Chapter 3: The ugly truth
Adrien woke up that morning very happy.
He hadn't been able to sleep all night after learning the truth about Ladybug.
Marinette was Ladybug, Marinette was Ladybug all this time. Adrien noticed that Plagg was already awake on his pillow.
Adrien stretched on the bed and got up to pace around the room.
"Can you believe it, Plagg? I fell in love with the same person twice, isn't it great?" Adrien went to the bathroom to get his toothbrush and get ready for the day.
"Yes, Adrien it is very cool." And then Plagg whispered "Even though that is going to be our downfall."
"Did you say something?" Adrien spoke with the toothbrush in his mouth. Adrien came out of the bathroom to find a crestfallen Plagg on his pillow.
"Is something wrong, Plagg?" Adrien noticed his kwami's mood. Plagg didn't make the usual sarcastic comments he made when he talked excessively about Marinette. "Plagg, you seem a little strange, are you okay?"
"Yes, yes I'm fine. Just be happy, Adrien." Plagg settled back into the pillow, uncapable of seeing Adrien.
Adrien was beginning to feel like something was being hidden from him.
But he would later convince Plagg what it was.
First, he was going to prepare for the reunion that Marinette told him they would have. He knew it was still early and he was sure Marinette was still asleep at that hour. He would wait a while to send her a message and for not wake her up by accident.
For now, he would go down to breakfast. He was sure that his father would be waiting for him with breakfast to talk to him just as he asked him last night.
Although, Adrien didn't really want to see him.
"Let's go down to breakfast, Plagg." Adrien opened his jacket so Plagg could hide.
Nathalie and Gabriel were mentally preparing for that day. The inevitable would come soon and it was going to explode in their faces.
Nathalie woke up with the first light of day. The curtains were still drawn, but it was morning already. And It was exactly the time Adrien usually got up.
The first thing she did was get out of her bed. Very slowly she put her foot on the ground. She felt the cold of the floor and encouraged herself to place her other foot. She stood up and for the first time in months she didn't feel dizzy when she did.
Nathalie took a deep breath and let out a lungful of air, expecting a strong coughing fit like the ones she used to have since she started using the Peacock Miraculous. Doing that kind of action would cost her air.
Nothing.
She had no symptoms.
She was cured. Or at least that's what she believed.
She could stand on her own without help from Gabriel or the exoskeleton she wore to work.
She felt the same as when she was healthy.
When she had not yet made the stupid decision to use the Miraculous to help Gabriel.
She heard knocking on the door.
"Nathalie, can I come in?" Gabriel asked, somewhat unsure.
"One moment."
Nathalie adjusted her pajamas which were a little wrinkled.
"Come in."
Gabriel entered finding her standing by herself.
"Ah Nathalie, let me help you."
Nathalie abruptly moved away from him when he tried to take her hand.
"I don't need your help. As you can see, I'm no longer disabled." Nathalie went to her drawer to look for her clean clothes.
"Yes, I see." Gabriel just stared at her solemnly when he saw her abruptness.
"Shouldn't you go to check on Adrien?" Nathalie questioned, when she saw him there.
"I'm going to go to the kitchen to serve him breakfast," Gabriel adjusted the white gloves of his suit "Before the inevitable."
"Don't you need help?" Gabriel offered.
"No." Nathalie responded mechanically.
Gabriel watched as he reached into his nightstand and pulled out a comb from inside.
"Are you sure?" Gabriel didn't want to leave until he was sure that Nathalie wasn't in any trouble.
"Yes, sir." Nathalie emphasized the last word "I can take care of myself."
Nathalie looked for her cleanest suit of her closet and locked herself in the bathroom. Gabriel realized that he was not welcome there, so he decided to leave once and for all.
Gabriel left the room straight to the kitchen. He started taking out pots and the frying pan to prepare Adrien's breakfast. He would cook him something simple: Some scrambled eggs with a French toast.
Adrien was outside the kitchen wondering if he should come in now. He had heard his father cooking inside so it seemed like he was already there waiting for him. He was not on good terms with his father so he knew it would be a very uncomfortable environment for both of them.
"Aren't you going in?" Plagg said from his pocket.
"I want to, but I don't know if it's a good idea." Adrien uncovered his jacket a little to answer Plagg.
