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Félix’s heart stopped as he saw the woman standing behind Kagami. Stupid. He’d been so so stupid. Letting himself trust someone he didn’t even know just because they’re the same.
Except it’s not that they’re just the same is it. Otherwise he’d have entrusted everything to Adrien.
No. It’s that he likes her. That she’s pretty, and blunt, and she makes him feel too hot and embarrassed all the time and yet he still wants to be around her. To impress her. And he might want to do that even if she hadn’t be born the way he was.
He’s been as dumb as Adrien as if the whole reason he hadn’t involved his cousin wasn’t because he’d thought him too soft-hearted and beholden with seeming good to be able to be safe to trust with all of this. To be able to do what needed to be done.
Only apparently it’s Félix’s heart that’s the problem after all.
He wanted to scream.
Perhaps it wasn’t so difficult to understand why his mother never chased after love like her sister after all. He’d always wondered if keeping her family’s approval had been worth it given his father. But now it was clear that love could be as dangerous as duty. He might just have doomed everything he’d worked for.
It’s just. He’d really thought that she understood. Had thought that she would from the moment he realised she was like him.
“Félix,” Kagami held her hands up, “it’s alright. She’s not here to attack. She’s got something to say we need to hear.”
“She’s a murderer,” he snarls.
Kagami held her hands up. “Not all,”
“Did your mother never let you watch the news? She created a copy of Ladybug, a human. A girl who-“
“Was not as real as me or you. Her death was a tragedy but she had no childhood, no parent, no desires of her own. She never developed beyond being Ladybug. Beyond wanted to a good Ladybug. I have to believe there’s more to us than that. There is more to use than just being our parents’ perfect children. Still I don’t care what you think of Mayura and her actions. It’s your choice what you do with her request. I only offered to put her in contact with you for Adrien’s sake.”
“Oh. Has she decided to betray his father then? It’s a little late for that isn’t it? What can she even do.”
“Gabriel’s dying,” the woman says. She’s ghost-pale and looks ready to collapse from exhaustion at any moment. “So really I have to do very little.”
“…What.” Félix had felt that things were likely to go badly for his uncle despite the Miraculous he’d traded with him. The man was neither as clever nor as subtle as he thought he was. Arrogance from the power the Butterfly and Peacock had given him over the years he guessed.
But he hadn’t really expected him to die.
Hearing it he supposed he ought to be happy. Or to at least feel that guilty relief he’d felt on his own father’s death, if without the understanding and freedom he’d been granted at the same time. After all Gabriel Agreste had threatened to kill him. His death only made Félix safer, and it was hardly like Adrien wouldn’t be better off in the long run either.
Instead of rejoicing inside however he found that he didn’t really seem to feel anything about it. Maybe it was because he was still processing it. He could almost feel the gears in his brain grinding, trying to work out the results of the change in the balance of power that would result. Of how the safety of all beings created by the Peacock would be effected.
“He’s dying.” Nathalie repeated, like she’d thought he hadn’t understood her. “Chat Noir’s cataclysm. I don’t know if the heroes know.”
Félix had to scoff. “Chat Noir must know.”
Distractible as the hero might be he could hardly be unaware that he’d used his power. Not least since he’d have to recharge after.
“Oh he knows he’s done it. He and Ladybug just doesn’t know how it’s spreading, or maybe even that it’s spreading. They certainly don’t know how little time he has left.”
He considered it. It was true. The pair of heroes didn’t seem to be acting like two people anticipating it all coming to an end unless it had been them being overconfident in their opponent’s loss that had caused the appearance of those inferior replacements that time. Not a mistake Félix would have made, and for all Ladybug had chosen badly in attempting to give the Dog to his cousin he wasn’t convinced it was one she’d make either.
“You’re sure?” He asked.
“About Ladybug and Chat Noir? I can’t be, but from studying them I feel Chat Noir would be more affected if he knew he’d killed his enemy. Ladybug too. About Gabriel?” Momentarily feeling seeped into her voice, “I’ve seen the damage.”
“She’s right,” Kagami suddenly offered, “about Ladybug and Chat Noir. They’re not the type to aim to kill their enemy. Chat Noir would never deliberately try to use his powers on a person.”
“I’m quite capable of believing it’s Gabriel’s own fault.” Nathalie offered dryly. “His judgement is…compromised at present.”
He wondered. She was hardly an objective source but she could well have access to knowledge he didn’t. “Is that because of the Miraculous?”
