Chapter 5: Responsibilities

Le Zenith. Located in the Parc de la Villette, on the edge of the Canal de l'Ourcq, this multi-purpose indoor arena was one of the largest venues in Paris. Built in 1984, over the years had received numerous artists. Nirvana, Spice Girls, Pearl Jam, Gorillaz, Artic Monkeys, Lady Gaga, just to name a few, had all graced that arena with their music. And Jagged Stone was no stranger to it either. He had already played in it three times over the years, and this was going to be the fourth time. As it was his habit, Jagged arrived hours before the show to inspect everything himself. It was not that he did not trust the team of roadies that accompanied him to make things perfect, like they always did. He trusted the whole team completely to do their job. But he had learned from experience that if possible, he should always check things for himself. The whole stage, along with its props, lights, sound systems and everything needed for a concert was disassembled in an almost record time, once the concert in London was over, and then shipped in an airplane towards Paris. Once the plane landed, the road crew in charge with the assemblage of the stage, wasted no time in getting things to the arena, and began working

When Jagged Stone arrived, the whole stage was already assembled, and they were beginning to conduct sound checks, to test the place's acoustics, as well as the sound system. With him were his pet crocodile Fang, and his agent and long-time friend. Penny Rolling, as he walked around the stage.

"Things seem to be going alright here. Once again the crew has managed to do the impossible." -Jagged Stone said, as he petted Fang on the head, who seemed excited to be there. –"Yeah, I think I feel the same, buddy. This is going to be an awesome concert… I can feel it in my blood." -he said, as he looked into still empty arena, imagining it filled with countless screaming fans. –"It's going to be awesome… whoa…"

"Jagged!" -Penny exclaimed, as she saw the musician acting like he was dizzy.

"I-I'm fine… just a little dizzy in the head, that's all." -Jagged Stone assured her.

"Jagged, you should have slept for a couple of hours." -Penny told Jagged. –"I know that you feel like you need to have everything under control, but that's why you have the whole road crew, including me, to take care of things. You haven't slept for nearly 24 hours." -she said worried.

"I'll sleep when I finish this concert, Penny." -Jagged Stone said. –"Once the concert is over, then I'll allow myself to sleep. But until then, I've got to make sure that I don't disappoint any fans that are coming to see me perform tonight." -he told her.

"Have you looked yourself in the mirror these past 24 hours? The only reason why you don't look like a zombie, it's because of the amount of make-up you have on your face. I'm telling you; you need to sleep for at least an hour before the concert. Do I have to remind you what happened to Madonna a couple of weeks ago, during her latest tour?" -Penny asked him with a serious voice.

"No, you don't, I know very well what happened to her." -Jagged Stone answered her. –"But in my defense, I'm younger than she is, and I know perfectly well when not to attempt a crazy stunt, even if it's for the good of my show. I mean, come on, what did she truly expect to happen, especially when she herself said that she was not feeling physically well?" -he asked Penny, while continuing to pet Fang, who was enjoying himself. –"I mean, she's not 30 anymore."

"That's not the point. The point is, you finished a concert yesterday, took a plane to Paris and during that time, you didn't rest properly." -Penny declared, worried about him.

"Hey, I did sleep a little bit." -Jagged said.

"Yeah, during the time it took us from the O2 Arena to the airport, and that was like, 30 minutes. While aboard the plane, you spent most of the time listening to your own songs, while composing new ones! And before you deny it, remember, I was in that plane with you." -Penny told him. –"And then, when you arrived home, instead of going to sleep, you just continued to compose… I mean, what's the point of buying a house here in Paris, if instead of using it to relax and sleep a bit when you're here, especially before a big concert, you just go straight to the balcony in your bedroom, and continue to compose until it's time for breakfast?" -she asked him.

"Penny, that's what I do. That's how I unwind and how I relax, by working on my music." -Jagged Stone told her. –"Some people play videogames or read a book. I compose, when I'm not playing with Fang." -he declared. –"Besides, I'm too pumped to even consider sleeping. This has been one of the best tours ever. We didn't have any delays, all the concerts went according to planned, and the critics have already named this tour of mine, the best I ever did, not to mention, that they also stated that it is one of the best of the last 30 years. Just reading that, it gives the energy I need to keep playing and composing, even when I should be in bed."

