Nathalie drove into the mansion's courtyard, extending an arm as she turned to stop her tupperware from sliding off the passenger seat. It was just a reflex, really: she was more focused on her phone call than on the driving and driving-induced tupperware motions.

"So when will you come back?" she asked Adrien.

From what he had told her - and she was not so sure she believed him - he had bolted out to join his girlfriend in the park, where his classmates had organized an impromptu soccer match. He had called to tell Nathalie he wouldn't return early. He didn't sound like an excited boy invited to play with his friends.

"I don't know," the boy answered. "We thought we'd go to the comic book store. And maybe grab snacks afterwards. OH. You didn't forget the pie, right?"

"I didn't forget the pie," Nathalie assured him.

He had wanted her to bring a piece of the so far untasted apple pie to Gabriel, though that suggestion had come with no small amount of grumbling. Hence, a neat slice of pie (one sixth) was sitting on her passenger seat in a plastic box.

She slowed down and parked under the stairs, leaning back against her seat. She didn't have to immediately walk in, did she?

"Alright. Thank you, Nathalie! Um, I'll call you when I get back home if you aren't there. Okay?"

"That sounds fine to me."

"See you later, then. Bye, Nathalie."

"Bye, Adrien."

She sighed as he hung up. She didn't like his subdued, tired tone. There was not much she could do but worry, however. Hopefully, his friends (or at least Marinette) could help.

She got out of the car (nearly forgetting the tupperware Adrien had been so concerned about) and walked to the door, then stopped. She had the keys, of course, but between the whole "being fired" and "breaking up", she was not sure she could use them. Gabriel had made a point of not using his.

Nathalie knocked. She waited for a minute or so, then turned back, figuring she would have to ring the doorbell at the gates. The door clicked open behind her. That being said, nobody greeted her: the door was only slightly ajar and, when she pushed it open, she found the entrance hall empty.

The dining room door was open on a brand new table and set of chairs. There was no one in the room. Gabriel's office was similarly deserted. The baffling unlocking of the front door was the most unexplainable (trivial) mystery Nathalie had ever encountered. It remained so for a whole thirty seconds, then a blur of pink dashed across the hall and up the stairs, dropping marshmallows along the way.

" Bella? "

Nathalie ran after the Kwami. She lost her as early as the landing, but the trail of candy led her her to the master bedroom. Though the renovation was finished, you could smell paint from the hallway. The door was ajar and Nathalie felt a draft as she walked in. Her eyes were drawn to the window first, then to the brand new carpet and wallpaper, made prominent by the absence of furniture.

Bella was nesting in a corner, among pilfered cushions, candy packs and bottles of fruit juice. She was dipping marshmallows into a pot of honey and nibbling on them while staring at a smartphone screen. She shot a brief look at Nathalie, but appeared unconcerned by her presence. The only form of acknowledgement she gave was increasing the volume of the video she was watching. Nathalie recognized the intro music of TVi's news.

"You're out," she said, instantly berating herself for stating the obvious.

Bella nodded but said nothing: she was giving a reporter her full attention. Nathalie swallowed, uneasy. Gabriel had never discussed releasing the creature. As a matter of fact, both Tikki and Plagg had advised against it, though Nathalie wasn't certain they had shared that opinion with him.

"Where is Gabriel?" she asked.

"In the study. He said I could fly around if I left him alone."

Nathalie counted the bottles of juice and the packs of candy. Considering Bella's size and how many trips across the house she would have needed to collect her stash, it was clear she had been free for a good while.

As long as she does leave him alone…

Nathalie turned back. It was best not to engage Bella at all. It could only end with blackmail and bargaining. She was halfway through the door when the Kwami called after her.

"Are they going to erase his memory?"

Nathalie froze, frowning at Bella.

"I'm sorry?"

"Alim. Will the others erase his memory?"

She waited for an answer then grew impatient.

"That's the way things are done. The Guardians take the memories of the captured renegades. When they are captured, that is."

Nathalie shook her head.

"I don't know. He's in police custody, and we have not heard of the other heroes. Your guess is as good as mine."

The Kwami mulled over that.

"You know, my offer still stands. If you help me free him, I will tell you about Pacaás Novos."

At those words, Nathalie had to struggle to keep her composure. Up to that point, the creature's bargaining attempts had concerned Alice: "everything I know about Ladybug", "about Gabriel's wife", "about Mrs Agreste". But Bella had never mention the last place she'd been seen in.

But that was public knowledge, wasn't it? And it no longer mattered anyway.

