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soap-lady · 2 years ago

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I was sick and this is why I’m late, don’t @ me

Hello, everyone!

Thank you all for waiting. I’m shocked anyone is still reading this fic but @arylace and I are incredibly grateful to those who like this story. I was ill which is why this was late. Not the flu or Covid, just a virus that kicked my butt.

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Worthy Opponent Chapter 20

Jack Watson allowed himself to be tugged along by Felicity Dupin. “So what’s this thing I have to see without Holmes around?”

She stopped so fast he nearly ran into her. Looking over her shoulder she asked him, “Do you really want to be around Barry when he’s being a colossal horse’s ass?”

He needed less than a second to think about it. “No.”

“Well, come along then.”

She grabbed his hand again and pulled him with her. He smiled at the back of her head. He wondered if she knew how pretty she was when she was taking charge.

Felicity guided him past study rooms and a tea parlor (some of the students were British after all) to a small closet whose door knob was on the wrong side. Jack watched as she turned the knob counterclockwise and the knob slid away to reveal a keypad. She grinned up at his surprised face. “Secret clubhouse. It’s only available to members of the Founding Families. What I want to show you is here.”

Jack smiled at the idea of generations of Holmes, Watsons, Dupains, Marples and Poirots having meetings in a hidden room. “Cool, but why?”

She shrugged then punched in the code. “Secrecy. Protection.” She glanced up at him. “I’m sure the Nazis or the Central Powers would have loved to have taken the world’s most famous detectives prisoner. Or just kill them.”

He nodded and the door slid open. Felicity glanced down the hall in both directions, grabbed his arm and pulled him in before the door slid closed.

Jack’s eyes widened as LED wall sconces lit up as they passed and turned towards Felicity. “Wow. This is…a lot.”

She laughed. “What? Did you just now realize you belonged to a secret society?” She continued to walk down the hall while he followed behind her, feeling like a hick. “There’s all sorts of secret tunnels and hidden rooms in here. It’s how we survived the Nazi occupation. There’s probably secret places in all three schools.” She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him. “Don’t feel bad. Even Barry only knows about half of them.”

“So that’s yet another thing he can hold over my head. Goody,” Jack muttered as they approached an ornate oaken door with the school’s crest carved into it.

She paused as she was turning the knight’s helmet in the Holmes family crest upside down. “Do you really care? That he knows stuff you don’t?”

He thought for a moment. “Nah. Despite what he thinks, my life doesn't have to revolve around him.”

“Mais non,” she replied with a saucy wink and turned the pine tree in the Dupin family crest right side up. The door opened and they stepped inside.

Jack paused. “Aren’t we going to shut the door?”

Felicity shook her head. “Why bother? No one knows to get in here if they’re not one of the founding members. Not even the Headmaster.” She grinned and he was struck once again by her confidence. Playful, where Holmes was arrogant.

“Besides,” she began to flip switches and lights and an unseen fan whirred to life, “it’s always stuffy in here until the fan’s been on awhile. Come on and sit down.”

Jack looked around, surprised at the size of the room. It was easily three times what he was expecting and light and bright where the Headmaster’s office was all dark wood and Turkish rugs, this room had blond parquet flooring with matching recessed bookcases. The walls were eggshell blue with silver fleur-de-lis stenciled on top of the paint, very French. This room was more Dupin’s style while the Headmaster’s office was very Holmes. Jack wondered if there was a Watson room somewhere.

The furniture was a mishmash of styles, clearly scrounged from other parts of the school. The chairs and the couch were no doubt vintage but they had been reupholstered and were lovingly polished. Some Dupin family retainer probably maintained the place, no doubt someone trusted by the school and Felicity’s relatives; someone who could keep a secret. Jack wondered if there were any Watson family retainers running around. He made a mental note to ask Felicity later.

There were a few modern touches too; sleek black metal desks with ergonomic chairs and desk or laptops lovingly built by Jayden. A Cola Style Machine took up one corner while a small kitchenette with a microwave, steel refrigerator with a matching stove filled up another. There was another door that led to what Jack assumed was a bathroom.

“Cozy, huh?” Felicity spoke up after he was done looking around. She smiled, eyes going soft. “Barry suggested having a professional redo the room but he would have done something grand and posh and boring. I wanted something simple and Seabert and Elinor voted with me while Jayden abstained. Welcome to the Founders Room, Jack Watson.” She motioned in the general direction of the soda machine. “Fix us something to drink, please. I want to show you something but I have to find it first.”

“Sure,” Jack crossed the room. The drink machine had a built-in ice maker with cup dispensers underneath. He was beginning to feel a little grubby when he thought about the kind of life of luxury the other kids must have taken for granted while his mom struggled. Fortunately none of them were snobs; except maybe for Barry. He had vague recollections of his former life but everyone but “Filly” was a blur. He mostly remembered his parents fighting, when his father was home at all.

“What kind?”

Felicity stopped searching for a moment. “Surprise me.”

He nodded to himself and fixed two drinks; lemon cola for himself and Orangina for Felicity. The coffee table had an inlaid marble top so he looked in the drawers in the kitchenette for coasters. Finding two he put them on the table and set the drinks down.

Felicity found what she was looking for on the top shelf of the third bookcase and padded over to the couch where she sat down and patted the seat beside her.

Jack took a seat and looked over at what Felicity had in her lap. “Is that an actual photo album? Like pictures taken using actual film and developed?”

She nodded. “Yup. The staff’s a little old-fashioned around here, in case you didn’t notice. So…yeah. Real pictures developed from actual film. She opened the album and slid it so it was balanced on both of their legs. “Take a look.”

He did and saw a miniature version of himself in the class uniform posing with a group of kids of similar size. There were around twelve children sitting in two rows with six children in each row. The taller children sat behind the shorter children. He recognized himself, Barry, Jayden and Seabert. Jayden wore his hair plaited and Seabert hadn’t quite grown into his ears. One of the others might have been Nick Charles IV but he wasn’t sure. The last boy reminded him of Marlowe. He was seated by Jayden Spade and looked angry. Jack sat next to Barry and looked bored while Barry looked annoyed. He was probably upset that Watson didn’t immediately fall down and worship him on the first day of school. He grinned at the thought.

He looked for Elinor and Felicity next. He smiled at Felicity when he spotted her. She’d worn her hair short back then after Barry had “accidentally” gotten gum in her hair. Elinor had wanted to cut her own hair to show support but her parents hadn’t let her. Instead she started braiding it and having it pinned up to look like it was short. Aubrey had done the same but with microbraids. He was sure Felicity had appreciated the effort. Elinore sat in front of Seabert while Felicity claimed the spot in front of him. He grinned. Even back then, the battle lines had been drawn. Flick and Jack versus Barry.

Felicity nudged him with her shoulder and also smiled at the pictures. “We were pretty cute, huh?”

Jack looked over at her. He could still see the mischievous girl she’d been and felt sorry he’d been yanked away to America by his mom. “Yeah,” he finally answered. “But we’re damn hot now.”

She laughed and looked over his side at the album. “How could we not be?” She peered down at his younger self. “Your cheekbones were unfairly sharp, even back then.”

He chuckled. “True. Then again, even with a bowl cut, you were still the prettiest girl in the class.”

“I know.” She pretended to preen and they laughed together again.

Looking at these photos made him recall other things. Like the time they’d build a detective’s office out of cardboard at Jayden’s house. The sleepover at Seabert’s where he’d confided to Doctor Poirot about his parents’ arguing. All of them getting their butts kicked at Operation by Aubrey.

He also remembered how Felicity and Elinor used to share their lunches with him when his parents had stayed up the whole night fighting and neither remembered to make him one. He and Felicity would sneak off to have secret “best friend” picnics when Jack needed to talk. Barry would follow them and give Jack half of his lunch because “his cook always made too much anyway.” Barry later confided he deliberately asked his cook for extra for an excuse to get away from all the people who chased him and tried to kiss him during recess. At the time Jack and Felicity thought he was just trying to brag about how popular he was but now he wondered if Barry sometimes wanted a break from the spotlight.

He flipped through the photos, smiling at some and outright laughing at others. They had all gotten into trouble together and pulled each other out of it as well. They’d stuck together, even when fighting each other.

Jack turned to the last page and the smile fell off his face.

The last picture had to be of his last day. The entire class was sitting around a table. There was a cake in front of his younger self, but he wouldn’t even look at it. One arm was around a crying Felicity who was clinging to him and the other was patting Barry on the shoulder. The blond boy looked like he was at a wake, not a party. His haunted eyes were better equipped to be in a painting of a dying Victorian child, not a living, breathing boy. Hazy memories of that day flashed in his mind, of how everyone seemed to give space to the three: Felicity, Barrington, and Jack sharing their final moments.

How the lunch ladies made berry cookies because Barrington thought it was funny, for Flick and Jack had black-blue hair like rich and sweet blackberries. How Barrington was called Barry by friends, a berry cookie stained in purple-pink and white chocolate, for Barry was the palest of the three, that filled their mouths in sweetness that wasn’t so saccharine. A little tin filled with recipes of all of Jack’s favorite foods from Barry, meticulously organized by category, season, and then alphabetically; so his new school could cook the best for his Watson.

Flick had made charm bracelets for the three of them; a silver girl in between two silver boys with beads of pink, teal, and purple. How Jack’s charm was a music note, as he always showed how better he was in music than Barry. How Barry had a little crown because Flick said ��your royal pain in the butt” one time he won in chess. Flick's charm was a little horseshoe because she took to equestrian sports like a duck to water. There were some smaller charms for other things, a little Eiffel Tower and Big Ben; green, yellow, and cyan beads for their other friends.

There was a banner behind him that read “We’ll miss you, Jack!”. Only the adults in the room were smiling and even those were strained. It was incredibly depressing to look at the picture so he closed the book and handed it back to Felicity without a word.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly as she took the book back. “It’s been years since I remembered we even had this album. I’d forgotten that picture was in there.”

She stood up and put the album back where she found it then sat back down.

She sat at the end of the couch, as far as she could get from him, almost pressing herself into the couch. His chest tightened when he noticed how upset with herself she was. She hadn’t done this on purpose, he realized. She just wanted to share what she thought were happy childhood memories.

Jack slid cautiously and slowly to her side of the couch. He spoke gently to her as if to a scared fawn. “It was an accident. Besides,” he tried to give her a reassuring smile but wasn’t sure how successful he was, “it’s stupid to be mad at you for showing me an old photo. I barely remember what happened last year, much less eight years ago.”

She smiled again, small but sincere. “Thanks for that.” She stood up and grabbed their cups to throw away. He just sat there, feeling like an idiot for not being able to make her feel better but afraid of just making her feel worse. Finally he said, “Are you hungry?”

Felicity came back and grabbed the coasters. “I could eat. Besides, we haven’t stocked the pantry in weeks.”

Jack twisted so he could see her over the back of the couch. “Would you like to have dinner in the student cafe with me?”

She put the coasters back in the kitchen drawer then turned around to stare at him. “This isn’t a date, is it?”

“Nah.” It was hardly the time. They were investigating a murder.

“Oh.” She didn’t look the least bit disappointed. “No problem.” She walked past the couch and to the door without waiting for him. “I’m not sure if you could keep up with me anyway.”

“What?!” Jack stood up and saw she was laughing at him. He grinned and said, “Well, Barry can’t either.”

“Not by himself anyway,” she inclined her head towards the door. “Come on.”

*****

It’s not odd to hear the advice, “put yourself into the character’s shoes” if you’re an actor. The concept of being the very person you are meant to portray bleeds a sincerity that the audience can resonate with. The very idea isn’t odd for Felix, he was aware of its existence; his father had told him once. He’s tried to mold his acting to be like that, not a puppeteer moving a character along, but to be the character when performing. How peculiar were these feelings? The bitter taste of jealousy and envy coexisting in watching the scene being played before him. When did Barrington Holmes begin and Felix end? There were shining lights and people scrutinizing his every move but all of that washed away. Unimportant, and unnecessary variables that didn’t pertain to what he felt. Why was the feeling sad and bittersweet? Felix couldn’t understand. His brow furrowed as he peered into the room from a window.

*-*-*-*

Barrington Holmes felt silly and unsure standing outside his dorm building, at night, and peering in from the window. No different from a poor pauper who’s peering into a window of a middle class family and seeing a tender moment while struggling in the cold. Their smiles were so bright, easily shared and given to one another as they sat huddled to one another. Twin plates filled with food and sparkling glasses clinking in toast as they sat to eat and chat.

A book was on the table and both of them were talking about its pages. Why did this scene feel closer to a distant dream? The rival, the distant friend; a part of fate that elected to move together in tandem leaving him behind. It was strange, he wanted to break that tranquility. March in and force the two who sat with such warmth to each other in harmony to acknowledge him. He wanted their attention, their time, anything they could grant. He would gladly take a miniscule fraction of what they shared equally, for they obviously saw him as a lesser member. After all they always were happy to exclude Barry at every turn. Try as he might to integrate everyone in the Spades as equals, Flick and Jack always kept more of a distance. If he walked in…. stepped into that light. Would he be welcomed? Or would he be regaled by the shadow that followed him firmly?

Fear pierced him, what if he were shunned? For someone like Barrington Holmes who was nothing without his name, his family, that precious legacy; would two who cared not for those things look at him favorably? He already felt like a failure every hour that passed without granting justice to Professor Akunin. Did they notice that failure? Did they both rejoice in the times they were alone without them? Barry wasn’t an idiot, as much as everyone has been whispering as of late. It felt as if there was slowly a noose circling around him. The rope slowly ever so slightly tightening more and more around his neck. He was nothing without victory, a wash up Holmes who can’t do one case. They were all looking at Barry to come up with a plan to find the villains. All they’ve seen is a member of the Holmes family who loses his cool more often. What whispers are spoken about him? A cold shiver left Barry as he tried to breathe but he couldn’t. Why was it so hard to breathe?

“I got you.” A voice cut off and Barry felt himself floating for a moment, before it registered, he was picked up. Quite literally when he realized his face was within inches of Eleanor Marple’s. To Barry’s shock, she was carrying him in her arms and walking away from the window.

“What happened?” Barry asked, surprised his voice was hoarse.

“You fainted, Barry.” Seabert sounded off, stepping around so Barry could see him easily. “We’re getting worried, man.”

“When did you last eat?” Elinor asked, concerned. “You’re shaking.”

“Eat?” Barry asked, confused, they had a case to do. When on earth can someone expect him to eat?

“Yes Barry, eat food and not chug energy drinks like no tomorrow.” Seabert chastised. “You also don’t look like you’ve slept in days.”

“Pot, meet kettle.” Barry deadpanned, knowing it was a weak deflection of the conversation. Yet quick to bring up the dark bags of both Seabert and Elinor. They weren't getting enough sleep either. “Where are we going?”

“The kitchens. You’re going to eat what we put in front of you.” Elinor answered, increasing her strides. “It’s 30 minutes to curfew so the area’s practically deserted. Then you’re going to take a nap, I know nothing I can say will convince you to sleep the entire night away. We’re compromising on a nice nap. Effective immediately, Seabert and I are starting operation BB.”

“I hate Operation BB; Babysit Barry. It’s not a good plan, Elinor.” Barry pouted, resting his head on her shoulder.

“I may not be a Holmes in levels of planning, but Operation BB has kept you alive so far. Or do we want a repeat of two years ago when you almost developed a heart murmur from all that excessive caffeine?” Elinor reminded Barry as Seabert went ahead and opened the kitchen’s side door for the two of them.

“As your best friends, it’s imperative that we keep our illustrious leader alive.” Seabert quipped with a smile locking the door behind them.

“That was only until Watson would join us again.” Barry reminded the duo, sinking further into Elinor. He started noticing how hungry he was. If he really has been neglecting himself; they're going to be insufferable.

“He hasn’t.” Seabert pointed out. “Not really, Jack is still an outsider to us. He might be considered a Watson by blood, and that's it. A Watson, but he isn’t ours yet. He doesn’t understand the pressure and expectations we deal with. He doesn't understand the history or importance; he's riding coat tails without thinking what got him here, thinking he's above all of it and reaping the privilege. He doesn't get that our privilege is also a responsibility and work; work that he should be sharing in. Work that he’s been adding onto your plate instead.”

“He really hasn’t.” Barry attempted to defend. It sounded weak to his ears.

“You’re the planner, Barry,” Seabert reminded Barry Holmes as he dove into fixing a plate for the three of them from the remnants of the night’s dinner. “I’m the profiler, you lay down the tracks for us to run in; and I see the obstacles we make for others and ourselves. Jack Watson is adding to your plate when he should be sharing our burden.”

“You can’t argue with us Barry, we know all your ticks.” Elinor reminded Barry, setting him down on a chair.

It was a well-practiced routine. Elinor and Seabert whisked Barry away when things got too overwhelming. The kitchen staff was well aware of their escapades and tended to leave some things out with chairs on a little table when Seabert would alert them of a late dinner. As long as everything was cleaned afterwards and the trio had always done so.

*****

“And…cut!” Amelie called out. She clapped happily. “Brilliant work, darlings.” She smiled at Luka and Marinette. “I could feel the melancholy and nostalgia as Felicity and Jack grew closer.” The two blushed and looked at each other, then blushed harder.

She turned to her son and two of his closest friends. “And you three!” She clasped her hands together and beamed a wide, loving smile tinged with pride. "Wonderful! You were perfect! Lifelong friends, looking out for one another. Seabert, who seems silly, actually being observant. Elinor, a kind soul with both physical and emotional strength. Barry might be conflicted over his feelings towards Jack and Felicity for the moment but he knows there are at least two people in his life he can always lean on when he needs to.”

“Even if he grumbles about it,” Claude pointed out.

“Even so,” Amelie began and stopped when she saw the look on Marinette’s face. She gave the girl a gentle, reassuring smile. “Did you have something to add about the scene, dear?”

Marinette frowned, then began to speak; hesitant and first and then with more confidence. “It’s just…all the characters are supposed to be friends, right?” She looked unsure.

Allegra found herself nodding. “Right, and?”

Marinette’s brows knitted together in confusion. “But…it also seems like Elinor and Seabert are more on Barry’s side than Felicity’s. I mean…” she bit her lip and both Felix and Luka found themselves staring at her mouth. “They’ve all known each for the same amount of time, minus Jack of course. Shouldn’t they care about Felicity’s feelings as much as Barry’s?”

“Marinette has a good point,” Luka was quick to take her side. “Felicity is a direct descendant of Auguste Dupin, the man who founded this society they all belong to. His heir should be the one with the most prestige, the one everyone listens to. She should be the leader.”

Luka looked around. No one’s heart music seemed upset. Some of them even harmonized with his, like Marinette, and to his surprise, Claude’s. He went on. “But because the adventures of Sherlock Holmes became more famous because the original Watson wrote more of his down, he’s more famous. And in the eyes of the world, famous means better.”

“Hence why Felicity resents Holmes,” Marinette spoke up.

Allegra looked at Felix. His eyes seemed unfocused, his lips pressed together. He was still in-character. If he were to speak up, it would be Barry who spoke, not Felix. She decided to speak up for him.

“And the Holmes and Watson from each generation have been partners, working together. This generation’s Watson,” she pointed at Luka, “dropped out of sight eight years ago so it’s been up to Seabert and Elinor to take care of him instead. Felicity is Holmes’ rival so having to care for him would just make her resent him more.”

“And being a profiler with psychologist parents, Seabert has to be able to get into the heads of criminals and victims, so he’s probably high in empathy.” Claude joined Allegra.

“And Elinor has a strong protective streak and a black belt in several forms of martial arts,” Allegra continued as she gave her boyfriend a wink and a grin. “She likes Felicity and considers her a friend but because she’s so used to taking care of Barry in Jack’s absence,” she pretended to scowl at Luka, who smiled back. “She’s naturally closer to him.”

“Both Elinor and Seabert take care of Barry but also resent Jack because they have to do what they consider to be his job.” Marinette offered.

“Yep.”

“And Jack, who hasn’t been around any of you for eight years, who’s been raised with a lot of resentment towards the Holmes family chafes at the idea of being forced into a role he never asked for,” Luka deftly summarized the main character’s backstories and was rewarded with a smile and a fist bump from Marinette.

“Exactly!” Amelie stood up and twirled around. “Conflict within the group while trying to solve the murder of a man most of them considered a mentor! Years of bitterness! Jealousy! Perhaps a budding romance?” She winked at Luka, who looked amused. Marinette pretended she hadn’t seen. “It adds drama and tension, just as much as car chases and sword fights!” She kissed her fingers. “Magnifique!”

