Peacock couldn't help, but keep the conversation going. "I bet. Maybe could show me some of your moves sometime?"

Ladybug stopped a rooftop and let out a frustrating sigh. "Where could this thing be?" she looked at Chat. "It shouldn't be too hard to spot."

He smiled. "I could. But we'd have to meet as civilians. Hawk Moth and Peacock walking into a fencing gym. It's too noticeable. So, are you up to it?"

Chat stopped beside her and shrugged. "Owls are stealthy creatures. It's not going to want to be obvious if it's still hurting from last night." He closed his eyes and listened to the night around him. He had no problem hearing crickets chirping, bats zooming by, and the occasional rodent, but no sound of feathers. Not that he expected to hear them. The feathers on an owl's wing basically had built in silencers. It could be right on top of them and he wouldn't hear. He glanced above and around them for a moment just in case.

He sighed and opened his eyes.  "I can't hear it. Maybe it's not around here..."

Peacock couldn't help, but smile. "But if we do that I wouldn't be able to see you in your outfit. You are quite attractive for a superhero."

Ladybug lean against a chimney and looked up. "But it's huge so it should be easy to spot." she pulled out her yo-yo. "Should I check on the others?"

Chat nodded.  "I'm sure they'd call us if they found something, but checking in wouldn't hurt.  Maybe we can narrow our search area."

Hawk Moth crossed his arms.  He would have returned the flirt if he was sure of her identity, but he wasn't sure and she wouldn't expect him to know.  So, it was better to proceed with caution for now. "Perhaps you should keep your eyes to yourself.  I'm married, after all."  His tone hid just enough amusement that hopefully his words weren't too bad of a reprimand.

Peacock couldn't help, but smirk. She remembered Pain's warning about flirting, but she couldn't miss this chance. "Oh, that's right. You're married." she inched closer to him and played with her hair. "I admire loyalty you know?" she then backed away. "But I'll control myself. I don't want to get you into trouble."

She paused. Playfulness filled her eyes. "Your wife is Iris Agreste, right? I remember her. She seems like a lovely woman. Beautiful too. I love her sense of style."

Ladybug looked at her yo-yo and frowned. She then looked back at Chat. "Who should I call?" she wasn't sure who was most likely to answer.

Hawk Moth nodded, unable to keep a soft smile from his face. "She is a wonderful person. The most important person to me other than Adrien. She's smart and kind and persistent. She's also forgetful, but her forgetfulness is cute. She's the only person who truly understands me.."

Chat shrugged. "Hawk Moth always takes business calls. I don't know how a sword would function as a phone, but he'll probably answer."

Peacock tried to cry at his respond. She got the answer she wanted. "Oh, wow. Who knew you were a softie. I bet she teases you."

Ladybug bit her lip. That would be awkward. She decided to call Peacock instead. Since their were teammates their items sync with each other. Ladybug dialed Peacock's number. It began to ring and kept on ringing. Ladybug frowned. "Hmm Peacock isn't answering.."

Chat shrugged. "Maybe she doesn't know how to use the phone feature. I guess I'll try Hawk Moth.." He pressed the paw print on his staff, extending the screen from its hiding place, and called his father. 

Hawk Moth let out an unamused breath at her comment. Still, he couldn't stop himself from nodding. "She did. All of the time." He looked out across the city, unsure of where to go with the conversation. Thankfully, a distraction came in the sound of ringing from his... sword...?

He grabbed the sword from his waist and stared at it for a moment before touching the diamond hilt where the sound was coming from.  It extended enough for a small screen to appear with Chat Noir staring back at him and Ladybug in the background. So that's where the communicator was.  "Hello?"

"Hey. Have you two found anything?"

Hawk Moth shook his head. "Nothing."

Ladybug sighed. "I guess we'll keep going west then." Chat hung up his phone. "I hope catch this thing soon. I would like to get some sleep tonight." She leaped across the building to another one. She looked back at Chat. "Let's go, kitty."

Peacock sighed. Chat's call reminded her about their mission. She finally felt okay with talking to her husband. "I guess we should keep moving." she then paused. "It might help if I fly around. Maybe I can spot it from the air. Do you think you can keep up?"

Chat followed Ladybug without a word. His mind slowly wandered to his mother's texts. He wanted to respond to her but still had no idea what to say. Her answer to his father's text had already confirmed it might be a while before she came home. There was no clear way to follow up. Maybe Marinette would have some input... He was suddenly too distracted to pay attention to his surroundings and mis-stepped on his landing, causing his face to meet the rooftop below him.

Hawk Moth thought for a moment. "Flying around might draw it out, even if you don't see it. I should be able to keep up, so I can keep an eye out in case it tries to ambush you while you fly."

Ladybug noticed that Chat was not by her side. She looked back and saw him faceplant a rooftop. She leaped back to the building he was on and landed beside him. "You alright?"


"Sounds good," said Peacock and she took to the skies. As she flew around the city her tiredness was affecting her again. She landed on a rooftop and slapped her face with her hands. She needed to be alert!

Chat stood and sneezed, a stray feather falling from his face. Pigeons must have been around during the day. Lovely. He sighed. "I was just thinking..." he answered. Pausing for a moment to hold in another sneeze before motioning for her to follow him to the next roof. He continued once there were no more feathers. "My mother texted us today. She's going to be home as soon as she can but didn't give a time frame. I want to answer, but I don't know what to say.."

Hawk Moth followed Peacock from the rooftops below, looking for any sign of the owl beast as she made herself plainly visible. The beast would definitely come if it was in the area. He began to worry as the time went on and her tiredness showed up in her flight pattern. He was a few buildings away when she landed, and his heart sank as a large bird slowly flew toward her from behind.

"Watch out!" He called. Hawk Moth teleported the rest of the way, making it just in time to his the beast with the flat side of his sword and push it off its path. "There should be a phone in your fan. Call the kids. I'll hold the beast off."

Ladybug looked surprised. She wasn't expecting that. She leaned against a chimney and thought about it. What do you say to someone you haven't seen in six years? Especially if they were your parent. "Well," she paused briefly. "You can tell her that you can't wait to see her and that you love her. I'm sure that will make her happy."

Peacock leaped back into the air when Hawkmoth saved her. She just nodded her head and flew to a safe spot. She made her fans appear. She noticed the right one had a small button on it on the front. She pressed it and the screen appeared in the middle of the fan. Peacock noticed Chat's number and called him.

Hawk moth dodged the owl's talons while looking for an opening. It must have remembered his last attack because it was keeping a safe distance from the sword while swooping in for an attack here and there.  He slashed at the beast a few times to no avail. A sword wasn't exactly the best weapon in a prolonged fight with a bird.  He was stuck on the ground while the beast had full run of the sky.

Chat mulled over her words for a moment. They seemed reasonable and were completely true. Would they be enough or would his mother expect more from him?  He internally scolded himself.  Of course that would be enough.  

He was about to answer Ladybug when his staff rang.  He glanced at her before opening the phone on his staff.  It was Peacock.  "Hey.  What's up?"

"We found the beast. Please hurry at once!" Peacock then hung up. She looked back at Hawkmoth and she could tell he was having a hard time. She flew over to it and was able to kick it. The shadow beast rammed into a building. It recovered quickly and was able to ram right into her which caused her to fall straight down into the pavement down below.

Ladybug looked at Chat. She was able to hear Peacock's voice. She quickly opened her yo-yo and located their teammates on the map. "Let's go." They both hurried off.