Once Upon a Time

Running from rooftop to rooftop on a windy Parisian night was often the best way for Izuku to clear his head and rationalize what he was thinking. But he had already gone through ten different rooftops and his mind wasn't any clearer. The wind of the night hit his costume as he jumped to the next building with the agility of a cat on the prowl. His mind went back to the conversation he had with Detective Naomasa and the warning left behind by Hawkmoth. The vegetable state of the Bubbler gave Izuku a moment to pause.

Hawkmoth had lasted this long in the shadows for a reason. He had the criminal underworld running scared with the mere mention of his name and his terrifying Miraculous. No one wanted to point in his direction, assuming that they knew where he was. His anonymity was his greatest weapon, and to keep that weapon he needed a network of spies.

Izuku needed to find someone that could tell him what he needed. If Hawkmoth had spies then they were out there. He needed to find someone to hit or a clue of some kind. He scanned the streets from the rooftops in search of any criminals that could know something. Izuku sighed as he looked down on the street with no crime. He had been at this all night, and he had gotten nothing.

"Think Izuku, think. Hawkmoth won't just advertise who works for him and who doesn't." Izuku paced on the rooftop. "The Bubbler is in a coma. The Beauties and the Beast won't talk for fear of ending the same way. And the common criminals will keep their mouths shut in fear of ending like that or worse. Argh, I just wish I could find something to get my mind off of this!"

Just then, like an answer from high above, a loud alarm rang through the air as police sirens rushed to the scene.

"That works." Izuku ran after the sirens, hoping to at least do some good that night.

Izuku fired his grappling hook, flying through the air like a specter of justice. He swung ahead of the patrol cars, before landing on another rooftop. He looked on to see a large jewelry store with a broken window and a thrashed floor. Izuku could tell that this was a sloppy break, but the mess did help in covering the thief's tracks. He narrowed his eyes in search for clues. He noticed a blue flare heading away from where he was.

"Bunnix." Izuku growled, taking after the bunny themed thief.

A couple of rooftops away, Alix was running away in a flash of blue light while carrying a bag full of loot over her shoulder. She smiled as she carried her loot like an old time robber, only she dressed better. She hummed as she watched the siren lights and the alarm getting farther and farther away from where she was. She looked up at the moon, wondering if her date would show up.

Just as she thought that, a kali stick cut her off, going past her head before bouncing back to its owner.

Alix looked back as Izuku landed behind her with his stick in hand. Her heart soared at the sight of her favorite vigilante and man.

"Bunnix," Izuku said with a serious voice that carried a glare that could cut through steel.

"Hey kitty~. Miss me?" Alix twirled her umbrella, stomping it as a cane. "I was just having a stroll and I thought I could use some new bling for our next date."

"Give back what you stole, Bunnix. I'm not in the mood to chase you." Izuku stretched out his hand, hoping that Alix would do what he asked her.

Alix looked up as though she was in deep thought, wrestling with the idea in her mind. She moved around the sack with her loot, weighing her options. She looked at Izuku with a decision clear in her mind.

"Nah." Alix shrugged her shoulders, getting a sigh from Izuku. "You'll have to catch me first." Alix turned around, running away once more.

Izuku groaned, but inwardly smiled. As much as he disliked being forced to play cops and robbers with Alix now of all times, he understood that he needed to set his sights on the long game. Taking shortcuts wasn't going to get him Hawkmoth any quicker than he had wanted. He needed to focus on the present before getting blinded by the possibilities of the future. He ran after Alix with his weapons in hand, ready to stop her or at least get back what she had stolen.

Izuku jumped after Alix as she rushed away from him. He climbed up one of the rooftop chimneys, using it as a stepping stone for him to jump ahead of Alix. His eyes centered on her retreating behind, noting that she was running like that on purpose. He rolled his eyes, knowing that she wanted to get a rise out of him. Shaking his head, he spotted a couple of boxes ahead of them, getting an idea. He fired his grappling hook at one of the boxes. He grabbed onto the cable, pulling down the boxes with it.

Alix skidded to a halt as the boxes came down before her.

"Wow, now that's thinking outside the box." Alix spun around, ducking under Izuku as he jumped on her.

"Last chance to surrender, Bunnix." Izuku pulled out his kali sticks, getting into a fighting position. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You know that I can hurt you as much or even more, right?" Alix dropped her bag of goodies as she held her umbrella like a sword. "Maybe we can go for drinks after this though. You sound like you could use a drink."

"I don't drink on the job." Izuku swung his kali sticks at Alix's umbrella, hoping to disarm her but he found her ever the skillful opponent.

Alix parried his attacks with her umbrella before thrusting at him in a counterattack. She thrusted her umbrella in a rapid series of strokes against Izuku, forcing him to duck, dodge and parry her attacks. She spun around, using her bag of loot as a blunt weapon to push back Izuku. He ducked under her swing, as she thrusted her umbrella once more, knocking Izuku back.

Izuku skidded back to his feet, before getting back into the fight. He sidestepped, dodging the umbrella thrusts. He parried the umbrella with one of his kali sticks, getting up close to the time skipping thief. Just as he got close enough to see her smirking face, she disappeared in a flash of blue light. Izuku quickly remembered where she had been prior to his attack. He ducked as she swung her bag of loot over his head, before doing a leg sweep on her.

Alix jumped back, avoiding her fall.

"Ha ha! You never cease to amaze me, lover!" Alix smirked, tossing her umbrella before catching it once more. "You got pretty close that time."

"This isn't a game, Bunnix. Return what you stole, now!' Izuku pointed to her bag with one of his sticks.

"Sorry, love, but there are some things in this bag that I just can't part without." Alix narrowed her eyes on an unexpected serious tone. "So, if you want them, you'll have to try harder."

Izuku noted the shift in her tone. His eyes darted to the bag, wondering what was inside the bag that made her both so protective and serious. He needed to see what was inside that bag. But for that he needed to get it away from Alix. He twirled his kali sticks as he got an idea. With a quick step forwards, he swung his sticks in a crisscross fashion, forcing Alix to either dodge or block with her umbrella. His blows were so fast that he managed to push Alix into a corner once more. His mind counted down the seconds until she used her Miraculous.

Alix looked back and saw the edge once more, making her narrow her eyes. She jumped forth with her Miraculous, getting away from the edge of the rooftop. She re-appeared behind Izuku, swinging her umbrella at Izuku once more.

But Izuku was ready for this. He tossed his kali stick past Alix. His kali stick struck the rooftop before bouncing against the fallen crates, and then coming back towards Alix. Before she could do anything, his weapon struck the bag of loot out of the bunny-themed thief.

The bag spilled between Izuku and Alix, releasing all the goodies it had inside on the floor. Gems and jewels spilled on the floor, shining with the lights of the city, making them look like little stars on the rooftop of a Parisian building. There were rubies on rings, emeralds on bracelets, sapphires on necklaces, and pearl necklaces that could litter a large all you can eat oyster bar. However, amongst all of the treasures was a single small white diamond held inside a dirty golden watch that seemed out of place. It looked like it had seen better days but not beyond use. The watch seemed to work perfectly, despite being down on the floor like a discarded hunk of metal.

Izuku picked it up, getting a good look at it.

"Hey!" Alix snapped, trying to pick up the rest of her loot. "That's mine! Give it back!" Alix turned her attention to Izuku, trying to get the watch more than anything else that was on the floor.

Just then the light of a helicopter quickly passed over them. Izuku and Alix looked up to see the helicopter coming closer to where they were. They feared that they would get the police or the heroes to come after them.

Alix clicked her tongue in displeasure at the situation. She snatched the bag and whatever was still inside before taking off.

"I'll want that watch back, kitty!" Alix fled the scene, prompting Izuku to do the same.

