Chapter 60: Mink
Chip Bluestone has joined the server…
Tsuyu Asui wakes up to that message as she checks the Team B Discord before going to school. She's the only one actively online at the moment, but she sends Chip an offline "welcome" message and then goes about her morning routine. Her kwami, Froppy, swims in the sink while she brushes her teeth. Froppy asks Tsuyu if she's going to do what the guidance counselor suggested. When Tsuyu asks Froppy what she's talking about, Froppy replies with "making your relationship with Fumikage official." Which causes Tsuyu to turn pink. Tsuyu stammers that she isn't sure, and she wonders why Froppy is bringing it up. The kwami explains that she has no concept about what romantic love is, so she wants to watch Tsuyu and Fumikage so she'll learn. Tsuyu tells Froppy not to push things, to hide in her school bag, and to behave while she's in class. Froppy whines but complies.
Elsewhere in Paris, Fumikage Tokoyami is also going through his morning routine. His room is dimly lit and very goth. Dark Shadow, his new kwami, likes it that way. Dark Shadow, however, has noticed there is one thing out of place in Fumikage's room. So he asks about the bright picture frame with Tsuyu's picture in it. "You see her every day. Why do you need a photo to remind you of what she looks like?" Fumikage tells Dark Shadow to hush and hide in his pocket. He then straightens his collar, making sure his buttons are in place, and heads to school.
At school, Marc Anciel and Nathaniel Kurtzberg are making edits based on their agent/editor's feedback. They want to get it in the mail by lunch. Marc is momentarily surprised to see Lucciola as she reveals herself inside Nathaniel's locker, but he greets her softly and friendly. Pierre Lefevre comments on Jean Duparc's new, single glove. Jean bashfully accepts the compliment; since his glove is in disguise at the moment, no one recognizes it as Chip Bluestone's item. Jakeel Aristide then joins them, his choker hidden beneath his collar. He, himself, isn't even consciously aware of its existence—which is why he keeps wearing it and forgetting to take it off. Monique Imhof is showing pictures of her last date with Mathieu Anciel to her best friend, Nicolette Lacroix. Meg Delphinus walks by and sorta rolls her eyes as she is definitely not the romantic type. Rachel Beauchene tells her that not all relationships are "ooey-gooey," as she and Tristian Fortier had a ton of fun over the weekend watching the MMA championships at his apartment and shouting bloody-laced cheers at the contenders. Meg questions this, but Rachel shrugs it off—she's glad Tristian still loves her, even when she reveals her more aggressive side. Lila Rossi is back from her alleged cruise. Marinette Dupin-Cheng remarks, to herself, that Lila doesn't look very tan for someone who just went on vacation. However, some people do believe her, including Pierre Lefevre, because she keeps her lies relatively plausible this time. Marinette and Adrien Agreste are also both yawning their heads off from being out late the night before. Adrien himself is a bit distracted, running Ladybug's words over and over in his mind. Who are you really, Cat Noir? (The whole student body is here: (( photos . app . goo . gl / cgLSrNi71rxfep9e8 ))).
The bells ring, and class begins. Friends in different classes part ways. In Miss Bustier's class, everyone is talking and messing around. There's some references to a new game coming out, based on Eiji Nizuma's manga Crow. Adrien decides to risk it and actually cracks a pun about the new game. This earns him laughs from Le Chien Kim and Nino Lahiffe. Adrien offers a genuine smile in return—they laughed, and they didn't reject him. Even though Max Kante expresses surprise that Adrien would make a pun.
Miss Bustier calls them all to attention and begins her lecture, but before she gets too far, Madam Gros pokes her head in to pick Lila Rossi for her mental health screening. Miss Bustier excuses Lila, who follows Dolores to her office.
Madam Gros begins with the usual questions about grades and friends, but Lila cuts her off. "Listen, I know this is all about the suspension. And I made a mistake, a huge mistake. I'm sorry. I'm doing by best to be a better person and learn from it," she lies. "Can I go back to class now? I really don't want to fall behind in my lessons."
Madam Gros, however, doesn't let things slide so easily and begins to prod at why Lila tried to frame Alya Cesaire. Lila insists she doesn't know (she's not about to admit she's jealous and that she has a long list of people she mentally hates). "Something just came over me. I don't know why. I know I'll control myself better in the future."
The counselor tries to ask Lila about her family and plans for the future, but Lila keeps trying to shut down the conversation with her charisma and "nice" answers that she assumes Dolores wants to hear. Madam Gros is actually starting to get frustrated by Lila's canned answers.
So she tries one last question. She asks Lila Rossi how her cruise went, and Lila gushes about her trip around the Mediterranean and everything she saw. She goes on about the food and celebrities and lovely weather and exotic locations. Madam Gros nods and tells Lila to head back to class.
