Ultimate Spider-Bug

“This has been quite a day so far for us good guys. So far today, the local heroes have encountered five supervillains out of their usual jurisdiction, seen one of those five get a massive power up, and oh yeah, their leader gets the shock of her life when Kraven gets to her partner moments before I arrive. Urgh, Cat Noir, she calls him. Another narrow miss to haunt my conscience. Part of me can’t help but think I could’ve saved them both if I’d only swung a bit quicker… Ah well, no use crying over spilt milk, Spidey. If my usual luck’s anything to go by, even if I had got there sooner, I couldn’t have done anything to prevent Cat Noir’s death. But I can still save the other heroes.” Such was the pondering of the famous web-slinger as he sat alone on the highest part of the wall of his hotel at sunset. Indeed, none of his team could’ve predicted on their way over that they’d be teaming with local heroes against six, potentially seven, of their greatest enemies. And of course, their enemies are in league with this mysterious Shadow Moth and aspiring to create an army of supervillains that Ladybug can’t cure. If they were to succeed… Spidey could barely begin to imagine the consequences. At this point, his pondering was cut off by the sudden sound of a yoyo flipping down beside him, and its red and black spotted owner winching down.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“So how’s warning the rest of the troops going?”

“I’ve already warned Kim, Max, Ivan and Mylene that they could be targets. Just in case you need reminding, they’re King Monkey, Pegasus, Minotaurox and Polymouse respectively. Still struggling to get in touch with Nathenial and Marc at ComiCon, thanks to that storm over the pond, and Juleka tells me Luka’s not been feeling too well recently so I don’t want to panic her with the news she might be a target for the Sinister Six. Alix and Rose… kept going to voicemail. Don’t know if I’m going to be able to warn them in time…”

“Then we’ll just have to sort this out quickly. If any of them are caught, our chance of stopping this lessens. I’ve contacted SHIELD for assistance. Any luck they should be arriving soon.”

“I just hope we can save the day before this incurable supervillain army springs up… and hopefully before anyone else like… Cat… Adrien… …meets a terrible fate at Kraven’s hands…”

“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that too. I’ve said this before, but I couldn’t have done anything to save him knowing my luck. I’m truly sorry, Marinette. From what I’ve heard, he was a good partner and a great friend.”

“And I was so blindly thinking we could be more than that. Three kids. A dog, a cat… or maybe not… a hamster, they’re fun…”

“It’s not been the best of days for you, has it?” Before Ladybug could respond, a sudden low whooshing sound rang through the skies. Both looked upwards. The Tri-Carrier! Perfect timing!

The arrival of the cavalry signals the changing of the tide. Perhaps Power Man would have been glad to witness it as it arrived, if he was not, like White Tiger, in the process of recruiting the remaining heroes to their side. It had been decided that the best way to make sure the Sinister Six could not kidnap the remaining heroes was to keep them under their protection. Which means they have to find them first. Of the four that Marinette had prewarned, all four were conveniently located in pairs, which simplified things dramatically. First up, the outdoor gym near Kim’s house. Very convenient for Luke. Largely absent of people, aside from the meathead, his intellectual ally and his robotic creation. Exactly who he was looking for. Luke adjusted his shades and walked up to them. Only Max and Markov initially noticed him, as Kim was still preoccupied with his pullup exercises.

“Evening fellas. I’m looking for a Max Kante and a Le Chein Kim?”

“Then you’ve come to the right place! How may we be of assistance, Mr Cage?”

“Obviously caught the news reports, I see. I’ll be blunt. We’ve got a supervillain infestation in this here city, and we need you two to help clean it up.”

“Superhero work, eh? I’m in. Pullups are starting to lack in muscle growth, and I could use a break.”

“Ha ha. I’d suggest you take this seriously, Kim. I trust your friends are aware of the recent development regarding Cat Noir?”

“Huh, I didn’t catch the news at the time, what happened, Max?”

