Sorry for delay on this next chapter. Family functions kept me busy for a fair few days, and it really slowed me down. But I'm starting to catch up and have ideas for the next two chapters in this first 13 episodes, so I'm hoping to have those both done pretty quick.

As for this chapter, it starts out with pretty heavy fluff and then, as always, an Akuma attacks. Who, what, why, and all that jazz, you'll have to find out yourself. At the moment, however, it seems that poor Marinette isn't getting enough sleep.

Marinette smiled as she watched her three children playing with each other and their pet hamster, laughing and shouting and running across the living room floor. A pair of strong hands wrapped around her waist and spun her around into a familiar chest, and she looked up to see messy blonde hair and gorgeous green eyes smiling back at her. "Hey," she whispered to her husband with a blush, and he leaned closer with a mischievous gleam. "Marinette."

"Yes, mon Cherie?"

"Wake up."

Marinette blinked as suddenly his voice became very un-Adrien-like. "Huh?"

"Wake up!" The blunette squeaked as she jolted awake to the sound of Alya's voice, an amused tittering filling the classroom. "Class is starting, girl!"

"Sorry." Marinette smiled bashfully, a light pink spreading across her face. "I didn't get very much sleep last night."

"You never seem to get enough sleep." Alya muttered back under her breath. "You need to take some time to rest."

"I'm fine!" Marinette waved off her best friend a bit too quickly and stammered for a response to her raised eyebrow. "I was just up late working on something, that's all!"

It wasn't technically a lie – there had been another Akuma attack late last night, and she had been out for several hours dealing with the issue alongside Chat and the Mantis. But by the time she had been home around midnight, the adrenaline had been flowing and it had taken her another hour or two to get to sleep. And it wasn't helping that the Akuma had been coming thick and fast lately, the new surge in victims coinciding rather neatly with their new ally's arrival. And though he knew nothing about why or how it was happening, the Mantis had expressed concern that Hawkmoth was become bolder and smarter with each attack. Overall it had led to several sleepless nights for the young woman, which she was quickly beginning to regret.

Alya had noticed too, and on the days when she was especially bad – like today – she usually insisted that Marinette return home for the lunch break and take a nap. Much like she is doing right now.

"At least maybe you'll be able to manage afternoon classes," she pointed out while pretending to pay attention to the lecture. "But you need to figure this out, girl. You're tired all the time, you're preoccupied with things half the time you're awake – it's not healthy!"

Marinette put her head in her hands and stifled a sigh of frustration. "I'm figuring it out."

"I know. I'm just worried." Alya put a hand on her shoulder. "I just hate seeing you like this."

"And I'm dealing with it. I'll rest for a while over the lunch break, don't worry." The blunette gave her a tired smile and turned back to focus on the day's assignment. She managed to stay awake for most of their morning classes, though occasionally she would get a nudge from Alya or a nip on the finger from Tikki. By the time they got to the lunch break, though, she could barely keep her eyes open, and as she stood up from her desk she felt like her head was made of cotton. Alya grabbed her arm as she nearly tripped over the stairs to the door and managed to earn a derisive snort from Chloè as the pompous blonde left the room. "That's it, you're exhausted. Did you sleep at all last night?"

"A few hours."

"How many is a few? No, don't tell me. You're going home and getting some sleep right now."

"But what about classes this afternoon? I can't miss them, and we have a project we need to work on."

"If Adrien told you to go home and get some rest you wouldn't even hesitate." Alya glared at her, but her irritation was short-lived as her best friend yawned. "Really, girl, this is crazy."

"Maybe I would consider it," Marinette admitted as she shook herself awake. "But if I go and sleep right now, I might not wake up until tomorrow. I'll rest for a while after class, I promise."

"You'd better. At least go up into the library and sleep for a little bit? I can bring you something to eat on my way back."

Marinette sighed and rubbed her nose. "If it will get you to stop arguing with me, fine. Maybe I'll feel better anyways."

"Alright." Alya squeezed her shoulder with a small smile. "You know I'm just worried about you, right?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine, I promise." Marinette returned the smile. "Thank you."

"Anytime, girl. Go get some rest. Who knows, maybe you'll see Adrien up there." Both girls giggled, and Alya gave her best friend a gentle push. "Go. I'll see you later, after you've gotten some sleep."

Marinette just nodded, suddenly too tired to reply, and wandered out of the classroom and up the third-floor stairs to the library. After sending her maman a quick text to let her know she was staying at school for lunch and found a quiet corner to settle down in. Putting her head back, she closed her eyes and tried to relax.

Scritch. Scritch scratch.

Marinette scrunched her eyes up as she heard quiet muttering and the sound of pencil on paper from the other side of the bookshelves she was sitting at. Then came a frustrated hiss and a crinkling of paper before more irritated mumblings. Then a pause. More mumblings. Another pause, this one much longer, as she picked up a pair of footsteps coming her direction. Then a voice, one she knew well and disliked immensely. "Hello there! I don't believe I've introduced myself."

"I don't believe you have," A cool, dark voice that Marinette also recognized replied. "The name's Rothan. Can I help you?"

