TrimusicalDrag00n90: Marinette is going to be out of commission for a while after this. Poor child.

alexc1209: I'm glad you liked the interactions between Allen & the Dupain-Chengs. They'll be more involved in the heroes lives as long as they're stuck here. It's gonna be cute. Marinette is going to need to be on the lookout from now on. It's going to be hard to live knowing that monsters are hiding in plain sight all around you.

Guest: Not at all. I consider the relationship to be more familial.

SheuOgama: Thank you!

Here's a hella long chapter to hold you guys over before the next one is complete.

Chapter 24: Prayer

Marinette woke up that morning late as usual. If she hadn't stayed up so late then maybe she would've been able to make it to school on time. But no, she just had to stay up with…with...

The tired girl opened her eyes was startled awake upon seeing unfamiliar walls. She heard footsteps and saw a person dressed in black glide pass the open door. A doctor sudden ran pass with a team of people dressed in pink. This is the hospital…That was right. She was attacked by a vicious monster and saved by Allen Walker—who brought her to the hospital. She turned her gaze down at herself and saw the provided hospital gown on her. Reaching up, she noticed her bandaged hands pull back the collar of the gown. There she saw her other bandaged wound. No blood had seeped through, so she assumed that it was fine. She reached up and placed her hand on the bandage on her head. It was a little bit moist. I'll need to change it later. Marinette looked at the provided clock and saw the time. Normally, she would jump around and shout, but she didn't want to risk opening her wound. It was so late! She was so late! But…Was it even wise to go to school at all?

"Oh, good morning!" she shrieked at the sudden voice and looked over at the other side, of the room, that she neglected. She saw Allen sitting on the provided chair with Timcanpy in his hands. He was using Timcanpy as a stress ball, it seems. The boy was stretching its face in different directions out of boredom. He looked sheepish and a bit shameful, "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

"No, it's fine. I didn't notice you." Her focus trained on Timcanpy. "Wait! That thing—it was destroyed! The akuma sliced it apart! I saw it!" she pointed at the golden ball.

"Tim has a very unique ability. He's able to pull himself together rather well." Marinette's cheeks turned a shameful shade of pink.

"Oh…sorry," she mumbled with a slight pout. Allen gave her a friendly smile before his eyes widened.

"Before I forget…Your parents said they were going to pick up some clothes for you. I was told to call should you awake."

Marinette reached out and grabbed her phone off the nightstand. She read the time easily and opened the device. "I can do that, no problem."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, "Yeah just let me…" with a quick button, she dialed her father's number. It took a fraction of a second for him to pick up. She was greeted with her father and the sound of a bell ding. She guessed that he had just left the bakery or a customer had just arrived. "Hey Papa!" from there, she was greeted by her father and was informed that he and her mother were just leaving to come to get her. She was also informed that they had called her out of class for the day. As much as she would've loved to go to school and act as if everything is normal, she was glad. I mostly wanted to go to see if Allen's Eye (thing) would detect Sabrina as one of those things…

Her parents arrived with a pile of warm clothes for her. She was also thankful that they hid her various injuries (other than her head and hands). She was given a bit of privacy to change. In the end, she ended up in a beige sweater with some black leggings and small brown boots. For once, she decided to let her hair loose and brush her bangs over her injury. It didn't hide it completely but it still covered some of it. After retrieving her purse, she grabbed her black coat and pink scarf that her parents brought. After bundling herself up, she opened her purse and let her kwami fly into it. Seeing that it was empty, she reminded herself to stock up on cookies soon. Marinette peeked out from the hospital room. Her family was quick to receive her.

The doctors saw them off. Not before giving a quick crash course on how to take care of her wounds again. They even gave her mother a copy of instructions for reference. Lambert told them that they would need to go to a nearby pharmacy to pick up her medication when it's ready. The small group glided through to halls to the entrance. Marinette noticed a group of officers lead by Inspector Victoria. The girl ducked her head but glanced up at the inspector. The woman had a serious expression on her face. It turned into a deep frown when the woman noticed the Albino that was with her family.

Victoria didn't do much to hide her distain but was far more polite than most. She kept her head forward as she past Allen. If the exorcist had noticed, he showed no signs of it. Marinette couldn't look away fast enough when the Inspector trained her eyes on her form. Her heart boomed like thunder in her chest under Victoria's intense gaze. Did she recognize her? No, not even the Lieutenant could see past my mask. Marinette reassured herself. The child smiled nervously at the inspector. She hoped to appear polite. Thankfully, Victoria gave her a pitiful smile before moving along.

Marinette sighed deeply. Her mother heard the sound and glanced back at her. The girl repeated the same nervous smile and was glad to get a warm one in return.

It didn't take long for the Dupain-Chengs to get back home. They avoided using the bakery's entrance and instead entered through the apartment complex's side door. Marinette hated how her family watched her in concern as Allen helped her up to her home. In an effort to stay polite, she resisted waving him away to climb the stairs herself. The injured heroine tightened her grip on the exorcist's hands to gain his attention. Silver eyes peered down at her.

"There's a terrace at the top of the bakery," she whispered to him. "I'll meet you up there later." He nodded in understanding.

They reached the door and her parents moved in front of her. She watched curiously as they opened it without the use of the key. It made her a bit nervous knowing that they left it unlocked, but she suppressed the feeling. If the Akuma was so bold to lie in wait at her home in the morning, then she was sure that Allen would've been able to detect it before they entered. Hopefully.

Her father held the door open as they entered. Her mother shielded her view before she slid away. Marinette looked up and gasped. Standing there were her three friends, Alya, Nino, & Adrien. Her crush was holding a large "get well soon" card. Nino was trying to untangle his headphone cord when he noticed her come in. Alya had been the one to turn around and race to her side.

"Are you okay, Marinette?!" The girl held her shoulders and stared her down. Allen had been polite enough to move away and watch from a distance. Alya continued, "Your mom told me you got attacked! What happened?!"

Marinette's cheeks turned red, "I'm okay. It was…" she gnawed her bottom lip before muttering out a lie, "I just got caught in the middle of an A-Akuma attack. I shouldn't have been out and about so late at night in the first place." There was no way in hell she was telling her friends that she was being targeted by a deadly beast. The least people knew the details, then the safer they were.

"Don't blame yourself! At least your safe now." Alya pulled her in for a light hug. Though, she could feel how tense the other's muscles were. Marinette smiled softly at Alya's restraint.

