Felix—now dressed as his cousin—stands in the middle of his living room with Marinette and Adrien. They start cutting and rubbing dirt on his clothes to give into the story that he really was kidnapped and held captive for months. "You two are practically professionals at this."
"We are, aren't we?" Marinette jokes as she looks up at Adrien. "It's almost a little strange."
"A little?" Adrien repeats, laughing. "Never in my life did I see myself faking my own kidnapping and have my cousin play dress up and pretend to be me so we could find evidence that my father is an evil, hellbent, terrorizing villain." He sighs. "A little strange is an understatement."
"So far, so good," Felix comments as he looks down at his now torn clothes. "But not believable enough."
Adrien washes his hands in the kitchen. "What do you mean it's not enough?"
"You have to hit me."
"Excuse me?!" He shouts, eyes wide.
"What, is it really believable that my clothes are torn and dirty, but my face is perfectly fine?" Felix points out. "No, that's ridiculous. You have to hit me."
"I..." Adrien shakes his head. "I don't want to."
Felix rolls his eyes. "Come on, Adrien! This is your only chance to take your anger out on me!"
"I am not hitting you, Felix!"
"Don't be a wuss! Hit me!"
"No!"
As the two boys continue to bicker with each other, Marinette and Tikki share a look. A wicked grin grows on her face. She steps forward, swinging fast as she punches Felix, and he flies back and falls against the coffee table.
Felix looks at her with excited, wide eyes.
"That's for what you tried on the roof last year." Marinette slaps him across the other side of his face. "And that's for keeping Shadowmoth's identity a secret from us."
Adrien face palms. He's sure his cousin wouldn't help them now. "I'm sorry. Are you okay, Felix?"
"Don't be," Felix says, rubbing his jaw. "That was awesome. I like her."
***
"Tikki, spots on!" As Marinette transforms into Ladybug, Adrien watches with love in his eyes, and when Felix notices his cousin's stare, he rolls his eyes with disgust.
"Dear cousin, control yourself. You're practically drooling," Felix points out.
Adrien shrugs. "I don't care. That's my girlfriend. My brave and confident and ass-kicking girlfriend."
"Aww, thanks babe," Ladybug chimes, reaching through her yo-yo to access the miracle box. She grabs the horse miraculous—a pair of dark glasses—and she puts them on. A tiny horse-like kwami appears. "Tikki, Kaalki, unify!" A flash of red and orange fill the room as her transformation changes. She holds a powerful stance and grins. "Boys, call me Pegabug!"
"That... was... awesome!" Adrien shouts.
"Get a grip, lover boy," Felix mutters, rolling his eyes.
Pegabug raises her arm and points to an empty space. She concentrates on her location. "Voyage!" A portal opens to Paris, and she gestures for the two to follow her.
Hesitant, Felix squints inside before deciding, and Adrien steps back out to grab his hand and drag him forward. "Hey!"
"You were taking too long," Adrien defends.
The portal closes behind them. Now they're hiding in an alley a block away from the police station. Adrien puts his disguise back on—a hat and a pair of sunglasses—and leans against the wall. "Do you remember what we talked about, Felix?"
Felix nods. "Yes, I know how to answer their ridiculous questions. How does this sound?" He gets into character. "Officer, it is I, Adrien Agreste! I was kidnapped four months ago, but now I'm back—somehow."
Adrien glares at his cousin. "I sound nothing like that."
Pegabug giggles to herself. "I don't know, it was pretty close."
The model glares at his superhero babe. "You think I sound squeaky?"
Felix is already across the street, pretending a limp as he stumbles into the police station, crying and screaming for help. "H-Hello! Is someone here? I need help!"
Officer Roger looks over and drops his coffee as his eyes widen. "I-It's... it's Adrien Agreste!" He grabs a weighted blanket and runs over, draping it over the hurt boy's shoulders. "Don't worry, Adrien. We're here to help."
"Please..." Felix coughs. "M-My father..."
"Adrien, your wounds..." Officer Roger stares at the dried blood on his face, the bruise along his jawline, and his limped leg. "Son, we're going to have to take you to the hospital."
