Akumatised

Wow it has been quite a long time since I last updated this fic, damn and that was due to a number of things but I finally pushed and just wrote and wrote and finally I have this chapter done and I'm currently busy with the next one. So hopefully it won't be too long with the next update. So let's jump right into this chapter.

Disclaimer: Miraculous doesn't belong to me.

Chapter 7: Conversations

It was just after sunrise when the accomplished designer got up and got ready for the day. As soon as he was done Gabriel went straight to his study, Nathalie knocked on the door a few minutes later. She found him sitting at his desk, busy as usual, on his designs but, something was different this time. Nathalie noticed how unfocused his gaze was, as if he was looking at the screen but also looking right past it, his mind was somewhere else.

"I believe it's been long enough, Nathalie." He started, she said nothing and waited for him to continue. "I've kept him in the dark for long enough, Adrien should know about his mother." He took off his glasses and put them on his desk.

"Why today, sir?" it was a genuine question. Nathalie had advised him on multiple occasions to let Adrien know the whole truth and he'd always said it wasn't the right time or that he simply never wanted Adrien to know until he was one hundred percent sure he could bring Emilie back. So why now? What made today so different that he decided, on his own, that Adrien should know.

"I saw her in my dream last night. I see her all the time but last night was different." He stood and walked to the window and looked out before continuing. "We were a family like before, we were happy like before. But as happy as we were, Emilie knew what was coming, she knew what fate awaited her and she wasn't afraid. She wanted me to tell Adrien everything."

"Are you sure about this, sir? It was a dream after all."

"Even so, wait any longer and I really could lose him completely like you said. I can't lose my son as well." He turned to face her. "As soon as his photoshoot is over bring him home immediately."

"Of course, sir."

Nathalie carried on her day as usual as did Mr Agreste.

Adrien couldn't believe what he was seeing, he was trying to keep all his emotions and questions from bursting right out of him but it was so difficult. He'd never stopped thinking about and missing his mother and yet all this time she was right here and his father knew, he'd kept it secret from him. Suddenly his secret of being Cat Noir paled in insignificance in comparison to this massive secret. He could feel his heart breaking, the trust he had for his father disappearing. The sting of betrayal seeping into him.

The longer he looked at his mother, the more he couldn't believe it. It didn't make any sense. His heart was racing and his breathing came out in slow breaths as his hand touched the cool glass. She was really right there, within reach. He felt weak like his knees would give out at any second and the tears were retuning. The tears he'd locked away deep inside himself for so long, the tears he'd denied himself from shedding were back in full force. It felt like he was losing her all over again because she was in that unmoving sleep just like she'd been the last time he saw her. He felt his chest tighten and his body began to shake, he couldn't do this. Not again. He took one step back and then another and before he knew it he was running as fast as he could back to the elevator, his father calling after him but he ignored it. He needed to get out of there.

The elevator doors closed and took him back up to the house. As soon as the doors opened he ran to his room and slammed the door shut but being away from it all didn't so much to calm him down. Now the entire house felt foreign to him, like all the walls and windows were watching him to see how he'd react and he knew his father would be coming along any minute now.

Without thinking he transformed into Cat Noir and jumped out the window, just like the first time but he wouldn't let events repeat themselves. If his father sent another Akuma after him, he'd destroy it before it could get him.

Gabriel went after his son, he didn't want things to be as they were, he didn't want to lose his son because of the secret he knew he should've revealed a long time ago. As the elevator ascended he felt strong negative emotions: pain, sadness, confusion. He thought they'd be from his son but, they weren't although they felt familiar.

Ah yes, these were the exact emotions he'd felt from Cat Noir when he'd Akumatised him. So the cat was going through something again huh? What a perfect opportunity but, wait. There was still Adrien.

Gabriel stopped on the staircase halfway up to Adrien's room. His son or his enemy, which should he go after? He shook his head, he'd ignored Adrien enough, for once he would go after his son. He was just outside his door and knocked before walking inside. He was shocked to see the room empty, his heart dropped.

No. not again. Not like on Christmas when Adrien had disappeared at night, he wouldn't let his son go missing a second time. He called for Nathalie and Adrien's bodyguard and told them to go find him immediately. They took off without another word.

Marinette was walking home when she saw the car leaving Adrien's house and driving incredibly fast. She had a bad feeling about this, as quickly as the car had driven past, she was able to see that Adrien wasn't inside.

She'd crossed the street and basically ran inside and up to her room and tried to call Adrien. Did something happen after he'd gone home so quickly after the photoshoot?

All she heard was the call tone, he wasn't picking up or he at least wasn't near his phone. She paced around her room worrying, if something had happened he'd definitely call her or…

An idea came to mind.

