Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“In this timeline, during Heroes’ Day, Marinette had decided to use the Monkey Miraculous on Scarlet Moth with disastrous consequences.”

“The Uproar caused him to lose control of the Scarlet Akumas, who went on to spend the next three years spreading over the entire world.”

“Fortunately, Ladybug, Chat Noir, Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee, along with Lady Dragon and Socqueline, were able to recover the Miracle Box and free Master Fu along with their old friends and give them the remaining Miraculous, including Socqueline, who became the Peacock hero Guanyin.”

“Now our heroes return home to Paris for the first time since Heroes’ Day…”

A portal opened in an alleyway on the outskirts of Paris, and a couple of vans came out.

Everyone came out of the vans.

The streets were silent.

“Home sweet home,” Chat said.

They stood there for a minute.

“And why’s it so quiet?” Pegasus asked, “I would think it would be swarming with Akumas.”

“Maybe they’re all in the city's centre,” Queen Bee suggested.

“What’s the plan?” Guanyin asked.

“We know that after Scarlet Moth disappeared, they somehow forced him to make more Scarlet Akuma,” Ladybug said.

“If we can discover how he increased his power, we can learn how to take that power away,” Master Fu explained.

“But how do we find him?” Carapace asked, “We haven’t heard anything out of Paris in a long time.”

“Whatever the case, we need to find a safe place to spend the night,” Ladybug said, “Then, first thing in the morning, we’ll start searching the city for signs of activity.”

“We can’t take the vans,” Chat Noir said, “They would attract too much attention.”

“So we're going on foot,” Rena said.

They began to walk.

They travelled carefully, listening for any signs of life.

“Why doesn't Alix just travel back in time and stop this from ever happening?” King Monkey asked quietly.

“Other time travels have tried that,” Bunnyx answered, “But time travelling Akumas followed, and apparently, it was a mess.”

“Sshh,” Lady Dragon shushed them, “I heard something.”

The group heard flapping.

“Scarlet Butterflies!” Rena hissed.

“Come on, everyone,” Ladybug said, “We practised for this.”

The group breathed in and thought calm thoughts.

The swarm of Scarlet Butterflies flew around them.

Pigella looked worried until Purple Tigress took her hand.

One butterfly flew close to Polymouse.

She looked like she would panic until Minotaurox stood beside her and looked at her reassuringly exchanged looks.

The butterfly lost interest.

Finally, the swarm began to leave.

When the last butterfly had gone out of sight, everyone relaxed.

“Let’s keep moving,” Ladybug said.

Chapter Text

They found an old warehouse.

“This seems like a good place,” Ryuko noted.

“Let me scout it out,” Viperion suggested, “Second Chance!”

A second later, he relaxed, “It’s clear.”

They opened the door and de-transformed.

“Let’s get some rest,” Marinette said, “We have a long day tomorrow.”

They settled in for the night.

The next morning, the sound of terrible guitar music woke everyone up.

“What is that?!” Sabrina asked.

Adrien looked out a window, “It’s Xtreme Rock. Looks like he’s practising.”

“Who?” The newer heroes asked.

“A music Akuma,” Marinette explained, “He’s not very good though.”

“Probably why he’s all the way out here,” Alya snarked, “The other Akumas probably don’t want to listen to him.”

“Let’s go,” Nino said, prepared to deal with the annoyance.

“Wait,” Marinette said, “He could be a source of information.”

“All right,” Nathaniel said, “So we need to capture him.”

“Any ideas on how to do that quietly?” Marc asked and winced at some partially terrible notes Xtreme Music made.

The original five smirked.

“We’ve had a lot of practice at this sort of thing,” Chloé said.

Xtreme Music was blissfully playing his guitar when he heard a shout behind him.

“Venom!”

Before he knew what was happening, he was paralysed and dragged into the warehouse.

A few streets away, an Akuma said, “Thank God. Someone’s shut him up.”

Xtreme Music was very easy to break.

“I don’t know where Scarlet Moth is, but everyone is gathering at his old lair.”

“Why?” Ladybug asked.

“Something about some new Akumas to turn the tide, that’s all I know, I swear!”

“I believe you,” Ladybug said, “Break the guitar.”

“What?! No!”

Purple Tigress smashed it, and Extreme Music turned into XY.

“Well, who else did you think it would be?”

“Of course,” Viperion said.

“Hey! What’s going on? Is this a kidnapping? My dad will sue!”

Pegasus opened a portal, and they threw him in.

