Marinette's POV

"Marinette, stay back!" Adrien shouts, holding his arms out in front of me with a glare on his face. "Alya, or I guess, Dark Aura, is dangerous!"

I roll my eyes and place my hands on my hips, leaning up to his ear. "Thanks bug-brain, but I don't need a knight in shiny armor."

He whips his head back and glares at me, but there's fear in his eyes. "Please, my lady. Listen to me. I almost lost you once, and I don't want to have to lose you again."

"Aw, tom cat has come to save his love bug," Dark Aura teases, with a cackle.

"I actually the cat now," I snap, stomping my foot on the ground, "And I am not his love bug!"

Adrien winks. "We'll come back to that later."

Dark Aura stares at us with a smirk, with evil resting in her eyes.

"Even if there is a next time, I don't think she'll be able to remember~" she taunts mysteriously, holding her phone up and pointing it straight at me. Her finger hovers over the picture button.

I panic. I quickly dart my eyes across my room, and my eyes rest on Adrien's umbrella that he gave me that one day after school. I jump out and snatch the umbrella, whipping it open in a protective stance right in front of Adrien just as the phone flashes from taking a picture.

"Idiots. Why haven't you transformed into Mister Bug and Lady Noir yet?" She scowls, clutching her phone tightly.

"Why are you doing this?!" I shout, still holding my stance with one arm over Adrien and the other pointing the umbrella straight at Dark Aura.

She cackles. "I just need proof. If you would just tell me, I would stop. I wouldn't hurt you. I wouldn't hurt your friends or family. I wouldn't hurt Paris."

"So, if I told you that I was Lady Noir, what would you do with the information?" I shout, sounding courageous but feeling terrified on the inside.

Dark Aura smiles. "Post your identity on my Ladyblog. I would be the biggest reporter in all of Paris."

"She's been corrupted by Hawkmoth's magic," Adrien tells me in a cold voice. "The real Alya would never do that."

I continue to talk to him over my shoulder. "Run. Go and transform, out of her sight. I know she already knows, but if you transformed here, you would be giving her what she wants!"

Adrien scoffs. "No way am I leaving you here!"

"Adrien, just go!"

"No!"

"Adrien, I swear! You make my so frustrated some times! Just-"

"-my lady!" he interrupts, pointing at my arm.

I look down and notice the black roots from the dark magic growing from my ring. The longest line reaches to the top of my shoulder. My whole hand is now black, and my arm is covered with the painful dark magic.

"It doesn't grow when you use your miraculous magic, it grows when you experience negative emotions!" He notices.

I smile. "You're right! You-"

"DUCK!"

Adrien grabs my hand and pulls me down towards the ground, on top of him. I collapse against his chest, barely dodging Dark Aura's attack. Adrien saved me.

I don't get how some people can say that I'm the leader of the team, or the "main character". He's just as important as I am.

"Stay still, and I can get a clear picture!" Dark Aura cackles, holding her phone up with the camera pointed towards us.

Adrien jumps up and grabs the umbrella, opening it up wide and shielding Dark Aura's camera flashes from hitting us.

He looks over his shoulder and smirks. "Change of plans. You go transform. I'll hold her off!"

"No, I-"

"Are we really going to do this again, princess?" He snickers. "Go!"

I hesitate, but then nod and jump back up on my feet. "I'll be back for you!"

He smiles warmly. A smile only my kitty could pull off.

I scramble up my ladder and open my trap door to the roof, jumping out of my room. I slam the door shut and sprint to the edge of the roof.

"Ooh, this is like a soap opera. You guys are so dramatic," Plagg snickers.

I put my hands on my hips and scrunch my face up. "What do you mean?"

" 'My lady, go!' " Plagg bellows in a deep voice, mocking Adrien, before switching to a high voice, mimicking me. " 'No, my prince. I shall wait by your side!' "

I frown. "Plagg, claws out."

"No no no!" He squeaks, slowly getting sucked into the ring. "I was just joking! Please! I'm not finished eating my cheeeeeseee!"

A bright green light flashes, and Plagg disappears while Lady Noir reappears. I grip my hands tightly as the dark magic crawling up my arm glows bright green from my transformation into Lady Noir.

"Okay, now to go distract Dark Aura from Adrien!" I say out loud, opening my trap door.

Suddenly a bright flash shoots my way. I frantically slam the trapdoor shut to protect myself from the light and stumble backwards. That must have been a camera flash! All we know is that Dark Aura wants to take our picture, but we don't know what will happen if she does.

"Adrien?" I call out, terrified. "Are you still there?"

"Doing fine, my lady!" He calls back out, followed by a crash.

That doesn't sound like 'fine' to me, but whatever.

