The Only Monarch I'll Accept is Me!
Love makes you do some pretty stupid things, my dear. One day you'll understand.
Queen Bee's miraculous beeps in her hair.
She's not sure why she notices this, or even really why she cares. Maybe it's a good thing. Maybe he'll stop trying to kill her once he realizes it's his special girl? His princess?
The Akuma does hesitate though so at least she's sort of right, even if it is because there's some stupid glowing butterfly around his eyes and he's reaching for her comb. She flinches away, her wings flapping uselessly as she tries to pull free but the hands are too tight and they only pull her closer. She wants to scream and she tries, but she can barely even breath, let alone speak.
There's red- her vision has gone blurry, it must be that butterfly mask that Akumas get- red light wrapping around his eyes and suddenly he's stopping, his gazing slipping to the floor. He snaps his fingers and one of the guests at the cala - a young woman looking all too eager to please- picks it up and hands it to him. Her dress is wrinkled. She's not sure why she notices but she does.
He rolls it around in her fingers- it looks so small, have her father's hands always been so big?- then presses a button. Something clicks and the whole front slides off. The screen that pops off is hardly bigger than his thumbnail.
"Throw her in the dungeon." André Bourgeois- or the akuma possessing him- says with a wave of that stupid scepter. 'She's useless to me now."
Queen Bee almost wants to laugh, and if her heart wasn't hammering away in her chest, she might've. They've never had a dungeon before- doesn't he realize how stupid he sounds? Like wow, we get it. King of the freaking castle. Why he's even still playing the monarchy card is beyond her. She'd like to speak to whoever thinks these things up and smack some sense into them.
Besides. There's only room for one monarch here and she's majorly pissed.
Out of all the places in a luxury hotel one could use as a prison, the best thing its manager can think up just so happens to be a janitorial closet in the basement. It's humiliating really, her, a superheroine with powers greater that they could ever imagine, tied up and tossed over someone's shoulder.
When André Bourgeois had said to throw her, he probably had not meant literally.
Still, Queen Bee's here and it's dreary and damp and smells like the unholy union of mildew and bleach, and the very fact that she has to touch all that makes her nauseous. It's blacker than Chat's suit in here too, the only light coming from a sliver under the door. There isn't even a window. What kind of janitorial closet doesn't even have a window?
She has to struggle to stand. Not because she's injured or anything- although with a landing like that she might very well be- but because it's so goddamned cramped that every movement forces her to brush against the shelves. Even then, her elbow touches a mop and she cringes. The suit may prevent any germs or dirt, but it's the thought that counts.
She's almost thankful she can't see. Who knows what horrors she'd find.
Queen Bee tries the door. It doesn't work. She's not even sure why she bothered. Not even someone under the control of an Akuma victim would be that stupid.
Then she takes a step back and almost trips on a bucket. So much for kicking down the door.
Queen Bee takes a deep breath. "Let me out!" She screams. "Don't you know who I am"
No reply. She hasn't decided if this is good or bad yet. She'd slump to the floor if it wasn't so filthy in here. (Shouldn't a janitor's closet be fairly clean? Or at least sanitized.)
No. Complaining can wait.
Think of the ladyblog. And looking badass in front of Ladybug and Chat. That'll show that dumb cat.
I'm twice the superhero he is.
If Queen Bee can't escape, maybe Chloé can.
Or better yet a certain kwami...
Changing back is quick. Zeezle seems almost as eager to de-transform as Queen bee was. And while that bright light that comes with it blinds her at first, it's well worth that quick flash of clarity.
"Well?" Chloé asks, once it's faded. "Aren't you going to open the door for me?"
.
..
…
There's silence. It's frustratingly deafening.
"You aren't still ignoring me are you? You're my kwami you're supposed to do what I say."
She doesn't have time for this. Ladybug and Chat Noir are probably on her way. How the hell is she supposed to prove herself if her own kwami won't listen to her.
"Heroes, " Says Zeezle slowly, as if they have all the time in the word. "Don't charge money for doing the right thing."
Chloé almost laughs. No, that's wrong. She does laugh. "Are you really mad over that?" She manages to say, practically bent over. "Oh please. They were just some dumb coupons. It's not like I stole half the store or something."
More silence.
Something brushes against her foot and she has to stifle a scream.
"Just open the door already!"
There's an audible sniff. "Heroes don't charge money for doing the right thing." Says Zeezle a little louder. "Honestly? Why'd I even get stuck with someone like you?"
"Stuck? Stuck with me? How do you think I feel? I'm the one who's stuck listening to some flying rat whine all day about responsibilities I don't even care about!"
There's a pause. It stretches on for an eternity.
