Cat Noir gasped when Nino disappeared from view. His heart pounded in his chest, and for the first time since this whole ordeal started, real fear dripped over him like ice water.

"Don't worry," Princess Justice said, reading his expression. "He's fine." She shrugged as she twirled her staff idly. "The punishment must match the crime, and I'm afraid death is not the correct punishment."

Cat Noir relaxed. He had forgotten her whole akumatization was based on justice. She wouldn't do anything unfair, but where did that leave him? He hadn't done anything to hurt her, had he? Or did his mere existence mean he was getting in her way and deserved punishment?

"I suppose it's time for you to fight me now." He swallowed. He didn't want to hurt her, and besides, he didn't have his cataclysm anymore. He would transform back soon, and then she would take his miraculous and Hawk Moth would win.

Even with his cataclysm, he wasn't sure if he could beat her, not without Ladybug. Marinette certainly was the toughest villain he had ever faced, aside from Hawk Moth himself.

Princess Justice tossed her head back, letting out a mirthless chuckle. "Oh no, I don't want to fight you."

Cat Noir blinked. "You don't?" His voice squeaked, and he cleared his throat. "Is it because you know you couldn't best me?" He crooked a grin and wiggled his eyebrows up and down, trying to disguise how relieved he was at the admission.

Her smile fell, and the disgusted look that passed over her face made him cringe internally. "Don't make me regret my decision," she muttered.

"Sorry." Cat Noir cleared his throat and passed a hand over his face, checking how much time he had left as he did so. Two minutes. "Why don't you want to fight me?"

"You'd done nothing to me." She shrugged. "I can't enact justice on someone who has broken no laws."

He licked his teeth. "Oh really?" He took a deep breath. So his earlier conclusion had been correct. Unless . . . "This is some sort of trick," he said slowly. "Hawk Moth is doing this so I trust you. Then you can take my miraculous and give it to him."

Princess Justice scoffed. "I'm hurt, Cat Noir. Do you really think I'd have to pull such a low trick to take your miraculous?" She glanced pointedly at the defeated Alya. "Besides, I cannot lie."

"You can't?" Cat Noir's eyes widened. That was new. A villain's powers didn't normally limit themselves.

"No. Justice is rooted in the truth." Princess Justice's eyes widened as the purple mask came over her features once again, just as it had before she had imprisoned Adrien in her cage.

Cat Noir tensed. Despite his better judgement, he trusted that Princess Justice was telling the truth. But Hawk Moth had firm control over his victims, and they always listened when he spoke. He would have to be ready, because after the communication, Princess Justice would be sure to turn on him once again.

"What are you doing, Princess Justice?" Hawk Moth asked. He sounded annoyed, and Princess Justice smirked at the sound. She liked annoying him.

"I'm carrying out my plan," she said simply. She wouldn't tell him what it was of course, but it was fun to watch him squirm.

"Grab his miraculous, now! Or I'll take away your powers."

She imagined Hawk Moth in his lair, wherever it was, glaring into space and yelling angrily, and the scene made her laugh out loud. She didn't try to stifle the laugh, knowing it would get a reaction from him.

"Why are you laughing? I control you and your powers. Don't think I would hesitate." His voice was slowly getting higher, a sign that she was getting to him.

Abruptly, she stopped laughing. "How cute," she snarled. "The moth thinks he can control me." She grinned and directed the next part inward, where only Hawk Moth could hear it. It was easy to control the communication once you knew how it worked. Unfortunately for him, the three miraculouses she now held made the task easy. "Little does he know, the ladybug is stronger than the moth," she whispered.

By his silence, she knew he had heard it and understood what she was implying. She allowed herself a small smile. It felt good to reveal herself at last.

Out loud, so Cat Noir could hear it, she said, "Guess what, Hawk Moth? I'm nobody's puppet." She closed her eyes, directing the power from the miraculouses she held and the powers Hawk Moth had given her into a shield between them. Their connection severed, and the purple mask shattered into a million pieces, disappearing immediately.

Hawk Moth stumbled backward in his lair, his ears ringing. Covering his ears with his hands, he shook his head in disbelief.

"What happened, sir?" Nathalie asked from behind him, her customary clipboard in hand.

He ignored her and reached out with his powers, attempting to find the errant girl and bring her under his control once again, but it was as if she had never existed. Even his akuma had disappeared from his view.

"She broke out of my control," Hawk Moth finally answered, letting his cane drop to the ground as his head ached from the exertion of his abilities. He couldn't believe the girl had been powerful enough to block his powers from functioning correctly. He had never heard of such a thing before.

"How is that possible?" Nathalie asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"She's Ladybug," he whispered. "She has two other miraculouses now."

Nathalie stared at him in shock. "You . . . You found Ladybug?"

"I didn't just find her, I akumatized her." He turned back to the window, staring out over the city of Paris. "She's more powerful than I ever could have imagined."

"What will she do now that she has broken free?"

Hawk Moth shook his head. "I don't know. We'll just have to see."