I'm on time! Only barely, but I'm on time. Sorry it's so late in the day - I'm hoping to slowly get back to an earlier posting time, but I got hammered by insomnia mid-week and it left me pretty drained.

Yesterday was Pastel Pink, today is a day off. But with the Akuma coming thick and fast lately, our heroes don't expect it to stay quiet for long. Meantimes, Hawkmoth's new allies are taking a more active role in getting those villains on the streets. And Rothan is accepting that there is business to take care of that comes with his new powers, a meeting of sorts with his mysterious benefactor...

Heads up! The full title of this episode is "A Touch of Magic! (Return of the Magician of Misfortune)" Doesn't all fit in the chapter title.

Rothan hummed to himself as he leapt from building to building, enjoying the way the morning seemed to soak into his skin as he made his way across the skyline of Paris. While he had to keep his full focus for patrols, lest he miss a civilian in danger, he was under no such obligation to do so on his way to school, and now that he knew his route by heart he would often let his mind wander or even go completely blank as he ambled his way to classes. On days like today it was especially welcome, as it gave him time to collect his thoughts when they were as scattered as they were.

Staffe was also thankful for the mental silence, as he could tell from his matching psionic buzz of pleasure somewhere deep within his mind as the Kwamii dozed. He was almost loath to wake him, but as he dropped into the alley behind the school unseen, he accepted that he would have to do so and released his transformation, reverting from a mantis-themed hero to a regular civilian of Paris. As his small green partner floated up and rubbed his eyes, the brunette bit his lip. "Sorry."

"Don't be. I shouldn't have napped while you were transformed." Staffe waved a hand and perched on his shoulder. "You wanted to talk about something?"

"How could you tell?"

"We're linked psionically in your mind. I can always tell."

Rothan blushed as the thought about the not-so-friendly words that occasionally floated through his mind. "That's good to know."

"Oh, relax. You haven't thought anything that I haven't heard before. Now, what is it you wanted to discuss?"

"I want to meet with Lady Lapis."

Staffe paused and then turned to look at his partner. "Haven't we had this conversation? It's not safe for you to know Lady Lapis' identity. She's been very clear on that subject."

"I never said I wanted to know her identity."

"Then why –" The small green Kwamii rolled his eyes as he realized where this was going. "Oh bother. This doesn't have anything to do with last night, does it?"

"Maybe." Rothan bit his cheek and shrugged. "It's not like Ladybug was wrong, exactly – I know nothing about her. And it's not like I don't trust her; after all, she's the one who brought us together."

"Then why? What need do you have to talk to her?"

"Because I have questions that only she can answer. Why did she wait so long before joining in the fight against Hawkmoth? How long has she been in Paris? Are there other Guardians like her that I should be worried about? Has she learned anything about these weird occurrences that have been going along aside the Akuma? Does she have any new information on the missing Miraculous?" He made a wild, wordless gesture, then took a deep breath to calm himself. "We need to sit down, talk, and get on the same page. That way, if something does go wrong, we're prepared and not regretting not doing it sooner.

Staffe opened his mouth to protest, but after a moment of consideration closed it again. "I suppose you're not wrong. You two will have to meet at some point, and the longer we wait the more risk we're inadvertently taking."

Rothan nodded. "Then you'll let me call her?"

"If I must. It's waiting until after school, though."

"Staffe, come on," Rothan whined but was met with a stern look and sighed. "Fine. You'd better get settled in my bag then so we can go in."

Staffe nodded and zipped into the satchel to get comfortable. Once he started shifting about, Rothan put on a smile and slipped around to the front, offering a wave to Alix as he went. She returned it and he ducked in the front gates and found a quiet corner in the courtyard to write. Being unusually early today, he was happy to sit and watch as students meandered into the courtyard, finding friends and making conversations. People-watching had become a particularly fond hobby of his over the years, especially as he had become quieter and more reclusive, and he found that fascinating stories often generated themselves when he let his imagination wander.

As he studied a particularly interesting set of students a grade or two younger, he felt a presence sit down next to him and glanced over to see a smiling blonde face. "Good morning, Lyra. You're here awfully early."

"My parents let me off the morning shift since I ended up working late last night. How are you doing?"

"I'm having a good day so far. A little scattered, I suppose, but on the whole not too bad."

"Oh?" Lyra's eyes contained a touch of concern as she examined his face. "Is everything all right?"

"Just have a lot on my mind. Nothing to worry about." Rothan made a dismissive gesture and smiled, and she seemed relieved. "Do you have your science notes by chance? It would probably do me good to compare yours to mine, seeing as how I barely understand what we're doing in class."

"Sure thing." Lyra retrieved a small, spiral-bound notebook and handed to him, then watched as he retrieved the white binder he took all of his notes in and began to pour over the two documents. "Oh! You're not going to believe what I saw last night as I was wrapping up my shift."

"And that is?" Rothan replied absently as he ran his finger across the paper he was studying.

"The Black Mantis!"

This caught his attention, and he looked up in surprise. Doing his best to keep a straight face, he asked, "Really? Did he come in or something?"

"Nah, just passed by. I think he was on his way home from patrol with Ladybug and Chat. Do you think maybe he lives close by?"

"Probably not," Rothan lied as he cursed his lack of caution. I'm going to have to be more careful. "There's a lot of Paris beyond where you and I live, you know."

"I suppose that's true. But you should keep an eye out for him now. You said once that you'd love to have one of the resident superheroes drop in sometime, and he strikes me as the kind of guy who might stop for a late-night snack."

Well, yeah, there'd be a reason for that. "I'll be sure to do that."

