Chloé touched down on the roof of the Grand Palais and drew her line in. A moment later, Ladybug, the dark, brooding one from the future where memes did not exist, landed in front of her. It was night, and they were both gently illuminated by the lights of the buildings around them.

"Queen Bee," the reserve Ladybug said. "Thank you for coming."

Her hair was rustling in the breeze, and the collar of her jacket was fluttering. The light was playing off the smooth surface of her black and red bodysuit.

"Of course," Chloé said, smiling. She stepped forward, curious as to what this new Ladybug needed her so urgently for. The text had only said to come now, and alone. "What's the emergency?"

Ladybug strolled towards her, coming dangerously close to her person. "I wanted to discuss your behavior at our last meeting. The way you tried to challenge me."

Chloé, now slightly nervous, stepped backwards. "Um, sorry about that? I just, um, I admit, I went a little far, but you're new, and I figured it was something you should be able to handle?"

"Really?" Ladybug shook her head and smirked. "I don't think so. I think you did it because you like a fight. Well, guess what?"

Ladybug got within a couple inches of Chloé's face. She could smell a mix of sweat, leather, and cinnamon coming off the black and red hero. Her eyes were boring into Chloé, reaching deep into her soul.

Before Chloé knew what was happening, Ladybug had grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her back, hard, against a stone wall. Chloé gasped as Ladybug had her pinned with an arm to the throat.

"I like a fight, too."

Chloé swallowed, nervous, but excited. "What… What are you gonna do?"

Ladybug grabbed Chloé's hair and yanked it back, but not too hard. Chloé let out a small gasp as Ladybug's mouth came within an inch of her own. her body was pressed against Chloé's, completely trapping her against the wall.

'Oh no. Here? Now? Is this really happening? I should stop her. I should totally stop her,' Chloé thought. 'Any minute now.'

Chloé could feel everything through her suit. The ripple of the other girl's muscles, the smoothness of her suit, the curve of her body, everything. She could feel Ladybug's hand pushing on her shoulder and starting to slide.

'Aaaaaaaany minute now.'

Chloé gasped for air, the sensations she was feeling rolling over her. She looked to the mysterious hero whose mercy she was at. "Is this real? Oh, God. What, what do you want?" Chloé whimpered.

Ladybug leaned in. Her mouth was dangerously close to Chloé's own.

Chloé parted her lips, eager, but at the same time scared.

Ladybug whispered against her.

"I want you to name the wives of Henry the VIII."

"Chloé's eyes went wide. "Wait, what?"

Ladybug pulled back and yelled. "Chloé!"

"GAAAAH!"

Chloé snapped awake and jolted in her chair as Caline glared at her with a stern expression. She looked around frantically, doing her best to get her bearings.

"What? What happened? Where's… Oh."

Her eyes locked with Caline's. The agitated woman was standing directly in front of Chloé's desk.

"Sorry," Chloé said, shrinking in her seat.

Caline rubbed her eyes. "The six wives. Can you name them?"

Chloé thought for a second. "Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and, um, Catherine Parr?"

Caline blinked. "Correct. Very good. I'll forgo giving you detention on account of your quick comeback."

"You'd give me detention?" Chloé asked.

Caline stared. "Wanna find out? Take another nap."

Chloé gulped and shook her head. "No, no Ma'am. I'm good, thanks."

Caline drifted back to her desk and looked around for what Marinette noticed was the tenth time that day.

"Are you okay, Ms. Bourgeois?" Marinette asked.

Caline put her hands on her hips. "Yes, I'm fine, just… Did any of you by chance knock something off my desk when you came in this morning?"

The class shook their heads.

"Well, dang it. My apologies, kiddos. I know I'm a bit scattered today, but someone or something scattered everything off my desk last night and now I can't find my assignments."

"We, um, could do an improv class outside," Juleka offered.

This gained some positive murmurs.

"Duly noted, Juleka. Please don't misunderstand, I can teach the lesson just fine. I love this period of history, but I had activity sheets for all of you and now I can't find them. It's very annoying."

"No worries, Ms. B." Alix called out. "Let's go with Juleka's idea. Unless you're worried Chloé will take a nap on the lawn."

Chloé heard snickers from behind her. She turned and glared at the class. "I fought, like, six akumas this week, okay? And a giant baby! Cut me some slack."

"You fought a baby?" Mylene asked, horrified. She took Ivan's hand.

"Punching a baby. Dang, that's pretty stone cold," Marc said, slightly impressed and horrified all at once.

"I didn't punch it! Mom…maBug wouldn't let me. But yes, I fought a giant baby. And, like, a trench coat ninja guy both in the same day. And it was awesome, and I kicked their butts." She shot a look at a snickering Alya. 'Oh, I DARE you to say something.'

"Come on, Chloé," Alix taunted. "Camille isn't that bad."

Chloé simmered in her seat. "Bitch," she muttered. She then glanced over at Marinette (who was covering her mouth and doing her best not to laugh), and as she had for days, Chloé began to once again go over possibilities.

