A/N: Just a short one today! More to come this weekend!

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Ladybug tumbled through the air, closing her eyes to brace for the impending impact, which was far softer than she had anticipated. Opening her eyes, she realized her partner had caught her just as he arrived.

"Oh! Nice of you to drop in, Kitty." She grinned at him as he deftly dodged an incoming attack, bounding up to a roof, out of the line of fire.

"Milady, was that a joke?" Cat Noir was awestruck, glee shimmering in his playful eyes.

"Never!" Ladybug laughed.

"So, Bug, what've we got?" Cat asked, eyeing her as he set her down and crouched to better view their opponent.

"Well, I haven't been here long. This guy totally interrupted my lunch. Anyway, it seems like he's using that water-gun-looking thing to suck all the fun and personality out of everyone, draining them of color in the process. I'm willing to bet that's where the akuma is!"

Below the heroes, a cackle rang out, filled with a devious mirth. Floating inches above the street, on an orange and blue harlequin-patterned hoverboard, was a pearlescent boy wearing a cacophony of discordant colors and styles: an inverted visor, black and gold parachute pants, and a bright magenta member's only jacket over a patchwork t-shirt - a veritable rainbow of bad fashion.

"Ugh, how many thrift stores threw up on that guy?" Cat Noir smirked. "Am I the distraction again?"

"You're always a distraction, Kitty," Ladybug said as she blinked innocently at her partner.

"Oh, how the tables have turned! Focus, LB." He grinned. "Pretty sure that's your line."

"Okay. Go for it, Kitty. And be careful," she added with a light touch of his cheek.

Cat Noir stood, bowed, and with a soft look, brushed his lips over Ladybug's fingers before diving over the side of the building on which they stood.

"Hey! Funny guy! What's the big idea, turning everyone grey, huh?" Cat called after the akumatized victim.

"Ha ha ha! I'm not Funny Guy! I'm ... Oh snap! I totally am! You might have gotten my name right, you mangy cat, but you and your buggy girlfriend won't stop me before I get your Miraculous! Ha ha ha!"

"You hear that, Ladybug? I got one right! And he thinks you're my girlfriend!" Cat Noir's Cheshire grin spread across his face as he called to his partner indiscriminately, so as not to give away her position. He also found joy in the fact that she couldn't react to the last statement. As much as she had seemed to warm up to him lately, he was positive that would earn at least and eye roll and an "in your dreams."

Suddenly, a yoyo flung out and circled Funny Guy's torso several times before being yanked backward. As he fell back, his feet kicked his hoverboard out. Cat landed a swift baton hit to the center of the board, splitting it in half.

With a sudden leap, Funny Guy twisted, releasing himself from the yoyo string. "Oh, boohoo, you broke my board. Think that'll stop me?" He began firing at Cat Noir who smoothly pounced, dodging each attack, finally settling by Ladybug's side, spinning his baton defensively.

"We might need a little luck, Milady."

With a nod, Ladybug called for her Lucky Charm, catching a fire extinguisher in her outstretched hands. She surveyed her surroundings, formulating a plan. She quickly whispered to Cat Noir as Funny Guy advanced.

With a quick diversion from the black-clad hero, Ladybug took her chance to deploy the extinguisher's foam, allowing her to dislodge the water gun from Funny Guy's grip.

"NOW CAT!"

"CATACLYSM!" Cat Noir slid through the foam and one well-placed finger slid the length of the toy-turned-weapon, crumbling it to dust.

As a little black butterfly emerged, Ladybug caught and purified it. She released her Lucky Charm into the air with a cry of "Miraculous Ladybug!" to restore the damage done to the city and its people.

After checking in briefly with the victim (who was upset that his friends didn't appreciate his pranks), Ladybug and Cat Noir bounded up to a roof a few streets over.

"Great job as always, Bugaboo," Cat Noir said with a wink. "I'll see you tomorrow night for patrol?"

"Couldn't have done it without you, kit-cat. I'll see you tomorrow. Bug out!"

"God, she's wonderful," Cat Noir waxed as he watched his partner depart.

He started off in the direction of François Dupont and began thinking about another pig-tailed beauty, realizing he'd see her class. Guilt welled up again; it was becoming quite a frequent party crasher.