Lyra nodded and put a tired head on his shoulder. "Is it alright if I take a nap here for a bit? I'm still a bit tired from last night."

"How late did your parents keep you up?" When the only response was a sleepy giggle, he sighed good-naturedly. "I'll wake you when class is about to start."

"Thanks." After a minute Rothan could hear her breathing even out and he hummed to himself in content as he continued to peruse the two sets of notes he had. Luckily they were tucked away enough that they avoided too many prying eyes, but that didn't stop Kim from sending him a pointed grin and Alya nearly squealing when she and Marinette arrived. A pointed look and shooing gesture was enough to dissuade both of them, but he got a distinct impression that there would be a week's worth of texts coming his way from the brunette.

As promised, when classes came close to starting Rothan woke Lyra up and they headed up the stairs and to their room to mingle. On their arrival, however, he was mildly surprised to see Jean Duparc talking up a storm with his regular friend group, excited and animated about a topic unknown. "Hoy, all. What did we miss?"

"There you two are." Alya gave him a not-so-subtle wink and Rothan rolled his eyes. "Jean was just telling us some exciting news on his way to class."

"Yeah!" The dark-haired boy grinned and showed Rothan a small letter, which he quickly perused and returned. "I got invited to perform as part of a talent contest on the KIDZ network. If things go well, I could perform at a live show they're holding this winder!"

"That's awesome." Lyra grinned at this news, while Rothan nodded and offered a smile. "I hope you do well."

"Thanks. I'll have to miss class tomorrow for it, which stinks, but I've gotten a leave of absence from Mr. Damocles so I should be good to go."

Chloé snort from the corner and rolled her eyes. "That's great, you get to perform for some baby show for kids. I'll be you blow it, too."

Jean turned crimson, and Rothan shot the blonde a heated glance. "Why don't you mind your own business for once, Chloé? Don't listen to her, Jean; she's just jealous that she's not in the spotlight."

"Am not!" Standing up, Chloé tried to stare the brunette down, but he just grimaced and rolled his eyes, refusing to make contact. "You little –"

"Alright, everyone, settle down." Mrs. Buster popped into the room at just the right moment and watched as her students quickly made her way to their seats. "Good. Jean, you'd better be getting to class too. Last thing you need is detention. And congratulations on getting on Who's Got Talent. I'm sure you'll do well."

"Thanks." Jean grinned back and darted out of the room, and Rothan watched him through the window as he hurried off to his classroom. Silently, he retrieved a pencil nub from his bag and opened his binder to a blank page, then handed the writing implements to Lyra, who was giving him a pointed look. She took them and quickly scribbled a note – Stop antagonizing her.

This drew another eyeroll, this one mildly amused. Grabbing a pen for himself, he replied, Why? It's not like I said anything not true, obviously.

Don't forget her dad is one of the most powerful men in Paris.

Meh.

Meh?

You saw what I wrote. Rothan grinned as Lyra held back a snort of laughter before he continued. What's she going to do, sic the police on me? Idle threats don't scare me.

I'm not sure you know what she's capable of.

Don't worry about me. I'll watch my own back. He shot her a wink, and she shook her head and turned her attention back to the lecture, amused. Rothan hummed to himself with a chuckle, then put his head down and tried to focus on his work the best he could. It was difficult, considering a different conversation on his mind, but with a sigh he set himself to task. If only Staffe had let me call earlier. Oh well. Classes will be over soon enough.

Marinette sighed as she nibbled at the end of her pencil, staring at her sketchbook and hoping that something would jar her out of her creative block. It had been a quiet day so far, which she was thankful for, but the recent swarm of Akumas, combined with her lack of restful sleep, had been making it hard to find the inspiration to design fashion pieces that were up to her standard. Setting the book down, she stood and stretched, then went to the window and stared out across the city. She and Chat had patrolled that afternoon, but the Mantis hadn't shown, and she was worried that yesterday's fight with Pastel Pink had taken more from him than he let on – if not physically, then emotionally. When she had caught up with him the night before as Ladybug, he had been more subdued than normal, but had been open to discussing what little he knew about the enigmatic Lady Lapis. "Tikki, do you think it's odd that he doesn't know anything about this Lapis person except hearsay?"

"Why? You didn't know about Master Fu for a long time after you received your Miraculous." Tikki was sucking on a piece of taffy as she rested on the chaise, and she hummed as she rose to meet her partner. "If Lady Lapis hasn't met with the Mantis in person yet, I'm sure she has a good reason for doing so."

Marinette shrugged and bit her lip. "I guess. I'm just a little worried about her. If she's allied herself with Hawkmoth, or she's a third party with her own motives, she could be a big threat to the rest of us."

"If she was, I think we would have had trouble from the Mantis by now." Tikki put a hand on her shoulder, and offered a small smile. "I have my reservations too, Marinette. But I think we can trust her, just like we can trust the Black Mantis."

"If you say so." Marinette sighed and put her head to the window, then paused as she thought she saw a shape moving on the skyline towards her. "Is that – Oh!"

"Is Chat coming to pay you a visit?"

"It looks like it." Two superheroes in two days? That's certainly odd. "You'd better hide before he gets here."

"Okay. If you need anything else, let me know." Tikki darted off and into her dresser drawer as Marinette turned from the window and did her best to clean up any traces of either Adrien or her secret identity. Just as she was finishing up, the balcony door creaked open and she heard a small whine from outside. "Princess? Where are you?"

"I'm coming, silly." Marinette went over and poked her head outside to see Chat looking at her with the most petulant, indignant eyes she'd seen from him in a while. "Oh, what is it now?"

