"Oh there you are!" the elderly woman said when Chloé came up to the check out.
"I had to get the boss. We are having a bit of trouble with the cash register for the moment. But I'm sure you will be able to purchase the violin either way." Chloé quickly explained.
The woman gave her a understanding look before she turned to Luka.
"It's a shame when things don't work, especially in these times when that can cause a lot of trouble." the woman said to Luka.
"Yes. It is." Luka said and took a deep breath to collect himself before he turned to the woman. "You don't happen to have any cash on you?"
"This is your lucky day, young man. I'm only using cash." the woman said and winked at Luka before she gave him a somewhat flirty smile.
Chloé couldn't help but smile and laugh over it, even if she knew there was an ongoing akuma attack happening in Paris at this very moment for the first time in years.
"I have to agree with that then." Luka said and smiled a smile that didnt't look the least forced. "That will be 200 euro."
The elderly woman nodded and took up her purse. She took out the amount of money she had to pay for the violin and gave it to Luka.
"Thanks." he said and put the money away. "I'm not sure if I'm able to give you a receipt."
"Don't worry about that. This violin is going to stick with me for some time." the woman explained and gave Chloé a knowing look.
"I'm sure you will use it quite a lot." Chloé told the woman.
"Oh yes. I'm going to use it every single day." the woman quickly replied.
"That's good to hear." Luka said.
"Thank you, both of you. I hope you get a wonderful day."
"You too." both Luka and Chloé replied the very same moment.
The woman said her goodbyes before she turned around and walked toward the exit. The moment the woman was out of the store Chloé turned to Luka who was already looking at her.
"I need to go to my sister." Chloé said.
She felt a little bit sick by using her sister as her excuse, but it was the easiest way for her to leave without causing too much suspicion. She knew she'd go directly to her sister's place when the battle was over, so it wasn't really a lie.
"I don't know if it's safe out there." Luka said.
"Don't worry about me." Chloé told him.
She didn't need him to worry about her. Not now when she knew she would be throwing herself in a battle that she knew she wasn't really ready for. She hadn't fought anyone in forever and hers still bruised up face was a clear sign of that.
"I do worry." Luka said quietly.
"I need to go to my sister." Chloé said and started backing away from Luka.
"Chloé?" Luka said and took a few steps closer to her. "Be careful, okay?"
"Yeah. Sure." she said before she turned around and ran out of the store.
She ran through the mall and tried to not pay attention to all the people around her. Most of them were holding on to their phones that made the same sound that Luka's had been doing moments earlier. Most of the people looked scared and the ones who were talking only talked about one single thing, Hawk Moth.
Chloé hurried outside and ran over the street not knowing where the akuma attack was happening. She didn't know which way she was going and the few people outside walked around as if nothing was happening. If anyone, just one single person could have been running and screaming she could at least have a tiny idea of where she was going.
"I can't believe this is happening." Chloé muttered and slowed down.
She took up her phone and wasn't the least surprised to see a akuma alert on her screen. She read the message a couple of times and when she was sure that she knew where the attack was happening she started running toward the area.
She wasn't going to go that close to it, at least not in her civilian form, but she wanted to get closer before she transformed. When she felt like she was close enough she ran into the first building she found and found an area in it where she was sure no one but her was at.
She opened her purse to let Pollen out.
"I need to transform." Chloé told the kwami.
"Of course, my queen." Pollen said and nodded.
"Pollen, buzz on!" Chloé said one second later.
When Chloé was Queen Bee, she didn't waste a moment before she headed toward the window close by and opened it. She jumped outside and moved up so that she was standing on the top of the roof of the building. There she had a better view of what was going on in front of her than what she had had while being down on the street.
Chloé started moving over the roof and jumped over to the next building. She started running and jumped again to get to the next building. She kept going until someone showed up by her side and spooked her for one tiny moment. But when Chloé noticed who it was she relaxed and speed up.
"What are you doing?" Chloé asked Bunnyx who ran next to her.
"I'm moving toward the akuma. What are you doing?" Bunnyx wondered.
"The same thing?" Chloé said quite annoyed.
Bunnyx nodded and didn't say one more thing while the two of them hurried toward the place the fight was at.
When a few minutes had passed Chloé started to slow down. They were at the place she had read about on the akuma alert on her phone. But wherever she looked she couldn't see anyone. It was just her and Bunnyx there.
