Chapter 88: Bronco
It's morning, and Nathalie Sancoeur makes a point of checking on Adrien. After all, she knew the prior night he was really sad and depressed. Adrien is getting ready for school, and Plagg zips off to hide the moment Nathalie enters. Nathalie is rather awkward, especially since this deals with emotions, but she tells Adrien that he can talk to her about anything. She wants to do what she can to help him until his parents recover—and she believes they will, soon. Adrien thanks her; her concerns do cheer him up some, even if it's very awkward between them. Plagg glowers at Nathalie from where he's hiding as he is fairly certain she is the new Hawk Moth—he just can't say anything, and he can't reveal himself especially because Nooroo and Duusuu might be very close by.
That same morning, Marianne Lenoir is awake early. She says her prayers, wishing for Master Fu's safe return, and gets to work doing what she can do. And what she can do was entrusted to her—she's trying to fix the Eastern Order's miracle box, which was smashed by Hypnos when Fu was captured. However, it isn't the only thing she's working on. She has one more side project, assigned to her by young Bunnyx.
At Francoise Dupont High School, Alya Cesaire immediately seeks out Marinette Dupain-Cheng to find out how her date with Luka Couffaine went. Marinette gushed over the great time she had, but Alya brings up the fact that Marinette was going to Friend Zone him in favor of Adrien. Marinette slumps at this point, and it's clear to Alya that Marinette fumbled and stuttered. Alya tells her it's going to get worse the longer it goes on, and Marinette tells her that she knows this—she just gets so frustrated with herself when her emotions render her unable to speak properly.
Guy Nigels arrives with Cameran Tyler since Guy's family is hosting Cameran. Guy remarks about Cameran being spacey lately, and Cameran replies it's only because he's been staying up late, talking to his state-side family and streaming baseball. Guy isn't so sure, and he says he'll listen if Cameran has anything he needs to talk about, but Cameran insists he's fine. He hasn't noticed most of the gaps in his memories when Hawk Moth forces him to become All-Star Rex. However, he does have a reoccurring nightmare where he's surrounded by other birthstone wielders, screaming he's innocent and was brainwashed, but they don't believe him. Little does he know that that's not a nightmare but a memory.
Max Kante arrives on his own. With his mother out of town on her astronaut training, he had to prep everything for his day solo. Luckily, he was able to program Markov to help him remember things, organize his homework assignments, balance his budget, and sort his schedule. Being that efficient even gave him time to tend to the digital security of the Team A Discord server.
The Bourgeois limo pulls up, but Chloe takes her sweet time exiting, doing her make-up. After all, it's not like she has any friends to hang out with—and what does she care if she's holding up traffic. Barbarra asks her about this, and Chloe lays her motivations out. She's sick of being hurt and betrayed. Her mother abandoned her, Sabrina deserted her, and Adrien dumped her (she is oblivious to her own role in the latter two events). So she's going to get stronger as Queen Scorpion and then Queen Bee to never be hurt again—and she's going to seek out those who hurt her and make sure they know exactly what she felt. Ivory falls under that category for dare thinking she could use Chloe. However, Chloe does say that even she has lines she won't cross. It's not as if she wants to kill anyone, just make them suffer. And if people are useful to her, she has no problem in keeping them around. She's convincing herself that that's how friendships should be: professional, business-like, a favor for a favor, equivalent exchange, mutual benefit without the emotions and comradery. However, she then thinks of her father. After all, she does need his wallet. But…but even though she won't verbally admit it, she is coming to terms with how he sees the divorce as well as accepting the fact that he wasn't the one who had an affair. She won't admit it, but she actually does care about her father. She does feel affection for him even though she's been trying to divorce herself of affection because it leads to getting hurt. Then Chloe recalls someone else: June the Cancer crab miraculous wielder. She remembers their nighttime rooftop conversation. Yes, June is a useful ally. Chloe has nothing against her either. Their relationship is how friendship should be and absolutely nothing more. Blind trust is for fools.
This is direct foil, as there is someone who doesn't have even those most bare minimum scruples: Lila Rossi. Chloe and Lila are to be foils to each other in that regard. And while Chloe is doing her make-up, Lila makes a point of moving in close to Adrien. Adrien, however, is still really depressed for coming to the conclusion and trying to accept the fact that the girl he's madly in love with is dating someone else. So he simply tells Lila "not today," which causes Lila to simmer slowly. And when Lila notices Adrien's gaze falls on Marinette, Lila starts boiling internally. She is not going to let that slide, not at all.
She's not the only one frustrated with how things are going. The bell rings, and students disperse to their classes, leaving Madam Gros alone in her office. She has interviewed every student in the school, some twice, and still has a singular miraculous left. She holds the Sagittarius anklet in her hand, trying to figure out how she can milk this location for one final pawn. And—more importantly—who? The power of the Saggitarius could have been so much more useful to her. If only the Great Sage didn't limit its powers, making it unable to touch other miraculous! Still, perhaps if she players her cards right…She swings over to her computer and begins to go through her student files. I need someone who is genuinely…good. And gullible. After searching, she lands on one file: Guy Nigels.