"You've been inviting strangers into your room."

"Is that what this is about?" Marinette grinned back at him and opened the door fully so he could saunter in. "You're upset that I had company last night, and he brought me gifts?"

"Gifts?" Chat pouted at her as he walked by. "It sounds like you're replacing me, Princess."

"I'm not replacing you, silly. Are you jealous of a little mantis?" She poked his nose and giggled when he made a face. "Come on now, you're not irritated at me, are you?"

"I guess not." Her black-outfitted visitor made himself comfy on her chaise and rolled onto his back, shooting her a lazy smile that turned to a playful frown when she ignored him and went back to her desk. "Where are you going?"

"I'm not sure jealous kitties need attention," Marinette teased in reply, knowing he was glaring at her across the room.

"Come sit with me!" When that received no response, he got up and started poking her in the back as she rummaged through her drawers. "Mari. Mari. Mari."

"Someone is needy tonight."

"I'm not needy! Marinette!" When she giggled at his whining, he sighed. "Fine. I am not jealous of Black Mantis. Happy?"

"Very."

"Good. Now come sit with me." Marinette was only barely able to get one of her textbooks before he pulled her back across the room, and she gasped in surprise as she plopped down beside him and glared. He didn't seem to mind, however, as he squirmed and got comfortable again with his head in her lap.

The blunette rolled her eyes good-naturedly and began to run her fingers through his hair, eliciting a soft purr from the blonde. "Better?"

"Much."

They both sat in silence for a while, Marinette humming to herself while she studied and Chat dozing in her lap. From time to time he would adjust and sigh, and she couldn't help but feel a deep calmness as she focused on he schoolwork. As difficult as it was sometimes to have Chat over, it was relaxing to have him with her, even if he wasn't aware of her true identity, and she could tell that he felt the same. Maybe I should have both him and the Mantis over at the same time. At the very least, that would maybe calm him down about the Mantis coming to visit a little.

"Hey Princess?"

"What's up, Chat?"

"So I have this friend, and I think something is bothering her."

"How so?"

"Well, they just look tired, and I keep seeing their lights on late at night. I guess I'm just worried that something is bothering them, and they're not getting enough sleep."

"Maybe she just needs someone to talk to about it. You should try being direct, and just asking them what's wrong."

"Okay." Suddenly Chat rolled over in her lap and stared at her with big, questioning eyes. Marinette stared at him in surprise until she realized what he was implying, then turned a light pink. "What?"

"Nothing, I just thought you were talking about someone else." She tried to push herself up but failed when Chat squirmed his way more firmly into her lap, ensuring that she was good and trapped. "I'm fine, kitty, really."

"You're lying." His voice was surprisingly soft as he reached over and took her hand. "It's fine. We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I just thought."

"Oh, Chat. It's not that I don't want to talk about it." Not technically a lie. But how do I tell him about this when I'm not Ladybug? "I just – I can't –" She made a wild gesture and looked back down at him, embarrassed. "I don't know. I guess I'm not ready yet, is all."

"Alright." Chat gave her hand a soft squeeze. "But if you need anything, you know I'm here, right?"

"I know." After a moment of hesitation, she reached over and gave him a quick hug, making that familiar rumble build in his chest again. Then she followed it by blowing a raspberry into his chest, to which he leapt up and yowled in alarm. She laughed and stood up as he jumped away and made a face. "That's what you get for holding me hostage."

There was a loud whump as he responded by jumping on top of her and knocking her backwards over the chaise, and she giggled as he stood over her, purring like an over-eager kitten. "And that's what you get for teasing me, Princess," he chided, batting at her nose with one paw. "You'll think twice before opposing the mighty hunter aga—"

The rest of his boasting was cut short as Marinette reached up and found his favorite spot, right behind his ears, and he slumped over with a happy hum. She giggled again as she pushed herself to a sitting position and tapped his nose right back. "Mighty hunter, my foot."

"No fair," he whined, a noise that was dampened by the unmistakable rumble that roared out of him. "You cheated."

Before Marinette could protest, she heard a voice from downstairs call out. "Honey? Is everything all right up there?"

She froze for a split second before replying. "Yeah! Just tripped is all. You now me, always clumsy!"

"Okay. It's not that long until dinner."

"Sounds good, maman." She waited until the sound of her mother's footsteps faded and faked a glare at Chat. "You nearly got me in trouble."

"It's not my fault you antagonized the king of beasts."

"It's not my fault you jumped on top of me, either." She huffed and tried to squirm out from underneath the giant cat in her lap. "I have half a mind to not let you in here next time."

"You wouldn't do that. You like me too much." Chat batted his eyes at her pitifully. "I'm babey."

Marinette was not moved. "I might even invite that Mantis fellow back."

Chat gasped in horror. "You wouldn't."

"I would. What's more, I might even give him head scratches."

"Traitor!" Chat popped up and glared right into her face, eliciting another giggle from Marinette. "You did that just to get a rise out of me, didn't you."

"Maybe?" She gave him a coy smile and realized for the first time how close their faces were. They both stayed frozen like that for a moment before she pulled away. 'I – uh – sorry."

"You're fine." Is it just me, or is he slightly – strangled? "I really ought to get going anyways, before I'm missed back home."

"Okay." He helped her to her feet, and she offered a bashful smile. "Will you come again soon?"

"I already come once a week. How often do you want me to swing by?" he gave her a gentle poke in the ribs, accompanied by a smile. "Is someone getting lonely without her kitty to keep her company?"

