Disclaimer: never did and never will own it. Thomas Astruc does. I also don't own Marvel's Iron Man and Captain America.
Spoilers: canon until Season 2, Episode 10 (Sapotis)

Ladybug found herself forced to deal with a suddenly struggling Cat Noir, who took one rasping breath, opened wide eyes and tried to hit her. It made her think of those movies where a person being resurrected suddenly sat up, mouth and eyes wide opened, and they never had any problem of coordination or lack of muscles or anything really.

"Woah! Calm down, kitty cat! You're safe."

"Bug… Bugaboo? I feel… strange. Energised, but weak at the same time. What's happening?"

"Er, lots of things. Look, I need you to go recharge." She flew to the dome. "You should be safe here. Give Plagg as much cheese as he wants, he deserves it." She snickered. "We may need some more cheese-induced craziness."

"Do I want to know?"

"No. Trust me, you don't."

"Bug, I don't have any cheese."

"Yes, you do. In your backpack and boy, was that a bother when we had to carry you! Anyway. You recharge and when you're done, you can come join the fun below."

"Is it what I think?"

"If you're thinking 'tournament of Ultimate Mecha Strike III', no, it's not that," she said, deadpan. "Gotta go, bye!"

-o-o-

At underground level, it was utter chaos. Ladybug felt strangely detached. Maybe it was because she had just spent time next to an Adrien-sized cat-man who was able to destroy missiles with only a glance. Her three friends were having a hard time against Hawk Moth, who was surprisingly nimble with his sword. She threw her yoyo, hoping to catch him unaware. It was as if he had felt it, as he dodged it and she had to reel it quickly lest it hit Carapace.

"Where's Cat Noir?" Queen Bee asked, sending her trompo in Hawk Moth's legs.

"Getting ready for round two," Ladybug replied shortly.

There was an ominous sound behind them, coming from the bottom of a wall. Ladybug noticed remains of metallic protections – for insulation? – which maybe had been conceived to withstand the missiles, but had no chance against the rusting powers of the Black Cat. The crack at the foot of the wall expanded to the floor. Later, they would have to worry about it. Right now... Hawk Moth was more worrying. She squared her shoulders. She was Ladybug. She was the leader of the team, the figure Parisians looked at to save them. Her place was at the head of her team, confronting Hawk Moth.

So she did just that.

-o-o-

She quickly learnt her mistake. Hawk Moth was insanely fast on his feet, as if it was a special power from his kwami, and he made it seem easy to avoid any of their attacks. Then she discovered that he was also fast with his sword, especially when he touched her on her left arm. Carapace swore and dragged her back, but a thin trickle of blood marred her yellow-and-black suit.

"First blood is mine, Ladybug!" Hawk Moth gloated. "Maybe you should consider surrender your Miraculous to me before you bleed to death!"

She bared her teeth. "Tis but a scratch," she replied.

Truth to tell, she didn't feel that confident when seeing Hawk Moth's smirk. The man was skilled with a sword. But then, if he was really Gabriel Agreste, wouldn't it be logical? He insisted Adrien took fencing; maybe it was because he was himself an expert fencer! She wished Cat Noir was there to help them. Or even Kagami, though it wouldn't do for a civilian to be involved in such a fight.

She was glad for her yellow suit, for, more than once, she escaped the tip of Hawk Moth's sword by flying. Unfortunately, she wasn't always fast enough to avoid it. What was really grating, though, was how her three teammates and she kept getting in each other's way. She would have wept with rage. She never had the problem with Cat Noir. Carapace tried his best to protect her – probably worried Cat Noir would rip him to pieces if he didn't – while Queen Bee just wanted to carve her initials on Hawk Moth's body. From the viciousness of her attacks, preferably dead body. Rena Rouge was just cheerfully rushing forward without any real plan. Trixx at work. She thanked whatever deity who would listen to her that Cat Noir got Plagg instead of Trixx, because as much as the boy rushed forward, their efforts at least were coordinated.

And then, there were Nathalie and Marc. The man had placed himself in front of Nathalie, though she kept twisting around so she could peek anxiously at the battle scene. It would have been fine if Hawk Moth had not heaped abuses on Nathalie every time he was not claiming Ladybug's Miraculous. Nathalie unwaveringly answered with a "I'm sorry, sir" in a squeaky voice that was getting on Ladybug's nerves. Once, Ladybug thought she caught her eating out of a cardboard box – was it the macaroons box she had given her earlier?

Between keeping up with Hawk Moth, taking care of not being in the feet of her teammates and protecting the civilians when Hawk Moth directed his ire against them, Ladybug quickly understood she was way under matched. She hoped for Cat Noir's coming, yet hoping at the same time it would be over before he arrived. She didn't want her kitty to fight his own father, no matter what Plagg had said.

After Hawk Moth's sword once again sliced through her suit, she became fed-up – and quite upset with herself. How could she have hoped to win with a yoyo against a sword?

