My apologies for the late post. I went on a rafting trip with some family last weekend and thought I would be able to double down on my writing the next day, and then the power was out for 24 hours. It was a trip.

As things stand, things seem to be settling into a new kind of normal for the heroes, and Rothan is learning what it means to walk the line between civilian and hero life. Super appearances in public, however, are bound to stir up attention, and not always from the most welcome of places, as he's about to discover.

Marinette sighed and looked out from her balcony to the street below. "You know, this really stinks."

"I know." Tikki was sitting on her shoulder, and she felt a tiny squeeze as the little red Kwamii tried to provide some comfort. "But you did promise to babysit Manon today."

"I know. And I'm not going to back out of it now. But I can't believe I'm missing seeing Adrien to do it." She shook her head with an irritated sulk. "Of all the days for him to be able to meet, why did it have to be today?"

"I know. But there will be other opportunities, Marinette. Your Ladybug Luck will make sure of that."

"I hope so." Marinette grumbled and put her chin on her hands. The one day when he doesn't have anything going on, and he and Nino want to know if I can come hang out, of course that would be the day that Mrs. Chamack needs me to babysit so she can get to her big interview. Not that I mind spending time with Manon. But how often do I get the chance to see Adrien? She paused as a sudden thought crossed her mind. What if he thinks I'm with some other guy, and he thinks I'm dating someone else, so he'll never realize that I wanted him, and so he falls in love with some other girl, and –

"Marinette? You have a visitor!" Her mother shouted up the stairs, breaking her out of her train of thought and causing Tikki to zip into her purse. Marinette sighed and hurried into her room. "I'm coming!"

After triple-checking to make sure the Miraculous Box wasn't where Manon could possibly find it, and that everything was cleaned up properly to keep the young girl out of trouble, she darted down the stairs and into the living room. Mrs. Chamack was talking to her mother, but Manon waved and grinned as she saw her favorite babysitter coming down the stairs. "Marinette!"

"Hey, small fry!" The blunette came over and wrapped the girl up into a hug, causing her to squeal in excitement. "Are you ready for an afternoon with the best babysitter ever?"

Her charge giggled while Mrs. Chamack smiled at the pair. "Thank you for doing this on such short notice, Marinette. I don't know what I would do without you."

"I'm glad to help, Mrs. Chamack. I love getting to see Manon." Hoisting the girl onto her shoulders, Marinette grinned back at her. "I'm sure today will be lots of fun."

"Good. Well, I've got to get going before I'm late for this interview." Grabbing her purse, the news anchor gave them a friendly wave. "Be good Manon, and I'll see you in a few hours."

"I will! Bye, mommy." Manon watched as she left and hugged the back of Marinette's head, and Marinette's mother chuckled. "So what do you two have planned for today?"

"I don't know – we could play in my room, or head to the park. Or we could go to the zoo – we haven't been in a while just the two of us."

"Let's go to the zoo! I like seeing the elephants and the monkeys."

"That's because you are a little monkey." Marinette reached up and tickled her stomach, making the young girl giggle. "The zoo it is – as long as you're okay with that, maman."

"Of course." Her mother gave her a quick smile. "Nadja said she would be back in about three hours, so just try and be here by then."

"Right, thanks." Marinette gave her mother a quick peck on the cheek and grinned. "Alright, Manon. I just need to get a few things together, and we'll go."

"Yay!" Manon clambered down from Marinette's shoulders and grabbed her hand. "I can't wait! This is going to be so much fun!"

Their afternoon did turn out to be quite exciting, if exhausting for Marinette as she tried to keep up with her high-energy charge. It was a beautiful afternoon, with most of the animals still out despite the slight chill to the air, and they even happened to run into Rose and Juleka spending the afternoon together. By the end of their trip, both girls were tired out but happy, and on their walk home Manon was able to convince Marinette to stop for ice cream. As she licked her cone of strawberry, the little girl smiled up at her babysitter an squeezed her hand. "This was the best afternoon ever."

"You always say that, Manon." Marinette grinned and poked her nose as she worked on her own cone. "But I'm glad you had a good time."

"What's going on over there?" Manon pointed past her, and the blunette glanced over to look and saw the beginning of a stage being constructed under the Eiffel tower in the distance. "I – don't know. Do you want to go take a look?"

"Yeah!" The brunette pulled on Marinette's hand eagerly, and the teen let herself be pulled along to the metal barriers that blocked them from the busy workers within. "What do you think they're doing?"

"I'm not sure, Manon. It looks like they might be setting up for a show of some kind. I'm surprised I hadn't heard or seen anything about it before now."

"Well, that's because only the best of Paris are going to be there." Marinette rolled her eyes at the sound of the familiarly irritating voice of Chloé Bourgeois, and glanced behind her to see the prissy blonde and her best friend standing there. The redhead gave her an embarrassed wave while Chloé snorted in disgust. "So of course you wouldn't know anything."

"Save it, Chloé," Marinette growled in reply as she eyed her civilian arch-nemesis. "I'm a little busy at the moment, in case you hadn't noticed?"

"Oh, I see, you're babysitting!" Just another testament to your commoner status." The blonde made a face and milked the commentary for everything it was worth. "Oh, poor, simple Marinette, made to babysit for mere pocket change. No wonder you had no idea."

"I happen to enjoy spending time with Manon, thank you very much."

"Whatever." Chloé rolled her eyes and Marinette resisted the urge to clobber her right there, if only to set a good example for her charge. "For your information, Julie Dreamer is going to be performing tonight under the Eiffel Tower, and it's going to be the biggest event in Paris this fall. Anyone who is anybody is going to be there. And I guess that makes you a nobody."

"Who?" The blunette blinked and shrugged, too confused to take offense at the moment. "I have no idea who that is."

"She's a famous American pop star! Everyone knows about her!"

"Everyone except me, apparently. I don't really keep up with that kind of music."

This only seemed to spark more indignance from the blonde, who huffed at Marinette with displeasure. "Well, that just goes to prove your lack of culture."

"I am not –" Marinette paused as she noticed Sabrina frantically gesturing behind Chloé, trying to get her attention. "What is it?"

"Uhh..." The redhead squirmed uncomfortably as she searched for words. "Where did that girl you were looking after go?"

The blunette glanced down and felt her stomach drop out from underneath her. Manon was indeed gone, apparently had wandered off, and she hadn't even noticed. How could I let this happen? In a panic she glanced around and tried to catch a glimpse of her brown pigtails. "Oh my gosh! This is so bad – she could be anywhere."

