Adrien, Cerise, and Ivy sat together in his room, facing the miraculous box with a mixture of purpose and unease. The remaining kwamis hovered around them, their expressions solemn as they watched the trio, who now held the responsibility of defending Paris. Cerise broke the silence with a steady voice. "So... what's the plan?"

Adrien picked up his notepad and wrote his thoughts carefully: We need a team strong enough to face Chrysalis head-on. Without it, Paris is at constant risk.

He handed the notepad to Cerise, who read it aloud, Ivy nodding in agreement.

"Right. And after what happened last time..." Ivy shuddered slightly. "Being akumatized was one of the worst feelings of my life. It was like being trapped in my own body. I could feel and see everything, but I wasn't in control."

Cerise gave her a sympathetic look. "Do you remember anything from before it happened?"

Ivy's brows knit together. "It's hard to explain, but there was this sickly sweet voice in my head, encouraging me to give in. It felt almost... comforting, like it wanted to be my friend." She looked away, still shaken by the memory.

Adrien took his notepad and, after a moment's pause, wrote down several questions for the kwamis regarding the remaining miraculouses' strengths, weaknesses, and any insights they might have into Chrysalis's strategy. The kwamis exchanged worried glances but responded as best they could, explaining the basics of each Miraculous's powers.

Cerise spoke up again, thoughtful. "Isn't it odd that Chrysalis hasn't really used the Peacock Miraculous much? She's fixated on her akumatized champions, but hasn't expanded beyond that."

Adrien frowned as Ivy added, "Whatever she's planning, we're in for a fight. First, though, we need to figure out what tools we have available." She turned to Adrien. "Maybe your father has Lila Rossi's address. It would give us a head start on tracking her down."

Adrien nodded, writing down that he could find out from Gabriel. He then added that they'd need to consider which kwamis' abilities to rely on in their next plan.

Ivy leaned forward. "So, Adrien, you're the only one who can wield both the Ladybug and Cat Miraculouses to their full potential. Do you think that merging the two would work in our favor?"

Tikki and Wayzz chimed in with caution, both warning of the risks and power of such a combination.

"It's a huge responsibility and risk," Tikki said, her small face grave. "It could change everything."

Adrien paused, then wrote with a look of determination: If wielding both Miraculouses is what it takes to protect Paris, I'll gladly take that risk.

The room fell into a tense silence as Adrien finished writing his thoughts on the notepad. Wayzz looked down, then quietly spoke.

"I must say, I haven't seen such sincerity and honesty in a holder since my previous holder, but even he... he had his flaws." Wayzz's voice wavered slightly. "My former holder was wise in many ways but, looking back, his methods and teachings were... selective."

Adrien nodded firmly, then quickly wrote on his notepad: I agree. Fu's approach was far from perfect. He left so much unsaid, kept me in the dark, and placed far too much on two teenagers' shoulders. He practically chose Marinette as his successor without giving either of us a real say in the matter, even as I was struggling just to keep up.

Cerise and Ivy exchanged bewildered glances. Ivy hesitated before asking, "Wait, who was the guardian before Marinette?"

Adrien wrote: His name was Fu, an old man who'd been in hiding to protect the Miraculouses from people like Hawkmoth/Shadowmoth and Mayura.

Adrien paused in his writing, then added: He gave up his memories when he transferred the box to Marinette so that it couldn't be used against him. It was selfless in a way, but selfish too.

He paused again, clearly gathering his thoughts, then wrote a miniature rant: Honestly, he had no right putting us in that position. It wasn't fair to either of us, especially since I was barely keeping up with my own problems at the time, but Fu didn't care. He just played favorites and trained Marinette to take over like he always planned, leaving me with nothing to work with.

Wayzz looked down apologetically. "I... I understand where you're coming from, Adrien. I may be biased toward my old master, but your frustration is valid."

Cerise, still processing, shook her head in disbelief. "So much of this was just thrown onto you both, but that's done now. Right now, we need to focus on how we're going to handle Chrysalis."

Adrien tapped his pen to the notepad, then wrote: We have to prepare for anything, which may mean merging Miraculouses if necessary.

He looked between Cerise and Ivy as he continued: If we train more we might be able to take down Chrysalis with just the three of us.

Ivy nodded thoughtfully. "If merging Miraculouses makes us stronger, we could potentially keep this team small and work on perfecting our skills before we strike. Just wait for the right moment to attack."

Wayzz shifted, looking uneasy. "Merging Miraculouses comes with great risks. The power, responsibility, and effects on the user can be unpredictable. Please think carefully about what's involved."

Cerise gave Adrien a determined look. "Adrien, if you're willing to take those risks to protect Paris, then Ivy and I are in. No question."

Adrien looked between his friends and wrote: Then let's do it. Together.

...

Adrien climbed the stairs to his father's office shortly after Cerise and Ivy left, his mind racing as he prepared himself for the confrontation ahead. As he entered the office, Gabriel looked up from his desk, a stack of papers laid out in front of him. He raised an eyebrow, immediately sensing something was different.

"Adrien? What brings you here? Is something wrong?"

Adrien held up his notepad and quickly wrote: I know that you were Shadowmoth.

