Looks like Ladybug found a loophole in Hawk Moth's game!
Chapter 3: Behind the Mask
"How do you know Volpina is going to Hawk Moth's lair?" Cat Noir asked Ladybug as they followed the akumatized villain from a safe distance.
"Think about it," Ladybug replied. "Hawk Moth gave us a similar message at the Eiffel Tower when Stoneheart captured Mylène. But the purpose of that message was to intimidate us. This time, Hawk Moth's message implies that he wants us to find him. Even if we win his little Hide and Seek challenge, he will still get what he wants- to meet us in person."
"But why does he want to meet us in person?" Cat Noir asked.
"I don't know," Ladybug admitted. "But whatever the reason, this may be our toughest battle yet."
Cat Noir chuckled. "Well, we won't go out without a fight," he swung his staff around as he leaped from one rooftop to another.
Ladybug and Cat Noir followed Volpina, aware of time ticking away. Volpina didn't attack anyone, but she was taking the longest possible route to Hawk Moth's lair.
"My lady," Cat Noir eventually spoke up. "We have only five more minutes to find the lair."
Ladybug sighed. This wasn't going as planned. Maybe she was wrong about Volpina's involvement in Hawk Moth's game. She was about to admit defeat when she noticed something.
"Volpina!" Ladybug cried. "She's gone." The false fox had completely vanished.
"No she hasn't. Look!" Cat Noir pointed to a building off in the distance. Volpina could barely be seen as she stood on the top of a large building. She appeared to be playing her flute as she tried to get into a cupola at the top of the building.
"Come on!" Ladybug cried, suddenly feeling reinvigorated. Cat Noir followed her has she hurried to the building.
"I've never seen this building before," Cat Noir asked once they reached the roof.
"Volpina must be disguising the actual building with her illusions so that we can't figure out where we are," Ladybug guessed. "Listen, you can still hear her flute music."
Cat Noir listened, then nodded. Volpina's music could be heard above them. Unfortunately for two heroes, Volpina had vanished for good this time. "Two minutes, my lady."
Ladybug looked above her at the cupola. She knew that Volpina was trying to get in there when Ladybug last saw her.
Ladybug jumped up to the base of the cupola. Completely by chance, she touched a tile on the base… and it opened as a trapdoor.
"Less that a minute! What now, my lady?" Cat Noir asked frantically. Ladybug tapped his shoulder. Cat Noir turned around. "Oh…"
"Come on," Ladybug said. Using her yoyo as a grappling hook to pull herself up through the trapdoor, Ladybug soon found herself in a small, circular room. Cat Noir soon followed by extending his staff. As soon as the two landed on the solid floor, the flute music stopped and the trapdoor closed.
Ladybug looked around. There wasn't much to look at. There were dozens of dozens of butterflies fluttering around the room. In front of Ladybug and Cat Noir, was a giant window, bringing in light from the Paris day.
Standing in front of the window, haloed in the light, stood Hawk Moth. His back was to the two heroes. "Ladybug and Cat Noir," Hawk Moth spoke. "I see you have found my lair."
Ladybug noticed Volpina standing to the side, a smirk on the vixen's face.
"However," Hawk Moth turned until he was facing Ladybug and Cat Noir. Ladybug noted that Hawk Moth was holding a cane in both hands. "I also see that you have cheated in our little game. As per our agreement, I must take both your Miraculous'."
"What are you talking about?" Ladybug asked furiously.
"You found my lair by following Volpina, did you not?" Neither hero denied it. "Our agreement states that you had to seek what is hidden. You were not supposed follow someone to what is hidden. Therefore, you have cheated."
"You're the one who cheated!" Cat Noir cried suddenly. He ran at Hawk Moth, swinging his staff furiously.
Smirking, Hawk Moth placed one hand behind his back. With his cane in the other hand, Hawk Moth began to sword fight with Cat Noir. Cat Noir fought furiously, fueled by anger. Hawk Moth fought skillfully, disarming Cat Noir of his staff almost instantly.
The moment Cat Noir was rendered weaponless, half the butterflies in the room swarmed together. The swarm rammed into Cat Noir, pressing him against the back wall at an incredible speed.
"Cat Noir!" Ladybug cried. Just then, the rest of the butterflies forced Ladybug to the wall, holding her next to Cat Noir.
As Ladybug and Cat Noir struggled, Hawk Moth walked confidently toward the captive heroes.
"At last," Hawk Moth breathed. He leaned towards Ladybug and removed her earrings. "The power of creation…"
With her Miraculous removed, Ladybug reverted back to Marinette. At that moment, Marinette noticed Cat Noir smiling excitedly at her. He probably remembers me from that time with the Eviillustrator, Marinette thought.
Tikki suddenly appeared next to Hawk Moth. "Remember, Marinette, I believe in you!"
Hawk Moth then leaned in to take off Cat Noir's ring. "…And the power of destruction." As Marinette watched, Cat Noir's costume melted away… revealing Cat Noir to be Adrien Agreste.
Adrien turned his head toward Marinette. "Hello, my lady."
Marinette couldn't speak. A thousand thoughts fought in Marinette's head. This wasn't right. This was wrong. Adrien couldn't be Cat Noir! They couldn't be more different.
But one thought rose above the rest.
"Trust the one you love, even when he seems false."
Remembering Master Fu's first pearl of wisdom was the jolt that snapped Marinette back to reality. No matter how wrong the idea of Adrien as Cat Noir was, it was nothing compared to the situation at hand.
So Marinette took a deep breath and refocused her attention to Hawk Moth. She could worry about the Adrien/Cat Noir oddity later.
But Hawk Moth appeared to be just as shocked about Cat Noir's identity as Marinette was, if not more so. The villain's face was contorted with fury.
"This is unacceptable!" Hawk Moth bellowed. He pointed a finger at Adrien. "You cannot be Cat Noir!"
"Well, I am Cat Noir," Adrien smirked. "You're just going to have to get used to seeing my face without the mask."
Hawk Moth glared at Adrien. Then he did something unexpected. He placed a hand to his brooch and said "Nooroo. Release me."
Marinette and Adrien gaped at Hawk Moth as his civilian identity was revealed to them. For neither hero was prepared to meet the villain behind the mask.