List of non-Miraculous Characters to be kept aware of in this story:
Satan: A Lord of Hell who is the embodiment of Wrath and rules over the Ring of Wrath in Hell. Currently stuck in Paris because of the Over-Summoner's lack of patience and inability to listen to reason. Mirrors Azrael on the Scales of Balance.
Asmodeus: A Lord of Hell who is the embodiment of Lust and Rules over the Ring of Lust. Is irritated by this Over-Summoner's inability to listen to reason and the constant Summonings. Mirrors Uriel on the Scales of Balance.
Raguel: An Archangel of Heaven whose domains are Harmony, Justice, Fairness, Redemption, and Vengeance. He may be blind but that doesn't hinder his ability to perform his duties. Has the skills to discern truths from lies. His cane can turn into a sword if needed.
Azrael: A Virtue of Heaven who is the embodiment of Patience and rules over the Domain of Patience. Staying in Paris to balance out the energy due to Satan being stuck there. Mirrors Satan on the Scales of Balance.
Jason Blood: A Demonologist and an expert in all the Magical Fields. Has his own secrets that dwell within. (He's also a character from the DC Comics, if you know him more power to you!).
Kathryn Marks: Jason Blood's daughter. Sometimes acts like the typical 6-year-old she is and sometimes doesn't. She's more aware of things than people think. (Technically a DC Character, but was only used in one continuity and hasn't been used since, so she's somewhat more my character than theirs).
~}I{~
Sin of Reveal. Chapter 7.
~}I{~
The new Miraculous Holders, Marinette, and the Kwami weren't going to interrupt Adrien during this much needed rant. The poor teen deserved it, especially after learning that his own father was Hawkmoth. So it was best to let him have this while he had the chance to.
Also during this, Azrael was making tea. Wang Fu and Jason Blood were off to the side talking about something from the past. And Satan was enjoying the rather wonderful, wrathful meal that Adrien was providing him with.
Plagg watched worriedly as his Holder paced back and forth on the roof as he ranted, not caring about his image, family dignity, politeness, and whatever else his parents drilled into him to keep him from doing anything improper. And in all honesty, it was more than warranted.
Adrien was running a hand through his hair as he continued to walk between one spot and another when he ranted out, "Of all the fucking things Father could've done to grieve! He had to turn to villainy to cope with mother disappearing! He couldn't have done something normal when going through grief!" The distressed teen let out a frustrated growl when he ranted, "Father could've bought a sports car! Gone on a night on the town! Bought an expensive item he didn't need! Or even slept with Nathalie! I wouldn't have minded that last one! Or something other than turning into a super villain terrorist! Anything would've been better! Hell! He could've had a regular mid-life crisis like any other old man and that would be perfectly acceptable!"
Azrael handed a smiling Satan a cup of tea as Adrien continued ranting, "But Nope! Father couldn't be bothered to do any of that! He can't stand to be doing anything that can be considered 'Normal' or 'Average'! He had to go off and make it everyone's problem! Make everyone suffer because he can't handle grief like a normal person!"
Nino walked up to Plagg and handed the small deity a Kwami-sized tea cup as they watched Adrien continue his much needed moment to get it all out. The black cat Kwami accepted the offer without a word as he kept his focus on his Holder.
Satan just kept smiling as he enjoyed the show.
}{
The Stationed Angel keeping watch over the Rossi's apartment building was not only getting concerned for the residents of said building, but also suspicious. And they weren't the only ones. The manager and everyone living there have been speculating that there had to be some kind of gas leak or something to cause so many people to fall ill all of a sudden with breathing problems or having their existing breathing problems become worse…
Then again... Seven people collapsing because of breathing problems in a single day would make anyone suspicious...
The Stationed Angel read through those events to find any commonality to them, other than the results... But there was nothing...
The Stationed Angel made sure to keep track of all of this.
}{
Adrien practically downed the tea he was given in one big gulp before he let out a breath of relief.
Kagami couldn't help but say, "That is not how you should be drinking tea..."
Adrien looked at the other fencer when he said cluelessly, "Tea? I thought it was a watered down energy drink."
Kagami held her tongue at this as Alix stated, "Guess you're still processing everything,"
Azrael poured more tea when they said, "As much as I know all of you wish to defeat Hawkmoth now, I do believe that you should make a plan." They held their tea cup to their lips, not drinking it right away but taking in the aroma of the drink. Azrael then stated calmly, "To not only take him off-guard but also take advantage of the fact that he cannot use the Miraculous he possesses." They took a slow sip of the tea.
Satan cackled when he stated, "And to make sure to hit him hard." He took a gulp of his tea before he added, "But I do need at least a day to prepare something to follow through on a Deal regarding him, so use that time to make your plan."
The Miraculous Holders and Kwami glanced at each other before they murmured among themselves that that was fair, then again, no one wanted to interfere with whatever the Lord of Wrath had planned... For some reason, Adrien avoided eye contact as he drank another cup of tea.
}I{ The Next School Day }I{
The Miraculous Holders already made plans to meet on top of Notre Dame after school, but in the meanwhile, they had to act as if nothing was new or wrong.
It wouldn't have been so bad if Lila hadn't been... Well... More than a little too interested in having their attention on her for some reason... Aside from Marinette, Chloe, and Adrien, the rest of the class did their best to play along with the liar.
And unbeknown to the Miraculous Holders...
Damocles narrowed his eyes when he asked the person sitting across from him, "Are you sure those were the exact words she said?"
Mireille timidly nodded when she said, "I-I'm sure..."
Damocles did think the timing was a little suspicious, however, the student before him has never made such a rather 'ridiculous' claim before and it matches up a little too well with what has been happening with the 'Ladybug Investigation'. So, Damocles had to ask, "And can I ask why you were in the ladies' restroom during the entire 'Incident' yesterday?"
Mireille shrank a bit when she meekly replied, "I... Had some issues with my stomach that wouldn't settle..."
Damocles raised a brow when he asked, "Then wouldn't you have gone to the nurse's office? They have stomach medicine that could help." He was trying to understand why she would be in the restroom for longer than the incident for a mere stomach ailment.
Mireille squirmed when she replied in an unwilling and embarrassed tone, "Not THAT kind of stomach issue... The kind that happens once a month..."
Oh!
Damocles' eyes widened a bit before he asked sympathetically, "I take it you had a bad cycle yesterday?"
Mireille nodded when she admitted, "Y-yes. A rather bad one... But it's better today at least, which is why I'm reporting this a little late..."
Now Damocles understood why she was in the ladies' restroom for so long despite the commotion of the incident. And how Lila might've missed the fact that someone else was there. The Headmaster resumed his professionalism persona back on when he told the student, "Understandable, and I thank you for reporting what you heard. I shall ensure that the proper methods will be implemented to help Ms Rossi."
Mireille nodded before she stood up and walked to the door. She paused just as she reached for the knob before looking over her shoulder to look at the headmaster and said, "Um... I'm surprised you're taking this seriously, sir. I mean, I was wondering if I had imagined it until Aurora told me about Marinette's locker."
Damocles nodded when he replied diplomatically, "Given the length that was done solely to get into Ms Dupain-Cheng's locker, which had not only caused damage to school property but was also stealing her things that together is worth a decent sum, and your past record indicating that you have never done anything on this level. I believe that what you have told me is the truth and needs to be dealt with."
Mirielle gave a nod in understanding before she left the office.
The moment Damocles no longer heard the weather girl's footsteps, he called and left a message for Jason Blood, who would hopefully bring in Raguel as soon as he could. The Headmaster needs to give them what he's found out.
~}I{~
When school finally ended, Miss Buster's class made up their excuses as to why they couldn't hang with Lila today before heading off, much to the liars annoyance.
It didn't take long for the Heroes to arrive at their meet point and start on making their plan.
}I{
Asmodious looked over their bookshelf, debating on which book they should bring to the Book Club.
Much to the Lord of Lust's ever growing annoyance and dismay, they haven't been reading to their usual standards as of recently. Which was yet another irritating result of that idiotic Over-Summoner.
Asmodious let out a tired sigh as they finally chose a book. It wasn't their usual genre to read, but by Father, the Lord of Lust needed a nice, cheerful pick-me-up kind of story. Now all that was left to do was wait for the portal to the Dimensional Book Club to open.
}I{
Satan smirked as he took a step away from his work to get a better look. The Lord of Wrath glanced over at Azrael when he asked, "Well, what do you think?"
