"L-Luka? Juleka? What're you doing here? Who's this?" Ladybug arrives in the apartment, scans over the place, recoils, then stutters out her confused exclamation.

Luka smiles kindly at her and waves. "Hey, Ladybug."

Ladybug blushes and immediately turns to Carter. "What is going on here? You said you have information on Hawk Moth!"

"I do." Carter says. "Everyone else is here to help with the plan. Let me tell you the whole story, and you'll see why they're involved, alright?"

Ladybug eyes Juleka and Luka, as well as Gerard, carefully and nods. "Okay."

For her sake, Carter recaps everything that happened with Emilie's investigation. "It's actually that other lead I mentioned before. We didn't have anything solid at the time, so I didn't go into it for Anais' privacy, but now things have panned out." He explains that Anais is actually Emilie Agreste, her relationship with the peafowl Miraculous – Ladybug already grasps that whoever has the peafowl is likely to have the butterfly, so he doesn't even need to say Gabriel's name before she's pinned him as Hawk Moth – and he lets Luka explain his own role in the tale. That he's the spellcaster who restored Emilie's memory. Luka is also the one to explain that Juleka is likely the one who will put Emilie back in her body, when the time comes, but that they're waiting on a spellscribe to write the spell they're going to use to do so.

Strangely enough, it's actually the Couffaines being spellcasters that seems to throw Ladybug for a loop, and not the confirmed identity of Hawk Moth. Carter just chuckles at her flabbergasted expression and tentative questions towards the two. Kids have weird priorities. Carter thinks. It's cute, though.

Ladybug quickly gets back on track, though, despite her distraction. "So, we're going to wake up Mme. Agreste?" She asks. "We're waiting on a spell to do that?"

"Yeah." Carter says. "But it sort of depends on how we want to approach Hawk Moth. Emilie insists he won't listen to reason, so one way or another a fight seems inevitable. If we fight him and take the Miraculous, and we find the peafowl, too, we can repair it and put Emilie back in her body whenever we please. No rush. That said, my understanding is he's not keen on leaving the house. I'm thinking it's going to be hard to draw him out, which means we'd fight him on his own ground."

"The Agreste mansion has crazy-high security." Chat Noir says. "Fighting him in there is going to be tough."

"How do you know that?" Ladybug asks. "He's protective over Adrien, but he's just a fashion designer, isn't he? What kind of security are we talking about?"

Emilie decides to answer her, to cover for her son. "I told him. The security was high even when I was awake. Gabriel is overprotective at the best of times, and we had two Miraculous and our son we were concerned for, so security seemed sensible. With me in the state I'm in and what he's doing to wake me up, I'm sure he's taken the security even further. If you're caught breaking in, the house will go on lockdown. Only way in or out will be with Chat Noir's cataclysm, and then you'll be on a timer."

"Hm, so what's the best way in?"

"Magically!" Gerard exclaims. "I've done my fair share of breaking and entering in my day. Don't you worry, young keepers, yours truly can get you in there in a jiffy! Believe it or not, I actually have a very similar security system in my home! With all the valuable artifacts there, I had to put something in place. Of course, I also have a set of wards and barriers to prevent magical entry, but our dear Gabriel isn't a spellcaster, so his house is vulnerable as a peach."

"That's… comforting?"

"Not at all, my dear! He should have invested in magical security. Ha! Classic mistake. Now, I must admit, there is one, teeny problem on the whole break-in plan. That is, the, as you say, ingress point. Pick the wrong place and the house goes on lockdown. I can make the house go boom, but I'm afraid I can't guarantee the residents' safety if I'm busting through blast shields."

Ladybug frowns. "We can't just… I don't know, teleport inside?"

"Technically speaking, I suppose we could use the horse Miraculous." Avery says. "But we've got a pretty big party and no one bonded close enough with that kwami to use the power more than once, so we've got no exit that way. We don't want to rely on having Chat's power available, or our victory. A more conventional break-in means we have an escape route, if necessary. That said, spatial transportation magic is a bit beyond what we're capable of here. Even the basics of that field are far beyond anything we can do. I personally can pass through any walls, and I'll be undetectable by the house, though maybe not by Gabriel himself, but the rest of you will need a way in and out without anything in your way."

"Hm. So, we need to figure out the best place to break into."

