Thankfully, they weren't too late.

But they were cutting it a little close to joining back up with Chat Noir; who was still trying to take down the Sapoti clones. Currently, Chat Noir had managed to lead the clones away from André's ice cream car and into the Parisian streets, heading towards City Hall. The feline hero's tactic for doing so, however, hit a snag when he arrived at the front of the building and more clones appeared from behind a truck to ambush him. When seeing the Sapotis surrounding him, the hero in black took out his staff and held his ground, knocking the clones down when they got close.

"What's taking so long, Ladybug?" Chat Noir muttered to himself, not knowing how long he could last against the amassing Sapotis. And as if his bad luck wanted to mess with him, Hawkmoth just had to choose that moment to reconnect with his latest akuma.

"There, Sapotis! Take his Miraculous from him!" Hawkmoth demanded from within his lair, hoping to take advantage of Chat Noir being alone and cornered by the Sapoti clones.

Immediately after being given the order, the Sapotis rush towards Chat Noir and pile on top of him, pinning the hero to the ground. And despite his struggling against them, Chat Noir was unable to free himself from the Sapotis's hold on him, leaving him open for one of the clones to try and take his ring off.

Fortunately for Chat Noir, Ladybug and SuperAlya arrive just in time to help him. With a quick throw of her yo-yo, Ladybug was able to break the propellers on the Sapotis piled on top of her partner and make them disappear in little puffs of colored smoke. From there, the two heroines jumped down from the roof of City Hall and landed in front of Chat Noir, quickly taking down the remaining clones one by one. Soon enough, the area was clear of any threats and SuperAlya was still buzzing from the confrontation.

"This is so insane! I've got powers and I'm fighting super-villains!" SuperAlya squealed, punching the air in front of her while Chat Noir rose to his feet and looked up to see both Ladybug and SuperAlya in front of him.

"Whoa! Who's your new superhero friend, Ladybug? No offence, but I thought I was the only one!" Chat Noir said to Ladybug, earning pleased looks from both of them.

"Chat Noir, I like to meet...uh..." Ladybug trailed off, glancing over at SuperAlya when she realised that their new teammate hadn't come up with a name to call herself.

"Uh... Rena Rouge! Yeah, my name is Rena Rouge!" SuperAlya, now dubbed Rena Rouge, replied, putting away her flute after having to use it against the Sapotis.

"Nice to meet you, Rena Rouge. It's a pleasure to meet a hero friend of M'Lady's." Chat Noir greeted the orange-clad heroine, his staff extended and resting along his shoulders as he walked up to the girls.

"Just how many super friends does she have?" Rena Rouge asked with a raised eyebrow, intrigued by the remark while Ladybug sent a glare Chat Noir's way to let him know not to go any further.

"Let's just say we both happen to have friends in even the lowest of places." Chat Noir cheekily replied, taking Ladybug's non-verbal warning in stride. "But do you think you can be as sneaky as a cat?" the hero in black teasingly questioned Rena Rouge, smirking as he leaned towards her.

"I don't know. Should we take bets?" Rena Rouge fired back in the same teasing tone, reaching to ring Chat Noir's collar bell before he turned towards Ladybug.

"Your friend seems pretty good." Chat Noir declared with a smile, already getting along with the new hero much to Ladybug's joy.

"I surround myself with only the best!" Ladybug stated, followed by Chat Noir turning to face Rena Rouge while putting his staff away.

"In that case, welcome to our team, Rena Rouge! If you need any cool superhero tips, you know where to come." Chat Noir said as he took her hand, kissing it chivalrously.

"Really? You're gonna give me Ladybug's phone number?" Rena Rouge teased, earning an amused chuckle from Ladybug at the joke while Chat Noir let go of her hand with a pleased smile.

"I have a feeling working with you is gonna be a lot of fun!" Chat Noir decided, thinking that if he got along with Rena Rouge then it might be the same with the Trollhunter if Ladybug ever introduced them.

But while the introductions between new teammates were underway, Hawkmoth; who had seen Rena Rouge's unexpected arrival to the battle from the eyes of the Sapotis, was intrigued. While he had expected Ladybug to have gone to find components for her Lucky Charm when she ran off, the resident supervillain never imagined that she would bring a new hero into the mix.

"A new hero." Hawkmoth mused aloud to himself while still in his lair, processing the new reality in record time as he realised..."So I was right! There are indeed other Miraculous in the city!" the superterrorist exclaimed, now excited by the prospect of getting more power before contacting the Sapotis once again.

"Sapotis, listen to me! Three superheroes are nothing against you! There are still enough of you to destroy everything! So band together and take their Miraculous, or I'll remove your powers and there'll be no more mischief!" Hawkmoth demanded all of the Sapoti clones throughout the city, cutting off the link before they all came together at City Hall and blocked the three superheroes' way of escape.

