Battle Cry
"Are we seriously having this conversation?" Demanded Alya, glaring at Nino. The rest of the Miraculous team watched the two argue, while Adrien scowled at his arms.
"She failed to stop Monarch, lied to us about his identity and lied to Adrien and told him his dad was a hero!" Snapped Nino, "She's done nothing but lie, she's no better than Lila or Monarch!"
"Felix and Kagami knew, are they no better than them or are they exempt from that view?" Retorted Alya, as her miraculous warmed against her skin, "She doesn't call out for help often, if she's doing it now, it's serious!"
"Felix and Kagami didn't have a choice, she did!" Yelled Nino, getting an eye roll from Alya.
"Fine, whatever," Huffed Alya, turning away, "I'm going to Ladybug, you can…do whatever."
Alya stalked away, with Luka and Zoe following her. Three flashes of light told the group that the three had transformed and gone to Ladybug.
Nino huffed through his nose and turned around, looking at Adrien, "Sorry you had to see that, bud."
Adrien stayed silent, tracing invisible patterns on the table.
"Adrien, are you okay?" Asked Marc, getting a shrug from Adrien.
"Do you think I over-reacted?" Adrien's voice was quiet, but everyone heard him.
"No-" Nino was interrupted by Kagami, "Yes."
Everyone looked at Kagami, "Marinette only found out about Monarch's identity an hour or two before we left, but she acted alone while everyone else was affected by the Akuma. I'd known for a couple of months before telling Marinette."
Everyone's Miraculous suddenly became hot, before rapidly cooling.
"W-what was that?" Asked Adrien, as Plagg appeared in front of him.
"Something's happened."
BC
Rena, Viperion and Vesperia leaped and bounded over the rooftops of Paris, all racing towards the Louvre, they could see Ladybug fighting with someone with what looked like to be a dog's head. It looked like the dog-headed person was winning.
Rena leapt into the air, launching herself feet first into the person's head. It looked like a man. He grunted, as Rena kicked him into Viperion's fist and Vesperia's foot. Ladybug was breathing heavily, as Rena turned to her.
"Are you alright?" Asked Rena, frantically checking Ladybug over.
Ladybug looked down and Rena almost screamed at the sight of the knife in her side.
"We need to get you to a hospital." Said Rena, trying to pull Ladybug to her feet.
"We need to help the Akuma victim." Wheezed Ladybug, letting out a cough.
"Mari, if we don't get you to a hospital, you could die." Begged Rena, her throat getting tight.
"It won't be a big loss," Shrugged Ladybug, "the team wouldn't care."
"I would." Rena's voice broke, making Ladybug look up.
Ladybug's eyes widened, before she shoved Rena out of the way, half-a-second later, a khopesh was embedded in her chest. Ladybug looked down, as Rena looked up at her and screamed, before Ladybug let out a final breath, closed her eyes and fell forwards.
Rena stared, horrified, at the blade of the khopesh sticking out of Ladybug's back. The blade dissolved into dust, reforming in the person's hand. With a swing of his arm, Viperion and Vesperia were knocked down, and the person rushed to Ladybug's body and picked it up.
"Ffffindersss keeepeerss." Wheezed the person, before vanishing in a plume of smoke, taking Ladybug's body with him.
Rena stared at the spot where the man had vanished, oblivious to Chat Noir and the rest of the Miraculous Team arriving on the roof top.
BC
Ladybug's body hit the floor of Hawkmoth's lair in the Parisian Catacombs, making Hawkmoth look at the man.
"I thought you said you needed her alive." Said Hawkmoth, as the man stared at the corpse.
When she didn't receive a response, Hawkmoth sauntered over to Ladybug's body and delivered a kick to its side. Within a moment, the man had grabbed Hawkmoth by the throat, and slammed her into the wall.
"That…was unwise." Growled the man, glaring at Hawkmoth, "I'd hate to have to find a new use for you."
Hawkmoth sneered, "Let me down, Anubis."
Anubis sneered back, before dropping Hawkmoth, he didn't care for her name and he didn't care for her motives.
"I never said I needed her alive, I just need her Miraculous, having her bones is a bonus." Said Anubis, drawing an Ankh on Ladybug's forehead with her own blood, "It means I won't have to wait to acclimatise to it."
The Ankh faded, as Ladybug's suit became dark red with blood red spots. The body convulsed, before Ladybug's body jumped to its feet, glassy eyes were narrowed into a glare as the body snarled and tried to launch itself at Anubis.
"Hmm, it's not strong enough to fight its former comrades." Mused Anubis, before looking at Hawkmoth, "I guess you'll have to do."
