Grampus

by The Overly Active Imagination

Adrien's grandfather is coming to visit him for Christmas. But things don't go so well when Gabriel has a disagreement with his father-in-law. Now a new villain is prowling the streets of Paris, seeking two gifts on Hawk Moth's Christmas list. Rated T for violence.

3. Chapter 3

Matt, thanks for pointing that mistake out. It's been edited.

Part 3

Inside of the café, Kim found himself among the few people inside at the time. Mainly it was the staff and a couple of other customers in there besides him. So he was happy to find he didn't need to bother with a line and was only required to wait for the cocoa to be prepared after paying for it all. After he got the trays with the cups of hot, tasty goodness, he went to rejoin his friends outside. Pushing the door open with his back, he turned to find that not one of them was anywhere in sight.

"Hey, where did you all go?" he wondered aloud.

He looked around and found no one in sight. As he grew more confused, he saw what looked like several footprints in the freshly fallen snow where his friends had been. His mind quickly pieced together what must have happened and he started to grin.

"Oh, I get it! You're going to try and ambush me! Well it won't work because I'm heading back inside! If you want your cocoa, you'll need to enter the no-snowball zone!"

Kim slowly backed up and kept his eyes peeled for any of the others. He wasn't really planning to head back inside; he was planning to turn the tables on the first one to show up. Instead of heading for the door, he ducked down beside a trash can and started to use some of the snow around him to make some ammo. Little did he know that he wouldn't be encountering any of the others soon. In fact, at that very moment, all but one of them were currently incapable of doing anything.

Down the street, Max was running as fast as his legs could carry him. Alix had just been caught by some towering beast with horns, as had been Luka, Juleka and Rose. Other people were running about, terrified by the creature. But he showed no interest in him at all. He hadn't shown interest in Luka either, until the boy tried to stop him from getting his sister. Max wasn't sure of just what it was that was making him a target, but he knew that he stood no chance against whatever sort of villain this was pursuing him.

Suddenly the creature was before him, having leapt a considerable distance from where it had taken Alix. Max skidded to a stop and looked up at the powerful entity. The creature smiled at him and jabbed him in the chest with his staff. Red light washed over the boy's body, followed by green and then he was in Grampus's clutches.

"How very convenient to have found so many of you together at once." Grampus said to himself, putting his latest acquisitions away into his cloak. "I'm nearly halfway through my list, if I'm not mistaken. Plus a few extra items too."

Grampus took the class photo out of his cloak and began looking it over. There was still the girl who had gotten away earlier for him to find. Then there were a few more young ladies and a few young men as well that he had not found yet. He knew he still had much ground to cover, but the sun had still not set and if needed, he could always ask the fine people of Paris if they knew where to find the youngsters he was seeking. If they defied him, he'd just have some more ornaments to place on the tree.

"And of course I cannot forget the little hero, Ladybug." He said to himself. "Perhaps I should start causing more of a ruckus after all. I wouldn't want to keep Adrien waiting."

Taking a moment to observe his surroundings, Grampus figured out his location and planned for the next part of his search. He reached into his cloak and began to summon out each of his minions from their ornament forms. As the last of them came out, he had them gather in front of him and held out the photo for them to see.

"You may recognize some of the faces here." He told them. "Seek them out and bring them to me. I shall be heading to Le Grand Paris Hotel, to get my next ornament. And should you spot the Ladybug, go after her as well!"

The minions scattered, heading out in all directions. Grampus leapt to the top of the nearest building and looked for the famous hotel, spotting it not too far from his current location. He began jumping towards the building, keeping a look out for the hero as he went. When he landed at the front doors of the hotel, everyone nearby scattered in a panic. The villain paid them no mind and let himself in, heading straight for the front desk where a woman was petrified in fear by his appearance.

"Hello dear lady." Grampus greeted, striding over to the desk. "Would you happen to know if Miss Bourgeois is here at the moment?"

Meanwhile, Ladybug was cautiously making her way across the rooftops. She moved from one to the other steadily after taking a look around to ensure Grampus or any of his minions were not about. In her hands was what looked like a smaller version of the Miracle Box , the only hope she knew of that could take down Grampus. The hero just prayed that the one meant to use the chosen Miraculous had not been taken captive by the villain already.

As she continued on her way, slowly yet surely, she was granted a stroke of luck. Down below she saw the very person she had been looking for, and better yet he was alone. Taking another look at her surroundings, she swung down and ran towards the young man by the café. She stepped in front of him and was immediately hit in the face with a snowball.

"Uh oh! I'm sorry Ladybug!" Kim said, dropping the next snowball he had been planning to throw. "I thought you were someone else!"

"It's not a problem." Ladybug said while wiping the snow from her face. "There's more important things to worry about. I'm here for your help. A supervillain named Grampus has been capturing your classmates left and right. He even caught Cat Noir while we were trying to stop him earlier. I need King Monkey's help to save them all."

"Wait….my friends were all captured by a villain?!" Kim exclaimed, grabbing at his head with his hands. "I thought they were just trying to ambush me with snowballs! This is so bad!"

"I'm afraid so." Ladybug said solemnly. "But you can make a difference. You up for being a hero again?"

She held out in her hand, showing him a small, red jewelry box with black polka dots. Kim looked down at it and then up at her. He smiled confidently and took the box from her.

