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tenebraevesper · 7 days ago

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Up Ladybug, Entry 27: If You're Here (Part 2)

''Morning will definitely come, there is no rain that won't stop, so believe in yourself. If I have to choose between the moon and the sun, I'll be the moon. When I'm with you I am shining! Don't bear your burdens alone, do notice that I'm here! Soon in that heart, a beautiful rainbow will appear! Soon in that heart, a beautiful rainbow will appear!''

– Kimi ga Ireba by Detective Conan

xXxXxXx

Chat Noir leapt from one building to another, trying to find a good spot for his little concert. He actually felt somewhat excited about it, as this would be the first time in a long time he played music because he wanted to. It was special to him and he wanted to make sure no one would interrupt him. He eventually managed to find a good spot on a rooftop where he was feeling safe and secluded. Hoping that his curse wouldn't hinder him, he took out the violin and placed it on his shoulder, putting the bow over the strings.

However, there was no music.

''What's wrong, Kid?'' Plagg asked, his voice coming from the ring.

''I… I don't know what to play…'' Chat Noir admitted. ''I mean, I've been always playing what other people wanted to hear. It was rare for me to pick anything I liked.''

''Okay, how about this? You take a moment to think and pick whatever suits your current mood,'' Plagg suggested.

''Good idea.'' Chat Noir nodded and took a deep breath. This would be just for him and him alone, and he wanted to make it special. He closed his eyes, his black cat ears twitching as a cold breeze blew. He could hear the usual noise that was typical for Paris during the night, but tried to ignore it.

What should I play? Chat Noir looked up at the night sky. The stars twinkled like fireflies, but gave no answer to his troubled heart. He knew how to play many classical and modern pieces, but no melody came to his mind. He closed his eyes, allowing himself to calm down and place the violin and bow in position. I should let my emotions loose through the music.

Chat Noir started to play, at first not even recognizing the melody himself. It felt nostalgic, as if he was standing on a field of grass or in the mountains or beneath a waterfall, somewhere far away. It was soothing, but there was an energetic spring to it, like the calmness of an autumn forest with a light breeze and sunshine. It was as if nature itself was guiding him as the bow glided across the strings. Then, he remembered, his green eyes lit with awe. Lindsey Stirling's ''Guardian''… It never fails to astound me.

His cat ears perking up, Chat Noir closed his eyes once more, putting more emotion and energy into his play, even swaying along with the melody, his tail flicking as the tension lessened, replaced by a sense of elation. How long had it been since he actually felt joy in playing the violin?

''Please, keep playing for me. It makes me feel better.''

''Yes, Mother!''

Chat Noir's eyes suddenly snapped open for a moment when the memory intruded his mind, but after a moment of contemplation, he allowed it in. He needed this more than anything. As he kept playing, he recalled how his music brought not only joy to him but also to someone else – his mother, who had been lying sick in the hospital for many months. He would visit her as often as possible, bringing along his violin and playing for her just to see her smile a little more. She was always so pale, her eyes sunken and dark rings forming underneath them, but they would always light up when he played. He wasn't as good back then as he was now, and he knew that he made mistakes, but that didn't matter to his mother. She could've had a professional orchestra playing for her and she couldn't care less as she preferred her son playing for her, regardless of the mistakes he made. Unfortunately, her brother didn't share the same opinion.

''You gave an amazing performance, Félix,'' Michelle told him, clasping her hands as she gave her son a proud look, despite her weak voice. Félix smiled, but his smile faded when he saw the disappointed look on Gabriel's expression. He simply shook his head.

''I have counted at least a dozen of mistakes in that performance. Instead of getting better, he's getting worse,'' Gabriel grumbled, with Félix lowering his head in shame.

''Don't tell me that you suddenly switched jobs from a fashion designer to a music critic,'' Michelle scoffed, then turned to her son as he sat next to her on the bed. She placed her hand on her son's hand, and Félix could feel just how cold and clammy it was, but when he looked into his mother's eyes, he saw nothing but warmth and love. ''You're doing great sweetheart. I would've listened to you even if you played the kazoo as obnoxiously as possible.''

Félix couldn't help but chuckle at Michelle's comment. She was always there for him, encouraging him to follow his dreams and to indulge into his hobbies, no matter what other people, his uncle in particular, said. He then stood up and started to play again, just for her. Michelle closed her eyes and leaned against the pillow, a content smile on her lips. Even if she looked like she was asleep, Félix knew that she was listening. She promised that she would always listen to his performances.

Until one day, she fell asleep forever.

She is gone, and there is nothing I could do about it. Her illness may have destroyed her body from the inside, but wherever she is now, I hope she still listens. Chat Noir felt a stinging pain piercing his chest, but he continued to play. He allowed the pain wash over him, but he didn't push it away anymore. He was allowed to feel pain without the need to hide it. He was allowed to grieve his past and his loss. He was allowed to process the present. He was allowed to hope for a better future. I am free.

With a sudden flourish he ended his performance, lowering the violin and bow, and looking up at the moon illuminating him, the weight he felt now gone. From now on, he would be playing for himself.

''That was beautiful.'' Chat Noir suddenly turned around, surprised to see Ladybug sitting on the roof above him. She hopped down, landing in front of him and giving him a sheepish smile. ''I didn't want to interrupt you. I'm sorry, I guess this was supposed to be a private moment.''

''I don't mind having an audience,'' Chat Noir replied with a smile as Ladybug gave him a curious look.

''That's great, but would it be okay for me to sit here and sketch while I'm listening to you?'' she asked.

''I wouldn't mind that either, but I didn't know that you draw,'' Chat Noir said, giving Ladybug a look of intrigue. His partner reached for her compact, opening it and taking out a notepad and a pencil.

''It's a hobby of mine. It takes my mind off things, but lately, I've been having a bit of a block,'' Ladybug responded.

''I would love to see one of your drawings,'' Chat Noir told her, with Ladybug perking up.

''How about I draw you? You could serve as my muse,'' she suggested.

''Your muse? I'm honored, Bug,'' Chat Noir replied with a bow, then gave her a mischievous smirk. ''Perhaps you could do a sketch of me? I know that I look good no matter which pose I strike.''

Ladybug rolled her eyes, followed by a giggle. Considering her reaction, Chat Noir figured that he was in the clear, especially when she started to draw instead of scolding him. While she did that, he resumed playing, his heart now light and swelling with a different emotion – one he couldn't quite put a finger on, but nevertheless accepted.

Ladybug lifted her head briefly to glance at Chat Noir before resuming her sketch. She had to admit that there was something mysterious and alluring in seeing him like this. She still remembered how much of an arrogant jerk he used to be when they had first met, but all of that behavior seemed to just be some kind of mask he put on to impress her. Instead, the true Chat Noir was the one who stood before her, his dark suit gleaming under the moonlight, his pose showing nothing but elegance and confidence. There was something that had drawn her to him and she wished to know more about it, to understand what this emotion was.

They didn't know how much time had passed as they stood there on the building, but eventually, Ladybug interrupted Chat Noir, showing him her drawing.

''I hope you like it,'' she said smiling. Chat Noir lowered his violin and examined the drawing, his eyes widening in awe. It was a sketch of him playing in the moonlight, with Ladybug capturing his presence, the sharpness of his features and the softness of the scene perfectly.

''It's amazing!'' he said, giving Ladybug a look of awe, his green eyes gleaming in joy and adoration. ''You're a great artist!''

''Thank you so much,'' Ladybug replied, a bit bashfully as she placed her arms on her back, her cheeks rosy and her dark blue eyes sparking as pride swelled in her chest. She then stood on her toes, leaning in, with Chat Noir feeling her warm breath on his skin as she kissed him on the cheek. ''You can keep it.''

