Chapter 5: Evolution

Marinette and Chat Noir were standing on a rooftop looking toward the Jardins du Trocadéro. The crowd was chanting, "Ladybug! Ladybug! Ladybug!"

A portal opened behind Marinette, and hands pulled her into it.

It was Bunnix; they were in the Burrow.

"Marinette, Monarch was about to cross the roof and you can't be seen like this. He'll know who you are if he sees you with Chat Noir."

Marinette asked, "What can we do? All is lost; he has my Miraculous and half the Miracle Box."

"Don't worry, we'll think of something," said Bunnix. "But first, put on this yellow safety vest. Time travel is complicated. With this, we'll always know it's you, present-time Marinette."

"How can I help? I don't have my earrings."

"You don't have your earrings now, but you did once."

"So I can go and get them from the past?"

"Right, but we have to be careful about messing with history."

"I know! There was this one time when I renounced my Miraculous. Nothing will change if I take it from that moment and put it back a moment later."

"I wish we didn't have to use this opportunity now, because there may come a time where we need it even more," said Bunnix.

We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," said Marinette.

They went and got the Ladybug Miraculous, and returned to the site of Chat Noir just in time to see an exhausted Monarch, Rabbit Noir, and a future Chronobug step through a portal.

Future Rabbit Noir said, "He's getting tired. This is our chance!"

Future Chronobug said "The watch! We have to get the Rabbit Miraculous back!"

After they were gone, Chat Noire said, "Ladybug? How did you get your Miraculous back? Why did you turn yourself yellow? And who were those people just now?"

"I'm using a loaner from the past. Call me Chronobug."

Bunnix said, "Those were future versions of you, if all goes well."

"Monarch didn't waste any time using his new powers," said Chat Noir.

"He started with the most powerful one, the Rabbit Miraculous," said Chronobug.

Bunnix said, "The most dangerous one! Changing the past can have serious consequences in the present. Come on."

They entered the Burrow, and Bunnix found the portal that Monarch was using. He was stealing Ladybug's earrings when she was trapped by Lady Wi-fi.

"That's not how it happened!" said Chronobug.

"That's what will happen if we don't stop him," said Bunnix, turning back time to the moment Monarch stepped in.

Chronobug used her yo-yo to pull him back through the portal..

Monarch stared at them in shock. "A yellow Ladybug? Chat Noir? How could you follow me through time, when I'm the one with a Rabbit Miraculous?"

Bunnix said, "I'll make it simple. The Burrow is like a car, and we both got the keys. Got it?"

"We're going to take back the Miraculous you stole from us right now!" said Chronobug.

Monarch opened his cane and a swarm of kwamis flew out, crying, "Save us, Ladybug!"

"You may still be their Guardian, Ladybug, but I'm their master now! Nooroo, Fluff, Daizzy, Ziggy, Sass, Unify!"

As the named kwamis entered their Miraculous, streaks of magic lightning made Monarch grunt in pain. He ran with the yo-yo still around him, pulling Chronobug along with him. He threw her off into the wall, and activated "Second Chance!"

He ran, dodging all of their attacks perfectly.

Chat Noir cried out, "He's predicting our every move!"

"Gift!" Monarch shoved a pink present in Bunnix's face.

Bunnix collapsed, lost in a happy dream.

"Genesis!"

Monarch waved his brush and instantly drew a large protective cage around himself and Bunnix.

"Bunnix!" shouted Cronobug and Chat Noir in unison. They ran toward Monarch.

"If he takes her Miraculous, we won't be able to follow him through time!" said Chronobug.

"Cataclysm!" called Chat Noir, touching and destroying the cage.

"I'm still more powerful!" said Monarch. "Nooroo, Fluff, Daizzy, Ziggy, Sass, Tikki, Unify!"

Once again, lightning streaks surrounded Monarch, causing him to fall to his knees.

Chronobug said, "You don't look so powerful now."

"Seems like you're about to lose this time, too!" said Chat Noir,

Chronobug hurled her yo-yo at Monarch, but he blocked it by whirling his own as a shield. Monarch threw his yo-yo, pulling himself through a nearby time portal.

Chronobug gave chase, but failed to get through the portal.

Chat Noir took the Rabbit Miraculous from Bunnix; she transformed back into Alix, but still didn't wake up from the dream.

"Catch, m'lady!" said Chat Noir. "Only the holder of the Rabbit Miraculous can open a time portal."

Chronobug smiled and put the Rabbit Miraculous on his chest, saying " You do it, Kitty."

"You want me to control time?" asked Chat Noir.

"I trust you to do it," said Chronobug. "It's up to you and me."

"Plagg, Fluff, Unify!"

Rabbit Noir ran over to the portal where Monarch had vanished, wound back time, and they entered.

They entered the Louvre when the battle between Riposte and Ladybug was happening . After a quick surprise attack to his leg with the Rabbit umbrella, Monarch escaped with another "Burrow."

Next was the sewers where they once escaped the mass attack of akumatized villains on Heroes Day. They stopped Monarch from seeing their past selves de-transform by pushing him through another time portal.

They pursued him in the air above the Eiffel Tower during the day of the Bubbler.

They pursued him in the zoo during the attack of Animan, when Alya and Nino kissed for the first time.

They pursued him on the rooftop near the Jardins du Trocadéro when Monarch was making his recent victory claim.

"He's getting tired. This is our chance!"

