At this point, I've decided it makes more sense to post bi-weekly :P
I'm back! And with a doozy of chapter, too. This chapter and the next two are going to be the last chapters for this particular book (I guess that's what you'd call it?) before the next one, which is going to be the winddown for the Dragonus storyline (which I started in June of 2020. Wow). I truly am thankful y'all have stuck with me through this journey and I can't wait to show more stuff to y'all.
Either way, enough being sappy, let's get down to this thing. Enjoy!
(Oh, BTW, there are slight references to Gabriel Agreste and Ephemeral!)
Chapter Eight
Green-Eyed Wasp, Part One
"Emilie…" Gabriel said as he stood at the foot of Emilie's pod, rubbing his ring thoughtfully. "Every day without you is another day of pain and failure. I'm slipping. I'm running out of time. Almost one hundred weeks, over two hundred attempts to get Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculouses… and I've failed every time. But I won't give up hope just yet. I have the Miraculouses we found. I have two Dark Miraculouses in my possession. Every victory scored against my creations, by either Ladybug or Dragonus, will be meaningless in the end for them."
He sighed. "I have a new plan. Your sister and Felix are arriving soon. She'll be my next masterpiece. And perhaps I can get Felix to return the ring he stole from us…"
A wave of rage as black as the wings of his akumas washed over him, raising his fist and was about to bring it slamming on the glass of Emilie's pod, but stopped himself at the last possible moment. Quickly regaining his composure, he brushed off his coat as his two kwamis floated up to his face.
"Oh, I assume this Felix fellow wounded your fragile pride at some point, o great and wise holder of my powers?" Rexx asked mockingly. Gabriel threw a snarl in the direction of the Manipulation kwami.
"Silence, Rexx. I must prepare," he replied. Rexx cast a bemused glance at Nooroo. "A shame when a great mind is reduced to lunacy, am I right?"
"Don't talk to me," Nooroo said timidly before floating back to Gabriel's side. Rexx shrugged and flew into Gabriel's jacket pocket himself.
Gabriel stepped into the elevator and rose silently into his office, contemplating the plan. Something still felt off about it. It would be his riskiest one to date, and it would only work if all parties fell for the bait. And Dragonus and his team didn't interfere.
Briefly, his mind wandered to Dragonus. The younger villain had offered him a way out, a way to revive Emilie without the need for Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculouses. Gabriel had no doubt Dragonus could've done it, but his actions might have burned that bridge.
Nathalie stepped into the atelier. "Sir, Amelie and Felix will be arriving in a half hour," she said. Gabriel nodded, then pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Nathalie… we can forgo this attempt. Think of a better plan," he said hesitantly. Nathalie's usually stoic expression was broken by her concern. "If there was a better option available to us, we would use it. But I can't see any better option," she replied. "You're not… worried, are you?"
Gabriel nodded. "I am. Because I remembered when Dragonus offered me a backup plan. He could've revived Emilie," he said with a sigh. "And I fear that even if the wish succeeds, he will find a way to claw his way back to me and take her away himself. As punishment for stealing the Dark Miraculouses."
"He's already punished our endeavors enough," Nathalie replied. "Between Drivereign and Scycilia and all the rest, he interfered in our plans… with an almost disturbing level of violence each time."
Gabriel seemed to chuckle. "It seems he's slipping. As if he hasn't quite gotten over losing two of his prized jewels. Have you informed Adrien of his cousin's visit?" he asked, changing the subject.
Nathalie nodded. "He asked if he could have a day out with Felix. I was tempted to say no. It could be problematic if he's there when the plan begins."
Gabriel turned away from her. "On the contrary. I do hate to put Adrien in harm's way, but the plan should pose no danger to him and will help us, in a way. If Adrien is seen threatened along with Felix, Amelie's reaction might be stronger and would, in turn, yield us a stronger villain. One that could turn our greatest enemy into the perfect weapon."
"Which one?" Nathalie asked. Gabriel smirked darkly. "If we're lucky, both. If not, she'll do just fine."
"Your cousin's in Paris again?" Marinette's image asked in disbelief on the video call.
Adrien nodded, then sighed. "I know what he's done, but I'm hoping I can help him change for the better. He lost his father not so long ago, and I think part of why he did what he did that day was lashing out at me and my father."
"Well… at least try to keep an eye on him, okay?" Marinette requested. "And if he gets caught up in another akuma battle, you or one of the boys has to get him out of there. I don't trust him."
Adrien hesitated a moment, then nodded. "That's more than fair. But for now, let's hope this weekend is akuma free… or at least won't get anywhere near here." Adrien glanced up at his clock, then back at his phone. "He'll be here any minute. Talk to you later, m'lady. Have fun with Alya!"
Marinette smiled warmly. "You too, kitty. Bye!" she replied, then hung up. Adrien plucked his phone from the speaker and slid it in his pocket, then leaned back in his computer chair.
Plagg floated over to him, a piece of Camembert in his paws. "You know, you don't have to take Felix out today," he said. "The cheese murderer doesn't deserve a good time."
Adrien sat up and cracked his knuckles. "Plagg, I want to try and see if I can make Felix at least attempt to apologize for what he did. Part of me wants to try and have him make some friends here," he replied.
Plagg huffed and ate his cheese in one bite. "First impressions can mean everything, Adrien," he said through his food. "I mean, remember how Pigtails nearly hated you over that stunt Chloé pulled… geez, how long ago was it? A year? More?"
"And now we're dating, Plagg," Adrien countered. "She got to know me and things worked themselves out, right? I know Felix isn't a complete and total jerk. He's just been hurt by the things that happened to him. Or the things that didn't happen."
"Another reason I should add to the list of why I should Cataclysm your father?" Plagg asked. Adrien sighed and rubbed his temples. "If you want, I guess. But you'll only get to do that if he does turn out to be Tyranno Moth… I still hate thinking about that."
"Hey, I know this hurts, Adrien," Plagg said softly. "One of my other holders had to deal with something similar. The Fox and Peacock had been stolen and Arthur had to deal with his half-sister who did the deed."
"That doesn't help much, Plagg," Adrien replied, standing up. "We should probably head downstairs and wait for Felix. And I'll be sure to keep your cheese safe," he promised as Plagg flew into his overshirt. As he stepped out of the room, Adrien nearly ran into his father.
"Felix and your aunt will be here soon," Gabriel said. "I was just coming to get you."
Adrien nodded, raising an eyebrow. "Why didn't Nathalie do it?"
Gabriel's face remained impassive, but his eyes widened slightly. "She's… taking care of some important business," he replied, and his tone implied he didn't want to elaborate. Adrien shrugged as Gabriel turned on his heel and made his way downstairs, Adrien on his heels.
The two stood in silence as they waited for the Graham de Vanilys to arrive, with Adrien glancing at his father out of the corner of his eye and Gabriel glancing back, and Adrien could swear his father was trying to find something on him.
"Why are you staring, Adrien?" Gabriel asked.
Adrien raised an eyebrow. "I'm refamiliarizing myself with your side profile, Father. I thought I saw a small discolored spot on your jacket," he replied. Just as he thought Gabriel was about to scold him for his snark, the front doors opened as the Gorilla wheeled in luggage for two and Amelie sashayed into the foyer.
"Gabriel!" she trilled, emphasizing each syllable. "It was so kind of you to invite us over for the weekend! And luckily when I had a break in my schedule as well. That new film is becoming quite the hassle and I was afraid my hair would turn gray."
"It was my… pleasure, Amelie," Gabriel replied, and from the way he spoke, Adrien could tell his father felt absolutely disgusted by the words. Then he caught a glimpse of movement. Felix walked purposefully into the foyer, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Adrien, Uncle," he said curtly.
Adrien forced a smile on his face. "Good to see you again, Felix. Isn't that right, Father?"
Gabriel set a glare on Felix. "Yes… it is. Now, I understand you two wish to go out for a little while. Before you go, I wish to speak to Felix. Alone," he said as he turned and walked towards his office.
Felix shrugged. "I don't see why not," he replied, then turned to Adrien. "Don't wait up."
