Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ladybug didn’t think anyone could be angrier than she had been lately. Tricked, betrayed, made a fool out of, and all of Paris knew the price of her mistake. Monarch announced his victory to everyone and Ladybug felt herself shatter in that moment.

They were able to take the Rabbit Miraculous back, but that was about the only success they had. As much as she hates Monarch, him getting Cataclysmed didn’t feel good, even now.

Chat Noir has been more quiet lately. Tense. Ladybug wishes she could fix it but she can barely hold herself together. She doesn’t think she can do much for him, not like she wants to.

They had work to do. Since being Cataclysmed, Monarch had gone silent, which allowed them to finally look into getting answers from the one who caused all of this.

Félix Fathom, his Wikipedia page called him, though Chat Noir told her that his house was technically under Graham de Vanily. It didn’t matter which it was to her, she was going to find him and get answers either way.

Ladybug lost nearly every other Miraculous. She was a poor hero and possibly an even worse Guardian.

All that shame and guilt mixed with rage, and if she couldn’t direct it towards Monarch, then Félix Whatever-His-Last-Name-Was would have to do.

Ladybug didn’t think anyone could be angrier than her. As it turns out, she quickly learns how wrong she is.

“How… Dare you!” Amélie Graham de Vanily shakes with bottled up rage, tears streaming down her face, and her makeup ruined. Chat Noir shoots her a look of discomfort at the sight and Ladybug can hardly blame him.

Amélie simultaneously looks like a mess and yet still as beautiful as a model. Her eyes are red and puffy as if this isn’t the first time today she’s been crying, probably not even the first time this week. Abruptly, Ladybug struggles to find her own anger again when faced with one so raw and painful, some part of her defaulting to being the hero. Pushing aside everything else to comfort someone in need.

Some part of her is a bit glad that Amélie lives in London and not Paris, because Ladybug doesn’t want to know what kind of Akuma she would make if Monarch were here.

“My son,” Amélie spits, “Isn’t some— some villain for you to defeat! All he’s ever wanted is to be safe and— and for his cousin to be happy and…” She shudders and tries to wipe away the onslaught of tears running down her face.

Ladybug struggles to find the right words, so Chat Noir steps forward in her place.

“Mme. Graham de Vanily?” He asks quietly, politely. “We understand he’s not evil like Monarch but we have good reason to believe he helped Monarch steal several of the Miraculouses from us. If we could talk to him—”

“He’s not—” Amélie sobs, burying her face in her hands. “He’s not here.”

“He’s not?” Chat Noir shares another look with Ladybug. “Is there anywhere he might’ve gone?”

“His— his cousin.” She whispers. Chat Noir tenses again. “I— I know he’s not with him because one of them would’ve told me by now but— that’s the only other person he would’ve gone to.”

“Alright.” Chat Noir nods slowly. “Thank you, we appreciate your—”

Chat Noir starts to move away but Amélie abruptly grabs his arm before he can. There’s a desperate look in her eye.

“You— you don’t understand.” Amélie sniffs, her voice wavering. “Félix always comes home. He always calls, if he can help it. He has always hated worrying me— this isn’t like him!”

Ladybug finds her voice at last. “Are you certain? Sometimes we don’t always know people as well as we thought we did.”

“Yes, he—” Amélie looks away but doesn’t let go of Chat Noir’s arm, “I think he’s in trouble. And if he’s not calling me, then it’s bad. I know it is.”

The silence that follows is suffocating, filling up the room as if it means to choke them. Carefully, Chat Noir shifts to put a hand on her shoulder.

“Mme. Graham de Vanily?” He gives her a soft, reassuring smile. “We’ll find him and bring him back to you, for better or for worse.”

Amélie lets go at last, arm going limp. She still doesn’t look at them, the slight nod being the only acknowledgement that she heard them that they get. Chat Noir nods back and turns his gaze back to Ladybug.

They don’t stay for much longer, using their space power-ups and flying back to Paris.

Chat Noir is quiet the whole way back. Ladybug can hardly blame him; she doesn’t have much to say either.

—

For two weeks straight, there’s nothing but radio silence. Nothing more from Monarch, nothing to be heard about Félix, and nothing for Ladybug and Chat Noir to do but wait.

When Monarch does strike, his newest Akuma has the ability to split herself into four, smaller copies of herself. When they de-Akumatize her however, there’s no Mouse Miraculous to be found on Tomoe Tsurugi.

It’s the first sign that Monarch has taken up new tricks, but not the last. Because when Ladybug and Chat Noir show up to save Socqueline from Dark Owl, they find that Dark Owl isn’t alone.

Ladybug throws her yo-yo at Dark Owl but someone jumps in front of the Akuma and deflects it. Ladybug goes completely still for a moment when she sees who blocks her way.

Flairmidable is her first thought, but his suit has changed. He’s wearing gray boots designed to look like hooves. Stripes of gray now accent his suit and there’s white fur around his shoulders.

Along with the collar necklace around his throat, there’s a pair of horn-shaped hair clips in his hair. A white and gray paintbrush lies in his grip.

His eyes, dull and green, are narrowed on her. His face betrays nothing.

Ladybug is frozen for all of three seconds before she feels her chest explode with a white hot and all-consuming rage.

“You!” She screams, watching his eyes widen a fraction, and she launches herself at him. He’s quick to dodge and parry her onslaught of attacks but Ladybug doesn’t give him an inch.

“Lady—!” Chat Noir’s call for her is cut off when he sees exactly who she’s fighting. She doesn’t see his reaction, keeping her gaze solely on the target in front of her.

Showing up with both the Dog Miraculous and the Goat Miraculous on his person makes him look like he wanted a big target painted on his back.

Ladybug will gladly oblige if that’s the case.

The paintbrush blocks her every attack as Flairmidable backs up, eyebrows furrowed in intense concentration. The ball hovering in front of his neck jingles ever so slightly when he moves, taunting her. The very thing that caused her to lose everything, now right in front of her face.

She wants to snap that stupid paintbrush in half. She wants to hit him in the head with that stupid ball. She wants to rip the Miraculouses off him and shake him down for answers about Monarch.

The only thing that stops her is a grappling hook wrapping around her waist.

Dark Owl yanks her back, sending her straight into Chat Noir. She practically screams for her Lucky Charm, an alarm clock falling into her hands.

Flairmidable lingers behind Dark Owl, cautious about getting any closer. Good, she thinks. He should be wary of her.

Ladybug feels nothing but pure rage coursing through her veins. Everything else feels faint in comparison.

Then Dark Owl gives her and Chat Noir a gift and it all starts to melt away.

The alarm clock wakes her up from the dream and a new wound for a life she never really had is ripped open. Chat Noir Cataclysms Dark Owl’s mask and Ladybug captures the Akuma.

As the Miraculous Cure sweeps the city, Chat Noir spots Flairmidable retreating into the shadows of a nearby alleyway. They give chase but they don’t find a trace of him anywhere.

“I don’t understand.” Chat Noir has stopped searching, eyebrows knitting together as he scans the alleyway once more from the roof. Ladybug searches more thoroughly but neither Flairmidable nor Félix are anywhere to be found. “He’s working for Monarch now?”

“How else would Monarch have got the Miraculouses?” Ladybug spits out, then catches herself and takes a deep breath. The wildfire in her heart still crackles and pops dangerously.

“What does he get out of it? Why— why would he do this?” His gaze hardens into a glare. “I just don’t get it!”

“I don’t either.” Ladybug finally throws in the towel, no matter how much it pains her to do it. If Félix were here, she would’ve found him by now. “But if he returns, we’ll get answers from him. No matter what.”

The promise rings out between them. Chat Noir says nothing but she knows he heard her.

She knows he’ll be by her side when it happens.

—

Flairmidable shows up again when Manipula does. The statues of the other heroes are nothing but obstacles— Ladybug cuts through them like wet paper and both her and Chat Noir take him on directly.

“Félix! Stand down!” Chat Noir yells, his staff colliding with the paintbrush. Ladybug takes the opportunity to throw her yo-yo in an effort to grapple him but he moves out of the way before she can. Chat Noir gains the upper hand because of it and hits him hard enough to make him stumble. “Hand over the Miraculouses and this doesn’t have to go any further!”

Flairmidable recovers quickly, dodging her punch. Ladybug growls— he’s elusive, like sand slipping through her fingers. If only she had the Bee Miraculous, then maybe she could get him to just stand still.

“I can’t let you do that.” Flairmidable tells them. His voice is rougher than usual— it’s the first time Ladybug has actually heard him speak since she last saw him, now that she thinks about it.

Flairmidable turns tail and runs towards where the Akuma was last. Ladybug and Chat Noir remain in hot pursuit.

“Why are you working for him?” Chat Noir presses. His tail lashes restlessly. “Why did you give him the Miraculouses in the first place? Who is he? Why are you protecting him?”

“I can’t answer any of that.” Is all Flairmidable says, just loud enough for the two of them to hear. He leads them to City Hall, shutting the doors behind him when he bolts inside.

The moment they chase in after him, statues of themselves ambush them. Flairmidable doesn’t stick around, retreating further inside.

They find him alongside Manipula and Mayor Bourgeois. He’s as tense as a hairpin trigger, a white-knuckled grip on the paintbrush.