Chapter Text

As the team continued into the city, they heard more activity.

“What are we going to do?” Miss Hound asked, “We can’t sneak past that many.”

“I think I can help with that,” Rena said and whispered, “Mirage.”

“This feels stupid,” Bunnyx said.

Rena had made them invisible, but the illusion would disappear if an Akuma touched them, so they walked while holding each other’s hands to stay together.

“Quiet,” Ladybug said, “We’re not alone.”

The street had a few Akumas walking or sitting around.

Most of them were unfamiliar, but the original five spotted a few that they had fought over the years.

There was Newscast (Clara Contard) who had similar powers to Prime Queen, Professor Dino (Anne-Jeanne Théoxanne du Bocquale) who could create and control any dinosaur she wanted and…

“Oh no,” Chat Noir whispered as Ladybug held his hand.

“What is it?” Ryuko whispered.

“It’s Lady Mother and Sir Son,” He whispered back, “My aunt Amélie and cousin Félix.”

Everyone looked at the aristocracy-themed mother-son duo.

“He’s not the only family member here,” Queen Bee whispered.

Everyone turned to see an Akuma that looked like a young woman their age made out of glitter.

“Why does she look like a miniature version of Style Queen?” Bunnyx asked.

“She’s Style Princess. She is a miniature version of Style Queen.”

The newer heroes stared at her.

“Because…” Guanyin asked.

“She’s my half-sister.”

They stared at her in shock.

“Her name’s Zoé Lee. My mother cheated on my dad. She’s a year younger than me. She lived in New York. We knew about each other but never met before she was Akumatized. Moving on.”

They took her not-so-subtle hint and dropped the subject.

“It’s getting crowded,” Fu noted.

“Sooner or later, someone will bump into us,” Pegasus agreed, “We need a new plan.”

“Don’t look at me,” Rooster said, “I can only give myself one ability at a time.”

“I have an idea,” Lady Dragon said.

“Now, this is more like it,” Bunnyx said.

After backtracking to a quieter place, Lady Dragon had changed into her dragon form, and they were now riding the invisible dragon over the city.

They were soon hovering over a large crowd around the Agreste mansion.

There was a stage in the courtyard with two Akumas standing behind a microphone.

“Wait,” Ladybug said, “is that…”

“Eagle and Uncanny Valley,” Rena confirmed grimly, “They’ve been Akumatized.”

Chapter Text

“Who’s Eagle?” Minotaurox asked.

“I keep forgetting how much you guys have missed,” Rena said, “So, as it turns out, Knightowl and Sparrow aren't immortal but several people using the same identities over the years. The current ones are women, mother and daughter in fact, and Sparrow wanted to spread her wings. So when they stopped some Akumas that tried to steal the Eagle Miraculous from some museum in America, she recovered it and became… well, Eagle.”

“...clearly a lot has happened in the last three years,” Polymouse said.

“Are they the Akumas Extreme Music was talking about?” Queen Bee asked.

“Could be,” Ladybug said, “The Eagle Miraculous can free whole armies from their limits, while Uncanny is an android.”

“And that’s before they were Akumatized,” Chat said, “If only we knew their plan.”

“It’s not like they’re going to tell us,” Carapace said.

“And now we're going to tell you the plan,” Akuma Uncanny said to the crowd.

“Oh, never mind.”

“As you know, Harpy Eagle and I were Akumatized recently and in secret.”

“If they know that, why did she say it?”

“So, Canny Valley will be able to send a signal to lure in Majestia and Knightowl.”

“No way,” Rooster Bold scoffed, “They’re too smart for that.”

“They’re their mothers,“ Rena said grimly, “And are no doubt worried. It could work.”

No one said anything. If the two greatest heroes of this age were Akumatized, it was over.

“We can’t let that happen,” Ladybug said, “We need to find Scarlet Moth.”

“He’s probably in there,” Chat said.

“We can’t guarantee that,” Ladybug rebuked.

“There’s only one way to find out,” Polymouse said and stood up.

“Mylène are you sure?” Minotaurox asked, “Luka could use Second Chance or Socqueline could send in a Sentibeing.”

“No,” Polymouse shook her head, “We might need them for a fight. I am the best choice.”

She went to the edge of the dragon, “Multitude.”

She split into hundreds of tiny clones and jumped onto the mansion’s roof.

The Polymice were too small for anyone to notice, and they snuck into the building’s cracks and creases.

