Check Mate

Chapter 22

Her elbows and knees stung. She'd been knocked off balance. She didn't remember being hit.

So when she pushed herself up onto her elbows, she didn't understand why the akuma was laughing when she'd been so angry the moment before.

"Aw, how sweet! He must care about you." She cooed, thought her eyes were malicious. "It makes me sick."

He? Marinette thought before her stomach turned to lead. No. No, he didn't.

Marinette turned to look over her shoulder, and let out a horrified scream.

Standing over her, frozen was Felix. Her Felix, was one of the living statues in the ballroom. His arms outstretched as he'd been in his final moments, determination and agitation at war on his face. His eyes were still that beautiful grey blue color, but there was nothing in them. No life. No spark. They didn't glint they way they did when he was being snarky with Claude. They didn't simmer the way they were supposed to when he was mad. They didn't stop her in her tracks like they normally did when he glared at someone. He wasn't fierce or strong, or anything.

There was nothing there. Her heart was breaking.

She stumbled to her feet, tears streaming down her face as she cupped his jaw in her hands. "No. No, no, no, no, no! Felix, you idiot! Come back! Come back, do you understand me?!"

She was screaming nonsensically at him, and he couldn't hear her but she didn't care. She was trapped, in a ballroom with no help, no backup until Chat Noir showed up, no escape, no way to contact her team, and no Felix.

"Felix! Please come back! Please!" She sobbed, hiding her face in his shoulder as she cried. She couldn't do this alone.

Why did she always end up alone when it matter most? She couldn't save him this time. She was out of ideas. Out of plans. She had no way to bring him back because she was about to be turned into a statue herself.

She heard the akuma cackling behind her, clearly enjoying her distress. "Oh, Felix! Save me!" She mocked, before laughing maniacally again. "I can't believe he sacrificed himself for someone this pathetic."

That ignited rage in every single limb of her body, because how dare she mock Felix.

She hiccuped, but turned her tear stained face to the akuma with hatred written across every inch of her face.

The akuma's face was glowing as Hawk Moth probably screamed at her for disobeying him.

She was about to give him a reason to scream.

She turned her attention back to Felix, taking her face off of his shoulder and cupping his face again, whispering so only he would've been able to hear. "I'll bring you back. I promise I will. No matter what I have to do."

I would move the heavens for you.

She placed a small kiss on his forehead, giving him one last quick hug before she faced the akuma.

"Bring him back." She snarled, her muscles tensing as she prepared to strike, "Or I swear I'll make you regret it."

The akuma laughed at her, raising her hand as her wrist started glowing, "We'll see about that little girl."

The akuma fired but she was ready. She threw herself into a somersault and came up swinging. She slammed her fist as hard as she could into the akuma's nose and felt the crunch of bones against her knuckles. Due to the adrenaline she couldn't tell if the broken bones were the akuma's or her own but she didn't care.

She was pissed.

The akuma screamed, and if she'd cared enough to notice, she would've seen the blood streaming down the akuma's face.