Chapter 70: Sir Silver Hart
Madam Gros and Dr. Gerald Theroux are discussing matters as the Order of the Western Miraculous. Dr. Theroux asks her if their French ally, the one who holds the western crane miraculous, has responded yet. Madam Gros says it's been silent on that front. And much to her frustration, the teens at Francoise Dupont High School are just too nice. She had expected a school filled with teenagers to be more hormonal, edgy, and selfish. She's having a hard time pinning down further allies beyond Sir Silver Hart, Queen Scorpion, Shark Regina, Reef, Mink, and June. Dr. Theroux wonders if that'll hold back their plans any. Dolores Gros says it won't—if she can't find emo pawns, she'll just manipulate the circumstances so that the last six potential wielders come to her. But for now, they have to keep moving forward. Ladybug and Cat Noir's team is formidable, and even Mayura is growing very powerful (as seen in Senti Army). She purposes that they orchestrate a situation so that her current elected six can hone their powers.
Dr. Theroux smiles and says he has an idea. He's taken the surviving tomes from the Western Order with him and has been studying them. After all, his day job is watching over two comatose patients…he has a lot of free time. It takes him a while to translate, but one thing from an antique French tome caught his eye. It tells of a shrine to a fallen French hero—one who said to have obtained his abilities through "unnatural" means. Dr. Theroux proposes they seek out this shrine with the clues in the tome and claim any buried magic for their own. Madam Gros approves the plan and suggests that Rhino take charge of the expedition. Dr. Theroux shakes his head. Rhino, his niece Byrnne Theroux, is still using his/Tarantula's thread to track the missing guardian of the Eastern Order. He wants her to focus on that task. Madam Gros wonders then if he means to have Draco or himself lead. Dr. Theroux shakes his head again—he can't leave his day job for that long, and Draco, his nephew Zenon Theroux, has gone back to Canada to oversee the shipment of the item they requested. Instead, Dr. Theroux proposes a real test for their six teen allies—appointing one of them as the leader. Madam Gros likes this idea and says she'll make the arrangements.
It's into the evening, and Dauphin logs into the Team B chat server. Everyone who is online is happy to see him. Dauphin explains what happened. Dauphine did awake from her shell and the dolphin kwami is now born. However, it was too long, and their lie got busted. Dauphine is in major trouble with her parents and it'll probably be a long time before she can help again. But in the meantime, she entrusted the anklet and Finn to him. Froppy expresses concern and sadness for Dauphine's situation. Ladybug wonders if there's anything she can do to help but she congratulates Finn on his birthday. Honey Bee falls silent, even more worried about the possibility of her own powers surging. Firefly congratulates them on their new friend in Finn. He asks Dauphin what kind of personality Finn has, and Dauphin answers with "I'm teaching him to like True or False!"
The next morning leads to another school day, and the whole cast is preparing. Nicholas Sancoeur talks with his aunt, who is keeping an eye on the other six items she has released into the city: Chip Bluestone's, All-Star Rex's, Ruddiger's, and the inactive ones given to Rachel Beauchene, Wayhem, and Viktor Vasiliev. Nicholas wonders when the later will be ready, and Nathalie merely tells him to keep an eye on the ones that attend his school. Nicholas promises to do so before joining his limo-pool.
At Francoise Dupont High School, Lila Rossi arrives early to try to curry favor and restore her reputation. She realizes her selfie with Ladybug and Cat Noir has pretty much run its course, but doing legitimate good things like helping teachers and being kind to classmates is "too much work" and "a worse farce than lying." So instead she finds an obscure photo of a cute pedigree puppy on the internet and starts showing it off as her newest pet, getting people to fawn over it. People like Mylene Haprele, Yvonne Garnier, and Genevieve Faucher. Alya Cesaire basically ignores Lila—not worth the effort. Meg Delphinus finds her best friend, Rachel Beauchene, ripping up a Ladybug and Cat Noir: The Animated Movie poster into strips and throwing them in the trash. When Meg asks Rachel what that's about, Rachel shrugs and says "I'm kinda over Ladybug and Cat Noir. I'm sick of hearing about them everywhere, you know?" Nathaniel Kurtzberg is a bit lost in thought as he recalls the fight against June back during the Fate chapter. She said something about "you've met the one your red thread is tied to, you just don't realize it's her yet." He suspects he knows what June meant, but it makes him uneasy—and worse, it reminds him of June/Fate's terrifying power over other people's relationships. It takes Lucciola the lightning bug kwami to snap him from his thoughts.
Ironically, Nicolette Lacroix/June is lost in similar thoughts. She keeps glancing at her left pinkie and frowning as she knows her own red thread is tied to someone she'll meet in the future—not her current crush, Etienne Fontaine/Reef. Her best friend, Monique Imhof, notices her spacing out and asks about it. So Nicolette asks if Monique believes in "destiny" and if a person's true love is determined from before they even met. Monique shakes her head. As much as she wants to dream that her being with Mathieu Anciel was written in the stars or foretold at birth or whatever, she knows from being with him over a year that it's a daily choice—and that's what makes the love all the more miraculous. Nicolette smiles and thanks her. I candefy fate. (Ironic since she was akumatized into Fate.)
Kagami Tsurugi is waiting on the steps of the school when the Agreste limo pulls up. When Adrien Agreste gets out and sees her, he immediately buries his face in his hand. "I forgot again, didn't I?" Kagami nods grimly, referring to the fact he stood her up for a second time in Burden. Kagami asks him what's going on—he can arrive to his modeling photo shoots and commercial films on time. Adrien just apologizes profusely and promises he'll do better next time. He admits he doesn't want to hurt Kagami. Kagami considers things a moment and then she accepts his apology as he is very sincere. They make plans for a third time to have a study date at the library.
Lila Rossi is continuing plotting and manipulating to gain attention and prestige for herself. She tells Lapinna to topple over a stack of boxes near the art room. Lapinna, again, protests, but Lila forces the kwami to obey. On Lila's cue, Lapinna pushes the boxes over—which gives Lila time to race in and knock some underclassmen out of the way. Not only does Lila get accolades for protecting others, but she also gets to play up any injuries sustained for additional attention points. Pierre Lefevre, who has a crush on her, immediately races to her side to make sure she's okay.
Le Chien Kim takes a moment to text Ondine as usual, letting her know he arrived at school and is thinking about her. But she doesn't reply, and that's no surprise as she's super ground. Max Kante asks what's going on—he heard a rumor Ondine had been missing. Kim brushes it off in his usual goofy way, but it's clear he is missing his girlfriend. In the background, Finn is flitting around Markvos, giggling quietly as Markov can't see him. Meanwhile, Ondine is under as strict surveillance as her parents can reasonable put her under. They literally drop her off at the school's front door and arrive the moment her school lets out to pick her up. Beyond that, she's barely even allowed out of the house. Ondine just endures it because she believes in the cause as Dauphine.
(All students are here: (( photos . app . goo . gl / cgLSrNi71rxfep9e8 )).)
