Cat Amongst Us
"I take it that we all found some very crucial information," Alya said.
After returning to Paris, Izuku, Mina, Alya and Alix all gathered back in Izuku's apartment to compare notes. All the revelations and the information they had collected shed light on things, but it wasn't the type of light they were hoping to get for their next strike against Hawkmoth. But as they were now, they now knew what kind of monster they were facing and at what lengths he would go to have the empire that was denied to him.
They all turned to the board of evidence and information, pinning all the new intel they had gotten ahold of.
"We did. Our suspicions were confirmed, but sadly not without learning some other things. Years ago, Gabriel Agreste was the original Hawkmoth, a notorious gangster that used his Miraculous to control the flow of drugs in and out of the city with the aid of Nathalie, current owner of the Red Arrow." Izuku pinned a picture of Gabriel next to a drawn picture of his Hawkmoth persona. "However, as his Miraculous reached its limits more and more, he sought to create an heir. One that he could mold to fit his own twisted desires."
"He found twin sisters that had Miraculouses with better energy manipulation and absorption, the Graham the Vanily sisters, Emilie and Amalie. After marrying Emilie, he tried often to produce an heir, growing more frustrated by the day up until he got drunk one night and sexually assaulted Amalie. This led to the conception of Felix Fathom Graham de Vanily." Mina pinned the picture of Felix and Amelie together before linking them to Gabriel with a red string. "He was born just a month before Adrien, thus becoming Gabriel's eldest son without his knowledge. Gabriel then spent the next few years preparing, or at least trying to groom, Adrien to become the next Hawkmoth. Only for Adrien to desperately seek freedom from his father and his empire."
"Meanwhile on the other side of the English Channel, Felix learned through some source of his true lineage and made it his mission to take over Gabriel's empire as he believed that he deserved it or that it was owed to him. To do this, he chose a time and a place to switch places with Adrien and take over as Gabriel's son." Alya strung the picture of Felix and Adrien together before pinning a note that read 'swap' between them. "He then would take over for Gabriel as Hawkmoth and rule his criminal empire after it had been on decline for several years. But if Adrien was more than happy to escape from under his father's thumb, why did Felix kill him?" Alya asked.
"I think that's where our sweet little baker single mom comes into play. If Adrien knew that he was going to be a father, then he would do everything in his power to protect his family from his father. I think he was planning to go to the police and tell them everything his old man was. And I'm guessing that Felix didn't like that." Alix pinned a picture of Marinette and Damian next to Adrien. "He must've killed him in a fit of rage or temporary madness. He then was forced to switch places and faked his own death using his own brother/cousin for the coffin. Given his secretive nature no one noticed the difference. Except those that knew the boys well enough, Mr. Colt and Nathalie."
"He then spent a whole year becoming or at least pretending to be everything Gabriel wanted for a son. Which meant that he took over for Nathalie as his right hand man. And once he was close enough, he took out his father." Izuku tied a string to a drawing of Felix's own version of Hawkmoth. "Using his connections and his stronger version of Gabriel's Miraculous, he started his own reign as the kingpin of Paris." Izuku finished up tying the board, showing the connections between Gabriel, Felix and Hawkmoth and all the crimes that they had committed in Paris and in other countries.
The group looked at the board with pride. All their efforts had been worth it. But now they needed to find the crucial piece of this puzzle before moving on with the evidence needed to put the villain away forever.
"Now that we know who his parents were and how their Miraculous work, we should be able to figure out how his Miraculous works." Mina bit her thumb.
"He can take and give a Miraculous away through the use of energy manifested butterflies. That resembles a transmission type Miraculous with a form of containment." Alya pointed out.
"So, he's like his old man but with a bug theme?" Alix asked.
"No. Like a butterfly cage or a butterfly collection." Izuku ran through his notes and the information that he'd gathered from his fight with Hawkmoth. "He manipulates the energy into butterfly figures for him to consume or give out. This way he leaves a mark on those he gives or takes, in the shape of a butterfly tattoo. But handling and containing all that energy requires a lot of support and concentration. Which leaves the body exhausted and weak if the support items are damaged or destroyed."
"What about temperature?" Mina asked. "He was weak against Frozer's ice Miraculous. From what you said, it wasn't just him acting."
Izuku looked down in thought. Miraculous users with energy transmission and conductive abilities tended to have bodies sensitive to certain elements. The number one hero had Hot and Cold Miraculous and he needed to use a cooling and temperature controlling piece of support.
"The black lines that appeared in Adrien's face were a side effect of the intense cold. Which means that his body, like that of a butterfly, is unable to withstand extreme cold temperatures," Izuku said. "Then we need to freeze him."
"Got the number one hero on speed dial?" Alix asked.