The Embodiment of Patience looked over their wrathful brother's project before saying, "Pretty good despite the rush. I see a few deviances, but I assume those were on purpose."
Satan kept that smirk on his face when he said, "Correct, and it should prove who would know and who deserve to be severed."
Azrael looked at the Lord of Wrath when he asked, "Must you use that word specifically?"
Satan cackled when he said, "Of course." He smirked when he stated with an evil glee, "After all, should they fail, they're going to be cut out of little Adrien's heart and soul."
Azrael was aware of the Deal between their sinful brother and the Black Cat Holder, and if the Embodiment of Patience was being honest, they wouldn't be surprised if the outcome is what Satan expects.
~}I{ The Next Day }I{~
The Miraculous Team had their plan in place as Satan readied his 'Project'. So once the sun set, Hawkmoth was going down.
}{
Thankfully for the Heroes, Lila was absent today. That was one less thing to worry about today, though they were going to have to deal with her later.
One major issue at a time.
However...
}{
Marinette checked the door to her new locker before she finally closed and locked it. The young designer let out a sigh of relief. She eyed Max when she asked, "How did the camera do?"
The techie sadly shook his head when he explained, "It only got you, because the trigger was designed to activate when the door opened the normal way," Max sighed when he said, "I never would've imagined that someone went that far to break into any locker... Or break a locker to open the other way..."
Alix patted both Max and Marinette's shoulders when she said, "It's not your fault. We only went on what we knew and planned as such. It's not our fault that this Psycho would make a creepily elaborate plan to get into Marinette's locker."
Chloe couldn't help but ask as she closed her locker door, "Creepily elaborate?"
Alix turned her attention to the mayor's daughter when she stated snarkily, "You got a better way to describe the whole tricking us into leaving our lockers unlocked and vandalised Marinette's locker so it can be opened the wrong way whenever the Psycho wants even when Marinette has her locker locked skit?"
Chloe thought about that for a few seconds before she admitted that Alix had a good point. Zoe couldn't help but add that the words the skater used were still pretty strong but she couldn't blame her for using them.
The hidden heroes glanced at each other with unnerved expressions. All silently wondering how long the effects of That incident will last.
}{
Asmodeus let out a not so subtle growl as they glared at the Over-Summoner and snapped, "Oh for the Lust of Hell! Can't you even try to be patient?!" The Lord of Lust was standing in the middle of the Summoning Circle, which they noticed were made with tape rather than chalk or marker. Asmodeus couldn't believe the sheer stupidity of this mortal!
Chalk and markers were the preferred methods to make a Summoning Circle due to their convenience and were destroyed at the end. Perfect for keeping the Miasma and Aura-oma within check. Anything that kept the Summoning Circle in place longer than the one time, like tape and carving it into the surface, raised the risk of Miasma and Aura-oma lingering in the area. Hence why it was explicitly stated in all mortal text to use marker and chalk to draw the Summon Circles.
Asmodeus was completely tempted to obliterate the Over-Summoner, just to end the constant summonings and get her into hell faster, but the Sins and Virtues were not allowed to interfere in the lives of mortals unless it is due to a contract. And even then, they couldn't 'End' them themselves.
Lila glared as she retorted in aggravation, "You're the one who is loafing off on your duty to me! You haven't even started on destroying that goody-goody!"
Asmodeus growled yet again as they conjured up the 'to do list', letting it fall to it's full length when they explained in a logical yet angered tone, "Do you see how long your 'request' is? All this CAN'T happen in one day! It will take YEARS to complete! Decades even! Which will take LONGER if you keep summoning me every other day!"
Lila scoffed when she said with a scowl, "You're supposed to be this all-powerful demon, so this should be easy for you to do." She then snapped, "If you actually did it as I ordered you to!'
Asmodeus pinched the bridge of their centre head's nose at these words. They let out a sigh when they explained to the ignorant mortal, "We all-powerful demons have our rules and limits that we must abide by. Which includes NOT going overboard with a contract by doing it all at once!" Asmodeus then added as the overly long 'to do list' vanished in a blue smoke with a growl, "Should ANY being of Heaven and Hell act on a long-listed contract like yours all at once, it can have catastrophic repercussions on the Balance." They folded their arms when they stated firmly, "And both sides don't want that sort of thing happening."
Lila scoffed when she retorted in annoyance. "I don't care what your flimsy excuses are! You need to follow MY demands!"
Asmodeus frowned at this, wondering how big the ego of this annoying mortal was that every attempt at reasoning with her was for naught. 'Lucifer better give me at least 300 years to torture this soul,' The Lord of Lust thought bitterly then hoping Satan gets the same amount too.
Lila pointed a finger at who she believed was Satan when she snapped angrily, "And this time! You aren't leaving this circle until you do everything I want!"
All six of Asmodeus' eyes widened at this before the Summoning Circle glowed red and erected a barrier around the Lord of Lust, trapping them inside with no way of escaping.
Asmodeus pressed their palms against the red transparent wall of light to test if this contract was indeed making it so they couldn't leave. And it frustratingly was working. Asmodeus knew this was bad! And not just because they were trapped! The Lord of Lust's form shifted into something more monstrous when they growled out in pure anger, "DO YOU FUCKING REALISE WHAT YOU'RE DOING?! YOU'RE KEEPING A LORD OF HELL FROM THEIR DOMAIN!"
The sudden transformation freaked Lila out, but once she realised that the demon couldn't leave the Summoning Circle, as stated in the contract. She put on an 'I'm better and in-charge' persona. She then scoffed when she stated, "Quit your whining and just do what I order you to."
Asmodeus growled once more when they snapped angrily, "As I told you all the prior times before! I am Asmodeus, the Lord of Lust! What your ridiculous list entails is that of Wrath and Greed! I CAN'T do ANYTHING that DOES NOT have Lust!"
Lila let out a humph as she walked away from the Summoning Circle and said, "Instead of making up excuses, you just do what I want. It'll be easier on everyone." with that she left the basement, the Miasma taking the opportunity to escape while it could.
Asmodeus let out another growl as they punched the barrier in pure aggravation.
This was bad... So very, very bad... Catastrophic!
It was bad enough that the Lord of Lust was trapped here and would certainly miss their Book Club Meeting, but the repercussions to the mortal plain was now more dire than before.
The Miasma only got thicker as it pushed through any little opening it could find in the basement, and into the rest of the building.
}I{ Sunset }I{
The Miraculous Heroes met up at their agreed meeting point before the battle with Hawkmoth, and possibly Mayura, who was most likely to be Nathalie.
"Chaton... Are you sure you're okay with going through this?" Ladybug asked her Hero partner for probably the 5th time in the past 30 minutes.
Chat Noir frowned when he retorted as he rolled his eyes, "Bugaboo, I know you mean well, and I do appreciate it, but..."
Chloe's new Hero persona, Anabella Bee folded her arms when she said, "As much as I want to disagree with Dupain-Cheng, I get why she's asking." This new Hero Persona, which was based more on the Green Orchid Bee rather than the typical black and yellow bees was created so she could continue to be a hero after everything is settled and NOT have baddies come after her when she was chilling. The main colour of her suit was a lovely shade of metallic green with her knee-high boots and gloves being a solid shade of black. She had a white belt around her waist and white lines at the helm of the boots and gloves to break the colours up. Her blonde hair had emerald green highlights. And lastly, her mask was also metallic green with chrome blue lends to emphasise her blue eyes. She looked at her childhood friend when she followed up asking, "Adrikins, are you sure you want to do this?"
Chat Noir gave his friend a flat look at the question. Carapace placed a hand on the Black cat Hero when he stated calmly in an understanding tone. "They're just worried about you, and I can't blame them. This IS your old man we're going to be fighting..."
Chat Noir slumped a bit before he grumbled, "I know, but you guys still don't have to ask so often..."
Minatorix gave a shrug when he said, "True, but that's not going to stop us from worrying."
Mouseketeer (Mouse!Mylene) (1) had to agree with her boyfriend when she said, "Especially since... Well, we don't want you beating yourself up for... You know," She gave the Black Cat Holder a worried look when she added, "You couldn't have known, especially with how reclusive he's been even to you..."