They hid between the walls and searched every room. At first, they didn’t find anything but when they searched Gabriel’s old office…

“We need him to create more Akumas,” A voice said, “We’re going to need as many as we can get if we’re to Akumatized Majestia and Knightowl.

The nearby Polymice went into the room.

“He and Catalyst are harvesting them in the Crypt as we speak.”

The Polymice froze at that voice. They would recognise it anywhere.

Sure enough, talking to another Akuma and surrounded by her zombies was Zombizou.

Chapter Text

“It just had to be Zombizou,” Chloé complained.

After Polymouse had reported her findings, they had returned to the warehouse to plan.

“It explains how they have kept Scarlet Moth under their control all these years,” Adrien pointed out.

No one drew attention to the fact that he hadn’t acknowledged him as anything but a supervillain.

“You also mentioned someone called Catalyst,” Nino said to Mylène.

“Yes, I think she’s an Akuma, but not like the others.”

“What makes you say that?” Fei asked.

“They talked about her as if she was under Zombizou’s control along with Scarlet Moth.”

Marinette turned to the Fu and the Kwamis, “Could Scarlet Moth have given someone the power to boost his powers?”

They looked at each other, “Yes,” Fu said, “He could, but such an Akuma would be able to take away that power at any time, so it would have to be someone he trusted with his life.”

“Nathalie,” Adrien said, “My… he trusted her with everything. I wouldn’t be surprised if she knew he was Hawk Moth.”

“So if she is de-akumatized, so are the Scarlet Akumas?” Socqueline asked.

“Yes,” Fu confirmed.

Everyone grew excited. They finally saw a way to end this nightmare.

“But they know that and will die to stop that from happening,” Marinette hated to bring them back to reality, but she needed to keep them focused.

“And their plan to Akumatize Majestia and Knightowl could start at any second,” Adrien added, “So we can’t afford to wait.”

“Couldn’t Max just portal us in,” Alix suggested.

“I would need exact coordinates to this crypt, which I don’t have,” Max pointed out, “Plus, we would be overwhelmed in seconds.”

“So we need to get them to focus elsewhere,” Alya declared.

The next day, the Akumas were making preparations when a thunderstorm appeared and struck the Mansion.

They all looked at Stormy Weather, “Don’t look at me.”

A roar echoed through the streets and a shape emerged from the clouds.

“Lady Dragon!”

Stormy Weather summoned a wind, but Lady Dragon took control at a thought, trapping her in a tiny cyclone.

On the street, a van knocked over several Akumas.

“I feel young again!” Fu, the driver, shouted as several heroes opened the door and jumped out.

Newscast tried to jump into a TV, but Pegasus opened a portal beneath her feet and sent her far away from any screens.

“Stop them, my creations!” Professor Dino ordered her winged T-rexs.

“I can create beings too!” Guanyin declared and created a winged T-Rex of her own.

“Just one?” Professor laughed.

Guanyin’s T-Rex shot flames out of its mouth.

“...no fair.”

Queen Bee was trying to paralyse Style Princess.

“Missed! Missed again!”

“You’re so annoying!”

“Said by every older sibling in history, heh heh heh.”

While most of the heroes were fighting in front of the mansion, Ladybug and Chat Noir were sneaking in.

“...and then an elevator will take you to the Crypt,” Viperion finished explaining.

They heard a grunt on his end, “I’ve been spotted!”

“Turn back!” Ladybug told him.

“Too Late, I’m out of time!”

He was cut off.

“We’re on our own,” Ladybug said.

“You certainly are,” A voice said.

The duo turned and found themselves confronted by Lady Mother and Sir Son.

“Go!” Chat Noir says, “I’ll hold them back!”

Ladybug hesitated but knew she had to prioritise Scarlet Moth and Catalyst.

So she ran.

Chapter Text

Despite being outnumbered, the battle outside was going well.

That was until Harpy Eagle entered the fray.

“Great Liberation!” She shot feathers at the Akumas, “I release you from your failure to win!”

The Akumas suddenly started to attack en masse.

“What did she do?” Guanyin asked, “Akumas are never this well coordinated.”

“She’s not just freeing them from their limitations,” Lady Dragon shouted, “She’s controlling them completely.”

Dozens of Akumas dogpiled her, dragging her down.

There was a flash of light, and the dragon disappeared, causing the Akumas to fall into a pile, and a mantis slipped out.

“Hurry, girl,” Rena said as the Akumas closed in.

Ladybug activated the elevator and entered the Crypt.

