Chapter Twenty-One: Fragmentation

Explosions rocked the city as Ladybug and Cat Noir raced across the rooftops. "This isn't good–Scarlet Moth brought back every villain we've ever fought!" declared the latter. Indeed, an entire army consisting of Stormy Weather, Mime, Gorizilla, and dozens more filled the streets, all dyed bright red. The two heroes took refuge in an alleyway, hiding from the horde of supervillains out for their heads.

Ladybug peered out through a fence, her antennae twitching as she felt for anyone coming near. "I think we lost them. Ugh, this is bad, really bad! We beat all these guys before, but not all at once, and definitely not with a power boost! What are we gonna do?" She looked up at Cat Noir with pleading, hopeless eyes.

"We'll think of something," he said, his ears drooping. "We always do." To comfort her, he pulled her into a hug, purring as the two held the embrace. "You're one of the smartest people I know, Marinette. You've always gotten us out of a tough spot, and I just know you'll save us this time. Ready?"

"Ready!" Reinvigorated, she gripped her yo-yo. "I think it's time for a…Lucky Charm!" Spinning her weapon up into the air, she was surprised when it summoned "A teapot? …Oh! A teapot!"

Cat Noir figured out what this meant. "Gonna go pay a certain old man a visit?" he asked.

Marinette had already taken to the air, her tiny wings flapping to keep her aloft. "Yup! And I get the feeling we'll need all the help we can get this time! For now, you can keep Scarlet Moth's forces distracted, right?"

"You can count on me!" Cat Noir extended his staff, ready to bring all attention to him. "Just hurry, okay?"

"I will. And Adrien…be careful." She quickly darted in to plant a kiss on his cheek, before speeding off to Master Fu's.

Adrien was in shock at the gesture for a few moments, reaching a paw up to his cheek. He quickly shook it off, before darting out towards the mass of villains. "Hey, you miss me? Well, here I am! Come and get me, while supplies last!"

In that very same alleyway, after the two had left, a rippling appeared on the brick wall. A hand reached through, before pulling out the wretched, corpselike form of Death's Head. "So many tasty options…but where to start?" He glanced both ways, before deciding it was best to wait for both Miraculous to be in one place before striking. "Perhaps I'll have an appetizer before the main course!" He faded into the darkness, waiting until the moment was right. Meanwhile, a few corrupted Akumas fluttered out of the shadows.

The portal opened, and the foursome stepped through. Each one held their weapons, ready for anything. In this unknown dimension, there was no telling what kind of danger they could be walking into.

But rather than danger, they found nothing but empty streets, populated only by the wind. "Oh no…did Death's Head get to this place already?" asked a worried Adrien. The abundance of color and lack of melting surroundings indicated that he hadn't absorbed Gimmi's powers, but that didn't mean he hadn't already eliminated the populace.

Bunnyx thought otherwise, however. "No, I don't think so. Death's Head prefers turning people into Ripplers over destroying them outright when he can help it. If I had to guess, they're hiding from something. The question is, what?"

The first sign that they weren't alone was the loud pounding noises, almost like footsteps. They all turned in the direction of the buildings where the sounds were originating. A red shape moved between the gaps, just out of sight. "It's Paris," said Marinette. "What do you think?"

Gorizilla chose that moment to peer out into the open, his eyes narrowing as he spotted the four of them. Though he could tell there was something familiar about them, all he saw were strange heroes holding the same Miraculous he had been instructed to retrieve. Pounding his chest, he leapt to the ground and barreled forward.

"Separate, now!" ordered Gabriel. The four of them each went in a different direction, confounding the goliath. He looked around to decide which one to chase after first, and his eyes settled on Marinette. However, before he could give chase, there was a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Before he could ponder where he had seen her before, a purple mask appeared over his eyes. "Gorizilla, we are not your enemies! I am Hawkmoth, and I command you!"

The purple mask flickered between that color and red, as Gorizilla reached up to grab his head. It would seem that, being empowered by Catalyst, Scarlet Moth was more powerful than Hawkmoth. However, caught in the middle of this tug-o-war between the two Gabriels, he dropped something onto the ground: a small charm.

