... rest in peace, Technoblade. I hope you're doing well in heaven.