I apologize for the delays, I got really busy with some real life stuff and then my keyboard broke. It seems like I have as much luck as Félix does. -.-''

In any case, I hope you'll enjoy the chapter!


Entry 13

Reflection

''The silent city is filled with swaying; even the signposts seem like illusions. The sky that cannot be reached even if one yearns or calls out for it; embraces everything and becomes stained. If one strains one's ear toward the sky that divides the world in half, (Brave New World) an inviting voice will resound. When you look up at the sky that divides the world, (Brave New World) the dramatic play begins.''

– Subarashiki Shin Sekai (Wonderful New World) by Namco x Capcom

xXxXxXx

''Bridgette, how do you feel? Are you okay?'' Tikki asked, flying out of her hiding spot once she was sure that Chat Noir was gone. She was worried that the black cat superhero might try something, perhaps attempt to manipulate Bridgette while she was emotionally at her lowest, but it appeared that Bridgette had everything under control.

''Yeah, I am. As a matter of fact, I feel great!'' Bridgette gave the kwami a smile of satisfaction. She then fist-pumped with both of her hands. ''Anyways, it's time for me to go on a patrol, isn't it?''

''Whether you go on a patrol or not is your decision,'' Tikki reminded her. Bridgette merely gave her a pointed look, her answer clear. Tikki shrugged. ''Speaking of which, what are you planning to do with Chat Noir?''

''You'll see,'' Bridgette replied casually, looking around to make sure she was completely alone. Once done, she brushed over the earrings with her hand. ''Tikki, transform me!''

She tilted her head slightly to the side, with Tikki getting absorbed into the Ladybug Earrings. Sparkly orbs of red light were emitted from the earrings, completely enveloping Bridgette. The red suit materialized across her body and she stepped out of the bright red light as Ladybug.

''Duty calls,'' she said, jumping over her balcony and onto the nearest building, curious about how this night is going to turn out.

xXx

Chat Noir was sitting on one of the metallic beams on the Eiffel Tower, waiting patiently for Ladybug's arrival. He was a little surprised that Ladybug wasn't waiting for him, as she was the one more committed to her work as a superhero and would usually arrive at their meeting spot earlier. He was left wondering whether he was too late and she had already left or whether she had been distracted by something or someone.

Maybe something happened and I'm missing out on the action.

Despite that possibility, Chat Noir shook his head, deciding to remain until Ladybug had arrived. He wanted to show that he was taking their agreement seriously. Still, he also thought about them finding a way to communicate over long distances. He couldn't exactly give her his phone number, but having a chat app that allows them to remain anonymous while communicating might work.

Deciding to leave these kinds of thoughts for later, he focused on his conversation with Bridgette instead. Admittedly, all he wanted was to learn why Bridgette liked him so much, but to his surprise, he found himself learning more about her and about himself. While he didn't have all the answers he needed, it was still more that he had hoped for.

The conversation helped him understand that Bridgette certainly wasn't the crazy fangirl he had imagined her to be, one who'd have shallow reasons to be attracted to him. Instead, all she desired was his friendship, even correctly guessing that there was indeed more to him than he had shown. He noted that she appeared to be quite perceptive, her suggestions and assumptions intriguing him. He even had to admit that he found himself wishing he could talk to her like that as a civilian, without the constant anxiety, worry and paranoia that she might suddenly turn into a full-blown stalker.

''I think I've read too many mystery novels,'' Chat Noir muttered to himself, shaking his head.

''Still, it doesn't mean that your own life will end up like a mystery novel,'' Plagg's voice came from the Ring of the Black Cat. He knew well what was troubling his holder and he was going to support him no matter what. In a way, he felt obligated to protect Félix in return for him having to deal with the bad luck curse.

''I hope it won't,'' Chat Noir said, pausing for a moment, then snorted. ''Well, in a way, it is.'' A look of determination formed on his expression. ''Nevertheless, I'm not going to let it haunt me.'' Then, he sighed, his eye-lids lowering. ''Although, I guess I still have more to learn, don't I? I thought I was close to the end of my quest, but I'm not even at the half-way point.''

''You mean, your relationship with Ladybug, right?'' Plagg asked.

''It's not just Ladybug,'' Chat Noir replied, his tail swishing. ''There's also Bridgette,'' he frowned, ''…and Uncle Gabriel.''

