Chapter 49: Shark Regina
Nathaniel Kurtzberg and Marc Anciel are hanging out at Nathaniel's apartment, putting the finishing touches on their manuscript before sending it in for final review with a prospective agent. They're eating pizza as they work and having fun and laughing together. Marc again notices that Nathaniel's parents are nowhere to be found. Nathaniel remarks that he wouldn't even know they were around if their stuff didn't occasionally move while he was asleep or at school. Marc notices that Nathaniel is pretty jovial when he says that, but he thinks that Nathaniel must be pretty lonely at home.
As they work, Nathaniel decides to brooch the topic that's been hanging over the B Team's heads. He asks Marc if he (Marc) has ever heard of a "kwami." Marc is clueless. Nathaniel explains that he learned something new about Ladybug and Cat Noir's miraculous (and presumably the miraculouses of everyone from Hawk Moth to Viperion). He explains that kwamis are little animal-like, genie-like creatures that live alongside each miraculous and give it its power and the user the ability to transform. He sorta jokes it off, saying that their comic doesn't reflect that part of the miraculouses.
Marc, however, can tell that something is bothering Nathaniel, so he asks about it and where Nathaniel learned about kwamis and what they even look like, as he's having a hard time imagining animal-genies. Nathaniel sketches two kwamis (Froppy and Dark Shadow) as he explains that first he heard of them from his allies on the B Team (Froppy and Tsukuyomi) and then had it confirmed by Ladybug and Cat Noir themselves (also confirmed through the B Team's interactions with the golden duo). Marc is surprised to hear this is true, but he's been watching Nathaniel as Firefly long enough to be semi-used to the magics that are running around Paris.
However, Marc still senses there's more to the story than Nathaniel is explaining ("more to the story"—because he's a writer, get it?). Nathaniel admits that he's "probably going to be getting a kwami soon" if their theory is correct. Marc wonders why Nathaniel isn't more excited about this, so Nathaniel explains what happened to his teammates (Froppy and Tsukuyomi)—how they "cocooned up" for one to three days, lost in their own powers, and when they were released, their kwamis were formed. They had and have no idea what triggered this, and as far as anyone can tell, there's no way to stop this either except maybe stop being a superhero, which Nathaniel admits he doesn't want to do.
Marc is alarmed to hear this and asks Nathaniel to repeat himself, which he does. Marc asks Nathaniel about what he plans to do, and Nathaniel admits he doesn't know. He explains it was really hard for Tsukuyomi because he (Tsukuyomi) just went missing from his family for half a week. However, Nathaniel points out that his parents wouldn't even notice he's gone. He could become a ball of light in his room right now, and they'd never know. Marc definitely notices Nathaniel trying to joke off his bad relationship with his parents, but that deep down, Nathaniel is very hurt by them overworking themselves and neglecting him. Nathaniel continues that Marc would have to cover for him—just make up an excuse as to why he'd miss school for a couple of days and call Principal Damocles, so the principal doesn't call his parents and create a stir.
Marc doesn't like this plan at all as he's not comfortable with Nathaniel being trapped by his powers or about having to lie and hide it. He's also surprised by how frankly Nathaniel can speak on the matter, but Nathaniel admits he's had several days to think things over and come to terms with it. He admits that it's not a guarantee that this will happen to him. After all, there's still much about their magic items they don't know, and they're not certain about what caused Froppy and Tsukuyomi to curl up anyway. And the B Team is trying to see if they can speed up the whole process so it doesn't take days. But he admits that since it happened to two members of the B Team, it could happen to any one of them as well—and he is the one who has been using his magical item the longest. Marc still isn't happy, but Nathaniel makes him promise to cover for him. Marc, begrudgingly, promises.
Nathaniel gives Marc a chat server log in, and Marc is confused about it. Nathaniel explains that if anything happens to Firefly, Marc is to contact the people on that chat server and tell them what happened (and not until then). They're his allies after all—just don't reveal their real names. Marc feels uneasy about the whole thing, but Nathaniel is forceful and doesn't stop until Marc agrees.
The conversation changes to their characters: The Mighty Illustrator, and their versions of Ladybug and Cat Noir. The prompts Marc Anciel to ask Nathaniel, "so, when are you actually going to talk to Marinette?"
Nathaniel stammers, trying to deny that he knows what Marc means. Marc says it's pretty clear Nathaniel still has feelings for Marinette. Nathaniel insists he's over them as Marinette turned him down way back in the Evil Illustrator episode. Marc doesn't buy it, so he pressures Nathaniel. Nathaniel relents and admits that despite Marinette rejecting him, he still likes her. Marc wonders why Nathaniel doesn't talk to her then. Nathaniel says it's because he doesn't feel it's honest—because he also likes Ladybug. And it's not fair to confess to either of them when his heart isn't fully loyal.
Marc agrees and sees his point. But he also tells Nathaniel that if he keeps dragging his feet, he's going to lose his chance at both of them. It's pretty clear Cat Noir has strong feelings for Ladybug, and he might just convince her yet if Firefly doesn't speak up. And half the school knows that Luka likes Marinette. Plus, Marc has heard a rumor that Marinette herself has a crush—on Adrien Agreste. If Nathaniel Kurtzberg doesn't speak up soon, one of the other guys might win her heart.
