It was Nathalie who greeted them at the door, just as it had been Nathalie to call them. The situation was just about odd enough to have them confused and concerned. She'd sounded relatively calm, if tired, on the phone. That had been enough to reassure them and prevent outright panic from the ranks. Still, all three having compared accounts, they were still none-the-wiser as to just why they had been summoned here like this. The assistant had been brief, simply requesting their presence and refusing to go into any detail about just what was going on before hanging up. They had all received exactly the same treatment from the woman. Telling them not to rush but to none-the-less get here as soon as possible.

Something had happened, of that, there could be doubt.

The group didn't speak much. Anxiousness and perhaps if they were honest some hangovers from the night before made them unwilling to cloud an already tense atmosphere with more talk. All of them knew that the only way that they were going to get answers was by following Nathalie's instructions and seeing for themselves. The radio silence on the part of Adrien was worrying enough however. Their own private theories which they had kept to themselves had ranged from their friend suddenly deciding or for some reason being called back to Tibet or something far more sinister. The only comfort had come from the fact that for the news had been pleasantly free of any atrocities Agreste related. Had anything serious happened to the young man, no doubt the press would have been all over it.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was Nathalie who answered the door letting them through both the gate and then letting them into the mansion proper. She looked exhausted. Usually, no matter what had been thrown in her direction, the assistant always seemed to be able to weather it. Marinette imagined that explosions could have been going off all around her and she would still have been trying to arrange the next press conference on her tablet. Today however, she wasn't wearing her typical make-up allowing some bags under her eyes to be easily noticeable. Even her clothes were far simpler, simply a jumper and some trousers with a showl thrown over her shoulders for good measure. She stepped out of the doorway quickly, allowing the four young adults into the large house.

Adrien wasn't around. Again, that much wasn't entirely a surprise. They'd figured that whatever had happened, it had to concern him, one way or another. Marinette opened her mouth ready to speak, to demand to know just where their friend was. Something however, a very small detail in the scheme of things, caught her attention. The peacock miraculous... It was pinned on the woman's jumper, a place which it had occupied not all that long ago. For a moment, horror came over the young woman as she recalled just how much trouble Mayura had given them. It was only a second later when a small blue kwami manifested itself that she felt herself relax slightly. Duusuu didn't appear to be all that concerned by the situation. That left them with two options, either she'd stolen the miraculous and then called them here for some bizarre reason or…

"Where's Adrien?!"

"He's waiting. Follow me."

Not exactly the explanation they'd been hoping for. The group exchanged a look once more, uncertain but powerless to do anything other than follow. The mansion was calm, almost impossibly quiet. There seemed to be something of an ominous atmosphere hanging overhead. Not to mention a distinct chill in the air. Marinette recalled Adrien mentioning something about the central heating not functioning, a burst pipe or something? It didn't seem to matter all that much now.

It was impossible not to start imagining the worst possible scenarios. If he was waiting, that seemed to indicate that he was in a good enough state to talk with them. It was reassuring in a way, although equally they couldn't help but wonder just why the young man hadn't been with them to greet him and why on earth his assistant was now in possession of a miraculous she had once wielded against them. There could be little doubt that something grave must have happened. They didn't go as far as Marinette had been expecting. She'd half been expecting them to go upstairs to the rooms. Instead, she lead them only a few feet away to the lounge doors. There, she stopped one hand on the handle ready to let them in. Her hesitation lasted a few moments, as the older woman turned back around to face them. She hesitated before speaking once more in a quieter voice this time:

"He was hurt and still in some pain but his life's not in any danger..." The woman added a moment after. "Just brace yourselves..."

She didn't explain herself any further. Leaving them in a state of shock and terror. Marinette almost didn't want the doors open. Her mind had conjured up the worst possible scenarios in the space of a few seconds. The slight creak as the door was opened didn't even register. She found herself faced with the urge to turn tail and run. She didn't want to see what was so bad that someone usually so stiff and distant as Nathalie had felt it necessary to warn them prior to letting them see their friend.

The door was open now but she couldn't see Adrien. The young woman gradually became aware of the fact that her friends were moving, entering the room. They did so slowly, uncertainly. Hardly a surprise given the warning they had been given. She suspected that like her, they too didn't particularly want to see what had been done to their friend. At the same time, a panicked concern for his well-being was enough to spur Marinette on and push her through the door. If he was hurt or otherwise in trouble, then he would need their support. Presumably, that was why they were here. Assuming that this wasn't a decision that Nathalie had made in his stead. That much wasn't impossible but would imply that the young man wasn't in any state to express himself. She'd rather not dwell on that possibility.

