I never asked for this.

I was just a normal awkward girl who lived in a bakery and went to school. I was a normal girl who just wanted to make everyone happy. I was just a normal girl who wanted to make her parents proud…

But somehow… I got involved. I became the Heroine Ladybug, who had a partner name Chat Noir… I became an idol before everyone's eyes. I became this figure who everyone looked to keep them safe. I became the one who is responsible for helping everyone out.

And it's great… Don't get me wrong…

But I never asked for it.

Now, I'm stuck. My Miraculous is running out of time. I'm stored away in this dark closet with an injured Chat Noir. Everyone outside is at the mercy of Hawk Moth and everyone whom he has Akumitized.

It all went south so fast. Nothing we did could ever make me believe that this was the outcome. I failed at being Ladybug just how I failed at being Marinette. I'm so pathetic. I can't even save the boy who I have come to desperately love. All the while he keeps groaning the name of my Civilian self.

I never asked for this!

Six Months Prior

"You know… You're gonna make yourself get a fever if you keep working your body this hard. Alya said as she sat on bed watching my every move. I was in the process of multiple projects. One for Jagged Stone, one for an old family friend's birthday, one for Kim on his birthday, one for Manon, and even one for Chloe. I was exhausted. Staying up for the past three nights just so I could see progress on each item. I invited Alya over for the sole purpose of relaxing but that wasn't going to happen.

She was right though. I was already starting to feel sick, but I couldn't tell her that. Alya worries too much over me. She would put me in bed and put a camera in my room just to make sure I stayed there. She would get my parents involved to, and if you could only imagine what overly doting parents do when their only daughter is sick. Besides, I have way too much to do to be sick.

I smiled at her… Admittedly it was full of exhaustion… but I smiled just to show her I'm all right. She only narrowed her eyes at me. Then she sprung up from her place.

"Come on! You need some air. Nino and I had a lunch date planned at the new café down the street and you're coming with."

My eyes grew wide as she grasped my hand and went to pull me away from all my work.

"Alya! I can't. Besides, if it's a date I don't want to intrude." Alya only laughed at me.

"Girl, that boy knows that you're the real love of my life. You're my best friend and no matter what you come first. Nino's okay with it, because he feels the same when it comes to Adrien. We have an understanding of each other's priority's. It's why we work so good. And you act like Nino isn't your friend to." Alya said, not even hesitating as she drugged me out. I only sighed in defeat. There was no way of escaping a determined Alya.

I have to admit that I'm a little ashamed on how the sun affected me. I flinched at the sudden brightness. The heat on my skin felt foreign. You would think at my reaction that I was a vampire.

Alya tried to distract me as she talked about various things along the way. Her relationship with Nino, her blog, her new position as the chief journalist at school, or the fact that her parents were taking her on a three-week trip to Hawaii for all of her and her sisters' grades. Straight A's… all five of them. That was exceptional and I'm so proud.

"Nino's going to be like a lost puppy without you." I said, laughing. She joined in.

She and Nino had been going out for the past two years, but honestly it was like they've been together for their whole lives. It was like she said. They understood each other and they respected every decision. I believe I can only recall them getting into three fights. Yeah, they argued, but it was never serious. They only times it was when, Alya got jealous and was being a little irrational… Or the other two times when they didn't talk to each other before making big plans. Each time they made up, though. They were like a power couple.

"He'll survive. Besides he has you and Adrien to keep him busy for three weeks. Mama is gonna go get her tan!" She shouted. I was so excited for her. School had been a lot of stress so I'm glad she finally gets some time off.

"Just promise you won't meet some hot islander and run away." We heard a slightly deeper voice than it was two years ago. Alya smiled and let go of my hand as she went and kissed Nino. He wrapped his arm around her and waved to me.

Nino hadn't changed much. He's still the care-free DJ that he has always been. However, his voice had deepened slightly and he had grown a couple more inches. He didn't wear his hat anymore, either. It had started when he and Alya went to a school's dance together. Alya loved how soft his hair was and he took that as never to wear his hat again… Maybe that overdoing it. It wore it occasionally but not for dates or school when Alya was mostly around.

I'm kind of jealous of them. They just fit so well together.