She was looking at Felix, who still seemed in his own little world. She remembered how she used to get so caught up in a character and dear Geralt had to coax her back to herself. Usually it involved a cup of tea. Smell was the closest sense to memory after all. She left the group after giving Claude and Allegra a look they recognized as Felix is stuck in his role. Look after him until I come back. They nodded while their two co-stars just looked confused. She walked up to an assistant and requested some tea and snacks for her son. They nodded and walked away.

“Hey, Felix?”

A gentle hand rested on his shoulder and he looked up into Luka’s gentle blue eyes. They gazed down at him with concern as they looked him over. The logical part of his mind knew the other boy was only trying to help and just wanted to show his concern. Luka was a good guy; he was kind and cared about people. He also had a sharp sense of humor and a wicked wit. He was beginning to think of Luka as a friend.

But Felix was also Barrington Holmes right now and Barry resented how close Jack was to Felicity. How the person who was supposed to be his partner and equal barely tolerated him. Jack and Luka merged together and suddenly Felix didn’t want either of them putting their hands on him.

“Don’t touch me!” Felix snarled, knocking the gentle hand away and causing Luka to hit himself in the face. The sound of flesh hitting flesh brought him back to himself as his co-stars gasped. The crew tensed. They’d seen Felix and his mother struggle to pull themselves out of a character’s mindset but it never resulted in a fight. They waited to see if they needed to intervene.

Felix blinked, seeing the shock on Luka’s face. Marinette froze for a moment before turning red. She looked like she very much wanted to throw hands and had to be restrained by both Allegra and Claude.

The shock faded from the older boy and Luka looked disappointed, then angry.

Well, shite.

Felix wanted to apologize or explain, whichever was the least embarrassing and wouldn’t break the fragile relationship he’d formed with Luka and Marinette. He could tell Luka understood what he wanted to say but by the time his voice returned Luka just shook his head and glared at him.

“We’ll talk more when you’re more like yourself again,” was all Luka said as he turned away. Marinette had shaken off both the people holding her back and followed him but not before throwing a nasty glare at him over her shoulder.

“Excuse me, FeFe.”

Felix was just about to try and call them back but before he could say a word Chloe calmly strolled up to him. He was just about to speak to her when she reached out and flicked him hard on the nose.

“Ow!”

“Chloe!” Claude squawked, “he was just lost in character!”

“I know,” she replied, “that’s why I did it.” She looked up at Felix. She wasn’t upset or surprised, just calm and matter of fact. “So are we talking to Felix now?”

“Yes,” he rubbed his nose and looked in the direction Marinette and Luka retreated. “Thanks, Bitchois.”

“No problem,” she told him, a little bit of her old snobby self coming out, “I’ll use any excuse to hit you.”

Claude opened his mouth to speak but Allegra wisely put her hand over his mouth. “We should clear the set and get ready for the next scene before Felix alienates anyone else.”

*****

Amelie had had her set designers (paid extra, naturally) create several lounges for the cast and crew to use. Each department had their own and there were several set aside for cast members based on hierarchy. Even the plainest was nicer than most “green rooms” on other productions but no one denied the main cast was nicer. This was mostly because the Quantic Kids had brought a few luxury items from home. Most of the time Marinette and Luka spent their free time with their friends in the music room but today by unspoken agreement they wanted to be alone.

They wandered around and found themselves in an unused private room. Marinette quickly texted Amelie to let her know where they were and for her permission to use it. The director quickly answered in the affirmative; she seemed to understand there was a bit of tension on-set and some time apart was probably the best way to diffuse it.

The room wasn’t as luxurious as the Quantic Kids room but it still had a well-stocked refrigerator, an entertainment center with a television that took up half a wall, as well as several movies and probably a dozen streaming services. There were also three overstuffed sofas and a recliner in shades of blue and teal only a few shades darker than the walls. Marinette noticed (to her amusement) the room also had a tea-making station and a four person dining table made of blond wood and matching chairs.

Luka hadn’t thought to grab his guitar before coming into the room. He mostly wanted to get away from Felix before he said or did anything he’d regret or get him fired. He wasn’t ashamed of being a delivery driver but he couldn’t deny the salary was incredible and he was finally able to pay for some renovations for the ship his family lived on. His mother insisted he put most of what he earned away but she couldn’t deny that two teenagers needed privacy and therefore their own rooms.

He unlocked his phone and scrolled through his apps until he found one that allowed him to play guitar on mobile. Strolling over to the couch he sat down and patted the seat beside him and smiled at Marinette. She sat down beside him and leaned her head on his shoulder to peer at his phone. Luka smiled and began to play the electronic strings. She listened quietly, recognizing the tune as the one he’d written. There was something gentle and almost thoughtful about it. She closed her eyes and listened in silence for a few minutes.

Luka looked away from his phone and towards the lovely girl on his shoulder. He barely contained the urge to stroke her cheek or brush the hair off her forehead. She was so sweet and kind; incredibly smart and talented. He watched as shoulders eased a bit then stiffened. The poor girl couldn’t let herself completely relax, even when it was just the two of them. It made him want to…

“You can lie down if you want,” he offered.

Her eyes popped open and she looked at him in shock. Marinette blinked up at him. He smiled back and the two of them had a completely silent conversation. She understood that he was inviting her to lay down and relax for a few minutes or longer if she needed to. He was offering to look out for her, even though he knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself.

“You do a lot for everyone around you,” he told her. “You’re more than welcome to let me be strong for you. Just for a little while.”

She smiled gratefully as she took off her shoes then laid down on her back with her head in his lap. She gave his waist a grateful squeeze then closed her eyes.

Luka continued to play for her, watching as she began to allow herself to relax. She clasped her hands across her stomach and sighed in contentment.

She lay still and he continued to play what he was beginning to think of as “their” song, adding notes and little flourishes as he continued. New notes danced into his head as he played. She smiled as she listened and he became bold, adding an allegro piece, then a pianissimo, anything to see her smile like that.

“Filming today was…intense,” she said so quietly he barely heard her.

He stopped, pausing the app. “Um…yeah. I didn’t know Felix got so lost in character he forgot who he was.”

She opened her eyes and looked up at him. Her face had gone from relaxed to troubled and he wondered what was on her mind. “Not just him.” She frowned a bit. “That was the closest I’ve ever seen you to actual anger. Not since…”

She stopped and he didn’t have to listen to the music in her heart to know she was worried about him.

Luka didn’t respond at first. He was thinking to himself, trying to decide how to explain his thoughts to her. “Let’s just say…” he began, not sure how much he wanted to tell her. It wasn’t something he wanted to talk about, least of all with her. ..I used to have anger issues and leave it at that for now.”

She nodded in understanding and he began to play again but the mood was ruined.

He waited until he could stand the silence any more. Her good opinion mattered more to him than he cared to admit. He’d rather drop his guitar in the Seine than lose it. Then again, he hated keeping secrets from people he…loved.

“Hey,” he said finally, “tomorrow is Reshoot Day but as far as I know we don’t have any.”

Marinette’s eyes opened again and she gazed up at him, looking curious.

She waited for him to speak and he cleared his throat. “So…would you like to come over and hang out? On the Liberty? Mom will be in and out so we’ll be…you know…chaperoned. Kind of.”

She smiled at the earnest look of concern. “I’m pretty sure I could fight you off if you tried anything.”

Marinette tried not to laugh at the relieved look on his face. With all the movie training and private training she’d done with her Mom, she could probably wipe the floor with Luka if she had to.

She poked him in the stomach. “Besides. I trust you.”

He chuckled, the sound rumbling pleasantly in his chest. “What if I wasn’t worried about you but myself?” He clasped his hands to his chest in mock concern. “What if you’re after my virtue?”

Marinette blinked at him then burst out laughing. He laughed back.

*****

Felix heard the two laughing before he even opened the door. Their two voices blended so pleasantly it was almost as if they were made for each other and he had to push away the sudden stab of jealousy.

He stopped his thoughts before they could continue down their strange path. That was counterproductive. The three of them were only temporarily friends for the sake of the production and if he didn’t stop confusing his feelings as his character and his feelings as a person it would be difficult to extract himself after filming was over.

Plus, it would hurt like hell. He remembered how he would confuse his part with his true self as a child and nearly cried when he realized his castmates didn’t actually care about him. He told himself he didn’t care, that he’d grown callouses over his feelings to prevent feeling vulnerable and that was that.

Felix took two large deep breaths to calm himself and composed his face to look as contrite and regretful. After he was sure he was ready he rapped on the door and waited politely for someone to answer.

“Who is it?”

Marinette. Of course it would be Marinette who spoke first. She was the leader of her little friend group, the one they looked for to give them everything from advice to pep talks to protection.

“It’s Felix. May I come in, please?”

“Are you here to apologize?”

Now it was Luka who spoke, Her Majesty’s Lord Protector, even if he was redundant. Marinette didn’t need a knight nor a representative but he could appreciate the other boy’s concern. It was clearly one of the ways he shows affection. That and playing music and understanding everyone’s “heart song”.

He rolled his eyes because he knew they couldn’t see him and answered, “Of course.”

“Come in then.”

He turned the knob and walked inside, closing the door after him. He forced himself to relax his posture. After all, he hadn’t done anything wrong. Not on purpose anyway.

Marinette and Luka were sitting together; not quite cuddling but still very close. She looked receptive to hearing him out but there was a sharpness in her eyes that told him she wouldn’t be fooled by lies or acting. He respected how perceptive she was, even when it worked against his interests.

Luka looked like his usual self; mild and gentle, doing his best to put everyone around him at ease. Felix had been fooled like everyone else into underestimating Luka because the older boy seemed so harmless. But now that he knew him better Felix could see a tiny glint deep in the other boy's ocean blue eyes that warned him. If Felix did anything to harm or upset Marinette he’d probably get his arse handed to him.

Felix took a deep breath as if he were about to undergo an unpleasant task and said, “I’m sorry.”

Marinette raised an eyebrow, looking regal in a pleated black skirt and pink blouse with black horizontal stripes. Luka had ditched his usual distressed jeans for gray denim shorts and a loose-fitting gray shirt with broad black horizontal stripes. Separately they would have looked good but together they looked…like a matched set.

“For?” Luka spoke up.

Felix pointed to a chair across from the couch they were sitting on. It might have been presumptuous of him to ask to join them. “Do either of you mind if I sit down?”

They looked at each other and then back at him, shaking their heads. “Thank you,” he said a bit dryly. They were making him feel as if he were having an audience with the Queen, except he wasn’t seven and his collar wasn’t itchy.

He sat and crossed his ankle over his other knee. He sighed and began to speak. “For being rude and disrespectful while still in character.” He sighed. “It was unprofessional and neither of you deserved it.”

“We know that-” Marinette began but Luka laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and whispered something in her ear. She smiled and apologized. “Sorry. That was rude. I’ll let you speak first and then tell you what I think when you’re done.”

Felix nodded his thanks at her and Luka and began to explain. “You see, I’ve been acting since I could learn lines. Usually for my father. Small parts at first but then larger and more complicated as I got older.” They nodded but didn’t interrupt.

He continued. “Any I’m sure by now you two have noticed that when an actor is in character sometimes they forget who they are. Especially if a scene is very long or emotionally intensive.” He shrugged and looked a little sheepish. “Usually Mom or one of my friends can pull me out of it but I, as Barry, was feeling jealous because I was being left out of the Jack and Felicity bonding. That boiled over into my ‘true’ self,” he made air quotes, “and I lashed out at you before I, or anyone else, could bring me back to myself.”

Felix stopped and looked at them expectantly, waiting for them to speak. A part of him nagged at him, it sounded strangely of his fathers voice caressing his ear. Telling Felix to truly explain. Followed by Griff in his posh 'a knight of virtue would be honest. To obfuscate with half truths is unbecoming of the very notion of courage.'

"I….Also…." Felix tried to begin. his throat closing in on him. Emotions rampant within him: anger, jealousy, resentment even coursed high. It was hard to show vulnerabilities to most. The select few being done so after careful consideration and the years of loyalty to prove it. But he felt compelled by something to actually tell the truth without a gimmick.

"There's a little bit more to it really." Felix managed to say one thumb tracing his signet ring as if trying to invoke courage to spill into him at this very moment.

"As you know…this project means a lot to us here at Graham Films." Felix began once again bolstered by seeing Luka giving an encouraging nod at Felix. "It is my father's last script. That alone makes his project worthwhile. But on a personal note, to me, this is both an honor and a punishment to play. My father wrote this for me, as his son, and not for me as an actor."

"The genre and themes are personal favorites of mine. Yet the characters…most of the Spades were written by our influences. Barrington Holmes is both a character to play, and also my fathers inspiration using me as the source material." Felix gave a dry chuckle at the thought although he knew it to be true. "It's easy playing as Barrington because I am Barrington Holmes in many aspects. This part was written for me by my father. So much that half of my improvisation is more me playing moments where I get to change my word for once." Felix added, worrying his ring.

"We reminded you of something." Marinette concluded which caused Felix to color shamefully.

"Yes." Felix confessed.

"You were seeing Adrien….weren't you?" Marinette asked curiously. Memories of that fateful day of Felix impersonating his cousin popping into her head. Luka almost heard the halting screech of a cello from Felix's heartsong as the blond froze.

"Correct as always Fl-Marinette." Felix nodded when he unfreeze some thirty seconds later.

"This wasn't about you, please believe me that the last thing I'd want is to disrespect you both. Not only as actors, helping me live up to the thought of doing my father's work justice. But with our tentative friendship on the line it is a horrible happenstance that things aligned where acting pulled my true emotions freely. Especially when you two are not the object of my ire. I really do apologize about this."

"Chloe flicked you?" Luka asked curiously.

"I was an arse, it's well deserved." Felix nodded. Now having confessed everything and leaving the choice in their hands.

“We’re not going to say it’s okay-” Marinette told him.

“-because it’s not.” Luka added.

“But you weren’t being deliberately rude or unkind.” Marinette kept on, “I didn’t notice that you were still thinking like Barry and weren’t yourself. I’ll try to be more observant next time.”

“But it’s still up to you to let us know if you need space and we’ll back off.” Luka smiled at him. “But yeah, I’ll try to read you better next time we film an emotionally tense scene like that again.”

Despite himself Felix was a little relieved. He’d apologized, explained his actions, and they’d forgiven him. “Thank you both for understanding. I’ll work harder to be less…’up my own arse’ as Allegra would say, during filming.”

As he stood up they also stood with him. His shoulders ease as tension he didn’t even know he was feeling dissolved. “Well…thank you…” he offered Marinette his hand. “I’d like to say it’ll never happen again but I’d be lying. It just might but I’ll do what I can not to let it.”

“See that you do.” Marinette’s smile was kind as she took his hand. He gave her a tentative smile back and then she used his hand to pull him towards her and into a hug. He squawked in protest but she was warm and soft and smelled of vanilla sugar and cinnamon. He tried to breathe her in without being obvious about it.

Felix heard movement and suddenly Luka’s long arms were surrounding them both, pulling them both towards him and hugging them both gently but tightly. Bay rum suited the tall boy more than lavender. Felix hoped neither of them could smell his sweat. He was feeling a bit awkward but still enjoyed the hug. It was comforting and he didn’t want it to end just yet.

“Fair warning, Felix. If you do this again, we reserve the right to beat you up.” Marinette pulled away just enough to give him a wicked grin. “I hope I don’t have to remind you I’m a martial artist with fencing experience now.”

“I’m not a martial artist but I was raised by a pirate so I know how to street and knife fight. And sometimes I fight dirty.” Luka’s smile wasn’t as sharp as Marinette’s but Felix had no doubt Luka would hurt him if pushed, friend or costar be damned. Especially for Marinette’s sake.

Felix gave in to the urge to roll his eyes. “Right. It’s hardly fair of you two to threaten to double team me.”

“Yes it is!”

He just sighed and pretended to grumble under his breath. These two were perfect for each other.

*****

Meanwhile, Adrien and Kagami sat alone in an abandoned corner of the set, wondering what the hell was going on.

An hour ago they had been watching quietly as their friends, Adrien’s cousin, and his cousin’s friends had been filming a scene together. It seemed to go well, or that was what Aunt Amelie said. Then suddenly Felix was arguing with Luka and Marinette, even snapping at the tall boy when he asked if Felix was all right. Then everyone disappeared and left the two of them there, forgotten.

Adrien was quiet as he cuddled into Kagami’s side. Normally she enjoyed it when her boyfriend was physically affectionate with her but she was certain his closeness was more about seeking comfort than it was about showing her how much he cared. As much as she cared for him, it occasionally irritated her that she was the only emotional support Adrien had. Well, perhaps besides that hulking bodyguard but the man would not or could not speak. She sighed inwardly. Kagami might not be any more in touch with her emotions than Adrien but she would try to understand.

“That was…intense,” she said to her boyfriend and winced. Intense? That was the best she could do? She wished she had Marinette’s tact or Luka’s emotional awareness but she didn’t and her blunt way of expressing her thoughts would have to do.

Brusque or not, Adrien recognized her words as an opening and invitation to talk. “That’s putting it mildly.” He sighed but didn’t elaborate.

Kagami was silent until she began to feel awkward again. “You know, my mother was an actress once.”

He perked up. “I remember! She was in ‘Solitude’ with my mom.” He smiled but it faded quickly. “She and my mom acted together only once though. It’s a shame. I thought they were both good.” He sat quietly before realizing it was his turn to keep the conversation going. “I didn’t know my mom and your mom had been friends for so long. She looked a lot like you when you were younger.”

“Yes,” she agreed. It was strange to see her own face staring at her from the film her mother and Mme. Agreste had been in. It made her wonder if she would grow up to be as strict as her mother was. “According to my mother, she had to make the movie in secret. Her grandparents were born shortly after World War II and did not want her associating with Americans.” She chuckled. “They saw all people of European descent as Americans, or at least just as barbaric.”

Kagami didn’t want to dwell on the similarities between her mother and the grandparents she’d barely known so she hurried on. “She did tell me once she struggled to ‘get into character’ because pretending to be someone she wasn’t didn’t come naturally.” She frowned as she continued. “She also said it was equally difficult to get out of character because she found herself able to see the world from her character’s perspective; it wasn't easy to return to her own.”

Adrien huffed a laugh. “So, your mother had a rebellious phase too, huh?” He grinned at his girlfriend. Tomoe-san was more complex than he gave her credit for. “So now I know where you get it.”

She mock-glared at him but he gave her innocent kitten eyes until she gave up and laughed at him. He laughed back.

They were silent for a minute until Kagami suggested. “Perhaps…your cousin has the same problem my mother had? It’s possible he was simply stuck in the mindset of his character when he lashed out at Luka.”

Adrien considered her words and then said, “maybe I should have said something. Tried to draw him out.”

Kagami shook her head. “No,” her words were blunt and she explained, “it’s possible you could have helped him but it’s equally possible his hostility towards you would have come out instead.”

He nodded. “Yeah. You’re probably right.” “It’s just…” he sighed and put his arm around her to draw her closer. “I know. I get it. I did a lot of stupid shit, even though it was inadvertent, and hurt my relationship with Felix.” He frowned, managing to look handsome even when he was miserable. “But he won’t let me mend things! He won’t accept my apology, he doesn’t want to spend time with me. I couldn’t get him to come over for dinner even if Father would let him inside.” He sighed and pressed his face into her shoulder. “What should I do, ‘Gami?”

Several responses came to mind but the one she decided on was; “Nothing.”

That surprised him so much he took his arm from around her shoulders and pulled away. “Nothing?”

She affirmed. “Let him approach you when ready. Don’t force him to be around you if he doesn’t want to. Be polite and professional if you have any more fencing lessons with him and don’t pressure him to spend time with you.”

Part of Adrien thought she had a point. “But-”

“You’re backing Felix into a corner, constantly putting him on the defensive,” Kagami pointed out. “That’s why he lashes out; he feels as if he has no choice.”

He opened his mouth but she gently laid a finger on his lips. “Stop treating him like an opponent and return to the en garde position until your cousin makes a move.”

Adrien smiled, appreciating the fencing metaphor. “I’m so lucky to have a girlfriend as wise as you.”

She smiled back. “Yes. You are.”

She leaned forward and he closed his eyes, meeting her halfway for the kiss.

Their lips met just before someone cleared their throat and interrupted them.

*****

The production company had updated its security procedures. Nathalie not only had to leave her bag, tablet and phone behind but received a pat down by a female security guard. The woman wouldn’t let Adrien’s bodyguard accompany her (she claimed Amelie had only left one pass) but Nathalie could swear she heard the woman flirt with the man as she walked on in search of Adrien.

She was met by a red-haired man who said he was her escort. Shit. There went her chance to snoop or contact Mlle. Rossi. She couldn’t stand the girl anyway; she wanted to climb the ladder by sycophancy or social advancement rather than hard work.

