The Two Worlds of Marinette

Chapter 9

Marinette ran almost blindly through the lobby of the Bourgeois Hotel, holding the watch to her chest inside her bodice. Her head was spinning and her heart was pounding as her eyes searched the swirl of masked faces for Adrien. The clock was ticking and she had to stop him leaving with the Mayor before she could find and expose Lila.

As she pushed her way past the couples on the dancefloor, Félix caught sight of her and could see the frantic look on her face as she was no longer wearing her red mask. He reached out to grab her arm before she passed him by.

"Marinette, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Where is Adrien?" She asked, breathless. "I have to stop him otherwise he's going to die."

Félix furrowed his eyebrows. "Adrien and the Mayor have already left. I told you not to worry though, I've already fixed it. Let Andre have his little folly and be done with it. Nothing will happen to Adrien."

Marinette grabbed Félix's arm with both hands. "You don't understand. It's not the Mayor I'm worried about. It's Lila."

"Lila?" He exclaimed, lifting his mask up onto his head. "What are you talking about? She's not even here."

"Félix, trust me she is and she's intent on killing Adrien for turning her down."

Félix only had to consider that possibility for less than a moment. "I'm coming with you." He said before turning to the person he had been talking to. "Will you excuse me Mr Fu, I have an emergency."

Marinette only then noticed the shorter man in a tidy suit and Jade mask that Félix had been speaking to. "Of course." Fu replied. "Time waits for no man." He gave Marinette a courteous nod of the head before walking away from them. Marinette was even more certain that it was the same Fu she had met in 1975, but she couldn't think about it now. Felix grabbed her wrist and forged through the crowd.

"Felikins." Chloé called out. "Where are you going?"

"Just getting your father and Adrien dear." Félix called back. "We will only be a moment."

"Very well." She replied, flippantly. "If you happen to see Lily anywhere, send her back will you."

"Who?" Félix asked Marinette as they exited the garden.

"It's Lila." Marinette clarified. "She's pretending to be someone else and if she's not here..." She didn't need to finish the sentence for Félix to understand the implication. He pursed his lips as they weaved between the trees that blocked their path to the clearing. 

In the distance they heard the clock of town hall chime midnight and the voice of Mayor Bourgeois counting.

1... 2... 3...

"Hurry." Marinette urged, her heart thumping in time to the count.

6... 7... 8...

She fell up against one of the trees, Félix holding her there by the shoulders. "Wait." He whispered. "I don't see anyone else here."

10

The Mayor and Adrien both turned simultaneously, aiming their weapons at each other. For one heartstopping moment they stared each other down before Adrien lowered his gun and fired the bullet into the ground. Mayor Bourgeois remained unmoving.

"Is this what you really want?" Adrien said to him, his voice calm and even. "You were my father's oldest friend Andre. You have known me your whole life. Do you really want to be the one to pull that trigger?"

Mayor Bourgeois let his elbow slacken, but still didn't lower the weapon. "I have a moral code to uphold." He retorted, but his conviction was clearly starting to wane. "Kurtzberg and his so-called art is one thing, but you living in sin with that woman..."