"Celestial Guardian, you honor me with your arrival."
Marin bowed his head respectfully to the Grand Master and Leader of the Order of the Miraculous. He was the mentor to future Guardians and the Miraculous Box. Master Fu had told him bits and pieces about The Order through his training. But Master Fu was still an apprentice at the time. His knowledge about The Order was limited. After restoring the temple Master Fu warned him about his mentor. The Celestial Guardian, Su-Han; A man who was known for being unbreakable in his stubbornness and disciplined in his role as the Celestial Guardian of the Miraculous. Standing before him now after all that build-up was akin to standing right in front of a bottomless chasm; one wrong move and he would be done for.
The Guardian looked around at all the Kwamis hovering about, who all then promptly hid behind Marin under the glare of the Celestial Guardian.
"Kwami's flying around freely..." He muttered to himself before turning his attention to the young boy in front of him. "Boy. Bring me the Miracle Box." The Guardian spoke bluntly in a harsh heavy tone, a far cry from the familiar warmth Master Fu radiated.
Marin obediently complied. He walked over to the sewing box, pressing down the correct order of spools to open the secret compartment below. He felt a wave of nervousness as he picked up the bright red ovular box with black spots. As soon as he turned around he saw Su-Han's eyes widen in disbelief. Marin felt ashamed under the gaze of the Master of his Master. Even if they had never met before, he had heard the stories.
"The Box has been bound? To you?" The Celestial Guardian's eye then narrowed directly at him as he held his hand out. Marin gritted his teeth, glaring at the Celestial Guardian as he handed over the box.
Su-Han looked over it once, fiddling with it as a young child would with a toy. He found the button atop that released all the Miraclous, looked it over, and then immediately became alarmed. "There are three Miraculous that are missing."
Marin felt his body urging him to fawn, to simply obey under the gaze of a power higher than he. "The Peacock and Butterfly Miraculous have fallen into the hands of villains. But Plagg is safe."
Su-Han cursed under his breath at the information, now turning all his attention to Marin.
"You have been named Guardian?"
A disappointed adult. Completely not one of his unsung fears. Marin tried to hold his head high in the face of his fear, trying to hide any weakness he felt.
"Yes. Master Fu named me Guardian. I am his successor."
Su-Han scoffed, breaking his stone-faced expression. "You mean yellow-bellied Fu. He is no Master and no Guardian. Thus you are no true Guardian." He then pointed his staff to the Miracle Box. "The shape of the box proves your inadequacy. That shape is unnatural and holds no insignia of the Order. If you were a true Guardian then the shape should have remained the same."
Marin bit the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from speaking out of turn. "I was entrusted this Miracle Box by Master Fu-"
"Who was an incompetant disiple!" Su-Han suddenly snapped back, causing Marin to take a step back nervously. "He never completed his training. He underwent the final trial needed to prove himself and could not even go a day without eating for a single day. Because of his lack of discipline, our order was lost."
"He was just a kid!" Marin argued back, but was spoken over.
"Moreover." Su-Han tapped his staff on the ground, his face now twisted with emotion."He left the most powerful relics in our world, in the hands of an incompetent child."
That one stung. The Celestial Guardian spoke from his perspective, of a man who had been lost to the world. Even though he held the highest authority possible, greater than his own master, something inside of Marin snapped.
"Master Fu may have made some mistakes but he was a true guardian!" Marin exclaimed back without thinking. "He messed up, but he never once forgot what he did that day! He dedicated his life to protecting the Miraculous no matter what! He gave everything to keep the Miracle Box safe and never once wavered! Don't tell me that my Master was incompetent without knowing what kind of person he was!"
"Was?"
Marin tensed up, holding back any tears that threatened to break loose. He clutched the Miracle Box tighter to his chest as he looked down at it. Chat Noir told him about his own akumatization into a monster of chaos. His own failure to defend himself against Hawkmoth could have brought about the same world that Chat Blanc created. If Master Fu hadn't been there at the time...
"He sacrificed his role to save me. To save the world."
There was a silence that filled the room as Su-Han pinched the bridge of his nose. He let out a single long breath to regain his composure. "You said that the Kwami of Destruction is safe. Where is he?"
Marin gulped. "Ah, well. I...don't exactly know at the moment. He's with his holder."
"HOLDER?!"
"His name is Chat Noir."
"WHO IS CHAT NOIR?!"
Marin tried to keep his composure in front of the Celestial Guardian. "I don't know. For safety reasons, we can't know where the other is."
Su-Han narrowed his eyes and then noticed. "You wear the Miraculous of Creation?"
Tikki then flew out of her hiding spot to stand by her holder. "That's right! Master Fu bestowed Plagg and me!"
"Guardians are never to wear a Miraculous freely. To wield them constantly without limitations and discipline gives way to madness and self-destruction. To bestow them to children of all people is unthinkable."
"But Master Fu wore the Miraculous of Protection-" Marin tried to argue back but was promptly cut off.
"Proving my point exactly. Even with the limited training he received, Fu knew very well the Divine Precepts that have guided our Order for generations. These laws are absolute and to break them confirms that he was unworthy to be Guardian, just as you are now." Su-Han narrowed his eyes directly at him with disapproval. "You are unfit to hold a Miraculous, let alone be given the title of Guardian."
Hearing those words aloud struck a cord in Marin, causing his chest to hurt. He knew. He knew that he wasn't the real Guardian. He knew that he couldn't hold a candle to a man who had spent decades of his own life protecting the Miracle Box. Nor his master who looked down on him. All of what Su-Han was saying was true. Marin hung his head, unable to speak to defend himself.
"YOU CAN'T SAY THAT!" Tikki exclaimed from the top of her lungs. She hovered right in front of the Celestial Guardian's face with a look of complete rage. "You don't know anything about what happened while you were gone. I do! And if you try to take me, or Plagg, or any one of us away from our Guardian then-"
"THEN WE'LL THROW A HUGE TANTRUM!" Sass exclaimed uncharacteristically; he was normally calm and composed. All of the other Kwami's were in agreement as simultaneously they all started to glow- a sign of them activating their powers.
"And if we throw a fit, then Plagg will surely follow!" Ziggy added additionally, growing angry as well.
"Yeah, you remember what happened to all the dinosaurs right? How about that with all of us added into the equation?!" Dizzi outright threatened.
All the Kwami's stood together against their Master. It was clear that Su-Han was not prepared for the sheer loyalty of the Kwamis to their Guardian. His flash of surprise was momentary, quickly he once again regained his composure. He folded his hands behind his back as took in the scene right before his eyes. "Very well student of Fu. I will yield this instance. It appears that I must meditate on this newly found rebellious nature."
It was Marins' turn to be surprised, hope swelled in his chest.
"However-"
Which then immediately fizzled out.
"I will return. When I do it won't be without reason. The Miraculous cannot be kept in the hands of a naive boy."
There was still a tension in the room that could not be quelled, one now between the Kwamis' and the Celestial Guardian as they both stared each other down. Suddenly a yell was heard from downstairs.
["Marin! Come downstairs!"]
