Chapter Ten- The Truth

"You need to tell her!" Plagg growled. "If she's in love with Adrien and Chat Noir, it's not fair to her that she think she's betraying him to love you!"

"I know… I'm going now, but dammit, this is the worst way I could really think to tell her. I don't know if she'll even believe me." Adrien sighed.

"Just show her."

"I haven't donned the Chat Noir persona in ten years." Adrien reminded.

"Then just show her me… We can't keep up this 'getting to know you' act anymore. People are accusing your daughter of being just that, and she's suffering because of it. Marinette is getting mixed mental signals, and Tikki will kill me if you make Marinette feel worse than before."

"Okay, okay… I'm gonna go. Come on, Plagg. I'll call you out when I'm ready."

"Okay. Let's do this."

Suddenly, they were both interrupted when they heard Marinette and Bridgette scream.

Adrien ran to the source in Mirian's room and shouted, "What's wrong!?"

"Mirian is gone!" Marinette cried out.

"Wh-what do you mean she's gone!? Wh-where could she have went… I-I'll call Louis."

"I'm on the phone with his parents now, Sir. She's not there." Bridgette explained.

"Let's try her grandparents. I'll call Alya and Nino too." Adrien suggested.

Suddenly Tikki appeared asking, "Where is Nooroo?"

"N-Nooroo!? I'd assume he went back into the butterfly miraculous because you asked me to seal him, and we'd take him to Master Fu later this week to return him."

"Yah but where did you put it?"

"In my father's old safe behind the painting of my mother." He explained.

"I… I doubt she would—." Marinette started.

"I just want to be sure!" Tikki said as she flew towards the living room.

They followed her and heard a high-pitched squeal. They ran into the room to find the painting pulled back and the safe open, short of the butterfly miraculous.

"She didn't!" Adrien shouted, concerned.

"B-but why!? What point would she need to take the butterfly miraculous?" Marinette muttered.

Tikki held back a glare at Adrien and whispered, "I think with what happened at school today she went to find out something."

"Find out something?"

"She wants to know who her father is, and since none of the other miraculous holders know aside from Chat Noir himself, I think she went to the only other person who may have the answer…"

Suddenly it clicked between Adrien and Marinette.

"I'll go get the car." Marinette shouted.

"Okay, let's go. Bridgette, stay behind in case she comes back." Adrien shouted, following Marinette.

They drove in silence both due to anxiety over Mirian and due to what happened earlier in the kitchen. Finally after about thirty minutes, they reached their destination, the county prison. Upon entering, Adrien initially tried to ask the cops for information on Mirian's presense, but they said this was a breach of confidentiality.

"Very well, then I need to see someone…" Adrien insisted.

"It's rather late for visits, but I'll grant it. Who are you here to see?" The officer asked.

"Gabriel Agreste…"

The officer froze at the name and said, "R-really? Wait, are you the press, because if this is an interview request, you have to file the proper form."

"No, he's my father." Adrien growled.

"O-oh, s-sorry, right this way."

He guided them to the visiting room and waited for them to bring him out. He sat down at the bench in front of them.

"Hello, Adrien. I must say, I'm surprised to see you given that I have no designs for you…" He muttered.

"Cut the crap, Father. I'm here because a little girl has gone missing, and we think she may have come here."

"And why would she do that?" He sneered.

"It's not important; just tell me if she's been here." Marinette growled.

"My, my, feisty one, isn't she? Marinette, was it? My, look how much you grown since the last time I saw you at one of my son's school functions."

"You mean over your webcam? I'm rather surprised you even recognize me…" Marinette shot back.

"It's hard to forget the face of the pipsqueak that placed me behind bars ten years ago."

"Wh-what!?"

"Please, don't think me an idiot. I am well aware you are Ladybug…"

"And why would you think so?"

"Because your daughter told me herself."

"Where is she, Hawkmoth!?" Marinette shouted, reaching for his collar, much to the guard's disapproval.

"My, I haven't been called that name in so long… My guess is she's looking for her father at the moment…"

"That's not possible. We don't know where Chat Noir is!" She growled as the guard approached to break it up.

Suddenly, Gabriel burst out laughing.

"What is so damn funny!?" Adrien growled.

"All this time she's been staying with you, and you never batted an eye in lying to her. My, Son, you're almost as devious as me."

"Wh-what are you talking about!? Where is my daughter!?" Marinette shouted.

"If you'll kindly let me go, I'll tell you before the guard kicks you out for violent behavior."

Marinette let go but held her glare.