“I don’t know.” She eyes flicked down, “it’s inadvisable to wear more than two Miraculous at a time, and even that is something the old Guardian’s records counsel against doing too often but Ladybug seems to do it often enough with no ill effect. So.”
“You want to believe it is. That you can blame the Miraculous and not him.” Félix said what she was unwilling to. Pathetic really. At least he was aware of his weaknesses.
“I do. But it doesn’t matter. There’s no healing for Gabriel. For either of his ailments.”
“He seems to think he can save my Aunt. That’s what he’s doing it for isn’t it?”
Kagami’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t blame him for what he’d done to take the power to remove them from existence from Shadow Moth, but he knew she felt that he’d failed to consider the repercussions of his actions. That he’d given Shadow Moth more than he’d needed to without even trying otherwise.
The thing was that he didn’t really see that it would be that bad if his Aunt was revived. She’d always been nice to him, and he’d never seen her command Adrien the way Félix had been. His mother would be so happy, and so would Adrien.
And he could easily understand why her husband would do all this. Apart from the reputational danger it posed he didn’t really care about Hawk Moth’s actions. The results were never permanent after all. Ladybug saw to that.
His girlfriend disagreed and ever since his last time in Paris Félix was maybe starting to see her point. If he needed mankind to see the humanity in his kind, maybe he should offer the same to them.
Especially as his mother seemed so genuinely excited by the heroes, easy as it was for her to believe that their issues with him were all a misunderstanding. Far-away idols were nothing compared to her son after all.
Still. Part of him did wonder if things wouldn’t have been easier if his cousin’s father had been less incompetent and had just defeated Ladybug and Chat Noir long ago.
Nathalie shook her head. “The power it would take to do that isn’t one I can trust Gabriel with anymore. And that’s if I still thought I could somehow get Ladybug’s and Chat Noir’s Miraculous before it’s too late.”
“But it could save them? Both of them?” How their Miraculous could save his aunt was something he still didn’t quite understand. It wasn’t necessarily more power than Ladybug used to put everything back how it was after fights but from what he’d seen online that seemed reliant on her Lucky Charms. And he didn’t understand how Chat Noir’s power related at all.
Duusu was unfortunately rather reticent on the matter. Claiming memory loss, and secretive Guardians, and that all they knew was that it was a very bad idea.
“The writings say it comes at a cost. It’s not a cost I want to find out.”
“But you used to.”
“I’ve changed my mind.” Her face was deliberately blank.
She clearly wasn’t willing to volunteer any more.
So that left him with one obvious question. “What do you want from me then?”
“To borrow the Peacock Miraculous.”
“No,” the word flew from his throat instinctively and he cringed at the blatant show of emotion, “I mean you must know I can’t trust you with that.”
“You use it then. Or her.” She nodded at Kagami, “but the fact of the matter is that Adrien needs a father.”
Her purpose began to dawn on him, “you want to create him a replacement father? That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it?” She raised her eyebrows, “I can’t believe you actually want Adrien to live with you here in London.”
“I want what’s best for my cousin.”
“Maybe you do. And I believe that you love him. But I don’t think you too actually get on very well.”
“We’re very different people,” he admitted mulishly.
“Yes.” Kagami says, “you really are.”
He’d take that as an insult if it wasn’t for the fact that he’s the one she’s dating not Adrien. That she’d dumped Adrien.
“Exactly. And Adrien wants to be in Paris. His girlfriend’s there. His school. His friends.”
“What about his father’s family? They are French right? Why couldn’t he stay with them.”
“Not an option. Adrien doesn’t know them. They’re still not in Paris even if they’re closer than London. And even if his father wasn’t completely honest about his past I believe enough to know I I’d prefer your mother if someone has to be his guardian.”
“She’d not force him to live here you know. She’s not that sort of person,” his mother of all people would understand Adrien’s desire to make his own choices, would probably want to give him his freedom the same way she did Félix despite the differences in their situations. “If Adrien asked I’m sure she’d make arrangements for him to live in Paris under your supervision even if she was his legal guardian.”
“I’m dying too,” Nathalie said bluntly and suddenly her pallor and the circles under her eyes took on a very different meaning.
He’d put it together that the Peacock had been broken before Shadow Moth had started using it. It explained his father’s death, his aunt’s death, and Nathalie’s illness.
