Chapter 21: Good Morning and Good Revenge
When she got home from her first day at Japan Expo, Rose felt worn out. So much, that she arrived, she quickly took a shower, ate her dinner and kissed her parents' goodnight, before crawling into her bed, falling asleep almost immediately. She had had an amazing day, but all the excitement had exhausted her. And when her head touched her pillow, she got a ticket straight to dreamland, where she would spend the next 8 hours, and dream about all she had done that day.
And when a person is awake, eight hours feel like an eternity. But when a person is asleep, eight hours feel almost like eight seconds. So, when her alarm went off, waking her up and telling her that she needed to get up, to get ready for the second day of Japan Expo, Rose turned it off, and fell asleep the moment after; but not before her left hand grabbed a unicorn plushie that was resting next to her head, and placed it against her chest, squeezing it, just like did, ever since she was a little girl. Inside her mind, Rose knew she had to wake up, but the sleepiness she had, was telling her to do the opposite. To stay in bed and enjoy the warmth of the sheets. Turning to the side, she decided to stay in bed a little longer, telling herself she would only stay in bed five more minutes, before getting up.
But Rose had not been the only one to listen to the alarm going off. Flint had also awakened, and just like Rose, he decided that he was going to stand still another couple of minutes, and when Rose got out of bed, he would do the same. But as minutes went by, and he saw Rose did not look like she was going to get up, anytime soon, the pink kwami decided to wake her up, knowing that if he did not do it, she would sleep the rest of the day. Hovering in the direction of Rose's bed, he went to wake her up.
"Come on, sleepyhead!" -Flint said, trying to wake her up. –"Come on, let go of that unicorn plushie, and get up! Your girlfriend will be here soon! Get up, Rose!" -he exclaimed, with Rose not waking up. –"Fine! You leave me no other choice, Rose!"
Having no other option but to pull the stuffed animal out of Rose's arms, Flint saw no other way to wake her up, as she did not respond to his screams. But he knew she would wake up, once she felt someone had taken the stuffed unicorn from her. When sleeping, the blonde was just like a little baby. If someone touched or took a stuffed animal she was holding in her arms, she would feel it immediately, springing her out of any deep sleep she was. And as soon as he started to pull the toy from her arms, Rose's eyes sprung open and she woke up. Rubbing her eyes, she yawned, trying to red of all the sleepiness she had inside her.
"Mmm… Good morning, Flint." -Rose greeted him, while continuing to yawn.
"Good morning to you, too." -Flint answered back. –"Now, get up! If you don't hurry up, your girlfriend will just leave you and go to the convention by herself." -he warned her, as Rose
"No, she won't. Juleka's far too nice to do that." -Rose yawned, as she stretched her arms. –"Mmm… I slept so well." -she giggled.
"Well, I'm glad you did. But come on, hurry up! I know you like staying in bed, where it's warm and all, but time is ticking!" -Flint exclaimed, insisting on her getting up.
"You're really in a hurry today." -Rose told him, as she threw away her sheets and sat on the mattress. –"Where's the rush?" -she asked him, with a chuckle.
"Nowhere. I just don't want you to be late." –Flint answered her.
Flint's answer felt too generic for Rose's taste. The flamingo kwami was not one to answer a question like that; so, she decided to find out why he was acting like that.
"Flint, I know you." -Rose said, as she looked him in the eyes. –"You always wake me up, with one of your jokes, even if most of them are older than my grandma, and so far, I haven't even heard a single one of those jokes coming out of your mouth." -she told him. –"So, what's the real reason why you want me to hurry up, that would make you skip the usual morning joke?"
Rose had learned to read Flint, and she always knew when something was up with him. Since she got his miraculous, Rose and the flamingo kwami grew close to the point that most of the times, they did not even need words to know when something was wrong with the other. And in this case, that lack of words in the shape of a joke, prompted her to know that Flint was hiding something from her. Staring him in the eyes, she used a trick her mother used on her, when she was little, which was to stare into someone's eyes, to force him to tell her what was really going on. The pink kwami tried to resist, but a few seconds later, he spilled the beans.
"Okay, I admit it… I'm craving one of those delicious Taiyaki cakes, that you let me try yesterday!" -Flint exclaimed. –"They were so good…" -he sighed, as he remembered its sweet taste and fluffy texture. –"The sooner we get there, the sooner I can sink my teeth into one of those, especially if they're filled with sweet-bean paste. That thing is so addictive."
"Is that it? You could've said it from the start." -Rose said. –"I'll get you one, as soon as we get there, okay?" -she promised him, which earned her a smile from Flint.
To wake up and chase away the drowsiness she still had, Rose decided to do some stretching exercises, which she had learned at ballet. She did these during ballet classes, to help her focus. But she had also found out that they were a great way to chase any sleepiness she might have, when she was on patrols at night, or right after waking up. While she did this, Flint checked the things Rose had bought the day before, at the convention. She had dropped them on her desk, the night before, where they would stay, until she came back that night, with some more loot. Most of it were either mangas, keychains, art prints, stickers, along with a t-shirt Juleka had offered her, and some pins and other free gifts and souvenirs that the organization was handing out.
"You got a lot of stuff yesterday." –Flint said, as he pointed to all the things Rose had bought, and that were on her desk.
"Yes. I think I did. But most of it was offered. The exception are the mangas, which I've been wanting to buy for a few months now." -Rose said, as she finished exercising.
"Too bad you didn't buy that spicy comic book, that your girlfriend ended up buying." -Flint declared, as he checked one of the mangas.
