Chapter Twenty-Two: Dissolution

Death's Head was not impressed by Gabriel's display. "Ooh, so we've reached the point of your last resort, have we? I must confess, I've always been curious to see if self-Akumatization is really as powerful as the stories claim. Something tells me this is going to be fun!"

Gabriel was in no mood to hear his ramblings. He thrust out his arm, sending a swarm of Akumas barreling down towards his warped counterpart. This attack was seemingly successful, as Death's Head was engulfed by the mass as it shot towards the ground, forming a crater as it collided.

The self-Akumatized Gabriel now turned his attention to his canine counterpart. "I believe these belong to someone else." He sent out a pair of Akumas to snatch both Miraculous out of his hands, returning them to their owners down on the ground.

Although this dimension's Gabriel barely had any idea what was going on, he was still indignant about having his greatest triumph taken from him. "You! You are me, are you not? Then you must know how imperative it is that I have those Miraculous! Would you deny me the life that you too must also have desired!?"

"Now's really not the time for that!" Having fought her way past the Ripplers, Bunnyx made her way back onto the platform. "Death's Head just wants you to make your wish so he can drain its energy and destroy this timeline! Now, unless you want that to happen, might I recommend we all focus on our common enemy for now?"

As much as it pained him to turn away when he was so close, he could tell, deep down, that she was right. "Red wings, rise!" The dog became a moth once again–Scarlet Moth. "To me, my villain army! If we are to conquer this world, first we must ensure its existence! Go! Descend upon Death's Head!"

Down below, the fighting stopped as all his Akumatized henchmen stopped fighting. Shell Shock released Blackbug from his Shell-ter, to his and Marinette's relief. All of them turned their attention to the crater that Death's Head was now rising out of.

His bones cracked as his body repaired itself, crawling unnaturally as he approached. "Impressive, Caterpillar–but you have forgotten, you are not the only one who controls Akumas!" He removed his hat, a swarm of corrupted butterflies surging forth from within. They spread out all over the city, creating Ripplers from anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in their path. As they approached Scarlet Moth's army, Blackbug and Shell Shock shared a nod. "Shell-ter!" declared the latter, forming a shield around everybody that kept the Akumas out.

"Your turn, Marinette!" said Adrien. She grinned, rushing forwards with her bat. Just as she reached the edge, Shell Shock lowered his shield, and she swung her bat. All clustered together, most of the Akumas were destroyed with one strike. She quickly flailed her bat around to mop up the stragglers, with Blackbug shooting forth to vaporize whatever she missed.

Rena Rage turned to this universe's Marinette and Adrien. "If you two plan on suiting up, now's the time!" Gabriel's Akumas had returned their Miraculous to them, and this was an all-hands-on-deck situation. They donned their jewels, and spoke the words.

"Plagg, claws out!"

"Tikki, spots on!"

In the midst of sending out his Rippler creators, Death's Head noticed Gabriel looming above him, his wings made of Akumas blocking out the sun. "Ah, so you'd prefer a more hands-on approach, is that it? I suppose leaving everything up to my creations does get rather boring… Very well!" His legs bent back unnaturally, allowing him to launch upwards at his foe.

Gabriel was prepared for this, swatting Death's Head aside with one of his wings. This sent him careening into a nearby building, smashing through the side. Gabriel gave chase, blasting him through a window before he had time to retaliate. Although Death's Head tried to grab hold of his opponent, Gabriel knew better than to give him that chance. He wasn't about to let him slip away again.

Back on the ground, the army of Ripplers did battle with the army of villains, plus the heroes. Joined by Ladybug and Cat Noir, the group easily plowed through the mutants. "What exactly are these things?" asked Cat Noir, bisecting one with his staff.

"Basically, they're matter-destroying minions of Death's Head, formerly known as Hawkmoth," explained Blackbug, doing the same with his nunchucks. "We're working on finding a way to fix 'em, but just focus on stopping 'em for now!"

Marinette continued to smash through the Ripplers with her bat, charging the Miraculous shards within. With a shout, she slammed her weapon into the floor and unleashed a shockwave that tore through the opposing army.

"Even without your earrings, you're something else!" said Ladybug. "Eh…you are another me, right? Sorry, it's just kinda hard to tell, since I, um, don't exactly know what you are."

