This is the second part of my season five trilogy. I have only a couple of things to say.
The entire fifth season has yet to finish where I am and won't until the end of August. Please don't spoil the episodes for me.
This story takes place in my version of the Miraculous World so some things will not be canon.
An original Akuma will appear in this chapter because the Akuma Glaciator is overdone.
In the Kwami World, the members of the Universal and Chinese Zodiac Miraculous Circles had gathered together. They formed a therapy group to talk about what was going on with them.
They were joined by the EMC today to help keep their magic up. Zippy had been chosen to lead the group today. The hopeful dragonfly kwami thought he was the best for the job.
"Today's therapy session is to talk about what everyone will do once their magic is restored. Let's start with Pollen today," Zippy said. He waved at the bee kwami signaling she could start.
Pollen started buzzing immediately. "Once I have my magic back, I want to go to the biggest flower garden in Paris. I want to smell every flower there is."
"If smelling flowers makes you happy then that's what you should do," Stella commented. The bat kwami wrapped her winged arm around Pollen and gently embraced her "cousin."
Pollen then asked her "sister" what did she want to do once she had her magic back. The little vixen grinned brightly.
"I want to perform the greatest disappearing illusion for the whole city. I'm thinking I would do it over the TV studio."
Wayzz shook his head. "Only you would find that funny, "sister." Making buildings vanish is very immature."
Trixx rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at Wayzz. "Please, Wayzz. You need to lighten up. We all know what you're going to do once your magic is restored."
Flapper interjected that there was nothing wrong about enjoying a cup of tea with his wielder. She thought it was a sweet idea.
Arron made a face. "So far, none of your ideas cover getting revenge for what that monster Monarch did to you. Are any of you going to take revenge on him?"
Xuppo raised his arm. "I plan to beat him up! He won't be so confident once I give him a black eye!"
Barkk frowned at her "brother." "Revenge is not a good idea. We don't want to sink to Monarch's level."
Her "brother" retorted it wasn't sinking to Monarch's level because he didn't want to harm a fellow kwami. He would just be hurting a bad wielder.
Barkk threw her arms up in frustration. She looked at her "siblings" wondering if any of them felt the same.
Prickker asked if any members of the two circles were afraid, they would never get their magic back.
Daizzi huffed in response. "I'm certainly not afraid. The universe rewards selflessness. My wielder has certainly shown she is capable of being selfless when the circumstances require it."
Orikko whispered to Roarr that Daizzi was forgetting how spoiled her wielder had been. Roarr whispered back to tell him to shut up before Daizzi heard him.
Jill interjected saying the therapy session was getting off track. She smiled kindly at Longg. "What will you do first, Longg?"
The dragon kwami took a deep breath and replied, "I would investigate my wielder's mother."
All the Kwamiis looked at him in confusion. Why would Longg say that?
Sunny questioned her "cousin" why he would say something like that.
Longg sighed and told them about the emotions he felt from his wielder when they had briefly connected. "She was trying to keep her emotions in check, but as we all know, they bleed into the mindscape when the connection is made."
"Kagami had very mixed emotions when it came to her mother. She felt sad, angry, and disgusted all at once. I could only detect smidges of love and hope when it came to her mother."
The others blinked. Zippy stroked his chin. "That is strange. Did you sense any fear and hope from her?"
Longg replied he only felt them for a second as the connection has been established. He couldn't figure out what these emotions were trying to convey. All he knew was that they were related to Kagami's mother.
"I can understand why you're worried, "brother," Ziggy commented. "I do hope you find out what is going on."
"I could ask!" a voice from behind them shouted. The Kwamiis turned to see the Civil Rights Miraculous Circle crossing the bridge to join the group.
The one who called out was Snapperfur, the Kwami of Guilt. Unconsciously, the whole group flinched back when she smiled. A crocodile smile was very scary.
"The Celestial Guardian is set to awaken us for our turn in the modern world, very soon. I could see if I can find something your wielder's mother ought to feel guilty about!"