Hearing him say that, Penny could not help but to roll her eyes, while sighing.

"I honestly can't believe this… I'm probably the only agent in the world that has to deal with a musician who enjoys playing too much." -Penny said in a rather sarcastic tone.

"Oh, come on, Penny, you love all the craziness that goes around me, especially when I'm the one causing it." -Jagged Stone said, as he approached one of the technicians, who was tuning one of the guitars that he was going to use that night. –"Excuse me, Anton, would you mind if I tune this baby myself? It's not that I don't trust you, but this girl, I don't know why, but for some reason, when I'm not the one tuning it, her strings tend to have a mind of their own." -he asked the technician, who handed him the guitar. Holding it in his hands, Jagged Stone wasted no time in tuning it. –"Besides, I'm crazy, but I'm not stupid. You've known me since we were kids, and you know that I know my own limits. And I'm telling you, right now, I'm feeling absolutely great."

It was true. Penny knew the musician since they were kids, and if there was one thing he was not, it was stupid. And unlike what happened with numerous other musicians, who were known for pulling insane stunts when on the road, or for their irresponsible behaviour both in and out of the stage, Jagged was known for his impeccable behaviour and for his work ethic, which made him put his music and his appreciation for his fans above everything else.

"Alright, I'll take your word for it. You were never a good liar to begin with." -Penny said. –"Still, I think you should sleep for an hour at least, so you're properly rested to go on the stage later… whoa…" -she said, feeling a little dizzy. –"And I'm starting to think you're not the only one, who needs to rest."

The last couple of days had been a little hard on Penny, and Jagged knew that. While he just had to worry about giving the people who came to his concerts a great show, Penny had to worry about the things that he was not supposed to worry about. And though that last stretch of the tour had gone without any kind of setbacks, like the rest of the tour, the fact that Jagged insisted on ending the tour in Paris, instead of London, placed a lot of stress on Penny, who, along with Jagged's manager, were forced to arrange things for the concert to happen, in a very short amount of time. Still, like the great professional she was, she was able to take care of things. The thought of her being able to do that, reminded him of just how lucky he was to have her by his side, not only now, but ever since he began his musician career.

"Maybe you should follow your own advice and go home. Rest for a bit, and then come back later, if you feel like it. You know you don't have to be here for the concert." -Jagged Stone told her.

"Perhaps I should… unlike you, in order to relax, I really need to sleep, and I haven't been sleeping as much as I need, these past few days." -Penny admitted. –"But I'll be back to see the show in about six hours." -she told him.

"Like I said, you don't need to come back for the concert. Look, go home and take Fang with you. I'm clearly not the only one here who's exhausted, but I'm probably the only one who doesn't look like a zombie thanks to its make-up, like you said. And more importantly, I'm the one who has a show to do." -Jagged Stone smiled at her. –"I know you like being around, in case something goes wrong, but you don't have to. Not tonight. And I'm telling you this, as your boss. I need my agent rested and ready to face whatever they throw at her." -he told her.

"Alright, I'll go home. But just because you're insisting." -Penny told him. –"Come on, Fang, let's go." -she said, as she grabbed the crocodile by its collar.

Watching them leave, Jagged once again felt incredibly lucky in having Penny by his side. It was true that his manager was just as important as she was, but Penny was the one he dealt with more, and who made sure that everything went smoothly. Plus, the fact that she was one of his oldest and closest friends, made him appreciate her dedication towards him. Still, he tried not to think more about it. In a few hours, that place would be packed with roaring fans, and he needed to concentrate.