The sound of his mother's voice took him out of the fold as he quickly responded, turning his back to the scene. ["Yeah! I'll be down in a sec!"] He replied. When Marin then turned around the Celestial Guardian was gone and the Miracle Box was on the ground. The tension in Marin's shoulders was released as he walked over to the Box and cradled it in his arms. The Kwami's in turn hovered around him, half of them sitting on his shoulders and head.
"Thanks, guys..." Marin said breathlessly.
"Of course!" Roarr exclaimed from atop Marins' head. "That old man doesn't know what he's talking about."
"Master Fu left us in your hands and here is where we will stay," Sass said firmly while on his shoulder.
"Yeah, plus- if he had a hard time dealing with us imagine him trying to take Plagg away from his owner." Tikki giggled. "He's more stubborn than all of us combined."
The Kwami's erupted in soft giggles, healing the cracks that Su-Han's words caused. Marin smiled to himself, looking down at the Miracle Box and at the Turtle emblem that remained unopened, even now. "Right...
Just before Marin walked down the stairs into the bakery he focused his breathing and calmed most of his nerves. He left Tikki with the other Kwamis in his room as he wanted to be by himself for a little while. He was grateful for the extra time that the Kwamis' had bought him, but he had no idea what to do with it. There was no preparation or plan made for if the Celestial Guardian came to reclaim the Miracle Box. Reasonably they would be safer far from the city and Hawkmoth's grasp, and their safety was what he was most concerned over...
Working in his parents' bakery would be a good way to distract himself from the crippling fear of losing everything Master Fu had worked towards in his life.
Marin rushed in seeing his mother holding a tray of croissants. She beamed at the sight of him and promptly handed off a tray of freshly baked pastries. The comforting smell was heavenly after the stressful day he had been having. Defeating his akumatized friends, pushing Alya further away, and being addressed by the Celestial Guardian worked up an appetite. Sneakily he placed aside a few pasties while putting away the rest in their assigned baskets for customers. He heard the bell ringing behind him and noticed a customer walking in. She was brightly dressed, and flashy, right down to her printed shoes. Marin continued with his work, focusing on the task at hand. So much so that when he turned around he didn't even notice the customer walking that was in the middle of her own shopping.
"WOAH!"
There was a sudden crash and out of reflex Marin kept the tray above his head, knowing to protect the sanctity of the pastries. He made sure the pastries were safe, quickly placing them aside as the customer he bumped into
"Oh no, are you okay?!"
"Yeah, yeah!" Marin picked himself up, balancing the tray of pastries in one hand, and turned to face the customer. She was shorter but looked to be the same age as him. She had a familiar shade of blonde hair, blue eyes, and a small dust of freckles on the tip of her nose. "Though I should be asking you that. Sorry!" He chuckled, safely placing the tray on the counter behind him to properly present himself.
"I'm okay, but that was quite the fall!"
"Yeah, I'm kind of known for that around here, it's basically my special talent; being tall and lanky and not looking where I'm going." Marin chuckled but then saw that there was a bag that fell to the ground with mini tarts spilled out. "Oh no!" He knelt down to pick them up as the girl took a step back.
"Oh, no it's okay I'll do that."
"No it's okay I'm sorry about-"
As Marin stood and the girl knelt they accidentally bumped their head against each other.
"Ah-ha. We should probably stop doing that."
The two laughed aloud together, only interrupted by Sabine calling out.
["Marin, don't go flirting with pretty girls while working!"] She teased while Marin rolled his eyes.
["We're not flirting mom. You can't call bumping into each other flirting!"]
Sabine giggled in a way that made her son wonder if she was up to something.
"I'm Marin by the way." He said holding out his hand.
The girl looked down at it and smiled, returning the gesture. "Zoé."
"Zoé huh? Are you a student around here?" Marin asked as he placed the ruined tarts aside and grabbed another bag.
"Sort of..." Zoé said shyly, rubbing her arm. "I'm here to meet my family."
"Oh neato! I'm sure they'll be happy to see you with a bunch of treats in tow." Marin promptly packed up an assorted box and handed it over to Zoé, clearly being far more expensive than what she originally paid for.
"I couldn't-" Zoé started to say before Marin placed it into her hands with a smile on his face. For some reason, she couldn't bring herself to refuse.
"Marin, why don't you escort Zoé to where she's staying?" Sabine inquired as Zoé's face turned bright red.
"I couldn't impose-"
"Sure, I could use a walk."
Zoé sighed in embarrassment as her face burned red. "I'm... I'm supposed to go here." She took out her phone and pulled up the address that was sent to her. Marin quickly read over the text and nodded at the familiarity.
"I know where that is. C'mon, I'll walk you over." Marin said eagerly, walking ahead towards the door, and opening it for her. Zoé, in turn, was flabbergasted by the kindness she had received so early on, she couldn't bring herself to refuse and walked out of the bakery clutching the box of treats.
Along the way, they casually chatted about the city, the local restaurants, and hidden places Zoé should take the time to see. On her end Zoé couldn't help but stare up at Marin who so eagerly talked about the city, never once missing a beat to say nice things. She found herself wishing that she could walk with him forever rather than visit her family. Unfortunately, good things always come to an end. She looked up at the hotel that towered over her now feeling insecure about how Marin would feel about escorting her to such a flashy place. But he didn't seem to be off-put by the sight at all.
"Thanks for dropping me off. I'll have to pay you back sometime." She said as the doorman began to approach them.
"No worries, I was happy to do it." Marin waved away any chances to return the favor. He then took out a pen from his back pocket, scribbling something on the pastry box. "If it turns out that you need anything I put my number here."
Zoé's eyes widened at the kind gesture, but then grew sullen as she looked back at the hotel. Suddenly she became nervous, thinking about how this nice person would eventually find out how unworthy she was. But she couldn't bring herself to tell him. Marin stayed with her as a butler approached them, bowing his head slightly as he turned to Zoé.
"Mademoiselle Zoé. Please, follow me. Your mother is awaiting your arrival."
Zoé grimaced at the thought of making her mother wait, knowing she would get an earful. She walked ahead into the hotel but then noticed that Jean stayed behind, having a conversation with Marin. She noticed that Marin's previous smile fell as he looked worried about something. Curiosity struck her, but she had to ignore the feeling to ask. Now all her focus had to be on playing a role placed before her, and the woman she had to impress.
"Pardon me madame, but your daughter Mademoiselle Zoé has arrived."
Zoé walked into a foyer room where her mother was lounging, being waited on hand and foot as she was reading a New York newspaper. Her mother took one look at her, lowering her sunglasses as she frowned.
"Oh my dear, you look terrible! I'm guessing the flight was horrific."
Zoé's eyes widened as she took the chance she was given. Placing her hand on her hip and looking down at her manicured hands the same way her mother did, she scowled. "Ugh, Father couldn't be bothered to look away from his work. He put me in economy class where I had to sit next to some commoner and be ignored for the entire trip. I was even expecting a private limo to pick me up, but it looks like the service at this hotel couldn't be bothered to know that a VIP was arriving." She then crossed her arms and flashed a look of discontent at the butler who took this cue to leave.
Audrey grimaced, placing her paper down and turning to her daughter. " Your father forgot to provide a private jet for you too busy for anyone, as usual. It's good that you want to live with us in Paris, but what exactly was wrong with your boarding school again? I believe that I spared every expense to ensure your comfort and education."
