Gabriel had finally finished his video.

It was a masterpiece of villainy. Gabriel made certain of that as he crafted it into perfection with every word carefully chosen to press every single one of Chat Noir's impulsive buttons. Nathalie had rolled her eyes at every melodramatic cliché that fell out of Gabriel's lips but Gabriel maintained that the melodrama was necessary to maintain his secret identity.

No one would believe that the dignified and silent Gabriel Agreste was the ranting over the top Hawk Moth.

(For some reason the moment Gabriel said this Nathalie doubled over in the longest, loudest, coughing fit she ever had in their long professional relationship and Gabriel couldn't help but feel incredibly insulted for no discernable reason.)

He had decided against showing Miss Dupain-Cheng in the video. While that would have inspired the most fear in Chat Noir, Gabriel couldn't risk Miss Dupain-Cheng slyly warning Chat Noir somehow. He wouldn't put it past the crafty child who has thwarted his plans to find another way to thwart his latest master plan. Knowing the brat well enough, he was sure she could blink out a warning in Morse code before the video had finished.

Instead he made a point of showing Ladybug's earrings for the world to see.

After all if Chat Noir was less heroic (which frankly Gabriel did not believe as the moron was the very definition of an impulsive, noble, self-sacrificing hero) perhaps the sight of Ladybug's Miraculous would inspire a terrified mob of Parisians to drag Chat Noir to their meeting place and hand the brat over all trussed up like a Christmas goose.

Gabriel smirked to himself as he placed the scarlet red and black dotted jewels back into his safe. He felt a slight twinge of guilt when he remembered how young Ladybug turned out to be – she's the same age as his son! - but he squashed it defiantly as he reminded himself this was for Emilie, the love of his life and his reason to live,and this was what happened when meddling children put their noses in where they weren't wanted.

He returned to his computer with the intention of emailing the video to a local news channel (using a fake email address, of course) when a peculiar email popped into his inbox. The sending email address was Adrien's which was odd on it's own as Adrien ought to be fast asleep not playing on his computer but what truly unsettled Gabriel the most was the fact that the subject of the email read;

RANSOM NOTE!

Adrien was supposed to be unaware that Gabriel had all but kidnapped Ladybug. His son was supposed to fast asleep and blissfully ignorant to the ongoings of his own home until the moment he saw his mother. So how could Adrien know that Gabriel was working on what was essentially a ransom note to send an email about it? What did Adrien have to say about it anyway? Was it a lecture of how wrong Gabriel was to be Hawk Moth or was it a list of suggestions of what Gabriel could say in his ransom note to Chat Noir?

For some reason Gabriel didn't believe it was either option.

His hand trembled slightly as he dragged his mouse to click on the email and the unsettled feeling deepened when all he could see in the email was a video attachment.

Uneasily, Gabriel pressed on the attachment.

And immediately jumped out of his chair as he felt his heart halt to a terrifying stop. "ADRIEN!" he cried out, utterly horrified at the sight before him.

He blinked rapidly unable to believe his own eyes. This can't real, he thought wildly, this can't be happening! I've made precautions to prevent this! Yet not matter how many times he blinked or pinched himself the picture on his screen hadn't change one single jolt.

It was Gabriel's worst fear come to life.

His only, precious, beautiful boy was tied up and gagged. Adrien's big emerald eyes were so wide with fear and confusion that Gabriel felt his heart sink to his stomach like a stone. To make matters worse, his son was squashed between that scoundrel Chat Noir and that impertinent brat Rena Rouge. Chat Noir's hand was up in an awkward angle, clearly filming this nightmare of a video, while Rena Rouge firmly kept her flute pressed against Adrien's throat in a threatening manner.

"Hawk Moth," Chat Noir said flatly, "or do you prefer Mr Agreste?"