The four youths came to an instant stop as soon as their eyes fell upon the figure of the young man occupying an armchair. Struck by horror, they could do little more than stare at him.

He was lying somewhat limply there. His left arm dangled down uselessly whilst his right rested on his lap. That in itself wasn't what struck them. Naturally, the first thing they noticed was the bandage wrapped around his eyes. There was no blood but what some of the skin around the edges was decidedly pink, allowing them to guess that what was hidden underneath must have been worse. He was looking or more appropriately facing somewhat in their direction however confirming that he was indeed conscious. After a moment however, their eyes began to wander slightly over the rest of the young man, taking note of the numerous other bandaged up wounds as well as those which had been left to heal in the open air and the bruises which decorated parts of his body. He was a mess. His blonde hair was matted and stained with a mixture of dirt and the occasional fleck of red.

The silence which hung in the room, only seemed to make the deep and rather uneasy breaths that he was taking. There could be little doubt that this wasn't the result of some accident or of him walking into a door. The damage was too severe and yet he was sitting here as opposed to seeking professional help at a hospital. All things which pointed towards one single possibility…

"Adrien..." It was Nathalie who spoke, she did so cautiously as if she wasn't quite sure how to act around him. "Your friends are here."

"I know… I can hear them." He moved his head slightly, seemingly to glance around the room. "I'm sorry for disturbing you guys but it really couldn't wait."

An apology at a time like this seemed out of place. Whilst they certainly hadn't waited around before coming here, had they known the exact nature of what had happened, they would no doubt have raced to get to the mansion. Perhaps that's why Nathalie had been so vague over the phone with them. Had they not wanted to cause a panic? Growing a little braver, Marinette dared to take a few steps closer to where the young man set. She could just about recall saying "goodbye" to him the night before. It was all a little foggy, largely due to the alcohol. Whatever had happened, must have occurred after he had left her. Unless they had been attacked here but that seemed unlikely given that the house was still in order.

"What on earth…?" She couldn't even begin to formulate what was going through her mind at that moment.

"After we said goodbye. I noticed that I was being followed." He was forced to pause in order to take a few deep breaths. "They jumped me down some alley. I only just managed to escape."

It was something which they could likely have figured out for themselves. Just who could have attacked him in such a manner was another question. Despite all of his efforts, it was likely inevitable that some Parisiens would still resent him for his parents' actions. Even ignoring that, there were enough nutters in the city for it to be possible that he'd just been unfortunate enough to cross paths with one. Something stirred in the back of Marinette's mind however which brought those theories into doubt. Nathalie had told them that he spent hours each day working out, a part of that was combat training. Who could possibly catch him off guard in such a manner as to be able to do this to him?

That didn't seem to matter so much as the young man groaned in pain. He shifted gritting his teeth as he did so. On his shoulder, Plagg's concern for his partner was obvious. His discomfort was only brief but none-the-less troubling:

"Dude… Your eyes..."

"I still have them." He sounded calm, as if he'd already accepted his fate. "I just can't see anything out of them. I'm not sure if I'll be able to again."

Marinette could only stare at him. Sympathy would kick in eventually but for now, shock seemed to be drowning everything else out. Just what manner of a human-being did this to another? Adrien had numerous faults but at the end of the day was a kind soul. It was almost impossible to imagine that he had gone looking for trouble. Yet someone or rather a group of individuals had intentionally inflicted this upon him, potentially leaving him crippled for life. She felt somewhat sick in her stomach. Unable to comprehend or even think properly. It took her a few seconds to realize that she was actually shaking as she stood there:

"Who did this to you?"

Anger crept into her voice. Was it normal to be enraged at a time like this? In a few seconds, no doubt concern for his well-being would return. For that brief while however all that remained of her self-control was gone, replaced instead by a desire for vengeance. It wasn't the first time that she had felt rage like this but it was a sensation that she had forgotten about more or less. It was the first time that she had felt such a violent impulse since confronting Hawk Moth and Mayura. A cold hatred, a desire to strike down those who would dare to harm someone innocent in such a brutal manner. She didn't particularly care if she had to storm out there and track down prime assassins, she would do it if it meant preventing the culprits from ever doing anything similar again.