However, as Lila's hand is on the door knob to leave the office, Madam Gros pulls out a piece of paper. "There was no Mediterranean cruise from any cruise line that covers the dates you claimed you were at sea." Lila freezes. She again lies, insisting she must have mistook the company she traveled with. Madam Gros repeats there was no company, period, that had a cruise at that time. Lila then changes it up and insists it was a private cruise on Clara Nightingale's private yacht. Madam Gros tells her to stop and goes on to say that it's clear Lila was playing hooky and falsely called off from school during those days. With her already having a suspension on her record, faking a call from her parent and ditching school for several days would get her in a ton of trouble.
Lila asks coldly if that's what Madam Gros intends to do. Madam Gros laughs and says "goodness, no!" She says she's glad Lila finally dropped the false pretenses. She's much more interested in the real Lila. "Now, tell me the truth. Who do you hate?"
Lila sits back down and sulks. But she does eventually let it slip that she hates Alya Cesaire for getting her into trouble (rather than owning up to her own wrong doings). She hates her class for not believing her the one time she did tell the truth—that her ancestor was a miraculous user. She hates Chloe and Marinette and Kagami for moving in on the celebrity she likes. She hates Hawk Moth and Mayura for using her and then discarding her. She hates Pierre for fawning over her like an idiot. In fact, she doesn't really like anyone. "Is that what you wanted to hear? Going to force me to come to regular sessions? Say I need a shrink? That I'm not good enough? Just leave me alone. I'm fine being myself, hate and all. It's not like anyone else is different. Everyone else is just hiding how selfish they really are behind their smiles. No one in this entire school is any different from me. That's how humans really are."
Madam Gros says she's not going to make Lila get psychological help. She sees Lila as being fine just the way she is. That's when Madam Gros pulls out the Western miraculous box. Greed sparks on Lila's face when she sees the miraculous inside. Madam Gros pulls out a necklace that looks like tails intertwined and hands it to Lila. She explains it's the miraculous of the Gemini cabbit. As she does so, a cabbit kwami forms.
Lila instantly goes on guard, seeing the kwami as a potential enemy. She swings a book at her. Madam Gros catches the book and explains that Lapinna is a kwami. When Lila reveals she has no idea what that is, Madam Gros and Lapinna explain what a kwami is and what they do concerning miraculous. Lila immediately wonders if that means that the fox miraculous has a kwami, which Madam Gros acknowledges that it does.
Lila Rossi takes the new necklace and fastens it around her neck. She then wonders why the peridot raccoon choker didn't have a kwami. Madam Gros asks her about this. Lila decides she has enough knowledge to cut a deal. So she levels with Dolores Gros. She's willing to go along with whatever Madam Gros is planning under the following conditions: she gets the fox miraculous should it fall into their hands, Madam Gros as counselor gives her a clean bill of mental health and backs her up when Lila says she's doing lying and scheming, and she gets to play a heroic role—as either Lila or the empowered individual, she wants the scenarios to be painted so that Lila's reputation is restored.
Madam Gros laughs and wonders how Lila can make such demands. She enjoys it—she enjoys seeing Lila's evil, manipulative side. But she reminds Lila that Lila has no power here. Lila argues back. In addition to reporting Madam Gros to Principal Damocles or the school board or even Ladybug, Lila also has information that would be very useful to Dolores: information about Adamantus and Hawk Moth and Ringtail and even the heroes. That's what she's bartering with.
Madam Gros says they have a deal and they shake on it. Of course, Lila is already plotting on how she can use things to her advantage. She was used and discarded by Hawk Moth before—she is not going to let that happen again. She knows she needs to usurp the power from Dolores Gros somehow, but that first means learning all that Madam Gros can do. Of course, Madam Gros is also lying. She has no intention of letting Lila have so much leash—nor of letting Lila keep the fox miraculous. And with the elephant's power of Oblivion, she can make sure things go according to her plans by erasing Lila's memories if Lila goes out of hand.
Lila explains that she is certain Adamantus works for Hawk Moth. Adamantus mentioned a "sponsor," and the way they act is just like Hawk Moth. She knows this first hand since Hawk Moth has called upon her before. She also admits that she was Ringtail, that the raccoon choker was given to her by Adamantus, and that it did not have a kwami. She says that its transformations worked based on emotions. This really gets Madam Gros thinking—because if the items work on emotions and the person who is giving them out is Hawk Moth… She internally regrets allowing so much of the resources in the Western Order to get destroyed. But there's no changing the past now, so she has to plunge ahead with what she does know. There is one thing Lila doesn't know—Lila doesn't realize that the original Hawk Moth has been replaced by Mayura.
Madam Gros thanks Lila for this information and says that Lila also has information on the heroes. Lila shakes her head. She isn't going to spill everything now. She wants to keep that card for later—once she and Madam Gros "prove they can trust each other." Madam Gros chuckles at the manipulation and agrees to lay off for the moment. She then explains how the Gemini miraculous works. "Since you want to play the hero and the villain at the same time, this'll be perfect for you…" Cue scene fade to black.
