I Don't Own Miraculous or Avatar.
Chapter Thirty-Seven: Hawkmoth.
Gabriel scrambled away from the window as Zuko yelped in surprise. Whatever conversations and explanations that ensued next were not heard by Gabriel. In fact, all he could hear was the beat of his heart. It was roaring in his ears with a mixture of frustration and anger. Zuko wasn't ready to know about Miraculous holders, yet Adrien told him anyways. Adrien was not ready to know about Hawkmoth, yet Zuko told him anyways. How had he not foreseen this happening if the two met? Idiot!
"Hawkmoth?" Gabriel froze, having been too focused on his self reprimanding that he had not noticed a Dai Li agent had come into the area searching for him No, no, no! Adrien was transformed and too close by for the Dai Li to be here.
"What exactly is it you are doing?" The man asked.
"I… Was… Focusing my powers on an Akuma?" He said in uncertainty.
"Right now? Well, whatever. Who am I to question you. I just got word from Long Feng. The diversion didn't work. The Avatar might already be making his way to Lake Laogai. Your presence is required at the lake. The girl, Ladybug, is following the Avatar. You are the expert on the Miraculous Spirits. Long Feng needs you there to obtain her."
"Ah, yes. The girl. Tell Long Feng I already have a plan in motion concerning her. Let them into Lake Laogai. She shall surely meet her match." Gabriel replied quickly.
"He wants to speak to you about the matter personally."
"Does he? Well, I am flattered, but I am not a man who makes house calls. If I interfere too much, we might risk losing Ladybug." Gabriel retorted.
"But sir-" Gabriel spun on his heels, walking briskly away from the lone agent. He needed to get away from this place. No Dai Li agent ever traveled alone. If one was here, more were certain to follow. With Adrien so close by, it was a risk he was not willing to take.
"Hawkmoth! You do not turn your back on the Dai Li!" The agent yelled, bending a boulder into Gabriel's path, "You work for us, remember?" Gabriel balled his fists, thoroughly aggravated with the the agent.
"If you know what is best for you, I believe you should let me pass, or I'll prove to that a mere bender and low ranking Dai Li agent has no authority over a being such as myself. I do not work for you. I serve Long Feng, or have you forgotten?" Gabriel growled, unhooking his cane from his belt in a threatening manner. The agent glared at him for a moment before dropping his hands and letting Gabriel pass.
"Thank you." Gabriel started to leave the area when he heard a shout behind him.
"Hawkmoth! Get back here!" Gabriel, knowing more Dai Li were with the one before, unsheathed the sword from his cane and turned around fast. His sword dipped to the ground at what he saw. His son, transformed into Cat Noir stood wide eyed behind him, completely surrounded by Dai Li. No. Adrien had tried to leave the house and in that small instant he was outside, the Dai Li must have seen him and quickly surrounded the boy. Adrien's staff was ready to fight and his eyes darted around frantically searched the Dai Li for anything that could prevent his victory. Then, Adrien's eyes settled on Gabriel, and the staff fell from his hands. It clattered loudly on the ground.
"Chaton the Cat Noir, by the orders of Long Feng for crimes against the Dai Li and Earth Kingdom, you are hereby under arre-"
"Wait." Gabriel said, frantically running back to the Dai Li.
"Hawkmoth, I thought you said you didn't want to interfere." The first Dai Li sneered.
"That was before. I… I wish to speak to the lad. He and I have unfinished business. You can arrest him when we are finished." Gabriel said quickly.
"We can't risk-" Gabriel shot the Dai Li a glare, the agent growled before sending earthbending stones at Adrien, pinning him to the wall.
"You have five minutes." The Dai Li growled, they all backed up, allowing Gabriel to speak privately to Adrien, but not letting the two out of their sight. Gabriel went close to his son, frustration glinting in his eyes.
"Adrien, what were you thinking? Transforming and running around the city in that with the Dai Li on your tail?" Gabriel scolded. The boy looked taken aback for a second, processing that Gabriel knew who he was.
