Note: Thanks to everyone who has been continuously keeping up with my story, I appreciate it very much! This story maybe has three to five more chapters left and then will be completed. Now, I could end it happily and give it the closure it needs and write a brand new miraculous fanfic, OR, I could set it up for a sequel and go with that! Totally up to you guys, so just drop me a comment and let me know what you all would prefer!
"Marinette? Marinette hey, I gotta go." Adrien looked down, laughing as Marinette snuggled her face into his side more. "Hey, I really gotta go, it's almost 2." She peaked an eye open and Adrien laughed as she shut it quickly. "C'mon Princess, my dad's show is tomorrow and I gotta get some sleep. He won't be happy when he finds out about my conversation with Kagami."
"Ok." She released him slowly, hands lingering on his arm.
"I'll see you there tonight ok?"
"Ok." He could tell she was half asleep as she blinked slowly at him. He doubted she would even remember the snuggling. She was so shy now, everything made her blush. It was the cutest thing he had ever seen, how nervous he made her. He moved back pulling the blanket over her shoulders and dropping a kiss on her forehead. This was what he had been waiting for. This, pure bliss of simply being in someone's presence, he couldn't remember ever feeling that. He let his gaze linger on her for a moment longer before transforming and leaping into the night. He was fairly tired himself, and he wasn't surprised when his eyes blurred as he got closer to his home. He wanted nothing more than to sink into bed.
In his lethargic state, he hadn't even realized he had gone through his father's window. He could hear the mumbling and panic sent adrenaline coursing through his body. He hoped his father hadn't noticed and turned to leave when something caught his attention.
"We're so close Nathalie. We almost defeated them last time."
"Don't worry Gabriel. Now with the ability of the miraculous enhancer there is no way they can hold out forever." ChatNoir nearly choked. Miraculous enhancer? Defeat who? What was happening? Needing to get closer, he peaked around the corner. His heart leapt into his throat as he saw the moth and peacock Kwami hovering over his father.
No.
Not when things were finally starting to go well, he was dreaming. He had to be dreaming.
He felt like he was going to vomit.
There was no way his father was Hawkmoth. The universe could not be so cruel as to kill his mother and make his father the man who just so happened to be his mortal enemy. He shook his head backing away when he finally heard it. "Once we kill Ladybug, we can simply take her earrings from her. After all, we'll have the power to bring her back will we not? It will not have any major consequences." Adrien zoned out after hearing those words.
Kill Ladybug?
He wouldn't let him. There was no way he would ever let HawkMoth kill Ladybug. He'd have to go through him.
He would have to tell Ladybug who HawkMoth was. ChatNoir was almost one foot out of the window when reality caught up to him. If he told Ladybug who HawkMoth was would he really have the strength to fight his father? Would he really be able to kill his father if it came to it? His father was all he had apart from Nathalie but if she was Mayura then…
He moved quickly into his room, hands shaking as he locked his bedroom door. His vision felt blurry and he couldn't stop his body from shaking. He felt like he had just drank twelve energy drinks and was about to go skydiving. He stumbled forwards, knocking into his bookshelf and toppling several books from the force. His knees shook and he grabbed fistfuls of his hair, taking a deep breath.
"Claws in."
"Nooroo! And duusuu right under my nose the whole time!" Plagg yelled, throwing his small paws in the air. "We have to tell Ladybug we have to save them!"
"Plagg wait…" Adrien sat down dropping his head into his hands. "We can't rush into that decision yet."
"What do you mean Adrien! That's Hawkmoth!"
"That's also my father!" He yelled and Plagg shrank back.
"You're right. I'm sorry. What should we do?"
"I don't know! I don't know. If I tell Ladybug we could ambush him, take his miraculous and we'll have the element of surprise on our side. But then...but then who knows what will happen to my father? Will they just take him away?" He rubbed his hands down his face, sighing in frustration. "I need some time. I need some time to come to terms with this all and then...and then we'll tell ladybug ok?"
Plagg looked nervous but nodded. "Ok Adrien."
.
.
.
It would hurt him to look at Ladybug, he could barely look at her let alone speak to her. He also knew it would kill him to keep it a secret. She would be so angry and disappointed if she knew what he knew. He couldn't even tell her about the miraculous enhancer without her asking how he knew. He hadn't gotten any sleep that night. Instead, he stared at the ceiling of his bedroom going over every possible outcome of this situation.
But at the end of each one, he was alone. Wasn't that better though? Wasn't it better to just be alone, rather than having someone as evil as Hawkmoth as his father? He knew his dad was a confusing and troubled man but to kill ladybug? There was no way he could believe it.
"Adrien?" He stiffened, listening to his door open. "Are you prepared for your announcement tonight? I had Nathalie give your stylist your outfits for both you and miss Tsurugi." HawkMoth was standing right in his room. He could end everything now.
"Oh I'm prepared father."
"Excellent, I'll leave you to it then. Be sure to arrive on time with Miss Tsurugi, I will allow you to use the car to pick her up."
"Thank you." He hadn't turned around. There was no way he could face him, not after knowing what he knew now. He couldn't look at him.