Nathaniel dryly notes that if Marc was trying to cheer him up, it's sorta not working. Marc shrugs; he doesn't really get all the complications and drama in romance (as he's ace in this version), but "it seems to me that if your heart is really full of love, you'd want to talk to the person you care about." Nathaniel admits this is true. He really does want to have lunch and talk and laugh with Marinette and see her smile. But…he also wants to do the same with Ladybug. Marc poses a question "is it worth it to hang in limbo?" Which Nathaniel admits it isn't. Marc tells him that if he gets rejected, then maybe he could at least move on rather than being stuck, not knowing. "And if they both do reject you, I'll buy you a new pencil set." Nathaniel dryly says he appreciates it; even though Marc isn't the best at delivering romantic advice, he does make great points. And as Nathaniel or Firefly, he needs to make a choice. But who? Marinette? Or Ladybug? (Do guys talk about their feelings like this for this long? Or is this more of a how girls would talk about their crushes?)
The next scene is at school in the morning (presumably the prior scene that happened was over the weekend). Adrien Agreste is dropped off in a limo by the gorilla—but he's not alone. Not only does Felix Graham de Vanily get out but also Nicholas Sancoeur. Nathalie Sancoeur decided it was best to enroll her nephew in the same school as Adrien, and since all the boys are living in the same manor, it only makes sense that they attend the same school and carpool there together. Adrien is pretty happy about the arrangement. Felix keeps glaring at Nicholas, but Nicholas ignores him with professional stoicism. It's revealed that Nicholas has also been put into Mr. Haprele's class, which means he also is in the same class as Kagami Tsurugi, Marc, and Felix. Having yet another transfer student does get the school's rumor mill turning. Gilles Chastain is assigned to help show Nicholas around school, much like how Tsuyu agreed to show Fumikage when he was new. (Felix had the same choice, but he refused to accept any help.)
Sabrina Raincomprix passes by Chloe Bourgeois at her locker. It's awkward and quiet between the two of them. Barkk, who is hiding in Sabrina's bag, notices Sabrina is saddened by this. She whispers to try to cheer Sabrina up. Sabrina thanks the kwami and gives her a milkbone before heading to class. Ironically, not far over, Barbarra also notices something is weird between Chloe and Sabrina. Chloe brushes Barbarra off, shoves her in her purse, and goes on her way.
Nathaniel Kurtzberg and Marc Anciel are talking again while they wait for the bell, and Marc notices Marinette Dupin-Cheng entering. Marc nudges Nathaniel to go talk to her. However, Nathaniel hesitates. He already got turned down once, and it's really hard to find the right words to say. Marc tries to encourage him, reminding him about what they talked about that morning. Nathaniel agrees—but then an idea hits him. He'll talk to Marinette that afternoon, but he has to do it in a way that is "him." Marc doesn't really understand, but he supports his friend.
As always, everyone else is hanging out with friends before school begins too. Nicolette Lacroix and Monique Imhof share some chocolate that Mathieu Anciel gave to Monique; Monique says it's too much for one person. Mylene Haprele hands Juleka Couffaine an advertisement for another modeling competition. Juleka is very nervous about it, but Mylene and Rose Lavillant encourage her to enter. Jean Duparc practices his newest magic trick for Ivan Bruel and Le Chien Kim. Gilles Chastain shows Nicholas Sancouer where all the classrooms are, and Gilles tells him a bit about all the teachers. (You can find all the classes here: (( photos . app . goo . gl / cgLSrNi71rxfep9e8 )).)
Marinette arrives to her class early as Alya Cesaire was busy talking to Nino Lahiffe. She's surprised to see Adrien Agreste already in his seat. He greets her, and Marinette stumbles over a greeting back. She remembers how adult Bunnyx helped her calm down before, so she begins to focus on her breathing. Marinette asks Adrien why he arrived so early, and Adrien explained that Nicholas had to be dropped off to finish his first day paperwork. Marinette wonders who Nicholas is, so Adrien explains what he knows about his father's assistant, Nathalie Sancoeur, who had to adopt her nephew after her older brother recently passed away. Marinette is saddened by this news and expresses as much. Adrien thanks her, and then he adds that Nathalie never stopped working and now his parents are home receiving care instead of in the hospital. Marinette acknowledges that that's great news and asks how they are. Adrien says they're still comatose, so she comforts him and cheers him up.
By that time, the rest of the class has arrived. Marinette glances into her purse at Tikki and silently cheers at being able to have a normal conversation with Adrien. Tikki smiles and nods, though she still sees the topic (Gabriel Agreste) being distasteful as he's Hawk Moth and brought his situation upon himself. Not that she can say as much.
In the back of the classroom, Nathaniel takes his seat and starts on a new sketch.
Lessons begin as usual, and Dolores Gros pulls Marie Chauveau out of class for her mental health screening. Mr. Haprele excuses her, so Marie heads to the counselor's office. Madam Gros is pleasant enough, asking the usual questions about school and family and hobbies and emotions. Marie is fairly normal if a bit vain and arrogant. She has an unhealthy obsession with yaoi fiction, and she admits she pushes guys of any persuasion to kiss other guys just to see if they like it—all so she can watch. She actually gets creepy enough on the topic that Madam Gros changes the subject.