"Flint!" -Rose exclaimed.
"What?! Look, I'm just stating that it wouldn't have done any harm, if you had bought it. You would have helped that artist." -Flint said. –"Did you really think I was going to tease you about what was on the comic book?" -he asked her.
"No. But given things, I wouldn't be surprised, if you tried to give me "the birds and the bees" talk… Well, are you going to do it?" -Rose asked him, half-joking, half-serious.
"No, I'm not. You're old enough to know all that about subject." -Flint chuckled, now acting a little bit more like his usual self. –"I'm just going to tell you that it was pretty funny, when you did find that comic book and your girlfriend bought it. I wish I wasn't inside your backpack, so I could've seen your face turning red, the way it must have!" -he laughed. –"You must have blushed so hard, that you must have looked like Marinette."
The flamingo kwami laughed so hard about it, that Rose did not have another option, but to grab him and shutting him up, fearing that her parents would hear the commotion and came to her bedroom to see what was going on. She hated the fact that even her own kwami was joking about her blushing when people talked to her about anything sexual-related. But she knew Flint was right, when laughing about it. It was true. She did blush, and she did not know why. She was not afraid to talk about it, but for some reason, she blushed, and quite a lot.
"It's not my fault, if I blush, when talking or watching certain things." -Rose commented, as she opened her wardrobe, to decide what she was going to wear that day. –"Still, I wish I didn't." -she said.
"All you need to do is talk about it. The more you talk about it, the more used you'll get used to hearing it, and soon, you won't blush, when someone talks about it." -Flint declared.
"Don't tell me one of your previous holders also blushed, when talking about sex, and that was that the advice you gave him, or her" -Rose asked him, as she picked a denim skirt from her wardrobe. –"I think I'm going to take this one today… but what can I wear, that will match it?" -she thought to herself.
"Nope." -Flint said. –"It's just pure logic. Like everything else, if you start talking about something more often, you're bound to get so used to doing. that you'll stop blushing, when people around you, or even yourself, start talking about it." -he explained. –"Oh, if you're going to wear that denim skirt, I would take the other shirt you were holding a couple of seconds ago."
"This one?" -Rose asked him, while holding a cyan blue shirt with white sleeves.
"Yeah, that one. It'll go great with the skirt, trust me." -Flint said. –"You can think me later, when your girlfriend tells you that you look beautiful, by buying me two Taiyaki cakes." -he smirked at Rose.
"I thought you just wanted one." -Rose said.
"Well, now I'm in the mood for two." -Flint said. –"Besides, you always buy me two of each snack that I love." -he told her.
"That, I do." -Rose smiled, as she the clothes, which she had placed on top of her bed. –"This looks good, but it needs something more." -she said.
"Hey, why don't you put on those anime pins that you won on that raffle, yesterday?" -Flint suggested her.
"Oh, that's a great idea." -Rose smiled, as she went to get the pins.
"I'm always full of great ideas… and jokes, don't forget the jokes." -Flint said, when they heard Rose's cell phone ringing. Dashing towards it, the kwami saw Juleka's name on the screen. –"It's your girlfriend." -he said, as Rose placed the pins on top of the shirt.
"Put her on speaker, while I decide on which stockings I'm wearing today, please." -Rose asked the pink kwami.
"It's a videocall. You better answer it." -Flint said, as Rose reached for the cell and answered the call –"Hey, there!" -she waved at Juleka.
"Good morning, sleepyhead." -Juleka greeted Rose, winking at her.
"Good morning, Jules." -Rose said, winking back at the Goth.
"Are you all set, so my mom and I can go and pick you up?" -Juleka asked her.
"No, not yet. I just got out of bed, and I'm still in my pyjamas. I need at least another half-hour to get ready and have breakfast." -Rose told her. –"I just finished picking the clothes I'm going to wear today." -she said.
"Really? What are you going to wear?" -Juleka asked her. –"I'm going like this." -she said, as she pulled the camera away, to show she was wearing a black choker around her neck, a purple and tank top with the "Iron Maiden" logo, black skirt with a white crosshatch design, purple tights, and black and white combat boots. –"What do you think?"
"I think you look beautiful, as always, Jules." -Rose smiled, as she blew her a kiss. –"And I can't wait to see you, in a half hour."
"Me too." -Juleka said, as she caught the kiss. –"Don't be late. You know my mom loves a lot of things. But waiting is not one of them." -she joked.
Just like it happened with Rose, Sabrina slept like a rock that night, and when she woke up, she felt her muscles a little sore as well. Running around all day, and then cheering for Miss Bustier had done a little number on her. Still, she had felt worse, after a training session in the Garden of the Ancients, or after a battle against an Akuma.
Getting ready for the second day of the convention, she got up, took a shower, got dressed, had breakfast with her parents, brushed her teeth; all that, before her mom gave her the sandwiches she'd made for her lunch, while kissing her and wishing her a fun day, and her dad giving her a ride to Le Grand Paris, just like the day before.
"Are you sure, you have everything you need, pumpkin?" -Lillian asked her daughter.
"I have everything, mom. Don't worry." -Sabrina reassured her, while picking up her backpack.
"The sandwiches are on the second front pocket. And I made a couple of extra sandwiches for Chloe, as well, in case she wants one." -Lillian declared.
"She's going to love them, mom. She's super picky with her food, but not when it comes to your sandwiches with your special sauce." -Sabrina smiled. –"See you tonight, mom." -she said, as she and her father left the kitchen.
