Ch22

The next morning Marinette had to quickly explain to her parents why there was a hung over Nathaniel in their bakery.

"You see he was kicked out of his house," she said quickly. "He had no where else to go so I brought him here."

Her mom sighed. "Well make sure he is ok and you can give him some food on the house."

"Thanks mom," she said as she quickly went to get some coffee and placed it at the red head's table.

Nathaniel sat on in a corner looking disheveled and tired. "Thanks." He took a few sips and rubbed his head. "Marinette can I ask what happened last night?"

"Well um it sort of is complicated," she said carefully. "Rena Rouge brought you here while Ladybug and Cat Noir fought an akumatized Marc."

"Oh great." Nathaniel rubbed his head. "I told him we were done, I was drunk but I stand by it." He shook his head. "I need my space I really do."

"I'll help you," she said. "Me and Alya will help you with whatever you need support with."

Nathaniel smiled at her. "You really are a neighborhood Ladybug. I should probably call off today."

"Do what you need to do," she said calmly. "Me and Alya will help you move out."

"Thanks," Nathaniel said with a heavy gaze.

With that, she quickly gave him a few croissants before going to explain the situation with her parents. They were sympathetic to Nathaniel and let him wash his face in their sink while he arranged his personal affairs.

After a few minutes of helping in the bakery she noticed a limo pull up. She froze as she saw Adrien get out of the car. Her jaw dropped as he entered the bakery. Is this a dream? I don't want to wake up.

She slowly walked from behind the counter as Adrien walked in and talked with Nathaniel. It really is him. He was dressed in a nice suit, his gaze firm as a hawk as he spoke with Nathaniel.

"It's alright I have an apartment you could move into temporarily," Adrien said firmly. "It's no trouble at all."

Nathaniel nodded. "Fine. Marinette and Alya will help me move, can we all go in your car?"

Adrien turned to her and greeted her. "Hey long time no see."

"H-Hey Adrien," she said as a cage of butterflies flew around in her stomach.

"Well come on we should get this over with," Adrien said. His gaze was polite but she noticed him eye her up and down curiously.

Nathaniel looked at the table and nodded. "Yeah we should."

They all got into Adrien's car. Her palms sweated up as she sat next to him. Oh boy what am I going to do?

"You ok Marinette?" Adrien asked.

"Oh me? I'm fine. Yourself?" She asked. Oh god calm down.

"I'm alright," Adrien said as he began to work on his tablet. "Just busy with my company."

She wanted to talk to him about a million things but her mind couldn't get the words out of her mouth. Luckily they stopped by Alya's place.

"Hey Adrien thanks for helping out," Alya said as she sat across from her.

"Don't mention it. I don't mind helping old friends," Adrien said.

Alya turned to her and winked. "You Adrien Marinette and I really liked your fashion show."

It took all of her willpower to not melt in her seat as Adrien turned to her. "I'm glad you liked it, sorry for being a little cold during the reception. I was a little stressed."

"N-No problem," she said wincing at how he said stressed. "Your clothing was beautiful."

"I worked hard on it," Adrien said with a small smile. "It was a mixture of my own creations and some other things from my father's notebook."

She noticed sorrow pass over his eyes so she decided not to push the issue too much. Eventually they arrived at Nathaniel's apartment. Adrien ordered his bodyguard to keep the car there as they all got out.

"Alright just let me do the talking with him," Nathaniel said. "I owe him an explanation."

"We are for you however you want," Adrien said firmly. She and Alya nodded in agreement.

Nathaniel smiled at them. "Thanks. Well lets go and get this over with."

They followed him up the stairs, Nathaniel was quiet but she could see the determination in his eyes.

Nathaniel's heart raced in his chest. Apprehension and anxiety swelled up inside of him as he took out his key and put it in the door. Stay calm and stick to your guns. He had to do this himself, he owed to Marc and their past relationship.

The door creaked open and he enter. Out of the corner of his eye he gave Marinette and everyone else a nod, he appreciated their help but he needed to get this over with.

He found Marc in the living room sitting on the couch calmly. "Your back."

"I am," he said calmly. "I think we should talk."

Marc looked downward but nodded. "I understand."

His heart raced as he sat across from Marc in the other chair. "You know we've been together for a while, you have been my best friend and more. But lately things have changed." Swallowing the lump in his throat he looked Marc in the eyes. "I never cheated on you in thought or action but you have suffocating me. I'm sorry but I need a break, I can't keep going on like this."

Marc looked down, his watery. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so suspicious of everything."

"We can be friends and who knows maybe in the future something could happen again but for now I think we should have a break," He said calmly. "This is the best for both of us."

"Where will you go? " Marc asked softly. He cleaned his eyes. "I'm sorry I let my insecurities get the better of me."

"Some old friends of ours arranged a place for me," he said calmly. "I'm sorry but I need space."

"I understand," Marc muttered.

"Thank you," he said. "You were a great friend and I don't regret my time with you but for now I really need a break from everything."

