Papachat/GrandpaHawkmoth AU: A Shocking Reveal MLB
One of my Papachat (Dad!Chat Noir, Dad!Adrien, Mama!Mari AUs). Of course, Hugo and Emma are their kids. Gabriel mellowed out over the years due to his grandkids, but he's still a bit of a prick as Hawkmoth. What happens if he finds out who LB and CN actually are?
Chat Noir did a careful backflip, viciously pushing back the flock of birds heading towards him as he protectively placed one hand over his daughter's head, who was squirming strapped to his front.
After gaining a safe distance away, Chat kissed the top of her head soothingly, "Sorry princess, daddy will make this quick."
His gaze immediately zeroed in on his wife and son, who spun her yoyo effortlessly against a charging rhino, Hugo happily reaching out with his hands to touch the almost glowing red of the spinning yoyo. Ladybug quickly moved back as soon as the rhino collapsed on the ground in exhaustion, the spinning yoyo having messed with his perception at such close proximity.
Chat quickly grabbed his wife around the waist and she placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him, "Chat no."
He fixed her with a stern look, "This is not up for discussion bugaboo, we've got kids on board. I doubt Hawkmoth has a good corner in his heart to stop his attack on us as soon as he sees we have children. I'll get you away to our balcony, you'll take Emma and I'll defeat the akuma and bring it to you to purify it."
Ladybug tightened her hold on her husband, their gazes locked in a battle of wills, "You're crazy to think I'll leave you alone like this with the entire zoo against you. Remember what happened with Anima back then?"
He pouted, his ears flopping to his head adorably, Emma stretched her arms out to reach for them, "We were young...and I was a kitty up against a full grown panther." He playfully flexed his bicep, grinning widely, "Now I'm a panther myself." he winked and Emma and Hugo cheered, as if their father said something funny.
Ladybug groaned and rolled her eyes, "Chat Noir, I swear-"
His eyes flew open and he quickly grabbed his wife and slammed the end of his staff on the ground, propelling them in the air just in time to dodge the crocodile that had nearly crushed their legs in it's jaws.
Ladybug gasped, looking back at the whining crocodile and holding on tight to Chat Noir as they soared through the air, "Alright, Plan B."
Chat smiled in relief, intending to change course and head for home, "You go with Hugo and Emma and I'll make quick work of the angry kitty over there."
Chat Noir's head nearly dislocated itself when he turned around to look at his wife, "What?! No! That's not what I meant m'lady!"
Ladybug frowned, "It's either you or me kitty and I hate to see you constantly fight my battles for me." she caressed his jaw, worry and sadness in her expression.
Chat Noir frowned, landing softly on top of a roof, taking his lady's hand, " They're not your battles, I'm a hero too remember? Any fights we have are ours, but you know as well as I do that you're the only one who can purify the akuma at the end. Even if I get injured, Lucky Charm can fix it." he paused, then smirked, cupping his wife's cheek, "Or Marinette the beautiful seamstress can patch me up." he smiled cheekily and kissed her cheek affectionately, making a quick sweep of the commotion below to ensure their hiding spot hasn't been found yet.
Ladybug's cheeks were a bright pink, despite being married to this dork for years and having two children, he could still make her blush like when they were teenagers, "It was you that started the whole 'Marichat' shipping craze when we were 16, wasn't it?" She fixed him with an arched brow, Emma copying her expression to stare up at her father.
Chat Noir fixed the collar of his suit nervously, "Hey, don't forget why fans started climbing over my gates because of 'Ladrien." He rolled his eyes, giving her a pointed look.
Ladybug spluttered, "T-that was-! I-I was worried as a responsible hero of Paris over your civilian safety!"
Chat gave a slow grin, "Right. That's also why Marinette baked me cookies and croissants every second day on our movie nights, hm?" he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Ladybug huffed and pushed his face away, Emma giggling and trying to do the same, only reached her father's chin eith her small hands.
Chat Noir looked down at his giggling son, "Hugo! Help! Purrty please?"
Hugo stretched his own arms out to poke at his face and Chat sighed, "Traitor..." gently playing with Hugo's outstretched fingers, who shrieked with laughter.
Almost immediately Ladybug and Chat Noir turned around, certain that the akuma must have heard their son. They got too caught up in the moment while on the job. While they accepted it as something normal due to their status as parents, it shouldn't happen.
Especially not with the danger so close to their kids.
As predicted, the birds came rushing towards them again and they both sprinted off the edge of the roof, using yoyo and staff to land carefully on the ground.
Chat looked at his partner, "Alright, we need another plan."
Ladybug nodded, preparing to throw her yoyo in the air, "Lucky-"
Her yoyo was caught mid-air, a large golden blur flying over their heads.
It was a lion, a large one at that.
Holding her yoyo in it's maw, the lion dropped it to put it's massive paw on it, baring it's teeth at the duo, Hawkmoth's mask appearing over his face, "Finally, without your yoyo, you're defenseless Ladybug!" Hawkmoth's voice came out of the lion's maw and Chat Noir took a defensive stance in front of his wife, who positioned her hands in the chinese martial art ways her mother taught her in these situations.
"Not as long as this kitty got its claws, Hawkmoth!" Chat Noir snarled, waiting to see what the lion would do.
Hawkmoth laughed, "You believe a defenseless bug and a cat carrying babies stand a chance against my army?!" as if on cue, the entirety of the zoo circled around them and they slowly backed into the wall, Ladybug protecting her back and Chat covering the rest of her blindspots as he faced the akuma.
