Half Way

A Window, A Plan and A Perfect World

"What exactly are we looking for?" Plagg whined to Tikki as they searched the Agreste mansion.

"I'm not sure," Tikki sighed. "But Marinette seems pretty convinced that Adrien's father is Hawk Moth. If he is, we should be able to find something."

They started their search in Gabriel's study. Nothing in Nathalie's desk. And nothing suspicious in the hidden safe behind Emilie's painting besides the spellbook, which they already knew about.

Then they went to the dining room and the kitchen. When they were done there, they flew up to the second floor.

"Well we can definitely skip Adrien's bedroom. I know it like the back of my hand," Plagg said, yawning.

"Alright, you take Gabriel's room, and I'll check Nathalie's."

The two kwamis flew off in different directions.

Plagg had never been inside of Gabriel's bedroom before. Adrien never went there, and there was no point for him to go by himself. After all, there was no food in there.

He found Adrien's father asleep in his bed. Even though he had been living in the same house as him for over a year, Plagg didn't really know that much about him. Besides a few meals here and there, he rarely spent any time with his son. Plagg knew how much it upset Adrien that he wasn't closer to his father. And that upset Plagg. But that's the way it had always been.

A quick search through all of his belongings came up empty. There was absolutely nothing that tied him to Hawk Moth.

Back in the hallway he met up with Tikki.

"Anything?" she asked hopefully.

"Nope. You?"

"Nothing in Nathalie's room either. I guess that we should head upstairs."

Phasing through the ceiling, they went to the top floor of the house. No evidence there either.

"Face it Sugar Cube, Marinette's just overreacting. Adrien's father is not Hawk Moth."

Tikki let out a loud sigh. "But what she said made so much sense. Why else would he want to track her?"

"Who knows what goes through that crazy mind of his!"

Tikki didn't look convinced. "Well we should at least check out the garden, don't you think? Just to be certain?"

"Fine," he said. "But after that we're going back to Marinette's house and going to bed."

She nodded before they flew outside.

It was dark out, but they could still see from the moonlight shining down. Zooming around the house, their search came up empty yet again.

"Maybe we can't see any butterflies because it's nighttime and they're all resting?" Tikki suggested.

"Adrien comes out here all the time and I've never seen any," Plagg said. "I think it's time that we give up. I mean, Marinette's a smart girl, but this time she got it wrong."

Tikki's frowned. "Alright, let's go," she said reluctantly.

Plagg flew off. The red and black kwami sighed and looked around one last time. Her eyes stopped on a large circular window on the back of the house.

She stayed staring at it until Plagg flew back over to her. "Come on, Sugar Cube!"

"Where does that window lead to?" she asked, jutting her chin out towards it. "I don't remember seeing any round windows inside."

Plagg looked over at it and tilted his head sideways. "Huh. I have no idea. I never thought about it before."

They glanced at each other.