Gasping for breath, Adrien walked in the door of his mansion. Nathalie had buzzed him in, and she stood waiting at the top of the stairs.
"Adrien," she said, "what's the meaning of this? You're supposed to be at school."
"Sorry, Nathalie. There was a supervillain, and I thought it would be safest to come home. Can—can I talk to my Father?"
"He's not in his office right now."
"That's okay. I'll go wait for him."
Nathalie shrugged. "You'll be waiting a long time."
Waiting for my Father? There's nothing new, Adrien thought. He walked up the stairs and headed to the office. Once inside, he glanced behind him to make sure Nathalie hadn't followed. "Okay, Plagg, get the ring."
"Why do I have to do everything?" Plagg groaned.
Plagg flew into the desk drawer and a moment later, the drawer popped open. He came out holding the ring, acting as if it was unbearably heavy. He dropped it into Adrien's open palm, and Adrien slid it onto his ring finger.
"All right," Adrien said. "Let's get going. Plagg—"
Suddenly, the door slammed shut behind Adrien. Wheeling around, his heart practically stopped.
His father was standing there.
"I've been waiting for you, Adrien," Gabriel said. "Are you going to introduce me to your little friend?"
"F—Father, I can explain!"
"No need to explain." Gabriel pointed at the ring. "I had wondered if you were Cat Noir ever since I first noticed your ring. It does seem awfully similar to Cat Noir's ring, does it not?" His gaze shifted to Plagg, who hovered beside Adrien's shoulder. "I see now that my suspicions were correct—and my son has been out risking his life for a city that doesn't deserve him."
Adrien clenched his fists. "Look, if I've got the power to help people, it's my responsibility to do it. I doubt you'd understand that—you think you're so much better than the rest of us!"
"Listen, Adrien. I need your Miraculous, and Ladybug's."
Adrien raised an eyebrow, and a twinge of fear shot through his stomach. He had only ever heard one person request the Miraculous before. But his father didn't seem to be akumatized. "No way. Fate chose me to be Cat Noir. I'm not giving you this ring."
"Fate? Fate is a cruel master. I seek to overcome fate. Adrien, if you give me the Miraculous, I can bring..." Gabriel faltered for a moment. "I can bring your mother back."
Adrien's mouth fell open. "Is that—is that why you had that book?"
"Ah. So you did take it. I had wondered." Gabriel shook his head. "No matter." He held out his hand. "Will you help me? Will you help me bring her back?"
Adrien thought of the last time his mother had held him, her warm arms encircling him with comfort when he was sad. He thought of how joyful his father had been. If she came back...how different would things be? He found himself loosening his ring. If all he had to do to get her back was give it to his father...
"Adrien, don't!" Plagg said. "You were entrusted with the ring for a reason! You don't understand what will happen when the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous are united."
"Don't listen to him," Gabriel said. "Listen to your heart, son. What does your heart tell you?"
Adrien's whole being cried out for his mother's embrace, for a whole family. The ring was nearly off his finger.
"Adrien!" Plagg cried, flying in front of Adrien's face. "Stop! You can't just betray Ladybug like this!"
Betray Ladybug?
All of Adrien's dreams of being held by his mother shattered. He slid the ring back onto his finger. "I can't, Father. I can't bring you Ladybug's earrings. I can't give you this ring."
"If you won't give it to me willingly, there are other ways that I can take it," Gabriel said, a shadow coming over his mien. "I can take it from you when you are transformed, and it will be mine."
"Then I won't transform," Adrien said, crossing his arms.
"Or...I can take it from your dead body."
A chill shot down Adrien's spine. "F—Father?"
"You've already died once, and been brought back by the power of the Ladybug Miraculous. Your death will only be temporary. Once I have the Miraculous in my power, I will bring both you and your mother back from the dead. Adrien, we will be a family again." His expression softened. "Please, son. Don't make me do this. Help me take Ladybug's Miraculous. Give me yours."
Tears stung in Adrien's eyes. "And what if you kill me and can't get Ladybug's Miraculous, huh? What then?"
"For your mother's life? For absolute power? It's a risk I'm willing to take."
The tears spilled onto Adrien's cheeks, hot and stinging. "You know, I've often wondered if you really love me. I guess I know the answer now, don't I?"
Gabriel narrowed his eyes. "Don't be childish. Just give me your Miraculous!"
"No. I guess you'll have to kill me first."
"If that's your choice." Gabriel ripped his scarf away from his neck, revealing a brooch underneath. "Nooroo, dark wings rise!"
Adrien's mouth fell open in horror as a flash of light engulfed his father's body. Dozens upon dozens of white butterflies filled the room, and there, standing before Adrien's very eyes...
