Sam was walking down the courtyard of the school, scatting to himself, "Do-Ba, do-do Ba!" He sang to himself before he noticed his friends waiting at the entrance and he gave a smile. "Hey, guys!" Sam said.
Kara looked at him with a smile, "Someone's in a good mood today." She joked, knowing Sam wasn't one for smiling.
"How could not? We've gotten back three of the stolen Miraculous and found a lead on how Monarch is giving them to his villains." Sam stated. "We're on a roll, gang!"
Daniel shook his head. "That is true, and since the Resistance has formed, the other heroes feel more useful, at least till we get their miraculous back." He said with his hands on his hips.
"Well, so far we've rescued Fluff, Daizzi, and Orikki, " Molly counted on her finger, "So that leaves only eleven more left to save."
"Twelve if we're counting Monarch's." Jacob said before looking concerned, "Not gonna lie, that one might be a little tougher."
"Since Monarch has the butterfly Miraculous attached to his own suit, it's gonna be hard to extract that one since it's not really transferred to a villain." Kara explained, "I think we'll have to worry about getting the other miraculous first before getting Monarch's."
"Yeah, because right now, we're making progress with each Miraculous we recover, and Monarch's memories of the holders being erased when the connection is severed," Daniel stated. "If we get the rest back, it will be even more easy to defeat Monarch with only one Miraculous."
They turned to see Adrien walking out before Marinette arrived with Kagami as the latter stepped off the former's scooter and the baker girl took off her helmet as her hair fell over her shoulders.
"Whoa, first time I've seen Marinette with her hair down," Molly said in surprise.
"I think the rest of us are in the same boat." Jacob said before glancing back at Adrien and smirking, "And some of us are especially taken by her appearance." He said with a chuckle.
Kagami then walked up. "Thanks, Marinette." She said to her friend.
"Enjoy training!" Marinette said to Kagami.
Kagami then walked up to Adrien as he waved to Marinette. "Sorry I'm late, Adrien." She apologized as Adrien kept waving while Kagami took the hit and turned back to Marinette.
Marinette titters nervous while waving back to Adrien before driving off while the others look in amusement. "Why did Marinette take off like that?" Adrien asked in confusion.
"Because she doesn't have Fencing class like us?" Kagami said bluntly.
"Burn!" Sam joked as they approached.
Kara gave Sam a look, "Not now, Sam." She said.
Adrien gave an upset expression while the others gave sympathetic expressions as they walked off. "Well, we'll leave you two to your fencing lessons. School is over for the day for us and we're gonna check out the Museum." Molly said as they waved goodbye.
Once they were alone, Daniel leaned close to Molly, "Are you sure it's them?" He whispered.
"You know I can see through lies and cover stories," Molly whispered back. "When I saw Marinette's earrings and Adrien's ring, I knew for certain that was Ladybug and Cat Noir." She said, having told the others the identities of Ladybug and Cat Noir, which made them shocked and realize once they connected the dots.
Jacob laughed, "I still can't believe that their in love with each other and not in love at the same time." He said.
"I think this is what our Kwamis meant that it's not right to keep secrets from the ones we trust. Since we know each other identities we've been working pretty well." Kara said, "If it worked for us why not them?"
"I think it was something their kwamis said when they first got theirs," Sam said in thought. "I mean, if they knew each other identities, they would've gotten together a long time ago."
"And they're worried Monarch could use that to his advantage," Jacob concluded, "Didn't our Kwamis say that there were two timelines where after learning who they are, Monarch somehow learned their identities and akumatized Cat Noir to finally defeat Ladybug."
"Wait, wasn't there a timeline where he did it the first time but Cat Noir destroyed the world until he was the sole survivor? The one Ladybug managed to prevent." Molly pointed out, getting an idea, "Could that be why she's afraid to tell him?"
"Maybe, but in both of those cases, there was one key thing," Daniel said before stopping in front of them, "We weren't there to step up to Monarch just as he was about to win. Maybe with more heroes protecting Paris, it might make Ladybug lower her guard a bit and convince herself to reveal herself."
"But there's one thing that doesn't add up, how could Monarch manage to find out their identities and akumatize Cat Noir so easily?" Jacob asked. "I mean, usually Adrien is too strong to be akumatize when he's fighting."
Sam rubbed his chin, "On that note, Adrien has shown to have intense negative emotions before, so why didn't Monarch Akumatize him then and only did so after he learned his identity?"
The others thought for a moment before Daniel sighed. "If only Alix was here for us to see those timelines, then we could know for sure."
"But you know that she could never intervene and needs to keep going through time to keep the rabbit miraculous out of reach of Monarch." Jacob reminded them.
"I know, but this whole juggling feeling thing with Marinette and Adrien, as well as their Miraculous alter egos, they really can't keep this up forever, they've gotta tell each other eventually," Molly said, looking concerned. "And we can't force them or tell them their identities that's a breach of trust."
Daniel crossed his arms, "Yeah, so if Adrien and Marinette are ever going to tell each other the truth, we've gotta encourage them that a reveal for the third time will be for the better, agreed?" He asked.
The others nodded in agreement, going to help Marinette and Adrien be together and convince them that an identity reveal wouldn't lead to doomsday.
A few minutes later, the group arrived at the wax museum and looked at the many wax figures of the people of Paris, "Yeesh, these statues always creep me out." Sam commented looking at the statue of Audrey Bourgeois. "And it's disturbing how life-like they are."
"What's really impressive is that the one who made these wax statues look like they're actually living people is really talented," Kara said with a smile.
Daniel then looked at Hawkmoth's statue in the hall of Akumas, "Ugh, if I didn't know better, I'd think this was the real Hawkmoth." He said in disgust as he saw the first form of Monarch's evil smile while also seeing the Butterfly Miraculous on his chest. "And considering he hardly leaves his lair half the time, they really got his details down a T."
"After you saw Monarch when you took back the Rooster Miraculous, he certainly has changed," Kara said with a shudder.
They then looked over and saw Adrien, Marinette, Luka, and Kagami coming over, "Hey, the future of Agreste and Tsurugi Industries," Jacob said with a smile, "Out on a double date, I take?" He teased.
