No One Mourns a Villain
Author's Note: I don't normally do these things in the beginning, but I felt I should warn people that this fic differs in both my normal writing style and my personal beliefs regarding the series. It was an idea that popped into my head one night and I felt obligated to write it. However, it is very angsty and it does involve a theory I do not support. No more spoilers, I'll add more at the end.
A very special thank you to PerditaAlottachocolate for beta-reading and editing this story.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
"An alliance? You're crazy," Ladybug said with a snort of disbelief. "You've been trying to take our Miraculouses for years. Why would we ally with you now?"
"Because you have no other choice," Hawkmoth replied in a cool, even tone. "What is out there now is what I have fought before in the past. Akumas are nothing. This is what Miraculouses were to be used for."
"So why can't you take it on alone?"
Ladybug watched as Hawkmoth sighed and turned to look out the window of the room where the three now conversed, hidden away from all civilians. It wasn't so much that the two heroes had been captured, per say, but rather they responded to a tentative offer of peace to listen to their nemesis and his request. Now, Ladybug and Chat Noir found themselves standing inside the so-called lair – the dome-shaped abandoned structure where Hawkmoth has been hiding for the last two years, complete with an iron-wrought butterfly enclosure behind them. But despite the isolation and perfect opportunity for betrayal, Hawkmoth didn't appear to have any ill intentions... yet. He simply had offered to form an alliance against their most recent threat. The one that nearly defeated the two teenagers earlier that day.
"My wife is missing," he said at last, a doleful expression upon his face. "She is the only one who can stop this." He glanced to Ladybug. "Your Miraculous can do much, but my wife's was specially designed to counter this evil. However, the power of the Ladybug and Chat Noir Miraculouses can bring her back."
Ladybug growled at him. "Have you ever thought about just asking us for help instead of attacking us?"
At this, Hawkmoth whirled around, anger etched into his face. "Ask you? Ask you? The very thought has crossed my mind every moment I send out an akuma. Tell me, what would you have answered had I asked you for help from the very beginning?"
"I would help you," she replied instantly. "I still want to help you."
Beside her, Chat nodded. "And me, too."
A flicker of anguish passed over Hawkmoth's face. "How dare I ask something so selfish of children?" he whispered.
Ladybug faltered. Chat tensed, ready to defend if necessary. "So you attack us instead?"
Hawkmoth leveled a look so condescending at her, she wanted to protest but didn't know at what. "Do you know what your combined Miraculouses would do?"
"Bring back your wife?" Ladybug hazarded a guess.
"Precisely," came the cold reply. "My akuma, Pharaoh, should have taught you one thing above all else: to bring back a life, one must be given in its place. The balance will not be broken."
Both Ladybug and Chat Noir's mouths dropped open. "Wait," Chat began as the words finally started to sink in, "this whole time, you've always planned on sacrificing yourself?"
Hawkmoth turned away. "I cannot ask this of anyone else. It is my own selfish request. You two have your whole lives ahead of you. Who would mourn a villain if he were to just one day... disappear?"
"What about your civilian identity?" Ladybug challenged.
Another low, dark chuckle escaped. "No one would miss me. My wife was my better half. The light of my life. The light of anyone's life. No matter, it is of little consequence. You need my wife to help you with your current fight. You do not need me. Those are the facts. I do not expect you to understand, but you must accept them."
"Like hell I will," Chat growled suddenly. "You must be stupid if you think either one of us is going to let you die that easily."
"Idiot boy!" Hawkmoth ground out in return. "As if I would let either one of you two die as easily! I have planned for this moment! I have my affairs in order and I guarantee people will celebrate my demise. I have spent the last two years preparing for this day. People mourn a hero's death. They cheer for a villain's death. I refuse to allow my wife to be blamed for the death of a hero – even if that hero used to be me." He sighed, all his passion fading away once more. "A villain's death is all I deserve."
"There has to be another way," Ladybug mused.
"There isn't," Hawkmoth insisted.
Ladybug harrumphed. "I'm not giving up, either." She turned and went to the window overlooking Paris, deep in thought. She recalled their fight earlier – the one where she and Chat fought side by side, losing, until Hawkmoth swooped in and swung his cane with a resounding crack at the villain. The heroes gaped at the arrival of their nemesis even as the new threat dissolved into nothing with a fading howl. They tensed and readied their weapons as Hawkmoth turned to them.