Just then the phones of Izuku and Mina started buzzing, calling them. They pulled up their phones, opening them to see who was calling them. It was the emergency call of the police reaching out to all the officers and members of the force within the city. It was the type of alert that meant 'all hands on deck' before things took a nasty turn. Which meant that there was one thing going on, something big was going down and they needed to head there in less than five seconds.
"What are the odds that the boss wants us to go to the office and get ready to suit up with the Special Forces?" Mina asked.
"If that's the case, then it means that Captain Kendo got something from Lila. But what could she have gotten in exchange for that information?" Izuku asked.
"Let's ask the boss lady once we see her." Mina gestured to Izuku to follow her.
"Keep us informed." Alya then turned to the board. "This is one crazy story."
"Yep. Your boss better give you a raise after she comes down from the high of amazing we just pulled." Alix wrapped her arm around Alya's shoulder. "We got them dad, Jahid. We got them."
"You want to cry?" Alya caressed Alix's head.
"Maybe later," Alix replied.
Izuku and Mina arrived at Police Headquarters to see the entirety of the other officers were armed and getting armor on as Captain Kendo and several of the Top Ten Heroes spoke with each other. The members of the Top Ten Heroes in the room were Turtle Sentry, Queen Bee, Mirko, Dynamight, and Freezer Burn. They quickly went up with the other officers, many of whom congratulated and apologized to them for having their break cut short. As they got ever closer, they managed to see what all the heroes and police were looking at, pictures of the Agreste Mansion and pictures of Adrien Agreste, and all the many ways they could trap him and keep him from escaping. But this wasn't like any arrest they had done before, it was like they were gearing up for war.
"This doesn't look good." Izuku muttered.
"I guess you-know-who spilled the beans." Mina whispered before listening in on the conversation.
"...We need to keep him boxed in and in the open. Do not let him get away." Kendo pointed to the intersections. "His mansion is a fortress and that will make a forward assault a little harder than expected. But we have the element of surprise on our side. Listen up, this arrest needs to be fast but also quiet. We'll move and keep civilians out of the crossfire. The fastest we can get there the better. Our man is Adrien Agreste aka Hawkmoth, a name that has been circulating the last few years as a gangster boogeyman. He's responsible for a long series of crimes including drug smuggling, money laundering, terrorism, extortion, creation of villains and murder. Forget what you know about him." Kendo's eyes landed on Izuku and Mina. "This man is dangerous and a villain. He'll end today in a cell, understood?"
Everyone nodded in agreement and was ready to head out. This left Izuku and Mina unsure of where to head out to, they weren't expecting to move against Hawkmoth so quickly. A quick and unprepared move against the Kingpin of Paris would lead to many casualties and civilians caught in the middle of the fight. As well as the possibility of Adria-Felix sneaking out through a secret passage or in the middle of the chaos that was going on around the battling. The aid of the heroes would be invaluable but it was far too possible that someone like Hawkmoth had at least some kind of defense against them in the far chance that they ever went after him. The group would have an edge with the aid of Freezerburn as the ace on the frontlines, but that still wasn't enough.
"So, any ideas?" Mina asked.
"A frontal assault will be too dangerous, and Felix won't stay for a prolonged fight if he can avoid it," Izuku replied. "He'll probably try to use the sewers under the mansion to slip away and then come back in a few years. We need to catch Felix off before he leaves."
"Felix?"
Izuku and Mina turned to see Kendo standing before them.
"Captain Kendo." Izuku and Mina saluted their captain.
"At ease. Sorry your first day back on the job is so hectic. But this is what Noamasa had been working towards and we finally have the evidence to take down Hawkmoth." Kendo saluted her detectives.
"Where did you get all this information, Captain Kendo?" Izuku asked.
"Lila Rossi gave up all the intelligence she had on Adrian Agreste and Hawkmoth's crimes, turns out that she was keeping a little nest egg in case she ever needed an out." Kendo felt like she needed to wash her mouth with soap. "She had a whole written down journal that recorded all of his transactions. All in exchange for a ticket out of Paris and a sentence commuted to a low security prison in the United States."
"What?! After what she did?! There's no way they agreed to that!" Mina snapped.
"I don't like it any better, but we don't have a choice. Tell me, what's this about Felix? What does he have to do with the case?" Kendo asked.
"Felix Graham de Vanily is Adrian Agreste's cousin, he was believed dead six years ago. But in truth, he switched places with Adrian and took over his life." Mina explained. "The real Adrian has been dead for more than five years."
Kendo's eyes widened at the revelation. But considering all that she had learned from Lila Rossi of all people, she wasn't the least bit surprised that she left out that tiny detail. But it was too late to growl at that thought, there was little time to prepare and not a lot to change at the last minute.
"I better go and check up on Katsuki." Izuku ran to meet up with his friend, hoping that he was doing better than before.
"Alright, but you two need to tell us if there is any possibility that we might've missed something." Kendo said as Izuku left.
