Cataclysm

The villain and his broken family

Adrien silently followed his father to his office, where the man stopped in front of Emily Agreste's favorite painting. The boy was about to ask what were they doing there when he noticed his father putting his fingers on the painting, except, it was not a normal painting. Those were buttons on a hidden panel, one that Adrien never noticed was there before.

From there things got weird fast; Gabriel made some hand gestures signaling his son to come over to his side, then the floor started sinking. Adrien's brain overwhelmed with this new information, the only thing he could make sense inside his mind was ''This is an elevator''. Gabriel merely nodded, not even looking at him now. Then he started talking.

''I know where you have been spending your free time, son.'' Adrien cringed upon hearing that, but before he could play cool his father continued ''I also have an idea of your whereabouts last night. You were with Ladybug, am I correct?'' He asked. Adrien stood there for a while, the elevator still moving down slowly.

''Whaaaat'' He responded stupidly. The model really had no idea how to get out of this one. But he knew he shouldn't give any more information before knowing himself how did his father got that idea in the first place.

''You don't need to pretend anymore, Adrien. I know you are Chat Noir. I'm not mad or disappointed, in fact, I'm proud'' Gabriel finished, still no smile on his face. Adrien couldn't start to process anything because the elevator hit the bottom just as his father finished talking.

The boy was too distracted by his own panicked thoughts so it took him a while to notice what his father was walking towards. It was a coffin. Sort of.

''W-What now?'' He asked, walking slowly after his father. The man stopped in front of the coffin and put his hand on a button there before answering ''Well, now that I know your truth, it's only fair that I share mine'' He said . Adrien couldn't help but feel trapped and uncomfortable the whole time, no matter how much he dreamed of his father understanding his hero activities one day, this was not it. He was sure his father had an ulterior motive to be this soft about the whole thing, and now he knew what it was.

The coffin's wood paneling slided and only glass remained, and laying there was Emily Agreste.

''Mom'' He whispered. Adrien ran towards the woman and put both his hands on the glass. She didn't look dead, but she was not moving, not a breath rising on her chest. His missing mother was hiding under his house this whole time. That was all the boy could think about in that moment, his father standing by his side not explaining anything yet.

The moment of shock passed, however, and Adrien regained his senses. This was weird, and wrong, and he needed answers. Now. The boy looked at his father frowning, he stood between the coffin and the man, as if Gabriel was a threat to the unmoving woman.

''Explanation, now'' Said the blond, cold as his own progenitor. Gabriel did not expect that reaction, or maybe he did, deep down. He had a slim hope of his son still being the fragile and manipulable child he was when his mother disappeared, but that was not the case anymore. Pity, Gabriel thought.

A terrifying smile crossed the designers face as he took his scarf and removed it, displaying what was beneath. A butterfly pin. Adrien gasped.

-*-

Ladybug landed on Adrien's bedroom then let go of the tiny black cat that was traveling in her hands. The little god was still winded, but had energy enough to bolt towards the different areas of the room and call for his kitten. She did the same, but soon she knew he was not there. Unsure of how to proceed, Ladybug stood in the middle of the room, illuminated by the moonlight coming through the huge windows.