Chapter Twenty-Six: Bottleneck

Alix held up her hands as she backed away from Kagami's approaching sword. "Easy there, let's not do something we might regret!"

Under Hawkmoth's command, likely due to an Akuma, she was not swayed. "I have no regrets. I do nothing more, nothing less, than my master commands. Her word is law. This is your final chance to comply."

"You know what? I don't think I'm gonna do that," Alix said. "How about this instead: you take me to Hawkmoth, and I won't have to take your Miraculous and force you? How 'bout that?"

When she didn't take her offer, Alix lunged. Wyvern's reflexes were quicker, swinging her sword to make good on her earlier threat. But rather than bisect the girl, she simply dissolved into smoke as soon as the weapon made contact. Confused by her foe's sudden disappearance, Kagami looked around as though she had somehow teleported herself elsewhere.

In a way, she had. Both Alix and Socqueline hid behind a nearby building, watching the fight. The latter had donned the mantle of the fox, squinting in concentration. "That's my cue. Remember, stay here, and don't try and rush in!" She leapt up onto the roof, moving in to intercept Wyvern.

"Yeah, sure, I won't," said Alix, but Socqueline was already gone. The fight at the construction site still raged, with Queen Wasp and Hellhound holding their own against the four heroes. Despite their advantage in numbers, it seemed like an even fight. "But then, what am I supposed to do?"

Just as Kagami was about to join the fray, Socqueline cut her off. "Not so fast! Before you get to them, you'll have to deal with me!"

"Huli Jing!" Wyvern hissed, readying her blade. "You will pay for your crimes against my master!" She launched herself forward, her sword clashing with Socqueline's flute. The fox-clad warrior dodged and weaved between her blows, striking back with her musical instrument.

Meanwhile, Alix watched as Scarabella, Kitty Noir, Pegasus, and Carapace contended with the other two. While Hellhound was clearly the heavy hitter of the pair, Queen Wasp had a trick up her sleeve that gave them the edge over the heroes. Everyone at the construction site had been placed under her control, with her using them as shields, or to disrupt the heroes' moves. Amongst the chaos, Alix spied the Miraculous of the tiger on Chloe's waist.

"I bet that could turn the tide," she noted. "But how can I get close enough without getting caught?" Analyzing the situation, she noticed something all of the mind-controlled thralls had in common: each of them had one of Chloe's bees attached to the back of their neck. "Hmm…maybe I could use that somehow…"

Another glance around revealed a bed of flowers nearby. She went over to investigate, and sure enough, there were a good deal of bees buzzing about. She reached out to one of the flowers, getting some pollen on her finger and spreading it around on the back of her neck. It was a long shot, but she had made crazier plans work.

Huli-Jing vs. Wyvern and the battle royale in the crater were not the only battles happening downtown. Yet another hero-villain pair were clashing on the nearby rooftops, both attempting to subtly turn the tide of the battles below. A bladed fan slashed through the air, occasionally being blocked by a lyre.

"What's the matter? Not bothering to rewind?" said Argos. "Could it be you've finally realized that defeat is inevitable?" He threw his fan at his foe, but Viperion rolled out of the way, leaping over it on its return.

Luka smirked. "Actually, I'm saving it for when we really need it. Can't be wasting it on small-time minions like you, now, can I?"

Argos growled. "Smogscreen, to me!" The Sentimonster resembling a floating cloak that had hidden Queen Wasp darted over to him, wrapping around to conceal his form. "Where am I, snake? I could attack from any angle! Or better yet…I could go after any of your friends, and you'd be none the wiser!"

This called for his ace in the hole. "Second chance!" declared Luka, setting the timer on his bracelet.

Hellhound's ball slammed against Carapace's shield, the force enough to push him back. Some mind-controlled workers tried to grab him from behind, but he kicked them away. "Sorry!" he called, dashing back into the fray.

Meanwhile, Pegasus dealt with these thralls as best as he could. Luring them towards him, he opened up a portal behind him and dodged, sending them across town. "How are things going on your end?" he asked Huli-Jing, after portalling up to the rooftops.

"Oh, y'know, I'm holding my own!" she said. The roof was full of Huli-Jing copies, all of them dodging and weaving around Wyvern's strikes. Her sword crackled with lightning, sending out a bolt with every swing. "I can handle her, focus on getting that Miraculous!" Argos appeared out of nowhere, moving to tackle Huli-Jing before being tackled himself by Viperion.

