Chapter Text
One near-tantrum resulted in a phone call, which resulted in a short car ride to a very fancy mansion. Chloé was an expert at manipulating her father even at 6 years old. From our short conversation on the drive over she made it clear that there was nothing wrong with manipulating him like that. Of all the things Audrey could have taught her...
When we stepped out of the car we were greeted by a little boy, who immediately ran over to hug Chloé. I froze upon seeing them exchange greetings, how could I not? Meeting Chloé had been a big deal, but this. This was Chat Noir. Baby Chat Noir even. My mind was still resetting when he turned towards me.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Adrien Agreste” he squeaked at me and held up a hand for me to shake: “You must be Zoé, Chloé told me a lot about you.”
I had to take a deep breath to not let out a fangirl squeal then and there.
I took his hand: “Yes, I’m Zoé Lee, Chloé’s sister. I’ve heard a lot about you too.”
So much more than you could ever imagine.
“Aren’t you three precious.” A voice sounded and we turned to see a beautiful woman: “I’m Émilie, Adrien’s mother.”
And she was.
She wasn’t in a coma. It felt weird, having a source of warmth in the Agreste mansion. I managed to greet her even though my mind was racing.
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Spending time at the Agreste mansion was fun. Émilie settled us in with lemonade and joined us for a game of cards. She seemed to love spending time with Adrien even more than I liked being with Chloé.
The only downside was her persistent cough. She told us it was nothing to worry about, but I knew better. I was filled with dread every time I heard that cough. It must have shown, as she reassured me every time.
Curing Émilie could be a way of preventing the events of the show, but Gabriel doesn’t fix the peacock for several seasons. That would be years after this became irreversible. Even now she must be too far gone for the peacock and butterfly miraculous, otherwise they would have fixed it already. They had enough wealth and fame to meet with the American heroes, so that option was out the window too.
Was Hawkmoth doomed to terrorise Paris? For all my foreknowledge I couldn’t think of anything that could help. Could I do no more but be there for Adrien when she disappears?
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“I’m going to start counting now.” Émilie laughed at us.
“10~”
We squealed with excitement as we turned and ran out of the room. Audrey would never allow us to play hide-and-go-seek inside her mansion. As I stepped out of the dining hall it hit home how I was almost half the other two’s age. They were already running up the stairs.
“9~”
I caught myself having fun as I reached the stairs, hitting home that between these memeries and Audrey I was still a small child. The others had reached the landing and split there. Adrien went left to his room, Chloé right, both possibly more excited than I was.
“8~”
As I started up the stairs a door opened to my left. I glanced over the railing and my blood ran cold. Gabriel Agreste exited his study.
Here was Hawkmoth, one of the show’s most powerful characters and I was just a 4-year-old toddling up the stairs. I wasn’t ready yet.
“7~”
I panicked as he noticed me and came in my direction, stopping short just in front of me. Towering over my form despite me being several steps higher up. His expression frighteningly neutral, completely unreadable.
“6~”
He couldn’t know what I was up to, could he? He couldn’t read minds. But he had the butterfly miraculous. It wasn’t unthinkable that he could give himself mind-reading powers without changing his appearance. Had I lost already? Would he use my memories to get to Marinette and Adrien on their first day as heroes? Before that?
“5~”
He straightened his back, looking even more imposing.
“H-hello.” I managed. I needed to act natural. I needed to slow my breathing. How could I defend myself in this position? I had no weapons on hand, I couldn’t overpower him and If I ran he would catch up to me in moments.
“4~”
“Hello,” he replied stiffly. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Gabriel Agreste... I live here.” Then he looked away awkwardly and I relaxed the death grip I had on the banister.
This wasn’t Hawkmoth. Not yet. This was just Gabriel Agreste. Just a billionaire, world-renowned fashion designer. Who, apparently, didn’t know how to act around children.
“3~”
“I’m Zoé Lee. Chloé’s sister. I... live in America. Uhm, nice to meet you.”
“Ah, Audrey’s... second daughter. Likewise.”
‘Second daughter’? Nice save there, Gabriel.
