The winter sky was cloaked in a sea of dark clouds - I'd thought the sun would shine based on the morning. But today would prove to be another gloomy and potentially tragic day.
I didn't know if I had the strength to face what was coming. I didn't know if I was making the right decision by coming along with the Eel. Long story short: I didn't know anything.
I held my breath and dug my finger nails into the van's deteriorating seat multiple times as the Eel almost got us killed trying to drive. He swerved, hit curbs, nearly hit pedestrians and oncoming traffic.
"I thought you said you wanted to keep your body alive!" I shouted as he barely missed a truck.
"That's what the seatbelts are for," He said matter-of-factly, "Besides, I'm invincible."
For being a 'god' he was sure naïve about the daily life of the 21st century person. Yet he had the audacity to say it. As if I didn't know what a seatbelt was for!
"Well, I'm not. If a truck like that hit us, I'd die immediately. So be more careful!" I snapped.
"Then these are pointless," he said, unstrapping my seatbelt and straightening his back, "Now you are free."
"You're missing the point," I sighed in frustration, "I think you may have forgotten how fragile the human body is. I don't want your want your ignorance hurting Felix or me. Got it?"
"I'm not ignorant," The Eel stiffened, his chin rising, "Maybe a little proud, but certainly not ignorant. And don't you forget your death is in my hands. The more you annoy me, the worse I'll make it," he said, as if threatening me gave him a sense of power.
"Thanks for the reminder," I huffed, slouching over and resting my chin on my wrist as I stared out the iced window - it only made the world look colder and sadder.
Why did Winter have be so long? Yeah, it was fun maybe for December, but once Christmas and New Years past, the snow felt more like a burden and I found myself ready for Spring. Instead, the Winter was cruel and always seemed to linger into March and April. I hoped that wasn't the case this year.
As I mindlessly stared at pedestrians buzzing across the street walk and streaming down the crowded side walks lined by stores, I saw someone. Not just anyone.
Dad!
The sight was heart breaking. In his hands, he carried takeout Chinese food from our favorite restaurant. That must mean Mom was too distressed to cook from my disappearance. Dad looked depressed - everything from the way he carried his shoulders to the deep bags under his eyes and frown lines indicated his sadness. I wondered what they thought happened to me - did they think I was kidnapped or did they think I was dead? Which one was worse in their mind?
I had the wild urge to roll down my window and scream at my dad. To tell him I was okay. To tell him I loved him. Just in case I didn't make it out at the end of all of this.
"Don't," The Eel said, placing a cold hand on my wrist.
"Why not?" I yelped, shoving off his grip.
"Unless you want your family to end up like that blue haired fellow, don't talk to him," He warned.
"He looks so depressed! I want him to know I'm alive at least," I cried.
"Listen. Believe it or not, Felix has a bond with your father. Should he die, I'm not sure what would happen to this body's mental state," he said.
The Eel was right. The light turned green and our van charged forward. I guess my dad would just have to go on another day without me - believing something terrible had happened. I couldn't stand that I was breaking my parents hearts, but this was for their own safety.
"You have to promise me. Promise me you won't kill me before I've had a chance to tell my parents I love them," I said, "Can you promise me?"
The Eel's hands tightened on the wheel.
"Is what I've told you not enough?" He asked, sounding offended.
"No! As a matter of fact..." I began, before being interrupted by the sound of crushing metal.
"Here she comes!" The Eel said, a wide grin spreading across his face. His eyes filled with excitement. I strapped my seatbelt and made sure it was locked as tight as possible.
"What's going on?" I shouted, as the Eel swerved off the main road and down an alley. Shadow creatures darted past the alley, casting their monstrous frames on the cracked walls as they passed.
"We're too slow in the chariot," The Eel said, slicing off my seatbelt with his thumb, grabbing me my the wrist, and pulling me along the narrow alley.
"What's the plan?" I asked, feeling pain in my side from trotting. Dang, my sickness had made me so out of shape. It felt pathetic.
"We need to find the woman. The shadows are only a distraction. Trying to stop us from reaching her," he said, "The darn woman is using my other half to create them."
"Maybe she's at her house?" I questioned, "It's a little far from the city though."
"No. My consciousness is closer than that. She's in some sort of garden. Underground. There's a coffin there, I believe. Ring a bell?" He asked.
I stopped running and bent over to catch my breath. The Eel waited while I regained my ability to speak.
"I had a dream about a place like that!" I gasped, before taking another breath.
"I know. But where is it?"
"I don't know!"
"I'm going into Felix's subconscious for a moment. Shake this body if the shadows find us," he said, before closing his eyes. Felix's body collapsed to his knees before slumping over as if he was dead. Without his puppet master, the body was unable to move.