Ladybug then stepped back, turning on her heel and leapt into the night, leaving a baffled Chat Noir. The black cat superhero's jaw dropped as he stared into the night, his cheeks burning red. His ears flicked as he finally processed what happened. ''What the-?! Did she just kiss me?!''

''Woah, you just scored with Ladybug! Congratulations, Kid!'' Plagg whistled, amused by Chat Noir's reaction. ''Too bad it wasn't a kiss on the lips so you could remove the curse, but hey, you're getting there.''

Chat Noir remained speechless. Even though he knew that he and Ladybug were getting close, but he never thought that they would get this far. He didn't even know whether Ladybug would ever fall in love with him, but now that appeared to be a strong possibility. He smiled a little, feeling happy that Ladybug genuinely loved him, or at least, had a lot of affection for him, but the smile vanished when he realized what that meant, as Plagg pointed out. Not to mention, there was another issue he had to deal with.

What about Bridgette?

Chat Noir would be lying to himself if he said that he didn't have any feelings for Bridgette. She was his first friend, aside from Plagg, and she kept pulling him out of his isolation, worried for his wellbeing and did her best to cheer him up when his heart was consumed by bitterness, placing his happiness above her own. He genuinely appreciated her and cared about her, and he knew that it only took him confessing those feelings for them to get together.

But, at the same time, he also had feelings for Ladybug. Despite their rocky start, he loved her for her confidence and selflessness, as well as her caring and warm nature. From what he knew, Ladybug had no reason to take on the burden of becoming a superheroine besides her desire to protect, and he admired that. She was strong, smart and reliable, serving as an inspiration for people like Amber, and never asked for anything in return.

It was no wonder he fell for both of them, but what should he do about this?

xXx

Ladybug hid behind a rooftop, her cheeks bright red and her eyes wide in complete shock as she cried out in panic, ''Why did I do that?! Oh, no, this so bad!''

Ladybug slapped her cheeks, trying to collect herself, but the feeling of embarrassment lingered. She was in complete disbelief of what just happened, of what she had done. In fact, she never intended to kiss Chat Noir, but somehow, she felt compelled to do it. Maybe it was because of the atmosphere, maybe it was to thank him for the compliment… Would he even see it like that? After all, la bise was a cultural thing in France, but that was used as a greeting between friends, and Ladybug was certain that she and Chat Noir were indeed friends…

She felt her heart pound, drowning out all of her thoughts. Who was she kidding – she had a crush on Chat Noir and just moments ago, she acted out on it. She sighed. Frankly, she never expected to even have any romantic feelings for her partner, especially not after their rocky start, but somehow she had developed them and now Chat Noir wouldn't leave her mind.

Ladybug took a deep breath, steadying herself and trying to focus on her feelings for Chat Noir. Despite making a bad first impression, Ladybug had over time gotten to know him better. He could be often cocky and smug, teasing her and flirting with her, but at the same time, he was also fun and lively, with a hidden vulnerable side, having opened up only to her, be it as Ladybug or as Bridgette. There was a depth to him that drew Ladybug in, a sense of sadness he hid under a mask of confidence and it kept her intrigued.

Ladybug shook her head, aware that falling for Chat Noir technically wasn't a bad thing. He was her partner and had worked hard to improve their relationship, and he had a crush on her. If they got together, perhaps their bond would grow and become stronger, but there was one thing that prevented her from accepting it – the fact that she still wasn't over Félix.

No matter how much she had insisted that she and Félix were just friends, for his own comfort, she was still in love with him and she couldn't just abandon those feelings. They were still a part of her and getting rid off them would probably break something inside her. However, she knew that she couldn't just go date both of them for her own comfort, because that was just plain wrong and her own morals definitely didn't agree with any of that. Either she would date one person or no one.

Ladybug shook her head, having to smile a little at the thought of being attracted to two completely opposite people. While Chat Noir was daring and carefree, Félix was mature and had a mysterious aura to him, with a soft side he would keep hidden from everyone but her. She had to wonder how she ended up in this situation, concluding that she probably had a thing for guys who are a complete mystery to her.

''What should I do now? I mean, I didn't really get to see Chat Noir's reaction to this, but I imagine that he was in complete shock over what I did given how I barely tolerated him in the beginning,'' Ladybug muttered.

''I don't know, Ladybug. I still wouldn't trust Chat Noir,'' Tikki told her. Ladybug rose an eyebrow in surprise.

''What do you mean, Tikki? Chat Noir has already proven that he has earned my trust and he was working hard on improving our relationship. I see no reason why I wouldn't trust him,'' Ladybug pointed out. Tikki was quiet, her silence puzzling Ladybug. ''Tikki? Are you okay?''

''I… I was just being worried about you. What if Chat Noir is being manipulative again?'' Tikki said, albeit a bit reluctantly.

''I don't believe that he's manipulating me. Why would he act like that?'' Ladybug asked.

Tikki was silent once more, then responded with, ''I don't really know, but something feels off. Please, be careful around him.''

''If you say so…'' Ladybug muttered. She had to wonder why Tikki was so reluctant to trust Chat Noir, despite everything he had done. Sure, he may have been a lying jerk in the beginning who just got in her way, but he had shown to be brave, trustworthy and caring, and Ladybug loved being in his company. While she probably couldn't understand completely why Chat Noir did things the way he did, she was certain that he was far from the person he used to be. However, that didn't ease the turmoil in her own heart.

Back when Chat Noir kept annoying her, it was easy to ignore his advances and focus on her feelings for Félix. But now that she tried to step away from Félix in spite of her true feelings, Chat Noir had become a person she was romantically attracted to and it left her mind in compete disarray. She took a deep breath, exhaling as she finally calmed down.

''What should I do?'' she muttered. ''If Félix and Chat Noir were the same person, I'd have no problem just confessing, but what are the odds of that happening?'' She let out a sharp giggle. ''They are quite different, aren't they? It would be impossible for them to be the same person…'' Ladybug trailed off, then blinked when a new thought crossed her mind. ''Although, there were a few times when Félix left only for Chat Noir to suddenly appear, like the time when The Mime attacked the charity gala or when Amber caused trouble as Queen Bee. Félix did say he was getting help with the former, but I don't recall seeing him anywhere. Admittedly, things were quite chaotic and I was focused on saving people. Then, there's the thing with Amber, but Félix did mention before that he had a way of contacting Chat Noir…'' Ladybug groaned, clutching her head. ''Ugh, I'm getting a headache!''

Ladybug sighed, not really wanting to think about any of this. She noted that she was tired and that she should just go home and relax, but something told her that her mind would remain swarmed and that he headache wouldn't go away so easily.

xXx

I was right, the headache won't go away. But… it doesn't seem as if Félix minds my current mood, Bridgette thought as she looked across the desk at Félix, who was writting down notes. The two were currently at the library, doing some research for their schoolwork, along with Sophie, Claude, Allegra, Allan and Carmilla, the latter having joined them because she had a project of her own that she needed to research for. Bridgette took note of how her friends seemed to be much more amicable towards Félix in comparison to how they used to be, although Claude remained a bit wary of him, despite currently distracting himself by building a house out of books.

''I don't think the librarian will be happy to see that,'' Allegra said, giving Claude a sharp look. The teenager just smiled playfully as he set another book.

''Don't worry, it's not like I damaging the books,'' Claude responded, carefully placing two books to form a roof.

''You're not, but that's only because you know that you can't play Jenga with them,'' Sophie commented, drawing a chuckle out of Allan and Carmilla. Félix, on the other hand, glared at Claude, his gaze matching Allegra's.

''You still shouldn't be doing that,'' he said, while Claude gave him a slightly annoyed look.

''What are you, the library police?'' Claude asked sarcastically as he leaned back on his chair, only to cry out in pain a moment later when a book from the nearby shelf suddenly fell and hit his head. ''Ouch! What the-?!''