Madam Gros asks Marie about her family and her childhood. Marie admits that as a kid she was a complete tomboy: short hair, unfashionable clothing, dirty knees, the whole bit. But when she got her first crush, she cleaned up just for him: make-up, nice clothes, perfect hair, all. He turned her down very, very cruelly. That's when Marie turned her back on straight guys.
The counselor notes that Marie has never been akumatized before. Marie pretty much says "yeah, duh, I'm way too confident and too collected to give in to akumatization." This opens a window for Marie to start bragging about how great she is—and about what she would do if she had powers. A lot of what she says is very arrogant and wish fulfillment; she'd use various superpowers for her own glory. For example, "if I had magic hair, I'd have an awesome new hair style every day on top of looking fabulous while stopping Hawk Moth" and "if I could control light like Firefly, I'd make sure I always had the spotlight on myself so everyone would notice me." However, she also goes on to add several very good insights on things Team Ladybug and The B Team could have done differently to lead to a faster defeat of the akumatized victim or even finding Hawk Moth once and for all. For example, "if I were facing against Medusa, I would have outsped her so her snake hair tangled into knots and she couldn't fight back" and "I don't know why Fire Defender gave them such a hard time, they should have just tripped him so he fell into the river or a pool or something water."
Madam Gros asks Marie what she thinks of Ladybug, and Marie accuses Ladybug of deliberately letting Hawk Moth get away so she (Ladybug) can continue to be in the spotlight. She actually wonders if Ladybug and Cat Noir are working with Hawk Moth, and she offers so very misinterpreted evidence to support this theory.
The counselor sees her chance and realizes Marie Chauveau could be useful to her cause. Dolores Gros pulls out her miraculous box and offers Marie the toe ring from it. Dolores explains she's a guardian from the Western Order of the Miraculous, and she needs allies—allies to help her stop the abuse of powers by the miraculous wielders in Paris (the same line she told both Pierre and Chloe). She claims that Marie is right—that Ladybug is working with Hawk Moth, and that they all need to be stopped for abusing their magical items. She goes on to add that every time miraculous clash, they create chaos magic. Ladybug and Hawk Moth are pretending to clash to create more and more chaos magic. They want enough to hold Paris hostage—that's when Ladybug will reveal her true nature.
If Marie accepts the toe ring, she'll gain the power of the Capricorn—but she is only to use her powers when Dolores tells her and only to stop Ladybug, Cat Noir, Hawk Moth, and Mayura from abusing their miraculous.
She exclaims, "I knew it!" Marie doesn't hesitate at all. She wants magical powers. Which is actually true for a large number of teens in Paris. I mean, who wouldn't see other teens jumping around with magical powers and want them too? Marie kicks off her shoe and places the ring on her toe—and Pann the shark-goat kwami appears. Marie actually thinks he's pretty cute and hugs him tightly. When Pann can breathe again, he introduces himself as the kwami of (insert unused concept here.) Whenever Marie utters the words of transformation, she'll become a shark-themed superheroine (with goat horns). Marie is very eager to try it out, but Madam Gros tells her not to—not yet.
The counselor also swears Marie to secrecy. She's not to tell anyone, not even her family or best friends. Marie thinks about her friend Suzette Rault, but she makes the promise anyway and decides to keep Suzette in the dark. Madam Gros reminds Marie that if she abuses her powers or reveals her secret to anyone, she (Gros) will take away the miraculous. Marie agrees to the terms and leaves.
Madam Gros is glad her allies are finally coming together (Pierre, Chloe, and now Marie—plus the rhino, salamander, and spider allies she's been revealed to have). She tells Ellie the elephant kwami as much. Ellie is nervous around Madam Gros and it shows; she asks if this is enough. Madam Gros insists it isn't. She wants a full team of allies she can control and use against the Eastern Order. Any who get out of line, she'll manipulate their memories. Once she subdues the Eastern Order and causes the whole world to forget the names of Ladybug, Cat Noir, and Hawk Moth, she'll move on and seize control of the Northern and Southern Orders as well. Ellie shudders.
Dolores Gros also realizes that a large portion of her plan relies on secrecy, so she decides to test Marie. She waits until late in the afternoon, after Marie would have had plenty of time to spill the beans to Suzette Rault (Marie's best friend), and then calls Suzette in for her mental health screening session.
Of course, it starts with the usual questions about family and emotions and grades. Then Madam Gros brings up friends. Suzette mentions Marie as her best friend, but it's clear by the conversation that Suzette knows nothing about Marie gaining the Capricorn miraculous. Good thinks Madam Gros.
Like Marie, Suzette goes off on a yaoi tangent. She's basically a woman-hating woman as she sees other girls as stupid and vapid and single-minded and weak (of course, she's oblivious to those same traits that she possesses.) And like Marie, Madam Gros has to coral her off of that topic.
