Not Alone: A Miraculous Ladybug Story

Chapter 28

"Hugo?" Hawkmoth whispered, his visible face contorted with some emotion Chat couldn't place. Grief? No, Hope.

Chat was shocked, but then realized that this could be a perfect opportunity. He had been most worried about breaking the shell his father tended to encase himself in, but whatever was going on with Hawkmoth clearly had his guard down. He stepped forward, holding his hands out in what he hoped was a calming manner.

"No, Gabriel," he said, the part of his brain that wasn't completely submersed in the bizarreness of his situation already noting how weird it was to call his father by his given name.

Hawkmoth's eyes darted from Chat to the open hatch behind him to Honu standing just to his left. Chat saw the shutters start to close in his eyes, and took another step forward.

"Gabriel, please we know, and we want to help." His face flashed in surprise again. Hopefully if Chat could keep him off-guard this might work.

"What are you doing here? How do you know who I am?" His words were harsh, but Chat didn't feel any force behind them. He was starting to fully realize how broken this last year had made his father.

"We know who you are, we know what's happened to Adela, and we want to help. We have a plan--"

"You're children," Hawkmoth scoffed. "Did Fu put you up to this? I tried to keep him out of it, but he did always choose them young. So naive at that age. So innocent..." Hawkmoth seemed to trail back into a memory.

"We are young," Chat nodded moving closer to his father until he was right in front of him. "We are young, and perhaps we are naive of some things, but we know what's been going on now. What you've been going through all these years, and we're going to get Adela back. We know about Germain."

Hawkmoth looked up sharply at Chat, his eyes boring into his. "How? Fu knows nothing of that."

"We weren't sent by Fu. He helped us with some details, but he didn't tell us who you were. He didn't give up your identity to us, if that's what you think." Chat stared at his father, thinking carefully about what he would say next. He took a deep breath.

"We know about Germain, but we don't know why. We don't know him like you do. We need your help." Chat paused, and held his breath, waiting as his father deliberated.

"Why would you want to help me? I've created panic. I've probably have caused you hell this past year, too. I know Fu picks people who are admirable, but surely you aren't naive enough to trust me." A sneer came back to Hawkmoth's face, but it was more self-deprecating than pointed at Chat.

"You've been under tremendous stress. Your wife is being held as leverage," Chat paused, and tentatively lifted a hand to rest it on his father's shoulder. "Anyone would have done the same, backed into a corner."

Hawkmoth's expression seemed to soften looking at the earnest expression on Chat's face, but then it flickered to fear and he took a step back. Chat's hand fell from his shoulder, and dropped lifelessly to his side.

"No, you need to leave now. You don't understand. It's dangerous here. For you both," He spared a glance to Honu. "I've done my best to play my part without harming any of you. You're right, I'm not a monster, but they have Adela, and they've started threatening Adrien too. I can't--I can't loose my boy too. I won't." He looked past Chat, a fire in his eyes and vehemence in his voice. Chat felt his eyes start to tear up listening to his father, and he felt his shoulders start to shake under unshed tears. A part of him always knew that his father loved him, but he'd never felt it as much as just then.

"Please," he said hoarsely, trying to keep the tears at bay.

"Why do you care?" Hawkmoth took another step towards him and Chat opened his mouth to speak, but his eyes caught Ladybug and Volpina ascending through the hatch. Hawkmoth followed his gaze, and took two steps back, immediately on the defensive.

"This was a trap!" he accused, looking back at Chat in betrayal, and maybe a hint of relief too.

"No!" Chat shouted, throwing his hands up. Hawkmoth's eyes started to glow as he summoned his power. "No, Gabriel, please! I swear, we want to help! I swear!"

"Why should I believe you?" He demanded, the glow not dimming.

"Because! Plagg, claws in!" A bright green light lit up the room as Chat Noir fell away. "Because," Adrien said again. "I'm your son."