Adrien walked towards his best friend who was reading something intently on his phone. His curiosity peaked as he saw he saw what looked to be a black cat in the photo's so he then sat down next to him on the staircase in the plaza of the school.

"Hey Nino what're you doing?"

"Just lookin' at the article for that new Panther at the zoo. I was thinking of asking Marin and Alya to check it out later today."

"On a date?" Adrien questioned, still slightly uncertain as to the nature of the three's relationship. Nino said that he was in love with Marin, and Marin and Alya were almost never seen without each other. Not to mention that when they weren't together, they were usually seen together in some pair. He was alright with the idea of his them dating, they already acted as though they were in a relationship anyway. But they never announced anything of the sort, and he never liked to assume anything from anyone.

"Yeah." Nino nodded as he then suddenly lifted his head, "Hey, why don't you come with us?!" Nino remarked as he stood up next to Adrien. "You're still trying to be Marin's friend and what better way to bond than over animals?" He recommended.

"I'm not following you on this," Adrien admitted as Nino sighed for a moment.

"You're already in Alya's good books and she's Marin's best friend. He loves animals, her dad works at the zoo, we all go together, and we all walk out as friends by day's end. What could go wrong?"

"I don't know-"

"What does Mr. Front-of-the-cover-Teen-Model-weekly think he's too cool for the zoo?" Nino teased as Adrien laughed.

"Of course not. But are you sure you want me imposing on your date? After all, you three are..." Adrien dropped his sentence, hoping that Nino would finish it for him. But to no avail, as his best friend simply wrapped his arm over his friend's shoulder affectionately.

"They won't mind at all!" Nino reassured as Adrien simply stared at his friend.

Marin was looked through his most recent edition of Vogue, this one featuring Adrien as he and Alya walked out of the school.

"See something you like?" Alya teased as Marin smiled at her, hiding his reddened face behind his reading material. But it served to impair his vision as he then bumped into the lead model on his magazine.

"Sorry!" The two said at the same time, both accidentally bumping their heads together. Adrien quickly picked up the magazine, handing it back to Marin who nodded in appreciation, averting his gaze.

"Hey, guess what. Adrien's coming with us to the zoo today." Nino said with a smile on his face.

"Yeah?" Alya said interested as she glanced at Marin who intentionally turned the other way from the conversation. "I didn't think our Adrien had an interest in Zoology."

Adrien chuckled, "Well, not really, but-" He glanced at Marin who wasn't even paying attention, keeping his face behind the magazine. "I always wanna hang out with my friends."

"There you have it," Nino remarked. " Are we all meeting up later or...?"

"We can just head there directly right now, I can ask my bodyguard to drive us," Adrien said.

"Oh-uh, I have to...do some stuff at home. But I'll catch up with you guys later?" Marin asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"That's fine with me," Alya said as Nino nodded.

Meanwhile, Adrien looked more sullen, "If it's something that we can help you with-"

"NO! No, I mean. It's fine, I'm fine you're fine. Just...it's all good." He remarked, slipping away as he then ran towards his house, leaving his friends and Adrien behind.

"Should we follow up on that?" Nino asked.

"Nah, just let him do his thing," Alya said. "He'll catch up in no time. Besides if we can get there early maybe my dad can get us tickets for the shows."

"Cool." Adrien said in defeat as his plans seemed to already be down the drain.

At the zoo, the trio had a good time walking around, eating junk food, and looking at the animals.

"Over there's where my dad works." Alya pointed out, towards the new panther exhibit, she ran ahead waving to her dad on the inside of the tank. When he spotted her he waved back with a smile.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Adrien questioned as he saw the panther walking around freely with his keeper unguarded.

"Sure, my dad's a professional, but that panther was a rescue. Totally domesticated." Alya explained. "Maybe if we're lucky then he'll let us pet her later."

"If it doesn't eat our hands first." Nino joked but then a wave of fear rushed over him. "It's not gonna eat kids right? What if he gets aggressive?"

Alya smiled in amusement, "You know what they say, a black panther's only enemy is the spider. And you seem to be a few limbs short of a spider." She joked poking his side playfully.

"Alya no- you know I'm ticklish!" Nino complained as she started chasing him around the park as Adrien watched in amusement. He was then roped into their game as Nino used him as a shield.

