47. Chapter 47
Chapter 47
Ladybug panted, clenching her side, as she cleansed the third akuma. That one had been a doozy. She still felt the sting of the woman's whip on her back.
Three more. They could do this.
Her phone beeped with yet another akuma alert.
What the?
Disbelief and frustration raged within her, a fire that heated her face and had her seeing red.
"Whoa, chill, girl," Rena said. "He can't keep making them. Surely he has to run out of energy or potions or whatever."
Ladybug just grumbled under her breath and ran to the next site.
oOoOo
"Where are you?" Chat asked Ladybug on the phone. He had to practically scream over the car alarms going off around him. The vehicles were crushed beyond repair, but, of course, the alarms were annoyingly functional.
"I'm taking care of the new one."
He'd been trying to contain his for the past five minutes. "But—"
"Are you still in control of yours?"
"Yeah, but—" His akuma bucked and smashed him into a wall. Stars twirled in his vision. "I don't know for how much longer."
"I'm doing the best I can, Chat."
She sounded so despondent and tired, his own frustrations vanished. "I know. You're doing great." Chat blocked the beast's jaws with his staff. It whipped its head side to side trying to bite him while madly leaping around. "I can wait for you."
At least, he hoped so.
oOoOo
"Zvan," Master Fu said.
That's you, Nathaniel's kwami said with a giggle in his mind.
"Oh, yeah." He turned to the older man as he watched the news report on another akuma. "Sorry, I'm not used to the name yet."
Master Fu smiled before his face fell again. Everything must really be weighing on him. "Anything new?"
Zvan shook his head. "I can't decipher the scent. But it's stronger. Does that mean they're closer?"
"Either that or the person you're tracking is physically strong."
"Could it be Hawk Moth?" Sabine asked as she handed them each a small bowl of berries.
Zvan accepted the fruit with shaking hands.
Master Fu seemed too lost in thought to take his. He exhaled slowly, then whispered, "Let's hope not."
Sabine hadn't heard it, but Zvan had and it made his stomach twist with worry. He stared at his bowl, then set it on the windowsill. He would eat later.
oOoOo
Ladybug avoided the beast's sharp canines as it chomped at her. It's foul breath filled her nose. "Hold it still," she called to Chat.
"I'm trying."
The dog snarled loud enough to make her bones rattle. She snatched her hand back before it could bite off a finger. "Lift its head up."
Chat wrapped his staff around its neck, then reared back. The overgrown dog yelped.
Pushing aside her guilt for hurting the dog, she broke the name tag off its collar. A black butterfly fluttered out and she caught it with her yo-yo. She cleansed it without a thought, not even paying attention to how the street magically righted itself.
She bent over, hands on her knees, and tried to catch her breath. She needed a nap. No, a week of sleep. Maybe a month.
When her phone beeped with another akuma alert, she nearly chunked it as far as she could. "It's never-ending," she yelled to no one in particular.
Chat picked up the puppy and patted its head. "Hawk Moth hasn't shown up yet?"
She shook her head and straightened, rolling her neck to loosen the tense muscles there. His gaze went vacant and she asked what he was thinking.
"He's not splitting us up."
Her eyes widened. "But that would mean this is all just a distraction."
"A distraction for what, though?"
An icy sensation slid down her back. "The other Miraculouses."
"Or Master Fu. There's something more going on between them."
"Mom." She wound up her yoyo. "I have to get her out of there."
He put the puppy down. "Let's go."
"No. I need you out here detaining the akumas."
"But—"
"I don't want anyone else to get hurt."
He narrowed his eyes. "And I don't want you to get hurt."
"Chat! I can't do this right now." She readied her yo-yo to throw it. "Just take care of Paris."
oOoOo
Hawk Moth jumped to the rooftop of Master Fu's apartment, careful to make his landing silent. He gave himself a moment to relish the joy of a successful hunt. It skittered across his skin like electricity, filling him with more energy than ever.
He was so close to getting everything he wanted: the Miraculouses—Ladybug would tire herself out fighting the neverending akumas and Chat Noir would relinquish his Miraculous to save her life. They were so predictable, so weak. And obtaining the others would be even easier—and Master Fu. The only downside to his plan was that he'd have to kill him quickly.
Nodding to one of his akumas to stay put, hidden for the time being, he pulled his sword out from his cane and smiled at his reflection in the blade.
In one swift movement, he stepped off the ledge of the building, landed on the windowsill, and lunged into the apartment with the window's glass shattering all around him. The crash and the gasps of surprise we're music to his ears.
