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On the school rooftop, Argos stood beside Kagami and stared at the projector he’d made, to reveal the truth to Marinette, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
As far as he understood it, anyway. After all, he’d only gotten the story from his parents, and they weren’t exactly reliable narrators. Even so, the key points had been verified. Gabriel Agreste was Monarch. Argos and Adrien were sentibeings. They had been created using the peacock miraculous.
Just as he’d used it to make this projector.
And now he had to do something with it.
‘I don’t want to destroy it,’ he told Kagami.
‘Of course you don’t,’ she said. ‘But what’s the alternative?’
‘I could take it home.’
She looked thoughtful – and beautiful – and very thoughtful. ‘I suppose your house is big enough. You could tuck it in a cupboard and forget about it.’
‘Oh no. That’s almost as bad as vanishing it! I gave it life, so life it shall have.’
Her brow went up. ‘Life? What are you going to do with it? Take it for walks? Feed it?’
‘I…guess?’ He hadn’t really thought this through. ‘It can be my pet.’
‘Your…pet.’
‘Yes?’
‘Your pet projector.’
‘Why not?’ he asked. ‘Is it really any stranger than owning a dog?’
She gave him a long look.
‘Okay, well, whatever,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to kill it, and that’s that.’
She softened. ‘Felix, my love, this is why I adore you. For your big, beautiful heart. I suppose I can live with you having a pet projector and feeding it slides from time to time. You’re certainly rich enough and posh enough to pull off such eccentricities.’ She kissed him, and all seemed well in the world again.
‘I should take you back,’ he said. ‘Before your mother finds you missing.’
‘What about your pet projector?’
‘Pablo?’ He frowned, examining his senti-baby again.
‘Sorry, did you just call it Pablo?’
‘I suppose it would be tricky, carrying it and you all the way to London. But I hate the idea of leaving him here on his own, while he waits for me to drop you off first.’
She crossed her arms. ‘I am not standing here on this rooftop and waiting for you to take Pablo back first.’
He threw up his hands in surrender. ‘Of course not! I would never do that to you, I swear.’
‘Uh-huh.’ She didn’t look convinced.
He gathered her into his arms and kissed her briefly before the argument could escalate. ‘I swear you’re my number one, Kagami. No matter how many sentibeings I’m forced to create, none will match you.’
She angled her head at him in question. ‘Just how many sentibeings do you think you’re going to need to make?’
‘Hopefully no more.’
‘Hopefully,’ she echoed. ‘I’m not sure you needed to make this one. There were more straightforward ways of telling Marinette the truth.’
‘I told you, Kagami, that’s not really my style.’
‘Indeed.’ She pursed her lips. ‘I’m just worried about the future. What if this sets a precedent? What if someday, we’re married, and our house is crowded with pet laptops and pet tablecloths – and pet spoons!’
‘Why would I ever need to make a senti-tablecloth?’ he asked. ‘Or a senti-spoon?’
‘You tell me! You’re the one who’s making them!’
‘I am not! I –’ He took a breath. ‘Look. Let’s not argue like this in front of Pablo.’
Kagami gave him an even longer look.
He kissed her again. ‘How about we get you off this rooftop and put you back into captivity, hm?’
‘My hero,’ she said drily.
Swallowing down his response, he launched them both into the sky, casting a quick glance back down at the projector and sending him a message with his mind.
Don’t be frightened, dear Pablo. I’ll come back for you. I’ll never, ever neglect you. And maybe….
He peered at Kagami again, before turning his gaze skyward.
Maybe someday I’ll give you a brother, so you’re not lonely.