It took Adrien a few moments before he finally answered. It would seem that he still needed a few deep breaths before he felt able to speak.

"I'm not too sure but they were well prepared and they knew who I, who Cat Noir was." There was another pause and he took a few more breaths. "Please, show them Nathalie."

They'd almost forgotten about her. It was hard to focus on anything asides from Adrien. Even as the woman walked around to pick up a white cloth, it proved almost impossible for them to tear their eyes away from their friend. Despite the obvious discomfort, the young man seemed to be unusually sedate. He sat there, waiting patiently but showed no concern in terms of a possible attack to come. Although granted, the blindfold made it rather difficult to make out his expression. A few seconds later, Nathalie presented them with what looked like darts. They were strange contraptions which would evidently have contained some form of liquid at some point judging by the now empty vials. Upon closer inspection, it could be noted that some of the metal displayed the occasional fleck of blood, some of which came off in the tissue.

A little unsure, Marinette raised her gaze to meet that of the woman, wondering just why they were being shown these odd items. They looked like they would be better suited to a hospital than a place like this. The young woman hesitated, unsure about just what was expected of them. Were they supposed to pick one of these things up and examine them? Keep them as souvenirs? Instead, all that she and her friends could do was stare at them.

"It's hard to be certain but we think these things-" She raised one of the small darts up into the light so that they could see it. "Contain a sedative."

"My head started to spin as soon as I got hit..." Adrien recalled rubbing his right arm as if it were painful.

"If we assume that these things were intended to knock out and that the other wounds aren't deep-"

"They sure look deep." Chloe couldn't help but note, even with the bandages, it was clear that they were severe enough to cause him a fair amount of suffering.

"-but they're not life threatening." It was the young man who replied.

"They wanted you alive..." Marinette muttered the statement more than anything else.

Adrien turned his head slowly so that he faced her or at least roughly in her direction. In actual fact, he was fixing somewhere a little bit to her right. It was obvious that he was decidedly hazy about just where she was currently standing. For a moment, she contemplated taking a few steps closer and taking his hand, just to let him know that she was there and he didn't need to keep on searching. The same horror which had initially struck her rooted her feet to the spot however, leaving her powerless but to stare at the bandaged up eyes and battered face. The young man let out another pained sigh. With every passing moment, he seemed to be losing ever more of what precious little strength he had left.

"It's my duty to protect the miraculouses. If someone's coming for them, then I have to stop them..." His muscles tensed up abruptly. In response, Adrien simply rested his head against the back of the chair, waiting until some calm returned. "-but I can't…"

Nobody said anything. A silent understanding passed between everyone present. The new guardian of their miraculouses might have survived the attack but it had left him in a pitiful state. Right now, Marinette was pretty sure that she could have gotten the better of him. To trained individuals, he would be a sitting duck. Stealing the jewels from an individual who the young woman doubted would have been able to stand would be child's play. Whilst no medical expert, it was plain to the eye that Adrien was going to be out of the count for quite some time which would leave his precious charges terribly vulnerable.

He had a protector. It would seem that Nathalie Sancoeur hadn't objected too much to reclaiming her mantle as the peacock miraculous holder. She wouldn't be enough. Not against enemies who had been able to do this to a fairly experienced Cat Noir. If nothing else, it was unlikely that she was going to be able to tend to her wounded employer, manage his business and keep an eye over the jewels. Both of them needed help. Given the nature of the situation, they didn't have many people to turn to and so, had summoned the few they could trust before them. Despite the pause, Adrien was still the one to speak. His voice was quiet, ashamed:

"You know what I'm going to offer you, to ask."

It was strange how up until that point, she hadn't noticed the presence of the miraculous box sitting on the table. It was wide open. Only the cat and peafowl miraculouses were absent. Both their holders stood before them now: one blind and helpless, the other rigidly straight and seemingly made out of stone as she failed to display any emotion of any sort. It was clear that this was the last thing that Adrien wanted to ask of them. There was little doubt in Marinette's mind that had he been able to stand or at the very least still retained his sight, then he wouldn't have called them here, he wouldn't be asking them to reclaim their former mantels. That spoke about just how desperate and perhaps also afraid he must have been.