Zvan leapt at him, but he knocked the dog miraculous wielder away with a swipe of the wooden shaft of his cane. The boy flew backwards, striking the far wall. Plaster showered him, coating him in a haze of white. His head lulled, chin sagging to his chest.
"Pathetic."
Hawk Moth straightened from his fighting stance and looked around the empty space for the Guardian.
Not wanting to waste time by having to search for the old man, he stepped to the unconscious Miraculous wielder. "Face me and I'll spare the kid's life."
Instead of the diminutive master, Marinette's mother stepped out from the kitchen, wielding a chef knife in a surprisingly accurate fighting stance. Interesting. He lifted a brow. "I see where she gets her spirit from."
"Leave," she demanded, face twisting into a fierce scowl.
"Not until I get what I came for."
He took a step in her direction.
Instead of backing away in fear, she just narrowed her eyes even more.
One corner of his lips curled upward. "How long do you think your daughter will hold onto her Miraculous if she sees you bleeding out at my mercy?"
Her only response was to shift toward him, angling her knife for an attack.
He did the same, muscles coiling for a swift blow that would end the fight before she could move an inch more. Just as he prepared to leap, Zvan jumped at him.
Bracing himself, he caught the dog mid air and threw him into Sabine. Her knife clattered to the tiled floor as the two fell backwards. He snarled at them, advancing with the intention to kill. No more distractions. No more risks.
"Gabriel," Master Fu said from the other side of the room.
Hawk Moth spun around. How had he missed him standing in the corner? His body urged him to take down Fu now while he had the chance, but his brain told him to eliminate the others.
"It is better Emilie is gone," Master Fu said. That he now knew his late wife's real name wasn't exactly a surprise. Adrien would surely have told him. Still, it made a bolt of anger flash through Hawk Moth. "It would break her heart to see what you've become."
He grit his teeth and faced Fu. "Don't. Speak. Her. Name."
"You want her back, but you must know she would not want you. Not like this"
He pointed his blade at the older man. "Because of you. You—"
"No, because of your arrogance."
"Everything I've done has been for her."
"All she wanted was your love, for your child to grow up happy and safe."
Random images flashed in Gabriel's mind: a young family eating around a table, playing with baby toys...hiding from another attack. Words echoed in his head: safe, free.
"When do you think these attacks will end?" Emilie whispered to Gabriel as they stood over the crib, watching Adrien sleep soundly. Drool darkened the sheet under his partly open mouth.
"Soon."
"I worry for him." She slipped an arm around his waist and nestled in close to his side, then looked up at him, her green eyes shining brightly in the soft light. "I worry for you too."
He wrapped her in a hug, wishing he could keep her from ever worrying again. If only the Guardians would heed his advice and go on the offensive. But no, they always just sit and wait. The Miraculous wielders were defenders, they said. Not an army on the march.
"Gabriel."
He refocused on her, squeezing her tighter to him.
"The Guardians are right. We save lives, not take them."
His jaw ticked. She'd been talking to Fu again. "But if our enemies knew we wouldn't hold back, they—"
She placed a soft hand on his cheek and he couldn't help but to lean into her touch. "Promise me you'll stop pursuing the change in decree."
Did she know about his other plans? Did Master Fu? "You haven't revealed our identities to him, have you?"
Her brows lifted in surprise and her hand fell to her side. "No. Never. The law states that no one but our Guardian and our significant other can know it."
He breathed out. At least that law was working in his favor.
"Gabe." She waited to continue until she held his gaze. "Promise me you'll stop. The system isn't perfect, but—"
"I promise," he lied. While they were too weak to do what was necessary, he wasn't.
"He'd never have grown up safe," Hawk Moth finally responded to Master Fu. "Not with everyone so scared to take action."
"It was not fear of losing centuries-old traditions that held us back from agreeing to the change. It was the fear of losing our souls. Of becoming you."
Hawk Moth ran through the temple halls, knocking out anyone who got in his path. He'd waited years for the perfect time to enact his plan. And he would not let his Guardian's betrayed eyes, growing vacant as death overcame him, disturb his thoughts. He shook his head to clear it and picked up his pace.
He was so close to reaching the chamber housing the Miraculous boxes. He'd already taken the book and the other Miraculouses from their wielders. He just needed the rest.
Skidding to a stop in front of a pair of large, gilded doors, he threw them open and rushed inside.
"You promised."