Ladybug calls for her Lucky Charm. The moment Flairmidable gets close as if he means to try and take it, Ladybug doesn’t hesitate.

Ladybug would not consider herself a violent person normally but something has cracked within her at the loss of the Miraculouses and seeing the kwami in the hands of Monarch. Fury bleeds through the cracks and there’s a sick sort of satisfaction when her fist finally finds its mark and blood drips from Flairmidable’s nose.

It’s enough to get him to back off and put her plan into action. Manipula is defeated in under a minute.

Flairmidable flees. Chat Noir attempts to give chase but the moment Flairmidable is in the doorway, he yells, “Genesis!”

A brick wall forms between him and Chat Noir. By the time it’s been knocked down, Flairmidable is once again nowhere to be found.

Ladybug clenches her jaw and calls for her Miraculous Cure.

—

Once upon a time, Félix was one of his best friends, along with Chloé.

Once upon a time, Adrien understood him better than anyone, save for his mum. He wasn’t the best at reading him all the time and he knew Félix kept secrets but Adrien still knew him. Well enough to fool their parents when they swapped and pretended to be each other.

Now Adrien understands nothing.

The day Félix shows back up with both the Dog and Goat Miraculouses, Adrien goes home and calls Aunt Amélie. She’s quiet when he tells her what happened and thanks him for telling her.

Adrien asks if Félix has talked to her at all since she last saw him. Amélie tells him no, he hasn’t. Her voice wavers when she says it, threatening to crack. Adrien’s heart squeezes and he assures her that Ladybug and Chat Noir will take care of it.

It doesn’t seem to be the reassurance he wants it to be.

His room is quiet for a long time afterwards. Not even Plagg can think of anything to say.

After seeing him for a second time, Adrien is only left with even more questions than before.

Félix isn’t acting like himself. There’s no flair in what he’s doing, no dramatics, no cockiness— he doesn’t even smirk. The entire time, his face swaps between focused, tense, and something else entirely. The few times he spoke up, it was only to tell him that he wasn’t going to answer their questions, and his voice sounded rough.

Félix is working for Monarch and his Akumas, that much is clear. Adrien is pretty sure that he’s meant to be trying to take their Miraculouses, just has yet to succeed— Ladybug has been guarded ever since they learned what he could pull off with the Dog Miraculous. His attempts to use Fetch again have all been deflected.

Adrien just doesn’t understand why he’s with Monarch. He doesn’t understand anything about what he’s doing.

Félix isn’t acting like himself, not even Aunt Amélie thought so.

Is Monarch forcing him to do it somehow? But how would he even make Félix cooperate like that? His cousin wouldn’t make it easy for him. He certainly wouldn’t be acting like how he is.

Adrien strengthens his resolve. He’ll figure it out. He’s lucky that Chat Noir happens to be one of the people Monarch is after. It gives him a good excuse to talk to him.

His problem however, is that Félix doesn’t seem to want to talk to him.

When Pharaoh is re-Akumatized, he sees it as his chance. Ladybug needs a distraction and Chat Noir is more than willing.

“What do you get out of this? Is Hawkmoth forcing you to do this?”

“No.” Flairmidable replies immediately, but the look on his face is pained. He’s usually a better liar than that, which is worrying.

“What do you get out of this?” Chat Noir repeats since he didn’t get an answer. He keeps Flairmidable on the defensive but finds himself holding back.

He’s angry and he doesn’t understand why he betrayed them but Chat Noir doesn’t like whatever’s going on with him now. It irks him— there’s something going on that he can’t see. Something he isn’t telling them.

(Something that he can’t tell them?)

“I can’t tell you that.” Flairmidable grits out, as if he can read Chat Noir’s thoughts. He attempts a strike of his own but his movements are sloppier than usual. Another worrying thing to add to the list.

“Can’t or won’t?” Chat Noir asks. He just clenches his jaw in response, which is probably the best answer he’s going to get. “Fine, fine, can you at least tell me your new name? I mean, you got the dog and goat now, surely you have a unified name?”

“I don’t. Call me whatever you want.”

Chat Noir hums to himself. Ladybug manages to finally bypass the wall and heads straight for Pharaoh. “How about Faunmidable? Bit of a mashup for you!”

“Fine.” Is all he gets in reply, and all the permission he needs, not that he really needed any in the first place.

“Perfect. Faunmidable! Suits you.” He feints an attack but Faunmidable still blocks the real one. Chat Noir doesn’t take his eyes off of him for a moment, still looking for answers in his body language.

It’s eerily familiar but he hasn’t placed it yet. All he knows is that it means nothing good.

“You know, we tried looking for you before.” Chat Noir tells him. “You should really call your mother.”

Faunmidable missteps and ends up flat on his back when Chat Noir’s attempt to sweep the leg actually works. He recovers quickly but the look in his eye is unmistakable— he struck a nerve.

Faunmidable looks at him like he wants to say something. Chat Noir waits for it but it never comes. All he gets is bared teeth and an intense look in his eyes.

Around them, the Akuma loses its power over the museum as Ladybug defeats him. Predictably, Faunmidable turns to run and Chat Noir gives chase.

Faunmidable raises his paintbrush in the air and calls out, “Genesis!” Once again creating a barrier between them.

“Cataclysm!” Chat Noir calls and it dissolves into ashes under his fingertips.

Unfortunately his escape attempt is enough. Chat Noir watches Faunmidable disappear into a blue portal before it closes behind him, as if it was never really there. At the very least, it answers the question how Félix is getting around without being caught or seen.

Even so, Chat Noir finds himself dissatisfied. When Ladybug returns, Chat Noir looks her in the eye and tells her, “Something’s wrong with him.”

—

She’s glaring at him again.

When all of your life has been narrowed down to one, plain white room, it’s hard not to notice the few things in said room. Félix has memorized and compartmentalized what he has because time was the enemy. Time was the ever marching force that he fought with every waking moment of his life.

Félix has too much time. Too much time and too little to do.

He has a mattress, a bathroom, occasionally leftover dishes from whatever he had been given to eat, the Dog Miraculous around his neck and the Goat Miraculous in his hair, the restricted Alliance Ring around his finger, and a book he had read enough times that he was fairly certain he could close his eyes and recite it if asked.

He could take another shower. Could read the book again. Could sleep.

But sometimes he just stared blankly at the ground, not having the energy or motivation for anything else.

With how little there was to do, it wasn’t hard to miss the way she glared at him. Félix wasn’t surprised however. These days, it was rare for anyone to look at him with anything but contempt or fear.

He knew why. There was a good reason for it.

She glares at him a lot.

She has every right to.

“Are you proud of yourself?”

Félix lifts his head in faint surprise. Usually she gives him the silent treatment. Neither of them really talk to him but she in particular makes it a point not to. Only glares like she wishes he were gone.

Félix doesn’t blame her.

“Are we doing this again?” He asks. His voice sounds rough from disuse and he coughs to clear it.

“What else are you gonna do?” Barkk scoffs. Her arms are crossed and she’s in her usual corner of the room. Both she and Ziggy sit on a pillow— one of Félix’s. It felt only fair. He was the reason they were here at all.

Félix hums in response, low and grating. “Nothing I say is going to make you satisfied.”

Barkk only scowls at him harder but Ziggy speaks up, murmuring to her. “He’s right. You’re not going to get what you want.”

Félix’s gaze drifts for a moment, assuming the conversation is over. He’s proven wrong however when Barkk spits out, “I trusted you.”

His eyes shut, letting out a careful breath. “I know.”

“Ladybug trusted you! They all trusted you!” Barkk continues, her voice raising. “Do you know what my Holders are meant to embody? Loyalty. Support. Backup. Protection. Adoration. And you betrayed all of that!”

Breathe in, two, three, four, and out, two, three, four. “I know.”

“You gave us to a monster. You—” her voice breaks, a furious growl escaping her. “You used me. You used me to hurt all of them!”

Breathe. Breathe. Keep breathing. “I know.”

“And now you’re stuck here with the rest of us. We call that karma, you know. So I hope you’re happy with yourself.”

Félix doesn’t respond to that. He rests his head on the wall behind him and lets his thoughts drift.

I know, I know, I know.

—

If there’s one thing he gets used to, it’s portals. His life is dictated by them at this point.

Dread curls around his heart when another one opens in his wall. “Félix, come.” Monarch orders, as if he doesn’t already know. Nonetheless, the order takes over in the sickening manner it always does and Félix moves automatically.

Barkk and Ziggy are pulled alongside him, taking either side of him. The portal shuts behind them and Félix stands before Monarch again, feeling far too small in comparison.

Monarch is resting his hands on his staff. Félix can’t help that he looks— he always does.

His ring sits on his finger, right next to Adrien’s, and all the Miraculouses. Félix swallows a lump in his throat, letting a numbing feeling take over so he won’t have the satisfaction of knowing Félix is afraid.

Behind Monarch, all the kwamis watch the pair of them, stuck in the mechanical wheel. Félix cannot meet their gazes.

“Your recent performance has been disappointing.” Monarch narrows his eyes. “You were able to steal all of the Miraculouses within the Miracle Box in one day, surely two more is hardly a challenge.”

“They know it’s me now.” Félix croaks, not meeting his gaze. “They’re on guard. They’ve blocked the ball the few times I’ve thrown it.”