''Ah, yeah… The old man who expect you to be his perfect little heir, even at the cost of your own sanity,'' Plagg said sarcastically. Chat Noir could imagine the kwami smirking as he continued, ''You were really in need for some chaos in your life.''

''I hate to admit it, but you're right,'' Chat Noir said, grinning mischievously. ''So, how about spreading a little chaos?''

''I'm all for it!'' Plagg replied excitedly.

''I hope the chaos you're talking about isn't something you're going to regret later.''

Chat Noir turned around, his ears turned upwards and his tail flicking due to him being startled by a familiar voice. He realized that he was lost too deep in his own thoughts to even sense Ladybug's presence. She was standing behind him, her arms crossed, giving her partner a sceptic look. Chat Noir quickly got up, grinning nervously.

''I actually meant getting into some harmless mischief,'' he explained sheepishly. ''Still, if it bothers you, I won't do anything.''

Ladybug stared at him for a moment, then sighed. ''Do whatever you want, but don't make a mess I will have to clean up later,'' she told Chat Noir, facing away from him. ''Let's go now; we still have a patrol to complete.''

Chat Noir followed her, albeit feeling a bit reluctant. He wasn't sure whether she was still angry at him for his sudden confession and he didn't want to test her temper. Nevertheless, he wanted to ask her if she was okay. She appeared to be fine with his presence, but he wanted to know whether he still had a chance with her, whether he could fix their relationship. Any kind of answer was better than no answer.

''Ladybug…'' he rose his voice as they landed on a building, but Ladybug didn't react, observing the streets below her instead. Chat Noir took a deep breath, feeling his heartbeat slowly go up. ''Hey, Ladybug,'' he said, this time louder.

This time, Ladybug turned her head to him, her gaze blank for a moment as she focused on him. Chat Noir wondered whether she was spacing out. ''I'm sorry, I was just thinking about something. What did you want to tell me?''

''I…'' Chat Noir started, biting his lip, ''I wanted to apologize for my behavior from last night and for making things awkward between us.''

Ladybug crossed her arms, her eyes narrowed, making Chat Noir only feel more nervous. What he didn't know was that Ladybug, or rather, Bridgette, has already gotten over his confession from the previous night due to being too focused on her own attempts of avoiding Félix and, to an extension, her own emotions. Still, that didn't mean that she wouldn't make him sweat a little, even if it was mostly because she had to make sure he wouldn't figure out that she knew that he was completely honest in his apology.

''It's fine,'' she said after an agonizingly long moment of silence. Chat Noir perked up, his eyes glistening with hope. ''I just want to move on without being reminded much of what had happened.''

''Oh, I understand… I'm sorry,'' Chat Noir muttered, his ears lowering as he gave her a look of guilt. There was another pause, with Ladybug figuring that this was the end of their conversation, only for Chat Noir to speak up again. ''You had told me that you had a bad day. Do you want to talk about it?''

Ladybug gave him a look of genuine surprise, having not expected him to suddenly ask her about what was bothering her. She wasn't sure how to answer, being worried that she might accidentally say something that would reveal her identity. Not to mention, they had already talked about her issues, even if Chat Noir didn't know that. While she knew that Chat Noir wanted her to trust him, it was still something she couldn't talk about.

''I, well…'' Ladybug said slowly, only to shake her head. ''I don't really want to talk about it. It's something I've been dealing with as a civilian.''

''I see… I'm sorry for prying into private matters,'' Chat Noir muttered, unsure how to continue the conversation. To his surprise, Ladybug smiled warmly.

''It's fine,'' she told him in a comforting tone, with Chat Noir sighing inwardly in relief, since it was clear that Ladybug wasn't angry anymore at him. ''I know it sounds weird, but I'm glad that you worry about me.''

''Well, why shouldn't I?'' While Chat Noir was a little confused by her statement, he quickly turned up the charm. ''I'm your partner, after all. Putting your comfort above mine should be my top priority.'' He gave her a sheepish look. ''Although, I guess I really should put more effort into upholding that promise.''

''Yeah, you should,'' Ladybug added in a sarcastic tone, then added, ''Still, we all make mistakes. No one is perfect.''

''True and therefore, we should focus on our work,'' Chat Noir said enthusiastically. Ladybug rose an eyebrow, pleasantly surprised when the black cat superhero took the initiative.