Marc gave him a small smile, his eyes watery. "Thank you for everything Nathaniel. Sorry I treated you the way I did. I really hope you can forgive me."

"I'll do my best to move on as should you," he said calmly.

/

Adrien helped Nathaniel gather his things with Alya while Marinette talked to Marc. They had a good relationship but in the end it didn't last. Yet he wondered if their relationship could get fixed, he highly doubted it but it was food for thought.

"You ok?" He asked once Nathaniel put his final suitcase into his car.

"Yeah thanks again for everything," Nathaniel said looking down. "I'll try to find my own place as soon as possible."

"Don't worry about it," he said firmly. "Take all the time you need."

Nathaniel nodded and smiled at him. "Well I'll finish up here quickly."

As Nathaniel went to finish putting his stuff away he went to the living room where he found Marinette comforting Marc.

"It's just that when Hawkmoth told me she could get us together again I believed her," Marc said softly.

He froze. Her. "What do you mean by she?" He asked. "Hawkmoth was a guy."

Marc looked at him and nodded. "It was a woman. Her voice was different and distinct from the Hawkmoth I remember from long ago."

"Are you sure?" He asked his blood running cold. Marinette sat across from Marc her face betraying shock.

Marc nodded. "Yeah I'm sure. When I was younger the Hawkmoth who akumatized me had a deep male voice, this one was a woman I'm sure of it."

It took all of his willpower to not freeze up. A woman? No. It must be a mistake. Yet looking into Marc's eyes he saw no deception in them.

"Are you ok?" Marc asked.

"I-I'm fine," he said calmly. "Um I just hope things work out between you and I wanted to tell you that I never made a move on Nathaniel or anything like that. If you need anything call me up."

Marc nodded. "I understand. I shouldn't have been so paranoid."

"Well if you need anything let us know," Marinette said as she got up.

He put on a fake smile and did his best to appear unphased as they moved Nathaniel to one of his private suits in the city.

This Hawkmoth was a woman. Hawkmoth was a man I'm sure of it.

Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth. He winced as Ladybug's words repeated in his head.

"Adrien are you ok?" Marinette asked as they moved the last of Nathaniel's belongings inside

"Oh yeah I'm fine," he said with a tight smile. "Just thinking of something personal."

Marinette avoided his gaze. "You miss him still."

He nodded. "I do. He was my father even after everything."

Marinette looked at him her eyes watery. "I'm sure he did. Just live with the good memories of him."

"I try to," he said with a weak smile. "I know he wasn't the best person ever, he did a lot of things that I know now…" He paused and looked at the ground. "Everyone has flaws, but I will move on with my life and family as it is."

Marinette looked at him without saying a word. She only nodded as they got into his car.

He did his best to hide the worry in his mind. After dropping everyone off at their places he headed home. "You ok Adrien?" Plagg asked.

"I don't know," he muttered. Rubbing his head he looked out the window of his car. "We at least know Hawkmoth is a woman." It was a clue, a big one.

Later that night he patrolled an area of high crime as he brainstormed what he should do. Landing in an abandoned street he noticed a few assailants hiding in the shadows. Great more trouble. A smile spread across his face as he let out a laugh as he drew his baton.

Cat Noir swung his baton as the first masked man came at him. Come on you pests. This so called peacock legion had decided to ambush him in an alley and now they were facing the consequences.

He struck one man in the ribs so hard they cracked. Twirling his baton he knocked another assailant to the ground.

A cold wind passed through the dark alley as he laughed coldly as lunged at the next wave of armed thugs, his claws out stretched he slashed at the group of assailants.

He hacked and slashed with his claws screams filing the alleyway as the men fell one by one. "Looks like you picked the wrong today," he said as he punched a man in the gut so hard he flew against the wall and fell.

All the anger and frustration inside of him erupted as he struck a group of assailants with his baton before pouncing on them. He punched and slashed at anyone that tried to attack him. He laughed as bullets bounced off him.

Grabbing one man by the shirt he punched him so hard he fell to the ground bleeding. Then he used his baton to beat each other assailant to the ground. It was then the sound of police sirens filled area and soon a group of cops came. They stopped and stared in shock at the carnage around him. Taking a deep breath he calmed himself down as he noticed some people were watching him with their cameras out.

He nodded. "Officers."

Mr. Dubois passed through his eyes wide as he looked at the men on the ground. "They tried to ambush you?"

"I guess everyone has their foolish moments," he said as he twirled his baton. "Interrogate them well."

Mr. Dubois nodded. "Of course."

"How is our butterfly project coming along?"

A smile spread across the man's face. "We are reading their movements as we speak."

His heart burned with determination. "Good. This Hawkmoth is different, it's a woman."

"I see." Mr. Dubois sighed. "Well thank you for your efforts."

He saluted the officers before leaping into the air with his baton. Landing on a distant roof he sat and looked at the city beneath him. Hawkmoth is back and now he has back up but so do I.