Rena Rouge couldn't help but say, "We know this might be hard on you, so don't push yourself too hard." She was being completely honest, she didn't want Adrien to put too much on himself in this battle. Alya read enough about heroes having to fight their Villain parents, and she DID NOT want her friend having to go through that.
Vermillion Spur (Rooster!Nath) was using a pair of binoculars to see what he could of the Agreste mansion. His red hair was styled in a comb-over Mohawk, wearing a greenish-black mask that covered the upper half of his face, the part of his hero outfit that was from his neck to his waist was a shimmering red while the part of his outfit from the waist to his ankle boots were a greenish-black, the entire costume had this semi-feathery design to it, the outfit wasn't skin tight but not too loose, the boots were orange with chicken treads on the souls, and had a black belt that held a pair of daggers at hiships. The Rooster Holder let out a hum before removing the binoculars from his eyes and saying, "But since this is Mr Agreste, then it's possible that he wants to bring back the missing Mrs Agreste with that wish."
Jason Blood leaned against the railing as he stared at the Agreste mansion when he mused out loud, "That is most likely to be the case." He narrowed his eyes when he added coldly, "However, depending on whether he knew about the price of that wish or not will Weigh heavily on how long his conviction will be."
"Price of the wish?" Ryuuko parrots in confusion. Kagami decided to use her prior Hero persona for now. She'll think up a new persona after all this is over. But now her curiosity has peaked about this information.
Ziggy, sitting on Jason Blood's shoulder, explained that piece of information, "Yes, the Miraculous of the Ladybug and Black Cat can grant any wish when used together, but there is a price to using that kind of power. In order to gain your desire, you have to relinquish something of equal value."
Jason then added, "Life and Death, good and evil, light and dark, Yin and yang. There must always be a balance. And should anything tilt the scales of Balance in any way without compensating, that is a recipe for disaster on both sides of the scale." He looked at the Miraculous Heroes when he said, "If Mr Agreste's goal is for his missing wife to return, someone of equal value to Mr Agreste will have to take Mrs Agreste's place as 'missing' as the price."
Chat Noir shank at this when he got out meekly, "So... If Father follows through on that with... Then either Nathalie or I will take my mother's place..."
Ziggy gave the black clad hero a sympathetic look before saying, "Pretty much." He looked at Jason when he added, "But we don't know if Nooroo told Mr Agreste about the price of the wish or if Mr Agreste silenced him before he could get to that part."
Jason eyed the goat Kwami when he nodded and said, "True and that's why I plan on administering a test of my own on top of whatever Satan has planned." His eyes were on the Heroes again when he asked them, "Is everyone ready?"
Pink Truffles (pig!Rose) (1), Tigress (Tiger!Juleka) (1), Roi Singe, Pegasus, Minatorix, Mouseketeer, Rena Rouge, Viperion, Bunnyx, Vermillion Spur, Carapace, Ryuuka, Anabella Bee, and Rottweiler (Dog!Sabrina) (1) nodded alongside Ladybug and Chat Noir. Now they just need to wait for Satan's signal, and the final battle will begin.
}{
Azrael was lingering in front of the bookshelf longer than they would've actually liked but it was just so strange to them.
Satan walked over to the other to see what was going on only to get caught up in the weirdness on the bookshelf. After staring at the spines of the heat row of books, the Lord of wrath asked the other entity, "Azrael..."
"Yes," the embodiment of patience vocalised, their eyes not leaving the bookshelf.
That was when Satan asked, "Adrien is still a child, right?"
Azrael nodded when they replied, "Yes, but in the adolescence range."
Satan folded his arms when he vocalised, "I know literature isn't quite my thing, knowledge-wise, but..." he indicates the books on the shelf when he adds, "Aren't these particular works geared to an adult-minded audience in the mortal plane?"
Azrael nodded when they vocalised, "They are. And while I am aware that high schools do require that the students read one or two of these books for education purposes, there's no reason for a teenager to own more of them than needed or the ones that they like." The embodiment of Patience quickly scanned all the book spines on the shelf before they finally stated, "And it appears that Adrien has almost every piece of classic literature, except for the playwrights of William Shakespeare."
Satan scratched his cheek when he commented, "Not to stereotype, because you know how much I loathe that, but I can't see any teen or child reading Every piece of classic literature of their own will."
Azrael let out a hum before they mused as they lifted their right arm up, "You are right, and even if they would read these types of books on their own, it would be the few that they are truly interested in." They dragged their right index finger across the shelf space in front of the books at eye-level and then inspected the level of dust that they picked up. Azrael narrowed their green eyes at what they were seeing before saying, "But it seems like these books are nothing more than a decorative display." They blew the dust off their finger.
Satan scanned the dusty shelf space in front of the book spines and saw how much dust there was. He frowned when he stated, "Hm, I want to say that it's because Adrien hasn't lived here in a few weeks, but there's too much dust for that..." He then noticed three semi-dust voids on the shelves, each in front of an empty space in the book line-up, and commented, "Looks like little Adrien took the ones he liked when he moved in with his bodyguard..."
Azrael made a logical guess when they mused, "If this is supposed to be a collection of classic literature, then the missing books would be Around the World in 80 Days, Bridge to Terabithia, and Peter Pan." They placed a hand on their chin when they mused, "Interesting that Adrien favoured those three in particular."
Satan glanced at his heavenly sibling when he asked, "How so?"
Azrael turned and made their way to the open window when they stated, "I'll make an exact miniature of this room later to help explain. Right now, we need to signal the Miraculous Holders so they can start their battle."
Satan thought about those words for a bit before he shrugged his shoulders and followed the other when he said, "Fair enough."
Within the next minute, the Lord of Wrath sent his signal, and Pegasus opened a voyage portal into Adrien's room to start their plan.
}{
Something was off in the Ring of Lust, the denizens knew it!
But for the love of them, they couldn't put their fingers on it!
}{
With Bunnyx on standby and Viperion in Adrien's room with his Second Chance active, just in case anything should happen, the Miraculous Heroes began the first step in their plan.
Thanks to Chat Noir's memory of the Agreste's mansion layout, the Heroes were able to avoid detection, and the security cameras, while they quietly crept into each of the rooms to search for Gabriel and Nathalie. But strangely enough, they were nowhere to be seen... Anywhere in the mansion despite the fact that they should've been in...
When they radioed this to Viperion, he restarted to the save point and told everyone what happened.
Rottweiler folded her arms when she suggested, "Maybe they're in their secret villain lair." Her hero costume had the colour-theme of the dog she shared a name with; a mostly black bodysuit with tanned gloves, boots, mask, and a section of her chest, had a white belt that held a police baton, the boots had dog paw prints on the souls, and her bob-cut hair was black with orange highlights. Rottweiler Shrugged when she added, "I mean... Gabe's rich enough to have had one installed. Maybe before he became Hawkmoth or when he had the mansion built."
Pegasus tapped his chin when he mused, "Given the workers would have reported having to build a secret lair right before Hawkmoth appeared, it's more likely that the lair was built when the mansion was." He nodded his head towards Chat Noir when he added, "Plus, Adrien would've remembered any construction here."
Fair point...
Jason closed his eyes as everyone thought about where this 'Lair' could be when he went over the blueprint locations in a house this size out loud. The young heroes replied with "checked that" at every word spoken, at least until the redheaded man said, "Attic" and "Basement". The Heroes looked at each other as if asking, 'Did you check those rooms?'
Chat Noir shook his head when he said, "We don't have an attic or a basement."
Jason and Ziggy raised a brow at the answer before the redhead man pulled the blueprints Azrael acquired out of his subspace and opened it. The Heroes could hear Jason muttering, "I could've sworn I saw them in the blueprints..." The redheaded man placed the blueprints on the coffee table between Adrien's couch and telly as he pointed at where the basement and attic were on the blueprints when he stated, "And here they are."
Ziggy floated over the blueprints when he mused, "If they're in the blueprints then they should have been constructed."
Chat Noir and Anabella Bee scanned the blueprints. The blueprints lined up with what they knew about the Agreste mansion, except for the rather large sections that were in the right locations to be the attic and basement.
Chat Noir was very dumbstruck when Anabella Bee asked if these were accurate. Jason nodded when he stated, "Lord Azrael triple-checked..." That was when the redheaded man had a thought before he placed his left hand on his chin when he mused, "But... They did mention that it was marked as a 'rough draft' for some reason and the one marked 'current' didn't feel accurate..."
Everyone paused as they let those facts sink in...
