Chapter Eleven: Powerless

Gabriel sliced through the incoming Ripplers with a newfound resolve. It was one thing to fight for his life, but now that a new unanswered question had presented itself right before his eyes, he refused to let them keep him from tracking down the source of all this. Bunnyx and Blackbug were on either side of him, similarly tearing through the wave of shadowy figures.

"So, question: where do we go once we're done here?" asked Adrien, blasting numerous Ripplers into nothingness with his Cataclysm. "Not to sound morbid, but there has to be dozens of timelines where Paris is on fire, if not hundreds, right?"

Bunnyx struck the enemies repeatedly with her umbrella. "We'll iron out the details as we go. Right now, can we focus on not dying first?"

"I concur." Gabriel stood his ground, slashing any Rippler that came at him. "Though theoretically, perhaps we could witness our vision again if we combine our powers, as we did then."

"Was that what we did?" asked Adrien. "I thought we just touched hands, and suddenly we were on top of the Eiffel, looking down. What do our powers have to do with it?"

"Can you two please focus?" said Bunnyx. "We're never gonna find out what you saw if we get eaten by Ripplers!" One tried to pounce on her from behind, but she swatted it away before it could land.

As his body went into autopilot fighting the horde, Gabriel thought back on what he had seen…as well as felt. He was certain he was looking through his own eyes as he saw Paris burning, and yet those predatory feelings were not his own. Had he been seeing through the eyes of another Gabriel? But if that was the case, why had Adrien described the same thing? "Adrien…when you experienced that vision, did you feel like…yourself?"

Adrien cast him a strange look. "Well, yeah, sort of. I mean, I felt like myself, but…come to think of it, it was more like I was looking through somebody else's eyes." Realization crossed his face. "You think they could've been yours?"

"There is no doubt in my mind," Gabriel said. "We hypothesized that, due to my ability to sense Ripplers, the culprit behind them must be using Nooroo's power. But if both of us together can cause a vision like that, could it be possible they are using Plagg's power as well?"

Alix stumbled. It almost seemed like something about his theory had startled her. She recovered just as quickly, blocking an incoming attack. "So, a Hawkmoth who also has the black cat ring? It's possible, but how would they travel the multiverse?"

"For all we know, they could have way more than just those two," Adrien suggested. "Maybe this is a Monarch, using every Miraculous to try and conquer all of existence." He chuckled, glancing over at Gabriel. "Wouldn't have been your wildest plan!"

Gabriel scoffed. "It may not be much, but this is our best lead. To think that a Monarch may well be behind all this…"

"We shouldn't jump to conclusions!" said Bunnyx, perhaps a bit too forcefully. "If it's really a Monarch, why would he need more Miraculous when he already has them all? And what would he have to gain from destroying universes? If you stop and think about it, none of this adds up!"

"Hey, relax, it's just a guess," Adrien said, surprised by her outburst. "And even if it isn't true, it's worth looking into, right?"

Bunnyx paused for a moment. "Yeah. No, you're right, we shouldn't discount any possibilities. But at the same time, let's make sure our guesses make sense first!" She then went back to fighting Ripplers, clearly trying to put the thought out of her mind.

The atypical nature of Bunnyx's outburst stuck with Gabriel. Because of their current situation, he put it aside for the time being, instead focusing on the ever-shrinking horde of Ripplers. One by one they fell, until, at last, the three were alone in the empty plane.

Adrien wiped his brow, looking around as the last traces of shadowy substance faded away. "That looks like all of them, at least for now." He turned to Alix. "So, what do you say we get busy looking for our mystery Monarch?"

"Alright, let's do this," she said, less than enthused. She held out her hand. "'Go team' on three."

Gabriel and Adrien put their hands in the middle as well. It wasn't instantaneous this time, but Gabriel and Adrien were thrust into a vision once more. It was the exact same as before: standing atop the Eiffel tower, gazing down on Paris as it burned. It flashed by in a second, gone as quickly as it had materialized.

Alix didn't see the vision herself. Instead, she only got a vague feeling of where it was. Letting this feeling guide her, she extended her arm, opening a portal leading to that dimension. The trio broke off as the vision ended, with a much less violent reaction the second time.

"Whatever lies through this portal could very well be the source of everything that has happened," Gabriel noted gravely. "Are we prepared for what lies ahead?"

