"Sass, It's time you and I had a talk," Marinette opened. "There's a lot you can tell me and a lot that I want to know. First off… Fu told me that you were his confidant before the Temple was destroyed… but when I met him, he was wearing the Turtle Miraculous and working with Wayzz. Why did he switch?"
Sass narrowed his eyes. "You are starting with good questions already, Guardian. You may have noticed that while the Miraculous holders do not take on the characteristics of the animal their Miraculous represents, they either already have or begin to embody the concept of the kwami they are tied to. Temptation was too much for Master Fu and he felt bad about his actions at the Temple. He made a vow from that day forward that he would only wear the Turtle Miraculous - Wayzz being the kwami of Protection, of course. It would serve to remind him that his role as Guardian was to protect the Miracle Box."
Tikki interrupted, "You are already a very creative person, Marinette. That's one of the things that makes you a good Ladybug. Your partner, while he's not a naturally destructive person, is used to having a lot of negative energy around him, so he is equipped to handle the Black Cat Miraculous. Alya is clever and seeks out truth, so she is good for Illusion. Nino is naturally protective, so it makes sense for him to have Protection. Sorry, Sass - I know the other Miraculous holders she's chosen better than you do," she said. "Continue."
Sass's eyes twinkled. "You chose two different boys to hold the Snake Miraculous - boys who you would take as lovers if you could. It's very easy to see why you would give them Temptation, as you find them both very desirable."
Marinette flushed a deep crimson. "I wouldn't go so far as to call them lovers…"
"That's nonsense. I've seen what you do with the boy with the blue hair and I see the pictures of the boy with the blond hair on your wall. Which one of them would you like me to tell you about? I've been in both of their heads," Sass offered.
"Sass, I'm not sure I want to use kwamis to know what other people are thinking! It doesn't seem right… almost like I'm spying on their deepest secrets."
"I'll start with the blue boy, then. He…"
"He has a name, Sass… it's Luka," Marinette said, uncomfortably.
"Very well… your blue Luka was my first holder in over a century. I did not spend a lot of time with him. He was timid, unsure… he took the Miraculous out of an obligation to help Ladybug, not because he wanted to be a hero in his own right. He hesitated when you were struck down by Serket because he was concerned about Ladybug, not because he was concerned about winning the battle. He wanted nothing more than the battle to be over so he could go back and be with Marinette. You were more important to him."
"Incidentally, Marinette," Tikki chimed in, "That's the same reason why you pulled Aspik out of battle when Serket struck him down. You know and love Adrien and were unwilling to let him sacrifice himself, even temporarily, for the overall goal of the battle. Adrien was willing to take that risk… sorry, Sass should tell you this part."
Sass continued as if he had not been interrupted. "Your blond boy - Adrien - welcomed the burden and responsibility of the Miraculous. He instinctively took to the powers, almost as if he had used a Miraculous before. He was willing to put the goal of the mission first, even above himself. He's much like you. You put the safety of the Miraculous and of Paris first, ahead of your own concerns. I daresay, Marinette, he would make an ideal mate for you if the occasion arose."
Marinette rubbed her hands over her face, missing the warning look that Tikki shot Sass. "Sass, how do I know you're not trying to persuade me one way over the other for your own benefit? I heard Tikki scolding you on more than one occasion. What do you get out of this?"
Sass regarded Marinette with a neutral expression. "Regardless of my personal desires, Guardian, my duty is to you and to the Miraculous. While kwami are magically bound to obey the desires of their holder, I currently do not have one, so my first duty is to the Guardian. Besides… you would be surprised if you knew what would happen to me if you" He closed his mouth with a snap as Tikki cleared her throat loudly and glared at him.
Plagg floated into view from behind the mannequin. "He's right, kid. When the Miraculous were created, the mage put a spell on them that made the nineteen kwamis loyal to the Miraculous and Miracle Box first. That new kwami doesn't have that sort of loyalty, which is why Serket is seeking out the Miracle Box. Don't assume, if you meet the new kwami, that they will want to do something good for the sake of doing good. Also, we don't know the kind of person that created the new Miraculous. His skills may have been lacking in some areas. It's possible that the new kwami is exerting more influence over their holder than one of us would. Vengeance is a terrible concept and can wind up consuming people who let it."
"Plagg, you're awake! I'm glad to see that." She hummed as she considered his words. "Wait a minute. How did Gabriel Agreste get corrupted by something like the concept of Generosity? I don't see it," Marinette frowned. "Wouldn't he become overly altruistic or something?"
"Remember what Chat Noir said about that earlier?" Tikki reminded her. "He originally wanted to create protectors and champions for his own family. It was only after his wife fell ill that he started using the Miraculous to create villains. But even then, the villains that he created were mostly harmless. I think he knew in his heart that his creations would be defeated and the Ladybug magic used to restore what he had done wrong. His overall goal may have seemed selfish… but he wanted more than anything…"
"...To use the Wish to restore his wife to health! Hmm… I'm not sure I buy it. But… it won't hurt to hear this directly from the source. I owe Mr. Agreste a visit as it is," Marinette mused. "But first… Sass, I'm sorry, but I'm going to put you back in the Miracle Box before I forget. I have a feeling that I'll need you again shortly. Thank you for talking with me now... and thank you for being willing to help over the past couple of days."
"At your service, Guardian." He bowed low. Marinette opened the Miracle Box, replaced the bangle and Sass flew into the horn of the gramophone.
"Plagg, you'll be going back to Chat Noir soon. I want you to rest up for a bit longer, though, after which I'll figure out how to get you back to Kitty. I, um, also want to talk to you about what Adrien told me Chat Noir said," she fidgeted.
"Oh, uh, he was talking to you about Chat Noir? What did my cat put in that poor boy's head? He probably wanted to see if he could get him to be a wingman," Plagg teased.
