Chapter 92: June

Morning dawns on a school day. Marinette Dupain-Cheng heads to Francoise Dupont High School on a cloud of happiness, recalling how things went the prior day. She can hardly believe it herself that she is finally and officially dating Adrien Agreste. She keeps gushing about it to Tikki. Tikki humors her for a bit, then asks what Marinette plans to do about The Big Secret. It takes Marinette a moment to stop fantasizing about romantic dates to realize what Tikki means. Tikki asks point blank—Marinette knows Adrien's superhero identity. She's been keeping that a secret for a long time. Is she going to tell him that she knows?

Marinette hesitates. She needs to tell him; she knows it was wrong to keep this a secret for so long. And look what happened last time she couldn't tell the truth. Marinette is about to admit all this to Tikki when Alya Cesaire approaches her. Out of instinct, Tikki hides, but Alya sees her and tells her she doesn't have to. After all, Alya knows Ladybug's identity. Tikki sheepishly apologizes and explains it's a reflex. Tikki and Trixx then start up their own conversation while Alya asks Marinette why she's so giddy, especially in wake of what happened last time they were in school.

Marinette, still elated, explains what happened and that she and Adrien are officially dating. Alya gets equally excited and wonders why Marinette took so long to tell her. Marinette explains that she was up all night texting Adrien. Alya is thrilled because now they can go on double dates. They feed off of each other's excitement. But then Alya recalls—"what about Cat Noir?" Marinette falters as she knows the truth, but she stammers as she asks Alya why she's bringing that up now. Alya reminds Marinette that Cat Noir is in love with Ladybug—so is Ladybug going to tell him she has a boyfriend? Marinette starts to explain her plans, but then stops. Her expression sobers as she considers the implications. Cat Noir has alwaysloved Ladybug; he's made that fact well known. And Cat Noir is Adrien. But now Adrien says he's in love with me. Did he find out I'm Ladybug? Alya asks Marinette why she spaced, and Marinette recovers in her usually clumsy way. By this time, they've arrived at Francoise Dupont High School. There are other students around, so they can't continue the conversation.

Much to their surprise, Adrien Agreste is already waiting for them. He explains he couldn't wait to see her again; he actually snuck out early and caught a bus to arrive to school. (Which means Nicholas and Felix will be coming later.) Alya says she's surprised—what kids arrives at school early. Adrien, complete with lovestruck expression, says he just had to see Marinette, his girlfriend. He takes her hand. Alya uses the moment they're staring into each other's eyes to take a picture as she knows Marinette will want one later. Adrien is very relaxed simply because he's so happy, and a lot of his Cat Noir mannerisms are showing through. Nino Lahiffe walks up to them and instantly notices the mood. He asks Alya "when did that happen," and Alya briefly explains. Nino figures he'll get the rest of the details later, from Adrien.

Kagami Tsurugi is the next one to arrive from within their core group of friends. She also notices the atmosphere. She cuts in rather bluntly, as Kagami does, and asks to speak with Marinette. Marinette excuses herself and goes off with Kagami. This gives Nino time to get alongside Adrien and ask when and what developed. Adrien explains he realized he's in love with Marinette—that's all there is to it. Nino raises an eyebrow and asks him directly about Ladybug. After all, everyone knows how Cat Noir feels about Ladybug. Adrien hesitates as he knows he can't reveal Marinette actually is Ladybug, not to Nino, not to anyone. So he does the best he can and stretches the truth. He says he's come to terms with the fact that Ladybug has refused him, time and again. He said it was like a revelation when he realized that not only did Marinette have feelings for him all this time but that she also possesses so many of the traits Ladybug does. She's always been by his side, and he didn't realize it until Marie Chauveau publicly posted Marinette's letters. Adrien can finally see it's Marinette he has feelings for, and he didn't want to let her slip through. So he asked her out. Nino congratulations them, buying Adrien's logic. He, like Alya, then suggests a double date.

Kagami pulls Marinette into an isolated part of the school. She reminds Marinette how often Adrien stood her up back when they were dating. She just wants to make sure Marinette knows what she's getting herself into. She doesn't want to see Marinette hurt; they're friends, after all. Marinette insists she and Adrien will be fine, but she thanks Kagami for her concern. Kagami just warns her to be realistic and not to idealize things, then she heads to her locker.

Marinette heads off a moment later. But when she walks into the school proper, dozens of unfriendly eyes level in her direction. Marinette shrinks. What's going on? She noticed people whispering out of the corner of her vision; scowls are shot in her direction. She overhears some of the gossip, words like "Luka" and "two-timed." Marinette sinks, her good mood vanishing. And to top it all off, Lila Rossi is watching from the wings, wearing a triumphant smile.

Marinette attempts to strike up a conversation with Rose Lavillant, playing it off as if everything is normal. Plus, she does want to tell all her friends about the good news with Adrien. Rose, however, looks uncomfortable. Rose finally interrupts Marinette and politely requests not to be put in the middle of things. Marinette wonders why, and Rose explains that all the tension involves people she cares about, and she doesn't want to feel forced to pick sides. Marinette is her good friend. Juleka is her best friend, and it's Juleka's brother whom Marinette hurt. But Rose feels a bit guilty as she also allowed this to continue—knowing Marinette was dating Luka while being in love with Adrien. She just asks to be kept out of it; she doesn't want anyone else to get hurt. Marinette says she understands and walks away, dejected. Of course, Rose isn't trying to end the friendship—but Marinette feels there's nothing else she can do at that point other than walk away.

Adrien is waiting by her locker, which instantly lightens her mood. He says he wants to finalize the plans for their first date, and he's hoping she's available that afternoon after his fencing practice. Marinette immediately agrees, and the two get very cozy.

Which is something Chloe Bourgeois immediately notices. She just about yanks Adrien away from Marinette and demands an explanation. Adrien isn't certain about what she means, so Chloe gets more irate and shrieky and demands to know why he turned her, his childhood friend, down under the claim that he loves Ladybug only to be dating Marinette now. Adrien apologizes for hurting her, but he insists he's been nothing but honest about his feelings. It was true what he told her—he loves Ladybug. But now, he realizes Marinette is the girl of his dreams; she's the one he wants to be with. He's so poetic in his rebuke that all Chloe can do is stomp her feet and storm off. Which only further cements her hatred of Ladybug and shoves her further down the path of anti-villain.

Behind Chloe, Lila Rossi's smirk has vanished. Her face is a storm of rage when she realizes that her plot to tank Marinette's reputation only served to get Adrien and Marinette together. While it is true that half the school is upset and/or disgusted with Marinette, none of that matters in the wake of Lila's crush getting together with her. Lila is even more furious than Chloe, if possible, and throws all her focus and energy into plans to break Marinette. For the first time in this continuity, Lila is more vengeful towards Marinette than Alya—not that her rivalry there has vanished at all either.