When Felix entered the office, Gabriel closed the door behind him and turned on the boy. "Why did you take my ring?" he asked firmly, a thin veneer of calm under a sea of aggression.
Felix chuckled once. "Call it a gift for my mother, call it a cheap thrill, I really don't care. I was planning on giving it back, but if I can keep it…"
"Returning it?" Gabriel asked. "Wouldn't that upset your mother? And the rest of your family?"
Felix gave his uncle a dark smirk. "Well, they seem more upset with you than anything. And they won't know anyway. I had a copy made." True to his words, he produced a copy of the ring from his pocket, then pulled off the ring on his finger and placed it in Gabriel's palm before slipping the fake one on his own hand. "Now, will you get off my back about this?"
Gabriel stared at the ring in his palm for a minute, then nodded. "Yes… I will. Thank you, Felix, for being so cooperative. You may go," he replied. Felix smirked and turned, leaving the room and joining his cousin. The sound of the door closing broke the silence of the atelier as Gabriel stood, contemplating his next move.
His mind made up, he pressed the buttons on Emilie's painting and stepped onto the elevator, traveling to his lair. Nathalie was already waiting there, tablet in her hands.
"Felix overestimates himself," Gabriel growled as he took out the ring his nephew gave him. "I've memorized every inch of both of our rings. I could identify them among a thousand others. He tried to trick me!" With an enraged roar, he threw the ring with all his strength, embedding it into the wall of the lair.
"And for his insolence, he will pay the price," Nathalie promised.
Gabriel exhaled angrily, then nodded. "Yes. Nooroo, Rexx, unify!" The two-toned purple suit of Tyranno Moth enveloped his body, an aura of still-present rage around him.
"Duusu, Spread my Feathers!" Nathalie commanded, transforming into Mayura for the first time in weeks. Scrrug, who was floating beside her with his Dark Miraculous in his paws, clicked his mandibles in what could be considered an amazed whistle. "Didn't think I'd see that suit again," he commented. Mayura cast an unamused glare in Scrrug's direction.
"Are you ready, Mayura?" Tyranno Moth asked as a butterfly fluttered into his palm.
Mayura nodded, clutching her fan. "So many have kept you from your dreams for too long. It's time we struck back," she reaffirmed. A ghost of a sinister smile tugged at the edges of Tyranno Moth's mouth as he released the akuma and let it flutter into Mayura's fan.
"Megayura, I grant you the power to create as many sentimonsters as you desire," Tyranno Moth intoned. Mayura closed her eyes as the transformation washed over her in dark purple ether. When it cleared, Megayura looked functionally the same as her previous self, save for purple stripes under her eyes and an open peacock tail spread across her back.
Megayura flashed a dark smile as she plucked six feathers from her now-blackened fan and corrupted them with her power. Then she infused them into her tablet.
"Arise, Senti-Darks," Megayura commanded, thrusting her hand out. Six clouds of purple-flecked ether formed in front of her, which then shaped themselves into the images of the ones they were meant to frame.
"Dragonus, Alphaux, Crocdown, Iapallidus, Skinker, Maladea, I am Megayura," the villainess intoned. "You were created with the exact same powers as the Darks, created to instill fear in Amelie Graham de Vanily, to make her vulnerable to our powers. Go find Felix and torment him, but make sure you don't draw a crowd. The real Darks must not see this until it's too late for them. Understood?"
"Understood," the six droned as the Dragonus sentimonster opened a portal out of the lair. Tyranno Moth turned to Megayura once the portal closed.
"It won't be long now before Ladybug arrives to meet her doom," he said with a smirk. Megayura smirked back. "It doesn't matter how many heroes she has on standby, either. They'll still lose."
At the Darks' warehouse lair, Lila stepped into Andrew's office quietly and watched her boyfriend silently. He was in his Dragonus suit, twirling his sword absentmindedly, staring at the wall on his immediate left. Lila smiled, then walked over to the desk and leaned forward, her elbows touching the mahogany.
"Whatcha doin'?" she asked teasingly. Dragonus seemed to jump slightly before he saw Lila. "Oh. It's just you," he said, relief flooding his voice.
Lila raised an eyebrow. "Of course it's me. I'm the only other person here," she replied, confused. "So, what were you doing?"
Dragonus shook his head. "Nothing, really. Just thinking. Memories and regrets, you know?" he said, setting down his sword. "Do you need anything?"
Lila smiled as she leaned against the edge of the desk and swung her legs around so she faced him. "Well, a little attention would be fun. Ever since your dad got akumatized, you've been eerily quiet. And the others aren't any fun, either. You all have been really distant."
"Y'all," Dragonus found himself saying impulsively. Then he sighed. "Dad getting akumatized brought back a couple bad memories. For me and the guys. It's just something we aren't keen to talk about. But you're right. I should probably get some fresh air."
Lila smiled sweetly and reached to the sides of Dragonus's helmet, undoing the latches and taking off his head, revealing his dark brown hair and golden eyes under the golden scaled mask. "Good. I was thinking ice cream, maybe? Andre should be somewhere around the Eiffel Tower," she suggested.
Dragonus smiled back. "Sounds perfect, my dark princess," he replied.
Lila rolled her eyes playfully and kissed him full on the lips. "Alright, then. You might want to get out of that chair before it becomes a permanent part of your transformation."
"Good idea," Dragonus replied before kissing her back. A moment later, he opened a portal out of the office and let Lila step through before leaving himself. "Dragon Down," he commanded, golden lightning crackling down his body. Andrew extended his elbow to Lila. "Shall we?"
"We shall," Lila replied with a smile as she took it gently.
The portal had deposited them in an alley not too far from the Eiffel Tower, giving them a perfect view of the structure as they walked towards it. Andrew smiled to himself in amusement. "You know, I'd always seen pictures of the Tower online, but if you told my thirteen year old self that I'd be able to see it with my own eyes, I would have laughed," he said.
Lila giggled a little. "What if someone had told you you'd be a supervillain?" she asked.
Andrew shrugged. "Probably wouldn't have believed it… oh, the irony," he sighed, then chuckled mirthlessly. "I had been told that once. I didn't believe it then. But now…"
Lila reached up and patted his shoulder comfortingly. "We just need to clear your head and you'll be fighting fit again. But before that…" she pointed at the portly ice cream vendor cycling up and down Trocadero.
"Is this our first time getting ice cream from Andre?" Andrew asked. Lila smiled and playfully tapped him on the nose. "For you it is. I've been once or twice before. C'mon, before he gets away."
The two picked up their pace, finally catching up with Andre. "Ah, little Ms. Rossi!" he greeted Lila warmly. "And you've brought a special someone, I see?"
Lila laughed a little. "You're so sweet, Andre! So, what's today's concoction?"
"Hmm, let's see. I'd have to say… tea and lime! A hard to find combination that blends two flavors perfectly if you like a little zest. Eat this and your stories will always be the best," Andre said in his sing-song voice as he scooped the two flavors and handed the cone to Lila. "Enjoy!" he called as he cycled away.
"I didn't even get to order," Andrew said, confusion plain across his face. Lila suppressed a laugh.
"I guess I should have mentioned that. He's called the Sweethearts' Ice Cream Maker because of his seemingly magic ability to pair flavors for couples. And best of all, it's free," she explained.
Andrew's eyes lit up when he heard the last word. "Ooh, I like free stuff."
"Want the first bite, then?" Lila offered. Andrew nodded, taking one of the spoons and scooping himself a bite before eating it tenderly. His eyes lit up again. "Wow. That's… really good. The lime has just enough zest in it to temper the otherwise dominating taste of the tea. I didn't even know tea ice cream was a thing!"
Lila smiled as she took a bite herself, letting the ice cream melt in her mouth. "You're right. That really is good. What kind of tea do you think it is?" she asked.
Andrew took another bite, letting it rest on his tongue as he tried to discern the flavor. "It might be Earl Grey. Maybe English Breakfast if I had to make a quick guess. It tastes mostly like sweet tea anyway."