“I… I am afraid there has been a tragedy. Cat Noir is dead.” Kim’s eyes went wide in shock. “I believe the supervillains he mentioned earlier were responsible.”

“Exactly. Cat Noir is dead. Beheaded by Kraven the Hunter. With him gone, Ladybug is in despair. She’s hiding it well, but I can tell she’s shaken. Not only that, but I’ve also heard on the way over that Rena, Carapace and Vesperia have also disappeared. We have reason to believe the Sinister Six are targeting Miraculous holders to build a supervillain army. If they aren’t stopped, the world is in danger. With your help, we can stop that happening.”

“It’s certainly a shock. Cat Noir is… dead…? I never imagined…” Kim cleared his throat. “I can handle this, I can! I’ll help you, Power Man.”

“Exactly what I wanted to hear, Monkey Man. Pegasus, you dig as well?” Max gave the nod. “Excellent. Follow me. We’ve got a meeting with the others to attend.”

Elsewhere, the White Tiger was prowling around the apartment building where the Haprèlè apartment was located. Ava briefly wondered how Mylene’s dad could afford such a place on a teacher’s salary. All the apartments in this part of town seem really upscale. But of course, there isn’t the time to worry about that. Every second wasted worrying about unnecessary details is a second that the Sinister Six might use to strike when they least expect it. So its wise to get a move on. At last she reached the right apartment. She pressed the doorbell. Now to wait and hope Mylene’s in. Thankfully it wasn’t too long a wait before Mr Haprèlè answered.

“White Tiger, how nice. I’d heard your team was in the city. Is it true? Is Cat Noir…?”

“I’m afraid so, sir. He fell to the same monster who killed my father. Rest assured, he will answer for this. May I come in? I need to speak with Mylene.” Mr Haprèlè nodded and led her in. It wasn’t long before the small mousey girl came into view, alongside her bigger burly boyfriend gouging on Cheetos on the couch, seemingly watching a taping of a Zombie Skull Crushers concert.

“Mylene? You have a visitor.” Already disinterested in what Ivan was watching, Mylene looked over almost immediately. For once, she didn’t seem startled at the sight of the new visitor.

“White Tiger?”

“Yes. The Sinister Six are targeting those who Ladybug entrusted with Miraculouses. Your life could be in danger. I’m here to take you someplace where they won’t be able to hurt you.” Mylene shrank back in fear for a moment as it sank in. Ever since she’d heard about Alya, Nino and Zoe being kidnapped by the Sinister Six, she’d been absolutely petrified that they’d come for her as well. Part of the reason Ivan even agreed to come over, rather than having a quiet night in watching that Zombie Skull Crushers documentary he’d been watching, was to calm her down. If White Tiger’s coming to protect them, the possibility that the Sinister Six are still hunting for them remains. Mylene looked clearly very reluctant to comply, while Ivan got up immediately to agree, although whether he did so purely for his own sake or just to get Mylene to come with them didn’t seem completely clear. Nevertheless, both heroes complied.

Darkness had fallen by the time both groups arrived at the Tri-Carrier. Nick Fury himself was on the landing pads when their transport came in to land. At the very least, Ladybug seemed to be aware of his legacy, as she practically fangirled over him before Spidey gave her an elbow to the gut.

“Alright. You five are the heroes I’ve been hearing so much about? Hmm, shorter than I thought you’d be.” Kim gave a slight snigger in Mylene’s direction before managing to restrain himself. “Now, first off, I would like to personally apologise for our late entry into this conflict. Had I known half of what I know about the Shadow Moth situation months ago, I would’ve sent aid sooner. Still, no use crying over spilt milk, as they say. You’re all here for your own safety. While as of yet I cannot confirm the exact reason why the Sinister Six set their sights on your comrades, I can confirm that, until we can determine a course of action to get them off your backs, this is the safest place on Earth.”

“Ok Director, one – why must you jinx it, I’m pretty sure the last time you said that, Ock attacked us with his iron lung octopus armour. Two – I think it’s pretty clear they’re after those Miraculous jewels these guys have.”

