Excruciating pain bled up Adrien's broken arm, but it was nothing compared to the cold congealed in his stomach.
Dad? Adrien tried to say, not fully comprehending what his father's words meant.
His father broke his gaze with the terror-stricken Marinette, and slowly turned his steel-grey eyes to him. A terrifying finality glinted deep within them. A dangerous determination was etched into the very fabric of his being.
The colour drained from Adrien's face as realisation sank in.
His lips parted with horror; denial turned his muscles weak; his legs gave way beneath him before he was caught by the Gorilla.
'No,' he whispered, the word barely able to make its way out.
Gabriel looked away and turned back to his wife.
'NO!' Adrien screamed. He strained to break free, but fire seared down his arm and his cry cracked into pain and he bit down on his tongue. He tasted metal.
'Take him away.' Gabriel handed the Gorilla a remote. His voice softened as he gazed at his son. 'Keep him safe.'
'No!' Adrien shook his head as the Gorilla forced him round. 'No, NO!' He kicked; he struggled; he strained against his captor, the shooting pains in his wrist only adding to his cries.
'FATHER!' The cry ripped itself from him. 'FATHER!' His lungs raw and burning. 'NO!'
But the Gorilla pulled him away, down, down the walkway. Adrien's cries and shrieks echoed uselessly around the chamber.
A terrified 'ADRIEN!' rang out from a Marinette who had somehow freed her mouth.
'MARINETTE!' Adrien screamed back as the Gorilla pulled him through the archway. 'MARIN-' The metal doorway slammed shut. Darkness fell upon them. 'NO! NO!' Desperation flooded Adrien and hysteria slammed into his gut as the Gorilla dragged him up the staircase. 'NO, MARINETTE!' Adrien pulled his arms free and clawed at the walls, wailing at the excruciating pain in his wrist. The stone soaked up his yells; his blood from ripped nails marked the brick; hot tears sank into the ground to be swallowed by the earth. And Adrien fought with all his might to save his Lady from death.
Adrien's screams echoed in Marinette's mind as she stared at the door waiting for him to burst through again. Because he had to. He had to. Her vision blurred from the intensity of her stare. She started slipping from her mind. Waves of disassociation washed over her.
Movement in her peripheral vision snapped her out of it.
She narrowed her eyes as Gabriel drew himself upright and stared at the jewels in his hands with a feverish shine in his eyes. The ring had turned into a simple silver band and the earrings into circular cufflinks to match.
'PLEASE!' Marinette begged as she strained against Mayura, her mind refusing to accept the implications of what Gabriel intended. 'THINK ABOUT ADRIEN!'
Gabriel didn't move. 'You should really think about yourself, Miss Dupain-Cheng,' he said and Marinette shivered. 'But then, you are Ladybug.' Marinette's gut twisted and froze solid.
'Please.' The strength fled her voice and came out as a hoarse whisper.
Gabriel turned his head towards her but instead looked at Mayura.
'I told you to keep her quiet.'
Mayura made no move to silence Marinette. 'Are you sure you want to do this?' she asked, her voice soft and careful and quiet with pleading.
Gabriel's eyes flashed in anger. He slid the ring on in reply.
Marinette gasped when Plagg materialised. He hung heavy in the air, exhaustion wearing him down. His eyes, mere slits of electricity that cut through the darkness.
'What are you doing?' The kwami's voice had lost all its usual humour and was dangerously quiet.
Gabriel ignored him and put the cufflinks on, his old ones fell to the floor with a soft thud to be lost amongst the greenery.
'You can't do this!' Tikki yelled as soon as she appeared. But, like Plagg, her energy was depleted.
Gabriel ignored her outburst. He took his time straightening the cuffs of his sleeves before raising his eyes to finally acknowledge the two gods.
'What are your names?'
The kwami stared back, defiant; their mouths firmly closed. But Marinette bit her lip with fear at the fatigue and panic in their eyes.
