On the not‑very‑spacious street in front of the bakery, the end of a battle always comes without warning.
Just a few minutes later, Cat Noir found a perfect opening.
At the moment Mr. Pigeon raised his bird whistle again, ready to launch a new round of total attack,
Cat Noir's staff slithered out like a venomous snake, snapping forward at a sharp angle and precisely wrapping around Mr. Pigeon's wrist.
"Ah!" Mr. Pigeon cried out.
Cat Noir's wrist twitched, and the bird whistle—the core of the Akumatization item— flew out of his hand, tracing a parabola in the air.
"My precious!" Mr. Pigeon reached out in terror, but caught nothing.
"Catch!"
Cat Noir winked playfully at Ladybug.
Ladybug understood instantly, sent the yo-yo soaring, and caught the whistle mid‑air before yanking it back.
Without hesitation, she tossed the whistle to the ground and crushed it hard with the heel of her red‑booted foot.
"Crunch!"
A crisp shattering sound rang out as the whistle broke into several pieces.
An Akuma Butterfly fluttered out, panicking and trying to flee.
"Don't even think about escaping!"
Ladybug flung the yo-yo, "Got you!"
The yo-yo captured the Akuma Butterfly, and moments later a pure white, flawless butterfly emerged, elegantly flapping its wings toward the bright blue sky.
"Goodbye, little butterfly."
Ladybug whispered, then hurled the yo-yo high into the air and shouted the spell everyone had been waiting for:
"Miraculous Restoration!"
A gentle ripple of light instantly swept across the whole block.
The wall made of pigeons collapsed at once, thousands of pigeons returned to their normal forms and flapped their wings toward the sky;
the feathers and grime scattering on the street vanished into thin air; the phone that Cat Noir had knocked away landed safely back in Mr. Pigeon's pocket.
Everything returned to the calm that existed before the fight began.
As the Akuma Butterfly was purified, the gray battle suit on Mr. Pigeon dissolved into countless specks of light, revealing the timid man in an ordinary suit—Mr. Pigeon.
He seemed to have been drained of all strength, slumped on the ground, staring blankly at his hands and then at the wrecked street around him.
"I… am I being dark‑transformed again?"
He muttered to himself, his voice full of frustration and self‑loathing.
Ladybug walked over, crouched down, and spoke as gently as possible:
"Mr. Pigeon, don't worry, we'll keep helping you."
She reached out, intending to help him up.
"No, it's fine!"
Mr. Pigeon, as if burned, hurriedly steadied himself and stood up, deliberately keeping his distance from her,
lowering his head, "Thank you, Ladybug, but… I don't need a hand."
Cat Noir was about to say something like, "Buddy, relax a bit," to ease the awkward tension.
"Ah—!"
Suddenly, a woman's short, sharp scream rang out nearby.
Cat Noir barely had time to turn when something furry zipped past his face.
It made his nose itch unbearably.
"Achoo—!"
He let out a thunderous sneeze, tears streaming out.
Rubbing his nose and opening his eyes again, he finally saw
a gray pigeon that had somehow landed on Mr. Pigeon's shoulder, affectionately nuzzling his cheek.
Following Ladybug's and Mr. Pigeon's stunned gazes, Cat Noir slowly turned his head away.
The lady who had just screamed—Nadja—stood rigidly in place, and beside the shoulder of her blue suit,
a fresh, warm, slightly steaming clump of white bird droppings was slowly sliding down, leaving a shocking trail.
The air seemed to freeze at that moment.
"Edgar!"
Mr. Pigeon's face turned the color of pork liver; he panicked and bowed to Nadja, "I'm sorry! My deepest apologies, Miss Nadja!"
"Edgar didn't… it wasn't on purpose! It's not like that normally!"
The pigeon on his shoulder, "Edgar," seemed to understand its mistake, cooing plaintively.
Nadja took a deep breath, snapping out of shock and disgust.
She forced herself not to rip off the suit and burn it, forcing a smile uglier than crying, "It's… it's okay."
After that, unable to bear the sympathetic looks and the odd smell, she fled back toward the bakery.
She just wanted to rush to the restroom, clean up the mess, and then check on her terrified little daughter.
Watching Nadja's hurried retreat, Mr. Pigeon once again expressed sincere thanks and apologies to the two heroes, then cradled Edgar and hurried away.
With everyone gone, the street returned to its usual tranquility.
Cat Noir smiled, walked toward Ladybug, raised his fist, and prepared their signature celebration: "Mission Complete?"
"Mission complete," Ladybug instinctively raised her fist as well.
But just as their fists were about to meet, she suddenly felt a scorching, complex gaze descend from above.
She shivered, froze, turned to look, then quickly looked away again.
From the attic window, Marinette's silhouette flickered into view.
She didn't hide; she simply stood there, arms crossed, eyes focused and sharp, staring unblinkingly at her—or rather, at the Ladybug about to punch Cat Noir.