"Not in the slightest," Bunnyx said, cracking her knuckles. "Welp, let's go, team!"

Unsure of what exactly to anticipate, the trio stepped through the portal, leaving the ruined timeline behind.

She made her way down the street, past the burning wreckage of what used to be downtown Paris. While others passed her by, running away from the chaos, she calmly strolled towards it. But despite her demeanor, she was anything but calm. A cold, smoldering hate brewed just under the surface.

The object of her ire was moments away from victory. He had taken just about everything from her. Her home, her family, her best friend…even the only means she had to stop him. But as long as she was still standing, she wasn't about to give up.

Her hand gripped tightly around the handle of a baseball bat, dragging it along the ground. Sharp, colorful fragments scraped over the cobblestone, resembling the broken shards of what was once jewelry. Pieces of what seemed to be a comb, a brooch, a hairclip, and many more jutted out at odd angles, having been forced into the wood like nails.

"You haven't won yet, Gabriel Agreste," growled Marinette. With a scarf over her face to keep out the smoke, she charged towards Hawkmoth's distant silhouette. "This isn't over–not while both of us are still alive!"

It was immediately obvious that the three were in the right place. The moment they stepped through the portal, they found themselves within their burning hometown. "Oh no," said Alix, visibly worried. "It's one of these."

"One of what?" asked Adrien. "You've seen this before?"

She stared out at the smoking cityscape. "This is what happens when Hawkmoth is able to overcome the safety features in the butterfly Miraculous. This is…" She turned to face them. "This is what happens when Hawkmoth Akumatizes himself."

"Impossible," Gabriel replied. "Akumas do not work on the butterfly Miraculous. I have tried. Instead, the holder can only find workarounds."

Bunnyx gestured at the destruction surrounding them. "I think the apocalypse here says otherwise. Now c'mon, let's go find you before you destroy another reality." She sped off, her fellows following after her.

Even though Paris was all but in ruins, an obvious source had yet to reveal itself. Hawkmoth, or Monarch, or whatever he was calling himself here appeared to be lying low. There were no people around, hopefully because they had all run away when the disaster started. Looking around, Gabriel couldn't help but be reminded of some of his more destructive creations. Strikeback…Miracle Queen…Alliance…he was willing to do whatever it took to acquire the Miraculous he needed, even if it meant burning his home to ashes. He tried to convince himself that these other versions of him were simply more extreme…but he couldn't shake the feeling that wasn't the case.

"Well, there's the tower," said Blackbug, gazing up at the Eiffel, "but no sign of Gabriel. Think he's on his way down?"

Alix stared at the building for a moment, watching for movement. "It's hard to imagine Hawkmoth using the stairs. You guys clearly saw him up there, right? My best guess is he's–"

"You!" The three of them turned around at the angry shout, the voice undeniable as one they'd heard many times before. A small figure was walking towards them, though she held herself with the ferocity of a vengeful spirit twice her size. In addition to a coat and scarf, the latter of which covered her face, she pointed what appeared to be a glass-studded bat at Hawkmoth. "You took away everything that matters to me! Well, now I'm here to return the favor! Give me back my Miraculous, and yours, and we can end this peacefully. Otherwise…" She slammed the end of her bat onto the ground, causing a bunch of sparks to shoot up.

"M-Marinette?" said Adrien, confused by the girl's aggressive demeanor. "What happened here? What happened to you?" He stepped forward, reaching out his hand, only to be forced back when she took a swing at him.

"Still hiding behind your Sentimonsters?" she scoffed, not even acknowledging Adrien or Alix's presence. "I shouldn't be surprised–a coward like you is no stranger to abusing your son's likeness!" She pushed Blackbug aside, charging at Gabriel.

Before she reached him, Bunnyx stepped in between them. "Alright, that's enough." She went to disarm Marinette, but the girl simply knocked her umbrella aside with her bat. Her focus was dead-set on Gabriel, no doubt thinking he was this dimension's version. "Babybug, wait! He's not who you think he is!"

"Lies!" Marinette sprang up, holding her bat over her head in preparation to drive it downward into Gabriel's. He simply drew his sword to block.

Rather than slicing clean through the bat, as it would have any other time, Gabriel was stunned to see the two weapons collide. The shards embedded in her weapons began to glow, as though siphoning power from his own. "Are those…Miraculous?" he said.

