Warning

This chapter contains scenes of character death and blatant homophobia.

Chapter 12

In which we pause to reflect, and then start to go completely beeserk.

The world stopped making sense the moment Queen Bee saw Volpina's body smash into the ground.

What was happening? That wasn't how fights with Akumas were supposed to go. Sure, people got sent into the stratosphere in magic bubbles, or frozen in time with cellphone apps, and sometimes even thrown off of buildings, but Akumas weren't supposed to actually hurt people. Not so brutally. Not like that…

She watched everything that followed in a daze. She saw Ladybug and Chat Noir struggle to break free, heard Volpina scream insults at Hawkmoth through his Akuma, but it was like she was watching some grossly exaggerated stage play. It just didn't seem real to her. The world didn't work that way. Ladybug couldn't be defeated, and Akumas didn't win. It was like some horrible nightmare.

Yes, that had to be it. She was still asleep, and this was all a dream. Any second now she'd wake up, and she would be safe in her room, and everything would be fine. There was nothing to worry about, all she had to do was wake up. She tried pinching herself, but she remained standing on the roof. She tried again, harder this time, but still nothing. She even tried slapping herself across the face, but despite how much it stung, the world still refused to make sense.

Then she looked up and saw the Antibug Devil lift its massive knife, and place it directly between Volpina's eyes.

The world suddenly snapped into sharp and terrible clarity. She was about to watch her partner die, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Nothing anyone could do.

The world suddenly stood still. There was no sound, no movement of any kind, even her own heart seemed to have been frozen in mid beat. Her body went completely numb, and she was unable to do anything but stare down at the macabre tableau below her.

At first she thought she had gone into shock, but then she realized that she wasn't even breathing anymore. She was completely paralyzed. Panic began taking over, and as it did so, the pain in her back began to return as well, as if drawn to her fear. She couldn't so much as wince, but she could feel the pain tear into her back, and begin to dig deeper into her chest again. It was agonizing, but as the darkness began to creep in at the corners of her vision, she felt almost relieved. As painful as it was, she knew she'd rather suffer the pain and pass out again, then be made to watch helplessly as someone died right before her eyes, again. Anything was better than that.

But this time, as the darkness swallowed her, she felt something grab onto the memory of that horrible day, and the darkness became a blinding white light.

When the light faded away, Chloe was six years old.

She was visiting Aunt Sophia in her hospital room. Aunt Sophia was sitting up in bed with a food tray with some soup in front of her, while Chloe was in a nearby chair, flipping through one of Uncle Gabriel's fashion magazines and looking at all the pretty girls, like usual. It had become a daily ritual with them. When Chloe found a girl she thought was especially pretty, she would point out her picture to Aunt Sophia, so she could ask for her aunt's professional opinion on them.

Aunt Sophia always got a mischievous little glint in her eye whenever Chloe showed her one of the models, and replied with something like, "Hmmm, she's alright I guess, but I've always preferred someone in glasses," or, "Oh, I think we already have enough blonds in the family," or the worst of all, "Hmmm, maybe. But don't you think she's a little too old for Adrien?"

After that, Chloe would roll her eyes and tell her aunt that Adrien could get his own girlfriend, after which Aunt Sophia would innocently tap her finger to her lips and ask Chloe why she was so interested in the girls in the magazine then, and Chloe would blush and simply say, "no reason." Her aunt always laughed after that, and Chloe huffed and hid herself behind the magazine. When she finally peeked out again, Aunt Sophia would be smiling gently at her with an expression Chloe couldn't understand. Then her aunt would shake her head with a little sigh, still smiling all the time, and go back to stirring her soup. Aunt Sophia was always stirring some kind of soup, since that was all the hospital would give her to eat. Though for the last few days, Chloe couldn't remember seeing Aunt Sophia actually eat any of it.

It was just another quiet afternoon for the two of them. The sun was shining through the windows. The hospital room was bright and clean. Everything was just as it had been for the last six months since Aunt Sophia had been admitted...

Then her aunt began to cough.

Just a little at first, but it quickly grew out of control. In just a few seconds, Aunt Sophia's coughing became so bad that she could hardly take a breath without coughing it back out immediately. Chloe started to get scared and went to hit the call button for the nurses, but it was too high up on the wall for her to reach.

Chloe tried telling Aunt Sophia she needed to press the button, but her aunt just kept coughing over and over again and didn't seem to hear her. Her aunt reached out blindly for something to hold on to, and knocked over the bowl of soup, spilling it all over the front of Chloe's dress and on to the floor. Chloe jumped back as the soup soaked through to her skin, and its smell filled her nose. Her aunt kept coughing over and over again, and not knowing what else to do, Chloe ran out of the room. She screamed for someone, anyone to come help, but the hall was completely empty. She ran from room to room, pounding on the doors for someone to help. After about the fifth door or so, a very angry looking nurse stepped out of one of the rooms to tell her to be quiet. Chloe grabbed the nurse by the wrist and pulled her towards Aunt Sophia's room with all her strength, sobbing with fear and trying desperately to tell the nurse through her tears that she had to do something, she had to help!

