this is it (probably) THIS IS THE LAST CHAP! i still don't know if there's a whole like/comment system on here, but please, do both of those wherever they're supposed to be done lol. again, i will write a Chat pov after this so no worries yet, it's technically not the last chap yet. anyways, enjoy this! thank u so much for reading this far! ok, read on:

I can't help but hold the straps of my bag tight. I think I've actually restricted blood supply to my fingertips cause they're eerily numb. Some small kid tags me ahead when I forget to start crossing the road as the pedestrian light glows green.

Right, today's the day I'm supposed to end this damn loop. And I believe it will only end if I save Chat Noir.

I'm too distracted to join Alya in bullying Nino and his capless head. In fact, I barely even look at them cause I'm waiting for Adrien's car to pull up by the front of the school.

"Marinette?" Alya taps my shoulder and I feel like I've just flown into the scene from a distant dream. It's like I've been in somebody else's body this entire time too. I look at her long enough to make her worry of course but smile immediately after she gives me a concerned look. "What's up? I thought having a boyfriend would mean I get to make fun of him with my bestie."

"Ha. Yeah. Of course."

"I knew you two had an agenda against me!" Nino shrieks.

"Oh shush! It's like you and Adrien never talk about me or Marinette when we're not around."

The two start arguing back and forth about something that I really can't be bothered to pay attention to cause Adrien's car has already pulled up in front of us. I watch him as he walks out with his backpack then and makes his way toward us. His mouth moves but I can't hear him say anything, not until he snaps his fingers in my face.

"Earth to Mari? Hey. Marinette?"

"She's malfunctioning today," Alya says and I'm conscious enough to hit her on the shoulder for that. "Ow!"

"Sorry Adrien," I say. "I was just thinking about something incredibly important that I just have to tell you. Like, right now. Alone." I say that last part more to Alya and Nino rather than Adrien. Lucky for me, I have smart friends who gladly take the hint and start to walk off.

"What's up Mari?"

I grab his hand and lead him to a lower stair then drag him down to sit beside me. "I've been living this day over and over again."

Of course, Adrien ends up laughing instead of taking me seriously. Then again, who'd believe someone who says with a serious look on their face they're living in a loop?

"I'm glad you still haven't lost your sense of humour when I was gone," he's like. "I've missed you—"

"No. Adrien, this is real. What I'm saying is real, okay? And to prove it, Chloe's gonna come over with Sabrina and tell you all about skydiving during the weekend."

"This is a joke, right? Marinette?" His face is seriously serious all of a sudden. "That's absurd!"

"What's absurd is that I know there's going to be an Akuma today and Chat Noir is going to die."

I can feel his breath turn cold as he breathes out. His eyes turn glassy and remain fixed on a stair below us, then he picks at one of his cuticles and tries to bite at a nail.

"Chat Noir isn't going to die," his voice is cold and fixed. "He's got Ladybug. Ladybug's always there for him."

"Well, maybe Ladybug isn't the superhero you thought she was! Maybe she's just some naive teen trying to save everyone in Paris but we all know there's just one of her and dozens of bad people out there."

I try to keep my breath even but I don't. It sounds like I'm struggling so hard to grasp that little lungful of air but it keeps escaping from somewhere. Instead of speaking, both of us remain quiet and Chloe makes her debut appearance for the day, like I'd predicted.

"Adrikins!" She pounces at Adrien and gives him a tight hug before rambling again for the fourth time (well, the fourth according to me) about going skydiving for the weekend... I'd whisper a 'told you so' to Adrien, but I decide against it when he remains speechless to every word Chloe's saying.

"Chloe," he finally interrupts. "I'm sorry, but Marinette and I were in the middle of something. Talk later, okay?"

"You'll give me a call then, right?"

Adrien forces a smile. "Sure." And like that, she's gone again, right after she gives me the stink eye.

"How did you know she'd say all that?" Adrien's smile fades and he seems... angry? I'm not sure what face he's giving me, but it's so foreign to me that it makes me shiver.

"I just told you, I've lived through this entire day before—"

"Marinette, this isn't funny."

"I know Adrien! But, trust me, please? Just..." I sigh. "Look, I told you about this cause I trust you. You're the only one who'd believe me, okay? Alya would probably just ignore me but you have faith in people. Heck, you have faith in Chloe. You see the good in people, you can tell, it's like, a gift or something."

He looks at the ground and rubs his hands together. I can tell he's considering believing me but maybe he just needs one last push.