She exchanged glances with her friends. One of the downsides to not being informed about just what to expect was that they most definitely hadn't been able to prepare themselves for such a request, much less discuss the practicalities amongst themselves. All of the group could remember just how much dedication being the heroes of Paris – even on a part-time basis – had required. If anything, the speed of their daily lives had only picked up. Still, one look confirmed that all four of them were in a silent agreement: they couldn't leave their friend alone. The former Ladybug stepped forwards, the sound of her feet on the floor must have given him some greater clue as to where she was standing as her friend's head turned ever so slightly so that he was now facing properly in her direction.

"We'll do it." She spoke for all of them.

"It's just temporary." Adrien spoke quickly, as if he somehow felt the pressing need to justify his actions and his request. "Until I'm back on my feet. I don't want you guys to put yourselves in any danger unnecessarily or ruining your lives. I know you have work and school-"

"Dude!" Nino cut him short, his voice firm in its reassurance. "We're your friends! There's no way that we're leaving you alone, mortal danger or not!"

Adrien said nothing, lowering his head. For the briefest of moments, some lines seemed to form on his brow, indicating that he was frowning. A split second later however he seemed to jump, hissing with pain as he went. Marinette's best guess as to just what could be accountable for the odd action was that the skin around his eyes was so sensitive that even the slightest movement around them such as the most basic of facial expressions was painful.

He gritted his teeth, putting his hands down on the arms of his chair. Before anyone could stop him, the young man pushed himself up and was on his feet. He stood there, rocking back and forth for a few moments, causing them to instinctively step forwards, afraid that he might be about to topple forwards. He raised a hand, gesturing for them to stop. They did so, none-the-less eyeing him cautiously should he tumble. Taking a single deep breath. He walked towards the table. One hand outstretched in front of him so that he might find it before they collided. Marinette stepped forwards eager to offer some form of assistance. He managed to make it over to the miraculous box of his own accord. Plagg, floated near his hand, seemingly guiding him. He fumbled, blind hands gliding over the various jewels. They slowed a few times, trying to take in the shapes and forms until he was certain just what he had.

Finally, he turned around, the bee miraculous held out in his outstretched palm:

"Chloe Bourgeois, I'm offering you the miraculous of the bee. It..." His voice trailed off abruptly as he found himself out of breath. "It offers you the power to immobilize your opponent. You will use it for good. Once the task is complete, you will return your miraculous to me. Do I have your word?"

Naturally, she accepted. A few seconds later, she was handed the miraculous. The mayor's daughter was only too eager to slip the pin into her hair. A familiar flash of light illuminated the room. A tiny and somewhat unusual creature which resembled a bee appeared seemingly out of nowhere. It wasn't even half way through it's greeting before the blonde woman rushed forwards and grabbed a hold of it. Thankfully, she seemed to be able to maintain enough self-control to avoid crushing the rather startled kwami. Marinette was a little surprised by the show of affection. Whilst her friend had come on leaps and bounds since their younger days, it was equally true that she wasn't always the most open and certainly not the most affectionate of people. As such, seeing her so evidently relieved to find her former partner again was surprising.

Adrien proceeded in the same manner for his other friends, handing out both the turtle and fox miraculous in no particular order other than the first one he managed to locate. Their joy was equally as obvious as they found themselves reunited with their kwamis. Marinette wondered if they were ever allowed out in the same way that Plagg, Tikki and Wayzz had been when all three had had permanent partners. It was unlikely without their miraculouses being in use. This could be the first time any of them had been outside of the box in over a decade. Her eyes rested on the young man. He seemed to have come to a slight stop, paying little attention to the others as he stood there frozen. He was so terribly pale and battered that it was difficult to tell if he was simply lost in thought or if something was wrong and he was about to collapse. He seemed to linger there, his attention elsewhere.

Finally, he turned back around holding out the earrings to her. For some reason, he said nothing, keeping his head bowed. Cautiously, she extended her own hand and took them. She put on earrings almost every single day and yet right now, she found her hands to be trembling. A part of it was apprehension but if she was utterly honest with herself, there was more than a little excitement there. She found herself smiling, ever-so-slightly as a bright light lit up the room and she felt a familiar presence. A few seconds later, she found herself face to face with Tikki.

It was clear that the kwami was a little taken back by the whole situation. Her eyes widened, blinking a few times in disbelief, as if she assumed that this must have been an illusion or a dream. After a few seconds of stunned silence however, a smile slowly began to creep over the creature's face as she recognized her former partner. A good few years had passed and Marinette was only too aware that whilst she was hardly unrecognizable, she was no longer a fourteen year old. Tikki darted forwards a few seconds later, colliding with the young woman in order to give what could best be described as a huge. The young woman did her best to hold her old friend close without crushing her. She was aware that this wasn't quite the time for such fond reunions, that could no doubt come later… Still, it was impossible not to speak a few words to someone whom she'd feared she would never lay eyes on again.