Alix could feel the bee crawling around on her neck, gladly accepting the free pollen she was offering. All she had to do now was follow the lead of Queen Wasp's other thralls, acting like a dead-eyed zombie. With a stiff gait, she moved with the masses, grouping up behind where the fight was strongest.

Queen Wasp whipped her top around, lashing it against Scarabella's yo-yo. "I can't believe Ladybug picked you to be her successor! But I guess it makes sense–only she would find someone so mediocre! Or did you just find those earrings and think they'd look good on you? How sad."

"Cram it, Chloe!" shouted Kitty Noir, leaping into the air and bringing down her staff. Hellhound's ball knocked it out of the way before it could collide, and Queen Wasp delivered a vicious kick to her side. Before she could follow up, Scarabella's weapon wrapped around her arm, yanking her away.

Just as Kitty Noir got to her feet, Hellhound sent the ball her way once again. Carapace's shield streaked through the air, deflecting it. "How is it that they're the ones outnumbered, but it feels like we are?" he wondered. Argos lunged at him from behind, only for Viperion to intercept him once again.

He was answered by a cackle from Queen Wasp. "That's because you are outnumbered! Say hello to my servants, peons!" With a snap of her fingers, her mind-controlled minions began to gather around her. Alix was among them, trying to get as close to her as possible without giving herself away. "You heroes think you can save everybody, don't you? I'd love to see how you can save everyone here when they're all against you!"

Scarabella, Carapace, Pegasus, and Kitty Noir all lined up to face down her army of thralls. She had a point: it would be hard to fight that many people without hurting them. But as they prepared to find a way, it soon transpired that they might not need to, as, unseen by Queen Wasp or Hellhound, Alix swiped the tiger Miraculous from the former's waist.

"What? What are you all looking at?" she asked impatiently. Her hand went down to where the Miraculous had been clipped, and to her shock, found it missing. "What!?" Both she and her lackey turned just in time to see Alix strapping the bangle to her arm.

With her Miraculous secured, Roaar appeared. "Ha-ha, I have returned! So, you're my new bearer, huh? Think you have what it takes to handle my power?"

Alix smirked. "Let's find out, shall we?" Seeing that both her enemies were about to attack, she figured she shouldn't waste time. "Roaar, stripes on!"

A purple, striped outfit appeared over her body, complete with ears. Just as Hellhound's ball sailed towards her, she instinctively reached behind her, unlatching the bolas that served as her tail, and used it to bat it away. She did the same with Queen Wasp's top, before joining the rest of the heroes. "Nice work, big kitty!" said Kitty Noir. "So, what should we call you now?"

"Hmm…how about 'Rajah?'" Alix suggested. "Yeah, I like the ring of that! Listen up, you two! Rajah is here to send you back where you came from!"

Queen Wasp snarled in frustration. "Gah! Forget it, just get them! Tear off their Miraculous and bring them to me!" Her many brainwashed slaves charged, but Carapace was prepared.

"Shell-ter!" he declared, creating a barrier to protect the heroes from their onslaught. As though that wasn't bad enough, Hellhound's ball repeatedly slammed against the top of the shield. "Anybody have any ideas? I'm not sure how long I can hold this!"

"I think I might have one…Lucky Charm!" said Scarabella, tossing her yo-yo into the air. In a flash of light appeared a red-and-black bug zapper. "Huh. Seems pretty straightforward."

"I hope this works!" Just as Scarabella turned the bug zapper on, Carapace dropped his shield. All of the thralls were, well, enthralled by the glowing light, just like the bees controlling them. Having gotten their attention, she tossed it away, through a portal created by Pegasus' Voyage. Once they were safely dealt with, he closed the portal, leaving them alone.

"No! You idiots, come back!" roared Queen Wasp. "You're supposed to listen to me! Do I mean nothing to you!?"

Rajah stepped forward. "Don't think you ever did, Queenie." She cracked her knuckles. "Now it's my turn. I've been waiting to do this for a while: Clout!"

She dredged up all the emotions she had been suppressing: her sadness at losing so many of her friends, her fear of Death's Head, her frustration at not being able to do more, her worry of what had happened to her team. All of it surged towards the surface, coalescing in her fist. She then threw her fist towards the sky, blasting the half-finished building above them in half. Chunks of concrete, girders, and rebar rained down from above, about to bury anyone caught within its radius.

But the heroes had a contingency. With a cry of "Cataclysm!" Kitty Noir raised her hands, dissolving any debris that fell upon the five of them. And then, once the destruction had run its course, they made their exit.

