Hello Readers, I'm alive. These last few weeks I was dealing with some stressful real world problems, so I didn't get this done until today.
Welcome to the final chapter of the season four trilogy. As you can guess, the ending will be different because Felix never learned about the Miraculouses, (way to go Alya).
So, I have created an alternate situation that still fits the canon ending. I have also changed Froggy's Akuma's name.
It was a joyous day in the Kwami World. Many were still experiencing a high after yesterday's successful ceremony. Most of the Kwamiis were using that energy to prepare for the wedding tomorrow.
Very few Kwamiis ever got to experience a wedding while having wielders. It was a treat to be able to view a real wedding. The Celestial Guardian wanted everyone to be part of the big day.
"I'm looking forward to the ceremony. It will be filled with so much love," Flapper told Chocco. "You're looking forward to the romantic gestures?"
Chocco nodded his head. "Believe me, the romantic overtures in a wedding are the sweetest thing you'll ever see."
Stuffo was looking through the items the Kwamiis had brought to their world. There had to be something in here they could use as a gift. "Hey Griff," he called out to his "cousin."
The little griffin-like kwami landed next to the pile. "Yes, Stuffo? Do you need help with something?"
Stuffo explained what he was doing. "A wedding gift should be beautiful and heartwarming. The Celestial Guardian and his bride deserve a nice gift."
Griff dipped his head in agreement. "If we're to find the right gift, we'll need more help." Turning around, he bellowed that he needed Hopper, Zippy, and, Rexx and Rolly, to help him and Stuffo.
Spinner was working with Sanna to make several banners. They were for welcoming Marianne as an official member of the Order. Spinner was giving tips on how the banner should look. Sanna was using her claws to cut the paper to make the banners.
Divva, the Kwami of Faith, was happily looking over the plans for the small reception. She wanted it to be perfect. "We need to make sure that we decorate the apartment to represent their new bond," she said to Zeek.
Zeek clapped his paw/hands at Divaa's suggestion. "I have a suggestion of my own. We should design a plaque reminding them they are both equals in this marriage."
"That would be a great idea. I think "cousin" Belle is working on creating a sharing system for the Celestial Guardian and soon-to-be wife. Why don't you go help her?"
Zeek neighed and hurried off to find Belle. Meanwhile, on their specific island, Wayzz had joined his sisters as they discussed their ideas for the wedding.
"I know it's going to be a small civil ceremony, but still we should attempt to make it a bit fancy," Pollen stated to her "siblings". Trixx and Wayzz agreed with her.
"Master has spent more than a century alone. His wedding should stand out slightly that other civil unions."
Trixx raised her paw/hands. "I could cast a small illusion on their clothes. Make them really shine for the photos. They are going to have a photographer, right?"
Wayzz nodded, explaining Adrien had asked Vincent to take a few photos of the happy couple. The man had consented, saying he would be delighted to help.
"Is there anything else we can do? The rest of our family is more focused on the reception, not the ceremony."
Wayzz asked Pollen if she could find a few flowers that Marianne could use as a bouquet. Marianne didn't have one because the wedding was only a day away.
"I'll need Tikki's help. She probably knows a place we can gather a few flowers for free."
Trixx reminded her "sister" to take Kaalik with her. The horse kwami would be miffed if they forgot to bring her along.
On the CZMC aisle, Daizzi was giving instructions to her "brothers" about the dinner setup. "Remember, we need to reheat the food before we can place it on the table. No eating anything raw or undercooked."
She was giving Longg a heated look. The dragon-like kwami twitched slightly. "It was one time, Daizzi. The emperor lived!"
"After nearly dying of food poisoning. They are not having their wedding night interrupted by constant vomiting. Am I clear?" Daizzi demanded as she stared down at her "brother."
"Crystal."
Smiling, Daizzi turned her attention to Sass. She could trust him to do his job. "The Celestial Guardian and Marianne wish to dance after dinner. Look through Marianne's music collection and select something to play."
"I'm already on it, dear "ssssisssterrr."
Daizzi spun around as she pointed to Mullo, Roarr, and Stompp. "Your assignment is arranging the centerpiece. It doesn't have to be super fancy. Just something nice to go on the center of the table."
"Oh, that's why they're called centerpieces," Stompp whispered to Roarr. The tiger kwami giggled before receiving a death glare from Daizzi.
She refocused her attention on Xuppo and Orikko. "Xuppo, you'll set the table. Orikko, make sure the seat pillows have been properly fluffed up."
"Yes, Madame," the "brothers," said in unison.
Fluff, Barkk, and Ziggy were also busy. It would be a few weeks before Marianne could live in Paris full-time. They oversaw the process of adding a feminine touch to the bedroom.
"Do we need to make new curtains now or later? Or is it later now? Oh, I wish I could stay in the present," Fluff lamented in frustration.
"Forget the curtains, we need to focus on the bed and the dresser," Barkk, well, barked.
"One or two throw pillows would look nice on the bed," Ziggy murmured to herself. "Perhaps, replacing the dresser handles from gold to rose gold would be appropriate."
Honorra let out a large chirp as she entered the Kwami World. "I come bearing gifts!" She dropped a bag containing felt bowties and hats.
Her "sister" Ellery trumpeted in delight. Gigi was already going through the bag searching for a hat. She pulled out a tiny silver pillbox hat. "This is perfect! Thanks, Honorra!"
Otto dived into the bag and came back out with a gold bowtie. "Yeah! I'm going to look good in this."
"Accessories can wait, "cousins." We need to stay focused on the objective!" Tuffy reminded everyone.
The Kwamiis got back to work. Tomorrow was going to be a very happy day.
Ning woke up early the next morning. Today was an important day. Her parents were getting married. They had to be at city hall by ten. That's when the marriage office opened.
While it felt like today was being rushed, this day had been in the works for the last three months. The laws for marriage in France were very strict.
One reason was that only civil marriages were considered legal. Religious ceremonies couldn't take place until the officiate, usually the mayor or deputy mayor, performed a civil ceremony. The couple also had to show their IDs just to get into the office.
Then there was the paperwork for the applications. Requirements included one person who had been living in France for forty days before the ceremony. The other spouse would need to bring in a copy of their birth certificate obtained within three months before the ceremony.
