Warning: This chapter is a recap of the last one, in the perspective of those watching. It is sad.

—

It's 5:30am. A half an hour until the next broadcast begins. The large screen in the Agreste living room was hooked up to the computer, and the site was open and waiting. According to the counter on the bottom of the screen, another 100,000 people were waiting as well.

Sleep didn't come easy for those in the house. Sabine hadn't slept at all, spending most of the night awake in the kitchen with a pot of coffee. Tom had tried to stay up with her, but the day before had been a long one in the bakery, and his eyes fell shut against his will. There was little rest to be had with his head on the counter.

Gabriel hadn't slept at all either, as he had stayed up all night as Hawkmoth in his lair.

One would think it would be easy for someone like Hawkmoth to feel the emotions from Adrien and Marinette. But in a city of millions, there were all sorts of emotions running high. Even in the middle of the night.

He even tried feeling for intense happiness, of someone like Salo. But there were plenty of people who hadn't heard about Ladybug and Chat Noir's capture, or they just weren't concerned.

What if they weren't even in Paris anymore? Salo had an Italian accent, what if they were in Italy?

The second problem Hawkmoth had was his fear of akumatizing someone without Ladybug being around. With so many people in such volatile states, akumatizing the wrong person could mean the difference between finding them, or tearing the city apart.

It was a risky move. One that he knew he'd employ soon enough, but he still hesitated.

He'd wait a little longer, just until people came to terms with this new reality. Once people were a little more stable.

Then perhaps he'd employ Mr. Lahiffe or Miss. Cesaire. Someone who was close to Adrien or Marinette. Maybe he'd even akumatize himself.

Or maybe he wouldn't even need to use his powers. Maybe the police would figure it out. They had to be working on it, right?

But it was morning now, and blearily, he emerged from his office and came into the living room. Nathalie was in, deep bags under her eyes. She had gone to bed not long after midnight, but it was obvious she spent most of the night tossing and turning. The Gorilla had slept, but looked just as he always had, not giving any idea to his exhaustion.

Nino and Alya were awake as well, still in their pajamas.

Sabine came out of the kitchen with a tray. Coffee, cups, and fresh baked croissants. "I'm sorry, Tom and I bake under pressure. And I just…if no one is hungry, I won't be offended."

Gabriel was the first to take a croissant and a cup of coffee. "Thank you Sabine, this is quite welcomed after such a long night. You may use the kitchen as you like. Please let me know if you need anything else."

"Thank you Gabriel." She smiled calmly.

The kids and Nathalie took coffee and a croissant as well, as Tom finally joined the group. He had an indent on his forehead from laying on the counter.

Then they sat around, looking at each other and the screen. No one knew what to say.

The doorbell rang, and Gabriel scowled. "The media? At this hour of the morning?"

"I'll go see who it is," said Nathalie, standing. But Gabriel was quick to follow her, preparing to reprimand whoever was bothering them so soon. The Gorilla followed them as well, ready to knock some heads in.

Indeed, the media was out there, but the man that rang the doorbell didn't look like a reporter. He looked like a police officer, but his windbreaker had 'EUROPOL' printed on it. The man himself was carrying a briefcase and had an eyepatch.

Nathalie spoke into the mic. "Yes?"

"Detective Joseph Bertony, European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation." He held up a badge and ID card. "I'd like a word with Mr. Agreste."

"Let him in." Gabriel agreed.

The gate swung up swiftly, and Detective Bertony entered quickly, before the media could try to slide in.

Nathalie opened the door, and gestured him inside.

"Mr. Agreste, thank you for agreeing to speak with me."

"I assume this is about Adrien?"

"And Marinette Dupain-Cheng, of course. I've been to the bakery, and it's on lock down. Have you been in contact with the family?"

"Yes, they are here with me."

"Excellent. If you wouldn't mind, could I speak to them as well? I understand that this is a difficult time, but we need to act quickly."