Lila nodded as she took another bite. Then a flash of gold caught her eye.
"What's that?" she asked warily, pointing towards the Eiffel Tower. Andrew spun around in surprise, nearly knocking the ice cream over. He narrowed his eyes as he inspected the golden figure in the distance. Then they widened to the size of saucers. "No. He didn't. He couldn't."
"What is it?" Lila asked urgently.
Andrew growled lightly to himself, then muttered a curse under his breath. "A certain thief has powered up his birdie for a sentimonster fiesta. Probably going to frame us for something, no doubt."
"Finish this quickly and then check it out?"
"Yeah. I want the cone, though."
"You can have half of it, I want some, too."
"Deal," Andrew said as he scooped a rather large spoonful and shoved it into his mouth. Lila shrugged and quickly took a few bites. A minute later, the ice cream was gone and the two slipped off to a secluded alley to transform. Dragonus and Maladea leapt up to the Trocadero rooftops, Dragonus scanning the horizon for the sentimonster doppelgangers.
"There," he said, pointing at the six moving from their perch on the Tower. Maladea narrowed her eyes, trying to spot the sentimonsters as they moved.
"How were you even able to see them in the first place?" she asked. "I can barely see your clone."
"Mostly due to doing archery for so long. Didn't I tell you I once hit a nailhead with an arrow from sixty yards away?"
"You said you were aiming for the center."
"I still hit it," Dragonus replied. "Either way, let's scout it out before we go in with the weapons out. Race you there- oh, god, brain freeze!" Dragonus fell forward, clutching his forehead. Maladea sighed in exasperation.
"You know, I do feel bad for you, but you ate your entire half in ten seconds. You kinda deserve that," she said. Dragonus weakly gave her a thumbs up. "Fair enough. Just gimme a minute."
"So… what've you been up to while I was back home?" Felix asked as he gazed out the window.
Adrien glanced at his cousin before staring straight again. "Nothing much, really. School, modeling, fencing-"
"Doing everything by Uncle's schedules," Felix interrupted. "Come on, Adrien, don't you want to try to have a little fun in life?"
"I do," Adrien replied. Felix chuckled, clearly unconvinced. "Like what?"
"Well, school is fun, I get to see all my friends."
"You mean the ones so easily duped and Chloé? Are they really friends or just people you project friendship on?"
"What!? No!" Adrien snapped. "You and I both know that was your fault. You got them akumatized!"
"Oh, tell me about that," Felix said, changing the subject. "How many akumas are there on average? One a day or more? How are they affecting life around here?"
"Why do you care?" Adrien asked. Felix shrugged. "Curiosity kills the cat, I guess. You were always curious. What happened to that?"
"You weren't always a jerk who tried to ruin my friendships," Adrien retorted.
Felix sighed. "I thought I apologized for that," he replied, twisting his ring finger. "Now, is there anything else of interest that I should know about?"
Adrien sat silent for a moment, thinking to himself, debating if he should answer. Then he sighed. "I got a girlfriend."
The sheer look of disbelief on Felix's face almost made him laugh. But his humor died quickly when he heard six pairs of feet thump on the roof of the car. And he grunted in annoyance to himself that he couldn't get away when the masked faces of Iapallidus and Skinker leaned in front of the windshield and gestured for the Gorilla to pull over.
The hulking bodyguard reluctantly obliged, pulling over to the side. Just as the Gorilla was about to get out and fight off the Darks, Alphaux and Crocdown pulled him away and shoved him in a dumpster. Skinker and Iapallidus opened the car doors in unison and yanked out Adrien and Felix. Finally, Dragonus and Maladea stood by the car, the draconian with his arms crossed and the villainess with one hip popped out and her hand resting on it.
"Well, well," Dragonus said, grabbing his sword and twirling it dangerously close to Felix. "What do we have here? Sunshine child's secret twin? Or a pretender to his throne?"
"Don't mind my opinion, Dragonus, but I think he's kinda cute," Maladea commented as she stalked over to Felix and ran a clawed finger down the side of his face. Felix automatically slapped the villainess's hand away. Maladea growled angrily, reaching for the knives on her sides.
"Why are you even here?" Adrien demanded, clenching his fists. He wanted to run and transform, despite the threat he knew it would pose to Felix. "You guys have never attacked civilians before. Why now?"
Dragonus tutted disapprovingly at Adrien as he checked the claws of his free hand. "I thought we could expand our horizons. Since Hawk Moth and Mayura finally took a risk - for once - we've decided to crack down, make ourselves legitimate threats, not thought of as jokes," he explained.
"Who thought of you as a joke?"
"You hear whispers on the street, golden boy. Whispers become louder until they either become a societal fact or a complete joke."
"He does have a point," Felix interjected.
Dragonus nodded and gestured appreciatively. "Exactly! So now we have to make a point. Terribly sorry about this… no, not really." With a snarl, he lashed his free hand out at Felix, preparing to slash his face with his claws.
Three things happened in unison. Felix dodged Dragonus's attack, sending the villain stumbling. The Gorilla managed to burst out of the dumpster and swing at the other four male Darks, making them jump back. And a red-and-black yoyo appeared out of nowhere and wrapped itself around both Adrien and Felix's torsos and pulled them back to the safety of the car.
Ladybug dropped down, twirling her yoyo into a shield as she stood in front of the two boys. "You both okay?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder.
Adrien nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Ladybug! I'm sure Cat Noir will be here soon!"
"Right now, my priority is getting you two out of here," Ladybug said tersely as she whipped her yoyo towards the Gorilla and pulled him to the car, nearly throwing him over it in her haste.
All of this was already strange enough for Adrien, and Ladybug shoving the Gorilla into the car made him more suspicious. She was never so rough when she was saving people. Then his eyes met hers, green intermingling with blue. He expected them to soften a little, like they always did when their gazes met. They didn't change at all.
"Go! I'll hold them off!" Ladybug ordered before turning to face the Darks. Adrien sighed, but scrambled into the car with Felix, slamming the doors behind them. The Gorilla floored the car, sending it screaming forward as the six Darks moved in on Ladybug.
"She's going to get herself killed," Felix muttered. His tone and expression clued Adrien into the fact that he was slightly shaken up about the encounter. Adrien shrugged, glancing out the window.
"I wouldn't count her out just yet. She's got a lot of fight in her," he said passingly. But that wasn't Ladybug, he thought. The only question is who was it? Or rather, who was responsible?
"How was the performance?" Megayura asked. Tyranno Moth nodded slowly, surveying the sentimonsters in front of him. After she had sent the senti-Darks out, Megayura created two more sentimonsters; one of Ladybug, the other resembling the girl who ran the Ladyblog and Ladybug entrusted to become Rena Rouge.
"Sentialya, did the recording get emailed?" Megayura questioned. The sentimonster nodded, holding up the phone she'd been given. "All taken care of, mistress. They should be putting up any minute now," Sentialya replied.
Megayura smirked, then turned to the Dragonus sentimonster. "And you're all sure you weren't followed and the aftermath wasn't spotted?" she asked.
Sentidragonus nodded. "Not a soul around to spot us. The bodyguard was already driving the targets away and had turned a corner."
"Good," Megayura congratulated, then snapped her fingers. "I release you all from your existence." Eight feathers floated out of her fan as the sentimonsters dissipated, the phone Sentialya had been given falling to the ground and cracking.
Megayura glanced over at Tyranno Moth. "You might want to free up an akuma. Amelie is bound to see the video at some point."
Tyranno Moth nodded and snapped his fingers, releasing the akuma. "Thank you, Nathalie. I'm not sure how I'd pull this - any of this - off without you." The akuma fluttered onto his fingers as he closed his eyes and focused, opening his mind.
"You might want to wait," Mayura advised. "It will take a moment for the news to broadcast this… development. Besides, Felix and Adrien should be safely within the house before you akumatize Amelie. At least she won't get distracted from her mission by trying to find them."
Tyranno Moth sighed and broke his focus. "You're right, of course… Have we considered the possibility of failure?" he asked.
