Chapter 3, originally posted on Independence Day of 2020! The climactic duel, Ladybug and Cat Noir versus Dragonus! Slight Lukanette and Ladynoir (which the first doesn't go anywhere, but I did predict a Lukanette movie scene which came to be in Truth, so ha!)

Chapter 3

Dragonus

Sunday morning. Nine o'clock. Andrew was strumming his guitar absently, thinking of what the plan for today was. Vorath was floating around the room like he was pacing.

"Are you sure that's in tune?" the kwami asked for the tenth time as Andrew struck an A chord.

"It's a little off, but I can't get it perfect. I misplaced my tuner," he explained. Vorath sighed and began rummaging through the desk drawers, finally pulling a black tuner from the topmost drawer.

"Here it is. That A chord is getting annoying," he said. Switching to a G chord just to be petty, Andrew started to think. The heroes show up for villain attacks. While that is probably the best way to draw them out, I'm trying to refrain from going all out at first. Maybe something a little less dramatic?

"Andrew!" his father called. "Can you come here, please?"

"Yeah, Dad! Be down in a minute!" he called back. Returning his guitar to its case, Andrew opened his pocket for Vorath to fly into. He made his way downstairs.

Everett Hendrol was waiting in the foyer. "What's up?" Andrew asked.

"I'm going out to find a location for the motor plant. I'm expecting this'll be an all day trip," his father said. Upon noticing his son's down expression, he asked the one question Andrew was dreading. "Did you have plans?"

"Yeah, I wanted to go play minigolf with you today," Andrew said, trying to make up a convincing lie. Everett put a hand on his son's shoulder.

"I promise you, next Saturday, I'll be free. We can play then," he said. "Bet I can keep up my winning streak!"

"It was only two games, Dad. Clover and I can still beat you anyday. We were going easy on you," Andrew replied, smiling. "Right, Clover?" Everett's assistant nodded.

"Speaking of which, Clover is coming with me today. Think you can keep yourself entertained?"

Andrew smirked internally. "Yeah, Dad. I can."

His father smiled and gave him a hug. "I'll see you by dinnertime," he said. The two adults left the house. Vorath flew out of Andrew's pocket.

"So, are we going to have fun?" the kwami asked. Andrew considered for a moment. "First, I need to do something." He walked back up to his room.

"Vorath, Dragon Up!" Andrew cried. His kwami was sucked into his ring, and the insignia lit up. Striking the ground with his right fist, gold energy pooled at his feet. When he pointed his arms up in a Superman pose, the energy traveled up his body, replacing his shoes, pants, and shirt with the boots and gold bodysuit of Dragonus, excluding his arms. Crossing his arms right over left, then straightening them, gold energy traveled along the arms, covering them and forming Dragonus's cuffs and clawed gloves. Circling his shoulder blades, his wings materialized in a flash of gold. Spinning around brought the tail into existence. His helmet formed over his head, and the visor and mouthplate closed over his face. His double bladed sword formed in his right hand, then spun around before being pointed at a forty-five degree angle towards the floor.

Dragonus went to his desk, and opening a secret panel on the side, he took a vial which held a hair and a fingernail clipping, as well as a bit of dead skin. Another vial held a small sample of his own blood from after a papercut. Taking the contents of the first vial, he condensed his nanobots around them. The bots then began to create a body from the items. A body that looked like Andrew Hendrol, dressed in jeans, T-shirt, gray socks, and a hoodie. Dragonus smirked, and poured the blood sample into the small opening on the doppelganger's arm. The nanobots closed the opening and replicated the sample, creating a flow of blood. Finally, Dragonus took a small potted plant he had bought earlier. Having inherited his mother's skill for plants, the thing was very nearly dead, so Dragonus absorbed the lifeforce from that, and made copies of his memories, and transferred the lifeforce and memories into the clone. The clone gasped as it - he - awoke. The Andrew clone didn't freak out when he saw Dragonus, because in a way, he was Dragonus.