"You know it!" He said, smiling widely and opening the box.

From inside of the box, a golden orb of light came forth from the golden circlet within. The light flew around in a circle around Kim and stopped just in front of his face. The glow faded and a small monkey-like creature appeared.

"Hey, it's the flying monkey plushie again!" Kim said.

"Again with the plushie?" The Kwami complained. "I told you that my name is Xuppu!"

"I know that, I was just joking with you." Kim defended.

"No you weren't. You're just a nitwit, remember?" Xuppu retorted.

Kim frowned and then blew a raspberry at Xuppu. The little floating creature returned the gesture at the boy. Letting out a growl, Kim took off his woolen cap and swung it at Xuppu as if he were an insect. He caught the little monkey, only for him to just fly through the material of the hat and laugh at the failed attempt.

"Oh boys." Ladybug said, crossing her arms. "In case you forgot, we have work to do! There's a villain at large, remember?"

"Right, sorry." Kim said, taking the circlet and putting it on. "Now let's go rescue our friends. Xuppu…"

"Snow time!" Xuppu cut in, nailing Kim in the face with a snowball.

"Xuppu!" Ladybug called, glaring at the Kwami.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist." Xuppu said.

"I'll get you back for that later." Kim said, clearing his face of the snow. "But for now Xuppu, Show Time!"

Xuppu was pulled into the circlet and Kim was transformed. Now in the form of the King Monkey, the playful teen was ready to accompany Ladybug. The two young heroes jumped up to the rooftops and ran towards the last place where Ladybug had encountered the villain. The sight of people running caught their attention and they found themselves headed for the Louvre, where a pair of Grampus's minions were creating havoc. King Monkey quickly recognized the two, feeling the seed of guilt sprouting in his stomach when he saw them.

"Max… Alix… I'm sorry…" He said, letting his head hang a little. "I'll make sure you're turned back to normal. I swear!"

"Then we need to find Grampus." Ladybug said. "He's going to be bigger than the others, wearing a cloak. He'll also be carrying a cane too. Don't let him hit you with it or you'll end up like them."

"So if we get his cane, and we break it…" King Monkey began.

"I can catch the akuma that is inside and de-evilize Grampus and set everything and everyone back to the way they were." Ladybug concluded, smiling confidently. "And I have just the plan to give us an advantage. But first we need to find Grampus. Or better yet, make him come to us."

She pointed down to the two minions and signaled for King Monkey to follow her lead. They leaped down to the ground and charged at the creatures that were once their friends. As they closed in, the minions spotted them and started to run towards them as well. Ladybug and King Monkey waited until they were all practically within each other's reach and then made their move.

Ladybug swung her yo-yo in a sweeping arc at Max, who jumped over it easily. The moment he was in the air, Ladybug slid beneath him and got back up to resume running instantly. At the same moment, King Monkey jumped over Alix as she lunged at him, using her back to spring himself forward. The two minions turned to face their prey and found King Monkey taunting them by bending over and slapping his own rear with one hand.

"Missed me! Nice try, you mangy can-munchers!"

He followed up his insult with a raspberry and hurried to catch up with Ladybug. Once he rejoined her, the two turned a corner and quickly found a hiding place up on top of a nearby building, behind a billboard. From there they cautiously peeked down and watched as their two pursuers went past, looking all around for them.

"Okay, so now that they know we're nearby, we can expect that Grampus will show up." Ladybug explained. "At least I hope he will."

"And when he shows up, we jump him, right?"

Ladybug shook her head. "We need to catch him by surprise. If we jump him at the same time and he sees us, we may not get another chance. So I'll go down and face him while you strike from above."

"Will you be okay by yourself when he's got all those goat-people backing him up?"

"I think I'll be fine. I still have my you-know-what for when we find Grampus, after all." She answered.

"Oh yeah! Your Lucky Charm! I can't wait to see you use it up close! It's gonna be so cool!"

Ladybug smiled and then returned her gaze to the street below. Alix and Max had made it a block or so away from their current position, slowly searching every possible place on the street where someone would be able to hide. Ladybug noticed that neither seemed to be looking upwards at all, only focusing on things that were street level.

"That's odd. How come they aren't looking on top of the buildings?" She wondered aloud. "Or inside of them for that matter."

"I dunno." King Monkey said. "Maybe they aren't that smart."

"Maybe." Ladybug said, taking a quick look around and spotting something on top of another building across the street. "Or maybe they just don't need to!"

She signaled for him to move back, slowly sidestepping further in herself. King Monkey opened his mouth to ask what was happening, but Ladybug held up a single finger to his lips. A shadow appeared on the roof nearby and then one of the other minions landed just a few feet away. Without wasting a second, Ladybug used her yo-yo to quickly get to the top of the billboard and then she swung across the way to the same roof where she had first spotted the minion. King Monkey silently followed, keeping his eyes open now that he was aware of the new danger.

"Was that Nino?" he asked once they had gotten far enough away.

"I'm afraid so." Ladybug confirmed. "It looks like Grampus has him and the others all searching everywhere for us."

"Or for the rest of my class!" King Monkey said, clutching his hair with both hands. "This is so messed up! I don't want to have to fight my friends!"

