Now that he knew of the threat sent after him, Jim immediately told Toby what happened earlier and all about the Stalkling. But that was only part of their current concerns, seeing as they had to get to school on time. As luck would have it, Jim's birthday had coincided with a half day of lessons that the teachers were using to partake in a morning meeting. So after what would have been lunchtime, Jim and Toby headed to their classes, hoping to keep their minds off of the Stalkling threat or any other issues for a little bit. But it seemed that they wouldn't get their wish when Toby's phone started buzzing while Jim was putting a textbook into his locker, the rounded boy's face immediately dropping when he saw who it was.

"Ugh, this Vespa guy keeps calling about paying for the damage." Toby complained, earning a wince from Jim at the reminder of the earlier attack.

"Ugh, the mirror. He noticed?" Jim questioned Toby as closed his locker, still wearing the jacket Marinette gave him while turning to face his best friend.

"Yeah. You know the $328.32 you saved up? He wants all of it." Toby reported, causing Jim to quickly scoff before facepalming himself in frustration. "I told him you became a monk and renounced all earthly possessions, but he didn't believe me!" the geology nerd rapidly added, hoping it would ease the blow before they started walking down the open hallway.

"So how are you doing with that whole death-bird thing?" Toby asked Jim as the bell rang behind them, wondering how he was processing his new reality.

"I'll live. I'll just never be alone again. Claire and plenty of other people are at rehearsal, I can call my mom to pick me up after, and you'll ride with me to school." Jim replied, listing off the numerous ways he could keep avoiding the Stalkling for the time being.

"Okay, and then what? What happens if you have to go to the bathroom? Do you have to take a chaperone?" Toby questioned, nitpicking Jim's plan to prevent any opportunity for attacks by the Troll-bird. "Not it, by the way." the rounded boy quickly exclaimed, throwing his arms up out of dramatic flair as they stopped in front of two large doors.

"Don't worry, Tobes. I think my escort has that part covered." Jim assured his best friend as he raised his hand to an earpiece in his ear, pressing a button and connecting to the caller on the other end. "How's it looking up there, sis?" the Trollhunter inquired the person on the other end, looking up at the roof and spotting a flash of red and black polka dots near the edge.

When learning of the Stalkling's hunting habits, Ladybug decided to extend her visit for as long as possible as a means to provide Jim with some extra protection. The Trollhunter immediately jumped at the offer, with the underlying hope of having the chance to spend time with his little sister outside of their respective jobs. So that's how Ladybug found herself camped out on the roof of Arcadia Oaks High, scanning the skies for any sign of the assassin Troll-bird with a pair of binoculars she borrowed from Toby.

"Nothing yet. I think you might have scared the Stalkling off when you hit it earlier." Ladybug reported as she lowered the binoculars from her eyes, her Bug Phone at her ear as she relayed her findings. "But you know I can't be your escort forever, right? I do have to go back to Paris before the end of the weekend here." the spotted heroine reminded her brother, sinking back behind the roof railing to keep out of sight and keep some of the sun's rays off of her in the provided shade.

"I know. But the Stalkling has to lose interest eventually, right?" Jim asked with a shrug, hoping that it would be the case.

"Hideout amongst people until the troll bird gets bored. Heroic plan, Jimbo." Toby remarked, pointing two fingers at Jim with a playful grin.

"That won't be the case all the time. We need to find a way to kill this thing." Ladybug said, knowing that there was only one way to prevent the Stalkling from even trying to kill Jim.

"This coming from the one who can resurrect people from the dead with her powers?" Jim playfully remarked, hoping to lighten the mood before resuming their conversation. "But I thought you didn't want me killing anything. Now you're okay with it?" the blue-eyed boy questioned Ladybug, recalling his little sister's aversion to the tactic used by Trollhunters past.

"I'm not okay with you killing those who don't deserve it. When it comes to someone attacking you guys, or a threat made of pure evil like the Gumm-Gumms, you have my enthusiastic permission to dispatch them." Ladybug replied, clearing up the small confusion of her opinion on the matter. "Plus, if I ever get my hand on the person who sent this killer Troll-bird after you, they will not be receiving any mercy from me." the heroine in red admitted in a suddenly cold tone, leaving the two boys unnerved by how fast she switched from happy and cheerful to angry and cold in a matter of seconds.

"I wouldn't put it past you. I've seen you when you're mad." Jim replied, goosebumps appearing on his arms when remembering those times.

"Same here. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'll feel sorry for Bular if you do." Toby spoke up, managing to hear that part of the conversation and adding his two cents in before they heard the door next to them open up.

"There you are!" a voice coming from the doors exclaimed, causing the two boys to turn and see Claire running up to the two boys, interrupting their conversation.

"Claire!" Jim cried out in a bit of shock, surprised to see his crush talking to him. "I-- I thought you said you weren't ever gonna speak to me again." the Trollhunter recalled, which didn't stop Claire from walking until she stopped right in front of him.

"Actually, I said I hoped I'd never see you again." Claire corrected, earning a wince from Ladybug as she listened in from the earpiece in Jim's ear

"Oooooh. Exactly how bad was the babysitting flop?" Ladybug questioned her brother through the earpiece, which he ignored for the time being to focus on the girl in front of him.

"Well, looks like you've got a second chaperone for the bathroom. Adios." Toby farewelled before walking away, his best friend rolled his eyes at the remark. Ah, that kind of friendship where you could make any face and the others would know not to take it too seriously... those are the best. But that was the least of Jim's worries seeing as Claire used the opportunity to address the last time they spoke.

"I was upset. You and Toby totally trashed my house. My parents blamed me for leaving Enrique with you. I would've gotten in less trouble if you'd let him get kidnapped." Claire ranted, having no idea how on the mark she truly was at the moment regarding her brother.

"Really?" Jim squeaked in disbelief, only to catch himself from out the truth to her right then and there. "I-I mean.. No, you're right. You're right. You're totally right. Toby and I should never have used your house for, um... for a rave. I'm sorry, again." the blue-eyed boy apologized profusely, bashfully rubbing the back of his head while Ladybug had to hold back a snort of laughter.

"Smooth... real smooth, bro." Ladybug rhetorically complimented her brother, causing Jim to turn away from Claire and press the earpiece button again.

"You're not helping!" Jim hissed through the earpiece, hoping to keep their communication on the down low for now.

"I wasn't trying to." Ladybug teased before Jim rolled his eyes as he turned to look at Claire again, allowing her to continue.

"Uh... who are you talking to?" Claire asked the boy, not missing his sudden turning away from her and spotting the earpiece wedged into his ear canal.

"Oh, um... my sister?" Jim replied in uncertainty, a nervous toothy smile appearing on his features.

"You two seem to call each other a lot, don't you?" Claire remarked, finding their constant contact a little peculiar despite their 'on the other side of the world' sibling status.

"Eh, when you've done video calls twice a day since you were 8 and 6 respectively, it becomes second nature." Jim replied, already used to the routine he and his sister had and knowing it would be a hard habit to kick if he tried... not that he would of course. "But she was mainly calling to see if I got the birthday gift she sent me." the Trollhunter explained, earning an intrigued stare from Claire as she processed the information.

"Birthday gift? Today's your birthday?" Claire asked, now realizing what Jim meant.