The bells rings, and everyone heads to class. In Miss Bustier's classroom, she announces they're going to do an in-class group project. Chloe Bourgeois hesitates but then lays dibs on Adrien. While she is still mad at him for turning down her romantic affections, Adrien is literally the only person in the whole class she has any type of remaining positive interactions with, and even those aren't the best. Plus, even with him rejecting her, she doesn't want anyone else to have him. Adrien looks uncomfortable because of all this and glances to Nino Lahiffe for help. Marinette glowers in jealousy behind them, and Lila steps forward claiming it's not fair for Chloe to get her way all the time. (She also plays up her prior injury for additional manipulation.) It's a smooth, charismatic move in which Lila is banking on Chloe's decreasing popularity—she's trying to subtly move in so she can be with Adrien instead. Rather than let things get heated, Miss Bustier declares that she'll be drawing names at random, and everyone will work with whomever's name she pulls. There's some grumbling from Chloe and a couple of others, but overall the class agrees because, by and large, they do get along.
Marinette Dupin-Cheng gets paired up with Alix Kubdel. Then Alya Cesaire gets pairs with Nino Lahiffe—to which Chloe calls foul since they're known to be boyfriend and girlfriend. Miss Bustier insists she's being completely random. She then pulls Adrien Agreste and Nathaniel Kurtzberg's names, which earns a huff from Chloe and Lila. Chloe is about to threaten to tell her dad, but then she remembers that she's not even speaking to him due to the divorce, so she just lets the matter drop. Lila Rossi winds up with Le Chien Kim, with the former looking disgusted. Mylene Haprele and Max Kante are partners, as are Sabrina Raincomprix and Ivan Bruel. Rose Lavillant, Juleka Couffaine, and Chloe Bourgeois get into a team of three due to their being an odd number of students. Miss Bustier delegates out the assignment, and they all get to work.
For Alix Kubdel, she finds it a bit weird talking to Marinette as the last conversation they had together was during Miraculous Thief where Marinette was over ten years older and pregnant. Chloe begins playing on her phone, leaving Rose and Juleka to do all the work. Adrien and Nathaniel strike up a conversation as their assignment is on aerodynamics. Nathaniel mentions he was just researching this—strictly out of personal interest, of course (and totally not because he flies around at night with a jet pack as Firefly). Adrien is surprised as he didn't imagine Nathaniel the type to be interested in flying, and Nathaniel gushes a bit about it—about the freedom of being off the ground and the thrilling sensation of diving and weaving. "Not that I know what it feels like. I mean! I would like to! But it's not as if I've ever flown before!" Adrien says he understands what it's like to want freedom. Then he loosens up and tells a joke, which gets Nathaniel laughing. Adrien lets out a small but genuine smile—internally, he is surprised that he can be a bit of a goofball like Cat Noir without being rejected.
Halfway into the project, there's a knock on the door. Madam Gros declares it's time for Nathaniel Kurtzberg to have his mental health screening. Nathaniel looks apologetic towards Adrien and leaves. Lila points out that that leaves Adrien without a partner and just as she's about to volunteer herself, Chloe speaks up and beats her to the punch. After all, her group (Chloe's) does have three people. Miss Bustier decides to relent on the issue and lets Chloe work alongside Adrien. This earns Chloe glares from both Marinette and Lila—Lila moreso. Juleka and Rose just shrug it off as their group really is better without Chloe in it anyway.
In Madam Gros's office, Nathaniel sits, a bit nervous, for his screening. Dolores Gros starts with her usual questions about his hobbies, grades, friends, and family. Nathaniel sorta huffs at the last one, so Madam Gros pries further. This gets Nathaniel to reveal that his parents are very much absent in his life. Both work two jobs simply because they love to work. Their idea of communication is leaving messages on a dry erase board in their kitchen; they barely even text or email him. It's up to him to make sure he gets up for school every day, complete his homework alone, and even cook all of his own meals. He does know they care—like, his mother still does laundry and his father sweeps around the apartment. "But if I didn't see clean dishes in the sink or a coat missing from the closet, I'd think I lived alone." Madam Gros ponders this for a moment, wondering if she actually should report what she heard to Social Services. But that would require her acting as a real counselor for a prolonged period of time, taking time away from her mission with the Western Order, so she decides against it.
Other things Madam Gros is able to learn include the fact that Nathaniel does get decent grades but spends a fair bit of time in detention for drawing in class. He and his best friend landed a publishing deal, and their comic will go on shelves in the fall. Nathaniel also admits to have a lot of friends he trusted (the B Team), revealing to Gros that he has a strong support group. She moves on to asking him about his thoughts on Ladybug and Hawk Moth. Nathaniel admits he thinks Ladybug is one of the most amazing superheroines of the time and that he can't wait for her to kick Hawk Moth's butt. When Madam Gros asks what he thinks about the fact that Ladybug still hasn't caught Hawk Moth yet, Nathaniel says he doesn't hold it against her as he imagines (rather, knows first hand) that it's difficult to trap a villain who remains in hiding and exploits innocent people like Hawk Moth and Mayura do. Madam Gros thanks him for his time and sends him back to class, excluding him from her list of possible pawns.
During lunch, Nathaniel meets up with Marc Anciel. He tells him about his experience with Madam Gros, and Marc compares the time he was interviewed by her. Marc admits to being super nervous as he thought she'd see through him and realize Nathaniel was trapped in a cocoon and Marc was lying about it. They both laugh and then plan ideas for the plot of their sequel comic. Nathaniel suggests that Marc give himself a cameo. After all, Nathaniel's self-insert (the Mighty Illustrator) is one of the main protagonists. Marc shakes his head—he prefers being behind the scenes as the writer without being in the spotlight himself.
Kagami Tsurugi actually sends Adrien a calendar alert about their upcoming study date so he has no excuse for forgetting this time. Adrien thanks her, and he ensure her that he has every intention of showing up. Pierre Lefevre offers to carry Lila Rossi's lunch tray for her as an excuse to get close to her. Lila doesn't care much for him but still accepts as it is a single step towards putting forward a more positive but fake front. He aims to sit with her for lunch, but that's when his phone vibrates—it's a message from Madam Gros. Pierre excuses himself and heads somewhere private to read it. Within a few minutes, Nicolette Lacroix, Etienne Fontaine, Marie Chauveau, Chloe Bourgeois, and Lila Rossi also get messages from Gros. At the same time, Mylene Haprele and Rose Lavillant head off together—it's clear they're planning something. Nicholas Sancoeur places himself so he can watch Rachel Beauchene and Viktor Vasiliev from the shadows, but he notices nothing abnormal. Which is good news for him and his aunt. However, internally, Nicholas is still struggling with his own existential crisis since Nathalie won't akumatize him. That's why she made me. If I can't complete that purpose...then what am I?
The second half of the school day rolls around. Madam Gros invites Mylene Haprele in for her mental health screening. Mylene is overtly nervous as Madam Gros begins with the usual questions about family and grades and stuff. She asks Mylene how it feels to be the daughter of one of the teachers at the school. Mylene replies that she doesn't mind—but it was because of concerns of favoritism that she was placed in Miss Bustier's class over her own father's. Mylene says that she does love her father and she enjoys watching him perform in his mime troupe. He helps her study after school, so her grades are above average. But she insists he's fair and he would never use his position to help her cheat.
