"I'm so sorry to hear about your wife, Mr. Agreste." said the detective. "I know grief can push the best of men to do the worst of things."

Gabriel Agreste stood in silence as he analyzed Columbo. An American detective that had arrived in the city a few weeks ago to aid the Police of Paris. Gabriel was warned of the detective's intellect by some of his allies, but Gabriel was thankfully an unmatched genius. He had outsmarted the people of Paris and that dreaded Ladybug for months now, and so some small time American didn't bother him.

"It really has been an awful time." said Gabriel somberly. "But thankfully, I've pulled through this dark current with my son by my side. Is there anything else I can help you with detective?"

"No, I don't think there is." said Columbo as he got up. "But thank you so much, Mr. Agreste, for answering my questions."

As the man walked towards the door, Gabriel felt relief as he said, "No problem, detective."

Gabriel saw Columbo turn around and waggle his finger. "Just one more thing."

Gabriel's mind began to race. What had happened? He had done everything correctly, unless. Unless this was a test and Gabriel played along.

"Please make this quick detective I have important work to attend to."

"Well, my wife loves bird watching, and she made me promise to take a picture of every bird in Paris." Said Columbo as he's hands gestured. "Quite a daunting task, especially with that Mr. Pigeon fella."

"I fail to see how I could help you with that detective." Said Gabriel

"Well, you see, I took a picture of this one bird, and I was wondering if you could help me identify it." Said Columbo. "I think the Mrs would love to know what kind it is."

"I don't think I can help you with that." Said Gabriel as he tried to get rid of the detective. Someone had just stubbed their toe, and they were prime targets to be akumitized. "I am not really a bird man myself."

"Nonsense." Said Columbo. "Mr. Agreste, with that big brain, I think we can figure this out."

Gabriel smiled on the inside of how much he had fooled this detective as he said, "Very well show me the picture."

"Wonderful." Said Columbo as he pulled out a photo from his pocket. Gabriel internally screamed upon seeing it. It was a photo of an akuma.

"Well, detective, I don't think that's a bird. It appears to be a butterfly." Said Gabriel, attempting to appear like he didn't know much.

"Well, it's no butterfly I've seen." Said Columbo

"Maybe it's the akuma Ladybug has warned all of Paris of." Said Gabriel, confident in his removal of suspicion. As he didn't know why this man was so feared, he couldn't tell the difference between a butterfly and a bird.

"Well, Mr. Agreste, you do have a good eye. Sadly I still need to see the eye doctor about mine." Said the detective, causing Gabriel to feel some guilt due to his assumptions of the man. He didn't know that Columbo had faulty eyesight.

The detective continued, "But could you tell me why these akumas were leaving from your attic?"

Gabriel froze in terror as he tried to figure out what was happening. "My. Excuse me?"

"Well, Mr. Agreste, it's just that I saw akumas, I think that's how they're pronounced, leaving from the window of your attic. So I'm just wondering why that is Mr. Agreste."

Gabriel recomposed himself as he knew that this was simply a test. So he played dumb, "I don't have an attic."

"Well, Mr. Agreste, I got kind of curious about who built your house, so I did a little digging to see if they could do the same for me in America. Mrs. Columbo would love something like this house. But I found out you did renovations a few years back." Gabriel's eyes widened as Columbo continued, "And it turns out that you had a hidden elevator built in this very room that leads to an attic room and an underground garden."

"Emilie loved the idea of a secret passage in our home." Said, Gabriel

"So why did you just lie to me?" asked Columbo

"Well, I." Gabriel struggled to find a clever way out, a lucky break, but alas, nothing was to be found. So, he enacted his riskiest plan yet. "You are correct, detective. Nooroo Dark Wings Rise." And in an instance, Gabriel had become Hawkmoth. "Yes Mr. Columbo, I am Hawkmoth. You'll tell no one of this. In fact, you will become my mole in the Paris Police. And if you don't do as I say, I will make sure my akumatized villains make your life a living hell."

"I'll pass." Said Columbo as he turned and walked towards the study door. Gabriel was left awe struck as he couldn't detect a whiff of hesitation or fear of the man. It was as if this was a normal day at the office for him. As Colombo opened the door to the study, he said, "By the way, Mr. Agreste, it's Lieutenant Colombo."

Gabriel had lost. His anonymity was gone. They were going to find Emilie, and he would never be able to bring her back now. Gabriel knelt in defeat as he said, "Nooroo Dark Wings fall." Gabriel had returned to his civilian form when Nooroo appeared and asked, "Master, what's wrong?"

"We lost Nooroo." Said Gabriel, and as if on cue, police officers burst down the doors. As the raincoat fiend was nowhere to be seen.