Marinette recognized it from the last time they had fought. "There! That's where the Akuma is! Bunnyx, get me in close!" She took off sprinting towards Alix, readying her bat.

"Burrow!" Bunnyx opened up a portal, placing Marinette right below the gigantic ape. Driving her bat into the ground, she smashed the charm, releasing the bright red Akuma. "Blackbug, it's all you!"

Swinging his nunchucks, Blackbug snatched the Akuma out of the air. "Bye-bye, butterfly!" A moment later, he released it again, its now pure-white form flying off into the distance. The now de-Akumatized Gorizilla faded back to his original form…which was not what they were expecting. "Uh, huh?"

He was clearly identifiable as Adrien's bodyguard: same shape, same clothes, same facial features. The only thing was, he was covered in hair, living up to his nickname of 'the Gorilla' in a much more literal fashion. "Am I crazy, or is he a monkey?" asked Marinette.

"Ape, but close enough," said Bunnyx. "We must be in one of those furry timelines. And from the looks of it, we'll have to deal with Death's Head and Scarlet Moth. We'd better find you guys' counterparts before either of them do."

"If this reality is anything like my own, our best bet is to head to the Eiffel Tower," said Gabriel, turning to the Gorilla. "Stay inside, and keep everyone you can away from any Akumas!"

Though he had no idea what was going on, the Gorilla nodded, leaving this fight to the professionals. The four of them headed towards their destination, and it wasn't long before the sounds of conflict became apparent. Scarlet Moth's army appeared on the horizon, chasing after a single target. "Hey look, it's me!" said Adrien. "I'm definitely looking a bit fuzzier this time around."

"But no less capable," Marinette observed. Indeed, this Cat Noir, who was a literal black cat, easily led the army on, but to what end they weren't sure. She shook her head to get the cat off her mind. "We should probably focus on finding Death's Head first, right?"

Bunnyx nodded. "Unfortunately, that'll be easier said than done. He's probably using this fight to build up his army as we speak. It'll be best to just get to the Miraculous before anyone can make a wish."

"Actually, I have a better idea," said Adrien with a grin. He pressed his hand against the ground, and was lifted into the air by a giant spotted pillar rising up from the pavement. "Hey, Death's Head!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the streets. "Why go for each Miraculous separately when I have both right here?! Or are you too scared to take me on when I'm not defenseless?"

"What is he doing?" groaned Gabriel. "Is he trying to get us killed?"

"Well," said Marinette, "it might be working…"

The trio turned around to see a number of Ripplers crawling out of the woodwork. Emerging from shadows and alleys and other dark corners, the creatures began to surround the group before their attack. Everyone readied their weapons, as Adrien slid down the side of his creation. "See? All we had to do was get his attention!"

Across the city, Marinette saw the pillar rising up from the ground, and could just make out what sounded like Adrien's voice. "What…?" However, the mob of supervillains were still causing a ruckus in the distance, meaning he was still distracting them. And besides, that couldn't have been created by a lucky charm, right?

"What's wrong?" Rena Rouge landed beside her, with Carapace and Queen Bee not far behind. "Is everything alright? You look concerned about something."

"Huh? No, it's nothing," she said. "Now come on, we've got a city to save!" She leapt from the rooftop, leading the rest of the heroes into battle.

After leading the army of Akumatized villains on a wild goose chase for so long, Cat Noir was beginning to show signs of fatigue. He had finally been cornered just beneath the Eiffel Tower, surrounded by the horde. "You guys really don't know when to quit, do you?" he said, holding up his staff, prepared to fight on. Instead, he heard loud laughter from atop the tower itself, looking up to see a familiar face. "Hawkmoth!"

"That's Scarlet Moth to you, fleabag!" declared the bright red moth, his wings spreading out like a cape. "Isn't this sad? Poor little Cat Noir, left all alone by his lady! Has she finally come to her senses and abandoned you?"

"Think again, Hawkmoth!" Everyone turned to see Ladybug herself perched valiantly on a building, flanked by three other heroes. "Cat Noir is never alone! None of us are! Because we are…"

"Team Miraculous!" they all declared at once.