Lunch rolls around. Alya Cesaire is updating her blog with new information revealed from the Ruddiger chapter. "I can't believe I missed an akuma incident!" The stuff concerning Uglifier and La Belle Vampire never really went public beyond the akuma alerts, so she knows nothing to report on them. Plus, the city as a whole doesn't know who was akumatized into Uglifier or La Belle Vampire. Alya links other people's archived live streams on her blog (after asking permission and giving full credit, like the good journalist she wants to be.) Alya then asks her friends about Chip Bluestone. "Do you think he's a new hero?" Mylene Haprele points out that Chip is fighting alongside Ladybug and Cat Noir, as well as Alpha and Firefly. Alix Kubdel acknowledges that Chip also has natural skin color. Rose Lavillant cooes that she hopes that Chip is a new hero and that they see more of him because "his outfit is so cute, and really, who doesn't want to see a cute squirrel hero?" Jean Duparc, who happens to be walking by at this point, hears her remark. His ears turn pink, and he's thrilled his crush likes his heroic transformation, even if she does call it "cute" and not "handsome."
Tsuyu Asui and Fumikage Tokoyami sit down for lunch together. Their kwamis meet under the table, watching eagerly, because they want to know about this "love" thing that they've heard about but don't understand and can't really feel themselves. However, Tsuyu and Fumikage go on to have a normal lunch like friends (with Viktor Vasiliev joining them later.) The kwamis decide to take matters into their own hands.
Le Chien Kim takes a few minutes to call Ondine over video chat before sitting down with Ivan Bruel and Max Kante and Markov. Kagami Tsurugi starts the meal by herself, but Marinette Dupin-Cheng waves her over to sit with the girls in Miss Bustier's class. Juleka Couffaine sorta shrinks back in shyness, and Alya raises an eyebrow at Marinette inviting Kagami over. But Kagami sits down with them. It's a bit awkward, but Kagami does start to relax and even lets out a small smile by the end. Marinette is still yawning frequently during the meal. Nathaniel and Marc finish their edits and head to send off the draft. Mathieu Anciel and Monique Imhof walk by; Monique takes a moment to congratulate them on getting published, which she heard about from Mathieu. Marc is surprised his brother would brag about his publishing deal; Mathieu just shrugs. (Everyone is here: (( photos . app . goo . gl / cgLSrNi71rxfep9e8 ))).
After lunch, Madam Gros has her second mental health screening. Now, she isn't just screening Marinette's grade level. She's also screening the grade Luka is in—and any other grades too. So she probably does 3-4 screenings in the morning and 3-4 after lunch. But because this story largely focuses on Marinette and Adrien's extended grade, we don't see the interviews with older or younger students at the school.
For this interview, Le Chien Kim is called from class. He's pretty energetic from the get-go and wonders if interviewing with Madam Gros means she's going to put a good word in his file about his swimming and athletic talents. Madam Gros tells him that's not the point of mental health screening, which does little to deflate him. She then asks him about his grades and hobbies. Kim brushes off the part about grades as his aren't the best, and he goes on to gush about swimming and skating, as well as biking and jogging, how much he loves the community swim team he's on with Ondine and Tsuyu, and how much he enjoyed the triathlon during Mr. Laughter and how he hopes that Paris hosts one again.
Madam Gros asks him about his family and friends. Kim replies by pulling out his cell phone and showing her pictures of Ondine (in a swimsuit) as well as him and Max Kante playing games. He then pulls up pictures of his parents and older brothers playing lacrosse in the mud and genuinely having a good time. He starts to talk about a local game they're going to see during the coming weekend, but the counselor cuts him off. She's really not interested in any more of his babbling. She can already see he has a stable support group; she doesn't need to know more.
Madam Gros asks him about his plans for the future, and Kim boldly declares himself the "first Olympic gold medalist in swimming—in space!" Madam Gros chokes down laughing when she realizes he's serious. She changes topic again to akumas and heroes and villains, which only causes Kim to interrupt and go on a monologue about how cool it is that Paris has superheroes and then for him to draw parallels between episodes/chapters and his favorite comic book plots. When he starts to talk about Max's video game and how it could be fleshed out into an RPG, Madam Gros sends him back to class and puts multiple Xs through his name.
After school rolls around, and friends meet up and head home and head to their after school activities. Nino Lahiffe has to head out immediately as he scored a DJ gig. Ivan Bruel stays late to help Mr. Haprele get through a massive amount of filing he has. Ms. Mendeleiev keeps Max Kante, Stella Tenebrae, and Gilles Chastain after class; there's a Young Scientists symposium being held in two weeks, and she urges them to both consider attending. Gilles for the chemistry aspect, Max for robotics, and Stella for the anatomy parts. Monique Imhof and Nicolette Lacroix walk to the bus together. They're speaking in low, serious voices. Ever since Monique had her mental health screening, she's been wondering if she should tell her boyfriend, Mathieu Anciel, that she can't have kids. Nicolette, being her best friend, knows about her condition. Nicolette says it's important to be honest and upfront. Monique is worried that it'll lead to Mathieu dumping her. She really does seriously love him, and they have dated for well over a year now. But she also realizes that this is a high school romance, which often don't last. And she's wondering if she should take things so seriously—talking about kids when they're still in high school, wondering how much of her medical history she's obligated to reveal to her boyfriend… Nicolette admits it's a very, very tough choice. She says that regardless, she'll still be Monique's friend and support her thoroughly.