"Hello, me," the clone said.

"THAT'S your plan? Make a clone of you!?" Vorath asked in his head. "It's a great idea."

"Don't move," Dragonus said, ignoring Vorath. He ran a hand through the clone's hair. That felt real. He put his hand on the clone's arm. That also felt real. He checked the clone's pulse. Yes. His attempt worked.

The clone spoke up. "What do you want me to do, boss?"

"Ok, for now I'm gonna call you Double, but whenever I am out, you will answer to whoever calls for Andrew Hendrol. Got it?" Dragonus asked.

Double nodded. "So, you want me to hang out here?"

"Yeah, do that. Don't do anything stupid or crazy or what I wouldn't do as my civilian self," Dragonus explained.

"If our friends call and ask if I want to hang out, should I say I can't?" Double asked.

Dragonus nodded. "Say Dad's out and you're holding down the fort." Double nodded.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I read about these monks in Japan who can manipulate elements. I'm gonna use the Horse Miraculous power to teleport over there, but first…" Dragonus paused as he paused time, then opened the portal to the monastery.

There were six in the temple, each sitting on a cushion. Each of the six sat under an elemental symbol. Earth, Fire, Water, Air, Ice, and Lightning. Dragonus absorbed each of the six's powers. Satisfied, he opened the portal back to home, went through, closed it, and resumed time. One of the monks opened an eye, then returned to meditation.

"You paused time again, didn't you?" Double asked. Dragonus nodded. "Already got the powers. Open a window for me, will you?" Double opened one of the windows. "See you later," Double said.

"Count on it," Dragonus replied. "Mirage." An illusion covered him as Dragonus flew out the window. "Close it." Double closed the windows, then rolled his eyes. "Not even a single 'thank you.'"

Marinette was working in the bakery with her parents when her phone buzzed in her pocket. Normally, they weren't very busy on Sundays, but there was a large order that was being picked up in an hour.

"Who's that?" her father asked.

"Alya," she replied. "She wants to know if I can come over."

"Go ahead, sweetie. We'll take care of things here. You've been a big help," her mother said, smiling. "Be sure to clean up."

Ten minutes later, Marinette was at Alya's apartment. "What's the scoop?" Marinette asked.

"Juleka called. She said that a new movie's out and she, Rose, and Luka want to see it. Then I said that you could go along with me and Nino, just the six of us," Alya replied.

"Is this like a date? C'mon, Alya, you know Luka's just a friend," Marinette said. Alya raised an eyebrow. "A friend who's into you, girl! C'mon, it'll be fun. What else is there to do today?"

"Now that I think about it, it has been really quiet. Only one villain. But the last time we went to the movies, Paris was flooded," Marinette said. Again, Alya raised an eyebrow. "Maybe not as a date, but as a fun, friend get-together."

"What time?" Marinette relented. Alya checked her phone. "Ten fifty now; about forty minutes."

Adrien was at home, absentmindedly playing his piano while Plagg snoozed on the bench beside him. Adrien accidentally hit the wrong key, causing Plagg to wake up.

"Y'know kid, if you wanna act crazy on the piano, try not to wake me up," the kwami complained tiredly.

"Sorry Plagg, I was just thinking. Father's been acting weirdly this weekend. When I got home Friday, he gave me a big hug. He's never been much of a hugger," Adrien said.

"What can I say, you humans are strange."

"Yesterday, he didn't put up much of a fuss when I said I wanted to see some friends. And today, he said he canceled my photoshoots for the weekend. This is all so strange," Adrien continued. At that moment, Gabriel came into Adrien's room. Plagg hid under the piano.

"Adrien, you can stop with the piano for today. I think you've done plenty," he said, a rare warmth in his eyes.

"Why? Is something wrong with it?" Adrien asked. He was on edge now. First canceled photoshoots, now this? Was his father being possessed or something?