"Yep, the big one-six." Jim bashfully cheered, doing a small jazz-hands with another nervous toothy grin. "Hence the need for a wardrobe change." he added after his little gesture, quickly showing off the new jacket was wearing and leaving Claire amazed.

"Whoa, this is amazing! Your sister made this for you?" Claire questioned in her awe as she stepped up to him, inspecting the new garment.

"Yep! She tends to be very invested in the works for those she cares about." Jim proudly stated, a light pink dusting his cheeks at the reminder of his sister's love for him he was wearing.

"It shows! It looks so cool! But also... familiar too." Claire inspected with a curious eyebrow, seeing a lot of familiar stitch work the more she looked at the jacket. "Has your sister made anything for people here in school?" the Hispanic girl asked, looking back at Jim for an answer.

"Absolutely! You know that dress Mary mentioned she had for her date with that Hank guy?" Jim inquired, which had Claire staring at him with a bemused look at the change of subject.

" 'Tight Jeans' Hank? Yeah, I do." Claire replied, willing to go along with the sudden detour in their conversation if it got her answers.

"Mari made it for her when she was here last summer." Jim explained, leaving Claire in shock by the answer.

"Seriously? I honestly thought she got it from a luxury boutique with how pretty it looks!" Claire squealed, excited by the news seeing as she was a tiny bit jealous Mary had something so nice in her closet that turned out to be affordable too.

"Yep, she's got a gift!" Jim chuckled, loving the fact that Claire was being so open to him again after the previous incident.

"I can imagine she had a hard time doing it since I know Mary tends to be focused on multiple things at once. Trends especially." Claire remarked, which earned a tired sigh from Ladybug on the other end of Jim's earpiece.

"That wasn't an easy one, I'll tell you that! She couldn't settle on what she wanted and was always changing her mind while I was still working on it!" Ladybug ranted, having heard all of the conversation between her brother and his crush from Jim's earpiece and adding her two cents in.

"Eh, nothing she couldn't handle." Jim rapidly said to Claire, relaying Ladybug's rant the best way he could to avoid offending anyone... especially Claire's friend. She was just starting to talk to him again, so he wasn't looking to screw that up so soon!

"Either way... do you think she'd be willing to make something for me?" Claire asked with a blush, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear out of a nervous habit.

"You better say 'yes' Jimbro! And say that she'll get it for free since she's the love of your life!" Ladybug exclaimed from the earpiece, causing Jim to turn to the side and press the button on the device on his ear.

"I can't say that!!" Jim hissed out, trying to keep Claire from hearing that little detail. "For several reasons, actually." the blue-eyed boy muttered, his earlier desire to keep his crush on Claire under wraps being taken over by his realization of wanting his sister to not garner a reputation of giving her work away for free.

"Just say that 'I'd love to'!" Ladybug exclaimed in exasperation, even though she understood what Jim was doing. Nevertheless, Jim turned back to Claire and said...

"She'd love to!" Jim relayed with a smile, bringing a wide grin to Claire at the news.

"Awesome! You wouldn't be willing to give me her number so that I can contact her?" Claire questioned as she pulled out her phone from her bag, holding it out to Jim with excitement.

"Not at all!" Jim blurted out before he took the phone, putting Marinette's number into her contacts. "There you go." the Trollhunter announced, followed by him handing the device back to Claire.

"Thanks." Claire said as she put her phone back into her pocket. "But back to what I was saying before, I asked around. And the thing that's got me confused is that I couldn't find a single person who was at your party." she stated, stirring Jim's panic into a frenzy when she brought up that fateful night.

"Be straight with me. What really happened?" Claire questioned Jim, her eyes squinting at the boy in suspicion as she moved closer to him in the hopes of getting some answers.

Truth be told, Claire had been onto him ever since she received that letter, and she wanted to know what was going on with the mysterious boy in front of her. And it wasn't like Jim wanted to keep the truth from her. He loved Claire and wanted to tell her everything... yet, he didn't know how and mostly he was afraid that she would think less of him after he did. Fortunately for Jim, the sound of the auditorium door opening caught their attention, taking them away from the conversation.

"There you are, Jim! So glad you're here!" Miss. Janeth sighed in relief and she popped out from the doors, happy to see Jim for once. "I hope the two of you are ready to recreate the tragedy of true love. Places in five!" the drama teacher exclaimed before heading back into the auditorium, leaving Jim confused by her statement.

"What's she talking about?" Jim asked Claire, a look of confusion present on his facial features.

"Steve totaled his Vespa, and he's got a concussion. Ms. Janeth said that he can't be Romeo anymore and we can't do Romeo and Juliet without Romeo, Jim." Claire explained.

"Uh, okay, but I'm still confused." Jim replied, still confused by how that affected him while Ladybug groaned at his stupidity.

"Seriously?! How can you not connect the dots right in front of you!?" Ladybug nearly screamed at him, having heard the entire conversation and knowing exactly what Claire meant. "You're the understudy for Romeo, remember?" the spotted heroine reminded her brother, causing Jim's eyebrows to rise in realization.

"With Steve gone, I need you to come back to play Romeo." Claire told Jim, confirming what Ladybug had said moments ago. "Please! I'm willing to beg!!" the Hispanic girl pleaded, placing her hand on his shoulder and leaving the boy surprised.

"No problem! Let me just see if I can get my mom to pick me up." Jim hastily replied, pulling out his phone and holding it up to his ear with a nervous smile. But he was only pretending to call his mom, continuing his call with Ladybug to think of a new plan.

"Cosa ne pensi? (What do you think?)" the blue-eyed boy asked his sister, easily switching to conversing in Italian to see what she thought of the news in private.

"Penso che dovresti provarci. Avevi comunque intenzione di andare alle prove, e questa è la tua occasione per sistemare le cose con Claire! (I think you should go for it. You were planning on going to rehearsals anyway, and this is your chance to fix things with Claire!)" Ladybug said as she leaned against the roof railing, copying her brother's example whilst not bothered by the news at all and encouraging her brother to take a leap of faith. "Se zia Barbara non può venirti a prendere, posso accompagnarti a casa. Nel frattempo terrò gli occhi aperti per lo Stalking.(If Aunt Barbara can't pick you up, I can escort you home. In the meantime, I'll keep a lookout for the Stalkling.)" the heroine in red added, which earned a wince from her brother at her comment.

"A questo proposito, stavo pensando... (About that, I was thinking...)" Jim trailed off, snapping Ladybug out of her temporary ease.

"Pensando cosa?(Thinking what?)" Ladybug questioned, sitting up as her face contorted in her tense curiosity.

"Dato che Stallkling non si è ancora presentato e sarò alle prove fino a tardi... forse potresti tornare a casa e prenderti una pausa?(Since the Stalkling hasn't shown itself yet and I'm going to be in rehearsals until late... maybe you can go back to the house and take a break?)" Jim suggested, causing Ladybug's eyes to widen at his words.

"Jim, sei pazzo? Non mi prenderò una pausa mentre la tua vita è in pericolo!(Jim, are you crazy? I won't take a break while your life is in danger!)" Ladybug exclaimed, finding Jim's idea to be idiotic, to say the least.

"Starò bene per le poche ore durante le prove. (I'll be fine for the few hours that rehearsals go for.)" Jim assured Ladybug, hoping that she would listen to him and trust that he would be fine. "In più, ti meriti un po' di tempo libero.(Plus, you deserve some time off.)" the Trollhunter remarked, earning a deadpanned look from Ladybug on the other end of the call... not that he could see more than he could feel it through their connection.

