Master Fu chuckled as he watched the two girls disappear over the rooftops. He shook his head, knowing that now that the battle with Hawkmoth had started, it would not end until someone's blood was shed. He just hoped and prayed that none of the children would get hurt.

It was almost cruel that these young teens, people who had their entire lives before them, had to be dragged down by responsibilities and choices. They should be free to dream, make mistakes, fall in love, and find their path in life. But for Adrien, Marinette, and even Alya, their paths had already been chosen when they accepted their miraculous.

Not to mention several other people that Master Fu already knew would be involved before this battle was over. They would come to help. Some eagerly, some tentatively. Some had been destined their whole lives to be a hero. Others would have to reconcile with their past life before they became worthy of the honor.

But of course, when a great evil arrives you find out who your friends are. You find out who will stand with you until the end of your life. Some of the people who rise to call may be surprising. They may be the last people on earth you would want to have your back. But they will be there.

Master Fu sighed and sat down on his rocking chair. Wayzz flew next to him and sat down in a flower pot, hiding himself from the people who passed by. "Ah, Wayzz. Human nature is such a strange thing," he mused, stroking his chin

"I must agree with you, Master," Wayzz replied.

"They're so young."

"Partly."

"Marinette and Adrien are the best Chat Noir and Ladybug we've ever selected!"

"Oh I know," Master Fu agreed, nodding. "But will they be willing to accept those who will rise to the challenge and help them in time of trouble?"

"They accepted the new Papillon..."

"Alya is Marinette's best friend. The girls trust each other. Adrien doesn't even know about it."
"Very true."

"I should go and consult the book one last time. I admit even I'm rather hesitant about some of the Chosen," Master Fu said, standing up and stretching. He picked up Wayzz and headed inside, shutting the door behind him. He was never aware of the person watching him.

############################################################################################################################################################

Chat Noir, comfortably perched on the roof, had heard everything.

His original intention was to attack immediately while he had the element of surprise. But seeing Ladybug and a girl wielding his miraculous step out of the shop and disappear from view, he was curious. Was Master Fu giving out more miraculous?

Chat began to think. The old man would have to find miraculous wielders quickly. The ancient book that used to be in Chat's possession had always outlined who the miraculous wielders were supposed to be. But he had never been able to decode it. No doubt Master Fu could read the strange language.

But the book (as he had forced Nooroo to explain) had only outlined the next wielders briefly. Basically, it was like a list of people that had their 'resume's' checked and were found somewhat suitable for the job. But they still needed a job interview to really know for sure and be safe before they were hired. Usually, multiple people were listed as possible wielders for one miraculous.

Then again, Master Fu had selected Ladybug and the old Chat Noir without the book, proving that he did know what he was doing and he had a good instinct. But still, the chosen wielders were young. And when you were young, you could be influenced more easily. Heck, even an adult could be influenced.

Maybe he could convince the next wielders to turn to his side and help him capture the rest of the miraculous! He could promise them unspeakable powers in paradise. A paradise he would create. He could bring back loved ones, he could undo wrong and make it right. Why wouldn't they join him in his quest?

Chat Noir smiled. It looked a lot different than the previous Chat Noir's smile. That smile had been a pearly whit mischievous smirk, with a pair of sparkling emerald eyes to match. This Chat Noir's smile had something diabolical in it, and his pale blue eyes showed the storm that dwelled inside of him.

He crept inside of the house, chuckling inwardly because the door wasn't even locked. That poor unsuspecting fool. He peeked around the corner. Master Fu had his head buried in the ancient book, a note pad beside him. He was scribbling down names frantically while muttering.

In the end, it was Wayzz who gave his position away. The little kwami looked up and abruptly called out, "Master!"

Master Fu's head whipped up and he spun around, grunting, but brandishing his walking cane in a fearsome manner. "Wayzz, shell on!" Master Fu called. His transformation flashed throughout the room.

"We meet again, Gabriel," Master Fu stated.

"Yes," Chat Noir hissed.

"You should never have taken the miraculous," Master Fu growled.

"It was destined to be mine!" Chat Noir roared. "And so are all of the others!"

"You don't have to do this. Think of everything you've done already. Everyone you've hurt! Think of your son, Gabriel. Your own son! Ladybug described what you did to him! He isn't doing well!"

The cat man visibly blanched. "I didn't know!" he protested.

"Does it matter?" Master Fu asked. "You could give it all up now! Give the boy his miraculous back! Return to your work! She would never come back, but you and your boy could have a chance at happiness!"

"You don't understand!" Chat protested. "I need her back! She was my everything!"

"I doubt she would want to return now," Master Fu said, a slight smile on his face. Chat bristled.

"You will never understand!" Chat repeated. "And you don't need to. I knew you would never turn! Everything will be easier once you're out of the way!" And then he attacked.

Master Fu dodged several blows, side stepping around Chat and ducking. A blow to his jaw shook sent him reeling backwards a few steps, but he returned the favor by jabbing Chat's side with his cane (now turned into a better, fancier and more suitable fighting weapon because of his transformation).

Chat went into an almost feral mode. He scratched and bit, bearing down on the older man and attacking mercilessly. Master Fu fought back with vigor, but his achy bones would not allow him to move with the same speed. Although youth doesn't always beat wisdom, he was having a very hard time. Blood drops, both his and Chat's, splattered on the wooden floor.

A baton blow to the back sent Master Fu crashing to the floor. He flipped over and held his staff up to block Chat's baton and prevent it from crushing his skull.

"You…don't…have…to…do…this…" he panted as the two pushed against each other, muscles being over-exerted.

