The car pulled up outside the Agreste Mansion and Adrien threw open the limousine door making his way up the steps and into the house. Skidding into the hallway he looked around at the emptiness surrounding him. The dark atmosphere of the mansion filled him with childhood dread.

There were no signs of a struggle. Nothing indicating harm to anyone in the mansion at the time. He didn't wait for the others to reach him before he headed for his fathers study and, ultimately, down to the hidden basement.

Memories resurfaced of the last time he was down there. His life had changed so much. He'd admitted his love for Marinette, he'd found his Lady and saved his mother all in one momentous occasion.

Walking to his mothers portrait he placed his fingers on the buttons and pushed them in. From here, he descended down into the unknown.

Marinette tried to reach Adrien before he made his way to the basement but it was no use. He was fast. She knew he was fast, they'd worked out with each other enough. She kicked off her high heels in hope she could catch up with him, but to no luck. He was just too fast.

She stilled when she saw his blonde hair descend down the elevator. He'd gone in alone. They didn't work alone, they worked together. As the flooring closed over his head she called on her transformation.

"Don't follow us. I'll contact you if we need you. You need to stay safe in case you have to continue for us." Ladybug pulled her yoyo from her hip ready to descend to the lower level. Alya and Nino were standing in the doorway looking helpless.

"Mari," Alya spoke, "please be careful."

Ladybug nodded at her friends as she swung herself out the window and down towards the basement, hoping and praying that Adrien was alright.

Adrien walked off the platform and saw a grey haired man screwed up on the floor. He looked in immense pain with blood trailing from one of his legs.

"Father." Adrien spoke. His volume was low incase anyone else was still around.

"Adrien?" Came the reply. Adrien walked forward and crouched down next to his bruised and battered father. Sitting on his heels he got a good luck at the predicament his father was in. Gabriel's left leg was crushed, causing Adrien's sickness reflexes to play around in his stomach. There was no chance he would keep the leg.

"She's gone." His father cried, as the tears created two tracks down his cheeks.

"You need to tell me from the beginning." Adrien crouched down trying to help his father through the pain. He was torn between speaking to his father and calling for an ambulance. Adrien was quite sure that if he had been a better son he would have called for the paramedics first.

"Your mothers been taken. I came ..." his breath caught as the sheer pain coursed through his body. "I came to speak to her, but Nathalie was already here. They took her." Adrien listened intently as he pulled off his tie to try and make a tourniquet in a desperate effort to save his fathers leg.

"Where's Master Fu?" Adrien asked whilst attending to his father. He had gone into hero mode; get the facts together and then come up with a plan.

As if reading his mind he saw a shadow sweep across the floor beside him. Running away from his father, he moved to the large circular window at the front, and opened a section to let his lady in.

She made her way through the window and studied the room she had visited far too many times. It looked dark, dingy and cold, very much mirroring that of the Agreste's. Hearing the window close behind her she turned around and caught Adrien staring out over Paris.

"Tikki, spots off."

Marinette walked over to Adrien and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I'm here, kitty. Let's do this together." She could feel the nod of his head as he turned around in her arms and hugged her back. Engulfed in her warm and comfort, he used it to build up the emotional power he again would need too face his life. The joys of the unlucky black cat.

He stepped away and took hold of her hand. Leading her over to his father on the floor.

"Oh my - " Marinette hurried forward grabbing her phone out of her bag. "We need an ambulance at the Agreste Mansion ASAP." She'd managed to seat herself next to Gabriel and begin to check his vitals whilst relaying everything she knew to the call centre on the other end of the phone.

"Fu's safe." Gabriel stated. His breathing was becoming rapid, but Adrien's tourniquet seemed to be holding up well.

"Nathalie got Emilie." He spoke again both heroes taking in each piece of information.

"They want -" he began. Gabriel was now clearly moving in and out of consciousness.

"They want who?" Adrien bent down next to Marinette as his fathers face began to match the colour of his hair.

"They ... they want -"

"Who dammit? Who do they want Father?" Adrien was getting frantic. He can't keep information like that from them.

