Marinette took a deep breath and stared into Chloe's watery and confused eyes. Was she really going to trust Chloe Burgeios with her secret identity?
"W-what? All of a sudden you think we're best friends?" Chloe asked gently pushing Marinette's hands off her shoulders.
Marinette sighed. That one statement brought her back to reality. "Best friends." She hadn't even told her actual best friend her secret and here she was willing to risk all of Paris for the girl who misery followed?
"I-I-" Marinette was running out of breath and out of time. She closed her eyes and let her mind run clear. When she opened them again Chloe scooted back at the ferociousness in her eyes. "I'm going to trust you. Don't make me regret it, or you will." Marinette said with so much ice in her voice that all Chloe could do was nod silently.
Marinette looked down at the carpeted floor of Miss bustier's office hoping for some kind of escape. None came. She closed her eyes, "T-Tiki! Spots on!" She said and let the familiar sensation of magic coat her skin. She leaned her head back and breathed a sigh of relief feeling the power run through her body. Finally, she opened her eyes.
Chloe sat transfixed for a moment and then began to shake her head furiously. "No! NO! That's not possible!" She yelled and Ladybug put a finger to her lips to remind Chloe that they were still in danger. Chloe glanced toward the door but quickly brought her attention back to Marinette.
"Look. You heard what the super villain said, he's looking for all of the girl's in Paris, and we don't know what he's doing with them, or what all the men and boys of Paris are doing. For all I know, Chat Noir could already be captured and all hawkmoth needs is me! I need your help Chloe, so I'm really hoping you meant what you said." Ladybug said rising to her feet and holding out her hand to, Chloe.
Ladybug saw every emotion cross Chloe's face before eventually it hardened in the anger she was so familiar with. The two were locked in a staring contest and for a moment Ladybug considered locking her up here and facing the fight alone. Maybe, this was a mistake. Then Chloe let out a bitter laugh and shook her head. She looked back up at Ladybug and took her hand.
Once she had risen to her feet she said, "You really do get everything I want don't you?" She smiled and rolled her eyes.
Ladybug let out a relieved laugh event though her statement stung. The comparson Chloe had been subject to was still a sore subject for the both of them. "Not really, afterall, this isn't the costume you really want, is it?" She asked and Chloe shook her head no. Ladybug was her idol and she couldn't imagine anyone else taking her place.
"Well! What are we waiting for?" Chloe said holding out her hand expectantly. While she was still trying to cope with Marinette being Ladybug, she was more excited to see her old friend Pollen again.
"Right. I have to go get the miraculous, so I need you to stake out the villain while I do. Who is he and whats his motive, other than getting mine and Chat Noir's miraculous?" Ladybug said pacing over to the window and looking out for any signs of the villain. There were no signs of him or anyone else, anywhere.
"Ok, so where do we find him?" Chloe asked putting her hand on her hip.
"Well there's only one place that can hold that many people." Ladybug said turning back to Chloe. "The zoo."
The two of them made their way out of the school and Ladybug was careful to monitor their surroundings as they made their way across town to the Paris, Zoo. Chloe, to her credit, was doing her best to be a good partner, looking around corners, pointing out reflections in windows, and even going before Ladybug on most streets. Ladybug couldn't say this meant everything was better between them, or that Chloe was all good now, but it was a start. Finally, the pair made it to the zoo.
Ladybug hoisted Chloe up onto some nearby roofs until they managed to find the villain among the crowd of men. He stood atop the lion's cage which was filled to the brim with women and girls. Chloe pointed to other nearby cages and exhibits, they were all the same.
The women shouted at husbands, fathers, and brothers to get them out, but they were only met with laughter and taunting. One little girl clung to the bars and with tears streaming down her face screamed, "Daddy stop being mean!" To which a man spat at her shoes and walked away to the sound of her wails.
"This is awful." Ladybug said, pulling out her phone to check her messages. Master Fu had not responded, but she also didn't see him among the men in the zoo who were clearly under the villain's influence.
"What are we going to do?" Chloe asked desperately staring at the people below.
"I'll leave you here while I go and get the Bee miraculous. Watch the villain to see if you can find any weaknesses that will lead us to where his akuma is hiding." Ladybug said as she tried to calculate the probability of Chat Noir being among the masses, or hiding somewhere on orders to catch her.
"You do this all the time?" Chloe asked snapping Ladybug out of her thoughts.
"Oh..um…yeah? Almost everyday sometimes. If you don't want to get involved you don't have to." Ladybug said to Chloe.
"Pfft. Please! I've fought Hawkmoth with you remember? It's just-I can't imagine being ready to do this whenever-wherever." Chloe said looking down at the chaos below. "Especially for a loser like you it must be hard." Chloe added, but Ladybug knew by the subtle blush on the girl's cheeks that she was trying to save face.
"I know. It's not easy to be honest, but it's worth it when everything goes back to normal and Paris is safe again." Marinette said looking out at the deserted city. "Alright. Are you ready?" She said turning back to Chloe. Chloe nodded much like she did back in Miss Bustier's office.