Ladybug put her hand onto his shoulder reassuringly. "If my plan works, then you won't have to. With your Uproar, you can free them and then we just have to keep him from getting to them again. Plus, we'll get Cat Noir back too and then it will be three on one!"

"Yeah, you're right! He won't stand a chance! Let's hurry up and find him already!"

The two returned to peeking down at the minions that were still searching for them down below. Ladybug had expected that gaining their attention would have resulted in all of the other minions gathering to look as well, as well as Grampus himself. That would not only give them a chance to put her plan into action, but also hopefully keep any others that the villain was targeting safe by luring them all away. However, they had only seen Nino while Alix and Max slowly looked around below so far. There weren't even any other minions on the nearby rooftops. None that they could see, anyway.

Keeping close to the minions below, Ladybug and King Monkey began walking across the roof. Both took turns looking around while the other kept their eyes on Alix and Max. It was proving to be a much slower process than Ladybug would have liked. King Monkey leaned on his staff, starting to look a bit bored.

"So, what's taking so long?" He asked. "You'd think that this Grampus guy would have shown himself by now. He does want to get our Miraculous, doesn't he?"

"Yes, just like any other villain that Hawk Moth has made." Ladybug said, stopping to think for a moment. "He's got his minions spread out wide to search for us. And he's got to have them searching for anyone he hasn't gotten yet. But he has to be out there, searching on his own." She continued, her eyes suddenly widening as a thought came to her. "Of course! He isn't as interested in me right now because he knows he has me outnumbered! If he gets more of your classmates, then he could back me into a corner all too easily! We need to hurry before Grampus finishes finding all of his targets!"

"But how do we know who he has and doesn't have yet?" King Monkey asked, scratching his head.

"He's Adrien Agreste's grandfather, and he's going after Adrien's friends." Ladybug explained. "So if there is anyone he could find easily, it would be someone he could find in a very obvious place. Like Chloe Bourgeois, the mayor's daughter!"

Ladybug broke into a run, headed in the direction of Le Grand Paris Hotel. King Monkey fell into step beside her and the two raced as fast as they could towards the famous locale. As they got closer, they saw some people running away from the luxury hotel. Some were in such a hurry that they were slipping on the snow-covered ground.

"Well, either this is where Grampus is or the service is just that bad." King Monkey joked.

"We need to hurry." Ladybug said, swinging her yo-yo out. "If we're lucky, we can still save Chloe!"

"Lucky, right. Is it okay if I don't mind it if Grampus has caught her already?"

Ladybug ignored the question. "We need to make this work because we may not get another chance. So no matter how bad things look for me, stick to the plan okay? I can handle myself."

King Monkey nodded. "You can count on me. Uproar!"

He twirled his staff and tossed it into the air. A small, toy snowman was created as the result and it landed in his waiting hand. King Monkey grinned at the object and gave it a squeeze, a cute squeaking sound coming out. Just then, a red and green flash came from the top floor windows of the hotel, catching the attention of the two heroes.

"Oh no… I'm going in." Ladybug said, swinging her yo-yo out. "And remember, just focus on hitting Grampus when the moment is right. Don't worry about me."

She swung to the balcony where the light had been and let herself in through the window. Inside she found Grampus, his body surrounded in an eerie, green glow as his muscles bulked up. A long goatee sprouted from his chin and his pupils lengthened into a horizontal, almost rectangular shape. As his form finished changing, he set his glowing yellow eyes on her and grinned. He lifted his hand, showing off two ornaments that dangled from his clawed fingers. One was Chloe, the other Sabrina.

"A pity that you couldn't have arrived just one minute sooner." Grampus said, almost mockingly. "You might have been able to save them."

"I still can and I will!" Ladybug declared. "I'm sure your grandson would rather have his friends be themselves instead of the monsters you're turning them into!"

"Oh? And just what makes you so sure of that?" Grampus inquired.

"I've met him and I know what kind of person he is; a caring and considerate one. He must be upset enough that you're like this. No one would want a supervillain for a grandfather." Ladybug said. "What you're doing to his friends must be breaking his heart!"

Grampus snarled angrily and struck his cane on the ground, shaking the whole room. He began to close in on Ladybug, who slowly backed away towards the balcony while keeping her eyes on him. As he got closer, he bared his teeth at her and held out his cane, ready to strike.

"Have you ever considered that maybe you're to blame for Hawk Moth terrorizing the city?" Grampus countered. "That it is your fault that he sends out villains time and time again? He would have no need to do so if you would surrender your Miraculous to him!"

"Cat Noir and I protect the city from Hawk Moth!" Ladybug said, her courage not wavering even as Grampus towered over her. "It's important that he never gets our Miraculous, no matter what! There's no telling what he would do if he had them! By keeping him from getting them, we're protecting everyone!"

Grampus smirked "Is that what you think? How amusing for you to think that you can protect everyone. If anything, I think you might need to worry about protecting yourself... from him"

The next thing Ladybug knew, Cat Noir had leaped at her from her blind spot. He caught her off guard and pinned her down, holding her wrists in his hands while pressing his knee into the small of her back. She twisted and flailed her legs but couldn't free herself from her partner's grip. Grampus walked over to the hero with a wicked grin on his face, reached for her right ear and removed her earring.

"No!" Ladybug cried out as her costume began to dissolve.