"Stop, you." But there was a grin on her face as she pushed Chat away. "Maybe a little."

"I'll make sure to come by a bit more often then." He winked as he sauntered out the door. "If you really want me to."

She smiled back as she watched him leave, and wiggled her fingers at him in farewell. "Take it easy, alley cat."

"Farewell, Princess. Until we meet again!" With that, he bounded off the balcony and into the evening. Marinette watched him go, then closed the door and slid down behind it to put her head in her hands. Tikki flew out of her hiding place and laned on her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"That darn cat." She bit her lip in frustration and rolled her eyes. "He was –"

"Being all cute and flirty, just like normal?" Tikki grinned back at her and winked. "Sounds like someone might have a crush."

"I do not." Marinette glared back at her and tried very hard not to make a face. "Chat is one of my closest friends and my partner, and I care about him very much. But I do not have a crush on him."

"If you say so. But you should really get back to studying – or better yet, take a nap."

"I think I'll take my chances with studying," the blunette grumbled as she rose to go to her desk. "I don't think it would be restful anyways."

"if you really think so. Just try and get some sleep tonight, okay?"

Marinette sighed as she sat back down and nodded. "Alright. I'll do my best."

"A talent show – a prime place to set someone up for a fall." A woman in a black skinsuit with a red hourglass symbol over the stomach skulked among the background as chaos unfolded in front of her. "This is going to be too easy."

A nasal voice over her headpiece replied in mild irritation. "Remember, you have one job – get in, create our little problem, then get out again. No games this time."

"But you know I love playing with my food, Splatter Shot." The Widow simpered into her mike as she eyed the teens that were being bustled from place to place, trying to decide on a snack – target. "It's no fun to just cause trouble when you can spin a little web first."

"Yeah, well, we don't have time to play games unfortunately. Make your move and finish up. Hawkmoth is waiting." The line went dead, and she hissed in irritation. Impatient, annoying weakling of a man. We may be working together but I am looking forward to going our separate ways. At least Splatter Shot even remotely understands the need to have a little fun. As she watched from the shadows, she shook her head with distaste. How am I even supposed to get an idea for who a good target might be without getting in their head? I could go for an adult, but they seem rather preoccupied to be upset. And the children – well, they're just children. Not exactly prime material.

As she watched, she noticed a small stack of props in one corner of the room, sitting on a table unattended. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" She slunk over and examined the objects, confident that no one was paying her any mind. Her Web of Lies had made sure of that. Picking one object up – a small, oddly-made glass, she grinned in anticipation. Magic props? How interesting. Now these – these would be fun to toy with a little bit. And easy to manipulate – maybe a little too easy.

A wicked grin split her face as a truly awful, wonderful idea hit her. What fun that would be, to see some boy or girl's talent fail right before their eyes. Watching their pain from the wings as unknowingly I have created the perfect breeding grounds for a little purple butterfly. As she retrieved two long, fang-shaped knives she giggled to herself quietly – a cold, heartless sound that bore only a dark and menacing glee. Gently, she began to poke and pry, ever so subtly sabotaging the magician's tools Watching as everything they've worked for falls apart in their very hands.

Oh, what fun would that be.

Rothan slipped out of they schoolyard and into the alley nearby with his lunchbox, his stomach turning with nervousness. Most days he would be finding a quiet place to eat, or end up going with Nino, Lyra, or Marinette for lunch. But today was not most days – he had business to attend to. "I still can't believe that Lady Lapis agreed to this so readily."

"If I'm honest?" Neither am I." Staffe poked his head out of Rothan's satchel and glanced around, ensuring that he wouldn't be seen before he floated out and to his face. "Lapis must be very eager to meet you, if she was so willing to make a lunch meeting for your sake."

"Does she do this very often with new Miraculous wielders?"

Staffe shrugged. "It varies from Guardian to Guardian. This one, however, I don't recall meeting with her charges very often. She takes hiding her identity very seriously."

"That's good, I guess." Rothan paused as a sudden thought hit him. "Staffe, what if she wants to meet because she wants to take you away?"

"I seriously doubt that. Lady Lapis was very confident that she made a good choice in entrusting you with me and my Miraculous. I doubt she would renege on that now, especially after the good job you've done."

"I hope you're right, for both our sakes." Rothan glanced up at the tops of the buildings above him, and took a deep breath. "Ready to go?"

"Whenever you are, partner."

"Then there's no reason to wait around here. Staffe, Scythes Out!"

Moments later the Black Mantis was leaping from rooftop to rooftop, enjoying the feeling of the breeze on his face and the warmth of the early fall sun on his back. With as cold as it had been starting to get lately, this slightly warmer weather was a lovely change of pace, and he was determined to faster bask in every second of it while it lasted. What a great day for an outdoor lunch. I'm glad that Miss Lapis was so prompt in choosing a time and place - this would have been a lot more unpleasant had it been cold, or worse, raining.

After five minutes of travel he was able to make out a splash of bright blue on the horizon, accented with shimmering gold that made it easy to catch his eye. With a shaky smile he nodded and sprung his way over to join her at their agreed meeting spot. She had already settled down with a small blanket and what looks like a large bowl of some sort of pasta salad, and was examining her grimoire when he approached, but quickly looked up to greet him. "Hello, Mantis. I'm glad you could make it."

Rothan took a brief moment to examine the woman before sitting down and joining her. She had graying hair pulled back into a type bun and bright, piercing blue eyes that matched the color of her costume. The suit itself was a deep royal blue with shimmering Golden accents all along it, making it look like some kind of metallic ore lacing the material. as he joined her on the blanket, she offered he small smile, which he returned. "I brought some food, in case you wanted to share. There's more than enough for both of us."

