I had planned to post this much earlier, but in my defense, my keyboard would stop working at random, so it was really difficult to write this out.

Nevertheless, I'm back with another chapter that will give you a little bit more insight into the villain you have read about by the end of the last chapter - Carmilla Brigante/Phantom Thief Belladonna.

Just a little tidbit info about her - she was based on Lila Rossi/Volpina, but has her own unique spin, as I had also added elements from Kaitou Jeanne (from the anime Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne) and Kaitou Kid (from the anime Kaitou Kid and Detective Conan). I consider her something of a rival to Ladybug, who also has an interest in Chat Noir, as you'll find out in this chapter.

I hope you'll enjoy it!


Entry 8

Welcome To The Show

''Hands high like a roller coaster, this love is taking over! Take us higher here we go, oh, oh, oh – Welcome to the show! Gravity we're defying, 'cause we were made for flying! We're about to lose control – Welcome to the show!''

Welcome To The Show by Britt Nicole

xXxXxXx

''Have you heard about what happened last night?'' Allan asked Claude as they walked towards their classroom. Claude shook his head. ''One of the high-end jewelry stores had been completely cleared out and no one knows who did it.''

''Seriously?'' Claude's eyes widened in surprise. Allan nodded, taking out his smartphone with the news report and showing it to him as they walked into the classroom. Allegra and Sophie were standing next to Bridgette and having a conversation, while Bridgette had her head leaned against the desk, looking grumpy.

''Hey, guys,'' Allan greeted them, glancing at Bridgette. ''What's wrong, Bri?''

''Nothing,'' Bridgette replied in a dismissive tone, with Allan rising an eyebrow. It was rare for Bridgette to be this annoyed, but he figured that he shouldn't press the issue, as he knew that Bridgette would tell them whenever something bothered her. Claude, on the other hand, gave her a questioning look, but seeing how irritated Bridgette was, he decided against asking her why she was so grumpy.

''Say, have you guys heard about what happened last night?'' Claude turned to Allegra and Sophie. ''Allan was just telling me about the robbery at the jewelry store.''

''We were also talking about it,'' Allegra replied. ''Honestly, I'm surprised that the surveillance system hadn't caught the thief on camera or that none of the security alarms had be activated.''

''Maybe it was an inside job,'' Sophie suggested. ''An employee would've had access to the security system. They could easily turn it off.''

''I kind of doubt that,'' Allan replied. ''I mean, it is also possible that an outsider planned this out, right?''

His friends shrugged, with Claude turning towards Bridgette.

''What do you think, Bri?'' he asked. Bridgette gazed at him, only half-listening to their conversation.

''I have no idea,'' she replied in an irritable tone. Claude frowned.

''What is it with you today? Did something happen?'' he asked. Bridgette, who had been in a bad mood for most of the morning didn't want to tell her friends the true reason why she acted like this. However, she knew that she had to come up with something believable so they wouldn't question her further.

''I… I accidentally deleted a project I've been working on for a while,'' she explained. ''It's been bothering me the entire morning.''

''I see,'' Claude muttered, still retaining that questioning look on his expression. However, he appeared to believe her.

''Can't you retrieve it somehow?'' Allan asked. ''You know, I could help you with that.''

''Thanks, but no,'' Bridgette replied, trying to sound like her usual cheerful self. ''Sure, a lot of work had been wasted, but I had already made peace with it.''

''I wouldn't be so sure about that,'' Allegra responded in a snarky tone, with Bridgette being aware that she was referring to her sour mood. It didn't bother her, though, as she knew her friend was right.

''I'll be fine,'' Bridgette replied. She was just glad that they believed her, as she hardly could tell them that the real reason for being so grumpy was the fact that someone managed to steal all that jewelry right under her nose. So much about Ladybug being the protector of Paris.

Admittedly, during her patrol she hadn't noticed anything unusual, having actually passed the area where the robbery took place, so it had probably happened after she passed through. After all, Paris was a large city and unlike the case with the Mime, who exploded the vault in order to steal the money, this thief appeared to rely on stealth rather than brute force.