"Well done, Grampus!" Hawk Moth said. "Now quickly, get the other and deliver them to me along with Cat Noir's ring!"

Grampus reached for the jewel on Ladybug's left ear. But just as his claws were on it, a snowball sailed through the window and splattered onto his face. He let out a cry of surprise, dropped the earring and gave Ladybug a chance for escape.

"Sorry, kitty." Ladybug said, slamming the back of her head into Cat Noir's face.

Cat Noir reeled back from the sudden blow, loosening his grip on Ladybug's wrists. Ladybug pulled free and got up, letting her partner fall to the floor. A pang of guilt hit her, but she didn't hesitate and ran, grabbing her earring and putting it back on before she ran back onto the balcony. She peeked over her shoulder and saw that Grampus was already after her and closing in fast. But by the time he had set foot on the balcony, she was already swinging away to the next nearest rooftop.

The villain smiled to himself as he watched her. He could see a window of opportunity opening and got ready to leap with all his might to strike her while she was still mid-swing. But as he found himself being struck again by a snowball, making him lose focus and let Ladybug escape his sight.

"Who is doing that?!" He growled, turning to face his attacker. "Show yourself!"

Grampus scanned the surrounding area and spotted movement on a nearby roof. He leapt over and landed close to the location, seeing someone retreating. The light mask reappeared over his face, Hawk Moth's voice sounding in his mind once more.

"That is King Monkey. Be wary of him, Grampus. His powers can tamper with your own. He also happens to be another of Adrien's classmates. So capturing him will work doubly in your favor."

"Then he shall be next on my list." Grampus said.

He began to pursue his new target, keeping him within his sights. King Monkey kept a good distance, peeking back to make sure that Grampus was still on his tail. The hero started to move in a large circle, allowing the villain to slowly close in on him. He eventually made his way back to where he had been waiting for Ladybug to lure Grampus out, and where he had managed to stockpile a few more snowballs.

King Monkey slid to a stop by the small pile of packed snow. He turned to face Grampus and reached down to grab two of the snowballs. As Grampus got closer, he threw them at him. However, Grampus was prepared this time and batted the snow away with his cane. King Monkey kept throwing his cold projectiles regardless of how ineffective they were proving to be.

"Is this the best you can do, young man?" Grampus asked, now close enough to strike with his cane.

"What, not enough for you?" King Monkey asked, lifting up a much larger snowball over his head. "Well let's try this one on for size!"

Grampus chuckled. "You think that the size will make a difference? Go ahead and try. It will be the last thing you do before I retaliate."

With a cocky grin, King Monkey threw the snowball at Grampus. It struck him in the body, a squeak sounding as it broke apart and a little toy snowman landed at the villain's feet. A strange sensation overtook Grampus and his cane turned into a large, plastic candy cane. Then bursts of green and red light shot from his cloak. His body began to shrink down and wither, a strained cry coming from him. When it stopped, he looked down at himself and discovered he was as he was just as he had been when he first transformed. Beside him, Chloe and Sabrina had appeared. The two screamed and started to flee from him in fear.

"What… what have you done to me?!" Grampus demanded, glaring at King Monkey.

"I pulled a fast one on you, that's what." He replied, smirking triumphantly. "By the way, mind if I call you my uncle?"

"You cheeky, little upstart!" The villain spat angrily, his cane slowly returning to its original form. "You will pay for this!"

"Gotta catch me first!" King Monkey taunted, turning and running away from the villain again.

As the chase resumed, Ladybug swung in and quickly went over to Chloe and Sabrina. She got them to safety as best she could, mostly dealing with Chloe's attitude and insistence that she could 'rescue herself'. Once the two were back in Chloe's room and off to find someplace to hide away from Grampus, she went to return to assist King Monkey outside. But as she returned to the balcony, she found no sight of the villain or her fellow hero anywhere.

Ladybug quickly got up onto the roof of the hotel and scanned her surroundings. She still didn't see either of the two she was trying to find, but she did see someone else. An all too familiar cat-themed hero who was racing off, the sight of him back to normal letting a wave of relief wash over Ladybug. She looked in the direction he was heading and could only assume was the direction in which they would find Grampus. She swung out her yo-yo and went to catch up to him.

Further ahead, Cat Noir was slowly catching up to Grampus. Fortunately for him, King Monkey was keeping the villain busy by running him all over the place. The best part was that Grampus was so distracted that he had yet to notice the other hero closing in on him. So long as that didn't change, Cat Noir would have a chance to get Grampus's cane.

The distance grew shorter and Grampus remained unaware of Cat Noir's approach. King Monkey however did see Cat Noir and he smiled at the sight of the other hero, an idea popping into his head. He waited for Grampus to swing his cane again and as he got out of the way, King Monkey looked off in a different direction and started to wave both hands as if trying to get someone's attention. Grampus looked and found that no one was there, giving Cat Noir the opportunity he needed.

Cat Noir pounced onto Grampus's back, grabbing him by the horns. Grampus cried out angrily and thrashed to get the hero off of his back. He swung his cane up and over his head, trying to hit the cat. But before he could make contact, King Monkey intervened. His staff caught the crook of the cane just as he joined Cat Noir on Grampus's back.

"Thanks for the save." Cat Noir said. "And for the opening. Cataclysm!"

