Ladybug has been in some tight situations before. It comes with the job. She's had her back up against the wall, akuma right on top of her and no plan for her Lucky Charm. Double-teamed, triple-teamed, any number. You name it, she's fought it. However, Ladybug had never been completely hopeless until right now.
Ladybug groggily pushed herself up of the ground, blinking slowly, trying to get the world into focus. Agreste manor was crumbling and burning all around. Rena Rouge was trying to free herself from underneath fallen rubble. Caripace was sat leaning against a wall, clutching his side and grimacing in pain. Queen Bee lay motionless on the floor, detransformed and knocked out cold. Ladybug felt like she was moving in slow motion as she tried to crawl over and check on Chloe. Her head was still fuzzy from fall, everything looking dull and blurry. Each breath hurt deep within her chest.
Ladybug was within feet of Queen Bee when a dark figure stepped in front of her path. Ladybug craned her neck upward to look at the man, but only saw a hand reaching down. He grabbed her by the throat and lifted her upwards until her feet dangled in the air. He was breathing heavily, obviously hurt as well. His eyes filled with pride and triumph at conquering the "all-powerful" Ladybug and her "miraculous" friends. As he and Ladybug stared each other down, he spoke first.
"Hello, M'lady."
AN UNDECIDED AMOUNT OF TIME EARLIER
Adrien absolutely loves being Chat Noir. For someone who spent most his life locked in his (albeit large) house, being Chat Noir makes him feel like a caged animal who has finally been freed. The wind rushing through his hair as he runs atop Parisian rooftops, the rising and sinking feelings he gets in his stomach when rides his staff high in the sky then plummets back to Earth, waiting until the last possible moment to save himself, his heart racing, adrenaline pumping, and a dumb grin on his face.
Life risking, death defying stunts aren't the only things that gets Chat feeling that way. In fact, those affects pale in comparison to anything his Lady makes him feel. Her graceful movements, her determination, her will, her intelligence all leave him floored. That's not even mentioning how absolutely gorgeous she is. He can't take his eyes off her. Even now, as an akuma is standing atop City Hall with the Borgeuios family hostage threatening to throw them into the Seine for closing his hot dog stand, he can help but to be completely enamored with her.
"Chat?! Hello?! Are you ready?" Ladybug asked, snapping him back into existence.
"Uuuuh, totally! Yea!" responded Chat with a sheepish smile. "Just, uh, remind me again what I'm ready for?"
Ladybug gave Chat the most deadpan look she could manage. "Akuma. City Hall. Mayor. Ring a bell?"
"Oh! Yea, right, of course, My Lady," responded Chat.
Ladybug just rolled her eyes at her hopeless partner and swung off the building they were standing on towards City Hall. Chat gave one last lovestruck look to his partner before using his staff to take off in the opposite direction. Adrien loves being Chat Noir, and more importantly, he loves his Lady.