Marinette then grew nervous. "A date?! Wha, no! Uh, OH!" She stammered before rushing to some statues, "Mister Bob Roth! Don't forget to send Kitty-Section their Contract!" She said as she smiled awkwardly.
The five looked at Marinette with amused looks before Daniel spoke up. "Hey, Marie-Shy, that's just a wax figure of Bob. It's not really him." He said.
Marinette seemed to ignore him and moved onto a statue of Jagged Stone and Fang, "Hey there, Jagged Stone! Rock'n'Roll!" She quoted.
"Okay, now she's just stalling," Daniel commented while turning to Luka. "And I'm still reeling from the fact that you're the son of a famous rockstar."
"At least you know where I got my love for music from," Luka said with a small smile.
"Yeah, that's true." Daniel nodded in agreement. "So, what brings you four to the museum? I ask Marinette, but I think she's in an anxious-to-death mode."
"We're trying to get them together but with Marinette's anxiety and Adrien's obliviousness," Kagami said, gesturing to the two as Marinette moved onto a statute of the mayor only to find it was the real mayor and fell over as Adrien laughed and the other facepalmed.
"Okay, this plan is doomed," Sam said bluntly.
Daniel then noticed something they missed. "Wait, why is the mayor here? Isn't he supposed to be inspecting the new Hall of Heroes section open-" He stopped and smirked, "I have an idea." He said with a snap of his fingers.
"What?" The others asked.
"Adrien! Marinette! Wanna check out the Hall of Heroes?" Daniel called to the two as Adrien helped Marinette up.
The two nodded as Daniel gestured for them to follow. The group started walking until they reached the room where the Ladybug and Cat Noir statues were but had the statues of the other 15 heroes around them and statues of the Zodiac Team around Ladybug and Cat Noir.
Luka rubbed his chin as they looked at the tarps, "Hmm, 22 statues, for 22 heroes." He counted.
"Wow, they made the Zodiac Team really life-like too," Kagami commented.
Daniel looked at the statue of his superhero form, "Makes you think that these heroes were real, perfect way for people to stay hopeful till the real ones return." He said.
Marinette looked at them solemnly, knowing it was her fault that this was the only way people could see their heroes for now, "Yeah," She sighed as they walked to the exit, "Let's keep going."
Daniel smirked and pointed behind Marinette and Adrien, "Look out! Akuma!" He called.
"Where?!" Marinette and Adrien called out while turning behind them, only to see nothing as the other caught on to Daniel's plan.
"There's no akuma in-" Marinette was cut off when suddenly Kagami kicked her in the back and Sam did the same to Adrien. "Hey!" Marinette called as they landed face-first on the floor.
Daniel then hit the door button as the exits was sealed shut, "A little forced alone time, will be good for you." He called.
They all chuckled as they heard Marinette wailing and pounding on the door, which made them flinch and laugh again. "That girl really needs to get over her overreacting," Jacob commented.
"That was pretty clever, Daniel. I would've thought the same thing." Luka said with a smile.
"Well, if you can't get them to accept willingly, force them. For Marinette's sanity's sake in this case." Daniel laughed as they decided to leave them alone for a bit. "We'll let them out when Marinette and Adrien figure their feelings out." He said as they re-enter the wax figure from the other side.
"Might take a while before-" Molly was cut off as they heard a loud explosion behind them, "What was that?!"
"It came from the Hall of Heroes!" Luka gasped
They all rushed back to the hall of heroes but were met by the Miraculous Heroes rushing in from the other side, "Hero Stampede!" Sam called out.
Luka turned to Daniel and his friends, "We'll find Marinette and Adrien! You guys get to cover!" He said, gesturing to him and Kagami as Daniel nodded.
They all broke out of the way, the five Zodiacs watched as the Miraculous Heroes rushed out of the museum. "Okay, how is this possible?! We only recovered three of them?!" Kara questioned in shock to her friends.
"Uh, guys, isn't that, Us?" Daniel asked while pointing to their hero forms running at the back.
They then saw the cards on the heroes' foreheads and came to the same conclusion, "Monarch." They growled.
"Looks like he akumatized someone to bring the wax figures of the Miraculous Heroes to life." Jacob summarized.
Molly then stood up, "Well let's show these cheap plastic knockoffs what real heroes look like!" She declared.
Daniel nodded and stood up too, "Time to Transform, Huánglóng, Heaven Ascend!" Daniel called out.
"Báihǔ, Earth Rise!"
"Nán Fāng, Fire it up!"
"Qīnglóng, Wind Rage!"
"Xuan Wu, Water's Flow!"
They all transformed into their Zodiac forms as they all rushed out of the museum and followed after their wax doublegangers.
The Zodiac then met up with Ladybug and Pigella as Cat Noir and Rooster Bold joined them, "Sorry for the delay, Milady and friends, got held up and had to get our powerhouse." Cat Noir, said gesturing to Rooster Bold.
"Same here with our lala land girl," Ladybug answered with a smile.
"Did any of you guys notice that there are living wax statues of us and the other heroes rushing by?" Pigella asked.
Caspian looked ahead and widened his eyes, "Actually I think I just found them!" He said as they all skidded to a halt and saw a yellow villain that looked to be made of melting candle wax as around her were the Wax figures of the Miraculous Heroes.
"Ladybug, Cat Noir, Pigella, Rooster Bold, Zodiacs, you're going to be proud of me." The candle villain said happily. "The superheroes are back. And if you give me your Miraculous, then Monarch will renounce evil. The Grevin Museum will once again be able to celebrate heroes." She announced happily.
The real heroes looked at her in surprise, since they never heard of a villain wanting to bring heroes back before they looked at each other awkwardly.
"That's great, Veronique?" Ladybug said in surprise as she recognized her.
"I am Manipula now," Manipula corrected with a smile.
"Uh, okay, this is a little weird," Dragold said while also looking at his wax counterpart. "Especially since an akumatize villain wants to bring back hope to this town."
Caspian then leaned over to Ladybug, "Those pamphlets she's holding, that's gotta be where the Megakuma is." He whispered.