A silence settled over the room. Gabriel's expression remained unreadable, his gaze steady. Adrien took a breath, his hand moving across the notepad again: I'm not going to the police with this, but I need to know how both the Peacock and Butterfly Miraculouses work, specifically from someone who had used them both at the same time.

Gabriel let out a long sigh, his posture softening. "I... I hate that I had to lie to you for so long. There's a lot you don't know, Adrien."

Adrien kept his expression neutral, his hand ready to take more notes if necessary.

Gabriel paused, then continued, "When I became Hawkmoth, it was to try to fix a mistake—a mistake that... cost me your mother." Gabriel looked away, his face showing more vulnerability than Adrien was used to seeing. "The Butterfly and Peacock Miraculouses... they're connected in more ways than I thought when I started this. The Butterfly can create allies, giving ordinary people powers through akumatization. The Peacock, however... it can create life. A sentimonster, a being that can think and act independently if given the right choice... it was the Peacock Miraculous that ultimately became the beginning of our family's greatest sorrow."

Adrien's heart pounded as his father spoke, but he forced himself to remain calm.

"Your mother was the last one who used the Peacock Miraculous before myself." Gabriel's voice dropped to a whisper. "And she used it... to create you."

Adrien's breath caught in his chest, his eyes widening in shock. He hadn't truly understood what he was, even with the strange hints and realizations along the way, but hearing it from his father... everything suddenly fell into place. He thought of Felix, the way he'd been so focused on those rings. He understood now.

Adrien steadied himself, forcing his thoughts into a calmer state. Slowly, he wrote down on his notepad: I already know that Lila Rossi is your successor.

Gabriel nodded solemnly. "Yes. Lila Rossi has taken up the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous. She has more ambition and cruelty than I ever did during my time as Shadowmoth. I fear what she might do if given the chance especially if she finds out you used to be Cat Noir."

Adrien wrote down his response: I'll be passing this information on to the heroes.

He looked up at Gabriel and added: But I'm leaving out that you were Shadowmoth... and that I'm a sentimonster.

Gabriel nodded, understanding.

"That's fair," he said quietly. "I owe you that much and more."

Adrien took a breath, then wrote down one last question: I need her address. Do you know where she lives?

Gabriel didn't hesitate. He reached into a drawer, pulling out a slip of paper with Lila's address written down and handed it to Adrien. "Use it as you need to, Adrien. I'm prepared to give you whatever information you want and... I'm sorry."

Adrien took the paper, nodding slowly before he turned and left the room, feeling the weight of his new knowledge settle firmly on his shoulders.

As Adrien walked back into his room, the kwamis hovering around him watched with worried eyes, sensing the weight pressing down on him. He moved slowly, holding the small slip of paper with Lila's address, his mind clouded with confusion and heartache. Sitting down, he stared at the note in his hands, feeling the answers he'd wanted so badly crashing down on him, their truth a far heavier burden than he'd expected.

The memories of Gabriel's revelations echoed in his mind. He'd known his father was capable of terrible things, but learning that his own mother had used the Peacock Miraculous to create him—to build a life she and Gabriel had wanted so desperately—made him realize he was part of his family's twisted legacy in a way he could never escape. For the first time, everything made sense, but it was a bitter kind of clarity, one that left him feeling hollow. He understood now that he would never forgive his father. Gabriel, not Dad anymore—had hurt him in ways that words couldn't capture.

After a long silence, Adrien took a deep breath and whispered, his voice hoarse from disuse, "Did... did any of you know?"

Plagg floated closer, his normally mischievous face serious. "No, Adrien. None of us had any idea."

Adrien nodded, his eyes cast downward. In this room, with the kwamis around him, he felt strangely safe. But he knew that to really move forward, he had to reach out to someone who could understand, someone who already knew part of his burden. He picked up his phone, dialing Felix's number with a shaky hand.

Felix answered almost immediately. "Adrien? What's wrong?"

For the first time in months, Adrien spoke clearly. "Felix... I know."

A long silence followed. Felix took a moment to collect himself before replying, "How long have you known?"

"Gabriel told me," Adrien answered, his voice cracking. "I—my mother used the Peacock Miraculous to... create me. And I've been... I was... I am Cat Noir."

Felix's quiet was intense, allowing Adrien the space to speak freely.

"I fought my own father," Adrien admitted, his voice thick with anger and sorrow. "All those times... before the hospital, I was fighting him. I wanted to believe... he had some reason, something that might explain it all, but... knowing what he's done, it makes me sick."

Felix's voice softened. "I can't imagine what that must feel like, Adrien, but what are you going to do now?"

Adrien took a deep breath, gathering his resolve.

"I'm going to stop his successor. Lila Rossi—she... calls herself Chrysalis now. She's causing chaos in Paris, and I need help. My team and I are putting together a group strong enough to take her down, and..." he hesitated, "I was wondering if you'd help."

Felix didn't hesitate.

"If you're asking for allies, I'll be there, but, Adrien..." he paused, choosing his words carefully, "keep the Peacock Miraculous locked away. Don't use it. Creating sentimonsters... I don't want you to go down that path."

Adrien's answer came without hesitation. "I promise. That Miraculous won't be touched."

He felt a wave of gratitude toward his cousin. Felix understood his struggle in a way no one else could.

Felix's voice softened. "Whatever it takes, Adrien. I'll be there."