"You can have the rest of the day to do what you want," Gabriel said. He put a hand on his son's shoulder. "I know I don't say this enough, but Adrien, you are everything good I have left. If it weren't for you, I would have given up on the business long ago. Everything I do, while it may not be enjoyable, or pleasant, or even nice, I do it to make sure you're ready for the world. I'm honestly afraid of what could happen out there, let alone the supervillain attacks. I can't lose you, too," Gabriel finished. He played a few melancholic notes on the piano, but they transitioned into some lighter ones. "I'll be having dinner with you tonight." He left the room.

Adrien stared blankly into space for a few minutes. Plagg flew out from under the piano. "So, I guess you're your father's everything. At least he's being nicer to you this weekend," he said.

"He really does care about me," Adrien said quietly, almost as if he hadn't heard Plagg's words.

Gabriel returned to his sitting room, humming absently to himself. Ever since Dragonus attacked him, he was almost sure the new villain in town would come and kill him. He certainly came close. Gabriel decided to let Adrien have his fun for the weekend. If Dragonus would indeed come to finish him, at least he would die knowing he had tried to be kind. Nathalie walked in.

"Sir, the suppliers are having a problem getting the latest line to stores," she told him. Upon noticing that he was thinking, she put a hand on his shoulder. "If Dragonus wished to kill you when he attacked, he would have done so."

"I know, I know. But perhaps he is waiting for me to realize what I have done. That I've been a terrible father for too long. That I've been going about this the wrong way," Gabriel said.

Nooroo floated up to his face. "You certainly have changed. Are you going to renounce me?" he asked.

"No, not yet," Gabriel said. "Unless I am attacked in my own lair again, I won't give up." He checked his watch. Eleven fifteen. "Perhaps Adrien would like to see a movie."

Marinette arrived at the cinema at around eleven fifteen. Her friends were there, as well as Luka. The group paid their admission and headed into the theater.

Five minutes later, a silver car pulled up to the same cinema. Adrien and Gabriel Agreste got out of the car, and bought their tickets for the back row. Neither of the two realized that the other was there.

The movie was some sci-fi story about a doomsday portal and betrayal. "No one should have to make that choice," Luka muttered. Marinette agreed. Her hand found his when the protagonist's love interest finally admitted her feelings to the man, and he saved her from the portal's vacuum grip. The movie ended happily, the two became a couple, and Marinette finally started to see how Luka might be a good partner.

"The last time I saw a movie like that, I wasn't much older than you, Adrien," Gabriel said as the credits rolled. "Maybe a year or two of difference."

"Didn't you see those big superhero movies like everyone else?" Adrien asked. Gabriel nodded. "Those weren't like this. Those times, I wasn't with you," he said warmly.

Dragonus had been circling the perimeter of downtown for a while at this point. He left around ten, and now it was one. He had de-transformed to buy himself a light lunch - using cash so he couldn't be traced - but he was still bored.

"When are those heroes going on patrol?" he asked aloud.

"Maybe you should draw them out," Vorath said.

"What do you suggest, oh mighty lord of brilliance?" Dragonus asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Vorath didn't seem to notice. "If your draconites are replicating, you should have enough to make a giant version of your head, like in that one movie."

"That's not a bad idea, actually. I might have a better way to present it, though," Dragonus said, his eyes narrowing behind his visor. "This is where the fun begins…"

Marinette was walking out of the cinema hand in hand with Luka. Alya gave a slight smile. Juleka seemed happy, too. Her brother had always put on a smile, even in the darkest of times. This was one of the many that seemed real. He was really good at making others feel better.

"So, you wanna get ice cream?" Marinette asked. Everyone agreed.

"How about we get some ice cream, Adrien?" Gabriel asked. Adrien nodded in agreement. "I think Andre Glacier was by the Eiffel Tower last. Let's check there." The Gorilla nodded, and drove the father and son off.

