Let's Take It From The Top, Chapter 6: Harmonies and Discord
With wide eyes and a wider grin, Ladybug stood proudly in her bedroom... with her parents looking on with considerable wonder.
"If I didn't see it, I wouldn't have believed it," muttered Tom. "And I still might not believe it."
"Marinette... you're still in there, right?" gasped Sabine, processing the situation.
"Oh, yeah, it's still all me," Ladybug assured her. "You cannot BELIEVE how this feels! I felt charged up as Firefly, but this is so different... for one, it's so warm! I just feel this positive energy all through me! It's like Tikki's hugging me all the time. And as Ladybug, I feel so STRONG!"
"How strong can you be? I mean, you- YIIIIIIII!" Tom cried out, as a flick of Ladybug's wrist sent her yo-yo spiraling around her father, pulling him across the room to her side.
"OH! Um... that answer your question?" she giggled, as surprised as he was as to how easy it was for her. She released him with another wrist-snap. "Sorry about that, Daddy. Here..." she added, holding her hand out. "Punch my hand."
"Why would I..." Tom asked.
"I'm serious! Just do it. From what Tikki told me, I'm almost impossible to hurt. I want you to try it!" grinned Ladybug. "I mean, don't take my head off on the first try, but I want to make sure I know how protective this really is!"
Hesitantly, Tom leaned back and threw a half-hearted punch at his daughter's outstretched hand, glancing off of it.
"Harder than that, Dad. I didn't even FEEL that."
"Really?" He tried again, a little harder.
"Nothing!" laughed Ladybug. "I mean, I feel the physical contact, I can tell that you threw a punch... but no pain, not even a twinge! Hard as you can, this time! I PROMISE you won't hurt me."
Tom looked at Sabine, questioningly, who shrugged back at him. "If she says so..."
Tom reared back and threw a hard haymaker at his daughter's hand, bracing for her response... and she laughed!
"See?" said Ladybug. "Tikki said I could get hit by a flying truck and not get hurt. NOT that I plan on testing that out!"
"What about the parts that aren't covered?" asked Sabine, reaching out towards Ladybug's face with an outstretched finger, a little hesitantly. "Can you feel this?"
"Yeah, the same way; I know you're touching me, but the magic extends all around me. This is so cool!" her daughter beamed.
"That makes me feel a little better about this, I guess," Tom smiled, "so I won't worry so much about you getting hurt out there."
"I'm her mother. That's my job," said Sabine. "Magic or not, I'm still going to worry."
"Spots off!" Ladybug called, reverting to Marinette and bringing Tikki back. "Tikki, this is AMAZING!" she bubbled. "Could you see any of that?"
"I can sense what you sense when you're Ladybug," Tikki confirmed. "I can't talk to you then, but I can hear what you say and hear. In some ways, I am your costume."
"So I can't have a conversation with you as Ladybug, like I could with Papillon as Firefly," replied Marinette. "Good to know."
"About that..." Tikki got a somewhat worried expression on her face. "What did you and... Papillon talk about?"
"Well... he knew my name, for starters. He said he could scan surface thoughts, but no deeper. Mostly we talked about Chat Noir and talking him into going home, quietly," said Marinette. "He seemed nice enough. And so did Chat Noir, but Chat seemed to think Papillon was his father."
"Interesting..." Tikki mused. "Does that mean anything to you?"
"It might," Marinette admitted. "Though I can't say that for sure. A part of me has a strong suspicion about who they BOTH are. And if I'm right... wow!"
"Until we find out more about both of them... and probably even after we do... I need the three of you to promise me, here and now, that you will keep Ladybug's identity a secret. No friends, no extended family, no teachers, nobody can know who you are. And ESPECIALLY not Chat Noir or Papillon... for now, anyway." Tikki looked very serious. "The secret getting out could put any or all of you in danger."
"Not a word," Sabine promised.
"Same here," said Tom.
"Agreed," Marinette added, "but... what if I do confirm that I know who Chat Noir is?"
"ESPECIALLY then," Tikki emphasized. "We can talk later about that. But Chat Noir, right now, is... well, unstable! It's largely why my master sent you the Ladybug Miraculous in the first place; we need to contain and purify Chat Noir without hurting him. We're both sure that you can do that, Marinette. But the more he knows about your Ladybug identity, the harder that might get."