She followed him across the rooftops, finding herself more and more thinking about her relationship with Chat Noir. Despite their rocky start, she found herself growing more and more fond of him. Sure, she did dislike his flirty nature, but at the same time, she had a soft spot for him. He was hopelessly devoted to her and nothing she said or did was going to change that.

As much as I wanted to be a hero on my own, I can't imagine working without Chat Noir by my side. Ladybug smiled as she easily leaped over a chimney stack. After everything, I just can't stay mad at him.

''It seems like we both spent our time reflecting on the recent events,'' Ladybug said as they landed on another rooftop.

''Admittedly, I had some help with that,'' Chat Noir replied, with Ladybug giving him a curious look, already having an idea what he was talking about. Still, with a nod, she encouraged him to continue talking. ''I came across that girl, Bridgette. I heard that you would pass by her house before meeting up with me.''

''Yeah, I do,'' Ladybug replied casually, being quite happy that she managed to come up with that lie in order to cover her identity. ''I assume that you two had a conversation.''

''We did, and honestly, I wish I had talked to her earlier,'' Chat Noir said, noting to himself that this wasn't a lie. ''It really helped me out a lot. I had even figured I could visit her some time again.''

''If you don't mind telling me, what were you two talking about?'' Ladybug asked curiously. Chat Noir paused for a moment, then tilted his head, gazing at her. It appeared that he was unsure whether to tell her everything, but he then relented.

''We've been talking about the people who…'' he paused, wondering how to formulate the sentence, ''…who mean a lot to us.''

''Really?'' Ladybug rose an eyebrow. She had been wondering where this conversation would go.

''Yeah…'' Chat Noir replied, sighing. ''I don't really know how much I can tell you, but Bridgette got her heart broken by a jerk she had a crush on.''

''Why are you even calling him a jerk?'' Ladybug asked, earning a confused look from Chat Noir. ''Maybe she was bothering him in some way and he turned her down because she was really annoying.''

''I think it was more because he didn't understand her nor her true intentions. It's not like she wanted to hurt him,'' Chat Noir said thoughtfully. Ladybug sighed.

''Well, whatever it was, we can't really help her,'' she said, shrugging. ''I mean, my superpowers are tied to good luck, not Cupid's arrow.''

''You're right,'' Chat Noir replied, then smirked slyly. You can't do anything, but I can.

''What's up with the smile?'' Ladybug asked, rising an eyebrow. Chat Noir gave her a panicked look, holding his hands up in a defensive manner and waving with them.

''N-Nothing…'' he said quickly, then added in a calmer, regretful tone, ''Aside from that, even though you told me that you're fine earlier, I understand why you dislike me so much.''

''What do you mean?'' Ladybug asked, even though she already knew what he was talking about. A part of her wanted to keep the conversation going; she wanted to hear what Chat Noir had to tell her.

''Basically, I behaved like a complete jerkass,'' Chat Noir replied, sighing and rubbing his temple. ''I should've been more mindful of your own feelings instead of focusing on my own selfish desires.''

''I see,'' Ladybug muttered, adding awkwardly, ''To be honest, I was kind of wondering whether I was too harsh towards you. After all, I should know how to separate my civilian self from Ladybug.''

''I don't really think that we can completely separate ourselves from our civilian identities, no matter how hard we try,'' Chat Noir said in a sympathetic tone.

''I guess you're right,'' Ladybug replied, then added in a more relaxed tone, ''Also, you're off the hook for what happened last night, so don't worry about having to walk on eggshells around me.''

''Thank you, Ladybug!'' Chat Noir said in an excited tone, even extending his arms to go for a hug, only to suddenly step back, clearing his throat. ''I guess we should continue with the patrol.''

''Nice catch, Chat,'' Ladybug responded, with her partner giving her a sheepish look.

The two then continued with their nightly patrol, eventually hearing faint music that grew louder as they got closer to Jardin des Tuileries. They saw a crowd standing in front of the stage, dancing and singing to the music.

''Oh, right, the concert,'' Ladybug said, sounding a little disappointed. Her sour mood didn't go unnoticed.

''Don't tell me that you were supposed to go to the concert,'' Chat Noir said, sounding a bit suspicious. Ladybug just shrugged, trying to give him a nonchalant look.