However surely it couldn’t be, “not that soon surely. I mean my Aunt and my father-“
“Only used it once,” she interrupted him, “and in retrospect I think the damage worsened from their use. I certainly seemed affected far more immediately than I believe Emilie or Colt were.”
“What about my father?” Kagami asked.
“I don’t know. Tomoe never mentioned anything.”
Kagami’s shoulders sunk a little, but her voice was steady and Félix was so proud of her as she said, “I suppose she never told you anything about him at all.”
“No,” Nathalie’s face softened a little, “I’m sorry. I never knew who your mother had create you. Sometimes I-, it doesn’t matter.”
Kagami shook her head, “It does matter. I know my mother is willing to use my amok to control me. I need to now what else she’s capable of.”
Félix shivered Adrien might have a way out coming but Kagami was still tied to her mother and she couldn’t move against her without tipping her hand of what she was aware of and that she wanted to fight back.
How exactly she’d got to his home to bring Nathalie Félix wasn’t quite sure despite his healthy respect for her capabilities.
Nathalie exhaled. “You’re right.” She pinched her nose in a move Félix saw more often on the man she was now betraying. He wouldn’t if she’d picked it up from him. Sometime he found himself being snide in a way that was eerily reminiscent of his father.
“So?” He asked.
“Mme. Tsurugi was the one who introduced me to the Agrestes and their quest for the Miraculous in the first place. She’s supported Gabriel’s actions as Monarch, and showed no hesitance to become more involved with the Alliance rings. From an…” her lips pursed, “argument I’ve had from Gabriel pairing Kagami and Adrien was her idea.”
“Pssh,” Félix had to roll his eyes at that, how deluded could one person be, “you’re not telling me he objects to that.”
“He doesn’t.” She admitted straight away. “He thinks it a fine plan. I think the idea was something of a relief to him actually. He might have thought of it himself if given enough time. Emilie did used to wonder about it.”
“She did?”
“I think she thought it might be easier for two of you to be with someone else in the same situation.”
“But there are three of us.” Félix had to point out.
“Yes. But you...Gabriel was the one who agreed lending the Miraculous to your father.”
Kagami’s attention seemed caught by that. “Not my mother?”
“No. And I’m starting to wonder whether your mother was more of a driving force than an ally of the Agrestes in this. About what her endgame is.”
Félix frowned, “surely,”
As if she could read his mind Nathalie said, “it would never occur to Gabriel that other people might not be as invested in bringing Emilie back as he is. That they might have other goals.”
“She must do,” Kagami said, “getting involved like she has with Alliance, that’s not easily deniable like the rest of it. Maybe she and Adrien’s mother were friends but. No. I can’t see my mother putting a friend ahead of herself. Or me. Or I’d thought so.”
Félix glared at Nathalie but she had the sense to say nothing more than, “she wouldn’t want you hurt. You’re her prized miracle.”
That her mother had allowed her to be akumatised on multiple occasions was hovered silently in the air.
“So long as I do what she wants,” Kagami sounded more tired than angry as she said it.
Félix took her hand.
“I’m sorry.” Nathalie offered.
“You think this might all be her idea,” Kagami said.
Nathalie inhaled, “it has occurred to me. I was never told how the Agrestes came across the idea in the first place. And your mother employed me to find other artefacts first. But I don’t now. I could just be seeing what I want to see.”
“You know that then,” slipped out of Félix’s mouth before he thought better of it. His father’s scorn on his lips and there was no ring on his father’s finger to explain it anymore.
“No,” Kagami shook her head, “I think it’s possible. Adrien’s father might design clothes but my mother thinks up technology people don’t even know they want. She’s not just some engineer working to fulfil over people’s ideas. She’s very capable of coming up with a plan like this.”
“Except we don’t know what she wants,” he could feel the panic crawling up his throat and was glad he’d become well-practised at not letting that show to avoid his father’s attention or criticism over the years.
“No.” Nathalie said eventually.
Kagami squeezed his hand back. “Alright. Thank you for telling us. But that’s not why you’re here are you? You’re here because you want to make use the Peacock Miraculous to make a new Miraculous for Adrien.”
“I am.”
A flaw in her offer struck him, “if I created him then I wouldn’t be able to create any other amoks while he lived.”
“That’s true.”
“And.” But no, “Kagami can’t do it because she doesn’t know him well enough. If you want him to take Adrien’s father’s place, to be identical to him, then it has to be you.”
