Standard disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, and am not affiliated with them in any way.

OMG, guys, youtube broke me. I completely forgot it was Monday. I'm currently dancing around with spoilers that appear to make my stories completely wrong, but I've also got theories up the wazoo, and this thing is already outlined completely, so we're continuing for now, it's just hard to concentrate. Blatantly ignoring "The Collector" over here, la la la lala laa… Y'all will never convince me until I actually see the whole episode. So, nya.

Just FYI, an alternate title for this chapter was: In Which Hawkmoth Really Hates Teenagers.

Hug your Cat Noir plushies, kiddos. I am a bad person.

Issues

"My ring is charged with energy. My claws are out, just watch and see." – Miraculous Theme

Chapter 9: In Which a Major Beatdown Goes Down

Cat Noir raced through the night, feeling nine kinds of stupid. He had known! He had known since lunch! Marinette's father had come in and told everyone that they'd found her purse! Of course Tikki had still been inside it! If Marinette hadn't been able to fight back, Tikki would've stayed hidden! And if she had fought back, well, she certainly wouldn't have been captured, that was for sure!

Stupid. Idiotic. Cat!

Then he was on her balcony, and he wasted no more time, opening the latch and flinging himself into her room. He had to get to Tikki. She was their only hope right now! He searched frantically, looking through drawers, the bed, the closet (oh look, more pictures! No! No time, Cat!)—

"Hey! Who's up there?" Tom's voice called. He came up a moment later, brandishing a rolling pin. His eyes widened at who he found in his daughter's bedroom. "Cat Noir?!"

"No time to explain," Cat Noir said quickly. "I need Marinette's purse! Now!"

The man swallowed whatever he had been about to say and nodded, leading the way downstairs. Marinette's mother was seated at the table, crouched over. She looked up and gasped when she saw him. Cat Noir braced himself for a quick explanation and a promise to apologize more thoroughly later, when she ran to him, cupping something in both hands.

"Is this what you need?" she asked urgently, holding out her hands to him. Cat Noir's jaw dropped as he saw Tikki laying in her hands. The little kwami didn't look good. She had what looked like a huge purple bruise on the side of her head and shoulder. "I tried to do what I could for her," Sabine said, her eyes filled with tears, "but not much has worked."

Cat Noir carefully took the little kwami from the woman. Tikki seemed to curl around his ring instinctively. What had Plagg said? They'd heal faster if they were together? Was it the same for their kwamis? Did he need to release his transformation? Did they have enough time?

"Tikki," he whispered urgently, "can you hear me?" A shudder ran through the kwami, followed what could be taken for a nod. "I need to get you to Marinette," he said quietly. "Will you be able to transform?" Another shudder and a shake of the head. "Should I release Plagg?" he asked, growing desperate. "Will that help you?" Another shake. He wanted to sob in helplessness. He couldn't take her to Hawkmoth like this, she'd be a sitting duck!

A soft cry made him look up. "So, it's true then?" Sabine asked. "She's Ladybug? My daughter?"

Cat Noir felt his throat close. How could he lie to them? But if she didn't want her parents to know….

"We've suspected something was off for a while now," Tom explained, putting a hand on his wife's shoulder.

"It's not my place to say," Cat Noir said, finally, regretfully. "I'm sorry."

"Can't you help her?" Tom asked urgently. "Can you save our daughter?"

Cat hung his head. "Hawkmoth has her," he admitted, tears threatening to fall. "And using Tikki here is the only way to save her." She was tied up and captured, with no way to defend herself, and he couldn't even help her kwami! What good was some stupid power of destruction? What good was he without her?

Sabine took a deep breath and wiped her eyes, her face hardening in determination. "All right, Tom," she said, stepping closer to Cat Noir and raising her hands as though she was going to push him. "You catch me when I fall." Cat Noir looked at them and raised his eyebrow, but the large baker just held up his hand for silence and stepped behind his wife.