"This is going to be one heck of a last concert. And it's like I always say: Play the last concert on a tour, with the same energy that you played the very first one, because the fans who are going to fill this place, deserve the same kind of treatment the fans who filled the first concert did." -Jagged Stone thought to himself. –"You've got a responsibility towards them… but you also have a responsibility to your agent. If she's telling you that you need to rest a little bit, you better do it. After checking if everything is going the way it's supposed to, I'll go to my trailer and sleep, but only for an hour or two. Just a quick nap. When this is over, then, I'll sleep properly." -he thought.

Outside Le Zenith, people began to arrive for Jagged Stone's concert, as early as 6 in the morning, when the road crew had just arrived and was beginning to assemble things inside and outside the arena. Little by little, fans of Jagged Stone began to show up, queueing to enter, even knowing they would not be able to enter the arena until much later. Still, that was all part of the experience. While waiting, they would take the time to talk to each other, buy something from the numerous catering carts and vans, that ranged from food to overpriced merchandise. Plus, like it was usual at these events, you would have people sharing stories experiences with strangers, regarding the reason they were attending that event. Many would say that a true rock fan would have to experience all those things, and much more, if they even wanted to be called that.

Still, that was for those people who were older, or could take a day off from work. Others, who were not that fortunate, would only arrive later. And among those were Marinette and her friends. Had the concert been during Saturday or Sunday, they would have camped out, just to be the first ones in line, for when they opened the doors. Still, that was by far Marinette's first thought. When Adrien picked up her in his limousine, the first thing he told her was just how pretty she looked with her hair down, while adding that she looked like a totally different person with her hair that way. Those words made Marinette smile, while making a mental note to begin to wear her hair like that more often. Pigtails would always be her trademark hairstyle, but that did not mean she would not change it once in a while.

"I can't believe that he said that I totally look like a different person… and the way he said it… it was the nicest compliment Adrien could have given me about my looks." -Marinette thought to herself. Right then, she felt like a little girl, who had been told she was the prettiest little girl in the world. –"I've got the best boyfriend in the world… I just can't help repeating that to myself. And with good reason. Adrien is a sweetheart." -she thought.

"Marinette? Marinette?! Are you listening to me?" -Adrien asked, calling her out.

"Oh, sorry… my mind was elsewhere." -Marinette giggled, apologizing. –"You were saying?" -she asked him.

"I was just asking you, if you want to sit a little bit closer to me?" -Adrien asked her.

"Sure!" -Marinette smiled, as she moved closer to him. When she was just a couple of centimetres from him, he placed his left arm around her, while smiling at her. –"Oh, I see where you're going with this." -she chuckled, as she placed her hand on top of his. –"You don't need excuses to hug me, Adrien."

"I know, but this way, I get to hear you giggle and chuckle, which are some of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard." -Adrien told her, making her giggle even harder, not to mention blushing. –"I think I better stop, or your face will be as red as a tomato in no time." -he smiled.

"You know me." -Marinette smiled, as she blushed a little further. –"Well, he doesn't smell like Camembert today. That can only mean Plagg decided to brush his teeth, before they left the house, or Adrien forgot to pack a little piece of Camembert for Plagg to eat later… or both. Either way, I'm happy to be able to smell Adrien's cologne, without it being mixed with the stench of cheese." -she thought to herself, as she inhaled the scent of her boyfriend's cologne. –"He really smells nice… I've got to ask him what's the name of the cologne, so I can offer it to him for his birthday."

The ride to Le Zenith went without a hitch, even though the traffic looked a mess and because of it, they ended up taking longer to arrive. But not everything was bad. When they arrived, Gorilla managed to stop the car relatively near the entrance. As they both exited the limo, Adrien told his bodyguard that once the concert was over, that he would call him, so he could pick them up. Closing the door behind him, Adrien did not even wait to see the limo drive away, as he and Marinette walked away. The number of people around was staggering, still, it was nothing they were not expecting, especially since this was a concert from one of the biggest rock stars in the world.

"Here we are." -Marinette smiled, as she looked around and saw all that commotion around her. She was not someone who was a big fan of crowds, most of the times. But parties and certain events, like concerts, were a totally different story for her. It felt good to be surrounded by all those people, who shared a passion for Jagged Stone.

