Chapter 25: Open Your Mind and Your Heart

Having left Carapace behind to lend a hand to the guys, Chat Noir continued to look for Mind Void, who had seemingly disappeared. Hopping from rooftop to rooftop, he searched for her, without much luck. But his search for Mind Void was not a waste of time, as it allowed him to help a few people who were in danger of being attacked by one of Mind Void's smoke creatures. One of such people was a young man in his early 20's, dressed in a Transformers' pyjamas, who he grabbed from the ground and quickly took him to the nearest rooftop. As he placed him down, Chat felt tempted to tell him that his pyjamas rocked and ask him where he had bought it, but decided not to, because he looked a little stressed.

"Thank again, Chat Noir." -the young man thanked him, as he took a deep breath, trying to catch his breath back.

"My pleasure. That was a close one." -Chat commented. –"Another second, and you would have been caught." -he said.

"Tell me about it." -he said, as he looked down and saw the mayhem. –"Still, it was a good thing you were passing by. Thanks again."

"Like I said before, it was my pleasure, man." -Chat Noir said. –"It was really un-fur-tunate for those smoke creatures I was just passing by." -he joked. –"I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got to get going. There's an Akuma that still needs a lesson. Stay safe!"

Even as tired and exhausted as he was, he still had the strength and the energy to come up with a few of his unique feline puns. From the first moment he put on his miraculous and he transformed, that he felt the need to say those funny puns. It made him feel relaxed and confident about himself. And because it made him feel relaxed and confident, he continued to do it, until it became second nature to him. Like everyone who was a bit of a perfectionist in something they liked to do, he strived to come up with the best puns. But the last one he used, he deemed it too basic, and he wished he had come up with a better one at the time.

"Un-fur-tunate? Really? Exhaustion is making it harder for me to come up with A-class puns." -Chat Noir thought to himself. –"Come on, Adrien, forget that and focus. You need to find that Akuma, and… huh, what was that?" -he thought to himself, as he heard a scream.

The scream that pierced the air, told Chat that whoever let out was nearby. There was someone else in trouble, and it was his duty to help, even if that meant taking longer to find Mind Void. Losing a couple of minutes to help someone in trouble, was the right thing to do, especially because his job as a hero it was not just to deal with Akumas. It was making sure people did not get hurt because of those very same Akumas. Closing his eyes, he tried to listen where the scream had come from, by waiting for either a second scream or a noise that would point him in the right direction. A moment later, he heard a second scream, this one coming from his right. He could not see anyone, but it did not take him long to understand that the scream had come from one of the apartments below his feet. Guided by the sound, he went to the ledge, used his staff as a pole, and slid down it, so he could reach a window to enter the apartment he believed the scream has come from. Already inside, he heard more noises. Following them, he saw a man and two children on the floor, curled up in a fetal position and shaking like leaves. Passing by them, he entered the next room where he saw the person who had screamed, as well as the reason for those screams. It was a woman. Somehow, someway, one of Mind Void's smoke creatures managed to get inside that house and attacked the people that lived in there. The woman looked terrified, seemingly with no way out, as she looked at the creature, who looked like it was taking its time to terrorize her. Assessing the situation, Chat knew he had to hurry and save her.

"Oh, no you don't!" -Chat Noir said, as he was about to attack. –"Cataclysm!" -he exclaimed.

Using his special attack, the black cat hero destroyed the smoke creature, ending the threat and saving the woman. But when he used Cataclysm, he quickly repented doing it, because he felt like he had used most of his strength. Falling to his knees, he remembered that Carapace had healed him, but only restored a bit of his strength. If he was going to serve as bait to Mind Void, he would have to be careful not to use the little bit of strength he still had, in one big move, unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Are you alright?" -the woman asked him.

"Y-Yeah… I'm just a little exhausted." -Chat Noir answered her, as he got back up. –"W-What about you? Are you okay?" -he asked the woman.

"Y-Yes… but that thing, he caught my husband and the kids…" -the woman said, her voice revealing just how scared and worried she was.

"Don't worry, they'll be fine. Just stick by their side, and talk to them." -Chat told her, trying to tranquilize her, as he headed towards the window to his left. –"A-Anyways, I better get going. T-That Akuma won't stop itself." -he added, as he opened the window. –"Hope you don't mind if I leave through here… and don't worry, everything will be fine in a little bit."

Not even giving the woman the time to thank him, Chat exited through the window and used his claws to crawl up the wall, back to the rooftop. He tried to ignore the lack of energy that he was feeling in his muscles right then, while also taking deep breaths. As he arrived at the rooftop, he had to take a moment to regain his strength back. And it was then that luck smiled upon him. Down on the street, was Mind Void. Looking at her, he wondered why she was different from all the other Akumas they had thought until then. And the only explanation he could come up with, was because the bad feelings that had helped hawk Moth creating her, were different from most Akumas. Still, she needed to be stopped, and he was just the feline to get her to the trap they were setting for her.