Izuku ran away from the light of the helicopter, jumping into one of the dark alleys between the buildings. He grabbed hold of one fire escape, making his way down into the shadows of the alley. After dropping down into a dumpster, he looked up, watching the helicopter fly past him. Sticking close to the walls of the building, he slowly made his way down to the ground below him. Izuku let out a sigh before pulling out the watch that he had gotten away from Alix.

"Why are you so important?" Izuku asked, examining the old watch.

His fingers brushed up against something on the back of the watch. He turned it around, reading the inscription.

"'Once Upon a Time with love, from B. D. to A. C.'," Izuku read out loud. "B. D.? Baltazar Dublek?"

Izuku's mind would have to now focus on the mystery behind the watch and how Alix had sought it out. He knew that according to protocol he had to give the watch into evidence and then back to its owner. But he knew that if Alix was so set on getting this watch back, then there was more to this than he knew. So, against his better judgment, he pocketed the watch before heading back to his home.

"Why do I feel like I'll regret this?" Izuku muttered.

The next morning, Izuku had woken up early and was looking over the watch he'd kept. He had been going over the interaction and how Alix had spoken the other night. It was obvious that she wanted the watch more than anything else in her bag. He remembered how her grandfather was a clock and watchmaker with each one of them having a trick of some kind. He pulled out a magnifying glass from his desk and closely observed the watch with a fine toothed-comb focus. Izuku could only guess what secrets this piece was hiding. But as much as he wanted to break apart the watch and find its secrets, he didn't have the skills of a watchmaker.

"This isn't getting me anywhere," Izuku sighed. "I need to get more evidence and learn how to make this thing work. Time to go to work."

Izuku met up with Mina outside of his apartment complex, with her smiling at his arrival. He got in as he greeted his partner and friend with benefits.

"Bonjour Mina," Izuku said, sitting down. "How was your night?"

"Good day to you too, my awesome partner, Izuku!" Mina gave him a small peck on his cheek. "It was nice, some of my girlfriends are jealous that I get to work with an amazing partner and live a life of excitement. Hey, did you hear that there was a robbery last night?" Mina drove on towards the police headquarters.

Izuku stiffened up at the mention of the robbery of the night before. He looked away from Mina, partly because he was still feeling guilty from taking evidence from the crime scene and partly because he knew that his partner had a bone to pick with Alix aka Bunnix. He tried to play dumb and feign ignorance, lest she start on her warpath.

"Um, I didn't hear anything like that," Izuku lied. "W-What have you heard?" He asked as Mina focused on driving with a scary smile.

"OH, I heard something very interesting. It was one of those big and expensive jewelry stores that are only for the rich and famous." Mina accelerated. "The officers say that the thief went in like a lightning bolt, made a mess, and then left the area in some sort of trail of light."

Izuku paled at his partner's words. He held tightly for dear life as she drove faster and her eyes shined with a determined glare. He feared that she would get a good idea that Bunnix was back. His mind thought of ways to calm her down.

"Really? Oh man, that's interesting. Maybe it was a super speed Miraculous that did it, or perhaps someone that had a multiplying Miraculous to make such a mess." Izuku inwardly prayed that his words made Mina think of someone else.

"Well, it doesn't matter! Once the Dynamic Duo gets on the case, they'll be as good as caught!" Mina stepped on the accelerator, moving past the other cars at blinding speed. "Let's get this done in record time, Izuku!"

Izuku held on to the handle as his fingers dug into the board in front of him as Mina drove on. He hoped the universe wouldn't give them the case and instead were sent to the other side of Paris. The last thing he needed was Mina asking him to go on a bunny hunt with her. It will be very hard for Izuku to get answers from Alix while he was holding Mina from getting back at her.

Izuku kept throwing glances at Mina as they worked on their respective paperwork. Even after arriving at the police headquarters, he knew that it was only a matter of time before Captain Kendo or Detective Naomasa came for them. He shook his head, trying to alleviate the storm of possibilities in his mind. He needed a way to make time not seem so endless and slow. That thought gave him an idea.

Izuku turned to his computer and started researching through whatever files the police had on the Dublek Case. He searched for any records of the two deceased men, and their family but there wasn't much of a story or a reason behind the explosion. According to the record, both Dublek men were identified by their dental records and the cause of the explosion was due to a car malfunction with the motor. Izuku delved deeper into the report making note of the car that Alim and Jahil were in had gone to the shop a few days before father and son were killed. He looked up the shop that did the work but it had since closed after the owner was found dead. This smelled like a coverup if he ever smelled one.

Alim and Jahil had been murdered and all evidence pointed to someone else making it seem like an accident. But why?

"Midoriya, Ashido, in my office." Kendo broke Izuku's concentration, as well as proving to him once more that the universe was against him.

"Be right there, boss lady!" Mina smiled. "What do you think she wants to see us about, partner?"

"Oh, I have one or two ideas. Just remember, this is the job, Mina." Izuku sighed, closing the door behind them as they entered the room.

Inside Captain Kendo's office, Izuku and Mina sat down before Kendo who pulled up a picture from a crime report.

"Alright, I don't know if you know, but last night, The Royal Paris Jewelry. The place where the elites and most well off Parisians buy their precious stones." Kendo explained, handing them the picture. "The cameras were cut off but had enough juice to take one picture of the thief before going dark. The thief stole a lot of Euros worth of jewels before making her escape. Some of the jewels were found on a rooftop not far from the scene of the crime, but some of the items are still missing."

Izuku could feel a stab at the mention of the 'missing items', knowing that one of those was in his desk drawer back home.

"You want us to track down the missing jewels?!" Mina beamed with happiness. "You got it boss!"

"More like I want you two to help the jewelry owner make sure that everything is in one place and look for any clues as to what was taken and what's missing," Kendo corrected Mina.

"But why us then?" Mina asked.

"I think… I know why…" Izuku cried with anime tears before Mina took the picture.

"Because you two have been the closest to catching this thief." Kendo pointed to the picture, more specifically to the bunny themed thief.

Mina's eyes shrunk until they were the size of pupils. She stared at the picture of the bunny girl that had used her as a distraction, stole her wallet, made her go through the process of changing all her IDs and credit cards, and tossed her off of a roof! Her acid slowly started dripping from her hands, causing Izuku to snatch the picture before it melted into a puddle. Mina's hands tightened into two pink balls of fury as a determined look flared in her eyes. She shot out of her chair, landing on Kendo's desk with fire in her belly.

"We will bring that no good thieving, cottontail, umbrella twirling, bunny girl wannabe to justice!" Mina declared to the skies. "Let's go, Izuku!" Mina jumped off of the desk, snatching Izuku in her arms.

Mina took off her shoes before using her acid on the soles of her feet. Her nostrils flared like those of a bull, taking off at top speed. She sled out of the office, sliding past the other officers with the skill of a professional ice skater and the precision of a surgeon. But her eyes flared with the intensity of a ten ton football player about to score the winning goal. Officers slipped and fell in her wake, but none mattered as long as she captured her nemesis. Mina left a trail on her wake as she made it to the elevator and hit the button.

"We won't rest until that thief is behind bars, captain! The Dynamic Duo is on the case!" Mina declared as the elevator closed and the office laid in slippery shambles.

"Where is Naomasa when I need him?" Kendo sighed.

Mina didn't wait for Izuku to put on his seatbelt before she stepped down on the accelerator. She quickly drove past cars, leaving a trail of car smoke while muttering all manner of curses and insults aimed at Bunnix.

