"Missing?" Felix scoffed at the idea. "You're overreacting because he hasn't contacted you for a hangout, that's all."
"I'm serious, Felix!"
"Keep your claws in, boys," Lyra tossed her napkin into the garbage bin, "Victor, when did you last hear from him? I thought you two were hanging out yesterday."
"We were supposed to, but he never showed up in the morning. He didn't tell me why, and his grandparents haven't heard from him, either."
That made Felix curious. From the few times he had met Benjamin, he knew that it was hard for the guy to go so long without being around people. Despite being mute and the only other new transfer student from Paris, he had a lot to say, and his overcurious outlook on life meant that there was always something to talk about. A whole day without a movement from him felt off.
Lyra seemed to catch on. "That's why you're jogging, right? You think you might see some sort of sign of where he's been."
"His grandparents are worried sick," Victor sighed, clearly having been out for a long while, "he won't respond to their texts or mine, and with the news from Paris blatantly spread across the newspapers, I'm afraid his grandma is fearing is the worse."
"The news?" Felix glanced over at a couple sitting nearby, holding out a paper and pointing at the front cover. "That's…the hero duo, Ladybug and Chat Noir."
His brother couldn't stop talking about them whenever he sent him an email. Two heroes' constantly battling possessed civilians and managing to clean up after themselves after gave both the people of Paris and over a dozen insurance companies' peace of mind.
"It's not the heroes she's worried about, it's the villains." Victor listed off from his fingers. "The one who could control the weather, and the phones, and the bubbles, and someone even caught sight of some romantic artist sap holding a school girl hostage on a boat with a miniature moon!"
Felix pinched the top of his nose. "Let me get this straight. Benjamin's grandmother thinks that, because he hasn't called in twenty-four hours, he's either found his way to Paris and is possessed, or those Paris-specific villains have decided to span out, and specifically chose to run amok in this city, without anyone noticing, and have possessed him?"
"…She's a very pessimistic woman, you must understand."
"I'll help look," Lyra stood and shot Felix a threatening glare, "and Felix will, too. Won't you, Felix?"
"I'm telling you, you're both overreacting." Felix ignored Lyra's obvious attempts at scaring him. "Just because Benjamin wants some alone time – something no scientist could have ever predicted – does not mean that he's in danger."
BOOOOOOOOM!
The sound of a major explosion shook the ground, nearly sending Lyra and Victor into the garbage bin that was tossed aside. Felix held onto the table to keep it from tipping as pedestrians and customers began to panic and race as far away from the city as possible. He stood as the ground leveled and caught sight of smoke billowing out from beyond the apartment buildings.
And I thought Adrien was the bad luck charm of the family.
"What was that?!" Lyra ran out in the direction of the explosion. "Who did that?!"
"Lyra, come on," Felix stood and pointed to the crowds, "we have to evacuate, now!"
"But what if Benjamin is there?"
"Felix is right," Victor agreed as he dodged frantic citizens, "look, I'm worried too, but I doubt Benny would stay around for something like this! He's not that curious!"
"PUNY BLUE EYED CHILD," a ferocious voice bellowed from the distance where the smoke originated, "SHOW YOURSELF, OR I SHALL RIP A SOUND FROM YOUR SILENT THROAT!"
Blue eyed…silent…could be anybody, really…
"That about does it," Victor ran at full speed, Lyra keeping a steady pace behind in her heeled boots, "let's move!"
"Come on, Felix, and don't forget my violin case!"
They're crazy if they think we can just run into the middle of a fight! We don't even know if it is Benjamin…and, wait a minute, Felix stepped around the table to find Lyra's stickered case resting beside her chair, undamaged from the quake, why did she bring her case to eat out on her break?!
A gust of strong wind blew a newspaper right into his face, and despite the screaming he managed to focus on the title.
PARISIAN HEROES SAVE CITY FROM PERMENANT NIGHT-HOOD
WHO ARE THESE MYSTERIOUS SAVIOURS?
…They're normal people behind those masks. I guess…that means that they're not that different from us.
"Felix!" Lyra's distant voice snapped him back to reality. "Hurry!"
…Benjamin or not, Felix grabbed the violin case while his mind raced, people are in danger, and if I'm reluctant to help, I'm guessing there aren't going to be many other people willing to run into battle like Lyra and Victor.
"I envy you, Felix."
An eerily familiar voice caught his notice over the yelling and crying of the civilians. He began to turn as the newspaper he had placed down whipped past his face, Chat Noir's puckered expression flying off with the wind.
"You're braver than you look, big brother."
Felix watched the paper soar over the park trees and beyond his line of vision. "…Adrien?"
"SCRAWNY HUMAN BOY," The booming voice brought a ringing to his ears, "LET US SEE YOU HIDE AFTER I'VE FLATTENED YOU WITH THIS TRUCK!"
He picked up the pace after Lyra, holding her case over his shoulder as he stepped side to side through the bustling crowd, doing his best not to be stepped on.
Today, Adrien. Today I'm going to be the one making his brother proud.