Scarlet Moth growled at this new obstacle. "Three heroes, four, five, one hundred, it doesn't matter! I am Scarlet Moth! I can create as many Akumas as I desire!" He did so, sending out a flock of the crimson-dyed butterflies. "Destroy them, my army, and bring me their Miraculous!"

The villains charged, and the heroes charged to meet them. Stoneheart brought down his foot onto Ladybug…only to find that it was merely a Mirage. The real Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around his arm and pulled, causing him to drop his Akumatized object. Rena Rouge then darted in and smashed it with her flute. "All you, Ladybug!"

Carapace and Cat Noir were back to back, defending against incoming projectiles. "Hang on, I got this–Shell-ter!" declared Carapace. His shield projected a barrier of energy that surrounded them, keeping the threats away. Adrien extended his staff, spinning around on Carapace's shell to give all the nearby threats a good whack.

"We make a pretty good team!" he said, instinctively doing a familiar handshake with the turtle. The two were briefly distracted by this, allowing Vanisher to sneak up from behind. Unseen, she reached out to grab his ring…

"Venom!" Before her Akumatized friend could do Hawkmoth's bidding, Queen Been stung her from behind. "Nothing personal, Sabrina, but that shade of red really doesn't suit you." She removed Sabrina's headband, snapping it in half to release the Akuma. "You're welcome, by the way."

Ladybug had managed to de-evilize a ton of Akumas by this point, but they were still no closer to stopping the villains. "We have to go after Scarlet Moth," she said to the others. "It's the only way we can shut down these other baddies."

"Then let's finish this!" said Cat Noir. "Think you guys can handle things down here?"

The trio of heroes readied themselves for the fight. "We got you, dude!" declared Carapace. "Go up there and swat that bug!" Queen Bee shot him a glare.

"Good luck down here, you all," said Ladybug. She lassoed part of the tower, pulling herself up it alongside Cat Noir, leaving the three back on the ground to deal with the other villains. They readied their weapons, facing the crimson horde.

"I always knew I was destined to work with heroes," said Rena Rouge, "but I never thought I'd actually be a hero. Alright, it's time to–what the…?"

Their big moment was interrupted when a group of newcomers entered the field. Strange, shadowy beings that seemed to be made of liquid darkness, they darted past the villains, who seemed to recoil at their presence. These odd beings made a beeline for the heroes, only for one of them to be pierced from behind by a sword, dissipating into nothing. The blade's owner retrieved it, fighting off more of the beings–and all three noted he looked quite familiar.

"Is that…Hawkmoth?" asked a confused Queen Bee. "But how come he's not a moth?"

"No clue," replied Carapace. "He doesn't look much like a hawk, either. I dunno what he is!"

Whoever or whatever this strange second Hawkmoth was, he was soon joined by a number of other equally-strange warriors. A rabbit clad in blue and white, what looked like a cross between Ladybug and Cat Noir, and a strange creature with a spiked baseball bat that almost resembled Marinette. They began carving their way through the other strange beings, with everyone present stopping to watch the display.

Bunnyx landed beside the three heroes. "Hey! I know you probably have a lotta questions, but you wanna give us a hand? We'll help out with the whole Scarlet Moth situation while we're at it!" Not waiting for an answer, she leapt back into the fray.

In the center of the action, Hawkmoth sliced through the Ripplers as they came at him. By now, the villains under Scarlet Moth's control had engaged them as well, correctly deciding that they were the bigger threat. Not helping was that the Ripplers had attacked them as well. Amidst the battle between the three sides, something soon came over Gabriel. A mask appeared over his face, flickering back and forth between purple and red.

Countless sensations began to flood his mind, causing him to fall to his knees and clutch his head. "Aargh…too much…too many…" As Hawkmoth, he was also connected to the many Akumatized villains created by Scarlet Moth. But without the power granted by Catalyst, he was unable to handle so many at once. "Need to…"

"Gabriel? What's wrong?" Marinette appeared by his side, trying to pull him to his feet. "Come on, get up! You think we can do this without you?" Before she could get through to him, more Ripplers closed in on the pair. Three positioned themselves to strike, before leaping towards them. Marinette readied her bat for them to arrive.

But before they could attack, they were blasted out of the air by a flute, a shield, and a top, respectively. When their bodies dissipated, Marinette saw a fox, a turtle, and a bee standing behind them.

