Adrien couldn't believe he'd been so stupid. Plagg flew out from his jacket and a moment of silence passed between the two. Then Plagg opened his mouth and Adrien shot him an exasperated look, "Please don't."

The kwami shook his head, grinning humorlessly, "I knew you were stupid, but really?"

He dropped his head in his hands and groaned, "I just thought...Maybe if I just gave her a reason to fall back in love with Adrien then –,"

"She's in love with Chat Noir you dimwit!" snapped Plagg. He crossed his paws over his chest and shook his head, "This is why I stay away from this stuff. With Camembert it's simple. You want one, you have one and then you find another and another and –,"

Plagg quickly dived back into Adrien's vest and Adrien frowned down at him, "Plagg?" A shadow passed over his silhouette from the rooftop and his head instinctively glanced upward. The woman was small, petite and plainly akumatised. But that wasn't what frightened him.

It was Marinette.

"No," he breathed. He watched as it disappeared into another street and dove behind the nearest tree in a hurry to transform. He pulled open his vest, "Plagg! Claws out!"

Chat Noir climbed up on the branches and pulled himself higher, jumping out onto the rooftop. He saw the akuma a few feet ahead, gaining speed, and he followed it.

He'd already made too many mistakes –both as Adrien and Chat Noir –by he wouldn't make another by letting her go. He wouldn't lose her this time.

Throughout the entire chase Chat made sure to be careful, keeping his narrowed eyes on the akuma's hands and ready to strike if it so much made a move on Marinette. There wasn't any doubt where he was headed. Hawk Moth would want Marinette close by when he threatened Chat.

As Adrien he wanted to charge and save her, but another part of him –the part Ladybug had influenced –knew she'd never be safe if they didn't take down Hawk Moth once and for all. He had to stop this, stop the akumas; the lies.

The akuma stopped and Chat Noir threw himself behind a chimney. He reached for his baton and dialed Ladybug multiple times, but she wasn't picking up. He clenched his jaw.

Where the hell was she?

He heard the villain mutter to herself and reluctantly peered out at her. He couldn't do this alone, not without Ladybug and certainly not with Marinette's life on the line. What if he wasn't fast enough? What if she saw him coming? What if Marinette was injured or killed? He needed Ladybug. He was noting without Ladybug.

Then the akuma leapt off the edge of the roof and Chat's heart leapt with her. A flash of void color warped through the air, wrapping around her and she disappeared with Marinette laying limply in her arms.

Chat's eyes widened. No. He couldn't have lost her. He couldn't have –

He snarled out loudly and slammed his baton against the concrete. 

Marinette pried her groggy eyes open. She was in a dark room without a single light anywhere around her. But there was this sound around her, a constant fluttering and Marinette's breath hitched. The pain in her head was brutal, stabbing every nerve in her head.

She groaned as she sat up and suddenly light flooded the room. She shielded her eyes from the light and carefully opened them. Thousands –hundreds of purified akumas fluttered around the room, dancing and soaring in delicate twirls. It was oddly beautiful.

"To think a lowly girl could be so much trouble. I had him. I had him and you took him from me." Marinette snapped her head to the side and winced at the pain in her head. Hawk Moth stood in front of the window with his back to her.

She pushed herself up, but something pressed down on her shoulder and she fell back down. Cold hands wrapped around her wrists and held them in place above her head. Marinette glanced up and found the akumatised woman holding her still.

"What shall we do with her, Hawk Moth?" she asked. He didn't react. "Nothing for the time being. We'll wait for Chat Noir, until then I want answers."

"I won't give them to you." spat Marinette. Hawk Moth chuckled deeply and smirked, "You may try to resist, but I promise you that you'll tell me everything I need to know." He turned around and Marinette caught full view of the mask covering his head. His violet eyes flashed darkly and he grinned.

"Chat Blanc, my best asset against Ladybug. Why do you think he resisted me long enough for you to save him?" he asked. Marinette kept her mouth shut and the woman behind her threw her to the floor. Marinette caught herself, but the rough concrete floor bit into her palms.

She wanted to transform, but she knew she didn't stand a chance without Chat Noir. She needed her partner. She needed him.

The woman grabbed the back of Marinette's head and pressed it down, the gravel cutting her cheek. "Hawkmoth asked you a question, Girl. Speak up so he can hear you."

"He loved me." she breathed. "Chat Blanc loved me."

Hawk Moth chuckled darkly, "And you wouldn't believe why. His memories of you are very fond, thought the reason for his transformation was you." Hawk Moth clicked his tongue and sighed, "Love is such a fickle, troublesome thing."

Marinette saw him move something in his palm and frowned. "Why do you want their miraculous?" she asked. Hawk Moth grinned again, "Ultimate power. Who wouldn't want that? The ability to control ones fate; past, present and future."

"Why?" she struggled as the akuma put more pressure on her back, crushing her chest. "Dark Void," he snapped, "We need her alive for our guest."

Immediately the weight was lifted off of her and she was hoisted back on her knees. Marinette coughed, gasping for air and heaved. Hawk Moth walked towards her and smiled, "You see you and me both want the same thing."

Marinette glared at him, "I don't want ultimate power. And I'm not willing to hurt people to get it." Hawk Moth laughed softly, the white akumas still twirling lazily around him.

"I don't want the ultimate power for what it is. I want it for what it can give me." he replied.

"And what can it give you?" she asked. Hawk Moth stared down at his open hand and sighed, "A chance to redo a wrong I did so many years ago. I loved a miraculous holder too, so I understand your pain."

Marinette knew what he was trying to do. He didn't care about her. He didn't understand her. He wanted nothing to do with her. Hawk Moth was a manipulator and he was trying to use her.

