White Shadows

Chapter 2: Poison

I stared at my reflection in the bathroom body length mirror. My ears twitched. My reflection returned my panicked stare. I looked at my costume; I glanced at my hands, then along my arms before twisting around to look at my back. My tail slowly swayed back and forth. I returned my attention to the mirror. My costume remained black, no subtle hints of grays or white. No random urges to destroy a building and no glowing purple butterfly.

My throat flashed before I looked at the light switch. I turned it off to see if there was anything else to find. For a split horrifying second, I thought I saw a purple butterfly. I quickly flicked the light on. I stared at myself. I could feel Plagg's comforting presence.

I shook my head, still reliving the days I was Cat Blanc.

Félix has done everything he could do to help me. He was even taking therapy lessons, or whatever it is called, to help. Even Plagg has offered me comfort which means something. He usually doesn't try. So far neither of their works has done anything to help relieve my constant nightmares, or imagined urges.

I stared at my reflection. I flinched when something deep stirred within me. I couldn't tell what it was. I had two inside of me. One of them fluttered like a butterfly eager to get to a flower; and, I was the flower. The other lay dormant, waiting for the right opportunity. I didn't feel it till I had moved into Félix's house.

A shiver ran down my spine as I dug my claws into the bathroom sink, causing tiny fissures. I had always been aware of the poison after I was freed from the akumatized butterfly. I just didn't take much noticed of it until about two weeks ago when it started surfacing. It was small things, like snapping at my cousin, growling at Plagg, and the brief change in eye color and attitude.

I could hear a soft voice whispering in the depths of my mind, trying to gain my attention. I had ignored it, which kept my brief changes very short; but, I could feel the poison within me growing stronger as the days passed. I didn't think anything of it until today; when that veiny purple-black butterfly flew right in front of me.

Goose flesh ran along my arms as I shivered. I closed my eyes as my heart hammered against my ribs, trying to break free. I remembered the pain in my teeth and the urge to eat the butterfly. The urge to eat it was nothing new. For I had wanted to eat butterflies I chased as all cats do. The pain in my teeth alongside it was more alarming, as well as the sudden swelling of the poison.

I closed my eyes and turned away from the mirror. I released my transformation, pushing all thoughts of it aside. I could feel Plagg's worried gaze as I opened the bathroom door, not wanting his attention. He immediately zipped out upon smelling his cheese before pausing. He threw me a worried glance over his shoulder. I refused to meet his eyes.

Plagg doesn't know anything about it, Ladybug doesn't and neither does Félix. I want to keep it that way, for now at least. I wanted to see how far this thing went before I took it to anyone. Chills raced up and down my spine as I stepped out of the bathroom, prepared to eat what I needed.

"What was that about Adrien?" Félix's hard voice sounded behind me, causing me to jump. I whirled around with a gasp. He stared at me with his hard gaze while his fuzzy cat ears swiveled towards me. His nose twitched as he took in the scents coming from me. Concern softened his steely gaze. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. A swirl of dark purple lights started at his feet then went up, having his cat costume disappear.

"I don't know what you are talking about?" I swallowed. He opened his icy gray-blue eyes. He narrowed them as he studied me, not even flinching when the lightbulb above his head brightened, flickering on and off till it exploded.

"You vanished as if the Akuma butterflies were chasing after you." He folded his arms, resting his weight on his right leg. He studied me as I shifted anxiously, his hard gaze burning holes into me. "What is wrong? What are you afraid of? You can tell me." Félix said in such a soft voice that it surprised me. He maybe cold and a bit emotionless when angry but he still showed me love, in his own way. He gave me lots more attention than my father ever did. Yes, the right kind.