"I'm Lila Rossi. It's just so great to finally get to meet you." There was a brief pause as though she was expecting something – which Marinette figured she likely was. "Are you writing?"

"I am."

"That's very cool! You know, I have a few friends in some of the big publishing companies, and I bet you they would love to see what you're writing."

"That's nice." There was a cold abruptness to him that seemed to throw Lila off guard, and several moments of awkward silence followed. "I mean, of course, I would have to give them a call and see if they're –"

"Look," came Rothan's voice, all ice and business. "I appreciate your interest. However, I'd prefer to find my own path through the world of writing and publishing. In addition, there is nothing that annoys me more than being interrupted while I'm trying to work. I'd be grateful if you'd leave me to my own devices."

There was a long, strained pause, and Marinette cocked her head. Then Rothan cleared his throat. "My apologies. All I meant was that I'm fine, thank you, and I'd appreciate some privacy."

"Sure." Marinette could hear the surprise and anger in Lila's voice as she turned away. "Take as much privacy as you need."

The brunette turned and stormed away, and Marinette released a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. Lila might be a liar, but she was a dangerous person to cross for a variety of reasons, and Rothan had hopefully just escaped by the skin of his teeth – though she had never heard him be quite that short with anyone before. Hesitantly, she poked her head around the bookshelf, where Rothan was sitting at a table writing in a small white binder. "Hey."

The brown-haired boy jumped in his seat and spun around, rubbing at the faint shadow of a beard that was forming on his face. "Oh! Marinette, hey. I assume you came up here to rest for a while?"

"What tipped you off? My falling asleep in class, or Alya demanding that I go home and sleep?" She gave him a tired smile and sat down across from him. "I heard you finally got introduced to Lila."

"Yeah." Rothan bit his lip and looked at the stairs. "Went really well, too. Didn't sound like a total jerk at all."

"If it makes you feel any better, Lila is something of a chronic liar. Every other thing that comes out of her mouth is fabricated to impress people."

"Is that so? Well, perhaps it's better that I keep my distance then. That sounds like a dangerous game to be playing." Rothan hummed to himself in thought before he continued. "Still… I shouldn't have lost my temper."

"I noticed that. Are you alright?" Marinette examined his face. "Tired, unwell, something bothering you?"

"I just don't like to be disturbed while I'm working." He sighed and put a hand to the bridge of his nose. "Not that it's an excuse. I struggle to keep my emotions in check sometimes, and I guess I'm having a harder time of it today than normal."

Marinette sat in silence with him for a moment, not sure what to say. Finally she put a hand on his with a small smile. "We all have things we struggle with. That's what friends are here for."

Rothan considered this and gave her a short nod. "I appreciate that. I'm sorry for bothering you."

"It's alright." Marinette waved a hand. "It's not like I was doing anything anyways. No big deal."

"Right." Rothan didn't seem convinced but nodded again and returned to his writing. The blunette watched him for a while, but he seemed calm again, and after deciding that he had relaxed again she crossed her arms and laid her head on the table, her tired brain relaxing to the repetitive sound of the scratching of his pencil. "You relaxed," she mumbled sleepily as she fought to keep her eyes open.

"So I did." He raised a solitary eyebrow as he continued to write. "Can you tell when I get tense?"

"If I pay attention." Marinette blinked a few times as she tried to stay awake. "You're tense a lot." She paused as Rothan hummed thoughtfully at this. "Sorry, I didn't mean to –"

"You're alright. I'm aware that I get tense easily. Perhaps some day I'll be ready to talk about it." Rothan looked up from his notebook with a gentle smile. "For now, though, you should try and sleep for a bit. I'll wake you up before class starts."

"M'kay." The blunette returned the smile and closed her eyes, stretching her neck to get comfortable, and closed her eyes. As she drifted off, she heard Rothan begin to write again with a quiet hum and couldn't help but smile as she fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.

Rothan looked at himself in the mirror of his converted vanity and ran a hand over his five o'clock shadow. "I don't look very good, do I?"

"You look tired." Staffe sat on one bed post and watched his partner watch himself. "I keep telling you to get more sleep."

"I think it's just the beard. I feel pretty good, to be honest." Rothan stretched and glanced out the window at the falling dusk. "We've got patrol soon. I guess I'd better get ready."

"You are not obligated to go to group patrol, Rothan. We've discussed this."

"I know. But honestly? I like patrolling and hanging out with Chat Noir and Ladybug. And besides, we all agreed that it would be good if we met for patrol at least a few times a week, building team spirit and all that jazz." The brown-haired boy shrugged as he pulled out his satchel. "I really don't mind. I've been finding other times during the day to write, anyways."

"As long as you're all right with it." Staffe shrugged and stretched as he rose off the bedpost. "But if you are going out, I would advise that you shave."

"Of course." Rothan paused. "You don't mind that we're going, do you?"

"Absolutely not. As long as you don't leave me in there for long periods of time or use the Will of the Mantis, I'm fine. But I appreciate the concern."