''I actually wanted to go there with my friends, but I couldn't get the tickets,'' she lied. Admittedly, it was more a lie based on the truth. ''However, I guess it's better this way. After all, I would have to sneak out in the middle of the concert to go on the patrol.''

''You know, you have me,'' Chat Noir said, with Ladybug giving him a questioning look. ''I mean, if you want to relax once in a while, just tell me and I'll take over the patrol.''

''That really sweet of you Chat,'' Ladybug said, smiling warmly. Her smile made Chat Noir's heart flutter.

''Actually, we could go to the concert,'' Chat Noir suddenly suggested.

''What?'' Ladybug stared at him incredulously.

''Just to make things clear, I didn't mean it us going on a date or something,'' Chat Noir quickly added, hoping to save himself from Ladybug's wrath. He sweatdropped when she gave him a look that made it obvious that she didn't believe him. ''I simply thought that you might want to attend it now that you're here. It would be easy for us to find good spots if we use our powers.''

''Maybe, but that would be a selfish use of our powers and I can't do that.'' Ladybug shook her head, only to see Chat Noir giving her a pointed look. ''Listen, I didn't mean for it to sound like I'm not allowing myself to have some fun when nothing is going on. The issue is that the moment I use my good luck charm for selfish purposes, I end up getting punished with misfortune.''

''Really?'' Chat Noir was surprised, with Ladybug nodding. ''To be honest, it is the opposite for me. I can use my bad luck curse for selfish purposes and I will get good fortune in return. However, the people around me will experience bad luck in return.'' He then turned towards the edge of the building, sitting down on the rooftop observing the crowd in the distance below. ''Although, I usually use it only when I feel that I have no other choice. I don't want other people to experience what I have to go through every day.'' His ears lowered as he felt a sting of guilt, remembering Bridgette's look of disappointment. ''Still, I'm pretty sure someone got hurt because of me.''

''Chat…'' Chat Noir turned to Ladybug, who sat next to him, giving him a sympathetic look. She was a lot closer to him than he had expected. ''You know, despite acting chaotic at times, you really are a kind person and I wish I could help you somehow.''

''I, well…'' Chat Noir had to bite his tongue in order not to tell her that she could help him by kissing him. He simply didn't want to use her compassion to his advantage, aware that it would be a rather scummy thing to do, especially after earning her compassion. ''It's something I have to deal with by myself.''

''Okay. If there's something you want to talk about, I'll be there for you,'' Ladybug added. Instead of standing up and telling him that they needed to leave and continue with the patrol, she turned her attention to the crowd. ''It is quite nice isn't it?''

''Yeah…'' Chat Noir was rather tempted to put his arm around Ladybug's shoulders or waist and just pull her closer to him. However, while romantic, it would've been the wrong thing to do. At this point, while he saw all the cards he had and all the moves he could do, he knew that using the most obvious move would cost him dearly. If he wanted to succeed, he needed to play the long game. The correct thing to do here was to leave Ladybug blissfully unaware of his agony.

Then, Ladybug leaned her head against his shoulder.

Chat Noir's heartbeat skyrocket, leaving him completely stunned. His mind was blank, having no idea what to do or how to react. He tried to appear calm on the outside, but inside, he was completely freaking out. While he expected her to forgive him and move on, he didn't expect her to suddenly get this close to him. Was this some kind of test? He knew that there was no way that Ladybug was this ignorant about the implications and his reaction. He didn't move a muscle.

''Honestly, I do like the idea of us just hanging out together when there aren't any villains to fight against,'' Ladybug added, looking up at him and smiling innocently. Chat Noir smiled back, but he was still panicking.

What should I do?! How could she be this comfortable being so close to me?!

''Chat, are you okay?'' Ladybug asked worriedly.

''Y-Yeah, I'm fine,'' Chat Noir responded quickly, with Ladybug giving him a knowing look. The former just sighed, feeling that Ladybug was just messing with his head. Admittedly, he had it coming. Not that he didn't deserve it and the fact that she was happy and content made him relax a little. He also had to admit that he was stunned by Ladybug's cheekiness, especially since she was usually the no-nonsense superhero. In the end, he just decided to resign himself to his fate.

On the other hand, Ladybug was secretly enjoying herself. Sure, making Chat Noir uncomfortable for her own amusement was quite a jerkass move, but she wanted to show him that two can play this game, especially since he was the one who started it by making her feel uncomfortable. Not to mention, Ladybug had to admit that he could be quite adorable when he got flustered.