Nicolette Lacroix is among those who arrives early; however, she's so preoccupied she doesn't have much attention for Marinette drama. She's still trying to work out her crush on Etienne Fontaine. She knows he won't ever love her, but her heart is very attracted to him. It's worse because of the yo-yo effect. Sometimes, Etienne is very absent and not even listening to her; he complains, refuses to take responsibility, and only cares about a mirror. Other times, he's compassionate and invested; he opens up to her about their roles within the Western Order, and he treats her to designer perfumes and nice flowers. It's those moments that cause her to fall, believing that maybe he could be a genuine nice guy all the time and that they could have a future together. But she's seen her own red thread; it never goes to him. And those nice moments only serve to string her along through all the stressful ones. She knows the relationship is growing more toxic by the day. Nicolette's biggest debate with herself is if she uses her powers as June, the Cancer wielder, to Sever her own relationship with him.

Jean Duparc is hanging out with his friends, Jakeel Aristide and Pierre Lefevre. Jakeel has noticed Jean (who is also Chip Bluestone) has seemed depressed for quite some time and openly calls him out on it. Jean shakes it off and insists he's all right, but Jakeel just crosses his arms. Jean then proposes a hypothetical: what if you were torn between two friends who didn't get along, no matter what? Who would you stand beside? Jakeel raises an eyebrow—that's literally how Jean lives every day. Jakeel and Pierre don't get along well at all, but Jean is the glue that holds their odd lot together. Jean freezes; he never considered his torn alliance between the B Team and the birthstone wielders that way before. But would Adamantus talk with Alpha if I opened a channel for them? Pierre shrugs as well; it's okay if Jean wants to be friends with multiple people who don't get along. Jean mulls this over, wondering what he could do. This effort, however, is hindered by the fact that the turquoise glove is intentionally warping his personality away from the heroes. The B Team did suspect me of being a double agent all along. But Adamantus welcomed me in…But the B Team did initially welcome me too…But…was I set up to betray them? Some of them? All of them?

Nicholas Sancoeur and Felix Graham de Vanily arrive a bit later, driven there by Nathalie Sancoeur. Shortly after they arrive, Aurore Beaureal and Mireille Caquet arrive from their morning work. That's when the bell rings to start classes, and the student body disperses.

Madam Gros makes a point of seeking out Nicholas Sancoeur and inviting him in for a follow-up mental health screening in light of him being akumatized into Undertaker. Once in her office, Nicholas is as stoic as ever, and Madam Gros has her hands full trying to get any emotions out of him whatsoever. Of course, this is largely a front on her part, but she does have ulterior motives for interviewing him. Knowing that Chloe's identity has been compromised as Queen Scorpion, Madam Gros knows she'll need a new wielder of the Scorpio. She needs 12 wielders for her plan to work, and ideally she wants to continue working out of Francoise Dupont High School as that puts her close to all of her pawns.

Madam Gros theorizes that Nicholas is seriously repressing his emotions over his parents' death and tells him it's healthier to process his grief. Nicholas insists he isn't repressing anything. Madam Gros then wonders why he'd be akumatized into Undertaker if he didn't have repressed grief. Nicholas falls silent as he can't let her know that that was a lie—he was willingly akumatized. He lowers his eyes and ultimately goes along with whatever theory she presents. His denials only affirm her suspicions, which ends up working in his favor. Madam Gros pushes him about his feelings on Hawk Moth, but Nicholas is rather taciturn on the issue, causing Madam Gros to pass him over as a replacement Scorpio. She recommends him on to a professional counselor. Nicholas thanks her, heads back to class, and promptly throws the professional's contact information into the trash.

Once he's gone, Madam Gros sends word out to her most loyal followers: Tarantula, Rhino, Draco, and Odette. Ivory has a plan to lure out all the other miraculous wielders. But in order to cast the spell, they need to investigate the city to know where to cast it from. That's where her allies come in. The others reply, agreeing to help search. Madam Gros then contacts Mink and Angelica, inviting them to two separate practice sessions again, one each. She claims that they're her most powerful allies (really just her milking them onto her side) and that she wants them to train in their powers. She schedules them for late that afternoon and then late that evening, respectively. With her day filled and her plans about to come to fruition, Madam Gros is very happy. If only that old guardian would tell me what the Eastern Order did to Grant! Thinking about her lost fiancé does cause her smile to vanish, and internally she directs all her negative feelings towards the still-captive Master Fu.

Lunch time rolls around, and Miss Bustier's class is treated to the pizza party they earned thanks to their fund raising and Marinette's efforts as class representative. Miss Bustier thanks Marinette personally and invites the rest of the class to do the same, but it's still awkward. Of course, Chloe and Lila are uninterested in congratulating Marinette. But even Juleka is rather unresponsive with Rose looking very uncomfortable and feeling very much as if she's caught in the middle.

At one point, Miss Bustier has to step out—perhaps for napkins or soda pop or some such. Lila immediately begins her subtle manipulation, remarking that Marinette and Adrien seem to be sitting closer together than usual. This sets Chloe off, just as Lila planned, with Chloe angrily remarking about how quickly Adrien is to change his heart and snarkily remarking why on earth would he pick someone like Marinette, especially knowing how she led around her last boyfriend. This, of course, rips the whole drama wide open. Alya jumps in to defend Marinette, and Marinette insists she's sorry that Luka got hurt. She tried to tell him, she really tried, but she couldn't speak straight. Juleka mumbles that that's a poor excuse in light of what happened. Rose tries to play peacemaker but ultimately leans towards Juleka's side. Le Chien Kim gets involved, saying that everyone is overreacting. That only causes Chloe to call him out. He has a girlfriend, how would he feel if Ondine did that to him? Kim's expression says it all, and that winds up pulling him into the argument despite the fact that he'd rather stay out of it. With him involved, Max gets involved too, being his best friend. Nino steps up to play the peacekeeper once Rose wavers, and Mylene Haprele and Ivan Bruel keep getting pushed to comment about commitment in relationships.