Ladybug nodded as she turned to Manipula. "If you really wanna help us, like you've always done, then reject the Akuma," She said with a smile.
"Monarch's manipulation you." Cat Noir added.
"Don't worry. If he doesn't keep his end of the deal, then I'll defeat him with my team of superheroes." Manipula assured with a wave of her fist.
"Uh, didn't you hear that we recovered three of the Miraculous Monarch had stolen already?" Hydrake asked, gesturing to Pigella and Rooster Bold, "If we can get these two back then we'll bring the others back too."
"Besides, Monarch can take his powers back whenever he wants." Rooster Bold added.
"Please, trust us. Monarch doesn't want to help you." Pigella pleaded with her hands together.
Manipula looked at them for a moment before Monarch's symbol appeared in her eyes. "How can you trust Ladybug if she doesn't trust you?" He spoke through her head before Manipula brought out her cards.
"You should be the ones trusting me, heroes," Manipula said. "I have a full team of superheroes to replace the others that you lost Ladybug." She said pointing to the red-spotted heroine.
Ladybug gasped as she whimpered, looking at the wax figures of the heroes they no longer have while feeling guilty. "She's right, they're gone because of me." She said solemnly as she covered her face. "I lost the Miraculous and my team too." She said in despair.
Cat Noir laid a hand on her shoulder, "You didn't lose me." He repeated the words from that fateful night as Ladybug looked at him.
Dragold then laid a hand on her other shoulder, "And you have a new team now," He added as she looked to the Zodiac team smiling at her.
"And you already have two from your old team back too," Pigella added as she and Rooster Bold stood on either side of Ladybug.
"As long as Monarch doesn't have our Miraculous and we keep on reclaiming them to the very last one, he hasn't won." Cat Noir finished with a smile. "And we need everyone's help, including you, Veronique." He added.
"You're right, you do need me," Manipula said before snapping her fingers. "I'm the new hope."
Just then, the wax figures of Rena Rouge, Bunnyx, Viperion, and Vespera jumped at them from behind.
The heroes turned to them in surprise. "It's a trap!" Caspian called out as they all slashed their weapons at the wax figures, cutting them in half before the rest of the wax heroes disappeared.
"An illusion." Terrapin realized.
Manipula gasped. "You chose your side. Too bad for you." She said as she jumped away.
Phoenix groaned. "These wax figures don't just come to life, they can copy our powers too." She said.
"Meaning that this could be a challenge." Dragold said as he kicked Viperon's head away, "At least we got rid of Viperon and Bunnyx first, those two would probably be the most dangerous ones to handle with the power of time."
"But we still have 20 more fake heroes and one villain to catch," Ladybug said before she noticed the fallen pamphlets and ripped them to reveal purple smog, similar to Akuma Energy. "What is this?" Ladybug wondered before she instinctively captured it, "Each Pamphlet contains a 20th of the Megakuma." She said.
"Meaning we gotta destroy them all first to capture it." Rooster Bold realized.
"But that means, we gotta catch them all," Hydrake said before thinking. "9 real heroes against 20 Miraculous wax heroes and the puppet master on the move? I'll take that challenge," He said with a grin.
"Move out and destroy every copy you find!" Dragold ordered as they all took off.
The real heroes then took out each wax puppet one by one before they could react or use their powers, Caspian and Terrapin took out the wax Purple Tigress, Pigella, and Phoenix.
Dragold, Pigella, and Rooster Bold handled Wax Multi-Mouse.
Terrapin and Caspian, Hydrake and Phoenix handled Wax Monkey King and Pegasus.
At the river bank near the town hall, Ladybug and Cat Noir, in their aqua forms, tackled wax Ryuuko and Hydrake out of the water. "Power down!" They exclaimed as they transformed into their normal forms as Cat Noir plucked the pamphlets off of Ryuuko and Hydrake's heads.
"Go fish." He quipped as ripped the pamphlets and Ladybug caught the essence as the others regrouped.
"Okay, so with the ones we've taken out, that just leaves the copies of you two, and Minotaurox," Caspian said gesturing to Ladybug and Cat Noir before turning to the town hall. "They must be in there."
"Town Hall is an obvious choice." Rooster Bold said.
The heroes then jumped ahead while Cat Noir was about to follow before Ladybug stopped him with a warm smile. "You're in great shape these days, kitty cat." She complimented.
"Can't afford to make any mistakes." Cat Noir said with a smile as the two rushed off after the others.
"Hiyah!" Caspian yelled as he kicked down the door as they saw the Wax Ladybug and Cat Noir.
"Lucky Charm!" Wax Ladybug called out as she created a giant sword while Wax Cat Noir already had his Cataclysm out.
"They look like us," Ladybug said in surprise.
"But they're fake just like the re-" Dragold paused for a moment, "Wait, we already destroyed 18 figures, and these two and Minotaurox make 21," He counted before turning to his team, "Who was the last one?"
Just as soon as he asked the Wax Dragold jumped down, "Aw Cru-" Was all Dragold could say before his wax doppelganger kicked them away and he the wall, "Darn it, how I could forget myself?" Dragold kicked himself for forgetting his own Wax copy.
Wax Dragold stood in front of Wax Ladybug and Cat Noir as he drew his golden sword and faced the heroes while taking a combat stance.
"Eh, they're just knockoffs like the rest of them. We can take them!" Cat Noir called out as he rushed at Wax Ladybug, but then Wax Dragold cut him off by appearing in front of him and then whacked his staff away and kicked him hard, knocking Cat Noir back to the others. "Okay, this one's as good as you." He groaned as he stood up and picked up his staff.
The heroes then stood up too, "Okay, you two deal with your wax copies, we'll handle my evil twin brother." Dragold instructed while Ladybug and Cat Noir nodded as they faced each other, Cat Noir with Wax Ladybug and the other vice versa.
The Zodiac Team, Pigella, and Rooster Bold, all face Wax Dragold while he kept his sword up in a stance. "Let's see if this knockoff can handle all of us at once." Caspian declared. "Tiger Gripper!" He said charging at him.