Madam Gros changes topics to Mylene's hobbies and friends. Mylene is thrilled that she and the girls of Miss Bustier's class get along so well. She's also been steadily dating Ivan Bruel for months now, and "he's just a big, loveable teddy bear." For hobbies, Mylene loves music and urban legends—especially positive, uplifting ones. She admits she's a sucker for things like the Locks of Love fence. However, she does admit to have a ton of fears: heights, water, darkness, monster, mice… Sometimes she has to psyche herself up in the bathroom just to continue to day. Madam Gros quietly notes her has likely having low-key anxiety. And she actually gives Mylene the contact information of a professional psychologist (as there is a difference between school guidance counselor and professional level psychology) to follow up on her assessment. Mylene sticks the business card in her bag, right next to where Mullo is taking a nap.
Then Madam Gros asks her about her thoughts on Ladybug and Cat Noir and Hawk Moth and Mayura. Mylene has nothing but admiration for Ladybug and Cat Noir's bravery and says that she hopes to be that confidence one day. She's also disgusted with Hawk Moth and Mayura, but she doesn't show hatred for them. Madam Gros excuses her back to class. Once she's done, she sighs and crosses Mylene's name out too. She's gone through the vast majority of the student body at this point, but she's still lacking six allies. I'm going to have to take matters into my own hands.
After school, the student body disperses. Marinette Dupin-Cheng has to head home pretty immediately to help her family in the bakery. When she enters her home, they hand her a letter she received in the mail. Marinette tears it open, hoping it's from Master Fu. It's not. It's an invitation to Juleka Couffaine's surprise birthday party that weekend. Mylene and Rose have been planning it. Marinette laughs. "That's what they've been up to!" She then asks her parents if she can attend, and they give her permission. Of course, Marinette isn't the only one with an invitation: Alix and Alya have one too.
Adrien Agreste finds Nathaniel Kurtzberg to return his book on aerodynamics to him (since he didn't get to earlier due to Nathaniel being with Madam Gros). Nathaniel accepts the book back, and Adrien hurries to his family's limo. Felix Graham de Vanily is already inside, as sullen as ever. He ignores Adrien's initial greeting as Felix is busy on his tablet, researching cost of living in London and emancipated minors, custody across European borders and temporary guardianship.
Le Chien Kim checks his cell phone for any word from Ondine, but she's still forbidden from contacting anyone by her parents. Stella Tenebrae offers to race Alix Kubdel home, which the latter accepts eagerly. Sabrina Raincomprix is taking another moment to write in her emotions journal—she realizes she has quite a few entries, so she should make a follow-up appointment with Madam Gros. Suzette Rault invites her best friend, Marie Chauveau, over her house to watch the newest episodes of their favorite anime. Marie, however, says she has other plans. Suzette asks what the plans are, but Marie gets evasive. Suzette clearly sulks as Marie walks off. Gilles Chastain hops in his bicycle, which is loaded with flowers from his family's shop that he needs to deliver. Mireille Caquet and Aurore Beaureal catch the same luxury car to get to the news station so they can air their afternoon weather forecast.
Pierre Lefevre checks his phone one more time to confirm Madam Gros's instructions. Certain of what he needs to do, he heads out behind the school and lets Dee, the stag kwami, out from his backpack. Dee remarks that it's about time they get to see some action. Pierre agrees—he wants more chances to impress Lila. However, he is far more obedient than half of Madam Gros's selects. When she told him not to use his powers unless asked, he listened. And now—she requested him. Pierre transforms into Sir Silver Hart and heads to the designated location.
The location in question is an abandoned hotel in the lesser attractive area of Paris. He alights on the roof; no one notices him. According to Madam Gros's instructions, this is where he's supposed to meet the others. So he waits. After a couple of minutes, Shark Regina joins him. She's clearly annoyed as she brandishes her cell phone turned pan pipes. She demands to know what's going on. Sir Silver Hart explains that Madam Gros has a task for them and… Shark Regina cuts him off. "No, this part." She points to one part of the text message. The part that designates Sir Silver Hart as the leader of this mission and how the others are supposed to defer to him. Sir Silver Hart shrugs; he didn't put Madam Gros up to it. He's as surprised as Shark Regina—this is something Madam Gros decided all her own. Shark Regina demands to know why she should go along with it. Sir Silver Hart reminds her that she's under the same rules he is—as in, if they don't obey Gros, they'll lose their miraculous. Shark Regina huffs and sulks, but she has no decent rebuttal.
A minute later, June and Reef land together. They introduce themselves to Sir Silver Hart, as Reef at least has met Shark Regina before. Shark Regina doesn't really acknowledge them. June recognizes Sir Silver Hart as being "Ivory's" appointed leader for this mission. Since she is fairly new using the Cancer crab miraculous, she defers to Hart being "more experienced"—even though he really hasn't had all that many opportunities to use the Libra stag miraculous. Reef is aloof, uninterested really in working with other people unless they're fawning over him. Shark Regina tries to goad him—"why should Hart be the leader over any one of us?" but Reef doesn't rise to her baiting as he's too busy looking at his own reflection in his Pisces koi compact mirror.
It's just about the appointed meeting time on the dot when Mink makes her debut. Like pretty much everyone else present, she is completely self-focused. And since Mink is Lila Rossi playing her own long-term game, she really has no problem making her Mink alias into a villain so she can make her civilian alias the heroine. Mink sees the other miraculous users as merely tools to use. She even ponders stealing their miraculous outright, but she knows Madam Gros won't let her get away with that. So she decides to watch and learn as much as she can to put herself at an advantage. That's why the first thing she does is introduce herself as "Mink, the Gemini cabbit"—then she asks everyone else to introduce themselves and how their powers work. Sir Silver Hart ain't the brightest bulb (I mean, come on, his crush is Lila Rossi after all. Doubly ironic since she is Mink, and he doesn't realize it). So he explains how his Polarity ability works—it can magnetize two objects he strikes so that they repel or attract each other. Shark Regina and Reef both ignore Mink's question as they're preoccupied with themselves, and June explains that her ability is Sever—which can cut the threads that bind people together. June doesn't realize Mink's trap as June is legitimately a nice person, she just also has terrible taste in love interests (as she's doing this all to impress Etienne Fontaine/Reef).
It's well past the time they're all supposed to meet when a sullen Queen Scorpion appears. Like Shark Regina, Queen Scorpion makes it clear that she is not happy that Sir Silver Hart was appointed leader over her. "Queens outrank knights, after all." However, Queen Scorpion being Chloe Bourgeois, she realizes she's on the last bit of patience from Madam Gros and if she toes the line again, she'll lose her miraculous. So she protests and complains and sulks, but she ultimately has to go along with this plot if she wants to keep her superpowers and gain a shot at taking the bee comb from Honey Bee.