Gabriel swallowed, still apprehensive, but he nodded and gestured Detective Bertony to follow.

In the living room, Tom and Sabine stood at the presence of this newcomer.

He held out his hand to shake their hands. "Detective Bertony, Europol."

"Tom Dupain."

"Sabine Cheng." She smiled.

Then he glanced at the kids. Gabriel answered for them. "This is Alya Cesaire and Nino Lahiffe, close friends of Adrien and Marinette."

"Hi," said Alya.

"Hello," said Nino.

He shook their hands too, with a nod. "You're the creator of the Ladyblog, right?" He asked Alya.

"That's me…" She said with a little shrug. She was so close to pulling the plug on the blog, since got her best friend captured.

"We've been reviewing it as evidence for this case. You're not in any trouble, conversely, we'd like to work with you. If Salo is using your blog, we might be able to use it as well."

Alya perked up considerably. Anything to right her wrongs. "Sure! Just say the word!"

He winked at her, and then addressed the group.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why I'm here, if not a little on edge. I would be too, if I was in your place." He gestured to an open chair by the coffee table. "May I?"

"Yes, of course," replied Gabriel.

The detective took his seat, and scooted his chair closer to the table. Then he opened his briefcase and set a file on the table. Inside were several pictures of women. Mugshots, to be precise.

Upon closer inspection, they were all the same woman, with different hair styles and makeup.

"Bianca Furtoli. Age 46, born in Sicily. Committed her first crime at 15, carjacking. Widowed four times, with her first husband barely surviving after she stabbed him in the eye with a knife." He looked up, noticing they were looking at his eyepatch meaningfully. He continued, "she worked as a prostitute in her twenties, and became a prolific dominatrix. In 1997, she was arrested for her first murder, but the sentencing was reversed for lack of evidence. Since then, she's been known as an alleged serial killer, not a dominatrix, all throughout Italy and Germany, and now France. This is the woman who has captured your children."

Sabine sobbed.

"So, you know her identity. That's good, right? Then you can find her?" Asked Nino.

Detective Bertony sighed, screwing up his lips. "I've been tracking Furtoli for the last fifteen years, after she fell in with Savauge and became an international threat. Both of them are very talented at disguise and covering their tracks. They operate under the motto, 'everyone has a dark secret,' and they use it to get out of sticky situations. The right person is blackmailed, evidence goes missing, testimonies get changed. They are slippery, and nearly impossible to catch. Of course, we have no hard proof of this, but it's our best guess, since the same patterns happen over and over with them. This will be the first time we have real, hard evidence to convict her. She's been seen on camera assaulting them, and she admitted to kidnapping. If we can find her, we will have a real case."

Alya cracked her knuckles. "Alright, so what do we do?"

He cracked a smile. "During her first broadcast yesterday, Salo gave us two clues, though I doubt she meant to. A hint on how to track her, and a time limit."

"Time limit? For what?" Asked Gabriel, with a tremor in his voice.

"A time limit for them. 'Salo' refers to the Socialist Republic of Italy, under the control of Mussolini in World War II, but it's also the title of a horrendous movie from the '70s, about a group of fascists that kidnap and torture nine adolescents. It's surname is '120 days of Sodom' and it's well known as one of the most horrendous films ever made. It's banned in most countries."

"I think I remember when that came out," said Gabriel. "There was a big controversy because the director called it 'art' but it was so foul that no one could watch it."

"I can only assume that given enough time, Salo will try to reenact the events of the movie."

"...how does the movie end?" Asked Nino, cautiously.

"The victims are killed brutally. And the kidnappers laugh about it."

Gabriel didn't want to acknowledge it, and so he asked, "you said she gave a hint on how to find her?"

"Yes," said Bertony, with a little more hope in his voice. "That clue was you, Mr. Agreste. She mentioned the idea of ransoming Adrien back to you. Knowing her, it's highly likely she will do just that. So here," he handed over a little device.

