Work Text:
Nathalie Sancouer was a woman with very few vices. She just simply did not have much time in her day.
From dealing with Gabriel,his company, Gabriel's magical terrorism, running the Agreste household and being a glorified nanny to Adrien Agreste, she had a lot on her plate.
She knew too much and got paid too little.
To get through her day, she went to a special coffee shop. A coffee shop that sold the strongest coffee in all of France. Starbucks had nothing on "Death Do Us Part"; A coffee shop so full of caffine and danger you needed to sign a waiver either per drink or if you are a regular, every quarter.
Nathalie was a very well known regular who liked her drink , the Triple Black Death, in a very specific way and only one Barista there could make it perfect every time with the speed she needed.
She had a very tight and precise schedule and ANY inconvenience no matter how small would throw it off and she could not afford to even be a minute late to work.
For a year , everything has run like clockwork and no one broke procedure until her boss decided it would be a great idea to akumatize her barista just before she went to get her coffee.
How very dare he. Nathalie nearly snapped the wooden stirrer clean in half when she saw her Barista, Martin, was no where in the store and his coworkers looked at her with either looks of apology or absolute fear.
Now because her barista was gone, she got no coffee. No coffee made her very unpleasant.
A no coffee Nathalie was a Nathalie who would not even pretend to tolerate nonsense. She radiated an aura of an angry lioness ready to destroy prey.
~~~
Adrien heard her before he saw her.
Normally when he heard her, he can barely make out her heels on the polished marble. It was usually feather light and only because of his enhanced hearing , he could he hear her at all.
Today was diffrent. The shoe sounded higher pitched but louder. Something sounded off.
He subtly looked to her and noticed her shoes were diffrent. Still black with red bottoms but unlike her usual square heels these were pointy. The heel was tall and thin but still looked sharp as if she could take off her shoe and stab someone with it.
Should he be afraid?
He looks at her subtly as if looking at her would cause him to be stabbed.
She didnt look outwardly mad but Adrien could sense something was off, he could feel it in the air.
Now Adrien was aware he may not be the most socially aware boy in Paris but even he could see Nathalie was not playing games today and he made himself scarce.
He decided it was best not to interact too much and quickly make his way to school.
~~~
Nathalie did not mean to show her irritation to Adrien. She had no real issue with him.
Sure she got annoyed with him sometimes, but he was a teenage boy and she was the adult. She could handle the little issues he had easily.
Still, it was good he picked up on her annoyance and decided to just behave today.
At least one problem taken off her plate
If only his father would get it together for one day!
~~~ I
Gabriel Agreste liked to think he was a genius in all aspects of his life. He knew best at all times and all things.
The only thing wrong with his plans are the akumas who had to execute his brilliant plans, they were the issue!
So his akumatizing Dead Tired was definitely not his fault it failed. Dead Tired was just incomplete.
He'll make another Akuma! A better Akuma!
~~~~
Nathalie could feel her migraine coming on and the last of her sanity depleting.
Could Gabriel stop being a terrorist for one freaking day! He should be running his own business every once in a while.
She then heard it, the gentle flapping of wings. The way her head snapped up from its position. Before she even thought of it, she crushed the butterfly, aggressively, with a book.
Once she hit the butterfly, the floodgates opened and the smacking did not stop.
One smack for her lack of coffee
One smack for Hawkmoth shenanigans
Another smack for the unpaid over time.
More smacks for the work not in her freaking job description.
The butterfly was actual goop by the time she finished but her anger was not appeased.
She stood up and marched her way to the elevator and typed the code with the book still in her hands.
~~~~
"GABRIEL!"
Hawkmoth nearly screamed as he turned quickly to face a non akumatized but angry Nathalie.
"Gabrie!l if you even dare to think to akumatize me against my will right now I swear I will make you pay." She had the book with the pulverized Akuma on it like she was about to fight him.
"Now Nathalie, be reasonable. I can't help if the Akuma was attracted to your emotions..."
"Are you blaming me Gabriel?" Her voice was low and dangerous as she gets close to his face "I know so much. I can end you real quick."
Hawkmoth gulped, he had never feared anyone like he feared his assistant at that moment.
"You ruined my day when you akumatized that coffee shop this morning."
Hawkmoth's eyes grew wide "Dead Tired...."
"Now you will detransform and do your day job for once or so help me I will wrap you up like a Christmas present and deliver you to the heroes myself. Do we have an understanding Gabriel?"
"Dark Wings Fall"
"You have five minutes before the meeting with the design team. I suggest you get ready for that. I will not be there."
Nooroo gulps and when Nathalie leaves the lair in a huff " that...was terrifying. Her aura...was murderous."
Gabriel looks at his kwami, "we will never speak of this again."
Nooroo nods, " Well, I guess we learned that with Miss.Nathlie, no coffee, all punishment"
~~~
Nathalie decides to take her break now. Should she attend the meeting for Gabriel? Yes.
Was she obligated? No, not really.
It really was Gabriel's fault that she made herself so indispensable. Even if she took an extra long break, what can he do? Fire her?
She laughed, not like Gabriel would dare replace her.
He wasn't so stupid as to not know that.
It's time for her break and today no one could cut it short.
But first, coffee.
She needed to feel human again.