Meanwhile, the battle was still raging on top of the Eiffel Tower. The Miraculous duo was holding their own, but the opponents just kept coming and they were both starting to tire.
"Get down!" Mister Bug called out. Lady Noire instantly hit the deck as a roped akuma whistled over her head. Her partner swung it around and around, taking out the couple layers of bad guys close to them.
"We've got to get out of here!" she called to him from the ground. "There's too many, and we won't be able to capture all the akumas one at time if they're constantly overrunning us like this!"
"What do you suggest?" he asked tersely, his attention focused on the felon in front of him.
"Um…" she looked around, when she finally lit upon an idea. She slid up to her crimson-clad partner, throwing an arm around his waist and pulling him flush to her body. "Hold on tight!" she cried, extending the baton as high as it would go at the last minute, causing the villains to collide. Unfortunately, the collision knocked over the baton, sending the two heroes flying clear across the city. They tucked themselves into forward rolls, skidding to a halt in the middle of a deserted street. The two sprinted into an alleyway, dropping their transformations gratefully.
"That was a close one," Adrien said, breathing heavily as Marinette pulled out snacks for Tikki and Plagg. She nodded, looking downcast. Adrien pulled her gently into his arms, guiding her to the ground, holding her as she rubbed her forehead. Her stress was getting to her again. They stayed locked together silently for a while, just basking in the feeling of each other.
"I'm sorry about your mother," Adrien said after a time, holding her tightly to his chest as he heard her sniffle briefly. Tears came to his own eyes as he remembered how he'd found Sabine, trapped beneath some fallen boards, completely unconscious. He didn't know if she'd been breathing or not when he'd rescued her, but her skin on her face and arms was badly burned. He took a deep breath, trying to push the feelings and tears away. He had no reason to get so upset; it wasn't like it was his mother, after all.
But it was, a small voice in his head reminded him. His own mother was a very, very distant memory now with the effects of his memory loss. Sabine was the closest person he'd had to a mother that he could remember. She was suffering, and he wasn't sure if she was going to make it, or if the Miraculous Ladybug spell would be able fix everything. They didn't even know what started the fire.
Yes, he was sad for Marinette, but he was also devastated for himself. He gave up on pretending and let his tears flow unchecked. The two of them clung to each other, sobbing, until neither of them could cry one more drop. This had been happening way too much lately, Adrien thought wryly.
Marinette sighed tiredly as they sat there in the silence. "You know, I probably should have just found someone else to give my Miraculous to once my powers started to weaken," she said finally. Adrien tried to contradict her, but she continued. It was as though a dam had burst and all the words, thoughts and feelings from the past several months all spilled out at once. "I- I haven't done well as Ladybug since that battle all those months ago. Don't look at me like that, you know it's true. " She accused, effectively shutting him up as he glared at her self-abasement. "I didn't give it up entirely because I thought it would be an insult to your memory when I thought you were…well, you know… but…but…I did terrible without you. You're the real hero," she said sadly. "Without you, things all fell to pieces.
"If I wasn't such a terrible superhero, none of this would have happened. You'd still have your memories, Lila wouldn't have a Miraculous, and Maman…" she swallowed, switching tracks suddenly. "I mean, superheroes are supposed to love it, aren't they? Saving people, being in the thick of the action, giving up everything else to keep people safe… But I…I'm just doing it because people are counting on me. If I had a choice, I'd have left the danger and the super suits to someone else from the beginning." She glanced up at him, but he was only watching her intently, so she returned her gaze to her lap.
She must have been bottling all this up for a long time, Adrien thought to himself. Best for her to just let it out.
"I'm not brave, Adrien. Not outside the mask. Or strong, or powerful, or graceful, or anything else that everyone thinks Ladybug is. I'm not the person everyone thinks I am." Her hands came up to clutch at her temples again. "I let Chloe and Lila push me around all through school, for heaven's sake! I don't have a clue what I'm doing most of the time. I constantly trip over thin air. And now everything is so messed up…my powers…and you don't remember anything from before…and…" she sighed. "And I'm worried you'll see all of that and think, 'Who is that fake? Her powers are lost, she's not a true hero! She can't even take care of herself, much less save anyone! She's too broken! She's not worth my love, or my attention!' I'm afraid that you'll decide one day I'm not worth the trouble and just…be gone again. Only by your own choosing this time." She finished quietly, hiding her face in her hands, resting it atop her knees.