Monarch scowls. “Excuses. I’ll be sending out a sentimonster to help today.” He says, and Félix’s heart twists into knots. “Perhaps that will give me the victory I need.”

Félix doesn’t reply. He is not expected to.

“Félix, transform.” Monarch orders sharply at last. The order tugs at him and Félix complies immediately. The transformation never feels as good as it did the first time— being Flairmidable was freeing at first. Now it’s all just more shackles weighing him down.

Now he’s… Faunmidable. He did have to hand it to Chat Noir, it was as good of a name as any. A shame that he can’t really enjoy it.

Monarch sends out his Akuma and Amok. Faunmidable waits, staring at his ring on his hand and wanting nothing more than to take it while fully knowing he can’t. He’s not in control anymore.

He’s lost what little control he had left.

“There.” Monarch says after speaking to the new Akuma. Faunmidable didn’t mean to tune him out but that seems to be happening automatically. “Glacier and Nimbostatus are your allies. Protect both of them at all costs. You know the rest of your orders, don’t you?”

“Yes, sir.” Faunmidable replies automatically.

“Good.” Monarch summons another portal. Faunmidable steps through it and onto the battlefield.

Monarch remains a constant in his ear as he fights to keep Ladybug and Chat Noir at bay. Both of them are hellbent on asking him questions, none of which he can actually answer. He’s forced to give non-answers, telling them that he can’t say anything. It never deters them however.

Ladybug’s fury is more focused than usual. Faunmidable still flinches away from it, remembering the way it feels to be on the other end of it. Chat Noir is even more demanding, going so far as to shout in hopes that Monarch will hear him once he spots the earpiece in Faunmidable’s ear.

Everyone is shouting, their voices mingling with one another’s and jumbling their words together. The battlefield becomes a haze of noise, Faunmidable trying to blink away the overstimulation when it hits, even if he knows it will do little to help against it all.

Go through the motions. Look for openings. Try not to die. It’s all automatic. He’s become a windup toy for the amusement of all of Paris. Monarch twists the key and sets him loose on the heroes of Paris, then collects him once he’s run out of steam.

‘Why?’ Ladybug and Chat Noir ask. ‘Why are you doing this? Why are you working for Monarch? Why did you give him all the other Miraculouses? Why can’t you answer our questions? Why aren’t you talking to us? Why why why why why—’

He’s used to keeping secrets, but there’s a difference between choosing to hold something close to the chest and being forced not to say anything. The words fill his throat, suffocating him slowly, and yet he’s still here. Still breathing.

Because his body is no longer his own. Because Monarch sees too much use in his new toy soldier to simply be rid of him.

Because there is nothing left to do but go through the motions and keep breathing.

He just wants it to be over. He just wants to lie down and sleep the day away again.

He wants to go home, but Monarch won’t let him. He misses his mum. He misses Adrien.

He misses his Amok being a steady weight on his finger. Now he’s left with a shiver down his spine every time Monarch barks an order, a leash tightening.

Sometimes Monarch’s orders are specific, like he already knows where Ladybug and Chat Noir are. He’s quickly learned that he’s been employing the use of Second Chance, though it doesn’t seem to matter. They still lose at the end of the day.

Lucky Charm never seems to fail.

Faunmidable watches Ladybug snap the Amok in half, releasing and purifying the feather. Nausea hits him but Monarch orders him to retreat and he obediently slips back through the portal.

The outside world and all that comes with it is stripped away from him and he’s back in the attic again.

“Two allies and you still get no closer!” Monarch slams his staff against the ground. Faunmidable does not flinch. His father taught him better than that. “You’re better than this, Félix. Your fighting has been sloppy.”

“I’ll do better next time, sir.” He barely hears himself when he says it. His head is filled with static.

With another portal, Monarch returns him to his room— his cell— and the transformation finally drops. A plate of food is there waiting for him. Félix picks off the parts that Ziggy and Barkk will eat and sets them aside for them before eating the rest.

It tastes like ash in his mouth. In truth, Félix isn’t very hungry at all, but Monarch ordered him to eat what he was given after his ‘Hunger Strike’ and now it’s no longer a choice.

He still feels sick when he finishes, lying back on the mattress. Félix stares up at the ceiling and tries not to think about Ladybug or Chat Noir or Monarch breaking his Amok. Tries not to think about being reduced to a blue feather and erased.

It’s easier when his mind is blank. He’s not allowed to leave his room unless Monarch calls for him so escape is off the table. And with his orders to not try to take his ring back either, using Fetch to get it back is gone too.

There’s nothing to be done. If there’s a way out of it alive, Félix has yet to find it.

He wonders if knowing he’s a sentimonster will help or hurt his case when it comes to Ladybug and Chat Noir. He wonders if it’ll gain him any sympathy, or if he’ll simply be put down like a bad dog.

At the very least, it would be quick.

Félix shuts his eyes and curls up into a tight ball. He does not sleep for a while but remains unmoving anyway.

—

“How long exactly have you been working on this?” Alya shoots her a concerned look. Marinette groans and waves her off.

“Just— listen.” She jabs her finger at the newly set up evidence board, complete with all the best pictures she could print out before running out of ink. “We know that Faunmidable is Félix. Monarch can only create one sentimonster and Akuma at a time so we know it’s not a double or copy of some sort. Félix has also been missing since I accidentally gave him the Dog Miraculous and the only time we do see him is while he’s transformed.”

“Question— Faunmidable?”

“Chat Noir’s idea, since he has the Dog and Goat Miraculouses now. I can’t think of anything better.”

“For a guy who named himself Chat Noir, that’s actually not too bad.” Alya nods. “Okay, continue.”

Marinette nods and points towards a picture of Pegasus. “We also know that Faunmidable as been able to get to and from the battlefields without being seen because of the Horse Miraculous, which Monarch can use infinitely since he’s an adult Holder. That means Félix could be anywhere.”

Alya hums, frowning. “So trying to find Félix when he doesn’t want to be found and can be teleported to wherever he needs to go is gonna be an issue.”

“That’s the thing— Chat Noir pointed out that Félix might not be working for him willingly and…” Marinette bites the inside of her cheek. “It’s kinda adding up.”

She points up at the picture of Amélie Graham de Vanily she stole off her Wikipedia page. “According to Adrien and his mother, Félix's behavior is very off for him. He hasn’t contacted anyone since disappearing, everything in his room remains untouched, his bank account hasn’t been used at all, and… I only met him here or there but he was not this quiet. He only ever speaks up to say something to me or Chat Noir, to talk to Monarch, or very rarely the Akuma.”

“Shit…” Alya shifts, leaning forward in her seat. “Okay, what’s Monarch got on him that has him working for him?”

“We’re still trying to figure that part out. Amélie went into hiding a few days back and we tried to tell Félix that but he didn’t really respond. If Monarch is threatening her, shouldn’t her being safe stop him? And, again, since Monarch can only create one sentimonster and Akuma at a time, he can’t be using either of those to control him.”

“What about the Rooster?” Alya speaks up. Marinette blinks and looks to Tikki.

“…It might be possible?” Tikki reasons at last. “The Rooster is capable of many things. The power to control another might be possible but it’s never been used like that. I don’t know if it would fall under another kwami’s domain or not.”

“I’ll put that under potential theories then.” Marinette nods, grabbing a pen to scribble it down. Her potential theories list may be long but she’s crossed off more than half of them at this point. “Any other ideas? The sooner we solve this, the sooner we can take down Monarch and figure out what’s going on with Félix.”

“It could still be a sentimonster.” Alya says. Marinette shoots her a look.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, we might not know where Mayura is but she could’ve created a sentimonster that controls Félix, right?”

“That’s… Maybe.” Marinette writes down that one too. It never hurts. “Anything else? I… I really don’t have much to go off here and trying to actually catch Faunmidable when Monarch somehow always knows when and where to portal him back is pretty much impossible.”

“One question…” Alya studies her evidence board with intent, eyes squinting. “How exactly did Félix and Monarch get into contact in the first place?”

Marinette stops. “I… I’m not sure.” The evidence board suddenly feels as though there’s a gaping hole in it. “He talked to him the first time he visited— said he wanted a piece of jewelry in exchange for the Miraculouses? It could’ve been after that.”

“Okay, new question: what ‘Piece of jewelry’ did Félix even want in the first place?”

“I… Don’t know that either.” Marinette admits after a pause. “I think I should make a few calls. Hopefully Mme. Graham de Vanily isn’t too sick of my questions yet.”

Alya doesn’t take her eyes off the board. “If she’s anything like my mom, she’ll answer all the questions you want if it means getting her kid back.”

—

The sentimonster sends powerful shockwaves through the earth, rattling the foundation of every building in the vicinity. It’s just his luck that a balcony dislodges and falls the second Adrien tries to dart for the alley in order to transform.

He braces himself but a familiar voice cuts through the panic. “Genesis!” It calls, and Adrien hears the sound of concrete hitting something and breaking apart but doesn’t feel any impact.

His eyes fly open. A metal arch has suddenly formed over his head, dust still settling around him. His attention however is drawn to Faunmidable, staring at him with wide eyes and panting as though he has never taken a breath before.

“Félix.” Adrien says out loud before he can stop himself. Faunmidable takes a step back at that, a wary look in his eyes. Adrien darts forward and latches onto his arm before he can bolt like he looks like he wants to. “Don’t go!”

