As Hawk Moth tried a last ditch effort to get the Miraculous, he ends up in a deep and meaningful conversation with himself. Meanwhile, Ladybug and Chat Noir make an unexpected discovery.

New Year's Eve. It's a time when most people reflect on the year that has passed and make promises to be a better person in the future. Hawk Moth, however, wasn't most people. Indeed Gabriel Agreste, the man behind the infamous butterfly mask, viewed the impending start of a new year as simply a reminder of his failures. Yet another year is about to pass and he still has not retrieved the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous. He still has not made his ultimate wish.

"Maybe I need a new approach." Gabriel lamented to Nathalie as they sat in front of the fireplace. "I need another Sandboy or something similar. Something stronger than the superheroes themselves."

Nathalie pinched the bridge of her nose under her glasses. If she could have a New Year's wish, it would be for Gabriel to be done with all this nonsense, and maybe look her way instead. "Gabriel, the only thing stronger than a superhero is another superhero." She sighed. "Why don't you give it a rest for tonight, hmmm? Adrien is out with his friends, we could share a nice bottle of wine together and watch the midnight fireworks on TV. Now wouldn't that be nicer?"

Gabriel raised his eyebrow at Nathalie, a little concerned how much of said bottle she had already drunk.

"We will celebrate when I have my victory, Nathalie. You have given me an idea though."

Nathalie watched as Gabriel left the room. She let out another long sigh as she poured herself another glass.

"Another superhero." Gabriel muttered to himself as he made his way down to his lair. Now he just had to find a way to do it.

"Master?" Nooroo asked quietly. "Maybe you should take this opportunity to turn over a new leaf"

Gabriel glared at the little Kwami. "What are you muttering on about?"

"The New Year, Master. Maybe it's time to stop chasing the Miraculous and set yourself new goals, like spending more time with your son?"

"If I wanted your opinion I would have asked for it." Gabriel scoffed. What he was doing was for Adrien, at least that was what he kept telling himself all these years. He walked over to where Emilie laid in her perpetual sleep. "Besides, I vowed to Emilie that I would bring her back. There will be more time for Adrien once the job is done."

"But Master," Nooroo said sadly, shaking his head. "It's been 3 years already. Adrien is almost an adult now."

"Then there isn't another minute to lose. Nooroo, dark wings rise."

Gabriel let the magic of his transformation wash over him. If there was one way to make Nooroo shut up, it was transforming. He didn't need reason to distract him from his task. Now... he just needed the right akuma.

Hawk Moth closed his eyes. It's New Year's Eve, tensions should be high somewhere. Hmmmm, a drunk person.... Another drunk person.... No, this is no good, he needs someone sober. Ah... this one might work. A battle between doing the right thing and the wrong thing. Yes... this will do nicely.

"Fly away my little akuma and evilise his dueling heart."

Glorious destruction soon reigned down over the city. Hawk Moth was feeling pleased with himself. Maybe his New Year wish would come true tonight, the tantalising prospect of finally having the miraculous in his clutches led him to the roof of the Agreste mansion. He wanted to personally witness his final glory.

Hawk Moth as usual though hadn't really thought this through, so when Split Personality showered him in dust he really shouldn't have been surprised when a less than impressed version of himself stared back at him.

"So... is this what we have become?" Gabriel said, looking his villian form up and down.

"I don't have time for this." Hawk Moth muttered.

"Then make time." Gabriel said in a measured way. "I think you and I have quite a few things we need to discuss judging by what I can see here."

By this stage Nathalie had come looking for Hawk Moth and was now staring with wide eyes as he was effectively having an argument with himself. Nathalie took off her glasses and put them back on again. She was sure she hadn't drunk that much wine.

"Um... Sir...?"

"You're not seeing things Nathalie." Hawk Moth said with a look of resignation. "It's just the akuma... well...

"Your akuma is out of control." Gabriel finished for him, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "But that happens quite a bit, doesn't it?"

"What? No!" Hawk Moth protested. The roof then shook with the sound of a large explosion followed by the laughter of Stormy Weather.

"Sir, all your past akumas are running around the city." Nathalie said urgently.

