With a flick of her finger, Maya caressed the white butterfly brooch, her eyes falling on Nooru. Her smile was frantic, yet possessed an otherworldly thrill.

“Nooru, this will be our first attempt at this,” she said with a determined look. ”Are you ready?”

”Yes, I am Maya. “ Nooru answered.

With a graceful arc of her arms, and with the words spoken.

”Nooru, Light Wings Arise!”

The green smoke of the Lazarus Pit, tinged with the purplish magic emanating from Nooru’s kwami form, swirled into Maya.

Her villain’s costume, accented with white. Gradually shift to a purplish, crystalline color. Her six-eyed spider mask glowed with Akuma magic. Menacing, graceful, and terrifying; all at the same time.

Marinette saw this, the dark, no-light aura of the magic. It's different, soothing.

Not the Akuma she felt and the white butterflies that emerged from Chrysalis.

Not some corrupted perversion she had used to manipulate Paris.

Her feelings regarding Maya notwithstanding, her admiration of first time seeing the Butterfly Kwami used in light, awed her to the core. Does Maya really capable of doing good things? Is she a good person? Muddled only for her mission?

She looked at Damian, silent, ready and the admirable feeling , his eyes. Smug, proud of his sister? A brotherly affection.

As the purplish light faded, the green smoke from the pit curled around the brilliantly white butterflies fluttering near Chrysalis, creating an ethereal scene. In a moment of eerie silence. Marinette was lost for words. This is the purest, most miraculous form of Nooru’s magic, utterly otherworldly. tantalizing,

Silence fell, broken only by fluttering wings. Damian knowingly smiled at Marinette’s silent questions. Residual magic filled the air. Marinette saw hope in the villain, for the first time. What was impossible, happened. Would this fragile balance last?

Chrysalis had emerged, looking regal, as the pit glowing green, colliding at the purplish butterfly.
”Alas, I feel lighter, so Marinette Dupain-Cheng, with the power given to me. I proclaimed you Vermin Queen.”

Marinette, though exhausted, was full of determination and enduring hope that this sacrifice... being Akumatized, but in a way that embraces the light, not the darkness that seep into the victim’s soul. The butterfly wings hovered with a soft caress as they touched her ponytail. With her eyes closed, there was no sign of the traumatization that usually afflicts the victim.

Enveloped in a burbling, purplish light, she could still hear Chrysalis’s disembodied voice, soft and ethereal, lingering in her ears without grating or causing pain. however, the honeyed words were accompanied by a silent lull. Wait a minute, she’s aware? Opening her eyes as if nothing had occurred, she felt the same sensations as when transforming with Mullo, but this time, the magic of the butterfly Miraculous surged through her. She looked at her appearance, which was reflected in the green liquid.

Her appearance differed slightly from the Multimouse outfit with pigtails, now sporting a whisker tiara and a belt made of multiple mouse tails on her back. dangling playfully with a mind of its own. The pink tie belt was changed to a purplish one, and her mask featured a pinkish butterfly design.

She felt refreshed; the fatigue of the day was gone, and she was fully battle-ready.
”It’s time for the Vermin Queen! to show how’s it’s done!”

Tugging the multiple mouse tail.

She looked at The Wayne Heir, his mask suited on, the cockroach theme anti-hero? Forwarded at her, and he gave the phone back to her. “ This will be safer if you hold it. Using your cloning potential, we can hide it from Leviathan.”

Chrysalis agreed.

She took the phone, holding it as if the world depended on it .

“The phone contains the locations of identified bombs throughout Paris. You can quickly check it, and I’ll guide you on how to defuse them. With the help of Maya here. As an Al Ghul, I was obligated to…”

His rigid posture and somber tone revealed a look of morose resignation. he stated.
“I have to destroy the Pit before the Leviathan exploits it.”

“Damian, have you thought this through? If Paris Lazarus pit has been destroyed your Mother will be cross about this. You know her.” Maya’s voice, filled with concern and fear, conveyed, “She will not like this.”

”I’ll take full responsibility Ukth, I would not let her touch you, not this time.”

Silence as the two siblings stare. Maya sighed resignedly at Damian’s assurance.

Chrysalis look at Marinette. “ This is it, Dupain-Cheng, no turning back now. We have to do this together.”

She nodded.

Silently, the Vermin Queen cloned herself, creating multiple full-sized duplicates, each indistinguishable from the original. They nodded in unison and then pounced. The mission was on; Paris's safety depended on it.
------------------------------------------

The clones scattered, running toward their assigned locations. Acting like a rat in the maze, the group quickly gathered in a flurry of movement. Experiencing everything simultaneously with heightened awareness, she perceived and felt every sensation at once. This is something she is able to accomplish.

Damian’s voice crackles over the comms. “I’m detecting heat signatures, Leviathan soldiers are at the bomb sites.” They dont want it to be simple arent they. Vermin Queen, distract them. Employ all available resources.”

“Count me in,” one said as the clones located the nearest bomb site beneath the Notre Dame Cathedral. She noticed a number of Leviathan soldiers stationed there; seven, she counted, heavily armed with red mask visors that glowed menacingly. Each one displayed a discipline she associated with soldiers. Their dark outfit featured red rims and a shawl draped over their shoulder. Incorporate Eastern design elements with desert practicality and modern pouches. Military boots. They were on high alert, their senses sharp and focused.

She can absolutely do this. As multiple clones were dispatched, she was sneaking silently without any footsteps being heard before she rammed the heads of the two patrolling soldiers, who then fell unconscious and were subsequently tied up.

As she used another clone to reach another Leviathan soldier, and then another, silently dispatching them one by one, her tenure as Multimouse made this task a cakewalk for her.

A lone, oblivious Levithan soldier, rifle dangling carelessly, remained, unaware that his comrades had been silently subdued, outmaneuvered without a sound.

Marinette thought this is too easy, feeling that the Akuma Champion’s power was on par with her Multimouse form. The memory of feeling like a trapped, fearful mouse earlier contrasted sharply with the invigorating power she felt now, after snatching the phone from Damian, recalling their magical dance at the gala, and grappling with the revelation of Lila’s true identity as Maya Ducard. This dawning realization, flowing seamlessly into another, unexpectedly brought her here. She is willing to put up with a lot for the sake of Paris. Only one soldier remains to be defeated.

In the silent catacombs, a feather made its descent.

But did she pause and wait, remaining still until the soldier, without moving, seemed to perceive her presence? Turning his back, he then reoriented himself to face her direction. The soldier breathed a sigh of relief upon finding what he was looking for. He pulled off his mask weary , exhaustion evident on his posture.

Marinette froze the soldier’s face in place, recognizing everything about him: those mesmerizing green eyes, that wild blonde hair, the one she’d admired from afar. But how could it be? He was older, taller, and there was no mistaking it.

Her world collapses, destroyed by this twisted understanding. The world is a cruel, chaotic place.

The love of her life, her one and only? How, Why?

The truth could no longer be avoided as the soldier examined her hiding place with a more focused gaze. The Leviathan soldier is none other than.

Adrien Agreste.