"We're surrounded!" Rena Rouge worriedly observed, the Sapotis forcing the heroes back to back while they started closing in on them.

"We're retreating!" Ladybug declared, prompting the superheroes to all run from the Sapotis and head towards City Hall.

Once there, each hero used their respective methods to jump up to the rooftop columns of a building, now a good distance away from their pint-sized foes. Unfortunately, they didn't account for the Sapotis being able to climb, which became a problem when they started to climb up the building walls, some of them using themselves as a stepping stool to get started. In any case, the heroes didn't have much time before they were surrounded yet again.

"There must be thousands of them! How are we going to find the akuma?" Chat Noir questioned aloud from his column on Ladybug's left, triggering the red heroin to stand up and call on her...

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug shouted, summoning her powers and receiving...

"A unicycle?" Chat Noir noted when Ladybug caught the object, both him and Rena Rouge watching as she started looking around with her Lucky Vision for hints of their ultimate plan.

Scanning the area, Ladybug soon spotted a rickshaw being used by some of the Sapotis, a garbage bin, four rakes, two traffic cones, Chat Noir's staff, Rena Rouge's flute, and finally the unicycle. From there, the plan was as clear as a sunny day in Ladybug's mind. But before she could even tell her teammates, the red heroine gasped when she noticed that some of the clones had already climbed up to the roof, chanting 'Miraculous!' as they ran towards the heroes.

"Cover me! I need to do some shopping." Ladybug told the others, keeping her eyes on the Sapotis as she spoke.

"Whenever you're ready, M'Lady!" the hero in black said, followed by him and Rena Rouge leaping to keep the Sapotis at bay while Ladybug worked.

Once the Sapotis were occupied, Ladybug jumped down to the end of the rooftop and threw her yo-yo out to retrieve the items she spotted earlier. All the while, Chat Noir and Rena Rouge were guarding her on opposite ends of the City Hall roof, watching as she put all the items inside the garbage bin she snagged first.

"Rakes? Unicycle wheel? Traffic cone? Tape? Trash can! Do you always make it this complicated when you're saving Paris?" Rena Rouge questioned Ladybug while kicking away a Sapoti, both her and Chat Noir heading back to Ladybug now that she had all she needed.

"Trust me, Rena Rouge. It'll make sense soon." Ladybug assured her before Chat Noir extended his staff and quickly lowered it onto another rooftop across from City Hall, creating a beam so they could cross over the chaos below. "Here we go!" the red heroine exclaimed, she and Rena Rouge going first with the bin full of stuff while Chat Noir brought up the rear.

As they escaped, one of the Sapoti clones tried to follow them, but the heroes made it to the other end and Chat Noir pulled his staff away from City Hall, letting the clone fall. Fortunately for it, the other clones kept it from falling, unaware of the heroes pushing the garbage bin to another location to carry out Ladybug's plan.

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When the heroes got far enough away, Ladybug finally explained the plan to them before heading out to execute her part after explaining theirs. As they worked, the Sapotis continued their mischief throughout the city, leaving no place safe from their chaos. Such a spot was the Hôtel de Ville, where a good chunk of the clones was wreaking havoc inside the building. Some of them were drawing on a portrait of André Bourgeois with a black permanent marker while others were posing for a picture in front of a bust sculpture or making a mess.

But they all stopped when they suddenly heard...

"Hear ye, hear ye! Sapoti-Land, the amusement park of the future, is about to open!" Ladybug's voice boomed through the streets, causing the clones to file outside and see her riding on the rickshaw and yelling through a traffic cone. "Mischiefs of all types are permitted in Sapoti-land! All-you-can-eat desserts! Fountains of orange juice! Big-kid movies and video games!" the spotted heroine went on, leaving all the Sapotis amazed by her announcement.

However, as she passed through the streets, Chat Noir was up on the rooftops keeping an eye on her in case the Sapotis didn't believe her. Fortunately, the feline's worries were put to rest when he saw none of the clones attacking Ladybug, leaving him to jump down to where Rena Rouge was as she taped the unicycle and rakes together. It was almost time for her to shine and use her powers to help save the day!

"All right, Rena Rouge! Time to use your power!" Chat Noir announced when he landed by her, eager to see the real Fox Miraculous power in action.

"I've never tried it. I hope it works." Rena Rouge admitted out of concern, standing to her full height as she took out her flute from behind her back. She was nervous. Rena hadn't had the Miraculous before now, and when Ladybug told her that she would be using her special power on her first night... Let's just say that the fox heroine could feel the pressure weighing down on her to do well.

