Chloé was sleeping peacefully in her Le Grand Paris penthouse and gold-plated four post bed. A silk sleeping mask wrapped securely around her eyes and her room-darkening shades gave her the perfect sleep. It wasn't easy being so beautiful, but 10 hours sleep helped, and Chloé was currently on hour 8, well on her way to the optimal sleep.
That was until a polka-dotted superhero burst in through her balcony and scared ten years off her life. Her balcony doors opened and a beam of light even her face mask could protect against ruined her sleep ambiance. Whipping her face mask off, she demanded, "Who dares-" but seeing that it was not her father or any of the hotel staff, a shock went through her body. After allowing a warranted girlish scream out, she noticed that the intruder was none other than her friend Ladybug and she composed herself in a more regal manner. Sitting up in bed, She straightened her hair and looked at her uninvited guest.
"Ladybug," she laughed in what she hoped was a natural way. "What are you doing here?"
"Erm, uhh, Chloé. I need to ask you a favor," the superhero seemed in pain to ask the question. Chloé was intrigued. Her and ladybug had their past of a few issues, and she wasn't oblivious. Chloé could tell that the woman didn't like her, but Ladybug was a powerful connection to have, and Chloé was loathe to let that connection be severed by either of them; so she played the loyal fan.
"Okay, let's be real for a moment," Ladybug stepped towards Chloé. "I know we've had some issues, but you're not an idiot, so I'm not going to bullshit you. I need your help. I'm helping a mutual friend of ours and he needs your help too. I am going to tell you all of this because he trusts you, but can I trust you?"
Chloé and Ladybug regarded each other seriously. It is too early in the morning for this, Chloé groaned internally, but decided to hear her out. If she was right and they were helping a mutual friend, than that was enough for Chloé. She only truly called a very small group of people her actual friend. Even if it wasn't though, having Ladybug owe her a favor was pretty good motive to help anyway.
"Hold on," Chloé help up a finger, and moved to get out of bed. Reaching for her remote, she pushed the button to open the curtains, letting the morning light into the room. She then proceeded to flip a switch on a nearby coffee maker and walk into the second room that acted as her closet to grab her silk kimono. Reemerging, she put her hair up in it's signature ponytail and poured two cups of coffee. She motioned towards the balcony, and she and Ladybug sat at her outdoor breakfast table.
"Breakfast will be brought up in two hours. Should I tell them to bring a second?"
"Uh, no. This shouldn't take that long." Ladybug seemed discomposed by Chloé's hospitality. Interesting. It made Chloé think that they may know each other outside of the mask, that Ladybug had expected a different treatment from her.
"So it's about Adrien," Ladybug started, and it was Chloé's turn to be shocked. Ladybug had managed to say the one person who she felt closest to, and she was definitely interested now. How does Adrien know Ladybug? He had never mentioned it, but then again, she supposed that a friendship with a superheroine to the degree of closeness that they two must share for Ladybug to be helping him like this would necessitate some discretion. Chloé leaned forward, but didn't interrupt her.
"It's about his mom actually. We discovered that she's been kidnapped and his family is being blackmailed to ensure her safety. And it's indirectly involving your family too." She paused, and sighed. "Adrien trusts you, so I'm going to tell you everything, but I can't stress enough how important it is that you keep this secret. It is dangerous. For him and his father, but potentially for you too, so before I really go into it, I want to make sure you are 100% in." Ladybug looked at Chloé, her eyes had a hard edge to them, and Chloé started to understand just how close this girl must be to Adrien. She's protective of him, she thought and cocked her head as she observed the superhero. And his father, she added. Interesting. This puzzle was just becoming more and more complicated, and even if it were dangerous, Chloé needed to know the ending. She always liked a good mystery.
She decided to drop her usual veil of indifference and superiority, and match Ladybug's own open frankness.
"Adrien is my oldest friend, and his mother was always kind to me. I will always help him, especially if you're right and my family is connected in some way."
Ladybug regarded her sternly for a minute, and then seemed to deflate, detecting Chloé's sincerity.
"Okay, good. This has to work and you're our best bet," She said almost to herself before continuing. "So basically, your uncle Germain is planning to overthrow your father as mayor and take control of Paris. He has contacts placed throughout the mayoral office and he's been using Hawkmoth to create terror in Paris so he can accuse your father of being unable to protect the citizens and therefore unfit for mayor."
Chloé's jaw dropped. She had not been expecting that at all. She only vaguely remembered her uncle Germain, she was probably 10 or 11 the last time she saw him, and his visits were few and far between. She knew he worked with her father when she was younger in the mayoral office, but her young mind never detected this kind of malice within him. Come to think of it, her father always was closed-lip about his younger brother. The rest of his family visited often, and even in their reminiscing together, Germain's name was rarely mentioned.
"Wait," she drew herself up from her thoughts. "What does this have to do with Adrien?"
"Oh, Gabriel is Hawkmoth and Adrien is Chat Noir." She stated it like she was listing off the soup of the day options.
"Oh, of course. Silly me." Chloé looked past the girl and tried not to freak out. At least it made sense now why Ladybug was so eager to help Adrien. She looked back, something akin to hysteria bubbling up inside of her.
"Go ahead," Ladybug said, a smirk playing at the corner of her lips. "Let it out."
"HOLY SHIT! ADRIEN IS CHAT NOIR?! AND IS HAWKMOTH? WHAT-HOW-?" She threw her hands up, completely unsure where to follow that train of thought. Disbelief.