Destructive energy gathered in Cat Noir's right hand. He reached for Grampus's cane, only centimeters from touching the object. The villain however quickly found a solution to the problem and suddenly leaped up. The unexpected action threw Cat Noir off balance and he had to struggle to keep his grip with his left hand while not letting his right come into contact with either King Monkey or Grampus himself.

As they reached the full height of the leap, Grampus leaned backwards, quickly moving his cane out of reach of the two heroes while they still clung to his back. They began to fall, Grampus streamlining himself as best he could to pick up speed. Both King Monkey and Cat Noir had little choice but to bail before they found themselves breaking Grampus's fall. And once he felt them leave his back, Grampus turned himself upright and landed on the street, cracking the pavement on impact.

"We need to hurry and get his cane from him!" Cat Noir said, gripping his right wrist while the destructive energy still pulsed in his hand. "I don't have too much time before I transform back. Any chance you could try and distract him again?

"Easy enough. Just leave it to me!" King Monkey replied.

King Monkey twirled his staff and charged at Grampus. He swung his staff wildly, Grampus managing to block the furious flurry and step back just as he was starting to feel overwhelmed. A low sweep came for him next, the hero's staff aimed at his ankles. Grampus hopped over it without any trouble and swung his cane downward at King Monkey. However, King Monkey side-stepped and attempted to knock Grampus's cane away. Grampus met the strike and the two braced their weapons against each other.

"You got some pretty good moves for an old guy." King Monkey said with a smirk.

"And there's more to you than just childish pranks and running in circles." Grampus returned, shoving the hero away and taking a step back. "You just might earn some respect from me, little fool."

Ladybug swung down with her yo-yo and joined her teammates. "Good job King Monkey. And good to have you back, kitty."

"Well what can I say Milady, I just can't stay away." Cat Noir said, flashing her a charming smile.

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Ladybug stepped in front of the two, facing their enemy. Grampus cautiously took a step away from the three, feeling far less confident between his weakened state and having three heroes standing before him. Despite this, Ladybug made ready to retreat in case Grampus attempted to attack them. She gripped her yo-yo tightly, ready to put it to good use.

"He may be weaker now, but he's still dangerous. We can't let him get away any sooner than we should let him get the drop on us. So watch him closely and be ready for him to make a sudden move. Now, Lucky Charm!"

Swinging her arm directly upward and letting her yo-yo fly up to its maximum height, Ladybug called on her ace in the hole. From the yo-yo a swirl of energy burst out and created a sheet of red laminate paper with black polka dots. It drifted down to her and she grabbed it as it entered her reach. She examined it, discovering one side had lines of musical notes.

"Sheet music?" She questioned aloud. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Maybe you can figure that out while we get moving again." King Monkey said. "Because he's trying to get the drop on us, literally!"

Ladybug looked up and saw Grampus in the air, coming down at them with his cane ready to strike. Both Ladybug and King Monkey jumped out of the way, while Cat Noir stayed in place. Once the villain landed, he charged at Grampus, aiming to grab the cane. Grampus anticipated this however and sidestepped him at the last moment, tripping Cat Noir with his gangly leg. As he stumbled to try and keep his balance, Cat Noir saw Grampus swinging at him with his cane. The hero reached out to grab a nearby lamppost and pull himself out of the way of the attack. Grampus grinned and clucked his tongue mockingly.

"My, my, my, what a shame. You wasted that power of yours, and damaged city property as well. To think you call yourself a hero."

Cat Noir looked and saw his right hand had been the one to grab the post. The destructive power had corroded the structure, leaving it rusted and misshapen. Grampus charged at Cat Noir, who almost didn't see him in time. Fortunately for him, King Monkey intercepted the attack with his staff and offered the villain a cocky smile.

"En garde."

"Yeah, maybe I should have been." Cat Noir said, quickly backing away a few steps. "Thanks, I owe you one."

"No problem. Feel free to pay me back anytime. Although if I could pick, now would be good."

Not missing a beat, Cat Noir took up his own staff and joined King Monkey. The two worked in tandem to fend off Grampus's attacks, each of the three trying to find an opening. But whenever Grampus found the opportunity to strike one of the heroes, the other would help cover him. And if Grampus tried to back away to retreat, one of them would cut him off and try to take advantage of the opening the villain made.

For the next few minutes things progressed no differently. Meanwhile, Ladybug was trying to find the use for her Lucky Charm, growing more desperate with each passing second. She checked the surrounding area, finding nothing. The sound of her earrings beeping as another dot disappeared from them pressuring her into hurrying. She was beginning to worry they'd all have to retreat before their powers faded and their identities would become exposed.

"Come on, come on…. What do I do with you?" She muttered to herself as she continued her search. "Is this supposed to be some sort of clue? Am I supposed to go to a music store?"

Ladybug ascended to the top of the nearest building and tried her luck there. She took a moment to check on her allies, worried as they had less time than she did. It was then that she finally found what she had been looking for, but in a most unexpected way. Down below, Cat Noir was highlighted in red with black polka dots, much like the sheet music in her hands. She then used her yo-yo to swing back down and join the other two heroes on the street.

Grampus snarled and took a step back, brandishing his cane defensively. Ladybug cautiously approached Cat Noir without turning away from the villain, ready just in case he dared to attack again. Once she was close enough, she held out the sheet music for him to take.