"Exactly." Emilie says. "And I have an idea on that. I was talking with Avery about what exactly will happen when I'm put back in my body. The rejoining should cause increased activity for my body. More of a true sleep than the coma-like state I'm currently in. Until my spirit settles back in, it will look a lot like I'm waking up. I still don't think he'll stop unless I actually do, and he won't give up his Miraculous even if I do, but you guys could use the moment to get the advantage on him. If you think that's a good option, then our best, uh, ingress point, would be the basement itself. It's hidden, and underground, with no entrances except for a door inside the house and a window up another elevator. Most of the security is placed around the entrances, not the basement itself, since we never imagined something could get in that way. On top of that, any offensive security would be kept far away from my body. Gabriel would never risk even a malfunction hurting me."

"How exactly would we get in that way?"

"Through the sewers, of course!" Gerard says. "I've taken the liberty of examining some maps of Paris' underground, and a sewer runs directly adjacent to this lair of Gabriel's. It's only concrete and dirt in between, so I can take down the wall, no sweat."

Ladybug frowns. "But if we use Emilie to draw Gabriel down into the basement, then Juleka will have to be there, won't she? To put Emilie back into her body?"

"Yes." Carter says. "She does. As soon as her spell is done, she and Luka will escape. Gerard can hold down the escape tunnel, just in case Gabriel tries to block us off. That's the idea. We're open to other options, of course."

Ladybug stops to think for a long moment. "If we draw Gabriel into the basement, we can minimize damage to the house and the city overall. It's a good plan. But we'd also have to fight around Emilie, won't we?"

"Yes, but so will Gabriel." Carter says. "Something's telling me he'll be doing everything he can to avoid hurting her. It's a small risk, but Emilie is the one who won't be able to defend herself. She can make her own decision."

"Gabriel won't intentionally hurt my body." Emilie says. "This is a non-issue."

Ladybug worries her lip, examines everyone in the room, and nods. "Okay. Here's the plan."

"And you feel okay about this? You understand what you're doing?"

Juleka frowns down at the papers in her hands and nods resolutely.

Carter hears her loud and clear, but still he hovers a little. "We won't have the diagrams in the lair. You have everything memorized? Or do you have a shorthand figured out?"

Juleka nods again, a little less sure. Luka wraps his arms around her shoulders, looking up purposefully at Carter. "She's got this. Focus on getting ready for the fight."

"Hey, Carter!" Carter reluctantly turns his attention away from the kids to tend to Avery. "Could you go grab the whatchamacallits?"

"Oh! Right!" Carter jumps into action, running back towards their bedroom to retrieve the ingredients Avery is asking for. Standard medical supplies. A non-magic first-aid kit, dittany – helpful in a lot of quick healing spells and potions, especially in the field, some other assorted ingredients for fast spellcasting or potion-making. Mostly for Gerard, obviously, but it's all standard kit if one's expecting a fight. Carter and Avery may not be able to cast spells, but quick potion-making and alchemy is more than within their abilities.

He doesn't expect to need it, per se. With Ladybug's restoration powers, anything they need patching up – or blowing up – will be more of a hotfix to keep them helpful, and though he's cautious of underestimating Hawk Moth, he honestly doesn't foresee this battle being altogether that difficult. Between their massive numbers advantage, element of surprise, vast knowledge gap including insider knowledge from both Emilie and Adrien, and Hawk Moth's only magical prowess depending entirely on someone losing their cool, Avery can probably take him down on his own, if he wants to. No, bringing the kit is just standard. Habits like this are good to have, because when there is significant danger, it'll save lives.

Carter tosses the kit to Avery and checks with Arrel that they're ready to go. While they waited for the spell, Gerard and Ladybug found an entrance to the sewers, which the whole group enters carefully, so as not to be seen. Only when they're safely underground do Carter and Avery transform, though Ladybug and Chat Noir, agreeing to talk about a possible identity reveal only after Hawk Moth is dealt with, naturally go into the operation in their super suits.

No one says much as they make their way through the sewers. The air is thick with humid breaths and thudding shoes on concrete, but no one dares speak. Gerard stops them, suddenly, with a hand in the air. He holds a flashlight to a map in his hand, examining it and the wall closely, and folds the map to tuck away into his pocket. "If you would, Mister Graham?" Gerard says, respectfully quiet, even for him.

