Miraculous Ladybug: Tales of Cat Noir and Hawkmoth

| The Beginning of the End | 1 |

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I ran out at 7:45 am. No one saw me leave, but I knew I'd have to face them again as soon as I got home.

The clock was ticking, they would most likely have already started chasing me by now. I was so close to the school, but I felt so far away.

As I began to run up the steps I heard Nathalie call for me. "Adrien, please reconsider!" she said.

I heard a noise and stopped, looking to my right.

An old man was reaching for his cane. I felt inclined to go over and help him, as if something was tugging on my heart strings, begging me to go over there. Maybe it was because I felt bad, maybe because I knew exactly how he felt.

Helpless.

"Thank you, young man." He said.

A small smile appeared on my face. It quickly faded away as soon as I turned around.

There they were, my bodyguard and Nathalie, blocking me from going to the school. My only chance at freedom, gone.

The car door opened and I sulked in. My father's face already appearing on the screen. I stared, doing my best to block his words out, but also pretended as if I were paying attention.

I have learned that if I let his words get to me, then there would be no hope I could hold on to at all.

----

It was a dark, cloudy day. The weather and I had something in common. Maybe I could become friends with the weather, seeing as my father won't let me go to school.

The car door opened again, but this time I was too hesitant to move. What awaited me as soon as I stepped inside? I knew what was coming. I wish I didn't.

I slowly walked inside, keeping my head low. It wasn't long before I heard my father's booming voice.

"Adrien Agreste!" He yelled.

"...Yes father?" I slowly raised my head.

"How dare you go to that school when I told you not to? You are perfectly fine here where Nathalie can keep an eye on you. Who knows what kind of disaster you could bring to my brand and ruin our whole family?"

"Father, I just wanted to be like everyone else-"

The sting of a slap emerged. It happened so fast I didn't even see it. All I could do was hold my face in pain.

"Don't interrupt me when I'm talking to you. I'm so disappointed in your behavior. Is that how your mother raised you? To be disrespectful?" He said.

"No, father." I replied.

"Now go, be the son she raised you to be, and continue your classes with Nathalie. Don't step foot into that school ever again. If you do, I don't think your punishment will be as mild."

"Yes father." The pain still lingered on my cheek.

I walked with Nathalie to the dining room to resume my studies.

"Your cheek is red, Adrien." She said, pulling out some books from the cabinet.

"...I know." I sat down at the end of the table. 

She always does this, she pretends like it has never happened before. I wish she didn't. We both know it happens every day. We both know- 

Her voice snapped me out of my thoughts.