Chapter Text
It was proving to be a rather busy day for Gabriel Agreste. Aside from his… extracurricular activities, he was still caught up in his usual duties as head of Gabriel. The London branch's gala wasn't going to plan itself, and he wasn't stupid enough to trust those morons on the Board of Directors to get anything done right. The work never ended, it seemed.
Which was why he so cherished these precious moments.
“Sorry I'm late,” he said, as he entered the hidden chamber in his lair, “I was a little busy,” he continued, as he walked over to the pod in the center of the room, and the figure sleeping within it.
Even in a coma, Emilie was as beautiful as she'd been the the day he lost her.
Sighing, Gabriel gingerly–almost nervously–placed his hand on the glass of the pod, as if to touch her face.
“You look so peaceful,” he sighed fondly, “Sometimes, my love, I find that I almost envy you.”
The fashion mogul-turned supervillain then sighed once more and bit his lip, before continuing, “It's… been a long time, my dear,” he said, as he barely stopped his voice from cracking, “I'm not sure how aware you are of everything. I'm not sure whether or not you can hear me at all.”
With that last assertion, Gabriel's hand clenched around the bouquet of flowers he'd been carrying, as if he was holding onto them for dear life.
Gabriel then chuckled wryly, “You should see Adrien. He's gotten taller, you know,” he then gulped, and his voice became shaky and strained with something almost resembling guilt, “Now do you see why I'm doing this? He needs you, Emilie. He needs a family.”
“And all he has is me.”
It was a while before Chloé and Luka had met up. Ever since their unusual encounter with Kagami, they'd both been caught up in their own affairs. While Chloé hadn't been particularly forthcoming on her part, Luka wasn't one to pry.
Not that he had any ground to stand on in that regard even if he were.
Ever since that press conference, Ladybug had been running him ragged. She wasn't particularly harsh or demanding, but the sharp increase in patrols hadn't gone unnoticed either. Even Ladybug's mannerisms and behavior had slowly become more and more erratic. It wasn't anything particularly dramatic, but he'd eventually become aware of her tics, the way her eyes seemed to dart around almost frantically, the way she'd started to act slightly paranoid at the very mention of Chat Noir. If the situation hadn't been so dire, he might’ve chuckled at the irony of Ladybug's plan to drive Chat Noir into a panic affecting her in much the same way.
And as Luka, he wasn't in a much better state, as those lingering doubts seemed to gnaw away at the back of his mind.
Things weren't getting any better. When he'd first agreed to take the Snake Miraculous, he'd been confident that answers would eventually reveal themselves. Now? It felt like he was just banging his head against a wall.
…and get ready to stay far, far out of the loop.
Luka grimaced, Chat Noir's warnings had grown into a persistent annoyance over the past week. It was almost a month now, and his words now seemed almost prophetic. While it certainly didn't come close to justifying the things Ladybug had accused him of doing, he'd be lying if he said he didn't understand the frustration.
Despite all that, Luka quickly felt his frustration subside at the sight of the vision before him.
Impeccably dressed as always, Chloé Bourgeois strode into the restaurant, her chosen outfit accentuating all the best of her, combine that with the way her new hairstyle framed her face, and the teal-haired boy was veritably floored, but the thing that stood out most to Luka was the fact that her trademark sneer was entirely absent from her face. In fact, she seemed… somehow unsure. Lost.
It was a small miracle that Luka's mouth hadn't gone entirely dry at the sight, for which he was duly grateful.
Getting up from his seat, Luka promptly took her by the arm and led her to the table.
“You're late,” he noted, not taking his eyes off of her for a second.
For a few moments after that, Chloé blinked, as if lost for words, before finally regaining her composure and answering, “I was… delayed.”
“Yeah,” snorted Luka, a smile forming on his face, “I know how that feels.”
While it most assuredly couldn't have been quite the same thing, Luka still found that he could sympathize.
With all that had been going on, he could understand being caught up in one's own mind. And that lost, confused look on Chloé's face was becoming increasingly similar to what Luka saw every time he looked in the mirror.
Shaking his head to clear it of those unpleasant thoughts, Luka turned back to Chloé, his smile having turned into a downright predatory smirk, “Well, you're here now and all that can wait.”
Chloé generally liked to see herself as rather unflappable, but the tone of Luka's voice, combined with the almost hungry look in his half-lidded eyes, sent a nervous chill down her spine. She tried to come up with some sort of witty response, only to grimace as she found herself coming up empty,causing Luka to inwardly cheer that his improvised attempt at charm was apparently working.
“Well,” said Chloé, trying to regain some control over the situation, “What do you say we get out of here?”
After pulling herself together from her breakdown following the press conference, Ladybug had doubled her patrols throughout the following week, going through each and every route twice over and then adding entirely new routes. It was frankly a miracle that she hadn't dropped unconscious yet.
While Marinette had always been a workaholic, this was on an entirely new level. Working herself through every free minute she had and running herself through to the bone. But strangely, she couldn't bring herself to mind. If this was the way to end this, then she'd do it again.
Besides, the more time she spent as Ladybug, the less time she'd have to spend around Tikki.