A plan forms in her mind. And the first step: trash her own office. Fortunately, it's soundproof, so no one overhears her ransacking her own desk and file cabinets. Halfway into this, she requests that Principal Damocles sends Guy Nigels to her office, but she plays words games enough that Principal Damocles believes she wants to meet the student in the principal's office. Thus Guy is excused from Ms. Mendeleiev's class. He sits in the office lobby for several minutes, waiting for his meeting. It isn't until a while later that Principal Damocles pokes his head out. He's surprised Guy is there but Madam Gros is not and sends Guy to retrieve Madam Gros.
As Guy enters the school counselor's office, there's a cry of alarm and a flurry of papers. Surprised him, he barges in just in time to see Madam Gros sent sprawling over her office chair. He hurries over to make sure she's okay, which she is though she is playing up the wounded gazelle bit. He's on his feet a moment later, highly alert, looking for whoever attacked her. But that person is long gone. He turns back to Madam Gros and helps her on to her feet, asking what happened. He then insists he can run to get help, but Dolores Gros grabs his wrist to stop him.
All while playing up her non-existent injuries, she tells him she needs to trust him with something important. She holds up the Sagittarius anklet. Madam Gros explains that she's the guardian of the Western Order (only technically true) sent to Paris to protect magic and miraculous and stop Ladybug and Hawk Moth from inadvertently creating chaos magic in their clash (which is where her honest stops). She claims she was attacked by Pegasus who has been raiding multiple locations in search of the Western Order's miracle box. She was able to lie and throw him off of the trail; she's certain he didn't realize that he actually did find the Western Order. But she now knows the miraculous aren't safe with her, and she needs Guy to watch over the final one. He'll have to stand alongside her other chosen allies to stop the Eastern Order and Hawk Moth's team.
Guy is shocked and has so many questions. He's confounded that a hero on Ladybug's team would go so far, would hurt someone, to achieve their ends. Why wouldn't Pegasus just try talking things out? Why would he try to break into someone's office to steal jewelry? Madam Gros hints that the golden duo aren't as heroic as they seem and just have good publicity because Hawk Moth is such an evil foil to them. But Ladybug and Cat Noir have been channeling chaos magic; just look at Cat Noir's Cataclysm. They clearly have no intention of stopping. Plus, they've turned on their fellow miraculous users. The Eastern and Western Orders should be allies, not enemies, but Ladybug and Cat Noir won't have it. Madam Gros winces, offering the anklet again. She needs help. Guy still feels uneasy about everything, but she plays up every "The Call Knows Where You Live" trope so well that for someone who knows fiction so well, it does seem right. He accepts the anklet, but in the back of his mind, he does plan on trying to talk to the golden duo. From Madam Gros's POV, her lies are solid—and if Guy starts asking questions, she can either tank his memories like she did with Aurore and Stella and Adrien and pick a new pawn. Or she can just wipe selected memories so he asks less questions. It really is a win-win gambit for her.
Guy puts on the anklet, and a horse kwami forms. This one is obviously a different breed than Kaalki as the Western horse is based on a Clydesdale. He introduces himself as Chirron, Guy's new kwami and guide. Of course, this leads to the obligatory explanation about what a kwami does and how they work. Madam Gros tells him to hurry back to class and act as if everything is normal; there's no telling if Pegasus will return or not. She'll contact him later. Until then, it goes without saying, everything here is to remain top secret. Guy nods and leaves, his brain reeling. But again, there's enough fictional tropes in play to keep him railroaded in Madam Gros's plans. Furthermore, Chirron hides in his backpack and continues to support Madam Gros's story about being attacked by Pegasus. Chirron, however, is lying due to the fact that he's under threat from Madam Gros herself. Guy winds up gaslighted bad enough to eventually come to believe that he really did see Pegasus using Voyage to flee Madam Gros's office. And as if that isn't enough, Dolores Gros leaves nothing to chance. As Guy leaves, she transforms into Ivory and hits him in the back with a tailored "Oblivion." Forget all your doubts about this.
Time passes, and the school day ends. As the students leave the building, Vivica is already waiting, having been able to leave her school early (as it's flexible like that due to educating teen celebrities who have varied schedules). She has a mission, and she catches Luka and Juleka Couffaine as they're heading home. Luka is cold with her as he sees his father as having replaced them with her. Juleka hides behind her hair. Vivica realizes what's going on, and she tells them she's here to apologize as she believes she led them to the wrong conclusion.
They head off to the Liberty, and Vivica explains as they walk. She initially has to sorta jog to keep up with them as Luka sorta doesn't really want to hear about his father being kind to someone else while abandoning them. However, as Vivica talks and explains, the Couffaine siblings slow down. She's a runaway from a broken, abusive home—not unlike the one their father, Jagged Stone/Jared Stone grew up in. She comes from a rural village in France, and her home had been so remote that such neglect went unnoticed. Unable to take it any longer, she ran away to Paris, to the big city, with little more than her backpack and her guitar. She played on the streets for coins just to survive, had no shelter from the elements…it was hard.