Well, at least I know what I'll be doing tonight.

Bridgette sighed as she remembered the previous night. As she had noted earlier, nothing really happened and she could finish the patrol without any additional stress. She wanted to return home and go to sleep, but Chat Noir had managed to convince her to stay a little longer, with the two sitting on a rooftop and just talking about random stuff.

''What is your favorite ice-cream flavour?'' Chat Noir suddenly asked. Ladybug gave him a confused look.

''Why are you asking me that?'' she asked. Chat Noir smiled.

''I simply was wondering whether we could go out for an ice-cream,'' he replied in a casual tone. Ladybug's eyes narrowed when she realized that he was fishing for her again. Unfortunately for Chat Noir, she wasn't biting this hook.

''I assume that 'going out for an ice-cream' is code for 'asking for a date','' she replied, crossing her arms.

''N-No,'' Chat Noir held up his hands, waving in slight panic, ''I just figured that I could treat you to an ice-cream after a night of hard work.'' His ears lowered when he realized that Ladybug didn't buy his explanation. ''Well, it doesn't have to be a date…''

''No, it doesn't,'' Ladybug replied in a calm tone and then gazed ahead, staring at the street below them. She could hear Chat Noir sigh, obviously feeling crestfallen. While Ladybug knew that he was just disappointed that she rejected his invitation, she didn't feel that they were close enough for him to invite her out even to something innocent like an ice-cream. At best, they were partners-in-crime and that wasn't changing anytime soon. Still, she did feel comfortable around him. ''Besides, I thought that cats cannot eat anything with milk in it,'' she added, glancing at him as she reached for her compact.

''I'm a cat superhero, not an actual cat,'' Chat Noir replied, his tail flicking. He sounded a little irritated. Ladybug smiled mischievously, taking out a laser pointer from her compact.

''Oh, really?'' She pointed the laser pointer on the roof space next to them, the red dot dancing and flickering wildly.

''Seriously?'' Chat Noir frowned, not at all amused by this.

''I had to try,'' Ladybug replied, still grinning and playing with the laser pointer.

Chat Noir remained stoic, even crossing his arms in firm defiance. However, as he looked down at the red dot, he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up, his tail swishing and his ears raised. He stared at the red dot, feeling as if it was taunting him.

Suddenly, he jumped towards the dot, trying to catch it and growling when it escaped, appearing next to him. He pawed at it again, only to hear Ladybug behind him burst out laughing. He turned around, with Ladybug placing a hand over her mouth in order to stifle her giggles.

''You were saying?''

''Really funny, Ladybug'' Chat Noir grumbled as he glared at her. He felt completely embarrassed.

''I'm sorry,'' Ladybug replied, still smiling in amusement, and returned the laser pointer back into the compact. ''Although, that was kind of cute.''

''Really?'' Chat Noir suddenly perked up and sat next to a startled Ladybug, this time much closer.

''Uh, yeah,'' she replied, still surprised by his sudden change in mood. ''Speaking of which, I'm curious whether you're gonna exhibit other kinds of cat-like behaviors.''

''Like what?'' Chat Noir asked suspiciously.

''Oh, I don't know,'' Ladybug started innocently, before giving him a mischievous look as she leaned closer, ''Maybe you'll purr if scratch you behind the ear.''

Chat Noir's eyes widened and he quickly got up, feeling that Ladybug was getting too close for comfort. ''Uh, well, it was nice talking to you, but I need to go now, Ladybug! I'll see you tomorrow!''

With that said, he quickly left, noting to himself that he'll have a long talk with Plagg after he returned home. Ladybug, who stood up, wasn't exactly bothered by him suddenly leaving, as she was aware that he'd be back the following night. It was obvious that he was caught off guard when she decided to mess with him instead of acting serious like she usually would.