"You don't have to force yourself to do it Adrien. You can wait for Marinette to come and face your father with her," Plagg mentioned understandingly.
But Adrien didn't want to wait.
Adrien placed his hand on the door and took a deep breath before opening it.
He counted down before going into the kitchen.
3… 2… 1…
Adrien went into the kitchen. The first thing he received was the courteous greeting from his father.
"Good morning, Adrien, how are you?"
How strange, his father now seemed to care if he was okay.
"I'm fine, father," answered the dry one.
At that moment, the doorbell echoed throughout the mansion.
"I'll take care of it, Adrien."
Gabriel lowered the flame of the stove and prepared to check who was the person ringing on the door, activating the exterior camera.
"Yes?"
When he saw the image on the screen, he immediately recognized who it was.
It was Marinette Dupain-Cheng back at the mansion just as she promised.
"Marinette. It's you" There was a hint of relief in Gabriel's voice.
Marinette waved nervously at the camera.
"I'll let you in."
Gabriel pressed the button that opened the main doors to the courtyard. He deactivated the camera and he went to the door to greet Marinette.
"Marinette, Adrien is already awake and is in the kitchen having breakfast."
"Have you told anything to Adrien?" Marinette was worried that something had already been said without her being present.
"We haven't told him anything yet," Gabriel said quietly. "I was going to talk to him yesterday, but he told me he was tired, so I let him go rest. Furthermore, I would prefer that you were present, Miss Dupain-Cheng."
"Ok," Marinette nodded. Apparently, they were waiting for her to arrive.
"Follow me," Gabriel guided her to the kitchen.
Gabriel entered the kitchen first.
"Our guest has arrived."
Adrien saw who came through the door.
He was none other than Marinette. Being received by his father.
"You can take a seat wherever you want, Marinette." Gabriel pointed to the free seats in the kitchen.
"Thank you, Mr. Agreste." Marinette pulled out the chair to sit at the front of the small dining room.
Adrien stared at the interactions between the two, somewhat surprised. A few days ago, they were at each other's throat.
"Father? What does this mean?" It was so strange to see Gabriel and Marinette with such cordial treatment, as if something had happened between them those days when he was absent.
"Marinette came to talk to me yesterday and she wanted to fix things with me."
"And you accepted it out of nowhere?" Adrien questioned.
Neither Gabriel nor Marinette expected that answer. They both looked at each other trying to find an answer.
"Yes, son, I agreed that she came in to talk." Gabriel intervened before Marinette opened her mouth. "She gave me her opinion and, in the end, I ended up realizing that she was right."
Adrien felt like they were hiding something from him.
There was no way his father and Marinette would have reconciled so quickly while he wasn't around.
After Gabriel turned around to continue what he was doing. Adrien leaned towards Marinette who had sat next to him.
"Marinette, what does all this mean? Why are you and my father acting like this?"
"I came to talk to your dad, Adrien. I was the one who insisted that the three of us talk to resolve things, that's all."
But to Adrien that explanation didn't seem enough. It seemed like there was something they weren't telling him yet. But what was it? In the time he had known Marinette he knew that the way she moved her hands meant it wasn't a good thing.
Adrien watched as Gabriel served him some of the orange juice he prepared previously.
"Would you like some breakfast Marinette?" Gabriel asked kindly.
"No thanks, I already had breakfast at my house," Marinette said as kindly as possible. "Don't worry."
Adrien began to consume his breakfast while he watched those interactions. Very deep in his heart hope was born, that perhaps things would improve in his family environment.
After finishing Gabriel began to wash all the dishes, he had used that morning.
Adrien had stayed there checking his phone.
"Adrien, why don't you go look for Nathalie while I finish here? I'm sure she'll be very happy to see you." Gabriel handed her a tray of food. "Bring her breakfast for me."
Adrien took the tray in his hands.
"Are you coming with me, Marinette?" Adrien said, extending his hand. Marinette gently took it and closed it.
"I was thinking about helping your dad," Marinette mentioned to him. "You can go ahead, Adrien." I'll catch up with you.
"Alright."
Adrien left the room and walked forward so he could say good morning to Nathalie. At a quick pace he walked to where Nathalie's room was and knocked on the door.
"Hello Nathalie, are you there?" Adrien waited a moment for me to answer.
