'Best Bro, lay low for around an hour' Shadow Moth said. 'Make your plans to set things right for your bros and sis', but withhold your vengeance upon those who wronged them, so that you don't have to worry about Ladybug and Chat Noir for the time being, but be ready to engage them once you go make things even. Understood?'

'Sure thing, dude!' Best Bro exclaimed, fiddling with the comlink he was equipped with. He could make it show direction and distance to those who deserved punishment. There was Lila Rossi, there was Chloe Bourgeois, there was Alya Cesaire. He was slightly confused about lack of Gabriel Agreste. But a gentle nudge from Shadow Moth was enough for him to let it slip.

'Get familiar with powers I have bestowed you with' Shadow Moth said. 'Remember that Ladybug and Chat Noir are professionals in this; if you slip up, your time as Best Bro will be over.'

'Roger roger, Shadow Moth' Best Bro grinned. Shadow Moth didn't answer, simply acknowledging his answer.

'Dark wings fall' Shadow Moth said quietly. The transformation fell and Nathalie collapsed onto her bed to flip through the cameras. An hour would be more than enough for Adrien and Gabriel to dine and reconcile, at least a little bit.

Then there was the matter of strategy. As Shadow Moth, she had to be mission control. She pulled up the Ladyblog to check on some of past battles, looking for any hints that could bring the akuma closer to victory.

So there it was.

Step one: akumatize. Check.

Step two: explain the timing. Check.

Step three: bring out the heroes by creating a mess.

Step four: exploit the heroes' weaknesses...

Nathalie combed through the Ladyblog. There had to be a weakness. It was impossible to have none.

And there she saw it, and scowled. There had been an instant when Ladybug was willing to give up her earrings.

But it was when Volpina made her think she'd drop Adrien otherwise.

Nathalie's hands trembled. She wouldn't bring herself to endanger Adrien on purpose. And there was no way to use Volpina now that the akuma was empowering Best Bro.

Stressed out, she focused on the feed from dining room. Adrien had just spotted his father waiting for him. He appeared shocked, but then smiled with reserved hope. And then his eyes widened as Gabriel opened his arms, inviting him for a hug.

With the aid of Butterfly Miraculous, Nathalie felt the wave of happiness washing through Adrien. She smiled with pride. It was at least a good first step, and she was happy she set Gabriel on this path.

'Nooroo, dark wings rise' she said calmly. Transformation provided her with new strength, enough to get up from bed and take a few steps. It would be hard to give up on the Butterfly later.

She checked on Best Bro. It was satisfying to see him do exactly as she advised.

A/N: Thank you for favorites, follows and reviews. Remember to soak up some of the sunlight when it's possible.