There was something not quite right with Chat Noir. Something that Gabriel couldn't put his finger on (how could he? His eyes kept drifting to Adrien as he tried to deduce his son's welfare. He couldn't spot any noticeable bruises or any other indication of harm but that didn't mean these so called heroes had been gentle when they had stolen his son away!). Chat Noir's hair appeared to be darker (or was it always dark and Gabriel never noticed before?) and their eyes were wider and bluer (or maybe they had always been blue?), and there were curves beneath Chat Noir's suit that Gabriel never noticed before (not that Gabriel had ever paid attention to what he can only conclude was a child's body but he used to pay extra attention to all media associated with Ladybug and Chat Noir and he could have sworn Chat Noir had a male figure), and Chat Noir's voice even sounded sweeter and higher than previous recordings. Yet every time Gabriel tried to focus on what was different his own memory got fuzzy to the point his head ached and then Adrien would twitch or blink, and his attention immediately flickered back to his child before he could grasp what exactly changed with Chat Noir.

"As you can see," Chat Noir continued calmly, "we know who you are, we know where you live, and we have your son."

Gabriel's hand curled into a fist at that.

It was bad enough that these interfering brats had thwarted his plans over and over again, but to break into his own home and take Adrien?

That was unforgivable.

"It's quite simple," Rena Rouge said abruptly, and Gabriel twitched irritably at how annoyingly smug this intruder sounded, "Adrien for Ladybug's Miraculous. You have one hour to reply or your precious cinnamon bun is toast."

"FMPH!" Adrien cried out.

His voice was muffled by the duct tape covering his mouth but Gabriel could hear his cry of 'Father!' as loud and clear as a tolling bell. Icy dread filled the pit of his stomach.

This can't be...this simply can't be...Adrien is safe...the security measures would have prevented...

"One hour," Chat Noir repeated, "tick tock, Gabriel Agreste. Your timing is running out."

The video screen stopped there with Adrien's petrified facial expression forever frozen beneath the replay button. There was two, excruciatingly long, seconds of deadly silence as everything that had just happened sunk in. It felt like Chat Noir had just wrenched Gabriel's heart out and thrown it onto the ground before stomping on it.

They had taken Adrien!

Emilie will never forgive him for endangering their one and only child.

Gabriel suddenly snapped back to life with a burning fury like no other as he stormed out of his office door. This couldn't be real. It wasn't real, Gabriel decided firmly. Chat Noir could not have bypassed Gabriel's security, he had sensors and cameras galore and the arrogant tom cat could not have gotten passed without setting one of them off.

"Sir?" Nathalie said startled. "Is there something wrong?"

Gabriel brushed her off without even a glance as he marched up the stairs towards Adrien's bedroom with a confidence that he would find his son safe and sound, fast asleep, in bed. Then he could dismiss the video as childish nonsense and inflict a devastating punishment on these infuriating, pompous, interfering little brats for daring to make a threat on his innocent child!

He flung Adrien's bedroom door open to find his son's bed rumpled and abandoned.

Gabriel's heart halted to a stop again.

"NO!" He shouted, utterly terrified. Perhaps Adrien had woken up and gone to the toilet? A surge of mad and desperate hope rose up into Gabriel as he whirled round towards Adrien's en-suite bathroom. "ADRIEN!" Gabriel yelled as he rushed to the en-suite door desperately.

The bathroom was completely empty as well.

"No!" Gabriel choked out. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no..."

Gabriel repeated the word constantly while simultaneously feeling as if he couldn't breathe – because they have taken his son! His son!- and all he could hear was his own ragged breath and his heart thumping loudly in his ears as he dashed out madly towards the blue bedroom. He will make them pay! If they harmed a single hair on Adrien's precious head then they shall find the same happen to their self-righteous leader Ladybug. He will scalp the sanctimonious bug bald if he had to!

He burst through the bedroom door only to find it completely abandoned as well and Miss Dupain-Cheng's restraints were left shredded all over the bed covers.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Gabriel's furious screams tore out of his throat so loudly that he was sure even his staff could hear then a couple floors down. He didn't care though. All he could think about how even this plan had been screwed up by little children and now his son was in danger. His son!

