"I told you, one wrong move and I'd make your life hell. You lost two of our miraculous. Two! You know where Pierre and Sabrina ended up? Could have been you. You may have been Hawkmoth, the Monarch, whatever. But you were nothing, you were soft, like a super villain in a children's cartoon. I am powerful, I am dangerous. I am an empress! I will not be defeated. For once the butterfly is in the hands of someone competent and you screwed it up! You revealed her to everyone, to all of Paris and this.." Lila angrily motioned to the two goons who had lost Marc and Nathaniel's miraculous. "Is how they get revenge. Are you going to let them keep walking over you? Let them keep winning? Let them take your wife away from you for good?"

"Of course not! Chat Noir gained a new power. I couldn't have predicted-"

"Can it, Gabriel." Lila spat, rolling her eyes.

"Listen to me and listen well. We can not sit idly by and allow them to make another move. You want Marinette's miraculous to cure your damn wife? Go get it. You want Marinette dead? Go get her. Bring her back here alive, miraculous still in her ears, and I'll let you have the final blow. Otherwise.." Lila glanced at the two goons in front of her. "You'll make five."

A loud bang rocked the old building as the two goons thudded to the ground. Gabriel disappeared before Lila could speak another word, anger bubbling at the forefront of his mind.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng will regret the day she became Ladybug." He growled, fists clenched at his sides. "Nothing will stop me from having my Emelie again."

———

"I am so excited to meet Ladybug! I've learned all of her catch phrases!" Bridgette squealed excitedly to Felix as he inched away from her, arms crossed tightly around his middle.

"Catch phrases?"

"You know…" Bridgette motioned vaguely. "Bug out! Or Lucky Charm! Miraculous Ladybug! Stuff like that."

"Mhm." Felix nodded, taking another step away from the woman in front of him as she prattled on about Ladybug and her many battles.

"Oh! And do you remember-"

"Hello." Ladybug greeted, swinging up to meet them, Chat Noir on her heels.

"Voi hitsi!" Bridgette cried out in surprise, taking a step back to look up at Ladybug with wide eyes. "Wow. It's really you."

"Um, yes?" Ladybug looked at Chat who shrugged and rested an arm on his cousin's shoulder.

"So, Felix. Go on and tell us about your girlfriend then."

"How childish." Felix rolled his eyes and pushed Chat's arm away, turning to the girls instead. "This is Bridgette." He introduced, motioning to the girl beside him. "Bridgette, this is my friend M-" Felix stopped mid-sentence to glance at Ladybug who nodded her consent. "My friend Marinette. And my cousin, Adrien." Ladybug and Chat Noir both dropped their transformations and Ladybug looked up at Felix with a frown.

"I was just revealed to all of Paris. It's not like you needed my permission."

"It's getting late." Felix shrugged, avoiding the topic. "You've met Bridgette now. So team, or no team?"

Marinette opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted by a quick tap on her arm.

"Ms. Marinette?" Bridgette asked quietly. "While I would love to be a part of your team, I must inform you that I will continue to aid in the fight against evil either way. I would simply like to be a part of your team so that we can coordinate battle strategies together, rather than fighting blindly alongside each other."

"Makes a point, Bugaboo." Adrien agreed. "So can we keep her?"

Marinette made to reply again but this time was interrupted by Felix who paced back and forth along the edge of the platform they had gathered on.

"You know, I know my word isn't good for much after what happened back then but that's not Bridgette's fault. She's been nothing but helpful, and if I'm the reason you-"

"Oh my Kwami, could you guys just shut up for one second?" Marinette laughed, shaking her head. "I was already going to say yes."

———

"I'm exhausted." Marinette groaned as she collapsed onto the giant bed in their hotel suite. "Wake me up in three weeks."

"No can do, Bug. It's already four."

"In the morning!?" Marinette shot up and glanced at the bedside table, eyes blearily scanning the alarm clock. "No! Why did we agree to meet them so late! Now I won't get any sleep." Marinette threw herself back onto the pillows as Adrien laughed.

