Behind the Mask (Book One)

Chapter 10

(Adrien's POV)
When I got home that day, Father was angry. Luckily, he's still sober.

"Adrien, why weren't you in chemistry?" He asks.

"I got caught up in the akuma attack earlier today," I say. Technically I'm not lying.

"Why is it that you always get caught up in akuma attacks?" Father raises an eyebrow, "It's not like you're Chat Noir"

I freeze.

"Go to your room, Adrien," Father says, "And no inviting friends over or leaving the house"

"Yes, Father"

I walk up the stairs and into my bedroom, shutting the door. I fall to the ground, exhausted from today's events.

"Adrien, you should take a nap. You look tired," Plagg suggests, "You had a long day today"

I nod and slowly walk over to my bed, laying down. Within minutes, I close my eyes and drift off to sleep.

~

The sun shines on my skin and on the wide grass area around me. As I walk through the grass, I feel the light, comforting heat as the rays of the sun touch my skin.

A piano appears in the distance. I make my way over to the piano and sit down. My fingers start pushing the keys down, making music in this sunny, empty land.

"It sounds beautiful," a lady's voice says behind me.

I turn my head, still playing the piano. Behind me stood a woman with blonde hair and green eyes. Mom. I smile at her and she takes a seat next to me, causing my fingers to stop playing.

"Allow me to play a piece," her soft voice says.

She places her hands on the piano. She pushes down roughly on the keys, making a loud, explosive sound. Next thing I knew, the music became dark and bone-chilling, making me feel a bit paranoid.

I cover my ears and close my eyes, "Mom, please play a different piece"

"What was that, Adrien?" Her voice changed into a man's.

I open my eyes to see Father sitting at the piano instead.

"Father? What happened to mom?" I ask, scared.

Father doesn't stop playing as an evil smile appears on his face. Soon afterwards, the soft heat from the sun started to get more intense. It was beginning to burn my skin. The heat became more and more intense until my skin felt like it was on fire. I screamed from the feeling of my burning skin.

The sun then started to disappear, turning the sky dark. Seconds later, I was no longer in the beautiful grasslands. Instead, I was in a dark, unfamiliar room. The room had a large, blue circle at the front. Father was standing in front of the circle, facing me.

"Father, where am I?" I ask.

"Give me your miraculous, Chat Noir," Father says.

"Huh?" I hold my hands to my chest, hiding my ring.

Father steps closer to me, "Nooroo, dark wings rise!"

Seconds later, Hawkmoth replaces my father.

My eyes widen. No. My father is Hawkmoth?!

Hawkmoth reaches his hand out, "Hand it over, Chat Noir"

I shake my head.

Hawkmoth snaps his fingers and Ladybug appears, tied up in a rope. She had scratches everywhere.

"Ladybug!" I shout.

Hawkmoth places his foot on her body, making a scream escape her lips.

I clench my fists.

"Well done, Hawkmoth," an unfamiliar female voice says.

The owner of the voice, an unfamiliar figure, steps next to Hawkmoth and looks down at Ladybug.

"Poor, poor girl," the lady says.

She reaches down for Ladybug's earrings. I try to run to her, but was suddenly wrapped in chains. Her fingers inch closer to Ladybug's earrings until they come into contact with them.

"NO!!!"

~

"Adrien!"

I wake up at the sound of Plagg's voice. My body was trembling and sweat was running down my face. I sit up, feeling a pain run through my body.

"Are you okay?" My kwami asks.

I nod, taking deep breaths, "Yeah. Just another bad dream"

Thank god it was just a dream. My father can't be Hawkmoth, right? After all, we fought him as an akumatized victim once.