Chapter 4

The first couple weeks of school had ushered in a gentle change in the weather. Gone was the blazing heat of Summer. Now, the nights were chilly, and the days remained comfortably cool. The late afternoon sun filtered through the still-green leaves of the trees on the Quad, dappling the ground with soft light.

Adrien let out a massive yawn. He was seated near a tall open window in the campus library. His computer and a couple large textbooks were spread out on the desk before him. Barely into the semester and he'd already managed to collect quite the stack of homework. And despite the fact that he was supposed to only be working part-time, his father had insisted he play no small part in the event planning for the evening's party on top of everything else.

Adrien was worn out.

With a sigh, he hunched back over one of the books, trying to find the line he'd just read so as to get the quote right for the essay he was writing. Staring at the page, it took him several moments to realize he'd skimmed right over the line. Giving his head a little shake, he refocused on the words and mouthed them as he typed them out.

He paused again as another yawn took hold, his vision blearing a little. Leaning back in his chair, he looked out the window, watching people making their way up the wide paths. A guy was throwing a frisbee across the open space and his large dog loped happily after it. A couple people lounged under the towering trees, napping in the grass. Birds were chirping softly high above.

Adrien's hair tickled his forehead in the soft breeze that floated through the window. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling. Maybe he should rest, just for a short break. He was so tired. His breathing slowed to a gentle rhythm. And all else faded away.

He was running.

His lungs were burning. The effort of each breath was a fight all on its own.

Darkness surrounded him. He stared around, frantically trying to find one tiny pinprick of light. Something. Anything.

But there was nothing. An endless horizon of absolute nothing.

On he ran. Desperate. There had to be a way out.

The darkness was suffocating.

He had to escape.

"Adrien?"

The voice pierced his heart. He came to a halt, gasping for breath. Turning, he saw her, glowing a soft, deep blue as if the light came from within.

The only light he could see in the sea of darkness.

His mother.

"Mom?"

"My love, can you hear me? I've missed you."

"Mom please, what can I do?" he begged. He tried to move towards her. But his feet stayed put. He couldn't move.

The darkness was swallowing him up.

"Adrien please come home. Please save me, you must save me!"

"Mom!" he cried, struggling frantically. "Mom what do I do!" He tried to claw his way forward. She reached out her arms to him, as if to embrace him. But she didn't come closer.

"Please Adrien, help me! HELP ME!" She was screaming.

The nothingness was devouring him. He struggled against it but he couldn't move. He could barely breath.

"Adrien! ADRIEN SAVE ME!"

Her screams echoed like they were in a vast hall. They didn't fade away. They grew and grew, filling the empty space. He was being smothered, crushed under the weight of the oppressive darkness.

"No! Mom no! Please!"

The screams built in his head. There was nothing else. Only nothingness and the screaming, screaming, screaming.

"No!"

He felt like his skull would shatter from the pressure.

"NO!"

Adrien jerked awake, startle by his own shout. His heart was pounding in his ears, and beads of cold sweat were running down the back of his neck. Looking around, it took him a moment to regain his bearings. No longer was he surrounded by the oppressive darkness. The soft light coming through the windows felt almost blinding in comparison. A few people were peeking out at him from around bookshelves and over desk dividers. One of his neighbors muttered "Dude, it's not even midterms yet. Chill."

Surreptitiously, Plagg poked his head out from one of the small pockets in Adrien's bag. Adrien glanced at him, knowing they both had felt that darkness.

Reaching his shaking hands up to cover his face, Adrien tried desperately to slow his breathing, which had been coming out in ragged gasps as if he'd just finished battling an Akuma.

'It was a dream. It's just another dream. It's not real.'

A buzzing vibrated through his desk, making him jump. Looking around, he saw his phone lighting up with an incoming call. Letting out a harsh breath and mentally shaking himself a little, he reached out to pick it up. Marinette's picture filled the screen. He pressed the green button and put the phone to his ear.

"Hey," he said quietly, grimacing a little when his voice had a bit of rasp, as if he really had been screaming.