Longg was a bit unsure if he should accept Snapperfur's help. She wasn't the best when it came to being unpretentious. "I will think about your offer, Snapperfur."
Snapperfur smiled and once again everyone cringed. They couldn't help it! The vivacious kwami didn't realize how her smile made it seem she was going to eat them.
"Your time in the modern world is nearly here. Before you know it, it will be in the past," Fluff remarked helpfully.
Back in the real world, Peace Keeper was video conferencing with all her peacekeeping teams' leaders, save for Ladybug. Things were improving over the world, but there was still more that they could be doing.
"I'm glad that you have all managed to make time for this meeting. I know job reviews can be infuriating, but they are necessary," Peace Keeper remarked into her specialized microphone.
The microphone instantly translated her words into the native language of the team leaders. This aided Peace Keeper in keeping the meetings on track. It also had the bonus of making these meetings shorter.
The team leaders all responded that they were ready for their reviews. It would help them improve their jobs.
Peace Keeper focused her attention on the leader of Team Two, Mr. Karim. "Mr. Karim, your team has accomplished outstanding work when it comes to your mission."
Mr. Karim inclined his head. "I'm pleased to hear you say that. I've done my best to rid the government of low-level corruption."
"I'm concerned about your abilities to safeguard Mrs. Fala. From her reports, she has nearly been caught a dozen times helping young girls avoid marriages to men old enough to be their grandfathers."
Peace Keeper arched an eyebrow waiting for an explanation. "You agreed when I chose you to be a team leader to protect Mrs. Fala from harm. Were you lying when you expressed a desire to help the women of Yemen?"
Mr. Kareem appeared to be unsure how to respond to the question. "I wasn't lying Ms. Keeper. I do want to help, but it is rather difficult to obtain protection when I'm not married to Mrs. Fala."
Peace Keeper's eyebrows furled. "According to Islamic law, Allah says that each person, no matter if they are female or male, are equal because both possess fitra."
"I know you are a good man who interprets the Qur'an teachings as instructions on how to treat people. The religious texts include the pillars of your religion. This includes ensuring the safety of your friends who are followers as well."
"Yemen is a country that violates much of Islamic law by controlling women and selling daughters. While I don't expect you to change the country overnight, I urge you to do what you can on Mrs. Fala's behalf."
Fully chastised, Mr. Kareem agreed to try harder when it came to protecting the only woman on his team. Pleased, Peace Keeper looked at the next team leader.
Team Three's leader, Mrs. Brun, was brimming with confidence. "I believe that you will be impressed by my team's work. We have been working with a team of scientists to come up with methods to slow the melting ice caps."
"A small group of scientists are working on a machine that would help generate fresh ice to replace what has been lost. If it works, the erosion issues on the coast could stop."
Peace Keeper acknowledged it was an ambitious plan. She inquired more about the group. How were they funded and did they have a working prototype?
"They are associated with a renowned think tank. Their funding comes from government donors. They don't have a working prototype, but they will be testing the new ice formula found on Jupiter's moon Europa very soon."
Peace Keeper told Mrs. Brun to keep up the good work. Her eyes slid over to the screen with Team Four's leader, Mr. Olmo. Out of the twelve members of Team Four, he was the most articulate.
"Mr. Olmo, I've been reading your reports. I'm pleased with your efforts to improve the conditions in your prison. I understand you have raised enough funds to install proper lighting throughout the facility."
Mr. Olmo was proud of his accomplishment. "I've been keeping a tight watch on both the funds and the installments. The first group of electricians quit after one day for fear for their wellbeing."
Mr. Olmo pulled off his glasses and cleaned them. "I made a rather bold choice. I invited the leaders of all the gangs in the prisoners into my office. Mind you, I wasn't dumb enough not to have my guards with me."
Peace Keeper nodded and asked how he persuaded the gangs to allow the electricians to do their work.