"You should have payed more attention." But Chloé looked a little guilty at what had occurred, and joined her in trying to spot the girl among the crowd of people visiting the tower. "She can't have gone very far – I'm sure she's nearby and we'll be able to find her."

"I hope so. If something happened, Mrs. Chamack would be devastated. This is awful!" Marinette wailed as a thousand possibilities whirled through her mind, none of them any sort of good.

All three girls stood on their tows and craned their necks looking for the young girl, but with so many taller people around it was impossible to get a good look at what was going on. But as a cloud of true panic set in, Marinette heard Sabrina squawk in surprise alongside a strangely, familiar voice behind her. "Pardon me, mademoiselle, but it seems to me you are looking for someone. Might I be of assistance?" Turning, her mouth dropped open with shock as she saw a bashful Manon sitting atop the shoulders of the lean, olive-clothed boy she new worked with regularly, offering his own mischievous grin. As he raised his hand in a salute of greeting, she took a hesitant step back and attempted – and failed – to calm herself and relieve her shock. "Bl – Black Mantis?"

To be fair, babysitting wasn't what Rothan had been planning to do with his day either. He had had a difficult morning, brought on by a lack of sleep and lingering soreness that even his salve didn't seem to be helping with, and it was making him cranky and moodier than normal. When he had snapped at and immediately apologized to Kim after a particularly bad joke, Staffe had all but insisted he spend their afternoon in the suit in order to relax and vent some steam. Rothan had reluctantly agreed, and had spent his time after Wednesday classes patrolling the rooftops of Paris with only his Kwamii partner and a thermos of iced tea to keep him company. To Staffe's credit, he was feeling the best he had all day, if still extremely tired, and he had even managed to find a nice perch halfway up the Eiffel Tower to do some people-watching and work on his writing.

Staffe seemed pleased by the outcome. It seems to me your afternoon has been a significant improvement. Aren't you glad you agreed to this?"

"I suppose." Rothan retrieved an apple from his utility belt and began to eat as he studied the half-full page before him, trying to determine where this particular piece was going. "I don't think it will ever stop feeling weird to don a mask to handle my moods, though."

But it works. Staffe sent him an amused headshake, and Rothan smiled wryly at his teasing. I don't ever want you to feel that you can't rely on me to help with this. And having this sort of rest time is part of that process.

"I appreciate that. And I will admit, considering the state of things below us, we may be glad to be here anyways." Rothan gestured to the stage crew far below, where two of the members were locked in an animated argument. "We may just be lucky enough to stop an Akuma before it creates a situation. I just wish I could tell why everyone was so antsy today."

Well, you certainly can't do that from up here. Should we drop down and walk the perimeter?

"Probably not a bad idea." Rothan slid his things away an extended his scythes just enough to serve as climbing claws, then began to pick his way down the side of the structure. "At the very least, we might be able to get an idea of what is going on."

It looks like some sort of private show or concert. Perhaps the stress of the event has these people all worked up?

"I suppose that could be it." As he reached the bottom and dusted himself off, he noticed a few heads turning, and rolled his eyes and gave them a wave. "At any rate, a walk about will do me some good."

And that's really all I'm worried about at the moment.

This received a brief but affirmative nod, and the green-clad hero began to slowly stroll around the metal barriers that cut off the public from this strange happening. After a moment of casual observation, he ended up leaning against it and staring into the chaos that was unfolding. The area was a disaster, with stacks of chairs and lighting and sound equipment haphazardly strewn about it, and thanks to the disagreements that had broken out among the staff that afternoon, not much progress had been made. In particular, from his vantage point he noticed a head of pink hair bobbing as it berated a younger looking worker, evidently displeased by his efforts. Poor fellow. As he considered leaping over the barrier in order to confront this and see if he could be any assistance, he felt a gentle tugging at his pant leg and look down in surprise, curious as to who had been so bold as to approach him so readily. To his amusement, he saw a young girl of no more than seven, looking up at him with awe and a touch of pink ice cream on her nose. He immediately crouched down to get on her eye level and gave her a gentle smile. "Well, hello there. And who might you be?"

"I'm Manon. Are you friends with Ladybug?"

"What gave it away, the costume?" The child grinned and he couldn't help but chuckle. "My name is Black Mantis. What are you doing wandering about by yourself?"

"I'm not by myself! I have Marinette with me." Manon paused she looked around, a flash of confusion across her face. "Where did she go?"

Interesting. "I'm sure she's not far. We probably just can't see her over the crowd." Retrieving a small handkerchief from his pouch he quickly nabbed at her face and wiped the end of her ice cream off of it. "Why don't you hop up on my shoulders and see if you can spot her?"

After a moment of hesitation, she agreed, and ran around to his back and let him hoist her onto his shoulders. As she shaded her eyes and glanced around, she squeezed one of his gloved hands in hers. "Were you looking at the workers too?"

"I was. I'm trying to figure out what's going on today - they seem awfully upset for some reason, and I wanted to make sure everything was alright."

"Are they not happy?"

"No, I really don't think they are." Rothan squinted out over the crowd, his short stature not helping much, and shrugged. "Any sign of your Marinette friend yet?"

"There she is!" Manon grinned and pointed, and the brown-haired boy just barely saw the familiar girl, who had just begun to glance about frantically. I guess she hasn't been gone very long. That's good, I guess. Now to handle this little mess I've gotten myself into.

"No reason to keep her worrying then." Rothan gave a quick nod and walked over in their direction, and as he approached he saw a familiar blonde and her best friend with her. Well, how her little charge managed to slip away so easily makes a lot more sense now. I'd be distracted too if that snobby prick was bugging me. As he approached he saw Sabrina notice them and make a strangled sound, and grinned. "Pardon me, mademoiselle, but it seems to me you are looking for someone. Might I be of assistance?"

Marinette turned and did a hard double take as she took in the two of them, and made a similar sound. "Black Mantis? What are you – Manon!"

He quickly set the girl he was carrying back down and let her run over to her babysitter with an amused smile. "I ran into her while I was watching this crew behind us carry on. She's alright, don't worry."

"Don't walk off like that, Manon! You gave me a fright." She gave the girl a quick hug and straightened herself. "I can't thank you enough."

"It was my pleasure. Say, you look familiar." Rothan stroked his chin and examined her, humming to himself. "Have we met before?"

