Chapter 6: Weredad
The scene opens up with Ladybug and Cat Noir just beating an akuma. Instead of canon where it's Auguste, this time around it's Jean Duparc, who has been re-akumatized into the Magician of Mayhem (previously the Magician of Misfortune). He's in Ms. Mendeleiev's class and is a, rather talented, amateur magician, but got set off when Chloe Bourgeois mocked his skills. (Chloe: Ugh, that Hawk Moth! I wish he'd disappear! I miss the days when you could tell someone how much they sucked without them coming after you as an akuma!)
Ladybug and Cat Noir wind up cornering him near Marinette's family's bakery. However, they do have help. Giselle Winters-Blanchet, as Snow, winds up with her powers activated. She's more confident as Snow Leopard and she does fluster around Cat Noir as she has feelings for him. She also, genuinely, laughs at his puns. She tries to stop herself; she knows he loves Ladybug. But she still has feelings for him.
They stop the Magician of Mayhem, and Ladybug runs after Snow to get answers for herself and for Master Fu. However, Snow is able to conjure ice with a double tap of her skates and is able to out-speed Ladybug, who has to duck behind her family's bakery as she transforms back.
That's when Cat Noir shows up, also pursing Snow. He sees Marinette Dupin-Cheng there, and it looks as if he's going to figure out that Marinette is Ladybug. So Marinette lies quickly and says she's following Cat Noir around because she's in love with him (possibly having gotten that idea from seeing how Snow acts around Cat Noir.)
This is when her father pops out to check what's going on, and he's thrilled his daughter would have such a protective boyfriend. He immediately invites Cat Noir for brunch, and Cat Noir awkwardly accepts. Marinette internally squirms as she doesn't like Cat Noir, not knowing he's actually Adrien Agreste, her real crush.
The next day, Cat Noir shows up for brunch, a bit wary because he knows he has to turn Marinette down because he loves Ladybug (again, not knowing Marinette is Ladybug). Tom Dupin, however, is thrilled about meeting his daughter's boyfriend and has made a lovely meal.
However, when Cat Noir breaks the news and Marinette fakes running off in tears, Mr. Dupin is devastated that his little girl is hurt and is ripe for akumatization by Hawk Moth, turning him into Weredad.
As Weredad, he turns the entire bakery into a giant castle, lifted into the sky by thorns to protect Marinette. Since Cat Noir is already on hand, he immediately begins to fight against Weredad. Marinette, however, struggles to get to Tikki amid the sky thorn labyrinth her father made. (These events are largely the same as canon.)
The thorn pillar is so high that it can be seen across Paris. Luka Couffaine is on his boat, practicing with Kitty Section, his band with Juleka Couffaine, Rose Lavillant, and Ivan Bruel. They get the Akuma Alert over their phones and stop practicing. When Luka checks his phone, he realizes that the Dupin Bakery is the scene of this akumatization. Afraid for Marinette, he takes off towards the bakery, giving some excuse for why. Along the way, his miraculous reacts, and he transforms into Alpha. By now, it needs to be hinted that the miraculous without kwamis are becoming more in-tune with their wielders. Their wielders are having more control over intentionally activating them as well as not being fully reliant on negative emotions and nearby elements—which is how they were originally intended when they were made; they were designed to evolve as such.
He arrives at the scene fully in his superhero alias and leaps over Alya Cesaire's head, who is filming the whole thing for her Ladyblog. Alpha begins climbing and leaping up the vines and quickly joins Cat Noir in his battle against Weredad. They have introductions amid the melee, and Cat Noir admits he 'thought he saw a wolf help them out before.' Cat Noir also calls Weredad out on a father condemning his child to loneliness. Alpha admits he's fairly impressed by the thoughtful comments; he didn't think Cat Noir had it in him. It's also possible during the fight that Alpha helps Cat Noir pull off a double Cataclysm with his Howl technique.
Marinette struggles to get to the heart of the maze and join Tikki to transform, but she finds the akumatized item (a rose) instead. Marinette destroys it, sending the whole tower toppling. However, this allows Tikki to get to her, and she transforms. As Ladybug, she de-evilizes the akuma in mid freefall. With three superheroes on hand, all four of them get to the ground safely. Ladybug uses her world-healing wave, and everything is safe. They invite Alpha to join in the "Pound It."
Mr. Dupin and Cat Noir and even Alpha hurry to see if Marinette is safe. Ladybug has to do some quick leaping to get ahead of them and detransform. Alpha then watches from a distance and leaves once he's sure she's okay. Cat Noir and Mr. Dupin and Marinette patch things up, and Cat Noir leaves.
Luka returns to band practice, smiling to himself. When Kitty Section asks what happens, he again gives vague answers. The group briefly discusses finding someone who could help them with set design and outfits. Luka says he already has someone in mind. They rock out.
Meanwhile, Giselle is glued to her computer when the newest blog post goes live, listing Tom Dupin as Weredad. Giselle remarks to herself that it seems like A LOT of akuma victims are from her school or related to people at her school. Her eyes start to go wide in realization, and she starts to cross reference. Kagami Tsurugi, Marc Anciel, and Mr. Haprele from her class. Aurore Beaureal and Jean Duparc from Ms. Mendeleiev's class. Just about EVERYONE from Miss Bustier's class including Miss Bustier herself. The only ones who haven't been akumatized in that class are Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupin-Cheng.
Giselle really gets thinking. Could it be that Hawk Moth is connected to someone at my school? Is Hawk Moth at my school himself? She starts looking into families of schoolmates. Sabrina's dad, Marinette's dad, Juleka's mom, Alya's sisters, even Max's robot. Now, there are a few villains whose IDs are unknown on the Ladyblog (one of which is the Collector). However, Giselle comes to realize that just about everyone in her school has been/has family who has been akumatized—except one. Adrien Agreste.
Giselle's conclusion? Adrien Agreste is Hawk Moth. (This is especially confirmed as she watches footage of Gorizilla where it's very clear he let Ladybug go to save Adrien.) She's scared of the thought. He seems so nice. And all she has is circumstantial evidence. Not enough to tell anyone about. But if he was Hawk Moth, isn't that exactly how he'd act? Perfectly nice so no one suspects who he is.
To be continued in Chapter 7: Dread Pirate Scarbeard…