Maybe he'd try calling Ladybug, she concluded and transformed and took out her yo-yo and she was right, two missed calls from him. He probably didn't want to risk coming here. She immediately left her room and leapt off the balcony, she knew exactly where to find him.

A few minutes later she'd landed on the highest point on the Eiffel Tower and there he was all alone, leaning against the railing.

"Cat Noir?" she walked over to him.

"He has another secret." He said softly. "He lied to me again." He finally looked at her and saw the confusion on her face.

"Something happened after you left?" she asked and he just nodded.

He took a deep breath and told her everything.

"This is the second time I've left the house after finding out one of his secrets, I'm surprised he hasn't sent an Akuma after me." He sounded so defeated. "I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this, how many more secrets does he have? And why does he keep insisting that keeping me in the dark is for my own good?" he wasn't trying to hide the anger and pain in his voice. "She's been there in that secret room this whole time, right under our house!" He was gripping the railing so tightly that his hands were starting to hurt.

Ladybug could feel her chest tightening, once again her partner was enduring pain and she couldn't do much to save him from it. She put her hand over his and looked into his eyes. He looked back into hers before pulling her into a hug. He didn't want to think anymore, he just wanted to hold her in his arms and forget everything.

"I'm sorry." He started

"Why are you apologising?" she asked genuinely confused at his words.

"I keep making you worry about me." He held her tighter.

"You don't need to feel guilty about it, I worry because I care. I'm the one who feels guilty because I can't do anything for you." She put her arms around his waist.

"Are you kidding, you've been there for me from the beginning. Whenever I felt alone, you've always reminded me that I've got you and it means everything to me."

They remained embraced in each other's arms for a few more minutes but they knew they couldn't stay up there forever.

"You know we're going to have to go back eventually, right?" Ladybug spoke up first.

"Yeah, my father's probably looking for me right now since I snuck out of the house." They slowly ended the hug and stood on the railing, looked at each other then jumped off.

They travelled back to the city to their usual breakoff point when something caught their attention. They'd landed on the roof of the school. A small creature flew past them at a normal pace, its dark wings fluttering on the gentle breeze.

"Is that—" Ladybug asked in shock.

"An Akuma! Even now he's still using people!" he clenched his fist.

"Quickly we need to catch it before it Akumatises someone!" They took off after the butterfly, Cat Noir had a determination in him to see this through. He was tired of the secrets and the lies and the manipulation. He wanted to put an end to all of it. He took off even faster and used his Cataclysm to destroy it.

"Cat?" she asked when he hadn't moved after destroying the Akuma.

"I'm tired of waiting and I'm tired of running. I'm going to go confront him." He said with clear certainty in his voice.

"Right now? Like this? As Cat Noir?" she was getting worried. "You can't."

"I'm still Adrien under this."

"But he doesn't know that. Do you really want to expose your secret like this? While you're angry and hurt, you might regret this later."

"We found out about each other."

"Only because you slipped up by mistake and I told you my identity because we're partners, we see each other every day and I didn't want to break that trust. But it's like you said he's been trying to get our Miraculous this entire time, are you sure he'll stop trying even after finding out it's you behind the mask?"

"That's what I want to find out. I'm giving him another chance, I want to believe that he'd change if he knew he was putting me in danger after saying for so long. That he's only ever wanted to keep me safe, that trapping me in our house for years was his way of keeping me safe. That keeping my mom's whereabouts was somehow for my own good." He was now breathing heavily. He took a breath to calm himself.

"I'm not going to stop you but it's a really big risk Cat Noir." She put her hand on his shoulder and he put his over hers.

"I know, that's why I'm doing it alone. I can't ask you to risk your safety and identity for me. Please just go home for now, I'll call you later and tell you everything, I promise." He held her hand tight and looked at her.

"No ways, I'm not letting you do this alone."

"But—"

"We're a team Cat Noir, you said it yourself, that I'm always there for you, well this time isn't any different. I'm coming with you." She had the same determined look in her eyes that he'd had earlier. Her mind was made up and nothing was going to change it.

It was now or never, they changed course and headed to an empty alleyway so Adrien could give Plagg a slice of cheese to refuel before they went to his house. If he was going to face his father it was going to be at full power. Once transformed again and ready to go, Cat Noir took the lead and Ladybug followed.

The closer they got to the Agreste house, the more Ladybug felt a knot in her stomach. This was more than just confronting their greatest enemy, this was also about Adrien confronting his father and she felt like only more pain would come out of this but she'd face it with him.

Not the longest chapter, I know but it's intentional. I wanted to keep all the drama for the next chapter so this one was building up even more so on what I'd done with the previous chapter. Anyways I hope you enjoyed!

Well that's it from me-

Until the next chapter:

Ketsui Tasogare :-)