A Rippler tried to sneak up on Marinette, but was quickly thrashed. "Aw, thanks! I lost my earrings to my Hawkmoth, so I had to improvise." She dashed towards another group of Ripplers, sliding underneath one and hitting it on the way through, before quickly leaping up and dispatching the others. "And to answer your question: I'm a hero!"

Suddenly, a portal opened near them: Bunnyx shot through, cleaving apart a few Ripplers with her umbrella. "Hey, Puppinette! I'd recommend you get a Lucky Charm ready for later. I have a feeling this fight's gonna have plenty of collateral damage!"

She pointed out the fight between Gabriel and Death's Head. Multiple buildings were being smashed by the resulting carnage, with twin swarms of Akumas swirling around the combatants. There were so many of them, in fact, that the sky had begun to darken–of course, the amount of smoke from all the fires their battle was causing didn't help.

Surrounded by a swirling mass of this smoke, Death's Head pulled himself from the wreckage of an office building's upper floor. "I have to congratulate you, Caterpillar–this is more fun than I've had in years! It isn't often I meet one of ourselves who can put up a fight as good as this! That said, though, I am surprised you're still willing to fight for these universes." He spread out his arms, and his smile, as he approached Gabriel's hovering form. "If you helped me instead, I could ensure that you, Adrien, and Emilie got the happy ending you all deserved–"

Not wanting to hear another word, Gabriel thrust his arm forward, sending several Akumas racing towards Death's Head. He jolted as each butterfly made impact, before he felt himself being lifted into the air. "And I will make sure you get the ending you deserve!" Gabriel moved his arms to the side, and all of Death's Head's limbs were pulled out in four directions. Both strained as Gabriel tried to pull Death's Head apart, with him doing his best to pull back.

As the pair's powers strained against one another, Gabriel's butterfly Miraculous began glowing brighter and brighter. Noticing this, Death's Head smirked. "Pushing yourself too hard, old boy? I know the sensation well! One best be careful not to overtax the Miraculous, lest its power consume you!"

Initially, Gabriel didn't care what Death's Head was saying, but as he found himself using all of his strength to try and tear him apart, he felt a burning sensation against his chest. The Miraculous' glow had become harsh and chaotic, pulsing with purple light as electricity of the same shade coursed from within. The wings of Akumas keeping him aloft began to disperse, and soon, unable to keep them together, they gave out, causing him to fall to the streets below.

Back over at the scene of the battle, Bunnyx noticed this. "Uh-oh–Gabe!" Quickly whipping up a portal, she appeared beside him, creating another that they both fell through, landing roughly, but not harmfully, in a grassy field.

Death's Head leapt from the rooftop to follow them, but the Burrow disappeared as he fell. He crashed against the cobblestone with a harsh impact, but it didn't take long for him to pull himself up, his bones cracking back into place.

"Ooh, that looked like it hurt." Death's Head looked up to see Cat Noir, as well as Ladybug, perched atop a nearby shop. "You wanna take five to put some ice on that?"

Death's Head couldn't care less about his quips, as he was far too focused on their jewelry. "Hand over the Miraculous, and I may allow this dimension to survive," he said, floating up to them.

"You want these?" asked Ladybug, showing off her earrings. "You'll have to catch us first!" With a wink, she swung off into the distance, with Cat Noir on her heels. Growing less amused by the second, Death's Head snarled before giving chase.

Some distance away, Gabriel coughed, picking himself up. His Miraculous had stopped overflowing with energy, but he could still feel its residual heat. "You alright?" asked Bunnyx, offering him a hand.

"Not as long as Death's Head is still alive," he muttered. "If I can find a way to corner him, I might be able to–"

"Hold on a minute," said Bunnyx, stopping him before he could run off. "The butterfly brooch wasn't meant to use its own power on itself like that. If you keep pushing yourself like this, well…it's not gonna end well for you. Or anyone else in the city, for that matter."

Gabriel knew the dangers when he had Akumatized himself. But he had done so for a reason–there was no other way to fight Death's Head on a level playing field. "I know," he said softly. "Which is why, if it becomes necessary, I need you to send me to another reality. One where my Miraculous' detonation will harm nobody."