Both groups had found and were enjoying Andre's ice cream when the portal opened in the Tower's midsection. The portal itself was a dark gold, flickering with black fire and red lightning. Nearly a thousand small golden dragon creatures flew from it. The dragons were lighter gold than the portal. They circled in a swarm until they formed a head. A near featureless head, with a blank flat surface for a face and three spikes sticking off the back. Then a group of the dragons turned black and another portion under the black group turned silver. The civilians around the area ran away screaming.

Gabriel Agreste gasped involuntarily. He recognized the face. No, he thought. It can't be.

Marinette also gasped. Not because she recognized the face, but because of what the head was made from. The dragon creatures, she thought. They replicated, like akumas!

"Get us out of here! Quickly!" Gabriel shouted to the Gorilla, who drove them out of the area so fast, it nearly caused an accident.

"Get out of here! Go! I'll catch up with you later!" Marinette yelled. Her friends nodded and fled. Marinette ran to a dark corner. "Problem, Tikki! Big problem!"

Tikki looked down. "Marinette, I have to tell you something," she said quietly.

"There's no time! You can tell me later. Now we have to deal with this!" Marinette said. "Tikki, Spots On!"

"Are you okay, Father? You're tense," Adrien said, concerned.

"I'm fine. Just panicked," Gabriel replied. "Go to your room. Hide there." Adrien nodded.

"I hope we do hide," Plagg said when they arrived.

"Since when are you a scaredy cat?" Adrien asked. "Plagg, Claws Out!" Cat Noir leaped out of the open window.

The two heroes stood at the base of the Eiffel Tower.

"Whoa, this brings me back to the beginning," Cat Noir said to his partner. "That portal kind of looks like the one from a movie I saw today." Ladybug was about to reply when the head spoke.

"People of Paris! Listen closely! I am Dragonus!" the head said.

"Dragonus?" the two heroes asked. Back at the mansion, Gabriel was in his study, watching from a tablet. A fear unlike any other gripped his entire body.

"Your protectors have something I want. If they hand them over, I will leave your city alone. If not, then prepare for a world of pain and hurt! The wrath of the strongest of the Dark Miraculous!" Dragonus's visage declared.

"What do you want, Dragonus?" Ladybug asked. She was extremely confused, but she did her best to hide it.

"Give me the Miracle Box. Or I'll pry it from your cold, defiant hands."

Cat Noir scoffed. "What can you do? You're just a head."

The head snarled, and returned into the portal, which closed. "Reality," Dragonus said softly, as he landed below where his draconites formed his face.

"I am the REAL Dragonus!" the villain boomed. He drew his wicked sword from his back. Igniting the red energy, he pointed the sword at his foes. "If you are not foolish, you will relinquish the Miracle Box and your Miraculouses."

Cat Noir grinned. "Well, m'lady, I guess we're fools." He drew his staff and extended it to fighting length.

Ladybug spun her yoyo, the speed and energy forming a red circle. "Know this, Dragonus! Cat Noir and I swore to protect this city from evil like you! We will never hand over the Box!"

"We're not afraid of you or your snicker-snacking sword, Jabberwocky!" Cat Noir yelled.

Dragonus smirked behind his mouthplate. "Then you will fall braver than most," he said softly, yet his words echoed across the cityscape.

He took to the air, flying from his position and came crashing down right in front of the two heroes. Spinning his double ended sword into a circle of energy and metal, he threw it at them. The two heroes dodged as the blades cleaved a hole into the pavement. Dragonus extended his hand and his sword quickly returned. Cat Noir got behind the villain, attempting to knock him unconscious with his staff, but Dragonus caught the weapon with his and a fierce duel began between the two. Cat Noir could barely keep up with the fast strikes, let alone watch both ends of the sword.

"Forgot about me already?" Ladybug asked as she attempted to snare Dragonus. He flew up, causing the yoyo to catch Cat Noir. "Sorry, kitty!" she yelped as she freed her partner.