Dropping her at the Le Grand Paris, Sabrina wished her dad a good day at work, before entering the hotel, and making her way up to Chloe's suite. Like always, she greeted everyone who worked at the hotel, from the doorman, to the receptionists that were on duty, as well as the bellhops. Because she spent a lot of time in the hotel, she had come to know most of the older staff, as well as some of the new staff. Calling the elevator, she wondered why Chloe had not replied to any of the texts she sent her. Still, she assumed that she had left it on her bedside table, while looking for the perfect outfit, inside her massive wardrobe.
"I shouldn't be surprised. Chloe tends to sometimes lose the track of time, when trying to decide on what to wear. I wouldn't be surprised if when I arrive at her suite, she's still trying to decide what shirt, or what shoes she ought to wear today." -Sabrina thought to herself, as she entered the elevator and pressed the floor button. –"Still, I hope she's ready, because with Jean behind the wheel, we're definitely going to be the last ones to arrive, if we don't hurry."
Once the elevator doors opened, Sabrina practically sprinted down the corridor, and got to Chloe's suite door, in less than 10 seconds. Knocking at the door, she was surprised to see this one was just ajar. But she became even more surprised, with what she saw, when she opened it. Standing in the middle of the living room area, was Chloe as Queen Bee, talking to her butler, Jean.
"W-What?!" -Sabrina exclaimed, practically screaming, which made the heiress aware of her arrival.
"Oh, Sabrina! I didn't even hear you coming in. I was just telling Jean to go get the car." -Queen Bee said. –"We'll be down in 10 minutes, Jean. I just need to give the finishing touches my make-up, and make sure that the mask doesn't fall off, and Sabrina's going to help me with it." -she told her butler.
"Very well, Miss Bourgeois." -Jean asserted.
"Jean, it's Chloe! You really have to stop addressing to me like that, when it's just the two of us!" -Queen Bee exclaimed. –"And hurry up! I want to be the first Queen Bee cosplayer to arrive at the event." -she said.
Sabrina did not say a word, as Jean passed by her. She only nodded at him, as she was still shocked with what her eyes had seen. Chloe had transformed into Queen Bee. Her mind was flooded with all kinds of thoughts and questions. But she waited a couple of seconds, after Jean left the suite, to confront the heiress.
"Chloe, what do you think you're doing?!" -Sabrina asked her girlfriend, clearly upset and nervous.
"What do you mean? Isn't it obvious? I'm cosplaying Queen Bee." -Chloe declared, with a cheerful voice.
"No, you're not cosplaying Queen Bee. You transformed into Queen Bee, and you're going to Japan Expo as her." -Sabrina said, with a serious voice.
"Matter of perspective, Sabrina." -Chloe told her. –"You and I know well that I am Queen Bee. But everyone else, doesn't." -she said. –"And before you ask me, Jean thinks that I'm supposedly wearing the outfit I wore for Halloween, last year. And yes, I did buy a Queen Bee outfit, in case someone saw me exiting the suite when I'm transformed, and I needed to explain why they saw me as Queen Bee; it's inside my wardrobe. When I get back tonight, I'll send it to be cleaned, and that will be the end of that. No one will ever know that Queen Bee and Chloe Bourgeois are the same person."
"The way you talk about it, it almost seems like this is something that you've been planning for a long time." -Sabrina said, with a serious voice.
"But I haven't. I merely prepared myself for numerous possible scenarios, where I might be seen transformed, here in the hotel, which still hasn't happened." -Queen Bee said.
"Except now." -Sabrina said, with the same serious voice as before. –"For a moment there, I thought that you had transformed in front of Jean and revealed your secret." -she sighed.
"Do you really think I would ever do such a thing?! As if, Sabrina!" -Queen Bee told her, upset. –"I know very well that I can't reveal this secret to anyone." -she said, with a serious look on her face.
"I'm not saying that you would ever do it. I just meant that you might have transformed, just as he was entering your room and… Sorry, but for a moment, I thought the worst… not about you, of course. I meant that I thought the worst about the whole possible…" -Sabrina started to ramble.
"Hey, hey, hey, calm down, Sabrina." -Queen Bee said, as she grabbed her hands and gently squeezed them. –"Calm down a little bit. You're sounding like Marinette or Mylene, when they get all nervous and start talking a mile a minute." -she said, squeezing her hands a little more.
And she was right. Sabrina was sounding like their friends, when they panicked about something. Realizing it, she closed her eyes, took a couple of deep breaths, allowing her mind and her heart to slow down, before looking Chloe in the eyes.
"Chloe… let me ask you this. Why are you doing this?" -Sabrina said, looking at her with a serious expression on her face. –"Don't you think it's rather dangerous to do this?" -she asked her. –"Using your powers, to transform into your superhero self, to attend a convention? That's just wrong. You know very well that we shouldn't use our powers like that. And if Master Fu was here, he would tell you the same thing."
"And he wouldn't be the only one." -Mika said, as exited Sabrina's backpack. –"The rest of the class, along with all the kwamis would be telling her that." -he said.
"Sabrina, I discussed this with Pollen last night, and she's 100% on board with it." -Queen Bee said. –"I told her that I wanted to attend the convention as Queen Bee, and after explaining my reasons, she agreed to it." -she said.
"I bet she bribed her with some honey. Pollen never could resist a jar of honey." -Mika commented.