Everything within me wished that when the body woke up again, I'd be greeted by Felix. That he'd be free. That the Eel would be gone forever.
The body collapsed to the ground, laying on its side as it convulsed. What was happening? What was the Eel doing in there!
"Be careful!" I yelped.
I tried to calm Felix's body down, but it was as if he was having a spas attack.
"I'm right here," I assured his unconscious body.
Slowly the green eyes opened.
"Got it," the Eel's voice hissed.
"What were you doing in there?" I questioned, placing two hands on my hips.
"I had to dig through some childhood trauma to get it," the Eel said, "The garden is at Felix's childhood home."
"Seriously?" I questioned, trying to take in the information.
We continued running behind the dark alleys before standing face-to-face with the ghost-like shadows. They reached towards us with their deformed hands. The Eel grabbed me by the waist and shot us into the air with his pole. Then we were running on a flat roof top. Then we were shooting through the air. The chase continued until we landed on the Agreste mansion. Then the shadows dissolved.
The Eel examined my frame as if to determine if I was still in one piece.
"Good," he said, before placing arm around my waist and carrying me over to Felix's window. When it wouldn't open, he smashed it. I turned away as glass poured. Thankfully, none of it hit me.
Felix's room. There in the corner was the book Christmas tree we made together. So, he never took it down like he said he would? I would have been flattered if we weren't in our current circumstances.
The Eel clasped his chest.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Yes. This house is not a happy place for him. That's all," he muttered.
"Does Felix even want to kill Natalie? Are you making him do something he doesn't want to do? And what about Mr. Agreste?"
"I figured I'd hit two birds with one stone," The Eel shrugged, leaving my question of Felix's free will unanswered.
"You're going to kill Mr. Agreste too?" I yelped.
"They both deserve to die. If only you knew what they've done. How many people that would have died and will continue to die," He said.
"Since when do you care about people's lives?" I huffed.
"You're right. I don't. But you do. I'm just helping put this in perspective," he said, stroking my hair like a cat.
I stared at him in disbelief - perhaps I was having second thoughts. It was one thing to put Natalie to justice, it was another thing to kill them both. I only came to learn more about the Eel, to retrieve the other half, and free Felix. Honestly, I didn't want anyone to die. I didn't want Felix's body to be a vessel of death - I didn't want him to kill his own father or the woman who raised him. It was too much. Even if they'd done terrible things, I didn't want Felix's hands to be stained against his will.
"Felix, you don't have to do this. Please, come back to me," I said, placing two tender hands on either sides of his face. His eyes softened - I wondered - was Felix coming out? Had he heard my plea?
"You'd make a good companion," the Eel said, staring deeply into my eyes, "But my love is engaged elsewhere. So, I won't be tempted by your advances upon me."
"I was talking to Felix, not you!" I said, ripping my hands away, "Besides, I thought you found humans disgusting!"
"Wrong. My previous vessel was married," he informed.
"You had a wife!" I scoffed, "I find that hard to believe."
"She was murdered before me. Rather tragic," he sighed, "anyway, back to the mission." He shook his head and his somber look was replaced with determination.
I followed him down the dimly lit hall of Agreste home. I wasn't sure why, but the vivid red carpets made me think of blood and death. I was scared. Terrified, actually. The Eel knew his way around this house as if it were his own. Then again, it was. Him and Felix were one now.
"Someone's coming!" The Eel hissed before disappearing into a room. He tried to pull me along with him, but the movement was so sudden, I lost my balance and tumbled onto the blood carpet.
Oh crap!
"Marinette?" Mr. Agreste gasped. He wore a plain white shirt and what looked like workout pants. He pressed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as if he expected me to disappear. He blinked hard.
"Hi, there," I said, collecting myself to my feet.
"Is Felix with you?" He asked, his voicing ending on a positive note.
"No," I said quickly, "I ...I ..."
"How did you get in?" He asked suspiciously.
"I wanted to see if Felix had returned," I said.
He cocked his head, "You've been missing. I thought you were with Felix."
"No. I was ..." before I could finish, the Eel leaped out from the room and buried his fingers on Mr. Agreste's skull. Mr. Agreste's body went limp and he collapsed to his side.
"Did you just kill him!" I exclaimed.
"Relax. I need leverage for that woman. This should be enough," the Eel said, flinging Mr. Agreste over his shoulder. I only prayed the Eel was telling the truth.
"But first," the Eel said, pulling off Mr. Agreste's miraculous and somehow absorbing it into his body.
"Did you just steal Hawk Moth's power?" I gasped.
"I de-powered it," he said.