"You don't understand anything." she snapped.

"Tell me who he is, and I might let you off easy." He said. Marinette glared at him, "I won't tell you anything."

Hawk Moth smirked, "We'll see. Chat Noir should be nearby, searching for you right about now. Why don't you scream to tell him where you are?"

Marinette clamped her mouth shut and Hawk Moth sighed. "So much spirit. Such a waste." He held his palm open and a white akuma flew into his hand. Immediately it turned black and purple, corrupted with the negativity he'd put into it.

"Don't hurt her too much," he whispered, "Just enough to get me what I need." Marinette flinched back as the akuma flew towards her, but Dark Void held her steady and the second the akuma touched her skin, she was in pain.

It was indescribable, as if scolding hot water had been forced down her through. Her vision went white and her skin burned. She opened her mouth and a ear-splitting scream rippled through the air. She prayed that Chat would get here soon.

It wouldn't matter after this. She needed her kitty. She needed him by her side and then they'd stop Hawk Moth once and for all. The two of them.

Together.

Chat Noir stood over the exactly spot the villain had been, but he couldn't see anything. There were no doors, windows or chimneys for her to have disappeared through. She'd just vanished. Chat Noir tried not to panic, but he knew Ladybug wouldn't think that when she saw the thirty-one missed calls on her yo-yo.

Then he heard a scream. And his heart sank all the way to his toes.

"Marinette!" he cried. Chat Noir ran towards the edge of the roof, his ears still ringing from the sound. She was close. She had to be. Chat Noir closed his eyes and tried to think, every nerve in his body rattled. He shouldn't have kissed her. He should've taken her home.

He should've protected her.

He peered over the edge of the building, but in the rays of the setting sun something caught his eye. A small dome shaped building sat in front of him. He remembered from when he was younger that I was a closed off section of the museum –a closed down section they used for storage.

The round window caught the light of the sun and then he heard Marinette's scream again. He found her and in the process he'd finally found Hawk Moth's lair. His mind told him to wait for Ladybug, but his heart refused. Marinette was in trouble, she was in pain and he had to save her.

He had to save his princess.

Chat Noir leapt in the air and landed on the roof of the building, inching closer to the window. He gripped tightly on the wall, slightly lowering his head just enough to peer inside.

Thousands of white butterflies fluttered in the room –akumas that had either been cleaned or yet to be corrupted. And crumpled on the floor in front of him was Marinette. She lay on her side, her knees pressed to her chest.

Her shoulders shook with strain and Hawk Moth's voice boomed through the room. "I'll ask again, Marinette. And this time I expect an answer!"

"I don't know who he is." she wheezed, "I wouldn't let him tell me. Please. No more." Hawk Moth nodded once to the akumatised villain that kidnapped her and she left Marinette cringing on the floor. She aimed her palm at Marinette and Hawk Moth sighed, "You're making this hard on yourself, Marinette. It's such a shame you had to be so difficult about it."

Chat Noir didn't want to watch. He grabbed his baton threw it in the air. It spun like a boomerang and shattered the glass window. Shards fell outside the dome onto the street and Chat Noir swung inside, grabbing his baton with him.

"Nobody touches her and gets away with it." He pointed the tip of his baton at Hawk Moth and glared, "Not even you."

Hawk Moth chuckled darkly and the woman lowered her hand. "Chat Noir, I was beginning to wonder if you'd show at all." He nodded to the woman and she grabbed Marinette by her collar, lifting her off the floor and dragging her to Hawk Moth.

Chat's mouth went dry at the sight of her and the anger in his veins boiled over. "Chat Noir?" she asked.

"I'm here," he replied. "I'm here, Marinette." She sighed and her shaking lessened. Hawk Moth smiled, "How sweet, young love." He tilted his head to the side coyly and gestured towards her with his cane. "You can have you back you know. All I need is something from you."

Chat bared his teeth and his ears flattened, "You don't deserve anything."

"Maybe not," he agreed, "But I know what I want and nothing will stand in my way. Not even you." Chat Noir took a step forward but the akumatised villain did as well. And she was standing right over Marinette.

"I'm afraid you'll have to choose Chat Noir. Marinette or Paris. Such a difficult choice, yet we both know the one you'll make." Chat Noir's limbs froze stiff. He wanted to save her. He had to save her.

But he also had a duty to Paris as their protector. He swallowed deeply and forced his hand to let go of the baton in his hand. It clattered to the floor and he didn't have the courage to look Marinette in the eye. What would she think of him now? Selfless, brave? Hardly.

"You win." he muttered. Chat Noir fell to his knees, "Just let her go."

The amusement in Hawk Moth's voice was unmistakable. "I knew you'd make the right decision, Chat Noir. Always the hero who thinks with his heart rather than his head." Chat Noir gazed sorrowfully at his ring.

Maybe Ladybug would arrive back in time to take it back from him. He could only hope. "Now, take it off Chat Noir. Give me your miraculous and you and Marinette can go home." He didn't have a choice.

He reached for it and Marinette's shrill cry cut through the air like broken glass.

"No! Tikki! Spots on!"

The whole room erupted in pink light and Chat Noir raised his head; his jaw dropping. Ladybug stood before him, her yo-yo strung around her hip and an unmistakable fire in her eyes.

Marinette was Ladybug. She'd been here all along and he'd been too blind to see it.

So guys, the final battle is coming up and I've got my own method for defeating Hawk Moth. It may not be realistic or plausible, but I like it. Therefore it stays! Hope you guys enjoy it ;) It's an original for sure!

Please don't forget to vote or comment if you enjoyed this chapter.