"Ah, there she is!" -Chat Noir thought to himself. –"Okay, Adrien, don't do anything stupid. Save your strength and don't engage her in a fight… only if you have to. You're going to need all your strength, for when you get her to where Marinette and Alya are waiting." -he thought.

Taking one last deep breath, he launched himself from the rooftop and used the same trick with his staff as before, to get down to street level. Running towards her, he noticed that she continued to create more smoke creatures, as she moved along. Making use of his staff, he took out those that were in his way, as he neared Mind Void, who heard the all commotion.

"Good evening!" -Chat Noir saluted Mind Void, gaining her attention.

"You…" -Mind Void said.

"Yeah, me. I've seen you before, but only now I've had the time to find you and have a nice little chat with you." -Chat Noir told her.

"You are one of the heroes… I must have your miraculous." -Mind Void sighed. –"Give it to me, and in return, I will allow you to feel what I feel, so you can understand the pain that I'm in…" -she declared in a gloomy voice.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I don't think I want to feel what you're feeling, you know? I think it wouldn't match my personality." -Chat Noir said. –"Okay, I got her attention. Now, how do I get her to follow me? I should have come up with a plan before engaging her… oh, I know!" -he thought to himself. –"But tell you what. If you can catch me, I'll let you show me just how awful you're feeling, while also letting you have my miraculous. What do you say? Feeling like chasing this kitty here?"

Chat knew that all the Akumas loved a challenge. And he was hoping that like all the others, Mind Void would also, even if she did not show it. He hoped that by appealing to that irresistible need to have a challenge, would make her follow him.

"I will get you." -Mind Void declared. –"And when I get you, you will feel what I'm feeling, like everyone else. And you will give me your miraculous." -she told him, with the same disheartened voice, as she swiftly turned into smoke and placed himself behind him.

"Whoa, lady, calm down! I didn't say "ready, set and go", now did I?!" -Chat Noir asked her, while taking a couple of steps away from her. –"Another moment, and she would have touched me. I can't let that happen." -he thought to himself. –"Okay now, let's do this… Ready… Set… Go!"

He had not finished pronouncing the last syllable of that sentence, when the feline hero started to run down the street, as fast as his legs allowed him to. Looking over his shoulder, at first, it looked like Mind Void was not going to follow him, and he feared that he would have to find another way to get her to follow him. But before he could finish that same thought, she turned herself into smoke once more and dashed towards him at an incredible speed, which forced him to dodge himself to the left, so she would not have the opportunity to touch him. Seeing she was that fast, Chat saw he needed to stay far away from her, while still continuing to let her chase him.

"Remember, take your time getting her there. But don't engage her in combat. Two things have to happen… you need to save your strength, and you need to give Nino and the guys, enough time to take care of Romani and Brutus." -Chat Noir thought to himself, as he jumped over a turned car. –"I don't know about the gypsy witch, but Brutus probably doesn't have much strength left in him. Not after Marinette and I gave him and Reptile a piece of our minds… speaking of which, where could that lizard man have gone?" -he wondered.

Punching him over and over, Queen Bee wanted to make sure that Reptile would not get back up after that beating. She felt some of his bones breaking, as she punched him on the chest and on the back. But she did not care if she broke every bone in his body. Every time he or one of the other lieutenants showed up, they would all try to kill her and her friends, so she did not care if he ended up on the ground, coughing up blood and broken teeth. She knew that if given the chance, he would do even worse to her.

After a battle that felt like it was taking forever, Queen Bee used her trompo to finish him off. Launching it against him, she hit him on the face and on the chest with it, making him fall hard on his back, as the trompo returned to her hand. Breathing heavily, she felt like he had run two marathons, but still had enough strength to run two more.

"T-Thanks for being my personal punching bag tonight, Reptile. I was really needing to use this rage I had inside me. You actually made me work up a little sweat." -Queen Bee told the lizard man, as he tried to get back up. –"But now, I've got to go and help my friends. So, you be a good snake man and stay down."

But Reptile was not going to do as he was told. He was badly injured and almost without energy, but the rage of being used as a punching bag by the bee heroine, told him to attack her once more. And so, he did. Charging against Queen Bee, he tried to sink his switchblade into her chest, only for her to jump over him and he end up knocking his head against a wall, falling on his back afterwards. The knock on his had had been pretty hard, but not enough to make him lose consciousness.

"Why do villains never do as we tell them, to?" -Queen Bee asked out loud, as she left, leaving Reptile on the ground.

After that last attempt to get Queen Bee, Reptile felt like he did not have any more strength left in him. His body ached all over. Even breathing was hard for him, as his pain receptors were on fire. He did not know if the bee heroine had punctured one of his lungs, but even if she did not, a couple of cracked ribs was making it hard for him to breathe, without feeling pain. His surviving instinct was telling him to just stand still, but he would soon find out that listening to his instinct, would get him into trouble.

"Get up, Reptile! As your master, I command you to do it!" -Hawk Moth's voice echoed inside Reptile's head. –"You have a job to do! And that is to get me miraculouses!"