"It's easier than you think. All you have to do is just think of the illusion you want to create. But you got to stay focused while doing it, otherwise it will disappear." Chat Noir assured her while placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, leaving Rena Rouge more at ease than she had been when Ladybug explained her part in the plan.

With the confidence boost, Rena Rouge lifted her flute to her lips and blew into it, triggering a ball of energy to form at the far end of it. Her power was now ready to be used!

"Mirage!" Rena Rouge cried out, throwing the ball of energy from her flute and creating an illusion of an amusement park just across from them. Upon seeing the illusion, the Sapoti clones were completely fooled by it and they all charged toward it, eager to play in this new 'amusement park'. "Awesome! I did it!" the fox heroine cheered, glad that her first time using her powers went so well. However, her celebration was put on hold when she suddenly heard a beep from her Miraculous.

"My necklace is flashing. That means I'm gonna change back soon, right?" Rena Rouge asked Chat Noir, now a little concerned for her identity. If it got out, Rena Rouge would definitely not be able to help out on missions ever again!

"Yeah. But it's okay if I see who you are. I can keep a secret." Chat Noir cheekily replied, sending a wink Rena Rouge's way.

"Naughty kitty! You know very well that our identities must remain secret." Rena Rouge chided the hero in black as she put away her flute, not buying his words for one second.

"Good job. You're a fast learner." Chat Noir praised the orange heroine, happy that she passed his little test. Say what you want about Chat Noir, but while he can be a bit of a goof, he always knew when some things needed to stay secret. This was one of those times.

"If you need any superhero tips, you know where to come." Rena Rouge teased, quoting Chat Noir's earlier words while they did a little secret handshake.

From there, the two heroes laid in wait for when Ladybug came by with the trailing Sapotis, eager to get the next part of the plan underway. And while Chat Noir and Rena Rouge were waiting, Ladybug was still riding through the streets and enticing the Sapotis, leading them straight towards the amusement park illusion.

"Follow me, and I'll take you to Sapoti-Land! Where there's no bedtime! Where everything goes!" Ladybug proclaimed to the Sapoti clones, riding straight for an alleyway under where Chat Noir and Rena Rouge were waiting for her.

"Sapoti-Land!" Sapotis cheered, gleefully following after Ladybug. But thanks to their distractedness, Hawkmoth had decided then to try and intervene.

"No, wait! Don't go there! Ladybug's trying to trap you!" Hawkmoth yelled from his end of the psychic link, knowing that Ladybug had to have some ulterior motive to lead his akuma to this supposed amusement park.

Unfortunately for Hawkmoth, his words fell on deaf ears and the Sapotis kept following after Ladybug, even when the rickshaw bumped to a stop at the start of the alleyway. Before the crash, however, Ladybug had jumped out of the rickshaw and went forward into the narrow alley, staying in place while the Sapotis forced their way past the rickshaw. Once the Sapotis figured out how to jump past the rickshaw, the spotted heroine continued to run into the alley, leading right to her partners on the roof above.

"Phase two, Chat Noir! Now!" Ladybug called up to Chat Noir, who immediately placed his staff into the unicycle to form an axle when hearing the signal. "Step right up! Step right up! The Sapotis get in for free!" the heroine in red shouted to the Sapotis following her, getting all of them inside the ally... just as planned.

"All the Sapotis are in the alley! Phase three!" Chat Noir declared, holding the unicycle contraption in his hands.

"Is this really gonna work?" Rena Rouge questioned him, unsure if this plan was the best way to go even after seeing Ladybug's previous plans work like a charm.

"Oh, don't worry. Sometimes it's even more absurd than this!" Chat Noir joyfully replied before jumping down into the ally, stopping himself at a certain point and placing the unicycle in the narrow space. "Your turn, Ladybug!" the hero in black yelled once he was back on the rooftop, Rena Rouge landing next to him with the garbage bin in hand.

Now that the unicycle was in place, Ladybug jumped into the air and landed just above the contraption, using her legs to stay in place while her yo-yo wrapped around the wheel of the unicycle. With a hard tug of the string, the wheel of the unicycle started spinning, letting the rakes on each side of it knock all the hats off the clones as they ran underneath. The stolen hats then sailed into the air above the ally, where Rena Rouge and Chat Noir caught them in the garbage bin with ease. In no time at all, all the hats were off all the clones's heads, just in time for the illusion to disappear and leave all the clones surprised to see that 'Sapoti-Land' was gone. But despite the akuma's confusion, the heroes were happy to say...

"We've got all the hats, Ladybug!" Rena Rouge declared from the rooftop, closing the bin so that Chat Noir could use his...

"Cataclysm!" Chat Noir shouted, summoning his power and using it to disintegrate the garbage bin with the hats.