Mr. Olmo admitted to bribing them. "It was the only thing I could think of that would work. It was wrong, I know. I didn't think I had another choice."
Peace Keeper demanded to know what he bribed them with. She was suspicious it was money, weapons, or drugs. Thankfully, that didn't seem to be the case because Mr. Olmo decided to bribe them with food.
It was well known that the kitchens in the jails in his country lacked enough food and water for all the prisoners to sustain themselves. Many inmates had resorted to eating anything they could get their hands on.
"I understand your circumstances, but in the future try to avoid bribing gang leaders if you can. Food worked this time but we all know what the inmates truly want."
Dismissing Mr. Olmo, Peace Keeper asked Team Five's leader, Ms. Jacobsen, if there was anything new she wanted to report before hearing her critique.
The screen flickered for a few seconds before the image snapped back in place. "I apologize for the poor connection, but we are experiencing communications troubles with the Optus D-1 satellite. I'm starting to wonder if the Starlink data test interfered with our usual relay."
"Understood. I wanted to know if there are any problems between the research groups," Peace Keeper inquired.
"Not with the different research groups. We've been more preoccupied with supporting female personnel from being harassed at McMurdo Station. I was thinking about requesting a scientist that can double as a bodyguard for the females of the station."
"I'll notify my superiors and they'll talk with the leaders at the ATSO. Hopefully, they can provide the assistance that you need. Keep up the good work."
Ms. Jacobsen promised to do her best before ending the call.
Mr. Blanco, Team Seven's leader was already doing his best to assure Peace Keeper his team was making significant progress in their goals. In return, she gave him a deadpanned look which demonstrated she wasn't fooled.
"I have the annual report from the Human Rights Watch group. Venezuela is still regarded as one of the poorest countries on the list. Human trafficking is at an all-time high along with forced labor!" she snapped at the man.
Mr. Blanco did his best to appear unruffled by Peace Keeper's stern voice. "You can't expect miracles to happen overnight, right?"
Peace Keeper hissed that she had seen them happen overnight. "Mr. Blanco, identifying the problems of your country is not enough. I know how dangerous your position is," she spoke sternly.
"But you understood what was expected of you when you joined my Peacekeeping team. If you hear rumors that someone is going to be abducted, warn them. If you see someone being trafficked, do what you can to free them."
Mr. Blanco promised to do better. He was warned he had six months to achieve some significant progress on one issue on his teams' list, or he would be replaced.
Madam Oscalia, leader of Team Seven gave Peace Keeper a traditional creole greeting. "It is good to see you once more. Ms. Keeper. I have wanted to inform you my team has successfully rebuilt two paper towns into proper towns."
That brought a smile to Peace Keeper's lips. "I'm glad the extra material, food, and medicines I sent with the Habitat for Humanity group helped in the reconstruction."
Team Eight's leader, Mr. Botha, was already aware that his team hadn't made as much progress in the Republic of Congo. "I'm sorry to report that not much has changed since we last spoke, Ms. Keeper."
"I'm well aware of the ongoing problems in your country, Mr. Botha. I was interested in how your Twa members have been fairing."
Mr. Botha replied he was working with the Twa members to form a new town for the displaced people that were well off the beaten path. Due to the difficulty getting there, he was optimistic that the genocidal groups would stay away.
"I admit it's not the best solution, given that community would forfeit what little resources they have regarding the matter of medicine and education. I was wondering if had any ideas on how to fix that."
Peace Keeper told him she would need a few days to think of a solution. Until then, he was to continue doing what he could for the Twa.
Team Nine's leader was Ms. Ulura, whose group was stationed in Northern Australia. She informed Peace Keeper there were still ongoing issues with the Indigenous tribes obtaining equal wages to those of European descent.
"My team members have been joining protest groups to rally for change. One of my members suggested that we start a business that only employs Indigenous people. I'm not sure that's going to help."
"It is a gamble, I'll admit Ms. Ulura. Especially since you're not sure what kind of business would be the most profitable. I want you to speak with the local leaders about the possibility."