Grasping at his Miraculous, Hawkmoth managed to force out the words. "Wings…fall!" His power faded as he became Gabriel once again, letting out a gasp of relief. Nooroo hovered by his side, showing a surprising amount of concern for his master.

"I don't know who you people are–or what you are–but you look like a friend of mine," said the fox. She gestured to Hawkmoth. "He doesn't, but we'll deal with that later. How can we help?"

It had been so long since Marinette had seen her friends, even meeting another version of Alya made her smile. "Are you three ready to save the world?"

Meanwhile, this universe's Ladybug and Cat Noir arrived at the top of the tower. "I've waited for this day for far too long," growled Scarlet Moth, grinning as the heroes approached. "And now, you will deliver the twin Miraculous right into my clutches! Everything I desire will finally be mine!"

"Not if we can help it!" said Ladybug. "Give up now, and we can finish this peacefully!"

Scarlet Moth laughed. "Funny, I was just about to say something similar! It seems neither of us are willing to simply hand over our Miraculous. Just as well–I was prepared to wrench them from your grasp already!"

"If you think you can take our Miraculous that easily, you've got another thing coming!" said Cat Noir. With Milady and I working together, there's no way we'll lose to you!"

With another laugh, Scarlet Moth slowly walked towards them, his cane tapping against the floor. "Is that so? And what makes you so sure you will be able to work together… Adrien?"

Both Cat Noir and Marinette gasped. "No," the former sputtered. "H-how did…?"

"Did you really believe I wouldn't recognize my own son!?" Scarlet Moth cackled. The pair were left even more speechless by this statement. "Red wings, fall!" Both his costume, and appearance, faded away. Now a tall, silver-furred Golden Retriever stood before them. One Cat Noir knew all too well. "Yes! Cat Noir, Adrien Agreste, it is I, your father! I am Hawkmoth!"

The revelation caused Cat Noir to fall to his knees. "It can't be…" His archenemy, the one who had been terrorizing Paris for all this time…was his own father. How had he not seen it before? Even with it spelled out in front of him, he still couldn't believe it. He stared at the ground, wide-eyed. "I don't…you're not…"

"Oh, but I am!" said Gabriel. "How does it feel? Knowing that every time you fought me, you were fighting your own family! You must be furious with yourself right now! Lost in despair, crushed by confusion!" As he further broke his son's spirit, a bright red Akuma fluttered from behind a nearby support.

Gabriel's speech was soon cut short, as he found himself pinned against a wall by an enraged Ladybug. "I always knew there was a reason I didn't trust you, but I had no idea you were this heartless!" she said, tears in her eyes. "How could you do this to your own son!? What could you possibly wish for that's worth betraying your family!?"

Once more, he laughed. "Why, Ladybug, isn't it obvious? I want to make the wish because of my family! And now, because of you, it will finally come true!"

Suddenly, both of Ladybug's earrings were snatched from their places from behind. "What–?" Her powers faded as well, as she also transformed into a dog–a Cocker Spaniel, to be precise. The much larger Gabriel shoved her back, while a red-colored Cat Noir held her Miraculous.

"Well done, Cat Rouge! I knew that once you knew the truth, you would see things my way!" said Gabriel. He held out his hand expectantly.

Cat Rouge handed over the Miraculous of the ladybug. "Of course, father." His tone was stilted, and his eyes were unfocused. He then held out his own hand, allowing his father to remove his ring. He became a Golden Retriever as well.

With the earrings in one hand, and the ring in the other, Gabriel held both up triumphantly. "Yes! Yes! Finally! Soon, my perfect world will be realized! We will be together again, Emilie!"

Down on the ground, Bunnyx sensed the sudden surge of power coming from atop the tower. "He's got the Miraculous!" she shouted, before opening up a Burrow to their destination. She dove through, but found herself intercepted by a Rippler before she could reach Gabriel.

"What?" he said in surprise, both from the sudden attack and the ones who had stopped it. "What is the meaning of this?" Marinette and Adrien regrouped by the edge of the platform.

