Chapter Text
To the untrained eye, Ladybug looks calm and dignified, if appropriately sad. She stands on the small stage behind the podium, hands held loosely at her sides, and addresses the crowd of journalists with a steady voice. Chat Noir shadows her, his expression a mirror of Ladybug’s. He hasn’t spoken yet, and in fact, though those listening don’t know it, he will not be saying anything at all.
For the occasion, they are everything the city of Paris could want – and that’s good, Chloé tells herself, even as she presses her hand more firmly to her chest and shifts her position a bit. The discordance in her chest is so heavy that breathing is a struggle, yet she can’t really blame Ladybug or Chat for it right now. They had to make a statement, even if it means facing the reality of Lila’s death head on.
“ – and so, we did everything we could to try and save Lila Rossi,” Ladybug says into the microphone. “As soon as we figured out who Mayura was, we confronted her. We also tried to talk to her before we knew who she was.”
She pauses, clearing her throat. Chloé stares avidly at the screen, willing Ladybug not to say anything stupid. This is why Chloé thought it might be better if Chat made a statement – Adrien has plenty of experience with the media, whereas Marinette has very little. Paris usually thinks so highly of their heroes that they’ll forgive any blunders Ladybug may make, but not today. However, Marinette was adamant that she wanted to do it. Chloé wonders if Marinette is regretting that right now.
“The person you should be blaming is Hawkmoth. Although we don’t know the full story, it is safe to assume that he manipulated Lila Rossi into accepting the Peacock miraculous under false pretences and that ended up costing Lila her life.” Ladybug pauses again, licking her lips, and, for a few seconds, her pain is so great that Chloé literally can’t breathe.
But then Ladybug straightens up a bit, and the pained lines in her face smooth away as she says again, “What happened was not our fault. We did everything we could to save Lila.”
And this time, she believes it.
Chloé breathes easier for the first time since the funeral. A soft buzz draws her attention away from the screen, and she realizes that the source is, of course, Pollen. Her kwami can clearly feel the difference in the hive as well. Pollen’s happier smile is enough to make Chloé smile a little too, at least until the sound of someone else’s voice has her snapping back to her phone.
“Ladybug, if I could ask a question?” Nadja Chamack says, putting her hand up.
Ladybug tenses slightly before nodding. “Go ahead.”
“Are the miraculous dangerous?”
It’s a question they’re expecting, yet the corner of Ladybug’s mouth twitches. She takes a moment before she answers – hopefully, the crowd will see it as Ladybug carefully contemplating the answer and not Ladybug trying to remember what Nathaniel came up with for her to say.
“The Peacock miraculous was damaged some time ago. It’s the only miraculous that is not safe to use. We’d like to warn everyone in Paris that if Hawkmoth approaches you with the Peacock miraculous, please do not use it,” she says, and Chloé gives an approving nod. They’re relying on people to take their word for it, but it’s the best that they can do.
Another reporter raises a hand and speaks without waiting for permission. “Can you tell us why Hawkmoth has the Peacock and Butterfly miraculous in the first place?”
Shit. Chloé bites her lip, exchanging a worried glance with Pollen. They aren’t prepared for that question, though she supposes in hindsight that they should have seen it coming.
“He stole them,” Ladybug says without skipping a beat. “But we have made sure that he won’t be able to get his hands on anymore.”
“But the way you’re talking, Hawkmoth still has the Peacock,” says the journalist. “Why did you let him take it?”
“I didn’t let him take it,” Ladybug snaps, her eyes flashing. Chat stirs beside her and Ladybug bites her lip, obviously realizing that she let her temper get the best of her. She inclines her head and draws in a breath to say something else, but, before she can, there’s a loud crash in the distance.
“We need to go,” Chat says, putting a hand on Ladybug’s shoulder, and she nods. They’re gone before Chloé can blink.
Chloé needs to go too, but she lingers for a second and examines the faces of the crowd. Everyone is dispersing quickly – they’re journalists, so of course they want to know what’s going on too – but despite that she can tell that no one is especially happy with what Ladybug said. That makes Chloé nervous. Their job as heroes is easier because of the trust that Paris puts in them; anything that tarnishes that trust is going to make things considerably more difficult.
“That didn’t go very well, did it?” Pollen asks, hovering beside Chloé’s shoulder.
“Not really, but I don’t think there was much Ladybug could have said to make people happy,” Chloé admits. With Lila dead and Hawkmoth hiding, Ladybug and the other miraculous holders are the easy targets. People want answers. Answers that Ladybug can’t give.
Pollen frowns disapprovingly. “That’s not very fair.”
“Life never is. Pollen, buzz on!” Chloé calls out. Yellow light glimmers around her. Queen Bee slips out onto the balcony, taking in the cool, early evening air, before she jumps off the balcony.
She uses her stinger to make her way towards the source of the problem, but it turns out that there’s no akuma tonight. Just a run-of-the-mill car crash. Queen Bee joins Chat and Ladybug on a nearby roof; there’s not really much they can do in a situation like this, where paramedics and the police are already on the scene. All of the people involved are standing around talking, so it looks like no one’s been hurt.
“So that was a total disaster,” Chat says to no one in particular.
“I think it was just an accident. It looks like someone turned when they weren’t supposed to,” says Ladybug, pointing to one of the cars.
