<ADRIENS POV>

"How long has it been since I transformed?" I ask, studying my ring. "How long has it been since I saw M'lady?"

Plagg doesn't respond.

I sigh and let my hand fall into my lap. "Even if I did transform, that wouldn't mean Ladybug would meet me."

"But she could?"

I huff a laugh. "Thanks for trying to make me feel better."

"I wasn't."

I ignore his comment and walk up to my wall of windows, pressing my hands against the glass. If I was never going to transform ever again, why would I need to keep my Miraculous? Did Ladybug let me keep it to torture me? Let me feel bad about never seeing her again? She wouldn't do that... right?

"Kid," Plagg starts, "you need to get over it."

"Get of what?"

"Ladybug. You have t—a girl who is real. You know who she is."

I turn to him, mind reeling. "Did you just say two?"

Plagg flies backward quickly, yelling loudly, "Nooo! No, no, no, you have Kagami and she loves you so much and you love her back you should get back—"

"I don't know if I love Kagami," I mutter, sliding my back down the windows.

"What do you mean? Of course you do."

"That's not what I mean!" I exclaim, putting my hands over my face. "I just... I don't know if I ever loved Kagami."

Even Plagg, who usually has some sort of nasty comment about love or something witty to add about cheese, has nothing to say. I sigh and look at my ring again. It's silver always gleams, no matter how dirty I try to get it. Tears start to form behind my eyes.

"I don't even know how I could possibly give it back," I mutter.

"What?!" Plagg yells, zooming at my face and hugging my cheek. "Please don't try to give your Miraculous back, Adrien! You're the best owner I've ever had and I don't want to be trapped in that ring for another thousand years!"

I smile. "Thanks, Plagg."

"If you miss her that much, just transform and give her a call. It alerts Ti—her kwami if she's not transformed."

Frowning, I ask, "Are you agreeing to let me transform for once?"

"N-no!" he yells, letting go of my face. "I'm not saying you should, I'm just saying—"

"You're the best kwami I've ever had," I say, smiling at him softly. "And ever hope to have."

The small black kwami turns away, but not before I see tears forming in his eyes. "Stahp, you're embarrassing me," he groans.

"I'll buy you some extra cheese," I say, pulling my phone out to text Nathalie to place an order. "Aged or fresh?"

"Both?" he asks, for the umpteenth time.

I sigh. "Why not."

His eyes widen and he hugs my face again. "You really are the best!"

"Why do you always order so much cheese?" Nathalie asks, placing a big box in my room.

I look around the room wildly, trying to come up with an excuse. "Because... it's delicious! Mmm, yummy cheese!"

She frowns. "Sure."

"Thanks, Nathalie!" I yell after her as she leaves my room.

"WOW!" Plagg yells, zooming out of his hiding spot across the room, merely a black speck until her slams against the cardboard with a loud thud. "That's a lot of yummy cheese!"

I roll my eyes. "Shut up."

He snickers and phases through he box. His voice echoes out, "IT SMELLS SO GOOD IN HERE!"

"Don't make it 'smell good' in here," I warn, flopping onto my couch and turning on the tv.

"I will make no such promise," I hear him mutter. 

I smirk and turn on the news.

"We're awaiting Chat Noir and Ladybug to arrive on the scene!" Nadja Chamack announces from the screen. "A werewolf is defeating the police force quickly! We turn now to Alice Chamakian on her opinion. Do you think Chat Noir and Ladybug will come save us?"

A woman, presumably Alice Chamakian, appears in the corner of the screen. "Nah. They've been out of the spotlight for so long, who knows if they even know how to defeat evil anymore?"

"They're our best chance," Nadja says, a frown creasing her brow.

"Our best chance is the army. We bring them in and shut down these men at once."

I can't stand to hear any more. I quickly stand. "Plagg! We have to go!"

<MARINETTES POV>

An alert pops up on my phone, telling me there's evil to fight. I glance a Tikki.

"I..."

"You can do this, Marinette!" the red and black spotted kwami chimes, pumping her tiny fist. "I know you can! You're Ladybug!"

I smile and transform. Hopping out the window, I quickly meet up with Chat Noir.

He smirks at me. "Hello, M'lady."

I roll my eyes. "This isn't the time, Chat. We can catch up after we've defeated the A—" I stop myself from saying Akuma. Hawk Moth was dead. There were no more Akumas. I clear my throat. "Defeated the men."

I lasso the huge werewolf man attacking an officer and pull him toward us.

"Why are you doing this?" I frown at him.

The man simply looks at me, eyes looking past me. A heartbeat later, his eyes focus on me and he disappears. I watch as the end of my yoyo clatters to the pavement.

I hesitantly look to Chat Noir. "It... can't be an Akuma... right?"

My partner shrugs. "I guess it could. Aren't you the keeper?"

I glare at him and swing my yoyo into my hand. "I don't  understand."

"Someone is controlling them."

"No crap," I say, glancing around. "But... who?"

"Use your Lucky Charm."

I huff and cross my arms, glaring ahead at the building across from us and trying to make sense of the situation. "I'll only have five minutes, and they could be anywhere in Paris. Come on, Chat, be reasonable. We just wait until they make an appearance again."

"That could be days! Years! Not that I'm complaining about hanging out with you, M'lady," he adds with a wink.

I sigh. "We should just start a patrol schedule again."