"I'm not a part of this." Adrien said holding up his hands in defeat, but instantly regretted it as it was a trap. Both Alya and Nino ticked his sides playfully as Adrien almost fell over. Sincerely enjoying his time with his friends. He then noticed two of their classmates standing before the panther exhibit.

"Hey! Kim, Max!" Alya called out as Nino and Adrien continued to chase each other around.

Max walked over to them as Kim seemingly was taunting the panther.

"What's up dude?" Nino called out as he caught Adrien in a headlock, messing up his best friend's hair.

"Kim wanted to see the panther, and I'm here to make sure he doesn't get kicked out again," Max explained, then remembered something. "Oh yeah, Marin was looking for you guys." He said.

"He's already here?" Alya asked as both Nino and Adrien looked up. But Nino refused to release his friend on the grounds that he hadn't said uncle yet.

"Yeah, he said he was fine but I think he was seriously lost," Max said. "even though he was holding a map."

"That's our boy!" Nino called out, as Adrien now struggled to escape from his grasp. But then all the fun came to a stop as Kim screamed out. All eyes turning on him and the panther that apparently escaped her cage.

"Ohhhhh, where is ittt?" Marin wondered out loud as he looked around the park growing more anxious. He had a map right in front of him but was completely lost. He sat down at a bench, wondering where his friends could be. He looked over the map for what seemed like the hundredth time. "The panther exhibit should be around here shouldn't it?" He sighed heavily, wondering where exactly his friends were. He lifted up his head noticing a familiar Hawaiian red pattern shirt in the distance admiring the elephants before Marin was stunned by Kim and Max sprinting by, terrified out of their minds.

"He's coming!" Max screamed out, followed up by Kim.

"Get outta here!"

Marin blinked a few times, then noticed the mob of animals released from their cages running in his direction as Tikki then flew out.

"This is fine."

Adrien looked for a way to hide without getting cornered by the released animals, but he couldn't easily just abandon his friends as Alya and Nino ran alongside. He looked around for a moment, seeing that the road forked before them.

"I'll try to grab their attention!" Adrien yelled out as his two friends looked at him in disbelief.

"Dude! That's crazy!" Nino called out but was in no place to stop him as Adrien's plan partially worked. He and Alya ran for a while longer until they both felt themselves being lifted up. Next thing they knew they were dropped in front of an emergency exit.

"Is there anyone else here?" They both turned to see Ladybug standing above them on a cage.

"Yeah, our friends are probably still around here, and that panther is following our friend Kim!" Alya called out in worry "and Ladybug then nodded.

"Don't worry, I'll find them." Ladybug said as he threw his yo-yo towards another pole, swinging into the zoo.

Adrien thought that he had lost the pack of animals chasing him, but he couldn't be more wrong, and he couldn't transform out in the open like this. All of a sudden he felt something wrap around his waist. Next thing he knew he was being carried in the arms of the person he was in love with across the roofs of the zoo.

"Ladybug?!" Adrien rasped out, his face immediately turning red at the close contact. But the hero was focused on something else, his eyes narrowed. The Hero dropped him in front of the front entrance, placing his hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" He asked to which Adrien nodded, wanting to place his hand over Ladybugs, but held himself back.

"Get to safety," Ladybug ordered, quickly running back into the zoo as Adrien stood there stunned. Plagg then flew out, waving his little Kwami hand in front of Adrien. Sighing in exasperation.

"Kids."

"You lost, kiddo. What do you think of panthers now?" The panther asked, slowly creeping towards Kim and Max.

Kim backed up in terror, but still standing before Max. "That... panthers are the best-" He suddenly heard Max yelp out as his friend suddenly disappeared.

"Max?!" He called out, then felt something wrap around his waist, sending him flying into the arms of a superhero as Ladybug stood atop one of the cages, out of reach from the Panther and any trees. Ladybug placed him on his feet next to Max.

"There's an exit nearby, I'll distract the Panther while you two make a break for it." Ladybug said as he then jumped down in front of the animal with his yo-yo in hand.

The panther snarled at him. "You're no match for Animan, Ladybug!" Jumping towards him with great ferocity. But Ladybug sidestepped him, using his yo-yo to trap him. He sighed, looking over the struggling animal, then eyeing his violet bracelet. Just as he was about to break it Animan shifted forms, turning into a ladybug, and escaping capture.

Ladybug tsk'ed, resetting his yo-yo cord, not wanting to lose sight on the Akumatized victim. As he stood at the edge of the zoo he saw that the animals began to create havoc across the city.