"I need to see my father!" Felix cries out.
Officer Roger leads him out of the police station. "We'll call Mr. Agreste on the way! We have to go now!"
Felix glances over to where he knows Marinette and Adrien were hiding and watches as Pegabug and Catastrophe leave and race across the rooftops.
***
Nathalie's phone rings. "Hello, this is Nathalie Sancoeur. Whom am I speaking with?"
"Hello, Miss Sancoeur?" A nurse speaks on the other end. "We have you listed as Adrien's Agreste emergency contact."
"Y-Yes, that's correct," She whispers, already assuming the worst. Had they found Adrien's... body? "I am."
"Adrien was found this morning," The nurse begins to explain, and Nathalie prepares for the worse. "He's currently resting at the hospital."
Her eyes widen. "Wait, Adrien's alive?"
"Yes, ma'am," The nurse answers. "This morning Adrien stumbled into the police station. He's bruised pretty badly, and his clothes are distressed. A doctor is checking him up as we speak. Miss Sancoeur, I understand you're Mr. Agreste's assistant. We tried calling him, but there was no answer on his end, so we had to call you. It'd be wise if you two could come in as soon as possible."
"Of course! Of course!" Nathalie cheers, laughing. She was happy Adrien was found alive and well. "We're on our way." She hangs up and storms downstairs to her boss' office, walking in without knocking. "Sir, we have to go to the hospital. They found Adrien."
Gabriel turns slowly, confused. How could Adrien have been 'found' if he were just with Marinette yesterday? Had he been mistaken? Is Catastrophe just some random kid and in fact not his son? "What do you mean, Nathalie?"
She wants to slap him. "Adrien was found this morning. He was able to escape his kidnappers, and he's at the hospital right now. Apparently, he's very bruised and the doctors are checking him over. We need to go."
"Alright. We will." Gabriel gestures for his son's bodyguard to follow and drive. Ten minutes later, they're walking in the hospital and find 'Adrien's' room blocked off. Fans and reporters wait by, trying to get in. Gabriel and Nathalie are escorted through by hospital staff and find 'Adrien' lying in bed.
There's a bandage on his cheek and two stitches in his bottom lip. Marinette got too excited and hit Felix pretty hard.
"Adrien!" Nathalie shouts, running over to hug him. She holds him tight and whispers, "I thought I lost you."
"I missed you, too, Nathalie." Felix hugs her back and closes his eyes.
As Gabriel steps over, Felix looks up, and they stare at each other, quiet. Soon he leans down and hugs the boy. "My son..."
"Father..." Felix hugs his uncle and starts crying, as he assumes that's what his pathetic cousin would do in this situation.
Gabriel pats his back and quickly pulls away. He glances at Nathalie, who's more than happy to see Adrien. He never told his assistant what he heard—or thought he heard—in the studio yesterday. How he assumed Catastrophe was his son. But how could that hero be his son if he were lying in a hospital bed in front of him? There was definitely a second voice in that room, but had the stress of his missing son led him to believe otherwise?
"I was so alone..." Felix whispers, forcing his body to shake in fear. "And scared... I didn't know if I was ever coming back."
"Yet you have," Gabriel mumbles.
Nathalie glares at him. She's still pissed Gabriel called off the search for his son. But to let Adrien rest, she dares not saying anything in front of him, yet. He's been through so much and didn't need the added stress.
The door flies open and there's a camera flash. A reporter runs in holding a recorder. "Mr. Agreste, how does it feel to finally have your son back?"
"Get out!" Gabriel shouts, eyes wide with anger. "This is a private matter!"
Nathalie steps forward and pushes the reporter out of the room. "Guard the door," She demands to Adrien's bodyguard, and he obeys, stepping out of the room.
"Great," Gabriel groans, rubbing his temple. "Now this will be all over the news."
"Adrien." Nathalie walks over and grabs his hand. "Officer Roger will be coming in about an hour to ask you some questions. There's still no sign of your kidnappers."
"What kind of questions?" Felix asks softly.