Madam Gros notes that Suzette has never been akumatized and neither has anyone in her family. Suzette brags about her own self-control and emotional well-being, which of course is ignoring her massive loathing for other women. She also talks about her budding talents in gymnastics. Madam Gros once again has to steer her back on topic and asks about Suzette's feelings towards Ladybug and Cat Noir and then Hawk Moth and Mayura. Suzette admits, since this is in confidence, that she'd rather that Cat Noir be romantically interested in Carapace or Hawk Moth than Ladybug. She goes on at length about her mental pairings for the superheroes and hardly mentions the superheroines except to insult them. Madam Gros begins to get exasperated with Suzette's motormouth and dismisses her back to class. She then writes Suzette off as a potential ally due to her obsessiveness and obnoxiousness.
Madam Gros runs through her notes and charts. In addition to the allies she started with, she now has three allies at the school: Pierre Lefevre with the Libra miraculous as Sir Silver Hart, Chloe Bourgeois with the Scorpio miraculous as Queen Scorpion, and now Marie Chauveau with the Capricorn miraculous, who has yet to transform. She realizes that both Chloe and Marie are not much of team players at all, but they're going to need to form some type of cooperation if Madam Gros's team is to claim all the miraculous. She ponders this for a moment, then she starts sending out text messages…
School lets out, and students head to their lockers to go home. Nathaniel Kurtzberg has finished what he was drawing in class and is nervously waiting for Marinette Dupin-Cheng in the locker hallway. He tries to speak with her several times, but his nerves fail and she doesn't notice. Marc Anciel is watching and makes a motion to encourage him forward. So finally Nathaniel is able to take a deep breath and approaches Marinette.
Nathaniel hands her what he spent all day drawing; it's a photo-realistic sketch of Marinette herself, looking quite lovely. Marinette is flattered but also freezes up—by now, she realizes what's coming. Nathaniel confesses he's had feelings for her for a long time. Marinette stammers a moment, trying to be gentle. Marinette hands him the drawing back and stammers as she tries to explain that she's honored and that she values him as a friend—but she doesn't feel the same way (romantically), so she can't accept his feelings or his illustration. In her babbling, she goes on to mention what she feels love really is: always thinking of that person, considering their needs first, just hoping to be near them, to see all sides of that person—even the bad, placing their happiness above your own. Marinette flusters for babbling, but she adds that while she values Nathaniel a lot (as a friend), she doesn't think of him with that level of devotion.
Nathaniel tells her to keep the illustration; it's a gift, and he wants her to know how people see her. He thanks her for listening and then awkwardly steps away. Marinette also awkwardly backs up and says good-bye. His thoughts flitter to at least I have Ladybug as backup, and he immediately scolds himself as Ladybug isn't backup, no human is and that he shouldn't be surprised that Marinette turned him down when he, himself, was torn between two people and, as a result, could never fully consider either's needs or happiness.
When Nathaniel heads off, Marinette takes a moment to breathe and to show Tikki and Daizzi the drawing. Tikki is impressed, as is Marinette. Marinette says she feels bad about turning down Nathaniel because he is a nice person and a good friend, and she doesn't want to ruin the friendship or make things awkward between them, but she doesn't like-like him. Tikki tells Marinette it was better to be honest with Nathaniel than lead him on and that any awkwardness will pass if they're real friends.
Marc pats Nathaniel on the shoulder when he comes back. He tells Nathaniel he owes him a new pencil set, as he promised. Nathaniel mutters thanks. Marc tries to cheer him up, the best as he can, and goes on to mention Ladybug. Nathaniel shakes his head. He's going to tell his heart to take a rest. What Marinette said about love is true—and while he did/does deeply "like" both Marinette and Ladybug, he can't really say it's true love. He admires their strengths and appearances and kindness and bravery, but he can't say he's up for seeing them at their worst or dedicating all his emotional energy to either of them. If he were to weigh how he feels about everything, he truly loves drawing more than he loves either girl (who are actually the same girl, but he doesn't know that). He doesn't regret talking to Marinette at all…but he's not going to talk to Ladybug. And he's going to give himself time to focus on what he cares about most. And maybe one day—he'll care about a girl in the deep way Marinette described. Marc, as a writer, says he's very impressed with what Nathaniel just said—and that he'll still get Nathaniel those new pencils anyway.
Meanwhile, Marie Chauveau and Suzette Rault are hanging out while waiting for the bus. Suzette talks long-windedly about her appointment with Madam Gros, but Marie is strangely silent about what happened during hers. She (Marie) keeps checking her phone. Suzette wonders if their favorite yaoi manga was updated, but Marie says it wasn't. The bus comes, and Suzette steps up first. Marie then claims she forgot something at the school. She tells Suzette to head on while she goes back to look for it. Suzette offers to help, but Marie is insistent (to the point of being fake). Suzette warily gets on the bus, and Marie heads off.
Marie finds a private place and opens her purse to let Pann out. Marie tells Pann that she got a message from Madam Gros. She's to transform and head to Location X, where she'll meet other people who work for Madam Gros. Pann confirms this and teaches Marie how to transform, by saying "Charge, Pann!"
This transforms her into a heroine (or rather, villain), that draws inspiration from both goats and sharks. Color-wise, her outfit is equally medium blue and green. She has a real set of curly horns on her head, and her hair actually gets shorter as well as curlier to match. While Marie gets a domino mask, like many of the others, hers has a scale pattern as well as blue-tinted lens that can act as goggles. Her outfit also isn't as tight-fitting as many of the others. Hers is shaped like a sleeveless woman's jumpsuit with a V-neck collar. The pant portion is flared to mimic fins, and she does have a dorsal fin on the back. Her wrists have silky frills for bracelets that match the rest of the outfit, and her feet are covered with broad-toed boots. Her nails also grow longer and gain blue-green nail polish. A set of bamboo pan pipes form on a cord around her neck.
