"Ah, Chat Noir. I wasn't expecting you to drop in," Gabriel smiled crookedly, looking partially deranged. "Though I can't say I'm surprised, considering my guest."

"Let her go," Chat Noir warned, his voice low.

Gabriel chuckled. "Oh, I will. Once you've given me your Miraculous and I've made my wish."

Chat took a glance behind him. Marinette was looking up, her eyes pleading. Don't do it. He could imagine her saying. Don't worry about me.

He turned his attention back to his father. "In your dreams."

"I guess you want to do this the hard way. That's fine with me. Nooroo, dark wings, rise!" Gabriel called on his transformation. Chat Noir cringed when he saw Hawk Moth take his father's place. Knowing it was one thing, witnessing it for himself was another.

Haw Moth's victim, cowering behind a beam as he witnessed their encounter, was then sent the akuma Gabriel had stored in his staff to akumatize him the first time arouns. Night Shade eerily appeared by Hawk Moth's side, as if out of thin air.

"Take care of the cat for me," he ordered. "Once you're done, put him over there next to the girl and bring me his Miraculous."

Night Shade let out a haunting chuckle, then his shadowy figure lunged at Chat Noir.

Marinette watched him fight, feeling completely helpless. Powers or not, she wasn't going to be able to do anything until she freed herself from the ropes that were digging into her skin. She squirmed, trying to move her hands in front of her as much as possible so she could see to untie them, but it wasn't enough. Taking a break, Marinette turned back to her Kitty, making sure he was holding up alright.

Watching their fight, she had observed Night Shade. She noticed something that glowed the same color blue as his eyes before he would disappear and pop up behind Chat. Marinette realized it must be a pin, or something like it, that was holding the akuma.

"Chat Noir, the pin, it glows whenever he's about to strike!" she hollered.

He instinctively took a step back, observing the akuma in front of him. He watched it glow blue, and spun around, facing the akuma head-on. Chat threw the akuma backwards with his staff, pushing him to the other side of the room.

His next move was rushing to Marinette's side. "Your Miraculous…?" he whispered.

"He has it," she murmured, her eyes full of tears.

Chat was breathing heavily, partially from his fight. The other part was out of seething anger. "Let me get you out of here first, then I'll make sure to get it back for you."

"Chat -" she began to protest, but he shook his head. "I know you're plenty capable, Marinette, but for my peace of mind, I need to know that you're safe." He picked her up, ready to take her out of the room, but when he turned around, he came to a stop.

"I don't think so, cat," Hawk Moth bellowed, yanking Marinette away from him and setting her on the ground. "I may have her Miraculous, but that doesn't mean she's not still of use. She's Ladybug, after all."

Marinette turned her head angrily as she stood against the wall, her arms crossed.

Chat Noir huffed, pushing Hawk Moth away from him. He stood there, appearing to be in thought, then without a word, he slipped back out of the room.

"Chat!" Marinette called.

Hawk Moth let out a deep chuckle. "Don't worry, he'll be back. As long as I have you, he won't give up trying to rescue you."

She bit her lip nervously, as she knew he was right.

Adrien ran into his home, his Kwami close behind, nibbling on a piece of cheese.
"We're going to have to split up," he stated.

Plagg looked a bit panicked. "What do you mean split up? What if you have to transform? I can't leave you alone!"

"Yes, you can," Adrien panted. "I have a plan, but it'll only work if you find Ladybug's Miraculous, and I rescue Marinette. Hawk Moth won't be expecting me to find my way down there, so if he does catch me, I'll be able to talk my way out. He also won't be expecting a Kwami to go and snatch back the Miraculous, either. Plus, you can kind of sense Tikki, right? Only you can do it, Plagg."

"But-!" he started to voice his objection, but Adrien shook his head.

"We can't let my father get his hands on the Miraculous. We have to stop him."

Plagg gave his charge one last look. "Be careful, Adrien," he said before disappearing through the walls.

"You too, buddy," muttered Adrien under his breath.

He closed his eyes, picturing where the underground room would be located under his house, and the most probably entry point from inside. Secret doors, there had to be secret doors to rooms he never knew about. Think, think, think! He urged himself.

The passageway was right outside his windows, so the room below his…

He rushed through the door, leading him into one of his father's private rooms. He didn't know what to look for, but he didn't have time to lose. He picked up everything in sight, moved his hands around the walls, hoping for something. But he came up empty.