"Okay... I'll follow your lead and keep my secret," Marinette swore. "No one would believe me anyway! As Marinette, the only super-power I have is super-clumsiness."
"And it's interesting that Papillon knows who you are... but NOT that you're Ladybug! If he ends up being an ally, that's fine... but if we're not so sure, that could be a way of getting information," pondered Tikki. "Either way... no, I'm just being paranoid. We'll certainly treat him as a friend unless something happens."
"You don't think that he is one?" wondered Marinette. "He seemed like one to me, today."
"His is a Miraculous that can be very powerful in the right hands... and very easily misused. We'll see," Tikki smiled. "I hope he is as good a person as he sounds."
Gabriel walked with Nathalie through the hallways of the hospital, watching as the orderly pushed her precautionary wheelchair. "I feel fine, I'm telling you," Nathalie smiled. "I could walk out of here on my own."
"You know how hospitals are, Nathalie; always cautious," smiled Gabriel. "You're really back to your old self now?"
"Once I get home and have a hot shower, maybe. And definitely something good to eat; I feel like I'm starving," she replied.
"The food here wasn't any good?" asked the orderly. "We get that a lot."
"Oh, it wasn't bad," Nathalie said. "For hospital food, at least. But not much beats home cooking."
"My chefs are at your disposal, of course," Gabriel said. "Unless you'd prefer takeout tonight?"
"I'll figure that out when I get back," she smiled. As they approached the car, the family bodyguard came around and opened the passenger door for her. He reached out to help her up out of the chair...
*SNAP*
"Ow!" she said, as the bodyguard grunted in pain.
"What was that?" Gabriel wondered. "Are you two all right?"
"I don't know what's been going on, the last couple of days..." Nathalie noted. "If it's something in the air, or the blankets on my bed, or what... but I just seem to be full of static electricity, and I'm not sure why! I've been shocking people quite a bit lately."
The bodyguard grumbled, rubbing his hand as he walked back to the driver's seat. Gabriel climbed in the back, and as the car set out on its way, asked, "Do you want to stop for something to eat on the way home, Nathalie?"
"Actually... no, I'll wait," she replied. "For some reason, I'm not as hungry as I was a few minutes ago."
Adrien sat in his warehouse hideaway, morose, wondering what he could possibly do now.
Great. Now I'm not just a runaway, I'm a potentially lethal runaway! And Plagg said a lot of things, but "we can get that fixed" wasn't one of them.
I don't want to hurt ANYONE. But I can't just sit here until I run out of options...
He looked at his phone, which was now blinking a voice mail message icon at him. He clicked, and listened...
Oh...
Oh, gosh. She's really worried about me! That's so... I...
NOW what do I do? Twenty minutes ago, I wanted to talk to Marinette and see her again more than just about anything. Now I don't know that I dare to!
Adrien looked over at Plagg, who was settling into a post-Camembert coma.
I'm going to do this before I chicken out, or before Plagg can talk me out of it. I can't put Marinette in danger... but I really COULD use a friend right now. Even if it's just for a few minutes.
Marinette's phone bleeped at her, signifying an incoming message.
[Adrien] Thank you for thinking of me. I'm doing okay. Please don't worry about me.
"Oh, my gosh!" she exclaimed, then answered her parents' questioning looks with "...It's from Adrien!"
Seeing her daughter's anxious face, Sabine tugged at Tom's sleeve. "Come on, you. Let's give the girl some privacy."
As they left Marinette's room, Tom whispered to Sabine, "I thought he wasn't her boyfriend?"
Sabine smiled back, "...Not yet," and let an enigmatic grin say the rest.
Marinette flopped onto her bed and started pounding on her phone's virtual keyboard, with a practiced hand and a look of determination. You're not getting away from me this time, Mister!
[Marinette] It's a little too late for me not to worry, don't you think? Where the heck are you?
She stared at her phone, trying to force his reply through will alone...
[Adrien] Someplace warm and dry. Well, dry, at least. Kind of hiding out for now.
[Marinette] Hiding out from who? Your father?
[Adrien] ...Everyone.
[Marinette] If you think you need to hide from me, you really don't know me very well.
[Marinette] If you think that you CAN hide from me... ;)
[Adrien] I really do appreciate that. But I don't want to drag you into this.