"Trying to track a kitty cat that's not your partner?" Chat Noir chided landing next to him. " And I thought we had something Bugaboo."

"Actually, it's a Ladybug we're looking for now." Ladybug corrected as Ladybug took out his staff.

"Ooo, my specialty." His partner said with a cheeky smile as Ladybug threw his yo-yo. "So? How do we track this guy?"

"Through his target, Lê Chiến Kim." Ladybug informed showing his partner their classmate's location, implying that he had already placed a tracker on him.

"As expected of my Bugaboo," Chat Noir remarked as Ladybug was already heading towards the city. "Always thinking three steps ahead."

Ladybug grimaced internally, not letting his expression show on his face as he landed on the roof of his home. His tracker showed that Kim was apparently hiding out here of all places.

"At least he's safe inside this building. Panthers can't open doors, so it won't get inside."

"Until he morphs into a smaller animal." Ladybug remarked as he jumped down to the front of the store.

"Right. But we do have an advantage over him." Chat Noir said as he followed suit. "We know exactly where he'll end up."

The both entered the bakery where Tom looked at Kim in concerns and Sabine glanced towards the two heroes in her shop in surprise.

"Oh, you're..." Ladybug's mother pointed to him in surprise, immediately making him freeze in place for a shocking moment. "you're, you're Ladybug!" She said with a smile.

Ladybug sighed, then nodded. "Yeah, exactly. Would you mind if we took this conversation upstairs?" He asked politely. The couple nodded as Tom led Kim and the rest of them towards their living room. Ladybug crouched before Kim who looked shaken up by the experience.

"You'll be safe here," He reassured, "But we're going to need to borrow your wrist band. Do you mind?" Ladybug asked as Kim then nodded, handing it over. The Hero then noticed Chat Noir observing a framed photo of the 3 family members on the bookshelf.

"Chat Noir." He called out, grabbing his partner's attention, walking out of the door.

"We'll take care of the rest, make sure you lock all the doors and windows. Once we leave." Chat Noir ordered as the couple nodded in understanding. Shutting the living room door behind him Chat Noir saw that Ladybug placed the wrist band on the head of the stair's railing. He then eyed something in the bakery, grabbing it as Chat Noir observed the wrist band. He wondered what exactly were the specifics of his partner's plan. "Hey-" Chat Noir snapped as he was sprayed with something, glaring at his partner holding an air freshener. "What is that stuff?"

"Air freshener. It'll help cover up our scent so Animan can't smell us." Ladybug explained as he then sprayed it on himself.

"Thanks, I've always wanted to smell like... Ocean summer breeze? Couldn't you have throw something nicer on me? What if I wanted to smell like bread? Or a nice croissant?"

"We don't have enough time or the recourses to make you smell like baked delights." Ladybug reminded him.

"You usually do though." Chat Noir pointed out.

"Hm?" Ladybug looked at him in confusion.

'You always smell like cookies...or something..."Chat Noir remarked his face suddenly going red as he realized how that sounded. "I don't smell you, I promise. I just noticed it!" He suddenly rambled.

"We probably smell like what our Kwami's usually eat." Ladybug suggested. "It's why you usually smell like Camembert."

"I do?!" Chat Noir asked, slowly realizing that if he always smelled like Camembert then someone could probably put two and two together. "Uh-Couldn't we capture him inside something like this?" He asked suddenly changing the subject.

Ladybug nodded, "Until he transforms into something bigger." He then looking out of the window, eyeing an empty bus parked nearby. "You think that bus will make a big enough cage?"

Cat Noir nodded. "Definitely. But how could we get him inside there?" He asked as suddenly he could lear the beating of wings, making his ears twitch, suddenly pulling down his partner. "He's coming!" He harshly whispered.

Ladybug narrowed his eyes, looking out the window towards an eagle flying far too close to the shop. "It's working." He informed as the two moved towards the bait sitting across the room.

They both saw Animan transform into a small ladybug. Chat Noir watched as his partner caught his namesake, then glanced towards him, his eyes lit up with amusement.

"Batter up."

Chat Noir smirked in amusement as he quickly took out his baton, the two exiting the apartment in different directions; Chat Noir out of the front door, and Ladybug out of the Bakery.