"You can come in, Adrien" Adrien heard Nathalie's voice, which sounded muffled through the door.
"Good morning, Nathalie."
Nathalie invited him to sit next to her. Adrien placed the tray of food on the nightstand.
"We're sorry for not welcoming you properly last night Adrien. We were very tired." Nathalie grabbed Adrien's face lovingly.
"Don't worry, Nathalie," Adrien gave Nathalie a gentle look and he hugged her "I'm glad to be back."
Nathalie put her arms around him and stroked his hair. She wanted to enjoy those last few moments of calm before the storm.
Adrien separated from her and examined her much more carefully. She wasn't in her pajamas, but instead she had on her usual work suit and it seemed like she had no trouble getting up on her own since she wasn't wearing her exoskeleton.
"Nathalie, are you okay?" Adrien asked, noticing Nathalie's state. She was no longer as pale as she had been in the past few days, in fact, she had regained color.
"Yes, Adrien Thank you for asking. I was worried about you too."
Adrien offered her the breakfast he had brought to Nathalie. Nathalie took it with great pleasure and prepared to have breakfast while Adrien accompanied her.
Marinette took the plate that Gabriel had just cleaned to dry it. It was clear to her that he was stalling for time.
"Mr. Agreste, how do you plan to tell the truth to Adrien?" Marinette asked as she received a plate from Gabriel.
"Telling him directly isn't the best thing?" Gabriel took the next plate and put it under the running water.
"I know that telling him directly is the best, but I think you should be a little tactful. Adrien is very sensitive. I wouldn't want him to suffer too much." Marinette cleaned one of the plates and left it on the pile that was already dry.
"This is going to destroy him, isn't it?" Gabriel asked into the air.
"Possibly." Marinette replied.
Gabriel was afraid. Would it be a good idea to tell him about Monarch?
"I don't know if it's appropriate to tell him the truth today."
Marinette abruptly put down the second pile she had made.
"You have to do it. You can't back out." the girl insisted.
"I know." Gabriel said dryly.
Gabriel took off his oven gloves and his kitchen robe, leaving them on the counter.
"Let's go then."
Nathalie had just finished her breakfast when Gabriel and Marinette headed towards Nathalie's room, which they knew was where Adrien was at the moment.
Climbing the stairs was torture for both of them, because the time was approaching when Adrien would finally know the truth about everything. Marinette's legs were shaking like jelly.
She felt guilty for having known Monarch's true identity and what Gabriel had been doing all this time before Adrien did.
They entered the room, leaving the door half open.
"What's this all about?" Adrien said.
Neither of the two adults nor Marinette said anything. Nathalie cleared her throat.
"Adrien, we need to talk to you," Nathalie mentioned softly. He watched as his father adjusted one of the armchairs in Nathalie's room. "If you want you can sit here."
In his head, Adrien thought that maybe his father had changed his mind about everything and he was ready to finally admit that he and Nathalie had mutual feelings or a relationship. He took the seat his father was offering.
"And what do you have to tell me?"
Both women looked at Gabriel, as if asking him to speak.
"Well, Adrien. It's just that me, it's just that us..."
But Gabriel was speechless at that moment. The words he was going to say were stuck in his throat and refused to come out.
"Can you tell me now?" Adrien was getting impatient.
Gabriel wanted to tell him, but his heart said one thing and his brain said another.
"Gabriel, tell him; or I'm going to tell him myself." Nathalie threatened. The tension between the two was quite felt in the atmosphere. Marinette looked at the floor and swallowed hard in anticipation of what Gabriel was about to say.
"What do you have to tell me?" Adrien asked, losing patience.
"Adrien, I am Monarch."
Time stopped for Adrien.
"No."
Adrien was denying it.
"No, it's not true." Adrien refused to believe that what his father just said was true. He couldn't be Monarch... it wasn't impossible. He looked back at his father in hopes it wasn't true.
"I was always Hawkmoth, Adrien."
Adrien could feel tears stinging his eyes. He began to hyperventilate.
At that very moment was when things started to make sense.
The sudden disappearance of his mother. Hawkmoth's arrival shortly after. His father's refusal to let his mother go. Nathalie's illness. The fact that his father was not interested in worrying about him. Everything fit with a lot of the things that happened in the last few months.
