Chapter 2
It was like stepping through a fog machine. Wisps of darkness threaded around her, caressing her skin with soft tendrils of energy. She and her duplicate stepped ahead into the inky unknown with careful, precise footsteps. With each tentative stride, Marinette could feel the current drawing her forward on a gentle yet deliberate pathway. She resisted the urge to succumb to the guiding current and forced herself to pause and contemplate her next movement. She inhaled as she inched her way through the void.
Inhale.
Step.
Exhale.
Step.
How long she continued like this, she wasn't sure. Time slipped away within the darkness of the portal. How much time had passed? Minutes? Hours? She couldn't be certain. She pushed away the rising panic in her mind and steadied her breathing, concentrating on her task at hand. Calm settled over her once again.
Inhale.
Step.
Exhale.
Step.
Eventually the darkness parted and she spotted a woman floating in front of her. The sunshine-blonde hair was unmistakable and with a gasp of recognition, she rushed over to her.
Without needing to be told, her duplicate grabbed Mrs. Agreste's feet while Marinette hooked her under the arms. As one, they began to inch back to the entrance. Only, there was nothing but dark emptiness surrounding her.
No red-bordered doorway.
Nothing.
Panic flashed through her, and she fought the urge to start running. She took a slow, deep breath and gradually her thumping heart slowed. She began to hear a voice. A familiar voice soothing away the anxiety.
"Marinette, continue walking forward. Step by step. In this direction. Toward me."
She followed the gentle voice for a few steps before she faltered. This voice. She recognized it.
"Marinette, focus!" the voice sharpened. "Stay calm. Keep walking."
The voice! It...
The thought escaped her as her mind blanked to everything but the echoing voice in her head. She continued again for a few more slow steps.
"That's good, you're almost there. Keep going."
Something nagged at the back of her mind. This voice. It seemed so familiar with it's alluring hypnotic suggestions. Suggestions... suggestions... what was it...? A flash of understanding shot through her. The voice could not be trusted! She stepped to the side.
"Marinette! Ugh," the voice groaned in her mind, "I cannot... she's resisting... I feel her energy slipping away." Marinette stepped to the side again and the voice dimmed in her head. "Marinette focus!" Something rumbled across the void and the voice answered, "No, instinctively she mistrusts me. I..." Marinette stepped away again, eager to get rid of the voice once and for all. "...nette!... door..." Another step and the words jumbled together, eventually fading away entirely.
Blissful silence. Nothing more of the voice that echoed in her thoughts. Of the voice she wanted to trust but something deep inside her held her back. All around her, the darkness tickled her senses and played with her mind. But she feared the darkness less than she feared that soft oily voice.
"Marinette!"
The shout shattered the silence. A different voice this time. Her body hummed with relief. She knew this voice. She trusted this voice.
"Marinette, please listen to me," it begged. "You must follow my voice."
Yes, she would follow this new voice. The voice she trusted. The voice laced with panic and fear and everything she didn't want to run to, but something told her it was better than the seductive whispers of the darkness behind her. She stepped towards the rough voice. The voice thick with emotion and desperation and something else she couldn't identify but it cried to her and nothing else sounded so perfect in the entire world than that voice right at this very moment.
"That's it, Marinette, you're so close," the voice encouraged her. She stepped forward. "You're almost there. Just a few more steps." In the distance, she spotted the outline of a doorway edged in red. The darkness within the borders appeared even blacker somehow, as if the energy within condensed and absorbed extra light. She had to get to that doorway. Her steps slowed as the air tightened around her. She was fighting a current of thickness that pushed and protested her escape. Her thoughts cleared the closer she stepped.
The voice helped.
"Come on, Marinette. You're almost there. I can feel you. Step forward. You're right at the edge. How are we supposed to work as partners if you stay behind in there? Who's going to race me across the rooftops of Paris at twilight? Who's going to challenge me to a picture scavenger hunt of monuments all across town? Who's going to bet with me on who can get the most selfies with our fans? C'mon, partner. I know you're right there. Step forward."
She reached the doorway now. Marinette propped Mrs. Agreste on her back with her duplicate's help. With a deep breath and one last look behind her, she closed her eyes... and hesitated. The whispers grew louder, almost deafening as they crashed into her mind, urging her to stay.
"Step forward, Marinette!"
She obeyed without a second thought.