"What is it, exactly?"

"It's a tracking device, used to trace incoming calls. Plug it into your phone and all calls will be monitored to get an approximate location. I understand that you're a business man, and tracking your calls wouldn't be ideal…"

"This number is unlisted. She wouldn't be able to get it."

"That won't stop her. Any calls made will be classified information."

"I'm not concerned with clients' calls." Gabriel said, clicking the device into his phone. "I'm just…suspicious of her pulling it off."

"For now, it's the best lead we have, but we are monitoring the site to see if she makes any more mistakes."

Then the stream turned on, and Adrien and Marinette were shown in the room.

Detective Bertony took out his laptop, glancing between the tv and his screen.

"Over a million viewers on the site." Stated a man from the stream.

"And it's not even six yet. Can you believe it?" Salo walked up to Adrien and started to untie his gown in the back. "Let's see, how is this arm doing today?" The assembled winced at the bruised and battered arm. "Oh, what a lovely shade of purple. Don't worry, we'll make sure you match all over soon enough." She patted his face. "But we're going to start with your lady first, is that okay?"

"Hurt me first. Whatever you what to do to her, do to me instead."

Sabine gasped a little, resting her hand on her heart.

Salo laughed, loudly and manically. "Oh you are so cute! But it doesn't work like that kitty cat! You see, she was the one who jailed my Eddy. So she has to be punished."

"Please," Adrien begged. "Don't hurt her."

"Hmph." Salo smirked. "You haven't seen anything yet."

The clock struck six am.

"Congratulations. Now begins day one of your sentence. Before we begin, I'd like to tell you the rules." She folded her hands in front of her, like a teacher talking to a particularly thick student. "Rule number one: There is no escape. So you can just forget that right now. Rule number two: We take turns here during our games. So when your partner is having fun, you are expected to be quiet and wait your turn. Rule three: If I ask you a question, you answer it. And rule four: you do exactly what I tell you to do, when I tell you to."

Detective Bertony typed some notes as she spoke.

"And what happens if we break one of these rules?"

"Why don't you try me and find out?"

Tom bit his lip, worried that Marinette would take the bait. But she didn't, so nothing happened.

"So…Marinette Dupain-Cheng. How old are you, again? State it for those at home, so they can know."

"17."

"So now everyone has her name." Stated the detective, "if they didn't before."

"17! 17 goddamn years old! And you're playing superhero! The fate of the city of Paris rested solely on your shoulders, and you haven't even finished Highschool! That's…that's embarrassing! Who let you do this?"

Marinette didn't answer.

"I said, who gave you the earrings, Marinette?"

Marinette glared, making it clear she wasn't going to answer.

Sabine turned her face away when Salo pulled her fist back. She heard a crack and someone fall.

Salo snorted. "Wow, you have no balance. Who knew Ladybug was such a klutz?…You really look ridiculous with those stupid pigtails. Like a baby. A toddler. Not a superhero in the slightest."

Marinette continued to glare, as she rubbed under her nose, smearing the blood away.

Salo grabbed her pigtails and yanked, forcing Marinette to stand, while tears came to her eyes. "Is that what you are? A baby?…Are you a baby?!" She yelled, shaking her. "That was a question!"

"Obviously not!" Marinette shot back.

Salo gave her hair another yank, rendering her silent.

"No…pigtails are for pigs! You're a little piggy, aren't you? Yeah…let's make you a little piggy." She walked off screen.

Salo returned with a strap with two sharp, metal hooks on the end.

Marinette crouched and pressed her face into the ground.

"Now now, that's no way to behave. Hold still!"

Sabine got up and left the room, unable to watch. Alya hid her face in Nino's shoulder.

Soon the strap was in place, forcing Marinette's nose up like a pig.

"You look absolutely ridiculous."

"Mari…" Adrien began, taking a step forward.

"You, shut up!" Salo commanded with a slap. "You are not allowed to speak. You are here to watch in silence!"