"Uh..."
Ladybug instantly flinched as if burned, dropping her hand like lightning and missing Cat Noir's fist awkwardly.
"Good... goodbyeee, Cat Noir! I... I have something else to do, I'm leaving now!"
She didn't even dare glance at Cat Noir again, panic‑flinging a sentence before tossing a yo-yo and fleeing hurriedly, her back looking like she was running away.
"Hey... what are you up to now?"
Cat Noir watched her disappearing silhouette, shrugging inexplicably.
Since his partner had gone, staying there was pointless, so he also tossed his staff and vanished among the buildings.
In the attic, Marinette watched Ladybug "obediently" leave, then nodded in satisfaction and turned away from the window.
On the other side, in a quiet alley far from the scene.
Mr. Pigeon excitedly petted the obedient feather on Edgar's shoulder, praising nonstop: "Well done, Edgar! Fantastic! That final move was sheer genius!"
"Coo coo!"
Edgar proudly chirped twice, as if answering his master's praise.
"But... why?"
Mr. Pigeon's excitement faded, replaced by a hint of doubt,
"Why does this Akumatization feel different from before?"
Before he could figure it out, his pocket phone suddenly vibrated.
Mr. Pigeon pulled out the phone, the screen displaying a string of "unknown number".
His pupils instantly contracted, and his body tensed.
He cautiously stuck his head out, looked left and right, confirming the empty alley held no suspicious shadows.
Still uneasy, he whispered to Edgar on his shoulder, "Edgar, fly up high and keep watch, see if anyone's around."
Edgar understood the command and flapped his wings toward the sky.
He didn't land on the roof directly; instead he circled a few times in the air, emitting a series of unique cooing sounds.
Soon, three or four more pigeons swooped in from nearby corners, joining his ranks,
all circling above the alley, monitoring everything from different angles.
Mr. Pigeon glanced up at his "sentinels",
and after confirming the surroundings were absolutely safe and free of surveillance cameras, he trembled his fingers and pressed the answer button.
"...Hello?" he asked tentatively.
On the other end, a cold, authoritative voice processed electronically—none other than Hawk Moth.
"Mr. Pigeon, have you accomplished what you desire?"
Hearing that voice, Mr. Pigeon's spine straightened instantly, his face filled with reverence and joy as he eagerly reported his results:
"Yes, Mr. Hawk Moth! It's done!
I successfully taught that unscrupulous reporter who violated Jaden's privacy a lesson—Nadja!"
"That's good."
Hawk Moth's tone was calm, as if unsurprised.
Yet that calm gave Mr. Pigeon a twinge of guilt.
He felt the whole world misunderstood this great Mr. Hawk Moth.
He clearly possessed world‑shaking power, yet kept helping small folk like himself achieve "justice" time after time,
while he himself couldn't even fulfill the tiny wish of the man above.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Hawk Moth."
Mr. Pigeon's tone dropped, "I... I haven't brought you what you wanted."
"No rush."
The voice on the line remained flat, showing no trace of impatience or disappointment, "Things can't be rushed."
"But!"
Mr. Pigeon snapped, "You've helped me so many times, clearing obstacles for Jaden over and over,
yet I... I can't even satisfy your tiny wish! I'm... I'm so useless!"
He grew more agitated, then recalled something even more important.
"Also, Mr. Hawk Moth, I think... this Akumatization seems off."
"Oh?"
A hint of fluctuation finally entered Hawk Moth's voice, "What's the problem?"
Mr. Pigeon looked around cautiously again, then glanced up at Edgar in the sky.
Edgar and his companions continued to circle, confirming the area's safety.
He lowered his voice, whispering into the mic, "I... I just retained the memory of being Dark‑Transformed. I remember everything."
"Is that so?"
Hawk Moth sounded slightly surprised, "Anything else?"
"Nothing else," Mr. Pigeon replied.
"Then that's that," Hawk Moth seemed ready to hang up.
"Wait! Mr. Hawk Moth!"
Mr. Pigeon hurried, "You don't need to worry about my feelings! Anyone who opposes Jaden is my enemy!
I... I'm happy to be Dark‑Transformed by you! And next time, you don't have to be so cautious, leave me no room!"
He spoke more sincerely, genuinely caring for the other side: "After all, this is too risky for you!
If... if you accidentally slip something while talking to me, and my Dark‑Transformed mouth can't keep shut,
or if those two heroes undo the transformation and unintentionally reveal your info... that would be terrible for you! So please, next time—no, from now on—use me freely!"
The other end fell into a long silence.
"...Thank you for your concern, Mr. Pigeon."
Hawk Moth said, then hung up.
Mr. Pigeon stared at the black screen; the unknown number had vanished without a trace,
the phone's interface flashed garbled text for a moment before returning to normal.
He exhaled a long breath, as if completing a holy mission.
He looked up, waved at Edgar in the sky and shouted, "Edgar! Great job! Tonight you'll get a premium pigeon feast!"