Marinette grinned. "What, you thought destroying them would prevent me from using them to oppose you? Even things that have been broken can still serve their purpose–like me!" She pushed off against his blade, swinging her bat and striking him on the side. The glow of the broken Miraculous shards translated to a powerful concussive force that knocked him to the ground.

Before Marinette could go in for a follow-up attack, Adrien grabbed her from behind. "Marinette, stop! I know it's hard to believe, but we're the good guys!"

"He's right–this isn't your Gabriel," Alix said. "I know you have a lot of reasons to hate yours, but…this one's one of the good ones."

"Stand up and fight! Stop letting your creations do the work!" shouted Marinette, ignoring the two. Adrien tried to take her bat, but she held onto it with an iron grip. "Is this some sort of ploy to get me to join you? I'll never team up with the man who destroyed my home!"

Gabriel got to his feet, watching as Alix and Adrien futilely tried to calm her down. "Nooroo, wings fall." At these words, all three of them watched in surprise as he reverted back to his base form. "Let her go."

Adrien did so. As he expected, Marinette ran towards him, raising her weapon to strike. But, just as he had hoped, her bat stopped mere inches away from the side of his head. "W-what sort of tactic is this? Are you trying to get me to let down my guard?"

"I imagine this is a lot for you to take in," Gabriel said, staying as still as he could. "The three of us are, to put it simply, from another reality. Technically three different realities, but that's beside the point. I don't blame you if you find that difficult to believe."

"I do find that difficult to believe," said Marinette, keeping her weapon where it was. "At the very least, you sound sincere–how can I be sure you aren't Sentimonsters?"

"Tikki, Plagg, divide." At this, Marinette turned around to see Adrien as he was–a good deal older than the Adrien she knew. The two Kwamis floated by his shoulders, waiting to let him do the talking. "Could a Sentimonster do that?"

Marinette looked up at him, unsure of what to make of this. "P-probably not," she admitted. "So then, you're all…from another dimension?"

"We sure are," said Tikki, "but a Kwami is still a Kwami, no matter where we come from. I may not be your Tikki, but I still remember–" She started giggling. "You were so surprised when we first met, you fell off your bed and dragged the covers down on top of you!"

She grinned a little at Tikki's giggle fit. "Okay, I'm convinced…sort of." She looked at all of them, still processing what she had been told. "But if you are really from some alternate dimension, what are you doing here?"

Alix stepped forward. "We think your version of Hawkmoth is doing something to disrupt the multiverse," she said. "Tell me, has he been sending shadowy humanoid figures out to do his bidding?"

"Uh, not that I can remember," Marinette said, "but they sound a lot like Akumatized villains to me. And with all the Akumas he has now, it wouldn't surprise me." She slung her bat over her shoulder. "You came at a good time–I was just about to put him down for good!"

"Oh, were you?"

The voice was low and reverberated with power, but was unmistakably Gabriel's. The four of them were on guard, with Alix spotting its source: an Akuma perched on a nearby wall. "Heads up!" she shouted, turning their attention to it. But rather than go after one of them, it simply fluttered past, where it was soon joined by another. And another, and another, until the air was filled with an entire swarm of black butterflies.

The Akumas swirled around just above the river, forming into a tornado that crackled with energy. Unease filled the four as from within the dark storm emerged a figure. It was Hawkmoth, with his Akumas forming into a gigantic set of wings. As he stared down at the heroes, a grin spread across his face.

"Now isn't this a surprise?" he hissed, floating closer to the group. "Little Ladybug found herself some new friends! Who are these strange look-alikes?" Several of his Akumas flew downward, presumably to corrupt them into his servants.

The three of them prepared to evade the Akumas, dampening their emotions in the process, but Marinette took care of that for them. She launched into action, swinging her bat at the black butterflies. Rather than Akumatize her, as Gabriel was certain they would, they were simply destroyed, much to his shock. The glowing Miraculous shards stuck into the bat were no doubt to thank.

Other Gabriel was momentarily angered by this, but his rage soon calmed. "You are quite the resourceful girl, Marinette. Even without your Miraculous, you still prove yourself a thorn in my side. Why don't we see how much of a threat you pose without that weapon of yours!" He sent a surge of Akumas flying at her, far too many for her to deflect on her own.

