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The basement of the Agreste mansion is dim, rays of sunshine barely escape the gap in the window. One light shines through, and that is the Case. Box that contains a loved one, surrounded by growth, roots, and flowers.
Emilie Agreste is encased in a cryo chamber. Forever to be preserved to be like the past, but not the same. Still the same wrinkle, but not to age. To be the same as the next second, month, and year, like an over-preserved statue.
A man in a purple suit stood, his gloved hand touching the barrier between him and the woman. They were forever separated by the forces between them, well, by forces, which meant a glass casing between them. Hawkmoth dragged his finger, wiping a layer of dust from the glass encasing. Not that it would matter that much, the dust will always come back settling itself on the clear surface once more. But it doesn’t matter, he will do anything to keep her great, even if the task is kind of laughable in nature.
The woman, Emilie Agreste. He and Emilie are nothing but a tragedy. They were supposed to be one, to thrive, to survive. Yet here he is, along with what was once an Emilie Agreste. Just alone, taking care of what she has left behind.
A corpse and a son.
The man turned from her wife and sure enough behind him stood a foot away, his son.
“Adrien, it's nice of you to visit us,” Hawkmoth cheerfully greeted his son with a warm smile, careful not to make him feel uneasy.
“I-is that mom?” Asked Adrien, his eyes wide in shock and his mouth hung agape at the sight in front of him.
“Yes, isn’t she as beautiful as ever?” Her golden locks haven't thinned nor grayed. He sure has spent a lot on the cryo case that has kept her as great as she would have been. He never once regretted this decision.
His son looked at him with terror in his eyes, his body felt like it was glued all together and doomed to be stuck in the same stance forever. He doesn’t know whether he should run or not, this is his father who is also Hawkmoth and also keeping his mother's corpse this whole time. Should he call Ladybug for help? But he’s Adrien right now, what can he do? Call the cops?
Before Adrien could think, Hawkmoth walked approaching him. His instinct told him to run and his leg almost reacted by itself before he pulled his nerves together and tried to stay as calm as possible while his Father, the Hawkmoth, approached him.
“You know I don't want to hurt you, right?” His father put his gloved hand on his son's right shoulder. Oddly it was warm.
“O-of course.” Replied Adrien, rubbing his left arm nervously. “Why would you?” He added eyebrow raised.
Hawkmoth hummed, “Have I ever told you how painfully similar you are to her? Same hair, same face, sometimes I wonder if you’re just her in disguise.” He guides his right hand from his shoulder toward the side of Adrien's face, caressing it gently between his calloused finger.
Unable to help himself, Adrien leans toward his father's touch. He never once thought he would experience his father warm this way. Although he achieves the touch he longs for, there is a deep hollow feeling in the embrace, a feeling of utter complete emptiness.
“Really?” He says. Not sure of what else to say.
“Yeah.” He replied.
With an arm wrapped around his son's shoulder, Hawkmoth guided him toward his mother. Adrien now stood in front of her, face to face. Her eyes are closed peacefully within the confine of the cryo chamber. He remembered the details of the wrinkles on her face that were there when she was alive, having a sleepover with his mother beside him made him acknowledge the details upon her face, how it wrinkled when she smiled warmly at him. So odd to see it still be there as it once was.
“Father, this doesn’t feel right.” Adrien expressed his concern, this isn’t normal, is it? This feels a little too much. He eyes his mother's corpse, basking her presence. Adrien is nervous and he doesn’t know what he should do in this situation. Should he transform and make a run for it? Or should he stay and just see how this goes? His father doesn’t seem like he meant any harm.
“Oh, Adrien. Don’t you miss your mother? Do you remember when she would show off those little plants she grew?” Reminisced Gabriel. Emilie used to tend to the garden in the mansion, giving it her labor. Not with the help of the staff or anyone. Specially taken care of by her to bloom in prosperity.
“Yeah…She used to show me those lilies she grew, I’ve always thought they were beautiful.”
Hawkmoth entangled his gloved finger with his son's right hand, guiding it to the glass that held his mother before him. Touching the transparent layer that separates the both from her. The man looks at his wife with a saddened expression while her son twists his face to be fearful yet intrigued.