“Thank you, Spider Man(!) I’m not saying we haven’t had problems, I’m saying this is the safest place to be at this moment in time! Now… I’d better address something on the side lines before we get to work… is there anyone else of critical importance we may have missed? I want to make sure everyone’s present before…” At which point Ladybug interrupted to say Alix and Rose still haven’t made contact with her yet, and that could be something to look into. Which is indeed true, given what the Pig and Rabbit Miraculouses can do. Then something else crept into her mind. Something much, much worse…

“Ivan… I’ve just thought of something… where’s Manon, I thought you were babysitting tonight?” Ivan furrowed his brow, clearly trying hard to remember. Last he remembered, he was indeed babysitting Manon for Marinette, at least until he heard the news about Cat Noir on the radio. At which point, he got Manon to hide under his bed to keep her safe while he investigated a bit. Armchair investigation, of course… Oh…! Oh no… He realises something. After that, Mylene called him over… and he forgot about Manon. Oh no…

Matters shift backwards in time for a moment, to the shadowy sight of a man entering Ivan’s room. “Ivan…?” Manon utters. The man turns in her direction. A flash of lightning showed his true face – the skin takes on a leathery appearance, his nose morphs into a curved, red-tipped beak, and he gains small sharp teeth. His hands turn to three-figured, red-tipped talons and his feet forms into red-tipped talons with two in the front and one talon at his heel. He sports dark green feathers and his eyes are widened, turning entirely red with small black pupils. In addition, his hair and body armor also turns green, albeit a lighter shade of green, with his feathers peaking out from his neck region to give a collar-like plumage ruffle, and his neck is elongated with notable striations. Immediately he shot a hand forward to cover Manon’s mouth so she couldn’t scream…

“Hello my dear.”

Shifting back to the present, Ivan gave a brief scream of anguish as he realised what he’d done, accidently leaving a four year old without a guardian… “Oh no…! Oh no no no, this is not happening! Fury, get me transport to the ground, maybe it’s not…!”

“Too late!” came the vile squawk from the skies, as the sight of a dark green birdman, clasping a screaming four year old in his foot talons, soared into view. Everyone rushed over to see him come into a hover above one of the Tricarrier’s propellers.

“Vulture…” The green feathery supervillain did not even try to deny it.

“I recognise you too, Spider. It’s been a while since our last showdown.” Spidey rose his arms in the manner from which he’d shoot his webs, but quickly lowered them again, realising taking Vulture down now would be way too risky. One wrong move and Manon would fall, and that would be a disastrous result. No one dared risk anything for a moment…

“All units, stand down. We can’t risk Vulture dropping the kid.” At Fury’s instruction, all SHIELD agents on duty lowered their weapons. Vulture gave a clearly visible smirk. He’s clearly satisfied that they now have no choice but to listen to him…

“I’d like to know how you got into my house, I made double sure to lock up!”

“Ha ha, the big dumb brute! It’s all your fault, isn’t it, young Ivan? All this could’ve been avoided… Ah but where are my manners? At last, you have no choice but to listen to what I have to say. Nobody take another step towards me! I would take no pleasure in dropping the girl, but if you force my talons…” Reluctantly Ivan backed down. “A wise choice.” At this point, Vulture transferred Manon to his hands and came up into land. Then he shot his arm out behind him, holding Manon by the overalls, a perilously short fall to the rotor blades. “Now… let me reiterate this much: any of you take a single step towards me and the girl goes through the blades!”

“Wait, me?!”

“Just say your piece, Vulture, I don’t want to see Manon die…”

“Exactly the reason I am here, Ladybug. I come bearing a message from Doctor Octopus. And fortunately, all the four it concerns are within my field of vision. King Monkey. Pegasus. Minotaurox. Polymouse. Your presence is mandated. Surrender your Miraculouses and submit yourselves for induction into our growing army. With Miss Chamack in my claws, you have no choice! If you do not surrender, trade places with my hostage… then she will die. I trust by now that much is obvious.”

