Chapter Twenty-Seven: Understanding

Groggily, Marinette rubbed her eyes, rising up from the covers. "...Huh? Where am I?" A glance at her surroundings revealed that she was in her own bedroom, which looked as normal as it ever had. "How did…?"

The last thing she remembered was being struck by another Adrien's staff, and then blacking out. A spot on the back of her head was even still sore. Wary that this could still be some sort of a trick, she crept out of the door and towards the stairs, feeling naked without her bat.

"Hello?" she called out, slowly descending to the ground floor. "Anybody here?"

"We sure are!" She recognized the voice as her father. "Come on down, we've got a lot of orders to fill, and I could use an extra hand!" She noticed that the door didn't appear to be blocked. If she wanted to, she could leave at any time. And yet, she didn't feel in any danger. Why would Panoptes have put her here if he had wanted to harm her? She turned around to see her father tirelessly baking away. "You're up for making a few of your famous macarons, right?"

She stepped into the kitchen, beginning to wonder if this was a dream. "Uh, sure. So, um…you're real, right?"

"Real as it gets!" he replied cheerfully. "And we've got a real big order from Mr. Agreste! I hope I'll have everything done before he gets here!"

"Are you feeling alright, Marinette?" She jumped at the sudden voice behind her, but it was only her mother. "You seem a bit sluggish this morning. Usually, you can barely sit still when Adrien comes over."

All thoughts of Panoptes were momentarily forgotten. "W-wait, Adrien's coming here? Like, here here? Today?"

Sabine raised a hand to her mouth as she laughed. "Yes, here and today! I'm surprised you forgot–it's quite unlike you."

"I've gotta get ready!" she exclaimed. She darted over to a mirror, making sure her hair looked presentable. "I'll be right down, I have to change into something cuter!" She darted back towards the stairs before she heard the bell jingle, and found herself face-to-face with Adrien himself.

"...Hello, Marinette!" he said, their noses almost touching. "Sorry I'm early, but my fencing lessons were canceled for today. I can come back later if you aren't ready yet."

"No!" shouted Marinette. "Eh, I mean, no need, it's fine! My dad's the best chef in Paris, he can have it all done in no time!"

He turned around. "I can?" Sabine nudged him.

"Why don't you just come up to my room while you wait? We can…talk about…school, and stuff. That's fine, right?"

"Uh, yeah, if it's fine with you two," Adrien said, turning to her parents.

Her mother waved. "Yes, yes, go on ahead, you two! Tom and I can handle everything on our own!"

Tom glanced over at her. "We can?" But Adrien and Marinette had already headed up the stairs, the former practically dragged by the latter.

If all the business with Panoptes had been forgotten earlier, then it was the furthest thing from her mind now. She sat down on her bed, and to her shock, he sat down next to her. "So, um, it's not a problem that we're making you wait, right? I'd hate for one of our best customers to be inconvenienced!" She let out a small giggle, excited just by being this close to him.

"Oh, it's no problem," he assured her. "Actually…my fencing class wasn't actually canceled. I came here early because I…well, I wanted to see you." He turned to look at her with those tender eyes of his, brushing his bangs aside.

She couldn't believe this was happening. "Wow…" She could feel her face burning, and for once, she didn't try and hide it, or run from this moment. It was too good to be true…because, maybe, it was.

Marinette's lovestruck euphoria was quickly replaced with the tense caution she had grown accustomed to. Maybe this really was too good to be true. She slowly moved herself away from Adrien–or at least, the thing taking his form. "Marinette? Is…is something wrong?"

"N-no, it's fine," she lied. "I just…I was thinking about a dream I had last night. I dreamt I was being chased by Panoptes, and that he was trying to steal our Miraculous. It almost felt like he was real…I was so relieved when I woke up!"

Adrien placed a comforting hand on her own. "Don't worry, Marinette–Panoptes isn't real. My cousin is back in London, and he definitely doesn't have any Miraculous!"

This confirmed it for her. She pulled back, standing up and moving towards the door. "I never said who Panoptes was," she said. "How did you know he was Felix?"