I guess I got a bit too unpredictable for him. Bridgette smirked smugly.

''Speaking of which, I wonder where Ladybug and Chat Noir were during the robbery?''

Allegra's question caused Bridgette to snap out of her daydream and suddenly look at her friend. She wasn't the only one whose attention was caught, as Félix, who was busy with reading a book and trying to ignore the conversation that was held behind him, suddenly turned towards Allegra.

''What are you talking about Allegra?'' Sophie asked. Allegra shrugged.

''I'm not suggesting that they had something with the robbery, but they did miss out on apprehending the thief,'' Allegra replied. Bridgette felt a sting of guilt, aware that she should've been more vigilant. Had she returned to that area, maybe she could've apprehended the thief and prevented the robbery.

''Your assumptions make no sense whatsoever,'' Félix suddenly rose his voice, much to everyone's surprise. Sure, he had joined in on their conversations before, but they didn't expect him to make a habit out of it.

''What do you mean, Agreste?'' Claude asked him, crossing his arms. Félix took a sharp breath, well aware that he would regret this and that he should've kept quiet. However, this matter struck a personal chord with him and he wasn't going to let them make false assumptions.

''I'm saying that what you're saying doesn't make sense,'' Félix said, turning around and staring at Claude and then shooting a glare at Allegra. Instead of turning back to his book, he added, ''Given how you just told everyone that the thief had managed to evade detection, wouldn't it be also possible that they had figured out how to avoid Ladybug and Chat Noir? After all, it doesn't appear that either of them is omniscient, so how would they know anything unless they get alerted?''

Allegra frowned, feeling mildly annoyed, but she had to admit that Félix was right. She had no idea what exactly the new superheroes of Paris were capable of, so she couldn't judge them for their oversights.

''I guess…'' Suddenly, the bell rung, forcing Claude, Allan and Allegra to return to their seats, while Sophie sat next to Bridgette, who was staring at Félix.

She was quite perplexed, having not expected that Félix would come to her and Chat Noir's defense, even if he was just trying to make sense of the situation in his own way. She wished that she could thank him in some way, but she knew that this would most likely come at the cost of revealing her own identity as Ladybug. Still, she smiled, feeling glad to have him on her side.

However, as she opened her book, her mind wandered back to the mysterious thief, imagining their shadow looming over her. She wasn't the only one, as Félix, who'd usually diligently pay attention to their teacher, was also occupied with the robbery, aware that this wouldn't be the last conversation he'd hear about it.

Both Bridgette and Félix knew that tonight, they would be hunting down the elusive thief.

xXx

Félix sighed as he open his locker, picking his books up. Admittedly, he was looking forward to the weekend, especially since his uncle, at least according to his assistant Adeline, wouldn't return until Monday from his business trip. As long as he avoided Adeline, who would look after him as usual, he would have a headache-free weekend, not having to listen to Gabriel's complaints about how he lived his own life.

While he had planned to spend most of the day reading, he would also work on gathering more information about Ladybug, especially given the strange feeling he had ever since he started writing his journal. While the fact that Ladybug's favorite colour was rose gold and Bridgette gave him a card with the same aesthetic was probably pure coincidence, Félix had caught himself glancing at his fellow classmate more often than he usually would. That is, whenever Bridgette wouldn't be staring at him.

During his observation, he had noticed that Bridgette and Ladybug had a similar stature and hairstyle, with their long hair being tied into pigtails. Admittedly, Ladybug's hair was longer and slightly darker than Bridgette's, but Félix was aware that the transformation itself probably played a part in it, evident by his own physical changes whenever he became Chat Noir.

As for her focused and independent personality, he himself told Ladybug how he was aware that one could easily change their behavior while wearing a mask. Therefore, it was quite possible for Ladybug to do the same, meaning that the obnoxious, air-headed and love-struck Bridgette…

Félix suddenly closed his eyes and shook his head, not wanting to finish that thought. Admittedly, while it was a logical conclusion to his assumptions, he wasn't sure whether he could handle the idea of his classmate who had a crush on him being his partner. Not to mention, there was always the possibility that Ladybug may have been an entirely different person with a similar appearance to Bridgette. Paris was a big city, after all.