How?!

How could this be?!

How did she escape? How did Chat Noir find out so soon? How did they slip through Gabriel's defences like they were made of tissue paper? How could this have happened?!

Gabriel almost heaved onto the floor right there and then at the thought of Adrien being harmed.

He shook with barely suppressed rage that was mingled with fear.

He will not give into these cowards.

He will not be thwarted once more by children who had no understanding of the truth.

He could not, not matter how much he wanted to, give these children the Ladybug Miraculous. He could not let his all of his work and have his identity revealed for nothing. He had to save Emilie and Adrien, and he had to do it quickly before Adrien was harmed or Chat Noir and Rena Rouge gave Gabriel up to the police.

He needed help.

He needed an Akuma.

"Sir!" Nathalie called out as she briskly walked down the hall. She stumbled slightly in her heels when she noticed that the bedroom was empty but managed to compose herself quickly. "How...?" She whispered numbly.

"I don't know," Gabriel said curtly, "and what is worse, they have taken Adrien too."

"Adrien?!" Nathalie repeated horrified. "Why those little-!"

"Quite," Gabriel interrupted coldly, "but we have something they want and so they are willing to make an exchange."

Nathalie's eyes flashed furiously behind her glasses. "The Ladybug Miraculous!" She hissed . "You're not going to give it to them are you?!"

"Don't be absurd Nathalie," Gabriel sneered, "I didn't go through all of this effort to give up the Miraculous now."

"Good," Nathalie said firmly, "but you're not leaving Adrien with them either, are you?!"

"Certainly not!" Gabriel snapped. "These foolish children might think they have gotten the better of me by taking my son but they are stupid and naive to not realise the loopholes they have given me. They have not stipulated that I need to do the exchange alone and we shall take great advantage at that."

Nathalie stood upright at that. She always held herself properly with the best posture that most models would slave through years of training to achieve but now she held herself up higher and prouder than before, like a general about to go to war.

"I am willing, Sir," Nathalie said with such resolve that Gabriel felt touched beyond belief, "to do whatever it takes to help you in this endeavour."

"Excellent," Gabriel's lips curved slightly, "I think you will be my greatest creation yet, Nathalie."

Nathalie said nothing but her fierce, grim, determination etched into her face said more than enough.

He will make the greatest Akuma yet. Nathalie will be unlike any other and she make them all pay for daring to lay a hand on Adrien. Before this night was out Gabriel swore to himself right there and then on Emilie's comatose body that he would teach these brats a lesson, save his son, and revive his wife.

The three members of the Agreste family will have breakfast together tomorrow morning as if these last few years had never happened.

Gabriel will make sure of it!

"Nooroo," Gabriel murmured softly, "Transform me!"

MLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLBMLB

Marinette chewed her bottom lip anxiously.

Adrien and Alya was seated across the other side of Master Fu's living room and were chatting away animatedly as Alya thoroughly interrogated Adrien on Chat Noir. They both looked confident and carefree that the plan was going to work but Marinette couldn't shake of the worry that Gabriel Agreste will find away to out-smart them at the worst possible moment.

What if she never saw Tiki again?!

She couldn't bear it if she had lost her Kwami for good. She adored Tiki! Tiki had been her best friend after Alya and Chat Noir. More than that! Tiki was her best friend that she could carry in her pocket wherever she went. She was never alone when she had Tiki.

Was Tiki okay?

Gabriel Agreste wouldn't hurt her, would he?

After all, unlike with Marinette, he actually needed Tiki and hurting her would be counter-productive to his plan, right?

And, if everything did go to plan, what will happen after that? She would have to give Tiki up regardless, wouldn't she? After all Hawk Moth would be defeated and there was no need for Ladybug and Chat Noir (and Rena Rouge) any more, would there?

And after that, would she ever see Adrien again as well?

