Author's note: Sorry for the delay. I got caught up with a ton of stuff. Anyhow, once more thanks for the reviews. I'll try and keep the gap down a bit if I can.

/

Spending time with Marinette is a release. He's at ease and that makes the rest of the world seem just that little bit more bearable. She seems to have endless time for him.

At this point, he's not entirely sure if they're dating. Strangely though, he doesn't mind. Simply being around her is reward enough. He wonders if she finds his change of attitude odd and she's just humouring him. There's something genuine about the girl however that causes him to dare to hope that the pleasure taken in the other's presence is mutual.

Saturday mid-afternoon sees him helping her and Jagged Stone prepare for his concert in a few hours. The man was kind enough to offer both his favourite upcoming designer and her three friends free tickets for event, especially since they're giving him a helping hand. Dylan finds himself essentially assigned to manual work. He doesn't complain, carrying boxes and helping Marinette shift through her supplies as she tries her best to make some last minutes modifications to a couple of her designs. She's meticulous, he'll give her that.

"Girl! They're perfect!" Alya informs her friend, bemused by her almost panicked set of mind.

"Are you sure?" She's not fishing for compliments, it genuinely doesn't seem good enough for the fashion designer.

"Absolutely." Nino assures her. "Jagged Stone loves them and so did Mr. Agreste."

"Is he still coming round?"

"Gabriel, here?"

Dylan wasn't aware that his father was due to arrive. It almost inevitably adds another level of complication. Usually, he assumes that it will be his new secretary – a poor frightened man widely regarded as being in over his head and unable to cope with such a boss – will be carrying the man around via video call as Nathalie had once done. Still, the memory of that time his father had unexpectedly shown up at the school makes him weary. He reasons that given the current circumstances, the man is likely growing increasingly desperate and as a result unpredictable.

"Yeah." Marinette responds with a gentle smile. "His assistant called to say he'd drop-by. It probably just means he'll be on a video link. He doesn't get out much..."

"So I've heard."

All the same, he decides that when the time comes for Gabriel Agreste to pay them a visit, he'll make himself scarce. There's no sense in tempting fate.

They continue with their work. Teenagers shouldn't strictly speaking be here but it's amazing what knowing both the performer and the man who makes his clothes can do. They stay out of the way of the workmen, providing assistance when necessary. Overall, it's a fun way to spend a few hours. Yet another example of the sort of thing which Adrien Agreste would never have been allowed to partake in. If he was able to attend the concert, it would only have been for its duration. No longer. That was if his father even consented to it in the first place.

He's helping Marinette tidy up some cardboard boxes when he hears his name being called and freezes. He turns round to face Nathalie. She looks far from impressed, walking over with long strides. The teen lets out a sigh, fully aware that he's likely about to spend a few minutes getting chewed apart by his guardian.

"Your mother came looking for you." Penny informs him, no doubt eager to ensure that she is who she claims to be.

"So she did." Dylan turns to her.

It's hard to look the woman in the eye when he knows that he's in the wrong. He didn't tell her where he was going, simply leaving and has his phone turned off. Even the most patient of parents would likely have likely drawn a line in the sand and those were the ones who weren't currently on the run from Hawk Moth. She has every reason to be angry when the boy she's risked so much to protect has run off without saying so much as a word and neglected to give her any way of contacting him or knowing just where he is.

Penny must sense that something's up. Perhaps the boy's caregiver has already explained matters. Her only purpose here was to make sure that she wasn't letting a stranger with no business here into the building. Now, Jagged Stone's assistant shies away, muttering something quickly as an excuse which Adrien fails to catch. He's a little too preoccupied by the stern and scolding glare he's on the receiving end of. Hands in his pockets, he finds himself fixing his feet, they're a little easier to focus on than the woman who stands in front of him. There's a silence, almost as if she expects him to speak. She probably does. He owes her an explanation.

He remains quiet. It's almost as if he's hoping that the situation will vanish if he doesn't acknowledge its existence.

"No note, no phone call." The woman is the one to finally break the silence. "I've been running all over Paris to try and find out what happened to you!"

"Why?"

"What do you mean 'why'?" Her eyes narrow, a clear warning not to go down this path.

"Why would you look for me?"

