"Prepare for battle." Vendel announced, causing Draal to smash his fists into the ground with an imitating roar. In response, Jim held up the amulet. Not bothering to say the incantation out loud since his emotions were already on high, his armor and sword appeared.

"Here we go. I am doing this." Jim mumbled to himself in an attempt to shake his nerves off, pulling out his sword and holding it in front of him in anticipation.

"Begin!" Vendel proclaimed, sending the crowd into a cheering frenzy as a guard simply hit a button, causing the floor to let out a rumble before it lifted, startling Jim. The gears underneath the arena lifted the platform up, past the crowd and in line with the surrounding statues while Jim watched the machine move below him, no barriers to stop them from falling off. Suddenly, the gears stopped, halting the rise of the platform before a section to Jim's left sunk towards the ground below.

"Whoa!" Jim yelped before he ran to his right, hoping to not have that one fall away too. But before he could, the piece of rock he ran for dropped as well, trapping him across from Draal. As Jim took in his new situation, Draal let out a scream and jumped at the boy, only for Jim to easily-but with panic running through his veins-jump onto the closest lowered platform. Thankfully the boy landed on the platform with a thud and a groan, quickly gathering himself before rolling to the side as Draal's fists-which were for him-cracked the ground he had resided on instead. Thinking fast, Draal then grabbed the boy's leg, throwing him in a circle before letting him fly into a wall and sending the crowd into cheers.

Falling to the ground from his impact point in the wall, Jim only managed to regain himself from his stumbling when he was about to drop down into the gears below the arena, which would lead to absolute death. Once he caught himself from falling with a scream of surprise, Jim's electric blue eyes caught Draal as he celebrated to the crowd above him on another platform. But when the large troll connected eyes with Jim, Draal jumped off of the platform and rolled down the wall towards Jim, who only barely missed him as he rolled past. This only led to Draal doing a lap around the arena and coming right back at Jim.

With quick thinking, Jim tossed his sword in the path of Draal, the metal embedding into the rock and stopping Draal's twist of doom. Blue smoke filled the area as Draal hit it, causing Jim to flinch back just in case. When he saw that his attack had been stopped, Draal blinked a couple of times and looked down at the sword with shock, the audience gasping at what occurred. But as the sword appeared back within Jim's hand-a confident smile on his face-the crowd was left in shock. One troll even went as far as doing a spit-take with his drink in complete shock.

"I never taught him that. Did you?" Blinky asked, watching with complete confusion as Jim's little gang watched with shock as well.

"He's a natural!" Toby happily responded as he bounced on his feet with happiness, watching as Jim swung his sword. Now finally putting his fighting skills to use, Jim chucked his sword at the now angry Draal. Yet, the large blue troll easily blocked it with his arm, the blade disintegrating after it logged itself into the ground away from the fight.

"And there goes that move." Jim muttered to himself in disappointment. Now finding his opponent disarmed, Draal roared at Jim again before beginning to roll at him once more, prompting the boy to run away in an attempt to save himself.

"Ten whole seconds! He's not dead! That's a fortuitous sign." Blinky said before Jim passed their corner, screaming as Draal chased him.

"Don't jinx." Aaarrrgghh!!! warned his friend. Jim kept running as Draal rolled on the wall and ended up ahead of him. The troll then rounded back and stopped his roll, running at the TrollHunter with a raised fist as he jumped into the air while Jim protecting his head with his arms in response. As Draal's fist collided with Jim, the boy was pushed to the ground, his body covered in blue smoke that poured from his armor. The crowd cheered as Vendel watched with utter shock while Blinky and Aaarrrgghh cringed at the sight.

"Jim!" Toby exclaimed in worry.

"Look away! We will not remember him like this." Blinky ordered as covered his eyes, Aaarrrgghh!!! already covering his own and Toby's. Thankfully, the blue aura had taken the brunt of the blow and faded away, showing Jim as he laid helplessly on the cracked pavement. Draal then took hold of Jim's leg once again and tossed him into the air before punching him in the stomach, the force pushing Jim higher into the air before falling back down to Draal. Another fist from the crystal backed troll sent Jim twisting through the air and landing painfully on one of the higher platforms. Catching a ride on another one, Draal reached the middle of the arena floor while Jim stood up shakily, holding his stomach as the platform reached Draal's level.

After roaring in accomplishment, Draal devilishly grinned at Jim before each platform flipped to their sides. Jim screamed as he was the last to flip, tightly holding onto the ledge while Draal gave a fist to the air in celebration. But he wasn't done yet. Draal then smugly walked to Jim as he tried to pull himself up, growing weaker as his muscles began burning. Laughing at the boy's predicament, Draal suddenly stepped on the Trollhunter's fingers, causing Jim to fall with yet another scream. Music to Draal's ears. Jim then flipped off the side of the platform and landed on the ground on his stomach, his breath taken from him.

"He's getting killed! Do something!" Toby yelled, rushing past the teeth of the gate. But before he could go any further, Aaarrrgghh!!! grabbed him and pulled him back from the fight. "Forget being a pacifist! Save Jim!" the rounded boy pleaded, trying to run back out into the arena.

"He cannot. This is Jim's fight." Blinky explained as Aaarrrgghh!!! put Toby back on the ground, unaware of a presence behind them.

"Forget that! The Trollhunter is dying out there, and you won't help him?! What kind of trainer are you?!" a voice growled from behind the group, causing them to turn around and see...

"Vorgar! You're here?" Blinky questioned when Toby saw an unfamiliar Troll walking up towards them.

"Of course I am. A certain ally of yours requested my help to get here for the duel." Vorgar explained as she moved to the side, revealing...

"MariFairy?" Toby managed to get out, shocked to see Ladybug walking out from behind the newly introduced Vorgar.

"Hey Tobes." Ladybug grimly greeted as she knelt down to his level to hug him, leaving Blinky and Aaarrrgghh!!! in shock as they took in her presence.

Jim's sister was the Ladybug Miraculous holder!

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(5 minutes earlier)

Ladybug was sitting next to the entrance to the Gyre station, eagerly waiting as the engineer Trolls worked on the mode of transport. Considering she would be staying for the recalibration, Master Fu had already gotten his ingredients and left, leaving her to her own devices. She had already killed some wait time in discussing with Vorgar about the recent Changeling discovery in Arcadia, which had left the Troll in a grim state of contemplation as she took in the information. But she was grateful for the heads up non the less. Now it was well past 9pm, and was currently nearing 10 pm as Ladybug held her Bug Phone to her ear, calling her partner to tell him that she would be missing patrol.

She had already called Alya to ask her if she could cover for her with her parents, and like the best friend she was, Alya agreed with the promise of Marinette telling her why she ran off. So now she had to come up with a reasonable excuse as to why she cussed at her teacher, getting detention as a result, and then ran off to who knows where. Not like she could tell her the truth, otherwise things would end up a lot worse. But that was the least of her worries as she focused on speaking to Chat Noir.

"So, you're going to Arcadia? When you had previously said that we wouldn't get involved unless those problems came to us? What made you change your mind, and why can't I come?" Chat Noir questioned, appearing on Ladybug's Bug Phone screen as he politely dug for information.

"This isn't a field trip, Chat Noir. I'm going to Arcadia to settle some personal matters between the Trollhunter, and the son of our joint predecessors. It's not that I don't trust you, but it is vital that you stay here." Ladybug explained, intentionally keeping certain details in the dark.