"I think so, once. I was with my friend Alya."

"That's right! How could I have forgotten! The Ladyblog reporter and her charming friend Marinette. I knew I recognized that face." He gave her a small bow and grinned as she rolled her eyes. "You know –"

"Excuse me? Hello!" Chloé went from hand waving to obnoxious badgering and Rothan rolled his eyes. "Over here! Why are you talking to –"

"One moment, ma'am, I'm busy." He grinned at the blonde's flabbergasted face and turned back to Marinette. "Anyways, if you really wanted to thank me, can you do me a favor?"

"Which is?"

"Can you get her to stop pestering me for another interview? That girl has some sort of hero radar, because she always seems to know where I'm going to be and is very eager to get me to spill my secrets."

Marinette laughed and nodded. "I'll do my best, but I can't make any promises."

"That's all I need to hear." Rothan smiled back and turned to Chloé. "Now, how can I help you? An autograph perhaps? A picture?"

"Well, it's about time!" She snapped in reply. "You have some nerve! Do you know who I am?"

He made a show of examining her face for a moment. "That's right, you're Mrs. Bourgeois, the daughter of our lovely mayor. We've met once as well, I believe? At that event at your father's hotel?"

"That's right!" She glowered at him, but seemed to be somewhat placated by his manners. "We were so pleased to be introduced to the newest member of the heroes of Paris."

"The pleasure was all mine," Rothan drawled in response, recalling the dreadfully dull social networking he had to endure. It's a good thing my mother's job prepared me for those things.

"I'm sure," The blonde gushed with pleasure, evidently pleased with her 'personal' relationship with the hero. "You're always welcome at our hotel, of course."

"I'll keep that in mind. At any rate, I really ought to get going. I have a city to watch over, you know."

"That's a shame. Perhaps we can get together another time? I can give you my number if –"

"That won't be necessary." Rothan pursed his lips and suppressed an exasperated sigh. "I'm sure I will be able to get in contact with you. Good day, ladies."

With an abrupt nod, he turned on one heel and strolled away, quietly amused by the spluttering of Chloé behind him despite Staffe's chidings. That was rude.

"I am not her boyfriend, or worse, her fashion accessory. And someone needs to make sure she doesn't forget that. I'll tolerate a lot of things – using me to one up anyone, especially Marinette, is not one of them."

Still, that was a bit extreme. Nothing can be done about it now, I suppose.

Rothan nodded for both of them. "If she complains to someone, I can deal with the fallout, blame it on a concern for public safety – which isn't far from the truth. I'm surprised that Hawkmoth hasn't made a move yet."

Well, we have noticed that his behavior has been rather strange as of late. Perhaps he has some larger plan in mind.

"I hope not. That would mean that he's getting smarter in his attacks, which could be bad news."

"Mr. Mantis!" Rothan glanced over his shoulder to see Manon dragging her babysitter towards him, and inwardly sighed. What now?

Oh, lighten up. It looks like you have a fan club.

"I'm so sorry." Marinette blushed and tried to calm the excited girl as she ran over to him. "She wanted a picture with you so badly, and I tried to tell her you were working, but she insisted, and –"

"It's quite alright." Rothan stifled a chuckle as he grinned at the two. "I don't mind taking a few photographs." Much. "It comes with the territory, I suppose."

"Yay!" Manon squealed and scrambled over to him as Marinette pulled out her phone. He grinned and picked her up, and they both posed together as she caught a few shots. "You're the best, Black Mantis."

"What about Ladybug?" Rothan teased as he set her back down. "She's pretty great too."

"But Ladybug is always so busy. You're fun!" Manon skipped around him, and Rothan did his best to not look extremely pleased. Glancing at Marinette, he noticed that she had puffed her cheeks out and was glaring at him. What did I do? "Can we come with you?"

"Manon!" Marinette hissed at her charge and took her hand. "He's working."

"I know! We need to find out why all the workers are so grumpy. Right, Black Mantis?"

"Did I say that?" Rothan rubbed his chin and sighed. "It could get pretty dangerous, especially if an Akuma shows up."

"Oh, Mr. Mantis, please?" Manon looked up at him with big eyes and he bit his lip. "I'll be careful."

"How am I supposed to resist that?" Rothan shook his head as Manon grinned and Marinette gave him a scathing look. "There is one thing you have to do, though."

"What is it?"

"You can't tell Ladybug I've found a better partner to go on patrols with." Manon giggled as he once again swung her up on his shoulders. "Deal?"

"Deal." She squeezed his hand and started glancing around. "Let's go be superheroes!"

If looks could kill, Marinette knew that the Mantis would be dead ten times over by now. The rational side of her knew that he was just playing with the girl, and that he had no idea that she was walking literally right behind the two. But a tiny voice still nagged at the back of her mind: He's supposed to be working, not playing with some strange kid. And he's got a lot of nerve, teasing about Manon being a better partner. What is he doing?

Still, she had to admit, it was pretty cute to watch Manon scan the crowd on his shoulders while he darted from place to place. People gawked and pointed as they passed, but were polite enough not to ask the working teen for a photograph – most of the time. She had always been mildly surprised by how well he managed to blend into a crowd despite his suit, and there were moments that even she forgot that he was in the suit and she wasn't just spending time with another friend.

Manon was thrilled by the attention she was receiving from the celebrity, and would occasionally remark that "Now she was a superhero too!" as she watched from his shoulders for trouble. They hadn't accomplished much yet, but she was happy none the less, and as long as the Mantis didn't do anything stupid – which, from her short time interacting with him, he was very unlikely to do – they would be fine.

Probably.

At the moment, he was carefully extracting the girl from his shoulders and setting her on the ground as he eyed the crowd around them. "Alright, I'm going to scramble up and see if I can get a better vantage point for a minute. You stay here, alright?"

"Can't I come with you?"

"Too dangerous."

"I'm not scared."

"You should be." The Mantis grinned as he poked her nose and made her giggle. "But the best heroes are the ones who are brave enough to act, even while scared." Flexing his hands, Marinette watched as two dagger-like blades extended from the back of his gloves and he prepared to leap. "Still, I think Marinette would be happier if you kept your feet on the ground. I won't be long, alright?"

Manon nodded and they watched as he jumped with unnatural speed and power before latching onto the side of the Eiffel Tower in a move that was obviously practiced. As he skittered about, a small green blob against the brown of the tower, Marinette took her by the shoulder and squeezed it. "I know you're enjoying helping Black Mantis, but we really do need to be getting you home soon."