That one had caused a lot of trouble. Ning had to create a certificate for her father. She also plugged a few holes when it came to his background.
Marianne had handled the paperwork for proof of residence. She also filled out the information about their witnesses, (Marinette and Adrien), while providing proof of their identities.
Once they arrived, the couple would have to fill out their marriage certificate and file it. They could request copies for their records.
After the ceremony, the officiate would hand the couple the "Livret de Famille ", an official document that is used for all events relating to legal family issues.
Master Fu's concerns for Marianne and her safety had stalled part of the process. When Fu finally proposed, it was easy to finish the application. Now the day had finally come.
Ning put the copies of the documents in her purse in case something had been misfiled. "Now that's been taken care of, let's see what's on the list. Alright, carefully steam iron the wedding clothes, then set up the video link for Kwamiis, and make breakfast."
Good thing she was great at multitasking. It was no trouble to set up the link to her necklace/video and audio recorder. She adjusted it to live stream while finding the ironing board.
As she waited for the iron to heat up, she set up doll furniture for the Kwamiis to sit on while watching the live stream. With that taken care of, she carefully steamed her mother's dress and her father's suit.
Once she was done, she hung the garments up. She softly moved the board and iron out of the way, so the appliance would cool down. She then started making a wonderful breakfast.
When her parents entered the kitchen an hour and a half later, she had made them scrambled eggs and fruit balls. She was also serving a small bowl of cereal and a big glass of orange juice. "Please enjoy your meal."
"Thank you for this thoughtful breakfast. I can tell you put a lot of love into making it," Marianne praised.
Ning reddened, muttering it was the least she could do. "You two have cared about me as an individual and not an asset. I would never have grown as a person without both of you."
The old couple held hands and beamed at their adoptive daughter. The two of them adored the young woman. They would continue to help her grow whenever she came to Paris.
Fu asked who was monitoring Su-Han since she was going to be busy acting as a witness and enjoying the small reception. She replied that Mr. Kama had agreed to keep an eye on him. After all, it wasn't every day that your parents got married.
"We'll be taking the first flight back to the prison tomorrow morning. We'll be back there by early afternoon. Since Su-Han can't remember anything related to magic, other than it exists, there will be no issues heading forward."
"Excellent. Shadowmoth will not know that the mantle of the Celestial Guardian has been passed on. I'll need to enhance the magical barriers subsequently tonight with the increase of magical energy."
Marianne reminded the two they had a schedule to keep. With that Ning joined them at the table to eat. The family hoped Shadowmoth wouldn't bother them today.
Later that morning, Marinette was smoothing a few wrinkles out of her dress. She had decided to wear a different dress for today's events. A crimson-colored tea-length dress. The skirt was decorated with black rosettes to make it fancy.
She was holding the small bouquet that the Kwamiis had helped her gather. Adrien was in a new suit and was talking to Vincent. He was giving him instructions on when to take the pictures.
"I need to thank mom and dad for letting me miss morning classes for this. Then help Adrien find a way to thank Chloe for getting him here under pretenses."
Mr. Agreste would never have let Adrien deviate from his schedule. Especially to be a witness for a civil ceremony for people who he only knew through Marinette.
Chloe had used her clout to arrange it to seem as if Adrien had a sudden photo shoot, he needed to do at city hall. Ms. Bustier would accept this and not call Nathalie for verification.
Marinette looked up when heard footsteps coming her way. The couple and Ning had arrived. Ning was wearing the same dress from two nights ago. Her parents had changed.
Master Fu was wearing a brown suit he bought a few years ago. Marianne was dressed in an ivory A-line dress. Along the hem was silver embroidery. A small veil was attached to a flower hair ornament.
Marinette handed over the small bouquet. "You two look very fancy."
The couple blushed at the compliment. Adrien followed Vincent over to the couple. The photographer was gushing.
"You two are perfect together. I can feel the energy between you. You're better than my mother's spaghetti!"
Adrien told Vincent to calm down. "Remember Vincent, you're only allowed to take six photos of the civil union. Pick the best time to take one."
"Of course, I will Adrien. I would never take a bad photo. Perhaps we should take two right now? One with the couple, and then one with their daughter perhaps?" Vincent suggested.
Mariann agreed it was a good idea. They had a bit of time before they would be called in. "It will certainly be nice to have a before picture along with an after."
"Indeed, it would be, my love. Adrien, would you be so kind to help us pose properly?"
The model was ecstatic to help the couple. He gave them a couple of pointers on keeping a straight posture. Then he instructed them how to pose together while holding hands.
Vincent snapped a photo and told them it was magnificent. Then Ning joined them. With a bit more help from Adrien, the family photo was gorgeous.
The office opened and Ning produced the paperwork. Everyone also had to sign a register stating who they were, and their relationship with the couple. The group sat down to wait their turn.
Twenty minutes later the party was welcomed into the main office The real mayor, Anne Hidalgo, sat behind her desk. She smiled at the couple and the kids.
"I would like to welcome all of you here today. This duty means a great deal to me because I enjoy helping families begin. Now, let's get the happy couple marrier."
Master Fu and Marianne backed up to the door and approached the desk. Vincent took a photo of this. Mayor Hidalgo stood up straight.
Ning, Marinette, and Adrien stood up behind the couple. Mayor Hidalgo began reciting the civil union speech. The witnesses felt tears form in their eyes.
The ceremony lasted fifteen minutes. The office had a lot of people to marry today. A lot of wedding traditions were skipped but the couple was allowed to exchange rings.
Vincent snapped a photo of the first kiss of the married couple. At Master Fu's home, the Kwamiis cheered happily. The little gods had enjoyed watching the wedding.
Now the little gods could finish setting up the reception. As happy as everyone was, they were still glum about two Kwamiis missing the wedding. Shadowmoth was going to pay for that.
At that moment, Shadowmoth was standing in his lair as he placed the dolls on the small table. These custom-made dolls were superior to his flimsy attempt. "Nooroo, Duusu, do these dolls resemble your "siblings" and "cousins" accurately?"
Both were compelled to respond. "Not perfectly, Master," the two Kwamiis said in unison.
"Will the dolls be able to hold the blessings?"
"Yes!" Duusu chirped unhappily. "As long as the dolls remain intact, they will act as receptacles for each blessing."