She crosses her arms and shifts her weight. Her skirt's probably filthy right now. And the air's getting so hot she can barely breath. Maybe she'll die here, dirty and suffocating and forgotten.
"Fine!" She screams. "I'll return the stupid coupons."
More silence. Even more overwhelming than before.
And then a click.
She winces as light floods into the closet, a familiar blob of yellow floating from the other end and practically phased into the door still.
"Are you happy now?" Says Chloé and Zeezle grins.
"Very."
Then Chloé runs.
It doesn't take much to slip into the back of the crowd. The door's still smashed open and the Gala's started up again and it's all very chaotic. It still makes her blood boil that they aren't bowing down to her. When this is all over, she's taking a day off. No patrols. No akumas. Nothing. Maybe she'll even skip school and take a spa day instead.
It's not like Chloé doesn't deserve it. She's practically royalty anyways.
Speaking of kings…
Her father's in the same place as before. Almost the same position too- leaning against his throne in the back, and practically shrouded in darkness. The only difference is the scepter, tossed aside in favor for her stinger.
Damn. She thinks. She'd been hoping it would vanish with the rest of Queen Bee, but apparently not. Doesn't he realize how much it clashes? That pattern with those robes? Clearly color coordination isn't something that can be passed genetically, because apparently her own father can't pick out an outfit without something going terribly wrong.
Priorities. She thinks. You aren't here to fix other people's mistakes.
Although isn't that what saving the day is all about?
Chloé takes a deep breath. Once again wonders if she should call backup. Wonders if she should let them do all the work. Alya isn't here, she thinks. This isn't going to end up on the Ladyblog. There really isn't much of a point.
And then she thinks of Chat's smug grin. And she's so angry she almost blows her cover.
Chloé watches André from the edge of the crowd, watches him stand, the stinger tossed to the side like some toy. It makes her gut burn. How dare he disrespect her like that.
He stands up and with a wave of his hand, everyone's turning towards him, mid step, midbow. He grins and stretches out his hands, as if welcoming their praise.
That should be me. Chloé thinks, but keeps her mouth shut. Her hands have curled into fits around her skirt. If she tightens them any more it will tear the fabric.
Good. It's filthy anyways.
Once the clapping dies down and the long live the kings have faded, André - no the Akuma starts to speak. "My kingdom isn't big enough." He says. "I want everyone in on the fun. let's bring Paris to its knees!"
The crowd erupts into cheers, a thousand people all screaming his name, all clapping until she can hardly hear her own thoughts. Practically deafening. Everyone's swarming too, pushing all out at once and lifting her father- throne and all- into the air. They all want to be the first, the best, the loudest. First one out, first one to please.
She's struggling against the crowd and pushing forward, but they keep swallowing her up. She's fought crowds before. Pushed little old ladies out of the way for a pair of shoes and Marinette down a flight of stairs just for the chance to talk to Adrien. So she's no stranger to showing people out of the way to get what she wants. But this?
This feels impossible. She might as well be fighting against a tsunami.
Somehow she manages to crawl free, to pull herself from the throngs of people and crawl under a table. Afterwards, she squeezes her eyes shut and begs. Begs for it to be all over.
Chloé doesn't even realize they're gone at first. Takes her a few minutes to figure out that all that pounding is actually the sound of her own heart.
She opens her eyes, and starts to stand, but her knees are too numb and she slips on her own shirt. She tries again, using the table as support.
It doesn't take her long to figure out she's alone. It's both frustrating and relieving.
If she was anyone but Chloé Bourgeois she'd be terrified right now. Then again, for her, fear and anger have always come hand in hand.
Like before, the transformation is finished in minutes,
Queen Bee's too late.
She realizes this the second she steps out the hotel, the second Chat Noir vaults into view, the second the crowd of people starts swarming after them. She curses her luck, (why's it always him? Why's it never her?) makes eye contact and starts flying towards the Akuma.
Tonight has been terrible. She should've figured something else would have gone wrong.
Chat Noir slides next to her anyways, wearing another one of his Cheshire grins. "Hey Honey Bee?" He says, and she turns and frowns.
He's not even trying…
What does she see in him?
Anything he does I do better.
Queen Bee just keeps staring at the akuma, her lip curling in disgust. "She's not here yet." She snaps. "You can cut the act."
Out of the corner of her eye she watches his smile drop and she almost smirks before she remembers she's supposed to be frowning. He might think she's teasing if she smiles. Think she's being friendly. Doesn't he realize the severity of the situation? The severity of being stuck with him?
Thankfully this is where Ladybug drops in, spearing Queen Bee the trouble of explaining how much she's starting to hate his guts.