"Okay then. I'm going to go clean up then. If you want to figure out your snacks, I'll be back in a moment." Rothan left the room and Staffe busied himself with preparing a few things for the coming evening. He could hear water running and the hum of his partner's razor as he examined the satchel and its collection of contents – marbles, glass jar, bag of snacks, roll of duct tape, bouncy ball – wait, where did his little notepad go? The green Kwamii ducked under the vanity and grunted as he retrieved the booklet that was large than he was. Pulling it up, he slid it into his bag and stretched his arms out from the strain. "He really needs to keep his things organized."

"I'll say. That's a lot of gear for one superhero." Staffe turned around to see a familiar, pale green Kwamii sitting in the windowsill, her large blue eyes shining. "Edgge? What are you doing here?"

"Knutt sent me. It's good to see you, darling." She flew over and gave her partner a quick hug. "I've missed you."

"And I, you, my dear. How are you? The Lady Lapis, the rest of the Swarm? I'm glad to see you alright with all the attacks as of late."

"I'm well, as are the rest of us, though being cooped up makes us all a bit antsy. Stagg, in particular, hates not being able to help. How are you and Rothan?"

"Doing well. He's just cleaning up before group patrol. You said Knutt sent you?"

"That's right. He got wind that you all had a difficult time of a recent Akuma and wanted to know what was going on."

"You mean Breakdancer?" Staffe quickly relayed the events of the fight to the best of his ability. "I'm not familiar with the Akuma, but I would think that their power would not be greater than that of a Miraculous, seeing as how they are derived from one?"

Edgge nodded, an unusual line of worry crossing her face. "That was my understanding as well. I will have to discuss this with Knutt when I get back. Perhaps he knows how this might relate to other issues we've been made aware of recently."

"Perhaps," Staffe agreed as he pulled a small bag of trail mix out of the satchel and handed it to Edgge. She began to pick the fruit out and munch on it as he continued, "At the moment, however, my main concern is getting Ladybug and Chat Noir more comfortable with Rothan's presence."

"They seem to be warming up to him if the news and the Ladyblog is any indication."

Staffe blinked. "You follow it?"

"The Lady Lapis does. It's a fine way to keep tabs on the state of Paris – that reporter is good at getting a scoop."

"Yes, I'm aware. There are days when I fear for Rothan's identity leaking. He's done a good job of hiding it so far, but should the wind blow the wrong way…"

"We'll be fine. I've taken precautions." Rothan slipped back into the room toweling his face. "Is Knutt here?"

"He couldn't get away, I'm afraid. But he sent me to discuss things." The boy looked up from his towel to see the pale green Kwamii smiling sweetly at him. "Hello, dear. I'm Edgge."

"Of course! Staffe has told me all about you." Rothan gave her a quick nod and smiled at her pleased blush. "It is nice to finally meet you in person."

"A sentiment I share. You and Staffe get along well, I'm told."

"We work well together. He's a great partner and friend." Rothan grabbed his satchel from between the two Kwamii and hoisted it over his shoulder. "He's taught me a lot and been there for me in the rougher moments. I couldn't ask for better."

Staffe practically glowed as he rose from the vanity. "You flatter me, Rothan. Hopefully I'm not making Edgge jealous now, staying here."

"Only a little, dear," she teased in reply, rising up to meet her companion. "I think I'll be seeing plenty of you soon. Knutt never leaves us apart for long."

Rothan chuckled and shook his head. "I can understand why. We're headed out for patrol in a minute. Would you like to join us?"

"While I appreciate the offer, love, I need to return before Knutt worries. The swarm of Akuma that has hit the city as of late has him – well, on edge, if you'll pardon the pun."

"Pardoned. And travel safe, Edgge. It was lovely to meet you."

"Likewise, dear. And Staffe? Keep the two of you safe."

"Of course, love. Send the Swarm my greetings!" Staffe watched as she waved to the two of them and zipped out the window, a small smile flickering across his face. Rothan nudged him. "I can see why you like her. She's really nice."

"We've grown very close over the centuries. It was nice that Knutt sent her." Staffe floated up and tapped his partner on the nose. "But we need to get going. You and I agreed that there would be no transforming and leaving from your room now that you're spending so much time with LB and Chat, and we need to get to the regular meeting point in the next fifteen minutes or so."

"Right." Rothan opened his satchel and let Staffe fly into it, then headed out of his room and to the door. "I'm going on patrol, mum," he said as he grabbed his leather jacket off the coat rack. "I'll be back in an hour or two."

His mother looked up from the table, where she was working on one of her cases. "Alright. Give me a call when you get done." She smiled as Rothan leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Be careful."

"I always am, mom. Love you." The brown-haired boy smiled as she gave him a wave and returned to her work, then headed out the door and down the stairs to the streets outside. His busy mind, however, distracted him to the point that on his way down he nearly had a crash collision with another person. "Whoa there, kiddo!"

"Sorry!" Rothan replied as his newfound mantis reflexes kicked in, grabbing the back of the guy he had just bumped. "Are you alright?"

"No harm done." The man stumbled to a halt and managed to hang onto the small crate he was holding. "You're British?"

"Yeah, my mom is Reamie Terresia. We just moved here a month ago."

