Disclaimers
All characters appearing in Miraculous are property of their respective owners. No infringements of these copyrights are intended and are not authorized by the copyright holder.
All original characters and concepts are the property of Celgress.
Miraculous Divergence – Prologue
By
Celgress
Rooftops of Paris, afternoon
"I'll take care of them. You take care of the box!" Chat Noir shouted using his extendable staff to spring away.
Ladybug snagged Queen Bee's legs before the hero-turned-villain could make her getaway with the Miracle Box. Queen Bee fell flat on her face dropping her burden which Ladybug was quick to pick up. "Sorry, but I think this belongs to me now." Ladybug declared.
Released from Laydbuy's yo-yo, Queen Bee jumped to her feet. Her mood was one of defiance in the face of utter defeat. "I don't need all those stupid Miraculous anyway! I only need the Bee Miraculous!" Queen Bee said. She pointed an accusing finger at Ladybug as she dramatically removed various Miraculous from her person. "You're lame! And Paris is lame! I'm going to New York with mommy and I'll be the one and only hero there! I'll save the world all by myself, thank you very much, without you and your ridiculous, poorly chosen friends, utterly poorly chosen!" Queen Bee closed the distance between herself and Ladybug until the pair were almost touching. Her arms continued to flail almost comically. Ladybug might have laughed if Queen Bee's recent betrayal was not such a serious matter.
"I'm sorry Chloe but I can't let you keep a Miraculous after what you've done!" Ladybug said plucking the Bee Miraculous from Chloe's hair. The source of her power gone, Queen Bee reverted to her civilian identity of Chloe Bourgeois.
"Well, if that's the way it is, I'm no longer your fan Ladybug! I don't love you anymore, in fact, I hate you! I'm still going to leave with mommy! Go hang out with your loser friends, loser!" Chloe said poking Ladybug's chest with her right index finger.
"You do that Chloe! You aren't worthy of a Miraculous, traitor!" Ladybug said becoming irritated.
"Ladybug you're a loser like your loser friends. The only bigger loser I know of other than you or them is Marinette Dupain-Cheng! I bet you'll make her the next Queen Bee how utterly ridiculous! The thought of a pathetic, clumsy, idiot like Dupain-Cheng becoming a hero much less my replacement is stomach-churning!" Chloe said poking Ladybug's face.
What happened next stunned Paris and the world. Ladybug the defender of justice and protector of Paris, punched Chloe squarely in the girl's smug face in full view of rolling news cameras. A sickening crack was heard as blood spurted from Chloe's broken nose. Chloe collapsed to the rooftop in a heap having been knocked out cold from the vicious blow.
"Oh no!" Ladybug gasped at once realizing her terrible misdeed. She had not meant to strike a civilian it just sort of happened. Years of cruel bullying by Chloe came to head when Chloe questioned her competency as a hero after betraying their comrades.
"I'm back. They got away, sorry. What the heck happened here!?" Chat Noir said landing on the rooftop.
"I, I, I, I have to go! Get Chloe to the nearest hospital, thanks!" Ladybug said running away as fast as her enhanced limbs would carry her. Ladybug knew she was suffering from a panic attack but she was on autopilot. She couldn't face Chat Noir or the Press not after what she had done in full view of one if not both, not now. She needed to get away, far away!
A Private Room in a Paris Hospital several days later, afternoon
"H-Hi, Chloe, how are doing?" Marinette said entering the room.
"How do I look like I'm doing Dupain-Cheng!?" Chloe said from her bed. Her voice was much raspier than usual due to her heavily bandaged face. She looked dreadful sporting two black eyes.
"I brought you flowers," Marinette said. She sat a small bundle of colorful flowers on a stand near Chloe's bed on which sat only one other equally small bundle of flowers.
"Gee, I feel better already," Chloe said rolling her bloodshot eyes.
"I, I'm sorry Ladybug attacked you once you were no longer Queen Bee, that was wrong of her. No one should hurt someone else simply because they have the power to do so." Marinette said.
"You think, Dupain-Cheng!?" Chloe said. "She tried to kill me!"
"I don't think she tried to kill you. I think she struck you in anger. I bet she is sorry." Marinette said.
"Really, well, she hasn't so much as sent me a letter of apology. I'd sue her if she wasn't a superhero. I don't think superheroes have regular jobs so she's probably flat broke. I bet your family has more money than she does, Dupain-Cheng." Chloe said venomously.
"Okay, that's enough. I came here to comfort you not to be insulted, goodbye Chloe." Marinette said whirling around to leave. She was at the door when something unexpected stopped her.
"Please don't go. I'm so lonely. Other than Sabrina no one has come to visit even Adrikins didn't come because his father won't let him. I guess I don't have any friends, not real ones." Chloe said in a small pleading voice.
