MIRACULOUS ALLIANCE

EPISODE 9: POWERFIST, PART VI

Adrien and Greg had left for the latter's apartment. It was cosy. It was far from the manor's size, but it felt...homely. On the other hand, the mansion never felt quite homely. It was cold, white and sterile, with few things to make it anything but personable. Greg's place was colorful, warm, and decorated. But they couldn't stop to take it in. Both were still quite shaken by the ordeal. Greg was sitting on the coach, shaking. Unlike most other victims, he remembered all that he did.

Adrien wanted to tell it everything was all right, but he was shaking himself. He was not flipping because on the inside of his jacket, Plagg was letting out his purring, the vibrations always managed to calm Adrien down to a degree. But he didn't feel quite sound himself. He had cut off Gabriel from his life, and some emotions from the last few years have been catching up to him. Both of them had been sort of running on fumes for the past few hours after Greg was cleansed of the Akuma, but now both were anxious, panicky...

There was an awkward silence between them. "Things have gone quite bad, haven't they?" Greg said. He then hung his shoulders and continued. "Sorry, that was weak."

"No, it's fine..." Adrien said, rubbing his neck. "I wanted to ask if you'd be fine, but you wouldn't be fine after that, right?"

"I got myself in another no win scenario again. Either the Akuma could have taken you, or it could have taken me. I hoped I was strong enough to not get you hurt should I have...luckily you are in one piece. It could have gone wrong in so many different ways, I wasn't really thinking." Greg said.

"I know a thing or two about being reckless myself." Adrien said, remembering how in his early days at Chat he rushed in without thinking. "I would have done the same for you if the roles were reversed."

"I am supposed to protect you kid, not the other way around. And what a bang up job I did." Greg said, the second part sounding really sarcastic.

"The younger need to guide the elder as much as the elder guide the young." Adrien said, remembering something Master Fu once told him. "I heard that from a wise old man. You were right, another case of no win. But you chose to be at the receiving end, saving me more pain."

"The Akuma is gone, but I still feel the anger, the sadness...It hasn't left. It is not...Driving me as crazy this time. Hardly an improvement..." Greg said. "I know you try kid, but you are clearly trying to hold it together for me, like I'm doing for you now. We promised to hold nothing back again but it is not the time to let it out now, you know?"

"Or maybe we both need to bring in someone else..." Adrien said. Then as if on cue, the doorbell rang. "And I think help has just arrived."

Greg went on to answer the door, finding Adrien's friends on the other side.

Plagg couldn't have revealed himself with Greg around, but Adrien's friends did have that luxury. "Hello Mr. Greg. We wanted to check upon you and Adrien..." Marinette said as she bolted straight for her boyfriend." Will you be all right?" Marinette asked. She and the others had caught up. She felt silly for asking that question, because she knew the answer, but she didn't know what else to ask. She sat down next to Adrien. He didn't reply but just pulled his girlfriend into a hug and wept into her shoulder.

"Mr. Ci-Mr. Greg?" Alya asked as she reached out to him. "I know that it was rough but..."

"Do you remember being akumatized?" he just asked her.

"Vaguely. Not much, as if it was a bad dream but...I was still affected." Alya replied.

"To me it was no dream. It was real, the nightmare was very real!" Greg said. "I wanted...I wanted to kill Gabriel. I wanted to destroy, I wanted to hurt and I did hurt people." Greg said. He sobbed. "When in Africa, I was staying with a tribe...they were peaceful. They had laws, to never hurt, to never kill. I lived by that code. And when that butterfly touched me, it didn't matter."

"You weren't in your right mind." Chloé assured him.

"But it still came from me, the anger, the resentment, they all still came from me." Greg said.

"Dude, it is ok to feel sad or angry. It's just that Hawk-Douche takes advantage of a weak moment. He didn't even had you in mind, he wanted to go after my bro. But you protected him." Nino added. "And he needs you, you know? He needs more people whom can show him they care."

"How can I be there if I'm not all there? I'm a mess!" Greg asked.

Marinette turned her head, still holding on to the sobbing Adrien. "It is never easy coming from an Akumatization. I am one of the lucky ones to never having it happen to me, though it was close. But the city knows it is a problem and there are therapists, doctors, whom can help deal with it. Make things better..."