Faunmidable freezes, shoulders hiking up. There’s terror on his face, plain as day like he doesn’t know how to hide it. Like a mouse caught in a cat’s claws, or a mutt in the shadow of a panther.

Distantly, the sentimonster rages, sending tremors through the earth, but it’s moved far enough away that it has become quiet here. Enough for Adrien to pick up someone else’s muffled voice coming from the earpiece Faunmidable is wearing.

He can’t hear what they’re saying but Faunmidable starts to pull back, tugging his arm away. It only serves to steel his grip further, latching on like Faunmidable— like Félix— will disappear if he doesn’t.

“Félix,” Adrien drops his voice, hoping that Monarch won’t hear him if he does, “What’s going on? You— you look miserable on TV, why are you working for him?”

“I…” Faunmidable immediately recoils with a wince and Adrien hears that muffled voice in his ear get louder. If he can hear it, he can’t imagine how loud it is for him. “I have to go.”

He tugs at his arm again, a more genuine attempt to break out of his grip, but Adrien holds strong. “Félix,” he says again. He can’t tell if it’s a plea or a demand. Maybe it’s both. “I can help you— Ladybug and Chat Noir can help you— whatever it is, whatever he has over you, we can—!”

“Enough.” Faunmidable snaps suddenly. His jaw clenches and he averts his gaze, away from Adrien and towards the distant battle. “I don’t need your help, Adrien. What could you do? You can’t even save yourself.”

His words are steady but his body is not. Adrien doesn’t realize that his grip has loosened until Faunmidable has finally pulled away. He doesn’t look at him as he leaves, firmly keeping his gaze on the horizon.

When he’s completely gone from view, Adrien immediately finds a place to transform.

“Y’know, you’re a lot less chatty than I remember.” Chat Noir says as his staff clashes with Faunmidable’s paint brush. His cousin’s stance is shaky— Chat Noir knows he’s been off his game the entire time they’ve been fighting but it’s even more obvious now. Sometimes there’s a glazed over look in his eyes, like he’s not really there. “Why is that?”

“There’s nothing to say.” Faunmidable leaps back, panting slightly. There’s a minute flinch from him before he reaches up for the ball around his neck. Chat Noir braces himself at the sight of it.

His eyes catch on something silver on his hand, not a part of his suit. A ring? It looks… Shinier than his usual one.

“I think there’s a lot to say.” Chat Noir counters. “I just don’t get why you’re not saying it.”

“I think you know by now that I can’t answer that.” He replies quietly. His hand reels back and he throws the ball at the Lucky Charm in Ladybug’s hand. Chat Noir bats it away with his staff, getting it tagged in the process. “Fetch.” Faunmidable murmurs, and the staff is transferring to his hands instead.

He swipes at Chat Noir with it but it’s easy enough to dodge. He’s clearly not used to the weight of it, nor just how long it can get.

“Chat Noir!” Ladybug calls out, throwing something at him.

“Cataclysm!” It dissolves in his hand the moment he catches it. A purple butterfly and blue feather are both released from the object, but Chat Noir does not miss the way Faunmidable looks so queasy at the sight.

What happens when he loses? Chat Noir thinks. Where does he go? What does Monarch say to him when he fails?

“Félix.” Chat Noir speaks up. Beeping comes from both of Faunmidable’s Miraculouses. He takes a step back as Chat Noir takes one forward. “You don’t have to be afraid of him. Whatever it is, we can help.”

“…No.” Faunmidable’s voice is quiet, hopeless. He clutches the pair of weapons in his hands. “You really can’t.”

He turns tail and runs. Chat Noir gives chase but Monarch’s portaling is quicker. One minute, Faunmidable is within reach but the next, he’s gone. It’s been like trying to catch mist. No matter how badly he wants to hold on, he’s always slipping through his fingers.

His tail lashes behind him. He misses it, however short it was. That moment where he had been able to hold onto him, keep him from going anywhere for even a moment— he wants it back. He wants a do-over.

Maybe he could convince him to stay this time.

Maybe he’d just drive him away faster.

Maybe he’ll just hold on and ask one more time. Ask him to let him help him, regardless of what his answer will be.

The power of destruction is at his fingertips. Plagg alone could level the city if he wanted to. He’s done it before.

All that power, and Félix is still out of reach.

—

(Being transformed with the Peacock gave him a fan. Feathered but still sharp when it needed to be. He learned that quickly.

He had thought about what his name should be. He knew it was only a matter of time before he got his hands on it now that he knew who Shadowmoth was in the first place.

Argos, he had decided. He would be called Argos when he transformed.

His time as Argos lasted maybe ten minutes. That might’ve been generous.

He knew his uncle would still view him as a threat. He knew he still wouldn’t be safe from him, much less from Paris’ heroes once they figured out what he’d done.

But he never even made it out of Paris.

He didn’t care about pride in that moment. He was on the ground, bruised to hell and back, and his uncle, equipped with what had to be every other Miraculous he had, loomed over him. The shadow basked over him was a little too familiar, as was the spike of fear when he reached down.

He tried to scramble back, he tried to thrash and do everything to stop him, but he was alone. Alone with a madman who tracked him down, never giving him an inch to breathe, and unleashed hell on him.

The brooch was ripped off of him, power zapping away and taking what little safety he had left. Félix was already a mess, tears flooding down his face and aching even more now that his superhuman abilities were gone, but something truly cracked when his uncle reached for his ring.

He clawed and bit and scratched him for it. He screamed and howled and did everything he could but it was not enough. Félix knew that from the beginning. He had never been enough in the first place.

His uncle was not deterred. He pried the ring off of his hand and clutched it in his fist as he said, “Enough.”

Félix hadn’t been controlled since his father died, but it didn’t matter how much time passed. He could never forget that feeling— it was ingrained in his head somewhere. Like strings were being pulled, digging into his arms hard enough to leave marks, even if no one else could see them.

Félix went completely still, breathing erratically. His uncle huffed, apparently satisfied, though it was hard to tell behind his vibrant, inhuman eyes.

He was taller in this form. So much taller than Félix in a way that reminded him a little bit too much like his late father. It wasn’t hard to see his face in him so Félix choked on a sob and shut his eyes.

“Please…” He begged— actually begged. He’s not proud of it looking back but his ring was in the hands of a monster and the brooch was being clipped to his chest. It was like a reoccurring nightmare he had a few too many times, except instead of his father dressed in navy blue, it was his uncle, the biggest megalomaniac he knew, now holding the thing that gave him complete control.

“Please,” he choked out, “Don’t kill me.”

“You’ve caused me quite a bit of trouble. Tell me, why shouldn’t I get rid of such a problem?”

“I— I’ll do anything.” He begged, unable to really look his uncle in the eye when his tears reduced his vision to nothing but blurry colors and vague outlines. “Anything y-you want. Don’t— please don’t—”

“You’ll already do anything I want.” His uncle said evenly. He held up the ring for him to see. “You have no say in it.”

“I— d-don’t—” he hadn’t stuttered this badly in years. Father never took kindly to it. Félix adapted as quickly as he could.

His uncle said nothing about it. He only waits for a worthwhile answer.

One they both know he doesn’t have. His soul, everything he is, was in that ring, and it was now out of his hands.

He was going to be sick. He already was.

“I want to live.” Félix croaked. “Please, I— I want to live, please don’t— dont—!"

“You want to live.” His uncle repeated slowly. “Don’t we all?” He slipped the ring on his finger. It looked wrong on his hand and nausea hit Félix hard and fast at the sight. “You got every other Miraculous. That makes you dangerous.” He looked down at him appraisingly. “And extraordinarily useful.”

Félix couldn’t find the words to respond. He could barely find the air to breathe.

His phone was shattered somewhere against the ground. The darkness of the buildings surrounding them cloaked them.

If anyone had noticed their presence, they had done nothing about it. Félix was well and truly alone.

Alone and completely powerless.

“It would be a shame to get rid of such a useful creation.” His uncle said at last. “Wouldn’t it? Félix,” the hand with his ring tightened into a fist, “Sleep.”

His body obeyed, plunging him into darkness.)

Weeks later, his own words nag him. Weeks later, the phrase ‘I want to live’ holds less and less weight in his mind.

He doesn’t want to die like this. He doesn’t truly want to die at all.

But he’s tired. And he’s terrified. And he’s so tired of being terrified.

For all the time he spends laying in his bed, Félix does not get that much sleep.

—

Faunmidable gets more reckless. Worryingly so. Enough to keep him up at night.

Chat Noir knew he was reckless too, but this was something else. His movements were jerkier, flinging himself at Lucky Charms, blocking hits meant for the Akuma with his body, and on one occasion, nearly got hit with Chat Noir’s Cataclysm, all because he was protecting the Akumatized object.

The flags weren’t just red, they were blinding. Félix never fought like that. Félix was good at dodging hits and blocking them.

Félix never had a glazed over look in his eye while fighting sometimes, like he wasn’t really there. But Faunmidable did.

Faunmidable got quieter and quieter. He’d stay completely silent for the duration of the fight more often than not.

Chat Noir watched him take heavy hits. He saw him wheeze painfully sometimes, clutching his ribs. He hated every minute of it but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get ahold of his Miraculouses.