"No. I think it's more than time the man faces the consequences of your actions."

"My actions?"

"Both of your actions. He's no longer the child you preyed upon and tricked into helping you. He's responsible for his own choices."

Bella narrowed her eyes.

"I didn't prey on him."

"Of course you did. You all do. Going after vulnerable children who need either the support of the confidence."

"That's not true. He needed help , and no one was willing to give it to him. So I stepped in."

"I somehow doubt he needed you quite as much as you needed him," Nathalie commented, remembering her various conversations with Tikki and Plagg. "Or that you needed the Miraculous-tracking watch he would someday inherit."

Bella gave her a sharp look.

"You don't know anything about his life when I went to him."

"And I don't care. I find it hard to muster empathy for either of you. 'Save one child, victimize the rest of the world'. You'll have to forgive me for not finding the approach palatable," Nathalie concluded, leaving the room.

She closed the door immediately and started walking. She wasn't even aiming for the study: she just wanted as much distance as possible between the Kwami and herself. One child saved, one , when Bella's Akuma always targeted victims she did not give a damn about. Nathalie had spent years discarding letters from destitute, dying, desperate people. Newborns with heart defects, kindergarteners with cancer, families living in the streets, she had seen it all. She had never let compassion guide her answers. It had been, always, always , practicality. It stood to reason that Alim Kubdel's story had not been especially heartbreaking, but that helping him had been to Bella's advantage.

Nathalie went as far as the kitchen, then sighed and prepared herself a coffee. With her back turned to the door, she heard Gabriel walk in. He didn't say anything. She didn't turn.

"You freed her," she commented.

She heard his footsteps as he joined her. He stopped by her side.

"With Adrien out of the house, I figured she couldn't do much harm," he explained. He took a cup out of the cupboard. "How was your day?"

Nathalie ran a hand over her hair, that still smelled of dye. Of course, getting her hair done had been the calmest part of her day.

"It went well," she replied, pushing the tupperware she had brought with her towards him. "My mother taught him how to make pie."

Gabriel raised his eyebrows and opened the box, startled.

"So they are getting along?"

"I daresay the only person who doesn't get along with my mother is me," Nathalie deadpanned. "She even liked you."

His eyebrows raised a little higher. He closed the tupperware.

"I had no idea Adrien liked to cook."

Did you ever ask?

Nathalie kept the snide remark to herself. To be fair, even if Gabriel had asked, Adrien couldn't have answered him.

"I don't think he knew himself," she said. "He has been showing an interest this week, however. He made dinner once or twice, and cat-shaped panca-"

"Pancats," Gabriel blurted out.

"Pan… cats," Nathalie amended. "He's not so good at the whole thing so far, but trust my mother to turn him into a proper chef by the end of the month. I think it will do him good, really. He needs the distraction."

Gabriel nodded, getting a saucer and napkins.

"He needs some normalcy," he sighed as served himself the slice of apple pie. "I'm glad he accepted to see the therapist but I'm not sure that is what will help the most." He put the empty tupperware into the dishwasher. "Things need to settle down."

"Unfortunately, I doubt that will happen anytime soon. My mother should be capable to keep him busy, however, and his friends are rallying to cheer him up."

Gabriel pursed his lips and scowled, lost in thought. He leaned against the countertop and looked up at the ceiling.

"That's good to hear. And, more importantly, he has you . I don't think I can stress how thankful I am for everything you are doing for him."

Before she could decide if she wanted to snap at him or to appreciate the acknowledgement, he returned to the original topic.

"Still," he continued, "I wonder if it wouldn't be wise to get him away from the media circus, at least for a little while."

Nathalie massaged the bridge of her nose.

"He is not going to accept to be carted away nor separated from his friends, Gabriel."

"No, no. I was thinking more along the line of week-end trips to the beach or to whichever event we can find, with his friends. Considering how… unsupervised the three of them seem to be, I'm sure their parents would easily be persuaded to let them accompany Adrien."

"They are adequately supervised for teenagers their age."

Gabriel snorted.

"I'm sorry, who is it you are referring to? The teenage vigilante or the girl who liveblogged her own adventures as a ritual sacrifice?"

Nathalie peered at him. He had the good grace to clear his throat and look abashed. She fought the impulse to smile and lean against him, press herself against his chest, kiss his throat, his jaw...

Instead, she straightened her posture and reverted to her most professional tone.

"Short trips are a viable idea. For all the damage he caused, Hawk Moth focused on Paris. Distance might not silence the press but it would limit how many of his victims Adrien could run into."

