It had all gone so perfectly up until that point. Ladybug's lucky charm had just allowed her to evade Hawk Moth's sneak attack, and bring ruin to his ultimate plan.
His situation became even worse when he duo managed to take his cane from him. As Cat Noir destroyed it, Hawk Moth felt his power fade, and his mask crumble off of his face.
Mr. Agreste?! Ladybug thought to herself, shocked.
Dad?! Thought Cat Noir, the words nearly leaving his mouth.
They were both stunned. Immediately, they both looked around to see if anyone else had seen. The others hadn't yet arrived and the battle had stopped being televised, so this discovery remained between the three of them.
Hawk Moth- or rather, Gabriel Agreste- seized the opportunity and engaged them once again, exclaiming "Alright kids, get ready to see what a man with nothing to lose can do!" As he did.
After a short scuffle, Hawk Moth was struck in the back by Nino's shield, sending him to the ground.
Running out of options, Gabriel heard a voice in his head:
Hawk Moth, you're backed against the wall. Let me help you.
Reluctant, but knowing he had no other choice, he embraced Mayura's presence. A giant moth then manifested over him and clouded him in a plume of smoke, allowing him to slip away.
The heroes had won a difficult victory today, but Ladybug and Cat Noir were now troubled by what they had just discovered.
Later that night, Marinette welcomed the embrace of her bed after such an exhausting day. Staring blankly at the ceiling as she lay in bed, she thought deeply on the events that had occurred this Heroes' Day. She had earned a great victory today, and had finally discovered the identity of Hawk Moth. The problem was,it was Adrien's dad.
She had never felt so conflicted about any of her foes. For the most part, these kinds of choices had always been easy. Even when Hawk Moth had akumatized those close to her, it was always as simple as breaking the hex. But this time it wasn't that simple. This time it wouldn't end when the Miraculous' influence was broken; this was the man behind the evil acts that had befallen Paris. He needed to be brought to justice.
But it's Adrien's dad
Poor Adrien has no clue, she thought to herself. He had already lost his mother, how could she tell him that his father was the one responsible for terrorizing Paris? How could she hurt the one she was so enamored in such a terrible way?
"Ugh, what do I do Tikki?" Asked Marinette in exasperation.
"Honestly, I'm at a loss too." Replied the tiny creature.
"Not the answer I was hoping for" said Marinette as she rubbed at her temples in frustration. "Alright, let's go."
Along the way, the night air had become chilly. As she traveled, Marinette's mind wrought more questions than it did answers.
How would Adrien handle it if Ladybug just took his father in? Could he move on from that? Would he hate Ladybug for it? The thought of being the object of Adrien's resentment hurt Marinette for a moment.
Wait, why does Gabriel Agreste want the Miraculous?
Marinette remembered what he said during their battle atop the Eiffel Tower about granting himself a wish.
What could his wish possibly be?
She thought long and hard on it. He already has wealth and the influence that comes from it; neither he nor Adrien seem to be "lacking" in any particular department, so what could he possibly want?
Then it hit her. His wife. Her heart sank;
That's it isn't it? All this time, he's wanted the Miraculous so he could bring his wife back to life.
Suddenly, Marinette felt sick to her stomach. All this time, she thought she had been fighting the forces of evil for the greater good, but now it just felt like she had kept a distraught man from the woman he loved, and in doing so brought continued acts of evil upon Paris. She wiped a tear off her face. She wanted to finally bring Hawk Moth to justice and bring an end to all the fighting, but she felt awful doing so.
There is one other option, she thought as she retrieved her Miraculous. Staring down at it, she rationalized another possibility: if I gave it to him, the fighting would stop right?
She had gotten so close with Tikki that it pained her to think of parting with her. But that's what heroes do right?
But what if she was wrong? That sure is one big gamble
Marinette hadn't noticed that for some time she had been standing outside the front door of the Agreste residence. She hadn't at all come up with a strategy of how to go about this. Clutching the Miraculous in her hands, she pondered: would she face Adrien as herself or Ladybug?
Before she could give it another thought, the door swung open in front of her; she barely managed to hide the Miraculous behind her back as it did. It was Adrien, dressed in a fine suit. He was more dashing than ever, and for but a moment the conflict and despair that had filled Marinette seemed to be sweeped away by his image.
"Oh!" Exclaimed Adrien, visibly startled.
"Hey Marinette, what's up?"
Now, more than ever, she was at a loss of words to say to him. Her mind absolutely blank, she hopelessly stammered, and as always, a bewildered Adrien coolly smiled.
