Breaking Free

This End is the Beginning

"You will obey me, Adrien," Gabriel scowled, turning his silver ring round and round on his finger.

Chat Noir's ears bent backward, heavy tears trickling down the sides of his black leather mask. "Get away, Ladybug," he cried, bending under the pressure of Gabriel's command.

"Kitty-"

"Get away!"

Ladybug backed off, her eyes cutting between Chat and his father. Her hand rested on her yo-yo, squeezing the weapon in a firm, yet trembling grip.

Chat hunched over, his green-glowing eyes fixated on Gabriel. His father. Hawkmoth. How he hated him, that wretched, evil man who was twisting and twisting his ring.

"Father," he whimpered, though his face was a snarl.

"Come to me, son," the man said, staring intently. A laugh burst forth from his lips. "You have to. I created you!"

Chat nearly threw himself forward. His legs shook against the tower's concrete rooftop.

He whispered, "Cataclysm."

The sight of bubbling black magic made Gabriel laugh even harder. "You can't possibly be planning to destroy me, son. I am your god. You will follow my commands!"

Chat took a deep, shaking breath, and looked the villain square in the eye. His bubbling hand rose to his own chest. "No," he agreed, "I can't hurt you. But I can sever the connection."

Both Ladybug and Gabriel cried out as Chat leaned back and slammed the Cataclysm into his chest.

A moment passed. At first, nothing happened. Then Chat screamed, and a blast tore through the air, and a thousand black cracks spiraled out from the point of the Cataclysm's impact.

His transformation fell, and Adrien collapsed on his knees. Dark marks had torn across his body, showing through the tattered remains of his shirt and jacket, as if a spider had wrapped its legs around his chest.

A white feather, edges singed to the point of charcoal, floated upward for a moment. It then fell, as ashes, to the rooftop pavement.

The silver band on Gabriel's hand shattered, glittering pieces littering at his feet. The man started forward—and Ladybug's yo-yo threw itself in the space between father and son and, purposefully, just missed his head.

"Adrien!" the girl cried, rushing over to the boy's side. She gasped as he met her eyes. Black veins marred the lower half of Adrien's face, and his pupils remained the cat-like slits of his miraculous transformation.

Her red-gloved hand caressed his cheek as she whispered, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," was Adrien's hoarse reply, "I can't feel him anymore."

They both turned to face Gabriel. Ladybug helped Adrien to his feet.

Gabriel was staring at the shattered remains of his ring. He met Adrien's frightful gaze and attempted to speak, "My son-"

"I am not yours," Adrien cut him off, "Not anymore."

Ladybug scooped him up in her arms, giving one last glare to Gabriel. Hawkmoth. She swung her yo-yo toward the nearest building, and they disappeared together into the city below.