"And yet you speak perfect French."

"Mum was born here. I'm only British on my father's side."

The other man nodded. He was a mousy-looking fellow in a polo and jeans, thick wire spectacles perched on his nose. "Interesting. I'm Dr. Radcliffe. I'm a geology professor at a school near here."

"What's a geology professor doing with a telescope?" Rothan pointed to the end of the small cylinder poking out of the box. "Just a hobby?"

"I'm an amateur astronomer, yes. There's a lunar eclipse tonight and I'm hoping to get a good look.

"That sounds really cool. I'm going out to meet a few friends, work on a project." Not a complete lie, but he doesn't need to know where I'm going. "Good luck with your lunar eclipse watching!"

"Thank you – erm, I don't believe I got a name."

"Rothan. It was nice to meet you, Dr. Radcliffe."

The professor smiled back at his new acquaintance. "The same to you. Have a lovely evening!"

Rothan felt him watching as he hurried off, and the observation got him to take the stairs two or three steps at a time until he hit the ground floor and slipped outside. Staffe hummed from inside the satchel. "He seemed nice."

"He did. But we are in a little bit of a hurry."

"That's fair. Still, at some point you should properly introduce yourself to him."

Rothan rolled his eyes. "Sure, buddy. Another day. Right now we need to get going and find a place to transform, so we don't keep Ladybug and Chat waiting."

"Alright, alright," Staffe soothed as he poked his head out. "Let's get a move on, then. No reason to keep them waiting."

Adrien looked out over the city on the cool, clear evening that hinted at the very beginning of fall. He loved this time of year, being free to leap from building to building with the crisp smell of autumn in his nose, the colorful leaves crunching on the sidewalks, and hot apple cider season right around the corner. Granted, fall fashion season was also right around the corner, but so was his birthday, and he could deal with it.

As he stared out over the City of Lights waking up for the evening, he felt a familiar, gentle pair of footfalls on the roof beside him. "Hello, M'lady," he murmured as he watched, not bothering to turn his head. "Lovely evening tonight, isn't it?"

"It is. Though maybe a little chilly." Ladybug smiled as she held up a box. "I stopped and got some snacks."

"Thanks." Adrien glanced inside and snagged a macaron, a small, Cheshire smile flickering across his face. "You're the best, you know that? Paws-itively perfect in every way."

"And you're a horrible flirt." Ladybug elbowed him and they both laughed as they looked out over the skyline. After a moment, she continued, "Have you seen the Mantis yet, by chance?"

"Not yet. But he said he would show." The blonde paused as he thought for a moment. "You worry about him a lot."

"Not nearly as much as I worry about you, jealous kitty." Adrien grinned as his partner bumped his shoulder. "I just worry about a lot these days, that's all. After becoming the new Guardian, I've had a lot on my mind. And he only adds to my stress – it's bad enough having a brand-new Miraculous holder in the city, but with the sudden influx of Akuma attacks, it's getting difficult to keep him protected. We went from an attack once or twice a week to an attack almost every day, Granted, most of the victims haven't been exactly top-tier villains, but still."

"You know he can take care of himself."

"I do. I just can't help but be concerned. If something happened to him, I would be responsible. I just don't want him to get hurt."

Adrien turned to watch her stare out over the city, biting her lip and lost in thought, and smiled as he fell in love with her all over again. With a sigh he put a hand on her shoulder "And you do a great job making sure of that. You're great at being Ladybug, and the Guardian, and I couldn't ask for a better friend or partner than you."

"That's sweet of you to say," Ladybug smiled as she watched the traffic pass by. "I couldn't ask for a better partner or friend either."

"Hey!" The Mantis's head popped up at their feet, his usual cocky smile flashing at both of them and causing them to jump with surprise. "You couldn't wait for me to start eating?"

"There you are! I was starting to wonder if you were coming tonight." Ladybug gave him a quick smile, which he returned. "Chat got impatient."

Adrien glared at his partner. "Hey!"

"You're fine." The Mantis clambered up onto the roof and stretched, then examined the box that she was holding for a moment. When she held it out, he paused, then flicked his wrist and retrieved a chocolate croissant with the tip of his extended blade. The motion was so fast it made Adrien jump, and the green-clad boy blushed as he removed the pastry with his other hand. "Sorry. Mantis reflexes."

"You're alright," Ladybug replied, though she seemed slightly shaken by his sudden movements as well. She took a cannoli and began to eat it delicately, and all three of them sat and grew quiet as they ate their sweets. Adrien's legs swung as he looked out over the city, able to feel his partner's presence right beside him. As much as he loved leaping from building to building, the freedom and exhilaration of being Chat Noir, and his ability to serve the city he loved, these quiet moments with his lady were his favorite of all of them. There was something simple and peaceful about them, and they never seemed to lose their romance for him. He was almost disappointed when she nudged his shoulder. "Time to go?"

"Yes, Chat. We have to actually patrol, you know."

"Fur real? You've got to be kitten me." The Mantis snorted as Ladybug rolled his eyes. "Hey, at least someone appreciates my sense of humor!"

