Ladybug Gone Bad

Chapter 21

I tried to keep my cool, I tried not to loose my temper but the man pushed me past my limit. If Adrien thought I was mad then, I was absolutely livid now. Adrien shook his head gently but I ignored him, my eyes on his father.

"Mr. Agreste, your son is not a disgrace. Adrien Agreste is many things, sometimes he's too naive or too trusting but he is not a disgrace and never will be. He's an angel. He saved me sir. If I was left there at that wall, bleeding, tired, weak and alone, I could have been raped or kidnapped or worse-"

"Marinette-"

"I could have died sir. Your son rescued me, took me into your beautiful home and nursed me back to health because it's his nature to help others. You should be proud of him. And I bet if his mother were here, she would be just as proud of him as I am. You are the disgusting one for not... uh..." the red suddenly cleared from my eyes and I realised who I had just yelled at in my blind raging fury. "For not loving him as much as you should and giving him the respect he deserves."

Mr. Agreste looked at me, his arms folded. Adrien ran a hand through his blonde locks. "Marinette, you shouldn't have-"

"Go to your room son."

"But father-"

"Now, son." Adrien got up, his wide eyes on me and his father. I smiled a little to put him at ease while freaking out on the inside. He walked into his room, sending me a hopeful glance before shutting the door. I turned back to Mr. Agreste, swallowing a little when I stared at his cold, blue eyes. For a moment, my mind flashed back to Hawkmoth. I held my breath when he stood up and gestured for me to follow him, stepping forward cautiously. There was something... off about him. Something strange was going on.

I followed him into his room and then into his atelier. The woman who's name I learnt was Nathalie left the moment she saw us. I swallowed quietly when she shut the door, her heels clicking till the sound faded in the distance.

"Wh-why-"

He kept quiet and walked straight with an emotionless face. I glanced at the collage of Adrien's photos then at Nathalie's desk before looking at the picture at the very back. It was large, displaying a stylised portrait of a beautiful blonde woman.

"Do you know what this is?" My eyes trailed over the style of painting. I nodded slowly.

"The Woman in Gold. I've heard of it." He rose an eyebrow.

"You are very well read. I expect as much from my child." I turned to him and blinked.

"C-come again?" A thin smile graced his lips. I swallowed. No. Please no. As he fiddled with the portrait, I looked around for any weapon I could find. I desperately searched for anything I could use to defend myself. I decided that Gabriel Agreste was crazy. He didn't deserve a son like Adrien or a woman like Emilie Agreste. I stared at her portrait silently and gasped when it moved, revealing a secret compartment.

He gestured for me to walk over, a foreign look in his eyes. I rose an eyebrow. So this guy just hides stuff behind the painting of his wife? Yeah, not creepy at all. I looked at the items one by one. There was a book about Tibet, a ticket, some old scrolls, a picture of his wife, the Miraculous book which I had vague memories of stealing at some point and a Peacock brooch. He cracked a small smile and started gathering them in a bag. I stared at him, still confused but petrified at the same time.

"You haven't figured it out yet? It's me. Hawkmoth." He showed me the moth miraculous with all calmness before going back to packing. I shook my head gently, barely able to keep myself stable. My body shook and tears pricked my eyes. "It's me, Marinette-"