Avery squeezes Carter's shoulder for just a moment and then steps straight into the wall. The power of his Miraculous allows him to make himself entirely incorporeal. Not invisible, but aside from that there's nothing really there to sense, or to touch. Nothing can harm him, but consequently he can't touch anything himself. And machines, even visual motion sensors, don't pick him up at all. No matter what security Gabriel has in that room; if it's not magical, Avery isn't setting it off.

Honestly, even a lot of magical wards and barriers don't react to him. Only the more specialized ones stand a chance of detecting him like that. Liminality is a principal that makes even Carter scratch his head, even after all these years as Avery's partner, but the simple explanation Avery gave him was that it all has to do with his ability to not be, and already be, wherever he happens to be at the time. It confuses detection at best, and in most cases renders him completely invisible. Practically speaking, it means that Avery can walk around Gabriel's secret lair all day, but so long as Gabriel himself, or some crony of his, doesn't go down to see him with their own eyes, they'll never know Avery was there.

It's true that it should be possible for Gabriel to simply sense his presence due to their power's heritage. Iinar being progeny of Nooroo means they both draw from the same source, so through that draw of power, Avery and Gabriel can sense each other. But given how Iinar hasn't been able to pinpoint Nooroo, nor Avery Gabriel, in all the time they've been in Paris, there's no possible way Gabriel, who isn't trained to do such a thing, can sense Avery so accurately as to know he's inside his house through Mia's protection charms. Especially if Avery is deliberately masking himself.

The rest of the team waits with bated breath, watching the sewer wall. Minutes pass, too long, really, but Carter knows better than anyone the value of patience. And he knows that any delay is more liable to be due to Avery getting distracted and nosy than him getting caught. Chat Noir is getting antsy, though, shifting from foot to foot. Juleka is wringing her hands, tracing a spell diagram with a finger.

Everyone except Carter and Luka jumps when Avery suddenly reappears, poking his head through the wall. "All clear." He says. "You're up, Gerard. Ten paces."

"Excellent!" Gerard grins wickedly. "Now, dear children, I recommend you all stand back. Mister Graham, untouchable or not, it may be wise to remove yourself from the wall. Just in case."

"Yes sir." Avery chuckles, disappearing into the other side of the wall.

"Now." Gerard runs his fingers through his beard and cracks his knuckles. "It has been some time since I've used this spell. Let's see here…" He approaches the wall, examining it carefully. He bends down and touches the wall, running his hand along it in a tall arc. Then he steps back, smirks, and claps his hands together with two sharp, resounding echoes.

In a split-second, the dark sewer tunnel is lit up so bright that Carter has to cover his eyes. Through the sting and his squinting, he can make out the barrier, spattered with red-hot molten stone, containing a swirling, roiling vortex of flame. So close, Carter can hear the roar of the fire but the barrier stops any heat from escaping. The fact that it melts down the sewer wall and the earth itself between them and Gabriel's lair makes it hard to miss, though.

Then the flames finally die out and the barrier disappears, there's a nice corridor linking the sewer and Gabriel's lair. Carter bites back a chuckle at the team's jaws on the floor. He does meet Avery's eyes, though, on the other side of the corridor, and rolls his own eyes. Warlocks. Avery snickers, clearly understanding him.

The group cautiously pads inside. There's water on the ground, which is an interesting choice, but it's flowing so at least there's no muck. The butterfly garden, and Emilie, are up on a platform in the center of the room, connected by a metal catwalk to a glass elevator that heads up into the ceiling. That leads into the house, and it's where Gabriel will come from.

The unnecessarily dramatic platform means they have to climb, but that's no issue for keepers and casters. Gerard just creates platforms with magic that they walk up like a staircase. That's the caster's escape route, too, so they need to keep an eye on where the platforms are. Hardened air isn't the easiest thing to spot in a rush, and it'd be dangerous to take a tumble down those steps.

"Your turn, it seems, Mlle. Couffaine." Gerard says with a bow, guiding Juleka closer to Emilie's body. It's creepy, if Carter is honest. She's in a padded pod, like some sort of coffin. Carter can't see any movement at all to indicate life, and when he focuses on the magic the whole contraption, body, pod, and all, is eerily blank. Even the dead have more activity than that, if only from the decomposition. Altogether, it's deeply unsettling.

