This might be a little angsty. It was originally supposed to be funny but it didnt really work out. Still, I tried to add a bit of humour.

Perhaps...

Perhaps it was just a trick of the ear, he thought.

Maybe... I just need more sleep. I'm hearing things.

It was a simple mistake. Maybe the lighting played a part in it.

Yeah I'm su-

No!

Deep down, he knew. He knew what he had heard. He recognised the names.

Adrien had looked around and caught eyes with Marinette, who was standing just behind him, her mouth parted in shock, her body rigid.

It seemed that she was the only other who heard. Amidst the chaos of their classmates bickering about Chloe and the movie.

She was the only one who payed attention.

And she knew. How did she know?

He had recognised both names as Plagg had spoken to him about them. Not always, just when he couldn't handle it. The black cat had missed both his friends dearly and had even wept for them.

Adrien knew that Plagg had a similar experience, where his powers were used for the selfish desire of an already powerful man. He didn't talk about it. Adrien didn't push him. But Adrien had begun to learn the signs of abuse (something Plagg had put him up to. Adrien had been making plans to distance himself from his Father already.) He could tell plagg had some trauma regarding one, or maybe even more, of his previous holders. (I really think that Plagg has some trauma regarding previous owners who used him for the worst. He's the kwami of destruction. And Plagg seems like he hides most of his feelings. My poor little cat. I'll punch anyone who hurts even one cell of his smooth cat skin.)

Point if the matter, Adrien knew who Nooroo and Duusu were. He recognised their names.

Foe some reason, so had Marinette.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. A sign of comfort. Like he had done so many times before.

Her eyes were full of remorse, as he looked over his shoulder at her, and there was something in them that he was familiar with.

Justice.

He had seen that look in ladybug so many times but he had also seen it in Marinette. How her eyes gleamed in fury when she knew something wrong was happening. When somebody was wronged.

"Marinette I-"

But he didn't have time to continue speaking.

Chloe- of course it was her- had just gotten akumatised, distracting him.

He pushed everything to the back of his mind. What he and Marinette witnessed would have to wait.

He needed to think rationally. Act normally.

And defeat Chloe first.

Later, after chloe is given the charm thingy and leaves.

"Marinette," she jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She had to admit, she was a bit distracted. She had been since she heard their names. Tikki had told her how timid Nooroo always had been. And how Duusu was equally as naive when it came to the peacock pin holder. Tikki had also informed her that Plagg had been hit the hardest when he realised his two friends were most likely being abused for their power.

Marinette had done her research on previous holders, with the help of the kwamis, and had an inkling as to why.

Before anyone payed attention to them, Marinette quickly dragged Adrien away from the crowd and to a place she knew would be secluded even in broad daylight. She had found the place one day whilst looking for a place to detransform and it had become one of her favourite hiding spots ever.

It was a small area with wild grass and plants growing all over the place. It was in the crook of back alley, never seen. Never taken care of. So Marinette had obviously decided to claim it as her own and make the place a little nicer. The Marigolds she had planted were in the stage of blooming. As she had the miraculous of creation, she had somehow managed to build a sort of ward in this place, like her little charms, preventing akumas from being let in.

It had become her safe place.

And now she would lend it to the person who needed it the most.

She sat him down on the log (that had always conveniently been there) but said nothing.

For a few moments, neither of the two spoke.

In other circumstances, Marinette would either be a stuttering mess, drooling, or pinching herself to see if it was a dream.

But, despite her usual self, Marinette had to be serious. She needed to make sure Adrien didn't get akumatised and she needed to be there for him. She needed to make everything right again.

"Why?" barely a sound came out and she almost didn't hear it.

His distress was incapacitating him.

All Marinette could do was embrace him and let him let all his feelings out. He cried and ranted and burst out with anger and she sat there and listened to him. She knew he needed this.

She took in every word.

It came to the point where he hadn't even realised he had company anymore. He just wanted everything out in the open.

"Of all of the people in Paris. It had to be him. What kind of- does he not care about me? Does-does he not care that he has come close to killing his son time and time again? That by becoming a villain he has betrayed my already wavering trust and respect for him? I wish I can see the look on his face when he finds out that he's been fighting against his son all this time. That because of what he has done, he will lose his only- What. Why are you looking at me like that?"

Marinette had been listening intently with the same sympathetic face she had since they got there. He hadn't noticed until now, however, that her face had become thoughtful. Maybe even a little scheming.

She was, also, simmering in anger inside.

He hadn't realised that he had practically exposed his identity to her in the middle of his rant, quite a few times. She was quick to connect the dots.

He only realised when she pulled him in for another hug and muttered, "My poor, sweet kitty," and let him cry into her shoulder for a few more moments.

She let go of him, a look of pure determination on her face. He expected her to scream, to hit something.

