A/N: Hello again, everyone!
Here's the eleventh chap!
Knowing his time in this world was coming to an end, Gabriel 'Monarch' Agreste made a full confession, from why he did it to finally admitting his faults.
All with Adrien by his side, who didn't say anything but allowed the tears to dribble down his face from his eyes.
"Son…" Gabriel coughed up more ash, and his voice grew raspier; the Cataclysm was reaching its final phrase. "I really tried to be a good father to you, but…maybe not in the right way…please…forgive me, son…"
Emilie's last wishes to accept her fate from using the broken Peacock Miraculous were greatly respected by everyone, especially Adrien, and she was let go.
"Adrien…" Marinette was the first to comfort him.
A lightheaded Adrien collapsed into Marinette's arms, followed by his only remaining family, Amelie and Félix; Placide I.T., Mr. Dupain, and Ms. Cheng; and all his friends.
Both have now been laid in the intended plots in Père Lachaise Cemetery, only closed to the public for obvious reasons.
After the funeral and memorial services were completed, Amelie took Adrien and Félix back to Le Grand Paris. After it was discovered that Gabriel Agreste was the one committing the crimes, the mansion was subjected to a raid and seized, the same as the Tsurugi home.
Amelie booked the best suite in the hotel—one bedroom for herself, one for Félix, and another for Adrien. She'd figured he wanted a little privacy after everything that happened.
For the past couple of days, Adrien's been lying despondently in the large bed with the comforters over his entire body. His friends come by for a visit (someone by one within an hour), offering him something to drink or eat but he hasn't said anything.
After Aisha recruited Félix and her friends back home to break him and Kagami out of London and on the flight back to Paris…
Everything was revealed to him…
From his own father being the villain, he and…
Marinette…
As Ladybug…
His own father was the villain they had been fighting the past year…
And to think, this wasn't the first time his father was suspected to be Hawk Moth-Shadow Moth-Monarch…
He was also the Collector…
He hissed air through his teeth and winced at the thought, and it clouded his brain. His father's suppressed anger at him; he even grounded for infinity for taking that book out of that safe and then losing it.
And the recent butterfly logo on his branding…
"Adrien, darling?" Amelie knocked on the door three times. "You have a visitor. Marinette Dupain-Cheng."
Adrien sighed heavily, groggily trying to pick himself up to stand up straight on the bed. "Have her come in, please…"
Marinette timidly strolled in with two brown bags. "Thank you, ma'am."
"You're welcome, dear. I'll leave you two alone…" Amelie blew a kiss and closed the door, leaving the two of them alone. Now, the four of them, Tikki and Plagg—who have been comforting his holder as much as he can—came out of hiding.
"I brought you some chouquettes and baked camembert in sourdough, made freshly." Marinette placed the bread dish on the nightside. Plagg immediately broke a small piece, dipped it into the camembert, and swooned after he ate it.
Adrien had a chouquette and slowly chewed. "I just still can't believe it. My own father…being…"
Marinette sat beside him and placed her hand over his. "This is not on you, Adrien."
"You didn't cause any of this to happen." Tikki agreed. "You were brought into his madness."
Plagg was halfway through the baked camembert when he rested on Adrien's messy bed hair. "Your father made his own choices."
"Nathalie…" Adrien still couldn't believe she played her role in his father's plans.
Tikki spoke up again. "She made her own choices…"
"But it still grosses me out that she was in love with his father." Plagg's remark got him a light slap on the head from Tikki.
"Still…he did all this because he couldn't let his obsession with my mother go…" Adrien sniffled. "All the destruction and lives he was willing to cause…and that nightmare…where I destroyed everyone," Adrien stared at Marinette with fresh tears. "Even you."
Marinette gulped. "Really?"
"Yeah. That's why I had Plagg give you my ring, so something like that wouldn't happen. Imagine if I used it in the state of mind, I was in when I was locked up…"
"Oh…" Marinette looked away. "There's something else you need to know…" she faced him again when he leaned in closer. "I was the one who gave you the beret, not your Brazilian fan club."
Adrien curled an eyebrow. "Really?" Marinette nodded, and he asked again, "Then why would you say it was that it was from my Brazilian fan club instead of you?"
"In a way, I was protecting you. From being…Cat Blanc. An akumatized supervillain…who set off a mega-cataclysm…and destroyed everyone in Paris. Even me. Because our love made you do it. You knew my identity…"
Adrien panted whimperingly as Marinette's voice faded, and the nightmares' memories reappeared. So that's what that nightmare meant, he said in his head. He clutched one hand onto his chest and the other on his head, feeling an intense pounding pressure.
"Oh, no…"
"Hey-hey-hey," Marinette took his hands. "Thanks to Bunnyx's help, I fixed everything." Adrien took some more deep breaths.
"Adrien, you are nothing like Cat Blanc. You are a wonderful, amazing person, friend, and partner this Ladybug could dream of."
A touched Adrien began tearing again. "I am? Even if I am a…senti-being?" He swallowed again at the mention of 'senti-being.'
"It doesn't change my feelings or love for you." Marinette smiled. "I promise I'd never abandon you. Or Cat Noir."
He saw the Graham de Vanily Twin Rings on the bedside, picked them up, and caressed them. "I'm scared to wear them. The two things that were literally controlling me lately."
"You're in control of your life again." Marinette placed the twin rings on his fingers for him. "Just be yourself and who you want to be as a person. You're free to do that now."
Adrien knew Marinette was right about that. He's now free to do that. Be what he wants to be. Make changes and retake control of his life. And be happy with his own vision of happiness. Something his mother wanted for him.
"Marinette…when I'm with you, I just feel so free. And happy. And I'm proud to have you in my life. I can still call you 'milady,' right?" Adrien caressed her cheek.
Marinette giggled. "As long as I get to call you 'kitty."
The two teenagers blushed.
A/N: Sorry if it's been a while, but I hope you liked the chapter!
Wait and see what happens next...
It will take some time, though.