"Hey," she said, and her voiced echoed weirdly. "I'm just about to jump in the shower and get ready for tonight. I wanted to make sure you were still coming by later to eat some real food before we go over there?"

Adrien realized that she must be on speakerphone in her bathroom.

"Um, yeah. Yeah absolutely, I'll be there." He pulled the phone away from his ear to check the time. He must've fallen asleep for longer than he'd thought. The shadows in the library had lengthened somewhat. There were only a couple hours until the two of them were expected at the Agreste manor.

"You ok?" Marinette said after a short pause and he returned the phone to his ear.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"No it's nothing, it's just… I dunno, you sound a little off."

"Hm," he grunted. "I'm fine, I just dozed off without meaning to."

"You haven't been getting enough rest, huh?" she said.

"Huh-uh. Actually, thanks for calling, or else I might've slept right through the party."

"Ugh, and abandoned me to the wolves? How rude."

"I know," he smiled a little, using his free arm to gather up his things and shuffle them into his bag. "Terribly ungentlemanly of me."

"I'm sorry, Adrien," she sighed, her tone losing its humor a bit.

He frowned. "For what?"

"I shouldn't have just accepted Monsieur Agreste's request like that without talking with you first."

"You're still worried about that?" Adrien paused in cleaning off his desk. "Please tell me you haven't been beating yourself up about it since then?"

"I mean…" Marinette groaned. "Yeah? Kind of? I know how touchy things are between you two, I just didn't know how to… say no."

"He has that sort of effect on people," Adrien said, slinging his bag over his shoulder and setting off between the towering bookcases. "Don't worry about it, Mar. He would've found a way to make me come whether you'd been there or not. He's been putting the pressure on for months."

"I know, but still…"

"I'm not mad at you. It's not your fault," he said gently, a small smile tugging at his lips. "If anything, I'm just glad you'll be with me for it. At least now I'm guaranteed to have at least one person there that I like to talk to."

"…You sure?"

"Sure that I like to talk to you? Well, I mean I don't think we could've been such good partners all these years if you bored me."

"Ha ha, very funny kitty." He heard a soft rumbling and guessed that she'd just turned on the water. "You know what I meant."

"It's alright, Marinette. You did nothing wrong."

"Kay," she sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, Mar."

"I'm sorr– okay."

"It'll all be fine, alright?"

"Yeah, sorry, it will."

"Marinette!"

"I'm sorry aH! SORRY! I CAN'T MAKE IT STOP!"

Adrien let out a bark of laughter, and shot his free hand up to cover his mouth, muffling the noise as he hurried past the reception desks. A librarian shot him an irritable look at his outburst.

"I'll see you in a bit then?" she asked.

"Yep." He kept smiling despite himself as he pushed open the library doors and made his way down the great stone steps. "Let's get this slow torture over with."

The time from when Adrien left campus to the start of the party seemed to fly by. All at once, he found himself dressed in an elegant suit and tie standing beside Marinette in front of his old family home. Taking in a deep breath, he steeled himself to enter the house he hadn't seen the inside of in years. Marinette reached over to him and wrapped her warm, reassuring fingers between his. He looked down at her and found that her small encouraging smile gave him the strength he needed to step forward onto the property.

Arm in arm, they made their way into the crowd of guests that stood under the glowing lights that had been strung up. Adrien thought it made the place seem warmer than he knew it to be. A dozen cocktail tables had been set up throughout the courtyard; waitstaff wearing dark red vests mingled around, carrying trays of everything from drinks to appetizers. Rhythmic melodies wafted from speakers scattered about the garden, controlled by a DJ off in one corner. Adrien was forcibly reminded of when Nino had been at those exact turn tables all those years ago, Akumatized as the Bubbler for his birthday.

The people were dressed in beautiful attire, as one would expect at a party hosted by one of the most highly esteemed fashion designers in the world. While some men wore classic black and white tuxes, many had forgone the traditional in favor of suites with bright colors and patterns. The women were decked even more splendidly, wearing elegant dresses in all the styles and hues one could imagine – and in some cases, even more fabulous suits than the men. A few couples danced along to the music. Everyone seemed to be glittering under the lights and stars above.