Félix smiled, not saying anything and turning back to his book. No one noticed the faint shimmer of his ring. Claude, on the other hand, rubbed the back of his head, picking up the book that fell down and examining it. ''Hey, that's the one I need for my research!''

''I guess you got both unlucky and lucky,'' Bridgette commented in amusement, her earrings briefly shimmering.

''Yeah,'' Claude nodded, turning his attention back to the book. ''Although, I'd prefer not finding my research material this way.''

''At least it has stopped you from procrastination,'' Carmilla commented. Meanwhile, Bridgette turned towards Félix to see his reaction, only to realize that he was staring at her intensely. Once he realized that she noticed, he quickly turned his attention to the book in front of him, leaving Bridgette wondering why he was staring at her.

She thought back to previous night, when she was wondering about whether Félix was Chat Noir or not. She was certain that he wasn't, but at the same time, she couldn't shake off that weird feeling that she may be wrong. Even if Chat Noir acted completely different from Félix, that meant nothing since it could be just a persona he put up as the black cat superhero. After all, Bridgette herself was much more confident as Ladybug. Nevertheless, she knew that she had no solid evidence for this theory and she was certain that if she confronted Félix about being Chat Noir, she would probably sound like a lunatic. Therefore, it was better not to mention anything.

However, Bridgette did confront Félix later on when they were putting away the books back on the shelves about something else.

''Say, Fé… What would happen if you had two favorite books, but you could only choose one of them to read?'' Bridgette asked, her question catching Félix off guard.

''Well, I would read one book and once I'm finished, I would read the other one,'' Félix replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

That was a bad analogy, Bridgette thought, realizing that she would need to explain herself better. ''Okay, but what if you couldn't read the other book? Even though you really really like it.''

''I suppose that would depend on what kind of book it is. For example, I will always be more drawn to one type of genre. Unless you want to say that the books are of the same genre,'' Félix said.

''Actually, no, they are different. In fact, imagine the books being complete polar opposites from each other, but you still like both of them because of they inspire you in a different way,'' Bridgette explained. Félix rose an eyebrow, arms folded across his chest.

''I see… I guess it would be difficult to make a choice in that case,'' he said, only to give Bridgette a questioning look. ''Of course, if we are still talking about books.''

''Eh? What do you mean?'' Bridgette asked, her ahoge standing up as she got startled by his sudden statement. She held her hands up defensively, sweatdropping as she quickly added, ''Of course we're still talking about books.''

''I understand,'' Félix said in a casual tone, grabbing his backpack and walking past Bridgette, only to lower his head right next to her ear, muttering, ''You don't have to act in a different way to make me like you. I'm already quite fond of you.''

Those words sent a wave of heat through Bridgette's body, turning her face completely red as she placed her hands over her cheeks, feeling the warmth. She was completely frozen, while Félix just walked past her, trying to remain calm despite the voice in his head chiding him for turning to his Chat Noir persona and flirt with Bridgette. This left her in a stunned state, with Félix already fearing that he may have actually caused some damage to their relationship, especially since she was constantly insisting on them being friends. It was obvious that she wouldn't expect him to turn things around.

''That was a smooth move, Romeo.''

Félix stopped in his tracks, turning to Carmilla as she put away her own books. She gave him a mischievous grin. ''I never expected that a stuck-up like you would even be able to talk so smoothly.''

''I was simply stating the obvious. Bridgette and I may not have started out as friends, but I have warmed up to her,'' Félix replied, his eyes narrowing. Carmilla shrugged.

''If you say so, Romeo. I just never thought you'd have anything interesting to say,'' she replied, with Félix just walking past her.

''I guess that's because you don't know me at all,'' Félix told her, stopping with his back turned towards Carmilla. ''Also, I prefer to be called Ice Prince. Keep that in mind next time you try calling me 'stuck-up'.''

Carmilla narrowed her eyes, watching Félix as he left. Frankly, she always thought of him as someone not worth her time since he wasn't that interesting of a person, but this little exchange did make her wonder if there was really more to him than this rich boy with a famous uncle. She smirked slyly.

Maybe I should keep an eye on you in the future.

xXx

Gabriel observed the line of trees and bushes in his private greenhouse, his attention drawn to the rows of lavender chrysalis hanging on the thin branches. It was a personal project of his, one he had started a few weeks ago after that disaster with the charity gala. He had decided to go ahead with this project a bit earlier, noting how it took time to take care of the chrysalis, especially in such large numbers. He needed as much as possible of them for his grand plan of finally finding the magical artifacts that would grant him any wish he had. He already had one magical artifact, but his brooch could only do so much for him. He needed more.

''They're almost ready,'' Gabriel muttered as he held up his hand, reaching for the chrysalis and observing it. Those chrysalis were quite special. Instead of hiding a future butterfly, they were filled with a strange energy that reacted to people's emotions, the negative ones especially, and if that energy was released, it could have devastating consequences for all of Paris.

Gabriel smirked. He had told the Mime and Monsieur Pigeon to leave Ladybug and Chat Noir alone until he was done with his project, well aware that the lack of activity on his part would lull the superheroes into a false sense of security. Then, he would strike, catching them both off guard. He knew that both of them had most likely access to magical artifacts that allowed them to fight like this and he had studied all of the previous encounters his minions had with them. All that was necessary now was to take their magical artifacts for himself to see whether they were what he was searching for.

Sure, that also meant that he would be endangering Paris and its civilians, but that was a price he was willing to pay for the ultimate power and create a world that would fit his vision.

''Sir, I apologize for interrupting you.'' Gabriel turned around, noticing his asisstant, Adeline, approaching him while she was holding a tablet. ''I must remind you that you have a meeting in 20 minutes for the upcoming winter fashion show.''

''I know,'' Gabriel replied coldly, turning his attention back to the chrysalis as he sensed weird energy coming from one of them. He reached out for it, plucking the chrysalis and examing it, noting how it was as hard as a crystal. He then tossed the chrysalis to Adeline, who caught it. ''This one has finished maturing. I will need your assistance in the future, so be ready for when I call you.''

''Yes, Sir,'' Adeline responded, nodding. As Gabriel left, she followed him outside the greenhouse, staring at the chrysalis. She knew well what her boss was up to and being a loyal employee of the Agreste household, she was going to follow his orders no matter what happened. Of course, she couldn't guarantee for any satisfactory results, but she would do her best.

xXx

Chat Noir sighed, leaning against a steel beam as he stared at the dark sky. He and Ladybug were hanging out on the Eiffel Tower, with Chat Noir having brought his violin while Ladybug had her notepad and was currently sketching something. He stopped playing for a moment, with Ladybug lifting her head.

''What's wrong?'' she asked.

''It's just… It's been really quiet for the past few weeks, don't you think so?'' Chat Noir pointed out.

''Yeah, I have noticed,'' Ladybug replied. ''Maybe Papillon just gave up?''

''I doubt it. I'm sure he is up to something,'' Chat Noir replied, only for Ladybug to burst into a fit of giggles, leaving the black cat superhero surprised. ''What's wrong?''

''Usually, I'm the one worrying about Papillon sending the Mime or Monsieur Pigeon to attack Paris, but it seems that we have switched roles,'' Ladybug pointed out.

''You're right. But, I don't mind spending time with you without having to worry that we'll get interrupted, Bug,'' Chat Noir replied.

''Honestly, I agree with the sentiment,'' Ladybug replied with a smile. She had to admit that the past few weeks of them just hanging out together did wonders to their relationship. She felt quite relaxed in Chat Noir's presence, especially when he didn't bring up that kiss on the cheek. Surprisingly, Chat Noir actually kept the flirting and teasing at a minimum, to the point that Ladybug couldn't even recall the last time she felt annoyed about it. That left her with other thoughts, though. ''I wonder how long we'll be fighting Papillon.''