"Thanks." Rothan watched as she pulled out two paper plates and started scooping food from the bowl onto them. "Do you like egg and cress, by chance?"

"Never had it."

The boy handed her one of his extra sandwiches as she handed him his plate, and she smiled her thanks. He returned it with a shy grin. "Thanks again for agreeing to this. I know it must be difficult for you, especially after spending so much time hiding your identity."

"Of course. You weren't wrong that it needed to happen sooner or later." She bit into her sandwich before continuing. "Though I am curious as to what provoked this meeting."

"If I'm honest? Ladybug was asking after you, and it got me wondering a few things myself."

Lady Lapis chuckled and examined her charge. "Well, the best thing to do would be to answer them then. What would you like to know?"

After pondering his choices for a moment, Rothan shrugged his shoulders. "How did you get to be the Guardian of the Swarm Box anyways? Ladybug told me there was a temple dedicated to the Guardians in China, but she doesn't recall seeing you there."

"Ah, the Order of the Guardians? Well, that is a bit of a – complicated history."

"I don't mind."

"Very well. Rothan, each Miraculous Box Has it been treated a little differently in respect to its care and it's protection. That's only natural considering the unique nature of each box, Of course, but it can cause for some miscommunication issues when it comes to the Guardians and who is in charge of what. My family has always been in charge of the Swarm Box, a sort of inheritance if you will. It is passed down as our duty to protect it from generation to generation. I am only the most recent of my family to come into the protection and possession of these very powerful items. Because of the familial nature of our role as Guardian, we are not always as welcome by certain groups other groups, and while there hasn't been any real conflict in centuries we remain at an uneasy peace."

"Is that why you didn't help Ladybug right away?"

"Partially. I knew Master Fu, the previous Guardian of the Zodiac Miraculous, was very present and active in Paris at the time, and I did not want to do anything to upset the peace between us. there was also the matter of the fact that only certain people are able to wield a Miraculous well. Oftentimes a test of character is put in place to ensure that they do not fall into the wrong hands - one that often, but not always, weeds out the less trustworthy and noble possible bearers. My family has always assumed more of a role of observers then have active testers, but our philosophy is much the same. We seek out people of good character, strong resolve, and morally sound mind in order to watch over the world."

"So what happened with the three Miraculous that went missing? The Spider, Spitting Bug, and Roach, right?"

Lady Lapis gave him a grim smile. "My grandmother was the Guardian of our Miraculous box at the time. She thought she had found trustworthy people to gift those three Miraculous to. But she was sadly mistaken. When their bearers disappeared without a trace, she realized that they had fled with their newfound powers, and that could only mean that they intended to use them against the rest of the wielders. My father managed to track down the original three, but was confronted with the fact that they too, had been stolen from, and we now have no idea who possesses the Miraculous jewels."

"But Staffe said that Knutt had felt them returning to Paris, that he could sense their presence or something like that."

"Knutt often has premonitions of the future. It is part of his duty as the Kwamii of Knowledge to receive these and pass them on to his bearer. They are not always complete, or end up as we expect them to; fate is a fickle thing, and to try and predict the future is to inevitably change it. But yes, over the summer he received a feeling that our missing friends were returning to Paris, assuredly to join forces with Hawk moth in order to get their hands on the rest of the swarm and other Miraculous."

Rothan considered this as he ate. "That's good though, right? Even if it's making things harder now, we might be able to get back all three of them if they're really in the city."

"Perhaps. Or it could very well mean the end of the Miraculous Order as we know it. That we cannot know until the time is right. But I have faith that with your and my aid, Ladybug and Chat Noir will be able to face this threat and overcome it as they have many times before."

Rothan nodded at this. "We'll just have to be extra careful. Do you think that it is the missing Miraculous that are responsible for the influx of Akuma attacks we've been having recently?"

"I wouldn't put it past it. All of them have a talent for causing mischief in one way or another. My guess is they have played some role in the sudden increase we've been seeing recently."

"I guess I arrived in just the nick of time then. We're barely handling this as it is, I'd hate for LB and Chat to have gone through it on their own."

Lady Lapis smiled at the boy, who was looking thoughtfully over the city. "You have a good heart, Rothan. that is one of the many reasons I chose you to bear the Mantis Gloves. but yes, I too am glad you arrived in Paris when you did."

Rothan gave her a nod and a grin. "I like being able to help – to make a difference."

"You didn't need superpowers to do that, Mantis, though I suppose it does make the job easier." They both chuckled before she continued. "I think that might be enough about the Miraculous box for a moment. Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?"

"Don't you know everything about me already?" Rothan countered with a raised eyebrow. "Whereas I know almost nothing about you."

"So we're going to play that game, are we? All right, we'll take turns – but I get to start. Hobbies?"

"Writing and cooking. I always wanted to be a novelist, and my grandmother owns a restaurant in France. What do you do for a living?"

"I run an antique shop. No one expects a little old lady in an old store to be hiding anything special. Are you settling into school well?"

"Yeah. I've made a few friends, and Mum keeps finding ways to get me out of the house – not that I need too much encouragement these days."

"That's good. A boy your age should be spending time with friends and not by himself."

"That's what she says too." He chuckled and gave her a side-eye. "Do you know Ladybug and Chat's identities?"

"Nope. That secret is theirs alone – and I'd advise you don't go looking for it either."

"I wasn't planning to – it's hard enough to just hide mine some days. I was just curious, since you do seem to know an awful lot about people."