"Ho già avuto parecchio tempo libero dopo la Befana. Sei più importante per me. (I've already had plenty of time off since Befana. You're more important to me.)" Ladybug countered, unwilling to budge on the matter.

"Lo apprezzo, ma starò bene. Promettere. (I appreciate it, but I'll be fine. Promise.)" Jim reiterated to Ladybug, which seemed to be the final nail needed to convince Ladybug to ease up if her drawn-out sigh was anything to go off of.

"Uffa... va bene. Tornerò a casa. Anch'io avevo intenzione di trovare un po' di tempo per conoscere meglio Draal. (Ugh... fine. I'll head back to the house. I have been meaning to find some time to get to know Draal better, too.)" Ladybug admitted, trying to convince herself that she could leave her post for a little bit.

"Vedere? Funziona alla grande!(See? It works out great!)" Jim exclaimed, glad that his sister was relenting to his offer.

"Ma prometto che verrò prima della fine delle prove per tenere gli occhi aperti per lo Stalking. Mandami un messaggio 20 minuti prima che tu abbia finito.(But I promise I'll come before rehearsals end to keep a lookout for the Stalkling. Text me 20 minutes before you're done.)" Ladybug said, making sure that she could still protect him after her break was up.

"Lo farò. Ci vediamo.(Will do so. See you then.)" Jim farewelled, cutting off the call and prompting Ladybug to swing off the roof towards the suburbs, followed by the boy texting his mom to see if she could come later than planned. As soon as Barbara replied 'yes', Jim put his phone away and turned to Claire.

"Alright, we're all set! Lead the way, Juliet!" the blue-eyed boy announced, the two of them walking into the auditorium and ready to start rehearsals.

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While Jim was in the middle of the rehearsals, Ladybug arrived back at the Lake Residence and landed on the roof of the house, already returning Toby his binoculars. Looking down to make sure no one was there to see her enter the home, the spotted heroine jumped down to the ground and made her way to the basement window. Knowing that Draal would be inside, gave Ladybug all the motivation she needed to take a deep breath and knock on the window pane, needing to wait a few seconds before seeing Draal's silhouette appear.

"Don't worry, Draal. It's just Ladybug." Ladybug called out to the Troll on the other side of the window, triggering it to open and reveal the upper part of Draal's face, looking at her in surprise.

"You better come inside before someone sees you." Draal said as he moved out of the way from the window, letting Ladybug slip in and land next to him. "What are you doing here, Ladybug?" the crystal-backed Troll questioned the heroine, closing the window behind him to make sure they wouldn't be spotted.

"Originally, I had come to surprise Jim for his birthday. But then we learned that Bular sent a Stalkling after him and-" Ladybug began to explain, causing Draal's features to erupt in shock.

"A Stalkling? Here in Arcadia?" Draal exclaimed, Ladybug nodding grimly in confirmation. "That coward, Bular! Sending such an uncontrollable beast to do his dirty work!" the red-yellow-eyed Troll growled, his fists clenching in his anger.

"I know. It's a low blow and I can't wait to beat Bular into a pulp for it." Ladybug admitted, earning a pleased grin from Draal when he heard her declaration. "But we can't do anything about it now except figure out a way to defeat this crazy Troll-brid." the spotted heroine decided, calming down from her show of anger.

"Then why did you come here?" Draal inquired, curious as to why she was in the Lake's basement instead of looking for answers.

"Well, I was on sentry duty for Jim. But after he was reinstated as Romeo, Jim insisted I take a break while rehearsals take place." Ladybug explained as she walked over to the furnace, which earned an unimpressed stare from Draal.

"That doesn't sound like a good reason to leave him unprotected." Draal observed, not liking the sound of Jim's seeming cockiness.

"I'm aware of that and I agree. But I had my own reasons to agree to the break." Ladybug replied as she leaned against the heating system for the house, further intriguing Draal at her admission.

"And what are they?" Draal asked, his arms crossing over his chest as he raised an intrigued eyebrow at Ladybug.

"I was hoping... that we might get to know each other a bit better." Ladybug nervously replied, looking up at the Troll as she twiddled her fingers while Draal stared at her in shock. "We're already connected by your mother using the Ladybug Miraculous, and our affiliation with Jim. But now you and Jim have become friends, I wanted to try settling any lingering issues and become your friend too." the heroine in red said, explaining her reasons for her desire to get along with Draal.

"Starting with a gesture of my goodwill to you." Ladybug added, straightening herself from her leaning to walk over to the blown-away Troll. "Tikki told me that she only got to meet you when you were a baby. I was hoping that meeting your mother's kwami would be a good way to do that." the spotted heroine said, leaving Draal in further shock when hearing what she had in mind.

"The Kwami of Creation? Would you truly allow me to meet her?" Draal asked, his voice growing quiet at the thought of meeting the kwami his mother worked with and befriended.

"She was your mother's kwami first... that more than gives you the right to meet her." Ladybug replied with a smile, quickly taking a step back to say... "Spots Off." the superhero muttered, transforming back into Marinette and allowing Tikki to fly out of her earrings to float next to her, causing Draal to stare at the kwami in awe.

"Draal, this is Tikki, the Kwami of Creation. Tikki, I know you have already seen him before, but this is Draal 'the Deadly', the son of Kanjigar 'the Courageous' and your former holder, Red Scarab." Marinette announced, introducing the two to each other for technically the first time.

"Hello, Draal. It's nice to see you again!" Tikki greeted Draal, happy to see the son of her former holder again after so long.

"And it is an honor to meet you and remember it, Lady Tikki." Draal responded to the kwami, bowing to the little fairy-like creature and drawing an amused smile from Tikki.

"Your mother was my holder once, so there is no need to call me by that stuffy title, Draal." Tikki said with a giggle, prompting Draal to rise from his bowing. "Look at you! The last time I saw you, you were such a tiny little thing!" the red kwami squealed, zooming over to flitter around Draal and bringing smiles to both him and Marinette at her seeing her so excited.

"As you can see, I've grown." Draal replied with a chuckle of his own, only for his delight to plummet seconds later. "Though I'm sure I have disgraced my family with my previous actions." the crystal-backed Troll muttered, looking to the ground in shame while Tikki and Marinette couldn't help but feel empathetic for him.

"While your actions were less than pleasant, they do not define you unless you let them. All that matters is how you learn from those experiences." Tikki said as she settled down from her fluttering and floated in front of Draal's face, placing a comforting paw on his nose. "Yes, you have grown. Grown into a fine warrior that both your parents would be proud of!" the little kwami cheered, a soft look appearing on her tiny face.

"Out of all their achievements, Maal and Kanjigar always said that you were their greatest one." Tikki announced, bringing a watery smile to Draal due to her heartfelt words.

"Thank you, Tikki." Draal replied, a tear coming to his eye before Tikki flew over to his cheek and hugged it, the crystal-backed Troll cupping her with his hand while Marinette teared up at the scene. At the sound of her sniffling, they turn their attention to the human girl, amused by her reaction to their reunion.

"Sorry about that... I didn't think I'd be so choked up when witnessing your introduction/reunion." Marinette rambled out as she wiped her tears away, both Draal and Tikki smiling as they broke their hug.