“Just answer me this, Adrian. How does this get you your memories back? I mean, didn’t Doc Ock turn you into Vulture in the first place?”

“Do not try to be clever distracting me, Spider! I am only doing what I have to! He offered me a chance. To learn who I really am. To regain my memories. All I have to do is help him raise his army. And you will not stop me if you value this girl’s life!” He gave an evil chuckle. “But in truth… the girl is a vital part of our plans.” He moved his arm away from the rotors and dropped Manon onto the metal flooring. “For me and my comrades need her for our plans. Four out of six are hunters, killers, monsters… and they came here tonight to do just two things. Kill Spider Man and his friends. And bring you four heroes to heel.” Somewhat unwisely, Kim stepped forwards, undeterred by Vulture’s words.

“Then do it. Your team vs ours. Jardins du Trocadéro. Midnight. We’ll be waiting.” Seemingly content with Kim’s offer, Vulture nodded. As Manon tried to run away at Ladybug’s request, he fired a sonic scream at the red and black spotted heroine and took to the skies once more, swooping down quicker than anyone could see to scoop up Manon and fly away. Immediately Kim was set upon by his contemporaries. As Max noted, he could’ve at least put it to a team vote before issuing the challenge. Although he did admit that technically Kim did save Manon from being shredded into a bloody pulp, so credit where it’s due… As Spidey helped Ladybug up, Director Fury motioned that he’d like to continue the briefing. However, before he got the chance, things quickly devolved into chaos.

“Ivan, we need to talk! What were you thinking, leaving Manon all by herself?!”

“Urgh, you’re never going to let me live this down, are you…? I didn’t know the Vulture was going to snatch her, did I?! Look, I’m really sorry, ok?”

“Enough bickering, you two! What I want to know is why did he pick… Manon, was she called?” Ladybug nodded. “Why did Vulture pick her of all people?” Suddenly Ladybug’s eyes went wide with realisation at White Tiger’s question.

“Because he knows either I’ll come after her, or that I’ll send the others after her, it’s a trap!” Before anyone else got the chance to speak…

“Citizens of Paris!” A pinkish purple camera icon suddenly appeared in the skies where Vulture had been a moment ago. From it erupted a video screen, and on it was two of the enemy team at this time: Lady Wi-Fi and Kraven the Hunter.

“A livestream of our hunt? Hmm… I like it… I must remember to write that one down…”

“I’m glad to see your enthusiasm, Kraven! Ladybug, Spider Man, we meet again! I am Lady Wi-Fi, and I trust you’re familiar with my little friend here?”

“Watch your tongue. Or I will cut it out.” Clearly intimidated, Wi-Fi backed down. Kraven pushed her off screen and took over the broadcast himself. “Spider Man. Ladybug. You’ve shown great luck so far this evening. As a man of honour, I congratulate you on surviving this long. But it will not be enough to save you. Nor the occupants of where I am now.” He indicated for Lady Wi-Fi to move the camera icon off screen. She complied. A number of details gave Ladybug a very clear indication of where they were. The Liberty… Oh no…

“Our entrance has, to my knowledge, been completely undetected. Per my orders, only the superpowered occupant named Juleka is to be taken alive. Her brother Luka only needs to be removed as a threat. With Lady Wi-Fi and Scorpion at my side, I fail to see how this hunt can fail.” Hearing someone coming, Kraven took the opportunity to hide, his two comrades quickly following. They waited and waited for them to pass. Having learnt much about the holders, most from Wi-Fi and Shell Shock, Kraven instantly recognised them both as they did. Ah, both the tiger holder and the porcine holder pass by. Wi-Fi had told him the snake holder was not feeling well, so they are probably on their way to his cabin. Kraven glanced down at the sports bag he was carrying. In here lies everything he needs to set up a trap for when they come out. A few ideas were already circulating in his mind. Though at this point, Scorpion suggest Wi-Fi should take the lead given she’s been on board the Liberty before while he and Kraven haven’t. Somewhat reluctantly, Kraven nodded. And so the villainous trio began to slowly creep forwards, or slowly crawl across the ceiling in Scorpion’s case. So far, so good. Not even the slightest indication to their presence…

“Ok, this is officially an emergency, people! Manon’s still in Vulture’s clutches and Juleka’s under siege from three invasive forces! Oh what to do, what to do…?” Spidey cut her off by clearing his throat.