Mayura blinked in surprise. "Her power should-"
"I don't worry about Ladybug not falling. It's Dragonus," Tyranno Moth clarified. "There's something about him I can't quite figure out. Every time we've created mind control villains since he first showed up, he's been resistant to them. Remember when he took a servitude blast to the face from Verity Queen?"
"And proceeded to not only shrug it off but completely decimate her army while trapping her in illusions?" Mayura finished, then shuddered. "His wrath is like a force of nature. But we shouldn't worry. Not even he will be capable of shrugging this off."
"I hope you're right, Mayura," Tyranno Moth whispered.
"What in the world was that about?!" Felix yelled as the car sped its way back to the Agreste mansion.
Adrien shrugged. "I'm just as confused as you are. Dragonus doesn't care what the public thinks about him. At least, that's what I heard," he added hurriedly. Felix raised an eyebrow and nodded.
"I know what you mean," he said slowly, a small smirk on his face. "You know, cuz, I think I've figured it out."
"What?" Adrien asked, a drop of sweat rolling down the side of his face.
Felix's smirk grew. "You know how Ladybug acts. You know how Dragonus acts. I saw the way you looked at her. There are two explanations here, but only one of them makes sense. You are a superhero…'s boyfriend."
Adrien sighed, relieved. "Uh, yeah! That's all it is! She just swooped in and saved me one day, and it turned out she always had a crush on me and that's how it started! Yeah, no other way," he rambled. Adrien could feel Plagg giving him the evil eye from his jacket.
Felix chuckled. "Well, I gotta hand it to you, Adrien. You've got yourself one protective girlfriend."
Adrien gave him a pained smile back. "Yeah… I am."
The two sat in silence as the car drove into the gates of the mansion. As the two boys and the Gorilla piled out of the car, Amelie burst out of the front doors and nearly threw herself towards Felix in a panic, checking him for any injuries.
"I'm fine, Mom, really," Felix reassured. "Ladybug swooped in to save us before the supervillains could do anything."
Amelie huffed. "Those villains still need to be gotten rid of. Come on, let's get you both inside before anything else happens," she said, lightly grabbing both boys' hands and leading them inside.
"How did you find out about the attack?" Adrien asked, glancing around. He already had his doubts about the true natures of the supervillains and the Ladybug who saved them. If an akuma were to flutter in, that would only prove it.
"The news," Amelie replied as she began pacing anxiously. "They had gotten a video from an anonymous source showing what happened. And that… witch of a villainess tried to corrupt my son!" she nearly yelled, working herself into a fury. Which Adrien realized was exactly what was supposed to happen.
"Aunt Amelie, please, try to calm down!" Adrien said frantically, grabbing her arm. But it was too little, too late, as an akuma fluttered through the crack in the door and infected her phone. The jagged butterfly outline appeared on her face as Adrien stepped back in shock.
"Green-Eyed Wasp, I am Tyranno Moth. Your son and nephew were attacked by ruthless supervillains. Supervillains who were beaten back by Ladybug. Wouldn't it be perfect if she, or a whole army like her, was dedicated to protecting your son and nephew? I'm giving you the power to bring her and anyone else with the power of creation flowing through their veins under your complete control. In return, once all threats to your son and nephew are eliminated, I want Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculouses. Do we have a deal?"
"Amelie, don't do it!" Adrien yelled. "Tyranno Moth's a worse threat than anything you can imagine! Don't let him control you!"
"I promise, once the Miraculouses are safely in my possession, no one will have to suffer again," Tyranno Moth whispered in Amelie's ear.
Amelie's gaze hardened. "I know a good deal when I hear it. Give me the power, Tyranno Moth!" she declared, spreading her arms out wide.
When the dark smoke cleared, her skin had turned a sickly gray. A black bodysuit replaced her regular clothes, mussel-brown armor covering her torso and arms. Her hair had turned the same color to her armor. Her midsection had thinned out considerably, becoming almost like a stalk and making the top and bottom halves of her body look bulbous. Thigh-high black leather boots with yellow stripes replaced her high heels. Translucent yellow wasp wings extended from her shoulder blades. Her phone had transformed into a large, barbed stinger mounted on her arm, seven barbs sticking out of the front.
Her eyes turned pure green. No whites, no irises, no pupils, just solid green orbs embedded in her eye sockets. Those green orbs bore no recognizable emotion when Green-Eyed Wasp turned with a jerk and smiled. "Felix. Adrien. You don't need to worry about Dragonus or anyone hurting you ever again."
"Mom?" Felix asked, fear creeping into his voice.
The villainess shook her head, but the smile didn't leave her face. "Close, Felix, very close. I am Green-Eyed Wasp. And I'm going to get Ladybug to eliminate all threats to your well-being. And yours, Adrien, don't you worry. Now, you two go upstairs to Adrien's room while I go find her and… convince her to help in my crusade."
"She's not going to help you, Aunt Amelie!" Adrien yelled. "You're… akumatized! You're a threat now! Just stay put and let Ladybug and Cat Noir save you."
Green-Eyed Wasp laughed. "Adrien, Adrien," she said, a patronizing tone in her voice. "Ladybug and Cat Noir shouldn't save me from being a protective mother. They don't need to. Now, go to your room while I get your new - and arguably better - bodyguard." With that, Green-Eyed Wasp opened the front doors, spread her wings and launched herself into the air.
Quickly, Adrien raced up the stairs towards his room, moving faster and more urgently than he ever had before. Felix glanced up at him quizzically. "And what are you going to do?" the other boy demanded.
"Uh… take a shower?" Adrien offered lamely. He could see Felix's eyebrow raise in disbelief. "It's the model in me! It helps relieve some of the stress!" With that, he rushed into his room and slammed the door. Plagg floated out of his jacket, a look of pure concern on his face.
"You should warn Pigtails ASAP," he suggested, handing Adrien his phone. "It's only been a matter of time before Tyranno Moth tried something like that."
Adrien regarded his kwami with a confused look as he dialed Marinette's number. "Huh? Why?"
Plagg shuddered. "Despite her almost godlike ability to avoid mind control, your Bugaboo was always more of a target than you were. At least, if any of Sugarcube's past holders were any indication. Past Ladybugs got magically controlled, hypnotized, turned against their comrades… for Camembert's sake, even a few Miraculouses posed threats! Nooroo's, Rexx's, Blobbo's before he got broken, a couple other Darks, Meeke's… you know, now that I think about it, there are a lot of mind-controlling Miraculouses."
Plagg's words jumbled into a ramble as Adrien waited with bated breath for Marinette to pick up. When he heard the click on the other end as her phone connected, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Adrien?" Marinette asked. "What is it?"
"Yeah… so, I think you saw the news," Adrien began. Marinette nodded. "Yeah. It seems like Mayura's made Sentibug again. Are you and Felix okay?"
"About that…" Adrien said at length. "I think all of the ones there that weren't me or Felix were sentimonsters. And maybe the one who recorded it, too."
"What?! But that's impossible!"
"We'll deal with that later! Either way, my aunt got akumatized because she was worried about me and Felix, and now she's a wasp villain with mind control powers looking for you! Or, well, Ladybug, but it's still you! Where are you, by the way?"
"The Louvre, with Alya and Alix, remember?"
"Now I do. Just stay put, I'll come to you," Adrien said. "Maybe see if I can slow my aunt down. Or sic the Darks on her, if worse comes to worst."
"Okay. See you in a minute," Marinette replied.
Adrien nodded. "Alright. Stay safe, Bugaboo." He quickly hung up, then ran into the shower. "Just a little extra insurance," he said to Plagg as he turned the water on.
Plagg gave him an unimpressed glance. "And what will you do when the timer your father set on the water turns it off?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Adrien replied. "Plagg, Claws Out!" As soon as the flash of green light faded, Cat Noir leapt out of the window and raced towards the Louvre.
"Where'd they go?" Dragonus muttered. As soon as he recovered from his brain freeze, he and Maladea started flying over Paris, searching for their sentimonster duplicates. Maladea shrugged. "Maybe they got… how would you describe it, destroyed? Erased?" she suggested.