"Lucky Charm!" she called and her thoughts were clear on what she wanted, not something strange which meaning she'd have to puzzle, she didn't have the time.

Carapace did not even look at what she got. He dragged her backward.

"Change! You need to be able to call for other Lucky Charms!"

Rena Rouge and he shielded her. While he was at it, he tried to protect Rena Rouge too. Ladybug grinned when she saw the object she held in her hands and hastily invoked the Pearl of the Mysteries. Hawk Moth growled audibly when he saw her become purple and hit Carapace with a vicious move. Despite his skills with his shield, the superhero could not avoid it and fell down, his thigh bleeding profusely. It was Rena Rouge's turn to growl and she attacked mindlessly the villain. Hawk Moth scoffed at her efforts. Ladybug spared a thought about Queen Bee – why was she waiting on the side-lines? – before hurrying to take her place back in the battle. Hopefully, without Rena Rouge being down.

-o-o-

Alas, it was a wistful wish. Rena Rouge was already on the ground before Ladybug could arrive, though it didn't seem like she was bleeding. She was blinking owlishly, not realising that Hawk Moth was coming fast on her to finish her... until a yellow-and-black blur stood in front of her.

"Drag yourself back and Carapace too!" Queen Bee snarled. "This one is mine!"

Rena Rouge nodded weakly and proceeded to do exactly that. Ladybug didn't intervene. The previous melee had taught her they didn't fight well together and rather hindered each other. Queen Bee seemed to have a plan, so she would wait for her turn. She just made sure that her two friends were properly out of the way.

Hawk Moth sneered at Queen Bee.

"And what do you intend to do to me, dear Miss Bourgeois? Dazzle me with the brightness of your nails? Impress me with the perfection of your hairdo?"

Queen Bee gritted her teeth. "I'll make you pay for making Lila look better than me!"

Hawk Moth had a cold laugh. "It was so easy, dear Miss Bourgeois. Lila Rossi is only a pathological liar. You, on the other hand, are petty and cruel. I just took advantage of your natural abilities. You helped me so much, you know! I'm a great fan of yours!"

Queen Bee froze, but before Hawk Moth's sword could reach her, a violet silhouette stepped between them, meeting the Moth's sword with her yellow one.

"Now, who's the liar, Hawk Moth?" Ladybug asked, realising that Kagami had been soft on her. The strength behind Hawk Moth's attack made the muscles of her arm scream.

"I can hold my own, Ladybug!" Queen Bee protested.

"You're weak, you useless insect!" Hawk Moth replied viciously, sparing time to hit the blonde heroine and send her rolling on the floor, near the crack that was widening with each minute.

"You replaced your sidekick with those goons? They are even worse than he is!"

"I have no sidekick. Only partners!"

He laughed.

"If you say so, but now, my hateful Ladybug, you are alone, without your pitiful partners. Not that they helped you much. Do you really think you can defeat me in fencing?"

Ladybug quickly glanced in Queen Bee's direction, saw that she was all right, and had a glimpse of someone in black slipping in the crack to 'visit' the level below. She didn't know what he was doing but she hoped he did.

"No," she admitted. "You're far better than I am. But I can last long enough for my team to regroup."

Hawk Moth didn't answer but lunged forward. Ladybug concentrated, keeping Kagami's advices in mind.

"You've improved much since my delightful Riposte."

"Believe me, I would have preferred to spend the time doing other things. There is no interest whatsoever in fencing," she replied, a bit out of breath, hoping he'd be as proud as Kagami about 'the noble art' that was fencing.

He growled. The ground, as in a strange echo, rumbled and part of it fell below.

"Ladybug, he's playing for time!" Nathalie warned her, her eyes on her tablet. "He's calling back his akuma, directing him here!"

Marc was keeping his eyes on Hawk Moth, the real danger in his opinion, and his back was turned to Nathalie. So he didn't see when the floor crumbled, all the way to Nathalie's feet.

-o-o-

Ladybug saw it and threw her yoyo desperately to catch the falling woman. Hawk Moth had a savage grin and she screamed as his sword sliced her calf deeply. There were several yells and scrambling around until Hawk Moth stood above Ladybug, his sword pointed to her throat.

"You move and she dies," he warned the other superheroes, quite triumphantly.

Ladybug was keeping a hold on her yoyo, which was wrapped around Nathalie's waist. The assistant was dangling in the void, her face pale, but she seemed more annoyed with the fact that her tablet – and her box of macaroons – had crashed on the ground below her than her precarious position. There was also another expression of her face, like… sadness? Carapace, Rena Rouge and Queen Bee stopped and Ladybug could see Carapace was trying to see if there was a way for him to send his shield flying before Hawk Moth killed her. She shook her head minutely.

"No, Hawk Moth," said another voice. "You move and I Cataclysm that."

Ladybug would have sagged in relief at Cat Noir's voice if she hadn't been sprawled on the floor already.