[Adrien] I just wanted to let you know that I'm okay, and to say goodbye for now.
[Adrien] I'll get back in touch when and if things start making sense again.
Marinette stared at her phone, shocked...
[Marinette] No.
[Marinette] No, you're NOT doing that, Adrien.
[Marinette] I am NOT going to let a friend suffer when I can help him. Not happening!
[Marinette] How can I be here for you?
Adrien stared at his phone, in mild disbelief.
She really does want to help. I really could USE her help. But do I have the right to get her involved in this craziness?
Abruptly, his phone started ringing. Seeing who was calling, Adrien smiled.
Evidently, she thinks that I do.
He picked up...
"ADRIEN! Thank goodness you answered. Do you have any idea what I've been like over here?" Marinette half-shouted at him.
"I told you, I don't want you to worry about me! We barely know each other..." Adrien attempted.
"...And your point is?" Marinette sassed back. "This is happening. I'm part of your life now, so start talking!"
Adrien couldn't help but laugh, as another chunk of his heart suddenly had Reserved for Marinette stamped on it in indelible ink. "You're something special, you know that?" he replied, a little dreamily. "Right now, I'm okay, day-to-day. I have my wallet, my credit card, some cash..."
"So you're eating and sleeping, at least? That's good. How about clothes? You don't take any medications, or anything?" she asked.
"No, no meds. I'm pretty low-maintenance." He sniffed at his shirt and wrinkled his nose. "Clothes, well, I'll admit I could probably use a change soon."
"I can imagine. I'm trying not to," Marinette laughed. "Can we, like... arrange to meet somewhere? I can bring you some things, and I'll feel better if I see that you're okay."
"I'm... not sure that that's a good idea, Marinette..." Adrien said, downcast. "It's really hard to explain, but... there's something wrong with me. Something that could end up being very dangerous. I really don't want to put you at risk... I just can't."
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "You do NOT think that you can just say that out loud and not explain yourself," demanded Marinette. "I will climb through this phone if I have to, Adrien."
Adrien sat in silence, wondering how to respond.
"Look... I'm scared by this too, okay? I'm not exactly the Runaway Hotline that everybody calls. I've never been in a situation like this before," she added. "And if this IS, like, drugs or crime or gangs or something, I don't WANT to get too involved, so be straight with me on that?"
"It's totally not. I swear," Adrien replied. "My life is usually about as dangerous as a dandelion. It's... I have something really weird happening to me right now, something I couldn't have imagined a few days ago. If I tried to explain it to you, you'd think I was insane."
"You might be surprised," Marinette smiled, dryly. "Maybe I can't help much. But even if you just need someone to talk things out with... you reach out, okay? I'm here for you."
"I... I will." Resistance was futile. "Marinette, I just want you to know that..."
Marinette heard him pause... then some sudden shouting near him... and then nothing, as the call disconnected.
WHAT the HECK? she thought...
As Adrien struggled to respond to Marinette's kindness, he heard footsteps entering the room, and a bright light flashed onto him.
"HEY!" shouted someone in a security guard's uniform. "I THOUGHT I heard someone in here! There's nothing here for you to steal, kid!"
Quickly, Adrien's finger stabbed at the Disconnect button on his phone. He put his hands up while backing away, slowly, trying to keep his face out of the light. "I'm not stealing anything, I swear!" he called back. "I just needed somewhere to be for a few days, honest."
"Yeah, yeah. Breaking and entering is a crime, you know that, right? This is private property, not for squatters. C'mere..."
The security guard approached, and Adrien's panic instinct kicked in. What should I do? I can't let him catch me! I don't think he's gotten a very good look at me...
Adrien ran for the back of the room, looking for somewhere to hide for a moment. An old filing cabinet fit the bill, and he ducked behind it, ignoring the guard's shouts.
Sorry, Plagg, but you're about to wake up the hard way.
"CLAWS OUT!" he called.
"Oh, wow..." muttered Marinette. "Tikki... what should I do?" She explained the situation to Tikki as quickly as she could.
"Well... two things," Tikki replied. "One, this is a friend, and you think he's in danger?"
"Very possibly. That didn't sound good at all, right before he hung up," Marinette gulped. "Sudden shouting, then he disappeared."
"And you suspect that he might also be Chat Noir?"
"Yeah, I do," admitted Marinette. "Every piece of the puzzle fits."