"Gabe…" Bunnyx could hardly believe he was willing to even consider that. "I-I can't just…" But he was already gone, flying back to the Eiffel Tower to rejoin the fray. With a weary sigh, she picked up her umbrella, and portaled herself over to do the same.

The two heroes raced through the city streets as Death's Head gave chase. Taking the form of a smoky mass, he darted past the buildings, his focus solely on the Miraculous they carried. Each time they were almost within his grasp, their owners took a sharp turn, depriving him of their power once again.

"You know what I think?" Ladybug asked Cat Noir. "I think he's just upset that there are better, eviler Hawkmoths out there!"

"No wonder he wants to destroy the multiverse!" Cat Noir replied. "I'd be jealous too if I knew that there were better Cat Noirs out there!"

This pursuit had gone on long enough. Death's Head vanished, suddenly reappearing in front of the pair. They quickly dodged to the side, leading to Ladybug tumbling to the ground. She came to a stop in front of a car, where Death's Head cornered her. "You are right, you know–there are plenty of Hawkmoths in the multiverse greater than I. But once I am finally strong enough to reach the Genesis Point, there will no longer be any Hawkmoths. Nor Cat Noirs, nor Ladybugs!" He lunged, reaching for her earrings.

But just as his fingers wrapped around her ear, Ladybug faded into mist. Death's Head stared blankly for a moment, before stepping back. "Oh, you didn't think we were the real Ladybug and Cat Noir, did you?" He turned around to see Cat Noir standing behind him, smugly grinning. "Oops! Yeah, we're actually Mirages. Sorry for the mix-up!" With a mocking wave, he vanished as well.

Realizing he had been tricked, Death's Head slammed his hand down on the car, reducing it to dust. He then made his way back to the Eiffel Tower to finish things once and for all.

Standing on his perch near the top of the tower, Scarlet Moth looked down at his army. They, with aid from the heroes, had managed to beat back the Rippler incursion, giving them all just enough time to rally–but only just. Now, the numbers of heroes and villains alike stood, united, waiting in the eerily-silent Paris for Death's Head to arrive.

Hawkmoth floated in the air above the multitude. His hand instinctively reached up to his Miraculous–he couldn't be sure this would work, but he had to try. After everything they had gone through, he couldn't afford to back down now.

And there he was. Smoke painted the sun an eerie red color as Death's Head's shadowy form crept down the street. His body, and indeed the air itself, rippled and distorted as he made his way closer. Although his army had been destroyed, he was no less certain of his victory.

"So, you have decided to throw your lot in with these doppelgangers," he said to his local counterpart. He didn't appear to be raising his voice, and yet could be heard by everybody, regardless of distance. "I'm surprised at you, Gabriel. So close to having everything you wanted, yet you chose to cast it all aside for the sake of your greatest adversaries!"

"Better to side with those I despise than with someone trying to manipulate me for his own gain!" replied Scarlet Moth. "It seems your little scheme proved fruitless in the end. I've yet to make my wish, and you've run out of warriors. Stand down now, or be overwhelmed by my villain army!"

Death's Head looked disapprovingly at the assembly of Akumatized villains. "So, this is the best you have to offer? Very well…I suppose it's time I showed you my best!" He reached up to his jaw, pulling it open obscenely wide, upon which numerous Akumas flew out from within him. This swarm swirled around him, before all flying to embed themselves in his back at once. Death's Head began to convulse violently, until a number of segmented limbs burst out from where the Akumas entered. Raising himself up on these pointed insectoid legs, he charged.

Thrusting his arm outward, Scarlet Moth urged all those under his control to do the same. Darkblade met him first, swinging his sword to cut off his newly-gained appendages. All this accomplished was melting the sword to nothing, after which Death's Head brought down one of these legs on him, completely piercing through his armor. More villains–Pixelator, Syren, Anansi–all met similar fates, cut down with one swipe.

But as though watching these innocent civilians being massacred wasn't enough, it appeared Death's Head wasn't done with them. Rather than being reduced to nothing, as was normally the case with his touch, their bodies remained. Being overtaken by a smoggy substance, these bodies then rose from the ground, turning on their former allies. Anyone sliced by Death's Head's limbs was turned into a Rippler.

Another swarm of Akumas suddenly swooped in from above, pushing Death's Head away from the mob. Before he could recover, a second swarm slammed down on him from above, as Gabriel unsheathed his blade. "Impressive trick…but it won't save you from me!"