Gabriel nodded. He tapped his spoon to the side of the saucer he was holding, looking into the distance.

"Shielding him from additional stress and giving him space to recover should be a good start," he said. "Though I wish there was more I could do."

She smothered a sigh.

"He might forgive you still, providing you make actual efforts as a parent."

He tapped his spoon to his plate again.

"Obviously, there is hope," he pointed out, carving a piece out of his slice of pie. He paused in wonder to murmur a 'this look delicious', then went on. "The boy is entirely too forgiving. I'll be keeping my distance until we are all sure he wants me in his life."

This time, Nathalie sighed. He wasn't wrong. Adrien needed the time apart, but she was not certain he could stick to his decision to cut contact. He would crawl back to Gabriel, inch by inch, against his best interests. She would have to nudge him in the opposite direction.

"Are you feeling a little better?" she asked. "A little less out of it, with your treatment?" she clarified, though her initial question had been meant to encompass a lot more than his physical well-being.

He thought about it.

"I'm steadier on my feet. My thoughts are a little clearer, I have more energy," he listed. "And I'm starving, absolutely starving, all the time."

To underline his words, he stuffed a large piece of pie into his mouth.

Her body inched closer. Her hand reached for his hip, but she pulled it back.

"Is that all?"

His expression darkened. He swallowed the pie, sucked his lips in and took a deep breath.

"As I have told Plagg, people tend to mistake those pills for miracle elixirs. They are meant to fix mental health, not personalities. It would be unreasonable to hope for significant changes."

Then try harder, she nearly said, but Gabriel could hardly ever be blamed of not trying enough if he set his mind to something.

"Then let's aim for minor changes and go on from there," she replied, brushing his temple with the tip of her fingers.

His breath caught. Silence fell.

If they had been different people - people with less self-control and less of a sense of propriety - they would have given up on their separation right there and then. They'd have kissed and slipped into each other's arms, at the very least. But they weren't.

Gabriel moved away first, going to set his plate down on the table.

She picked her cup of coffee up, with her back turned to him.

"Have you done any research in preparation for tonight?" she asked.

"Some. Well, I browsed through my old notes, mostly. I had compiled fairly extensive documentation on Bella's Akuma, as Chat Noir, so all I had to do was go through the relevant enemies. We didn't have that many time-travelers, but I made a list of the powers you were likely to obtain and of the ways to counter them."

Nathalie turned to him, waiting for more explanations.

"For miss Dupain-Cheng's eyes only," he concluded.

Oh .

She shuddered at the possibility of turning into a monster once possessed. Surely, if they were careful enough…

"Are you really sure letting the Kwami roam the house is a good idea?" she asked. "Didn't she harass you?"

"It turns out I'm incredibly apt at ignoring people," Gabriel retorted, sitting down to eat. "And I'm not… comfortable with forcing her into her Miraculous for mere convenience."

Nathalie stared at him. She wasn't aware he had suddenly acquired Adrien's scruples.

He shook his head.

"Plagg was treated in a similar fashion for most of his time in captivity, and it never made him any more cooperative," he explained between two spoonfuls of pie. "She's unable to leave the house while the brooch is inside, she cannot steal it and she knows better than to try to blackmail me. There's not much of a risk to letting her wander about."

It didn't sound as reassuring as what Gabriel was aiming for.

"Did she attempt to talk to you?" Nathalie insisted. "She tried to lure me into a deal. Again."

Gabriel sighed.

"I have no doubt. She makes it sound like she knows something, doesn't she? But it's a moot point. As soon as we attempt the transformations, we should be able to figure out what happened to Alice. It will just take creating the correct ability set. Bella made several tracking Akuma before, for a start. I'm sure there is a way to bend that magic around. Truth to be said, I'm more worried about her range than anything else."

Nathalie sat down with him.

"I'm not sure how far her powers can reach. As… As Hawk Moth, I could sense people in Paris, but no farther."

"Her capacities seem to grow exponentially when channeled through a human. Stormy Weather froze most of the country. Yet it's one of the few Akuma who managed that feat. It seems to be related to the type of powers, though. Weather-based ones always seem to have a disproportionate area of effect, which I assume is because they require little to no precision. Mind-control can have thousands of simultaneous targets, but the more victims are manipulated, the less sentient they prove to be. The most dangerous mind-controlling enemies we faced never had more than five minions at a time."

