AND BACK TO ANGST WE GO!! This one is less Ladrien centered (sorry), but I hope you will enjoy it anyways! I'm always in the mood for some Agreste family angst. Vote and comment if you liked it!                                                                                                            -Colorado 

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Adrien wasn't sure what he thought he would find when he entered his father's study. But this? This was something far beyond anything he had ever imagined.

"Join me, Adrien." His fa- no, Hawkmoth, it was too painful to think about their relationship, called. He was standing next to the coffin holding his... he couldn't face it. Behind him, plants grew cocoons. Adrien knew there were butterflies in there, even if he couldn't see them.

"I-, I-, I-."

"Don't worry, it'll all be over soon." Hawkmoth let out an akuma from his cane.

"No, please, no." He choked out as the akuma entered his t-shirt.

His father's grin was the last thing he saw as the world went black.

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Morning-Adrien had no clue that he would discover his father being a national terrorist that afternoon. In fact, he had been feeling quite optimistic!

He and Ladybug had made plans to hang out that day.

They had been spending a lot more time together recently. He was ecstatic about their budding friendship, if he was being honest. While Ladybug still couldn't tell him anything, Adrien saw a different side of Ladybug than Chat Noir. She was bashful and didn't snap back quite as much. He loved her just as much for it. 

So they had arranged to spend the entire day together. Ladybug would come by in the morning and they would hang out while he practiced piano. In the afternoon, when he knew his father would be busy with a business meeting, they would go out to a cafe. Both would be wearing disguises, of course, but Adrien was still looking forward to it. Finally, they would go back to Adrien's house and binge watch different movies until the sun came up. It was supposed to be perfect!

Of course, things didn't end up like that.

The morning went according to plan. Ladybug snuck into his room and watched him play piano. He even managed to impress her a couple of times! After a bit of prodding, she told him her favorite piece. He, luckily, had known it and played it for her. His reward was the biggest smile he had seen from Ladybug in awhile. The shine in her eyes stuck with him, even after he closed his eyes.

Even the early part of the afternoon had gone well! He had put his ear up to his father's study to make sure he and Nathalie were in deep discussion. It was the very beginning of the meeting, when different executives went over how well their specific branch of the company was doing. Adrien grinned, that was exactly what he wanted.

He and Ladybug quickly left. She had borrowed some of his clothes to make sure no one would notice that she was Ladybug. Seeing her in his hoodie, jeans, and an old hat did bad things to his heart rate. She looked so beautiful like that, Adrien could barely take it. All throughout lunch, he suppressed the urge to lean forward and kiss her.

It felt so much like a date, Adrien tried his hardest to not let his feelings slip through. He thought he was doing a pretty good job! He had only said something flirty once and only tried once to hold her hand.

It was after they had gotten back when everything had gone to hell. Apparently, Gabriel's meeting had ended early. He had decided to make the rare decision to actually pay attention to his son. Of course, this happened when Adrien was gone.

"Adrien." Nathalie's voice made both him and Ladybug jump.

Upon entering his room, both of them had somehow missed Nathalie standing at the foot of his bed, her arms crossed.

"What's going on here?" She asked him carefully, eyeing Ladybug.

"Nathalie! Uh, Ladybug was just... helping me!"

"Yeah, I'm a super great helper!"

"Ladybug was helping you practice your Mandarin? In somewhere other than your room?" Nathalie raised an eyebrow.

"She saw me studying and thought it would be beneficial if I could practice my Mandarin in Chinatown! So we stepped out to go and get lunch really quick. I didn't think it would be a big deal."

"Mlle. Ladybug." Nathalie turned towards his partner.

"Yes?" She squeaked.

"Is this the truth? You and Adrien were just hanging out?"

"Yes, Mme. Sancoeur. I promise, we were just hanging out. I wanted to make sure he could get as much practice as possible. What good is practicing a language if there's no one else who speaks it around?"

"I see." Nathalie narrowed her eyes. "Well, I will still have to tell your father about this, but I'll try and get you off the hook."

