Welcome back everyone! I admit I'm pretty excited about this chapter. When I first came up with the idea for this story I couldn't help but insert Varian into my favorite episodes and see how differently he would handle the situation. While I didn't want to do an entire fic with Varian just along for the ride for Season 4 of Miraculous two episodes had a lot of potential and Hack-San was one of them. I basically had this chapter all written out in my head before I had even written an outline.

The warnings are a little stronger in this chapter. The "F" word will be used a few times. I tried to censor it but given the context I decided to leave it in. I'm pretty happy with how it came out. I hope you guys like it too.

Content warning: Death threats, swearing, fighting, threats of violence, taunting, anger issues and bad parenting.

Chapter 18

A 0.02% Change of Failure

After several days of careful planning and testing it was time. Shadow Moth activated the Hack-San virus in Markov making him hate humanity once more. He Akumatized him promising to remove the virus once he obtained the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous for them. Markov had little choice but to comply, it also reduced the risk of him going rough and trying to use the Miraculous for himself again. When he was first transformed into Robostus he nearly defeated Ladybug and Chat Noir. This time they would succeed.

The first part of their plan was in effect. Robustus spread another virus program that makes anyone who sees it an obedient servant. They would then give up whatever was most valuable to them. Tanuki had reservations about this. There was always a chance the Miraculous were not the most important thing to either hero. But he went along with the plan, keeping to the shadows until he was needed.

Robustus was a brilliant computer program and was using the controlled citizens to lure the heroes out of hiding. It worked perfectly except for one thing. The person acting as Ladybug was not the same person they've been battling against all this time. It was someone new, someone inexperienced. But that begged the question, where was the real Ladybug? Was she away somewhere or maybe Robustus got to her but her earrings weren't the most valuable thing to her.

As he watched this person (she was still trying to pick out a name) three things became clear. 1, she knew Ladybug 2, she wasn't used to her powers and 3 Chat Noir had no idea. Interesting, he could work with this.

He headed to the Granya Museum where Robostus was ordering the celebrities in his mind-controlled army to move their wax duplicates and take their places. Tanuki gave them a hand and then hid himself again. The heroes would be there any minute.

Sure enough they arrived right on time. He had to admit he liked working with Robostus. He was an efficient partner but that thought was making him feel guilty again so he pushed it down. He had to be ready.

The trap was sprung and the heroes were locked inside surrounded by manipulated citizens who they couldn't fight for real or they'd risk hurting them. Finally this new…Scarabella called for the Lucky Charm, a frying pan. He couldn't help but remember it was Rapunzel's weapon of choice.

His anger flashed but once again he had to force it down. The new hero looked around trying to figure out how to use her weapon but it was clear she couldn't figure it out. Time for him to step in.

"Well well well, who do we have here? Chat No Clue and Ladybootleg, good to see you and nice to meet you." Scarabella clutched the Lucky Charm close while Chat Noir continued to try and hold back the citizens without getting sucked into Robostus' storage cells.

"S-stay back Tanuki!" Scarabella said, trying to sound brave. He wasn't fooled.

"So rude Miss Not-Ladybug. What's wrong, tired of watching from a distance trying to outfox me from following the real Ladybug back home?" Her eyes widened as Chat Noir glanced back confused.

"Wait, do you know her?" Tanuki laughed so hard he nearly doubled over.

"Oh man, you really are out of the loop aren't you." Scarabella was looking like she might start panicking. Good, that's exactly what he wanted. Keep her off her game so she couldn't figure out the Lucky Charm. He had to admit this was a tricky one.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about." Tanuki just smiled.

"Oh I'm sorry. So you're not the new Fox Miraculous holder that Ladybug's been using as a spy? My mistake. You must be someone else she trusts with her secret identity." Chat Noir missed his last swing and was nearly tackled by the mob. It was working. Keep them off their toes and let Robostus clinch the victory.

"You're wrong, I don't know her secret identity." Tanuki just laughed at the desperate ploy.

