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“You have my earrings,” she spat, her hands fighting the cuffs he’d put on them. “You said you’d let them go if I gave you what you wanted.”
The cuffs refused to budge.
Hawk Moth smiled, cold and calculating. “I think I’ve changed my mind, dear Ladybug, or should I say, Miss Dupain-Cheng? I think I’ll let your friends take a little swim instead.”
“You won’t get away with this.” She seethed, her eyes narrowing.
She refused to let him win. Working to keep herself calm, she focused on anything within the room she could potentially use against him and regain the upper hand.
“I already have.” His mask glowed with a purple butterfly as he communicated with his latest akuma. “Shove them into the Seine but be sure you get Chat Noir’s Miraculous first.”
He turned toward her, his smile sliding into a frown. “Why are you smiling? You and your little friends have lost.”
“So have you if you shove Chat Noir into the Seine.” Taking her time to stand upright, she ignored the throbbing sensations in her wrists where the cuffs had rubbed the skin raw. “You still don’t know, do you? You haven’t figured out who’s behind Chat’s mask.”
His brows drew together, lost in thought at her words.
Retrieving the small earrings from her pocket, she slipped them back into her lobes.
Tikki appeared beside her with a small grin, ready to leap into action when Marinette was ready.
“If you have Chat Noir pushed into the Seine, you’re sentencing your son to death.” She called up her transformation and called for her Lucky Charm.
Hawk Moth, to his credit, rebounded, realizing she’d played him. His cane’s rapier whipped from its holder and struck out.
She dodged it in time but dropped her item along the way. Cursing the restriction of the handcuffs, she managed to grab her yoyo from her hip and knock Hawk Moth back a few feet before his rapier could swing out again.
The fight didn’t last long as she dodged and parried his attacks, retrieving her Lucky Charm and using it to thwart him a final time.
With a final tug, she ripped the Butterfly brooch from his shirt, freeing the akuma of his hold and Nooroo of the evil perpetrated by Gabriel Agreste. Leaning close to him, she whispered, “I hope this was worth all the pain you’ve caused. Have you once considered what this would do to Adrien?”
“I did this all for Adrien.”
She had her doubts but kept her mouth zipped shut, not daring to unleash all the anger she’d built toward him the past couple of years. Instead, she called Chat on her yoyo and told him everything had gone to plan.
Bracing herself, she told him the address of Hawk Moth’s lair.
When she hung up, she dropped her transformation and waited for her partner and their teammates to show up.
Adrien arrived first, dropping his transformation as he rushed to her side. His eyes kept moving between her and his father, almost wishing this was a nightmare he’d soon wake from.
“I’m sorry, Adrien,” she whispered, her arms going around. “I’m so sorry.”
He held her tight, not quite daring to meet his father’s cold eyes.
Gabriel broke the silence. “I did this for you, son. I wanted to undo the mistakes your mother and I made. Bring her back.”
Adrien shook with fury. “You did this for you, Father, not me. I would never want this. I don’t want this. You hurt my friends. You’ve hurt people I love. You’ve hurt Paris all for your selfishness.”
“Adrien –”
“No, you’re through, and we’re finished.”
Marinette fought the urge to pull him back when he leaned close to Gabriel. The malice that had entered his gaze worried her, but she didn’t stop him, not sure she could’ve even if she’d tried.
“I want nothing to do with you ever again.”
Straightening, he reached out for her hand, which she gave without hesitation. “Let’s go, Mari. We’re done here.”