"Already?" Manon gave her the classic doll eyes, but Marinette just shook her head. "Yeah, small fry, you mom is going to be wondering where we are at if we don't get back."

While Manon made a face, Marinette looked up again at the Black Mantis with a touch of curiosity. I wonder why he was out here today. Was he really worried that there was going to be an Akuma attack? Or is there something else going on? He caught her staring and gave a quick wave, which she returned before he leapt down to join them. "Did you see anything?"

"Still nothing. I guess maybe my fears were unfounded today." He shrugged as he examined his blades. "It's not a bad thing, I suppose, but it is very unlike Hawkmoth to not take advantage of such a situation. It has me concerned."

"Well, maybe you can take the rest of the day off, and just relax." She tried to shoot him a pointed look, then backpedaled when he returned it with a baffled one. "I mean, you're always so busy these days, it must be good to take a break now and then."

"Nah, I don't really take many breaks." He shrugged, and Marinette barely contained an exasperated sigh as Manon ran up. "Hello again, kiddo. I didn't see anything, I'm afraid."

"That's good!" She grinned and raised a hand for a high-five, which he shared. "That means we're protecting Paris!"

"So it does, so it does. It must be your powers of happiness, miss Super-Manon." She giggled as he lifted her and swung him around, then glanced back at Marinette, who gave him a dry look. "Alright, what did I do this time?"

She sighed and shook her head. "Nothing. It's just – we really do need to be getting back."

"That's a shame." He set Manon down and ruffled her hair. "But it would be best for you to listen to Marinette. She is your babysitter, after all."

"Do we have to go?" Manon gave her the saddest eyes she could, but Marinette closed her own eyes and shook her head, and she sighed in reply. "Alright."

"Thank you again for doing this," the blunette told her unknowing ally as she took Manon by the hand. "I hope we weren't too much trouble."

"No trouble at all." The Mantis gave her a small, genuine smile and a brief nod as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I was glad to have some company, even if there wasn't any –" there was a shrill shriek of excitement from behind him, and he closed his eyes and grabbed the bridge of his nose. "What is that?"

Glancing over his shoulder, Marinette saw a lady with long pink hair and her posse of half a dozen security guards hurrying over, and she cocked her head in confusion. "I have no idea. What in the world…?"

As she approached, and Manon hid behind Marinette's leg, the strange lady began gushing in a fashion that was strangely reminiscent of Chloé. "Oh, what a surprise! I'm so glad you're here, Mr. Black Mantis1 I've been hoping we'd run into each other!"

She stuck out a hand to pull him in for a greeting, but the Mantis took a large step back. "I'm sorry, have we met?"

For a brief moment, Marinette saw an emotion she couldn't describe flash across the woman's face that she couldn't describe – Disgust? Venom? – but it vanished just as quickly as it came, and she was all smiles again. "I'm Julie Dreamer, of course! I have a show tonight under the Eiffel Tower?"

"My apologies. I'm afraid I must not keep up with your… scene."

Marinette swore she saw the star's eye twitch as she received this information. "That's quite all right. You do now! I know who you are of course, you're the Black Mantis, one of Ladybug's newest sidekicks. What are you doing out here without her?"

The Mantis went from professionally distant to arctic cold in a matter of seconds, and for the first time, Marinette realized she might have a problem. "We are allies, Miss Dreamer. I watch over Paris in my own way, much like she does."

"Of course, of course." The pop star's dismissive hand wave revealed a complete disinterest in the subject. "I am just delighted we ran into each other! I was so hoping to meet you all while I was here."

"Is that so?"

'Marinette, what's going on?" Manon tugged on her shirt and tried to get her attention, but Marinette just took he hand and shook her head, hoping the little girl would get the message. Not now, unicorn. This isn't a good time.

"It is," Julie Dreamer continued with a drawl, taking a step towards the Mantis that was matched with a similar step away from the woman. "I would just love it if you and your friends would be able to join me tonight!"

"I'm – I'm afraid that won't be possible." Was that a note of fear that crept into his voice? The Mantis 's hands were behind his back, but she could see them twist together nervously as he shuffled another step backwards. "We're all very busy this evening, and –"

"Oh, it wouldn't be terribly long! An hour, at the most." The woman was beaming, but there was something downright predatory in her eyes as she took another step forward. "It would be like a backstage pass, of sorts. I could even get you tickets for some of your friends, if you'd like."

"That's quite all right, that won't be necessary." Another step from both of them, to the point where the Mantis' hands were nearly touching Marinette's. His breathing had noticeably quickened, and his hands were trembling, and she blinked in surprise. Stage fright. Who knew? "I really can't –"

"But surely you could! Won't you reconsider?" Dreamer was slowly but surely losing her false smile, and she gestured to two of her security guards, who slowly began to move away from the group and behind both him and Marinette and Manon. This only served to frighten the girl more, who let out a quiet whimper and squeezed Marinette's hand tighter. This didn't go unnoticed by The Mantis either, because though he continued to shake his voice became hard again. "I'm afraid not. And that is final."

"Why can't you just say yes!" The pop star lunged toward him with surprising speed, and he ducked out of the way just in time. Marinette noticed his blades flicker out by instinct before they vanished again, and then they were standing on opposite sides of the small clearing that had somehow formed in the crowd. Now she could see his face, which held a combination of anger and fear as he stared down the woman. "You ungrateful –"

"Save it." He glanced over the woman's shoulder, and Marinette gave him a silent plea – Run! Go, we'll be fine.

To her surprise, it was not him or the spoiled star that spoke first, but Manon, who let go of Marinette's hand and ran out in front of the woman. "Stop it! Can't you see he's upset?"

Marinette gaped at the girl, but the woman just glared down at her. "Don't get in the middle of this. The grownups are talking."

"Stay away from him!" Manon backed up a few steps and put her arms out like a shield in a precious, if futile, attempt to protect the hero. Marinette gasped in shock, and the Mantis' jaw literally dropped open. "You're not going to hurt him anymore."

"Get out of my way, kid!" Dreamer took one step forward in anger, and Manon flinched and held firm. The olive-clad hero, however, did not, instead bolting forward and scooping up the girl. "What are you doing?"

"This conversation is over." The Mantis shot her a look of pure loathing and tensed himself. "Good day, Miss Dreamer."