I have to keep an open mind. He sighed. I cannot rush into conclusions, especially since I barely have any solid evidence. Besides, things are working out well for me.

His main plan was to convince Ladybug to kiss him and he knew he'd be able to do that as Chat Noir. There was absolutely no need for him to learn Ladybug's civilian identity. Nevertheless, he did consider that idea.

I guess I could keep it as my back-up plan. Although, if I'm right and it is Bridgette…

''Hey, Félix!''

''Agh!'' Startled by her sudden appearance, Félix lost grip on his briefcase backpack, causing it to fall and the books that were inside it scatter across the floor.

Speak of the Devil…

''Oh, no, I'm so sorry!'' Bridgette crouched down, picking up his books. ''I didn't mean to scare you.''

''I believe that 'startle' is the more appropriate word,'' Félix grumbled irritably, ignoring the look of regret on Bridgette's expression as he picked up his backpack and started to put the books inside it. ''What do you want now?!''

He noticed that she was a little embarassed by what had happened, as well as taken aback by him suddenly snapping at her, but he decided to stand his ground. She couldn't just approach him from behind like that and think that he would be fine with it.

''Would you stop creeping up on me like that?!''

Félix's eyes widened as he heard Ladybug's voice echo in his head and looked down regretfully. He realized that he didn't exactly have the ground to stand on as he did pretty much the same to Ladybug, always surprising her by appearing out of nowhere. Was it really a surprise that she had shown signs of discomfort around him or still kept him on that trial?

''Uh, I…''

''I'm sorry for getting angry and yelling at you,'' Félix suddenly said, surprising Bridgette. She appeared to be genuinely stunned that he actually apologized to her.

''It-It's fine,'' she replied, giving Félix the books she had gathered. ''I mean, I'm also at fault here since I shouldn't have approached you like that. You couldn't have known that I was behind you.''

''I believe that I should've expected that since you're usually never too far,'' Félix told her in a snarky tone. Bridgette gave him an embarrassed look, unsure how to reply to that.

''Uh, well…'' She shook her head and smiled. ''In any case, apology accepted.''

Félix had to note that she had a rather kind and friendly smile, the type that would warm a person's heart and… What am I thinking?! He placed the strap over his shoulder and walked past Bridgette.

''I have to go…'' he muttered as he passed by her, only to feel something tugging his arm as he was about to exit his room.

''Félix, wait!'' Panicking at the thought of Félix leaving before she could ask him something, the actual reason why she was even here, Bridgette had grabbed his arm and pulled him back into the room.

However, before Félix could even get angry at her for doing that or Bridgette having the chance to explain herself, both suddenly heard a loud crash in the hallway right in front of them. Looking up, the stunned duo realized that the source of a crash was a huge canvas that fell right over the spot where Félix was a second earlier. The teen looked down at his ring, noticing that it was shimmering again. Unknown to him, Bridgette's earrings were shimmering as well.

''That was close,'' Bridgette muttered as she and Félix watched the two students who were carrying the canvas that was destined for the art room panic over the possible damage. Félix looked at her incredulously. ''I guess you're lucky that I had pulled you back.''

''Yeah, lucky…'' Félix muttered, unsure what to make out of it.

''Say, Félix, are you free this weekend?'' Bridgette suddenly asked, her ahoge curling into a heart shape, and prompting an internal sigh from Félix. However, before he could refuse, Bridgette quickly added, ''I wanted to tell you before that my family owns a tea shop, Dynastie du Lóng, and if you like tea, you can stop by anytime you want. There is a small café section where you can drink tea in peace.''

''I see,'' Félix muttered. Admittedly, he never heard her out and was surprised that Bridgette's family owned a tea shop. While coffee was his go-to drink during the day, he liked drinking tea while reading a good book. ''However, I doubt that I'll have any peace with you around.''