Dragonus shook his head, then swooped down and landed on the Arc de Triomphe. "Maybe. Either way, I don't think that was the end of it. Do you smell that?"
Maladea touched down next to Dragonus and sniffed the air. Her transformation granted her an enhanced sense of smell, but even she couldn't tell the difference between the regular Paris air and any scent Dragonus might have picked up. "What is it?"
Dragonus took a long drag of the air, then exhaled. "Like… wet paper. And…" he growled in disgust. "Bug scents."
"Bad memories with those?"
"Very. I'd suspect a wasp villain. A new one, not Chloé. Who it is, though, I can't quite tell."
"Wouldn't you have gotten a ping from the power you absorbed from Hawk Moth?" Maladea asked.
Dragonus nodded. "I would've, but my head was throbbing for so long. I probably couldn't tell. Either way, follow me. I've already let the guys know we're after another one of Tyranno Moth's villains… and a sentimonster. Looks like that wasn't the only one," Dragonus groaned.
"How could you tell?" Maladea asked.
Dragonus tapped the side of his nose. "Cloves. The scent of the Peacock Miraculous's power. It becomes especially strong when an amok is out."
"Well, one sentimonster, six sentimonsters, it doesn't matter. We'll still crush them," Maladea said.
Dragonus nodded, smiling lightly. "Even though I can't see your face, I can tell you've got the most adorable glint in your eye when you talk like that. C'mon, let's go get the guys. We might get first dibs on the villain." With that, the two spread their wings and launched themselves into the air.
"You'll need to draw the superheroes out, Green-Eyed Wasp," Tyranno Moth whispered in her ear.
The villainess nodded, then landed by the nearest landmark. "Will the Louvre Pyramid do?" she asked. Tyranno Moth smirked on the other end. "Yesss, it will be perfect. And Fowl Scorpia has already sent an ally your way."
An amok floated gently from the sky and infused itself into Green-Eyed Wasp's stinger weapon. A dark blue cloud of smoke materialized in front of her and began to shape into a human form, clad in a red-and-black spotted suit and mask, her dark hair shining in the early afternoon light. Green-Eyed Wasp could sense something was off with this being in front of her, though. She registered Tyranno Moth prattling on about it being an obedient sentimonster for her to command, but the creature in front of her seemed skittish. It acted like a real person.
But she could sense the power of creation flowing through it. This was a Ladybug, Tyranno Moth was telling her. And she could control it. A dark smirk crossed her face as she jabbed her stinger right into the sentimonster's midsection and injected her toxins. The Ladybug sentimonster had been terrified before she was stung. Then her bluebell eyes clouded over, becoming just like Green-Eyed Wasp's eyes. Sentibug relaxed, staring blankly ahead of her.
"What is your command?" Sentibug asked, her voice a monotone.
Green-Eyed Wasp smirked. "Use your power. Destroy the Pyramid," she ordered. Sentibug turned towards the glass pyramid.
"Senti Charm," she said blankly, materializing a massive wrecking ball on a chain. Effortlessly picking it up, she swung it into the Pyramid, shattering the structure and sending glass and metal flying as civilians in the museum screamed and ran.
Green-Eyed Wasp opened the mental link again. "Would that get the heroes' attention, Tyranno Moth?" she asked teasingly. Tyranno Moth smirked darkly. "Yesss. I believe it will."
"Keep smashing things, Sentibug," Green-Eyed Wasp ordered. "Let's get them together quickly."
Cat Noir leapt over another set of chimneys, following what he believed was Green-Eyed Wasp's trail. His mind played several different scenarios for the fight ahead at once, most of them involving Ladybug falling under Green-Eyed Wasp's control. He didn't want to dwell on the idea, but it stayed with him. He quickly shook some of the fear from his mind. Ladybug won't let herself get stung, he found himself whispering under his breath.
The sound of a pair of feet landing next to him nearly made the cat hero stumble off the rooftops. Quickly regaining his balance, he saw Carapace out of the corner of his eye. "Nino? What're you doing here?"
Carapace rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I was just out for a walk - in the suit - when some kids dared me to try and bounce my shield off of a few light poles. Long story short, I had made it up to thirty when I heard this buzzing overhead and saw a giant wasp lady flying over me towards the Louvre. I thought it was a villain, so I followed her and saw her land. That's when I went out to find you and the others."
"Alya and Marinette are already there," Cat Noir said as he changed course towards the Louvre. "And this villain is my aunt. She got akumatized because the Darks - or people she thought were the Darks - tried to jump me and my cousin a little while ago."
"The Darks wouldn't do that, though. Would they?"
"No. I think Tyranno Moth's been doing some serious manipulating. Did you hear from Alya at all?"
"No, but I'm guessing I should've?"
"Maybe. I warned Marinette about Green-Eyed Wasp, though. Maybe they were just trying to get out of there."
Carapace frowned slightly, understanding his friend's fears. "This Green-Eyed Wasp dudette doesn't have any reason to suspect Marinette of being Ladybug, Adrien," he said calmly. "Let's just get over there and see if we can stop her and give Ladybug an opening to capture the akuma without her getting stung."
Cat Noir nodded slightly as he ran. The two made the rest of the journey in silence, only for the artificial tranquility to be broken by the sound of their gasps.
The pyramid was shattered. Twisted metal bent inwards from a large impact crater on the side. Glass fragments had been thrown everywhere. Green-Eyed Wasp stood watching, hands on her hips, a triumphant smirk on her face. And Ladybug held a massive wrecking flail that was easily twice her size, pounding the weapon against the remains of the building. It was clear what happened.
Cat Noir's heart sank in despair. "No no no no," he muttered, sinking to his knees. He felt nauseous. A wave of terror enveloped him. Then he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder. He glanced to the side, and to his own shock, saw Ladybug standing there, gazing at him softly.
"You okay, kitty?" she asked.
Cat Noir stumbled back a little. "Wait. If there's one there, and one here… tell me something only the real Ladybug would know. I need to make sure. Just in case you're a sentimonster."
Carapace glanced at him weirdly, but Ladybug nodded. "Okay… I took a strand of your hair one day at the Grevin Wax Museum when I thought you were a statue, and I tried to kiss you there, too, and -"
"Okay, you're the real deal," Cat Noir interjected before he remembered the rest of that day. "Which means Green-Eyed Wasp has a Ladybug sentimonster that she's either regularly controlling or controlling with her power."
"Where's Alya?" Carapace asked quickly.
Ladybug glanced over to Carapace. "She's helping Alix evacuate another part of the museum, then she'll transform and come help here. But until then…" Ladybug pulled out her yoyo and quickly thumbed a message to the rest of the permanent holders. "We're going to need all the help we can get."
Cat Noir stood and drew his staff, ready to leap down into the fray. Ladybug caught his arm. "Cat, I know you're worried about this," she began slowly. Cat Noir nodded.
"I am. I really am," he replied. "Not just for my aunt, but you. If you got stung, that would be it. Tyranno Moth would win. We - I don't want to leave anything to chance."
"And we won't," Ladybug said gently, taking his hands in her left and cupping his cheek with her right. "We'll have plenty of backup and the right powers to keep us safe. I won't let anyone break us apart," she promised, pushing herself on her toes and kissing him.
Cat Noir pulled her into a hug and kissed her back. "I love you, little bug."
"I love you, too."
"Aww, it's so sweet!" a high pitched voice nearly squealed. Ladybug and Cat Noir turned to see their teammates, Pigella bouncing happily as she clapped her hands.
Rena Rouge slid over to Ladybug. "So, what's the situation?"
Quickly, Ladybug explained what Green-Eyed Wasp was and what her powers were. "We just need to make sure I don't get stung. I don't know if her powers will work on you guys, but avoid her stinger just to be safe. Since we don't have Viperion, we're going to need to make sure we only need one try to do this. Cat, you'll destroy her weapon. Carapace, I'll need you to protect me. Rena, I'll need an illusion. Vesperia, you're going to sting Green-Eyed Wasp when she's disoriented. Everyone else, you're on attack duty. Put pressure on her and her sentimonster so she can't try and get me. Got it?"