As the Akumas cleared away, a low, rumbling laugh emerged from Death's Head's throat. "Oh, this? This wasn't even my opening number!" He lunged at Hawkmoth, his eyes narrowed into slits while his teeth had transformed into fangs. Gabriel lunged, his sword stretched outward, but Death's Head nearly batted it aside with one of his insect legs. The two collided, Death's Head only unable to grab hold of Gabriel due to the mass of Akumas shielding him.

The Ripplers were proving troublesome for the rest, as anyone they touched would be transmuted into one as well. The heroes paid careful attention to their surroundings due to this fact, keeping their distance as they sliced apart their foes.

"I can't… These used to be our friends!" said Ladybug, looking aghast as a Rippler that used to be Kagami fell before her yo-yo. "How can he do this!?"

"Don't worry–you've still got that Lucky Charm stashed away?" asked Bunnyx. Ladybug nodded. "Good. If we survive this, a Miracle Cure should bring everyone back…I hope."

Gabriel sent the Akumas away from himself in one large surge, throwing Death's Head back. The swarm quickly returned to him before his enemy could, allowing him to take to the skies before Death's Head reached him. "Burn!" Gabriel sent a barrage of the Akumas towards the ground, where they collided like missiles around their target.

With Death's Head momentarily dazed from the explosions, Gabriel darted in to attack with his sword. The blade clashed against his insectoid limbs, the two now face-to-face. Gabriel's makeshift wings rippled with energy as he pushed against his opponent. "Such power!" Death's Head sneered. "But are you prepared to pay the price for it? You've already given your life once, and look how that turned out!"

His comment caused Gabriel to falter. What would sacrificing himself really accomplish? This moment of hesitation allowed Death's Head to gain the upper hand, pushing Gabriel back with his limbs before pouncing on top of him. The latter's wings pulled them both up into the sky, as it took all the power he had to keep from being Rippler-ized.

Bunnyx watched the two ascend, praying that Gabriel knew what he was doing. "Alix! We've got trouble!" shouted Marinette. As if things couldn't get any worse, she turned to see a horde of Ripplers descending upon the group from in town.

"Of course he had more," she spat. "Everybody listen up! Keep fighting just a little bit longer–I've got a plan!" She turned to Blackbug. "Think you can handle those things?"

He grinned. "After what we've been through, this'll be a walk in the park!" Confident he had things under control, Bunnyx disappeared through a Burrow, as Blackbug readied his weapon. "Here goes nothing!"

This dimension's Ladybug and Cat Noir prepared to fight the Ripplers as well. "Milady…are you sure we should leave it up to them to stop this?" he asked.

"Of course. They know more about who that Death's Head is than we do. All we need to focus on is stopping him from getting our Miraculous."

"About that," Cat Noir continued. "Since you already have a Lucky Charm out, what if we made sure he can't get our Miraculous?"

Bunnyx appeared on the tower next to Scarlet Moth. "I'm going up there after other-you. Send Queen Wasp to me, yeah?" With that, she vanished into another Burrow.

"What in–!?" Though bewildered by her sudden appearance and disappearance, Scarlet Moth didn't have time to question her. He contacted Chloe's Akumatized self, sending her up towards the dueling pair of his counterparts.

Several Akumas held back Death's Head's piercing limbs, while Gabriel held his wrists, trying to stop him from grabbing hold of him. "How long before those friends of yours become part of my army? How long before this timeline is nothing more than a featureless void? Your best efforts do nothing more than hinder me! You are nothing!" As he struggled, Gabriel began to feel the burning against his chest once more.

Suddenly, Bunnyx appeared from a portal above, grabbing onto Death's Head. "Yeah, yeah, 'your world is doomed,' 'it's hopeless to resist,' get some new material!" she said, before repeatedly driving her umbrella into his side. He attempted to strike her with his limbs, but she blocked with the same weapon. Eventually, with one well-placed kick, Gabriel sent the both of them hurtling towards the ground.

"Why should I change my words when they remain true!?" Death's Head growled as the two grappled. "Why don't we see how well your mission goes when your allies are stranded in this timeline!" He reached for her Miraculous, only held back as she hooked her umbrella around his arm.