Speaking of crushes, Marinette and Adrien wind up being the last ones in Miss Bustier's classroom. Adrien is a bit distracted as he gathers his things, still pondering Ladybug's encouragement to be himself. Marinette takes some deep breaths, as she was taught to do by adult Bunnyx, and approaches Adrien. However, when he turns and smiles at her, it's all she can do not to have a seizure. Marinette again calms herself and asks if he liked the macarons she gave him in the Adamantus chapter. Adrien says they were delicious, which causes Marinette to melt. She has to compose herself a third time and asks him how his parents are. The smile vanishes from Adrien's face, and he admits they're not improving at all. Marinette comes up beside him and reminds him he's not alone. Adrien acknowledges this. He has great friends at school like her and Nino, and at home he has his aunt and cousin, Nathalie and Nicholas, as well as his bodyguard and Dr. Theroux. This gives Marinette an idea, and she asks if it would be okay if she visited his house tomorrow to see his mother and father. She does admire Gabriel Agreste as a fashion designer, and she would like to meet his mother. "And if that's too awkward, maybe Alya and Nino could join us?" Adrien initially hesitates over his instincts of his father always vetoing his requests. But with Gabriel unconscious…maybe his aunt or Nathalie will actually say "yes." Would it be a bad thing for mom and dad to have visitors? Adrien genuinely thanks Marinette for the offer and says he'll ask Nathalie, Aunt Amelie, and Dr. Theroux if it's okay. If it is, he'll contact her and Nino and Alya. Marinette is thrilled.
Adrien turns to leave, but Marinette calls out for him to stop. There's one more thing she wants to say to him. The words are on her lips. "I love you." But when he meets her eyes, her brain freezes yet again. What she does end up saying is, "I hope your family not alone soon. Get well! I mean. Not alone! You…you're not alone. AndIhopeyourfamilygetswellsoon!" Adrien thanks her and heads to his after school activities. Marinette slumps. "Tripped at the finish line." Tikki whispers encouragement, saying that "you're almost there." However, Tikki also voices concerns about going to the Agreste manor. She does not want to go there—knowing Gabriel was Hawk Moth and the new Hawk Moth is liable to be connected to him. Tikki even hints the miraculous should be left at Marinette's home. Marinette wonders why. However, before Tikki can answer, Miss Bustier returns. It looks as if Marinette is talking to her purse. Marinette leaves, embarrassed.
They're not the only crushes going on at that moment. Dark Shadow and Froppy the kwami put their plan into motion. Both take a moment to swipe their owners' cell phones and hide them in their lockers. For the next step, the kwamis split. Dark Shadow finds Fumikage Tokoyami and tells him there's a crisis; he needs his help immediately! Meanwhile, Froppy finds Tsuyu and insists there's something she has to show her right away.
Dark Shadow leads Fumikage first to the closet near the art room—the same one Marinette hid in during Queen Scorpion. Dark Shadow insists he heard someone trapped inside, buried in the back. Fumikage heads in. A moment later, Froppy tells Tsuyu that what she wants to show her is inside. Once Tsuyu enters, the kwamis close the door and lock it. Both teens instantly realize they've been had and demand to be let out. The kwamis refuse. Froppy says, "We want to see what love is. I heard love is when two people are together." So now that they're locked in together, they'll reveals what love really is. Fumikage pounds on the door, saying someone will hear them. This causes Froppy and Dark Shadow to sweat; they didn't think that part through of their plan. However, they both really, really want to "see what love is." Dark Shadow decides to bluff. He insists that he and Froppy will be waiting outside the door, in plain sight. If Fumikage and Tsuyu kick up a fuss, then the people who hear them and come running will see the kwamis and realize Fumikage is Tsukuyomi and Tsuyu is Froppy. Tsuyu wonders if they can even do that—aren't kwamis compelled to keep secrets? Froppy the kwami shrugs. They haven't ever tried this approach before. But she and Dark Shadow are staying right where they are.
Tsuyu and Fumikage flinch first and resign to the bluff. Both look for their cell phones to call for help; however, the kwamis have thought ahead and hidden them. Tsuyu sighs and sits on an overturned bucket. Sooner or later, someone will look for them, right? Their kwamis can't keep them in here forever. So they just have to wait…wait and convince Froppy and Dark Shadow not to stay out in the open. Fumikage crosses his arms and agrees. He then wonders what even got into the kwamis in the first place that they would attempt something like this. Tsuyu flinches and turns a bit pink. Fortunately, it's dark in the closet. "It might be my fault, ribbit…"
Elsewhere on campus, Lila Rossi has found a private place. Perhaps in the glass atrium on the third floor or behind the school building itself in the yard. She received a text message from Madam Gros. "Start the plan." Lila smiles sinisterly and opens her purse so Lapinna can fly out. She gives the command, "Jump, Lapinna!" and transforms into a cabbit-themed villain.