"I propose a truce, if you'll hear me out," he said.
They stared at him for a moment longer before Chat cleared his throat and turned to Ladybug. "It couldn't hurt to listen, could it?" he said.
She nodded in agreement. "Okay," she told Hawkmoth. "We're listening."
"Not here. We're too exposed."
Before she could ask what he meant, Hawkmoth snapped his fingers and a cloud of butterflies descended upon them. Fighting the instinct to swat them away even as Chat growled, she allowed them to settle upon her more out of surprise than complacency. The cloud lifted her and Chat up and over the rooftops of Paris before depositing them in the observatory.
Now, she cast a glance to Hawkmoth, who stood fixated on the crystal in his cane, refusing to meet their eyes. Chat continued watching him with guarded wariness, ready to attack or defend should the need arise. She didn't think that was necessary. Hawkmoth's entire countenance exuded resigned defeat – along with a deep, well-worn weariness she had never thought she would ever attribute to the villain.
She believed him sincere in his words. The battle had shifted unfavorably against them very early on, and only when the new threat trapped them both did they realize a bit late that this wasn't an akumatized victim. If Hawkmoth hadn't shown up when he had... Ladybug shook her head.
Hawkmoth had nothing to gain by helping them. He could have watched in the shadows, stepping in at the very end to snatch their Miraculouses. If this was a ploy to get their Miraculouses, Hawkmoth was going about it in a very convoluted manner. Ladybug identified no less than eight moments when he could have acted against them yet didn't.
She mulled over something. They needed advice and they needed it quick. Master Fu was her first thought but she didn't know exactly where he was. The mysterious guardian had vanished a few days prior with some cryptic words and she had been unable to contact him since. That left the one person she trusted most of all to guide her through all of the insanity that had fallen upon her since donning the mantle of Ladybug. It was risky... very risky... but Hawkmoth had risked everything by bringing them to his lair, unguarded.
She sighed. Chat was going to hate this.
But Marinette refused to allow anyone to die under her watch. Not without a fight. And she hadn't confided in her greatest mentor yet. She turned back to the two.
"Maybe Tikki will know," she finally said in a quiet voice.
"Who's Tikki?" Two voices questioned in unison.
"My kwami."
"You can't release your transformation, Ladybug!" Chat protested, a fierce urgency lacing his words.
She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at Chat in a challenge. "I plan on using every available tool at my disposal for this. If that means revealing my identity to you both, then I'm okay with that. Besides, Chat, after years of fighting by your side, it's the least you deserve."
"But wait, my La-"
"Tikki, spots off."
A long moment of silence.
"Marinette?"
She looked at Chat, then risked a glance at Hawkmoth. Both watched her, mouths agape in the stunned silence that followed. She frowned and folded her arms. "Do you both know me?"
Chat and Hawkmoth looked at each other. Hawkmoth coughed and broke the silence first. "We've met."
Chat glared at Hawkmoth, then turned back to Marinette. "Uh, we attend the same school."
"Oh."
Hawkmoth chuckled, though there was no humor in the action. "This is further indication that I should be the one to go through with this. You have a bright future ahead of you and I refuse to allow that to be extinguished."
Marinette leveled a glare at him and stalked over to him, jabbing a finger in his chest. "You listen here, mister," she began hotly, emphasizing her words with various jabs even as Hawkmoth's eyes widened and he stepped back to escape the angry girl, "I told you before I will not allow you to needlessly sacrifice yourself. If what you say is even true, then you're one of the only people who know what we're up against. Chat and I cannot stumble through this like we did with you and your akumas. This is far too dangerous. You would sacrifice yourself? Fine. That leaves Chat and I to fight alone. What do you think our odds of success will be then? And your wife? Do you think she would just be content to recover and let us fight?"
Hawkmoth gulped and his pupils constricted. Clearly he hadn't thought ahead that far.
"I..." he paused and looked to Chat, who watched Marinette with undisguised awe. "Though you have a fair point, it still remains that I have planned for this moment. As I said earlier, nobody will miss me. I have anticipated my sacrifice from the very beginning."
"How can you be so sure of that?" Marinette demanded, crossing her arms. "If you're married, do you have a family?"