But Wax Dragold whipped around, "Domination!" He called as he deactivated Caspian's power and knocked him into Terrapin as they collided with a wall.
"Ugh, forgot about Domination." Caspian groaned as held his shoulder.
"Good thing he can only use it once!" Hydrake reminded as he, Pigella, Rooster Bold, and Phoenix jumped and pinned him down.
"Gift!" Pigella shouted as she shot her powers at Wax Dragold sending him into a state of bliss.
"Dominat-!" Wax Dragold tried to say while regaining some sense to use his powers again to cancel Jubilation.
Until the Real Dragold jumped above him, "Not this time brother! Domination!" He said as he jabbed his sword down, canceling his copy's power and destroying it while also taking out his pamphlet. "Man, I must've been tougher than the others." He commented.
They then turned to Cat Noir helping Ladybug up with both of their wax copies destroyed, "Good job you too, only one copy left." Caspian said before turning to Hydrake, "So, what's our Lucky Charm today?"
Hydrake then focused, "Foresight!" He called as his eyes glowed. He then saw a red and black spotted bowling ball, before he saw them and in the Mayor's offices, the other heroes, minus Dragold, trying to pry Wax Minotaurox off Cat Noir while Manipula held Ladybug as the heroine kicked the bowling ball into a cart.
His eyes stopped glowing and turned to Ladybug, "Ladybug, we need a Bowling Ball." He said.
"Okay. Lucky charm!" Ladybug exclaimed while using her yo-yo to create what Hydrake requested as she caught a really heavy Bowling ball, "I will never get used to knowing what I'll get." She groaned.
"It's part of seeing into the future," Hydrake said with a shrug. "Anyway, let's go." He said as they headed to where they knew Manipula was hiding out.
The heroes rushed into the Mayor's Office as they saw Manipula sitting in his chair before she pointed to the Mayor and Chloe whimpering in fear at the wax Minotaurox with his hammer out.
"Let the mayor and his daughter go!" Ladybug ordered.
"Not until he authorizes the opening of the Hall of Heroes in my museum!" Manipula declared, slamming her fist down.
"Wait, why didn't you allow it, mayor?" Phoenix asked as the heroes turned to them.
The Mayor looked at his daughter. "Chloe, honey, I don't think that was a very good idea." He said to Chloe.
"Wait, Chloe, this was all you?!" Rooster Bold yelled in slight rage.
"Why am I not surprised?" Caspian asked bitterly.
"Why would you ask your father not to open the Hall of Heroes? It's what the city needs to have hope again!" Pigella told Chloe.
Chloe stood up while pointing at them. "All this is all because you were lame, Ladybug." She accused while pointing at Ladybug. "And you lost the Miraculous because of your lameness. If you had kept me, Queen Bee, this never would have happened! And, now, you get what you deserve Lady Lame." She said as Ladybug wilted in hurt while Cat Noir placed a hand on her shoulder while the others glared at Chloe. "Since you're a superhero, you have no choice but to protect me from that villain. So, who's the lamest one of all?" Chloe gloated before she felt someone grabbed her behind.
"You, for lowering your guard!" Dragold said as he lifted Chloe over his shoulder, "I'll get Chloe to safety, you guys take care of the rest!"
"But what about the Kwami, we need you to reclaim the Miraculous?" Rooster Bold asked.
"Don't worry, we can handle that," Hydrake said as he, Caspian, Terrapin, and Phoenix stepped forward, "You get the Queen Pain out of here Dragold, we got this!"
Dragold nodded before turning to the mayor. "Sorry, , but you're too heavy to carry back." He apologized.
"Don't worry about me, just get my daughter out of here!" The Mayor told him.
"Daddy! You're supposed to tell him to put me down not to carry me-!" Chloe was cut off as Dragold jumped out of the window and carried her off while she screamed.
Manipula was surprised by this as she turned to the other heroes. "Seems like you haven't been making the right choices, Ladybug. But what Dragold did was rather heroic, perhaps if he was the leader instead, you wouldn't have lost your team." She said with a smile and stood up on the desk. "But since you've chosen to go up against me and my superheroes, then this fight will be your last." She declared.
Ladybug looked around while finding nothing for her Lucky Charm. "Nothing." She said solemnly.
Cat Noir then charged. "Cataclysm!" He summoned his power as Manipula, but then Manipula caught his arm while giving a smirk.
"Why waste your time trying to break my weapon kitty? Why not use it directly on me?" Manipula suggested moving his hand to her chest.
Cat Noir then flashed back to when Monarch forced his Cataclysm on himself, "She's lost her mind." He muttered before his hand touched her chest, but shockingly, and with relief for Cat Noir, the Cataclysm was canceled out.
"That's right. Monarch gave me a little gift. I am invincible to your powers. Take care of this!" Manipula declared before tossing Cat Noir to Wax Minotaurox, who caught him by the arm.
"Cat Noir!" Rooster Bold and Pigella yelled as they jumped and grabbed Wax Minotaurox's arms, keeping them away from Cat Noir's ring.
Cat Noir then looked behind Ladybug and gasped, "Ladybug, look out!" He called out as Manipula grabbed Ladybug from behind.
"Thanks to me, hope is going to return to the hearts of Parisians!" Manipula declared as she restrained Ladybug.
Ladybug glanced back at her pleadingly, "What you think is hope will only lead to despair." She tried to reason.
"And how do you plan on stopping me?" Manipula questioned as she reached for Ladybug earrings, "Your powers can't hurt me or Minotaurox and you can extract the power without your golden leader."
"That's where you're wrong, goldy candle!" Caspian called out as he and the rest of the Zodiacs were behind Manipula. "Dragold isn't the only one who can do that!"
"What?!" Manipula said as she looked back in shock
"He can do it on his own because he's the center of the five of us, but with all four of us together, we can do it too!" Phoenix exclaimed.
The four then did the same movements as Dragold did before he used, "Miraculous Extraction!" All four of them called out as they thrust their hands forward to Manipula's Pamphlets.
She then felt the power of the Ox drawing out of her as her Monarch Mask appeared.