Finally, it's Adrien Agreste himself who has enough. He slams his palms on the table, which causes everyone to stop arguing. Adrien never gets mad. He never shows any emotions except for stepford smiling and disappointment if one knows when to look. He tells them that whatever happened, it's ultimately between Marinette and Luka. No one would want every moment of their private relationships dragged into the public, and it's unfair that Marie Chaveau did what she did. Getting angry on behalf of other people isn't going to make things better, that's for sure. Adrien goes on to say that as awful as Marinette's (essentially private) journal getting publicly displayed was, and how terrible it was that Luka got hurt, Adrien is glad that it happened. If that makes him a bad person, so be it. He declares in front of the whole class that he's glad he now knows how Marinette feels. He feels the same way, and he openly admits they're dating now. So anything said badly against Marinette, he'll take it personally as she is now his girlfriend. This silences everyone as most of the class are good friends and they don't want a feud that'll tear them apart. The only ones pissed off are Chloe and Lila—and they are both pissed. The class stops the argument out of respect for Adrien, and Marinette can only look on, her face pink. That's when Miss Bustier returns, completely unaware of what just transpired. She thinks everything is fine.

In the afternoon, Madam Gros calls Chloe into her office. Chloe leaves class and briefly talks with Barbarra. Chloe reveals she's suspicious about the whole thing and orders Barbarra to be alert as well. Chloe enters Madam Gros's office and plays it cool. Dolores Gros immediately confronts her about the fact Ladybug and Cat Noir and even Mayura know her identity. Chloe blatantly lies and insists it's not true. Madam Gros doesn't believe her and tells Chloe she's given her enough chances. She's to hand over her Scorpio hair tie.

Chloe refuses. She agreed to this in order to regain her bee comb (and also steal the wolf ear cuff). She hasn't done anything wrong, and Ladybug and Cat Noir aren't acting on what they know, so it's fine. Madam Gros has to keep her end of the bargain, and Chloe is owed the honey bee miraculous.

Madam Gros, of course, isn't going to let Chloe be snippy with her. Both are intense, on high alert, and glaring each other down. Madam Gros transforms into Ivory, "Trumpet, Ellie!" with Chloe immediately responding by transforming into Queen Scorpion, "Sting, Barbarra!" as she anticipated this.

Ivory doesn't hesitate; she uses her pendulum to lob an Oblivion at Scorpion. And Scorpion, due to her reflexes from practicing solo, reacts within the same second, swinging her acidic chain at the attack without saying Dissolve. This shocks Queen Scorpion by successfully deflecting Oblivion right back at Ivory, who slumps in her chair, stunned. None of this is heard on the outside due to Ivory soundproofing her office.

Queen Scorpion is breathing hard; despite her success, this was massively nerve-wracking for her. She then realizes that Ivory is forgetting. Thinking quickly on her feet, Queen Scorpion grooms Ivory's memories. "You didn't talk with Chloe Bourgeois today. You forget your intentions of taking her miraculous from her. You forget your concerns about Ladybug and Cat Noir and Mayura and Hawk Moth knowing her identity. You're going to leave her alone." The twisted account of her memories sinks in. Queen Scorpion transforms back into Chloe and books it out of the office.

She ducks around a corner, and it's clear she's shaken. She came that close to losing her miraculous and her memories. And as far as she can tell, this is only a temporary fix. What if Madam Gros told someone else? What if Tarantula comes after her? What if Draco targets her family? This is bad, and Chloe knows it. She absentmindedly feeds Barbarra a bite of caviar, and Barbarra asks what Chloe plans on doing. Chloe has no idea, but she knows she needs to turn her back on the Western Order immediately. She briefly considers bartering information about Ivory's true identity to the Eastern Order for amnesty, but she hates Ladybug and Cat Noir so much that she simply can't stand to do so. So instead, she needs allies who'll have her back.

The problem is, Chloe doesn't want friends and she knows it. Friends require trust and honesty—and worse, she has to treat them well. Instead, she merely needs allies. Not pawns, not that weak. Just some people who'll stand beside her out of their own mutual interests against the Western Order and Ivory. Someone who can at least help draw fire so she isn't the sole target. Chloe considers her options, but they're limited. Ivory intentionally kept the Western Order wielders from communicating with each other, after all. But then, one face pops up. June. Chloe has the beginnings of a plan.

The school day ends, and everyone disperses. Miss Bustier's class largely lets the matter of Marinette/Luka/Adrien drop, but other classes as well as upper and under classmen give them (Marinette especially) the stink eye and continue to gossip about them. Luka Couffaine refuses to rise to their bait either; he just ignores them. Instead, he turns his attention to his duties as Alpha and leader of the B Team. He's received a text from Snow Leopard saying that she has something very important she needs to talk to the whole pack about, so Luka/Alpha sets up a practice session that afternoon. However, the session gets pushed back to that evening. Snow Leopard herself as well as Firefly admit that they have plans for the afternoon. Their plans are actually their schedule obligations to the school's DnD club and its new Star Wars themed campaign. Neither realize that the reason they can't do an afternoon practice is the same reason.

While waiting for rides, Cameran Tyler and Guy Nigels hang out together. Guy is a bit spaced out as he's still processing his vision of a barrier-locked Paris, the final vision he had as Bronco the Sagittarius wielder. Cameran asks Guy if he had a nightmare because he kind of has that face, but Guy insists he didn't. Cameran alludes to the fact he's had a reoccurring nightmare. He doesn't go into details, but he remembers being surrounded by Adamantus's crew and screaming that he's innocent. Unknown to him, the opal bracelet glistens on his wrist.

Into the afternoon, Adrien and Marinette meet up for their first date. Luka Couffaine happens to catch sight of them as he stayed late to practice his guitar. He stares, his expressions mixed and hurt, for just a moment too long before heading home without either noticing he was there. Alya and Nino pass by, wishing Adrien and Marinette the best before they depart. All four are pretty giddy, but Adrien and Marinette moreso. Marinette wonders how Adrien could fit this into his schedule at the last minute (she does have his schedule memorized), but Adrien says that Nathalie and his aunt Amelie have been more flexible with his time and arranging things. Not like his father, who had to control every minute of his life while being absent the whole time. That temporarily brings down the mood, but Adrien refuses to let it get to him for too long. After all, he has a date with Ladybug! They head out to the zoo.

They're not the only ones active. Chloe flat-out tells her father that she won't be coming home right away and doesn't give further explanation. She then transforms back into Queen Scorpion and takes to the shadows of the rooftops, retracing that route she usually takes between her home and the graveyard to see if she can lure June out. She's extra careful. She can't afford to have anyone report her through the Akuma Alert app as she can't afford to have Tarantula on her tail—let alone do anything that might jog Ivory's memories, as Scorpion has no idea the limits and effectiveness of Oblivion.

It takes a couple of trips, but her plan actually works. June (Nicolette Lacroix) saw Queen Scorpion pass by a couple of times. Curious, as it was clear by Scorpion's body language that she was looking for something, June eventually gave in and transformed herself to join her.