"B-But m-master… I-I'm in n-no condition, to g-go on…" -Reptile said, when he felt his body being electrocuted. –"P-P-Please, m-master, s-s-stop!" -he yelled, as Hawk Moth stopped electrocuting him.

"I don't care if you have a broken spine. I've given you an order… do it, or you'll suffer the consequences." -Hawk Moth's voice echoed in his head, in a low and menacing tone. –"Now, get up, before I fry you again." -he threatened him.

"Y-Yes, m-m-master…" -Reptile said, as he tried to get up, while ignoring the excruciating pain he was in. –"M-Must… g-get t-those… brats!" -he gritted his teeth, while continuing to ignore the pain he was in.

Breathing heavily, he leaned against the wall he had went against earlier, to help him stand still. As he did it, Hawk Moth's words continued to echo in his mind, with him knowing that if he failed him, whatever punishment awaited him, it would not be a pleasant one.

"I-I must kill t-those kids!" -Reptile gritted his teeth, as he started walking towards the direction Queen Bee went. –"I-I m-must g-get their m-miraculouses… -o-one w-way, or a-another… o-oh, my left leg i-is k-killing me." -he said, as he took deep breaths.

As Reptile dragged his bruised body, trying to get to where Queen Bee and the other heroines had gone to, Carapace and the rest of the guys continued to deal with Brutus and Madame Romani, who had decided to team up to defeat the heroes. Because they had managed to destroy all the smoke creatures that were nearby, the heroes solely had to worry about Hawk Moth's lieutenants. But that did not mean they had their lives any easier, as both Brutus and Madame Romani were giving them everything they had. Luckily, the heroes had trained for that kind of situations, and new just what to do.

Exchanging blows with Madame Romani, Carapace was impressed by how fast the gypsy witch was moving that night, and wondered if that was because he was beginning to feel exhausted, or if she was getting progressively faster. Whatever was the reason, he knew that he had to stay one step ahead of her, so she would not catch him by surprise. On top of it, if he did not force her to keep her eyes on him, their plan to take her out of the picture, would not work.

"Starting to get tired, turtle boy?!" -Madame Romani asked him in a cruel and mocking tone of voice.

"Not really! And for the record, there's only one person who gets to call me turtle boy, lady!" -Carapace said, as he dispatched another one of Romani's illusions with his tonfas. –"Come on, Kim! What's taking so long! You know just how this goes!" -he thought to himself, as he waited for Antelope to show up.

"You'll get tired, sooner or later. And when you do, my illusions will finish you off." -Madame Romani said, when she felt someone kicking her on the back.

"Sorry, but I'll take that!" -Antelope exclaimed, as he grabbed Romani's crystal ball and threw it away.

Before Madame Romani could react, her illusions disappeared and Carapace took advantage of Antelope's distraction. Quickly punched her in the stomach, after which, he grabbed her and threw her inside a glass cube that Panda Roux, who was hiding, had just created to trap her in. Once inside, the red panda hero used his powers to seal it, making it impossible for her to exit it.

"One down, one to go!" –Carapace exclaimed triumphantly, before turning to Panda Roux. –"How are those little things coming along, Panda?" -he asked him.

"I'm just about finishing them." -Panda Roux said, as he put the finishing touches on his latest creation. –"And these things are anything but little." -he joked.

To trap Madame Romani, a cube made out of incredibly thick and resistant bulletproof glass, was all they needed. But to deal with Brutus they were going to need something a little bit stronger than bulletproof glass. And to do that, Panda Roux designed what he believed was the perfect object to keep Brutus from giving them more problems… chains. But these were no ordinary chains; these were the kind that was used by cargo ships, even if they did not look like it, because Panda made them in a way to that resembled regular chains.

Brutus had just been thrown to the ground by Grizzly Bear, when the hero did not even give him time to get up, by putting a knee in the head, disorienting him. With his head throbbing in pain, he made the mistake of attacking the hero in a fit of rage, and Grizzly took advantage of it, by throwing a right hook on the jaw. There was no

"Come on! Get up!" -Grizzly Bear told him. –"Come on! I thought this was street bawl!" -he exclaimed.

"Y-You will pay for beating me, while I was down… that's not the proper behaviour for a fighter!" -Brutus said, as he got up and pulled two scimitars from his chest.

"I told you! This is a street brawl, not a boxing match! Here are no rules! Come and get me! I'm standing right here!" -Grizzly Bear mocked him,

Counting on him being temporarily enraged, Grizzly did not move, planting his feet on the ground. And just like he had anticipated, Brutus charged against him, with both scimitars pointed at him, ready for the killing. Waiting for him to get close enough, Grizzly smashed both his fists against the asphalt, and used his "Earth Shaking" attack to make the ground shake. Forced to stop, so as to not step on the cracks Grizzly had opened, Brutus left himself open to any side attacks. And that was what happened. Using his speed, Antelope started hitting him with his bat, distracting him further, as Arachnid grabbed the chains Panda Roux had created and threw them at Antelope, who did not waste a second, wrapping them around Brutus. When he understood what was happening, he still tried to break free, but by that time, Antelope had already bandaged him like a mummy. With a swift move, he nailed him, after which he fell on his back. The only thing left was putting a lock on the chains, and that privilege belonged to Panda Roux, who placed it on the chains. Looking at Brutus, the heroes could not help but to sense that they had done a pretty good job.