To his surprise, she doesn't immediately answer. Her eyes briefly flick over to Marinette. The presence of the girl – as awkward as she looks – as well as that of others nearby makes it impossible for them to discuss the matter properly, not without endangering their identities. As a result, he actually thinks that she might be about to let the matter lie. There's always later for them to argue, when both are at home.

Instead, the woman lets out a sigh, her anger seemingly ebbing away. The disappointment is clear to read. There's something of a plea behind the eyes which appear to be brown through the glass which covers them. She asks him silently not to be this way. What would it take? An apology and a promise not to do it again. They would have peace. Something stirs inside of Dylan, an anger which he struggles to comprehend. It's a bitterness he's felt before but not for some months. Curiously, he finds himself sitting alone in his bedroom back at the mansion, waiting for a visit from his father which he knows will never come.

Why hadn't he told her? He blames his actions on a cold desire for revenge. A cry for attention of sorts. He's acutely aware that he's being childish, essentially lashing out because he can't get his own way.

She'd hurt him. That was all that he knew.

"I came looking for you because I was worried. When you vanished like that-" She stops, shaking her head and stopping herself before she says too much. "You know me, I tend to imagine the worst."

"Well I'm fine." His response is clipped, curt.

"Maybe I didn't make myself clear enough-" There's a certain harshness to her voice now, answering that which he's using. "I want some sort of guarantee from you that you're going to turn that darned phone of yours on and that you won't pull any more stunts like this in the future!"

"What's it to you?" He challenges, anger creeping into his voice. "What do you care what I do with my free time?! Is it because I'm happy?!"

"Of course not! I'm glad that you're happy but think about me for a few seconds! I can't go living my life wondering if you're okay!"

"Then assume that I'm not and leave me alone!"

He might have said something more, been a bit harsher and truly cut loose were it not for the presence of a certain young woman by his side. Marinette's eyes were wide. It was clear that whilst she might have tried to distance herself from the conversation, there's only so much that she can ignore. As his gaze rests on her for a few seconds, it serves as something of a slap to the face. He doesn't like the way that she's looking at him. Not because it's hateful but because he can imagine seeing and hearing himself talk and act.

A certain chill comes over him as he realizes that he's gone to far. He's said things that he shouldn't have and has treated one of the few people in this world who has his best interests at heart abominably. It's too much.

"I need to get out of here!"

The teen's state of mind is such that he ends up storming off in the wrong direction, away from the doors and the breath of fresh air he was so desperately longing for. Instead, he makes a break for a slightly quieter part of the building. It's not ideal but it's better than nothing. It offers him a chance to catch his breath and to try and make sense of what's going on.

It leaves Nathalie standing there somewhat awkwardly, torn between giving chase and leaving him be. It's made all the worse by the presence of Marinette. Whilst the woman has absolutely nothing against her, she would still rather that the teen hadn't witnessed that. In truth, she's not entirely sure what sort of relationship the two are. Communication with Adrien/Dylan had broken down only a couple of days prior to his going to the dance with her. She was going to assume that they were relatively close.

Whilst she's tempted to ignore the girl the woman becomes aware that she can't take the chance of allowing the girl to wonder too much about what could bring on such a public show of hostility between the two of them.

"Sorry..." Delphine mutters her voice marked by evident regret and frustration but softening as she turned to deal with the remaining teen. "He's working some stuff out."

"It's okay… I understand."

Could she though? It feels like just one of these things which people say to another to try and make a difficult situation easier to bear.

Nathalie stares at the teen from afar. She doesn't know what to do. If only there was some way to make him understand, to allow him to see why she can't be his mother. It's for their own good. His just as much as hers. Sooner or later, one way or another, this is all going to have to come to an end. It will be easier if there's little more than a professional and uninterested bond between them. In short, she doesn't want him getting attached… She doesn't want the pain in her life of having to say farewell to someone whom she's grown to care about. No. It has to be this way. If Adrien can learn to be nothing more than a roommate, that would be ideal.

There's some commotion nearby which she pays little attention to. It's a noisy place, full of people going about their business.

With a heavy heart, the woman resolves to go home. Adrien will have to return to the flat at some point. Hopefully they can discuss matters more calmly there. One thing is clear in her mind, they can afford to enter a state of war. She doesn't like to think of the teen as being angry with her, even if she knows it's not her fault and is level-headed enough to associate the rage with a mixture of stress, loneliness and disappointment.

