MIRACULOUS

Chapter 9

Paris Part I

Volpina stood on top of the Eiffel tower with the rest of the miraculous, her eyes scanning over Paris. Opening and closing her fist as she grew impatient towards her illusionary goons as the searched relentlessly all over the metropolitan city for her targets.

"This is getting old, fast," he muttered. She summoned her flute to gather her clones as well as the phony miraculous heroes as they gather around. "They're most likely up to something. We should ransack the houses, search everywhere!"

"Not so fast!" Someone yelled and before she or her clones could react, a barrage of what appear to be bubbles hovered over them and fell on them then they began blowing up like grenades. As they blew and clones had been poofed off as well. The barrage continued as Volpina's army shrunk rapidly.

"Frickin' bubbles!" Cat Noir yelled as he landed in the middle of the legion of clones and spun his staff and ran life a fan around the vicinity as he mowed down the cones like a tractor.

"Really, Cat Noir? This was your grand plan?" Volpina asked. Cat stopped his spinning and he crouched with a hand on the ground and holding his staff on his back with the other. He looked up at her and grinned.

"Heh… Not exactly…" he said before raising his hand upward as if he was presenting something… or someone. "Afterglow! Come on out!"

In the building behind Cat, standing on the roof there was a feminine looking silhouette with who appears to be wearing a slick suit and a purple mask similar to when she was Ladybug and butterflies flying around her, her clothes, the colors as well as the butterflies almost made her seem like Hawk Moth. Oddly enough, she did not have the cane that Hawk Moth did. She had a glowing butterfly-shaped neon mask on her face but her expression appears to be very calm and serene. She jumped off and landed beside Cat and stared up back at Volpina.

"Lila! I know it's you! Please, I know we've had our differences and even what you said about you and me is true… you don't have to do this!" Afterglow pleaded.

"Heh, as if!" Volpina snorted. "You're too weak and docile to compare to me and I'm using this knowledge and the Miraculous to go beyond than you ever could as Ladybug!"

"Please!" Afterglow implored. "This has to stop, whatever I have done to you and whatever our birth means, we can face it together…" she was caught off when one of Volpina's clones punched her in the face, causing Cat to slash his staff, causing it to fade off.

"Save it, Dupain-Cheng!" Volpina sneered. "You're just a waste, disposable, it was my destiny to hate you and to put you down; you waste of effort of the alchemists! A waste of the miraculous and I'm going to enjoy putting an end to you!"

"So is this it?" Afterglow asked, stepping in closer.

"Heh," Volpina shrugged. Afterglow then slightly raise her arms, still below her shoulders.

"It's this how you want it? So be it… You leave me no choice but to take you down!" Afterglow shouted. Volpina grinned as she summoned her flute once again and summoned a legion of clones, not only of herself but other miraculous users such as Carapace, Queen Bee, and Rena Rouge.

"Oh yeah? You and what army?" Volpina taunted. Afterglow slightly raised her arms yet again and the neon butterfly mask glowed on her face again. A legion of individuals, all with the same neon masks emerged from behind her and Cat Noir. They were all here, Nino as Bubbler, Alya as Lady Wi-fi, Kagami as Oni-chan, Luka as Silencer, Chloe as Anti-Bug, Alix as Timebreaker, Juleka as Reflekta, Rigby as Timemaster. Pretty much everyone who's had been previously victimized by Hawk Moth. They all stood their ground behind Afterglow and were all getting ready for the coming brawl.

"Ha! Well looky here," Volpina mocked, unfazed. "You were just so desperate that you just force your so-called friends to fight your battles for you!"

"Wrong!" Cat Noir retorted, stepping in. "It was all my idea! I just had to make a few phone calls and everyone came willingly. Do you see what I'm getting at here?"

"Huh?" Volpina muttered. But Lady Wi-fi stepped in.

"It means we believe in Ladybug and Cat Noir and now it's our turn to help them!"

"Yeah!" everyone else shouted together with their fists rising up in the air. Volpina simply growled and rolled her eyes.

"All right, enough of this horsecrap!" She motioned her arm towards them. "Attack!" Volpina shouted, thus the two legions have at it.

During the chaos, Volpina struck at Afterglow with her flute and summoned even more clones of herself as well as Ladybug, Cat Noir, Rena Rouge, Carapace and all the other heroes that have saved Paris in the pat are now emotionless illusions ready to destroy anything on sight.

"Now that's what I call a switcheroo," Cat Noir said with a grin, realizing the irony of the situation.

"Enough!" Volpina sneered. "Shut that cat up and bring me his miraculous!" she commanded.

"Go! Don't let them near Cat Noir!" Afterglow commanded. "Go and hide somewhere, Cat!" she motioned her arm stopping Cat.

"Out of the question!" Cat retorted. He stood defensively with his staff ready in front of her ready to fight. "I'm fighting too," he concluded.