Izuku rushed to his friend's side, who was glaring at the pictures on the wall. He could tell that he was angry at Adrian or at himself for what had happened with him and Lila. Either way he couldn't blame him if he didn't want to talk to anyone. But he had to at least make sure that his friend was alright even if he got snarled at or chewed out. He was well aware that this life was rarely fair to anyone.
"Hey, Katsuki, how are you holding up?" Izuku asked, getting Katsuki to look at him.
"Oh, hey Izuku. Not the best time for me to visit the workplace, right?" Katsuki turned back to the picture. "Heard you became a detective now, huh?"
"Yeah, got the promotion not that long ago. If you need to talk about anything, just tell me. I know this is probably not the best time but," Izuku said.
"It's alright, I know what you mean." Katsuki pulled out the picture of him and Lila before letting out a small explosion burn it to ashes. "I played the patsy for her and she got what she deserved. Maybe I can't take it out on her for what she did. But I sure as hell can take it out on her shit boss." Katsuki walked away to meet up with the other heroes.
Izuku looked down at the remaining bits of the picture, watching it burn. He couldn't blame Katsuki for being angry. He was pretty angry for what she had done to him and others. But for now, they needed to focus on the true villain, Hawkmoth, Felix Graham De Vanily.
Izuku and Mina waited with the rest of the forces as they all got into position. They were covering any entrances or exits from the streets without being noticed by the cameras of the mansion. They had quietly moved all the people out of the streets, blocking any of them from getting caught in the crossfire. The heroes were waiting to storm the front gates while everyone else got ready to move in and arrest Hawkmoth before he had a chance to flee.
Izuku and Mina had managed to send text messages to Alya and Alix, keeping them informed of the situation before anything could happen. They still had some blueprints of the mansion from their last sneak in attempt with the drone and from Izuku and Mina's time inside the mansion. It wasn't hard to look up the information and find any possible escape routes that Hawkmoth would take if he had to. It was almost a certainty that he would try to flee and come back to fight another day under a new alias. Which was why they would have to cover every basis they could think of if they were to defeat the kingpin of Paris. Something that felt like a dream a few weeks ago. But now it was a reality, a reality they had helped create.
"Just got confirmation. All surrounding areas have been evacuated." Kendo spoke through the radio. "Alright, all units, prepare to move. Snipers, Special Forces, we all move in quickly and hit him before he has a chance to react. The heroes will go first and we'll surround him. Anyone that gets caught in the crossfire needs to be taken away from the mansion and the premises before they get hurt."
The air was tense around the officers and the heroes. Almost like they had to walk under the canals of Paris to get to where they had to go. Izuku and Mina both knew that if they made a wrong move, they could get killed or worse. Part of them felt like they'd be better off if Izuku could don his own costume and fight without restrictions. But with so many heroes, that would be suicide at best. A one-way ticket to the slammer with a cell right next to Hawkmoth was not the best way for him to spend the rest of his time as a detective.
They would have to make due with what they had. It wasn't much but it was better than nothing in their eyes.
"Alright, move out." Kendo ordered as everyone drove out to the front of the mansion.
One of the armored trucks rammed down the front gate as Mirko, Dynamight and Turtle Sentryran ahead with Freezerburn and Queen bee stood back while the rest of the officers ran inside with all their weapons drawn. They reached the door with ease before reeling back a kick to knock it down.
"The party just arrived!" Mirko's ears caught something coming up to the front door. "Get back!" She called out only for a massive beast to smash through the front door sending everyone back.
From the smoke, came out Dabi, Toga, and three other villains they didn't recognize. The first one was a tall dark woman with six arms with a large black spider on her chest and dreadlocks on her head, this was Annansi. The next one resembled a large purple-furred gorilla with blue skin and glowing yellow eyes, this was Gorizilla. And the last one was a large blue toad-like creature with a large butterfly symbol on its face, this was Feast.
"You heroes didn't think the boss wasn't prepared for your untimely arrival?" Toga giggled.
"He brought us all together to greet you and destroy you." Dabi ignited his arms with blue flames. "Now, kill them all!
Everyone took cover as the heroes and villains clashed in a fearsome collision. Mirko kicked against Toga's blades. Turtle Sentry blocked Annansi's six incoming punches. Freezerburn and Dabi matched flames. Dynamight fired his explosive rounds against Feast as it swallowed everything with its long tongue. And Queen Bee was chased after by Gorizilla's massive hands.
Chaos exploded all around the officers, pushing them back as the heroes and villains battled it out. The powerful Miraculouses sent shockwaves and destruction to every part of the Agreste front yard. Several of the officers were pushed back by the shockwaves while others were sent flying. The trucks were flung over the walls and others crashed through them like they were made out of plastic. The fitting description of the scene would be a warzone that exploded into the streets of the Parisian neighborhood. Officers, special forces and whatever civilians were still in the area were now caught up in the middle of the clash between the heroes and the villains.
