Gabriel did not like this at all. Having his son get comfort from that baker girl would ruin everything. He cannot let this happen when he is so close to getting the miraculous to bring his wife back. But now the cataclysm has reached his shoulder. He blames his nephew for this but in reality, it's his own fault for everything. Nothing could stop the cataclysm from killing him. Necrosis is far beyond worse and no cure can stop it.

"My time is running out," He thought.

He tried to use kwami energy to reduce the effects but it failed 5 times because the kwamis had already told him that there is no cure for the cataclysm. Not even the rooster miraculous that grants any power like healing powers to help.

Adrien had finished packing and was ready to go to his girlfriend. His trauma is still in his head, making his hand shake in fear. He needs to focus now and come up with a lie to not give out suspicion to his princess.

"Okay, Gorilla. Ready to go to Marinette's place" Adrien said.

His bodyguard grunted, happy that he was doing something outside of the mansion. He drove Adrien to the bakery. Adrien tried to steady his palpitations that were giving him minor chest pains. He cannot let Monarch akumatize him or he would regretfully hurt the princess he loves.

He reached the bakery and headed inside, greeted by the bakers who hugged him at how worried they were, "Welcome Adrien" Tom said.

"Thanks but I need to breathe!" Adrien struggled from the tight hug.

"Okay. Well, Marinette's upstairs" Sabine said before releasing the hug.

Adrien breathes rapidly, "Great. Thanks" He picked up his backpack and went upstairs to see his princess.

"Hi Adrien" Marinette hugged him.

"Hi Marinette" He hugs her back.

"My prince. What has that castle done to you?" Marinette asked, used to enjoy being a prince and princess in a fairytale when they were in love.

"Just my tyrant king of a father bothering me," Adrien said.

"And why didn't you come to school?" Marinette asked again.

"It's complicated," Adrien said.

Marinette puts her ear on his chest and can hear a lot of pounding like palpitations, "Oh my god! Your heart!" She exclaims.

"Yeah. It's been going on for weeks. It will stop on its own. I didn't want to worry you" Adrien said.

"I'm here for you my prince," Marinette said.

"Thank you," Adrien said.

"Still Romeo and Juliet to your father again?" Marinette asked.

"Yeah, but it doesn't prevent me from seeing you," Adrien said.

"If only we can feel free rather than die at the sad ending of Romeo and Juliet story" Marinette puts her hands on his chest to help him feel calm from all that stress.

"Yeah, when I'm with you I feel more free," Adrien said.

What he doesn't know is why Nathalie gave him his mother's ring. Nathalie knew that someday Adrien needed more freedom to be himself than to be controlled by his father. The madness consuming Gabriel would one day go out of control and Adrien would become scared of him. So she hands him the real one and tells him to make sure his father doesn't see it. Nathalie wore the fake so Gabriel didn't suspect a thing.

"So wanna play some games?" Marinette suggested.

"Qui. Save me from my stress attacks, my princess knight" Adrien held her hands.

"Okay," Marinette turns the screen on, "So which game?" She asked.

"The new Miraculous Super Brawl. They updated new characters" Adrien said.

"Good, let's play that" Marinette hands over the controller.

"I've been a knight for too long, knightress. Remember your training" Adrien teased.

"You got it" Marinette selects Ladybug.

"A lady never fights" Adrien selects Cat Noir.

"Some do," Marinette said.

"You'll lose your lady manners" Adrien chuckled and began to play.

"Oh yeah?" Marinette began to fight Cat Noir in the game.

-

At the mansion, Gabriel was beyond pissed at Nathalie for letting Adrien go to the bakery without permission.

"Enough, Gabriel. He's a teenager and he needs his own free time, not isolation from you. God, your madness is making you think you'll die from the cataclysm spreading fast" Nathalie scoffed at his stubbornness and paranoia.

"He's not supposed to leave!" Gabriel yelled.

"Emilie would hate you keeping him as a slave!" Nathalie scolded him.

"I am doing my best for his happiness!" Gabriel said.

"No, the only thing you're doing is causing him misery and suffering. You're not the father he remembers. You're the one who foolishly does things your own way instead of listening to my advice. I cannot let his suffering kill him" Nathalie said, coughing terribly from her condition, "You're wrong about his loneliness, Gabriel. He has friends who love him. He wasn't alone when he had me and you"

Gabriel was speechless at her rant. His madness has already corrupted him, making him like obedience from his son instead of being there for him. Everything he's doing is breaking a lot of promises to Emilie.

"You have failed both of them already, Gabriel. There's no going back to it. Sooner or later, you'll lose your son the same way you lost her. Especially abandoning your real family a long time ago. You never came from a rich family" Nathalie said.

"I left it for a new start," Gabriel said.

"I couldn't say it better myself, Gabi" Nathalie said.

"Do not call me that!" Gabriel yelled.

"Your real name has always been with you for years. You were born with that name" Nathalie said.

"My old family was useless and I left my past behind to not be associated with my previous identity as a common juvenile thief," Gabriel said.

"Emilie would still hate you if she knew who you really were. Just like you abandoned that woman and the child" Nathalie said.

"That was a long time ago before I met Emilie," Gabriel said.

"Whoever that child of yours was, it was pure human. Adrien came from Emilie with the peacock miraculous. That makes you not the father of Adrien" Nathalie said, knowing that Emilie got herself pregnant without having sex.

"I know," Gabriel said.

Emilie was infertile and only the peacock miraculous was she able to have a child, even if the child was only half human like her. Even her sister went through it with Colt.

"Face it, Gabi. Fear will always come back for you. Life will always stop you from everything. God is not on your side" Nathalie leaves the office.

Gabriel slumps on his chair. He didn't care what Emilie did not want but he just can't live without her.

"I better get them quicker before I'm gone" He removes his glove, his hand being completely black.

He's the first living being to witness what happens if a cataclysm touches a person, "My fate is inevitable" He said to himself.

-

Adrien was having a nap with his lovely princess since a nap would somehow calm his stress levels if she were here with him. He accidentally purred but thankfully she didn't hear it since she was fast asleep. He had one arm around her in his sleep. He wished he was like a cat to be adopted by her.

Marinette rests her head on his chest. The palpitations were still there but she hoped the stress and anxiety reduced so that Adrien could fight whatever trauma he was going through. Maybe his father did something to upset Adrien or did not see that the isolation must have caused him to feel scared of loneliness. But as Cat Noir, he fears the villains might take advantage of his powers. Especially his rage getting the best of him whenever he tries to cataclysm a living person who dares try to harm the ones he cares about. Or if he himself got akumatized. Whatever Akuma name he'll be called, he cannot let his destructive powers cause harm like Plagg did without a holder.

"Mmmmm..... Adrien" Marinette murmured.

"Puuuurrrrrr" Adrien purred and held her close, making sure she was right here with him.

He was a little hungry since his stress levels messed up his appetite for days. So he woke up to go for a snack.

"Adrien?" Marinette woke up.

"Sorry I woke you up but I feel like having your mom's delicious Chinese food. Please?" Adrien asked.

"Okay, let's get you some" Marinette rubs her left eye.