The Eel sauntered over to a large wooden door and pushed it open. Then he strode right up to a picture that looked like Felix's mother - although I must say it was a creepy picture where every inch was created by a shape - her eyes were almonds and her lips were an oval. One look at it and I had the creeps.
"Please don't do anything rash," I pleaded.
The Eel stuck two fingers into the picture and then a hidden door opened.
"Woah!" I huffed.
We entered the darkness, taking an elevator to...well...whatever was down there. I swallowed my nerves.
"Be warned. This may...be a little strange," he said.
"Meaning?"
The doors opened and we now stood in the domed garden. There it was! The bridge. The black water. The glass tomb. The greenery surrounding the tomb. The butterfly designed imprinted on the metal wall. My dream! It was everything from the fever dream I had! Could it be that this was Hawk Moth's secret lair? Of course!
Was my dream a warning? A prophesy? Was this the place where I would die? Would this be where Felix would die? I felt electrified - every nerve was screaming - telling me to leave - that if I stepped a foot here, I'd never return.
"Don't be shy," the Eel said shoving me onto the bridge. I stumbled forward, flailing my arms to catch my balance.
Natalie stood at the end of the bridge, right in front of the glass coffin. Her arms were crossed as she slowly tapped one heel. She looked unusual - every inch of her body was cloaked in a black gown and her face was painted with a glittering dark mask - had she activated the Eel's other half - one side pure white and the other dark as a void? She looked like pure evil. She was evil - killing Luka so heartlessly and pointlessly. But then again, the Eel was also evil. Who was 'more evil'?
"Greetings, fair lady," The Eel said, stopping half way on the bridge. His frame shielded me, "I come bearing gifts," he said, cocking his head to gesture to Mr. Agreste's body, hanging over his shoulder.
"Place your father down, Felix," Natalie roared, her eyes raging.
"That's not who I am," The Eel said with a grin. He took another step, his weight landing with creeks that made me question the stability of this bridge.
He continued,
"I am the beginning and the end. I am time. I am space. I am everything. I am the Eel."
"I don't care who or what you are. Just release Gabriel," Natalie snapped.
The Eel frowned - clearly he was feeling disrespected.
"Don't let her words get you. I know you're amazing," I said, trying to ease the Eel's wounded pride.
"I'm looking forward to her death," he muttered back to me.
"Release him!" Natalie commanded, pointing a finger as if she was Moses demanding that the pharaoh 'let his people go.'
"That's no way to speak to a god," The Eel said, tilting his head, "But I shall grant your request anyway."
And just like that, the Eel tossed Mr. Agreste's unconscious body over the metal bridge. His body landed with a splash and was quickly devoured by the black waves.
Natalie's eyes grew wide with horror under her mask.
"What? I only did what you asked," The Eel said with an innocent shrug.
"You dare!" She screamed, raising her hands. With a simple gesture of her fingers, the waves parted in half, revealing Mr. Agreste. He was turned over on his face, his nose pressed against the concrete floor of this 'ocean.'
With another hand gesture, the water wrapped around his body and carried him over to Natalie. She grasped onto him, and held him tightly. Blood streamed from his nose and the side of his head. She wiped it with her arm, before glaring at the Eel and then me.
"What power is this?" I asked, both amazed and confused by what I just saw with the parting of the water.
"Mine," he glared, staring at the necklace around her neck.
Natalie gently rested Mr. Agreste's body on the grass.
"You're lucky he's not dead," she said.
"Disappointing. I should have tossed him harder," the Eel seethed, "Now, if you would - please return the necklace," he said, holding out his hand.
"You will regret coming here," She said, placing a hand on her hip as if she was confident in her power. I swallowed my fear. I wasn't invincible. I had no power. One mishap and I was dead. It was truly terrifying to think that both Natalie and the Eel could end my life with the snap of their fingers and that I was powerless to stop them.
"I seriously doubt that," the Eel chuckled.
Suddenly, the metal bridge began to quake and twist, until the rails peeled off with a terrible screeching sound and wrapped around me like a snake. Two jagged ends curved and rested near by neck.
"Think again," Natalie sung, moving her hands like a conductor. Her notes were deadly. With every hand motion, I felt like I was closer to the end of me.
The Eel looked unamused.
"It's unwise to threaten me with my own power," He said, placing a hand on the metal. It began to rust and weaken until I fell into his arms, "Pathetic," he scoffed at Natalie and brushed the rust off my shoulders.
Her eyes grew wide, as she looked down at her fingers with a confused expression. Clearly, she underestimated the Eel.
"Surrender," He purred, taking slow strides on what was left of the bridge. I followed in his shadow, feeling like a coward and wishing for my Miraculous to make me strong again.