"I also invited that friend of yours, Marinette Dupein-Cheng. Her designs were truly interesting and I wanted to ask her about them. You are more than welcomed to pick her up as well."
Adrien's heart sank. He couldn't possibly think Marinette knew anything about the miraculous could he? Her designs were fairly interesting, even he had questioned her about the miraculous. Did he know Marinette was hanging out with ChatNoir? How could he have known, he had always been so careful. He tried to remain calm and nodded his head.
He heard his door close and finally let out the breath he didn't know he was holding.
He had the car at least. That meant he could pick up Marinette and bring her, He'd have to keep a close eye on her. Adrien wasn't even sure if Kagami would be attending the show anymore. What would his father say? He shook that thought away. It didn't matter what his father would say.
"Made a decision yet?" Plagg asked, floating in front of him.
"Well the decision is obvious, I have to tell Ladybug. She'll know what to do. She always knows what to do."
"Ladybugs not that perfect." Plagg shrugged nonchalantly. "She's not all knowing, but maybe your two brain cells can figure it out together. Ladybug does seem to be smarter than you though."
Adrien narrowed his eyes at Plagg. "Thanks Plagg. Glad you have so much faith in me."
"No problem, s'what im here for."
Telling Ladybug his father was Hawkmoth was going to complicate things immensely. They could get him while his defenses were down. Maybe they could even go to the police and have him arrested, that would be better than ending his life.
"Plagg, claws out."
.
.
.
"What was so urgent that you had to get me out here right away? I have plans tonight kitty." Ladybug teased, sitting down next to him. He didn't respond, his mind felt blank. "ChatNoir?" He looked up and he knew he looked terrible. "Woah, what's wrong?"
God his life really was one giant mess wasn't it? "Oh hey." He looked up at her, and she looked worried sitting down next to him. "Thanks for meeting me."
"Yeah, of course. What's going on."
Just say it Adrien. Tell her you know who HawkMoth is, and then tell her he can be stopped at his show tonight.
"Oh uh, I told my girlfriend who I am." Ladybug's cheeks turned red and he wondered if maybe she was really angry. But instead, a small smile crept onto her face and she shook her head.
"Thanks for telling me."
"You're welcome." He screamed internally, why couldn't he just say it.
"Well, If you're sure she won't tell anyone then I trust you." Well, that was not the reaction he was expecting.
"No, she won't. She's great, really. I trust her with my life honestly."
"I'm glad you found someone that makes you happy Chat."
He turned to her and forced a smile. "Yeah, me too."
"Well was that it?"
"Yup." He lied, cursing himself in his head.
"Alright, well thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it really. I would offer to do a patrol, but I have plans later and need to get ready."
"No, no yeah I get it. Go, go get ready and have fun with whatever you have planned."
"Thanks, I'll see you later ok?" She smiled, pushing herself up to her feet. He didn't look at her. He couldn't look at her, he was too ashamed to even take a peek.
"Yeah see you." He heard her Yoyo uncoil and then felt the rush of wind as she let it pull her away. "Adrien Agreste, you are a huge idiot."
The sky was growing darker and Adrien felt as though it were a perfect cliche. Well, maybe not perfect, afterall it wasn't raining yet. What was he going to do, he felt like he was going to vomit. His father wasn't always awful, there was a time where he had a perfect family. They would go out on family trips, have picnics, and eat dinner together. His father would smile and ruffle his hair while teaching him about the company. At the time, Adrien had wanted nothing more than to take over what his father had created. It had been an honor, but as time went by and his mother passed away, his father simply couldn't handle it. He got worse and worse each year and eventually, he supposed his father had become completely disconnected from everyone, including him.
He looked down, dangling his feet over the ledge. But even so, his father was still his father.
"Once we kill Ladybug." Those words hit him like a brick wall. He never thought his father was capable as something as awful as murder. He had mentioned some baloney about bringing her back but god, even so. His father had caused so much destruction, caused so much pain and suffering, now not only to him but to the whole of Paris. Every Parisian had felt the fury of his father including Marinette.
His father was the reason Marinette had a panic attack, he was causing her pain as well and shouldn't that be enough to want to take him down? He pictured his father in cuffs, pictured him behind bars. He pictured him, motionless on the ground and his heart screamed in agony. It would hurt .No matter the outcome it would hurt, but at least he could stop the hurt for everyone else.
After the show then. He would give his father this one last time and then after the show, he would tell. He hoped his father didn't have anything planned, especially with that comment about Marinette. He could just be overthinking it, but now that he knew his father was HawkMoth and Marinette's designs were about Ladybug and ChatNoir, there was a high chance it was because he had something up his sleeve.
He would have to stick to Marinette like glue at the show tonight. Afterall, he was sure he had been the inspiration behind Marinette's designs, and wouldn't that be wonderful, that he was the reason Marinette was being targeted.
He couldn't tell Marinette though, that would ruin it. She was excited that her designs had been picked, how devastating would it be for her to learn the reason his father had been interested in the designs was not because he thought they were good, but because he thought she knew something. He wouldn't ruin this night for her.
She had earned it.