"Took us a little longer to get here, but it was totally worth it." -Adrien said, as he too looked around. The concert was still a couple of hours away, but you could already feel the energy of it in the air.

"And the best part is that I'm here with you." -Marinette smiled. –"You can't even imagine how many times I imagined attending a concert with you by my side, as my boyfriend." -she told him.

"Probably as many as the number of times I imagined the same thing, but with you, as my girlfriend." -Adrien admitted. –"Still, none of us needs to imagine it anymore, because it's happening." -he smiled at her. –"Do you think the others have arrived yet, or are we the first one to arrive?"

"Marinette! Adrien! We're over here!" -a voice called them. A voice that belonged to Mylene.

Turning their heads to where the voice was coming, Marinette and Adrien saw Mylene waving at them. Next to her was Ivan, who was hugging her. Seeing them, Marinette and Adrien walked to where they were. Ivan and Mylene had seemingly beaten them there, being the first ones to arrive. They were both already sporting matching t-shirts from Jagged Stone's current tour, which meant that they had arrived some time ago.

"Cool t-shirts." -Adrien said.

"Thanks. Yours aren't half bad either." -Ivan told him.

"They sure look cool. I bet they were worth every penny." -Marinette said.

"That's what I told Ivan, as well." -Mylene smiled. –"So, do you know if anyone else has arrived? We've been walking around, and still haven't seen anyone else. Juleka warned us that she, Rose and Max still had to pick up Alix, so they're running a bit late." -she declared. –"Have you seen anyone else?"

"No, you're the first ones we see." -Marinette told Mylene.

"Chloe just texted me. She and Sabrina are already on their way, and should be here in 10 minutes." -Adrien said, as she checked his cell phone, when this one rang once more. –"And Nino just sent me a text as well. He and Alya are almost arriving too." -he stated.

"That just leaves Nathaniel and Kim." -Ivan said, as he looked around. –"I'll be honest. I never expected to see so many people… then again, this is Jagged Stone we're talking about." -he said.

"I just wished we had arrived a little bit earlier." -Mylene said. –"Look at all these people. It'll be impossible for us to get near the stage now." -she sighed, as she looked at the number of people that were already in line to enter.

"I don't think it matters. As long as I'm next to you, any place we end up in, once we get inside, will be perfect. Even if we end up all the way in the back." -Ivan told Mylene, making her smile.

Little by little, the rest of the gang showed up, with Chloe and Sabrina being the last ones to arrive, all because Chloe's limousine got a flat tire, when they were still two kilometres from the arena. Not wanting to wait for Jean to change the tire, the girls decided to walk the rest of the way, believing they would be able to get there before Jean could change the tire, given that Chloe knew he had never changed a tire in his whole life, and this would be a first for him. Telling Jean to call travel assistance, Chloe also told him that she would call him to pick them up, a little bit before the concert was over. Walking up the street, the girls tried to pick up the pace. At first, Chloe still wanted to look for a quiet place to transform into Queen Bee and fly them over to the arena, but Sabrina managed to convince her not to do it, stating that they could

"Finally, we're here." -Chloe sighed out of relief. –"Can you believe this, Sabrina? A flat tire? Of all the times that could have happened, it had to happen, right when we were being driven to the concert." -she said.

"Look on the bright side. It could have been worse. We could have ended up with a flat tire, even before you arrived at my place." -Sabrina told her.

"If that had been the case, I would have flown us here, in no time." -Chloe told her. – "Still, I can't believe you convinced me not to use my powers to get us here faster." -she sighed.

"Well, I can, and I'm glad I did it." -Sabrina stated. –"I know we would have arrived a lot faster, but you know we should only use our powers for our own benefit, if it's an urgent emergency of some sort. And us arriving a little later, wasn't one of them." -she smiled.

Once more, Chloe knew Sabrina was right. It was important for them to arrive as early as possible, but it was not imperative. Still, it was hard for her to admit it, before her best friend told her that. Chloe had made huge progresses, when it came to not behaving like she was the centre of the universe, as well as treating others with the respect they all deserved; not to mention, understanding that she could not always have her way with things. But there were times like those, that she still needed to be reminded of it, and that caused her to be both happy and angry at the same time. Happy, because she knew she had someone to remind her that. And angry, because she blamed herself for not remembering it.