"You are treading into dangerous waters here. You can't force or harm me to regain the power I gave away. Peace Keeper must willingly give it back."
Gabriel replied that wouldn't be any trouble. Nathalie stepped forward, handing her boss her tablet. On the screen were the results of the experiments between virtuous and sins.
"You were correct Nathalie. One-on-one, virtuous beat sins," the man commented.
His secretary smirked. "Sir, as you can see, if you find the right emotions, you'll be able to create a masterpiece. An Akuma that balances out the seven sins to overpower the heroes."
Gabriel was counting on it. Once the heroes were in dire need, the Celestial Guardian would show up. He would take the man's power for himself.
Once he obtained everything, he would have the magic to make his wish come true. A world where the Agreste were a full family again. The world would bow down to his family.
Nooroo and Duusu looked at each other. They had tried calling out to warn the Guardian's daughter what was about to happen. They couldn't get a connection this time.
Gabriel activated the two Miraculous as the "siblings" were forced into their Miraculouses. Shadowmoth opened himself to the emotions of everyone in Paris. He could feel the different levels of anger, hate, or sadness.
Finally, he found what he was looking for. A child who desired to do what he wanted without his meddlesome parents scolding him. Parents, he wished he could tell them what to do when they were bad.
Shadowmoth sent the akuma to find the child. He felt the butterfly merge with a stuffed toy. Nathalie knew the connection had been established when her boss grinned evilly.
"Sin, I am Shadowmoth. I can sense your frustrations about your parents scolding you every time you want to have fun. Right now, they're trying to make you stop having fun."
"I can give you the power to control your parents or any adult you encounter. Make them misbehave so you can continue to have fun. In exchange, you get all the heroes in one place."
"Like the park?" Froggie questioned.
"Yes, the park is an excellent spot. Do we have a deal?"
"Yeah! Time to have some fun!" Froggie enjoyed the feeling of the transformation. After all, it was a fun game!
He saw his parents coming his way, once more telling him it was time to go home. Froggie-Sin laughed. "You don't tell me what to do anymore, I do!"
The Akuma rang the bike bell and two tiny frog prints attached themselves to the back of his parents' necks. "I'm Froggie-Sin and you have to do what I tell you."
"Yes, Froggie-Sin."
The Akuma told his parents to go take a nap while he had fun. The adults slumped over on the sidewalk. They knew they should get up to bring their son home yet didn't have the energy to do it.
Pleased by what he did, the kid-sized Akuma biked off to tell more adults what to do. As he rode down the street, he rang the bike bell a few times.
Andre the Ice Cream man got two-part instructions. First, he was to supply Froggie-Sin with chocolate ice cream whenever he wanted it. Secondly, he was to eat all the other flavors to prevent others from having any ice cream.
When Officer Roger tried to stop to help, Froggie-Sin told him to go beat up some criminals. Instantly the officer became enraged and started chasing people. The kid pumped his fist in exhilaration.
The wedding party finally left city hall about twenty minutes later. Ning had gotten a phone call she needed to answer. The others noticed how tense she was as the call continued.
Ten minutes into the conversation, the young woman was harshly whispering. When the call finally ended, she didn't say anything to them. All Ning wanted to do was go back to the apartment.
Everyone in the car was quiet as Ning drove. Marinette and Adrien needed to change their clothes before they went back to class. As they neared the apartment, Ning suddenly slammed on the brakes.
The car fishtailed as she let her instincts take over. Once the car was safely stopped the others looked out the windows. They saw the reason for the car going into a fishtail.
Several citizens were in the road brawling. They were attacking with gusto as they broke jaws, ripped the skin off, and lastly, kicked people in their backs.
"What in the world?" Adrien asked offhand. Suddenly, he was yanked behind the car as someone threw broken bottles at them.
"What has gotten into these people?" Marianne whispered.
"This is the work of an Akuma. We must get back to the apartment immediately," Master Fu stated.
"We might have a problem with that," Ning whispered. She pointed towards a side street. A number of street artists were trying to outdo each other while arguing about who had the best talent.
"Those artists are taking their pride to the next level," Marinette gasped. She pointed to a juggler. The man had taken seats from outdoor cafes to use in his act.
The real kicker was the people in the chairs. They had blank looks in their eyes as they yawned. One of them asked in a slow-motion voice what was going on."
"Wraith, pride, and sloth, three out of seven sins," Ning pointed out. "Shadowmoth is using what he learned from his experiments to bring out the worst of people."
Adrien remarked there was no doubt that Shadowmoth had done this to get an advantage over them. He pointed out that the team would have tried to defuse people, instead of fighting them.
Master Fu reiterated it was vital to get back to the apartment. The group tried to sneak away only for the brawlers to notice them. The wrathful group gave chase as they ran for their lives.
The heroes managed to lose the brawlers by ducking into a convenience store. That turned out to be a mistake. The customers inside were ransacking it as they fought over snacks and crossword puzzle books.
"Let's get out of here before they tried to take our clothes," Marinette suggested. They ran out of the store and managed to get five blocks closer to the apartment.
They only had ten blocks left when the ground began to shake. "What's happening, an earthquake?" Marianne asked frightfully.
"Worse, it's my fan club!" Adrien yelped. Indeed, it was a stampede of hundreds of twenty-something women and men. It wasn't hard to figure out what sin they had been infected with.
The group started running again as the stampede got closer to them. Ning clenched her teeth as grabbed something out of her pocket. When Marianne had bought the dress, she made sure it had pockets, knowing her daughter liked to always keep one of her tools handy.
What she pulled out was a small black orb. Pressing the button on top she turned around. "I really didn't want to use this." She pitched the orb into the middle of the crowd.
"Cover your ears!" she shouted at the teens. They did so just in time. The device went off. The lustful teenagers grabbed their ears and started to scream in pain.
The teenagers were astonished but kept their ears covered. Five minutes later, the sphere rolled back to Ning. She picked it up and pocketed it urging the group on.
They finally made it to the apartments. The Kwamiis threw confetti on the new couple while praising them. That stopped when they notice the serious look on everyone's faces.
"What's going on?" Honorra asked nervously.
Master Fu explained the situation frightening many of the Kwamiis. Some of them looked outside the window, watching as the citizens acted crazy.
"We're lucky no one in this building has been infected by the Akuma. By the way, what was that device you used back there, Ning?" Marinette asked.