"It's alright, Marinette. No need to worry." Draal replied, Tikki floating next to his shoulder. "And I can't thank you enough for letting me meet my mother's kwami. I'm truly grateful to you." the crystal-backed Troll thanked the human girl, bringing a smile to Marinette's lips.

"It was my pleasure, Draal. Merely a gift from a friend." Marinette replied, only to stop when she realized that she might have jumped the gun a bit. "That is... if you wouldn't mind that happening?" the designer asked, hoping that they could consider themselves that.

"I wouldn't mind that at all, Little Ladybug." Draal responded, earning a sudden perturbed look from Marinette at the teasing nickname.

"I'm not little! Why is it that people keep saying that?" Marinette whined, having already been called little by a few of the Trolls in Stone Arc after Jim's visit.

"Well you are little compared to me, so it is an accurate moniker." Draal pointed out, which Marinette couldn't help but slump over a bit at the slightly stinging truth.

"Okay, fair enough." Marinette muttered, seeing that he was right. "But how have you been since the last time I saw you? Manage to get out of the basement a little bit?" the pigtailed girl asked her newly made friend, straightening up as she tried to change the subject.

"Not unless I'm helping train your brother. He's progressing well, but still is easily defeated." Draal regaled as he sat on the floor, a small sigh escaping him as he spoke due to how limited his daily activities were. "What about you? How is your training with Chat Noir and the Guardian going?" the blue Troll inquired back, wondering if she had a more exciting week than him.

"Did Jim tell you about that?" Marinette questioned as she walked towards Draal, knowing that there was no other way for him to know that.

"He tends to vent when we spar. It was annoying at first, but it's grown on me that I expect it to come." Draal explained as Marinette plopped down to the ground and sat beside him, a small chuckle escaping him when reminiscing what usually happened between him and Jim's training.

"Same thing for me with Chat Noir's puns." Marinette muttered, finding herself chuckling before refocusing on the conversation. "It's been going well for me since Hawkmoth went silent for the time being, but I haven't been able to relax about no akumas attacking. It's been a while since he's gone quiet for this long." the red-tipped-haired girl groaned, leaning back in her frustration.

"Have you tried training with the rope dart Jim gave you for your birthing day? I'm sure it would be just the thing to keep your mind sharp and occupied from the quiet." Draal suggested, causing Marinette to sit back up and crane her neck to look him in the eye.

"I haven't trained with it. I assumed that my experience with my yo-yo would be enough for me to use the rope dart effectively." Marinette admitted, which had Draal snort at her assumption before shaking his head at her.

"A rope dart is more challenging than your yo-yo, mainly because your Miraculous allows you to have control over your weapon as long as you are focused." Draal stated, turning his body to face the young Miraculous Holder next to him. "Not only that, the yo-yo is less dangerous than the dagger attached to your new weapon... which can hurt you if you are not careful." he advised, earning a thoughtful look from Marinette as she mulled over his words, soon seeing that he was right.

"I don't suppose you'd be able to give me a few pointers on how to avoid that, would you?" Marinette questioned as she stood up from the ground, pulling out the handle of the rope dart from a holster hidden in her blazer.

"Smart move to have it close and in easy reach. You never know when your opponent can strike you when you least expect it." Draal complimented the girl, standing up as well and stretching to rid himself of locked muscles.

"Thanks. It was Tikki's idea." Marinette thanked, followed by her extending the weapon to its full length. "So is that a 'yes' to my request?" the designer inquired, drawing a smirk from Draal as he took a few steps back.

"What kind of friend would I be if I didn't help you learn how to use every tool at your disposal?" Draal questioned before he got into a fighting stance. "Show me what you got." he said, now ready to block any attack Marinette had to offer before she returned the smirk and copied his stance. But before she was about to call on Tikki, Draal held up his hand to stop her.

"No powers, please. I'd like to see how you do on your own, seeing as that is the main point of having a weapon outside of your transformations." Draal explained.

"Fair point." Marinette replied, complying with Draal's wishes and waving Tikki off to have her float on the sidelines and watch. "But full warning, I'll probably mess up a lot." the pigtailed girl warned Draal, hoping that he would go easy on her.

"That is why we train. To improve what's already there." Draal responded, assuring Marinette that her skill level wouldn't be a problem. "Now, let's see what we have to work with." the crystal-backed Troll egged on, prompting Marinette to spin her rope dart and lunge at him for an attack, leading to a full-on sparring match as the day passed by from the basement window.

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After a while of going against Draal in their sparring, Marinette started to get the hang of her rope dart and found herself able to avoid cutting herself with the dagger every time it was pulled back to her. It wasn't much in the grand scheme of things, but it was the progress that she needed to promote her desire to get better at it. But after their training session, Marinette received the text Jim promised to send her and soon left, insisting Draal come along too. Fortunately, the sun had set a little bit before Jim texted her and a storm front was rolling in, which allowed the crystal-backed Troll to accompany Marinette, the two taking the time to walk there.

"I must say, you did well for your first time using a rope dart outside of your transformation." Draal praised Marinette as they entered the town square, Tikki sitting on his shoulder and eating a cookie in preparation for Marinette needing her.

"Thanks for the compliment. Can't say that my body can relate." Marinette said as she rotated her right shoulder, trying to rid it of a lingering ache. "I don't think that my arm's been this tired since I first became Ladybug." the red-tipped-haired girl admitted, now stretching her back to wake herself up a bit more from the taxing training. While most of it was in the basement, they did take it up to Jim's backyard for more space... where it really picked up speed.

"Learning new things tends to prove challenging when you attempt to try them in a different way than you've grown used to. But I'm sure you'll figure it out soon." Draal assured the human girl, the trio making their way across the square to use some of the back allies to keep themselves hidden while Marinette looked up at him in awe.

"Thanks, Draal. You never cease to amaze me with how understanding you can be." Marinette gushed... only to recall an event that proved otherwise. "Well, not all the time... but still." the designer bashfully added, scratching the back of her neck when recalling Draal's first meeting with Jim.

"I appreciate the sentiment, thank you." Draal said as they reached the back allies, not taking offense from the small reminder of his previous actions. "But there are things I don't have any understanding of." the crystal-backed Troll admitted as they started making their way to the school.

"Like what?" Marinette asked as they crept through the allies, wondering what Draal meant by his words.

"I do not understand your brother's reaction to an image shown during that human broadcast a week ago." Draal replied, surprising Marinette so much that she stopped in her tracks at the reminder of that day.

"Uh... which image are you referring to?" Marinette nervously asked, Draal stopping too when seeing her reaction.

"From what I can remember, it was you and Chat Noir touching lips." Draal admitted, prompting Tikki to look at them both in amusement when his answer caused Marinette to groan.

"Yeah, I should have guessed that." Marinette mumbled to herself as she looked at the ground, followed by her looking back up at her towering companion. "I know the photo you're talking about and I'm still trying to wrap my head around how the station got a hold of that." the pigtailed girl ranted, frustration lacing her voice as she tried to figure that little mystery out.

"To put it simply... She and Chat Noir were kissing in that image." Tikki announced, finally finishing her snack.

"TIKKI!" Marinette squawked, gawking at Tikki while Draal turned his stare to the little kwami in curiosity.

"What? It's the truth, right?" Tikki teasingly questioned, crossing her little nubs as she playfully side-eyed her holder.