Her mother did do that. At the boarding school, Zoé never had to worry about expenses. Anything she wanted she asked for and it was given to her posthaste. She had everything, her parents' money, freedom...but nothing else. She was lonely, incredibly lonely at a school where everyone overlooked her and where she couldn't bring herself to even try. But her mother didn't need to know about that.
" I- I found roaches in my locker, can you believe it? That place was beneath me. The only place I deserve to be in is the same place you are, Mother."
Audrey smirked, a small smile drawing on her slips. "I expected nothing less from you." She then snapped her fingers and a row of servants suddenly appeared. "Escort Zoé to the other girl's room. She'll make sure that you're seen to."
A new wave of anxiety came over her as she walked away from her mother. Following the servants she grasped the box in her hand, constantly looking down at the phone number in hand, memorizing it just in case.
When she first saw her sister, Zoé was frozen in place. This was the half-sister her mother only mentioned in passing. A girl who bore a striking resemblance to the mother they shared, and even her mannerisms as well. Her half-sister was intimidating as she observed her up and down like a predator scoping out its prey. In turn, she crossed her arms defensively, looking uninterested.
"So… you're Zoé?" Chloé asked thoughtfully, resting her head on the back of her hand. "Blonde hair, blue eyes… Good, so far you're measuring up to the family standards, you can make an acceptable sister physically, at least. Cellphone!"
Zoé reflectively handed over her device which Chloé took one look at and then tossed to the side. "Ugh, you'll have to change the case. Not enough gold or diamonds!"Chloé opened a nearby shelf filled with various phones and tossed one at Zoé. She then looked down at her sneakers and grimaced. "Why are you wearing those tattered fashion disasters?!" Chloé walked over to her closet, throwing aside a few boxes that had designer labels on them. She smiled to herself and held out a proper engraved box that opened up to reveal diamond-encrusted heels with larger back jewels on the side." See these? These shoes are light and in life, there are winners and losers. Winners have their perfect little feet in these shoes while losers get crushed under the soles." Chloé snapped the box shut but did not shy away from gifting it to her sister.
Zoé took one look and reached for them only to have Chloé take them away at the last second. "Uh uh uh! If you want to be a winner and be part of this family, you're gonna have to earn your place. But don't worry, I'll be your mentor and see if you can prove yourself to be my sister." Chloé wrapped her arm around Zoé's shoulder and pointed her directly at the door. She then opened it up for her viewing pleasure. "Rule number one: your father only exists to give you everything you want whenever you want. DADDY!" She then yelled out so loudly Zoé winced back. A few seconds later and a rush of footsteps later, an older man came in wearing a Parisian sash. Zoé immediately recognized him as the city mayor. "I want the limo painted pink before I go to school!"
"What? But sweetheart-"
Chloé abruptly shut the door before he could respond and then placed her hands on her hips. "Since your father isn't here, you'll use mine! When you become my sister, of course. Rule number two: you need a minion. Where's yours?"
Zoé blinked as she took in what Chloé just said. She placed a hand on her hip and cocked her head in disinterest. "I left mine in New York. They were only useful enough to work for me there. Not here."
Chloé stared at her for a few seconds then smirked. "Smart. Ditch the dead weight when it starts dragging you down. Seems like you're ahead of the curve. Still, you'll need someone who will obey you without a second thought and do whatever you say! My minion does both of those things to a fault. With me around I'm certain that you'll find someone to do whatever you want." Chloé then pushed open her closet to reveal a girl with red hair sitting inside furiously writing down notes. "Sabrina does anything I tell her to without question."
"Uh, Chloé could I get more light in here? I'm worried about my vision-" Sabrina said meekly, then got a phone tossed at her just as the closet door closed.
Zoé looked at Chloé who was dusting her hands clean of the situation then back at the closet that now had some light in it.
"Get a minion who will be loyal to you without question. Minions are like heels, they have to be broken in before they're of any use."Chloé said with pride while Zoé tensed up. She wasn't exactly the type of person to tell others what to do. Much less to the extent Chloé did.
"So what happened to your last minion?" Chloé inquired as she sat down on her bed, crossing her arms.
Zoé's brain fried for a few seconds trying to come up with an answer. "They just kept making mistake after mistake. Some people you just can't teach. But like Mother says; Anyone is replaceable." Zoé smiled brightly at her dialogue, believing that it would keep up the facade for a little longer. She waited for Chloé to agree with her, but her half-sister only stared at her gripping the sleeves of her sweater before breaking eye contact.
Huh?
"We'll find you a more suitable minion tomorrow," Chloé responded as she turned around. "For now you can just borrow Sabrina," Chloé said nonchalantly before looking back at Zoé suspiciously. "How exactly did you reign in your minion?"
Reign in?!
"Oh, I-" Zoé converted her nervous energy into a reflection of Chloé's shallowness. "I just found to weakest one and started ordering them around. They were obedient for a while until I turned my back for one second. You can't find good help anywhere these days."
She flinched at the sound of Chloé's shrill laughter. "Hilarious. Utterly hilarious that you think that the bare minimum is enough." She then cleared her throat and smiled smugly at her. "You wouldn't realize this the first time around. But doing the bare minimum isn't enough to secure minion loyalty. You have to give a little to get a little back. Everyone has a price; Sabrina's is being gifted whatever last season's fashion disasters are and being paid a 5 figure salary plus dental."
"...huh?" Zoé wasn't sure she heard correctly.
"Of course, she just gets part-time wages. Everyone else in this hotel gets double that. Which is why you can ask anything of them and they'll do what you say."
Zoé was stunned as she looked back at the closet and simply nodded. Now even more in the dark about how her Parisian family functioned.
Alya texted her best friend once more, worried about where is was since classes were starting soon. She took his lack of response in stride, pocketing her phone and turning to Rose and Juleka who were nearby.
"He's still not talking?" Rose asked with concern while Juleka muttered something under her breath that Rose agreed with. "Yup, he does take his sweet time."
Alya smirked in amusement, though she was still hoping for a response. "Yup, that's our Cutie. Always having to be the center of attention-" But then the peace of the blacktop was interrupted by the shouting of Chloé at the front entrance. Alya noticed the blonde girl next to her, someone new that they had never seen before.
"HEY, YOU NOBODIES! STOP YOUR MEANINGLESS CHATTER AND LISTEN UP!" Chloé demanded before pushing the new girl right in front of her- ignoring the discomfort clearly written on her face. "This is Zoé! She's my new sister for now. So you better give her the welcome her status deserves!"
"Her sister? Chloé has a sister?" Rose as everyone looked on with surprise. Alya looked on at the scene quizzically. The gears in her head started to turn as a smile started to creep on her lips. A new member of the Bourgeois family? One that no one had ever seen before and who Chloé was blatantly calling her sister? It was too juicy to ignore.
"I smell a scoop."
Alya then noticed Chloé speeding her way toward Adrien and shoving him in front of her sister, much to his discomfort. "Rule 148: You'll need a guy best friend to ensure your status. Preferably gorgeous and very very rich! You won't find another Adrien but I'm sure we'll find a runner-up."