There's a buzzing in her ear. She doesn't quite know what it is. The hair on the back of her neck stands on end and someone walks over her grave. In a matter of moments, the temperature of the room seems to plummet.

She knows who's there before she even turns around to see them. Maybe that's why she hesitates so much. Why she puts it off until the last possible second. She turns around. The action is enough to draw the man's attention. Eyes meet and instantly she realizes that the game is up.

There's an unmistakable spark of recognition behind Gabriel's eyes. It takes only a few seconds to manifest itself. He seems to do something of double-take. Most people probably wouldn't even pick-up on it. Years of working under his direction and study make Nathalie perceptive to these things. She senses the shock and then the rage before the man's expression even clouds over. She takes a step back. Every single fibre in her body demanding that she flee. For some reason however, she can't even move a muscle.

It's fear. In those few moments, both of them are frozen in place. The rest of the world fades out so that it no longer matters. It's just Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie Sancoeur face to face for the first time in months. Marinette seems to have twigged that something's not quite right. The man's assistant however continued to babble on frantically, struggling to balance the entirety of his boss' schedule. The intensity of the man's glare is such that it seems to bury deep into her, as if he wishes to burn a hole into her very being.

"You're fired." What? The words confuse her, shaking the woman out of her stupor.

"But sir..."

"I've had enough of your incompetences, you have less than a minute to get out of my sight."

Of course the fashion designer apologizes to the girl whom he'd notionally come to congratulate. She's too surprised to respond.

Nathalie sees what's going to happen before it even does. There's a cold and calculating spark behind the man's eyes which she knows only too well. A black butterfly will be on its way any time soon. It's target? The disgraced and recently fired assistant. She has seconds. The woman makes excuses of her own. She has to get back home, prepare for dinner. It's pathetic but all that she can come up with. Right now, if all that comes of this is that Marinette Dupain-Cheng is a little confused and suspicious, the woman reasons that it will be a small price to pay. Right now, she has to disappear.

Naturally, the first thing that occurs to her is that Adrien's in danger. It takes a few moments to realize that it's unlikely that Gabriel would equate the strange and somewhat aloof boy with being her "son". By some minor miracle he hadn't seen the two of them together. That might buy the teen some time. Still, as she makes as quick and discrete a break as is humanly possible for the door, the woman gets her phone out and begins to text frantically:

Gabriel here. Akuma incoming. He knows.

Please let him answer this time...

The shouting and panic behind her seems to confirm her worst fears. No doubt that was one of the reasons why Gabriel put up with such an incompetent assistant. He was something of a portable akuma, only an insult or a dismissal away from becoming a weapon. If he wanted vengeance against his former employer – something that she could sympathize with – then Hawk Moth would grant him the ability to do so so long as he did something for him. Presumably, that will be to attack her.

She needs to get away. To disappear… Given the commotion, it's a fair bet that Cat Noir and Ladybug will be on the scene in a matter of minutes. She might not even need to make it that far, so long as she wasn't caught.

"Nathalie!"

Why does she stop?

It's insane but she finds herself stopping dead. Behind her, Hawk Moth fixing her. Nobody pays any attention to what he just called out, they're all too busy trying to escape from the building as tremors begin to shake the ground. A few have noticed the presence of the man responsible for all of this and react accordingly, running as fast as humanly possible in the other direction. She simply fixes the miraculous holder, surprised by his boldness at exposing himself in the open like this. He must truly be desperate.

There's no way he's letting her escape, she realizes.

"An interesting disguise!" The villain's eyes run over her for a second. "I imagine my son is wearing one as well."

"There are people here." She stresses the fact to him, glancing around as panic begins to spread.

"Nobody for you to hide behind." He glances around himself briefly. "They don't care about you."

He's right. Outside of Paris' heroes, there wasn't anyone who was going to save her. Slowly, she reaches into her pocket, inside lies the peacock miraculous. She doesn't want to use it but terror in the face of her enemy makes her desperate.