"Just routine stuff. Where you were held, if you saw your kidnappers' face, and things like that," She assures him. "They want to get all the information they can to make sure they catch them."
Gabriel crosses his arms, stepping forward, and asks, "How did you escape your kidnappers, Adrien? It's been, what, over four months now? Did they drop their guard or something?"
Nathalie comes to his defense. "Why are you asking questions like Adrien's a suspect?"
Felix shakes his head. "It's okay, Nathalie—"
"Your son is back, safe and sound, and you don't even care!" She interrupts, staring down her boss. "You haven't smiled once since we walked in. Are you even happy Adrien's back?"
Offended, Gabriel shouts back, "How dare you speak to me that way, Nathalie. Of course, I'm glad my son is back!"
"Then treat him that way! Don't interrogate Adrien." Nathalie gestures to him, yelling, "Hug him! Miss him!"
There's a moment of silence before 'Adrien' speaks. "After some time, I was able to gain my kidnappers' trust."
Gabriel glances over.
"They weren't kind at first. I was chained to a bed, fed every other day, and forced to live in my own filth. It was humiliating." Felix's head drops as he tears up and Nathalie sits down beside him, grabbing his hand. "Then they started asking questions about you, father." He looks at Gabriel. "Personal questions about the brand, the codes to the house, and our money. I wouldn't tell them anything; I didn't want to. But when I didn't say something, they got mad and... they hit me."
Nathalie pouts. "Oh, Adrien..."
"I had to find a way to survive, so I lied and told them my father would give them anything they wanted, as long as I came back unharmed." Felix plays with his hands. "They stopped hitting me and let me walk around my room freely. The door was always locked, though."
Gabriel stands at the end of the bed and rests his hand on the metal frame. "You did what you had to, son."
Felix looks at Nathalie. "After the second month, I was allowed out to explore the rest of the house, but I had to be supervised at all times. There were many times I could have escaped, but I assumed they were testing me, and I didn't want to risk anything. If I died and I never saw you guys or..." He trails off as a sad smile appears on his face. "Or Marinette. I had to stay alive. For her."
Nathalie squeezes his hand. "We're so glad you're back home, Adrien."
"I need to see her, Father!" Felix shouts, worried. "She must be worried about me!"
Gabriel shakes his head. "Let's focus on getting you rested and healed, Adrien—"
Just as he says that the door opens, and Marinette comes running in. They rehearsed this back in London. "Adrien!"
Felix bears happy eyes—he perfected by watching his cousin drooling this morning—and smiles wide. "Marinette!"
She runs over crying and throws her arms around 'Adrien' and cries into his shoulder. "You're alive... you're alive." She leans back and cups his face. This part she dreaded, but they wanted to show Gabriel and Nathalie how much she cared and lead her away from suspicion. She kisses him quick and hugs him again. "I'm so glad you're safe."
Gabriel glares at her. "Miss Dupain-Cheng, what are you doing? How did you know we were here?"
Marinette turns and looks at him. "It's all over the news, Mr. Agreste. As soon as I heard Adrien was found..." She grabs his hand and whispers, "I had to come see him."
"How..." Gabriel's disgusted. "Sweet."
"I missed you," Felix whispers, cupping Marinette's face. "You kept me alive."
Gabriel clears his throat. "Officer Roger will be here in an hour to question Adrien, so we should let him rest. I'll escort you out, Miss Dupain-Cheng."
"Actually, can Marinette stay, Father?" Felix asks as he grabs her hand. "We have some catching up to do."
I hope my son isn't referring to more public displays of affection. "Is that safe?"
He shrugs. "My bodyguard is at the door. I'll be fine."
Gabriel nods. "Alright. I'll be at home doing some damage control. Call Nathalie if anything happens." He leaves with Nathalie.
As the door closes, Marinette turns to Felix and punches his arm. "At least try not to act like you enjoyed the kiss."
"Can't help myself," He teases. "Who wouldn't?"
Adrien pulls back a curtain and steps out from where he was hiding in the corner. "I wouldn't."