Deadbug's head snapped to Hawkmoth, before releasing a horrifying scream and charging at Hawkmoth. Within moments, the zombified heroine had launched itself across the room, before tearing in Hawkmoth as it devoured her.
Anubis laughed as Hawkmoth screamed.
BC
Deadbug clambered around the sewers, growling and groaning as it moved, grabbing rats and tearing into them. Anubis stood over a whimpering Hawkmoth, smirking as she tried to clean up the bite marks.
"Contrary too popular belief," Said Anubis, "my dead don't turn people by biting them, mine just eat what they need and leave, like leeches."
Anubis crouched down and whispered, "Don't go anywhere."
"Bug!" Called Anubis, making Deadbug to stop, "Come!"
The monster growled, before prowling towards him, leaving Hawkmoth in a pool of her own blood.
"You can make yourself useful by sending out an Akuma to lure the others out." Dismissed Anubis, before leaving with the monster.
BC
"What do you mean you can't?!" Demanded Alya, glaring at Alix, "You said Marinette wasn't supposed to die, so why can't you prevent this?!"
"Als," Said Nino, gently touching Alya's arm, "it's okay."
Alya gave Nino a withering look, he saw anger in her eyes, coupled with grief, but if Alya was going to say anything she decided not to, as she huffed through her nose and stalked away.
Nino went to say something, when everyone's phones went off with an Akuma Alert. Quickly glancing at it, Nino quietly groaned, someone had been Akumatized over Marinette's, Ladybug's, death. Luka had told them what Marinette's last words were and, while there was still the slight division over Monarch, everyone was shocked at what Marinette had thought.
Nino glanced over at Adrien, who hadn't said anything since they saw Marinette dissolve into dust, before deciding to get anyone other than Adrien, and the three that had been with Marinette, to deal with it.
"There's an Akuma." Said Nino, getting anyone's attention, "Who wants to deal with it?"
"How?" Asked Nathaniel, "Only Marinette could fix things and she's dead."
Nino winced, before Kagami got up, "I'll take some people."
Nino smiled, before Kagami, Félix, Sabrina and Ivan left to deal with the Akuma.
Fifteen minutes later, Nino found himself with the rest of the team as they fought off the Akuma, which turned out to be Marinette's reanimated remains. The Dog-headed person from before was at a distance, commanding Marinette's body. They'd started referring to it as Deadbug, as if to rub in the fact Marinette was dead.
With an inhuman scream, Deadbug would launch herself at various members of the team, while it may be Marinette's body, it didn't have her skills or intelligence. Pegasus had mentioned that it was a good thing, citing the number of times Marinette had beaten him at chess.
'Dog-head' obviously didn't like how poorly Deadbug was doing, decided to change tactics. A moment later, an Akuma flew into the gaping chest wound on Deadbug's body. The wound sealed up and Deadbug started hacking up strange, fleshy-looking clumps. Deadbug stopped hacking and breathed in, raising her head, her eyes, which had been a reddish black, were now purple. A sneer appeared on her face. With a scream, she detached the yoyo on her hip and turned it into a staff.
The staff connected with Carapace's shield and Viperion's lute, cracking the former and shattering the latter.
"Pathetic." Snarled Darkbug, as she grabbed Viperion's throat.
A Black blur zoomed past Carapace and tackled Darkbug. Viperion gasped as Chat Noir and Darkbug vanished down into a sewer.
Chat desperately tried to get Ladybug to snap out of whatever Hawkmoth had done to her. The usual bright red suit was dark and the spots blurring into the red, her eyes were purple, and her face was curled into a snarl.
"M'Lady, please, it's me." Pleaded Chat, as Darkbug stalked towards him.
"Stop calling me that!" Snarled Darkbug, conjuring a sword out of thin air and swinging it at Chat, "She's gone, pest!"
Chat managed to knock the sword away, before she punched him with enough force to send him through the ceiling, the road on top of it and into the roof of a building. Chat groaned as he rolled onto his side.
"Dude!" Yelled Carapace, rushing towards him, "Are you alright?"
Darkbug landed on the rooftop, Chat scrambled away from her, with Darkbug striking the roof where he'd been moments before. Darkbug screamed and continued to strike at him. Each blow missing by a hair. Darkbug threw her sword, embedding into the roof a short way away from Chat. Darkbug went to punch Chat, only for Chat to grab her fist.
"Marinette, please," Begged Chat, "it's me, it's Adrien."
Darkbug looked confused, before standing up, her eyes flickering between purple and blue, before finally settling on blue. Her suit brightened and her spots became black.