With his father in prison and no longer having superhero duty himself, would there be any reason for Adrien to stick around Paris? Let alone be friends with Marinette...

Or, Marinette flushed at the thought, more than friends.

Marinette shook her head rapidly so her pigtails slapped her cheeks. Her lack of a romantic relationship with Adrien Agreste should be the last thing on her mind right now. Tiki was still in the hands of the enemy! She had to focus and rescue her friend not moon over Adrien Agreste!

"Do you mind?" A sarcastic voice drifted from above Marinette. "I'm trying to eat my cheese here so I can be at full strength and your constant moving is making it difficult to get every last crumb into my mouth."

Marinette jumped slightly as she tried and failed to meet the eyes of Plagg. The black cat Kwami had, for unfathomable reasons, taken to sitting on top of her head since Adrien had dropped his transformation.

That had been a shock and a half.

Marinette was pretty sure she had temporarily blacked out from it all. The last thing she remembered was Alya pumping her fist up in victory and the next thing she knew there was a snarky black cat nestled in her hair distracting her with rude comments that sent Adrien exclaiming in exasperation.

"Are you eating cheese in my hair?!" Marinette cried out revolted. "Plagg! That's disgusting! I don't want cheese crumbs in my hair!"

Adrien won't go near her ever again if she smelt like cheese! It didn't matter if he smelt like cheese because he could hardly smell himself but Marinette knows that Adrien hates the smell of cheese, she read it in one of his most recent interviews, which meant it would be a disaster if she smelt like cheese as Adrien wouldn't come near her for a friendly shoulder squeeze!

If Plagg munched on cheese on Adrien the way he snacked on Marinette then it was no wonder Adrien hated cheese so much!

Chloe would have a field day if Marinette came into school stinking like ripe old cheese!

Marinette wrinkled her nose in disgust, ever thankful that Tiki had a preference to cookies instead.

Tiki!

Marinette's heart throbbed with anxiety and worry.

"You shouldn't worry so much," Plagg said abruptly, ignoring Marinette's lecture altogether and startling Marinette out of her concern and straight into confusion instead. Marinette tilted her head back and just barely made contact with the flashing green cat eyes hovering above her. She blinked once, questioningly. "Tiki," Plagg clarified, "you're just like my Kid, he worries and overthinks things too. Tiki will be fine, Hawk Moth is hardly going to hurt her when he wants to use her."

"I can't help it," Marinette murmured, "I don't think he meant to hurt me either but he did." She couldn't help but trace the scratch marks on her cheek lightly with her fingers. They still stung ever so slightly. "What if he lashes out when he finds me gone? I abandoned her to the enemy."

Plagg shook his head. "Tiki wouldn't have wanted you to stick around, Princess, she's protective of her bugs like that," he rolled his eyes, "and I wouldn't worry about Tiki suffering at the hands of Hawk Moth. We're older than you think. We've all been in the hands of one bad guy or the other at least once in our long lives. Tiki can handle herself for a few hours."

"But-"

"No buts," Plagg said firmly, "Gabriel Agreste locked her in his safe. It's unlikely he'll do anything to her until he has acquired me which will never happen because we're rescuing Tiki tonight."

"So much of the plan can go wrong," Marinette whispered fearfully, "what if we fail and lose you too?"

"You won't," Plagg said confidently, "you've got a good team at your back which he doesn't have. It'll be three to one and one of those three is Adrien. My Kid isn't going to let you down on this, you should know that by now."

Marinette felt her cheeks heat up as she thought back to all of her previous battles against Hawk Moth. Chat Noir had never let her down in battle before, he had had her back and more so from the get go.

"Speaking of my Kid," Plagg carried on, oblivious to Marinette's growing embarrassment, "I think you need to go and rescue him. That journalist friend of yours makes the Spanish Inquisition look like a fluffy questionnaire."

Marinette grimaced at that.