Her musings about Rossi were interrupted as the man talked into a radio and received some sort of response. He looked at Nathalie. “Mrs. Graham de Vanily and her son would like to see you off if you don’t mind waiting for them.”

“Not at all,” she replied. Felix and his mother probably wanted to make sure she left without stealing anything or causing trouble. Ironic, considering what the boy had done during his last visit to his uncle’s home. Nathalie wisely kept her opinion to herself.

As they reached the current set she spied Adrien and Kagami in a tender kiss. Although her face remained impassive she felt her heart melt just a little bit. He was growing up so fast! She knew Gabriel had approved of his son’s relationship with Mlle. Tsurugi for business reasons but the girl clearly adored the boy and Adrien reciprocated. Nathalie secretly loved seeing her charge happy. She hated to break them up but unfortunately she had a schedule to keep and romance was a low priority to Gabriel if it didn’t involve his wife.

She cleared her throat and the two broke apart; Adrien guiltily, the Tsurugi girl with reluctance. Nathalie didn’t miss the way the young woman glared at her. She didn’t care.

“Adrien, Mlle. Tsurugi, it’s time we were away.” She adjusted her glasses. “We’ll have a few minutes to say goodbye to your aunt and cousin and then the two of you have a practice match before dinner with your father.”

Adrien perked up, just as Nathalie hoped he would. “Father?! Really?” His face shone in a way it rarely did if he wasn’t around his girlfriend.

“I’m very happy for you, Adrien.” Kagami’s face didn’t look happy to anyone who didn’t know her well but her eyes shone.

Nathalie gave in to the urge to smile at the boy she’d known most of his life. She didn’t have the heart to tell him it was an interrogation disguised as dinner. Let him be happy for now.

*****

After Felix left Marinette and Luka, pleased that their relationship had been repaired, a hand grabbed his shoulder and jerked him into the shadows.

He twisted, trying to get away until a voice spoke up; “It’s just me, Houdini.”

He stopped struggling and looked up at her. “A little less cloak and dagger next time, Hel.”

Helen rolled her eyes and dug a small box out of her pocket. “I had to switch materials but I think you’ll be pleased with the results.” She opened it and showed him its contents.

It was a perfect reproduction of the brooch Marinette had thought she was making for his mom, down to the matched pearls and lapis lazuli. Yet again Helen had impressed him.

What he was thinking must have shown on his face because his favorite cousin had grinned, looking incredibly pleased with herself. “It’s something, right?” she bragged. “It’s diecast metal because what I wanted to use wouldn’t cure for a few days and you said this was a rush.”

Felix held out his hand and she placed the box in it. “Diecast metal?”

She just shrugged. “Eh, it’s a lost art.”

He took it out of the box and examined it, turning it over and looking for flaws. He found none. It was indistinguishable from what Marinette had created and had the proper heft and color.

“It’s perfect, Helen.”

Helen smirked. “I’m so very pleased you’re satisfied.”

All he needed now was two things; for Ms. Sancoeur to wear the peacock brooch today and an opportunity to make the switch.

*****

This set was hot.

Nathalie willed herself not to sweat but that didn’t stop her stomach from feeling a bit queasy. She tried to focus on Adrien’s question about dinner; what he should wear, what they were having, should he stop by the Dupain-Cheng bakery for a light dessert. She tried not to snap at him when he asked if Kagami could attend as well but his face was beginning to blur.

No! Not now! She had to hold it together and appear calm and self-assured. She could not embarrass herself in front of Graham de Vanilys. Besides, Gabriel depended on her, as did Adrien. She would not falter.

“Why, Ms. Sancoeur! How very good to see you again!” Amelie swept in with her usual aplomb, her son and his friends trailing behind her. The woman’s smile was wide and welcoming but her son looked smug and superior as usual. The boy’s friends looked more curious than friendly but at least they weren’t hostile.

Nathalie’s eyes darted quickly, not seeing Chloe Bourgeois nor Lila Rossi. Neither girl was shaping up to be a particularly good pawn and she would advise Gabriel to cut his losses. Paris was sure to have its fair share of entitled yet stupid young people he could use instead. Someone more reliable.

The ever perceptive Felix noticed her attention was diverted. “Something wrong, Ms. Sancoeur?”

“I don’t see Mlle. Dupain-Cheng anywhere,” Nathalie lied smoothly. “M. Agreste wanted me to pass along his congratulations on securing her first internship and a starring role at the same time.” Only Adrien and his girlfriend seemed to believe her.

Amelie seemed content to play along. “Yes, isn’t she wonderful?” She beamed as if she’d given Marinette her talent personally. “So very talented. We were lucky to get her.”

Nathalie gave a nod, even as it made her dizzy. “M. Agreste says he’ll be watching her fashion career very closely from now on. He’s a big believer in nurturing talent.” She wondered what Amelie would say to that.

The woman didn’t react as Nathalie had hoped. She just smiled and replied, “Well, I hope he won’t be too disappointed when we snap her up. Really, Gabriel should have offered a contract as soon as she won his little contest.”

Adrien picked the wrong time to speak up. “I’m sure he was worried about putting too much pressure on her. Father has always praised Marinette’s talents, even to the Style Queen herself.”

The mood of the room shifted as Chloe’s neglectful, impossible to please mother was brought up. Felix’s companions went from neutral towards Adrien to disdainful when Audrey was introduced as a topic.

Nathalie wondered if she should try and add to the conversation when Amelie looked over her shoulder and beamed. “And what perfect timing! Here is the young woman herself. Hello, Marinette, dear. Are you ready for the next scene?”

For a nanosecond Nathalie swore the girl looked uncomfortable but then the tall blue haired boy (his name escaped her but he looked very familiar) laid a hand on her shoulder. The girl blinked and then smiled. “You bet!”

“Ms. Sancoeur was just saying that Gabriel sent along his congratulations on your triumphant designing and acting debut!” Amelie spoke up. “Apparently he’s very impressed.”

“As he should be,” the blue haired boy squeezed Marinette’s shoulder and the girl blushed.

The three teens with Amelie began to sing Mlle. Dupain-Cheng’s praises. “Marinette designed the school uniforms for all the school characters,” a blonde with long braided hair put in. Her blue eyes narrowed at Nathalie and she felt even less welcome.

“Not to mention some of the fancy ball gowns for a very pivotal scene!” A blue eyed brown-haired boy smiled but didn’t seem to want her there either.

“And her performance is some of the best acting I’ve ever seen for someone with no experience.” A very handsome brown skinned young man praised his co-star. His face was neutral but Nathalie still felt watched and judged.

Suddenly everyone but Felix and Marinette herself were talking over each other, giving the young designer one glowing compliment after another. The girl just stammered and blushed and tried to get everyone to stop. Felix looked…

Concerned?

For her?

He cocked his head to one side, then the other. His brow furrowed he asked, “Ms. Sancoeur? Are you all right?”

Nathalie felt sweat drip down her face and the small of her back. She felt hot and the room began to tilt. She dimly heard Adrien call her name and suddenly she was dropping.

Most of the room cried out in alarm as the usually unflappable woman began to droop.

“Catch her!” Felix called out abruptly as he and Luka stopped the woman from hitting the ground. Once they were sure they had her they gently lowered her to the floor.

Adrien just stood there, rooted to the spot, staring at the woman who helped raise him. He began to shake as his face went pale. Kagami grabbed his arm and dragged him to a chair before he could also faint.

“I’m calling one-one-two!” Allen pulled out his phone and began to dial. Amelie, Claude and Allegra stepped back to give the others room.

Felix kept his head and removed Nathalie's jacket and used it to cushion her head. He looked over at Luka. “Can you help me roll her so she’s on her side? Please.”

Luka nodded then removed the jacket of his uniform costume. Together he and Felix turned the woman on her side to keep her airway free and then Luka used his jacket to cover the woman to prevent shock.

Felix checked her vitals. “She’s breathing and has a pulse” He opened her mouth. “It looks like her mouth and throat are clear.” He looked over at his cousin. “Does Ms. Sancoeur have a history of fainting spells, Adr-”

He stopped. Adrien clearly wasn’t going to be of use to anyone.

Adrien was spiraling, completely unaware of his surroundings or what was happening a few feet from him. Nathalie fainted again, just like his mom used to do. She was having dizzy spells and even though his father would tell him it was no big deal and she just needed rest, he didn’t believe it. It was just like when Mom disappeared. Nathalie was sick too and soon she’d disappear and he’d never know what really happened to her-

Kagami’s hand hit his cheek with a sharp crack.

Amelie gasped but Kagami ignored her.

“Adrien,” she commanded, “I understand this must be upsetting for you but your caregiver is ill and staring into nothing is incredibly unhelpful.” Her voice was stern, not a trace of compassion or empathy left. “She needs help and sitting here useless does nothing to aid her.”

Amelie huffed in indignation at the treatment of her nephew and even Claude and Allegra looked sorry for him. Felix and Luka were too busy trying to treat the woman and Allen was giving the emergency service operator directions.

Marinette was more than used to handling crises, even medical ones, so she came to Kagami’s side and smoothly intervened.

“Kagami? I know you’re just trying to bring him around with some tough love but is it alright if I try something too?” Her expression didn’t plead but she would respectfully back off if asked.

Kagami thought about the request before nodding. She knew she could trust her.

Marinette slowly and carefully crouched in front of Adrien, who had barely registered the slap. “Adrien? Look at me.” He met her gaze without thinking. “Listen to me.” Her blue eyes were calm and serious but still kind. “Breathe. Slowly. In through your mouth and out through your nose.” He obeyed.

She gently took Kagami’s hand and laid it over Adrien’s. “We’re here for you. Feel her hand on yours. Listen to my voice. Remember to breathe.” She watched as Adrien’s pupils contracted. She relaxed her shoulders and then asked, “Do you remember what happened?”

He nodded and then his face fell. Nathalie had collapsed. He was useless. Again.

Marinette did her best to give him a reassuring smile. “Adrien. Help is on the way. We’re going to get Ms. Sancoeur to the hospital.”

“Will-” his voice cracked. Yet another person who raised him was fading and he’d done nothing. “Will she be okay?” He whispered.

He sounded so forlorn, like a lost child. She felt sorry for him despite his past enabling.

Marinette couldn’t answer and looked to Kagami.

Kagami took her boyfriend’s hand and caressed the cheek she had just slapped. “We’ll follow her to the hospital. Then we’ll see.”

He gulped and nodded before pulling both girls into a hug.

*****

Felix was rather proud of himself. He hadn’t predicted Ms. Sancoeur would give him such a dramatic opportunity but everything had turned out just as he wanted so he couldn’t complain. The switch was made and the original peacock brooch was resting comfortably in his pocket with no one the wiser. He'll ask Chloe to see if she can catch anything on the cameras and alter it; just to cover all his bases.

He couldn’t wait to find out what was so special about this brooch.

Aaaand that’s it!

See you soon!

#worthy opponent au #marinette dupain cheng #felix graham de vanily #luka couffaine #quantic kids #amelie graham de vanily #adrien agreste #kagami tsurugi

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soap-lady · 2 years ago

Text

Yes, I know I’m late again but in my defense, I’m exhausted.

Hey guys!

If you’re still reading WO, I’m incredibly impressed. This is the second month in a row that I’ve been late but I’m tired. Work is kicking my butt, there’s some real life problems with a friend’s dad and I’m planning a vacation. So it’s been hard to focus on fanfiction. Sorry, guys.

Thanks as always to @arylace

Taglist:

Worthy Opponent Chapter Twenty-one

Nathalie was going to make a full recovery.

Adrien had heard it at least five times from various members of hospital staff. He’d heard it from a doctor, two nurses, and the paramedics who had brought her in. Adrien had insisted on going with her to the hospital and no one bothered to object.

He sat in a white, uncomfortable plastic chair and waited for someone to tell him Nathalie could go home. Or…gone. Or she was going to be fine but needed to stay at the hospital for observation.

That scenario was the most likely but at least it wasn’t the worst case scenario.

He dearly wanted to fidget; move around, sneak something out of the snack machine or find a quiet bathroom and scream into the void. Of course, he couldn’t. He was Adrien Agreste, Face of The Brand. Well, at least Kagami was on set during modeling shoots to glare Lila away. Fortunately, he hadn’t had a shoot with her in over a month and he had plenty of cute shots of him and his girlfriend to post online. Now Lila couldn’t claim to be his girlfriend, especially if Father wanted to keep Mme.Tsurugi happy.

Father hadn’t even called. Adrien thought the woman who ran their lives deserved at least a call asking for a status update.

He had Nathalie’s phone and tablet with him. He knew how important schedules were to his father. Gabriel Agreste needed every minute planned for himself and his son. Heaven forbid something happened to him and the schedule was off by a nanosecond. Why, Father might not know where his son is for nearly thirty seconds! The horror! The scandal!

He almost laughed and then stopped himself. He knew why his father wanted him scheduled every minute of every day. It was because Mom went missing and Father was afraid his son would go missing too. Mom rarely if ever kept to a schedule; she chided Father when he tried and even their occasional disagreements were cute. Mom was kind and sweet but she had a stubborn streak and a temper that would shut his father down.

A smart man, his father had told him once, knows how to say, “Yes, Dear” and shut his mouth. That is, if he wants to stay married.

He’d laughed at the time, but didn’t feel like laughing now.

Because Nathalie had the same condition, the exact same that Mom did; pale skin, lack of energy, and dizzy spells right before passing out. Was it communicable or had Father hired Nathalie so he could study her condition and find a cure for Mom?

His thoughts looped in on one another and around and around his brain, finding no solution. He wished Kagami could be there with him; either for comfort or to smack some sense into him. Mme. Tsurugi insisted that her daughter be home by dark and so Gorilla had driven her home while The Tsurugi’s self-drive car was unavailable. He was sure the large man would be back to drag him home any minute now.

Adrien sighed. He was sure his father would be angry that he’d failed yet again to reconcile with Felix. He didn’t understand why his relationship with his cousin was so important. Did Father want the two of them to model for the brand? Did he want to invest in Graham Films? He realized he was naive but he doubted Father would suddenly want to repair familial relationships out of the goodness of his heart.

He was so lost in thought he didn’t realize he wasn’t alone until he felt a cold smooth object touch the back of his neck.

“Gah!” he yelped, then looked around guiltily. No one seemed to be paying attention to him so he looked around to see who or what had touched him.

Chloe Bourgeois stood in front of him, wearing a black top with gold trim, black skinny jeans, and a white blazer. A new pair of sunglasses with a hawk motif perched on her head. She didn’t look fawning or hostile. Just…sympathetic. And watchful, as if she were unsure whether or not she would be welcome.

“Hello. Hello, Chloe,” he managed to stammer out.

“Hey, Adrien,” she said finally, tone serious. She held out a white bottle topped with a miniature crown. “I figured they wouldn’t have any designer water here so I brought you some Fillico. Just give me the crown top. I’ve started to collect them.” He didn’t need to know she saved them to give to the kwami. Milvii especially loved wearing them, even if Griff called her a “commoner”.

“Thanks, Chloe,” he took the bottle from her, cracked it open, and handed her the top. She put it in her bag then looked at him. “Make sure you take the crystals off before you recycle the bottle. You can give them to Marinette or whatever.”

“Um…okay.” He felt a little nervous, unsure what to make of this new Chloe. She wasn’t demanding anything from him, nor was she making a scene. Neither was she all over him or yelling at him. He had no idea how to deal with her. There was something different about the way she carried herself, as if she no longer needed her parents’ approval and had somehow found her self-worth on her own. It was refreshing, but confusing. A part of Adrien, a small part felt odd at that observation; as if the idea of change had his heart seized for a moment.

“Let’s have a seat,” Chloe made a show of taking out a handkerchief and dusting off the seat next to Adrien’s but she did sit down.

There were probably many heartfelt, diplomatic things he could have said but all that came out was, “I’m surprised to see you here, considering…”

She huffed a laugh. “Considering we’re hardly on speaking terms and I’ve been busy living my own life while you make puppy eyes at your ice maiden? Yeah, well…” her expression softened and her eyes became more sympathetic. “We’ve been here before, remember? With your mom.”

The words were said uncharacteristically gently by Chloe but they still hit him like a shot. “Yeah.” He sank in on himself and neither of them said anything for a few minutes. The only sounds were the footsteps of the nurses, the beeps of medical equipment, and the occasional sips of water taken by Adrien.

He looked over at Chloe. She fidgeted a bit and adjusted her sunglasses. Every now and then she’d check her phone. Finally with a low growl she shot up and pulled him to his feet. “Come on.” She grabbed his arm and began to tug him along. It reminded him so much of the old Chloe he actually smiled.

He shook his head. No. He wasn’t going to be led around anymore. Not by her, not by anyone. He stopped and resisted being pulled. “Wait. I’m not going anywhere until you tell me where you’re taking me.”

She looked incredibly offended, much like she would have months ago; she had always hated being questioned or thwarted. She must have realized how she acted because she faltered a step. Seeming to mull something or other before she let him go.

“I thought you might need to talk. I know how you feel about making a scene and drawing negative attention to yourself so I thought I’d take us somewhere more private, like the chapel.” She stopped and then whispered, “and there’s a high chance you’ll end up crying. We don’t need any paparazzi or wannabe paparazzi taking pictures at that. You have a brand to protect.”

*****

The general ambience of the Chapelle de l'Hôpital Lariboisière was dark and funereal, but more importantly, empty and quiet. The perfect place for a private conversation. Adrien and Chloe dutifully lit candles for Nathalie’s full recovery and sat on a pew together. Both were careful not to perch too near the other. To anyone the eight centimeters seemed insignificant; but to Chloe and Adrien it felt chasmal.

Adrien opened his mouth to speak before the silence went on too long but as usual Chloe beat him to it. “Oh. Well, this isn’t awkward at all. You’d think after twelve years of friendship we’d have a conversation starter or two.”

He laughed. “Yeah. So..how have you been? How do you like being the official set photographer for Graham Films?”

She blinked, surprised at both the question and his genuine interest. “Love it. Getting lots of cool photo ops. It’s gonna be a great art book once the film is done.” She was quiet and then said. “You know, I’m thinking of going to school for cinematography. I think I’d be a good Director of Photography, probably minor in business to appease my parents.”

“That’s really cool,” Adrien replied, genuinely pleased. “I’m glad to see you’re finding something you love. It’s great that you have an idea about what you want to do with your life.”

“I know, right?” She couldn’t help but smile at his approval. She told herself she didn’t want or need it, but she enjoyed having it. “What about you?”

He shrugged. “Nothing really grabs me. I’ve thought about science, but I’m not passionate about it.” He faked a chuckle. “Maybe I should just marry Kagami. She can take care of me and I can be her househusband.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Sounds like something you’re qualified for. You already know how to do what you’re told.”

Adrien looked like he wanted to protest or deny her words but he just laughed. “True, but if you can grow beyond being a spoiled rich kid, why can’t I?”

Chloe sputtered for an answer then surrendered. “Yeah. I was a hard-ass bitch, wasn’t I?”

He hesitated. “I would have said bratty or egocentric, but-”

“Trust me, Adrikins. The correct word is ‘bitch’.” The old nickname slipped out and she covered it by asking, “So how's the lady who’s totally crushing on your dad?”

He cringed. “Gross, Chlo.” He exhaled slowly and then told her, “The doctors were still examining and running tests last I heard but supposedly she’s going to be okay. I’m just waiting to hear if she needs to stay overnight or if she can go home.”

Chloe looked over at his phone. “Do they know how to get a hold of you if they need to?”

Adrien also looked at his phone. “Yeah. They’ll text me an update when there is one.”

She nodded. “Okay. I’m glad I’m not taking you away if they need to stay in contact.”

Silence filled the chapel after that. Chloe was vigilant and alert, a stark contrast to Adrien’s doom and gloom. So many emotions warred in him. Trust Chloe? Be mistrustful of Chloe? A pendulum question that swung either which way and left him more and more confused each time he pondered it. The quiet was also something new, Chloe and Adrien tended to always fill their time together with noise. To be engaging, whether watching anime or arguing theories. Or Adrien being subjected to Chloe’s fashion critiques, she was actually not bad at those and would preen if he said she sounded like her mom. Quiet….quiet and Chloe plus Adrien was an anomaly. One he wasn’t sure how to broach until the quiet gnawed on him.

“Why are you really here, Chloe?” Adrien asked, catching the blonde heiress off guard. It was the second time he asked the question, but maybe in the silent and empty chapel he could gain true answers.

“You needed someone.” Chloe replied after a pregnant pause to focus on the window outside. No longer brave enough to look Adrien in the face. “You actually need someone who understands. Kagami won’t understand as much as she likes. There’s little experience in watching someone you love wither away like a dried flower that can be gained in the real world. In a strict household like hers? Ours? Non-existent. Your friends would be sympathetic….but you will spend the entire time focusing more on how you are perceived than getting actual support. They won’t understand.”