In his lair, Monarch felt it too as held his head, "No! No, no, how can this be!" He denied it as his ring of the Ox Miraculous started flickering.
Stompps then started to glow brightly while giving a smile. "See you soon, my friends!" He called out as he disappeared with his Miraculous and the ring powered down.
Monarch looked at the ring as he clenched his fist and yelled in rage as it echoed throughout the lair.
Back at City hall, a blue light exited from Manipula's cards and flew towards the Zodiac heroes as Caspian caught it and brought his hands together, revealing Stompp and his Miraculous, looking very weak, "You okay, Stompp?" Caspian asked in concern.
"Wait, don't tell us. You're tired and hungry?" Hydrake guessed since they knew what happened.
"You guessed right," Stomped said while clutching his stomach.
"We'll get you some food and return you to your owner soon, Stompp, right now we have to care of this," Terrapin said as she looked to Ladybug as she freed herself from Manipula while she was still dazed, "Ladybug, the bowling ball!"
Ladybug got her bearings as she looked at the bowling ball, then the book wheeler, the ladder, and then the chandelier, "On it!" She called before rolling the ball to the wheeler which rolled it to the ladder and it knocked down the chandelier right on Manipula, as Ladybug took the rest of her cards, ripping them up as the rest of the Megakuma essences came out of them, and caught them into her yo-yo.
"Gotcha!" Ladybug exclaimed before opening the Yo-yo and the purified butterfly flew away, "Bye-bye little butterfly. Miraculous Ladybug!" She called out again as she threw her bowling ball up.
The magical ladybugs then restored the wax figures and Manipula turned back into Véronique as Ladybug opened up her yo-yo again and brought out a magical charm with Manipula's colors.
"Véronique, this magical charm will help you remember to never give up hope. We will always be there for you." Ladybug said with a smile while turning to the Mayor, "Mr. Mayor, I promise that we will defeat Monarch and bring back the rest of our real heroes. But to do that, we need everyone's support. People need the hope that Véronique's museum can offer!" She said, gesturing to Véronique.
"And having the Hall of Heroes reminded those that even when they're gone, they're still looking out for us." Hydrake added as he and the other heroes joined them.
The Mayor thought for a moment before smiling, "You're all right. I will support the opening of the Hall of Heroes." He said as he and Véronique shook hands.
The heroes smiled and brought their fists in, "Pound it!" They declared.
Caspian looked at Stompp, "Guess we should get this little guy to his holder." Caspian said.
"I'll take him. Who was his owner? Phoenix asked while taking Stompp and the Ox Miraculous from Caspian.
"Ivan Bruel." Ladybug answered.
"I've got his address, I'll be on my way." She said before rushing out of the room.
"I wonder what Dragold is doing right now?" Pigella wondered.
"I'm thinking, probably getting his ears torn off by Chloe." Rooster Bold joked.
"Knowing Chloe, that is true." Ladybug said with a small smirk before they rush out of City Hall.
Meanwhile, Dragold took Chloe somewhere her big mouth and snappy attitude wouldn't be a problem for Ladybug. He kept Leaping across buildings, ignoring the rich girl's demands to be released as she kicked and waved her arms wildly.
They eventually reached Chloe's home Dragold finally sat Chloe down as he saw the Miraculous Ladybugs fly across the city, "Looks like the real heroes win." He said before pulling out his phone and saw the Hall of Heroes would be opened, "And hope is back in business." He stated.
"Ugh! What's you're deal!?" Chloe demanded. "That was harassing a girl! Some hero you are!" She scolded.
"Well considering that you weren't saying anything useful and insulting my friend, I figured getting you out of the picture was the best move to victory." Dragold retorted with an irritated look.
"Oh really, like how you suddenly showed up after Ladylame lost the other Miraculouses to Monarch? Yeah, some heroes. You weren't even there when those losers failed to hold on to even one Miraculous." Chloe snarked while looking at her nails.
"Losers who risked their lives to save someone as horrible as you, ." Dragold reminded with a scowl, "And they do a better job at being heroes than you, you blabbed your identity to the whole city. The whole point of being a hero is not to reveal yourself, and yet you did that to get some worthless popularity!" He stated.
"So what? At least I'm not a coward to reveal myself like Ladylame." Chloe snarked. "Besides, whenever I see fame, I take."
"Okay, what is your deal? Because you were once a Miraculous Holder from what Ladybug told me and my team," Dragold asked marching up to Chloe, "But then you betrayed them when Monarch was still Hawk Moth to get your powers back and almost gave him all the miraculous yourself, how is that any better?"
"Why? Because I am better than Ladybug and her loser teammates. I figure if I ditch them, I would have the power to do things my way, that I'd be the only hero Paris needs!" Chloe said smiling proudly, "People like Dupain-Cheng and those losers at school are nothing compared to a queen like me who will stand beside my king Adrikins someday, and once Monarch gives me my Miraculous again I'll be able to prove it should only be me in that Hall of Heroes."
"What makes you think he'll give it back, Chloe?" Dragold questioned with a brow. "He's been after the Miraculous since day one and once he took them, he wouldn't give them back. And if Monarch was still by your side, you think he wouldn't have ditched you when you had the Miracle Box before Ladybug took the Bee Miraculous from you?" He said as Chloe kept her back to him, "And another thing, you can't talk about Marinette or your classmates like that, they've done more good for Paris than you ever did, and what's there to gain from bringing them down, that's not what I call a Queen in my book." He said in slight anger.
"Oh dare you!" Chloe snapped as she whipped around towards him. "I am the Queen Paris needs! My father is the mayor after all!" She retorted.
"Which you think you're special because your father is the mayor, well news flash, that's not what makes you special!" Dragold said firmly. "You've been using your father to control and stomp on people he has to protect for nothing but your gain! And you see others as low class and nobody because you think you are higher and more important than them, which you are blinded by that pride of yours to notice. You've been using you're friend Sabrina as your slave!" He stated.
"So what?! At least she isn't a traitor like that Ladylame, my half of sister Zoe, Adritraitor turning his back on me to join up with those losers!" Chloe shot back as she sat on her sunchair and looked away from him.