Adrien flinched at the tone.

Then she turned back to Marinette. "On your hands and knees…Look at me."

The camera moved in, right to Marinette's face and showed her abuse in clear detail.

"What does the little piggy say?"

"…oink."

"What was that?"

"Oink!"

Salo snickered. "No no, that's not what a real piggy sounds like. What noise does a real piggy make?"

Marinette snorted.

"That's a good piggy! Nice and loud! So everyone can hear!"

She snorted again, louder, making a really gross sound.

"Again!"

The group watched with coiling stomachs as Marinette was degraded to an animal, oinking like a pig and crawling around on her hands and knees. It was disgusting.

"Oh, goodness me. You haven't eaten yet, have you? You must be starving! Here, food for the piggy."

A rotten apple plopped in front of her.

"It's that, or nothing."

But Marinette did not make any move to take it. She just sat back, and let the rebellion in her eyes answer for her.

"You sure? I won't give you anything else today." Salo kicked the apple away, not too far out of reach. "You'll want that eventually."

Alya sighed in relief. She didn't know if her stomach could handle watching that.

"I can see you're tired of this game. Do you want to stop being a piggy?"

"Please…" Marinette groaned.

Salo grinned. "Alright then, stay still." She removed the hooks, then kicked her in the side as she tried to move. "Did I say you could stand?!"

"No…"

"No, what?"

"No ma'am."

"Good girl," Salo snorted. "Stay."

Salo again went off screen, as Marinette stayed put.

"What's happening now?" Asked Sabine from the hall.

"I'm not sure…" Answered Nino. "Salo's coming back and she…she has scissors."

"I can't watch!" Alya shrieked as she also stood and left the room.

Those remaining watched as Salo snipped off her pigtails, and only that. It was a little relieving, to be honest.

"She cut her hair." Tom provided, his voice in his throat.

"It…It'll grow back." Sabine sobbed from the hall. "Her hair always grows fast."

Salo tussled what was left her hair, making it wild.

"What do you think, kitty cat? Doesn't she look more mature?…I asked you a question, maggot."

"Yes, she…she looks…nice."

"It can be fixed," said Gabriel. "I know some very talented hairdressers. It's alright."

Salo stood and studied her. "Hmm, you know, I don't really see it. I think…once a pig, always a pig."

Marinette snarled at her, spitting at her feet.

"A wild pig. Don't you think so, Pasolini?" She glanced off camera.

A shadow casted on Marinette as her eyes grew wide and she began to backpedal. But there was no where to run.

A man pinned her to the ground, a hand on her face and a knee on her lower back. She breathed harshly.

"Get off of her!" Adrien barked. "You're hurting—ugh!" There wasn't a camera on Adrien at the moment, but it sounded like he got hit.

"It's only day one, so I'll give you a break, but remember the rules! No talking."

Salo replaced the hooks in her nose, and then held up an electric razor in the light.

"Now, hold still." She demanded, and lowered the razor.

"She's being shaved." Nino provided, his voice hallow.

Alya hugged Sabine.

"No…no please…" Marinette begged.

"Oh it's just a little." Said Salo. "It's in style right now…Hold her still, Pasolini, we can't have her move an inch for this."

They shifted a little, and Marinette was barely visible on camera, since she was buried under the two people pinning her to the ground. The view switched to a different camera, zoomed in on her head, where Salo had a tattoo gun and was getting to work.

"Oh god…my baby girl…" Tom moaned.

"What? What's happening now?" Sabine begged, though she didn't want to hear it.

"She's…they're tattooing her."

"Tattooing what?"

"It-it looks like a word—oh…'Cochon'."

"Where? Where did they put it?"

"On her head, above her ear…her hair will grow out…but…"

Marinette was pulled to her feet and a mirror was thrust in front of her. Immediately, she started crying, and so did Tom.

"You now how much people pay for tattoos these days? And I gave you one for free! No gratitude?"