"As long as you're thinking of me as a catch, I'm fine," Cat Noir quipped before getting smacked from behind with Dragonus's tail. The hit disoriented him, and he only regained clarity just before Dragonus hit him with an uppercut, then grabbed him by the neck as he fell.

"Dirty tricks, bug," Dragonus spat. "And I thought you two were the good guys." Throwing his sword at his insect opponent, Dragonus returned attention to the feline.

"You're one to talk," Cat Noir retorted weakly.

"In my experience, the good guys don't ambush their opponents while they're fighting them. Your partner tried to attack me from behind when I was occupied with you. So you will pay the price," Dragonus snarled as his sword returned to his hand. Sheathing it, he pointed at Ladybug. A column of fire with a radius of five feet whirled around her, blazing orange. Confident his enemy would be stuck for a while, he threw Cat Noir to the ground.

"Siphon!" Dragonus cried. He grabbed Cat Noir by the shoulders. Agony surged through the feline hero's body as he tried to resist, but to no avail. Dragonus began listing off Cat Noir's powers.

"Destruction, one half of the reality-altering wish, some powers you haven't unlocked yet, ability to… wait, I can't absorb the locked powers!? I already unlocked my true potential! I should be able to-" he was cut off by the memories of the hero, and his identity.

Oh, he thought, Adrien Agreste. Oh, when he figures out who his father really is… I might have to get a picture!

Cat Noir was still yelling in pain. He was reliving all his most recent memories. Losing his mother. Getting the Miraculous. Every battle. All the pent up sadness and anger in him. His heartbreak. All of it coming to the front of his mind as this intruder ripped his way through.

The fire column dissipated, and Ladybug nearly screamed in fury and fear when she saw her partner being hung by the shoulders, yelling in tortured agony as Dragonus did something to Cat Noir. Throwing her yoyo at Dragonus's helmet, she hit him in the side of it. He dropped Cat Noir, who slumped to the ground like a rag doll.

"Cat Noir! Are you ok? Talk to me, kitty, talk to me," Ladybug muttered desperately as she ran to her partner and started cradling him. His eyes flickered open. Their usually bright emerald color had dulled to a weaker green. "M'lady, don't let him get close," he said weakly.

"Why? What did he do to you?" Ladybug asked. Cat Noir coughed. "He… absorbed my powers, my memories. He knows who I am and how to defeat me. If he gets yours, he'll be… unstoppable."

Pulling her partner to a safe spot to regain his strength, Ladybug stalked over to the draconian villain, who was flying in the air. His wings made nearly no sound compared to the footfalls of his opponent.

"You," she said, all the hate and anger in the world in her voice, "are going to pay for what you did to my partner." Dragonus only chuckled. "You sound more like Hawk Moth than you realize."

"You fought Hawk Moth?" Ladybug asked incredulously. Dragonus nodded. "He made a similar declaration to me. Where's he been?"

Ladybug inhaled sharply, fearing the worst. "You didn't."

Dragnous smirked behind his mask. "You're right, I didn't. I just taught him and Mayura a lesson in manners. The same lesson I taught your partner. The same lesson I will teach you."

"You won't win, Dragonus," Ladybug said confidently, her eyes smoldering. Dragonus laughed, and his voice rang louder in Ladybug's head.

"What can you do? You look at yourself, and see the heroine who always saves the day. You know what I see? I don't see a heroine. I see a girl who got roped into the madness of superheroing. I see a girl who is so overconfident about her own abilities, whose entire worldview is about being good and just, that she would jump headfirst into anything if she thought it wasn't good. I see a girl who rejects Romeo overthere, just because she's so hopelessly in love with someone else, who barely recognizes those feelings! So, what chance do you have?" Dragonus asked. "I'll tell you. None."

Ladybug almost collapsed from that verbal onslaught, the echo of the insults stilling playing over and over. She glanced back towards her partner. It's Dragonus's fault. He made my poor kitty like that.