"It's all thanks to dear Allen here." Her mother pushed the boy forward. He was surprised for a moment but the expression passed quickly. "He was the one who saved her."

Alya moved away from her and turned her focus onto Allen. She lunged at him and gave him a tight hug. The boy looked like a statue in her arms. His shoulders rose high to his ears. If the hug hurt, he didn't show that either. "Thank you for saving my best friend!" Alya pulled away with a large smile.

"I was just doing my duty." was his modest reply.

Nino stepped forward and offered Allen a handshake. He graciously accepted the offer. "Seriously dude, Thank you." While they were thanking him, Marinette noticed Adrien come towards her. Her cheeks flared up again as he handed over the card.

"Everyone in the class signed when they heard the news." Her blushed faded away quickly. She was dreading going to back to class now. The girl was NOT looking forward to seeing the various pitiful expressions of her peers. Marinette opened the card to see the myriad of signatures. Her eyes spotted the glittery one of Chloé and the plain print of Sabrina. "Even Chloé signed." The girl smiled.

"Thank you," she muttered in a low voice. The girl looked up and noticed his concerning stare.

"Are you sure you're okay? You look…a bit shook."

"Y-yeah! It was scary, but I'm okay." He didn't look convinced but didn't press.

DING! Marinette jumped a bit at the sudden chime. Her eyes turned to her family's kitchen. From the flashing zeroes on the oven's clock, she assumed that the timer had gone off. Her mother crossed to the kitchen and opened the oven. The heavenly smell that escaped from it elicited longing sighs from the group. The older women glanced at the group of hungry children with a large grin.

"Lunch is ready!" her mother pulled out a large white pan and placed it on the counter. The steam that rose from the golden food in it made her stomach roar.

Immediately, Nino and Alya scurried to the table and sat down. Nino gestured for Adrien to follow. The hesitant fellow walked over and made no move to sit until Nino dragged him into a seat. Marinette followed after her eager friends and slid onto a stool next to Alya. She ignored how they all kept their eyes on her in worry. She gave them a large smile to ease their fears and placed her card down in front of her. Quickly, a plate was placed in front of her. On it was a mini golden mountain with a fork sticking out of it. She looked to her friends and saw them all staring in hunger at their plates. With a smile, she dug in.

"And a plate for you too." she glanced back and saw her mother pushing a plate into Allen's hands. She could see a bit of restraint on the boy's part.

"I shouldn't." He kept his gaze on the food. Her mother may have noticed his stare because she giggled and handed him a fork.

"It would be rude if you didn't." her mother slide to the side and gestured to the table.

Allen took a glance at Marinette. "I really shouldn't. There isn't even another sea—" as quick as lightning, her father plopped another stool at the end of the small table. "Uh…" Allen cleared his throat, "I guess it wouldn't be so bad…" While he was being seated, Marinette could understand why he was so eager to leave. If it would've been her in that situation, she knew that, with Alya here, she would be pressed for questions by the blogger, stuffed with food by strangers, and feel as though she was intruding.

However, she felt thankful to him for saving her, so she allowed her parents to try and fatten him up. As long as they didn't start bringing up embarrassing stories…

"Wonderful as always, Madame Dupain-Cheng." Nino praised as he took a bite into the dish.

"Thank you, Nino." her mother grinned and prepared her plate. The woman suddenly lifted her head and addressed Marinette. "Oh! Sweetie, are you thirsty? We recently bought your favorite." Marinette nodded her head and her mother moved to respond.

"So, Allen was it?" Alya started. Here we go. The children looked to the exorcist. The boy had just taken a bite of the food and his eyes lit up like the Eiffel Tower on the 14th of July. Unable to speak (or unwilling), Allen nodded in response. "Where you from?" she started up casually.

He held up his hand and placed the other on his chest as he swallowed the portion down. "I was born in England," he replied afterward.

"You don't sound British." was the response from Nino. Alya frowned before a loud thump was heard underneath the table. Nino keeled forward and slapped a hand onto the table. He sent a glare at Alya before rewording his response. "I mean…you don't have the typical accent of someone from England."

"I uh…used to have one, but it was too…" the boy slightly waved his hand as he thought. "thick? My teacher-er..ers, teachers couldn't understand me well."

"That's understandable," her mother pipped up. "I remember when I first started learning French. No one could understand a word of what I was saying because of my accent." Her father nodded in agreement. Her mother placed a cup next to Marinette's plate. The girl briefly looked over at it and stopped. Inside was a nice crimson red liquid. The sight of it made her breath get trapped in her throat. Her brain immediately associated the vivid color with the monster that tormented her last night. Memories from that experience flooded her senses.

A loud clinging sound brought her back to the present. She felt cold as she looked down to see her fork lying on the ground. "I'll get it." She heard Adrien speak before she could. The golden boy slid off his seat and picked up the fork.

"Let me clean it off." her father retrieved it from Adrien and rinse it in the sink.

Marinette avoided looking at her drink as her appetite started to dwindle. She placed her hand lightly over her heart and felt it racing in her chest. There a light tapping on her shoulder that made her turn sharply. Alya gazed at her with worry as she whispered to her, "You okay? You look pale."

Nervously, she chuckled. "I always look pale." she joked. Alya frowned but say anything else. Marinette was given back her fork and started to poke her at food. She no longer felt like eating but didn't want to say anything about it just yet. To return to normalcy, she continued to mini-interview that Alya started. "So, if you're from England, then what brings you to France?"

"I..got on the wrong boat." was his response. She pursed her lips as she remembered Lavi's similar words.

"That sucks, when will you be going back—" another loud thump was heard. Alya glared at Nino who returned it.

"As soon as I'm able."

"Don't rush. Take your time and explore all that Paris has to offer." Adrien advised. "At least you can see the sun here." he joked. The group laughed. Marinette chose to quietly giggle due to strain on her ribs.

Allen smiled "Yeah, and you all have wonderful food." he nodded towards her mother who grinned.

"So...what compelled you to become a hero?" Alya propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands.

The albino scratched the back of his head, "I wouldn't say, hero."

"Vigilante?" Nino tried.

Allen shook his head. "No, that sounds worse."

"Civil servant." Adrien offered.

The boy hesitated, "Sure." The boy scratched his cheek in thought. "I wouldn't say anything compelled me to become a…" civil servant"."

"You didn't feel like some sort of noble sense of duty and raced off into battle?" Marinette swore that Alya read way too many comic books.