"I do, but we really gato go." The green-clothed boy stood and stretched as he dropped a deadpan pun, eliciting a groan from Ladybug. "What?"

"You two are completely impossible."

"You mean im-paws-able?" Adrien laughed, then high-fived the Mantis' waiting hand.

"That's it, no more sweets for either one of you." Ladybug gave them both a fake glare. "That's the last time I bring you two pastries before patrol."

"Is that a threat?" Chat teased, putting the back of his hand to his head in mock indignance. "How could you? The injustice!"

Black mantis nearly fell over laughing, and even Ladybug cracked a smile. "You're such a drama queen, mon Cherie. I relent, on the condition that you are somewhat serious on patrol tonight."

"Fine." The model couldn't keep a small purr out of his voice as he dropped his pose, walked over, and gave his partner a fond poke on the nose. "But only somewhat serious, Bugaboo."

The red-and-black clad heroine declined to respond, instead turning to the rooftop and using her yoyo to launch herself across Paris. Adrien watched in awe as she soared across the skyline. Then he heard the patter of running feet behind him and ducked just in time for the Mantis to go soaring over his head, limbs fully outstretched as he flung himself across the street. "You going to stand there and gawk, or are you coming?"

Adrien blushed as he shook his head. "I'm coming!" Grabbing his staff, he grinned as he watched for a second longer, and then he vaulted into the Paris night.

Rothan hummed in his sleep, his semi-lucid state aware of – something. What was it? It felt odd, like something was off. Something was not right, but he was unable to pinpoint it in his half-consciousness. Hrm. What is going on? Got to wake up, figure this out. It's so bright in here, gosh, it's making my eyes hurt.

Bright? His eyes snapped open in alarm as he realized what was wrong. "Staffe! Where are you?"

There was a grunt from inside his satchel as the dark green Kwamii woke. "I'm right here, buddy. What's going on?"

"We overslept!" Rothan was already up and digging through his closet, looking at his dark shirts to decide which pattern he would throw on. "We missed patrol, and now we're going to be late for class!"

Staffe bolted out of the satchel with similar alarm. "What? How – why – I never oversleep!" He rubbed his head in confusion and looked about. "What happened?"

"I don't know, but we need to go. We'll figure out lunch later." Rothan grabbed his bag and his partner darted back into it, and despite his slightly rumpled appearance he darted out of his room and to the door.

As he grabbed his coat, he felt a soft hand on his shoulder and spun around. "Mum? What are you doing here?"

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" she replied with a small twinkle in her eye. "I don't think I've ever seen you rush anywhere."

"I've never slept in late before." Rothan replied, suddenly confused. "Why didn't you wake me up? What's going on?"

"Rothan, it's a Saturday." His mother grinned as he suddenly understood what was going on.

"Oh." Rothan paused as his half-awake struggled to understand what was going on. "But what about you? I thought you had to go in to work today."

"There was a power outage last night. And with no electricity, there's not really much I can do at work, so they called and said the offices were closed." His mother rubbed the back of her neck and smiled. "I know how uncommon it is for you to get a day to sleep in, so I didn't come and wake you."

Rothan slowly nodded. "Alright. I probably should have gotten up for patrol still, but there's no helping that now."

"It's not like you slept in that late. It's only eight in the morning."

"That's three hours later than normal." Rothan grumbled as he turned and headed into the kitchen. "I assume it was Staffe that gave you the idea that I needed more sleep?"

"Not today," his partner protested from the inside of his bag. "This was all your mother's doing. At least you're well-rested."

"I suppose that's fair." The young man grabbed an apple and gave it a sharp bite, a bit more relaxed now that he wasn't running out the door. "Is power out across the entire city?"

"As far as I know, yes." His mother glanced out the window. "The outage started about one this morning, according to the limited amount of news I've been able to receive on my phone."

"And that doesn't seem odd to you at all?"

"I mean, no one has been hurt. There's been no property damage. It's just a power outage."

"Something feels off though." Rothan bit into his apple again and looked out across the city alongside his mother. "I think maybe I need to do a patrol. I'll eat and get ready and then go, alright?"

"If you really think you need to, dear." His mother shook her head in amusement. "I'm going to go get my things and work for a little bit. Call if you need something."

"Right." Rothan watched as she left, then finished his apple as Staffe flew out of his satchel. "Well, I guess we're going to have a busy day."

"Do you really think there is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure, Staffe. But I don't want to leave anything up to chance." He smiled at his partner but knew he couldn't hide the concern in his eyes. "My gut is telling me that something here is very wrong, and I intend to find out why."

"Well, I trust you, Rothan. If you really think there is cause for concern, we'll either find the source or allay your fears."

"Good. If we're all packed from last night still, let's go find a quiet place to transform and figure out what is going on."

Marinette stared across the city skyline, a sea of darkened windows and quiet streets. The strange power outage had surprised most of the city into a stunned silence, and the regular morning traffic was minimal as she leapt from rooftop to rooftop. While she had to admit that this change of atmosphere was peaceful, something about it had bothered her and she had convinced Chat to join her in doing some reconnaissance. He was not far, but neither was letting the other out of earshot as they made their way across the maze of roofs and alleyways that was Paris. "Anything?"

