It was evening, and Adrien and Meg were still sitting around the coffee table, nursing the hot cocoa that Meg decided they had to have. They spent the afternoon mostly in silence with a bit of conversation here and there. Adrien was quietly processing, and Meg thought he was taking it pretty well. As well as one could when they find out their father is the villain, anyway. Say like, Luke Skywalker.
Adrien checked his phone, noting the time. They had to meet with Ladybug soon so that Meg could tell her everything she told him that day. Part of him would have rather stayed on that couch, hot cocoa in hand, and forgotten about everything that he had to deal with. But the optimism in him told him how to look on the bright side of things. If Hawk Moth had never been after the miraculous, then Adrien would've never had the chance to meet Ladybug or live the exciting life that he'd been able to have since becoming Cat Noir. Still, he wished Hawk Moth could've been anyone other than his father.
"We should head out soon." Adrien said, glancing over at Plagg who was curled up on the arm of Meg's chair, snoozing away.
Meg sipped her cocoa, which was a lot less hot since she'd been holding onto it for a while, but didn't meet Adrien's gaze. He could tell there was something she wanted to say to him.
"What is it?" he prompted her.
"I know you've had a lot to think about these past few hours, and I hate to put more on your plate, but you and Ladybug are going to have to face Hawk Moth eventually. Considering his identity…and yours…I don't know. Have you thought about telling her that Cat Noir is really Adrien Agreste?"
Adrien blinked. Quite frankly he'd still been wrapping his head around everything Meg told him that afternoon. He'd been analyzing all of the times his father kept him in the house or was "working late" in his office when Nathalie said he "couldn't be disturbed" and imagining his mother as a miraculous holder and wondering why his father lied about her disappearance all this time.
"Honestly, the thought hadn't crossed my mind. Do you think I should?"
"Well, I really don't know," Meg continued, "if you do tell her, Ladybug won't be distracted in the middle of the fight with whether or not Adrien is safe. It's happened before, and almost cost her her miraculous. But on the other hand, knowing that you are Adrien could be a distraction in and of itself. She'd probably try to save you from having to fight your own father and end up getting hurt."
Adrien sat back. He hadn't even thought about how his identity could affect Ladybug, or anyone else for that matter. He dragged his hand across his face as though he could wipe the stress away, and sunk back into the couch.
"You don't have to make a decision right now," Meg said quickly, noting the distress she added to his situation with her question. "I was just wondering if you'd thought about it at all. "
He nodded in response, eyes glued to the ceiling.
"Well, it's almost 8:30," she said, checking her phone and softly petting Plagg to wake him, "We should go to the meeting spot."
They waited in silence for Ladybug to arrive at the rendezvous. Cat Noir was bracing himself to have to listen to the facts all over as if for the first time. As if every word that was to come out of Meg's mouth had no personal effect on him. He'd always had to keep his identity from Ladybug for safety reasons, but this was different.
There was a soft thud a few feet away and Cat Noir turned his head to see his Lady walking towards them. He should've been happy to see her, in light of the previous night's events, but all he felt was the pit in his stomach from knowing the conversation that they were about to have.
She had a serious look about her, which meant she was strictly business tonight. Nothing personal. It was a small relief for Cat Noir that he didn't have to put on too much of a show. He tried his best to look attentive while tuning out the words Meg said to Ladybug.
"Cat Noir, aren't you going to say something?" she asked.
"I'm…just as shocked as you are, Ladybug." Snapping back into focus.
"Gabriel would never hurt his own son," Meg glanced at Cat Noir, "Believe me, he's gone through great lengths to try to keep him safe. In his own way."
He understood that she was trying to comfort him the best she could without being too obvious, but from what he'd seen, his father showed no regard for his safety at all. Otherwise he wouldn't be putting him in danger every day. There were plenty of times where he, as Adrien, had been caught in the crossfires of an akuma attack.
"In his own way?"
"There's more, Ladybug."
He listened as Meg recounted all of the facts to Ladybug. He'd been in such a shock earlier when he heard this news for the first time, but now hearing it again he began to feel the slow burn of anger and betrayal course throughout him.
He stepped forward, his staff extended, and ready to fight.
"Well what are we waiting for?" he asked.
Ladybug began twirling her yo-yo in response. He could always count on his Lady to be ready for anything.
"Hello? What about Adrien? You were just talking about how much danger I put him in for telling him about his father. Now you want to take the fight to him?"
"You said his father would never hurt him." Cat Noir answered, brushing off her concern. And she knew He was Adrien, so why would she bother to bring that up?
"He wouldn't." Meg retorted, "But what if, somehow, Adrien's safety became a question in the middle of the fight? It would become a distraction, and somebody would definitely end up hurt. One way or another."
She looked pointedly at Cat Noir, conveying a message only he would understand.
Oh, that's why.
"She's right. Again. We can't risk Adrien's safety any more than we already have."
He thought back to Meg's question about whether or not he would share his identity with Ladybug. If that was going to be what he decided, now would be the time. Adrien's safety wouldn't be a problem if she knew the truth, so he gathered his courage.
"But Ladybug…" Cat Noir started.
She turned to him, brows furrowed, a worried expression on her face.
But what if it becomes a distraction that gets her hurt? He wouldn't be able to live with himself if Ladybug was hurt because of him.
"You're right," he conceded, "It's too dangerous."
"Gabriel never leaves his home, so we need to get Adrien out of the house somehow."
Cat Noir couldn't help the huff that escaped him. This was silly. I should just tell her the truth and things will be easier. He looked at Ladybug, but was paralyzed by his fear of her getting hurt as a result of his confession.