A deafening explosion erupted behind her as the door crackled with energy upon releasing the two bodies from the void. Lights streamed skyward, illuminating the night sky as they burst into vibrant displays of reds. A pink glow surrounded her and she flinched from the impact of the inevitable shockwave.
It never hit.
She cracked open her eyes and spotted Hawkmoth standing firm, clenching his cane high in the air. Perspiration shone on his face as he held his cane steady and unyielding against the onslaught of the energy from the vortex. She realized his faint shield protected them from the majority of the blast, deflecting the energy skyward into the brilliant firework-like spectacle. When the portal doorway finally fizzled into a churning silence a few moments later, Hawkmoth dropped his hand with an exhausted groan.
Instantly, Marinette felt her own energy zapped the moment the shield dissipated. She stumbled as the world righted itself in a dizzying whirl of vertigo. Strong hands steadied her before she could crash to the ground. She looked up into the concerned face of Hawkmoth, who hurried to grab onto Mrs. Agreste and gently lift her off of Marinette's back. He set her onto the ground. With an absent wave of his hand, he released Adrien's akuma. The white butterfly floated out of his charm and dissolved into energy. Adrien swayed, then shook his head and rushed over Marinette, smothering her in a giant hug.
"You made it," he cried.
"Only thanks to you. I heard your voice," she said.
He tightened his hug. "Father said he was losing you. I... couldn't lose you too." Adrien suppressed a sob. "I saw him struggling to keep the connection. Something inside me snapped." Marinette's heart fractured. She buried her head into his shirt. "I just couldn't let you vanish forever. Father said it was only because he was linked to me that I was able to pierce through the barrier."
"Whatever you did, it worked. I trusted you."
"We're partners, bugaboo."
"Forever?"
He nodded against her head. "Always." He held her for a moment longer before gently releasing her and hurrying over to his mother's side. His father sat beside her with his hands hovering above Mrs. Agreste's body.
"Father, will she be okay?" Adrien asked.
"I don't know," Hawkmoth murmured, scanning her body intently. "I'm sensing a swirl of emotion coming from her, but no visible distress. Why won't she awaken?"
"Because I haven't cast my cure yet," Marinette said. Both men looked up at her as she tossed her yo-yo sky-high with a cry. The object barely had time to settle into her hands before she bent down to throw it up again.
"Wait!" Adrien yelled, standing and running to her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Okay," he murmured, "do it now. I'm not letting go."
She smiled at him, drinking in his strength. With one last look at the prone Mrs. Agreste and her distraught husband, she launched her Lucky Charm into the air with a shout, closing her eyes as the object activated and swept across the city.
Darkness.
And then, warm hands.
She opened her eyes. Adrien still gripped her. "Adrien?" she murmured against his shirt.
"Marinette!" he cried. "You're still here."
"And the doorway is sealed," Hawkmoth noted. Both teens turned and saw he was correct. There was no more black and red threaded entryway in the room. "Dark wings fall," he murmured and his transformation faded in the absence of any further threat. He still held Mrs. Agreste, gazing into her face with an expression of pure love. She had yet to stir.
"Mom," Adrien exclaimed, kneeling beside them. Marinette released her transformation wearily and followed Adrien. She smiled at Plagg before twisting off his ring and pressing it into Adrien's hand. He stared at it with a blank expression for a moment. Then an eager smile crept upon his face and he slipped it back onto his finger. Plagg reappeared and settled onto Adrien's shoulder, clinging to his original chosen's neck to lend his support. For once, he remained silent.
"Why didn't my cure work?" she asked Tikki.
"It did," Tikki assured her. "Mr. Agreste could feel it, couldn't you?"
He nodded once, not taking his eyes off of his wife. "Her energy shifted. But she's been gone almost two years. It will take some time to fight through the barriers."
His kwami perched upon his head, clinging to his hair and dislodging a few strands as he grabbed onto them for support. Gabriel took no notice of how his mussed hair now ruined his meticulous appearance. He entwined the fingers of one hand into his wife's and with his other hand he gently stroked her face. Adrien grabbed her other hand and held it with both of his. Marinette sat down beside Adrien and leaned into him, settling her arms around his waist. Any other time, she would have been a stammering mess, but her focus was only on providing support for him. For his family.