"I did no such thing! What kind of person do you think I am?!" -Queen Bee shot at the wolf kwami, upset with that remark. –"For your information, Mika, I merely talked to her and in the end, she agreed to let me do it." -she said. –"And you know just how Pollen is. If she hadn't agreed to let me, do it, she would do everything in her power, to keep me from transforming."
Sabrina heard all Chloe had to tell her, but no matter the words she used and how she spoke them, the redhead just could not shake off the feeling, that what her girlfriend was doing, was wrong in many ways. She understood that Chloe was determined to do that, and she could see it in her eyes. But all of that felt wrong to her, and she wanted to tell it to her, without hurting her.
"Chloe, I love you and all, but I'm going to bluntly say this... It's too dangerous." -Sabrina told her girlfriend, with a serious voice. –"Don't you see that what you're going to do, could jeopardize your own safety, and the safety of everyone you care about, including your family, and myself?" -she asked her, this time with a soft and caring voice.
"Sabrina, nobody's going to know I'm the real deal." -Queen Bee said. –"To them, I'll be just one more cosplayer, cosplaying her favourite member of the Miraculous Team." -she stated.
"But let's suppose something happens? What if you, by accident, use your powers in the convention? Or even worse, what if someone tells you something that you don't like, and you, by sheer instinct use your powers to get back at it?" -Sabrina asked her, worried. –"I know that you won't do it consciously, Chloe. But sometimes, we act without thinking. We all do. And if you do that, even if you don't mean to, your secret identity and the secret identities of the whole Miraculous Team might be stop being a secret, and that will put a target on our backs." -she said, as the worst-case scenarios played inside her mind.
The heiress understood what Sabrina was telling her, and she understood the fear she had, about their secret being discovered. Still, she was determined to convince her, she had everything under control, and her going to the event as Queen Bee, would not present any sort of trouble.
"I understand what you're saying, but believe me, when I say I have this under control… Look, yesterday at the convention, through most of the day, I felt like I didn't know what was so great about it, and why everyone seemed to be having a great time, while I wasn't." -Queen Bee told Sabrina. –"And then, when we went to see the cosplay competition and cheer for Miss Bustier… I don't know how, but something inside me clicked. I don't know if it was the way the cosplayers looked like they owned that stage, or the way they managed to get everyone to have their eyes on them, or even the flashes from the cell phones' cameras, but… all I know is that I loved to see that happening, and I immediately wished I was on the stage myself, experiencing all that." -she explained. –"Unwittingly, I discovered my reason for enjoying being there, but I also discovered that I want to experience what cosplayers feel, when they walk around, or when they get on stage, and people take them away. photographs and such. I know I'm being a little selfish for wanting this, and believe me, I was the first one to admit it, when I talked this with Pollen, last night. But I need this. I need to feel the thrill of being at that kind of event, and enjoy it, Sabrina."
Hearing the blonde explain her the reasons why she was doing that, Sabrina should have been surprised. But the truth is, she was not surprised. Her girlfriend always had a penchant for being the center of attention. It was a feeling that brought her great satisfaction and made her feel that people cared about her; a result of years of not having her own mother around to praise her and give her the attention, she so desperately craved and needed. And at an event like that, the ones who got people's attention were definitely the cosplayers. And with a cosplay, which was not really a cosplay, of one of the most beloved superheroines of all time, it was more than certain that everyone who loved the Miraculous Team, and Queen Bee, would have their eyes on her, granting her, her wish of being in the spotlight.
"You're such an attention seeker." -Sabrina remarked, in an amused tone, and with a smirk on her face.
"I admit it, I am." -Queen Bee admitted. –"But from all of my flaws, that's probably one of the least worst." -she smiled innocently.
"You're right, it is." -Sabrina agreed. –"Fine, I guess you can go like this. Still, I don't know what the others are going to say. when they see you, showing up like that." -she commented.
"I know what they're going to say… they're going to say that she's risking everything, just to be the centre of attention, that's what!" -Mika said, out loud.
"Mika!" -Sabrina exclaimed, upset.
"Hey, I'm just saying, what I believe is true." -Mika told her. –"Everyone is going to be telling her that she shouldn't use her powers this way." -he said. –"I still think she managed to buy Pollen with a few jars of honey."
"Like you can be bought with some sweet bread, when I need you to do something for me?" -Sabrina asked him. –"The way you're talking about Pollen, it's like you were never convinced to do something in return for something yummy, which you and I both know you've done, more than once." -she said. –"And just so you know, no, I don't think Chloe bought Pollen with some honey. If she's telling she didn't, I believe in her. Besides, why would she lie about that? We would find out about it, later on, and Pollen tends to spill the beans on things she doesn't like or wants to do."
"Maybe… but regarding me being bought off with some sweet bread, that's different! They were minor favours! And for the record, you can try and buy me with all the sweet bread in the world, when asking me to lend you my powers to do something like what your girlfriend is doing, that I won't do it." -Mika informed her.
"Oh really? Sorry to tell you this, Mika, but last year, during Halloween, we all attended the school party transformed, and I didn't have to bribe you with any sweet bread, not did you oppose the idea." -Sabrina reminded her kwami, silencing him. –"Besides, I trust in Chloe, and if Pollen agreed to lend her, her powers for it, then I trust that both of them know what they're doing, Mika." -she said.
Sabrina's confidence speech caused Chloe's smile to grow even wider than before, and her heart to melt. There was something about how Sabrina believed in her, that made the blonde thank the angels that she had someone like the redhead in her life, who was willing to believe in her, even others did not. Of course, she knew Sabrina was not dumb and could tell when one was lying, and that made her speech be even more special to her girlfriend, who was telling the truth.
