Chapter 34)
"WHAT?!" shrieked Gabriel and jumped up from his chair. "ADRIEN!…"
"Sit!" Adrien pointed on table by his index finger. "DOWN! NOW!"
"Are you mad?!" asked Gabriel. "You simply can't order us to marry!"
"I can and I will," said Adrien with patient smile out of sudden. "It must be something in our genetics…"
"What do you mean?" asked his father confused.
"I hadn't recognized Marinette is in love with me for a pretty long time. You're same oblivious to Nathalie. She even became villain to help you resurrect her own love rival. What more do you need? I painfully miss my mom, but I believe, she would prefer you being happy with another woman, rather than being responsible for my death."
Gabriel silently stared on him in total disbelieve.
"When?" asked Nathalie, pragmatic as she usually was. "When do you need us to marry?"
"You're the genial organizer here, so details are up to you. I need my father to be married man this Christmas."
"If we do it in such haste, people would think, I'm pregnant," protested Nathalie.
The ice-like façade of her crushed a little bit…
"Good idea!" said Adrien. "This house is big enough for ten children. So, several siblings could be only welcomed. Just do remember, I AM the firstborn…"
Young Agreste let everybody to think his words over in silence for a minute or two.
"Just a detail," said Marinette. "What about Grimoire, 'Miraculous Spellbook', that one that Gabriel keeps?"
"We can let him to keep it, but the only allowed inheritor of that book is either Adrien, or you," said Master Fu, making teethy dragon smile. "If he decides to abuse it again or give it to another person, me or any of us would take measures against him. It's part of his goodwill showcase for future cohabitating."
Marinette was surprised for a moment, but nodded with a smile.
"Nathalie, if you would wish so, I could design your wedding gown," she said with smile.
"Dupain-Cheng Bakery would be honored to make your wedding cake," said Sabine.
"Right!" agreed Adrien. "Father, pay them good money. Don't worry, it will stay in family finally…"
"There's another problem," said Gabriel. "I'm still married man and if I show Emilie to authorities and ask to be declared as widower, they would reveal me as Hawkmoth."
"I can help you with this problem," Marinette showed papers from miraculous ladybugs. "According these documents your wife asked for divorce four months ago, using an lawyer office in French Guiana."
"Really?" asked Gabriel in disbelieve.
"Power of Creation can work a creative way sometimes," answered Tikki.
"Doctor Bornish was authorized to take care of legal and administrative sides of that case," continued Marinette. "Once Emilie Agreste obtained her divorce papers, she moved to Costa Rica, from there she left for Hong-Kong. There her trace disappeared. So, you're divorced man in fact. You can't have a catholic wedding. But I believe, mayor Burgeois will splice you two without hesitation."
"Daddy will be delighted!" laughed Queen Bee.
Gabriel made a bitter fake laughter, but nodded: "Deal."
"Adrien, why did you ask Nooroo about transforming you into Hawkmoth carbon copy?" asked Master Fu.
"We'll need a story for audience here in Paris," explained Adrien. "We'll need to find an abandoned factory, create there something, what would look like a lair of supervillain and prepare video with us chasing Hawkmoth. But there must be body in Hawkmoth's costume, not just Rena's mirage. We must show them, Hawkmoth flied from his lair, ideally left the place in flames, but we didn't succeed to catch him. So there's a bit less stress from being akumatized, but still a risk. And yes, there's Mayura out of there. Well, there's really a lot of free flying akumas all over the city. So we, as superheroes, can't reveal ourselves to publicity as well as we can't just decide to retire…"
"OK, I could help you with that," said Nathalie.
"You could?" asked Adrien surprised. "How?"
"I prepared similar kind of show, you want to do. Well, in fact it was trap to catch you, before Gabriel learned, that Chat Noir is his only son. I made agreement with mobsters, as Mayura, naturally. Trust me, they accepted cash from supervillain without slightest hesitation. So there's fake mad scientist's lab with some old computers, in memory of these computers are photos of heroes and some general information about them, just collected from public media. Place is equipped with secret passage and adjusted by firebombs, strong enough to destroy that building. It could be destroyed by one push of button. Well, there are two circles, one detonates just only several bombs near that fake Hawkmoth workstation and entry to secret passage, second fires all bombs in one moment. There are firebombs near access entry, they would be detonated either together with bombs next to secret passage, or they would be activated by flames during arson of that place. Time of delay is a bit unsure, probably two or three minutes. Local mobsters secure safety of that place from the homeless and also destroy every new street camera close to that place. Anyway, on way there we would need to change plates of car. We can't use limo, naturally, but my old car is prepared. I must be a driver for the way there, just to show, how to avoid being on street cameras records…"
"When and why did you prepare that?" asked confused Gabriel.