Then Sabine started chanting in Chinese. Cat Noir felt the hair on the back of his neck rise and sternly resisted the urge to hiss. Thanks to his education, he could understand that she was saying something about healing—wait, was Tikki glowing? He gaped at the kwami in his hands. As quickly as she had started, the magic was over, and Sabine slumped into her husband's waiting arms.

"Is she-?" Cat Noir asked, reaching towards them in concern.

Tom shook his head as he crossed to the living room and laid his wife down on the couch by the wall. "She'll be fine in a few minutes. We just don't have the kind of powers you kids do." Cat Noir blinked. Apparently, he and Marinette weren't the only ones with secrets in their families.

"Tikki?" Cat asked hopefully, looking back at the kwami in his hands. She seemed to be breathing easier. Then she opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Cat Noir," she said weakly.

"Don't worry, I'll get you to Marinette," he promised.

"It won't matter," she said, coughing. "You'll never get there in time. I need—I need your help."

"Name it. Anything!"

"I need you to use your power on me."

"WHAT? Tikki—!"

"Not the Cataclysm," she said, wheezing. "You have… another. It's called the Catalyst. I'm sor-sorry. Plagg doesn't like to use it—"

"Plagg doesn't like to do a lot of things," Cat Noir muttered.

"Adrien!" she coughed out, making him focus on her. "You need to listen." -cough cough- "This will hurt you if you use it. That-that's why."

Cat Noir felt a chill run down his spine. No doubt a warning from Plagg. She wasn't kidding. This new power was dangerous.

Still.

"What do I need to do?" he asked immediately.

She gave him a grateful, mournful look. "Focus," she said, trying to steady her own voice. He closed his eyes. "Focus your power on me. Remember: entropy is running. All things return to nothing." Cat Noir furrowed his brow. He vaguely remembered learning something about that theory…. "Accept the idea that time is a force of destruction. Now, focus on helping it along. Speeding things up. Speeding me up."

He felt something inside him building. Dark. Ominous. It repulsed him. He didn't want to focus it on her. It took everything he had not to recoil.

This would help, he reminded himself. This would kill her! another part screamed.

"Now, speak the word."

NO! NO! His mind screamed. Focus on speeding her up, he reminded himself firmly. Speed up her healing.

"Catalyst!" he heard himself shout.

He felt a whoosh as all the heat from his body was suddenly sucked into his ring and then pushed into the kwami in his hands. Forget the little glow she'd had during Sabine's healing ritual, now she lit up the room, temporarily blinding him.

And then… then he couldn't stop the scream that tore itself from his throat. Once, during a winter photoshoot, his hands and feet had gotten a light case of frostbite while waiting for the photographer to get everything right. His father had been furious. Many people had gotten fired that day. Not that the younger him had cared much, because his hands and feet felt like pins and needles repeatedly poking him and it hurt so much. It hadn't lasted long, but to him it had been agony.

This was a thousand times worse.

This was swords and sabers instead of pins and needles, and they were everywhere. His arms and legs felt like they were on fire. His stomach cramped. His chest hurt. He couldn't see. Couldn't hear. Couldn't breathe.

Welcome blackness rushed up to meet him, but only for a moment. The energy of the Cat Ring kept him from losing consciousness completely, so he was quite aware of when Tom caught him just before he hit the floor.

"Easy, kiddo, I got ya," he heard the man saying.

"Breathe, Cat Noir!" another voice ordered. It sounded familiar, high and friendly, but the timbre was slightly different. Stronger. More powerful. But still, he thought instinctively, completely trustworthy. He tried to obey, but it was hard to get around his chattering teeth.

"Breathe! Oh no. Claws in, Adrien! Say it! Claws in!"

"C-c-c-cl-l-l-l-a-a-w-s i-i-in-n-n," he repeated through his chattering teeth. Instantly, the magic supporting him vanished and he collapsed into blissful unconsciousness for a moment.

