"There is only one person who would really be suitable, but then I am exposing them too." She thought aloud still staring at the screen.
"What are you looking at exactly?" Gabriel asked peering over Bunnix' shoulder. "I can't see anything"
"It's the magic Master," Nooroo informed the both of them. "You are not transformed, so you will not be able to see any of it."
"That does make sense." Bunnix pondered, "They were the catalyst...too emotional." She pursed her lips as she made her decision. She turned to Gabriel. "Mr Agreste, are you one hundred percent positive, that you want to do this?"
"Yes," shocked by her question, why would she allow him to back out now? "I want to move on and protect my son." He looked full of regret, "I do not know how I became this monster."
"Ok, just hang tight I will be back with another." Bunnix smiled softly, she knew who Ladybug was. After she had seen on one of her many screens, all the signs had been there. Just as she was about to enter the portal, she stopped. "You will have to be trusted not to ever reveal this persons identity, as I fear the repercussions would be worse for you, and I would not help to fix it. Do you understand?"
"I do," he replied with a calm and knowing manner. This person would have power over him also, meaning they would be able to expose him for what he had been and done. A ruthless, conniving, evil man.
Bunnix nodded and disappeared through the portal, leaving Gabriel and Nooroo for only a moment.
Marinette was stood in her room, about to head out for patrol when Tikki turned to her wearer. "I sense I am want-."
"Hi Marinette, I need you now." Bunnix had appeared so quickly, grabbed Marinette by the arm before she had even had time to transform, leaving Tikki behind as the portal shut after her.
With Marinette now in the portal, the scene meeting her eyes caused her to physically pinch herself.
Stood facing her was Gabriel Agreste, looking very solemn. There was no smirk on his face, no glint in his eyes, very little emotion showing at all, but regret was present. There was also a little animal type creature hovering next to him.
"Bunnix I don't understand," Marinette was puzzled, the screens were blank in the portal, last time Marinette had seen snippets of time displayed all around her, but nothing now.
"Marinette, tonight you were on course to find Hawkmoth's Kwami." Bunnix started. The little figure came closer to Marinette, Marinette's eyes flickering from the Kwami, to Gabriel and back. The sudden realisation of what was being presented to her hit her like a ton of bricks. Her palms were getting sweaty as her fists were clenching, heart racing, trying her best not to give her sheer panic away to Gabriel.
"I am Nooroo Marinette," the Kwami addressed Marinette, mere inches from her face. "My Master is Gabriel Agreste...he wants to hand me back to the guardian-"
"You, you're Hawkmoth," she accused, anger was bubbling up inside Marinette's chest, angry that she was defenceless without Tikki. Her eyes were full of hate, fixated on Gabriel, watching his every uncomfortable shuffle, his every twitch, his every blink. "You are the one who has put Paris in danger these past years, how dare YOU!?" Her voice getting louder with each word.
Bunnix placed a hand on Marinette's shoulder to remind her that she was present. Marinette shot a look to Bunnix, "You have some explaining to do."
"I had to intervene..." she said feebly.
"How dare you do this!" The rage Marinette was experiencing, becoming harder to control.
"Marinette, we have all the time in the world at this moment, time is standing still outside of here." She gestured to the white surrounding them. "I think you should listen to what Mr Agreste has to say-" Marinette tried to cut her off but Bunnix was having none of it, "-before I tell you my side."
Marinette's eyes were fixated on Gabriel. "Go on then," she almost snarled at him through reluctance.
"Marinette I am an awful man," he did not look up to meet her eyes, he stayed rigid and his voice did not quiver. "I am aware of how the extent of my desire has impacted every single person of Paris. My son means everything to me, he is growing more and more like his mother everyday, unfortunately it was not until Saturday that I noticed that.
"You and your parents have had much to do with my decision, I want to be close to my son, I want to let my wife go, my actions are no longer outweighed by the benefits of having her back, as there is a chance that I will lose my son along the way. For too long I have neglected him when I should be showing him how much he truly means to me.
"By holding on to this hate for the situation I have found myself in, I have lied, manipulated, abused and become an evil, evil man. I want to change. I do not wish to wield this Miraculous anymore." He lifted his head for the first time to properly meet Marinette's gaze, and exposed the butterfly Miraculous. "Nooroo," he turned to his Kwami, "I am very sorry for what I have made you endure, I hope that your next holder will treat you with much more respect than I have." Marinette softened her gaze as she watched Nooroo approach Gabriel and embrace his nose.
"Thank you Master, your words mean so much to me."
