As Evan stood in front of the mirror, combing out his blonde locks, his eyes wandered to the reflection of the black studs resting in his newly pierced ears. He's been Ladybug for almost a month, and it's been amazing! He's never felt more alive or powerful like he could do anything... Except confess his feelings to Connor, or even say one sentence to him without stammering like an idiot, but he'll get there... Soon.
The more Evan stared at the earrings, the more he wondered, 'Why me?', 'Why am I Ladybug?', 'Who chose me?' Oh yeah, the Guardian, whoever he was. At first, Evan was a little unnerved by the fact that he snuck into his room, but at least something good came out of it. He still always wondered who the mysterious man was that gave him the magic earrings...
"Hey, Tikki?"
Sitting on the nightstand and munching on a sugar cookie, was the mini red goddess. Hearing her Chosen call her name, she looked up from her snack, "Yes, Evan?"
"I-I hope you don't mind me asking, but... Who's the Guardian?" The cookie was halfway in her mouth when she heard that. Tikki made a face that Evan couldn't figure out but assumed his question offended her and immediately started apologizing, "It-it's okay! Y-you don't have to tell me. I-I'm sorry! It was probably dumb-"
Tikki flew in front of the blonde's face and shouted, "Evan!", silencing his rapid apology, "I don't mind telling you who the Guardian is, and I would, but I just can't."
Evan sighed with relief, pleased he didn't upset her in any way. With a raised eyebrow, he asked, "But why?"
"Well, if I were to tell you that the Guardian of the Miraculous is named J-" Before she could say the name, she coughed up pink bubbles. Evan resisted the urge to say 'Aw', "That happens. Kwamis can't physically reveal the names of their Chosen, or anyone else who has a Miraculous," she explained, "It's to keep them safe from evil users."
Evan nodded, understanding, "Well... Cou-could you tell me what he's like?"
Tikki smiled, "Of course! He's only been the Guardian for a few years, but he's proven himself worthy. If it weren't for him, my previous Chosen wouldn't have found out Hawkmoth was here!"
Evan quirked an eyebrow at the mention of Tikki having a Chosen before him, "Wh-what was your other Chosen like?", he asked nervously. What came to mind was a person who radiated confidence, in and out of their superhero persona. They probably had no trouble talking to their crush and standing up to others... Basically the opposite of Evan.
Tikki smiled fondly at the memory, "Generous, kind, a bit of a klutz, though," she giggled. This eased some of Evan's doubts about himself, "But she always managed to come through in the end. She stood up for what she believed was right, always saw the best in people, and she never let anyone walk over her." Seeing Evan's smile drop, she added with a smirk, "She also had some difficulty saying more than two words to her crush."
Evan's face heated up, turning a bright shade of red when he realized Tikki was referring to Connor. Before she could tease him some more, he quickly shouted, "I-I'm late for school! Let's go!" He grabbed his backpack and put it on
Tikki was still wearing that smug look, "But you have plenty of time-"
"No!"
"Come on, one more time," Connor pleaded as the god of Destruction rolled his green eyes. He stopped eating camembert for this?
"Fine!" He groaned, "The name of the Guardian is J-" Green smoke came out of his mouth as he let out a small belch. Connor laughed, but Plagg was not amused. "Okay, okay. I'm done."
"Yeah, so Kwamis can't reveal the names of Chosen." Plagg said, not hiding the annoyance in his voice, "It's so they don't get compromised and evil users can't track them down," He explained
Connor nodded, understanding, "Alright, I guess that makes sense. Well, what's the guy like?" He asked before adding, "He broke into my room, so I should know if this guy is sketchy or something."
"He's a chill guy," Plagg answered as he went back to snacking on his camembert, "plays piano, writes songs. He's been the Guardian for a couple of years. Before him, it was a girl in Paris. Her boyfriend was actually my previous holder."
Connor furrowed his brow when he heard the b-word, "Boyfriend?"
"Yep! It's pretty common for Ladybug and Cat holders to end up together," He sent his Chosen a smirk, "So, you might just have a chance with him, lover boy."
Connor blushed at the idea of him and Ladybug being together. Yeah, Ladybug was cute, strong, and really knew how to use that yoyo... But Connor never really thought about them dating. It was just a small-time crush that would go away, that's what he told himself. Sure, he gave the spotted hero a nickname, Bugaboo, but that was just playful teasing and he only called him that one time... There were some moments where Connor blushed at the sight of Ladybug when he fought with such grace and prowess, but it didn't mean anything! Besides, if he and Ladybug did end up together, the person behind the mask would probably reject Chat Noir the second they see that it's Connor, 'Hot Topic', 'School Shooter'.
"Better not be Kleinman," He muttered, then went to grab his black messenger bag off his nightstand
"I don't know!" Plagg said in a sing-song voice, "They're about the same height, body type. I wonder how he'd look wearing Ladybug's outfit-"
Connor shuddered in disgust at such an image then glared at Plagg, "I will make sure you can only eat cheap spray cheese from a can," He threatened while trying to forget what Plagg just said. Jared was definitely not Ladybug. If he was, then Connor would have some serious thinking to do.