When he came to, he was laying on his side on one end of the "L" shaped couch, with Marinette's mother laying on the other. He found he was able to respond a bit better to the voices repeatedly telling him to breathe, even if he immediately choked on what he hoped was his own spit and not the blood it tasted like.

"He's going to need blankets and food as soon as possible," he heard the high, strong voice saying. "Adrien? Adrien, can you hear me?"

"Tikki?" he gasped out.

"I'm right here," she assured him. But she still sounded worried. Urgent. Marinette! his mind screamed, reminding him. Adrenaline rushed through his veins. "Oh, I wish I could help you more—"

"WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE?" he screamed at her. "She needs you! Sacré-Cœur! Hawkmoth has her at Sacré-Cœur! GO!"

He still couldn't see anything, but the world instantly felt a bit dimmer. He focused on breathing for a few moments. "Is she gone?" he asked weakly, not knowing who was still in the room with him.

"She's gone," Plagg's voice confirmed, sounding just as exhausted as Adrien felt.

"I've never seen anything move so fast in my life," Tom added, draping a blanket over Adrien's shoulders. The heat was bliss. He pulled it tightly around himself, trembling. That had sucked. Literally.

"Plagg?" he called. "Are you all right?"

"You are the craziest wielder I've had in a long time, kid," the kwami said breathlessly. "Have I told you how much I love you?"

Tom chuckled at them. "Is there anything more I can do to help?" he asked.

"Do you have any camembert?" Adrien laughed shakily. "I need to get back there."

Marinette felt the familiar rush of power flow over her as soon as she called on her transformation, but Hawkmoth was already moving. Time seemed to slow down as she watched him lunge for her. Quickly, she threw herself backwards, using the surge of power in her system to break the ropes holding her to the chair. She still hit the ground, though. Then she yelped and dodged, just as his cane drove hard into the ground where her head had been. Desperate to get some space between them, she kicked out at him, cursing inwardly when he easily caught her leg.

She barely got her arm up in time as he swung at her head again. Growling, she twisted in his grip and kicked at his face with her other leg. He dodged it and almost lazily threw her against the wall. She landed in a crouch, looking up just in time to see his hand pointed at her.

She gasped as she was swarmed by the hoard of little white butterflies, all of them turning black as they dove at her, and she quickly brought her arms up to protect her face. They didn't hurt, not in the physical sense. Instead, whenever one of them touched her, she felt a jolt of negative emotions. Pain. Depression. Heartbreak. Loneliness. Disappointment. Anger. Rage.

Quickly, she took out her yo-yo and started twirling it in front of herself, creating a shield between her and the akumas. They dispersed. She shook her head to clear it and glared at Hawkmoth.

"Well, well, well, it seems I was right after all," he smirked at her. "Miss Dupain-Cheng, the elusive Ladybug."

She stopped twirling and held her yo-yo at the ready. "Hawkmoth."

"If you hand over your Miraculous now, I assure you, we can work out a deal that favors both of us," he said, holding out his hand.

"Not gonna happen," she said, shifting into a deeper crouch.

He chuckled darkly. "I had a feeling you would say that." He thrust out his hand towards her again. "Volpina! Money Bags! To me!"

She felt her eyes widen. Volpina? Oh, for the love of all things sweet and cuddly—wait, two? Two akumatized villains? And Hawkmoth? Not good, not good, not good! Hopefully, Cat Noir will show up soon and—but then came a spark. An understanding. Almost as if Tikki was whispering in her ear. Cat Noir wasn't coming. He'd done something. Helped her. Was hurt and unable to come to her rescue again.

She looked at Hawkmoth and narrowed her eyes. Good. She didn't want Adrien to have to see what she was going to do to his dad. And she'd rather do it before he got the backup he'd just ordered. She grasped her yo-yo and prepared to throw it high.

"Lucky—!" mid-throw, she caught sight of the look on Hawkmoth's face and quickly aborted. His grin was positively gleeful! He wanted her to use the Lucky Charm! But, why?

