Chapter Text
“Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous,” Chloé muttered to herself.
It was the first day back to school, and things were not going well.
First off, her friend Adrien was nowhere to be seen. It would be his first year in an actual public school, but his father is extremely overprotective, which makes Chloé mad. Yes, her daddy spoils her, but at least he lets her do stuff. Adrien’s dad keeps him home all the time.
Honestly, if his dad doesn’t let him live his life and do his own things, it’s going to make him dependent on others for the rest of his life, and that is embarrassing. Chloé thought to herself.
By the time the bell rang, Chloé had started toward the classroom, but Adrien was still nowhere to be seen. It seemed his father had changed his mind about letting Adrien go to school… or maybe he was sick. They hadn’t talked in a while.
Chloé shook her head. That wasn’t important right now.
As she entered the classroom with Sabrina in tow (because of course she was), she saw that not many people had taken their seats yet, which was perfect because she had found Adrien's seat.
She saw many familiar faces from last year, but there were also new faces, and it seemed like not everyone had arrived yet.
Chloé heard that the teacher, Miss Bustier, hadn’t assigned seats yet, but she had decided to take the seat right across from Adrien. When she heard that Miss Bustier had put Adrien’s seat in the front of the class in the middle row, but they really didn’t enforce seat assignments unless it was needed; however, Adrien will still probably take it anyway.
Chloé was taken out of her thoughts as someone barged through the door, as Miss Bustier was asking a classmate called Nino to sit in the front this year.
That person was Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Chloé’s rival.
Marinette was late as usual, but it didn’t matter since the bell rang late. But what did matter was that Marinette had taken the seat that Chloé had picked, and that wouldn’t help Adrien. So she walked up to Marinette and placed her hand on the desk.
“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” Chloé said
“Here we go again,” Marinette mumbled.
“That’s my seat,” Chloé stated.
“But Chloé, this is my seat I talked to–”
“Not anymore,” Sabrina said, now sitting across from Marinette.
“So why don’t you go and sit beside that new girl over there?” Chloé said as she pointed to a new girl sitting in the front on her phone
Marinette didn’t seem bought on it, but Chloé could force her. Marinette was a goodie two-shoes type of person, and if Chloé mentioned that she was helping someone today, she would give up her seat.
“Listen, Adrien’s arriving today, and since that’s going to be his seat,” Chloé pointed to the seat in front, then slammed her hand back on Marinette’s desk. “This is going to be my seat, get it?”
“Um, who’s Adrien?” Marinette said
Chloé laughs, “Who’s Adrien?” Wow, Marinette thinks she’s funny this year… oh, she's serious.
“Oh, Sabrina, can you believe she doesn’t know who Adrien is? What rock do you live under?” Chloé said as she remembered the three billboards she passed on the way here with his face on them.
“He’s a famous model, how do you not know him?” Sabrina asked
“Yes, and he happens to be coming here, and we have some history, so go on, move.”
“Hey, who elected you queen of seats?” A new voice spoke up
Apparently, the new girl she pointed at decided to join in their conversation, but not on Chloé’s side.
“Ooh, look at this, Sabrina, we’ve got a little do-gooder in our class this year. What are you going to do, newbie?” Chloé crossed her arms
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” the new girl said as she brushed past Chloé and grabbed Marinette.
They didn’t get even a step away, and Marinette tripped on air and dropped her box of macarons, and Chloé took her rightful seat.
Class had started, but Chloé was more focused on the empty seat in front of her. She tapped her manicured nails against the desk, staring at the empty chair as if sheer willpower might summon Adrien.
Figures. The one day things were supposed to go her way, he wasn’t even here to see it. Her gaze flicked briefly to Marinette, now awkwardly crammed beside the new girls, whispering apologies under her breath.
Chloé smirked. Balance had been restored.
Still…
She scoffed at herself. Get a grip. It’s just a boring first day.
But she couldn’t help but wonder out loud, “Ugh, he should have been here by now.”
The first period passed rather quickly, mostly because Chloé wasn’t paying attention. Sabrina started to go to her next period, but Chloé was going through the reasons why Adrien wasn’t coming to class.
