Time.

For over one-hundred fifty years, I've been patient. I've studied the secrets of the old Masters. I've learned the alchemy of the mages. I've devoted myself to becoming the best Scholar I could be. I've created things that have only been whispered about in legend.

I've waited for this moment. To reclaim my rightful place as the true Guardian and continue the traditions of the Order that were lost so many years ago. To recover the lost Miraculous. To keep the world safe.

I've honed my body as well as my mind. I was a great Warrior in my youth. My reflexes may be slower, but I will still put myself up against anybody in the world and win. Nothing - or nobody - will be able to stand in my way.

The rumors are true: the Miracle Box is in Paris. Half a world away, but within reach. Six of the seven core Miraculous, including one of the missing ones, within my easy grasp. My ally has been in place long enough. I'm already winning, and the battle has not yet even begun!

It's time.

"A one-way ticket to Paris, please. Next departure."

"I LOVE UNICORNS! I LOOOOOVE UNICORRRRRRRNNNSSSSSSSS!"

The final guitar chord rang through the air. "All right! That was awesome!" Rose squealed into the microphone, jumping up and down. "Guys, I really think we have something special here!"

"Arr, ye think you've got something special here, aye? You should go into the Paris Battle of the Bands this year!" Anarka Couffaine climbed onto the deck of her houseboat, brandishing a flyer. "It's in one month, and you'll have to have three songs for it. That song about unicorns is fantastic, but ye're gonna need something else to really get their attention. Jagged Stone is hosting it!"

Luka's eyes grew wide. "Wow, Jagged Stone? That's awesome! That would be a lot of exposure for us. And we'd get to meet him! I've been a Jagged Stone fan for a long time!"

"Yeah, that would be great! Marinette said that he was really nice when she met him," Rose enthused.

"Wait, what? Marinette's met Jagged Stone?"

"Oh, yeah! She designed the cover for his last album, didn't you know that? And then her dad was on that reality show with him at their bakery!"

"I can't believe she showed up at school the next day, I would have been mortified if all of Paris saw pictures of Adrien Agreste tacked up on my bedroom walls," Juleka chuckled. "No offense, Adrien."

Adrien smiled and put his hands in his pockets. "None taken! We talked about it at our lockers the next morning. She told me that she had the photographs because she was really into fashion, and that she was a big fan of mine. That's all."

Rose and Juleka rolled their eyes. That girl, the look said.

"Wow, that's amazing." Luka played a bright riff on his guitar. And I guess I read her wrong at the ice rink. If she's just a fan of Adrien, then maybe there's room for me after all. "We should definitely keep working on some songs. And if Marinette knows Jagged Stone, maybe she can tell us what he likes, so we have an advantage! Rose, do you have any more lyrics?" He strummed his guitar a few times.

"You bet! I've got a whole bunch!"

"One, two…" Ivan started a beat and Luka and Juleka joined in on guitar.

"PUPPIESSSSSSSSSS… PUPPIIIIIIIIIIESSSSSS…"

Marinette sneezed.

"Thanks, honey, for helping us put away all this flour," Tom said. "Look at my little girl, stronger than ever! You're going to be picking up cars before you know it!" He made a show of flexing and showing off his giant arms.

"Thanks, Dad," Marinette giggled. I actually threw a car at an akuma a while back, but he doesn't need to know that. "The only thing I want to lift right now is a giant bottle of bubble bath. If it's okay with you…?"

"We're done down here, honey. Thanks again!" Tom waved as Marinette went up the stairs to the apartment.

Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out of her pocket to check the alert.

[Rose] Hey Marinette, it's Rose. Can you help out the band today?

[Marinette] Need a roadie again? Lol

[Rose] Not this time, haha. Battle of the bands coming up in a month. Need an image consultant. You interested?

[Marinette] Sure! I'm getting cleaned up from the bakery but can be there in an hour. Will that work?

[Rose] Sure, see you on the houseboat then! Thanks! 3 3 3

Marinette put her phone back in her pocket. So much for that bubble bath… but I can at least look presentable for Adrien! Right now between the flour and my mascara, I probably look like a panda.

Freshly showered and dressed, Marinette arrived at the houseboat to find the band members down in the living room. Adrien, Juleka, and Rose were engaged in conversation, while Ivan was texting away on his phone. Luka was lounging on the couch with his feet up on the table.

"Hey, Marinette!" Luka said. "We're glad you could come."

"Hi, everyone! How can I help? Rose said something about an image consultant?"

"YES!" Rose squeaked. "The-winner-of-the-contest-gets-to-meet-JAGGED-STONE!" she said breathlessly, so quickly that Marinette almost missed it.

"What Rose is trying to say," laughed Adrien, "is since you've met Jagged Stone, and have done some work for him in the past, you could be our secret weapon into knowing what he likes and how we can look our best for him. He's hosting the battle of the bands."

"I still can't believe you met Jagged Stone," enthused Luka. "How did that happen?"

