"Marinette? Are you alright?" Tikki asked, hovering in front of her holder. Marinette looked up from her spot in the window, looking out over the very crowded streets below.

"I'm alright. I just-" Marinette groaned and shook her head. "It's stupid."

"You're disappointed in yourself. Marinette, it's not your fault. If Gabriel-"

"No. I'm not worried about my identity being revealed. I mean, I am, but I was just thinking…Adrien has gained two new powers since we defeated Gabriel the first time. I'm happy for him. He's a natural. I just..why aren't I getting new powers too? Am I not good enough? Am I not doing a good job?"

"You'll get them in time, Marinette. After everything that happened..you spent a lot of time rejecting the thought of being ladybug. Powers present themselves to those who are ready for them. Chat has always been more comfortable in the suit. It's only natural that he'd come into new powers before you, even without the damage to your confidence, but especially with the fear of losing you. New powers always come just when we need them."

"You're right." Marinette acknowledged with a small smile. "As always. Thanks, Tikki."

"Hey, Max just called. Turn on the tv." Adrien called from the bathroom, walking out in a fresh pair of pajamas just as Marinette grabbed the remote.

"Whoa whoa whoa. Wait just a moment. You're saying Ladybug and Chat Noir are the bad guys?" Clara Contard asked the remote caller. "For those of you just joining in, I'm Clara Contard, this is Hero Talk, our weekly sit down to discuss all things Team Miraculous. I'm here with Ladyblogger Alya Césaire and our remote caller who has chosen to stay anonymous. Caller, can you explain your reason for calling tonight?"

"As I was saying," The caller's voice played over the television set as Marinette and Adrien exchanged a quick glance. "Ladybug and Chat Noir have us all fooled. Team Miraculous is a sham!"

"And what makes you think that?" Clara asked, sharing a look with Alya who sat next to her at a long desk.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir have always protected us. From the beginning they've been saviors of Paris." Alya argued before the caller could speak, fists clenching on the desk top.

"Did you see Chat Noir at today's akuma attack? Because I did. His eyes were red, blood red. He was going to kill that akuma victim. Some savior of Paris." The caller scoffed and Alya practically growled.

"They aren't victims anymore! They are consenting to akumatization. Team Miraculous has informed me that-"

"Ladybug is a liar! They're all liars! If they weren't here we wouldn't have to deal with all this villain stuff in the first place!"

"This is nonsense!"

"What do you know? You run the ladyblog! You're probably in on it too! You're probably one of 'em!"

"Enough!" Clara yelled, ending the call. "Folks at home, we apologize for any inconvenience but Hero Talk will be taking a short break. Please, while you wait, enjoy these commercials."

The screen cut to static, then a surprisingly loud commercial, stirring Adrien into action. Grabbing the remote and quickly turning the volume down, Adrien turned to his partner. Marinette let out a quiet groan as she placed her head in the palm of her hands.

"Could it get any worse?"

———

"We've had to shut the bakery down, but we're okay." Sabine assured her daughter.

"Maman, I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen. I wasn't careful, I-"

"My little macaroon," Sabine chided lovingly. "Your father and I will be fine. A little vacation never hurt anyone. This will all blow over, the reporters will disperse when they realize you aren't here. You worry about staying safe. Is Chloé staying with you?"

"Adrien's staying with me, but Chloé's room is on the same floor, so she's close by too. I'll be safe."

"Then your father and I are more than happy to hold things down here. We'll see you when this is all over, yes?"

"Of course, maman."

———

"You're receiving what!" Marinette cried into her cell phone, cursing when Alya repeated herself. "Death threats? For running the ladyblog?"

"The Anti-Bugs agree with that anonymous caller. Or maybe one of them was the caller. I don't know. All I know is I woke up this morning, my inbox filled to capacity with death threats and my boss telling me not to come to work today. My sponsors pulled out of the blog…everyone reserved at the club has canceled their reservations too."

"Poor Nino." Marinette winced. "I'm so so sorry, Alya."

"I think…Nino and I were thinking and..if it doesn't get better..we may cut ties to the miraculous completely."