Adrien meanwhile was stunned by the situation he was forcefully placed in. He looked between Chloé and Zoé, trying to comprehend what was happening. "Chloé, you have a sister? Since when?"
"Since I said so. Now shush Adrikins, she needs to learn the ropes before she'll officially be my sister."
Officially huh?
"Looks like Chloé's "best friend" doesn't even know about her." Alya commented, only becoming more interested with each passing second.
Adrien started at her with a deadpan expression after hearing those familiar words. "Like you taught me the ropes?"
Chloé rolled her eyes at him. "You were SO unteachable that you ended up making friends with all these losers! When you're supposed to be only my best friend!"
"Chloé we're just childhood friends-" Adrien began explaining his stance before he was interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Hey, Chloé! I called dibs on being his best friend first!" Nino yelled out from the second floor.
"SHUT. UP. NINO! He was my friend longer!"
"Yeah, but I'm the first one who called DIBS!" Nino mocked back at her, only furthering Chloé's annoyance.
"That right there is an example of a loser." Chloé pointed directly at Nino who was waving wildly at them. "Somehow he and his little gang roped Adrien down to their level. Luckily that won't happen to you since I'm going to make sure that you'll be acquainted with the right people."
"His little gang?" Zoé questioned as Chloé rolled her eyes in exasperation. She grabbed Zoé's arm and dragged her over to the small group that was sitting on the bench.
"Nino is the headphone loser," Chloé then pointed to Alya who was scowling at her. "This is the wannabe-reporter loser, if you're not careful she'll snoop around in your locker on the basis of her own hair-brained reasoning."
"HEY-"
"And you ESPECIALLY need to stay away from their loser friend," Chloé remarked. "He's basically glued to her and is a walking disaster waiting to happen. Trust me, you'll know him when you probably see a tall guy tripping over his own feet."
The girl, Zoé looked between Chloé and Alya. In a second she crossed her arm, eyeing Alya up and down before smirking. "I can see what you mean. This girl screams desperate. Plaid just screams basic."
"Plaid speaks comfort but since we're talking," Alya took a step forward eagerly, holding up her phone to record as her attention was square on Zoé.
"Care to comment on a new sister popping up out of nowhere? As far as everyone knows you're the only daughter of New York's most renowned Fashionista and the Mayor. Yet here stands Miss Zoé. Care to quote before I research this scoop on my own terms?"
Zoé flashed a look of worry at Alya's statement but before she could say anything Chloé stepped in first, blocking her "sister".
"First of all, you're not popular enough to point a camera at my sister: Second anything you ask her to can be asked through me first: Third, if I find the name "Zoé" on your bug blog then the next thing you're going to report on is a LAWSUIT!" Chloé then grabbed Zoé's hand and took her in the direction of the principal's office on the second floor.
"She's so mean!" Rose abruptly said, grasping Alya's arm.
"Yup. Can't help if she doesn't want me posting about her sister. But nothing about doing research for my own personal curiosity." Alya said smugly, giggling to herself mischievously with a gleam in her eye.
" Mid-year admission is not so easy. There's a lot of paperwork-"
Zoé was tense as Chloé barged into the principal's office and sat down without a second thought. She mirrored her sister exactly only a beat behind, but still felt anxious about being so rude. Now her sister slammed her hand down on the principal's desk with pure contempt in her eye.
"Do you seriously mean to tell me that the principal of a school my parents personally donate to can't make room for a DAUGHTER of theirs?!"
The principal shrank in his seat, threatened by the teenage girl standing in his office. "Uh- that's, that's not what I meant! What I mean is that things like this take a few days to process-"
"Rule number 38!" Chloé snapped her fingers, not even looking back as Zoé reflexively pulled out her phone.
In their few short hours together she had a pretty good grasp on what her sister expected out of her; pure and utter disrespect to anyone that crossed them. "Would you like me to call Mayor Bourgeois, and let him know how utterly useless you've been? So useless, in fact, that this would surely run just as well without you!" She added, internally apologizing to the older man who was shaking like a baby bird.
Mr. Damocles looked between the two girls, speechless. "Uhhhh…"
Zoé stood at the front of a class situated in a chemistry room. The teacher scowled at the abruptness of a new student but held her tongue the second Mr. Damocles shook his head at her. The principal cordially smiled, though he was clearly sweating, as he presented her at the front of the room.
"May I introduce your new schoolmate, Zoé. Please obey, I mean, give her a warm welcome." He said abruptly before running out of the room as fast as he could.
Zoé looked out at the room of total strangers, only able to muster a weak, "hello" before the teacher sat her down next to another student with a red hoodie on.
As it turned out that boy was named Marc, and was very nice. They shared a few classes together, and he properly introduced her to the art teacher. Without her sister around Zoé felt more at ease. There was no expectation weighing her down and she easily fit in with the other students in her class. They were all very kind to her and the teacher even suggested that she join in on their creative study program.
At the end of their art class, their teacher asked for one of them to head over to the supply room for more paint. Zoé shot up her hand first, eager to be helpful. With a quick set of instructions, she walked through the halls of the now-empty school without a care in the world.
Marin sped as fast as he could, sprinting throughout the school after he accidentally slept in. For some reason having a stress-filled day made him a sound sleeper.
"It's pretty amazing that you can sleep through 5 alarms and 1 clock," Tikki commented from his messenger bag.
"Oh yeah Tikki, it's so amazing that after I flunk out of school for having too many tardies I can make a career out of it!" Marin said in a sarcastically panicked tone. He skidded on the sidewalk before the entrance and jumped up multiple stairs. "Shoot, it's already the second period!" He muttered under his breath just as the bell rang, signaling the class change. "...Make that third." He himself took out his phone, taking it out of sleep mode on the be bombarded by multiple texts and missed calls- primarily from Alya. "Oh nooo." He slapped his forehead and immediately looked around for his best friend. Looking around the sea of students now dispersing to their classes. He spotted her familiar face leaving the gym and felt a rush of excitement, only for it to be pitted down with guilt as he remembered their last interaction. Marin was frozen in place, wondering if he should even be approaching her, wondering if she was secretly mad at him, wondering if he should even be seen. He was so worried that he didn't notice Tikki popping her head out of the side pocket of his back, looking over his shoulder, then proceeded to quickly rectify the situation.
"HEY ALYA!" She exclaimed loudly, grabbing the attention of a few people, mainly the person in question. Marin panicked, reflexively shooing away his Kwami who had disappeared. Now there was only him and Alya making direct eye contact from across the blacktop. His face burned with embarrassment and shame for effectively isolating her, ignoring her, and yet he still thought about running away to avoid confrontation.
It was only school. It wasn't like it was important to his future or anything.
In return, Alya shot him a soft smile and then yelled out. "HEY! YOU MISSED HOMEROOM!" Then gestured for him to come over. The tension eased off of him, silently thanking his stars for sending him the most understanding best friend in existence. He didn't deserve her. They reunited near the staircase on the first floor. Alya was smiling, crossing her arms smugly as he was shyly fixing his own hair.
"You're pretty late." She crossed her arms, shooting him a knowing smile- already knowing why he was so late. "Seems like you've also developed the skill of ignoring messages?"