Then, one day, it was Jagged's assistant Penny who came by and heard Vivica playing. Jagged had just fired his lead guitarist yet again but had a show that night, and Penny was put into crunch time to find a replacement. She offered Vivica the job, and Vivica accepted because she needed the money. She didn't realize she was being hired to work for the Jagged Stone until she was backstage getting into make-up.
After that concert, Jagged was impressed enough to give her the position full-time…pending parental permission. Vivica hit an emotional roller coaster at that point as she was elated to have steady work to support herself and to survive—but she knew her parents would never, ever approve. They'd force her to return home, back into that horrible lifestyle, take every single franc she earned herself… Vivica just couldn't. She started crying where she stood and eventually confessed her family situation to Jagged and Penny.
Jagged, having come from the same background himself, was in no way going to let her return to the abuse. Vivica doesn't know the exact details about what happened, but Penny contacted Vivica's parents and "worked everything out" so that Vivica never has to return to them again—just as long as she keeps playing for Jagged (which is a huge reason as to why she freaked out in Desperada over being fired).
Upon hearing this, Luka and Juleka do feel as if Jagged replaced them with Vivica. However, Vivica clarifies and points out that it's Penny who is her legal guardian, not Jagged. She's glad for that, as it's Penny who manages her schedule and gets her to the orthodontist and helps her with her homework and all that other stuff. Vivica goes on to add that ever since Jagged reconnected with his biological children, he won't shut up about them. Vivica mimics Jagged at this point. "Vivica, if you practice hard enough, maybe you'll be half as good as my son in ten years." "Did you know my daughter's first word was 'music'? Not 'mom,' music!" "Both my kids picked up instruments before they could even walk." "Hey Vivica, look at this picture of my kids playing in their first band. I couldn't be prouder! Look at them fret!" Her mimics are pretty accurate, causing both Juleka and Luka to laugh. It eases the tension between them and helps the siblings come to learn that Jagged did not replace them and still loves them in his own way while being a mentor to Vivica. Luka thanks Vivica for telling them everything.
Into the late afternoon, Madam Gros texts Guy Nigels with information about a meeting to test his powers. Chirron the Clydesdale kwami urges him to go, but Guy points out it'll be hard for him to sneak out, especially since he and Cameran were planning a video game night. Chirron then offers to create a distraction and fazes through the wall before Guy can stop him. Moments later, he hears cries of surprise and alarm in English as Cameran's dirty laundry mysteriously flies out the window. Guy buries his face in his hand, but seeing as this must be important enough for Chirron to act up, he slips out of his apartment and meets up with the kwami on the street below. (It's not all that important, but Chirron is a bit of a pistol.)
Once they find somewhere a bit more private, Chirron coaches Guy at how transforming with miraculous work. Guy is fairly surprised that this is how Ladybug and Cat Noir have worked for almost a year? two years?, especially the whole "floating animal genie gets pulled into enchanted jewelry" part. Chirron gives him the transformation phrase of the Sagittarius, which is "Plow forward, Chirron!" Upon saying these words, Chirron is pulled into Guy's anklet, and Guy is transformed into a horse-themed hero…or rather antagonist.
Being such a huge fan of Westerns, it comes as no surprise that Guy's empowered form is themed after a cowboy. This includes a wide-brimmed hat that covers his eyes and most of his domino mask, chaps, boots with spurs, a vest, and a collared shirt with a horseshoe pattern. His transformation also includes a rope looped through his thick leather belt in such a way that it mimics a horse's tail as well as horse ears coming out of his hat. He has a single horseshoe earring dangling from his left ear, and his boots are distinctly styles in Clydesdale fashion. No surprise, his weapon of choice is a lasso. His hair is notably longer and shaggier too, styled remotely like a horse's mane underneath his hat.
Guy, like many others, gapes at his transformation while checking out his arms and legs. He remarks to himself that it's interesting that the Sagittarius miraculous as well as a kwami named after Chiron, which both draw from ancient Greek lore would turn him into a very modern (comparatively speaking) cowboy superhero. But he ultimately (and correctly) figures it has to do with his personality and figures he needs to meet Madam Gros. So he swings from rooftop to rooftop with his lasso. "This is amazing!"
Madam Gros has already transformed into Ivory by the time the new Sagittarius wielder arrives. Of course, as usual, she's not alone—she's too cautious for that. While she did consider recruiting Angelica for this mission, Angelica is most powerful at night, and it's still daylight. So instead, Ivory has Ramson and Zephyria the Witch by her side. She chose Ramson because of his sheer power and Zephyria for her mobility. They introduce themselves, and Guy gives his alias as "Bronco," as befitting someone addicted to Wrangler the MMO. Madam Gros insists they refer to her as "Ivory" while she's transformed.