"Oh, and Adela is a miraculous holder too, just not in possession of it right now, obviously."
"Miraculous holder?"
"It's the object that gives us our power. It chooses you to be it's wielder."
"Okay," Chloé said flimsily and deflated into her seat, digesting all the information that had just been bluntly delivered. Her uncle was trying to be a political mastermind, and seemed to being doing a decent job of it. He had taken Adrien's mom and threatened to harm her if Adrien's dad, Hawkmoth, didn't do his bidding. On top of everything, it was so dangerous or delicate that three people with superpowers still needed her help. She was coming to the conclusion that Ladybug definitely wasn't over-exaggerating earlier.
"I'll help, of course, but I don't know what I can really do. I'm just a normal person…" she trailed off, echoing her thoughts. She was an ordinary civilian, and she was feeling uncommonly vulnerable admitting to herself how outmatched she was in this instance.
"We want you to infiltrate whatever group your uncle has formed. Give us an inside edge. If he's as paranoid as Gabriel says, you're the only one that could get close enough, fast enough, without rousing suspicion." She paused, seeming to deliberate her next sentence. "As for being ordinary, I think we both know that's not true. And defenseless? If everything goes how I think it will, that won't be an issue."
Chloé looked at her with narrowed eyes. She was being deliberately cryptic, but she had the sense that Ladybug would say nothing else about it, so Chloé didn't press.
Chloé thought over everything Ladybug had told her, and she had to admit that it was supremely logical and clever. It could work, and she wanted to help. She trusted Adrien and she knew he wouldn't put anyone in danger if there was a better option.
"Okay."
"Okay? Really?" Ladybug laughed in relief and slumped back into her seat. Chloé realized just then that she had been expecting much more of a fight. She raised her eyebrow at her, and Ladybug smiled and laughed again.
"Wait until we tell Adrien. He was so disbelieving that I could convince you." Chloé smirked, and despite trying to maintain a strictly professional distance from the girl, found herself starting to like the superheroine. She was honest and straightforward, and Chloé respected that, even when people honestly hated her.
"Well, let's not keep him waiting," Chloé finished her coffee, leaving the cup on the table. Someone would get it later. She walked into her closet, picking a simple outfit of artistically-worn jeans and a designer t shirt. Slipping on her favorite leather ballet shoes, she came out and found Ladybug looking around in her room.
"Okay, ready?" Ladybug turned around and looked at her.
"I wasn't sure if I was going to do this, but there's one more thing I need to tell you."
Chloé sighed in exasperation. Revelation after revelation.
"Okay, just tell me already. I feel like nothing will shock me now." At that, Ladybug just laughed darkly.
"We know each other outside the mask, and we're not exactly friends." She took a deep breath, and Chloé looked on eagerly. So she knew both Chat Noir and Ladybug's civilian selves. Fascinating.
"Well, I'm not exactly friendly with many people," She and Ladybug smirked at each other, "but we have a common goal, and Adrien is my friend. Regardless of who you are, I can work with you to help him."
Ladybug seemed to accept that response and nodded before saying, "Tikki, spots off!" A red light flashed through the room, momentarily blinding Chloé. She opened her eyes and saw Marinette standing before her. Her jaw dropped for what felt like the hundredth time that morning.
"Well, you proved me wrong," she admitted grudgingly. "I can still be surprised. But why-how-you?" Chloé was incredulous and she saw an angry glint come to Marinette's eyes.
"Yes, me." She responded, her face losing the open expression she had maintained for their entire conversation. She was right, they were not friends. They antagonized each other. The Marinette she knew was clumsy and bumbling and infuriatingly kind. Chloé enjoyed bringing out the fight in Marinette. It was always a much more honest response from the girl, but Chloé would be the first to admit that sometimes her verbal attacks could be brutal. She liked challenging people. Marinette was usually an easy target, and Chloé was honestly jealous of Marinette's ease around people and in making friends. While Chloé could put onan act as well as the next person, she was exhausted by the idea of living day in and day out as a different person just so people will like you. As it was, Chloé's naturally abrasive personality didn't exactly engender her to make friends.
"You're right, we aren't friends. But if we're going to do this, I'd like to change that." Chloé tried to make her words as soft as possible, knowing that she really didn't deserve such easy forgiveness.
Marinette regarded the girl coldly for a few moments and a small being hovered near her shoulder and murmured something in her ear. Chloé was shocked to see the large looking bug, but Marinette was not, so she tried to curb her usual response to insects.
Marinette's shoulders lost some of their tension.
"Look Chloé. You don't really know me and I don't really know you. If this is going to work, we are going to at least have to cooperate. I was reluctant to tell you who I really was for this reason. I'm willing to move past what's been said in the past and start over, if you're also willing to stop your insults against me and my family. That is my condition. I will do anything to help Adrien, but I draw the line there."
Chloé nodded. "You're right. Those were over the line and I'm sorry, if that's worth anything." She reached out her hand towards Marinette.
Marinette was hesitant, but she needed this to work, so she shook Chloé's hand.
"It is." Then without another word to Chloé, she transformed again. "Do you need to tell anyone you're leaving?"
Chloé pulled out her cell, and sent a text to her dad's assistant that she left to do some early shopping. That should cover her for a few hours.
"Done."
"Okay," Ladybug grabbed her around the waist. "Hold on. We have to make one stop first."
Chloé didn't get a chance to think of where that might be because she was too busy trying not to scream as they were suddenly falling off the side of the hotel.
It was definitely going to be a bad hair day.