But Carter doesn't focus on that. He can't, because Chat Noir's breath catches in his throat and his steps falter. Avery is already on it, taking just a moment to put his hand on Chat's shoulder, to ground him, before leaving the group to take up his position near the elevator. That's all Chat needs, really. That, and a long look at his mother's spirit.

"Madame Agreste." Juleka's voice is hardly audible, but in this lair no one is making much noise, anyway. There's only the gentle trickle of water and the quiet hum of machines to distract from her words. "May I cast on you?" Carter touches Ladybug's shoulder. Though she isn't related to the Agrestes, she does care deeply for Adrien. It's no surprise that seeing his mother like this makes her freeze up for a moment like it does him. She casts him a single grateful look, for drawing her out of her thoughts, and then shifts her determined gaze back onto Juleka and Emilie.

"It would be a… full necromantic stitching and magical dilation." Juleka's words are robotic, like Luka's were when he cast the memory spell, and Carter knows it's because she's using terminology that's she's not used to, and she's still uncomfortable with anything classifying as "necromancy" so she's just trying to remember the right thing to say. Still, Carter is proud that his lessons have taken hold already. He works more with Luka than Juleka, interpretation of this particular spell diagram not considered, but for her to go through the permissions in a place like this? Unprompted? After days of poring over the spell and its dangers alongside Emilie the whole time? Nearly brings a tear to his eye. He's taught them so well. Juleka is such a good student.

"Of course." Emilie says, strong and ready. "Do it."

As always when a spell is in progress, there's a shift in the atmosphere. It's the magic, of course, more tangible than normal and waiting, listening, yearning. Juleka's magic is quiet, though. Understated. It's a whisper on a windy day. An inchworm climbing a blade of grass. It's easy to miss, as spelling goes, but there is a sharpness to it, too. A hint of ozone.

Emilie, the spirit Emilie, steps through the glass of the chamber her body is in and lays down inside, joining her body in space. She lays there, eyes closed, just slightly unaligned with her body, until there's a shift in her. Her spirit and body align perfectly, so only one image of her remains, and things remain quiet, with Juleka's magic tense in the air, until finally the sting of ozone fades, the quiet tension of the magic relaxes, and Juleka murmurs. "I'm finished. Did it work?"

"Don't have time to double check." Ladybug says. "If it did, Gabriel will be rushing down here any moment. You three get going. Chat Noir, Polar Bear. To our positions. Now."

"Right away, Boss." Carter says. As he ushers Juleka and Luka towards Gerard's stairs, he leans close to them and murmurs. "You did good. It'll work. Remember, she won't wake up until we fix the peafowl, but trust that your spell did what you wanted it to. Her spirit's definitely in her body, and it's not leaving anytime soon, so you have nothing more to worry about. Alright? You did your part."

Juleka nods silently, and her brother smiles at him, and together they duck back into the burned-out corridor and into the sewer. Gerard bows with a flourish and covers the opening with an illusion spell, a real simple one, easy to see through if you know it's there, which works to their advantage. The keepers don't want to lose track of their escape route, after all, and Avery's the only one who can just walk through the walls.

Carter turns back to the platform, circles around it, and just as he hears the elevator across the room start moving, he leaps into the air, catches the edge of the platform, situates his discus under his feet, and freezes it in place.

Carter's power allows him to stop all forces acting on an object. It freezes that object in place and renders it immovable. No force applied to it will do anything at all, so nothing can shift it from where he freezes it, not even himself without undoing the magic. That means that, when Carter uses his power on his discus like this, he can make his own little platform to stand on. Here, he crouches just under the lip of the platform, directly behind Emilie. Easily out of view of Gabriel, but close enough that he can get to the thick of things with a single jump.

Avery is behind Gabriel, hiding half in the wall, and Ladybug and Chat Noir are on the ceiling. The hook has been baited, and Gabriel is nibbling, but for the surprise to be effective they can't reel in too soon. They have to wait for the bite.

Gabriel, looking fittingly out of sorts, rushes out of the elevator and down the catwalk to the central platform. Avery stalks him, matching his steps as his focus remains exclusively on Emilie. Carter can only see their feet, through the bushes and around Emilie's chamber, but he knows Avery well enough to know how this is going down even without that.