Greg sighed and then looked at Adrien. "I may believe the kid may also need someone professional to talk to. Knowing Gabe, he has never allowed Adrien to...Let's just say Gabe didn't believe in therapy."

"Knowing how messed up the guy is, he could have done with a shrink." Nino scoffed.

Adrien had stopped sobbing in Marinette's shoulders, but his eyes were still red, wet and puffy. "Will I really need to? Can't I just talk to you guys?"

"Adrien, please forget everything Gabriel has taught and told you. None of us are professionals. As your friends, your uncle and girlfriend, we can help you cope, but we are not trained. We will never be able to help you like a real therapist can. There are a lot of things I can do, but I cannot help one overcome trauma." Marinette said. "You do trust my judgement, right?"

"I do..." Adrien said.

"What do we do if Gabriel rears his ugly head again? You think that outburst will make him think for once in his life? Or that he may become worse?" Nino asked.

"Screw him!" Chloé said. "I may not be a brat anymore, but my family still has connections. I am sure that my daddy's legal team would be able to determine the best course of action. He can't go back, he just can't. I know Gabriel enough to know, and a change for the better is the least likely scenario."

"We must also contain the situation before the guy can claim the moral high ground." Alya said as she held out her phone. "I can't outright attack it, but we can include our side of the story. We can't let him walk over us!"

"We stick together, always!" Marinette assured them all.

"You would really go through hell and back for Adrien, would you?" Greg said.

"Please, they have to install a revolving door just for us!" Marinette said. This got a chuckle out of Adrien and Greg. "I think we could all do with a group hug."

"Care to join in, Greg?" Nino asked.

Greg said as he, his godson, and his godson's friends engage in a group hug. "This...Feels nice. Don't mind if I adopt you kids as my honorary nieces and nephews?" he asked.

"I'm fine with that." Chloé said. "But for Marinette, someone else already gave her that title."

"I can have two fun uncles, you know!" Marinette snarked.

Adrien just chuckled some more. Trouble may catch up again later like usual, but at the moment he was where he wanted to be and needed to be.

At the Agreste mansion, Nathalie has put the Peacock brooch back in the safe for now. Luckily, thanks to Ladybug's prowess, the pain could have been a lot worse, but she was still not a hundred percent. She also should not be drinking wine for multiple reasons but she felt like she needed a glass and poured the red liquid in the glass before drinking it in one go. Man, she was a mess.

It is also not a good sight if you are drinking and your boss walks in. Gabriel eyed Nathalie. "You used Emilie's brooch..." he noted.

"We weren't left with much of a choice." she stated, a matter of fact. "I had to do something to defend your home, to defend you."

"You know what the consequences are for using it. I would hate to see you hurt." Gabriel said. He wasn't completely untruthful, Gabriel really didn't want to lose his closest ally. It would be really difficult to replace someone like Nathalie, whom has been a good PA. It would be a waste of good resources. "I suppose Adrien has gone with Greg Cipica?"

"Obviously." Nathalie noted. It came out a bit less professional then usual. "I must apologize, Gabriel. I knew your son wasn't as happy as he could be, but I never saw how miserable he was. As your Personal Assistant, even more his godmother, I should have seen the signs. But I am sure that once he has cooled off, we can fix this. When he is willing to listen, we can all sit down for a talk, talk it out, find a solution..."

"There is already a solution, the Miraculouses. My Champion obtains it, Emily comes back back, she will fix this broken and mended family." Gabriel said.

"Sir, I mean to disrespect, but maybe putting our fate in solely the Miraculous is a mistake." Nathalie replied. "What has it brought us? Just pain and suffering to Paris, traumatized people, damage. The fact that the Miraculous Ladybug fixed it doesn't mean it didn't happen. I want Emilie back, but is worth breaking apart the family further?"

Gabriel didn't show a change on the outside, but on the inside, he felt uneasy. He thought Nathalie understood, that she stood by him until the end. She couldn't have her doubt her mission now. "We have gone too far down our current path, we sacrificed a lot for it, we cannot just turn back. We are this close to reaching the goal, and we have made enemies..."

"Ladybug isn't my enemy. She is Hawkmoth's." Nathalie said. "She helped defend our home, save us. She doesn't have to be an enemy. Maybe there is another way, maybe we could try to explain it to her...she was given her powers by the Guardian, maybe if we can find him through her..." Nathalie said.