A knock on his door snapped him out of his thought followed by Zoe's shouting, "Connor! Hurry up or you're not getting a ride!"
He groaned before yelling back, "In a minute!"
'Thanks a lot, Plagg,' Connor thought to himself as he kept imagining Jared dressed as Ladybug, spinning that yoyo, wearing the skinsuit. That was an image he would never be able to get out of his head. And what's worse is that Jared just had to pick this day to wear a red jacket
"How much you wanna bet Ladybug and Chat Noir are students here?" Evan and Connor nearly choked on their own spit. They were just standing by their lockers with Jared and Alana, savoring the minutes they had before classes started, and Jared suddenly dropped that question out of nowhere.
Alana hummed in thought, "It is possible. They seem to be around our age, and they show up in a matter of minutes when an Akuma attacks the school. I wouldn't be surprised," she turns to Evan and Connor, "What do you guys think?"
Evan bit his lip, "Well... I-I guess. Maybe."
"I don't really see it," Connor said with a shrug
"Well, we can cross you two off the list." Jared said, making the two boys stare at him in confusion, "Come on, Ev! You wouldn't last one minute dressed like that! You always wear a shirt when we go to the pool. And Con, let's face it, Chat Noir is way hotter than you."
The brunette felt like he was about to throw up. Did Jared Kleinman have a crush on Chat Noir? Who is HIM?... Suddenly, Jared dressed up like Ladybug was sounding a whole lot better than this.
"Hey, guys!" Zoe greeted as she approached them and waved her phone, "Jenna just made a new post on the Ladyblog, and guess who she interviewed!"
"Ooh! Show us!" Alana said as everyone huddled around the phone to read what the resident school gossip posted on her blog
The Ladyblog
By Jenna Rolan
Once again, the day is saved thanks to Ladybug and Chat Noir.
Three days ago, Richard "Rich" Goranski, Middleborough High's third Akuma victim
was falsely accused of starting a lab fire. His anger transformed him into Inferno.
This Akuma had the power to summon fire and was equipped with a flaming whip.
When whipped, the victim would disappear into flames
His target, (Who wishes to remain anonymous), framed him for starting a fire, all because Rich was friends with previous Akuma victims, Michael Mell and Christine Canigula.
The fight forced students, including the framer's associates, to evacuate the school, prompting
Inferno to follow them and finish what he started
One innocent student, however, was nearly caught in the line of fire.
Zoe Murphy was making her way home when she spotted the Akuma about to whip one of the framer's associates.
Before any damage was done, Zoe threw her pencil case at the Akuma
Inferno had found another target. Zoe was to be burned alive when suddenly, she found herself being pushed out of the way of Inferno's whip, and she was in the arms of Chat Noir himself.
When asked what it was like to be saved first-hand by one of the heroes, Zoe described it as "An incredible rush of excitement."
Which student will be Akumatized next? Stay tuned for more
It was lunchtime. Students flooded into the cafeteria wanting to get first dibs on the hot food and the best tables to sit at. Some, however, took their lunches to go since they had club meetings today during lunch. The clubs that were meeting today were the SGA, Fashion Club, History Club, and the Akuma Victims club. The last club was the newest addition to the club list at school, and even though only three students were akumatized, others joined to show their support after the incident with Inferno. The club was led by Michael and Christine, the first two students to be akumatized. Club meetings mainly consisted of talks about ways to avoid akumas, finding shelter during attacks, and just overall creating a support group.
After Michael got his lunch, he made his way through the crowded halls to the classroom where the club meeting was being held. The teacher who supervised the club was a kind woman named Ms. Gardner who did everything she could to make sure her students got to safety during Akuma attacks, and always comforted the Akumatized students after Ladybug cured them.
As Michael continued down the hall, he kept hearing this strange voice that never seemed to go away. He's been hearing it a lot whenever he was in a crowded room and assumed it was just someone being a jerk and saying such rude stuff- 'He's a failure,' 'What a coward.' 'Her parents never loved her,' It was awful. And it was like he was the only person who could hear the voice because no one else reacted with such disgust as him.
"Come on!"
'Great," He thought bitterly. 'It changed voices?'
"No one lost a single pair of jeans?!" He furrowed his brow. This was an actual person and not the voice. He felt something brush up against his leg and looked down to see a t-shit lying on the floor. He looked around to see where it came from until he saw the janitor's closet with the door open. Littered on the floor around the doorway were retainers, backpacks, shoes that were missing a pair, and gym uniforms. "Come on, are there at least any track pants?!"
Michael recognized that voice. When he made his way closer to the closet, his suspicions were confirmed- Gretchen Wieners, one of the Plastics, one of the most popular groups in school. She was sifting through the lost and found bin and tossing students missing items on the floor. She must've been desperate to look for something because she dove right into the bin and continued to toss lost items away, one of them being another shoe that flew out the door...
"Ow!"
... And hit Michael. He walked into the janitor's closet, rubbing his forehead, and asked, "You need some help?"
"N-no," she answered before continuing to dig through the bin, "I'm fine! I just... I gotta find a pair of jeans!"
So much is wrong with her.
Michael frowned, 'Oh, great. You're back.'