''Don't worry, I know how to keep my distance,'' Bridgette replied cheerfully, completely ignoring Félix's exasperated look.

The fact that she was still holding his arm didn't help her case.

xXx

Bridgette tapped impatiently with her foot as she tried to focus on her newest commission, that being an anime character someone on the blog she had been running requested. However, she couldn't focus on drawing, as her head was filled with thoughts about the mysterious thief that had eluded her. Frustrated, she suddenly got up, saving the image.

''Bri, are you okay?'' Tikki asked her worriedly.

''No, not really,'' Bridgette replied as she started pacing through her room, the kwami following her. ''At this point, I just want to finally go out and apprehend that thief.''

''Bridgette, you know that there was no way you could've known what would happen,'' Tikki told her.

''Sure, but I'm a superhero, aren't I? I'm supposed to prevent things like this from happening,'' Bridgette replied, feeling rather stressed out. ''It is my responsibility to keep people and their property safe by fighting off troublemakers. This is what I had signed up for when I became Ladybug.'' She lowered her head, feeling a little disheartened as she remembered the conversation with her friends and what Félix had told her. ''Although, it is true that I couldn't have predicted this.'' She then shook her head and did a fist-pump with both of her hands. ''In any case, I will find the culprit! I know that I will!''

''Let's hope that this will be the case,'' Tikki said as she landed on the top of Bridgette's head. The girl then turned to the ladder at the bottom of her bed and climbed up to the hatch above her bed, entering the balcony. There, she crouched down, with Tikki hovering next to her.

''Tikki, transform me!''

One flash of bright red light later, Ladybug took a look at her surroundings and quickly leaped off her balcony, landing on a nearby building and continuing her parkour through the city, aware that Chat Noir would join her eventually. He seemed to have an uncanny ability to track her down, no matter where she was. While it was unnerving, she figured that it may have been part of his powers.

Maybe I should have a conversation with Chat Noir about us having a meeting spot, Ladybug thought as she landed on the roof.

''You appear to be quite restless, LB.''

''Chat Noir!'' Ladybug looked up, seeing Chat Noir leaping off the chimney stack above her and landing next to her. ''I see that you still like to sneak up on me.''

''I'm sorry,'' Chat Noir told her, a look of guilt on his expression. Ladybug was a little surprised that Chat Noir wasn't his usual suave self, but she nodded, only to raise an eyebrow.

''LB?''

''LB, short for Ladybug,'' Chat Noir told her, giving her an awkward smile. ''I tried to come up with a good nickname for you, but I wanted it to be something you'd like. No luck so far, therefore I figured I should just shorten your name, just like how you're calling me Chat.''

''I'm fine with that,'' Ladybug told him, smiling as she saw Chat Noir grinning in satisfaction. ''I do like it better than 'M'lady' or 'Mini Menace'.''

''I'm glad to hear that,'' Chat Noir told her. ''So, I guess you have heard the news.''

Ladybug's eyes narrowed. ''I did, and I don't like the idea that this thief had managed to steal all that jewelry right under our noses.''

''So, we'll be hunting down this mystery thief,'' Chat Noir replied casually. ''I have already expected that. Where should we start?''

''Honestly,… I don't know,'' Ladybug admitted, much to Chat Noir's surprise.

''What?'' he asked, not really believing what he was hearing. He knew that Ladybug was the type of person who wanted to be prepared, who wanted to do everything in her power to take down the perpetrator, even trying to predict their moves.

''Listen, I'm not saying that I don't have some kind of plan, or at least a vague idea of what to do,'' Ladybug added after seeing the look he gave her. ''I want to find this thief, I really do, but this is the same situation as with the Mime. We don't know whether they're going to strike again tonight or some other time. Not to mention, we don't even know whether they're going to rob a jewelry store again.''