The timer.

She gulped as she realized. Hawkmoth was in this for the end game. He wanted her Miraculous. And he had to have some tricks up his sleeve; they were in his own secret villain lair! After she activated the Lucky Charm, she'd only have minutes before she'd be completely helpless against him and any minions he could conjure up.

Could she get to his Miraculous in time? She could see it plainly on the front of his collar, just daring her to try for it. Something inside told her no. He had a plan. And it involved getting her to use her Miraculous.

Of course! Hawkmoth wasn't a fighter! Even if he had a Miraculous himself, his specialty was sending out other people to do his dirty work for him! Even now, when he had her right where he wanted her, instead of attacking her, he was waiting for his lackeys to come and get her!

She looked at his face again and smirked. Sure enough, he looked disappointed that she hadn't gone through with the Charm. Instead, she started twirling her yo-yo again, walking towards him confidently.

She had to give him one thing: he kept his cool, even when she changed tactics on him. Seeing her walking towards him, he merely snorted and raised an eyebrow.

"What are you doing, Ladybug?" he asked, calmly. Mockingly. "Surely you realize the only way to defeat me is to use your powers?"

"I dunno, Hawkmoth," she drawled lazily. "You did try to akumatize your own son. I kinda just wanna kick your ass for a while. You know, for Cat's sake."

He chuckled at her. "And when Adrien learns what you've done to his precious father? The only family he has left in the world?" he pressed.

"I think he'll forgive me," she said, letting her yo-yo fly.

He blocked it with his cane, snarling at her. "You obviously know nothing of how he feels! How he thinks!"

"Says the man who forgot his own son's birthday!" she shot back, striking at him a few more times, trying to get a good shot. For the first time, she was angry at the Miraculous armor. It would make sure she couldn't even give him a bruise like this…. Still, he looked surprised at her statement. And there was more than one way to strike a blow. "I was the one who knitted him that scarf for his birthday! And then you took the credit! Pathetic," she spat, mocking his earlier words, "is what that is."

"Why you!" he looked outraged and lunged at her. She parried, dodged, and ran around to the other side of the room as he tried to catch her with his butterfly swarm again. Damn, he was good with that cane. Apparently, Adrien wasn't the only one who'd taken up fencing.

But, ohhh, she wanted to hurt him. In any way she could. She tried a few more angles with her yo-yo before giving up. She didn't dare get close to go hand-to-hand with him; he still had his cane, and his defense was perfect.

She stood up. Even without being able to use her yo-yo, she had plenty of weapons.

"And I'll let you in on a little secret, Mr. Agreste," she said slowly, still mocking him. "Adrien's already chosen his side. He lied to you. Cat Noir has known my secret identity for a while now."

"WHAT?" The rage on his face was priceless.

"You left my kwami behind when you kidnapped me," she said, smirking. Whether it had been him or a lackey, it was still a blow to him. "Cat just went to go get it for me. Judging by how I'm easy to spot now, I'd say he was successful, wouldn't you?" She couldn't help but throw in a pun in Cat Noir's honor, as she pretended to examine her nails. She could hear him grinding his teeth as she blatantly dismissed him as a threat.

She decided to up the ante even more. "He's probably just waiting for an opportunity to jump at you from behind." That bluff had worked before, after all. Sure enough, Hawkmoth started looking around the room in alarm, still clearly furious with her. She crouched down and prepared to strike him while he was distracted. Then another voice broke through the air.

"She's lying to you!"

Ladybug gasped and both she and Hawkmoth turned to see the owner of the voice step into the light of the room. Volpina glared back at her defiantly.

"She's used that trick on me before!" she cried. Ladybug grimaced. Great. The one villain she really didn't want to see right now. Or ever again, actually. Would a yo-yo to the face be enough to shut her up for good?

"Finally!" Hawkmoth said, sounding exasperated with his lackey. "Volpina, get me her Miraculous!"