The young woman reluctantly told them it was a prototype sound weapon to be used in riots. "The frequency it emits can only be heard by people under twenty-five. A government plan to use these too against unruly student protests."
Seeing what the device did to the fan club, it was no wonder Ning had been reluctant to use the device. The others decided to drop it for now and focus on Shadowmoth's attack.
"If this is a city-wide attack, we're going to need the whole team. That includes Alix and Juleka. Honorra, how many safe transformations are left?"
"Three! We can handle this provided we don't use my powers until the last minute."
Fluff also agreed that Alix shouldn't use her powers unless necessary.
Master Fu went to fetch the Miraculouses while Marianne calmed down the Kwamiis. Ning and the teens went to the guest room to change. It would be easier to disappear in their regular clothes should Tikki or Plagg need to recharge.
Peace Keeper stepped out, flicking her black hair behind her shoulders. She flexed her hands making sure the gloves were on tight. "The kids checked the news. The chaos is spreading, but it hasn't reached the school yet."
Marianne hoped they would evacuate the school so everyone had a chance to get to safety. "I think it would be best if everyone not helping return to their Miraculouses. The less strain on my husband's magic the better."
Master Fu was coming down the hallway with the team's Miraculouses. He ducked his head lower as the rest of the Kwamiis flew back to his bedroom to their boxes.
The teens put the needed Miraculous in their bags. "You two need to be extremely careful. We don't know how Shadowmoth's Akuma infects people. Once you have all your teammates, come up with a plan to defeat the Akuma."
Marinette turned to ask if Peace Keeper would cover them, but the young woman had vanished. A portal was closing on the floor where she had been standing. "Where did she go?"
Fu told them not to worry about it and go to their duty. Marinette took off from the back of the building and Adrien from the front. Once they were a few blocks away, they were able to transform.
At the school, Froggie-Sin was biking across the open courtyard. "School is boring." The Akuma rang his bike bell. At that moment the entire college staff was marked.
"Froggie-Sin says the grownups should stop teaching. It's snack time for everyone!" he laughed gleefully. To his delight, all the adults were heading to the cafeteria for a snack.
"Those big kids should thank me for helping them have fun. I'll give all the teachers in the schools a snack break. That way kids can play all day." He biked out of the courtyard and down the steps.
In the classrooms, the teenagers were puzzled by what had just occurred. Markov hacked into the school's security system and then steamed it to the entire school population.
The cafeteria was a huge mess. Trays and silverware littered the floor. Tables had been overturned as the adults descended upon the serving dishes.
Mr. Damocles wrestled a large tray of turkey burgers from the art teacher. Mr. Harpal was chowing on all the fruit he could find. Ms. Bustier was dancing with Ms. Mendeleiev as they fed each other brownies.
The student body felt disgusted and horrified by what they were witnessing. Those emotions quickly turned to fear as the entire school realized that an Akuma was behind this.
It was a mass exodus as the students rushed to get out of the school. People were pushing each other. Some students were shoved to the side.
The members of the Miraculous team were scattered both inside and outside. Each of them wondered if they should stay put if the heroes needed them.
Ladybug was the first to get to the school since Chat needed to get Viperion. Using her yo-yo's computer features, she zoomed in and saw Mireille hiding behind a pair of trashcans.
Mireille was debating if she should make a run for the door when she was hoisted into the air. The girl thrashed trying to get free. "Let me go!"
"Mireille, calm down," a familiar voice called out softly. The girl relaxed as Ladybug pulled her up to the roof.
"Shadowmoth has launched a city-wide attack. We need everyone's help if we're going to defeat him," the heroine stated. She held out the box, reminding her to head to the HQ.
Mireille nodded and quickly transformed. Street-Rat took off with Rena Rouge, Honeybee, and Eponia following behind her.
Chat and Viperion appeared outside the school. Viperion headed inside the school to give Juleka her Miraculous. He was relieved to find Max and Markov crouching near the steps.
"You know the drill, Max. Markov, sorry buddy but you need to get somewhere safe."
The little robot nodded and told his friends he would take shelter in Max's locker. He'd be safe from harm there. A few minutes later Sirius was hurrying across the city.
Carapace caught up with Sirius. "Yo dude, any thoughts on how to defeat this, Akuma?"
"None at the present. Hopefully, Ladybug and Chat Noir can give us more insight."
The two heroes took a roundabout route to the HQ. Without knowing where the Akuma was, they needed to be extremely cautious. When they got near the realtor's office, the heroes crouched on a nearby rooftop.
The employees were in the parking lot proudly sharing their accomplishments. Each storyteller tried to outdo the next one.
"Ugh, how are we going to get to the HQ if we can't get past these crazies?" Carapace huffed.
Sirius thought about the situation. They couldn't jump across the rooftops with the employees outside. There was a chance they would be seen. They couldn't go underground because there were no manholes nearby.
Approaching the building as civilians would reveal their identities to one another. Going around would take too long. He had a notion of what might work if Carapace was able to find what he needed.
"We need to distract them by breaking their cars," Sirius replied. Carapace looked at the other boy in horror. He held up his hands and assured the turtle that neither of them would go down there.
"According to my research, a good percentage of people take pride in their cars. If you can find something for me to hit, I can damage the cars slightly."
Carapace figured out the rest of the plan. He leaned onto the dog wielder. "They'll be focused on the damage to their cars. We can slip past and get into HQ. That's brilliant, bro."
Sirius blushed as he lightly shoved Carapace away. The turtle took off promising to be back soon. While he was gone, Sirius practiced swinging the bat.
Ten minutes later, Carapace arrived carrying three tubes of tennis balls. "I was lucky there was a sports store nearby. Picked up these from the backroom without being seen."
The packaging was quickly torn off as the boys took their positions. They were counting on their magical strength to aid them.
Carapace winded up and then pitched the first ball. Sirius clenched the bat and took a swing. The bat connected with the ball sending it flying into the back window of a parked car.
The employees in the parking lot stopped talking when they heard the glass shatter. Their eyes turned to their cars as another ball took off a side mirror. That was followed by a barrage of tennis balls damaging their cars.
As the employees ran to check on the damage, the two heroes slipped past them unseen. Once inside the HQ, they joined their teammates watching the broadcast.