"The watch! We have to get the Rabbit Miraculous back!"

Chronobug and Chat Noir were startled as they realized what they had just said. They had heard those words before.

They were back during the Nazi invasion of France.

"So, Mothie-Rabbit-Goat-Pig, and I'm not sure what else, are you lost?" asked Rabbit Noir.

"It's over. Give us back the Miraculous!" said Chronobug.

"Nooroo, Fluff, Daizzy..."

"We'll be here a while, m'lady."

"Ziggy, Sass, Tikki, Kaalki, Unify!" said Monarch, groaning in pain as yet another kwami was added.

"Don't you know using too many Miraculous at once is dangerous?" asked Chronobug.

"Voyage!"

A small portal opened and Monarch threw the Rabbit Miraculous into it. The portal instantly closed.

"Now only I know where the Rabbit Miraculous is. Only I can get it back!" said Monarch, collapsing unconscious.

"Did we just defeat him?" asked Rabbit Noir.

"Looks like we did."

"But he's right that we have no way to get the Rabbit back unless we search all over the world."

"Or we could just get his glasses and ask Kaalki."

Just as Cronobug started to remove the glasses, red spotlights shone down on them.

A Nazi soldier yelled, "The box. We must get the box!"

Across the river, the two heroes saw the younger versions of Marianne and Master Fu.

"Master Fu?" said Chronobug with a gasp.

Monarch woke up, still dazed. "Tikki, Daizzi, Ziggy, Divide," he commanded, reducing his load. "You'll never get the Rabbit Miraculous now! Voyage!"

A portal swallowed him up.

"No!" said Cronobug. "He's gone to where he put the Rabbit Miraculous!"

"We'll find him from the Burrow," said Rabbit Noir.

"With the Rabbit plus the Horse, he can go anywhere and anywhen. We can't search all spacetime. There's only one solution. Lucky Charm!"

A small spotted box appeared.

"A mini Miraculous Box? " asked Rabbit Noir.

"This is like the box I got to defeat Hawkmoth on Heroes' Day," said Chronobug. "But ... I don't know how to use it here and now."

"You'll figure it out. you always do."

An idea came to Chronobug and certain objects seemed to light up in her mind.

"That's it, Bunny Cat! I don't have to use it here and now."

Lila was on the train when Nathalie received a call, stood up, and walked a short distance to take it, She was out of Lila's view. Lila activated a bugging app on Nathalie's cell phone so she could listen in.

"Nathalie, where is my son?" said Gabriel on the phone.

"Sir, I'm sorry, I fell asleep on the train. I was very tired after staying up all night making last-minute preparations for the trip. Adrien went to the lavatory..."

Nathalie paused and gasped. "Gabriel?"

Gabriel's voice said weakly on the call. "This is your future self... we've nearly won. Don't say any more... to Nathalie.. you'll make her collapse. I'll take it... from here."

The call disconnected, but Lila still had audio.

"Nathalie... find some food for these useless creatures."

Nathalie came back to the seat and got some sandwiches she had packed. She headed back with them. Lila continued to listen. There were some munching sounds for a while.

Lila considered what to do. Gabriel was here, and he sounded weak. He seemed to have come from the future with the Rabbit Miraculous and several others. Lila had an injection bulb with an untraceable neurotoxin that Machiavelli had invented; she had brought it with her in case she had to make an emergency escape from Nathalie and Félix. If only she dared use it on Gabriel and Nathalie... It was too risky . There were two of them, and he had all those kwamis at his beck and call.

"I can defeat Ladybug! I know it! There's got to be the perfect moment," said Gabriel..

"There's another way to use the Miraculous of the Rabbit," said Nathalie. "You could go back to a time before Emilie used the damaged Peacock Miraculous. You can save your wife, Gabriel! This flash drive holds the information on how to repair the magic jewel so that Emilie never becomes ill using it. You would just need to give the drive to yourself. Make the right choice. It's not too late!"

"How did I not think of that? Thank you, Nathalie! Nooroo, Fluff, dual morphosis! Burrow!"

Minutes passed, and Lila worried. Was he really going to win and wipe out all of her carefully-made plans? She was still here, so maybe the smooth-brained fool had failed.

Lila heard Nathalie place a call. It seemed that she was worried, too.

"Gabriel, did it work?"

"No, Ladybug tricked me! She stole the Time Miraculous from me! You have to help me! Come up with a new plan! Ladybug can't get away with this!"

"You had the Time Miraculous. You could've chosen to save Emilie! You could've chosen to save me!" said Nathlie, coughing. "But instead, you chose your obsession with Ladybug and Chat Noir. You're insane, Gabriel!"

"I-It's not my fault! It was Ladybug!"

"You don't deserve my help. You don't deserve anyone's help!" Nathalie hung up on him.

Lila took the object she needed from her carry-on luggage, and concealed it in her hand. Then she went to Nathalie.

"Nathalie? Is everything okay?" asked Lila.

"Yes. Help me get back to my seat, Lila."

Lila put an arm around Nathalie. As she assisted her to walk, she injected the neurotoxin into Nathalie's back, near her spine.

As Nathalie went down, Lila wondered whether she had done the same thing in the previous timeline. Future Gabriel had said something about Nathalie collapsing after an angry phone call. It was entirely possible. Gabriel would blame himself. It would be much easier to outwit Gabriel with his most intelligent helper out of the way.