"Fair enough." Lady Lapis gave him a small grin and shrugged. "Your favorite place in Paris?"

"Oh, that's easy. Champ de Mars at five in the morning."

She raised an eyebrow. "So early."

"It's where I start my morning patrol. It's so peaceful and quiet then, with the city just starting to wake up. The Eiffel tower is so pretty in the sunrise too. What –" Rothan was cut off by a beeping from his gloves, and flicked open a short blade to see he was receiving a call. That's odd. "One second, I think I'd better take this."

"No worries." Lady Lapis watched for a moment as he put the device to his ear, then retrieved her grimoire and began studying again.

Rothan turned away from her and lowered his voice. "Hey, LB. What's up?"

His ally's voice was breathless and indignant. "Where are you? There's trouble again, on the Seine."

"Uh – business?" he offered lamely as he turned crimson. "I'm on my way."

"Just hurry We've faced the villain before, but he seems to have gotten stronger – CHAT!" Rothan recoiled at the shriek as the line went dead, and he silently cursed under his breath. Turning back to Lady Lapis, he bit his lip. "I've got to go. Akuma attack."

"That's too bad." Lady Lapis made a face and stood up to join him. "Do you need help?"

"I think we've got this one, but thanks. Just stay safe." Rothan gave her a quick smile and gestured to the spread below at his feet. "Do you want me to help clean up really quick?"

"It sounds like the city needs you more. Go, Mantis, and help your friends. I will handle this."

He nodded and headed to the roof. "Let's do this again sometime."

"Of course. I enjoyed getting to see you, Mantis. I'd like to sit and visit more often." She watched as he offered a small wave to her and leapt down to the streets below to hurry away, and wrung her hands with discomfort. "Be careful, Mantis. Try not to get hurt – again."

Marinette ducked another blast from the wand of The Magician of Misfortune and found some cover behind a nearby vehicle. Peeking out over it, she saw their foe glaring at her and shaking his head, not fooled, and gave a frustrated growl. Mantis, where are you? She wasn't sure what had occurred to get Jean Duparc re-Akumatized, but whatever it was had made him angrier – and stronger – then the last time they had been forced to face him. After a moment of hesitation, she breathed a sigh of relief as Chaton appeared next to her. "Thank goodness. I was sure –"

"Nope, I'm fine, Bugaboo!" The black cat replied cheerfully even though he was holding his side. "I'll be sore for a day or two, but nothing too terrible."

"That's a relief." She peeked out again and squeaked as Misfortune looked her way and pointed his wand, sending a bolt of sparkling energy towards her. "Out of the way!" They both dove to the side as the blast hit their car and it vanished in a puff of smoke. Chat landed atop her and gave her a wry smile, but she just shoved him off and sat up. "Focus, Chat!"

"Fore!" She looked up just in time to see a flying mantis headed straight for her, and she reached out just in time to grab him out of the air, bridal style. "Thanks. I about became a mantis pancake."

She let him down gently, feeling the bandages still hidden beneath his costume. "Where did you come from?"

"Hawkmoth decided to try something a bit different today." He gestured behind him, and Marinette looked up to see two giant white ears poking up behind a building. "Cute fellow, but he can really throw a guy for a loop – if you'll pardon the pun."

"Not pardoned." She groaned as Chat stifled a chuckle. "Is that a rabbit?"

"Yes, it is indeed a very large bun." The Mantis shrugged and glanced around. "I think it would be more friendly if it wasn't so confused. I might have scared it just a little."

"I can take care of that. I have a way with animals." Chat leapt off before she could protest, and she rolled her eyes. "He's so impulsive. I guess that means it's you and me versus Misfortune?"

"You got it, Ladybird." The Mantis extended his blades and poked out from behind their cover to see the glaring villain staring right back. "We've been spotted – well, you're always spotted."

"Shut up!" Ladybug groaned with exasperation as she dove out of the way of another attack. "Focus on getting his wand – that's where the Akuma is."

"Got it." The Mantis leapt up and away, beginning a deft series of acrobatic maneuvers that attracted the villain's attention and send a flurry of energy bolts his direction. While he dodged about and inched closer, Marinette opted for a more straightforward approach, running in and hammering away with her yoyo to create a distraction. With his attention divided, the two of them slowly made ground, backing the Magician of Misfortune down the street as he glared back at them. "You two think you're so clever – but you will never stop me, not until you hand over those Miraculous!"

"As if we'd do that." Black Mantis replied by landing with a spin and hooked-claw pose before leaping away from another attack. "We've got you right where we want you."

"Is that so?" The villain chortled and took another step back, but his body language exuded confidence. "Or perhaps I have another trick up my sleeve."

"Those are awfully big sleeves then." The blunette swung her yoyo around and just barely missed, knocking the hat off of his head instead. "Give it up, Misfortune!"

"Never!" He hissed in reply and gestured to the Mantis, who was leaping closer. "But I think a little going-away present is in order first."

"NO!" Marinette screamed, but it was too late – Black Mantis lunged and caught a blast right in the chest, and with a poof of smoke his vanished. As the villain laughed, she whirled on him with blazing fury in her eyes. "Bring him BACK!"

"I might consider it, if you'll give me that Miraculous of yours."

"I guess I'm just going to have to do it myself then." With an angry snarl she whipped her yoyo around, surprising the villain with the intensity of it, and he only just managed to parry the attack. Again and again she struck, her foe only just able to stop the attack each time and rage making her vision tunnel to him. Locked into battle as she was, she only barely heard Chat's shouts of warning – "Ladybug! Look out!"