Marinette let out a soft gasp, and he turned to see her taking it all in with her mouth hanging open in awe. Adrien grinned as he watched her. If he wasn't so tense about being in this place again, he would've been in an unending star-struck state from his Lady.

She had pulled her dark hair back into a sleek ponytail. A long silver chain hung around her neck and shimmered with tiny crystals as it traveled down the plunging neckline of her midnight blue dress. Floor length and long sleeved, it clung tightly to her body and flowed down into a short train that brushed along the ground. Her hem was embroidered with thousands of tiny silver stars that mirrored the night sky.

If he was to be perfectly honest, the longer he gazed at her, the less he could remember how to breath properly.

"Well if it isn't two of my favorite people!" came a rumbling voice, and Adrien looked around to see a tall man with dark skin and long braided hair making his way towards them, beaming.

"Izzy, you're here!" Marinette exclaimed happily, moving forward and releasing Adrien's hand to be drawn into a tight hug.

"Of course!" Izzy said, moving to pull Adrien into a hug as well. "You don't think Monsieur Agreste would neglect to invite his best material supplier, would you?"

"He'd be mad if he did," Adrien said, relaxing a bit more in the presence of a familiar friend.

"So, how's that new design project coming along, Mar?" Izzy asked. Marinette let out a strangled noise and threw her hands up in the air dramatically.

"Oh no, don't get her started Izzy," Adrien chuckled, reaching his arm around her shoulders.

"It's absolutely ridiculous!" she exclaimed. "And I hate that he's such a good designer because half the time just being near him makes me want to smack him in the head."

"Ah, so the fact that no one is dead yet in this situation means it's going well, huh?" someone asked, and they turned to see one of Adrien's work partners, Zacharias, coming their way while balancing four glasses of champagne for them.

"I mean, we've made it further than I thought we would without me throwing my pincushion at him, so yeah I think it's going alright," Marinette laughed, taking one of the glasses from him and stand on tiptoes to place a swift kiss on his cheek. Ever since Adrien and Marinette had started dating, she and Zacharias had gotten along swimmingly, and would often share their designs with one another for feedback.

Taking his own drink from his friend, Adrien tilted his head back and downed it all in one swig. He put the empty glass on the tray of a waiter that was floating by while simultaneously grabbing another. Turning back to the conversation, he caught Marinette's eye. Her eyebrow twitched ever so slightly, and he picked up on her concern. Nodding apologetically, he sipped more slowly at the second champagne.

The four of them found their way to a corner of the courtyard and continued discussing Marinette's semester assignment – and the merits of how much detail to put into a garment inspired by a Victorian period while maintaining a modern feel – and enjoyed the various appetizers that came their way. From time to time, people that Adrien and Zacharias had worked with on various projects came up to say hello. Adrien was feeling significantly calmer; if the evening was to consist mostly of making conversation with people he genuinely liked, he began to hope that the party might not be so uncomfortable as he was dreading.

"Good evening, Adrien," someone said behind him, and he turned to find his father's assistant, Nathalie, looking as prim and professional as ever.

"Hello Nathalie," he replied, offering her a smile. "Everything is going well, I trust?"

"As well as it can," she said, nodding. "I wanted to inform you that dinner is about to begin in the main banquet hall for those in higher standings with the company. I must go and check in on the head chef to confirm that we are ready to proceed. Your father is presently in a meeting with some of the executives."

"Business as usual," Adrien sighed. It was another element of his father's events that he'd always hated; the higher-ups would dine with his father on obscenely expensive cuisine, while all the other guests were left outside to partying. It was just another way to sew division. Though on some level, he could never really decide which group of guests had the true short end of the stick

"Indeed. Would you please go to his office and let him know that he must be in the banquet hall to welcome the rest of his guests with an opening toast soon?"

Adrien's jaw clenched with a slight pang of irritation. He'd been hoping to keep the interactions with his father to a minimum. All the tension that had been ebbing away with the help of Marinette and their friends came rushing back to him. But instead of letting it show, he simply nodded to Nathalie.

