Author's note: This used to be written in the format of a script. Due to ff content requirements has since has been rewritten and the script version can be found on Archive of Our Own. /works/7135694/chapters/16202561
Adrien had been having a difficult week, possibly the worst week in his life. Hawkmoth had started pulling all the stocks. His latest Akuma victims were the smartest, and the most dangerous, that Chat had ever faced. Add to which that the attack yesterday led to the capture of Adrien's father, Gabriel, and the "official" capture of Adrien himself, and… well, you can see why Adrien's been having a difficult week. Finally, however, this has led to a meeting Chat had long expected; a face to face meet with Hawkmoth in the centre of the Agreste Mansion.
Hawkmoth stood at the top of the stairs, staring imposingly down at the two heroes. "Give me your Miraculous', and I will let the two Agrestes go."
Ladybug replied immediately, without any consideration for her own safety. "Fine, but don't hurt them."
Adrien suddenly wished he'd been able to talk to Ladybug before, to explain who he was. "No Ladybug, don't do this." He reached out to her, though her hand had already gone to the red earrings.
"I have to, I can't let him hurt them, hurt Adrien."
Later, Adrien would swear that it was only the look on her face as she said this that made him say it. "He doesn't have Adrien, he's bluffing."
"How can you know that? We can't take the chance."
That look, on his lady's face, that made him risk all. "I saw him, he is safe. Trust me Ladybug. Please."
Hawkmoth, naturally, interrupted. "No, he isn't. I have them both. Hand me your Miraculous, and I will let you, and them, live."
"No!" Adrien cried, leaping forward and dropping his staff to the floor so he could spare a hand to stop Ladybug doing anything rash. "I'll never let you get our Miraculous. And I know that Adrien is safe because I am Adrien Agreste." As he said this Adrien tugged the ring from his hand, reverting to his civilian self in a flash of light.
Adrien heard a gasp from Ladybug, but he never turned away from the villain before him.
Hawkmoth, meanwhile, only grinned. "Ah, but now I have you, Adrien. There is no escape! Don't make me destroy you. Rather, you could join me, and I will teach you all I know. Together, we can achieve anything, I could bring you back your mother."
Adrien interrupted, before the villain could make any further suggestions. "I'll never join you. You captured my father!" Adrien felt rage bubbling through him as he slipped the ring back on, ready to transform and fight.
"No, I am your father." Hawkmoth responded, coming down the steps towards him with a growing grin. "Flutter by," and with that his transformation swept away, revealing none but Gabriel Agreste, Adrien's father.
"No." Adrien felt as though he had been punched in the gut. After all this time? "No! That's not true! That's impossible!" Despite the evidence before him, he felt the words flow, drawn from where Adrien wasn't sure.
But then Hawkmoth, his father, spoke and everything clicked into place. "Search your feelings; you know it to be true."
Stunned, Adrien blinked only once before his regular Chat-grin lit his features. "Nooo! NOOOO!" he cried, dropping to the floor.
"Adrien," his father walked over, closing the space between them, "you can destroy the emperor. He has forseen this." A gasp, and both looked over to Ladybug, wide-eyed and frozen with shock. "It is your destiny! Join me, and together, we can rule the galaxy, as father and son. Come with me, it is the only way."
Adrien just smirked up at his father in response, "I guess I have no choice, no crazy big pole-thing to fall off."
His father just grinned, an expression that had been absent from his father's face for a long time, and offered a hand to help Adrien up. "Then what do you say we set up a marathon, like old times?"
Adrien took the offered hand. "The big theatre room?"
"I'll get the popcorn if you set up the movie."
"Deal."
As both left, two very confused Kwami drifting along behind them, the young woman left in the hall found her voice.
"I can't believe I fell for the son of Hawkmoth. Oh." Ladybug's mind finally caught up with this insane series of events. "Oh! Adrien is Chat!"
