Chapter Text
Chloé was about to explode from anger watching Ladybug bring Ryuko to join the battle against Mangeamour. Why, why, why didn't she choose Chloé instead? She'd be so much better to fight her parents, and her identity being known was apparently no reason to ignore her if Kagami was allowed her Miraculous back just fine.
“Chloé Bourgeois, rejections hurt!”
Oh crap. She knew that voice. That could only mean one thing: she'd allowed her emotions to get the better of her once again. The last time she’d heard that voice in her head she’d managed to throw him off (something even Ladybug commented was an impressive feat, thank you!) but this time Chloé knew all too well her anger ran much deeper. After barely escaping Mangeamour with her life, she’d bolted to her trusty Bee Signal to let the heroes know she was available, but somebody’d sabotaged it.
…was this Papillon’s doing? Had he cut the cord to her Bee Signal to purposefully stoke her anger?
If that were so, Chloé knew she couldn’t afford to let herself give in to her rage. If she became another puppet of Papillon she’d only end up making the heroes' jobs only harder instead of easier.
But wait a minute, her parents were still Akumatized, so how could Papillon Akumatize her at the same time? And why did that voice not seem to come from inside her head, but from... behind her?
Slowly, Chloé turned around. Papillon stood behind her, in the flesh, his hands behind his back, a shit-eating grin on his face that made it clear he was very pleased with what had transpired.
“Your talents deserve to be recognized,” he spoke. “Ladybug and Chat Noir's reign has gone on long enough. It's time for Paris to have a new queen, and the Queen Bee on my chessboard is you.”
“You... what are you talking about? You've Akumatized my parents, you sniveling d-”
Papillon quickly raised his hand to interrupt her.
“You're right, but I did it for one reason only. So that you would finally realize that Ladybug will never give you the Bee Miraculous again.”
Chloé winced at those words. She knew them to be true. Ladybug had said so herself after the events of Miraculeur.
“I, however, always keep my promises,” Papillon continued. He removed his left hand from behind his back, revealing he was holding a comb that looked exactly like the Bee Miraculous.
Chloé's eyes went wide with shock. This couldn’t actually be it. It had to be some sort of trick. Yes, that’s it. Papillon did all this to bait her, to once again make her an Akuma with an offer she couldn’t refuse.
“What the…” she slowly reached out to the comb in his hand before snatching it away. It felt just like she remembered it. Having spent a lifetime surrounded by real diamonds and fakers attempting to swindle the Style Queen, Chloé could spot a forgery a mile away.
This was it. This was the real thing. Pollen was back with her. Oh God, Pollen! Were they alright? Did Papillon do something to them?
“You’re Ladybug’s greatest fan,” Papillon went on. “You've helped her, you've trusted her, and what has she done for you in return?”
The answer was easy: Ladybug had saved Chloé’s life on her second day on the job when Cœur de Pierre had thrown her off the Eiffel Tower. And no matter how terrible Chloé was to other people and causing Akumas left and right, Ladybug was always there to purify them. The first time she’d gotten the Bee Miraculous she’d screwed it up royally, and still Ladybug had willingly given it back to her twice.
But now Papillon had it. Clearly something terrible had happened for him to get his hands on the actual Bee Miraculous. He may have gotten to the others as well, and now he wanted to complete his collection, so he intended to use Chloé.
Because that was just it, wasn't it? People using people, especially in her social circle. Always plotting, always manipulating, everyone has ulterior motives in every conversation.
Even Sabrina, who on the outside seemed to be the ultimate yes-girl, the perfect lapdog who did all of Chloé's homework, still had ulterior motives for agreeing to do that for her. It helps that Chloé knows what those ulterior motives are, and had agreed with 'Brina on a deal that would both relieve Chloé of pointless work and help the redhead to achieve her dreams. They even made some extra amendments after Queen Wasp that incorporate a few extra lessons for Chloé and a few extra presents for ‘Brina. It created this mutually beneficial bond between the two of them that nobody else was aware of.
But most other people couldn't be trusted, they always wanted something from her. Chloé knew this, but apparently nobody else in her class did. That was how she was the only one to see through Lila Rossi manipulating everyone in class, and it was how she could now see through Papillon's manipulation now as well.