"How did this happen?!" Izuku and Mina ducked behind a patrol car as Dynamight flew through the air, dodging Feast's extending blue tongue. "Who are these guys?!" Mina asked.
"They must be Hawkmoth's last line of defense!" Izuku covered Mina as chunks of ice and blue flames fell around them. "He must've found out that we were coming and brought them in to fight off any assisting heroes."
"But why would he do that?! This all but admits who he is! Is he tired of hiding?!" Mina fired a shot at Gorizilla as he tried to catch Queen Bee. "Damn it! How come we didn't get some higher caliber weapons?"
"This is a distraction," Izuku said, realizing what Felix was doing. "He's using this battle and the chaos to slip past everyone unnoticed and live to fight another day. Come back with a new face and name."
Kendo ducked next to them as Annansi tossed one of the armored trucks at Turtle Sentry's shield.
"How are you holding up so far?" Kendo fired a shot at Anansi, giving the older hero an opening.
"We think Felix is trying to escape, using the chaos as a smokescreen to flee." Izuku explained as a large boulder fell on top of the car they were hiding behind.
"So happy you didn't let me drive my car, captain." Mina muttered.
"We got all the streets covered and pictures of his face scattered to each officer. He's not going to escape through the streets," Kendo said. "The only other two ways are from the air and underground. But there aren't any helicopters moving towards us."
"So that leaves the underground. We need to catch him before he leaves Paris under our noses." Izuku was not going to allow that criminal to get away this time. "Do we have anyone covering the sewers?"
"We don't! Midoriya, Ashido, go underground and find Hawkmoth, but do not engage." Kendo ducked from an explosion. "Call for backup and we'll lead him to a trap. Understood?"
"Oui Capitaine!" Izuku and Mina nodded, running towards one of the sewer entrances.
It wasn't the cleanest reason to get away from the action. But it was the best they got with the circumstances that they had. The way down to the sewers was a quiet one but as soon as they were underground, they made a call to Alya and Alix, hoping that they had a map of the sewers at hand. The sewers and the catacombs were a labyrinth and it wasn't out of the ordinary to find a spot or two that were hidden from everyone else. It was one of the reasons Izuku often used the sewers as an escape route if he had to make a quick getaway. And the irony was not lost on him, with him now hunting the villain that tried to do his own escape from under everyone's feet.
"According to the maps, there aren't any major pipes or sewers going through the Agreste Manor." Mina pulled up the information from her phone.
"But then how did Frozer get underneath the mansion?" Izuku asked as he put on his costume. "Alya, Alix, what do the old records say?"
"Well babe, that's the thing. The current prints don't show anything about any such pipes, but the ones from ten years ago show that there is a path underneath the mansion." Alya explained over the phone.
"Funny thing is that there hasn't been any remodeling or changes that could tell us why those sewers were filled up." Alix added. "Felix must've paid off the city department to keep it quiet."
"So he considered an escape route from the very beginning, the rat." They ran, following the old map to the underground base as the battle raged on above them.
They heard and felt the shaking caused by every blow coming from the surface as they ran. Bits and pieces of rubble fell over them like snowflakes made out of concrete, as they ran deeper underneath the Agreste Mansion. They wondered what Felix had hidden away by making the new blueprints. Their thoughts stopped as they found a small water treatment plant before them. It cleaned and prepared the water for consumption but it was much smaller and far more focused on a single space than that of the rest of the neighborhood. The tubes siphoned water from the city, creating a small reserve for the mansion above them. No, this looked like the work of a private contractor and not the city officials. Felix wanted this to be hidden from everyone.
"What is going on?" Alix asked.
"Shh." Izuku shushed quietly as they slowly made their way down. "Link the call to Captain Kendo, have her track us. We'll need help to take Felix down." He whispered as they made their way down.
Large pools of water cleared and flowed through the pipes as a set of stairs made their way into the house and went deeper into the lower levels of the mansion. They heard some calming music coming from the bottom of the stairs. They looked at each other, gesturing to remain quiet. Step by step, they went down the stairs with each of them holding their weapons ready in case of any traps. The deeper they went, the louder the music became. Neither of the officers nor the two girls listening in on the scene made any noise as they approached something out of a fairy tale.
They found themselves inside a greenhouse. It looked like a small pocket of Heaven, with windows that looked out into the clear skies of Paris as though it was at the top of the mansion. Purple flowers and butterflies fluttered around the small greenhouse as the large pools of water swirled below them, feeding them the water they needed to survive all along. On the opposite end of the greenhouse, the statue of a woman sat on a bench, holding up a book while looking over her child. It was a statue of Amelie De Vanily, with a beautiful yet sad expression on her face.
And right before the statue, kneeling as though he was praying with his helmet by his side, was Felix Graham De Vanily. The son of Amelie, brother of Adrien Agreste, son of Gabriel Agreste and the sole heir of Hawkmoth's empire of crime and violence. What had happened to his mother brought some sympathy from the officers, but his actions and crimes only brought revolt. A tragic figure if there ever was any.
