Butterfly Boy

Chapter 16

It had been a few weeks and the Hawkmoth rebellion had grown and spread.

Tips and advice on emotion control were collected and listed on a paper and handed out all around the school (with Mr. Damacles' permission of course).

Alya and her team made a website with the same tips and a choice to sign up and become a member. All news and updates on the Hawkmoth Rebellion, which they called HAR (there were different opinions on what the 'A' stood for), were put there along with videos. They would join in group chats and discuss ways to make France a better place. It was a huge success.

One day Danny ran down the stairs, happily carrying his backpack and jumping the last four steps. His butterflies caught on to his good mood and flitted around in a frenzy. Danny plopped down on a stool by the counter and started eating his cereal.

Maddie was the only one in the kitchen to witness his grand entrance. She regarded her son with an amused and satisfied smile. She was happy the moving hadn't affected him negatevily, as she had worried it would. In fact, he seemed much more at ease in France than he had in Amity Park, where he often would come trudging down the steps late and exhausted and usually grumpy. She chuckled, her son's happy mood was contagious. "Danny, calm down your akumas. I can't see anything through this cloud."

"Sorry, mom." The butterflies slowly stopped flapping around as much and were sent to the living room behind Danny so they wouldn't bother anyone.

Maddie smiled as she finished her husband's fudge and sat down in front of her son. "How's school going? The akumas are multiplying. Is it natural reproduction or has that man been bothering you again."

Danny made a face. "They don't reproduce." He glanced at the butterflies suspiciously. "Do you?" The Papis flapped their wings and Danny's face relaxed with relief. "See?"

Maddie breathed a small laugh, but frowned at the remaining option. "Are you sure we shouldn't run more tests? I'm worried about what this could mean for your development. You're still a growing boy."

The boy brightened. "Did you notice? I grew half an inch since last week!"

Maddie huffed at the obvious way Danny was avoiding the question, but before she could say anything Jack came in with just a little less enthusiasm than Danny. "Good morning!" He sat down next to Danny and started munching on his fudge. "I finished the Fenton extractor, Mads!"

Maddie nodded. "We will try it out on the next sighting."

Danny stopped eating and glanced at them with furrowed eyebrows. "What is it? It doesn't sound good."

Jack grinned. "It's a machine that will extract the akuma from the victim like a ghost overshadowing your sister."

Somewhere on the floor above, Jazz yelled: "I am not a ghost!"

Danny frowned worriedly. "It won't hurt the akuma or the person, will it?"

His parents paused in a way that made Danny worry more.

"We can't be sure, sweetie," Maddie responded as she bit her lip. "This is new territory for us. Nothing is certain."

Danny huffed. That was true. He would rather they didn't do anything unless it was certain it would work without any bad side effects, but there was no way of knowing unless they tried.

Jack grinned hopefully. "If we could examine your akumas, then we might learn more..."

"No!" Danny said sternly. "For the last time, you won't dissect them or put them through tests of any kind." His Papis flitted around restlessly, and tried to hide behind the boy.