She found herself pulled aside by Blackbug, with the Akumas destroying the part of the street she had just been standing moments before. She looked up at the older Adrien, wearing both of their Miraculous at once, and silently wondered where he had come from. Despite her dire situation, it was hard not to imagine him as a knight that had just come to her rescue.

Alix and Gabriel both squared off against the latter's counterpart. "So, this is what happens when a Hawkmoth Akumatizes himself," he said. "He's even more powerful than I would have imagined."

"More importantly, how can we make sure he doesn't Akumatize us?" asked Alix. "I don't know about you, but it's hard for me to keep an eye on how I feel in the middle of battle!"

"I believe I have a solution." Gabriel popped the top of his cane, releasing an Akuma unblemished by hatred. The white butterfly darted over to Bunnyx's umbrella, into which it was absorbed. Seeing this, the other Hawkmoth sent another swarm of Akumas towards them, this one even larger than the last. "Timekeeper, I unlock your power! Use your Miraculous to its full extent!"

In a flash of light, Bunnyx was no longer there. Alix had become Timekeeper. Her outfit was mostly the same, with the white being changed to red, and the blue to black. She had some green highlights as well, in addition to a helmet reminiscent of her previous tenure as Time-Breaker. She extended her opened umbrella, with a pair of clock hands appearing atop the canopy. They spun backwards, before stopping at the twelve o'clock position.

Moments before the Akuma swarm reached them, it slowed to a halt. It just hung there in the air, frozen in place. "Time, kept!" said Timekeeper, looking up at the swarm's master. "Ready for your turn?"

Other Gabriel snapped his fingers, causing the immobile Akumas to disappear. "You can buy yourself all the time you like; my victory will be halted by no one!" He raised his hand, causing a flurry of Akumas to burst up from the pavement, shattering the stone and lifting chunks of it into the air.

"Wait here–I'll be back in a flash!" Setting Marinette down on a rooftop, Blackbug then leapt into action, springing across the listing platforms over to his opponent.

Marinette, however, was in no mood to sit this one out. "Not this time, kitty-cat," she said, taking a running leap, and landing one one of the stones. She may not have been as agile as she was as Ladybug, but she wasn't about to let that keep her out of the fight.

Gabriel sliced through the swarm of butterflies darting around him, while Timekeeper darted from platform to platform, moving like she was being fast-forwarded. She tried to ask something of Gabriel, but came out as high-pitched gibberish, so she slowed herself down. "'Scuse me, I meant do you have any ideas?"

"Beyond Akumatizing you to give us an edge? …Not really," he replied. Other Gabriel brought two of the rocks together, with Main Gabriel leaping out of the way just in time. The chunks of cobblestone exploded against each other, sending fragments raining down.

Another piece of pavement was hurled at Timekeeper, who extended her umbrella at the projectile. It slowed to a stop, before rewinding, traveling along its path and forcing Other Gabriel to block it with a cluster of Akumas. "Are you going to keep running, rabbit? Or are you going to put up a fight?"

"I certainly am!" Blackbug leapt at Other Gabriel directly, his nunchucks prepared to strike. The alternate Hawkmoth sent a flurry of Akumas his way, though Adrien blasted them apart with a Cataclysm. He brought his weapon down on the man, but his raised arm effortlessly blocked the attack. "Heh…I don't suppose you're in the mood for a little father-son bonding?"

"You may look like him, but you are not my son!" Other Gabriel slammed his palm into Blackbug's chest, hurling him back onto another stone platform. "Now, FALL!" Another surge of Akumas raced in his direction.

Blackbug used Lucky Charm to summon a wall, hurling it forward to block the attack. It appeared successful, as most of the butterflies slammed against it, unable to pierce through another magical object. But one lone Akuma had not followed the swarm, making its way behind him, honing in on his negative emotions. He noticed it just as it was about to perch on his weapon…

Just as the Akuma landed, Marinette hurled herself at it. With a mighty cry, she swung her bat, obliterating the butterfly before it could possess him. Her momentum almost carried her past the platform, but she dug her bat in, catching herself before she fell back down. "...Am I late?" she asked, as Adrien just stared.

"N-no, right on time," he said. "I just never knew you could do that without your Miraculous.

"There's a lot of things I can do without my Miraculous!" she said proudly, slinging the bat over her shoulder. "Now come on, let's go kick your dad's teeth in!" The two of them leapt to another platform, closing in on Hawkmoth.