Marie looks herself over, impressed with her stylish transformation. She takes a few practice leaps, testing out her augmented strength, and then she hurries over to the appointed place set by Madam Gros.
When she arrives, Sir Silver Hart and Queen Scorpion are already there. Queen Scorpion (who is Chloe Bourgeois) is obviously looking down on the other two as well as being impatient, and Sir Silver Hart (who is Pierre Lefevre) is toying with his gavel, making it expand and shrink, to pass the time. While Queen Scorpion is dismissive of the newcomer, Sir Silver Hart asks for an introduction and offers one of himself. Marie gives her heroine (villain) alias as Shark Regina, the Capricorn—she then asks who they are what they're all doing.
That's when Draco reveals he's been clinging to the wall overhead, hiding in the shadows, the entire time. He, too, received word from "their leader," and she wants them all to begin to work together as a team. Queen Scorpion huffs that she doesn't need anyone—other people just hold her back. Draco snarkily points out that that worked out so well last time Queen Scorpion took on Ladybug and Cat Noir and the dog wielder alone. (As Hachiko's alias has not been made public yet.) Queen Scorpion huffs again.
Shark Regina tells Draco to get to the point. Draco tells her that "their leader" has come up with a plan to find the location of Ladybug and Cat Noir (and maybe Hawk Moth and Mayura, if they're lucky)—and she's going to play a key role, as is Sir Silver Hart. That intrigues Shark Regina and Sir Silver Hart and ticks off Queen Scorpion to no end at being relegated to a back-up role. The scene fades before we hear what the plan is…
It's into the afternoon by now, and most students are home for the day. Marinette is puzzling over the third riddle she found from Master Fu, but her mind is distracted by Nathaniel's confession. Meanwhile, Adrien heads home with Felix Graham de Vanily and Nicholas Sancoeur both. Felix is still sour about attending school, and Nicholas is rather stoic and quiet. Their plans for the rest of the day get mentioned, and Adrien says he has to practice the piano. Nicholas finally speaks up, admitting that he plays the violin—but that he can't practice now because he has German lessons after school. Adrien notes he often has to study Mandarin, and Nicholas adds he speaks Italian (as his alleged parents were from Italy) as well as French and English. Felix says he's pick up a new sensei so he can continue his martial arts training while he's in Paris. Nicholas asks what style Felix has been studying, as his (Nicholas's) aunt Nathalie has been teaching him martial arts as well. Adrien comments that he prefers fencing. Felix also remarks he plays the cello, and Adrien jokes that they're one person shy of a quartet.
That's when a news broadcast breaks across the radio and the in-limo television. Draco has resurfaced, and is setting fire to massive sections of Paris. Citizens are being asked to evacuate (led by Roger Raincomprix) while the fire department (led by Hugo Caquet) are doing all they can to minimize damage and harm. Nadja Chamack is pleading for Ladybug and Cat Noir to get there ASAP.
Adrien tries to make an excuse to get out of the limo, but the bodyguard is adamant about driving all three boys to safety. Nicholas calls his aunt to explain what's going on. Nathalie Sancoeur, of course, is watching the news and is on standby in Hawk Moth's lair as she speaks to him.
Fortunately, Marinette was able to escape easily. She feed Tikki the red potion macaron so Tikki takes on her fire form, and then transforms so that she's resistant to flames, heat, fire, and lava. Ladybug swings into action and confronts Draco. She sees this as an opportunity to finally take down a key member of the opposition. But she knows it'll be difficult, and she prays Cat Noir will get there soon.
She's not the only one active. The B Team is texting each other rapidly, trying to coordinate where the fire is spreading and what they can do to help. Nathaniel as Firefly says that he's the best bet element-wise. Luka as Alpha offers to use his speed to rescue anyone who is trapped. Ondine as Dauphine wonders if she and Froppy could fight the fire—she also notes that Ladybug has a different transformation and wonders how Ladybug pulls it off. (This is expressly one thing the B Team cannot do; they cannot alter their transformations as they do not have kwamis. However, this no longer applies to Froppy and Tsukuyomi.)
The bodyguard gets the three boys to the Agreste manor and tries to usher them to safety. Felix starts arguing, saying he's not going to be locked in a room, bored. This argument provides enough of an opportunity for Adrien to sneak out. He feeds Plagg the red potion cheese, transforms into his fire suit, and hurries out the window.
He arrives at the same time Firefly lands. Ladybug is relieved to see them both as she was really struggling alone. Firefly asks if she's all right (as he's dealing with the end of his romantic feelings for her) and then he offers to go help rescue anyone still trapped while they take on Draco. Ladybug and Cat Noir thank him as he flies off. Then they turn their attention to their target.
Draco notes that they came prepared—both are transformed into the fire forms. He's very familiar with kwami transformation, after all. Ladybug notes that this means that the Western Order also knows about potions—what else could they know about? Draco merely laughs.