The mere idea of turning against Ladybug made her want to laugh in his face. Did he really think she’d ever stoop that low? Yes, it was disappointing to see Ladybug would never trust her with the Miraculous again, and the fact she’d returned the Dragon Miraculous to Kagami anyway absolutely felt like a slap in the face, but in what universe did that mean Chloé would betray everything the heroes stood for? Wasn’t Chloé’s whole point that she wanted to be a hero too?
Ladybug had once said that Chloé could be a hero even without her Miraculous, and that was exactly what she needed to be right now to have any chance of getting out of this. And that would require quite the acting feat.
She glanced down to Papillon’s hands. The other Miraculouses were nowhere to be seen, if he had them he probably moved them before coming to recruit her.
The plan formed in her head in an instant. ‘What has Ladybug done for you in return?’ Chloé knew exactly what Papillon wanted her to say to that.
“Nothing!” she loudly exclaimed. “Absolutely nothing! She doesn’t care about me at all! I’ve had enough of her. The amount of time I spent pining over her is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!”
Chloé hoped she wasn’t laying it on too thick, Papillon had to buy it for her plan to work. She shot him the most viscous Bourgeois-patented glare she could muster. “Deakumatize my parents, then we’ll talk.”
“Whatever you say, my queen.” Ew, those words felt absolutely disgusting coming from him. Only Pollen was allowed to call her that! But the purring tone he spoke with tipped Chloé off that he’d bought it. With a snap of his fingers, Mangeamour disappeared and the purple butterfly fluttered back to him, disappearing into his cane.
Chloé carefully raised the comb to her head and slotted the Miraculous in her hair. Immediately, Pollen appeared with a bright light. The yellow ball of fluff that Chloé had grown attached to so quickly was staring at her in shock and horror.
“Your Majesty, wait!” they shouted, but Chloé acted quickly to stop them from mucking up her plan.
“Shut up! You will speak only when spoken to.” Merde, Chloé hated she had to be so harsh. The little Bee creature looked so hurt, and Chloé wanted nothing more than to ask if they were okay and if Papillon had hurt them in any way. She wanted to pet the Kwami with the tips of her fingers and nuzzle their soft fur to her cheek. But she couldn’t, and forcing this order on them was the only way.
“Pollen, transforme-moi!”
The transformation somehow felt different than before. Worse, as if Pollen tried to resist being inside the Miraculous now. Where being Queen Bee had always left Chloé feel invigorated and powerful, now she felt cold and unsteady.
Nevertheless, Queen Bee was now standing where Chloé stood, and the immediate danger of losing her Miraculous again had lessened.
“See, I kept my word,” Papillon said, “your parents are free and now I can use a new Akuma to make your powers even stronger, my queen.”
“Wait,” Chloé quickly spoke. Of course Papillon would want to Akumatize her right away, leaving him in absolute control. But this was a crucial moment, and she just couldn’t afford that right now.
“Where’s Mayura?” she asked. There was no way Papillon would come out of his lair and risk capture without her right hand woman on backup.
“We’ll need her help too in this,” Chloé argued.
“You’re absolutely right, my queen.” Papillon gave a hand signal and Mayura appeared from her hiding place behind a nearby chimney, leaping over to join them on the rooftop at Papillon’s side.
Excellent. Now there was no chance of that woman surprising her.
“I’m glad to see you’ve made the right choice, Mlle Bourgeois,” Mayura spoke.
Chloé turned around, surveying the scene of the battle. Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Ryuko were leaving the site, and her parents were waiting on the sidewalk, probably for Jean-François to arrive and pick them up. Okay. Here went noth- well… everything.
“Very well then… VENIN!”
Her hands already at her trompo, she made a flawless pirouette courtesy of her dance lessons since childhood, and superpowered speed granted to her by the Miraculous. Her powered-up weapon launched straight towards Papillon.
Her sight was a complete dark blur as her stinger connected. She could just make out a shining brooch, and made a mad grab at it. Her hand closed around something, and she managed to tear the item off the person’s chest.
A flash of light appeared in her peripheral vision, one not too dissimilar from her own transformation, but darker, and she instantly knew her attack was a success. Not giving the villains a chance to counter, she backflipped.
Having launched herself high in the air, she rotated mid-air to land on her feet on a nearby rooftop, and then she ran.
And ran.
And ran.
Chloé had made it halfway across Paris before she dared to look over her shoulder to see if any of the villains were still on her tail.
