"So if you look here," Marinette pointed to a magazine from a few years back. "There's an article about mid-way, I nearly missed it."

"About what?" Adrien asked as he flipped through the magazine, finding his answer quick enough when he saw the photo of his mom and dad boarding a plane.

"They were taking a trip to Tibet."

"I remember." Adrien sighed, looking down at the photograph. "It was the last time I saw her. He came back without her. But I don't see where you're going with this."

"Well, maybe I'm just pulling threads where I shouldn't. I was just thinking and..this is the last photograph of her, right?"

"Yeah."

"Why is that?"

"Because she disappeared…?"

"They took another trip to Tibet, just a few years before this. And when they got back, their photos were plastered across every newspaper, magazine and news article I could find. But when he came back this time, alone, nothing. Nothing about her disappearance, her death, his return..you'd think him returning without her would have called for an investigation, a public interest piece on the disappearance of a famous actress. Surely something besides just..silence."

"I just assumed at the time my dad was trying to keep it quiet for my sake and for the brand."

"That could be it too. I just thought with all of his money and resources that he would have looked for her, called a search or something. Your dad is rich. He could have had people looking everywhere for her. But there's no record of that. Almost like.."

"He knows what happened to my mom." Adrien rubbed his face, unsure what to think. "So you think if he is Shadowmoth..he's wishing for my mom back."

"I do."

"So what do we do?"

"We look around."

"But where?"

"Are there any places in your house you aren't allowed to go? Anything strange? Secret doors, trap doors? Anything?"

"Well..there's the wine cellar, the kitchens, the staff quarters..not allowed in any of those..but the staff are frequently. He wouldn't be able to hide anything there."

"So not any of those. Anything else?"

"I don't know if it's anything, but there's this painting. He hides things behind it. In his atelier. I just always assumed it was like a safe, just for special belongings."

"What was in there?"

"Just some books and papers and old tickets, a photo of my mom, some jewelry..wait a second. A brooch. It was a brooch. Shaped like a..peacock's feathers. God I am an idiot. It was right there and I missed it. How did I miss it?"

"Okay. So another strike against your dad. But he couldn't be sending akumas from a safe in the wall, wouldn't be big enough."

"I don't know. He spends most of his time in the atelier. If he was sending them from somewhere, it would be there."

"Then we'll start there."

~•••••~

"You sure about this, bug?" Chat Noir looked at the mansion from the roof they stood on across the street. "Once we go in..it could get bad fast."

"I've got Rena on stand by if we need her. And Rena knows where the other kwamis are if we need to call together a team."

"Okay, let's do this." Chat Noir took a step towards the edge and Ladybug grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

"No matter what happens in there…I love you."

"I love you too, Marinette." Chat Noir kissed her forehead, lips lingering for a moment, before catapulting onto his own roof. "Nows your chance to prove us wrong, dad." He turned to Ladybug as she landed next to him. "My dad and Natalie should be out, Gorilla too. We should be able to investigate in peace, but they'll be home soon so..quickly M'Lady."

"Got it."

They ducked into the house through Adrien's always open bedroom window and landed quickly.

"I'll do a once over of the rest of the house," Chat began. "I know it better, so I'll be able to check faster just to see if there's anything I didn't think of. You start in the atelier and I'll meet you there soon."

"Be careful." Ladybug squeezed his hand then ran to Gabriel's office, beginning to search high and low for secret doors, buttons, anything she could think of. She opened every drawer in his and Natalie's desks, went through the computer, all coming up blank. She was just turning to the painting Adrien had mentioned when he joined her.

"This is it. Though I'm not sure how to open it again. I had Plagg's help last time."

"I'm not sure we need to look in the safe anyway. A safe is a safe." She looked up at the painting, squinting as she examined it closely. "Except..when it's not." She reached up, having to get on her tip toes, to run her fingers along the painting. "There are ridges. I think they're buttons. They're hidden well, but if I-" She pressed lightly and suddenly the room quaked, opening the painting and revealing a lift.

"You're kidding me." Chat stared at the lift, then turned to Ladybug who shook her head. "I think we just found Shadowmoth's lair."

"I'm so sorry." Ladybug reached for his hand just as a voice spoke between them.

"I am not."

Both teens whirled just in time to see Shadowmoth standing before them, staff at the ready.

"Back away if you know what's good for you."

"Never!" Ladybug growled, her fists clenched.

"You will do as I say or we'll fight. And you think two teenagers will be a match against me? I've had my powers longer, I'm older, I have nothing to lose."

The last bit stung Chat Noir and he held up his hand.

"Well I have everything to lose! Cataclysm!"