"Leave that to me. I'll get him out of the house and keep him out until the fight is over."
"Good thinking." I wish she'd said that sooner. But he was glad that she'd given him the opportunity to make the choice, even if he chose to keep his identity a secret for now.
"Great. Now all we need is a plan of attack."
"I think I have an idea," said Meg.
Of course she did. She had all of the answers, and all of the ways to fix their problems, too. And it was a good plan. A safe plan. And they'd carry it out tomorrow. Not another day would go by where Hawk Moth, my father, was a threat to anyone else ever again.
Adrien lied awake in bed that night, dreading the morning that was to come. His only comfort, other than the soft purr of his Kwami who lied snuggled next to him, was the miraculous that he held close to his chest. The Peacock. Believed to once belong to his mother, it allowed him to feel a closeness to her that he hadn't felt in a long, long time.
He'd disabled the cameras when he returned home that night from his meeting with Ladybug and Meg, and together Adrien and Plagg stole back the long lost miraculous. It was intricately designed, and arguably the most beautiful of all the miraculous, and would be returned to the miracle box tomorrow. So just for tonight, he held onto that piece of his mother.
He woke the next morning, still clutching the jewel, to the sound of Plagg on the desk fueling up for a big fight. It was Sunday, which meant his father wouldn't head into his office until twelve o'clock. The plan was for Adrien to head over to Meg's around eleven forty-five to "work some more on their school project." He sighed, getting out of bed and getting ready for the day, making sure to open his window so that he and Ladybug could enter later.
At eleven forty-five precisely, Adrien was in the car with his bodyguard headed to Meg's, the Peacock in his pocket. She would be returning it to Master Fu while he and Ladybug acquired the Butterfly. He looked out of the window at the city as he passed by, knowing things would be different after today, growing nervous as the time for the attack drew closer.
They pulled up to Meg's house and Adrien made sure his bodyguard saw him going inside. Meg closed the door behind them and Adrien turned to face her, extending the Peacock towards her.
"Let's do this," he said as she gingerly took the jewel from his hand. "Plagg, Claws out."
A flash of green light left Cat Noir standing there in Adrien's place.
"You can use the backdoor, it's under cover. I'll text Ladybug that we're ready." Meg said as she pulled out her phone.
Cat Noir turned to exit.
"Adrien?"
He turned back to look at Meg.
"Be careful." Her expression was a mix of sadness and worry for what he was about to do.
He halfway smiled at her, "This Cat's got it in the bag."
And with that he was off.
At twelve o'clock sharp, Ladybug was already waiting for him in his bedroom—something that would have been pretty amazing in any other situation—and he landed quietly in the room with her. He had to stop himself from calling out his de-transformation after the ever so familiar motion.
"You ready to do this?" she asked him.
In truth, he wasn't ready at all, and doubted he ever would be, but he knew he had to do the right thing.
"Should we call the authorities?" he asked, sliding up to the phone on his baton and feeling a pit, imagining his father being dragged away to a lifetime in prison.
"Maybe we should wait." Ladybug said, setting down the picture that he hadn't realized she was holding.
He raised an eyebrow, noting the hesitation in her voice and the look on her face that she was trying to hide.
"Well, there's still a big fight to happen, and we wouldn't want them getting in our way or getting hurt. We can call when it's done."
He nodded, but could still tell there was something she wasn't saying.
"Ladybug? Is everything alright?" he asked gingerly.
She ripped her eyes away from the photo again to meet his, and gently placing her hand on his cheek, she planted a soft kiss on his lips.
"It's nothing, chaton. Let's finish this."
The plan was simple enough: Sneak in through the window that "Adrien" left open for them. Check. Sneak through the mansion and into Gabriel's study. A little tricky, but check. Locate the hidden panels in the portrait of Emilie that would lead them into Hawk Moth's lair. How Meg knew about this secret entrance, she wouldn't tell them, but there Ladybug and Cat Noir stood, moments away from activating their descent into Hawk Moth's lair.
They stared at the portrait and then looked to each other, allowing themselves one final moment to brace for impact, and in unspoken agreement Cat Noir raised his hand and pressed the panels. The floor beneath them let out a hiss, and they sank into the ground, darkness enveloping them.
Cat Noir's pulse raced. This was it. This was the moment. It seemed that although they began in a descent, somehow they were now ascending, and he had no idea what to expect when they reached the other side of the dark tunnel they were traveling. He felt Ladybug squeeze his hand as they rose into a blue room filled with white butterflies and a lone figure looking out over the city.
The platform wasn't exactly quiet, and Hawk Moth whipped around to find Ladybug and Cat Noir standing there in battle stance.
"What! How did you...?" he started with a bewildered expression on your face. He stopped and smirked, "No matter, you'll soon realize the mistake you've made."
With an evil grin, Hawk Moth stretched out his hand and a butterfly landed in his palm. He covered it with his other hand, turned it into an akuma, and placed it inside his miraculous.
AN: I just want you to know right now that I skipped the fight. It goes right to the end of it from here. I had a few ideas (like Meg being so worried about her friends that she gets akumatized and HM finds out about everything and they lose the element of surprise and all of their secrets), but couldn't really think of a fight that fit with the plan of how I wanted this story to go. Something like that would've completely changed my outcome, and this story was never about this fight. It's always been about LB and CN and their reveal. The ending has already changed so much from what I originally imagined, and I'm 100% positive that it's better this way, and very excited to share it with everyone reading. With that being said, LUCKY CHARM!