Marin chuckled weakly at his own mistake. "Yeah...really it helps my sleep when I'm not bombarded with well wishes." He said carefully, not wanting to offend any good intentions she had.
"As the Captain of said Well-wishes, I do believe that you're going to have to make it up to me somehow. Perhaps with a modest dozen of assorted pasties?" She suggested, holding out her hand to him; a sign of truce.
A genuine smile broke out on his face as Marin grasped her hand, nodding in agreement to her terms. "For sure." As soon as he said so, Alya's eyes burst with excitement, and she grasped his hand tighter as her eyes sparkled. If past experience had taught him anything, it was that an excited Alya would lead to future difficulties.
"Okay great! Now I absolutely HAVE to tell you what happened this morning!" Alya exclaimed. "So Chloé right? Turns out she has a sister!"
"A sister?" Marin questioned, cocking his head in confusion. He could hardly stand to look at the blonde heiress already, he couldn't even comprehend two of them walking around. "Our Chloé? Where did she get a sister?"
"Yeahyeahyeah! Chloé just yelled at us about her this morning. There's definitely a family resemblance going on there! But what's really interesting is that her last name isn't the same as Chloé's family!" Alya's journalistic personality bubbled through her explanation.
"Woah Alya, how do you know all this?" Marin asked after his best friend bombarded him with information.
"I did my own quick research, still doing some casual background checks on my sources. But- judging from the way this new sister was acting this morning, I think we may have two Chloes on our hands."
The prospect was terrifying in itself. Two Chloes. Each is as cruel as the other one, perhaps even more so. It was just his luck that day he was allowed to go back to school another tormentor would show their head. Even so-
"Alya, you can't just make rash judgments after one day. Aren't you the one who's always championing evidence and getting both sides of the story?" Marin reminded her. "This girl has been around for a day and you're running background checks on her? Have you even talked to her yet?"
"She appeared out of nowhere! Who does that?!" Alya pointed out, still excited over the scoop she was unraveling. "Moreover it would be handy to know if we have to deal with another selfish brat that does whatever she wants."
"Even so," Marin said bluntly as he spoke factually. "This girl hasn't even been given a chance. Once we're properly introduced in the right setting I'm sure we'll all find that we can get along-"
There was an abrupt yelp, and the next thing Marin saw was bright red splashing all over his body.
"WHA-" Alya flinched back, getting a little bit of paint on herself since she was in the splash zone.
It took a second for Marin to process what had just happened. He remained calm and wiped the paint off of his eyes so he could actually see. He and Alya both looked up to see a girl with bright blonde hair and a cerulean blue beanie looking down at them in pure shock. Off in the distance, Chloé was laughing her head off at the scene with Sabrina nearby. Marin looked back up at said sister and immediately recognized the shocked face looking down at him.
"As I was saying," Alya said gently pointing directly up. "Meet Chloé's new sister. Zoé."
It was an accident. Really it was!
She was just carrying too much at a time. With all the paint cans stacked up Zoe honestly believed that she could handle it. She just tripped for a split second and then her entire world fell apart. She couldn't stand to be at that school any longer so she ran as fast as she could back to the hotel. Tears streamed down her face as she couldn't erase the image of what she had just done. In a single day, she managed to be terrible to the only person who was nice to her! Everything she did was wrong, there was no excuse for her actions. As soon as she set foot back into the hotel she wanted to desperately be alone. Her search took her to the roof where there wasn't a soul in sight.
Zoé curled up into a ball, hugging her legs close to her, and let out all the anguish and loneliness that had been building up. She couldn't do anything right. Her past schoolmates didn't want her; her father was always too busy for her; her mother only noticed her when she was complaining about some minor issue; her half-sister would soon find out how weak she actually was, she would disown her; there was no one left.
"Is everything okay, Zoé?"
Zoé looked up to see her stepfather standing nearby. He spoke gently as he knelt down next to her. She immediately wiped her tears away and stood up, flaunting a scowl despite her wet face.
"I'm not fine! At school, I couldn't even think straight with so many people around me! They're all noisy and smelly and horrible!"
Andre simply looked up at her and smiled gently. "You don't have to pretend in front of me."
"I'M NOT PRETENDING!" Zoé argued back, desperate to keep up the facade. But Andre easily saw through her.
"I know it's hard to live up to the expectations of this family. I did the same for your mother and I'm still doing it for Chloé. You don't need to pretend in front of me."
Zoé wiped away a few lingering tears, trying to appear presentable instead of someone who was about to break down again. "What do you mean?" She asked hesitantly as Andre beckoned her to follow him. He showed her to a hidden cellar door. Opening it up revealed a pile of old scripts, headshots, and an old film reel.
"During my youth, my dream was to be a filmmaker. Someone who could tell stories that would move people's hearts and create fond memories just like I had. But then, I fell head over heels, and I wanted to make her happy in any way that I could. In order to earn her heart I had to earn my place. To become a man of a certain standard and class. Someone who could never be associated with artists. What are your dreams?"
Zoé was hesitant to let down her guard but leaned onto her stepfather out of desperation. "I-I want to be an actress- wanted to anyway. I'm good at pretending, saying whatever I need to in order to make everyone feel happy. But..." She looked down at her sneakers. "Once everyone found out I was pretending it was all over. I couldn't stand to go back there after being so stupid. Now I messed up all over again and there's nothing I can do about it." She covered her eyes as tears started to well up again, thinking about the accident at school and how there was no way she could ever go back.
Andre placed a hand on her shoulder in support. "It can be hard when you can't be yourself- especially when your family is against you. If it makes you feel better you don't have to go back. We can just arrange something for you, homeschool you even. I promise to make sure that you're taken care of."
Zoé hung her head, thinking back to what Chloé told her. If she gave in, if she ran away then everyone at school would hate her. If she went back, they would assume she spilled the paint on purpose The only thing left to do would be to rely on Chloé, to become like her. But thinking about being cruel again made her sick to her stomach. There was no outcome where she could safely be herself. No possible way to escape this awful day. She was trapped in her daze so much, she never noticed the butterfly that approached and disappeared into the sneakers she loved.
"Chloé's influence is so toxic that she's managed to corrupt her sister in a few hours." Alya concurred, bringing their small group up to speed on the events that had just occurred. She was sitting near Adrien and Nino after texting the two of them to meet her in the art room. Marin was next to the sink, trying his best to wash the red out of the top half of his body- now only wearing the black tank top he always wore under his shirt and a spare pair of gym shorts.
"Looks like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree in that family," Nino commented, sitting on top of a table as Adrien sat next to him in a chair. "Luckily she's not in our class, but now Marc has to deal with her."
"Come on guys ease off." Marin walked towards them with a towel on his head but still had clear red marks on his face and body. "I'm sure she's got a lot on her plate. I'm sure this is just a big misunderstanding."
"You still got a little paint on your forehead there Cutie." Alya pointed out.
"Oh." Marin felt around for the paint but then was intercepted as Adrien helped clean his face.