"No!" she shouted. Both Ladybug and Hawkmoth stared at her in shock. "You lied to me!" she screamed, pointing her finger at him accusingly. "You told me I could have Adrien once I defeated Ladybug and Cat Noir! But Adrien is Cat Noir!"

"I didn't lie, you little fool!" Hawkmoth snarled, shaking in anger. "Once Ladybug and Cat Noir are defeated, Adrien will be easy to turn! If you had managed to do your job before, we could've freed him from the power of the Cat Ring already! NOW GET ME LADYBUG'S MIRACULOUS!"

Ladybug had to admit, Hawkmoth was good at what he did. Volpina dove forward with a sob, clearly intent on getting something out of this. Then, out of the shadows, a fist connected with her cheek and she went down, hard. She didn't get back up.

"IMBECILE!" Hawkmoth roared as a large, dark figure separated itself from the shadows. "WHY WOULD YOU—?"

"I owed Foxy," said the dark-clad man who must be Money Bags. "She done turned on me earlier. Didn't want the same thing t' happen t' you. An' don' worry, Hawkmoth. I got Red." He leered at Ladybug. Suddenly, all the Miraculous armor in the world didn't feel like enough to cover her up.

He charged at her and his hand burst into flame. Ladybug's eyes widened and she quickly dodged, throwing her yo-yo to hopefully distract him as she put some distance between them. Not good, not good, not good! Oh, how she wished Cat Noir were here! At the thought of her partner, she felt some of her power drain away, leaving her colder. She blinked.

WAIT, WHAT?

She looked down at her body and gasped. The butterflies had been following her every move, creating distractions every so often as they touched her, but she hadn't thought anything of it until now… when she realized that everywhere they had touched her, there was now a black spot on her suit that was growing….

So that was why she was feeling so angry! So willing to lash out in any way she could! He was manipulating her! Hawkmoth was trying to akumatize her! Slowly!

OH MY GOD! NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! FOCUS, LADYBUG! Focus on—

HAWKMOTH!

She glared up at Hawkmoth, gritting her teeth as she felt the red-hot of the akumas start to crawl up her suit again. Oh, she wanted to hurt him so badly! Make him pay! Make him pay for all the damage he'd done! All the pain he'd caused! Tears streamed from her eyes, half-blinding her as she lunged at him again, twirling her yo-yo.

Just one good shot and she could end this!

She barely caught movement out of the corner of her eye before Money Bags's fist connected with her cheek. She went sprawling across the room. She cursed herself inwardly. She'd just seen him take out Volpina in the same way! How pathetic was she? Breathing heavily, she couldn't do much more than lay there for a moment, hearing nothing but the ringing in her ears and Hawkmoth's maniacal laughter. Her head felt like it was in a clamp again; the fire rushing through her veins as she struggled to think through all the negative emotions.

I can't let him control me like this.

I can't let it end this way.

I have to fight.

I'm—she choked as a huge hand grabbed her by the throat and lifted her into the air. Her arms and legs felt heavy, refusing to respond to her demands that she fight, and all she could do was hang there limply.

"Well done, Money Bags," Hawkmoth was saying in satisfaction. "I see I have finally found someone worthy of keeping the powers I've bestowed upon them. Now, bring me her Miraculous. Without it, she'll be completely akumatized by the time Cat Noir gets here, and Adrien will have a little surprise waiting for him…." He chuckled darkly. Money Bags laughed with him.

"Hear that, Red?" he said to her lowly, bringing her face closer to his. "Looks like things won't be able to heat up between us like I'd hoped." She felt him bring his other hand close to her cheek, still flaming hot. She cringed away from it, still desperately needing to breathe.

In the back of her mind, all she could think was, Ugh, flirting and puns. Ew, gross. You are no Cat Noir, buddy.

And with just the thought of him, her mind was suddenly filled with images of her kitty, and his civilian counterpart. Cat Noir laughing, kissing her hand, grinning at her suggestively, holding his fist out for hers…. Adrien smiling at her in school, blushing so cutely, encouraging her to do her best, even when she was a stammering, stuttering mess around him….