"C'mon, this way!" urged Huli-Jing, leading the heroes to safety. Pegasus created another portal, and they, joined by Viperion, disappeared.

Queen Wasp and Hellhound pulled themselves out of the rubble, the former seething. "Those little…Ugh! When I get my hands on them, I'm gonna…!" But before she could give chase, a glint among the debris caught her eye: the tiger Miraculous. "Ha! That little novice left it behind!" She darted over to grab it.

"Um, Chloe, I think that's just a…" Not heeding Sabrina's advice, Chloe grabbed the bangle, only for it to dissolve into smoke at her touch. "...a Mirage."

As Queen Wasp did her best to break the debris even further, Wyvern and Argos joined them. "There will be time for anger later," she said. "For now, we must report to Mistress Hawkmoth."

"Yes, to tell her how badly you botched this," Argos said, grinning at Queen Wasp, who glared at him. All four Dark Angels, with their prize having been snatched away, left for the time being. Argos cast one last glance over his shoulder, and, seeing a slight shimmer of light passing by overhead, followed the rest.

Meanwhile, the heroes congregated, surrounded by a gaggle of very confused construction workers. "You picked that up like a champ!" said Huli-Jing, patting Rajah on the shoulder. "I guess you really do have some experience being a hero, huh?"

"Oh, it wasn't anything special," she said. "Anybody can throw a punch."

"Still, it's good to have both you and Roaar on the team," said Scarabella. She went over to retrieve the bug zapper, which was just lying in the street. "Miraculous Scarabella!" She threw it into the air, where it burst into a flurry of ladybugs. The swarm returned the workers to the site, which was likely good as new as well. "So, back to home base? That watch won't repair itself!" She nudged Pegasus playfully.

Alix nodded. "Sounds like a plan. But…" She cast a glance over her shoulder. "Until then, I'll be glad to help you all take the fight to Hawkmoth!" The heroes all returned to base, now with one more Miraculous under their belts.

In the wake of the battle, the villains regrouped nearby. "That was a total disaster!" griped Queen Wasp, pacing back and forth on their rooftop. "Not only did they totally humiliate us, but they made off with yet another Miraculous! Can't you do anything right!?"

"S-sorry, Chloe," said Hellhound, looking down.

Argos scoffed. "Maybe if you hadn't been so easily fooled by Rajah's ruse, she never would've gotten close enough to take it!"

"I didn't see you helping out!" she shot back. Both of them were in each other's faces now. "Why Hawkmoth trusted you with a Miraculous like that when you can't even use it right, I'll never know!"

"Says the woman who barely uses your own Miraculous to its full potential!" he snarled.

"Quiet, both of you." Though she hadn't raised her voice, they were both silenced by Wyvern's words, turning towards her. She was looking expectantly at the handle of her sword, which had flipped open to reveal a phone. After ringing for a few moments, she finally got a reply. "Mistress Hawkmoth."

Somewhere else, a lone figure sat in an armchair within a darkened room, lit only by the glow from the fireplace. "Wyvern," she said. "Does that tone of yours tell me you don't have good news?"

Kagami hesitated before answering. "I'm sorry, Mistress Hawkmoth, but we were unsuccessful. The Resistance managed to acquire the Miraculous of the tiger…and they seem to have already found a bearer." The other three had gathered around her, looking expectantly into the phone.

In one hand, Hawkmoth held her cane, into which she spoke to her subordinates. In the other, she held her phone, on which she was looking at a report on the latest battle. "So it seems. I truly expected more from all of you. That said, at least this wasn't a complete loss."

"What do you mean?" asked Chloe. "We lost that Miraculous, and they got away!"

Hawkmoth let out a small laugh. "They certainly did. Right back to their base, right? Then it's a good thing Argos sent Smogscreen to follow them. Didn't you, Argos?"

"I certainly did, Milady," he said, bowing. "He will follow them to wherever they hide, and report back to me. They'll never suspect a thing–and when he gets back, we can take the fight to them!"

"Good work. As for the rest of you, lay low for now. But be ready to attack when I call on you again." She clicked her cane shut, turning to focus on her phone.

She finished typing up a message that read 'That fake Ladybug and Cat Noir stole another Miraculous! Everybody stay away, they're even more dangerous now! Please, tell the Anti-Akuma Task Force if you have any leads!' Smirking at her handiwork, she sent it along, under the username Real_Ladybug99.

Adrien awoke feeling like he had gotten into a fistfight with a runaway train. "Urgh…is this how a bad guy feels after we're done with them?" he murmured, lifting his hand up to his head. Or at least, he tried to, only to find that his arms and legs had been bound. Figures.

