Meanwhile, in the city, PT Flea's circus troupe was putting on a show. It was not going well.
"You fools! What's the matter with you? You losers screwed up for the hundredth time!" PT screamed.
"But, PT, can't you accept the fact we are trying?" protested Rosie.
"You know we do our best in each and every performance," said Manny.
Francis lunged at PT Flea, grabbed him and began to strangle him. "Now listen you parasite! One more word out of you and I'll…"
Slim ran over, grabbed Francis and pulled them apart. "Francis, please! What is with you?"
"Ja! You've been angry all week," Heimlich said.
"Wait a minute," Slim said, perking his antenna. "Have those flies been harassing you again?"
"Oh, you bet they have! They're at it again! Don't they even know that being a ladybug doesn't make me a girl, huh?!"
"I don't think so," Slim said as he shook his head.
Just then, the flies who were bothering Francis peeped backstage and resumed their teasing again. "Hello there, girly bug, what's new?" said one of the flies. Francis took flight and chased the flies onto the stage.
"Listen fly boy! I'm not a girl! I'm a guy ladybug! You think you're pretty smart, don't you? Quit it or you're dead! Got it!"
The flies were silent.
"Well, what do you have to say for yourself, mister?"
"Girl," one of the flies said in a smart mouthed tone.
That did it. Francis was livid. He grabbed one of the flies by the throat and choked him. "Alright, that's it! When I say you're dead, you are dead!"
"What are you going to do about it, girly bug?" said another fly.
Enraged, Francis started pummeling the flies left, right, and center. "How do you like that, huh? Take this and that and another one of these!"
"Francis! Francis!" the troupe cried as each of them grabbed a hold of him one by one.
"Francis! That's enough!" Slim said sternly.
"Don't listen to them, Francis! Fighting never solves anything! Ignore those poo-poo heads!" said Heimlich.
Francis struggled to break from his friends' grips. "Hey! Let me go! Let…me…go! Unhand me or I'll…"
Manny slapped Francis' face, "Francis! Enough!"
"We hate your attitude!" Gypsy said.
Still enraged, Francis took several deep breaths as his friends pulled him away.
The pill bug twins, Tuck and Roll uttered words of gibberish as if to ask what was wrong.
"What's gotten into you Francis? You're angrier and meaner than ever. What's the matter?" Rosie asked.
Francis only shook his head.
"Don't you want to talk about it?" asked Slim.
"No."
"Please excuse us," Slim said as he escorted Francis near the tent's entrance. Slim sat alongside Francis and put an arm around his shoulder. "What's wrong Francis?"
Francis got out from under Slim's arm and turned away. "Nothing, I'm fine. Just leave me alone."
"Let me offer some advice. You've got to ignore those flies because every time you shout back at them, they're going to keep calling you a girl."
Francis just rolled his eyes. "How am I supposed to ignore them? They won't stop. Why couldn't they pick on some other ladybug?"
Francis, listen to me. If you ignore them long enough without yelling or reacting, they won't find it funny anymore. So maybe they will not bother you anymore. Do you understand?
"But what if that doesn't work?" Francis asked.
"I guess there's always Plan B."
Francis sighed. "If only there was some other way to get those pesky flies to stop calling me a girl."
"Let's take this one step at a time, Francis. We need to go inside. The show is about to start."
The two bugs got up and walked inside the tent, and went backstage to prepare for the show.