They continued watching Mrs. Agreste, the silence only broken by Gabriel keeping up a steady stream of soft platitudes of love and devotion and pleading. The longer they sat, the more nervous Marinette got. What if Tikki was wrong? What if her cure wasn't strong enough? Adrien began to tremble in her grip. She squeezed him tightly. Gabriel's pleas grew desperate. She reached over and set one hand upon his arm. She couldn't start doubting herself now. She had to be confident. She had to believe in her cure. Believe in Tikki. She had to be the rock to which the two Agrestes clung.
Adrien stilled, settling down once more. Gabriel looked up at her and met her resolute smile. He swallowed and blinked away tears before resuming his whispers of undying love, the desperation once again muted somewhat.
It felt like hours passed. Marinette's legs cramped, then numbed over with sleep. She refused to move, fearing her shifting action would fracture the tentative spell over the group. Adrien continued clenching his mother's hand, and Gabriel didn't budge from his knelt posture, even though Marinette was certain his back and knees must be killing him. The kwamis remained quiet for the most part, though each one would occasionally do something to comfort their owner. Tikki nuzzled into Marinette's cheek. Plagg squeezed Adrien's neck. Nooroo ruffled Gabriel's hair. Each action reset the calm over them and grounded them back to the present, soothing their rising fears.
Eventually, Mrs. Agreste's breathing quickened. Gabriel leaned forward, his face drawn in anxiety. Adrien followed suit. Marinette's breath hitched in her throat.
The seconds passed.
Then, eyes fluttered open.
Marinette exhaled in a loud whoosh. Beside her, Adrien did the same. She didn't even realize he held his breath, too. Fresh tears streamed down Gabriel's face as he breathed a single word.
"Emilie?"
A long silence followed.
"Gabriel?"
The name passed through dry lips, cracking and weak and barely audible, but Gabriel heaved a shuddering breath and released a sob at the same time. He lifted her head with the gentlest of touches and cradled her to his chest, weeping.
"Mom?" Adrien croaked and Mrs. Agreste turned to him. She blinked and offered a faint smile, her eyes shining with tears.
"Adrien," she whispered. She lifted her hand from Adrien's to reach up and stroke the back of her finger along his damp cheek.
Gabriel still kept his head buried in his wife's shoulder, and didn't appear to be wanting to stop anytime soon. His cries shook his entire body as he finally allowed himself to break down and feel. Marinette could only imagine the overwhelming emotions coursing through him right now. Emotions he had previously shuttered away: grief, love, remorse, hope... and guilt. Despite all he had put her through, she couldn't help but share in those same emotions. The complete turnaround from the stoic man she had known and the cold villain she had fought concerned her. As Adrien fussed with his mother, she released her arms from his waist and, with a pained grunt as her legs refused to cooperate, dragged herself over to Gabriel and gently draped her arms across his shoulders. One hand automatically reached up and gripped her wrist in acknowledgment.
"She's going to be okay," she whispered in his ear. He nodded, his eyes squeezed tight and his glasses fogged over with tears.
"Who is this?" Mrs. Agreste's soft voice brought Marinette's attention to the woman lying on the ground again. In the few minutes since she had awoken, her voice already sounded stronger. Steadier. Her green eyes – so much like Adrien's – settled upon Marinette.
She opened her mouth but Gabriel looked up and answered first.
"This is the bravest, strongest, most compassionate girl I have ever met," he said with sincerity, staring at his wife. He gently placed her head on the ground again, then took off his glasses and cleaned them with the edge of his ascot. He unbuttoned his coat and shrugged it off, balling it haphazardly into a crumpled pillow which he placed with delicate care underneath Mrs. Agreste's head.
Mrs. Agreste smiled at Marinette, who had turned bright red at Gabriel's words, then looked to her husband. "High praise, coming from you," she teased.
"She saved you," Gabriel said. Mrs. Agreste met Marinette's eyes.
"I owe you much."
"She saved me," Gabriel added, guilt threatening to shatter the fragile peace he had collected thus far.
Mrs. Agreste glanced at her husband, then back at Marinette. "Then I owe you everything."
Marinette felt certain she was redder than she ever had been in her life. She shrunk away and looked to Adrien.
Mistake.
He stared at her with adoration and her senses went into overload. Adrien Agreste, the love of her life, her loyal partner, gazed at her with all the love and devotion she had ever dreamed he would.
It was all she could do to not short-circuit. She returned her focus to Mrs. Agreste.
"You don't owe me anything," she insisted. "I'm really glad you're okay."
Mrs. Agreste smiled at her. "You're a sweetheart," she said. "What's your name?"