"That no good bunny bitch punk, I'll have her foot for my keychain when I'm done with her. Who does she think she is tossing people off of rooftops and knocking out partners?! I had to wait a whole week to get my new IDs and cards back and it was a whole different pain just to reset all my passwords and make sure that my accounts were safe!" Mina ranted as Izuku tried to put on his seat belt on and calmed his partner.

"Mina please, calm down! You're going way over the speed limit! We could get pulled over!" Izuku struggled with the seat belt. "We're about to miss the jewelry store!"

"Oh don't worry partner, we're not missing one beat!" Mina turned the wheel, making Alien Queen go into an alley with one wheel in the air.

Izuku held on to the door for dear life, feeling his life flashing before his eyes. He prayed that the jewelry store was closed because he couldn't take this kind of driving for long.

Alien Queen bursted out of one of the backstreets, skidding to a halt between two other cars. Mina's car struck the front of one car before slamming against the back of another, making a big gap between the three cars.

"Alright, we're here to kick some bunny girl ass!" Mina stepped out of her car in a heroic pose before Izuku jumped out after her.

"Oh ground, I never thought I'd be so happy to see you old friend, I'll never take you for granted again." Izuku hugged and kissed the sidewalk.

"Hey, babes~."

Izuku looked up to see the attractive figure of Alya looking down at him with a sneaky smile.

"Alya?" Izuku asked.

"Oh, hey girl!" Mina said, briefly snapping out of her anti-Bunnix crusade.

"I've heard of men praising the ground their ladies walk on, but I don't think that they meant to actually kiss the street before we walk on it," Alya leaned down, showing off her cleavage to Izuku, much to her teasing and flirting demeanor.

Izuku snapped back to his feet, wiping his face and lips from the street dirt. He chuckled slightly with a blushing face.

"Um, uh, w-what are you doing here, Alya? No offense, but I didn't picture you for a girl into very fancy jewelry." Izuku scratched the back of his head.

"Oh don't worry, my sweet bunny boy, I'm not into diamonds that cost more than my apartment. So you don't have to get me any of those things," Alya replied with a wink. "I'm here because I heard a villain wrecked the Royal Paris Jewelry and that's a big scoop because wouldn't you know it, it is owned by Adrien Agrest."

"The CEO of the Agrest Fashion Brand? He owns the store?" Izuku asked, getting curious.

"Oh, that reminds me, let's go Izuku! Time to bag ourselves a thieving bunny!" Mina pointed to the store that was surrounded by police tape.

"Wait. She's the one that trashed the place? Oh, girl, I'm with you! This time, it's personal!" Alya pulled out her recorder, pen and paper. "Lead the way, my acidic pink goddess!"

Izuku sighed as he now had to deal with two bunny hunters going after Alix instead of one. He couldn't help but dread what would happen if either of them found out that Izuku knew who Bunnix was and where she lived. They would probably want to strangle him for keeping that information from them if they didn't strangle him for being a vigilante at the same time. However, he perked at the new information that he had just learned about the jewelry. It seemed like Alix had struck at places that had a connection to the Agrest name.

Inside the store, Izuku and Mina asked the manager of the jewelry to tell them everything that happened last night and what had been stolen. As they did that, Alya looked around for any clues that might lead them to the elusive Bunnix by asking the other employees.

"So, Madame Monique, what can you tell us about the night of the break in? Did you notice anything suspicious?" Izuku asked.

"Like a no good thief scouting the place or something?" Mina added with an inquisitive look.

"Not much, I'm afraid, monsieur," Madame Monique replied. "Everything seemed normal the day before, there weren't that many clients as per usual given the store's prices. But there was a woman, I hadn't seen her before."

"Did she have long white rabbit ears? An umbrella?" Mina asked.

"Um, no. She wore a black leather jacket, torn jeans, and had red hair. Not to cast judgment, but I think she was only looking around." Monique described. "But she only looked at one thing."

"What was it that she was looking at specifically?" Izuku asked, knowing full well what she was referring to.

"Um, let me check the stock records to see what it was." Madame Monique pulled out the inventory record she had prepared. "We have recovered most of what was stolen, save for a few items. There it is. I remember it now. The young lady was looking at this item: The Eye of Ages."

"'The Eye of Ages'?" Izuku asked.

"A big fancy diamond I bet! Worth a small fortune no doubt!" Mina claimed.

"Oh no, I'm afraid not, young lady. The Eye of Ages was a pocket watch, donated by the owner in his very gratuitous nature." Madame Monique explained, earning a confused look from Mina. "He claimed that it was an old family trinket he no longer had any use for, and thus donated it. It was quite valuable but not as valuable as the other things that were taken. He joked saying that it was a great tax right off."

This made Izuku curious.

"Do you have a picture of the watch?" Izuku asked.

Madame Monique pulled out a picture she had on file on the watch. She handed it to Izuku and Mina who looked at it for all the details they could find.

But there was no doubt for Izuku, this was the watch that Bunnix had stolen. Which made him think of another question.

"That's a very lovely watch," Mina said. "What do the initials stand for?"

"I'm afraid I cannot say, Monsieur Agrest didn't mention it." Madame Monique replied. "He's such a stern man, but he must have a very big heart to let something like a family heirloom go like that."

"You think we can keep a copy of this picture? Izuku asked the old lady. "For when we recover it."

"Oh yes, dear. I'm just sad that someone would steal such a precious thing." Madame Monique looked sadly at the picture.

"You got our word that the thief will pay!" Mina declared.

Despite understanding and sharing Mina's feelings, Izuku understood that there was something fishy going on. If this piece was actually an heirloom from the Agrest family, then why had Bunnix been so keen to get it back? He needed to get reassurance that the watch was actually the work of Alix's grandfather.

"Any luck, you two?" Alya asked.

"Well, we've got the picture of one of the things that were stolen and a brief description of who could be our bunny." Mina punched her palm before showing Alya the picture.

"Mina, wait, we don't know if this is Bunnix. We should hold off and ask more questions," Izuku said, as Alya took a look at the picture. "Did the employees tell you anything else?"

"Nope, they all said that it was a slow day and that only one or two people came in to look around." Alya looked at the picture with care, getting Izuku's attention.

"This is one of the items that was stolen, an Agreste family heirloom called 'The Eye of Ages'. We'll have to put out an alert on it and the other missing pieces in case the thief tries to sell them." Izuku explained as Mina tapped her foot, wanting action.

"Are you sure this is an Agreste heirloom?" Alya asked.

Izuku and Mina stopped what they were doing before looking at each other. They looked at Alya as her tail swiped side to side in thought.

"You don't think it is?" Mina asked.

"Well, I may be wrong, but this looks like one of the works of Baltazar Dublek." Alya tapped her cheek.

"Are you sure?" Izuku asked.

"Like I said, I may be wrong." Alya fixed her glasses. "But I rarely am. I got some stuff at my place that could help us out."

"Let's go check it out then." Mina pulled out her keys. "I'll drive!"

Izuku paled at Mina's insistence to drive. He wanted to argue with her, but his partner and Alya were all for a speedy and effective move for more information. He was outvoted before an actual vote could be established. He tried to raise his voice but one glance from the girls told him that he was beat. His head dropped, knowing that he would get another unpleasant chance to review his life's choices.

Mina skidded to a halt in front of Alya's apartment, leaving a lot of scared pedestrians and fellow drivers paralyzed with fear. She had driven with great speed and scary good precision up to the apartment building. Much to the terror of her passengers, she let out all her Bunnix related frustrations as she drove. She let out a sigh before smiling.

"Man, you've gotta love driving in this city. It really soothes your troubles away," Mina smiled. "So how was your experience?" She asked, looking back only to see Alya burring Izuku's face in her breasts while sporting a red blush on her face and panted.

"I'm sorry, Alya." Izuku moaned from within her gifted chest.