"What's going on?" Chloé wondered.
She walked up to the edge of the roof and looked down on the street below. There weren't any people wherever she looked, something that wasn't so strange when she thought about it. No one wanted to be in the middle of a akuma attack. But the streets were empty, too empty.
"Oh no..." Bunnyx said when she walked up to the edge.
Bunnyx sat down on her knees and looked all over the nearby roofs and the street below. It almost seemed as if she was looking for something, but because it was Bunnyx, Chloé didn't want to ask what it was. When Bunnyx looked up in the sky, she breathed out and turned to Chloé.
"It's third of June." Bunnyx said.
"Yeah." Chloé said and slowly realised what that meant. "Do you know what's going on?"
"Not really. Even if my Miraculous is connected to time, I can't know everything." Bunnyx said as she stood up.
"So you don't know?" Chloé wondered.
"It's a akumatized villain called Shadow Mirror. His power is to collect people in his mirror and use them as shadows to fight us." Bunnyx explained and looked down on the street below.
"But where is everyone?" Chloé asked.
Chloé was starting to get freaked out by how empty everything was down at the street. She hadn't even seen another hero other than Bunnyx and she knew that they would all be here to protect Paris and it's citizens.
"I guess they are here somewhere. Maybe having a talk about what to do and how to defeat Shadow Mirror?" Bunnyx suggested.
Chloé nodded and hoped that was true. She didn't know what else they would do if it was just her and Bunnyx left. She didn't even want to think such a thought, especially when she didn't have much faith in herself. She was a hero, but without the others she knew she wouldn't be able to make it.
Chloé had been so focused on her thoughts that she almost didn't notice that a big black shadow had fallen over the roof she and Bunnyx stood on. Chloé looked up, but didn't see anything but the blue sky above. When she a moment later turned to Bunnyx, who had also noticed the shadow, Bunnyx gave her a long nervous look.
"I forgot to tell you. Shadow Mirror is invisible." Bunnyx said before she jumped to the side, away from the roof and disappeared down to the street.
Chloé gave away a noice of frustration before she also jumped down to the street and started running. The shadow seemed to follow her though, much to her annoyance. The shadow started to grow smaller in size and Chloé knew exactly what that meant.
She was starting to look for a place to hide so that she could try and get a hold of the other heroes. She hoped that what Bunnyx had said was true, that they were just somewhere and planning on how to defeat Shadow Mirror. Chloé just needed to hear the plan, so that she would know what she could do to help.
When she found a small store on the side of the street that seemed empty she decided to test her luck there. She ran towards the store and jumped through the open door before she pushed it closed behind her.
Instead of standing by the closed door she went deeper inside the store and sat down behind a big plant that stood in the middle of the store. She then looked around and realised that she was inside a interior design store.
Chloé took up her communication device that she and the rest of the heroes had been given from Ladybug in order to be able to keep in touch with her and the other heroes while transformed. She clicked on some buttons and tried to reach out to Ladybug, but didn't get a reply. Before she had a chance to try someone else the device started beeping and Viperion's name showed up. She answered the call right away.
"Where are you?" Chloé wondered right away.
"On a roof close to Hôtel de Ville." Viperion said.
"Okay. Are you alone?" Chloé wondered.
"For now. I have been trying to get a hold on everyone else, but you are the first one to answer." Viperion explained.
"I meet Bunnyx just moments ago. She knew about Shadow Mirror." Chloé said.
"I'm sorry, Shadow Mirror?" Viperion wondered.
"It's what he's called." Chloé said and hoped Viperion would understand what she was talking about.
It had been three years since anyone of them had fought a akumatized villain, so she didn't blame anyone if they had forgotten how it worked. How Hawk Moth worked.
"Shadow Mirror is invisible and uses mirrors to catch people. He apparently uses peoples shadows to fight." Chloé quickly explained.
"I see. Where are you?" Viperion asked.
"In a interior design store in the area where it said on the akuma alert." Chloé told him.
"Are you safe?" Viperion asked.
"For now. I'm just worried about the others. Do you think they are fine?" Chloé asked and took a glance toward the street outside to see if she saw something, but it was just as empty as she had expected.