"What?" Marinette gasped, glancing up at Tikki who hovered nearby to eavesdrop.

"We're so young, Marinette. Our careers..we have to build them now if we want our future. And if being a part of Team Miraculous is going to mess that up..I want to have kids one day, Mari. I can't do that if people are threatening to kill me and refusing to let Nino and I work."

"I…I understand."

———

"You're leaving?" Marinette tried not to cry as Kim shuffled around on the other end of the line.

"Just temporarily. Until this is over. With Mari Belle being so young..I'm sorry, Marinette. I've got to do what's best for my family."

"I know, Kim. I know. It's- Its okay."

———

"Don't worry, M'Lady. We're going to figure this all out. I promise." Adrien whispered as he held a sobbing Marinette, wincing at the way her shoulders trembled. "It's okay. I know it's scary."

"Their lives are ruined. Because of me."

"Their lives aren't ruined, Mari. They're just..on hold. For everyone's safety. Not because of you. Because of my father and Lila. Because of their greed. Because of everything they've done…never you, Mari. Never you."

"I'm so sorry. I never meant to-"

"Shhh, Bug. Just rest. Please." Adrien held his partner close to his chest, sighing in relief when she gave in and collapsed against him, her head resting just below his collarbone. "Plagg?"

"What?" The cat-like god demanded from his place in the windowsill, curled around his other half. Tikki shifted slightly as he spoke, but curled in closer and remained asleep.

"We need a plan."

———

"This is the plan." Adrien laid out a large roll of paper on the conference table, looking around at what was left of their team. "Step One: Finding wherever Lila is hiding out. We find her base, we find Marc and Nath's miraculous and get them back on the team. Step Two: With Marc, Nath and Bridgette, once we meet her, that makes eleven holders. But it could be twelve. We have the dog miraculous. Now that Sabrina is…gone, it needs a holder. Someone we trust. Someone who will join the fight and help us take her down. And Step Three: Now that I have the ability…this time when we take them down, I'll use Erasure to erase my father and Lila's memories..making sure they can't terrorize us anymore." Looking at his partner with a smile, he promised. "Never again."

———

"Ready?" Max asked as he steered the Bug Bot around the battlefield from his seat back at headquarters.

"Ready." Ladybug confirmed through his earpiece, defeating the newest akuma with a quick move and setting things right once more. The Bug Bot moved frantically across the area, scanning faces until it finally managed to recognize Lila, hidden away in a nearby alley.

"What if Lila goes back home? What if she doesn't go to their base?" Myléne asked over Max's shoulder, watching the video feed with an intense stare.

"I'll stay here as long as it takes." Max assured as the rest of the team began to filter into the room.

"Anything yet?" Adrien asked, peeking at the computer screen as Max shook his head.

"Not yet. She's conversing with a couple members of her gang and now…there she goes." Max watched as Lila ducked behind an old piece of scrap metal and into dilapidated building. The Bug Bot followed inconspicuously, slipping in behind her just as the metal fell back into place.

"They're all there!" Myléne exclaimed as various people showed up on the video feed. Lila, Gabriel, the Anti-Bugs, all gathered together.

"Where are the miraculous?" Marinette questioned nervously, fingers tapping lightly on the table in front of her.

"Looking for them now." Max answered, piloting the Bug Bot around the room. "Thank Kwami for this new invisibility feature. I'd never get away with this otherwise." Max paused his movements with a quick curse. "I had hoped the miraculous would be stored somewhere, but they're being worn. I won't be able to recover them without giving us away."

"Can you get both of them?" Alya inquired, joining the group gathered around the screen. Max studied the computer for a long moment.

"I believe so. I'll have to be quick..but I've been quicker."

"Do it." Marinette ordered. "It's worth the risk."

Within moments the bot had succeeded in grabbing both miraculous off their holders with its arcade machine like claws and pulled them safely inside the body of the robot, causing a panic between the villains. Marinette watched the group scuffle as the bot slipped away, reactivating it's invisibility cloak before taking the scenic route back to base.

Adrien could barely contain his smile at the way Marinette's eyes lit up at the sight of the miraculous' return. It was a small victory, yes. But a victory nonetheless.