Suddenly my bedroom window blows open, and glass shards blasts across the street as Adrien falls back-first towards the concrete. I gasp and extend my baton to shoot towards him. I catch him and let him off gently once his feet touch the ground.

"What's happening?" I ask him. "All I saw was a bright light!"

"She can take pictures and erase someone's memory!" Adrien shouts, out of breath. "Which means, if she uses it on me, I won't know how to use my miraculous ladybug or how to even fight!"

I nod with a concerned face. Dark Aura jumps out of the broken window and lands gracefully on her feet. She slowly looks up at us and smiles with an evil smile resting on her lips. She points her phone at us and cackles.

"Look into the lens~!" she teases.

She clicks her phone screen, and her phone flashes. I grab Adrien and yank him into an alley way, barley dodging the light.

"Transform!" I command. "Now!"

He nods, and Tikki slips out of his pocket.

"Just say the words," Tikki chirps.

Adrien nods, but then looks at me with his bright green eyes. "What do you do next when you have the ladybug miraculous, my lady? Flick your earring and do a high kick or something?"

"Shut up!"

"Just kidding, just kidding," he snickers. "Tikki, spots on!"

The dark alleyway is lit up with one bright flash and Adrien transforms, leaving Mister Bug standing in his footsteps. He ruffles his head, letting his fluffy hair wild. He cracks his knuckles and rolls his neck, then gives me a flirtatious side-eye.

"You ready, little lady?"

Wow. Okay.

"Just remember, try to not get too mad or upset. If we do, the dark magic will grow on us. We have to do our best with our miraculouses switched, and all!" I suggest.

"Alright! You want to lead?"

I nod, and we burst out into the street. We have to be quick about this. Her weapon is a flash of light, which you can't block with a yo-yo or baton shield, because light is too fast. Our best hope is to hide behind a solid object, so the camera doesn't take a picture of us and the flash doesn't reach us.

"Alright you two, what do you want now?" She cackles. "Just stay still so I can get your picture!"

We sprint towards her, Mister Bug spinning his yo-yo and me twirling my baton. She holds her phone out and taps the screen, but we both jump down and press our backs tightly against a car, using it as a shield.

She tilts her head to the side and smiles evilly. "Aw! I was so close to your picture..."

"At least get my good side!" Mister Bug calls out, slinging his yo-yo at Dark Aura and hitting her phone out of her hand.

I grin. How's my chance! I sprint towards her phone and dive towards it.

"Not so fast!"

Dark Aura dashes over to her phone and grabs her cell right before my fingers touch it. I slam chin-first into the concrete and scream from pain.

"Are you going to let me take your picture now?" Dark Aura evilly whispers, bending over and holding her phone up to my terrified face.

My eyes stare into the lens, terrified and wide open. Her finger slowly hovers over the picture button, and just as she's about to press it...

"NO!"

Mister Bug slings his yo-yo at the phone, immediately hitting it and tilting it slightly upwards, facing down the street instead of at me. The phone camera light flashes and reveals that there was a citizen down the dark street. They stand stunned from the picture.

"Forget your memories of the Paris superheroes!" Dark Aura commands, and a bright beam shoots out of her phone and strikes the civilian.

I gasp, and sprint over to them.

"Are you okay, sir?" I ask in a cautioned voice, holding my hands out to the man.

"Who... who are you? And why are you dressed like that?" He mutters, confused. "Are you a super villain?"

I gasp and whip my head back to Mister Bug. "He's forgotten who we are! Dark Aura can control what we forget and what we don't when we get our picture taken!"

"You really are a smart cookie," Dark Aura giggles. "Too bad you're going to forget it all!"

I look at Dark Aura, confused, but then my world goes white as I hear a camera shutter and a bright light flash my way.

"LADY NOIR!" I hear a voice call out. "NO!"

Mister Bug! Dark Aura must have taken my picture. I must not forget. I must not forget! I must not-

"Forget... who... you... are...."

My world slowly goes white. I feel warm and cold at the same time. Suddenly my head screams with pain, and I feel my heart pound against my chest. My world slowly returns to my view and I open my eyes.

"Lady Noir!" A boy calls out, with some bright red stuff on his face growing by the second. He sounds like he's in pain. Not physically, but emotionally.

I blink and tilt may head. "Uh, I'm sorry, but who's Lady Noir?"

Mister Bug

I know I told her that I wouldn't get upset. I know I told her I wouldn't get frustrated. I know that I said I wouldn't get too emotional, in risk of the dark magic on my face growing, but I can't help it. The love of my life doesn't remember me.

I collapse on the cement, holding my head. The glowing-red dark magic continues to slowly grow. My head screams from pain, which only fuels the growing more, since pain is a very strong negative emotion.

