Chat Noir has gone missing. In his stead, a new hero emerges to save Paris from all these rising catastrophes. But Ladybug senses something's amiss. Who is this hero and what is their real goal?
The Paragon
is a Miraculous Ladybug fic by Spirolateral. At 37,412 words and 15 chapters, it was completed on February 27, 2017.
The Paragon contains examples of:
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: Aside from some light teasing, Lila is on better terms with Marinette though the latter's still wary of the former.
- Adults Are Useless: Pointedly averted during the first few chapters. Officer Roger and his squad try to stop Lady Wifi in the first chapter before Ladybug and Chat Noir show up, Ms. Bustier sends Chloé to the principal’s office for disrupting the class (Chloé even gets suspended for a week for hitting Alya), and Mayor Bourgeois is determined to stop the akuma problem in his city.
- Big Eater: Plagg scarfs down "between seventy and eighty" rounds of camembert to fuel up, much to Ladybug’s chagrin.Ladybug: So will this be enough for you, Plagg? Master Fu said you could eat fifty rounds, and this is the fourth shop. I’d think this would easily make fifty.
Plagg: He said I could eat at least fifty. I thought I’d test my limits today. - Continuity Nod:
- After Officer Roger says an akuma kidnapped Chloé again, an officer asks if he did the same when he was akumatized. Roger pointedly ignores the question.
- During their meeting with Mayor Bourgeois, Ladybug and Chat Noir give him information on Chronogirl, Dislocoeur, Evillustrator, and Volpina.
- As the Paragon rallies Paris for a mass akumazation, Ivan speaks up on his time as Stoneheart.
- Crater Power: During her fight at the Eiffel Tower with the Paragon, Ladybug ends up making one after the Paragon grabs her yoyo as she tries to swing to safety.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Adrien feels dejected that Paris repeatedly overshadows his work as Chat Noir in favor of Ladybug, so much so that he chucks the Black Cat Miraculous out his window in frustration. It’s little wonder he got akumatized into the Paragon.
- Fake Ultimate Hero: The Paragon stages various disasters in order to garner praise for saving people from them.
- Fashion-Victim Villain: In-Universe. The receptionist at the TVi studio doesn’t mince words when talking about the Paragon’s costume:One does not simply put that many colors into one costume. And what on earth caused him to think that red and purple actually work together? Breaking news: they really don’t, and the Paragon’s costume looks like someone fed a lazily drawn rainbow through a blender.
- Foreshadowing:
- Ladybug and Chat Noir tell Mayor Borgeuois about Chronogirl, Dislocoeur, Evillustrator, and Volpina for his records. All four plus Lady Wifi show up during the final showdown though Volpina this time is on the heroes’ side.
- While in Master Fu’s shop, Marinette notices the Bee and Fox Miraculouses and asks about them. Lila shows up at the end of Chapter 11 as the heroic Volpina.
- Secret Secret-Keeper: In the last chapter, Volpina reveals that she knows Ladybug’s true identity. Later in the same chapter, Tom accidentally lets slip that he knows it's his daughter as Ladybug.
- Seen It All:
- The fic opens with Roger remarking on Chloé getting kidnapped by an akuma again. Knowing how common this happens on the show, you could hardly blame him.
- While at a Jagged Stone concert, Alya realized that there was a bomb behind the wall of pyrotechnics. Nathaniel lampshades her blasé reaction to it.Alya: Well, you get used to it after hanging around Ladybug for so long.
- As Marinette, Tikki, and Plagg observe a Paris in ruins thanks to the Paragon, Tikki asks how Marinette’s school is still open amid all this:Marinette: We get hit by akuma attacks quite often so the students and teachers are probably used to things like this, even if the rest of the city isn’t.
- The receptionist at the TVi studio directs Ladybug to "the usual place".Plagg: Usual place?
Ladybug: Up that elevator and to the studio. All the villains do it. It’s quite convenient, actually; I’ve gotten to know this building really well.
- Superman Stays Out of Gotham: When confronting the Paragon for the first time, Ladybug pointedly asks him if he’s been here this whole time, why hasn’t he helped her and Chat Noir deal with Hawkmoth? He laughs off the question by saying there are bigger threats than Hawkmoth.