"Dude," Kim said. "I'd fight a giant baby."

"Kim!" Mylene scolded.

"You are a giant baby," Alix snickered.

"Class, please?" Caline begged. "Okay, activity aside, we were talking about Henry the VIII? Does anyone have any relevant questions?"

Adrien raised his hand.

"Yes, Adrien?"

"…Did Henry the VIII ever punch a baby?"

The class lost it.

"Really?" Caline asked. One hand was on her hip while her other was holding her head. "You, too?"

"Dude," Nino laughed. "You've got some sass today."

"Sorry," Adrien offered, a slight blush on his cheeks. Marinette playfully swatted at him to stop. "I, um, sorry."

Sabrina took off her glasses and gave them a quick wipe with her shirt as she laughed. "Did you know he had a sense of humor, Chloé? Um, Chloé?"

Chloé, not laughing, was staring at Marinette.

See, it had been a solid week, and Chloé was ready to vibrate apart.

She had meant to go to the bakery and confront Marinette about what was going on, but she realized that would mean admitting that she knew who Marinette was. And that would mean owning up to the fact that she actually re… res…respe… Thought highly of her.

Chloé was torn between wanting to know what was going on and her need to keep up appearances, and it was exhausting. She had admitted to Caline more than once that she wanted to just walk over mid-class and start shaking Marinette until the bluenette popped and told her what was going on, but Caline kept insisting that was a terrible idea.

Also, there was the Adrien factor.

Chloé had been blown away when Adrien had shown up at her hotel a little over a week ago with a suitcase in hand. She could barely believe that he had found the gumption to not only stand up to his father, but to actually walk out. She was further floored by the small, and admittedly familiar, white gold ring that Marinette now wore on her hand.

That perplexed Chloé the most. Adrien was positively fawning all over Marinette, and she was glowing from the attention, but no one had noticed the ring yet. Not even Rose, whom Chloé was convinced had a radar for these things. It didn't help that both Adrien and Marinette had been completely mum about everything, which only added to Chloé's curiosity.

"What are you up to, Dupain-Cheng?" Chloé muttered. She kept glancing over at the girl in question, who was taking notes and leaning against Adrien. He was in turn continuing to show off that same, toothy smile he had been wearing since he moved in.

Seriously, it was getting a little creepy.

She wanted to jump up and call her out right there in class, but she wasn't about to disrespect her teacher/mom. Well, anymore than sleeping in class was disrespecting her. And on top of that, she was enjoying the all-new, all-liberated, even happier Adrien. No way she was gonna spoil that.

"What's up?" Sabrina asked from beside her.

"Something's going on with Dupain-Cheng," Chloé said quietly. "She's taken a break from being, um, you-know-who, and I wanna know why."

Sabrina nodded. "I did think it was weird that she just up and quit like that. You think she's sick?"

Chloé shook her head. "No. Well, maybe? I'm not sure, but… Something's going on. I can feel it."

"Do you think it has to do with the other Ladybug? Could she have done something to Marinette?"

Chloé snorted. "Babybug? Please. She can barely manage her own shit, let alone mess up someone else's. No, there's something more going on here. Something bigger. And I am gonna find out what."

"Well, why don't you just ask her?" Sabrina suggested.

Chloé glanced at her. "I can't just go up to her and ask. She'd know! She'd know that I know, and then we'd both know!"

"What's wrong with that?"

Chloé slumped in her seat. "I don't know! I guess… It forces me to admit that she's not so bad? That I respect her, and, and even sort-of like her?"

Sabrina stared. "That's physically painful for you, isn't it?"

Chloé put her forehead on her desk. Sabrina patted her back. "There, there," the ginger said, reassuringly.

Meanwhile, down the hall, trouble was brewing.

"But why can't we be together?" Ms. Mendeleiev asked, her voice breaking.

She was standing in the principal's office. Principal Daomcles stood across from her, his hand on his window and his head hung low. His desk loomed between them.

"You know the rules!" He said, his voice gruff as a lone tear travelled down his cheek. "If the board found out we were together, they could suspend you from teaching, and I can't do that to you." He looked up, seeing her in the reflection of the glass. "I just… I love you too much, my Bunsen Burner of Passion."

"So, that's it then?" Ms. Mendeleiev asked, her heart breaking. "The grading, the late nights, our night of passion on Caline's desk? All of it was, was for nothing? Was I just some passionate yet meaningless fling for you?"

"Philece, please," Damocles begged. "Don't… Don't make this harder than it already is. Couples are frowned on by the educational board. If they discovered us, I would be reprimanded, but you could lose your job! I just… There's nothing I can do. The only way I can protect you is to let you go."

"No," Ms. Mendeleiev said, tears streaming down her face. "NO!"

"I will always cherish you," Daomcles whispered. He covered his eyes in a futile attempt to halt his tears. "But, our love cannot be."

And with that, she ran from his office.

"Heavy is the heart of a hero," Damocles whispered. His tears fell silently on the lapel of his jacket.

…Yep. That just happened.

You know where this is going.