"It's times like these that I hate you being my conscience… and when I say hate, I don't really mean hating. I mean that is good to have you around to remind me of things, but bad at the same time, because by now I should already be able to remind me of things I shouldn't do." -Chloe sighed, as she looked down at the purse, she bad brought with her, where Pollen was. –"No offense, Pollen, but Sabrina came first. So, you're my second conscience." -she smiled at the bee kwami.

"None taken, Chloe." -Pollen winked at her. She was happy that Chloe considered Sabrina her conscience, and she did not mind being her second conscience.

"Believe me, I don't mind being your conscience from time to time. And there will come the day when you won't need me to remind you of things." -Sabrina declared, believing that day would come.

"I really want to believe that, Sabrina. But at the same time, I really hope that day never comes, because I like having you reminding me of things I should, and shouldn't do." -Chloe said, as she began to look around, trying to find the rest of the gang. –"Where are they? Can you see them?" -she asked the redhead.

"Not yet." -Sabrina said, as she too looked for the others. –"It's so hard to find someone in this crowd, especially, when everyone is dressed with the same colours." -she declared.

"Or, you could ask me or Pollen to tell you where they are." -Mika said, from inside the jacket's pocket he was hiding in. –"Did you forget that we, kwamis, can sense each other's presence, when we're near each other?" -he asked Sabrina.

"Honestly, I did, Mika. Sorry." -Sabrina said, as she stopped walking, and silently telling Chloe to do the same. –"Then, where are they?"

"Let me see… I'm feeling their energy." -Mika said. –"I think they are… to the left." -he declared.

"Okay, if you say they are to the left, we'll go left." -Sabrina said.

Following the directions Mika was giving them, it did not take them long to find the rest of the gang, who was already in line, which by then was already going around the building. Seeing them, the blonde and the redhead were forced to apologize to the people who were in their way, as they made their way to where their friends were.

"Hey, you've arrived!" -Rose exclaimed, as she saw Chloe and Sabrina approaching them.

"Took you girls long to get here." -Nathaniel said. –"A flat tire is really bad luck." -he said. Adrien, who Chloe texted back, warning him of what had happened, as she and Sabrina left Jean with the limousine, had warned the others.

"Yes, well, let's just hope that on the way back home, the same thing doesn't happen to us." -Chloe said. –"And thought I know it would be wrong to do it, I would have gotten us here a lot faster, if Sabrina had allowed me to… you know, use a certain trick I can do." -she said, referring to her powers in the most enigmatic way possible, just in case someone around them caught their conversation.

"Don't be like that. You arrived and that's what it matters. Even if it took you a little bit longer." -Adrien said. –"Besides, we decided to go ahead and buy you these, so you wouldn't have to go and wait in line to get them." -he said, as he handed the blonde and the redhead a plastic bag with something inside. Opening them, Chloe and Sabrina saw that they were t-shirts from Jagged Stone's current tour, which all of them were already wearing. –"I hope we got your sizes right."

"You shouldn't have." -Sabrina said, as she grabbed one of the t-shirts and quickly examined it. –"Whoa! This one's really pretty. I love it! And you got my size right." -she smiled, as she put it on, while taking off the one she was wearing underneath it.

"Mine too. Thanks, Adrikins." -Chloe thanked the blond, as she mimicked Sabrina, and changed the t-shirt.

"Don't thank me. Thank Marinette. I merely bought them. She was the one who guessed your size." -Adrien admitted.

"Thanks, Marinette." -Chloe thanked her.

"My pleasure." -Marinette smiled. –"Besides, I didn't exactly guessed it. I just picked the ones that matched your size, based on your height, weight and body type." -she said. –"It's a little trick that we, aspiring fashion designers pick up with time."

"In other words, you guessed it. You just used a lot more words to say it." -Chloe said, while raising her eyebrow.