She just wants to belong. She needs her or she's nothing.
Michael ignored the voice and focused back on Gretchen. He wondered why she was frantically looking through the bin for some pants like it would be the end of the world if she didn't find a pair until he suddenly got an idea why. Giving the popular girl a sympathetic look, he asked, "Do you need a pad?" He began to reach into his backpack. When you hang out with four girls (sometimes six), you make sure your prepared when it's that month.
"No!" She scoffed, "I need to wear jeans on Friday, but I'm wearing this stupid black skirt!" For emphasis, she gestured to the skirt and glared at it like it killed her family. "Regina's going to be pissed!", she tossed two more gym shirts out of the bin before letting out a scream, "My life is over!"
Michael made an o shape with his mouth. This explained why she received so many weird looks when she arrived at school. Everyone knew the Plastics' rules, and if a Plastic broke even just one rule, Regina would end them. Thankfully, it was only temporary. When Karen wore a vest that Regina hated, she couldn't sit at the table for two weeks. Michael just thought those rules were stupid. He understood that popular students had an image to maintain but banning one of your own just for wearing the wrong outfit seemed kind of harsh.
"All because you're not wearing jeans?", Michael asked as approached the lost and found bin and helped Gretchen get out, "I get that you and the Plastic have these 'fashion rules', but I don't think Regina will freak out for this one-time thing, right?"
Gretchen walked past him and out into the hallway, "You don't know what she's like!"
"Well... No, I don't, but-"
She's secretly in pain and refuses to show vulnerability. If she does, it will be over.
Michael frowned at the voice that only he could hear. Where was it coming from, and why did it sound so familiar? "I-I'm sure Regina will be understanding." He follows Gretchen into the hallway, "Because, underneath that whole, 'Apex Predator, HBIC' exterior, she's still human."
And like all humans, she's full of insecurities. So many-
"Shut up," He hissed, having enough of the voice that kept pointing out Gretchen and Regina's flaws, their shames, their... Their doubts. No... He made his way over to Gretchen and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Gretchen-"
She cut him off with a "No!" He took a step back at her outburst, "I'm just going to have to face whatever punishment Regina gives me." She fixes her hair, straightens out the skirt that will end her social life, and takes a deep breath. "I can handle what she throws at me. If I have to spend a week sitting alone, so be it. It'll just be a reminder."
Michael gave her a look before heading off to the classroom, "If you're sure."
She's not. 'Quiet, you.'
Jaws dropped as Gretchen walked into the cafeteria wearing the black skirt. It was like one of those western movies where the hero gets into a final showdown with the villain. Some students ducked under the tables, others ran, a few even got out their phones to record this. 'Good,' she thought. Every time she saw the video, it would be a reminder: Never break the Plastics Rules, but more importantly, never cross Regina's rules. She paid for her lunch, ignoring the sympathetic looks the lunch ladies were giving her, and made her way over to the table. Karen was wearing sweatpants... Regina had on jeans...
She stood in front of the table, waiting for Regina to say something. Yell, scream, pour water all over her. The tension was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. Finally, someone broke the silence.
"Did the rules change?" Karen naively asked
Regina rolled her eyes and stood from her chair. She approached Gretchen and walked around her like a predator circling its prey... "I don't remember changing the rules," She said, and Karen whispered an 'Oh.' "Gretchen." The brunette flinched at the sound of her own name. "State the rules for me."
Everyone leaned in close. Gretchen ignored them and recited the Plastics Rules, "You can't wear a tank top two days in a row, you can only wear your hair in a ponytail once a week, on Wednesdays we wear pink..." She froze when she realized what the next rule was. Regina gave her an expecting look, "Go on." "... We only wear jeans or track pants on Fridays."
Regina smiled, but it wasn't a kind one, "Right. So, explain why you decided to wear a black skirt on the day that you're supposed to be wearing track pants or jeans."
Everyone in the cafeteria waited for her answer. "... I just forgot," she muttered
Regina sneered, "Little louder for the people in the back?"
"I forgot!" She shouted.
Satisfied, Regina sat back at her seat next to Karen, who was looking down at her tray, trying to avoid eye contact. "You can't sit with us," she hissed. Gretchen nodded, accepting her punishment, and made her way to the exit, but came to a halt when she heard, "Ever." "What?"
Regina repeated, "You can't sit with us. Ever. Again."
Gretchen couldn't believe what she was hearing. She looked to Karen, hoping she'd say something in her defense, remind Regina of the vest incident and how unfair she was treating her, but she looked away, not wanting to face Regina's wrath.
"But-"
"YOU CAN'T SIT WITH US!" She yelled. Gretchen's knuckles turned white as she gripped her lunch tray. She wouldn't cry. She would not give Regina the satisfaction of seeing her in a weak state. With a slow nod, Gretchen turned on her heel and walked away, ignoring the looks she received from her peers. Many of them were sympathetic and the rest had conflicted expressions. A few feet from the door, Gretchen heard the blonde say, "And those hoop earrings?... You know they're my thing." Once she was on the other side of the door, Gretchen threw her lunch tray to the floor with a slam and ran down the hallway in tears
"A queen has been dethroned, her power stripped, but she wants that power back."