"Fine! But just so you know, if something bad happens, I'm going to tell you "I told you so.", and I'm going to hate to do it, kiddo." -Mika sighed.
"It won't happen, trust me. But if it happens, I'll be the first to admit that you were right… which you aren't going to be." -Sabrina told her kwami, who nodded his head.
"So, does that mean that you're not mad with me, for doing this?" -Queen Bee asked Sabrina.
"I was never mad at you, Chloe. Worried, yes, but never mad." -Sabrina answered her, with her usual kind smile on her face. –"I admit that I'm still worried about this decision of yours, but like I said, I trust you and Pollen know what you're doing, and I respect it… But before we go, promise me, that no matter what happens, you won't use your powers, or do something that even remotely make people think you're the real Queen Bee, Chloe." -she said. –"The slightest suspicion could put you, me and all of our friends in danger; and that includes our families. Promise me that you won't use them, even if you think you ought to."
And how could Chloe not promise such a thing to Sabrina, when she was asking it with such a kind voice, and equally kind-hearted eyes? It was never Chloe's intention to use her powers at the convention, or putting Sabrina, or herself, or even their friends in peril. She just wanted to have a little bit of fun. So, it was easy for her to promise the redhead that she would not attempt to use them, in any way that would put her or anyone else in danger.
"I promise." -Queen Bee smiled, as she hugged Sabrina, with the redhead resting her head on the blonde's shoulder. –"I promise you, with all my heart that the only thing I will do, will be posing for photos and look super fashionable. And I'll also be using a made-up name, as well. If many cosplayers do that, I'll do it as well." -she said, when she noticed Sabrina was hugging her more tightly than before. –"Uh, Sabrina… it's not that I don't like it, when you hug me, but why are you practically squeezing me?"
"Sorry, but it's not usual for just one of us to be wearing the outfit." -Sabrina said, as she tightened the embrace a little more. –"And I love how your outfit feels against me. It makes me all tingly." -she giggled, as her hands made their way down Queen Bee's back.
"You know, I'm starting to feel that you're just taking advantage of the situation, to grope me." -Queen Bee joked. –"Lucky for you, I don't mind if you do it, my beautiful she-wolf." -she said, as she felt Sabrina's fingertips caressing the upper part of her butt.
"It's a little bit hard to resist, when you have such a cute butt, my majestic bumblebee." -Sabrina whispered at the bee heroine's ear, making her giggle.
"Excuse me! I'm right here, remember?!" -Mika exclaimed, killing the mood. –"If you girls want to get that intimate with one another, then don't do it, while I'm around okay?" –he told them. –"And in case you've forgotten, you have a butler waiting for you both, downstairs."
"Your kwami loves to kill the mood, doesn't he?" -Queen Bee whispered at Sabrina's ear.
"He does. He really does." -Sabrina giggled, as they broke the embrace. –"But he's right. We shouldn't keep Jean waiting for us." -she smiled, as Mika flew inside her backpack. –"Are you all set to go?"
"Let me just grab my backpack, and we're good to go." -Queen Bee said, as she grabbed it, and placed it over her shoulder. –"Alright, I'm all set. Let's get going. or we'll only arrive there by night time, with Jean behind the wheel." -she joked, making Sabrina laugh.
And while Sabrina and Chloe shared a tender and romantic moment, with a slight pinch of kinkiness, between them, at the Dupain-Cheng residence, Marinette finished getting ready. The day before had been quite eventful and she had loved every single minute of it. It had been the kind of event one falls in love with, sometimes for the craziest reasons. And in her case, she fell in love with it, because it was different from other events she had attended. To her, Japan Expo felt like an everlasting party, where each second it went by, things just got better. Not only she attended a kind of event she never had, but she did it with her friends, and more importantly, with her boyfriend, who like always, was a sweetheart and did his best to make her feel like the luckiest and most beloved girl in the world. On top of it all, she also cheered for her teacher in the cosplay competition, where she truly pondered the idea of becoming a cosplayer herself. It was a nice thought, but she quickly put it aside, saying that she did not have the time to do it. Her life was already crazy enough, without another hobby.
On that morning, she felt like trying one of the two t-shirts Adrien had bought her the previous day, along with a pair of jeans and her favourite sneakers, which she had worn the day before already, for being her most comfortable pair. The t-shirt she was wearing had the logo and the main character, from a manga she had been reading online, lately; The Promised Neverland. And to top it, that day, she had decided to wear her hair in a loose ponytail. Looking herself in the mirror, she liked what she was seeing. And what she was seeing, was a girl who was anxious for another day filled with all kinds of fun activities, alongside her boyfriends and her friends.
"So, what do you think, Tikki?"-Marinette asked her kwami, who was hovering by her side.
"I think you look very pretty with your hair like that." -Tikki answered her. –"And the t-shirt you're wearing looks really nice too." -she added.
"Thanks. It's from that manga that I've been reading lately. I started reading the latest chapter, yesterday night." -Marinette told the scarlet kwami.
"Yesterday night?" -Tikki asked her, puzzled. –"Are you telling me that instead of going to bed, you were reading until late, again?" -she asked.
"Don't blame me. I couldn't fall asleep, Tikki." -Marinette justified herself to Tikki. –"So, I decided to read for a little bit. It's better than to just stare into the ceiling." -she joked.
"I thought that after the day you had, you'd fallen asleep, as soon as your head touched your pillow, just like it happened with me." -Tikki said.
