Always Find You

Chapter 7 - "My Turn to Handle This"

With a severe lack of cheese and Plagg too drained to transform, Adrien has to sneak through the front door and try not to wake his father. He tiptoes up the stairs and almost makes it to his bedroom door, but he freezes when he hears his father say his name; the kwamis hide in his pockets.
Mr. Agreste is standing outside his office door, "Where were you?" He interrogates.

Adrien considers lying, but decides against it, "I'm sorry, father, I was out with my - um -friend Marinette."

"You know that you're not allow-" He stops short, "You say your friend is named Marinette?"

Confused at the lack of reprimanding, the boy responds, "Yes? I think you've met her before."

"She's the only person you know by that name, correct?"

Adrien shifts back and forth uncomfortably, "Yes... Father, what does this have to do with anything?"

"Just curious about—" he pauses to think, "Your social life. Now go upstairs and get to sleep, you have school tomorrow."

His son stays planted for a moment, still baffled by the conversation.
"I said go!" Shouts Mr. Agreste.

Adrien runs upstairs without a word and closes his door behind him.

Gabriel retreats back into his atelier and gazes up at his wife's picture, "My love, I won't fail you." After researching the girl, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, he presses a few points on the portrait, and the passage to his lair opens.

"Nooroo, dark wings rise!" The dark shadows of butterflies begin to surround him and encapsulate his figure. When the insects recede, standing in Gabriel's place is the one and only Hawk Moth.

"No time for anyone else, my little akumas," he breathes, "It's my turn to handle this." He summons a single butterfly and sucks any and all light out of it. It flies out of his hand and lands on his brooch.
"The power of flight for a butterfly, what a treat."
With that, he takes to the air, headed for the Boulangerie Patisserie.