"Where am I?" Marinette demanded. Everything was dark in the room she was currently kept hostage, except a single ray of moonlight cascaded above her head from a lone window, completely out of reach for the average person.
The akuma sunk back into the shadows. Marinette, with her hands bound behind her back, struggled to get to her feet. Tikki and her earrings were nowhere in sight.
"Relax Marinette," she heard Hawk Moth's voice say. "I didn't bring you here to harm you."
"No," she said. "You just brought me here to take my Miraculous from me. But I won't let you get away with it!"
Hawk Moth took several steps towards her in silence. The sound of his shoes echoing throughout the room. Then he stopped, lowering himself to her level. "I brought you here for two reasons. One of which is to show you why I'm doing all of this in the first place."
She turned her head away in disgust. "Nothing you can show me will change my perception of you. You terrorize an entire city. You use people when they're at their lowest point to steal. If you were truly a just person, Hawk Moth, you wouldn't resort to such tactics to accomplish your goal!"
"Not if there was another way," he breathed, pain rattling in his voice. He then got her on her feet. "Follow me."
Reluctantly, Marinette did as she was told. She had to admit, she was curious as to what Hawk Moth's motivation for it all was. Maybe she could use it to stop him somehow….
Hands still bound behind her back, she stumbled after Hawk Moth in the dark, the only light coming from small windows a couple dozen feet above her. The ground beneath her changed, it was no longer solid, but made of metal, as if she was suddenly on a walkway with nothing but air beneath it. At the end of the walkway was grass and trees? Then Hawk Moth clapped, the room suddenly becoming bright.
She looked up at Hawk Moth, feelings of anger, sadness, and pity coursing through her. He cleared his throat. "I'm sure you have a lot to say to me, but my reason for everything I've done is here," he turned his head, instinctively, she followed his lead.
Marinette's eyes went wide, a gasp escaping her lips. Her feet inched her forward to get a closer look at the body that lay within the glass coffin.
The woman's face, her blond hair that curled and rest on her shoulder, was so familiar to her. She had seen this woman before.
It took a moment for it to click, the pictures of her were everywhere in the Agreste mansion.
Her eyes grew even wider, as she slowly turned to face Hawk Moth. "Mrs. Agreste?" she whispered. "So you're… you're…"
"Dark wings, fall," he commanded firmly. Gabriel Agreste now stood before her, and tiny little Nooroo floated beside him, looking concerned and anxious.
"No," she shook her head, taking a step back. "No, you can't be. I didn't want to think… and Adrien…I wanted so hard to believe..." she shook her head even more vigorously, her breathing picking up as her heart hammered in her chest.
"As you can see, the reason I started it all...is because of her."
Chat Noir was terrified out of his mind. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears, but despite the sound, he couldn't tell that his heart was still in his chest by the way he felt. He could feel himself begin to panic as he fought his own body to make it to Master Fu's. Every step he took, every movement he made, became harder and harder to do.
Once he arrived a few buildings away from his destination, he detransformed. Somehow in doing so, he felt even worse. Shaking, he walked into the shop and into the room Plagg had led him.
"Master…?" Adrien called.
The old man turned in his seat, he was enjoying a cup of tea.
"Adrien? What are you doing here?" he set the cup down and got to his feet.
"Something's wrong with Ladybug," Adrien burst out.
"What?" Master Fu's eyes went wide, then turned to Plagg immediately.
"I got a brief glimpse of what Tikki saw and felt. She was terrified and there was… a shadowy figure with glowing blue eyes hovering over her and Ladybug," Plagg shuddered. "I was asleep and woke up from the shock. After that, I lost the connection, so that's all I know."
"Hmm," he brushed through his beard as he thought. "Do you have your phone on you, Adrien?"
"Yes," he replied.
"I need you to check the news. See if there are any reports of akumas. I'm going to try to get a hold of Ladybug."
Adrien stared at the phone as Master Fu called Ladybug. After the second attempt, he noticed eyes on him.
"Normally I would never call, but it's an emergency. I'm sorry, Adrien," he said with a shake of his head. Adrien didn't understand what he was saying at first. Then way too late, he realized he must've thought it was because he wanted Ladybug's number. No, he was just hoping to hear that she answered his call and was home safe.
After several attempts of her phone ringing without answer, Master Fu sighed and hung up. Meanwhile, Adrien had found a small nugget of news.
"It's not much," he started, "but a woman reported that her husband has been akumatized, and two others have spotted him. They described him as some kind of shadow. He hasn't done anything to draw the attention of the city, and no reports of Ladybug either."
Master Fu closed his eyes and rubbed his temples as he thought. With a sigh, the Master opened them, looking suddenly weary and drained. "There's something Ladybug, no, that's not right. There's something I haven't told you yet. But first, sit down and rest."
"Is this really the time, Master Fu? Ladybug's out there and she needs me!" he cried, taking a step back towards the door.
"I will be brief, but there's something you must hear first. Please sit."
Adrien did as he was told.
"Back when Hawk Moth had akumatized your father, remember that? Ladybug had concerns that your father was Hawk Moth. But because he had been akumatized, she had let go of that theory. I didn't want to think that he could be, for your sake, but I couldn't let it be. Hugely because of the grimoire he has in his possession."
"Grimoire? You mean the book my father had in his safe?"
"Yes. That book was lost a very long time ago, by me. Along with the Moth and Peacock Miraculouses. The fact that he has that book has been a concern of mine. He may have the Miraculouses as well."
Adrien ran his hand through his hair. "So you think my dad could be Hawk Moth…?"
Master Fu gave a nod.
"I don't…" he started before he gave up his sentence, letting out a exasperated huff instead.
"I know it's probably impossible to even consider this, I understand. But Adrien, he's the only suspect I have for Hawk Moth, and I'm most certain Hawk Moth's the one behind Ladybug's disappearance. It's up to you to decide how you want to proceed. However, I am here if you need me. If you happen to need one of your teammates to help you, I'll trust in you the Miraculous."
Adrien blinked. He was having trouble processing this, but at the same time, ever since Ladybug had suggested it, it had been a concern of his, even if only nagging in the back of his mind every once in awhile whenever he'd start to wonder who the man could be behind the mask.
At the moment, it didn't matter to him who Hawk Moth was. That could wait until later. Right now, his one and only priority was Ladybug and her safety.