The nurse tried to fight her off, saying she didn't have time to help some brat clean up some spilled soup. Chloe continued to cry and refused to let her go, and after nearly a full minute of this life or death tug of war, the nurse finally relented and let Chloe drag her to Aunt Sophia's room. When they came in, Aunt Sophia was laying on her back, still coughing and struggling to breathe. Her eyes were fluttering, and she was clutching her throat as if it were in terrible pain. The nurse dashed over to her and slammed on the emergency call button, while little Chloe stood helplessly against the far wall. She continued to cry silently as she watched the nurse try to help her aunt, praying and praying that she would be alright; the lingering smell of the soup on her dress hanging thick in the air around her.

The nurse gave Aunt Sophia an injection of something, and her coughing began to slow. As more doctors and nurses ran into the room and crowded around her, a few of them stepped to the side, and through the gap, Aunt Sophia's gaze fell on Chloe. She tried to say something to her, but her voice was too faint, and Chloe couldn't make it out.

They stared at each other for a long moment. Then the light faded from Aunt Sophia's eyes, and the machines hooked up to her chest began making a long shrill tone. The doctors flew into a panic, blaming each other while the nurses crowded back around Aunt Sophia and tried everything they could think of to save their multibillion dollar patient, but it was no use.

After a few minutes, one of the doctor's announced the time of death, and they began talking about who was going to tell the next of kin. Nobody noticed Chloe pull open the door and run out of the room, and into the blindingly bright light that lay beyond.

The next thing Chloe knew, she was storming down the hall of her father's hotel towards his office.

She was ten years old now, and she was furious. How dare Marinette say something like that to her. Just because she had a mom and a dad, that made her some kind of expert on what made up a family and what didn't? Chloe would show her. She'd tell her father what Marinette had said, and then she'd get it, her and her stupid, perfect, normal little family.

The door was slightly open, and Chloe could hear voices coming from inside as she approached. She almost pushed open the door anyway, but one of the voices caught her attention.

"Go ahead and just try to bribe me like you did all those other reporters, Andre! I'm recording this whole conversation, so it'll just give me more rope to hang you with."

Chloe recognized the voice. It belonged to one of the bad news people her father had warned her too never talk to, but what really caught her attention was his tone. She had never heard anyone talk like that to her father before. Curious, she put her ear to the crack and listened.

Her father chuckled jovially.

"Oh, by all means, Emile. I'll even speak right into the mic if you want me too," he said. "I'm sure you'll want to play back my congratulations to you, and to that little boyfriend of yours."

There was a long pause and then.

"Wha… I-I haven't a clue what you're talking about."

"Cut the crap, Belrose," her father snapped, and Chloe put her hand to her mouth. She'd never heard such pure… hatred in her father's voice before. It scared her.

"I had my people trail you two on your little night on the town last week." There was the sound of a drawer opening and a pack of small papers being thrown onto the desk. "You know, you're quite photogenic for a reporter. Too bad all the ones I have here are of you batting your eyes at that bearded fairy. Ugg, it might be sweet if it didn't make me want to puke."

"You… You had no right to-" the reporter started to say, but her father cut off his trembling voice.

"Oh, but I do, Belrose. The exact same right that would let you publish those bank transactions you dug up from my last election. I've really got to hand it to you, I haven't a clue how you found them, but I admit it, my career could suffer some real damage if those ever saw the light of day. Nothing my lawyers and media connections couldn't clean up in a week or two, of course, but anything less than a spotless record could cause me substantial headache in the future, so I'm willing to cut you a deal.

"You hand over every copy of those bank transactions, along with everything else you have on me, and tell my legal team exactly how you got it and where, and not only will these disgusting pictures not see the front page of every major newspaper in France, but I might even go easy on you freaks in the future. Nothing big mind you, but I'll keep a marginally neutral stance and not stand in your way, if that bill for queer rights ever actually makes it to my desk."

Her father finished speaking and there was the sound of him sitting back in his chair as he waited for the reporter to answer.

"You… You… You can't… You sick, basta-"

There was a loud bang as someone slammed down on the desk.

"Sick!? You're calling me sick? Oh, that's rich. That has to be the funniest thing I've ever heard. Well, you might be right; if I'm trying to bargain with a freak like you I must be a little off my head. Maybe I should just run those photo's anyway? I wonder how all those concerned citizens will feel when they learn their children are being looked after by a homosexual. I'm sure they'll think it's perfectly safe having a damn faggot for a kindergarten teacher."