Gabriel put his arm around Hawk Moth's shoulders. "Make us a nice cup of tea Nathalie. We're going to sit down and have a nice long chat."

~~~~~

Ladybug was furious! This Akuma was ruining everything. Tonight was the night Marinette was finally going to tell Adrien exactly how she felt. Maybe... possibly.... Oh who was she kidding, she still didn't have the nerve to say it out loud, but damn it all she was was with him and their friends in the Trocadero getting ready to ring in the New Year together. She could fantasise about kissing Adrien at midnight, even if it didn't actually happen. But no, here she was running all over the city with Chat Noir trying to tame an out of control akuma calling himself Split Personality.

At first she thought this would be a quick deal and she would soon be back next to Adrien. Calling in Nino and Alya as reinforcements, the situation soon took a turn when they were hit, duplicating them into Rena Rage and Shell Shock. Now they were trapped fighting their evil selves.

"It feels like Hero's Day all over again." Ladybug lamented, her frustration rising. Nino and Alya weren't the only ones though, all over the city other people who had previously been akumatised were also duplicating into their villain selves - Mr Pigeon, The Mime, Stormy Weather... Paris was turning into chaos.

"It looks like people are duplicating into their akumatised selves. Just as well you and I have never been akumatised."

Ladybug didn't answer. While Ladybug had never been akumatised, Marinette almost was once. Maybe since it didn't fully take effect though it won't be an issue. Still, it would be best not to get hit and have to find out the hard way.

Ladybug turned to Chat. "What about Chloé? We could use Queen Bee to..."

"No can do. Chloé is ringing in the New Year in New York at Times Square."

Ladybug wasn't going to ask how on Earth Chat Noir could have known that.

"Ok... then we have to think of another pla..."

"Look out!"

Chat jumped out to try and stop Ladybug being hit, but he wasn't quick enough. As Split Personality sprinkled his dust over her, an akuma Chat had never seen before rose up. She was blindfolded, holding the Scales of Justice in one hand and a clock in the other.

"M'lady." Chat said, almost in a whisper. "I didn't think you had ever been akumatised?"

Ladybug had a look of terror in her eyes. "I... I almost was, once... but i didn't think that counted."

Before Chat had a chance to question her, Princess Justice shed a light over the city. "The scales of good and evil are unbalanced." She announced, her voice chilling. "When the Doomsday clock strikes midnight, Paris will have seen its last day."

The clock she was holding began to tick. It was less than an hour to midnight.

"We have no time to lose M'lady." Chat said, the urgency of the situation was not lost on him. "Maybe we need a little luck to end this."

Ladybug nodded. "You're right Kitty, time is of the essence." And so was her chance to be with Adrien at midnight. "Lucky Charm!"

Nothing happened.

Ladybug looked at her yo-yo. Why wasn't it working?

"Try again." Chat urged. "You can do it, I have faith in you."

Ladybug tried again and again, but it didn't matter how many times she called it, nothing was working. She looked towards where Split Personality was running around, relishing in his chaos.

"The akumatised object isn't on him. Who knows where it is."

Chat looked around and focused on the countdown clock that Princess Justice was holding. She was standing like a silent sentinel overseeing the last moments of Paris as time ticked steadily on to midnight. He looked down at his hand. "What if I cataclysm her clock. It might stop the countdown."

"You can try." Ladybug encouraged him.

"Cataclysm." Chat called, charging at Princess Justice. Touching the clock, it crumbled to dust, only to reappear a moment later, still ticking. "What?"

"We can't stop it." Ladybug said, falling to her knees on the rooftop. "Unless Hawk Moth withdraws the akuma.... I don't know what we can do."

"Maybe if I cataclysm something else?"

Ladybug slowly shook her head. "I've failed Chat. I've failed everyone. I should have been more careful not to get hit. I should have..." Her voice trailed off as tears took hold.

"Hey, it's okay." Chat tried to comfort her. "You said you were almost akumatised. You can't have known that it was enough to come back like this."

Ladybug shook her head. "I should have told you."

Chat sat down against the wall and beconded Ladybug to come and sit beside him. She crawled over and let Chat put a comforting arm around her. Usually Ladybug wouldn't get quite this cosy with her partner, but tonight she felt she needed his comfort. At least now that they were older they didn't have to worry about timers running out anymore.

"Since the world is about to end, unless Hawk Moth wakes up and withdraws the akuma, why don't you tell me about what happened. You said you were almost akumatised? It must have been something really bad."

Ladybug sighed. She wasn't sure she should tell Chat about what happened in case it would reveal her identity, but as Princess Justice stood with her clock tick, tick, ticking closer to midnight, it hardly seemed like it mattered now.

"There's this girl at my school who seems to have it in for me. I don't really know why except that I think we both like the same guy... anyway that's not relevant." Ladybug started playing with her fingers.

"It's alright, go on." Chat encouraged.

"On this day she set me up by pretending that I stole something from her. Everyone believed her because the item, a necklace, was planted in my locker. All I could feel was the complete injustice of the situation. I was even expelled until the truth came out. Well, a half truth anyway, but it was enough to get me back in."

Chat sat silently as she spoke. There was something awfully familiar about the story Ladybug was telling. "You said everyone believed her?"

"Well, almost." Ladybug said softly. "That guy I like... he didn't believe it. He even tried to stand up for me when no one else would."

There was a fond smile on her face, a smile that reminded him of someone else he knew.