''There is a 'but' to it, right?'' Chat Noir asked as Ladybug reached for her compact and opened the top by sliding her finger across it.

''Well, I did print out a map with all of the jewelry stores I could find,'' she said as she took out a map of Paris out of the compact and unfolded it. Chat Noir snorted in amusement.

''That's the Ladybug I know,'' he said as they both looked at the map. Ladybug smiled and looked down at the map.

''Anyways, we're close to the Arc de Triomphe and there are a bunch of stores cluttered not too far from Jardin des Tuileries, so I suggest we go there first,'' she said.

Chat Noir nodded, following her.

xXx

''Something that's been on my mind for a while…'' Chat Noir said as the two landed on the rooftop of a building across the Louvre Museum, with Ladybug looking at him. The two had already checked each and every store they came across, with Ladybug even backtracking at one point in case she missed anything, and were now on their way to their next destination. ''So, am I still on that trial or have I passed?''

''Well…''

Ladybug paused for a moment to think about it. It had only been a couple of days since the trial started and she wanted to take a bit more time to think through everything. Sure, Chat Noir had, for the most part, been on his best behavior and she was surprisingly comfortable around him, but that still didn't mean that she was completely convinced that he wouldn't do something stupid. Not to mention, Chat Noir was giving her that hopeful, kitten-like look that would make anyone's heart melt. She knew that she needed to remain strong.

''We will talk about this once we're done with the patrol,'' she finally said. Chat Noir perked up.

''I can work with that,'' he said, with the two making their way towards Les Halles. ''I do hope that you decided to leave the laser pointer at home, though.''

''What are you talking about?'' Ladybug asked innocently, trying to keep a straight face. It appeared that she wasn't the only one who decided to be wary of her partner tonight. Chat Noir narrowed his eyes, giving her a suspicious look and then sighed as he remembered his conversation with Plagg.

''What was that all about?!''

''That's how the Miraculous works, Kid,'' Plagg replied nonchalantly. ''Sure, you'll get awesome powers like enhanced hearing, night vision and agility, but from time to time, you might also experience cat-like urges as a side-effect.'' He grinned. ''Besides, didn't Ladybug call you cute?''

''It doesn't make things less embarrassing!'' Félix growled.

Chat Noir groaned at the memory, only to hear a chuckle coming from his ring. Rest assured, he wasn't planning on being a superhero for much longer.

Eventually, the two landed on the rooftop of a mall, the stores inside it illuminated by the moonlight that was coming through the skylight. Ladybug walked across it, taking a few moments to rest before they continued with their patrol. As she was about to take out the map again, she had noticed a strange flash of light coming from one of the stores. She crouched down and tried to get a better look at what was going on, only to spot a figure walking towards a closed store.

''LB, what's wrong?'' Chat Noir asked her as he approached her.

''I think that someone's inside the mall despite it being way past closing time,'' Ladybug told him, only for both to get alerted by another flash of light. ''It is possible that it's a security guard, but I have my doubts. I can't really see anything.''

''Then, allow me to take care of that,'' Chat Noir replied as he looked through the skylight. Thanks to his night vision, he saw that the figure below them wasn't in uniform, so the security guard theory was dismissed. Instead, the person appeared to be a woman wearing a costume that made her look like a magician. She held up some kind of stick, pointing it at the store in front of her, with the stick, or rather, wand emitting another flash of light and the woman then entering the store. Chat Noir was stunned when the realization suddenly hit him. ''I believe that we've just found our troublemaker.''

''Really?'' Ladybug was surprised by the revelation, wondering if her good luck charm was partially responsible for this. Nevertheless, she welcomed the opportunity. As Chat Noir nodded in confirmation, she smirked. ''Let's go!''

The duo made their way into the mall, staying hidden in the shadows so they wouldn't alert the intruder. Once they got close to the store, which, unsurprisingly, was a jewelry store, they realized that the woman was actually a teenager around their age and dressed as a stage magician, with a black domino mask covering her face. Her black baton-like wand was tucked inside her belt and she was holding a small, dark blue satin pouch in one hand while grabbing the jewelry with the other.