There was another bang on the desk.

"How dare you! John is the kindest man I've ever known! It's been his dream to be a teacher all his life, you can't do this!"

Her father simply scoffed.

"Well, it doesn't matter what your opinion of him is. Or mine for that matter. It'll be up to the parents and the school board on whether or not your boyfriend will live to see that dream or not, once word of what he is gets out. Of course, it needn't come to that…"

There was a long pause, and then,

"…you win…"

"Hmm? Sorry, could you repeat that? Nice, and clear for me?"

"You win," the reporter said again, and Chloe could hear him choking back the loathing from his voice.

"Good, I'm glad to see you aren't entirely unreasonable. Now get out of my office, I'm already going to have to have that chair you sat in burned."

Chloe heard the footsteps coming towards the door just in time, and scrambled to get out of the way before she was discovered. She pressed herself against the wall as the reporter opened the door and slammed it shut behind him. He didn't see her as he left, but Chloe stared after him the whole way.

When he had gone, she gave one last glance back at the door to her father's office, and ran. She felt what was left of her heart shatter as her father's hate filled words echoed in her ears. She could never tell him what she and Marinette had argued about that day, and that Marinette could never be allowed to tell anyone else either. And as she had just seen, the easiest way to make sure she never talked, was to make sure she would never dare too.

She pushed open the door to her room, and was swallowed up by the blinding bright light again.

There was a flash of lightning and the world came back again. This time Chloe didn't know how old she was, or where.

Or even who.

She was in the middle of a storm, in the dead of night, running along a rain pelted tile roof, and hand in hand with the woman she had just rescued from the castle dungeon behind them. She didn't know how she knew that, but she did, just as she knew that despite the pouring rain and the crashing thunder echoing around them, they had made it. They were free! On their way to a happily ever after, or at least a long vacation away from France while this all sorted itself out. Perhaps a honeymoon in the Caribbean? The Pirate Queen Piquer Royale had a certain ring to it.

She looked back at her beautiful soon to be first mate and laughed. Alice was drenched to the bone, her dress was torn, her hair in complete disarray, and she had never looked happier or more beautiful. She hoped she could keep that feeling going when they got back to her rooms. It was just one more rooftop until they could duck inside and wait out this mess in her secret hideaway. She knew she had a lot of explaining to do to Alice, though hopefully most of it could be done in the morning. Preferably with the two of them wearing as little clothing as possible.

She was so lost in her happy thoughts, she didn't think anything of the distant crack of thunder behind her, until she felt the bullet punch through her back.

Time slowed to a crawl as white-hot pain carved its way into her chest. Shock and confusion wracked her mind. She turned her head to look over at Alice. Her lover was looking back at her, her expression slowly changing to one of pure horror, meaning she must have seen what had happened, but thankfully Alice herself looked unharmed.

She turned further and looked back behind them. There was a flash of lightning, but in the frozen time it seemed to stretch out nearly a minute. The light illuminated the rooftops of the eighteenth-century city around them, and directly behind them, stood the enormous stone prison tower some two hundred yards away.

Atop the tower, through the storm and the falling rain, Chloe could feel a force of pure, murderous, hatred staring down at her from the highest peak, and could almost see the smoking musket still pointed down at her. The bullet in her back seemed almost to scream with that same hatred, and she felt it try to burrow its way closer to her heart, as if it were somehow alive.

Another wave of pain shot through her, and she fell backwards over the edge of the roof, unintentionally pulling Alice down with her as she continued to stare up at the thing on the tower in disbelief. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. She and Alice had won, they had escaped, and by tomorrow morning that thing and all it's horrible followers would be imprisoned in their own jail and awaiting execution. She and Alice were supposed to toast to their victory wearing nothing but satin sheets and smiles as they read the headline on the morning newspaper. How could this have happened?

She felt her strength fading, and time slipping back to its proper pace as they fell into the dark alley below. She had just enough strength left to pull Alice to her, and try to shield her lover from the inevitable impact with her own dying body. There was the sound of splintering wood beneath her, the feeling of them coming to a very sudden stop, and then… nothing.

She felt no more pain. No sense of up, or down. She was simply floating in absolute nothingness. She was dead. It was over.

…which made her royally pissed.

She tried to scream, but she had no lungs or voice left to her. They had been so close! Just one quick leap and a duck into the door and they would have made it! She had worked so hard, been so careful, only to fail right at the finish line?

No. No, this would not do. This would not do at all. She refused to simply fade away or crossover, or whatever awaited her in the next life. She would not go, not until she saw victory for herself and for her people. She could not simply "rest in peace" like this.

She would have satisfaction, damn it!