The eight heroes nodded, then froze as a blood-curdling howl pierced the air, the sound filling them all with primal terror. The heroes turned to see dozens of wolf clones surrounding the rest of the Louvre, forming a loose perimeter around Green-Eyed Wasp as the Darks showed themselves on their perch on the palace.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" Dragonus began, crossing his arms. "I imagine this is the result of Flutterby and Big Bird's imitation gambit?"
Green-Eyed Wasp whirled towards the Darks. "You!" she screeched. "You attacked my son and my nephew! Now you'll pay for your crimes!"
"Yeah, not likely, Buzz Lady," Skinker replied. "Dragonus and Maladea weren't anywhere near the supposed attack site, and the rest of us were… doing recon! Yeah, that's what it was!"
"We were pandering to your idea to sneak into the zoo in beast mode and see how many people we could scare," Iapallidus muttered. Skinker roughly elbowed his twin. "Don't tell them that!"
Tyranno Moth's light mask formed over Green-Eyed Wasp's face. "Dragonus absorbed the power of creation from Ladybug! He's vulnerable to your control! Sting him, then use him and your sentimonster to subdue Ladybug!" he ordered.
Green-Eyed Wasp nodded. "You'll join the ranks of my servants, Dragonus!" she yelled, charging up her stinger.
Dragonus scoffed. "If I had a nickel for every time a villain said they could take control of me, I'd be able to buy out Amazon." He cracked his knuckles and drew his sword. "Time to send a message, guys. And maybe it's finally time to get our stolen Dark Miraculouses back. Darks, attack!" On Dragonus's order, the other five Darks drew their weapons and leapt off of their perch, Alphaux commanding his wolves to charge.
Green-Eyed Wasp grinned. "Sentibug, take out the wolves, then find Ladybug. I'll deal with them," she said as her wings launched her into the air with a buzz. Sentibug calmly disengaged her attack on the Pyramid and faced the wolf clones charging her.
Ladybug emerged from her hiding place, surveying the situation. "Okay. New plan. Keep the Darks from turning Green-Eyed Wasp into bug paste while not being put under her control. And try not to get mauled by wolves. Got it?"
The other eight heroes nodded, and Cat Noir lightly took Ladybug's hand. "Just be careful, bugaboo," he said gently.
Ladybug nodded. "I promise, kitty." With that, the nine heroes jumped into the battle.
Almost immediately, two dozen wolves broke off their assault on Sentibug to attack the heroes. Minotaurox and Carapace beat back half of the wolves with their weapons while Pigella and Purple Tigress stood back to back, punching wolves and banging them over the head with the tambourine as the other heroes started to move forward.
"They don't seem nearly as strong this time!" Carapace yelled as he bounced his shield off a clone's necklace, instantly destroying it. "There's just a lot of them!"
Ladybug nodded. "Alphaux's power creates a lot of them, but that's the only real strength they have right now! Shatter their necklaces!" she ordered, her yoyo breaking half a dozen with one lash. The others obliged, quickly thinning out the pack as the clones' pendants were broken.
Ladybug's glance strayed to the sentimonster version of her battling Alphaux's clones with efficient ruthlessness, the giant flail she was using flattening wolves and shattering pendants with every strike. A few wolves attempted to shapeshift to their beast modes - Ladybug didn't even know they could do that - but Sentibug's attacks kept them from getting too close.
At last, the pack was defeated. Then Sentibug turned to the heroes and let her flail dissipate in a puff of sparkles. "The wolves have been defeated," she said, her voice a blank monotone that accentuated the emotionless look on her face. "And I have found Ladybug." The sentimonster drew her yoyo and lashed out at the heroes, intent on snagging Ladybug.
Ladybug jumped to the side, giving Purple Tigress and Pigella to leap forward.
"Gift!" Pigella cried when she was right in front of the sentimonster, the spectral pink present forming in front of Sentibug. She quickly opened it, revealing a rose-tinted image of Sentibug fighting alongside the heroes.
"You want to do good, I can feel it," Pigella urged. "Try and resist your controller, and you'll be free of this need for evil."
Sentibug shrugged and lashed out with her yoyo, forcing Pigella to jump back and giving Purple Tigress an opening to strike with her bolas, only for Sentibug to leap back and summon a giant bat with Senti Charm, then swat the two girls back.
"She gets how many uses out of that thing?!" Rena Rouge yelled in disbelief.
Ladybug nodded grimly as she made another plan. "Polymouse, use Multitude and try to distract her. Minotaurox, use Brawn and launch Purple Tigress into the air for a Clout. We need to stop the sentimonster before we can get to Green-Eyed Wasp."
"On it! Multitude!" Polymouse cried, shrinking down and duplicating herself into several dozen copies before charging Sentibug and crawling up her legs and whipping the sentimonster's feet with her jump rope. Just as Sentibug was about to smack away the tiny clones, Minotaurox called on his power, launching Purple Tigress into the air as she called on her Clout. The power gathered in her clawed hand as she dove back to Earth, finally slamming into the Senti Charm, disintegrating it and driving Sentibug into a massive crater while giving the Polymouse clones an opportunity to leap away.
"That should keep her down for a while," Ladybug muttered as she turned to the other heroes. "Now for Green-Eyed Wasp. Cat, Rena, Carapace, Vesperia, you know what to do. The rest of you, go recharge quickly, then come back and see if you can keep the Darks occupied," she said.
The others nodded quickly as the other four leapt off to secluded corners while Ladybug, Cat Noir, Rena Rouge, Carapace, and Vesperia turned towards Green-Eyed Wasp and her fight with the Darks.
"Well, keep Dragonus and Maladea occupied, at least," Cat Noir commented. The others shrugged in agreement. Dragonus and Maladea were the only ones who could fight Green-Eyed Wasp in the air, with the other Darks trying to leap up to the fight.
"I'm really getting annoyed now!" Crocdown growled as he fumbled into one of his suit's pockets. Then he pulled out a purplish piece of jerky before quickly opening his helmet up and popping it into his mouth.
"Power up!" Crocdown's flight suit materialized in a flash of green light, then he fired his jets and launched himself into the air. The other three Darks shrugged and followed suit, gaining the jet wings and engines of their flight modes as they leapt into the air and joined the fray.
"They have flight modes, too?!" Cat Noir asked in disbelief. Rena Rouge gawked. "When do we get those?!"
"I've been meaning to get to that, but magic potions take longer to make than your average macaroon!" Ladybug replied as she twirled her yoyo. "Okay. Vesperia, be ready to use Venom. Cat Noir, launch Vesperia up to Green-Eyed Wasp. Carapace, try and distract Green-Eyed Wasp so Green-Eyed Wasp so Vesperia can get to her. Rena, we could use some illusionary cover."
"Got it. Mirage!" Rena Rouge cried, slamming her flute against the ground, making a dozen copies of the heroes. Right as she cast her illusions, Carapace threw his shield right at Green-Eyed Wasp, Cat Noir following suit with Vesperia.
Then everything went wrong.
Green-Eyed Wasp had just barely dodged a strike from Iapallidus when Carapace's shield came flying at her, and there wasn't time to move. So she whirled around and caught the shield in her free hand and threw it right into Vesperia, sending the bee heroine falling and crashing right into Rena Rouge.
Dragonus lunged at Green-Eyed Wasp, his sword screaming down towards her. The villainess dove down and let Dragonus's attack miss, the momentum of the attack sending the draconian villain into an out-of-control roll. Green-Eyed Wasp grinned as she jabbed her stinger into Dragonus's defenseless back, right into the joint between his left wing and his shoulder blade, intending on bringing him under her control. But right as her toxins rushed up the stinger and into his system, Dragonus lashed out, jerking to the side and freeing himself with a snap. But his movements sent him spiraling in freefall, and he crashed on his wing with a sickening crack.