Adrien's expression had rapidly changed from pleasantly amiable to strained politeness as Alya pressed on with more and more questions. Marinette doubted that Alya was asking anything strategically related to their plan any more and was more likely outright interrogating Adrien on his feelings for Marinette.

ERK!

It was best to put a pin in that line of questioning before Alya frightened Adrien into immigrating all the way to some isolated island that forbids females!

Marinette moved to distract Alya but it was Adrien who saw her first. Marinette almost froze on the spot when she saw how Adrien's face lit up upon seeing her. It was a look she was accustomed of seeing on Chat Noir's face when he looked at Ladybug not when Adrien looked at Marinette, and it threw her off completely.

Alya, clearly noticing that Adrien's attention had moved away from her, glanced over her shoulder and smirked. "All right," she said slyly, "I'll leave you two lovebirds to it and ask Master Fu some more stuff on the Miraculous."

Marinette didn't know what she felt more.

The desperate choking need to die from embarrassment or deep strong pity for Master Fu who had no idea what he was going to get himself into with Alya.

They were both strong contenders.

Judging by Adrien's flushed grimace he was feeling pretty much the same as Marinette on the Alya page of things too.

Adrien tried to smile but it came out painful as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Hey," he said softly.

"Hey," Marinette replied nervously.

"Urgh!" Plagg groaned loudly. "What went so wrong with your education system that they stopped teaching rhetoric even though you kids clearly need it?!"

Adrien and Marinette blushed simultaneously at that.

"Shut up, Plagg!" Adrien hissed.

"Pfft!" Plagg snorted. "Eloquent as always, Kid,"

Marinette was intrigued to see that Adrien's face was almost as red as her own cheeks felt. She was so used to seeing Adrien as calm and collected or Chat Noir as flamboyantly confident that it was bizarre to see him so awkward and uncomfortable.

It was a little comforting too.

He's just as human as I am!

A reminder she very much needed sometimes.

"Hey," Marinette repeated softly, "are you okay?"

Adrien froze momentarily and there was a dozen different little flickers of emotion in his eyes at that. The usual flattered ego of Chat Noir mingled with triumphant joy whenever Ladybug had done something to indicate she cares, followed with a tender look that Marinette didn't dare call love, before the reality of the question really hit home, and there was anger, sadness, and fear all rolled in one.

"My father lied to me!"

It was barely a whisper but the anguish in Adrien's voice screamed volumes. Marinette felt her throat close up as she couldn't find the words to comfort him. Her parents never lied to her so she didn't know what to say to make this situation magically better for Adrien.

"My father lied to me!" Adrien repeated angrier and louder than before. "He LIED to me! I'm his son and he hid things from me and ditched me to slope off and do bad things to the world. He hurt my friends, he had hurt me, and for what? World domination?"

"If it helps," Marinette said quietly, "I don't think your father wants to rule the world. I think he wants to use the Miraculous to save your mother."

"That makes it worse!" Adrien spat out. "It means he lied to me more than I thought he did! I thought my mother died or left me! He didn't tell me anything when she vanished but I thought the silence made it clear enough, was punishment enough, Mum walked out on us because of me! He let me believe that! He lied to me, he abandoned me, he left me alone and hurting, and there's still secrets – horrible, nasty, little secrets that will hurt even more – to find out."

"I know! I know!" Marinette cried out as she instinctively pulled Adrien into a tight hug as if they could melt together into one and wished with all her heart that she could just miraculously erase the pain in Adrien's heart as she erased the damages Hawk Moth had inflicted on Paris on a weekly basis. "I know it's horrible and I know it must hurt so much! I know there's going to be more horrible things to face too but you're not alone Adrien. You don't have to suffer in silence any more. I'm here! I'm here for you every step of the way and we'll get through this. Somehow, Some way, we'll get through this. I can't promise you that everything will get better but I can promise you that! You will always have a hand to hold in the darkness."

"It hurts!"

"I know," Marinette said softly.