"Marinette."
"A lovely name." She smiled at her again. Marinette returned it. Then, Mrs. Agreste groaned and attempted to sit up. A scandalized expression appeared on Gabriel's face and he tried to push his wife back down.
"Emilie, take it easy," he insisted, "you've been through a lot."
She grumbled and shot a look at her husband. He backed away. Marinette stifled a giggle. "Gabriel, I feel as if I have just taken a long nap. I feel physically okay. I just needed a few moments to recover. Now you can either help me up or get back so I can have darling Marinette beside you help me instead." Gabriel scrambled into action, easing his hands around his wife's shoulders and lifting her up. "Thank you, dear," she said. She paused, for the first time noticing the purple kwami perched upon Gabriel's head. "Is that Nooroo?"
The kwami fluttered down and twirled around Mrs. Agreste. "Emilie," he cried. She giggled and cupped the tiny thing.
"Hello, darling," she cooed.
Gabriel cleared his throat and fingered his brooch. "I uh, I must explain," he said. "It's a really long story. But first, here's your Miraculous back." He withdrew the pin. Nooroo vanished and he handed it to his wife, who pinned it to her outfit. Nooroo reappeared.
"My little Nooroo," she cooed again. "I thought I had lost you forever when I failed my mission." She looked up at Gabriel. "Darling, where is your Miraculous?"
Marinette released a gasp, choking on her own saliva, which quickly turned into a hacking fit. When she finally recovered, she discovered all three Agrestes staring at her with various degrees of concern. "Sorry," she winced. "Unexpected shock." She turned to Gabriel. "You had your own Miraculous?" she demanded.
He grimaced. "It's kept secure in my safe. Again, it's a long story, and one which I request to tell my wife in private, please."
"You said we needed your wife's Miraculous," she accused.
"It wasn't a lie," Gabriel insisted. "Only she can activate it's true powers."
"Why?"
"Because it is hers. Certain abilities were locked away from me," Gabriel explained. "I think now would be a good time to announce to Paris the conclusion to this saga... and perhaps the emergence of a new group of superheroes? Explain the latest threat?" He bowed his head. "Although, I would understand if you wish to pursue a different course of action. I fully accept the consequences of my behavior."
Marinette huffed and sat back on the ground. "I thought by now you would have understood that I do not wish to pursue that route, though perhaps I should consult with my partner?" She glanced over to Adrien.
Mrs. Agreste, to her credit, didn't interrupt at all, though she looked terribly confused by the conversation around her.
Adrien gulped and shook his head. "No," he whispered. "I'm ready to move on from this."
Gabriel's shoulders sagged visibly. "Thank you," he whispered, his head still bowed to the ground.
"Let's go home, Mom," Adrien said. Gabriel nodded.
Marinette stepped back, content to let the Agrestes get some time to heal, when Adrien turned to her. "You're coming, too," he told her.
She protested, shaking her head and waving her hands. "You all are family, you need some time to heal," she insisted.
"You're family now, too, dear," Mrs. Agreste said with a smile.
"And we need to concoct a valid cover story," Gabriel added sensibly.
Marinette looked to each of their faces, biting her lip in uncertainty before she settled upon Adrien's hopeful one. She nodded. "Okay."
He smiled.
"Adrien, dear," Mrs. Agreste said, finally noticing Plagg and Tikki. "What are those other kwami doing here?"
Adrien chuckled. "We'll explain it at home, Mom."
Hawkmoth Defeated – Butterfly Miraculous Passed Onto Successor. New Superheroes Emerge!
Today, Paris breathes a sigh of relief as the city closes its doors upon a dark chapter in her history. Ladybug and Chat Noir have announced that Hawkmoth has been defeated – his Miraculous returned into safe hands. Little is known about the exact details of the 'final battle', as the media have dubbed it, aside from the fact that the gorgeous fireworks show the other night was a big part of it. However, both Ladybug and Chat Noir have repeatedly stressed that yes, Hawkmoth has been stopped for good. They refrained from any further explanation aside from their prepared statement on the matter and refused to elaborate when pressed for comments.
"Ah, I hate to be a bit of a downer," Chat Noir said, uncharacteristically serious, "but you guys are focusing so much upon Hawkmoth that you're forgetting there is a new threat out there."