This was going to turn into a full lecture, Nathalie knew it. For a man so terse with most people, he sure could talk someone numb, once that person had expressed an interest (which she had done, once upon a time, because she thought he didn't open up enough). She opened her mouth to say something to stop him before he could start into a point by point comparison of all magic types and their range. She had to pause for an instant to come up with a diplomatic way to formulate 'please shut up'.

"It is unlikely we'll need those kind of skills," she said. "I think we should focus on everything related to tracking and time."

"You are right. My notes are in the study. We should go review them."

"We should," Nathalie sighed, wishing with all her heart she would never, ever hear about magic again once their attempt at finding Alice was over with.

Gabriel wolfed down the rest of his pie.

"You'll have to tell Adrien the pie was fantastic," he commented.

###

Chat Noir, sitting on the roof of the Palais Garnier, stared at the skyline.

He could breathe again but was feeling numb, and so, so, so exhausted. He hoped Nathalie hadn't heard the tiredness in his voice (nor the lies) when he had called her. She hadn't picked up on the fact that he was calling from Chat Noir's communicator, at least, or she would have questioned him. He hadn't transformed yet. He didn't want to talk to anyone, not even Plagg.

He was such a coward.

Of course, as long as he was transformed, Marinette could track him down him, but it wasn't the same. She wasn't the same. She was…

Ladybug landed next to him.

"Oh my god, Chat, I thought I'd never find you," she blurted out, dropping to her knees and wrapping her arms around him.

Then she hurriedly pulled away, as if she thought the embrace was unwelcome. It sent guilt flaring through him.

"I-I'm sorry," she stuttered, voice raw. "Are you okay? Is… Is there something I can do?"

He pulled her to him and buried his face against her shoulder until, at long last, she relaxed.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

He pulled back, keeping his hands on her shoulders, and gave her a weak smile.

"I didn't mean to worry you. I was just, uh, whelmed ," he said, figuring that blatant quotes from superhero cartoons would reassure her on his state of mind.

Surely she had watched Young Justice.

She blinked.

"Whelmed?"

She hadn't seen Young justice.

"Whelmed," he awkwardly explained. "'You're overwhelmed, Freeze was underwhelmed, why isn't anyone ever just"..." He cleared his throat and looked away. "Nevermind. It's from a TV show."

"Oh. Oh! " Marinette finally exclaimed, chuckling. "You're going to have to show me that one."

Well. Maybe the quoting attempt had been embarrassing, but it had lightened the mood. Adrien crossed his arms, tilted his chin up and pretended to sulk.

"Well, I don't know if a superheroine who hasn't watched Young Justice deserves to be my partneeeeeee…" That was as far as he resisted. "Okay how does tonight sound? I've the entire series and all of the comics and you're gonna LOVE Batgirl in it."

"It's a BATMAN show?" she shrieked.

"Uh, err, more of a Robin and friends show?"

"Oh my god I need to watch it. When did it come out?"

"Something like five years ago?"

"I haven't seen it. I mean, I decided I'd focus on fashion and for months all I watched was fashion shows and fashion documentaries and sewing tutorials and 'the Devil Wears Prada'. I've only gotten back into superhero shows since I've met Alya."

"Wow. Well then I have a few dozen DVDs for you. And your weight in comics. I mean my weight in comics. Possibly Rogercop's weight in comics. I can't believe we never discussed that before."

She giggled.

"Well, in case we ever needed date ideas…"

For a moment, he forgot everything about his day, week and entire month. All he saw was the wonderful girl he was blessed to have as a partner. He felt warm, and happy, and madly in love.

But you couldn't forget reality forever.

He waited for her laughter to die down, then grew serious, though he did his best to keep a smile on his face.

"How did it go? With the cops?"

She paled and looked down at her hands.

"It's. Uh. I'll handle it," she declared, faking confidence.

"What?"

"It's nothing. Just a complication. I'll deal with it," she insisted, refusing to meet his eyes.

It obviously wasn't nothing. He could guess why she was refusing to explain.

"Ladybug. You don't have to protect me ," he said, squeezing and shoulder. "I'm fine. It's okay. I can take it. Tell me. Please. "

She weighed her options, shaking her head as she did so, but she ended up taking a deep breath. Her expression grew resolute.

"They are investigating Chloé's mother," she said, looking him in the eye with the determination he knew so well and admired so much. "They know about the factory and that an ambulance picked her up there, so they put two and two together. They asked me a lot of questions and I delayed, but…"

Chat Noir turned back to the skyline. Planes had left white trails in a cloudless if greyish sky. There wasn't much to see but endless roofs and towers. You could hear the constant sound of the traffic, distant honks, faint music.