She goes on to explain the power of the Sagittarius: Foresight. Basically, the Western horse can use his (or her) special ability to receive a vision of an event, past or present. The vision will always be something useful to the Sagittarius, but like the Lucky Charm, it may require interpretation. There also is seldom any indication of when and where the vision comes from, so Bronco will have no way of initially knowing if what he see is past, present, or future. It's also always randomized, so there's no way of controlling it. Plus, the Great Sage limited it in that the Sagittarius's ability cannot see into another miraculous user; it's one of the fail-safes the Great Sage made to protect identities. Now, if the Sagittarius could control the visions, it'd just be a matter of going through civilians of people likely to be heroes and see which ones come back blank. However, due to the random nature of foresight, there's no telling if it missing a character is because that character has a miraculous or simply bad RNG. That's a sticking point of Ivory, as learning the heroes' aliases and locations would be invaluable. However, she trusts Bronco will be of use to them.
And this make twelve… she smiles.
Ivory encourages Bronco to test his powers. It's good for him to see what he can do, practice and all. And perhaps the Western Order will gain valuable information. Bronco agrees and again internally realizes his powers would suit a Grecian oracle better than a cowboy, but he goes with it. "Revelation!" His eyes actually start glowing as he enters a trance.
Meanwhile, Nathalie Sancoeur has found time to retreat alone into Hawk Moth's lair in order to strategize. She can feel things are coming to a head with the Western Order. Yet she is still underprepared. Two of her wielders have yet to even activate their long-term akumatized items, and the others sorely need to practice to develop their skills. She also needs to get a solid grasp on what Ivory and her allies can do in order to plan perfect counters to them.
She stretches out her powers, sensing through Paris with the butterfly brooch. However, no one has negative emotions in a state that is useful to her. Nathalie frowns. Nooroo secretly breathes a sigh of relief while Duusuu wonders what's wrong. Nathalie realizes things have already fallen into her hands. She has focused a lot on being "Hawk Moth" in order to provide a continuing alibi for Gabriel Agreste. However, she has more powers than that—and she has rather neglected the powers of the peacock. And while having an emotional victim to amokitize creates a strong senti monster, it isn't necessary to have a victim like the butterfly miraculous. After all, senti Ladybug had no victim. Nathalie transforms into just Mayura, fully empowered since the brooch has been fixed. And considering compatibility, she is far stronger now than she is when she uses the butterfly brooch.
Mayura plucks a feather off her fan and sends it to the wind. She knows exactly where to guide it. After all, Mayura can sense precisely where her twelve handcrafted items are—she did enchant them herself after all. Furthermore, that's not where she ends things. She immediately gets in contact with Adamantus and two others. After all, if Raissa and/or Meera become her final agents, Adamantus needs to be there to scoop them up immediately.
Outside in Paris, Raissa Deshcamps, Meera Pugliese, and Giselle Winters-Blanchet are hanging out, walking from the theater to a bakery for snacks. A feather floats by overhead. It lands on a power pole, where it amokitizes the entire pole into a lightning-themed senti monsters not unlike Xurkitree from pokemon. The senti monster is primitive and instinctive; it consumes electricity and spits it back out. And the first thing it snacks upon are the nearest power cables. Tron-lines across its body glow brighter.
The three best friends, of course, immediately notice it. Raissa shrieks, Meera takes a photo with her phone, and Giselle moves to protect them. Mayura watches from the distance, urging her senti monster (dubbed Electric Fiend) to put pressure on the girls in the hopes that one or both of their enchanted items will activate under extreme duress.
It's within the exact same timeframe that Bronco is attempting to use his power of foresight, declaring "Revelation!" He sees Electric Fiend forming not far from the nearest theater; he envisions the unnamed civilians right at its feet, trying to avoid its static discharges. He snaps out of his vision and reports his findings to Ivory, Ramson, and Zephyria. Ramson and Zephyria peg it pretty quickly as an akuma (or amok) attack. Ivory asks Bronco if he has any idea when such an attack is going to occur—did he see a watch, calendar, or newspaper, for example? Bronco sorts through his memories, but he has no idea.
Then, as if answering Ivory's question, all their cell phones go off with Akuma Alerts. They pull up the information, and everyone sees Electric Fiend on their screen. Bronco remarks that that's the exact creature he saw in his vision, telling them that his vision was present (not past or future) this time. Ivory considers her options for a moment. Things have happened so fast that Ladybug and Cat Noir haven't even arrived on the scene. Ivory decides to push their advantage and tells Bronco, Ramson, and Zephyria to head over to the attack in order to ambush the heroes. Bronco immediately wonders if Pegasus will be there, and Ramson and Zephyria wonder the same about Buck. Ivory pushes them to head out immediately, and they do so.
Of course, elsewhere in Paris, the heroes are also checking their phones due to the Akuma Alert. Marinette and Adrien immediately take off for the scene of the incident while everyone else hurries to log into Discord to see if they're needed. Marinette races to the rooftop of her family's bakery with Tikki at her side, pulling out a new potion macaroon we've never seen before. In the same moment, Adrien tosses an enchanted piece of cheese at Plagg, who snags it midair before realizing it had a potion in it and gagging. Both heroes transform into a new element: storm. These forms allow them to resist rain and lightning, see during driving rain, withstand gale winds, and have protection from other similar environmental damage. Once transformed, they swing towards downtown.