"Adrien?" Murmured Ladybug, before swaying slightly.
Chat grinned, before Ladybug froze. The Khopesh that would've embedded itself into Ladybug's back was blocked by a green shield.
"Where's the Akuma?" Asked Carapace, as Ladybug shook her head.
"There," Ladybug coughed, "There isn't one. He's using a miraculous."
"Okay." Nodded Ryuko, landing next to Ladybug, "Where is it?"
"The choker, it kind of looks like a dog collar." Groaned Ladybug, "Oh, I'm gonna throw up."
Ryuko blinked, before she looked at Rena, "get her out of here."
Rena nodded, before vaulting off with Ladybug. Ryuko turned and looked at the Miraculous user, "Anyone have an idea how we're supposed to beat this guy?"
BC
Marinette threw up as soon as she dropped her transformation. Alya dropped hers and looked at Marinette.
"You okay, girl?" Asked Alya, as Marinette continued to throw up.
"Gimmie a minute." Heaved Marinette, as she spat out some bile, "Okay, let's get back there."
"What?" Asked Alya, "No, you've got a chest wound and we don't know how things are going to go if you go back there."
"I have a plan." Protested Marinette, before resting against the wall, "give me a minute."
A soft thud had Alya recalling her transformation and swinging her flute at the source of the noise. Su Han stared at her, before looking at Marinette, "How did Anubis escape?"
Marinette shrugged, before trying to straighten up, only to collapse back against the wall, "This is starting to become a problem."
Su Han frowned, before looking at Alya, "Where's the Akuma?"
"In her chest, it's the only thing keeping her sane."
"Has she tried healing?"
"No, it's still in her chest."
"The Akuma's already been purified, as soon as she casts the cure it'll no longer need to keep her alive." Said Su Han, as Marinette winced.
"Tikki," Rasped Marinette, making the weaken Kwami look up, "Spots On."
Ladybug slowly got to her feet, she coughed out, "L-lucky c-ch-charm."
A red and black spotted first aid kit hit the floor. Rena quickly grabbed it and passed it to Ladybug.
"Mmmm, miiiraaculoouss," Wheezed Ladybug, "L-laadeeeeeebuugg."
A swarm of ladybugs swarmed over the city, repairing the damage done by Ladybug and Anubis' initial battle and the fight between Chat Noir and Darkbug. The swarm suddenly slammed into Ladybug's chest. Coughing up some blood, Ladybug fell down onto one knee.
The swarm vanished, leaving a heaving Ladybug covering her mouth with her hand. After one forceful cough, a single white butterfly fell onto her hand. The Butterfly shook off the bile covering it and flew off.
"Bye-bye, little butterfly." Murmured Ladybug, before getting up, "I conjured a sword, where is it?"
"It should still be on the roof." Answered Rena, looking at Ladybug, "girl, no offense, but your last fight with that guy left you covered in cuts."
"Have you used the shielding feature?" Asked Su Han, getting Ladybug and Rena's attention, "You just need to say the Kwami's name and guard up."
Ladybug and Rena looked at each other.
"Okay." Sighed Ladybug, "Tikki, Guard Up!"
Red and black spotted plate armour formed on her feet, legs, hands and forearms, while similarly coloured padded chain mail formed on her chest and abdomen. Ladybug looked down at herself, "Wow."
BC
The team kept moving around Anubis, they didn't stay in one place for two long, so the dark miraculous user couldn't land any serious hits on them. Pigella suddenly tripped and fell to the ground.
Anubis gave a sneering grin and licked his lips, "Finally."
He threw a khopesh towards her, Pigella closed her eyes and waited for the blade to hit her. The sound of metal hitting metal made her look up. A broadsword had batted the khopesh toward the ground. An armoured Ladybug and Rena Rouge stood in front of her.
Ladybug spun the sword in her hand, before she leapt towards Anubis. Rena drew two daggers and followed Ladybug's lead. With Anubis suddenly on the backfoot, the team converged on him, with Purple Tigress grabbing the Jackal choker and yanked it off Anubis.
The man screamed as she dissolved into a pile of bones. Ladybug prodded his remains with the tip of her sword.
"Tikki, Guard Down." Said Ladybug, after a moment.
Ladybug sighed and looked around, "Is anyone else hungry?"
Nino absently nodded, "Yeah. I think I saw Andre while we were fighting."
"Good. Cool." Muttered Ladybug, relaxing, "Let's…let's get some ice cream."
The team started leaving, as King Monkey asked, "So, what's it like being dead?"
"Surprisingly quiet."