''I don't know what to tell you. He hasn't shown himself at all, so this could go on for a while,'' Chat Noir replied with a shrug. ''Why are you bringing that up?''

''Well, it just came to my mind that if things are going to last for much longer than either of us thought, maybe we will end up in situations where we will have to rely on each other as civilians,'' Ladybug pointed out, much to Chat Noir's surprise.

''Wait, what do you mean by that?'' he asked, already having an idea what Ladybug was thinking, but he still wanted to hear it from her.

''I mean that we will have to eventually learn about each other's civilian identities,'' Ladybug stated bluntly, taking note of Chat Noir's shocked expression. ''I know, you probably didn't expect me ask for this, especially since I was the one insisting on the whole secret identity deal.''

''That's right,'' Chat Noir said, his heart pounding. The idea of Ladybug finally revealing her identity to him was both tempting and frightening, as it would either confirm or debunk many of his theories, but at the same time, he feared what the reaction would be when she learned who he really was. ''I suppose knowing each other's civilian identity would allow us to communicate easier if we try to come up with a plan to take down Papillon, but at the same time, if someone else learned about our civilian identities, it would put both of us into danger.''

''I agree, but are you going to tell anyone else?'' Ladybug asked.

''Of course not! I'm not that stupid to just reveal my identity to some random person,'' Chat Noir huffed.

''I know, and that's why I trust you. However, I guess we can leave that for later,'' Ladybug replied, looking up at the moon. ''Once we're both ready, I'm certain that the desire to reveal ourselves will come to us naturally.''

''I hope that it will,'' Chat Noir replied, following her gaze. He genuinely wished that he could agree with Ladybug, but the doubt lingering in the back of his mind kept feeding his fears.

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tenebraevesper · 2 years ago

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Up Ladybug, Entry 25: Queen Bee

''Well, there you go again telling me where I belong. You put me on the bench, don't think that I can play strong. So quick to condescend well, you think I'm empty, I'm not. You won't be so confident when I'm crushing you from the top.''

– Dumb Blonde by Avril Lavinge ft. Nicki Minaj

xXxXxXx

Bridgette stretched her arms, being in a great mood as she walked to her school. It was a chilly morning, but the fresh air was just what she needed to wake up properly. Tikki was inside her backpack, still asleep after last night's patrol. The patrol itself had been surprisingly quiet, with no Papillon or Phantom Thief Belladonna causing trouble. While Bridgette wasn't sure what excuse Belladonna had, she had figured that Papillon, or at least the Mime, wouldn't show himself after that fiasco with that charity event fire.

Hopefully we can avoid any kind of trouble in the near future, Bridgette thought as she stopped at a traffic light, not paying attention to the car next to her until the car door suddenly opened and, to her surprise and amazement, Félix got out of it. Bridgette could hear the driver yelling at Félix, but the teenager ignored it, approaching her instead.

''Good morning, Bridgette,'' Félix greeted her with a genuine smile on his lips.

''Good morning, Félix,'' Bridgette responded, still a bit stunned by Félix's sudden appearance. ''Uh, what are you doing here? I-I mean I'm sure you're also on your way to school, but why did you-?''

''I saw you walking past and I thought that we could walk together to school,'' Félix replied in a casual tone, not wanting to admit that he specifically asked Nathan to drive past Bridgette's house in hopes of finding her before school starts. Of course, his designed driver wasn't too happy about it, but Félix didn't care about how he's going to explain this to his uncle.

''R-Really?'' Despite them being officially friends and having started to hang out more and more, Bridgette had to admit that she was still a little surprised with how social Félix has become. At least he was clearly more relaxed in her presence and she was really happy about it. When Félix gave her a slight look of concern, Bridgette quickly added, ''I don't mind that. I'm just surprised that you decided to be so forward about hanging out with me. I thought that was my schtick.''

Félix cracked a rather playful smile. ''You'd be surprised just how persistent I can be when I put my mind into it.''

''So, does this mean that you'd also invite me to have lunch with you?'' Bridgette asked sneakily, her eye-lids lowered as she gave him a knowing smirk.

''Of course. After all, don't I owe you for the times you gave me lunch when I forgot to bring my wallet?'' Félix replied, his tone and expression matching Bridgette's. Despite what they just said, they knew perfectly well that they were just making up excuses for spending more time together and Félix had to admit, he was actually having a lot of fun with it. After realizing, and also kicking himself for not giving her a chance earlier, that Bridgette genuinely cared about him, he wanted to make up for his rudeness and be as transparent with her as possible. At the same time, he found himself enjoying her presence and wanted to interact with her more. Of course, he was also aware that Bridgette still had feelings for him and he knew that getting closer to her might send a wrong message, but he figured that they could have a conversation when the time comes. For now, he just wanted to enjoy the little moments.

''Hey, Bridgette!''

Félix tensed when he heard Claude calling out for Bridgette, the teenager turning around and greeting him. He understood that they were Bridgette's friends and that she'd want to spend time with them, but he had hoped that their time alone would last just a bit longer before classes started. I don't think I can even attribute this to my bad luck.

''I'm surprised to see you here, Agreste,'' Claude said.

''You're surprised to see me at school?'' Félix asked in a deadpan tone, his question causing Bridgette to giggle. Claude exhaled, placing his hands on his hips.

''You know well what I mean,'' he said. The two were silent, with Bridgette observing them as they glared at each other and realizing that this is going to be a long day.

''Hey, hey… How about we get to school? I don't want to be late,'' she said, interlocking arms with both and pulling them forwards.

''Okay, okay, you can go ahead and we'll catch up,'' Claude said, with Bridgette nodding, a bright smile on her expression, and running off when she spotted Sophie. Claude smiled as he observed Bridgette just being her happy and cheerful self, only for the smile to disappear as he felt something cold washing over him when the person next to him spoke.

''I'm not your enemy, Savard,'' Félix said in a matter-of-fact tone, walking away, only to stop when he felt a strange cold sensation washing over him.

''…'' He turned around, seeing Claude just glare at him. ''I don't care whether you are my enemy or not, I will treat you as I see fit.''

''Tch,'' Félix scoffed, only to smirk mischievously. ''You really act like you're Bridgette's older brother. Do you really have to be so protective of her?''

''With guys like you around, I need to do my best to make sure she won't get hurt,'' Claude replied in a cold and aloof tone, with Félix frowning.

''What do you mean 'guys like you'? What are you taking me for?'' he asked, feeling quite irked.

''You're not the social type and you were quite rude towards Bridgette before, but now you want to hang out with her. I think that's really suspicious,'' Claude responded, walking away. Félix fumed, but then quickly joined Claude, walking at the same pace as him.

''So, I'm not allowed to change my opinion in regards to someone?'' Félix said. While he actually wanted to ignore Claude's comments, this one really struck a nerve. He saw Claude frowning, taking this change of mood as a small victory. Two can play this game. However, a moment later, he regretted the whole conversation by simply blurting out very confidently, ''Don't tell me that you're jealous of me becoming close to Bridgette.''

Claude suddenly stopped walking, tilting his head as he gave Félix a questioning look, much to the latter's confusion. ''Agreste, are you planning on pursuing Bridgette romantically?''

''Eh…?'' Félix was shocked by the question, his jaw dropping while a voice in his head screamed at him, What have you done, Neko Boy?! Stop acting like you're Chat Noir, you're not even transformed, you idiot! Okay, okay, act cool! You can do this, just don't show how nervous you are! Félix coughed, clearing his throat while still feeling his anxiety skyrocketing. ''What are you talking about? We're just close friends, that's all.''