"Marinette! I didn't think I'd see you again! How long has it been?"

"Ten years." She replied trying not to think back to the painful farewell.

"This isn't Tibet..."

This place must have been at least somewhat familiar for the kwami. Her attention only wandered around briefly before it fell upon Adrien. Instantly, any notions of a fond reunion were forgotten about. The young man's legs were shaking, obviously struggling to keep himself still standing. He took a few uneasy steps away from the table and back towards the armchair where he had been resting earlier. His breathing had sped up, as if even just standing up was proving to be an exertion. One glance was enough to confirm that his strength was abandoning him at a rate of knots. The way that he moved was uncoordinated enough for them to realize that he was going to fall. Acting purely on instinct, those gathered approached rapidly, sensing that their friend was liable to collapse, their hearts in their mouths.

Somehow he managed to do so by falling backwards and landing comparatively softly in the armchair behind him. He lay there, his body limp for the most part and head hanging back in something of an awkward position. He lay there for a few moments, breathing heavily, as if he'd just ran a marathon. With his eyes bandaged the way that they were, it wasn't even obvious if he was conscious or not. As the seconds trickled by, he gave no signs or clues as the whether or not he was still awake. Finally, it was Marinette, growing ever more concerned by the minute who spoke, edging closer, step by step:

"Adrien?"

"Mhm… Mari-?" He groaned shifting ever-so-slightly, he sounded groggy barely even aware of his surroundings. "I think I might sleep for a while now..."

A few seconds later, he was motionless. His head fell down limply, all the tension in his body simply vanishing. It was clear that he had lost consciousness. The question was: why? In his current state, Marinette was only too inclined to fear the worst. His breathing was still strained and heavy, a clear indication that something wasn't quite right. Nathalie approached at a steady pace. She didn't appear all that concerned by events. There was a business-like attitude about the woman which was somehow appeasing. She managed to convey the feeling that she knew exactly what was going on and more importantly, how to handle it. It was with almost medical professionalism that she took the young man's pulse, pressing her fingers carefully against his neck. She counted under her breath for a few moments.

Despite how relaxed the assistant seemed to be, Alya couldn't help but ask in a nervous tone:

"Is he okay?"

"Pushed himself too far." The woman replied turning back around to face them. "Now that you're here… Do you think you could help me carry him upstairs to his room? He needs proper rest."

They all obliged. The assistant reminded them to be careful. He wouldn't thank them if they managed to tear out any of his stitches or otherwise worsened his injuries. It would be best to treat him as if he were made out of glass. She lacked the strength to move him by herself but if they all worked together, it shouldn't be much of a challenge, not for such a relatively short piece of distance. They agreed and found themselves somewhat surprised to see the woman simply walk out of the room without explaining where she went. Perhaps, she was so used to dealing with things around the Agreste household by herself that she no longer felt it necessary to justify her exactions or explain them. The group exchanged glances, unsure just how to proceed. Should they try and move him now or wait until the woman returned? They were in the process of debating the matter, when Nathalie returned without so much as a word as to just where she had been.

She showed them where the worst of his injuries were and advised them on how best to carry the young man if they wanted to avoid worsening them. They agreed and working together as a group, succeeded in picking him up. Marinette was aware that she wasn't the strongest person in the world. She wasn't the type of woman to do sit-ups before going to bed. No doubt, Anansi would have made this all look like child's play. For the four young adults however, he was heavy. It was impressive that the assistant had been able to get him in here by herself. When questioned about the matter, she confessed that for the most part, he had been dragged rather unceremoniously. Glancing down at the tiles, it was possible to make out a few splatters of blood which the assistant evidently hadn't been able to clean up yet. Somehow, with all of them working together, they were able to get the young man upstairs and into his bedroom. It came as something of a relief to be able to drop Adrien off in his bed both for their backs and simply to see him finally comfortable.

He was still out cold. He didn't even react to their presence. At least his breathing seemed to have become a little bit steadier. The young man now appeared to be sleeping as opposed to suffering. Still, it was a painful sight to behold for those who knew and cared for him. They stood there, simply watching as he took his deep breaths. He was resting but evidently still not entirely at peace:

"He's going to be okay, right?" Marinette asked the woman as they finished tucking him in.