Things were then quite for a good, long 30 seconds before Carapace asked his boi, "Uh, my dude, with all this... 'Deception' regarding the construction of this place... I can't help but think that your parents might have planned... Something bad... So have you ever..."
Chat Noir slowly shook his head when he said in uneasiness, "No... I didn't... I mean, I never had a reason to suspect them of doing anything bad..." Now that the black cat hero thought about it... There were a few times where he would look for one of his parents or Nathalie where they said they would be but didn't find them there. Of course, Adrien reasonably thought that they needed to get something in another room or went to get something to eat or drink. But if it wasn't those reasons... Why did it feel like his parents betrayed their own rules? Chat Noir decided to dwell on that after this battle was over.
Pegasus couldn't help but mused, "I can't blame you for not noticing. You don't look for things that you aren't aware of." He did have a point.
Mouseketeer looked over the blueprints when she noticed an oddity. She tapped on that section when she vocalised. "This is weird. According to this, the entrance to both the attic and the basement are in the same room." She tapped on that part of the blueprint to emphasise her point.
Vermillion Spur looked at that spot when he mused out loud, "You're right." He thought about his own home and the homes he's been to in the past before he finally said, "The entrance to the attic and the basement are structured in different locations."
Minatorix placed a hand to his chin when he mused, "Typically, the attic entrance is located close to wherever the closest room is to it while the basement is on the ground floor." He looked at the spot on the blueprints where this building's attic and basement's entrances were when he added, "According to this... Both are smack in the middle of the mansion,"
Curiosity got the better of Chat Noir as he squeezed between his friends to see what they were talking about. When he saw the section he got out in suspicion, "Weird... That's where Father's home office is..." A sick realisation dawned on the black clad hero when he got out in disbelief and uneasiness, "Oh, you got to be fucking kidding me! He's been going into his lair to be Hawkmoth when he told me that he was doing stuff for work!?"
Ryuuko had a flat look when she commented, "I would assume that he told you not to disturb him while he "worked", correct?"
Chat Noir looked at the Dragon Hero when he nodded and replied, "Yes, he did..." He realised something else when he placed a hand on his chin when he mused out loud, "So THAT'S why he wanted me to make an appointment with him if I needed to talk to him directly, or used a tablet's webcam! I thought it was because he cared more about his company than he did me!" He ran an aggravated hand through his hair when he added bitterly, "I feel so stupid for writing off his 'isolation' as him grieving mother!"
The other heroes didn't say a word, not because they didn't want to but because they didn't know how to tell Adrien that he couldn't have known in a way that didn't make it seem that they were just saying it to make him feel better...
That was when Jason stated sternly, "Grief can make people do things they wouldn't normally do and everyone's reaction to grief varies. Isolating oneself from the world is a form of grieving, so I'm not surprised you would think Mr Agreste was grieving. In a way he is, but you were also grieving your missing mother so that was also a factor." He glanced away when he muttered, "But their are some people in the world who can hid how bad their grief is... But I don't think Mr Agreste was one of them..."
Why did the Miraculous Heroes have a feeling that the redheaded man revealed something he shouldn't have?
Meh, not important right now. But something to think about afterwards.
"So... Mr Agreste's home office?" Ladybug vocalised wirily. Everyone nodded in agreement.
Ziggy quickly pointed out, "Given the butterflies Hawkmoth uses, I would start with the attic." He then flew over towards his current holder and sat back on his right shoulder.
Ryuuko looked at the red headed man when she asked, "Are you sure you will stay behind?"
Jason Blood replied seriously, "Only for now, I'll join in when Phase Two is activated."
Ziggy nodded in agreement when he added, "The ability of my Miraculous works best when the enemy doesn't see it coming."
Ryuuko thought about those facts for a bit before she had a 'fair enough' expression.
As the teens started on leaving Adrien's room, Jason reminded, "Make sure to give Hawkmoth and Mayura a good head start when Phase Two starts." They all nodded in understanding before they left.
Jason mumbled under his breath. "I'm not making that same mistake," Ziggy nuzzled the other's cheek in understanding.
}{
The stationed Angel in front of the Rossi building watched the latest ambulance leave, this time with two residents of the building.
This got the building manager and owner to call a professional to check the building for leaks, and made sure to ask for the earliest appointment they had.
The stationed Angel recorded the whole conversation in their record book.
}{
Carapace jangled the knob of Mr Agreste's home office and then clicked his tongue in a frustrated manner. He removed his hand from the knob when he grumbled, "Why am I not surprised that it's locked."
Chat Noir was confused when he vocalised, "How? Only the personal bathrooms, the bathrooms near the kitchen, entrances, and the gate have locks."
The other Miraculous Heroes slowly turned their attention to the black clad hero at those words in a combination of confusion, disbelief, and 'Wtf?'
After who knows how long, Anabella Bee finally asked her childhood friend, "Chat... Are you telling us that NONE of the doors inside this place, except for the bathrooms, have locks?"
Chat Noir was perfectly innocent when he replied, "Aren't all houses that way?"
Oh, boy, that was a can of worms the Heroes didn't expect to open... But they'll have to deal with that later, After everything settles...
But it WAS suspicious that the Agreste's work office had a look when all the other rooms inside the mansion, except for bathrooms, didn't have locks.
Tigress pulled two hair clips out of her hair and went to pick the lock open. The rest of the group glanced at each other in an unsure manner before the door clicked open.
Well... No one was going to complain about it
Cautiously, the Heroes entered the Agreste Home Office. Of course, neither Gabriel or Nathalie were inside, but that only made them even more tense. more sure that they were closer to the hidden lair.
Chat Noir made a beeline to the portrait of his mother. The others thought it was because of recent events, but when the black cat hero moved the portrait like a door to reveal the safe hidden behind it, everything fell into place.
Carapace walked over to Chat Noir and whispered to him, "Is that the safe you got that book your old man was being butt sore about you taking?"
Chat Noir nodded before he moved to put in the combination. Granted, he was guessing, but knowing his father…
The safe swung open without a fuss.
"So... It was Her birthday... Figures..." Chat Noir mumbled, but with how quiet the room was, everyone heard it. He pulled out the Miraculous Glamour and the identical copy. No words were spoken when Chat Noir handed both to Ladybug, who stared at them with widened eyes. The red-clad hero accepted the books and quickly squirrelled them away in her yo-yo.
Carapace took a framed photo of Emilie Agreste out of the safe and looked at it with a raised brow. 'Why would the dick keep a photo of her in a safe that's hidden behind a portrait of her?' the Turtle hero thought in confusion. He glanced at the computer monitor to see the screensaver was that of Gabriel Agreste and Emilie, then there were three different framed photos of Emilie, and one photo of Gabriel, Emilie, and Nathalie. Carapace narrowed his eyes as he placed the photo back in the safe and closed it. He was about to do the same with the portrait when he noticed how... Oddly heavy it was...
Carapace tested the hinges keeping the portrait from falling before he whispered/called to the Rooster Holder, "Hey, Vermillion Spur, are paintings this size supposed to be this heavy?"
The redheaded hero walked over to where Carapace was and tested the weight of the painting. Vermillion Spur raised a brow when he mused, "Unless the frame is made of something dense or there is something hidden under the painting, it shouldn't be."
Hmm...
Pegasus grabbed his horseshoe weapon and held it at eye-level to look through the 'U' part of it at the painting as it was moved back in place. Like a scanner, the Horse Holder's weapon analysed the portrait. Pegasus narrowed his eyes when he looked at the data and Stated, "It appears that there is some sort of electrical system embedded in the portrait." He moved closer to the painting while still holding his weapon up. Once Pegasus was close enough, he pressed the 'squares' on the painting to test the system out.
Not even ten seconds later, the elevator to the attic opened.
Rottweiler gave Pegasus a worriedly suspicious look before he retorted with a shrug, "I guess luck is on our side if I got it on the first try..."
The next issue was... It was a small elevator... Probably two people could fit, three if they squeeze in...
Vipereon couldn't help but comment. "There better be a hidden stairway for emergency safety reasons,"
Roi Singe replied flatly, "I don't think Hawkdick thought about that, but I would hope Mrs Agreste did..."
Of course, Ladybug and Chat Noir went in the elevator first, to start the final battle.
