Under The Mask 🎭 (a Miraculous Ladybug Fanfic)

-37- Through The Looking Glass

"I've never seen so many butterflies," Marinette whispers, walking through a group of them. They fly and dance around her, shining through the light from the window. "It'd be so beautiful if they weren't used for evil." She steps over to the window, eyeing is suspiciously. "We're underground, but somehow light comes into the room." She pushes the window open, and fog settles in, covering the floor in a thick mist. "I-I can't see anything for miles. It must a trick of magic," She assumes before turning to face Adrien.

He stares at the part of the floor that opened earlier. "Do you think this goes anywhere else?"

She walks over. "You think there's something else your father is hiding?"

"Why not? He's hidden almost everything from me." Adrien grabs Marinette's hand and they stand on the floor. It opens up and goes further down. The glass elevator opens up into a bright, open room with even more butterflies in a wide, beautiful garden. There's a bridge over water, the silver illuminating with more impossible sunlight. The glass doors open and Adrien steps out, still holding her hand, and they walk across together. "What is this place?"

"The garden is so beautiful," Marinette whispers, lost in a trance.

"Why would my father hide it from me, though?" Adrien wonders.

She notices something in the garden, a container, and bumps Adrien's arm. "What is that thing?"

They reach the end of the bridge and step off. "I don't know. I've never seen anything like it before." As Adrien goes to touch it, there's a loud thud behind them and see Mr. Agreste standing there. Their eyes widen. "F-Father?!"

Gabriel glares at the pair. "You two are snooping where you don't belong."

Adrien takes a protective stance in front of Marinette. "We know you're Hawk Moth! So, don't even try lying to us.

"You're supposed to be on your way to Japan," She whispers.

Gabriel crosses his arms behind his back, stepping past them, and he stands by the weird container. "I was, until you tripped the alarm and I saw camera footage of you two sneaking around."

Adrien and Mari share a look.

"Yes, you're right. I am Hawk Moth."

Adrien glares at him. "How could you, Father?! How could you terrorize Paris? Hurt my friends? Hurt Marinette?"

"Because I am doing it for us, son."

"What are you talking about?" He asks, confused.

Gabriel places a palm on the container and two doors open with a hiss. Adrien's missing mother's body lays still behind glass. "This, my son."

Adrien's eyes widen. "W-What? Mother...? But how—what did you do to her?!" 

"I've been trying to bring your mother back, Adrien, but there's only one thing that can. Ladybug and Cat Noir's miraculous," He explains.

Marinette's eyes widen. "That's what you're wishing for? To bring your dead wife back?"

Gabriel glares at the girl. "It's the only thing worth wishing for. Even Adrien can understand that."

Adrien stares at his mother's unconscious body, breathing in and out, trying to calm himself down. All this time, his mother has been here when he thought otherwise. He thought she was missing, that she disappeared, and somehow the sight of her body wasn't the closure he was expecting. "Mom..."

"Nooroo, dark wings rise!" Gabriel shouts, transforming into Hawk Moth.

The two heroes jump back and share a look and the same thought. Do we transform and fight and risk revealing our identity?

Hawk Moth points his cane at this son. "Everything I've done has been for us—for you—Adrien! To bring your mother back, to have a family again!"

Adrien shakes his head. "No. We stopped being a family the day you chose to hurt people. I can't ever forgive you for hurting Marinette."

"When will you finally see that girl isn't right for you? How much time and how many plans do I have to waste before you open your eyes and see?!"

Adrien looks at Marinette. "Wait..." He thinks back on the recent events. Evillustrator kidnapping her, the sentimonster that attacked her at his birthday party, and Felix and Lila working together to drive her away from him. All under his father's say. "You... you did all of that because you didn't want me with Marinette? Father, I love her!"

"She is not worth your love!" Hawk Moth shouts back.

"Like you would know anything about love!"

He laughs wickedly. "I know love makes you do crazy things. I know the love you have for that girl will be your downfall. You'll do anything to protect her, right?

Adrien nods. "Always."

"Good. I was counting on that." Hawk Moth taps his cane into the floor, a large, mega, glowing akuma flying out, and hides in the lucky charm bracelet around Marinette's wrist.

A purple butterfly silhouette appears on her face.