Soon, a swarm of Akumas came to her rescue, racing down from above to stop her fall. She let go of Death's Head, who continued to plummet while she remained in the air. However, moments he fell beyond reach of her, one of his insect legs slashed in one last attempt at destroying her. Although he missed, its tip just barely grazed her Miraculous, creating a small scratch from which bright blue sparks emerged.

Gabriel and Bunnyx slowly descended to the ground, while Death's Head made his way there much quicker. "Thank you for coming to my aid," he said. "I've already expended so much power, any more and…"

"No, thank you for catching me!" Bunnyx replied. "To be honest, I didn't have much of a plan after that. Even creating a portal might've–" She stopped as she looked down at the pocket watch, noticing the damage. "Oh no."

"What? Is something wrong?"

Bunnyx tried to create a Burrow. Although successful, the portal wavered, becoming increasingly difficult to maintain, before it dissipated. "This is bad–we have to leave this place, now!"

"These people are still in danger!" replied Gabriel. "We cannot just leave them to the whims of Death's Head! You are the one who taught me not to only think of myself!"

"I know that, but if we don't leave soon, we might be stuck here! We need to find a world with a working rabbit Miraculous, and fast!"

Down on the ground, Death's Head pulled himself up after yet another fall. "Hey!" a voice called out–one he recognized. He turned to see Adrien–specifically, this universe's Cat Noir. "Looking for these?" The feline held out his hand, revealing the ladybug earrings.

Death's Head knew there was a catch, but figured he could spot any trap before it was sprung. "Why, yes, as a matter of fact, I am, boy." He stood upright, slowly making his way over. "How nice of you to cooperate. If you hand over both, I might consider sparing this dimension!"

"Yeah, about that…Cataclysm!" Locking eyes with the duplicate of his father, Cat Noir closed his hand around the earrings, before opening it to let the dust fall to the ground. "I've spent all this time protecting the Miraculous from Hawkmoth–and you're Hawkmoth but worse. I'd never hand them over to you!"

Growling, the legs emerging from Death's Head twitched. "Big mistake." He lunged, preparing to reduce this counterpart of his son to just another Rippler, but found himself blocked by Blackbug. His pointed limbs were caught by a spotted shield, its wielder holding his weapon in his other hand.

"You won't be hurting anyone else in this timeline!" Blackbug declared, as Cat Noir headed back to the others. "Or any other, for that matter! This is where we'll finally beat you!"

Predictably, he only smirked at this remark. "And how do you expect to defeat that which cannot be defeated!?" He sprang back as Blackbug swung his weapon, summoning a horde of Ripplers to descend on him. "It doesn't matter how many heroes I have to crush, nor how many dimensions I have to annihilate. I am timeless…endless… You, on the other hand, are running out of time, closing in on your end!"

Blackbug made short work of the Ripplers, but more kept coming, pouring out of their namesake ripples from other timelines. The heroes, and what was left of Scarlet Moth's army, kept them at bay, but it seemed like Death's Head had an endless number of them.

Gabriel witnessed the scene, immediately panicking when he saw Blackbug surrounded. "Adrien!" Descending to the ground, he sent forth a surge of Akumas to wipe out the Ripplers giving him trouble. This largely succeeded, but Death's Head took notice. He slowly crept away, while Bunnyx portaled her way back to the others.

Meanwhile, both Marinettes had snuck into the city, out of the way of the Ripplers. Two illusions in their likeness remained at the battle to keep Death's Head from getting suspicious. Rena Rage joined the pair. "Cat Noir destroyed the Miraculous," she reported. "You still have the Lucky Charm, right?"

The local Marinette nodded. "I hid it, just in case." She looked back to the battle, noting all the Ripplers. "All this destruction…what does he want to wish for, anyway?"

"He doesn't use them to wish," said her human version. "He absorbs them to give himself more power. We aren't entirely sure what his end goal is, but given he wants to rewrite the entire multiverse, it can't be anything good."

"Back when he was chasing my Mirages, he mentioned something called the 'Genesis Point,'" said Rena Rage. "He apparently needs to be stronger to reach it, but that's all I know."

Marinette was reminded of Director Bunnyx's last words to them. "Before she died, the Director told us to 'find genesis.' She must mean we have to get to it before he does. That's gonna be hard when we have no idea what or where it is!" The two locals agreed with her, even if they had no clue who the Director was.

