CHAPTER 5 – THE ARRIVAL

Adrien knew something was wrong when walked out of Sunday session with his personal trainer. Instead of waiting in the car for him, the Gorilla was waiting for him at the entrance to the gym. As soon as he saw Adrien he grabbed him by the hand and raced towards the car, dragging Adrien behind him.

"Woah!" said Adrien. Fencing isn't for another fifteen minutes, we have plenty of time."

The Gorilla looked at him, shaking his head.

"No fencing then?" asked Adrien as he got into the car. The Gorilla grunted acknowledgement at him and drove off towards the Agreste Mansion, driving much faster than normal. Suddenly a white truck overtook them, "ACME Medical Supplies" emblazoned on its side, also heading towards the Agreste Mansion. Adrien got a sinking feeling in his stomach.

His worry grew into a full-blown panic when he finally saw the Agreste mansion. It was a hive of activity. Sombre men in white coats were unloading medical equipment. An ICU bed was being wheeled into the mansion, together with what looked like an artificial respirator. Something was very wrong.

In his mind Adrien willed the car to go even faster. Was it his father? It couldn't be. Not now. Not again …

The car screeched to a halt in the driveway. Adrien raced into the foyer. "Nathalie!" he yelled. "What's wrong? Where is my fath…"

Adrien skidded to a stop. At the head of the stairs was his father, directing the men to the guest wing. Nathalie was nowhere to be seen.

"Ah Adrien. I see you have decided to grace us with your presence. We are about to have guests. Your schedule for the afternoon has been cleared, I expect you to be a gracious host."

Guests? The Agreste Mansion hardly ever had guests, not since his mother had disappeared. Who could it be? And why was there all this medical equipment? He was about to ask his father when the sound of another car pulling up into the driveway entered the foyer.

"Ah, Nathalie is back. Come Adrien, stand with me to welcome our first guest".

FIRST guest? Meaning they were having several guests? What on earth was going on?

-000-

The sound of footsteps on the steps leading to the Mansion's entrance rang through the foyer. Nathalie strode through the entrance, a disheveled figure behind her in tow. Who was it? Blonde, slicked-back hair. A neat shirt with a tie. Could it be ….?

"Félix?" asked Adrien as his cousin finally came into view.

Adrien's heart sank. A month ago his visit would have been welcome. But that was before Félix and his mother's recent visit to the Agrestes' to mark the one-year disappearance of Emilie.

The recent visit had not gone well. Félix had deleted Adrien's friends' messages of support from his phone and had then pretended to be Adrien, sending them a message berating them for their messages. The result was that three of his friends were so upset that they got akumatised.

To make matters worse Félix had then tried to force himself on Ladybug, HIS LADYBUG and then had actively been trying to help Hawk Moth in the ensuing melee.

Though Adrien had tried to do the right thing and had made up with Félix just before he left, the prospect of having to host his contrary cousin again so soon was not something that he relished. He felt his father's eyes on him though and prepared to make a suitably welcoming greeting when he noticed Félix's face.

The normal cold, suave visage was gone. In its place was a mask of utter despair. Félix's green eyes were bloodshot. Dirty streaks ran across his cheeks, the result of rivers of tears. Adrien's heart melted. He couldn't be angry with someone who was so distraught.

"Go to him" his father ordered.

Adrien ran up to his cousin, stopped, opened his arms and took Félix in his arms. His cousin's head slumped on his shoulder and his chest heaved as he stated sobbing again. Adrien could feel hot tears soaking his shirt. Adrien just stood there, holding his cousin tight, letting him release his sorrow.

What could have brought his cold, aloof cousin to this state?

-000-

The noise of Félix's sobs was suddenly replaced by the roar of helicopter blades. A gust of air rushed through the entrance as the helicopter touched-down on the driveway outside. Félix lifted his head from Adrien's shoulder and looked back towards the entrance.

A team of white-clad medics was expertly moving a mobile stretcher into the mansion. Félix raced up to it and had to be restrained from climbing up onto it by the Gorilla. His mother's pale face looked up at him, unmoving, lifeless …

"Follow me" said Nathalie, professionally directing the medics towards the guest wing.

Félix slumped on the Gorilla's arm, then turned and fell into Adrien's arms again, sobbing again. Adrien stood there hugging him, gently rocking him. He did not say a word, from experience he knew that no words could offer comfort.

Gabriel stood aloof, surveying his son and his nephew before him So similar in looks, so different in personalities.

As he stood watching, he felt the raw grief flowing from Félix's heart. Like a drug it heightened his senses. The raw emotion was quite intoxicating. "What an akuma you would make," he thought to himself. "But I cannot risk akumatising you, not this time." Gabriel allowed himself a secret smile.