1 - Thanks for the nice reviews and opinions of cinnawapan, SJJspice1, decode9, grima, and all that faved and are following this little adventure. Your feedback is vital for this tale to go on.
2 - If you like the franchise, I'd like to suggest you to take a look at "Who Killed Trixie?" an MLP whodunit adventure I am also putting on. Thanks.
Master Fu spent the night alone.
It was decades – decades having Wayzz company as granted. Now, the apartment, the old apartment, seems huge. The tatami suddenly is cold. Lights are out.
He keeps his back against the wall. Staff on hand. His senses, fine tuned on countless battles, training and meditation go beyond his body.
He could feel Felix was nearby. It was near midnight.
At the same time, a French teenager model was waiting in line to board the plane that would – finally – take him out of the United States.
Felix kept his eyes glued on the apartment. Sitting on a nearby roof, he smiled. It was a game of cat and rat he enjoys so much, and the old man was playing well.
Again he travelled his hand over his new uniform. Gone were the tail, bell and tall boots. Like ladybug's, this one was, for the most part, a dark green unitard. A mirror would have helped, but he knew it could wait. He could feel the protuberance of a kneecap pad, some boot details, but moving his hand upwards his thighs, waist and torso, he found nothing interesting, not even the sew lines present here and there in his old Chat uniform. Around the neck and shoulders was another history. His hands felt a neck protection, and several width hexagon plaques going down his shoulders, like the pauldrons of a samurai. At his face, over the mask that now covered fully his forehead, and not only his eyes and nose, he could feel some metal plaques further protecting the line of his eyebrows and the dorso and tip of his nose.
And on his right wrist, decorated in a turtle shell pattern, was his drop-shaped shield. Very small at this point, but he knew about the capacity of kwami weapons. He wondered how long it would take for him to learn to use it.
He returned to watch the apartment.
"Come on, Fu, come on. Call in the cavalry."
Hundreds of years of experience. Keeper of the most powerful objects on the planet. Great Guardian.
And trapped, alone, on an apartment, by a british teenager. But he knew he had two things Felix don't. Time. And friends.
Felix checked his bracelet. The five hexagons on the back of the turtle were still lit, but he knew it was just a matter of time for that to change. Even if he was doing nothing, his energy was going down. And. Despite the kwami being bond to the object, he preferred to keep Wayzz far, far away from Fu.
"You won this time, old-timer." And jumped away. "But my list is going short. I have just three places left to investigate, and surely will catch my butterfly on one of them."
Meanwhile, the Air France flight broke contact with the tarmac of the JFK airport. Adrien sighed. It would be a long trip, on his point of view.
The sun was beggining to bath Paris, signaling a new morning. One part of Master Fu he didn't like much was excited. To have a worthy opponent again. So, even if he as plenty capable to fend and mend for himself, he did what was expected. He went to a hospital, check the bump on his head. After that, also very natural, stop by a patisserie and buy breakfast.
Nearby, the loudspeakers of Charles de Gaulle airport gave notice of the arrival of passengers of the flight from New York.
Marinette was busy on the back of the shop, trying to design new packaging for the petit fours, Anything to avoid thinking about Felix.
"I think I could do a research about the story of petit-fours."
"Don't, Marinette. They're leftovers – of both ingredients and heat." Said her kwami, well hidden under the table.
"Heat?"
"Yes, when people finish using those large coal ovens of ancient times, some cooks found a waste that hour or so when the oven was not hot enough to cook the traditional dishes, nor cool enough to clean. So, they started to work on something small to be able to bake on that time and temperature."
"I can work with that. Using orange and sky blue to represent the temperatures, oh, thanks, Tikki."
"Anything to avoid going up to your room that now reeks cheese thanks to our guest."
"Tikki!" Marinette giggled and returned to work. She was so absorved that only listened her mother calling the third time.
"Marinette."
"Sorry, mom, I was…" she froze for a while
"I said mister Fu was here. He said he went to your school to talk about Japan, last muonth."
"Uh? Ah… of course, mas… mister Fu. It's hood to see you on my family shop."