''Hey, you!'' The thief looked up after hearing a female voice calling her out, seeing an angry girl dressed in a red suit with black polka dots and a rather handsome boy dressed as a cat approaching her.''Put that jewelry back where it belongs!''

''Why should I? I put a lot of hard work into getting here, signorina Polka Dots,'' the thief replied in a mocking tone, which was accompanied by an Italian accent. She then stepped out of the store, tying the pouch to the belt and reaching for her wand. ''What is even up with those costumes? It's not Halloween.''

''For your information, the name is Ladybug and I am the new hero that protects Paris,'' Ladybug replied aggressively.

''And I'm just the charming Chat Noir, here to protect M'lady,'' Chat Noir replied, earning an exasperated look from Ladybug and realizing a moment later his slip up. In his defense, 'LB' didn't sound as poetical as 'M'lady'.

''I see, la Coccinella e il Gatto Nero; not really impressive names,'' the thief said in a dismissive tone, with both Ladybug and Chat Noir glaring at her. ''It is quite unfortunate that you don't know me, but I guess I haven't made a name for myself yet – I'm known as Phantom Thief Belladonna.''

''You won't have time to even make a name for yourself, Belladonna, since we'll be handing you over to the police,'' Ladybug told her. Belladonna smirked confidently.

''Oh, really? I don't think so,'' she replied.

Ladybug charged at her, but Belladonna held up her wand with a flick of her wrist. The tip of the wand started to glow, causing a strong gust of wind to be blasted in Ladybug's direction and throwing her backwards. She landed hard on the floor, gritting her teeth as she tried to get up.

''Ladybug!'' Chat Noir glanced at her to make sure that she was okay. He then infused his claws with dark energy, charging at Belladonna.

She held up her wand diagonally, creating a shimmering barrier that blocked Chat Noir's attack. Sparks flew between his claws and the barrier as he pushed back, only for Belladonna to snap her fingers. A lavender tile appeared below Chat Noir and he found himself flying back, as if he had stepped on a springboard. However, instead of hitting the floor, he managed to do a backwards handstand followed by a somersault, and landing on his feet.

''Nice, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve, Gattino!'' Belladonna swung her wand towards them, with flames erupting from the tip. Luckily for Chat Noir, Ladybug blocked them with her compact-turned-shield.

''Hey, are you trying to burn down the building or what?!'' she yelled at Belladonna angrily.

''No, I was hoping I'd be able to burn tu piccolo insetto!'' Belladonna replied. ''Although, I admit that you two were the first ones to ever make this a challenge.''

''This battle is far from over!'' Ladybug replied. She was well aware that they needed to be careful around Belladonna, as they had no idea what else she was capable of. We cannot get too close to her unless we want to get caught in one of her attacks. We need to restrain her. She glanced at Chat Noir as she turned her shield back into a yo-yo. He caught her gaze and paused for a moment before nodding, making it clear that he understood her non-verbal message.

''Black Hole!'' Chat Noir pressed his hands against the floor, creating a black hole beneath Belladonna, catching her off guard and trapping her.

''What is this?'' she cried out in surprise as she almost lost her balance. Growling, she turned towards the duo and pointed her wand at them.

''No, you won't!'' Ladybug threw her yo-yo at her, wrapping it around Belladonna and preventing her from moving her arms. The Phantom Thief glared at both.

''It seems like we have finally apprehended her, LB,'' Chat Noir said, a tone of satisfaction in his voice. He leaned over to Ladybug, smirking. ''That sort of triumph does merit a kiss, doesn't it?''

However, just as he leaned forward, he was stopped by Ladybug pushing her hand against his face.

''Not a chance, Chat,'' Ladybug replied, feeling a little annoyed by her partner's advances. Chat Noir's ears lowered in disappointment, with the duo suddenly looking up after hearing a snort of amusement.