At the sound of Emilie's broken voice, he came to an abrupt halt. Tears lined her eyes, spilling over the blue mask. Her peacock feathered fan hung in her hand at her side.
"Mayura, listen to me." He lifted his hands and affected a calming tone, despite his heart racing. "This has to happen. There's no other way for us to live in peace. For our child to grow up in peace."
She searched his face, her mouth working and hope filled him, but then her gaze landed on his shoulder and she took a step back. "There's blood on your jacket."
He grimaced. "We don't have time for this. Give me the box and let's go."
She shook her head.
Reaching out a gloved hand, he moved to her. "Come here."
"Master Fu was right." She snapped her fan open into a defensive stance. "My love for you has blinded me."
A wildfire erupted within him. He clenched his outstretched hand into a fist. "Why can't you see I'm doing this for you? For our family?"
She narrowed her eyes even as more tears fell from them. "I never wanted this."
"What are you doing?" He stepped back as she advanced on him.
"Stopping you."
She wouldn't attack him. She—
Mayura lunged for him.
He stepped out of the way of her spiked fan with wide eyes. Master Fu had done this. He'd ruined everything. "Stop."
"Give me the book and the other Miraculouses."
His jaw slackened. "How did you know?"
"You tripped an alarm and the others haven't reported in. Did you..." Her gaze fell from him and she sniffled. Her hurt and pain cracked something in his chest. "Did you kill them too?"
"I haven't killed anyone." Except his Guardian, but he wasn't going to tell her that.
She sighed. "Turn yourself in. Please."
His shoulders sagged. "I know you can't understand right now, but you will. In time, you will." He hardened himself. "We don't have much time left. Get the box and come with me.'
"Please. Don't do this."
"Listen to her, Hawk Moth," a new, yet familiar voice commanded.
Master Fu.
Hawk Moth turned and slid the blade out from his cane. It's high-pitched ting rang in the silent room. He was the cause of all this strife, blocking his proposal to change their laws and filling Mayura's head with his propaganda.
Raising his sword overhead, he ran at the old man.
"Everything would've been fine if it hadn't been for you," Hawk Moth said, pointing his blade at him as he stepped forward. "You destroyed the temple. You killed my wife."
"No," Master Fu said, softness filling his voice and face. "That was you."
Hawk Moth charged the Guardian, switching tactics at the last second, and aimed the blade straight for his heart.
A flash of blue swept in front of him just as his sword met the slight resistance of a body. A choked sob met his ears. A feminine, not masculine sob.
No.
The bag of Miraculouses he'd collected fell from his grasp as he caught his wife from slumping to the ground. Gleaming silver protruded from her chest.
No.
Blood darkened her suit around the blade. He knew enough not to remove it. That would surely cause her death.
"Why?" he asked. "Why did you save him?"
She tried to smile through her short, strangled breaths and lifted a hand to his cheek. "Because that's what we do."
Tears stung his eyes as he watched her chest heave, trying to draw a breath into her rapidly filling lungs. The sight tore him to shreds, and he leaned into her touch just before her hand fell from his cheek.
She stared blankly at him.
"Then I promise to save you, to bring you back." As he lifted her fully into his arms, the timer on his watch beeped. He turned to Master Fu. "And I promise you that one day you'll pay for all of this."
The first explosion at the far end of the temple sounded and Hawk Moth ran. He had to get Mayura out before the whole building went up in flames.
Hawk Moth swung his sword to finally fulfill that promise. Just before he could cleave the old man in two, a string latched onto his arm, stopping the death blow. He turned to the window.
Ladybug stood in the opening, gripping her yo-yo's string and straining to keep his arm trapped. "Surprised to see me?"
He smiled thinly. "Not really."
The Gorilla's large fingers slipped through the open space of the window and wrapped around her. Perfect timing.
Her eyes flickered wide just before the akuma clenched tight, and she gasped in pain, losing her hold on her weapon.
The string slackened and Hawk Moth lowered his arm. He rolled his shoulder to ease the strained muscles and walked to her. Finally.
She struggled in the Gorilla's grasp, kicking her legs and trying to work her arms free.
He reached for one of her earrings, fingertips gripping the red and black spotted stud.
Ladybug howled in frustration and fear.
Relief and hope filled him to the brim. It was as if the years since his wife's passing had never happened. Emilie, his love, his light. Her bright presence shone down on him. Soon, they would be reunited.