"They'd be here for me." Adrien tried to defend his friends, it sounded weak even to him.

"Oh please, if that was true you would've called one. I found you alone." Chloe remarked, hitting the nail on the head. Adrien pouted not wanting to admit Chloe was right.

"So who would be?" Adrien asked and Chloe had the gall to turn and look at him with an unamused snort and a raise of a perfect brow before turning away.

“Who’s going to be here for you? Your dad? Where is he, Adrien? Did you remember what happened last time? He isolates himself….has been isolating himself and you.” Chloe began to pick up bolder at every question she directed to Adrien. Still not actually looking at him, but the faint reflection of a mirror watching the dark sky. She saw how the truth hit him. How he hated it and probably her for voicing it. Too bad Chloe is used to scorn. Chloe quickly looked around to ensure that things were under control, they were talking with heavy emotions. Heavier than anything they ever did and she would be damned if an akuma came now.

“To be quite honest, there’s only three people you know who would understand you, and would stand by you. Aunt Amelie, Felix, and me. Aunty is busy trying to fulfill the last wishes of Uncle Geralt. Felix is too, and the bridge between you two is far more broken than ours. So I stay because I get it….and I promised I’d always be there for you. No matter what, best friends promise we pinkie swore and that's sacred.” Chloe huffed, hurt that Adrien continued to question her on her loyalty. The only true thing she’s ever been able to claim. It was that loyalty that had her go to the hospital when a large part of her wanted to disappear from Adrien and his judgmental eyes but she still came.“I know you don’t like this arrangement…but you need someone; and that someone is me. Because we were best friends once, and I won’t let you brave this again without me. So that’s why I’m here.”

Adrien was stunned, it was the first time Chloe had said so much. Not since pre Miracle Queen. That was the crux of it all, the brand of her rejection seared into his soul that at times all he saw was Miracle Queen. All he would associate with Chloe was Miracle Queen, and he hated her for it. Yet this floored him, he would have never known, never thought, never guessed the depths Chloe of all people would go for him. It was humbling and wrong to Adrien. He had been burned by her before, but in an identity she didn’t know; and in this hour he was grateful that Chloe was being like how he knew. Disregarding his initial no and doing it anyway…because it was nice not being alone.

“I’m….I…I heard some stuff—“ Adrien began weakly.

“A lot of people talk about me. A lot is true and a lot of it is bullshit. What was it?” Chloe asked.

“You….betrayed Ladybug and Chat Noir.” Adrien spoke the damming words and watched Chloe’s reflection this time. Saw how her jaw immediately clenched and her face crumpled. It was a surprise to Adrien to see defeat so clearly on her face as she crumbled into herself before tensing up again. It almost felt like regret…but Adrien wasn't sure.

“Did they say how?” Chloe asked softly. Sadness, regret, hatred collecting again in her veins but oppressing it because she wasn't here for herself. She was there for Adrien and if he wanted to peel off the festering scabs of her feelings and what she did. It would distract him enough to not think of the woman on a hospital bed so she'll endure because of her loyalty. Even if Adrien would never get how much it cost to voice stuff like that out.

“No…but they said that was why you couldn’t be a hero anymore.” Adrien lied through his teeth, and seeing Chloe hang her head he was glad they weren’t looking at each other. She could spot him lying easily…which is why he worked hard while Chat Noir around her. Then again a lot of the times it was during an Akuma scenario so she was distracted.

“I never had loyalty to them.” Chloe confessed which surprised Adrien, Chloe was a self-proclaimed Ladybug’s biggest fan.

“You were obsessed with them.” Adrien sputtered.

“I was enamored with the idea of them.” Chloe sighed. “I idolized them because our anime suddenly became true and they were special. Adrien, you’re like them in a lot of ways…Ladybug, Chat Noir, you. None of you will ever understand. You guys are like the sun, happy, warm, too nice for your own good that has you getting walked all over, and to a certain extent righteous. The sun will never understand why an ugly storm cloud would do anything to be seen and valued.”

“You’re not an ugly storm cloud Chloe.” Adrien spoke up, feeling that this was the only chance he might ever get to know why Chloe became Miracle Queen. It sounded like something Chloe would say, deflect or use metaphors instead of voice things herself. Chloe’s snorting dry laugh caught him off guard and had him blushing embarrassed and frustrated. “I’m being honest, you’re not.”

“Of course I am.” Chloe dismissed Adrien, looking at him with a pitying smile. “Little sunshine who was raised in warmth, doesn’t see how the world works.”

“Don’t condescend to me Chloe.” Adrien snarked, frustrated at her tone.

“I’m not, you just prove my point.” Chloe chuckled without humor. “Charismatic, charming people like you. Who were loved and attended to, down to the point it’s almost stalkerish and your dad needs a restraining order on you, honestly Adrien I can make an entire case for you—“

“Stop deflecting, Chloe.” Adrien remarked having heard that train of thought so many times in his earlier youth.

“That’s the thing. You waltz in with this golden retriever smile and instantly you’re cared for by everyone you meet. Always happened, as long as I can remember. Practically from when we were in diapers.” Chloe huffed. “The sun can never understand why the moon got tired of being a reflection. Of only being known and cared for as the sun’s reflection.”

She sighed at the look on his face and crossed her legs. “The sun just assumes the moon will forever be happy to be that odd reflection and shine when the sun wants it to. The sun will never really know the rejection storm clouds get, because rain and thunder destroy their happy mood. A song dedicated to banish the rain so the sun can come back. I wanted to be looked at….to be special. I thought playing the hero would be like when we would act out our favorite cartoon and anime heroes.”

“You wanted fame.” Adrien tried to meet her train of thought, the metaphor having him think about his cousin as the moon and Chloe as the storm cloud. At least that’s how she saw them in her mind. If more fame was what she wanted… Bitterness wound itself into his throat. Chloe would be selfish enough. Famous Chloe would be even worse.

“No…I wanted to be seen and have my mom look at me and think for once in her stupid life: ‘Wow….Chloe…not Clarissa, or Casserole, or Claudette, Clare, Chlorine,,, or Kylie. Chloe’s special’. To have people who automatically discredit me as a rich brat have to swallow their words—“

“You are rich though.”

“A brat too, but when we say it…it’s not thrown at you like an offense; and then everyone wants to extort things from you,” Chloe huffed. “You didn’t spend ecole primaire with kids who tried to act like your friends only to get stuff from you; or parents who would try to make it seem you were a bad kid so they could complain to your dad and get something.

“Then I noticed that Daddy was never busy when I was in trouble; but he was too busy for dinner or to help me with my schoolwork. So I decided if that’s all I’ll be recognized for, so be it. All of them were beneath me, and by being a bitch I’d get attention. Win-win; they paint me as their bad girl, and I am recognized. Even if it's infamy, it made me unforgettable. You, sunshine boy, are different because you were put into the spotlight but also cared for so you didn’t become a brat. Heroes like Chat Noir and Ladybug are good but they also ride their own high horse and make judgements based off of rumors. Ladybug never liked me from the beginning, I still idolized her. It was how it worked, you give affection and get scorned.

"I was a good Queen Bee, bitch aside, revealing my identity for Paris aside. I was driven and wanted to prove myself so bad…I would have done anything they asked. Sure I'd make it a dramatic deal I have to. But they could have said we'd accept you only if you I don't know killed Hawkmoth or retrieved the miraculous by yourself and I'd do it. I would have walked to hell barefoot on hot coals and broken glass to be recognized. It didn't work out so they said I can’t be a hero anymore. Fine, it’s not like I was rejected again.

“Then my parents got akumatized….and at that point I still gave a damn about them. I wanted to help, because I knew I could do it and it was personal. But I was overlooked again…and then someone looked at me…and Hawkmoth presented the bee miraculous. Something I thought I'd never see again. I was angry and betrayed so I decided to do what the one person who looked at me said I’d be good for.” Chloe confessed, the second time in her life. The first being to Milvii, Griff, and Felix when they asked about Queen Bee.

“I’m sure they didn��t mean to make you feel like that Chloe.” Adrien spoke conflicted…the side of him that was Chat Noir that grew to sprout hatred for the girl he once called friend felt like her reasons were not good enough. Yet the side of him who was purely Adrien, the boy and not the hero, understood a bit. The way someone like Chloe would rationalize it, as he didn’t fully agree with her. She did incredibly wrong and many people suffered for it. Her confession did not absolve her of sin, but uncovered some of the questions that festered in his chest like a wound.

“Adrien…I learned the hard way that intent is shit in the face of how it gets interpreted by the world.” Chloe tsked lightly. “I’m atoning for what I did, and if I get a chance with Hawkmoth I’ll drop kick him to the next century over messing with Paris and me. But this isn’t about me, this is about you.”

The conversation died again with a Chloe patented dismissal. Vulnerability on her part was over and the tension rewound itself into them both. Adrien had a lot to consider over what Chloe said. How she deluded herself into thinking that Hawkmoth saw Chloe and that’s why he offered the miraculous to her. Chloe sat there for a few minutes in silence waiting for Adrien to talk about another topic, or break down crying. When he didn’t she knew it was yet again up to her to keep the chat going. Sure, people might say she had been a pushy bitch to him and Felix but how else was she supposed to keep their friendships going? They never did anything themselves.

Finally she couldn’t stand it. “Still, it’s weird that your dad’s assistant has the same medical condition your mom did.”

“Yeah, it is,” he sighed.

“Maybe it’s something environmental? Like old drywall that never got removed or your mansion was built over an old radiation deposit?” Chloe snorted. “It would totally be like Uncle Gabriel to try to keep you indoors at all times when it was your house itself making people sick. Lead poisoning like the tin man from Wizard of Oz.”

She laughed and he laughed with her. “It would explain a lot. Father’s pretty shortsighted and convinced he knows what’s best all the time, even if evidence to the contrary is staring him in the face.”

"Could they have gotten sick from sleeping with your dad?" Chloe thought to which Adrien made a face of disgust.

"Chloe, he's my dad."

"I know but listen….he sucks the joy out of everything, Adrien. It's sad beige hours with him. I used to think that was classy but it washes me out. What if his sad beige boring powers just….sucked the life force of youthful women?" Chloe conspired.

"My dad isn't a villain." Adrien snorted.

"He hasn't paid you years worth of wages for your model work. I can bring up a case if you'd let me talk to a lawyer, Adrien." Chloe snarked.

"Look, he's not that bad." Adrien sighed. "He's gotten better."

"I'm a box blonde and I love the color pink." Chloe deadpanned with a face that had Adrien start laughing at how incredulous Chloe’s thoughts were.

Their laughter died quickly and to her surprise, he scooted close and lay his head on her shoulder. He sighed and she braced herself for screaming and wailing.

“I can’t go through it again, Chlo,” he whispered. “I went through it with Mom. She got sick and wasted away and then disappeared. Like a cat. Cats know when their time is near so they slink off in private to die.”

“It’s different this time,” she tried to reassure him, “she’s not your mom. You can’t get any cool character development from one semi weird maternal figure, who’s most likely sleeping with your dad so like eww. You’re prepared because you’ve already been through this. You know what to expect. You’re not going into this situation blind.” Good, that was more assuring and less cold-hearted. Empathy was hard. “There are probably treatment options available now that weren’t a few years ago.”

He threw his arms around her, almost nuzzling her neck. “And if…worst case scenario…?”

Chloe leaned her head on his. “Then…you have something you didn’t have a few years ago. A support network. You know, me…your girlfriend…Nino, I guess.” She sighed. “And even though he’s pissed at you for not being there when his world went to shit, Felix would be there for you too.I’ll drag him myself kicking and screaming, I’ve been working out, I can take him. But he’d be here regardless so I’ll never get a chance to do that.”

“You really think so?” he mumbled against her throat.

“Yeah.” She petted his hair for a few minutes and smiled almost lovingly at him because she knew he couldn’t see it. Thankfully Felix wasn’t here either to rub it in.

They’d been through a lot together. He was one of the few people who’d noticed how sad and bereft she’d been when Audrey had abandoned her life and family to pursue her own dreams. She in turn had held him when he cried over his mom’s disappearance and his father changed overnight. She thought they’d always be friends. They’d even pinkie-swore on it. Even as they drifted apart and he learned of her shame, she still came like she promised before. When hands tightened around her and she heard the telltale sniffle of tears, and felt them soak into her outfit Chloe held him closer. Gentle and unlike herself, softening her angles to catch a boy who hurt her with his casual rejections but was still for many years a bright light for her and tried to comfort as he cried. Whispering an odd ‘it’s ok’ or ‘I got you’ here and there, just like she did years ago.

She allowed him to cry now in silence while she continued to pat him. She wished she was good with that sympathy crap like Allen. Or making people laugh like Claude. Allegra would have bopped some sense into him by now. All she could do was listen and hug. And order room service. After what felt like eternity of subdued silent tears, and quiet static like silence filled the room Chloe knew it was time to distract.

Chloe gently pushed him away. “Okay, okay. Jeez, quit slobbering on me.” He sat back up and gave her sad kitten eyes.

“Hey, Chloe?”

“Yeah…?” she answered hesitantly. She hoped he wasn’t about to ask her to bare her soul as well.

Adrien didn’t answer at first, just looked at her for a while. “Tell me about you. Your life right now. Nothing too personal!” He waved his hands as if fending off her objections. “Nothing confidential or about Felix. Or about anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. I just…” he raised a shoulder. “We don’t talk. I think we can work on fixing that. Tell me about your life. Anything you want.”

Chloe sighed and began to speak. She told him about Felix buying her a camera and learning about photography. How light and composition changed the feeling of a picture. There was an art to it beyond selfies or Instagram posts. She even told him a very condensed version of using her camera to diffuse an akuma situation on set. His face managed to look both proud and disappointed at the same time.

She didn’t feel like bringing up Lila or Dupain-Cheng. (She could call her that in her mind.) Instead, she talked about learning to play D&D with the Quantic Kids or how Mylene had come a long way since “Horrificator” in her acting. Adrien listened without interrupting until she finally ran out of things to say.

“Come on,” she stood up and reached for his hand. “Sharing feelings makes me hungry. Let’s see if the cafeteria has anything that won’t poison us. If it looks horrible, I know a place nearby that does delivery.”

*****

Gorilla was waiting for them near the entrance of the hospital cafeteria. He didn’t speak but didn’t seem angry or hurried. Adrien drooped even lower until he saw the rectangular box in the man’s overly large hands

Adrien brightened, hands reaching out to take the object from his driver/bodyguard. “Is that a genuine bento box?”

The man nodded but didn’t give the boy the box.

“From Kagami?” Adrien’s hands went to the box but didn’t take it away from the man who’d guarded him nearly half his life.

The man nodded, then grunted and pointed at a nearby seat. He was drawing attention and preferred to fade into the background but the boy’s delight made it difficult.

“Ugh,” Chloe rolled her eyes and dragged his friend to the table. “Come on…he’s telling you to eat it here because your dad will take it away and force you to eat three leaves and an acorn.”

Gorilla nodded and gently nudged the boy along. “Okay, I’ll eat it now but I should FaceTime Kagami later to say thank you.”

“And you know…talk about your feelings or whatever,” Chloe put out a hand to stop him before he interrupted. “Yeah, I can’t believe these words are coming out of my mouth either but one of the cool things about having a boy or girlfriend is to have someone to confide in, right?”

Adrien just smiled, letting her know without words how much he appreciated her being there for him.

There was no way in hell she’d let him know she was touched. “Shut it, Agreste.”

*****

Wednesday was clear and calm. With no reshoots to do, Marinette found herself with the rarest of gifts; free time. Her designs for the ball gowns were finished and turned into Mme. Jennings for pattern making. She’d learned all her lines and could rehearse with Luka, Felix, and Allan tomorrow. The bakery was closed for a week and her parents were away at a bed and breakfast. They had M. Haprele come by every day to check on her and Captain Anarka promised to let her come over during the day for “supervised” visits. Yes, there was an adult on board but Luka and Marinette would be mostly on their own.

“Ahoy, Liberty!” Marinette called out when she reached the dock. “Permission to come aboard! Lower the gangplank, if you please!”

She heard the patter of running shoes on a wooden floor when Luka appeared above deck, trying to look as if he hadn’t been running at all. Her eyebrows rose in appreciation. He was wearing black skinny jeans and a matching vest with shoes. There was an aqua blue shirt under the vest and his usual assortment of jewelry.

All he needs is a teal bracelet, she thought to herself and then sighed. Luka could never be Viperion again…but perhaps another sort of reptile?

Marinette imagined Luka dressed in the red and black of the Dragon Miraculous. He’d look incredibly handsome wielding a sword…and some cute little horns…

Luka saw her staring at him with unfocused, dilated eyes and grinned. “Do you like what you see?”

“Yessss,” she drooled and then snapped out of her fog. “Yes! You look great!” She looked him over with a critical designer’s eye and approved. “I like the new outfit.”

He struck a pose and winked at her. “Mom and I found a goldmine when we went thrifting last week.” He looked her up and down. “You look pretty great yourself.”

Marinette gave him a mock curtsy, pleased he’d noticed. She’d paired a high-waisted pair of jean shorts with a pink shirt with navy horizontal stripes and some old pink canvas shoes that had been her mother’s. She lifted her foot so he could see them. “Vintage nineties.”

He nodded in approval. “They suit you.” He lowered the gangplank. “Permission to come aboard granted.”

She boarded the ship and unslung her backpack from over her shoulder. “I brought some snacks from the bakery. And a few sketchbooks. You know, in case I get inspired.”

“I do the same thing with this guitar app on my phone. Just in case I’m ever caught somewhere without Euterpe.” Euterpe was the name of Luka’s acoustic guitar, the one he’d built himself.

“Ah, Euterpe,” she sighed. “All other women pale beside her. The love of your life.” She giggled and nudged his side. “Even when you get a girlfriend, the poor girl would still only be your side piece.”

Luka just smiled, unoffended. “Not at all. Anyone I end up in a relationship with would understand Euterpe’s place in my life and not feel jealous.”

Marinette paused for a second as she processed this information. “Anyone? Oh, ok. Well, as long as they’re treated as an equal partner, like Euterpe.”

He laughed. “At the thrift store I found a copy of Crocodile Heart on DVD. Wanna watch it?”

Her eyes lit up. “Does Fang have scales? Of course I do!” She grabbed on to him. “Is it the special edition? With Jagged’s commentary? Eeeee!” She wiggled with excitement at his nod. “I can’t wait!”

Luka shushed her gently. “Hey, my mom’s home. You know how she gets when she hears his name.”

Marinette quieted immediately, hands over her mouth. “Sorry! I mean…sorry,” she whispered. “It’s still awesome that she played in a band with him.”

“I know, right?”

*****

"You are?.." "You are?.."

Marinette shifted as she considered the answer. “Is it…’you are the popcorn of my life?’ “

Luka chuckled before throwing a piece of croissant at her. “It’s…’you are the donut of my life.”

She caught it in her mouth and chewed it before swallowing. “Right! From his ‘Candy Apple’ album. Every song was related to food somehow. Next?”

They were lying together in a haphazard clump on Luka’s bed. Jagged Stone’s first movie was playing but both of them were too busy eating and asking each other trivia questions to watch it. It was a rather silly tale of a man and his crocodile traveling through the Australian rainforest in search of adventure and the last known copy of a pioneering rock star’s first record. Ordinarily Marinette would have pointed out that exposure to the kind of moisture rainforests are know for would ruin the album but the movie was fun and dumb and she knew it well enough to quote lines.

Luka sighed, content with Marinette snuggled up to him. He enjoyed filming and thought Felix and the others could all be friends after the movie but he preferred the peace of home. He could also admit to himself he was selfish enough to want Marinette all to himself. He blessed the day she came tripping into his life with her warmth and creativity and intelligence. He only regretted that she, Rose and Juleka had been too afraid or worn down by Chloe Bourgeois to become friends earlier. If she had met him before Adrien Agreste, would she have had a crush on Luka instead?

His better self insisted he was being greedy but he felt less guilty than he would have a year ago. Adrien was firmly in a relationship with Kagami, who was helping him grow a spine. Felix? Felix was smart, cunning, ruthless when he had to be but warm and loving to those who’d earned his loyalty. Felix reminded Luka of a cat while his cousin was more like a friendly golden retriever. Was there a Dog Miraculous? Adrien would be perfect.

“Here’s another one,” Luka said finally, ‘I gave up everything…’ “

“But my dreams!” Marinette answered happily.

“Another point to House Dupain-Cheng,” he smiled down at her. She smiled back.

Marinette was quiet and then said, “My turn. ‘My guitar…’ “

“ ‘...is my only family,” Luka interjected, “From his ‘Alone On the Road’ live concert. I love that song.”