When the bin was turned into ash, Ladybug jumped up to her teammates and kicked the garbage bin into black dust, destroying it along with all the hats. Immediately, all the Sapotis clones disappeared in puffs of smoke, leaving the original two remaining dazed on the sidewalk before they turned back into Ella and Etta. Once the girls were transformed back, the akuma then appeared out of the dust, fluttering into the air above the heroes.

"No more evildoing for you, little akuma." Ladybug said as she ran her finger down the middle of her yo-yo, revealing the sparkling pool of cleansing energy inside of it. "Time to de-evilize!" the spotted heroine shouted before she threw her yo-yo toward the akuma, catching it within her yo-yo and pulling it back to her.

"Gotcha!" Ladybug cheered when the yo-yo was back in her hands. A second later, she released the purified akuma, setting the white butterfly free. "Bye, bye little butterfly," the heroine in red said as the butterfly flew away, right before she and Chat Noir threw Lucky Charm up into the air.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" Ladybug cried out, summoning the cleansing cure and the magic ladybugs. From there, the wave that was Miraculous Cure quickly swept through the city, fixing all the damage caused by the Sapotis. The paintings and mess in the Hôtel de Ville were restored and cleaned up. The tipped-over cars in the streets were put right side up again. André's ice cream cart was fixed. And everything else that the Sapotis did that was unknown to the heroes was all taken care of as well. Everything was back to normal once again!

"Pound it!" Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Rena Rouge cheered, doing a 3-way fist bump before they jumped down from the roof and landed in front of Ella and Etta.

"Etta—!" Rena Rouge began, momentarily forgetting that she wasn't in her civilian self out of worry for her sisters. Fortunately, Ladybug stopped her from saying anything more, reminding Rena of her current state and keeping her identity a secret... if her Miraculous didn't time out in the next few seconds. "Uh...gotta get going before I transform back!" the orange heroine announced, knowing she had to leave.

"Looking forward to fighting villains with you again, Rena Rouge!" Chat Noir said with a bow, having enjoyed working with his and Ladybug's new teammate.

"I'll join you." Ladybug said to Rena Rouge, leading her to an ally way behind them so that she could get the Miraculous back from her.

"Bye, kitty!" Rena Rouge farewelled to Chat Noir, quickly heading off into the alley.

"Meow!" Chat Noir purred, followed by Ladybug turning to face him.

"Chat Noir, can you make sure the two girls get back home safely? I'll meet you for training later." Ladybug asked, earning a nod from Chat Noir before he walked over to the recovering Ella and Etta.

"Okay, who's gonna tell me where you live?" Chat Noir questioned the twins, hoping to get them back home quickly.

"I WILL!!" Ella and Etta cheered, pouncing onto Chat Noir in a way that reminded him so much of how Marray first greeted him while Ladybug watched them chuckling before she left to follow Rena Rouge.

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Down in Hawkmoth's lair, the supervillain was once again unhappy with how his latest akuma had gone down. But that wasn't to say that there weren't any silver linings to take note of.

"You and your new friend have defeated me this time, Ladybug and Chat Noir! But thanks to you, now I know there are other Miraculous in Paris!" Hawkmoth proclaimed, smiling at the thought of possibly getting a leg up against his enemies. "And most likely, a guardian!" the madman mused aloud, the lair window closing up to leave the mildly giddy man and his remaining butterflies in darkness. Looks like there was more to these heroes than he previously thought.

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While Hawkmoth was turning in for the night, unknown to him, Ladybug and Rena Rouge landed near the Fox heroine's house, hiding behind a large van. Seconds after they did, the latter hero's transformation finally timed out, leaving Alya in Rena Rouge's place once the orange light washed over her body and formed back into Trixx.

"That was so amazing!" Alya squealed to Trixx when the kwami appeared in front of her, adrenaline still pulsing through her body after her part in saving Paris.

"You've really helped us a lot. Thank you, Alya." Ladybug happily praised her civilian best friend, happy that she had enjoyed her first time being a hero. "But now I need to take back the Miraculous for safekeeping." the spotted heroine said just as her earrings beeped down to the third to last dot, holding out her hand to take back the Fox Miraculous. However, now that she was faced with giving the Miraculous back... Alya was not so very keen anymore.

"Uh... You know, if I held onto it, I could help you again." Alya offered, placing her hands over the necklace protectively and leaving Ladybug flabbergasted.

"You made a promise." Ladybug gently reminded Alya, the good mood she had now soured when witnessing Alya's defiance.

"Oh please, Ladybug! We'd make a great team! I could help Chat Noir and you every day!" Alya protested, trying every route to make her case to the red heroine.