"Your friend Adrien made his choice because he tried to help you, but found it hopeless since you couldn't even change a peep," Dragold said with a glare. "And not to mention, I heard from Ladybug that you tried to blackmail his friends to get him locked up in his own home again, just to keep him away from them for yourself."
"So what, I would've succeeded if that loser hadn't deleted my video." Chloe seeth.
"But you did take his phone," Dragold said with his arms crossed. "And also, you would've made a great hero like your sister, if you hadn't been so snotty and continued being a jerk."
Chloe hissed as she turned to him. "What do you know? You don't know anything about me."
"Look, Chloe, if you keep being such a-" Dragold tried to say but was cut off.
"Being such an important model and higher girl?" Chloe interrupted with an eye.
"No, if you don't-" Dragold tried to say but was interrupted again.
"Oh, spare me the words. I know that I am right and that heroes shouldn't be here in this city if Ladybug and Cat Noir wasn't around." Chloe said as she didn't notice that Dragold's fist was clenching.
"Chloe, will you just let me-" Dragold was interrupted again.
"Oh, don't spare me the words. Ladybug and Adrien already told me about this whole good thing but I'm not going to fall for it again and you know why? Because it's Ridiculous, Utterly-" Chloe was cut off when Dragold suddenly gave a loud dragon-like roar with his arms out, and Chloe was blown back as she rolled across the floor, her sunglasses falling off and her ponytail coming loose.
Dragold stopped roaring as he took heavy breathes and panted Chloe sat there on the wall as she looked at Dragold in fright he calmed down a bit as he slowly walked towards her, which made Chloe nervous as she gave frightful grunts as Dragold right over her, "Listen up." He said in a low dangerous tone as in the shade his eyes glowed fiery orange. "You need to stop thinking about yourself, because from what I've heard, practically every akumatized villain that acts is traced back to you being terrible. You've been so blinded by your hatred for Ladybug and the other heroes and thinking so highly of yourself, that it's almost got someone else killed, more than once. That is what I call Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous."
"W-Well, if Ladybug and Cat Noir hadn't-" Chloe tried to say before Dragold punched the wall above her, making her stop.
"Stop. Putting. The blame. On them." Dragold growled as kneeled in front of her, "Answer the question with pure honesty, Chloe: Who was that caused the Akumas, who risked the safety of her family by exposing her identity, who betrayed Paris and exposed its heroes to Hawkmoth, and who was the one who did all that for some Utterly worthless fame?" He asked Behind him, Chloe thought she saw a large golden Dragon glaring down at her with burning red eyes.
"M-Me?" Chloe admitted with a frightful look.
"Louder!" Dragold demanded.
"M-Me! It was me!" Chloe said at loud.
"Exactly," Dragold said firmly. "Because of you, you caused more problems for us Miraculous Heroes than it needs to be to defeat Monarch! And half of the time, this was all caused by your issues and selfish demands! But why shouldn't I be surprised because that's your real superpower and probably the only thing you'll ever be noticed for!"
"B-But, I'm the-" Chloe was cut off.
"The most obnoxious person in all of Paris, thinking she has all the power when in reality she has what she always is: Nothing!" Dragold yelled Chloe was shocked by this she just sat there in shock as Dragold sighed. "You know, Chloe, if you haven't such a jerk all the time, you wouldn't have lost you're Miraculous Role, and you could've been a great hero, a real hero who stood up for what's right and would've helped her friends, her real friends, and teammates, but as it turns out, you're nothing but a bad joke." He said as he turned away from her and he slowly walked to the edge as Chloe bowed her head.
Dragold made it to the edge he stopped and stood there for a brief moment as he turned his head to Chloe while giving her a cold look. "So if you ask me, you not just ridiculous, you worthless, utterly-" He stopped himself as he noticed Chloe trembling, "Chloe?"
Chloe kept trembling as she started weeping as she looked up at him with black tear streaks. "Y-You're right Dragold." She whimpered and covered her eyes as she curled in a fetal position and she cried to her knees, "I-I shouldn't have-, I, I'm not…" She stammered, "You're right." She sobbed.
Dragold was surprised by that as he turned to her. "W-What?" He asked as he slowly walked up to Chloe. "Did you just-" He trailed off.
"Y-Yes. I, I admit." Chloe whimpered. "I'm the one who revealed the other heroes' identities, I-I was the one causing most of the akumatization to happen, and I, I, I also caused problems for others. I am a nobody! I'm just a bratty girl who can't even be nice to others for even 5 minutes! Adrien and Ladybug were right, I haven't changed! And I was too blinded by my ego to even see a simple hint! All I wanted was my mother's approval so I tried to be as horrible and demanding as her but it never worked and it's cost me not just, my role as a Miraculous Holder, but also my only friend, Adrien!" She cried. "I am Worthless, Utterly Worthless."
Dragold was surprised to see Chloe cry as he heard Chloe rarely cries for real, and from what Ladybug told her, the only time she cried was how she wanted to make her mother proud of her and not see her as a disappointment when she first used the Bee Miraculous only for it to fail and got her right back where she started.
Dragold now feels bad for snapping at Chloe as he sighs and kneels to her to place a hand on her shoulder. "Chloe, I'm sorry for snapping at you, but from what Adrien and Ladybug tried to say, they were trying to help you become better. But you keep taking their words for granted and never even give being good a real chance." He said softly. "Haven't you ever been nice to someone instead of insulting or demanding them?"
"T-To be honest, I don't remember a time where I've been good," Chloe said as her tears kept falling as she whimpered. "T-The only time is when I tried to help Ladybug get Mayura's Miraculous but botched and got my Miraculous taken away, actually after what I did in public, it was bound to happen."
"Chloe… you gotta know that being popular, famous, or even as a ruler like the mayor isn't gonna get you anywhere." Dragold started. "I've heard about your mother, and judging by how she acts, she's just as bad as you, if not worse. And… wait, Zoe's your sister right?" He asked.
"Half-sister, she's not Daddy's daughter," Chloe answered still sniffling miserably. "And everything I'm not."