Going by Claude's expression, he clearly didn't believe Félix, and Félix knew that. ''If I find out that you've been stringing her along all this time…''

''Calm down, I'm not going to do anything like that,'' Félix responded in a cool and aloof tone, but was still feeling anxious. After all, Claude just confronted him with the real idea of him actually being romantically interested in Bridgette. Sure, he saw her as a close friend, but he wasn't completely sure whether he had any romantic feelings for her. He knew that Bridgette had feelings for him and he was certain that, if he asked her out on a date, she would agree gleefully to it. So, where was the obstacle? It is myself.

Félix just sighed, spotting Bridgette and her friends at the school entrance, but instead of joining them, he stood at the side, observing Bridgette as she happily chatted with Allegra, seemingly oblivious to the curious looks her friends gave to Félix, with Claude being the one outright glaring at him. However, Bridgette wasn't as oblivious as she appeared to be, being slightly worried by the tense silence between her friends and Félix, the latter then stepping up.

''Good morning, everyone,'' Félix greeted them politely, if a bit formally, getting murmurs of 'good morning' in response, with Claude, Sophie, Allegra and Allan casting a questioning look at Bridgette. Sure, Félix did interact with them several times, albeit usually while he was just passing by, and Bridgette even invited him to her home the day before, clearly having a good relationship with him, but none of them were really sure whether he was going to be a permanent member of their friend group. They knew by this point that he was a nice person, even if that niceness was hidden under a wall of ice, but he wasn't exactly the most social person to be around, so things were rather awkward between them.

''Hey, Fé, I'm looking forward to our lunch!'' Bridgette suddenly blurted out, breaking the tense silence and drawing her friends' attention. ''I hope you guys won't mind if me and Fé have some private time.''

''Fé?'' Allegra rose an eyebrow.

''I had told Bri that I'm fine with that nickname. However, only if she's the one who calls me that,'' Félix said, shooting a glare at Allegra. ''After all, everyone else prefers to call me Ice Prince. Am I correct in that regard, Baudelaire?''

''Uh, well…'' Allegra was a little embarrassed to be called out like that. In fact, everyone was shifting anxiously, since they had been using that nickname behind Félix's back since he had arrived here. ''I'm sorry…''

''You can use the Ice Prince if you want to. I don't care about it,'' Félix replied. ''You can also refer to me by my name or surname in a conversation, but I won't tolerate any stupid nicknames.''

''So, Ice Prince isn't a stupid nickname?'' Sophie asked, rising an eyebrow and smirking.

''It is a title,'' Félix responded in a resolute tone.

''How is that a title?'' Sophie gave him a confused look, but before the conversation could continue, they heard the bell ringing.

''I guess you'll have to continue your debate after class is over. Com'n!'' Allan said, with him and the rest of the group walking towards their classroom, while Bridgette and Félix were a bit behind them.

''Are you okay?'' Bridgette asked.

''I might not be popular among your friends, but I can handle myself,'' Félix responded, giving Bridgette a confident smile. In response, Bridgette grinned cheekily and gave him a thumbs up.

xXx

Amber smirked as she stalked the school hallways during break time, observing her fellow students. Interestingly, instead of wearing her usual dress, she was wearing a yellow and black stripped T-shirt, her usual black jacket and white pants. Underneath, however, was her superhero outfit and she tried to find a good moment to reveal herself as Queen Bee. Of course, for that, she needed to first find someone who was performing some kind of crime… which was actually more difficult than she thought. You'd expect that a school filled with a bunch of teenagers would at least have someone who is not following the rules, but to her surprise, she couldn't find anyone doing anything wrong.

Oh, com'n, someone has to have some kind of secret agenda on their mind!

She walked through the hallways, frowning as she gave the other students scrutinizing looks as she searched for the wrongdoers, two of them being Bridgette and Félix who were about to go to lunch together.

''Huh?'' Bridgette blinked in confusion as she spotted Amber hiding around the corner, startling the latter. Instead of a response, Amber just huffed and walked away, while Bridgette and Félix rose an eyebrow. ''Why do I have a bad feelling about this?''

''Let's see – Bourgeois is hiding and stalking other students instead of trying to put herself in the spotlight. She's also being silent about it instead of telling everyone how much better she is. Not to mention, she also looks like she's up to something,'' Félix said, having placed his hand on his chin as he mused, then glanced at Bridgette. ''I think your sixth sense in regards to this is valid.''

''Honestly, I'd love to go to lunch with you but… I just want to see what Amber is up to now,'' Bridgette said, her tone slightly apologetic. Félix shook his head.

''I'll admit, I'm also curious in regards to what Bourgeois is planning to do,'' he replied. Bridgette smirked, nodding.

''Let's go.''

While Bridgette and Félix went searching for her, Amber made her way to the locker room, still annoyed that she couldn't find any wrongdoers, only to spot some guy hitting a locker in frustration.

''Com'n, open up already!'' The guy slammed his palm against the locker, only for it not to budge. Amber's eyes widened in glee as she realized that she may have found a criminal.

He's trying to break into someone else's locker! Now it is my moment to shine!

She quickly ran out of the locker room and into the nearby girl's restroom, quickly taking off her T-shirt, jacket and pants and placing her clothes into her school bag and placed a yellow and black domino mask over her face to fit her hand-made black and yellow jumpsuit. She then returned to the locker room, striking a heroic pose as she approached the guy, who apparently gave up on opening the locker.

''Hold it right there, thief! What do you think you're doing?'' Amber exclaimed, glaring at the would-be culprit who got startled by her sudden appearance.

''Who are you and what's up with the costume? Are you from the theatre club?'' he asked.

''Ha, as if! I'm the new superhero of Paris, Queen Bee!'' Queen Bee responded, striking a few dramatic poses before pointing at the student. ''I have caught you completely red-handed!''

''Red-handed- What are you talking about?'' the guy asked, completely confused. Queen Bee stepped forward, pointing her finger at him.

''You've been trying to break into another student's locker to steal their stuff, but I'll be the one to apprehend you!'' she said in an accusatory tone. The student just gave her an annoyed look.

''I don't know what you're talk about. That's my locker,'' he replied.

''Then why are you trying to break into it if it is your locker? Unless, you don't know the combination because it isn't!'' Queen Bee responded, grinning. The student rolled his eyes.

''Look, these lockers are older than dinosaurs and will get stuck,'' he said, shaking his head as he was about to walk away. ''I'm getting the janitor to sort this out.''

''Oh, no you won't until you admit that you were trying to break into the locker!'' Queen Bee stepped in front of him.

''Leave me alone, weirdo!'' the student yelled at her, neither him nor Queen Bee noticing that Bridgette and Félix were hiding at the entrance to the locker room, not looking impressed by what Amber was up to as Queen Bee.

''It looks like your gut feeling was correct,'' Félix said, with Bridgette smiling.

''I had been dealing with Amber for a while. I know that when she gets up to something, she will cause trouble for everyone else,'' she replied.

''So, what's your plan?'' Félix asked curiously.

''Let's get her before she angers the wrong person and question her about what is going on,'' Bridgette said. Félix nodded, with both of them getting out of their hiding spot, interlocking arms with a startled Queen Bee and dragging her into another corner of the locker room, while the other student just shook his head in disbelief and walked away.

''Ugh, let me go! Don't you know who I am?'' Queen Bee glared at Bridgette and Félix as they cornered her. Bridgette sighed in exasperation.

''Amber, what are you doing and what is up with that costume?'' she asked.

''First of all, I'm not Amber, I'm Queen Bee! I have no idea who this Amber person is, but I assume that she is great!'' Queen Bee said proudly, only to realize that Bridgette and Félix weren't buying any of it. ''In any case, I will be the one joining the ranks of superheroes as Ladybug and Chat Noir's new ally.''

''What?'' Bridgette and Félix blurted out simultaneously, both stunned by Queen Bee's declaration. Queen Bee just rolled her eyes as she realized she wouldn't be getting any recognition from these two. She then sighed.