"It's not that simple. At the moment, it's too dangerous to have more Miraculous in permanent circulation. If we do, then who knows what will happen if we prematurely put you on the team for good." Ladybug explained, deciding to let a little bit of classified information out to convince Alya to make the right choice. "It has nothing to do with how well you did tonight. While I know you'd be a great ally to Chat and me in the future, we just can't take that risk." the heroine in red concluded, hoping that her friend would understand since Ladybug would have loved to work with her best civilian friend alongside her and Chat Noir if it wasn't so dangerous.

"But..." Alya began to protest, only for Ladybug's earrings to beep the second to last dot.

"I'm about to transform back! Hurry!" Ladybug urged Alya, needing to end this quickly before she transformed back.

"Please?" Alya begged, making a last-ditch effort to convince Ladybug to agree to her proposal. However, the beeping of Ladybug's earrings was preventing her from answering, followed by the heroine turning to a nearby door to the building next to them and opening it.

"I have to go! I'm trusting you to do the right thing!" Ladybug said before going inside the building so she could detransform, leaving Alya and Trixx just outside of it.

Once Ladybug was gone, Alya looked down at the Fox Miraculous as she held it in her hands, feeling the weight of the decision pushing down on her. But while she was trying to think of a way to convince Ladybug to trust her, Trixx decided to put their own two cents in to help her make the right choice.

"You're absolutely right, Alya. I'm sure the three of you would make quite the team!" Trixx exclaimed, drawing Alya's attention from the Miraculous and onto them as they flittered around the reporter as she smiled at the praise."You have all the makings of a true superhero. You're strong, brave, but most of all, trustworthy!" the fox kwami declared, which did the trick in reminding Alya of her promise and truly think about the reasons Ladybug had given her.

Upon hearing Trixx's words, Alya frowned in remorse when she realised that she was being selfish hoping to keep the Miraculous on her. Yes, it was her dream to be a superhero, but a great superhero always puts the greater good before their desires... which Alya hadn't done so just then. With that in mind, she knew what she needed to do to make things right.

"You're right, Trixx. I am trustworthy. And while I would love to just run and keep the Miraculous to myself, that's not the right thing to do." Alya said as she reached behind her neck for the clasp of the Fox Miraculous, hoping it wasn't too late to prove that she was still able to be a hero later on.

"I knew you'd make the right choice!" Trixx cheered, joyfully flipping through the air surrounding Alya.

"Here's to hoping this isn't the last time we see each other." Alya remarked in a wistful tone, giving Trixx a small smile due to her warring emotions. Even if they didn't know each other for longer than a night, Alya was already growing fond of the little fox.

"By choosing to give the Miraculous back, it most certainly won't be." Trixx assured their holder, flying up to tightly hug Alya's cheek. "I'll see you next time, kit." the orange kwami warmly promised, causing Alya to hug them back with her left hand as best as she could.

"See you soon, Trixx." Alya replied in kind, letting the kwami fly to float next to her before finally taking the Miraculous off of her neck and making Trixx disappear back inside of the jewel.

Once the Miraculous had its kwami back inside it, Alya took out the box she had received with the magic necklace in and placed it back inside, closing the lid with a sharp 'snap'. From there, the reporter reached for the door Ladybug hid behind and opened it just enough to place the box past the door before shutting it again, leaving the Miraculous for Ladybug to take back. With that, Alya started to make her way home, arriving just in time to see Chat Noir jumping away from her apartment's balcony. Now knowing her sisters were home safe and sound, she raced up the stairs to her home, hoping to put them to bed while trying to think of a way to tell Marinette a censored version of what happened after they split up.

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Unknown to Alya, her best friend was closer to her all night than she thought.

After Ladybug had left the bespeckled girl to transform back into Marinette, she was left disappointed because Alya refused to return the Fox Miraculous. But just when she thought the worst, she and Tikki were shocked when someone opened the door they were hiding behind, thinking that Alya would actually try to find her identity on top of taking the Fox Miraculous. Fortunately, their prayers were answered when they saw only Alya's hand passing the door's threshold as it placed the Miraculous box inside before closing the door again. At the sight of Alya's choice, Marinette had chuckled to herself in relief, proud of her best friend and that she turned out to be the best choice for their teammate after all.

After picking up the box, the designer put it in her purse and waited a few minutes to make sure Alya had left before exiting her hiding place, hoping to get back for her and Alya's sleepover. Thankfully, the distance wasn't that big to cover since she and Alya had landed a block away from the apartment, letting her arrive in no time at all before ringing the doorbell to be let back inside. Seconds after she did, the panting Marinette was quickly greeted by Alya as she opened the door.

"Marinette! Are you okay?" Alya asked her best friend, both glad to see her and concerned to see Marinette so out of breath.