She was clearly impressed. “Whoa, twenty to twelve, in favor of House Couffaine.” She booped him on the nose and handed him the last strawberry macaron. “You sir, are officially the world’s number one Jagged Stone fan.”

He accepted the macaron with all the poise of a gracious winner. “I accept your bribe and allow you one more question: ‘Under the moonlight, by the sea…’ “

She flailed as she thought about her answer. “ ‘Under the moonlight, by the sea’…I almost have it…it was his first song…’kiss me!’ ”

“Well, if you insist…”, he joked and leaned in closer.

She giggled and then her eyes flew wide open as she realized how close he was.

Luka had lovely eyes the color of the summer sea.

Marinette wondered what it would be like to kiss his soft pink lips and feel his heartbeat under her hand. She knew being a delivery boy kept him in shape. What would he look like without his shirt?

“G’day, Ruby! How is the most beautiful vet in all of Northern Australia?”

“Don’t try and act all sweet to me, you British git! What has that garbage disposal of a croc swallowed now?”

The two teens sprang apart, feeling embarrassed and strangely disappointed. “I forgot that the movie was on,” Marinette’s words sounded dumb and lame, even to her own ears but it was better than sitting in silence.

Luka almost wished he’d taken the initiative but didn’t want to rush her or do anything without her consent. “Me too. I wonder what happened to the woman who played Ruby?”

Marinette smiled at him gratefully. “I think she had a brief career as a pop star in Australia before making a few movies and then writing a series of young adult mysteries.”

“Good. For her.” Awkward silence descended again and he cleared his throat. “Uh…it’s getting stuffy down here. Let’s go up to the deck.”

*****

“I’m so glad you finally agreed to try this.”

“I can’t believe I never thought of this before.”

“Well, maybe you just weren’t ready. Let me show you the position I like to use best.”

Luka sat on the deck then crossed his legs, one after the other. He straightened his spine and rested his hands on his knees, palms up and closed his eyes. “Now all you do is breathe.”

Marinette copied his pose and tried to focus on nothing but her breath. “Do I need to…focus on a thought?”

“Or a goal. Or nothing at all.”

She sat quietly and concentrated on inhaling and exhaling. She did her best to keep her mouth closed and breathed through her nose.

Thoughts swirled chaotically around her head; projects she wanted to try, skills she wanted to learn. The accident where she almost died. Mlle. Sancoeur collapsing. She imagined all of them turning into pieces of cloth. Then she folded them up and put them into individually labeled drawers to be dealt with one by one.

Now with her thoughts filed away she began to design her own gown, the only dress she hadn’t designed already because she put her “clients” first. Well, she’d design something amazing for herself this time. It was Felicity’s right as a main character and, if Marinette was honest, she just wanted to do something fancy for herself. At least this once.

She began to imagine a pink dress and first but shook her head. She wore pink so much it was practically her signature color. What would Felicity want?

Medium blue, like her eyes. Something soft, flowy and easy to move in in case of an emergency during the dance. Organza perhaps. Layers and layers with floral applique embellishments; like roses. Some climbing roses would look pretty, perhaps in cream and pink. Or silver and dark blue. Maybe all four. Then an off the shoulder neckline with short winged sleeves. Lacing on the back of the bodice would fit the Victorian aesthetic. She could wear low comfortable heels and…

Rebuild her hero team.

She thought about how they looked on Heroes Day when Chloe was still trying to become a true hero. She thought of Ryuuko standing up to her mother. Viperion and his determination to save his family. Or most of the team working together to defeat Party Crasher.

Just because Hawk Moth is taking the summer off doesn’t mean he’s gone. What are you doing to defeat him? What are you doing here?

Marinette gasped as her eyes popped open and she looked at Luka. For a moment Viperion’s mask was superimposed on his face. It almost made her want to cry. He’d been such a good hero. It wasn’t fair that he had to retire because of her negligence.

He must have felt her gaze on her because his eyes opened and looked at her. His eyebrows raised as looked over her with concern. “Is something wrong, or did you have one of those epiphanies of yours?”

“Something like that,” she demurred. His calm, patient gaze coaxed her into telling him her idea about her ball costume. “I know what I want to design for myself now! I’m thinking something soft and flowy, with rose embroidery and a full skirt. In organza.”

“What style?” he asked.

She couldn’t help but smile at him. One of the things she lov-liked about Luka was he didn’t just sit and nod politely when she talked about design. Even her parents did it. Luka always asked questions, even if he didn’t know much about fashion. He was willing to learn; maybe so he’d have something to talk to her about, or just to expand his own knowledge about the world.

“I bet it’s blue,” he grinned, “to match your eyes.”

Marinette was sure she was blushing. He could go from learning about her hobbies to flirting with her so effortlessly. Or, was he just being nice? She found herself hoping he was flirting. She felt her resolve to ask him out after the movie wrapped to be slipping. Would it hurt to ask him out now? Yes. She should wait a little longer to make sure she was over Adrien. Luka deserved that.

But did he have to have such pretty eyes and kissable lips? It just wasn’t fair.

She blinked and decided to distract herself from wishing she could kiss Luka.

What should she think about? The movie? Costumes?

Felix popped into her head for some reason. She was starting to like him, even if he acted like a creepy toolbag when they first met. Hell, he still acted like a toolbag sometimes but he had his good points too.

He was clever and creative. He had drive and ambition but didn’t feel the need to step on people to achieve his goals. To the contrary, he wanted to take those he considered talented with him. He was a loyal friend and son and had facets to his personality she never would have noticed before working with him.

But unfortunately he was also hot. Distractingly hot, with soft peach lips and sexy green eyes. Like his cousin.

Whoops! Time to think of something else!

“So…if you don’t mind me asking, why did you take up meditation?” she asked her friend. “Was it because your mom is…kind of chaotic and you needed some calm?”

At first she thought she’d offended him but he chuckled and responded, “Kinda. Yeah. Mom’s great but she can be a little over the top.” He thought for a moment and then added, “kinda like Jagged. Maybe that’s why their relationship was so volatile and they stopped playing together.”

Marinette giggled and he continued. “But there’s more to it than just that.” He sighed and his face became more serious. “You see, I needed it.”

Her eyes widened as she looked at him. “But…you’re so calm and level-headed! I’ve only seen you mad-”

He nodded. “Silencer. Yeah.” He unfolded his legs and lay on the deck with his hands on his stomach. Marinette copied his new pose and lay beside him. She looked him in the eyes and nodded at him to show she was listening.

Luka went on. “See, when I was younger, I had a lot of anger issues and resentment.” She must have looked surprised because he laughed. “Yeah. I know. But it can happen to the best of us.”

She fought the urge to interrupt and ask questions. His eyes went unfocused as he recalled embarrassing memories.

“I never knew who my father was. I can remember occasional raised voices and glass breaking but other than slammed doors, nothing. Not even a name.” Marinette scooted a little closer and put her head on his shoulder to show support. He went on.

“It made me angry that she wouldn’t tell me something so important. Jules and I deserve to know who our dad is and why he left us, even if he doesn’t want to be part of our lives.” He sighed and looked at the sky.

“You can imagine some of the shit we heard in school. Kids can understand death and divorce but not even knowing who your dad is? People just assume your mom’s a slut and as the kids of a slut, you’re no better.”

“The people you went to ecole with were…assholes,” Marinette nearly tripped over the curse word.

Luka couldn’t help but smile, both at her defense and using a word that made her uncomfortable to make him feel better. “Yeah, they were.” He sighed. “So, I was angry. Not just at them, but at the man who abandoned us and the mom who was such an anarchist she moved us onto a boat to avoid property taxes she couldn’t afford and neighbors who gossiped about us.”

“Times were tough and we didn’t have a lot of stability back then. Sometimes,” it made him feel disloyal to admit it, “I was angry at Mom for not being a normal parent and taking care of us. I resented Juleka because it felt like I was raising her along with myself and I had too much responsibility for a kid my age.”

They laid there quietly for a few minutes then Marinette prompted, “so…what happened?”

He laughed but it became a sigh. “There was a big kid in our class. Hugo. What he lacked in smarts he made up for in fists. He picked on us and that was ok, we were used to that. But one day he decided he wanted the lunch I’d made for Juleka and he grabbed it out of her hands, then punched her in the face for threatening to tell the teacher. He made her bleed and almost knocked out one of her baby teeth. I…lost it.”

He seemed to be debating with himself whether or not to tell her the rest. She tried to console him. “You don’t have to say anything else if you don’t want-”

Luka nuzzled the top of her head. “It’s okay. I think I need to. To make a long story short, I punched him hard enough to knock him down. Then I knocked out two of his teeth and punched him in the ribs. It took a couple of teachers and a janitor to pull me off him.”

Marinette said nothing but the idea of a Luka angry enough to punch someone until they bled made her shiver a little.

She stole a glance at his face. He looked tired and ashamed. She could tell he hadn’t enjoyed beating up a bully; the kid could have had a crappy home life too. Still the boy had crossed a line when he hurt Juleka. “You were just defending your sister,” she told him.

He laughed but it sounded bitter and cynical. “That might have been true at first but the truth is I think I was taking out all my aggression and resentment on him. Yeah, he messed with my sister,” he frowned, “but I crossed a line too.”

She lay her head on his shoulder and let him vent. She could sense he needed to get this all out. This was probably something no one outside his little family or the other people involved had ever heard. She was honored that he’d chosen to confide in her.

“Needless to say, his parents and the principal got involved. They’d wanted to have me expelled but the principal brought in Hugo’s file and showed them how many times their son had bullied other kids and they’d done nothing to correct his behavior. So, they backed off pretty quickly and both of us were sent to psychological counseling.”

His eyes softened a bit, remembering. “My counselor was this great lady named Doctor Smythe. I think it was the first time an adult listened to me and my problems. She didn’t judge or get angry with me but she suggested meditation as a way to cope. She told me I might not be able to control my environment or the world around me but I could control how I reacted.

He looked down at her. Marinette’s eyes glowed with interest and compassion. He was glad his story hadn’t chased her away. “I’m not proud of how I acted back then, but what I learned has helped me gain better control of myself.” He smiled into her eyes. “I think meditation could help you with your anxiety. Learning how to relax and not take on so much would help too,” he chided gently.

She couldn’t help but laugh. She’d give anything to be able to take some of the burdens off her shoulders, bring Master Fu back to be The Guardian, get more hero help. She smiled back at him. “Would you like to teach me?” Would you be my new Dragon? “Maybe that would help.”

Luka stared at her cerulean eyes, her full lush pink lips. He wanted more than anything to kiss her, hold her close to him, maybe feel her bare skin and put her hand on his chest so she could feel his beating heart…

No. Nope, Nuh-uh. He was rushing things and she was just barely over Adrien. Plus, she worked with Felix, who, despite becoming a friend, looked just like Adrien. It wasn’t time yet.

“Sure,” was all he said, “maybe after a nap.”

*****

Anarka found her son and his future girlfriend (suck it, Amelie) cuddled together in sleep. She slipped pillows under their heads and took a picture before sneaking away.

Ah, lad. You could’ve stolen a kiss, at least.

*****

Adrien checked the hallway leading to his father’s atelier. The man had been barricaded in there ever since Nathalie had been admitted to the hospital. He’d ignored his son even more than usual so the boy took advantage of his inattention to blow off his piano practice to FaceTime his girlfriend.

He dialed her number and was pleased to see her face appear after a few seconds. She was dressed casually in a pair of white capris and a red button-up with three-quarter sleeves. She smiled warmly at him; the smile that she saved for those closest to her. It made him pause and stare every time.

“Wow!” He exclaimed as he looked her up and down. He blinked to make sure he didn’t imagine seeing her in something besides her class uniform, fencing garb or that lovely kimono at the Miraculous premiere. “That looks amazing on you!”

She laughed and said, “Thank you, I know. Marinette made a Spinterest board full of outfit ideas for me. I bought this online and had it shipped along with some fencing equipment. Mother was none the wiser.” Her smile turned sly and, to Adrien’s mind, very very sexy. “Mother thinks I am practicing the violin at the moment. What about M. Agreste?”

“Oh. Father thinks I’m practicing the piano.” He winked at her. “Of course, with Nathalie away, he’s a lot more preoccupied than usual.” It hurt him a little to think of her all alone in the hospital but he didn’t know anything about her family so there was no one he could call. She’d called him that morning; she sounded weak but ok. For some reason she wanted him to be sure to tell his father she had all her personal effects with her except her tablet, which Adrien had given his father. She was being monitored around the clock and had little privacy but was well taken care of. She assured him she’d be back in the morning but in the meantime he should remind his father to eat and not just live on coffee.

“How is Mlle. Sancoeur?” Kagami asked and he beamed at her in appreciation. His girlfriend might not be as outwardly expressive as someone like Rose or Alya but she was as kind and considerate as Marinette.

“She’s doing a lot better,” he assured her. “Her vitals were good, the doctor said, but she needs to work on managing her stress better. She’s also vitamin deficient and needs to stay hydrated.” He sighed and then confided, “Father works her too hard.”

Kagami nodded. She was familiar with stress and hard work but if the woman was not taking in enough nutrients then she clearly was neglecting her health. “Humans can be unreliable. I think that’s why Mother employs AI whenever possible.”

“Does that mean you also have a robot butler who brings you little drinks and snacks?” Adrien wanted to know.

She blinked once. “Of course,” she answered stoically. She then frowned seriously and asked, “Why? Don’t you?”

They stared at each other for a minute and then laughed.

Adrien sighed happily, feeling some of the tension of the past twenty-four hours slip away. “You are so funny!” He said. He smiled a bit wistfully at his girlfriend. “I wish all my friends knew how funny you are.”

“Well, comedy isn’t something I can force,” she replied thoughtfully. She didn’t want to tell him that most of his friends were predisposed to dislike her because they were upset she had torpedoed the “Adrienette ship” so thoroughly. “Although Marinette has said I’m funny as well.”

Marinette had morphed from a girl who was no more than a rival to be vanquished to a cherished friend. Kagami tried not to cringe when she remembered how she had so casually told Ladybug that even though she didn’t want to hurt Marinette, she had no trouble doing so if it meant winning Adrien. Her actions shamed her. She had always detested girls who would backstab their best friend if it meant the boy they liked chose them over said friend. Women had enough obstacles from men without the girls who should be their sisters competing with them too.

To learn that she was little better than some grasping, conniving schoolgirl who wanted senpai to notice them was humbling. She was very lucky Marinette was getting over Adrien on her own and moving on, perhaps to Luka. He seemed to notice and appreciate her friend and his calm steadiness balances Marinette’s manic frenzy.

Really, those two were perfect for each other. Two little blueberries in joyous harmony. Seeing Marinette and Luka interact so happily made her feel a little less guilty about taking Adrien for her own. True, Marinette had hesitated but it was also possible the girl had anxiety. Perhaps once Luka and Marinette were officially a couple she could put her remorse aside and move on. She looked forward to the day she could whole-heartedly support “Lukanette.”

Kagami didn’t realize she’d been staring into space for fifteen seconds until Adrien spoke up. “What’s wrong, ‘Gami?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know what you mean. Why should anything be wrong?”

He frowned, making himself look like a concerned puppy. “Do you honestly think I don’t know you well enough by now?” He grinned and rubbed his forehead. “You get this little wrinkle in your forehead right above your nose when something’s bothering you. Come on,” he coaxed, “you’ve listened to me rant for hours about Father, Felix, having to model with someone I can’t stand, all that stuff.” Adrien’s smile was warm and comforting. “It’s my turn to be the confidant. Someone you can talk to and lean on when you need to. Now,” he sat back a bit and settled into his “listening pose”. “What’s on your mind?”

I feel as if I took advantage of another girl’s doubts and fears to win you for myself. She wasn’t my friend at first but now she is my best friend besides you. It’s made me feel incredibly guilty, like I behaved dishonorably. What should I do? Kagami hesitated, then said, “there are some things…I would like to share them with you but I’m…ashamed.” She looked down at her lap and couldn’t look at him in case he could see her guilt.

“Hey…it’s okay. Don’t share if you’re not ready,” he soothed. “But…if there’s something that I could help you with, even if it’s just to listen, you can. Or…you know…we could sit and stare at each other while we think about how cute we both are.”

She chuckled. It wasn’t a very funny joke, but he was trying. “Well, allow me to tell you about what I can talk about.” She sat up a little straighter. “I think I mentioned Mother wanted me to study some traditional arts, like tea ceremony, flower arranging, and calligraphy.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I remember you mentioning that.”

“Well,” she began and almost stopped. No, she would not allow herself to hesitate. Not even once. “I somewhat enjoy the tea ceremony. It’s rather meditative and the precision and care calligraphy requires is not unlike fencing. However…”

“But..the flower arranging?” Adrien prompted.

“Is…boring!” she burst out.

He started as did she, surprised at her own words. The proverbial dam had broken and she couldn’t stop if she wanted to. “I cannot stand flowers! And you have to be so careful because every color has significance. An uneven number of flowers is lucky while an even number is unlucky. Plus having thorns in the arrangement can have meaning, so can stems and leaves. Plus you have to be aware of symmetry and you basically sit quietly for hours doing nearly nothing while you contemplate the meaning of adding sticks. It’s just…a waste of time to me but Mother loves it and wants me to love it too.”

She slumped a bit, embarrassed at her show of emotion, of her boyfriend seeing her at less than her best. What must he think of her now?

“Hey, Kagami?” Adrien’s earnest face filled her phone’s screen. “Trust me, I understand. You're a woman of passion and action and your mom doesn’t understand you’re not just a perfect copy of her. It’s okay.” He smiled. “You’re amazing, just the way you are. It’s great that you’re trying things you don’t like to make her happy.”

She smiled, feeling reassured and happy and seen. She wasn’t a cold ice queen with no emotions, just a girl who struggled with self-expression after being sheltered all her life. She longed to break free and do what she wanted and be who she wanted without feeling as if she were letting her entire family line down. She looked at Adrien and judging by his sympathetic expression, he understood because he was under the same pressure of expectations.

“Would you…would you like to see what I really want to do?” Kagami asked shyly. She trusted him enough to be a little vulnerable now and then.

He nodded eagerly. “Yes, please!”

Adrien wondered what Kagami could possibly be passionate about. Did she want to be an acrobat like Cirque du Soleil? Did she secretly want to play basketball or be a dancer? He couldn’t wait to see it.

Kagami grinned, looking incredibly young and adorable to his eyes. She pulled out a hardcover sketchbook and held it up to her phone’s camera for him to see.

He gasped as she slowly turned the pages to show him her work as best she could. She’d drawn him! Not just him but Gorilla standing guard, face soft as he looked up kitten videos. There was also Nathalie looking irritated at something Bob Roth was saying. His father looking at their family portrait with such a look of raw longing for his mother Adrien could almost feel it.

As the pages turned he saw that girl Allegra and her boyfriend being sweet when they thought no one was looking. Ivan spun Mylene as they danced in a hallway on set. He saw Felix, several versions of him; furtive, angry. Amused, mischievous and then he saw him squaring up against Marinette. Both looked determined and strong, refusing to back down. They looked like opponents who were evenly matched. To his surprise, they looked good together.

Kagami turned again and on the last page was Marinette and Luka. She leaned against him and looked up, her gaze soft and trusting. Luka looked down at her as if she were the most important, the most precious thing in the world and he’d do anything to keep her safe.

They would make an amazing couple. He had always thought so, ever since that day at the ice rink.

Adrien looked up and saw Kagami staring at him, hopeful yet nervous.

“So…” she fidgeted a bit, which she rarely did. “What do you think?”

“It’s gorgeous!” He looked at her with awe. “You could be a professional.” He had the world’s most talented girlfriend and he wanted to brag to all of France about her. “Is there anything you can’t do?”

It seemed to be the wrong thing to say. Kagami shut her sketchbook and slumped a bit, looking defeated.

“According to Mother, Art,” she sighed. She sat up and looked at her boyfriend. “She says art might be an acceptable hobby depending on the form but not a career.” She shrugged. “I am a Tsurugi and though I am allowed to fence and play music one day I will take over the family business and I must prepare myself for that.” It was an old argument she’d had with her mother several times. “Being a Tsurgi means there is no time for personal dreams.”

“Didn’t your mother want to be an actress once?” Adrien reminded her.

“Yes.” She breathed in, then out slowly. “Yes, so you would think she would be a little more sympathetic towards my need to…”

“Rebel? Sneak away so you can be your true self?” He suggested.

She looked up at him with a smile, glad to see he understood and didn’t judge her for her little acts of disobedience. A kindred spirit.

Adrien grinned. Kagami was one of the few people in his life who understood him. It was both comforting and incredibly freeing. He just wanted to ask her something.

