Chloé had not stayed put where Cat Noir had left her, though he had tried his best to impress on her the fact that she had to remain safe. It was almost as if he cared. But it had not been enough. Chloé was tired of depending of others. She didn't care if people didn't like it when she spoke her mind. She didn't care – that much – if people didn't like her. But she was fed up with having to wave her phone with the picture of her father to get something; she was going to get whatever she wanted by herself.

So she had turned around and gone back the way the akuma attack was. But she was not used in walking in Paris's streets and she knew the underground even less, thus it took her quite a long time to find the right way and to walk it. When she arrived, it was just in time to see the very last attack, hear what the superheroes said to her mother and, over all, hear the fact that Carapace had not had to use his power to help vanquish the akuma.

From that moment on, she didn't hear anything more. Her ears were buzzing fiercely, blocking any external sound. They had found someone who was so good that he had not even needed to use his powers to be able to help them. Queen Bee was useless, totally useless. She couldn't do anything by herself, she wouldn't even have been able to save her mother from Hawk Moth! Even as Antibug she had been more powerful than Queen Bee! She was almost suffocating and deep inside, she knew it was dangerous, that she should calm down... But suddenly, everything was too much. The last two days felt like two weeks or even two months! So many things had happened, even to her. She had tried to make efforts, she had noticed the positive effects it had had in class, but her mother had come back and she was torn between being happy or lashing at her. It was not fair!

-o-o-

Hawk Moth perceived her intense emotions almost immediately.

"Ah! Feeling betrayed by the superheroes, again! It's beginning to be a habit with you, Miss Bourgeois! You're right, Queen Bee is a little nothing, and it's indeed not fair that life should be so harsh for you when you should be pampered as the Mayor's daughter. You will be perfect."

He held out his hand and a white butterfly flew in it. He closed his other hand on it and released an akuma.

"Fly away, my evil akuma, and evilise her!"

The akuma flew to Chloé as she was leaning against the wall, her forehead pressed against it. Her hand was touching the hair comb she had taken wearing only the day before, getting Sabrina to wear one also – one could never be too prudent – wondering if she should simply throw it away. The akuma entered it before she could decide.

"Queen Wasp, I am Hawk Moth–"

"Yes, yes, same old story, I've heard it all. Come on, give me my powers!"

"But–"

"Yes, yes, I agree!" Deal accepted, even with Hawk Moth not having the time to stress his conditions, she turned into Queen Wasp, an entire opposite of Queen Bee, yellow where she had been black before, black where she had been yellow, right down to the black trompo in her hand. "I didn't promise," she added under her breath.

-o-o-

When she came out of the side street she had been standing in, Ladybug and Alya had just finished talking and if Queen Wasp noticed that Alya's cheeks were red, she didn't think any of it. Ladybug turned around to toss her yoyo, saw her and froze. Queen Wasp threw her trompo in the air. True, a trompo was supposed to spin on the ground. So what? She was a wasp, she was supposed to be in the air. To her defence, it was not even aimed in direction of Ladybug, but rather toward the screen that her mother had destroyed earlier in the day. The result was satisfying. It was not just a push like Queen Bee's trompo had provoked, but rather as if someone with a flamethrower was following the pattern of the trompo. The screen was neatly burnt in two separate pieces, which screeched loudly before falling down on the ground. Queen Wasp snarled. Hawk Moth groaned.

Alya prudently retreated several steps back, half-hiding, and started filming back again. Ladybug didn't move, looking at Queen Wasp, her yoyo still in her hand. The other girl didn't care. She wasn't even after her, for all Hawk Moth was edging her. She launched her trompo in the air again, this time flying behind it. She landed in front of another screen, displaying Nadja Chamack who had been busy commenting about the first attack and was now just alerted by Alya of the second one. Queen Wasp pointed her trompo at it and a spurt of flames transformed the screen into cinders. It was so powerful that, for good measure, it did the same with the building behind. Fortunately, nobody was inside. Queen Wasp cackled. Hawk Moth yelled.

She was aware of the presence of Ladybug behind her, but as the superhero was just watching her, she ignored her. She continued to vent her frustration on the landscape, especially the screens. She didn't attack people, curbing her power if it meant endangering them. Ladybug remained strangely passive next to her. Hawk Moth was telling her in no uncertain terms that she could go play after she got the Ladybug Miraculous and could she get to it before the end of the decade? Moving from screen to screen, Queen Wasp could not help but hear snippets of what Nadja Chamack was saying.

"... Looks like a negative version of Queen Bee, the new heroine..."

"... Ladybug probably spent and not trying to stop her..."

