Gina landed with a thud in the alley beside Gilen's apartment. She grumbled and dusted herself off as she got to her feet.

"Stupid time-Aunt," she muttered. She quickly checked herself. After moving some hair out of her eyes and popping a cinnamon mint, she took a deep breath and was about to step out of the alley…

…But froze when Gilen walked by next to a familiar auburn-haired girl.

"Angie?" Gina whispered. She ducked behind a trash can and watched as they moved past. Gilen was using his cane, and Angie, while walking close, wasn't offering her arm. He was in a green polo, while she was in tight jeans and an oversized red sweater. Her hair was loose around her shoulders.

Gina resisted the urge to jump out and confront them. Instead, she crouched behind the trash can and stewed.

"He ditched me… So he could go out… With Angie?" Gina said to herself.

"Huh," Ziggy said from beside her. "Well, shucks. That there don't seem like yer partner at all."

Gina felt sick. She did her best to keep her vision focused in front of her.

"Hey Ziggy? You won't tell mom if I abuse having powers for personal gain, will you?"

Ziggy shook his head. "Ma'am? Right now, I'm as plumb walloped as you are. Y'all get to it."

"Right," Gina said.

"'Course, a nice microwave pizza would help ta seal the deal. If ya get my drift."

Gina sighed. "Right," she said again.

Gina sat hunched atop the roof of the café and did her best to focus. She had her Shepherd's staff out and extended down the side of the building. On the other end, Gina had her ear pressed to its side as she listened in.

"So, she's ditched you for three weeks?" Angie asked. They were seated at an outdoor table and enjoying a light dinner. Angie sipped her tea while Gilen picked at his pasta.

"I know she didn't mean to, but… Yeah." He moved a noodle around in a circle. "She's got a lot going on right now. Some family stuff, a lot of job stuff, and she's working crazy hours, so, like, I get it? Still. I just… I miss spending time with her."

Angie frowned. "Have you talked to her about this?"

"No, he has not," Gina muttered as she listened.

"No," Gilen said. "And I should, I guess? I was gonna do it this week at lunch, but, well, she kinda got suspended."

Angie chuffed. "Seriously? Gilen…"

"It wasn't her fault! Okay, well, it was kind of her fault? She was sticking up for a friend and, um, got carried away."

Angie let out a long breath. "Look. I like Gina. I think she's kind of cool. You know, in that dorky, skater punk way."

"Dorky? You bitch," Gina grumbled. "And thank you."

"But a relationship requires both people to be there, and from what you're telling me, lately she just isn't."

"I told you," Gilen said. "Her job is nuts right now. She's trying, but, um, yeah." He let out a sigh. "Tonight, we were supposed to go to a concert together, but she's grounded now, so that's out, and, like, our friend was cool and said I could join him, but…" Gilen went quiet.

"Your friend? Is this that André guy?"

Gilen nodded. "I didn't like him at first, but, he's kinda cool? I mean, when Gina's not around, the two of us really get along."

"And you don't when she is around because he likes her?"

Gilen nodded. "We talked it out, but yeah. It's always there."

Angie thought about it. "It was nice of him to invite you, at least." She looked at Gilen. "Did Gina even call you tonight?"

"I was gonna meet him," Gina muttered.

"I dunno," Gilen said. "Once I got a ride back, um, my phone reception cut out. So maybe? I just…" Gilen leaned forward and put his elbows on the table. He plopped his head in his hands. "I was sitting in Ms. Kubdel's apartment and just waiting, and I realized I was miserable."

"Gilen," Angie started.

"I love her a lot," Gilen said. "She's my first serious girlfriend. We've done so much together, and she's been completely open with me about everything. I trust her, and I care about her so much, but…"

Gilen locked up and slid his face into his hands, pushing his dark glasses up and off his face as he sobbed. "I feel like I'm just waiting in the wings, you know? Like she'll be ready for me when she has time, and, and I know she cares, but I'm just, I just miss her and, and I'm tired of just waiting for my turn."

Angie scooted her chair around to sit directly beside Gilen and hugged him. "Hey," she said. "So, like, I think you need to talk to her about this? And, like, soon? This isn't…" Angie closed her eyes to calm herself. "She shouldn't be treating you like you're on a shelf."

"She isn't!" Gilen said. "She just, her job is really important, and…"

"Gilen?" Angie said. "You're important, too."