At that moment, a Burrow opened up next to the three, and Alix emerged, clutching her side. "Marinette!" she said breathlessly. "Come on, we have to leave now! Get to Adrien, I'll explain on the way!"

"What? But we can't leave! This dimension's still in danger!" Marinette cried. "I'm not leaving until we stop Death's Head!"

Alix picked her up. "I wish we could stay, but we risk being stuck here if we do!" She opened up another portal, which took a good deal of effort. "I'm sorry–good luck to you all." She disappeared through it, leaving Marinette and Rena Rage confused.

From his perch, Scarlet Moth observed the battle. Most of his forces had been removed from his control, transformed into those abominations. But even as defeat inched closer, he refused to give in. Unluckily for him, he was so focused on the fray below that he did not notice the Ripplers climbing the tower until they were upon him.

"What!?" He was taken by surprise, one of the Ripplers grabbing onto his arm. He cried out as it seared his skin, quickly drawing his blade and dispatching it. The others closed in, and although he vanquished most of them, the sudden ambush sent him back to the platform's edge. With one last lunge, the Ripplers sent him hurtling towards the ground.

Gabriel caught this in the corner of his eye. Still keeping most of his Akumas on the Ripplers, he sent a small flock over to catch his falling counterpart. He was soon suspended in midair upon a cloud of butterflies, safe–for now.

"We always were an excellent multitasker." He turned to see Death's Head creeping up from behind. "Let's see just how well you can keep everyone safe while also watching your own back!" His limbs primed themselves to strike, and he pounced. Gabriel turned around, blocking the strike with his sword while keeping his other hand extended to control the Akumas.

Both Adriens fought the Ripplers with all their might, moving in tandem as though reading each other's thoughts. The Akumas were able to thin the herd fairly well, moving around in one large mass like an airborne serpent. But its movements were becoming more erratic the more it darted around the battlefield, as though it was having difficulty maintaining a coherent shape. Gabriel's attention being split between three different avenues likely had something to do with it.

A portal appeared between the two, out of which Bunnyx staggered, Marinette by her side. "Adrien! No time to explain, but we have to go, now!"

The two of them looked at her, confused. "Why?" asked Blackbug. "Even though he can't absorb the ladybug's power, Death's Head can still do serious damage to this universe! We can't just leave them!"

"That's what I said!" Marinette replied. "But apparently, we can't risk staying here, or something's going to–"

Suddenly, a blinding purple light eclipsed all other sources of illumination, forcing them all to shield their eyes. Even the Ripplers paused to take in this outpouring of raw energy that had appeared without warning. "No…" Bunnyx said softly.

Gabriel had pushed himself, and his Miraculous, too hard. His self-Akumatization had taxed the butterfly brooch to its limit, so much so that a large seam had appeared down the center. This is where the light was pouring from, as well as searing heat. Gabriel levitated in the air as the energy surged through his fragile form, crying out in anguish. Cracks began to appear in his mask, as it flaked off of his face in glowing fragments.

Pushed back by the force it was exuding, Death's Head watched this meltdown with glee. "Do you see now, Gabriel!? It is your hubris that will be your undoing! Such is the curse of the Agreste bloodline!" He was unconcerned about being in the blast zone, likely assuming he could regenerate from such an event.

Bunnyx, acting on instinct, opened a Burrow to somewhere, anywhere, as long as it wasn't here. Somewhere they would be safe. As soon as the portal was open, she pushed Marinette and Adrien through. "Wait!" said the latter. "Don't send us away! We can still help!"

"I'm sorry–I can't risk anyone else getting hurt because of me!" said Bunnyx. Adrien and Marinette hurried towards the portal, only for it to close moments before they reached it.

The two of them now found themselves in what appeared to be a dust-covered wasteland. Wind kicked up massive sandstorms in what soon became clear to have once been Paris. Whatever had happened in this timeline, the once-great city had been reduced to a series of buried ruins. "What now?" asked Marinette.

"I don't know," Adrien replied. "But Alix wouldn't have sent us here if she didn't plan on coming back for us." As the howling of the wind grew louder, he hoped he was right in that regard. "Why don't we find some shelter for now, just in case?" The two of them made their way over to a ruined building, hoping their stay in this universe would be a short one.