"Nathalie..." Gabriel said, in a soft but commanding tone. He didn't want the Guardian's help. He wanted to find him to add the other Miraculouses to his arsenal, but if the Guardian could bring back Emilie, she wouldn't be brought back in the way he wanted, he needed to. "You'd think they'd listen? After everything we've done? You think they'd feel like they owed us anything? To them we are still the villains. That wouldn't be erased; The Miraculouses...with both the Ladybug and Black cat, we can make it like it never happened. There would be no more strife and turmoil."

"Would you be able to live with yourself if you did so?" Nathalie asked.

Gabriel was getting annoyed. Nathalie never questioned him before. "I will have to so no one else has to live with it." Gabriel sighed. He would have to put on his most convincing performance. "We are so close, Nathalie. I am planning a big scheme, one that is guaranteed not to fail. It would be over quickly. I realize you wish there was a better way, but it would delay everything too much, it would be beyond repair by then. But when we are so close, the day of Emilie's return may be sooner then later."

Nathalie sighed. She wanted to believe Gabriel. She really did. But she has been confronted with herself, with her own feelings as of late. And she didn't like the person she saw in the mirror. "I wish Adrien wouldn't need to get hurt to reach that goal."

"Emilie will help him heal, she is the only one whom can help him." Gabriel insisted. "And it's sad he has taken distance, but at least he'll be safe and out of the way."

Nathalie wasn't so sure. She hadn't questioned it at the time, but the incident with Gorizilla, and the Akuma that has initially been drawn to Adrien himself. "I like to think we are doing the right thing, even if morally grey. But maybe there is a difference between what we think is right and what actually is right."

"Nathalie, you had a stressful and tiring day. I suggest you rest up, calm down and think things over. And I beg you, as a good friend to not do anything hasty. Decisions in the heat like this don't always tend to be good ones." Gabriel said.

Nathalie had to reluctantly agree. She always used to follow a path of logic. She wasn't really trusting herself now to begin with. Maybe they should let herself cool down. "I will do that. I just...hope that things can be salvaged in the end." she muttered.

"I am most certain they will. If we put our minds together, we will manage, you are the smartest person besides Emilie I've known, Nathalie." Gabriel said, putting a hand on her shoulder. A compliment and a sign of trust would go a long way, it wouldn't do for Nathalie to waiver after all. But he was confident he would keep her in line, he has done so for ages.

On the roof of the apartment building Adrien now resided in, the young hero himself was on his own to reflect on things. And have some time alone with his kwami. "You holding up a bit better, kid? There were too many eyes on me earlier, but your friends were there, luckily."

"Have been better, have been worse." Adrien said. "Maybe I'm a bit more hopeful. I meant everything I said to Gabriel...Though it felt a bit harsh to cut him out like that. I knew I had to, to get my life back but..."

"Kid, you are too kind sometimes. It is charming at some times, annoying at others. You have given some people more chances then you deserve. Now, I wouldn't have guessed it would have eventually worked for Pollen's queen. But I know that for your pops...Do I still use that word to describe him? Anyhow, for the old man, you gave him more chances then he deserved. But some people squander all chances given. Not you shouldn't be unaffected, he was a big part of your life. But your life is important as well, and you should be allowed a say in how you lead it." Plagg said. His half kind, half snark speech is so him.

"Well, can only get better from here. Though it will not be the last I hear from Gabriel." Adrien said.

"Let him throw his tantrums, he is more bark then bite. I know guys like him." Plagg said. "You got a better father figure now. He is a bit shaken but I'm sure it will be good for you, to live with someone responsible but supporting. Good thing too, because it is difficult and tiring for me to be...Despite me trying." Plagg said.

"You already did better then Gabriel." Adrien said.

"Not a hard thing to do, but it would mean something is wrong with me if I had thousands of kittens before and not raise or guide them properly." Plagg said. "One final word of wisdom, it is a rare treat coming from me so savor it; family aren't always the one you share blood with. The Greg Guy and your team, you can always count on them."

"And you too Plagg. You are family too." Adrien assured him.

