I'm a troublemaker. It's obvious. I make fun of others, I am too competitive and when there are problems between other people, if I get involved, it is to encourage them.
Why did this happen to me? Being a superhero and saving people from supervillains isn't for me. I am the kind of person who, if there is something to fix, prefers to stay on the sidelines watching how others do it.
But now I have to make me like Chloe, all because she is Queen Bee.And not only that, but I also have a duty that she and Kagami get along, by the time we tell each other our identities.
Yes. I have discovered who my companions are: Queen Bee is Chloe Bourgeois and Ryuko is Kagami Tsurugi. It was so easy I'm afraid Hawk will find out too.Or who am I, since I seem to be his main target.
The first fight has been horrible.Now I know that I failed not to commit: not to be a martyr. Something tells me I'll have to have a list.
Another thing that goes around in my head is that with this watch I could know who is Hawk Moth. But Fluff told me that discovering his identity would end in catastrophe, although she has not told me how or why. How are we gonna defeat someone without knowing who they are? We will have to know at some point, even after finishing him. It is impossible for him to remain anonymous forever.
"Alix" Kagami's voice takes me out of my thoughts."Alix, class is over."
My eyesight is focused: people are putting their things away, even the teacher. I glance at Kagami, who has already collected hers and is standing by our shared desk.
Her posture is upright and on guard, possibly because she was Ryuko, or maybe it was before she was, I don't know, I only knew her for two days before she received the miracle.
"Today I have no training, although I told my mother that it was every day." Her expression is guilty, she feels bad for lying to her mother.It seems perfect to me, she has told me little, but I already know that she is too overprotective.Her gesture changes to one of security. "Since I have free time, let's go somewhere."
After spending as long as possible with her for several days, I have realized that she isn't always serious, so that she seems to wanna kill you, but that her expressions are subtle.I think she, like Adrien, has been brought up to show as little feeling as possible.The difference is that Adrien shows a kind smile all the time, while she is expressionless.
But now I can tell that she's slightly excited.
"Where do you wanna go?" I ask while I collect my things.I like her, so befriending her hasn't been a problem for me.
"It is lunchtime, so I had thought about going to that Italian restaurant next door," A restaurant?Isn't that a bit posh? "It is not a formal place" The shadow of a smile appears on her lips.
"You read my mind."
She nods confidently.
It's amazing how close we've gotten to each other in a week and a half.
At first it was strange, it was uncomfortable to be with Kagami because of her rigid way. But after three days I discovered her looking at an app to make friends on her phone. So I told her that she didn't need it, to tell me what she thought and that's it. After that, she talked to me a lot about fencing and took me to some of her trainings, she told me about some of her mother's rules because sometimes she couldn't spend time with me and she tried to make jokes, very bad ones, but the intention it what counts.
Even though we've gotten closer, there is still something preventing me from moving forward.I hope that something goes away soon, I have to be able to trust Ryuko.
We got to the restaurant just in time: there is only one empty table left.The other tables are occupied by teenagers.Is this site popular with the people of our school?I had never heard of it.
Kagami and I sat at that last table. Immediatly, a waitress comes with a clearly fake smile.A couple of hairs are slipping out of her tail, as if she's disheveled, and she's got a food stain on her uniform.I guess she's stressed out by how crowded the place is.
She attends us in a hurry. Kagami asks for water and I ask for Coca-Cola. We stare at the menu.
"Well ..." Kagami opens her letter. "What will you have?
"A pizza." I say. I just craved one as soon as I opened mine. "The barbecue one."
Kagami purses her lips saddened.
"I can't eat pizza. My mother has forbidden me, it is not the right food for an athlete."
"I'm sorry, it must be horrible not being able to eat all the tasty things. Ask for pasta, it isn't as greasy as pizza."
She looks at me confused, tilting her head almost imperceptibly.
"But what about the pizza?"
"Ah" That's why the confusion. "No, no, I'll order the pizza for myself." I smile.