"I will organize a meeting someday this week. I hope the leaders and I can come up with a good idea."
Peace Keeper nodded and turned her attention to the last leader. Mr. Yong. He was in charge of Team Ten, which was stationed in Singapore.
The subgroup she had managed to establish in North Korea, had disbanded a few months ago. With the upsurge in governmental security, it was safer for them if they didn't have ties to the UN.
The group in Singapore was doing their best when it came to proposing transparency when it came to the Ministry of Defense surveillance. Singaporeans had no right to privacy.
Since the Ministry refused to fully admit how they were conducting surveillance, many people found themselves in trouble with the law.
With severe restrictions when it came to rallying people, the only place they could do it was at Speaker's Corner. The team walked a very thin line when they did appear at assemblies.
Mr. Yong talked about the latest assembly. "I was almost arrested because the authorities believed my speech would cause the audience to defy public order. Thankfully, the police had a lawyer read it before assembly."
"The lawyer said my speech was legal as I was only recapping known facts."
"I'm glad that you weren't arrested. Mr. Yong. With the tension surrounding your speech, it might be best not to hold assemblies for a few months," Peace Keeper suggested.
Mr. Yong agreed with her and promised to contact her if the situation changed. He signed off ending the team leader review meeting.
Peace Keeper yawned. "That was the most exhausting meeting yet," she said to herself.
Two days later in Paris, Marinette and Adrien arrived at Master Fu's house for the awakening of the last Miraculous Circle; the Civil Rights. They were highly anticipating which Kwamiis would choose them for protection.
After double-checking the wards, Master Fu uttered the spell to awaken the Kwamiis. Seven colorful lights appeared in the air before transforming into tiny gods.
The first one resembled a blue lobster. The kwami had big pincers on the end of her arms and one extra set of legs. Her eyes were closely bunched together like real lobsters, while at the same time, being properly kwami-sized.
Additionally, she also had two antennas and a lobster-like tail. She smiled pleasantly at the group.
Next to her was a kwami who resembled a Grévy's zebra. The stripes on his body were very close together, and there was a short erect mane going down the back of the head. The feet ended in hoofs while the rope-like tail hung down.
The next kwami had a big white head and an eagle beak. His wing/arms had a few brownish-gold feathers attached to them. His feet had three tiny talons on them.
The next kwami was coated in dark grey feathers everywhere except on her head. Her extra huge eyes were a bold yellow. Only the tips of her tiny legs could be seen.
The next kwami had a tail that stuck out three inches! Soft honey-blond fur covered her arms and legs. Her head resembled a kinkajou face with the ears, eyes, and mouth, squished close together.
The next kwami was a slightly smaller but scarier version of Fang. Her head was olive green and she had a crocodile-shaped mouth. Her paw/hands and feet resembled those of her animal counterpart.
The rest of her body was more brownish. When she grinned, she showed her glistening teeth. That creeped the teens out.
The last kwami appeared to be based on a wolverine. Brownish-black fur covered his body. He was equipped with fierce claws on his hands, His mouth seemed stuck in a permanent snarl.
His body was very more compact than the others. Marinette noticed he hovered a foot away from his "siblings." She wondered if this was because wolverines were solitary animals.
The lobster kwami, Lall, thanked Master Fu for awakening her and the rest of her circle. It felt good to finally be able to see what the world had become since they were last awake.
Her siblings started exploring the shop immediately. Snapperfur and Kiki went crazy over the computer. Zeek was studying Marianne's phone. Phill and Elffa were captivated by the new lightbulbs. Tuffy was sitting quietly on the counter.
Adrien and Marinette were doing their best to suppress their giggling. After hearing so many stories about what the other circles had seen, the CRMC must have had their minds blown.
Master Fu was doing his best to calm down the excited little gods. "Please, settled down. We need to discuss who is going out first. Then decide which wielder will be the best protection for you."
