Chapter Twenty-Four: Finally Home

"...and after that, I woke up here," Gabriel finished. He had recounted his whole life's story, from discovering the Miraculous, to Emilie's coma, to making his wish, to eventually confronting Death's Head. Just in case, he had left out the part about Adrien being Cat Noir, or whoever his counterpart might be in this universe. He'd rather not inadvertently drive a rift between mother and son.

Emilie and Nathalie both listened intently to his story, neither speaking a word until he had finished. "I can't believe… You've been through so much," said the former. "I'm so sorry we could not be together in your timeline. But…you arriving here, that can't have been a simple coincidence, could it?"

It was indeed very convenient that he had ended up somewhere he was absent and missed. Perhaps Fluff had sent him here on purpose? "Rather than speculate, right now we need to prepare. Death's Head could arrive any time, and will no doubt do everything in his power to absorb the Miraculous' power."

"But this power…it can only be taken when Tikki and Plagg are united, yes?" said Nathalie. "If Death's Head only appears when a wish is about to be made, then all we should have to do is prevent Gimmi from forming. With that done, our dimension will be safe."

Gabriel shook his head sadly. "I wish it were that simple. During our past battles, Death's Head mentioned he had a plan to rewrite the very fabric of the universe itself, uniting the Agrestes all across the multiverse. If he were to accomplish this, nowhere would be safe."

"Why do you make it sound as though that's a bad thing?" replied Emilie. She could hardly believe he would be against such a thing. "You, me, and Adrien together again. How can that possibly have any downsides?"

"Rewriting the universe comes with a cost, as we both know very well," said Gabriel. "There is no reason to assume that doing so on a multiversal scale would be any different. Are you truly willing to sacrifice thousands of lifes so that you can have a family again?"

"But we will all have our families again," Emilie replied. "And surely you were willing to take someone's life to bring me back? Or did you think Adrien would be content to lose one parent just to regain the other?"

Gabriel opened his mouth to speak, but could think of nothing to say. Although his adventures across the multiverse had changed him greatly, he had not long ago been right where Emilie was. If, years ago, an exact double of his wife had arrived on his doorstep, telling him they had to stop someone from reuniting their family…he very well might have not wanted to listen. "There was a time when I didn't care," he said. "As long as Adrien had Emilie again, it made no difference to me who had to die…even myself. But after seeing how many people have suffered, people I care about, because of my obsession, I was forced to reevaluate my priorities."

"Such as giving your life to restore mine," Nathalie said quietly. "Sir, I… Seeing as you may never get the chance to hear it from her, allow me to thank you on her behalf. I know she would have done the same for you."

"She may have, once upon a time," Gabriel lamented. "But that is all in the past. Now, I must find a way to contact my allies. They are likely still in danger, and even if not, I would still like to be sure. Perhaps, with the powers of the butterfly Miraculous, you can help me acquire that of the rabbit?"

Emilie let the words wash over her, soon slowly getting to her feet. "Gabriel…I would love nothing more than to help you, in any way I can," she said, wrapping her arms around him from behind. "But before I do…please, allow me to show you something."

Curious, Gabriel followed Emilie as she led him into her study. He noticed that Nathalie looked away at the mention of this unknown surprise, giving Gabriel the impression that it was far from pleasant.

Once he saw Emilie press the buttons on the portrait of him, he knew exactly what they were going to see–or rather, who. The Agrestes huddled close together on the elevator as it carried them down to the secret cathedral that he was so familiar with. It looked exactly the same as the one in his universe, though he expected there was one major difference.

In the center of the Akuma garden, there rested a coffin. Sure enough, it was not Emilie that rested within, but Gabriel himself. As Emilie placed a hand on the glass, Gabriel looked on in sympathy.

"For so long, I've sought the power of the Miraculous to bring you–him back to me. And now, fate has brought you right here to me." She looked up at him. "Tell me, if the same thing had happened in your world, would you be willing to say goodbye for a second time?"

Truthfully, Gabriel was certain the answer would have been 'no.' As loath as he was to admit it, he would have done everything in his power to stop her from leaving. Even now, with as much as he had changed, he wasn't sure he would have been able to let her go. "I…"

Emilie nodded. "You were brought here for a reason, Gabriel. We're two lost souls, left without a purpose after tragedy. I don't know how, but it's no coincidence that this is where you were sent. We were both given a second chance, another opportunity to make things right. I truly am sorry for your friends, but this is not something I can ignore."