Adrien looked the room over thoroughly again, when it occurred to him. The only thing he had yet to examine or move, was the painting on the wall.

He felt around the surface of the painting and noticed part of it bumped up. He pressed it, revealing a secret door on the wall next to the painting. He sighed with relief, and followed the stairs down into the dark tunnel. When he reached the bottom of the steps, the door silently opened, revealing the room Hawk Moth was holding Marinette. Neither of them had noticed his entrance.

Adrien tiptoed, hiding behind beams and plants, anything that would conceal himself on the way to Marinette.

"Maybe I overestimated him," he heard Hawk Moth say. "No matter. I have other ways to get my hands on his Miraculous."

Adrien had to bite his tongue to keep himself from retorting as he inched closer to Marinette.

"You won't succeed," she said casually. "You got ahold of my Miraculous, only because I let myself trust you because of Adrien. I convinced myself that you couldn't be Hawk Moth. But that's not going to work with Chat Noir."

"Do you know all of the times I almost got Chat Noir's ring?"

She smirked. "But you never did."

"Only because you came in and saved him! You're not a factor this time. And I will get his Miraculous!"

Marinette yawned dramatically and rolled her eyes.

Adrien was close enough to Marinette that he visually tried to get her attention by waving his hands dramatically. It took a minute, but her eyes finally drifted in his direction. Her bluebell eyes grew wide when she saw him, and he motioned for her to keep quiet.

Oh no, she thought to herself. She didn't want Adrien involved in this mess. He didn't know about his mother, and who knows if he'd end up getting hurt, despite Hawk Moth being his father.

He motioned for her to come to him, then she glanced at Hawk Moth who was momentarily too busy talking to his sleeping wife to notice.

Adrien listened in on the one-sided conversation while he watched Marinette slowly make her way towards him, Hawk Moth's words confusing him. Didn't his mother disappear?

She managed successfully to reach Adrien, and he wasted no time to untie her hands.

That's when they noticed Hawk Moth had stopped talking, quite abruptly.
"Where do you two think you're going?" he bellowed. "Come over here, both of you," ordered Hawk Moth..

Adrien motioned for Marinette to put her hands behind her back again. Once she did, he grabbed her arm gently, and led her to face his father.

"What are you doing down here, Adrien?"

Adrien took a step defensively in front of Marinette. "What are you doing being Hawk Moth?"

"Believe it or not, I'm doing this for you. For our family, son. To bring your mother back into our lives. Look, she's right here," he gestured to her glass-cased coffin. Adrien was suddenly overwhelmed as he took several steps towards her. "M-Mom…? What- what's wrong with her?"

"She's asleep, son. An enchanted sleep and no matter what I've tried, I can't wake her up," he explained. "That's why I need Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous. With them, I can make a wish to undo this. That's why I've been fighting them, why I've worked so hard to get their jewels."

A pained look crossed Adrien's face. "Do you have any idea the damage you've done? Do you know what Hawk Moth has put me through personally? I love and miss Mom more than anything, but I don't want her to wake up like this. Mom certainly wouldn't, either."

"Then you must not love her enough!" he raised his voice angrily, desperately, clutching his staff in his hand. "You're just too young to understand love. When you love someone, you'll risk anything, put everything on the line for them. No matter the cost!"

Adrien looked at Marinette, who was glancing off to the side, a sad look on her face.

He loved her, he knew that much was true. He would sacrifice his own life for her, even before he found out Marinette is Ladybug, he'd do so without a second thought. He'd fight for her until he physically couldn't anymore. If ever put into the situation, would he too do something like his father's doing to bring her back? Adrien liked to think he wouldn't. Knowing Marinette, knowing Ladybug, she'd never be happy if her being brought back meant hurting other people. He would never give up on bringing her back, but he wouldn't put other people in danger to do so. There was always another way.

"No, Father," he said. "That's what you would do. I would never willingly become a villain, hurt other people, and make the girl I love disappointed with me, just to bring her back. You said you've tried everything else, but I don't believe that's possible."

Hawk Moth's face twisted up in anger. "You dare doubt me?"

Adrien stood tall. He tried his best to remain unemotional. All of his years of staying in the house, of having to refrain from speaking his mind, made it quite doable to stand up to his villain of a father. "I don't doubt it. I know it's not possible."

"What makes you so sure?" Hawk Moth asked, not taking anything he was saying seriously.

"You've forgotten the basic way to free someone from an enchanted sleep. With a kiss."