"I think I'll need your help with this, kitty. Any idea what this is for?" She whispered.

Cat Noir took the sheet from her and looked over it quickly. His eyes widened as he saw the notes and then he began quickly planning out what to do next. He placed his hand on Ladybug's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I have a very good idea what this is for. I can't give you the details, so just trust me." He told her confidently. "I'm afraid I'll need to leave the two of you to handle things here. I'll contact you once I've gotten things ready."

Ladybug nodded and let her partner go off to do whatever it was he had in mind. She and King Monkey returned to keeping Grampus busy, locking themselves once more in the dance of battle. Cat Noir looked over his shoulder as he left the other two heroes behind, hoping things wouldn't go south for them in his absence. This encouraged him to move faster, dashing across the rooftops as quickly as his legs could carry him.

After a few minutes, the Agreste Estate came into his field of vision. Cat Noir closed in and with a mighty leap, cleared the distance between the rooftop of one building and landed on the grounds within the gate. From there he bolted around and then jumped up to the bedroom window from which he constantly escaped. He only hoped that his father hadn't noticed he had not been there for some time. For once, he hoped that the man had stayed locked up in his office.

Cat Noir took a moment to check to make sure that his father was not in fact about to walk in on him, and then opened his staff's mobile function. He called Ladybug, checking the hall again while he waited for her to answer. When her face popped up on the screen he shut the door again and got straight to business.

"Okay, I know this is going to sound strange, but I need you to try and get Grampus to the Agreste place, in the son's room. After that just wait and you'll know when to do your thing, Bugaboo."

"The Agreste place?" Ladybug repeated with confusion. "Why are you there? What does that have to do with anything?"

"No time to explain, Bugaboo. I'm going to transform back any second now. Just get Grampus here as quickly as possible. And please be careful!"

Ladybug nodded and ended the call. She looked to King Monkey, who was once more fending off the villain. As he pushed Grampus back, she stepped in and began twirling her yo-yo.

"Cat Noir is ready on his end. How much time do you have before you transform back?" She asked.

"Um…. I have no idea."

"Then maybe it would be best for you to find someplace safe. I'll make an opening for you."

She swung her yo-yo, launching it straight out towards Grampus. He stepped aside and saw King Monkey starting to take off. But as he went to chase after him, Ladybug swung her yo-yo again, managing to land a hit to Grampus's leg. The yo-yo coiled around the limb and Ladybug pulled on it with all of her might, forcing Grampus off balance.

"Sorry, but that's not going to happen. For now it'll be just you and me. But I'm expected someplace pretty soon. Care to tag along?"

"Trying to lure me into a trap?" Grampus asked. "I will not be foolish enough to fall for whatever you have in mind."

Ladybug shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'll be heading off then. Should I tell your grandson that you say 'hello'?"

She took off before Grampus had a chance to reply. The villain stood and stared for a moment, caught between dismissing her words or believing them. After taking some time to think over his options, Grampus went to follow Ladybug. Even if she had something planned, he knew that he had to try and take the chance. He'd just be sure to watch out for the other two heroes in case they tried to catch him off guard.

As she sped towards the Agreste Estate, Ladybug checked over her shoulder frequently to make certain that Grampus didn't stop following her for any reason. He remained on her tail, but from a safe distance the entire way. When she arrived she noticed that a window on the second floor had been left wide open for her and she leaped up to enter the residence. Inside she saw Adrien waiting for her, standing beside his piano. She approached him and looked around, finding her partner nowhere in sight.

"If you're looking for Cat Noir, he had to leave not long after he got here. Said he was going to transform back." Adrien said, stepping closer and holding up the sheet music. "He gave me this and asked me to play for… for my grandfather. Ladybug… please tell me the truth. Has he been hurting people?"

"Don't worry about it." Ladybug answered softly, placing her hand on his shoulder. "We managed to free anyone he captured and they all got away. All that's left is for us to stop him and save him too. And I'm counting on you to help with that. Are you up to the task?"

Adrien nodded, reaching up with his own hand to place onto Ladybug's. For a moment the two gazed into each other's eyes, until it was cut short by the arrival of Grampus. The sight of Ladybug so close to his grandson made the villain snarl. He stomped forward, ready to strike the hero with his cane. But before he could get within striking distance, Adrien stepped between them and held his arms out to either side. Grampus stopped cold as Adrien stared him down defiantly.

"That's enough, no more of this!" He demanded.

"Adrien? What are you doing?"

"Not letting you continue to help Hawk Moth. That's what. Cat Noir told me you've been attacking my friends and captured most of them. How could you?!"

"I am doing this for you, Adrien. So you could have your friends with you always."

"That isn't what the real you would say!" Adrien countered. "Your mind and heart have been twisted by the evil Hawk Moth used to turn you into a villain! But, I know that you're still in there. Somewhere, deep down, you're still in there, Grandfather. If not, then you would attack me like you did my friends. There's something I want to share with you. So please, just allow me to do that. For your sake."

Adrien lowered his arms and stepped away from Grampus. He held out the sheet music for Ladybug to take as he wouldn't need be needing it. The song was one he already knew by heart. As he seated himself in front of the piano, he glanced at Grampus again and silently prayed things wouldn't go wrong.