Marinette only cried.

"I said, no gratitude?"

Marinette cried out, and then answered, "T-thank—Thank you ma'am!"

"You're welcome, little piggy." Salo laughed, and then shoved her so she fell on her rear.

Salo waltzed around the room, looking absolutely delighted.

The camera angle changed again to include Adrien. He was also crying.

Sabine and Alya dared to come back into the room. Though new tears cropped up when they saw Marinette's new look.

"That woman is dead." Hissed Alya.

"Now let's see. Before I damage the goods…" She waved over to a man off screen. "I'm ready to connect that call, now."

"Connecting."

It was that moment that what Detective Bertony has predicted happened.

Gabriel's phone rang.

"Answer it." Said the detective. "Keep her on until I give the signal that it's been traced."

Gabriel nodded, and with a trembling hand, he answered the video call.

Salo's face shone back at him, though it was hard to discern what she looked like behind the glasses. He assumed that was on purpose.

"Monsieur Agreste! Wonderful for you to join us."

Immediately, he went into his boss mode. The voice of a man who hated to be inconvenienced and wronged. He made sure people knew of his distaste and had them groveling for forgiveness.

She would join the rest of them, soon enough. Once this call was over and they found her location. "I don't need your false pleasantries. Where are you? How did you get this number?"

"Oh come now Gabe, if you want to win, you have to play the game."

"I don't see a game. I see a sick creature torturing children."

She scoffed. "You're no fun." Then she tapped her chin, deep in thought. "Alright then, we'll start the bid at 50 million. Just a smidgen less than your net profit for this year. That's doable right? Surely your son is worth that much."

He'd pay every cent he had to get his son back. He'd go bankrupt. He'd even give up his own Miraculous. Anything, as long as Adrien came back. He clenched his jaw. "How much for both of them?"

"I'm afraid Chat Noir is the only one up for sale. I still have so much planned for Ladybug."

Gabriel opened his mouth to respond, but Adrien beat him to the punch. "Don't you dare give her a single cent, Father!"

Salo whipped around, glaring at him. "Shut up!"

But Adrien was undeterred. "They'll just spend the money to do this to others! Don't let that happen!" His speech was cut short as Salo clocked him in the jaw.

He hit the ground hard, and she gave him no time to recover as she kicked him over and over with her steel toed boots. She didn't finish until he was gasping for breath.

Gabriel was going to puke. But he let nothing give way to his emotions but a deeper scowl.

She turned back to the camera. "60 million. And the price will continue to rise day by day. And you'll end up having a very expensive funeral with a closed casket."

Her message was clear.

He often argued that Adrien didn't know what was good for him. Every action that Gabriel, or Hawkmoth, made were for his benefit. He was still a kid, not quite 18 yet. What did he know about life?

A lot, apparently. Being a superhero meant that he was forced to grow up.

Gabriel saw the news. A man was dead because of that drug dealer they took down. That could have been Adrien. He was out there, every day, putting his life on the line and protecting Paris.

And even now, when they were on the brink of tragedy, when there was a glimmer of light to rescue them, he was begging for Paris.

How was Gabriel, a father, supposed to respond to that?

Finally, he swallowed and looked off to the side. Detective Bertony met his eyes with a soft smile.

"We got it." He said softly.

The words offered hope, and Gabriel gave the tiniest of smiles back.

"No deal, Salo. I don't negotiate with terrorists. I will find my own way to save my son. One that doesn't benefit you. I love Paris, almost as much as they do. And I refuse to be responsible for its downfall. Not when my son has worked so hard to protect it."

Salo frowned hard. "You've spurned me, Gabriel Agreste. I'll take you next. Once I've finished with your son. This was your only chance to save him. But I'll let you say goodbye."

The camera moved past Salo to Adrien who was lying on the ground. He was pale and looked exhausted. Gabriel didn't know if he'd ever seen his son look so tired. "D-Dad…" His voice was full of pain.

