Chapter 57: Another New Hero, But This Time It's a Fox(Zoe's POV)
Zoe runs out of the bathroom, quickly running up the steps. Hoping that the akuma hasn't left the premises. It had only been a few minutes, but worry still seeps through her.
That akuma has the power to make everyone do what he wants. And that scares her. It could easily take out the other, more experienced heroes. And she does not want that. After all, she is going to need some guidance on how to do the hero thing right.
Just hopefully she won't end up like Spiderman, her civilian life making her hero one worse, or her hero life making her civilian one worse.
As that would be terrible. Not only because she wants to pursue acting and be great at it. But also because she doesn't want her friends to mostly be superheroes. As they could only meet on a regular basis fighting, not anywhere else. And what would it cost, being this fox heroine?
Although it would make for a great acting experience, making this fox heroine different from herself. As it would help in not letting those smart civilians out there connect the dots so soon. Or anyone at school for that matter.
She bursts into a random classroom. The whole class stares at her. She spots Keith amidst the startled students in the classroom. From what it looks like, it's a baking class. They got ovens for baking and oven tops for frying cuisine in pots and pans. Thinking that Keith is the same Keith Maledikteur was talking about, Zoe grabs him and pulls him out of the classroom.
"Listen. There's an akuma looking for a girl named Chloe. He named dropped a boyfriend and I'm thinking it's you."
Keith's violet eyes look at her green ones. It still amazes her that Keith has such an eye color. It could be contacts, but Zoe isn't so sure.
"If he's talking about Chloe Bourgeois, then yes I am that boyfriend. But I haven't seen her all day. Just got a text from her saying her dad wanted to hang out all day this morning."
"And that doesn't bother you."
Keith shrugs, "Chloe is her own person. I can't dictate who she can and can't hang out with. Besides, it's her father. She should spend time with him."
She notices that he does have a little sadness in his eyes. But it seems more directed at the father part more than anything else. And not the controlling part at least from what she saw from his eye language. Zoe nods, "Do you know where she could be?"
"The Du-Pain-Cheng's place is where she'll likely be. It's a place where we both feel safe. And Marinette's parents are really nice to us."
"Okay, lead the way."
Keith nods and leads her out of the school. It kind of bothered her that he didn't question her presence as a superheroine. Though maybe it's because there are already three superheroes instead of just two like they used to be. Or at least so she's heard. Apparently there's this original superheroine before Honeybee called Ladybug.
Hopefully the other superheroes see her as an ally and not an enemy. As she remembers those stories about foxes being tricksters.
Chloe's POV
"I just couldn't stand it when he said he had tried to close down Philippe's Ice Rink for me! As if that would impress me to stay with him!" Chloe angrily rants.
Sabine sighs, "I'm sure he just wanted to have some time with his daughter."
"By forcing me to hang out with him?! By trying to make me choose between Raven and him! All he's ever done is encouraged my bad behavior! By spoiling me with countless things and riches! He offered me a diamond encrusted phone case to make up for wrongly believing that I had wanted him to turn Philippe's Ice Rink into a Jewelry Store!"
Tom puts his big meaty hands on her shoulders.
"Yeah that wasn't right for him to do. But as a father myself I loved to spend time with Marinette whenever I could. Even if she didn't like it."
Chloe looks at him, blue eyes wide.
He continues, "Again I know it isn't right for your father to choose between you and Keith. But I want you to understand that he's trying to spend time with you. You may not like it, but understand that he loves and would like to know that he is doing a good job in being a father. Even if it was the wrong method of trying to show you his love."
She sighs, "I know. Maybe I also should have shown him that I've changed. And that I don't need his protection anymore. Or that I would leave New York for my mother."
Sabine raises her, "Your mother."
"She's here in Paris and is staying. I don't know for how long, but father suspects she might leave soon. And suspected I would go with her. As apparently he thinks that Raven is made up or something." And why would her father think that? Because her only friend had been Sabrina for years. So father doesn't think she could end up making friends other than Sabrina. But she did. And Raven and her rekindled friendship with Adrien is proof of that.
Besides, Sabrina was never her friend.
"That's terrible. To think the mayor would think his own daughter would make a person up!"
Tom nods, "Yeah. Keith has been the best thing that ever happened to you. I don't think you'd ever have been this nice to us without him in your life. Considering you hated Marinette once upon a time. And I don't think anyone could make up a person with flaws."
"Well I don't hate her now." And Chloe means every word. She really only hated Marinette because she had a mother who loved her, and actually taught her things. Instead of ignoring their daughter for her whole life. Claiming that she wouldn't be as good as her mother.
Suddenly a loud slam makes Tom rush out of the house. Sabine meanwhile strokes her hair. It makes Chloe more calm and less frightened about what that noise was.
It could be her father akumatized. As she did leave him in a negative mood. She should have known an akumatization would happen.
But to her surprise, Raven is with a fox superheroine. Tom stands beside them. The fox hero has an orange female spy suit on with a white underbelly like a fox. Expect it is zipped all the way, so no cleavage is showing. The flaps on the collar are straight up with a little bit of a bend to them. Around the collar of a suit is a gold necklace chain, and on it is a fox tail charm. She wears brown boots that look fashionable but also sturdy enough to endure anything. She has sleeves that go up to about two inches away from the shoulder. The fox hero heroine's hair is loose and is also orange with a white streak in it. She also has large fox ears that are pointed towards the sky with brown that covers at least an inch of the ears on the top.
The heroine's mask is completely orange and it and the whole outfit makes her blue eyes stand out.
Raven rushes to her. "Blondie, you alright? This fox hero informed me of an akuma who is searching for you."
Chloe groans, "So my father did get akumatized."
The fox hero looks at her. "Well I'll leave Keith with you. I'll take care of the akuma with Chat Noir, Honeybee and Marmora. Hopefully your father won't find you while I look for them."
Oh, crap. She and Raven are Honeybee and Marmora. They'll have to get past Tom and Sabine before they can get to the fight. And she really doesn't want to face her father. It was her fault for getting akumatized, as she got mad at him for trying to spend time with her. Even if he handled her spending more time with Keith and Adrien wrongly.
Raven nods, "I'll make sure she's fine." His violet eyes gaze into hers. Her heart beats faster, his smile making her fears go away. Damn, she really is lucky to have him at her side.
Tom steps forward, "Thanks for bringing Keith to us…"
"Rouge Renarde." the fox heroine says.
"Thank you, Rouge Renarde."
The newly named Rouge Renarde nods and then walks out the door. Chloe wonders how she and Raven will be able to escape to help Rouge Renarde.
Author's Note: Okay so there'll be one more chapter and then it will go back to Voltron. It's just with this chapter I felt I needed to show you Chloe's reaction to all of her fathers shenanigans. Also Rouge Renarde means Red Fox in English. The reason I didn;t use the French word for Chloe's new superhero name is because honeybee and queen bee mean the same thing in french last time I checked. Also Red Fox just sounds like a cool female spy name. And Zoe does want to be an actress, so yeah. Anyways I hope you enjoyed this chapter:)