Queen Scorpion is a bit antsy, and in typical Chloe fashion remarks about "it's about time." June decides to brush that aside and asks what's going on. Scorpion explains that they as fellow wielders within the Western Order, as well as all the others including Sir Silver Hart and Reef and the rest, are in danger. Ivory herself just tried to erase Queen Scorpion's memories that very afternoon, and it's only through her own sheer skill that she escaped. June is very alarmed by this, and it shows. Of course, Scorpion leaves out any responsibility she had in the situation and in letting her identity get compromised. She makes it sound as if she were a noble heroine whom Ivory unjustly turned on. "And if it happened to me, it can happen to you too."

June asks what Queen Scorpion's plan is. Scorpion says she wants the other teens in the Western Order to realize the risk. She again plays up the part, pretending it's for their own good. That she's acting out of altruism. However, some of her lines reveal her true motive—she's just trying to gain allies to turn against Ivory. June, being honest and naïve, is inclined to believe Queen Scorpion. It doesn't help that Scorpion plays up the fact that Reef could become a victim of Oblivion himself as Queen Scorpion knows about June's one-sided crush on him.

June insists that they should warn the others. Scorpion agrees, but she points out that Ivory kept them in the dark—they have no way to contact anyone else. Scorpion correctly theorizes that this was intentional on Ivory's part. June points out she could tell Reef at least because she knows who he is. Queen Scorpion learns that not only does June like Reef—but she likes his civilian alias as well. This causes Queen Scorpion to raise an eyebrow. June and Reef's identities were compromised, but Ivory only tried to erase mymemories?! Scorpion hides her irritation and encourages June to let Reef know. Together, the three of them can begin turning the tides on Ivory.

June, however, hesitates. Scorpion notices and, rather impatiently, wants to know why. June pulls her single-eye scanner over her eye. She re-explains her powers to Scorpion, saying she can see the threads that bind people together. Her own red thread does not tie to Reef. In fact, she's watched over the past few weeks as the color of her relationship's thread with Reef moved from pink (a crush) to grey (unhealthy, possibly an obsession). June confides in Scorpion about her own dilemma—she's been debating about using her own powers to Sever her relationship with Reef because it's not healthy. Maybe then, she can move on. That's why she's hesitating now to user her relationship with him to get closer to him.

Scorpion sees parallels between June and Reef's relationship as well as her own with Adrien. Scorpion tells her that the guy isn't worth heartache. However, she does discourage June from using Sever. Again, it's out of purely selfish reasons. If June Severs her relationship with Reef, it may impact June's ability to recruit Reef to Queen Scorpion's cause. Scorpion, however, frames it under having possible unknown consequences as well as pushing June to be strong enough to handle things on her own. By sheer coincidence, she winds up giving June the same advice that Trapper, the crab kwami, gave her. In the last part, Scorpion is clearly talking about herself. I am strong. I don't need anyone else. I can make my own way in the world. I can control my own heart so I never get hurt again.

Scorpion admits she's been betrayed a lot recently—and still is egotistical enough that she's blinded to her own role in things. June apologizes, saying Scorpion doesn't deserve to be treated that way—no one does. Queen Scorpion is surprised to hear the empathy—she usually doesn't get it because she usually brings things upon herself. She asks June for her decision.

June hesitates. It doesn't seem right to throw her lot in with Queen Scorpion over Ivory based on Scorpion's testimony alone. However, if Queen Scorpion is right, and she doesn't seem to be lying, then even mentioning her doubts to Ivory is dangerous. And worse—Reef/Etienne Fontaine might also be in danger as well. Of course, there is her relationship with Etienne to consider. For her own good, she really needs to reign in her emotions before she gets stuck in a dead-end relationship. Queen Scorpion notes June's hesitation and asks her—what do you want.

And that is what stops June. She verges into the territory of being a people-pleaser. What do I want? June closes her eyes and thinks. She wants love and romance; she does want to be with Etienne. She wants to hang out with her best friend, Monique Imhof, and not be stressed out with school work. But…but what do I trulywant? June realizes that her empathy and other-centered-ness isn't a weakness. It's a strength. She wants to help other people. She enjoys helping them. She loves being there to support her friends. So she tells Queen Scorpion she'll help. But they have to be wise; Ivory is too dangerous to become an open enemy of.

Queen Scorpion agrees to this and encourages June to let Reef know too. Again, Scorpion is faking her altruism when she's really just looking for extra bodies. She tells June she's not really looking for friends; she's been through that before, and it isn't worth it. She just calls June a "worthy ally" and "isn't that enough for now?". June agrees—although she can't help but get a weird vibe from Queen Scorpion as she says so, enhanced by the threads she's still seeing through her single-eye scanner.

Scorpion tells June that the two of them and Reef should meet soon and talk. She suggests the cemetery where she's been practicing; it's the same cemetery she drove the B Team out of. June agrees and picks the time of the next evening. Queen Scorpion pushes them to meet this very evening instead and urges June to watch her back. However, Scorpion knows she's the one who has to be most careful of Ivory; that's why she can't afford to waste time. June tells her to be careful (yet again), and they go their own separate ways.

June immediately heads home, turns back into Nicolette Lacroix, feeds Trapper, and calls Etienne. Etienne answers, and Nicolette explains everything that happened. She emphasizes how Ivory will erase their memories if she feels like they're becoming a liability. It isn't as safe as they thought.

Etienne is just a bit more cautious than Nicolette simply because Nicolette is too trusting and Etienne is more skeptical. He asks how she's certain that Queen Scorpion is telling the truth. Nicolette says that it was an issue of intonation and body language. Etienne points out that that's not really evidence, and he's not going to risk himself or his miraculous on the word of what is basically a "not-quite-a-friend of a friend."

Nicolette points out that this is something that would be hard to gather evidence of. If they approach Ivory directly, they risk their own memories too. And Nicolette doesn't want to forget. She has so many precious memories. Etienne agrees there; he'd hate to forget all of his newest styling techniques and fashion trends. Of course, this is only a risk if Scorpion is honest. Nicolette ponders why Scorpion would lie about this, and Etienne counters with "why would Ivory try to erase her memories unprovoked?" Etienne is also selfish, just like Chloe. He isn't going to do anything to risk himself as long as there's uncertainty.

Nicolette falls silent, considering her options and what she knows. She once again considers the possibility of Scorpion being a classmate, but she tries not to dwell on that as she wants to protect identities. Nicolette is nice like that. Threads fall across her vision; she's been seeing threads now and then, even when she's not transformed. Nicolette notices that not only in her thread to Etienne unhealthy, but her thread to Queen Scorpion is a weird shade too—it's a mixture of business relationship, mutual partnership, a small tiny dash of friendship, and a solid band of taking advantage. Nicolette cringes, wondering if she genuinely was too hasty in agreeing to help Scorpion.