}{
Damocles saved the story file onto his tablet. Both translated and untranslated from the original language. Granted the translated copy was for him and the Dupont staff, and the untranslated was for Jason Blood and Raguel who probably could read German and could catch a few extra details that the translator mistranslated or missed.
Damocles let out a breath as he wondered how this was going to affect the investigation.
}{
The moment Ladybug and Chat Noir emerged from the elevator to the attic, they pinpointed where Gabriel and Nathalie were and immediately went on the attack. Thesecratory was quickly restrained with rope that Ladybug had squirilled in her yo-yo earlier that day. Gabriel, activating the Peacock Miraculous, was on the defence due to the constant attacks from Chat Noir.
Ladybug was about to join in the fight when a familiar green shield came flying through the air and hit Fowl!Gabe right in the butt.
"Uh, I think you need to work on your aim," Anabella Bee commented as she stepped out of the elevator to stand next to Carapace.
The Turtle Hero smirked when he said as the shield returned to him, "No, I don't~."
Ladybug couldn't help but comment, "You've been practising just to do that?" Carapace simply smiled.
Of course, Chat Noir took advantage of Fowl!Gabe 'yowch' moment to hit him in the head with his baton, hard. That caused him to fall over and landed on his throbbing backside, which caused him to leap up with a pained yelp.
Nathalie somehow managed to activate the security system as the rest of the Heroes slowly came into the rather oversized attic.
}{
Jason Blood and Ziggy could hear the 'Attic Security' from Adrien's room.
"I should transform into Nocturn's Sonata now..." The redheaded muttered as he moved his left hand to rub the earring on that side, a stud in the shape of a grey ram horn. He then added, "It'll be best to be ready."
Ziggy nodded when he said, "You know the phrase."
Jason nodded as well when he stated, "Ziggy, fall into Dreams." With that, the ram horn earrings turned black with white lines breaking it up into five sections and the goat Kwamigot sucked into one of them.
}{
Fowl!Gabe didn't know what the hell was happening but he sure as hell knew why it was happening! The Miraculous Heroes figured out who he was! And they attacked while he was unable to use the Butterfly Miraculous, in fact, it was as if they knew he couldn't use it.
Another hit to Fowl!Gabe's rear caused him to topple over on Nathalie. That was when he realised that the redheaded man with the high level of magic must have told them everything! Who he was, what he couldn't do for a while, and what to expect! Fowl!Gabe ground his teeth as he thought, 'Avoiding the Miraculous my arse! He must've somehow convinced the heroes to listen to him!' as he managed to untie Nathalie and they activated the second security measure.
The emergency staircase, and locking the heroes in the attic. This should buy them some time to grab Adrien and hide in the basement.
Ladybug radioed Jason Blood when she said, "Phase Two is initiated." When she got confirmation, she closed her yo-yo and turned to the other heroes.
The main security system has been taken care of and there was a mess of lasers and mechanical parts.
Minatorix let out a breath when he asked no one in particular, "Okay, how come the people who installed this shit didn't think it was weird that a fashion mogul needed this kind of security?"
Pegasus picked up a piece of metal with a logo pressed into it as he muttered bitterly, "Could be because the corporation is already into shady things." He then showed the rest of the team the logo.
A LexCorps logo (2).
Oh... That explains it,
Rena Rouge took a snapshot of that with her flute.
Pink Truffles managed to find a pedestal with a closed box on top of it. She picked the box up and opened it, revealing the Butterfly Miraculous.
Nooroo appeared in a purple light. He was confused at first, but once he realised what was going on, Nooroo was ecstatic.
}{
The villainous duo ran out of the hidden staircase and made a beeline towards the bedroom areas.
"Nathalie?"
Both Fowl!Gabe and Nathalie skidded to a halt when they saw Adrien standing in the middle of the hallway with a confused look on his face. When the blonde boy noticed Fowl!Gabe, he started to panic when he told the secretary, "Nathalie! Get away from that guy! I think that's Hawkmoth with the Peacock Miraculous!"
Fowl!Gabe took a Step towards his son when he said, "Adrien, you need to come with us."
Of course, 'Adrien' backed away from the villain in fear. His squarish eyes were wide with shock, his slightly pointed ears that poke out from under his hair were trembling, and his long eyelashes seemed to flutter when he stuttered out, "F-F-Father?! You're Hawkmoth?" The blonde boy took another step back when he asked, "Why?"
Fowl!Gabe took a step towards his son when he explained, "I did it so I can use the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous to bring your mother back."
'Adrien' took another step back when he said sharply, "Mother is gone! What do the Miraculous have to do with bringing her back?"
Fowl!Gabe was about to explain, but Nathalie took a few steps towards Adrien when she stated, "the combined power of the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous can grant any wish, so we had planned to use it to bring Emilie back."
'Adrien' seemed to have put the facts together before he got out in shock, "Wait! If that's the case! Then, why couldn't you have simply asked Ladybug and Chat Noir for help? Surely if you explained everything to them, then they would've given you that wish." It was a logical train of thought for an innocent minded teenager, just like how Adrien would think.
Fowl!Gabe was stern when he snapped, "They're teenagers! They wouldn't know about the wish or how to use it! Only Nathalie and I can use the wish to bring Emilie back!"
'Adrien' kept backing away when he vocalised, "You mean! You would rather terrorise an entire city for years instead of asking others for help?! Father! Nathalie! Have both of you gone insane from grief!?"
Instead of answering, Fowl!Gabe quickly snapped, "Enough of your silly questions! You need to come with us! Now!" He held out a hand, already expecting his son to take it
But 'Adrien' only stared at his Father and Nathalie in dismay before he bolted in the opposite direction.
Of course, Fowl!Gabe and Nathalie chased after him. They followed him until the grand ballroom, but 'Adrien' was already on the other side by the time they entered. That was when someone from the shadows said, "Requiem of Elysium," and then started playing a violin.
Fowl!Gabe and Nathalie thought they heard something, but brushed it off as they continued to chase after Adrien. They were able to catch up to him in a few seconds, just before the Heroes appeared on the other side of the main entranceway.
Fowl!Gabe quickly grabbed Adrien and pulled him into a headlock when he growled and snapped at the Heroes, "Not another step closer!"
Of course, the gaggle of heroes stopped in their tracks. Chat Noir let out a feral growl at this before he snapped, "You jerk! You would use your own son as a shield!?"
Fowl!Gabe was quick to retort with a smirk, "I won't have to if you willingly hand your Miraculous over." Nathalie was already ready to take action if needed.
The heroes glanced at one another before Ladybug finally said, "Alright, Hawkmoth, you win..." But she was quick to state sternly, "However, we keep our civilian identities a secret!"
Fowl!Gabe was quick to state, "Fine by me. As long as I get the Miraculous, I'm fine with not knowing who you are under the masks." He nodded his head towards one of the main doorways when he added, "You can take them off there and leave them by the door, you can leave through the gate and I won't chase you down."
The heroes did just that.
They left the mansion, leaving their Miraculous behind at the door for the two villains.
Of course, Nathalie and Fowl!Gabe used the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous right away for the wish, and wished Emilie back.
Before they even knew it, Gabriel and Nathalie were in front of the cryogenic tube that Emilie slept in just as she slowly emerged from it. Of course, when Emilie saw the two of them, she smiled that beautiful smile of hers.
Soon enough, everything was back to normal in the Agreste household. Gabriel running his fashion company, Nathalie keeping everything in order, and Emilie modelling all the wonderful designs.
And things were just pure perfection from there. Everything was how it was supposed to be. Everything was perfect in the Agreste family.
}{
"That is both very fascinating and very creepy," Pegasus stated as he and the other Heroes essentially... Watched Gabriel and Nathalie's 'Perfect Dream' play out before them. Of course, Chat Noir was creeped out by what he was seeing, not that anyone could blame him. Anabella Bee was also unnerved by this, followed by Rottweiler.
Carapace couldn't help but comment, "I totally agree with you, my dude..."
Violin music was being played in the background as both Fowl!Gabe and Nathalie laid on the cold ground of the grand ballroom, unconscious, as their 'Perfect Dream' played on what essentially was a dream cloud floating over the two.
'Adrien' walked into view when he commented, "It seems like Lord Satan predicted as much with him."
Of course, the Miraculous Heroes had to do a double-take when they saw the look-alike and Chat Noir standing close to each other. The Black cat hero quickly explains his 'Deal' with Satan and why it was made. To everyone's credit as friends and allies, they completely understood and couldn't blame Satan for the whole thing. In fact, they were more worried about Adrien, the real one, after everything was over.