However, as she was moving across the skylines, the heroine caught sight of a figure in the distance waving her over. Curious, she decided to take a look. What she saw then was decidedly not what she was expecting.
For standing on the roof of his home and waving slowly at her with a pleasant smile on his face… was Adrien Agreste.
Lost for words, but still curious as to what he was doing, Ladybug gulped, but decided to come closer. Through it all, Adrien's welcoming smile never once wavered.
“So you got my message,” smiled Adrien, and despite the fact that she liked to think that she'd gotten over the more… embarrassing aspects of her crush on him, Ladybug found that she still had to suppress a blush at the sight of Adrien smiling at her.
Least not because of the fact that her brain now associated his smile with the minty taste of his lips on the ice rink.
Shut up, her brain hissed at her, You're not Marinette right now. You're a stranger as far as he's concerned.
“H-hi,” said Ladybug, more shyly than she'd have liked, “Adrien, right? Isn't it a little late for you to be up?”
At that, Adrien quirked a brow in amusem*nt, “I could say the same to you, you know.”
“Not really,” said Ladybug, “I'm out on superhero business. What are you out for?”
“Nothing much, I'll admit,” shrugged Adrien, “But I also have to admit that it's nice to get out sometimes. Especially when you're as cooped up as I am,” his smile then turned conspiratorial, “On the bright side, though, I've gotten pretty good at finding ways to get out.”
Ladybug felt her heart twist ever-so slightly at the reminder of how loathsome Gabriel Agreste was as both a father and a human being.
Seemingly oblivious to her conflict, Adrien shook his head before continuing, “Well, now that you're here, want to sit down?”
Ladybug blinked, remembering the terms of her agreement, “Won't your father get mad at you?”
Adrien chuckled, “I won't tell ifyou won't,” before beckoning her to sit on one of the two chairs he'd placed on the roof.
Despite herself, Ladybug sat down opposite him. For some reason, she found it hard to look directly into his eyes, as if it was somehow… forbidden. Indecent.
“So…” began Adrien slowly, “Hell of a week, eh?”
At that, Ladybug stilled, as if taken off guard by the query, “...yeah. It's been a mess.”
“I guess I can understand that,” he said, “Your partner of five years betraying you for your worst enemy can't be easy to process. Frankly, I'm impressed you've lasted this long.”
Ladybug paled. The unwelcome reminder felt like a knife being twisted in her gut. And for once in her life, she found herself resenting the welcoming, guileless smile of the boy she so loved.
She'd come to terms with the fact that Chat Noir wouldn't forgive her for all that she'd done to him, but that didn't stop that small, irrational voice in the deepest corners of her heart and mind from crying out at every new Reddit thread and Ladyblog post crying out for his blood. The fact that this was her doing only further rubbed salt in the wound.
It doesn't matter, she thought, This has to be done. If it means this nightmare finally ends, I can live with that.
She promptly ignored the doubtful whispers in the back of her mind.
Seemingly unaware of her plight, Adrien continued, “Well, it certainly wouldn't be a night without something to eat. And luckily, I came prepared.”
With that, he produced something from his hoodie. A paper bag, on which the writing was all too familiar.
“Passion fruit macarons,” beamed Adrien, staring at the bag as if it was made of gold, “From the best bakery in town. Not that it really needs the introduction, of course.”
At Adrien's praise, Ladybug's smile became slightly more genuine, “Well, I'm sure the Dupain-Chengs appreciate the endorsem*nt all the same.”
“I certainly hope so,” chuckled Adrien, “But I've got to admit, it sort of feels selfish. Did you know I'm dating their daughter?”
“Oh?” asked Marinette. It'd be interesting to hear what Adrien thought of her. And since Ladybug was technically a stranger, Adrien had no reason to sugarcoat his thoughts.
However, Adrien suddenly seemed a bit more nervous, before beginning.
“She's… she's amazing,” he said, his smile widening ever-so slightly as his gaze became just a bit more distant and far-off, “She's the smartest person I've ever met. One of the kindest, too. She's always willing to give a second chance. Always willing to let people fix their mistakes.” A wistful smile then crossed his face, “She's just… good.”
“You make her sound wonderful,” murmured Ladybug, looking at her hands. Still unable to meet his gaze head-on.
“She is,” sighed Adrien, a dreamy expression overtaking his features, before he shook his head to clear it, turning back to Ladybug, “But I've bothered you with my problems long enough. I'd say it's time I listened to you.”
Ladybug blinked, “Me?”
“Of course,” said Adrien, “It'd be rude of me not to. Conversations go both ways, you know.”
“It certainly seems strange, you asking that sort of question with the two of us sitting up here alone,” said Ladybug, almost mildly.
However, those words certainly weren't the right thing to say, as almost immediately after, Adrien's expression hardened, and the welcoming look in his eyes vanished, “I told you I have a girlfriend,” he said, as his voice unconsciously dropped an octave, causing Ladybug to jump, “And if you're implying, in any way–”
“–that's not what I meant,” she said, throwing her hands up placatingly, while internally cheering at Adrien passing her accidental test of faithfulness, “Forget I said anything. She's lucky to have you.”