Chat Noir had very few good experiences with the Snake Miraculous, but right now, he wishes he had it.

The sentimonster could control metal, pulling things towards it before violently pushing it away. Chat Noir had been keeping an eye on the debris it shot as he traded blows with Faunmidable. The second he saw it fling more debris in their direction, he dove out of the way.

Chat Noir had assumed Faunmidable was prepared to do the same. He wasn’t prepared for the sight he saw when he finally looked back.

A fence post is lodged into Faunmidable’s stomach. Faunmidable’s face is frozen in disbelief, eyes slowly dipping lower as one hand presses to his chest. His orange, gray, and white suit begins to stain a horrible shade of crimson.

“No…” Chat Noir can’t help the horrified whisper. “Félix, you—!”

“I don’t…” Faunmidable’s hands hover over the post, as if he wants so badly to pull it out but is stopping himself. He looks up at Chat Noir, pure desperation in his eyes. He opens his mouth but no words come out.

A portal opens up in the wall behind him. Faunmidable tips back, sprawling on a darkened floor behind him. Chat Noir catches a glimpse of a dark purple figure looming behind him, as well as a strange wheel.

Blood pools under Faunmidable as he remains unmoving.

Chat Noir lurches forward. The portal closes, leaving only the grooves of the wall under his fingertips.

He wants to be sick, but the roar of the Akuma and their sentimonster behind him catches his attention. Chat Noir blinks back furious tears and leaps back into the fray.

The Akuma doesn’t last another minute. Chat Noir refuses to fist bump Ladybug until she’s cast the cure. Only then does he crumble to the ground, wet gasps leaving him.

“Chat?” Ladybug pulls him close, allowing him to sob into her shoulder. “What’s wrong? Where did Faunmidable go?”

Chat Noir can’t find the words to tell her. He just holds on as long as his timer will allow him to.

The red flags have quickly become a deeper shade of crimson, dripping with it so much that it pools on the floor of a dark room, all while a stoic figure watches with an air of frustration and indifference.

Chat Noir has died before. He knows the cure brings back anyone who died from an Akuma attack.

He still weeps in relief the next time they see Faunmidable, even if he’s even more colorless than usual.

—

A foot presses into his ribs painfully. Faunmidable wheezes, blindly grabbing for the leg in an effort to pull them down but they don’t budge. A cane taps against the ground twice, causing the foot to finally let up.

It’s not quite relief that floods him so much as it is just a lack of pain. He doesn’t want to get up but he knows he doesn’t have any other options.

That much is proven when the order is barked at him. “Get up.”

The discomfort never quite fades, no matter how many orders he receives. Faunmidable pushes himself to his feet, trying not to make it obvious that he’s favoring his left side.

Two pairs of eyes bore into him. More than that if he counted the kwamis, but they’ve never actually spoken to him and they have little else to do but stare. He can’t imagine that Monarch gives them much enrichment.

“Félix,” Monarch hisses at him, reeking of disappointment, “Are you losing on purpose?”

“No, sir.” His tongue is awkward in his mouth. They barely feel like his own words anymore, one too many ‘Sir’s pour out of his mouth against his will. Another order. Another shackle.

“Then explain to me why you’ve never won once— both against Ladybug and Chat Noir and your Senti-clone.”

Faunmidable doesn’t like looking at his counterpart but just for a moment, he does. He’s a scarily good replica, wearing the exact same suit as him with the same shade of bright green in his eyes. The main difference between them however is that Senti-Midable, as he’s grown to call him, looks like he actually got eight hours of sleep last night and like he doesn’t want to curl up and disappear.

Also that his face is always kept neutral, no flicker of anything else. He’s never allowed to be anything else.

Faunmidable’s stomach churns.

“I haven’t won because I’m tired.” He answers honestly, because he must. “I want to stop fighting. I want to go home.”

Monarch’s lip curls. “Retrieve their Miraculouses and you can.” He says, but he’s lying. Faunmidable knows he is.

He doesn’t know what the Wish will change but he knows it’ll be nothing good.

“You shouldn’t be losing to a clone.” Monarch continues. “He’s made from your image.”

“You made him to fight. He’s stronger.”

“Excuses.” Monarch clenches his jaw. “None of this is working. Senti-Flairmidable, I release you from existence.”

It feels wrong to look away, no matter how much he wants to be sick. Faunmidable watches him disappear in a flurry of dark blue bubbles, only shutting his eyes once he’s gone. His image burns into his mind.

Monarch opens another portal, waving his hand at it. “Go. I’ll retrieve you when you’re needed once again.”

Faunmidable obeys, stepping back into the bleach-white cell. He murmurs the detransformation phrase and once the portal closes behind him, he promptly makes a beeline for the toilet and throws up.

Sleep doesn’t come so much as exhaustion hits first, and Félix drags himself back to his bed and lets it take him.

—

There’s a heavy weight around his throat. He can feel it with every breath he takes.

Around him, the world is consumed by chaos. A wildfire moves as if it is alive, swallowing up everything it can touch in a way that can only be described as gleeful. There’s screams of terror, yelling of directions, and a mad cackle of an Akuma who has lost their mind somewhere.

“Félix,” a voice whispers directly in his ear. He shivers, hand reaching up but he finds no earpiece. It’s as if they’re simply in his head. “Fight.”

He stumbles forward, obeying the command. The paint brush finds its way into his hand as he takes a running leap at Chat Noir, who is trying to kill the flames. Chat Noir takes the hit, whirling around at him with wide eyes.

“What are you doing?” He demands, staff at the ready but his attention is split. “There are civilians— I need to save them!”

His words do not matter. Nothing else does. He attacks Chat Noir again and again, frustration growing on his face.

“What are you doing? Do you really work for him?” He demands.

Faunmidable opens his mouth, but the voice in his head beats him to it.

“Do not answer that. Do not speak of anything we’ve discussed.”

No words leave his mouth, just a breathy wheeze. Chat Noir’s face twists and he slams his staff into him, causing Faunmidable to go flying.

When he looks up from where he’s landed, fire surrounds him on all sides. It rages, beginning to close in on him, and fear rises to his throat.

He opens his mouth again. Once again, he doesn’t quite make it.

“Do not speak unless spoken to.”

His cry for help is a wordless thing. It sounds more like just a cry than anything. Smoke threatens to choke him and Faunmidable searches for a way out, but instead spots where Ladybug and Chat Noir are helping civilians retreat.

“Bring their Miraculouses to me.” Rings in his head. Faunmidable’s hand shakes but he takes the ball around his throat and tosses it.

It hits Chat Noir’s ring. “Fetch.” He croaks, and suddenly, the ring is a warm weight in his hands.

He falls to his knees, clutching it close to his chest. One down. One down one down one down but still—

“What have you done?” Ladybug’s furious voice demands. He looks up.

Ladybug looms over him, her eyes crackling like the flames that surround him. Despite the flames licking her skin, she does not burn. She remains unaffected, and she glares down at him.

“What. Have. You. Done.” She repeats in a lower tone. She takes a menacing step toward. Faunmidable cannot seem to move.

“You ruined everything!” She cries. “They were innocent! They were innocent and you brought them to a monster! They’re being used and abused— all because of you!”

The wheel forms behind her, nearly every other kwami watching him with silent judgment. For a moment, Faunmidable cannot look away.

Then he hears a different voice say, “You’ve just made everything worse.”

Before his eyes, Ladybug morphs into Adrien, piercing green eyes staring down at him with a scowl. “You’ve been nothing but selfish. You ruined everyone’s lives. You deserve to be punished. You deserve to hurt for what you’ve done.”

“Adrien—” he tries, but never gets far.

“Stop. Insult him, Félix. Drive him away.”

“I…” Tears burn his eyes. His voice is not his own. Nothing is anymore. “You were nothing but a tool to me.”

Adrien looks away, eyes burning like he’s only confirmed a suspicion. He turns and walks the other way, parting the flames like they’re curtains and leaving him behind.

“Good.” Monarch circles him, inhuman eyes boring into him. “That’s good enough, Félix. Your services are no longer needed.”

“Wait.” He swallows. “Don’t— please—”

“I release you from existence.” Monarch tells him, then snaps his fingers.

Félix jolts awake, clutching his chest and searching for a ring that isn’t there. The smooth metal of the Alliance Ring only worsens the tight feeling in his chest.

His hands grasp at his blankets, balling into fists as fat tears roll down his face.

A wordless sob escapes him. He curls himself into the tightest ball he can, feeling as though he might shake to pieces. His ragged breaths fill the room and he buries his face into his knees.

The slightest pressure on his arm startles him. A gentle shushing voice follows, tiny hand patting him carefully.

“It was just a dream.” Ziggy assures him. Félix fumbles for words but she just lightly headbutts him. “You don’t have to answer that, just breathe, okay? Can you do that for me?”

A whine escapes him. Ziggy moves to be in front of his face instead, meeting his gaze as he peeks up from under his arms. She flashes a smile at him that doesn’t look insincere. “Watch me, okay? Breathe with me!”

Ziggy sucks in a deep breath. Félix does his best to follow, holding it when she does and wheezing when she exhales. She doesn’t comment on his pitiful attempt, instead moving onto the next breath and guiding him through that one too. Ziggy just keeps going, motioning for him to breathe in and out until his chest isn’t imploding on him.