"And why's that?" Chat Noir asked, an eyebrow raised in questioning.

"Didn't I mention 'personal matters'? The stuff I need to resolve is directly tied to my secret identity." Ladybug restated, knowing that Chat Noir was a little too curious sometimes.

"And I could figure it out if I came. Right, got it." Chat Noir replied, now seeing her point.

"Look, I'd bring you with me if this wasn't so personal. But I'm trying to protect both of us by going alone. With the exception of Vorgar of course." Ladybug admitted as she looked up from her phone and glanced at the engineer Trolls working on the gyre, Vorgar supervising to the side.

"What about Master Fu? Wouldn't he want to go with you?" Chat Noir asked, wondering if the old master would be joining her. But to his surprise, Ladybug shook her head 'no' at his question.

"The gyre is apparently not a pleasant way to travel. Even transformed, it would most likely be harmful for his health more than it already is." Ladybug explained, hoping to avoid the old master from getting hurt.

"And that would not be helpful at all. I see your point." Chat Noir agreed, right before a crash interrupted their conversation. At the loud noise, Ladybug looked up from her phone and saw that the cause of the interruption was the gyre as it suddenly glowed a bright blue, signaling that the runes were working.

"Not bad for a couple of newbies. I'm impressed." Vorgar praised as the newly made engineers of the Guild backed away from their work.

"Thank you, Vorgar." The apprentice's thanked as they climbed down from the top of the gyre, packing up their things so they could leave.

"What was that?" Chat Noir asked from Ladybug's phone, bringing her attention back to him.

"The gyre's finally ready! Which means I'll be leaving in a couple of minutes." Ladybug reported as got up to her feet, the two engineers passing by her with a bow while walking to the exit.

"Good luck then. I hope you manage to find some time to enjoy your visit to Heartstone." Chat Noir encouraged.

"Highly doubt that, but thank you. I'll see you tomorrow for training?" Ladybug asked, glad that he was being supportive despite not being able to go himself

"You know it. See you then, m'lady." Chat Noir farewelled, waving at her as he did so.

"Bye, kitty. See you tomorrow." Ladybug replied warmly before returning the gesture. With matters resolved, Ladybug hung up the call and put her yo-yo away as Vorgar approached her.

"We are ready to disembark. Have you squared away your alibi?" Vorgar asked as Ladybug stood up from the ground and stretched her stiff back.

"That and told Chat Noir that I'll miss patrol. I should be good to go." Ladybug replied after she stretched, grabbing her bag afterwards.

"Very good. Now we better get going." Vorgar announced, gesturing towards the gyre.

"Right. Lead the way." Ladybug commented as she slipped her backpack onto her back, and walked to the gyre. Once she and Vorgar were in the center control cabin of the gyre, Vorgar immediately went to the controls while Ladybug sat down in the passenger area.

"You better hold on tight. The runes add an extra kick to the gyre's speed." Vorgar warned as she started up the gyre, causing the newly added runes to turn from blue to bright red as the machine glowed the same color while floating up into the air.

"How much of an extra kick?" Ladybug asked as she gripped the seat with an iron-like hold, the gyre rumbling as the wheel started to spin rapidly.

"You're about to find out!! Brace yourself!" Vorgar exclaimed before she gripped the accelerator and pushed it to the control panel, sending the gyre into motion as it sped up even more and ready to shoot down the tunnel to Arcadia. After the gyre was redirected, it was then released from the docking mechanism and allowed to go.

"WHOA!!!" Ladybug shouted as the gyre shot down the tunnel in a red blur, pushed back into the seat due to the amount of force the gyre's speed had caused. The trip itself was very short due to the speed of the gyre, but it was very unpleasant like Vorgar had said. But they did arrive in Heartstone in no time at all, and in one piece as the docking mechanism caught them from going any further than the station.

"There. That wasn't so bad, was it?" Vorgar asked as she pushed the accelerator up from the control panel, causing the gyre to slow down to a halt. However, when the gyre finally stopped, Vorgar turned around to find a disoriented Ladybug on the floor of the cabin, panting and short of breath. "Oh, right. I forgot that first time gyre users react differently to the sudden speed. Are you okay?" the leader of Stone Arc fretted as she helped Ladybug up from the ground, directing her into a sitting position.

"I'll be fine. Just need... a second to...catch my breath." Ladybug panted out with a hand over her chest, still out of it from the rough ride as she claimed her racing heart. But just when she finally caught her breath, a loud crash sounded off in the distance and directed their attention to the exit to the station. "What was that?" the spotted heroine asked, even though she was worried that she already knew the answer.

"That has to be the duel. And by the sounds of it... things are escalating very quickly." Vorgar reflected as she helped Ladybug to her feet.

"In that case, we better get going." Ladybug decided before she and Vorgar left the gyre and ran to the arena, hoping that they weren't too late already.

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(Present Time)

"I can't believe you're here! How is this possible?" Toby asked in astonishment, hugging Ladybug back despite his surprise to see her.

"It's a long story. But I'll tell you later." Ladybug replied as she pulled away from the hug, only to see the looks of amazement on Blinky and Aaarrrgghh!!!'s faces.

"Tobias, you and Master Jim never said that Lady Marinette was the Ladybug Miraculous Holder." Blinky managed to say in his awe, both him and Aaarrrgghh!!! stumbling to bow to the girl in question.

"It wasn't our place to tell." Toby reminded as Ladybug stood up from the ground, glaring at Blinky.

"You can stop bowing now. I'm... not comfortable with you guys doing that." Ladybug admitted to the Trolls, causing them to listen and rise from their bowing. "Plus, I didn't want anyone to find out. Besides, you guys already know I'm a Miraculous Holder. I didn't think it would matter knowing which one I am." the spotted heroine added to Toby's earlier words, her voice gaining a cold tone towards the two male Trolls with them.

"On the contrary, this changes everything! Master Jim being related to one of the first Miraculous Holders in nearly 200 years is quite a remarkable occasion. But for that same Miraculous Holder to be that of the Ladybug... why, it earns him quite a lot of credibility amongst our kind." Blinky explained, much to Ladybug and Toby's shock to learn.

"Since the last time a Ladybug and a Trollhunter worked together was Red Scarab and Kanjigar, us Trolls have been hoping for another duo like them to occur as well. They were quite the team when Sphinx wasn't around to help them, and were very formidable." Vorgar spoke up, adding her own contribution to the conversation.

"Mari, this means you can get the Trolls to back off on their disapproval of Jim being the Trollhunter!!" Toby exclaimed, his excitement growing at the thought of having Jim's experience as the Trollhunter become a bit easier.

"And more." Aaarrrgghh!!! agreed with a nod.

"Yes, but that is the last thing on my mind right now. Where's Jim?" Ladybug questioned as looked up at the two male Trolls with a near death glare, arms crossed in front of her in an unpleasant manner.

"He's in the arena facing Draal. But he could be doing a whole lot better right now." Toby answered for the Trolls, causing Ladybug to speed walk to the gate and look out into the arena to find Jim laying on the ground in pain.

"JIM!" Ladybug screamed at the sight of the unmoving boy.

"We have to help him!" she exclaimed before she tried to run past the gate's teeth. But before she could, like before, Aaarrrgghh!!! pulled her back from going further into the arena and held her back with his arms.

