Chapter 12: Cosplay

Zoé was talking to Sabrina about her relationship with Chloé, during a break at school.

"We used to be a lot closer," said Sabrina. "I miss the cosplay games we used to have. We had so much fun dressing up, with Chloé as Ladybug and me as Chat Noir. The butler would play supervillains like the Big Mustachio, who wanted to give everyone in Paris an awful mustache."

"That sounds like a lot of fun."

"I got in trouble with her one time. Jagged Stone was being interviewed on TV at the hotel. While we were playing in costume, Chloé saw him and decided it would be fun to pretend to be Ladybug on TV. But I really messed up. If I had known what she was doing I would have backed her up and called her Ladybug. But instead, I called her Chloé in front of everyone and embarrassed her. She got really mad at me."

"That's too bad."

"I got akumatized over that and became Vanisher, an invisible villain. While Ladybug was fighting me, she disrespected Chloé and called her a liar."

"That sounds typical of Ladybug."

"Chloé got mad and became akumatized herself as Antibug. But in the end Chloé and I made up and she gave me a nice present to make up for the one Ladybug broke. I remember those days... they were really nice."

"What went wrong?"

"For one thing, Chloé got a chance to become a hero herself. She became Queen Bee and got into all kinds of exciting adventures. I was jealous; she was working with real superheroes and had less time for me. Then I got akumatized again into Miraculer, a villain who could steal Miraculous powers from others."

"I heard something about that. Chloé helped the heroes?"

"Chloé became Queen Bee again and she helped defeat Miraculer by revealing that I was ticklish."

"How did Chloé know that you were ticklish?"

Sabrina blushed. "We used to tickle each other for fun. It was wonderful."

"Wow," thought Zoé. "She has it bad for my sister."

"But lately, Chloé stopped doing cosplay or any games at all with me. She got so angry at Ladybug; I don't really know why. But since then we aren't as much like friends. I'm trying to do things for her to get back into her good graces but it's really hard. I'm sure it's all my fault."

In an acting class in New York, Zoé had heard of something called psychodrama, where a person could play out their issues and sometimes get a breakthrough.

"Maybe I could talk her into doing cosplay again, but turn it around. We could make Ladybug the bad guy. I could play Ladybug and she could play Queen Bee."

"Do you think that would work? I would love to try it."

Zoé did some research on the situation leading up to the bee attack. There had been a short-lived akuma called Heart Hunter. She suggested to Chloé that they cosplay that, and have things turn out the way Chloé wanted. Chloé had agreed.

Now they were in a large room at the hotel. Butler Jean was in his normal suit but wearing a silver mask, carrying a large balloon with two faces.

Playing Hawk Moth, Butler Jean said dramatically, "Behold, I have turned André and Audrey Bourgeois into Heart Hunter. They will turn everyone in Paris who has love in their hearts into their food!"

Chloé pointed to the balloon and said, "Ladybug, bring me the Bee Miraculous so I can save my parents!"

Zoé, entering dressed in the Ladybug costume, said, "Ha! I don't feel like it!"

"No!" said Chloé. "After all I've done for you? I resisted Hawk Moth, told him I trusted you, and now you betray me like this?"

Sabrina entered the room in a red devil Halloween costume. "I am the one she chooses. Ryuko, the Dragon!"

"I know you should be the one to save your parents, but I don't care!" said Zoé as Ladybug. "Ryuko's my new favorite. I'll never give you the Bee Miraculous again!"

"Ladybug" and "Ryuko" faced off against the "Heart Hunter" balloon in mock combat.

Chloé beckoned to "Hawk Moth". Butler Jean set the balloon down on a table and walked over to her.

"Hawk Moth, Ladybug doesn't deserve to be a hero anymore," said Chloé. "I've helped her, trusted her, but she couldn't care less about me. I'm done with her. She's irrelevant, utterly irrelevant!"

"You're right," said "Hawk Moth". "You are the true hero."

"You have the Bee Miraculous now. Give it to me!" said Chloé.

Butler Jean started to hand her a comb.

"Wait. I want you to deakumatize my parents first," said Chloé.

"Whatever you say, my Queen," said "Hawk Moth", going over to the balloon and popping it. He walked back to Chloé and gave her the comb.

"Pollen, buzz on!" said Chloé.

She went out of the room for several minutes while she put on the Queen Bee costume she had bought for the fake Ladybug/Queen Bee interview video she had once made to show the class. Zoé and Sabrina also left, going into a room on the other side.

Chloé re-entered in costume.

"Now I am once again Queen Bee, the greatest hero of them all!" said Chloé. "Hawk Moth, give me more power, and I will reign over all the heroes as Miracle Queen."

"Of course," said Butler John, waving his arm dramatically and presenting her with a costume crown.

Chloé put on the crown and picked up a fancy shoe box from the table. "Now I have the Miracle Box, with all the other Miraculous. Go, my bees and sting them all. Make them mine!"

Zoé and Sabrina made buzzing sounds from the other room.

Chloé waved her hand in the air. "All Miraculous users, come to me!"

Zoé nodded to Sabrina, who went out and knelt before "Miracle Queen."

"I know your identity now, Ryuko. I know the secret identities of all the temporary heroes."

Zoé charged in as Ladybug. "No you don't! I'm going to take away the Miracle Box and the Bee Miraculous from you. I'll leave you with noth-"

Zoé stiffened, faking a bee sting. "Oh no, I've been stung!"

"Now you are my slave, Ladybug," said Chloé. "Come to me."

Zoé walked to her and knelt beside Sabrina.

"I win," said Chloé.

"What about me?" asked Butler Jean as Hawk Moth. "Don't I get the Miraculous of Ladybug and Chat Noir? I want to get my wish and rule the world."

"I'll sting you, too," said Chloé.

Butler Jean mimed being stung and knelt besides the others.

"Miracle Queen has defeated Ladybug and saved Paris from Hawk Moth," Chloé declared. "Game over."

Sabrina jumped up and smiled. "Chloé, that was awesome! That's what should have happened."

"Of course it was," said Chloé, smiling back.

"I understand now why you hate Ladybug," said Zoé.

Zoé thought leaving Paris under mind-control would have been heinous, but roleplaying it seemed to have helped Chloé get back with Sabrina. It was all good.