“Very good! You did great, Félix!” She tells him. Her gaze flickers over to something and he follows it, thoroughly surprised when he catches sight of Barkk attempting to carry a glass of water over. Ziggy zips over to help and Félix reaches out to take it once it's within reach.

He glances down at the glass, then up at Barkk again. Her arms are crossed, a slight frown on her face, but she’s not glaring. “Well?” She asks expectedly. “Drink it. You need it.”

Félix quickly complies. It feels good going down his throat, causing him to gulp the whole thing down in a few seconds. He puts it down, leaning up against the wall behind him and nods towards Barkk in thanks. She nods back, not quite looking at him.

He flinches again as Ziggy settles on his knees, looking up at him. “Did you have a nightmare?” She asks. He nods. “I’m so sorry, Félix. Are you okay?”

“Fine.” It’s not a particularly convincing thing to say when his voice cracks. Ziggy’s eyes soften sympathetically.

“I’m sorry.” She whispers.

“What? Why?” He can’t think of anything she needs to apologize for. Ziggy seems to think differently.

“I haven’t been the kindest to you.” She murmurs. “I should’ve warmed up a little sooner. Monarch is just… Very overwhelming.” Ziggy lowers her voice. “I’m one of the younger kwamis. I’ve never been used for evil until now.”

“Sorry.” It bubbles to Félix’s chest immediately. Shame curls around his ribcage. “I’m so sorry.”

Ziggy shushes him gently again. “I know you are. For the record, I wish you weren’t here.”

His stomach drops. Ziggy seems to realize her mistake and backtracks. “I only mean I wish you weren’t captured alongside us! You’re so… Tiny. Fourteen years is a blink of an eye compared to how long we live.” After a pause, she softly asks, “You’re one of Duusu’s creations, aren’t you?”

Félix almost doesn’t want to admit it but he swallows and nods anyway. Ziggy sighs to herself. “That’s why you wanted to trade us for the brooch, right?” Another nod. “You were afraid.”

It’s not much of a question. He nods anyway.

“You were protecting your own after all.” Barkk speaks up quietly, not looking him in the eye. She crosses her arms. “Sorry about what I said. I’m not happy about how it happened but… You weren’t doing it to be greedy or cruel.”

“It’s fine.” He croaks. She shakes her head, glaring at the ground.

“Nothing is fine! None of us should be here!” A low growl rumbles in her throat. “I want him gone. He hurt my loved ones. He’s using me to hurt people still! He’s using all of us!”

Slowly, Barkk meets Félix’s uncertain gaze. “We’re going to get out of this. Alive. It’s the least I can do.”

“Barkk doesn’t break her promises.” Ziggy whispers to Félix. “We call her the Watchdog in our Miracle Box. She’s not the oldest but she’s very protective over all of us, especially kwamis like me who are younger than her, and especially over her pups.” She headbutts Félix’s shoulder gently. “That could be you.”

“I’ve done nothing to deserve that.” Félix tells her. Ziggy frowns again.

“You’ve been kind to us ever since we ended up in this room with you.”

“I’m the reason you’re here at all.”

“Maybe.” Ziggy doesn’t look away from him. “But Monarch forced your hand. Monarch trapped you here with us. You’ve suffered enough. I don’t know how, but we’ll get you out of here. I promise.”

Félix can’t think of anything to say, so he says nothing at all. He just lets the tears roll down his face and doesn’t quite hope. He’s not ready to hope yet.

—

The next time Monarch summons him, there’s an Akuma resting against his shoulder, sparking with dark energy. Félix eyes it carefully.

“Your progress has been disappointing.” Is how Monarch chooses to start the conversation, hands resting on his cane. “It’s been weeks but you’ve brought back nothing. Are you not trying, Félix?”

Félix doesn’t know how to answer that in a way that Monarch will like. Monarch takes his silence as answer enough however and scoffs quietly to himself.

“I’ve determined,” he tells him, “That a boost in power may be exactly what you need.”

Félix tenses on the spot. When the Akuma flutters towards him, he immediately backs up, even if there isn’t anywhere to go.

“Stand still.” Monarch orders, fist tightening. Like strings being pulled taut, Félix’s limbs lock up. His heart beats wildly in his chest as the Akuma sinks into the Dog Miraculous around his neck.

Abruptly, there is another presence in his head. No. He thinks. No no no no get out get OUT OF MY HEAD—

“Quiet.” The voice inside his head tells him. “Trickster, I think it’s time we put your abilities to good use. Your abilities, Fetch and Genesis, will be amplified, allowing you to create and take whatever you need. If you take these rings, I can give you the powers of Illusion, Migration, and Sublimation. Use the latter to grant yourself the power of flight.”

Stop, Félix wants to say, but his pleas fall short. Get out of my head, he wants to tell him, wants to claw his own skin off and rip the voice out if he has to, but he remains completely still.

At the mercy of a man who has none.

“You will bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir’s Miraculouses. You aren’t going to disappoint me this time.”

It’s a fruitless battle. Purple bubbles swallow him whole and he drowns in it, mind fracturing into pieces under the power.

His body shifts and changes. He feels the heavy weight of curled ram horns and the twitch of a tail.

Trickster opens his eyes. Some part of him pushes desperately against the power, wanting to cast it out, but it bleeds into his skin like venom. It poisons him, weakens him, and no matter how much he wants it, the ring doesn’t give him the will to push it away.

The ring is an unmovable object and he is no longer an unstoppable force. He has lacked the strength for a while now.

It feels as though there is someone else wearing his skin. It feels as though his head isn’t big enough for two people so it’s slowly pushing him out, giving up control completely.

It feels as though he’s become little more than a puppet, dressed up and ready to take center stage.

Trickster buzzes with power, quite literally shaking. He hasn’t moved outside of that, staring ahead of him blankly.

The presence in his head expands, pressing painfully against his skull. “Trickster,” Monarch says, “Go. Find Ladybug and Chat Noir. You know what to do.”

His hand raises, a murmur of ‘Voyage’ opening up a portal to the very top of Montparnasse Tower. The sun has dipped below the sky, deep blue slowly drowning the sky once again.

His neck aches from the weight of his horns. He’s acutely aware of his new ears and tail and how sensitive they feel as new limbs.

He doesn’t want to be here. He wants this to be over.

Trickster sucks in a shuddering breath and creates. Fireworks end up in his hand. Flashy. Loud. Surely they’ll attract a few superheroes if he terrorizes Paris with a few of them.

Go through the motions. He lights the wicks and takes aim at the streets. It’ll all be over soon.

—

“There’s something I don’t get.” Alya mumbles, eyes fixated on the newly improved evidence board.

Marinette remains sprawled in her rolling chair, rubbing her temples. Three hours of staring at the board and trying to put the pieces together to make sense has made her sick of looking at it at all. Even with her eyes closed, the board pictures itself into her mind, reminding her that it’s not over yet. Her job isn’t done.

“None of it makes sense.” Marinette grumbles.

“That’s not entirely true. We know how Félix was able to get to the Miracle Box in the first place— through your yo-yo and using Fetch— but the part that I don’t get is how he managed to find and meet up with Monarch— especially in a pretty short window of time.”

“Didn’t we say he probably met him during one of the other two times he visited?”

“It’s possible.” Alya rhythmically clicks her pen. “But something doesn’t add up. When would he have had time to meet up with Monarch? Félix and his mom got off the train, went straight to the Agreste’s, stayed there until they had to leave, then went straight back to London. If Monarch visited Félix at any point during that time, wouldn’t someone have seen them?”

“He had to have get in contact with him somehow.” Marinette throws her arms up. “He got into the Miracle Box and took every other Miraculous, and now it’s in Monarch’s hands! That’s not a coincidence!”

“No.” Alya agrees, finally turning back towards her. “It’s not. They could’ve been in contact before but maybe… Their ‘Partnership’ is a recent thing. I mean, this whole thing with Félix being forced to fight you and Chat Noir didn’t happen until after. His mom said he never came home that night, right?”

“Yeah…” Marinette trails off. She didn’t know Amélie Graham de Vanily very well but something about the whole situation seemed off. There was no question that she was distraught by what was happening to her son but in the two in-person visits she managed to make in order to talk to her… “I think she’s not telling us something.”

Alya’s eyebrows shoot up. “Do you think she knows too? Or that Monarch has threatened her already with Félix?”

“I don’t know— maybe? Adrien said… He said that Félix never liked to keep secrets from his mum. I asked if Félix would’ve told her if he knew Monarch’s identity and Adrien seemed to think it was possible.”

“But it still begs the question,” her eyes flicker back to the board, “How did he manage to figure it out in the first place?”

Both of their phones chime with an Akuma alert. Marinette hauls herself up, quickly stretching before transforming. Just as she’s climbing onto her bed to get to her balcony, Alya calls out, “Marinette, the Akuma—”

“I know, I know, I’ll be careful and try to see what I can do about Félix—”

“No, Marinette.” Alya climbs onto her bed and thrusts the phone at her. “The Akuma is Félix.”

She goes still, staring at the Akuma on the screen. There’s no mistaking it— between both the dog and goat-like features, it really does look like him.

“…Shit.” Ladybug blurts, rushing onto her balcony with a renewed sense of urgency.

Distantly, there’s a crackle and boom of something explosive.

