Chapter Thirty-Three:

BANG!

"Stupid, stupid boy..." the Game Master muttered. His tightly clenched fists punched the console again. BANG! BANG! BANG!

"Why couldn't he just listen to me?" he shouted. "Why did he have to step out of line? Why couldn't he just accept the consequences like I did?!"

BANG!

The Game Master hunched over the controls, his hands trembling. His knuckles were white and his forehead beaded with sweat. In one swift movement, the Game Master gripped his silver mask and ripped it off. He tossed it across the controls. It skittered for a few moments, then stopped at the far end of the hologram table.

"Why?" he asked, his voice cracking with emotion. "Why...?"

Gabriel Agreste fell to his knees. With a heavy heart, he began to cry. Thankful that he didn't have his glasses, he covered his face with his hands and wept.

Why did his son have to be so much like his mother? Why? Why did he take after her? Every day he laid eyes on his son, Gabriel only saw her. The confident green eyes, the soft blonde hair, the slight temper... Why was Adrien so much like his mother?

A memory surfaced in the Game Master's mind. One from a very, very long time ago.

He remembered the sounds of screaming. Through his tears, he could see the desert sand whipping up around him. Someone stood directly behind him. Their backs were firmly pressed together, ready for a fight.

"There's no way out of here," he had said.

Through the dust, he could only make out the bright blue and green jacket whipping around his left side.

"Yes, there is. We need to fight back."

"Fight back? I... I don't think that would be the smartest idea."

"Does it matter? We might as well go down in a fight."

He remembered the split second decision. The decision that would change his entire life; a choice that still affected him to this day. He turned around, pulled the girl's shoulders to face him, and kissed her. She had been shocked at first, but eventually, she had melted into it. Her blonde curls swirled in the dust, brushing his face like a butterfly's wing. He pulled the girl close, not want to let her slip out of his grasp until she truly understood what she meant to him.

They pulled away just enough to gaze into each other's eyes. Gabriel could still see her bright green orbs staring back at him behind a blue and turquoise mask.

"I'll fight, for you," he had firmly stated. All she had done in return was smiled.

Gabriel gasped and pulled himself back into the present. He could feel the once warm tears that had streaked his cheeks now turning ice cold. Taking a deep breath, he clenched his jaw and lifted his head. He wouldn't let it happen again. He had been wrong all of those years ago. It was time to fix the mistake.

His son may not have been alive, but that didn't matter. The Game Master was getting revenge.

"Ladybug," he snarled under his breath, "you murdered my son... you ruined my son and killed him... But I'll get you... I'll kill you!" He pounded his fist on the catwalk. "And, because of you, I'll have her back!"

He turned his attention toward the ceiling. His face morphed into one as savage as a hungry lion. "Do you hear me? I'll kill you if it's the last thing I do! I'll see that you are thrown off the tallest rooftop in the Capitol. I'll throw you into the ocean with anchors tied to your waist. I'll stab you if I have to!" He got to his feet, stomped over to his mask, and slipped it over his eyes.

He glared down at the hologram table and pulled up a map of the Capitol. "I'll massacre an entire city to find you..." His eyes flashed with brutal murder. "And when I do, I will rip you apart piece by piece." His voice lowered until it wasn't even audible.

"No one will escape my wrath." 

* * *

Adrien stared in shock at the black box in Master Fu's open palm.

"You... you mean she's alive?"

The old man didn't say anything, only lowered his chin and looked at Adrien expectantly. Chat reached out his hand and took the box. His hands trembled, though, with excitement, disbelief, or terror, he didn't know. He had lost all hope when it came to his mom, and now that she was literally in the palm of his hand...

"I can't."

"Yes, you can," Master Fu urged. "She has been keeping watch over you, pulling you out of trouble when you couldn't."

"But I... I can't just... She left us. My father and I... we..."

Master Fu put a hand on Adrien's, closing the young man's fingers around the box. "She's been pleading with me to just have a small word with you. She overheard how much you missed her. Please, Adrien, talk to her."

Adrien looked down at the box that his fingers were curled around. Part of him wanted to scream and run, but the other part wanted so desperately to spill everything that had happened in his life after his mom left.

He sighed, dipping his head in submission. "Okay. I'll talk to her."

