It started with the white butterflies still lingering around in the attic. They gathered around Chat Noir and Ladybug and began slicing back and forth in front of their eyes and hands, trapping the duo in a blinding tornado. An offshoot of the butterfly group dove at Cammo, shoving him off of Nooroo and tossing him back and forth.
"Stop! Stop them, Felix! Felix! FFFEEELLLIIIXXX!"
He would surely have been at the side of the Kwami in seconds had Uncle Gabriel not pinned his arms behind his back and started dragging him back to the platform. He was unable to break free from his iron grip. "Nooroo," he snapped at the quivering Kwami, "where has his superhuman strength come from?"
"T-The price," Nooroo screeched over the whipping of butterfly wings, "the p-price of u-using the brooch for e-evil is…is…t-turning into an unbeatable m-m-monster!"
At first it made no sense to Felix. Gabriel drew them onto the platform as Ladybug tried to whip the butterflies away, only for her yo-yo to be yanked out of her hands. Chat Noir lost his baton just as quickly. "Felix," he called out, unable to see, "wait for us! Father, please, let him go! We can move past this!"
Gabriel only tightened his grip on Felix as the platform began to descend. "I gave you a chance. I gave you both a chance! Now I alone shall bring her back!"
"Ladybug, Chat Noir," Felix called out, "do not involve the pol-"
Too late. He and Gabriel vanished beneath the metal floor, leaving the heroes and Cammo up above while Nooroo was forcefully sucked back into the brooch behind the ascot. Before they had reached the ground, Gabriel shoved Felix off the platform. The agent crashed into one of the tables, scattering papers as he slid to the floor in a painful heap. The platform slunk back into the floor again as Gabriel stepped off. "I do hope that little show of power has weakened your grip and resolve."
It certainly had an effect on his grip. As Felix staggered to his feet he felt pain rush up his wrists. He had left his weapons in his room, but even if he got there his aim would be slightly off. Being slightly off got most agents killed. He slowed his heartrate and focused on the office. He needed the layout memorized in seconds.
"Nooroo lied to you," Gabriel kept across the room from Felix, "saying that the price of using the brooch would make me a monster."
"The price of misusing the brooch," Felix countered, "is enhanced strength for a limited amount of time. Once that time runs out, you-"
"I will have my wife back before that happens!"
"You cannot raise her!"
"Why?!"
Felix had thought it through while being dragged onto the platform. The pieces were finally fit as a whole explanation in his mind. He had to give Ladybug and Chat Noir time to get out and after them. He looked Uncle Gabriel right in the eyes.
"Aunt Tiffany is alive."
Gabriel let his jaw drop ever so slightly. Felix knew his attention was on one thing now: getting an explanation out of his nephew. He fixed his tie and put a hand on the table, ignoring how sore his everything was. "The brooch appearing on your bed. The Mesmer coating the air and keeping Parisians from figuring out your identities. The blue figure darting around the city. I get it now. I know where your wife is."
"…Tell me." He waited for Felix to speak. Felix said nothing. "…I said tell me!" He stormed up to Felix and reached for his arm, only for Felix to smack his hand away. "If you know where she is and think you can just walk away without telling me-"
"This information is private."
Tense silence took over the office. Felix stepped away from his uncle and glanced up at where the platform would enter the ceiling. Ladybug and Chat Noir were still up there, fighting off the butterflies. He needed to stall. Unfortunately, his gift for asking too many questions would only get him in further trouble. Gabriel was too unstable at the moment. Besides, he had a guess as to why Aunt Tiffany was away, and he had to respect her wishes despite his own feelings…for now.
"Traitor."
Felix glanced back at Gabriel, but his uncle was gone. No one stood at the table. Felix turned to open the office doors-
BAM!
Having slipped behind Felix and gotten into costume, HawkMoth smacked his staff against the back of Felix's neck, sending the agent sprawling to the floor inches from the doors. Felix saw spots cluttering at the edges of his vision as he got to his knees. "And here I believed you were a villain who sent out henchmen for the dirty work."
HawkMoth pat his staff against the open palm of his hand. He allowed Felix to stand before him. "I can handle myself."
"Think about what Nooroo said. Eventually your strength will turn you into a monster."
"How kind of you to worry," his voice grew deeper and edgier, "but I can take care of myself. As for you and your heroes," he spat, "you can wait while I complete my mission."
"I already told you-"
"And if you want to keep Marinette and Adrien safe," he pointed to the ceiling, "you will tell me all you know about her location."
Felix could hear Ladybug and Chat Noir banging on the metal floor of the attic, trying to get the platform to lower. He had two choices: try and press the button again to activate the platform, or try and escape the mansion. There had to be a secret entrance somewhere beyond the office, and if he could find it…
It would mean leaving his cousin and an innocent girl behind. They could handle this. Together. He knew what his choice had to be.
He would have to fight his way past HawkMoth to get to the button.
Man, poor Felix is getting thrown and punched every which way in this chapter, and trust me, it is only gonna get worse. ..mwah-ha-ha :) I mean, yeah, it hurts as a writer to have to hurt your characters, but trust me, things are gonna work out! All he needs to do is get past his crazy uncle who has superpowers and press a hidden button somewhere...easy...totally easy...
Until the next chapter!