Hawk Moth.
"Red Knight, come to me!" Hawk Moth shouted. "I don't care what you are doing, come to me or I shall strip you of your powers!" He turned his gaze back to Adrien. "One last chance, Adrien. Give me your ring."
Anger and betrayal shot through Adrien all at once. "Not a chance! Plagg, claws out!" A green flash of light filled the room as magic swept across Adrien's body, transforming him. Immediately, he grabbed his baton and extended it to quarter staff length.
Growling, Hawk Moth drew a sword from his cane and attacked with a vicious swing. Adrien blocked the blow, whirled his staff, and jabbed his father in the stomach. Hawk Moth stumbled back, then raised his sword and charged again. Adrien reacted to the motion with the instincts of a fencer, parrying and replying with a quick riposte.
"It's good to know all the money I've been spending on fencing lessons has paid off," Hawk Moth said. "But it won't save you." He let out a chilling laugh.
The sound of Nathalie screaming came from outside. Thundering footsteps and clanking armor resounded in the main hall.
The Red Knight!
The door to Gabriel's office swung wide open as the Red Knight charged in.
"Red Knight! Seize Cat Noir's Miraculous!"
Snarling, the Red Knight slashed his blade through the air, and a slice of red energy shot toward Adrien. Adrien leaned back, dodging the shock wave and missing it by an inch. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye. His father was running toward him from the side, sword raised. Hawk Moth leapt into the air and with an elaborate flip came falling down toward Adrien with his sword aimed straight for Adrien's heart. Gasping, Adrien did an aerial flip out of the way, only to find himself fencing with his father once again.
The Red Knight leapt through the air, landing behind Adrien and swinging his sword.
There was no time to react. The blade slashed across Adrien's back, slicing through the material of his suit as if it were nothing. But the suit still afforded some protection—the cut was shallow, but it stung ferociously. Adrien cried out in pain and fell to his knees. His father's sword swung over his head shaving off the very tips of Adrien's cat ears. Using his staff, Adrien pushed himself up from the floor and swiveled around the pole, landing a vicious kick on Hawk Moth's stomach. But Hawk Moth's sword slashed down at the same time, biting into Adrien's thigh. He fell to the floor, landing on his back with another jolt of pain. His father's sword came down again, stabbing deep into his stomach.
Adrien groaned in pain. "Father—Father—why?"
"Because you gave me no other choice!" He pulled his sword from Adrien's abdomen and raised it again; this time the blow would come down on Adrien's wrist, cutting his hand off and taking the Miraculous off with it. But before the strike could fall, Adrien extended his staff, caught Hawk Moth under the chin, and sent Hawk Moth flying across the room. The Red Knight's sword came falling down—Adrien rolled to the side, just barely avoiding the blow.
"Cataclysm!"
Adrien brought his charged hand down on the floor beneath the Red Knight's feet. The floor split open and the Red Knight fell through, caught only by his arms. He struggled to pull himself up, but it was to no avail.
"That was foolish, Adrien," Hawk Moth said. "Now you have five minutes to defeat me—and I don't see your friend Ladybug anywhere."
Dizzy with pain and blood loss, Adrien staggered to his feet. "Yeah, well, now it's just you and me again."
"Adrien, please. I'm begging you. Don't make me do this. Just give me your Miraculous. Please—I don't want to hurt you."
"Yeah? You could've fooled me!" Whirling his staff, Adrien charged his father, ignoring the searing pain in his back and stomach. He struck Hawk Moth on the side of the head, then swept his feet under Hawk Moth's, knocking his legs out beneath him. Hawk Moth tumbled to the floor.
Clutching at his stomach, Adrien ran from his father's office. He ran as fast as he could, trying to ignore the dizziness. He flipped his baton open, calling Ladybug, but she didn't answer.
"Ladybug—I'm in bad trouble—I found out who Hawk Moth is—"
With a snarl, Hawk Moth did an aerial flip and jumped over Adrien's head, landing right in front of him. He struck an offensive pose, holding his sword at the ready.
"Last chance, Cat Noir." Hawk Moth's tone was mocking.
"I think you mean it's your last chance." Adrien flipped his baton shut, extended it to staff length, and charged his father with a mighty swing. Hawk Moth tried to dodge, but too late. The staff crashed into the side of his head, and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Now nearly panting with pain, Adrien ran out of the mansion, wondering what to do now. Where could he go?
Marinette...
Even if Marinette wasn't Ladybug, it would be a safe place to hide. And surely Marinette could find a way of contacting Ladybug somehow, perhaps by telling Alya to put a notice on the Ladyblog.
Nearly ready to faint, he extended his staff and vaulted up onto the rooftops, hoping he would make it before he passed out.