"D… Don't worry… babe. I-I didn't know that someone could do a somersault inside a car." Alya panted, feeling the need to smoke a cigarette.

"Well, we're here!" Mina said in a happy tone as Izuku pried himself off of Alya.

Izuku, Mina and Alya got out of the car and went up to the latter's apartment.

"Here we go, all the works of Baltazar Dublek." Alya handed Izuku and Mina a list of watches made by Baltazar Dublek.

The list was indeed long, with ten double-sided pages that were made up of pieces, materials used, clients, each clock's gimmick and pictures of the finished products. Each of the pieces on the list had a picture of Baltazar standing next to the clock that he had made, like a proud artisan presenting his humble work to whoever was interested.

Baltazar Dublek looked like a man that was born to be a watch and clockmaker. He was a thin man with short hair, big glasses, and a humble suit to his name. A belt full of tools to fix watches hung around his waist as he presented his latest creation.

Izuku could certainly see that this man was Alix's grandfather, since they had the same eyes. As he went through the list, he tried to find anything that might show him more of the old man's Miraculous or a connection to the watch. He spotted a pocket watch on the man's coat, but didn't get out much other than the top of the watch.

"Wow, some of these look very expensive." Mina noted as they passed the picture of a clock that resembled the Eiffel Tower. "This man had some serious skill. The style looks the same at least. But it's our word against Monsieur Agrest's."

"Are you sure these are all the clocks Mr. Dublek ever made?" Izuku asked.

"That's all I could find, there must've been more records at his family house," Alya thought out loud. "But after the death of his son and grandson, the government seized whatever wasn't taken by the remaining family."

"What about those rumors of him working with some… um, 'unsavory' characters?" Izuku asked.

"I'm afraid I can't help you there, lover." Alya shrugged. "Only the family could tell you that, and as far as I can tell, they've all gone."

Izuku looked at the picture and then to the picture of the old watch and clockmaker. He knew that there was only one person that he could get answers from, and hopefully more than that.

"Mina, I'm going to look at some shops and see if any of the items on the list have been sold off. Could you look to see if anyone matching the description of Bunnix has been seen anywhere else?" Izuku asked.

"Oh man, that sounds boring, but it does put me on the track of the bunny girl." Mina tapped her chin in thought. "Alright, I'll look into it, Izuku! Need me to drop you off somewhere?"

"NO!" Izuku snapped in fear. "I-I-I mean, no thank you. I'll walk, it's healthier, you know. Oh look at the time, I gotta get going if I'm to find anything out! Bye ladies." Izuku rushed to the door, leaving Mina and Alya on their own.

Mina and Alya looked at each other wondering what had been all that for. Although, Alya might've had a better idea than Mina.

"You don't think he's still scared by how I drove today, do you?" Mina asked.

"Um, no comment." Alya fixed her glasses, getting the reflection of the light on them.

Alix was pacing in her apartment as the remains of her bag, now empty of her loot, laid on her coffee table. She had been planning her hit for a while now and she had finally gotten a hit on what she wanted back the most. And now she had lost it, again. She wasn't a very patient person. She liked to live in the moment. Alix had sold the jewels through a fence contact she had out of the country. But that was peanuts compared to what she really wanted.

"Where is he?" Alix muttered. "He has to remember where I live. He was here for heaven's sake. Maybe I should go to his house and charm him into giving it to me."

"No need, Alix."

Alix turned around and saw Izuku in his Chat Noir costume, stepping away from the window. She let out a sigh of relief at the sight of him.

"I was starting to wonder if I was going to have to look you up at your place." Alix tried to play it cool. "So, you brought my watch back?"

Izuku pulled out the pocket watch, showing it to Alix. He saw her face light up like a little girl after being given the puppy she had been asking for.

"I've got questions, Ms. Kubdel. And I need you to tell me the truth." Izuku walked over to where Alix stood.

"I don't recall this being an interrogation. Give it back." Alix held out her hand.

"Adrien Agrest claims that this watch is an heirloom of his family," Izuku said.

"That's a lie!" Alix growled at Izuku.

"Then prove it. What does the inscription on the back say?" Izuku asked.

"'Once Upon a Time with love, from B. D. to A. C.'," Alix replied. "Happy?"

"Sorry, but I had to make sure this belonged to your grandfather," Izuku handed her the pocket watch. "I didn't mean to be rude. Who is A.C., if I may?"

Alix couldn't help but smile. Sure, she was happy to have her grandfather's pocket watch back in her possession but she was also not used to receiving honest apologies from her usual company. She could tell that he was being sincere and that he meant the apology. It made her feel a little warm inside.

"It was a gift for my grandmother, Alexandra Collins. He made it so that it could capture moments in time, like a magical recorder," Alix explained. "I assume you've got questions."

"I need you to tell me what happened to your family. You said someone was after you." Izuku hoped that she would give him answers and then a thought crossed his mind. "Have you ever heard of Hawkmoth?"

Alix nearly visibly flinched at the name.

"You may want to sit down, kitty. This is a long story." Alix sat down, never once looking away from her grandfather's watch. "It all started the day that my grandfather died. A man came."

Alix sniffed, her nose was stuffy from the crying. The young daughter of the Dublek family had been in her room ever since the funeral had ended. Her mother had been talking to some of the guests with her father while her brother had buried himself in books. She wiped her nose as she walked past the different clocks that her grandfather had made. She missed him, but her mom told her that grandpa was now with granny. She took out her favorite ballerina dancing shoes and remembered how her grandfather loved to dance with her.

Alix wiped away her tears before putting on her ballerina shoes. But she felt something was wrong. She looked around, hoping to see someone. She was alone in her room. She didn't want to dance alone. She could lure her brother out of whatever book he'd been glued to with no issue.

Alix poked her head out of her room before looking down at the lounge room where all the guests and her family were. Her home was big enough to fit a large menagerie of people on the first floor, but still had plenty of space left on the second floor to spare. Spotting her mother and father talking to some friends of her grandfather, she walked down the stairs, making her way to her brother Jahil.

Jahil was a young man with lightly tanned skin, blue eyes and shaggy reddish brown hair tied with a headband. He wore a black suit with a pair of glasses as he looked down at a book on Egyptian mythology. He looked sad, hoping that the pages would get him out of his depressed state.

"Jahil," Alix said. "Want to come dancing with me? It'll make you feel better."

"I'm busy, Alix. Maybe later," Jahil sighed.

"Then can you at least put grandpa's favorite song for me? I don't know how to get the machine to work." Alix pleaded with puppy dog eyes.

Jahil sighed, knowing that he couldn't say no. He closed the book before putting it away. He rubbed his little sister's head. Maybe this would be a good thing for them to do.

"Alright, but only one song and then it's all yours." Jahil got up from his seat.

Alix smiled.

But the short time of smiles was cut short by the arrival of someone. Alix and her brother turned as they saw a man walking towards their parents, almost unnoticed by the other adults.

The man wore a dark gray suit with a white tie and white shoes. His pale brown hair was combed so far back that it looked like he wore a wig or a helmet. His eyes were dark and emotionless behind his small glasses. For some reason his face was obscured and undetectable by everyone. And his walk was silent, like that of a specter between graves.

Alix instinctively hid behind her brother out of fear. She didn't know why but she was afraid of the man.

"Monsieur Dublek, I've come to pay my condolences for your loss." The man extended his sympathies but his words wrung hollow.

"Thank you, monsieur. I fear you have the better of me," Alim said. "May I ask for your name, monsieur?"

"Oh my name is of no importance at the moment. I was hoping to speak to you regarding a certain topic I had proposed to your father," the man said. "In private if you wouldn't mind."