"Father, you have no right to tell me what I can or cannot do anymore. You've betrayed my trust and I don't think you should be scolding me for making any sort of mistake because that would make you a hypocrite." Adrien growled. There was a layer of venom and hurt in his voice.
"Adrien I-"
"You what? You didn't know!? What, if it had been some other boy, some other kid would you even think twice about betraying me right now? Did you think twice before you tried to kill me? No! I am so tired of you ruining my life because mom is gone. I know that's why you did this. I know that's why you want Ladybug and I. But I also know I cannot help you. Someone else will die if I do."
"I know that." Gabriel said patiently.
"But do you? Seventeen years of you controlling my life! Two years of you hunting me and my partner like animals. One year of utter isolation when my mom just died! And an instant in time where I was sure I was going to die at your hands. You don't know anything." He growled. Gabriel sheathed his sword, reverting it back into a cane.
"I am sorry, Adrien. I really am." Gabriel said softly. The boy froze, tears forming in his eyes.
"How can I believe that, Father? All you've ever done is lie and give me empty promises. You've aligned yourself with the Dai Li and are probably after Ladybug as we speak with one of your Akuma running around. I want this all to be a nightmare. Just a bad dream that I'll wake up from. I don't want you to be Hawkmoth. I don't want you to be the one who stabbed me in the back. I care too much about you. I love you too much. You're my father, whether you acknowledge that anymore or not. You were supposed to love me back. Supposed to take care of me. That's what a father is supposed to do. But you haven't. You hate me. You hate Cat Noir and you hate Ladybug. You hate me." Adrien whispered. Gabriel sighed.
"I'm going to release you. You have to run the second I do. Run, don't look back. Once you lose the Dai Li, detransform and get to the baker's home. Call in sick for work for the next few days. Then, when the time is right, return to Pao's Tea Shop and Ladybug will be waiting for you." Adrien's fierce expression softened to one of disbelief.
"Y-you are helping me?" He said in surprise.
"My alliance with the Dai Li is only a cover. I needed to get close to Long Feng and discover what he was planning. Even now I have things at work to make sure you and Ladybug are reunited, but if you are Long Feng's prisoner, then he will have something to use against Ladybug and I. We both care too much about you. You must lay low until it is safe to reveal yourself. Do you understand?" Gabriel informed him.
"I-I think so… but why are you doing this? What's your goal? Do you honestly think that Ladybug and I will simply hand over the Miraculouses because you helped us? It doesn't work like that. You know it."
"If you honestly think this was ever about those stupid jewels, you are mistaken. They may be a part in all of this, but in the end, I couldn't care less who had the Miraculous. I only cared about the wish. Now, things are changing. Things are different. Now they matter. Adrien, realise everything I've ever done was for you. Whether or not it made it right was on me entirely. Now, I need you to trust me, just this once, and then you can go on hating me for the rest of my life, because I know I deserve it." Adrien looked stunned.
"Father… What happened to you?" He asked softly.
"The Moth Miraculous is the Miraculous of Change, Adrien. Tell me, son, do you believe miracles can happen?" Gabriel asked. Adrien looked down. Gabriel sensed his son was still mad, conflicted, and in pain, but it wasn't as deep now. Gabriel knew that healing didn't happen in five minutes, but his son was so forgiving that Gabriel knew the boy had already committed to trying to heal. Adrien obviously didn't trust Gabriel, but it was a start.
"I do believe in miracles." Adrien said. Gabriel smiled.
"Then hold still, son." Gabriel, watching the Dai Li out of the corner of his eye, carefully reached up and pried the stones holding Adrien's wrists in place off.
"Hawkmoth, we need to go!" A Dai Li yelled, "Long Feng won't like hearing about such delay."