However, she then notices her thread that connects her to Ivory. And it's unhealthy as well. It has the same solid band of taking advantage as well as something akin to teacher/boss/authority figure. There's a touch of dishonesty and mistrust, and a large stripe of dismissiveness. Ivory's thread actually looks worse than Etienne's and Scorpion's. This also emphasizes just how keen Nicolette's senses are with the Cancer miraculous. She can see a ridiculous amount of details in threads—very, very few Cancer wielders could do that in the past. This stems from Nicolette's natural empathy. It's her strength and her weakness. Her desire to help people makes her open-hearted and kind and will guide her to her future—but it also puts her at risk of being taken advantage of.

Nicolette reports the color of Ivory's thread to Etienne. Etienne believes her; he knows her powers. He accepts this as the kind of evidence he was looking for. At the very least, it has convinced him enough to agree to meet with Scorpion that evening to hear her and her plan out. Nicolette thanks him for that much; she tells him the time and location, and they hang up.

Speaking of Madam Gros, Dr. Theroux visits her at the apartment they share with Brynne and Zenon once he has a break from his nursing duties at the Agreste manor. He asks her how things when with Chloe Bourgeois and if she reclaimed the Scorpio hair tie yet. Dolores Gros looks at him, a bit confused. She then dismisses his concerns. She talked with Chloe, and she needs Chloe to keep the Scorpio hair tie a little longer. They need 12 wielders, and they need to find the 12 points in the city for their final spell to activate. Dr. Theroux asks about Chloe's compromised identity, but Gros again dismisses his concerns. She orders him, Rhino, and Draco to covertly go out around the city and find the 12 geographic centers. Dr. Theroux tries to inquire about the Scorpio, but Gros is insistent. Knowing her plan, he agrees. He departs with his niece and nephew a bit later, all of them transformed. Madam Gros herself prepares for her meetings with Angelica and Mink. A bit later, she leaves, also transformed.

Meanwhile, Marinette and Adrien are on their first date and having a blast. Adrien especially as he can't remember when he allowed himself to relax and enjoy himself so much. Certainly not when his father was around. This causes him to gloom a bit; his father's shadow and the condition of both his parents hangs over him. Adrien has to keep burying it to enjoy his time with the girl he's certain is Ladybug. He's incredibly attentive to her, causing Marinette to blush frequently.

However, there's a couple things he says that sound exactly like the way Cat Noir talks to Ladybug. And Marinette is hyper aware of this. It keeps ticking in the back of her mind. Did he figure out I'm Ladybug? It then causes her to doubt that he's dating her for herself; maybe he's only dating her because he's idealized her as Ladybug. Marinette, in turn, hedges around the conversation, trying to figure this out. But she can't admit she knows he's Cat Noir. She realizes that she probably should, but she feels guilty about keeping it a secret all this time. Plus, there's no telling how he'd react; he might feel he can no longer continue to be Cat Noir and serve the greater good. Ironic since that's his exact same concern about her. Furthermore, there's the whole issue of the state of his family; she doesn't want to add any more stress.

Marinette does ask about his parents, and they talk for a bit on that. Adrien eventually learns Marinette had been holding her feelings about him inside all this time because she didn't want to push those on him while his parents are unwell. This makes Adrien love her all the more. Marinette notices his intense expressions, full of love. And she can't help but ask, "Are you sure I'm the one you're in love with?" Adrien looks her in the eye and smiles, replying with a confident, "Absolutely."

Of course, Adrien is a celebrity, and he's likely there with a ball cap and sunglasses. Several times, the young couple have to dodge fans who suspect who he is. They hide behind corners and on the far sides of the cages of the zoo—and even once, in bushes. Marinette and Adrien both are able to genuinely laugh at this. They also meet Wayhem at one point. Adrien introduces him as his "number one fan" to Marinette, whom he introduces as "his girlfriend." Wayhem is thrilled to meet the girlfriend of his idol. They also learn he's a text pal to Alya, who is Marinette's best friend. They chat a bit, but then Wayhem senses the mood and wisely leaves to allow the couple some time alone together. It also comes up during this conversation about Wayhem's increasingly toxic feelings towards Cat Noir and Ladybug. Adrien is surprised and sweats a little; he notes that this seems unlike Wayhem. And it is. This comes from the influence of the emerald brooch as Wayhem is Golden Scarabug.

It's worth noting that Solomon, Adrien's bodyguard, is also watching things from a respectful distance. He is Adrien's bodyguard, after all. However, he's a decent person; he doesn't interfere with the date at all. In fact, he's rather happy for Adrien. It shows in his body language and expressions as he doesn't speak.

While Adrien and Marinette are on their date, Draco and Rhino and Tarantula make their way along the outskirts of Paris. They all have one of Odette's feathers and are communicating through it so as to avoid detection through cell phones. They're measuring the distance between points and trying to calculate where magic pulls the strongest. Draco finds the first area; perhaps it has something to do with leylines. From there, Tarantula is able to calculate outward and finds two ideal spots on either side of it. They get a bit stuck after that as all the buildings keep throwing off their calculations. Ivory pushes them to continue, but Tarantula points out he has to get back to his job as live-in nurse. He leaves; Rhino and Draco remain, searching for other crucial spell points.

Ivory herself cannot aid this particular mission as it's time for her planned meeting with Mink/Lila Rossi. Mink, in a petty power play, arrives late and lies, insisting something very important held her up. Ivory brushes it aside and tells Mink that she'll have a very important role in the up-coming battle. And to prepare for that battle, they need to practice with her powers of the Gemini beforehand.

Mink is willing to listen at this, and Ivory has her use Duality on Vivica, who is walking back to Jagged Stone and staff's apartments from after a long Star Wars DnD session at Francoise Dupont High School. Ivory has Mink split Vivica into her light and dark halves, and Ivory coaches Mink how to control which half stays in the spot of the target and which half forms in front of her, out of the Gemini mirror. Mink, however, already knows how to do this has she's been practicing on the sly. But she keeps that a secret, feigns ignorance, and goes along with the practice drill. Light Vivica is out-going and optimistic, can barely stop humming and strumming, and loves her life in the present. Dark Vivica is brooding and very bitter over her parents; she's hung up on the past. She also has an escalating hatred of Ladybug and Cat Noir, brought on by the pearl charm as she's Pearly White, the crocodile. Dark Vivica has a sarcastic streak a mile wide and even shows contempt for Jagged Stone and Penny, who got her out of her terrible home life.