"I was supposed to tell you I like you today." That's what I say. That's what I consider the last push he needs. He turns his attention to me, completely, no nail-biting, cuticle poking or stair staring, he's looking directly at me now. "I told you I liked you three times before, same day, same time and I'm wasting this chance by telling you about the loop."

"Mari, please don't joke about this too."

"'This'? Whatever 'this' is isn't a joke. Gosh! You're so oblivious sometimes! Why'd you think I used to be all flustered around you?! Huh?" His silence after I've said that is so infuriating that I shove his right leg off the stair it's resting on. "I know you like someone, and yeah, I know you also just want to be friends and blah blah blah, but you know you can be selfish too, right? You don't have to be a hero. So don't... don't get hurt today, okay? Just stay put. Don't be an idiot."

With that, I stand and leave him there on his own before he can even respond to anything I've said to at least get everything through his head first. Knowing him, he'll still be stubborn anyway so I obviously have a plan B to make sure he doesn't transform at all even if his life depended on it, which it obviously didn't.

I approach Alya at the desk we share during class. She gives me a grin and pokes my side with her elbow. "Where'd you leave Golden boy? Hmm? Come on, give me the deets!"

"No deets. But I need a favour. A Ladybug type of favour."

"Oh." Alya looks at the rest of the class as Adrien walks in and a crowd forms around him. For a short moment, he and I make eye contact but divert our gazes as soon as we do. "Oooooh! Something did happen."

I don't like how fast she caught on but I nod in agreement. "Chat Noir and I have a mission to keep Adrien safe at all times, so if there's an akuma any time now, I want you to make up an excuse to be stuck with him somewhere. Don't let him leave, okay?"

Alya nods and I appreciate her loyalty by giving her a huge smile. I feel guilty about not telling her about Adrien being Chat but it's his secret to tell anyways. Plus, he wouldn't transform in front of Alya, right? He'll have no choice but to stay put.

Ms Bustier walks into the class a few minutes after my conversation with Alya. The class begins as usual and we all take turns to read paragraphs off some English setbook.

As usual, the commotion starts right as Rose begins her part. Alya and I give each other one final nod then she shouts out for everyone to evacuate the class.

She grabs Nino and Adrien then runs off to the school courtyard along with the rest of the class.

Now everything else remains solely my responsibility. I'm nervous, and yeah, I'd argue that I'm always nervous during an akuma attack but today the anxiety is maxed out. I look at my hands and they tremble but a quick breath calms me down.

I can't afford to waste any more time.

I head to the girls' washroom and transform there then sneak out through the window. I'm all alone now.

I catch sight of Combustion instantly from afar. You can't miss the huge balls of light up ahead anyway, so I follow the path of destruction he's left behind: melted cars, cracked tarmac and broken street lamps. It all leads to the top of the Eiffel tower which looks damaged enough already. Half of it is lying beside the still erect half, sharp bits poking out to the sky. The ground shakes and people scream as they run away from falling bits and pieces. Not even buildings are safe cause they're all being turned into rabble effortlessly.

"Hey!" I yell at the bastard as he continues with his mayhem. "Would you stop doing that?!"

"Huh?" the guy turns around and looks at me then tilts his head. "Ladybug! You're early!"

"Yeah, so?"

"So I get to end my day early too!" He holds up a hand and a ball of light forms from nothing. He lodges it toward me but I know most of his moves already so I dodge it gracefully.

"I will ask this one last time, you bastard!" I say. "Would you please stop doing that?! You're so fucking annoying!"

I fling my yoyo towards one of his arms and hold on tight as I try to pull him towards me but he's strong. He remains absolutely still as he grabs the string of my yoyo and tries to throw me off to a fallen building. I had no choice, I had to let go of the yoyo if I have to live another day, in case my plan goes horrid. But without that yoyo, I won't be able to purify the akuma, attack Combustion or even summon my lucky charm (as if I can summon it anyway).

Gee, who in the hell made these miraculouses and thought a yoyo would be a good weapon against evil?

All I have now is my instinct. If I can look around and find something—anything—to defeat this guy...

The akuma must be in the fire extinguisher he's carrying on his back, right? That's the only thing that would make sense now. But how am I supposed to break a fire extinguisher? I'm not exactly the hulk. Chat's cataclysm would've been so useful right about now—

"Milady!"

My heart stops immediately when I hear that voice echo through the rooftops.

"Ladybug!?"

Chat.