Hawkmoth's mouth opened and closed before nodding. "Yes," he whispered. "But I told you, I have made sure my son won't care if I'm gone."
"Well too bad," Marinette said, bitter venom thick in her voice. "Because if you trick me and sacrifice yourself, I'll make sure your son knows every moment of your heroism. I'll see to it that the entire world mourns you."
"Why?"
"Because you're being an idiot."
The dumbstruck look on Hawkmoth's face broke Chat. He laughed. "Wow, my Lady, that was rather blunt."
Marinette scowled and turned away, ignoring her partner. "Tikki, is what he is saying true?"
The red kwami, previously floating unobserved, flew in between the three of them. "Unfortunately, Hawkmoth is correct," she stated. "If one person enters, only one person may leave."
"Then it's agreed," Hawkmoth cut in, only to be silenced with a deadly glare from Marinette. He shrunk back.
Marinette thought for a moment. "What if two people were to enter instead?" she mused aloud.
"Then two people can leave," Tikki said, "but not three people."
"Hmm," she thought, placing a finger upon her lips.
"What are you thinking?" Chat asked, curious.
"I think I have a plan," she said. "But you're not going to like it."
Chat planted his feet. "I already don't like how you're starting your explanation."
"Do you remember Timebreaker?"
Chat blinked. "Uh... which part?"
"The part where there were two of me in the same place at the same time?"
"No," Hawkmoth spoke up. "I refuse to cooperate."
Marinette cast him an exasperated look. "You don't even know what I'm planning."
Hawkmoth's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Oh? You're planning on having two of you enter and leave one behind, correct?"
Marinette blinked. "Wow that's... well, yes, actually."
"No."
"Since when do you get a say in this?"
"Since you need my powers for this to work."
Chat cleared his throat. "Uh, I think I'm still a few steps behind. Care to explain in more detail?"
Marinette turned to him. "You give me your ring and I use the combined powers to open the gate. Then, Hawkmoth akumatizes you into someone who can duplicate me. I enter with one copy, find and rescue Mrs. Hawkmoth, and return. I leave the copy behind. Once outside, Hawkmoth can release your akuma and I'll use Miraculous Ladybug to restore everything to normal."
"No." Chat's refusal to cooperate echoed Hawkmoth's. "I can't believe I'm agreeing with him," he jabbed a clawed thumb at Hawkmoth, "but it's too dangerous."
"It's the only way we have a shot at this."
Hawkmoth shook his head. "No. There's no guarantee that your cleanse will work as you intend. What if it transports the real you out here back into the void?"
"Then we're at 50/50 odds, which is better than what you had."
"No."
Marinette stamped her foot in anger. "It's the only way and you know it! Stop being stubborn and face facts. This is the best option for all of us!"
Chat stepped toward her. "Let me go in, instead."
"I can't," Marinette said. "I won't be able to cleanse if I'm akumatized."
"But if I have both of the Miraculouses, I can cleanse, right?"
"No," Tikki interjected. "You'll have a different power for the combination, but Marinette will still be able to cleanse. All you'll be able to do is Cataclysm."
Chat looked torn. His eyes roamed over Marinette as if trying to memorize every part of her. With each passing second, he got more visibly distressed. His chin trembled and he clenched his jaw to counter it. His hands shook so he tightened them into fists. His eyes watered and he straightened, holding his back stiff. Marinette's heart splintered as she watched him losing his inner battle. She stepped over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'll come back, kitty," she murmured in his ear as he buried his face in her shoulder. "I promise."
"You better," he choked out, losing his composure at last and breaking down into little sobs. "I can't bear to lose you."
They stood together for a long moment in a tight embrace before Marinette gently pulled away. Hawkmoth had wandered over into a corner of the room, talking with Tikki in a low voice. She was grateful for his discretion. He glanced over and saw them apart and wandered back into range.
"This is ridiculous," he muttered, "I cannot allow you to do this."
"You must. It's the best chance we have for success and you know it."
He closed his eyes, accepting defeat. He knew she was right but didn't like it. He would never come to terms with it, even if the logic behind it was sound. She could see it written on his face.
"Chat?" she said, "Can you do me one last favor?"
"Anything, my Lady," he replied without hesitation.
"If this doesn't end up working," she began, biting her lip. "Can you tell my parents?"