—

Create. The voice in his head demands, so he does. Fireworks, barriers, weapons, spotlights— flashy, it needs to be flashy. Everyone needs to know he’s here. The sooner the better the sooner the better get it over with get it over with—

Retrieve. The order presses against his skull, so he does. The ball embodies loyalty, so it always comes back to him. He retrieves whatever it touches— weapons, makeshift shields, windows, doors, barriers— he strips away as much as he can get, but it’s not enough. He hasn’t retrieved the right thing— do better do better get out get out get OUT OF MY HEAD—

He’s never felt less human. He is magic incarnate, brimming and overflowing with energy he neither wants nor can full control. They are trying to speak with him but his ears ring, deafened, and there is only one voice he can hear. One voice he can listen to.

His head is bursting at the seems, aching like a new set of horns will grow out of his skull at any moment. His name is not his name. His body moves but he is not in it. He’s not even in the backseat, he’s trapped in the trunk of his own car, aware of what is happening but not in any control. His voice will not be heard if he tries to speak, not that he can speak at all, unless to utter the magic words.

Fetch. Genesis. Voyage. Mirage.

He is a vessel, nothing more. His soul isn’t in his chest, it’s trapped in the hand of someone who doesn’t see him as a person. Again.

History repeats itself, just a little to the left this time. How does this one end? Can he skip a few chapters and get there already? Can someone spoil it for him?

He is brimming with power and none of it is his. A presence presses against the inside of his skull and he wants it out out out out out get out get out please just get out of my head—

He toes the line between conscious and unconscious. Everything is blurred, a smear of colors and sounds and sensations, yet he is far too aware to let go. A hellish limbo where he is completely aware of how little control he has, drifting and yet unable to go anywhere else at the same time.

Like a phantom, unable to rest, still trapped here because there is a pull on his soul that demands as much.

Create. It tells him. Retrieve.

He is the source of a storm that will tear him apart.

It drowns him. Until suddenly, something is tugged free, and he can breathe.

Like unclogging a drain, he feels magic draining away from him slowly. Control is still out of reach, but his body is not as suffocating as before. His hand twitches, sensing the absence, and his mind catches up to him when he sees a blur of silver in Chat Noir’s hands.

The rings. The abilities of Illusion, Migration, and Sublimation fade from his body. Passion and Adoration remain.

Create. The voice roars in his head. Retrieve.

Ladybug summons something to her hands. The ball soars to retrieve it but is a second too late as suddenly, the spotted object explodes into pure light, blinding him.

He stumbles back, hands flying up to protect his face. He feels the tug on his hair as the clips are swiped, then hears the crack a moment later.

Spots dance in his vision. The clips are on the ground, snapped into two but Chat Noir’s attention turns back to him when there’s no tell-tale butterfly.

He does not hear him say it but he sees the crackle of dark energy swarm his hand. He cannot read the look in his eyes, but he sees the intention.

Retrieve and return retrieve and return—

He cannot disobey orders, but he moves at a glacier’s pace. He takes the ball into his hand and closes his eyes.

He feels the terrifying power of destruction so close to his neck, then once again, something cracks, and the presence in his head is gone abruptly.

Still so powerless, but at long last, he is the only one in his head.

Félix takes his first, dizzying breath, then his legs fall out from under him as the spots in his eyes consume him whole, and he’s out before he knows if he hits the ground or not.

—

Before she can say anything to her partner, Chat Noir abruptly scoops Félix up and runs with him, leaving her to follow the black streak that tears across Paris’ skyline.

He moves faster than she’s ever seen him, seemingly having no direction other than to get away from where they finally de-Akumatized him.

The newly fixed Goat Miraculous rests in her hands, Ziggy resting inside. Ladybug swallows hard, suddenly feeling emotional at the warmth of having it in her hands again. She shakes her head and swings a little faster, trying to catch up with Chat Noir.

He only stops once he’s seemingly found a good place to hide. Ladybug’s heart lurches however because his choice of shelter happens to be her balcony.

“Chaton—” her panic goes unheard as Chat Noir yanks open the hatch and drops down onto her bed with Félix, panting. She hears Alya yelp and resigns that her room has become the place they’re gonna do this.

“Chat Noir? And Ladybug?” Alya doesn’t have to act surprised to see her when the situation has already caught her off guard. “And— Félix?”

Sorry.” Chat Noir shuts the hatch behind them. He’s shaking, Ladybug realizes. Chat Noir can’t seem to stop shaking as he clutches Félix in his arms. “Sorry, I— I couldn’t think of where to go and— and Marinette is kind and I thought it would be safe here.”

Alya shoots a brief, panicked look at Ladybug. “Of course, I’m sure Marinette wouldn’t mind.” She tells him carefully. “You just missed her but— what do you need? Is he injured? What—” her eyes widen in realization. “Wait, did you get his Miraculouses back?”

Chat Noir nods, carefully extracting the Dog Miraculous from Félix’s neck, repaired by the Miraculous Cure. Ladybug shows off the Goat Miraculous for her to see as well.

“Holy shit.” Alya murmurs to herself. “Okay uh. I know you’re both exhausted from that fight so why don’t I grab some food from your kwamis and maybe something to blindfold ourselves with so we can all detransform and rest before I drop a possible bomb on both of you?”

“What kind of bomb?” Ladybug’s eyebrows knit together.

“I don’t know for certain but… I might know who Monarch is.”

“Who.” Chat Noir lets out in a hiss. Alya glances to Ladybug again, who gives her a nod to continue. She doesn’t think they could make Chat Noir wait now even if they tried.

“Gabriel Agreste.” She says at last. Both of them go still. “Based on what we know about Félix’s visits, the only places he visited in Paris were the train station he arrived in, and the Agreste Mansion. We don’t know how Félix met up with Monarch but… If he did somehow figure out his identity and knew where to go to find him… Gabriel Agreste makes the most sense.”

“No…” Chat Noir whispers. “No, you’re wrong, you have to be wrong.”

“Chat…” It makes too much sense.

“But he couldn’t have…” Chat Noir makes a strangled noise. “He— Félix was wearing Alliance Rings, my lady. Three of them today but— wasn’t he always wearing one?”

“Monarch is after a wish.” Alya says, in a slightly softer tone this time. “Gabriel Agreste lost his wife— that gives him motive. He’s often isolated, rich enough where he doesn’t need to worry about working, there are butterfly themes in some of his designs and…” Alya swallows quietly. “He would know, wouldn’t he? He would know how much Félix loves his mum. So if he was going to threaten someone like her or— shit, maybe Adrien— and use them as incentives to fight, he would know it would work.”

Ladybug’s heart fills with dread. “You think he might be using Adrien as leverage?”

“It’s possible.”

“We have to get him out of there. Immediately.” Ladybug glances down at the Goat Miraculous— will Ziggy need to rest or can she Unify with them during the fight? They’ll need all the help they can get— what if she gave it to Alya so they had another ally? And Barkk— can they steal the other Miraculouses back with that? “If Adrien is in danger—”

“He’s fine.” A few tears drip from Chat Noir’s face. Félix remains unmoving in his arms. “He’s not the one who needs help right now.”

“If he’s been living with Monarch, he needs more help than ever.” Ladybug argues back, and Chat Noir’s jaw clenches. “Chaton—!”

“Claws in.” The air is stolen out of her lungs. Slowly, Adrien raises his head to look at her. “I’m fine.” His voice cracks despite his claim. “I’m not the one who needs help.”

Very abruptly, all of Chat Noir’s behavior since Félix went missing becomes crystal clear to her. Ladybug hears her earrings beep impatiently and lets the transformation go. Dozens of emotions flash across Adrien’s face. She reaches forward and pulls him into a half hug. He turns his head and cries into her shoulder.

She rubs his shoulder, murmuring to him to let it all out. Alya quietly slips out of the room, returning a few minutes later with cookies and cheese. Tikki and Plagg nibble on them, looking drained.

Adrien only pulls away when the Dog and Goat Miraculous begin to glow. Barkk and Ziggy both finally emerge. Ziggy gasps, hands flying up to her mouth. Barkk’s face hardens a little.

“Oh, he looks even worse than before!” Ziggy does a quick check up, then gasps even louder when she sees the two of them. “Adrien— you were..?”

“Yeah.” Adrien croaks, wiping his reddened eyes. “Is he… Will he be alright?”

Ziggy exchanges a look with Barkk. The latter is the one to speak up after a short, silent conversation. “Not as long as Monarch has his amok.”

“What?” Marinette blurts out, glancing down at Félix(?), who hasn’t twitched once. “Is he not the real Félix or is the real Félix… Has he always been..?”

“He’s always been.” Barkk tells her. “He was trying to make a deal with Monarch. Every other Miraculous for the Peacock.” She settles on the rail of Marinette’s bed, not taking her eyes off of Félix. “He wanted sentis to stop being used as weapons, but as a result, he got a taste of the very nightmare he was trying to prevent.”

The silence becomes deafening. The entirety of Félix’s situation dawns on all of them, a full picture finally complete, as horrifying as it is to look at.

“Where’s his amok?” Adrien croaks at last. “His… Fuck, it’s his family ring, isn’t it?” At Barkk and Ziggy’s nod, he sucks in a breath. “But… Barkk, I could get it back with you, right?”