"Thank you, Nathalie." Adrien felt relief flood his body, although Ladybug's eyes grew wider and wider as Nathalie exited. 

"Adrien, is she really going to tell your dad about this?" Ladybug whispered, grabbing his arm.

"Yeah, but no worries."

"No worries? Adrien, if our friendship reaches Hawkmoth it will put you in huge danger! I thought we agreed that this needed to remain a secret!"

"My dad isn't going to do anything that would put me in danger." He promised her.

"Are you sure?" Ladybug said quietly.

"Yes. I'm sure. He might be distant and strict, but he does love me! He just shows it in a really weird way. Don't worry about it, alright?"

"Still, I'm not sure how much I can come around anymore."

"What? Why?"

"Adrien, if both Nathalie and your father found out, other people can very easily. It's not worth the risk. I would never want to do something that would put you in danger."

"But I thought you liked hanging out with me?" Adrien hated how his voice cracked

"I do! I promise you, I do, but I can't anymore."

'Stupid, you shouldn't have risked going out. How could you be so selfish? You wanted more instead of being grateful for what you had and now you're going to lose it all. You're going to lose her. How stupid can you be?' He tried to push the bad thoughts away, but they just kept coming.

"Can you at least give me today?" He whispered, trying his hardest not to cry.

"Yes. We will spend the rest of today together, like we had planned. Then, I'm sorry, but we have to go back to not knowing each other. I'm sure we'll run into each other sometimes, but no more regular hangouts, ok?"

"Okay." He agreed reluctantly. "Now, why don't you get a movie queued up? I'm going to make sure that my father isn't going to muder me." He faked a chuckle.

"Okay." Ladybug gave him a soft smile. "And Adrien?" She called as he opened up his door. "

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

"I know, Ladybug. I know." He gave her a half-hearted shrug.

Little did he know, that was the last time he would ever walk out of his room. 

From there, the details get a little fuzzy. Adrien remembers walking to his father's study and knocking on the door. At no response he pushed the door open only to find the room empty. Nathalie and Gabriel had seemed to disappear in thin air. Until Adrien saw the gaping hole in front of his mother's portrait.

If he could back in time and yell at his past self to not look closer, he would without hesitation. However, Adrien let his curiosity grow and got closer to the hole. He also noticed some of the marks on his mother's painting were pushed in.

'They're buttons.' Adrien realized.

He glanced down the hole, noticing a platform slowly making its way back towards the top. As it made its way to the top, the buttons fixed themselves. Adrien must have stood there for a solid minute, wondering what he should do. Part of him was tempted to run back to Ladybug, and continue their movie binge.

However, the dread in his stomach was reminding him that this might be much bigger than he expected. All of a sudden, he remembered the day that Simon Says was akumatized. It seemed so far away now, but one thing became crystal clear. His father was hiding something, something big.

Looking back on it, Adrien knew the truth as soon as he saw the hole in the ground. He just didn't want to face it.

"Adrien? Everything ok?" Ladybug's voice broke him out of his trance. He looked over his shoulder to see her standing at the entrance of the study. She only had one half of her foot in the room, as if she was scared what would happen if she walked closer.

"Come here, I want to show you something." Adrien waved her over.

"Okay...? Where's your father?" She asked, looking around the empty room.

"That's what I plan to find out, but I need you to stay here. In case I find anything unpleasant, okay?"

"Okay? I'm so confused, where are you going?"

Adrien stepped forwards to where the platform was and placed his hands on the painting, feeling around for the buttons. There was a small difference between the fabrics, but it was there.

'Gotcha.' He grinned as he felt the platform beneath his feet.

"I'm really not sure, but I have the right to know what's going on in my house." He met Ladybug's nervous gaze with one of steely determination.

"So, what do you want me to do?"

"If I need backup, that's where you come in. Now, I don't think I will, it's probably just a warehouse for his designs or something, but just in case."

"But, how will I know if you're in danger?"

"Believe me," He placed his hand on his pocket, where Plagg often hid. While the kwami had been silent the entire time Adrien was in the study, Adrien knew he was there. "You'll know." He felt Plagg nod in confirmation against his hand.