She raises her eyebrows, but says nothing. She looks at the menu again.
I take this opportunity to see why there are so many teenagers on this site.I realize they are looking at the big screen TV here, I guess it's a football bar, even if it doesn't fit at all.
"Have you decided yet?" The waitress is back.
Kagami tells her what we have decided and the waitress leaves again.
An ad is on television and most of the customers stop chattering and turn to watch it.What is it?I look at it just in time to see it finish.
It's an ad about the weather girl contest.I understand that it's very interesting and has quite a public, although I've not seen it.What I do know is that today is the final.Aurore, a girl from the class next door, has been visiting all the high school class-rooms every voting day since the contest began, and today she has too.She has become one of the two finalists and competes against Mireille, who is also our age and belongs to a high school on the other side of town.
Kagami sees me look and turns too, but doesn't get to see it.
"What were you looking at?" she questions.
Does she know anything about this?I hardly know anything and I have been here forever, she has just arrived.
"The weather girl ad.I think people are here to see the end of the contest.It is quite popular and one of the finalists is from the class next door, Aurore.She came this morning before you arrived to ask us to vote for her." I inform her.
She nods gathering the information about our school.
"Is the winner decided through votes?"
"Yes."
"And are you going to vote for her?"
"No. I don't care about the contest.Anyway, she doesn't need my vote, she will win.She is much more beautiful, charismatic and intelligent than Mireille. She knows how to win people over."
Kagami stares at me thoughtfully.I'm gonna let her think what she wants while I text my father saying I'm not gonna eat at home.
The show starts and I ignore it, I'm here to hang out with Kagami, but all the people in the restaurant pay a lot of attention to it.
The waitress brings us our food and we enjoy it with a light chat.She tells me about the subjects and the teachers, and I tell her my veteran opinion about them.Yes, Mrs. Bustier is very kind, sometimes too kind;Mrs. Mendeleiev is severe, but she is a good person;And Mr. D'Argencourt can be a bit arrogant at times.After saying that, Kagami almost smiled.
Neither of us can think of what else to say and a kind of silence forms that seems uncomfortable to me.Cool.
But the silence occurs at the right time to see the final vote of the program that will decide who is the new weather girl.
Just in time to see Mireille win, to the surprise of both girls.Aurore's mouth is wide open and her brow is furrowed.Mireille starts jumping for joy, but Aurore is paralyzed.The worst part is when the host's prick starts making jokes at Aurore's expense.When he reaches out to put a hand on her shoulder, she clenches her jaw and slaps him away, then leaves the set.
Is incredible.The truth is that I didn't expect it, with what Aurore has tried.
The chain puts up ads and I finish my last slice of pizza.When I look at Kagami I see that she has finished her meal too.
"So ... Can you tell me something about Chloe?"
I'm about to answer when the ads end.
The entrance of the chain building appears on the screen.There are Mireille fans there, waiting to see her exit and congratulate her or ask for autographs, but the one who comes out isn't her, but Aurore.Or someone very much like Aurore.
"What happens, Alix?Why do you ignore me?"
"I'm sorry, it's just ..." I point to the television.
Kagami turns around and sees what happens.The girl who has got out looks like Aurore, but with grayish-purple and white hair and a matching dress.Her umbrella is different too.
"Is that an akuma?" Asks a boy from the restaurant.
Aurore opens the umbrella she always carries with her and sends people flying away from her.Customers start screaming and run to the checkout to be able to leave.In two minutes they are all gone.
Yes it is.And for some reason, Hawk Moth has taken this long to do.The question is why?
"Here, I invite.My mother wants me to be home now." Kagami gives me a bill and leaves. She didn't need me to teach her to lie, she does it well enough already.If it wasn't because I know it's Ryuko, I would believe her.
I calmly go to the checkout and pay.The young girl is surprised at my tranquillity. I smile at her to calm her down and she gives me back forty euros.How much did Kagami give me?
I leave the restaurant and there is no one on this street.I suppose the customers have warned about the akuma.