"I will inform him shortly," he said.

Nathalie nodded, and turned to disappear through the sea of guests.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Marinette said softly, putting her hand on his shoulder.

Adrien shook his head. Wrapping his own hand around hers, he kissed her fingers gently. "No, it's ok," he said. "You keep catching up with Izzy and Zacharias. I won't be long."

"Alright," she said, giving his hfingers a squeeze before letting him go.

Adrien wove his way around the party guests and climbed the stairs up to the large front doors, which stood open. Inside was filled with nearly as many people as there was outside. Glancing around the entrance hall, he noticed that nothing much had changed since he'd moved out. He had refrained from stepping foot in this place ever since, considering it a freedom to be rid of the confining walls and enforced solitude of his boyhood. Being back now brought on a flood of long-buried memories, and he shook his head a little to clear his mind.

He beelined towards the doors of his father's study. Knocking softly, he turned one of the knobs and stepped inside.

Gabriel was pouring over his desks with a handful of the company executives. All of them were dressed as splendidly as the party-goers outside. One of them was talking about something to do with how the Fall Collection was being received.

Adrien cleared his throat loudly, causing them all to look up. "I'm terribly sorry to interrupt," he said formally, putting on an apologetic smile. "I wanted to inform you all that dinner is about to begin."

"Thank you, dear Adrien!" said one of the women whom Adrien recognized from the long years she and his father had worked together. "You are very right to pull us away. This evening is about letting lose a bit and celebrating, after all!"

Everyone murmured their 'thank yous' to him, moving passed him towards the door. Some shook his hand or kissed his cheeks in greeting. Gabriel was the only one who remained in place, watching him.

"Father, Nathalie just asked me to remind you of the welcoming toast you are supposed to say when everyone is gathered in the banquet hall."

"Thank you, Adrien," his father said, gathering everything up off his desk and storing it away. "I appreciate you coming to tell me. Somehow the evening has grown later than I'd realized."

Adrien nodded, but as he turned to leave, he caught sight of the Miraculous Compendium sitting on one of the smaller tables. He paused, staring at it, and wondering for the umpteenth time where exactly his father had gotten ahold of it, and if he had any real knowledge of the true powers it held within.

Gabriel followed his gaze and moved to pick up the book. "I trust you and Mlle. Dupain-Cheng are having a pleasant time?" he asked, moving across the office to the Gustav Klimt portrait of Adrien's mother.

"Yes. It seems everyone is having a good time." Adrien followed his father slowly, watching while he entered the code to the secret safe behind the painting. "It's nice to see the house so full of life again."

"Yes, well," Gabriel sighed, opening the safe door and placing the book and several other documents safely onto its shelves, beside a photograph of Adrien's mother. "It's still a lot of work to try and please so many people. I find it rather exhausting to be honest, but I suppose it's necessary to keep the company happy."

Adrien grunted noncommittally in response, and was turning to leave once again when a flash of blue within the safe caught his eye. He shot out his arm, blocking his father from closing the door. Gabriel looked him in mild curiosity but Adrien ignored him.

It had been years since he'd seen inside the safe for himself. And when he was a boy, he'd had no reason to find the small jeweled peacock significant. But he knew that jewel. He'd just seen it leafing through Master Fu's copy of the Miraculous Compendium a few days ago. Made out of turquoise and azure glass, the jewel reflected the lights in a way that made it seem almost alive. Almost magical. And all at once, Adrien knew exactly what it was.

His father was in possession of the Peacock Miraculous.

Adrien stared at it in utter amazement. It was impossible. How on earth could his father of all people have something so precious? So dangerous? Without thinking, Adrien reached out his hand and lifted the Miraculous off the shelf. It was strangely warm for something that had been sitting unhandled in a cold safe.

"It was your mother's," Gabriel said, his voice making Adrien look up in surprise. Gabriel was watching him closely, his expression guarded and unreadable. "She left it behind when she… when she disappeared."