"I've got to be at the bakery for my shift in fifteen minutes. You going to be okay here, or should I call Chloé over?"

"She's just down the hall. I'll be fine. I've got Tikki." Marinette waved her partner off and Adrien leaned down to give her a quick kiss before sliding on his shoes and leaving the room. "Tikki?"

"Yes, Marinette?"

"I'm gonna nap. Wanna come cuddle?"

"Yes please!" The kwami happily floated over to her holder, curling up on the girl's pillow and beginning to sleep. Marinette laughed at the kwamis ability to fall asleep on demand as her eyes shut, mouth parting in a small yawn. "It's been such a long day. I could sleep forever."

———

Something was wrong.

Marinette struggled to regain consciousness. How long had she been asleep?

A thump on the other side of the room caused Marinette to freeze. Had someone come for her? Was Adrien back from his shift already? The sound of footsteps had Marinette cracking an eye open, ever so slightly, to look for Tikki. The kwami who had once been curled up on her pillow had since disappeared, leaving Marinette to face this mystery intruder alone. In the back of her mind, there was a niggling feeling that something was wrong. And not just the intruder..something was wrong with her. Her face felt different, lighter. Footsteps grew closer and Marinette longed to make a move, to raise her head so she could track whoever was trying to sneak up on her. Instead, she stay still, hoping for a chance to catch the stranger off guard.

The chance never came.

In an instant someone had both hands on her shoulders, pressing her down into the bed and knocking the wind out of her with a knee to her chest.

"Oomph!" Marinette cried as a hand covered her mouth, another beginning to snap something onto her wrists. Handcuffs- she realized- she was being taken, kidnapped. She began to struggle, pulling and pushing, but the man above her just laughed, his face coming into view in the darkness.

Gabriel Agreste hoisted her off the bed and dragged her towards the window, even as she kicked and screamed.

"Don't worry." He sneered. "I'm not going to kill you yet. Empress wants her chance with you." As Gabriel forced her up onto the window sill, Marinette caught a glance of herself in the bathroom mirror and nearly panicked at her reflection.

Her earrings were gone.

———

"Adrien! Adrien! CHAT NOIR!"

"Huh?" Adrien pulled out his headphones and lay his piping bag on the bakery counter, looking around in confusion.

"Adrien! You've got to get the team together! It's Marinette!" Tikki appeared in front of Adrien's face and he blinked wildly, trying to comprehend what he was seeing. Tikki was in the bakery without her holder..carrying Marinette's earrings. "Marinette's been taken. I took the miraculous before they could see…I didn't have time-"

The tray of pastries he had been decorating hit the floor with a loud bang and the kitchen door flew open.

"Adrien?" Tom asked, Sabine following him into the room.

"Tom!" Adrien cried in relief. "It's Marinette, she's- We don't have time! Tom Dupain," Adrien started as he reached into his pocket and retrieved the dog miraculous he had been entrusted to carry. "I am giving you the miraculous of the dog. You will use it for the greater good and return it to Ladybug when Lila has been defeated. Sabine Cheng," Adrien breathed, locking eyes with the woman who had been like a mother to him since the moment she'd learned of his identity. "I'm entrusting you with Marinette's miraculous. We have to save her."

"Right." Tom agreed, taking the miraculous and greeting the kwami that burst forward to meet him.

"I'm not sure that I-"

"No!" Tikki yelled, silencing Sabine. "I refuse to let you second guess yourself when your daughter's life is on the line..when Marinette…please, Mrs. Cheng. Please. I need Marinette. She's the greatest holder I've ever had."

Sabine nodded and took the earrings willingly. Together, she and her husband transformed for the first time as Adrien donned his own powers, calling in the rest of the team.

"We'll meet the team at headquarters and decide on a plan. Lila and her goons have probably moved bases by now..we might have to sweep the entire city."

"Don't worry, son. We'll find her. And she'll hold it together until we do. My daughter is strong. She won't go down without a fight. Miraculous or not."

Adrien led them towards headquarters, mind screaming with possibilities.

"Hold on Mari." He whispered under his breath. "I won't stop until I find you."