"The weather today is-" "Fucking terrible, I know," Ladybug groaned as she wrung the water out from her hair, albeit in vain, as the rain continued to pour. It wasn't exactly the best night to be out and about, but as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility, and the miraculous duo was no exception. Finding shelter and staying hidden was a task that was near impossible, and in the three years that they had been protectors of Paris, patrol was a constant.
Chat Noir leaned onto his baton. "I was going to say it was a bit dreary, but that works too."
"Sorry, Chat, it's just-" Ladybug paused, her features contorting into what looked like a prelude to a- "Achoo!" She wiped at her nose with her elbow and sniffled.
"You know, milady, maybe it's time we closed up patrol, headed on home-" "No, no, no, I'm fine, don't worry about- achoo!" Ladybug continued to sneeze, rendering her near unable to speak. Chat walked over to her and placed both his hands on her shoulders. "Milady, I think you should go home. You're going to catch a fever at this rate. Finishing up patrol a bit earlier than usual is definitely better than you having to skip a whole week because you got sick."
"Chat, I'm fine, I don't-"
"Please, just go home. I'll finish up the rest of patrol for you. Just, take care of yourself, alright?"
"I," Ladybug looked into Chat's eyes and saw that he was being serious. "Alright. I'll- achoo! Go home. Just- achoo! Promise me you'll be careful?"
Chat smiled. "I always am, milady." He bent down to kiss her hand. "Until next time."
She smiled back, "I'll see you soon." She activated her yo-yo and swung away. "Bye Chat!"
"Goodbye, Ladybug," he thought to himself as her figure slowly disappeared from view.
About a half-hour later, Chat felt like it was time to wrap patrol up. He himself was getting tired and it was getting pretty late anyway. He bounded over to the Agreste mansion and leaped through the window to his room. As he relocked the window, he heard a sound. It almost sounded like footsteps- no, it was too light. It almost sounded like fluttering-
The sound grew in volume and he quickly turned around, only to see a swarm of akumas towering over him in a hulking mass. He drew his baton, but the akumas had strength in numbers and quickly engulfed him in darkness.
When he regained consciousness, he found himself propped up against a wall, hands and feet tied up, with a cloth over his eyes. He heard someone's steps get nearer and nearer. Cold fingers grazed his face and he shivered as the blindfold was removed. He found himself in the shadow of a tall man wearing… the mask of a luchador? Weiiiiiird. This guy also had a thing for butterfly motifs apparently, seeing as they were everywhere: on his clothes, on the massive window behind him, he even had butterflies flying around him. Those kinda butterflies reminded Chat of… akumas… which could only mean one thing.
"Hawkmoth," Chat growled, "I should have known it was you."
"Ah, so we finally meet, my young foe. I've dreamed about this day for ages, the day when I would finally take your Miraculous! After struggling to capture you for nearly 3 years, I decided that sending others to do my bidding was futile, or as they say, if you want something done right, you do it yourself. And so, I have done it myself! I have finally captured Chat Noir, wearer of the miraculous of the black cat! Now I will finally take your miraculous, and I will be able to do with it as I please!"
"Never! I won't let you use the miraculous for your nefarious purposes! I'd rather die than let you possess the miraculous's power!" Chat struggled against his bonds, but they didn't budge.
Hawkmoth cooly replied, "That can be arranged, however, there is something else I want from you. Now that I have captured you, I can finally know your true identity."
Chat felt a pit in his stomach. If Hawkmoth knew who he was, he could terrorize the people that Chat loved. He thrashed and fought with all his might, but the bonds were too tight, and he was too tired, the world fading in and out, his vision turning dark at the edges.
Hawkmoth's gaze soon fell to the ring on Chat Noir's finger, and pulled it off, relishing the moment. Moments after he took the ring, a black kwami emerged from it. The room was very dark, but the look of anger and disgust on the kwami's face was apparent. Then, suddenly, Chat Noir's transformation began to wear off, emitting an almost alien-like green glow. Hawkmoth's eyes grew wide with realization. Chat Noir was none other than-
"Adrien?" Hawkmoth blurted, his shock quickly turning to rage. "ADRIEN AGRESTE! WHY AREN'T YOU IN BED? YOU HAVE A PHOTOSHOOT TOMORROW FOR THE WINTER LINE! NO SON OF MINE-" Hawkmoth paused and realized what he had just said. Oh shit.