The skyline was empty. Nobody had come after her. They must have been too focused on retreating, especially with one of them now de-transformed.
In the speed of it all, Chloé hadn’t managed to see the identity of the supervillain she just stole the Miraculous from before the light engulfed them. The appearance of said light was the only way she’d even known she had succeeded, aside from the object in her now firmly closed right hand.
She had to get to safety, pronto. But where would it even be safe? Le Grand Paris was obviously a no-go, the villains knew her identity and her room would be the first place they’d look. She’d have to flee, find shelter in the most unexpected of places.
Where, Where, WHERE could she go? She looked around frantically, her Miraculous beeping rapidly as her transformation was moments from wearing off. She was close to the Notre-Dame, and just aside from her was-
Was the bakery of the girl who couldn’t stand Chloé’s guts. Or at least she used to, back in collège, as early as sixième. They were in lycée now, and while the drama between them had mellowed out just a bit since Chloé first got her powers, there was still so much bad blood between them that they’d likely never be friends.
Which, in an ironic twist, would make her place absolutely perfect for Chloé to hide out at. No way they would ever look for her at Dupain-Cheng’s!
She quickly hopped over to the balcony, not trusting to use her trompo as she wouldn’t dare open her right hand and she knew she wasn’t skilled enough to vault across rooftops left-handed.
She landed on Dupain-Cheng’s balcony and peeked inside. The skylight was open, but her bedroom was empty, she wasn’t home. Thank the heavens for that, Chloé would not have been ready to have to explain her entire predicament to Dupain-Cheng of all people.
Once she’d let herself in, she closed the window and opened the communicator on her trompo.
“Ladybug?” she spoke into it. “This is Queen Bee- I know, I technically shouldn’t have my Miraculous, but it’s a really long story, and I need to talk to you ASAP. Call me once you get this message so we can meet up somewhere. It’s really, really important.”
She ended the voicemail just in time for her transformation to finally release. Pollen dropped out of the comb.
Chloé let herself collapse on Dupain-Cheng’s chaise, the reality of the situation finally crashing in on her.
She’d actually done it. She’d really managed to betray Papillon and steal away a Miraculous from right under his nose!
The villains would of course retaliate, and Chloé would be their #1 target. And if they really had all the other Miraculouses at their disposal, there were almost no limits to what they could do.
Did Ladybug even know what had happened? Possibly, as far as she knew, she’d just beat Mangeamour without a hitch and had no idea all the Miraculouses were in danger. Chloé would have to find a way to contact the hero in case she didn’t get the voicemail in time. But how was she ever going to do that if she could get attacked the minute she showed her face?
Her eyes darted to Pollen, hoping the wise Kwami could help her out. She could see Pollen glare at her, not saying a word as if their mouth was sewn shut.
Which, OhmyGod, it totally was! “Oh, Pollen, you can speak freely, I’m so sorry, I did that to you, I just-”
“It’s alright, your Majesty. I get why you did it. You did so well here, and I’m proud of you.”
“Oh Pollen…” Chloé carefully nudged the Kwami over with her left hand to her cheek, nuzzling the one being she could trust right now. The heavenly soft fur calmed her down just enough to avoid a full-blown panic attack.
“I missed you so, so much…” The girl was on the verge of tears after finally getting reunited with her number one confidant, who she hadn’t been entrusted with once after Heroes’ Day under the pretense that her identity was exposed. Which now had clearly proven to be bullshit.
“I’m so hungry, your majesty, I need to feed.”
“We’re at a bakery, Pollen, you can go downstairs and maybe steal a few honey tarts.”
Pollen nodded, but didn’t yet go. “Are you okay, your Majesty?”
Chloé rested her head against the chaise, breathing out heavily. “No. I need to figure something out, as soon as possible.”
With a solemn look Pollen phased through the floor down to the bakery.
Chloé remained sprawled out on the chaise, her thoughts going a million kilometers per second.
How long before the villains found her and sicced their next supervillain of the week on her in retaliation?
How was she going to contact Ladybug?
When would she be able to return home?
Could she even call her parents, tell them she was alright but had to leave for a while?
And what was she going to do with this Miraculous? Could she maybe use it to defend herself?
Her eyes darting to her right hand, she finally managed to get the courage to actually look at her loot from the battle.
She slowly opened her fist.
Right there, in the palm of her hand, lay the blue damaged Peacock Miraculous.