"Yeah, but you didn't need to say it so bluntly." Marinette whined, a little upset that Tikki hadn't spared any tact in her reply while Draal turned to stare at her in confusion.

" 'Kissing'? What is this 'kissing'?" Draal inquired, which had Marinette redirecting her attention back to her Troll friend in surprise.

"You don't know? I thought Jim would have told you by now." Marinette admitted, shocked that Draal wasn't aware of the significance of the image. "But in summary, when two humans fall in love, they tend to show their mutual feelings by putting their mouths together. A kiss." the red-tipped-haired girl explained, tapping her fingers together and making small kissing hand gestures as they continued walking.

"And depending on how much you like them, the longer the kiss. Sometimes for hours from what I've heard." Marinette concluded, leaving Draal appalled by the new information.

"Disgusting. Killing sounds easier." Draal gagged out as he started walking too, revolted by the human courting custom.

"Eh, you're not wrong. Especially when I've failed to tell the boy I'm in love with how I feel." Marinette replied as she crossed her arms and looked to her right, thinking about her recent failures in romance. "Though seeing as both you and Jim think I should move on to Chat Noir, you're happy about that, right?" the designer asked, looking back up at Draal as she spoke as she remembered which side was on in the ongoing debate of her love life.

"Neither your brother nor I can change your mind. While I would like to see you paired with someone capable of fighting alongside you, your life is your own to do with as you please." Draal said to Marinette, making it clear his point of view on the matter and bringing a smile to Marinette's face with his empathetic declaration.

"Thank you Draal. I'm glad that you are less invested in suggesting otherwise than Jim was." Marinette thanked the Troll, happy that he was going to be more supportive of her choices in love than Jim. "And I have to admit you're a good teacher. I'm disappointed that we might not have many more chances to train together." the pigtailed girl admitted as she stepped over a large pothole, having enjoyed her time training with Draal that day.

"What if we didn't?" Draal questioned Marinette as he stepped over the pothole, causing her to look up at him in intrigue. "I could train you alongside your brother so that you can improve your use of your weapon, and any other skills you see fit to learn." the crystal-backed Troll offered, Marinette's intrigue turning into awe as they stopped just at the near end of the back allies, her jaw nearly dropping to the floor.

"You'd really do that? Are you sure?" Marinette asked, surprised that he was willing to help her in that way.

"It would be my honor to help train you when it would help ensure the Surface World and Trollkind's safety. And to ensure you could keep yourself safe, too." Draal responded.

"Who knew you were such a softy." Marinette remarked, her smile turning brighter. "But I would be the one honored to have you train me, and I'll talk to Vendel about pardoning you before I leave so that you can use the Grye." the red-tipped-haired girl announced, blowing Draal away with her response to his offer.

"I don't know what to say... Thank you, Marinette." Draal managed to get out, his throat threatening to close up with the emotions he was feeling.

"You're welcome, Draal. That's what friends are for!" Marinette cheered before she hugged Draal, whose arms hovered over her before awkwardly returning the hug. "Now come on. The school is just past those buildings." the pigtailed girl exclaimed as she pulled away from the hug, the two of them continuing through the backstreets.

With how close they were, Marinette and Draal soon arrived at the street across from the school, quickly crossing it and hiding in the trees next to the building. Seeing as they had time before the students started leaving the school, it gave Marinette time to turn into Ladybug, the transformation finishing just as the doors opened. Now suited up and prepared for an attack, Ladybug and Draal watched as everyone left in different directions in the hopes of heading home before the storm hit.

"Great rehearsal. Memorize, memorize. Opening night's just around the corner, thespians." Ms Janeth loudly encouraged the students as she walked to the exit, clearly happy with their progress before an echo of the Stalking's roar caught Ladybug and Draal's attention.

"You heard that too, right?" Ladybug questioned her companion, wondering if it was just her imagination running wild... and hoping it was the case too.

"Yes." Draal replied, confirming Ladybug's current fears.

"It's here." Ladybug breathed out before frantically looking around to try and find it, only to come up empty thanks to the night surrounding them. "God, I wish I had Chat Noir's night vision right now!" the spotted heroine growled in frustration before she and Draal focused on Jim and Claire, who seemed to have heard the roar too.

"What was that?" Claire wondered, holding her books to her chest while Jim looked up to try and find the Stalkling.

"Uh, maybe I can walk you home?" Jim quickly offered Claire, hoping to kill two birds with one stone by spending time with his crush and not being alone.

"I think my parents would kill you if they saw you with me. And anyway, they're picking me up." Claire replied, unknowingly crushing Jim's hopes.

"Oh, no, no, no. My mom's picking me up, too. I just... Maybe we could keep each other company." Jim bashfully suggested, his nerves clearly going through the roof from where Ladybug could see him.

"O... kay." Claire reluctantly responded, followed by another soft growl filling the night. At the sound of the beast hunting him, Jim's frantic eyes turned to watch the sky above, causing Claire to grow even more suspicious of his act. "Uh... Are you all right?" the Hispanic girl asked Jim, forcing him to look back at her.

"Uh, yeah, just, um... I'm worried about the weather." Jim fibbed in the hopes of preventing Claire from digging further, only for the sound of the car horn of Claire's parents to signal their arrival as they pulled up to the curb.

"Thanks again for stepping up today. You really saved the play." Claire thanked Jim before she started making her way to her parent's car... which would leave Jim alone.

"Claire, wait!" Jim cried as he reached out to her, trying to get her to leave before his phone rang, causing him to pick it up and listen to who was on the other end. With how far away Ladybug and Draal were, they couldn't hear who was on the other end of the call. So they could only wait for some kind of sign of who it was.

"WHAT!?" the Trollhunter exclaimed, lightning crackling behind him before he listened on, not seeing Ladybug and Draal's joint worried stares. " By myself?" Jim squawked before the call hung up, giving Ladybug a pretty good idea of who had just called her brother;

"Oh, that doesn't sound good." Ladybug gravely remarked before she and Draal crept over to the building, hiding in the darkness near the school entrance while Jim ran to Claire's car.

"Wait, wait!" Jim yelled as he ran to the car, easily catching it and prompting the two adults to lower the side window to see what he wanted, glaring at the poor boy. " Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Nunez! I was hoping maybe I could catch a ride?" the blue-eyed boy requested, which allowed Ladybug and Draal to see Claire mouthing: 'What are you doing?!' to Jim while her parents kept glaring at him, only to leave him there.

"Wait, wait, wait! - But it's my birthday!" Jim cried out, running after the car as it left. But once it was out of sight, Ladybug put her fingers to her mouth and let out a shrill whistle, catching Jim's attention and causing his head to turn and see them at the school. Grateful for the sight of his sister and friend, Jim immediately runs over to them.

"Thank God you guys are here! Mom can't pick me up!" the Trollhunter breathed out in relief, wrapping his arms around Ladybug for a hug to comfort himself. "Please tell me you heard the Stalkling too!?" Jim questioned, hoping that he wasn't just being paranoid.

"We did. And I think I have a crazy idea that just might work in killing this thing." Ladybug announced as she pulled away from the hug, earning a sigh of relief from Jim.

"Then let's hear it!" Jim cheered, hoping to resolve the matter once and for all.