“It was a trap. They wanted us to choose Manon or Juleka, and they knew we’d pick Manon. We’ll have to spilt up. Ok, best team for each: Ava and Marinette with me for Juleka because Ava’s got beef with Kraven and Marinette knows Juleka, the rest of you meet the sinister stooges at midnight. We’ll try to make it when we’re done with Juleka.” Possibly due to the time pressures, everyone nodded. Obviously there was no tangible reason to delay with time being of the essence, so the spider and the ladybug swung off into the night…

“Ok… entrance to the twins’ cabins is right up ahead. I can guarantee that’s where we’ll find them…”

“I would hope you are correct, Wi-Fi. Otherwise you might suddenly find yourself on my wishlist of creatures to hunt. And I may thoroughly enjoy crossing you off it.” Kraven slinked towards the partition wall without a sound. He gave a hushed chuckle as he contemplated his options. Setting a trap would rely on waiting. And the girls might not be coming out for a while. As such, this might require… Kraven then had his train of thought derailed by Lady Wi-Fi creeping up besides him. She rose a finger to her lips, empathising noise should be kept to a minimum… and then subtly knocked three times. Kraven sniggered quietly. Good work Wi-Fi, that old trick never fails…

“Uh mom, are you back already? Luka’s still a bit groggy…” Juleka quickly trailed off when she opened up the room, and caught sight of the intruders. She froze in fear.

“I am a hunter, not a doctor. But I get the feeling he will be feeling a little worse in but a minute.” Kraven stepped in menacingly, swiftly followed by Scorpion. Having been busy with Luka all day and therefore having not caught the newsflash, Juleka was unable to recognise Kraven as the man who’d killed Cat Noir a few hours ago. Still, she was unnerved enough to call out for Rose. What she thought she could do against them was impossible to tell, and it certainly didn’t help that when the preppy blonde did come dashing to her gothic friend’s aid, she ended up running straight into a fired pause icon, removing her from the action. It seems Lady Wi-Fi was content to stand guard while her teammates dealt with the Couffaines. They didn’t know if the Spider was coming or not. They were probably expecting him to pick Manon and walk straight into an ambush by their teammates. So it probably caught her by surprise when a yoyo wrapped itself around her neck and tugged her into a red and black spotted fist.

“One down.” Ladybug rolled her eyes at Spidey’s comment.

“Two more to go.” Spidey started slinking towards the sight of Kraven menacingly advancing towards Juleka, forcing her back until she reached her bed. This has to go perfectly, Parker. One wrong move and Kraven will gut him like a fish, and probably both of the twins too. Ok. He slowly stood up, raised his hands, and was about to cover Kraven’s mouth and nose, when suddenly, that itching on the back of his neck flared up. “Spider Sense!” he habitually yelped seconds before Scorpion’s tail came charging through, forcing Spidey to duck. The sound of Scorpion’s tail crashing into the opposite wall quickly caught the attention of Kraven and the Couffaines.

“Spider Man…?”