If things went south, his kwami would sneak out and let Ladybug know ASAP. Of course, that would instantly reveal his identity, but if his suspicions were correct that was a risk he had to take. It would be the worst case scenario, but as Adrien descended farther and farther down, the worst case scenario was looking more and more likely.

He, unfortunately, still had a perfectly clear picture of what the basement looked like. The platform lowered him down to a long runway. On either side of the runway, there were some sort of pools with different metal platforms running over them. It was lit up, but it was the harsh yellow lighting that cheap companies use. At the very end of the walkway stood both Gabriel and Nathalie. Plants surrounded them, and there was some sort of white container that they were standing next to.

"What is this?" He whispered. Adrien realized with horror that the wall above the main platform had a large butterfly motif. One that wasn't the brand's logo.

"There you are, Adrien." His father called from the end of the platform. "I have been expecting you."

"Father, what's going on?" He felt the panic in him rise by the second, this was no fashion warehouse. 

"I thought it was time to introduce you to the family business." Gabriel began to walk up the runway as the platform reached the ground.

"I thought the family business was fashion?" Adrien tried to joke, looking around.

It appeared as though he was in a garden of some sort. However the walls and metal platforms reminded him where he actually was. He was inside his home's basement, with no way to escape but a small platform. If he got trapped in there, he knew there was no escape.

"Sure, that's one of them, but do you want to know the other one?" Gabriel smiled at his son, genuinely smiled at him. He placed his hand on Adrien's shoulder, leading him down the walkway to where Nathalie was.

"Yes, father."

"I've wanted to tell you for the longest time. There were multiple days where I had planned on telling you, but I always chickened out. But today, when I learned that you and Ladybug had been spending time together I knew it was time."

They reached the end, and Nathalie took his hand, smiling at him.

"Now, this is going to be a shock to you, ok?" She said gently. "And you might be angry and upset at us for doing what we're doing but,"

'No, please no. Not this, anything but this.'

"We've been doing this for you."

'No, no, no, no, no, no.'

Nathalie pressed a small button on the container, showing its contents.

Adrien stumbled backwards, suddenly losing feeling in his legs as he recognized the women in the container. In the coffin.

"Mom?" He choked. 

"We have spent years trying to get her back, Adrien." Gabriel told him. "She was put in this state by the way we had to create you."

"W-what's that supposed to mean?" Adrien felt frozen to the floor.

Gabriel exchanged glances with Nathalie, he nodded and she stepped forwards towards him.

"Do you see this brooch that I'm wearing?" She showed him the, oh god, the peacock brooch that she was wearing.

"Y-yeah." Adrien put his hand over his pocket, knowing that Plagg was on high alert.

"Well, it's magical. It's a miraculous, and before I used it, your mother did."

'No, Nathalie please tell me you're not saying what I think you are. Please don't tell me that you're who I think you are. Please prove me wrong, please.' He begged.

"We both used it to make sentimonsters, you know those things that Ladybug and Chat Noir fight on T.V. sometimes?" Nathalie gave him a smile, but it was blurred. All he could see was the face of a monster.

"Y-you're Mayura." He choked. Nathalie sighed, becoming deadpan.

"Yes, Adrien, I'm Mayura." She admitted.

Adrien felt Plagg leave, most likely to alert Ladybug of the situation. God, he hoped she got down there soon.

"Which means that you're..." Adrien pointed a shaky finger at Gabriel. He nodded, calling his transformation phase.

In the matter of seconds, Adrien watched the man that he had admired, longed for, and loved his entire life turn into his sworn enemy. He felt a sob escape him more so than heard it.

"Please son, we're trying to get her back. If we got Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculouses we could wish for her to come back! Don't you see? This is why I've been so distant, I've been trying my hardest to get her back. You might be the key for us to win!"

'No, why father? Why would you do this to us? To our family?'

"Join me, Adrien." Hawkmoth stretched out a hand to Adrien. He just sank to the floor, sobbing.

"I-I-I-." He couldn't seem to get words out, it was too painful to speak, too painful to think.