“You look great in red but how do you feel about teal?”

*****

Marinette waited until her parents went to bed, waited another thirty minutes to make sure they were asleep and then turned to Ladybug before slipping out via her trapdoor and making her way to the Eiffel Tower.

To her surprise her partner was already there, sitting down and scrolling through images on his baton. She decided to play a little prank and tried to sneak up on him.

“Hey, Ladybug.”

She stopped trying to sneak and straightened up. It had been weeks since he stopped calling her “Bugaboo” or even “M’Lady”. She didn’t miss the stupid nicknames but she didn’t miss the easy banter they used to have.

Still, his civilian life seemed to be a bit better. He had a girlfriend, an actual girl and not just someone made up to make her jealous. He was happy and she was happy for him, even though every now and then she mourned the death of her crush. Still, it wasn’t healthy and she was nearly incapable of talking to him for the longest time. Besides, there was Luka.

She realized her partner was waiting for a response and stuttered out, “Oh. He-hey, Kitty! How’s your-” she broke off as she noticed his posture.

Chat Noir looked slumped, defeated. She sat beside him and put an arm around his shoulder and drew him into a sideways hug. He rested his head on her shoulder, seeking comfort. Neither spoke for a few minutes until she cajoled. “If you need to talk or take a break, we can try again tomorrow or the next day.”

“But we need new teammates,” he spoke into her collar bone.

Ladybug reached up and petted her partner’s head. “Not at the risk of our original team. Self-care, remember? You’re always telling me I need to take time for myself or have fun. Don’t push yourself if you’re not feeling it.”

He surprised her by pulling away from her hair-stroking and scooting away. “No,” he sighed. I need to get away from home for a few hours. Right now I need something to keep my mind occupied.”

Dozens of questions ran through her head but her reply was, “You got it, Kitty. Now, do you have someone in mind for the Snake? Is it someone you can trust? Don’t tell me who it is!” She held up her hand when he opened his mouth. “I trust you and if you trust them that’s good enough for me.”

He stood up and pulled her to her feet. He tried to smile but it fell flat. “Thanks, Ladybug.” His usually cocky demeanor was gone and she never thought she’d miss it so much. “It means a lot to me to have your trust.”

They shared a grin. He was irritating and went overboard on puns but he finally was growing up and getting over his entitlement. It was a long time coming and she hoped he wouldn’t revert if he and his girlfriend broke up. She already had a plan in place to deal with that.

He cleared his throat. “Okay, um…team bonding moment over.” He held out his hand. “If you don’t mind, may I have the Miraculous now? I want to have time to train my purr-fect candidate before twenty-one hundred.”

She rolled her eyes out of habit but spoiled it by smiling at him. She opened her yo-yo and pulled out the Snake bracelet. It changed from rose gold to silver as she handed it to him. “I’ll meet you and your new trainee back here at Twenty hundred hours. See ya later, Kitty!” She jumped off the deck of the Eiffel Tower.

Chat Noir grinned; a little in awe, a little ruefully. “No matter how many times I see her do that, it never gets old.” He deployed his baton and hopped away into the night.

#Worthy Opponent AU #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #felix graham de vanily #kagami tsuguri #chloe bourgeois

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soap-lady · 2 years ago

Text

I was going to post this Saturday..

Hey everyone!

I didn’t want anyone to think I was playing a prank so I decided to wait until today. Hope you enjoy chapter 22 of Worthy Opponent.

Taglist:

Worthy Opponent Chapter 22

Ladybug surveyed the Liberty before coming aboard. Ankara was off; Luka had told her once on Wednesdays his mother volunteered at a women’s shelter to teach self-defense. Luka was practicing, the notes from his guitar wafted up from his cabin below deck and flitted through her ears. She took a few minutes to take in his beautiful music before knocking politely on the porthole outside his cabin.

The strumming abruptly stopped and Luka stuck his head out of the porthole. He looked surprised to see her but not unpleasantly so. “Hey, Ladybug.” He opened the porthole. “Would you care to come in?”

She looked at the porthole doubtfully. “I’d probably get stuck.”

“Right. I’ll come up and let you in.” He smiled at her and she’d be a liar if she said her heart didn’t flutter, at least a little.

Luka opened the door leading below decks and motioned for her to come downstairs. She followed him and closed the door behind her.

He led the way down the stairs and to his newly private bedroom. Anarka had emptied out a storeroom to give her children the privacy they craved. It also meant they no longer walked in on each other changing or, in Luka’s case, seeing his sister make out with her girlfriend.

He pointed at his bed and did a “please sit” gesture before sitting in the chair across from the bed. She sat down with a grateful smile and he folded his hands in his lap as he waited for his guest to get comfortable.

Once she was settled he said, “I’m assuming this is hero business and not a social call.” He leaned forward and gave her a gentle smile. “So, what can I do for you, Ladybug?”

He was always so perceptive and understanding. She lov-liked that about him and appreciated the fact he wasn’t throwing questions at him and allowed her to bring up the subject herself. It felt disloyal to think it but in some ways he was a better hero than Alya had been. She knew she was making the right choice.

She cleared her throat and started to explain. “Well, now that Hawk Moth knows the identities of the temporary holders, we can’t bring any of the old heroes back.”

He frowned a little. “Well, you told me that already. So, if you don’t mind my asking, why are you here?”

She sighed and fidgeted. She had a grandiose speech she had rehearsed in her head and with Tikki but of course when it came time to recite it to Luka, she’d forgotten it. She decided to wing it instead. He wouldn’t judge her.

Ladybug slid a finger over the top of her yo-yo. It opened and slid apart. Through the glow she pulled out a black choker with a red bead in the middle. Luka’s eyes widened as he watched her. “Well, just because you can’t be Viperion any more doesn’t mean you can’t be some other kind of hero.”

He smiled and looked excited and it was all she could do not to melt. He was so cute!

She straightened up and tried to look professional. “Luka Couffaine,” she held the Miraculous out to him. “This is the Miraculous of the Dragon, which grants the power of The Elements. You will use it for the greater good.”

He nodded and she gingerly placed the choker in his hand. A ball of light erupted from the necklace and circled his head twice before the light faded and a familiar dragon kwami appeared in front of him.

Luka smiled. As much as he loved being a musician and lately an actor, he’d be lying to himself if he said he didn’t enjoy being a hero. Not just protecting his family and friends but Paris. That and there was just something about Ladybug that resonated with him. Had circumstances been different, he could have easily fallen for her and that would have made him disloyal to Marinette. Not to mention causing tension with the team and Chat Noir.

He ignored what might have been and looked at the little creature in front of him. “Hi,” he said to them, “I love the spikes.”

The being preened. “I can see you are a young man of exquisite taste,” they said. “I am Longg and I am to be your kwami. Together we shall do great deeds with style and aplomb.” They bowed and he bowed back.

“Once the mission is done,” she took a deep breath and steadied her nerves. “You will keep the Miraculous and guard it with your life. Can I trust you?”

Luka was about to put the choker around his neck and then paused. “Wait, what?”

Ladybug met and held his gaze. He couldn’t have looked away if he were on fire. “Just because Hawk Moth hasn’t been as active lately doesn’t mean he’s gone. We need allies but we won’t always have the time to hunt for someone worthy so it’s better to have one or two people standing by at all times.”

He didn’t say anything at first, just stared at the necklace in his hands. It was an overwhelming honor to be chosen as even a temporary hero but for Ladybug to trust him enough to make him a permanent hero was mind blowing.

Long floated in front of his face to catch his attention. “Ladybug did not make this decision lightly nor did she make it alone.” They smiled proudly. “I have been observing you in secret to see if you had what it takes to be my Wielder and you did.” They chuckled as they saw the surprise on the boy’s face. “Sass spoke quite fondly of you as well and said you were kind, trustworthy, brave and responsible. A perfect candidate.”

Luka looked sad when Longg mentioned his former kwami. “That was kind of him.” He looked over at the spotted hero. “Thank him for me, will you? And tell him I enjoyed working with him.”

She nodded and smiled. “I will,” she promised.

Longg took over the conversation. “You have three elements to choose from; wind, water, and lightning. Once all three are discharged your power will be at an end until you recharge my abilities.”

Both the kwami and the heroine smiled at the boy and he felt warmed by their faith in him. For a moment Marinette’s face flashed into his mind and he remembered how she looked at him when he finally perfected a new song and wanted her to be the first to hear it.

He finished putting on the choker and turned to Longg. “So, new partner, what do I do?”

The dragon kwami was very pleased to be addressed as an equal. “All you need to say is, ‘Longg, bring the storm.’ “

Luka stood up and spread his arms. “Longg, bring the storm!”

Longg became sucked into the Miraculous and in a flash of red light Luka was gone and a new hero stood in his place. He grinned and looked at his reflection in the mirror attached to his door.

“Wow!”

“Wow” was right. Gone was the spandex that had been Ryuuko’s trademark and instead he wore a motorcycle jacket with spiked shoulder pads and studded trim. He wore padded fingerless gloves on his hands and black with red trim motorcycle boots. His hair was black with red tips and styled into short spikes. He had horns that emerged from the top of his forehead and then curved backwards like a dragon illustration he’d seen in a book years ago.

He did a circle as Ladybug watched, loving the look of wonder on his face as he took in his new appearance. “Hey! Is the jacket removable?” Before she could answer he pulled it off and looked at himself again. “It is!” he exclaimed.

The heroine swallowed. Hard. The shirt was sleeveless and black, like thin kevlar. In the middle of the chest were the symbols for water, wind, and lightning, circling each other in a blood red ring. The pants match the jacket and the boots and flared a bit at the bottom. Clearly making all those deliveries had made his arms and legs toned and strong.

She shook her head and was glad he hadn’t noticed her staring and couldn’t hear her heart racing. Or her less than pure thoughts. “So, uh…” she paused and waited for him to tell her his new hero name.

“Wyvern,” he said. He put the jacket back on As Jagged would say, he looked very rock and roll. He wondered if he could get away with taking a picture to show Juleka when she got home. He looked over his shoulder at Ladybug. “Call me ‘Wyvern’ “.

She tilted her head and thought. “Wyvern. I like it.” She stood up and tried to regain a hold of herself and the situation. “So, Wyvern, are you up for a little training?” She grinned up at him. He was so damn cute. “Maybe get to know these new powers?”

“I’d love to,” he swept his hand towards the door. “After you, of course.”

*****

Chat Noir observed the Tsurugi compound from a safe distance. Clearly Mme. Tsurugi had the money and influence to have a traditional Japanese style home built in the middle of Paris. He was impressed, even though it reminded him of something his father would do if he suddenly found himself living in Tokyo.

The house was mostly dark and peaceful but he wasn’t stupid. He knew the Tsurugis had a complex security system with sentry drones and invisible lasers. However he had something equally important: Kagami’s phone number.

CNOIR: Can you sneak outside? It’s important. Lady_Sumo: Who are you? CNOIR: It’s Chat Noir. I’m here on official superhero business. Adrien gave me your number. Lady_Sumo: If that is so, what’s the password? CNOIR: Chihiro

There were a series of ellipses and he sighed. Chihiro was the main character of Kagami’s favorite movie as a child, “Spirited Away”. They’d had a long, engaged conversation about Miyasaki’s use of Japanese folklore in his movies. He was sure she remembered.

There was some movement and Chat watched as a sentry drone was deactivated and a slim figure in dark blue made their way over the fence and near the tree he was perched on. She almost had a sixth sense when it came to finding him. Maybe that was one reason they were such a good couple.

He knew just how to get her attention. “Ryuuko?” he whispered.

Her head shot up and even though it was dark and she didn’t have his night vision, she knew exactly where he was. That girl was incredible. Her eyes narrowed up at him, almost daring him to attack. When she was sure he wasn’t an enemy her shoulders relaxed a bit and she smiled. “Hello, Chat Noir.” She stood almost at attention and her serious expression returned. “You said something about official superhero business.” Her eyes looked sad. “I thought Ryuuko and the rest of your allies were retired due to Chloe exposing our identities to Hawk Moth.”

Chat Noir rubbed the back of his neck, a habit he’d carried over from his civilian identity. He stopped himself once he realized what he was doing. “Yeah. About that.”

He extended his baton and held out his hand. “Shall we continue this conversation a bit more privately?”

She looked skeptical and he felt a bit hurt; she didn’t instantly trust him. He tried to remember he wasn’t Adrien right now and although she thought of Chat Noir as a teammate, she probably liked and trusted Ladybug more. He couldn’t blame her; he also liked Ladybug more.

He held up his right hand. “I’m just here to talk to you about whether or not you’d be willing to be a hero again. You’re free to say no and I’ll leave, no hard feelings. I promise to be a complete gentlecat the whole time. If you don’t believe me or would be more comfortable with Ladybug,” he showed her his baton. “I’d be glad to call her right now and she can tell you herself.”

Kagami said nothing, she just stared up at him as if trying to read his mind. He tried to look earnest and credible but his girlfriend was incredibly hot when she was being strong and trying to determine an opponent’s weaknesses.

Finally she relented and took his hand. “I will trust you,” she gave him a rare smile and then glared. “But I’ll hold you to your promise of good behavior. Just remember,” she shook her finger in his face. “I own swords and I’m spoken for.”

He saluted her. “Yes, mademoiselle.”

*****

He took her to the roof of his old college, Francois Dupont. He didn’t always have good memories of this place but it was quiet and in a safe neighborhood so he didn’t have to worry about muggers while they talked. He didn’t want to have to visit his girlfriend in jail after she was convicted of manslaughter.

She took in her surroundings, her only emotional response was a brief tightening of her lips. She looked up at him. “You mentioned superhero business?” The skeptical look was back but it wasn’t hostile. “Hawk Moth knows our identities. I fail to see how I can possibly be Ryuuko again.”

“Oh, but that’s just it!” He couldn’t wait to tell her. Ladybug’s solution was so simple but brilliant he was surprised he hadn’t thought of it himself. Sure, he’d been busy over the summer but not nearly as busy as someone like Marinette. “Okay, so maybe you can’t be Ryuuko again,” he pulled the Snake Miraculous out of the zipper pocket in his suit. “But that doesn’t prevent you from being a new hero, right?”

Kagami recognized that bracelet. It was the one worn by Viperion. She had liked him; he was calm and relaxed, but a reliable teammate who never became flustered if a plan went wrong or an akuma was especially difficult.

She felt ashamed for a moment. Was she being asked to replace Viperion? She understood that Team Miraculous could not continue as it had in the past but surely there was a Miraculous in the box that hadn’t been used yet. To have her replace such a valuable ally felt disrespectful.

Her face was as stoic as always but Chat could read her moods through her eyes and tried not to smile. She was feeling sorry for Viperion, who she thought had been discarded. “Don’t worry. Ladybug had decided to give Viperion a different Miraculous.”

Her guilt eased and she reached for the bracelet only to have Chat pull it away from her.

“Um, sorry,” his laugh was high and nervous. “I’ve never done this before. Let me do it right.” He cleared his throat and began to recite a speech she was sure he’d practiced for hours.

“Kagami Tsurugi, here is the Miraculous of the Snake, which grants the power of Second Chance.” Was that what Ladybug always said? It sounded right. “You will use it for the greater good. Once the job is done, you will guard it and keep it safe. Can I trust you?” Her eyes widened as she realized he was making her a permanent holder.

He held out the bracelet again and she took it. Her fingers shook a little and she hoped he didn’t notice she’d hesitated slightly. She couldn’t help feeling a bit disloyal to Longg, even if the kwami had known hundreds of Chosen before she was born.

A familiar ball of light floated up from the bracelet, circled her head and then turned into a teal cobra with green-yellow eyes. He looked up at her with a calm, even expression. The creature did not appear shocked or disappointed to see her. She chose to see this as a good sign.

“Greetingsss, young lady. My name is Sasss and I am to be your kwami.” He gave her a little bow, which she returned. “Please, take good care of me from now on.”

“I will do so to the best of my abilities, Sass-sama,” she answered, “and I ask the same of you.” She looked at Chat Noir. “If I may ask, why are you pairing us?”

“With all due ressspect, Miss, that was my decissssion,” Sass interrupted. He ignored the surprised look on Chat’s face and went on. “The Guardian felt my skillsss were needed and I had the right to choossse my Wielder. You have proven to have a logical mind, one that can be trusssted not to missusse my abilities.” He felt honored that the young Guardian had such faith in his assessment. It was refreshing to have one’s wisdom acknowledged.

Kagami smiled, flattered at his praise and the kwami was instantly charmed. “Now I am especially honored.” She bowed again, this time at a perfect thirty degree bow. “I will do all that I can to prove worthy of your faith in me, Sass-sama.”

The kwami bowed just as deeply. “I have every faith in you, Miss Kagami.”

She looked from Chat back to Sass. “What must I do now?”

“Once you trigger Sssecond Chance, you will have five minutesss before my power wanesss and I musst recharge.” This she already knew. “Now, all you have to sssay isss: ‘Sass, scales ssslither,” he told her.

Kagami felt the familiar shiver of excitement she felt right before she transformed into Ryuuko. It felt good to know she could be a hero again! Patrolling the city, saving others, showing her mother she was her own person…

No, she was chosen because Sass thought she would not misuse her powers. She would not prove him wrong. She struck a pose and said, “Sass, scales slither!”

Sass disappeared into the ring and felt his power wash over her, not the tingling she was used to but calm, almost cool, like waves gently lapping at the shore. She looked down at herself and wished she had a mirror.

Chat gave a low whistle. He’s always appreciated how good Kagami looked in red but this was a cool look too.

The teal and gray coloration reminded him of a piebald snake; bold swirls from her head to her hips and gradually fading as it reached her legs and feet.

There was a sports jacket with a scale pattern she removed so she could get a better look at her armor. The base of her suit reminded her of a jumpsuit or a flight suit with armor attachments. Sode protected her shoulders while kote and tekko protected her arms and hands respectively. A fairly modern chestplate protected her vitals and an uwa-obi circled her waist. Suneate covered her from the knees to the calves. She rather liked the steel toed boots as well.

The new suit was much more practical than her old one but felt just as light. Magic, she supposed. The only weight was on her back. She reached behind her and pulled off a traditional stringed instrument covered in snakeskin; a sanshin. She plucked the strings and was pleased with the sound. Her mother would approve. Some instinct told her to pull on the instrument’s neck and was surprised to unsheath a sword. Very practical and she would be able to contribute more than just her power to battles.

“You look fantastic!” He knew he was biased and didn’t care but Kagami really could look cute in anything. “Completely ready to kick Hawky’s butt and anyone else who gets in your way.” She hoped her mask concealed her blush; he was almost as complimentary as Adrien.

She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him the eye roll she had learned from Marinette. “I do hope you’re not flirting, koneko-chan.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it…” he broke off and raised his eyebrows at her, looking expectant.

“Ah, yes. I suppose I will need a new superhero name.” She rubbed her chin thoughtfully and then exclaimed, “Mamushi! It is a venomous snake native to Japan.”

“It’s perfect.” Chat Noir grinned because he welcomed any chance to spend extra time with his girlfriend. Now Ladybug had handed him an opportunity practically gift wrapped. She was the best friend he could ask for.

“Race you to Montmartre!” Chat Noir called out and jumped off the room with Mamushi close behind him.

******

Felix set his teacup back down into its saucer and looked his mother straight in the eyes across the table. “Mom, I’m a superhero.”

Amelie didn’t even pause as she continued to spread lemon curd onto her scone. “Of course you are, dear,” she answered vaguely.

He blinked. “What? Do you believe me? Just like that?”

She carefully cut the scone halves in two half-moons and took a bite before answering. “Well, darling, you’re already an actor and a director so why not a superhero as well?

His eyes narrowed. “You’re humoring me,” he said flatly.

She opened her mouth to argue, closed it, and sighed. “Yes, I probably am.” She finished off her scone. “Far be it for me to criticize but the scones from the hotel bakery are a smidge dry compared to the ones back home.” She took another sip of tea. “Then again, anything made on a commercially wide scale would pale compared to the Dupain-Cheng bakery.”

“Oh, darling, don’t make that face,” she pouted at him and he rolled his eyes. He wasn’t doing anything. “You are the most important thing in the world to me and I’ve noticed you’ve been a bit…furtive in the past few weeks. You’re spending more and more time with your friends lately, something I’d usually applaud, but,” she went to take a last sip of tea but both the cup and the pot were empty. She sighed again. “I wish you would confide in me like you used to. I know you miss your father and the last few months have been stressful, especially with all the troubles on set.” She leaned forward and looked him in the eyes. Her expression was sincere and a little somber. “Trust me, sweetheart.”