I'm going to a corner where security or traffic cameras can't reach.I look up at the sky to make sure there are no drones or anything like that.There is no one, so I lift my cap, where Fluff comes from and I transform with the assurance that no one will see me.
I look in all directions.Because of how she left the entrance of the study, there'll be more chaos.It can't be difficult to find her.
I jump on the nearest roof.Since Mrs. Tsurugi attacked me, I have learned that navigating the rooftops gives me an advantage.Up here it's easier to see everything.And also run away.
It isn't long before I see frozen streets, overturned cars, and burns on the ground.After that I just have to follow the trail.
As I look for it, the sky is covered with black clouds and the temperature drops several degrees.
When I find Aurore, Ryuko and Queen Bee have done it before.
Cool.I have been the last to arrive again.
They both run back and forth while Aurore throws lightning at them.Then she sees me, points her umbrella at me and opens it, unleashing a strong wind.
Heroines see me too.They act fast: they shake hands, Ryuko plunges her sword into the ground violently while Queen Bee uses her spinning top to wrap me up.
The wind makes me fly, but they have guaranteed that I don't end in the ell up there.What they don't foresee is the number of cars flying in my direction.I open my umbrella and use it as a shield.The truth is that I don't know how to use it any other way.I guess I'll tell Ryuko to teach me.
Aurore surrenders her attack, after seeing that I can't get away, and instead freezes the ground and flies off at high speed.
I fall to the ground on my ass, but I don't waste time and I get closer to the girls.Queen Bee is helping Ryuko pull her sword out of the ice.Ryuko's hands pull from the hilt and Queen Bee's from the hawks (Kagami explained to me).I kneel next to them and pull, grabbing the blade.
"Don't pull from there Bunnyx." Ryuko warns me. " You'll hurt yourself."
"I won't hurt myself.The suit protects me."
"The suit protects against injuries from normal objects.Magic powers and weapons do affect us." she argues.
We manage to free the sword and I look at my hands.Ryuko is right: my palms are full of deep, bleeding slits.
Shit.How the hell do I fix this?
Queen Bee walks over to me and unwraps her spinning top from my waist. She glances at my hands and then at my face, but doesn't comment.
"Do you know which way she has gone?" she says instead.
"Over there." Ryuko points the direction behind me.
The three of us run where she said, although I think it wasn't necessary, the trail of chaos that Aurore leaves is unmistakable.
"Do you realize that Hawk Moth copied me?" criticizes Queen Bee. "He has made both of Climatika's tails have spiral horizontal wicks.Totally mine."
I look at her.Her running is graceful.What I don't know is how she can do it with such platforms.Although it reflects very well the way of being of Chloe: a prick whose main concern is her appearance.
"I think Hawk has been 'inspired' more by me.Her weapon is an umbrella."
Why has he copied the most absurd weapon of the three? Who kwons why.Queen Bee shakes her head and I nod.
"You are overlooking the most important thing about the villain: her power, which is a copy of mine." Ryuko intervenes.
Could it be that he tried combining all three into one because he thinks it will work out better for he?
"The umbrella and power make sense with Aurore.She is the weather girl and uses the umbrella as an ornament.But the hair tails are mine." Queen Bee complains again.
This discussion is silly, but Ryuko's pint gives me an idea.
"Ryuko, what if you use your power against her? Storm against storm."
She shrugs.
"We can try."
The trail of destruction ends at the building of the television station organizing the contest.
It's ugly.Fifty meters of dark glass cylinder. Windows can't be differentiated and it looks like a big poorly made disco ball.Very tacky.
Something tells me it's a trap, but we have no choice but to get in there.
We go up to the floor where the end of the contest was recorded.It's the highest floor.
What there is is a large set, with several cameras around the stage, which has a large, and surely expensive, screen.In the rest of the room there are chairs, tables, panels and other stuff of the style.Many spotlights and cables hang from the ceiling.
