Chat Noir stared, horrified, at the glass coffin that had been concealing his mother.

Hawkmoth stood in a defensive stance in front of the coffin, cane-weapon raised in a prepared blocking gesture, the pleading in his expression making it more than obvious he was determined to keep Ladybug and Chat Noir away from her, to protect her.

Her.

Her!

Adrien's mother.

Adrien's mother!

"Please, you have to understand," Hawkmoth spoke quickly, frantically, as the speed of Ladybug's yoyo increased dramatically at the sight of the civilian, filling the air with an ominous whistle as it whirled through the air, "I did all of this for her! To protect her! To bring her back!"

Hawkmoth's silver eyes darted from face to face, before staying locked with Ladybug's blue ones, assessing her to be the biggest threat as she continued to advance slowly, while Chat?

Chat Noir was rooted to the ground as surely as if he were chained to it, captivated by the peaceful look on his mother's face behind the glass.

"Ladybug, please, you must understand, all that I did, I did it for her!" Hawkmoth whispered, backing up further until the back of his legs hit the base of the coffin, and he stopped; he shouted, "I love her!"

Ladybug's yoyo faltered in it's whistling whirl, and Chat Noir felt as though all the breath had been punched out of him.

What?

Chat Noir moved, and it felt like everything around him was happening in slow motion.

He took a step forward, and his baton was slack in his hands.

"What did you do to her."

Chat Noir wasn't sure who was talking, until Hawkmoth stared at him, stricken, and Ladybug glanced at him out of the corner of her eye while the villain was distracted.

Oh. He'd said that outloud.

"Why do you have my mother?" And yeah, he definitely said that out loud⏤

More like screamed, actually.

Hysterically, really.

His baton clattered to the ground as he advanced, every instinct in him roaring to life and urging him to shred Hawkmoth into bloody ribbons with his claws as the situation processed in his mind and came together all at once.

It all made sense.

"What?" Hawkmoth gasped, staring at him with wide eyes, but Adrien was having none of it.

"You took her from me! You stole my mother from me!" Stalking forward, pure rage making his knees too weak to run, Adrien didn't realize he had a fistful of Hawkmoth's suit clenched in one fist until he had the other cocked back, fingers splayed, ready to disintegrate him with a word.

"Chat, stop! What are you talking about?" Ladybug shouted. He blinked and she was at his side already, yoyo poised to strike⏤ but not at Hawkmoth, she was ready to restrain him.

She didn't understand!

"This monster! He took my mother from me!" Chat snarled, practically vibrating in restrained rage. His chest was heaving, he couldn't get in enough air, he thought he was going to choke on the words and emotions raging inside him. "You ruined my family! I'm going to kill you!"

"Chat no!" Ladybug shouted, snagging his upraised hand with her yoyo, tight enough to cut off his circulation if he wasn't transformed; she jerked back with her superstrength and he was forced to move away from Hawkmoth, dropping the villain out of his fist, lest he lose his footing on the odd grass.

Stumbling back and glaring at Hawkmoth from afar, Adrien had a realization.

Okay, so Ladybug didn't want him to hurt Hawkmoth? She didn't want Chat to kill the villain? Fine.

He knew someone even more dangerous than his Cataclysm.

"Fine, Ladybug, you're right." He said softly, before looking up, and staring Hawkmoth down. "I know one other person that could hate you more than I do right now." He snarled.

"Let's see what my father makes of this kidnapping, you, you⏤ you homewrecker!"