''Tsk, is that how you treat your partner, signorina Polka Dots?'' Belladonna asked her, with Ladybug frowning. ''Poor Gattino is just seeking validation, but you just had to shut him down in such a cold-hearted manner. You're so insensibile.''

''Oh, shut up,'' Ladybug grumbled. ''You have no leg to stand on, you criminal.''

''Ah, thanks for the compliment,'' Belladonna replied, grinning. ''It is too bad that we cannot continue this game any longer.''

''What?'' Ladybug's eyes widened as she saw a flash of lavender light coming from the wand Belladonna was still holding. She suddenly cried out in pain as she felt an electric shock charge from her fingertips through her entire body, forcing her to let go of her yo-yo.

''Ladybug!'' Chat Noir's eyes widened, but before he could help Ladybug, who had fallen on her knees, he was suddenly hit by a lavender energy ring that restrained his arms. ''What the-'' He turned his head towards Belladonna, who had managed to untangle herself from the yo-yo and used her wand to hover above the black hole, which then disappeared.

''Now, this is much better,'' Belladonna said as another lavender energy ring formed on the tip of her wand. With a flick of her wrist, she sent it flying at Ladybug, restraining her just as she attempted feebly to get up, her body still half-paralyzed from the electric shock. ''Let's see; what should I do with you, signorina Polka Dots?''

''You could stop calling me 'signorina Polka Dots' for starters,'' Ladybug replied through her gritted teeth. Her whole body ached and she was barely able to move.

''Hmm… I don't think so,'' Belladonna replied mischievously and pointed her wand at Ladybug's yo-yo. It suddenly flew up, wrapping around the energy ring that restrained Ladybug and hoisting her up in the air, with a small energy orb holding the other end of the string.

Ladybug felt her heart racing and her cheeks turning red as a sense of humiliation washed over her.

''Let me go!'' she attempted to free herself, but all she did was to swing in random directions. Belladonna simply laughed at her.

''Incredibile, semplicemente fantastico!'' she said between a fit of giggles. Ladybug shot her a glare. If looks could kill, Belladonna would've been dead on the spot. ''I'm looking forward to seeing you again, Coccinella.''

Ladybug remained silent, with Belladonna shrugging and turning towards Chat Noir, whom she pushed back, causing him to trip and fall down. The black cat superhero stared nervously at the Phantom Thief as she leaned closer to him.

''You, on the other hand, Gattino, don't have to deal with signorina Polka Dots,'' she told him.

''Wh-what?'' Chat Noir felt the anxiety inside him skyrocketing due to Belladonna being not only uncomfortably close to him, but also having a rather sinister smile spread on her lips.

''You're such un bel gattino nero, I'm sure we could work this out,'' Belladonna said, winking at him.

Both Ladybug and Chat Noir stared at her in stunned silence, their jaws dropped. Was Belladonna flirting with him?!

''Of course, you might need some time to realize just how bad signorina Polka Dots is for you,'' Belladonna added, glaring at Ladybug. ''If you start abusing him again, I'll get you!'' She then blew a kiss at Chat Noir, who blushed. ''Ciao!''

With that said, she walked away, leaving the shocked Ladybug and Chat Noir as they tried to comprehend what just had happened. Eventually, Ladybug broke the silence once she came back to her senses.

''What the hell was that?! Who does she think she is?!'' Feeling a sudden burst of adrenaline, she started to trash around furiously.

''I don't think there's much we can do, Ladybug,'' Chat Noir said, shuddering at the memory of Belladonna flirting with him and asking him to join her. Their defeat was already humiliating enough, but it seemed that Belladonna had to lay down an extra layer just to make them feel even worse.

''She is going to pay for this, mark my words!'' Ladybug told him.

''Of course she will,'' Chat Noir replied half-heartedly.

He had to admit that, unlike Ladybug, who was literally screaming for vengeance, he wasn't looking forward to meeting Belladonna again.