Sometime earlier… After Marinette left for Tibet…

"Master… Are you sure?"

"The miraculous have been out of the public's sight for far too long," the guardian said. "This may be in on itself a reckless decision, however, the Blue Mustang now know that the miraculous is here. I now believe to permanently recruit them to the team and familiarize with their kwamis."

"I get it," Adrien said. "It's best to spread all over Paris to protect themselves and others."

"Do you still intend on recruiting Chloe?"

"Of course," Adrien said. "Her backpedaling about that choice still baffles me."

"You believe this is the best course of action."

"I do and there are still miraculous who don't have a wielder yet," Adrien said.

"Indeed, I fear it will be a while before that can happen. Keeping miraculous on one place has its share of risks."

"All right," Adrien said. "When do we start."

Present-day…

Cat moved the dumpster and saw the jewel box the master had left. He grabbed it and saw what was inside; the butterfly brooch.

"Hope you're ready for another go, Nooroo," Cat thought. "We really need you now."

Meanwhile…

"Do you really believe this will attract her?"

"The idea was to draw away as much as possible," Viperion said. "Cat had already sent Pegasus, Rena Rouge, and Rocket to gather as many civilians as possible."

"You have proven quite an asset," Ryuko relaxed a little, crossing her arms.

"I heard you weren't so bad yourself."

"I believe we once helped each other," Ryuko pointed out.

"Oh, that's right," Viperion realized. "This who Volpina shebang? Hehe, how could I forget?" the two had a laugh together."Hey maybe when this is over, we can," Ryuko raised a hand up, cutting him off.

"I cannot."

"Why not?"

"My heart was broken just recently," Ryuko said. "Maybe my feelings for him were never real. I do not see myself with anyone I know at this point in time, thus I do not see myself with you either. I cannot bear to risk my heart being broken again. I cannot bear to make a new connection."

"Hey, I don't why we can't," Viperion said. "It doesn't mean we're bound for life. Besides, I just got shot down, too."

"I know," Ryukos said. "I figured as much when you two spoke."

"Come on," Viperion said. "That doesn't mean our connection can't be platonic." He climbed down the stage and approached her. "'Cause actually, I was never going to pursue something that serious; I just felt you could really use a friend with common ground."

"Common ground?"

"Yeah, Marinette told me you were pretty sheltered," Viperion scratched the back of his head. "Don't misunderstand me, I'm just offering you friendship. I know I'm not in your class but I think Juleka can vouch for me and we can have each other's backs."

Ryuko stared at him with an uncertain look on her face. She hugged herself, clearly wary of any new connections, considering her conversation with Adrien. Viperion smiled and offered his hand.

"Friends?"

Ryuko smiled and shook his hand.

"Hey yo mutts!" they heard Carapace's voice calling out. "Do we have access to a wireless connection?"

"I'm not exactly Armin van Buuren here, a lot of this stuff we had before I was even born!"

"Come on," Carapace shouted with a hint of disappointment. "What about your, dad?"

"I… I'm not interested in riding on others' backs," Viperion rubbed his arm. Carapace tightened his lips.

"Err… I'm gonna get back to it!" he jumped off.

"Yo, Viperion!"

Rocket shouted. "You sure about this?"

"After the whole 'white plague' debacle I don't think we can afford evacuation the city each and every single time." Viperion clarified. "At least, according to Cat Noir, so I thought, why not?"

Rocket stood silent for a moment…

"You just wanted an excuse for loud music."

"Yep."

After another brief silence…

"AW YAY-UH!"

"By the way, how's the evac?"

"Rena and Pegasus got this, I suppose Queen bee is there to give them the booster shots."

"Healing shots," Ryuko corrected.

"You clearly don't know how humor works," Rocket said.

Ladybug and Blue Jay just arrived at the scene. Viperion snaps and drops everything he was carrying on haste, ignoring Carapace's painful grunt.

"So what's the sitch?" Ladybug asked.

"Pretty much a power vacuum, my lady," Cat Noir's voice was heard and abruptly landed between them. "I see you like my idea."

"Yeah, well we didn't actually have the chance to think of a better one."

As if on cue, a portal appeared with Pegasus, Queen Bee, and Rena emerging.

"Hope you got everyone out," Cat crossed his arms. "Place is gonna be a war zone."

"I heard you already sent everyone else to tell the citizens to back away." Ladybug said.