For a moment, they both stood completely still. Marinette moved first, making a dash for the door. But before she could reach it, Cat Noir had placed his hand on it, holding it shut. He glared at her for trying to escape.

She tried to call for help, to get her parents' attention. "That won't work, Marinette," he said. "They're Sentimonsters, same as me. Panoptes created all of this to give you your perfect life–which is more merciful than you deserve. I suggest you live the fantasy rather than incur his wrath."

"Have…have you ever incurred his wrath?" asked Marinette, her worry slowly being replaced by sympathy. "You're his cousin. Does he still treat you like a thing? Like an object, or a servant?"

Adrien's stern expression slightly softened. "I…I'm a Sentimonster," he said. "Serving him is my purpose. It's the entire reason I was made."

"He's a Sentimonster too," she reminded him, slowly approaching. "Whatever he says about creating a paradise, he's become just as bad as the people he's gotten rid of. You don't have to put up with that."

"He…he has my ring," he said. "My Amokized object. I-I can't fight him, not as long as he has it."

Marinette glanced around the room. "He's not here right now, is he? He can't control what he can't see. It's not too late to help us, Adrien."

He was quiet for a bit longer. "He got rid of everyone," he said quietly. "You, my dad…and replaced them with copies. Kagami and I were the only ones left." Hesitating for a moment, he removed his Miraculous, handing it over to Marinette. "Your weapons are being kept in a vault in city hall. Go get them, then go and find your friends."

She took the ring just as hesitantly. "Are you sure? You can come with me if you want. You can be free."

"Only once Panoptes is defeated," said Adrien. "Go. I'll try and cover for you, but you have to move quickly. Once he realizes you're gone, he'll put the entire city on lockdown. If you rescue my counterpart and Kagami, you just might have a chance."

Marinette nodded. "I'll come back for you. I promise." Walking over to the window, she placed the ring on her finger.

In a flurry of sparkles, Plagg appeared. His expression was much more dour than she was used to, but he lit up when he saw her. "Marinette! Finally, someone a bit more lively than all these mindless clones! Uh, no offense, kid." Adrien waved as though to say 'none taken.'

"Come on, Plagg, we've got a world to save," said Marinette, climbing onto the windowsill. "Plagg, claws out!"

"Adrien…it's so good to see you again, my son. No, too formal. Adrien! How are you? What is up? And that's too informal." Gabriel sighed. "Son, I have waited for so long to see your face once again, to hear your voice…" But it still didn't sound right.

He had been in front of the mirror for going on twenty minutes, trying to find just the right way to break it to his son that he wasn't actually dead. Which technically, he wasn't, just preserved in a tube downstairs. And this Adrien wasn't technically his son, but felt much more so than any others he had come across traveling the multiverse. Even the Adrien on their team, who he had initially vouched for specifically because he reminded him of his own, he now saw as more of a brother-in-arms than as his offspring. But this was his chance to change all that, to regain what he had lost.

There was a light knock at the door, which opened to reveal Nathalie. "Emilie would like to see you, sir," she informed him. "I believe it is something about 'making up for lost time,' as it were."

"Thank you, Nathalie," he said warmly. "Can you inform her I will be down momentarily? I…have something I would like to finish first."

Considering they were in the bathroom, she assumed the obvious. "Of course, sir," she said, closing the door and heading back downstairs. She made her way into the dining room, where Emilie was waiting, alongside a sizable brunch spread.

The table had been immaculately set, with candles gently lighting the room. "Is he on his way?" she asked.

"Yes, but there is something I wanted to speak to you about," said Nathalie, quieting her voice as she stepped closer. "As glad as I am to have Gabriel back…I should remind you that we already have Gabriel here." He nodded down towards the floor.

Emilie hesitated for a moment. "Oh, Nathalie, don't get me wrong, I would love more than anything to save our Gabriel from his illness. But is fighting our son truly worth it? What would he say if he knew how he had been saved? This is for the best, for all of us. Including him.

Although she hid it well, Nathalie bristled, unseen by Emilie. "Should we not at least come up with a contingency plan? I find it unwise to simply throw away all possibility of ever healing Gabriel simply because a substitute happened to show up. He did mention having to save the multiverse from a great threat, did he not? Isn't it still possible he will have to leave at a moment's notice?"