“I'm lucky to have her,” he said happily, all the earlier tension dropping so quickly Ladybug almost felt like she'd gotten whiplash, “But back to where we were, how are you holding up with all the Chat Noir business?”
Ladybug flinched, “There's not much to say. What evencanI say?I just lost the person I trusted more than anyone I've known in the past five years. I'm still not sure how to get past that.”
“It was his fault, wasn't it?” said Adrien, raising an eyebrow, “He's the one who sold you out to Hawk Moth, right?”
“What if he had a good reason?” asked Ladybug. And while her voice was for the most part steady, someone who knew her well enough would note the increasing desperation in her tone, “He's done nothing for the past five years but stick his neck out for anyone and everyone who's ever needed him, even when there was no Akuma in sight.”
“That doesn't change the fact that he betrayed the people he swore to protect–that he betrayed his best friend,” retorted Adrien, maintaining a perfect expression of nonchalance all the while, and his words made Ladybug flinch as if she'd been struck, “And if he did have a good reason, why not be honest about it? Why not trust your partner? If someone did that to me, I'd never forgive them. Love's important, that's for sure. But if you don't trust the people you care about, or even respect them enough to have the decency to tell them that you're making a decision that affects their lives without so much as asking for their permission, then what good is your friendship?”
It was a miracle that Ladybug was able to maintain any semblance of her composure at all. If he hadn't been completely unaware of what was going on, Adrien's words would've been downright cruel, and as it was, the fact that it was so oblivious only twisted the knife further.
Trying to respond, her voice hoarse, “W-well, what if he was able to make it up somehow? What if he changed all of a sudden and decided to help me stop Hawk Moth? Wouldn't that earn at least a little clemency?”
“Maybe it’d be enough to keep him out of prison,” said Adrien, his tone contemplative, “But if I were in your place, I wouldn't want to associate with or see someone like that ever again,” the smile that accompanied his following words caused Ladybug's blood to chill, far more than it had any right to, “You're very forgiving Ladybug.”
If those words were a knife in the heart, Adrien's next words proceeded to tear it out altogether.
“Even with all of this, I know that you have a better chance than anyone of keeping your morals intact even through all of this when most people would've fallen,” he said, his smile unwavering as he looked her in the eyes, the intensity of his gaze boring holes that felt like acid being poured into her sockets; burning and far more agonizing than it had any right to be, “And I know that the people's faith in you isn't misplaced; after all, you've always been the best of this city: brave, selfless, and above all, honest. And who could ask for more than that?”
Ladybug couldn't breathe. Her head was light, her legs felt like giving out from under her, and her stomach felt queasy, “I... I should go now,” she said, choking back bile.
“Are you sure?” asked Adrien, “You haven't even touched your macarons.”
“Please,” she all but hissed, before offering him a strained smile, “Maybe another time?”
“Sure thing,” said Adrien, once again flashing that award-winning smile, and once again, it felt like poison being poured down her throat, “And Ladybug,” he called, just as she was about to leave, “Good luck.”
“...yeah,” she said, her tone far more defeated than she'd have liked.
As Ladybug left his rooftop, Adrien Agreste felt himself sigh in relief. That had gone a lot better than expected. While one didn't spend one's entire childhood in the limelight without learning a thing or two about manipulation, Adrien wasn't his father or his cousin, he'd never tried something of this magnitude before.
But he knew Ladybug better than anyone. And her reaction tonight had been most telling. Not to mention that now he'd thrown her off balance. This was an opportunity that couldn't be squandered.
Now, onto the next phase.
Adrien immediately pulled his phone out, and proceeded to dial the intended number.
“Marianne?” he said, “It's me. Is the package ready? Great, I'll ask Kagami if she can head over to your place to pick it up. We've got one hell of an opportunity on our hands.”
Several hours later
Rena Rouge still wasn't sure what to make of her current situation. As Ladybug proceeded to integrate her into the new patrol system, she found herself still without any new answers. And even when she wasn't on patrol, her observations across the Ladyblog had offered no new insights beyond the fact that apparently more than half the city now hated Chat Noir.
It still rankled her that she had no cleaner moves to make than this. But she'd take the hand she was dealt.
“…Rena? Rena.”
Shaking her head as Ladybug's voice brought her back to reality as her teammates stared at her, she promptly responded, “Sorry, I must've zoned out there,” she then proceeded to get back on track, “So, we were talking patrol routes?”
“Right,” said Ladybug, “So, as I was saying, Chat usually goes from the boulevard to the road across from Notre-Dame. And he's a creature of habit. That's a constant about him. Odds are, if we had someone hide out here every night on a rotating basis, eventually, one of us is bound to–”
Immediately, something ran up the building behind her, and the next thing they knew, the old table they'd been working on was smashed to pieces. As the dust settled, the first thing Rena Rouge saw was a pair of piercing green eyes. Far colder than they usually would've been, but the figure barely seemed to notice her at all. Instead, his attention was all on Ladybug, whose frozen expression of fear reminded Rena of a deer caught in the headlights.
“Surprised to see me, partner?”