As Gabriel's power further broke down, everyone remaining hurried to get to a safe distance–if such a thing existed. The villains, no longer taking orders from Scarlet Moth, headed for the hills. Marinette retrieved her Lucky Charm, hoping whatever disaster was approaching could be reversed. In spite of everything, Adrien helped his father along, carrying him to a hiding place.

He wasn't the only one whose Miraculous was failing him. Bunnyx's watch had all but broken in half, only being held together by whatever strength she and Fluff had left. She staggered towards the blinding light, having to force herself forward as the radiating energy was physically repelling her. Once she was close enough, she and Gabriel locked eyes. "Gabriel…I'm sorry…" She gathered up all of her remaining energy into her hand, thrusting it outward. "Burrow!" she cried.

The portal surged forward, enveloping Gabriel's form. Through the pain at his chest, he could see the familiar form of timelines in the skies around him: she had sent him to the empty Warren. If this really was the end, at least he wouldn't take anyone else out with him.

But now that he had nothing to lose, one final rumble of defiance echoed from within his soul. After all, if death is inevitable, there's no harm in a last-ditch effort at survival. Struggling to move, he reached up to the brooch, gripping it between his shaking fingers. Energy surged through his arm upon touching it, causing him to cry out once again. Fighting through the pain, he tore the Miraculous from his chest, hurling it as far away from him as he could.

The Miraculous barely made it to the other side of the room. Exhausted by all that energy surging through his body, Gabriel fell to the floor, unable to hold himself up. In the end, he had given it his all. He had sacrificed everything–his life, his powers, his chance at seeing Adrien again–all for the sake of people he had never met, and many more he never would. As he struggled to remain conscious, he hoped that one day, even if he never knew the truth, Adrien would find it in him to forgive his father. But even if he couldn't, at least Gabriel could die knowing he had saved at least one timeline.

A small, flickering figure appeared before Gabriel's eyes. Was he delirious from being on death's door, he wondered? No, this was a figure he had seen before. "Master…you can't die yet," said Nooroo, his voice faded and his image hazy. "Death's Head is still a threat. If he wins, nobody in the multiverse will be safe. You have to keep fighting, Master."

"Nooroo…I…" He wanted to. He desperately wanted to, but his body wouldn't move. Purple veins were seared into his skin, especially on his chest and arm. Not to mention, the Miraculous' power would soon be uncontained. He likely had seconds before the entire Warren was reduced to nothing.

Nooroo turned to look at the unstable Miraculous, and then back to Gabriel. Where once fear and disdain would have appeared, there was now pity. "As I said, Master: you cannot die. Not when everyone still needs you." He flew over to the brooch, lifting it into the air. "We will meet again. I promise." With that, he flew off into the distance as fast as he could. Before long, he was reduced to little more than a speck, and then even that was gone.

Gabriel reached out a hand, trying to stop him from going, but it was too late. His arm fell back to the floor, as it took too much energy to even lift it. Off in the distance, though it was impossible to tell exactly how far, a pinprick of light appeared, which soon erupted into a sphere of purple energy. This was accompanied by a muffled boom, sending with it a shockwave that rocked the Warren to its core. So great was the impact that the white marble structures began to crumble, falling away into the nothing as gravity slowly faded as well.

With nothing to hold him down, Gabriel floated upwards, and outwards, drifting off into the vast emptiness between dimensions. Somehow, against all odds, he was still alive. But left adrift in the abyss, he was certain his current survival meant nothing. He was still dying–it was only a matter of time.

Time. Time was something this space was not bound by. Time was not something that applied to the Kwamis. And time was the domain of the being that resided here. As Gabriel continued to drift, he soon found himself face-to-face with a familiar figure. An enormous lapine serpent stared down at him with its three eyes. Since the last time he had encountered Fluff, more of the Kwami's body had been overtaken by the Ripplers' corruption, with almost the entirety of his middle having become completely black. But he still held power over time and space.

Feeling a force washing over him, Gabriel found himself drifting away from the deity, floating towards a nearby timeline. He passed through the edge and into its center: for a moment, everything was white, and then, it was replaced by darkness.

As his eyes adjusted, he recognized Paris. It was nighttime, but the city was still illuminated. Fluff's power gently placed him down on the stone, which, though far from comfortable, was cool to the touch, providing a small bit of relief. He closed his eyes, unable to stay awake any longer.