Climatika is there in the middle, on stage before a lit camera, talking about something when we enter.
When she sees us, she smiles sadistically.
"Triple Super, the guests of my show.You have taken a long time." She puts a hand on her cheek and speaks with a sickly sweet tone. "Oh!It's because you had to pull the sword out of the ice." She laughs.And again back to the crazy face. "It cost you a lot, huh?It's because I'm a better weather girl than anyone else, and that includes you, Ryuko."
Queen Bee takes a step forward, spinning top in hand.Immediately, Climatika throws her a lightning bolt, which Bee narrowly dodges.The akuma shakes a finger.
"The final show will not be here.You can't get ahead of yourself."
And back to the sadistic smile. She's crazy.
Climatika flies down the stairs to the roof, but not before bursting the lights and leaving us in the dark.
"What the fuck? What is that about?"
The good thing is that I just found out that I can see in the dark. And from the looks of it, Ryuko too.
"How are we going to follow her?" says Queen Bee stumbling.
"Ryuko and I see in the dark."
"I'll guide you."
She shakes hands with Queen Bee and we go up the ladder to the roof. Climatika prepared a large tornado around the building.She floats right in the middle, giggling like she's done cocaine.
"Now, Ryuko, you and I are going to fight to prove who of the two is the best weather girl" She points her umbrella at her. "And when I beat the superhero in Paris, the contest will not be able to keep saying that stupid Mireille is better than me.Nobody is better than me!"
Her umbrella has to work like a magic wand, because she opens it pointing to the sky and it begins to hail. I do the same with mine and use it as a shield again.My partners stand next to me under it. Luckily we are three girls of growing age, if not, we wouldn't have fit.
"That is not fair! It has to be her alone!" Climatika exclaims.
The hail ends and I push the umbrella away.
"Of course.And then I give you my miracle." I reply.
"Lightning dragon." Ryuko whispers next to me.
Her body turns into a blinding yellow light, then into a randomly angled line heading straight and fast in the direction of Climatika.She reacts quickly and uses her weapon to create another.
Yellow against purple, both rays meet and push each other.
Queen Bee and I pull away a bit, hiding under a plastic-covered metal apparatus that I have no fucking idea what it is.
After a few seconds of fighting, Climatika flies even higher and Ryuko returns to dry land.
"Sorry, it is really difficult to control the reaction of the passage of electric charge that ionizes the air molecules.Especially because it is my own body and I do not have a material object to guide me as she does." She explains between gasps.
Someone studied about storms.I look at Queen Bee: she has a frown and a wrinkled nose.She didn't understood.
"I am going to transform into water.I have used it before, I should be able to control it better." She continues and her idea pissed me off a bit.
I'm gonna get out of the anti-scratch plastic and warn her not to when I see her move her mouth, calling out to the water dragon.
Before her body loses its human form, Climatika freezes her.
Her laugh resounds as I freeze.My chest clenches.
"I beat her." She smiles.Ryuko is dead. She killed her. "I'm the best weather girl!"
She reopens the umbrella and points it at Ryuko.The statue begins to slide.She'll throw her into the void.React, Alix!If she wants to push her, she isn't dead yet.
Queen Bee also notices and tries to use the string of her spinning top to bring her in our direction.I stop her.
"Don't do it, you'll cut her." I warn.
We both run towards the statue to get between it and the wind.The moment we arrive, it flies off.
"No!"
Queen Bee uses the spinning top to take Climatika's weapon and forcing her to close it at the same time that I create a light blue circle in the air and push it to take the sculpture.
My partner grabs my forearm and runs in the direction of the anti-lightning thing from earlier.I can hear Climatika's rays hitting the ground very close to me.
Next, she uses the spinning top to pull a billboard and distract the akuma.We run again and hide behind a huge air conditioning tube.
"Where did you send her?" She interrogates me.In her voice there is nothing but concern.
"To my burrow, it is a place out of space or time where she'll be safe."
She peeks over the tube for a moment and hides again.