That also meant… he had cataclysmed his own father.
His mind began to work. If his father was Hawkmoth, that meant Nathalie was most likely… Mayura.
"So," Adrien's gaze went directly to Nathalie "You were helping him all this time? Are you Mayura?"
Deep down Adrien was hoping that Nathalie would say no. That everything was a coincidence and that she didn't know anything. But what Nathalie said next took away all of his doubts.
"Yes, Adrien. I knew it all along. And although I didn't completely agree with everything your father did, I still decided to help him. That's the truth." Nathalie looked him in the eyes. She watched as Adrien's gaze filled with fire and anger.
"Why?" Adrien said furiously in a tone that no one present had ever heard before. "Why!?"
"Adrien, me and Nathalie wanted to bring your mother back." Gabriel said.
That answer left him even more confused.
"What happened to my mother?"
"She... she is in this house, Adrien. I kept her hidden all this time." Gabriel uttered embarrassed.
"She's here?" Adrien was confused.
"Yes, I put her in a glass coffin to preserve her body." Gabriel explained.
"Is my mother dead?" he asked horrified. That statement fell like a bucket of cold water on Adrien.
"Yes, Adrien."
Adrien couldn't believe what he had just heard. Was his mother really dead?
"You told me that my mother disappeared. Not that she died."
"We lied to you all this time Adrien; she didn't disappear like we told you. She died, or at least, she fell into a magical coma from which she cannot wake up." Gabriel tried to approach Adrien, but he stood up immediately from his seat and walked away, making Gabriel have to take a step back.
His mother was dead all along.
"Do you remember that your mother was sick for a while? Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do for her" Gabriel continued swallowing saliva "The illness that afflicted her ended up ending her life. When that happened, I decided that I was not going to let her go, so I had a special glass coffin made where I would protect her."
Adrien as the tears that had gathered in his eyes began to fall freely from his eyes.
Adrien came to a different conclusion with what his father had told him.
"So that means you and Nathalie never had anything?"
Nathalie immediately understood what he was referring to.
Adrien thought they were both together.
"Oh Adrien." Nathalie whispered.
Gabriel never expected that. ¿All this time his son thought that Nathalie and him had something between them? That explained the question he had asked him the day Felix came to visit them.
"No, Adrien. There was never anything between us if that's what you thought. Our relationship was strictly professional."
But Adrien knew that wasn't entirely true.
"So, what was all that you did for her?" Adrien looked at him angrily "You took care of her just like you did with mom."
At that moment, Gabriel didn't know exactly what to respond.
"That's what I would like to know." Nathalie crossed her arms waiting for Gabriel's response.
"I've known Nathalie for a long time, son," Gabriel gave him a pitiful look. "It was the least I could do. She offered to help me without being asked. Nothing else."
For Adrien that meant that his father never wanted to move on.
What no one in that room expected were the next words Adrien would say.
"I hate you." Adrien uttered.
Gabriel's expression changed quickly. His face contorted into an expression of sadness.
It never occurred to Gabriel that he would hear those words come out of Adrien's mouth.
Adrien left the room.
"Adrien wait!" Gabriel shouted when he saw that Adrien turned around and started running.
Adrien headed for the door Marinette followed him.
"Adrien!"
Marinette ran after him. She saw him go to her own room and followed him. Running as fast as she could she saw that Adrien had transformed into Chat Noir and jumped out the window.
Marinette transformed to stop him. She jumped and went in the direction that Chat Noir had jumped.
"Chat Noir, wait!"
Ladybug jumped up the mansion to locate him. She saw where Chat Noir was going and swung towards him, to prevent her from leaving. Quickly, Ladybug used her yo-yo to catch Chat Noir. He fell to the ground, entangled by the yo-yo string.
Ladybug wrapped her arms around him on the ground until he was immobilized. The last thing she wanted was for Adrien to end up running away. She hugged him even though Chat Noir was trying so hard to free himself.
"Let me go!" Chat Noir "Let me go…"
Chat Noir broke down into a couple of sobs. Ladybug was also fighting back tears as she heard the pitiful way Chat Noir was crying. She just clung to him and hugged him. He clung to her, hiding his face from the world as he shed the tears, he had been holding back all this time.