Marinette glances at the door. "So far, so good. Mr. Agreste doesn't suspect a thing." She looks at Adrien and notices a weird look on his face. "What's wrong, Adrien?"
"I just thought..." He frowns. "I thought my father would be more excited to see me. After he stopped searching, I guess it was expected."
Felix scratches his chin. This bandage is itchy. "Yes, your father is a very heartless person, Adrien. I don't mean to be blunt, but I am sorry for how he treats you."
"Part of me knew all along," Adrien admits, staring out the window. "It just hurt to see it in person.
Marinette walks over and hugs Adrien. "It'll all be over soon."
He hugs her back. "I hope so."
***
'Adrien' has been discharged from the hospital and goes home with Gabriel, Nathalie, and his bodyguard. His phone buzzes with a text.
Marinette: Adrien are I are waiting for you in his bedroom.
Perks of being a superhero, Felix thinks to himself. Fast transportation.
"Are you hungry, Adrien?" Nathalie asks, resting a loving hand on his shoulder. "We can make you anything you want."
Felix smiles. "Honestly, I'm just really tired, and would like to finally sleep in my own bed tonight."
Nathalie steps forward and hugs him. Felix is shocked and confused by her affection. Is she always like this with Adrien? For a quick moment, he lets himself accept the hug as his own and closes his eyes. When he opens them again, he finds Gabriel standing behind her, already glaring at him.
"Get as much sleep as you need, Adrien, and don't even worry about your schedule. As far as now, everything's canceled." She leans back and cups his cheek gently. "Don't worry about anything except getting better."
Felix hopes she treated Adrien this way. "Thank you, Nathalie."
"Goodnight, son," Gabriel mutters as he starts walking to his office.
Felix hates his own uncle for how he treats Adrien. "Goodnight, father." He waves at Nathalie before slumping upstairs to his cousin's room. He steps in and looks around. He doesn't see them. The bathroom door opens, and the pair step out together. He immediately notices Adrien's messy hair and Marinette's flushed cheeks. He smirks and asks, "Busy?"
They share a look and blush.
"You took a while to get home..." Marinette whispers.
Adrien nods. "And we got bored..."
"Uncle Gabriel and Nathalie will be going to bed soon," Felix tells him as he makes himself comfortable on the couch. He watches the two sleeping kwamis snuggle together on a wheel of cheese. "I'll wait two hours and then I'll go search his office."
Marinette sits beside him. "Thank you again for doing this, Felix."
"I would do anything for family."
Her eyes widen. "You consider me family?"
Felix nods his head at Adrien. "If you're going to be leeching to my cousin forever, you might as well be."
She rolls her eyes. "Always know how to ruin a sweet moment."
"I know we've always had out differences, Adrien," Felix starts to tell his cousin.
"Do you even like me?" Adrien deadpans.
"Of course I do. I like teasing and taunting you." He pauses and quietly adds, "And playing video games together over the phone."
"Oh." Adrien smiles. "Thanks, I guess."
Felix frowns. "I'm trying to be nice, you dolt."
"Sorry."
"When this whole situation with Uncle Gabriel and Shadowmoth ends, you could stay with Aunt Amelie and me. She wouldn't mind taking you in." He glances around the big, empty room. "I'm sure it'd be better than living here with... him."
Adrien walks around to the other side of the couch and hugs his cousin. "I knew you had a heart... somewhere."
Felix rolls his eyes and pats his back. "Yes, yes... just don't get your makeup on my shirt." A quiet sob comes from the pig-tailed girl, and he looks over to see Marinette crying now. "Oh no. Not you, too."
"I'm sorry!" She gasps, sniffling. "This is such a sweet moment."
"Group hug!" Adrien whisper-shouts.
Felix shakes his head. "No—"
"Group hug!" Marinette repeats. She crawls over and wraps her arms around him and Adrien.
Accepting this, Felix sighs and pats Marinette's back, too. "Thanks, I guess."
"Admit it, you like this," Adrien teases.
Felix wouldn't, but he did.