'Your names,' Gabriel repeated with an intensity that the kwami were bound to. Marinette watched them struggle against his demand, but ultimately, they bowed their heads and let their names slide off their tongues.
Gabriel smiled. 'There, that wasn't too hard, was it?'
'M-Master, p-please—' a small voice began.
'Silence, Nooroo!' Gabriel cut over him. 'I won't have you blubbering in my ear.'
A soft pat-pat disrupted the silence as Nooroo's tears dripped onto the floor. Gabriel turned away from his kwami with disgusted annoyance and moved towards his wife.
'Nothing comes without a price,' Plagg said, his electric eyes deadly serious.
Gabriel paused in his movement. He held Plagg's gaze. 'I know the price,' he said quietly.
Tension stretched between them.
'Do you?' Tikki asked, her soft voice piercing the silence.
The hair's stood up on the back of Marinette's neck as Gabriel's soft voice rolled around the room. 'She wouldn't be here if I didn't.'
Tikki shivered with fury. Plagg glared at him with such a vicious hatred Marinette could feel it emanating from him.
'You fucking bastard,' he said, his quiet voice worse than any yell.
Gabriel smiled.
Marinette choked; realisation finally broke through her denial.
'No,' she begged, straining against Mayura, 'No!' she cried as desperation clawed through her.
Gabriel raised his hands, his eyes glittering. 'Tikki, Plagg—'
' NO! '
—'Combine and transform me.'
Marinette screamed, the air tearing from her lungs as red and green magic swirled and merged around Gabriel, turning him into something horrific and powerful.
She ripped herself from Mayura's grasp and tried to dash forward, but Mayura pulled her back and threw her to the floor, slamming her heel into her chest and knocking the air from her lungs, pinning her down to the ground.
'Don't!' Mayura hissed.
Despite gasping for breath and being crippled with pain, Marinette grit her teeth and clawed at Mayura's leg, but cried out when Mayura pushed down harder and cracked something in her chest.
'I said don't,' Mayura whispered, her voice oddly desperate and pleading. Marinette sobbed, her eyes watered with fear and pain. But then a low laugh distracted them both. They looked at Gabriel.
Except, with a new purple suit crackling with electricity and blinding white eyes giving off a terrifying energy, this man was no longer Gabriel. Nor Hawkmoth.
He was much worse.
He flexed his hands and grinned at the strength flowing through his veins before stepping towards his wife.
Marinette struggled. Mayura jerked her head back to her and gave a sharp shake of her head. Marinette stilled.
'Please,' Mayura whispered, so quiet Marinette could barely hear it, her voice filled with pleading and pain. 'Don't.' And this time Marinette understood the depth to the word.
'Creation and Destruction,' the-man-who-was-no-longer-Gabriel began, his voice both god-like and demonic. 'A life given, a life taken.' Mayura lifted her foot from Marinette's chest. Marinette stared at her wide-eyed with fear, her breaths shallow from pain and apprehension. 'I wish to bring back that which should not have gone.'
Marinette forced herself upright as Mayura stepped towards the man. A desperate 'No, don't!' near burst out from her, but her words never lived. Mayura looked back over her shoulder and killed the words on her lips with a small nod and a look that said, 'I know what I'm doing.'
Mayura gave a sad smile. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
And then, the world burst into light.
'MARINETTE!' Adrien raged on the other side of the portrait, slamming his shoulders into the picture blocking the doorway. Over and over. Again and again.
'MARINETTE!' He picked up a shard of glass and slashed at the picture and tried to pry it open. The glass cut into his palm. Blood trickled down his wrist.
'MARINETTE!' he screamed and slammed into it again. The Gorilla pulled him away. 'NO, NO! LET GO OF ME!' Adrien wrenched himself out of his grasp and fell onto all fours, hissing as pain shot up his arm, before running back to the portrait and tearing at it once more, filling with desperation and nauseating fear. But it wasn't budging.
He rounded on the Gorilla. 'OPEN THE DOOR!' he screamed, voice cracking with emotion. 'OPEN IT!' But the large man made no move to help him.
