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We gather here, we line up, weepin' in a sunlit room
Gabriel cursed, pacing his foyer. There was no time- no time at all- he could feel the heroes approaching his mansion, prepared to apprehend him. They’d found him, and they were coming, and he was alone. He was always alone.
And if I'm on fire, you'll be made of ashes, to
It didn’t matter. It never mattered. His son- his own son - had turned against the mission. Gabriel had been honest. He’d explained everything. But his son- his traitorous, evil son- hadn’t cared.
Gabriel could still feel the way his brooch hummed with Adrien’s fear, disgust, and hatred as he had run off, leaving Gabriel. Alone.
Even on my worst day, did I deserve… all the hell you gave me?
But Gabriel didn’t care. The flicker of emotion he’d felt when his son had run was gone, now- it was eerily quiet in his heart. Like it had been yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that- like it had been for years, now.
Nooroo had warned him about that. A cosmic consequence, he had said. Gabriel felt himself losing his humanity each day, feeling a bit more empty and a bit more lost. But even as he felt nothing, Gabriel told himself it wasn’t true. He still loved Emilie. He was still angry with his son. He still felt.
He was sure of it.
'Cause I loved you, I swear I loved you... 'Til my dying day...
His brooch hummed again, and he hurried out of the foyer and up the stairs- he didn’t have much time at all, now. Behind him, he heard glass shatter. They were here.
I didn't have it in myself to go with grace
He could hear them too, now, prowling around in his foyer. Looking for him. He’d fight, then- he could give up, but… no. He’d never give up on Emilie. Never .
Quietly, so as not to give away his position, he muttered his transformation phrase, replacing Gabriel Agreste with Hawkmoth.
Now, every emotion was that much sharper- he could feel the anger of a child a few blocks away, the angst of a mother all the way across the city, and he could acutely feel his son’s grief, anger, disgust. Each emotion pierced him with adrenaline- he was drunk on the control, on the pain. He was powerful.
Out of a twinge of curiosity, he focused on the two heroes’ emotions. There it was- fear, anger, and something else… he recoiled. Love . The two idiots loved each other.
He sneered. Now or never...
And you're the hero flying around, saving face...
Hawkmoth wouldn’t back down. Nothing could stop him- not even his own son, Chat Noir. No, he’d hold no punches. His son had chosen his side of the war, and now, he was in Gabriel’s way.
Gabriel didn’t let anything stand in his way.
He stepped out of his hiding place, facing the heroes with a cold smile plastered on his masked face.
“Hawkmoth,” Ladybug hissed.
And if I'm dead to you, why are you at the wake?
Chat Noir stood beside her, staff at the ready and teeth bared. Despite his disappointment with his son, he couldn’t stop staring; the way Adrien’s emerald eyes narrowed, flitting from side to side as if looking for another attacker. Emilie’s eyes. Hawkmoth felt a surge of grief- his own, this time- before shaking it off. He barked out a laugh.
His son was nothing like his wife.
“Well, then,” He said, his voice a carrying whisper, “Let’s get this over with, shall we?”
Ladybug glared, subconsciously stepping in front of the traitor cat, as if to protect him. “You still have a choice, Gabriel. If we fight, we win- just give us the miraculous. It’ll save all of us some pain.”
Look at how my tears ricochet...
Hawkmoth laughed, a twisted sound devoid of any humor or emotion at all. “That may be so,” He said, taking a step forward, “But if I fall, you’ll fall with me.”
You know I didn't want to have to haunt you, but what a ghostly scene…
And so they fought. Hawkmoth fought with all he had against the two child-heroes, ignoring that one was his son, ignoring that he was doomed to fail from the start. Hawkmoth didn’t remember who threw the first punch, but he knew who threw the last. And it wasn’t him.
He lost.
You wear the same jewels that I gave you as you bury me…
He lost. He had fought with everything he had, and he’d still lost- he’d felt the agonizing fire of the brooch being ripped off his chest. He’d felt his transformation fall for the last time. And he’d felt himself shoved into a cop car, bathing his mansion in a haze of blue and red. The police cars drove off, and Hawkmoth- now just the lowly Gabriel Agreste- watched his son fade behind them.
This- this was his son’s fault. His awful, evil son, who had betrayed him and sabotaged him at every turn. And now he’d lost Emilie. For good.
How could Adrien destroy him like that?
They were family. Family fights for- not against- family, but apparently, Adrien had missed that memo.
Why was the world so cruel?