Sir Silver Hart realizes he has his work cut out for him with this team, but he decides to do his best. He calls their attention and explains the details given exclusively to him by Madam Gros/Ivory. Their "sponsor" received intel that somewhere in the catacombs of Paris is a shrine to a fallen magic user. Ivory wants them to search for this shrine and obtain any artifacts buried there.
Shark Regina instantly vetoes this. "The catacombs are, like, big and gross and stink and are kilometers long! No way!" Sir Silver Hart argues that he does have a general direction as well as a map, provided to him by Tarantula. Shark Regina flatly refuses because she doesn't "want her hair to get all smelly." Queen Scorpion and Reef are both equally disgusted with the idea. June sticks besides Reef, leaving only Mink. Mink decides to play her cards to curry favor with Madam Gros so Gros is less likely to suspect her of ulterior motives. She insists that they should go along with things; they did give their word to follow Gros/Ivory after all. "But hey, if you're not interested at all, then it'll give me a chance to examine that lost magic myself." This, of course, baits Queen Scorpion into going along with things as Queen Scorpion badly wants more power (in both reclaiming the bee comb as well as possibly stealing Alpha's wolf ear cuff so she can use her powers multiple times). Sir Silver Hart appeals to Reef's vanity, saying that the magical item is likely an accessory of some sort. When Reef folds, June does to. That leaves only Shark Regina dissenting, and she reluctantly folds so as not to be the odd one out.
With the group organized through clenched teeth, Sir Silver Hart leads them into the old hotel and down to the back patio, which has been blocked off with a chain link fence and construction tarp. Of course, this isn't a problem for miraculous wielders or empowered individuals coming from the roof and then inside the abandoned hotel itself. Reef uses his powers of manipulating cloth to take a piece of fabric at the end of a pipe, causing the fabric to glow for light. He passes it off to June temporarily.
The back patio is cracked, and a huge crevice leads down to the catacombs. It's there that Sir Silver Hart takes them, under the instructions of Tarantula. He pulls out his gavel, which is wired to his cell phone though the magic that is miraculous. He enlarges it to have a wider screen and pulls up Tarantula's map. One by one, they jump down into the darkness.
However, this does not go unobserved. Marc Anciel was walking back to his apartment alone since his older brother, Mathieu, headed off to his girlfriend. Marc was largely lost in thoughts as he walked, plotting the next chapter of his book. However, a shadow crossed his path, and when he looked up, he saw Queen Scorpion. Now, it's well known through the city that Queen Scorpion is an enemy of Ladybug and Cat Noir, even if it's not as common knowledge that Queen Scorpion is Chloe. Marc pulls out his cell phone and runs after her, taking care to make sure she doesn't see him. But Queen Scorpion is so focused on herself that she doesn't even pay attention. Marc catches a photo of her with his cell and uploads it into the Akuma Alert app. Sure, she's not technically an akuma, but the app is the best way to notify civilians and heroes about villainous activities. And since Queen Scorpion didn't see him, Marc continues to follow her on the sly, updating their progress in real time (much like how Giselle tracked Frozer's akuma way back when).
He watches as Queen Scorpion lands on the roof and waits several minutes, but she doesn't seem to leave. There's no sign of the heroes either. However, a few minutes later, Marc hears voices. He peers through the construction tarp and sees Sir Silver Hart leading the others. Marc watches as they disappear into the giant crevice. Just as Shark Regina is about to be the last one to jump down, Marc lines his cell phone up with the gap in the tarp and snaps a photo. He also uploads that one up to the Akuma Alert app and pins its location via GPS. Marc figures that's all he can do as he's not about to barge into a construction site or jump into God-only-knows-what in that crevice. He turns to leave when a new shadow falls across his face.
You see, the thing about Akuma Alerts is that everyone in Paris has the app. This includes antagonists like Pierre Lefevre/Sir Silver Hart, Marie Chauveau/Shark Regina, Chloe Bourgeois/Queen Scorpion, Nicolette Lacroix/June, Etienne Fontaine/Reef, and Lila Rossi/Mink. The alert blared through their enchanted weapons as they descended in the hotel. This earned Queen Scorpion several glares for letting herself be followed. However, Sir Silver Hart decided to use this to their advantage. He ordered Reef to leave from the far side of the hotel and double around to catch their stalker.
Reef lords over Marc, who cringes back and then tries to make a run for it. However, Reef's ability is the creation of fabric, and he can manipulate fabric even without using Fabricate. He causes Marc's own clothing to bind him tight, better than any rope. Marc protests, insisting that the heroes will be there any moment. Reef ignores his complaints and hefts him over his shoulder. He then leaps over the construction fence, waltzes over to the crevice, and jumps down, joining his allies in the catacombs and bringing Marc with him.
Marc struggles and protests the whole time, but even against a kid his own age, when that kid is empowered with a miraculous, he doesn't stand a chance. Reef drops Marc at his feet in the middle of a circle made by the other users of the Western Order. They all have to pretend that they don't know Marc from school (heck, he's even a direct classmate for some of them) in order to keep their identities a secret. Even though June herself is smart enough to consider the possibility that Madam Gros is solely recruiting from Francoise Dupont High School, and so it's possible that she knows the civilian aliases of Shark Regina, Sir Silver Hart, Queen Scorpion, or Mink. June, however, decides not to pry to protect her and Etienne's identities as well as wisely figuring that Madam Gros doesn't want them prying.
Marc insists that they're "not going to get away with this" and that Ladybug and Cat Noir are coming as he struggles against his clothing binding him. He's justifiably scared out of his mind, but he's putting on a brave face. Reef asks Hart what they're going to do with Marc since Hart is in charge of this mission. Hart acknowledges that they can't delay with Ladybug and Cat Noir on the way. Fortunately, once they get into the tunnels, there's no way to golden duo can follow them properly. The catacombs are a labyrinth after all. He says that they'll just leave Marc here, tied up. Marc freaks out, saying that they plan to leave him to die. Hart shrugs, "we'll let you out on our way out" and then walks away, expecting the others to follow. They do, with Shark Regina bring up the rear. She departs with a snide, "that is, if we remember you, of course." And when Reef leaves, the light leaves too, stranding Marc in the darkness.
Of course, the golden duo got the Akuma Alert themselves. Adrien makes an excuse to head to his room where he transforms and immediately texts Ladybug, asking her if she knows what Team Draco is up to. Ladybug replies back, stating that she's not sure—but with so many of Draco's allies present, it has to be important. She also corrected deduces that the Western Order is investigating the catacombs. Which means, the A Team needs to be prepared too. Ladybug proposes they pre-emptively recruit a few allies who would excel in an underground labyrinth. After all, there's four or more enemies (judging from Marc's photos), so they're going to need help regardless. Cat Noir agrees with the assessment and plan.