"I'll stay if you promise not to insult me or my family again," Marinette said turning around.
"Okay," Chloe said sounding defeated.
Marinette pulled up a chair and sat next to Chloe's bedside. The two girls awkwardly talked about school and current events for about an hour. Marinette's curiosity then got the better of her. "Chloe, sorry but I have to ask. Why did you side with Hawk Moth during the recent battle?"
"I didn't have a choice. Hawk Moth said he would free my parents and give me the Bee Miraculous if I helped him." Chloe said. "I know that helping him was wrong but I was alone I couldn't overpower him. I doubt I could have snatched away the Bee Miraculous and transformed before he stopped me. What was I supposed to do in such a situation? What would you have done in my shoes?"
"I'm not sure," Marinette admitted.
"Not that it matters anymore. I'll never be Queen Bee again. I blew my chance royally. I'm pathetic utterly pathetic." Chloe lamented slumping in her bed.
"Why was being Queen Been so important to you? I mean you're rich, you're a trendsetter, and your dad is the Mayor of Paris." Marinette said counting the points on her fingers.
"You wouldn't understand," Chloe said.
"Try me, please." Marinette urged.
"Alright," Chloe said with a deep sigh. "If I'm not Queen Bee I'm just the mean rich girl who everyone hates. The girl who hardly anyone came to visit in the hospital. I'm a pariah like me mother says, happy?"
"I'm sorry," Marinette said surprising both girls when she got up and hugged Chloe. Initially, Chloe stiffened but slowly she relaxed.
"It's ridiculous utterly ridiculous that I would confide in you of all people, Dupain-Cheng," Chloe said.
"Could you please stop calling me that?" Marinette said releasing Chloe from her embrace and sitting back down.
"It's your last name, isn't it?" Chloe with mock offense.
"Yes, it is, but I think you only call me Dupain-Cheng rather than Marinette, or Mary, or Marie as a type of ethnic slur to insult me. You always emphasize the Cheng from Dupain-Cheng when you say my family name. I'm proud of my East Asian heritage but when you single me out because I'm half Asian as if that is something undesirable it hurts, it hurts a lot. It's the worst thing you say to me and you say it daily. In the past, you made me hate who I am and hate my mother because she's Asian." Marinette said.
"I had no idea, no, that's not true," Chloe admitted. "I knowingly insulted your heritage by poking fun at your unusual, by French standards, name."
"Why?" Marinette said. Her voice took on a pleading quality. "I never did anything to you. Why did you have to be so cruel?"
"Adrikins," Chloe answered.
"Adrien?" Marinette questioned.
"Duh, I didn't want you to steal him from me. Adrien is my only friend other than Sabrina who is more of a follower than she is a friend if I'm being honest." Chloe said.
"Adrien?" Marinette repeated. "How could I of all people steal him from you?"
"God, you're dense, sorry, but you are," Chloe said rolling her eyes again despite the gesture causing her considerable pain due to her swollen and bruised face. "You must see the way he looks at you in class, right? Adrikins has a major crush on you Dup-, sorry, Marinette."
"He does?" Marinette said stunned.
"Yes, he does," Chloe confirmed.
"Do you want Adrien to be your boyfriend is that why you hate me so much?" Marinette asked.
"Not as my boyfriend exactly more as my devoted best friend." Chloe paused here for a moment for some reason. "I told you everything else I should tell you this I guess. I'm not sure I like boys in a romantic way."
Marinette was floored, "really?"
"Really," Chloe said.
"Do you have a crush on me?" Marinette said pointing at herself. Could an attraction be another reason why Chloe bullied her?
Chloe laughed long and hard until she began to cough. She drank some water from a bottle to regain her composure. "Don't be ridiculous utterly ridiculous. I have zero romantic interest in you, please."
"Hey!" Marinette said offended by Chloe's words if not by her lack of interest.
"Sorry, I was too blunt. I need to work on my manners, huh, Marinette?" Chloe said.
"What manners?" Marinette said with a grin causing both girls to laugh.
"Don't breathe a word of what we talked about today to anyone, okay? I don't need everybody in Paris gossiping about me. I'm tired," Chloe said closing and then opening her eyes. "I never thought I'd say this but I enjoyed our conversation today, Marinette."
"Okay, don't worry I won't tell anyone, and same here, Chloe," Marinette said. "Is there anything I can do for you before I leave so you can rest?"
"Not unless you can somehow convince Ladybug to give me back the Bee Miraculous once I'm healed," Chloe said wistfully. "You know I miss the little Pollen thingy too, she was good company. I was dreadful to her for no reason; ordered her around like a slave. Now I feel bad about how I treated Pollen, and everyone else." Chloe closed her eyes drifting off to sleep.
"I'll try my best," Marinette said softly. "Sweet dreams Chloe."
To Be Continued