Alim didn't know what the man was talking about, but a part of him felt like he shouldn't talk to the man. He turned to his wife and noticed that she wasn't looking at the man. His eyes landed on the rest of the guests, and none had even noticed the man's presence. He tried not to show fear or concern for the man's seeming lack of presence.

"Please, sir. This is my father's wake. I do not wish to discuss anything regarding business today," Alim said, standing firm.

The man's stony face didn't change. He stood there like a statue, slightly displeased but otherwise lacking any emotion.

"Very well, I shall contact you at a later date then." He turned around and left.

As the man left, Alix couldn't help but notice a sinister smile stretching on his face, like an unnatural and uncanny action. She felt shivers running down her spine, like a rabbit looking at a wolf that had barely missed her.

Then as quickly as the man appeared, he vanished like a ghost.

Alix looked up to her dad as everything went back to normal. She saw her father notice her worried face, and did all he could to make her feel better. She hugged him like her life depended on it.

"That was the first time that man came around. I didn't learn his name until much later. But one thing was clear to me. He was dangerous."

Days passed, and Alix watched over her father like a guardian angel. She watched him as he read anonymous letters.

Alim looked at the letters with a fear he couldn't comprehend. Each day, he received an anonymous letter with vague warnings that sent chills down his spine.

'We must speak.'

'Your time is ticking.'

'Make a choice.'

Alim didn't have any evidence, but he knew that these were being sent by that man that showed up at the wake. He ran his fingers through his head, trying to think of what that man wanted from him. He tapped his foot, thinking of what he was to do. He thought of calling the police.

…But then he got one more letter.

This time however, the note was accompanied by a phone number, and pictures. Pictures of his family in their everyday life.

'Mr. Dublek,

You and I have only met briefly, but I reach out to you on one final chance to do what your father failed to do. You won't escape me, you will not get rid of me, and none of the police nor heroes will be able to send me away. But I am a fair man. Accept my offer and this will stop. If not…

Next time, it'll be one of them.'

Alim couldn't take it any more. He agreed to the meeting with the strange man. He felt like he was signing his family's future away but he couldn't just put them in jeopardy. The police and the heroes would not be of any help against this mad man. With cold sweat running down his back, he dialed the number unaware that Alix saw everything.

Alix couldn't tell what was going through her father's mind, but she could feel like something bad was going to happen. She hid in the library, behind the hollow painting as she looked at what was going on with the meeting. She saw the door open and her father leading the same man inside, much to his displeasure.

"I do not appreciate having my family threatened sir! What is it that you want from me?" Alim asked, standing firm, placing a hand on his coat pocket.

"Then you should not have kept me waiting. I'm sure that you are wondering what I sought from you. I hoped to speak with your father to aid in my business, but it seems all his contacts and resources now fall on you." The man sat down on a chair, looking at Alim like a scolding parent. "I need to send a few of my contacts a few products. And clean up some of my assets."

"Despite what you may believe, sir, I can't read minds. What do you want from me?" Alim asked.

"I wish to use your father's contacts and his business to make sure my earnings are clean and my products are transported." He clarified.

"You want me to be some kind of mule? And launder money? You're a mob boss!" Alim accused. "J'accuse, monsieur! You are a gangster!"

The man chuckled as a large man became visible behind Alim.

The gorilla grabbed Alim by the shoulders, pinning him down on his knees. His strength made Alim hear his bones creak and rattle.

"You seem to be under the impression that you have a choice. Allow me to clarify things for you." The man stood up, looking down at Alim. "I am not some mere gangster. I am Hawkmoth! And you now work for me. Expect further instructions by email."

The man walked out of the room before the gorilla tossed Alim down to the ground.

Meanwhile, Alix covered her mouth as her father was manhandled by two gangsters in his own home.

"That was the beginning of the nightmare. For the next four months, my father did as Hawkmoth told him. I never told him I had seen everything. However, what I didn't know was that my father had been gathering evidence to use against Hawkmoth. But the day before his death something changed. My brother's Miraculous had been seen by Hawkmoth and he wanted to indoctrinate him into his organization. But my father wouldn't have it."

Alix opened the door slightly, hearing the conversation between her parents and her older brother.

"We need to go to the police. There's nothing to discuss, demand protection from these gangsters." Alix's mother, Veronica, held her hands together, pleading for her husband to listen to her.

"And we will, but first, I want you to take Alexandra and Jahil far from the city. Go to London with your sister," Alim instructed. "I will go to the police with what I've got and they will put that maniac in chains."

"Father, if I use my Miraculous, I'll be able to-"

"No! You don't even have a license. This man is a thug but he has plenty of muscle. The ego that man has could fill an olympic pool and overflow it." Alim cut off his son. "He doesn't suspect a thing. I'll take care of things. You two must go, now. I'll go get Alexandra."

"You never believed in me! Now, I've got the power to fight back and you think I'm not ready!" Jahil snapped.

Alix got away from the door, pretending to read a book as her father walked in.

"Hi daddy," Alix said.

"Hello sweetie. Your mom, brother and you are going on a trip to visit her family in London." Alim knelt before his daughter, using all his strength to not cry. "So, I need you to go pack."

"Aren't you coming with us, daddy?" Alix asked.

"I'm afraid I must work, sweetie." Alim hugged Alix in a bear hug. "I love you, your brother and your mother so very much."

"Why can't you come with us?" Alix asked.

Alim let her go, with a pain that struck him to his very soul. He pulled out a pocket watch from his jacket pocket, it was The Eye of Ages.

"I will always have you here, my little bunny. Do you know why your grandfather called this piece The Eye of Ages?" Alim asked.

"Is it because it has an eye inside it?" Alix asked.

"No, honey." Alim chuckled, opening the watch. "It is because your grandfather's Miraculous granted it that power. He embedded the small diamond here with some of his power." He pressed the diamond in the middle of the watch, bringing up a small holographic projection of Alix and her father.

"Whoa," Alix gasped.

"I always told my dad that he was ahead of his time." Alim closed the watch. "Remember, honey. I love you and I hope to see you become an amazing woman. Now, go pack."

Alix gave her father one last hug before running off to her room. She knew her dad was going to do something very brave, she just hoped to see him one last time. She saw him waving at her like it was all he could do.

"After that, the next morning, my mom dragged me out of bed and took me to her car and drove off," Alix finished her story, never once losing sight of her father's pocket watch.

"And your brother? Wasn't he with you and your mother?" Izuku asked.

"Nope, the big dummy used his Miraculous to sneak away out of the car." Alix chuckled. "He said that he would 'not hide and would be a fierce warrior till the end'. Damn idiot. Their deaths destroyed my family."

"I'm sorry. I really am," Izuku said.

"Thanks for the sympathies, but you're a few years too late." Alix went to her mini fridge, snatching two beers.

Izuku couldn't help but observe Alix as she poured the two beers into two glasses. He could tell that she wanted to cry, but the rage kept the tears from forming. Hawkmoth had taken everything from her family and he enjoyed the results of their suffering. Izuku never thought he could hate someone that he hadn't met in the flesh so much. His mind went through all the ways he could've stopped him back then. If he could then things wouldn't have ended up as they did.

Back then?

"Alix, how old were you when all this happened?" Izuku asked.

"About twelve, maybe fifteen years. I was only ten when it happened." Alix gulped down her beer like a pro.

"And how old would you say Hawkmoth was, or at least sounded?" Izuku asked.

"Mid to late forties, maybe early fifties," Alix replied. "Beer?"

"Thanks, but I'm on the job. You just gave me a good deal of things to think about." Izuku headed to the window. "Don't do anything foolish. I'll be back soon."

"Come on, Chat Noir. It's me you're talking about," Alix replied.

"That is why I'm tell you to please, don't do anything funny." Izuku opened the window.

