Liam sighs as he watches everyone with his amber coloured eyes. Everyone says that you have soulmates, & there is a string on your finger connecting you to your soulmate. He didn't believe it until he turned twelve & started seeing strings on everyone's hands. No one else seemed to see them, even when he asked, everyone looked at him like he was nuts. He looks at his own naked fingers. He could see everyone's strings except his own. He's seen people with platonic soulmates, romantic soulmates, & any other soulmates there are. The romantic soulmates were attached by the ring-finger & any others were every other finger.

"& I swear we're soulmates."

Liam groans as his Italian cousin drones on about some famous celebrities. He's seen her fingers. Her soulmate is as fake as she is. What she does have that's real is a soul enemy.

"Lila, shut up! I've had enough! You are not soulmates with you may think, but there is one person in here attached one of your fingers, & it isn't a good one!" Liam glares at his cousin.

Lila goes to sob when Liam says, "You have a soul enemy. In fact, you have quite a few soul enemies. One of them is in this room."

Everyone stares in shock at Liam. He's usually a quiet guy, rarely talking to anyone, & now he's just confused everyone in the room. He holds back from grabbing at his own brown hair. Lila starts crying.

She sniffs, "Why would you say that to me, Liam? I was just trying to-"

Liam interrupts, "Get attention, again! I'm sick of it! I'm out of here!"

He storms out of the room, feeling a tug on his pointer-finger. One of his Platonics must have been in that room. Marinette follows him out.

"What was that about, Liam?" She asks.

Liam sighs & sits down on a bench. He trusts Marinette more than anyone in that room. Maybe she'll understand... Here goes nothing.

"I can see people's strings."

Marinette's eyes widen in shock.

"Soulmate strings?" She asks.

Liam nods, "Everyone's except my own & the Miraculous heroes."

Marinette sighs, "That must be painful."

"I guess. It's painful to see people fall in love with people that are not their soulmates, & I can't tell them without feeling guilty."

Marinette asks, "Why did you yell at Lila, though?"

"Because she's a liar." Liam frowns.

Marinette nods, "Can't argue with that."

Liam sighs, "The strings are different colours, based on personality or an important trait of the soulmate. Her romantic soulmate string is dull and clear, which usually means they are either dead or a fake, like her."

Marinette sits next to him & asks, "What about Soul enemies? What's that?"

Liam points at his middle finger, "Right here is a string attached to people who are made to be enemies. Hers is connected to you. It glows a blinding red when you are close to your most hated enemy. Yours is Lila, my cousin, & one is, oddly enough, Gabriel Agreste. Then there are dull but not dull enough strings. Those are for the people that could possibly be a kind of soulmate. Chloe's string attached to you moved from your middle to your pointer. It's dull, but there."

Marinette frowns, "What about everyone in class?"

"Alya was supposed to be Soulmates with Nino because their strings are attached to the ring, but if something gets in the way, the bond weakens until it just snaps. Especially if one in the relationship turns abusive and toxic. Adrien's attached to Nino's, yours, & Chloe's pointer, Rose & Juleka I never get a clear look, Mylene & Ivan seem good, but I can't tell if someone's a true romantic soulmate until they become adults except some people." Liam explains.

Marinette's face becomes downcast, "So... Adrien isn't my soulmate?"

Liam shakes his head, "Only a platonic. You need to remove all those pictures in your room of him. It'll only hurt more. But... I can do something for you."

Marinette raises her eyebrow, confused.

"I can tell you what your possible soulmate will look like, & where he lives, if you'll let me. I just need to hold your string." Liam offers.

Marinette asks, "You'd do that?"

Liam nods. Marinette holds out her hand to him, giving him permission. He grabs a hold of the blue/silver string attached to her ring finger & closes his eyes. A slim young man appears in his vision, with blue eyes, dark hair, a few scars, & fair skin. One thing that seems to recur is a suit of armour, shocking Liam. The kid in Liam's vision is seen fighting strange creatures in a place in America called Arcadia. The boy then becomes a strange being of stone, then a bigger one, then a human again. Liam opens his eyes, flabbergasted.

"You have a knight in shining armour for a soulmate." He breathes.

Marinette giggles, "Yeah, right. Tell me what you really saw."

Liam locks eyes with Marinette & tells her, "Your soulmate looks like a knight. He's blue-eyed, black hair, very slim, & is in America. A town called Arcadia. I think I saw someone call him Jim."

***

Jim Lake Jr looks at his phone. Toby had died just last week during a fight with a Troll. He was mourning his best friends' death when he had passed out on his bed.