"Not now, Plagg! But it might have been, if you must know. It was different hearing it come from Adrien than coming from Chat, though… oh, nevermind! I've got something else to do now. We'll talk about this later!" She placed the ring in the Miracle Box and Plagg followed Sass, laughing.
She closed the Miracle Box and gramophone and said, "Well, Tikki… it's just you and me. Let's go pay Gabriel Agreste a visit." She opened the trap door and Tikki phased into her purse.
Marinette descended to the bakery, where Mr. Chou was talking to Tom. "Hello, Mr. Chou! Here for your daily peach tart?"
Mr. Chou fixed her with a glance that she couldn't interpret, then smiled. "Yes! Of course! Sorry, Marinette… I guess you could say I've been distracted recently. The energies in the air are foreboding," he said cryptically.
"I'm… sorry to hear that?" Marinette responded, puzzled. "I'll see you later, Dad! Have to run a quick errand." She disappeared through the bakery door, turned a corner into a secluded alley, and transformed.
A few minutes later, Ladybug was at the recently-repaired front door of the Agreste mansion. She rang the bell and the bodyguard answered. Eyes widening, he gestured to Ladybug that she should enter and led her to Gabriel's office. Gabriel was standing at his computer terminal in front of the painting of Emilie Agreste.
"Ladybug, good afternoon," Gabriel intoned. "To what do I owe the pleasure? I assume you want to talk to me about Serket's visit here yesterday?"
Ladybug turned around and instructed the bodyguard, "Make sure that Adrien isn't listening at the door, please." The bodyguard left the room.
"Ladybug, I hardly think it is your place to tell my employee what to do!"
"No offense, Mr. Agreste, but Adrien was listening at the door the last time I was here. He knows your secret and he was pretty broken up about it. I don't know if he's talked to you, or if you're even aware that he knows, but I'd rather our conversation not be eavesdropped upon this time around." Her eyes searched the room. "Where's your assistant?"
"Nathalie is resting in her bed. She continues to get sicker. I assume you did not come here to taunt me about the state of my household, Ladybug. What do you want?"
"I want you to take me to see Mrs. Agreste," Ladybug answered.
"Why would you want that?"
"I want to understand why you became Hawk Moth… and I want to see if I can help."
Gabriel's eyes widened. His mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. "Very well," he stammered. "Right this way." He led Ladybug to a spot in front of the painting and stood close behind her. "Sorry, this platform was not made for more than one person. Nevertheless, you're petite enough that it shouldn't matter. Keep your arms at your sides, please."
Ladybug's mind raced. This man was our most hated enemy for so long that I'm getting the willies having him this close to me, now that I know who he is. What if he decides that all of a sudden, he wants the earrings and tries to take them from me? What if the affair with Serket was a trap and he's just setting me up? Her hands reached up instinctively to cover her ears.
"That will work too, Ladybug." Gabriel laughed without mirth. "I assure you that you have nothing to worry about." He reached around her to press a combination of secret buttons on the painting and they descended into darkness.
When the platform stopped, Ladybug felt Gabriel move from behind her. A series of lights came on, illuminating an enormous chamber whose most prominent feature was a large, circular window. Little white butterflies flitted throughout the chamber. These are what he would use to make akuma, Ladybug realized with a shiver.
There was a garden crossed by a metal bridge that led to a large golden tube. It was across this bridge that Gabriel led Ladybug. He flipped one more lightswitch and Ladybug saw a woman inside the tube holding a bouquet of roses. She had long blonde hair, a thin face, and was wearing a white pantsuit..
"Sleeping…" she muttered to herself.
"Not exactly," Gabriel said wistfully. "This is more of a magical coma than anything else. When she started getting sick... we took her to a series of doctors, none of whom could diagnose what was wrong with her. Eventually, she just… faded. This sarcophagus provides her with purified, oxygenated air and monitors her vital signs. It's…" his voice choked. "It's the best I can do for her. And it's still not enough."
"Chat Noir told me you said you wanted to be superheroes."
"We didn't want to be superheroes… we wanted to make superheroes. Protectors. Champions. Do you know why I got into fashion, Ladybug? It's a tremendous outlet for creativity and art… but people feel good when they wear Gabriel clothes. They feel better about themselves. More powerful, more able to take on the world, happier… you name it. Emilie and I wanted to give that feeling on a much bigger scale to people."
"Forgive me for saying this… but how did you get from wanting to give people positive feelings to preying on negative feelings?"
Gabriel sighed and wiped his eyes. "Bitterness can do strange things to a person, Ladybug. Regretful things. I was at a point where I felt like I was the physical embodiment of generosity. Emilie felt the same way, except with hope. When she got sick… it all went wrong. She went from wanting to give hope to others to being desperate and overprotective."
"That explains a lot about Adrien," Ladybug said to herself.
"It does, yes," Gabriel confirmed. "Despite our efforts to shield Adrien, the influence of the Miraculous crept into our dealings with him. Bitterness consumed me and perverted generosity into selfishness. It perverted hope into desperation. I was so twisted that becoming Hawk Moth seemed like the only logical solution.
"I'm sorry for everything that happened. Losing the Miraculous was probably the best thing for me at this point. I was so consumed by the Miraculous and my goals for it that it's cost me everything. I'm able to look back and see what I've done... and I'm willing to pay the price for that. My only regret is that Adrien -" Ladybug watched as his stoic exterior showed signs of cracking "- will be left an orphan once that happens. I wanted to be a shining example of what the good in people could be… and I'm afraid that I'll have been exactly the opposite." He paused. When he spoke again the hardness had returned to his voice. "You've seen enough, Ladybug. I wish you success in defeating Serket. If there's anything I can do to help out… anything I can do to atone for my past… do let me know."