At that, Queen Wasp glanced at Ladybug, who returned her gaze calmly. There was sympathy in the bluebell eyes. Queen Wasp growled. Hawk Moth noticed, aloud and quite snidely, that Ladybug was just next to her so the Miraculous was within her range. She ignored him.

"... Cat Noir disappeared previously, still not back..."

"Where is Cat Noir? And the new superheroes?"

That particular screen was reduced to smithereens, Queen Wasp glowering.

"Queenie... Stop, you're just hurting yourself." Ladybug's voice was very soft. Queen Wasp disregarded her.

-o-o-

"Queen Wasp, your antics have lasted long enough!" Hawk Moth commanded. "There is no need for such havoc, since Ladybug's attention is already on you. Get her Miraculous!"

Queen Wasp turned again to look at Ladybug, who was standing behind her, yoyo in hand but obviously not planning to use it against her. She sent her trompo spinning toward her. Ladybug did not try to stop it, she simply made sure that nobody was hurt, including that annoying blogger who was still filming the whole thing. The street became a mess of concrete.

"Careful. You might have hurt someone and that's not what you want." The admonition was not even a real one. Hawk Moth's words were harsher than hers and he was supposed to be on the same side as she was!

"You don't know what I want!" she fired back.

"You would have told me that one week ago, I would have agreed with you. But now, I think I have a better idea."

Queen Wasp used her trompo to go away but this time, she rode it like a queen in her carriage. She briefly wondered if it looked regal, then mentally shook herself. Of course, she looked absolutely stunning and supremely elegant like this! She landed in front of yet another screen and heard Ladybug land only seconds after her.

"Why aren't you stopping me?" she asked.

"I'm not that fond of those screens myself," Ladybug replied. "But sometimes, they can be useful." She made a gesture toward the current screen.

It was still featuring Nadja Chamack. Did this woman never run out of things to say?

"Speaking of superheroes, we had a poll about the most popular among the last three we saw! The result was surprising. Though the male part of the population expressed their joy at seeing a new male superhero join the team, the one who won the poll was Queen Bee! It was considered that she gave hope and happiness. Ladybug usually restores everything back to normal but as people say, they knew they were attacked by an akuma at that place. But once Queen Bee left, the place was not normal, it was better. So from all of us, thank you, Queen Bee and please come back soon! Of course, we wish for all superheroes to come back, so Queen Bee, Carapace and Rena Rouge, we eagerly await seeing you by the side of our favourite duo!"

Queen Wasp looked at Ladybug, then back at the screen as if it held the answer to her questions. The screen blinked to display the graphical result of the poll. Queen Bee was clearly ahead of the two others. Queen Wasp snarled and destroyed the screen.

"Queen Bee is weak!"

"I know three persons who were akumatised as existing superheroes," Ladybug said out of the blue. "They had the exact same powers as the original hero, except that they knew how to use them because Hawk Moth gave them the insight on how to."

"Yes," said Hawk Moth's ominous voice. "Now get her Miraculous! What are you waiting for?"

Queen Wasp turned around, her trompo spinning across several buildings at the same time and bursting them.

"She didn't do that!"

"Well, sure," Ladybug agreed, still with her reasonable voice, "but there wasn't really the occasion on the battle she helped with."

"She made flowers grow. I can destroy everything!"

"Creating is a long process. Destruction is immediate and not that rewarding. Ask Cat Noir about it."

Queen Wasp faltered a moment but she didn't want to be appeased. She twirled again, her trompo in front of her and released her pain and her weapon. Chaos followed.

And then the unthinkable happened. Cat Noir was just in front of her trompo.

-o-o-

Stillness fell down as the two girls looked down at the broken black body who had collapsed on the ground without even a sound, blood slowly pooling around.

"Kitty?" Ladybug's voice was unsure.

Queen Wasp caught someone repeating over "I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it!" and it took her some time to realise it was her. She remained there stupidly, watching Cat Noir and waiting for him to move, groan, whatever. Only it didn't happen.

Then Ladybug screeched and ran to his side, throwing herself on her knees besides him. She touched his face with tender moves, very slowly turned him around and strangled a sob.

"Queenie! Queenie! I need your help, please!"

She shuffled forward, feeling so guilty. She had not wanted to hurt him. In fact, she hadn't wanted to hurt anyone. Thankfully, Hawk Moth was quiet in her mind. It was for the best. She didn't trust herself not to snap at him and she would need her powers if she had understood Ladybug correctly.

"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug cried out, her voice breaking on the last word.

Nothing happened. "You used it against Style Queen and haven't recharged since then," Alya croaked.

"Oh, bugger!"

She stood up, touched her right earring, whispered "Mysteries" and a violet pearl appeared in her fingers.