"If I were really a good superhero, I would have been focused that day!" She cried suddenly. "You wouldn't have needed to put yourself in the way to save me! You almost died because of me! It's my fault!" Somehow, her body found the liquid for more tears; she'd been sure her eyes had completely dried up.
Adrien pulled his hurting partner into his lap, leaning over her as though he were shielding her with his body from all her dark thoughts. His chin rested on her shoulder, his unexpected tears joining hers, mingling on both of their cheeks as pain swirled in his chest at her admission. It was as though he felt her feelings as acutely as she did; he didn't want her to have to feel this way, like she had to take blame on herself for circumstances beyond her control.
Suddenly, a familiar power coursed through them, making them gasp. Without a word being spoken, the Miraculous' were suddenly in their original places and Tikki swirled into the earrings. Bubbles of pink magic engulfed her small form, lifting her to a standing position, and where Marinette had been moments before, Ladybug appeared in her place. Except, she looked different.
Her mask was the same as usual, but her hair was pulled up into a messy bun tied with a red ribbon instead of her twin pigtails. Her suit had changed, with black armor over the shoulders and black gauntlets on her hands, wrists, and forearms. The remainder was still the same stretchy red and black-spotted material, except for a pair of tall black knee-high boots, similar to the ones she had worn as Lady Noire. A circle of black was placed in the very center of her chest, bearing the symbol of the Miraculous. A shield was slung over her back, like Adrien had had as Mister Bug, and her yo-yo was wrapped like a belt around her waist.
Adrien's jaw dropped. He jumped to his feet, staring at Ladybug, impatiently scrubbing at his face. His Princess looked like a queen! She stood regally, confidently, though her face betrayed her confusion.
"Wh-what just happened?" she asked, looking down at herself. Adrien smiled a little.
"If this were a video game, I'd say you had leveled up," he said. "You…you look amazing, Mari! This is you- the real you. The one you've been hiding away." He pulled her in and crashed his lips against hers. She stiffened for a moment, pulling back away from him, her eyes still doubtful.
"But…but why? Why am I suddenly like…this? I didn't transform! And why is this Ladybug the real me? How do you know Ladybug isn't just…I don't know, an act I put on so people will like me? Or just…filling the role of a superhero? How do you know the plain, everyday girl isn't the real me, the one that does dumb things all the time and feels insecure about everything?
Adrien shook his head in slight amusement. "Mari, don't you understand? They're both you!" He wrapped her up in his arms. "The confident, regal, amazing, indestructible Ladybug is what you look like when you live up to your full potential. But we're human. We aren't able to live up to that full potential all the time. It just isn't possible. The Marinette that has fears and insecurities, who loves and hurts and tries and fails, isn't a worse person than the Ladybug that does all those same things, just in a different way. It's just another… facet of a gorgeous diamond in the rough." He gave her a tender look. "Each piece is needed to make up you. And I love all the pieces, not just some of them."
Now it was her turn to grab her wonderful boyfriend and kiss him senseless. He responded enthusiastically, leaning one arm against the wall behind her as he pressed her body between himself and the wall, cupping her face with his other hand. They lost themselves in each other, thoughts of the fight and Scarlet Papillon and everything else far, far away at the moment.
They broke apart, gasping for air as Ladybug had a thought hit her. "That day! When your hair changed back! Does- does that mean-?"
"The magic changed me back to my true self," he breathed. "The self I was hiding." Marinette nodded.
"Looks like your theory was right." She paused, brow furrowed. "But...why? What caused the magic to change us?"
Adrien looked thoughtful. "Maybe...didn't Tikki say we're meant to be soulmates, that we balance each other?"
Ladybug nodded, wondering where he could possibly be going with this.
"What if...what if, once we found each other again, we were still out of balance... because we were hiding parts of ourselves from each other?" He looked excited now. "Remember? I showed you my true feelings for you that night! And- and just now, you finally let me in to your own private hell that you've been living in for months. We both got changed back once we determined not to hide anymore!" Ladybug's eyes went wide with astonishment.
A sudden rumble under their feet startled them. They stared around, looking for the source.
