What if Roger Raincomprix was paying more attention at the end of Rogercop?

Roger Over and Out

Chapter 1: The Bracelet

Ladybug and Chat Noir were fighting Rogercop in the mayor's office. They took refuge behind a table with a scale model of a district in Paris (part of a renovation plan) as the villain fired his handcuffing gun at them.

"The akuma must be in his whistle," said Ladybug. "We've got to get to it!"

"How?" asked Chat Noir.

There was no time to answer because Rogercop leaped to the top of the table and fired down at them. They dodged and ran, this time hiding from the gunfire behind a wooden partition that served as a clothes-changing area for Mayor Bourgeois. There was a clothing dummy there with a spare belt fastened around its waist.

"Whenever you're ready, m'Lady," said Chat with stress in his voice.

Ladybug concentrated and scanned the room. There was an oven mitt hanging on the tea table that was an exact match in size to the polka-dotted one she had obtained as a Lucky Charm – that had to be part of the plan. The guns were built into the top of Rogercop's arms. What if he couldn't aim them? The belt from the dummy would help to tie his arms, but she needed something to pull them together quickly...

"Okay, I have an idea, but I still need something like... a ring."

Rogercop punched through the wall next to them. They had to scurry away again, this time halfway across the room, behind the Mayor's desk. Ladybug snagged the yellow oven mitt from the tea table as she leaped.

Ladybug asked Chat, "Where am I going to get a ring from?"

Chat didn't answer for a moment. Ladybug kept her eyes focused on the villain and his shots.

"Ladybug, over there!" said Chat. He pointed to a vase in the corner behind them. Beside it was a small metallic object.

"That's Chloé's bracelet! Exactly what I need," said Ladybug, grabbing it up with her yo-yo. "Fend off Rogercop as long as you can."

"Whenever you're ready," said Chat, with confidence this time.

Chat Noir did better than fend Rogercop off. He did a Cataclysm on the floor under the villain's feet, causing him to fall into a hole in the floor and get stuck. Chat was caught by a cuff shot in the process, but his work had bought Ladybug enough time to build a hand trap with the two mitts, the ring and the belt. She leaped over and fitted it onto Rogercop's hands. The belt, tied to the mitts and through the ring, pulled the villain's hands together so he couldn't shoot.

"I gotcha!" said Ladybug, taking the whistle from around his neck.

"Noooooo!" shouted Rogercop.

She stomped on the whistle, releasing the akuma, and purified it. The polka-dotted red oven mitt appeared in her hand, and she threw it into the air for the "Miraculous Ladybug" cure.

Roger Raincomprix was back to normal, sitting against the wooden partition in front of Ladybug. She was confident that all the people he had enslaved with his handcuffs were freed.

Roger said, "Uhh... what am I doing up here?"

Ladybug and Chat Noir did their usual victory fist-bump. "Pound it!"

Chat said, "As Rogercop would say, 'Justice has prevailed in the streets of Paris!'" (The last part was delivered in a robotic monotone.)

Chat's Miraculous beeped. "I'd stick around, but then you'd see me without my mask and... you wouldn't be able to resist me."

Ladybug chuckled. "I doubt that, but I'll have to take your word for it."

After Chat left, Ladybug spotted Chloé's purse, leaning up against the leg of a small table on the back wall. She picked up the bracelet that was lying on the floor near Roger. A mischievous smile crossed her face. She could resolve all the problems and make Chloé look foolish at the same time. Why not? She put the bracelet into Chloé's purse.

A few moments later, Chloé and André Bourgeois were back in the office.

Roger set down the purse on the desk in front of Chloé and said, "I think this belongs to you, Miss."

"My purse," said Chloé, looking inside it and taking something out. "My... my bracelet! But... how?"

"Roger, you found the bracelet!"

"Actually, it turns out it was in Chloé's bag all along. It must have fallen into a side pocket when that girl tripped over it," said Roger.

Ladybug covered a giggle. This was all working out perfectly!

Roger said, "No... wait a second. I saw Ladybug put it back into the purse. She did it right in front of me. I was a little dazed from being released from the akuma, but I clearly remember seeing seeing her do it."

"What?" said Chloé. "What were you doing with my bracelet, Ladybug?"

Ladybug gulped. This was not going so well after all.

"I found it on the floor in here. I apologize for using it, but I needed as a part of my plan to defeat Rogercop. It must have fallen out of the purse and rolled in the struggle before I got here."

"There was no struggle in this office," said the Mayor. "I surrendered in the lobby when I saw Chloé was Rogercop's hostage. Chloé and I were both in handcuffs after that, sitting at the desk the whole time."

"Rogercop took my purse and put it in the back of the room so I couldn't call anyone," said Chloé. "Anyway, how did you know the bracelet was mine, Ladybug? Nobody said anything about it to you."

"I spoke to some eyewitnesses at the school," said Ladybug quickly. "Sometimes it helps to get insight into what happened right before an akumatization. It helps me understand the motives of the akuma victim, and how I might defeat them."

"Why did you put it back into Chloé's purse without saying anything?" asked the Mayor.

"That does seem rather suspicious to me," said Roger. "I hope you have a good explanation."

"I just assumed it had to be Chloé's, and returned it to her," said Ladybug. "I don't know how it got on the floor. It was over in the corner beside the vase."

"I know what happened," said Chloé. "Marinette stole it, and she gave it to you to sneak it back into my purse to get herself out of trouble. I can't believe you would cover for a thief!"

"Nothing like that happened. I never even saw the bracelet until Chat Noir pointed it out."

"Then it was Chat Noir that covered for her!" said Chloé. "He dropped it there and then conveniently pointed it out to you."

"No more accusations, please. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty," said Roger.

"Quiet, you," said Chloé. "If you hadn't let my bracelet be stolen right in front of your nose, and then refused to search the obvious culprit, then none of this would have happened."

"I have to agree with my daughter," said André. "This case was botched from start to finish. You're still fired. Being akumatized and trying to take over the city only makes it worse."

"I don't remember doing that," said Roger. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't good enough. Turn in your uniform and your police car at once."

Roger said stiffly, "I was just about to do that when I was akumatized. I'll go now."

Roger headed out the door, scowling.

"Good riddance," said Chloé. "Daddy, get a competent officer on the case. Marinette should still be arrested for what she did."

"I have to go," said Ladybug. "I'm sure there's another explanation. I promise I'll talk to Chat Noir and get this cleared up."

"Please do it quickly," said André. "Or I will have to have Marinette arrested for petty larceny."

"Grand larceny, Daddy! It's worth over 10,000 euros. Also you should have Chat arrested as an accessory after the fact."

'I'll clear this up, don't worry. Bug out," said Ladybug. She swung out of sight to hide and detransform, in the nick of time.

"Tikki, how am I going to clear up this mess? I have to find Chat and get his side of the story, but he's back as a civilian now."

"You'll find him, Marinette," said Tikki.