"Boss!" the four male Darks yelled in desperation as they dove down to him. Maladea let out a guttural, anguished scream when she saw him land, then she turned and launched herself at Green-Eyed Wasp with renewed fury, violently trying to stab the other villainess's eyes with her knives, claw her face off, kick her in the stomach.
"Maladea, fall back! That's an order! We need to get him back to base!" Alphaux yelled.
Maladea lashed out at Green-Eyed Wasp one last time. "When I see you again, no one is going to stop me from tearing you apart," she snarled, venom dripping from her voice. Then she turned away, picking up the rear of the Darks' retreat as Skinker and Iapallidus gently picked up Dragonus and lifted him into the air.
"Did Dragonus just… crash?" Ladybug asked in disbelief.
Cat Noir nodded, just as shocked. Then he glanced around. "Uh, m'lady… I think he might've caused one last problem before he left," Cat Noir said nervously.
Ladybug glanced around, her eyes widening. The illusions were gone. Vesperia and Rena Rouge were down, and Carapace didn't have his shield.
Green-Eyed Wasp landed and shook her head disapprovingly at the heroes. The stinger she had used to sting Dragonus ended in a jagged mess where it had broken off.
"All I wanted was a couple of nice bodyguards to protect my son and my nephew from threats in this city," she began as the broken stinger retracted into her weapon and an unbroken one slid into the forward position. "Is that too much to ask for?"
"You'll give Ladybug's Miraculous to Tyranno Moth once you're done with her!" Carapace yelled as he ran towards the villainess, fist pulled back. Green-Eyed Wasp rolled her head so dramatically the heroes guess she must've rolled her eyes. Then she caught Carapace's punch and threw him back, sending him crashing into Rena Rouge and Vesperia.
"Well, that was part of the deal. But he also promised to stop wreaking havoc, so it balances out!" Green-Eyed Wasp replied. "Now, come here, Ladybug. It's time to get your injection."
Ladybug twirled her yoyo, nervously biting her lip. Then Cat Noir lunged forward, staff extended as he tried to bash Green-Eyed Wasp away. The villainess simply dodged and kicked him away, knocking his staff from his hands for good measure.
Ladybug was about to lash out with her yoyo in one last desperate attempt to steal Green-Eyed Wasp's weapon, when another red-and-black yoyo wrapped around her and pinned her arms to her sides. Sentibug had climbed out of the crater the heroes had left her in and snuck up behind Ladybug, leaving her helpless to Green-Eyed Wasp.
The villainess smirked darkly as she raised her weapon and jabbed it right into Ladybug's arm, the stinger effortlessly piercing through the magic material and letting the mind-control toxins flood into Ladybug's system.
"NO!" Cat Noir screamed in desperation as Ladybug's beautiful bluebell eyes turned the same green as Green-Eyed Wasp's eyes and she relaxed under mind control. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the other heroes regrouping, ready to fight.
But he knew they wouldn't win just now. Cat Noir hung his head in shame, and yelled the one order he never thought he'd ever give. "We need to run! Retreat!"
Rena Rouge turned her gaze to him, and he could see the heartbreak and terror in her eyes. "But- but it's-!"
"I know! But you're about to transform back!" he yelled back as the two enthralled Ladybugs turned, yoyos at the ready. "We won't beat them now! Scatter! I'll send coordinates for a rendezvous!" He gritted his teeth as he stood. "Just run!"
The other heroes stepped back skittishly, then obeyed, turning on their heels and scrambling. Cat Noir cast one last forlorn glance at Ladybug as he ran.
"Just hold on, m'lady," he said, choking back a sob. "We'll save you."
"How bad is it?" Alphaux asked quickly. The twins gently laid Dragonus facedown on a table in the medical section of the base.
"How are we supposed to know?!" Skinker shot back. "He literally crashed on his wing!"
"I wasn't talking to you!" Alphaux snarled in irritation, then cleared his throat. "ANNA, we need a diagnosis," he said aloud. Maladea glanced around in confusion. "Who's Anna?"
A blue hologram of a woman in a lab coat flickered into existence next to Alphaux. "I am ANNA," the hologram said flatly. "Master Alex's Artificial Neural Network Assistant. And as for Master Andrew," she turned to the unconscious Dragonus as a scanner activated and swept over him.
"His vitals are stable, however an unknown toxin is present in his system, but it poses no immediate threat that I can identify. As for physical injuries, he is unconscious, a piece of shrapnel the size of a twig is stuck in his left wing joint, and his wing is dislocated. Again," she said, unsurprised.
"Again?!" Maladea yelped. ANNA ignored her. "You all know the procedures. Make sure his wing doesn't get injured between now and his next transformation into Golden… Dragonus," the AI stated before her hologram fizzled out.
Maladea watched as Alphaux set his jaw and growled lowly. "Alright, here we go. Jack, Dylan, hold his wing steady. Ryan, pull out the stinger on my mark. And Lila-" his orders were cut by Maladea getting right into his face.
"Explain this. Now. What did your robot mean by 'again'? Why aren't you all in hysterics right now?! Why is his wing dislocated in the first place?!" she nearly screamed.
Alphaux caught her wrists and gently pushed her away. "Alright, I know you want answers. Long story short, this isn't the first time he's dislocated a wing, we're trying to keep a cool head so we can panic later, and his wings are still limbs, vulnerable to damage. Now, I need you to hold his hands, specifically his ring hand. That way, if he does turn out to be under Green-Eyed Wasp's control, you can pull off his ring before he does any damage. If he isn't, he'll still have an anchor to keep him from panicking. Okay?"
Maladea yanked her hands away from Alphaux with a growl, then sighed. "Fine. But I want a full explanation later," she sneered as she turned on her heel and walked over to Dragonus's hand, taking his own massive palms in her own. She found herself whispering to him in Italian, quietly begging him to be fine.
"Ryan, can you get it out?" Alphaux asked. Skinker nodded. "Yep. Ready and waiting," he replied quickly.
"On my mark. Three… two… one!"
Skinker's pinching grip on the stinger fragment tightened as he pulled it out and threw it to the side in one fluid motion. Almost immediately after the stinger was pulled out, Dragonus let out a guttural roar of pain as he snapped back to consciousness. Maladea quickly squeezed his hand, trying to focus his attention on her.
"Andrew…" she whispered. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm here. We're all here. Just calm down." Her whispers seemed to ease the injured villain, slowing his hyperventilations and calming him down.
"Lila," he whispered back. "Thank you…"
"He seems okay so far," Skinker commented as he waved a hand in front of Dragonus's face. "How's it going, Andrew? Not under the bug's control, we hope?"
"When it comes to bug mind control, Ryan, you and the others have the monopoly," Dragonus snapped back. Skinker straightened up and stepped back. "He's fine."
"My wing. How bad is it?"
"Dislocated. Again," Alphaux replied. "ANNA's words, not mine."
Dragonus chuckled once, no humor in his voice. "I thought I told you to program the sarcasm out of her."
"But she isn't half as charming that way. Anyhoo, Jack and Dylan are just about ready to put that sucker back in place. Right?"
Crocdown and Iapallidus nodded. "Ready on your count, Alex," Crocdown answered. Alphaux nodded. "Ready? Three… two…"
Dragonus yelped in pain as the two set the wing back in place with a crack, squeezing Maladea's hand a little too tightly. She squeezed back to relieve some of the pain, then sighed with relief when she saw Dragonus flexing both wings in sync.
"Oh, I hate when you do that," Dragonus groaned. Crocdown and Iapallidus shrugged as they transformed back to their civilian selves.
"Better to get you when you're not anticipating it than when you are," Dylan retorted. Alphaux and Skinker nodded as they transformed back.
"You know what to do next, boss," Alex said gently. Dragonus nodded as Maladea helped him up. "I know," he replied, wincing slightly as his injured wing twitched. "But I really don't want to bench this just now."
Maladea sighed as she transformed back, then carefully removed Dragonus's helmet. "It's probably for the best, Andrew," she said placatingly, taking his hands in hers. For the briefest moment, Lila thought she could see her boyfriend's eyes widen in surprise when she consoled him, and she could swear she saw him flinch.