"Or maybe she's everything you can still try to be if you follow her example," Dragold said as Chloe looked up at him. "Chloe, if you wanted to be better, and if Zoe's from the same mother but a different dad, doesn't that mean you can be like her and not your mother?" He asked.
"But, I'm not her, or Dupain-, or Marinette," Chloe said hopelessly.
"Not unless you give being good another try." Dragold encouraged. "Listen, Chloe, if you want to be someone else, you gotta stop pretending to be something you don't want to be. It can be hard and pretty humiliating being the nice guy but what waits at the end is worth it."
Chloe looked down, "But, if do become someone better, how will people see me after?" She wondered.
Dragold smiled and laid a hand on her shoulder, "Maybe, they'll like that girl better than the one who betrayed them." He answered as she looked at him, "I know I'm already liking her." He said.
Chloe was surprised by Dragold's words as she gave a blush on her cheeks as she looked away a bit.
"Chloe, you might not be a Miraculous Holder anymore physically, but you are still one by heart." Dragold said, pointing to her chest, "Use that heart, and do more good than bad and maybe, you'll find something even better waiting for you at the end."
Chloe looked at Dragold's hand touching her chest where her heart was as she kept her blush and slowly looked up at him. "W-Why are you being nice to me after all I did?" She asked.
"Because someone I looked up to taught me, that everyone deserves a chance to do great things and be who they want to be. And anyone can be a hero in their ways." Dragold said with a confident smile. "With or without the Miraculous."
Chloe was inspired by Dragold's words as she caught him in a surprise hug she started sobbing Dragold was caught off guard by Chloe hugging him since he knew that Chloe never hugged someone before.
"Thank you," Chloe said softly as she smiled despite the tears flowing out. "You truly are a hero, Dragold."
"Uh, thanks. And you're welcome." Dragold said in surprise as he gave a slight blush before he gently pushed Chloe off him. "Just remember that having friends and being a friend, that's worth more than a hundred Miraculous." He said with a smile.
"Well, ever since Monarch stole the other Miraculous, Ladybug and Cat Noir has at least you and your team," Chloe said with a small smile before giving it a thought. "Which, by the way, how come we never heard from you guys before? The Ladyblogger has been trying to figure that out since you five appeared for her Ladyblog."
"Well, Chloe, when Monarch stole the Miraculous from Ladybug, the balance of power was thrown out of whack." Dragold started as he kept the explanation more straightforward. "The day when Monarch showed himself, that was when mine and the others' Miraculous came for us to help Ladybug and Cat Noir get the other Miraculous back. Though so far, we've seen him using Alliance to transfer the powers to his Akumas." Dragold said with his fingers on his chin. "His figures he'll be able to use them like that so that won't have to loose them again but he didn't account for me and my team using our unique powers to get them back from the other end.
"Wait, Monarch gave the Miraculous to the villains? Doesn't he know that it's risky to lose them?" Chloe asked in confusion."
"Well, his loss our gain, no biggie," Dragold said with a smirk. "As you know, either myself or the other four together, can extract the powers of the Miraculous Monarch gave to his Akumas and take back the jewels and the Kwamis. Which, by the way, are now in the rightful owners." He said with a smile.
Chloe looked concerned as she remembered her former Kwami, "And Pollen?" She asked.
"We haven't rescued her yet, Chloe," Dragold stated solemnly. "We've only rescued Fluff, Daizzi, Orikki and, with this victory, Stompp. Monarch hasn't used the power of the Bee yet first. So Pollen's still trapped with him. But we'll get her and the others back."
"Please do, she's my sister's Kwami. She's been worried about her since her capture." Chloe said in concern. "So have I, even though I don't show it much."
"Don't worry, if Monarch uses Pollen's powers on his next Akuma, you and Zoey will be the first to know," Dragold promised.
"Okay, but won't Monarch come after the others you took back since he knows of their holder's identity?" Chloe asked in concern.
"It's better if they were separate from Ladybug and safer to be with their owners," Dragold stated. "Besides, he knows that when one hero's in danger the others come running."
"Amazing," Chloe said with a smile. "I guess Paris is lucky to have heroes like you."
"Yeah, I guess we do," Dragold said with a smile before he looked at his amulet beeping as he gasped. "Oh shoot! I forgot the ten-minute limit!" He panicked.
"Wait, ten minutes? Wasn't it five?" Chloe explained.
"Our Miraculous are stronger than others, even Ladybug's and Cat Noir's!" Dragold said frantically as he was about to run, "I've gotta go before I-" He was cut off as he transformed and he deadpanned, "Crud." Daniel grumbled.
"Wait, haven't I seen you before?" Chloe asked as she took a closer look at Daniel looked nervous as she gasped. "Wait, you're one of those los-I mean-kids who were eating with Adrien the other day!" She exclaimed in shock.
Daniel tried to deny it, wrestling with himself as Huánglóng looked at him dully, "I doubt you can scrap anything from this, young master." Huánglóng said simply.
"Hey, give me a break! I'm still learning my way around this superhero thing!" Daniel said in defense as he held up a piece of chicken. "Now shut it and eat it." He said as Huánglóng started eating and Daniel sighed, "Chloe, this Huánglóng, Kawmi of the Golden Dragon of the Center."
"Another dragon Miraculous? Huh, that's rare." Chloe commented as she smiled and brought Huánglóng over to her, "Oh, but he's so adorable." She cooed and rubbed the Kawmi's hair.
Huánglóng grumbled, "I am not Adorable, I am one of the most powerful beings on earth!" He retorted.
"Sheesh, grumpy much?" Chloe asked with a brow.
"Ah, he's just very proud. He and his four Kwami pals are what the other Kwamis called the Great Ones, they're like the protestors of some sort." Daniel explained with a chuckle.
Huánglóng then turned to Chloe, "The Young Master is correct , I can see you have the potential to be better if given the chance and the effort." He said wisely before turning to Daniel, "It's time to go."
"Okay. Just one more thing." Daniel said as he turned to Chloe. "Chloe, no one can ever find out who I am, especially if Monarch will come for the Zodiac Miraculous, can I trust you to keep my secret and not blackmail me with it to help your popularity?" He asked her seriously.