"I expected you to be here at the end, detective," Felix said. "I take it you know my story."
"I do," Izuku replied. "And the police know it too as well as your long list of crimes. You're trapped. The heroes will defeat your agents before you get out of the city." Izuku gestured to Mina to hide from view, making sure that Hawkmoth only knew of him.
"That is assuming that you're capable of keeping me here long enough, detective." Felix picked up his helmet, standing up straight. "And last time, you weren't able to defeat me without help. And seeing as you appear to be alone, you won't have better luck as last time." Felix put on his helmet, looking at Izuku through its dark intimidating suit.
"I know your tricks now, Felix. Let's see how you can fight man to man." Izuku dropped a smoke bomb at the floor, obscuring himself as Hawkmoth fired a bolt of lightning.
Izuku ran around the greenhouse as Felix fired his lightning at him. He felt every hair at the back of his neck standing on end as he narrowly avoided every single shot of lightning by a whisker. Memories of the first confrontation between him and Hawkmoth taught him that a full frontal fight with him would be suicide. All those Miraculouses coursing through Hawkmoth's body were a load on the body the suit had to hold together, and any attack on it would cause it to malfunction. But he needed to get close enough to break the suit apart. Which was where Mina, Alya and Alix came in with their help. He looked around for a control center or a light switch panel. His eyes spotted the switches and Mina not far from them. He turned on his heel, tossing one of his Kali sticks at Hawkmoth, missing him. But he wasn't his target, it was the switch panel.
"A bit sloppy, detective!" Hawkmoth snapped, blocking the bouncing stick before it could strike him from the back. "I suspect that you have something better in mind. A man must plan ahead after all."
Mina used his monologue to her advantage. She melted a hole on the panel door before switching the lights off.
Hawkmoth looked around in surprise. He activated a night vision Miraculous when he felt a quick kick to the back of his knee. Grunting in pain, he swung back. But he missed completely, receiving a punch to the face before getting another blow but this time to the stomach, making him release the Kali stick. He finally got his night vision working, expecting to see Chat Noir in front of him, but instead he was met with a punch to the face coated in a smoke bomb. The thick black smoke covered the face of the villain, forcing him to stumble backwards. Activating another Miraculous, he ran out of the smoke tackling Izuku away with a shoulder tackle.
Izuku dragged his feet on the ground, stopping himself but just barely.
"Nice try, but I always have a Miraculous ready to spring into action for whatever necessity I might have." Hawkmoth summoned a mini-tornado in his hand as he prepared to use it to smash Izuku against the ceiling.
An idea popped in Izuku's mind. A risk, but worth the shot.
"Is that what you told Adrien… when you killed him?" Izuku asked.
"...What?" Felix hesitated for a second.
The lights turned off, giving a chance to move out of the way. Felix fired his tornado, hoping to hit Izuku before he could counterattack. But the vigilante held his hand.
"You said that you always have a plan, Felix. What exactly was your plan back when Adrien told you that he was going to tell the authorities everything that his father had done?" Izuku called from across the room, keeping his location. "Were you surprised that he would do such a thing? Or where you expected him to just walk away after you admitted that you'd take his place."
"I offered him the freedom that he always wanted, and he was going to destroy Gabriel and the empire that should've been mine by right," Felix growled, unleashing attacks left and right. "I had to do it. He had the hubris to call himself Gabriel Agreste's only son!"
"What happened to your mother was Gabriel's doing. But you couldn't help but snap at Adrien." Izuku turned the temperature of the water cold. "In that briefest of moments your rage was unleashed on the one person that looked like Gabriel Agreste. His son, your brother. The true heir that Gabriel wanted." He needed to have Hawkmoth snapping before he could land the icy cold blow.
"All my life Gabriel made sure to remind me that I wasn't anything better than a by-product of Adrien's perfection. That I was lucky to resemble his son." Felix fumed. "But it was no stroke of luck. Everything I looked like and acted reminded my mother of that bastard. I was a reminder of what had happened to her, and when Adrien spoke I couldn't hold it in. My mother suffered because of Gabriel and Adrien wanted nothing to do with his empire. I was the 'copy', the 'imitation' and yet, I fooled that old bastard with ease. I took everything of his and made it better, took it to heights that he never could've dreamed of! He would've been in prison rotting if not for me!"
"If not for you many would still be alive today!" Izuku jumped out as the lights turned on, blinding Felix's night vision.