"You're damn right!" Plagg replied. "And let me tell you something else. If your old man ever shows his ugly mug again, I'll cataclysm him so hard it will make the sinking of Atlantis look like a picnic."

"You sank Atlantis?" Adrien asked.

"It was an accident. Unlike Gabriel's face!" Plagg noted. That one gave Adrien a chuckle.

As Adrien was reflecting on the roof, Greg was working on supper. It wasn't much, a few cans of ravioli he was heating, and adding a bit to the bland sauce like spices and ketchup...as soon the doorbell rang. Greg put the ravioli on a low enough heat to keep it warm as he answered the door. It was not someone he expected at the door. "Nattie? Gérard?"

A guilty looking Nathalie stood there, joined by the Gorilla, in civilian clothing, with several suitcases. "We came to drop off some of Adrien's essentials. Clothing, some of his favorite games and movies, memorabilia from his friends, that sort of thing." Nathalie said, having trouble looking him in the eye. "You don't have to tell him I came, I think he would like to see me that much more then he wants to see his father."

"I am not going to keep things from him." Greg said. He didn't show anger towards Nathalie. He just sounded a bit disappointed. "I'm surprised Gabriel let you do this."

"He doesn't know. Luckily he has to catch up on work so he didn't notice me and the Gorilla bringing his stuff over." Nathalie said. The Gorilla had a mischievous smirk.

Greg sighed. The corner of his mouth almost twitched upwards. "Being a rebel again, Nattie, like old times?"

"I wasn't that much a rebel when I was young. I just didn't like to take orders from people I perceived conceited and stupid." Nathalie responded.

"Didn't stop you with Gabriel." Greg said. "I have given the guy many chances, but this time I'm through trying to be nice to him."

"I don't blame you. And I deserved that jab. I have neglected my godmother duties. Despite everything...no, there is no excuse. I have been stupid. I care for Adrien, but my ignorance hurt him and it hurts me that I allowed it to get this far. I want to say sorry but I know it isn't enough." Nathalie said.

Greg looked pensive. "I want to be mad at you. But I'd be a hypocrite. I was in Africa while Adrien was here, in pain. In need of me. The only reason he wants to stay with me, is because I have hurt him less."

"The kid adores you, looks up to you. And rightfully so. You were always better, Greg. Let no one, including yourself, say otherwise." Nathalie said. "That's why for the moment he is better of here."

"I never thought I'd see the day you go in against Gabriel." Greg noted.

"Gabriel is a good man, but he is stubborn, set in his ways, and has been unable to cope with his grief in a healthy way. Though it may take a while, he will cool down and try to reach out to Adrien and mend things." Nathalie said. "In his own way he cares."

"I think you are the only one of us to still believe that." Greg said. "I don't want him to take Adrien away again. I meant what I said, Adrien needs to have the time and opportunity to be a normal kid for once."

"I know. And I don't blame you for thinking. Gabriel...I care for him but I won't deny his faults. He has to learn to overcome them, but I hope I will be able to eventually talk sense into him." Nathalie said.

"Good luck with that. You were always very patient...though I recall it was only for the things that deserve that time and patience. We still may yet differ what qualifies with that." Greg replied.

"Just...if you don't want to hide anything from him, if you mention me, tell him I'm sorry. If he would still give me a chance that I don't deserve, I'd like to be his godmother again." Nathalie asked. "And no worries, Gabriel will not be able to take Adrien away from you. You are still registered as a guardian for Adrien in Emilie's will."

"I thought she wasn't gone enough to be declared legally dead?" Greg asked. "And doesn't Gabriel have a say in that too?"

"No. She may still be registered as just 'missing'. But you are declared his guardian in case she would be disabled as well, and gone missing counts as 'disabled'. That and Emilie kept her will apart from Gabriel's. Legally he cannot overturn it under normal circumstances. Though at the moment he wouldn't try anything, he's under the belief everything will magically go back to normal, that Adrien would be crawling back."

"If you still are trying to reason with him, you'll have your work cut out for you." Greg said, shaking his head. "Good luck with that, Nattie. I think if you keep going the way you are, I may have my old friend back. I think that we should have a proper catching up later down the line, when things have cooled down."

"I'd like that. I...missed being me, just having family and friends, instead of my life being my job." Nathalie said.