Her leotard is a soft grey-brown fabric with a fuzzy texture. This include a pair of brown rabbit ears and a long cat tail. The stomach of her outfit is white, including the gloves and boots—both of which are trimmed in white fur. She also has a furry chest covering. A gilded mirror appears in her hand.
Lila smiles, "Duality!" The scene cuts to a flashback where we see how Lapinna and Madam Gros explained to Lila how the ability of the cabbit works. "Duality splits a human into his or her noble and ignoble aspects" Madam Gros explains. Lila begins plotting how she can use this to her end goals—and her first goal is the fox necklace. So Lila asks Lapinna and Madam Gros how Duality would work on a miraculous user. Madam Gros explains that using Duality on someone who is transformed will result in a noble hero and an ignoble villain, both possessing the same powers. However, there is a catch—the target will not be able to transform back, even if the miraculous's timer were to wear off. Lapinna explains that this is because, when using Duality on a transformed hero, the kwami inside the miraculous is not split in two personalities too—there still only is one kwami, being stretched and torn between the targeted miraculous. As a result, the miraculous can also not be removed from that person. Thus the hero cannot detransform until the miraculous is reunited (by defeating the Gemini user or one of the created doppelgangers) and the kwami made whole. Lapinna pleads with Lila never to do this because it hurts the kwami, and she doesn't want to see her friends suffering (Lapinna considers all kwamis her friends, even if she's never met them). Lila promises she won't—which is a lie. She is a bit sullen that she can't do the obvious thing to claim Rena Rouge's necklace—create a dark side Rena Rouge clone who is loyal to Lila, than just demand that clone hand over the fox miraculous (since the split miraculous cannot be removed from a Gemini victim's body).
Lila then works on a different plan and wonders how the Gemini's Duality would work on a wielder who is not currently transformed. Lapinna points out that that would still leave one kwami—and kwamis cannot be split by Duality (sorta like how in this canon at least, kwamis cannot be akumatized). Madam Gros elaborates that in the event a non-tranformed wielder is targeted, his or her miraculous will also be split and thus cannot be removed from the victim's body until it is reunited. However, both miraculous still function and the kwami is still present—so one clone, either light or dark, could call upon the kwami to transform, leaving the other one unable to use the powers of his/her miraculous. Being only one transformed and the kwami whole, the transformed clone could de-transform. But the target's miraculous still cannot be removed unless the miraculous is reunited (again by either beating the Gemini, overcoming the Duality, or by defeating one of the doppelgangers). (I do hope this makes sense.) Madam Gros adds that Duality has not been fully tested on every miraculous in existence, so splitting a wielder might result in some unpredicted "quirks."
Lila asks one more question—if Duality can be used on the Gemini herself. Lapinna states that it's never been done before—and seems impossible, as she would have to be transformed to use Duality to split herself, but would then be on a countdown and yet unable to transform back or use Duality again. The Gemini certainly couldn't use Duality on her civilian self, and Lapinna begs Lila not to split her between two different necklaces! Lila smirks, her idea developed. She ignores Lapinna's pleads.
Back in the present, Lila (still transformed) has just said "Duality!" She turns the hand mirror to her own reflection in the glass, despite Lapinna's warning not to use it on herself. Lila flicks the hand mirror upward; she knows she only has a few seconds. "Hightail it, Lapinna." She transforms back into Lila Rossi and catches the mirror just as light shines out of it, solidifying into a doppelganger of herself. Both are currently not transformed. The look in the original Lila's eyes grows darker while the doppelganger's eyes grow bigger. "You're me?" she asks.
Lila explains that she's to be called "Mink", the Gemini cabbit, while her clone plays the part of "Lila Rossi." Lapinna floats nearby, whimpering in pain from a massive headache. She earnestly begs both Lilas to never do it again. Light side Lila actually apologizes. Dark side Lila tells them both to shut up. The original Lila/Mink/dark side looks over the doppelganger/light side. "You're not going to go goody-two shoes on me and ruin the plan?" The doppelganger insists she won't. Lila/Mink smirks. "Good." She feeds Lapinna a celery stick from her lunch to give the kwami time to recharge. Then she reviews her plan with her doppelganger…
Meanwhile, Tsuyu and Fumikage are still locked in a closet. Tsuyu wonders how long they should wait before calling the kwamis' bluff. She also points out that they could transform, which would call their kwamis back, and then break out. Fumikage, however, points out that a broken door and their superhero alias appearing would be too much of a risk to their secret identities. Tsuyu agrees. Fumikage then repeats his question, wondering why the kwamis did this in the first place. When did they get obsessed with the concept of love? Tsuyu bashfully explains it came up during her meeting with Madam Gros. "I mean…I guess they want us to figure out…you know…are-are we together?" She stammers. Fumikage goes silent, grateful she cannot see him blushing.