Chat's face clouded over, but he nodded. "You have my word, my Lady."
"And Alya? She's my best friend and she's in my class and-"
"I know Alya," Chat cut in, a gentle assurance in his words.
"And Nino and Adrien? They're my closest friends and they... well, they deserve to know."
Chat blinked, looking stunned. "I... of course."
"You don't have to tell them the truth," she continued, "but just let them know what happened to me?"
"They're going to get the entire truth. They deserve it."
She nodded. "Thank you, Chat."
"I don't like this," Hawkmoth iterated again, shifting on his feet with reluctance. "It should be me going in." At her glare, he held up a hand. "But I know you will not be dissuaded. So thank you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Thank you for helping me even though I have made the last two years of your life rather difficult."
Marinette quirked a smile. "It wasn't all that bad. I met Chat, after all." She grinned at her partner, who returned it with a watery smile of his own. "But I would like to know who you are, really."
Hawkmoth heaved a long, heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping with resignation. "It's only fair. However, I should warn you: prepare to be disappointed. Nooroo, dark wings fall."
When the purple glow vanished, Marinette was left staring up at Gabriel Agreste, frowning at them both.
"Mr. Agreste!" Marinette gasped, her hands covering her mouth.
"Might I attempt to convince you one last time to allow me to go in your place?" he argued again, his back ramrod straight and his hands clenched into fists at his side. He looked between their dumbstruck expressions. "Now that you know my civilian identity, you can both probably agree that it would be best. No one would miss-"
He was cut off by a sudden black blur smashing into him and slamming him against the wall.
"Chat!"
Chat snarled as he clenched Gabriel's jacket in his fists, white-hot fury radiating from him. "How dare you," he growled out, emphasizing each word with a darkness Marinette had never heard from her partner. Gabriel blinked at him but did nothing to stop the assault. "How dare you claim that no one would miss you." The anger slowly melted away, to be replaced by Chat dissolving into wracking sobs. "Why would you think that?" He slid to the floor, dragging Gabriel with him. "Why would you ever think that?" His body heaved with choked gasps. He bowed his head, still clutching Gabriel like he was his last lifeline.
Gabriel's face contorted into confusion. "I don't understand," he said. "I've done everything I could to ensure my disappearance would go off without-"
"Stop that!" Chat screamed and Gabriel closed his mouth. Marinette wanted to run forward and grab her partner, but some instinct held her back. Instead she scooped up the two kwamis and sat down against the wall. Her hands shook as she cupped Tikki and Nooroo. "Stop saying that!" Chat cried as the tears fell freely down his face. "Is that what you've been doing all these years? All this time? It was all an act?"
Gabriel gulped and placed his hands on top of Chat's lightly. "I had to," he insisted in a gentle voice, his face softening with sympathy as he squeezed the boy's hands, "once I realized what needed to be done to get my wife back. I don't expect you to understand how painfully hard this has been for me, to push everyone away. I'm sorry this has affected you."
"Ladybug was right, you are an idiot."
"I- I know."
"Because it didn't work," Chat continued in a mumble, tears still streaming from his eyes. He looked up at Gabriel. "Whatever you did, it didn't work. You failed." He shook Gabriel weakly. His hands trembled. Gabriel closed his eyes in defeat.
"I know."
"No, you don't. You failed because you didn't push everyone away like you wanted. There's still people who care about you."
"There's no one."
"There's me!"
The silence hung in the air, punctuated only by quiet sobs from Chat. He inhaled a shaky breath and looked up at Gabriel. "I still love you. I always have. And I always will. Plagg, claws in."
The green light dissolved around Chat, and all that was left was Adrien Agreste clutching his father.
"Adrien?" The astonished gasp shattered the stoic mask at last as Gabriel stared at his son. With eyes wide in horror and shock as realization sunk into him, Gabriel wrapped his arms around Adrien, gradually dissolving into tears himself. "Why?" Gabriel murmured into Adrien's ear, his voice cracking with emotion, "I did everything I could to guarantee that you would hate me, that you wouldn't miss me. Your mother would be back. You loved her. You missed her."
Adrien cried louder, his tears soaking Gabriel's jacket. "But she wasn't there!" he insisted. "And you were! You were all I had, Father. I would miss you the same as I miss her."