Adrien looked around and spied the hole in the ground caused by their previous battle. He ran at it, but before he could jump through the Gorilla caught him and threw him back.
Adrien screamed with frustration and tried again. But this time the man held him tight.
'Let me go!' Adrien pummelled the chest of the man. 'Let me go to her!' His voice broke. 'Please!' It weakened. 'I have to save her or m-my f-father will—!' he slammed his hands to his mouth smearing blood on his cheeks. His breathing quickened. His chest closed up. 'No, no, no,' he muttered, grasping his hair and shaking his head. He wanted to throw up. 'He can't. He can't!'
Adrien had known his father had sunk into grief, but never had he imagined he'd fall this far.
'Please,' Adrien begged, his voice dropping to a terrible whisper, 'tell me he won't do it.'
The giant man held him gently and remained silent.
Adrien burst into tears. He fell limp in the Gorilla's arms and succumbed to his grief. And they stayed like that a moment as Adrien's wails rang out, trembling in the Gorilla's arms, overcome with panic.
The man gingerly lifted him up and carried him from the room, carefully stepping around the debris, into the lobby, and out the front door. He placed Adrien in the backseat of the car and did up his seatbelt. Adrien was too distraught to question him or fight back.
The Gorilla pulled the car out and drove through the streets of Paris. And ever so slowly, Adrien's sobs slowed and apathy took over.
Time lost all meaning as Adrien stared out the window, the world passing him by with unknowing indifference; the streetlights blurred in his vision; numbness pricked at his skin; his emotions faded to a dull pounding headache.
They paused at a red light and Adrien watched three drunken tourists laugh and sing into the night. Their happiness felt alien and foreign, wrong and twisted. Like it had no right to exist.
They kept driving.
Eventually, Adrien wet his tongue and opened his mouth to speak.
'Where…?' he started, his hoarse voice scraping his throat.
The Gorilla looked at him through the rearview mirror and Adrien shivered at his dark piercing eyes; he realised where he was being taken. Adrien swallowed and clenched his fist, and he braced himself.
As soon as the Gorilla brought the car to a stop, Adrien got out with his heart in his mouth. He ran up the stairs and burst through the doors and strode over to the startled receptionist who barely had time to take in his haggard appearance before he slammed his left hand onto the counter right next to a pile of forms with the word POLICE emblazoned at the top.
'I need to speak to Sergeant Raincomprix,' he said, his voice unexpectedly steady. 'Tell him it's Adrien Agreste and—' A lump in his throat made him falter. He clenched his jaw tight. He hardened his heart. He swallowed the lump down and thought only of Marinette.
'And tell him, my father is Hawkmoth.'
Gabriel fell to his knees, retching and coughing, sucking in air which ripped through his lungs and tore at his throat; magic pouring from his body as his transformation dropped. Limbs shaking, muscles straining, he gave one more deep-chested hack before digging his fingers into the dirt and scrambling over to Emilie, murmuring her name over and over as he fumbled at the buttons of her case until the glass slid open and he hauled himself up. 'Emilie,' he breathed. He pulled at her shoulders but she was limp in his arms. 'Emilie, Emilie!' He forced her upright again, distress building within him.
She slid through his fingers and fell back with a sickening thump.
Gabriel flushed cold with horror. His mind in denial.
'Emilie,' he whispered once more, his hand shaking as he brushed her unmoving cheek with his fingertips. His vision blurred; chest tightened; heart clenched painfully tight. Something had gone wrong. The wish hadn't worked.
'Gabriel?' a voice called from behind him, but he ignored it. It wasn't the voice he longed to hear.
A flash of blue. A gasping of air. A staggering of footsteps that shattered the still air.
'Gabriel!' The voice called again, desperate and broken. And something in the tone made him turn around.
Nathalie. Their gazes locked. She stood de-transformed and pale with a look in her eyes that made his insides turn cold.