A loud whinny filled the air and everyone looked at Zeek. He was pointing to something on Marianne's phone. The old woman checked what he was pointing at.
"Oh dear, there's a possible Akuma on the loose," she fretted.
The duo were confused. "What do you mean possible?" Adrien questioned.
"Well, a group of entertainers at the TV studios are saying that they can't get out of their fruity costumes. They also remarked that Mr. Banana's costume has changed from yellow to black, but they aren't sure if that's because of costume malfunction."
"We should check it out, My Lady. If it is an Akuma attack, the situation is only going to get worse."
Marinette nodded and said they could take her moped to the studio. She asked Marianne to keep an eye on the alert to see if it changed. Marianne promised and off they went.
On the way to the studios, Marianne let the teenagers know that there was confirmation that the situation was, in fact, an Akuma attack.
From the information available, it seemed that Mr. Banana had blown a gasket after too many people made fun of his costume. He wanted everyone to understand his passion so he was going around Paris, trapping people in fruit costumes that they couldn't get out of.
Marinette turned her moped into an alley. Making sure no one could see them, the couple transformed into their alter egos. Jumping up the rooftops, they started scanning the city trying to locate the Akuma.
"There!" Chat Noir shouted. The black banana was dancing merrily a few blocks from the TV studio.
He grabbed hold of Ladybug and then catapulted them over to where he was. They landed a few feet away from Mr. Banana. "Stop right there!" he shouted.
The black banana pivoted towards them laughing maniacally. "Ah, finally my two fruity friends have shown up. What do you think of my bowls of fruit," the Akuma asked as motioned around the street.
Indeed, several civilians dressed like grapes, apples, and oranges, were stuck inside large bowls. They had been lashed together with heavy-duty rope. The people were trying to free themselves.
"As you can see, everyone finally understands me, Mr. Superfruit! Let all of Paris become a haven for all fruity people!"
Ladybug and Chat Noir eyed each other wondering what Monarch had been thinking when he akumatized Mr. Banana. His powers were rather weak but they couldn't let their guard down.
They had no idea what stolen magic Monarch blessed Mr. Superfruit with. Twirling their weapons, the duo went after the Akuma.
Mr. Superfruit laughed and started shooting colorful beams at the heroes. Ladybug cover them with a shield as Chat Noir deflected the beams with his baton.
Whatever the beams hit, wrapped the target in a fruit costume. So far, a mailbox, street sign, and a bus bench, now were sporting berry costumes.
Chat Noir started running at the Akuma with a smirk. Mr. Superfruit changed his stance to get a better shot. Knowing Chat tended to jump up or slide depending on the fight, Mr. Superfruit started shooting when the cat hero bent his knees.
Only, he didn't go up or down like the Akuma suspected. He sprang forward and kicked Mr. Superfruit in the chest. As the Akuma started stumbling, Chat snagged one of the gloves and tore it up.
No Akuma emerged meaning it wasn't the item. Chat sprang backward as Ladybug lassoed Mr. Superfruit's other hand.
There was a short tug of war and the Akuma lost the other glove. Ladybug ripped it and was disappointed there was no akuma.
Chat Noir shouted at his partner to watch out. She managed to dodge before Mr. Superfruit's giant bowl materialized above her after he clapped twice.
"So, making finger guns creates the lasers to put people in costumes. While clapping, summons the giant bowls. What actions causes the rope to appear?" she whispered to herself.
Mr. Superfruit snapped his fingers creating tightly wrapped ropes around her body. The unexpected weight caused Ladybug to fall.
"Now I can take your ahh!" Chat slashed his claws across Mr. Superfruit's face before grabbing him and tossing him into a nearby fountain.
Chat picked up his tied-up girlfriend and leaped away. He didn't stop until they were a few blocks away. Setting Ladybug down, he slashed her ropes freeing her.
"You okay, My Lady?"
"I've been better. At least we know how he uses his powers," she replied. She pressed her lips into a thin line. "I fear we're about to find out what Miraculous power Monarch gave Mr. Superfruit."
