Snake Noir
"Second chance!" Without speaking, the heroes charged towards the akuma's. But before Dragonbug called out a power, something collided with her, pulling off an earring. "Second chance!" He called out as her transformation began to fade, In an instant, he was back right before the charge. When Ladybug charged forward, Snake Noir dashed to the side and grabbed the invisible form of Vanisher. Quickly grabbing her glasses, he snapped them, releasing the akuma and pointed a very confused Sabrina to the nearest restroom to hide.
Dragon Bug caught the loose akuma, her back temporally turned on the rest of the villains. Dark Cupid, Lady Wifi, Bubbler, and Reflecta all opened fire. Snake Noir barely had time to shove Dragon Bug out of the way, causing the two of them to fall onto the subway tracks. "Careful, Bugaboo, not that I don't enjoy saving you! But that's the second time already! We need a plan!"
She nodded her thanks, eyeing the villains. "If I use my water dragon to knock them over, can you get Bubbler or Lady Wifi's akuma?"
"Yeah, but why them?" he asked, giving her a curious glance.
"Because they are Rena Rouge and Carapace," she told him. "Water dragon!" She shifted into the water dragon form, sweeping through the akumas with ease. Dragon Bug managed to push both Bubbler and Lady Wifi towards him, allowing Snake Noir to smash their weapons, releasing the akumas. Dragon Bug didn't waste any time catching the two butterflies, getting both in a single swing. She pulled out the fox and turtle, she handed them to the confused couple.
As the two transformed, the remaining villains fled out the subway, not willing to face the four heroes without backup. "Plagg, Sass, divide!"
"Tikki, Longg, divide!" Both of the kwami's flew out, hovering in front of the duo. Chat fed the two kwamis while Ladybug released the purified butterflies. Ladybug took the snake miraculous back from him and put it away before turning to Rena and Carapace. "It's a similar situation as Heroes' Day out there, but this time, the villain that is boosting Hawkmoth's powers is out in the open instead of hiding somewhere. Just stick together. Chat will use his baton to give me a bird's eye view. Hopefully from up there, we can spot the akuma and get to them before Scarlet Moth causes any more damage to the city." The two backup heroes nodded, eager to follow Ladybug blindly into the face of danger.
Chat wasn't so sure if he could trust them, knowing that they are really his best friends who turned a blind eye to his problems,but he trusted Ladybug and nothing could shake that as he followed her out into the open, ready to end this.
Catalyst
She never felt this powerless before. She was unable to directly fight in battle. Her sole purpose was to act as a power boost for Hawkmoth, something that seemed more fulfilling at first. But she wouldn't be the one who crushed Ladybug this way. No, she was left with a pair of bodyguards who rather protect her than get the miraculous for Scarlet Moth. After learning that the miraculous were with Ladybug, he left her to hide with the Dark Owl and Evilustrator to defend her while sending the remaining villains to cause chaos. What his plan was, Catalyst didn't know for sure. Hawkmoth had dragged the old man away, telling her to stay put.
What she did know is that Marinette was out there and she was going to get rid of her once and for all. It irked her that Adrien had been spotted leaving with Marinette. If she found Marinette, she could take Adrien to be hers right in front of Marinette before ending her once and for all. She had attempted to get Hawkmoth to find Adrien earlier, but he shrugged her off. Apparently, the safety of his son meant little to him compared to getting the miraculous. But then again Gabriel Agreste never showed love for his son. The man just wanted his wife back, nothing else.
Catalyst started to head out of the warehouse Evilustrator drew up to keep anyone from spotting her, which, in her opinion, was pointless because it stood out like a sore thumb among the other buildings. It was red, why was it completely red? All the villains were even completely red, what was up with that?
Dark Owl dropped down in front of the entrance to block her from leaving. "You were ordered to remain here."
"But I know where the heroes are. If we capture the miraculous ourselves, then Hawkmoth will let us make a wish as a reward. And you can wish for anything you want to..." She smirked as the akuma considered the offer.
"Okay, but we bring reinforcements. Let me bring Evilustrator along and call in Antibug at least." Catalyst nodded, a smile on her face. All too easy.
Chat Noir
Chat swore Hawkmoth lost his marbles when he became Scarlet Moth. Once they were high enough, they immediately spotted the red warehouse. It was probably a trap, but Ladybug insisted they could make it there without setting off any alarms. With Rena Rouge and Carapace in tow, they raced across the rooftops hoping to catch the villains by surprise.