A quick look at his surroundings revealed him to be in a darkened room, most likely some sort of dungeon. Strangely, he didn't appear to be tied to a chair or suspended from a ceiling, but was simply floating in the middle of the room. Furthermore, the chains binding his limbs seemed to be made of glowing red energy.

Before he had time to wonder where he was, the nearby wall slid open, filling the small room with light. Adrien squeezed his eyes shut until they had adjusted, at which point he looked to see someone standing there: himself. "Oh, boy," he said. "Is this gonna be one of those things where you try and take my place to get close to my friends?"

"Not at all." The voice hadn't come from the other him, but from Panoptes. The being in question then made his appearance, with alt-Adrien stepping aside to let him float in. "That would be pointless, since I've already captured your friends. Maybe now you'll be willing to cooperate."

Adrien glared at his cousin. "I already was willing to cooperate. I'm the one who wanted to talk things out, but other-me here didn't give me a chance." He aimed his glare at his counterpart, who made no indication he was paying attention to anything he said.

Panoptes glided into the chamber, observing Adrien with his many eyes. "Even if you are telling the truth, that certainly wasn't the case for your friends. Speaking of, how did Kagami manage to acquire you and Marinette? I can detect the hint of the peacock's presence within you, and yet, you don't seem to be merely another copy. Just what are the two of you?"

"You might want to sit down," Adrien told him. He wasn't sure how much he could trust this version of Felix–evidently not all that much–so he told the abridged version of the story. Just enough to give him the gist of who they were and where they had come from, but not enough that he could use the knowledge against them. After hearing the tale, Panoptes was silent for a while. "So? I know it's hard to believe, but Paris has seen weirder things, right?"

"Another timeline…" he said quietly. "I see. So this wielder of the rabbit Miraculous has progressed quite far. I take it by the lack of her presence that she left you here to rot?"

He certainly hoped not. "What makes you think she's not here, right now? Maybe the three of us were the distraction, while she's sneaking into your inner sanctum to dismantle your entire empire from the inside?"

It was apparent from Panoptes' body language that he wasn't taking him seriously. "It's possible. I'll let you know if she ever shows up," he said, a grin audible in his tone. "Until then, why don't you tell me what it is you wanted to say? Now that the other two aren't here to steal your thunder."

With a wave of his hand, Adrien floated out of the room beside him. Other Adrien marched beside Panoptes, staying on his heels like a loyal guard dog. They drifted through the halls of what appeared to be a giant palace, empty yet immaculate. "Uh, okay. I know you have a history with Kagami, a very negative one from the sound of it, but we don't have to be enemies. You and me, we were close in your timeline, right?"

Unseen to Adrien's eyes, Panoptes glanced down at the ring on other Adrien's finger. His thumb moved down to his own finger, where a ring might've been. "We were, once. But certain things led to a…disagreement. Nowadays, we get along much better, though. Right, Adrien?"

"Of course," said other Adrien. "It's like we're completely in sync."

Finding his counterpart's behavior a little unsettling, Adrien continued. "Well, either way, I have nothing against you, and you have nothing against me. If anything, we should be helping each other. I told you about Death's Head, right?"

"This 'Death's Head' does not concern me," said Panoptes. "I destroyed Shadow Moth once, I will do it again. But if you still want my help, I believe I can provide it. Tell me, Adrien, do you miss your family?"

Though intrigued, Adrien had a feeling he knew where this was going. "Sometimes. It's been a while since I've been home. Why do you ask?"

Wordlessly, Panoptes waved a hand, and the wall next to them split apart. As Adrien was turned towards the opening, he realized that within was a perfect replica of the Agreste manor, with even the homes around it and the sky above. But the thing that truly caught his attention was who was standing in front of it.

"Welcome home, son," said Gabriel, Emilie and Nathalie to either side of him. "I'm so glad that you can finally return to us."

"It's been so long since we've seen you," Emilie said, reaching out a welcoming hand. "Now that your quest is over, we can finally be a family again."

Adrien realized that his feet were back on the ground, and the chains holding him had vanished. He glanced back at Panoptes in confusion. "Go on," his captor said. "You deserve to be happy. After everything you have been through, don't you agree?"

"But…what about my friends?" he said. "What about Death's Head–"

"I will handle Death's Head," Panoptes assured him. "And as for your friends, you can rest assured, I'm taking good care of them too. I won't hurt them, I promise."