With their hand stretched out, a white butterfly flew into Hawkmoth's open palm before being covered by the other hand. The magic of the Miraculous turned the harmless butterfly into an evil Akuma that flew away.
"Fly away my beautiful Akuma, and evilize her!"
Evan felt like he needed some air; the atmosphere of the cafeteria was getting to him. It was honestly a brutal scene to watch. Regina George terrified him... All of the popular kids terrified him, but she was the worst. He just wanted to run out of the cafeteria when Regina made Gretchen state the rules, but he couldn't move, not even after Gretchen calmly left. So, he waited a few seconds after everyone went back to their normal conversations and left without any trouble.
Tikki flew out of Evan's pocket when she sensed his distress, "Evan, are you okay?"
"Ye... Yeah. Yeah, I-I'll be fine. I just... That was a lot. I-I know it was-wasn't directed towards me, but... It was just I-"
"Felt like you should have done something?" Tikki finished. Evan blinked at her before nodding, "Y-yeah. How'd you-"
"My past holder was like that too." She smiled, "She would always get upset when she didn't stand up for someone outside the mask, too."
Evan sighed, "Glad I'm not the only one." He then asked, "I-is there any chance I'll gain more confidence the more I use the Miraculous?"
Tikki giggled before flying up to her Chosen's face and nuzzling against his cheek, "You have to gain that on your own, Evan."
"Man. That was brutal," Plagg said to Connor as he went to put his lunch tray back. The Kwami hid in his Chosen's long, dark brown hair to avoid being seen. It was a lot better than hiding in a cramped bag.
Connor whispered back, "It's just a skirt. Regina acted like Gretchen committed murder."
A part of Connor wishes he'd said something in her defense... So why didn't he? He's supposed to be a hero for fuck's sake! Regina didn't scare him, she can't ruin his reputation, he doesn't have any secrets (Besides being a Cat-themed superhero). There was nothing she could do to make Connor's life miserable if he came to Gretchen's defense! He felt pathetic.
As if he heard Connor's thoughts, Plagg said, "Kid, don't beat yourself up. I'll admit, blondie's terrifying. And I'm the damn god of Destruction." Connor let out a small chuckle at Plagg's use of profanity. No doubt he picked it up from him.
"Why don't you go check on Hansen?" Plagg suggested, "Looked like he couldn't breathe during all of that."
Connor nearly dropped his tray when he realized that Plagg was right. Evan clearly looked uncomfortable and then he just walked out of the cafeteria, saying that he needed some air. He should check on him. He wasn't there for Gretchen, but he'll be there for Evan. After putting his tray back, Connor made his way back to his table, told Jared and Alana he was going to check on Evan and left the cafeteria where he found Evan standing just right outside.
"H-hey, Co-Connor," Evan stammered. Connor resisted the urge to laugh, knowing how self-conscious Evan was about his stuttering problem, then replied, "Hey. So... That was a lot, huh?"
Evan nodded, "Yeah. I... I- Gretchen didn't deserve that, right?", Connor shook his head and replied, "Bull, man. Just a skirt."
Evan added, "A-and it was just aw-awful how no one said or did anything." Connor tried not to take that to heart. "... I kinda wish I had said something." Connor's eyes widened when he heard Evan barely whisper that, "... Same. I guess we're both cowards, huh?"
Evan let out a small giggle, making Connor smile when he heard that. It was so rare to hear Evan laugh, mainly because he was worried that he'd do it at the wrong time, and knowing that he made Evan laugh brightened Connor's mood a little bit. "Y-you get used to it." His smile dropped a bit, "I still wish I had done something; Gretchen didn't deserve that. I-I just... I hate that I can't say what I want to, and-"
"Evan," Connor places his hand on the shorter boy's shoulder, "It's okay. If you're uncomfortable saying stuff around others, you can always say whatever you want to me. No judgment, no teasing. I'll just listen."
Could this be Evan's moment? The moment where he finally confesses to Connor about his feelings for him?... He's going to do it. No more shying away. "Th-there is actually something I'd like to tell you."
"What is it?"
Feeling Tikki giving him a tiny nudge in his pocket to encourage him, Evan finally spoke, "... I-I..." He took a deep breath and continued, "C-Connor... I l-lo-"
"REGINA GEORGE!"
~Earlier~
Gretchen bawled her eyes out in the girl's bathroom. Her mascara ran down her face, her hair was becoming frazzled. She was a mess. Her life was over, she had no one now... She was nothing. Regina took everything away from her. She grabbed a fistful of paper towels and used them to clean the black tears off her face while ruining her makeup in the process.
She reached into the pocket of the damned skirt and pulled out a purple tube of mascara. As she was about to touch up her makeup, Gretchen felt something brush up against the side of her face then suddenly lifted her head up. She looked in the mirror and saw the glowing Akuma symbol over her face.
"Apex Queen, I am Hawkmoth."
Gretchen frowned, "I know who you are. What do you want?"
"Only two things. To make you everything you desire to be- The Queen of the school, for no one to take away your power."
"And the other thing?"
"The Miraculous of Ladybug and Chat Noir."