“2~”
He looked around and asked: “Why are you alone? I was under the impression you were here to play with my son.”
It didn’t sound accusatory, but awkwardly conversationally. I was floored he would make the effort. I realised then I had only known Gabriel after his world fell through.
“We’re playing hide-and-go-seek. Émilie’s counting.” I pointed towards the open dining room door.
“1~”
“Ah, well. I’ll let you get back to it then. My apologies for interrupting. I’ll... talk to Émilie and make sure you’re given extra time.” He gave me a nod and strode towards the dining room.
“Thank you.”
“0. Here I come~”
I watched him go. In that moment he seemed far from a villain to me. Just a regular, emotionally constipated businessman. Love lost really changes a person.
Right, I had better ‘get back to it’ as Gabriel had put it and started up the stairs again.
“Gabe! I see you’ve torn yourself away from that book.”
Émilie sounded genuinely happy to see him. I could see why Gabr-
That book? As in that book? I stopped again as my head whipped towards the door of Gabriel’s study. Was Gabriel working on that book right now? I looked back to the dining room. I couldn’t see them from here. I was alone in the hallway, Gabriel hadn’t locked his study and I had free roam of the house.
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The door closed with a soft click. The room looked like I remembered; just less high-tech. Gabriel must decide to upgrade sometime in the next couple years. The portrait of Émilie wasn’t there. In its stead, there was one of their whole family hung behind a fancy wooden desk I didn’t recognise. That was new. Or old in this case.
I made my way toward it. I knew I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up, but I couldn’t help myself. Hawkmoth would be too careful to just leave something like this out. It would be in the safe, requiring a code I didn’t know. But when I rounded the desk, I saw a big, brown book lying there. Its cover bore a circle with an intricate, eastern pattern. My breath quickened as I climbed the chair and with a shaky hand I reached out and opened it.
An illustration of a person dressed in a reddish-brown stared back at me. On the opposite page were drawings of a hatpin and a lasso. I flipped to a random page and saw a similar set of illustrations with a black-and-white theme. Once more and this time the hero was in white and blue. Just as I was about to flip another page, I saw that the items depicted with this person were an umbrella and a pocket watch. Unmistakably the rabbit miraculous.
There was no more doubt in my mind. I had found the grimoire. It really had been that easy. But now what? There was no way I could get it out. I could barely lift the thing. What would Ladybug do?
...
Master Fu had made a digital copy! I grabbed my cell phone and started taking pictures.
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The grimoire was thick, there were a lot more miraculous than I had initially thought. They did mention Master Fu’s box was only one of many. I needed to work fast and had no doubt some of my pictures were going to turn out blurry, but right now anything I could get was welcome.
“...prefer if you spent more time with Adrien.” Émilie sounded muffled.
“But we can’t give up.” Gabriel opened the door: “The cure must be in there somewhere.”
I ducked down. I pocketed my phone and slowly slipped out of the chair and under the desk.
“I’m not giving up, Gabe. I’m prioritizing the present and Adrien, prioritizing us.”
“This is prioritizing us. With the right spell everything will be alright.”
I could hear Émilie’s footsteps coming closer and her bottom half came into view as she passed the desk. I made myself as small as possible as she looked up at their portrait.
“I know you would bend heaven and earth for my sake, but Adrien needs a father. We have time, Gabe. We need to enjoy it.”
At this she turned around.
Gabriel’s legs came into view next. “Nathalie has gone back with a team of archaeologists. She’ll find a clue as to the magic’s origins and-“
Émilie cut him off with a sharp raise of her arm. Then she turned back around to move the portrait and open the safe. After a moment of rummaging she closed it back up.
“You’re not putting it on, are you? It’s broken. It’s the very reason you’re in this state.”
Was he talking about the peacock miraculous? Was she wearing it now? I didn’t dare look for fear of being found.
“It appears we missed a little detail. My fault really. It was my idea after all.”
Émilie moved to stand next to the desk and put her hand on the edge, fingers just wrapping around it where I could see them.
“Gotcha!” her face popped into view.