"No!" Shadowmoth yelled as Chat Noir swept Ladybug up in one arm and placed the other, full of power, on the wall holding the lift in place. It disintegrated at his touch and Chat drew Ladybug close as the floor beneath them crumbled under the weight of the falling wall.

"Hurry!" Chat Noir pushed Ladybug towards the hole in the wall and she slipped down quickly, crawling along the elevator shaft until he feet touched down. She heard Chat behind her and together they leaped away from the area, both rolling but managing to get to their feet as Shadowmoth followed them.

"Stay away from there!" He yelled as they were swarmed by akumas.

"Stay Pawsitive, M'lady! One wrong move and-"

"Got it!" Ladybug grabbed him by the arm, using her yo-yo to knock out the light as they ran, hoping the darkness would help conceal them. Chat Noir took the lead with his night vision, leading her away from Shadowmoth who was searching for them with his staff. Neither dared speak until Chat whispered in her ear.

"There's another floor, below this one. I'm going to push you, brace yourself." He pushed her and she felt herself falling, managing to brace herself just a second before her feet hit the ground. It was lighter there and Ladybug took a moment to look around, her eyes falling on first the gardens, then the pod in the center.

"Chat.."

He turned.

"Mom."

Neither had time to contemplate what they had seen as Shadowmoth suddenly caught on that they had left, following them down a level and landing behind them with a yell.

"You stay away from her!"

"Gabriel! You can't bring her back!" Ladybug yelled, desperately hoping to talk him down. Adrien's dad was the last person she wanted to fight.

"I can and I will!" Shadowmoth lunged at Ladybug first, swiping his cane at her feet. She jumped, dodging the hit as Chat prepared to protect her.

"You'll pay a price for the wish. You have to know that."

"I'll pay any price!" Shadowmoth lunged again, faking left but going right and Ladybug ducked as Chat blocked the hit.

"Even your son's life?"

"Anything." Hawkmoth pushed forward with his staff, knocking Chat Noir off balance both mentally and physically. Chat landed on his back with a grunt and Ladybug stood in front of him, yo-yo at the ready.

"How would your wife feel? Knowing you would willingly sacrifice her son's life?"

"You know nothing!" Hawkmoth pulled back for a moment and Ladybug relaxed as Chat stood once more.

"We know enough." Chat ground out, even as his miraculous beeped.

"And soon I'll know your identity. I can make life hell for you."

"You already have!" Chat moved forward, baton ready, and Shadowmoth stepped back in surprise, took but a second to catch up, and then, predicting the move, caught Chat around the legs, knocking him to the side. Chat's head hit the ground with a resounding thud and Ladybug sprinted towards him.

"Chat!" She cried, grabbing for his still body and taking off with him in her arms. She used her yo-yo to haul them up through the elevator shaft and out of the Agreste manor as fast as she could, hopping across rooftops with the boy that she loved in her arms. Behind her she could hear Shadowmoth's following steps and below her she could see a crowd gathering, watching their every move. She needed to find Alya, get the team together, get- Chat was knocked from her grasp as she was hit from the side. She lunged to protect his head and sighed in relief as she saw him begin to stir.

"M'Lady?" He questioned slowly, checking his surroundings. "M'lady!" He looked behind her with wide eyes and she turned just as Shadowmoth caught her by the throat.

The beeping of a miraculous and the sound of a detransformation paused the fighting.

Shadowmoth looked at his son. Made eye contact with the boy he had shared with his wife. And turned his back on him, back towards the girl in spots, the girl grasping at his hands with all her might.

Adrien stood, his body shaky.

"Dad! Don't. Please. Let her go. I'll give you my ring. Please, just let her go."

"You'll give me your ring when I'm done with her." Shadowmoth held her up as a TVi helicopter arrived on scene.

"What's going on Nadja?" A reporter asked from the studio as the helicopter circled.

"It's hard to tell!" Nadja looked down at the scene below her. She had been reporting on akumas for years now, but this situation seemed desperate. "Shadowmoth has Ladybug by the throat, Chat Noir is..Adrien Agreste?" Nadja watched as her partner, a cameraman named Pierre, filmed the interaction below.

Ladybug struggled to breathe as Shadowmoth drug her towards the edge of the building, her feet scraping for any kind of traction against the slick roof as Adrien pleaded in the background.

"Let me go!" Ladybug kicked at Shadowmoth with as much strength as she could muster, barely shaking him.

"If you insist."

Ladybug felt her body being thrown over the edge, felt her fingertips graze the rooftop, felt her body falling. She prepared for the impact, her eyes closed against the wind.

And then she hit.