"Plagg, claws out!" Adrien muttered, at once becoming Chat Noir, though it seemed that his Lady's new transformation and his subsequent part in it had leveled him up, as well. His suit was now no longer fully black, but speckled with lime green detailing, just as Lady Noire's was. It was still leather, and his belt-tail still trailed behind him, but the suit design was less Mandarin, more modern. He had leather pants, and a long, steam-punk-style motorcycle jacket that gave the illusion of it being a shirt and a trench coat, with lime green laces at the shoulders of the sleeves, buckles on either side of the collar and buttons decorating the cuffs. His hair was stylishly messy, and his mask and fuzzy cat ears the same as before. The look was completed by a pair of black boots studded with silver rivets. Ladybug looked at him in awe, but he just smirked, poking her forehead like she used to do to him.
"Maybe let's leave the gawking til later, Milady," he teased. "Right now, we have some things to take care of." She shook herself roughly out of her daze.
"Look at you, being all responsible," she quipped back. "Tikki must have had more of an effect on you than I thought." He rolled his eyes.
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm digging the bad-boy look these days, Bugaboo," he said, waving a hand airily. He turned toward the street, ready for action, when Ladybug grabbed his arm.
"Wait! My powers! Do you think-" She was cut off by a loud CRASH! from the street. Chat Noir shook his head.
"No time, cherie. We'll figure it out as we go. Come on!" He grabbed her tightly around the waist, extending his baton to deposit them securely on the rooftop as they began to run. They hadn't gone but a few steps when they were waylaid by a couple akumas attacking from up high. The duo quickly disabled them, capturing their akumas in Ladybug's yo-yo.
"I really hope this works," she murmured, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw that the butterflies she released were, thankfully, a pure white.
"Congratulations, Milady," Chat purred, kissing her hand. "Your powers are back." She rolled her eyes fondly at him, but she couldn't disguise the joyous sparkle in her blue eyes as she reveled in the fact.
They heard another sound coming towards them and ducked behind a chimney just as another few akumas trudged passed.
"What do we do now?" Chat asked, looking to his Lady, like always, for a game plan. She cupped her chin thoughtfully.
"Do you…sorry, maybe you don't." She cut herself off, but that only made him look more confused. "I was going to ask if you remembered our battle with Hawkmoth on Hero's Day. That would have been several years ago now." She fiddled with a loose strand of hair that had escaped it's bun as he shook his head. "Hawkmoth became Scarlet Moth and was able to akumatize basically all of Paris. He got extra powers somehow, but…I think we had to break something of his to change him back," she said, trying to remember. "We had to take him down before things went back to normal. The akumas, while difficult and annoying, were just a distraction."
Chat Noir studied her. "So you're saying that we need to find this Scarlet Papillon and change her back to just Papillon," he said slowly. "Ignore everything else and go for the source?"
Ladybug nodded. "Exactly, Chaton," she answered. Her brow furrowed. "I don't have any idea where Papillon could be, though. You?" He shrugged.
"Maybe the Mayor's office? If Nathalie is working with her, it's possible they decided to hide out in plain sight. No one would expect them to try something that bold in such a public, secure place like City Hall." Chat rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Or, maybe my father would know. Lila modeled for him for years, and Nathalie was his assistant." He shifted uneasily. "I'd rather not have to ask my father for anything if I don't have to, though. While I may not remember much about him, I'd rather not go there. For sanity's sake, if nothing else."
Ladybug nodded in understanding. "Let's go check out City Hall first. If we come up empty, we can see about your father. Ok?"
Chat Noir nodded. "Next stop: City Hall," he said, a steely glint in his eye. Hopefully, they were about to finish this once and for all.
As it turned out, the heroes first guess was the right one. Talk about lucky, Ladybug thought wryly as they peeked into the Mayor's office. They also had been able to easily evade the guard akumas outside. Scarlet Papillon evidently didn't expect Ladybug and Chat to be able to intrude so far into their secret sanctuary. Rookie mistake, Ladybug scoffed to herself as they spied on their foes.
There were two women, or what they suspected were women. One was decked out in red from head to toe. Her scarlet suit and scarf tied in a bow stood out against the neutral tones of the room, clashing horribly with her auburn hair, and she held a cane in her hand. The other person was wearing a sleek black helmet and her suit was a matching black with red piping.