"Full warning, you're not going to like it." Ladybug said with a wince, knowing that her plan was flimsy at best before she dragged him to her and quietly told him and Draal her plan. Once they were in the know of the plan, Jim went to get his bike, unlocked it from the bike rack and slid his helmet onto his head as quickly as he could before he dialed Toby's number.

"Come on, Tobes. Pick up. Please, pick up!" Jim chanted to himself in desperation, looking around for the Stalkling before he was sent to Toby's voicemail.

Sighing in frustration, Jim put his phone back into his pocket and began biking away from the school, lightning lit up the sky right as the form of the Stalking appeared above him. Unbeknownst to the Troll-bird, Ladybug and Draal were able to see it from their perch on the school roof, now knowing where to look.

"There it is. Let's go!" Ladybug exclaimed, followed by her and Draal jumping to another building to follow after the Stalkling and Jim.

Since the town of Arcadia was rather small, it didn't take Jim long to reach the town square, passing by the center statue with the large Troll Dragon giving chase. When he sensed a presence other than the blowing wind behind him, Jim looked back behind him and came face to face with the Stalkling, the beast illuminated by a bolt of lighting. Jim gasped when he saw it coming towards him and pedaled faster, soon finding himself needing to duck to the right when the Stalkling was about to grab him with his claws. After the failed attempt, the beast flew back into the sky to try again, giving Jim the chance to try and ditch the Stalking by quickly turning down another street. But as he went by, the streetlights started to shut down one by one after he passed them.

"Now what?" Jim gasped out, finding his luck at the moment to be extremely bad as he flew by the buildings. But in his haste to get away from the Stalkling, Jim had forgotten that the street he was on was where the dealership of Vespas was, prompting the dealer to run out as he saw him go past.

"Hey, you! Get back here!" the Vespa dealer yelled, running out of his place of business while Jim completely ignored him in favor of saving his own life.

"Oh, I'm really hoping Marinette's plan works!" Jim muttered to himself as he kept on pedaling, hoping that his sister's luck would rub off on him just this once.

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While Jim was running for his life, Toby was holed up in his bedroom with Aaarrrgghh, the two of them in the middle of a video game match of Go-Go Sushi. Considering he was aware of Ladybug escorting Jim home, Toby didn't see any reason to worry about his safety or have his phone on him. In fact, it was the main reason why Toby didn't answer Jim's numerous calls, seeing as he put his phone on his dresser behind them while he and his large friend played.

"Spicy tuna! Spicy tuna!" Toby exclaimed to Aaarrrgghh!!! as the game picked up, the two got closer to the climax of the match before everything shut off from the power outage.

"Aw..." Aaarrrgghh!!! whined when he and Toby saw their game was turned off alongside the lights, Toby's phone lighting up again to show Jim trying to reach him one more time.

"Oh, man! Stupid storm." Toby complained as they looked around the dark room, their eyes suddenly catching the light from Toby's phone before getting up from the floor and walking over to pick it up. No sooner than he did, Toby opened the call and was greeted by Jim's panicked voice.

"Tobes, please pick up the phone!" Jim begged from beyond Toby's phone, Toby now listening with fear. "This thing is following me! Mari's got a plan, but we need backup, NOW!!" the Trollhunter exclaimed before the call suddenly cut off, causing Toby to gasp in shock.

"We gotta go!" Toby fearfully declared as he turned to Aaarrrgghh!!!, prompting the two of them to race out of the house to get to Jim before it was too late.

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Back outside, Jim had just reached the outskirts of the main town as he continued to run from the monster, soon reaching the start of the bridge above the canal. All he needed to do was cross it and he'd be able to make it to safety... hopefully.

"Sixteenth birthday, but do I get a Vespa?" Jim muttered to himself, beginning to rant about how his day turned out as he made it to the edge of the bridge. "No. I get a killer flying troll on my tail!" the blue-eyed boy complained as he looked behind him, only to see the Stalkling was no longer there. But that soon changed as soon as he turned to face the road ahead and saw the Stalking was now a few feet ahead of him, ready to grab him.

It was just the opening Ladybug's plan needed.

"MARI, DRAAL, NOW!!" Jim yelled out as he pulled on his bike brake, stopping before he reached the bridge.

With the signal giving them the go, both Ladybug and Draal came out of hiding and jumped off of a building roof behind him screaming, flying through the air towards the beast. Their aim rang true when Ladybug landed on the Stalkling's back while Draal got its legs, Jim watching the struggle in awe from his parked bike.

"Man, this thing is uglier than I could have imagined!" Ladybug remarked while she tried to keep a hold of the Stalkling's body despite the thrashing. "KEEP IT STEADY, DRAAL!!" the heroine in red shouted at Draal, trying to climb up the beast's body to reach its neck.

"I CAN'T HOLD ONTO IT FOR LONG! HURRY!" Draal yelled back, the Stalkling's legs starting to slip from his grasp just as Ladybug managed to sit on the back of the bucking Stalkling.

With her legs clenching onto it, Ladybug pulled her rope dart from her waist and took the dagger into her hands, raising it above her head and hoping to plunge it into the creature's neck to kill it. But before she can, the Stalkling finally breaks free from Draal's hold and takes to the air, quickly throwing Ladybug off itself and sending her to the ground. As she fell with a scream, Ladybug's rope dart fell to the ground while the beast flew higher just, letting Draal catch Ladybug before she hit the asphalt.

"Well, that didn't work." Ladybug mumbled in disappointment, only to look up and see the beast going at Jim. "JIM, RUN!" the spotted heroine cried in warning to her brother, getting out of Draal's arms just as Jim tried to escape the scene.

But he only got a few feet before he was yanked from his bike by the Stalkling, Jim screaming in fear as he was taken into the air.

"NO!" Ladybug and Draal shouted as they watched Jim kicking around in the Stalking's grip, the creature flying upward into the storm clouds.

Despite his panic, Jim looked down at the ground and his companions, spotting Draal trying to jump at the Stalkling to help him. Unfortunately, the beast dodged him, forcing the crystal-backed Troll to fall back to the ground next to the worried Ladybug.

"WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME!?" Jim fearfully questioned the Stalkling, causing it to roar at Jim as it kept climbing higher and tightening its claws around the boy's arms. "HEY! WATCH THE JACKET!! IT WAS A GIFT!!!" the Trollhunter berated the Stalkling when he felt its claws almost pierce through the leather of the garment, not wanting his sister's gift to be subjected to the Stalkling's plans for him, too.

As it climbed, however, Ladybug decided to use her yo-yo before it could get out of her throwing range, managing to grab onto its leg and pull her up the beast with a tug of the string. While Draal worriedly watched the two teens head up into the stormy sky, Ladybug's yo-yo managed to get her up to the Stalkling enough to grab onto it. But once she grabbed ahold of the Stalkling's leg and untied her yo-yo from it, the creature snapped at her in the hopes of getting her to let go. Thankfully, Ladybug managed to barely dodge its snapping jaws... only to accidentally drop her yo-yo in the process.

"DAMN IT!" Ladybug cursed as she watched as her yo-yo fell to the ground, her only remaining weapon unable to help her and Jim as the Stalkling climbed higher.

Bolts of light continued to flash in the sky as the beast flew higher and farther away from Draal's jumping range, leaving the two teens on their own. With his and his sister's new predicament, Jim swung his legs around as he hung in the Stalkling's claws, managing to pull out the amulet from his back pocket, holding it tight in his hand.