"Where did she get this?" Adrien asked uncertainly. Did his father know of it's true power? Had his mother known? Was it really possible that his mother had been, like himself, a Miraculous wielder?

"Tibet," Gabriel said. "In the same place I got my book of… inspiration." Adrien glanced at the Compendium. Beside it lay a stack of travel documents he hadn't noticed before, as well as a book on traveling through Tibet. "Apparently, it is an ancient Chinese artifact. One of a kind and very, very valuable. It was one of your mother's greatest treasures."

"But she didn't take it with her when she… left?"

Gabriel pondered him. Adrien looked back at him searchingly. After a long moment, Gabriel sighed and held his hand out for the Miraculous.

Adrien hesitated. He knew that he should get the jewel back to Master Fu as soon as possible, restoring it to the safe care and protection of the Guardian. But he couldn't just take it from his father. Finally, after what felt like a moment of eternity, Adrien released his hold on it, and Gabriel returned it to the safe.

Locking the door and repositioning the large painting it hid behind, Gabriel took a step back to look up into Adrien's mother's eyes. Adrien stood beside him, regarding the painting as well.

"When Emilie disappeared, it was the most painful day of my life," Gabriel said suddenly. Adrien looked around at his father in astonishment; it had been years since he'd heard his mother's name spoken out loud. "It was… as if she'd taken half of my heart, half of my very soul with her. I didn't know where to go, what to do… I…" he paused, unable to make the words come to him.

Adrien hadn't seen his father like this in years. It was like the cold and aloof demeanor had suddenly cracked, and Adrien could actually catch a glimpse of the man his father used to be. For that brief moment, he felt the urge to comfort his father in the same way he'd wished anyone had comforted him when he'd been in pain all those years ago. Reaching his hand up, he placed it hesitantly on his father's shoulder.

"I've done everything in my power to… find her." Gabriel continued. "To bring her back home, for both our sakes. But every time I get close to the answer, it's stolen away." His hands balled into to fists as he said this, and suddenly the aching sadness was replaced with an incredible fury that caused Adrien to actually step back, flinching his hand away from his father as though he'd been burned. A strange energy hung in the air, a darkness that made Adrien feel like he was back inside one of his nightmares.

The screams of his mother echoed through his mind.

All at once, the atmosphere around his father had shifted, and any hint of emotion from what they had just talked about vanished. Gone was the father Adrien had spent so much of his life longing for. He was Monsieur Gabriel Agreste once again, as cold and rigid as the polished marble that filled the Agreste mansion.

"Enough of this, Adrien," he said, his voice hard. "We have a party to attend."

And with that, Gabriel swept out of his office, leaving Adrien frozen behind him in shock. After a moment, he shook his head and moved towards the doors as well, his mind racing.

His father had a Miraculous in his possession. The Miraculous had belonged to his mother, Emilie. He didn't know if Gabriel was aware of its true power. He didn't know if his mother was a wielder.

Adrien found Marinette waiting just inside the large entrance doors, looking unsure. When she spotted him, she smiled with relief.

"I didn't really know what I was supposed to do," she said, wrapping her arm through his. "Some people were moving into the banquette hall, some were staying outside, I dunno. Zacharias introduced me to a few of those lead designers your father was talking about, so that's exciting! I was more nervous than I thought I'd be though. They said they would keep an eye on my work this year, like that's more pressure I need right now. Hey," she paused her nervous rambling finally to look at him more closely. "You look even more stressed out than before. Like you've seen a ghost or something… Are you ok?"

"I… I don't know," he said, staring unseeingly out into the crowd of guests in the courtyard.

He felt like he didn't know anything anymore. Of only one thing he was absolutely certain; he needed to consult Master Fu as soon as possible.

Two new chapters in one day?! Aw yeahh!

It's a shorter one (compared to my usual standards) but it's packed with a lot of things so there's that! I already had most of this written when I posted Ch 3 earlier, so I figure'd might as well just wrap it up ;) Super pumped to keep sharing this with you guys, it's only gonna get more intense and exciting from here!