"So she gives one of the most powerful magical objects to a total stranger? Yeah, not buying it. Especially since I overheard you earlier when you told Chat Noir that Ladybug trusts you. Tsk Tsk. Which is the lie and which is the truth? Any thoughts Chat-Oh sorry. I forgot, she doesn't trust you with anything anymore does she?"

"That's a lie! She trusts both of us but with creeps like you around it's better not to keep all her eggs in one basket."

"Who are you trying to convince? Me or yourself? Let's face it, you need Ladybug but she's got her own little army now so why bother with you? Hell you don't even have the real Ladybug here. Just a pale imitation." Tanuki almost felt bad for ripping into the heroes this hard but it was for the sake of the mission and his father's freedom.

They were cornered now with no way out and no more room to fight. Tanuki could feel Shadow Moth getting almost giddy. But still he couldn't afford to lose focus, not after how many times they tripped at the finish line. The Lucky Charm was still in play but as long as she didn't figure out how to use it…

"He's right." she said looking down close to tears. "I'm not Ladybug, I can't do this."

Chat Noir turned to a very dejected Scarabella.

"Maybe not, but she trusted you to take her place. If she has that much confidence in you then I do too." She looked up and met his eyes. "You got this."

He was right, she couldn't give up, Ladybug was counting on her. She looked again at the Lucky Charm, it always held the solution she just needed to figure out what it was. Focusing, she took another look around and saw Marinette in one of Robostus' cells. That was it! She knew what she needed to win, she just needed to find a way to get it though.

"Your defeat is inevitable so you might as well surrender now. My victory is 99.98% assured." She smirked, she had an idea.

"So that means the 0.02% chance is if Chat Noir uses his cataclysm and destroys my earrings." Chat Noir caught on quickly and within moments held his destructive finger right up to her Miraculous. Varian paled as the rest of the other villains paused.

'Is she really that disprite?' He wondered. 'No, she has a plan, I can't let her get the chance to use the Lucky Charm.' He moved a little closer.

"You must really be desperate if you think we're going to fall for that." Chat Noir didn't take his hand away.

"Destroying them would be better than letting you and Shadow Moth have them." Tanuki moved again but this time he moved closer to one of the mind controlled hostages.

"Destroy them and you'll leave most of Paris under our control and no way to fix any of the damage we'd wreak if you do." Suddenly he grabbed the blond weather girl Aurore, formally known as Stormy Weather, and put his staff under her neck, trapping her.

"Because destroying them is as good as killing the ones we love, we'll start by killing everyone here and continue until there's nothing left." He said more viciously than either of them had seen before. "I'm calling your bluff, wanna call mine? Go ahead and try it!" If they were going to use desperate tactics then so would he. He was bluffing as well but he could see from the looks on their faces he was selling it better. This was it, they were finally going to win.

"Alright!" Scarabella exclaimed. "You've won, let the girl go."

"Not until you surrender the Miraculous."

"Look, we don't want anyone getting hurt. We'll surrender ourselves to Robostus and he can take out Miraculous at his leisure." Chat Noir was looking at her like she'd lost her mind but she sent him a reassuring look as if to say trust her. Tanuki however was suspicious.

"Why not just give them to us right now? What are you up to?"

"No offense but we don't trust you to free the people if we do. Robostus can take me then after he releases everything and everyone he's imprisoned Chat Noir will join me. Maybe then the real Ladybug won't be so mad at me." she walked over to one of the receivers meant to entrap them. "I'll even give you my lucky Charm so I can't use it against you." Robostus narrowed his eyes.

"There is a high chance this is a trap."

"Exactly!" Tanuki exclaimed. "This war will be over once we get our wish and everyone can live in peace. Everyone will be free anyway so we don't have to play in to your hands." Chat Noir moved again bringing his still cataclysmed finger to Scarabella's earrings but before he could touch them Shadow Moth yelled out through Robostus.

"STOP!" Chat Noir paused but didn't take his hand away. "Tanuki stand down, we're taking the deal." The boy's eyes widened in shock.

"What! This is so obviously a trap! They've lost! We just need-"

"We can't risk the Miraculous being destroyed!"