"It doesn't work that way sometimes," he grimaced, "I wanted to give pent—…no, repay the kindness that was given to me. I had made a promise to someone I loved and decided to live my life accordingly."

"Wow.." Alya responded, "That was…vague and very hard to follow. Care to elaborate?"

"Alya," Marinette warned.

"I'm just saying! I need names! Who is this someone that you reference? And I need events! What happened? How? The whole shebang!" the blogger pouted with frustration.

"Uh…" Allen looked around as Alya stared him down. Her questions hung in the air.

"I think what Mr. Hero here was saying!" her father slapped his hands on Allen's shoulders. The exorcist jumped and his fist clenched for a moment before he relaxed. Her father didn't notice and continued on. "Things happen and how we react to those things can dictate where we end up."

"Something like that," Allen mumbled.

Alya sighed deeply before letting it go. "Fine. Moving on! The question, that I wanted to ask was about your superhero abilities. What is it?"

The boy avoided eye contact as he stalled on answering her question. Marinette slightly poked at her dish as she contemplated as well. What was the benefit of letting Alya (and eventually the world) know about innocence? Knowing just that it existed wouldn't be enough for Alya. She would want to know EVERYTHING about it. What it could do, how it acts, where to find it, etc. If she dug enough information and gave it to the world, how would it react? Everyone was mildly aware that Ladybug and Chat Noir had something that powered them. Hawkmoth always demanded it. So, they know what it is but don't at the same time. Marinette guessed that what she was trying to figure out was if she should intervene.

"Alya, it's probably the same thing as Ladybug and Chat Noir." she tried.

"I doubt it," Nino muttered.

"Okay, so if it is a miraculous, what exactly is it?"

"I don't really…call it a miraculous, if you will." Allen slowly corrected.

Alya rose an eyebrow. "Then, what you call it?"

Allen shifted in his seat and glanced her way. Marinette gave him a panicked expression. It was hard to convey "don't say a word!" to him without alerting the other occupants of the room. He frowned and glanced down. "Well, it has a specific name but—"

Alya cut him off, leaning in with interest. "Do tell!"

"It's called Crown Clown." he seemed hesitant. There was silence. Marinette stopped poking her food and turned to him. Crown Clown? That was such an odd name. Though fitting, he does look like a clown when his Innocence is activated. Hey,…that should be—

"That should be your superhero name!" Alya exclaimed. She snapped her fingers as if finalize the decision. "That's what I'll refer to you as from now on! Crown Clown! Now we just need ones for your friends."

Allen shrugged his shoulders, accepting the new name. "Okay."

"So, Clownie—" Marinette scoffed. "—any relationships? Love interests?"

Allen shook his head in denial. "No, not at all. I—There isn't time for those kinds of things." the seriousness of his statement made her frown.

He worked for an organization that fought against "The Earl" and he destroyed Akumas. Not the kind she and Chat faced, she realized. Their organization must be up against a very different and very dangerous threat. Even more so than Hawkmoth. Unless Hawkmoth is this Earl. Which, now that she had the displeasure of facing an akuma, she wasn't so sure that the two were the same. If they were, then she found herself in an even bigger and even older battle than she could ever imagine. I honestly would rather fight Hawkmoth head-on than face another one of those beasts.

"Even if there isn't time for love doesn't mean it eludes us all completely. Surely someone caught your eye?"

"Alya, it wouldn't be wise to start grilling him on romance," Adrien warned. Marinette smiled and nodded her head in agreement.

"Hey! Don't get me wrong! I just want to clear some things up from the source. I already have people saying that they're starting to like "AlleBug" instead of "LadyNoir"!" Marinette started to choke and cough. She wasn't alone, as Adrien also seemed to have swallowed a piece of potato wrong. The action was immediately regretted. Her chest started to ache from her coughing. She pressed her hand against her chest as she leaned forward. Her parents went to her side and hovered nervously. Her father turned and ran the short distance to the couch. In a few milliseconds, he swiped up a throw pillow and came back. The man handed her the pillow. Her friends looked on in worry.

"Remember what the doctors instructed!" her mother rushed out. Marinette grabbed the pillow and held it tightly to her chest. She felt her parent's hands rub her back as she coughed loudly*. It lasted for only a minute before she stopped. The pain in her chest, however, lingered.

"Are you okay? Do I need to call the hospital?" Alya asked with her phone open and ready to dial.

Marinette weakly waved her to stop. "N-no. I'm…fine!" she felt winded from all the action and took a pause before continuing on, "It's just my chest. All this—" she gestured around her, "—coughing and laughing hurts my ribs."

"Oh! I'm sorry Marinette." Alya looked mournful.

She shook her head. "It's not your fault."

"Well, I think that this is enough for one day. Marinette needs her rest." Her mother picked up their plates and started to put them in the sink.

Alya pouted and looked like she wanted to argue, but sighed and got up from her seat. "Of course, I'll text you, okay?" Marinette nodded. She wanted to deny any pain she was going through to keep her friends here, but with Allen guarding her without anyone else's knowledge, she had to let them go. Plus, there's the issue about Chat and how I'll need to tell him to do our day for patrol solo for a couple of weeks. Nino and Adrien both got up from their seats as well. The entire group lingered a bit and hesitated to leave.

Allen, however, was swift. He rose from his seat and gave a polite bow to her parents. "I thank you for the meal." she noticed how he placed a hand over his heart. It shielded the strange cross symbol he wore. I forgot to ask about that. There was really no need to. She already knew he was part of an organization. It didn't take that much deduction skills to connect the dots. That was the Black Order's symbol.

Her parents smiled brightly. Her mother lowered her head slightly to give him a bow in return. "It's the least we could do after what you've done for us." Marinette smiled weakly and lightly waved at Allen.

His grey eyes snapped to her. "Stay safe, Miss Marinette and get well soon."

She paused before answering. Breathing deeply and wincing at the ache in her chest, she nodded. "I'll steer clear from all alleyways from now on." she let out weak fragments of laughter to minimize any pain.

The look she got from him was empathetic. He turned towards her parents, bowed again, looked at her friends, and nodded in acknowledgment. He glided to the door as her friends slowly followed after him. They all waved her goodbye and bid their last farewells before leaving her sight. Marinette sighed as she felt her father gently rub her back. I feel tired already.