Ladybug looked up at the bannister above to see Jason Blood with the Ghoat Miraculous activated.
He was sitting on the railing of the bannister with his legs hanging over the edge. His red hair was now long enough to reach his waist and had some curly kinks toit sporadically, the upper part of the hero suit was white around the left shoulder, left for arm, upper and lower side of his left chest, the lower right side of his chest, and on his right hand while the rest of the loose-fitting outfit was black aside from the grey belt and the decorative lines that split the black and white colours. The black and white mask he wore only had his nose, mouth, and chin exposed. His eyes were only half open, but you could see that they resembled the ones goats had. And the violin he was playing matched his hero suit, the body of the instrument was black, the neck was white, and the strings, tuning pegs, and bridge were grey. The bow matched the violin it was paired with, but the ends seemed oddly scythe-like.
The Miraculous Heroes remembered Jason Blood calling this persona Nocturn's Sonata, or something relating to music. Kind of appropriate, in all honesty.
Nocturn's Sonata noticed the red-clad hero's stare when he said as he continued to play the violin, "Let me move to another bannister before to take the Peacock Miraculous." He carefully stood on top of the bannister's railing before he hopped onto the one next to it, and then the next one, all while he continued playing the violin.
Once Nocturn's Sonata was on the farthest banaster from the group, Ladybug moved to take the peacock Miraculous off of Fowl!Gabe's chest, turning him back into Gabriel Agreste. The red-clad hero couldn't help but glance at the 'Dream' the villainous duo were sharing. Yeah, sure it was a lovely and sweet dream, but it felt like she was invading someone's most private moment... Ladybug couldn't prevent a shutter from pulsing through her spine as Dusuu cheered happily for being free.
Anabella Bee and Carapace tied both Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie up so they couldn't escape, maybe a little tighter than needed but no one was going to complain. The police arrived a few seconds later and were given the whole story, or what they could be told.
Once the police were ready to take 'Hawkmoth' and 'Mayura' into custody. Nocturn's Sonata finally stopped playing the violin.
The moment the music was no more, Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie slowly started waking up. The 'Dream Cloud' made a beeline to the violin's matching bow, engulfing it before seeping into the instrument's tool.
When the villainous duo's eyes opened and saw the heroes, reality hit both of them like a truck. Gabriel growled when he snapped, "You! You tricked us!"
"They didn't," Nocturn's Sonata stated as he gracefully leapt off the bannister and smoothly landed on the ground. The violin was attached to his back as the bow morphed into a scythe. The redheaded man smirked when he stated as his attention was focused on the villainous duo, "I did. And my, my, my, did I learn a lot."
The sudden mocking tone threw the Miraculous group for a loop. After all, Nocturn's Sonata never acted like this before... So why did the persona change now? 'Adrien' looked rather confused by this. Whether it's because this look-alike was doing his best to act like Adrien or not was unknown, but frankly, everyone was confused so it wasn't too out there.
Nocturn's Sonata twirled his scythe in his left hand three times before the blade of the weapon glowed. From the blade, a white misty cloud manifested from it. The cloudy mist solidified while its tail remained connected to the scythe blade, and started replaying moments from Gabriel and Nathalie's 'Dream' for everyone to see. More specifically, the moment Fowl!Gabe held Adrien hostage.
With that smirk still on his face, Nocturn's Sonata stated cynically, "How parental~, using your own child as a shield and hostage. I can't think of a better person to call 'Father'. Such a wonderful thing, right?" He replayed the moment again, with the audio a little louder for everyone to hear what Fowl!Gabe had said at that moment.
THAT clearly made Chat Noir uncomfortable enough to somewhat hide behind Ladybug, who took his hand and allowed him to squeeze it. She didn't complain about how tight his grip was, she more than understood.
Annabella Bee let out a low buzzing hum in anger as a familiar feel bubbled up as Rottweiler bared her teeth as she growled. Carapace was glaring daggers at Gabriel. Rena Rouge tightened her grip on her flute so hard that she thought it would crack. Pink Truffles, Tigress, Mouseketeer, Vermillion Spur, Minatorix, Roi Singe, Pegasus, and Viperion all looked very uncomfortable regarding this information. Ryuuko was mixed about it, torn between pitying her friend and being thankful that her strict mother would never do such a thing.
Gabriel was thick to snap in anger, "I wouldn't have harmed him! And! And you tricked us!"
Nocturn's Sonata kept that smirk plastered on his face when he retorted, mocking tone still in place, "Perhaps, but, your reactions to the 'Dream' was all on you~."
Both Gabriel and Nathalie froze at those words.
"Father... You... You would've really..." The Adrien look-alike vocalised in a tone that had a mix of dismay, disgust, and disbelief, and he was sporting an expression that solidified that fact. Whoever or whatever this look-alike was, was acting just like the real Adrien would have if he wasn't currently Chat Noir.
Gabriel avoided eye-contact with who he believed was his son.
That was answer enough for the real Adrien.
However, Nocturn's Sonata didn't stop there. He swung the blade of his scythe into the air, causing more of the misty clouds to form. Those clouds then started playing the moments of the 'Dream' that took place after the 'Wish' took place. Nocturn's Sonata let out a thoughtful hum as he looked over the 'Dream Scenes' before he finally asked rather casually, "Do you know what the hardest thing to find is?"
Everyone was confused by the sudden, and weird, question. What did that have to do with this situation?
Nocturn's Sonata glanced at the villainous duo, police, the Adrien look-alike, and the Miraculous Heroes when he stated in an eerily chary, matter-of-fact tone, "The thing that isn't there! It is incredibly difficult to look for something you don't see or know about, that's why it's so hard to find."
Oh… Kay... That's... An oddly interesting fact, but what did this have to do with this situation... Or the fact that he had parts of Gabriel and Nathalie's 'Perfect Dream' playing for all to see...
...
...
...
"Oh! You fucking bastard!" Carapace growled out in anger as he practically branded Gabriel Agreste with daggers of fury.
Rena Rouge took a step towards her boyfriend when she asked, "Pace, what's wrong? Explain, Please."
Carapace pointed at the 'Dream Clouds' when he snapped, "Take a look at those scenes and tell me who you Don't see!"
Roi Singe scratched his head as he and the other teens looked at the 'Dream Clouds' again And this time, they understood Nocturn's Sonata's words...
They didn't see Adrien in any of those 'Perfect Dream Scenes'...
Chat Noir gripped the back of Ladybug's outfit with his other hand, trying to hide his emotions from the onlookers who didn't know who he was. The red-clad heroe rubbed her thumb over the hand she was holding in an attempt to sooth the black-clad hero.
The Fakedrien was livid with rage when he snapped, "Father! Did you! Did you even care about me?! At all?! Or was I just a pawn for you to use?!" He was acting and saying the exact things the real Adrien wanted to say right now.
Gabriel was quick to retort in desperation, "Of course, I care about you, Adrien!"
But no one seemed to believe those words.
Nocturn's Sonata tapped his scythe on his left shoulder when he commented, "Hm, considering that little Adrien apparently disappeared right after you made that wish in your dream, there are three possibilities." He took a step towards the villainous duo when he stated, "First Possibility; you don't care about your son despite your claims. And is more like a porcelain doll for you to customise to make you feel more accomplished." The Goat Holder took another step towards the villainous duo when he added, "Second possibility; you were using little Adrien as some kind of surrogate for Mrs Agreste until you both had her back."
There was a collective "Ew" from the Miraculous Heroes at that one.
Fakedrien couldn't help but comment in a creeped out tone, "I... Can confirm that the second one isn't true... Outside the comments about me being like Mother..."
That didn't sound as comforting as he had hoped...
Nocturn's Sonata held up his right hand with his index, middle, and ring fingers extended when he stated, taking another step towards the villainous done, "Which leads us to the third and most likely possibility." With a dark expression, he got within Gabriel's personal space when he stated coldly, "You KNEW the Price."
Chat Noir felt his heart stop as he pressed his forehead against Ladybug's shoulder. Ladybug, on the other hand, felt her stomach drop to her feet in a flurry of dread. And the third hand, which had to be someone's, the other Heroes were ready to thrash Gabriel's butt, again. Annabella Bee, Rottweiler, and Carapace appeared to be the ones most eager to do so. Although, Ryuuko seemed to be testing the sharpness of her blade.