"You look like a Christmas ham, you know that?" -Antelope mocked him.

"D-Dang you!" –Brutus cursed them.

"Hey, watch your tongue, man. There are kids who could hear you… somewhere." -Arachnid joked.

"I still say that I could have beaten him to a pulp." -Grizzly Bear boasted about it. –"Okay, maybe not to a pulp, given I'm starting to get a little tired, but I would certainly make him cry uncle." -he thought to himself

"Yeah, but like I told you before, we're in a bit of a hurry." -Carapace reminded him. –"Maybe next time, you'll have the privilege to do it." -he told him.

"Get me out of here!" -Madame Romani yelled at the heroes.

"Sorry, but that's not going to happen, Romani. We're leaving now. We've got ourselves an Akuma to defeat, and you've got to try and find a way out of that pickle we got you guys in." -Carapace told the villains, in a mocking tone, as he and the others quickly sprinted out of there. –"Follow me, guys. Time's a wasting!" -he said, as he used his powers to create several energy shields to be used as a makeshift staircase, so he and the others could get to the rooftops.

Seeing him mocking them as they left, Madame Romani wished looks could kill, because if that truly happened, she would be able to smite the turtle hero just by looking at him. But he was not the only one she would do that. Panda Roux, who had trapped her inside that miniaturized glass prison, with a little help from Arachnid, would also get the same treatment as the turtle hero.

"Curse those brats!" -Madame Romani as she banged her fists against the glass cube, she was in.

"I don't know why, but my instinct is telling me they are up to something." -Brutus said. –"We must follow them!" -he told Romani, as he tried to break free from the chains that the heroes had used on him, which was proving to be quite hard.

"I can't do anything without my crystal ball! And this glass cube that stupid Panda Roux locked me in, it's air-tight. I can't turn into mist and exit it… and I can't break it!" -Madame Romani told Brutus. –"Hurry up and break those chains, so you can free me!" -she ordered him.

"I'm trying!" -Brutus exclaimed, as he did his best to break free. –"I must break these chains! If I don't, the master will punish us!" -he thought to himself.

And Carapace and the others arrived at the rendezvous, just in the nick of time. Chat Noir had taken his time getting Mind Void there, by taking the scenic route to give them enough time to deal with Brutus and Madame Romani. When he showed up, he looked like he had just run the marathon, and practically glued to him, was Mind Void, who had chased him. It had been quite the chase, and unlike the black cat hero, she looked like she had not even broken a sweat. And seeing more heroes, she decided that she was going to show them the pain she was carrying inside her, and get their miraculouses.

It did not take long for her to engage them in combat. But instead of fighting her, the heroes all tried their best to keep their distance from her, forcing her to move around, without being able to attack them. And on the building in front of where they were serving as bait for Mind Void, Rena Rouge was seeing the whole thing unfolding. As they had agreed, she stayed behind to guard Marinette, who had already transformed back into Ladybug, while she made use of her new ability, which allowed her to access the Astral Plane. And upon seeing that things were taking place as discussed, she warned her best-friend, who was hiding behind the nearby shack, that it was time for her to spring into action.

"This is it, girl." -Rena Rouge told her. –"The others have managed to get her here, and are keeping her busy. Now it's up to you." -she said. –"Are you sure you know what you have to do?"

"Tikki gave me a couple of pointers to help me know what I need to do, before I transformed." -Ladybug answered her. –"I just hope I don't screw it up." -she said.

"You won't. I know you won't. And I'll be here to protect you, while you try and defeat that Akuma." -Rena Rouge reassured her. –"How long will it take for us to know, if you succeeded?" -she asked her, curious. –"I'm still trying to understand how that whole new power of yours works."

"On the astral plane, as Tikki calls it, things go by in slow motion. I don't know exactly how long things take in it, but if I had to take a guess, 10 seconds in it are equivalent to 1 second here. So, this will only take a couple of seconds here in the real world. And if so, this will all be over before you're even able to cast one of your illusions to keep us safe, in case we're spotted by Mind Void." -Ladybug smiled at her.

"Hopefully, you're right." -Rena Rouge smiled back at her. –"Just try not to get yourself into danger. You're still a little bit weak, because of what happened." –she warned her.

"I know, and I promise that I won't exceed myself." -Ladybug promised her. –"Now, let's get this party started." -she said, while taking a deep breath. –"See you in a couple of seconds, Alya."

"See you in a bit, girl." -Rena Rouge told her.