Scarlet Moth and an Akuma, who she assumed was Catalyst, stood surrounded by Zombizou’s other zombies with blank expressions on an island garden above a pool of water and connected to the elevator by a catwalk. 

Zombizou herself stood in front of them.

“It’s good to see you again, Marinette.”

Ladybug spun her yo-yo.

“No words for your old teacher?”

“You’re not her,” Ladybug said, and wrapped her yo-yo around the catwalk and pulled, which caused the yo-yo string to slice through the catwalk, causing Zombizou and most of her zombies to fall into the water.

“My lipstick!” Zombizou yelled as the water washed it away, making her powerless.

Ladybug attempted to swing over to the island, but something knocked her back.

She groaned and looked up to see it was Canny Valley.

“You will not pass,” The android said as her hands turned into laser weapons, and rocket launchers appeared out of her shoulders.

“Oh–”

She jumped to the side to avoid a rocket.

Chat Noir was fighting with Sir Son while Lady Mother supported him.

“Mother knows best,” Lady Mother said and fired lasers from her umbrella that would place Chat under her control if they hit.

“Your outnumbered and outclassed cousin.”

Chat Noir dodged Sir Son’s sword, which slashed through a statue like butter.

“Outnumbered, yes. But outclassed? Hardly.”

He punched his fist into the ground, “Cataclysm!”

The floor under his opponents disintegrated, and they fell into a pit.

He jumped over and ran to the office.

The heroes continued fighting despite the odds, but they were losing hope.

The sound of flapping wings made it worse.

The swarm of scarlet butterflies zeroed in on their targets.

Ladybug jumped around the Crypt, dodging the Akumatized android's attacks, but couldn’t get to the brainwashed villains.

“You have a zero percent chance of winning this fight.”

“I think you need to recalculate those odds,” A male voice said.

Chat Noir knocked into Canny Valley, smashing her into a wall, “Now, m’lady!”

Ladybug jumped over to the island.

“Stop!” Canny Valley said, and her body became electrified, sending Chat flying.

She locked target on Ladybug.

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug called, and a giant shield blocked Canny’s sight.

The android fired, destroying the Charm, but Ladybug had brought herself enough time to throw her yo-yo, knocking Scarlet Moth’s Miraculous off.

“No!” Canny Valley cried out.

Just as the butterflies were about to reach the heroes, they turned white, while all the Akumas were covered in red and black.

“They did it!” Rena yelled as the crowd looked around in confusion.

“What?” Eagle asked, “Oh, I was Akumatized, wasn’t I?

“Most of us have been there,“ Guanyin reassured her, “Now could you help us calm everyone down?”

Eagle Nodded, “Liberation! I free you from your panic!”

The crowd stopped.

“Ok, everyone,” Rena shouted, “We can explain everything if you all settle down.”

“This is probably happening everywhere,” Eagle said, “But I can’t get to them.”

“Yes you can,” Pegasus told her, “Voyage!”

Ladybug picked up a piece of the destroyed Charm shield, “Miraculous Ladybug!”

The ladybug swarmed all around the globe, fixing three years of damage from the war with the Akumas.

“It’s done,” Ladybug said in relief. She had undone her greatest mistake.

“What’s Happ–oof!”

Chat Noir held Gabriel up by his collar, “You have some explaining to do, father!”

Gabriel and Nathalie gasped.

“Adrien?” Gabriel cried, “This was for your mother!”

“What?!”

“It’s true,” Nathalie said, “She’s right over…”

She trailed off when she noticed how overgrown the garden was.

“How long were we under Zombizu’s spell?”

Ladybug looked over to her former teacher. She and the former zombies were in front of the elevator, shivering in towels that Uncanny Valley had provided as they watched the scene.

“Three Years,” Chat answered.

Gabriel cried tears of sorrow.

“And so, after three years of hardship, the world was saved, but not without casualties."

Months later, Adrien was leaving flowers at a grave.

They had found his mother’s rusted pod buried under the vegetation. It seemed the Akumas didn’t bother to keep its maintenance up.

“Hey, Mom, I just want you to know I’m doing okay after… everything.”

His father and Nathalie had been broken by their failure to save Emilie and didn’t put up a fight as they were arrested. They had been allowed to the funeral, but Adrien hadn't said anything to them.

“Things are finally starting to quieten down,” He chuckled, “Me and my friends could do with a little quiet for a while.”

He stayed and talked for a while longer before he got up and walked away.