"For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command, because I REALLY, REALLY DON'T WANT US TO DIE!" Jim proclaimed, the amulet glowing as a bright blue light covered Jim as he donned his armor, shocking the Troll-Bird and momentarily blinding Ladybug.

The light surprised the Stalkling so much that it let Jim go with a shriek, the Trollhunter falling from its grasp with a yelp despite his escape. But it wasn't long until the Stalkling grabbed him once more, this time sideways with one of his legs and sword arm dangling from its claws. Seeing the precarious position Jim was in, Ladybug jumped from the creature's leg and landed on its back, trying to distract it by pulling on its horns, and forcing its head back with a pained roar.

With the distraction Ladybug gave him, Jim swung his sword arm to slash the creature's leg, causing it to let the entire upper part of him go. However, the Stalking tore its horns from Ladybug's grasp and caused her to fall off its back, forcing her to yelp in shock before she grabbed onto its tail before she could fall off. Without Ladybug interfering, the Stalkling started to swing a now screaming Jim around the air with just one paw, treating him like a rag doll before climbing higher with the siblings.

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Down on the ground where Jim and Ladybug wished they were, Toby was fiercely moving on his bike while Aaarrrgghh!!! followed him. As he rapidly pedaled through the neighborhood, Toby looked at the tracker in his hand to see where his best friend was, soon seeing Jim's icon getting closer to his.

"This way!" Toby shouted to Aaarrrgghh!!!, prompting them to go even faster.

Fortunately, they were close to the scene of the crime, soon arriving at the bridge with serious looks plastered on their faces before Toby saw Draal standing in the center of the bridge. As they got closer both Toby and Aaarrrgghh!!! could see Jim's bike and helmet were lying discarded near Draal, all while he kept looking up at the sky with Ladybug's yo-yo and rope dart in his hands.

"DRAAL!" Toby called out to the crystal-backed Troll, pulling Draal's attention from the sky to look and see them coming towards him. "Where are they?!" the rounded boy worriedly questioned Draal, stopping his bike next to him while a concerned Aaarrrgghh!!! skidded to a halt as well.

"Up in the sky thanks to that vial Stalkling! And I can't see them thanks to the storm!" Draal replied as he pointed up, causing Toby to look at his phone to see if Jim was still in the area. Suddenly a large screech above them caused the trio to look and see the Stalking, Jim and Ladybug in the sky like Draal had said.

"If they're up there, how do we get up there?" Toby wondered aloud, frightened for his siblings' lives as he watched Ladybug swing herself onto the Stalking's back again, the beast still climbing higher with them.

"No wings." Aaarrrgghh!!! grimly replied, the three of them unable to do anything when they were down on the ground. They could only watch.

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Up in the sky above the trio, Jim tried to take another swing at the Stalking after Ladybug was off its tail and was fully let go from its grasp. Yet, it wasn't even a second later that Jim was grabbed again and tossed around the sky a few times, lightning striking around them in the process. It wasn't until the beast had Jim's shoulders held in its claws that it was satisfied enough to fly higher, the air getting thinner and thinner as they went.

"Please let me go. The air... I can't-- I can't breathe." Jim pleaded, gasping out every word as he couldn't even hold his head up anymore.

"Jim... we got to..." Ladybug gasped out, also feeling the effects of the limited air as her grip on the Stalking's neck scales started loosening. While the Miraculous were powerful, they didn't grant Ladybug the power to survive long in the thin atmosphere they were currently in, which was apparent when she started to slip from the beast's body.

Hearing his sister starting to pass out and another lightning bolt striking, Jim managed to wake himself up from his near faint, seeing the Stalkling going higher still. But when realizing that Ladybug was unable to help, Jim started looking around for some idea of how to take out the Stalkling.

"You don't need weapons. Your environment can sometimes be a weapon." Blinky's words echoed in Jim's head as he fought to keep his eyes open, the boy's heavy breathing and the creature's wings flapping being the only things the teens could hear as Jim suddenly had an idea. As he eyed the lightning and then his sword, Jim quickly moved his sword to point to the sky, catching Ladybug and the Stalking's attention.

"Oh, I really don't like that you look in your eyes right now." Ladybug tiredly groaned before Jim managed to free his arm, twisting his body to a better angle for his plan while hanging in the Stalkling's grasp by only one arm.

"Hope your luck is contagious, sis! Get ready!" Jim exclaimed, prompting Ladybug to let go of the Stalkling's neck scales and jump down, holding onto its other foot and hanging next to Jim

"DO IT!" Ladybug shouted, causing Jim to hold out his sword to the darkened sky.

"Here goes... everything!" Jim chanted... seconds before a bolt of lightning struck his metal sword.

The bolts of energy ran through his sword, up to his body and reached past the hand that was joined with the Stalking's foot, affecting both it and Ladybug. Both siblings screamed in pain as the electricity passed through them, their heads dropping and their eyes sliding shut after the initial blast had passed through them, going into unconsciousness seconds after. Above them, the shrieking Stalkling struggled against the light current too before it dropped Jim and let Ladybug fall off of it, woozily flying around until it turned to stone and died instantly.

With the Stalkling's storified body falling to the ground, it was playing catch up with the falling Jim and Ladybug, who were unmoving as the boy's sword followed them. But due to their unconscious state, the siblings couldn't see Toby, Aaarrrgghh!!! and Draal watching them with shocked faces as they got closer to where their friends were. As Toby continued to pedal while Draal and Aaarrrgghh!!! followed behind, bolts of lightning striking near the falling teens and lighting up the area to show their current condition to their friends.

"HURRY!" Toby shouted at Aaarrrgghh!!! and Draal, the two Trolls hopping over the chubby boy before running to the teens, hoping to catch them. "HURRY, HURRY!!" the geology nerd begged, now pedaling behind the two Trolls as they raced to catch Jim and Ladybug in time.

Determination flooded through Aaarrrgghh!!! and Draal before they started running quicker, Jim and Ladybug suddenly dropped faster the closer they got to the ground. Thinking quickly, the two Trolls hopped up to the light poles on the bridge, each going on one side of the bridge to prevent any lag in following one or the other. From there, they hopped from light pole to light pole as they neared the falling teens; Aaarrrgghh!!!'s carvings glowing bright green as he went, before they jumped into the air. With the timing of their jump, the two Trolls easily caught Jim and Ladybug before landing on the street, their fist cutting through the cement as they were pushed back from the impact of their catches.

"JIM! MARINETTE!" Toby yelled out as he skidded to a stop, Aaarrrgghh!!! and Draal revealing his friends as they were limp in their hands. But he didn't have to wait long for Jim to awake from the blast he and Ladybug received, a small shock of lightning still running through him.

"Gotcha." Aaarrrgghh!!! said happily, causing Jim to smile up at him.

"Yeah, Aaarrrgghh!!! Yeah, Draal!!!" Toby yelled with excitement as they smiled at one another, which prompted the group to turn to the aforementioned Troll and the still limp Ladybug.

"Mari, you okay!?" Jim called to Ladybug, earning a pained cry from her as she awakened and tried to sit up in Draal's hands, sparks dancing along her body.

"Define 'Okay'?" Ladybug groaned, causing the five of them to all laugh with relief. They were all okay!