As much as Adrien wanted the sight before him to be real, he knew it was nothing more than a fantasy. "What are you waiting for?" asked Nathalie. "Isn't this what you've always wanted?"

"I-it is, but…" He shut his eyes, before turning back around. "No. I can't do this! Take me to Marinette and Kagami, now!"

Panoptes shook his head in disappointment. "Even when your greatest wish is handed to you on a silver platter, you still ungratefully reject it. Like I told you before, I can't let you ruin this paradise I've created. That's why I've arranged for a special place for each of you to stay–enjoy, cousin."

The doorway leading back into the palace closed. "Stop, wait!" Adrien darted towards Panoptes, but he and his counterpart disappeared, leaving nothing but a street in their place.

He felt the Sentimonster shaped like his mother place its hand on his shoulder. "Hey, it's going to be okay, Adrien. You're home now. And you never have to leave again." The Gabriel and Nathalie Sentimonsters approached him as well, surrounding him in an embrace that was possibly supposed to be comforting, yet conveyed to him the reality of this illusion: it was meant to contain him.

Adrien opened his mouth to try and argue with the Sentimonsters, but he decided it was pointless, as they were under Panoptes' control. Instead, he figured his best bet was to play along as he looked for a way out. "Yeah. I'm home again." The four of them returned to the house, which, once again, was to become Adrien's prison.

When Gabriel awoke, he found himself lying in bed next to Emilie. Likewise, Emilie found herself resting her head on Gabriel's shoulder, both of them beneath the silken covers. The events of yesterday were all a blur, and although it slowly came back to him, Gabriel was in no hurry to get back to it. The weight of the blankets, and of Emilie, was more heavy than anything involving Death's Head. Was he even still a threat? Surely Alix would have come to get him already if he was. But…hadn't something happened to her as well?

Gabriel sat up, overcome by a sudden surge of worry. But as he listened to Emilie quietly breathe beside him, it faded as quickly as it had come. Fluff had brought him to this timeline for a reason–could it be that this was his reward for saving the multiverse? He had been given another chance to live the life he always wanted, but never felt he deserved. Maybe, after all this time, he finally did.

"Good, you're finally awake." Nathalie entered the room, seemingly unaware of the tender moment that was occurring. "I was worried when the two of you suddenly collapsed. But now that you've rested up, we have a lot of business to attend to today."

"Is now really the best time for that?" asked Gabriel. "I was hoping we could use today to become acclimated to our new living situation."

Nathalie raised an eyebrow. "That is indeed what I was referring to. If we explain things right, we may be able to pass your sudden appearance off as a miraculous recovery, pardon the wordplay. And more specifically, I was speaking to her."

At this, Emilie pulled the covers over her head. "Oh, why can't we go another day or two before we get back to routine? Adrien won't be back from his boarding school for another week or so." Gabriel detected a pang of guilt in her voice. "I…we can afford to wait until then to make it up to him."

So that was why he hadn't seen Adrien all this time. "And what about Madame Butterfly?" Gabriel asked.

"I've given that some thought," Nathalie said. "Even if we choose to retire her, people will no doubt be on-edge if she just disappears with no explanation. They'll think she's planning something. No, we may need to have her make a few more appearances before we can declare her reign officially over."

"Nathalie, I'm sure the people of Paris will be more than happy to be free of her," Gabriel said. Ironically, her point was one he himself considered before, on the rare occasion he had considered giving up being Hawkmoth. "If they really are worried, I'm sure simply having Ladybug and Cat Noir–er, Mister Bug and Lady Noir around will assuage them." He slid out of bed, walking over to the window to feel the sunlight on his face.

Emilie got up as well, sitting in place. "Well, all that aside, we're going to have to figure out what to do about us. I'm sure Adrien will be overjoyed to see you return, but I'll have to inform my sister as well. She and Felix will definitely be glad as well!"

Internally, Gabriel highly doubted that. Amelie and her son had never been his biggest fans back home, but perhaps things were different in this universe. "It will be lovely to see everyone again. Although I saw many different versions of my family throughout my travels, all of those meetings were soured by the knowledge that I could never stay for long. But here…" He approached Emilie, taking her hands in his. "...here could be different."

"You've decided to stay then?" asked Emilie.

"Does this answer your question?" He leaned in, his lips interlocking with hers. The rest of the world seemed to fade away into whiteness as they held each other close. "Of course I'll stay. After all, there's nowhere else I would rather be."

AN: I don't actually know what the female version of a Rajah is, if there is one, but eh.