"Adrien... I'm so sorry," Gabriel said, resting his cheek upon his son's head.
They sat there for another long moment before Gabriel looked up at Marinette, who watched them silently with tears pooling in her eyes. "I suppose we should get this over with."
She nodded and stood, holding the kwamis out. Adrien scrubbed at his face with the back of his hand. Nooroo flew over to Gabriel, who offered a faint yet fond smile to his kwami.
"Plagg," Adrien said quietly and the black cat-like kwami that hovered near his shoulder zoomed in front of his face. "Thanks for everything, Plagg."
"Ugh," Plagg grumbled. "Just because I'm the best kwami of the bunch doesn't mean you have to get all sentimental on me. That's Tikki's area of expertise." Beside Marinette, Tikki rolled her eyes. "Your partner's got a good head on her shoulders, though I don't think she's got any cheese on her."
Adrien chuckled despite himself and pulled out a wedge from his pocket, holding it out to Plagg. The kwami's green eyes lit up. "That's the stuff!" he crowed, launching forward and snatching it from Adrien's fingers with a gulp. "And I expect double that when I return."
"You got it, Plagg. See you in a little while."
Adrien pulled off his ring as the kwami vanished and handed it to Marinette, who slipped it onto her own finger. It fit perfectly, despite Adrien's fingers being noticeably larger than hers. Plagg reappeared and released a giant yawn.
"Hello there," he greeted, acting like he was seeing her for the first time. "I'm Plagg, kwami of destruction. I give you magical powers. You got anything to eat around here?"
Tikki flew over and slapped him upside the head. "Plagg, I know very well you haven't lost your memories and you just ate."
Plagg grumbled as he glared at Tikki. "You can't blame me for trying. Anyway, now that you have both Miraculouses, you need a new name. Ladybug ain't gonna cut it with me. I was thinking... Ladyplagg."
Marinette scrunched up her face. "You intentionally want me to call you 'Lady Plagg'?" she asked.
"Nah, you're right. Too forward. Might give people the wrong idea that I'm cuddly and cute. How about 'Plagg Noir'?"
"How about Ladybug?" Tikki demanded, flying in his face. "Because if all goes according to plan, you'll be back with your own chosen soon."
Plagg flipped backwards in mid-air. "Who needs plans when we have a heavy dose of luck on our side? Our best option is just to slip in and out by the seat of our pants. I would say winging it, but wings are really more of Nooroo's domain."
"What's going to happen when I combine the Miraculouses?" Marinette asked, bringing their attentions back to the current situation.
Tikki and Plagg stopped their bickering and turned to her, solemn expressions on both of their faces. "We don't know, Marinette."
"It's only happened a few times previously and each time has been different," Plagg explained. He grinned, showing his tiny fangs. "This one should be fun."
"Plagg!"
"Oh, just get on with it already," Plagg replied, irritated with the delays. "When you transform, you'll feel different. You'll get the urge to simultaneously destroy and create everything all at once."
"Uhm, yay?"
"Not 'yay', pay attention," Plagg admonished, floating up to her eyes. "You'll need to focus. If you don't you risk losing everything. If you unleash that much destructive power without a guiding force then you could level this entire block."
Marinette gulped and looked over to Adrien. His jaw was set firm and he nodded once to her. "If anyone can do it, I know you can, Marinette," he said with absolute conviction.
She swallowed hard and nodded back at him. "Okay, focus. Got it."
Tikki floated up and joined in the explanation. "It will be my powers that limit Plagg's. He'll be leaking destruction from everywhere and it's up to me to contain that much explosive energy. Don't worry, Marinette, I know you can do it!"
"Eh," Plagg began, dousing water over the group once more, "it still might be better if we had some kind of shield."
"Well we don't this time," Tikki remarked.
Plagg glanced over to Gabriel. "Well, not in the traditional sense," he said.
Tikki tilted her head and zipped over to Gabriel. She examined Nooroo. "Hmm, I don't know if it will work," she mused.
"If what will work?" Gabriel asked. "I am willing to try anything."
"It's not really up to you," Tikki said. "It's one of the limitations to you not being a perfect fit for the Miraculous. But it might act as a screen. Nooroo, do you think you could try?"
The purple kwami nodded. "I think despite our difference of opinion, I can resonate a bit more now with his inner energy."