“Not quite identical. Especially given neither Emilie or I will be around. I want to give Adrien the father he should have had. The Gabriel I know Gabriel can be. That I’ve seen on occasions. And maybe even,” her eyes were shining with the threat of tears but the corners of her mouth curved up, “one who allows Adrien a little more freedom than even that.”
“Would you continue to push my and Adrien’s relationship?” Kagami asked.
“He doesn’t have to. Should I make it so he wouldn’t?”
“That could cause problems with my mother. Still…if he’s going to not be Monarch, he is going to stop being Monarch right?”
“Yes. He’ll lose the rings. I might let him blame me for that. I’ll be out of the picture by then, a so it’s safe target for her.”
Kagami nodded, “you know them well enough to make it work.”
“But,” Félix had to say, “you’d be creating a whole person just for Adrien. However aware that Ladybug of yours was he’d have to be.”
“No one asks to be born. I’d be giving him better circumstances than most.”
“You’d be depriving him of a childhood. Of the ability to choose his own family as an adult.”
“I’d give my creation his amok. Apart from his obligation to your cousin this would be his own choice. If he wanted to re-marry” she corrected himself, “marry then that would be his choice. So would how he wished to proceed. He wouldn’t be the same as you three no. But he’d be a person. And we all have responsibilities to others.”
“What,” Kagami forehead was creased in thought, “if we told Adrien? If he and this new Gabriel Agreste could decide how much they’d be father and son to themselves and it was only to the world he’d have to pretend?”
“I don’t know,” Nathalie had a chagrined expression, “I used to want to tell Adrien about Hawk Moth. Now I think that telling him all this will shatter him. I worry enough about my death will do to him. To know he’d know he was losing both parents as well never mind about his father being Monarch.”
Félix’s hand went to his own ring, “I don’t know if we could trust Adrien to keep it secret.” It was easy to see his cousin feeling compelled to confess to the heroes, especially Ladybug with whatever was going on there, and equally easy to imagine his poker-face just not being good enough that he might betray something accidentally. “But his amok…he’d have to know that much at least.”
It's something he's been avoiding confiding in Adrien. He's not sure of the point when his cousin can't do anything about it. He'd get upset.
Upset at Félix too for letting his father have it back. But his father already had half of it, and Félix himself was hardly around to give counter-orders every second. It didn't seem like whether Gabriel had one or two rings made any difference and he hadn't the time to go back to the train, find Nathalie and take hers.
But Kagami is right. Unless they find a miracle of their own then Adrien will have to be told at some point.
“At the very least enough to know to keep those safe.” Nathalie agreed, one of her hands hovering over one of those very rings.
One she’d been given because she was trusted to keep Adrien safe. Ironic, except that that was what she was still trying to do.
“How soon will Adrien’s father die?” Kagami suddenly asked, “how could you even replace him?”
Nathalie swallowed but her hands fell to her signs as if she was taking some sort of stance. “Soon enough. But he’ll have to disappear before that.”
Félix wasn’t sure when his throat felt full at that, he’d arguably done worse but he almost didn’t want to ask, “and you’re going to ensure that are you?”
He'd thought her hopelessly devoted to her boss once. Now he wasn't sure what to think. Wasn't sure if he'd got it wrong before, or if perhaps he did understand. That maybe her feelings now weren't so disimilar to his for his father. She'd clearly not been capable of being enough either. And she'd clearly been disappointed.
“Yes. He still trusts me. Or well. He thinks he’s got me up against a wall and I have no other choice,” her eyebrows expressed her annoyance quite eloquently.
“I’d thought-“
“Gabriel can’t win. And I mean that both that he can’t be allowed to and that I’m not sure he can,”
“He might with my mother’s help.” Kagami said.
“He might,” Nathalie allowed, “and I’d save him and Emilie if I can. But I can’t. So I’m going to save their son. And Gabriel’s reputation. His legacy.” She shut her eyes, “the memory of the man he used to be. And yes. I’ll even go against him to do so.”
“I’ll,” her passion mirrored his own in the face of it was difficult to say no, but his doubts remained. About whether she could be trusted. About whether this would be fair to her creation. About whether it wouldn’t just be better for Adrien for his own mother to take him in. About whether he should get involved in this at all. About whether he and more importantly Kagami could risk not getting involved. “think about it. I need to think about it. I can’t just agree right now.”
The tension in Nathalie’s posture only became apparent as it finally drained out of her.
“That’s all I ask.”