Chapter 4: Transfer of Power
Up in her room, Marinette was packing and talking with Tikki.
"Marinette, what about Adrien?" asked Tikki. "You're leaving him behind."
"With this new job I'll be part of his world. He said he'll model for me," said Marinette. "I'll build up more confidence to talk to him as I'm working with him."
"People are going to be surprised when there's a new Ladybug," said Tikki. "Only Hawk Moth, Adrien, and Alya know your identity was exposed. Style Queen saw, but she's forgotten."
"Adrien and Alya will be discreet, I'm sure," said Marinette. "They wouldn't want me hounded by the press."
"What about Hawk Moth?" asked Tikki.
"Who knows? He'll probably keep it close to his chest while he figures out how to take advantage. After today I'll be gone. He could come after me in New York, but there are lots of superheroes there. I'll be all right."
"People in Paris may be frightened by the change in protectors," said Tikki. "He could take advantage of that."
"Maybe I should do something to reassure them," said Marinette. "I know!"
Marinette set up a white sheet as a background. She transformed and opened up her yo-yo as a video camera.
"Hello, Nadja Chamack. For personal reasons, I'm retiring as Ladybug. I've really enjoyed working for the people of Paris, but it's time for me to move on. Don't worry, there will be a replacement Ladybug soon. Please don't release this message until the new Ladybug is active. I want people to know the new Ladybug has my full support."
Ladybug emailed the video file to Nadja. (She had her email address from babysitting).
"Spots off! Now I need to return your Miraculous to Master Fu," said Marinette.
"The Bee Miraculous, too," Tikki reminded her.
Going downstairs, Marinette told her mother, "I need to go and say goodbye to my friends face-to-face."
"All right, darling," said Sabine. "There's plenty of time."
Gabriel put on the Butterfly pin. Nooroo flew out.
"Master?" said Nooroo. "I thought you were going to stop."
"Once more, just to arrange the return of the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous to Ladybug. It's more likely I'll be able to live in peace if the heroes aren't hunting for them."
He went down the elevator in the atelier, then up in the other elevator to his butterfly lair.
"Remind me, what's the transformation phrase for positive emotions?" asked Gabriel.
"Bright Wings Rise," said Nooroo.
"Nooroo, Bright Wings Rise!"
The costume was not very different, just a lighter shade of blue. Hawk Moth scanned for positive emotions.
"There's a news reporter who is elated by a scoop she just received by email. Perfect."
He charged a butterfly with magic.
"Fly away my little akuma, and empower her as my agent of good news!"
Marinette visited Master Fu at his home. She returned the Bee Miraculous in its box.
"I have to give up being Ladybug," said Marinette. "I'm compromised. Hawk Moth, a temporary hero, and a civilian know my identity."
"I know," said Master Fu. "Chat Noir was here a little earlier."
"He found his lost ring?"
"Yes, and he returned it to me. He was ashamed of losing it, because he was not able to fight by your side, leading to your capture."
"Oh no! It was awful that he lost it, but I didn't want him to give up!"
"He also said he didn't want to work with a new Ladybug."
"What? How did he know that I was being replaced?"
"Plagg told him about the exposure of your secret identity."
"I see. But I hate that he's quitting! The new Ladybug ought to have someone experienced to help them."
"It can't be helped. I will find new holders. This was always the plan if either of you was compromised."
"I guess I'll never meet the guy behind the mask. I'm sad," said Marinette. "Though I don't know if I really like him as much as I thought, since he quit so easily."
Marinette reached for her earrings. Before taking them off, she said, "Goodbye, Tikki. I'll really miss you."
Tikki gave her a kiss on the cheek where a tear was running down.
"I will miss you, too," said Tikki. "You have been such a good holder, one of the best."
Marinette took off the earrings and Tikki was gone.
"Prime Queen, this is Hawk Moth. "You are happy about an exclusive scoop. I will give you the opportunity to be part of an even bigger one. I don't ask for Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous. Instead, I want your help to return two other Miraculous to them."
"I'll help you, Hawk Moth," said Nadja, becoming Prime Queen.
"In a few minutes I will place the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous in front of a video screen, along with my grimoire. I want you to reach through and take them, and then follow my instructions."
Chloé was sulking in her room. The TV came on by itself, as did others all over Paris.
"This is Prime Queen, and I have good news for you today. Hawk Moth is giving up! He will no longer be terrorizing the city. To show his good faith, he will return his Miraculous to Ladybug. But he is not turning himself in. I will be managing the return for him.
"Ladybug, you have fought and defeated akumas on top of certain buildings in Paris. I will project a screen at each of those places. Come to one of them, and I will give the Miraculous to you."
Chloé thought, "Buildings where Ladybug fought an akuma? I know of one for sure: this hotel. There was Kung Food, Despair Bear, and me as Antibug. The roof is right above my apartment. I could beat Ladybug there!"
Chloé put on the custom-made costume that she used for cosplay with Sabrina.
On the roof, she saw Prime Queen's empty screen floating in mid-air. In a moment, the face of Prime Queen appeared.
"You don't look like Ladybug," said Prime Queen. "You look like that girl who tried to fool Nadja once before. Are you the replacement that Ladybug told me about?"
"Umm, yes I am," said Chloé. "I'm a temporary one. Don't broadcast a video of me; I want to protect my identity."
"I'm recording this to broadcast after the Miraculous return is complete. I will erase this part. But I'm still not sure you aren't an impostor. Do something to show you're real."
Chloé demonstrated moves and leaps she had learned from almost eight years of private ballet classes with Aurélie Dupont from the Paris Opera.
"I'm convinced," said Prime Queen, handing the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous through the screen to her. There was also a large leather-bound book. Prime Queen broadcast a video zoomed in on the red-with-black-spots hands of "Ladybug" receiving the objects.
"My work is done," said Prime Queen. "I've stopped the broadcast. Rather than me coming there or you coming here, Hawk Moth has given me special instructions to release my akuma. Put on the Butterfly; the kwami's name is Nooroo."
"Nooroo, how do I transform?" Chloé asked the kwami who appeared when she put on the pin.
"Say 'Bright Wings Rise' for heroes," said Nooroo. "Though my former master always used 'Dark Wings Rise'. 'Wings Fall' will end either one."
Chloé felt angry enough at her mother and Marinette that the second phrase felt more appropriate. "Nooroo, Dark Wings Rise!"
The new Queen Butterfly (as she would call herself) had a dark blue suit similar to the former Hawk Moth, but she had a silver butterfly-shaped mask that didn't cover her hair.
Prime Queen didn't know enough kwami lore to know that a transformed Ladybug would have had to do a Unify rather than a plain transformation, so she wasn't suspicious.
Queen Butterfly felt a telepathic link between herself and Prime Queen. She could see through the akuma's eyes into an office room in the news building.
"Can you hear me through this?" Queen Butterfly sent.
"Yes, the link is working. I'm going to break my akumatized object, but you won't have to capture the butterfly as Ladybug. Just will the akuma magic to be released as soon as it comes free, and it will be a normal butterfly again."
(Hawk Moth had planned it this way, to make sure the akumatized object was broken and Nadja remembered nothing of what she saw as Prime Queen, for his own protection.)
In a moment the object (Nadya's cell phone with the scoop video) was broken, and Queen Butterfly released the akuma magic.
Queen Butterfly smiled to herself. "Now I'm going to show my mother and Dupain-Cheng who's really extraordinary!"