Bloom and Marinette get into school the next day, and the first thing they hear is that Lila has gone on a trip with her mother - a high-ranking diplomat in the Italian embassy, according to Lila.
Marinette murmurs "Maybe you went a little too hard on her..." She's only saying it to see what Bloom will say, though. She doesn't know what she or Cat Noir would have done if it was Bloom that had been in that position, and she's not eager to find out.
Judging from Bloom's smirk, she can tell.
The next thing they hear is Chloe wailing brokenheartedly when they open the classroom door. Bloom goes stiff as a board about ten seconds into the room, even as Marinette asks what's wrong, and feels horror fill her up. Because Adrien was grounded for life because he took a majorly-important book from his father and was pulled from school. Her own phone buzzes suddenly, and she looks down to see a text that turns all that horror to ice.
SOH, he's on a rampage.
She quickly gets out of the room, ignoring Marinette's questioning glance, and immediately calls her brother.
Adrien jumps a mile in the air when his phone suddenly buzzes, and he almost frantically answers.
"Adrien, what's going on?" If he didn't think things were bad enough, the worry in his sister's tone would make it even worse - her worries usually turn out to be valid, and considering the detail that Hawk Moth is currently furious with him...he doesn't even want to imagine it.
Adrien quickly says "He has the safe watched by a camera, he knew I took the book. It didn't matter that I gave it back, or that I just wanted to know more about him. Sis, he's..." Adrien trails off when he hears a crashing sound.
Bloom's voice comes over the line, sharply asking "Adrien, what was that? Do I need to come over and get you?" She would, he knows she would in a heartbeat. Rather, two phrases.
Plagg flies down, saying he'll check things out discretely, only to come flying back up at once with a panicked expression. "He's smashing stuff in the foyer. Either it's a setup of some kind, or he really is that furious." Either he's setting the stage to try and convince them he's gotten Akumatized, or he's genuinely in a 'destroy-everything-in-reach' mood. Hard to tell, what with how emotionless Gabriel Agreste usually is, but neither is preferable to the Kwami. He's seen how the guy treats his own son, and it's borderline abusive - emotionally, at least. And that's when Adrien's done nothing wrong, or when his 'crime' is minor. This...this isn't minor - Adrien has potentially revealed his secret identity, and there's no telling just what Hawk Moth will do because of it.
He's already abusive to his Kwami, after all - forcing him to go against his purpose, desires, and instinct on a daily basis, misusing his powers to turn people into supervillains against the Kwami's wishes and probable pleading - so what would his son be to him? It makes Plagg want to Cataclysm him in his sleep, even more so than before anyway, and this may well be the last straw.
Once he repeats what Plagg just said, Bloom says "Get out of there, Adrien. Right now. Or I'll come and get you out." Point of fact, she's already looking for a place to hide and transform.
Plagg says "Transform, hide nearby, and I'll close the window with your remote to throw them off." If his kitten's father really is Hawk Moth, then there's no way in hell he's letting the man anywhere near Adrien again. Especially not like this.
Biting back the temptation to Cataclysm the house around Gabriel Agreste's ears once Adrien does as he was told, he phases into the room again and closes the window he just got his Cat out through. He heads back out to Adrien, they transform back into Cat Noir, and soon they're back at Master Fu's shop as it's the only place Plagg can think to take Adrien. Between the detail that Agreste Sr. almost certainly doesn't even know the place exists and Wayzz's protective influence, it's the best hiding spot in the city from the man.
Thirty minutes later, Dragon Fyre appears in the back room Adrien's hiding in - Master Fu, Wayzz, and Plagg assure him Hawk Moth can't find him here, thanks to Wayzz's power of protection and the detail that they're all the way across the city, but nothing seems to reassure him quite like his ultra-powerful sister. Maybe because she's more than capable of making various problems disappear with a literal snap of her fingers. Or because she'd be taking his father's head off if he so much as raised a finger against him.
Without even thinking about it, Adrien wraps his arms around his sister and says "He's so mad, Sis. He's so, so mad…if he weren't Hawk Moth, I'd worry about him getting Akumatized." And, since he is Hawk Moth, he's genuinely scared about what the man will do to keep his identity a secret.
Plagg off-handedly says "It's possible for Nooroo's Holder to Akumatize themselves, actually. Or have Nooroo Akumatize them. Not recommended, since boosting someone who already has superpowers is highly dangerous and unpredictable, but it is possible. Especially since he's an adult."
At their looks, Master Fu says "Adult Miraculous Holders aren't limited by a five-minute timer as you are. Among other things, an adult can feed a Kwami their energy during a fight to stay transformed with no risk to the Holder. much like you do, Bloom, with your magic." There's also the distinct possibility that he'll order Nooroo to Akumatize him.
Ladybug comes into the back room about an hour later, only to find her two partners having tea with the old man who healed Tikki. And, if possible, Cat Noir looks even worse than yesterday - eyes dilated so much she can hardly see anything but black, arms wrapped around Dragon Fyre, and his hair is actually puffed out like a scared cat. If she wasn't worried before, what with Bloom suddenly ditching school and then texting her to meet her at the 'Kwami-vet' as she put it...she'd be worried now. As it is, she's beyond worried now - something's up, something's scared her partner almost to shaking, and she'll gladly help Dragon Fyre make it disappear. As much as she complains about her kitty's timing with the flirting, she does care about him greatly - she couldn't do this without her partners, both her partners, and if she has to fight for them then she'll gladly pick up a more combat-focused Miraculous to help her do so.
