Chapter 13: Catnip Chapter by beccalovesyuge

Summary:

"It's seems I've found your catnip, Chat Noir. Hand me your Miraculous and I'll let her go."

Part of the Favoritism AU
Order of chapters:
5-Bridal Style
6-Kitty Kisses
8- Bad Idea
12-Hostage
13- Catnip
3-Can I pick, Princess?

Tikki leads Chat down to the basement of his home. He's puzzled because surely he would have noticed something before now. His mind is still reeling and he can't quite keep up with the fairy as she flits quickly towards the wine cellar. Tikki pauses near the collection of his father's red wines and Chat has a chance to catch up to her. "There must be some secret way through," the sprite ponders. She nubs a few bottles with her paws and mutters in frustration.

Chat eyes the rows of wine. They're all catalogued by brands, flavors, and years. If there's one thing Adrien does know for certain about his father, it's that he still loves his mother. The young man steps towards a bottle that is decidedly more full than the others. His fingers trace the worn label before he pushes the bottle backwards. It seems to work as the wooden shelves open inward and a staircase heading upwards is presented to them in the darkness.

He steps through the doorway with Tikki near his shoulder. "How did you know which bottle?" She quietly asks.

Chat waits for the timed door behind them to shut before he responds. "1999. The year my parents were married. Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Rose. It was the champagne they toasted to during the reception. It was chosen for the look of its bottle since it bears the letter A on its famous design," his voice was monotone as if he was reciting a history lesson. Tikki supposed that to him, such details were historic. Adrien probably tried to find any scrap of information he could dig up about his mother. He had probably found the information in old tabloid magazine. He shoots her a wry grin and answers her unspoken question. "You know what they say. People love people."

She wanted to sigh at his response, but she merely rolls her eyes and darts ahead of him. Her soft pink glow allows for some illumination of the rickety steps, but it's unnecessary with Chat Noir's night vision.

Chat tries to count the number of steps to maybe determine how many stories they climbed, but he lost count somewhere. It doesn't matter because soon enough, a doorway appears. Tikki flits back to his shoulder and burrows close to his neck. "I can sense the earrings on the other side. She's here."

His heart picks up speed and he strains his ears to listen for her or Hawkmoth. He can barely hear her. He prays it's just the distance between them since he can't detect any blood traces in the air. "I'll distract him. Get to Marinette and we'll go from there."

She peers up at him. "That's it? That's your plan?"

He looks at her from the corner of his eyes and grins. "Yep."

Tikki shrugs and hides more in his leather collar as he takes the few steps separating him from the door. His hand reaches out and the door opens with the faintest of touches. His licks his dry lips as he enters; sharp eyes darting across the room. Chat realizes that it's the tower near the back of the mansion. He'd always wanted to go inside it when he was a child. His mother told him stories about princesses being hidden away and if he was brave enough, he could find the way in. He snorted at the irony.

Chat Noir's heart thumped painfully as he scanned the scant room for any sign of Marinette. An army of butterflies move away from the farthest corner and he shifts his body towards the movement. The swarm of white clears and he spots Marinette near a chrysalis display case. She's bound and gagged, but very much still breathing. His plan goes right out the window as he darts towards her. "Mar-"

A dark shadow emerges and he's struck in the side. The hero gasps out as he's tossed to the left and hits the ground painfully. He scrambles back to his feet despite the throbbing pain in his side. He's lost Tikki, but he hopes she's heading towards Marinette. His eyes scan the darkness and he finds him. Hawkmoth. Gabriel Agreste.

"It's seems I've found your catnip, Chat Noir. Hand me your Miraculous and I'll let her go." Hawkmoth sounds bored and Chat guesses he probably is. This song and dance has been going on for years.

Chat eyes the cane Hawkmoth had attacked him with. He finds it an odd choice of weapon, but doesn't doubt that it packs a punch. He reaches for his baton and clicks it open. It elongates in his hands as he takes a defensive crouch.

"No," Chat Noir fires back. "I'm ending this now, Father."

His eyes widen behind his stupid looking grey mask.

Really, Adrien snickers, for a fashion designer, his costume sucks. And that's not even counting his akumas.

Gabriel regains control of his face to a neutral appearance. "So it's true," he begins. "You really are Adrien." Gabriel holds a hand out towards his son. "It's time to stop playing games, Adrien. Give me your ring."

Chat frowns. "No."

Gabriel blinks once in surprise before laughing at the disobedience of his son. "You've finally decided to fight back. I'm impressed. I thought for sure you would give in easy. It would make me so proud if you did. It's okay to be weak in this instance, son. After all, I'm doing this for us, for you."

"What are you talking about?" Adrien barks out. "I never asked for any of this!"

Adrien almost thinks Gabriel cocks a brow beneath his mask. "You never wanted the freedom your powers granted you? Admit it. You enjoyed every attack because it gave you a chance to not be Adrien Agreste. You could be away from the disapproving looks of the media, your friends. And, you could be with your spotted lady." He grins widely. "I guess Ladybug didn't keep you on a short enough leash," he chuckled. "You're greedy, Adrien. You wanted the one thing you could never have. You wanted the random little girl that couldn't protect herself. Did it make you feel important? Every time she called out for you? Each time you held her in your arms?"

Adrien squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "Shut up! She has nothing to do with this!"

"Oh, but she does, Adrien. You fell in love with her and you were too selfish and greedy to stay away from her. If you had just left her alone, I never would have noticed the little baker's daughter." He tilted his head to the side in wonder. "But, that's not what she is to you, is it? Hmmm." Gabriel strode forward to lessen the distance between then and stopped just outside the range of Chat's baton. "She's your pretty, little princess. You do know, she doesn't love you, right? That girl is only a fan of you. She's not your friend or lover. She wanted Adrien Agreste, but when she couldn't get him, she settled for Chat Noir."

"That's not true!"

Both men jerked their heads to the side where one Marinette Dupain-Cheng stood. She had taken a wooden rod from the chrysalis display and she's brandishing it like a sword towards Hawmoth. Several of the butterflies are fluttering furiously behind her at the apparent loss of their growing companions. Tikki hovers at her chosen's shoulder.

"Marinette!" Chat roars. "Get out of here!"

The girl doesn't offer him a look, instead she keeps her gaze locked on Hawkmoth. "I'm not going anyway, Kitty. This ends now."

Hawkmoth's eyes narrow at the loss of his cocoons. "That is unfortunate," he mutters. He turns his attention on the baker's daughter and Chat's heart leaps into his throat. "I should have killed you in the beginning. You've always been a constant thorn in my side." He stalks towards the girl and Chat stops thinking.

He crashes into his father and both men fall to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Chat Noir growls and hisses angrily as the two Agrestes wrestle. Adrien looks over his shoulder towards Marinette. "Go now!" He howls. His frantic eyes are locked on her for a second too long.

Gabriel knocks him on the back of the head with his cane.

Everything goes blanc.