One by one, the three of the took the elevator back down. Ladybug came down first, hoping Cat Noir had contained himself long enough to leave Gabriel unharmed without supervision. Soon they were back in the small, basement room, the elevator back to the office beside them, and a set of double doors before them. That must be where she is, Ladybug told herself, how could he have kept this a secret for so long?
Gabriel led the way, his entire body slumped, defeated. He opened the doors and stepped forward into a dark room. His footsteps echoed on a metal floor as Cat Noir's ring let out another beep. Cat Noir marched forward, his eyes betraying no emotion. He looked as though there was too much to process and he didn't know what to feel anymore. Ladybug walked beside him, concerned.
As they proceeded forward, lights began to light up on either wall, illuminating the vast chamber. They were walking across a metal walkway, suspended over what looked like green pipes, toward a platform at the opposite end. Finally, the last light on the ceiling above turned on as they reached the end of the walkway, showing them what they had come to see.
There she was: Emilie. She lay in peaceful repose in a glass coffin, held up at an incline. Surrounding her final resting place were a number of plants, vibrant with life, creating an odd juxtaposition of life and death. At first, Ladybug couldn't be certain if she was alive or not, but as she took a couple cautious steps forward, she could only just make out the steady rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. She was still alive, but barely.
Ladybug turned to Cat Noir, feeling uncertain. He was standing right in front of the coffin, reaching out a tentative hand, the ring on it beeping once again. This whole time, she was certain that whatever wish Hawk Moth wanted to make, it had to be some terrible evil, yet all along it was the machinations of a broken heart, its only desire to be made whole again. Tears sprang unbidden to her eyes, suddenly remorseful for the pain of her nemesis.
"All I wanted," Gabriel spoke up, kneeling on the ground just behind Ladybug and Cat Noir, his whole body shaking, "was to be with my Emilie again. Was for us to be… a family again…"
Cat Noir's fist clenched, his mouth tightening to a thin line. Gabriel could tell he was very troubled, but he still couldn't fathom why. He could barely see the profile of the young hero's face as he seemed to be struggling with a decision. What could be bothering him so much? Gabriel wondered. Despite the sorrow he was dealing with in the wake of his defeat, he found himself transfixed by Cat Noir's perplexing reaction to the most recent revelation.
"Cat Noir," Ladybug said softly, reaching a hand up to his shoulder. Her words caught in her throat, though, uncertain what to say. Gabriel saw the look in her eyes, the softness of her touch, and understood that she truly did love him. Now he understood her fervor the day she fought Binder, when love blazed in her eyes. That day, she must've learned Cat Noir's identity, and it was someone she loved.
"I…" Cat Noir said hesitantly, his gaze still fixed on the coffin, "I want to make the wish."
Gabriel's breath caught in his throat. He wants to make the wish? Maybe not all hope was lost after all. For whatever reason, it seemed Cat Noir wanted Emilie back as much as he did. But why? It can't be…
"What!" Ladybug sounded shocked, clearly not on board with her partner's decision, "We can't, you know that!"
"Yes, we can!" Cat Noir turned toward Ladybug, his face a mix of confused emotions and thoughts, "We have the miraculous, we can make the wish!" His voice was rising in desperation, nearly shouting.
"No!" Ladybug was almost shouting back at him, trying to get him to see reason, "There's always a price to pay when you make a wish!"
"I don't care!" Cat Noir was shouting now, his hands gripping Ladybug by the shoulders, "I just want my mother back!"
Mother? Gabriel looked up at Cat Noir in shock. It can't be… No… He studied the face of the young boy closely now, seeing it softened by grief, and began to see for the first time the familiarity in it. He had suspected once that Adrien could be Cat Noir, but then he saw the two of them together and dropped his concerns. Did I, though? he realized, I saw Cat Noir with a boy wearing a helmet. He fooled me! It is him, it's been him all along! Suddenly his escapes, lack of focus on his studies, constant running from his bodyguard… it all made sense.
"We can't," Ladybug sounded almost regretful as she spoke, but forceful, "Someone else would end up in a coma!"
"I don't care!" Cat Noir insisted.
"It could be you!" Ladybug shouted back.
"I DON'T CARE!" Cat Noir's eyes were now flooded with tears, blinking them away as he shouted.
"Yes, you do!" Ladybug shouted back, "You're not Hawk Moth, you're better than that! You can't hurt someone else for your own needs. You're not that selfish!"
Cat Noir looked down toward Gabriel for a moment, considering him. Gabriel suddenly felt ashamed. How many times have I harmed him? Tried to kill him even? My own son… No, he's not like me at all.
"You're right," Cat Noir sighed, his hands still gripping Ladybug's shoulders, now trembling from the throes of despair, "but I miss her, Marinette."
Marinette… the girl Adrien went on a date with… This last piece of information seemed to fit perfectly as well. The one time Ladybug never showed up was the time Marinette was akumatized, why didn't he think of it before? This whole time I've been trying to kill my own son… and the girl he loves.
"I know," Ladybug whispered. She stepped forward, wrapping her arms comfortingly around Cat Noir's head. He leaned in to her, resting his head on her shoulder, and continued to cry. Watching them, Gabriel realized for the first time that he had been trying to destroy their love in order to restore his own. He realized now that, more than his loss at the hands of Ladybug and Cat Noir, that was his greatest failure.