Ladybug, already transformed, is on her way to the hotel indicated by the AA's GPS. She pauses by a chimney to log into the Team A Discord. Her usual good luck holds out, and Pegasus is one of the allies online at the time. She requests he meet her at that location. After all, if they do get lost in the catacombs, Pegasus's Voyage will always be able to get the safely home. She also asks Minimouse to join them, as Minimouse's ability to divide would be a great aid in searching combined with her ability to shrink and get in and out of small places. Pegasus immediately jumps on board with the plan while Minimouse hesitates for a bit but does agree to meet them.
After that, Ladybug realizes they need one more ally, so she logs into the Team B Discord. As usual, the B Team is trying to coordinate their efforts. However, it's harder without the news and civilian live streams to keep them posted. Ladybug requests Dauphin's aid. Dauphin is surprised to be requested by name—especially when he's still dealing with the fact that Dauphine is basically under house arrest. Ladybug explains that the dolphin's Echolocation ability is all but necessary when entering the catacombs. Alpha encourages Dauphin to accept, so he does. After all, now that the dolphin anklet is a real miraculous, it should in theory be safe from Hawk Moth.
The scene pans over to Nathalie Sancoeur, who is drinking coffee as she manages Gabriel Agreste's affairs. You see, when we say everyone in Paris has the Akuma Alert app, we mean everyone. That includes Nathalie. She picks up her phone and sees the images of Queen Scorpion leaping between roofs and then of her, Hart, Mink, and Shark Regina (June isn't in the shot) jumping to the underground. Like Ladybug and Cat Noir, she deduces that something big and important has to be happening. She sends a text to Nicholas "keep an eye on this." He replies back with a simple, "I will."
Ladybug and Cat Noir are the first to arrive near the abandoned hotel. Cat Noir points out from above that that must be the crevice their opponents all snuck into. Ladybug asks him if he has any idea why, but he's just as clueless as she is. A moment later, Pegasus joins them. He asks if anyone on Hart's team has surfaced. Ladybug says they've seen no one, but she doesn't rule out the possibility of other entrances and exits. Pegasus wonders where the person who reported the incident went off to. Cat Noir theorizes that person left. No one in their right mind would just drop into a crevice of unknown depth, and there hasn't been any further alerts sent from that account. Pegasus points out that if the person who reported the incident did follow their enemies, there's likely no signal underground, so the AA app wouldn't be updated.
Before they can pursue the matter further, Dauphin joins them on the roof. He and Pegasus greet each other as if this is the first time they're meeting—as they have to hide the fact that Max Kante figured out Le Chien Kim is Dauphin ages ago, and shortly after that Kim realizes Pegasus is Max (though Max doesn't know Kim was one-time King Monkey). Despite keeping things a secret from the golden duo, the two friends are pretty excited to work together under their superhero aliases.
As Ladybug is filling Dauphin in, Minimouse timidly joins them. All together, Ladybug quickly debriefs them. Then she and Cat Noir lead them to the crevice that Hart's team was seen entering to figure out what's going on. Pegasus advices they use caution as this could be a trap. You know, tricking the heroes to go underground then triggering a landslide to bury them alive seems like a smart move for their enemies. Ladybug acknowledges the wisdom of Pegasus's words but says they can't afford to let Hart's allies roam free if there is something at stake. "And I'm trusting you to save us if that's the case."
The first thing they find underground is Marc Anciel, still bound by his own clothing. Marc was obviously quite scared and is very relieved to see them. Cat Noir helps break the worst of the threads so Marc can move without going into wardrobe malfunction. Marc explains what he saw—that there are six opponents who seem to be looking for something under the orders of "Ivory." Sir Silver Hart is leading them, and Reef got the drop on him (Marc) and bound him there. Ladybug thanks him for his help and urges him to go back to the surface and clear the area.
Minimouse wonders what way Hart's team went as there are several branches in the tunnels. Marc says he can help there. He wasn't completely helpless when Reef caught him. Marc points to a small colored splotch on the ground, illuminated by Cat Noir's cell phone/flashlight/baton. Marc explains that he broke one of his ink pens when Reef caught him and snuck it into Reef's outfit. The pen should be leaking ink enough to point the heroes in the right direction. Pegasus compliments Marc's quick thinking, and Ladybug again thanks him for his help—but urges him to safety. Marc promises he will and leaves, using a ladder that was likely left by the construction crew.
The heroes start forward, following the ink dripped from Marc's broken pen. There's some lull as they traverse, giving time for Pegasus, Dauphin, and Minimouse to interact as they haven't gotten the chance to on page before. Minimouse admits to being afraid of the dark, and Dauphin helps by using his cell phone/surfboard as a very large flashlight. Ladybug appreciates him comforting Minimouse, but also tells him to be careful not to give away their position to Sir Silver Hart. Cat Noir asks Dauphin about his new powers since the dolphin anklet has just been promoted to a fully-fledged miraculous. Dauphin admits he hasn't had the chance to test them properly. This confuses Minimouse as she had no idea that the items the B Team use are different from the miraculous Ladybug loans out. Pegasus knew from Kim, but he also has to feign ignorance.
Dauphin, being Kim, starts on a long and detailed explanation about the difference as he doesn't realize that maybe he should be keeping this a secret. It's Cat Noir who coughs and strongly hints to Dauphin that "are you sure you should be saying all this?" Dauphin ponders it a moment and shrugs.
Meanwhile, Adamantus arrives at the abandoned hotel. He takes a moment to look around, but he sees no one following him. So he alights on the patio and then jumps underground. Like the other magical item wielders, he pulls out one of his weapons (a cell phone turned screwdriver) to use as a flashlight. He notices everyone else's footprints in the dirt and follows those.
However, he is not completely unobserved. Marc Anciel had yet to properly leave the scene. He had been obscured behind a pile of broken concrete and half of a construction tarp when he heard Adamantus land. Marc froze up, afraid of being caught yet again, but Adamantus didn't notice him. Marc watched as Adamantus leapt into the catacombs. Then Marc's mental gears started turning, and he remembers his cell phone. He updates the Akuma Alert app, saying he just saw Adamantus join the scene (though he has no photos as proof as he mentally wasn't prepared to take any). Marc's mind continues to turn, and he realizes that underground, Ladybug and Cat Noir aren't likely to get his message—they're liable to be ambushed by Adamantus. Marc hesitates, considering his options. He knows he should flee and leave things to the professional heroes. But if they lose—all of Paris loses. Marc swallows his nerves and heads back to the crevice.
At the same time, Sir Silver Hart's team is progressing deeper and lower into the catacombs, following Tarantula's map. And they're squabbling. Shark Regina is complaining about what the mildew will do to her hair, and Reef is absolutely disgusted to let anything on the walls touch his clothing. Queen Scorpion refuses to touch anything and get her hands dirty, and both Queen Scorpion and Shark Regina make side remarks about Sir Silver Hart's leadership. Mink tries to act coy and aloof, but very craftily, she's saying things to pit the others against each other. After all, more discord for Madam Gros means more openings for her. June largely sides with Reef, but she also takes an active role in trying to maintain the peace.
