Paris needs Ladybug

Ladybug and Chat Noir landed softly on their feet on the top of the Effiel tower, turning to face their Akumatised foe, flying above them.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir, surrender now or prepare for the worst bee sting of your lives" The Stinger threatened

"I think it's time for this villian to bug off, don't you think Mari?"

"Really Chat? I told you not to call me that when we're transformed" Ladyubg rolled her eyes at her partner's lame pun while scolding him for using her real name, turning her attention back to the Stinger in time to see him fire off a poison sting towards Chat Noir

"CHATON! WATCH OUT!" Ladybug yelled out, throwing herself in front of her partner. She let out an agonizing scream as the large stinger pierced through her uniform, sticking into her chest, dropping to one knee.

"Ladybug! Are you okay?" Chat cried out.

"I-I-I'm f-fine" Ladybug coughed

"You sure?" Chat asked, concern obvious in his voice

"Let's end this... Lucky charm!"

Once the Akuma had been captured and de-evilized and the victim led away from the scene Ladybug dropped down to her knees, Chat rushed to her side and laid her down, transforming back to Adrien.

"Marinette, talk to me, please" Adrien pleaded with her.

"A-Ad-Adrien? H-here... Take these" Marinette gasped, taking out her ear rings and placing them in Adrien's hand.

"I can't, you're gonna be fine and you'll need these" Adrien choked, fighting back the tears that wanted to fall freely down his cheeks

"Adrien! Please. Paris needs Ladybug" Marinette told him

"And I need you" he argued

"Please Adrien. You need to become the Ladybug, I-I know you can do it"

"O-okay" Adrien promised, feeling Marinette go limp in his arms, watching her chest fall for the final time as her last breath left her.

Adrien sat on his bed, cheeks damp from tears. Staring down at the earrings in the palm of his hand. Plagg sat on his shoulder, quietly thinking of anything he could do to make Adrien feel better.

"You okay kid?"

"It should have been me Plagg"

"Huh?"

"That stinger was meant for me, I should be the one who's..." Adrien couldn't finish his sentence as the final word got caught in his throat, he just couldn't come to terms with the fact that Marinette- Ladybug, his partner and girlfriend was gone.

"What are you gonna do now?" Plagg asked.

"I... I'm going to... Become Ladybug" Adrien stated. Plagg, knowing the gravity of the situation resisted the urge to make a joke.

"What will happen to me?"

"I'm giving my miraculous to somebody I can trust" Adrien admitted

"Oh, and about us?"

"We'll see each other again... You're my best friend Plagg"

"And you're mine" Plagg replied softly.

"Plagg... Will you stay with me while I do this?" Adrien enquired, showing Plagg Marinette's earrings. Plagg looked down at the earrings and up at Adrien, nodding- silently understanding what Adrein was about to do to himself.

Adrien lent over his sink, staring into his bathroom mirror, red, tear filled eyes glared back at him. He picked up her... No, his earrings and braced himself for the pain he knew would be coming his way.

"You sure you wanna do this kid?" Plagg asked, knowing full well that Adrien's mind was made up.

"I have to Plagg" Adrien stated

"Well, bite down on this then when you do" Plagg instructed, handing Adrien his toothbrush, he nodded and put the toothbrush in his mouth, blowing a deep breath out of his nose and proceeded to force the earring through his unpierced lobe, wincing in pain as he did. As soon as he forced the second earring in his ear Tikki was sat down on his bathroom counter.

"Hi Tikki"

"Oh, hi Adrien"

"Tikki... Marinette, she umm..." Adrien began

"I... I know... I felt it" Tikki cut him off

"I'm so sorry" Adrien apologised, stroking the top of the Kwami's head

"Me too" Tikki choked, begining to cry

"I got this, go and stop your bleeding" Plagg whispered

"Okay" Adrien agreed

"Hey there little bug" Plagg whispered as he floated down to sit next to Tikki, who threw her arms round him and broke down completely.

Adrien finished cleaning the blood from around his ears and his neck he sat down on his bed and waited for Plagg and Tikki to come out of his bathroom. Half an hour later, Tikki floated out of the bathroom, followed closely by Plagg, while Tikki floated over to Adrien, Plagg floated away from the pair of them, giving Adrien a 'I'll give you two space to talk' look. Adrien nodded and turned his attention to the little Kwami sat on his knee, looking up at him with big, teary bluebell eyes,

"H-how are you doing Tikki?" Adrien asked, not knowing what else to say

"Not good, Adrien" Tikki answered

"Yeah, me too"

"Marinette talked about you a lot"

"She did?"

"Yeah, how amazing you are, and how lucky she was to have you as a partner" Tikki told him

"She spoke a lot about you too"

"Yeah?"

"Yep, how much you came in and changed her life, how much of a better person you helped to make her. She really loved you Tikki. I'm so sorry for your loss" Adrien explained, apologising again.

"Marinette... Was the first ladybug I ever lost" Tikki admitted

"We'll make her proud, we're gonna carry on the Ladybug name and catch Hawkmoth once and for all" Adrien promised. Tikki looked up at him and smiled weakly, nodding in agreement.

One year on

"Ready to go on patrol Tikki?" Adrien asked his new partner

"Let's go" Tikki answered

"TIKKI... SPOTS ON!" Adrien yelled out, transforming into Ladybug.

Ladybug stood high above Paris, overlooking the city from the Eiffel tower.

"Good evening Ladybug" Chat Noir greeted, landing quietly next to him.

"Hiya Chat"

"How's Plagg?"

"He's still a little troublemaker" Chat admitted with a small laugh

"How is he though?"

"He misses you and talks a lot about you"

"You're taking care of him right?" Ladybug asked

"Of course I am" Chat confirmed

"Good, thank you... Alya"