That smile only further scrambled her thoughts. She smiled back, blushing a bright scarlet as she did, when an ominous figure emerged from behind Adrien.
"Who's there Adrien?" Asked a voice that brought a chill to Marinette's spine. That voice came from Adrien's father, Gabriel, who too wore a suit similar to Adrien's.
"Oh it's Marinette, a friend from school" replied Adrien, rather nervously. Come to think of it, something seemed to be troubling Adrien.
"I see," said Gabriel, peering down at Marinette. "And what can we do for you, young lady?"
As many times as Ladybug had defeated Hawk Moth, Marinette couldn't help but feel intimidated by his cold gaze.
"Oh uh," she stuttered. "I was just um.. coming by to see if Adrien wanted to erm.. go to the arcade with me." Her face suddenly shot red as she realized what she'd just said. "And some friends from school!" She quickly corrected. "But I see you already have plans"
Gabriel's stoic disposition remained unchanged. "Hmm, indeed. Adrien has an important gala he must be present for." He turned and disappeared into the manor.
"Sorry Marinette. Maybe next time," Adrien assured her with a smile. Admittedly, Marinette had momentarily forgotten about his presence during her unnerving exchange with his father.
"Yeah!" She quickly grinned. "No problem."
As Adrien began to close the door, Marinette turned and bowed her head in disappointment that she had failed to accomplish anything during this venture besides, yet again, making a fool of herself to Adrien.
Suddenly, the door opened again. "Marinette?" Called that familiar, uplifting voice.
"Yes?" She said, quickly turning back toward him.
"You kinda know Ladybug, right?"
"Oh.. yeah I guess," replied Marinette, slightly confused.
"If you see her, could you tell her I'd like to talk with her?"
"Alright," she said, smiling weakly.
Still disappointed, Marinette only found herself with even more questions after that experience. That was weird. Why does he want to speak to Ladybug? Could it be related to his dad? No, there's no way. The only other person that saw Hawk Moth's true identity was Cat Noir...
Adrien adjusted his bow tie as he gazed out his bedroom window at the glowing Parisian nightlife. He had only just gotten home from celebrating Heroes Day with his friends when he was handed yet another scheduled obligation by his father. He felt sullen- disconnected from reality- and it was because of the terrible discovery he had made that day:
Of all people, Hawk Moth is my dad
He felt sick. All those times they had battled, all those acts of evil wrought upon Paris- it was all him. Adrien was furious at his father; how could commit so much evil against the people of Paris? Surely he had to pay for his crimes.
For the most part, though, he felt terrible. How could he take down his own dad?
The worst part was that it all suddenly made sense. Adrien thought back at what Hawkmoth had said about why he desired the Miraculous, and how it could be "beneficial."
He wants mom back, he thought with a grimace. He thought of what pain his father must be enduring to have turned to such a life of villainy, and how Cat Noir is the reason this pain persists. Holding back tears, Adrien pulled out his Miraculous and gripped it tightly in one hand.
"What're you gonna do?" Plagg asked nervously.
Without a response, Adrien walked out of his room.
In the common room, Adrien approached his father, who had his back toward him as he hovered over something which Adrien couldn't see. Gabriel had been visibly bothered since Adrien got home, and he knew why.
"D-dad?" Muttered Adrien.
"Yes Adrien" responded Gabriel, without a shift in composure.
Adrien felt empty. He held out his Miraculous, unable to make a word. As Gabriel began to turn to face Adrien, Adrien tried to pull his hand back, but something would not allow him to do so.
Suddenly, there came a voice behind him. His hand shot back into his coat pocket as he turned to face Miss Sancoeur, who proceeded past Adrien and approached Gabriel with a planner. Adrien let out a sigh and decided to get some fresh air. As he opened the door, he was startled to find a seemingly lost Marinette.
"Oh, hey Marinette, what's up?" He said, quickly regaining his composure.
As they spoke, Adrien noticed that Marinette wasn't quite "present," not in her typical aloof manner, but as if something was troubling her. Before he could ask, however, he felt an ominous presence appear behind him.
"Who's there Adrien?" Asked Gabriel from behind him. All his life, Adrien had never felt so intimidated by his own father. He knew his fathers quarrel was with Cat Noir and not with him, but he couldn't help but feel threatened at this time.
Marinette's impromptu visit was subsequently cut short, and Adrien still wondered why she had turned up there in the first place, and why she seemed so distressed. As he began to shut the door, Adrien felt overcome by a sense of dread of returning inside. Glancing once more at Marinette as she walked away, he had an idea.
"Hey Marinette, you kinda know Ladybug, right?"