"... Time for a new Queen to take the throne," She sneered as the purple and black mist bubbled from her hoop earrings and engulfed her. Once it faded, standing in Gretchen's place was Apex Queen. She has curly, waist-length brown hair adorned by a black headband with pink metallic spikes. Her other accessories included silver diamond-studded hoop earrings, a black mask, magenta studded bracelets, and black gloves. She wore a sleeveless hi-lo dress. The bodice and skirt faded from black to magenta, and attached to it was a black sleeveless shrug that covers her neck. She also wore a black belt, black leggings, and magenta platform boots. In her left hand, she grasped a black scepter with pink jewels.
She looked at herself in the mirror and smirked. Hearing the door to the bathroom open, Apex Queen raised her scepter. The diamonds on her earrings were now glowing a bright pink. "Heather Chandler." The girl in red froze in place when she saw the Akuma. Apex Queen pointed her scepter, then a pink beam shot out and hit Heather in the chest. She suddenly started bowing, "What the hell is your damage?!"
"From now on, you live to serve me. Understood?" Heather's lip quivered a bit until she finally uttered, "Yes, my queen!" She covered her mouth with her hands; she didn't mean to say that. With a smirk, Apex Queen walked out of the bathroom and left Heather where she was.
~Back to the Present~
Connor grabbed Evan's wrist and pulled him into a stairwell. He cracks the door open. The two boys peaked out and saw Apex Queen approaching the cafeteria. With a powerful kick to the doors, they flew open and Apex Queen stormed inside. Connor brushed his thumb against the ring then looked to Evan, 'How am I gonna get out of here and transform? I can't leave Evan alone.' He suddenly got an idea, "Evan, you need to get out of here." "W-what?" "Zoe's at the Akuma victims club meeting with Jeremy, Michael, and the others. They probably don't know what's going."
'This will give me the chance to transform into Ladybug, but I can't just leave Connor.' "What about you?" He asked. Connor held his hand and responded, "I'll be fine. I promise." After some hesitation, Evan gave a nod. Connor bolted out of the stairwell and went to go find a place to transform.
Tikki flew out of Evan's pocket and smiled, "That was so sweet of him!"
Evan couldn't help the blush forming on his cheeks, "It really was." When he heard a scream coming from the cafeteria, Evan remembered the situation and yelled out the phrase, "Tikki, Spots On!" The pink and red magic engulfed Evan once again, transforming him into his alter-ego. No more was he that shy boy who sat in the back and didn't speak up, now he was a confident superhero who could do it all.
He ran into the cafeteria where he found Regina running from pink beams being shot from Apex Queen's scepter. She resorted to using the other students who were trying to evade the attacks as human shields. When they were hit, Apex Queen gave out a command, "Seize her!" The confused looks on their faces and the twitching of their limbs showed that they were doing this involuntarily when they ran after Regina, who had run from them to try and find a way out, only to be surrounded.
"Who the hell are you?!" She spat.
"You will refer to me as Apex Queen, you bitch!" The Akuma hissed as she approached Regina with her scepter raised, "Time for a new queen to take the throne." Before she could blast her, Ladybug's yoyo hit her on the side of her head.
He tsked, "You call yourself a queen, but what kind of ruler forces her subjects to do her bidding?"
Apex Queen replied with a frustrated yell, "At least I am upfront! Instead of using fear and manipulation like her!" She pointed to Regina. The blonde merely scoffed, angering Apex Queen, "Subjects! Target Ladybug!"
"Yes, my queen!" They all yelled, and then swarmed after the spotted hero. Quickly, Ladybug threw his yoyo, wrapping it around Regina's ankle, and retracted it. Once she was at his side, he pushed her out of the cafeteria, "GO HOME!" Then he shut the doors and started fighting off the controlled students.
Connor ran into the classroom where the Akuma Victims club was being held, panting. Everyone looked at him in confusion. Jeremy got up from his seat, approached him, and asked, "Connor, are you alright?"
It'll be his fault if you don't get out in time. Michael shut his eyes tight and whispered to himself, "Shut up." This didn't go unnoticed by Chloe.
Connor finally caught his breath, "There's... An Akuma!" The students began to freak out, and Michael found himself being overwhelmed by the malevolent voice that kept voicing everyone's fears
Worried they're going to die.
This may be the end.
What if Ladybug and Chat Noir fail this time?
Why are they forced to endure this?
Chloe cast Michael a worried look as he covered his ears to block out the voice.
"We gotta get out of here!" Jake exclaimed, and immediately the students began running out of the classroom with Ms. Gardner following right behind them. Once the room was completely empty, Plagg flew out from Connor's hair, spitting out a few strands as he did, "Two words kid: Use. Conditioner."
Connor ignored the Kwami and said the phrase, "Plagg, Claws Out!"
Ladybug barely dodged a controlled Veronica Sawyer's punch. She quickly apologized, "Sorry!" Kevin Price came after him from behind, only to trip and fall over Chat Noir's extended staff. All looked to see the Cat hero holding his staff a few inches above the ground. Ladybug looked relieved, "Nice of you to finally join me, kitty," he ducked as Apex Queen fired at him.