Gabriel knew that he wouldn't be able to leave so easily–and there was a large part of him that didn't want to. He was torn, torn between his devotion to his friends, and his devotion to his wife. "Perhaps we can find some middle ground," he suggested. "I at least wish to know that they are safe."

"Of course, my love," said Emilie. "As much as I would hate to see you leave, the last thing I would want is for you to be unhappy here. With your help, we can acquire as many of the Miraculous as we desire–" She suddenly went silent, her pupils shrinking to dots. "I feel…pain. So much sorrow…I have to…!"

Immediately, Gabriel knew what this meant. "Darling? I know moments like these seem too perfect to pass up. But is this truly the best time for–?"

But Emilie was already racing towards the elevator. "I'm sorry, but an opportunity like this doesn't come often!" she called back. "I have to act now, before the emotions fade!"

Although he was not the holder of the butterfly Miraculous in this dimension, he still played a role in its use. Likewise, just as this Adrien likely did not hold the cat Miraculous, he most likely was still a hero opposing Madame Butterfly. "Emilie, you must believe me, using this power for evil will only lead to suffering! Not only for you, but for the rest of your family as well. There must be another way we can attain the Miraculous."

"If you did not find one…then I fear this is the only way," Emilie said sadly. Upon arriving at the sanctum, she stepped forward, the window opening up to illuminate the room with moonlight. She pulled the scarf from her neck to reveal the Miraculous on her lapel. "Nooroo, dark wings rise!"

The Kwami glanced at Gabriel for a brief moment, before merging with the jewel. Emilie's clothes were covered by a lilac-colored opera dress, with a mask appearing over her face. An Akuma landed in her hand once the transformation was complete, which she let fly after infusing it with darkness.

"Fly, my Akuma, and let me whisper into the ear of the hopeless!" Gabriel could only watch as it disappeared, off to create a villain to destroy her own son.

Although her counterpart wasn't currently at home, the rest of the Resistance felt that it wasn't safe for Alix to be out and about, lest she be targeted by Hawkmoth. Alix agreed, and it was decided that she would remain in their base, laying low for the most part. Of course, seeing as it was just a school basement, it wasn't the most homey place. Though they had managed to smuggle a couch down there, which was something.

Much like Gabriel, Alix was restless to reach her lost compatriots. Without a rabbit Miraculous, she had no way to know if they were safe, or even alive. Given the last time she had seen Gabriel was when his Miraculous was about to explode, she didn't have high hopes for him–not to say she had none. But Marinette and Adrien were trapped in that desolate dimension. She had only intended to hide them there for a minute or two, and wasn't sure what else was in there.

"Hey, so, uh, I know you're the expert here, so I don't wanna rush you, but do you know how much longer this'll take?" she asked.

Max was in there as well, examining the remains of her pocket watch. "Unfortunately, repairing a Miraculous is not like repairing any other object," he said. "In addition to fixing its physical body, there is also a spiritual aspect that must be addressed as well. And while collecting materials is no issue thanks to Kaalki, the process of utilizing them will be complicated thanks to our limited information."

Alix slumped down in disappointment. "Gee, how did I guess it couldn't have been that easy? Well, if there's anything I can do to help, just let me know."

"While I don't doubt that you would be a considerable asset to our team, running missions without a Miraculous of your own would not be an ideal course of action," Max continued. "And unfortunately, the chances of another one of the lost Miraculous being located soon are next to–"

A loud beeping alarm sounded from his computer. "Funny you should say that," said Markov, "because I've just detected a signature consistent with the Miracle Box's energy emissions."

Alix hurried over to the table beside Max. "Well? Where is it!?" she demanded.

"The Miraculous was recently excavated by a construction crew in what used to be downtown," Markov explained. "I managed to access the site's security cameras. Here is the footage."

Several video feeds popped up on the screen, showing a number of workers crowded around something within a giant crater. Zooming in, one of the cameras showed what it was they had found: a bracelet, connected to several rings by golden chains.

"The tiger Miraculous," Max said, worried. "This isn't good. We can't let Hawkmoth or her Dark Angels get their hands on something with that much destructive power." He stood up, donning a pair of glasses from his pocket. "Kaalki, full gallop!"