"Well, when you put it that way, yes." -Marinette admitted.

"Well, I don't think it really matters. You are the best seamstress I know, girl. If there's one person who could guess a person's size, just by looking at it, it's you." -Alya said.

"Thanks, Alya." -Marinette said.

"Still, moving on to another subject, these t-shirts rock. I mean, just look at them. The designs of the ones from the previous tours were already cool, but this one is just incredible." -Nino said, changing the subject. –"I mean, each tour, Jagged Stone picks a monster from any mythology there is, or an extinct animal to be the animal that symbolizes that tour, and this time he chose a really radical one. A mammoth… well, a skeletal mammoth, but still a mammoth." -he said, as he pointed to the drawing of the creature in question, surrounded by blue flames and with the words "Eternal Flame Tour" beneath it.

"I don't know. It's pretty I'll give you that. But he ain't the first one to use animals with tusks, or horns or fangs in a cover album or a tour art design. Motorhead also do it, and so did Testament and Iron Maiden." -Juleka told him. If there was anyone in that group that knew about heavy metal, alternative rock, punk rock and metalcore, that would rival Nino's music expertise, it was her.

"True, but those are all bands. Jagged is a solo player." -Nino said.

"Well, I don't mind about the shirts or the merchandise. Just as long as the music is good, I'll be happy with it." -Alix said.

"Then, why were you the first one to buy that t-shirt, when you got here, huh?" -Alya asked her in an amused tone.

"Hey, I said I didn't mind about them. I never said I wouldn't buy them." -Alix told her.

"I just wish they had tank tops for my size." -Rose protested. –"I mean, I think I would rock in one of those." -she said. –"I would look cute, sexy and dangerous at the same time.

"What's with your girlfriend?" -Chloe asked Juleka. The blonde could not remember a time, when Rose wore make-up like the one, she was wearing, or acted the way she was.

"Let's just say that she decided that today she wanted to look and act a little like a bad girl today, instead of her usual sweet self." -Juleka said, while smiling at Rose, who smiled back at her. –"And you know what, Chloe? By doing that, she can't help but to make me feel even more in love with her."-she said, as she hugged Rose, making her giggle.

"Please! Get a room, you two." -Chloe joked, which made both Rose and Juleka chuckle.

"Well, now that we're all here, I think we can finally say that we're ready to rock and roll." -Marinette smiled at the whole gang.

"While we wait, how about a little music? Did anyone bring a column box for us to hear a little music, while waiting for the doors to open?" -Adrien asked out loud.

"By now you should know, that I never go anywhere without my column box, bro. It's standard procedure." -Nino said, as he placed his backpack on the ground, opened it and pulled his column box. –"Now, all we need to do, is to select what we want to hear first." -he said, as he pulled out his cell phone. –"Any requests, people?"

"Since we're in a Jagged Stone's concert, let's do like so many others are doing around here, and listen to some of his songs." -Kim said. –"How about we start with "Shattered Dreams"? That's my favourite." -he declared.

"No, not that one! That's too melancholic. Start with "Book of Sins", Nino. That should get us into the right mood." -Alya asked Nino.

"Sorry, but no. Everyone knows that the best song to be on the top of any Jagged Stone playlist is "My Shadow, My Lonesome Self", people." -Ivan said. –"Start with that one, Nino." -he told him.

"Forget it! Play "Take Control", Nino. It's my favourite, and so is Sabrina's." -Chloe told Nino.

"Actually, no, that's my second favourite." -Sabrina told her best-friend. –"My favourite is "Butterfly Effect". Play that one first, please, Nino." -she asked him.

Everyone had a different Jagged Stone song, which was their favourite one, and everyone wanted theirs to be the first one to be played. In the light of the situation, Nino decided there was only one way to solve that.

"Why don't we let the two people who managed to get us the tickets, to choose which song should I play first?" -Nino asked them. –"I mean, it's only fair. If it wasn't for Marinette and Max, we wouldn't be here, right now." -he said.

"Fine, let them choose it." -Chloe sighed.