Just before he faded from consciousness, he could barely make out footsteps approaching his location. He heard the reverberations of a voice, and although he couldn't make out what it was saying, it was a voice that he was very familiar with.

"Natha…lie…" he croaked out, before he drifted off.

The moment Gabriel had gone, Paris was quiet once again. Blinding light and searing heat no longer distorted the air. Bunnyx stood before where Gabriel had once been, smoke rising from her fist. She had done it. She had saved this timeline–at the cost of his life.

But not everyone was relieved at this turn of events. "Impressive, White Rabbit," drawled Death's Head, creeping over to her. "You've managed to prevent the destruction of one Paris among millions. And what is to stop me from razing this city to the ground, now that her defenders have been scattered?"

Bunnyx turned to look at him defiantly. "The ladybug Miraculous was destroyed," she hissed. "There's nothing for you here. You can destroy it all you want–but that won't bring you any closer to your goal. You're falling apart, Gabriel. You're running out of time."

With a hiss, Death's Head rushed towards her. "I am not Gabriel!" His hand shot out, ready to reduce her to dust. She was too drained to dodge, only falling backwards as though on instinct. But in that moment, from within her Miraculous, there was a flicker of activity. Although the watch was hanging on by a threat, one last spark emanated from its core.

A portal opened up behind Bunnyx, into which she fell. As there was only enough power left to keep it open for a mere moment, it closed the second she was through. Death's Head reached for her, but moments before his hand could make contact, he found it severed.

Death's Head let out an inhuman screech of pain and fury, gripping the half of his forearm that remained. A surge of pure destruction blasted out from his form, vaporizing the entire field where he stood. "Damned rabbit! Damned caterpillar! Damn them all!" he shrieked. Lying in a crater of his creation, he no longer wished to remain in this timeline. His new focus was on regaining what he had lost, and that meant devouring more Miraculous. Bunnyx had been right: there was nothing left for him here. His insectoid limbs shrank back into his back, and he touched the ground with his remaining hand. The fabric of reality rippled under his grasp, as he passed through the opening, leaving no trace he had ever been there save for the devastation.

It had taken a great toll, but Ladybug and Cat Noir had saved Paris once again. Those who remained, no longer Akumatized, gradually emerged from their hiding places. Many had been lost that day, but Death's Head, and possibly Hawkmoth as well, had been defeated.

"Milady!" Cat Noir arrived next to Marinette, making sure she was alright. "You're not hurt, are you? Can you stand?"

"Don't worry, I'm alright," she assured him, pressing her face into his fur as they embraced. "And with a little luck, maybe everyone else will be too…" She held up what appeared to be a small hourglass with a familiar red and black spotted pattern.

Cat Noir smiled. "Well…ladybugs are known for being lucky," she said. "Give it a try!"

As she had done many times before, Marinette hurled the item up into the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!" The hourglass burst into a flurry of glowing ladybugs, which spread out all across the city.

Alix awoke, finding that she was both cold and wet. "What…?" Shaking herself off, she soon found that she was in Paris, but clearly not the one she had been in moments before. Rain poured from the sky, giving the city a gloomy atmosphere. Something else caught her eye: her Miraculous lay on the ground beside her, split in two, with sparks flickering between the halves. "Oh, no…" she said, cradling the remains of the watch. Wherever she was now, she was stranded, with no way to reach the others.

Still, she was alive, and that was something. She picked herself up, figuring the best course of action would be to find out what kind of timeline she was in. There didn't seem to be any people around, so she looked for any familiar landmarks. Just a short distance away was a statue she didn't recognize–she headed over to see if it could shed some light.

The statue was cast in bronze, and depicted two figures posing valiantly. She rounded the pair, thinking that they looked very familiar. Upon reaching the front, however, she gasped. There was a reason she recognized them.

Ladybug and Cat Noir. Marinette and Adrien. Here they stood, immortalized for all to see. And below them, a placard read the following:

"In memory of those we have lost. May they watch over us, always."

AN: Bet you thought this was gonna be the climax, huh? Nope! We've still got a ways to go! But with everyone stranded in different worlds, how are they gonna find each other? And what will they encounter in these different timelines? Hope you're as excited as I am to find out!