"I'm fine! But I tried calling you tons of times! Why weren't you answering?" Marinette replied as she stood to her full height, only to be dragged into the apartment by Alya.

"Wait till you hear! Something crazy happened to me!" Alya exclaimed, closing the door behind Marinette as she let her arm go.

"Really? What happened?" Marinette questioned, playing dumb in the hopes of Alya keeping her heroic escapade a secret from her civilian self.

"I...well...my battery died." Alya choppily replied, chuckling nervously when remembering her promise to Ladybug. "Can you believe it? My brand new phone. Super letdown, huh?" the reporter added, earning a chuckle from Marinette.

'Is that how I sound when I'm making excuses? If so, I really need to work on my acting skills.' Marinette thought to herself, knowing that she still wouldn't have believed Alya if she wasn't Ladybug and was the one to give Alya her Miraculous. "I'm just glad you're safe." the designer said, pulling Alya into a hug.

"Ditto." Alya responded, happy that things were once again quiet.

After they pull away from their hug, the two girls split up to get set up to watch their movie again, hoping to continue their interrupted sleepover. Following Marinette placing the fruit and cookie plates onto the coffee table, she sat down on the couch just as Alya gently put down a pitcher of orange juice and two empty glasses beside the snacks.

"We better keep the noise down. My sisters are asleep at last." Alya quietly said, grateful that Chat Noir had managed to tire them out more before taking them home.

"Phew! All's well that ends well." Marinette sighed in relief as she leaned back into the couch, glad to finally have some girl time with Alya now that the akuma was taken care of.

"Thanks to Ladybug and Chat Noir." Alya remarked, sitting beside Marinette while her bestie reached for the remote and got the movie set up for them to watch again.

"I heard they had another superhero with them tonight! A girl!" Marinette cheekily revealed, turning to face Alya to see how she'd react to the little mention.

"Huh? No! Seriously? I had no idea! Who was it?" Alya coyly gushed, trying to hide her excitement of Marinette having heard about her heroic adventure that night.

"Don't know. I didn't catch her name." Marinette simply replied, quickly turning to face the T.V. while Alya's excited face dropped into a flabbergasted gawk. "Aren't we gonna watch a movie?" the pigtailed girl asked, completely ignoring Alya's dumbfounded stare.

"Oh come on! Please! Did you see her? Did you at least know what her name was? Or what did she look like? Come on, girl, tell me everything!" Alya rambled in the hopes of finding out what else Marinette knew, breaking Marinette's thin composure and making her chuckle in amusement.

"I honestly don't know! But if I ever learn anything more, I'll let you know, okay?" Marinette promised, earning a pout from Alya as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back into the couch.

"Okay, fine." Alya replied, knowing that she might have been a little overzealous in her questioning. But now that the matter was settled, the reporter smiled and let her body relax. "Now, let's watch this movie! I haven't seen Megamind in ages!" the reporter exclaimed, eager to get back to hers and Marinette's sleepover.

"Yes, let's!" Marinette cheered, taking the remote and pressing play on the movie before they got comfy, reaching for the snacks and drinks as they did.

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(Time Skip)

A little while later, the girls finished watching the movie and headed off to bed... at least that was the case for Alya. Once she was sure her best friend was asleep, Marinette made sure to be as quiet as she could be while exiting Alya's room and heading over to the balcony. With a quick 'Spots On' after donning her usual disguise, Marinette was transformed into Ladybug and swung out of the Césaire family apartment. The heroine then made her way over to Master Fu's place for her and Chat Noir's weekend training session, hoping to show off all she had learned from Draal since they were scheduled for a sparing-focused lesson. As she flew through the city, Ladybug's excitement made the trip feel even shorter than it was and she soon touched down on the Guardian's roof. Seconds later, Chat Noir landed on the roof right beside her, the two heroes arriving on time for their training session much to the other's surprise.

"Huh, looks like we're both here on time!" Chat Noir exclaimed, earning an amused smile from Ladybug.

"Looks like it!" Ladybug replied. "How was babysitting the Césaire twins?" the spotted heroine asked, hoping that it wasn't too difficult for her partner after having to face their akumatized selves beforehand.

"Believe it or not, a lot like keeping Maray occupied when we last visited Styx's stall." Chat Noir said, having found himself enjoying his time with the kids while taking them home.

"With the way they tackled you, I would assume so." Ladybug chuckled, making Chat Noir roll his eyes at her lighthearted jab.

"Ha ha, very funny." Chat Noir sarcastically replied, finding Ladybug's dig on him not very funny before letting a smile appear on his face. "In any case, Rena Rouge was a pleasure to work with today. Where did you find her?" the feline hero questioned Ladybug, smirking as he leaned towards his partner and nearly touched his nose with hers.

