I Marinette

7 - Messed up

I had to admit that I became speechless at the sight of Cat Noir. I hadn't expected to meet him when I was trying to figure out how to be Ladybug. Now, I faced my partner who knew Ladybug as his other half, so he could expose me as a fake within seconds. On the other hand, when I remembered the 'Ladybug' episode, I had to rethink my statement.

"I needed to change a perspective..." I muttered when I realised that the silence was too long making the situation more and more awkward.

"To change?" he spotted.

"You know, a lot has changed within last 24 hours, so I thought it would be easier to work it out if I looked at it from the other perspective..."

"Literally?" he smiled.

"Sometimes it's the best option..." I shrugged.

"Did you speak to Master Fu?" Cat Noir changed the subject, standing next to me.

I glanced at him sideways. He was indeed taller than Ladybug and seemed to be more relaxed than in his civilian self. No wonder that Marinette hadn't figured out his identity yet.

"What?!" he laughed when he noticed I was watching him. "Have I changed too?"

"Maybe a little..."

"You're jealous because I stopped calling you 'Bugaboo'?

If there was Marinette here, that would lead to a LadyNoir argument. Lucky for Cat Noir there was me instead so I could fix something in their relations. If I could speak without a knot in my throat, of course!

"I've always wondered why you love me, Cat..." I started, but seeing him ready to repeat his confessions, I added quickly: "You don't know my identity, you don't know what I am. Maybe I'm mean? Maybe I have family issues? For a moment you thought I was Chloe Bourgeois. Would you love me if I was her? Why do you give your heart to someone you don't know anything about?"

"Not true!" Cat Noir objected.

"What's that?"

"It's impossible you were totally different in your civilian self. As Ladybug you've been always honest, noble and sacrificing."

"What a beautiful image, Cat... But I'm not flawless. I make mistakes..."

"Who doesn't? You're a human being as the others..."

"But look what happened after my last mistake? That was my fault that everything changed... If only I..." I stopped. It was pointless to do the dirty job for Marinette. Let her deal with her problems by herself.

"Don't punish yourself, Bugaboo..."

Oh, 'Bugaboo' was back! Judging from Cat Noir's red cheeks, he also realised what he'd just said. I looked like there was still hope for those two... If only Marinette could learn lessons from her latest experience and finally take things into her own hands...

"You know, Cat..." I began.

"Yes?", he looked like he hoped for continuation of the feelings subject.

"Have you ever thought how it would be when you lose all your memories?", I asked. "Master Fu gave in being the Guardian and he lost memories of all his long life. I've become the Guardian and... When the day I'll give in this mission comes I'll forget who I was for the whole life... If I got married, had kids... I'll lose all my memories... That's a terrible perspective, don't you think?"

"I haven't seen that this way..." he muttered under his breath. I wasn't sure what was worse for him: that his beloved one would forget her life or... that one day she would settle down with someone. Not necessarily with him...

"Anyway... I have no choice now... Sooner or later I'll forget everything..." I whispered. That frightened me, an adult person. How terrifying that had to be for a fourteen year old girl?

Cat Noir didn't have a chance to answer me, because at that moment a strange smokey ball exploded right in front of us. We both jumped away instantly.

Panic caught me in my throat. That was happening for real and I wasn't prepared! I didn't know where the supervillain was hiding, because the smokey bullets were coming from nowhere.

"My poor, helpless superherokids!" the enemy laughed.

My eyes followed the noise. There he was. On the rooftop of a right wing of the palace there was a dark bearded man wearing a high hat and a cape. My mind couldn't be completely overwhelmed with panic, if I managed to recall the one and only Edna's famous statement about capes. That was so refreshing that I overcame the panic and focused on the fight.

"Not so helpless, you weirdo!" Cat Noir replied.

"What do you know about the fight, kid..." the man snorted. "You'd better give me your miraculouses right away!"

"So glamourous and forgot about your manners? Why don't you introduce yourself?!" I yelled to draw the supervillain's attention. Cat Noir disappeared in the darkness. Good. I hoped he was going to get the guy from behind so that I didn't have to lose face.

"My dear soon-not-Ladybug-anymore... I'm Juggler."

"How original..." I muttered. "I wouldn't guess..."

"Give me your miraculous, before your partner learns who you really are..." he hissed.

My hand popped up and my mouth unknowingly said the spell 'Lucky Charm!' At the same moment Juggler turned around and knocked Cat Noir off his feet before my partner managed to get the supervillain. I looked at the thing created by my spell, then I winked. When I opened my eyes I was laying on the roof in a purple dust, staring in horror at the supervillain just above me. What had just happened?!

"Huh! That was easier than I thought!" Juggler laughed. "I'll come back for your miraculouses in five minutes. Why should I bother fighting with you during your last moments as superheroes? That would be so exhausting!"

He turned around and disappeared.

I started standing up and I was just about to help myself with my hand, when I heard a pitched scream behind:

"Don't touch anything!"

I looked there in shock. There was... Ladybug running in my direction. What the hell had happened here?! I glanced at my hands and felt faint. Black gloves, claws, black bubbles hovering above my palm... Oh, God... I was Cat Noir...