"Oh, it was entirely by accident. We were having a work day at Chloe's dad's hotel, and I got stuck with go-fer duty. Jagged Stone checked in to the hotel and wanted some sunglasses. I had to make them since what he wanted didn't exist, and he liked them and wore them to his show that night! Let's see… that was Pixelator. Then, his management wanted him to do an album that was so far off of his style, he flipped out and got akumatized over it - Guitar Villain. Anyway, I wound up doing his album cover in the way that he wanted it done, and he really liked it! He's been like one of those fun uncles ever since. Even though he did take a TV camera into my bedroom for the Troublemaker incident."

"Wow, Marinette, you are definitely hanging around Alya too much if you are relating events in your life to akuma attacks," Rose laughed. "I mean, who else would do that? Let's see, there's Alya… now you… I wonder if Ladybug and Chat Noir do the same thing?"

"Probably," muttered Adrien and Marinette in unison, looking at the ground.

"Anyway… that's great that you have such a good relationship with him, Marinette! So what kind of stuff does he like?" Luka leaned forward in his seat, eyes focused on the designer.

Marinette started counting on her fingers. "Well, he loves his crocodile, Fang. He's super-sweet. Things that he likes he calls 'rock-and-roll'. He just likes having fun. When I was working on his album cover, he described himself as 'raw and impulsive'. I guess I can't argue with the source himself!"

"Do you think you can come up with something raw and impulsive for us, Marinette?" He ran his fingers through his hair and smiled.

"Yes, absolutely! I've been itching to get my hands on a project since school let out last week and I don't have a lot to do. This will be perfect! I'll need to get your measurements and start sketching. One month is plenty of time. Why don't you all come over to the bakery tomorrow and I'll get out the tape measure?"

"That sounds perfect," chorused Luka and Rose.

Adrien checked his phone and frowned. "I can't, sorry… Father has me on a photo shoot in Provence for the next three days."

"That's OK, Adrien, I have your measurements already," Marinette said automatically. She looked up and saw four pairs of eyes trained on her. "Oh, hi! Um. What I mean to say is, they're online! Fashion designers get models' measurements online all the time so they can practice designing for different people and since I'm interested in fashion and certainly not Adrien specifically - ha ha - then that's what I do!" I really need to bring Alya with me just so she can help reel me in. That was a disaster! "So… Luka, Rose, Juleka, and Ivan tomorrow? How about just after lunch?"

"It's a deal," Luka smiled. He stood up and stretched. "See you there!"

Back in her room, Marinette and Tikki were commiserating over a plate of cookies.

"Tikki, I don't understand why I can't make it through one conversation with that boy! Am I doomed to be 'just friends' with every boy in my life? I wish romance came as naturally to me as fashion design does." She sighed and flopped down on her chaise.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Marinette! You're still young… plenty of other fifteen-year-olds haven't had boyfriends, you know! And besides, who's to say that you can't have one of your 'friends' be your boyfriend?" Like Adrien.

"My friends don't like me in that way, though! And everybody's taken, anyway. Nino has Alya, Ivan has Mylene, Kim has Ondine, Max is… Max. I've got a better chance with freaking Chat Noir of all people, but that's just because he's the only boy I've ever told I was in love with!"

"You could be onto something, you know…" More than you realize!

"Be serious, Tikki! Ladybug and Chat Noir, maybe, sure… I know he's sincere, at least... but Marinette out on the town with Chat? Forget it! We'd be a walking akuma target! Probably even more than we are as superheroes! I just want something… normal. Is that too much to ask?"

Tikki giggled. "If you want normal, Marinette, don't look out your window."

Not for the first time, Marinette didn't take Tikki's advice. She looked up and saw a little green figure hovering outside, waving to her. Startled, Marinette quickly stood and motioned for the kwami to enter.

"Wayzz? What are you doing here?" Marinette asked after he phased through the window. "Is Master Fu sick again?" Or does he need me to pick up another prescription?

"Hello, Marinette, no, nothing that dire this time. It is still rather serious. Master Fu requires your presence. Are you able to come tonight at nine o'clock?"

"Nine tonight… sure, I can do that. What's the occasion?"

"I'm afraid I can't say right now. The Guardian will explain tonight when you arrive. It is good to have seen you again, Marinette." As abruptly as he entered, Wayzz phased through the window and disappeared.

"Huh. What do you think that was for, Tikki?" Must be serious Miraculous business, since Wayzz referred to Master Fu as "the Guardian". Maybe I'm getting a potion refill since we've used our ice and water forms recently...

Tikki smiled and said nothing. I have a good idea what this is for, and if I'm right, your summer isn't going to be as easy and carefree as you would like it to be.

Nathalie was standing in the foyer of the Agreste mansion with three suitcases. "We'll be taking the TGV to Aix-en-Provence, then our representative will meet us at the station and drive us to the shoot location. There will be some evening shots taken directly tonight, then it will be rest at the hotel until early tomorrow morning for the sunrise shots. We leave in ten minutes."

"Very good, Nathalie. I'll want to use the downtime on the train to dictate a few memos." He felt a twinge under his cravat and looked at it wistfully. If only we weren't on such a tight schedule… I was able to delay a train once, but Nathalie would kill me if I threw a schedule off this much. This is why I only left the house twice since I started this whole endeavor! I can't afford to miss any opportunity… but it looks like in this case I won't have much choice. I'm sorry, Emilie… I'll just have to make sure I'm able to take advantage of it next time.