“Might be better to get the Peacock first.” She tells him. Horror, then rage flashes across Adrien’s face. “I know neither of you have ever done it before but… You might be strong and experienced enough to give yourselves a few upgrades.”

“Upgrades?” Marinette asks.

“She means bypassing the timer and using your powers multiple times.” It’s Plagg who speaks up, a grave look in his eyes. “It’ll be exhausting on the body later but… I think sugar cube and I can agree that you two are grown up enough to pull it off.”

Adrien stares down at the Dog Miraculous in his hands, then flickers down to Félix.

“Adrien?” Marinette asks, a silent question.

“Let me keep the Dog. Please.”

After a pause, she nods. “All yours. Alya, are you up for joining us?”

Alya’s eyes widen. Marinette offers the Goat Miraculous to her. “Of course, but— what about Félix?”

“My parents will take care of him.” She shoots a reassuring look at Adrien. “He’ll be safe here while we deal with Monarch. You were right about that much, Kitty.”

“Let’s not waste anymore time then.” Adrien slips the Dog Miraculous around his neck. It fits perfectly. “Barkk, Plagg, Unify.”

—

RETURN TO ME.

Félix’s eyes fling open, choking on a cry as the voice rings in his head, deafening all else. His hands cover his ears despite knowing it’ll do nothing to help.

It’s not as overwhelming or oppressive as being Akumatized was, but no matter how many times it happens, he never gets used to it. Being yanked around like he’s a living puppet whose strings are always there for someone else to pull.

Get out of my head. Félix thinks weakly.

RETURN TO ME. The voice demands. The urgency forces him to move.

His legs are shaky but he manages to get up. He hears someone speak to him— not Barkk or Ziggy— but the words don’t quite reach his ears. He rushes for the door, yanking it open in order to find the most direct route out.

Shouting follows him as he stumbles down a flight of stairs. Another door— a possible exit— presents itself at the bottom, but abruptly someone stands in his way, arms out. Bigger than him, taller than him— they’re talking to him too but the words are lost on him.

The larger figure reaches out. Félix flinches and to his surprise, they immediately reel back.

Opening. Some part of his mind thinks.

FASTER. The voice roars. RETURN TO ME.

The larger figure holds their hands up placatingly. Félix bolts, twisting around them to find another exit. They yell in surprise and he hears them chase after him but Félix dodges them. He twists and turns every which way until his feet meet pavement and he’s purely following his instincts.

The city is smoking in the distance. The air tastes like— like magic. Tingly and electrifying. The order to return hangs over his mind, body moving in a direction with a destination in mind that he doesn’t know. All he knows is who will be at the end of that road.

Félix blinks back tears. He wants to lay down again. He wants to be in control of his own limbs again.

He nears the source of the smoke, that taste of pure magic only growing stronger. However, his legs temporarily give as abruptly, his head gets louder.

RETURN TO ME RETURN TO ME RETURN TO ME RETURN TO ME RETURN TO ME—

His skull is splitting into two, a muffled cry of pain escaping him. The pain in his head and the order contradict each other, demanding him to move while making it harder to. He attempts to get up, feeling around blindly for something to latch onto and managing to locate a lamppost. He pulls himself up, vision swimming as he does.

Then he feels it. A shift in his head— the absence of that screaming force nearly makes him drop to the ground once again.

Félix feels the moment someone else holds his soul in their hands.

It’s okay. They seem to whisper, intentionally or not. Their presence is… Softer. Warmer. Félix blinks wearily, feeling weeks of exhaustion starting to crash down on him the moment there isn’t any pressure keeping him upright.

It’s okay, they whisper again, a mantra, or maybe a promise. It’s okay, you’re okay, you’re gonna be okay. I got you, I got you, I got you.

There’s nothing propelling him forward, Félix realizes. There’s no reason to keep moving.

He crumbles slowly, hesitant to allow it at all when there’s still threats looming over his head. The ground is cold and grounding beneath him— lying with his face pressed against the pavement has never sounded so good before.

His eyes slip shut.

For a while, there is nothing. He embraces the nothingness.

Then someone is gently shaking him awake. His eyes peer open groggily. Bright green cat-eyes water at the sight of him.

Chat Noir looks… A little different. Less like a black cat and more like a calico or tortoiseshell. A ball hangs from his neck rather than a bell.

“Hey.” Chat Noir— Dog Noir?— whispers. He outstretched his hand to offer something. “Can you hold onto this for me?”

Félix stares blankly at the rings in his hand. One of them has a blue emblem on it— a… Peacock emblem?

The other is his family’s ring. His father’s ring.

His amok.

Félix doesn’t move a muscle. Dog Noir’s face twists into something more concerned, extending his hand out to him further.

“I’d feel better if you had it.” He continues in a careful tone. He’s asking but he’s not asking. It’s there, right in the palm of his hand, but Dog Noir holds it out like he’s desperate to get rid of it.

His mouth opens despite himself, but to his own surprise, Félix finds that his voice finds him again, despite it being entirely unnecessary to talk. “Why?”

“It’s… Yours?” Something flashes across Dog Noir’s face. “Please tell me it’s yours and I didn’t get the wrong one.”

“It’s mine.” Félix confirms. He struggles to look away from it. It’s all he’s been thinking about for weeks but he slowly meets Dog Noir’s gaze. “Why don’t you want to keep it?”

“Because— I told you, it’s yours. Why would I—…” he trails off, something dawning on him. “Félix. Nobody’s ever going to control you again.”

The noise that leaves him is somewhere between a scoff and a snort. “That’s what I said last time. Nobody can control that.”

“I can.” Dog Noir replies with surprising ferocity. “What’s the point in being a superhero if I can’t save some people? If I can’t protect anyone?” He shoves the pair of rings closer. “It’s not going to happen again. I’ll make sure of that. So— it’s yours. From now until forever. It’s not for anyone else to have.

Félix does nothing for another moment. Then, with a trembling hand, he reaches out and curls his hand around the pair of rings. Dog Noir smiles softly at him when he does.

“Can you get to somewhere safe?” He asks. Félix nods without really knowing the answer. Dog Noir accepts that at least. “Okay. I’ll come check up on you again as soon as I can but unfortunately the battle isn’t over yet. Just— please stay safe.”

Félix nods again. Dog Noir peels himself away and shoots a reassuring smile before finally vaulting away.

The rings in his hand are warm. Were they always this warm?

His amok is slipped on first. Tears spring to his eyes once it is but with a rattling breath, he slips on the other too.

There’s a burst of bright blue light. Duusu gasps and immediately zips forward to hug his cheek. Félix gently rests his hand against her, leaning in.

“I’m so sorry!” She wails, eyes shining with glittering tears. “Oh, no, no, no! It’s— it’s not supposed to be used this way— it’s never supposed to be used this way!”

“It’s okay.” Félix croaks. “It’s not your fault. I…” He swallows thickly. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize to me!” Duusu tells him quickly. “You didn’t hurt me! If anything, I’ve been used to hurt you!”

He almost wants to try to apologize again but holds his tongue. “They’re… Are they fighting him? Uncle?” Duusu nods slightly. Félix begins to push himself to his feet. “I should be helping— I should—!”

“No!” Duusu holds her arms out, signaling him to stop. He does immediately. “Félix, please! You’ve had to fight enough, let them handle it!”

“I…” He wants to protest. Isn’t this his fight? Shouldn’t he be there, ensuring his uncle goes down? Shouldn’t he take his revenge?

But his body is heavy. He wants to lay down again.

He wants to rest.

Duusu seems to understand that without him having to say anything. “You’re tired.” She reminds him. “Whatever happens, they can handle it. They’ll fix it. You’ve fought hard enough to get here. You don’t have to fight just for your right to survive right now. It’ll get better. I promise. Why don’t we get somewhere safe?”

In the distance, the city rumbles as buildings fall and fire blazes. The sky is slowly darkening, blocking out the sun, but if all goes right, it’ll all be repaired in mere moments, as if there was never any damage at all.

Félix twists the ring on his finger. For the first time in weeks, he can feel the grooves in the ring— he memorized them ages ago. The Alliance Ring just wasn’t the same.

“What do you want to do?” Duusu asks. There’s a surprising weight to the question. He’s back to making his own choices again, back to choosing what happens to him.

His eyes feel wet. “I… I really want to lay down for a while.”

“Okay!” Duusu smiles gently. “It would be safer to go somewhere else but we can lay down here too if you’re really tired.”

Both sound appealing for different reasons. His attention is drawn when two voices shout his name and he wearily turns in the direction of them. An older man and woman look at him with concern— a couple?

“Félix?” The woman kneels down gently. He blinks owlishly. “My name is Sabine Cheng. I’m Marinette’s maman— you know Marinette, right?”

Does he? It sounds… Vaguely familiar. He nods slightly.

“She wanted us to take care of you while they went out to rescue Adrien.” Sabine smiles apologetically. “I’m sure they’re all okay so don’t worry about them. You’re the one I’m worried about right now. Our home is safe and you look like you need to rest— can you walk?”

“I… Don’t know.” He answers honestly.

“We’ll help then. Are you okay with that?”

Sabine and who he assumes is her husband both wait patiently for him to answer. Duusu smiles at him encouragingly.

All of them are waiting for his response. For him to make his choice.

Félix twists the ring on his finger again. “That sounds good.” He murmurs.