Avery creeps up on his prey like a cat. He gathers himself, preparing to score victory in a single move. As Gabriel checks over Emilie's untouched body and the machinery that tells him her condition has changed, Avery wrinkles his nose, bites his lip, casts his gaze forward and back, always keeping both eyes open, judging distance, careful, composed, calculated. Then he leaps.

One step, two, silent, because his body has no tangible matter with which to cause sound, and then a dive. Arms outstretched, they pass directly through Gabriel's back. As his fingertips leave the space Gabriel's body occupies, they find their physical form once more. Directly behind the butterfly Miraculous at Gabriel's throat, pushing the pin away from Gabriel with the momentum from his dive.

But Gabriel is just fast enough, or just lucky enough, to turn right as Avery touches the Miraculous. Avery passes through him harmlessly, without nabbing the Miraculous, and rolls on the platform straight through the bushes and Emilie's chamber – he's incorporeal again, so he does no damage – to the very edge of the platform. His foot, landing only half on the surface, slips, but Carter catches it before Avery falls too far to catch his balance, supporting Avery's back foot with his hand as he crouches down under him.

"Who are you?" Gabriel demands. "What have you done with Emilie?"

Avery smirks. "I'm a ghost." He says teasingly. "And I did nothing to her."

"No… you're no ghost. You're using a Miraculous. I could feel it, if only for a moment. Nooroo, transform me!" There's a flash of light, and Avery shifts his back foot back onto solid ground. "Who are you? Gabriel asks again. "Why are you here? How did you find me?"

Avery smiles, more pleasant this time, and bows politely. "Otter." He says. "Keeper of the otter Miraculous of liminality, which is progeny of the butterfly Miraculous of transmission. Something you're clearly familiar with. And I know you won't believe me, so I'll just go ahead and tell you the truth. I'm here to return Emilie's spirit to her body, after it was separated by a broken Miraculous. The peafowl, if I'm not mistaken. You don't happen to have that lying around, do you? She won't wake up unless I repair it."

Hawk Moth growls loudly. "Lies! What do you know of Emilie's condition? The only cure for her is the wish!"

Avery openly laughs at that. "And you ask me what I know of her condition? A fair bit more than you, clearly. The truth is, with her spirit back where it belongs and her body still healthy, relatively speaking, all she needs is for us to repair the peafowl and give her time."

"And you think I will trust a stranger who's broken into my home? You know nothing about what's happening here. But you've clearly learned too much about me already, so I'll have to silence you."

Again, Avery just laughs. "Catch me if you can." Carter hears Hawk Moth grunt, like he's attacking, and then Avery quip, "Oh, and do be careful. Until we fix the peafowl, your wife still needs that equipment, you know. I wouldn't go slashing around all willy-nilly."

There's another yell of exertion and far above, Carter sees Ladybug give him a nod. He jumps up into the air, gets his discus moving again by calling it to him, catches it, and then chucks it as hard as he can at the back of Hawk Moth's head.

It strikes true, throwing Hawk Moth face first into the dirt, and returns to Carter as he lands neatly by Avery's side. Avery takes advantage of the situation to kick Hawk Moth's sword off the platform as the two heroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir, fall down to land behind Hawk Moth.

They've got him unarmed and surrounded. Most importantly, they've got him rattled.

"Otter is telling you the truth, Hawk Moth. If you hand over your Miraculous, and the peafowl, we can wake up Emilie." Ladybug says. "We can end this peacefully."

"You think such a transparent trick will work on me?" Hawk Moth hisses.

"It's not a trick!" Chat Noir growls. "Otter can fix it! He just needs the peafowl Miraculous!"

"Well, the peafowl is all I need to wake up Emilie, though her recovery would go faster with a spellcaster working on her. Unfortunately, in an entirely unrelated issue, we can't allow you to keep the butterfly Miraculous, so really you got to hand over both. You understand." Avery says cheerily. "On the bright side, your wife is going to make a full recovery! So, there's that!"

Hawk Moth rants some about how the wish is his only hope and how he'll get all of their Miraculous and all that, but Carter is more focused on his movements than his words. He tries to escape, judging, probably correctly, that Chat Noir is the weakest link in their circle, and attacks him. Still, even if Chat is the weakest link here because of his torn emotions, that doesn't mean he's not going to put up a fight.