Ivory congratulates Mink on her successful test. She's surprised Mink pulled it off so well. It shouldn't be surprising to the reader, after all, Mink has had practice. Ivory tells Mink to disperse the redundant Vivica, and once that is done, she allows Mink to transform back into Lila and then back into Mink again after her kwami, Lapinna, is recharged. Ivory explains the next task for Mink to practice. She wants Mink to see if she can capture two reflections within her mirror and thus create two victims of Duality at the same time. Mink raises an eyebrow. She never thought of trying that technique before, but she likes the trouble she could cause with it. Ivory singles out Mink's newest target: Mireille Caquet and Theo Barbot, with Theo escorting Mireille home after a date.

It takes a couple of tries as Mink moves around in the shadows of the rooftops to get most of both Theo and Mireille's reflection in her mirror. Once she does, she declares Duality and causes their yin and yang to split with their dark halves remaining together and their light halves in separate alleyways below. Mireille's dark side immediately starts getting pissy with Theo, which throws his dark side for a loop. After all, his dark side had begun to super stress out about his future: job, education, relationship, etc. They begin throwing insults at each other. Mireille's stems from the negative influence of her sapphire earrings, as she's Selki-shi the fur seal. Meanwhile, their light sides run around, frantically, looking for each other.

Ivory is delighted by the successful test. She again has Mink disperse the doppelgangers, transform back into Lila, recharge Lapinna, and transform back into Mink one final time. For the last bit of practice, she challenges Mink to capture as many reflections as she can at once—but she has to ensure the doppelganger formations are kept a secret. They single out a group of guys who are heading back from the arcade. This includes Tristan Fortier, Guy Nigels, Cameran Tyler, Jean Duparc, Jakeel Aristide, and Pierre Lefevre. Now, Ivory does realize that some of those boys, Guy and Tristan and Pierre, are actually her own wielders. But Mink has already sighted them, and Ivory doesn't want to draw attention to the aliases of her wielders, so she keeps silent. What Ivory doesn't know is that the remaining boys in the group are all wielders under female Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur. Because Francoise Dupont High School is apparently the miraculous epicenter for the entire world.

Mink again has to move in the shadows as her classmates are joking around and are quite mobile. It takes some time until she can get most of them in her mirror's reflection. Mink declares Duality, and within that time, Tristan Fortier and Pierre Lefevre move "out of the shot." Still, Mink is able to split Cameran, Jean, Jakeel, and Guy. Once again, she forms their light halves in separate alleyways while leaving their dark sides together—namely, because Mink loves seeing the discord it sows.

However, this has one rather unpredicted result on Jakeel and Cameran. Their dark sides freeze up entirely, zoned out, staring blankly ahead. When Mink used Duality, she created their dark halves out of the aspect of them that's controlled by female Hawk Moth, the parts that are completely mind controlled. The separation causes their dark sides to lose their free will while their light sides get a massively strong sense that something is wrong—but not wrong in the sense they've been split, that something is wrong with their memories and personalities. In short, it damages Hawk Moth's control over them as Ruddiger and All-Star Rex. Jean, now split by Duality, has his dark side feeling fully loyal to Adamantus while his light side feels fully loyal to the B Team. Both sides wonder why they were so torn for so long—a feeling that'll return the moment Mink dismisses Duality. Guy Nigels, who is also Bronco, is the only other one to be split by Duality. His dark side goes full-on cowboy, complete with lingo and attitude. However, all his friends merely think he's goofing off. His light side, which appears on a different street thanks to Mink, winds up delayed as he helps some lost tourists, using near-perfect English.

Ivory, however, doesn't watch them—she's watching Mink. And Mink is definitely showing signs of fatigue. Ivory tells Mink to disperse the doppelgangers and return to her civilian alias; that's all for tonight. Mink insists she wants to continue, showing no concern for Lapinna. Ivory tells her it's enough. They'll practice again later. Mink slyly suggests she could practice on her own, but that's an idea Ivory immediately shoots down. Ivory wants to be there in order to control things; she has reason to want to. If her wielders slip up, she can always use Oblivion to bury the mistake if she's nearby. Ivory forbids Mink from solo practice. Mink promises she won't—and everyone knows, that this being Lila, is a pure lie. Mink does disperse the clones and returns to her true civilian identity; she then heads home. She hates to admit it, but Ivory was right—she is too tired to continue. However, Ivory gave her new ideas on how she could use her powers, and Lila can't wait to cultivate them to her own advantage.

Ivory does not return to her shared apartment. She instead heads to the place where she's to meet Angelica for her practice session. Angelica is already there as Ivory wound up staying slightly long with Mink. However, Ivory plays it off, acting as if Angelica is her sole focus, her gold star, the only one worthy of personal training—all as a ploy to keep her wielders separate by fueling their egos. By now, it's night out, and the moon has risen. If I have my weeks roughly estimated correctly, it is not yet a full moon, which is when Angelica's powers peek. When they do peek, Angelica's powers can be ridiculously OP as she can snipe any target anywhere in Paris, even if she can't see them or doesn't know specific details about them.

Ivory encourages Angelica to use Sniper in order to target and take out—or at least cripple—the Eastern Order. Angelica declares "target Cat Noir" and aims for him, but she doesn't feel her bow responding. After all, the heroes have since learned about Angelica's powers and that small things, such as closing the curtains so they moonlight doesn't reach in, can halt her Sniper. The Eastern Order and allies have all taken precautions not to be seen under moonlight, and Adrien has drawn curtains over all the windows in his room. Sniper cannot find him.

Angelica works her way down the Eastern Order roster, trying to target Ladybug and then Rena Rouge and then Carapace and so on, but all of them are protected. She tries to recall as many people as she can from the Eastern Order without success. Ivory encourages her to try Hawk Moth and Mayura and then Adamantus, but she also has no luck targeting them either. Incidentally, Nathalie just happens to have luck in that area as Hawk Moth's lair is completely concealed.

Without being about to target the main heroes or villains, Ivory tells Angelica to start on the B Team. However, every single member of the B Team also fails to respond to Angelica's declarations. Ivory narrows her eyes; this is too much to be a coincidence. She realizes that the Eastern Order must have caught onto her. But then, how did Hawk Moth know to protect himself? Coincidence? Perhaps not—Ivory begins to wonder if her lie about Hawk Moth and Ladybug being in cahoots isn't actually a lie.

There actually is a good reason why no one on the B Team succeeded in being targeted. They're all practicing in the catacombs at that point in time. Alpha realizes they can use the narrower space to their advantage, and he's created practice drills that would mimic rescuing civilians from within Hypnos. Froppy, Tsukuyomi, Honey Bee, and Dauphine have already arrive and start the drills early. Firefly and Snow Leopard wind up running late. They arrive together, which mildly surprises the rest of the team. However, they're happy their friends are there.