Chloe sees the serious look in his eyes she could see this was a test to see if she would truly turn over a new leaf, to see if she really could change. "Okay, I promise. I won't tell anyone. And I mean it." She promised.
Daniel nodded as he held her shoulder. "Just remember what we talk about. Make a real effort to be better Chloe." He told her holding out his hand, "So whaddya say, friends?"
Chloe looked at Daniel's hand for a second before she gave a courageous smile and took it as the two shook hands. "Friends." She said as they smiled at each other, eyes reflecting each other before they let go with smiles as Daniel walked back a bit.
"Huánglóng, Heaven Ascend!" Daniel exclaimed as he transformed back into Dragold he turned and jumped on the railing. "See you around, Chloe, and if you ever need to talk, just call and I'll be there in a flash." He said before jumping off the rail and into the city.
Chloe watched him go as storm clouds appeared in the sky and rain started sprinkling down. "Good luck Daniel, I know you and the others will defeat Monarch." She said as she then entered her room before she got even more wet.
Once in her room, she saw the door open and Zoe walked in, "Hey Chloe, father just got home and-" Zoe stopped herself when she noted Chloe's appearance, "Whoa, what happened to you?" She asked as Chloe turned and smiled at her, but it was different from the smile she usually saw, "Chloe, why are you looking at me like that?" Zoe asked.
Chloe remembered Daniel's advice and then walked up to Zoe and did something her sister never expected. She gave her sister a hug, which surprised Zoe from that.
"I'm, really happy that you're here…sis," Chloe said warmly.
Zoe was caught off guard by what Chloe said before she smiled, hearing the sincerity in Chloe's voice, and hugged Chloe back, "I'll always be there for you, Chlo." Zoe told her.
"I know you will. And this time, I'll be there for you." Chloe said as the two sisters kept hugging Zoe was unsure of what caused her sister's sudden change of heart but she greatly welcomed it and Chloe, for the first time in her life, felt like she was truly on top of the world.
In his room, Ivan sat on the bed, looking at the ceiling while also remembering the time he had as Minotaurox.
"Man, it's still not the same without Stompp. Even if it was for emergencies." Ivan said while sitting up with a hand on his chin before looking to his window and saw Phoenix perched outside, waving to him, "Southern Phoenix?" He asked as he went up to the window and opened it.
"Hey, Ivan. A little birdy told me that this used to belong to you." Phoenix said handing him a miracle box, "Take care of it, and don't forget to remove your Alliance ring. We'll see you soon Minotaurox." She said before flying off in the rainy weather.
Ivan watched her go as he looked at the miracle box before he walked back inside and opened it up, revealing the Ox Miraculous. Then a bright blue orb of light shot out before turning into into a familiar Kawmi to the boy.
"Stompp! You're back!" Ivan exclaimed happily before he caught Stompp in his hands. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Nothing can keep me down." Stompp assured as his belly growled, "But I could go for some milk."
Ivan nodded as he put the nose ring on, and looked at his Alliance ring before he took it off, remembering Dragold's warning. "Come on buddy, let's get some food," Ivan told his Kwami as they left for the kitchen.
Stompp smiled as he relaxed in the hands of his rightful owner.
In Monarch's lair, Monarch is thrashing around in rage for losing another Kwami and Miraculous as he kicked or tossed anything around as the Kawmis lazed around, ignoring their captor's tantrum. "Is he gonna realize that it's pointless to keep us in these cages if the great ones can rescue us?" Trixx asked as she lay on her side.
"I think it just gives him the false impression that he's still in control," Sass said as he sat like he was meditating.
"Well, Monarch is one for keeping grudges. And I doubt he'll give up anytime soon." Barkk added with a bored expression while lying on her back.
Monarch stopped as he clenched his fists, taking heavy breaths before he calmed down and looked at his rings again. "Now I see why the Zodiac Holders are a formidable force. Which means that once I have Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculous, the power of those five will make me invincible." He declared as his window closed.
Back at the Museum, the Zodiac heroes met up with Kagami and Luka before they found Adrien calling out for Marinette.
"Marinette! Marinette! Marinette!" Adrien called as they then turned and saw Marinette peeking out from behind a statue.
"Whew. Are you out of danger? Is it over?" Marinette asked.
Adrien then runs up to Marinette in relief. "Marinette! Yeah, don't worry, everything's okay now!" He said holding her shoulders.
Marinette then chuckles nervously and pulls away from Adrien, "Good! With this whole akumatized villain thing, it's gotten so late, and now, I gotta go." She then starts to walk away slowly. "Besides, I have some sewing to do and some stickers to stick. See you later, guys!" She called out quickly before she ran away.
Daniel shook his head with a small smirk. "When she's Ladybug, she faces danger right at the face, but when she's Marinette, she's afraid to even look the boy she loves in the eye." He said.
Adrien looked to where Marinette ran as Kagami approached, "So, have you figured out how you feel about Marinette?" She asked with a hand on her hip.
"Yes, I think I'm in love," Adrien answered with a smile.
Outside the museum, Marinette walks in the rain with a heavy-heart. She turns to look at a poster of Cat Noir in front of her and breaks down, crying.
Tikki peeks out from Marinette's purse when she heard her owner crying. "Are you okay, Marinette?" She asked her holder.
Marinette covered her eyes, "No, Tikki, it's a cat-astrophe!" She said as she moved her hands away to show tears in her eyes, "I think I'm falling in love…" She said sorrowfully.
At the entrance of the Museum, the Zodiac team heard her and looked at each other, "Oh, this is a problem." Daniel said with a cringe.
"Great, first it was Adrien who loves Ladybug and Marinette loves Adrien, but now Adrien loves Marinette and Marinette loves Cat Noir." Jacob sarcastically said. "Not funny universe!"
Molly looked to her friends, "Now what do we do?" She asked in confusion.
Daniel sighed. "Well, no turning back now. Our best chance is to at least see how this plays out. And if it goes south, we try and find a way to help them reveal their identities when they're ready." He said thoughtfully, seeing that things just took a turn that they didn't see coming and that the love square was now reversed for Ladybug and Cat Noir and their true identities.