"I don't see any problem with that." -Adrien smiled at Marinette, already knowing which song she was going to request.

"Alright, let them choose." -Mylene said, happy with the idea.

"I think it's safe to say that we all agree with that idea, mister DJ." -Alya winked at her boyfriend.

"Alright, then, what's it going to be, guys?" -Nino asked both Max and Marinette.

"Well, I was always raised to be a gentleman, so, I'll let the lady choose." -Max told her.

"Why, thank you, Max." -Marinette giggled. –"Then, my answer is simple, "Dark Velvet", if you please." -she said with a malicious smile on her face.

"Excellent choice, mademoiselle… then, just allow me to select it." -Nino said, as he looked for that song in his playlist. –"Here we are… ladies and gentlemen, with you, Jagged Stone, with his everlasting classic, Dark Velvet." -he said, as the song began.

A little music was just what the whole gang needed to make time go faster. And just like Adrien had pointed earlier, they were not the only ones. There were many fans that had the same idea, and who spent their time waiting for the doors to open, by listening to Jagged Stone's greatest hits. Checking the time every now and then, they all watched the time go by a lot faster, thanks to the music. And while waiting, they all took the time to also take a couple of selfies and post them online, so others could see just how much fun they were having.

But their enthusiasm was about to be cut short, when they all received a text on their cell phones, warning them that a potential Akuma attack was taking place, courtesy of the Akuma Attack app. Seeing that text, they all wished it was just a false alarm, like it had happened before.

"Oh no, please don't let it be…" -Alya said, as she checked the email box of the Miraculous Blog, for any news that could have been sent to it, regarding this potential attack. Usually, but not always, the blog would get emails with messages and images regarding the attack, as well as the rest of the social networks, before the official media. –"Please, don't let it be, don't let it be… crud!" -she sighed angrily, as she opened the email and saw more than thirty messages, reporting the Akuma, with some having photos of the Akuma itself, and more messages pouring in. –"It's an Akuma attack, alright."

"Just what we needed." -Nino said, practically in a whisper.

"It couldn't have come at a worse time." -Mylene declared.

Mylene was right. It could not have come at a worse time. The doors would open in less than an hour, and they would not be there, because they had to save the city, again. They did not like it, especially because they were all excited about that concert. But they knew that if they did not do it, the Akuma, with whatever powers he or she had, would destroy the whole city, in search of them and their miraculouses.

"So, what do we do now?" -Sabrina asked them in a whisper.

"What else? We have to deal with it." -Nathaniel said. –"It's our responsibility." -he said.

"To think that the doors will be opening in less than an hour, and we won't be here." -Juleka sighed.

"Not exactly. There's no need for all of us to go." -Marinette said. –"I think three or four of us can handle this. Who knows? It might not be as bad as they are making it sound." -she told her. –"The rest just stays here and make sure we don't lose our places, when the doors open. If everything goes well, we might have this solved in half an hour or so."

"I'm not against it." -Adrien said. –"Alya, what kind of Akuma are we talking about here?" -he asked her, wanting to know as much about what they were going to face.

"There isn't much about it yet. None of the emails or photos of it have much information about its abilities or powers. But I can tell you this, he looks like a Mexican bandolero." -Alya answered him.

"A Mexican what?" -Kim asked, not knowing what a bandolero was.

"A Mexican bandolero… a kind of highway robber. You know, like Pancho Villa?" -Alya told him.

"Pancho who?!" -Kim asked, not knowing who

"Pancho Villa, you big lugnut! The Mexican revolutionary general, from the late 19th century? There's even a movie where he's portrayed by Antonio Banderas, one of your favourite actors" -Alix told him. One of the things about having a father and a brother who worked at a museum, was that she was practically obliged to know everything there was about world History, including its major figures.

"Sorry, doesn't ring a bell. I probably didn't watch that one with him." -Kim shrugged his shoulders.

"Never mind that now. We need to choose, who's going to deal with this guy. If it's only going to be three or four of us, we need to choose wisely. Otherwise, it may take us longer." -Marinette said. –"If we already knew what power this Akuma has, it would be easier." -she sighed. –"Alya, any news on that?"

