Falling for Two

Chapter 31: Not My Father

Hawk Moth's mind was circling around the thought of using his son. If harm were to come to him, he would immediately pull him out of the fight. On the other hand, if Dark Wings could take down Ladybug and her new companion, they'd finally be closer to having her.

Where another problem arose, which Hawk Moth accounted for, was Adrien's knowledge of his mother. As far as he knew, Emilie was dead.

But Adrien would understand why his dear father chose to do what he's done. He would understand that all the akumatizations were necessary.

'I am a father trying to reunite his family.' Hawk Moth reasoned with himself. Adrien would understand. He always listened to his father. He would listen when he hears his mother is alive.

"Dark Wings, you must use the powers I've given you to take down Ladybug!" Hawk Moth demanded. Dark Wings heeded the voice in his head's order.

Dark Wings sneered, twirling the cane in circles, light illuminating from the point. With a great thrust into the air, a beam of light shot into the night's sky. A swarm of akumas fluttered around the beam. The spirit of Christmas quickly becoming dreary.

Parisians began opening their windows and doors, half expecting to see a big jolly man and reindeer's causing the commotion. Faces began dropping in fear at the sight.

Before anyone could react, another blast shot into the sky, dispersing the akumas into the streets of Paris. The citizens stared, as if entranced by the light.

"Go. I'm going to need some help." Dark Wings said, finally lowering his cane as people began filling the street. On their faces, a large, dark winged insect covered their eyes. The mark of the new villain.

"Come out ladies! I've brought some company." Dark Wings laughed. As if on cue, Ladybug and Y/N appeared. The two standing confidently, together, taking on a pose that showed power.

"I may not have a naughty list but I know exactly who's getting a butt kicking this year!" Y/N proclaimed, spinning the staff intensely.

"It's coal. They get coal for Christmas." Ladybug said, whipping her yo-yo around.

"I prefer kicking butt!" Y/N shouted, swinging the staff at the hypnotized people trying to grab at her.

The pair fought back, swiping and dodging the grabbing hands. Dark Wings floated above, carried by the akumas he possessed. Ladybug and Y/N were getting pushed back. The numbers of the people, too much to handle.

"Yes, Dark Wings! You've almost got them! Take their miraculous! Do it for Emilie! For your mother!" Hawk Moth exclaimed, his excitement getting the better of him.

'Mother.'

Dark Wings' mask flickered a moment. For a brief second, everyone's movement paused, as if control faltered. Ladybug and Y/N seized the opportunity and jumped on a wall.

"Hey, this is Adrien's house!" Y/N shouted at Ladybug. The hero looked around, taking in the sight of the mansion.

"Why are we here?" Ladybug asked, letting the question fall with each word. She was confused more than anything.

Ladybug watched as Dark Wings hovered in front of the gates. Like zombies, the people began pushing and grabbing at the walls.

Y/N watched her akumatized love attentively. She noticed the struggle appearing on his face.

'Torn, he looks torn.' Y/N thought. Almost confirming the thought, Dark Wings grabbed his head in pain. Tears began falling from the boy's face. The mask flickering more and more.

"Your mother.. She's- She's alive. Only the miraculous can awaken her. We need the miraculous!" Hawk Moth explained to his son. Once he started, he could not stop. Each word flooded out, rationalizing all his wrongdoings for the sake of love. Trying to persuade the boy, it was necessary in order to bring Emilie back.

As Dark Wings struggled with his thoughts, Ladybug threw her yo-yo in the air, calling for her lucky charm to rectify the situation. In her hands dropped a hefty flashlight and bug zapper.

"Great! More light. Gonna go find some more people to follow us?!" Y/N sighed loudly, poking a few people down below.

Ladybug scanned her surroundings. Looking from the light, the crowd, and Dark Wings.

"Save your power! Do not cataclysm anything! Just distract them for me!" Ladybug ordered, leaping away with the lucky charm. Y/N tried her best to keep the attention on her. But upon closer inspection, it wasn't her people were reaching for. It was like they were trying to reach for something behind. Something from within the guarded house.

"What's going on..?" Y/N turned back to Dark Wings, his face filled with anger, sadness, and pain. He was yelling, but Y/N could not make out the words, nor could she hear. She saw as the boy got more erratic with his actions; Swinging the cane around furiously, and almost hitting a few people with a blast of light.

"Enough!" Dark Wings cried out, shooting at the gate protecting the house. Without hesitation, people began running into the yard.

The front door burst open, Nathalie and Adrien's bodyguard stood in front. In a quick flash, Nathalie transformed into Mayura. Time was not wasted as she turned the bodyguard into a giant gorilla sentimonster.

The sentimonster roared deeply, swinging it's arms at anyone who tried to come inside the house. Y/N swooped down, safely rescuing people from becoming flattened by the creature's hands. While she kept busy, another plan was in action.

"Hey! Moth for brains! Over here!" Ladybug yelled at Dark Wings. She switched on the flashlight, which she fixed onto the bug zapper. As the light turned on, a stream of electricity flew out with it.

Dark Wings turned, a bolt of electricity shooting into the akumas holding him up. He fell to the ground with a big thud. Ladybug's heart dropped immediately, feeling as if she just killed the love of her life.

"No way that worked! Let me try!" Y/N squealed, temporarily forgetting Ladybug just blasted her boyfriend out of the sky.

Ladybug threw the lucky charm to Y/N. Y/N grabbed it with ease and began shooting electric charges at the moths that shielded the citizen's eyes. One by one, the power Dark Wings held over them disappeared.

The sentimonster continued scaring away people as Y/N returned them to their original states. Screams filled the air, everyone running away for safety.

Y/N jumped back, avoiding the sentimonster's attack. She reunited with Ladybug.

"Now would be a good time to do your whole 'miraculous Ladybug' thing!" Y/N said, eyeing her boyfriend's body weakly getting up from the ground.

"No, we still haven't freed the akuma in his cane!" Ladybug pointed out.

"We don't have much time!" Y/N said panicked, now drawing attention to the last dot on Ladybug's earring.

"You ruined everything!" A voice yelled. The two turned to see Dark Wings, a crying, angry mess. "He has my mother locked away down there! He's made us all suffer because he couldn't save her! I have to make things right!"

"Adrien, you don't want revenge. That's not like you." Y/N said calmly, trying to settle him down.

"Whatever it is, we can make it right." Ladybug chimed in. Now sensing Adrien's father's role in this.

"But hurting others to do that, you'd be just like him." Y/N said dejectedly. Dark Wings' face fell. Her words rang in his ears.

'This isn't me. I am NOT my father.' A light voice contended in his head. A familiar voice, one of reason and purity. It combated the harsh tone of this new persona he's taken on. And it fought desperately against the hold his father still had on him.

Dark Wings tightened his grip on the cane. He shook his head and stared straight towards the home that held such carefully crafted lies.

"I am not my father. But I will become him to stop him."