"Not that long ago, I can manage time, sir," explained Nathalie. "But I planned simply to use sentimonster looking like Hawkmoth and catch all the heroes in that trap," "I could collect Miraculouses from their dead bodies and place there fake Moth Miraculous, so people would think, Hawkmoth was lost in flames together with his opponents. It would be effective resolution of problem, but unfit in situation, when Adrien is Chat Noir…"
"Quite impressive plan," said Tigresse.
All others felt freezing horror from that coldblooded murderous plot.
"It could work in fact, Miraculouses are almost indestructible," said Master Fu. "But I still did not get, why do you need to look like real Hawkmoth, Adrien, care to explain?"
"Sure," nodded Adrien. "Everybody knows, Volpina's illusions or Rena's mirages disappear after being touched. So there simply MUST be body on place of Hawkmoth, when heroes will come to seize him. It could be approved by a hit of Ladybug's yo-yo. It's like a illusionist's trick. People will concentrate their attention on Hawkmoth, they'll expect a fake, most likely illusion. Nobody would pay attention on Chat Noir, especially, if there would be more, than one Chat Noir, when Rena Rouge would use her mirages."
"You mean like five Ladybugs and five Chats attacking in one moment on Hawkmoth, who gotten hit by yo-yo set the arson and disappear in hidden tunnel," said Rena Rouge. "Magnificent, but also pretty risky. For all of us, especially for you Adrien. Do you think, it's really wise and necessary?"
"I think so," answered Adrien.
"We can use sentimonster," said Nathalie. "If you return me Peacock Miraculous…"
"No way!" retorted Adrien. "I remember, how devastating effect that Miraculous had on you. There's another question, father. How did mom die?"
"When I purchased both Miraculouses and Grimoire from trafficker in China, he said, it's just ancient jewelry and old book written in unknown language. He was stupid, but I didn't recognize truth in the beginning too."
Gabriel seemed to be lost in his memories for a moment.
"Emilie liked Peacock Brooch a lot, and when I discovered truth about kwamis, she tried to use Duusu to transform into superhero. But same as you Adrien, she had feather allergy. Once she was all in feathers, she died from anaphylactic shock. We tried to resuscitate her immediately, but with no success. So I wanted to use the Wish…"
"When she died because of kwami magic, her released life energy probably damaged Peacock Miraculous," explained Master Fu.
"That's so lame!" said Rena Rouge.
"But true," answered Gabriel silently.
"So…" said Adrien. "Who agrees with our next arrangement? Stolen Miraculouses will be returned to Master Guardian's hands, Moth Miraculous after preparing our little show. Father will marry Nathalie and allow me be a normal boy, at least some times and Marinette will be allowed anywhere I'll be as my girlfriend promising future designer. I will settle up with my friends on my own. Dupain-Cheng Bakery will obtain offers for doing catering for Gabriel Brand actions. Is there something to add to this convention?"
"There will most likely appear something lately," said Gabriel. "But I have myself one counter-demand. Miss Dupain-Cheng designed costumes for music group Kitty Section, where Luka Couffaine is a member too. As he poses a threat, I need Nathalie to be present during every negotiation about making new costumes for this group and in fact during every meeting with this 'excuse for musician', how Adrien named him. And that work must be done with proper business contract. Do YOU agree, Miss Dupain-Cheng?"
Marinette understood, Gabriel had to get his small victory. Adrien is jealous and he will for sure agree with this demand, so there is no sense in refusal, well, if she wants happy life with Adrien in future.
"I accept it. However I think, it's exaggerated. I also agree with Adrien's plan of arrangement for future."
"I agree with this arrangement too," said Master Fu. "We may need something from you later, but for now it's enough, I believe."
"I agree," said simply Sabine, still Queen Monkey. "Adrien, you're wiser I'd believe for your age."
"I agree with my wife," Beauceron form suited Tom quite well. "Welcome to family son. If Gabriel would make troubles again, you could live in our house."
"It could attract unwished attention to your Bakery," said Adrien. "But I'm going to plea for being invited for lunch or dinner sometimes."
"You don't need to beg," said Sabine with smile.
"I agree too!" Chloé's, well for now Queen Bee's, answer was surprise. "I'm sorry for being rude to you Marinette and I hope to be your friend in future. But brake Adrien's heart and I'll destroy your life entirely."
"I heard you sound and safe," answered Marinette. "We could be friends, just accept, Adrien chose himself."
Chloé made a sad silent half-smile.
"Similar to Chloé," said Tigresse. "Care wrong about Adrien and you'll have to deal with me."
"I don't think threats are necessary," said Rena Rouge. "I agree, but I'll need later some good story for Ladyblog and a few interviews."
"I also agree," said Carapace. "Good luck and good job, dude…"
"I do agree too!" said voice nobody expected to hear here.
Everybody observed ghost of Emilie Agreste, levitating close to Gabriel…
TO BE CONTINUED…