He sniffed and shook his head. "I'm just being supportive. She does so much to help people, and I just…"

"What does she do, exactly?" Angie asked, her annoyance clear in her voice. "You go on about her job like she's some kind of superwoman, but what exactly does a high school girl do that's so important she can't even pick up the phone to talk to the boy she says she loves?"

Gilen gently scooted away. "It's… She does a lot of volunteer work. It's part of her family business. Her parents do it, too."

"Gilen," Angie placed her hand on his back. "You're my best friend, and I… I hate seeing you like this. You're the strongest person I know. You've been through so much, and you've always been so… Bright. You shine, and I've never seen anything dim you like this. Not what happened with your father, not with Izzy, never."

Gilen quietly cried as Angie held him. "Hey, it's okay." She was looking straight ahead, her whole body shaking. "You wouldn't happen to have Gina's number, would you?"

"Why?" Gilen asked as he pulled away.

"I wanna talk to her."

"Angie, no." Gilen said. He wiped his face. "I know that tone. This is, please let me work this out, okay?"

"Hey, I know her, too." Angie said. "Maybe she needs to hear this from a friend."

"Let her hear it form me, please?" Gilen begged. "It's be shitty if you found out your boyfriend was feeling like this from someone other than him, wouldn't it?"

"Gil, I'd never let my boyfriend feel like this in the first place. I'd either cut the shit or dump him, first. I don't string guys along."

Gina tensed, her teeth gritted. "That… Ooohh!" She carefully retracted her staff and put it on her belt. Growling, she turned and started free running towards the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

Gina was vibrating. She was angry, partially at Angie for what she had said, and partially because she knew the girl was right.

"Stupid, fucking, annoying, bitch!" Gina yelled as she cleared a rooftop. She punched a smokestack and obliterated it. "We were gonna hang out tonight! I was going to make things better! I was going to…"

Gina slumped as she ran out of steam.

"I… I never even called him." She slowed to a stop. "I could have picked up the phone and let him know what was going on, and I just… I just figured he'd be there."

Gina dropped to her knees as she erupted into tears. "I couldn't even pick up the phone and let him know what was going on," she sobbed. "I should have let him know I was there, that I was thinking about him, but I just, I kept thinking… DAMMIT!"

Gina sniffed and wiped at her face. "I really messed this up," she said to herself.

Somewhere a few blocks behind her, she heard screaming.

Gina's eyes went wide as she leapt to her feet. She spun around and started charging back the direction she had just come from.

"Stupid, dumb, fucking… Hey, let's leave an emotionally scarred guy out in the open in Paris." Gina gritted her teeth and bolted. "Dammit, please don't be him. Please don't be him."

Gina dropped to the ground in front of the café to see a figure in a flowing black trench coat. He had a black, shiny helmet that only showed his mouth, and in his hand was a long cane.

"Dammit," Gina said.

"Citizens of Paris! I am Heart-Attack!" The akuma cried out. He jumped on top of a table, spun around while leaning on his cane, and then pointed it at a nearby couple. A beam of dark energy shot out of the top of it and hit them dead-on. They screamed as they quickly turned to stone.

'This is my fault,' Gina thought as she extended her staff. She looked around to confirm everyone had either ran or was running, and of course, Angie was cowered in the corner by the door of the café.

"Hey!" Gina yelled. "Over here!"

Heart-Attack spun around, his mouth twisted in a sneer. "Weeeeelllllllll, that was fast! I was just talking about you!"

He pointed his staff and let off a blast. Gina kicked a table over and ducked behind it just in time. "Yeah, well, maybe next time you should try talking to me!"

"Excuse me?" Heart-Attack screamed. He jumped high in the air and came down hard with his staff, shattering the table Gina was hiding behind. She jumped and rolled away, bringing her staff around into a spinning shield just as another blast nearly hit her.

"You're one to talk! Or, I suppose I should say, you're not, are you?" He charged at Gina and swung hard enough to take her head off. Gina blocked with her staff, and the two of them dueled. "No calls, a few scattered texts. You texted! I'M BLIND AND YOU TEXTED!"

Gina took a hit to the arm, but then dropped and swept his feet with her leg. "Your phone reads them out loud. Quit complaining!"

"It sounds weird and it takes time to send a good response!" Heart-Attack snapped. He kicked up and shot his staff forward, catching Gina in the stomach. Gina went flying backwards into the side of the café.

"I didn't know what to say," Gina growled.

"I would have been happy with hello!" Gilen yelled. He pointed his staff. "Was I so pathetic you couldn't even say hello to me?"