"No, you're wrong, Dragonus. I am this city's hero. I saved Paris everyday, for over a year and forever. I've jumped into a T-rex's mouth. I've faced impossible odds, all before I took my final exams last school year. I've fought Hawk Moth, Mayura, even my own partner, and won. Another evil Miraculous holder doesn't scare me," Ladybug declared, her confidence returning.

"You've never faced a Dark Miraculous before. I am more than another evil holder. Much more," Dragonus said, and swooped down into a nosedive. Ladybug dodged. Dragonus landed, drawing his sword. The two spun their respective tools for a minute in a standoff before they threw the weapons at each other. The yoyo knocked aside the sword. Dragonus rushed straight at Ladybug, but she weaved out of the way, snaring the villain with her yoyo.

"Ladybug defeated the villain! Paris is saved once again!" Clara Contard yelled into her mic over the roar of the helicopter blades. Parisians everywhere cheered, until Dragonus spoke.

"Well, I'm stuck. Do it, then," he said softly. Ladybug was confused. "What?"

"You've trapped me. Aren't I too dangerous to be left alive? Your yoyo is strong enough. You can cut me in two in no time at all," Dragonus said. Ladybug looked shocked. "You think I would do that?" she yelled at him. Dragonus smirked twice as wide behind his mask. "No, I don't. Because you won't get to."

Calling his sword back to his hand, he used the energy part of the blades to cut through the indestructible string of the yoyo.

Ladybug was stunned. A perfect moment for Dragonus to call for his Siphon and absorb her powers.

"NO!" Cat Noir and the rest of Paris screamed at once. The sound was deafening, yet Dragonus began to nonchalantly list off the powers as he gained them, over Ladybug's screams.

"Creation, one half of the reality-altering wish, ability to undo all damage caused by a crisis, still locked powers I can't access… You seem to be further along than your partner, Ladybug," he said, and then the memories and identity flowed into his mind. Ladybug's Marinette? Of course she is! Every excuse, every single tardy. She's Ladybug, and the new guardian of the Miracle Box.

Ladybug continued to scream as her memories flooded her skull. The first day. Getting the Miraculous. Every fight. Everyday of her life. The most painful were the memories of fighting her partner. Under the control of Puppeteer, Princess Fragrance, Dark Cupid, Despair Bear, and worst of all, Hawk Moth. Every other memory was just added baggage compared to the weight of fighting her partner. She remembered every insecurity, every time she broke down. The first time, Heroes' Day, fighting Miracle Queen. This villain now knew everything about her.

At last, Dragonus released Ladybug. She crumpled as well. Her yoyo fell about a foot away. "You kids don't take it as well as the adults do. You're not even worthy of your powers." He looked at the ground, then drew his sword. "Drago Charm," he said. Energy flowed from his sword into the air, which condensed into a round golden pin that landed in his palm. He contemplated the small thing, then threw it back in the air. "Dark Miraculous Dragonus," he said solemnly as the pin broke into millions of scales, which fixed all damages, except the cut strings of Ladybug's yoyo. He looked down at the two heroes.

"Go home. Heal. Lick your wounds. And next time, think twice before challenging me. This will never end," he said, drawing his sword. He cleaved Ladybug's yoyo in two, then sheathed his sword again. "Voyage," he muttered under his breath as a gold portal opened and he stepped through, leaving the two broken heroes behind him.

Dragonus exited his portal about a block from his house. "Vorath, Dragon Down," he said, and turned back into Andrew. Vorath landed in his palm, groaning.

"What's your problem?" Andrew asked.

"That wish is hard to digest," Vorath moaned, then belched.

"Can you grant it?" the boy asked. His kwami thought for a moment.

"Nope. Just added power. It is giving me the worst case of indigestion in the history of my existence," Vorath said. Andrew made the rest of the way home on foot.

"You sure set the media on fire today," Double said as he let his creator in.