"You sure you don't want to stay for dinner. Granted, it is something I quickly put together but I'm sure I think Adrien..." Greg said.

"Please, not now. He's not ready, I know. I'm not ready either. Not ready to see that loathing in his eyes again. Later..." Nathalie said. She then turned to the Gorilla. "I don't think he would mind to see Gérard though. He has done more for Adrien then I have in the past few years.

The Gorilla grunted. "Oh, dinner with your boyfriend? Oh, we'll catch up later, then." Greg noted. "I still believe Adrien wouldn't mind having you both over. But I understand if you are still uneasy. Just don't be a stranger, okay?" Greg said.

"I won't." Nathalie said as she sighed. Good evening, Greg. And good luck." Nathalie said as she left.

The Gorilla grunted as he carried the suitcases in. Greg smiled and said: "I just hope that you two are not getting into trouble with Gabriel."

The Gorilla grunted. "Oh, right...he hasn't fired you despite allowing Adrien to sneak off at times. But this is a bit different..." The Gorilla grunted again. "Though not different enough, that is true. But when the worst is to come, what are you going to do?" the gorilla grunted some more and shrugged. "Yeah, with your resume you won't have a shortage of security jobs to apply for. Thanks for being there while I wasn't." The Gorilla grunted and put a hand on Greg's shoulder. "Thanks, G! You always seem to know the right thing to say." Greg then turned to the suitcases. "Now, how are we going to find a place for all of this stuff?"

On her way home, Nathalie couldn't help to dive in an alleyway, hopefully out of the way of prying eyes, as she then pulled out something that she had on a person. A very familiar brooch. "I'm still surprised you came back for me, 'Nattie'." Duusu said in a teasing voice from inside her jacket's pocket.

"It should have been a one time thing, but...I don't know why I did it. Maybe I couldn't bear to see someone caged again after seeing what role I had in Adrien's...maybe I don't trust Gabriel as much as I thought I did. I thought he was a good man but I start having...doubts." Nathalie said. "I just don't know what to think anymore. So I stopped thinking, and just acted."

"Your thinking has gotten you in quite a pickle, so it's good you stopped thinking for a moment. Though ninety percent of the people don't tend to do that anyhow." Duusu said, in a dry and sarcastic tone. He then became angry again. "I hope it is not a yoyo effect where you'll put me in the vault and get me out several times. You going to stick with me, stick to the end." Duusu then became perky again. "But other then that, yay! New partner."

"I'm no Emilie...speaking off, do you know what happened to Emilie? I only know the basics, that using your power too much caused her..." Nathalie asked.

"She did. But the last transformation, her hand was forced." Duusu replied, a sad tone in his voice.

"Whom forced her?" Nathalie asked.

"I cannot say. A final promise I made to Emilie. She was afraid of sensitive info getting in the wrong hands." Duusu said, sounding strained. It was like he wanted to tell, but couldn't. After all they could never ignore direct orders of their wielder, even if the Miraculous would change hands afterwards.

"I understand..." Nathalie sighed.

"Listen, missy! Just don't let your guard down, ever! And only use me in case of emergency. And if you do, make sure that Ladybug or another supercure is around. And don't do the stunt with the potion again, capiche!" Duusu said in a tough guy voice, as tough as he could sound for an adorable kwami with a high-pitched voice. "If you want to ride my tailfeathers, I must know you can keep up."

"I promise, Duusu...I won't make the same mistakes I made before." Nathalie assured him. "Let's get home. I think I can help you to some sweet berries."

"Berries...Mh!" Duusu said in a very Homer Simpson-esque way as he drooled.

Gabriel was alone in his mansion for the moment, sitting in his chair. He was nervous. He was almost ready to initiate his final plan. He would send out a few more akumas to lure the heroes into complacency with a routine and then switch things up. But something itched in the back of his mind. He wondered if Nathalie was compromised. But she was loyal to him, wasn't she? She would never...On the other hand he didn't expect Emilie to stand up to him prior to her...

He hadn't wanted to believe it of Emily and didn't want to do so either for Nathalie, but his plan was too sensitive to leave anything to chance. He would need to keep a close eye on her. Just in case. It would be unfortunate if his hand would be forced again, but everything he did was for the best. It would be a lot better if others would finally understand that.

END OF EPISODE