"You don't understand!" Chat Noir snarled. "I DO!" He gave a final shove and Master Fu's arms gave out. The baton hit his head, making him feel dizzy and his vision double. Chat raised his hand, summoning his destructive power. "CATACLYSM!"

Master Fu could only watch in horror as the hand rushed down towards his throat. Gloved leather met his skin and then a numbing sensation ran throughout his nerves.

Then the fire came. It raced throughout his body, crumbling his bones and chewing his nerves to bits. It reached his heart and he gave a strangled choking noise as it shut down his system. He could feel himself decaying rapidly, his blood was drying up and he turned into dust.

Chat Noir watched, fascinated as the old man turned to dust. It was gruesome to watch, but he couldn't pull his eyes away. There was a pile of ashes on the ground. On top of the ashes sat the turtle miraculous, a bracelet with a turtle shell on it. Wayzz was coughing and spluttering, rolling around on the floor next to it.

Chat picked up the bracelet and put it onto his own wrist, enjoying the sensation that immediately rushed through him. The power of wielding two miraculous at once! Chat knew that the average person could only wear two miraculous at a time. And they could only wield one at a time. Of course, you could use two at the same time (otherwise his plan to use the cat and ladybug miraculous would be pretty stupid), but there were serious consequences.

Now to find the other miraculous. Wayzz was glaring defiantly at him from the floor. The little kwami didn't have the strength to get up after absorbing some of the cataclysm. It could damage other kwami because the cat was one of the most powerful miraculous.

"Where did your previous master hide the miraculous?" Chat Noir asked. Wayzz didn't respond. Instead, he gazed forlornly at the pile of ashes in the center of the room. "Well then, I'll just have to find them myself."

He searched the room, upturning every piece of the place. There wasn't much in there. A mat, some candles, a comfortable chair, and an old phonograph. Eventually, Chat Noir gave up. Then he noticed the piece of paper that Master Fu had been scribbling on. He picked it up.

To his delight, he found it was a list of the next possibly wielders of the miraculous. He pulled out his smart phone (because this was the freakin' twenty first century, not an old 70's show) and snapped a picture of it. This was perfect.

"New plan," Chat decided. "I let Ladybug and Adrien find their little friends and give them the miraculous. Then I visit the new wielders. I'm sure several of the people will be easy to turn." He gave the list a once over.

"That's a stupid-ass plan," Plagg snapped inside of his head.

"Nobody asked you!" Chat roared back, quickly growing annoyed with the kwami.

"Nobody asked me? I AM A GOD-LIKE CREATURE! AND I DEMAND CHEESE!" Plagg howled.

"Shut up!" Chat ordered.

"Cheese. Cheese. Cheese. Cheese. Cheeeeeeeeeeeeese!"

Chat Noir curled his fists up with rage before tossing the list of names on the floor and scooping up Wayzz, trapping the kwami in his pocket. "Hey!" Wayzz called, but his voice was muffled by the leather. Chat made a hasty exit.

############################################################################################################################################################

"He's not here!" Ladybug groaned as Papillon persistently knocked on the door. "What are we going to do?" She was close to tears.

"Um," Papillon racked her brain. "You know what, I got this really cool app the other day that tracks phones. I was gonna let you use it to stalk Adrien."

"See, this is why we're best friends," Ladybug gave a half hearted smile and a sniffle.

"Let me pull it up. He doesn't have his phone on him, but maybe Nino does. In fact, Nino has to. He picked up when we called." Papillon dug around in her pocket and withdrew her phone. Squinting to read the screen in the sunlight, she started typing rapidly. Ladybug let out a shuddering sigh and crossed her fingers.

############################################################################################################################################################

"And so that's why I need you to sneak into my house and take the peacock miraculous!" Adrien finished. He was lying on the couch, head propped up on a pillow. Nino had changed his bandages and even then he had to sit down because he felt so absolutely sick and dizzy.

"Dude..."

Adrien smiled weakly at his best friend. Nino's mouth was agape and he stared at Adrien.

"So all freakin' year whenever an akuma attacked-"

"I always made up a lame excuse to leave so I could transform and save Paris? Yeah..." Adrien finished.

"I was going to say you put on black leather and flirted with a hot super heroine, but yeah that too," Nino said. "And so Marinette is Ladybug? Honestly I did not see that one coming... Although it makes so much sense."

"Yeah... Anyway, can you do it?" Adrien asked.

"Break into your house, dude? Really?"

"Well I can't do it. They'd see me coming a mile away..."

"True."

"And?"

"I'll do it!" Nino relented. Adrien smiled weakly before cringing. Nino's eyes lingered over Adrien's stomach. "You gonna be okay dude?"

"I promise I'll be fine," the blonde said, crossing his fingers behind his back. "I'll just take a nice nap here while you're gone."

"Fine," Nino said, not believing him. Adrien had a way of down playing when he was hurt. "When do you want me to go?"

"Now would be awesome!"

"You're kidding me..."

"Nope."

"Okay then. Wish me luck. I'll be back in like," Nino glanced at his phone, "Three hours." Then he stood up and made his way to the door. Right before he left, he turned and looked at Adrien. "You sure this isn't some kind of crazy prank?"

"I promise it isn't," Adrien said, shaking his head.

"Crazy," Nino muttered. "Good to have you back bro," he said, smiling. Then he tossed his headphones over his ears and walked out the door, shutting and locking it behind him. Adrien let out a sigh of relief and relaxed his posture. He let the pain make itself clear on his face. Here he didn't have to hide how much he was hiding.

He even started to drift off to sleep before the doorbell rudely awoke him. He groaned, leaning on the couch for support and standing up. he made his way over to the door slowly. Did Nino have to abort the mission? He looked out the peephole.

There stood Nathaneal, nicely dressed and holding a bouquet of roses.