Hawk Moth moves like a bolt of lightning. He swings his cane, hitting her left arm hand and batting it away from her pocket. She lets out an involuntary yelp, grabbing her wrist in an effort to ease the pain. Her distraction, whilst only momentary, is costly. In a flash, the man is upon her. His hand wraps itself around her throat, lifting her clean off of the ground. She gasps, unable to breathe. Instinct demands that she claws at his hand, desperately trying to remove his iron grip. He's merciless. If anything, her efforts only serve to make him exert more pressure.

"Where is my son?!"

Naturally, Adrien had noticed the akuma. In the space of a few seconds, he tried his best to evaluate just what he – or rather Ladybug and Cat Noir – were going to be up against. Psysmic… Seriously where did these guys even get their names from? Oh that's right, his beloved father has something to do with it. He's definitely got it out for Gabriel Agreste, shouting for the man to show himself as he proceeds to destroy everything in its surroundings. Perhaps somewhat more troublesome is that he seems to be able to generate earthquakes. Already, the building and its foundations are shaking and pieces of plaster are beginning to fall. It won't be able to withstand much more of this.

The slight problem he's encountering is the shear number of people compared to hiding places. It won't be possible for him to change in here. Not without somebody spotting him. The building's emptying, so he can either wait here until it's all clear and hope that the ceiling doesn't cave in in the meantime. Alternatively, he can run like everyone else. He would be more willing to do that if he knew that Marinette was out. She seems to have vanished again.

There's some shouting and news which causes his blood to turn to ice soon reaches his ears.

Hawk Moth is here. Does Gabriel know who he is? Why would the villain show up here in person. Instinctively, he finds himself searching for the figure not so as to fight him but simply to know where he is. Logic dictates that he's most likely to be the figure everyone seems to be fleeing from.

There!

Adrien catches a brief glimpse of a figure clad in purple. There's somebody else next to him. He squints, trying to make out what's going on. Initially, he assumes it's some brave fool who's tried to attack the man only to be reminded that powered-up miraculous holders are far stronger than your average person.

Then he sees the face a little clearer. Terror grips him. It takes all of his self-control not to cry out, to scream her name. He stares. He doesn't need to hear what's being said to know that Hawk Moth is threatening her. His sword is out, it's raised and pricking at her throat. For a few seconds, it seems as if the man can't quite seem to go through with it. He seems angry. Angry enough to kill her? Is his father a murderer?

Something inside of him snaps. He doesn't really know what it is.

There are too many people. He can't transform. The time it would take him to break away and find some place discrete enough to become Cat Noir, she'll already be dead. So Dylan Lebrun does something singularly brave and foolish in front of everyone still watching. He takes his ring off, slipping it into his pocket. He can't afford any symbol which might give his true identity away. Then he charges. He rushes as fast as his legs will allow.

He gives the man no warning, throwing himself into him with all of his strength. The force from the impact of having a teenager collide with him is enough to send Hawk Moth crashing to the ground. In the process, he lets go of his victim. The man is stunned, clearly somewhat confused to find himself attacked by a stranger.

Adrien knows he doesn't have long. Whilst he might have had the benefit of surprise, it will only require a few seconds for Hawk Moth to get the better of him. He turns to Nathalie. The woman is gasping for breath, clearly shaken.

"Run!" The teen shouts, only just managing to maintain the accent.

She stares at him. Clearly uncertain. An understanding passes between them. She's vulnerable and it's her that Gabriel is after. He doesn't seem to recognize his son. She has to take these few seconds to escape. On the other hand, leaving the boy here isn't exactly an appealing prospect. She hesitates for a few seconds.

It's all the man needs to get back to his feet and lunge once more at Nathalie. She instinctively jumps backwards. Once again, Dylan catches the man, this time it's more of a tackle. He wraps his arms around the man's legs and holds on tight, tripping him. He receives a death glare, something to discourage him from his current course of action. Still, the teen holds on. It's all the encouragement that Nathalie requires to run. She gives him one last regret filled glance before running.

Seeing her escape, Gabriel lets out a furious yell, kicking frantically at the teen who's so determined to cling on. Each blow feels like he's being stamped on by a horse. He grits his teeth, bearing it to the best of his ability. The teen tries to focus on where Nathalie is. He won't stop until she's both out of sight and has a good head start. One boot proves to be enough to dislodge him. Hawk Moth struggles back up to his feet, eyes darting around rapidly as they attempt to lock on the figure of his former assistant. She's left the building.