On the B Team server, Alpha quickly organizes his forces to try to search for Mayura, who logically is empowering Electric Fiend from somewhere. Snow only types a brief message that she's in the middle of things, in danger, and using a judgment call to transform. Firefly wonders if she needs back-up, but she's unable to reply. Meanwhile, Alpha orders Froppy and Dauphin to search the river.
During this, Giselle and Raissa are trying to haul Meera out of the way of Electric Fiend. Raissa encourages Giselle to run off quickly to transform so she can protect them, but the senti monster isn't giving Giselle a moment to break free as it (deliberately) pursues them (more specially, Raissa and Meera). Of course, the gathering crowd of civilians doesn't help as it makes it all the harder for Giselle to find a place out of view to turn into Snow Leopard. As the three friends flee, Adamantus slips into position and waits for his allies. Also hidden not so far away are Bronco, Zephyria, and Ramson.
Ladybug and Cat Noir land, placing themselves between the teenagers and the senti monster. Ladybug tells them to hide, and her eyes make contact with Giselle for a moment. After all, Ladybug does know Giselle is Snow Leopard. She nods faintly. Giselle nods back, and then she grabs her friends and runs.
With the civilians cleared, Ladybug and Cat Noir (storm mode) turn to face Electric Fiend. But then, Ladybug disappears in a cyclone. Cat Noir goes on high alert, panicking as he calls out her name. That's when he's blindsides by Ramson, who is using Charge. Cat Noir goes painfully sprawling. He struggles to his feet, only for Ramson to circle back and clobber him again, a fiery ramrod on a skateboard. As Cat Noir attempts to rise again, he realizes he's now also facing the Western Order, all alone, and that Ladybug was likely caught in Zephyria the Witch's "Return." Which means she will be back; she's probably sprinting from her home at that very moment. But until then, Cat Noir is injured and alone. He readies his baton to parry Ramson's third strike.
Adamantus watches intently, and Mayura wonders how the Western Order was able to lay an ambush so quickly. It won't do for the Western Order to get the black cat miraculous while she's (Mayura's) trying to awaken her final allies. As they watch, Bronco reveals himself to Cat Noir and lassos him, binding his (Cat Noir's) arms to his side. Adamantus is about to leap in and help Cat Noir, if only to screw over the Western Order, when several things happen within the same moment.
Firstly, Snow Leopard skates onto the scene. She uses her ice to trip up Bronco and slide Cat Noir away, who thanks her and quickly works free of the Sagittarius's rope. And secondly, Tenrec and Chip Bluestone arrive near Adamantus. Tenrec is ready for orders to take on their enemies while Chip hesitates a bit as Snow was a former ally of his.
After assuring Cat Noir is okay although bruised, Snow wonders who the new cowboy is. Bronco then formerly introduces himself by name as well as "the Sagittarius." Cat Noir quips about how Bronco is not at all what he expected in a Sagittarius wielder and makes a pun, which causes Snow to giggle. Hey, she might be over him romantically, but she still does like his jokes. The conversation is cut short when Electric Fiend barges through both Orders. The Western Order falls back a bit, and Bronco gets another vision, causing him to space out in a trance, leaving him temporarily vulnerable. Once it's done, he explains to his allies that he knows what to do. He directs them to a certain location in the city. See, one thing Bronco (and even Ivory) didn't know—once the Sagittarius activates "Revelation," the wielder doesn't receive one single useful vision. The wielder can receive random helpful visions and random times throughout the course of the five minute countdown.
Cat Noir attempts to pursue them, but Electric Fiend as well as his own injuries hold him back. Snow Leopard creates ice to defend them from the senti monster's blows. And then, Ladybug returns and yanks Electric Fiend out of the way. Both heroes are glad to see her, and Cat Noir notes that when Zephyria "Returned" Ladybug to her home, her home must not have been too far away for her to get back so quickly. And Marinette's bakery is close… He shakes his head; he feels like he's betraying her by trying to piece together the evidence of her identity. Ladybug also asks if Cat Noir is okay. Once she's sure he is, she uses her yo-yo to call in back-up. After all, Zephyria the Witch can fly on her broom; however, Ladybug and Cat Noir can only use one potion at a time—and right now, they have the storm potion in use, so they can't use the flight potion to catch up with the Aquarius in the skies.
Electric Fiend starts to wander in order to fulfill its primary objective—to scare Raissa and Meera into using their powers. This does, coincidentally, cause the senti monster to move in the same direction as the Western Order. Snow is the first to realize civilians are in danger, and although she doesn't know why it's after her best friends, she sets out to pursue it. As she skates as fast as she can, she looks for Chip and happens to catch a glimpse of him overhead. She calls out to him, pleading for him to talk with her and the B Team—they want to help him; he's a friend. But Chip ignores her and dodges out of her view, even though it does pain him to do so.
Which results in them falling into a second trap from the Western Order. Or rather, it's Electric Fiend who falls into the trap made by Bronco. After all, as said early, the Sagittarius can see senti monsters and akuma victims even if it can't see miraculous wielders. So Bronco lured it into an area loaded with senti monster repelling wards, set previously by Tarantula and Ivory. Electric Fiend all but buckles when he enters the perimeter.