She hugged him, seeking to give him the comfort he needed.
When he had calmed down, Marinette undid her transformation.
"Did you know?" he said hurt, undoing his transformation as well.
"I found out this weekend, Adrien." she said sadly.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Adrien felt hurt that his Lady had hidden something so important from him. He wanted to leave as quickly as possible.
"Adrien, wait." Marinette stopped him by the arm, but he pulled it back abruptly.
Adrien felt terrible when he saw Marinette's scared expression when she pulled his arm away from her the way she did.
Marinette had never seen Adrien so aggressive in all the time they had known each other. The kwamis remained silent, taking Marinette's side.
"Your father took me by surprise and he didn't give me time to tell you. I had gone to talk to your father about your freedom, but I never expected that I would discover everything and that I would end up facing Monarch."
Adrien saw Marinette's sad expression.
"I'm sorry Adrien. I wanted them to be the ones to tell you the truth."
"But what happened exactly?" Adrien needed explanations. Marinette had not yet explained to him all the details of how her fight against Monarch was.
"Yesterday I had a nightmare in which I was going to rescue you at the mansion, so that's when I decided to go and defend you from your father."
Adrien realized that he wasn't the only one with nightmares.
"Since I couldn't find him, I went to look for Nathalie first so I could talk to your father, but that's when I discovered that he was Monarch. Nathalie then warned me about Gabriel. He planned to turn everyone into some kind of clones that were going to capture us and he didn't give me time to contact you. I had no choice but to face him alone. Luckily, Plagg arrived just in time to help me.
"Did you know too?" Adrien asked the two kwamis floating in the air.
Both kwamis nodded.
Adrien felt bad for not being able to help Marinette when she needed help.
"I'm sorry things turned out like this, Adrien." Marinette said sadly.
Adrien and Marinette remained silent for a moment.
"So, what do we do now?" Adrien said quietly.
"You have to tell them the truth, Adrien," Marinette took her hand "It's the best. The longer we let time pass, the more they will suspect about you. This way they will know the dimension of what they have done."
"I don't know if that's a good idea." Adrien rubbed his arm shyly.
"I know it's uncomfortable for you, Adrien," Marinette added. "But I'll come with you."
Adrien was still shedding tears. He ran his arm over his face to clean himself.
"Thank you, Marinette." Adrien was grateful to have someone like Marinette by his side in those moments.
Marinette took a handkerchief out of her bag and offered it to Adrien.
"Here."
Adrien took it and wiped away his tears. Adrien managed to smell the faint smell of baking cookies on the handkerchief.
"Are you ready to come back?"
Adrien nodded, sniffing a little.
They both transformed again to return to the mansion. Upon entering the main hall, they undid their transformation. They went up the stairs until they were back in Nathalie's room. But Adrien stood there staring at the door he didn't want to go through.
"Come on Adrien, you can do it." Marinette encouraged him.
But Adrien just didn't move from there, undecided.
Seeing his indecision Marinette decided that she would have to force him in.
She took his hand and made him enter.
Both adults watched the two teenagers return to where they were. Marinette was bringing him by the hand back into the room.
"Adrien has something to tell you." Marinette gently put him in front of her to face Gabriel and Nathalie.
Adrien remained silent.
"Adrien, tell them." Marinette insisted. She seemed quite nervous.
"Tell us what?" Gabriel asked worriedly "Is there something I have to worry about, Adrien?"
Adrien grimaced at the question. He didn't say a word, avoiding his father's cold and worried gaze.
"I'm not going to scold you, Adrien. Just tell me." Gabriel insisted.
Adrien was fighting back tears again. He looked away so he didn't have to look at Gabriel directly.
"I'm Chat Noir." he blurted out.
Gabriel felt his heart stop. Nathalie's face went from a healthy color to a paler one in a matter of seconds.
"What?" Gabriel whispered at the revelation.
"Plagg, claws out."
A green light covered Adrien's entire body.
Now Adrien was covered by a black suit and his hair was messy.
Gabriel looked into his eyes and instead of meeting the eyes of his innocent son, he found a pair of green eyes with slithered pupils and green sclera, very similar to cat eyes. A pair of eyes he had seen on more than one occasion as Hawkmoth.
Adrien had been Chat Noir this whole time.