Maybe this evening didn't start out well, but I'm not complaining about its development.

xXx

Allan, Allegra, Claude and Sophie were standing close to the front of the stage, having the time of their life. Sophie had also her smartphone out, having decided to record the entire evening for Bridgette so she could show her friend what she had missed.

''It's really a shame that Bri couldn't join us,'' Sophie said as loudly as possible to her friends through the roaring music. Allan and Allegra just shrugged, while Claude adopted a thoughtful look.

''I had actually thought about staying with her,'' he admitted. ''Honestly, it's just so stupid that her tickets fell into the Seine and that's why she couldn't come along.''

''I don't really think that there is anything that could be done,'' Allan noted. ''Besides, she did say that we shouldn't worry about her.''

''The only issue I have is that that sentence is precisely the reason why I worry so much about her,'' Claude replied. Being Bridgette's oldest friend, it was only natural for him to pick up on things Allan, Allegra and Sophie might not notice. Still, all four of them cared equally about her.

''Huh? Hey, what's going on there?'' Allegra suddenly said, pointing at the night sky. Claude, Allan and Sophie looked up, stunned to see more and more pigeons gathering above the crowd. Even the people around them started to look up, paying more attention to the phenomenon than to the concert, all of them wondering what was going on. Eventually, Corinne and her bandmates stopped playing, being captivated by the weirdness of it.

Then, the pigeons attacked.

''Run!''

Someone screamed, with the crowd dispersing as they tried to avoid the oncoming assault. Unfortunately for them, the flock of pigeons just kept attacking. Allan had split off from his friends during the chaos, searching for his sister, while Allegra, Sophie and Claude hid behind the stage, shielding their heads from the birds.

''What the hell is going on?!'' Allegra screamed in frustration, alerting several of the pigeons to her and her friends' hiding spot. Sophie and Claude shot her a glare and the three quickly got up and ran for their lives, trying to find a spot under the trees to hide from the pigeons. Unfortunately for Allegra, she had tripped over, hitting the ground hard.

''Allegra!'' Sophie yelled, her and Claude looking back at their fallen friend, both frozen on the spot as they saw a massive flock flying towards them. Allegra turned her head back, gasping in panic as she saw the flock closing in.

''Black Storm!''

Allegra saw a blast of dark energy being sent towards the flock of pigeons, who quickly scattered around in panic. She got up, facing her saviour, and smiled.

''Thank you, Chat Noir!'' she said breathlessly.

''It's all part of a hero's work,'' Chat Noir replied, gesturing behind him. ''However, you should better leave and find a safe place until we're done with this.''

Allegra nodded, but just as she was about to join Sophie and Claude, another flock of pigeons came flying towards her. Fortunately for her, Chat Noir took care of them by firing a disc of dark energy at them. Allegra took the opportunity to rejoin Sophie and Claude. While most of the visitors had ran away to a safe place, these three were still a bit reluctant to completely leave the park, as they needed to find Allan and Corinne.

''That was close,'' Sophie commented when they took shelter behind some trees and looked around, Claude having his smartphone out. ''Where the hell is Allan?''

''He says he and Corinne are hiding behind some bushes on the other side,'' Claude replied. ''He doesn't believe they'll be able to get out without getting attacked.''

''Just great…'' Sophie muttered sarcastically.

The three turned their attention towards Chat Noir, who was defending himself from the pigeons by launching dark energy discs at them, as well as skillfully dodging any oncoming attacks. However, several of them attacked him from behind, only to swerve quickly when a red and black yo-yo flew through the formation. As Ladybug arrived, she started spinning her yo-yo at ridiculous speeds, creating a shield between herself and the pigeons, quickly switching between hitting the birds and keeping her defense up as she joined Chat Noir.

''Any trace of Pigeon Guy?'' Chat Noir asked. The moment he and Ladybug saw the pigeons flocking above the concert, they knew who was behind it and instantly jumped into action. While Ladybug was helping people getting out of the park, Chat Noir made himself a target for the pigeons.

''No,'' Ladybug replied, using her yo-yo to swat away another pigeon. ''However, I have no doubt he'll show himself. Fortunately, everyone made it out of the park.''

