Chapter 17

                                    

                                          
Sabine frowned as she stared at the email she had received from the legal team of Bruce Wayne. 
If he thinks-
“Sabine sweetie? Is something wrong?” 
“No, Tom. Nothing is wrong.”
“What’s that?” Sabine looked over her shoulder to see her husband staring at the email. “Sabine?”
“I’ll ask Penny for a favor-”
“What?”
“Tom, We can’t let him have custody of Marcel,” Sabine said firmly.
“Why?”
“Why? What do you mean why?”
Tom stared at her. “Do you not remember the meeting with Officer Bonnaire?”
Tom and Sabine sat in front of their officer- the person who had been on their case since it was identified that Marcel’s school was being targeted and Marcel was the only one who had not been Akumtized yet. Officer Bonnaire sighed. “I’m going to be honest with you. You’re lucky you’ve managed to keep him for this long.”
“He’s my son-”
“Who child services has stated he is not receiving appropriate support.”
“We can’t fix the school issue-”
“Mm. Cheng, if you cannot be quiet and listen then I will be forced to report you for not abiding by the court orders.” Sabine pursed her lips and leaned back in her chair. “I understand your predicament. I have a kid at home as well. That’s why I’m being so blunt. The courts are trying to figure out a safe and legal way to remove Marcel from France.”
Tom placed a hand on Sabine’s shoulder. “Is there nothing we can do to prove we are adequate parents?”
“Marcel has made it clear he wants to stay with family no matter what.” Officer Bonnaire stated. “The courts can’t overturn that unless you proved some kind of evidence you are unfit parents- therefore making Marcel’s judgment skewed.” She pulled out a list. “The only people who are considered fit parents who are Marcel’s legal family is you two. Both of your parents are too unstable to be fit guardians, M. Dupain. Mm. Cheng’s parents are no longer with us. Your great uncle, your aunt, and your cousins are not fit due to different reasons. There is no one for them to give Marcel to so the only people he can stay with is you.”
“Is it best for him to be here?” 
“No sane person would damn their kid to being forced to suppress their emotions.” Officer Bonnaire told them. “If I had the chance, I would get mine out. But you don’t have that option.”
Sabine paused. “Tom, he would have full custody.”
“Yes.”
“We wouldn’t be able to see Marcel again.”
“Of course we would. We would have to cross the ocean to visit, but we would still be able to see him.” 
“We’re his only fit guardians.”
“Bruce is fit.”
“He has so many others-”
“Then he will have siblings that will be there for him,” Tom said. “We don’t have any other choice. I would love to keep Marcel here, but we can’t.”
“Why not?!” 
“Sabine, you would rather keep Marcel in a place where he is miserable and targeted by an emotional terrorist just to keep him with you?!”
“I can protect him!”
“There is a difference between beating a robber and fighting a man with magic!”
“Tom-” 
Hello, Mother May I.
Oh, fuck off.
I am-
Yes, yes. You are Hawkbitch-
I am HawkMoth!
-and you want to take advantage of the fact that you are constantly endangering my son because you are desperate to steal magic jewelry from children. 
I wish to save my family.
And the rest of our families must suffer for yours?! We need to give up so much and face death so many times. Why should we shoulder the pain because you do not wish to have it?!
Don’t you want revenge?! To wreak havoc on those who try to take your son from you?!
On you. And you only. If given the chance, I would slaughter you. Now, leave before you give me the power to do so.
Sabine took a deep breath and looked at Tom. “Tom…” she sat on the floor, Tom following her. 
“I’m here Sabine.” 
“I don’t want this for him,” Sabine whispered. “But I don’t want to lose him.”
Tom pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I know.”


“Are we really that bad of parents?”
“I don’t think so.”
“But we can’t know for sure. Marcel is the only kid we’ve raised.”
Tom laughed. “Sweetie, we’ve practically raised half of Paris at this point. I think the reason everything is going so bad is because Marcel is the Target.”
Sabine kissed his cheek. “You call Marcel to tell him what’s going on, I’ll call Penny.”
“Why Penny?”
“I’m getting visitation at the least. I know we need to get him out, but I don’t want to lose him.”
Tom nodded and kissed her forehead. “I’m with you in everything, mon amore.
Notes:
This is mainly setting up Sabine and Tom's characters for this story- they aren't villains and aren't perfect. They are both strong and weak in their own ways. I swapped who was the protective one- Tom for Marinette and Sabine for Marcel because Tom was protective over his little girl and Sabine would be protective of her son.
This also sets the tone for the rest of this arc! It's a way to express how HawkMoth has affected those who are not heroes. The pain, devastation, and fear that the people have to go through because of him is something I wanted to get across in very few words while I set up the next phase of the story.