Then movement behind her caught his eye. The girl. Ladybug. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She had a hand clutched to her chest and was staring distraught at Nathalie. Gabriel narrowed his eyes. She was very much alive.
'Gabriel,' Nathalie called again, and Gabriel turned his gaze back to her before leaping up to catch her, falling painfully to his knees as she collapsed in his arms.
She clung tight and stared up at him, her chest spasming, breaths shallow, with eyes filled with fear.
Gabriel slowly raised his eyes to meet Marinette's.
'What did you do?' he asked, his voice cold and sharp as ice.
Fresh terror filled the girl's eyes as he started to rise. But a grip on Gabriel's hand pulled him back down. He looked at Nathalie, and horror mounted within him as she slowly shook her head, realisation washing over him like he'd been tied to a stone and thrown into deep water, drowning him in deep murky darkness.
'No, no, no,' he breathed, denial stabbing him in the chest, 'it wasn't supposed to be you.'
A tear ran down the side of Nathalie's cheek. She took his hand in hers and he gripped her back tight.
'Take care of Adrien,' she said, her voice terrifyingly weak, 'he deserves to be happy.' Gabriel nodded, unwanted tears building within him. 'I hope…' She smiled sadly, her breathing quickened. 'I hope I made you happy.'
Gabriel gritted his teeth as emotion slammed into him. Nathalie shook and sobbed in his arms, and he pressed his forehead to hers, holding her close and breathing her in.
'Don't forget me,' she cried softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
A sob escaped Gabriel. 'Never,' he said just as quietly, his voice cracking ever so slightly.
He pulled back and wiped her tears with his thumb, gazing into those clear blue eyes shining with terror, before leaning back down and planting a soft kiss on her forehead.
And pain shot through his heart and ripped open his chest as her hand went limp and the life fled from her body.
She was gone.
This woman who'd served him, who'd loved him, who'd been his ally all these years. Who'd made the ultimate sacrifice just for him, of all people.
'Why?' The question fell from his lips before he could stop it as pain twisted itself through his heart and stomach.
'WHY?' Gabriel roared and slammed his fist into the ground. But Nathalie remained lifeless and gave him no answer.
He stared at her, limp and warm in his lap, and shock worked its way through every nerve and fibre in his body.
The world froze in time and the air grew bitingly cold and a hollow emptiness started spreading from his heart through his veins.
He lay Nathalie on the ground, nestled amongst the greenery, before gently brushing the hair from her face and staring, vision blurring, at her still and lifeless body.
Her still and lifeless body.
Her lifeless body.
Gabriel sat up.
A life given. A life taken. Surely that meant—
Gabriel spun around and then choked on the sudden rush of hope. Disbelief flushed the despair from his mind and light burst through his veins and threatened to rip them wide. And love slammed into him so hard that tears rose in his eyes.
Because there she was.
Golden and glowing; standing next to the case, fingers brushing the flowers and eyes glistening with life.
'Emilie,' he whispered. He scrambled to his feet and rushed towards her, wanting desperately to sweep her up and hold her tight and never let her go.
But she stopped him with a single hand to his chest.
Gabriel's breath caught in his throat. He could feel her soft touch through the fabric of his shirt and the gentle pressure of each finger sent sparks of life shooting through him. And he gazed into her eyes, having for so long missed that deep green ringed with gold.
But then the look she was giving him pierced his euphoria. Her lips were parted with slight hesitation and her eyes were narrowed with just a hint of wariness.
Emilie turned her eyes from him, and he followed her gaze to Nathalie.
'What did you do?' Emilie then asked him quietly.
Gabriel's smile faltered. He pulled himself upright. Regret threatened to overwhelm him, but he shoved it deep down as Emilie met his gaze once more and he looked deep into the eyes of the women he loved.
'What I had to,' he replied, his voice quiet with emotion.
Emilie didn't move. Her eyes flicked between his. Then slowly she leant in and kissed him full on the lips.
Gabriel melted into her embrace. Her scent of sunshine and life penetrated his senses. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. Never to let go. Tighter. Tighter. And even tighter still.