"Coo! Coo!"
Edgar's excited coos echoed from above.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Paris, in the nest.
Hawk Moth slowly lowered the scepter in his hand, and the faint glow from the communication device gradually faded.
"After being darkened, yet still retaining memory..."
He muttered to himself softly, while the huge circular window offered a panoramic view of Paris.
"Is this the consequence of not relying on negative emotions?"
His thoughts returned to this afternoon.
In fact, the moment Manon was crying sorrowfully in the bakery, his antennae that sense the city's negative emotions had already captured that intense, childlike grief.
According to protocol, he should have immediately released a Darkened Butterfly, but he waited a while and did not see the other world's "Hawk Moth" make a move.
He himself could not release it.
Because he knew that Manon's obsession was almost entirely bound to Jaden, and she desperately craved Jaden's attention.
If darkened, the target would most likely be taken to capture Jaden, forcing her to play with him, and might even drag Jaden into darkness as well.
Recalling this possibility, hidden behind the silver mask, Gabriel's handsome face, bruised on Wednesday night, seemed to throb again.
At this thought, a strong grievance rose, blaming that other‑worldly Hawk Moth.
That bastard! If he wants to darken people in this world, he should do it under his own name!
And yet he, bearing the title "Hawk Moth," goes around causing trouble—what's going on?! And now he has to clean up the black pot!
Memory flashes back to that humiliating Wednesday night.
That night, Gabriel had just finished the final design of his latest fashion season, sat exhausted in his study, and was about to have a drink to relax.
At that moment, his private phone rang, displaying the caller as—Jaden.
"Notify Hawk Moth there's something to discuss?"
After hearing Jaden's brief and unmistakable request, Gabriel was completely bewildered.
Jaden, what are you up to now?
Although filled with doubt, he dared not delay.
He immediately entered the secret room, transformed into Hawk Moth, then released a Darkened Butterfly, darkened himself, and used the post‑darkening teleportation ability to arrive directly at Jaden's specified location.
The teleport destination was an abandoned subway platform in Paris.
He placed the tablet on a nearby bench, and the screen instantly displayed "Mr. Gabriel"—of course, it was Nathalie's holographic projection impersonating him.
After completing all this, he finally dispelled his own darkening.
Hawk Moth understood that he had safely reached the destination.
However, he hadn't had time to survey the surroundings or figure out what Jaden was really up to.
"Swoosh—!"
A pitch‑black afterimage, moving at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye, lunged out from the depths of the dark tunnel!
It was a sleek, all‑Black Leopard,
Jaden's emotional monster—Black Leopard!
Hawk Moth didn't even have time to react before the dark beast pounced on him with lightning speed!
"Ugh—ah!"
He was pinned hard onto the cold cement floor, a massive muscular forepaw of the Black Leopard crushing his chest.
The tremendous force made it almost impossible to breathe, and his sternum throbbed with pain.
He tried to struggle and counterattack, but felt a cold sensation at his throat.
He strained to move his eyes and saw the Black Leopard's other claw, its icy tip firmly pressed against his throat.
He had no doubt that any sudden move would cause the emotional monster to tear his throat open without hesitation.
"What... what's happening?" he forced out through his teeth, turning to look at Jaden emerging slowly from the darkness.
"Mr. Jaden, what's going on?"
Inside the tablet, Nathalie's impersonated "Gabriel" also panicked with a questioning tone.
Jaden wore that trademark harmless smile, walked calmly to him, and looked down from a height.
He laughed twice, the sound echoing sharply through the empty subway station.
"What's happening? Hawk Moth... aren't you aware yourself?"
The "Gabriel" on the tablet looked completely bewildered.
And the Hawk Moth being trampled underfoot was even more confused.
Aware? What am I aware of? I just finished work and you called me over,
then your pet pinned me to the ground and rubbed me—what should I possibly know?
Seeing Hawk Moth's clueless expression, Jaden's smile grew wider.
"Still playing dumb?"
He stopped wasting words, pulled a phone from his pocket, opened a video file, and aimed the screen at Hawk Moth's face.
The phone displayed the movie clip of the "Crying Angel" incident, which was led by "Hawk Moth" but carried out under his "Hawk Moth" banner.
Pinned hard by the Black Leopard, Hawk Moth watched the video, and his mind went blank with a buzzing sound.
He finally understood.
He... had been seriously set up by that damn guy!
He originally thought that, since there were two "Hawk Moth,"
he could legitimately be a hands‑off manager, dumping all the recent darkened‑person "KPI" numbers onto his counterpart in the other world, and enjoy a carefree life.
But... that bastard actually used his name to darken people in this world?!
And now the whole bill was charged to him!
So Jaden came tonight to "settle the score" with him!
Looking at Jaden's half‑smiling face, Hawk Moth felt for the first time what it means to "be a mute eating bitter medicine, unable to speak of the pain."