"Fine, I'm coming." Gabriel muttered, unsheathing his sword and grabbing Adrien by the arm, "When we turn to face them, you need to 'break free' of me and run. Do not look back. Understood? We need to make this seem like I am trying to arrest you, but you resisted and escaped." Adrien nodded slightly.
"Yes, father." They turned to face the Dai Li. Immediately, Adrien jerked free from Gabriel and took off. Gabriel yelled, chasing after Adrien with his sword ready. The Dai Li immediately sprang into action, following Gabriel's lead. Adrien was fast, bounding across rooftops at inhuman speeds and dodging all attacks the Dai Li made against him. The plan was working perfectly.
It was, until…
"Gah!" A giant boulder slammed into Adrien from the side, knocking the boy off the rooftops, and into the alleyway below. Gabriel glanced around frantically and paled when he saw Long Feng himself came to see what was taking the Dai Li so long to bring Gabriel to Lake Laogai. Gabriel didn't think as he jumped down to were Adrien had fallen, kneeling over his now unconscious son in panic.
"I was wondering what was taking so long. This is an acceptable reason." He heard Long Feng say behind him. Gabriel growled lowly, reaching for his son's hand discreetly and slipping off the ring on his finger. Adrien detransformed as Gabriel carefully pocketed the ring. There was no way he would let Long Feng find it and use it. Long Feng could not know the source of a Miraculous holder's power. It would endanger all of them. Immediately a plan B was forming in his head.
"Freedom Fighter. New plan. Take them to where you forgot." He whispered to his Champion, Jet, who was currently dealing with the newly recovered memories of the Dai Li arresting him, "Take them to Lake Laogai."
"Hawkmoth!" Long Feng growled, "Are you listening to me?"
"No, I'm working on something. It should help us against Ladybug. What did you say?" Gabriel said, not taking his eyes off his son.
"They said you had ahold of him and he got away. Why did you let him go?"
"I underestimated him. Normally I can deceive the boy, but he figured out my intentions anyways. I was trying to make things easier on all of us. He's very flighty and would run at first chance. I thought if I could use my powers on him, I could prevent this from actually happening. I'm sorry." Of course, he didn't tell Long Feng his power to persuade his victims only worked when the Akuma had already overtaken their personal object. Long Feng didn't need to know that, "I didn't expect him to be here. I don't think any of us did. But it makes sense. He's the Miraculous of Bad Luck. If he tries to avoid us, then he will likely run into us anyways. That's just how his powers work. He needs to be with Ladybug for them to actually be useful though. Before he showed up, I, uh, was explaining to your agent that I can't come directly to Lake Laogai yet. I am working on Akumatizing someone who will be fit to stop Ladybug and counteract her good Luck powers, but I need to be alone and focused. You people keep interrupting me, hence me dazing off repeatedly."
"Is this true?" He asked the Dai Li.
"Uh, well sir, he has kept on muttering about an Akuma…" The Dai Li from earlier trailed, "I suppose it is. We didn't realise this sir. We apologize." Gabriel was beyond glad these people had no idea how his powers worked. Yeah, solitude was nice when talking to an Akuma, but not necessary.
"Yeah, yeah! Now will you take the kid and get out of here so I can focus?" Gabriel snapped, "An be careful with him, if Ladybug thinks we hurt him, then there is no chance of us winning this battle. She is a warrior."
"We will take care of him." Long Feng promised, "Now finish he Akuma so we can finally end all of this nonsense once and for all. Dai Li, take the boy." Gabriel watched with a aching heart as the Dai Li took Adrien away. But it was all going to be okay, Gabriel had a plan. The plan wouldn't fail. The plan could not fail. He stood up, forcing herself to tear his gaze from were Adrien had been.
He had a plan.
He thought this as he brushed past Long Feng, avoiding the man's stare.
He had a plan.
He thought that as he detransformed and entered his apartment where an angry Zuko waited with dual swords resting on his lap.
He had a plan.
"Zuko. Adrien was just arrested. I need your help to get him back." The firebender was on his feet in an instant.
"Where are we going?"