"Nathalie, please!" said Emilie, restraining her frustration. "Wherever he comes from, this Gabriel wants to stay here just as much as I want him to–and I thought as much as we wanted him to. I hope you will come to realize that this is a best-case scenario."

As it was clear that Emilie did not want to even consider the possibility of an alternative, Nathalie had no choice but to give up. "Very well. For what it's worth, I truly do hope you are right. Please, enjoy your time together." She nodded to her before heading back up the stairs.

Gabriel passed her on his way down, taking in the lovely spread that had been prepared for them. "I haven't seen such a wonderful-looking meal in years," he said, sitting across from his wife. The candles' warm glow flickered on both of their faces as they beheld each other. "I can confidently say that Nathalie has outdone herself once again."

"Actually, I thought that since this was a special occasion, I thought I would take over for her," Emilie said. "Consider it something of a 'welcome home' gift."

"How fitting–I really do feel at home," Gabriel said. The two gazed into each other's eyes, unaware that Nathalie was watching over them from the second floor.

She was glad that Emilie was finally happy. She really was. But she also couldn't help seeing it as her letting her guard down. Surely Mister Bug and Lady Noir would not accept that Madame Butterfly had simply vanished, never to return? They would almost certainly investigate, which to doubt put them at risk. Not to mention, this entire arrangement felt nothing but unfair to their Gabriel.

As the happy couple discussed their future, she made her way into Emilie's study. She unlocked the safe behind the painting of Gabriel, beholding the two Miraculous that had been stored there. Although Nathalie herself had urged her otherwise, Emilie had given up becoming Madame Butterfly for the time being. And as the peacock Miraculous was still damaged, using it was only a last resort for now.

Hesitating for a moment, she took hold of the butterfly Miraculous, placing it in her pocket. Emilie may have tabled Madame Butterfly for the foreseeable future, but there was no reason Nathalie couldn't pick up her slack. But only if circumstances required her to, of course.

With that done, she hid any traces of her presence and left the room. She knew Emilie would never approve of this, but it was for her own good. She would do anything for the Agrestes, even if it meant going behind their backs. Of course, she prayed it wouldn't come to that, but it never hurt to be prepared…

This victory over Hawkmoth had the Resistance in high spirits, for the first time in a long while according to Alya. Over the next few days, Alix rode the collective high along with the rest of them, growing accustomed to being Rajah as they patrolled the city. The raw power Roaar granted was cathartic, but that didn't stop her from missing Fluff.

She was now perched atop a building, looking over the city. Hawkmoth and her forces had been quiet lately, so she was surely planning something. They had to be vigilant, at least until Max fixed her Miraculous. "Hey, Luka?" she asked.

"Hmm?" Viperion was perched on the other side of the roof, keeping watch in that direction. "What's up?"

Rajah sat down, and he joined her. "We make a pretty good team, don't we? Not us two, I mean, all of us. We might really be able to take care of Hawkmoth at this rate?"

He nodded in reply. "I definitely hope so!" Alix noticed there was something hollow behind his smile. He was likely still mourning Marinette. His glance downward at their statue only confirmed this. "I'm glad you came along, Alix from another dimension. We wouldn't have made it this far without you."

"That's…part of what I wanted to ask you. I'm really glad I'm helping you guys, but I can't stay here forever. There's something out there, something really bad, and I have to stop it. I'd feel guilty abandoning you all, but I'd also feel guilty staying here when the rest of the multiverse is in danger. Have you ever…I mean, do you have any advice?"

"Well, I've never been in a situation quite as tough as yours," Luka said. "But there have been a few times when I've had to make a tough choice. Sometimes, you just have to go with what your heart tells you. What's your heart telling you right now?"

Alix raised a hand to her heart. "It seems to be saying…that I shouldn't leave you behind. And I don't want to, but what choice do I have? The longer I stay here, the more likely Death's Head is to enact whatever sort of massive plan he has. But I'm sure Hawkmoth has a massive plan, too…" She sighed, slumping down onto her back.