Allen felt like he could breathe again as soon as he left the Dupain-Cheng residence. They were lovely people with delicious foods! But, the girl with the brown-red hair's interrogation felt a little uncomfortable. It started fine at first, then she asked about his romantic endeavors. He didn't see how that was important. Plus, he was a bit concerned about what "AlleBug" even was. A part of him was too nervous to find out. Still…Love doesn't elude us all completely huh? He doubted that. Considering everything that was going on (the earl, the war, the 14th, etc), the idea of pursuing someone during such times didn't appeal to him. Why would he purposely endanger someone like that?

Besides, even if I did, no one would want me like that.

He felt his mood drop at the thought and decided to push the issue aside. The boy sighed and pushed on towards to apartment's exit when he heard a rush of footsteps behind him. Darn. He had to meet up with Marinette on her terrace later. And afterward, maybe I should search the perimeter around the bakery. He had sent Tim to relay the situation to the rest of the group. Lavi declared an urge to talk to the girl and maybe see if she does have innocence or access to it. Though, he seemed oddly smug about it.

"Wait!" he heard the voice of his interrogator stop him. His polite attitude forced him to stop and turn towards her. The girl had the same weird device out and was flanked by the two boys from before. "I still have more questions."

"Well, it's getting late and I must get going."

"But, just one more!" she pleaded. The boy with the red hat on placed a hand on her shoulder and lightly reeled her back. "I won't ask about your love life! Promise!"

Allen glanced at the doors behind him. He could see the sky transitioning to an orange and pink glow. He turned back to the girl—what was her name again?—and saw her pleading expression. It was like that of a child asking for sweets. The boy sighed in defeat. "Alright, just one last question." How bad could it be anyway?

"Are you and you're friends are part of some organization?" Never mind, it can be that bad. There was a weird twinkle in her eyes and she pushed up her glasses. She had a smug smile on her face as she stared him down.

Now, it wasn't proper procedure to go around and tell everyone that he was part of the Black Order. It usually only came up when he was investigating on missions, going to reservations at inns, or when he's explaining to someone about Akumas. Considering how he might be in the "future" and the various oddities that this world had, he was hesitant to tell random civilians about it. Especially someone who seemed to have a curious personality.

He gave her a large plastic smile, "Not at all."

She looked up at him with wide eyes and blinked multiple times, "But—"

"You said only one question, right?" She grimaced and nodded, "Then I bid you all farewell. Take care." as poised as he could act, Allen briskly walked out the door.

He quickly turned and walked down the long arched tunnel attached to the side of the building. Allen took a deep breath and kept a steady pace. Don't look back, Don't look back, Don't look back…He focused on any sounds behind him. He heard no following footsteps behind him. Yet, he kept his pace. The boy quickly reached the end and turned the corner. Allen allowed himself to collapse against the building wall and sigh. How did that girl even know about the Order? He pushed off the wall and shook his head. The exorcist ran his hand through his hair before walking off. He felt a gush of wind and stopped. The boy looked around and then up. For a quick second, he noticed a black blur slip out of sight. Silver eyes narrowed in suspicion. He rushed around the corner and looked at the side of the building. His mind ran through multiple routes to climb up to the top. He noticed a perfect line of tiny pseudo-balconies that went straight up. Allen backed up before running forward and jumping up.

He grabbed the iron rails and used them to climb up. The boy would've used his Innocence to easily propel himself, but to save energy and not draw attention to himself, he chose not to. He landed on the roof and looked towards the end. He saw the same blur tuck behind a tower of chimneys. There was a gentle golden glow coming from behind them. Allen didn't waste time to get there. Once he did, he heard worried and hushed mutterings. Allen peered behind the chimney and saw a dark figure pacing back and forth. Seeing their blonde hair, he recognized them instantly.

"Let's just hope that—Oh! C-Chat!?" he suddenly heard the voice of Marinette and saw a small glass door propped up. He could see her profile and noticed a red light disappear into her hair.

Chat jumped to attention and reached a hand out to her. "Marinette! Hey, are you okay?" he sounded very worried as he helped her onto the balcony.

"I'm fine. What are you doing here?" she looked around before sliding towards a pink lounging chair. She sat and the end of the chair and glanced around again.

"I wanted to check up on you. I heard about the incident." he scratched the back of his head. Word travels fast in this city.

"Heard? Who told you?" she held her hands to her chest and looked around nervously.

Chat's tail stood straight and he seemed to visibly panic. "I uh heard from your classmates!" he blurted out.

"They told you?"

"Not exactly! I heard in passing!"

"Passing?" she paused for a minute, "Do you go to my school?"

"W-What!? Noooo, I heard them while I was…out and about." he nervously grinned. The child playfully winked at Marinette. "Don't tell them I eavesdropped."

The girl relaxed a bit. "Oh…well now I know I can't spill my secrets in public. Who knows where you may be hiding." she grimaced a bit before smiling.

"Trust me, I'm excellent with secrets." the tension around them seemed to relax as well.

"Well." she fidgeted in her seat, "I'm glad you came to check up on me, but I'm actually, er… waiting for someone."

"Up here?" he made a show of twirling around.

Allen decided that this was his moment to enter and slipped around the corner. "Sorry, I'm a little late." Chat jumped a bit before relaxing. Marinette was also a bit startled. She held her hand over her chest and stared up at him with wide eyes. Allen grimaced, "Sorry for startling you two." He slid down and sat on the concrete half wall.

"It's fine." Marinette breathed out and relaxed.

"Your friend is very curious, Ms. Marinette." the girl turned red.

"Sorry about Alya, she can be a bit…much. She means well though."

"I'm sure she does." he turned his attention to Chat. "What brings you here, Chat?" he asked as if he hadn't heard his excuse.

Chat scratched the back of his head. He stuttered a bit before saying: "Well, I heard what happened to Marinette. I like to follow up on civilians after they go through these kinds of things."

"I see." That was something he had in common with the youth. Checking in on civilians after experiencing Akuma was practically essential to him. Especially if they lost someone during a bad battle or found out that their loved one was dead the entire time. It was a way to prevent a chain of Akumatizations in a family. "That's very thoughtful of you." Marinette nodded in agreement.

Chat shook his head as if to brush aside the compliment in a show of modesty. "I've also worked together with Marinette before. We've taken down a few Akuma together in our day." He winked playfully. Allen frowned at the statement. Getting a civilian involved with Akuma was never a good thing. Having them "help" take down an Akuma was a disaster waiting to happen. It's one thing to protect someone from harm. It was a completely different thing to purposely put them in harm's way. One hit could be fatal for someone not equipped to handle Akuma. Wait…He remembered his place. This place had a strange variant of Akuma that he couldn't understand. They were harmless in his opinion. Harmless, if he compared them to real Akuma. Only just a minor annoyance that looked humanoid.