"So, did I. But when I got in bed, I suddenly lost the will to sleep. I probably had a bit of adrenaline in my system, and that happened." -Marinette chuckled, when she heard her cell phone beeping. –"Oh, that must be Adrien signalling that he's finishing eating breakfast, and that he'll be here 20 minutes." -she smiled. –"We should also go down and have ours, before he shows up, to pick us up."
The night before, Marinette had packed for the next day, before crawling into bed. Grabbing her backpack, she looked at the other backpack that was next to it. A Ladybug-themed backpack, which she had bought for Manon, and filled with numerous imported sweets and candies she found at the event. She was sure Manon was going to love the surprise, and could not wait to give it to her, the following week.
"It was a good thing I bought them yesterday, along with the backpack. If I had decided to do it today, I would probably not be able to get as many different candies and sweets, as I did yesterday." -Marinette commented, as she looked at the backpack. –"The backpack was a little bit more expensive than I thought it was going to be, but it was worth it. When Manon sees it, filled with all the candy I bought her, I know she's going to jump out of joy." -she smiled, happy with her acquisition.
"She's going to love it, that's for sure." -Tikki said. –"I can already imagine her face, when she sees that on top of all the sweets you bought her, you also bought her a backpack with your face on it." -she giggled.
"With Ladybug's face on it, Tikki, not mine." -Marinette chuckled. –"Can't believe there's so much merchandise about the Miraculous Team… But yeah, it's going to be nice to see her reaction, when I give her, her gifts." -she said. –"Anyways, let's go get some breakfast."
Going down to the kitchen, Marinette saw that her parents were already there, having breakfast, like they always did on Sundays, when they opened the bakery a little bit later. Marinette loved those Sunday breakfasts, because she had the chance to share them with her parents, something that did not happen during the rest of the week, because of the bakery's opening hours. Smiling, the blue-haired teenager greeted Tom and Sabine with the usual kiss on the cheek. When she arrived home the night before, her parents wanted to know everything that went on at the event. But she felt so tired, she just wanted to rest. Having dined with Adrien and the others at the convention, before Adrien's bodyguard drove her home, she told Tom and Sabine she was going to bed early, while also promising to tell them all about the event, the day after, during breakfast. Both Tom and Sabine really wanted to know what had happened, but they understood that she was tired, and told her to go and get some rest. And now that they were together at breakfast, her parents wanted to know the full scoop.
"It was okay." -Marinette said.
"Just okay?" -Tom asked her –"Come on, honey, you've got to give us a little bit more than that." -he smiled at her.
"Marinette, when you say that, it's because something good happened." -Sabine told her. –"Come on, give us the details, honey. What happened?" -she smiled at her daughter, with a smile that reminded Marinette of the same kind of smile Alya did, when she demanded to know the details of a good story.
"Okay, okay, I'll tell you everything." -Marinette said, as she fixed a bowl of her favourite cereal. –"So, we got there and…" -she said.
Marinette told Tom and Sabine everything she could remember, while omitting the part about meeting Miss Bustier, for obvious reasons. She tried to describe everything she saw and everything she did, as best as she could, while also adding that in order to fully understand how things went, her parents had to be there with her. Still, when she did not say a word about LettersGirl, they asked her if she had seen her, and if she had worn the jacket that she had done for her.
"No, she'll only use it today." -Marinette said. –"Yesterday, she was cosplaying Cruella de Vil." -she stated.
"Oh, I see. Well, make sure you ask her for a photo of you both, so you can post it online." -Sabine told Marinette. –"That'll help people to know about your work. You became quite famous with that face-paint for Jagged Stone. So, a photo of you with this LettersGirl and the jacket you did for her, would be a great addition to your gallery of accomplishments." -she said. –"It would definitely get you more customers."
"I already have photos of the jacket, mom. I just haven't posted them on my page yet, because LettersGirl asked me not to do it, until after the Japan Expo." -Marinette told her. "And I thought you didn't want me to become too popular, so the success wouldn't get to my head, and make me forget about focusing on school." -she said, as she finished her cereal.
"And I don't want to, honey. Not too fast, I mean." -Sabine said, as she bit her toast. –"I wish for you all the success in the world, when accomplishing your dreams. But I want you to think about school first. Remember, school must always come first. You'll need to have good grades, so you can attend college, in a few years." -she smiled at her daughter. –"Still, I think people knowing about your work is also important. You are a very talented seamstress, and a fantastic fashion designer. The more people know about your talent, the better."
"Thanks, mom." -Marinette smiled back at Sabine. –"And believe me, success won't get to my head. You and dad taught me better than that." -she said, as she sneakily grabbed an oatmeal and raisin cookie and slipped it into her pochette, where Tikki was.
"Humility is the best way, as your grandfather Rolland would say. If you remain humble in your actions, nothing can go wrong." -Tom declared, as he placed his plate on the sink.
Before the Dupain-Chengs could continue their conversation, Marinette's cell phone started to ring inside her jean's pocket. Pulling it out of her project, she saw it was Adrien, who was calling. Excusing herself, she answered the call.
"Oh, good morning, my silly kitty." -Marinette said, greeting her boyfriend, which earned her some chuckles from her parents, who thought that was the cutest thing ever.
"Good morning, milady." -Adrien greeted her back. –"I just wanted to ask you if you're ready?"
"I just finished my breakfast." -Marinette said, as she saw her parents signalling her to tell Adrien they said hi. –"As soon as you get here, we can go…Oh, and my parents say hi to you." -she told him. –"How long until you get here?"
