#ends badly

A young king and a failed love

EXACTLY!

EXACTLY!

...you guys maaaay not like me for this one.  ^^;

Adrien Agreste had known great sadness in his life.  He’d known the absence of a mother.  He’d known the distance of a father.  He’d known the isolation of wealth.  He’d known the impression of control.

Adrien Agreste had also known great joy in his life.  He’d known his mother’s warmth for a while.  He’d known several fleeting yet cherished good times with his father.  He’d known the warmth and engulfment of friendship. He’d known love and responsibility.

Adrien Dupain-Cheng had known exceeding joy.  He’d taken control of his life and asked a wonderful woman to be a part of it as his wife and partner, the two of them choosing to forgo heroism to be their own people instead of the vigilantes Paris no longer needed.  He’d chosen his own path for himself, forever casting aside the wealth and celebrity status he had once held.  He’d helped to start a new life, and together, he and Marinette were raising this child with all the love, affection, and joy they knew to give.

He had taken control of his life.

He had been married.

He had chosen his own path.

He had had a child with the woman he loved.

He’d had.

And now…  now he stood a chance to lose it all.

“Don’t touch them!” cried the man, now thirty-two, at the screen.  His wife, brave and strong Marinette, held her head high against their captor.  Emma leaned as far as she could towards her mother, straining against the binds which held her down.  And Adrien could only watch through the glass of his phone as the terrorist cackled.

“Or what?  You better come through with the money, Agreste!  I know you’ve got it!”

Adrien’s throat closed. He’d give anything.  Anything!

Except he couldn’t. He didn’t have it.

Adrien glanced around, hoping the chief of police would help.  Sabrina only stood by, watching Max trace the call with the fastest programming he could muster.  She shook her head.  Still no trace.  Adrien had to keep talking.

“Oh, I get it,” said the criminal, dragging Adrien’s attention back.

The bastard had come to the front of the camera, his gloved hand already reaching out and making a grab for Marinette’s face.

“I said don’t touch them!”

“And I said not to call the police!  Looks like we’re both bad at listening, aren’t we?”

The man dared to grab Marinette by the face.  Marinette responded by spitting directly in his face.  While the action bought them a few seconds as he wiped the spittle form his eye, the consequence was swift and harsh.

Smack!

Adrien hissed.

Marinette remained silent in defiance.

Emma cried.

The criminal turned his attention towards the younger of his hostages, holding his weapon aloft. Sensing his intent, Marinette prepared another attack.  Anything to buy them time.

“So…  Looks like he was right. You ain’t got it, after all…”

Adrien glanced towards Sabrina, relieved to see her speaking into her radio collar.  They had a location.

The man turned his attention back to the screen, hoping that the police would arrive at their location soon.  He just had to keep him talking.  He just had to keep him distrac—

Bang!

Cries grew louder.

The assailant aimed once more.

“NO—”

Bang!

As Adrien watched the remainder of his family slump into their chairs, bloodied and defeated, his voice left him.  His soul was gone.  Everything stopped when he saw the blood on Marinette’s head, and the slumped figure of his little girl.