Both Ladybug and Cat Noir are blindsided by attacks that seem to come out of nowhere. As they recover, they realize that Draco wasn't alone. Sir Silver Hart and Queen Scorpion attacked them. Ladybug and Cat Noir rally themselves and prepare to take on three opponents at once. But that's when they realize that Sir Silver Hart and Queen Scorpion are both using elemental transformations too—water transformations.
Cat Noir wonders why they're in those transformations. The entire area is wreathed in flames. And it's clear both Sir Silver Hart and Queen Scorpion are struggling with the heat.
Draco orders Sir Silver Hart to act, so he uses his ability of Polarity. Queen Scorpion complains about how much she hates this part of the plan and makes it clear that if this goes awry, she's doing her own thing. Sir Silver Hart's first strike hits him and her. His second strike nails Ladybug and Cat Noir at the same time. By activating his ability of magnetism, he forces himself and Cat Noir to be pulled together; the same is true for Ladybug and Queen Scorpion.
Now, both Ladybug and Cat Noir are very confused as to what Draco and his team are doing, and Queen Scorpion is getting more impertinent.
The answer reveals itself all too quickly as Draco falls back a significant ways and Shark Regina steps forward. This is the first time Ladybug and Cat Noir have seen her, and they're surprised to see Draco has another ally. Shark Regina introduces herself as "Shark Regina, the Capricorn, with the power of Mutation." She then blows a medley on her pipes. In doing so, she transforms all of the fire—into water. And it washes over that section of Paris like a tsunami. Ladybug barely has enough time to say "Lucky Charm" before she's pulled underwater.
To be more specific, Shark Regina's power can change one substance into another substance—not unlike Alchemist, but Alchemist was specifically limited to the periodic table of elements. Shark Regina isn't, and she actually specializes in changing one element to a different element. In this case, she turned fire into water.
Cat Noir and Ladybug are swept in opposite directions with Sir Silver Hart and Queen Scorpion pulled along (respectively) thanks to Sir Silver Hart's Polarity. Now, the fighting gets really intense as both Sir Silver Hart and Queen Scorpion are prepared, already transformed into their water forms, whereas Cat Noir and Ladybug are encumbered, stuck in their fire transformations. And they can't sneak off anyone to transform into something else, as their opponents are quite literally attached to them and would find out their identities. (As this chapter was conceived before Miraculous: New York that made it so Ladybug and Cat Noir can change forms by eating the potions themselves while transformed. That ability is not canon to this fic.)
Queen Scorpion is especially forceful against Ladybug and won't stop trying to grab her earrings. "You stole my miraculous, so now I'm going to steal yours!" demands aquatic Queen Scorpion/Chloe. Ladybug tries to reason with her, but the literal only reason Chloe even listened to Draco's plan in the first place was to get a chance at fighting Ladybug by herself. (As she is a jaded ex-fan.)
Elsewhere, Firefly is shocked to see the fire change to a flood as he flies, helping people escape. Fortunately, he's in the air when this occurs, so he doesn't get swept away. However, he realizes that this changes things, and goes to contact the B Team to call in Dauphine and Froppy for backup. However, before he can contact them, Shark Regina herself attacks him. Due to being a Capricorn as well as a shark, she's able to move through the water easily, even without the appropriate potion. And because she's able to ambush him, Firefly is quickly dragged down beneath the surface.
Draco watches from a perch well above the water level. He smirks as this is all going according to plan. With Ladybug and Cat Noir at the elemental disadvantage, they'll either straight-up lose the fight or they'll be forced to retreat and change their transformations, which means their identities will be revealed. If they drag it out into a stalemate, eventually they'll run out of air, and then it's all over for them (as seen in Startrain, they can hold their breath in the void of space. But they couldn't breathe in space and nor could they breathe underwater (as seen in Queen Wasp), so sooner or later, they would need to come up for air). If their transformations time out? Well, even if Sir Silver Hart and Queen Scorpion time out the same as Ladybug, that's acceptable as Sir Silver Hart and Queen Scorpion are just pawns. Madam Gros could always find different Libra and Scorpio users, after all. (Draco views himself as a useful rook or knight, minimum.)
Only one other person is having good luck through all of this. Nathalie Sancoeur, transformed into Mayura, is far enough from the fighting that the waters have not reached the Agreste manor. Using her long range communication ability, she tells Adamantus to move in. After all, she can't let Draco's team get the ladybug earrings or black cat ring—she needs those if the man she loves is ever going to open his eyes again.
Meanwhile, Cat Noir is still grappling with Sir Silver Hart underwater. It's not easy, again, due to Polarity, and Cat Noir knows he can't use his Cataclysm against a living being. Instead, he uses Cataclysm to target Sir Silver Hart's gavel, thinking it would undo Polarity. Unfortunately, it doesn't—but it does break the weapon. However, Sir Silver Hart is on his countdown due to using Polarity. Cat Noir realizes if he can hold off his opponent until then, Sir Silver Hart will revert back to a normal teenager and thus be unable to fight him off. Cat Noir could pull him to the surface and demand answers. However, Cat Noir would shortly run out of time on his own transformation after that. Plus, Cat Noir is worried about Ladybug and everyone else in Paris. He doesn't want to gamble on transformation and delay things.