"We could continue this conversation back on the rooftops and then have a small bite in one of the bistros." Alix winked at Izuku, causing him to blush under his mask.

Izuku didn't reply. He jumped out of the room, firing his grappling hook. He sailed through the air as Alix watched him from her room.

Alix wouldn't admit it, but she envied the vigilante cop. Not only did he know where he stood, but he didn't hesitate to help out those in need. She could see that he liked helping people and didn't care about the publicity. Hell, he was even helping her. It made her feel like she was friends with someone after all these years. She looked at the pocket watch he'd returned even though he didn't have to.

"If only I had met you before." Alix closed the window.

Alix looked at her father's pocket watch. She pressed the jewel, making the hologram of her and her father appear before her. A tear ran down her cheek. With a light sniff, she turned the diamond left, like a dial or a timer. The hologram before her started to change and shift into something else. Alix's eyes narrowed as she looked for what she wanted.

Just then a knock on the door snapped Alix out of her focus.

"Who is it?" Alix asked, picking up her umbrella on instinct.

"It's Mei, I fixed the dispensers with my newest baby! We're just about to open."

Alix let out a relaxed sigh, forgetting that she had a day job to deal with.

"I'll be there in a minute." Alix looked down at the hologram she wanted.

Alix turned into a blur of blue light, going away from the door before going back to it. She opened the door and saw her friend and employee, Mei Hatsume waiting for her.

Mei had fair skin, pink dreadlocks, and magnifying eyes on her. She wore a black tank top, goggles on her head, a pair of cargo pants, army boots and fingerless gloves. She had the heart of an inventor but could still pour one through many different ways to make an innovation.

"You ready to open the bar?" Mei smirked. "I wanna test this new baby of mine."

"Yeah, I could use the work," Alix replied.

"Hey, a couple of friends and I were planning on going to the auto-show tomorrow, wanna come?" Mei asked.

"I'm going to be busy tomorrow actually. There's someone I've been dying to see after so long." Alix locked her apartment before going down to open The Broken Clock.

As Alix walked down with Mei by her side, she couldn't help but inwardly curse her luck. She was all set to settle the score once and for all. She had waited and prepared for almost fifteen years to get her revenge. But that much like her favorite playmate, she had a life she had built for herself. She couldn't be consumed by her ambition, not yet. Besides, Alix had waited most of her life for this chance, she could wait a few more hours to get what she wanted.

After hours of doing his work as an officer, Izuku finally got a chance to get back into costume. He was rushing to gather information on what he had just discovered. Alix's tale made him think of what could be a big problem or at least a change from what he had expected. He needed to speak with Naomasa first, rushing to the detective's home, using the shadows as cover. His worries had blinded him so much that he barely noticed his phone going off.

"Hello, Mina?" Izuku answered his phone.

"Izuku! Where have you been?!" Mina snapped from the other side of the call.

"Yeah, we've been going over everything we've found and we know for sure that it's our nemesis!" Alya added from the other side of the call.

"Bunnix, I know. But it seems like she's not going after any other spots nearby." Izuku jumped over a chimney. "I asked around and none of the pieces have been sold, at least not locally. I have a suspicion that she's done with her capers this time."

"Huh? But what about her other capers? Why stop after stealing only once?!" Mina asked.

"Did you girls find anything about the watch?" Izuku asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah! Turns out that watch was in fact something that Baltazar Dublek made, but it wasn't ever shown off." Alya replied.

"Which makes me curious, partner. Why did the CEO of Agrest Fashion Brand say that it was a family heirloom? And how did he get it?" Mina asked.

"We'll have to show Captain Kendo what we found. If this was staged, then this could be done to get the insurance pay off from all the missing pieces." Izuku landed on a rooftop near Naomasa's house. "I'll call you later, Mina. I've got the list with me, make sure that you show Captain Kendo the list and that the pieces were all ensured by a hefty amount of money."

"You got it, partner!" Mina replied.

"We'll keep you posted, baby~." Alya added, smirking like a vixen from the other side. "And if you play your cards right, you will have a very fun night soon." Alya ended the call.

Izuku couldn't help but blush at Alya's flirt. He could already imagine what would happen if those two girls were left alone like that. Their combined teasing and planning would lead to his doom, he knew that. But he would have to put that on the back burner. Izuku had to speak to Naomasa and compare what he had just learned with what he had.

Izuku jumped to the backyard of the small house. He knocked on the back entrance, getting the attention of the detective.

Naomasa poked his head out, only to flinch at the sight of Izuku.

"Jesus!" Naomasa jumped. "Warn a man next time. You know that this isn't the place I want to have unexpected visitors I'm supposed to be arresting."

"Detective, I've just spoken to a source that saw Hawkmoth." Izuku helped Naomasa before he slipped.

"What? Are you serious?" Naomasa couldn't believe their luck. "Could they identify them? Lead us straight to them?"

"There are a couple of problems with that. One, my source is a criminal that stole the jewels last night," Izuku recounted.

"Yeah, that is bad. But if their information is the real deal, we could work a deal. I'll talk with Captain Kendo myself first thing in the morning." Naomasa paced as ideas popped in his head.

"That's not the only problem. Remember the voice we heard in the call?" Izuku asked. "What did it sound like?"

"Some criminal mastermind that believed he was in control," Naomasa replied.

"But it sounded young. Didn't it?" Izuku asked.

"Late twenties, early thirties I'd say." Naomasa picked up on what Izuku was saying underneath his mask. "What's the second issue?"

"I fear that we aren't dealing with one monster in this mystery." Izuku said. "The man my source described didn't hide in the shadows, he strolled around like he owned the air everyone breathed. We can't take any chances yet, detective. We must learn more. The man we heard is in the shadows and wishes to remain in the shadows."

"Two Hawkmoths?" Naomasa asked.

"Possibly, I'll need you to look back at whatever you can find about organized crime over the last twenty to fifteen years. If there was a change of the mantle it must've been somewhere around that time." Izuku walked away, pulling out his grappling hook. "I'm going to check up on my source." He fired his grappling hook, taking off to stop Bunnix from doing something foolish.

Alix hopped down to a rooftop, looking at the area around her. She pulled out her grandfather's pocket watch, looking at the hologram that she had been looking for. She looked up and saw a tall abandoned building on the outskirts of Paris with a large busted neon sign that read 'El Dorado'.

The building had seen better days. Once a lavish spot made to bring in people from all over Europe, Asia, Africa and America in the olden vintage days, now was left to ruin. The rumors of El Dorado's ownership were divided, while some said that it was owned by the elites of the city, others whispered that it belonged to the mob and was the last building made by an American builder by the name of John Hemmingway. Now it stood as a sore reminder of a past that hid many less than legal businesses.

"Don't worry, dad, Jahil. This time, he burns." Bunnix looked at the watch that showed a holographic projection of El Dorado. "Let's see what happens when you mess with time, Hawkmoth."

Alix jumped towards the old hotel, using her grandfather's pocket watch as a guide. When her father said he'd collected evidence to put away the man, she never expected to use his own father's watch to do so. She smirked as she popped into the building through one of the busted windows. Keeping her head down, the bunny-themed thief scurried down towards the head office of the hotel. She felt like she was walking through the halls of a haunted house, avoiding the light so as to not warn the ghosts she was there. Turning around the corner, she found the stairs, making her way down to the lower levels, she didn't notice a red light blinking.

Alix slowly opened the door to the ground floor. She peeked out and saw the ruins of a once luxurious lobby with a crumbled reception desk, worn sofas and couches, and torn rugs. Her eyes landed on the main office. She looked down at the hologram once more, seeing her father's figure talking to Hawkmoth looking at a stack of drugs in the main office.

