Falling in Lust

Chapter 15 - Hawkmoth Pisses Me Off

In the park Hawkmoth held captive Marinette's parents, who were tethered to a tree, struggling and squirming to no avail. It filled Ladybug with unrelenting anger to see them this way, but she knew she better tame it. As far as she could tell, no one was akumatized which meant it was highly likely Hawkmoth intended to use that akuma on her.
She was fairly certain of his identity. It made the most since for it to be Gabriel Agreste under that mask, especially after his suspicious behavior with Adrien. If that was the case, Ladybug hoped when she defeated him -and she would defeat him- she could take his miraculous easily. Maybe he'd spend a year and jail and life wouldn't be too hard on Adrien. Of course, he would still be hurt, but there was nothing she could do about it. Though she no longer thought of him romantically, he was still her friend and she wanted to make this as easy for him as possible.
She swiped open her yo-yo and dialed for Chat Noir. An endless string of voicemails ran down the screen. He hadn't returned her calls. That's probably because he was Adrien, who was currently lying unconscious in her room and was in absolutely no fighting condition. If Gabriel was really Hawkmoth, this was all very horrible and twisted.
    She didn't see Hawkmoth, so she ran to her parents, Chloe on her heels. Chloe kept watch, waiting for Hawkmoth to appear while Marinette tended to her family.
    "Ladybug?" Sabine said, eyes wide with a mix of wonder and fear. It sounded like she hadn't caught on. She didn't know it was her daughter behind the mask.
    "Don't worry," Ladybug replied. "I'm here. I've got the situation under control."
    "Why did he take us?" Tom interjected.
    But Ladybug had no time to respond. "Ladybug!" Chloe shouted and there was a clanking sound from behind. Ladybug whirled around to find Hawkmoth had arrived and Chloe was doing her best to fight him off.
    "You might as well give up," Hawkmoth sneered. "I know your identity. You can never escape me."
    "Never!" She declared instead of doing as he'd suggested.
    Staff and yo-yo collided as the two super powered humans battled. Ladybug searched for the upper hand. Hawkmoth's movements were quick and efficient; she doubted she'd have time to call on her Lucky Charm for aid. She needed a way to distract him.
    "This is practically over, Marinette!" The villain crowed, trying to worm his way into her head.
    "You don't have the upper-hand!" She informed him, though he actually did. She was going to hope she was right and announce she did in fact know his identity. Even if she was right, it hardly mattered. Villains didn't play by the rules. There was a good chance he wouldn't care if she knew because he didn't care for his family. And hurting anyone else to get to him was a low she'd never reach.
    "I know you're identity!" She continued. He paused, but only for a second. Her yo-yo almost struck him in the face but he regained his bearings and batted it away.
    "Why are you doing this... Gabriel Agreste?" She looked him dead in the eyes with a smoldering stare.
    "You think I want this? It's all for my wife!"
    "Emilie? What does she have to do with it?"
    She narrowly dodged and attack while he told her viciously, "You should know if that Chat and Bug miraculous are united, they grant you a wish. Every moment you spend trying to thwart my plans is another moment you keep me from Emilie. She might as well have died at your hands!"
    "How could I have known?" She demanded, wanting to convince herself it was untrue but still feeling unreasonably guilty.
    "You know now," Hawkmoth pointed out. "You know now and you're still trying to keep me from her. You're pretty much her killer! Murderer! You pretend to be a hero when really you're just a teenage murderer."
    "I am not!" She protested, her heart racing. She didn't want to believe his would were true. "There has to be a better way to solve this! Why use violence?"
    "Give me your miraculous, Ladybug, and you can save her."
But at what cost? Marinette thought despairingly. Would the price for Emilie Agreste's life be another life in return? Would someone else have to die for her to live? How horrible would the consequences be for one person? Was it worth pursuing? Was she a monster for doubting? If she tried to save Emilie and everything went south, could she undo the damage?
     "You don't want to save her?" Hawkmoth spat. "Then I'll show you how it feels!"
    He dodged her attack and dashed for the tree which bound her parents. She raced after him, but she didn't make it in time. He plunged the end of his staff into Sabine's gut, who let out a cry of pain and shock.
    "No!" Tom shouted, lurching towards his wife as far as he could with his bindings.
    The seconds seemed to slow to a crawl. The blood pounded in Marinette's ears. A blinding rage washed over her, anger that snuffed out everything else; all the pain and sadness and downright anguish piled into this moment. The anger trumped it all.
    Hawkmoth grinned, a crooked look that revealed pearly white teeth. He opened the top of his staff and an akuma darted out, entering her miraculous. The rage intensified impossibly further.
    "Princess Justice," Hawkmoth began, but he'd never get to finish the sentence.
    The anger inside Marinette Dupain-Cheng, A.K.A. Ladybug, was too powerful for him to control. She flew at Hawkmoth with incredible speed and began to batter him with her fists. Suddenly, multiple yo-yo wired coiled around his limbs and waist, deeming him immobilized. She continued to hit him.
    Meanwhile, Chloe freed her parents. Chloe had also gone about the park and ensured every citizen was out of danger.
    "Mr. Dupain, use your shirt. Press it on her wound and call and ambulance. I'll be with you as soon as I can."
    Chloe dashed to Marinette and attempted to pull her off. Hawkmoth was unconscious and laid restrained on the ground, blood oozing from his head.
    "Marinette, he's out!" She shouted. "Take his miraculous and take him to the police station. I've got your parents." She rushed away and scooped up an injured Sabine, heading for the hospital.
    Ladybug unpinned Hawkmoth's miraculous. There was a purple light then it was only Gabriel Agreste lying tied up on the grass, still bleeding.