"I'll be back in no time." Ladybug said before she darted off in the opposite direction being careful to fly quickly and quietly away from the scene.
Marinette hoped beyond hope that she had made the right decision in telling Chloe her identity. She darted through the city all the while calling Chat Noir on her bug phone, but he didn't pick up. The fate of Paris was up to her and Chloe.
Ladybug finally made it to Master Fu's clinic. She landed in a nearby alley carefully deciding if she should detransform. Every female in Paris had been captured as far as Hawmoth knew. Would it be suspicious that Marinette was looking for Chinese medicine while the world was ending? Of course it would, but it would be more suspicious as ladybug right? Afterall, if anyone was watching her they would question what she was doing here instead of the zoo, and after making her appearance with Chloe it would be obvious. She was pretty sure she wasn't followed, so she risked running into his shop with her suit on. She quickly closed the door behind her and looked around the room. No one was here.
"Master?" She called into the empty room, but no response came. Maybe, this was for the better now she wouldn't have to explain to Master Fu that she was giving the Miraculous to Chloe again after they agreed she wouldn't, and she wouldn't have to lie to him about revealing her identity…for now.
She rushed over to the miracle box and punched in the code. The gems sparkled up at her welcomingly. She carefully picked up the Bee miraculous and then closed the box leaving it as it was. She waited for a few moments before heading back out to make sure she hadn't been followed. She tried to call Chat Noir one more time, but once again he didn't picked up. All she could do was hope he was transformed somewhere among the masses.
She exited Master Fu's clinic and made her way back to Chloe as quickly as possible. She was relieved when she spotted her golden hair from a few buildings away.
"Hey." She said as she crawled her way across the roof to where Chloe was. She saw the blonde give a slight jump, but she sighed when she saw who it was.
"Did you get it?" Chloe asked and Ladybug nodded flashing the Bee miraculous at Chloe. Chloe beamed at the object and then at Ladybug.
"Did you learn anything while I was gone?" Ladybug said moving over to the edge of the roof and looking out at the zoo. She clutched the miraculous in her hand tightly.
"Yes, I think the Akuma is in that hideous bracelet he's wearing. The one on his left wrist. I heard him taunting the girls earlier, and it sounds like he tried to give it to one of them-that one! With the bad dye job! I mean really, how hard is it to go to a salon?!" Chloe exclaimed flipping her ponytail over her shoulder in distaste.
"Chloe…" Ladybug said in a warning tone.
"Oh, right. Sorry. Basically, he tried to give it to her along with a confession of love and she rejected him, and honestly who wouldn't? So, he's created this vendetta against women. He wants to rule over Paris and only bring the women out when they want to be subservient, or whatever, to the men, but he's holding off until he traps you. Honestly, a real loser if you ask me." Chloe said rolling her eyes at the villian who sat impatiently tapping his fingers on his chair. He must be waiting for her to show up.
"Excellent! Great job, Chloe. I think I have a plan." Ladybug said and they both slouched out of sight. "Hawkmoth doesn't know that I've enlisted your help and he probably won't suspect it either since I haven't given you a miraculous in weeks. I need you to "accidently" get captured…" They disgussed the plan in detail and then Ladybug held out the Bee miraculous. She looked at Chloe who's eager eyes were trained on the jewel. She place her hand on Chloe's shoulder which brought her gaze up.
"Just because I'm giving this to you now doesn't mean you are entitled to it from here on out. If I decide to give it to you again or never again that is my right. I meant what I said last time I took it from you, it's extremely dangerous for you to have this because Hawkmoth knows your identity…and it's even more dangerous now that you know mine." Ladybug said not exactly knowing where she was going with this, it was too late to change her mind.
"I'm still not entirely sure that it's you…" Chloe said and gave a small smile. After Ladybug laughed she took on a more serious expression. "I promise to give it back. Even though I'm still upset that you haven't given it to me it was more because I wanted to feel special than anything else. I don't care if you never give it back to me, honestly now that I know who you are it makes sense why you didn't… I-I want to be a better person." Chloe was looking away now and Ladybug could see red tinting the girl's cheeks.
"Thank you, Chloe." Ladybug said pulling her hand away from Chloe's shoulder. She extended the Bee miraculous toward her again and this time placed it in the blonde's palm.
The Bee miraculous glowed and a small golden orb floated above it before poofing into the familiar black and yellow Kwami. "Hello, my Queen." Pollen said giving a little bow.
"Hello again." Chloe said and Ladybug could see her eyes were beginning to fill with tears before she quickly blinked them away. "I won't be transforming just yet." Chloe said sliding the miraculous into her jacket pocket.
"I'm at your service my Queen. Whenever you need me I'll be ready." Pollen said in a royal tone, but even Ladybug could tell the kwami was excited for some action.
"Alright! Now are you ready to be captured?" Ladybug asked teasingly.
Chloe smirked, "With these looks I was born to be the damsel in distress."
Ladybug laughed and rolled her eyes. She could almost hear Chat Noir saying the same thing. "Okay, then. Time to save Paris!"