"Time to bring down the house," Alix whispered, pocketing the watch as she gripped her umbrella.

"This is such a bore, boss. Why can't we go for someone more fun? I want to see if the top heroes can bleed."

"All in good time, my dear. Leave, I must make a few calls."

Alix heard movement coming out of the office. She looked out once more and saw two people walking out.

The first figure was a young woman, wearing what could only be described as a school girl's uniform. A long sleeved beige jacket, a blue plaid skirt, long white stockings, a white buttoned up shirt with a red tie around her neck and brown shoes. Her hair was platinum blond and was tied in two buns. She had pale skin with yellow cat-like eyes with a smile that looked better on a cat after eating a canary.

The second one looked like a proper villain. Most of his face and body were scarred with nasty burns that looked like they were about to fall off. He wore a black duster with the sleeves pulled up at the elbow, a white shirt, blue pants and black boots. He had messy black hair, and blue eyes with piercings all over his face, making him look like Frankenstein's Monster after the windmill burnt down.

"Quit your whining, Toga. We've got a job to do and the boss wants it done." The man stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Besides, you did off that hood last week."

"Yeah, but that guy was just a sleazy manager. He was not worth the time, Dabi," Toga pouted. "I mean, Bobby was fun as he squealed for a bit but then he got all sad and pathetic. I bet all the money he took from the boss was to get hair implants. Which wouldn't have looked good anyway."

Dabi sighed in annoyance.

"Let's just go, do the job the boss hired us for and then you can go on a murder spree on some boy band or something." Debi opened the entrance door as Toga skipped happily.

Alix stepped out of the fire escape, with a clear beeline to the office where the head office. She snuck in, just as the door was about to close down.

"Yes, I want to speak about the account in the Canary Islands. I don't care if it's the middle of the night. Get it sorted out. I expect that account to be full by the morning."

Her eyes narrowed at the sight of the chair's back. She could only make out the silhouette of the person sitting on the chair, but she didn't care. Her heart pounded loudly as she slowly pulled out her umbrella. She couldn't hear anything apart from her heart, ringing in her ears. She pulled back her hand as if the umbrella was a rapier. She imagined what her father and brother would say. A tear ran down her cheek, as she silently took a breath.

Alix thrusted her umbrella with all her anger and rage running from the tip to the butt of her weapon. The tip of her umbrella pierced through the chair and the figure on the other side. The phone fell out of her enemy's hand. Alix sighed as she had taken her revenge.

"I don't have to remind you that this is an important call."

Alix's ears perked up.

"I won't have it any less than the full extent of your attention."

Alix pulled back her umbrella, noting the lack of blood it had. She turned the chair around and saw what was sitting on the chair. The man she believed had destroyed her life was in fact a mannequin with an old recorder on its legs.

"What the hell?" Alix whispered.

"If you are an assassin hoping to have a go at me, I suggest either leave before my assassins come back as instructed. Or for more witty banter switch to side B." The recorder ended playing.

Alix had just barely enough time to duck before a flare of blue flames took out the door and everything not covered by the desk.

The room filled with smoke and blue flames as Alix looked back at the trap she had sprung.

"Wow, Dabi, the boss was right. Someone did hit this place," Toga giggled maniacally. "Finally, can you imagine guarding this place every night for years and only going out from time to time!"

"Toga. Knock it off." Dabi turned to where Alix was hidden. "You can either die in here or you can die out here screaming. I know which one I'd prefer."

Alix was not going to die here, not in some random trap for just anyone. She activated her Miraculous, jumping out of the room and passing by the two assassins. She landed on the ground, rushing to the stairs, only to then feel a sharp pain cutting her leg. Alix fell down in pain as she saw a knife sticking out of her leg.

"You have a very nice crimson to your blood, bunny girl." Toga giggled as a new knife appeared back on her hand. "I had a bunny once. She was so sweet. Her blood was especially tasty. I wonder if your blood is as sweet as hers. But where are my manners? I'm Toga, let's be friends!"

"Quit playing with your food, Toga. Time to kill this would be assassin." Dabi brought out a blue flame to his hand. "Any last words?"

"I could really use a hero, right about now." Alix grunted holding her wound.

Dabi and Toga charged at Alix with fire and knife in hand, ready to end her life.

Alix held her umbrella up in defense, hoping that it would be enough. Her life flashed before her eyes as the assassins were almost close enough to see the white of her eyes. She should've been regretting all her thefts and the times she took from others, but she wasn't. She only took from those that could afford it, and those that she messed with were not hurt. However, a part of her regretted not seeing Izuku's lovable face once more.

Just as Alix was about to face her final judgment, a smoke bomb exploded between her and the assassins. The smoke bomb covered Alix, Toga and Dabi in a thick coat of smoke, blinding them completely.

"Don't think a small curtain of smoke is gonna save you!" Dabi challenged, running deeper into the smoke.

However, just as he was going to burn whatever was in front of him, a fire extinguisher blasted the fire out of his hands, filling his face with white smoke. But before Dabi could do anything else, the fire extinguisher bashed into his face, breaking Dabi's nose and some of his teeth.

Toga sliced at the smoke, hoping to catch whoever was getting in her way. She growled in annoyance, narrowing her eyes as she used her sleeve to cover her mouth. Her eyes glowed like those of a wild cat, looking for its prey. She saw someone before her and acting on instinct, Toga swiped at her enemy with her knife.

But just as her blade got near the silhouette, it was blocked by a kali stick.

Toga's eyes widened as from the smoke came Izuku in his Chat Noir costume. She had never seen him, a dark night wearing a black coat and fedora, springing from the night and darkness. He gave her chills. She was surprised enough that she couldn't react to him punching her across the face.

Izuku didn't waste time with the two assassins. He turned around, picking up Alix in his arms, running straight to the stairs like a bat out of hell. He climbed the stairs with all the strength his body could produce, the adrenaline pushed him faster and faster, knowing that the two assassins were right behind them. He hoped that his idea would before they were turned into burnt corpses.

"I was really hoping to see you, kitty." Alix coughed as Izuku carried her in his arms. "What took you so long?"

"I had to keep my distance, knowing you wouldn't think twice of trying to get rid of me for your revenge." Izuku looked down as a torrent of blue flames knocked down the door at the entrance.

Dabi entered the stairs with a bloody snarl and burnt blood coming out of his nose and mouth. He looked up to see Izuku climbing higher and higher on the stairs.

"You won't escape us, you bastards!" Dabi erupted in a blast of blue flames, engulfing the fire escape stairs.

Izuku felt the heat of the flames coming towards them. Spotting a door next to them, he tackled the door open as the flames burnt the tips of his coat and the rest of the fire escape stairs.

Alix kicked the door close with her injured leg, wincing at using it.

"Damn it, talk about wanting a rabbit's foot." Alix gritted her teeth at the feeling.

"We have to keep moving!" Izuku pulled himself up before reaching out to help Alix.

Before he could've helped her back to his feet, Toga's knife flew between them like a deadly wasp. Izuku pulled his hand just in time, avoiding losing a few fingers. He turned in time to see Toga pouncing on him with another knife in hand. Pulling out his kali sticks, he blocked the blade as he got a good look at her crazed grin.

"Hello there, kitty was it? You look like a cute cat," Toga giggled. "Wanna be friends?"

"If this is your attempt at 'sweet talk', I'm afraid you leave much to be desired." Izuku kicked Toga off of him only for her to pounce back.

She slashed at him, forcing him to block her swings with his kali sticks. She went high and low, making every jump she made a deadly blow if it struck. But her opponent's kali sticks didn't budge against the fury of her attacks.