Izuku struck him repeatedly. He struck the mask and the joints on his arms and legs. Bending backwards, he avoided a punch from Felix. Spotting his opening, he punched Hawkmoth's uncovered side, followed by a roundhouse kick to the stomach. As Hawkmoth got the air knocked out of him, Izuku continued on his barrage of attacks. Punching at the joints and the unprotected spots of the armor with his Kali sticks started to form cracks and breaking small parts off of the armor. But he needed to spread it more, create more cracks that he could exploit for the next part of his plan. He kicked and punched Felix over and over. He attacked his legs, behind his ears, in the stomach, liver and throat, keeping him off balance, buying time for his plan to take place. He was not used to using all of these dangerous moves against an opponent, but considering that his opponent would not give him the same courtesy, he fought on. His fists started to ache from all the punches he was giving Hawkmoth. His Kali sticks felt like they were going to break. His legs trembled after every kick, but he pressed on the attack.
Hawkmoth's lack of close quarter's technique was his opening and his edge in the fight, but he couldn't rely on it for long. For every blow he landed on the villain, the more he learned. Felix started putting up his arms and legs, blocking the blows that came at him. Izuku would have to target his ego and make him drop down his guard.
"You say that you're doing this for your mother, but you know what I think," Izuku said. "I think this is all just an excuse. You're not doing this for her. You're doing this because deep down, you are your father's son. You wanted all the power and prestige that was being handed to Adrien. You couldn't stand that he was getting it all and was throwing it away!" He punched and punched and kept on landing a barrage of punches, bobbing and weaving through any blow that Hawkmoth would send his way.
But for all the punches and blows that Izuku landed, Hawkmoth wasn't falling. He caught Izuku's Kali sticks in both of his hands, gripping them tightly. Slowly, Hawkmoth glared at Izuku through his cracked helmet. His body glowed with a purple aura of power and malice as he pulled Izuku's weapons with ease.
"Well done at making me lose my cool, detective. But your streak of luck is over." Felix released a powerful blast wave of purple energy that sent Izuku flying backwards and into the large pipes, busting and breaking them.
The air got knocked out of his lungs as he fell down to the floor. He felt like he'd been hit by a train going at super speed. Gritting his teeth, he tried to get up. But in the blink of an eye, Hawkmoth kicked him in the stomach, sending him up to his feet. He got caught by the back of his head before being tossed to the other end of the garden. Narrowly missing the statue, Izuku fell to the ground in pain. He tried to get back up as Hawkmoth slowly walked up to him. His body felt like it had been put through a stampede of angry bulls, but he had to pull himself up. The plan had to be put into motion.
"I suppose that I should congratulate you, detective. You've inconvenienced me more than anyone has in a long time. Even landed some good blows on me and managed to damage my armor." Hawkmoth looked at the damages to his armor as he walked. "But you should've known that someone like you never stood a chance against me. I suppose I did take a lesson from that bastard. Power is all that matters in this world." Hawkmoth prepared another Miraculous to strike down Izuku.
However, before he could reach Izuku, he heard a gun being cocked. He turned around only to receive a bullet to the head.
"You're under arrest," Mina said as Felix stumbled.
Pieces of Felix's helmet cracked and fell to the ground as he looked up to look at Mina. This was the second time that day he'd been bested by someone inferior to him. Something he was not very fond of. Narrowing his eyes, he sent her a glare that would've killed if he had the right Miraculous. He growled only to receive four more shots to his armor. An annoyance. His armor could take the strain. Time was running out. The assassins he'd released upon the heroes would be defeated soon and his escape would be compromised. There was no time to lose and no one was going to stop him now that he'd gotten this far. He was about to lounge at the officer, but then a grappling hook tied him up by the neck, pulling him back and cutting off his oxygen. He tried to look back at the source, only to be tackled by Izuku.
"You're not hurting anyone while I'm still standing!" Izuku screamed in his ear before punching Felix in the side of the head. "NOW!"
"I've been waiting for this!" Mina clasped her hands together, unleashing a torrent of flesh melting acid right at Hawkmoth. "ACID BLAST!"
"You fool, this armor is acid proof! You'll be the only one to die!" Felix let out as the acid shot got closer to him.
"Look at your armor first, jackass," Izuku replied with steel hard resolve and fiery determination.
Felix looked down at his armor. His greatest achievement was covered in cracks and broken pieces that allowed air to seep in, revealing some of its inner workings for anyone to see and attack. Fear filled Felix's heart and soul. If his suit was exposed to a high pressure blast of acid…
"NO! STOP!" Felix begged, but it was in vain.
The acid shot landed on the villain, going into his costume and melting it from the inside like a fire burning with gasoline. Piece by piece, his suit fell apart and melted off, leaving only Felix and Izuku with some minor burns and no defenses in the case of the former. The remains of Hawkmoth's suit were gone, but the fight was far from over.
Felix's body flared with purple energy as he unleashed a super strength Miraculous. He tossed Izuku off of him and into Mina.
"This isn't over!" Felix growled as he felt his body burning from the acid.
"Actually, it is!"
Felix turned to see Alya and Alix, wearing matching costumes, aiming the broken pipes at him. They released the freezing waters at high pressure. The cold hit him like a truck, forcing him back. His body stiffened up and was brought to a standstill as the cold spread from the tips of his toes to the top of his skull.