A feeling of pure outrage blasted away the dark abyss of Chloe's mind like a firebomb. Her senses came flooding back to her all at once, and she was back on top of the bakery again, still looking down at the street below. Ladybug and Chat Noir were still struggling helplessly to get free, Volpina was staring up as the Antibug Devil was slowly raising its shining silver knife up over its head. Chloe's own sense of self still seemed a bit blurry, but she understood the situation around her perfectly. She was about to watch an execution.

'No.'

Her mind snapped into focus, and Queen Bee's eyes narrowed. She would not let this happen again. She would not stand by and let anyone else be taken from her without a fight.

She felt her lips move, heard herself speak, but she paid no attention to the words she was saying. Whatever she said, the moment she finished saying it she felt a burst of raw power surge through her, and an angry buzzing began to hum at the back of her mind. She instinctually reached out to it, and the physical world seemed to slow down to a standstill. The buzzing filled her head completely for a few seconds, and when it died back to the edge of her mind again, she had a plan.

An admittedly insane plan, but a plan nonetheless.

Time began to move forward again, and without another thought, she leapt over the guard rail and plummeted to the street below. She landed light as a feather, and not a single hair out of place. Her hand reached for the satchel at her waist, but the glint of metal on the ground in front of her caught her eye. Chat Noir's staff sat extended and waiting for her only a few feet away from her target. The buzzing flared approvingly in her mind again, and the faintest hint of a smile touched her lips.

The buzzing died back only a little this time, making the world move at only half its normal speed. Queen Bee looked back up at Volpina. The serving knife had already begun its murderous descent. There was more than twenty feet separating her from Volpina, and less than five feet between Volpina's head and certain death.

Queen Bee covered the distance in less than a second. She didn't run, she simply moved. As she approached the staff, she ducked down and rolled, elegantly snatching it up and planting herself in a kneeling position directly between Volpina and the Antibug Devil in a single maneuver. Even as she came to a stop, she gripped the staff tightly between both hands and thrust it up to block the oncoming knife. Time sped up to its normal pace the instant that metal touched metal.

CLANG!

The force of the blow made her teeth rattle, but her body held strong, refusing to give even the smallest fraction of an inch. The buzzing in her mind flared encouragingly, and using every muscle in her body, she carefully began to push the blade back until the buzzing told her she had reached the proper height. She let intuition guide her, and with a slight adjustment of angle and the proper use of force, she threw off the knife and put her opponent off balance with one fluid movement, and only a slight growl of exertion.

As her opponent staggered back, she seized upon the opening she had created, and plunged the staff into the monster's chest. It sank deep, but instead of impaling it, Queen Bee felt herself being pushed back by her own attack. The blunt staff couldn't penetrate the creature's sticky, spongy body. Perhaps there was some slight tactical advantage to making a bodyguard out of cake after all.

Queen Bee saw the Antibug Devil begin to raise its blade again, and the buzzing quickly flared and put time on pause once more.

When it resumed, Queen Bee grit her teeth, adjusted her stance slightly, and thrust the staff into the monster again, only this time, instead of feeling herself slide back, she could feel an invisible force pushing her body forward. With a roar of determination, Queen Bee used the new leverage to push the staff through the monster with such force that its back exploded as she ran it through. The monster shuddered and dropped its weapon to the ground with a loud clang, and Queen Bee let go of Chat's Staff to let the immobilized creature fall back with a wet splotch.

Some of the crimson filling splattered up onto her cheek, and she wiped it off with the back of her hand as she turned her attention towards her true enemy. The Necrobaker stepped back, and Queen Bee saw his hooded face turn ever so slightly to look from her, to Volpina, and he began to reach for the book he was carrying under his arm. The buzzing roared in her head, and its words echoed from her mouth.

"Don't, you, dare, touch her."

Authors Notes

Regarding the lateness of this chapter: I am so sorry for the month long delay. This chapter has been incredibly difficult to write satisfactorily, owing to the pretty intense subject matter. I can't even count the number of times I tried to rewrite it, only to keep coming back to the original idea. I eventually reached a point where I had to stop trying to reinvent the wheel, and just focus on what I had. The chapter originally went much longer, but there was so much going on in this section alone I decided to split it up. I'm still having some difficulty writing what comes next, (writing fight scenes are tricky at the best of times) but hopefully there won't be nearly as long a wait.

Regarding the flashbacks: These were some of the first ideas I had when I began conceptualizing this story. Just throwing my main character's life defining moments into a flashback montage feels a little cheap, but I have good reason for it. And like I said, I had to stop trying to rewrite it or this story would never get updated. I will be addressing each of the flashbacks in story later on, as well as to why they happened at that moment, and how Queen Bee was suddenly able to use all of her abilities, but I'll go more into that in the next chapter. Just know that Chloe and Pollen are not out of the woods yet. Not even close.