"I am sure your parents must be very proud of you, a very good student and helper. Well, I must go back to my car." And tried to grab the bags, trembling a lot and walking dragging his feet very slowly.
"Mom, Dad, can I help mister Fu to his car?"
"Not only can, but should. Go on, Marinette."
"Oh, thank you, you are a very prestative young one."
As they went out of Marinette's parents view, Master Fu assumed a more straight posture, and started to walk on a pace Marinette found difficult to match.
"I am sorry to say I underestimate Felix." – and related to an worried Marinette everything that happened last night.
Adrien watched while the "Gorilla" put his and Nathalie's bags in the car trunk, real-life tetris that takes too long to be solved.
If the small talk between Marinette's parents and Master Fu went a minute longer, They would see Felix cross the street and enter the bakery. 30 seconds more, and the british teen would see Master Fu walking down the street along the girl.
But thanks to these seconds, Felix found the bakery like he expected to. With few or no customers. Be sympathetic. Buy something relatively expensive. Say something nice about the place.
When preparing to be Chat Noir, Felix read the best strategies of the greatest generals and military leaders. Studied and learned several martial arts. And know that, in this situation, to reach his objective, with a very larger man turning his back to him, there are only one course of action. Six words.
"May I use the bathroom, please?"
"Of course, young man." Opening the back door "It's the door under the stairs."
He went on without hesitation. If Felix stopped to look at the surroundings, he would spot a tiny red kwami throw caution away buzz away, return, went upstairs going through the ceiling, return with a similar black creature and fly to meet her Miraculous Holder.
He exited the bathroom and looked around. No evidence and, worst, no direct passage from the bakery to the house. But if there's one thing everybody can count on, is the laziness of people. The keys, if not remained in the pocket of the bakers, would be on a small plate or drawer of easy access. He found them on a plate, over a writing desk. He thanked the bakers, exited, opened the side door and went upstairs. Now, to the couple's bedroom.
A known yoyo tied him, and a strong pull brought him to the floor.
"So much for civilian identity. Wayzz, transform me!"
Ladybug watched as a greenish aura formed between the now Miraculous-ed Felix and her weapon. The aura acted as a barrier, stretching itself, making the cord to loosen and freeing the British teen.
"Listen, Ladybug, this is the house of one of the few students never akumatized of that college. Either Hawkmoth is a zealous parent, or they know something. And I will find out."
"You will leave this home, before…"
"What is going… Ladybug?" The small frame of Sabine Cheng appeared going up the stairs.
"Mo… ma'am, get out of here, I will take care of it."
"You could be shielding a criminal, Ladybug. And believe me, I know a lot about shields now." The aura around Felix expanded, pressing Ladybug against the wall. "I will say again and again, you are not my enemy. I need you to defeat Hawkmoth with me. Why are you so blind to solving this problem once for all?"
"The end does not justify the means, Felix."
"Oh, it does. I can suggest you a few books about consequentialism after we're done." He increased the pressure on Ladybug. "I will break any eggs to make this omelet. In fact, I will start a fire if no oven is in sight. Got it?"
Then, both feel the floor moving from their feet and felt. Looking around, Felix noticed the bakers couple who just pulled the rug from under then. Ladybug reacted fast, kicking the other teen, who didn't move one inch.
"Protection, Ladybug. You can't touch me. Now, the bakers got the right idea. Maybe an idea too good for simple workers."
As he moved towards the Dupain-Cheng, Ladybug quickly threw her yoyo under his feet, making him fall again.
"Sir, Ma'am, get out of here now." She said, pushing Marinette's parents out of the way. "Call the police, I will try to take him to another place.
At another point of the city, Adrien was entering his room, mentioning jet lag to Nathalie. He must find a way to get together with.
"Adrien!" A small piece of black fur jumped, trying to hug his neck and chest "Adrien, my Adrien, you're back."
"I missed you, too, Plagg." The teen said, scratching the kwami's head.
"We can't waste time. Ladybug may be in danger."
"Right. Plagg – I missed these words, friend. – Plagg, claws out."
Next: Felix Supremacy part 3 - battle on