"Ladybug Miraculous Holder or not, this is your brother's fight. He must do this on his own." Blinky reprimanded while Ladybug squirmed in Aaarrrgghh!!!'s hands, trying to get past him.

"Not if it means he dies. We have to... do... something!" Ladybug argued as she placed her hands onto Aaarrrgghh!!!'s arms and tried to push herself out of his grip, straining to do so due to the Kruberan's strength.

"If we intervene, it will only postpone the fight for another day. The fight needs to end today for the issue to be resolved." Blinky rebutted, lecturing Ladybug as if she were an unruly toddler. Thankfully, it managed to calm the girl down enough to stop fighting Aaarrrgghh!!!'s hold.

"So all we can do is sit by and watch?" Ladybug quietly questioned, feeling the weight of Blinky's words sink in.

"Unfortunately." Vorgar replied before they all turned to face the arena again, worry flowing through their veins as the battle maze started to sink back into the ground.

Back over with Jim, the Trollhunter couldn't push himself up from the ground as the last of the maze turned back into a smooth arena, leaving no lifting rocks to separate him from Draal. But as the chuckling crystal-backed troll advanced on Jim, the boy chanced a glare at Draal as he looked back at him and twisting his aching body around.

"Rule number three." Jim exclaimed before he sent his foot towards Draal's private area, causing the larger troll to scream in pain. All around the arena, the crowd gasped and winced at the familiar feeling, sympathizing with Draal. But after he dropped to the floor in pain, Draal quickly gathered himself and stood back onto his feet to mame the Trollhunter, only to find no Jim anywhere.

"Huh? What? Huh?" Draal grunted out as he looked for Jim, circling in place. Unbeknownst to Draal, as he twisted and turned in search for his enemy, Jim was right behind him as he held his stomach and quickly limped to stay behind the troll.

"By Deya's grace, he found it!" Blinky exclaimed in joy, shaking Ladybug and Toby's shoulders in his excitement.

"Found what?" Aaarrrgghh!!! questioned.

"His weakness! Draal's blind spot!" Blinky explained as he wound his upper arm around Toby's shoulder and pulled him towards himself. At the turn of events, Ladybug couldn't help but smile as they kept watching Jim stay in the newly discovered blind spot.

"Of course. With those crystals on his back, it makes it difficult for Draal to see anything coming from behind. Jim's a genius!" Ladybug praised from Aaarrrgghh!!!'s hold on her, watching as Jim backed away from Draal and still managed to stay behind the vast body.

But knowing that he still needed to beat Draal, Jim looked around the arena as the troll in front of him yelled in frustration. Soon enough, Jim backed away from Draal enough for a nearby creaking noise to alert him. Turning around, the boy was happy to find a large ax appearing from a slit in the wall, swinging forward then back into its hiding spot as an idea formed in Jim's mind.

"You cannot be the Trollhunter! You're a boy! - I am the son of Kanjigar and Red Scarab!" Draal proclaimed angrily as Jim limped to the opening of where the swinging ax appeared from.

"And I am Jim, son of Barbara." Jim replied back, finally speaking and coming out of hiding. As he spoke up, Draal turned around to face him, unaware of the ax coming back into its hiding place. "And the amulet chose me!" the Trollhunter proclaimed, causing Draal to roar at his words. Just after he did, a familiar releasing noise met Jim's ears, his eyes popping open in time to dodge the large ax at the last minute. Draal's eyes grew wide as the ax knocked into him, sending his body into the air and being thrown over the edge of the arena with a scream.

All around the arena, everyone gasped in shock as Draal's fingers gripped onto the ledge, hoping not to die by falling into the lava below. Meanwhile, a recovering Jim struggled to get back to his feet, holding his now bruised stomach as he slowly hobbled to where Draal had been hanging.

"Yes! He did it!" Toby exclaimed as Aaarrrgghh!!! finally let Ladybug go, the need to hold her back long gone.

"It's not over yet. He has to finish the fight." Blinky quietly rebutled, turning to address Toby as he spoke.

"You mean-" Ladybug began, only to make a 'beheading' gesture instead of voicing the thought. Blinky could only nod in confirmation as the crowd chanted ' Finish the fight!' on repeat.

As the chanting grew, Jim finally reached the edge of the arena and looked down at Draal, watching the troll grunt as he was unable to pull himself up. Suddenly, the sword of daylight appeared in Jim's hand, prompting him to raise it and point it at Draal, his face being overrun by many emotions. Draal could only watch in shock and worry that his death was about to come.

"AAHHH!!" Jim yelled before he brought the sword down... into the ground, not striking Draal at all. The crystal-backed troll looked up as the smoke died off Jim's sword, exhaling heavily as the Trollhunter held out his hand.

"The fight is to the death." Draal panted out.

"House rules, not mine. Come on, man. Don't make it weird." Jim encouraged. After a second of hesitation, Draal finally used his free hand to grab onto Jim's, the armor giving the boy the strength to pull Draal up. Back over at the gate, while the group watched Jim help Draal back up, Ladybug couldn't help but smile at the scene in front of her.

"That's my brother." Ladybug whispered to herself as the crowd booed at Jim's action.

"You should have killed me." Draal sadly admitted before Jim walked to the center of the arena.

"Look, I may not have followed your rules, but neither did the amulet when it chose me." Jim began, addressing the masses of Heartstone Trollmarket. But it only encouraged their booing to grow. Deciding that Jim needed a little help, Ladybug gave her backpack to Toby and ran through the teeth of the gate, entering the arena.

"I'd listen to him if I were you. Just because he's a human, doesn't mean he isn't able to protect you guys." Ladybug spoke up as she walked towards Jim, looking up at the trolls above the arena. "You've trusted humans to protect you before, and they have done so without issue. How is this any different?" the spotted heroine queried as she reached Jim, not taking notice of his look of astonishment as he stared at her.

"Mari?" Jim muttered to himself as he stared at his sister, not believing she was there.

"And who are you to say such things?" Vendel threateningly questioned from the balcony above, quieting the crowd long enough for Ladybug to answer.

"I am Ladybug! One of the first Miraculous Holders in nearly 200 hundred years, the current holder of the Miraculous of Creation..." Ladybug proudly responded, before placing a hand onto Jim's armored shoulder. "...and the younger sister to your current Trollhunter!" The spotted heroine finished, sending the crowd into an uproar.

"What?" Draal quietly uttered, looking up from the ground to see the duo in the middle of the arena. But he was loud enough for the two humans to hear him.

"Not so powerless now, huh?" Ladybug rhetorically questioned with a smirk before turning back to the crowd, not giving Draal much more thought after that. "I am honestly ashamed that your leader allowed this duel to even happen. If it weren't for your prejudices against humans, this conflict wouldn't have happened. You are wasting time fighting, when you should be more focused on what's going on above your heads." the heroine in red spoke as she addressed the crowd, fury thinly veiled behind her words.

"Oh, no!" Blinky gasped when he heard Ladybug's words, trying to get the gate open before Ladybug and Jim caused a panic.

"Floor's yours, Jim." Ladybug quietly said to Jim, turning away from the crowd to glance at him.

"Thanks, sis." Jim thanked in the same volume before he took a step forward, ready to say his piece. "At this very moment, Changelings are in Arcadia." the Trollhunter announced, causing the crowd to gasp.

"What are they talking about?" Vendel questioned from the balcony, while Blinky finally got the gate open and rushed over to the two humans.