Feed up, Sir Silver Hart enlarges his gavel until it's the size of a mallet and strikes the wall, causing loose dirt to rain down around them. He asserts himself as the leader of this mission, appointed by Ivory, and if anyone has a problem with that, they need to challenge him directly for it rather than being passive-aggressive. The others fall silent, and Sir Silver Hart presses on, now assured in his authority.
The low gong noise of him hitting the wall echoes all the way to Team Ladybug, letting them know that they're on the right track. She looks back to see Cat Noir leaving scratch marks in the wall with the claws on his suit. He shrugs. "So we know the way out." Ladybug thanks him for that, and Cat Noir smiles genuinely, causing Ladybug to look sharply away.
Sir Silver Hart's group finds the location Tarantula indicated. It's a rotunda underground lined with various old antiques that had been stashed there. Some are set in shelf-alcoves on the wall, and a few are on crumbling pedestals. From six points in the rotunda branch six different pathways. Hart orders everyone to spread out and search for what Ivory wants. Shark Regina touches an old tome only for it to crumble beneath her finger. She squeals "Gross!"
And then has to duck as Cat Noir's baton goes flying at her head. The attack is so sudden that June doesn't have any time to dodge; she's captured in the thread of Ladybug's yo-yo. Sir Silver Hart raises his gavel to strike back only to be forced to parry Pegasus's thrown horseshoe. Shark Regina curses, saying that that spy (Marc) they captured earlier alerted the golden duo. "We should have done something more permanent!" Dauphin drives Mink back with some serious surfboard spinning (a la sign spinning), but Queen Scorpion recovers and knocks his weapon out of his hands with her acidic chain.
A free-for-all erupts as heroes battle antagonists. Minimouse hangs back and apologizes when she bonks Reef on the head with her jump rope. Reef shrugs it off and uses his power of textile manipulation to get June free of Ladybug's yo-yo. She thanks him, genuinely touched, but he's already moved on. Queen Scorpion dives after Ladybug due to her jealousy, but Cat Noir defends "milday." Shark Regina and Sir Silver Hart try to flank them using the smaller confines of the room to their advantage, but Ladybug kicks an old vase at them and trips them.
The cacophony of the fight attracts Adamantus, leading him in the right direction. He crouches, hidden, and whispers to Nathalie/Hawk Moth what he's seeing. Nathalie ponders what could be of interest in this location and urges Adamantus to ignore the fighting and see if he can find what they're looking for. Thus it's Adamantus who notices marks on the floor of the rotunda in front of each of the six entrances: a sun, the fleur de lis, a Celtic knot, a skull, a stylistic eye, and a very familiar butterfly symbol. Adamantus is about to report these findings to Nathalie, but he has to hide behind a pillar as Dauphin is thrown in his direction. More loose dirt rains down.
Mink corners Minimouse who uses her Multitude ability to shrink into many smaller Minimouses and flee from her. The small Minimouses don't start there; they swarm the opposing side, serving as a valuable distraction. Sir Silver Hart has enlarged his gavel once again and is using it with amazing offensive prowess. He then orders June to use her ability. She pulls out her shears and places her eye scope over her eye so she can see threads. Then she asks what he wants her to cut. At the same time, Ladybug yanks her yo-yo into the air "Lucky Charm!" Sir Silver Hart tells June to Sever Ladybug's good luck. June finds the right thread and snips it. Ladybug's Lucky Charm bonks her on the head before she can catch it.
Queen Scorpion lets loose with her chain, causing a lot of damage around her. Sir Silver Hart scolds her, saying that any of the objects in the room could be magical. She needs to be careful! Queen Scorpion huffs, "this junk?" She insists she knows real magic, and nothing here is magical. Cat Noir wonders to Ladybug what this even means and what Team Hart is looking for. Ladybug decides they need to find it first, and Sir Silver Hart wisely clams up on the issue to reveal nothing farther.
Meanwhile, Adamantus is discreetly looking for the artifact in question. That is, until Marc slips onto the scene, hidden behind a pillar. Once again, Marc is scared…but he takes a deep breath and shouts, revealing Adamantus's presence to everyone. Adamantus looks like a fly caught on paper as everyone from both teams turns to stare at him. Marc again ducks out of sight.
If things were crazy before, they erupt into sheer chaos at this point as Adamantus joins the fight. He coldly dismisses Sir Silver Hart's efforts, affirming what Scorpion said about everything here literally being junk. Hart accuses Adamantus of lying to claim the relic as his own.
Ladybug is genuinely struggling without her usual luck to back her up, and that's before Shark Regina and Reef team up. Reef activates his Fabricate ability, filling the chamber with cloth of his own making. This also inadvertently blocks Marc's attempts to escape. Reef and Shark Regina both grab an end and begin to twist it around. Then Shark Regina activates Mutation, turning the fabric into thorny, woody vines that ensnare both Ladybug and Pegasus. They can barely move without cutting themselves. Reef attempts to further bind them with his cloth manipulation, but their outfits are immune. "Whatever our suits are made of, it's not fabric." Cat Noir is forced to Cataclysm the vines to get everyone free.
Mink faces off against Adamantus, and she realizes her Duality is not optimal for this situation as she's fairly certain all aspects of Adamantus would oppose her, so splitting him into light and dark would only create two opponents for herself. However, she is fairly adept at keeping him at bay with her fighting techniques. She's also pretty good at bluffing, no surprise. As a result, Adamantus doesn't realize that June has crept up on him until she just about cuts off his head with her shears. Adamantus leaps back in time but tells her not to bother as scissors cannot cut diamond. Mink cocks her head and asks Adamantus what his special ability even is. His high defenses are part of his suit, not himself. So what can he do? She mocks him for it. Adamantus actually falters as he doesn't know his own special ability. But he recovers quickly and emotionlessly and states he would never tell Mink what he's capable of.
Sir Silver Hart gets some powerful blows in with his gigantic mallet, making it hard for the allies to get close with him. Dauphin is left winded, supporting himself with his surfboard. Minimouse, still diminutive, swarms over Hart to drive him away from Dauphin, who recovers and drives Hart into the wall. Sir Silver Hart counters with a powerful kick and bashes his mallet against Dauphin's surfboard/shield.
Once Ladybug is free of the thorns, she reclaims her Lucky Charm and does her best to find out its purpose. However, Queen Scorpion is relentless in attacking her; her acidic chain goes wild, scarring the pillars that support the rotunda. Adamantus tanks some falling debris, and others dodge. The whole scene is filled with complex superhero acrobatics and attacks.
Cat Noir surveys the area. With Adamantus, it's 6 against 5 against 1—but that still leaves 7 enemies against Cat Noir's total of 5 allies, so he realizes they're at a disadvantage. Minimouse isn't that great of a fighter, and June is ridiculously dangerous even with her having used Sever to remove Ladybug's luck. Multiple characters are on their countdowns, but Cat Noir knows Adamantus likely doesn't even have one. Plus Hart, Scorpion, and Mink haven't used their abilities. Then again, neither has Pegasus or Dauphin. But Cat Noir knows he can't bank on the enemies' timers forcing them to transform back as it puts too much risk on his own team.