"We just sent them to the new shelter in the outskirts where they're camping out.

Used quite a bit of my portals..." Pegasus said.

"Everyone's fine, we managed to spread the message to the authorities all over Paris to evacuate," Rena revealed.

"Don't worry," Queen Bee said. "Your Chloe is safe with Ms. Tsurugi."

"What is she doing with my mother?" Ryuko sneered. Cat was gesturing the throat slash at Queen Bee, shaking his head.

"I… We were both teaching her how to be a better Queen Bee," she lied. "Something I wish I had."

Ryuko placed her hands on her hips and cocked her hip. Her stern expression didn't change. Cat raised an eyebrow at that.

"Is she doing that deliberately?" he thought.

A crash sounded in the distance. Everyone turned to the source and the atmosphere became eerily quiet as everyone just realized how dark it became. Black clouds hovered over Paris and the dark red afterglows clashed with them. Like the sun was struggling to break free from the black clouds drowning it. The city lights were on but provided little comfort.

"They're coming," Ladybug gulped.

"Carapace," Viperion shouted. "Make it happen!"

Carapace pressed play and stepped down to join the team.

"Forever Today" by Tiesto plays.

Everyone stepped down from the stage and got into fighting stances and formed into a circle back to back. The song's slow orchestral intro

"Everyone, watch your backs," Cat shouted.

"Whatever happens, don't let any one of them near their refuge," Ladybug commanded.

"This day is one for the blogs," Rena grinned.

Ryuko readied her sword in a traditional fencing position, Cat spun his staff skillfully before setting a steady fighting stance, Rena readied her flute, not losing her grin, Carapace raised up his shield up to his face only peaking out with his eyes, Blue Jay and Rocket had their own dual stance, back to back, Queen Bee stretched out her top string as if ready to strangle, Viperion and Pegasus nodded to each other and raised up their bare fists, Ladybug followed similarly to Queen Bee by stretching out her yoyo then began spinning.

As the music picked up, the mindless former heroes and Paris citizens came by either running like zombies or various means of getting around like they once did before they were taken by the plague. The army around them kept piling up and growing as they surround the team. Cat relaxed a bit and gave an unusual smile.

"Boy oh boy," Cat said calmly. "The price for justice is steep…"

"Think of…" Rena muttered to herself. "Your future… the blog… being a journalist… this will happen…" she tried to reassure herself.

"Is this how it may end?" Ladybug muttered.

"Heh," Cat shrugged.

"Guess we didn't plan that far ahead, huh?"

"I wish I had more time…"

"I wish I could see her one more time…" Queen Bee whispered.

"I didn't think this was gonna be like 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' today," Rocket said.

"I don't think I've seen that one," Luka said. "What happens?"

"They both die," Rocket said bluntly.

"DUDE!" Blue Jay punched him in the arm.

"AAAAHHH!"

"I never thought I would die like Zack Fair," Carapace gulped.

"Listen up everyone!" Cat shouted. "I know this seems hopeless but keep in mind this isn't the last stand! I intend for each and every single one of you to survive this! Don't forget, we have a job to do, a target to stop and I'm gonna see it through!"

"Should I rewind?" Viperion asked. Cat shook his head.

"Viperion still hasn't recovered, right?"

"Right…"

Ladybug took a look at him with a wave of pride as the aura of leadership and resolve came from him. Marinette blushed as she realized she was falling more and more for him and at that moment she didn't mind dying alongside him if that were to happen.

But he was right; too much is riding on their survival and they knew they had to live to capture Lux and question her.

Cue song 3:18

Cat made a few skillfully moves with his staff.

"Let's put on the fight of our lives," Cat readied himself steadily again. "COME AND GET IT!"

Paris citizen husk charged in while the former heroes stood on the back. The pawns would go first as Max would say. The group spread out and held them off, doing whatever they can to distract them from the remaining Parisian citizens still trying to get away.

Cat Noir handled himself rather well with his staff. Ladybug shielded herself by flipping her yoyo around as she spun it around her body. Viperion played his harp to keep the team's stamina in check. He stood in the center and looked around as the rest of the team held on put his harp away and joined in.

Pegasus created as many portals as he could to suck in the husks and drop them down the ground though that only lasted so long.

"Pegasus!" Cat shouted.

"I know!" he acknowledged. "I must find another strategy!" he created another portal and disappeared under it.