Izuku parried her cuts and slices with his kali sticks, keeping the distance between them. His heels dug into the old rug as he had to redirect her whole body's weight off of him. He had never faced someone like this. Every time he got a good look at her yellow eyes, he saw madness and a glee for bloodshed that was only shared by serial killers and Jack the Ripper.

"Come on, baby~!" Toga's blade clashed with Izuku's stick. "Loosen a little bit and let me dive in the crimson that flows through your veins."

"You're not my type of girl!" Izuku snapped, kicking Toga's knife into the ceiling before striking her forearms with his kali sticks, sending her down.

Toga growled, feeling the pain coming from her arms. She flashed her enemy a cat-like grin as she brought out two new blades from inside her sleeves.

"I am so going to enjoy cutting into you, kitty!" Toga said in sickening glee.

However, Toga was met with the full force of an umbrella's butt smashing into the back of her skull, knocking her out.

"Only I get to call him that." Alix grunted holding her umbrella in her hands.

"Bunnix, are you alright?" Izuku asked, catching Alix before she fell.

"I'll live, but please get this steak knife out of my leg!" Alix groaned in pain.

The door was blasted away as Dabi had caught up with them. He walked out of the fire escape with a look that made him resemble a member of the undead. Turning his head, he spotted Izuku and Alix while the flames spread through the old abandoned hotel.

"I don't care what the boss wants. You two are dying for what you've done to my face!" Dabi became coated in flames.

"I say it's an improvement!" Alix taunted their enemy as he walked towards them.

"His flames are too strong." Izuku whispered, slowly walking back with Alix clinging to him.

"I noticed. Any plans?" Alix whispered back as they walked towards one of the remaining windows of the hotel.

"If my plan B doesn't show up, we'll have to move quickly. Make him exhaust himself," Izuku explained. "His body can't hold this much fire for a long time. The scarred tissue is spreading as we speak."

"And what's Plan B, exactly?" Alix asked.

Dabi threw a large blue fireball at them, forcing them to jump to the side.

"Run for now!" Izuku picked up Alix, running to the window behind them.

Izuku jumped through the glass window, protecting Bunnix's body with his own while Dabi chased after them. He opened his eyes, pulling out his grappling hook, firing it at one of the hotel's remaining gargoyles. He held Alix tightly against his body as they swung through the air.

But Izuku's escape plan wasn't done just yet. He saw Dabi blasting streams of blue fire at them, forcing him to swing close to the building, running on its surface. As a stream of flames cut him off, he slid to a halt running back. Like a pendulum inside an old grandfather clock, Izuku ran back and forth, avoiding the flames while holding onto Alix. He knew he couldn't keep this up for much longer. His skin was aching by the closeness of the intense heat, and parts of his costume were slightly burnt. He jumped once more, avoiding the blast of fire. He felt the rope of his grappling hook coming loose each time he changed directions.

"Come on, come on!" Izuku grunted between his teeth, just then his grappling hook broke off from the gargoyle.

"Prepare to die, hero!" Dabi laughed, blasting another stream of flames towards Izuku and Alix.

But then everything went cold.

A great wall of ice emerged from the hotel, blocking the blue flames from reaching Izuku and Alix.

"What?!" Dabi snarled.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size, Dabi?" A cold voice spoke.

Dabi turned and saw the bane of his existence, the number 1 hero, Freezerburn.

Izuku and Alix were free falling. He reeled back his grappling hook but he needed time before he could use it again. Alix held onto him, plunging her umbrella handle on the edge of one of the windows, swinging them back inside. They rolled to a halt until Alix was on top of Izuku.

"Your… your… your plan was to call the number 1 hero?!" Alix panted. "You're as crazy as me!"

"Well, I didn't 'call' him. More like I put in a warning to the police from a nearby payphone, hoping he'd catch wind of it. This is around the time he patrols this area," Izuku panted.

"How can you make nerdy information like that sound sexy right now?" Alix panted as they got back up.

"Let's go, before the winner comes looking for an explanation." Izuku helped Alix to her feet as they made their way out of the old hotel.

Back with Dabi and Freezerburn, the villain glared at the hero with pure hatred. He snapped in rage, blasting the man that had all that was meant to be his. His blue flames erupted like a volcano against the Number One Hero of Paris. But his flames were countered with an icy blast from Freezerburn's right hand.

Freezerburn flew high in the sky, with the flames from his left foot. Once he was high enough, he swung his arm, sending ice spikes at Dabi.

Dabi jumped out of the building, avoiding the icicles by the skin of his teeth. However, as he shot out with his blue flames, he was met by the number one hero coming down on him with his left side engulfed in bright yellow flames.

"Crimson BLAZE!" Freezerburn punched Dabi square in the face, sending him plummeting down to the street. "Sapphire PILLAR!" Freezerburn stretched out his right arm, blasting a large ice pillar at Dabi, encasing him in a prison made out of his twin Miraculous.

The police arrived just in time to take Dabi and Toga away as Freezerburn looked away, wondering who his fallen brother and psychotic partner were attacking.

"AH! Mother F-AH!" Alix screamed in pain as Izuku took the knife out.

"Yeah, this thing was very deep. We should go to a hospital," Izuku said, putting the knife away.

Izuku and Alix had returned to Alix's apartment where she had asked Izuku to help patch her up. He'd taken off his coat, gloves and mask to help treat her as she had taken off her pants and mask.

"And what will we tell the doctor? 'Sorry doc, I got drunk and accidentally a maniac threw a knife at me'?" Alix took a swig from a bottle of tequila. "Or would you prefer that I just say this was an accident of me slipping and falling on the knife?"

"Well, I can try to patch it up, but still a doctor should look at it." Izuku said, pulling out a first aid kit, some needle and thread. "I'll also need this." He grabbed the alcohol from her, sterilizing the needle and the wound.

Alix flinched in pain at the feel of the alcohol. But couldn't help but look at the green haired hero that had saved her. She wanted to make it up to him, despite everything she had done and how much easier his life would've been without her, he still saved her.

"I gotta ask, why did you save me?" Alix asked.

"That's what a hero does, cop or not. You were hurting, so someone had to step in and help you." Izuku slowly stitched her leg up. "Even if you drive me nuts, I'll save everyone with a smile on my face. No matter what."

Alix blushed at his response. There she was, pantless and in her underwear and the man she'd played cops and robbers. Vulnerable in all ways she could think of, and yet he was helping her. She winced as the needle and thread went through her. She took another swig of tequila to calm herself, but that only made her think of how she failed.

"I wish I could say I wanted to help others when I went to that hotel. I wanted revenge against Hawkmoth, guess the bastard still has some tricks up his sleeve." Alix sobbed.

"That trap was meant for anyone that looked into who Hawkmoth was. There is a chance that the man you want isn't around anymore." Izuku continued stitching.

"What?" Alix asked. "How?"

"During the last twenty years, someone using the alias of Hawkmoth has apparently been controlling organized crime from the shadows. A friend of mine and I are looking into this, but we believe that somewhere in the last fifteen years, someone new took that title." Izuku finished stitching Alix's leg. "The difference being that this new one is covering all the angles they can think of. I promise that you and your family will get justice, but all I ask is that you give me time."

Alix didn't respond. She had planned her revenge for so long, stealing back her family's life and now she didn't even know if the man she hated was still around. She looked Izuku dead in the eyes, pulling him up to her face.

"Then promise me that you will tell me once you've got a clue on him," Alix said.

"I promise." Izuku replied without hesitation. "In the meantime, you have to rest and have an actual doctor take a look at it."

Alix didn't respond right away. She pulled him in, kissing him on the cheek.

"I promise. But don't think I won't try to go out and have fun as soon as I can." Alix smirked as Izuku was left red like a stop sign. "Yeah, things are going to be fun now that we're working together."

"Um, understood." Izuku gulped.