What he didn't expect were the words that rolled out of her tongue as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Plagg, come out and help me decide what we are going to do with that fucking abuser."

Adrien had no time to react as plagg zipped right of his jacket and nuzzled Marinette's cheek.

"Wha-how? Wait. Did plagg tell you about Nooroo and Duusu. I was wondering why you recognised the names so quickly."

"Au contraire mon minou," she stood up from the log and, regardless of the numbness from sitting too long, she flicked his nose, "As the guardian, I am acquainted with all of the kwamis meant to be in the box. Apart from, well... you know."

Guardian?

Box?

The guardian of the miraculous box?

But that was....

Oh.

Oh!

Shadowmoth be damned. Adrien had just found out his Lady's identity. And she willingly let him know.

His lady was his princess.

My lady is my pri-

"When you are done freaking out Adrien, can we please start coming up with a plan. You know that I've had it with your so called father for a while and now that we know that he has Nooroo and Duusu we need to think of a plan to get him once and for all."

"I agree with Plagg," Tikki flew out of Marinette's purse and kissed Adrien's nose as a hello (and a small act of comfort), "Now that we know almost everything, we just have to figure out his motives before confronting him."

Adrien was starting to feel overwhelmed with all of the different emotions.

"But- but I thought you didn't want to know. Didn't want me to know."

She looked at him, her determined face falling into a sorrowful one. She cupped his face and smiled sadly.

"Oh my sweet, sweet Adrien. I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry."

"What- no! What are you even sorry for?"

"I promised you that you would be the first to know but I failed you Minou. I lost control and told Alya and, as much as I'm glad I told her, I always thought that you would know first."

"It's not your fault! You were stressed and I could tell. Being the Guardian with no guidance, no help- you were bound to tell someone eventually. Even- even if that wasn't me."

"I am still sorry. But now we know and that's all that matters. We can do better and we will do better. I promise Adrien, we'll get the miraculous from your father and end this once and for all."

She brought him into another hug and he inhaled the sweet, familiar scent of warmth she had.

"Marinette," he whispered.

She hummed at him in response, clinging onto him like he was about to break apart and the only thing that was preventing him from doing so, was her.

"When this is all over, can I take you on a date?"

She laughed into his shoulder and his heart did turns as he felt the soft vibrations from her voice fall into rhythm against him.

"Sure kitty."

"Okay, now that all this lovey dovey stuff has happened can we get back to how we're going to beat the sh- I mean take down Adrien's father who also happens to be the one person we've been trying to fight against for more than a year now!"

"Plagg! They were having a moment!"

"And I was thinking of how glorious it would be if ladybug sucker punched hawkdad in his ugly face!"

"Plagg!"

Time skip.

Marinette may have not sucker punched Gabriel in the face but she did do something else Plagg was definitely proud of.

It was found out that the reason, his father was doing this was because of Emilie. Adrien had been horrified when, during his father's rare business trip, he had found his mother in a glass coffin below their house in a secret room full of butterflies.

Well, he hadn't found it. Plagg did. And to say the kwami was furious was an understatement.

To avoid being found out- he knew his father had cameras everywhere but his room (surprisingly)- marinette and Adrien had enlisted the help of Max to create two small cameras that could be put into the room and his father's lair so they could have some surveillance.

Max didn't know what it was for- they had enlisted him as Ladybug and Chat Noir- but was glad to be of help.

The tricky part was getting the cameras inside but with the help of the snake and horse miraculous, even that went down a breeze.

And then the waiting game happened.

It wasn't that long but it let them find out a lot. They now knew that there was a pattern to his visits. It let them see that, as they suspected, Nathalie was part of his father's plans and also most likely Mayura. But they also knew that Gabriel kept the peacock and butterfly miraculous on him, underneath his candy striped tie.

They began planning.

And whilst they planned, Adrien realised that his father's aim wasn't just about his mother anymore.

It was about power.

He could see how his father loved the power both miraculous gave him. How his father loved that he could manipulate people to do his will.

It was... sick.

It was disgusting.

It was mortifying.

It was something his mother would have never wanted.

And both Adrien and Marinette knew that if his father got their miraculous, the consequence of using that power would most likely be him.

Something his father probably already knew.

I hate him. I hate him. I hate him.

The planning continued and Adrien grew more distant from his Father. He hung out more with his Lady and sometimes even slept over regardless of what his father wanted. He knew his father was furious at him but he didn't care. Not anymore.

The plan was finally put into action a week after Adrien ran away from the mansion, after having a huge fight with Gabriel about how he didn't care for him as a father did a son. He lashed out and told him he was leaving before grabbing the duffle bag he had packed just for the occasion and ran out before anyone could stop him.

He ran and ran until he went to the spot, their spot and sat on the log, breathing in and out and waiting for Marinette to come.

