Chapter 1: Death of a Hero

"I think it's time."

The words were nearly drowned away by the cacophonous city sounds below. A fearful twitch of Plagg's ear, however, proved the kwami did indeed hear Adrien's pained musings. The tiny creature's head twisted halfway in the hero's direction, incapable of fully facing him. Plagg's gut clenched forebodingly, a nauseous sensation overwhelming him.

"You're not talking about—"

"I am." Adrien abruptly answered before Plagg could finish voicing his question.

A stillness settled over the room, as though the pair had been frozen by the chilling air which seeped through the open balcony doors. Eventually, Adrien let out a heavy sigh and turned his back to Plagg in favor of leaning over the balcony banister, giving his attention to the rooftops of Paris. This had become one of his favorite pastimes over the lonely years: looking out over his city, leaving his doors open to its noise, letting it fill the emptiness of his penthouse and his mind. It helped him think.

"I've been thinking a lot lately," Adrien announced to the night sky.

"That's never a good thing." Plagg's teasing remark was too forced to achieve a sense of his and Adrien's partnership during the good old days.

The kwami knew it was only a matter of time—the kid had been down spiraling for years—but knowing didn't make it any easier now that the time had come.

The tease did manage a slight pull at the edge of the man's lips. A fleeting moment, of course, for as Adrien looked down at his woven hands, his face pinched in concentration. Pensively, he removed the ring donning his finger. The loss of the metal's cool kiss was met with initial shock, but was quickly soothed away by a calming breeze passing over the exposed skin the ring once hid.

The young man's green eyes followed the moving dots below his perch. "You know," Adrien murmured, "There's some teen out there that would make a perfect Chat Noir."

Plagg winced at his words, how easily they rolled off his tongue, how easily he painted a picture of him being replaced.

"He'd be thrilled beyond belief, I bet." Adrien grinned to himself, imagining. "Power, fame, girls. Isn't that what every teenage guy dreams of?"

"Except you?"

Adrien's face soured. "I did once, too. It doesn't suit me as well as it used to, I suppose."

Plagg curled into himself, tugging at his whiskers in an attempt to get a hold of himself. He couldn't let the kid walk out on him. He just couldn't.

"Well, I don't need some teenager. I have you," Plagg snapped, his voice at risk of cracking.

Adrien's resolution almost wavered at the emotion that had escaped his kwami companion. Nevertheless, the man walked over to crouch in front of his friend, and his mouth opened without hesitation to respond. "This is right, you know that. It's for the best."

Opening and closing, Plagg's mouth found no words. That was the worst part of all, Plagg realized: Adrien was all too right. With the state of mind Adrien was in, it would only hurt them both to keep putting him through this. He couldn't make him stay.

Plagg looked up at Adrien, the human's face warped by the moisture welling up in the kwami's eyes. Adrien appeared to be in a similar state.

"I need to do this. For me." Adrien offered a sad smile. "It's selfish, I know," he followed with an eyeroll, "But I need to be selfish for once."

Setting his jaw stubbornly, Plagg crossed his tiny arms and pinned Adrien with a fierce glare. "I'm not taking a new partner," the kwami declared.

Adrien choked on a chuckle. "What? You're going to wait around for me to get better?"

"If that's what it takes," Plagg remained firm despite knowing fully well how childish he sounded trying to get his way.

The blonde smiled a smile that didn't reach his eyes. Genuine smiles no longer seemed possible. "You say that like you think I'll actually get better."

"You will." It seemed to be equally a command and a promise.

Giving a breathy laugh, Adrien looked at his friend, shaking his head in amazement. Glancing down, the hero felt the weight of his signature ring in his hand. Lifting his gaze to lock onto Plagg, the young man presented the kwami with the ring, ready to hand over his second identity.

"I guess this isn't goodbye then, is it?" Adrien offered.

Taking the ring was one of the hardest things Plagg had ever done. "You couldn't get rid of me that easily," the kwami whipped back with conviction, feigning strength.

There was a wordless exchange between the two as they searched the other's eyes. Adrien finally straightened and stood tall as though the weight on his shoulders had become marginally lighter.

"Thanks," Adrien said sincerely. "Thanks for everything." His thanks were unnecessary, they went unsaid, but Adrien felt he needed to say them nonetheless.

"Anytime," Plagg replied automatically.

With a final look, Adrien let out a relieved sigh and blinked several times to clear his vision before he crossed the room to leave. The click of the door closing echoed out to the open balcony, allowing all of Paris to hear the sound of Chat Noir's resignation.

There was a time when all Plagg cared about was cheese. It had been a blissfully simple time.

Plagg had come to learn that caring about anything more than cheese was painfully complex. Emphasis on painful.

Watching Adrien slowly deteriorate caused him unbearable misery. Knowing there was nothing he could do only made Plagg feel worse. How could he have helped Adrien save countless lives as Chat Noir, but when it came down to it, the kwami couldn't even help his partner?

Staying by Adrien's side, Plagg determined, was the best support he could offer. He sadly soon realized his company was a double edged sword, for he also served as a bitter reminder:

Even at the age of twenty-four, Adrien was still consumed by the events of seven years ago—the unexpected disappearance and likely death of Ladybug.

A/N: Sad start, I know, but that's what the title promised! Prepare your feels for an emotional roller coaster, my friend, 'cause I'm about to take you on a ride. Buckle up!

Also, to anyone wondering how I moved from the "KILL ALL THE TITANS!" fandom to the "Bye, bye, pretty butterfly!" fandom... I have no explanation. I'm trying some new stuff. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

~THC~