Ladybug exchanged a look with Chat before the two of them slid quietly into the room. Even with the Miraculous aiding her senses, Lila didn't notice them. They set themselves up on either side of the villainous duo before Chat smirked confidently.
"You know, if you're going to cause a cat-astrophe, you should at least be considerate enough not to bug us with it," he said, twirling his baton expertly in his hand. "I'm feline generous today though, so you'd butter-fly away while you still can," he grinned dangerously.
Scarlet Papillon and the other villain whipped around, glaring first at the two heroes, then at each other, before rushing them, weapons drawn. Ladybug and Chat Noir waited, then sprang into action as the other two reached them. Ladybug engaged with the unknown villain, who she supposed was probably Nathalie, while Chat took Scarlet Papillon, his baton matching her cane more closely in terms of style of weapon.
Scarlet Papillon, while a formidable foe, didn't have the experience or agility that Chat had been blessed with. He moved about her like a cyclone, whirling and twisting, flipping and tumbling. He could see his opponent was tiring slightly, her blows becoming wild and unfocused as slowly ran out of energy. She began to resort to underhanded verbal attacks, trying to catch her opponent off guard.
"Your father would be ashamed of you, Adrien," she snarled. Chat, who was actually mildly surprised that she knew who he was, struggled not to let it show on his face.
"I'm sure he would be," Chat agreed. "Fact of the matter is, I don't really care what he thinks anymore. Losing most of one's memories will do that, you know." As she gasped in shock at his words, he dodged her next blow. "What I don't get, is why you hate Ladybug so much." She swung at him again, but he lazily parried the blow. "Yeah, she humiliated you, but she tried to make it right. Why can't you just let it go?"
Lila snarled, lunging for him again. She missed as he danced out of reach. "Because Ladybug took everything from me!" she shouted, attempting to batter Chat Noir as if with a club or a baseball bat. He rolled his eyes, blocking her blows with a spinning staff.
"You're being a little overly dramatic, don't you think? Besides, Ladybug, while the fiercest babe I've ever met, doesn't try to hurt people intentionally."
Lila smirked, leaping back to face him from across the room. "You said you lost your memories? Well, let me enlighten you. 'Ladybug' turned all my friends against me in lycée. She got me in trouble in school. I became an akuma because of her! Three or four different times! And somehow, Adrien Agreste found out and threatened to have me fired from modeling for being akumatized! Oh right…that was you!"
Chat stared at her, but before he could say anything a series of flashbacks zoomed through his mind.
Seventeen year old Chat was out on patrol, leaping through the rooftops. Ladybug had said she was taking the day off, so when he caught sight of a tiny red speck sitting on a chimney in the distance, his heart leapt with joy. Finishing his patrol, he hurried over to her, to find that she was crying.
"Milady? What is it?" he asked, sitting down beside her, careful not to touch in case she wasn't in that sort of mood. To his surprise, she launched herself into his arms.
"Chat," she cried, unable to continue. He held her, murmuring softly in her ear and rocking her slowly until she was calm enough to speak.
"There's- there's this girl at my school," she began. "She…she got everyone to hate me. She told a bunch of lies and set me up so it looks like I'm a liar and thief…and I got expelled today." She started to sob again. "M-my parents aren't even completely sure I'm not lying! My best friend can't find any evidence to support my side of the story! A lot of the incidents are just my word against hers, and for some reason, everyone believes her over me! Every. Single. Damn. Time! And…and Hawkmoth…he- he akumatized me. And everyone else in school. We were released- I don't know why- but it was terrible!"
Chat was silent for a moment. This sounded awfully familiar. And if there was one thing he knew about Ladybug, it was that she was honest, almost to a fault…
"The girl…she wouldn't happen to be named Lila, would she?" Ladybug stared up at him in shock.
"How did you know?"
He waved a hand. "Just met her a few times," he said vaguely. "She's a real piece of work." His hold tightened on Ladybug. "I'm so sorry, Bug. I want to help." She smiled up at him sadly.
"Thanks Kitty, but I doubt anyone could help now."
The scene changed. Adrien and Lila were waiting side by side next to the Seine. The photo shoot was scheduled to start soon. Adrien looked at the girl by his side, eyes narrowed.
"Lila, can I talk to you about something?"
She turned to him, putting a perfectly-manicured hand on his arm, trailing her fingers up to his shoulder. He repressed a shudder.
