The Wedding Planner

Chapter 23

One Lucky Charm later, the casket is on the ground level, Mrs. Agreste lay under the portrait of herself in Gabriel's office. Marinette and Adrien quickly realized the casket was more than it seems. It was a self-regulating chamber that sustained Emilie under the glass.

Adrien stays by his mother's side as Marinette calls '112' on her cell, simply prompting that they need an ambulance sent to Agreste Manor ASAP.

To Adrien, the wait feels like forever, worried as if he's about to watch his mother wither away to nothing right before his eyes.

Marinette sends the moving crew home for the day, their truck pulling away just as the ambulance turns the corner into their driveway. The crowd of reporters, still outside the gates, are reinvigorated by this sight, many immediately reporting their speculations as to why the ambulance was called.

Mari leads the paramedics into Gabriel's office, while quickly, and vaguely, explaining the situation. By the time they reach Adrien and see the famously-lost Emilie Agreste, comatose in a glass casket, the trio of paramedics all have the same expression : shock and confusion.

But their training quickly overcomes these feelings as they lift the whole apparatus onto a gurney, with some help from Adrien, and roll her out to the ambulance waiting outside. The press definitely catch on that a coffin of sorts is being removed from the Agreste estate, sending them into a near frenzy, pressing themselves up against the gate.

The paramedics inform Adrien and Marinette that they will be contacting them once they are able to fully assess the situation at the hospital. They nod numbly in response, allowing them to drive away, siren blaring while honking their horn to get the paparazzi to move out of the way.

Marinette guides Adrien back inside before they get any more photos taken of them.

~

"Another visit? Already? It hasn't even been 10 years." Gabriel chides as he sits in his seat behind the bullet proof glass opposite Adrien.

"Tell me why mom was in that chamber under the house." Adrien spoke plainly, to the point, not wanting to fall into his Father's mind games again.

Gabriel leans back in his chair, "Ah yes, I did predict that you'd have questions about that. It's quite the harrowing story really. One I'm not inclined to share at the moment." He smirks.

Adrien's jaw sets, "Everyone knows you put her down there, there's no use in denying that part, not after that call you had with Marinette. I- we, just want to know how, and why. I think you owe me at least that."

He seems to consider this briefly, his eyes narrowing, "No, I don't think I do." He says, shaking his head slightly. "But maybe if you used those manners I tried so hard to instill in you?"

Adrien shuts his eyes tightly in frustration, "Please, father..." he says with disdain, "tell me what happened to mom."

A small, satisfied smile curls on his lip, "How much do you know about magical items called the Miraculous?"

He holds his tongue, "You used one to become Hawkmoth."

"Indeed. Mine was one of many relics that could grant power to its user. Your mother was the one who introduced me to these items." He states calmly, watching Adrien's reaction.

"She did?" Adrien asks, unable to hide his touch of disbelief.

Gabriel nods, "Besides being a gifted actress, she had a scholarly side when it came to topics of interest. She had stumbled across a text on the Miraculous during an adjacent reading she was doing. This led her down a path that she became bound by.