In the Agreste Mansion, Gabriel Agreste jolted awake on his couch, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. For a brief moment, he wondered if everything had merely been a dream. But when he looked down at the brooch resting against his chest—the Peacock Miraculous—he knew it had been real.
A moment later, Natalie entered his office carrying a tray with his favorite breakfast. Relief washed over her face upon seeing Gabriel perfectly healthy after the previous night's events.
"Natalie, what happened?" Gabriel asked curiously.
"You happened, Gabriel," Natalie answered as she set the tray on his office table. "Last night, you tested the Peacock Miraculous on Magician, granting her an amok. And… it seems the Unknown was telling the truth."
"You mean…?"
Natalie nodded hesitantly. "Not only do you possess additional powers called 'Quirks,' but the first Quirk healed the ailment the damaged Peacock Miraculous would have inflicted on you. And you temporarily granted Magician a Quirk of her own, effectively making her similar to an akumatized villain as you call it."
Gabriel fell silent before a grin slowly spread across his face. Then he began to laugh. "It works! Finally! Not only have I become more powerful, but I can continue searching for the Ladybug and Cat Miraculouses! I can bring her back!"
"But would that truly work, sir?" Natalie reminded him carefully. "Mightyfly—the one who infiltrated this mansion and stole your Butterfly Miraculous—opposed you."
Gabriel merely snickered. "Ha! That little hero may stop the villains I create, but I highly doubt he has any method of stopping the amok feather itself. It will simply seek a new host or return to its previous one unless it can be permanently de-evilized. And only the Ladybug Miraculous is capable of that."
"I see." Natalie accepted that Gabriel would never abandon his pursuit of those two Miraculouses.
"But for now, I will delay my next attack," Gabriel continued. "It would be suspicious if my employees noticed even a single absence from me when I have never missed work before. Not to mention… Adrien." He paused before shaking his head. "As I recall, Adrien wanted to tell me something last night?"
"Yes, sir. He wishes to attend school in person. No more homeschooling." Natalie answered, uncertain how Gabriel would respond given how strict he was with his son.
Gabriel grumbled while subconsciously touching the ring on his finger. "What do you think, Natalie? Would it be wise to send Adrien to school?"
"From a logical standpoint, yes, sir," Natalie replied. "Adrien is your successor. He has been homeschooled since childhood, and the only time he leaves the house is to model for your company. Aside from Chloé Bourgeois, he has little social experience. It would be detrimental if he one day inherited your company yet struggled to interact with employees, clients, and business associates."
"I see. You make a fair point. Perhaps I have been shortsighted in that regard." Gabriel nodded slightly. "Where does Miss Bourgeois attend school, Natalie? It would be best to send my son somewhere he at least knows someone."
"Are you certain, sir?" Natalie asked cautiously. "Chloé is not exactly a positive influence on Adrien. You've seen how she behaves."
"Her father is the reigning mayor, Natalie," Gabriel answered. "Maintaining that connection is beneficial, especially when he is one of my company's best customers. Keeping Adrien close to Chloé preserves that relationship. Besides, Adrien tolerates her well enough, so why should I interfere with their friendship? Now then, where does she study?"
Natalie sighed, accepting his decision. "According to my research, she attends Collège Françoise Dupont, sir."
Gabriel raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I'm rather surprised Mayor Bourgeois sent his daughter to a school like that."
"It is an ordinary school," Natalie explained while scrolling through her tablet. "That may actually help Adrien interact with other students naturally instead of being treated too differently because of his status. The school also has a reputation for not caring much about social standing." She glanced back at him. "Enrollment has already closed, but with your influence, arranging one more spot for Adrien should not be difficult."
Gabriel walked over to his desk and sat down, quietly considering the decision. The thought of Adrien being out of his sight unsettled him, especially when his plans would inevitably endanger the city sooner or later. He could not risk harming the only piece of his wife left behind. He would never forgive himself if something happened to Adrien the same way it had happened to Emilie.
Yet Natalie was right. Adrien was no longer a child. He was a teenager who needed to interact with people his own age, especially if he was to inherit the company someday. Gabriel could not allow his successor to become socially inept. And if—no, when—he succeeded in bringing Emilie back, he wanted her to see that Adrien had been raised properly.
Gabriel let out a slow sigh, tapping his ring before finally lifting his head. "Very well. Contact the principal. Inform me if there are any complications."
"Of course, sir." Natalie smiled faintly as she left the office, already typing on her tablet.
Once she was gone, Gabriel leaned back in his chair and pulled the brooch from beneath his clothes. "Duusu is still unstable… and hungry," he murmured to himself. "One of these Quirks may have healed the damage done to my body, but the Peacock Miraculous itself remains damaged. I must proceed carefully. I still do not understand the full extent of these Quirks granted to me by that… Unknown."
His phone suddenly rang. Vincent. Gabriel recalled that Adrien had a photoshoot later that afternoon. There was still time before he would make his true debut with another villain. Until then, he would focus on being Gabriel Agreste the businessman before Vainastro finally emerged from the shadows.
"Yes?" Gabriel answered calmly. "Adrien will be ready later. Don't worry. He's always ready."
—
Izuku Midoriya was dreaming.
Or at least, he thought he was.
Everything was blurry, distorted, yet disturbingly real. The chaos surrounding him felt far too vivid to simply be a dream.
"Have you found a way out?" a familiar stranger asked while twirling a plasma-like saber, deflecting several blaster shots before thrusting his hand forward. An invisible force erupted outward, launching their enemies across the room.
A green-hooded figure landed beside the first stranger. "There are too many complex structures in this area. You're familiar with this ship, aren't you? Don't you know the way to the main deck?"
"I mostly deal with the 'small fries,'" the first stranger replied. "Orders from my superior."
The two were suddenly surrounded, only for a powerful gust of wind to send several enemies flying. A third stranger rushed forward through the opening, breathing fire at the remaining attackers.
"Four's plants have already located the main deck. Can you drive it, One?" the third stranger asked before charging into battle with an aggressive fighting style, bending nearby metal to trap newly arrived enemies.
"I think so," One answered. "The general taught me the basics."
The four of them sprinted toward the main deck while Izuku remained frozen in place, unable to move. There was something eerily familiar about them—their voices especially—but he couldn't process why.
Then an explosion tore through the room.
Izuku jolted awake instantly.
He breathed heavily, sweat dripping down his face as fragments of the dream lingered in his mind. He didn't understand any of it, but it had felt real. Almost as real as when he had traveled across the Omniverse from his own multiverse and ended up in this one.
Nooroo phased through the wall and entered the room, concern evident on the kwami's face. "Are you alright, master?"
"I think so," Izuku answered, groaning slightly from a lingering headache. "Just a bad dream."
He glanced around at the Chinese-style room surrounding him. Master Fu had surprised him with it. Izuku genuinely appreciated the gesture—he even loved the room—but it still reminded him of the one he had lost in the apartment where he used to live with his mother. He still hadn't properly processed the destruction of his universe.
"Master Fu is waiting for you, master," Nooroo said gently. "Breakfast is ready."
"Okay." Izuku slowly climbed out of bed.
As Nooroo floated out of the room, Izuku took a deep breath before following after him, preparing himself for whatever this day would bring.