“ALWAYS SPIDER MAN!!!” Overcome with his undying hatred of the web-slinger, Kraven leapt savagely at Spidey, slashing out at him with one of his laser knives. Spidey wasn’t able to dodge quickly enough this time, and a line was cut out of his mask. Could well have been more had Ladybug not thrown her yoyo in front of Kraven as he moved in for another strike, causing him to trip and fall over. He glared up at her angrily before drawing his laser spear and charging her. Meanwhile, Scorpion returned to the attack, screaming something in some ancient Kun-Lun dialect that Spidey couldn’t quite understand. Perhaps if Iron Fist was present, he’d have been able to translate. Still, Scorpion activated the pincher function on his gauntlets and got in a couple of broad swipes, before finally getting in a bludgeoning blow from his mighty tail, sending Spidey flying onto Juleka’s stomach, before he backflipped back onto his feet as Scorpion rose his tail again. An energy blast shot out this time, another attempted backflip to dodge sent Spidey crashing through the wall.

“Just be thankful Rhino didn’t see you charge through that wall – he’d probably sue!” At this point, Scorpion turned his attention back to Luka, who was too ill to stand by this point. Scorpion remembered the order to merely prevent Luka from using his Viperion powers rather than kill him or take him for conversion. And as the Snake Miraculous is a bracelet, Scorpion, in a moment of craving sadistic pleasure, decided the best way to stop him being able to use the Snake Miraculous is to stop him being able to wear the Snake Miraculous. And that requires removing his wrists. He clamped both his pinchers tightly around Luka’s wrists…

“Urgh… what are you going to do to me…?”

“Why, I’m going to render you ‘armless!” Chuckling in evil glee at his little joke, Scorpion began to twist his claws around slowly but surely, as if trying to unscrew Luka’s hands. And yes, it was just as painful as it sounds. It took three full turns, but he finally did manage to pull Luka’s hands off. Ignoring his victim’s deafening screams of pain, which was finally enough to wake Lady Wi-Fi, while his sister watched while frozen in terror, Scorpion acknowledged his mission was complete and began to leave, stopping briefly to pick up the still paused Rose with his tail. Although confused as to what had happened, Wi-Fi nevertheless decided to cut her losses and flee with Scorpion while Ladybug was distracted. Although she didn’t get too far before Spidey recovered and webbed her to the ceiling. He took a moment to take in his moment of victory, before Ladybug reminded him about Kraven just as he swung another laser knife downwards, slashing her deeply on the forearm as she tried to ward off his attack. Another flurry of webs caught him off guard as he went for the killing blow. “White Tiger’s still running late, Kraven’s giving me and Ladybug a real challenge… Tigress, little help here!” Juleka struggled off her bed and nodded, clearly intent on helping. Of course, that means that she actually needs her Miraculous, which Ladybug currently has. Or should that be had, as an uppercut from Kraven sent her crashing into a wall and causing her to drop the Tiger Miraculous. Not that Juleka needed a reason not to take that opportunity. The trouble was, Kraven saw it as well. And he collects magical talismans and the like. He saw the opportunity as well. He leapt into a run for it just as Juleka did the same, quickly evolving into a scrap between the two, ending with Juleka employing a slightly dirty trick by kicking Kraven in his private parts. He snarled in pain as she recovered the Tiger Miraculous. But Kraven wasn’t about to take this lying down. He tore his sport bag open and took out an item that made Ladybug’s blood run cold in her veins – the Cat Miraculous.

“Ha ha! If you seek to turn this into a catfight, I will more than happy to oblige!”

“The Cat ring…”

“Oh boy…”

“H-h-how did you get Cat Noir’s miraculous?” Kraven simply laughed out triumphantly as he slid on the ring, causing Juleka to realise what had happened. Switching into a defensive stance, she signalled for Spidey and Ladybug to get Luka to safety while she holds off the hunter. Kraven began to rub his hands together in evil glee.

“Yes, yes… even now I can feel its power coursing through me! Do you still dare to challenge Kraven?!”