Something crashed into him. He sailed through the air and slammed into the floor. Crouched over him was Zvan's large guard dog. He'd always hated this Miraculous's special ability, mainly because the supernatural dog always had its hackles raised when he was near as if it knew he wasn't to be trusted.
The guard dog growled, vibrating Hawk Moth's body, and sharp, canine teeth dripped slobber just before it opened wide and bit his shoulder, clamping down, tearing through muscles and ligaments, straight to bone.
Hawk Moth's cry of pain ended in a snarl. He gripped his sword and thrust the blade into the mut's side. It yelped just before vanishing from existence.
He stood, warm blood trickling down his arm, and attempted to move the damaged joint. Agony rolled through him, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.
Seeing Zvan trying to pry Gorzilla's fingers from Ladybug, he stalked toward them.
"It's too late. Just go!" Ladybug commanded.
"Not until you're free."
The foolish boy continued struggling against Gorzilla's inhuman grip even as he stepped behind him, raising his sword.
"Zvan!" Ladybug warned him.
He twisted out of the way of the blade's path, but not quickly enough. A long gash split his brown suit across his ribs. Blood seeped from the thin cut.
Zvan growled low under his breath and charged him.
They fought, a whirlwind of arms and legs, sword and teeth. The boy's tail hit him like a battering ram, but, as he punched and kicked, Hawk Moth sliced here, nicked there. Each cut was small, unnoticeable in the midst of the adrenaline certainly flooding his system, but it would be enough to slowly weaken him. Before he knew it, he'd grow dizzy from blood loss. His movements would slow. His eyes would unfocus. Then he'd simply collapse.
Hawk Moth smiled and stepped out of the way as Zvan stumbled forward, swaying, tipping, falling to his side. His eyes slowly opened and closed, until they moved no more.
Ladybug's cries filtered in through Hawk Moth's bloodlust. He turned to her. "Was he a friend of yours?"
Tears slid over her mask and down her cheeks.
"You shouldn't have given him a Miraculous. But hindsight is twenty-twenty."
As he walked to her, redoubling her efforts to free herself, a soft whoosh whoosh had him spinning around, knocking a chef's knife from the air, two inches from his face. It clattered to the floor and he stared at Sabine, standing tall, chest heaving.
"You get away from my daughter!" she demanded.
"Fu, talk some sense into her before I'm forced to do something drastic." All of these delays were making him angry. He should've been done by now.
The old man inched toward her while trying to conceal something in his hand: a small black box. Hawk Moth sighed. Why did everyone force him into taking the bloody path? Such a waste of time.
In one leap, he lopped off Master Fu's hand and pinned Sabine to the wall with his blade through her shoulder. Her eyes widened a moment before she screamed. No. Not her. Ladybug. The sound was anguished...and furious. It made his heart flutter with delight.
He freed his sword and Sabine slid to the floor, clasping her shoulder with her free hand.
He walked back to Ladybug with a sneer. No more wasting time.
The building shook, making his legs wobble and forcing him to stop his advance. Then the wall exploded.
oOoOo
The Gorilla—Gorzilla, as he looked the same as the last time he'd been akumatized, big and blue—stood outside of the building with a hand shoved through the second floor where a window once had been.
Chat narrowed his eyes at the sight. "I'll handle him. You get in the apartment," he said to Gozu.
Gozu jumped to the building while calling his special power and punched his way inside. Brick and wood erupted around him and fell to the ground.
Well, that was one way to do it.
Chat considered where the akuma might be. The Gorilla only wore a pair of shorts, no shoes or anything else, so it had to be in there. He jumped on his leg and started climbing.
His old bodyguard shifted on his feet, then shook his leg. Chat held on for his life. It was like being on a rollercoaster from hell. He was going to puke, but he swallowed down his previous meal and continued climbing.
There! Plagg said.
Chat caught the light glinting off a metal object hanging out of the pocket of his shorts. The car keys. Of course!
Before Gorzilla could fling him off, Chat jumped, hand reaching for the keys. He clasped onto them and fell back to the ground. As soon as he landed, he broke them in half and Gorzilla shrunk back to his normally large size. He looked around confused.
"Get everyone out of the building and to safety."
He nodded and ran toward the front of the building. Chat jumped through the hole and was stunned. It was chaos inside. The walls and furniture were practically demolished. Zvan was lying in a pool of blood. Gozu held onto an unconscious Sabine and was attempting to reach Master Fu, who was clutching his...missing hand? Where was his hand? Where was Ladybug?!