"Three or four minutes. Five, if we get one or two red lights." -Adrien told her. –"Can't wait to see you… oh, and tell your parents I said hi, as well." -he said.
"I will, don't worry. By the way, are you in disguise, or not?" -Marinette asked him, curious.
"I am. I put it on, as soon as I got inside the limousine." -Adrien told her. –"Still, I think I'm going to need your help to fix it." -he admitted.
"Don't worry. I'll help you out." -Marinette giggled. –"I'll be standing in fornt of the bakery. See you in a bit, my kitty." -she giggled once more, before ending the call, and noticing her parents were staring at her. –"What? What is it?"
"Disguise? What disguise were you talking about, honey?" -Tom asked Marinette.
"Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you about this… yesterday, Adrien kept being recognized by a lot of people, so I made him buy a wig and a couple of other accessories, and he wore them during the rest of the day." -Marinette told her dad.
"Really?!" -Tom said, surprised.
"Yup, really. Nobody else recognized him, after he put on that wig." -Marinette smiled. –"And a good thing too, or else, he would've spent the rest of the day giving autographs and taking selfies." -she said.
"Sounds to me, like you just wanted him all to yourself. And who can blame you, honey? Your boyfriend is quite the hunk." -Sabine joked.
"Mom!" -Marinette chuckled, feeling slightly embarrassed. –"Mothers aren't supposed to say those things!" -she laughed. –"You don't hear me saying those things about dad, now do you?"
"Well, then you should." -Sabine said, deadpanned. –"Your dad was, and still is quite the hunk too." -she giggled, as she winked at her husband.
"I don't mind hearing either one of you saying things like that about me. It makes me feel at least twenty years younger, when I started to date your mom." -Tom chuckled.
"Oh, you two!" -Marinette exclaimed, pretending to be mad at Tom and Sabine, before bursting into laughs.
The crowd to enter the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center continued to grow as time went by. The first day of Japan Expo had surpassed all expectations, in terms of the number of participants attending it, and it looked like the second day was going to see that same number obliterated. Even more than on Saturday, there were people eager to enter. Many who were waiting for the doors to open, had already attended the first day, while an equal number were attending that second day, because they had not been able to get tickets for the first day, or something had prevented them from attending it. But now, they were there, and they were going to make the most of it. Besides the final of the cosplay competition, where the best cosplayers in France would be competing, there was also the mysterious announcement, regarding a new series.
One could definitely say that there was excitement in the air. But that was the last thing Madame Romani cared about. Using her powers, she had turned herself invisible, along with Reptile, Brutus and Rapier, who were accompanying her, so as to enter the event unnoticed. It had not been her idea, but she was not going to ignore her master's orders to bring the others with her. The last thing she wanted, was to give Hawk Moth any other reasons to punish her for her failure to do one simple task. Still, that did not prevent her from feeling like she was surrounded by idiots, one of which was starting to get on her nerves. Standing at a reasonable distance from the entrance and the growing crowd, they waited for when it would possible to enter the event, without bumping into anyone. But Rapier did not want to wait, and he kept repeating himself, like a parrot, and it was getting on Romani's nerves.
"Let me at them! I'll torch this whole place down and get those heroes to come here and save the day!" -Rapier practically yelled. –"Once they arrive, I'll finish what I started the last time!" -he continued to yell.
"Would you keep quiet?!" -Madame Romani hushed at Rapier. –"You! Put a leash and a muzzle on him! If we can't control him, he'll screw everything up!" -she warned Brutus and Reptile. –"We're not supposed be seen or heard, and right now, I bet that there were people on that crowd that heard this imbecile screaming!"
"You call me imbecile one more time, and I swear…" -Rapier warned her.
"You swear what?! Don't' think that just because you went one on one against the Miraculous heroes, without an Akuma to back you up, that that makes you special. It just makes you stupid!" -Madame Romani told him, with a voice filled with contempt. –"In fact, if master Hawk Moth had left you to be used as a punching bag by the heroes, instead of teleporting you, he would've done the world a favour." -she said. –"We don't' need anyone like you, serving him."
"You talk big, but you never defeated one of the heroes, on your own!" -Rapier said. –"I was this close to killing Dragonfly and Carapace, and the next time I meet them, I'm going to finish them off, just before doing the same thing to the rest of the heroes!" -he yelled at her.
"Enough! Squabbling amongst ourselves, is not what the master wants." -Brutus said. –"On top of it, I'm growing tired of these foolish arguments, between the two of you!" -he warned them, with both Romani and Rapier stopping.
"Speak for yourself… watching these two arguing, is better than anything on television." -Reptile thought to himself, rejoicing in seeing both Rapier and Madame Romani throwing insults at one another.
"Now, instead of continuing to squabble, tell us the plan." -Brutus told Madame Romani. –"You failed to tell us what your plan is." -he stated.
"Yeah… the only thing the master said was to follow your orders, and nothing else." -Reptile said. –"And just the thought of having to follow her orders, is enough to make me sick! I wish the master gave me the chance to lead, since she couldn't get a victim to be akumatized, like she was asked." -he mused to himself.
"The plan is simple. We enter the event, go to the backstage and we wait for the right opportunity to akumatize one of the cosplayers, before or during the contest." -Madame Romani said. –"All the negative feelings I felt yesterday amongst some of them, were incredibly powerful… and today, they will be even more powerful, because of the competition." -she told them.