“You burst onto my boat, wrecked my wall… you want a fight, you got one! Roarr…”

“Plagg…”

“…STRIPES ON!/…CLAWS OUT!” In seconds Juleka resumed her classic Purple Tigress outfit, while Kraven’s Cat Miraculous Holder form bore a stronger resemblance to a hybridisation between his symbiote form in the proper show and Wolverine’s classic costume. Immediately upon completing his transformation, he gave a terrifying roar. Spidey and Ladybug quickly understood this was about to become a battle that it would be wise to exclude themselves from, and quickly webbed Luka’s unconscious body for transport to hospital. Both left as quickly as they’d arrived, albeit sadly too late to stop Scorpion escaping. Although they were quick enough to watch Tigress get uppercutted through the upper deck and Kraven leaping after her, snarling like mad. He went in for a claw swipe, but Tigress made an expert dodge, causing Kraven to crash into the control room window. Undeterred, and very much aware of his status as the apex predator in this encounter, he quickly recovered and leapt back out, landing on the upper deck with enough force to rock the Liberty so violently that Tigress had the first bout of seasickness in her life. The same thing happened to Ladybug while watching. Taking advantage of this, Kraven leapt animalistically at Tigress, only to be Clout-ed back through the back of the boat to the point of barely managing to stay on board. Angered, Kraven called for Cataclysm. He charged at Tigress, leaping into the air for a moment before aiming his Cataclysm claws right for her eyes. She dodged well that time, in no small part thanks to her bolas, although she might have wished she hadn’t dodged his attack, as Kraven made contact with the deck upon landing, burning through to the lowest deck.

“Now this… this is the moment I live for… the look in their eyes, the fearful expression at the very moment the prey realises they are cornered… that there is no escape from Kraven, the greatest hunter in the world! And once I have your Miraculous, that will be undisputable!”

“And what of the rest of me?”

“Forceful induction into my teammates’ ranks. Do not worry, they’ll make you very welcome… if you even survive my power!”

“A tiger outclasses a lion in one on one, you know!”

“But all your strength and agility will not save you, with or without backup! You know my name, Kraven the Hunter! What I hunt, I consume!” Tigress seemed visually frightened at that remark. “What I consume… I become!” Kraven gave a ferocious animalistic roar before charging at Purple Tigress, he missed by inches thanks to a quick dodge and ended up punching a hole in the hull. He immediately pulled his hand out, and the river water began to flow in rapidly. “Argh, it looks like we finish this hunt underwater! I do hope you can swim, tiger cub.”

“Tigers aren’t afraid of a little water, Kraven! And anyway, I live on a boat! As such, I’m a great swimmer! As for you however…”

“I have hunted in every terrain on this planet! Including underwater. What do you think? Besides… I’m suddenly hearing a beeping sound…” Tigress looked down at her Miraculous. Kraven was right. Having used Clout, she was now on a timer until she turned back to Juleka! And Kraven’s an adult, so he can use his powers multiple times without timing out! She desperately needs to find a snack for Roarr in order to continue the fight, and that’s not something she’ll find in the engine room! She desperately dashed off for cover, but obviously Kraven wasn’t taking that lying down. He leapt at her as she started to run and slammed her to the floor, splashing them both with water and knocking off the Tiger Miraculous in the process. As she detransformed, Kraven grabbed her face and forced her head under the water. For a few minutes it seemed like he was intending to drown her… but then he inserted her Miraculous onto his free hand. He snarled the transformation phrase, engulfing the room in light, and then he immediately called for Clout. That’s bad news. He threw his hand onto her face, grabbing her shirt with both hands and thrust her out of the water, her desperately gasping for air, before Kraven darted upwards in the biggest and highest jump either of the heroes on dry land had even seen…

“Any last words, Juleka Couffaine?”

“Urgh… mercy…” Kraven gave a sinister smirk as he replied…

“You’re welcome.” …and delivered a massively powerful Clout punch which sent Juleka crashing down at breakneck velocity, hitting the metal floor of the lowest deck of the Liberty with a deafening crash and splash. A repeat occurred seconds later when Kraven landed next to her. Then came another blinding light. One of the magnesium signal flares had fallen from what was once a higher deck and hit the water. Both combatants were in range when the light shot out. Kraven staggered around dazed for a moment, his eyesight obviously damaged to a degree, but with his hunting experience and hyper-tuned senses, that didn’t really matter. Still, content with his victory, he jet-jumped back onto the top deck alone. Only he emerged while Spidey and Ladybug were watching.