Allen's expression smoothed out. "Well, I guess that explains how you knew of her residence." Chat let out a nervous laugh and nodded his head.

"So uh," the boy fidgeted and crossed his arms, "what exactly happened? If I'm allowed the details."

Allen looked towards Marinette. She had lied earlier to her family and friends about the situation. Most-likely out of fear. The raven-haired girl averted her eyes for a moment. "It's just as you heard. I was…going on an errand and I was attacked by an Akuma. Thankfully, Mr. Walker—" she looked towards him. He pursed his lips at the name. He already had Lou Fa calling him that so respectfully. Honestly, I'd rather she call me by my first name. They weren't that close yet, so he let it slide. "I mean, Allen, was there to save me. He fended off the Akuma and then…Ladybug appeared and together they drove it away."

"Drove it away? So it's still out there?"

"I'm afraid so," Allen answered. "Not for long though. I'll—I mean we'll track it down soon." he lied. Marinette quietly sighed in relief. The exorcist could understand why she'd lie to her family and friends. Allen didn't understand why she lied to Chat Noir. According to Ladybug and Chat Noir, they were both well-known protectors of their city, Paris (he still couldn't believe that this was Paris). He had seen a few statues of them over the place. They didn't seem like people you would lie to.

"I see. I'll help where I can." Chat nobly offered.

Marinette shook her head. "N-no!" they turned to her in surprise. Allen was startled by how adamant she was. There was a glimmer of worry in her eyes. Could it be that she's lying to protect…Chat? Why would a civilian girl do that? "I mean…there's no need."

"No way. You got hurt enough by this villain that you were hospitalized. It's my duty as a hero to help." Chat seemed to recite that last line.

"It was only for a day." she weakly countered.

"Still, the fact that it happened is concerning. I'll talk to Ladybug to work out a plan."

Allen turned to Marinette with slight panic. Ladybug had no idea about the situation. Chat's inquiry would reveal their ruse. Marinette would be forced to reveal her intentions for lying. And, he'd have to answer some questions about Akuma. He remembered Lou Fa's words when she scolded him last time. "You're the Adult in that situation!" Chat was practically a little kid. They both were. The world of Akuma and the revealing of the Holy War wouldn't be something he'd want them to know. Despite the reckless heroics, they had a certain…shine to them that he had only seen in the eyes of innocent children. He witnessed that light die out before. As the "adult" in the situation, Allen would rather not see it again.

Marinette rapidly blinked, almost looking panicked, before she smiled and nodded. "Of course." Chat nodded and looked his way. Allen noticed her sigh again.

"So, what about you, Allen?"

"Well, I'm aware of what the Akuma wants." Chat's eyes widened at the statement. "It was ranting about Innocence." he omitted the other details that Marinette told him. "There's possibly another piece."

"Another one? Already? How many are there?" Allen considered his words carefully. Answering this question would just lead to a rabbit hole of questioning.

"We're unsure." he lied. "But there have been plenty found. All rendered unusable without an accommodator."

"Plenty? I was under the impression that it was rare." Chat's green eyes narrowed.

"It is. The extremely rare part is finding a person to wield a piece."

Chat pursed his lips and shifted his stance. "I guess having a hundred years to be active gives you time to collect a few pieces." Allen nodded at his conclusion.

"So, I will be focusing on finding this piece."

"Um." Marinette finally spoke up. Allen prepared for the expected questions. "What do you mean…another one?" That wasn't one of them he had considered. Chat took it upon himself to answer her.

"Ah, just superhero business! We—" he gestured to himself and Allen. "—were able to locate a piece of this thing, Innocence, down. You remember the house from the news?" Marinette tilted her head before gasping.

"That was YOU?" They nodded. Something flickered across her eyes and Allen swore he saw her twitch her eyebrows. "Oh. I see." she seemed to struggle with the words. "Where is it?"

"Allen has it." Allen had a slight feeling as though he had been thrown to the wolves. He foolishly ignored it.

"Timcanpy technically has it. Until we're able to go home, Tim will be keeping any pieces we find. He has enough storage to do so." something seemed to dawn on Marinette's face.

"B-but! Timcanpy—the golden thingy—was with me. I had found him outside a while ago and took care of him." She grimaced. "Sorry."

Allen shook his head. "No need to apologize. I'm the one who should apologize to you. Tim is quite…lively. I hope he didn't do anything too unsettling while in your care." Her eyes looked panicked for a moment as she glanced away. Allen narrowed his eyes. So…Marinette took care of Tim, but Ladybug claims that she was the one who did…Was the golem passed on through them both? Maybe I should check those latest recordings. Lavi had hinted to seeing something interesting in Tim's recorded memories. Allen avoided it due to the rules Ladybug had set up. If Tim revealed her identity, Allen was sure the strawberry child would be unhappy.

"That could be," She continued, "the reason why the Akuma is af—I mean, had attacked me. Because I was hanging around Timcanpy and he has this…Innocence thing that you guys have."

"That's one explanation." oddly enough, she seemed content with that.

"So what's the plan for finding it then?" Chat leaned on the iron railing, shifting a bit before relaxing. "Do we have a lead?"

Allen's eyes swiped over to Marinette. He had a suspicion of where the piece of innocence was. But, he shouldn't jump to conclusions just yet. After all, Timcanpy's presence may be what drew the Akuma to Marinette. Maybe by keeping watch, he'll discover if the source is either Tim or Marinette. "Not yet, I'll have to search the area and question locals of any oddities." The boy grimaced. He remembered how a lot of the locals didn't practice self-preservation and threw themselves into the fray. The only odd thing is how these people react to danger. Is it just a French thing or what?

"That'll be hard since the whole superheroes thing and everything else. I mean, it's like we're living some kind of anime or something." Chat laughed lightheartedly. Allen didn't understand the comparison. Marinette sighed and seemed to have mumbled something to herself.

"Well, you were able to find that House so maybe it won't be as difficult."

Chat shrugged. "Even that was nerve-racking to find. It's hard to tell which could be a piece or is a complete myth."

Allen nodded in understanding. He did run into a few false leads. Thankfully it wasn't as bad as it could be. Finders were very important in weeding through to false sightings to find something genuine. But they're on their own now. It'll take days—months possible to comb through any "leads" he finds. If only he could find an easier way.