This new threat, seen by most of Paris just last week, emerged briefly and swiftly vanished, leading some to believe – erroneously if we are to take the word of our superheroes – that it was either another failed akumatization or a hastily defeated new threat. It appears that it was neither – merely a threat that has been temporarily neutralized. But our resident heroes have assured us they are working hard on this new danger, and even recruited some new blood!
Two unfamiliar superheroes have been spotted around Paris. One, dressed in purple clothes echoing the style of Hawkmoth, calls herself Papillon. Her new partner, clad in royal blue and green, has adopted the name Paon. To those of you who have been living in Paris for a while, these names should come as no surprise. These superheros guarded our city back in the 1990s and early 2000s before they vanished, leading to speculation about their retirement. Despite their hiatus from superheroing, both come highly recommended and endorsed by Ladybug and Chat Noir, so we welcome our two newest (or oldest) superheroes back to Paris!
"Don't get too relaxed, Paris," Papillon was quoted as saying during her first public outing. "Papillon and Paon are back." She added a sultry wink to the gathered press. Beside her, Paon rolled his eyes at his partner's actions but otherwise maintained a stiffly formal countenance. If anyone doubts that these two are the real deal, you only have to watch their interactions to know that they're the same fiery duo who guarded Paris not so very long ago. When questioned, Paon leveled a look so fiercely protective at the gathered media that it eliminated any remaining questions about Paon and Papillon's status as a romantic couple. Perhaps Ladybug and Chat Noir will take a few lessons from their elder counterparts about combining love and duty?
Yet despite the jokes and playful banter, anyone present could sense the tension exuded by the gathered superheroes. When asked about it, Ladybug was the one to answer.
"We're just trying to plan ahead," she explained. "Four superheroes might not be enough to counter this new threat, so maybe you'll be seeing even more superheroes in the near future."
And there you have it, Parisians. Keep your eyes to the sky and maybe you'll catch a glimpse of the newest heroes of our city!
Adrien lowered his tablet after he finished reading and shot a smirk at his father, who sat across from him at his desk. "Fiery duo, hmm?" he quoted. Gabriel fixed him with an unamused look. Duusu snoozed on the edge of the desk, the crumbs of some unidentified food scattered around her.
"Isn't it about time for you to get to bed?" he asked pointedly before attempting to return to his work.
"It's barely dark outside."
"You have an early morning photoshoot," Gabriel replied.
"I do?"
"It's a very special photoshoot."
"It is?"
Gabriel sighed and turned his attention back to Adrien. "Requested by Master Fu? I believe he wanted to discuss some additions to the team."
"We're a team now?"
"Adrien!"
"Okay, okay," Adrien laughed. "I'm going. You got any suggestions for ideas on who the new people should be?"
Gabriel shook his head. "I don't believe I am the best judge of character for that. However, it won't be a personal decision. You'll be merely helping to set up the tests for the potential recruits."
"Oh." Adrien didn't understand much right now but he supposed Master Fu would explain in the morning. On impulse, he ran over to his father and grabbed him in a quick hug. "Love you, Father," he said.
Gabriel softened and returned the hug. "And I love you, Adrien."
Adrien released his father and ran out of the room, leaving Gabriel to shake his head and go back to his work – not fashion related, as Adrien had suspected. But a request by Master Fu, using Gabriel's vast network of resources to research the latest threat. Gabriel felt confident that things would work out. After all, this time they had Lady Luck on their side.
Literally.
The End
Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who supported this story! As I said previously, angst is NOT my strong suit AT ALL and I feel that even in this angst-riddled story I copped out at the end and turned it happy. I really, REALLY can't do angst.
Also, I got sick after I posted the last chapter, so I guess it's the universe telling me something. Okay, I get it! I'll stick with fluffy Gabriel-is-not-Hawkmoth stories from here on out!
Another follow-up story: "It Takes a Village" has been posted as part of Gabriel Appreciation Week 2018 and takes place in this universe.
Edit 7-31-18: Yes, I originally wrote this with Emilie's name as Yvette, but since we've received official notice as to her actual name, and I'm continuing this series, I decided to edit this story to reflect the accuracy of canon. It got kind of weird for me to keep writing Yvette when I had her real name, and I didn't want to change it for follow-up sequels and keep it for this one.
There is another sequel up, entitled "Fluttering Feathers, Fluttering Hearts" which is written for Fluff Month 2018 and takes the morning after they save Mrs. Agreste, and continues through the events of the press conference and beyond. While it does take place before "It Takes a Village", some foreshadowing to that story occurs.