With one powerful motion he lunged into the air and over the crowd with Manon screaming in surprise, leaving the park in a single bound. Marinette watched in shock for a moment, then took off after them through the crowd, watching his trajectory and hearing an angry shout behind her. She just managed to find them as he touched down, Manon clutching him as he cradled her in his arms. "Mantis!"

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry," he managed to choke out as he set Manon down, and Marinette paused. Manon was trembling, but she gave both her and her partner a shaky smile. "Did I do good?"

"You did great," the Mantis whispered, barely loud enough to hear, and wrapped the girl in a fierce hug, "So good. Marinette should be very proud."

"I am! Wait – what's going – Mantis, wait!" Marinette stumbled over her words as he stood up and glanced at her, and she realized that his eyes were sparkling with tears. "Are you –"

"I need to go." There was a hardness in his voice that startled her, something wet and sharp and broken that was not to be argued with. "And so do you."

"But –" Before she could finish, he leapt again, farther and faster than she'd ever seen him jump. She watched him disappear into the horizon of buildings, and Manon took her hand. "Is he okay, Marinette?"

"I – I don't know. But Ladybug will make it better."

"She will. Ladybug always makes it better." There was a brightness to Manon's voice that made Marinette's heart ache. She has no idea what she just did, does she? "Do we need to go home now?"

"Yeah, Manon. We need to get home."

"You really can't find him?" Ladybug bit her lip, and Chat reminded himself for the tenth time in as many minutes to focus and not think about how absolutely adorable she was when she was worried. "You haven't seen him anywhere?"

"I'm sorry, M'lady, but I've had no luck." Adrien shook his head and gave her a concerned look. "Are you absolutely sure that there's something wrong?"

"Absolutely." She had called and explained that she had seen the Mantis jumping off upset, had found a place to transform to follow him, but he had vanished too fast for her to follow. He had even managed to turn off his locator, which left them searching the city by hand for their ally and friend. And while Chat did agree the situation seemed odd, he wasn't sure that he hadn't just been in a hurry and dropped his transformation. But Ladybug seemed too confident for that to be the case. What could she have possibly seen?

"Alright, Bugaboo. I'll keep looking. But Paris is enormous, and he could be anywhere."

"I know. He's not answering his phone either. Just please try and find him."

"I'm dong my best." Adrien hung up and glanced around the area he was in, then leapt to another rooftop and repeated the process. What cold have spooked him this bad that Ladybug is this worried? Not that she doesn't worry normally, but – oh! Chat's feline senses caught a hint of familiar olive green and brown on the very edge of the horizon, and he smiled grimly. There he is.

Using his staff, he rapidly made his way toward it and was pleased to find it was indeed the back of the Black Mantis sitting leaned up against an air unit and almost completely obscured from view. On his approach, the hero started from his spot with incredible speed, but quickly calmed when he saw who had joined him. "Ah, it's just you. Hello, Chat."

"Hey, buddy. Couldn't wait for tonight's patrol?" Taking a step forward, he saw two small streaks on his friend's cheeks. "Have you been crying?"

"No!" The Mantis turned away, his voice hard, then paused and let it drop again. "Maybe."

"You okay? Stupid question. Of course you're not okay. Ladybug saw you running by really upset."

"Yeah, well…" they both let the sentence hang in the air unfinished, until Black Mantis managed a sigh. "I'm alright."

"Liar. You cat fool me, you know." This earned a weak chuckle, and Adrien responded by doing something he had learned from Marinette – he quickly gave his friend a strong hug. He was surprised to hear a grunt of pain as he did so, but remained there for a moment before pulling away. "Are you hurt?"

"Yes, but not from today. I'm still mending from Breakdancer – and Stargazer – and Deadbeat – Good gravy, I do take the brunt end of a lot, don't I?" He attempted a laugh, and seemed surprised that Chat didn't join in. "What?"

"You're trying to change the subject."

"Am I?" The Manti gave his most innocent smile, then dropped it. "I guess I am."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Adrien put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, and watched as the green-clad hero's shoulders slumped in defeat. "I'll take it as a yes."

"Staffe is telling me it's either you or Ladybug. I think I'd rather talk to you – I don't think she'll be quite as miffed."

"Why do you think she'd be upset?"

"Well…" As his ally sat down recounted the events of the afternoon, Adrien listed in a mixture of surprise and empathetic pain. Ladybug was right. He really did have it bad. What an awful woman. As he finished, he slid a hand over andgripped his. "Geez, Mantis, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. Gosh, I feel terrible though. Because I got a little anxious at the idea of being on a stage, I let a seven-year old jump in front of me and put herself in harm's way. And I was the one who told her that heroes are the ones who do something even when they're scared. I'm such an idiot."

"It's true though, isn't it?" Adrien bit his lips as he saw tears beginning to form again, and tried desperately to quell them. "She really was a hero for you. Gosh, if I could get a seven year old to do that for me, I'd be in heaven."

"That's not the point! She was in danger because of me."

"She wasn't really ever in danger, buddy. Not to mention you were there. And she did it because she cared about you, like Ladybug and I do. It sounds to me like you have a pretty big fan in a pint-sized package."

"Do you two think of me as a sidekick?"

"Huh?" Chat glanced at the Mantis, who was staring at his hands. "No, of course not. We're a team, the three of us. Why would you even think that?"

"Just something that Dreamer said." The Mantis shrugged and let off a mirthless chuckle. "Gosh, she was a real jerk, wasn't she? Freaking Americans."

"They're not all bad. Southern fried chicken is one of the best things ever."

"That is because you're a cat, and anything with the word 'chicken' in it makes you salivate."

"Do you ex-peck-t any better?" Chat grinned as he drew a real chuckle this time. "See, you're already doing better."

"No, not really. But wordplay – I have a real weakness for wordplay."

"So do the rooster us, even if Bugaboo won't admit it."

"Hey, that one was fowl."

"Sorry about that. I just don't want you getting bird." Both boys laughed, and Chat squeezed his hand again. "So, stage fright?"

"Yeah. A lot of stuff makes me anxious, but cameras and stages are two of the worst. I hate the idea of having so many eyes on me, of being watched. It's manageable when we're just patrolling because I can just focus on my job. But interviews and planned public appearances?" The Mantis shook his head. "They stress me out terribly."

"No wonder you always vanish so quickly after an Akuma attack."

"Yeah, I really try to keep a low profile." Adrien shot him a smile, and they both stared out over the city horizon for a moment. "I should probably message LB, tell her you found me and I'm doing okay."