Ladybug, despite her position, shouted angrily, "You truly are heartless Hawkmoth! We believed after years of terrorizing Paris you'd see the error of your ways but you won't even back down from attacking our children!" Her fists shook and Chat knew his little bug could be even scarier than a lion when it came to her children. He wasn't any different.
Another laugh, "Now, now, Ladybug, all I want is your Miraculous. If you give them to me before these animals can attack you, I assure you your children will remain unharmed." They didn't buy it for a second.
The mask grew brighter around the lion's face, "Attack!" the lion roared loudly, the fierce sound causing all the other animals to start their advance on the cornered heroes.
Chat Noir pressed his back closer to his wife, "I'll hold them off as long as I can. If you see an opening, run!"
Ladybug squeezed his shoulder in encouragement and support, "I'll get my yoyo and come back chaton." she kissed his cheek and the couple braced themselves for the onslaught.
Just then, a chain reaction occured.
Emma's fidgeting caused her mask to slip off her face, the small Chat Noir mask they'd made for their children to be outside when they were in their suits and she started crying.
Hugo, hearing his sister in distress, started wailinng too, throwing off his own Ladybug mask in frustration, the mask bouncing off the concrete, close to where the lion's paws were.
Hawkmoth's voice suddenly boomed across the field, "STOP!"
Both Chat Noir and Ladybug froze when suddenly the lion jumped in front of them and the rest of the animal kingdom stopped mid-charge and backed away from the mighty animal.
The lion threw Ladybug's yoyo at her feet, both heroes staring from the yoyo towards the lion, where Hawkmoth's mask was still glowing, "You! What sort of heroes are you?! Allowing children outside during akuma attacks?!"
What?
Chat Noir lowered his staff only partially, still wary of the sudden panic in Hawkmoth's voice, "What's your game Hawkmoth?" his ears drew back.
The lion marched forward, away from the heroes, chasing away all the other animals, "Mark my words Ladybug and Chat Noir, I will get your Miraculous!" he paused, an oddly familiar worried tone seeping into his normal rough one, "But without exposing the children to dangers like this! They must have relatives to babysit them while you're fighting my akumas!"
Chat leaned down to whisper in his wife's ear, "Did he finally go senile?"
She gently rocked her son in her arms, leaning down to pick up the Ladybug mask.
A thought suddenly occured to her, "Why would Hawkmoth retreat as soon as he saw our kids unmasked?"
Chat Noir bent to pick up his own miniature mask, gently putting it back on his princess, purring soothingly to calm her down, "Maybe he knows them in his civilian form?"
Ladybug didn't doubt that, they were well known in France after all, but...
Her eyes widened, "You don't think..."
Chat froze, "...No way."
Ladybug settled a hand over her son's head, "That Hawkmoth is afraid of Gabriel doing something to him?"
Chat rubbed his chin, "It's true that father has threatened a cycler once to ban him from ever stepping foot into any store ever if he came close to Emma or Hugo again, just because our little rascals decided the sidewalk was their playground." he gently bobbed Hugo's nose who laughed happily, tears dried up.
Ladybug shook her head, "It seems silly but...grandpa Gabriel is a force to be reckoned with."
Chat Noir nodded.
Meanwhile...
"I don't believe this!" a detransformed Gabriel kept pacing the expanse of his lair, butterflies flying which way to dodge his stormy gaits.
Nooroo followed his master worriedly, anxious to see what the new revelation would do to him, "Master?"
Gabriel abruptly turned to him, making the kwami back away, "Nooroo! Do you know what this meams?!"
Nooroo didn't even want to think of suggesting he stopped being Hawkmoth.
Gabriel ran a hand down his face, "I have to stop Hawkmoth from harming my grandchildren!"
The kwami blinked, "What?"
Gabriel exited his lair, spotting Nathalie standing in front of the doorway, "Nathalie, I want you to publish a public statement concerning Hawkmoth's attacks." his assistant's eyes were wide with surprise, thinking he turned a new leaf- "Tell the public that from now on, Hawkmoth's attacks will spare akumatizing families or parents. Parents have the responsibility of getting their children to safety, any who fail to do so will suffer dire consequences from me."
With that, Gabriel grabbed his coat and left.
Nathalie sighed, used to his overprotective ways since becoming a grandfather.
A few minutes after they detransformed and fed Emma and Hugo, breaking news immediately flashed in front of the screen.
Nadja Chamak came into view with a concerned expression as she read from her info-card, "Dear citizens of Paris, there's been a statement right after the latest akuma attacks from Hawkmoth himself!"
Both heroes sat frozen stiff on the family couch, watching as the camera panned to none other than Mayura, who cleared her throat as she gazed at the camera professionally, "Greetings citizens of Paris, Hawkmoth's plans have changed." hope sparked within Marinette's chest, "From now on, families and individuals with children who fail to bring their children to safety will suffer consequences from Hawkmoth himself, furthermore there will be no more akumatizations of families any longer."
Marinette and Adrien's jaws were hanging open, just as a knock came on their door.
When Adrien opened it to see who it was, shivers ran down their spines.
It was Gabriel.
The man allowed himself to enter and fixed both parents with a stern look, " It has come to my attention that Hugo and Emma have been a part of the last akuma attack." he took a deep breath, "How could it happen that they landed in the hands of Chat Noir and Ladybug?! Where have you two been?"
Gabriel cleared his throat, "Also, from now on I shall take care of Emma and Hugo between 12pm and 3pm." Those were Hawkmoth's usual akuma times.
Both Marinette and Adrien were at a loss for words.