Dylan isn't quite done yet however. Once more, he tries his best to knock the man down. Hawk Moth is somewhat more prepared this time and the teen ends up receiving a punch to the jaw. It's hard enough to knock him down, somewhat stunned. The man doesn't even bother to ensure that he stays there. He goes to give chase. The building continues to rumble. Is the akuma still here? Most of the people have fled already. He finds the strength to get back up, running around so as to position himself firmly between his father and where Nathalie had run. The teen's in some pain but forces himself to adopt a fighting stance, fists clenched and raised ready to defend himself.

"You're not proving anything by playing hero!" Hawk Moth bellows, furious and seeing his opportunity rapidly disappearing. "Get out of the way!"

Instead, Dylan lunges at the man. In possession of an activated miraculous, his father is far faster and stronger than he can ever hope to be. It's rage talking. Causing him to stand-up to a man. It doesn't matter that he sees some stranger, a teen trying to be brave and maybe succeeding. He's fully aware that he's not thinking all that clearly. He'll blame it on the few blows he's already received. At this point, is he even trying to buy her time any more?

Rather predictably, he fairs poorly. If he's an obstacle, it's only because he's physically in the way. The teen is dealt a few punches. It's a backhanded slap which finally causes him to fall to his knees however. He stays there for a few moments, panting for desperately for breath. He takes something akin to copper in his mouth, blood from a cut on his lip. In pain, he makes the effort to get to his feet, now acting purely on stubbornness and rage. He gives the man a glare.

"Stay down!" Hawk Moth commands, raising his sword menacingly.

Since when does his father give warnings?

He doesn't question it any more than that. If anything, he takes it as a challenge. He readies himself for an attack. There's no plan, just the primal urge to return some of the pain which has been inflicted on him.

He sees Hawk Moth lunge. A split-second later, there's a sharp pain in his right shoulder. The teen lets out a cry which he's unable to hold back. He falls to his knees. Instinctively reaching for the wound. There's blood. He can't tell if it's serious. Shaken, he looks up at the man. Something inside of him has changed. Instead of finding himself faced with Hawk Moth, he's reminded that this is his father. Somehow, that only makes it all the worse. He's a small child again, desperate and dare he say it? Scared.

With the nuisance now dealt with. Hawk Moth moves to get round him. Something seems to distract him. His face clouds over. The next thing Adrien knows, he's been swept off of his feet. He sees the ground go past at a rate of knots. His feet are no longer touching the ground. Something stops him from struggling however. The teen is dropped off a few seconds later. Dazed, he allows himself to be lowered to his knees.

He's not moved that far away. He's at the other end of the building, out of Hawk Moth's reach. By his side is Ladybug. The hero looks down at him, eyes wide with concern.

"You okay?" It seems like stupid question but one he supposes needs to be asked.

"Fine..." A lie and they both know it. "What about Man?!"

"She's safe. She's the one who told me about you." Her eyes flick down to fix his wound. "Use one of the emergency exits and get out of here. I'll handle this."

She leaves him a second later, charging into battle.

To his shame, he neglects to assist her. His body informs him that it needs rest. He's injured and can't possibly do anything else. Shaking, his hand travels back to his wounded shoulder. There's enough blood to cause him some concern. He wonders if he's dying. If his father's blade might have caught an artery or something. The thought causes his stomach turn.

Perhaps he would have been more concerned if it weren't for the tremors which start up once more. The teen looks up. Ladybug is on the defensive. No doubt, she's awaiting the arrival of her partner. Until then, she occupies herself with swinging from the beams, ensuring that she remains ever just that little bit out of reach but in sight so that she has their attention.

She can't win against an akuma and Hawk Moth together...

A simple realization but one which causes him to grit his teeth and get to his feet. He has to get out of here. If Dylan's here, then there's no way that Cat Noir can show up to help his friend. He's reaching for the ring in his pocket, eyes searching for the nearest exit when he hears the crack. The ground is shaking so much that it's like the earth itself might be about to split in two but this sound comes from above. The teen raises his eyes just in time to spot the crack. Its spreading throughout the entirety of the ceiling, already slabs of plaster and cement are beginning to fall.

Terror grips him.

Ladybug calls his name, frantic.

Then the world collapses.