"Speaking of which, what is your power?Mine is to propel a paralyzing poison with the bite of my spinning top."
Like some snakes.No one would imagine such a power of a bee and even less with the little voice she has. She's a wolf in sheep's clothing.
"I travel in time."
I'd tell her something about the operation of the burrow, but I've never been inside.
Now I look out. Climatika popped the poster and has a purple butterfly on her face.Hawk Moth is talking to her.
"I can think of something, but this time it isn't as cowardly as letting Ryuko fight alone."
Yet another mistake to note on the list.
Queen Bee looks at the ground, embarrassed.We have put her in danger.
"We make her find us." I start. "As I have already used my portal, she'll expect me to be weak and tired, so she'll lower her guard and come to catch the miracle.That's probably what Hawk Moth is telling her." Queen Bee nods, getting it for now. "To do that, you'll have to be 'disappeared' and you'll get it by letting her make you fly away, but in reality you'll get hooked on that sign." I point to the one right behind us. "I'll go to the other side so that she turns her back on you and when she is down and within reach ...
"... I paralyze her." Queen Bee ends with a smile. "By the way, the akuma is the umbrella, right?"
I nod, I think so too.
She manages to get Climatika's attention without looking like a trap.
The akuma shoots another gust of wind at us.I hold onto the tube as Queen Bee lets herself go.
The demon thinks she's gotten rid of her and my five minutes are almost up.I have to run to the other side.
Climatika once again summons hail.It was the stupidest option, because it has already become clear that my umbrella protects me.
But then I slip on the hail and fall.Yes, okay, I'm the fool.
No matter.Her back is to where Queen Bee is hiding.
She goes down calmly and smile. She stands rising, looming over me, threateningly.I feel my body getting heavy and tired: I definitely can't move.I see my partner coming, with the speed that the hail allows, in our direction.I make an effort to hide my smile.I have to keep looking like the victim here.
She points the closed umbrella at me and holds out her hand.
"Give me your miracle." She orders with her sadistic smile. If she doesn't take it herself, it is because my miracle isn't as easily seen as the others.
She doesn't have time to say anything else: Bee drives the tip of the top into her and she freezes.Then she takes the umbrella and slams it hard on the ground several times until it breaks in half and the butterfly comes out. She makes her glove disappear, catches it and crushes it.
"Ugh, gross, dead butterfly."
That makes me giggle.
Aurore is deakumatized.The storm and hail disappear, but she remains motionless.
Queen Bee holds out a hand and helps me up.
"Pollen told me that the effect wears off after a while.I think we should feed them now." She whispers to me, looking for the cameras with her eyes.
Now I realize that this thing was a camera, with a thick, rigid sheet of metal to keep the lens from getting wet.That means that people have seen us up close.
We took turns entering the dark, cameraless staircase to de-transform and feed the kwamis.I carry a plastic bag with mini carrots in my pocket.
I open a portal to the burrow again and we go inside.
Ryuko is in her normal form, but somewhat tense. She visibly (for me) relaxes when she sees us.
"Goodness. I came to myself and when I left the water dragon ... I was surrounded by this." Look around us slightly anxious.I don't understand why.It can be a bit dizzy, but it isn't scary.
The burrow is a bright white room, spherical and with alienated circles covering all space.Those circles have images: the Colosseum half built, a dinosaur, a flying car ...
They aren't images!They're portals!I have to talk to Fluff about this.And I can't keep looking, I might see something I don't want.
Queen Bee next to me shudders.
"Black holes? Your power sucks."
"Is that what you see?"
They both look at me curiously.
"And Kidz has to pay for everything?"
"At least ten million euros in damages.Not only have thousands of private properties been ruined, but ..."
I'm watching one of those celebrity gossip shows.They've been talking all afternoon about Climatika, or more specifically, about how she became akumatized.
It has been discovered that the Aurore contest was sabotaged.Obviously, she wouldn't have lost if it hadn't been.The true count was: 82% for Aurore, 18% for Mireille.