With this exchange, Gabriel took off his Miraculous which Nooroo was absorbed back in to, and Gabriel handed it to Bunnix, who placed it in Marinette's hand. Marinette looked down in shock, having to physically pinch herself again.
'Ouch.'
She was definitely awake.
Gabriel continued once Marinette had closed her hand around the newly acquired Miraculous. Looking at Marinette he said, "I am not a man who can cope with access to such power." His eyes were genuine, there was absolutely no indication that he was lying. "I also have the book and the iPad the translations are on, I can give them to you tomorrow along with the other Miraculous at my house." Marinette's eyes widened at him as he divulged this information.
"Marinette, I gather you are Ladybug, it is very obvious now that I properly look at you. You have the same physical features, you are a good honest person. You care very much for people you do not even know. You are always mentioned in my house, and my son's smile when he speaks about you to Nathalie is always broad, it's real. It is something I have chosen to ignore, as I would have then been required to acknowledge how unhappy and withdrawn my son had become. I did have an inclination when his relationship with Kagami started, it was too easy for her, to, not necessarily knowingly, limit his connections." He approached Marinette who gestured for him to stop with her empty hand.
"I understand," he acknowledged her gesture. "I would like to ask you to keep my identity secret, not that I deserve it. I would like to be able to help the people of Paris in ways that will not erase my actions, but will benefit them greatly." He shuffled nervously. He was finished and nodded at Bunnix, signalling that it was now her turn to speak to Marinette. Marinette was processing the information and neglected to react to what Gabriel had asked.
Bunnix came into Marinette's view, standing sideways, so her back was not to Gabriel. Her smile was soft and her eyes bright under her mask. The contrasting colours of her hair against the suit caused it to look much brighter than usual.
"Marinette, time is such a delicate matter that if I tell you too much, I risk setting every aspect of life on a completely different course. I must stress that I will briefly tell you what I have seen because there are actions you must not know." Her voice was calm and soft, and her body was relaxed, as if she could see the new outcome on one of the many screens around them.
"I have brought you here, because when I had intervened at a different moment in time, the outcome was just as bad as the original outcome. Someone died at the hands of another, both times, resulting in devastation for many years to come. I didn't know what to do. So I took this approach. Mr Agreste-" Bunnix gestured to him with her hand, "-in every scenario was wanting to surrender his Miraculous. It was all dependant on you, and your reaction to this.
"So far the outcome looks as it should be." Bunnix flicked her eyes to a screen opposite to where she was standing and smiled.
"Mr Agreste agreed before I came to get you, that he would not ever reveal you identity to anyone. So I was confident in his word before I forced your identity to be known." Watching the screen intently, Bunnix was gaging the results of her words. "I even asked him if he was sure this is what he wanted, and he confirmed what was already apparent from the previous outcomes..."
Bunnix' words trailed off, Marinette had questions to ask them, but she knew she would have to be careful with her wording.
"Why can't I see the screens, can he" Marinette gestured to Gabriel.
"No, Nooroo filled us in." Bunnix answered, "because neither of you are transformed, you can not see anything in them."
Marinette tapped her chin in thought of how to word her next question. Eyes narrowed and her brow was creased.
"Do you know anyone else's identities?" Looking straight at Gabriel, her eyes were fixated, looking for any signs which may suggest he was lying.
"No, I only know you are Ladybug," he answered honestly, firm in his body language and steady with his breath. "I do not wish to know anyone else's identities either, so I will never ask or seek to find."
Marinette was satisfied with his answer. "Why now?" Again directed at Gabriel.
"Because I almost lost my son yesterday and the realisation that I had already put him in danger way too many times hit me hard. Causing pain to others to raise my wife was wrong, and I know that now." He was not emotional in his delivery, but his eyes were showing signs of suppressed tears.
"Okay, I will give you the chance to make Paris better than before the Akumas started, and I will keep your secret, as long as you keep mine." Marinette found that all though she was not Ladybug at this present moment, she was able to think rationally without spiralling under the extreme pressure. Just as Ladybug would.
"Are we agreed then?" Bunnix looked between the two of them.
"Yes" Marinette answered with deliberation.
"Thank you," Gabriel said with earnest.
"I'm doing it for Adrien, I'm doing it for Paris." Marinette shot at him.
"Come after school to see Adrien tomorrow, I am keeping him off after yesterday, I want to make sure he is ready after his head injury." He had a half smile on his face talking to Marinette, "I will give you the other items then."
"Okay, I still do not trust you though." Marinette was informative, not nasty, calm and collective when voicing this to Gabriel. "You have made a good choice in giving up the Miraculous, but there is still a long way to go."
"I know." He replied simply.