Then he found her stumbling out of the kitchen with Hawk Moth on the offensive.
His gaze narrowed on his father. He did this. He'd hurt them.
"Chat!" Ladybug called while dodging an attack. "Get Nathaniel and Fu to safety." She swept Hawk Moth's legs out from under him. "Call Queen Bee. Have her heal them."
"But—"
"Do it!"
He clenched his hands into fists, wanting to help her fight, to stop his father, but he swept up Zvan, jumped out of the hole to the ground, and gently laid Nathaniel on the grass.
Gozu landed next to him. "Get Master Fu," Gozu said. "I'm helping Marinette."
"Wait." But he was already in the apartment. Chat's jaw ticked as he leapt back inside and snatched up Master Fu. He put him down and pulled out the phone on his staff. His foot tapped on the ground as he waited for Queen Bee to pick up.
A whoosh from overhead drew their attention. Akumatized men and women leapt from the neighboring building into the apartment. Four and counting.
"Shit." Hurry up, Queen Bee.
Master Fu watched two more jump inside with furrowed brows. He was nearly as white as a ghost. Chat had no idea how he was standing with as much blood as he'd lost.
An explosion from the apartment snapped his attention to the building. The vibration from the attack reached Chat's feet and rubble shot out toward the street.
oOoOo
Thick dust filled the space, making it harder for Ladybug to see the akumas she fought. She shook her head to clear the ringing in her ears and yelled for her dad. He had to be okay, it was his special ability after all, but her nerves wouldn't be eased until she knew for certain.
"I didn't get him," he yelled back.
"You need to go recharge!"
The warning beep of his Miraculous seemed to punctuate her command. But he appeared near her and shook his head, then went back to fighting.
While he was big and strong without the help of a kwami he would be no match against all of these akumas and especially not against Hawk Moth.
Grumbling under her breath, she leapt away from the swing of a sword, it's owner—undoubtedly Hawk Moth—obscured by the haze, and a woman shooting energy blasts at her. She had to end this and as quickly as possible.
"Lucky charm!"
oOoOo
Chat jumped through the giant cloudy hole with his staff in hand and knocked Hawk Moth away from Ladybug as she fought two of the akumas while holding onto a red and black polka dot length of rope. He landed between them and snarled at his father. The grey haze filling the space lent a dreamlike quality to the confrontation.
Hawk Moth brushed the bits of plaster and dust off his coat. "Do you really think you can beat me?"
"Yes," Chat answered through gritted teeth. His heart pounded in his ears. So many emotions coursed through his veins like barbed cells. He couldn't name all of them, but fear was the most obvious.
"You've never come close before."
Chat held onto his staff with both hands. "I don't want to fight you."
Hawk Moth scoffed.
"Mom wouldn't want us to fight."
"It's for that reason you're still standing."
Chat shook his head, doing his best to ignore the sounds of fighting around him. If he could get his father to back down, the akumas would as well. "Mom wouldn't want any of this."
He pointed his blade at him. "Get. Out. Of. My way!"
"Mom wouldn't have let you do this and neither will I."
His expression went blank and Chat wondered what he'd said, but then fury twisted Hawk Moth's face into something monstrous. "I made her a promise to bring her back. And I intend to keep it." He raised his sword overhead. "Even if that means eliminating you."
Chat had just enough time to lift his staff and block the blade bearing down on him. His muscles strained under the force of impact. Icy coldness filled him. His father was going to kill him. He nearly choked on the realization.
"Father."
"Don't." He glared down at him. "You should have chosen your family."
Tears blurred Chat's vision, but he blinked them away, choosing to focus on disarming him rather than on the hatred in his father's eyes.
Hawk Moth drew his sword back and stabbed low. Chat jumped out of the way and ended up having to duck under an akuma's wild swing meant for Gozu. A Miraculous beeped, setting off alarm bells in his head. They'd both used their special power. Soon they would be defenseless.
His heart shot to his throat in blind panic.
His father struck him against the ribs with the cane, spun around, and slashed at him with the sword. Chat barely had enough time to block it with his staff before deflecting ten more attacks. Hawk Moth moved so fast, he had no time to counter, let alone find an opening to slip in and disarm him. Not to mention come up with a plan to help Gozu and Ladybug.
Chat flipped out of the way to create some distance for him to think, but Hawk Moth gave him zero space. Pure instinct moved his limbs: skirting the blade's razor edge, dodging a kick, blocking the cane. His breath came in faster and faster and a cramp jabbed him in the side every time he moved. Subduing the akumas must have fatigued him more than he'd realized.
