Miraculously Unrequited

Sir Noir's POV

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There will be flashbacks in this chapter

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I shifted on my mat. It's been a while since I've thought of this full story instead of just having nightmares about each part on my own. I peeked back up at Marinette to see her tears dry and her mind wandering off to questions she wanted the answers to. She's just like, "Bridgette."

"What?" She looked up surprised that I actually spoke.

"Her name was Bridgette, the Ladybug before you." I twiddled my fingers as I continued, "it felt like we had the strongest bond out of every holder before us. It's hard to explain but I know that we loved each other very much."

Marinette scooted closer and grabbed my fiddling fingers and whispered, "take your time. I know we're in a tight spot now but we can't do anything anyways until Tikki recharges." We both glanced over at the small kwami chewing away at the little macaroon she dug out of Marinette's bag.

Taking another deep breath, "our bond was strong but I guess the power of Mayura and Hawkmoth together was too much for the both of us. Back then, we had no idea who Master Fu was so we didn't have time to call for back up."

"Who's Mayura?" Marinette tilted her head confused as Tikki cowered back behind a candle.

It's been so long since all of this happened but it still feels like this morning when I faced down against the two of them in broad daylight.

~~~

Flashback

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"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug through up her yo-yo with her long red ribbons flew around her. Dropping into her hands, two small miraculous boxes appeared. She tilted her hand as I twisted my baton to block the hits coming from Hawkmoth. Hit after hit, my feet began to slip backward.

I turned to see her face go pale as she looked down at the boxes, "what is it? Do you not know what to do?!" I grabbed her and jumped over the side of the building with her jumping over to a higher scale building making Mayura and Hawkmoth chase after us.

They knew they had the high ground. Hawkmoth was taunting me about the sweat dripping down my neck onto the floor with every swing he made before.

I set Ladybug down and as the gray London clouds scattered from the sky revealing the tiniest bit of sunshine. She walked away from me and clutched the boxes to her c.h.e.s.t before whispering, "it's the only way."

"What? I didn't catch that, do you have a plan?" I stepped closer and placed my hand on her shoulder but she trembled under my touch.

I guess she realized her reaction was out of place because she immediately turned around and spoke with all of her resolve, "alright! I think I have a plan, go hide behind that wall and wait for Hawkmoth to step out then knock him over the head and reach for his miraculous. I'll take care of Mayura."

And so, we did just that. Except, in our triumph, we forgot to take the peac.o.c.k and butterfly miraculous from them before Ladybug reset everything with her lucky charm. Running out of time, Ladybug and I were racing against the clock. "You need to get out of here! You have less than a minute left!"

I tried shoving her away to run but she just bounced back with, "what? And leave all the fun to you? No way! You know I'm with you till the end right?" She flashed me her last smile before swinging in and knocking Mayura in the head with a swift kick. The purple and blue duo stumbled back as Ladybug's earrings beeped for the last time.

I saw Hawkmoth from the corner of my eye lift his staff high into the air as the dust settled around us. Ladybug stepped forward and whispered, "don't forget the miraculous!" I didn't realize what she was doing until she completely detransformed and absorbed the thrash of Hawkmoth's staff. Her blood spewed everywhere, revealing her long dark hair matching her dark blue jeans and now stained red blouse.

The sight of Bridgette lying on the ground stifling her coughs is one I'd wish I could forget but it seems that every time I blink, the image haunts my very being.

Turning away, I threw up. In my agony, Bridgette's words no longer reached me, for my anger seethed through the suit that kept me labeled as London's hero. I...

I don't even remember doing what I did. Saying cataclysm and running towards them. I just remember stepping through her blood then a flash of light covered the whole skyline. When I opened my eyes again, Mayura was crippled. Her miraculous was cracked down the middle. But all I cared about at that moment was Bridgette lying lifeless on the roof. Instead of grabbing the miraculous as she told me, I carried her away to the nearest hospital. Her breathing was rigid but her life was in my hands.

~~~

Present

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Master Fu walked back into the room as I fell silent in my resentment. He continued, "when a disfigured miraculous is used by a holder or damaged while being used it can leave the holder in a comatose state." He sat down beside the both of us and grabbed Marinette's hand, "I know this is a lot of information to take in but we don't have time to dwell in the past but to learn from it. The whole problem that comes with that story is that we still don't know who Mayura or Hawkmoth is. "

Marinette shook her head with determination then turned to me, "I'm so sorry about all of this. I understand why you yelled at me earlier, but the past won't repeat itself, I promise." She wrapped her arms around me in a tight embrace making my walls break in her warmth.

"To this very day," Master Fu stood up and faced the dark night sky, "Bridgette still doesn't know about what happened that day."

Before I could hold her just the tiniest bit longer, Marinette pulled back and exclaimed, "she's alive?! The way you two were speaking it sounded like..."

She didn't finish and I'm glad she didn't. Just thinking of how she could've died in my arms was too much to bear. But not as bad as how she acts around me now, "she's alright now but the blow to her head messed with her memories so..."

"So she doesn't remember you at all?"

I slouched and wiped the tear from my cheek, "I wish she forgot about me. At least I could build anew with her. After waking up, I'd been sitting beside her as Sir Noir for days on end. When she woke up and saw me she started screaming. The doctors said that it's probably PTSD from being in that kind of scene." She remembers me for being the cause of her condition. I can barely live with myself knowing she sees me as a monster now.

"Apparently," Master Fu turned to us, "while in her coma she had a horrible dream of being attacked by a black cat with, well..."

I didn't want him to say it but Marinette's curiosity was shining through her eyes making me feel guilty, "with my eyes. So even as a civilian, she avoided me at all costs. So much so that she disappeared from school. Making me want to start over and move around until I came here."

I've never had this conversation so freely. My therapist could never know that I was Sir Noir so I only told her how losing a friend was taking a toll on my life. But lately, the whole fight has been in the back of my mind, for another page in my book has started. With the main characters being worlds away from each other.