“He meant the press conference,” Queen Bee tells her, not needing Chat’s nod to know she’s right. “I was watching. It was a disaster.”
Ladybug’s face crumbles. “I know. I didn’t mean to snap. I just wasn’t expecting him to say it like that.”
Chat reaches out and puts an arm around her shoulders. “It’s okay, Mari. You did fine.”
Queen Bee begs to differ, but she’s not stupid enough to say it. She just says, “I think we should cut down on how much we talk to the press for the next little while. I know you guys have a policy about sticking around after battles and making nice, but that’s dangerous right now.”
“Dangerous?” Ladybug says, looking at Queen Bee like she’s crazy, but Chat nods in understanding.
“QB is right. I could tell that no one there was very happy today. Right now there’s just a lot of speculation running around, but it wouldn’t take much for one of us to say something that can be misconstrued,” he says, exchanging a wry look with Queen Bee. Even Adrien Agreste, who is usually the apple of the press’s eye, has come under fire once or twice.
Ladybug presses her lips together into a thin line and wraps her arms around herself, walking away from them. Queen Bee glances at Chat, expecting him to follow, but Chat just watches Ladybug go with this kicked puppy look that makes Queen Bee’s chest squeeze.
“Shouldn’t you go talk to her?” she says pointedly.
Chat sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t know if I should or not. I tried to talk to her last night and she got mad at me. I don’t want to fight with her, but I never seem to say the right thing anymore.”
Queen Bee doesn’t really know what to say. It’s not like she’s an expert in relationships, and things between Adrien and Marinette are always so easy ever since they found out each other’s identities. She doesn’t think she’s ever seen tension between them, much less any sign of a real fight. But then again, they’ve never had to deal with something like this before either.
The sensible thing to do would be to leave it alone and let the two of them work it out themselves.
So naturally, Queen Bee sighs explosively and stalks over to Ladybug.
“Go away,” Ladybug says before Queen Bee can say a word.
“I’m not Chat. You can’t order me around,” says Queen Bee, crossing her arms over her chest.
Ladybug shoots her a glare. “I don’t order Chat around.”
“Uh yeah, actually, you do, but that’s beside the point. What’s wrong with you?” Queen Bee looks Ladybug up and down critically, but of course Ladybug’s red, black-spotted suit is the same as ever and gives no hint as to what Ladybug is thinking.
For a long moment Ladybug is quiet, and Queen Bee starts to think she shouldn’t have bothered. She and Marinette aren’t exactly close, so it’s silly to think that Ladybug would open up to her when even Chat is getting blown off. But just as Queen Bee is ready to tell Ladybug not to bother, Ladybug speaks.
“I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.” Her voice is soft, too soft for kitty ears to pick up on. “I’m working on accepting that what happened to Lila wasn’t our fault, but… I still feel like I should have known.”
Queen Been says nothing, unsure of what to say.
“And on top of that, I don’t know what our next move should be. I feel like all of Paris is watching us, waiting to say what we do next. They want me to get justice for Lila. But I’m no closer to figuring out who Hawkmoth is, or who the original Mayura was. I’m no closer to anything!” Ladybug throws her hands in the air out of pure frustration; Queen Bee dodges one of said flailing hands just in time to avoid being smacked in the face.
They look at each other for a moment, and then Ladybug says quickly, “Oh shit, I’m sorry.” She clutches her hands to her chest.
“It’s fine,” Queen Bee says, though she makes sure she’s standing outside of flailing distance. “Look, I’m going to be blunt. You’re being dumb.”
“Hey!” Ladybug frowns. “That’s rude.”
“The truth hurts. Do you hear yourself? Paris wants you to get justice for Lila. You’re no closer to figuring out who Hawkmoth and Mayura are. You’re no closer to anything. What the hell are Chat and I, chopped liver? Not to mention you also have Filou and Artemal and whoever Chat ends up choosing on your side as well, plus all of our kwami and the guardian. You’re not alone in this,” Queen Bee says crossly.
Ladybug blinks for a few seconds. “I didn’t know you cared,” she says finally.
“Of course I care!” Queen Bee all but shouts, stamping her foot. “Do you think I’m here because this is fun?! I get that you’re under a lot of pressure because you’re the leader of the team, but you need to stop internalizing that pressure. We’re supposed to be a team. That means no one stands on their own, right?”
Very slowly, a small smile crosses Ladybug’s face. “Yeah.”
“And that means you’re not personally responsible for figuring all this shit out, right?”
“Right.”
“And that means you need to go hug your pining partner, right?”
“Ri – what?” Ladybug looks a little caught off guard by the sudden change in subject. Queen Bee points behind her and Ladybug turns. They both look at Chat, who is sitting on the edge of the building with slumped shoulders. No doubt he’s trying to think of ways to help his lady.
“The only thing worse than you two being lovey dovey is when you’re not,” Queen Bee says. “So will you please put me out of my misery and make up?”
Ladybug nods, but she lingers for a moment to give Queen Bee a curious look. “So this was all for Chat. You weren’t worried about me at all.”
“Of course not,” Queen Bee says quickly.
“Sure,” Ladybug says with another smile, and then walks over to Chat. She puts a hand on his shoulder and Chat’s head snaps up immediately. Ladybug leans down to press a kiss to his mouth, then sits down beside him. Queen Bee sighs as she watches them start to talk, rubbing absently at her chest.
A bee’s work is truly never done.