"You'll need a Trollhunter who doesn't have to live in the shadows. This is a time to work together. They're building the Killahead-" Jim carried on, only to be interrupted by Blinky when he finally reached them.

"Stop! Say no more! We must leave this instant!" Blinky said as he grabbed both Jim and Ladybug's arms and pulled them from the view of the crowd.

"They have a right to know." Ladybug rebutted as they were pulled out of the arena.

"And you two have a right to listen! Ours is an ancient race. While Lady Marinette's reveal will grant you leniency, it will take time to win hearts and minds." Blinky explained as they, Aaarrrgghh!!! and Toby walked out of the Heroes Forge. But as the group left, both Jim and Ladybug turned around to find the crowd throwing garbage at the exiting Draal, who was slumped over in sadness and defeat while he walked.

"Why are they treating him that way?" Jim questioned Blinky, causing the group to stop walking and six-eyed Troll to walk back towards him and Ladybug.

"You spared his life, but destroyed his honor. He will never be able to show his face in Trollmarket again." Blinky revealed, while Jim and his sister looked at Draal in remorse.

"Even if I hate him for trying to kill Jim, that's not fair at all." Ladybug argued, the feeling of this injustice not sitting well with her.

"Such is our way, Lady Marinette. He made his choice, and now there is nothing we can do." Blinky sighed before the group left the arena. But unbeknownst to them, Vendel was watching them as he stroked his chin in interest.

'It appears that I have misjudged the boy's competence. Perhaps there's hope for him, yet.' Vendel mused before he looked to the gate at the side of the arena, spying Vorgar as she watched the group leaving. Looks like there was more to find out, after all.

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"Oh, praise! You're alive!" Toby exclaimed after the group left the arena, giving a de-armoured Jim a big hug after giving Ladybug her bag back.

"And sore. Ease up." Jim replied with a chuckle, while Ladybug stood by the smiling Blinky and Aaarrrgghh!!!.

"Just one more minute." Toby added much to Jim's happiness to comply with his best friend's wish.

"Aaarrrgghh!!!, Blinky... a word." A voice called from the tunnel they walked through, pulling the group from their happy moment to see a dimly lit Vendel standing in the tunnel with Vorgar next to him.

"Vendel and I have things to discuss, Ladybug. You'll have to wait a bit." Vorgar warned. But Ladybug didn't mind at all.

"Take all the time you need." Ladybug replied before Aaarrrgghh!!! patted Jim's head.

"Good fight." Aaarrrgghh!!! congratulated before he and Blinky left to talk to the two leaders.

"Yes! Very good fight, Master Jim. I'll handle Vendel and Vorgar. You get home and rest. Tomorrow, we shall join you for these. What do you call them? Ah, yes, tacos." Blinky said as he walked away, turning around to face the path ahead of him and Aaarrrgghh!!!.

"Mmm, tacos." Aaarrrgghh!!! hummed as he led the way to Vendel. But when they were gone, Jim looked down at his hugging best friend.

"You opened the letter?" Jim asked, knowing that the only way for Blinky and Aaarrrgghh!!! to know that is if he had.

"When I read I was your best friend, it took our relationship to a whole new level." Toby replied with a fond sigh before resting against his tall friend, happy to have him alive.

"Glad to know it made you happy, Tobes." Jim said before he looked over at Ladybug, who was still off to the side of them. "Sis, I can't believe you're here! How did you even–" the Trollhunter began, only for Ladybug to slowly start walking over to them.

"A machine called a Grye. I had to wait a while for it to get done before I could get here." Ladybug explained, interrupting Jim's question as she slipped her backpack back on.

"How long?" Toby asked, his own curiosity piqued.

"Let's just say that when I read your letter to me, I caused an incident that made enough of a ruckus for me to run off and find my way here. I had plenty of time to kill." Ladybug admitted nonchalantly as she neared her brothers.

"Either way Mari, it's so good to see-" Jim started again. But he was once again interrupted by his sister, who placed her head onto his shoulder when she was a foot away from him. "Um, sis... are you-" the Trollhunter began to question, feeling confused as to what his sister was doing. But he quickly got his answer when he heard quiet sniffling.

"You really thought– that you could send me a letter like that— and not have me use every bit– of my power to get across the world to you? You're dead wrong, Jim!" Ladybug managed to say, lightly punching Jim's chest as her anguish towards him flared high alongside the tears streaming down her face. That's when Jim realized what he'd done.

While he was surprised to see Marinette breaking down so suddenly, and yet still being mindful of his injuries, he could understand where she was coming from. He had given her what was basically a suicide note and left her to it, sending her into a spiral of 'What if's' and uncertainty. So of course she would be stressed out. Without a second thought, Jim pulled her into a hug, calming Ladybug down enough to stop punching him in the chest and say what was on her mind.

"When I heard your letter...it felt like everything was crashing down around me. You are my brother, Jim. I need you." the spotted heroine admitted in a broken voice, more tears appearing from her watery eyes.

"Hey, it's okay. It's okay. I'm fine now." Jim softly assured as he walked them over to a more secluded area, with Toby following. Once they found a good spot where no one could interrupt, both Jim and Toby flanked Ladybug as they sank to the ground in the hidden corner.

"But you almost weren't. You could have died in there." Ladybug rebutted, trying to wipe away her tears while more just kept coming. "Then you pulled that hat trick and won. I never would have thought of that so quickly!" the spotted heroine exclaimed, eyes wide as she gestured her hands out in front of her as she talked.

"And of course I'm proud of you! I always have been, and always will be. And don't you forget that!" Ladybug cried as she suddenly hugged Jim, her grip on him iron-like. Surprised by the sudden display of affection, Jim's arms hovered above Ladybug before he returned the hug.

"I never will." Jim promised as he pulled her closer to him, hoping to ease Ladybug's distress.

"Aw, group hug!!" Toby exclaimed, joining the hug and sending the three of them to the ground in laughter.

"Why do we always end up on the ground when we do a group hug?" Ladybug fondly questioned from her spot sandwiched between Jim and Toby, wrapping one of her arms around Toby as she managed to get them back up from the ground.

"No idea." the two boys replied at the same time, sending the three of them into another spiral of laughter. Soon enough, they managed to calm down so they continued their conversation.

"I'm so sorry for making you worry so much. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" Jim apologized, placing a hand onto Ladybug's shoulder when the three of them were upright again.

"You owe me big time. But if you give me the book Blinky gave you that you used to save your life, then I'll call it a start." Ladybug replied right before she pulled him in and gave Jim a noogie, much to Jim's protest and Toby's amusement.

"Okay, okay! We have a deal!" Jim exclaimed as he tried to grab Ladybug's hands to stop her from nogging him, Toby chuckling at the scene. With his verbal confirmation, Ladybug layed off the nooging and released him.

"Thank you." Ladybug answered before she got up from the ground, offering a hand to the two boys to help them up afterwards.

"But we will have to head back to my house to get it." Jim admitted as he and Toby grabbed Ladybug's outstretched hands and pulled themselves back to their feet.

"Sounds good to me. As long as I get back before sunrise on my end." Ladybug replied as she wiped the last of her tears away, glad to have more of an excuse to stay.

"Ooooh, does this mean we can finally meet Tikki?" Toby asked, excitement bursting out of him and making Ladybug chuckle fondly at his question. She was wondering when he would ask.