"Your daughter did come here this evening, and what a shocking sight it was. Nothing like a small girl dressed similar to Hawkmoth coming to meet him herself. They thought she was some sort of odd fangirl, but I knew better. I could practically sense Nooroo's presence inside her brooch… but this wasn't our first interaction… See, she's been sending me letters, asking me if I knew the identity of Chat Noir. At first, I thought it was some misguided fangirl wishing to write a report on the former cat-boy in black, but then she started insisting in her letters that she was his daughter. I was rather shocked at the implications of that of course and asked her to send a photo as well as something to prove this. Ms. Dupain-Cheng, you would be proud that you raised her well since she was apprehensive to send such things to a complete stranger, but I told her that if she would do so, I could give her written evidence that she was not only his daughter but of his identity. I told her I had a good idea, but that it would prove it to both of us. So, finally she caved, sending a photo of herself and a personal hairbrush. Then I simply compared it to the DNA of the man I was rather certain was his personal identity. If it came back a positive match, then we'd have killed two birds with one stone."

"Stop playing around, you psychopath! You couldn't possibly have Chat Noir's DNA after all these years."

"Oh, yes, I could… it was quite simple when the man I suspected has visited me often enough to take some samples without his knowledge."

Adrien froze and could practically see the knowing glare in his father's eyes.

"I don't believe you! Chat Noir is gone!" Marinette shouted.

"Then why don't you look in that envelope. You daughter did right before she left. It might answer some questions, my dear Ladybug."

She hesitantly took it as Adrien yelped, "W-wait!"

But it was in vain as she pulled the paper out of a paternal DNA test's results. She froze as she read the words aloud, almost to confirm its words, "The alleged father is not excluded as the biological father of the tested child. Based on testing results obtained from analyses of the DNA loci listed, the probability of paternity is 99.9998 percent… Child: Mirian Dupain-Cheng… Alleged Father: Adrien Agreste."

Adrien cursed under his breath, and Marinette turned around staring at him with a look of pure betrayal.

"M-Marinette, I can explain!" He tried.

"Y-you!?" She sobbed out.

"Marinette, I… I wanted to tell you, not have you find out like this…" He whispered, trying to reach her shoulder, but she shook him off.

"You knew this whole damn time!? You knew and you said nothing!? How dare you!?" She screamed, backing away in shock.

"Marinette, please!" He begged, walking towards her.

"NO! Stay away from me! I… I trusted you! I told you everything, and you just sat back and listened to me pour my heart out like it was nothing!"

"That's not true!" He insisted. "Please, just let me explain."

"No, just leave me alone… I-I need to find my daughter. You just stay here with Hawkmoth… you seem to belong there!" She shouted, running away.

He was about to run after her when he heard, "My, my, my… I never figured that my son could be as black-hearted as me… But then again, maybe it's fitting that he holds the miraculous with the power of destruction. You seem to have a knack at it."

Adrien cursed and growled, "Plagg Claws—."

"NO, ADRIEN! Not here!" Plagg yelped, flying out between them.

"My, my, so this is the infamous black cat miraculous's kwami…" Gabriel taunted.

"Get out of my way, Plagg. Plagg, CLAWS—."

Suddenly the kwami threw himself at Adrien and yanked the ring off his finger before he could stop him.

"Plagg!? G-give me back my miraculous!" Adrien growled.

"Not when you're going to use it for revenge." Plagg shot out, defiantly.

"DAMMIT, Plagg, I just want to give him a taste of the pain he's put me through for the past fifteen years!" Adrien growled.

"Not under the guise of Chat Noir. Now, stop and think for a second. You could waste your time beating your father senseless knowing the guards can't stop you, or you can go find Marinette and Mirian!"

"She's never going to forgive me!"

"Not if you don't try, Adrien!"

"DAMMIT!" He whimpered, suddenly breaking into tears.

"So pathetic… Act like a man, and take responsibility for your actions, Son."

"The only reason that this happened is because of you! If Hawkmoth had been anyone but you, I would have met with Ladybug that night ten years ago and told her who I am, but no, it had to be you."

"That doesn't change the fact that you ran out on her, on Paris. Some Savior you are… Also, don't blame me for lying to her for this long once you found out…" He snickered.

"Why did you do this father!?"

"I almost didn't when I saw a picture of her… my granddaughter. She looks so much like her grandmother I almost let it go, but then I had to shove it back in your face, Chat Noir. You kept me from getting my wife back, YOUR MOTHER back… so I crushed your chances of getting your life back…"

"I don't have time for this!" Adrien growled, "… Also, if you had succeeded, your wish to bring her back would have cost someone else their life! That is the cost of the 'ultimate power'!"

"I knew that, fool… no cost was too great to get her back!" Gabriel shouted.

Adrien looked back at his father in shock and disgusted before saying to the guard, "I'm done here. Take him to the darkest hole-in-the-wall cell you can find for all I care!"