But it's apparent pretty quickly that Snow is stressed and anxious. Froppy is the first to comment, and Snow declares that she has something she needs to tell everyone. They all quiet to listen. Snow, too, falls silent as this is difficult for her to say. Firefly comes alongside her, and she finally finds the courage to speak.

Snow explains that her secret keepers have now become Gel Girl and Swallowtail—they're among the birthstone wielders. Not only will they not listen to her, but they also have given her an ultimatum. She has to step down as Snow Leopard…or they'll report her identity to their sponsor. And as the B Team knows and the birthstone wielders are in denial about, that sponsor is Hawk Moth. Snow says she can't risk it; that puts her family at danger. But she's also super worried about her friends; she has no idea how they got pulled into this. She doesn't want them hurt, which is why she's talking to the B Team. Ladybug and Rena Rouge know her true identity and the names of her friends; she doesn't want Ladybug and Rena Rouge to single out Gel Girl and Swallowtail for the greater good and things to devolve into a fight where they get hurt. Also, she has no idea how Hawk Moth would react if he learned Gel Girl and Swallowtail's identities were compromised, but seeing what he did when he kidnapped children and held them hostage at the stadium, Snow is very anxious.

The B Team is stunned to hear about this turn of events. Alpha encourages Snow to take things easy for a while, but he also tells her she doesn't have to quit the B Team. She'll always be a part of his pack. They all support her and start planning ways on how she can work through this situation. Dauphine pushes slightly to learn Gel Girl and Swallowtail's identities, but Snow refuses as it would endanger them as well as reveal her own identity. Dauphine stops pushing at that point. Froppy asks some follow-up questions about how Snow noted Gel Girl and Swallowtail's personalities had changed. Snow confirms this and provides more details. Tsukuyomi and Froppy agree that this does sound odd—in fact, it sounds like someone who has been akumatized. Hawk Moth is known for warping personalities, after all. Snow asks, "Do you think Hawk Moth is influencing my friends?" Froppy points out that only Snow knows them well enough to answer that, but it does sound like that's the case. Firefly agrees. Honey Bee notes that if it happened to Gel Girl and Swallowtail—then it happened to Chip Bluestone too. Alpha replies that that makes sense. Why else would Chip join Adamantus after Adamantus attacked him twice?

This massively concerns the B Team as it likely means that all 12 birthstone wielders are being controlled indirectly by Hawk Moth. After dozens of chapters, the heroes finally piece this aspect of the storyline together. Honey Bee wonders if this even includes Adamantus himself. But they don't know for certain. The evidence just makes sense. Alpha feels this is something they have to report to Ladybug, and his loyalty as Viperion shines through. Snow begs him not to as it'll put her friends in danger. Alpha insists he won't mention anything about Snow's involvement or Gel Girl and Swallowtail. Snow relents, allowing Alpha to relay this crucial information on to Team Ladybug. Honey Bee insists, quite vocally, that they need to save the birthstone wielders as they're now victims not aggressors. The rest of the B Team agrees in general and more specifically for helping Chip. The birthstone wielders become yet another party to rescue, on top of "the master" and the innocents inside Hypnos. Firefly points out that Pegasus would be ideal to help in that situation, and the others do agree there.

Froppy points out that they still need to help Snow—they certainly can't let Hawk Moth learn who she is. Honey Bee chimes in, saying she has an idea. But it would require someone able to make jewelry. And it's not guaranteed to work for long. However, it might buy them a couple of days. And as they learned during the times all of them were trapped in cocoons, a few days can make a huge difference. The team rallies together behind Honey Bee's plan.

There's one more meeting that occurs this night, and it involves Reef, June, and Queen Scorpion. They've gathered in the cemetery where the B Team used to practice.

Scorpion explains what happened to her that afternoon to Reef, giving him the details about Ivory trying to use Oblivion on her. She, again, leaves out anything she did wrong in the situation. Reef asks why Ivory would do this, and Scorpion insists she doesn't know; she's innocent. Reef remains skeptical while June is more gullible. June mostly watches the beginning of the conversation. She has heard it before; plus, she's watching the threads that bind them all together. And she isn't happy with their colors. Reef asks what Scorpion intends to do. It's not like three people could take down Ivory and her followers. It's clear by her tone and body language that this is what Scorpion wants. June misses it, and Reef is self-absorbed enough not to risk himself on such an endeavor.

Scorpion tries a different angle. She plays up what Ivory could make them forget: their friends, family, crushes, dreams, identity. Ivory is dangerous especially as she's revealed she'll freely use that power. Reef concedes her point there. He recalls how Ivory immediately turned June into a blank slate when June was akumatized into Fate. But what can they do? The only thing they could do is quit the Western Order, which requires surrendering their miraculous. And no one wants to do that.

Scorpion proposes they guard each other's memories (as a first step—her goal still is taking down Ivory. And she feels she might actually pull it off if she can get the wolf earcuff and bee comb along with her Scorpio miraculous). She points out how Ivory has discouraged them from communicating and leaving written word behind, apart from the secure texting app Ivory herself controls. Scorpion proposes that they record their own memories as miraculous wielders so they have documentation in case they're forced to forget. Then, she proposes something outlandish for the Western Order. She suggests they exchange contact information on a secure channel. June points out Ivory doesn't want them talking, and Scorpion argues that that's a problem. Reef agrees with Scorpion on this one, which means June folds shortly afterward. They set up their own secure Discord with the three of them using burner emails. It might have taken most of Phase Three, but now the Western teens have their own Discord too. Scorpion also urges them to get a feel for the other miraculous users: Sir Silver Hart, Mink, Bronco, Zephyria the Witch and the rest. See how loyal they are to Ivory—oops, Scorpion means to say if they feel they've been hit by Oblivion before. And then to invite them into the chat too—in order to protect their own memories, of course.

Reef decides to go along with this for now. If Scorpion and the other wielders rise against Ivory, he doesn't want to have to fight them. But if Ivory stomps Scorpion flat, he can turncoat and claim he was always loyal to Ivory. June agrees to follow Scorpion's plan, but her motive is altruism. Being a victim of Oblivion herself (during the Fate chapter), she doesn't want anyone else to suffer. Plus, she does want to get to know her own allies better. If they have to fight against the wrongs of Ladybug and Cat Noir together, she wants to have conversations with the people who have her back. Of course, part of her decision is also influenced by her lingering feelings for Reef. But by now, June is aware enough that she can sense that influencing her. She feels it's too late to retract her agreement, but it does surface her doubt and dilemma about Severing her own feelings. Scorpion is glad to have allies, and she only sees them as allies, coworkers. She's veering into a "favor for a favor" kind of person. To her, relationships are better if they're treated like business without messing things like emotions and trust getting tangled. This firstly stems from Chloe's recent string of failed relationships. And secondly, it contrasts the A and B Teams, who have steadily built up trust the entire saga; Chloe has turned her back on trust. She's only interested in helping people who have helped her in return. And this becomes one of her defining traits as an anti-villian going forward.

