A Little Bit of Bad Luck

Ch 9: The Secret in the Catacombs

A/N: This is a spooky chapter! Enjoy! We won't see Chat and Ladybug in the Catacombs but it does take place mostly down there.

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Marinette stared at the picture of her and Félix. It was plastered on every tabloid page across the web. She saved the picture to her computer and let out a lovestruck sigh.

"Can you believe this picture even exists?!" she asked Tikki.

"No, I can't." Tikki laughed. "Now come on, you're going to be late!"

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Félix could sense the tension in the air before he left for school. However, his father still hadn't said anything to him. He assumed he was upset, but he thought he cleared it up pretty well. He looked like a well-rounded person in the public's eye, who also protected his friends from danger. What was wrong with that?

Félix rode silently with his bodyguard and watched the buildings pass. Nathalie had told him not to approach his father that night. She quickly ushered the boy to his bedroom and shut the door. He couldn't find the courage to ask her what she was doing at the studio that day.

His father seemed to be losing his grip on reality, slowly slipping away from Félix. His outbursts had become a common occurrence. He would often hear him breaking things in his office. Félix sighed loudly, causing his bodyguard to steal a glance at him in the rearview mirror.

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Alya lowered her chin and looked up at them with dead eyes. "They say those who venture down into its depths may never see the light of day again."

Marinette yawned. "Alya why are you trying to freak everyone out." Her friend had a weird obsession with scary stories and loved the American holiday, Halloween. Marinette was too tired to be scared.

Alya held up her hands and wiggled her fingers to imitate a ghost. "I am just giving them a fair warning..." She turned to Marinette and grabbed onto her friend's arm. "You're not too scared to go with me to the Catacombs on October 31st are you?" They were going to be off of school for All Saints' break starting tomorrow.

Marinette had forgotten she agreed to go months ago. Everything was simpler then. Even though Alya was looking forward to it, Marinette knew her friend didn't want to go alone.

"Um. Of-of course I can go." Marinette twitched. She didn't want to go, but she couldn't have her friend going down there alone with some stranger she met on the internet.

Nino turned around, intrigued. "The Catacombs?" 

Alya beamed. "I frequent a forum for cataphiles and I've linked up with someone who agreed to take us on a midnight tour! They say it's the most promising time to see a ghost." She loved to research and explore new things.

Nino gulped. He didn't want her to think he was scared. "Sounds fun! I'm in." 

"We could use some protection." Alya laughed. She turned to Félix who hadn't joined the conversation. "What about you Félix? Going to use the excuse that your father won't let you go again?" 

Félix sighed. He didn't care about her taunts, but he was getting tired of his father's behavior. The catacombs below Paris had held such mystery. He had always been fascinated by the twisting tunnels and read multiple books detailing their history.