Closing her eyes, Ladybug did as Tikki had told her. The ladybug kwami said that in order to use that ability, she first needed to calm herself, and then, remind herself of the feeling she felt, when she unlocked it. Once she had done that, she needed to think about leaving her body, and by doing it so, she would be able to do it. Taking deep breaths, she tried to calm her mind, the way Master Fu had taught her and the rest of the team, during their meditation lessons. She continued to clear her mind, as the seconds went by. When she felt like her mind was clear of all kinds of kinds of distractions, and that she was in the zone, she tried to remember what she felt when she first unlocked that ability. She remembered that she was afraid that Adrien would get hurt, and then tried to think she needed to exit her body. Thinking about it, she hoped to see herself, or her spirit, floating in the air, just like it happened before. But seconds went by, and nothing seemed to happen. She continued to try and do it, but nothing. Thinking harder, nothing seemed to happen. Thinking maybe she had managed to do it, but had not realized it, she opened her eyes. Unfortunately, that had not been the case. She did not expect to do it, but that did not make her less frustrated about it.

"I can't…" -Ladybug sighed, with a frustrated voice.

"You can't?" -Rena Rouge asked her, while standing guard.

"I can't, Alya. I'm trying, but I just can't focus." -Ladybug sighed.

"Maybe you're trying too hard to focus. Maybe you need to just go with the flow, as they say." -Rena Rouge suggested her.

"Maybe… but what if I can't? What if I unlocked this new ability, but it was a one-time thing?" -Ladybug asked her, as doubts started to invade her mind.

"Oh, no, don't do that to yourself, girl. That was not a one-time thing! Our powers don't work that way! You can do this, and I know you can, because I know you." -Rena Rouge encouraged her, while looking her in the eyes. –"You're my best-friend, and you know that I never lie to you. So, believe me, when I tell you that you can do it. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but I know that you've got in you the strength and the determination to do it." -she smiled at her. –"Also, you're probably the only one, who can stop Mind Void."

Sighing, Ladybug knew Rena Rouge was right. She was probably one who would be able to stop the Akuma. She could hear the others fighting her, and that told her that if she did not hurry, they might end up hurt.

"She's right. You're probably the only one who can do this. And on top of it, you're the leader of the team. It's up to you to make sure they don't get hurt." -Ladybug thought to herself. –"Okay, let's try once again." -she said, as she closed her eyes.

Closing her eyes once more, she did as Rena Rouge told her. She allowed herself to not think too hard on what she was doing. Taking deep breaths, she then began to remember the feeling she felt when she saw her boyfriend in trouble. And this time, the also remembered of the feeling she had, when she tried to save him. Controlling her breathing, she began to feel a sort of tingling sensation all over her body, which continued to get stronger. Ladybug did not know if she was doing it, but she knew that unlike the first time, she was feeling something was happening. When she felt ready, she opened her eyes and to her surprise, she was once again back in the astral plane. She was floating in the air, and she could see through her body. And just like before, she did not feel any pain or exhaustion. Looking down, she saw herself sitting on the ground, with her legs crossed, as well as Rena Rouge, who looked like a statue. Just like before, time in the astral plane was passing a lot slower than in the real world. All of that, made her feel like she was having a dream, and the temptation to just stay there and enjoy herself for a little bit. But she knew she had a job to do, and could not waste any more time.

"Remember what Tikki told you. You need to hurry. The longer you stay like this, the more energy you'll burn, and you don't want to end up in a coma." -Ladybug thought to herself. –"To get in touch with Mind Void, you must go to her, touch her and then, pull her into the astral plane, so you can talk to her." -she remembered the instructions Tikki had given her. –"Oh, and she'll only be defeated, if she agrees to part with the Akuma Butterfly that's inside her… okay, let's do this."

Looking to her left, she saw the Chat Noir and the rest of the guys distracting Mind Void. Just like everything else, they were all moving incredibly slow. Focusing, she floated towards them, never taking her eyes from the battle. Like before, she floated towards the action. But unlike last time, when she had to focus all her strength in her thoughts to move, this time, she only had to tell herself where she wanted to go, and her spirit made its way towards where she was supposed to go. Thinking about it, the scarlet heroine believed that was partly because she was more relaxed. Even so, she could not help but to feel that the whole thing was absolutely surreal.

Seeing the battle unfolding in slow-motion, it gave her the impression that she was watching a similar scene in an action movie. As she got closer to the action, she looked at her friends' faces, and saw just how some of them were beginning to look exhausted. On top of that, at a distance, she noticed two familiar figures… Madame Romani and Brutus. The two of them were making its way towards them, and would be there in no time. There was no time to lose, and she knew it.

"Oh, crud! Those two are definitely bad news. I've got to hurry, before they get here!" –Ladybug exclaimed.

Telling herself to go down, she made her way towards Mind Void. She did not know what was going to happen, but she did not hesitate in trying to grab her. Stretching her right arm, she had to be careful not to touch any of the others, because she did not know what would happen if she did. As she touched Mind Void's left shoulder, she saw her hand glowing, while also feeling it tingling. Closing it, she pulled Mind Void's spirit towards her.