"Father?"
Hawkmoth froze. "Nooroo, dark wings fall." His transformation disappeared, leaving a defeated-looking Gabriel Agreste in his place.
"I think," Gabriel sighed, "I think we need to have a talk, Adrien."
"So it was you, the whole damn time? You're telling me that you're Hawkmoth, the villain who's been terrorizing Paris for the past, what, three years?" Adrien could see nothing but red, he felt white-hot anger boiling his blood and searing his veins. This whole time, it had been his own father creating akumas, putting the lives of innocent people at risk.
Gabriel was slumped down in his seat at the dining table, his head in his hands.
"And for what?" Adrien spat out, his rage mounting. "What was your goal in doing this? To terrorize the city? To gain control of Paris? To tear apart your family?"
Gabriel abruptly stood up, his hands slamming onto the table as he shouted, "I did it for our family!"
Adrien whispered, "I- I don't understand. What do you mean?"
His father sat back down, pinching the space between his eyebrows. "I- I did it… to bring her back…" Gabriel's voice broke. "I thought that getting the miraculous of Ladybug and… you, would… let me make my wish. And that wish," Gabriel said, as he removed his now fogged-up glasses, "was to bring her back to us."
Adrien was speechless.
"I realize now," Gabriel stood up and looked Adrien in the eye, the tears in his eyes apparent and threatening to spill onto his cheeks, "that my family is right here, and I've spent too long trying to chase something that isn't there anymore. I don't expect you to forgive me, not after all I've done to the people of Paris, or you. I just hope, rather, that you will allow me to try again, as your father."
Adrien turned around and thought to himself for a moment. Was he truly being genuine? Or would his father simply go back to being Hawkmoth and keep the cat miraculous for himself?
His thoughts were interrupted by Gabriel. "I see that you doubt my intentions, which is… understandable, to say the least." Adrien muttered to himself, "Damn right."
"But, in case you want proof that I am trying to change, here." The sound of metal clattering on wood. Adrien whipped around and saw his ring, sitting in front of him on the table. He quickly took it into his hand and placed it on his finger, before his father had any second thoughts about giving it back to him. Plagg jumped out of the ring and sat to rest on Adrien's shoulder.
"I really thought I lost you, kid," Plagg admitted, shifting closer to Adrien.
"I did too, Plagg. I did too."
"I see that you have formed a close bond with your kwami," Gabriel remarked. "It would be cruel of me to deny that bond. Speaking of which, I think that there is someone else that your kwami is waiting to meet."
Plagg's eyes grew wide with apprehension, then squinted in suspicion.
Gabriel pulled his own miraculous from his jacket pocket, placed it in its usual place, and a purple kwami emerged from it.
Plagg gasped in recognition. "Nooroo?" He uttered disbelievingly. The two kwamis wrapped each other in what could be considered an embrace, let alone the fact that their comically large heads kept bumping into each other. Plagg gazed down at Adrien, a look that seemed to say "will you be okay?". Adrien only nodded in affirmation, and the two kwamis floated to the kitchen, presumably so Plagg could get some camembert and whatever else Nooroo ate to recharge.
"Father, I don't think I can forgive you just yet. After all you've done…" Adrien trailed off but quickly found his place again. "But, I do think that we can try to start over."
Gabriel gave a weak smile in return. "I think I can manage that. I swear to never hurt the people of Paris for my own gain ever again. Everything I do now, I do for family."
Adrien slowly approached his father. Gabriel suddenly stood up and wrapped Adrien in a stiff embrace. Adrien found himself a bit in shock at first, but then slowly returned the hug.
"Father?"
"Yes, Adrien?"
"I appreciate the effort, but your hugs kinda actually suck."
"It's… it's a work in progress."