He began to play, the song started off slowly at first. But it began to pick up and became bright and lively. As the notes reached his ears, Grampus's eyes went wide and he stood with a frozen look of surprise on his face. Ladybug watched as the villain seemed to be entranced by the music and was about to try and take away the cane when she noticed something shocking. There were tears in the villain's eyes.

"Emilie…" Grampus whispered, slowly sinking to his knees and dropping his cane.

At that very moment, down in his lair, Hawk Moth sensed the moment of weakness in his villain. He gritted his teeth angrily and readied to contact Grampus in order to command him to quit his dawdling. But as he did so and he tapped into the senses of his creation more fully, he too heard the music and recognized it instantly. Like Grampus, he was stunned still, his own cane falling to the floor with a clatter that echoed through the room.

Unable to do anything else, Hawk Moth continued to listen to the music. A wave of nostalgia mixed with sorrow washed over him, causing him enough heartache to make tears start streaming from his eyes. His mind became flooded with memories of his darling wife, each of them adding to the feeling which was already overwhelming him.

He was starting to feel sick. His body started to tremble a little and he crossed his arms over his chest as if it would make the shaking stop. As he struggled to regain his composure, something in the back of his mind began stirring. An inner conflict began, but was quickly ended as the most solid of his convictions took precedence. He picked up his cane again, ready to do what he knew needed to be done.

"Akuma, release that man's heart."

Back upstairs in Adrien's room, the akuma left the cane it had been possessing. Ladybug gasped and Adrien turned to look, stopping his playing when he saw. Grampus was enveloped in smoke and when it cleared, Adrien Graham de Vanily was in his place. Both Ladybug and Adrien were speechless. Adrien rushed to his grandfather's side, kneeling down to check on him. Ladybug meanwhile returned her attention to the akuma that was now fluttering about the room. She opened up her yo-yo and twirled it around before launching it at the source of evil.

"No more evil-doing for you. Time to de-evilize!" She declared, capturing her target with ease and then releasing it once it was cleansed. "Bye, bye little butterfly."

As the akuma flew out the window, Ladybug went to check on Adrien and his grandfather. The sound of her earrings caught her attention, but she knew she had a little time left. She stood next to the two, looking at them while Adrien explained to his grandfather what had happened. After a moment they stood again, Adrien Sr. looking at Ladybug with deep remorse in his eyes.

"Ladybug, I am so very sorry. For whatever I did, I truly cannot apologize enough."

"Don't let it bother you. What happened wasn't your fault. You weren't yourself." Ladybug replied.

"She's right, no one can blame you for anything you did." Adrien added. "I know I have no hard feelings to any of my friends who have been akumatized. So there's no need to be so hard on yourself."

"I can only try, my boy." Adrien Sr. replied. "I'm just grateful this terrible ordeal is over with."

"Here, why don't you have a seat on my bed and rest for a bit?" Adrien suggested, starting to guide him over.

He helped his grandfather get settled and then returned to ladybug, who was looking at the sheet music. She noticed him approaching and looked back up.

"What is this song?" She asked. "It's beautiful."

"It's something that my mother wrote years ago." Adrien answered. "It's an expression of love for those she held closest to her heart. It has no lyrics because she believed that mere words couldn't describe those feelings."

"That's so sweet." Ladybug replied. "I wish I could hear it again. But unfortunately I'm almost out of time. I'll have to be going now. But thanks for your help. I couldn't have done it without you."

"Anytime. And Merry Christmas, Ladybug."

"Merry Christmas Adrien." Ladybug said, then looking to the former villain. "And you too, Mr…."

"Adrien Graham de Vanily." Adrien Sr. finished for her, giving a small nod in her direction. "I apologize we could not have met under better circumstances, miss Ladybug."

For a moment, Ladybug was stunned silent. She looked between the two Adriens and then let out a giggle. The sound of her earrings beeping again caught her attention and she made a hasty exit, finding a safe and private place where she could transform back. But just before her powers would disappear, she threw her lucky charm up into the air.

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

The charm turned into a swarm of ladybugs which began to speed around Paris. They set all that had been damaged back to normal, making it look as if nothing had ever happened. Ladybug's powers returned to her miraculous and Tikki popped out, landing in Marinette's palm.

Marinette began heading back home, both to let her family know she was alright and to get Tikki a much-needed bite to eat. Meanwhile, back up inside the estate, Adrien was about to resume playing his mother's song at his grandfather's request. But just as he was about to set his fingers to the keys, a knock sounded at his bedroom door.

Adrien went to answer, already having a feeling who would be on the other side. When he opened the door he found his father on the other side, no doubt there to check on him. He had to strongly resist the urge to give his father a glare, only managing by turning his gaze to the floor.

"Yes Father?"

"I came to check on you. But I cannot help but notice your grandfather is here as well."

"That would be because I let him back inside." Adrien said. "I don't care what you say, throwing him out is unforgivable."

"Yes, yes it is." Gabriel admitted, letting himself into the room and approaching his father-in-law. "But regardless, I feel it only appropriate to offer my apologies anyway."

"Gabriel, do you really mean that?" Adrien Sr. asked, getting back onto his feet.