"Are you saying that we're just going to have to wait?!" -Reptile asked her.
"No. If we happen to find someone whose feelings are incredibly negative earlier, we'll akumatize that person." -Madame Romani said.
"Why wait, when I can just burn this place to the ground in a matter of seconds?" -Rapier asked her.
"Sure… if you want to screw everything up! The heroes are a team, and try to take them by yourself, is insanity! That's why we need an Akuma! Didn't your last loss teach you anything?" -Madame Romani asked him.
"Yes. It taught me that instead of taking my time with the heroes, I have to go for the killing´, right from the first moment they show up." -Rapier laughed maniacally.
It was obvious that Rapier was not someone who liked to play by the rules, and that was getting on the nerves of both Madame Romani and Brutus. While Brutus continued to believe that he was no more than a loose cannon, Madame Romani just felt that he was just as annoying and pathetic as Reptile was, if not even more. It did not take long for the four of them start bickering with one another, with the fight being around Rapier and his view on what they ought to do, with Brutus stating that even if Romani's plan was good, they ought to take a different approach. And the gypsy witch did not like what she heard, and made sure to sound her displeasure on the matter.
"Don't start with your points of view! Just because I need you to fulfil my promise to the master, doesn't mean I have to listen to either one of you." -Madame Romani gritted her teeth, not liking what Brutus had just told her. –"And didn't I tell you to keep quiet?!" -she yelled at Rapier, who continued to snicker loudly. –"We're supposed to keep a low profile… or do you think I'm using my powers to render us invisible, just because I feel like doing it? So, stop snickering like a hyena and saying what we ought to do or not, right now, or I swear to Satan, I'll trap your mind, inside one of my psychic illusions, until your brain turns to mush!"
"If you were able to do that, you would've done it already to Ladybug and her friends!" -Rapier told her, with a disdainful voice.
"I've already did it! But they managed to snap out of it!" -Madame Romani exclaimed. –"Do you think you're talking to someone who doesn't know what she's doing?!" -she shouted at him. –"Hawk Moth has chosen me to do his bidding, because of my excellence and intelligence, while you, on the other hand, were chosen, because he needed some idiot who loves to show off, to attract those meddlesome kids into a trap!"
"Oh, yeah? Well, then if you and these idiots here did a good job, he wouldn't have recruited me." -Rapier shot at her. –"And if he did it, it's because you're doing a crappy job, to say the least. You, and these two other idiots here." -he laughed in their face.
"That's it! I'm going to gut you down, mister!" -Reptile snarled at Rapier, as he pulled out his switchblade, and pointed at Rapier. –"Let's see if you continue to laugh, with your guts all over the floor." -he threatened him.
"Reptile, stop! This will not get us anywhere!" -Brutus exclaimed, trying to prevent a fight to break in between the lizard man and the newest lieutenant.
"On the contrary… it will get us somewhere. It'll get us front row rickets, to this guy's early funeral!" -Reptile yelled.
The lizard man had just finished talking, when he felt a surge of energy coursing through his body, inflaming every last one of his nerves, and making him cry out in agony. At the same time, the same thing happened to his companions, who found themselves on their knees and in agony. It took the four of them a mere second to realize that they had infuriated their master. Hawk Moth saw them all acting like that, and decided to remind them that they had more things to do, than to fighting between themselves.
"Enough!" -Hawk Moth's voice echoed inside their heads. –"The last time I checked, I had lieutenants, not squabbling children, to do my bidding." -he told them
"F-Forgive us, master." -Brutus said.
"The warning I gave Madame Romani, is the same for all of you… fail me, and you will all suffer the consequences, which will be dire." -Hawk Moth's cold and distant voice echoed once again in their heads. –"Remember these words… fail me, and you will pay for it, in blood." -he declared.
Severing the telepathic link with his lieutenants, Hawk Moth left them with a warning, which they knew would become a reality, if they failed him. Just thinking about the punishment, made their skin crawl; but not Rapier. Instead of making him fear Hawk Moth, it just gave him another reason to be excited about what was going to happen.
"Nothing better than a threat to spice things up." -Rapier thought to himself. –"They say a hunt is only good, if there's risk involved, to spice things up." -he thought. –"I will have my revenge, and nothing's going to stop me from getting it. I'll show Hawk Moth that I'm the only lieutenant he needs, to conquer the world and get rid of these heroes."
This chapter took longer to finish than I wanted to, but I hope you guys understand that it hasn't been easy for me to write these past weeks. I get out of work completely exhausted, and things will continue to be so, until after New Year's. Still, I'm happy that I finished this one. Originally it was going to be a lot different, with the whole Miraculous gang already back at Japan Expo, but I thought about it, and I felt that we needed a little bit of character development for a few of our heroes, and by character development, I mean a nice talk with someone they love, right after getting up.
The idea for Chloe wanting to go as Queen Bee to the event was something that popped out in my mind, while I was rewatching "Wasp Queen". I felt that it would be in-character for Chloe to want to show off a little bit, but unlike what happens in the series, where she tells everyone in Paris she is Queen Bee, in here, she tends to take the secret identity shtick a lot more serious, and just wants to experience what makes cosplay so amazing (plus, it also provided for a little bit of cute smut between her and Sabrina).
Also, we see the return of Rapier. I 've had a few people asking me when he would come back, well, he's back, and he's ready for round 2... though this time, things aren't going to be so easy for our heroes, because he'll have back-up.
As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave suggestions to improve this fic, or future ones.