''Well, almost everyone,'' Chat Noir replied, glancing at where Sophie, Claude and Allegra were hiding. Ladybug's jaw dropped when she saw her friends staring back at her, but she quickly focused back on the fight, switching from her yo-yo to her shield and hitting the pigeons with it.

Are they crazy?! They need to get out of here!... And where is Allan?!

''We need to get done with this battle as soon as possible,'' Ladybug said. ''The last thing we need is innocent people getting injured.''

''I completely agree with you,'' Chat Noir smirked, his ring being charged up with dark power. ''Black Hole!''

He held his hands up, forming a black hole above himself and Ladybug, which the pigeons avoided. Ladybug took the opportunity to turn her shield into bug wings and ran out of the shelter Chat Noir had formed, jumping into the air and flying away, with the pigeons following her. Meanwhile, Chat Noir ran over to Sophie, Claude and Allegra, who were still hiding beneath the tree.

''You need to get out of here!'' he told them firmly.

''We can't!'' Claude replied. ''Our friend and his sister are still somewhere here. They said they were hiding behind some bushes.''

''I'll take care of the-'' Before Chat Noir could finish his sentence, his senses kicked into overdrive as he realized something was behind him and quickly turned around, holding up his claws infused with dark energy just as Monsieur Pigeon hit him with a ball of pigeons that had gathered around his arm like some kind of weight. Chat Noir flew backwards, hitting the ground hard.

''Ah, sweet revenge!'' Monsieur Pigeon laughed mirthfully, while Chat Noir glared at him, trying to get up. ''Do you really think a cat like you can overpower an army of pigeons?''

''Actually, I don't have to overpower them,'' Chat Noir said, smirking. ''I just need to be smarter than you.''

''What?!'' Monsieur Pigeon was confused, only to suddenly hear the flapping of countless wings and turning around, his buggy eyes widening when he saw Ladybug flying towards him, followed by the pigeons that had targeted her earlier.

''Chat, now!'' Ladybug yelled, her and Chat Noir locking eyes.

''Black Storm!'' He fired a disc of dark energy at the flock of pigeons that were carrying Monsieur Pigeon. In an attempt to avoid it, the pigeons flew up, only to be met with Ladybug, who dodged them, flying under them. Monsieur Pigeon turned around, freaking out when he saw the imminent collision with the second flock.

''N-No no no no no!'' He waved his arms in panic. The pigeons that had followed Ladybug flew right into the flock that was carrying him, some of the birds colliding and falling down. Monsieur Pigeon lost footing too, only to feel someone grab his arms and looked up, gulping at the sight of a furious Ladybug.

''What the hell was this all about?!'' she yelled at him as he flailed some 10 meters above ground, with Ladybug slowly flying higher and higher. The pigeons that had managed to recover didn't dare to attack her, while on the ground level, Allan and Corinne had managed to get away from their hiding spot and join Sophie, Claude and Allegra, with Chat Noir standing in front of them protectively. However, he knew that Ladybug had everything under control.

''I-I was just trying to get out on the open!'' Monsieur Pigeon replied in panic, staring at the ground, which was growing more distant. Sure, he had no fear of heights, but only when he was the one in control. Currently, he was at Ladybug's mercy.

''That is still no excuse for what you've done!'' Ladybug replied angrily. Admittedly, she had no idea that she'd be strong enough to carry a grown man and she felt quite satisfied seeing the troublemaker getting his comeuppance. It felt kind of ironic.

''Well, it was Papillon's order… Or at least how I interpreted it…'' Monsieur Pigeon suddenly shut his mouth close, realizing he said too much. Ladybug was shocked.

''Papillon?'' she repeated, completely stunned. Her eyes narrowed. ''Wait, you work for someone?!''

''Ah, I'm not saying anything!''

Monsieur Pigeon yelled and started flailing again, with Ladybug barely holding onto him, letting go of one of his arms. Monsieur Pigeon grabbed a bird whistle out of his pocket and blew it, emitting a high-pitched noise that caused the pigeons to get erratic. They started to fly at Ladybug, who attempted to dodge them while still holding onto Monsieur Pigeon. However, the pigeons surrounded her, starting to peck and scratch her, forcing her to let go of the villain in order to protect herself. A huge flock formed below Monsieur Pigeon, catching him before he could hit the ground and flew up at Ladybug's level, who tried to swat them away.

