"So what's the plan?"

Cat Noir and Ladybug had tracked the villain to the school, where she was going classroom to classroom looking for her son.

Ladybug scrutinized the building, her eyes narrowing at each open doorway. "There's got to be some way to get her to stop long enough for us to take her akumatized item. What did you say it was again?"

"Her necklace. I mean, her crown. It's shaped like the necklace that Emilie Agreste wore in a lot of her movie posters before she disappeared." Cat Noir breathed a little easier after he finished delivering the excuse for how he knew what the necklace looked like.

Ladybug blinked at him before smiling. "Wow. You must have been a fan of hers."

"Yeah." Cat rubbed the back of his neck. "Probably her biggest fan."

Ladybug gave him a sweet smile before she turned back to face their problem. "Now we have to figure out how to get it."

"She throws a horn whenever she needs to frighten somebody. Maybe if we can catch her horn, we can break it and release the akuma."

Ladybug considered it. "It'll be risky. What if it hits us and we get affected again?"

"If I recall, bugaboo, it was only you who got scared the last time." He gave her a goofy grin, to which she frowned and turned up her nose.

"It might not hurt to have some backup. I'll go get our friends. You stay here and keep an eye on her." With that, she left.

"As you wish, M'Lady." Cat Noir sat down cross-legged on the roof of the school. He could hear Mother Fearest throwing things and kicking in doors inside the school. He sighed. It would be nice for Adrien to have his mother back, once this whole mess was over. Assuming she wanted to stay, that is - he wished he knew why she'd left in the first place. Maybe she'd been kidnapped, and only escaped because Hawk Moth had akumatized her. But then, if she'd been close enough this whole time, why hadn't he akumatized her before? Surely she wouldn't have enjoyed being held against her will.

Cat Noir rubbed his eyes and groaned. There was no point in speculation - he'd be able to ask her soon enough. Below him, the woman screeched with unbridled frustration.

"Adrien! Come to mama! It's not nice to hide when I'm looking for you!" Her voice wavered between sweet and shrill, giving Adrien the unfortunate feeling that he was going to be punish once he was discovered. He shrank back a little, hoping she wouldn't see him.

On the sidewalk outside the school, the trio of superheroes came running onto the scene. Cat Noir took one more look inside through the sunroof before leaping down to join them. "She's still on the second floor, but she only has one classroom and the lockers left to look through," he reported.

"Is it really Mrs. Agreste in there?" Rena Rouge demanded as soon as he finished his sentence.

Cat nodded. "Without a doubt. It's her."

"Alright, here's the plan," Ladybug began.

Mother Fearest screamed in frustration. "Adrien!"

"Right here, mom." Her eyes shot to the blonde boy as he strutted into the center of the room. Adrien Agreste gave her his signature smile and struck a pose like a ditzy glamour model.

"Adrien! Sweetie, I've been looking for you." Mother Fearest's smile faded as she neared him. "Why didn't you answer?"

"I'm sorry, mom. I was trapped. But I got out, and I'm here now." He held his arms out placatingly.

Mother Fearest approached her son. She reached out to stroke his hair, only for his image to disintegrate in front of her.

"Now!"

From above, Ladybug descended on the villain, encircling her crown with her yo-yo string. Mother Fearest roared, thrashing about like a hooked fish. Carapace enveloped her body - shoulders to ankles - in a forcefield, insuring that she couldn't reach up and untangle her ensnarement.

"Cataclysm!" Cat Noir pounced from the second floor, black energy in his right hand. His attack disintegrated the dark crown, releasing the akuma inside.

Ladybug swung her yo-yo and captured the tainted akuma. Catching her yo-yo, she released the cleansed creature with a wave of her fingers. "Bye bye little butterfly." The white akuma fluttered off and out of sight.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" She tossed her lucky charm into the air, calling forth the swarm of magic ladybugs that swept through the city and put everything right - including Emilie Agreste.

The fair-haired beauty fell to the floor, lifeless.

"Mom!" Cat Noir blurted, rushing to her side.

Ladybug turned to fist-bump her partner and realized he was on the floor next to the fallen woman. She knelt down beside them as Cat cradled her head in his lap.

Rena Rouge rushed into the room, taking a stance next to Carapace, who was watching the trio.

"But I don't understand," Ladybug mused. "The ladybugs are supposed to put everything back to the way it was. So why is she like this?"

"Because this IS the way she was." The heroes turned to look as Gabriel Agreste entered the room, looking completely disheveled. He was a minor disaster, with his bloody knees and scraped-up hands, his hair tufted and tangled, his suit jacket gone and silver vest covered in soot, and his pants half removed. He was a walking wardrobe malfunction.

Cat Noir tightened his hold on Emilie Agreste. In a low, articulate voice, he threatened, "What do you mean?"

Despite his appearance, Gabriel maintained his poise as he walked into the room, wrists crossed behind his back. "My wife has been under my care for quite some time. One year ago, she was injured on an expedition we took to celebrate our anniversary. She has been like this ever since." He spread his arms to indicate the prone akuma victim.

"What kind of injury?" Cat Noir asked, still holding Emilie tight. Her shallow breathing brushed the tips of his hair.

Gabriel averted his eyes. "A severe kind." After a momentary hesitation and a thick breath, he added, "She may never wake up."

"Then why isn't she in a hospital?" Cat Noir asked, his voice gaining venom. "Why have you been hiding her?"

"Easy," Ladybug cautioned gently, placing a hand on her partner's shoulder.

Cat Noir glared at Gabriel, daring him to give an excuse. Gabriel met his eyes with a more subdued fire. "I'm afraid no mere doctor can cure what has befallen mywife." He approached the pack of heroes, keeping his poise as he knelt beside them. Extending his arms toward Emilie, he said, "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to take my wife home."

Cat Noir tightened his grip on her. "She needs professionalcare."

Rena Rouge's necklace blinked with urgency. "Ladybug," she stage-whispered, indicating her predicament before running off through the double doors.

Ladybug looked between the fleeing forms of Carapace and Rena, and the two men feuding over the body of an unconscious woman. She bit her lip. "I'll be right back, Mr. Agreste. Cat, don't do anything until I return." Then she ran off after the other two heroes.

Alone save for the topic of disagreement, Gabriel Agreste and Cat Noir stared each other down.

"What gives you any right to say how I care for her?" Gabriel said more than asked.

"Because she's my- I mean, she's a human being. She deserves the best care, and if she's been in this state for a year, clearly she isn't getting that from you."

Then Gabriel did something completely undignified: he grabbed Emilie and pulled her into his own lap. "You're an insolent child. Your parents clearly haven't raised you properly."

"I wouldn't be so quick to judge if I were you," Cat Noir snapped back. Despite his own desires, he allowed Gabriel to keep his mother. Using her in a tug-of-way wouldn't help her any.

Ladybug ran back into the atrium. She surveyed the situation. "Cat, your ring. You're about to transform back."

The offending object blinked and blipped. Cat Noir seemed like he wouldn't budge from the spot. But then he stood. "Don't let him out of your sight. Help him take her wherever she's going. I'll catch up with you later." Then he left them.