"I have no reason to say it if I did not. While I was in my office, I had some time to think. My temper can get the better of me and that is especially true when I am bothered while working. When you…. when you mentioned Emilie, it hit a very sore spot. Despite how long it has been since we lost her, it is still difficult to be without her. My work helps me cope with that. I believe that I need to keep being someone she could be proud of, so I push myself to maintain my reputation. But it seems that it can distract me from other things. Even the most important ones."

He turned to look to his son briefly. Adrien smiled, just a little and felt some of the resentment starting to fade away. Adrien Sr. however, seemed to become irked after hearing Gabriel's words and stamped his cane firmly on the floor.

"That is no excuse, Gabriel! You have been neglecting your son for the sake of doing your job! If you truly want to be someone Emilie could be proud of then be a good father! You know full well she never fell in love with you just for being successful! And another thing, the next time you let your temper get the better of you, stop and think about how she would react to that sort of behavior! If she had been here when you kicked me out, she would have allowed me back inside right afterwards and then you would have been the one thrown out the door!"

Gabriel allowed himself a single chuckle. "That does sound like what she would have done. One day I may see her again and I'll need to answer for what I did today. I sincerely hope that when that time comes, having attempted to make amends with you will make a difference. So, may we try this all over sir? I think sitting down to dinner would be a good place to start."

"Very well." Adrien Sr. said. "But no more of this 'sir' nonsense. I insist you call me Papa."

"If I must." Gabriel replied. "I'll have Natalie warm up our plates and bring up some champagne for the two of us. Sparkling cider for Adrien. And after we eat, perhaps we can enjoy a nice activity together."

"A good idea. I suggest we help your son decorate the tree he got."

"And I could play some music for us." Adrien added. "I… I learned to play Mother's song recently. I want you to hear it, Father."

Gabriel stepped over to his child, placing a hand onto his shoulder. In a very rare moment, he gave Adrien a warm smile.

"That would be nice. I look forward to hearing you play." He said, turning to head for the door. "And speaking of nice things, I think it would also be nice if your grandfather got to meet some of your friends from school. Invite them over for brunch tomorrow."

He left the room, leaving Adrien with a surprised expression on his face. It lasted only a moment, giving way to one of pure joy and he quickly got out his phone. While he began texting, he and Adrien Sr. made their way out to the dining room. As they sat down, he began to tell his grandfather more about his friends while they waited for the food to be brought out a second time that evening.

-Back at the Dupain-Cheng Bakery-

Marinette had arrived back home to find both her parents and Kagami looking for her. They were all relieved when she approached them, Kagami scolding her for the foolish decision she had made earlier that day. Marinette offered a sheepish smile and a weak excuse in response. Fortunately she was spared from the uncomfortable moment when both her and Kagami's phones sounded, informing them they had gotten texts.

"It's from Adrien." Kagami noted. "It looks like a group message. We're being invited to his house for brunch tomorrow."

"We are?!" Marinette asked, blushing quite a bit. "Just us? Why just the two of us?!"

"The message is for all of his friends, Marinette." Kagami pointed out. "It says his grandfather is in town and he would like everyone to meet him."

Marinette took a closer look at her own phone and let out a nervous giggle. "Oh, right. Well… I guess we should get to work if we want to make sure the cake is ready before tomorrow morning."

"Perhaps we should each make one, to be sure there's plenty for everyone." Kagami suggested.

"Then I say play it safe and make three." Tom said, grabbing his apron. "I'll supervise you two. I would prefer not having any more large messes in the kitchen, thank you."

"That makes two of us." Sabine added.

Kagami chuckled, Tom and Sabine joining in. Marinette pouted a bit at first, but allowed herself a laugh as well. She and Kagami both washed their hands and then put aprons on, ready to set to work. They spent the remainder of the evening working together, sharing more laughs and singing while they baked. It became so enjoyable that they started to prepare other delicious treats as well. They worked late preparing croissants, chocolate chip biscuits and miniature pies with different fillings.

The next morning Kagami and Marinette met up again, gathering the respectable spread of baked goods they had made. Tom brought them over to the Agreste Estate and helped unload everything, assisted by Adrien's bodyguard. Once inside, the two girls found that everyone else was there already. They were all gathering on the first few steps in the foyer, preparing for a group photo. Adrien was sitting front and center, Nino and Alya on either side of him. When she saw her best friend, Alya waved Marinette over and then gestured to the spot she where she was seated.

"It looks like she's offering to give you her seat." Kagami said, sounding just the slightest bit jealous.

"Yeah, it seems that way." Marinette replied. "Come on, I see a nice spot for you too."

Marinette took Kagami's hand and pulled her along. When they got to the stairs, Alya got up and moved aside for Marinette. She quickly took the seat, noticing that Chloe was glaring daggers at her already. Marinette then asked Nino to let Kagami have his seat, Alya helping to encourage him to do so.

Gabriel brought in the camera and tripod, setting them up. The photo was taken of Adrien and all his friends, followed by many others. By the time they were done and everyone moved onto enjoying brunch, there were enough for the start of a new photo album, or two. One was for Adrien to keep as his own. The other was one that Gabriel kept someplace else. It sat down in the repository, by the side of a pod in which the future owner rested.

The End.

A/N: A quick thank you to those who favorited and reviewed this story. Again, please send my co-author a message to let him know you liked it as he deserves just as much credit as me for working on this. His pen-name is SoI'llKillYou.