"Made it!" -Ladybug thought, congratulating herself.

"Huh… you…" -Mind Void said, seeing as she tried to make heads or tails of what was going on.

"Yes, it's me, Ladybug." -Ladybug smiled at her. –"Alright, now comes the hard part. You've got to get through her. But do just like Tikki told you to do. Speak from your heart, let her talk and don't rush it." -she thought to herself. –"S-Sorry about this, but I felt that you needed to take a break from everything and just talk."

Mind Void did not answer back, and that made Ladybug feel nervous. Like it happened to Ladybug the first time she saw herself in the astral plane, Mind Void was confused by what had happened to her. One second, she was fighting Chat Noir and the remaining male members of the Miraculous Team, and in the following one, she was somewhere, floating alongside Ladybug.

"W-Where are we?" -Mind Void asked her. –"And… how can I be in two places at the same time?" -she asked her, as she saw her body under them.

"This is the Astral Plane. And we're not really here. Just our spirits or souls, if you prefer." -Ladybug answered her. Her voice was showing she was a little nervous. –"And like I said, I brought you here, so we could talk."

"Talk?... Talk about what?" –Mind Void sighed.

"Talk about what's happening. About you, if you want to." -Ladybug answered her. –"I must admit that I'm a little nervous… no, make that, very nervous." -she admitted. –"I never did this before… talking to an Akuma like this."

There was another moment of silent, with neither Ladybug, nor Mind Void saying a single word. The scarlet heroine was beginning to wonder if she would be able to handle that situation, and that scared her. Still, she knew she could not let fear cloud her ideas, nor stop her from trying to get to Mind Void.

"I've got to make her trust me, but how do I do it? I don't want her to feel threatened or pressured into talking." -Ladybug thought to herself. –"C-Could you tell me your name?" -she asked her, trying to break the ice in that conversation.

"M-My name?" -Mind Void asked her. –"My name is Mind Void." -she told her.

"No, not that name, your real name. The name you had, before you were akumatized." -Ladybug told her. –"I would like to know it, so I could call you by your real name, instead of Mind Void." -she smiled at her, hoping to establish a link of trust between them.

"My real name?" -Mind Void asked, as she tried to remember her real name. –"M-My real name is… Lorayne. Lorayne Travers" -she remembered it.

"Lorayne? That's a beautiful name." -Ladybug told her, being honest about it.

The scarlet heroine engaged her in friendly conversation, continuing to establish a link between them, while at the same time, hoping that it did not take her long to do it. She did not want her friends to get hurt, and she knew that Madame Romani and Brutus would arrive on their position very soon. On top of that, she feared that Hawk Moth would notice something was wrong with Mind Void and tried to contact her. Even so, she did her best not to rush the conversation. She allowed her to guide the conversation and take her time to say what she needed to say.

"So… you suffer from depression." -Ladybug said

"Y-Yes… as well as stress, and anxiety. I've always been a very nervous person. But the past couple of years, things became worse." -Mind Void told her, in a low and depressed voice. –"I went to various doctors, but none of them was able to help me. I told them that some days I felt better, while others, I felt like I had no business in existing. That I felt like I had no purpose in being. And they all told me the same thing, and prescribed me all kinds of pills. They were supposed to make me feel better, but every time I took them, I felt like I wasn't myself. I felt like a zombified version f myself." -she explained, always with the same low and depressed voice. –"And then, things at work became worse… and my family kept telling me that I had no business in being that way… because I had a good life."

Ladybug heard her whole story, without speaking a single word. She felt that Mind Void needed to take that off her chest, and the best way was to just let her talk and say what she had to say. She also knew that time was ticking, but she could not rush her.

As she heard her story, it pained her to hear such awful things that had happened to her, and that led her to where she was. In fact, she did not know what it was worst; if the fact that she was struggling with an invisible disease, or that she had no one believing in her, which made her believe that she had been abandoned, and led her to try and commit suicide. But either one thing, or another, were both awful and horrible to listen to. She could easily understand why Hawk Moth had seen her as the perfect victim to be akumatized.

"That is such an awful story." -Ladybug sighed.

"Yes… and then, Hawk Moth showed up and gave me the power to show people just how I feel. To make them understand what it is to always feel like no one likes you, no one cares about you… and at first, it felt good, but now… now I'm starting to feel just like before…" -Mind Void sighed.

"What he did to you, it was not right. Hawk Moth took advantage of your pain to akumatize you, and then used you to hurt others. That's a terrible thing to do." -Ladybug said. –"I'm not going to say that I know what you're going through, or that I know the pain you're in, because I truly don't. My life is far from being absolutely perfect, and I would be lying if I said it was… but at least, I've been enough to have people who stand by me, unlike you." -she admitted. –"Also, I do know this. I know that whatever pain you have inside you, no matter how bad and awful it might be, sharing it with others, won't make it go away. If anything, it will only remind you of how painful all is, and you will end up feeling worse than ever."