In his dreams, he's wearing the Trollhunter armour he lost after he turned back into a human. He saw Toby almost die again, only for a girl wearing ladybug themed spandex to jump in front & protect him with a yoyo. The girl wraps the yoyo around the troll & pulls tight, cutting the troll apart.

"Leave them alone!" She yells at the troll remains.

Jim asks, "Who are you?"

The bluenette smiles, "I'm Ladybug. Hero of Paris, but you'll end up knowing me as-"

Suddenly, a man in a strange butterfly costume & a woman in a peacock costume appear & attack the Ladybug girl.

"Give me your Miraculous, Ladybug!" the Butterfly man orders.

Ladybug yells, "Never, Hawk Moth! Cat Noir, Ryuko!"

Two other animal-themed people appear behind Jim.

"Coming, M'lady! Watch out for Mayura." The cat boy yells as he extends his Baton & uses it like a sword.

The other one seems to be dressed up as a dragon & attacks with an actual sword. Jim stares in shock as the three heroes help each other with attackers. Ladybug gets knocked down by Mayura, & the other two are being distracted by Hawk Moth. Mayura's about to bring her dangerous fan down onto Ladybug. Jim's eyes widen in panic as he lunges in front of Mayura & holds his sword Daylight in a defensive position against the deadly fan.

"That's enough." A new voice announces.

Suddenly, everyone except Jim disappears.

"Toby!" Jim exclaims.

A boy places his hand on Jim's shoulder to comfort him.

"I'm sorry for your loss. I'm Liam. I need to tell you something, Jim." the boy explains.

Jim asks, "What could you possibly need to tell me?"

Liam answers, "A, this is a dream. When I hold someone's soulmate string, I can contact their soulmate via dreams. B, I can see people's soulmate strings. Apparently, those heroes are your soulmates. Platonically, of course. We are in Paris."

Jim frowns, causing Liam to hesitate.

"I do know one of your soulmates. What kind I'm not saying just yet. Her name is Marinette. When you come to Paris, try not to get upset though. I'll explain it more here."

Jim wakes up, terrified. Something about that dream just seems too real. He goes to the computer & researches Paris. What he finds shocks him.

***

Jim's sitting in a library searching about the word "Miraculous". So far, there is almost nothing, until he stumbles onto the Ladyblog on the library's computer. He calls Claire.

"Claire, we need to go to Paris."

***

Liam rolls his eyes as another Akuma tries to take over Paris.

"Look out!" Someone yells.

Liam looks up to see a beam coming towards him when two people crash into him. One's a girl with a white patch in her hair & one-

"You?" Liam asks.

Jim asks, "You?"

Claire asks, "You know each other?"

Both males answer, "Long story."

Liam grabs both their hands & runs.

"Where is a bloody Akuma shelter when you need it?!" Liam growls.

Claire asks, "What's going on? What's an Akuma?"

Liam sighs, "Another long story."

He looks at Claire's hand, a habit with his ability. He feels his ring finger tighten & widens his eyes. He panics when he sees Ryuko.

"Ryuko! Help!" He yells.

Ryuko jumps next to the three teens. Liam grips his ring finger as he pushes the other two towards Ryuko.

"Take these two, please! They're tourists! I'll find a shelter!" Liam orders.

Ryuko nods & grabs the two teens and rushes away to a shelter. Liam picks up his pace as he dodges the Akuma.

"Liam!" a very familiar voice exclaims.

Liam trips & crashes into the ground, getting a few bruises. He looks up & prepares himself for the inevitable when a strong pair of arms wrap around him. He opens his eyes to see Ladybug saving him. He feels his pointer-finger tug as she takes him far away. His pointer flashes, & he looks down to see Marinette's name written on it. That's new.

"Thanks, Ladybug." Liam smiles.

"Be more careful! We can't lose the only guy that can see soulmates." Ladybug frowns.

Liam suddenly looks at Ladybug in shock. He's only ever told his parents and...

"Marinette..." He whispers.

"Get somewhere safe." Ladybug orders.

***

Marinette groans, "I messed up Tikki!"

Tikki rolls her eyes, "Marinette, Liam can see Soulmate strings. You & him are Platonic soulmates. It was bound to happen. So you slipped up. He won't tell anyone. He's too nice for that."

Before Marinette can respond, a knock comes from her trapdoor. Liam comes through the trapdoor.

"I brought someone, Nette." Liam smiles.

A boy with blue eyes, black hair, a blue jumper, and a scar over his right eyebrow pokes his head through the trapdoor.

"Meet your soulmate. Enjoy." Liam smirks as he leaves the room.