Street-Rat greeted them warmly. "I'm pleased you guys were able to get here. The mob in the parking lot was a handful to deal with."
The boys nodded and asked if everyone was here yet. The girl shook her head. "I'm sure they'll be here soon. With any luck, they will be here shortly."
Honeybee piped up, "According to the news, there's still no word on where the Akuma is. Before Nadja succumbed to its influence, she mentioned people who are under eighteen are not affected."
Rene Rouge surmised the Akuma was a child based on this. It didn't narrow down the suspect list by much. Eponia mentioned that she witnessed civilians acting as if they were very young.
"It could mean the Akuma is a small child. Probably between the ages of 2 to 6. What else could help us narrow it down?" Sirius asked.
Everyone heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Viperion and Kkachi appeared. "I heard your discussion, and I'm pretty sure we're dealing with a boy and not a girl."
The others asked why he would think that. Kkachi replied for him. "From what we've seen, the sin of lust is much smaller than the others. While a little kid might not understand the difference," she said as she made her hands into a heart.
"Little girls from a young age believe that love is the most important thing in the world. Boys tend to gravitate towards the idea that they can take whatever they want at any time."
It was true that a large percentage of the adults were acting greedy or trying to outshine one another. Boys also do eat more food than girls.
Slowly, the rest of the team trickled into the HQ. When Ladybug and Chat Noir arrived, they didn't mince words.
Ladybug pointed at the tv screen which had a map displaying the affected areas. "The Akuma's influence is spreading further and further through the city. Given that this Akuma can induce adults to perform sinful acts, the danger to the city is staggering."
Chat Noir spoke up. "Shadowmoth created this Akuma to draw out the Celestial Guardian. He's gambling that we are not strong enough to end this attack without an assist."
The others understood the importance of keeping the Celestial Guardian safe. If Shadowmoth got ahold of him it would be the end of the world.
Henwen raised her hands and asked if Peace Keeper was going to help them out.
The two leaders assured her that Peace Keeper would be joining them, but she had important business to take care of first. When Henwen asked what that was Chat replied it was classified.
Ladybug asked the team what they had learned so far. Hearing their deductions, she turned to Sirius and Amalthea. "Can you both estimate where we're most likely to find the Akuma?"
The goat and dog promised to do their best. Using their heads, they managed to figure out where the epicenter of the attack was. Following the trajectory combined with the safer neighborhoods a child Akuma would travel through, they pinpointed the target area.
"The Akuma is likely near the Tour Montparnasse Tower," Sirius reported.
"Let's move out!" Chat Noir commanded.
As the heroes moved out, Peace Keeper was with Su-Han. The phone call from earlier was about a developing situation. Mr. Kama had to leave earlier than expected for another client. The warden of the prison had asked Peace Keeper's mission identity to bring the prisoner home a day early because of this.
That meant that Peace Keeper needed to come to the hotel and stay with Su-Han until their new flight left at six. The problem was that an Akuma attack had grounded the airplanes to keep passengers safe.
Peace Keeper was lucky the Akuma's influence hadn't reached the hotel yet, but it would soon. Peace Keeper tapped her mask to activate the magic filter. She looked out the window and frowned.
"This is not good. Shadowmoth's Akuma's influence is spreading faster than anticipated. It will be on us in mere minutes," she informed to Su-Han.
Peace Keeper and Su-Han locked eyes. He could see the fear in her eyes. She saw his determination and realized what he was going to say.
"NO! You don't have any magical protection! Besides, bringing you out in the open is exactly what Shadowmoth wants!"
He crossed his arms and responded sternly, "I'm not the person I was yesterday. I know I have gaps in my memories for a reason. Still, I have to help when I can."
He put his hands on her shoulders to silence any protest. "Your father is in danger. I gave him my role making him a target. I instinctively know it's too early for him to use his new powers."
"You'll be putting yourself at risk! You could die!"
The man stated if that was his fate then he accepted it. One life didn't matter if an entire city was at stake. Knowing he was right; she placed a simple protection spell on him.
The heroes had reached the Tour Montparnasse Tower. Kkachi with her special ability was the first to spot the Akuma. She pointed near the entrance of the tower.
"The Akuma's a little boy dressed up like a frog. He's riding around on a modified bike."
Barcello was the closest hero. He saw there were several adults in the area. "I'm going to get the adults out of the way. We will have a better chance if he doesn't have help around him."
Ladybug responded that was a good idea. She suggested that Blue-Ox help him. His big size would be useful.
Chat Noir said they needed to set up a perimeter to prevent any of the infected from entering the area. Amalthea, Eponia, Sumatran, and Carapace broke off to carry out that assignment.
As they got closer, Ladybug told Kkachi and Rene Rouge they were going to be lookouts. Shadowmoth had likely set up a trap for the heroes. Their job was to find it.
She then suggested they break into smaller teams to surround the Akuma. That way if one team used its powers, another was ready to help.
Street-Rat teamed up with King Monkey. They made their way to the south. Viperion and Bunnyx took the east, while Sirius and Henwen took the west.
Honeybee, Chat Noir, and Ladybug took the direct approach. They landed in front of the Akuma. Froggy-Sin was startled by their sudden appearance and nearly crashed the bike.
"Stop right there! I don't know who you are, but your attack is over!" Ladybug proclaimed.
Froggy-Sin laughed at them. "I'm Froggy-Sin and you must do whatever I want! I want you to give up your Miraculouses right now."
Chat Noir smirked and told Froggy-Sin said kids who don't do what they are told get scratched by a cat. The kid tried again and this time Honeybee told him off by saying if a frog ate a bee, he would be in a world of pain.
"Shadowmoth, my powers don't work on the heroes! What am I supposed to do?" the little kid whined.
"Don't worry, Froggy-Sin. For now, just play keep away."
The Akuma stuck out his tongue before peddling as fast as he could towards the heroes. That confused them wondering what he was thinking. Honeybee and Ladybug used their weapons to grab the bike's handlebars.
They pulled the bike forward as Froggy-Sin rolled off it. The bike's momentum caused it to smack into the two heroines. Chat Noir instinctively went over to see if the kid was okay.
As he leaned over, Froggy-Sin popped up and kicked the teen's shins. Chat started hopping on one foot. The Akuma made a wild grab for the Miraculous and missed.