"Hang in there, Chat Noir. Just a little while longer."

"I…I love you, dad."

How long had it been since they shared those words? "I love you too, son."

The call ended.

Gabriel dropped the phone back to the coffee table and buried his face in his hands.

"Sickening." Salo said from the screen. "You'd think a man that rich wouldn't care about the money. But I guess I was wrong. He doesn't really love you. He was just trying to make it easier on you. How does it feel to be rejected by your own father, huh?"

"Shut up, bitch." Gabriel muttered under his breath.

"That was a question!" Salo shouted.

"He didn't reject me," he breathed. "I wanted him to stay out of it."

"You're an idiot. But everyone knew that. Chat Noir has always been the dumb one. Isn't that right, Ladybug?"

Marinette answered from where she lied on the floor, "Chat Noir is a genius. He's goofy, but he's smart."

"He's an idiot!" Salo yelled back. "He's a retarded piece of shit!"

Gabriel trembled in anger. No one talked about his son like that! Once he found her, he'd—he'd—

Words did not exist that expressed the hatred Gabriel felt for this woman.

"You're not trying to drown me out, are you?" Salo asked, getting in his face. "Because I can do this all day, dumbass."

"We hate liars." He stated, firmly. "And you're nothing but a liar."

Salo laughed. "You're a child. You don't think I can hurt you? Didn't you see what I did to your little Love Bug earlier? You looked so angry. Want to see if we can make her look that angry, too?" Then she looked over his head, passed the camera.

And so they watched as Adrien's ears were pierced. Gabriel closed his eyes and could only listen to the snap of the gun over and over, and Adrien's winces of pain.

The man sat Adrien up, as the camera zoomed in on the fresh piercings, his ears red.

"We made Ladybug into a piggy, but I think we'll keep the cat theme for you. A mangy, feral alleycat."

Gabriel stood, "I'm sorry, but this is…unbearable." He walked out, briskly, the sound of Adrien wincing and moaning echoing behind him.

Once in the hall and out of sight from the others, Gabriel collapsed.

He already regretted not agreeing to the ransom. What if the call wasn't traced correctly? What if it was for somewhere else? What if, what if….what if that really was his only chance to save his son?

"Mr. Agreste?" Nathalie asked.

"What is she doing to him now?" He asked, hollowly.

"He's…he's eating cat food."

Gabriel scoffed. "…could be worse. I guess."

"Can I get you some water?"

"Yes, thank you." He replied, swallowing thickly. When was the last time Adrien and Marinette had any water?

The sounds from the tv echoed in the silence.

"You bitch…" Adrien hissed.

"Oh, you don't get to call me names."

"That wasn't one of your rules."

"I could crush you under my thumbs. I could break you, kill you with no problem. It's a mercy that I haven't already. Do you understand?"

Adrien's gagging and choking was her only answer.

Gabriel covered his mouth, lest he sob and miss a detail.

Adrien was dying. He was alone and afraid and this woman was killing him.

"I thought you were smart enough not to pick a fight with me. Guess that's what I get for thinking so highly of a big dumb idiot."

He heard buzzing from the room, knowing it was exactly the same with Marinette.

Nino came out into the hall and sat next to Gabriel, not making a sound. But he looked stricken and his eyes were wide with fear. He kept shaking his head.

"There. Fitting, for you."

"It says chatte." Nino said softly. "Just like Marinette."

"Are you going to think twice before sassing me next time?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good." She snorted. "Now, I've got other things to do. But we'll have more fun tonight…Suspend them for now."

That seemed like the cue that the session was over, and both Gabriel and Nino returned to the room. But the stream was still on, while Marinette and Adrien hung alone.

At the sight of Adrien, Gabriel nearly flew into a rage.

"Do you think they're watching?" Marinette asked softly.

"They have to be." Adrien gestured towards a camera with his head. "They're broadcasting us to all of France."