"Hey Marinette." I head behind me. I squeaked as I quickly looked around. There… was the boy who had been completely head over heels for, for the past two years. Like Nino, he was now a bit taller and his voice was a bit deeper. However, everything remained perfectly the same. His golden hair, his emerald eyes, his wonderful and adorable smile…

"Ad-Adri-Adrien! Hi! Hi, how are… I didn't see… What I mean to say is… Hi." I deflated instantly. Two years and I still couldn't speak right. He laughed nervously. Probably thinking I was the weirdest girl ever. I really hated myself sometimes.

"I hope you don't mind. Adrien actually had a free day today, and really wanted to hang out. I figured after you said you were going to Marinette's that you would bring her along." Nino explained. Alya chuckled giving me a look that said: "I told you so."

"Oh it's totally cool. The girl was working herself to exhaustion Nino… I'm worried." She whispered it to Nino, but I still heard it. It made me feel guilty. I never wanted to make her worry. That was the complete opposite of what I wanted for everyone.

"Working, huh? What have you been working on? New designs?" My body went completely rigid. Adrien Agreste was trying to start a conversation… with ME!

"Y-yeah. Multiple ones, ac-actually." Damn my stuttering!

"That's cool!" He smiled brightly. "I can only imagine how nice they look. You always make great designs."

And ladies and gentlemen… That is how Marinette Dupain-Cheng died from her heart exploding in her chest.

"Th-thank you!" I shouted, maybe a little too loud. Adrien only smiled kindly, and I melted like butter in the sun.

"Oh Yoo-hoo! Guys we got a seat." Alya called over. Embarrassed, I rushed to the seat on the other side of her. Which led to sit between Nino and I. I was dying under all of this.

However, as my luck would have it. An akuma appeared.

The name was The Zinger. Her power was to send out electric currents and shock those around her into being her minions. It was creepy. Everyone was acting like zombies. She zapped near our table and we scattered. I didn't even see where my friends went. I looked down, ready to transform… My blood ran cold.

I didn't have my purse… I didn't have Tikki. When Alya dragged me out, I didn't grab my purse…

"Peek-a-boo." A heard The Zinger cackle. I flinched as I saw her weapon glint. She pointed it at me, chuckling. "Welcome to my reign."

"I don't think so!" Her weapon was kicked out of her hand as Chat Noir came soaring off the rooftop. The Zinger gasped as she went for her weapon, but Chat Noir was quicker. He grabbed it and snapped it in half. After the Akuma fluttered out, Chat trapped it in a specialized glass jar that he received from Master Fu. It didn't purify them, only kept them locked up until Ladybug could purify it.

I sighed in relief. A bit in me hoped that Chat would come and save me. He has never let me down before, Ladybug or Marinette. The Zinger flashed as she became a normal girl again. She groaned and held her head.

Chat Noir directed his attention to me. In a flash, he was by my side.

"Are you okay, Princess?" His voice was soft and full of concern.

Chat and I haven't had many run ins as my civilian self, but when we did… It was nothing but tender care and humor. For some odd reason, he called me Princess, which if I hadn't almost been hurt, I would've corrected him. I was just too tired… I nodded my head… At least I think so.

"Princess?" I gazed at him but for some reason he was spinning. Or was that me? I remember hearing a gurgled sound before everything went black.

"Exhaustion… Her body couldn't take all the stress placed on it. She will be fine. She just needs some rest and some relaxation. I will write a note for her to be excused from classes tomorrow, so she may receive the amount of rest her body needs…" I heard a voice say. My body shifted slightly.

It felt like a cloud…

I opened my eyes. My vision was a bit blurry, but soon it focused on my ceiling. Home… I was home. Safe and sound… In my bed.

"Marinette?" I heard my Mama's voice. "Oh thank goodness. Tome, she's awake." I shifted my body so I could look over to them. My father and the doctor were at my trapdoor. My mother seated right next to me. She caressed my face and hair.

"What happened?" I asked. My voice sounded a bit broken.

"You fainted, my dear." The doctor answered. "You were brought home safely by Chat Noir. He looked very worried. He almost didn't leave. You certainly have friends in the right places." I smiled at that.

Thank you, Chat. Where ever you are.

And to believe… This was just the beginning of a roller coaster. One with us fighting our desires and our obligations. One that will make us question everything that we have ever done. One that will have us losing ourselves in the heat. One... that will lead us to a final battle; trapped , injured and exhausted, in a closet.