"Yes, but not here. Once we're out of Heartstone, I'll detransform so you guys can finally meet her." Ladybug promised with a laugh as they walked out of their hiding place.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" Toby exclaimed before he grabbed the sibling's arms, pulling them with him as he ran to the exit while they laughed at his excitement. Time for introductions to be made.

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It didn't take long for the teens to reach the staircase leading to the exit, especially since Toby was leading the way. Though, considering it was a long way up, Ladybug decided to have a little bit of fun in terms of getting to the surface. Pulling out her yo-yo, she started to swing it around to gain some momentum before going through with her idea.

"What are you doing?" Jim asked as he watched Ladybug prepare to swing her yo-yo.

"Taking the expressway. Care to join?" Ladybug questioned before she threw her yo-yo up, letting it fly above them.

"Oh, heck yeah!" Toby exclaimed as the yo-yo wrapped around a crystal step near the top of the staircase. After giving it a tug to make sure it was secure, Ladybug wrapped her arms around the two boys in preparation.

"Going up!" Ladybug called out in warning before she yanked on the yo-yo string, sending the three of them flying up to the exit.

"WOOOAH!" Toby and Jim exclaimed as they shot into the air, the feeling of weightlessness flowing through them. But it was a fleeting feeling, as they landed on the start of the staircase with shaky legs.

"That was awesome! Does it always feel like you're flying when you do that?" Toby excitedly asked while Ladybug retracted her yo-yo from its anchor point.

"Every single time, Tobes. It never gets old." Ladybug admitted as she pulled out her Horngazel from her yo-yo, and put her weapon back on her waist.

"I have to admit, that was pretty fun." Jim agreed, taking some time to ground himself from the sudden ascent.

"Thanks. Maybe we can do that again on a later date." Ladybug suggested as she walked over to the wall blocking the exit.

"Sounds good to us." Jim replied before Ladybug stabbed the wall with her Horngazel and drew the doorway out. Once the outline was drawn, the stone inside the line dissolved into nothing and allowed access for the teens to exit the hidden city, the boy's bikes sitting right by the wall.

"Okay, not to sound impatient, but we're out of Trollmarket. Sooo...?" Toby trailed off, looking over at Ladybug 'innocently' as he asked. Ladybug could only chuckle at his antics.

"I know, I know." Ladybug fondly assured as the wall closed back up behind them, smiling at Toby's excitement. Without a second delay, Ladybug spread her arms out and said... "Tikki, spots off!" the spotted heroine called out. As soon as she uttered the words, her transformation fell away in a shower of pink light, allowing Tikki to appear next to her.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Is this...?" Toby excitedly asked when Ladybug was fully transformed back into Marinette, seeing the Kwami for the first time ever.

"Yep. Boys, meet my Kwami, Tikki. Tikki, these are my brothers, Jim and Toby." Marinette introduced, gesturing to the respective parties as she spoke.

"It's very nice to meet you two. Marinette told me all about you." Tikki greeted, floating away from Marinette to reside in the midway point between her holder and the two boys.

"Same here! But she didn't tell us how adorable you are!!" Toby squealed as he held out his hands for Tikki to rest in. The little Kwami complied and flew to his hands, greeted by Toby's finger tickling her stomach and causing her to giggle.

"You're like a little fairy!" Jim cooed as he leaned over Toby's shoulder to get a better look at the red Kwami, happy to finally have a face to the name of who gave his sister her powers.

"Thank you. And you two are even more friendly in person than I thought!" Tikki replied with a kind smile.

"Aw, you are such a sweetie!" Toby exclaimed as he kept tickling Tikki's stomach. But after he did, the little kwami caught a whiff of something sweet, making her stomach rumble.

"Mmm, what's that delicious smell? It's coming from Toby's pocket!" Tiiki exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with delight.

"Oh, do you mean this?" Toby questioned as he brought a hand to his pants pocket and pulled out a handful of Noguet Nommies, holding them in the palm of his retrieving hand.

"What is that?" Tikki asked as her sight zeroed in on the newly discovered treat.

"It's a Nougat Nommie. An American candy, and Toby's favorite treat." Marinette explained as Toby began passing the candy out amongst the group.

"But, I'm always willing to share." Toby said as Jim and Marinette each grabbed a Nougat Nommie. Now down to two, Toby offered one to Tikki, who accepted the treat and quickly unwarped it to take a small bite. But that one small bite was all it took.

"Oh my!! So tasty!" Tikki squealed before she took a bigger bite out of her Nommie, bringing fond smiles to the three teens.

"Looks like even tiny Kwami's can't resist the temptation of Nougat Nommies." Toby remarked before he took a bit out of his own candy, Jim following his example.

"You better hope she doesn't start craving them, Tobes. Otherwise I'll have to switch out her recharge food from cookies to Nommies. And you already know they are hard to find in Paris." Marinette warned after popping the treat into her mouth, seeing the risks of introducing a new treat to her sweet toothed kwami.

"Yeah, good point. But how can I resist this little cutie!" Toby replied before he tickled Tikki again after she finished the last of her Nommie, earning another giggle from her.

"Equally fair point, Tobes. But we better get going." Jim remaided as he finished his candy, going over to his bike.

"Jim's right. I don't have much time before the day starts on my end, and I need to get back in time to at least get some sleep before school." Marinette admitted as she walked over to Jim while Toby got his own bike.

"Speaking of, how did you manage to get out of class to find a way here?" Toby asked as he picked up his bike. But at the question, Marinette's cheeks erupted into a fiery red as she averted her gaze to the ground.

"Oh, um...it's a long story." Marinette reluctantly admitted, not wanting to admit her actions as she gripped her bag straps out of nervousness. However, Jim and Toby's curiosity were piqued as they walked up the slope of the canal.

"Well, we have time before we get home. So dish girl!" Toby pleaded as he focused his full attention back onto Marinette. Knowing where this was going, Tikki flew from his hand to sit on his shoulder so he could grip his bike handles with both hands.

"Okay, never say 'Dish girl' ever again. It sounds weird when you say it." Marinette deadpanned, finding Toby's attempts to act as a 'gal pal' too cringy.

"Noted." Toby replied as they all reached the top of the canal slope, finding his own words cringy as well.

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From there, Marinette regaled them about her very interesting story of getting to Arcadia. Needless to say, it left the boys both shocked and entertained. They might have teased her a bit about cussing in front of her class, but it was all in good humor. But by the time they said 'goodbye' to Toby, the sun had set and the two siblings and Tikki walked over to Jim's house.

"I still can't believe you cussed at Mrs Mendeleiev." Jim remarked as they approached his house.

"I had just listened to your letter! My emotions were all over the place!" Marinette replied, defending her actions even though she already told him and Toby why she did it.

"Still, I had no idea you had that in you!" Jim argued as they finally reached his house.

"Alright, I get it. It's crazy. But we have some business to take care of." Marinette stated as they walked around to the side of the house to avoid lookie-loos.

"Yeah, I know. Head on up to my room and wait. I'll be up in a few minutes to give you the book." Jim explained as he kept a hold of his bike to stop it from falling to the ground.

"Sounds good. Spots On!" Mairnette proclaimed, transforming back into Ladybug. Once she was in her superhero persona, she grabbed her yo-yo from her side and prepared to swing it. "See you in a few!" Ladybug announced before she threw her yo-yo to hook onto the gutter of the house.