***
Felix checks his watch as he sneaks downstairs. It's past two am now. He steps down the front steps to the foyer, not surprised when he finds the office doors locked. He reaches for his tie clip and bends the metal, using it to unlock the doors. It creaks as he pushes it open and he steps in the room, quietly closing the door shut. He pulls a special eye gadget from his pocket and slips it over his left eye, searching and scanning the dark room.
He stares at a portrait of his aunt and sees a safe hidden behind it. He unlocks the safe after the gadget gives him the code, but there's nothing suspicious inside. Just a family picture, some old books, and a drawing a young-Adrien did as a kid. As he pushes the frame back, he looks up at his aunt's picture and smiles. He misses her. Small, blue buttons start to glow in his gadget. Special grooves in the painting. He slowly runs his hands across and presses them. His eyes widen as the floor opens and he goes down through an elevator.
It stops at the bottom and the doors open. A bridge waits in front of him, a brightly lit garden at the end. Felix steps out of the elevator and crosses the bridge, eyeing the silver container sitting with the flowers. Through his gadget, he finds a finger pad lighting up, and when he meets the end, he reaches out and touches it. The silver container opens and there's a soft hissing sound.
Emelie's body lays still, unconscious.
Felix gasps as his eyes widen. "W-What?" He whispers to himself, head feeling faint. What the hell is this? What kind of sick man is Uncle Gabriel? As he turns to leave, he finds his uncle standing at the foot of the bridge, blocking his path. He glares, angry now, and asks, "When were you going to tell me about Mom, Father?"
Gabriel chuckles. "No one else is here. You can drop the act... Felix."
Felix's slight look of fear gives him away.
"What? I know it's you, Felix. Did you think I was stupid?"
"That, and a lot of other horrible things, uncle," Felix mutters. "What tipped you off?"
Gabriel steps towards his nephew. "Your story didn't match up. Earlier you mentioned that you promised your kidnappers money, but they never demanded a ransom."
"Maybe they didn't want your dirty money."
"What are your intentions, Felix?"
Felix points at his aunt's casket. "What the hell is Aunt Emelie doing down here? I thought she was dead!"
He ignores his question. "Why are you pretending to be Adrien?"
Felix repeats himself. "What the hell is Aunt Emelie doing down here?"
Gabriel looks past his nephew and at his sick wife, frowning. Oh, Emelie... "Emelie got sick and fell into a coma. She's staying here until she gets better."
"Why not a hospital instead?"
"It's a magical coma, Felix," Gabriel corrects. "No earth medicine or treatment can cure her."
Felix turns and stares at his aunt. "What happened to her?"
Gabriel hesitates on answering.
"I'm not afraid of letting the world know what truly happened to your wife, Uncle Gabriel," His nephew threatens. "And I'm not afraid of telling Adrien the truth."
"So you have spoken to him."
Felix nods. "Yes, I have, but consider yourself dead to him, uncle. Adrien no longer wants anything to do with you."
"He is my son—"
"Tell me what happened to Adrien's mother!" Felix shouts, smacking the glass. "Tell me!"
Gabriel takes in a deep breath. "Emelie got sick from using the peacock miraculous."
Felix's eyes widen. Suddenly a new incentive comes to mind. He could help Adrien and Marinette and also gain something. Felix holds his hand out. "I want the peacock miraculous... Shadowmoth."
Gabriel's eyes widen and he glares at his nephew. "How in the hell did you find out?"
"One of my many sneaky talents," Felix answers. "I know what I am, uncle, and I'm tired of living in fear. Give me the peacock miraculous and I'll give you my silence."
"How can I trust you not to run off and tell Adrien everything?"
Felix already planned on doing that, but he had to make his uncle believe otherwise. "Because this is a conversation between father and son. I don't want to get in the middle of that sentimental crap." He chuckles. "No pun intended, right, Uncle Gabe?"
"What makes you think I'd agree?" He asks.
"Because you have no other choice."
Gabriel sighs and takes off the peacock brooch from under his tie. "Duusu, I renounce you." He drops the brooch in Felix's hand. "Now, dear nephew, get the hell out of my house."