"Nooroo?" Gabriel asked. "What do I need to do?"
"After you send out your akuma, you need to hold up your cane. I'll create a soft dome of light to contain any stray bursts from the portal Ladybug will create. It's not as good as a solid shield, but it might offer some level of protection."
Gabriel nodded in understanding.
"What will happen inside the portal?" Marinette asked.
Tikki sighed and shook her head. "It's difficult to say. There is no substance, nothing physical to stand in. You'll be walking on air. The longer you remain, the further the current sucks you into the center."
"So how far do I need to go?"
Tikki shrugged. "After two years? Perhaps only minutes. The current will guide you in the correct direction. Your footsteps will cross over time. A single step replaces months. Getting in is easy. Getting out is the tricky part."
"You need a guide," Plagg took over. He looked between Gabriel and Adrien before flying up into Gabriel's face. "Your telepathic abilities as an empath will allow you to connect to her mind. You need to be the guiding force for Ladybug. She will want to falter and you'll need to keep her on track. The currents will fight against her. They want to keep her inside. Her memory and motivations will begin to fade. It will be your job to get her out. Mess up, and the last thing you see will be me guiding Ladybug's hand of Cataclysm at your face. Got it?"
Gabriel nodded, unperturbed by the threat. "Understood."
"It is time," Tikki said.
Adrien reached into his pocket and withdrew the charm she had given him many months ago. He smiled at her, though his eyes watered. She returned it. She called her transformations and was dimly aware of Gabriel doing the same beside her. The feeling of both of the Miraculouses melded together and the power coursed through her veins. Her arms tingled with anticipation. Her vision sharpened. Her fingers twitched. She needed to do something. Anything...
The walls closed in on her. She needed to get rid of them.
She raised a hand, eager to summon destruction.
Something inside her forced it back down.
Her hand trembled, fighting against her instinctive desires.
Beside her, Hawkmoth summoned an akuma, but this time it remained white, not the purple-mottled black. He aimed it at Adrien, who didn't look away from Marinette. The akuma settled onto his charm.
"Duplicity, I grant you powers to aid me in my fight."
Adrien nodded and the power swept over him. When the white cloud vanished, he looked much the same. Apparently, Hawkmoth didn't want to waste time or energy thinking of creative costumes or ideas.
Adrien held up the charm, now glowing, and touched it to Marinette. She felt a surreal disembodiment, as if she was being sucked through a thick layer of jelly. When she looked beside her, a duplicate smiled with her.
"Miraculous Gateway," she intoned, the words forming at her lips by instinct as she held up her palm. Black threads shot from her hand, criss-crossing each other as they quickly formed a doorway in front of her. Red threads outlined the edges, extending to the floor and raising high above them, folding inwards in an arch. The red lines pulsated with power as they pushed at the darkness within the boundaries; containing it. Hawkmoth raised his cane high and a faint pinkish-purple dome surrounded them. Energy crackled within the darkness of the gateway, hissing and spitting with electrified energy. The air surrounding them hummed with power. She focused on the vortex. The crackling lessened and the swirling energy slowed. With one last glance at the anxious faces of Hawkmoth and Adrien, she stepped inside.
Author's Note: This is a two-shot with the next chapter posted next week.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT HAWKMOTH IS GABRIEL AGRESTE!
That being said, I found it a fascinating possibility if I could turn him into a tragic hero – one who has purposefully forced people to view him as a villain specifically so they do not mourn his death, nor blame his wife by proxy for inadvertently causing the death of a hero. He knows that Ladybug and Chat Noir, in their idealism, would probably help if asked... but he also knows what's at risk and is unwilling to allow innocent people to die for him. Instead of the trope where he believes himself the hero of his own story, Gabriel Agreste knows full well that he will be viewed as a villain through history. He does not care. He only cares about saving his wife.
In that regard, he is blind to everyone around him and believes that if he just acts cold and harsh and attacks Paris, everyone will hate him.
Additionally, I'm horrible with angst and thought I should jump outside of my comfort zone for a little bit. The next chapter will be cheerier. This went from a 1000 word "thought popped into my head" drabble and turned into an 8500 word monstrosity!
Thank Perdita for that, for encouraging me to post this even though I was supremely reluctant.