Natalie did her best to warp the world around her to stop the Eel. But he was determined - melting or killing anything in his way. She collapsed on the ground as he pinned her against the glass coffin.
"Any final words?" He asked, his fingers moving towards her necklace. She winced. Before he could grasp his other half, his hand stopped, "This has been too easy."
He pulled her to her feet, opened the empty coffin, and closed her in. Then he laughed to himself.
"I'd like to at least have a little fun and feel like I earned my victory," he said, grinning.
I was relieved that he was postponing Natalie's death. Although I wasn't sure if what he was about to do was even worse. Why would he stop just before getting what he wanted? Was this seriously all for his pride's sake? Or had Felix resisted?
The Eel grabbed Mr. Agreste by the shoulders and held him where Natalie had the perfect view. He stood limp, held up by the skull.
"You shall watch him die first," The Eel smiled, drawing his claws towards Gabriel's throat.
"Felix no!" I shouted.
"Felix wants this," the Eel seethed, "There's nothing holding me back."
Natalie pounded on the glass, trying to maneuver her fingers in a way that would free her from her cage. But it was no use. The coffin wasn't budging. At the realization that she couldn't figure out how to use her power in this moment, she began to cry. And then weep. And then beg. It was ...very human.
I couldn't hear any of her muffled words. But I was sure they were desperate and sad. I hated her for killing Luka. But I also hated watching the Eel make her suffer like this. What he was doing was even curler than death.
My strength was no match for the Eel, but still. I rushed up to him, attempting to kick him in the back. It did nothing except peak his curiosity. He turned his head, staring at me with raised brows under the mask. At least his attention was redirected away from killing Mr. Agreste.
"What do you think you are doing?" He asked.
"Stopping you," I said with a glare, holding my fists up. At this point, I didn't know whose side I should be on - should I save Mr. Agreste by freeing Natalie? I should side with humanity - Natalie was human and the Eel was not. That seemed like a good idea. But if I rushed up to the glass, the Eel would effortlessly remove me.
"Cute. Really cute," he said, stroking my hair, and gently pushing me away with his free hand. The other hand was still holding Mr. Agreste.
"If you kill Felix's father, he will certainly be depressed!" I pleaded.
"This body has never felt more alive," he said, returning his attention to Mr. Agreste. He drew a line along his neck, drawing blood.
Natalie screamed, desperately trying to open up the coffin with either her powers or her hands. Without thinking, I maneuvered around the Eel and rushed up to the coffin. With all my strength I attempt to pull it open. It was so heavy!
"Hey!" The Eel snapped, throwing Mr. Agreste's body to the ground. It landed with the sound of cracking bones.
The Eel looped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me away. I screamed, flailing my arms and legs.
"No!" I said, reaching for Natalie. She reached back.
"Use your powers!" I screamed.
She shook her head - indicating that she had tried and failed. I moved my body in a way that ensured he hurt me, I had pushed my shoulder into his claws and now I was bleeding. I yelped in pain, holding my arm.
His eyes grew wide with panic.
"Why did you do that?" He hissed.
"To get your attention. Hear me out!" I yelped, "You want to earn your victory? Right?"
The Eel cocked his head. Intrigued.
"Release Natalie to a fair fight."
"She already had her chance. I beat her in a matter of minutes," he said.
"One more chance! Otherwise, I won't stop getting in your way. You'll be bound to hurt me," I said, allowing him to see the blood rushing down my arm. It had gotten all over my white tank top. Now it looked like I was wearing red, pink, and white tie dye.
The Eel winced.
"Fine. But I will defeat her just as quickly and then I will end her," he said, opening the coffin.
The moment the coffin flew open, Natalie came bursting out, and all of the garden was her side. Vines and thorns lined her back, all at her command, as if she was the villain Poison Ivy from Batman.
"Without your other half, you are limited in the present. I am unlimited," she countered.
"Is that so?" He yawned, "Definitely looked like it when you were crying in the coffin."
"You threatened me. Now it's my turn," She said, sending a vine covered in thorns my way. I attempted to back away, but it wrapped around me and squeezed, sending the thorns into my flesh. I shrieked. Blood oozed all over my body and fell like rain, watering the Eel and Natalie.
The Eel glanced down at his white costume, drizzled with my blood. He glared.
"Now you've made me mad," he muttered, holding out his hand.
Natalie raised a brow, tightening the vines. I gasped, feeling pain beyond anything I'd ever felt before. What was happening to me? As the vines grew tighter, the air left my lungs. I desperately gasped for air.
"You can't change how this will end," Natalie smirked.
"That's where you're wrong," The Eel said, about to snap his fingers.