Gina froze. "That's… That is not fair! I…"

"I'M NOT A TOY!" Heart-Attack screamed. "I deserve more than to be put on a shelf and only taken down when you feel like playing with me! I gave you everything, and you took me for granted. That's what's not fair!"

Gina dropped her guard. "I… I have never taken you for granted! I have duties, and you know it! I have to…"

"You have to set me aside." Heart-Attack finished.

"No!"

"Yes! And you know it's true! Because you know I'll roll over for you and wait, and let myself wallow, because when it comes down to it, I love you more than you love me!"

"You… You BASTARD!" Gina screamed. She lunged and decked Heart-Attack. He rolled with it and caught her fist, spinning her around once before throwing her back against the wall.

"Oh stop it! You know it's true! I see you as my whole world, but I'm just a piece of yours. And I was okay to just have that! But not anymore!"

Heart-Attack's staff started crackling with dark energy.

"I only wanted a hello," Heart-Attack said. "I would have given the world for just that. But for now? I'll settle for goodbye."

"Sounds good to me," a voice said from above him.

"Wha?" Heart-Attack looked up in time to see a foot crash right into his face. He crumpled as Mamabug landed squarely on top of him and then jumped off. She landed beside Gina and helped her up.

"Hey there, kiddo." She looked Gina over. "Ziggy, huh?"

Gina nodded. "Ziggy."

"That's rough." Caline looked to Heart-Attack. "Any ideas on the akuma?"

Gina nodded. "It's his staff. That's what it was last time. Just don't let him blast you."

Caline nodded. "Yeah, blasts are generally bad." She took out her yoyo and started spinning it beside her. "Hey!" She yelled at the akuma. "I was on my way home with my daughter after a very long day. I don't suppose we could just wrap this up, could we?"

"I don't care about you," Heart-Attack growled. He pointed at Gina. "I just want her. Stay out of my way, and only one person needs to get hurt."

Caline shook her head. "That's not happening. See, this is gonna go down one of two ways. One, you and I tear up the block until I put you into the ground."

Heart-Attack snickered. "Unlikely. And two?"

Caline stopped spinning her yoyo and relaxed, her hand on her hip. "I delegate."

"Venom!" Queen Bee cried out from behind Heart-Attack. She pegged him square in the back before he could even respond.

"Finally!" Chloé said, poking him. "It worked."

Caline raised an eyebrow. "You thought it wouldn't?"

"Well, after this afternoon, kind of?" Chloé plucked Heart-Attack's staff from his hands and snapped it in two. A purple butterfly flew out.

"Showtime," Caline said.

A quick swipe and a flood of ladybugs later, and the café was back to normal.

Gilen was standing by a table, completely confused and clutching his cane. "What happened?"

"You were akumatized," Chloé said from beside him. "But fortunately, Queen Bee and Mamabug were here to save the day! Oh, and the goat girl."

Gilen stiffened. "Gi… Goat girl?"

"Are you okay?" Gina asked. She stepped forward as Caline watched.

Gilen froze at the sound of her voice. "I… Did I hurt anyone?"

"No," Gina said through her teeth. "You… You should have your, um, your friend walk you home. I'm sure some people would like to make sure you're okay? Maybe talk to you?"

Gilen nodded. "Um, yeah. Yeah, I think I should."

Angie was at his side in a heartbeat. She took his arm and put her other hand on his back. "Are you okay, Gil?"

"I'm fine, really," Gilen said, smiling. "I just really want to go home now."

"Of course," Angie said. She looked to Gina and glared.

Gina paled slightly as Angie's look was cutting through her.

'How much did she hear?' Gina thought to herself.

"Come on," Angie said, still glaring at Gina. "Let's take care of you. This way, Gil." She turned her attention to Gilen as Gina forced herself not to go with them. She watched as they wandered off.

"Him?" Queen Bee said from beside Gina. "That's your guy?"

Gina sputtered and glared at the yellow hero. "That's none of your business."

"No, it's your business," Chloé said. She nodded in the direction the two had wandered off in. "And by the look of it, your business was on the arm of a hot girl who looked ready to murder you."

Gina turned to her and clenched her fists, but they were both stopped by Caline putting a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Kids? Maybe this would be a good rooftop discussion."

The heroes looked at Caline and then at each other.

"Fine," Gina muttered.

"Whatever," Chloé said, crossing her arms and looking away.

With a jump, the three were gone.