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Felix turned on the TV, still on a news channel. The reporter adjusted her impeccably neat tie, discreetly making sure she didn't misread what the paper she held with the headlines and schedule for the day said.
"Today, here at the BBC we have a special segment with us by Parisian reporter Nadja Chamack. As we know, a while ago Paris was struck by the supervillain back then known as Hawk Moth, identity still unknown."
Felix raised an eyebrow. That sure was going to be interesting.
"After multiple alias changes, his reign of terror finally fell with the collaboration of heroes Ladybug and Gabriel Agreste. International safety advice for travellers has long since recommended avoiding travelling to Paris for those who tend to experience strong negative emotions, and although entrance to those who do is not denied, it is under their own risk. A series of other suggestions were issued back in 2015 for all interested travellers, and have since been updated as new information about the ways of the aforementioned supervillain was discovered." The screen showed a timeline with arrows that explained the order of the identitied Hawk Moth had used one by one.
"Today, Parisians still find themselves under siege, this time by an unknown successor to Hawk Moth, who unlike their predecessor, prefers not to make public appearances; there is even less information on this mysterious individual. But, how do Parisians experience having lived under such conditions for so long now? At an all time high demand for mental health services and record numbers in mental health conditions diagnosed, the question poses itself even more crucial than ever. We have contacted fellow reporters in the area, and after exhaustive efforts we are glad to have Mme. Chamack with us to answer the question, how is it to live in Paris in the age of heroes and supervillains? Go ahead, Nadja!"
The studio suddenly faded into the image of a woman with burgundy hair, standing close to the foot of the Eiffel Tower.
“Thank you, Michelle. The first few days after Hawk Moth first appeared were full of uncertainty. Even with our local superheroes appearing almost simultaneously, many people still had questions about whether we should trust them while not knowing anything about their true identities or not. The question still arises after particularly destructive incidents for the city, but with emergency bills ensuring efforts to protect the population, and guaranteeing protection for akumatized victims, fear has been able to stay manageable. After the initial shock faded, regular akumatizations have become our new normal." Felix couldn't help but snicker at that part.
"Emergency physical and mental health dispatch units have been active since two weeks after Hawk Moth declared he would not stop his attacks on the city, originally meant to be an extra cautionary measure, and later an essential aid to the quality of life for Parisians. Local and national universities have registered an increase in Parisian students aiming to specialize in mental health; interviews and surveys with students reveal our youth has been prompted to pursue this field in response to perceiving how the crisis has affected their loved ones. Although, most Parisians have since taken their own measures to help ease the load on the city in their own ways. The city has witnessed new regulations be born after certain unfortunate incidents, even those born from the intention to help, from reminding the population about the importance of butterflies as pollinators and enforcing legal consequences for those who indiscriminately hunt them with lethal methods, to the more recent ban on impersonating heroes to engage in chase with either akumatized victims or everyday criminals. In light of these regulations, alternative methods have become more and more common, especially among younger people. We’re here in the Eiffel Tower square to get some first-hand experiences.”
The camera and the reporter approached a passerby, a young teenage girl Felix noticed looked an awful lot like Marinette.
“Bonjour miss. Do you speak English?"
The girl nodded.
"Would you be so kind as to give us a short interview for the news?”
The girl almost jumped with surprise, and gave an enthusiastic “sure!” as a reply.
“What is your name, if you’re comfortable?”
“Socqueline,” she replied.
“Socqueline, have you lived in Paris since before the supervillain Hawk Moth first appeared?”
“All my life, actually.”
“Have you noticed anyone around you doing things they didn’t use to do before the attacks started? Particularly to help others ease the threat of akumas?”
“Yep! Actually…” she leaned to the side to rummage in her bag for a few seconds before pulling something out, “I’ve been trying my best to help since the attacks started. I used to dress up as Ladybug and help out with small things, like cats that got stuck in trees, so that Ladybug and the other heroes wouldn’t have to worry about those things and could focus on akumas, but that got banned after they caught me and Ladybug said it was dangerous,” she giggled at the end. “Nowadays, I just carry this around,” she said, displaying a small crystal jar with tiny holes on the lid. “It’s a jar I use to- HOLD UP, CAREFUL LADY!” she interrupted herself to yell out in French, and promptly made a run towards an angry looking middle aged woman on the opposite side of the street.
The woman gripped her phone strongly, as if she had just taken a call that angered her. In a matter of a few seconds, the camera followed her as she closed the distance to the street, jumped over the hedge and fence that lined the Tower square, propelled herself on what seemed to be an abandoned wooden crate to jump over a parked car, and landed perfectly beside the woman, holding the jar victoriously above her head. Socqueline skipped in place with a wide smile on her face and an indistinguishable dark moving spot inside her jar as the woman stood so shocked her angered expression had faded while Nadja and the cameraman rushed towards them.
“Are you okay madame?” Nadja asked her, before quickly correcting herself and switching to French.
“I- I think so. My boss had just called me and told me they needed to come in next week, but I told them I'm going on a trip with my daughter, and then I was just so angry- ,” she said in French, trying to process what had just happened.
“You were almost akumatized,” Socqueline explained, as Nadja translated for the camera, and lowered the jar for the camera to capture. “Like I was saying, it’s a jar I use to capture akumas when I happen to see one around before they can hurt anyone. That way we can just call Ladybug to purify it, the butterfly doesn’t get hurt, and I don’t have to dress up.”
Felix turned off the TV, flabbergasted. What on earth had he just seen? There was the resemblance to Marinette he felt.