That's when he hears a yelp of surprise from behind the fight. An idea occurs to him, and Cat Noir falls back. In doing so, he's able to pull Marc Anciel out of the way just as some ceiling bricks fall. Marc thanks him. Cat Noir asks Marc what he's doing here since he should have left for the surface ages ago. Marc says he saw Adamantus following them and wanted to tell them and realized their cell phones likely weren't working, so he came to warn them in person. He admits he's been trying to leave since, but the fighting has made that impossible. Cat Noir compliments him for his quick thinking with the ink pen and then his courage in following after the diamond unicorn. Marc doesn't believe himself to be courageous. He's a "behind the scenes" kind of guy.
Cat Noir interrupts him. Marc is exactly the kind of guy they need right now. "We need help." Cat Noir produces the goat miraculous and offers it to Marc. Marc is blown away by the prospect. "Are you sure you want someone like me?" Cat Noir affirms this based on Marc's existing traits. Marc opens the box to reveal the goat hair clips and is very surprised when Ziggy appears, seemingly out of thin air. However, Marc is less surprised than some others as he is used to seeing Lucciola. In fact, Marc has to remind himself not to say anything like "a kwami!" or "you're like Lucciola!" because otherwise he'd give away his connection to Firefly. As Cat Noir explains the miraculous (with the chaotic sounds of the fight in the background), Marc puts the clips in his hair.
Ziggy explains that he can grant Marc superpowers as long as Marc utters a special phrase. Marc nods as Ziggy coaches him. Then, together they say "Ziggy, Horns On!" which transforms Marc into a goat-themed hero, complete with a shepherd's crook for his weapon. Cat Noir welcomes him aboard, and the two head back into the fight together.
Pegasus is the first to notice the newcomer, though he has his hands full dealing with Shark Regina's acrobatics. He quickly asks Cat Noir "friend or foe?" Cat Noir introduces their newest ally…then he glances to Marc, looking for a name. Marc introduces himself as "Buck." Cat Noir whispers about the name. "Isn't a buck a male deer?" Marc/Buck informs him that a buck is also the name for a male goat. Pegasus welcomes Buck on board, and Buck helps Pegasus drive back Shark Regina. And since this is Buck's debut, special attention gets paid to his fighting. He's able to use his crook not only as a bo staff but also as a grapple.
Having an additional ally helps turn the tides of battle. This allows things to be roughly one on one with Adamantus as the wild card. Ladybug and Queen Scorpion are still locked in intense combat with no one else able to interfere. Cat Noir leaves Buck to help Minimouse deal with Sir Silver Hart while Pegasus corners Shark Regina and Cat Noir himself cuts into June's fight. Mink is still lashing out against Dauphin and Adamantus in a three-way brawl. Once more, things are action-filled and intense.
That's when Sir Silver Hart gets word from Madam Gros/Ivory to retreat as this mission has gone belly-up. Sir Silver Hart asks her about the relic she wants through his gavel/mallet/cell phone. Ivory says that if he hasn't found it by now, the item likely went missing decades ago. She repeats her orders to fall back, and Hart acknowledges them. He passes the order on to his crew. All make moves to withdraw.
That is, all but Queen Scorpion. She's quite worked up and doesn't want to turn from humiliating Ladybug. Hart repeats that it's Ivory's orders for them to fall back. "Ivory?" asks Cat Noir. Queen Scorpion counters by declaring "Dissolve," and she goes wild with her whip chain, striking just about everything she can in the rotunda. The whole thing begins to collapse. Adamantus takes the distraction to flee himself, and one by one the Western miraculous users also duck back into the main tunnel. Pegasus and Dauphin try to follow them, but Sir Silver Hart uses his Polarize ability to block the exit behind him, cutting off the heroes' escape.
However, that's not the worst of it. The worst of it is the falling chunks of debris. Everyone loses sight of allies. When the dust settles, Cat Noir is safe underneath a stone arc. He calls out for his allies. Pegasus and Dauphin reveal themselves next, having taken refuge underneath Dauphin's surfboard. Buck stands up as a brick drops off his head. "Huh…I guess I have a hard head. I didn't even feel that" as, being a goat, he does have exceptionally high skull defense.
Cat Noir looks around, a bit frantic, wondering where Ladybug is. He calls her name several times, but he can't find her. That's when on tiny Minimouse pops forward. She delivers the solemn news that Ladybug is trapped in the debris. (As her good luck was Severed, thus leaving her with bad luck that got her buried.) She's safe due to her suit as well as using her Lucky Charm to protect her head. But she can't move. And when her timer runs out…
Cat Noir immediately begins trying to dig to Ladybug, but Pegasus has to stop him as moving the bricks threatens another collapse. Minimouse sneaks in through the cracks to deliver messages between Ladybug and the rest of the heroes. Cat Noir considers recharging his kwami so he can use another Cataclysm, but Pegasus points out that that's all the more likely to bury them all alive. He quickly runs through the abilities of his team. He turns to Pegasus, asking him if he can use Voyage to reach Ladybug.
Pegasus asks Minimouse about the state of the debris. She admits it's quite packed. Pegasus flinches. He can't open Voyage is there's no space for the portal. Buck suggests that they hurry to get help. Surely there has to be someone else among their allies who could excavate Ladybug. Like, Carapace's shield could protect them from debris falling while they dig her out. Dauphin points out a problem—the way out is completely barricaded thanks to Sir Silver Hart, and they have no idea where the others tunnels lead.
Cat Noir asks him if Dauphin can tell if any lead to the surface. Dauphin uses his Echolocation, but he has to confirm that the remaining five tunnels either lead to dead ends or further underground. Cat Noir is clearly stressing really badly, and everyone's timers doesn't help things. Minimouse reforms herself while Cat Noir considers all his options. Think Cat Noir, think—what would Ladybug do?! She always has the great ideas! Well, for one he knows her Lucky Charm would restore the situation…but it's buried with her. Could he call an ally? Could that ally get here in time?
Then an idea dawns on him. There is one ability that could get Ladybug out without hurting her or anyone else further. Cat Noir turns to Pegasus and tells him to open a Voyage portal to a certain rooftop. Pegasus wonders why—after all, his Voyage is now the only thing that'll allow them to escape, he can't waste it. Cat Noir insists, so Pegasus does so. Then Cat Noir tells them all to stay and watch over Ladybug. He will literally be right back; keep the portal open.
Cat Noir lands on the rooftop of Nathaniel Kurtzberg's apartment. He leaps down to the balcony and quickly locates Nathaniel's room. Nathaniel is inside, typing furiously on his phone (as he's texting the rest of the B Team to keep informed of the situation. They're all worried about Dauphin.) Nathaniel is so startled he just about leaps out of his skin when he sees Cat Noir on his balcony. Lucciola dives for cover. Cat Noir gestures that he be let in (he doesn't see the kwami), so Nathaniel opens the window. "What's going on?"
"I'll explain on the way," Cat Noir promises as he pulls out the rooster miraculous. "A little birdy told me you're interested in flight. I need your help to rescue Ladybug." Nathaniel wonders aloud what he's looking at, and Cat Noir explains that the thumb ring is a miraculous.