What made it all worse was that neither Gabriel nor Nathalie said anything.
The police then hauled the two out without another word as Nocturn's Sonata dissipated the 'Dream Clouds' with a soft breath.
Once the police left the mansion with the two villains. Ladybug finally said something. But it wasn't her usual warm tone, "What the hell was THAT about?" That made the other Miraculous Heroes do a double-take, even Fakedrien did this.
Nocturn's Sonata glanced over his shoulder to look at the teens when he stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "Given the 'Deal' Adrien made with Satan, it would be best to ensure that he won't have any regrets once it is completed." The scythe shrank and retracted to the size of a pen that he attached to his belt when he added, "You can't have any doubts in those kinds of 'Deals' nor can you walk back on them." Nocturn's Sonata turned to the team when he finally said, "I do apologise for the 'show', but it was needed."
The young heroes wanted to retort and say that it wasn't and tell the man that he was being cruel with how he presented the facts... But... They knew he was right... Yeah, it sucked and it hurt, but it was the truth... They now know that Gabriel Agreste would've followed through on the wish at the cost of his son... Without a second thought...
Yeah, it was harsh, and yeah, it hurt so much, but... They can move on from this once the pain fades... That they didn't have to worry about whether or not it was the right thing to do...
Chat Noir took a deep breath before he said as he lowered his gaze, "I'm… I'm going to go home... And sleep for the next day..." He moved away from Ladybug and started walking towards the entrance, passing the Fakedrien without looking at him.
That was when the Adrien look-alike stated, "The Deal is still ongoing, so it would be best to be prepared for the rest of that." The black-clad hero paused as he let those words sink in.
Chat Noir nodded when he replied solemnly, "I know..." then continued on the way out.
Ladybug turned to her team when she said, "Annabella, Carapace, Rottweiler!" She didn't need to continue.
Those three nodded before they headed off towards Chat Noir. They left the mansion together.
An officer came back to take 'Adrien' to a safe house for the time being. The 'teen' left with the thankful officer, acting just like the real Adrien would've if it were him.
Soon enough, the other Miraculous Heroes headed home.
}{
The moment Nocturn's Sonata slipped back into the hotel suite he rented. He de-transformed back to Jason Blood and gave Ziggy a grape to eat. The Kwami happily chewed down on the fruit as Jason got some more grapes for the little sprite to eat.
As Ziggy happily ate the munchies, Jason made a beeline to the bedroom. The redheaded man quietly opened the door and peered inside to see Kathryn tucked under the covers, asleep, and hugging her favourite plushie close. Jason smiled softly as he quietly walked into the room and moved until he sat on the unoccupied bed next to the one the child was sleeping in.
Kathryn stirred slightly, but remained asleep. She nuzzled the plushie of Darkrai she held. It was kind of ironic, the lore of the Pokémon was that it gave nightmares to anyone who was asleep in its presence, yet Kathryn couldn't sleep soundly without a plushie of Darkrai right next to her.
"You are not like that fool. You would never use a child as a tool," the demonic voice from within told the redhead, knowing exactly what he was thinking.
Jason knew this. He knew he would never willingly risk the life of a child... Especially his and Glenda's... Even though Kathryn couldn't be...
It still didn't stop him from worrying. Like the parent he was.
}I{
Marinette didn't sleep so well… Or rather, she couldn't nap so well. Morning is in an hour and the Ladybug hero wasn't able to settle down. She did a few restful tricks for insomnia that help, but she really didn't sleep.
The aftermath of the battle with Hawkmoth should've been a relief for her, but that whole issue with Gabriel ready to use his own son to get what he wanted left an uneasy bubble in her gut that wouldn't go away.
With a sigh, marinette checked her phone for the time, again. She might as well get out of bed now...
Tikki seemed to sense her Holder's feelings and followed.
}{
With a family as big as hers and with a mother in the cooking industry, you bet Alya knew her way around the kitchen. She knew her parents always got up first, then Nora, then her, and the twins last. But Alya was up, so she decided to cook breakfast while she waited for everyone to wake up.
}{
Nino carefully poured the batter into the pan and then plopped in some strawberry bits and blueberries into the mix. After a minute or so, he flipped the hot cake so it cooked on the other side.
}{
Kim read the recipe from the book as he carefully cooked.
}{
Max platted the eggs before he brought them to the table.
}{
Luka and Juleka tag-teamed the breakfast making and setting up the table. It was a little chaotic, but that was normal for the Liberty.
}{
Rose placed the mushroom soup on the table as she looked over the table.
}{
Sabrina couldn't remember the last time she had a serious talk with her dad. But that was going to change.
}{
Nath wasn't usually the first person up, so that surprised his parents. And what surprised them more was that he made breakfast for everyone.
}{
When the toast popped out of the toaster with a 'pong', Mylene knew that everything would be ready soon.
}{
The last thing Ivan did was placing the utensils on the table.
}{
"Kagami? What are you doing up so early?" Tomoe asked when she heard her daughter greet her. Her tone was clearly that of confusion. She sniffed the air before she asked, "Who made breakfast?" Tomoe knew the house staff were just getting up, so she knew they couldn't have done it.
Kagami replied in a respectful tone, "I did, mother."
Tomoe's brows went to her hairline when she asked in confusion, "Why?"
}{
Chloe had no clue how making breakfast became a sibling bonding thing, but she sure as hell wasn't complaining. Especially since she… Didn't know how to cook...
"I thought you were vegan, Donnie," Zoe asked as she watched the 2nd youngest of her brothers cooking eggs sunny-side up.
Donnie had a wiry look when he explained, "I'm vegetarian, not vegan."
Eddie and Ellie looked at each other when they asked at the same time, "Aren't they the same?"
Chloe was looking through the jars of jam when she said thoughtfully. "I think they are different, since we have both options on the Hotel menus in different sections. But I don't know how they're different." She read the labels on the jars to see what was what.
As he was making crepes, Joey explained, "Veganism is when you don't eat anything that comes from animals. Which is meat and the byproducts they make, like milk and eggs." He carefully flipped the crape when he continued, "However, being a vegetarian, usually means that the person just doesn't eat meat." Joey checked the crape to see if it was fully cooked as he continued explaining, "Vegetarians are okay with eating the animal byproducts. They can sometimes eat fish but I think that's more cultural and/or preference."
The other siblings stared at the oldest brother at this, all surprised by the information.
Donnie nodded as he replied, "That's right." He looked at his siblings when he added, "I won't eat anything that has walked or flown, but I'm okay with eating milk, eggs and occasionally fish."
Chloe grabbed a familiar jar when she asked, "What about honey?"
Donnie was quick to say, "I'm more than okay with honey!"
Zoe couldn't help but say, "You love honey too?"
Donnie nodded when the Twins jinxed, "We do!"
Joey laughed when he said as he Placed the crape on a plate, "Looks like that's something else we have in common."
Chloe smiled before she looked at the jar of honey and then stated, "I think we're going to need another container of honey. This isn't going to be enough for everyone."
The siblings glanced at each other before they started laughing.
}{
Of course, Tom and Sabine were surprised when they saw that their daughter was up before them, and they were even more surprised that she already made breakfast for everyone. So, of course, they asked what was going on.
Marinette took a deep breath when she finally said, "Maman, Papa... We aren't going to make this public until tomorrow, but... Hawkmoth has been defeated, captured, and their Miraculous reclaimed."
Tom was elated when he said, "Oh, honey! That's wonderful news!" He was practically giddy.
Sabine was quick to add, "I'm sure Paris will be overjoyed when you and Chat Noir share this."
Marinette nodded before she sat at the dinner table. When her parents realised that she wasn't smiling, they became concerned as they sat down at the table with their daughter and asked her what was wrong and what happened during the battle.
Marinette fiddled with her fork when she told them that Hawkmoth turned out to be Mr Agreste and then why he was terrorising paris.
Both Dupain-Cheng parents wore matching expressions that were a mixture of dismay, concern, and uneasiness. Tom took a deep breath before he asked, "Let me get this straight... Instead of processing grief in a normal way, spending time with his son so they can think up ways to keep Mrs Agreste's memory alive, have a mid-life crisis, or even have the thought process to even ask for help..."