The heroines were back up and coming after him so he ran away. "Na-nan-nah! You can't catch me you can't catch me!"
The heroes pursued him. They wonder if Shadowmoth had given the kid a speed boost because it was illogical how someone with shorter legs was outpacing them.
The Akuma sniggered as he ran further down the street. When he saw a parked car, he rolled under it. The kid had a hard time holding back his laughter as the heroes ran past the car.
He jogged back to his bike. Turning it upright, he got back on and started to ride to the west. This was the best game of keep-away ever!
He had only made a few blocks before his bike got stuck. He looked down and scowled. "Hey, what gives? Why is there gum on my wheel?"
"That's because of my bag of tricks," Henwen revealed as she came out of hiding. She grinned madly at the little Akuma. "Time for you to listen up! Manner…"
"I don't listen to girls! You should go shopping for dolls and tea party sets!" Froggy-Sin interrupted her. Just like before, his power didn't work, but his attitude caused Henwen to lose focus.
"Why you little freak! I'm too old for ow! That's my foot!" the heroine cried. Froggy-Sin had run over her foot with his bike. Blowing her a raspberry, he biked past her.
He was intercepted on the next block by Sirius. "What you're doing is very bad. I think you need a little, Discipline!"
The old saying, "you're stuck in the doghouse," was based on the dog Miraculouse's defensive power. A doghouse started to form around Froggy-Sin, trying to box him in.
The Akuma freaked out and jumped off his bike. The doghouse pursued the boy, ready to drop on top of him. The Akuma dashed inside a building with the magical doghouse following him.
A few minutes later, the Akuma rushed back out. There was no sign of the doghouse. Sirius tried to grab the Akuma, but the little guy rolled between the hero's legs. Getting back on his bike, he headed east.
He had made it six blocks when the wheels on his bike blew out. "What happened?" Froggy-Sin asked out loud. Peering at the wheels he saw a few nails in the wheel.
Froggy-Sin yelped as the nails melted away and zipped across the street. Bunnyx was collecting her metamorphic gel in its container. Viperion stepped forward strumming his harp.
"You look very tired. Why don't you take a rest little boy?" the snake wielder suggested. He began to play a lullaby hoping it would assist in putting the kid to sleep.
The Akuma started hollering how he wasn't sleepy. He was too big for naps and Viperion couldn't tell him what to do. The kid ran off heading south. "Are you ready to help me, Shadowmoth?"
Shadowmoth didn't reply. Instead, two teenagers did. They shouted, "Sounding Board!" and "Blocking!"
A row of big red XS blocked off one end of the street. There was nothing physical blocking the other end. Froggy-Sin ran for that end to escape.
As soon as he got within three feet, he covered his ears. Disembodied voices surrounded him. They were shouting out different ideas and it was overwhelming him.
The Akuma was trying not to cry as he stumbled around. He sensed someone coming towards him. Fearfully, he looked up to see a woman in a black and red uniform coming over.
"Leave me alone! Go bother someone else!" The woman paused for a few seconds then continued towards him.
She pinched a rat charm on her necklace and the voices quieted down. She gently picked the Akuma up and gave him a small hug. Peace Keeper let the boy cry.
"Feeling better?" she asked when the sniffling stopped. The Akuma nodded as set him down on the street. Peace Keeper kneeled so she was at his eye level.
"I'm going to guess you didn't like your parents telling you what to do, right?" The Akuma nodded while Peace Keeper gently gripped Nooroo's kwami charm. She was ready to react if Froggie-Sin attacked.
"Want to know a secret?" She leaned in and whispered into the Akuma's ear. She told him that when she was his age, she had at least thirty adults telling her what to do.
The Akuma's eyes widened upon hearing that. "Why did you have so many people telling you what to do?"
She smiled and explained she didn't have parents growing up. All she had was tutors, doctors, and trainers. "It wasn't fun listening to them tell me what to do. I was made they wouldn't let me have any fun."
"One day, I got hurt practicing my gymnastics. Suddenly, I was glad to have adults there telling me what to do. They knew just what to do to make certain I wasn't in pain."
Peace Keeper was amused as she persisted to speak. "Adults tell kids what to do because they care about their safety. It's important to listen to adults, and ask them to explain why they say no to something."
She tapped the boy's nose earning a giggle. "Will you let me take you to your parents?" The Akuma nodded so she picked him up and put him on her back.
That's when Shadowmoth took over the Akuma's body. Froggy-Sin's hands grabbed the necklace and started choking her with it.
Peace Keeper endeavored not to panic. Remembering her training tucked her head down and quickly shifted to the right. Froggy-Sin's grip loosened as he slid across her back.
Throwing her head back while she shifted to the left, caused the Akuma to slide completely off her back. "I need backup here now!"
The heroes moved in, watching in horror as three giant black armored faceless knights appeared. They had multiple spikes sticking out from their torsos, arms, and legs.
One of the protectors grabbed Peace Keeper off the ground. A second one snatched Froggy-Sin also. The third seemed to be waiting for someone.
Peace Keeper tried to wriggle out of the protector's grasp, but she was being held too tight. Froggy-Sin was demanding to know what the heck Shadowmoth was doing.
The two protectors slammed the Akuma and Peace Keeper together. The young woman let cried out in distress. Seven tendrils wrapped themselves around her legs, arms, torso and back, and face.
There were seven different colors representing the sins. Her right leg was sky blue, representing sloth. Her left leg was orange, representing wrath.
Her right arm was yellow representing greed, while her left was green representing envy. Her torso was pink corresponding to gluttony while her back was red which was associated with lust.
Her beautiful face was marred with purple tendrils. This represented pride. The tendrils dug deep into her skin as the sins manifested physical pain as she tried to fight them off.
That's when Shadowmoth recalled his akuma. Now, without any protection, Froggy was crying loudly. The protector pitched the boy across the city to the heroes' horror.
Carapace was about to go after the boy when the trio of protectors started speaking in Shadowmoth's voice. "Relinquish your Miraculouses now! Surrender the Celestial Guardian! If you don't, your ally will continue to be tortured!"
"You will never get our Miraculouses, Shadowmoth! We're the protectors of Paris! No matter the odds, we will defeat you!" Ladybug informed him. The rest of the team shouted their agreement.
"Then suffer the consequences of your choice. Strike-Backs, you know what to do."