Absorbing the Kwami's power, he transformed into Pegasus. "Wait! I can help," said Alix. "Just tell me what to do."

"It's too dangerous–just wait here until we return," Max said. "Markov, inform the others of what you found. I'll scout ahead. Voyage!" A portal appeared before him, and with that, he was gone.

But Alix wasn't about to sit tight at a time like this. "Markov, keep doing whatever," she said, hurrying towards the stairs.

"And where are you going?" he asked. "Mr. Max instructed you to stay put!"

She turned around, flashing a smile. "What kinda hero would I be if I sat around when people were in danger?" With that, she headed out of the school and made her way downtown.

Metal screeched as the rusty doorway to the warehouse was forced open. The sound clearly perturbed Adrien and Marinette, who were expecting a Sentimonster to hear the noise and come running. "Relax. I've been hiding out here for months, and none of them have found me so far," Kagami remarked. "They aren't about to start now."

"Well, it beats that monster-infested sand pit," Marinette said, walking inside. The warehouse had been set up to look like a makeshift house, complete with boxes stacked to resemble furniture. While by no means luxurious, it seemed homey."

Adrien paced around the room, examining the layout. "How long have you lived here?" he asked. "And has it only been you?"

She hummed in response, detransforming from Ryuko. "I have been fighting against Panoptes' endless hordes of Sentimonsters for so long, it seems sometimes as though no time passes. It may have been months, it may have been years. Things rarely change in this city anymore, just as I imagine is the case all over the world."

"But… I can't imagine Felix doing something like this," said Adrien. The three of them rested on a makeshift couch, only now realizing how exhausted they were. "How is this a paradise for anyone?"

Kagami shook her head. "Oh, this? Felix left the ruins of Paris to rot, a testament to what he calls 'the arrogance of humans.' Like I said, I can only assume almost everywhere else is like this too. His 'perfect' world is out there–I've kept an eye on it." She pointed to a telescope that she had set up pointing out a window.

Marinette made her way over, peering through the glass. Off in the distance was a giant glass dome, inside of which was a city that seemed to be surrounded with greenery. Of course, on the outside of that dome was nothing but scorching sand for miles around. "So, what, he's just living in there all by himself?" she asked.

"Not entirely," replied Kagami, as Adrien went over to take a look for himself. "He's created a false utopia for himself, filled with hollow copies of everyone he knew in the old Paris."

"So, you've been there before?" asked Marinette. "Why'd you leave? I mean, this Felix sounds like a bad guy and all, but isn't what's in there a lot better than what's out here?"

Letting out a bitter hiss, Kagami looked away. "I'd sooner spend a thousand years fighting in this wasteland than living the lie he's created for the three of us. I can never forgive him for the devastation he's caused, for what he tried to turn me into! I'll destroy his entire army if I have to, one Sentimonster at a time."

Adrien glanced out the window at the domed city. "Whatever Felix's reasons for doing this, I…I think we should talk to him. And even if he's too far gone, like Death's Head, there's still more to gain by taking the fight to him instead of waiting around here. What do you guys say?"

"You really think I haven't already tried that?" Kagami muttered. "When he brought us to his new paradise, the only reason I left was because he refused to bring everyone back! And the only reason I needed to leave was because I wasn't strong enough to defeat him on my own! The only people he'd listen to are me or you, and he's burned both of those bridges." She paused, looking Adrien over. "...Although, he doesn't have your Amok–not this specific version of you. If he has no choice but to hear you out, he just might listen."

Marinette picked up her bat. "And with the three of us, we'll definitely be able to put up a fight! If it comes to that, of course."

"So, what do you say?" Adrien asked Kagami. "Want to fight for your home?"

Considering it for a brief moment, Kagami returned his gaze. "Longg, bring the storm!" She once more donned the mantle of Ryuko, brandishing her sword.

"Yeah! Let's do this!" said Marinette. However, a glance out the window soon dampened her spirits. "Um, but, uh, how are we supposed to get all the way over there? It's gotta take days to walk that far, even if we don't collapse from the heat!"

Kagami smiled. "I think I can handle that. Now, hold on tight." She held out her hands for them to grab onto.

"Okay," said Adrien, grabbing hold as Marinette did the same. "But how exactly is this going to–Woah!" A great tempest swirled through the room, consuming the trio and carrying them out the window towards the domed city. Whatever awaited them in there, hopefully it would be better than what was out here…