Chat felt the heat rising to his face. 'No! Stop! You don't like Ladybug, not like that.' "Sorry 'bout that bugaboo." 'WHY DID I CALL HIM THAT?!' He blocked a student's punch with his staff, "Takes a while for me to get here from where I am."
"Get Chat Noir!" Apex Queen roared, "Take his and Ladybug's Miraculous!"
The heroes deflected each of the student's attacks. Every once in a while, the athletic students would surge forward and it would take a while for the heroes to defeat them since they wouldn't go down so easily.
Chat's ears twitched, "DUCK!" He tackled Ladybug to the floor as another one of Apex Queen's blasts came for them. Ladybug looked up and noticed that Apex Queen's hoop earrings had a faint glow that faded after she tried blasting them. He also remembered seeing Gretchen wearing those exact same earrings during the incident in the cafeteria.
"Chat, I think the Akuma is in her earrings!" Ladybug deduced, "The diamonds always glow before she blasts something with her scepter!"
Chat frowned, "But how are we going to get them?"
Ladybug hummed in thought for a moment, "We'll have to find a way to disarm her. Go for her scepter and try to avoid getting hit." On cue, he ducked out of the way of a blast, "Like that."
"LOOK OUT!" Kurt Kelly came running for the heroes on one side, and Ram Sweeney on the other. Ladybug tossed his yoyo up at one of the lights hanging on the ceiling, wrapped an arm around Chat Noir's waist, and pulled him in close, making the leather-clad hero's cheeks flush a bright pink. They were pulled up to the ceiling just as the two jocks crashed into each other and fell to the floor unconscious.
Ram's phone fell out of his pocket and slid onto the floor. Ladybug noticed the Instagram dashboard and saw that Regina had recently posted something. She and Karen are holding up shopping bags from a store filled with expensive designer clothes. 'She's at the mall?!' Apex Queen picked up the phone and smirked, "Subjects, keep the heroes occupied! I'm going after Regina!" She pointed her scepter at one of the cafeteria walls...
CRASH!
... And left a giant gaping hole that she ran out of at an amazing speed and left the controlled students to fight off Ladybug and Chat Noir.
"Shit, they're not gonna stop!" Chat cursed before swatting a student away with his staff, "We need to keep them contained somewhere."
Ladybug thought of something, "I've got an idea! Follow me!" He runs to the cafeteria doors with Chat Noir following behind him. They kick the door open and run down the hallway with the students pursuing them. Ladybug points to a classroom up ahead with the lights off, "We'll lock them in there! Get ready, Chat!"
Ladybug pushed the door open, he and Chat Noir ran inside. Chat felt the blonde hero's arm wrap around his waist again and was so thankful that the lights were off in the room so he couldn't see his blush. He tossed his yoyo up to one of the light fixtures and pulled them up. A few seconds later, the controlled students crowded the room and looked around for the heroes. With their backs facing the windows, the heroes dropped down and ran to an open window. Ladybug wrapped his yoyo around the doorknob and pulled it shut, before he and Chat jumped out of the window, closing it shut as they descended.
Chat extended his staff, "To the mall!" Then he and Ladybug vaulted and swung away.
At Jeremy's house, the SQUIP Squad has taken refuge.
Sitting on the sofa was the squad, watching some weird Anime Rich suggested. The show centered around this nerdy boy who becomes popular by taking a supercomputer in the form of a pill. This was fifth the weirdest thing he's made them watch.
"See? See?!" Rich hollered as he pointed to the screen, "You can easily tell that fucking computer is up to something!"
Jake chuckled, "Yes, Rich. The computer is evil."
"Yeah, just letting you uncultured swine know."
Everyone laughed as the show continued, but one person remained silent. Chloe glanced over at Michael and saw him rubbing his temples. Jeremy didn't really seem to notice as he was too invested in the show. There were some moments when members of the Squad saw Michael muttering to himself, holding his head, and he just played it off as a headache, but Chloe could tell something else was going on.
"Hey Michael, are you alright?" Someone asked, voicing what Chloe's had on her mind. Everyone turned to the Filipino boy, and he immediately removed his hands from the sides of his head.
"Yeah, just a-"
"Headache that's been going on for days?" Jenna said with a raised eyebrow.
"... Yeah."
None of them looked convinced, especially Chloe. "You look so out of it," Christine said honestly, "You know you can tell us anything, nothing leaves this group. Even Jenna's sworn to never tell anyone what happens, that just shows how sacred-" Jenna rests a hand on her shoulder, and Christine realizes that she's getting off-topic, "So, yeah. What's wrong?"
Michael is hesitant to answer until he receives a kiss on the cheek from Jeremy, "Okay..." He takes a deep breath, "... Ever since I go de-akumatized, I... I kept hearing this voice in my head. It... It keeps voicing people's fears, anxieties, and shit. And it just doesn't stop. I can hear everyone's insecurities, and it is so unsettling!" He grips his hair and runs his fingers through his dark brown locks, "E-especially when I'm in a crowded room! Everyone at school is so fucked up!..." He looks up and sees the horrified and shocked looks on his friends' and boyfriend's faces.
"Micha," Jeremy whispered, "wh-why didn't you tell us?"
