Before long he had his father in the car. Adrien cleared his throat and clutched the steering wheel in his fists.

"I see you bought a car…" Gabriel looked the interior of the car over. "Nice choice."

"Hm." Adrien chuckled and clenched his teeth against one another. "I've been wondering about something."

Gabriel looked over at his son with a raised eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Where is mother buried at?" Adrien looked at him from the corner of his eye and shifted.

Gabriel sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I made her a sanctuary in the mansion. I can take you there if you'd like."

Adrien stopped at a red light and looked at him horrified. "Under- the- house?"

Gabriel nodded. "I wanted to keep her somewhere where I could bring her back when I could. It seemed easier than the latter option."

"Underneath my feet- this whole time?" Adrien's eyes were wide and his heart pounded in his chest.

"Directly underneath." Gabriel nodded and sat back in the seat.

Tears fell down his cheeks and he tried to focus on driving when the light turned green. "Just one more block." He thought and fought back his panic attack. Fought back the pain.

"I can take you there today, if you'd like." Gabriel spoke without emotion and that made Adrien concerned.

"To-today?" Adrien peered over at him again.

Gabriel nodded. "I don't mind. I was gonna go see her anyway."

Adrien cringed for a moment and then his shoulders sank. "Alright, I'd like to see her."

"Then I'll take you there once we get to the mansion." Gabriel looked out the window with a sinister smile that Adrien couldn't see.

Marinette sat on the couch and ate the freshly baked cookies with Emma.

Emma giggled and sighed into the cookie. Tikki flew around and sat on her shoulder eating one of her own.

Tikki periodically looked over at Marinette. She caught subtle moments where her face would fall and she would let down her guard when Emma wasn't watching.

Tikki zipped over to Marinette. "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course, Tikki." Marinette smiled at her.

"Like in another room. Privately?" Tikki cringed for a moment.

Marinette nodded. "I'll be back, Emma." She stood up and walked into one of the spare bedrooms.

She closed and locked the door behind her. Tikki flew in front of her face with her hands on her hips.

"What's wrong?" Marinette looked at her kwami.

"I could ask you the same thing. You're worried about Adrien, aren't you?" Tikki pointed at her with her hand.

"Wouldn't you? The man tried to kill him." Marinette let a tear fall from her eye that she had been holding back.

Tikki sighed and hugged Marinette's cheek. "He'll be okay. He's Chat Noir. He could just transform and fight."

Marinette scoffed and crossed her arms. "That worked so well last time."

"Maybe he'll have more time this time around." Tikki shrugged. "And a place to hide."

Marinette looked at her from behind her hands. "His father is Hawkmoth, Tikki."

Tikki looked at her for a moment. "Transform, take Emma to your parents via ladybug travel, and make sure he's okay."

"Now, you realize the problem?" Marinette looked at her with wide eyes.

Tikki nervously giggled and Marinette rolled her eyes. "Tikki, Spots on!"

A red light took her over and she transformed into Ladybug. She walked out to Emma. Emma about dropped her cookie.

"Mama?" Emma looked at her in shock.

"I'm gonna take you to the bakery and you get to hang out with Grand-mere and Grand-pere." Ladybug smiled at her daughter.

"Okay." Emma smiled up at her and Ladybug turned the television off and picked her daughter up.

Ladybug took her upstairs to the balcony and swung her yo-yo out to catch onto a tree nearby and Emma giggled, as they flew across the sky.

Gabriel lead Adrien into his old bedroom. Adrien looked at him confused, before he watched his father move the giant white couch out of the way. A trap door appeared in the floor and he pressed a small button that was well hidden into the rest of the flooring. A small number pad popped up and he keyed in some code, before the trap door opened and carried them down into a round room with a set of double doors.

Adrien couldn't even talk. He was lost in the thought that this whole time she had been within his reach. Gabriel sighed and opened the double doors to reveal a long hallway that lead to a giant expanse of a room that had lush green trees at the end of it. In the center sat a casket.

Adrien's breath left him and tears welled up in his eyes.

"Your mother is being preserved. There was word of a new test that they were running and I took them up on it. Money wasn't a worry. I would have used all of my life's work to keep her with me." Gabriel ran his hand along the white casket.

Adrien stood back and watched in a panic. His heart sped up and he felt sick. This was all too much for him to handle.

"Your mother was a beautifully, perfect, woman." He circled her and then suddenly flashed Adrien a look. "You remember, don't you? Her model shoots and her movies?"

Adrien nodded and swallowed hard. "But- like you… she was stubborn, authoritative, and didn't listen well." Adrien watched his hands ball into fists and noticed how his jaw was set tight.

He backed up a bit and his back hit the black railing, as his father pressed into him. "Like you! She didn't think before she leaped. Like you! She couldn't stand my life's work. It got to her. Ate her from the inside out. Like- you." He poked Adrien in the chest and he looked behind him in a panic. "Now, I have a hunch that…" He stepped away from him and suddenly turned around and pointed at Adrien. "You! Yes, you. Are a particular hero."

Adrien gulped and tried to find a way out.

"One that could be PAWSitively crucial." Gabriel gave him a sinister smile. One that fit Hawkmoth more than his father. "So! If you are, HIM… show me."

Adrien's eyes went wide and he tried to run away. He swung over the railing and fell into the water below.

"Darkwings! RISE!" Gabriel held his arms at his sides and let the white butterflies cover him, before bursting from his body like a bomb that had been detonated.

"Shit, shit, shit." Adrien ran around the water, trying to find cover.

"You need to transform, kid. And I mean now." Plagg zipped out from his shirt and gave him a frantic look.

"If I do… then he'll know." Adrien worried his lip and clung to the shadows.

"I KNOW YOUR DOWN THERE. JUST TRANSFORM AND WE'LL BE DONE WITH ONE ANOTHER. PURROMISE." Hawkmoth cackled an evil laugh and Adrien's chest rose and fell in a panic. He had never hated puns so much.

"Transform, Adrien." Plagg begged, while Adrien looked around him frantically trying to find his way out of this.

"Ya know… if you'd just hand over your ring… Yes, I've noticed. Interesting that it changes from silver to black." Hawkmoth smiled creepily and walked along the hallway above Adrien. "Then we could save your mother and bring her back to us. But of course… I'd also need you to get me Ladybug's miraculous. And I'm assuming you very know who she is beneath that spotted mask of hers."

His footsteps echoed through the massive room and sent chills down Adrien's spine.

"Transform, kid! You have no choice!" Plagg grabbed Adrien's cheek.

Adrien growled, as he was filled with anger. "Plagg! Claws out!"