"Probably." He watched the Mantis stand, stretch, and languidly pop a blade so he could contact their partner, and Adrien couldn't help but tease. "You know, for a mantis-themed hero you sure have a lot of cat in you."

"You think so?" The olive-clad boy beamed as he held the knife to his ear. "I think that's the best compliment I've ever received."

"It is? Well, I –" He paused as the Mantis' face went slack. "What's wrong?"

The look he received made his heart freeze. "Ladybug's in trouble. At the Eiffel Tower."

Rothan was a blur as he cleared the last few buildings and skidded to a stop. As he looked over the space that contained the monument he was so accustomed to visiting, he caught a flash of scarlet, then pink, and pointed to the base of the tower. "There!"

Chat was right beside him as he surveyed the scene. "That's where you said Dreamer would be performing tonight, right? And it looks like the stage is destroyed."

"Yeah." Rothan was grim – his gut told him who they would be facing, though he would have no idea what the Akumatized pop star would be capable of until he got closer. "We've got to get down there and help."

"Already on it!" Grabbing Rothan by the chest and drawing an involuntary yelp of pain, Chat extended his staff out to full length to rocket the boys across the skyline and into the fray. From what he could tell, there were about two dozen pedestrians about just bobbing their heads and hollering for no apparent reason, but the main attraction their partner fighting this new villain that Hawkmoth had sent their way.

As Chat snarled, Rothan extended both blades and took a ready stance to gauge this newcomer. Ladybug's opponent was garishly pink, the color of cotton candy and sugar hearts that made his tongue numb with raw, unappetizing sweetness. He made a face, then raised both his scythes and his voice. "Hey, Dreamer! Remember me?"

The supervillain screamed to a halt in the middle of an attack, and gave him a long, hard look. "So, the Mantis makes his appearance. Did you finally think it might be appropriate to show up?"

"Shut up," He growled in reply as he stared her down. "You think you're a star? That's all you'll be seeing when we're through with you."

The woman began to reply but was cut off as she blocked one of Ladybug's attacks, giving Rothan the chance to lunge in with a flying kick which she only just parried. Chat was right behind him, and the three of them engaged in a strange and deadly dance, her speed a surprising match for their own. After a few minutes of fierce dueling, they both sprung away and landed to each side of Ladybug, who was whirling her yoyo and trying to find an opening. "her name is Pastel Pink," she explained as she dodged a beam that had been launched from the villain's weapon. "And I think the Akuma is in that thing she's holding. It looks suspiciously like a microphone, don't you think?"

"Good eye, M'lady." Chat ducked a similar shot and prepared for another strike. "So what now? She's pretty good at hand-to-hand combat."

"Don't let her beams hit you – I think they're some sort of mind-control ray. Other than that, I'm still figuring it out."

"No Lucky Charm?" Rothan hummed to himself in surprise. "Too soon in the fight, I guess."

"I want to make sure we've seen all that she can do before we commit to a plan of attack." She glanced at him and offered a brief smile. "I'm glad to see you're okay."

"I'll be even better once we give this lady what she's asking for." Stepping in front, he spun and parried another attack, sending it spiraling into the atmosphere. "I've about had it with this woman."

"Oh, Mantis," The lady snarled as she stretched out a hand and made a 'come hither' gesture towards him. "Why won't you come and join me?"

"Because I'm not going to play accessory for your publicity stunt?" He scoffed as he brandished his weapons at her. "Why don't you go annoy someone else?"

"Because Pastel Pink only gets the best. And the best is you." Reaching into a pouch at her side, she retrieved and flung a glob of pink goo at the three heroes, who just dived out of the way. Chat looked startled as he glanced at the strange substance. "What is that?"

"Bubblegum!" Ladybug dodged another blast and made a face. "It looks sticky too, try to not get caught in it."

"Hawkmoth must have a sense of humor." Rothan shook his head at the other two, who just stared. "Bubblegum Pop? Come on, surely I'm not the only one."

As Chat chuckled at this revelation, Pastel Pink glared at the three heroes. "You think that's funny, hmm? We'll see who's laughing when I get my hands on those Miraculous of yours." Then she paused as she glanced over their shoulders, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "Maybe you'd be more inclined to listen after I've dealt with other matters."

Rothan cocked his head and glanced behind him, and his eyes went wide. On the edge of the plaza he could see Nadja Chamack watching the battle with her eyes wide, apparently not having been made aware of its occurrence. And with her was a familiar girl with brown pigtails, who was shaking behind her leg. Manon!

The villain cackled as she raised her microphone toward the pair, and Nadja grabbed her daughter and turned to run. "Why don't you come and join us, you two? We'll just have a blast."

Ladybug gasped and flung her yoyo to stop the woman, but it was blocked by her other hand, and she fired off the shot towards the two of them. For a moment, Rothan was still, unable to breathe, as he watched the arc of pink light. He heard a shout of fear, a cry for help, but his muscles seemed locked in place as the bolt flew and collided with Manon's mother, who just managed to shield her from the blow. As the news anchor began to walk toward the villain, Pastel just shook her head and gave the three heroes a dark, sultry wink. "A shame I missed. The next time she won't be so lucky."

Chat responded by charging at the villain, swinging his staff and moving in perfect sync with Ladybug to create a counter-offensive. While she blocked their attacks, the feline glanced over his shoulder at their ally. "Earth to Mantis! We could use a hand!"

Rothan gasped and realized he hadn't been breathing for a moment, then nodded. But rather than leaping into the fray, he lunged at Manon, who was similarly frozen in place and staring at her mother, who was slowly walking away. "Hey! Hey, are you alright?"

He received a mute nod, and he picked up the girl and cradled her close to his chest. "I'll get your mum back to normal. But first we have to get you safe, okay?" Another mute nod against his chest, and he prepared for a leap.

"Mantis, look out!" He whipped his head around at Ladybug's scream, and was just in time to see – and feel – a bolt of pink energy crash into his back. With a grunt he stumbled forward, almost dropping the child he was holding, and felt a wave of thoughts crash over him. Wouldn't it be nice to just set her down and walk toward Dreamer? Easier, even? Vaguely, he could hear a voice in his head screaming for his attention, but it seemed so irrelevant that it hardly mattered. It would all be fine, he was sure…

Wait. Rothan felt a familiar ball of hard energy in his abdomen, something small and dangerous, just itching to be let out. Something angry. Something powerful. He blinked once, twice, and it was like rose-colored lenses fell from his eyes and a mist cleared from his mind for just a moment. What am I doing? What is this?