"No, nothing strange. You?"

"All clear over here. No, wait –" She held up her hand as a twinkle of dark green light caught her eye far in the distance. "What was that?"

"What did you see, M'lady?" Chat leapt over and looked across the cityscape. "I'm not noticing anything."

"There was a flash of light way over there." She pointed and raised her eyebrows as she saw a small, lithe figure leap up onto the buildings. "Oh! It's the Mantis."

"He's transforming in the middle of everything?" Chat looked in disbelief as the insect-like figure bounded toward them, a brutal and graceful power guiding his leaps and dives. "He's going to get found out!"

"I think he ducked into an alley. I only barely saw the light, and that's only because I'm really paying attention." She gave a quick wave as their ally approached. "Over here!"

"Hoy!" The Mantis skidded to a stop in front of them, using his blades as bracing poles to balance on the roof's edge. "Fancy seeing you two here."

"I thought a morning patrol might be in order, and Chat agreed. What are you doing out here?"

"Same as you, I assume. Something felt off about our freak city-wide power outage, and I thought I would see what was going on."

"You two are both paranoid." Chat grinned and shook his head. "The power is out. It's not like there's an Akuma behind it or anything."

"You don't know that." Marinette gave her partner her best mom look to quiet him. "Which is why we're out here, making sure there isn't any trouble."

"And more power to us for it." Marinette groaned, and the Mantis just rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Come on, you two are no fun. Let's finish patrolling so we can get home and rest for a while."

"Alright. Come on, boys, follow me." Marinette leapt from the rooftop and down the street, which was for the most part empty, and her two partners followed suit. As had become normal, she and Chat struck up their regular banter while the Mantis leapt just behind them, silent eyes roving across the city around them. Chat was saying something about a restaurant nearby that he would just love to introduce her to, and she was in the middle of turning him down when the Mantis spoke up. "Hey."

Both turned in surprise to see him pointing at the roof of a building not so far away. "Did you see something?"

"Yeah. It looks like someone might have crashed a party." Looking at where he was gesturing, Marinette could see a table poking off the edge. "Want me to go take a look?"

"Only if you can beat me up there!" Chaton leapt for the rooftop with both paws outstretched, before Marinette had the chance to tell him to slow down. "Last one to the top is a stinky cheese!"

"That's a new one," she muttered as she watched the olive-clad boy watch her partner, then make a leap of his own. She followed suit, and the trio very quickly wound up on the roof of the structure. Chat was already examining the overturned table. "You're supposed to wait for me, Chaton."

"I just beat you to the punch." He winked and grinned at his own joke, then went back to his investigation. "It definitely looks like someone left in a hurry. It's hard to tell why, though."

"Maybe it was the freak meteor storm?" The Mantis held up a stone the size of a softball from where he was kneeling. "There are dozens of these, all over the place, and they look like they fell based on the damage to the roof."

"So maybe there was an Akuma." Ladybug raised an eyebrow as she examined the scene. "Why didn't we get a call then?"

"Maybe the power was already out by then." Chat picked up a cup and sniffed, then dropped it. "Or maybe it has something to do with their beverage of choice."

Ladybug followed suit and reeled at the odor. "I don't know what they were doing, but it sure wasn't punch. This is definitely spiked – it's more alcohol than not, really."

Black Mantis made a face. "So there's a rowdy, loud, noisy, bright party with underage drinkers on top of a roof. Someone gets irritated because they're being disturbed and becomes an Akuma."

"And then he attacks the party and the kids here are afraid to call the police because of that?" Chaton shrugged. "How did we get from there to 'I want to turn out the lights in Paris permanently?'"

"Maybe he's upset by light pollution?" Marinette glanced around at the nearby buildings, scanning for any sign that the Akuma might be returning. What caught her eye, however, was a tripod and a small crate set up only a roof or two away. "What's that?"

The Mantis looked where she was pointing with a concerned hum. "I'm not sure. It looks like someone was setting up for something – a camera or a telescope or –"

He paused mid-thought, mind whirring. Marinette shook his shoulder with a look of concern. "Hey. What's wrong?"

"Wasn't there some sort of astronomical event last night? A lunar eclipse or something."

Chat nodded. "That's right, I'd forgotten. Do you think that someone was wanting to watch it and got interrupted?"

"That's exactly what I think. And in retaliation, he turned out the lights of Paris permanently, so there would be nothing to interrupt his sky-watching."

"Good work, both of you." Marinette grinned. "So now we have a lead. They've already hit the power plant pretty hard, but the Paris Observatory might be our best bet."

"Then we should get going. The sooner we de-Akumatize this guy, the sooner the lights come back on." She watched as the Mantis rose and shook himself, collecting his bearings, then flipped out one of his hand-blades just enough to activate the smart device embedded in it. She glanced at him, concerned, but he waved her off. "Just still getting my bearings on the city. I'll follow your lead."

"Of course." The blunette nodded, then retrieved her yoyo. "Chat, Mantis, let's move out!"