But it must've been a trick of the eyes, because Dragonus went back to his normal self in almost no time flat, quickly taking charge.
"Okay," he began, pulling away from Lila. "I'm gonna take a rest, try and heal up. In the meantime, you guys track down Green-Eyed Wasp and her enthralled Ladybugs. See if they lead you to Tyranno Moth. Use whatever methods - within reasonable and non-world ending capacity - to get the stuff he stole back. Assist the heroes if you see fit." He groaned as his wing twitched again. "Good luck."
Lila quickly kissed his cheek and smiled softly. "You go heal up, big guy," she said warmly, resting a hand on his arm. "We'll be fine." Again, Lila could've sworn she saw him tense up, but the moment passed as soon as she noticed it.
Dragonus smiled weakly. "Voyage," he said softly, the golden portal opening and connecting the medical wing to his bedroom. Then he stepped through, and the portal winked out of existence.
"Dragon Down," Dragonus groaned, his transformation evaporating in a flash of golden lightning. Vorath floated up to Andrew's face, concern for his holder filling his gaze. "Are you sure you're okay?" the kwami asked.
Andrew nodded. "Yeah. Just a scare and another crash. It was bound to happen again. You're only ever so lucky, right?" he replied, rolling his left shoulder to ease some of the pain. "I don't miss this feeling, though. Post-crash psyche-out. And the shoulder."
"You complained about the shoulder pain from Princess Justice's brute squad attack for two whole weeks. And that was after you cast your cure," Vorath retorted.
Andrew shrugged, then winced. "That was a necessary save. The crashes aren't necessary."
An amused chuckle rang out from the side of the room. Andrew immediately tensed up. "Did you hear that?" he asked quickly. Vorath shook his head. "No. What is it?"
"Your little buddy can't hear me, and he can't see me," the voice said. Andrew recognized it. The voice from the other night.
"No… it can't be you," he stammered, whirling around. "Green-Eyed Wasp wasn't here then. You can't be her avatar."
"No. I'm not. I'm… oh, what am I? Better or worse? Am I better because I'm not her, or am I worse because you know you can't resist me as well as you could the wasp lady? Or the butterfly dude? Or any of them?"
Andrew clenched his fists, shoulders tensing, slowly turning as he winced from the little spikes of pain. Then he spotted her, leaning on his bedroom door.
She looked no different from the day she had left. The same fuzzy green cardigan, the same sky blue shirt and pale gray jeans, the same cream-colored high-tops. Her dirty blonde locks were swept over one shoulder, her hazel eyes reflecting the light, her freckles dotting her otherwise fair complexion. She hadn't needed any makeup then. She didn't now.
Andrew's throat tightened. It couldn't be her. He'd last seen her at Nashville International. He'd said goodbye before she got on the plane. She couldn't be here.
"Miss me, big guy?" she asked, putting a sultry little smile on her face. Rage filled Andrew's mind. This wasn't her. It had to be a sentimonster. Or an akumatized person. Except he knew it wasn't.
Vorath tapped his shoulder. "Boss, what is it? Who is it?"
Andrew stepped back and bit his lip nervously. "It can't be her. But… Melissa. She's…" his words faded in his throat. It was too unbelievable, even in the world where magic and superheroes existed.
Melissa laughed softly as she straightened and walked over to Andrew with her hands clasped behind her back. "You've grown up nicely," she purred, reaching up and stroking his cheek with the back of her fingers. The gesture had been soothing when they were dating. Now it was a mockery.
Andrew swatted lightly at Melissa's hand, trying to get it away. Much to his shock, his hand went through her wrist and hit his own arm. Melissa gave him another seductive smirk, one that became far more sinister when the realization sank into Andrew's mind. "I guess I'm not really here, then," she said definitively. "Or not in the way you think."
"What are you?" Andrew asked hollowly. Melissa smirked again, bouncing away from the distressed Dark Dragon holder.
"The form of the one thing you can't resist given to the one thing you should never have resisted in the first place," she replied, spinning around and plopping down on Andrew's bed. He noticed the bed's lack of change when she sat down.
"It's time we had a little talk, Goldie," Melissa said, patting the spot next to her and giving one last smirk. "It's probably for the best."
Andrew paled. There had been times when he asked what his greatest fear was. He'd replied deep water, spiders, the background dancers in that one high school production of 42nd Street. Those had all been lies. His greatest fear now sat in front of him, wearing the face of the one he had loved.
"Okay. Rena," Cat Noir began, the phone on his staff activated. "Green-Eyed Wasp is going to be at my place soon. I'm going to try and see if I can get through to Ladybug. Maybe the mind control only works if the victim is still transformed. Either way, you're in charge while I try to sort this out."
"Are you sure?" Rena Rouge asked as she and the others took cover in the sewers. Cat Noir's image nodded on the hologram her flute projected.
"Yeah. For now, just keep an eye on Green-Eyed Wasp's movements when I can't and try to incapacitate her until I can come around," Cat Noir ordered. "Hopefully with a cured Ladybug. And if the Darks show up again… let them do the dirty work for you."
"Alright," she finally replied. "We're gonna meet back at the ventilation shaft by Gare du Nord, right?" There was static on the other end of the line for a few seconds, then the sound of a window opening and boots landing on tile shattered the silence. "Yeah. If I can make it, at least. Good luck, Rena."
"You too," Rena Rouge replied. Cat Noir sighed and hung up, stowing his staff on his back. The steam from the shower still clung thickly to the air, condensing on the mirror and Cat Noir's suit. The moisture helped disguise the few tear stains on the leathery material. Cat Noir glanced up at the mirror quickly, then growled quietly as a moment of rage and grief gripped him.
Only the previous night, he had drawn a little Ladybug stick figure on the condensation on the mirror. It hadn't completely faded by that morning, and even, almost fifteen hours later, it still waved back at him, the little smile on its face still defiantly there, as if nothing had gone wrong that day.
His grieving growl turned into a snarl as he lashed out with his fingertip claws, raking the mirror and blotting out the image of Ladybug. Then he stopped, as if he just realized what he did.
"Plagg, Claws in," Cat Noir muttered, releasing his transformation in a crackle of green lightning. Adrien gazed stormily at the claw marks left on the mirror.
"It was a tough call to make, Adrien, but you did the right thing, at least," Plagg reassured.
Adrien scoffed. "The right thing?! The right thing would be to have Cataclysmed Green-Eyed Wasp's stinger. Maybe it would've freed Ladybug. Maybe we could've deakumatized my aunt. Maybe I wouldn't feel like I just betrayed the love of my life!"
"Or it wouldn't have, and you could've lost your Miraculous, and Tyranno Moth would have won," Plagg countered. "Trust me, this has to be the right choice. And the fact you have an entire team to fall back on, including some of the ones Ladybug decided to bench for now…"
Adrien sighed. "I hope you're right, Plagg. I guess right now the only thing to do is try and see if I can save Marinette before she loses her earrings to Tyranno Moth. C'mon, Plagg. Let's get out of here. Felix is probably waiting on me," he replied, turning towards the door. Then he stopped, horror filling his mind as the realization sunk in. He could feel Plagg gawking in disbelief right next to him. Adrien didn't even know how he didn't see him earlier.
"What?" Felix asked innocently as he leaned against the bathroom door. "I had always figured you were more than just a superhero's boyfriend. Now, it's more likely than not Mom is on her way back with her new bodyguards, and she's after your ring. I'd say you're in a heap of trouble now, Adrien. So… how about we talk?"
And now the drama intensifies! Ladybug under the thrall of Green-Eyed Wasp (who is based on a real-life wasp, the Dinocampus coccinellae, that mind controls ladybugs into being zombie protectors for their brood. Biology and/or Pokemon videos are very informative), Dragonus coming face-to-face with a piece of his past (his ex-girlfriend, no less! Shippers unite!), and Felix learning Adrien's secret identity! How could any of this end well for our heroes? As always, tell me what you think, leave a review, thoughts, feelings, comments, the whole nine yards, and stay safe, healthy, and see you next week!