The trio part ways; they don't want to risk lingering too long and getting spotted either by the heroes or by Ivory. Queen Scorpion heads home, enters her room from the balcony, and transforms back. She ensures Barbarra is recovering, and then she sashays out to find her father. Chloe basically strong arms Mayor Bourgeois into letting her fake being "out of town" for the week. She claims she needs it as "mental health;" she doesn't want to go to school for the rest of the week. She plays it up as a professional drama queen with all the ego and contrariness. Mayor Bourgeois relents sooner rather than later as he is trying to appease Chloe after the divorce. Chloe is relieved he's excusing her from school; she's trying to avoid Madam Gros in general and more specifically, doesn't want to accidentally jog Madam Gros's memory by having Gros see her.

She's not the only one up late. Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng are both lounging in their beds, texting each other about how much they enjoyed the day and how much they enjoy spending time together. They're getting into cutesy, stupid conversations about random things like if the other things lemons smell yellow and if they both like the sound of conch shells. In part, it's just to keep talking as they're so in love they don't want the conversation to stop.

By now, everyone else is asleep. Nicolette Lacroix is trying her hardest to fall asleep, but she just can't. She has too much on her mind, and she's truly beginning to second guess her own choices. Threads keep falling across her vision even though she isn't transformed. And while many of her new relationships, especially those with the Western Order, are unhealthy, many of her other relationships are perfectly fine. One such healthy relationship is that of friendship with her bestie, Monique Imhof (ironically, also Zephyria the Witch the Aquarius wielder). Nicolette realizes that she can usually talk to Monique about anything and this situation should be no different.

Nicolette texts Monique, asking if she's awake. The text alert wakes Monique, who replies as much. Nicolette then calls her, voice chat, because she really needs to talk. They keep their voices down so as not to wake their families, and Monique's tone is clearly groggy.

Nicolette explains things while excluding talk of the miraculous and the Western Order—though it starts to itch the back of her mind that maybe she should entrust that information to her best friend. She explains that she feels things have gone south with Etienne. Despite her efforts, a relationship with him can never be healthy. But she confides to her friend her fears—she doesn't want to hurt anyone. That includes Etienne by pulling away from him. And that includes herself. If she walks away now, it'll break her heart. She also mentions she has a "friend outside of school" (Queen Scorpion) who isn't really a friend and is the type to use people. But this "friend" is also hurting, and that makes it hard for Nicolette to turn away. She knows she wants to be the kind of person who helps people (after all, she joined the Western Order initially to help people)…but she's not sure how to do that when the new people in her life aren't necessary good people.

Monique, groggy, mentions that Nicolette needs to take care of herself too; otherwise, she's going to become a victim. She's also still just a teen, not a professional therapist. Nicolette considers that—growing up to become a psychologist who helps people sounds nice. She shelves that thought for the moment to deal with her current issues. Because Nicolette fell silent, Monique fills it with talk about her current relationship with Mathieu Anciel and how she knows it's healthy. (It's not 100% healthy as Mathieu still has doubts on if they can last together when he, eventually, wants biological children and Monique cannot carry a child to term.) The way Monique describes how Mathieu talks to her is completely different from the conversations Nicolette has with Etienne; all those conversations are always about him. And yet…Nicolette knows she can't completely Sever things with him and with Scorpion. They have to continue to work together as members of the Western Order if nothing else.

With Monique encouraging her and Nicolette having time to process things, she's finally made her decision. She tells Monique to hold on while she mutes her end of the phone. Then she transforms back into June. Trapper tries to discourage her, but her mind is made up.

June stares at one of her threads; readers will recognize it as her malformed romantic thread to Etienne. She could always use her comb to fix its fraying edges…but it's not the kind of relationship that deserves being salvaged. June draws courage from the fact she does have actual, healthy relationships. She draws her shears. "SEVER!" With one huge snip, June Severs her own romantic relationship with Etienne Fontaine. It's worth noting she only touches the romantic aspects—she doesn't touch the friendship, classmates, wielders, or other general relationships. And it takes effort to get through the thread; stronger feelings are hard to cut. The strongest feelings are impossible (such as those between Ladybug and Cat Noir, as June learned first hand). Because her romantic relationship was part of her motivation in joining Scorpion, the fibers of her relationship with Scorpion shift slightly as well. Also note: June cannot cut familial relations either.

June staggers from the sudden roller coaster in her emotions. She picks up her phone, still transformed, and tries to carry on the conversation with Monique. Monique, however, can tell something is wrong by how June is breathing. June realizes that she's actually crying. After all, her emotions just leapt all over the place. But she feels freer, lighter, somehow. She tells Monique she took control of her own heart and is rejecting her romantic feelings towards Etienne as she wipes the tears from her face.

Monique is surprised by Nicolette's sudden decision, especially after Nicolette has been pining for Etienne the whole series. Nicolette/June tells her that it couldn't continue. To herself, she realizes now she can just be an ally, a partner, and maybe even a friend to Reef and Scorpion. At least now she's aware enough that she should be careful; without her heart urging her to make dumb choices, she can handle her weird position within the Western Order better. She also realizes she can't do things alone. She needs a strong, healthy support group. She thanks Monique for being part of that group. Monique doesn't fully understand the implications but accepts the gratitude anyway. She then asks Nicolette if she can go back to sleep. Nicolette/June laughs and says it's okay. They hang-up.

June, however, still can't fall asleep. She's feeling refreshed, but her mind is preoccupied. She still has her red thread tied to someone she has not yet met, someone who'll enter her life in the future. And she doesn't like it one bit; it feels as if her choices don't matter. (This actually comes from her misinterpreting her own red thread, as the thread merely highlights where her own choices are leading her). She also is growing to like the idea about being someone who can help people. A counselor, a psychologist, a therapist. She actually begins reading articles on her phone about mental and emotional health, trying to analyze her existing relationships so as to make them healthy and keep them healthy as well as how to build herself up as an individual who can help people. Her transformation times out, and she feeds Trapper absentmindedly while reading. Nicolette falls asleep, still fully clothed, cell phone in hand, around 3:30 AM.

To be continued in Chapter 93: Tarantula…