"She wouldn't happen to be from the same place you met the Trollhunter, would she?" Chat Noir asked, hoping to find out a little bit more about their new teammate now that the fight was over.

"No, she isn't. While I can't tell you who she is, I can say that she lives here in Paris." Ladybug replied as she lightly pushed Chat Noir back from her personal space, letting out as little information as possible.

"How come I can't know? If she's not in a similar situation as the Trollhunter, why is her identity being kept from me?" Chat Noir lightly interrogated Ladybug, unable to understand the secrecy regarding Miraculous matters. Trollhunter stuff, he could understand, but not stuff about the very object he wielded daily.

"It's only because I chose her to be a Miraculous Holder. Rena Rouge's identity won't be revealed to you unless it becomes unavoidable." Ladybug explained, causing Chat Noir to slump over in disappointment. "Just like it will be the case for me with the holders you choose." the heroine in red added, immediately causing to Chat Noir perk up at the news.

"Wait... I'll get to choose Miraculous Holders, too?" Chat Noir asked, eyes wide in excitement.

"Of course! Why wouldn't you be able to?" Ladybug rhetorically questioned her partner, not seeing the harm in choosing some of their allies in the future. "If there's one thing I know about you, kitty, it's that you have an uncanny sense of insight on those around you. Granted, your tendency to see the best in people can skew that around, but it helps us more often than not." the heroine said, leaving Chat Noir with a warm and fuzzy feeling in his chest at the compliment from his Lady.

"Thanks, Bugaboo. It means a lot to hear you say that." Chat Noir said, happy to hear that Ladybug appreciated his input on the team.

"You're welcome, kitty cat." Ladybug warmly replied, followed by the two of them hugging each other.

"So, when do you think I'll be able to choose a Miraculous Holder?" Chat Noir asked, the heroes pulling away from their hug as he spoke.

"I don't know. It'll depend on how difficult the akuma will be." Ladybug admitted. "But the next time we need an extra set of hands, you'll be the one to choose them." the spotted heroine promised, placing a hand on his shoulder with a smile.

"Sounds good to me." Chat Noir responded, happy to hear Ladybug trusted him with something so important. On the other hand... "So... does this mean I might meet the Trollhunter at some stage?" the hero in black questioned, looking to finally get a confirmed date on said introduction.

"Chat..." Ladybug trailed off in warning, not looking to disappoint her partner with her answer. She wanted nothing more than to properly introduce Chat Noir to her brother and his team, especially when he was being so patient and understanding of her reasons not to. But despite her desires, Ladybug knew that it wasn't the right time for them to meet.

"I know. I said I was content in waiting. But with Rena Rouge coming into the picture, I have to know if it might mean I finally get to meet him." Chat Noir said as he lifted his hands in surrender, hoping to ease the sudden probing on his partner's ally in Arcadia. Fortunately for him, Ladybug understood all too well how curious Chat Noir was and how he had a right to be so with how tight-lipped she had been about the Trollhunter and her connection to him.

"Honestly... I'm not sure when that might happen. The only thing I know for sure is that things are starting to come to a head in Arcadia." Ladybug reflected as she pushed back her bangs with the hand she had previously placed on Chat Noir's shoulder, finally getting the chance to update him on things in her birth town. "I don't think I told you this yet, but the Trollhunter recently found out that someone he considered family is a Changeling." the red heroine announced, leaving Chat Noir to do a double take and gawk at her with wide eyes.

"Wait... WHAT!?!?" Chat Noir squawked, shocked by the news of a newly confirmed Changeling in Arcadia.

"Look, it wasn't pleasant for me to find out either. For the most part, he's been quiet since the Trollhunter found out." Ladybug assured her partner, letting the hand that pushed her bangs back to rest on her forehead, hoping to keep an oncoming headache from pounding on her skull. "However, things are currently in a stalemate as he waits for his false ally to make a move since he has to know that the Trollhunter knows what he is by now." the heroine said, just the thought of Strickler's betrayal making her anger flare and her blood boil to a painful degree.

"And when that happens?" Chat Noir tentatively asked, a little worried when hearing Ladybug's sudden tone of anger.

"I don't know what'll happen." Ladybug replied as she let her hand fall from her forehead, her anger fading when hearing her partner's concern. "One thing's for sure, it won't be pretty and the Trollhunter will need our help if it leads to Bular and his associates being able to free Gunmar." the spotted heroine divulged, letting a sigh slip past her lips after she spoke.

"But that won't happen... right? You mentioned that the Killahead Bridge wasn't complete yet the last time we talked about it." Chat Noir recalled, now worried himself when hearing Ladybug's report on Arcadia.