"But it's you she wants!" Afterglow retorted.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again! You're too important if we're gonna win this, my lady!" Cat responded tuning back at her. Her eyes widened by Cat's determination. "I need you just as much as you need me against her," he concluded before turning his attention back into the battle. Afterglow then calmed down a bit the smiled and nodded.

"All right, Cat. You can stay by my side, but whatever you do, DO NOT let them get your ring!" She commanded.

"You got it, my lady," Cat said with his grin returning to his face.

Meanwhile…

P.O.D. – Boom (Crystal Method Remix) plays.

The Eiffel Tower block literally became a battlefield as the previously victimized people of Paris face off against the expendable phony heroes with abilities they once used for evil.

"I never thought I'd be Lady Wi-fi again," She said in a mix of chagrin and excitement while throwing her neon pause icons to freeze the illusions while others strike them.

"Who cares, we're fighting with Ladybug and Cat Noir!" Shouted Bubbler as he used a large bubble to trap his enemies and let someone else strike them. Lady Wi-fi would dodged some attacks and swiped them off their feet and poof them. She then barely managed to see that it was a Rena Rouge illusion.

"It's still weird that I have to fight what I grew to enjoy becoming," she said.

"Yeah, I get it," he agreed as he poofed a handful of Carapace illusions. He then jumps over Lady Wi-fi and grabbed a Volpina clone with his bubbler staff and them it at Timebreaker, who poofed it as she skated by.

"Aww man, this is awesome. I totally have control this time!" She flipped overhead and poofed her share of clones. "Haha, get it?"

"And I thought Cat Noir's puns were bad!" Anti-bug uttered as she fought with her large buster sword. She spun around with a shout and threw her sword, cutting through the clones like a boomerang. Reflekta then skillfully grabbed the sword and cut her own share of clones. She then tossed the sword back to Antibug and fought on with her bare hands.

Princess Fragrance landed on her back but quickly recovered. She greeted her teeth as she stared back at her opponent.

"Ha," a Queen Bee clone mocked. "You were always the weakest link, weren't you Rose?"

She summoned her perfume gun and quickly fires away around her opponent. Looking around, the Antibug clone mocked her again.

"Really? You can't even hit…" She was cut off when the perfume around her suddenly went off in smoke.

"Ughh, what is that stench?" Another Antibug clone wailed.

"It's from her!" another clone wailed, pointed the affected clone.

"Ughh… How dare you look like me and have this smell. What are you, a peasant?"

Princess Fragrance walked away quietly walked away as the clones tear each other apart.

Gamer summoned a series of large pixels that came crashing down on the clones. While Dark Cupid shot out straight arrows through the clones. Anansi webs around carrying the Sapotis sisters on her shoulders.

"You two better hang tight, cause this is gonna be a white knuckle ride," she shouted her sisters as swung by and knock a ton of clones with her fist like a pendulum.

Hurrificator, raved her way through the battlefield, being careful as to not to hit her classmates. With her strength, she lifts up Stoneheart and throws him at the enemy.

"Everyone, steer clear!" She commanded as Stoneheart hit the ground, knocking the clones as if they were bowling pins.

Oni-chan and Silencer were back to back fending off against the clones. The former planet horns all on the clones heads then the latter absorbs all of them with the help of the antenna horns. Oni-chan looked back at Silencer with a grin.

"I see you learned a few new tricks." Silencer then motioned his hands as if speaking.

"Your horns were pretty helpful too," Silencer said with Lila's voice, causing Oni-chan's expression to falter.

"Yeah… I think you need to work and what voice to use for the occasion… Whoop!" She cut herself off as another clone struck from behind, but was countered and poof by Oni-chan. "Let's talk later," She told him with his response being a thumbs up.

Meanwhile, Volpina began to play her flute again, summoning even more clones. All with the intent of invading with grins similar to hers.

"This is bad, we have to get her to stop playing that flute!" Cat said as he fought off the illusions while keeping them away from Afterglow.

"Except only this time, the flute is part of her, unlike last time which was an Akuma…"

"Well, we need a plan, and fast," Cat urged as he fought off the clones.

Afterglow looked around, trying to come up with the next course of action.

"Grr… it's no use… without the clues that the Ladybug power gave me, I'm having a hard time cooking something up!" She said, gritting her teeth.

"Marinette," Cat shouted, he realized he used her real name but knew it wasn't important right now. "Remember what Volpina said. You were created to be stronger and smarter than anyone else; I know you can do it!"

"Cat…" Afterglow sighed, calming down.

"And remember what I said, no matter how you came to be, you'll always be my lady… and I'll always get your back!" He concluded, looking back at her as he fought. Afterglow smiled back. She closed her eyes and crossed her arms like an 'x' and her neon ask popped up again.

"Everyone, I know you're all busy but listen carefully. As you can see as long as Volpina keeps playing her flute, clones will just keep coming and will stop at nothing to get Cat Noir's miraculous. Her power is limitless and it will only be a matter of time before we tire out and she succeeds, we can't let that happen!"