Ladybug did not know if her words were doing anything, but she decided to continue talking with Mind Void, hoping to get to her with them. And to do it, she continued to talk from the heart, just like Tikki had told her to do. It was her only trump card then, and she had to use it, if she wanted to put an end to all that.

"I know you don't have any reason to trust me, even if I tell you that you must, and I can't even imagine what you went through, because everyone believed that you were just coming up with all sorts of excuses. But I know this… I know that it takes a lot of courage to ask for help, and as I see it, by doing what you're doing now, you're crying out for help, even if you're doing what Hawk Moth ordered you to do." -Ladybug told her in a soothing and calm voice. –"And I'm here to help you. I can't promise you that you will be cured from all that depression and anxiety you suffer from. But I can promise you this. By relinquishing the Akuma Butterfly that is inside you, you will turn back to normal and I'll make sure that you go back to the hospital, where you will get the treatment you need to become better. On top of that, I promise you that I will visit you, whenever I can, so I can see with my own eyes, you getting better and feeling strong enough to go back into the world that is out there, and that deserves to be lived, Lorayne. The world is scary, there's no doubt about it, but there are a lot of people out there, who are good and care about others, and it would a shame if you didn't get to know some of them."

And she was being honest about it. The promise she made her was one that she intended to keep. After listening to her story, she felt two things. First, she felt sorry that Mind Void's situation had dragged to the point that she had attempted to take her own life, just to get the attention she so desperately wanted. And second, she felt sick and enraged that Hawk Moth and his lieutenants had taken advantage of her, and turned her into a weapon.

"Y-You really mean it?" -Mind Void asked her, speaking with a brighter voice for the first time.

"Yes. And you have my word that I won't abandon you, or make you feel like you've been abandoned. I'll visit you, and if I can't, for whatever reason, someone else in my team will visit you, that I will try and visit you some other time." -Ladybug promised her. –"I will do everything in my power, to visit you, at least once a month, to talk to you , to make sure that you are feeling better and that you're having the all the help you need to get better." -she told her.

In an unexpected move, Mind Void hugged her, and Ladybug feared that her doing that, she would become depressed or anxious in a matter of seconds. But that did not happen. She did not know why it did not happen, but she was happy it did not.

"Are you ready to end this?" -Ladyug asked her, as they broke the embrace.

"Y-Yes." -Mind Void answered her.

"Very well, Lorayne" -Ladybug smiled at her. –"In that case, give me your hand, and this will all be over in a second." -she told her.

Before extending her hand towards Mind Void, Ladybug took a second to check on how things in the real world were going. She saw that Mind Void's body remained motionless, and Chat Noir and the rest of the guys had begun to engage Brutus and Madame Romani in a fight. Seeing that, she knew there was not a moment to waste. Smiling, she was about to shake hands with Mind Void, when this one was seemingly electrocuted, as purple lightning bolts surrounded her body, making her scream. And before they could understand what was happening, another spirit materialized in the Astral Plane. At first, it was not clear whose spirit it was, but it did not take more than a couple of seconds, until they realized that the spirit who had materialized, was none other than Hawk Moth's spirt. Unknown to Ladybug, his spirit was always linked to the spirits of both his lieutenants, and any Akuma he created. And when he felt that something was wrong with Mind Void's spirit, he took it upon himself to see what was going on.

"H-Hawk Moth…" -Ladybug whispered. -"H-How did he get here?!" -she asked herself, absolutely shocked with what she was seeing.

Hawk Moth looked exactly like the last time they had crossed paths. Same outfit. Same cane. Same silver mask, which covered his whole head, with the exception of his eyes and mouth. His cold and uncaring eyes looked the same, as did his sadistic smile.

"I knew something was wrong. I track down your spirit here, and what do I see? The spirit of my Akuma, as well as the spirit of a miraculous holder, who clearly doesn't know when to give up, chatting together." -Hawk Moth declared, as he looked at Ladybug and Mind Void. –"What do you think you're doing here? Why aren't you fighting her? Can't you see that she's just trying to fool and mislead you?" -he asked her.

"Don't listen to him! He's just trying to use you once more." -Ladybug told Mind Void.

"Foolish child… her name is Mind Void, and she's one of the most powerful Akumas I've ever created." -Hawk Moth declared, as the sadistic smile on his face widened.

"No, she's not. Her real name is Lorayne Travers, which is more than you know about her, and she's an innocent person, that you took advantage of, just like every last one of your other Akumas, and I'm here to put an end to this! You used this poor woman to try and get me and my teammates, by making her think that the only way she would get people to realize just how much in pain she is, was to make others share her pain, and that's unacceptable!" -Ladybug shouted at Hawk Moth.

"She was weak and I made her strong, like every last one of my Akumas." -Hawk Moth told her. –"I could have left her to continue to be the weakling she was, but instead, I gave her the power to show others that she was not weak." -he declared, without the sadistic smile on his face disappearing.

