Chapter 29: The end of Chat Noir

It couldn't be. That would be too much. After losing everything important in his life, all that Chat had left for him was the fight. The fight for good. For his city. The fight against evil. The only clarity left in his confusing life was the evil of Hawkmoth and the need to defeat him.

Until now.

"Adrien?"

"Father?"

"Adrien, you're Chat Noir?" Hawkmoth's eyes opened wide in surprise. Adrien could not remember the last time his father showed any emotion besides anger, disapproval, or disappointment.

"Father, you're Hawkmoth?" His father! His father is the one tormenting Paris for all these years?

"I am very disappointed, Adrien." The surprise disappeared, replaced by the all too familiar disapproval. "My son has been sabotaging my life's work. Once again, Adrien, you're proving your lack of maturity."

Adrien's initial surprise also passed, replaced by anger.

"I'm… I'm a disappointment?" Adrien stuttered. "I'm not the one who's been causing havoc to an entire city for years." Adrien raised his voice, frustrated with the unfairness of it all. "And for what? You don't think you have enough power with your fame and money?"

"Do not shout at me, Adrien. It isn't power I want. I do this for a good cause."

"Good cause!" Adrien almost shouted. "What possible good was there in your years of terror. You're been trying to get our Miraculous to gain more power."

"Adrien," his father's tone was cold and sharp. "I told you to lower your voice." Adrien flinched, as if struck. "The end justifies the means. The end is good."

"No end is good when the road is full of destruction and pain," Adrien continued. "The city has suffered. People have suffered. For what? Your own gain?"

"Adrien! You will not talk this way to your father!"

Adrien stiffened. Gabriel's hard words surrounded Adrien's lungs, squeezing them tight he could not breathe. He stood in front of his father, gasping, his anger leaching away.

"You will not stand in front of me and question my actions." Gabriel took a step closer. An inch taller, he looked down at Adrien. "As usual, Adrien, you understand nothing. You cannot see the bigger picture. You only focus on your narrow view, you do not comprehend what exists beyond your meaningless actions. I've had to guide you in your life, directed your activities so you will make something of yourself. I cannot let you waste your existence on frivolous activities. You've never been able to make any good decisions and I work tirelessly to make sure none of your poor decisions ruin your life."

Adrien took a step away, attempting to create some distance between himself and his father, towering above him.

"Now I find you have made the most grave of mistakes," Gabriel closed the gap, leaning over the boy. "You have been working against me, your own father. What sort of son works to undermine his own father? I have been working for years to improve your life and bring happiness to you. My goals were all for your benefit, to make our family whole again. Instead, I have gone through years of hardships, working hard to achieve these goals, only to be pushed back again and again - by my son. You are such a disappointment."

Adrien lowered his eyes. The guilt and embarrassment coursing through his body prevented him from looking into his father's eyes. He failed as a friend. He failed as a partner. He failed as a lover. And he failed as a son.

"I'm sorry, father."

"I believe you are, and you should be. The only blessing is that you were too self-absorbed to realize what you were doing. Too busy playing games in your mind, believing you were doing good when, in reality, you were defying and betraying your father. You must repent for your actions."

"Yes, father. I'm sorry, father." Adrien's sight filled with the white butterfly shaped broach under his father's neck. The white wings beautifully contrasted with the purple of the suit.

"Do you understand what you must do now, Adrien?"

Adrien looked up, met his father's blazing eyes and flinched, returning to study the butterfly.

"I'm sorry, father, I don't." Adrien heard a beeping sound, not recalling why it sounded familiar.

"Yes, you do. You need to stop disobeying me and get in line." Gabriel put out his hand.

Adrien looked at his father's hand in confusion.

"I don't understand."

"The time has come, Adrien, for you to stop playing your games and come back home to your family. Come back under my wings." Gabriel paused. "Adrien, give me your Miraculous."

Adrien watched his father's hand, the long fingers he used to put through Adrien's hair when he was a young boy. The palm he remembered patting him on a job well done and the arm which hugged him tightly when he fell and hurt his knee. He wanted to feel those things again.

His gaze moved to his hand. On his finger was a black ring with a single luminous green spot. All he needed to do was give the useless ring to his father and he would take him back. He planned on giving the ring back anyway. He might as well give it to his father. After all, you must always obey your parents.

A light passed over his body, his hand no longer black. The plain silver ring glistened on his finger. He used his left hand to loosen the ring.

"Adrien! Stop!" a frantic, high pitch voice called out. "What are you doing?"

Adrien looked at his black Kwami hovering near his hand.

"Goodbye Plagg. I'm going home." Adrien pulled the ring off and Plagg ceased to exist.

A/N Next chapter: Saviour of Paris