In the school's courtyard, Lila Rossi is running for her life as Mink pursues her. Lila is dialing with one hand, trying to send out an Akuma Alert, as she dodges laser blasts from Mink's mirror. The commotion quickly attracts the attention of the remaining people on campus, who see what is going on and send their own Akuma Alerts. The alarm starts blaring. "Warning. This is an akuma. This is not a drill. Please evacuate the area calmly. Warning. This is an akuma…"
Adrien Agreste is in the middle of fencing when the teacher orders them all to evacuate. Adrien slips aside and transforms. Marinette Dupin-Cheng is halfway into following Chloe again in one more attempt to find out whom Queen Scorpion works for. However, once she gets the alert on her phone, she drops that. Then she ducks out of sight, transforms, and races back.
As a result, Cat Noir is the first on the scene. He drives Mink away from Lila and asks Lila if she's okay. Lila looks scared, but she nods. Cat Noir encourages her to find somewhere safe, and Lila seemingly runs off. That's when Ladybug drops besides Cat Noir and asks what's going on. "Who did Lila piss off this time?"
The Gemini cabbit steps forward with her mirror brandished. She introduces herself as Mink and that she targeted Lila because she heard Lila was the wielder of a miraculous. Cat Noir shouts back that Lila's necklace is a replica and that, despite her falsehoods in the past, one thing Lila has been honest about is that her necklace is just a replica. Mink replies with "I'll take your miraculous then!" and charges the golden duo.
Ladybug dodges and demands to know who Mink works for. At this point, as far as Ladybug and Cat Noir know, there are already three different enemy factions: Hawk Moth, Adamantus, and Draco. Mink insists she works for no one. Her laser blast goes astray, knocking out a section of the roof. Cat Noir boggles. "How many people with magical powers are there in Paris?!"
Tsuyu and Fumikage hear the alarm before either of them can properly confess. Both realize this is an emergency, and they activate their transformations. "Hop to it, Froppy!" "Dark Shadow, awake in darkness!" Nothing happens. Both try again. Nothing. Fumikage grumbles. Their kwamis flew off! They can't transform. Tsuyu complains that she thought that the kwamis wanted to "see what love is" so "why would they leave now?"
Cut to the kwamis who are absolutely fascinated with a vending machine, flying in and out, through the glass and out the gate, stealing the occasional snack.
Fumikage begins pounding on the door, since there's no reason to go along with the kwamis' bluff. However, everyone has evacuated, and no one is around to hear them. Tsuyu again searches for her phone. They need to contact the B Team about this. But there's no phone to be found—it's in her locker.
Of course, the rest of the B Team is checking their server once they all get the Akuma Alert. Dauphine voices surprise that Froppy and Tsukuyomi haven't logged in yet. Alpha tells them all to keep an eye on the news and works on coordinating their efforts.
They're not the only ones. Several members of the A Team are also checking into their newest server. This includes Kamaitachi, Hachiko, Rena Rouge, and Carapace. However, none of them have a heads up from Ladybug or Cat Noir to move in, so they all wait.
Mink takes her fight against Ladybug and Cat Noir to the front of the school. However, she is a single villain, and Ladybug and Cat Noir work well together. Even with Mink's amazingly high leaps, the duo quickly get her cornered. Ladybug demands Mink hand over her magical item and confess to where she got it from. However, Mink smirks broadly. She turns her mirror towards them.
Cat Noir, assuming that Ladybug is going to be attacked, jumps in front of her to protect her. "Duality!" declares Mink. She shines her mirror elsewhere, and a doppelganger of Cat Noir appears—this one with shadows under his eyes. This surprised both Ladybug and Cat Noir—even moreso when the Cat Noir doppelganger sides with Mink. Mink internally laments how frustrating it is that she simply can't take Cat Noir's ring right now as it will no longer come off (however, the heroes don't know this, nor do they realize that he will remain transformed even if his timer runs out after using a Cataclysm). Still, Mink figures she has the advantage. She orders dark side Cat Noir to tell her his secret identity. Dark side scoffs, "why would I tell you that?" Mink insists it's because she's his creator. Dark side Cat Noir argues that all she did was set him free from his light side—he owes her nothing. And he is quite disrespectful when he speaks, befitting a dark side. Mink frowns sharply at him.
At the same time, the original/light side Cat Noir shows a heightened sense of innocence in his expressions and body language. Ladybug tells the original Cat Noir that they can still handle Mink and his clone. Cat Noir hesitates. "Do we really have to hurt them?" Ladybug demands to know what came over Cat Noir, thinking that this is merely a straight up cloning and not realizing it splits personality, but that's when Mink lunges at her. Ladybug leaps back and defends herself with her yo-yo, leaving Cat Noir and Cat Noir to fight.