Furthermore, Adamantus and Tenrec and Chip Bluestone are following after the fight in secret. Adamantus feels the power of the wards; it's a pressure all around him. And even with Dapple on his person, it's still harder for him to breathe. Tenrec and Chip notice his hesitation and ask what's wrong. Adamantus lies and insists he's fine, but he doesn't convince anyone.
Mayura notes everything that happens, adding it to her database of information to use it against her enemies later on. And one thing is crystal clear—when it comes time to enact her master plan, those wards have to go the moment she intends to strike. If she removes them too soon, they'll just be replaced. But if she leaves them indefinitely, Adamantus and her senti monsters won't be able to act. And worse, she could even lose Adamantus—no, Nicholas—if he ever gets separated from Dapple while too close to a ward. This current conflict becomes a game of Ivory and Mayura both testing each other's powers, strategies, and limits.
Because, to further screw their opponents, Bronco gets yet another vision. And he sees where Adamantus and his allies are hiding. After all, they're not miraculous wielders, they're fair game. And in order to spite the birthstone group, Bronco points them out to Ladybug and Cat Noir. Tenrec curses them for cheating, and the birthstone lot, seeing secrecy is no longer an ally, join the fray. Ladybug, realizing just how many enemies there are, goes right to using her Lucky Charm: a hammock. Cat Noir calls Adamantus out in front of everyone, declaring Adamantus is serving Hawk Moth. The Western Order does not react with surprise at all (save maybe Bronco as he's new), confirming they already knew/suspected this. Tenrec and Chip deny Hawk Moth being their "sponsor," and Adamantus also insists he is not working for "him" (which is oddly true as he isn't working for male Hawk Moth.) Tenrec half-explains that they have innate powers that are channeled through magical items and their real sponsor is helping them come to terms with their abilities. But Adamantus starts talking at the same time, saying that he has no interest in the senti monster, Electric Fiend, who is struggling to rise to its feet due to the wards. Adamantus repeats he isn't working for Hawk Moth, after all, even if all his opponents know the truth—he has to keep his own allies in the dark about their true alliance. Otherwise, it's highly likely many of them would turncoat.
Things go crazy at this point as all three (seemingly four) factions lunge to attack each other. Bronco takes on Cat Noir, demanding to know where Pegasus is and why Pegasus is robbing people. Cat Noir has no idea what Bronco is talking about. Ramson aims for Ladybug, making the same demands except about Buck. Again, Ladybug has no idea why the Western Order is so hostile against specific members of her own team. Zephyria and Snow wind up paired off with Snow attempting to use ice to snipe Zephyria off her broom; the witch easily evades. Tenrec bolts ahead of his allies, far more confident than he is as his civilian alias, Viktor Vasiliev. He starts pulling dice out of his pouch and grabs the D20, which nets him a bow and arrow set. He provides cover as Chip Bluestone "Escapes" through the wall to attack Cat Noir from his blindspot; Chip flat-out can't yet bring himself to target his former B Teamer, Snow. Adamantus struggles from behind, trying to make it look as if the wards aren't effecting him while he guides the birthstone team as a leader, using group telepathy. All the while, Electric Fiend is discharging as much electricity as it can, indiscriminately, to survive against the wards. At least for Ladybug and Cat Noir, they're protected against the stray electricity, but no one else is.
In doing so, it winds up taking out a veranda that Snow had leapt onto in order to better take on Zephyria. It also shatters her entire icy slope, causing her to fall. That's when Nom de Plume swoops in and grabs her, landing on the nearest roof safely. Plume is the only natural flyer in the entire Eastern Order while the Western Order has both Zephyria and Angelica and the B Team has Firefly and Tsukuyomi. Even the Northern Order at least has Eagle. Granted, they can all give themselves wings via the potions—but since Ladybug and Cat Noir are in storm mode, they'd have to give up their electrical defense in order to fly. That's why they called in Plume.
Plume asks if Snow is okay, and she insists she is. Plume then joins her in taking on Zephyria. And since Nom de Plume is also Nathaniel Kurtzberg is also Firefly, he nearly slips up multiple times by acting like Firefly in front of Snow as both are B Team members and have trained extensively together. Slip-ups include mentioning various tag-team combos, temporarily forgetting he doesn't have Firefly's spring, trying to plead with Chip and his loyalty, and even a couple of verbal references to Snow. Fortunately for Nathaniel, Snow is so intent on the fight she doesn't put two and two together.
On the ground, the Bronco and Cat Noir fight gets mixed up with the Ramson and Ladybug fight. Bronco is by far the lowest on his countdown, but his foresight does prove to give him the edge in combat. Ladybug, Zephyria, and Ramson are also on their countdowns. The only ones who aren't are Snow, Plume, and Cat Noir. Bronco leaps away from the golden duo and calls them out. What do they plan on doing when Hawk Moth is defeated? Ladybug hesitates. She has a dream in her heart—that she and Cat Noir can go back to being just Marinette and Adrien. No powers, no secrets, no lies. They can finally be together. Cat Noir, however, feels the opposite. He always wants to remain Cat Noir not just for the freedom his alias offers but also because it's the only way for him to remain close to Ladybug. Cat Noir answers first, insisting that there is always going to be evil and that he has no intention of ever stopping fighting it. He even calls out Ivory on being one such evil.