With a strong tug on the string, she flew up to the roof and landed right next to Jim's window, opening it with ease before she waved back at Jim. At the sight of Ladybug's safe landing, Jim waved back before she slipped into his room, closing the window behind her and allowing Jim to begin walking back around to the front of the house. Once his bike was put away, Jim finally approached the front door as he pulled out his amulet in exhaustion.

"Just an average teenager after an average teenage day." Jim muttered to himself as he pressed his forehead to the house wall, crickets chirping around him as he looked at his amulet. Once he gathered his thoughts, Jim put the relic back into his bag and opened the door.

"Hey, Mom, I'm home. I'm just going to head upstairs to get a jump on homework." the Trollhunter called out as he rested his bag at the foot of the stairs, upon the large piece of the railing.

"In here. Guess who brought tea?" Barbara announced, waving her hand from the dining room and causing Jim to tiredly press his forehead to his arm at her words.

'So close.' Jim groaned in his thoughts, just when his mom's words suddenly registered with him. "Oh, not Strickler again." the Trollhunter mumbled to himself before he headed into the dining room. But to his surprise, he instead found Nomura sitting at the table while his mother poured her a cup of tea. Letting out a surprised gasp, Jim could only watch the Changeling as she eyed him hungrily with a grin, while Barbara sat down in the chair across from her.

"Don't you have something to say to Ms. Nomura?" Barbara asked, prompting Jim to snap out of his shock and come back to reality.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Nomura. I should have never gone into the museum in the first place. It's an unforgivable offense and I deeply apologize." Jim 'apologized', his voice growing darker towards the end.

"That's more like it." Barbara praised after she took a sip of her tea, not noticing Jim's sudden turn of tone.

"But not as sorry as you're going to be for coming into my home, with my mother. So, you'd better leave now, or else we'll both be sorry." Jim threatened as he made his way to his mother's side, Nomura just smirking as she waited for a fight.

"Jim! She's our guest. What's gotten into you?" Barbara scolded, before her words died off as her head dropped on the table, no longer conscious.

"Mom!" Jim cried out, worried about his suddenly unconscious mother. But Nomura merely clicked her tongue and took a sip of her tea

"That speech was very moving." Nomura tauntedly praised before she stood up from her chair. "Too bad she won't remember it when she wakes up and finds your body!" the Changeling exclaimed as she followed Jim while he backed away from her. She then cornered him in front of a wall and attempted to scratch at Jim with her nails, before he glanced over at his bag. Thinking quickly, Jim took off towards his bag, almost making it until Nomura grabbed his collar and threw him back.

"Ahh!" Jim screamed as he flew into the kitchen, his body slamming into the counters. When he recovered, Jim pulled himself up and reached for the knives, only to find all of them missing.

"Looking for these?" Nomura taunted as she passed the doorframe to the kitchen, transforming into her troll form with the knives Jim had been looking for placed between each of her fingers. With a yell, Nomura released them with a throw, all aiming at Jim who used a leftover pan on the stove to him as a shield. The changeling then jumped at Jim with another sharp steak knife in her hand. Suddenly, the pan became useful to Jim as he twiddled it with his fingers and tried to take a few swings at Nomura in self defense.

But with a grab of his wrist, Jim was pushed back onto the counter as the Changeling's other hand threw the knife to his head. Luckily, the Trollhunter evaded it before he shoved her head into a machine and pressed a button. Steam was then released, drowning Nomura in the smoke-like substance and freeing Jim. Now in the clear, Jim ran to his backpack, ducking as a knife sliced through the door as Nomura screamed before running at him, taking strikes as he dodged each one of them. She then leaped in front of him, yet, nothing could stop him as he effortlessly climbed the side of the stairs and pulled his backpack off the railing.

Seeing what he was up to, Nomura threw another hit at the boy, only for Jim to pull out his amulet and hold up to stop her punch. But the magic that escaped from the relic threw the two on opposite sides of the entryway, the amulet rolling under a still-dazed Nomura before it stopped under the safety of the couch. With his only means of defense out of reach, Jim pressed his teeth together and retreated up the steps while Nomura began to clear herself from the blow. He managed to reach the top of the stairs when the door to his room opened up, revealing a concerned Ladybug.

"Jim, what's going on?" Ladybug asked, closing the door behind her as Jim quickly made his way to her.

"Nomura's here!" Jim exclaimed while he approached Ladybug.

"What?!" Ladybug yelled, only for Jim's hand to fly right to her mouth and cover any more of her response. "Mph!" the spotted heroine protested from behind Jim's palm, not happy with the sudden action.

"Shh, she can't know you're here. Come on!" Jim said as he grabbed her arm and pulled her into the bathroom, just as Nomura finally recovered from the earlier blow, the amulet disappearing from underneath the couch. But just when Jim locked him and his sister into the safety net of the bathroom, the Changeling quickly skittered up the stairs, whistling a haunting tune. The defenseless Trollhunter and Ladybug could only listen with worry, afraid that she might find them both.

"What are we going to do?" Ladybug asked in a whisper once she saw that Jim didn't have his amulet on him.

"I don't know." Jim admitted in the same volume, just before they heard a door being forcefully open nearby. Peering through the keyhole, Ladybug could see that Nomura had just checked Barbara's room, and was currently searching the hallway for her prey.

"Whatever we're going to do, we better do it now. She's bound to come this way soon." Ladybug reported, right before Jim heard the familiar sound of his amulet. Hoping beyond hope that he was right, he pulled open the bathroom mirror and was happy to see his amulet transported there.

"Yes! Thank you!" Jim exclaimed as he grabbed the relic out of the cabinet, and called upon his armor. Unbeknownst to Jim and Ladybug, the glowing blue flash that colored the cracks in the bathroom doors had caught Nomura's eye. Now knowing where her prey was, she turned to face the bathroom door with a grin. But after Jim transformed, the weight of his fear caused the armor to become too heavy for his jelly legs, causing Ladybug to slip his arm around her shoulder to support him as they waited for Nomura's attack.

"You can't hide forever. Trust me... I would know." Nomura taunted as she approached the bathroom door, her claws sliding beneath the door and scratching the tile. When Jim finally got his wits about him, allowing him and Ladybug to have their weapons at the ready, the handle to his bathroom door shook as Nomura tried to reach her prey.

The siblings could only watch the shaking knob in anticipation as they slowly paced backward, when suddenly, the trembling had concluded, not even a breath taken from the other side of the door. Seeing the abrupt change, the young heroes waited, trying to figure the situation out. Without warning, the door bursts open, Jim and Ladybug's bodies falling back against the wall as fighting occurs, both wincing as each grunt echoed in their ears. As soon as the fighting moved away from the bathroom, the door opened just slightly, allowing Jim's eye to peer through the crack and find nothing but the upstairs empty.

"What was that?" Ladybug questioned as Jim opened the door fully, who spied the curtain covering the now wide open window at the end of the hall dancing in the wind.

"No idea. Come on!" Jim exclaimed before he ran to the window, Ladybug following behind. As soon as they reached the window, they peeked their heads through and found Draal and Nomura battling against one another. "Draal?" the Trollhunter uttered as they watched the fight between troll and Changeling escalate.

"What is he doing here? And why is he fighting Nomura when she's trying to kill us?" Ladybug wondered aloud as Draal threw a punch at Nomura, who evaded it with ease.