"There you two are! I won't let you get away this time!" Mr. Superfruit's voice called out. They looked around trying to figure out where he was.
That's when Chat saw an electronic store a few feet away. On a computer screen was Mr. Superfruit looking smug. "Surprise! Now then, Desire!"
The heroes were caught off guard as Mr. Superfruit vanished from the screen and rematerialized behind them!
The Akuma reached for Ladybug's earrings only for her to shout, "Warning Spots!"
Mr. Superfruit sputtered as he was trapped between the spots. "Oh, Monarch warned me about this. Luckily, there is a solution. Desire!"
The Akuma vanished and then reappeared on a laptop screen on a nearby internet café table. Using the tiger's power, He appeared once again in front of the heroes.
Mr. Superfruit exclaimed that they would never be able to trap the greatest TV/Web show entertainer in Paris. That explained why Monarch had given him the tiger power, to use its power to keep him just out of reach.
Once again, the heroes had to avoid laser beams coming at them by jumping or dodging. They still couldn't tell what the possessed item was.
"We need a new strategy, My Lady!"
"I know Chat! I think it's time for my Lucky Charm!" The magic dropped a spotted flash drive into her hands.
"What good is a flash drive?" she asked herself. While looking at the charm, she didn't notice the laser beam coming her way.
Chat did and leaped in front of her, deflecting the beam. "Don't mean to rush you, but could you please figure out how to use that charm fast?"
Clearing her mind, Ladybug looked around and realized what she needed to do. "Chat, scare him into the laptop!"
Chat meowed before taking a few steps forward. "Feline Bluff!" His shadow grew even bigger than it had before.
Mr. Superfruit screamed in fear as he used Desire to return to the open laptop.
Using her yo-yo, Ladybug lassoed the laptop so the top slammed down. With a flick of her wrist, the laptop was in her hands.
She plugged the flash drive into it. Using the remote connection feature on her yo-yo, she was able to download Mr. Superfruit into the drive. Taking it out, she switched her yo-yo to purification mode.
"I really, hope this works." She placed the flash drive inside and shut the lid. She waited two minutes and pulled out the drive. Now was the moment of truth.
She threw it up into the air and shouted, "Miraculous Ladybug!" To her delight, the loveliness of ladybugs flew throughout the city mending things.
Lastly, they brought back a purified Mr. Banana. "What am I doing outside?" the entertainer asked.
The duo fist-bumped and then created a double-layered good luck charm. "Here, this should protect you from Monarch."
"Thank you, Ladybug. You as well, Chat Noir. I promise not to let little comments get to me anymore."
"We believe you. Come on, My Lady. We have places to be." The two headed back towards Master Fu's.
In his lair, Monarch dropped his transformation. Nooroo helped steady Duusu knowing his wielder had questions.
"How was Ladybug able to purify my akuma if she never found the item?"
"I believe your use of the tiger's powers could be at fault. The Akuma desired to be seen and heard on the Internet. Mr. Superfruit followed your orders to stay close to the heroes."
Duusu took over from there. "When Ladybug shut the laptop lid, he couldn't see anywhere, leaving him vulnerable to being downloaded into the Lucky Charm. The powers of the tiger and ladybug merged. With your akuma unable to escape, Ladybug's desire to purify the victim overrode the Akuma's."
"It's most likely a one-time thing, Master. She won't be able to repeat it."
Gabriel started cursing the heroine when he clenched his arm in pain. He ripped open his sleeve and saw his entire arm was black. He quickly removed his shirt.
He and the Kwamiis gasped. The blackness had reached both shoulders and was encroaching on his neck. Gabriel grunted as he made it over to his elevator. Duusu was already phasing through the floor.
When he reached his office, Nathalie was already there and assisted him over to her desk. She placed some ice packs over the black skin and pulled out a blood pressure cuff.
She didn't like the numbers. His pulse was getting weaker. She knew Gabriel well enough to know he had lost some weight.