“Your mother was my everything, without her I wouldn’t know what life were. I used to think, that to be here, is to just mold yourself within the system that this world has built, but she showed me that was not true.” Told Hawkmoth to Adrien. Hawkmoth continued, “I was just a simple man, not rich, just young, and naive, I strive to be nothing at all, but when I met her. I know my purpose, my very own existence was shown to me as clear as day. I was meant to be hers.”
“I don’t know if that’s what life is supposed to be, I don’t know if that’s just really it.” Expressed Adrien. Feeling conflicted. “Mother always wanted me to be what I want to be, she loved it when I said I wanted to be a singer, ninja, or… A bird. I mean that’s ridiculous, but that’s me. I think, she just wants you to be yourself.”
Hawkmoth let out a throaty laugh, it sounded like something was lodged in his windpipe. Too forced. Then he stopped, trying to stifle his laugh. Adrien tries his best to not shrink to himself, he just really wants to be out of this, it's uncomfortable to be squished between your father who turned out to be your arch-nemesis who is a terrorist, and your dead mother's corpse. He wanted to face any other direction but his eye only met the face of what was once.
Finally suppressing his laughter, Hawkmoth let his head hang low and then let out a harrowing sigh, “This is ridiculous, I’ve always thought you were just feather and gold, nothing else. But you always find a way to mold her flesh into you huh.”
Adrien doesn’t know how to respond to that, he frowns at some of his words, but he doesn’t think it's wise to say anything.
“She always has her way with words, giving me think-pieces. Some kind of truth that sounds mindless, but not really. Honestly, I appreciate it. I appreciate the truth.” Gabriel added on his ramble.
Then Adrien felt a few rub edging near the rim of his ring. His hand almost instinctively flinched, but he suppressed it, it was just Hawkmoth adjusting his hand position. Right? Adrien's muscles tensed and his heart rate sped up, does he know? Should he transform?
“I’m proud of you Adrien.” Said Gabriel Agreste.
Huh? Adrien blinked, and then Hawkmoth let go of his hold on Adrien's hand and gave him space. His once was terror was replaced with confusion, although the unease never gone. Adrien wanted to face his father, but he chose not to. It feels weird.
“You’re proud?” Nervously asked Adrien. His hand that once was on the glass surface lowered itself, winding back toward his side.
“Yes Adrien, I’m proud of you. You were just like your mother, her son, my son too.” Replied Hawkmoth.
This time, Adrien faces his father. Turning slowly he sees him with his arm outstretched with a warm smile on his face, forced or not he doesn’t care.
“Do I?” Adrien outstretched an arm, unsure. Shall he embrace him?
“Of course Adrien you deserve it, don’t you?” He answered.
Without thinking twice, Adrien ran toward his father and hugged him as tight as he could making his father stumble a step backward. After regaining his composure, Hawkmoth slowly wrapped him back in his embrace, his arm stretched around him. What else to say.
Adrien has always craved touch, a rub, a scratch, anything. But this one was special, this one was something he had always longed for. A hug from his dad. A dream come true.
Is this what Cloud Nine is? The feeling of euphoria, the tip of the mountain, so far high above you don’t even care about anything else happening. Adrien felt like his purpose had been fulfilled, finally done.
He doesn’t know what else would top this.
He was sobbing, he hadn't noticed that and Gabriel had rubbed his back to soothe him. What a crybaby.
“I-” Adrien tries to talk between sniffling and sobs, “T-thank you.” He feels immense joy.
Gabriel only continues to rub his back.
A man dragged a chair into a dim room and he placed it next to a limp body and a cryo case.
Only the blue moonlight gave light to the room, without it nothing else was to be seen here.
The man, hawkmoth sits in the chair like a priest repenting for their sins. His head hung low as ever, there was no pride to be seen in him.
Adrien is on the cold metal floor, now not wearing his once outfit. Instead, he wears a black leather-clad cat costume, concussed. Head injuries were likely, with blood littering his head area. Though alive or not? Cannot be decipherable. Does that matter though?
Here he was now, with the things he cared about, with his everything.
The man promised, “I will fix this, I will make sure of it. We're going to survive, we're going to be whole again.”
.