"So, as it stands, Allen will track down the Innocence and LB and I will find this Akuma." Allen and Marinette both displayed expressions of panic.

Allen shook his head as a lie was spun inside. "I already warned LB about this Akuma. It's best to let me and my friends handle it."

Chat blinked rapidly and tilted his head. His black tail waved a bit before he scratched his head. "But, we're capable! If I can get LB to bring back Rena Rouge—"

"Rena Rouge?"

He was ignored as Chat went on. "Then the six of us can band together and search all over for it." the corners of the cat boy's mouth went up a bit. Allen watched his expression suddenly faltered as he stuttered out an alternative. "O-or we could split into equal teams and work that way." The way the youth looked at him for approval made Allen grimace. What is this?

Those twinkling emerald eyes were so innocent that he wanted to tear himself away from the sight. Allen did just that and looked to the sky. Could he even allow Chat or even Ladybug to get a foot near a REAL akuma? At the core, they were just good kids that were presenting themselves as heroes. Even with unorthodox methods. Lou Fa's words resonated deeper within him. No, he couldn't allow it. It's better this way. They had no idea what dangers were ahead. They wouldn't be able to handle it. They were far too inexperienced in this field. And, as much as it pained him to say it, they were too soft on their opponents. Sure those monsters they fight now are possibly human, but Akuma are not. They can't bring the same method and apply it to Akuma.

Plus, it's a level two already.

It would be significantly worse if their first experience was with a level 2. Akuma bring about a new burden that he didn't think these two would be ready to bear. Now, he was sure. This was the only way to protect them. I swore to protect humanity as well. I can't let these children fight a real akuma so soon. They weren't even properly trained.

Allen shook his head. The cursed exorcist locked his eyes onto Chat with a plain expression. "No. My position still stands. Us exorcists will take care of it." Chat seemed startled at the declaration. The blonde's mouth twitched and he deeply frowned.

"Don't brush us aside. We're capable of helping. I'm sure Ladybug thinks so too." Allen noticed Marinette turn away at the mention of the heroine.

"No. It's far too out of your depth." Chat scolded and huffed.

"We're Partners now! At least respect us enough to depend on us!"

Allen paused. That sounded vaguely familiar. "Depend on you?"

"Yes!"

"How can I depend on you to do a job you're not ready for?" Allen gave him a blank stare.

"Not ready!? Me and Ladybug have dealt with countless of Akuma before you lot showed up!" Chat growled out. His voice was rising. Allen hoped he wouldn't disturb the neighbors. "This one is no worse than the others!"

Allen's stare turned into a sharp glare. "No worse? Don't make light of the sufferings that Akuma cause." Allen warily glanced over at Marinette. She had gone the mile to lie to a hero to protect him. Foolish as that was, that meant she at least cared about him. Allen didn't wish to see her view of the boy that she admired crumble. Marinette looked shocked at the entire argument. I'll have to end this discussion.

Chat caught on fast enough and also looked at the petite girl. He grimaced. "I…misspoke." He pursed his lips and carried on. "All I'm saying is—!"

"That's enough. This discussion is over." Allen allowed a bit of authority to his words. He hated to be this blunt, but Chat was too blinded to see through his own ego to the bigger picture. Allen pushed himself up and looked over at Marinette. "Miss Marinette has had a long enough day and to hear us disagree like this must be uncomfortable for her to bear. I suggest we end it here." The girl seemed to be relieved.

Chat looked insulted for a moment. By what, he had no idea. "What!? No! I'm not done yet!"

Allen barely glanced his way with a sigh. "If it'll appease you, I'll allow you to hunt down the innocence at least. But, leave the akuma fighting to the—" Allen nearly bit his tongue. "—the professionals, please."

The look in the blonde's eyes grew to become recognized as fury. "Allow me?!"

"Uhm.." Marinette cut in, "It's getting late and I'm feeling rather tired." Chat held his tongue at that and sighed.

"Alright." Chat glared openly at him. "We're not done though."

"Of course." Allen sighed.

Chat nodded and gave Marinette a soft expression. "Stay safe, Princess." Allen didn't try to think about the strange pet name. Maybe their relationship is more than I thought? The boy grabbed the strange stick attached to his back and it suddenly extended. The black cat bounded off out of sight. Allen took a large breath and sighed once again. This time, the tension that built up was finally let go.

The albino apologetically looked over at Marinette. "Sorry about that."

She shook her head. "It's alright. Chat can be a little reckless at times—At least from my brief interactions with him!" She quickly added as if to clear up something. Reckless was one way to put it. He'll understand one day.

"Now then, let me help you down."

Small violet eyes watched with deep curiosity and wariness as the young baker's daughter was helped inside her residence. The red being hid amongst the withering roses on the railing. Her eyes watched the albino male as she helped her charge. She turned her attention to the boy's left arm. She could feel it from here. A soft humming that waved through the air. It felt like home to her. She wanted to get closer but held herself firm. It was familiar. Achingly so.

"Crown Clown." She whispered to herself. Now, where had she heard that name before? The being closed her eyes tight. She tried to reach deep within her thoughts to find the origins. It was hard to sort through 5,000 or so years' worth of memories. The first thing she remembered was darkness. Followed by an intense feeling of hatred. She frowned. Almost faintly she could hear a rushing of water and loud cries. The sprite shook her head.

Think now. With a deep breath, she tried again. Crown Clown. Crown Clown. Nothing was coming to mind just ye—she saw it then. A large burst of pure white. The name was on her tongue once more. It was a figure she had seen before. Silhouetted out by a halo of light. Void eyes in silver and black like a mask. She remembered it glancing her way. A very different face then. At least she knew it was, but her faint memory blinded her from remembering clearly.

Think. Think. She tried again and pushed to remember. The white figure completely turned around and she saw it. Its face was as clear as water. EVIL! EVIL! ENEMY! A horrible face. Like that of a clown haunted her. The white figure vanished into the light and left her with that THING. EVIL! MONSTER! She felt an intense sense of hatred flood her form. She practically buzzed.

Click!

"Now then." she heard the albino's voice cut through her thoughts. Tikki opened her eyes and peering through the wilting flowers at the boy. He took a step and pivoted towards her location. The being flinched and sunk lower. Could he see her? Sharp silver eyes raked across her hiding spot before examining the area around him. "I know you're there."