"L-Lucky Charm!" I shout, forcing the words out of my lips even though every word hurts to say.

A mirror falls into my hands. I catch it and slowly stand up, trying to fight through the pain.

"Are you ready for your photoshoot, bug brain?" Dark Aura taunts. "Just stay still and you'll be done!"

"Sorry to keep bugging you, but that's not gonna happen!" I shout, standing in a fighting stance.

God. I can't wait to switch our miraculouses back. I miss being Chat Noir. I stay up all night making cat puns, not ladybug puns.

A bright purple outline of a butterfly forms in front of Dark Aura's face, and Hawkmoth suddenly begins to talk.

"Finish it off, Dark Aura. You already have Lady Noir in your hands. Now, all you need is my son!"

My... son...?

Me?

Hawkmoth's son?

Dark magic grows and stretches across my face. I stare straight ahead, terrified and losing my mind. I collapse on the ground. Hawkmoth is my father. My father has been lying to me. My father has been putting everyone in danger the entire time.

I've been fighting against my father.

No, Adrien. Ignore this. Ignore what's happening. Stay in denial. We have an akuma battle to fight.

"Lady Noir!" I shout, blinking back tears. "I need you to say 'cataclysm'!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know who Lady Noir is." She puts her finger to her lips. "Now that I'm thinking about it, I don't even know what I'm doing here..."

"Alright you pesky insect~" Dark Aura giggles, holding her phone up towards me.

I start to run towards her. "Please, just say cataclysm!"

"Are you sure?" She mumbles. "I don't know if I'm even the person you want-"

"-just say it!" I beg, dashing over to her.

Dark Aura holds her phone up, hovering her finger over the camera button.

"SAY IT!" I shout, sprinting towards her.

"Cata...clysm?" She mutters.

Click.

I slide in front of Lady Noir, holding the mirror out straight at Dark Aura, right as she clicks the camera button. The light from her phone flashes and bounces off the mirror, hitting herself. She gasps and stares forward blankly.

"Run and touch her phone with your right hand, the one the cataclysm is in!" I shout to Lady Noir. "We don't have long. I would do it, but I might lose my memories myself!"

That, and the idea that I would be getting close to an akuma my father is controlling.

No, Adrien, stop thinking about it. Stop thinking about it!

She stares at me, terrified. "But I-"

I grab her hand and look into her bright blue eyes. I brush a strand of hair behind her ear and smile warmly, ignoring the pain on my head from the dark magic.

"You're strong, Lady Noir. One of the strongest people I know. You're courageous, wise, and powerful. You might not think you are able to, but I know you can."

She stares at me, holding her hands against her chest. She nods, confidently.

"Thank you."

She then sprints off at full speed. Her lips have a powerful smirk on them. She holds her right hand up in the air and jumps up, slamming her hand down on Dark Aura's phone and turning it to dust.

Lady Noir stares at the dust on the floor, then jumps up and down with joyous giggles and smiles. She runs over to me and grabs my arm, shaking it.

"Did you see?" She squeaks. "I did it! I helped you! I really am Lady Noir!"

I smile and ruffle her hair. "You really are, my lady."

"My lady?" She ask, placing her finger on her lips. "Are we dating or something?"

I feel my cheeks heat up bright red like my suit. "I... uh..."

"Oh, look! A pretty black butterfly!" She comments, pointing towards the akuma slowly flying away.

I gasp. "This is where I come in!"

I cock my arm back and rock my body backwards, then shoot my arm forward, slinging my yo-yo into the air. I catch the akuma and recoil the yo-yo back, letting the now white butterfly free.

I'm about to toss the mirror back into the air and send the world back to how it was, recovering memories and rebuilding buildings, but I freeze. I stare at the mirror, and then turn to Lady Noir.

"Is there anything you would like to say before I return your memories?" I ask with a gentle warm smile.

She stands still for a second, then runs over to me and hugs me. I jump, but slowly look down at her pressing her head against my chest. I wrap my arms around her and embrace her warmth.

"I see why I fell in love with you," she whispers. "You're very kind, you know."

Once she said that, the dark magic growing on my head healed ever so slightly.

Even after everything today. Even after fighting with Marinette. Even after saving her from a potential akuma. Even after us exploding in a huge argument and lying to Alya, she made me feel better.

Even after the discovery of my dad, she made me feel better.

"I love you too, my lady."

Y'all know that as soon as Adrien detransfoms, he's gonna have all of the memories of Hawkmoth being his dad hit him at once, right?

I wonder, maybe Adrien will keep his suffering to himself and Marinette might she is the problem...

as always! send typos to chats_lady! and hit the star!