"You're too nice for your own good Marin. Anyone near Chloé Bourgeois is bound to be bad news. Remember? This is the girl who has already tried to expel half of us, just because she didn't like us. Not to mention she doesn't have an ounce of morality in her. That Zoé girl is probably the same way."
"A-hem, need I remind you all of the last person we thought was a bad apple just because he was around Chloé?" Marin coughed dryly, jerking his head to their other friend standing right next to him.
"I'm the apple," Adrien said cheekily his hands now covered in smeared red paint.
"Adrien's different." Nino swatted away the counterargument, placing his hands on his hips assertively. "He just tripped you over and destroyed dozens of your homemade cookies that you spend countless hours on. Zoé just dropped paint on you and ruined your favorite outfit."
"Yeah, but if we got Zoé away from her sister and talked to her properly we'd probably get a better picture of the situation," Marin suggested. "At the bakery yesterday she was very sweet, and I got the feeling that she's just conforming to what her family wants from her. Look at Chloé, she acts exactly like her mom."
Alya hummed to herself. "I dunno. Even if what you're saying is true, it's a red flag that she acts so differently with different people."
"Which is why we have to ask her directly." Adrien prompted, standing by his friend. Both Alya and Nino exchanged a single look before unanimously conceding.
"Yeah alright, we'll do it your way," Nino said playfully while Alya nodded.
"Buuuuuut- if it turns out she's a real Chloé.2.0. I get to say I told you s-" Alya began saying as the room started to shake. Within the art room, everything began falling over. Nino acted first, running to the window just in time to see a large gold foot stomping on a car. Luckily the driver successfully evaded getting squished but was not happy about the state of his vehicle.
" Hey, you! Watch where you put your feet-" He yelled but then was stomped on by the large girl, causing her to become even bigger.
Nino took one look at the situation outside and then turned back to his friends. "You guys are not going to believe what's going on out there." He said briefly as Alya grabbed his wrist so they all could escape the building. While doing so the roof of the school was removed just in time to see a giant golden Chloé looking down at them.
As soon as they were outside and a good distance away the couple quickly realized that it was just them.
"What happened to Marin and Adrien?"
"CHLOE!" The akumatized victim bellowed out as everyone in the range had to cover their ears.
Both Ladybug and Chat Noir landed on a roof nearby at the same time as the city erupted into a chaotic mess of people running away from the giant girl.
"...So who do you think she's after?" Chat Noir inquired playfully. He glanced at his partner, wondering if the joke landed, only to be met with Ladybug staring directly at him with a serious expression. "Um, Bugaboo? I know this face is irresistible, but at the moment I'm spoken for-"
"I.." Ladybug started to say before a car was sent flying in their direction. Ladybug reacted first- spinning his yo-yo to create a net for the vehicle to fall on.
Chat Noir blinked at him once, but before he could respond his partner turned his direction back onto the akumatized victim. "...Later. I'll talk to you later." Ladybug added quickly getting his priorities back. He threw his yo-yo towards the school while Chat Noir was left in his dust.
"I'M NOT IN TROUBLE AM I?!" Chat Noir called back, waiting a few seconds before adding. "I HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU TOO!"
It wasn't hard for Ladybug to find Chloé. She was in her homeroom class chewing gum while playing on her phone unperturbed at the erupting chaos around her. The hero immediately grabbed her arm, pulling her from the seat as she fought back.
"HEY! I'll have you arrested in a second for bothering me!" She threatened while her words flew over Ladybug's head. Just before he was about to retort he noticed that she was holding someone else's phone. It was obvious once he saw that her phone case was devoid of expensive jewels, and looked more beat up than anything. He took one look at what she was looking at and for a second saw a photo of Zoé. It took 2 seconds for him to connect the dots- but now wasn't the time for confrontation about Chloé's sisterly relationship.
He forcefully picked her up just before the giant golden Chloé tried to grab them. Using his yo-yo they landed on the rooftops of the nearby buildings from from the giant girl's grasp. Chat Noir passed him by, nodding at him just before his partner diverted the giant Chloé's attention.
"LET. ME. GO!" Chloé demanded as she tried to struggle out of his grasp until ultimately Ladybug had to jump down to ground level. He darted down into the subway, out of sight, and only then did he put her down. Chloé cursed under her breath as she immediately tried to get as far from him as possible, brushing off the dust from her clothes. She glared at him and tried to leave in the same direction they came from.
"Chloé, can you please wait a second," Ladybug insisted, grabbing her wrist again as the blonde gritted her teeth.
"WHAT?!" She snapped, quickly becoming fed up with being around the hero. She glared at him directly, holding eye contact to be as intimidating as possible. But for some reason, Ladybug felt a pang of sympathy. It had been a while since he had been face-to-face with his bully. She was easily the worst person he had ever come across. Running his projects, lying to make him look bad, and even humiliating him every chance she got. Yet for some reason, his annoyance was replaced with the memory of her at her parents' anniversary party.
"Are you okay?" He asked while Chloé immediately tried to get away from him. Much to her chagrin the hero wasn't budging. "You've been quiet ever since the day of your parents' anniversary."
When you were turned into Miracle Queen.
"Why the heck do you care?!" Chloé shot back, now giving him trying to escape from the stronger hero. "Shouldn't you be De-akumatizing my sister from her tantrum?!"
"Tantrum?" Ladybug questioned curiously at Chloé's specific word choice. He wouldn't define being akumatized by Hawkmoth as a tantrum.
"Yeah! It's just Zoé's little tantrum. Probably because she's fed up with all the second-rate treatment she's been getting. She so obviously hates being here and being part of this family. You should have seen her face when I told her to change her phone and shoes. What a loser, pathetic utterly pathetic." Chloé scoffed, turning her head away and placing her free hand on her hip. "Now she's taken my likeness without asking. Obviously, she needs someone like me to idolize. Otherwise, she's no better than a bug-enamored reporter, or a penniless baker boy."
Ladybug narrowed his eyes starting to feel less sorry for her. He chided himself for thinking that Chloé of all people would be feeling down. He shook any sympathy before pulling out his bug phone- all while holding onto Chloé. "Chat Noir-" Ladybug began to say but was met with a loud banging sound and a panicked partner.
"My Lady! I'm really gonna need you to tell this villain that I'm not her Sole-mate! She keeps trying to stomp me out!" Chat Noir exclaimed from the other end before the call abruptly ended. The dial tone rang a few times before Ladybug hung him, now worrying about his partner. He looked at Chloé, seeing that she was still being defiant as always, and sighed heavily. Just as he was about to snap at her he noticed that she still had a few scars on her hand from her attempts at sewing. Though now they were mostly covered up with makeup. Had he not run into her that day then he wouldn't have noticed. Ladybug took a deep breath and tried to push down lingering resentment.
"Chloé...I don't know what happened on your parent's anniversary but there's nothing wrong with feeling bad. If you need someone to talk to I'm sure I can help recommend someone." Ladybug sincerely requested worrying about her well-being, but he was met with her venom.
"No matter what happens you'll just turn everything back to the way it was right?! WHY DOES ANYONE NEED TO WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING?! YOU'RE THE HERO WHO SAVES EVERYONE SO DO YOUR JOB AND FORGET ABOUT ME!" She then marched off without a second thought after successfully taking her hand back. After a moment of hesitation, Ladybug turned back to the street where he was needed while he was left with an unsettled pit in his stomach.