Felix crossed his arms and huffed in the time honored tradition of teenagers everywhere. “Mom…I do trust you and I am trying to confide in you. It’s why I insisted we have breakfast in our room and not in the downstairs dining room.” He bent his head down and spoke into his vest pocket. “Griff? Would you like to come out now?”

“At last! Young Squire, it is past time you introduced me to your mother. Really, one would think you were ashamed of…one…of…us…” they broke off and stared wide-eyed at Amelie. “Noble lady…” they whispered.

Felix looked from his kwami to his mother. Both looked equally surprised and awed. “As I was trying to tell you earlier, I’m a superhero. And this,” he pointed at the tiny griffin, “is Griff, the source of my powers.”

*****

Griff and Amelie stared at each other for several minutes. Their pupils were both so large they were practically dilated. They practically mirrored each other; wide-eyed, jaw dropped. The silence stretched between them long enough for Felix to become just a little uncomfortable and he decided to break the silence.

“So…this is not quite the reaction I expected,” he muttered to himself. He cleared his throat and then looked from his kwami to his mother. “Would you like to be left alone? I’d hate to interrupt your courtship but there’s more to the story than just ‘Hey, Dad left me a cool magical creature that will help me fight crime or something’. There’s more magical creatures for you to meet. Plus, one hell of a backstory.”

Amelie pulled herself out of her stupor at the mention of her husband. “Geralt? Geralt left you a magical being? Why didn’t he ever mention it? Why did you wait until now to tell me?”

“Well, Dad probably didn’t know-” he began but Griff interrupted, eager to talk to Amelie. “I and my siblings were created by the Druid Bodh Mall and entrusted to House Carrick, the precursors to House Chapman. The young Squire…er…your son…has told me your faithful husband, may his soul be at peace, was somewhat estranged from his family and perhaps none who remembered would tell him of his legacy.”

“That does sound like dear Geralt’s family,” Amelie sighed. “They never approved of his career choice, our marriage or anything that brought anyone happiness unless it was according to their plan.” Her tone sounded unusually bitter. “I’m surprised they gave him any sort of heirloom. They probably thought it was worthless junk.”

“Which, according to Helen, is how they viewed my father,” Felix added, equally bitterly.

Mother and son glared at nothing, absorbed in painful memories. Griff gave them a few minutes to themselves and then changed the subject. “I and my siblings are what are known as kwami; small gods who are the embodiment of a concept given form. I am the Kwami of Valor. For the last one hundred years I have slept in the signet ring that has been passed down through House Chapman.” He pointed a claw at the ring Felix wore. Amelie’s eyes lit up as she realized she’d had magic under her roof for two decades without realizing it. “My companions in the Heraldry box are the Kwami of Fortitude, Healing and Courage, Ferocity, and Prophecy.” Their feathers drooped. “There used to be more of us, but they were stolen.”

Amelie looked properly impressed and a bit sad for the tiny being. “Now that you mention it, you do look like the griffon in the Chapman coat of arms. Geralt showed me once.I’m sorry you’ve lost some of your friends,” she told them with gentle sorrow, “but I look forward to meeting the rest of them, especially if they’re half as cute as you are.” She gave the kwami a cute flirty wink and held out a hand for Griff to perch on.

Felix pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers but Griff was charmed and flew to the offered hand. Felix was surprised when Griff allowed his mother to pet him. “You’re so cute,” she cooed and Griff almost giggled.

Felix facepalmed and hoped his mother wasn’t going to seduce his kwami. “Mother, can we focus?”

Amelie frowned. “Oh dear. You only call me ‘Mother’ when you’re annoyed with me.”

“Or I’m trying to focus your attention, Mum,” he snarked. Once he had control of the situation (Griff was debatable because they were now preening their feathers to show off for Amelie), he began to explain.

“You see, kwami are magical beings and bestow their powers on their wielders.”

“If and only if they’re worthy,” Griff put in while they groomed their feathers.

Felix ignored him. “And the Heraldry Box, so named because it was inspired by animals from British Heraldry, contained four other kwami and the jewelry they lived in. Now that Griff was awakened, they woke up too and chose wielders of their own.”

“But who-” Amelie began and then answered her own question. “Yes, of course. You wouldn’t trust family heirlooms to just anyone, magical or not. You would only trust those closest to you.”

“True,” Felix smiled and pulled out his phone. “I think you’ll want to see this for yourself.”

*****

The Quantic Kids and Chloe were quickly ushered into the executive suite and the door was locked behind them. After everyone was seated comfortably Felix opened his mouth to speak.

Claude looked from Felix’s deliberately blank face to his mother’s bright, excited eyes and stated flatly, “you told her, huh?”

Chloe glared. “You couldn’t wait to tell her until we were all together, Fefe?”

Felix tried to defend himself but Allen defended him. “He probably didn’t want her to be overwhelmed the way we were,” he explained. “I mean…Claude freaked out and with good reason. There’s non-human sentient beings on this planet who grant superpowers.” He shrugged. “It’s a lot to take in.”

It wasn’t how Felix would have put it but at least Allen saved him the trouble. “Thanks, Allen.”

His friend held up a hand. “Sorry if I took over your meeting.”

Felix shrugged. He wasn’t mad because he knew Allen was genuinely trying to help. “It’s fine.”

Allen nodded and sat back, waiting to hear what Felix had to say. The others took their cue from Allen (it had to be that calm vibe he had going) and quieted down.

“Isn’t it exciting?” Amelie burst out.

Well, everyone but his mom quieted down.

He wanted to interrupt but she barrelled through. “Such cute but powerful little creatures! And they’ll give you the ability to run around the city like Ladybird and Chat Noir! Or those American chaps!” She clasped her hands and pouted cutely. “Are there any more?”

“Ladybug,” Chloe muttered under her breath to correct Amelie. No one seemed to hear her.

Felix dearly wished he could tell his mother that yes, there was another kwami just waiting to make her a hero as well. Alas, there wasn’t, at least until they could do some research into the missing Miraculi and perhaps buy back the others. He was sure Griff and the others could describe the last known appearances of their comrades.

He allowed his expression to become gentle and apologetic. “I’m sorry, Mom, but five is all there is, counting mine. According to what Griff said, the others were lost or sold.”

“Treated as mere ornamentation or trapped under glass to be displayed as a show of wealth no doubt.” Griff’s feathers drooped as he allowed Amelie to stroke him.

“I’m so sorry, dear,” Amelie soothed as she turned the proud, haughty creature into a cuddly pet. Griff purred at her touch. “We’ll do everything we can to find your friends, won’t we?” She looked around the room and everyone nodded at her.

“I’ve already told Griff and the others we would,” Felix replied.

Amelie immediately lit up. “Oh! Yes! There are other little..kwami?...for me to meet. Shall we?”

Honestly, his mother looked like a kid at Christmas. As annoyed as he was at the thought of her seducing his kwami away from him, he loved to see her happy and interested. After the movie wrapped he would need something for her to focus on so she didn’t sink back into depression. Having a magical companion was as good as anything else he could think of.

Felix looked at his friends. “Would you like to introduce your kwami, or let them do that themselves?”

“I’ll let my kwami introduce herself if she wants to,” Chloe sounded generous but really she didn’t want to get in another fight Milvii over “disrespecting her autonomy” or some crap. Okay, fine, she wasn’t Pollen and Chloe shouldn’t expect servitude. She’d appreciate a little respect though.

“I’ll do the same for my kwami,” Allegra agreed and the two boys nodded as well.

“So, Hatchling, you can be taught after all!” The Kwami of Prophecy rose up from the nest she’d made for herself in Chloe’s purse and faced Amelie. Chloe tried not to roll her eyes so they wouldn’t get stuck in the back of her head. It was the closest thing to a compliment the thing had given her since they met. Allen would have told her to accept the small victories. He’d been reading books by dead guys again so she wasn’t sure what to make of his advice.

The kwami addressed Amelie. “I am Milvii, The Kwami of Prophecy and I’m training this impudent hatchling to not only use a bow but be a little less selfish.”

Amelie smiled. “It’s very nice to meet you, Milvii. I’ve always thought Chloe had tremendous potential. Please take good care of her.” She beamed at the girl. “Chloe hasn’t been fortunate enough to have many good influences in her life. Perhaps you’ll be one of them.”

Milvii harrumphed but it wasn’t as harsh as usual. “I will do what I always do. My best.” She extended her wings and Amelie stopped stroking Griff long enough to look Milvii over. “Your wings are lovely. I adore bronze.”

“Quite right so you should,” the kwami agreed but the raised feathers on her neck eased slightly.

“I hope no one minds if I take my turn next,” the unicorn kwami emerged from Allegra’s top pocket. “Ladies first and all that.” She looked at Amelie and curtsied, no doubt sensing that while the teens were the heroes, Amelie was clearly the matriarch and obviously in charge. She liked that.

“I am Alii, Kwami of Healing and Miracles. The young maiden Allegra is my charge.”

Amelie’s eyes looked misty. “Oh my!” She cuddled Griff a bit closer but it was obvious she wanted to hold Alii as well. “When I was a little girl, all I wanted was for unicorns to be real.” She almost glowed with happiness. “And here you are!”

The kwami blushed and looked down, trying to be modest and not milk the attention. “I am pleased my species has your favor, Lady.”

Felix’s mom was clearly charmed. “Amelie, please.”

Alii corrected herself. “Lady Amelie. Of course.”

Before Amelie could protest that she was not technically nobility, Haart made his presence known. “Please, do not think me rude,” he rumbled, “I am Haart, Kwami of Fortitude. My young prince is Claude. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Amelie.” He gave her a deep bow.

She bowed her head back. “Likewise.” She looked Haart. “You’re rather handsome, like The Prince of the Forest.”

He gave her a rumbling laugh. “So I am a prince, Lady. After a fashion.”

She chuckled. “Then, welcome to my temporary home, Your Highness.”

Claude leaned in and whispered to Allegra. “I think Aunt Amelie is seducing my kwami.”

“Mine too,” Allegra whispered back. “I hope I don’t have to fight her for Alii.”

“If it were me, I’d lose.”

“Me too.”

“Am I last then? So be it.” Lavii emerged from Allen’s messenger bag and floated over, pushing past his fellow kwami. They protested and he ignored them. “You are addressing Lavii, Kwami of Ferocity.” He puffed out his chest and straightened his posture. His gold eyes flicked over Amelie. “You’re the mother of Griff’s squire?” He almost scoffed. “You look like a soft thing of silks and fluff. But you’re rather comely.”

Human and kwami alike squawked and growled in protest but Amelie just raised a hand for silence. Once everyone had quieted down she addressed the lion-like creature.

“Why yes, I am rather attractive,” she agreed and gave Lavii the same grin she’d given his friends. “And I must look soft and weak to a…soldier like yourself.” Lavii raised his head at her praise.

Suddenly the smile dropped and Amelie looked at the creature with the most intensely burning gaze he’d ever seen. “But…I’ve learned to use my looks and demeanor against people who would underestimate me.” She smirked when Lavii realized he’d been had. “I love the looks on their faces when they realize they’ve lost to…how did you put it…silken fluff.”

Lavii looked flabbergasted and then roared with laughter. “Well played, Lady!” He gave a deep bow and a salute to the woman. “I know when I am bested and your strategy is a cunning one.”

Amelie flicked her hair. “I’ve turned a disadvantage into an advantage. People never took me seriously because I’m pretty and soft so now I use their preconceptions against them.” She giggled. “It’s fun.”

“And surprisingly effective,” Amelie grinned mischievously, looking very much like her son. She recalled all the business meetings where she had easily turned the tables on investors and competitors alike. “I could tell you stories…” she blinked and shook her head. “Perhaps another time.” She gently gave Griff back to Felix and stood up, looking around at everyone. “So?”

“So?” echoed Allen.

Amelie clasped her hands together and bounced on her toes. Her eyes shone with excitement; cheeks flushed. “So…show me your transformations!” She looked around the room in eager anticipation. “I can’t wait to see what your costumes look like!”

“Well…usually my cubs choose armor of some kind…” Lavii began but Allegra spoke over him. “Y’know, we’ve been training as much as we can but I don’t think we’ve ever transformed.” She looked at Alii. “How do we do that?”

“Oh, heavens!” Alii clapped her hooves together and looked at her fellow kwami. “How could we have forgotten?” She looked up at her Chosen. “You need but to -” she arranged her limbs dramatically as she spoke. “Strike a heroic pose and recite our transformation phrase. Each phrase is different for each of us,” she told everyone.

The five teens looked at each other and began to speak at once.

“I’m not sure I’m traditional hero material.”

“This sounds lame.”

“I’m up for it if everyone else is.”

“Sounds like fun. I’m in.”

“Hey, what the hell? I’ll do it.”

“Not exactly a consensus but the majority seems in favor,” Amelie smiled. She pointed at her son. “Why don’t you go first, dearest?”

He opened his mouth to protest but his mother cut him off with a gentle but firm, “because I said so.”

Felix sighed, surrendering to what his mother wanted. “As you wish.” He looked at Griff, who was still hovering over the table near where Amelie had been sitting. “So, what’s your transformation phrase? Please,” he added because he knew the creature took manners very seriously.

“Heroic pose first,” Griff prompted, pointing a wing at his Squire.

He tried not to sigh again as he put his hands on his hips and stood with his feet shoulder width apart. “Better?”

“Quite. Griff took to the air and posed, clearly showing off for Amelie, who giggled with delight. “Now, say ‘Griff, soar and defend.”

Felix nodded. “Griff, soar and defend!”

The signet ring on his finger glowed and suddenly Griff was sucked into it. Soothing warmth swept over his body and he was left feeling stronger, powerful, and even a little excited.

Everyone around him oohed and aahed and he made his way over to the full length mirror on the closet door. He just stood and stared, amazed at his new appearance.

The armor he now wore nearly covered all of him and was surprisingly light and easy to move in. Magic, no doubt. It was blue chainmail covered by a gold half-plate. His shoulders were covered by pauldrons and his hands by gauntlets. His head was covered by a Corinthian helmet but the nose piece was shaped like a beak. Sabatons and greaves protected his feet and calves and when he turned around he could catch glimpses of a blue cape shaped like a pair of wings.

He wanted to say something dignified and profound to mark the occasion but all that came out was “Wow!”

Felix walked over to his mother and did a turn for her. “So…how do I look?”

She just stared at him with one hand clasped over her mouth. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes and for a heartbreaking moment he thought he had upset her somehow.

His fears were relieved when she suddenly charged towards him and hugged him tightly. “You look just like Sir Galahad!” She burst out. “A true Knight of the Round Table.” She went to kiss his cheek and when she realized she couldn’t she just said, “Your father would be so impressed if he could see you right now.”

Felix smiled at her. The reference to his father didn’t hurt as much as it used to. “Yeah. I think so too.”

*****

Mother and son embraced while Allegra and Claude competed with “rock, paper, scissors” to see who would transform next. Allegra won and struck a pose; one hand was extended in front of her as if holding a sword and she glanced at her kwami. “Phrase, please?”

Alii nickered softly, looking pleased. “The phrase is, “Alii, perform miracles.”

“Alii, perform miracles!” Allegra actually giggled, giddy at the thought of being a knight in shining armor.

There was a soft violet glow that washed over her and when it faded, Alii was gone and Allegra was covered in silver full plate. She also made her way to the mirror and admired her reflection. She was strongly reminded of the armor worn by Cate Blanchett in the movie “Elizabeth”. She even had a little collar to protect her neck. The breastplate was covered in delicate filigree and decorated with amethysts. It was feminine without being boobplate or showing skin. She loved it, right down to the skirt-like tasset.

Unlike Felix she had no helmet or cape but on her head was a silver crown of braided metal with a purple gem in the middle. A unicorn’s horn extended out from the gem and goggles covered her eyes without obscuring her vision.

She loved it.

Allegra backed away from the mirror and made her way back towards Claude. Like Felix she did a complete turn before looking at her boyfriend and smiling. “Thoughts?”

Claude looked dumbstruck and stared at her like he’d never seen her before. “You’re…amazing. You look so powerful and strong.” His voice was almost a whisper. “Like a princess.”

She laughed and kissed him. “Feel free to bow.”

He smirked, looking a bit more like his normal self. “I always knew you wanted me on my knees.”

*****

While the lovebirds were being disgusting and FeFe was taking some time with Aunt Amelie, Chloe decided to get on with it. “Taking my turn now! Sorry not sorry.”

She looked at Milvii and her first instinct was to demand the transformation phrase. She decided not to for two reasons: Milvii might decide to give up on her and switch to Amelie, and Chloe didn’t feel like looking like an ass in front of the few people on the planet she likes and respected these days. She decided to try a little tact.

“Noble Kwami of Prophecy,” Chloe bowed a little. No more than she had to. “Please tell me your transformation phrase so we can…I dunno…help people and protect the few I care about?”

Milvii pretended to consider her request and Chloe tried not to give in to the urge to strangle her. “Very well. Your entreaty has convinced me.” She made a chirping laugh and then flew near her Wielder’s face. “Repeat after me, my chick. ‘Milvii, rake your talons.’” She gestured with a wing. “No need to strike a heroic pose. I know you are working on being a hero.”

Chloe didn’t know whether or not she was being a sarcastic asshole but she didn’t want to start a fight right now. “Milvii, rake your talons.”

The sensation that washed over her was tepid, almost cold. She stalked off to the mirror and liked what she saw, even if she tried to hide it.

Well, she didn’t have to wear a suit of armor. That looked cool on someone like Allegra, but she would have looked like a douche. Instead she wore bronze studded leather with buckled enclosures down the front. She vaguely remembered Allen showing her pictures of armor her character might wear in D&D and remembered this was called a brigantine. She touched the garment and felt the armor plating inside. It wasn’t as impressive as plate mail but she was sure it would stop a bullet or at least a knife. She mimed drawing a bow and was pleased to see it was very flexible. So it wouldn’t hinder her movements. Good.

Chloe looked at her hands and was pleased to see padded archery gloves covered her from her hands to nearly her elbow, leaving her fingers nearly bare. Wrap-around sunglasses protected her eyes and her identity. Her hair was braided and coiled around her head to keep it out of her face and her leggings were bronze colored leather too, save for armored knee pads and shin guards worn over her brown boots. Unlike the others there was a huge bow slung over her back. Milvii no doubt wanted her ready to battle at a moment’s notice. She also wore a dark red cape that fluttered around her like wings, similar to Felix.

It wasn’t the bright yellow “Hey, look at me!” outfit she had worn as Queen Bee but it was much more practical and she liked it better. It suited her, especially the new person she was trying to become.

*****

Claude looked at Haart, then at Allen. He enjoyed watching everyone transform, especially Allegra. His girlfriend now looked like the beautiful, heroic protector he’d always known her to be. Now he had to share her with the outside world and he was only a little bit jealous. After all, he got to be a badass knight alongside her. They’d watch each other’s back and be hero partners. It was gonna be great.

Allegra was off talking to Chloe about something or other so he decided to sidle over to Allen and discuss something with him.

His usual instinct was to bounce into the center of the room and transform with all eyes on him. He was thought of as the life of the party, the clown, the attention seeker. It was practically expected of him by now and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy his role most of the time. He was glad of his place in his friend group dynamic and happy he had friends who welcomed his exuberance.

Then again, Allen rarely if ever got the spotlight. Allen was, in Claude’s admittedly biased opinion, fucking awesome. He was probably one of the best looking people Claude had ever met in his life and definitely one of the smartest. He was kind, talented, and the most level-headed, even-tempered guy in show business. Claude liked to sit near him whenever he needed a calming vibe.

But the spotlight was always stolen by Claude or sometimes Felix. Allen rarely had all eyes on him and didn’t everyone deserve to be the center of attention once in a while? Maybe it was finally Allen’s turn.

“You can go ahead and transform before me if you want to, Allen,” Claude told his friend.

He thought he sounded generous but Allen just smiled at him. The smile was gentle but knowing and Claude wondered if he came off patronizing. “C’mon, Claude. You’re not fooling anyone. Allen grabbed his shoulder and squeezed. “Not everyone needs to be the center of attention to breathe, y’know.”

Claude tried to nod but stopped and said, “but…you never get to be the main event so I thought…”

“That you would just give me the spotlight? No thanks.” Allen grinned. “I don’t like being the focus of everyone’s attention unless I’m talking about music or something I’m confident about. So go ahead and show off for everyone.”

Claude tried one more time. “Only if you’re sure but you don’t always get the credit you deserve so I wanted to give you the chance-”

“I get all the credit and attention from those that matter,” Allen reassured him. He looked bitter for a moment. “Anyone else? I don’t give a shit anymore.”

He frowned but Allen forcibly turned him towards their friends and gave him a push. “Do your thing, Claude.”

He smiled over his shoulder, understanding what his friend was saying. “Unlike me, you don’t have an ego to bruise.”