They were both glad for this place. It was somewhere they could let their emotions run without ever worrying about being akumatised.

And that's what he did.

That day was also the day Ladybug and Chat Noir went to the mayor and the most trusted police force, finally letting them in on their plan.

It was quite simple really.

On the day, they and a few armed forces were stationed outside of the Agreste Mansion. It was one of the days where Gabriel had people updating his security so Adrien knew none of the cameras would be working.

Marinette, who had been getting quite good at creating things, had been able to make a set of handcuffs- it was a pair that could only be unlocked by her and was indestructible from everything apart from a cataclysm. Definitely something useful.

He got his baton ready and they all waited as Ladybug united Tikki and Kaalki to open a portal right on front of the unsuspecting villain.

Straight away Ladybug kicked Gabriel Agreste where the sun doesn't shine, not even giving the man a chance to process what was happening. Chat Noir took the chance to rip his tie off and retrieve the two Miraculouses that had been used to manipulate, deceive and endanger the whole of Paris.

Gabriel brought his hands forward in anger to try and grab the brooches but Ladybug caught them in her handcuffs and prevented him from getting them.

"Hawkmoth. Under the laws of magic, you are under arrest for the misuse of the butterfly and the peacock miraculouses. The guardians and gods of magic have come to the decision that a trial will be conducted at the gates of magical justice where your memories will be surveyed and you will be punished accordingly."

"NO!!!"

Chat then began to speak, "Gabriel Agreste. You are under arrest on suspision of the misuse of magic to perform acts of terrorism. Under the jurisdiction of the new miraculous law, a trail will be conducted in the court of justice where you are to be found guilty or not guilty. Given all the evidence we have on you, I'd say, the result is obvious. Don't you?"

"GIVE ME YOUR MIRACULOUSES."

"Didn't I promise that you would be giving us your miraculous?" A smug Ladybug was looking at him with a victorious smirk.

"LET ME GO!"

Chat Noir leaned on his baton and raised his eyebrows at him, "Now why would we do that?"

Ladybug took the miraculouses and placed them in her yoyo whilst Chat tightened his grip around his so called father. They guided the enraged man out of the butterfly garden and down the stairs of the Agreste Mansion, where Nathalie was already in cuffs and looking helplessly at her boss.

They passed the man to the officers, who read him his rights (properly this time) and watched as the villain who had invaded Paris was finally in the clutches of justice.

During the non-magical trial (no one outside of Adrien, Marinette, Gabriel and any magical beings involved knew about the magical one)  it had come out that it was Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng who had been the ones to find out about who Hawkmoth was.

Luckily, it was found that Nathalie had a habit of recording all of the conversations Gabriel had on screen and her tablet was used as evidence to back up Marinette and Adrien's claims.

Gabriel was found guilty and sentenced to a life in prison whilst Nathalie had been given 16 years with a chance of parole after 13. It may have been harsh, but Paris would only be safe without the deranged mind of Gabriel Agreste.

After the whole debacle, Adrien finally took Marinette on a date and they had become a couple officially.

Because his father was in jail, Adrien had taken the chance to take over the company and it's assets completely (and legally). He had found his mother's will, which had distributed her 35% of shares to him and, on top of the 7% that was already in his name, it wasn't hard for Adrien to take over his father's 40%. (The remaining was amongst other shareholders of the company, all who agreed to the takeover).

He didn't take over immediately, however. He opted to finish college (forgot to say but they are aged up to 18 in this one) before trying to salvage the brand his father had created. He knew it was dear to his mother, so if anything, he would so it for her.

(Speaking of his mother, she was finally given the proper burial she deserved.)

It was stressful, yes. But Adrien had brought Marinette in to replace his father and, after his father signed an agreement to redistribute his shares to him, he had gifted most of it to Marinette, effectively making her the second highest shareholder in the company and giving her the advantage to reestablish the Gabriel brand in a better name.

In a matter of two years, Gabriel had been rebranded to become A & M.

Instead of the edgy and depressing looks that Gabriel had become, A & M had constantly brought fresh new ideas and trends every year, keeping them at the top of the fashion world for a long time.

Years later, no one even remembered that the brand had been once owned by the fashion designer, Gabriel Agreste.

All they remembered was that, what was once a business owned by a terrorist, had been transformed into something so beautiful, so refreshing.

And when it was finally revealed who Paris's greatest protectors were, the entire nation couldn't help but smirk at the conclusion they all came to.

The downfall of Gabriel Agreste was brought to him by his own son.

The downfall of Hawkmoth was brought to him by his own son.

Everything that Gabriel Agreste had and wanted, was taken by his own son.

Okay. This actually turned out way different then I thought it would. Not as much angst as I thought either. I really went off at the end.
It was fun to just write whatever my mind wanted.

Bug out lovelies 😘