"Don't worry, it'll all be over soon." He saw the akuma headed towards him as he registered Hawkmoth's words.

"No, please, no."

His vision darkened as he felt Hawkmoth's presence enter his mind. He just wanted him gone. Was that so wrong? Adrien never wanted to see the man again. Ever.

"Sunshine, I am Hawkmoth. Together we will bring back your moth-ack!"

His connection was suddenly cut, but Adrien knew the akuma was still in his head.

"Ladybug!" Hawkmoth glared.

"Adrien, suppress it! I know you can! You're the best partner I could ever ask for, ok? I can't do this without you!"

"Partner?" Hawkmoth roared, his attention turning back towards Adrien. "Son, I demand you to tell me the truth! What is your relationship with Ladybug?" 

"The truth?" Adrien opened his eyes to see that Mayura had transformed at some point, and that Ladybug was circling with her, her yo-yo spinning frantically, and two ladybug patterned handcuffs.

'A lucky charm.'

Adrien slowly stood up, knowing full well that Hawkmoth was still in his head and that the butterfly symbol was still over his face.

"The truth is that she is my best friend. She means so much to me, more than anyone else in the world. Sure, we might not have the perfect relationship, but we're always there to support each other. She is my partner, my soulmate whether platonic or romantic." He glanced over to see Ladybug momentarily stop and smile softly at him. A smile that gave him the motivation to go one step further.

"And she cares a lot more about me than you ever did." Adrien felt powerful, watching Hawkmoth look panicked as Plagg flew over to Adrien's shoulder. "Hawkmoth, I renounce you!" In a blast of energy, he felt the akuma leave his head. "And you wanna know why?" He leisurely made his way towards his father. A glance to his right told him that Mayura had stopped trying to fight Ladybug, and instead was watching him with a horrified expression.

"Because... I... am..." He took a step closer with every word, feeling a Cheshire grin grow on his face. "Chat. Fucking. Noir." He called his transformation, feeling nothing but satisfaction as Hawkmoth's face turned white and his cane dropped from his hand. Leaving him utterly defenseless.

"Adrien?" He heard Mayura gasp.

"Oh! And one more thing," Chat Noir leaned in towards Hawkmoth. "Cataclysm." He whispered, tapping a single claw against his father's brooch. "Game over, Hawkmoth." He grinned as Gabriel turned back to his civilian self.

"Surrender now, Mayura." Ladybug held out the handcuffs. "Or face a worse fate. Mayura could be let off with less punishment than Hawkmoth, if you play your cards right."

Mayura sighed. She detransformed and took off the brooch.

"Nathalie!" Gabriel cried out.

"It's over, Gabriel." Nathalie choked out, handing the peacock miraculous to Ladybug. "I'm sorry, Adrien, I never meant to hurt you."

He turned away, not bearing to look at them any further.

"The authorities have already been contacted." Ladybug warned them. "I phoned them on my way down here, so stay put. You two are going to be locked away for a very, very, very long time." 

They ended up staying at the mansion until Gabriel and Nathalie were put in cop cars. The police had thanked Ladybug and Chat Noir endlessly for their help. Ladybug told them that they should really be thanking Adrien, who had notified them in the first place. She reassured Officer Roger that he was safe and staying at a friend's house. That night, Paris celebrated, Mayor Bourgeois declared it a national holiday and everyone got off work early.

So you can imagine Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng's surprise when their daughter brought a sobbing Adrien Agreste home.

As Paris celebrated, Adrien mourned.

He mourned his mother, who had been officially declared dead. He mourned the illusion of the family he thought he could someday have, for now he saw Gabriel for who he really was. And most of all, he mourned his loss of innocence. Adrien wasn't sure if he could ever be the person he was when he woke up that morning.

He mourned his discovery. 

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I had to rework this SO. MANY. TIMES. That way I could get a result that I was happy with and this is what I ended up with! I'm pretty happy with it and seeing as it is yet AGAIN past 11:30pm, I kinda need to get this out. Anyways, I hope you like this one!                                                                                                                       -Colorado