"Hey, batter batter!" Ladybug called out as Chat Noir nodded with a mischevious grin holding his batton. As Ladybug threw the box at full strength Animan transformed midswing into a panther but still sent flying by Chat Noir's hit into the bus, getting knocked over. Ladybug then jumped on the bus as Chat Noir threw his baton towards him. The black-spotted hero smirked in victory as he extended the staff, locking Animan in the bus with little way of escape. Chat Noir jumped on the bus right next to his partner, watching Animan struggle to escape, going through various transformations until he laid down in exhaustion in his original panther form.

"Ready to free the Akuma?" Chat Noir asked, but Ladybug raised his hand in caution.

"Wait a moment." He said feeling unsettled, then his eyes widened as the bus began to shake with Animan's next transformation. Both heroes jumped off the bus as a Tyrannosaurus Rex destroyed its previous cage, sending Chat Noir's baton flying somewhere. It was as tall as the nearby buildings, towering over them threateningly.

"Hey! Since when do extinct animals count?" Chat Noir complained as Ladybug immediately grabbed his hand, using his yo-'yo to gain some distance between them and the giant creature. The two landing behind a car, as Ladybug threw his yo-yo in the air.

"Lucky Charm!" He called out, receiving an extra-large car jack from his yo-yo.

"Too bad Animan doesn't have any flat tires that need changing, with arms like that-" Chat Noir began saying the car they were hiding behind was tossed aside, the large animal now bearing down on them, poised to strike. Time seemed to slow down as Chat Noir realized he didn't have his baton, staring up at dozens of sharp teeth as he suddenly felt himself being shoved aside. The last thing he saw was his partner's reassuring smile as the T-Rex chomped down, consuming him whole.

"LADYBUG!" Chat Noir screamed out, horrified as the T-Rex looked almost satisfied, now turning his attention towards him. "You're so gonna pay for this..." Chat Noir said darkly, flexing his claws.

"Cataclysm!" He said activating his power but held himself back at the last second as he saw the T-Rex stumble. It shook its head wildly before falling over. Chat Noir's eyes widened as he saw his partner using the Car Jack to open up Animan's mouth, to a point where it couldn't use its jaw. Quickly ripping off its bracelet and tossing it towards his partner.

Chat Noir caught it with his cataclysm, destroying the object as the Akuma flew out.

"No more mischief from you little Akuma. Time to purify!" Ladybug said as he swung his yo-yo towards the possessed Akuma, capturing it in one motion. Then opening it once more, watching the newly purified Akuma fly away. "Bye-bye, little butterfly." He then threw the car jack into the air as Animan turned back to normal. "Miraculous Ladybug!" He said and everything turned back to normal.

He walked over to Chat Noir who was seemed to be shaken up. "Pound it-" He began saying but was immediately embraced, as Chat Noir wrapped his arms around him. Ladybug allowed his partner to remain that way for a moment as he then returned the hug.

"I'm alright." He said gently in a reassuring tone. "Sorry for worrying you."

Cat Noir then pulled back returning the smile, his hand still resting on Ladybug's waist for a moment until his ring started to beep. "Look like I'll have to catch 'ya later Bugaboo." He remarked, waving as he jumped towards the rooftops, looking back for a moment as he saw Ladybug kneel down towards Alya's father. His smile fading as he could still feel the terror he experienced moments ago.

"Well, this day seemed to be a dud," Adrien remarked as he reunited with Nino and Alya a few hours later. All three sat inside Alya's place as they relaxed after the hectic affair. "We didn't even get to see Marin at all today." He sighed as Nino patted his shoulder.

"There's always next time dude, maybe with ice cream?" He said with a smile as Adrien chuckled light-heartedly. But the two snapped at attention as Alya sounded dumbfounded, talking to someone on her.

"Where are we? WHERE ARE YOU?!" She remanded, listening for a moment before she sighed. "Just stay there." She sighed hanging up.

"Everything alright?" Adrien asked as Alya stapped her forehead.

"Marins still lost at the zoo, so now we have to find him." She explained opening the front door, as all then backtracked towards the source of this entire ordeal.

Notes:

- Unofficially this is a prequel for Gorilla, after Adrien realizes that he needs to stop smelling like cheese.

- In new areas, Marin will most definitely get lost if he doesn't have someone with him. (And Tikki's sense of direction isn't as great as his)

- Let Adrien have fun with his friends.

- Fu is actually in the episode when I rewatched it. I planned to have him and LAdybug talk for a moment, but the moment was scrapped.

-After the fight, Marin thought his friends may have returned to the zoo but they didn't, and he had to use a payphone to call them.