''Listen up, I really admire both Ladybug and Chat Noir and I'm sure that they would appreciate more help on their fights against weirdos in costumes. I don't need your criticism regarding that,'' Queen Bee told the two.

''Bourgeois, do you even have any superpowers to help you fight effectively against those super villains?'' Félix asked, with Queen Bee freezing on the spot, feeling anxious. ''I thought so.''

''Amber, I understand that you want to be like your favorite heroes, but think about it for a moment. As Félix said, you don't have any superpowers, meaning you'll put yourself in danger for no reason and be a liability to Ladybug and Chat Noir,'' Bridgette said. Queen Bee fumed.

''Ha, what do you know?! It's not like you two are Ladybug and Chat Noir!'' she ranted, not noticing that Bridgette and Félix tensed for a moment. ''I'm sure they'll accept me the way I am, no matter if I have any superpowers. I am Queen Bee and I'll be the best superhero ever!''

With that said, she stomped out of the locker room, with Bridgette and Félix feeling second-hand embarrassment from this interaction, with Félix quipping, ''She's delusional.''

''She'll put herself unnecessarily in danger,'' Bridgette added. ''We know what kind of villains Ladybug and Chat Noir are dealing with and the Mime basically blew up a building a couple of nights ago. She'll be brought back in a body bag if she tries to do actual superhero stuff.''

''While true, it's not like we can change her mind. She is convinced that she's a superhero now,'' Félix pointed out. Bridgette fell silent, musing.

''Yeah, you're right. If only Ladybug and/or Chat Noir were here, I'm sure they would convince her to drop the hero act and maybe knock some sense into her. I doubt that either of the would want a civilian to fight super villains,'' Bridgette said, a plan already forming in her head.

''That makes sense, since she admires those two so much. If either of us spots any of them, we'll let them know,'' Félix said in agreement, a plan already forming in his head.

Both actually thought of transforming and confronting Amber/Queen Bee about her ideas and convince her to stop putting herself into danger before anything serious happens. They didn't want her to become Papillon's target, especially since they believed that he was capable of much worse things and the last thing they needed was blood on their hands. However, they realized that there was one issue with this.

''Uh… about lunch…'' Bridgette started slowly, with Félix realizing that he actually forgot that they had plans to spend time together. However, with the current situation, he felt that it would be smarter to deal with Amber/Queen Bee first.

''Right, lunch…'' Félix trailed off, with both of them being silent for a moment, feeling rather awkward. Bridgette scratched her cheek, laughing nervously.

''I-I just remembered that there was something I still needed to do…'' she started, with Félix raising an eyebrow, not really sure how what to make of it, but then he realized that this was the perfect opportunity to complete his plan.

''Now that you mention it, I forgot that I also have something to do, so maybe we can postpone it, if that's okay with you?'' Félix asked. Bridgette nodded, hardly believing that she managed to get away with her awful excuse as she wanted to deal with Amber as soon as possible.

''I have no problem with that,'' Bridgette replied, running off. ''See you later!''

Félix watched her leave, then sighed, with Plagg popping his head out, seemingly knowing what was going through Félix's head. ''This was easy. Too easy, if you ask me.''

''Whether Bridgette really has something to do or she has a way to contact Ladybug, I don't think it matters now. I need to make sure that Bourgeois doesn't kill herself by confronting the wrong person,'' Félix replied.

''I didn't expect that you'd care that much about Amber,'' Plagg said, giving him an intrigued look.

''I don't, but her antics won't help us in our fight against Papillon. I'm nipping this in the bud,'' Félix told him, rushing off to find a secluded spot to transform.

xXx

''Okay, I think we're safe here,'' Bridgette said, having managed to climb onto the flat rooftop of the school building through a window and crouching down without being seen. Clearly, she couldn't transform in the girl's restroom as someone would obviously notice her or the school cameras would take footage of her going inside as Bridgette and coming out as Ladybug. However, she had learned from other students that some would take advantage of the flat rooftop to sneak from one classroom to another without being detected. Tikki flew out of her backpack, giving her a look of concern.

''Are you sure that Félix didn't suspect anything? He accepted your excuse a bit too readily,'' she said.

''I know, but I have other things on mind. If he brings it up, I'll come up with some explanation, but for now, I need to deal with Amber before she gets herself into danger. It is one thing for her to play superhero at school, but imagine if she tried this stunt while dealing with an actual criminal. I may not like Amber and she always bullied me, but I'm not going to let her hurt herself. Tikki, transform me!''

There was a flash of red, with Ladybug getting up and, after making sure that her backpack was securely tucked into the corner of the school rooftop, quickly made her way to the school yard where she spotted Queen Bee grilling another student over stolen lunch or something like that. Ladybug groaned in exasperation, only to be alerted by Chat Noir who appeared right next to her.

''Hey, Bug, what are you doing here?'' he asked, giving her a curious look.

''Let's just say that I caught wind of Amber Bourgeois causing trouble. What about you?'' Ladybug asked, with Chat Noir giving her a nervous look.

''Ehh, same?'' he said, shrugging and trying to act nonchalant. Both stared at each other for a moment, as if expecting for this conversation to continue, but decided against it and focused back on Queen Bee.

''Dude, could you just leave us alone?'' the student she was harassing said.

''Not until I get some evidence that you were up to- agh!'' Before Queen Bee could finish her sentence, a yo-yo wrapped around her body and she was whisked away. She screamed as she flew through the air, only to be caught in someone's arms, who leapt from building to building, her eyes closed as she struggled. ''H-Hey, what's the big idea?! Let me go! Do you know who I am?! I will sue you for kidnapping me!''

''Amber, we have to talk.''

Queen Bee suddenly opened her eyes, staring in shock at Ladybug, who was carrying her bridal-style, and Chat Noir, who was standing next to them, his arms folded across his chest. They were standing on a building further away from their school, where they had more privacy. Both superheroes were startled when Queen Bee suddenly let out a high-pitched cry, her eyes turning into stars.

''Ladybug! I'm so happy to see you!'' she said gleefully, leaping out of Ladybug's arms on to grab her hands and hold them. ''I was hoping for you to show up so I could talk to you about being a superhero! Look, I even got the costume and weapon!'' Queen Bee showed off her trompo joyfully and completely oblivious to the looks of disapproval Ladybug and Chat Noir were giving her. ''You won't mind if a duo becomes a trio, right?''

''Amber, listen…'' Ladybug started but got interrupted by Queen Bee, who placed her palm in front of Ladybug's face to stop her.

''My superhero name is Queen Bee and I'd rather that you call me that from now on since we superheros need to keep our identities a secret, right?'' Queen Bee said, smiling. ''Now, what's the issue? Is there any super villain running around and causing chaos? Is that why you brought me here?''

''No, we brought you here for a different reason.'' Ladybug shook her head, her eyes narrowing. ''Amber, whatever you're doing as Queen Bee, you need to stop with it. You're putting yourself and others in danger.''

''Wh-What?!'' Queen Bee was shocked to hear that from a person she genuinely admired. ''B-But…''

''You don't have any special powers and you're just a civilian in a costume who is drawing too much attention to herself. You had already been targeted by the Mime once because you're the mayor's daughter. Don't you think that he might do the same again?'' Chat Noir added.

''Maybe, but you're here and you can defeat him again!'' Queen Bee protested.

''Yeah, we can, but that doesn't mean that we're available 24/7. We have our own lives to lead and we don't want the spotlight on us. We have chosen to fight people like the Mime and Monsieur Pigeon with the powers we have because we want to do what is right,'' Ladybug said, not noticing Chat Noir wincing at the 'we have chosen to fight' bit. He didn't choose anything.

''Right. Have you seen either of us just strolling around in broad daylight and accusing innocent people of comitting crime?'' Chat Noir asked, sounding slightly bitter. Queen Bee's cheeks flushed red in embarrassment and it dawned her that her plan wasn't exactly the best or the smartest.