Then he lifted and spun her around. Her laughter echoed off the cavern walls and glistened in the dark air, and it was the most beautiful sound in the world.
He lowered her back to her feet, still entwined in her arms, head nestled in her shoulder, breathing in the scent of her life and wonder. He ran his fingers through her hair, and when she raised her head, he traced her face, still not believing she was here with her beautiful eyes smiling up at him. Her smile widened. His heart pounded. The moment hung between them. Then she kissed him again. A kiss filled with desperation and disbelief, and a love made whole again.
And Gabriel knew, had their roles been reversed, she'd have done the same for him.
He didn't even realise he was crying until she placed a hand on his cheek and wiped away his tears. 'Shhh,' she murmured, her voice so soft and soothing. 'I'm here now.' Gabriel laughed with happiness. This was his reward. Everything he'd done, the time he'd spent fighting, it had finally paid off. She was here with him once more. Everything was right in the world.
Eventually, Emilie pulled back slightly and glanced around the room. 'Where's Adrien?' she asked. Panic then flashed behind her eyes but she instantly smothered it. 'How much time has passed?'
'He's somewhere safe,' Gabriel said, rubbing her hand reassuringly, 'and it's been just over a year.'
Tears welled in her eyes. 'He's now fifteen?' she whispered. 'Oh, my darling boy, I—'
A scuff from behind made her break off.
They both turned to see Marinette, who was kneeling suspiciously close to Nathalie. She looked up. Squeaked. And scrabbled back until she hit the railing.
'Who is this?' Emilie asked, her voice taking on a dangerous tone.
'Ladybug,' Gabriel replied. 'The wielder of the Ladybug miraculous.'
'Ah.' Emilie's features softened. 'She's so young.'
Ladybug glared at the pair of them. 'My name,' she hissed, pulling herself to her feet, 'is Marinette Dupain-Cheng!'
Gabriel and Emilie both stared back, unmoving.
'We'll have to do something about her,' Emilie said, turning away from the girl and ignoring her completely. 'Where's the wielder of the Black Cat?'
Gabriel grimaced. 'Somewhere safe.'
Emilie's eyebrows drew together with confusion, then realisation dawned on her face. She raised her shaking hands to her mouth. 'No, you can't mean…'
Gabriel reluctantly nodded.
'My poor boy!' she cried. 'How? Who in their right mind would give a miraculous to a child?'
'Adrien's more worthy of a miraculous than either of you!'
Gabriel and his wife both looked at Marinette. She glared at them with loathing, determination clearly simmering within her. Gabriel had to give the girl that, she was a tenacious one.
Emilie's smile slipped. Her gaze turned to daggers.
But Marinette refused to back down. Instead she held her hand out.
'Give me back my miraculous,' she said, her voice low and demanding. 'Adrien's too.' Her boldness contrasted the glistening tears on her cheeks.
Emilie caught Gabriel's eye. There was a fire within that deep forest green, but he found himself turning and looking at Nathalie.
'Give them back!' Marinette cried, a sob catching her last word.
But Gabriel just stared at Nathalie turning cold on the ground as Marinette's hitched breathing grated on his mind. And then exhaustion slammed into him so hard that it near swept his legs from beneath him. Relief and grief caused him to stumble and tremble – relief from his achieved goal, and grief from what it had cost him – pain and guilt ate up his will, twisting inside him. And that was on top of the energy the miraculous had drained from him.
With shaking fingers, Gabriel removed the cufflinks from his sleeves and held them up in the palm of his hand. They transformed back into spotted earrings.
Then, before Emilie could stop him, he threw them at Marinette's feet.
Emilie grabbed his wrist. 'What are you doing, Gabriel?' she asked softly; dangerously.
In his peripheral vision he saw Marinette scrabble for the miraculous, but Gabriel had only eyes for his wife's piercing gaze. He still couldn't believe how green her eyes were.