"Bular and them would have most likely found all the pieces by now. It was nearly completed when the Trollhunter first saw it." Ladybug reminded her partner. "But for the moment, we remain neutral until we are called on." the hero in red decided, despite all of her instincts saying otherwise. If it wasn't for Hawkmoth, Ladybug would have been going over to Arcadia more often to help her brother out.

"If it takes Bular freeing his father from the Darklands to finally meet the Trollhunter, then here's to hoping that never happens." Chat Noir joked, trying to lighten the mood a little after hearing how tense things were on the other side of the world now.

"It might not come to that if we're lucky. But it's best to be cautious on that front. All we can do is wait and take care of things on our end." Ladybug advised, earning a solemn nod from Chat Noir.

"Agreed." Chat Noir replied, the two sharing a fist bump just as the roof access door opened up and Master Fu appeared in the doorway.

"Ah, good! The both of you are here!" Master Fu greeted the heroes, walking through the door with the Miracle Box in hand. "Shall we get started?" the old Guardian queried, coming to stand in front of his two pupils.

"Yes, we should. But seeing as you brought the Miracle Box, I still have something to return to you." Ladybug observed before pulling out her yo-yo, opening it to take out the box holding the Fox Miraculous inside. "I believe this belongs to you, Master Fu." she said, holding out the box to him.

"Ah, I was wondering when you'd return this to me." Master Fu breathed in relief, taking the box and placing the Fox Miraculous back into the Miracle Box. "You made the right choice, Ladybug. Thanks to you, Paris has been saved from evil yet again." the Guardian praised the hero, earning a pleased chuckle from Ladybug.

"Thank you, Master Fu!" Ladybug happily replied, both she and Chat Noir watching as Master Fu closed the box and walked over to place it to the side for later. "But I do have a question." the red heroine admitted, watching as the old guardian walked back over to them.

"What is it?" Master Fu asked, coming to stand in front of them.

"Seeing as having Rena Rouge on our team tonight proved to be a good choice, do you think there's a chance of us having either her or more permanent holders soon?" Ladybug questioned the master in front of her, thinking of the benefits of having more team members alongside her and Chat Noir while a troubled look appeared on Master Fu's face at the question.

"Ladybug, I already told you that it's too dangerous for any more full-time holders to be in circulation." Master Fu gravely reminded the scarlet heroine, not liking how she was ignoring his earlier words on the matter.

"Only until we discover all the secrets within the spellbook. And I know for a fact that we're almost there." Ladybug pointed out, her arms crossing in front of her chest in slight defiance.

"Um, I hate to be that person M'Lady but that's not entirely true. There's still the enchanted pages within the original copy." Chat Noir brought up, placing a tentative hand on her shoulder as he spoke and causing Master Fu's sour mood to become more pleasant.

"He's right. Seeing as they didn't show up in the pictures we took of them, we won't have all the secrets until we find a way to borrow the book and lift the enchantment on the pages long enough for us to take pictures of them too." Master Fu elaborated, grateful to Chat Noir for unintentionally helping him in denying Ladybug's request. "So until that happens, there will be no full-time holders on the team." the guardian declared, hoping to settle the matter once and for all.

"Fair point." Ladybug relented, a pout appearing on her face at her idea being shot down while Chat Noir rubbed her shoulder comfortingly.

"Now, I believe we are overdue for a sparing session between you two. You two have improved when working together, but we need to see what else you need to work on." Master Fu perceived, having waited long enough after the first sparring session the heroes had to review their progress.

"Fine by me. I've been working on my close-up combat for a while now." Ladybug chirped, stretching her arms above her head in preparation for the sparring match.

"Maybe so. But I highly doubt it'll be enough to beat me in hand to hand." Chat Noir playfully remarked as he stretched his back, warming up as well. But just as Chat Noir started to stretch his shoulders, Ladybug quickly grabbed his arm and judo-flipped him to the ground. "WHA!!" the feline hero yelped as he flew through the air, his back hitting the ground before Ladybug pinned him with ease.

"You were saying?" Ladybug teased Chat Noir, smirking at him as she leaned into his personal space. However, Chat Noir had recovered from the sudden move and grabbed Ladybug's free arm, managing to flip them over and pin her instead.

"Ha, still got it!" Chat Noir cheered, pleased with himself before Ladybug then tucked her legs under his stomach and bucked him off of her, backflipping to land away from him.

"Too slow!" Ladybug lightly taunted, prompting Chat Noir to windmill himself to a cat-like crouch, posed to attack.

"Oh, it's on now!" Chat Noir gamesomely declared, triggering Ladybug to stand ready as he lunged at her, all while a smiling Master Fu watched them spar. Might as well let them have some fun while they train, right?