"Chat, no! Stay away. I can handle this on my own!"

No no no no! Why would Alya let Adrien out of her sight?!

"I'm sorry I'm late but—"

"No Chat! You're not supposed to be here! Get out of here!"

Chat Noir stands and crosses his arms above his chest. "No."

"Chat, I'm serious. Just this once, please don't be stubborn." I start to contemplate using my yoyo to tie him up but, again, the bad guy has it.

It's of no use anyway cause Chat's already grabbed my hand and lunged us both toward Combustion at the very top of the Eiffel tower where there are dozens of hazards and every chance at death for him.

"Chat, put me down and head back to wherever you came from."

"Not a chance."

I roll my eyes. "You're going to die, okay? And I'm trying to protect you."

He looks me in the eye for sometime and shakes his head eventually. "Yeah right. What's with everyone telling me I'm going to die today? I'll be fine, don't you trust me?"

"Yes, Chat, I do but—"

"Then let me fix things. Let's fix things together. We're partners after all." He holds a hand out and I look at it. I'd rather just stare at his hand like that for eternity than move at all but my hand moves on its own accord to connect with his.

He nods then puts me down. "First order of business. Where could the akuma be?"

I point at the fire extinguisher. "There."

"Then let's break it." He gives me his baton and summons his cataclysm right before launching straight at Combustion's back. I follow suit, extending his baton as I fall through the air just enough to catch him and keep us balanced on the baton long enough to not fall to the ground.

Chat's touched the fire extinguisher and, with Combustion now briefly disoriented, simultaneously reaches for my yoyo and snatches it back from his grasp. He flings the latter up toward me while the former disintegrates into thin air, but no akuma flies out.

"Now what?" he questions as we sit on the baton that's being supported by two open sides of the tower.

I try to focus once again on anything that would fit as an object for the akuma to possess.

"I don't know."

"Maybe try your lucky charm?"

I look at my yoyo and even though I know it wouldn't work, something urges me to trust Chat and try it one last time.

A pair of red spotted scissors appears from thin air and I beam silently at the fact that the charm actually worked.

Just as I'm about to figure out where the akuma is and how a pair of scissors would help me out, a fireball flies straight at me from nowhere. I'm slightly disoriented when that happens and so is Chat. We both topple off the baton as the tower around us starts to collapse once again.

Chat's managed to hold onto the baton as we fall. The baton itself is balancing between the cracks of the tumbling tower. I, on the other hand, am not lucky enough to have grabbed on. Chat tries to reach out to me with his free hand but our hands just scrape each other and I continue to fall.

I hear him scream as he looks down at me and everything after that suddenly happens in slow motion. I try to use my yoyo to at least rappel myself to the baton but I miss once again which, fortunately, gives Chat another chance to catch me by grabbing on to the other end of the yoyo.

We look at each other in silence as the tower continues to fall and the weight on the baton begins to make the sides of the tower crumble like it's dust.

This is it. This isn't a dream anymore. I know it's not a dream cause I can feel pain now when I see Chat struggle to keep the two of us up with a single arm. I've used my lucky charm too and even my earrings are beeping viciously. That should mean whatever's happening is bound to happen now. If we die, it's for good this time.

I can also see the pain in his eyes. Maybe it's because he's afraid, or it's because his hands are exhausted and can't hold on much longer. But we're at a standstill. It feels like time has frozen and we're the only people that are moving. There's absolutely no sound except Chat's voice echoing in my mind.

I'll be fine, don't you trust me?

We're partners after all.

And that's why, with a sad look on my face and a tear falling off the side of my cheek, when my transformation gives out and my yoyo disappears along with it, I let go.

I'm trusting Chat to save Paris on his own like I should have all along. I should have gone with option one. I should die for him to live. It's the only way. Maybe I just wasn't supposed to have another chance at saving him. Maybe, the only thing I was supposed to do was give Chat that chance to save himself.

"Mari?" Is the distant sound I hear come from Chat's mouth and I notice he's seeing the real me now. "Marinette!"

He lets go of the baton and sores down towards me. I see water flow out of my eyes as I fall, and in my last ditch effort to make sure he still saves Paris, even with me dead and gone, I clasp the scissors I charmed up in my hand then mouth, "Fix this". And a burst of pain shoots through my spine as I collide with the ground and everything turns to jet black.

Oi! I was jk. This is actually the first part of the last chap cause I realize it's too long lol. Next part coming at a supersonic speed!

Good day! (and thanks again for reading :D)