Emilie tightened her grip until her nails dug into his skin. But he was stronger than her and it wasn't hard, despite her grip, to slide the ring off his finger.
'Letting her go,' he finally said, and tossed the ring at the girl.
Marinette dove for the miraculous. Betrayal flashed in his wife's eyes, but in true Agreste fashion, she smothered it.
'Why?'
Fatigue pressed its heavy weight on Gabriel. He stared down at Nathalie – looking so peaceful she could be sleeping – and all he felt was emptiness. He didn't reply.
Emilie swallowed. 'If you let her go, you'll—'
'I know,' he said quietly.
A range of emotions flared in Emilie's eyes, but she didn't have time to respond before Marinette cut in.
'Give me Nooroo too,' she said, her voice quiet yet filled with undeniable grit.
Gabriel raised his gaze to meet hers. 'The moth miraculous is mine,' he said, his tone weary but careful.
'You lost any right you had over that miraculous when you forced him to do evil!'
Gabriel scowled, but before he could reply, footsteps thundered overhead making them all jump. Bright beams from flashlights entered from the hole far above and commands and yells drifted through.
Gabriel paled. He thought he'd have more time.
He'd thoroughly underestimated Adrien.
'DOWN HERE!' Marinette screamed, 'WE'RE DOWN HE—'
In a flash, Emilie grabbed Marinette to quell her cries, but in an unnerving display of skill and speed, Marinette wrenched Emilie around, locked her arm behind her back, and shoved her to the ground.
Gabriel made to rush forward.
'Don't!' Marinette yelled and twisted Emilie's arm tighter making her grimace with pain. 'Don't come any closer!'
'Don't hurt her!'
'THEN GIVE NOOROO TO ME!' Marinette screamed, tears pouring down her cheeks. 'YOU HAVE NO USE FOR HIM ANYMORE!' Marinette gritted her teeth and twisted Emilie's arm tighter. 'PLEASE!' And Gabriel relaxed. He knew her threat was empty. She was weak. She was a hero. She was a child who was too good for this.
And yet…
Gabriel took a shaky breath and pulled the brooch from his shirt and held it in the palm of his hand.
'Gabriel, don't!' Emilie said before hissing with pain as Marinette pushed her down harder.
Nooroo quivered over Gabriel's shoulder, his silent tears dripped onto the floor beneath him.
The door at the other end of the walkway slammed open.
Gabriel threw the brooch into the grass and Marinette hesitated a split before pushing Emilie forward and falling to the floor to grab the miraculous.
Gabriel caught his wife and they held each other tight as Marinette ran back to her railing and footsteps thundered down the walkway.
Emilie looked up at Gabriel with her stunning green eyes.
'Why?' she whispered as the officers strode ever closer.
He held her face in his hands and gave her a deep lasting kiss.
'I've accepted it,' he said softly as he pulled back. He'd always known, deep down, that there'd be consequences for his actions.
'Accepted what?' she asked. But he didn't reply. He simply gazed into his wife's eyes, memorising their colour, as the stream of officers surrounded them.
'Put your hands where we can see them!' One of them cried.
The colour drained from Emilie's face. 'No, no, no,' she said quickly, eyes widening with panic and realisation. She clasped him tight. 'No, I won't allow it! We're supposed to be a family! That's the whole point!' she cried, verging on hysterical. 'We're supposed to be together again!'
'I love you,' Gabriel said softly. He kissed her on her forehead. 'And I've accepted it.' He stepped back and raised his hands in surrender.
'But I haven't!' Emilie cried. 'What about me?' She threw off the policeman who tried to grab her. 'Gabriel!' she screamed, her cry desperate and piercing. 'GABRIEL! WHAT ABOUT ME? GABRIEL!'
With her cries ringing out and tears spilling down her cheeks, it hurt Gabriel to watch as his wife was taken away. Yet he couldn't help but smile as cold metal was clasped around his wrists. For it meant he had succeeded. Emilie was alive. Her light was back in the world.
And the world was better off because of it.