Sabine scowled when she finished her husband's sentence, "He decided that becoming a villain to get a pair of magical jewellery to bring his wife back was the best possible option..." She let out an annoyed huff before she asked, "I would assume that there's a catch to the Wish, correct?"
Marinette nodded when she replied, "There is... In order to make the Wish, you have to relinquish something of equal value." She lowered her gaze when she said almost too softly, "And guess who he was willing to trade for his wife without a second thought."
Oh, did that make the Dupain-Cheng adults feel like they had cement hardening in their guts. Marinette explained how Nocturn's Sonata used the Goat Miraculous to play on Mr Agreste's desires and created a 'Perfect Dream' for him to see how he would act and react." Ah, so THAT'S how they knew that Mr Agreste would sacrifice his son without hesitation...
"We would NEVER do such a thing." Both Tom and Sabine stated sternly.
"I know," Marinette said with a smile.
}{
Fred hugged Mylene when he said, "You are the most important person to me."
}{
"We would never trade you for anything," Marlana told Alya in a serious tone.
Otto did add, "Even if you and the twins drive us up the wall sometimes, we still love you in the end." He was serious as well.
Nora pulled Alya in a playful headlock when she threw in, "I know Hawkdick's gunna get his due, but you don't have to worry about Mum and Dad doing that shit."
}{
Nino lowered his gaze when he replied, "I know but... I couldn't help but think that... Especially after... After..."
Mrs Lahiffe hugged her oldest as the other Mrs Lahiffe had an understanding expression.
}{
Ivan's grandpa hugged him as his parents assured him that they loved him too much to even think about doing what Hawkmoth wanted to do.
}{
Despite Nath's parents admitted that while they would've liked their son to follow in their footsteps, they were glad that he was doing something that he loved and can make a decent living on. They wouldn't change a thing about Nath even if they had the chance.
Nath couldn't help but smile at this.
}{
Rose felt relieved when her parents assured her that she was their little blossom and they wouldn't trade her for anything in the world.
}{
Kim's parents pulled him into a group hug.
}{
Arnaka took a deep breath when she admitted that she did with that she would've done some things differently in her life, but she made sure that Luka and Juleka knew that they were the best thing to happen to her and she wouldn't trade them for anything. She loved them with all her heart.
Both Luka and Juleka could tell that their mother was telling the truth.
}{
Roger admitted that he wasn't the perfect dad and made a few mistakes that he wished he could fix, but he wouldn't change a thing about Sabrina.
The orangette could tell he was being honest with his words.
}{
Claudie could understand why Max was thinking this and his concerns, but unlike Mr Agreste, she processed her grief in a healthy way. The train conductor placed a hand on her son's when she said with a small smile, "I know it's hard when you lose your spouse, but I had friends to counsel me and I had to make sure to take care of you too." She squeezed Max's hand when she continued, "And while Anton is gone physically, he is still with us spiritually. We make sure he is never forgotten and that we keep his memory alive by achieving our dreams through our own effort."
Max's lips curved into a small smile when he said, "You are correct, and while I know that there are days that hurt, like dad's birthday, we ensure that his memory lives so he will never be forgotten."
}{
Tomoe's jaw dropped at what she heard. She took a few breaths before she finally replied, "I-I have no words that could describe the dishonour Agreste-San was doing and attempting to do..."
Kagami traced the glass she was holding with her thumb as she lowered her gaze and said, "True... He disregarded all rational thought and committed crime after crime in the name of grief, but... When does that stop being about grief and becoming who you are?"
Tomoe couldn't follow what her daughter was talking about at first, but when she realised what was being implied... The mother lowered her head whenShe finally admitted, "Your father could be dead, or he could be alive. I wouldn't know which..."
Kagami was confused by those words when she asked her mother what she meant. After all, the teenager has been told her whole life that her father died in an accident when she was still in her mother's womb.
Tomoe took a deep breath when she explained solemnly, "I never actually knew who your father was... It was a... A 'Phase' I had about a year and a half after I lost my sight." She took another breath before she continued, "I wanted to adapt to my circumstance and went through the appropriate rehabilitations faster than anyone has... To show my family that I could overcome anything!" Tomoe traced her fingers along the table gently when she added bitterly, "While I was doing that, your grandparents decided that your uncle would be my replacement despite being far less skilled than I was..."
Kagami's eyes widened when she got out, "I don't understand. Why did they do that? Kazuma-Ojisan (3) isn't as skilled at fencing as you are. Never has and never will." As much as she loved her dear uncle, his talents fell short in the art of combat. Very short. But Kagami easily saw that her uncle's skills for technology and business were second-to-none.
Tomoe didn't answer, she only frowned as she clenched her fist closed.
Kagami observed these cues in uncertainty. The only time she has seen her mother so angry was when people thought that...
Oh...
Kagami was quiet for a bit before She asked her mother, "Is that why you haven't directly talked with Ojiisan (4) and Obaasan (5)?"
Tomoe stiffly nodded when she stated bitterly, "Correct..." She took another deep breath before she said, "When Kazuma told me why they were training him, I-I was furious and heartbroken..." Tomoe went quiet for a bit before she traced her fingers along the table until she touched the plate. She then continued, "I had a rebellious phase that lead a one-nightstand..."
"I was the result of that?" Kagami guessed in shock.
Sure, Kagami was upset with her mother about lying to her about her 'father', but... It was something that Tomoe had been keeping to herself for years that she was finally letting out.
Tomoe took a deep breath before she admitted, "While I wish the circumstance of your birth was different, I don't regret it." She lifted her head when she said, "I'm strict and tough on you, because I know you can be unrivalled in whatever you do and to prove that you can carry on the family legacy without any trouble." Tomoe traced the Plate when she added softly, "And... While I will admit to some projection on my part... I love you as you are and wouldn't change anything about you."
Things were quiet for a bit before Tomoe heard the chair Kagami was sitting in shift. The fencing champion expected that her daughter would leave after the news, so she was surprised when she felt herself being hugged from the side.
Kagami hugged her mother when she said softly, "Thank you for telling me the truth."
Tomoe felt like a great weight had been lifted as she hugged her daughter back when she replied, "You deserve to know, especially after what you've been through."
}{
André was honest with his answer. Had he been asked that four months ago, he would've said that he wanted his wife to be around more often to be a good mother to Chloe, but now...
Well, there might be a few hiccups and it took some time to get used too, but André wouldn't trade it for anything.
Chloe couldn't agree more.
From the ceiling lights, Pollen smiled.
}{
The denizens of the Lust Ring were trying to figure out what felt so off, but couldn't. So, logically, they sought the wisdom of Lord Asmodeus.
However they couldn't find them...
Figuring that their lord went to the Book Club Meeting early, they sought the temporary acting overseer of the Ring of Lust. That quickly hit a snag when they realised that they didn't know who it was... That was so very strange. Lord Asmodeus wouldn't have been so careless as to forget to announce a temporary overseer, no matter what. Even with the skit with the Over-Summoner.
...
No... The Over-Summoner wouldn't do something as stupid as keeping a Lord of Hell from their Ring. That would be dangerous...
The High-Ranking demons of the Ring of Lust decided to make a few calls, just to be sure.
}{
Lila was compiling an email to that gullible Headmaster and teacher about a week-long work trip that her mother was assigned last minute. She didn't feel like going to school for a bit, so she decided to give herself a week off.
Once Lila was satisfied with the email to the school, she sent it out and then pulled up a file that she copied and pasted to an email she was going to send to her mother 'from Dupont'. Lila edited it so it would be different enough to prevent her gullible mother from getting suspicious before she deemed it perfect and then sent it out.
Lila made herself comfortable as she wondered how long it would be before that goody-goody was gone and Adrien hers.
}I{
Raguel got the message from Jason about the meeting with Damocles and was quick to agree, stating that the school needed to know what his subordinates had found out.
~}I{~
To be continued.
~}I{~
1… Aside from Sabrina, they're Hero outfits are identical to their canon appearance. I only changed their hero names because I wanted to and this is my story!
2… Since I am pulling some lore from the DC Universe in this story. I figured I'd add the LexCorp in this because I needed a high-tech company who would install THAT kind of security system in an evil lair w/o question and LexCorps fit that to a T. Plus, I did drop the name earlier in the story, so it's canon to this story.
3… Ojisan is Uncle in Japanese.
4… Ojiisan is Grandfather in Japanese.
5… Obaasan is Grandmother in Japanese.
~}I{~