"Really?" Andrew asked. Double showed him a video of Nadja Chamack covering the event. "Wow."

"It gets better," Double added. He moved to a live podcast on how Dragonus is the city's greatest menace now.

"Ok, I get it," Andrew says. "Now I need your memories."

"Fine," Double groans. Andrew transformed back into Dragonus and called for his Siphon. "Don't resist," Dragonus said as he absorbed the memories his clone made while he was gone.

"Now, my dad can't know he's had another son, or he'll flip," Dragonus mused. Double coughed into his fist. "Can't you shrink me or something?" he asked.

Dragonus contemplated. "Yes. I can. Or rather, I can remake you in such a way that you are about a Lego Minifig's size, and the rest of you is a shell." He extended his will into Double's frame. Double's body vanished, leaving a tiny version of Double as a Lego Minifigure that had the head not entirely connected to the body.

"I think that Double's consciousness is sleeping in the head," Vorath said.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Dragonus muttered. "If I push down the Minifig's head, then Double's full size shell will reappear around him. It's pure genius!" Dragonus put Double on a back row of a Lego temple model he had built. Dragonus transformed back into Andrew.

"So we know the heroes' identities," Vorath started. Andrew groaned. He knew where this would go.

"The heroes barely change from their civilian selves to their hero forms," Vorath continued. Andrew begrudgingly nodded.

"So why were you SURPRISED!?" Vorath screamed the last part. Again, Andrew groaned.

"It's a matter of acting surprised, Vorath. I had incredibly good guesses that were true. But there's nothing like a good surprise, right?" Andrew asked. Vorath grumbled. "Fair point."

"Part one of phase three, complete," Andrew said. "Onto the next part."

Meanwhile, Cat Noir managed to limp over to his lady, who had sat up and held her broken yoyo in her hands. He squeezed her shoulder.

"Hey, at least we're still somewhat ok," he said. Ladybug turned to look at him. Her bluebell eyes had dulled as well. It made Cat Noir's heart ache.

"No, we are certainly not ok. We lost. We lost big time. He was too strong. We're not," she said, nearly on the verge of tears. Cat Noir was afraid, not for himself, but for his partner. He had never heard her this shaken. True, the fight with Stoneheart was bad, and the fight with Miracle Queen had much more significant loss, but she had always bounced back.

"I know what it felt like. To have your mind on complete display for a villain. To feel your powers being stripped away. But now isn't the time to fall. We need to rise," Cat Noir encouraged. He looked over, and noticed a gold rectangle. Limping over, he saw there was writing on it. I have risen from your ashes. The note was a taunt from Dragonus. Just like the still-broken yoyo.

"Cataclysm," Cat Noir growled. He could feel his power still. He gripped the note in his hand charged with pulsing destructive energy, which turned to dust in the wind. He limped back over to Ladybug.

"I think our powers weren't fully stolen. He made copies. He wants us to fight him," Cat Noir realized. Ladybug stood shakily, leaning on her partner for support.

"You want me to help you home?" he asked. "If you would," she said. "I'm grounded." Cat Noir nodded, and vaulted himself and his lady to an alley she had directed him to.

"Thanks, Cat. I know I don't say it enough, but you're a great partner," Ladybug said. Her eyes had brightened slightly since they had left. "The best a hero could ask for."

"Anyone would have done the same," he said. He was about to leave when Ladybug gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks again," she said. Butterflies in his stomach, Cat Noir was smiling like an idiot as he vaulted across the skyline to the Agreste mansion. Even if there was a new supervillain loose in Paris, at least he had his lady with him.

So, I was going to include the origins of the Dark Miraculouses in this chapter, but since there was so much going on here (i.e. Dragonus absolutely thrashing the heroes), I've made a fourth chapter that will explain the origins about Vorath and his siblings. As always, tell me what you think, share with friends, and stay safe, healthy, and I'll see you next week!