Gabenath, The Sandboy Begins

Sleep

Nathalie's POV ish
Nathalie had learned to sleep through the screams of Paris at night as most of Paris already had.  But tonight, she wasn't prepared to hear her own screams.

Nathalie had woken up to the sound of an akumatized villain as usual.  Almost a new on every night or day with completely original names.  This one, Sandboy.

"Sandboy just checked in.  So nightmares can begin," a child's voice called over the Agreste mansion.  Followed by the cries for help of Adrien Agreste.  Nathalie had stepped out of bed at a fast pace.  She barely noticed the yellow dust sprinkled over her as she sprinted to the door.  While opening the door, she saw Gabriel Agreste standing in front of the door looking frustrated at her.

"Is there something wrong Mr. Agreste?" Nathalie asked in case something had happened to the person she loved.

"Yes Nathalie, actually you can!"  He raised his tone with every word, "You can stop being such a terrible assistant!"

Nathalie choked in response to the man's anger.  "I'm sorry, w- what?"

"Are you deaf?!  You can't do anything right!  What do you even assist with?!  Ruining my plans?!  I would never love you!  I love Emilie and only Emilie, remember?!  And if I didn't love her, I would love Audrey, not you!"  He stepped closer to her every few words with fury in his eyes.  Causing her to back away into the nearest corner.  Eventually falling to the ground sobbing.  "You are worthless to the company and me!  Don't ever think differently!"

Hawkmoth's POV ish
Hawkmoth had a better plan than normal.  If Sandboy failed to take the miraculous of ladybug and cat noir, he could akumatize someone who had faced their worst fears, and lost!  So many people going through so much pain.  Some pain more hurtful than other's.  He turned his head to hear cries of help coming from his only son.  He regrets putting Adrien through this pain but it is necessary to save Emilie.  To save the family name.  He ignored the pain he could feel and hear coming from the house above him.  Then he felt something huge.  The pain of self doubt and heart break.  It was growing rapidly as the night continued.  Then he heard a faint sobbing.  Small enough for him to hear but it was hurtful enough for him to feel.  It was coming from down the hallway upstairs.  He couldn't risk losing this akumatization so he rushed towards the feminine cries of help as quietly as he could while being hawkmoth.  He tried desperately not to alert Adrien that he was awake and walking.  He opened the door to Nathalie's room to see her in a ball, hands over her ears, crying.  Worry shot through him when he saw himself, Gabriel Agreste scolding her about her job.  He was tempted to detransform to help her.  End her pain.  He now knew what the strong negative emotion was from.  It was from her.  He had felt it a while and he did nothing to help her.  NOTHING.  He scolded himself in his mind for being so foolish.  He detransformed knowing he could always try again, but keep Nathalie safe.  The nightmare disappeared but Nathalie kept her eyes tightly closed at the chance it was still there.

Nathalie's POV Ish
She could feel her red hot tears streaming down her face.  Everything was quiet for a second but she didn't dare move.  It could be a trick or a trap.  But she felt someone's arms rapping around her and squeezing tightly.  She opened her eyes thinking to find the fake trying to hurt her.  But it was the real Gabriel Agreste.  Hugging her.  The nightmare Gabriel was gone.  She got snapped out of her thoughts when she felt something wet drip onto her shoulder.  Gabriel was crying.  Softly.