I didn't have it in myself to go with grace…
No, he wouldn’t lose Emilie. He truly had nothing to lose, now, and so he fought- throwing his money at the best lawyers and law firms as his court date approached. He bribed the darker corners of the media to spin him a sympathetic tale. He lied, cheated, bribed-
He did everything.
He was getting out of this, and he was going home to find a new way to fight for his Emilie- there were no two ways about it.
He was going to win, he was sure.
And if I'm dead to you, why are you at the wake?
Except he didn’t. None of the money, the pleas, the tears swayed the judge or the court.
He sat in the courtroom, hands cuffed to the desk, and he saw the looks on the juror’s faces. He saw their disgust, their contempt, their disappointment, but what’s more was he could feel it. He didn’t have his miraculous, and yet…
He could feel everything.
No, no. He couldn’t. That was crazy talk- his miraculous was gone. His son had made sure of that.
As if drawn to him, Gabriel’s eyes locked on a figure in black sitting in the back of the courtroom. Gabriel reared back- that was Adrien, surely. What- what was he doing here?
Look at how my tears ricochet.
As he stared at his son’s stony facade, his composure broke. His tears had been fake at the trial, but now, staring at his silent, emotionless son, they were sincere, streaking down his angular face in an odd way.
Why was the world so cruel?
And I can go anywhere I want; anywhere I want, just not home...
Gabriel didn’t remember the jurors coming back, telling him his sentence. All he could see was his son, his son , drowning in anger and pain and grief. He was sure now; he could feel all of their emotions, broiling and boiling under the surface of his skin, branding him with his punishment.
And it was agonizing.
But what was worse was that he could feel his son- his child, his baby, his enemy. God, what had he done?
Gabriel could see it clearly now. He could see how his punishment was his son's, how his conviction was a death bell for Adrien, too. Where could he go? Everywhere Adrien knew had traces of Gabriel- of Hawkmoth- lingering on them. He had no escape.
Gabriel had taken his escape.
And you can aim for my heart, go for blood- but you would still miss me in your bones…
Gabriel hardly felt his hands being cuffed as tears dripped from his chin to the carpet. They- whoever they were- dragged him back as he struggled forward. He had to see Adrien again. He had to, he needed to, he-
“Adrien!” He cried out, but his voice was only in his head, he was powerless, he-
And I still talk to you (When I'm screaming at the sky)...
He could feel his son’s emotions again, stabbing at his skin and his heart and his bones, and for a moment… for a moment he thought that Adrien would be a perfect akuma.
God, the irony.
Why- why was the world so cruel?
And when you can't sleep at night (You hear my stolen lullabies)
Gabriel was limp, now, as they dragged him towards the door exiting the courtroom. It didn’t make any sense, his son’s pain. He had haunted Paris, crept into their nightmares and daydreams, clenched their hearts and stifled their emotions. The hero of Paris couldn’t be feeling remorse for him, could he?
No, it just wasn’t possible.
Even Emilie’s son wasn’t that gracious.
I didn't have it in myself to go with grace, and so the battleships will sink beneath the waves…
All at once, Gabriel broke free from his melancholy, struggling violently against his restraints. He still had things to do, he couldn’t be taken away now, no-
Adrien stood from his seat, and their eyes met. Ice and emerald clashed, and for a moment, Adrien stared, before shaking his head and turning around, headed for the doors.
Gabriel let out a crazed scream.
You had to kill me, but it killed you just the same…
The emotions, blurry before, had now sharpened into agony. It was no longer detached from him- he could feel it as if it were his own, but it just wasn’t making sense.
So this was his punishment? This was his cosmic karma? Gabriel hissed. Was he now forced to bear the emotions of everyone else, being deprived of his own? To take on the burden of their pain?
He writhed in his chains. It was an agony he couldn’t control, and he detested it- with his bound hands, he attempted to claw it away from him, as if it would leave.
Adrien gave the man a final parting look.
You turned into your worst fears and you're tossing out blame, drunk on this pain…
Gabriel’s agonized gaze was locked on Adrien as he shook his head. “I’m sorry, Father.” He whispered, but Gabriel could hear him.
Father.
The pain split him in two.
And you're cursing my name, wishing I stayed...
Gabriel cried out again as security guards dragged him roughly out of the room. Adrien turned and left.
He took a deep breath. The air was fresher, crisper, cooler than it had been just moments ago. His heart was lighter.
He was free.
Look at how my tears ricochet.