When the Phoenix Falls (Adrien Agreste)

Chapter 12: Horrificator

"Agent Smith, it's too dangerous. We must evacuate." Adrien's tone was urgent as he spoke to Mylène, keeping perfectly in character as the camera moved around the desk. Mylène was slightly less composed, eyes flickering towards the camera as she repeated her lines.

"You're suggesting we run, Officer Jones? After it devoured my family, my friends, even my beloved dog Sniffles? Never! I won't run, I no longer fear it. I'm going to face it then I'll-"

Colette winced as Mylène let out a scream of terror, having seen Ivan appear in the side of her vision with his mask covering his face. They had been filming this scene repeated for ages and had only made it past Ivan's appearance twice, Mylène breaking down not long afterwards on both those occasions.

"Sorry, Mylène." Ivan apologised once more as the girl vanished beneath Miss Bustier's desk, Adrien walking away from the scene and towards Juleka, who was responsible for ensuring that he looked the same in every take.

"Mylène, that's like the tenth take and we're only on the first scene." Nino complained, dropping his camera to his side.

"Fourteenth actually." Alix reported, holding up the board. "But who's counting."

Colette gave a sigh, their words certainly weren't going to encourage Mylène to manage the scene the next time. She walked forwards and moved around the desk, missing the look Adrien shot her as she knelt down next to Mylène, sketchbook in hand. She offered the book to the girl, who took it nervously, hands shaking as she held on to it.

Colette gave her a smile as she gestured to the page the sketchbook was flipped to, where she had been drawing sketches of Mylène during the takes.

"You see this, this is Agent Smith, heroine of the piece. She's not going to let anyone tell her no because she wants to prove that she can do it. You can do it, Mylène, we believe in you."

Mylène gave a hesitant nod, her amber eyes meeting Colette's as she offered the sketchbook back to the girl.

"Ivan, put the mask back on, you're playing the monster. And Mylène, we need you to stay in character." Nino instructed, taking his role of director more seriously than Colette would have expected from the normally light-hearted boy.

Ivan put the mask back on and Mylène looked at him nervously. "I need to sing my happy song, it always makes me feel better."

Mylène began to sing under her breath, subconsciously walking backwards as she did so. Colette didn't notice until it was almost too late, suddenly realising what was about to happen and darting forwards to grab Mylène's hands before the girl could walk into Adrien and knock the lighting. Mylène let out a small scream at her touch, jumping with a look of utter panic in her eyes.

"And the Oscar for best pathetic scaredy cat afraid of its own shadow goes to Mylène." Chloé let out a loud laugh and Colette shot her a despairing look. She knew that the blonde girl could be a good person, but she didn't often go out of her way to display the better side of her personality around her classmates.

"Chloé, seriously?" Adrien frowned at the girl, resting a hand on Mylène's shoulder in an attempt to reassure her.

"Yeah, so what?" Chloé smirked and Colette winced as Mylène ran out of the room. Colette didn't hesitate, running after the girl as quickly as she could, sketchbook still held in her hand.

"Mylène, wait!" She shouted down the stairs, hand flying over the railing as she chased her friend. "Please stop."

Finally, Mylène came to a stop, sitting on a bench in the courtyard with her arms wrapped around her knees. Colette slowed down, halting next to the girl and sitting next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.