One Strike-Back drove a spike into the sky-blue tendrils. Peace Keeper screamed as the pain slowly spread through her right leg. The agony was never-ending.
Peace Keeper focused on two kwami charms. She called on Longg and Wayzz's powers to form a shield around her leg. It blazed with energy as it attempted to push out the spike.
Suddenly, Ryuko and Carapace were down on the ground shrieking. They clutched their Miraculouses. The magic jewels were flashing, like how they would time out, but there were no beeps.
That's when the Strike-Back holding the young woman drove a spike through her left leg. The orange tendrils grew quickly as the leg became inflamed. Peace Keeper called on Daizzi and Pollen's power.
The protectors ignored Peace Keeper's commands before crushing the honeycomb covering her leg. Suddenly it was Henwen and Honeybee on the ground crying out.
Chat Noir snapped his fingers as he recognized what was happening. "Shadowmoth is using Peace Keeper to weaken us!" At the same time, Viperion, King Monkey, and Sumatran hit the ground.
Ladybug gestured for Chat to quickly explain. "The protectors are striking those tendrils to cause pain via a sin. When Peace Keeper uses her kwami charms to protect herself, the person wearing the corresponding Miraculous gets hurt as well due to the link between them."
The team gasped as the puzzle pieces came together. When the Strike-Backs drove their spikes into the tendrils, it created a link between Peace Keep and Shadowmoth.
When she activated a charm, the corresponding kwami was linked to Peace Keeper sharing her pain. The pain then spread to the wielders because of their bond with the Kwamiis!
The third Strike-Back's voice thundered across the city. "As you can see young heroes, the longer you resist me, the greater your distress. There is only one way to survive."
By now, all the heroes were on the ground screaming in agony. Ladybug and Chat Noir were trying to get back up with no success. Even without a face, the three Strike-Backs appeared smug.
"Instruct your Kwamiis to bless me with half their power and then have them bring me their Miraculouses. If you keep refusing then I'll have one Strike-Back destroy the city!"
Peace Keeper continued to squirm trying to break free. Nooroo's charm lit up and she felt her mind connect with Shadowmoth's.
The mindscape was divided in half. Shadowmoth's lair covered one half and Peace Keeper's bunker covered the other. The supervillain leered at the young woman, who was leaning against the astral couch for support."
"It's nice to chat once more with you, Peace Keeper. Nooroo wished to speak with you, but I convinced him it would be best if I did the talking."
Peace Keeper snapped back to ask if Shadowmoth had forgotten his vow about not harming Nooroo.
Shadowmoth replied he hadn't forgotten. It's the reason the kwami hadn't been brought into the mindscape.
"I won't kill you if you're wondering about it. No, I will bring you to the brink of death. You can sense it, can't you? The Kwamiis are already starting to give up some of their powers."
Peace Keeper looked up and saw balls of different colored lights floating toward her enemy. Raising his cane high, the balls of light entered the jewel. It was just like the ceremony from yesterday night.
"They won't give in to you! You don't have a genuine bond with the Kwamiis! Even if you have some of their power, you'll never wield it!"
Shadowmoth snorted at her. "Don't underestimate my cunning. I can and will have access to their powers! The only one who can stop this is the Celestial Guardian!"
"Don't count on it! I told him not to come no matter the circumstances!"
Shadowmoth leered at her. "Too late. He's already here." Snapping his fingers, the mindscape vanished as they returned to the real world.
Peace Keeper found herself back in the real world. Her brief respite had made her forget the unmeasurable amount of pain she was in. On the street below, the Miraculous team was starting to look worse.
Their Miraculouses were all glowing as the Kwamiis slowly released their power to Shadowmoth. Despite their wielders' cries to stop they refused to. None of the little gods could tolerate seeing their wielders in excruciating pain.
Ladybug, Chat Noir, and the team managed to lift their heads enough to see Su-Han ambling down the street. In his arms was Froggy, who was clutching tightly to the man's chest.
He set the boy down and whispered something in his ears. The little boy dipped his head and scampered over to Chat Noir. The Strike-Backs were puzzled by it only to refocus their attention on the monk.
"Ah, you've finally come out of hiding to save your precious heroes. Care to surrender now?"
Su-Han calmed his beating heart and held his head high. He didn't need magic to bluff. Shadowmoth was a coward and a bully. He could handle him.
He clapped his hands and gave an exaggerated bow. "Congratulations. A coward like you manage to bully a group of teenagers. You must be very proud."
The Strike-Backs in unison yelled, "What did you say?!"
"I'm only pointing out the obvious. You're a full-grown man who needs to pick on teenagers to feel good about yourself. Especially, because you are too frightened to confront them directly, so you use patsies instead."
The protectors bristled at the implication. "I am not a coward! I created the perfect Akuma to draw the heroes out! All I had to do was use a protector to torment them and you came out!"
Su-Han rolled his eyes and replied of course he would come out now. Someone had to discipline Shadowmoth for throwing a temper tantrum. His antics were getting on everyone's nerves.
Su-Han held his ground as the third Strike-Back leaned over to grab him. Right before it could the man attacked. He didn't need magic to fight the protector.
He remembered his martial arts training. His muscles held the memories of his speed and strength. Strike-Back couldn't lay a finger on him as he ran up its arm.
The heroes watched as the former Celestial Guardian gracefully jumped from arm to arm. He used the spikes as protection while enjoying the pain they caused the monsters.
With a giant leap, he smashed his fist against the protector's face. His body must still have a few drops of magic because the punch destroyed the protector. Su-Han managed to land on his feet with minimal impact on his legs.
The Strike-Back that had been driving its spikes through Peace Keeper broke off the attack. In one swift movement, it caught the man. In his lair, Shadowmoth beamed!
"You've lost today, Celestial Guardian! It's time for a new Celestial Guardian and it's me!" Shadowmoth's elated voice came out of the Strike-Back.
The protector drove its spikes into the monk's body. Su-Han roared as blood trickled from his wounds. Shadowmoth anticipated any second now, the Celestial Guardian's powers would be his!
A minute went by and he still felt the same. Why didn't feel any different? Where was the immense rush of power?
"What have you done? Where is your magic?!"
Despite the pain, Su-Han managed to grin. "I've already passed it on. Now!"