"Sir, you need to start prioritizing your health. If you continue to ignore finding treatment for yourself, then you won't last more than a few months."
Gabriel looked at her sadly. "You know why I can't do that. Even if I wasn't Monarch, no doctor can treat a magically inflicted ailment."
"You don't know that for certain! We can study the book more closely. There has to be a potion that can reverse the damage," she insisted.
"We need to use whatever time I have left to secure the Miraculous. That's the only way my life will be saved."
Nathalie resisted the urge to throw her arms up in disbelief. Even now, when he was on the cusp of leaving his son an orphan, his priority was still the Miraculouses!
An hour later a fuming Nathalie was in her bedroom pacing. Duusu, with Gabriel's permission, was watching her. The little kwami was worried about her original wielder.
"Ms. Nathalie, please calm down. Your body can't handle all this stress."
Nathalie replied, "Well, I can't calm down. Gabriel is not thinking clearly at all! He's hastening his death each day by ignoring the problem!"
The woman removed her glasses to clean the sweat off them. "Duusu, please! His life is at stake! Do you know anything that could help him?"
Duusu hovered in front of Nathalie sadly. "Even if I could produce healing feathers, they wouldn't help much. You have to understand the black cat's magic is all about destruction."
"Right now, its magic is destroying healthy tissue, while also preventing, new tissue to grow. My magic would only slow the spread of the destruction."
The peafowl tapped her hand/paws together. "If you were to amputate the diseased arm, which is the source of the destruction, it would hold off the destruction for years."
Nathalie gasped in horror. Gabriel would never agree to amputation. It would be the end of his career and that was something she couldn't let transpire. "Surely, there is another option besides amputation."
Duusu hesitated for a few seconds. "There is one other way. The Order of Guardians feared something similar might happen by accident. They developed a powerful healing ritual to undo the damage."
"The only one capable of healing Gabriel is the Celestial Guardian. The same one he is trying to catch to gain nearly unlimited magical power. The Celestial Guardian would only perform the ritual if Gabriel gave up the Butterfly Miraculous."
Nathalie was stunned. Gabriel would never agree to give up his Miraculous. He would rather kidnap the Celestial Guardian and force him to heal his body.
As if she could read minds, Duusu quickly admitted there was one more thing Nathalie needed to know. "The Guardians also knew by making this ritual, that someone evil who had been injured, might kidnap one of them to force them to heal themselves."
"There's a provision to thwart this, isn't there?" Nathalie guessed with a heavy heart.
The Kwamii nodded. "The ritual will only work with the consent of both parties of their own free will. I'm sorry, but if Gabriel Agreste is to survive, he has to give up his quest to revive Emilie."
Back in New York, Ning was watching a press conference. President Emmanuel Macron was talking about the latest developments in the fight against the terrorist known as Monarch.
"The good people of Paris don't deserve to be tormented by this terrorist by any means. Monarch's reign of terror does not just affect our nation's capital, but France as a whole!"
The person known as Monarch is a threat to society, with intentions that extend far beyond the capital. It is feared that their influence will spread to the entire nation of France, and even the world. It is a sentiment shared by many that we must not allow this to happen. Our fellow citizens will not tolerate such behavior.
"I'm assembling a team of specialists, both governmental and civilian, to assist the Miraculous heroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir, in apprehending Monarch. When, not if, he is found, I will ensure that he will be punished to the furthest extent of the law."
The press started shouting several questions at President Macron. Some asked what kind of specialists would be on the team. Others about updates on safety measures for Paris.
Ning turned it off knowing the answers to the questions. She admired President Macron for stepping up his efforts. Yet, she knew it wouldn't help much.
"Only wielders of the Miraculouses can defeat an evil wielder. If Monarch was watching, this. It's only going to make him deadlier," she said to herself.
She was right of course. In France, Gabriel was thin-lipped as he watched the broadcast. "That idiotic blockhead will never catch me. He'll soon see it wasn't wise to anger me."