"Pegasus!" Ladybug shouted. "Where is…"

"We gotta trust him!" Cat urged as he fended off.

Ryuko looked up and saw a white glowing dragon floating upward as if waiting for something.

After fending off a few husks of her own, she pointed her sword at her.

"I know who you are!" she shouted. "Come down and face me!"

A portal came from beside it and pulled the dragon towards it.

"HEY!" Ryuko shouted.

Another portal opened skyward and the glowing dragon fell on top of where the United Heroez stood.

They all quickly jumped off, dodging the falling mass.

While distracted, Ryuko looked behind her and saw a husk of a giant made of rock. It was…

"Stoneheart?"

"HAI-YI!" Queen Bee kicked the rock titan in the face knocking it down.

"Now is not the time to stroke your ego, Ryuko!" Queen Bee shouted as she fought dome husks.

"Hypocrite!" Ryuko shouted back.

Those words stung Queen Bee at that moment. She wondered if her Kagami would have said that to her now…

"We'll talk later, Tsurugi…" she seethed.

Rena and Rocket summoned out their clones as much as they could but with sheer strength, their clones are dropping like flies at an alarming rate.

"This is bad," Rocket said. "At this rate, we won't figure anything out!"

"Not to mention the former superheroes have yet to take action. They are undeniably the pawns before diving in themselves," Pegasus observed.

"Damn!" Ladybug shouted. "Everyone save your powers! It's only gonna get more heated from here on in!"

"Yeah, no kidding!" Rena shouted as she summoned her glowing ball. She hit it towards the coming horde, causing it to explode. "Never used it like this before…"

"Where it rains it pours!" Rocket added in as he readied his claws.

The undead army kept coming at them. The stage lights went off and the husks began to scatter all over the city. The speakers were struggling to keep the music on as if the stage is losing power.

Carapace quickly took note of that.

The horde started to scatter and they know that it hasn't been long enough for the people to get away.

"AAARGH! Stupid turn of the century wiring!" Carapace jumped back at the stage and took a look at the equipment.

"Hey!" Viperion turned towards Carapace and jumped on stage. "This is what I had to make due, let's see here…"

Blue Jay summoned his fans. She swung towards the horde, causing a blue wind to blow towards them, stunning them.

Cat stepped in…

"CHAOS!"

A black wave wiped them all out in the blink of an eye. Cat collapsed on one knee before standing right back up.

"What did I just say?" Ladybug shouted.

"I had no choice!" Cat countered.

"Dude, what the hell?" Rocket raised his arms up in the air. "Give us a sentimonster!"

"NO!" Blue Jay countered.

"Oh, for crying out…

EEH!" He blocked a sword strike from a Ladydragon sword strike.

"Back in the game, baby!" Carapace gleed as the lights were back on and the music is clear again. "Bring it on, baby!"

The former united heroes were nowhere to be seen where they once stood.

"Everyone heads up, the Undead Heroez are gone!"

"They must be spreading out!" Ryuko suggested as she fought with her sword. "Beware!"

"Heads up!" Rocket pointed upward towards where the other former heroes stood, observing them from the rooftop. She had a similar appearance as Sparrow, she had wings in her arms with native American jewelry with a mask with a beak.

"This is new…" Ladybug said.

"It's Sparrow!" Cat said.

"Huh?"

"I got in contact with Blue Jay and Rocket's friend in America," Cat revealed. "She was the new recruit before the plague hit them… People we so excited for her…"

"Now it is not the time for lament!" Ryuko said, readying her blade.

Eagle spread her arms and screamed…

"OPPRESSION!" her voice gave out an unsettling echo as if a demon screaming inside a massive cathedral before being dragged back to hell.

"AAAARGH!" the entire team kneeled as they felt a black hole within their hearts. Cat kneeled and held his chest tightly, feeling a ping of hollowness in his heart, just like that night with his fight against Meloe.

Then he immediately turned to Ladybug, remembering how this may affect her. To little surprise, she was the one bawling the loudest, considering what she's been through.

"Ladybug, please," Rena whimpered and tried to reach out to her.

Before anyone knew it, Uncanny Valley was upon them and had already charged up her eye laser.

"NNNgh!" Cat sneered as it was too late to react.

"SHELL-TER!"

Carapace's barrier blocked the deadly beam and managed to bounce it off them and targeted towards the hoard. Ryuko stood up and gritted her teeth. The lights on the stage were back on and all the husks attention was turned back to it.