"Let's see how you do without your toys" Izuku called out as the heating went off.
Felix fell to his hands and knees, feeling the cold of his body take its toll.
"That's some cold water treatment, courtesy of the city of Paris." Alya smirked.
"Sadly, your heating bill hasn't been paid so it's been cut off." Alix added.
"You-you planned all this, didn't you, Chat Noir!" Felix looked up in rage at the detective.
"What do you think?" Izuku replied. "People like you are all the same. Power is all and yet you've never mastered any of the Miraculouses you've taken. That made you cocky and much like your father, you didn't see when the deck was stacked against you. The plan worked like clockwork and you fell for it!" Izuku ran, landing one more punch on Felix, sending him back against his mother's statue.
All that Izuku had said was a partial lie, but sometimes a blow to the ego and the psyche was more dangerous and hurtful than any physical blow. It would drive Felix nuts and up a wall easily.
Felix had never felt his kind of pain before. He'd lost. He'd been tricked and manipulated. And his body was barely responding to him. Black marks spread through his body as the cold waters soaked his unprotected body. He looked up to see Izuku, Mina and the other two girls looking at him. He was trapped and with nowhere to go. His body only had enough strength for one more Miraculous and that wasn't going to help him much in a four versus one scenario. But as luck would have it, he wouldn't have to fight them. The glimmering light of the sun was just a short fly out of where he was. He was saving his mother's Miraculous for an emergency, but now was as good a time as he had to use it.
"This is where we part ways, Chat Noir." Felix sprung two large purple and black butterfly wings from his back, taking to the air. "But I am not destined to fall to the likes of you!" Felix flew up to the ceiling going through the passages of the drains.
"No!" Izuku fired his grappling hook at Felix's foot, following after him.
"We need to follow them!" Mina called.
"This way, girl!" Alya gestured to Mina to follow them.
"We'll catch them on the surface." Alix activated her Miraculous, pulling the two girls with her.
Izuku held on for dear life as he did his best to slow down Felix. The drains were big enough for him to fly with his Miraculous but they were still not warm enough to help him. Despite his pain and the aches his body was feeling, he pushed himself forward and ready to fight once more. He knew where to go up. All he needed was to make sure the opening looked good enough for the desperate villain. He grabbed hold of Felix's leg before pulling him towards his fist. Landing a punch on Felix's face over and over, made Felix act more erratic.
"You bastard, why won't you leave me alone?!" Felix thrashed like an animal, pushing Izuku's face with whatever strength he had in an attempt to get him off.
"Because you're a criminal and you killed my friend. I won't rest until you're in a cell where you belong!" Izuku punched Felix's face once more, making him turn to see the manhole exit above them.
"At last!" Felix kicked Izuku off of him. "A way out of this infernal chase!" He flew out of the sewers.
Felix smiled, feeling the sun on his body and the brightness of the world around him. This was where he belonged. Among the pinnacle of all society. He would return and make this city truly his, and no one would stop him.
Not even the remaining cold feeling.
"Wait, I'm out of the sewers. Under the sun. Why am I still so-?" Felix's eyes widened in shock as he discovered the reason.
His whole body was covered in ice. He had been too happy to realize what had happened.
"Guess we finally meet face-to-face, Hawkmoth."
Felix's eyes turned to see that he was surrounded by the heroes and the police. He was caught like a butterfly.
"Felix Graham De Vanily alias Hawkmoth alias Adrien Agreste, you are under arrest!" Kendo flashed him her badge as the reality of his situation finally dawned on him.
Felix looked down at the manhole he'd come out of, catching a glimpse of Chat Noir hanging onto the pipes underground. He saw him giving him a mocking salute as though he'd planned this from the beginning. He'd been bested by someone that didn't have any powers. And had played right into his hands.
He had lost.
"Curse you!" Felix let out a frustrated and angry scream as the ice encased him in a freezing prison.
Izuku, Mina, Alya and Alix managed to return with the rest of the officers without making too much of a fuss. They proudly watched Felix being placed in anti-Miraculous cuffs. The only way to ensure that someone as powerful as him could not use any of his Miraculous. Seeing him be taken away in a heavily guarded truck filled with policemen was the greatest relief of their lives. It was a heavy weight lifted from their shoulders. All the months of investigating and learning about their enemy had now paid off as he was taken away. It was the kind of feeling that one got when they realized how far they'd come and how much it was worth it. Even amongst the destruction of the hero villain battle, they knew that they had done the right thing and brought the villain to justice and stopped his plans. Justice for the victims was the sole reward they could get.
"Midoriya, Ashido, you two alright?" Kendo walked up to them.
"Yes, ma'am." Izuku saluted his captain.
"You two know how Agreste-Felix Graham De Vanily got so banged up before we captured him?" Kendo asked.