He neatly sidesteps Gabriel's lunge and trips him up with his staff, catching his foot and smacking the backside of his head for good measure. Idly, Carter wonders if maybe Chat Noir enjoys that hit. Carter certainly wouldn't blame him.

And Carter has to admit, Gabriel isn't an incompetent fighter. Even in the state he's in, he holds his own for a moment. But the fact is that he's facing four opponents, not one, and all of those opponents have their own form of martial training. The truth is, with his weapon removed from the equation, Carter and Avery barely have to do a thing. Ladybug and Chat Noir handle him with flying colors. And tied up on the ground, there's nothing more Hawk Moth can do. Struggling is futile, raving his delusions is even more so.

Avery pats him on the head. "We know more than you." He says. "Shut up and let us do our jobs."

Carter chuckles. Avery can be mean sometimes, especially when he's transformed with Iinar. Only to people who deserve it though. It's cute. "Ladybug." Carter says. "You've got the honors."

Ladybug sighs, shaking her head. Looking at Hawk Moth, her eyes hold such sadness. Such pity. Carter just shakes his head. She's too good for Hawk Moth, honestly. Feeling pity for him. So, he was doing it to wake up his wife, big whoop. Cool motive, still terrorism. Hawk Moth deserves no pity. "It didn't have to be this way, you know." She says. "If you had just asked for help, we could have solved all of this without fighting."

That's only technically true, since though the guardian could repair the peafowl Miraculous, he has no knowledge of the spellwork required to stitch Emilie back into her body. Not to mention they would have to figure out that her spirit was separated in the first place, find her as Anais, convince her of the truth of what happened, and then find a caster capable of doing the spellwork. The Couffaines are here, of course, but they could only accomplish what they did with tutelage, and although similar spells exist, the ones they had to use to pull this off were adapted specifically to work on spirits, and more specifically to Emilie in particular. The memory spell might have been avoided, but the necromantic stitching is something only very few spellscribes can conjure up. Sewing a spirit into a body is not totally unprecedented, but sewing one into a living body? And ensuring that body and spirit's survival and compatibility? That's new ground. The guardian would have needed to reach out to Carter, and by extension Todd, and Carter doubts the guardian would have been willing to do that.

Maybe that's just the horrible impression he has of the man, though. It's certainly possible he would have.

Ladybug takes Hawk Moth's Miraculous from him, ending his transformation. With the Miraculous in her hand, she stares sadly at Nooroo and shakes her head. Wordlessly, she takes Nooroo close and hugs him tight.

"Howdy there, Nooroo." Avery says with a wave. "Iinar told me to say hi."

Nooroo separates from Ladybug to approach Avery. "I have not had the pleasure of meeting Iinar." Nooroo says carefully. "But it is nice to meet their master."

"Friend." Avery corrects quickly. "Iinar's my friend. And I don't order it around." He shares a look with Carter, and then adds, "No matter how much easier that'd make our lives."

"Ah." Nooroo says. "I… see. I'm glad Iinar has found a mas- ah, a f-friend, who cares."

"Caring is my responsibility as a keeper." Avery says. "Plus, it's fun to be around. I'm glad for its company."

"Oh. I'm… glad."

As they talk, Carter messages Gerard that they've got the Miraculous, and he knows that Gerard takes the Couffaines away and calls the police. As per prior agreement with Ladybug, Carter also messages Alya Césaire, and he's sure she calls the police as well, and is quick on her way over.

"We're going to use Polar Bear's power to stop you from moving, Monsieur Agreste. As a precaution. If you have anything to say to us before the police arrive, say it now." Ladybug says.

Gabriel, beaten and knowing it, hangs his head. "I… no longer have any option but to hope that you are telling the truth. Revive Emilie. That's all I ask. Please."

"We will." Ladybug says. "I promise, Emilie will be just fine."

"Forgive my skepticism, but… if you really met Emilie's spirit… did you speak to her?"

"Yes. We did. That's how we found you. She told us that you used to keep the Miraculous in a safe behind a portrait in your study. Is the peafowl still there?"

For the first time, Gabriel's eyes shine with hope. "Yes! It's there! For you to know that… you have to be telling the truth. Emilie will be okay…"

Chat Noir sucks in a deep breath, though it's visibly difficult for him. "Yes, she will. She'll be here for your son, too."