"I thought it was just some loud asshole, but... No, it-it's me." He starts wringing his hands, "And I... I just didn't wanna think about how I-" Without letting him finish, Jeremy pulls his boyfriend in for a hug and allows him to rest his head on his shoulder. "Micah, I'm so sorry."
Brooke got up from her spot on the couch so she could sit next to Michael and rubs circles on his back, "And we're sorry for not realizing what was happening sooner." The rest of the squad moved in closer to form a group hug around Michael.
After a comforting silence, Jenna speaks up, "Rich, Christine. Do you guys...?" Instead of saying anything, she taps the side of her head with her finger.
"No."
"Nothing."
Regina was not going to let some Akuma interfere with her day. Ladybug told her to take cover at home, but there a sale at the mall calling her name. She was so glad Karen had left to use the bathroom before Gretchen started attacking her, or she wouldn't have anyone to help her carry her shopping bags.
"Regina, didn't Ladybug say to go home until they caught the Akuma?" Karen asked as she sorted through the designer clothes on the rack while Regina was holding two different blouses up to her in front of a mirror, "I mean, Gretchen might come after you, right?"
She scoffed, "Karen, shut up. Gretchen's probably getting her ass kicked by those two. You'll see."
Karen didn't look convinced but responded with a shrug of her shoulders, "Okay. I just hope she's okay after. The AK students are like... Way more below us than before." Off Regina's arched eyebrow, she explains, "Yeah. The Akuma kids have had it awful. So, Gretchen might actually be a lot more lower on the social ladder than she is right now after Ladybug and Chat noir save her."
"Serves her right," Regina sneered and headed over to a shoe aisle with both blouses, "We made these rules for a reason and she just-" "You made the rules. Gretchen and I didn't make them." "...Excuse me?"
"You made the rules," Karen repeated, "The outfit rules, the hair rules, our hallway strut rules, our selfie rules. We don't have a say in anything." She glances over at a mannequin in the window display wearing a sky blue vest. She frowns, "Why wasn't I banned?"
"What?"
"When I wore that vest, I couldn't sit at the table for two weeks. Gretchen wears that skirt, she banned from sitting with us." She asked again, "Why wasn't I banned?"
Regina rolled her eyes and continued looking around in the shoe aisle, "It was a dumb mistake, okay?" She pulls out a pair of black pumps with diamond-studded bows on the toes
"So was Gretchen's skirt!" Karen exclaimed before snatching the shoes out of Regina's hand, putting them back where she found them. "Why are you always such a bitch to Gretchen?!" She snapped, "Are you mad at her? Is this some revenge for what she did a few years ago? Is this because she stole your favorite lip glo... Nevermind. Why do you hate her?"
Regina yelled, "BECAUSE SHE'S MORE POPULAR THAN ME, OKAY?!" Everyone in the store turned their heads. Their attention was now on the blonde girl. Snapping out of her shock, Karen set the clothes she picked out down and did the same with Regina's before dragging her out of the store and away from the many eyes that were on her right now.
Once they were out of the store, Karen asked, "Why?"
"Idiot," Regina muttered, but Karen didn't falter. "Everyone loves her! She's the damn school favorite. I... I thought that if I became friends with her, I could gain that popularity, but it didn't work! That's why I made the rules! So I could be in charge and dictate whatever she did. She didn't even know how popular she was before I became friends with her. She was wasting all of that power she had over the school! I was just seizing a moment!"
Karen's mouth hung open, "You're jealous of her, aren't you?" Regina replied with a scoff, "You are! Like with the earrings? Let's face it, she pulled those off better than you. That's why you won't let her wear them."
"That's not true!"
"It is. You are jealous of her."
Before Regina could retort, screams were heard from somewhere in the mall. A crowd of shoppers ran past the two girls, and they saw why. Approaching them was Apex Queen. She zapped a few shoppers who were too paralyzed to run, and they kneeled before her.
"Gretchen?" Karen gasped.
"SUBJECTS! SEIZE REGINA GEORGE!"
"Yes, my queen!" They said against her will, then ran after her, leaving Karen standing alone.
Regina ducked and jumped over obstacles in her path and pushed the other shoppers away as she ran away from the controlled shoppers. She looked behind to see how far they were but tripped over a shopping bag and fell to the floor. Before she could get back up, one of the controlled shoppers grabbed and dragged her back to Apex Queen as she writhed in their arms, "Let me go!"
Apex Queen smirked when her subjects brought Regina over to her. She grabbed her face with her thumb and pointer finger so Regina couldn't look away, "Welcome to my Queendom, George." The diamonds on her earrings glowed, and she pointed her scepter at Regina's forehead, "Consider it karma at its finest."
Suddenly, Regina was pulled out of the shopper's hands. Apex Queen looked to see where she went and saw her zipping towards Ladybug and Chat Noir who were standing on the second floor of the mall. "This time, go to your house." Ladybug told Regina once she was at his side. Not needing to be told twice, Regina ran, then Ladybug yelled, "LUCKY CHARM!", and tossed his yoyo up in the air.
The object that landed in his hands was...
"A magnet?" He and Chat stared at it for e moment. "How am I supposed to use this?"