"Then go to him," said Tikki. "Don't let on that you know his dual identity yet, or tell him yours... but transform and go find him. Let's keep him in one piece."
"I can't fly as Ladybug, can I?" Marinette asked. "When I transformed earlier, it didn't feel the same as before."
"No, this Ladybug doesn't have wings. But your yo-yo will be the next best thing, I promise," Tikki smiled. "You'll be amazed at how fast you can go, which is good, because we have a lot of the city to search. I doubt he's TOO far from familiar places - his house, his school, things he knows - so start a little distance out from those, and look for anything strange."
"That's a good idea, Tikki. And when I do find him?
Tikki said, "I'm still figuring that out. He needs my master to see him... but we can't take him there. Do you have a place where he can go in the meantime, somewhere safe for a day or two?"
Marinette gestured around her, at her room. "I've done it before. Though this time I'd rather give my folks a little warning. Or we can figure something else out..."
The Kwami nodded. "That'd work for now. We don't need to do anything crazy... just make him comfortable until we can stabilize him. Are you ready, Marinette?"
"Spots on!"
On her balcony, Ladybug looked around at the neighboring buildings and wondered how to begin. Okay, I have special powers... and apparently this amazing super yo-yo thingy?
She mentally measured off the distance to a distant cathedral, aimed for a gargoyle statue high up on it, and slung her yo-yo hard... and, to her surprise, it REACHED it, wrapping around it securely.
WOW! That was just a test throw to see how far it could go! thought Ladybug. I didn't think I'd HIT it from here!
Ladybug took hold of the string, a little nervously. "Come on, Marinette," she muttered to herself. "This can't be THAT much different from flying as Firefly, can it?"
She tugged on it, gently...
"Y-y-y-y-y-yes, it ca-a-a-a-a-a-a-an!" she screamed, as she clung to the yo-yo, soaring through the air at ridiculous speed.
The security guard stepped forward, warily. "Look, kid, there's no way out of this room other than through me, and I know where you're hiding. So come out, already, or I'll have to get rough," he yelled.
To his surprise, a dark figure with blonde hair flipped onto the top of the filing cabinet the guard was watching, assuming a three-point stance atop it. "That's no way to treat your friendly neighborhood stray cat," he laughed. "Terrible for your reputation."
"Oh, you wanna play games, do you?" grinned the guard, pulling out and brandishing a nightstick.
"Dogs fetch sticks, not cats!" the young man quipped. "You're REALLY not up on your animal handling techniques."
Hmmm. He's not a small guy. I wonder how much punishment this suit can absorb? Chat wondered to himself. This would be an excellent time to NOT find out!
"Lucky for you, I do like sticks. I even brought my own!" Chat Noir displayed his baton, waggling it teasingly, then pointed it at the guard's nightstick and pressed a button on the hilt. The baton extended rapidly, knocking the nightstick cleanly out of the guard's hands and sending it to the opposite end of the room!
"Um..." the guard deadpanned, stunned.
"Well... I'd hate to say that I haven't had a splendid time with you... but I haven't," grinned Chat, darting around the guard and out the door from which he'd entered. "Ta!"
As he took off down the street, Chat had mixed emotions. I'm happy how I handled that... but now where the heck am I going to go? There are only so many deserted buildings to go around in Paris. I know they chase people off the park benches sometimes... I'll have to think about this.
He watched the streetlights flickering on around him, as the early evening sky continued to darken. Guess I'll have to think fast...
Finishing up his business of the moment, Gabriel Agreste retreated to his private office and closed and locked the door. Once alone, his Kwami floated out alongside him.
"G-gabriel..." Nooroo stated, "I think I'm ready when you are."
"Thank you, Nooroo," smiled Gabriel, who then closed his eyes and focused his concentration.
After a moment, he opened them again. "I sense several strong candidates... though Marinette is not among them right now. Which is fine; I think she deserves some rest, don't you?"
"We all have our bad days, or she might just be out of range right now," Nooroo shrugged. "I'm sure she'll appear on your radar again sometime."
"And since we cannot sense where Adrien may be, as himself or as Chat Noir, it's a guessing game as to which candidate might be closest to him. Or I could just let it fly and hope for the best..." mused Gabriel.
"It's not a bad option," replied Nooroo. "A host with good mobility can cover a lot of ground, and you might get lucky."