"Wait…you want me to be a hero?" Nathaniel asks. Cat Noir wonders why everyone seems to be asking that question today. He misses Nathaniel glancing in Lucciola's direction. Cat Noir is obvious impatient and antsy as he encourages Nathaniel to accept the miraculous.
Nathaniel takes one more glance towards Lucciola and slips the thumb ring on—he figures it's the best way to keep his identity as Firefly a secret. This causes Orikko to form, and like Marc, Nathaniel has to take a moment to act surprised over the existence of a kwami. Cat Noir urges Nathaniel to transform, so under the guidance of Orikko, Nathaniel says "Crow, Orikko!" which transforms him into a rooster-themed hero.
Cat Noir grabs him by the wrist and just about yanks him out of the window. Lucciola watches them leave, clearly worried. Cat Noir pulls his newest ally back to the roof where Pegasus's portal is still waiting. This does surprise and unnerve Nathaniel; he doesn't have to act or pretend that seeing a swirling blue vortex makes him nervous. Cat Noir insists there's no time as Ladybug is in trouble and pulls him through.
Both arrive back in the imploded rotunda where Dauphin, Pegasus, Minimouse, and Buck are waiting. Pegasus asks whom Cat Noir brought with him, and Nathaniel steps forward to give his alias—as "Nom de Plume," a meta-pun on him being half of a mangaka (though he's the artist half). He tells them to call him "Plume" for short as a shout-out to the tail feathers that are part of his outfit. Cat Noir explains that the rooster's powers are Levikinesis—the ability to make objects float. He then explains to Plume that Ladybug is trapped underneath the rubble and running out of time. But if they try to move anything, the resulting landslide will bury them. They need Plume to move all of the debris as well as keeping the loose ceiling aloft. Plume, being Nathaniel, promises he will. He might be over his crush on Ladybug, but he still respects her and cares about her—not to mention he's a decent guy and wouldn't want to see anyone entombed.
Plume plucks the largest feather off of his back and braces himself with it, holding it forward with both hands. He then channels his energy through it, willing everything to float. The ceiling rumbles ominously, and some bricks fall. Minimouse and Dauphin both look nervous. But Plume catches the rest of the debris before it can implode; he's obviously straining as he does so. However, he's able to lift the debris enough that the heroes see a familiar red and black spotted pattern. Cat Noir, regardless of his own safety, leaps in and pulls Ladybug out. She's still under the shelter of her Lucky Charm and dirty and bruised, but she thanks them all.
Pegasus points out that that has to wait for later. Plume is about to lose control. They need to leave. Now! Ladybug knows what to do, and show throws her Lucky Charm into the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!" This sweeps all the debris back in place, lightening Plume's load. It restores the exit out as well as reversing all damage, including restoring Ladybug's good luck. However, by this time, all adversaries are long gone. Ladybug, Cat Noir, Dauphin, Minimouse, and Pegasus all "Pound It!" Cat Noir nods for Buck and Plume to join them, and they do. (And Buck and Plume don't realize they're best friends.)
Cat Noir points out that they all really have to go due to their timers (because magic clock time). Ladybug takes a quick moment to snap some photos with her cell phone/yo-yo and then they all bail back the route they came. They actually all barely make it to ground level before they have to take cover behind the construction equipment with Ladybug's transformation breaking first. They all feed their kwamis and then Dauphin, Pegasus, and Minimouse head their own way. Cat Noir/Adrien Agreste, who is near Ladybug, calls out to make sure she's okay (without looking to see her identity). She affirms she is and she thanks Cat Noir for working so hard to get her out. She then notes that "it looks like we have some new team members." Cat Noir admits they needed the help, and Ladybug/Marinette says she trusts his judgment. Which causes Cat Noir to melt. She then reminds him to tie up loose ends with them, and she heads out on her own once Tikki is invigorated.
Adrien transforms back into Cat Noir and tracks down Plume first as Plume actually had to use his ability. Plume is surprised to see Cat Noir drop in again and wonders if this is going to become a thing. Cat Noir explains that he wants to trust Plume with the rooster miraculous and Orikko, to serve the greater good, and to be on-call should they need him again. Plume wonders why Cat Noir would trust him so much—as far as he knows, they haven't met (outside of Nathaniel being Firefly, which Cat Noir wouldn't know about.) Cat Noir says that he heard some things through a mutual friend but then requests Plume not pry any more for everyone else's sakes. Plume, knowing all about secrets since he has one huge one himself, promises not to. Cat Noir then gives Plume access to the A Team's Discord and says that he or Ladybug will use that to contact Plume. Plume promises to set up an account as well as take care of Orikko.
They split up, and Cat Noir circle around to find Buck with whom he has a similar conversation with. Cat Noir coaches Buck on how to transform back into Marc Anciel by saying "Horns Off." He says he's entrusting Ziggy and the goat miraculous to Marc. Marc shyly admits that sheep and goats are among his favorite animals (hence why he knew a buck was a male goat immediately). But he's still surprised Cat Noir would chose him. Cat Noir says it's because he's impressed with Marc's courage and quick thinking. He then also gives Marc the log in to their Discord server and makes Marc promise to only use his powers for the greater good and to take care of Ziggy. Marc promises. They both leave for their own homes.
Elsewhere, Adamantus finds a small alcove and reverts back to Nicholas Sancoeur. He reports into Nathalie what he saw and what he didn't find. Nicholas gives her detailed descriptions of the symbols he found in the floor, using their long-range telepathy. Nathalie concludes that there was nothing in that rotunda worthwhile—but it was a clue towards something hidden in the catacombs. Something likely put there by a former butterfly wielder. Nicholas asks her if she wants him to return to the area (as they know it's likely fixed thanks to Ladybug) and head down the branch marked with the butterfly. Nathalie does—but not today. She wants him to seek out Jean Duparc. The password she had to spy on the B Team is no longer working, so she needs to find out what Jean changed his to. Nicholas agrees and heads towards Jean's apartment.
Nathalie/Hawk Moth seizes control of Jean Duparc and has him walk out of his apartment in a daze, right to where Nicholas is waiting. He forks over his new password, and Nicholas leaves with Jean ever knowing what happened.
In another scene, Pierre Lefevre contacts Madam Gros for a debriefing. He explains what happened and that their whole team uncovered no relic. Madam Gros tells him to forget it as it's clear to her that the relic is long-since gone (as they missed the clues in the floor). However, she tells him it was not a failure as he did well in leading and, more importantly, this was a much needed exercise in her wielders working together. Pierre informs her that the team bickers a lot and that Scorpion acts like a rogue, but Madam Gros tells him not to nitpick (as she has other ways to control her people). She tells him to stand by for further instructions.
Marinette reclines on her bed, studying her cell phone shots of the rotunda. That's when something catches her eye. She, too, notices the images on the floor—and she also recognizes the butterfly symbol. She quickly texts Cat Noir with her discovery.
To be continued in Chapter 71: DisChord…