"Mysteries unveiled!" she exclaimed.

A necklace suddenly appeared above her suit, a strange red pendant with a hole in the middle. The pearl flew by itself to the hole and the whole thing turned violet. In fact, once Queen Wasp had cleared her eyes from the residual light, Ladybug was now in a violet suit with black spots. Even her earrings had turned violet. The necklace was nowhere to be seen.

"Lucky Charm! Ouch!"

A huge infinite sign in cast iron – but violet with black spots – fell in Ladybug's arms, who struggled to avoid dropping it on her feet. She looked at Queen Wasp.

"Ready for Explosion?"

She just nodded mutely. Ladybug huffed and puffed before somehow managing to throw the heavy symbol in the sky.

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

"Explosion!"

Ladybug dropped again to her knees, studying with worry the results of the healing charm. Obviously she had learnt to focus it, because the buildings were still in ruins around them. But somehow, Queen Wasp couldn't find the strength to care. If Cat Noir died, she would be in ruins also.

"Again!" Ladybug decreed at the same time a huge tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away angrily. "It's not the moment for that," she muttered to herself.

The call to Lucky Charm sent exactly the same item and this time, Ladybug staggered at the reception, dropping one knee on the ground. She panted a moment and lifted her head, her eyes determined. At that moment, Queen Wasp just had to extend her hand to take the earrings but still, Hawk Moth remained silent. Ladybug looked at her and they both nodded, calling their power at the same time. Queen Wasp put all her heart in it, all her will; everything she had, she poured it into that last call... in an explosion of feelings.

-o-o-

The tiny ladybugs of the healing charm were still hovering around that Ladybug had already set Cat Noir's head on her lap and was calling him softly. The blood had stopped flowing and the charred aspect of his midsection was now just his suit being ripped, though the skin under seemed badly damaged. The tiny violet ladybugs had yet to disappear and when Queen Wasp looked around, she could see that Alya also seemed surprised by the time they remained. Maybe Ladybug had ready boosted it this time. Or maybe the way she stared at Cat Noir was just her way of being extremely focused and directing the healing. She could only hope. She felt empty but if Ladybug needed her again, she would cast as many Explosions as needed.

"B-Bug?"

The eyelids fluttered on the green eyes as the last violet ladybug disappeared. Ladybug's arms closed tightly around him and Queen Wasp smiled.

"Thank you, Queenie, thank you!" Ladybug's head was hidden against Cat Noir, but her voice broke. Was she crying? Queen Wasp's smile disappeared.

"My eyes... You're purple... What happened?" Cat Noir slurred.

"Shh, it's normal, don't worry."

"Take her Miraculous now! He's fine and she's distracted! She won't fight you!"

Ladybug looked up. She had heard Hawk Moth's voice also. There were indeed tears on her face.

"Yeah?" Queen Wasp replied archly. "Well, I don't think I will."

"I'll take away your powers!"

"Good! Someone definitely needs to grow into them. They're far too dangerous."

"May I?" Ladybug asked gently, holding out her hand to her.

Without hesitation, Queen Wasp handed out her hair comb. One-handed, Ladybug broke it and grabbed her yoyo to catch the flying akuma. Then she sighed and tossed her yoyo in the air, calling the Miraculous Ladybug. As everything returned to normal around them, they were jostled about when the ground moved. Cat Noir groaned, but struggled to sit. He looked at Chloé kneeling on the ground, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Hey, Chloé, it was a mistake, huh? Don't feel guilty about that, I've got nine lives! And I know you just helped my lady getting me back on my paws, so don't beat yourself."

"Go rest. I'll see you later," Ladybug whispered.

"And you'll explain why I see you all in violet instead of red?"

"Yes! Go."

As soon as he left, she stood up, only to kneel by Chloé's side and wrap an arm around her shoulders.

"He could have died!" the blonde girl sobbed.

"Yes, but he didn't and that's thanks to you."

"It was because of me he almost died!"

"And you did your best to fix that. A lot happened to you recently, Chloé. Find somewhere quiet and take the time to digest it all, far from anyone who would send your emotions in turmoil. Take care of you. You are already stronger than you were this morning. I'm proud of you."

"Even if..."

"Yes, even if."

Chloé had a timid smile between her tears, stood up, had a hesitation toward Alya – who had filmed absolutely everything – shrugged and left.

"Mind telling me about that new colour?" Alya asked excitedly.

"Right now, yes, I'd mind. I'm tired and I need to go before the other reporters dare to arrive. I'll get in touch with you to explain later. Bye, Alya!"

She tossed her yoyo and left proudly, only to crawl and tremble between jumps as soon as she was out of sight.