Timekeeper prepared to launch herself, turning to Gabriel before she sprang. "Ready?"

"This battle is over!" he declared, preparing to strike as well. The two of them joined Adrien and Marinette, lunging towards this dimension's Hawkmoth. All four heroes sailed through the air, their weapons at the ready, closing in on their target.

And then, they were still. A bright, blue light filled the air, freezing each of them in place. A smirk crossed Other Gabriel's face, and he cackled in triumph. "Even with your copycat friends, I am still one step ahead! Excellent timing, Mayura!"

The source of the heroes' paralysis revealed itself to be a Sentimonster in the likeness of a gigantic floating jellyfish. Several spotlight-emitting eyes were placed around its body, one of which was locked onto the four. Standing atop the Sentimonster was its master, Mayura, but she wasn't alone. In one hand, she held the barely conscious form of this reality's Adrien.

Though horrified, Marinette wasn't able to so much as scream with rage at the sight. She and the others were slowly pulled closer to the being's tentacles, which wrapped around their forms to hold them in place. The moment its gaze was no longer on them, they were once again able to speak. "What did you do to Adrien!? Let me go so I can destroy you both!"

The Sentimonster floated down towards Hawkmoth, who examined its two occupants with pride. "He resisted a bit, sir, but once he learned what happened to Ladybug, he folded rather quickly," reported Mayura.

"How unfortunate," Hawkmoth said, leaning in closer to his son. "To think that the two of us could have been allies. You are a disgrace to the Agreste name!"

Adrien weaky looked up at his father. "Where…where's Marinette?" he asked.

"Adrien! I'm down here!" she shouted, struggling in the Sentimonster's grip. "Just hold on, I'm coming!"

"No offense, but what exactly is your plan?" asked Alix, the tendrils preventing from accessing her powers.

Marinette was able to move just slightly more than the others–apparently, it didn't consider her as big of a threat. "This!" she shouted, swinging her bat into one of the tentacles holding her. With a pained groan, the monster released its grip, though she was just able to catch herself by grabbing one.

Mayura held out her other hand, revealing a silver ring in her grasp. "Now, sir: fulfill your greatest desire. I am prepared to make the sacrifice." The ring floated off her palm, traveling up to Gabriel's.

He held the ring in one hand, a pair of earrings in the other. "At last! My perfect world will finally be realized! With this wish, my greatest desires will be fulfilled!"

Unbeknownst to the villain, Marinette was in the process of freeing the others. With her spiked bat, she took out the tentacles one by one, sending first Adrien, then Alix, and finally Gabriel falling to the ground. She then dropped down herself, being caught by Adrien. "Hi," he said. "Ready to stop this guy?"

"I think we might be a bit late for that…" said Alix, pointing up at Hawkmoth. The two Miraculous he held had been brought together, a bright light emanating from the union.

"Great Gimmi, hear my voice!" bellowed Gabriel. "Rewrite this universe according to my desires! Bring back the one I lost!" The light became overwhelming as the powers of creation and destruction surged. Then, as he held them up, a shockwave blasted out from the two jewels, spreading across the world.

Setting Marinette down, Adrien jumped in front of everyone, sending a surge of his own powers at the oncoming wave. The two opposing forces met, clashing with such force that he was pushed back. He let out a roar of effort, putting everything he had into the blast. And then, everything was white.

Literally. As the light dimmed, everyone realized that they were no longer surrounded by the Paris they knew. Everything was in monotone, a dull reflection of even the ruined city. Only a small patch of stone remained, protected by Blackbug's powers. It was another victim of the phenomenon plaguing the multiverse. "We were…too late," Adrien said grimly.

As this was the first time Marinette had witnessed anything like this, she was even more horrified by the others. "W-what happened to Paris? Where is everyone? Where's Adrien?"

The others already knew the answer: he was yet another victim of this crisis, along with everyone in this timeline save the four of them. "Mari…" said Alix, reaching out a hand as she thought of just how to tell her.

But her explanation would have to wait. "Everyone?" said Gabriel, getting their attention. He turned to face the spot where his counterpart had been before the wish was made. There he was still, completely unmoving.

Looking closer, it became clear that a look of shock had been frozen on Other Gabriel's face. A Rippler stood behind him, its arm through his chest, and the twin Miraculous in its hand.

AN: I call this version of Marinette "Vigilantinette." She's my favorite so far.