After getting a jaw-dropping explanation about the 'vet's' actual identity - a 186-year-old man who was selected as a child to train with a mysterious and secretive Order of the Guardians for the sole task of guarding the Miraculous', up until a mistake he made accidentally destroyed the temple and resulted in both the Peacock and Butterfly Miraculous' loss along with the spellbook sitting on the table, leaving him the last remaining Guardian - Ladybug asks "Why now?"
Master Fu asks "Why now? Why now what?"
"Why are we meeting you now?" Why didn't he at least give them an address to go to if they had questions?!
Dragon Fyre grimaces, and says "I wanted to drag you two to meet him months ago, either together or separately. He insisted otherwise, though. Something about pasta and water that's not yet boiling - he likes his metaphors, by the way."
Wayzz says "It wasn't the right time for the two of you to meet Master Fu. Dragon Fyre knew who he was from the very beginning."
At their questioning looks, Dragon Fyre deadpans "I kept him from getting mugged by four thugs with a knife. He gave me the Dragon Miraculous and said I'd be getting two partners very soon."
Ladybug murmurs "Sounds like the kind of meeting you'd remember. When did I meet you, Sir?"
Master Fu hands her a cup of tea, saying "You saved me from getting hit by a car, Ladybug. And Cat Noir aided me when others simply passed by. That was when I knew you two would be perfect Miraculous Holders."
Ladybug asks "Alright…so, what are we doing here?"
Dragon Fyre puts a hand on Cat Noir's knee, even as his breathing hitches suddenly, then turns to Ladybug and says "We know who Hawk Moth is."
Ladybug accidentally inhales her drink, and starts coughing at once. Because, what?!
After she's recovered, she asks "Who?! And how?!"
Dragon Fyre takes a deep breath, and says "Gabriel Agreste." Ladybug promptly loses all color in her face, but Dragon Fyre continues before she can say anything. "His son brought the spellbook over there to his school yesterday, not knowing just what it was he had. I managed to replace it with a copy, but apparently he's got the hidden safe watched by cameras."
After a couple swallows, Ladybug asks "Your sure Adrien has nothing to do with…any of this?" She can't imagine it, she can't see Adrien - sweet, polite, thoughtful Adrien - working with Hawk Moth for some unknown reason. Chloe, maybe, but not Adrien.
Dragon Fyre nods, and says "Gabriel Agreste's actions are his own, he didn't involve Adrien in any of it." Master Fu did, but she's omitting that particular detail for the time being.
Cat Noir mutters "He'd have run off if he'd known…"
Ladybug asks "You alright, Cat Noir?" He's not, she knows he's not, but she needs to get him talking somehow. She's not Bloom, she's not a mindreader - though, right now, she wishes she were simply so she'd know how to help her kitty.
Cat Noir gives her the fakest smile she's ever seen from her feline-themed partner, and says "Yeah, LB, just personal stuff going on." From her reaction, he figures she was ready to hate him as Adrien because of his father
And then the news comes on, only for Nadja Chamack to disappear in a flash of a book. And then an Akuma appears, calling himself 'the Collector' and saying he'll fill his new book of inspiration with everyone else's lives.
Ladybug and Cat Noir gasp, and Dragon Fyre groans. "Aaaand he's trying to throw us off…" At their confused looks, she asks "What better way to throw us off his trail than to Akumatize himself, making him look like one of his own victims?"
Ladybug asks "What if we ambush him? Take his Miraculous when he least expects it?"
Master Fu immediately says "No. The Miraculous' are not meant to be used in such a way." At all three looks, he says "The Miraculous' are meant to be used for good, not for underhanded or devious purposes. I understand the appeal of striking when Hawk Moth least expects it, but I cannot condone such an action."
Dragon Fyre groans, then says "Alright, then. No sneak-attacks or ambushes, got it." Both her partners get what she's not saying - Hawk Moth's a coward, he hides behind his Akumatized victims instead of facing them himself.
They'll need a miracle to get the Butterfly Miraculous unless he tries something big, if they continue on like they have been. A sneak attack might not be the most honorable way, but it may well be the only way to get his Miraculous at this rate. They've yet to even see him in the suit, bar that one time with the butterflies - and that doesn't really count, since it was a message through a hundred butterflies over the Eiffel Tower.
Cat Noir glances at the TV, which has turned to static since the camera was presumably 'collected' as well, and says "Let's get to the bottom of this."
Ladybug frowns at her partner - she knew he was off yesterday, since he didn't crack a pun or flirt with her even once the entire time, and it seems like nothing's gotten better. She'll have to ask what's bothering her Kitty again after this is over. And, then, she won't take 'later' for an answer.
AN: Hey, everyone! Next chapter is up, hope you like it! Before anyone says anything about Cat Noir's behavior in front of Ladybug...you realize you're own parent - only parent left, at that - is the terrorist you've been fighting all this time, and then get him furious enough to get Akumatized if he wasn't the one on the other end of the Butterflies, and see how you react.
I can almost guarantee you'd be scared, Kwami of your own or no.
And Dragon Fyre just so happens to be contemplating ripping the man to shreds...