Tikki held her tongue as she watched him walk over to the balcony's edge and look over. He looked side to side, up and down. Dissatisfied, he pulled away from the edge and crossed to the other side. He repeated the same thing. A glance. Another. A slightly frustrated huff and a retreat. Defeated, Allen picked up the lightweight bench with a brief look of marvel before placing it close to the railing. The sprite nearly panicked when he sat down. He was so close! All he had to do was turn his head and Marinette's secret would be out!

I could act like a doll if it comes down to it!

The kwami peered out the corner of her eye towards the trapdoor. She could easily fade through her hiding spot and fly over and inside. Yes, that's what she'll do! Tikki narrowed her eyes and slowly edged away out of the boy's line of sight. Allen leaned back in his seat with an exhausted sigh. With his eyes momentarily closed, Tikki slipped out of the hanging pot and towards the trapdoor. Her vision tunneled as she grew closer. Yet, it was all in vain when a familiar golden ball blocked her. The sprite let out a high-pitched peep before sinking behind the black teapot on the spool table. Thanks to her luck, the timing was close enough for the exorcist to miss her.

Tikki glanced up at Timcanpy with an angry pout. The ball suspended itself high above her with a toothy grin. Cheeky. She froze when gloved hands plucked Tim from the sky. The kwami pressed herself flush against the tea pot's shiny surface.

"I doubt that sound came from you, Tim." Tikki jumped when she saw those arms retract and a hand appeared flat on the table next to her. She looked back up and saw the "tall" human's head peeking over. He had yet to look down and spot her. In a panic, she fazed through the teapot and sat inside. Inside the empty pot with only a dim spot of light, she sat and waited. "Strange…I lost it again."

That was too close!

She shivered as she sat on the cold metal bottom. I guess Marinette will have to sleep by herself. The sprite quietly sighed. That might be for the best. She could feel a sense of wariness and doubt coming from her holder recently. It all started when she rejected her a second time! Tikki tried to get her to see a potential threat and her holder acted irrationally! She sighed again. Bad things always tended to happen to her users that never listened to her.

Though…Marinette is special. She liked this Ladybug a lot more than the rest and wanted to keep her until it was all over. Though once Nooroo is recovered, that'll be the end of this part. She stopped…This part? Was there more to come? She thought back to the fading memory of that treacherous clown. Yes, there was more. That thing—whatever it was—needed to go ASAP. Then the war would finally be over.

"War?" she whispered to herself in shock. The slight echo in the pot made her pause in fear of being caught. There was no war happening.

Now, where did that silly thought come from?

-=-=-=-==—=-

"No Chat, akuma aren't edible…" a sleepy mumble was heard.

The source of the ridiculous statement was resting her head on a white desk. She turned her head before snapping up with exhausted eyes blinking awake. The girl let out a long yawn and stretched. She looked around and hummed.

"I don't remember falling asleep here." She rubbed her eyes and looked down at her desk. On it was a pink sketchbook that was laid out. A pencil rested in the spine of it.

The designer picked up her sketchbook. She moved it into the light of her lamp. The girl analyzed the design with a critical lens. It featured two female models. One had a white button-down shirt with rolled-up sleeves. Under the collar was a simple pink crossed necktie fashioned with a black pin. It was paired with a pair of black leggings. She designed a pair of brown combat boots to go with the outfit.

On the other model was the same outfit but with a few additions. This time, over the white shirt, she wore a long, desaturated pink vest. It was tightened at the waist with a simple brown belt. The vest had two simple breast pockets. The left one had silver swirls on it. The girl turned her sketchbook upside down to check the strange pattern. She nodded her head in approval upon reading the signature. Marinette smiled and turned the book back around. The last piece of the design was a pair of grey gloves with silver buckles.

The girl hummed. She noticed a simple logo peeking from the side, on the right shoulder, of the first model. The girl shifted her focus and spotted a full view of it drawn on the side. It was familiar looking silver star logo.

"When did I draw this?" she had no recollection of drawing the design. It was okay. She considered re-working it when she heard another voice call up to her.

"Marinette! Dinner!" she heard the comforting sound of her father's voice.

The girl placed her book down and called back. "Coming Papa!" she slid from her seat and skipped around to her trapdoor.

As usual, she grabbed the handle and tugged. And tugged. And tugged. And Tugged! The girl stopped and gaped down at it. Another tug. She released the handle and went on her knees. Marinette grabbed the handle with both hands. She took a breath and pulled on it. It felt as though she was trying to lift a truck. Failing again, she stopped and placed her hands on it. Marinette formed a fist and pounded on the surface.

"Papa! My door is stuck!" this wasn't the first time that this happened, but it wasn't necessarily a common occurrence. She knocked again and again. Yet, her father did not seem to respond. "Papa!" she called with another knock. Marinette sighed. The girl sat on her knees and slid her hands on her face. Now, what was she going to do?

Marinette groaned and stood up. I could pry it open. She raced to her desk and started to comb through the drawers. Desperate, she pulled a pair of scissors out and marched back. However, something caught her eye. She stopped and looked to the window. There in the distance, she spotted a dark wall-like structure. In the daylight of Paris, it was hard to miss. She placed the scissors down and walked over to the nearest window. It looked like it was getting…bigger. The wall grew and moved closer and engulfed the buildings.

"That's not normal. Tikki!" she called out and glanced around. Oddly enough, the kwami did not appear. "Tikki!?" She cried again and searched for her room. "Ah!" she spotted her diary's hiding place and dived for it. "Tikki! Wake up! There's an—" she clicked it open, but the kwami wasn't there. "Tikki? Where have you gone?" she whipped her head around in panic at the windows.

This darkness was surrounding the city. It seemed to gain in speed. She may be powerless, but she didn't want to stand by and do nothing! The girl scurried up to her bed and went to open her balcony trap door. A pattern she began to notice was that this too refused to open. The inky blackness crept in closer. Marinette felt her heart pound in her chest and her breathing start to speed up in response.

"Oh no. Oh no, no, no!" she climbed down and ran to the other hatch. She clawed at it to open. As expected, it refused to budge. Her eyes started to burn as she looked to the windows again. The girl nearly shrieked upon seeing it so close to her window.

Marinette stood up and walked backward away from the windows. She bumped into the end of her desk. Startled, she glanced back. Just behind her was a basket of the dolls she had made. Confusion washed over her when she saw an unfamiliar doll staring up at her. The doll had dark skin and spiky purple hair. Around its neck was a large red ribbon tied in a bow and a little pink dress. Its mouth was made of stitches in a cute zigzag pattern. Its eyes were round black stones. It was cute and something she definitely did not make.