"What did I miss?" She says, and oh god if she wasn't thoroughly pissed and a whole lot frightened, she'd find that smile absolutely breathtaking. She swears it's going to be the death of her.
She has half a mind to latch on to Ladybug's arm again (it's practically instinct at this point anyways) but she's at a bad angle, and as much as Ladybug falling into her arms sounds absolutely fantastic and completely platonic, they do have an Akuma to deal with and it os her father so she should probably care. Or not really.
"The Akuma's in the sceptor." Queen Bee says, flipping back her hair. "That's what he's using to control people with. Don't ask me what it actually is though. I've never met this man in my life."
"Got it." Ladybug says with a slight nod, and swings off, looking all the more like some kind of ballerina spiderman.
Chat's giving her a strange look after that- recognition or confusion or maybe both- but she has long since cared what he thinks. Besides. If Chat hasn't figured by now that she hates his guts, then that's his problem not hers. And honestly? Queen Bee's got better, more important things to worry about.
Or in her case, a certain someone.
'Better make every second count.' Queen Bee thinks. Ladybug will be done in minutes. There really isn't even any point in sticking around. She and Chat are really only backup.
Speaking of idiot cats...
He's gone and thrown himself in the middle of all the action. Queen Bee's both peeved that he's in the way of her shot, and hurt that he managed to beat her to it.
It bothers Ladybug too. Something flashes in her eyes-something Queen Bee could never have noticed on the ground or from the T.V. screen- (even in glorious high def.) but it's something and she's certain it's annoyance. There's really nothing else it could be. Ladybug has almost as good taste in things as she does.
That nose wrinkle costs her though, and one of the gala members lunges at Ladybug. She leaps out of the way, but not after Queen Bee pulls out her stinger and shoots him. He falls to the ground in a crumpled-but very happy heap. Not dead, Queen Bee may be drop dead gorgeous but she isn't a killer, but certainly not conscious. She in a little horrified she has to waste a drt on someone like him. (He's smiling pretty and drooling all over rental ux he's wearing) but she did save her so it must have been worth it.
None of this seems to faze Ladybug of course, No, she's right back in the middle of the fight, practically back to back with that beloved kitty cat. And of course, once again, she's stuck watching from above.
That's the frustration of not having a close range weapon. Sure she's safe and out of harm's way, but now Chat's getting all snuggly with Ladybug. They are practically holding hands. It makes her blood boil just looking at the,m.
She's almost too busy sulking to realize that she's drifted down from her perch. Hell, she's almost too busy sulking, she doesn't realize that one of the Gala members has grabbed her foot. That he's dragging her down, that as much as her wings strain they can't lift her any higher. She has to restrain herself from screaming, her hands fumbling as she reaches for one of her darts. She doesn't bother with the stinger, She can't think straight. Who would have figured such a small, nerdy looking man would be so strong?
Queen Bee stabs him with the dart and his group loosens. She takes a deep breath. Ladybug didn't even spare her a second glance. Look at her really, all happy and battle ready. With him.
"Priorities" She thinks, and not really thinking very clearly, pulls out her stinger and- with the rest of her darts- shoots.
It hits Chat Noir right between his pretty little eyes.
There's a flash of light and Chat falls to the ground- except it isn't Chat it's someone else. She can't really tell who for sure though they seem so familiar, cause the light's far too bright and it's just so quick and all the gala members have crowded around him in seconds but there's a shock of blond hair and green- so much green. Suddenly everything's very dizzy and the ground is spinning and she can't exactly feel her legs right now and is that normal? Because she doesn't think it is. Not for her, no. Something twists in her stomach and she thinks she must be sick because it's all so foreign to her.
Ladybug turns around, her eyes wide and the sour feeling grows, her stomach tightening. They make eye contact. She looks furious. Frightened. She's screaming his name.
This is what she wants. Queen Bee reminds herself, and tries to smile. There's nothing wrong with putting Chat out of the picture. This is what she wanted all along,
Besides. How was she supposed to know he was going to react like this? Chat's the drama queen here, falling to the ground like that, de-transforming. Any second now he'll pop right up and apologize for scaring them both.
She composes herself in seconds. Shrugs and grins. "Wasn't my fault." She says. "He was in the way."
Ladybug doesn't reply. She's launched herself at the Akuma instead.
The battle is over in minutes. Ladybug shouts the angriest Lucky Charm Queen Bee's ever had the displeasure of hearing and chucks a toaster at The Akuma, distracting him just long enough to steal his scepter. Then she turns to Queen Bee. And scowls.
If Ladybug didn't have an Akuma to purify, Queen Bee is certain she'd have killed her by now.
She doesn't even stick around to find out.