I love you, she thought with a smile.

She felt her whole body warm and strength poured back into her limbs.

Money Bags had gotten too close for his own good in order to tease her. One swing back to wind up, and she slammed her knee up into his chin. He let her go with a cry and she fell to the floor, rolling to regain her equilibrium.

"NO!" Hawkmoth was shouting in the background, but Ladybug was more focused on Money Bags's angry roar as he charged her blindly, his hand bursting into flame again. She couldn't do a Lucky Charm against him, not with Hawkmoth still waiting for it, and he was bigger than her, heavier, and far too dangerous for her to try to ignore him again. She narrowed her eyes. She didn't really like to pull this move if she could help it, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and she was not going to let Hawkmoth win!

So, once he got close enough, she pulled back and kicked him hard, right between the legs.

The high squeal he emitted would've been more at home coming from a small girl like Manon instead of a fully-grown man. His eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he collapsed, unconscious.

"Sorry," she winced. Then she turned her attention to the remaining supervillain in the room. Hawkmoth was gaping at her like he couldn't believe she'd just done that.

"Oh, you're next, Hawkmoth," she assured him, twirling her yo-yo and running straight for him.

"That wasn't exactly ladylike," he said, parrying and dodging her every attack.

She gave him a flat stare. "Seriously? The Evil Overlord is giving me etiquette lessons?"

"At least I have more class."

"Oh, please!" Ladybug exclaimed, rolling her eyes and blocking his next attack. "Who was it that tried to brainwash a five-year-old?"

Hawkmoth chuckled. "One of my best villains," he said fondly. "She nearly had you." Ladybug narrowed her eyes and swung her yo-yo. It caught around the hand he held his cane in and wound around his neck as well. Ruthlessly, she pulled it tight. He grabbed the wire to stop himself from being choked. Smirking, she was about to make a joke about him being all tied up, when he pulled her closer.

"Did you hate fighting her, Ladybug?" he whispered softly. "Was it hard, knowing she was innocent? Someone you loved? Perhaps I should make more villains out of the people you love. Friends? Family?" Ladybug's eyes widened and he smirked at her. "Yes. Yes, that will do quite nicely. Shall we go see what happens?"

She blinked at him, especially when he looped her own yo-yo string around her wrists and pulled her even closer. She struggled, crying out as she felt something pull her forward, into nothingness… then her whole body felt like it was being pulled through a thin tube, stretching and squeezing, and she opened her mouth to scream… when suddenly all the pressure disappeared with a pop.

She fell forward, collapsing on the ground. What had Hawkmoth—she gasped in alarm and looked around frantically. They were somehow on her balcony! To her room!

HAWKMOTH CAN TELEPORT! her mind screamed frantically. OH MY GOD, HAWKMOTH CAN TELEPORT! Volpina's powers had shown him doing it, but she'd convinced herself that Volpina didn't really know what the man was capable of… then again, she'd gotten the costume right too—But HAWKMOTH COULD TELEPORT! HE WAS AT HER HOUSE! OH NO, NO, NO, NO! NOT GOOD, NOT GOOD!

"My akumas are unable to go into private homes without express permission from its residents," Hawkmoth said, breathing heavily. He chuckled lowly. "But since I have you with me, someone who does live here and calls it home, well, it's a nice loophole, don't you think?"

End Chapter 9.

A/N: My apologies that this isn't the end of the fight scene. It was supposed to be, but Marinette wouldn't shut up. Then my friend pointed out a bunch of inconsistencies in placement and such, so we're trying to go through the rest of it with a fine-toothed comb. It was either give you this for now, or really go on hiatus for a couple of weeks. If you notice anything off in what I've written so far, please let me know. I think I caught all the details, but it's hard to be sure.

Next: Chapter 10: In Which There Are Consequences