The voice seemed to hiss in his head, beseeching, pleading for him to just set the girl down and leave her, to walk to the pop star, but somewhere in the distance he could hear a cold, vile laugh, and he knew something was wrong. He could feel it deep within him, a tiny warning to him, and he heard the voice more clearly now – Rothan, stop! You must focus! Wake yourself from this dream! Rothan!

Something shattered, and a wave of anger washed over the boy as he realized what had occurred. Gently, he set Manon down as he seethed internally, and he tapped her head. "Go, hide. And no matter what happens, don't move."

She nodded mutely and darted off, and Rothan spun around with a snarl. All three of them seemed shocked as he raised a blade toward the woman. "You're going to pay for that. Show's over, Pastel Pink."

The villain seemed to shake off her stunned demeanor a bit quicker, and leered at the boy. "Is that so? Well, I guess that means it's time for my final number."

Rothan's only reply was a shout of wordless fury as he flew over the pavement, his Mantis abilities taking him to top speed in seconds. Despite his rage, his mind was surprisingly clear as he crashed into the battle, and as he cleaved through a wad of gum flying toward him he was able to manage to speak to the Kwamii seated in his mind. "What was that?"

I imagine it was the same trick you pulled on Hawkmoth – your volatile emotions seem to make you highly resistant to mental manipulation. A sort of psionic dissonance, I suppose.

"Good to know," he muttered as he ducked another blast, then winced as he heard a familiar chime from his gloves. "That's not good."

It looks like that little trick took what little energy the two of us had left, just as though you had used your Will of the Mantis. We need to wrap this up, and quickly.

Rothan nodded back and glanced at Ladybug, who was using her yoyo to simultaneously block Dreamer's sticky gum attacks and her hypnotized minions. "Hey, we could use something to work with!"

Chat nodded and spun his weapon to deflect a beam of light. "I'll cover, you use that Lucky Charm of yours, M'lady."

Ladybug nodded and raised her yoyo, and out of the sky fell – "Are these firecrackers? What are we supposed to do with this?"

"Make a distraction." Rothan grinned as he blocked a swinging fist. "Chat, cover for me!" The two heroes switched places, and Ladybug began to fend off attacks as he glanced at the contents of the box. Firework mines? Perfect." Any chance we could light this thing up?"

"Aren't you the one who is supposed to have the pouches full of useful stuff?" Ladybug protested as she glanced at him over the shoulder.

"Do I look like I carry a lighter?"

"On it!" Chat tossed his staff, and Rothan raised a hand to catch it. Emerging from the metal pole was a small flame, and he grinned. "Let's blow this popsicle stand!"

"And what do you think you're doing?" Rothan jumped as a pink face leered in front of him, and he clutched the crate of fireworks to him as he leapt away. He grinned as he noticed a patch of gum right by her feet and gave Ladybug a knowing look. She nodded and began to advance and trying to push the woman to the side and into the gooey substance. "You really think your pathetic attacks will work against me?"

Jeez, she is a piece of work. Rothan smiled grimly as Ladybug forced her slowly backwards, until she was nearly in the pink ooze, and then with a heavy throw of her yoyo she had stepped in good and proper. "She's all yours, boys!"

"Fire in the hole!" Rothan lit the box and dropped it where he stood, the leapt away, tackling a hypnotized civilian to safety as he went. "Take cover!"

"What? I can't move – my feet!" Pastel Pink shrieked in alarm and anger as she realized what had happened. "NO!"

The resulting blast was deafening, a cacophony of thunder that shook the very ground Rothan was lying on, head covered to protect from errant crackers. It even managed to tear Pastel Pink from her own goo and send her flying and tumbling until she rolled to a stop, completely discombobulated and unable to move. As she groaned, Chat rose, saw her condition, and took full advantage of the situation to place a Cataclysm into her microphone, releasing the butterfly trapped within. "Looks like the gig is up, Pastel Pink!"

Ladybug grinned and flung her yoyo to capture the Akuma, then launched it into the air. "Perfect work you two. Miraculous Ladybug!"

As her magic washed over the area and undid the damage from their battle, and Julie Dreamer rolled over from where she was laying and started bawling, Rothan turned to face the sky and gasped for breath. His ears were still ringing, but the effect slowly faded and after a moment he was able to sit up and crack a smile. "Thank goodness we didn't blow it."

"Yeah, but at least we made a blasting impression." Chat quipped as he walked over and helped his friend to his feet. "You were fire back there, man."

"Alright, you two. Enough with the firework puns." Ladybug shook her head and put a hand on each shoulder, gently turning the pair to point out a small brunette hugging her mother tightly. "That was one heck of a move you pulled there, Mantis."

"Thanks." Rothan gave her a tired smile as his gloves chirped out their final warning. "But I guess it took more out of me than I realized. I have to get going."

"Then go, buddy." Chat smiled at him and winked. "I'll tell your young friend you said hi."

"Thanks. Patrol tonight?"

"If you feel up to it. Make sure to get some rest." Ladybug squeezed his shoulder. "Now get out of here."

Rothan nodded and leapt as hard and far as he could, putting as much distance as he could between himself and his partners before he had to transform. As he rolled into an alley that was lit up by his flash of greenish light, Staffe floated up and nearly collapsed. "That was exhausting."

"I'm sorry, buddy."

"It's alright. You did good out there today."

"Thanks. We'd better get home and fuel up."

The Kwamii quirked an eyebrow. "Oh? What's the rush? Ladybug said that we could take the night off."

Rothan bit the inside of his check and gave his partner a serious look. "First off, I never take a night off. And second, there's something that I have to do patrol tonight that can't wait any longer than it absolutely has to."

Marinette slipped up into her room after helping clean up dinner and sighed as she glanced at the darkening sky. What an exhausting day. And I have patrol in an hour as well - I'd better sleep well tonight after working myself this hard. Biting her lip, she grabbed a textbook so she could study for the little time she had before duty called. I hope Mantis decides to stay home tonight. Not that I wouldn't mind making sure he's all right, but he look ragged after that fight with Pastel Pink today. He needs to get some rest.

"You've got that look again." Tikki flew up onto the desk beside her homework with a macaron and sat down, watching her partner's face. "The one that says you're worrying about someone."