Bronco shakes his head. Ivory's early lie about chaos magic and how Ladybug and Cat Noir would never stop with the heroics because of the publicity and power it brings them surfaces (he was extra Oblivion'ed into thinking this way). Bronco realizes that the duo do cause a lot of damage, and it's only by luck that Ladybug can fix it—and even then, there's times she wasn't able (like in Mad Hare). Bronco, believing Ivory over the heroes, calls them out on "selfish heroics" and blatantly references them causing more harm than good because of "chaos magic," which confuses both of them. Ladybug insists Bronco is wrong, but Bronco, having seen Ivory/Madam Gros (faking being) injured, he's more inclined to believe the wounded gazelle gambit than not. This alongside them "lying" about Pegasus and his own missing memories cements his alliance against the Eastern Order.
Meanwhile, Mayura is pushing things with Electric Fiend. After all, the fiend is expendable—Nicholas isn't. She can test what Nicholas's limits are through other senti monsters. And without protection like Dapple, Electric Fiend is truly struggling. She can feel it beginning to disintegrate. Mayura realizes that this actually works in her favor on several levels. So she tells Adamantus to be prepared—then she sets Electric Fiend to absorb as much electricity as possible and self-destruct. In doing so, Mayura hopes to learn the exact damage a senti monster can do to the wards and with them around—and maybe, she'll take a few of them down too. She'll also see how Ramson, Zephyria, and Bronco handle the situation, thus learning more about their abilities as well as their (for lack of a better word) stats. She can also further drive suspicion away from the alliance between the birthstone wielders and Hawk Moth/Mayura. After all, wouldn't it just be crazy for Mayura to detonate a senti monster with her own allies in the blast radius? Plus, the greatest advantage…Mayura can sense that Raissa and Meera are still nearby because she can sense the items they carry. A huge explosion might just trigger their transformations. And maybe, if she's lucky, she'll take down a couple members of either Order while she's at it.
However, Ivory is watching from a very safe distance, and she also has the impression that she and Hawk Moth (whom she is still assuming is male) are testing the waters with each other. Had Zephyria not already used her special ability, "Return" would be perfect for evacuation. But with all of her underlings on their timers, she knows she can't risk them being caught by Electric Fiend. She sends a text to voice message to all her active members, which they get through the features of their cell phones that have fused with their weapons. Ivory orders them to withdraw. She makes a mental note to ensure everyone can communicate through Odette's Communication feathers for the times when using cell phones is impractical. After all, cell towers can fall—but it takes much more to stop Odette. Ramson isn't keen on falling back, but he does so for the sake of his girlfriend.
Bronco, however, gets another Revelation right in the middle of things. This sticks him in a trance, unable to flee. All around him, others withdraw. Zephyria the Witch takes to the sky while Ramson hightails it on his skateboard. Adamantus makes a show of ensuring that Tenrec and Chip are safe, with Chip getting them through walls quickly. Tenrec launches a barrage of arrows to keep their opponents off their tail. Snow tries to call out to Chip, to get him to listen, but he just says that he never belongs with them, the B Team, and leaves. He hides his distress well as it's so hard on him, especially when Adamantus and the others are also treating him well.
However, the heroes have yet to depart. Ladybug notices Bronco just standing there, plus she's fully aware there are likely civilians in the area as well. Sure, she can heal damage, but it's better people don't get hurt and traumatized if she can help it. That's when her "ladybug vision" lights up with Cat Noir, Plume, her Lucky Charm, and some random other stuff. She tells Cat Noir that she needs him, and Cat Noir quips about them not running for the hills instead, but ultimately goes along with it. Of course, in doing so, they prioritize taking down Electric Fiend rather than capturing Bronco while he's helpless.
The bulk of her plan falls on Nom de Plume, who has to use his "Levikinesis" to raise both the senti monster and Cat Noir above the rooftops. It's hard as he doesn't have much practice using the rooster's ability in addition to the fact that Cat Noir and Electric Fiend keep squirming. Plume tells Snow to leave; she has no reason to stay as she's not needed for Ladybug's plan. She only puts herself at risk. Snow refuses to leave her friend, and once again Plume has to remember she's not seeing him as Firefly at that moment. Of course, seeing a giant rising, sparking senti monster hovering over the rooftops is enough to send any and all remaining civilians into a panic, including Meera and Raissa, who remained nearby to fulfill their role as secret keepers to Giselle.
Things escalate towards Electric Fiend's detonation, but Cat Noir uses "Cataclysm" to destroy it before it can wipe out the city block. After all, being high in the air, there's much less property to destroy. Cat Noir winds up absorbing the brunt of the attack, but fortunately, thanks to his storm form, he tanks most of it. However, the explosion does cause Plume to lose focus, and Cat Noir starts free falling. However, by then Ladybug has rigged up a device to capture Cat Noir, all nice and comfy, in her Lucky Charm hammock. She lets him down gently and them purifies the amok feather as it floats by.