"I'm sure they are together somewhere. I'm coming to you." Viperion said and from what Chloé could hear on his side of the line she assumed he was moving quite fast. "Can you send me your location?"
"Sure." Chloé said and sent him her location.
"I will be there in a few minutes." viperion said and ended their call.
While Chloé was waiting for Viperion to show up she took the time to try and call the other heroes. She tried to call Pigella, Carapace, Rena Rouge, Pegasus, King Monkey, Ladybug again and the rest of the heroes. When no one answered she finally decided to call Bunnyx, which, to no big surprise for Chloé, answered right away.
"I was starting to think that Shadow Mirror got you." Bunnyx said as she answered.
"Where are you?" Chloé wondered.
"In a café close to that building we were on. I guess you are still in the area?" Bunnyx said.
"I'm in a interior design store. I got a hold on Viperion, and he is on his way here. Do you want to wait there or move to my place?" Chloé wondered.
"I think it's better if I wait here." Bunnyx said.
"Suit yourself." Chloé muttered. "Have you talked to someone else?"
"No. But like I said earlier, they are probably talking with each other right now." Bunnyx said and didn't sound the least worried.
Chloé was starting to wonder if saving Paris and the rest of the world was on her, Viperion and Bunnyx shoulders. She wanted to have hope that the other heroes were still out there and waiting for the right moment to strike. But she was slowly losing that hope for each second that passed where no one heard from anyone else.
"Don't lose hope so fast, Queen Bee. They are out there." Bunnyx said.
"Thanks." Chloé said quietly.
"Hmm. I need to go now. But stay close to Viperion. I'm sure the others will reach out any moment. Good luck." Bunnyx said and ended the call before Chloé had a chance to say something else.
Chloé made a sound of annoyance before she turned around when she heard the door to the store open and close.
"Queen Bee?" Viperion said and walked deeper into the store.
"Here." Chloé said and stood up from behind the giant plant.
Viperion looked relieved to see her and walked up to her.
"I guess third of June meant something?" he said.
"Suppose so." Chloé said.
Chloé was starting to wonder if it had been Chat Noir who had written those words on the door. She wasn't sure who else it would have been because she knew scribbles wouldn't stay for long on any building in that area. It would be removed instantly. But why would he have done that? Wasn't he on Hawk Moth's side?
"I got a hold on Bunnyx. She seems certain that the heroes are out there." Chloé told Viperion.
"Well, if Bunnyx say so I guess it's worth trusting. She is the one who is least likely to lie." Viperion said.
Chloé nodded even though she knew Bunnyx probably held on to some really important information. But then again, that wasn't the same as lying.
"Did you see anything?" Chloé wondered.
"Nothing. The streets are empty. It's quite scary if I'm being honest. Especially now when I know what kind of power that Shadow Mirror got." Viperion said and glanced out on the street outside the store.
"Yeah." Chloé agreed.
This akumatized villain seemed to have a set of powers that felt too much for a first fight in ages. She was rusty and she felt like the rest of the heroes would be too. But as long as they did fight she was sure they would win.
"Is your communication device ringing?" Viperion wondered.
Chloé looked up and reached for her device. She felt like all the worry she had moments ago disappear when she saw Ladybugs name on the screen.
"It's Ladybug." Chloé said quickly and answered. "Hi, what's going on?"
"Hi Queen Bee. The others and I are currently in a basement and have come up with a plan. Where are you?" Ladybug said.
"In a interior design store in the area that was on the akuma alert. I'm here with Viperon, and Bunnyx is somewhere in the area as well." Chloé quickly explained.
"Okay. That's good." Ladybug said and then started explaining the plan they had come up with.
When Ladybug was done Chloé wanted to object, but kept quiet. She didn't like the plan one tiny bit if she was going to be honest. But she trusted Ladybug and knew things would be fine in the end.
Chloé hung up and met Viperion's green eyes.
"What did she say?" Viperion wondered.
"You and I are going to be bait and lure Shadow Mirror down the street toward the place Ladybug and the others are at." Chloé said and noticed that Viperion wasn't that glad about it either. "We just stay close to each other, okay?"
Viperion nodded and walked up to the door with Chloé.
"Ready?" Chloé wondered and reached for the door handle the same time as Viperion.
"Ready." he said as his hand landed on the handle.
They pushed the door open and ran outside.