"Of course, Adrien! We're…friends, after all," she said sweetly. The tone she used made Adrien feel sick. His eyes hardened.
"I know about that girl you got expelled from school," he said. She looked taken aback, but he continued. "And I know that you lied and manipulated to get her in trouble for things she didn't do. Don't ask how I know, because I can't tell you. Now, I don't know how you made everyone believe you, and frankly, I don't want to know." He got right in her face, his eyes sparking dangerously. His Chat side was coming out strong. "What I do know," he said softly, "is that if you want to keep your position as a model here, you will tell one more lie. This time, to fix the wrongs you've done." And before Lila could defend herself, he got up from his chair and stalked off without another word.
Chat leaped happily up to his and Ladybug's spot on the Eiffel Tower. His partner was already there, looking peaceful as she looked out over the city.
"Good evening, Milady," he said formally. "How are things?"
She smiled up at him as he took a seat beside her. "Much better, thanks, Chat," she replied. He casually raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?" Ladybug smiled.
"I'm back in school!" she said happily. "I don't know why Lila told more lies to put me back in class, but I'm grateful either way," she added, looking thoughtful and maybe a little sad. "The whole thing kinda blew up in her face, though. It seems that my coming back was enough proof she lied that people have started to avoid her. Like…almost everyone. There's a lot of rumors going around now about the things she's said in the past…" Ladybug sighed. "She seems really angry at me still. I think she blames me for how people reacted to her once they knew what she'd done. But, she did fix things."
Chat smiled. "I'm glad everything worked out." They sat in silence for a moment, then he pulled a paper sack from his belt, offering it to Ladybug. "Cookie?"
"Chat, look out!"
He came back to himself just in time to see Scarlet Papillon leaping towards him. He knew he wouldn't be able to raise his weapon in time, so he flipped smoothly out of the way.
"So you see, Chat Noir," Scarlet Papillon panted, lunging for him again. "Ladybug destroyed my life! It seems only fitting that I destroy hers." Chat's eyes narrowed.
"This isn't lycée anymore, Lila. It seems you still have some homework to do! Nobody believes your lies anymore! They all know better."
Then he feinted a blow to her left side, twisting at the last moment toward the right to sweep her feet out from under her. He brandished his baton like a fencing saber, holding the tip to her throat dramatically.
"Cataclysm," he incanted calmly, pressing a glowing finger to Scarlet Papillon's scarf she wore around her neck. The scarf disintegrated, releasing Papillon from Catalyst's power. The absence of the scarf revealed a purple brooch pinned to Papillon's plum-colored jacket. Chat quickly retrieved the Miraculous, leaving an angry Lila lying prone on the floor of the the Mayor's office.
"NO!" she screamed, her olive green eyes flashing dangerously. She didn't dare move an inch though, because Chat still had her pinned with his staff.
"Looks like your black magic days are over, Lila," he smirked. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to make a few calls."
Meanwhile, Ladybug had been holding her own against Catalyst. She was quick, but seemed a little rusty on her fighting. Ladybug was able to land a few blows before Catalyst seemed to try another strategy.
"Tell me, Ladybug, how does it feel to lose your powers?" she said deviously, holding out a hand. Her bright red fingertips were glowing. Ladybug watched her warily. She was sure things would really get ugly if she were to be touched. She quickly pulled out her yo-yo, leaping as far away as she dared.
"Lucky Charm," she said, hoping it would work. Thankfully, a red and black object dropped into her hand- a thumb drive. "Huh?" she said stupidly, trying to figure out what she was supposed to do. She didn't see anything yet. She hoped her lucky vision had been restored, too and the timing was just a little off.
She began spinning the yo-yo in a circular motion to deflect the villain's advances. She soon found out that Catalyst's abilities to add or take away powers didn't just apply to people. As the older woman snagged her yo-yo with one of her glowing fingers, it lost the ability to function normally.
She could no longer swing it to use as a shield. That wasn't good. She flipped out of the way, landing on the other side of the mayor's desk, scattering papers far and wide. She grabbed at her shield, but it seemed it was only for the Ladybug effect, thoroughly stuck to her uniform.
"You think you can beat me?" Catalyst sneered. "I've been planning this for months, Ladybug!"