"Hugo." Gabriel finally succumb to the darkness leaving Marinette and Adrien in the silence of the basement. Marinette bent down to check Gabriel's pulse. It was weak but still there. Feeding Tikki a cookie she prepared to transform again. During her movements she noticed Adrien had stilled.

"Hey, are you ok Chaton?"

"They want Hugo." Adrien replied as he continued to stare down at his father. They wanted their child. The combination of creation and destruction. He needed to get his head together.

"Plagg, claws out." Adrien transformed into his leather clad alter ego and lifted his father up delicately trying not to knock the make shift medical attention he had already delivered.

"Tikki, spots on." Ladybug followed obediently behind Chat Noir just in time to hear the sirens blasting outside the mansion.

"We need to get into contact with Kim. I think we're going to need to reveal to him, we need his help." Chat Noir led Ladybug to the elevator and all three squeezed in. Gabriel was still out and Ladybug was growing more and more worried. As much as they had had their differences she didn't want Adrien to lose anyone else. Enough had happened to him in his short life, she swore she was going to protect him at all costs. No more hurt and no more love lost.

As they were ascending back into the main Agreste mansion, Hugo appeared in front of the cat and the bug. He looked over at his grandfather before going to snuggle up to Adrien's cheek.

"Daddy, perhaps you should give me up. I don't want anyone else to get hurt." Hugo had again shot through another developmental spurt, it seemed he was very much at the same age mindset as they were.

"No ones giving you up. You're our family and we are here to keep you safe." Ladybug answered. Hugo looked between the two of them and nodded. He knew he was the reason for all of this. He was the mix between good and evil, he was the balance, he was the embodiment of Horus' soul. Set's ultimate battle. Hugo understood he would have to fight, either individually or as a power up with his Maman, either way he was determined they would win.

The elevator stopped as it reached its floor allowing Chat Noir and Ladybug to leave the secret lair and head towards the dining room where Chat could lay his father on the table.

Placing Gabriel down gently Chat jumped into Ladybugs arms, needing the reassurance and protection only she was capable of giving him. Feeling her steadied breathing helped calm his own down. Remaining in each other's arms they dropped their transformations. Tikki and Plagg circled their holders before squeezing in between to join this loving occasion. They found Hugo already their, tears pouring down his little red face.

Adrien refused to let go, even as the ambulance crew entered the house and buzzed around, he held on. He held onto the only piece of life he'd ever known. She was his life, she was his everything. He was covered head to toe in his fathers dried blood but Marinette didn't care. He needed her, she could feel every stab of pain shooting through his heart, every doubt about his life flowing through his head. This beautiful, brave man was crumbling to pieces in her arms and she couldn't stop him.

I'm here sweet Minou, I'm not going anywhere. We're in this together.

Her thoughts began to calm him and he began to loosen his grip on her.

You shouldn't be dragging your life down with mine Bugaboo. You deserve so much more.

Marinette stared at him, unsure where his negative thoughts were coming from. Keeping her eyes focused on his beautiful emeralds, she placed a hand on each of his cheeks before stretching up on her tip toes and kissing him gently.

"Mr Agreste. Will you be riding to the hospital with your father?" Adrien kept his eyes on Marinette's knowing he hadn't got time to wallow in his own self pity. It was time for business and time to make things in Paris go back to normal again.

Explaining to the paramedics that he would make his own way to the hospital, himself and Marinette said their goodbyes before heading up to his old childhood bedroom. There was nothing that could do at one in the morning, apart from sleeping and gathering as much energy as they could.

Stepping inside and closing the door he knew he needed something more than just sleep before they got to work, and that something was currently on the phone to their team mates.

"Alya, we're going to meet up at 6am tomorrow. Meet us on the Eiffel Tower and we'll lead the rest of the way. You and Nino rest up. You're going to need it."

Placing her phone back into her bag Marinette turned to find Adrien's eyes lingering on her. She knew what he needed and she knew that she wanted it. With quick strides to each other they were wrapped up and joining their mouths together.

"You looked amazing tonight M'lady."

"Thank you Chaton, you've looked handsome too. But I think it's time we take our outfits off." Marinette stepped away from Adrien and pushed the straps of her dress down from her shoulders, allowing the dress to fall and pool at her feet.

"What you waiting for Agreste?"