"Come on!" Lady Wi-Fi shouted. "We've got to stop Volpina… Argh!" she growled as she fought off another clone.

"On it!" Oni-chan affirmed as she silently dashed around the commotion in an attempt to sneak behind her. She jumped in on her, but when she slashed her with her sword, Volpina poofed. "What the… a clone!"

Volpina the cackled as a slew of other clones jump in from behind. But before they could get a land at her, black projectiles suddenly appeared and hit the clones, paralyzing them. Oni-chan shielded herself as the fossilized clones rained on her and burst to dust as they land on the ground. After a second, she opened her eyes and looked up.

"Bow down to the Timemaster," he said, spinning around his scythe.

"You wish, but thanks for the help!" She got up and jumped back into the fray.

Music Stops

"Damn it, where is she?" Afterglow growled after witnessing Volpina's deceit. They were both looking down the field.

"Oh, Dupain-Cheng," Volpina taunted in a sing-song tone.

"My lady, get down!" Cat shouted, throwing his staff and Volpina as Afterglow ducked down. Volpina, however, easily deflected his attack. Cat's staff came back to him like a boomerang.

"No doubt, that's her…" Cat muttered as he stood by at the ready.

"So you heard everything and then you came up with this 'battle plan' to keep my clones busy. You're not as pathetic as I thought," Volpina said with a smirk as she readied her flute.

"Cut the crap!" Cat shouted. "Who is behind all this? What more did they tell you about Marinette? Why did they take the miraculous? And why are you working for them?"

"So… you figured it out…"

"Wasn't rocket science," Cat grinned.

"I'll say… That dusty decoy was pretty much a dead giveaway, huh?"

Afterglow was looking back and forth at them, cocking an eyebrow.

"Cat, what is she…?"

"On with it, Lila!" Cat shouted, cutting Afterglow off. "I don't care if My lady was not born but made in some forbidden ritual! What I wanna know is what's in it for you!"

"World domination," Volpina said nonchalantly.

"That's not even funny, Lila," Afterglow retorted.

"You still don't get it, do you?" she asked as she started to pace around. "It was all building up to it," Lila got serious.

"What do you mean?"

"You see when they found out that you were situated in Paris, France, both us and the guardian made our way to locate you. When we found out the guardian was also in town, we knew it was a matter of time before you would become Ladybug."

"What?"

"Do you think the guardian got himself in danger in front of you just like that? You see we used Hawk Moth to force the guardian's hand and find you to recruit you as Ladybug as well as figuring out your identity…" Volpina revealed. Afterglow stood paralyzed, not believing what she was hearing.

"Wait… you don't mean…"

"Yes, when Hawk Moth found out of your identity, we finally found out who you were. He was as we say; out unwitting puppet…" Volpina taunted. Neither she nor Afterglow noticed Cat's gritting teeth as well as him tightening his staff.

"So Hawk Moth was just the bait to fish me out? By who?" Afterglow asked in a low but threatening voice, glaring at her.

"And here comes the best part…" Volpina stopped as if building tension. "They orchestrated the destruction of the flammable gas tank all over Paris including one right by your bakery!" Volpina revealed. Her eyes widened with a disturbing grin as if she was intentionally showing her teeth.

Both Cat and Afterglow stood frozen in their place. Cat was the first to snap out of the shock and all he could hear was Afterglow's heartbeat. He moved his eyes first before turning his head towards her. He immediately saw the stirring emotions within her. Her face was slowly becoming a venomous glare. One that never in a million years he thought Marinette would show. He then slowly turned back to Volpina…

"You don't mean…" Cat muttered before being cut off.

"You…" Afterglow growled.

"My lady… Don't do anything stu..." Cat was caught off when Afterglow summoned her blade. Similar to the one his own father attempted on him just earlier tonight.

"You BITCH!" She threatened as she was about to charge at her.

"Marinette!"

"You better start talking or so help me I'm going to slit your throat!" Afterglow threatened.

"Marinette… NO!" Cat shouted grabbing her from behind.

"Ha! As if I'm telling you. You won't be alive for long anyway, so why do I even bother?" she waved them off.

"What?" Afterglow shouted. Cat then put his hand on her shoulder.

"My lady…" Cat begun, getting her attention. She turned back and saw what Volpina meant.

The Volpina and Rena Rouge clones are all playing their flutes, summoning more and more clones as slowly but surely they're starting to overwhelm the powered citizens.

"They may not be as powerful as the real thing but the ability to replicate infinitely, it's only a matter of time…" Volpina boasted.

With a gasp, Afterglow dropped her blade and sunk to her knees after realizing she's got her trapped. But Cat patted her in the shoulder. She looked up and realized that He never lost his grin.

"Hey, aren't you forgetting someone?"

Author's Note: Yep… I once again did not reach my 3,000-word minimum, but I reached the best point to stop. Anyway, I had forgotten to point out that Adrien's new look is loosely based on his Cat Noir persona from the break dancing AU. Except for the black paint makeup.