Ladybug pretended to consider this, stalling for time as she hoped her lucky vision would kick in. "Months, huh? So, what? You built up an akuma army, insulted me publicly to bust my confidence, and waited until my powers were shot in the meantime? All so you could…obtain ultimate power, or something?"
Catalyst smirked. "Smart girl. Hawkmoth never said you had such a quick wit. You'd be better off joining us than going to prison."
Ladybug rolled her eyes. "Sorry to disappoint, but it will be you that ends up in prison."
She was elated when her lucky vision showed itself for the first time in months, highlighting the curtains, the thumb drive, a specific drawer in Nathalie's desk, a tablet, Chat's green eyes, and the door.
She quickly leaped over, pulling two long curtains to the ground. "Chat, catch!" she cried, tossing one curtain to him. He deftly plucked it out of the air, tying up the woman who had, only a few minutes previously, been Papillon. Ladybug, using her super agility, wrapped up Catalyst in the other curtain, tying it neatly in a pretty bow. Once Catalyst was incapacitated, She tossed the thumb drive into the air calling, "Miraculous Ladybug!"
"Police are on their way, Milady," she heard Chat say. She nodded but didn't answer.
The red-clad superhero stalked confidently to the desk, finding the signature Nathalie tablet, which she dropped to the floor and stomped on, releasing the akuma. Catalyst became Nathalie again, and Ladybug happily purified the akuma. She sprinted back to the desk, wrenching open the drawer and snatching a thumb drive almost identical to the one that had been her lucky charm, only in solid black.
She caught Chat's eyes with her own, and she tossed him the thumb drive, which he connected to the security camera, downloading the evidence. Then he stepped out of sight of the security cameras to transform back into himself. It seemed that Chat and she had simultaneously made the same plan, because he didn't even question her.
Chat's transformation ended not a moment too soon. Adrien appeared just as the police and a news crew burst into the room.
"L-Ladybug!" the police chief said. "What are you doing here? You're under-"
"Hold on, officer," Adrien stepped in front of Ladybug protectively. "Ladybug just saved us from a supervillain! We can't arrest her!"
Lila interjected, looking livid. "Yes you can! Arrest her! She's been plotting to overthrow the Mayor!" The police then noticed Lila and Nathalie, still tied up in the curtains. "She tried to force us to hand power over to her, and when we refused, she destroyed the city with that army of felons! She deserves to be behind bars!" Ladybug stayed silent, though confidently stood her ground, while Adrien spoke up again.
"Actually, sir, the Mayor and Miss Rossi here have been playing Hawkmoth for the past few months," he said confidently, holding up the thumb drive. "Watch this and see for yourself! The time stamp proves I didn't have time to alter it in any way."
The police chief took the tiny computer chip from him, handing it off to the news crew, who plugged it into one of their computers. The footage was several hours long, but it clearly showed the process of Lila transforming into Papillon, giving Nathalie power to become Catalyst, and then Nathalie, in turn, giving more power to Lila as Scarlet Papillon. It also showed Ladybug being summoned, a glowing mask on her face as Lila forced Ladybug to do her bidding. Then they skipped forward to the battle as Chat and Ladybug brought Papillon and Catalyst to their knees, so to speak.
"So you see, officer," Ladybug chimed in, "Anything I did today that hurt anyone was purely due to the akumas. And now you know who is behind them."
"And…Chat Noir is alive?" the police chief asked, looking dazed. Adrien and Ladybug nodded in unison.
"I saw him myself, sir," Adrien said, his lips turning up in a secret smirk. "He said he had to scat, he was about to change back."
"NOOO!" Lila screeched. "You idiots! Don't you see?! He's Chat Noir!" Adrien rolled his eyes, grinning a Cheshire Cat grin.
"Now, now, Miss Rossi, you can't just accuse people of things without proof," he smiled wickedly. "Someone might think you were a compulsive liar, after all."
It took all of Ladybug's self control to keep from bursting out laughing at the expression on Lila's face. She looked like someone had slapped her. "I think you can take them away now, Chief Raincomprix," Ladybug suggested. The police chief did as he was told, and the news crews followed the villains and their escorts out of the office.
Adrien and Ladybug looked to each other, eyes sparkling with mirth.
"Bien joue!" they chorused softly, happily exchanging a fist bump, before following the procession from the room.