"No, she was never weak! You just made her think that she was weak, and preyed on her, when she was at her lowest." -Ladybug snapped at him. –"You may think that you are more powerful than everyone else, and that you are the only one fit to rule this world with an iron fist, but you're not. You're nothing more than a creep… a monster who doesn't care about anyone, or anything, except himself, and who sends his cronies to do your dirty job. And that's why you lose tonight, and you will lose again and again and again, until, you're finally defeated for good, Hawk Moth!" –she shouted at him. –"Mark my words, you psycho… my friends and I won't stop until you're defeated, you psychopath!"

As she finished her speech, Hawk Moth attacked her, by firing a sphere of purple energy against her. Surprised by how fast the sphere moved, and knowing she would not have time to avoid it, she pushed Mind Void to the side, to protect her, and readied herself to receive the full impact of Hawk Moth's attack. Closing her eyes, she felt the sphere hitting her, and screamed in pain. As the pain coursed through her, all kinds of thoughts went by her mind. Thoughts like not knowing she could get hurt in the Astral Plane, or that she had falsely believed that she would be safe in there, when no one, not even Tikki, had told her that that would be true.

"Like I said before, you're just a foolish child." –Hawk Moth said. –"You think you can talk to me like that? Do you think you can call me whatever you want to, without any sort of consequences? You think you're the only one who knows how the Astral Plane works?! Let me tell you something, Ladybug… you know nothing! You're no one. You have seen yourself in a game of chess that has been ging on for thousands of years. A game of chess, in which I am the King, and you and your friends are mere pawns. And while you and them see the world for what you want it to be, I see it through the way it truly is. And the world is an awful place, where only the strong survive. You might think that pretty words can help change it for the better, but that's the worst of lies." -he declared, as he walked towards her. –"No matter what words you say, or how many times you say them, it won't change things. It will only perpetuate that same lie that the world can be a fair place, when it's not. And if you truly believe that the world can be a fair place for everyone, then, you're even more foolish and stupid than I thought."

Ladybug was in pain. Not as much, as when she was hit by energy sphere, but it was still hurt. She felt like her whole body was in flames. Trying to ignore it, she told herself that she had to get up and find a way to attack him, or otherwise, he would kill her. But before she could do it. Hawk Moth used his cane and used it to fire four small purple orbs at her, which then turned into shackles, bounding her arms and legs together, and making it impossible for her to move. She struggled, but in vain. All she could do was watch the mad man making its way towards her.

"You've only discovered that you're able to access the Astral Plane, while I on the other hand, have centuries of experience." -Hawk Moth sneered at Ladybug, as he looked down on her. –"If you had any kind of training in it, you might even be able to hold your own against me for perhaps 20 seconds." -he continued to sneer at her. –"But since you seemingly know nothing about this place, you will die, without even being able to fight back to save your life."

Ladybug knew she was in trouble, and right then, there was no one who could help her. Even so, she decided that she would not give Hawk Moth the satisfaction of hearing her beg him for any sort of mercy or scream. Looking him in the eyes, his were as cold as uncaring as the first time she was face to face with him. And just like the first time she saw him, on his face he had a sadistic, almost psychopathic smile. If asked if she was afraid, she would say she was. But not because of what was about to happen to her; but because of those that would suffer with her earlier departure from that world.

"Like I said on the day that we met, you can't stop me. You may be able to prevent me from taking control of the world, temporarily, but you can't stop me forever. And the same thing applies to your friends… and now, I'm going to kill you. I don't think I have to tell you that if your spirit dies, your body also dies." -he looked at her, with a malevolent smile in his face, as he kneeled and placed his hands around her neck, and prepared himself to break her neck –"I would like to say that I will miss you, but I would be lying about it. Your spirit and your life belong to me, Ladybug… and soon, so will your miraculous..."

"Feel my pain, Hawk Moth!" -Mind Void yelled, as she placed her arms around the villain's.

Well, I promised you that I would try and have this finished in time for the pre-debut of season 4 in Brazil, with the episode "Monster Fu"... and here it is, just in time, before the debut. We've been having a lot of spoilers over these last 96 hours, but nothing absolutely concrete about it, so I am excited to see this first episode.

Anyways, regarding this chapter, I bet you weren't expecting Hawk Moth to show up, now did you? xD I'll be honest, in the initial plans of this story, he wasn't supposed to show up like this, but I've been having so many people asking me for a sort of one-on-one between Ladybug and Hawk Moth, that I finally gave in and decided to give you a little taste of what i have planned for a real rumble against them. And yes, you saw Mind Void revolting against Hawk Moth in that last line... it's the first time an Akuma goes up against Hawk Moth in my AU.

And now that the battle is nearly over, it's time for us to start wrapping up things. I'll try my best to finish the following chapter, which will see the true end of the battle against Mind Void, as well as the return of the action to the Le Grand Paris. As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave your suggestions to improve this or future fics. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to try and continue to write, while waiting for the new episode to come out. :)