''I-I was just trying my hardest to p-prove myself as a superhero,'' she pleaded, utterly mortified by the look of disappointment Ladybug and Chat Noir were giving her. ''I-I hoped that you'd notice me…''

''I did notice you, and I'm not happy. If you thought that being a hero is about glitz and glamour, then I have to disappoint-''

''I don't care about that!'' Queen Bee suddenly screamed at Ladybug, startling both her and Chat Noir. ''I-I just thought-'' She shook her head, feeling chills flowing down her spine as she recalled all the times her own mother called her unremarkable and unexceptional, not caring about how Amber felt being treated like trash by the person who was supposed to love and care about her unconditionally. Tears started forming in the corners of her eyes as she took her domino mask off. ''I-I don't want to talk to you anymore- I hate you! You're the worst! You- You're ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!''

Ladybug and Chat Noir had to admit that, while neither of them was personally fond off Amber, they still felt pity for her. It was obvious that she had some deep issues and insecurities, but neither of them could really help her unless she was willing to open up about them.

''I want to get off this building. Right now!'' Amber growled, tears still streaming down her face as she turned to Chat Noir. Her vision of Ladybug was already shattered and the pedestal she put her favorite superhero was completely broken. She was done with her.

Chat Noir glanced at Ladybug, who nodded in silence, then picked Amber up and carried her towards the school, leaving her at the back entrance before rejoining Ladybug at the school rooftop. Ladybug sighed as he sat down next to her, looking somber.

''Are you okay?'' Chat Noir asked, with Ladybug just lowering her gaze. ''You know that we did the right thing.''

''Yeah, I do. It's just… I feel mentally exhausted after having to deal with Amber,'' Ladybug replied. ''I don't think she's just angry that she couldn't be a superhero. I'm sure she had another motive there.''

''Maybe she's looking for some kind of approval,'' Chat Noir suggested, with Ladybug giving her a curious look. ''She certainly sounded as if she wasn't getting the attention she wanted.''

''Yeah…'' Ladybug trailed off. She really had mixed feelings in regards to Amber, remembering all the times she had been bullied, with Amber either stealing her stuff or destroying her sketchbooks or calling her names, but lately? She sort of… let go off that. Perhaps it was that she was too busy balancing her life as Ladybug and Bridgette, dealing with her feelings for Félix and having to fight Papillon's henchmen, to even notice whether Amber was bullying her or not. Hell, when was the last time she did anything? Oh, sure, Amber stole her sketchbook and dumped it into a trash can, but beside that, what else did happen? She honestly couldn't remember.

''In the end, I don't think it really matters,'' Chat Noir suddenly said, drawing Ladybug's attention. ''We needed to have this talk with her for her own sake. We don't know what is going on in her civilian life, but we can make sure that nothing happens to her while we're superheroes.''

''You're right,'' Ladybug responded, only for her and Chat Noir to hear the school bell ring for the afternoon classes. Both looked suddenly nervous, exchanging glances with each other.

''Eh, I-I should…''

''Go? Y-Yeah, me too… Uh, see you-''

''At patrol? Yes!''

Ladybug and Chat Noir quickly rushed away to de-transform, their lunch plans with Félix and Bridgette falling through respectively. They really had no luck today.

xXx

Amber puffed up her cheeks, opting to just walk around aimlessly through Paris, still dressed in her Queen Bee costume under her regular outfit. She payed absolutely no attention at school and was just waiting for the classes to end, opting to just roam through the city instead of going straight home. She was completely dispirited, if not even depressed and felt like she couldn't do anything. The person she admired the most had just rejected her and she had no clue how to move on from this. She couldn't understand why Ladybug had to shatter her dreams so cruelly, but at the same time, she was well aware that she had no powers that could help her fight any villains. Unfortunately for her, Ladybug and Chat Noir were correct, but she refused to acknowledge that. She wanted to be a superhero, just like they were, and she wanted their recognition, that she was capable of more than any of them would assume. However, it was obvious that none of her desires would be fulfilled.

I should've known… I cannot expect anything…

Amber suddenly heard a crash from further down the street, being startled at first, but then ran towards it. To her surprise, she spotted the Mime robbing a closed jewelry store. She hid behind a car, feeling her heart beating rapidly as she realized just how real this situation was.

I managed to find a super villain! And it's that Mime guy! Uhhh, what do I do?! Amber felt herself panicking, only to slap herself lightly with both hands on the cheeks to focus more properly. Ladybug and Chat Noir usually patrol through Paris, right? If I keep stalling him, they will eventually come across us and kick this guy's ass. She fist-pumped, now determined to follow through with her plan. Right, you can do this! You are Queen Bee! You can also be a hero if you put your mind into it!

Quickly taking off her regular outfit and putting her domino mask on, Queen Bee climbed up on the car she was hiding behind and struck a heroic pose.

''Hey, you! Stop!'' The Mime looked up, rising an eyebrow at the teenager in a yellow and black jumpsuit and domino mask standing on top of a car that was parked on the street. ''I, Queen Bee, order you to stop with your criminal activity and surrender!''

The Mime just smirked as he looked at her, dropping the bag he was holding and curling his fingers around an invisible handle. Queen Bee gulped when she realized that the handle belonged to an invisible hammer, with the Mime suddenly running towards her. She managed to jump off the car and land safely on the ground, but to her shock, the Mime left quite a deep dent in the car roof. She realized that, had he hit her, her skull would've been nothing but flesh, blood and broken bones.

The Mime turned around towards her and kept swinging the huge hammer, leaving cracks in the walls of the street and Queen Bee quickly dodged them, using her gymnastics skills. However, she knew that she was in trouble, as she had no way to fight back. Even without his superpowers, the Mime was still an adult man, much bigger and heavier than her. The only thing she could do was to pray that someone would notice them and call the authorities, or even better, Ladybug and Chat Noir.

But, I told her that I hated her. Would she even want to save me?

Queen Bee froze as that thought crossed her mind, giving the Mime and opportunity to swing once again at her, leaving her unable to dodge the attack. However, before the hammer fell, a yo-yo wrapped around his arm, pulling him back. The Mime turned around, only to get punched square in the face by Chat Noir, knocking him down.

''Ladybug! Chat Noir!'' Queen Bee never felt so grateful to see these two. Despite all the mean stuff she had told them, they still would appear to help her and she felt safe around them. Ladybug leapt down, grabbing her hand and dragging her around a corner.

''What are you doing here? It's dangerous!'' Ladybug scolded her, with Queen Bee feeling a sting in her chest.

''I just happened to ran across that Mime guy! I didn't do it on purpose!'' Queen Bee snapped back, with Ladybug sighing in response.

''Okay, just stay here and stay safe. I don't want the Mime to hurt you,'' Ladybug told her.

Queen Bee noded, with Ladybug then rejoining Chat Noir in the battle against the Mime. She then kept observing the two as they fought the Mime, with Chat Noir using Black Hole to trap him, only for the Mime to mime a rocket launcher and fire it point-blank at the black cat superhero. Ladybug used her yo-yo to wrap it around the invisible rocket launcher, forcing Mime to fire it somewhere else, only for him to direct it towards her. Chat Noir managed to rush towards Ladybug in time, using his Black Hole to shield her from the explosion, but it was a little too late and both were knocked back, hitting the building behind them.

Queen Bee gasped as the Mime made his way over to them, forming what appeared to be a gun in his hands and pointing it straight towards Ladybug. Fortunately, she was still awake, but struggling to get up and the fact that an invisible gun was being held in front of her face didn't help. Queen Bee's expression changed from shock to a determined look, as she knew that she was the only one who could do something.