Chat Noir, who had been dragged over to the protector's foot by Froggy, concentrated on his new power. His suit changed as his claws glowed green. "Jinx!"
The green claw marks spread across the Strike-Back's body. The creature glowed green for a few seconds. Then vanished as Shadowmoth appeared in its place. The last Strike-Back dissolved as the time limit passed.
Peace Keeper fired a grabbling line from her wrist. It sank into a building as she swung down. Her boots sprung tiny spikes allowing her to stop from splattering on the building.
She then adjusted the line so it lowered her down. Pulling out her rope dart, she joined the others as the Miraculous team formed a barrier around Shadowmoth.
Each member was ready to use their powers as Ladybug called forth her Lucky Charm. A pair of scissors landed in her hands. Her brain figured out what to do. "Hit him with everything you got!"
Honeybee, Rene Rouge, and Carapace attacked first. Using his cane, Shadowmoth took out the girls' attack before using it to hop out of the way of Shell-Guard.
Sirius, Henwen, and Sumatran followed them up. Shadowmoth kept out of Sirius's reach. When Henwen opened her mouth to speak he punched her in the diaphragm. The wielder of the pig fell as she tried to breathe.
Sumatran tried to use his power to summon a big eraser. Shadowmoth cut him off by using Raging Call. The high-pitched screaming blew his concentration and the hero was tossed away.
Epona, Barcello, and Blue-Ox moved in to attack. They were blinded by Regal Shimmer forcing them to fall back.
Viperion, Street-Rat, and Amalthea charged him from the front. Behind him, Ryuko, Bunnyx, and Kkachi also moved in to attack.
"You children are so predictable," Shadowmoth said in a condescending tone. He pulled the sword out of the cane. He eyed Ryuko and lunged for her.
Ryuko blocked the stick sword with her own. The blades impacted one another as Shadowmoth pushed his attack forcing the foil upwards. The dragon wielder fought to disengage Shadowmoth.
Grinning madly, Shadowmoth lowered his sword hastily. Ryuko's weapon started coming down. With a swift upward swing, Ryuko's weapon was shattered.
He then spun around while performing a series of sword techniques. The other wielders looked at their damaged weapons in disbelief.
Viperion's harp strings were sliced in half while Street-Rat's jump rope was in pieces on the street. Amalthea's bident was missing its head. Bunnyx's morphogenic gel was draining into the sewers. Kkachi's saber had been smashed at the hilt.
Chat Noir and King Monkey activated their powers. Knowing he couldn't block those attacks, Shadowmoth activated Nooroo's defensive power, Chrysalis. King Monkey's attack bounced off and Cataclysm didn't do a thing.
Ladybug approached with her spotted scissors. Shadowmoth had to be at the end of his rope. All she had to do was wait for the defensive power to run out so she could cut the Miraculouses off Shadowmoth's suit.
Peace Keeper was hurrying after Ladybug, to assist her with the capture. She had almost caught up when she felt a strong flair of the Butterfly Miraculouses magic.
"Get down!" she shouted as she pinned the spotted heroine on the ground. At that exact second, an explosion went off as Chrysalis broke apart. Something flew out of the smoke and into the sky.
Though they couldn't see him they all heard Shadowmoth's voice. "Ladybug and Chat Noir, you may have stopped my attack, but you're weaker than when you started. I now have access to all the Kwamiis' powers and I will use them to win this war!"
A silhouette of a grown man with a pair of giant butterfly wings soared away from the fight. His words had sent a chill down the heroes' spines. What did Shadowmoth mean he had access to the Kwamiis' powers?
Ladybug glanced at Peace Keeper. The young woman had taken off her charm necklace to look directly at the charms. Her face went pale and she was mouthing the same word over and over.
Despite only having two minutes left, Ladybug had to know what was going on. "Peace Keeper? What is going on."
Slowly, Peace Keeper looked away from the charm necklace at Ladybug. Her eyes roamed over the other teenagers, who had identical expressions.
"Shadowmoth managed to achieve his goal. The Kwamiis' magic, it's been drained nearly in half. He must have created his own version of the Kwami Charms. He now has access to their powers."
Everyone comprehended the repercussions. The man had acquired the entire team's powers. By combining these powers with what he already had, not to mention being an adult, then he was almost invincible.
Pushing those thoughts away from now, Ladybug tossed the scissors into the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!" It took a little longer than usual but eventually, the whole city was fixed. People went back to acting like themselves.
Ladybug instructed the team to go back to the HQ. She and Chat Noir would join them after a quick conversation with Peace Keeper.
They managed to get to the sewers before their timers ran out. Marinette and Adrien were anxious as they fed their Kwamiis. "How bad is the situation?"
"Terrible, absolutely terrible," Plagg moaned. He took another bite of cheese and then looked at his wielder. "Thankfully, Tikki and I, are more resilient than the others."
"He didn't gain a drop of our powers. Because we're the oldest Kwamiis we could handle the torturing pain without giving in. Our "siblings" and "cousins" were unable to and gave up about 47% of their magic," Tikki added.
Peace Keeper grimaced upon hearing that. "With their power greatly weakened, some of the Miraculous abilities are inaccessible. What wielders can use will only be half as powerful as it should be."
Her message was clear. They couldn't call upon the other heroes until they restored the Kwamiis' powers. They had to find out what Shadowmoth had used as a substitute for the charms. Then take them and heal the Kwamiis.
Peace Keeper looked at her watch. "I'm sorry, but I can't join you at HQ. I need to get Su-Han back to jail tonight without delay."
The teenagers nodded in understanding. They thanked Su-Han for his help, and he wished them the best. Then the duos ran in the opposite direction.
Later that night, Marinette, and Adrien snuck out to visit Master Fu and Marianne. Once the Miraculouses were secure, Master Fu took a deep breath and sighed.
"This is not how I expected my first day as the Celestial Guardian to go." He looked at the floor dejectedly.
"If Master Su-Han had still been the Celestial Guardian then…."
Marianne put her finger to his lips. "Shadowmoth still would have come out on top. His experiments have gotten a few steps ahead of everyone for now. Our side will overcome him soon enough."
Marianne's words calmed her husband down. Everyone looked out the window at the city. The next move was Shadowmoth's. No matter what it was, the Miraculous heroes were determined to come out on top.