"Back in the game, Baby!" Carapace shouted. "Pam, pam, PAM!"

Song cue: 7:10

"WATER DRAGON!" she growled. Instead of turning into water, she instead what appeared to be an arrow and positioned her arms as if she was pointing a bow. She fired and got Eagle straight into her heart, obliterating her.

Cat helped Ladybug up while everyone recovered, Blue Jay whipped out his fan and made it into a blade and cut down as many as they could.

"Ummm, where's Queen Bee?" Rocket asked.

"EARTH LIFE!" Queen Bee was up in the air with wings as she spread her arms and everyone regained their stamina and their power.

"She can fly?" Ladybug and Rena's jaws dropped.

"Whoa…" Carapace whispered.

"How did she…?" Cat asked.

"I have too many happy memories to be bogged down by something like that!" she shouted and looked down and Ryuko and smiled at her, who she didn't notice. Queen Bee flew to knock Majestia from her position.

"Chloe wait!" Ladybug shouted. "Don't wander off alone!"

"Oh boy…" Cat went after her.

"Pegasus?" Cat shouted.

"I'm somewhat busy, at this moment!" he appeared from a portal and was tackled away by Doorman.

Cat looked down and saw that United Heroez have already entered the fray and saw they were outnumbered.

Ryuko had her hands full with Ladydragon and Hurricane.

Queen Bee was up in the air with the Sting and Thorn.

Carapace, Rena, and Viperion were taking on the colored agents and Uncanney Valley.

Blue Jay and Rocket were the last left to take care of the hoard.

"Um, where's…" Cat was cut off when Eagle got a jump on him.

"Cat Noir!" Ladybug was tackled by the glowing Majestia husk. She struggles with Majestia's clutches.

"Vosquez…" Majestia whispered.

"Huh?"

"Lux, absorbing power," Majestia struggles. "She Etheria…"

"Etheria?" Ladybug repeated. Then she gasped. It hit her, it was what Jasper was referring to when she attacked her back at Tiger's Lair.

"Parque Vosquez… Is it?" She asked.

"The park?"

Majestia returned to her lifeless expression and tried to chock her again as they flew around while they fought.

Cat Noir had his own quarrel with Eagle. Her feathers were made to steel blades and slashed at Cat without a second thought.

"Gotta get some information before…" He was cut off before she summoned her Omni-purpose tool and turned it into a yoyo and began to choke him with its string. "Arrgh, damn it!"

"What is barren what was once vibrant…" Eagle blurted out.

"Huh?" Cat chocked.

"Please free us," she begged. "Let us rest."

Cat kicked the hind of her leg with his heel and flipped her over and slammed her down the ground.

"CATACLYSM!" he shouted and obliterated her with his attack.

"Cat Noir!" Ladybug shouted, having disintegrated her own opponent as well. "I think I know where she is! She's at the park!"

"I know, right by what was once the bakery!"

Ladybug gulped but nodded. Before they could take off, they were stopped.

"HOLD IT!"

Queen Bee landed and approached them.

"Queen Bee," Cat said.

"Don't think I didn't hear. What, planning to leave without your good luck gift? HEALING SHOT!"

She refueled Cat's stamina and kissed him on the cheek. A second at looking at each other's eyes, the two just grinned and nodded.

"Now go!" Queen Bee shouted as they all dodged an attack by Thorn.

Song cue 9:57

Queen Bee's opponents were about to overwhelm her when it finally came.

"WATER DRAGON!"

A wave swept away the other former heroes as well a huge part of the horde.

"Ladybug, Cat Noir!" she shouted. "We got this, go find Lux!"

"Get outta here!" Viperion strangled another group with his harp strings. Rena played her flute and the place is once again engulfed in her mist.

"Okay," Cat said and he and Ladybug nodded to each other before setting off.

Blue Jay got attacked by Snowflake when she shot a block of ice at him. He narrowly blocked the ice attack with his fan, sending him flying off from the parameter.

"AAARGH!"

"MORDECAI!" Rocket shouted before he was tackled himself. "AAAH!"

Song Ends.

Ladybug and Cat Noir quickly tracked Lux's location down. They went to the empty lot where the bakery once stood. There was no one there.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Cat asked.

"It better be," Ladybug said. "Paris must have been evacuated by now but everyone else's got Lux's horde on top of them."

"We don't have much time," Cat looked at her and nodded.