"You can tell them," he said.

"W-what?"

"You can tell them. My father dug his grave. He can lie in it."

"Chat… I-I... "

He turned to her, trying to read her expression. Her features were twisted with worry and guilt.

"You can ," he said. "I can take it."

" I would ruin your life!" she yelled, staring down at her balled fists.

He bit down on his lower lip, considering his answer. He could still hear Alix's voice.

'Why couldn't you let him be dead? We were fine with him being dead!'

He understood her reaction, yet he would not shift the blame.

"You wouldn't," he murmured. "He did that on his own."

Ladybug punched the roof then punched it again, then gave it a kick with the flat of her foot. She looked like she wanted to scream in frustration. Adrien, however, felt more and more resigned.

Whether they told the truth or not, someone would have to carry the guilt.

He didn't want it to be her.

"Come here," he murmured, pulling her close. "You don't have to talk to them. I'll do it."

###

"So you're not home yet?" Nathalie asked Adrien, keeping her back turned to Gabriel and crushing her phone against her ear as if it could somehow prevent him from hearing her words. "I thought you'd be in a hurry to get Marinette's opinion on your cooking."

"Yes! Yes, we'll go back later. We're at the Eiffel Tower right now, just, you know, looking at the scenery? It's nice out there tonight."

Nathalie tilted her head and looked through the window.

"I don't know. Doesn't it look like rain?"

Did invulnerable superheroes catch colds?

"It's warm out," he reassured her. "If it starts raining cats and bugs, we'll go."

"Alright. Still. It's a school night. I'm sure Marinette's parents would appreciate if she was in bed in time. Also, keep the crime fighting to a minimum."

"Yes, Nathalie!"

"And call me when you get home."

"Are you still out?"

She heard him shift and imagined that, on his perch on the Eiffel Tower, he was turning to look at the house. His next words confirmed her suspicions.

"Are you at the mansion?" he asked. He paused. "Didn't you need Tikki?"

He sounded anxious. Nathalie considered the pros and cons of having the Kwami come and comment on Gabriel's meticulous research, versus having Marinette doing girlfriend/boyfriend things with Adrien, versus the very real risk Marinette would prefer superhero business.

Maybe it was still time to play matchmaker between Adrien and Nino Lahiffe.

"Not tonight. We are still sorting through several years worth of handwritten notes on obscure magical trivia. Your father is very thorough. Maybe tomorrow, if we're done indexing everything."

She mumbled a disgruntled 'though I am not sure you remember your father's handwriting', for added effect.

"Oh. Alright. You'll tell me about the notes when you get home, right?"

"If I don't go straight to bed with a headache," she sighed. "Have fun with Marinette."

A few goodbyes later, she hung up. She belatedly realized she had forgotten to mention the pie and Gabriel's high praise of it. But that could wait until she got home.

She peered at Gabriel, who seemed to be exerting a great amount of effort not to question her. He raised his eyebrows. She sighed.

"I wish those two could be normal teenagers so I could expect them to occupy themselves with normal teenage activities such as making out and smoking pot, not patrolling the streets."

Gabriel snorted.

"I assure you creative teenagers will manage to fit all of that in whatever free time they have. I should know."

It was her turn to raise her eyebrows.

"I had no idea you smoked pot," she deadpanned.

His expression shifted between amusement and unease. He tried to conceal the later.

"I was never much into smoking," he replied, which reminded Nathalie of Plagg's reaction to her cigarettes and of Olivier Agreste's lung cancer. "Everything else, however…"

Nathalie was unfamiliar with horrible guilt but didn't like it one bit, so she buried the feeling down.

"Well, now that you say that, I can see you rebelling against authority and thinking you know better than everyone else."

He gaped, then choked, then hunched over to smother his coughing chuckles while she smiled in victory. When he finally recovered, he changed the topic.

"I take it Tikki won't join us tonight?" he said, pushing his notes away.

"Not tonight. Though I am not certain what more is left to be discussed on Hawk Moth's powers."

"You're right. This is as prepared as we can be. I will just have to brief miss Dupain-Cheng on battle strategy. I think we can move on to the next step."

Nathalie froze. She had known it would be coming, but she still watched in horror as pulled the Miraculous out of his pocket and toyed with it. They had to get to the transformations at some point, at least his. With the other hand, he picked up his phone and sent out a text. Nathalie wondered what was going on, but only for the ten seconds it took for Bella to zip into the study. She glowered at Gabriel.

"Master."