"Yeah…"

"How's your nose?" Adrien asked.

"It hurts. How're your ears?"

"Hurts."

Then they grew silent. No message ever appeared, and no one came back in the room.

Detective Bertony put his computer away. "Thank you all for your time. Is there someone I can contact when we have more information?"

"Here's my business card." Gabriel stated, handing it to the man.

"Thank you. I'll let you know the minute we have anything. I sent the coordinates to my department, and they're sending some men here. Once I have back up, we'll raid the place."

Tom wrapped an arm around his wife and hugged her a little closer. This was good news. Their nightmare was almost over.

"Where exactly did these coordinates come from?"

"Oh, around Montparnasse. I don't have an address, just coordinates."

"Thank you."

"One more thing," the detective warned. "I mentioned earlier that Salo and Savauge have dirt everyone. I would strongly caution against telling anyone that Europol is involved, especially my name. With stuff like this, you never know who you can trust."

Gabriel couldn't help but wonder if this would be a very different conversation if they all knew that Hawkmoth was listening.

The detective nodded his head, and then left.

The assembled were left with a weird feeling. Sickened and disheartened by what they had seen, and yet, hopeful that their children and friends could be home by bedtime.

Could it be so easy?

Gabriel looked at the kids. "Adrien…he always tried to go to school, no matter what. Is that something you two want to do?"

Alya and Nino looked at each other, both in various stages of grief.

"It…might help get our minds off of it for a while." Nino supposed.

"And we should see how the others are doing."

"Alright, Adrien's bodyguard will accompany you. Remember what the detective said."

"Mum's the word." Alya said with a little smirk.

Sabine yawned.

"Why don't you take a nap, darling?" Tom asked. "You've been up all night."

"But—"

"I'll send Nathalie if I hear anything." Gabriel assured.

Sabine smiled at him. "Thank you Gabriel, you've been so kind and helpful to us. How can we ever repay you?"

He offered a smile back, "I'm just glad we get along. No repayment required."

"What is your favorite flavor of macaroon?" Tom asked.

Gabriel chuckled. "Well, if you insist. It's raspberry."

"Mind if I use your kitchen?"

"Be my guest."

Once the Dupain-Chengs departed, Gabriel let his pleasant host act disappear. "Nathalie."

"Sir."

"I will leave my phone with you. Let me know if the detective calls."

"Of course sir."

—

After all he had learned, Hawkmoth returned to his lair, ready to start fresh. He had a general location now! Montparnasse! Still a highly populated area, but it was significantly smaller.

Montparnasse wasn't a problem area. It wasn't even residential or industrial. No large warehouses, no abandoned buildings that he could think of. An art hub, with lots of theaters and museums, quaint cafes and bars.

An ideal hiding place, really.

He reached out, zoning in on the area. Feeling the emotions, listening.

Pain. Anguish. Sadness.

Could it be them? Could it possibly be?!

He summoned a butterfly, and evilized it, then let it go.

A scout, this time. But if this feeling was right…

He went with the akuma, feeling the emotions get stronger and stronger as the akuma neared. Then they multiplied. Pain. So much pain. So many people in pain!

Something was wrong.

This wasn't the pain of people being tortured.

This was…

"A hospital." He groaned. Stupid.

He called the akuma back, frustrated. He knew there were hospitals over there. And the emotions they cause were like a signal jammer. He couldn't feel anything outside of them without knowing what he was looking for.

Frustrated, angry, and ashamed, he detransformed, and hoped that the detective would have some good news soon.

—

Reminder: This pic will have NO sexual torture, not even off screen. There will be the threat of it, but it won't actually happen. I just don't like that.

I can't stress enough how disgusting of a movie 'Salo 120 Days of Sodom' is. I wouldn't even look it up. It's up there with 'Human Centipede' as far as gross horror goes. Critics say it's worse than that too. I've never seen it, and I don't want to be responsible for anyone being traumatized by it.