"Right, LUCKY CHARM!" she raised up her yoyo and got a TNT stick. "Dynamite?"

"Good ole lucky charm," Cat said. "Vague as always."

"Cat now's not the time to get snarky."

"Yeah, yeah…. Wait a sec…"

"Got something?"

"Maybe, but if she's too far away then we may not find her here and I'll waste my power."

"Just go for it!" Ladybug nearly shouted. Cat cocked an eyebrow.

"What was that?" Cat raised his hand to his ear. "Am I hearing ladybug take a risk?"

"Well, you rubbed it on me!" Ladybug blushed. "Just do it!"

"All right," Cat conceded. He kneeled and whispered, "Sense!"

Almost immediately, Cat gave a light gasp…

"Found her?"

"Just as I thought, she's right below us!"

"WHAT?" Ladybug shouted. "But… why here?"

"That dynamite stick," Cat suggested.

"It's to blow up the ground…" Ladybug finished for him.

"It may be a trap."

"What choice do we have?"

Ladybug used her Ladyvision to find the weak spot on the ground and light up the stick and stick it in place. The two jumped back and right as the stock detonated, a massive tornado of light emerged from the ground as a maniacal laugh emerged. To Cat, it was both recognizable yet unrecognizable at the same time. It was a far cry from his mother's voice yet he managed to tell that it was her… That sickening laugh made Cat want to puke.

"Yes! I am now complete!"

"What!?" Cat shouted and what he saw was not Lux in her usual attire. Her white and gold attire now had shades of blue around and white feathered wings.

"You're not Lux anymore, are you?" Ladybug asked, getting up.

"I am Etheria now," she said in an echo-filled voice. "And now to bring back what is rightfully mine!"

She took a swing at Ladybug and grabbed her without much effort. Etheria grabbed her by the neck as Ladybug struggled to break free.

"My Lady!" He ran towards her but Etheria shot a laser beam at his path, stopping him from getting closer.

"It was a long time coming for me to do away from you!"

Without thinking, Ladybug grabbed her Ladybug earrings and took them off, detransforming them to her civilian form.

"What are you doing, My Lady?"

"We can't let her near them!" she shouted and tossed them at Cat, who he grabbed them.

"No!" Etheria yelled. She kicked Marinette off her, sending her flying off, screaming in pain.

"MY LADY!"

But before Marinette hit the ground, a Pegasus portal appeared.

"You'll never lay a finger in these!" Cat sneered and showed the earrings before closing his fist.

"Why to risk your life for that thing?" she sneered as she struck at him for the miraculous, Cat dodged it skillfully. "It's not a person…"

"NOT A PERSON YOU SAY?!" Cat yelled and kicked her in the back of her head, stunning her. "I'll make you eat those words before this is all said and done, Mrs. Agreste!"

Another Pegasus portal appeared below him and jumped in with a salute.

"That cursed cat!" Etheria sneered. "Do not believe for a second you can just escape the city! I will never stop chasing you! DO YOU HEAR ME!?"

Meanwhile… Tokyo, Japan, Yagami Detective Agency

In a send floor office, a thin yet bulky man with fancy clothes with an exaggerated shirt, white pants, and leather shoes was on the phone.

"So Tak," he said. "Have you been seeing what's been going down in Paris?"

"Apparently so, Kaito-san" Yagami said on the other side. "I heard the entire city has been evacuated, and despite their now bigger team, seems like there's a war going on."

"Not only that, I saw that the heroes managed to get everyone out then disappeared."

"No doubt, they've exhausted their resources. This whole thing may reach globally."

"Anyway, how are things on your end?"

"No question, this whole thing is connected."

"You mean this case is linked to Paris?" Kaito asked then scoffed. "This gets better and better."

"Anyway, I'm on the train and I'm on my way back now."

"Better hurry Tak," Kaito said.

"Why?

Something up?"

"I get the feeling I'm being watched…"

Outside the window, Ryuko swung out of sight and climbed up on the rooftop edge where she hung.

Kaito turned where she was but she was already gone.

Author's note

Gonna stop here…

Another tough week is ahead of me and I wanted to get this out before then, though I believe it was already high time for a new chapter.

I know that by this point Kim should have been recruited as King Monkey but I have been unable to find a place for him in the story at this point, the team is big enough as it is.

I have not much more to say at this point.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Constructive criticism is appreciated.