''Hey!'' Grabbing the trompo that was on a string around her waist, Queen Bee spun it, throwing it straight at Mime and nailed him right in the head. This was enough of a distraction for Ladybug to kick the gun out of Mime's hands and transform her yo-yo into a staff to hit him directly in the gut. Chat Noir also managed to get up, firing a point-blank Black Storm at the Mime, who was knocked back, hitting a car.

''Thanks Queen Bee!'' Ladybug said, briefly turning to her before she and Chat Noir faced the Mime. Queen Bee swelled with pride, observing the two as they landed hit after hit on the super villain, only for the Mime to realize that this was a losing fight and quickly left after throwing a smoke bomb at them. Once the smoke settled, he was nowhere to be found.

''Not again…'' Ladybug muttered. ''I thought we had him this time.''

''Better luck next time, I guess,'' Chat Noir responded, shrugging. Both then turned around towards Queen Bee, who felt a little awkward as they stared at each other in silence.

''Amber…''

''I'm sorry for getting myself into danger,'' Queen Bee apologized sincerely, much to Ladybug's surprise. She honestly never heard Amber talk to her like this, being so vulnerable instead of condescending. ''You were right, I'm not cut for this superhero thing. I don't have any powers or abilities to protect myself and I would've died if it weren't for you two.''

''Why do you want so desperately to be a superhero?'' Ladybug asked. Queen Bee was silent, filddling with her trompo she had picked up nervously, before giving Ladybug a serious look.

''Can I trust you two with something very personal?'' she asked, with Ladybug giving her a curious look.

''Sure you can. I promise you I won't tell anyone,'' Ladybug said in an assuring tone, then glanced at Chat Noir.

''I don't really see any reason to share any personal secrets with anyone,'' he replied. Queen Bee took a deep breath.

''I… I wanted to be a superhero to feel special, because everyone else tell me that I'm not,'' she admitted. Ladybug and Chat Noir exchanged glances of surprise, not expecting the conversation to steer in this way.

''Who is telling you that?'' Ladybug asked.

''Mainly, my own mother!'' Queen Bee responded, before going into a rant as she walked up-down in front of the two, throwing her hands up animatedly. ''I tried everything to please her and make her proud of me, but he's always telling me how unexceptional I am! Can you believe that? Me, unexceptional? She is so condescending! It's ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!'' Queen Bee didn't notice the side-glances Ladybug and Chat Noir exchanged as she continued, ''That's why I went to you two, because I had been hoping that, if anyone is going to give me the recognition I deserve, it'll be you two… especially you Ladybug.''

''I understand now that you've been craving for some kind of recognition, but I don't think that throwing yourself into danger is the answer,'' Ladybug said. Queen Bee lowered her gaze, feeling guilty.

''Yeah, you're right,'' she said.

''What about your classmates? From what we've heard, they don't like you particularly,'' Chat Noir said, his arms folded across his chest, his tail flicking as he gave Queen Bee a knowing look.

''Well, they just don't get it how amazing I am!'' Queen Bee responded in a haughty tone.

''Or they know that you're just a bully and don't want do have anything to do with you,'' Ladybug said, with Queen Bee, despite trying to keep her calm, looking quite mortified that her favorite superhero was calling her a bully. Chat Noir gave Ladybug a curious look, wondering if she was talking from experience, but he didn't follow up on it.

''Uh, well, I… Well, they deserved it, especially Cheng,'' Queen Bee replied spitefully. ''The other day she bragged about how her mother is such a great parent because she was going to visit her and spend time with her. It's not fair!''

Chat Noir frowned, glaring daggers at Queen Bee for daring to insult Bridgette like this, but to his surprise, Ladybug smirked knowingly, ''Was she rubbing it in your face? Does she even know what your family situation is?''

''N-No…'' Queen Bee admitted, feeling a wave of embarrassment, amazed that Ladybug was reading her like an open book. To her surprise, Ladybug placed a hand on her shoulder, with Queen Bee giving her a nervous look.

''Okay, I'd like to give you some important advice, as one superhero to another,'' Ladybug started, winking at Queen Bee, who was actually ecstatic that Ladybug addressed her as a fellow superhero. ''Instead of seeking other people's approval of whether you're exceptional or not, you should ask yourself if you see yourself like that. Because you actually did show quite some courage tonight by hitting the Mime with that spinning top and you also saved my life in the process.''

''It is a trompo and I did practice for days with it, so I have learned how to use it as a weapon,'' Queen Bee said proudly, noting Ladybug's questioning look. She lowered her gaze, fiddling with the trompo. ''I suppose I have a lot to think about. However, I think that Queen Bee should retire.''

''Maybe she doesn't have to,'' Ladybug said, much to Queen Bee and Chat Noir's surprise. ''Look, you aren't going to fight any super villains, but you could still act as our support system.''

''Are you sure about that, Bug?'' Chat Noir asked in a skeptical tone.

''Yeah, I have to agree with Cat Boy here, because I'm not sure how to do that,'' Queen Bee said in a deadpan tone. Ladybug stuck her tongue out playfully, winking at them.

''Well, the public seems to be split on whether we're the good guys or the bad guys, and having someone who would be able to influence the public opinion so we could do our job without any interference would be nice,'' she said, shrugging with her arms up. ''Neither I nor Chat Noir are that fond of cameras, but someone who'd love the attention would certainly thrive in the spotlight.''

''Ladybug, I don't think-'' Chat Noir started, only to get interrupted by Queen Bee.

''I like the way you're thinking,'' she said, grinning, only to fist-pump. ''As a matter of fact, I already have an idea what I could do to help you.''

''What is it?'' Ladybug asked.

''Don't worry, I'm sure you'll see it once I'm done with it,'' Queen Bee told her confidently, snapping her fingers.

xXx

''Welcome to the Queen Bee's Hive! Hosted by yours truly, Amber Bourgeois! In this blog, you will learn about Paris' treasured superheroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir, and how they're doing their best to defend the city from super villains!''

''Honestly, I didn't expect that this would be Amber's idea of support,'' Bridgette told Tikki as they watched Amber's livestream on her new blog in Bridgette's room. The livestream itself was filmed by Amber on the roof of the hotel she lived at. ''But, I guess this might give her the recognition she desperately seeks. I just hope she won't get a swollen head.''

''Do you really think it's a good idea for Amber to host a blog about you and Chat Noir? What if she reveals any important secrets about you two?'' Tikki asked. The two went silent for a moment when Amber started reading some of the questions sent by the chat box.

'''Do you know Ladybug and Chat Noir's identities?' What? Of course not! The heroes' identities are a secret for a reason. Has none of you read any comic books about superheroes? How else would they lead a normal life if everyone knows who they are?'' Amber responded, scoffing. ''Tch, what kind of stupid question is that?''

''Yeah, I think we can trust her,'' Bridgette said, smiling, with Tikki giggling as they continued to watch the livestream.

xXx

''…will talk about how amazing Ladybug is!... and Chat Noir as well.''

''…I feel as if she has just tacked me on,'' Félix grumbled as he watched the livestream on his computer in his bedroom.

''Face it Neko Boy, she did tack you on. Amber favours Ladybug over you,'' Plagg replied, taking a bite off his cheese.

''You really are merciless,'' Félix said, cracking a smile and turning back to the screen, only for Plagg to fly up to him.

''So, when are you going to ask Ladybug about somehow learning what Amber was up to? Don't you think that this must mean that you're both going to the same school? Maybe even the same class?'' he asked.

''I'm not going to ask these kinds of questions,'' Félix replied in a cold tone. Plagg gave him a look of surprise, his eyes narrowing.

''What do you mean? Haven't you tried to figure out who is Ladybug in order to get her to free you from your curse?'' he asked. ''What has changed?''

''Nothing has changed,'' Félix grumbled, leaning his head against his hand, his eyes closed. Plagg tilted his head, a little confused and suspicious. Félix sighed, glancing at the cat kwami. ''I do have a plan, but I need think through this.''

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