They were a block away when Carapace spotted them: three akumas were moving away from the warehouse. One of them wasn't completely red, giving away their identity as the original akuma. The heroes circled the akumatized villains, identifying Dark Owl and Evilustrator.
Rena ran ahead and pulled her flute out. A few seconds later, an illusion of a concrete wall appeared in the way. The villains halted, hesitating long enough for the other three heroes to put their plan in action.
Chat and Ladybug shoved Dark Owl and Evilustrator together, timing perfectly with Carapace's call of "Shelter!" A green bubble shield formed around the two villains just as they attempted to fight back. Owlrangs and boxing gloves bounced off the inside of the shield as the villains glared at the heroes.
Ladybug inspected the power boost villain, who glared at her with intense hatred. "Just tell us where the akuma is so we can purify you."
Catalyst knew she didn't stand a chance against the four heroes but that didn't mean she would have to cooperate with them. She just glared defiantly at the heroes. Chat looked her over as Ladybug tried to reason with the akumatized villain, looking for an object that stood out. His gaze settled on the necklace around her neck. Chat reached out and yanked the necklace off of her despite her protest. "Cataclysm!" The necklace crumbled to dust as the butterfly flew away, Catalyst transformed back into Lila as the victims trapped in the shield changed back into civilians. Carapace dropped his shield to let them out.
Ladybug's eyes widened as she caught the akuma and cast the cure. "Lila?" Rena Rouge and Carapace both seemed shocked as well; Chat was just done. It had been a long morning and he was not in the mood to be kind to someone who probably helped Hawkmoth.
"Seriously? Again Lila? What is this, the third or fourth time? Or even the fifth?"
"Dude, chill out." Carapace glared at him as he moved to help Lila. Rena nodded her head in sympathetic agreement as she moved to put an arm around Lila protectively. "She was under Hawkmoth's control."
"Hey, it was a serious question," Chat added. "Heroes day was confusing, there were akuma's everywhere! And today she just happened to become an akuma that boosts his power when a large group of people are upset?"
"She couldn't help being upset. Everyone was yelling at each other and she ran away." Rena glared at him, moving protectively in between him and Lila.
"Oh, and she just happened to turn into the perfect akuma for Hawkmoth by chance? Some fluke if you ask me." Chat spit the words out angrily.
Ladybug sighed, "Chat, simmer down and take Rena and Carapace somewhere to get their miraculous back. I'll meet you later to take them back to the Guardian after I take care of Lila." With one last meaningful glare at Chat, she swung off with Lila.
He sighed and led them into a nearby alleyway. They released their transformations and glared at him as they handed over the miraculous. Without even saying goodbye, Chat batoned himself onto the nearby rooftop. Making sure no one could see him, Chat released his transformation and fed Plagg without saying anything. Plagg eyed him as he slowly ate his cheese, deciding to let his Chosen to have some quiet for a while. Any minute, father of the year will demand his son to do some ridiculous list of tasks. Once he was ready, Adrien transformed again and vaulted off towards school.
Adrien
He was sitting in his room barely an hour later, the Gorilla having come to the school early to pick Adrien up and bring him home, when it happened. Reporter Nadja Chamack came on the screen with a grim look on her face. "Good evening, Paris. Tonight, I have some grim news related to the latest terrorist attack by Hawkmoth. One of the residents of downtown has been taken hostage by Hawkmoth. A security camera across the street had captured the act and we have been provided the footage. Before we play it, we must warn viewers this footage is extremely graphic and will not be censored in any way."
The footage played showing a small ice cream parlor Adrien didn't recognize sitting across the street from the camera's location. Then the Evilustrator came into view and used his tablet to erase the wall of the building. Adrien froze as he recognized Master Fu drinking tea calmly. Hawkmoth, Catalyst, Dark Owl, and Stormy Weather moved into view, entering the building. Hawkmoth grabbed something that appeared to be the miracle box Ladybug had described it to him one time.
Hawkmoth inspected the box before throwing it across the room at the Guardian, knocking the old man over. Adrien's eyes widened as the terrorist hauled Fu off of the ground, the Guardian helpless in the villain's grasp. The villains left with the captured Guardian, Fu struggling to escape. Plagg dropped to the table, his cheese was forgotten as he stared at the screen with his Chosen. The guardian was taken by Hawkmoth?