"We only took a few shots at him while Chat Noir kicked his ass, captain." Mina explained. "And a little bit of acid on his armor."
"Really? Of course he would be here." Kendo sighed. "I expect a report on that whole fight. Though it does check out with the call and signal we received in the middle of the fight. Good job. I'll see you two at headquarters. There will be a lot of damage control for this whole mess. Aside from the obvious battle for the throne Hakwmoth left behind."
"Don't worry, captain. We'll get to work as soon as you give us the go ahead!" Izuku bowed his head with Mina adding a thumbs up.
"Just don't get too overeager. The last thing this city needs is another Fishmarket incident." Kendo shuddered, walking away.
"No promises!" Mina shouted.
"And now we're jinxed," Izuku sighed.
"Will someone finally tell me what that whole thing is about?" Alix asked.
"Funny story, honey bunny," Alya said. "It all started with a bike race…"
Epilogue
Plagg the Midoriya Family black cat sat by a window of the Dupain-Cheng household, listening in to a radio as Marinette helped Damian finish his homework. He paid close attention to the young single mother and son family as the radio changed from music to the evening news.
"Allo, allo, everyone. This is Nadja Chamack and boy it has been a rough couple of weeks for everyone. Time has passed and Paris seems to have finally started to heal from the shocking discoveries of what many are calling the 'Agreste Scandal', which revealed that former fashion designer icon, Gabriel Agreste, was an underground mob boss by the name of Hawkmoth, a title and position that was taken over by his son Adrien Agreste and expanded."
Plagg narrowed his eyes before climbing up to the rooftop of the apartment as the radio news continued to play. He rushed to the edge of the rooftop as he caught sight of a little bird with ease. It was part of his hunter instinct that helped him see what was before him.
"In light of these events, the Agreste Brand has been disbanded by whatever executives and partners with no ties to the criminal activities and sold off. Heroes and villains that used to receive support items and costumes from the Agreste Brand have been under investigation pending a public outcry. Thankfully, most of the heroes have remained in business and given new equipment from other brands and Hero Support Companies. However, a lot of the equipment and items have gone missing from the Agreste Brand and authorities believe that there is grounds for more gang and villain activities in the foreseeable future."
Plagg pounced after the bird, only for it to fly away. He ran after it, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, fueled by the thrill and the instinct of the hunt. It wasn't long before it left the suburbs and found himself in the city. It was one of his favorite hunting grounds and he was bound to get lots of action here of all places. Oddly enough, he still heard the news bulletin from the radio like he'd done in his home.
"Speaking of heroes, Turtle Sentry has finally retired from the hero business, claiming that he'd spend the rest of his time training his replacement and helping new upcoming heroes to make sure they live up to the standards of the people. Lady Dragon has come back to action after a much needed break to heal and it looks like the top five is getting some major girl power with Queen Bee joining the veterans along with Ingenium ranking up to the sixth spot. Though now there is a call for more regulations of their agencies and work side by side with the city authorities to keep them honest. Aside from that everyone is looking at the heroes with hope. They will have to pull their weight, that's for sure."
Plagg caught up with the bird he'd been chasing, before spotting a shadow jump over his head. He followed after it with the bird in its teeth. He climbed up to the top of the rooftop where Izuku looked down at the city while standing on top of a gargoyle.
"Going back to our talk on the Agreste Incident, newfound information revealed that Detective Naomasa of the Paris police was actually assassinated by Hawkmoth himself after finding a connection between common crime and villain attacks. And has been awarded the Medal of Valor posthumously. His work and that of his allies and fellow officers are what brought to light all these discoveries. And this newswoman is more than happy to see more of their work being acknowledged."
Plagg placed the bird by Izuku's side as he scratched behind his ears.
"Here to see me off, Plagg?" Izuku asked.
Plagg mewled in response.
"I know, the work is never done. Especially now that I have a team that counts on me." Izuku received a call from Mina.
"Hey partner, you better not be late on your patrol. Our anniversary is in a few hours!" Mina called over the phone.
"We got reservations and everything." Alya added from her side of the call.
"And remember to wear something sexy for later. I plan to steal a lot of things to celebrate." Alix purred.
"I'll just do one more sweep, girls. See you soon," Izuku said. "I love you three."
"And we love you~!" The three girls replied at the top of their lungs.
The call ended with Izuku scrolling down to a picture of his mom, dad and himself when he was younger.
"I'm showing them, dad. I'm showing them all." Izuku heard the sound of an alarm going off not far from where he was. "Looks like they're playing our song, Plagg. Care to join me?"
Plagg jumped on top of Izuku's shoulder as he pulled out his grappling hook.
Izuku fired it, swinging through the night sky as he went after the criminals of the night. For a hero's work is seldom gone without a fight. For every good action is not easy, but the reward that comes from doing the best everyday is worth it in the end. And to all those that were lost along the way, it is a reminder to always move forward and face the future with smiling courage.
Fin