She dove out of the way just in time for a white rabbit the size of a house to come barreling through the street and then vanish as an errant bolt of energy hit it. Chat went sprawling through the air and just managed to land on his feet next to her. "Well, that's half the problem solved."

"He got Mantis!"

"What?" Chat perked at this and shot Misfortune a glare. "All the more reason to finish up this fight then. He'll come back with your Miraculous Ladybug."

"Let's finish this then." Spinning her yoyo, she and Chat charged at their foe, who just laughed and summoned a magical shield to deflect their attacks. While they battered away at it and dodged his spells as best they could, Marinette was quickly running out of steam and she could tell her partner was feeling the same. "We can't keep this up for much longer!"

"Time for a Lucky Charm then, M'lady." Chat flipped over another attack and readied himself. "Just say the word!"

"Abracadabra?" She gave him a shaky smile and spun her yoyo, then tossed it into the air to activate her power. What it returned with, however, surprised her – "A giant carrot? This might have been useful a moment ago, but what am I supposed to do with it now?"

"Hey!" A familiar voice extracted her from her musings, and she dodged out of the way of another attack as she spun around to see its source. "I could use a little help over here!"

"Black Mantis!" She gasped in surprise as she saw the head of their hero partner sticking out of the bottom of Misfortune's hat. "What are you doing? How did you get in there?"

"I guess his wand is connected to his hat somehow. Pocket dimension?" he shrugged as he struggled to pull himself out, but he was firmly stuck inside the brim of the object. "But I have a rather large and hungry looking friend in here with me that might just be willing to help."

"The rabbit!" Chat grinned and grabbed the carrot from his partner's hand and chucked it at the Mantis, who just managed to catch it with one scythe. "Give it a whirl, buddy!"

"Right!" The hero ducked back into the hat and they turned their attention back to Misfortune, who gave them both a furious look. "That's a clever trick there, but no worries – you'll soon be joining your Mantis friend!"

He laughed and shot another barrage of bolts toward them, all of which they were just barely able to dodge, and Ladybug looked back at the now still hat behind them. "Anytime now, Mantis!"

For a moment there was no response, and she wondered if something had happened. Then, from inside the hat she heard a whoop of delight and gasped as somehow from its tiny brim emerged a laughing Black Mantis, leading the enormous rabbit onward by dangling the carrot in front of its nose with psionic power. "Oh yeah!" He shouted as he pointed towards the Magician of Misfortune. "Charge!"

The rabbit leapt forward at alarming speed, and both heroes and villains cowered in surprise at the large threat looming towards them. But at the last second, there was a blinding blue flash from the hat, and when Ladybug's vision cleared, it was to the Mantis and a rather normal sized white bunny hurtling through the air, the latter with a comically large carrot in its mouth.

"Binky!" Misfortune shouted in alarm and ran to catch the small creature, dropping the wand in his fright. Chat wasted no time in scooping it up and using his Cataclysm to snap it in half, and Ladybug followed it up by launching her yoyo to capture the butterfly that emerged. She grinned as she felt the de-evilization process occur and released the creature back into the mid-afternoon sunshine. "Bye-bye, little butterfly."

There was a loud thump as the Mantis hit the ground right next to her, causing her to jump in alarm. He simply groaned and trued to catch his breath. "A little help?"

"Oh, Mantis!" She reached down and pulled him to his feet, where he rubbed an aching backside with a wince. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

"I feel like I fell out of the sky off of a giant rabbit. Otherwise I'm fine." He gave her a joking smile and gestured at her yoyo. "Speaking of, shouldn't you be –"

"Oh, yeah. My bad!" Marinette blushed and tossed her yoyo into the air to activate her Miraculous Ladybug power – how could she take that giant carrot away from the ecstatic rabbit who was chewing on it, especially after it squealed in delight to see Jean Duparc's Akumatized form fade? She walked over to Chat, who was stroking the bunny and helping the young magician catch his breath. "Are you alright?"

"I'm – better," he admitted as he scratched his partner behind the ears. "Someone messed with my stuff before a talent show and embarrassed me on live television! Can you believe it? The nerve!"

"Easy, buddy. The last thing we need is for you to get Akumatized again."

"Or Amokized." The Mantis came up behind them with a worried look. "Did you see that blue flash? That's the work of the Peacock Miraculous, no doubt about it."

"And how would you know?" Marinette raised an eyebrow with a hint of suspicion. "You've never seen one before – have you?"

"Not in person! But I watched the news, and I –" Suddenly the Mantis blushed and turned away, trying to hide his face. "I, uh, you know, kept up with things here a lot back in the day."

"Did you?" Chat grinned at him and punched his shoulder. "Sounds like you were a pretty big fan."

This only served to make their partner turn even redder, but he managed an embarrassed smile. "Maybe a little bit."

Jean coughed with a raised eyebrow, and all three of them snapped back to him. "I'm going to get going now, if that's okay."

Ladybug nodded. "Unless you can think of anything that would be relevant to your Akumatization."

"Not off the top of my head, no." He grabbed his hat from the street and waved. "Thanks for your help, you three. I appreciate it."

"Anytime. Stay safe!" Ladybug waved back and shook her head. "These attacks just keep coming. Are we ever going to get a break?"

"I hope so. But at the moment, I'm more curious about this fanboy situation. How deep does it go, Mantis?" Chat Noir grinned and poked their ally, who rolled his eyes and gave him a mock-glare. "I am not a fanboy! … Much."

"Stop teasing, Chat. Besides, we all need to go before we drop our transformations."

