Adrien had a bad history with today.
Two years ago, his mother died. Last year, Felix nearly ruined all of his friendships. And this year, he discovered his father was also Paris' most dangerous supervillain.
He should have known better than walking into his father's office. He had thought his father was just out, and Nathalie was still stuck upstairs. Adrien was alone, he was bored, and Plagg encouraging him to tour the house was the only thing keeping his mind off of things. And when he saw the painting of his mother, he couldn't help but touch it gently, imagining himself hugging her one last time.
He didn't mean to get sucked into the giant lair underneath. The sight of his mother's corpse, her green, full-of-life eyes closed, and her cold hands wrapped around a bouquet of flowers was enough to make him cry. And he did. It would take a while for Adrien to notice the butterflies, or Hawkmoth's startled stare, as he just lay crumpled at his mother's coffin.
"Adrien!" His father's voice echoed underground, a mix of concern and fear. No, not his father - Hawkmoth, nearly twice his size, sprinted in his direction. Adrien jumped up, shielding his mother and shaking only slightly.
"What are you doing with my mother? What kind of monster keeps an innocent, dead woman's body?" Adrien spat at Hawkmoth, wishing he could transform and Cataclysm Hawkmoth right now.
Worse, Hawkmoth approached him slowly, repeating his name in a softer tone. He began to move his arms around Adrien. Was Hawkmoth trying to suffocate him? Was Adrien going to be murdered in this dank basement next to his mother?
Even if he was, Adrien certainly was not going without a fight. He punched Hawkmoth square in the gut and ran. He wasn't sure where - the elevator he had fallen down in was gone and there weren't any apparent doors in sight - but maybe he could hide to transform and call Ladybug. Even if he couldn't, if he could just grab his phone, he could call someone to help him out. He was sure Marinette would be able to talk him through this and help him wrap his mind about what was going on.
"Nooroo," Hawkmoth sputtered between heavy breaths, "dark wings fall."
Adrien hid behind the column and closed his eyes. He didn't want to open them. Hawkmoth's true identity was right there, and he was afraid of who it might be. What if it was someone he knew?
It's my duty as a miraculous holder, he told himself as he peeked around the corner, but that wasn't true. What drove Adrien to find out Hawkmoth's true identity was the same curiosity that compelled him to try for Ladybug's, the same anger that fueled his Cataclysms, the same sadness he felt for his mother. Because as Adrien gasped as he met his father's sorrowful and regretful eyes, he realized the life he knew as both Adrien and Chat Noir was over.
For so long, Hawkmoth had been this simply evil enemy. Someone who killed for the sake of it, who wanted the miraculous out of selfishness and greed. Someone who was easy for Adrien to focus his anger on as Chat Noir. But as Gabriel explained why he was Hawkmoth, that it was all for his mother, it gave Gabriel and his villainous alter-ego a greater power than the akumas: motivation. And a good motivation too.
Would Adrien sacrifice Paris to bring his mother back?
The answer was, unfortunately, clearer than Adrien would have expected.
"Adrien, I know this is a lot to take in -"
"I'll do it, father." Adrien's eyes fiercened in determination as he met Gabriel's gaze. "I'll join you."