Disclaimer: don't own Miraculous Ladybug

Chapter 41: Antibug, Part 1

"Adeline Droz," Ladybug read. She and Chat Noir glanced at The Unclocker, seeing if she was listening in.

"I don't know the name," Chat Noir said. "But if there's a way to find her in the past..."

"That's what I'm hoping," Ladybug admitted.

"But we don't even know if what happens in the past affects the present," Chat Noir replied. And then he grinned. "Except that Alya responded to something sent from the past. Thats brilliant."

"I have a way to further test out the theory," Ladybug added. "Vanisher."

Chat Noir nodded. "Of course. What happened there influenced Antibug."

"If we're able to affect Antibug, then maybe we can prevent The Unclocker from even being akumatized."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Chat Noir replied.

Ladybug turned to The Unclocker. "We choose to face Vanisher."

The Unclocker tilted her head. "Is there a particular reason? It sounded like the two of you were scheming."

"I'm not telling you," Ladybug replied.

"Then no." Realization flashed across The Unclocker's face. "Oh? You want to see - I understand what you're doing. It won't work - not that you'd have a chance to try. Now, you'll face Antibug, and then you can face Vanisher."

The winds picked up again.

Well, shoot.

The Unclocker had caught their plan. Now they didn't have a plan to fight Antibug, and Ladybug has been forced to detransform almost immediately, leaving Chat Noir by himself.

Delay her was all she could say before running off. Chat Noir watched the roof of the hotel, wondering how he was supposed to do that, especially with a sore arm and injured wrist.

This is Chloe. I've known her for most of my life. If there's anyone who can delay her, it's me.

Ignoring his aching arm, Chat Noir extended his baton and rose up to the roof. He landed, turning Antibug's attention to him.

"Chat Noir," Antibug greeted. "Where's Ladybug?"

"Busy," Chat Noir replied. "I figured the two of us could talk."

"I have nothing to say to a sidekick," Antibug hissed.

"How about a fan?" Chat Noir said.

"A fan?" Antibug visibly lowered her defense.

Chat Noir nodded. "Of course, I'm a fan of Chloe Bourgeois. Not Antibug."

Antibug stammered. "Well, I'm not her anymore. But still, wh-why did you like her?"

"Because she had no time for anyone else," Chat Noir said, thinking fast. "And she never let anyone tell her what to do. Or so I thought."

"What changed your mind?" Antibug asked.

"Well, you're taking orders from Hawkmoth now, aren't you?"

Antibug scoffed. "No I'm not. We're... more of a team. Two people with a similar grudge."

"And if you disagreed with him, what do you think would happen?" Chat Noir questioned. "If you said no, do you think he'd accept it?"

"Does it matter? I'm not going to."

"Don't want to risk your powers?" Chat Noir asked. "That's not the Chloe I know. She didn't need powers."

"I'm not Chloe," Antibug rebutted.

"Sounds like a demotion to me."

Antibug huffed and stomped her foot. "What was I supposed to do? I helped Ladybug, and she still wouldn't give me a second thought! Ever since the two of you showed up, powers are the only thing that will get you noticed."

"Are you kidding me?" Chat Noir asked. "We fight a new akuma almost everyday. You're turning into just another name in a list of people who fell under Hawkmoth's powers."

"Not if I become the first to defeat you," Antibug replied. "And without your partner, that's very likely."

"The victory would go to Hawkmoth, not you," Chat Noir argued. "But there is a way for you to be noticed, Chloe. Without anyone else helping."

"I'm listening."

"Fight the akuma. Be the first to beat Hawkmoth's influence. Look at all your classmates, they couldn't fight it. Think about the bragging rights. Think about how impressed Ladybug would be - how impressed Paris would be."

For a split second, it looked like it worked. Then Antibug cried in pain and stumbled, and when she straightened out again, there was nothing but anger in her face.

"Nice try, but I'm not that gullible."

She stepped and launched her yo-yo at Chat Noir. He deflected a throw, dodged another, and then deflected again. He slid under a throw, coming up from under Antibug, and whacked her hard with her baton.

Antibug recovered quickly, and she attacked again. Her yo-yo wrapped around Chat Noir's baron, and his grip was too weak to hold on. The baton spun out of his reach, and Antibug approached with a victorious smile on her face.

"See? I can do what no one else can. I beat you."

With the help of Evillustrator, Dark Blade, Rogercop, Mime...

"You needed Vanisher's help," Chat Noir pointed out. "She's the one who forced Ladybug into using her lucky charm. She's the reason you could take me on one-on-one instead of facing us as a team. Are you willing to let her share the credit?"

Antibug scoffed. "No one cares about Sabrina. No one even knows about Vanisher. I'll be the one to defeat you."

"Is credit all you care about?" Chat Noir asked. "Willing to steal someone else's work? Is it because you don't think you could do it yourself?"

"Stop trying to goad me! I'm not that gullible!" Antibug stomped her foot. "And I'm insulted that you think-"

With Antibug distracted with her rant, Chat Noir saw his chance. He moved quickly, swiping Antibug's feet from under her and launching himself towards his baton. He grabbed it and landed in his fighting stance.

Antibug huffed as she pushed herself back onto her feet. "You keep talking about fighting fairly but you keep distracting me. That's not cool."

"Maybe I just like talking to you?" Chat Noir suggested.

Antibug scowled. "You won't once I'm done with you." She swung her yo-yo, and Chat Noir darted our of its way.

Deflect, deflect, dodge, deflect. Even as his arm tired, Chat Noir managed to keep up with Antibug's attacks. Up until his arm cramped, and he dropped his guard.

This time, when Antibug disarmed him, she tossed his baton off the roof completely.

"No more talking," Antibug decided. "Your ring, Chat Noir."

Something red flashed in the corner of his eye, and Ladybug landed next to him, his baton in her hand. She held it out to him.

"I think you dropped this."

Didn't realize Chloe would be so fun to write!