Takaoka is akumatized and is therefore back to his full strength. Takaoka seeks revenge on all of 3-E due to the humiliation he suffered. He goes crazy and starts destroying the cockpit and raises up debris to crush the students. Karasuma attempts to help, but alas he’s still recovering from the poison gas. A piece of debris crushes Chiba, Sugaya, Karasuma and probably a few others. They all try to lift the debris but they’re not strong enough. Meanwhile, the class is in a panic. Something needs to be done IMMEDIATELY. Chiba makes eye contact with Korosensei and knows what he has to do- he has to transform.

Major plot point 1: Chiba exposes his identity

Chiba transforms into Black Cat and uses Cataclysm to destroy the debris and save his class. Also uhh for plot’s sake akumatized Takaoka isn’t looking in his direction so the villains don’t know. Everybody is naturally shocked, and Hayami especially. Hayami almost goes through a crisis right there (her classmate and friend is her superhero best friend and crush) but forces herself to fight the akuma first. She sneaks off and transforms, her identity is not revealed. 

At the scene, there are two guns (the ones ChibaHaya used against Gastro). The first is with Karasuma, the second with Chiba/ Black Cat. Takaoka grabs Karasuma’s gun and everyone is instantly alarmed. Guns haven’t appeared in akuma battles before. BC and LB duel with Takaoka for a bit. LB is fully aware BC is Chiba, but BC doesn’t know why LB is here (she probably comes up with some excuse later).

Takaoka is a particularly tough akuma bc 1) he’s naturally strong already, imagine being supernaturally strong 2) Kochou is exhausted from flying that akuma and isn’t able to control his akuma as much (Kochou might want miraculouses but does he want to kill innocents?). Korosensei and Karasuma can’t really help as well because their only gun was taken by Takaoka. Takaoka excels in close combat so their hope lies in BC’s gun.

In the middle of the fight, Takaoka shoots BC in the head and he falls down. Everybody is shocked.

Major plot point 2: Chiba dies (temporarily)

A hysterical LB grabs BC’s gun and tries to shoot the akumatized item, but misses. BC, losing consciousness, thinks LB looks like Hayami due to similar shooting pose (he forgets about this later).

Takaoka gleefully laughs about how he killed BC. LB is horrified and going through a silent panic attack in front of everyone. How can she save the day when Chiba just died in front of her and she missed THE shot again?! Everyone notices her turbulent emotional state (in particular Nagisa) and shout encouragements. This keeps her going. Korosensei shouts out advice, and Karasuma’s well enough to provide distractions. Meanwhile, BC just lies their silently in his pool of blood (lmao), his ring beeping away because he used his Cataclysm earlier.

LB goes all bloodlust and fights against Takaoka. She summons her Lucky Charm, which gives her a pistol (the type that Hayami is skilled at using). LB finally shoots the akumatized item and defeats Takaoka. LB is drained as hell and once she cleanses the akuma, she immediately rushes to BC. The rest of the class hurriedly restrain Takaoka before checking on BC / Chiba.

There’s an emotional scene in which LB breaks down in front of an unmoving BC (note that she lets her guard down bc she’s in front of her friends and classmates, she probably wouldn’t do that if they were strangers). LB focuses on using Miraculous Ladybug to heal him, which miraculously works!! BC is alive, but just barely. BC is about to transform back, which Hayami doesn’t mind, but LB isn’t supposed to know. BC shakingly stands up and claims he’s fine, and he and LB part ways. LB hurries away and comes back as Hayami. Once LB leaves the scene, BC immediately collapses and transforms back (he’s trying to be strong in front of LB).

Everybody’s gathered around a weak Chiba. Plagg used his and his owner’s energy, and combined with LB’s powers, they managed to save Chiba’s life, but now Plagg and Chiba are both completely exhausted. Plagg trusts Hayami to take care of him and Chiba and asks her to feed him cheese. Of course, it’s because Plagg knows she’s Ladybug, but it also makes sense to everybody else because she’s Chiba’s best friend.

So the class now knows Chiba is BC and he Risked It All For Them. Hayami doesn’t know what to do because BC doesn’t know LB knows, plus she would reveal herself if she tells him he knows. So Hayami keeps it all to herself.

This is the beginning of Hayami’s trauma and long-lasting guilt complex in true MLB Chat Blanc fashion (🤡). After the fight, Hayami’s in a daze. She sends Tikki to be with Chiba so she can help him regain energy faster with her healing powers. Karasuma immediately takes Korosensei (who’s in his ultimate defence form) to try and kill him, so the only adult who knows what she’s going through can’t comfort her. Hayami is isolated (damn, I was so mean to her 😭) and terrified from earlier events. To make things worse, during her Miraculous Ladybug earlier, Hayami focused so much on BC that she didn’t heal herself, so Hayami now has a myriad of bruises and scratches on her body (that would usually be healed post-fight).

Everyone’s exhausted, so they sleep. Hayami can’t sleep. She goes to the hotel washroom and finds Irina there. We get an Irina-Hayami scene that is actually quite precious to my heart. Irina doesn’t question Hayami’s wounds (remember she’s playing the piano downstairs during the whole fight) and takes care of them. Like Hayami, Irina can’t sleep. Hayami can’t fully tell Irina what happened but she does confide in her a bit. (I forgot whether I make Karasuma and Irina realize their identities but I think I planned to make it ambiguous at this stage)

On a lighter note, people start debating whether to ship BC with LB or Hayami lmao, and Yada knows of Hayami’s crush on BC aka. Chiba. Chiba accidentally overhears Yada saying to Hayami “I didn’t know who would be better for you, him (BC) or Chiba..” and Chiba thinks his crush Hayami likes someone else lmao (very MLB bs of me, I know). 

Later, LB starts going through a self sacrificing arc during akuma fights bc of Island arc events and BC is having NONE of it. They address the self sacrificing and work together instead of throwing themselves out to save the other.

Chiba also made a great risk bc his entire class knows his identity and they can’t be akumatized. Except in my fic outline, a ton of them do get akumatized anyway and they never reveal BC is Chiba lol (there are a lot of plot holes). 

Also according to my notes, I was planting foreshadowing as early as Ch 2. I think Island arc was one of the main plot points I came up with initially? Also I forgot where I put the foreshadowing so I had to reread lmao. Oh no the cringe XD

Chapter 2: Plagg scowled. "I'm not like you, lucky bug. I bring bad luck. Sometimes, my holders just…" Plagg choked a bit. "You know, die. That's why… that's why I can't get too attached to them."

Chapter 5: It is, Plagg agreed mentally, green eyes trained on the screen as he gobbled down the last bits of cheese. A bitter feeling stabbed him through his chest, as he remembered the past holders he had looked after, the countless Black Cats vowing to protect their Ladybug with their life-

Chapter 9: But, Plagg wasn't as shallow as he seemed. He was concerned, because in the history of the duos of ladybug and cat miraculous holders, there had to be one that was more self-sacrificing. That was usually the cat, being madly in love with the ladybug. Sometimes, they even died to save their love's life. But this time, it was Ladybug who liked Black Cat. The entire scenario was flipped over.

So yeah lol, Island Arc supposedly marks the midpoint of the romcom saga my 14yo self was dead set on. Thanks again so much for the ask and for an opportunity for to finally talk about Island Arc spoilers :DD