"I feel like I've just lost both of my parents all over again!"

"I know."

"I don't know what to do!"

"That's okay, Kitty," Marinette murmured, "we'll figure it out together, I promise."

Adrien let out a wretched sob as Marinette held onto him all the more tightly and rubbed his back as soothingly as possible. She continued to murmur nonsensical comforting words as Adrien trembled beneath her hands. Eventually, he pulled away and smiled weakly down at her.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, "for just breaking down on you like that."

"Don't be silly," Marinette smiled back. Her shoulder was soggy with snot and tears but it was a small price to pay, and didn't matter one little jolt, if it meant that Adrien got a chance to let it all out rather than bottle it all in like he had to do so often in the past. "I'm your partner and friends. This is what I'm here for. You can rage and scream and cry all you like on me, I'm not going to judge you."

Adrien almost glowed beneath the tear-stains at that and opened hist mouth to say something when Alya suddenly appeared out of nowhere between them. They jerked further apart from one another (and Marinette flushed deeply as she realised at some point Adrien's arms had tangled themselves round her waist while her hands had still been resting on his shoulders) and quickly looked anywhere else but at each other.

Alya's lips twitched in amusement but the grim, determined, no-nonsense, business-only expression remained cemented on her face. "Hawk Moth has just replied to our ransom note," she informed them eagerly. "He wants to meet at the park in twenty minutes."

Adrien frowned at that as Marinette felt chills of dread and anxiety roll down her spine. "Isn't that a bit too soon?" Adrien muttered.

"We'll be prepared," Alya said confidently, "we have an advantage, remember? Hawk Moth won't know what will hit him until it's too late!" Adrien flinched at that while Marinette grimaced. "But we won't have that advantage," Alya continued obliviously, "if we don't get a move on and Hawk Moth beats us to the park. C'mon Agreste, get your costume on. You have a role to play."

Alya then hurried off far too excitedly to transform.

"Well," Marinette muttered darkly to herself, "at least someone is enjoying themselves."

Adrien chuckled at that and Marinette was pleased to see that some of his usual spark had returned to his beautiful emerald eyes. It didn't magically made everything better, they were far, far, far away from everything being at all better, but it was a start, and she could work on that.

She'll dedicate her life to making Adrien happy again if she has to.

"Marinette," Adrien said softly, almost reverently, "thank you!"

Marinette blushed all over as she was unable to meet Adrien's gorgeous grateful green gaze. "No problem," she babbled, "it was nothing, well, obviously not nothing nothing, but it wasn't a big deal, you know? What are friends for? Ha, ha."

Adrien grimaced at her rambling nonsense and Marinette flushed even more as her shame rose even higher.

Urgh, someone just kill her now before she digs a bigger hole.

Before she could say something – that would probably, inevitably, make the situation worse – though, Adrien suddenly ducked down and planted a light, lingering, kiss on her lips which instantly fried what was left of Marinette's brain cells and left her frozen on the spot once more.

"I'm sorry," Adrien said sheepishly, "I know there's that other guy but I wanted to do that at least once. I hope you can forgive me."

"Meep!"

"Oi, Agreste!" Alya bellowed. "Are you coming or what?!"

"I'm coming!" Adrien called back over his shoulder. "I'll see you soon, My Lady," Adrien said in his most Chat Noir voice ever, "but until then..."

He swiftly plucked her hand up and pressed his customary light kiss on her knuckles. The lack of a superhero suit between them totally made a difference as Marinette felt all her nerve endings spark beneath his touch. Now whatever was left of her brain cells' corpses were also fried as Marinette's knees gave out and she slumped against the wall in order to stay upright on her feet.

"We best get moving too, Princess," Plagg said from his perch on the top of her head, "can't be late for the show, can we?"

"I...you...he...erm...err...gah!"

"Urgh! Not this again!" Plagg flopped back with exasperated disgust. "Why do I always get stuck with the love sick ones?!"