But the moment was suddenly interrupted when Jim's sword finally appeared and stuck into the ground in the middle of the group, causing the five to jump back in shock before it evaporated. As if to add to the relief, the dead Stalking soon dropped to the side of them, prompting the five to watch over the side of the bridge as its body broke into countless pieces once it made contact with the ground.

"Chalk this up to one of the weirdest birthdays we've had." Ladybug remarked now that she was back on her feet, leaning over the rail to glare at the Stalkling remains before her head tweaked to the left from a lingering shock.

"Agreed." Jim added as he nodded his head, his body going through a lingering shock too with his right eye twitching as a result.

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Below Arcadia and in the Hero's Forge, Jim, Ladybug, Toby and Aaarrrgghh!!! had been summoned by Blinky after the Stalkling had been defeated. But upon arriving at the Forge, Blinky placed his hands in front of Jim's eyes and led him to the center of the arena, the rest of the group standing off to the side to watch.

"Blinky, what are you up to?" Jim asked as he was embraced with two of Blinky's arms, the Troll guiding him while keeping him blind.

"You shall see in a moment." Blinky assured his pupil, finally stopping them when they reached a certain point and leaving Jim worried all of a sudden.

"This better not be another surprise because I really don't think I can handle any more." Jim begged, unaware of the proud smile Blinky had on his face at the moment.

"No, no. If my calculations are correct, there's only a few more minutes left until the end of your birthing day." Blinky stated before he uncovered Jim's eyes and let the boy go, only for the Trollhunter to keep his eyes screwed shut in fear of opening them. "Time for one more present." the six-eyed Troll declared, causing Jim to finally open his eyes and find the sight of a pile of Vespa pieces lying around a box in front of him.

"I know it doesn't look like much-" Blinky began, only for a happy smile to grow on Jim's face when he saw his gift.

"Wait." Jim interrupted, running up to the pile while Blinky smiled at his growing excitement. "That's a 150 G.S. Four-speed gearbox, classic long saddle... original handlebar headlamp unit! These are the pieces of a 1955 Vespa!" the Trollhutner exclaimed after he knelt to the ground and listed the contents of the pile, turning around to face his mentor when he realized what his gift was.

"I thought perhaps one day we could build it together." Blinky modestly explained, glad to see Jim was so happy about his final gift. "After your training, of course." the blue Troll added as he stood formally, followed by Jim running up and hugging the troll tightly.

"Thank you. Thank you! This is the best gift I've ever gotten!" Jim cheered as he held onto Blinky happily, bringing a smile to everyone in the arena... Blinky especially after he got over his initial surprise from the hug he received.

"Oh... You are welcome, master Jim." Blinky chuckled as a smile grew on his face too, hugging Jim back without hesitation as he looked at the human he was growing fond of. All the while, Toby, Ladybug and Aaarrrgghh!!! watched the two interacting with bright smiles.

"I knew we'd turn it around." Toby stated as they happily watched, glad that Jim's birthday had finally turned out good in the end.

"When is your birthing day?" Aaarrrgghh!!! asked his chubby friend, looking down at Toby with a curious smile.

"Like I'd ever tell you, wingman." Toby playfully scoffed at his friend, the two of them sharing a quick fist bump before turning to watch Blinky and Jim still hugging. While he's distracted, Ladybug waves Aaarrrgghh!!! to lean in towards her, quickly whispering the day to him before Blinky and Jim break the hug and head over to them.

"Thank you for your help, sis. I don't think things would have gone as well as they did if you hadn't stayed." Jim thanked his sister just as a smiling Aaarrrgghh!!! lifted his ear away from her, causing Ladybug to put all her focus on her brother.

"That was all you, Jim. If it wasn't for you, we would have been killed." Ladybug countered, recalling how her plan had failed in the end and only got them into more trouble.

"That was all luck!! Pure dumb luck that my idea didn't kill us." Jim argued back, sticking by his claim that his sister's presence was the main factor in their survival. "But regardless of how we survived, we still have some time before you have to go back." the blue-eyed boy stated, earning an amused look from Ladybug at his words.

"What exactly do you have in mind?" Ladybug asked, intrigued with the idea her brother seemed to have in mind.

"How about a tour of Heartstone? Seeing as you showed us around Stone Arc and you didn't have a chance to see it when you first came so it's only fair." Jim offered, causing Toby's eyes to widen in excitement at the idea he proposed.

"Yeah! That's a great idea!" Toby cheered, also wanting to spend more time with their sister before she left again. At the sight of her honorary brother's excitement, Ladybug couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her before she covered her mouth with her hand to hide her wide smile.

"I don't see why not. As long as Hawkmoth doesn't decide to send an akuma, of course." Ladybug replied, lowering her hand from her mouth so that she could accept the offer. "But we should probably put those Vespa parts somewhere safe before another Troll comes by and tries to eat them." the spotted heroine suggested as she pointed to the mentioned parts, earning a laugh from the group before they did just that.

Deciding on a hiding spot was simple, seeing as Blinky thought to put them in his library for safekeeping until he and Jim started to work on it. With that in mind, the group gathered the parts and made their way there. Once the Vespa parts are safely stored in a private area of Blinky's library, they walk back out into the market to start the tour.

"Alright, let's get this party started!" Toby cheered, clapping his hands in anticipation before turning his gaze to Blinky. "Blinky, how about you take the lead on this?" the geology nerd suggested, earning an excited grin from the four-armed Troll.

"My pleasure!" Blinky proclaimed before he took the lead, the group starting to walk behind him. "We shall start the tour at the Heartstone, our market's source of light!" the six-eyed Troll decided as the others followed behind him in their eagerness for the tour, Jim and Ladybug resting their arms over each other's shoulders as they walked side by side.

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While the Trollhunters and Ladybug were going about Heartstone, things were starting to take a dark turn on the surface lands. The main point of this was at the airport near Arcadia, where a woman stood behind a customs desk, her face void of any emotion as she sat there lazily.

"And welcome to America." the woman broadly greeted a guest, handing them their passport. "Next!" she called out after the guest left, allowing a person in a hat with a long coat to walk up to her desk.

"Business or pleasure?" the woman asked the new person at her desk, leaning her head on her arm as she looked up at him in boredom.

"Perhaps a bit of both?" the man; Otto Scaarbach, stated as handed her his passport, tipping his hat to her in a cheerful tone.

"Oh, boy." the woman mumbled, already tired of his joyful mood as she took the passport. "Anything to declare?" she asked as she stamped his passport, only to be responded to by him speaking to her in Troll... the first word being: Gunmar.

At the sound of the phrase, the woman's eyes grew in shock before she gathered herself and spoke back in their foreign language. If anyone else was watching the two, they would have seen Otto's eyes change into the yellow color of a Changeling's before they went back to normal, showing the true nature of the two adults. They would have also seen Otto pull out a briefcase from behind him, placing it on the woman's desk before opening it and facing the contents to the woman. Inside the case, the item within glowed a bright light blue as the woman was shocked by the sight, her eyes reflected the same yellow color as Otto's seconds later.

"The Eye Stone..." the woman said with a grin, her excitement coming to the surface of her usually emotionless face.

"It is almost complete." Otto added with a chuckle, revealing his part in the grand plan to free Gunmar.

"And Gunmar will rise again." The woman finished as he closed the case the two grinned evilly at each other at the declaration. Gunmar... was almost here!