Allen huffed. “I’m not a Vulcan, but at least you quoted ‘Wrath of Khan’. ”

“Yes you are. Just like that American bloke, Barack Obama.”

*****

Claude took a step towards his other friends, then stopped and returned to Allen’s side. “Hey, Allen. Let’s transform together.”

Allen raised a brow and Claude refrained from telling him he looked like Spock or maybe Tuvok. “Didn’t I just say I didn’t need the spotlight?”

“Well, yeah…but…” Claude looked at his already transformed friends then back at Allen. They were admiring each other’s armor and he was sure Aunt Amelie had already taken a few pics with her phone. Everyone was probably too excited to notice her. He lowered his voice. “Look at them. They all look so…heroic and cool.”

Allen’s expression softened. “Don’t you think you’ll look heroic and cool too?”

Claude didn’t answer and fidgeted a little. Allen understood. Claude was so used to being “the funny guy”. Everyone wanted him to be “always on”, to keep everyone laughing and raise their morale when filming wasn’t going well or during a long shoot. Very few people outside their friend circle knew about Claude’s empathy or sensitivity. Or maybe they just didn’t notice his softer side because they only saw the clown.

Claude shrugged. “Probably? I guess so.” He went silent and just stared at his friend.

Allen understood. “You’re nervous about the whole being a hero business.” Claude’s little gestures and body language was obvious to anyone paying attention. And Allen was very, very observant.

Claude fidgeted again. “I don’t want to look stupid in front of everyone. Especially Allegra.” He knew she wouldn’t judge him if he screwed up during filming or an interview but this was real life. Someone could die if he was a shitty hero. He thought he might be less prone to screwing up if he started off right.

Allen grinned. “Yeah, if it helps you, we can do our transformation sequence together.” He nudged Claude’s shoulder. “As long as we can do a Power Rangers pose.”

Claude just shook his head. “Dude, I can’t believe you like that old campy show.”

Allen shrugged. “Hey, I was conceived on Power Rangers sheets.”

Claude paused, thought about what his friend just said, and shook his head to rid it of disturbing thoughts. “Gross.”

*****

Claude and Allen rejoined the others. “Okay, we’re ready.”

Chloe huffed and pretended to be mad. “Took ya long enough.” She’d taken enough pictures of Claude to know even he suffered from stage fright every so often. Then she gave him a tiny half smile. “You just wanted it to be the grand finale didn’t you?”

He gave her a little half-bow. “What can I say? I can’t help myself sometimes.” He looked at Allen. “We can begin whenever you’re ready.”

“I’ll be ready as soon as Lavii is,” Allen looked at his kwami. “So, what’s your transformation phrase, Sarge?”

The lion kwami puffed out his chest a bit. His cub had explained to him that “Sarge” was a nickname soldiers of his time would give to their mentors as a sign of respect and affection. “Listen well, Cub. Your phrase is ‘Lavii, prepare for battle’.”

Allen gave his kwami a respectful salute and glanced at Claude. “Your turn.”

Claude turned to Haart. “So, um, may I know your transformation phrase, Your Highness? Please?” He put his hands together as if in prayer and gave his kwami his most winning smile.

Haart laughed gently. “Of course, Young Prince.” He floated a little closer to his charge. “All you need to say is ‘Haart, Sanctuary.”

The two boys nodded, then to no one’s surprise but Chloe’s, began to pose. Allen slid into a sideways lunge. He held his fists in front of him as if in preparation for attack. “Lavii, prepare for battle!”

Claude copied him exactly and stood back to back with his friend as much as he could. “Haart, Sanctuary!”

Allegra facepalmed when she realized Allen, of all people, had talked her boyfriend into doing this. Then again, he was also a huge D&D nerd so she shouldn’t be surprised.

Chloe leaned over and whispered in Allegra’s ear. “What the hell was that about?”

Allegra whispered back. “Remind me to tell you the sheet story sometime.”

A dark green light swept over Claude and Allegra’s jaw dropped as she stared at her boyfriend. “Damn.”

Claude now wore a green cuirass of hardened leather over a matching tunic. The pauldrons on his shoulders were shaped like leaves and so were the rerebraces that covered his arms. He wore green and brown archery gloves and like Chloe there was a bow on his back. His leggings were green, leaf-shaped greaves protected his knees and his thick leather boots were brown.

Claude was glad he could see his reflection in the mirror. He had the same sort of wrap-around goggles Chloe wore and the crown of braided vines like Allegra. His jewel was green and there was a ring of antlers surrounding the jewel. He looked like all the things he’d want in a hero; brave, competent, strong.

He broke his Power Ranger pose to look back at Allen and for once in his life, couldn’t think of anything to say.

Allen was…

Regal. Badass. Smoking hot.

Everyone else had stopped talking and surrounded Allen to get a good look at his armor. Amelie didn’t know if she should dance with joy or swoon at the sight of one of her son’s dearest friends in armor.

Chloe’s fingers itched as she wished she’d brought her camera. Allegra clasped her hands behind her back to keep herself from touching Allen’s armor. Felix felt a touch jealous of his friend for probably one of the first times in his life.

Allen was fully covered by black and tawny armor. The full helmet was shaped like a lion’s face complete with mane. The pauldrons were tawny but the rerebrace, vambrace and breastplate were all black except for the gold etched lion in the middle of the chest. His gauntlets were also gold and tipped with claws.

The lower body armor continued the black coloring throughout the cuisses, poleyns and greaves but the sabatons were as tawny as the shoulder armor and also ended in claws. At his side was a golden sword in a black scabbard and a polearm was strapped to his back.

Overspecialize and you breed in weakness, Cub, Allen remembered Lavii telling him. It's a slow death. A warrior must be versatile in battle.

He noticed everyone was looking at him and it made him a little nervous. “So? So I look okay?”

“Okay?” Felix echoed. He looked at the others. “Did he just ask me if he looked okay?”

“Yep,” Chloe answered. “It’s probably the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard Allen say.”

Allegra gave in to the impulse to run over and give her friend a side hug. “You look amazing! Like some legendary hero in a painting! Or a tapestry!”

“I’m getting strong Lion-O vibes from that show I watched as a kid,” Claude spoke up. “You think your sword can give you sight beyond sight?”

“I don’t need it to tell me you’re a twat,” Allen snarked back.

Claude gasped and held his hand to his chest as if injured. Amelie decided to intervene before an argument could break out.

“Oh, my dear darlings!” she exclaimed as she clasped her hands. “You look wonderful and I so wish I could take pictures of you to share online. You all look astonishing. Like modern Knights of the Round Table.” She pouted cutely, knowing she had their attention. “But now that you’ve transformed, what shall you do now?”

Everyone looked at each other and back at her. They hadn’t a clue. They were so busy having fun with their transformations they hadn’t thought of a practical use.

Chloe facepalmed. “Um, solve crimes of course.” She looked at the others. “With Hawk Dick less active right now, ordinary criminals are getting bold because they think the heroes can’t be bothered with regular crimes. Ladybug and Chat Noir only show up for akuma and no one’s seen any of her sidekicks in weeks.” Her fault but moving on. “Why don’t we turn on the tv or look up crimes in progress on our phones?”

Amelie frowned and brought out her phone. “From what I understand, it’s now considered treason to break the law with a supervillain running around the city.” She began scrolling for local news. “Because of the drain on police resources caused by Hawk Moth.”

“So why don’t we give the police a hand by catching some arseholes?” Felix suggested.

There were nods of assent and Claude spoke up. “Sure but shouldn’t we pick our superhero names first? In case someone asks?”

“Oh, please,” Chloe rolled her eyes. “Like we haven’t already done that weeks ago.” She smirked at Claude. “So what name did you pick out and does it coordinate with Allegra’s?”

“Of course it does.” Allegra pointed at her boyfriend then herself. “I’m Isolde and he’s Tristan.”

“Galahad, naturally.” Felix managed to smirk, even with most of his face covered.

“I’ve always been partial to Percival,” Allen said and he struck a more traditional heroic pose for effect.

Amelie smiled at Chloe. “And what did you pick, dearest?”

Chloe didn’t hesitate. “There weren’t any female knights and Guinevere didn’t fight so…” she and Milvii had debated names for days. “I’m going with Morrigan, Celtic Goddess of War.”

Allen scrolled through his phone. “I have a burglary in progress at a jewelry store.”

Everyone began looking on their own phones. “Small fire at a cafe.”

“Good places to start,” Felix nodded to himself. “We can go in groups or on our own. Griff told me our weapons also work as phones so we can keep in touch.”

“Let’s go, Knights of the Round,” Allen strode over to the window and opened it. He looked from Chloe to Felix. “Do either of you mind giving me a ride until I’m used to leaping around the city?”

“I will,” Chloe volunteered. “But I’m not going out a window. Let’s go to the balcony and take off like civilized people.”

“Allegra and I are together,” Claude announced and she grabbed his hand with a smile. “We have no problem taking a leap together.”

“I’ll go solo,” Felix announced and looked at his mom. “We’ll be careful and keep each other safe. I promise.”

“I know you will, dear,” Amelie kissed what she could of his face and smiled, hoping she didn’t look worried.

The new team waved at her and then took off.

She waved and then shut the balcony door with a sigh. She hoped she’d done the right thing by encouraging them to become knights. A sigh escaped her.

She wished she could go with them.

*****

Kagami showed up on time to her meeting with Chat Noir. In fact, she had been five minutes early and was waiting for him. She watched the horizon for a sign of him and saw a dark shape moving towards her. Her first instinct was to hide in case it was an akuma or Hawk Moth but pride forced her to stand her ground.

Chat Noir landed in front of her and collapsed his staff before tucking it into its usual spot on his back. He looked her over and then fidgeted. “Hey, Mamushi,” he greeted. He looked at his feet and then back at her. “Hope I’m not late.”

He was as nervous as a boy on his first date. It was a little endearing. “I’m early.” She bowed. “I look forward to learning from you.”

Chat Noir bowed back and smiled. “I think you have a good grasp on this whole hero thing already. I’m just here to help you get used to your new powers.” He cleared his throat and his expression became a little more serious. “Hawk Moth has been weirdly quiet over the summer but we still get an occasional akuma. Plus, patrolling is always a good idea.”

“To keep your skills and training sharp.” Kagami approved. “Very wise.”

He laughed and his voice sounded a bit higher than normal. “I wish I could take the credit but to tell the truth it was Ladybug’s idea.” He explained, “True, it keeps us sharp but there’s plenty of emergencies, accidents, or even normal crimes that need to be dealt with. The Prefecture of Police of Paris are decent but we’re a lot more mobile than they are so we might get to a crime scene faster. Then we call for backup or an ambulance and then go from there.”

He really was an idiot sometimes. He was acting like he was afraid to be alone with Kagami, his own girlfriend! No, she was Adrien’s girlfriend. Chat Noir didn’t have a girlfriend. He forced himself to relax and to remember how he’d treated Rena or Carapace when they first became heroes.

His heart winced a little when he thought of Rena and Carapace. Or rather, his best bud Nino and Alya. They could never be heroes again, not when Hawk Moth knew who they were. Well, technically neither could Kagami but Hawky was expecting Ryuuko, not Mamushi. And to be fair, Nino and Alya were pretty busy this summer so maybe Ladybug was waiting to see how Kagami did and whoever LB chose did with their new kwami before handing out any more Miraculous.

Chat Noir was unsure how to act around Mamushi. He knew who she was behind the mask so it was entirely possible she could figure out who he was if he wasn’t careful. He wanted to be friendly and professional but was afraid he’d just come off as flirty. That was how he had acted towards his partner and he didn’t want to act that way again. His father’s face flashed in his mind; professional and coldly distant. That could work. He forced his posture straight and made his face blank. When he spoke again he sounded very much like Gabriel.

“Ladybug and her new trainee are patrolling the north and east parts of Paris so we’ll tackle the south and west.” He looked at Mamushi to see her reaction. “Is that alright with you?”

Her eyes went wide then dark with hurt. Mamushi was expecting a friendly night of training with a team member, not his impression of his father. Suddenly she straightened and her friendly expression was gone. Now she looked just like she did when she was training with her mother. She nodded. “I will take your lead until I’m comfortable with my new kwami.” She told him. She didn’t smile, her face was a mask and he couldn’t tell what she was thinking.. “I will ask you to refrain from flirting with me as I’ve seen you do with Ladybug in the past.” She raised her chin proudly. “I have a boyfriend.”

“I know…Adrien Agreste.” He tried to appear formal and in control. “I saw both of you on tv.” He couldn’t tell if she believed him or not. “You seemed…happy. Right for each other.”

Her smile returned for a moment and his breath caught in his throat. She was so beautiful. Then it dimmed and faded as she seemed lost in thought for a moment. Then she shook it off and looked up at him “I think so too.” She went to the ledge and looked over her shoulder at him. “Shall we begin?”” Without waiting for him to reply, she leaped off and into the night.

He shook his head in wonder then jumped after her. He had a good feeling about tonight.

*****

He was very very wrong.

Mamushi didn’t exactly do anything wrong, it was just she was used to the elemental powers of the Dragon. She loved offense while the Snake’s strength was more defense. She never hesitated but the Snake had to sit back and observe, reflect, then attack or help plan.

Perhaps she wasn’t right for the Snake but Second Chance had saved their collective asses too many times for him to count. They needed a new Snake and there were very few people nearby they could trust with a Miraculous. Most of the former Wielders were out of town or busy.

He could tell she was becoming frustrated. He knew her well enough to read the signs. Her lips thinned and her mouth became a grim line. Her brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed. He could feel her glaring at him when she thought he wasn’t looking.

They were watching a small jewelry store. The owner was an old man who was training his young granddaughter to take his place one day. Two men were watching the place, waiting for the store to close and for the pair to come out the back door where they were waiting. They were probably going to overpower them then threaten the girl to get the old man to open the safe. They were probably planning to kill or at least severely injure the pair once they were done to prevent identification.

Chat Noir knew they would have to act fast. “All right. We don’t have much time. I need you to activate ‘Second Chance’ when I tell you to. Then I’ll fight off these guys and get the civilians to safety.”

Mamushi looked at him. Her face was as expressionless as a Noh mask. “Is there anything else I need to do?”

He shook his head. “No. Stay here and activate your power if anything goes wrong. That’s the most valuable thing you can do to help.”

She looked him right in the eye while she flicked the snake on the bracelet she wore. “Second Chance”

Chat Noir immediately freaked out. “Ka-I mean-Mamushi! Didn’t I just say ‘wait until I tell you to’? You’re going to ruin-”

“No. I refuse to continue without having my say.” She stopped him from speaking with a look before he could protest. She sighed and continued to speak.

“I admit. I am…struggling with the abilities of the Snake. They do not come as easily to me as the Dragon did. I…also acknowledge that I can also be a bit impulsive. Staying back and waiting does not come naturally to me.”

“I-” he tried to say but she just stopped him with a hand. “I can also say you are not helping me adjust.” She looked him in the eye and even though her face remained impassive her eyes were sad and hurt.

“You are not a good instructor. You expect perfection on the first try. Something you’ve never demanded before. Neither you nor Ladybug were ever displeased with Ryuuko,” she reminded him. “Why is Mamushi different?”

His shoulders slumped and he let his Gabriel persona drop. “You’re right and I’m sorry.” He sighed and continued. “Being the Dragon leans more into your fighting experience and your…um..your first instinct is always to attack and that doesn’t always work with the Snake. You need to step back and watch for an opening or a way to defeat your opponent, human or akuma.”

“Look, I know these new powers might not seem like a good fit at first but I trust you and so does Ladybug.” He gave her one of his usual smiles and softened his tone. He hated the way his father spoke to him, why did he think it was a good way to talk to Kagami? “We…I…know you have the maturity to handle the responsibility of time manipulation. You just…need more time.” He tried to laugh. “Pun intended, to adjust.”

She didn’t smile or laugh but she did not seem angry either. “Thank you for your honesty and faith in my abilities.” She scowled a bit. “But this conversation isn’t over. It’s just postponed until after our mission is complete.” She reset the bracelet and looked down into the alleyway. The door knob turned and was about to open. The robbers were in place. The heroes tensed and prepared themselves to go to work.

*****

The cafe fire wasn’t big so Galahad went to work. He left the actual fighting of the fire to the experts while he quietly ferried trapped customers out of the building. They were too overcome with smoke and carbon monoxide to notice he wasn’t a firefighter so he was able to evacuate most of the people while the professionals tried to bring the flames under control.

A sudden whoosh alerted him that the flames had reached the grease trap in the sink and he hoped the kitchen stove ran on electricity and not gas. He was debating whether or not he should grab a fire extinguisher when he heard a scream coming from a room above the cafe.

“Maman! Papa! Save me!”

A young voice cried out for help. Dammit. He’d forgotten how many people lived above their shops in this city. The cafe owners obviously had a young child trapped in their living quarters. Why hadn’t they told anyone?

He irritably took to the air. Really, the owners or employees couldn’t tell the firefighters there was a child or children trapped upstairs? Honestly. Some people should never be parents…

He broke off his silent criticism when he saw a few people on stretchers. Two were unconscious. They were wearing long aprons with some sort of logo or script. Hmm. Well, if they were the cafe owners then it made sense they hadn’t alerted the authorities. He felt a little bad about thinking the worst of them.

Well, that didn’t matter at the moment. He had a child to save.

Fortunately there was a window near where he’d heard the child’s voice. He tugged at it. The window was locked but thankfully not barred so with his newly enhanced strength he could easily get it open.

He rushed inside and found a little boy hunched on the floor near the window. The child’s eyes widened when he saw his rescuer.

The little boy crossed himself. “Are-are you an angel? Am I dead?” He didn’t seem afraid, just curious. He glanced behind him. “Is Alice dead too? Can you save her if she isn’t?” Suddenly he grabbed Galahad’s leg. “Please save her! She’s just a baby, she can’t go to Heaven yet!”

The knight followed the boy’s gaze and saw an adorable pink and white baby cot in the corner. The infant made no sound. She was either sleeping despite the fire and chaos all around her or…overcome by carbon monoxide.

“I’m not an angel, merely a knight. You’re not dead and I promise to get you and your sister out of here.”

“Thank you!”

He scooped the boy up and strode over to the cot. The little girl had lovely auburn curls and healthy pink cheeks. He hoped he wasn’t too late. No more funerals.

Galahad shook off his macabre thoughts and cradled the baby in the crook of his arm. He looked at the little boy who was staring at him as if he was something wonderful. Like a real hero.

“What’s your name?”

The boy looked a little awed at being addressed. “Jean-Luc, sir.”

“A good name. I like it. You’re a good big brother, Jean-Luc. And brave.” The little girl shifted a little in his arms and he sighed in relief. She was alive. For now.

“Let’s get out of here.”

Galahad kicked open the window and flew out to the roof. He looked out towards the ambulance. “Jean-Luc, I’m sure a brave boy like you has good eyesight too. Can you see your parents down there?”

“Yes!” The boy pointed to the woman on the stretch. “That’s my maman!” He squinted as he tried to see better. “Is she sleeping? Why is she sleeping?”

“Sometimes fire can make bad air that can make people sleepy.” Galahad tried to explain in a way a four year old could understand. “She’ll be better after the hospital. Now, let’s get you down-”

The knight’s words were cut off as the fire hit the gas line and the little building rocked from the explosion. There were shouts from the firefighters as they tried to clear the area of spectators. Galahad and his charges were blown off the roof. Little Jean-Luc clung to his neck in fear. He missed being able to breathe freely but now a hand was free and he was able to catch himself by grabbing the neighboring building. It was an old small chapel and solidly built. He dug in with his claws until he regained his balance, then took to the air.

The boy shrieked, from delight or fear Galahad couldn’t tell but he resolved to set him down as quickly and quietly as possible.

He located the stretcher with Jean-Luc and Alice’s mother on it. The paramedic was otherwise occupied with putting a shock blanket on a man who kept praying under his breath and neither saw nor heard them. He gently set the infant on her mother’s chest and whispered to Jean-Luc, “I have to go now. More people to save. You’re an incredible big brother. Alice is lucky to have you.”

The boy was covered in soot but he smiled gratefully. “What’s your name, M. Knight?”

“I am Sir Galahad,” he bowed to the boy. “Be safe, Jean-Luc.”

He spread his wings and shot into the night sky. He hid on a roof and watched as the boy ran up to the man the paramedic was helping with cries of “Papa!”

The scene of love between father and son warmed him but something in his chest also tightened and he felt that he was just as big a voyeur as the gawkers. With one last look to make sure the paramedic was treating Alice he flew off.

#worthy opponent au #quantic kids #amelie graham de vanily #marinette dupain cheng #felix graham de vanily #luka couffaine #adrien agreste #original kwami #kagami tsurugi

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