"She will be better for him than I." Gabriel says. "I always knew that. So long as she wakes again, it doesn't matter if I'm here or in jail. Not for Adrien, at least. I will miss them, but this is the best outcome left to us."

Chat Noir backs away, ducking his head. No one says anything more for a few beats, so Carter hauls Gabriel to his feet. "Well then. Sorry about this, but I'm sure you understand we can't trust you to behave. Fair warning, it can be frightening to not be able to move."

"I am not afraid." Gabriel says.

Carter shrugs. "I warned you. Three. Two. One." Carter pushes his magic into Gabriel freezing him in place. "Alrighty. Who wants to go get the peafowl before this place becomes a crime scene, huh?"

"I'll do it." Avery says, raising his hand. "I'll end up with it, anyway. Ladybug, Chat Noir, you should come up and greet the police when they get here. First, though, any chance that magic of yours can fix the hole in the wall? Police won't be happy to find that."

Ladybug chuckles and nods. "I'll handle it." With a toss of her yo-yo and a swarm of magic, Gerard's illusory wall is replaced with the real thing. Nothing else was actually damaged, save for a few bushes, thankfully, so there isn't much more for her magic to do.

As the three of them rise in the elevator, Carter sits down in the grass, twiddling his thumbs. He trusts his magic, of course, but it's only wise to stay behind to keep an eye on things. Just in case. Luckily, it's not long before Avery rejoins him and the two start conversing about how to approach repairing the peafowl Miraculous. According to the grimoire, soaking it in a specific potion should make it more ready to safely change, then they can repair it, and they've been examining the theory and find it sound. The only thing left to do is examine the Miraculous itself and confirm exactly what the damage is. To ensure they're using the proper repair method, and for their own records.

Miraculous are tough little things. There are very few records of them ever being damaged like this one is, including the grimoire that holds the repair formula. It's important to record everything they can, to help future keepers understand anything they may encounter. It's what they do, after all.

"I'll start writing up a report for our records when we get home, too. If you could get together the ingredients we were thinking of, that'd help me out a lot. That dumb book has the most ridiculous recipes, and half that stuff isn't exactly in our cupboard. Up to you if you want to risk substitutions, though. I maintain that they have the same magical properties, so there's no reason they shouldn't work, but repairing a Miraculous may not be the right time to experiment."

Carter chuckles. "You, my love, are clever as the devil." With a nudge of his shoulder, Carter adds, "And twice as pretty." Avery rolls his eyes, but Carter feels pride bubble up in his chest when he notices that Avery's cheeks tinge pink. "If you say it's going to work, it's going to work. No need to go out of our way for seahorse dung or whatever dumb stuff that book says."

Avery laughs. "Mind the audience, mein Lieber." He gestures to Gabriel, still immobile. "You're such a sap. But I love you."

"I love you, too. And don't worry, I will triple check the substitutions before we try anything. I'm not that much of a sap."

"Good."

"Oh! But I haven't told you how great you were today. You know, I could see it on his face; Chat Noir thinks you're just so cool." Carter winks playfully before adding, quieter. "I do, too. The ghost thing never gets old."

Avery groans. "It's so dorky. I'm still mad you got me saying that all the time."

"Dorky maybe, but you're so cool regardless you can pull it off. Not to mention beautiful."

Avery chuckles, shaking his head. With a hand playfully ruffling Carter's hair, he says, "Save it for tonight, love."

The implications of that statement bring a familiar warmth to Carter's cheeks. He gasps in mock offense. "Otter! Mind the audience!"

Avery giggles. "I said that about the recipe. He deserves worse than having to watch us flirt. Let him suffer."

"Ahaha, you really are mean sometimes."

"I'm spiteful. Never mean."

"Hm. Suppose I can't argue with that."

It's not too much longer until the elevator kicks into gear once more and Ladybug is riding down alongside a police officer. When the officer asks, Carter unfreezes Gabriel.

And as far as Hawk Moth's story? His reign? That's all she wrote, really. The officer is kind and friendly but serious – perhaps even a bit uptight. Carter can admit he's not all that different, with how he gets on his students cases about formalities and rules most of the community takes for granted. Oh, and details. How many times does he have to remind them to triple check their clauses? Quadruple for their matrices! Granted, Carter doesn't actually expect them to define and redefine every phrase in every spell they cast. The point of being so hard on them about it is to build good habits so they get used to checking their work before they start casting. Plus, repetition makes everything stick better. The more often those kids check that their clauses or ingredients do what they're trying to use them for, the less they'll have to think when they need those same ingredients in the future. And the less they'll accidentally reach for an ingredient they don't need. One that might cause problems.