Nadja Chamack came back on the screen, her expression more upset than before. "The victim has been identified as Wang Fu. The intent behind the kidnapping is still being determined, though the police report that the symbols on the box found on the scene of the crime match those found on the recent posts by Alya Césaire on the Ladyblog." She pointed out, "the symbols of the Tibetan statues match those found in ancient history, theorizing that historical figures used the miraculous in the past. Could this man be some sort of ally to Ladybug and Chat Noir?" The reporter cleared her throat, then asked the audience, "Ladybug and Chat Noir have always protected the people from Hawkmoth, why did this man get captured?"
Adrien shut the tv off, nothing good was going to follow that up. Master Fu was taken captive. The news was blaming the heroes for it as well, it seemed, rather than blame the guilty one. Adrien scowled as he thought of Hawkmoth laughing at the news. "Do they really expect us to be able to do everything? Where are the freaking black ops guys? We are just teenagers!" Plagg didn't respond, staring at the black tv screen in silence. "I'm sorry, Plagg. Are you okay?"
Before the kwami could respond, the door by his skate ramp clicked open. Plagg phased under the table as Gabriel walked in. "Adrien, I take it you have been watching the news?" Adrien nodded, not sure if he would like where this was headed. "Then you see the dangers of going out into the world. You would be much better suited to remain in the mansion and return to homeschooling. Then you won't risk being kidnapped like that old man."
"But father, public school is the only thing I am allowed to do that I like," Adrien insisted, standing up and turning to face his father. "All my friends are there."
"Ms. Rossi has permission to visit you," Gabriel stated as if it could make up for the loss of the rest of his friends at school.
"Lila is not my friend, she is the one person I rather not be around. She gets akumatized like every other week. If you want me to be safe, then keep me away from her."
Gabriel strode towards Adrien and glared down at him. "You would be wise to consider my advice, son. I know what's best for you, which is for you to stay indoors."
Gabriel turned his back on Adrien and was about to take a step towards the door when he heard Adrien mutter, "Except when it's profitable for the brand."
Gabriel whirled around and backhanded his son. Adrien was knocked off his feet by the force of the blow, falling on the table's corner. Adrien yelped in pain, rolling over on the floor as Gabriel's face burned with anger. "Disrespect me again and I will ensure you are pulled out of school." Without another word, Gabriel exited the room, leaving his son lying on the floor.
Plagg zipped out of his hiding space, upset to see his Chosen mistreated by his father. "I'm sorry, kid."
Adrien turned his head to look at the kwami, a bruise forming on his left cheek where Gabriel hit him. "It's not your fault, Plagg." Adrien stayed there for some time, only getting up when Nathalie called him for the sorry excuse of a dinner he was allowed to have. Once night fell, he transformed and left, hoping to find the one person who might bring up his spirits.
Ladybug
After having another pointless conversation with Lila, Ladybug decided to return the miraculous she had to Master Fu. She would be able to collect Chat's at patrol that night, so she wasn't too concerned.
When she arrived at Master Fu's ice cream parlor, Marinette was shocked to find the police there. Using her bug-phone, she gasped at the sight of a hawaiian jacket being carried out by a crime scene officer. The officer placed it into a cruiser and took off. Following it to the police station, she managed to see where the evidence was going to be locked up. Later on, a red-eyed Marinette watched the news, listening to the accusation against Ladybug and Chat Noir for not protecting the lives of the city. Nadja Chamack went on to state that Fu's belongings that were found at the crime scene will be held in police lockup for further investigation. Marinette sat up at that, paying close attention to the broadcast. There was no mention of what items were in lockup but she needed some kind of clue where the rest of the miraculous were.
Now she would be breaking into the Paris police department's evidence lockup. Not a good sight to see with how the media was turning the public opinion against the heroes. Taking out both of the security cameras, Ladybug quickly rushed to the front desk. On the desk rested a couple of evidence bags, left out either due to incompetence or lady luck. Inspecting the bags, she quickly learned they were all Master Fu's belongings found in the building. Grabbing the bags, Ladybug rushed back out, avoiding an officer returning to the evidence lockup.
Praying the officer didn't notice the damaged security cameras or missing evidence, Ladybug pulled herself away. A black shadow followed her, staying a few meters back. Finally, Ladybug stopped on a rooftop, reassuring herself that no one could see her up there. "What are you up to, Bugaboo?"
Ladybug jumped, startled by the sudden appearance of her partner. "Chat, what are you doing here?"