"I'm just thinking about the Mantis. He's been so tired and sore lately for – for a lot of reasons." She looked away, unable to vocalize her anxiety but knowing the Kwamii would understand. "The last thing we need is for him to push himself to the point that he makes himself sick."

"He is capable of taking care of himself, you know. You don't need to worry about him or Chat all the time."

"I know he is. But 'can' and 'will' are two very different things. He's so headstrong and stubborn, and he absolutely refuses to rest unless he has to."

"He takes his responsibilities very seriously. That's a good quality to have in a Miraculous holder." Tikki set a hand on Marinette's and offered a small smile. "Besides, he has Staffe watching out for him too, and this Lady Lapis figure. He'll be okay."

"I still need to talk with him about that." Marinette grumbled as she tried to focus on her history homework. "I don't mind having another Guardian in the city, but I'd really like to meet her."

"You two should really meet and have a long talk about things," Tikki agreed as she nibbled her sweet, then started as a loud thump came from the ceiling. "What was that?"

"Chat must be stopping by.," Marinette hissed as she glanced upwards. "Quick, Tikki, hide!"

The Kwamii darted into the desk below her and Marinette hid the remains of her snack and tried to look busy. But to her surprise, rather than the black cat barging in unannounced, there was a gentle knock at the balcony door. That's… unlike him. What has him so polite? "It's unlocked! You can come in."

The door creaked open and a shock of brown hair peeked in and glanced around. "Marinette? Are you here?" Then he swiveled his head and saw her, and gave a small smile. "Oh! Hello – you look like you were expecting someone else."

"Black Mantis!" She gasped in shock, then collected herself. "I was – I mean, usually, it's Chat Noir that comes to visit me from the balcony."

"Is it now?" The hero mused on this as he slipped in the door. "I suppose it would have been easier to ask him then – Rather than try and find your address online, I mean. That's how I figured out where you live."

"Alya isn't exactly great at keeping my whereabouts a secret," the blunette agreed as she eyed the Mantis, who had his hands hidden even as he shut the door behind him. "Why are you here, exactly?"

"I, well, uh…" Suddenly he looks mildly bashful as he searched for the right words. "I wanted to apologize for this afternoon. I know I probably made it a lot more stressful than you were anticipating, and I –" He paused as a faint giggle escaped Marinette's lips. "What? Did I say something?"

"You don't have to apologize. Manon had a lot of fun, and you were careful and courteous. Don't get me wrong, it certainly had me rattled at first, but you were absolutely fine. If anything, I should be apologizing about Manon interrupting her while you were patrolling."

"Oh! Well, I didn't really mind that either." The Mantis rubbed the back of his neck and grinned. "To be honest, I wasn't doing that much patrolling anyways."

"Oh." They both stood in awkward silence for a moment before she realized that he was still hiding his hands. "What are you holding?"

"Well, um, I thought to make up this afternoon to you I'd bring something sweet. I wasn't sure what to bring, because I don't know if you have any allergies or anything…" He trailed off, struggled for words, and then pulled out a small box. "But I figured maybe fresh taffy would be okay. Is that alright?"

Marinette heard a tiny squeal from inside her desk, too quiet for the hero to hear, and grinned. Standing up, she walked over and gently took the box from his hands. "That sounds perfect. Thank you so much."

He replied with a relieved grin and nodded. "Hopefully it tastes okay."

"Don't you want to stay and see for yourself?"

"No, I couldn't possibly –" His protests were halted when a sticky piece of candy was shoved in his mouth, and Marinette giggled as he chewed thoughtfully. "Hmm. Could have used a little more salt, but otherwise it's pretty good."

She popped a piece into her mouth as well and grinned. "I don't know what you're talking about. This is great."

The Mantis smiled and shrugged. "I'm glad you think so. Anyways, I don't want to keep you from – that." He gestured at the homework and made a face that evoked another giggle. "And I've got patrol with LB and Chat here in an hour or so. You don't think he'll mind too much that I dropped by, will you? I know he can be a jealous kitten."

"He'll be fine." Marinette waved a hand with affection. "And if he's not, I'll talk some sense into him when he comes running here protesting that he's been mistreated."

"That sounds exactly like Chat." The Mantis grinned at the mental image she had invoked. "He's a complete dork, that one."

"He is." Marinette returned the smile and put a hand on his shoulder. "And if you ever need someone to talk to, my balcony is open to you just like it is to Chat. Ladybug trusted me with the Mouse Miraculous once, you know."

"I did not." The brown-haired boy hummed to himself as he considered this. "I'll keep it in mind."

"Good." She opened her arms, and after a brief moment of hesitation the Mantis reached in and gave her a quick hug. "Take care of yourself."

"I'll do my best." He opened the door, offered a wave, and smiled. "Good eve, and fare thee well." And with a quick nod, he bounded into the dusk.

As soon as he was far enough that she felt it was safe, she closed the door and opened her desk drawer. Tikki immediately zipped out and into the small box of candies she was holding with a grin. "He's the best!"

"You like anyone who brings sweets, Tikki." Marinette grinned and poked her partner in the head, drawing a giggle from the little Kwamii. "It was rather odd of him to drop by."

"He felt bad that he made you worry. If I had to guess, you're going to hear a similar apology from him on patrol tonight."

"Well, if I do he's going to get the same response. He has nothing to apologize for." The blunette shook her head fondly and removed a candy from her partner's hands. "But speaking of patrol, we probably should get ready to go. I'm too distracted to work on schoolwork right now anyways."

"You might even run into the Mantis early and be able to talk to him." Tikki smiled back at her and floated out of the box. "We can have sweets later though, right?"

"As if I could keep you out of them." Marinette giggled and set the box away for the time being. "They are pretty fantastic, aren't they?"

"I can't tell – you won't let me have one!" The Kwamii gave her a fake pout, which only made Marinette laugh even more. "Well, if you're to going to change your mind, there's no reason to stick around here."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Marinette winked and grinned at her partner. "Tikki, spots on!"

So the Mantis has paid Marinette a visit. Is that a good thing? Or will it come back to bite him in the butt later? Only time will tell. He's done a decent job of controlling that temper of his too, but its only a matter of time before something blows...

I miscounted when I edited up my last story - there's actually only two stories left until the exciting two-part episode that will mark the end of this arc. It's all starting to come together, and the Miraculous Trio isn't going to know what hit them. Mwahahaha :)

Be sure to keep an eye out next Wednesday for the next episode. 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!