Ladybug isn't so lucky against Queen Scorpion, as Queen Scorpion has yet to use Dissolve, so she has no timer. But Ladybug has used Lucky Charm—but she lost track of the object during the flood. Plus, with Queen Scorpion having her aquatic form, Ladybug is really struggling—she needs to breathe badly. However, her developing trait is her creative problem solving, and she scans the area underwater for a solution.
Firefly is really struggling against Shark Regina as he's designed for flight and not swimming. Plus his element (light, which is akin to fire) isn't working as well underwater while she keeps striking him and then flitting away and striking again. This is the time to showcase Shark Regina's abilities as it's her debut chapter. She's actually a pretty graceful swimmer, but her attacks are nothing to sneeze at. Firefly does land a blow on her head, but it glances off due to her horns.
Things would be dire for the heroes if two things didn't go wrong for the villains. At the same moment, Adamantus strikes Draco from behind with both of his screwdrivers. This diverts Draco's attention from anyone who might surface and forces him to fight Adamantus. Adamantus, being the diamond unicorn, is able to tank Draco's flames. Adamantus is so tough that it forces Draco to reveal his ability: Devour. He gains a property based on what he eats, and he can eat just about anything. For example, if he eats a rock, he gains rock armor. In this case, Draco Devours his own flames, powering himself up to try to overcome Adamantus's defenses.
The second thing to go right for the heroes is that Ladybug's Lucky Charm floats by Firefly. It's a buoy, and Firefly recognizes it by Ladybug's distinctive pattern on it. He dodges Shark Regina's next strike (remember, she'll be on a countdown too) and quickly uses his spring weapon as an actual spring to catapult himself towards the surface. The buoy gives him enough leverage to pull himself above water, where he gasps for air. It also gives him a place to launch himself into the sky, putting him out of reach of Shark Regina and giving him a bird's eye view of the area.
Firefly is able to quickly locate where Ladybug is fighting against Queen Scorpion, still submerged. He grabs the buoy and flies over, dropping it above her. It's heavy, but he does have augmented strength, being a superhero and all. This turns out to be the final piece of the solution Ladybug needed to see. She's also smart enough not to let on, so Queen Scorpion doesn't realize what's there.
Ladybug goads Queen Scorpion into attacking her and using her Dissolve ability. Being Chloe, provoking her is pretty successful, and she lashes out. But Ladybug dodges out of the way just enough that Dissolve hits the buoy and ruptures part of it, sending it skimming across the water, which counts enough as "throwing it upward." Ladybug is able to get her head above water long enough to yell "Miraculous Ladybug!" This kicks off Ladybug's world-healing wave. After all, without an akuma to purify, the faster she can undo the damage, the better.
This sweeps away all the water and undoes all the damage, putting Cat Noir and Sir Silver Hart on even ground as well as Ladybug and Queen Scorpion. Firefly lands beside Ladybug, but then Shark Regina takes Queen Scorpion's side. Draco and Adamantus are still facing off against each other on the roof.
The thing is, almost everyone is on the dregs of his or her counter. Though Queen Scorpion maybe has a minute or two longer than everyone else, everyone is running out of time. Ladybug, Cat Noir, and Firefly realize they could push against Draco's team—but it would cost their own identities. That's a risk they can't take because Hawk Moth is still at large.
Firefly points out that he doesn't have a timer at all. But then they realize Adamantus is there, and the diamond unicorn hasn't used his ability either. Firefly suggests that, since Adamantus clearly is fighting Draco, that they team up with the unicorn to take Draco's team down. Adamantus declares that "such an alliance would be fool-hardy and a mere distraction because I, too, want the miraculous you all possess." Cat Noir demands to know whose side Adamantus is on, but Adamantus merely replies enigmatically that he serves "his sponsor." Draco demands to know if this is Hawk Moth, but Adamantus insists that his sponsor is not "him." The heroes believe this namely because Adamantus's appearance, skill set, and MO are so very different than anything Hawk Moth has ever done before.
Bitter and jaded, both sides call it a stalemate and fall back. Firefly attempts to follow Draco's crew, but Adamantus makes a move to follow Ladybug and Cat Noir. Firefly has to back off of Draco to protect Ladybug and Cat Noir from Adamantus trailing them. Adamantus sees this as his moment to withdraw (as he doesn't want a prolonged battle against Firefly, which would allow the other heroes a chance to recover and come after him, united) and disappears in a third direction.
The scene switches to the news broadcast. It reveals, while the protagonists and antagonists were fighting, that many other heroes arose to help civilians during the crisis. Rena Rouge, Carapace, Kamaitachi, and Hachiko as well as Alpha, Dauphine, Froppy, and Tsukuyomi all helped rescue Parisians from fire and flood. (Snow Leopard and Honey Bee lingered back since they still don't have secret keepers. Finally! After how many chapters? I have a title I like better than "spotter." Secret Keeper. The B Team decides they need "secret keepers" to act, which means Juleka, Ondine and Kim, Tsuku and Fumikage, and Marc are all secret keepers for their respective friends/family members/heroes.)