"Hehehe!" she heard a creepy voice giggle out.

Marinette's eyes scanned her room and found no source for the laughter. More of it came. It seemed to mix with more voices. It was as if they were laughing at her predicament. Covering her ears and shaking her head, Marinette stumbled back to her windows and gasped. The darkness had become flushed with all her windows. Not a single speck of the outside was seen. Her room lights flickered violently and popped as multiple red dots blinked open inside the darkness. The eyes hyper-focused on her and followed her every move. Frightened, she stumbled and tripped. Landing on her rear, she stared up at the various eyes and shook like a leaf.

They glared down at her as the laughing intensified. Marinette felt tears pour-over. She was trapped with no hope of escape. Tikki was missing. And those damn eyes kept burning through her. The girl curled up and hugged herself tight. This was not right. She squeezed her eyes tight. Stop it!

TAP

TAP

TAP

She snapped to attention at the familiar sound. Marinette stared up with watery eyes at her window. The eyes blinked and another round of tapping was heard. Her whole body grew cold. In her stomach, she felt an unexplainable pressure drop. Her heart nearly jumped out her chest.

"No." she whispered in horror as it continued. She shook her head violently and covered her ears. "Leave me alone!" She screamed.

Marinette twisted away from the view of the windows. One hand was regrettably pulled from covering her right ear and slapped onto the floor. Her pinky brushed against something soft and she flickered her eyes open. Within the darkness, she saw a familiar round bag that had a faint red glow bleeding from within it. Hope-filled her as she snatched it up. Wincing at the sounds of the laughter and skin-crawling from the omnipresent eyes, Marinette snapped the purse open. Her watering eyes were assaulted by blinding light from within the purse. She turned away from the light. Her desperate hand reached inside and locked her hand around something that felt cubical. A sudden wind rushed around her as she pulled her hand out.

Immediately, all laughter ceased. Marinette looked down at her closed fist. She could see an almost white light seeping out between her fingers. There was a strange pulsation that rebelled against her hand from the cube trapped inside. She held her fist and tightened its grip. The white light shone brighter and flashed through a rainbow of colors. It settled on a gradient of red to green before dimming. The light vanished along with the shape in her hand. Baffled, Marinette opened her fist and found nothing lying there.

Without the light, the room was cloaked in another veil of darkness. The girl felt around her and pushed herself up. She rubbed at her eyes. Squinting at her dark environment, her vision was illuminated by reflected pink light bouncing off of her walls. The designer looked to her feet and noticed her shadow stretch in front of her surrounded by a pink glow. Marinette slowly turned to her window.

Off in the distance was a glowing pink silhouette of the Eiffel tower. Her mouth fell open and she glided to the window. She placed her hand on the glass and gazed out in wonder. Suddenly, she noticed a pair of dim to almost transparent red dots overlapping a section of the tower. They were barely noticeable. With a squint, she leaned closer to the glass to see. She noticed how they move slightly. She leaned her head and noted how the Eiffel Tower slightly turned on an angle. But the eyes did not change or turn from their spot. A sudden chill overcame her.

It's….a Reflection! The girl whipped around and—

—Snapped her eyes awake. Sweat soaked her and her heart thundered in her chest. Marinette's chilled skin shivered as she brought her hand to her chest. She grabbed at her shirt as if it would calm her fearful heart. Panting as if she just ran a marathon, she closed her eyes and tried to breathe. Her chest squeezed from her heavy breathing. It caused her to wince and suck in another breath to hold as the pain ran through her body. Marinette held her body still and let out a slow, shaky, and gentle breath. She inhaled slowly and furrowed her brows. Repetitions of this technique calmed her beating heart. Ripples of the pain began to fade as she felt still as a lonely lake.

The traumatized child hesitantly gazed fearfully at the trapdoor above her. She saw the emptiness of the sky through it. All she saw were grey clouds with a slightly dark blue hue. They gently crossed the sky, yet their size spread too far and held the underling stars hostage. Her focus shifted over as something gold wiggled into her vision. She recognized it as a wing from Timcanpy. Marinette slowly turned on her side and slid herself upright. Instinctively, she crossed her arm over her chest and pulled herself to a slightly crouched stand. Marinette unlocked the hatch and pushed it open. Holding on to the opening's edge, Marinette slightly pulls her head up to peak out. Timcanpy flew about before landing on her little spool table.

Marinette turned her head and looked up at her lounge chair. Laying there was a sleeping Allen Walker. He was covered by what appeared to be his jacket acting as a makeshift blanket. His mouth was wide open with a slight glimmer of drool slowly falling out. He smiled and muttered in his dream state. She picked out the words "Dangos" and "Feed" as well as the name of his scientist friend. The girl giggled and felt her mood lift a bit at the silly sight. She opened her mouth with the intent of awaking him before she froze.

What's wrong with you Marinette?! What are you thinking? Waking him up to whine about a nightmare? What are you? Five?

She sighed, turned away, and stared ahead. Her eyes lingered on something unknown.

Slowly, she clasped her hands together tightly. She felt something stir in her chest as she pulled the words out from within. "I'm not religious." she started with the statement. She swallowed nervously, "But, this terror is driving me to you. And I know this is strange and odd considering I never speak to...you like this and sometimes I don't even think you exist and—" she cut herself off with a sigh and slapped her palms to her face.

Quit rambling!

Dragging her hands down purposefully to stretch her face, Marinette returned her hands to their original position. "—what I'm trying to say is…please, please help me." She pleaded to the silent sky. "I know Allen is with me, but I'm still afraid. I feel as though that I can't leave, that I'm trapped. Could you please keep my family and friends safe at least? I know that thing is out there commuting horrible atrocities yet here I am…" a hero shivering and cowering away…She sighed and covered her face.

"Amen," she whispered to the wind.

Hopefully, this time she would be heard.

*Pillow cough: I read that if you have bruised ribs then you should cough while holding something to your chest, i.e a pillow. Because you shouldn't hold in it even if it hurts. RIP.

Sabine's personal goal is to make every exorcist plump by the time SB is over LOL. (they can't escape if they can't wake from a food coma..) Also:

Allen: Besides, no one would want me like that.

Lou Fa, who hasn't confessed her feelings yet but still supports and shows love for Allen: Am I a joke to you?

Rest of the cast in DGM: Are we a joke to you?

So! Allen and Adrien's argument. Wow. What did you guys think? Who do you think was more right? Allen? Adrien? Marinette!?