But Hawk Moth. He's taken away in cuffs, and there's little more to say. The officer is flabbergasted to find the lair under the mansion, and is very concerned for Emilie, but arrangements are quickly made. She'll stay here until a more qualified medical transport arrives, then she'll be moved to a hospital. The house will need to be searched, Adrien found and taken care of, the works. A lot of legal problems, of which, unfortunately, none are new to Carter. Ladybug looks a bit overwhelmed as they go over everything, but she handles it with aplomb.

The press is outside of the house before Carter even makes it to the exit. This, even he isn't used to. He's used to quiet thanks. One on one, through gestures, gifts, words. Sometimes there are tears. He's used to families inviting him into their homes, cooking for him, accepting him as thanks. He's used to the sparkle in kids' eyes as they look up at him, to wonder and awe at the knowledge he holds and the way he speaks. He's even used to anger and hate and spite and jealousy, to names and, on rare occasions, attacks. "Self-righteous" he is for talking as an authority on magic when he himself is non-magical. "Arrogant" for thinking he knows more than someone living their magic when he can only study and observe. And he is those things, too, sometimes. Arrogance and pride are not unknown to Carter.

But this? Flashing camera lights and reporters talking over each other for his attention? He's never encountered this before. His work always has been, and in the future most likely always will be, behind the scenes. Supporting those who are really the center of attention. And never with magic so open as this.

At least they're mostly focused on Ladybug. She's more accustomed to this sort of thing. Chat Noir, too.

"Where you reckon you want us, Boss?" Carter asks casually, wondering if he should stick around for what may be a press address on the takedown of Hawk Moth, or if he should make himself scarce and get started on the next important thing.

Ladybug raises her brow at him. "Stick close for now. They just want a few pictures. We'll make an official statement later, after we talk to the mayor. Will you join us for that, too?"

Carter looks to Avery. Neither of them are fans of the spotlight, really. Nor fancy events like some press conference. But if it's to support their students? "If you want us there." Carter says. "It's your moment."

Ladybug shakes her head. "We never would have done this without you two. It's all of ours."

"Naw, we're just here to support you. Always have been. This is your operation."

"Ladybug's right." Chat Noir says, smiling painfully. "This is a happy moment. You're part of it, too."

Carter sighs and shakes his head. "If you say so."

They hang around long enough for the press to get their pictures, and Ladybug talks briefly with Alya only, and then they all take off.

It doesn't much surprise Carter when Chat Noir lands inside their apartment, not much longer after he and Avery arrive themselves. No doubt the police are scrambling to find him, so Carter suspects they ought to move quickly on deciding what to do.

Still, patience is a virtue. He lets Avery sit down with Chat and goes to put on some tea. Once he has time to cool down and process, he walks home himself. As Adrien. Lets everyone see him walk up to the house, makes a show of his shock and confusion as to what's happening, lets himself get whisked away by the police. The officer on the scene says explicitly that no one believes Adrien had anything to do with Hawk Moth, but they have to talk to him regardless. That, and they have to figure out what he's going to do with his mother hospitalized and his father in jail.

Without any documentation linking them to Adrien, Carter and Avery are in no place to step in there, but before they gear up to call their favorite graphics wizard to forge something, Gerard shows up almost out of nowhere ranting casually about Adrien's bodyguard agreeing to be a temporary guardian, just until Emilie wakes up – and no he's not worried about Emilie not waking up, don't be absurd. He'll take the boy in himself if something happens to her – and how the quiet man – brooding, very charming, don't you think? Mysterious and suave like an ol- where was he? Oh, yes, the bodyguard has already agreed to the arrangements. Yes, he's taken the liberty of arranging it himself. Did so as soon as he heard of Gabriel's unfortunate side gig. Couldn't in good conscience leave a boy like Adrien floundering like a flounder out of water, now, can he?

Eccentric millionaires can get away with a lot.

It's good he steps in to help, though. Hawk Moth is taken down, but there's still more work to do before Carter and Avery can go home. First and foremost, making sure that Adrien has a mother to look after him when they're gone.