Chat Noir's feet landed on the ground just to be sent airborne once again as Sole Crusher tried to kick him. She had already stomped on enough citizens to be as tall as the surrounding buildings. A few more civilians and he would have nowhere else to run to. "I'm not a fan of heels. I'm more of a Puss in Boots!" Chat Noir whimpered as his breath was being squeezed out of him like he was a tube of toothpaste.
"You'll be squished in boots soon enough!" Sole Crusher retorted as she successfully grabbed him while he was stunned in the air. She grinned at him victoriously while the hero tried to wiggle free. "Once I crush everyone in the city there will be no one left who can make me feel small!"
"You don't have to crush anyone to do that Zoé!" Ladybug landed on her shoulder and spoke directly into her ear. Sole Crusher flinched at the abrupt sound, trying to swat away the bug shouting in her ear. Ladybug evaded the first swipe but was sent flying at the second one. In the air he managed to throw his yo-yo towards her horns, swinging back into the fight and landing atop her head. "I know that you may have started the day off on the wrong foot but that doesn't mean everything's over!
Chat Noir still struggled against the giant's grasp. "I don't think this Sole Crusher is up for chit-chat right now!"
"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug threw his yo-yo up and caught a fruit basket filled with an array of various exotic fruits wrapped in a ladybug print bow. "What am I going to do with you..." Skillfully he evaded attacks while holding onto the basket
"MAYBE TRY WELCOMING HER TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD?!" Chat Noir yelled out while still struggling in Sole Crusher's grasp.
Sole Crusher tried to swat at Ladybug again but this time the hero was ready. He attached his yo-yo to one of Sole Crusher's horns and swung around her head. Sole Crusher didn't let him out of her sight and proceeded to try and catch him over and over with her free hand. Furthering the distance between them Ladybug noticed there was a familiar large spiked fruit in the basket.
"No one is going to tell me who to be EVER AGAIN!" Sole Crusher exclaimed victoriously once again grabbing for Ladybug while he threw the Lucky Charm directly into her hand. She easily crushed the basket, laughing aloud. "Your powers are as pathetic as you are! Ridiculous, utterly ridi- UGHH!" Sole Crusher then gagged at a new aroma surrounding her. It was so bad that she dropped her grip on Chat Noir to cover her nose but that only proved to make the situation worse.
Chat Noir landed on his feet after he jumped out of her hand. He scrunched his nose up at the smell as well before extending his staff and jumping to his partner.
"What the heck is that smell?!"
Ladybug didn't take his eyes off of Sole Crusher as she stomped through the city. "I thought you liked smelly things."
"Not that smelly." Chat Noir scrunched his nose in displeasure. "You know where the akuma is?" He asked his partner. Before Ladybug could respond Sole Crusher tripped over her own feet, snapping her heels in two and releasing a familiar butterfly. The two heroes exchanged a surprised look at the stroke of luck that rested at their feet.
"The bigger they are, the harder they fall." Chat Noir noted as Ladybug caught the Akuma in his yo-yo.
"Miraculous Ladybug!" Ladybug threw his lucky charm over his head, releasing a wave of magical ladybugs that turned everything back to normal.
Zoe couldn't bring herself to look up at the two heroes that saved her. She instead tried to hold back her tears and make herself appear as small as possible.
"Zoe?" Ladybug prompted gently, smiling at the younger girl. "It's not your fault."
"I..."
"Yeah, this is kinda par for the course. You can consider yourself a real Parisian now." Chat Noir tried to say helpfully but was jabbed by Ladybug's elbow.
"I'm really sorry, about everything. I thought if I had to become like my sister to be accepted. But instead, I just ran away. I just keep running away- hoping that others will accept the real me. It's no wonder why no one wants to be seen with me..."
"You can't expect other people to accept you if you're not honest with them." Chat Noir prompted.
"Yeah... I've been running away from my problems for so long. I just didn't know how to confront them head-on. I'm going to be myself no matter what my family says about me. Maybe then, I can actually make amends. Thank you, Ladybug and Chat Noir I think I know what I have to do now."
Zoe thanked the heroes again and walked off into the inner city. The two heroes saw her off, only turning to each other as Ladybug's earrings warned him of his impending de-transformation. Ladybug touched his earrings, lingering next to his partner even though he knew better.
"Bugaboo?" Chat Noir asked in concern. "Are you doing alright?"
Ladybug turned to his partner, staring into his bold green eyes. Chat Noir was his ally, his partner, everything that he could ever want in a confidant. Yet he himself was ridden with uncertainty. If it turned out that he had to give up being the Guardian and renounce his title- he didn't want his last moments with his partner to be an argument. Instead, Ladybug unexpectedly hugged him tightly. He could feel Chat Noir tense up under the embrace. He wanted so much for this moment to remain longer, to feel comforted next to another person- but the hero knew he had to hold back. "I'm fine. I guess I just needed a hug."
Chat Noir's ears perked up as he pulled himself back from the hug- his face now red. "Well uh, can't say I don't enjoy hugs. But you should know that I'm a cat who is spoken for now."
It was Ladybug's turn to be surprised, and a little disheartened. "Oh, congrats! Anyone would be lucky to have you." Ladybug said supportively, but their interaction was cut short by earrings once again beeping. "I'll see ya around." Ladybug threw his yo-yo to a nearby lamp and swung off in a random direction- reminding himself that he had more important matters to address.
"See?! She's a fraud!" Chloé pointed out just as Zoé walked into her step-sister's bedroom. Their mother was sitting on the couch looking uninterested. "She only pretended to act just like you- Mother send her back to New York this instant!"
Zoé was taken aback by Chloé's statement. But instead of confronting her, Zoé turned to her mother. Audrey in turn crossed her arms as spared her a single look.
"Mother. I would like to stay in Paris. I like it here, I like my new school, and I think I can actually make some friends." Zoé said sincerely while Chloé gagged.
"Friends? We're not supposed to have friends! We're supposed to order people around and replace them with better people! Case in point!" Chloé pointed at her sister directly. "You're a failure as a Bougeious. You don't deserve to be here!"
"Are you done?"
Audrey was now scrolling on her phone, still appearing uninterested in what her daughter had to say. Zoé noticed that Chloé looked taken aback by their mother's tone which was aloof and distant.
"Zoé is going to stay here as long as she wants."
"WHAT?!"
"What?"
Both daughters looked at Aubrey in pure shock at her response. "If you don't want to see her then Zoé can stay on another floor. So long as you don't see her will you stop bothering me with your little tantrums?"
Chloé's face turned red in frustration. "BUT SHE'S ONLY GOING TO CAUSE TROUBLE!"
Audrey was already walking out of the room, having checked out from the conversation. "Zoé." She beckoned her younger daughter to follow her.
Zoé looked between her distant mother and her antagonistic sister. "I'll bring your shoes back-"
"KEEP THEM!" Chloé snapped. "I don't want anything that you've touched. Those shoes have already depleted in value after being touched by your hands. They're worthless now." Chloé turned her back to her step-sister without a second thought. Not wanting to anger her further, Zoé left without another word. As she entered the hall she was met with Andre who was waiting.