"You mean kill me? She doesn't even know you're here." Jim remarked, turning to face Ladybug while she kept watching the fight, just as Nomura escaped Draal by jumping onto the roof. "Duck!" the Trollhutner exclaimed before he pushed Ladybug down from the window, keeping her out of Nomura's sight as Draal followed Nomura to the top of the house. With Nomura out of view, Ladybug stood back up and joined Jim as he followed the commotion on the roof to find out where the trolls would end up.

Figuring out that the fight would end up in the backyard, the siblings took off with another run, heading down the stairs. Once they got to the kitchen, they could spy the fight in the surrounding windows, watching Draal use his signature roll on Nomura's while she blocked it with her swords, sparks flying as they scraped against him. Wanting to know who would win, Jim and Ladybug raced to the back door, only for Jim to stop before he opened the door.

"Stay out of sight, okay." Jim told Ladybug, who only nodded in reply. She knew that he asked her to 'stay out of sight' on the account of the chance Nomura would see her. And they didn't need her finding out Jim knew the Ladybug Miraculous holder. So without fuss, Ladybug hid on the left side of the doorway while Jim swung it open to reveal the ongoing fight, finding the two attackers staring down at one another. Unfortunately, when Jim pushed open the door, it allowed Nomura to easily find him. Seeing the golden opportunity, Nomura's quick feet propelled her to the boy. But Draal's vast blue body blocked her from landing a hand on Jim, tossing her away from the Trollhunter with his arm.

"What are you doing here?" Nomura demanded from Draal, brandishing her swords.

"Delivering you pain again, Nomura. Do not touch the Trollhunter." Draal said threateningly.

"Suddenly you're honorable? Sorry to hear about daddy. Bular always liked the way he screamed." Nomura taunted, the tip of her sword tapped against her chin while she smiled, her words digging into Draal's tough skin. With anger, he let out a fierce war cry and aimed quick punches at Nomura as she leaped back from each blow.

"Are you sensing a... vibe... between these two?" Ladybug questioned Jim after she poked her head past the doorway to watch as Nomura and Draal kept fighting. The Changeling then threw her swords at the crystal-backed troll's head, only to have little effect on him.

"Now that you mentioned it... kind of. It seems like they have history." Jim replied while Nomura's swords got stuck in Draals horns, the larger troll pushing her towards the fence.

"This just got more interesting." Ladybug remarked while Nomura leaped onto the slim surface of the fence top and jumped over Draal's tall body, slicing his arm with her sword and causing his scream to pierce the quiet night. Seeing the opening, Nomura started swinging her swords around randomly, causing Draal to use his arms as shields from the hits. But this only fueled Draal to end the fight right then and there.

Sick and tired of not ending the fight, Draal's hands grabbed each sword and pulled them apart with a roar, revealing the shocked face of Nomura. Having the upper hand again, Draal swung Nomura's body to either side of him, her stone skin smacking against the hard surface of the dirt. When he decided she had had enough, Draal tossed a screaming Nomura far from Jim's house, winning the battle.

"Impure." Draal growled before he spat at the ground. But now that the threat was gone, he turned around to face a flabbergasted Jim and Ladybug, who had come out of her hiding spot when Nomura was gone and stood by Jim.

"Stay back." Ladybug warned as she pulled out her yo-yo and spun it in front of her and Jim to protect them, still wary of Draal's intentions. For all they knew, Draal only fought Nomura so he could kill them himself. Seeing Ladybug's caution, Draal stayed where he was.

"You two were right." Draal said, shocking both of the siblings.

"So, you're not here to kill us?" Jim questioned, his grip on his sword faltering at Draal's words.

"Not kill. Protect." Draal replied as he took a few tentative steps towards them. At his sincere admission, a wide-eyed Ladybug lowered her yo-yo shield just as an equally surprised Jim's armor shedded, falling in the hold of the amulet as it rolled from his reach. Luckily for them, it ended up right at Draal's foot, who picked up the relic and looked at the humans that stood in front of him, watching with confusion.

"Take it. Don't make it weird." the troll quoted, holding out his hand as he offered the amulet back to Jim. Smiling at his actions, Jim gently grabbed the amulet.

"Are you going to be okay?" Ladybug asked as Draal entered the house, a little worried about this new situation.

"I am. But, are you?" Draal asked after he reached the dining room, sniffing the cup Barbara had drunk earlier. After sniffing the foul scent of tea, Draal flicked the cup off the table. "Your battles won't always be waged in arenas. You won't have time to prepare, to study your opponent for weaknesses as you did me. And you won't always have your sister to assist you." The crystal-backed troll lectured as he inspected part of the house, turning to face the two siblings standing shyly beside the door frame behind him.

"You are the Trollhunter. It is time to start being afraid." Draal reminded as he stood across from Jim and Ladybug, before he let out a sigh. "Since I cannot go back to Trollmarket, I will guard your home." the troll added before he began looking around the house, trying to find a good place to stay.

"I... I don't think my mother would be down with that." Jim stuttered before Draal circled the area around him. Both him and Ladybug tried to follow, but the resting Barbara caught their attention just as Draal sniffed and found the door to the basement. But both brother and sister decided to take care of the snoring Barbara first, which led to Ladybug carrying her to the couch and covering her with a blanket while Jim gently pulled off her glasses and set them nicely on the side table. Once they were sure she was comfortable, both siblings sat down on the edge of the couch to process what had just happened.

"Spots off." Ladybug uttered, transforming back into Ladybug and catching Tikki in her hands.

"Well, that just happened." Jim remarked, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

"Yeah, it did." Marinette sighed out, leaning against Jim as she slumped over in exhaustion, the boy following in suit. But it was short lived when they realized one thing...

"We should probably make sure he doesn't break anything, right?" Jim questioned, looking down at Marinette as she rested on his shoulder.

"Oh, definitely." Marinette agreed, sending the two of them straight for the basement door and Tikki flying into her purse. Once there, they watched Draal as he reached into the furnace and pulled out a red-hot coal before tossing it into his mouth.

"This is nice." Draal remarked before he pulled out more burning rocks and scattered them onto the floor. "Here I shall protect you and your fleshbag mother, Bar-bu-rah." the crystal-backed troll proclaimed.

"Mmm... close enough." Jim muttered, not seeing the point in correcting Draal.

"Your mother will awaken soon. I protect. I do not clean." Draal remarked, giving Jim a chiding side-eye as he spoke.

"Right. Yep. I'll get right on that." Jim replied, starting to head back up the stairs and grabbed a broom on his way.

"I'll give you a hand. Still have time before I need to head back to Paris." Marinette added, following Jim's example and grabbed a second broom too.

"Fleshbags..." Draal began with a snort, stopping the two humans from going any further. "Maybe you'll make a good Trollhunter, after all. I can already tell that you and your sister have a strong bond that will prove invaluable. When that time comes, I will be proud to fight by your side." the crystal-backed troll proclaimed, stepping closer to Jim and Marinette. At his words, both siblings smiled and each set a hand on his spiked shoulder.

"Thanks Draal." Jim replied, happy to have a new ally.

"And call me Marinette. If we're going to be allies, we might as well be on a first name basis." Marinette added, deciding to give the troll a chance. Glad to be given a chance, Draal smiled back and turned back to his pile of coal, feeling welcomed by the two humans as they headed back upstairs to clean.

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A little while later, the house was back to normal and Barbara was placed in her bed to sleep off the drugged tea Nomura had given her. With things back in order, Jim finally had the time to give Marinette the book he promised to give her. But they still had some things to discuss.