A dark shape took form behind him. "Pay none of this any mind," said a voice. Death's Head stalked out of the shadows, speaking over his shoulder. "You finally have everything you've ever wanted in the palm of your hand. Make the wish."

"Who… what are you?" asked Gabriel. "Are you…me?"

"Who and what I am is irrelevant," continued Death's Head. "I am after the same thing you are. Make. The. Wish."

Bunnyx bashed her way through the Ripplers. "Don't do it! He's trying to take the power for himself!" She tried to attack Death's Head, only for him to thrust out his palm and send her flying with a wave of energy. He then turned to the defenseless Marinette and Adrien and, with a smirk, did the same to them. The pair tumbled off the edge, only barely managing to grab onto a handhold before they fell.

"Adrien!" Gabriel rushed forward, only for Death's Head to block his path.

"Do you want to save him, Gabriel? Then make the wish! Turn this reality into what it was always meant to be: a paradise for the Agreste lineage! Best hurry, now–no telling how long he and his friend can hold on!"

Down on the ground, Marinette looked up to see the pair dangling off the ledge. "Oh no! Adrien! And me!" Without any powers of her own, she could only watch as they struggled not to lose their grip.

"On my way!" Blackbug darted towards the tower, only to suddenly slam into a red-tinted force field. "What?" A trio of figures surrounded him, all of them the same color. A fox, a turtle, and a bee. They had put up a good fight against the Ripplers, but seeing Ladybug and Cat Noir lose had greatly damaged their resolve. Damaged it enough to become vulnerable to Akumatization. "No! Let me out, they're in danger!"

"They won't be, once Scarlet Moth makes his wish!" said Shell Shock. " You probably won't be, either! Something tells me you don't exactly belong here."

Marinette darted away, banging against the shield. "Adrien, do something!" she said. "You can't quit now!"

He hadn't, using Cataclysm again and again. But while Akumatized, Nino was able to use Shell-ter indefinitely, creating another barrier every time one was destroyed. "Dad! We need help!"

All the heroes had been incapacitated. Death's Head had this dimension's Hawkmoth right where he wanted him. The army of Ripplers was closing in. Gabriel knew he wouldn't be able to do this alone…unless he did the unthinkable. An Akuma appeared in his hand, which he forced towards his Miraculous.

But the butterfly refused to enter the brooch, no matter how hard he tried to shove it in. Black sparks flew forth from both as he continued forcing it. "Nooroo! Akumatize me! I demand it!"

"But master! Using the butterfly Miraculous' power on itself is incredibly dangerous! Safety measures are in place to prevent it from happening, otherwise it could destroy–"

"I don't care! Disable the safety measures, whatever it could mean! I lost my son once, I will not lose him again!"

After a brief moment of hesitation, Nooroo closed his eyes. The Akuma turned black as it fused with the Miraculous. Raw power surged through Gabriel as his body twisted and writhed. He let out a scream towards the sky as he was Akumatized.

Up above, the native Gabriel held onto both Miraculous. Marinette and Adrien held on for dear life. Bunnyx was pinned to the ground by a horde of Ripplers. And Death's Head loomed above them all. "What are you waiting for!? Make manifest your greatest desires! Now is not the time to hesitate!"

Gabriel held tightly to the jewels. He knew this shade was right–he had waited too long to give up now. "Tikki, Plagg, reveal yoursel–"

"Wait!" The distorted voice broke through the air like a foghorn. The air itself grew dry, as though a storm was approaching. A swarm of hundreds upon hundreds of Akumas ascended, with some breaking off to carry Adrien and Marinette to safety. At the center of this swarm was Hawkmoth, a dark power surging through him. "You will not have this world."

Sneering, Death's Head sent some of his Ripplers forward. Hawkmoth held out his hand, sending out some Akumas in turn. The butterflies collided with the Ripplers, eradicating each as they made contact. His eyes narrowed in frustration as his rival glared back.

"All this time, you have never faced true resistance," said Gabriel, his voice distorted. "You have gone from world to world, hiding in the shadows until it was time to take what you coveted. But now, you will have to face one who can surpass you!" Purple lightning surged through his makeshift wings. "Now, you will face the true strength of the butterfly Miraculous! Death's Head, this is where you die!"