“That… was… an epic battle… I’ve never seen anything like that before…”

“Juleka… has… he… killed her…?”

“Wouldn’t be surprised. Kraven was always more likely to win. He’s got more experience, he’s more ruthless… actually I’d better stop here before I dig too deeply.” As Ladybug swung over the sinking Liberty, Spidey activated his communicator. “Director Fury, it’s Spidey. Mission update. The Tiger and Pig Miraculouses have been captured and… let’s just say we need Doctor Connors and a team of medics on site ASAP…”

“Doctor, I have our prizes.” As he gave a respectful bow, Scorpion’s tail unravelled itself, allowing Rose to roll out onto the floor.

“Another satisfactory test subject. Excellent work, Scorpion. Hmm… Lady Wi-Fi, escort our guest to her quarters – in the dungeons – to await her transformation.” Lady Wi-Fi gave the nod and picked Rose up, hurrying off to obey. “I think we’ll save her transformation until the result of the Vulture’s challenge becomes clear. No sense wasting the formula on an unnecessary occurrence.” Shadow Moth gave a nod, as if agreeing with Ock’s assessment. He then gave a sinister grin as something in particular dawned on him…

“Five more to go. The challenge will secure us four Miraculouses, and then our army will crush Ladybug underfoot like Kraven did to the Tigress!”

“Yes, I suppose I owe you $50 for that outcome…” At this very moment…

“Are you two quite finished bidding and bickering? I am growing impatient.”

“We have obtained two extra Miraculouses, master Doom, and the remaining members of the Sinister Six are currently preparing to face Spider Man’s allies for the last Miraculouses as we speak. By this time tomorrow, every former Miraculous holder in the city will be one of our soldiers. Spider Man won’t stand a chance, and neither will SHIELD. The Avengers, soon they too will fall, and of course, Ladybug herself will be nothing more than a bloodied corpse for us to parade through the streets of Paris, proudly proclaiming her failure!”

“Excellent, Shadow Moth. I knew I organised this alliance with you for a reason. Carry on at once. As much as I’d prefer launching our final attack now, I suppose I can wait until tomorrow. Of course, another duty to come to mind is this: make sure Doombot production rates increase by 75% in time for tomorrow. After that pummelling our hunter friend dealt the tiger girl, I shouldn’t doubt SHIELD’s forces will increase their efforts to locate our base of operations. If so, we must take every available precaution to make sure this runs like clockwork!”

“Ah yes, clockwork… hmm… that’s just reminded me of a certain brat who attempted to sabotage our plans. A pity she couldn’t stand up to Vulture’s sense of smell. Perhaps overseeing her torture personally would suffice, hmm?” Doom looked at Otto curiously, before giving the nod.

“Bring her in.” And there she was, gagged, beaten and bruised, strapped to an old-fashioned surgical table, except considerably upgraded with all manner of technological terrors, was the Rabbit hero herself.

“We might or might not subject her to induction once she tells me everything about her friends’ plans. Though she has proved frustratingly resilient so far, despite being severely tortured.”

“Just give it up already, Dr Freakimo. I’m not talking. You can’t make me betray Ladybug!”

“That is an attitude I’d rather you didn’t take, little girl. Bunnyx, I believe the news calls you? It is not a matter of if I will make you talk. It is a matter of when I will make you talk. How much torture you endure before then is up to you.”

“Save your breath. I’ll die before I betray Ladybug.” That might not have been the best thing to say in this situation, Alix…

“If you insist.” His gauntlets primed themselves in an instant, and fired out their blood-red blasts directly into Alix’s chest. The electrical shock zoomed throughout her body, forcing her to scream in unimaginable agony. “TELL! ME! WHAT! I! WISH! TO! KNOW!!!”