''Now, I'm the one who has the upper hand!'' Monsieur Pigeon laughed, only to hear a faint whistle noise and lose his balance when the flock suddenly moved upwards due to Chat Noir sending another disc of dark energy flying towards them. Ladybug, who had managed to free herself from the birds that had been attacking her, landed on the ground. After regaining his balance, Monsieur Pigeon looked over, growling. ''Not fair! You aren't supposed to attack me while I'm gloating!''

''I don't care!'' Chat Noir yelled back, earning a glare and an annoyed groan from the villain. He then glanced at Ladybug. ''Are you okay?''

''Yeah,'' she nodded. ''Let's take care of him!''

''I'm right behind you,'' Chat Noir replied.

A pair of black energy discs formed in his hands and he fired them at Monsieur Pigeon, who managed to dodge them and turned towards them, wondering what they were up to, only to be suddenly sucker punched by Ladybug, who flew up right in front of him. She managed to land another kick in his gut, while Chat Noir almost caused the flock to scatter again by firing another dark energy disc. Monsieur Pigeon realized that he was in trouble.

''This is not the last time you're going to see me!'' he yelled, holding his hands up and pointing them at Ladybug and Chat Noir in a half-circle motion, while blowing his bird whistle. The pigeons started to fly up and towards Ladybug, who backed away barely able to see anything due to the mess of feathers, beaks and talons. She quickly landed on the ground, joined by Chat Noir, but as they looked up, Monsieur Pigeon was already gone.

''Damn it,'' Chat Noir cursed. Ladybug just sighed, taking off her wings and turning them back into a compact.

''We'll deal with him another time,'' she said.

''Ladybug! Chat Noir!'' The two turned around, only to be joined by Sophie, Allegra, Claude, Allan and Corinne.

''I'm sorry about the concert,'' Ladybug told Corinne, who shook her head.

''It's fine,'' she said. ''I should be thanking you two for saving us,'' she replied.

''Yeah, thanks a lot you two,'' Allan added, grinning.

''Honestly, that was amazing! You two were absolutely fearless!'' Sophie said excitedly. ''Hell, I wouldn't want ever have to be involved in a fight against so many birds.''

''I absolutely agree,'' Claude added. ''That was awesome.''

''It was nothing,'' Chat Noir told the two. Admittedly, he felt a little weirded out being praised by Bridgette's friends – the same people who didn't really have a high opinion of his civilian self and would call him the Ice Prince.

''I wouldn't say it was nothing,'' Allegra replied, looking at Chat Noir and Ladybug. ''Thanks again for saving me and my friends.''

''As Chat said, it was nothing. Saving people is a part of our job and we wanted to let you know that you're safe as long as we're around,'' Ladybug told her. Allegra nodded, with Ladybug turning her attention to Chat Noir. ''We should go now.''

''Yeah,'' Chat Noir nodded and followed her, glancing briefly back to see Bridgette's friends waving at them and saying their goodbyes, with sirens being heard in the distance. However, before the authorities could arrive on the crime scene, he and Ladybug were already on the rooftops. Ladybug leaned against a wall, sighing tiredly.

''Man, this guy is such a nuisance,'' she said, glancing at Chat Noir. ''Although, he did reveal something important. He said someone called Papillon had ordered him to attack us.''

''You mean a butterfly?'' Chat Noir rose an eyebrow. Ladybug shook her head.

''No, I mean that Papillon is how his boss calls himself, something like a codename,'' she replied.

''I see…'' Chat Noir's eyes narrowed as he paused for a moment. ''It is possible that this Papillon is also the boss of the Mime. After all, you did mention how he seemed to be testing us in our past battles.''

''What about Belladonna?'' Ladybug asked. Chat Noir shook his head.

''I don't recall any mention about Papillon in my research about her, so she's probably an independent villain,'' he said.

''I'm not sure whether that's good news or bad news,'' Ladybug said dryly. ''In any case, I don't understand why Papillon would want to get rid of us.''

''Well, if he's indeed the boss of Monsieur Pigeon and the Mime, then heroes like us are probably standing in his way,'' Chat Noir suggested, quickly adding in a serious tone, ''Even though we have no idea what he is planning to do.''

''I guess we'll have to remain vigilant,'' Ladybug said, with Chat Noir nodding.

Just when it seemed like they knew what was going on, they found themselves surrounded by questions.