The first time that something is done between two people tends to be awkward. In this case, the arching game just got more awkward.

Beware of possible spoilers ahead, mateys!

We begin with The Monarch and 21 inside an apartment with Watch and Ward. The apartments are a ruse because underneath them is the HQ of The Guild of Calamitous Intent. They stumble on Dr. Mrs. The Monarch interrogating S464 from the previous episode about the Peril Partnership. After learning about “the bath,” S464 agrees to her terms by working as a double agent on the condition that Dr. Mrs. The Monarch helps him get back with O.S.I.’s Agent Kimberly McManus.

Meanwhile, Billy Quizboy and Pete White receive an official arching notice from their nemesis Augustus St. Cloud. Even though Doc Venture and Brock sees this “Level One” threat as nonsense, they decide to help Billy and Pete with their “predicament.” At the same time, The Monarch and 21 offer to tutor St. Cloud on becoming the best Level One villain he can be, from making an evil laugh to using a lightning gun not sanctioned by The Guild. However, the tutoring goes hilariously wrong for both sides of the arch; Doc and Brock teach the duo about trust while St. Cloud gets his ass kicked by Billy’s mother Rose in front of Colonel Gentleman.

Hacking into the O.S.I.’s network, Ward and Watch discover that McManus deals with Level One archings, prompting Dr. Mrs. The Monarch to take action with S464. When St. Cloud meets up with Billy and Pete (in their new costumes by Doc’s personal tailor Enzo), all goes smoothly for the moment. Of course, the arching failed as St. Cloud released his laughing gas on himself, Billy, and Pete.

Nearby, McManus confronts S464 about the Peril Partnership while treating Dr. Mrs. The Monarch like fodder. After S464 states that he is now a double agent, McManus is touched by S464’s devotion to her. However, it was ruined by Dr. Mrs. The Monarch, who threatened to disclose her real identity with the Guild; The Monarch had to rush in and take her away, saving her career but noting that she would have kicked McManus’s ass if he didn’t.

Pete and Billy tell their exploits to Hank and Dean. But Doc reveals that he won’t tell Billy and Pete the truth about their heroic deeds: they were high on gas and fell asleep with Augustus St. Cloud.

The Bellicose Proxy is a Billy and Pete episode concerning progress: they lost their business to Augustus St. Cloud but are now considered “heroes” because of St. Cloud’s arching for the Guild. Even though they are officially arched for the first time, they felt that it was a triumph. The same could go for St. Cloud. But in the end, it was like an awkward first date. It looks like these heroes and villain are gonna “fight” for a long while.

Did McManus take back S464? Will Dr. Mrs. The Monarch hold a grudge against McManus? Let’s hope for the former and hope more for the latter.