"If you're asking if he's going to live, then he will." Nathalie let out a sigh, shaking her head slightly. "As for recovery… Only time will tell. I've done all I can for him."

"What about his eyes?" A slightly more tentative question from Nino.

Nathalie didn't immediately respond. That in itself was as much of an answer as any of the group really needed. The somewhat regretful look that she offered them a moment later only confirmed what Marinette had suspected. The woman didn't know or at the very least, she wasn't entirely sure. What she wasn't, was hopeful. That in itself was a lot to digest. The idea that their friend might have lost the use of his eyes all together brought with it more consequences and implications than any of them could really come to grips with in their entirety. Already, they had seen the usually confident and agile young man stumble around and struggle to even do so much as pick up a piece of jewellery. Whilst no doubt he could adapt, it would still leave him both crippled and vulnerable for a considerable amount of time.

Marinette shook her head, deciding not to dwell on that possibility for too long. If her experience with Adrien/Cat Noir had taught her anything it was that he was both impossibly resilient and full of surprises. It was far from impossible that he might yet bounce back and surprise all of them.

It was decided that they would leave him in peace. Only Plagg remained, refusing point blank to abandon his partner. The kwami curled up on the young man's chest, just like a cat and remained there. Whether he was sleeping, dozing or simply resting, the young woman couldn't have said but knowing that her friend had a companion to keep him company whilst he tried his best to recover was a comfort in itself. They left the two of them there. Hoping that when they returned, things would look a bit brighter. Instead, the humans with their accompanying kwamis made their way back down to the lounge. Despite the fact that she hadn't been on her feet all that long, Marinette felt impossibly drained. She collapsed just as much as she sat in the sofa. Even Nathalie, usually calm and composed, allowed her exhaustion to show as she sat in an armchair, her head lying back whilst she looked up at the ceiling.

No words were spoken. It was shock, no doubt which played a part. Marinette couldn't help but look at Tikki. The kwami didn't press her to speak. Instead, she simply floated nearby providing comfort in her own way. There was so much that she wanted to discuss with her partner or rather remembered that she wanted to talk about through the many years that she had spent missing the creature's presence. Now, a mixture of exhaustion and a worry in the pit of her stomach which she simply couldn't ignore prevented her from doing so. No matter how much she tried, her mind kept on drifting back upstairs to the young man who she had once fallen in love with. It was impossible to forget about the pain that he had been in or to ignore the fact that those who had inflicted it upon him were still out there somewhere, likely just waiting for the opportunity to finish their work. It must have been about ten minutes which just trickled by in such a fashion before finally Alya asked, barely even moving:

"Now what?"

"We need to protect Adrien and the miraculouses." Marinette replied, that much seemed pretty obvious. "Whoever did this, they're still out there."

"He's going to be off his feet for a while." Chloe reminded them sitting up a little straighter. "Are we supposed to guard this place 24/7? People are going to ask questions..."

"We'll work something out." Ladybug declared, it was something which she hadn't even given much thought yet. "We need some sort of rotor. So that there's always at least one of us here. The rest of us can go and try to track down the monsters who did this."

"Adrien won't like that..."

Nathalie's statement drew their attention. She was still looking up blankly at the ceiling above her but upon noticing that she had captured some of their attention, the woman turned back to face them. She pinched the bridge of her nose. The woman looked well and truly terrible. A mixture of the stresses of the night and a lack of sleep had taken their toll and she now looked as if she might be about to pass out herself at any given moment. Still, her comment earned a mixture of confusion and some irritation. It was natural for them to want to go after those who had harmed their friend, not just for vengeance's sake but to ensure that the miraculouses remained safe.

"We've got to!" Nino argued back, his resolve firm. "If we don't, then those dudes are just going to come back."

"I didn't say that you shouldn't. You just need to know that Adrien won't like it." She let out a heavy sigh, placing her head in her hands. "It wasn't easy to convince him to give you back your miraculouses and you can bet he's not going to like the idea of you four running around out there with them."

"He doesn't trust us then..." Marinette grumbled instinctively resenting the implication.

"It's not that. He just doesn't want to see you hurt..." The woman peered over her glasses towards them. "Please, don't go and prove him right."

"We'll try..." Ladybug promised.

There was so much to do. For the moment, all they had to show for themselves was suffering. She doubted that any of them would be up to doing much today. There could be no doubt however that the winds had changed. There was a new battle to come...