As they face off, Ladybug notices that Mink's necklace is blinking—four minutes left. (And Mink will transform back when it times out, as only dark side Mink is using a whole Lapinna. Light side Lila Rossi is not transformed and won't be able to transform as long as dark side it.) Ladybug gasps. "Is that a miraculous?!" Mink throws her off with a volley of light blasts. Ladybug, determined, uses her Lucky Charm.
Light side Cat Noir attempts to reason with his doppelganger. "You must know what it's like to be alone—after all, you're me. Then why are we fighting? Isn't it better to be friends?" Dark side Cat Noir laughs at the notion of friendship. "I have acquiesced on everything! I always step aside for other people. But now—now it's time to take what I want for myself!" His eyes slide to Ladybug. This snaps light side Cat Noir into being more aggressive. He figures that whatever caused dark side Cat Noir to exist, it's probably tied to his ring. He activates Cataclysm and aims for it.
Dark side Cat Noir sneers. "I thought I was the only one who could do that." And also activates his Cataclysm. Light side dodges the dark side's swipe and twists back towards the school. Dark side pursues him. However, light side keeps angling for a strike. His moves are precise and refined, whereas dark side's are reckless and broad, leaving him susceptible to over-reaching and thus open places for light side to slash.
He's able to divert dark side Cat Noir's Cataclysm into the walls of the school, causing debris to fall. During this, there's a moment where we see light side Lila running up the stairs to the third floor. At the same time, Tsuyu and Fumikage feel the rumbles from where they're locked in the closet. Fumikage pulls Tsuyu backward just as a large piece of concrete shatters the door. With a huge gash in the wall, Tsuyu sees how they can escape. She grabs Fumikage's hand, and they both run for it.
Dark side Cat Noir snarls as he wasted his one-time use Cataclysm. However, he refuses to give up and forces light side Cat Noir to continue to fight him as debris falls. Dark Cat Noir knows his light side's weakness, so he charges directly at him despite the still active Cataclysm. Light side, not wanting to hurt anyone, diverts it into the foyer doors, causing further damage to the building.
Outside, Ladybug sees what's going on, but Mink is after her. She tries to break Mink's mirror, but it's too sturdy. Ladybug's vision quickly sees what she has to do with her Lucky Charm, a rope. She swings it at Mink as if she's going to tie up the villain. Mink evades. The rope continues and gets stuck on a piece of rebar from the broken building. Mink aims a blast at Ladybug, but Ladybug uses the rope to vault herself into the school. As she swings by, she whips out her yo-yo and catches light side Cat Noir, pulling him after her and away from his dark side and the debris. Both go sprawling.
Cat Noir picks himself up first. "How did you know which one was me?" Ladybug answers with. "You're my partner, Cat Noir, of course I know which one is the real you. I'll always know you." Cat Noir smiles. (This is, of course, not fully accurate as both doppelgangers are different aspects of the target. But Ladybug was able to recognize which doppelganger possessed the traits of her ally, hence the remarks.)
That's when Mink and dark side Cat Noir emerge from the broken entryway, determined to continue the fight. Mink makes another verbal claim on their miraculous, and dark Cat Noir insists on finding out "which Cat Noir is better."
WHAP! A large, heavy vase drops on dark side Cat Noir from above. It's critical damage, and he disappears into smoke and light, which shoot towards the light side. Cat Noir himself recoils, holding his head. Ladybug, frantic, asks him if he's okay. Cat Noir shakes his head to clear it. He then insists he's better than fine. "It's as if I'm myself again, milady."
Mink snarls and looks up. Lila Rossi is on the third floor and is obviously the person who dropped the vase. Mink shrieks that she's going to pay for that and lunges after her. However, Ladybug snags Mink by her ankle with her yo-yo to stop her pursuit. Cat Noir steps beside Mink and points his baton at her, threatening her should she try to escape.
Ladybug prepares to take Mink's necklace, but that's when they hear a scream from above. The floor starts to give out from the damage, and Lila is about to fall. As much as Ladybug/Marinette dislikes Lila, she can't very well let the girl go splat. So Ladybug is forced to uncoil Mink and use her yo-yo to catch Lila. Mink takes this minute to kick Cat Noir's staff away and flee herself. Cat Noir sets up to pursue her, but Lila whimpers as Ladybug sets her down. Cat Noir hesitates between pursuing a villain and helping a civilian and decides on the later.
Ladybug wants to know what Lila was doing. Lila insists she "just wanted to help" and "do the right thing." She repeats that she made mistakes before, but she genuinely wants to turn over a new leaf. Cat Noir is willing to give her the benefit of the doubt and thanks her for dropping a vase on his clone. Ladybug remains skeptical, knowing how hard and how cruelly Lila tried to frame her best friend Alya. Ladybug says she wants to talk to Cat Noir alone and performs her "Miraculous Ladybug." They both "Pound it!" Lila makes sure to get a selfie of the moment, including herself in the shot.