"I'll show you to your new room." He said supportively. "It's located on the other side of the hotel, so far that there'll be a separate elevator available for you to use."
Zoé smiled at the support but she still looked back at Chloé's room that was now locked. "Is she going to be okay?" She asked while being guided away.
Andre merely sighed heavily, exhausted from the mere mention of his other daughter. "She'll be fine, she always gets over her tantrums."
Marin tapped the Miracle Box in his hands, standing atop the roof of his room. All of the Kwami's had returned to the box leaving only Tikki by his side. In turn, the Celestial Guardian returned just as before. He skillfully bounded across the rooves of the city with little effort before landing on the railing before MArin- towering over him for a few seconds before landing on the ground.
"You've brought the box." Su-Han observed. "Be forewarned that I have no intention of leaving the city without the box."
Marin was unsettled at the amount of animosity the Celestial Guardian was radiating for a monk of many years. "Even if it's against the wishes of the Kwami's?" He inquired as Su-Han scoffed at the notion.
"The Kwami's are to be sealed within the box always and forever until a chosen Guardian is allowed to be its holder. You were not chosen. From your battles, I can discern that you are driven by needless emotion unbefitting of a Guardian. You are an unsuitable Miraculous wielder, a flawed Guardian, and an even lesser insignificant individual. Fu was wrong to choose you and the Cat Miraculous holder."
Anger flared within Marin at hearing this old man insult his master and partner. He stared directly at the Celestial Guardian now seeing him as just a rude old man who had no idea what he was talking about.
"Maybe you're right I am unsuitable to be a Keeper of the Miraculous. But that's because being a Guardian isn't enough anymore."
If Su-Han was taken aback he showed no sign of it. But Marin pushed forward, quickly growing tired of being pushed around and being talked down to.
"You say that I'm not fit to be a Guardian, but you're only saying that because every Guardian in the past was guided by laws that only accounted for all the Miraculous being safe in a single box." Marin said with unwavering sincerity. " These circumstances are different. Master Fu spent his whole life protecting the box and he passed his teachings onto me. My role as Guardian is to protect and take care of the Kwami's but also to take care of the people that they affect. Master Fu may have been flawed but he knew that leaving the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous alone would only hurt more people. Until the day comes that they are returned to the box I will continue to be the Guardian that this city and the Kwami's need me to be."
Su-Han narrowed his eyes directly at Marin who this time didn't waver against his senior.
"Very well. If you truly believe in your resolve, then it my my duty to hold you to your word." Su-Han looked out to the city, still radiating animosity. "For now I will merely observe your progress. In time I determine if you truly deserve to be hailed as a Guardian. Should that day come I shall step aside, but if not- you will renounce your title and the Miracle Box."
"Then-"
"But heed my words boy." Su-Han said more harshly. "Your reaction against the other Miraculous is what enables this never-ending conflict. So long as the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous cause havoc, the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous will respond in turn. To break the cycle one of these elements must be removed. As it stands before me, removing the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous is the act to enact."
"But the city-"
"Will no longer rely on the responsibility of children. It is true that you and this Chat Noir have held your ground against the threat. But you are not this world's only protectors. Do well to remember that."
Marin watched the Celestial Guardian take his leave, jumping back into the inner city and leaving him with a newfound responsibility on his shoulders. He had to prove that he was a Guardian, a true Guardian; Or else he would lose everything that he worked so hard to protect. Marin looked down at the box in his hands, unable to feign a smile when Tikki hovered near his head.
"I'm sure this will be fine. It's not like I have anything else to worry about right now." He tried to be optimistic, but it was only met with his Kwami hugging his face.
Chloé stood atop the roof of the hotel overlooking the city alone. Her face burned with embarrassment, her eyes stinging with a few tears that were shed in lieu of her mother's lack of sympathy for her situation. She was fuming with a mix of emotions that threatened to burst at the seams. At the core of all of this was a phone that she clutched in her hand.
["It's just as I said isn't it?"]
Hawkmoth's voice echoed in her mind as she quickly saw the discolored appearance of the cellphone. The villain never raised his voice yet his tone annoyed her even further.
["She's brought her real daughter to the city now that you've failed her."]
Chloé could only scoff at the villain's attempts at manipulation. "Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. I'm Chloé Bougeious, daughter of New York's premier fashionista and the Mayor of Paris. If you think you can manipulate me back into that monster think again!" Chloé gripped the phone with all her strength, prepared to throw it onto the ground to break the connection. "I am their daughter, their real daughter no matter what happens."
"I have no intention of bringing back Miracle Queen my dear Chloé. All I ask is that you see that I will never lie to you. Your family has already betrayed your trust, and soon you'll see exactly what everyone else thinks of you. When the time is right, I know you'll make the correct choice."
"Keep dreaming high Fashion-Fly. It only makes it more hilarious to see you fail with each pitiful attempt. Ladybug and Chat Noir are always going to beat you no matter what."
"Your loyalty to your heroes is admirable. But I wonder how strong your loyalty to your family and hero will hold once your delusion disappears. Ultimately, you've made it so that no one is going to spare you a second thought once Zoé takes your place."
The connection was lost.
All that was left was Chloé standing alone under the night sky. She still held onto the phone with a death grip. The defiance that built up all day was released in an instant with a heavy sigh. In this silence, there was no one left to vent her anger to. She looked down at the cell phone in her hand, Zoé's cellphone that she had stolen earlier. Her step-sister didn't even bother to lock it, no doubt because she felt like no one would look through it. It was easy to find what she was looking for. Within the gallery there are only a few photos, the single one that Chloé singled out was a family portrait. It was taken a few years ago as evidenced by Zoé's younger appearance, and their mother's old hairstyle, a high ponytail. Standing behind them was a familiar man, Asian with dark hair and striking bright blue eyes.
Chloé grimaced at the sight of all of them standing together, smiling like they were a real family, ignoring the stinging sensation that made her chest hurt. Hawkmoth's final words echoed in her mind, causing cracks to form in her will. Everything she had repressed was coming back in full force. At the forefront of it all was the realization that the villain of Paris was right. It was because of her own mistakes that everyone hated her, it was because of her own stupid memories that she felt justified in taking out all her anger against the guy who was once her best friend, and the worst part of it all was that it was too late.
"NO."
Chloé snapped back to reality, trying to prevent the mass flood of emotions from breaking through. She shook her head, trying in desperation to stick to her guns and erase any feeling of guilt that threatened to surface.
"It's not my fault! My mother loves me! My father will always do whatever I ask for! Zoé is just a loser like the rest of my class! That guy doesn't know what he's talking about. He's the villain, he's a liar who will say anything to akumatize anyone. Even if I listen, Ladybug will save me. He can save anyone..." That stinging sensation grew stronger the more she tried to reason it away. All she could do was ignore it, gritting her teeth together until it hurt. "I'll show him, I'll show that Fashion Freak that he's wrong, he's wrong about EVERYTHING!"
Yet when all was said and done, she realized that all the yelling and screaming was worthless if no one was around to hear it.
Notes:
- Parallels, Parallels everywhere.