He shrugged as he walked over. "Needed to clear my head. I was going to check in on a friend of mine, but she didn't appear to be home." His green eyes narrowed at her as he continued, "Then my staff phone told me you were at the police station. A quick survey made it clear you weren't there because they called you there. So, care to tell me what you broke in for?"
Ladybug held out the bags for him to see, telling him, "These were left when Master Fu was taken by Hawkmoth. I'm hoping there will be a letter or a clue to the location of the other miraculous."
"So, let's see what there is!" Chat said, a little too impatient he knew but he was on edge since the news first rolled in.
Ladybug nodded and opened the first bag: Master Fu's phone. She sighed in relief, as Chat gave her a confused look. "It has the translated version of the Miracle Book on it," she explained. "If Hawkmoth got his hands on it, he would have access to power-ups as well."
Chat nodded his understanding, motioning her to open the next bag. She pulled out an old photo of a woman Chat felt like he knew, but didn't quite recognize. "Who is she?" he asked Ladybug.
A sad smile formed on Ladybug's face. "This is Marianne Lenoir, Master Fu's lover. He had me bring her a love letter one time he felt sick, but I messed that up pretty bad. I ended up giving her the letter I wrote for my crush, Master Fu's prescription to my crush, and Master Fu's love letter to the guy at the drugstore. She got akumatized into Backwarder as a result."
Chat let out a short laugh, something familiar about the situation. It hurt him to hear Ladybug talk about her crush, but he knew that wasn't her intention. He looked at the final bag, wondering what it may hold.
As if reading his thoughts, Ladybug opened the final bag. She frowned at the item, then held it out for him to see. It was a locker key, he realized, a gym name and locker number on it as she said "Maybe Master Fu hid something in this locker! A clue or even the Miracle Box itself!"
"Then let's go get it!" Chat knew what her response would be before she opened her mouth, but he hoped he was wrong.
"I'm sorry Kitty, but this locker is in a public area. We can't show up as heroes or we will draw too much attention." She looked away as she continued, "You know that we can't reveal our identities either."
"What are you so afraid of?" Chat asked, throwing his hands out. "That I won't like you outside of the mask?"
Ladybug glared at him, fury burning in her eyes. "You seriously think that I'm so insecure about myself that I would make a rule so my partner will never be disappointed in me?" She got right in Chat's face, staring him in the eyes. "We keep our identities secret so that those we love can stay safe. The last thing I need is someone I love getting hurt because of your need to express your feelings."
Ladybug stalked away towards the edge of the roof. She was about to throw her yoyo when she heard Chat murmur, "I'm sorry."
"I know, kitty. We both had a rough day. I'll talk to you later." With that she left him alone on the rooftop with his thoughts, intent on finding the Miracle Box. After staying there for some time, Chat headed back to the Dupain-Cheng bakery.
Landing softly on Marinette's balcony, he knocked on the trapdoor. Just like his earlier attempts, it had gone unanswered. Sighing, Chat left for home, unaware of the blue eyes watching him with concern just a block away.
The next morning: Adrien
When he got home last night, he got a message from Ladybug. She found the Miracle Box and it was safe. She asked him to meet her the next night for a patrol to talk about it. That made him feel a little bit better. He had a hard time sleeping that night, the image of Fu being dragged away by Hawkmoth stuck in his mind.
As Adrien sat up, he felt the pain in his cheek. It was going to be painful covering up the bruise, but Adrien knew he couldn't go around looking like he was abused. That would only make it worse for the brand and his father would take it out on him. Plagg watched him apply the cover-up through narrowed eyes, thinking of Gabriel's personal items that he could cataclysm without getting caught.
Finally presentable, Adrien went to the dining room. Natalie was waiting with a schedule in hand, a plate with a small amount of food on it. "Father isn't joining us?"
"No, your father is meeting the mayor this morning." She looked up from her tablet and placed it on the table so Adrien could see the screen. "It's about to start."
Adrien was about to ask her what she was referring to when the mayor appeared on the screen. André Bourgeois stood behind a podium, his wife Audrey on one side of him, Gabriel Agreste on the other side. "After the horrible incident yesterday, I, André Bourgeois, as mayor of Paris, am now forced to call Ladybug and Chat Noir to cease their mindless vigilantism. They are to unmask and hand over their miraculous to the city government so that trained professionals can get the job done right. They have until midnight before a manhunt will start to find and arrest them. A courthouse and time will be chosen for them to meet with us and explain their actions."