Nathalie shuddered. Save for the wings, the Kwami was the same shape and size as Tikki. There was nothing menacing about her physical appearance: she was like some strange hybrid between a pear, a balloon and candy floss. Butterflies had followed her into the room. She looked downright silly. They all did. And yet…

Hatred by any other name...

Gabriel remained unfazed. He stood and moved away from his seat.

"Thanks for your promptness," he told Bella as he attached the brooch to his collar. "We are going to try a brief experiment."

The deity didn't bother raising her voice.

"No."

He graced her with half an eyeroll and adjusted the brooch. Bella said nothing else. She merely kept staring at Gabriel in icy silence, eyes wide and unblinking. There was nothing she could say nor do, was there?

Nathalie pushed her thoughts about the Kwami aside. She had other concerns.

She stepped forward.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I am not certain you are entirely prepared."

Gabriel had already wrapped himself in himself - the distance, the coldness, the superiority - and was past listening to advice.

"I was a superhero for a decade. I believe I am qualified to handle one transformation in the safety of my own home."

"That's not what I meant," Nathalie said. She took a deep breath and let it out. "It is harrowing."

He softened at that, giving her a faint, sad smile.

"Thanks for the warning," he said.

Then he closed his eyes and ordered Bella to transform him.

Watching the process wasn't quite as disturbing as living it, but Nathalie still felt queasy. Her memories of her time as Hawk Moth were still vivid. She shuddered and frantically rubbed her sleeves when butterflies brushed against her, and moved until she found herself pressed against the wall. By that point, Gabriel's transformation was complete.

In some situations, it was easy to see who, out of the two of them, was heartless.

He adjusted his lapels. He tugged at his sleeves. He said nothing about the maelstrom of emotions she knew was whirling around him. He didn't care.

Whatever she was feeling got his attention, however. He turned to her, looking nearly sorry under his mask, then joined her. The butterflies fluttered out of the way. He stopped at arm's distance.

"It doesn't need to be an ordeal," he murmured, grazing her shoulder with a gloved hand. "Just more mind-numbing research and outcome predictions. I can drone on about magical trivia, if it would help."

She chuckled without mirth.

"Please spare me."

His hand moved up to her cheek in a ghost of a caress. He snatched it away.

"We might as well get comfortable," he told her, returning to his chair. "I need to figure out how this works."

Nathalie nodded and went back to her own seat. He didn't need to figure it out, of course. She had done it. She could explain it all: how to reach for a butterfly, how to infuse it with energy, how to release it, how to guide it to one person out of millions, how to see through the victim's eyes. She didn't want to. She did it anyway.

In the end, Gabriel did not spare her the over-detailed rambling on magical theory, and it did help. It did help so much that, thirty minutes in, she was praying for paracetamol and caffeine. She had gone from jumping away from the butterflies to swatting them away. She just wanted the evening to be over with already.

He was holding a butterfly between his cupped hands, pulling darkness in and out of it, in and out, in and out. He had been doing it for so long Nathalie's horror had faded. The motion only registered distantly, like the ticking of a clock.

"Alright," she snapped, because hearing all about communicating magical vessels for more than ten minutes at a time would have driven anyone to distraction. She picked her tablet up so she could take notes. "I think you mastered the process. What about telling me what kind of powers you can sense in me?"

Gabriel went silent. He considered it, then shook his head.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "You said alternate personas would volunteer themselves by focusing on a target, but I can't picture anything about you."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"What about other people?"

He frowned, looking away, and remained silent for a handful of seconds.

"It seems to work for about everyone around. Just not you."

She ran her hands over her face, slipping her fingers under her glasses to massage her eyes. Fantastic.

"What if you let the Akuma come close?" she asked.

Maybe it was better if she didn't have a clear superpowered self waiting to be unearthed. It left Gabriel with a blank canvas. They would be free to pick the perfect powers for their purposes, which was ideal.

He released the black butterfly. The creature did not even hesitate: it flew straight to her tablet and landed on its corner. She hid her disgust, though she was pretty sure her nose had wrinkled for a second. At first, she felt nothing. She watched the black wings beat, with waves of purple spreading and twirling on their delicate surface. Then she felt the magic sink into her fingertips through the tablet. Her mood ever so slightly changed, her impatience winning over her usual calm.

"What about now?"

Gabriel frowned, keeping his full focus on the Akuma.

"Actually… There is something," he announced. "Exceedingly useful powers, too."

"Dangerous?"

"I don't think so."

Nathalie pursed her lips.

"Good."

She let the Akuma in.

###