"All right then... if you're sure?"
Nooroo nodded.
"Nooroo... Spread your wings!"
Okay, I need to be smart about this if I'm going to find him. I got lucky last time, thought Ladybug, gradually getting used to dashing across rooftops and swinging across Paris. Now, first off... am I looking for Adrien, or for Chat Noir? I'm pretty sure they're one and the same, but who is he more likely to be right now if he is?
PROBABLY Chat Noir, she reasoned. If I was alone at night in Paris, and likely not in a friendly part of it, I'd rather be a costumed hero than an ordinary teenager. But he kind of stands out in either form, so if I luck out and get near him, I should recognize him.
And as for where to look... Tikki had a very good idea. I'll start with places I think Adrien would be comfortable in, and kind of work my way out from there. Though he hinted that he wasn't in the nicest part of town, and he wasn't when I found him yesterday, either... That'd be a pretty good neighborhood to start from, and double back towards where I think he'd go.
I'd like to think that a handsome catboy running through the streets would get quite a reaction...
Handsome? Did I think that?
Yeah, he is handsome. AND a little crazy. Remember that part, too, before you get too excited!
So, anyway, if I keep an ear out for unusual reactions, I'm liable to swing right into him.
Ladybug leaped off of the last rooftop in a row of buildings - THAT'S going to take some getting used to doing!, she gulped - and hurled her yo-yo out towards a traffic light pole. Instead of the quick stop she was trying to make, she swung around it five or six times, and very nearly wrapped herself up onto it with her own yo-yo string.
Whew! she thought. At the rate I'm going, I'm liable to LITERALLY swing right into him, and knock him into next week...
Chat Noir kept running, even though he was surely well out of range of the security guard by now. It felt good to cut loose and burn off some anxious energy, and besides, he didn't seem to be getting tired at all!
A loud noise on a neighboring street caught his attention. "Stop! Thief!" someone was shouting.
Well, now! Maybe I ought to earn a little positive karma on my ledger...
Lieutenant Roger Raincomprix was NOT having a good day.
He was lucky enough to be in the neighborhood when a purse-snatcher struck... but the thief in question was a lot younger, a lot more nimble, and certainly faster on his feet. Roger was doing his best to at least keep the thief in sight... but he was huffing and puffing, badly.
The thief looked back over his right shoulder and grinned, seeing the officer slowly receding into the distance. He looked forwards again... then yelped in surprise, as suddenly there was someone in black leather running alongside of him, matching him step for step!
"I have to say, your fashion sense is really lacking. Don't you know that you should never steal a white purse after Labor Day?" said the dark figure, with a toothy grin.
"HUH?" sputtered the thief, thrown off balance.
"Or is that the American Labor Day? Sometimes I mix those up," the newcomer laughed. He watched the thief cock his arm back to take a swing at him. "Think fast!" he called.
In one motion, he ducked underneath the thrown punch, then hipchecked the thief into a tall shrubbery by the side of the road.
"Thbbpplf!" grunted the thief, spitting leaves and twigs out of his mouth, still trying to disentangle himself when Roger caught up to him.
"When... I say 'Stop'... you STOP!" panted Roger. Seeing that the thief wasn't going anywhere, he turned to the person responsible for that. "And what are YOU supposed to be?" asked Roger, scratching his head, taking in the image of the young, blonde cat-man before him.
"You can call me Chat Noir. Just trying to help out Paris's finest, while I'm in the neighborhood." He waved and darted away, quickly.
"Wait! I'll need you to fill out an eyewitness report," Roger called... then turned back, seeing that there was no chance of catching up to him. "And as for YOU..."
"Get these - blearrrgh! - leaves out of my nose and I'll surrender," sighed the thief.
Chat Noir rounded the next corner, then dashed to a nearby bench to catch his breath for a moment. Okay, I _do_ get tired, he thought. But it takes quite a bit, and that was worth the effort!
"Very nice, kittycat! I couldn't have done it much better myself," called a voice from above.
Chat's eyes went wide and he sprang to attention. "Firefly?" he called out, hopefully.
"A different bug," said the voice, "but just as impressed." Chat heard footfalls behind him, and turned to see a slim young woman in a domino mask and a red-and-black spotted suit, form-fitting like a bodystocking. "I saw that assist from up high. I'm glad to see you're using your powers for good reasons."