Have Chat use Cataclysm to destroy the fountain and distract Apex Queen
Tie magnet to yoyo, throw it at Apex Queen
When the magnet attracts the earrings, retract yoyo
Here we go!
Ladybug starts tying his yoyo around the agent, "Chat, Cataclysm the fountain!"
With a mock salute, Chat jumped down to the first level of the mall and ran towards the fountain, deflecting shoppers with his staff and dodging Apex Queen's blasts as he did. When he finally got to the fountain, Chat Noir readied his clawed gloves, "CATACLYSM!" With the power of destruction, he slid his claws across the mall fountain and the stone exterior crumbled and broke, revealing the pipes still squirting water. He grabbed a couple and used them to spray Apex Queen and her subjects, making them back away from the powerful blast. Apex Queen tried to blast Chat, but the water was getting in her eyes and obscuring her vision, so she was just blasting holes in the walls of stores.
Ladybug threw his yoyo at Apex Queen's head and pulled it back before it could hit her, but managed to grab one of the earrings. He did the same thing again and grabbed the second. He snapped both of them open, releasing the black butterfly that was captured by his yoyo once he untied the magnet. "No more evildoing for you, little Akuma. Time to de-evilize!"
The Akuma, now a pure white butterfly, fluttered out of the yoyo. "Bye-bye little butterfly." He grabbed the magnet and threw it into the air, "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"
The thousands of magical ladybugs that were once the magnet flew all around town, repairing the damages caused by Apex Queen- The controlled students were returned back to where they were before the Akuma, the holes in the mall and cafeteria walls were repaired. The Akuma's black magic bubbled away from Apex Queen and left Gretchen Weiners in her place. She looked around, very dazed and confused.
"What happened?"
Ladybug picked up Gretchen's earrings, jumped down to the first level of the mall to meet up with Chat Noir, and fist-bump him as they both said, "Pound it!"
"Gretchen!" Karen ran over to the brunette and engulfed her in a hug, "I'm so sorry! I should have said something! I'm the worst friend ever, and I-" "Karen!"
The short blonde stopped her rapid apology and looked at her friend with some concern, thinking she doesn't accept her apology. "Of all the things you've ever said, that has to be the dumbest." She pulls Karen in for a hug and the two girls stay like this for a while until Chat Noir clears his throat. Both let out embarrassed giggles and turned to the heroes. Gretchen is the first to speak, "Thanks for helping me out."
Ladybug smiled, "No problem. Also..." He hands her the hoop earrings, "I think these are yours." Gretchen takes them with a grin and puts them back on, "I think they look nice on you, Gretchen." Chat nodded in agreement.
Gretchen let out a gasp, "You know my name?"
Ladybug coughed, "Y-yeah. I heard her say it." He points to Karen. Before she could say more, Ladybug's earrings and Chat's ring beeped. 'Thank you.' "Well, we better be on our way. Bug out!" He swung away and Chat vaulted after him.
Hawkmoth let out a frustrated yell and shook their fist up at the window where they send their Akumas out of and into town.
"I will create an Akuma, one so powerful that Ladybug and Chat Noir will fall to their knees. Then the Miraculous will be mine!"
Gretchen stands in Regina's room with Karen by her side, holding her hand. Regina stands across from them. It's all just awkward silence until, "I'm sorry," Regina said. Gretchen and Karen looked shocked but then Regina continued, "I am sorry that you were Akumatized because I hate how everyone loves you."
Gretchen furrowed her brow, wondering what she's trying to say until Karen tugs on her sweater sleeve and whispers, "I think this is as good as it's gonna get."
Regina rolls her eyes, "For once, she's right." She pulls out her phone and just starts scrolling to her social media, "And look." She shows Gretchen and Karen her phone screen. They go starry-eyed when they see that Regina has finally followed them back. "I... Hope we can still be friends."
She's hesitant for a moment, but Gretchen responded, "I'd like that."
Regina's lips curled into a smile, "Great... And Gretchen, if you wanna wear those hoop earrings, you can. I know you're wearing them right now." Gretchen messed with the curly locks of hair that were covering her ears, "Same for Karen and that effing ugly vest." Karen let out a tiny squeal. "Alright, get out."
The two girls left with bright smiles on their faces knowing that things will slowly become different between the three of them for the better. Once they were out of her room, Regina walked over to her corkboard and smiled at a photo of her, Gretchen, and Karen.
A television is drowned out by the beautiful melody of a piano being played. A young man in his thirties sits behind the keyboard and moves his fingers quickly and nimbly, not missing a single note. Sitting on the cover of the piano and swaying their head to the melody while occasionally turning the pages of the book resting on the music rack was another Kwami, a green turtle. The song finally came to an end, and the turtle Kwami clapped their little flipper hands, "Excellent playing, Joe."
The man, Joe stood and took a dramatic bow, "Thank you, thank you so much." He looked over at the television and saw that a news story was on. The caption on the bottom of the screen read: "Ladybug and Chat Noir Save the Day!" He smiled, "Heh. See, Wayzz? I told you they were worthy."
The Kwami, Wayzz, rolled their eyes, "Okay, you were right."