Luka nodded sympathetically. "I hear you. But who says you can't do both? The rabbit Miraculous lets you travel back in time, right?" Alix turned to face him. "After you go and stop Dead Head from destroying the world, what's stopping you from coming back here and now, and setting things right? For that matter, couldn't you go and stop the first Hawkmoth from…" He went quiet. "You know."

Her hand went down to her waist where she usually kept her pocketwatch. Not feeling it, she instead reached up to the bangle she now wore. "I…I guess nothing," she said as it dawned on her. "Back at the ITAA–long story–I just had it drilled into me that changing the past always ended up making things worse. But I don't see how things could get much worse than they already are." She thought about all the possibilities this offered her. Going back in time obviously wouldn't do any good against Death's Head, but there was no reason she could go wherever and whenever she wanted when this was all over…

"Hey, look at that." Luka brought her attention to the statue of the two late heroes. Or rather, to a figure approaching the statue. She recognized him instantly, as it was somebody she never would have imagined herself growing close to: Gabriel Agreste. "Poor guy. I can't imagine how that felt, finding our Cat Noir was your son. First he lost his wife, and now this…" He hesitated, likely knowing what this felt like more than he was letting on.

So, they didn't know. This was Alix's first thought. Their heroes' murderer could be standing right there, and they had no idea. "Yeah. Must be tough," she said, doing her best to mean it. "But hey, that's all the more reason to defeat Hawkmoth: to get justice for those two. Hey, there hasn't really been a lot going on tonight–why don't you head on back? I'll give you a call if I need something."

Viperion got to his feet. "If you're sure. Make sure you don't do anything rash if something does happen, alright?"

"Me? Rash? Nah, no chance!" she said. "Now go on, you've earned a night off!" Bidding her goodnight, Luka departed, leaving her to patrol alone. Of course, unknown to him, her mission was not to patrol. "Alright, Mr. Agreste, let's see what you have to say for yourself." She stealthily made her way back down to ground level, making sure there wasn't anyone else around. "Roaar, stripes off."

Her costume disappeared, and Roaar appeared by her side. "What's going on? Are we doing some undercover recon? Ooh, who's that guy!?"

"I'll tell you later–but right now, I need you to lay low," she said. "Just stay out of sight for a while, okay?" He assured her he would, and she removed the bangle, stashing it away in her pocket. Taking a deep breath, she slowly approached Gabriel, preparing for any possibility.

She half expected him to sense her approaching, whipping a sword out of an unseen cane and pointing it at her throat. But he seemed completely lost in thought, gazing up at the likeness of his late son. She opened her mouth to say something, but what could she say? I know you were Hawkmoth? You're the one responsible for this? To her surprise, however, he spoke first.

"This monument is a stark reminder of how blind we can be," said, not looking over. "All these years, and I had no idea my son was living a double life. What else could I have missed?"

Alix wasn't sure if it was a rhetorical question, but answered anyway. "Um…I guess that depends. What else were you expecting from him?"

He finally turned to face her. He looked melancholy, that much was clear, but he may or may not have been angry as well. "You are Alix, correct? I understand you were good friends with Adrien and Marinette. I must offer you my sympathies."

"Thanks," she said. "But he was your son. I can't imagine what that must have felt like." She tried to come up with a good way to bring up the subject. "You wouldn't happen to think Hawkmoth was involved, would you? The new one, I mean."

Gabriel ran his hand along the statue's base. "The way I see it, they are both to blame. If there is any justice in this world, both of them will one day answer for their sins." After a brief, solemn silence, he turned to take his leave. As he walked off, he turned back to face her. "Take care, Bunnyx."

While him knowing her secret identity would ordinarily have startled her, there was a sense of familiarity between the two of them that she couldn't explain. He wasn't the Gabriel she had been traveling with, so why was he acting like he knew her?

Either way, it seemed like he hadn't directly caused the deaths of the heroes–or, at the very least, he regretted it immensely. This was a small mercy, as it meant they only had one megalomaniacal Hawkmoth to deal with. She headed back in the direction of the school, wondering if this was something she should share with the others.

On second thought, no. Not at least until she got the full story, at least.