~~~~~

Back at the Agreste mansion, Nathalie sipped on her tea as she watched Hawk Moth be berated by his good half. Gabriel outlined exactly everything that was wrong with Hawk Moth's plan. Hawk Moth was loath to admit it, but he was making perfect sense.

Outside the skies lit up with lightning and the earth rumbled with thunder. Nathalie looked up at the clock on the wall. It was only a few minutes until midnight.

"I know it's hard." Gabriel said gently. "But sometimes the only way to move forward is to let go. We can't change the pass. What's done is done. But, we can resolve to be better in the future. Won't you make that your New Year's resolution?"

Nathalie looked over at Hawk Moth who was sitting in his arm chair with his arms folded. The earth shook again, reminding him that he still had an akuma running riot around the city.

"You're right." He finally relented. "I can't keep living in the past. Adrien is here now and I want to continue to be part of his life into the future." Hawk Moth recalled his akuma. Split Personality was no more, along with the alternate versions of the cities past Akuma victims including alternate Gabriel who vanished into thin air. "Dark Wings Fall." He said quietly, Nooroo materialising with a small smile on his face.

Moments later the clock struck midnight. "Happy New Year Gabriel." Nathalie said, reaching out to touch his hand. Gabriel brought her hand up to his lips and softly kissed her knuckles.

"Happy New Year Nathalie."

~~~~~

At the same time on the other side of the city, Chat gently hooked his finger under Ladybug's chin and turned her to face him. He no longer remembered the Doomsday clock counting down the minutes to the end of the world, all he could see was her bluebell eyes.

"I have always believed in you." He said almost in a whisper. "Marinette."

Ladybug stared at him for a moment, her mouth agape until her brain could catch up. "Adrien?"

Chat smiled at her softly, his eyes adoring. "I should have known it was you."

The clock's ticking became louder, but Chat kept her eyes fixed on his. "I wish I'd known before, but if I had to spend my last moments on Earth with someone, I'm glad it was with you."

A single tear trickled down Ladybug's face. "All this time you were right there beside me, and now there is only a minute left on the clock."

Chat cupped her face with his hand. "Then I know just how to spend that last minute."

Chat pulled her lips towards his. As Chat gently kissed her, his body seemed to move on instinct. His hands found the curve of her waist, pulling her even closer. It was a soft, tender kiss, full of unspoken emotion and love.

As he deepened the kiss, his arms wrapping around her, pulling her close, wanting to keep her against him forever. As they parted breathlessly Chat pressed his forehead against hers, breathing in the scent of her, the only sounds were their heartbeats.

The town clock struck midnight, but everything was silent. Chat and Ladybug both stood up and looked around. They were gone. Split Personality, Princess Justice and all the past akumas. Everything was gone.

"Do you suppose old Hawk Butt called off the akuma?" Chat asked. Ladybug almost had to choke back a laugh remembering that her loveable punning partner was also Adrien. Her Adrien who had just kissed her at midnight.

Ladybug took her yo-yo into her hand. "Lucky Charm." She called. This time a firework landed in her hand.

Chat gave her a wide smile. "Let's get this New Year started then, M'lady."

Ladybug threw the lucky charm in the air, the firework exploding in brilliant red over the city. Soon the real fireworks display over the Eiffel Tower lit up the night skies.

"I think I'm going to make a New Year's resolution Kitty. To be more open and honest with you, like I should have been from the start. No more secrets."

Chat wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. "You know what my New Year's resolution is? To love you more everyday until the end of the world."

He leaned forward, capturing her lips in a tender kiss. As their lips met, the world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them intertwined beneath the stars.