Just as with the rest of the city, the lights were off inside the Paris Observatory, casting a dark and gloomy air over the large interior. For once, Adrien was finding his night vision extra-handy, especially as his allies groped about in the darkness. "Are you two alright?"

"Can't see!" Mantis grunted as he ran into and tripped over Ladybug, sending them both sprawling to the ground. "Whoops, sorry."

"You're fine." As she fumbled about, Chat offered a hand to her, which she managed to find in the dark, and pulled her to her feet. He held her close to him for perhaps a second more than was strictly necessary before offering the same gesture to the Mantis, thankful that the shadows hid his slight blush. "Here."

"I'm fine." The reply came more as a growl than a statement, and he watched as the brown-haired hero pushed himself up from the floor with an elegant flip. "This lack of light is insufferable!"

"If I had thought it would be so dark, I would have brought a flashlight." Chat gave his partner a small elbow with a grin. "Too bad you can only use your Lucky Charm in an emergency."

A cracking sound from the Mantis' direction got both of their attentions, and a faint, deep-green glow began to emanate from his blades and light up the immediate vicinity. Ladybug raised her eyebrow in surprise. "How did you manage that?"

"I think all of our weapons can do it." To demonstrate, he tapped Adrien's staff and watched as it took on a similar hue, reminiscent of an oversized glowstick. "It's certainly a handy little function."

"I'll say." Ladybug pulled out her yoyo and tapped it twice, and it also began to glow a bright red. "That's much better."

"Is it just me, or is this place darker than it should be?" Adrien raised his pole and used it to illuminate the space they were in – a large, domed structure that acted as the observatory's antechamber. "I would have thought there would be more light coming through the windows this time of day."

His partner bit her lip as she looked around. "You're not wrong. Keep your voices down, you two. Let's not broadcast our presence until we're completely ready."

Both boys nodded and raised their respective weapons, watching the corners of the room as they formed a protective circle with Ladybug. As they circled, Adrien couldn't help but grin. "How long do you think this guy is going to leave us in the dark?"

The Mantis snorted, and Ladybug elbowed him sharply in the ribs. "Quiet! You're going to give us — Ah!" The blunette was cut off mid-sentence as a trio of bright orbs materialized and threw themselves at the trio. She dived out of the way, and Adrien followed suit, but the Mantis hesitated for a moment too long and took the full force of one orb, sending him sprawling through the air. Ladybug screamed as he hit the ground and rag-filled for a few feet, his blades extinguishing themselves as he tumbled into the shadows. There was a low, growling chuckle from somewhere in the chamber on the opposite side. "He only took one hit? I expected more from this Black Mantis."

"Don't even go there!" Adrien could feel a snarl rising in his throat as he peered into the room. His low-light vision could only do so much, and anything more than sixty feet away was still difficult to make out. "Show yourself!"

"If you insist." From the shadows stepped a mousy-looking man in a flowing purple robe decorated with embroidered stars and planets. In one hand he held a long, strange rod with a dark orb at the top, and silver-rimmed glasses accentuated his dark eyes. "I am the Stargazer, and I intend to keep the lights off in Paris. Permanently."

"Well, it's a good thing we're here to stop you." Ladybug spun her yoyo and took a defensive stance, and his heart swelled with admiration for the girl. "You're going to have to beat us first!"

"If your friend is any indication, that will be easy enough to do."

"Well, then you're going to be disappointed. It's time you saw the light, Stargazer." Joining Ladybug, Adrien leaned in and muttered in her ear. "I'll hold him off. You go make sure the Mantis is okay."

Ladybug gave him a quick nod. "Alright, be careful." Then she darted off into the darkness behind them, leaving Chat to face this strange wizard-like man alone. Stargazer, upon seeing this, raised his wand and launched another bolt of fire at her, but the cat-themed hero leapt in the way and deflected the shot. "Why don't you pick on someone else?"

"Gladly." The wizard smirked, and a series of orbs of different colors and elements form around him. Pointing his wand at Chat, he gave a brief nod. "Block this."

The orbs came hurtling toward him, and Adrien parried and spun through the air as he blocked the barrage of attacks with his feline reflexes. A bolt of particularly cold energy just grazed his shoulder, but he ignored the stinging numbness as he stopped the rest of the attacks in their tracks. "You're going to have to do better than that. You've meteor match, Stargazer."

The villain growled at the terrible pun and raised his staff again, this time summoning a swarm of small fiery orbs. "Meteor, eh? Let's see you block a storm of them."

Chat choked as the man launched the cloud of flames at him, and spun his pole defensively, hoping to block the worst of the attack. Then a familiar yoyo spun out in front of him, looped around his waist, and yanked him out of the way of the swarm that slammed into the ground. He ended up behind a wall, where his partner and a very dazed Mantis were waiting. "That was a close call, M'lady. I almost became a Swiss Chat."

"Dork." Ladybug rolled her eyes and glanced around the corner, where a very irritated Stargazer was trying to figure out where his opponent had gone. "He's really strong!"

"You're kidding." The Black Mantis shook his head and tenderly rubbed his abdomen. "I think I may have a pretty bad burn. I'm not going to be much help anymore today."