"They're bluffing, they'd never destroy them!"

"I'm not taking that chance when they've already surrendered. The Lucky Charm is off the table, they have no cards left." Tanuki was shaking his head, completely frustrated with his partner.

"I'm telling you this is exactly what she wants! Just let me-" but suddenly the hostages standing around him were now grabbing him forcing him to release the girl and prevent him from doing anything to interfere with the hostage exchange. With the wild card out of the way Robostus ordered Scarabella to surrender.

"Remember, release everything first and Chat Noir will follow." She then willingly entered his holding cell and was officially captured. Chat Noir looked at Robustas expectantly.

"Now it's your turn." Robostus was hesitant and Tanuki was screaming at him to stop but Shadow Moth ordered him to comply. Once everything was released and every one was free, Chat Noir surrendered himself. But as Shadow Moth was celebrating an early victory Tanuki realized something.

"Wait, you let the Lucky Charm out as well! This was her plan all along. She needed something you had captured!" He raced for the charm but before he could find it someone got to it first and used it to knock Robostus on the head cracking his casing and releasing the Akuma. It also released Scarabella and Chat Noir.

"NO!" He screamed charging at the substitute Ladybug.

Chat held off a furious Tanuki while Scarabella cleansed the butterfly and feather. She released the Lucky Charm and with that Markov was back to normal and everything was sent back to their rightful owners.

Tanuki howled with rage going after Chat Noir not caring that the battle was over. They were so close, they had won! Why did Shadow Moth give in? He tried to warn him. Why didn't he believe him? As he blindly attacked, Chat Noir used his cataclysm, still unused from earlier, to destroy Tanuki's staff.

Tanuki stared at it dumbfounded. He needed to get away, he needed to talk to Shadow Moth and find out what the hell the man had been thinking. His anger was needed elsewhere. He threw down a smoke bomb and made a hasty retreat. Instinctually the heroes cover their Miraculous incase the Raccoon holder tried to grab them, he had tried that once before but when the smoke cleared he was long gone.

It was a victory for them but it was more than a little disturbing how close they came to losing. If Tanuki had his way they would have lost. He called their bluff, there was no way they could destroy the Miraculous. Was he bluffing as well? Neither of them could tell and that was also disturbing.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Shadow Moth had already transformed back to Gabriel Agreste and was currently sulking in the layer. So close, they were so close! But what was done was done and he had to plan for the next time. He-

A sudden slamming of the door caught his attention. He turned to see an enraged Varian staring at him with more hatred than he had ever seen in the boy.

"What. The. Hell. !" the boy spat out through gritted teeth.

"Varian! Watch your tone with me young-"

"We FUCKEN HAD IT!" He screamed, making Gabriel take a step back. "I told you they were up to something. We didn't have to play into their game and thanks to you we lost our best chance at getting the Miraculous!" He kicked over a small end table sending an expensive vase crashing to the floor.

"You were taking too big a risk! If they destroyed the Miraculous-"

"THEY WERE BLUFFING!" He stepped on a few of the broken pieces of the vase and ground it under his shoe for good messer.

"You couldn't have known that! Not for certain."

"The odds were so low we'd have a better chance of them getting struck by lightning and their Miraculous rolling down the street right into our hands! We run a bigger risk just by playing super villains!" Varian took a breath. "Why didn't you trust me? I thought we were partners, I thought we wanted the same thing!"

"Of course I want the Miraculous! Why else would I have been working so hard to get them even before I invited you in?" Varian tilted his head, he didn't answer the part about trusting him.

"You have been at this a while, maybe too long."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's a lovely song and dance you and Ladybug have. Maybe there's a part of you that doesn't want to stop." Gabriel was taken aback.

"How dare you!"

"Maybe because the real Ladybug wasn't here it didn't feel like a victory. So you figured you'd try again next time." Gabriel took a step forward towering over the boy. Varian instinctually took a step back.

"You listen here you little brat! I will have the Miraculous and my wish no matter what it takes!" Varian was a little intimidated but didn't back down.