Once he's alone, Mayura scolds Adamantus through long-range telepathy, telling him he should have lied. He could have agreed to work with Firefly against Draco, taken the salamander miraculous, and then turned on Firefly and targeted Ladybug and Cat Noir. Adamantus expresses surprise as being manipulative and treacherous didn't even cross his mind.
Firefly falls back to where Ladybug and Cat Noir went. They've found two different alcoves to duck into, so they're close together but still separated. Firefly calls out to them, but they tell him to stay away as they've transformed back. (Marinette is seeing to Tikki; Adrien is feeding Plagg.) Firefly acknowledges that they're all right, which was his intention. He then turns to depart. He glances back one final time. "Good-bye, Ladybug." And this is his final good-bye to his romantic pursuit of her. Firefly leaves.
Though hidden from sight, Adrien and Marinette can still hear each other. Adrien voices frustration about what was effectively a tie. His discontent at his own failings and what he views as times where he's "powerless." Marinette points out that they saved Paris, and that's what matters. She's able to mostly get through what she has to say without stammering, but her body languages is incredibly twitchy. After all, Marinette realizes she's talking with Adrien, so close yet out of sight. Fortunately for her, Adrien can't see her physically stressing out at all.
Adrien says that it's going to get harder from here on out with Draco's team growing and working together. He wonders if they should target Chloe Bourgeois while she's a civilian. (Then he's surprised he would even suggest that as he views Chloe as a friend.) Marinette says that she's not comfortable with stealing, even from Chloe—and that she would rather strengthen her own team. She insists stealing isn't right. (Which is something Miraculous Shanghai confirmed about her character.)
They mention the riddles Master Fu left and figure there's more miraculous hidden at the end. They know they need to find these ASAP and not leave them in the open; plus they need further word from Master Fu. They share their riddles. Adrien is able to solve Marinette's riddle, and Marinette is able to solve his (with more stammering as she's struggling to keep her cool, even with the techniques adult Bunnyx taught her). After Adrien calls out, just to confirm "milady" is all right, they part ways, never looking to see who each other is. Of course, Marinette doesn't need to. She knows she's speaking to Adrien. And when he very gently and affectionately asks her if she's all right, her heart almost stops. She has an epic non-verbal spazz out, which causes Tikki and Daizzi to giggle.
On their way home, both Marinette and Adrien take detours to the locations the riddles they just solved send them to. Marinette locates yet another blank paper from Master Fu as well as the dragon miraculous and Longg. Adrien finds a similar blank paper as well as the horse miraculous and Kaalki. Both then hurry home, knowing how to reveal the message on the blank pages.
Sure enough, those messages are also written in lemon juice. Some heat reveals Master Fu's words (Adrien actually has to make sure Felix and Nicholas aren't around first).
Master Fu again confirms that he's all right. He also tells them to look after Marianne for him. She is someone they can trust, as she bore the black cat ring during the war. Adrien knew this already, but Marinette is surprised by the news. He tells them that he's been trying to get in touch with an old friend, as in really old, someone who was a child when he was and studied the miraculous as a fellow trainee at the temple before moving to the Western Order. However, he has been completely unable to get in touch with this old friend at all, and Master Fu suspects that something grave is going on within that order. He again cautions them to beware of Draco's team and the "power of the elephant."
Master Fu congratulates them at how well they're doing without him there to guide them, and he also states he's very proud of them, which tugs at Marinette and Adrien's hearts. He asks them to protect the kwamis in their care—and to look after the B Team. As he confirmed with them last time, he's certain the magical items the B Team is using are connected with Hawk Moth (whom he knows is a new Hawk Moth), which means Hawk Moth can control them at any given time. Why she hasn't done so yet, Master Fu can only guess. But Fu requests that Ladybug and Cat Noir contact the B Team and tell them this fact without delay. He finishes by requesting they be careful (again), pick trustworthy allies, and keep their identities an utmost secret to protect themselves and their families from Hawk Moth and the Western Order. He believes in them, and no matter what happens to him, he knows they will be triumphant.
The last part is worrying to Marinette and Adrien, and they both ponder the themes of trust and allies.
Of course, as a post script, Master Fu includes another riddle.
Marinette talks to Tikki, Daizzi, and Longg. She remembers last time Master Fu wrote, he theorized that the grimoire might have a way to break the connection of the miraculous without kwamis to Hawk Moth—and she has the grimoire. In digital form on Master Fu's tablet. She opens the document on the tablet (the screen is still cracked) and attempts to decipher it. Since she has to tell the B Team about this turn of events, maybe she can give them good news too—how to break the ties to Hawk Moth. She also recalls how not only did she and Cat Noir use their potions today, but also Draco's allies. Marinette reminds herself to brew more—she at least has an idea of how to make those thanks to conversations she previously had with Master Fu.
Using the hanzi in the potion recipes as a basis, Marinette does her best to cross reference the words in the text, but she still can't make any sense of it. She even wonders aloud if the grimoire is enchanted against anyone but the guardian reading it. She says this mostly in exasperation, but the kwamis respond in a way that there might be truth to what she says. Tikki encourages Marinette not to give up, though. "After all, you've solved so many tough problems." Marinette then gets an idea. Maybe the text is enchanted against normal humans reading it—but maybe it won't be so hard for Ladybug.
To be continued in Chapter 50: Peace…