"That's alright." Adrien patted his shoulder with a small smile. "You just stay here and rest, while Ladybug and I deal with this one."

The brown-haired boy was not pleased but nodded his consent. "I think his Akuma is in his wand – and by its shape, I'd guess it used to be his telescope. If you can break that, we should be set."

"Got it." Ladybug nodded. "Find a place to hide until we take care of this guy, If you take another hit like that you're going to be out for a lot longer than just this fight."

The Mantis just nodded again and scurried off to a far corner, and she sighed in relief. "He should be okay – his reflexes should allow him to parry any stray attacks."

Adrien looked down and saw his partner's hands shaking. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Ladybug's reply was a little strong, but he decided not to mention it as she looked out again. "Have any ideas?"

"I think if we could just get close we would be able to handle him." Adrien rubbed his neck as he considered their options. "Have you tried your Lucky Charm?"

"Not yet. Let's see what I get." His partner raised her yoyo and whispered for her power to activate, in order not to alert Stargazer to their whereabouts, and into her hands dropped a small hand mirror. "What is this for?"

"You'll figure it out. I'll buy us some time." Darting out from the shadows, he raised his hands and made a face. "Over here!"

The villain growled. "There you are! Hold still." With a snarl he created and released another blast of fire, but Adrien was too fast for such tricks, diving out of the was of a series of attacks and making a face. "You pesky child!"

"Hey, no need to get rude." Chat narrowly dodged another attack and glanced over his shoulder. "Any time now!"

"I think I've got something!" He saw Ladybug glance around the corner and take in the situation, then dart out and to his side. Stargazer smiled. "Perfect. I can take you both out at once now."

Raising his wand, he formed a bolt of radiant energy at its tip, and Adrien tensed to lead pot o the way. Then he felt a small hand on his arm. "Hold steady."

"Whatever you say, M'lady." Raising his staff, he watched as the orb grew to the size of his head, then a watermelon, then a beach ball. Finally satisfied, Stargazer released the attack, which spiraled around before beelining for the two heroes. Still, Ladybug stood firm, and so did he, beside his lady. And then, at the last second, she raised the mirror to meet the attack, and it reflected off, back at Stargazer, who gaped in shock. "What – Ooh!" He cried in pain as the orb slammed into his stomach and sent him flying to the ground. Adrien responded by lunging for the man, covering the distance in a single bound, and raising hip paw.

"Lights out, Stargazer, time for a Cataclysm!" With one strike, the telescope hiding the Akuma was no more, and the black butterfly floated free. "Alright! Quick, Bugaboo, your yoyo!"

"Right!" One thrown weapon later, the purified Akuma was flying away and the magical darkness was fading from the room. With bated breath he watched as his partner tossed her yoyo into the air to activate her Miraculous Ladybug power, and there was a brief pause. Then, after a moment, there was a gentle hum, and the lights flickered back on. The Mantis rose from his spot with a grin. "You did it!"

"Of course she did." Adrien grinned as he winked at his partner. "She's out of this world."

"Silly kitty." Ladybug shook her head with a mixture of exasperation and amusement. "it was a team effort."

"I disagree. This victory was –" He paused as a pair of beeping interrupted their banter. "Darn. I guess we need to go."

"Who's going to get Stargazer home?" Ladybug looked at the man now curled up on the floor, asleep from a combination of a long night and the aftereffects of the Akuma. "He can't just sit here."

"I'll get him home," Mantis offered as he walked over with a slight wince. "I haven't used my Will of the Mantis yet – I can call a cab or something."

"Thanks." Chat grinned as the brown-haired hero scooped up the sleeping man and headed for the door, then turned to Ladybug. "Pound it?"

"Sure." She stuck out her fist, but her eyes watched the Mantis as he left, filled with concern. "You did good, minou."

"You too. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" the reply was a little too forced, a little too fast for Chat's liking. "Just a little tired. In fact, I'd better get home before I de-transform. I'll see you for patrol tomorrow night?"

"Of course, M'lady. He bowed and kissed her hand with a smile "Until –" His head shot up as Ladybug pulled away and darted for the door, and watched as she left in a hurry, mildly surprised, "Tomorrow?"

As she sped off, he watched through the glass doors with a mixture of surprise and confusion. She seems upset. Is something the matter? He blinked as he tried to figure out what had happened. The fight was a little rough, but nothing crazy. I don't understand. Was it something I said?

Looks like everyone could use a little more sleep. There will be time to catch up on it soon, I'm sure. And in case it wasn't super clear, it is indeed Dr. Radcliffe that was Akumatized. Poor Dr. Radcliffe.

If you're wondering why Rothan keeps taking the hits and/or complaining that it should be Chat stepping into protect people, you're not wrong. His sense of chivalry is strong. However, there is a reason it keeps happening, one which will be revealed in time...

But you'll just have to wait to find out! :D Make sure to look out for the next episode, where things get a little spooky when an Akuma has a real bone to pick. And if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, you can reach me on my Tumblr at james-brafin or my Twitter handle, which is jamesthedabbler. Until next time!