"So, what do you think about..." Jim began as they walked up the stairs towards his room.

"About Draal staying here? Not going to lie, it's still weird to me, but I think it's a good idea." Marinette admitted as she followed behind him.

"I think so too." Jim replied as he reached the top of the stairs, moving to the side so Marinette could come up as well.

"Don't get me wrong, he's still a bit of a brute, and he has some time before he will be truly forgiven for trying to kill you in my eyes. But considering he saved us from Nomura, I'd say he's earned himself a second chance... for now." Marinette reflected, voicing some of her reservation to having a troll that tried to kill her brother living in his basement. But like she said, she wanted to give him a second chance and she would.

"At least you're taking this well. Had this happened last year, you would have freaked out something fierce." Jim remarked as they closed in on his bedroom door.

"Oh believe me... I'm freaking out on the inside." Marinette assured as Jim opened his door, allowing them both to walk inside.

"Well I for one am glad that you two are giving Draal a chance. I know that you three will become good friends." Tikki spoke up, poking her head out Marinette's purse to add her two cents to the conversation while the girl grabbed her backpack off of Jim's bed.

"We'll see, Tikki." Marinette replied as Jim reached underneath his bed and pulled out the book Blinky had given him.

"In any case, here's the book. The first of 47 from what Blinky has told me." Jim warned as he held out the book to his sister, hoping to deter her from having to read the whole series.

"Then you better send over the rest of them when you finish reading them. Chat and I need all the help we can get when it comes to Troll kind threats" Marinette replied, revealing the main reason why she wanted to borrow the book. Now understanding her need for the book, Jim could only nod in understanding.

"Fair enough. Deal." Jim admitted as he allowed Marinette to take the book from his hands. But once his hands were free, he pulled out his phone to check the time, only to see just how late it was for her. "Oof, you better get going. It's a half hour before sunrise on your end." the Trollhunter winced, letting Marinette know that she now had very little time before her classes started, while she put the book in her bag.

"Yeah, I definitely killed enough time. Can't keep avoiding Mom and Dad forever." Marinette agreed after she put her backpack back on, walking over to the window she had entered the house through.

"What are the chances you'll be grounded?" Jim questioned, an eyebrow raised as he asked.

"Very high after my stunt with Mrs. Mendeleiev. I'll definitely be getting an earful this weekend." Marinette groaned, well aware of her situation.

"I wish you luck, then." Jim replied as Marinette opened the window and hopped onto his desk.

"Thanks, I'm going to need it. Spots on!" Marinette announced, transforming back into Ladybug for the third time that day. "See you tonight on our normal call." Ladybug added as she reached out and hugged her brother goodbye.

"See ya, sis. Get home safe." Jim answered as he returned the hug, soaking up the last physical contact he would have with his sister for who knows how long. Since she had gotten to Arcadia when he was in hot water, it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that they would see each other plenty before the summer. But still, who knows. Remembering that she had to go, Jim pulled out of the hug and allowed Ladybug to move to sit on the window sill as she pulled out her yo-yo.

"Arrivederci, Jimbro." Ladybug farewelled as she threw her yo-yo out, and allowed it to latch onto something before she pulled on it. Immediately, she was sent flying out of the room, waving 'bye' to Jim as she did. With the space in front of the window cleared, Jim moved to occupy it as he leaned out of the window and waved 'goodbye' to his retreating sister. Once she was completely out of sight, Jim closed up his window and got ready for bed, happy to still be breathing after the crazy day he had.

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Meanwhile in the museum, Strickler had been overseeing another package arriving that one of his operatives had sent. He had already received it, and made sure the bridge piece that had arrived was placed in the right place. But with that taken care of, he had time to address the issue that had been nagging at the back of his head since the previous day. Taking out his phone, Stirckler pulled up his contacts list and searched for a certain number, soon finding which one he was looking for and dialing it.

"Hello, Pierre." Strickler greeted after the contact was picked up.

"Ah, Monsieur Stricklander! What a pleasant surprise! How are you doing?" The contact, now revealed to be named Pierre, happily replied when he realized who he was talking to.

"I'm doing well. I trust you are as well?" Stirckler replied as he walked over to the leftover crates to do an inventory.

"Very. Though things here in Paris could be better, thanks to the rise of those Miraculous Holders." Pierre admitted with a heavy sigh, unknowingly hitting the nail on the head for Stirckler's reason for calling.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir. Yes I've heard of them. In fact, they are slightly related to why I called." Strickler revealed as he checked over his list on a clipboard, making sure nothing was out of place.

"Oh, pray tell." Pierre requested, his curiosity piqued.

"I'm not sure if word had gotten to you in Paris, but Kanjigar has been felled in battle and succeeded by a human." Stirckler reported before he looked into one of the crates to double check its contents.

"My my, that is interesting. But while it is something to be aware of, I'm not sure what this has to do with me." Pierre pointed out as Strickler closed the crate he was inspecting back up.

"I personally know the Trollhunter and his family. He doesn't know that I'm a Changeling, but he has found out about my colleague, Nomura." Strickler revealed, knowing that Pierre needed the full details if was ever going to comply with his request.

"How did that happen? Nomura is usually more careful." Pierre remarked, surprised to hear about Nomura's blunder.

"The Trollhunter was following a goblin back to its nest in the museum last night, along with his friend and younger sister. They not only found out about the goblins and Nomura, but they also discovered the Killahead Bridge." Strickler explained further, glancing back down at his list to take note of the last of the crates.

"Oh dear. Now this is a predicament." Pierre winced from his end of the call, starting to see why Strickler was calling him.

"Indeed. I would like for you to have someone keep an eye on his sister, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, to make sure she won't either alert the Miraculous Holders, or expose our agenda." Strickler requested, finally getting to the reason for his call to Pierre.

"Again I ask, how does this affect me if she's in Arcadia. You know my branch's jurisdiction is only in Paris." Pierre remembered, still not seeing why Strickler was asking him of this.

"Marinette lives in Paris, so you don't have to worry about going out of your sector." Strickler explained as he finished up his inventory, clearing up any misunderstanding.

"Why would she be living in Paris if her brother is in Arcadia?" Pierre questioned, still a little lost as to how all of the situation made sense.

"It's a long story. But more to the matter at hand, can you do as I've requested?" Strickler asked, hoping to have his services so Bular wouldn't take the matter into his own hands. And if Strickler knew Bular... when he takes care of things, it never ended up well for the intended party.

"Absolutely. Give me a picture of her and I'll put my best operative on the task." Pierre replied, soothing Strickler's worry enough for him to quietly sigh in relief.

"Thank you, Pierre. As always, it's a pleasure working with you." Stirckler thanked, grateful for the other Changeling's help in keeping the situation from growing out of hand.

"As is with you, Stricklander. I'll keep you updated on the girl regularly." Pierre answered as Strickler put his clipboard away and started walking out of the exhibit.

"Much appreciated. Au revoir, Pierre." Strickler farewelled as he exited the atrium where the bridge was being built.

"Au revoir, Stricklander." Pierre responded before hanging up, leaving Strickler all by himself once more. Putting his phone away, the Changeling finally left the museum for the night and walked to his parked car, still stuck in his thoughts. One way or another, the plan to break Gunmar out of the Darklands would be fulfilled... no matter the cost.