"Not yet. The emails keep pouring in, but there are mostly photos of him, and he's not using any powers in them." -Alya said. –"Who knows, maybe he's just a weak Akuma. There have been those." -she said.

"So, what do we do?" -Max asked.

"I say we go with the "Holy Trinity plus one" routine." -Adrien suggested.

The "Holy Trinity plus one" routine was a basic strategy, which comprised an individual from each of the fields they all mastered. In this case, a strategist, a defender, a brawler and a flyer. They had devised that strategy to tackle any enemy, which they did not know much about. It had worked on different occasions, and with a little bit of luck, they were hoping it would work once more.

"I'm all for it. But who are going to be the ones to take those places?" -Juleka asked him.

"Well, I'll be the strategist, if that's okay with you." -Marinette said.

"I can be the brawler." -Ivan said.

"I'm cool with being the defender on this one." -Nino said.

"And I'll be the flyer. Plus, not only I can fly, I'm also the fastest of us all, so, if this guy is fast, or has some kind of powers that require speed to be dealt with, I'm the best choice." -Alix declared.

"Does anyone oppose?" -Marinette asked the rest of the gang, who remained silent. –"No? Okay, then, I guess we know who's going to take down this guy." -she smiled.

"I don't like it very much, girl. But I trust you, like I always do." -Alya smiled at Marinette.

"Are you really sure, you guys don't want us to go too?" -Rose asked her.

"Absolutely. Hopefully, we'll get this done in a jiffy, and come back to enjoy the concert with the rest of you." -Marinette told the blonde, before turning her eyes to the rest of the gang. –"But if things get complicated, you guys are our back-up." -she smiled

"Alright, go kick butt and come back quickly. I still want to see this concert, with you by my side." -Adrien told Marinette, making her smile.

"The same thing goes for you, turtle boy. Get back here, safe and sound." -Alya smiled at Nino, before kissing him.

"I know that you are going all crazy against this enemy, but remember, be careful. I don't care how many times you tell me that bruises make you look tough. I'd rather have you safe and sound, without a single bruise on you." -Mylene smiled at Ivan, who hugged her.

"And you… well, don't get yourself killed. I don't want to have to find someone who can keep up with me on the speed track." -Kim told Alix, as if he did not care if she lived, or if she died.

"Alright, you know the drill. Pretend that you are all going to the restroom, and let's go kick someone's butt." –Nino said, whispering the last part.

This one's coming a day later, because I've been having trouble focusing on my writing with all this pandemic crap going on... things are not looking good for anyone around here, or anywhere for that matter. Still, I'm not going to stress you all with what's going on in the world. We already have enough of that with the news. For this chapter, I admit that it did not go according to what was in the plans. I was going to only focus on the Miraculous gang, as they arrive at the place of the concert and wait for the doors to open. But as I wrote it, I decided that I needed to add something else to it, and that something else was Jagged Stone, as well as Penny and Fang. It's not the first time that JG shows up in my fics (you probably remember him from his first appearence, in "Halloween Madness"), but this is the first time that we get a glimpse of how he truly is, when he's not on the stage. Also, I know that Penny is not exactly like this in the series, and there's nothing that indicates she's Jagged's childhood friend, but I thought it would be a nice addition to her backstory. What did you guys think? Did you like that addition, or not?

Also... you have no idea, just how stressful it was to come up with titles for Jagged Stone's original songs... I mean, it took me nearly two hours just to get those done, because I didn't want to risk copying any songs that already exist. As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave suggestions to improve this fic, or future ones, if you want to.

P.S. Let me also warn you guys about this. Liehl-FerZ on DeviantArt has been working on a couple of new drawings of the team. She finished Mylene as Forest Doe, and she also finished working on Max as Arachnid. Next, she'll be working on Kim as Antelope. So, I advise you to check out her page and see what she has been drawing. Plus, MegS-ILS has finished working on a new illustration featuring our