"Huh!" remarked Chat. "Is there, like, a Legion of Super-Insects or something? And are they all adorable girls?"
"Not all of us. Dung Beetle and Stinkbug are guys, but we don't let them out of our headquarters much," Ladybug quipped. "I'm only kidding... I'm Ladybug. I assume you're the mysterious Chat Noir? You're certainly dressed for the part."
Chat looked Ladybug up and down. She looks about my age. More agile than muscular, but I bet I shouldn't underestimate her. Cute, too! She's not quite Firefly-cute... but who else could be? And she's not that far off, to be honest.
"I am, indeed. To what do I owe the honor? You're the second lovely heroine I've met today, which is two more than I thought I would," Chat drawled. "You weren't sent by my father, too, were you? One of his temporary superheroes?"
"Now, THAT I can promise, I wasn't. While I'd like to meet Papillon sometime... no butterflies here." She twirled her yo-yo in a circle, with a grin. "I have a Miraculous, just like you do."
"You do?" Chat was dumbstruck. "...How? Where did it come from?"
"A sale at Carrefour?" she smiled. "Why, where did you get yours?"
"I..." Chat stammered, "can't really tell you."
"Which is why I can't say, either," said Ladybug. "But I promise that I mean you no harm. I'm here to help, if I can."
"What makes you think that I need help?" said Chat, a little too defiantly.
"My Kwami told me - and if you're wondering if I do have a Miraculous, ask me how I know who THOSE are - that one of those people I can't talk about can sense imbalances in the magic world. That he thinks there was some kind of accident with the Cat and the Moth together, and that your powers might be messed up right now. Can you tell me if I'm on the right track, please?"
HOW does she know all this? Plagg mentioned a 'Guardian' a while ago - and that if HE sent someone, I was in real trouble...
"Did a... Guardian send you?" Chat asked, in a hushed tone.
A strangely transformed figure wandered the streets of Paris, looking for something... or someone... intently.
"Can you sense Chat Noir nearby?" asked the energy signature, flashing over his face.
"I can," came the reply. "He is close. In fact... I think I have found him now!"
Papillon concentrated hard, focusing on what his new partner could sense. "Yes... yes, I think that is Chat Noir. Good work! But who is he with... WHAT?!"
"Papillon?" asked the transformed man, confused. "Are you all right, mon ami?"
There was no immediate reply, as Papillon was lost in his thoughts.
A Ladybug... HERE? I spent all that time searching the world for the other half of the puzzle, and she drops right into my lap in my OWN CITY? Standing next to my SON?
"I... was not expecting this," he managed. "At all! Hold your position for now. I must consider how to proceed."
Ladybug got a funny look on her face. "I'll be straight with you, Chat; I don't know that for sure. I haven't been told everything." She stepped slightly closer, not wanting to spook him. "What I do know is that I'm not here to fight you, or capture you, or harm you. I want to help you figure out what you need to do next, and at least get you off the street. Does that sound fair?"
"It... does," Chat replied. "I don't know if I can trust you... but something about you makes me feel like I should. Where should we go?"
"C'mon," gestured Ladybug. "Let's at least get out of the middle of the street, and find somewhere quiet where we can talk this out..."
As the pair prepared to leave, the mysterious figure stood up. "They are leaving, Papillon! I will move in quickly, so as not to lose them!"
"NO, you fool!" cried Papillon. "Not yet! Not until... aaaagh! Too late..."
Heavy footsteps interrupted the thoughts of Ladybug and Chat Noir. They turned as one, with a strange sight in front of them.
"Hello! Is this a private party, or might I have a word?" the strange figure called out.
Ladybug stared at him, a bit incredulous. "...What?" was about all she could manage.
Chat Noir leapt back, crouching defensively. "You had me going there for a minute, Miss... but two-on-one still isn't enough to take me in!"
"Hold on!" Ladybug called out, frustrated. "You don't really think that HE'S with me, do you? ...Arrgh! You do." Spinning her yo-yo, she moved to a position where she could watch both of them, and an uneasy triangle formed...
Next time:
* Who IS that not-so-masked man?
* Alliances can be fragile, can shift easily... and can break easily.
* A snap decision has some consequences.
* Pondering what comes next...
* *TH-BMMP!*