As they fought, he had just enough awareness to stay clear of the others, but he had no idea how Ladybug and Gozu were faring. He risked a glance at her and got slashed across the thigh. He winced as his leg gave way, making him nearly stumble into another attack.
Pushing back the pain of not just the cut but of his father's willingness to maim him, he forced himself to stand tall. He looked into Gabriel's eyes and swung his staff at him over and over, not giving him the room to go on the offensive.
All of Chat's pent up anger and hurt came out in a barrage of strikes that quickened and hardened with each passing second. Fury flowed through his veins.
Hawk Moth's mask filled his vision, red tinting the edges, until nothing else existed but them. That ugly mask made him think of skeletons and death. It taunted him, reminding him of everything that was wrong in his life, everything he'd lost. He hated it. He hated him.
Chat blinked and realized he held his father's sword at his throat.
Hawk Moth laughed, a grating sound that begged Chat to slice through his father's neck. He fought the urge with his entire being. He was not his father. He would not kill.
Realizing Hawk Moth wasn't even looking at him, Chat's gaze darted across the room.
Icy dread filled him from head to toe.
There were even more akumas...and they were winning. Gozu was in the midst of de-transforming about to be impaled by a spear. Ladybug's Lucky Charm rope was on the verge of cinching around him, as if she would yank him free of his predicament. Except, she was so focused on rescuing her dad, she hadn't noticed the akuma behind her with a raised curved blade angled to slice her from shoulder to hip.
No!
They couldn't lose. They couldn't die.
As he opened his mouth to warn her, a sharp jolt punched his side, stealing his breath. His gaze flew down to the impact. The hilt of a blade jutted out from his midsection. His father twisted the dagger, wrenching an agonized cry of pain from Chat. He nearly dropped his hold on the sword still aimed at Hawk Moth's neck.
When his father pulled the blade out and moved to stab him again, Chat only thought of needing to help Ladybug before it was too late. He leaned forward, letting his weight drive the sword through his father's throat.
Hawk Moth's eyes flickered wide and he struggled to breathe. Chat fell back from him, his hands shaking, whole body trembling.
His father's stunned blue eyes pinned him to the spot, preventing him from even checking on Ladybug's fate.
The skeletal mask fizzled out of existence as Gabriel's jaw slackened and one of his legs buckled. Despite the pain it cost him to move, Chat caught his father before he hit the floor and landed hard on his knees.
He held onto him with one hand while the other clenched his side, trying to stop the blood pouring from the stab wound. They stared at each other, and Chat saw beyond the mask to the man who had wanted to protect him, who had loved his family so much it broke him.
No matter how much he wanted to wrench his gaze free, Chat couldn't look away. His heart pounded, drowning out all sound and smothering the pain radiating from his side. He wanted to ask him why his love hadn't been enough, why he wasn't enough. But he couldn't speak, he could barely breathe.
Bright blue eyes faded, turning vacant...lifeless.
He'd killed his father.
He'd killed his father.
The thought boomed in his head and gripped his chest, as if trying to rip his heart from his ribs. Agony roiled through him in waves that brought nausea and a bone-deep cold.
He'd never wanted to hurt anyone, never wanted to take a life, to become a monster. The realization he was now no better than his father tore at him, shredding him from the inside out.
It was the only way, he told himself. But the words were hollow, comfortless.
Tears flowed freely down his cheeks. He had tried so hard to suppress them, wrestling with his chaotic emotions, but he was weak and tired, so very tired.
Dizziness made him sway.
Something was wrong, but his mind was too fuzzy to remember what.
Creeping in from the edges of his vision, darkness obscured shapes and leached colors, the world around him disappearing until nothing remained.
…
The end.
I'm just kidding. Don't kill me.
AN - Most people thought Gabriel was going to jail. I apologize for making the story darker than that and for tormenting Adrien. I really don't hate the boy, I promise. And we didn't take Gabriel's fate lightly. We discussed and debated it until we both agreed he has zero remorse for terrorizing Paris for years, killing people, and being the world's worst father. On the plus side, the epilogue will be a happy, funny piece similar to the early chapters.
Thanks to the new people who favorited and followed. I reached 600 follows! And, of course, a big thanks to the people who leave a comment. I appreciate every single one.
Only two more chapters left. :(
Thanks to my sister as well. After all this time, she hasn't lost interest in the story or my writing, and that means so much to me.