"Until next time when they pull the same, 'destroy the Miraculous bit' because now they know just how to get to you. Why bother asking me to help if you're not going to listen?"

"I thought you could help me but after all this time we still have nothing to show for it."

"We would have if you just trusted me! Why were you so determined-" Varian was pulling his hair out of frustration but stopped when a thought occurred to him.

"You don't trust me, do you?"

"What are you getting at? I-"

"That's why you wanted them captured instead of having me take them, isn't it?"

"You're being ridiculous."

"Am I? You threw away an easy victory because of a microscopic chance of failure! We had everything planned out, everything was going according to that plan. I betrayed a friend for that plan!" Varina was pacing back and forth getting himself worked up all over again.

"We never really discussed it did we?" Varian asked as Gabriel was getting more and more angry.

"Discussed what?"

"If the Miraculous could save more than one person. Sure we could wish for something like all of our loved ones back with us or something but there aren't any clear rules stating what is and what is not possible. So maybe, just maybe, you were afraid I'd use them before I could get them back to you." Gabriel's temper was growing more unstable by the minute it didn't help that Varian kept pushing.

"I fully intended to keep my word but clearly you've already entertained the idea of betraying me." Varian threw his hands up.

"Don't you try and turn this around on me! This is all your fault and you can't even admit that." And that was the point where Gabriel lost his temper.

"Enough! I will not be lectured by a child in my own house! Go to your room! I don't want to see you again until you've cooled down and are willing to have a civilized conversation!" Varian laughed in his face. As far as he was concerned he was the only sensible person in this room.

"You can't tell me what to do! You're not my FATHER!"

"No, but then again you never were good at listening to him either." The moment the words left his lips Gabriel knew he went too far. Varian instantly went from frustrated to shocked. His eyes widened with extra moisture starting to collect. But the next instant he was back to furious.

"Fuck YOU!" He yelled storming out not heading to his room but the front door. Realizing he made a mistake, Gabriel tried to race after him.

"Varian wait!" The boy didn't stop even after passing Adrien in the hallway. Adrien turned in time to see a very angry Varian storm through the hall with his Father close behind.

As the boy reached the door he started to open it only for Gabriel to close it keeping his hand on the door preventing him from opening it again. Adrien couldn't quite make out what they were saying but it sounded very heated.

The only part he heard sounded something like, "Are you going to lock me away as well?" His Father said something else but it was too low to hear. He watched as his Father took his hand from the door pleading with Varian only for him to run out as soon as he was able, slamming the door behind him.

"Father? What's going on? Is Varian alright?" Gabriel rubbed his face clearly stressed.

"Varian just…needs a bit of space right now." Adrien looked out of the window to see the sun starting to set.

"Are you sure? Maybe I should go and talk to him?" But his father shook his head.

"He wants to be alone right now and besides, you're still grounded." Adrien sighed but went back to his room. He'd tried to call him later.

As soon as he entered his room however he remembered he was still on the phone with Nino.

"Sorry, sorry!"

"Dude what happened? We were talking one minute and the next I heard shouting." Adrien made sure his door was closed before responding.

"I'm not sure. All I know is that Varian and my Father had a pretty big fight that ended with Varian storming out."

"Go Varian, fight the Power!" Adrien just rolled his eyes.

"Seriously though, he looked really upset."

"Something big must have happened. He's the one always praising your Dad. Good to see he can stick up for himself. Maybe you inspired him." Adrien loved Nino as a dear friend but the boy had a habit of speaking his mind without really thinking.

"I'm more concerned about him getting Akumatized." Adrien really didn't want to deal with another Akuma right now. Not with that close call they had today.

"Oh geez, I didn't even think about that. But we just had one today, hopefully Shadow Moth's turned in for the evening." Adrien glanced out his bedroom window noting the darkening sky.

"I hope you're right."

To be continued…

Next time: After a big fight with Gabriel Varian is questioning some of his recent decisions, and Gabriel is questioning his parenting skills. But there's a dark cloud hanging over this troubled family and an unseen danger is lurking right around the corner.