The surprising thing is that the channel itself sabotaged it.Why? Did they think they would be more successful with a shy and insecure girl than with an outgoing and confident girl?
After meeting, the channel offered Aurore to be the weather girl and she sent them to hell. But Kidz wasn't the only television that wanted her.
After the contest and possession, Aurore has a certain fame and the rival channel has taken advantage: Aurore gives the weather there. Even her own name seems cut out for it.
Best of all, Mireille has also said no. Officially, she resigned for not agreeing with the humiliation done to Aurore. I also think that it shouldn't be good for her self-esteem to know that most people didn't wanna see her. Although, at least, the two girls are getting along now.
Not like me and Fluff.
After the akuma, I asked her about the operation of the burrow and she was delighted to explain it to me. So I did the same for Hawk Moth and she refused to the budge.
I can't know about it because it will create a catastrophe and blah blah blah blah blah.
And not only that, but she scolded me for at least an hour for cutting my palms. Wasn't she supposed to already know what would happen? So why is she scolding me?
I have bandaged myself and for some time I'll wear fingerless gloves everywhere.But, in case someone happens to see the cuts, I have made a scene at home with broken glasses.My father and my brother think they are from there and if someone ask, they are witnesses.What's more, my own father made me the points.
I don't realize I've been distracted from the show until I hear it:
"Does anyone know why they did it?" That's what I wanna know. "It certainly wasn't worth it. And the director doesn't seem remorseful at all."
No? What if ... it was worth it? Something must motivate him. What if he doesn't care about 10 million because sabotage will give him many more? What if whoever paid it wasn't interested in Mireille winning, but in Aurore getting angry?
I have to talk to Max.
I get up, force Fluff into my cap, and put the watch in my pants pocket. I have had to buy several with much larger pockets to fit.
I'm going to Max's house. By foot, it isn't that far.
I ring the bell and Mrs. Kante opens.I greet her, she already knows me.She is a bit surprised, but immediately smiles and calls him.
He comes and we go to his room.
"Sorry." It's the first thing he says when we're alone.Again.
Since my birthday he has apologized a lot of times.Too many.I forgave him just to make him stop, but he keeps.
"I've already forgiven you, Max." I misjudged. Yes he cares. "I'm just not gonna congratulate you this year. But we'll continue talking as we have always done."
Max pouts. I may be a little spiteful.
"Why did you come?" He asks without malice or annoyance.
He sits in his computer chair and I do it on the floor, resting my back on his bed.
"You know how to hack."
He is startled.He turns a little in his chair, looks away.
"No, absolutely not." he lies. Horribly bad, by the way.
"Yes, it wasn't a question."
I'm comfortable, he's tense. It wasn't what I wanted.But I continue with what brought me here.
"You've heard about the Aurore scandal and you know that the channel caused it, right? I tasked myslef: why?"
His expression changes: he's interested.
"The director looked very calm after being told the amount he'll have to pay." I look at my hands.Are the bandages well covered? "But there is one thing: rich people hate paying, even more so for something that isn't for them.And that has led me to the conclusion that the money won't be his." I look up.His face has lit up. "And not only that, but he'll earn even more.Hence the motivation to humiliate Aurore."
"You're smart." I smile. He's putty in my hands.
"Does that mean that you will hack his bank account to reveal where the money comes from?"
"Only if you tell me why you want to know.It's too much of a hassle out of curiosity."
What do I tell him? Something that sounds good.
"It's because I wanna know who would be such a bad person to do something like that to Aurore."
He thinks about it for a moment.I'm not an NGO, but for trying.
"To report him?"
I nod.It'd be impossible to report him with illegally obtained evidence, but I nod.
"Okay" It's his final answer.
I get up and take a remote form his console. He's still my friend. I'm not gonna visit him just to work for me. Hanging out with him is also a nice idea.
"Let's play?"
He gets up, takes the other one, turns on the Play and sits down on the floor next to me.
We had a fun afternoon.