"This is true." The black cat grinned and shrugged. "Patrol tonight like usual?"

"Of course, minou. Will you be coming this time, Mantis?"

"Yeah, sorry. Just was kind of exhausted yesterday. I'll be there."

"Good. I'll see you two boys later – bug out!" And with that she grinned and sped off, leaving her two partners in the dust behind her.

Rothan hung his satchel from the coat rack as he came in the door. "Mum? You here?"

"Honey!" Reamie Terresia poked her head out of the hallway with a grin and hurried over to him with a grin. Wrapping him up in a hug, she buried her head into his hair. "Thank goodness."

"Hey, hey, hey!" he squealed as she squeezed him. "I'm kind of sore still."

"You ought to be after hitting the ground that hard. Lucky for me you have a small friend looking out for you." She grinned as she saw Staffe float out of the satchel and offer a small wave. "Hello, you. I left some extra carrots and hot peppers on the counter if you'd like some."

"Fantastic. Thank you, Mrs. Terresia." The Kwamii zipped off and left the two to their own devices, which included Rothan squirming out of his mother's grasp. "I guess that little disappearing act stressed you out a bit?"

"Immensely. I'm glad you're okay."

"Sorry." He gave her a bashful grin and tapped the side of his nose. "Good thing LB and Chat were there, huh?"

"Very much so." She gave his shoulder a quick squeeze and smiled back at him. "So how was school?"

"The same old, same old. Good, but boring." Rothan headed into the kitchen and grabbed some veggies for himself, then stuck his head into the fridge for hummus. "I have a project due two Mondays from now, and I got paired with Marinette for it. We're doing something about the War of the Roses, I'd have to check my notes for the exact details."

"That's convenient."

"How so?"

"Well, something came up with work. I have to head back to England that weekend to help one of my old clients with a case."

He paused and glanced out of the fridge. "You're kidding. Seriously? How long?"

"Friday to Monday. But relax – I've talked with Sabine, and she said you could stay with them until I get back."

"That's not what worries me, and you know it." He bit his lip with worry and considered his options. "I am not letting you go by yourself."

"What if I had a Kwamii with me?"

"I – I guess. You've talked with Lady Lapis about it already?"

"Not directly. Knutt visited while you finished up classes this afternoon, said he had an update on the weird phenomena you all keep seeing with the Miraculous. He left their notes in your room to look at after dinner tonight."

"Sweet. And he said he thought it would be okay?"

"Suggested a friend of his in particular, actually, A Kwamii named Spikke?"

"I know him," Staffe offered between bites. "He is the embodiment of Reflection, and grants great physical resistance. The perfect choice."

"I can live with that. As long as you're not going on your own, and you have someone there if there's an emergency, I'll manage." Rothan sighed and pulled out the chickpea dip he had prepared earlier in the week and scooped out a bowl for him and Staffe to share. "Other than that, everything is normal at work then?"

"Yep. Same old, same old, just like you. How was your meeting with Lady Lapis today?"

"Good. I think we're mostly on the same page now, and whatever they've come up with on the Akuma front should finish the job."

"That's good to hear. I'm glad you two get along well."

"Me too. She is very nice, if a bit reserved. I guess that comes with the territory of being a Guardian though."

"I don't know how you couldn't be and still be a Guardian."

"I'll have to disagree with you on that point, Mrs. Terresia. Our current protector's great-great uncle was a real beast of a man. He could be difficult to get along with at times, but he had the best intentions." Staffe looked up from his snack and blushed when he was their confused expressions. "Sorry."

"You're good. It was just a strange insight, that's all." Rothan shrugged and munched on a carrot stick as he thumbed through their personal cookbook, humming to himself. "What sounds good for dinner tonight? And do you want to do something before I have to go out on patrol tonight?"

"I already started on dinner, silly." She planted a quick kiss on his forehead before heading over to the fridge and retrieving the ingredients from the fridge. "I thought maybe a quiet game of chess and something comforting sounded good."

"Shepherd's pie?" Rothan grinned as he glanced over her shoulder. "That sounds amazing."

"Good. Why don't you get the board set up, and I'll get this gravy going for the pie."

Rothan nodded and moved to the living room to retrieve their chess set. Staffe followed him and settled himself on his mother's old timekeeping clock, a relic from her college days. "These little games of yours are always fun to watch – even if I really have no idea what is going on."

"Maybe one of these days Mum will take some time to teach you strategy." Rothan chuckled as he began to arrange the pieces on the board. "Then, when you get good, we could play games in my mind on patrol."

"Can we do that?" Staffe blinked in thought as he considered this possibility. "I suppose it wouldn't be that different from showing you combat maneuvers during our training sessions."

"Well, I guess I should get Mum on it then." He grinned at her over the counter, and she smiled right back. "Ready to go?"

"You bet, champ. Ready to get beat?"

Rothan shook his head as she came into the living room and slid onto the couch across from him. "Someone is feeling confident tonight."

She just winked. "That's because I never lose."

"Well, that's going to change tonight." Rothan shot back with a playful smile, knowing full well it likely wouldn't. Picking up a white pawn, he slid it forward two spaces and nodded. "Let's play."

Marichat is extremely fun to write. And Rothan riding a giant white rabbit? Too precious for this world :)

Well, our great two-part adventure is right around the corner. But first, the Widow and Splatter Shot have more trouble to rustle up. And what's this about Rothan's mother being away for a weekend? That's going to be interesting indeed...

Next Wednesday marks the first ever pre-half-season-two-part finale! (I really need a better name for that :L) Keep an eye out because it's going to be one heck of a time. 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!