Just outside the back exit to the school, Fumikage and Tsuyu stop running. They're winded and catch their breaths. That's when they both realize that they're still holding hands. Both get bashful. Tsuyu repeats, "So…um…do we want to make this official?" Fumikage nods. "I would like that. Very much." That's when Froppy and Dark Shadow return, chocolate and granola on their mouths, oblivious to preceding fight. "Is this love?" Froppy asks, noting the pair holding hands. Tsuyu affirms it's a kind of love. Froppy admits she's disappointed. She thought there would be more (literal) fireworks. She says that snacks, vending machines, and gummy worms are way more interesting. Tsuyu face-palms and tells her kwami not to steal from vending machines.
Once Ladybug and Cat Noir have departed, Lila Rossi also leaves the school. She walks a bit; then she ducks down an alleyway. Mink is waiting for her. Lila, who is the light side, asks Mink "How did I do?" Mink smiles darkly. "Perfect." She then undoes Duality on her own, Mink and Lila fusing back into untransformed Lila Rossi. She immediately goes to social media. "OMG! I can't believe a villain attacked my school! I am just so happy that for one moment, I was able to help Ladybug and Cat Noir!" She then posts the selfie. And she knows no one can deny it. As far as anyone knows, she did help Ladybug and Cat Noir. They just don't know that she was also Mink. And no one can doubt the authenticity of her photo, because it's not photoshopped, it's real. Furthermore, even Ladybug and Cat Noir, if honest, would have to back up her story.
As soon as it's posted, Madam Gros texts Lila. "Well done. A perfect test for your powers and how Ladybug and Cat Noir respond to them. However, you are not to use your powers again until instructed to do so." Lila waves her hand dismissively at the text and deletes it. Lapinna scolds Lila at forcing her to use her powers against a fellow kwami, the black cat, but Lila dismisses her just as callously.
That evening, Adrien is talking to Plagg and Kaalki and Ziggy, wondering why Ladybug is so reluctant to trust Lila after all the good she did today. He genuinely wants to believe the best in people. Plagg is laying on a pillow, moaning about a headache from being in a miraculous that was targeted by Duality. Kaalki flies over with Adrien's phone. "Maybe you should ask her yourself." Adrien has received a text from Ladybug. "Alpha is really worried about his team. Can we meet tomorrow evening to try to crack the grimoire and help them?"
Adrien is thrilled as he wants to read it as Ladybug offering a date to him. Plagg tells him to cool it; Ladybug has made it clear she only sees him as a friend. He's grumpy because he's in pain. Adrien refuses to let this drag him down as he's happy to spend time with Ladybug regardless. Ziggy reminds Adrien that Marinette suggested that Adrien's friends pay a visit to Adrien's parents tomorrow. Adrien then remembers the conversation. He knows he needs to ask permission before allowing Marinette, Nino, and Alya over—but he takes a moment to reply to Ladybug first. "Tomorrow evening is fine, but later. My afternoon is busy." He then goes to find Nathalie and/or his aunt to get permission to have friends over.
Into the evening, the B Team meets again for practice. This time, Chip Bluestone gets to spare against Dauphin, and he sees first hand about how Dauphin and Dauphine take turns with the dolphin anklet. He had heard about it before, over the Discord, but this is his first time seeing it. Dauphin encourages him, and Chip does his best to avoid the water Dauphin can summon by using his (Chip's) Escape. Chip does admit it feels weird using Escape on gravestones, and there's times he flat-out refuses to use it on mausoleums.
The group takes a break from their practice and begin to discuss what is on everyone's minds. Their items, Hawk Moth, and the soon-to-be kwamis. Honey Bee wonders if it's even safe for them to continue to practice like this as they usually don't invite their secret keepers for their mere practice sessions. Chip comments he doesn't even have a secret keeper yet. Alpha acknowledges that this is a risk—but so is facing against Hawk Moth and Draco without any training whatsoever. When they practice together, they're learning team combos and stuff. Froppy agrees and admits she enjoys these times. They may not know each other's real names, but they are all friends here. Snow Leopard brings them back to the matter at hand and asks about the whole cocoon process—because she knows she can't go MIA for several days. Dauphin insists they blame aliens or super spies. Alpha laments that he wishes he had a better plan, but for now they also have to trust what Ladybug and Cat Noir are researching. But he encourages them all to take it easy and avoid conflict until they have more certain answers. The team agrees with this.
Speaking of Ladybug...Marinette is at home, winding down for her evening. She sends a text off to Cat Noir. She asks him if he's tried following Chloe to find out about who gave her the Scorpio miraculous. Marinette/Ladybug admits she hasn't learned anything, but she also can't follow someone 24/7. If Cat Noir can help out, they'll cover more ground and maybe be able to find the mastermind behind the Eastern Order.
To be continued in Chapter 61: Princess Kuroyuki…