Cat Noir, Plume, Snow, and Ladybug raise their fists to "Pound It!" However, Ladybug trails off at the end when she sees Bronco still standing there. He shakes his head, snapping out of it, realizing what happened and that he's alone. The moment the heroes move towards he, he leaps backward onto the roof. Then he makes a declaration that his vision wasn't just about the Western Order—he suspects it's something vital to everyone's future. Ladybug demands to know what, and Bronco barters with her—tell him what Pegasus is doing and where he is, and he'll tell them every last detail of his Revelation.
Ladybug insists Pegasus is innocent; he didn't do anything, and he's not plotting anything. Bronco just shakes his head as he's been gaslit into believing that Pegasus attacked Madam Gros and likely attacked other people in the city as well. Bronco leaves, calling them liars. Plume and Snow immediately take after Bronco. However, they lose visual sight of Bronco, and by the time they turn the corner, Bronco has transformed back into his civilian alias and has blended into the general populace at the entrance of a subway. Plume reports it to Ladybug over his cell phone/feather, and she tells both of them to call it a day. She does thank them too, and she remarks that it seems as if all their opponents have retreated during this conflict as well.
Of course, Dauphin and Froppy found nothing in their search. Alpha calls them back and then sends a text to Snow, hoping she's all right. She feels her ribbon baton vibrate, opens it into her cell phone, and replies to the B server that she is safe. Her allies breathe a sigh of relief.
Back with Ladybug and Cat Noir, Ladybug is running pretty low on time after her world-healing wave. Cat Noir asks her for just one minute to talk. He then sincerely apologizes for pushing his feelings on her. She loves someone else, and he understands that now. He's not going to be selfish; he wishes her and her boyfriend the best. After all, Ladybug is still an irreplaceable friend and he just wants her to be happy. Ladybug doesn't reply because her emotions are in such upheaval she can't speak. Her heart wants to scream "you're the one I love!" but her mouth refuses to work. Cat Noir then says good-bye and leaves. Ladybug is left by herself, and she's barely able to force herself to find a place to hide before her transformation publicly times out.
Hidden in an alcove, the tears drip. Tikki tries to comfort her, and Marinette asks what she's supposed to do. How can she talk to Cat Noir—Adrien—about this? She owes him the truth—so, so much. Tikki mostly just listens, it's what Marinette needs right now. But Tikki does encourage Marinette to follow her heart. The one thing that makes her a great Ladybug is never giving up; so she shouldn't give up on her own feelings either.
Of course, elsewhere, Cat Noir is going through his own mixed emotions as well. He flops on his bed while Plagg swallows cheese and just processes everything. He's not happy. But he knows he did what he had to do. Ladybug loves someone else.
By now, Ivory has retreated to her office as Madam Gros. A large smile is on her face, and she just can't help it. She now has a complete roster of 12 Western miraculous wielders. Dr. Gerald Theroux calls her on his cell phone; he's at work, which is tending to the comatose Gabriel and Emilie Agreste. He congratulates her about the success of Bronco and then asks about the next step in the plan. After all, they can't claim all the miraculous in Paris as long as Hawk Moth and Mayura remain hidden and Ladybug keeps half her team benched at any time. Madam Gros mentions the grimoire of the Western Order they brought with them, currently at the Theroux apartment. She has a plan—one wonderful plan. She can force all their targets to the surface. And, being the Western Order, they have one special ability that will allow them to actually confront their targets once they're flushed out: the ability of the Gemini.
Madam Gros tells Dr. Theroux/Tarantula that they will move soon. Very soon. They just need to sketch out the key points in Paris to enact their plan from and to ensure that their 12 teenagers are comfortable and skilled with their powers. She even suggests doing something no hero or villain has done before—or even usually does across all stories. She suggests they practice their final plan before bringing out their full might, which will drop all Orders of the Miraculous to their knees. She'll punish them for what they did to her true love, Grant Theroux. She'll make them pay.
Bronco turns back to Guy Nigels, who catches the bus home. His mind is elsewhere, trying to process his final vision—the one he did not share with the heroes. He sees an impenetrable dome around Paris. Energy fills the air. No one can get in or out. He gets the impression there might be heroes and villains everywhere, but he can't actually see them as he can't see miraculous wielders. Is this what happens when chaos magic comes to a head?
Meanwhile, Snow Leopard skates down the alleyway where she last saw Meera Pugliese and Raissa Deschamps. Since Snow didn't use Frost Fall this time, she's not on a counter. She scours the area to make sure that her best friends are all right. When she doesn't find them, she takes to calling out their names to find where they wound up. Eventually, she hears Raissa respond; Snow skates in that direction as quickly as she can.
Meera and Raissa have hidden themselves within the shrubbery of the nearest park. However, when Snow finds them, they aren't Meera and Raissa. They've both transformed.
To be continued in Chapter 89: Gel Girl & Swallowtail…