Master Fu nodded. "Wonderful. I will be attending to the Charms' training if you need me." He got to his feet and walked away, his cane draped across his shoulder.

Adrien turned his attention back to the device in his palm. Opening his hand, he picked up the nude earpiece and placed it in his ear.

"H-hello?"

"Oh, Adrien. I'm so glad you're okay."

Adrien's eyes began to tear up. He hadn't heard her voice in more than a year. For weeks after her leaving, he had dreamed up all kinds of scenarios to why she had left him. One night, she had left for a secret mission for the government. The next, she had been kidnapped. A few nights after that, she had disappeared to the Caribbean islands because she hadn't received the tan she wanted.

"Mom," Adrien said, his voice cracking, "why did you leave me...?"

She was quiet for a long time. Adrien almost believed for a second that he had imagined her voice.

"I didn't want to, sweetheart, but I had a job to do."

"What kind of job?"

He could almost see her smiling. "You'll figure it all out very soon, honey, I'm sure of it."

Adrien chewed his lip and he looked down, trying to wipe the tears off of his cheeks. "Mom, why didn't you come home? I was so worried... I... I thought you died..."

"Oh, Adrien... I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to have you worry about me. I just had something I needed to do and it has taken longer than I would have expected."

He nodded, though he realized after he had done it that he couldn't see her.

"By they way," she said, her voice taking on a more playful tone. "You chose well."

Adrien's face flushed pink. "O-oh... thanks, mom."

"I knew that staff would come in handy. I thought you would use it more than I would."

He chuckled. "Well, you kinda inspired me. I figured that if I was going to get the girl I wanted, I would have to take my destiny into my own hands."

He heard his mom chuckle. "Your father would be so upset, you know that?"

"I do, actually." Adrien laughed quietly to himself. "Once he found out that I liked Ladybug more than any of the other charms, he was so mad."

"Typical Gabriel," his mom commented, and Adrien could imagine her rolling her eyes.

"I still rebelled, though," he assured. "I knew what I needed to do, no matter what anyone else told me. Besides, if you could do it, I figured I could as well."

His mom sighed. "As proud as I am of you, you need to know that you've gotten yourself deeper than I ever did. Adrien, the country believes you're dead. You can't keep hiding. Word will get out, and you can't expect that everyone will be behind you."

Adrien hung his head. "I know..."

"I'm glad you recognize that, sweetheart. Now, what's your plan when it comes to the Charm Ball?"

"I, uh... well, I figured that we could probably sneak our way inside the winner's suite and kidnap Chloe or something. Then, when the ball came around, she wouldn't be there."

"That's smart, but I have a better idea." The sound of something banging stopped her. When she came back on the line, she sounded rushed. Her tone turned much more stern. "Call me when you have a group together. We'll discuss what we need to do then, okay?"

Adrien's heart leaped. "Y-you're going to hang up?"

She chuckled. "I can't stay on the line forever, sweetie. Don't worry, though. I'll be seeing you sometime very soon. Stay strong for me, pumpkin."

Adrien opened his mouth, choking on all of the words he wanted to say, but the next thing he knew, the call ended. He stood there in the corner of the training room, his knees weak and his body trembling. He extended a hand and rested his bodyweight on a stack of boxes.

He had just a conversation with his mother. His mother.

Things were changing, and he couldn't wait to see where it went. 

---

Wow, look at that. Another update! 

(To be honest, I'm really proud of this. I almost have Chapter 34 done too. Crazy, huh?)

Anyway, there really isn't much to tell you guys other than YOU ARE ALL AMAZING. Thank you so so so much for helping Miraculous Games hit 12K! It means so much to me. Like seriously. It makes my day. 

I was feeling so sick yesterday and your guys' comments, votes, and reads really made my day. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 

This chapter may have been a tiiiiiiiiiny bit short, but trust me, the next chapter is gonna be great! 

And now, my favorite comment. 

Favorite Comment: 

By: KawaiiPaigey

HEARTBREAK?!
AUTHOR CHAN CANNOT HAVE HEARTBREAK
THIS IS AGAINST RULE (flips through rulebook) 698 OF FICTIONOUS WRITINGS OF GREATER SOCIETY

...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to break the rules. 

And, as always, have a Miraculous day!

(Here, have a sad Hawkmoth.)