Late? Grounded? Pulled out at the last minute because Father Dearest changed his mind?
Each possibility irritated her more than the last. Adrien wasn’t the type to skip without a reason, and Chloé hated not knowing which one it was.
Suddenly, a commotion behind her snapped her out of it.
“Kim!”
Chloé looked back to see her backseat neighbor about to punch the student next to him, and the other guy was smiling.
“Ivan, what is going on?” Miss Bustier asked.
“It’s Kim!” he started to try again, but Miss Bustier told him to go to the principal's office.
He was mad, though, as he crumbled up whatever he had in his hand and stormed out.
What was that about? Chloé wondered
Chloé stayed behind so she could ask Miss Bustier a question, and once everyone was out, she walked up to Miss Bustier’s desk.
“Miss Bustier?” Chloé asked
“Yes, Chloé?” Miss Bustier answered
“Did you hear anything about Adrien Agreste being pulled out? It’s supposed to be his first day, but he didn’t show.” Chloé explained
“Oh no, I haven’t heard anything, but when I do, I’ll let you know,” Miss Bustier said.
Chloé felt a little bit relieved about that, but she still didn’t feel that much better. She nodded her head and left the room.
Chloé didn’t even get to her next class before the ground started to shake and students started to run, but a few stayed to look at the TV.
“Ugh, what now?”
Chloé ran over and saw what they were looking at. Apparently, the school must have heard of the American schools and added surveillance cameras to let everyone see around the school, and right now, in front of the school, was a monster made of stone.
Chloé pulled out her phone and looked at the time, 9:47
…
Chloé pinched herself. She felt it…
…
It isn’t a dream
…
What is happening? It’s 9 in the morning. Am I on drugs? Was I roofied? Am I still asleep? No, wait, I checked that. Why does it feel too early for this?
Chloé was spiraling, but heard her phone go off. It was a text from her dad.
>Daddy 🤑
Come Home Now
Normally, Chloé would complain or argue, but in this situation, it calls for something else.
Fav Nepobaby 💸💅<
Ok
Chloé was not having a good time.
Apparently, because she was always driven everywhere, she had never actually learned how to get home on foot. And apparently (according to her phone, which she absolutely refused to consult), Paris was a maze specifically designed to humiliate her.
This is ridiculous. Completely, utterly ridiculous.
She stopped at the corner of a street she didn’t recognize, heels clicking sharply against the pavement, and spun around.
“Ugh! No, that can’t be right,” she snapped to no one in particular. “It was definitely this way. Or–” She gestured sharply to her left. “That way. One of the two.”
The distant sound of screaming cut through her irritation.
Chloé froze.
A deep, grinding crack echoed down the street, followed by a heavy thud that made the ground tremble beneath her feet. Slowly, very slowly, she turned her head.
The stone monster was closer now.
Much closer.
It had doubled in size since the last time she’d seen it on the screens at school, its massive limbs scraping against buildings as it advanced. Cars were crushed beneath its weight like toys, alarms wailing uselessly as stone fists smashed down.
Chloé froze, her body refusing to listen no matter how loudly her mind screamed.
She had always thought it was dumb in horror movies that a person wouldn’t move if they were face-to-face with some sort of monster. She always imagined that she would be running away screaming, but now, actually faced with it… she couldn’t move.
The monster either didn’t notice her or didn’t care about her and ran past her. Leaving her behind.
She let out a shaky breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
Crack!
Chloé turned to see a child running out to grab a toy, but the building was cracking and about to fall out onto the child.
Chloé’s eyes widened. There wasn’t much time for her to call out to the kid. And a part of the wall was about to fall.
Chloé didn’t think, and she ran.
She didn’t want some kid to get hurt.
As she got closer, the wall fell.
The air stilled
WHOOMPH
A violent cyclone of wind tore through the street, spiraling upward around her as debris and dust were flung into the air.
She felt something snap into place around her waist, and a word mineralized in her mind.
“Henshin!”
Chloé was just above the kid and put her arms and body over the kid, closing her eyes.
Boom!
Dust flew everywhere, but when it cleared.
Chloé opened her eyes and saw that the child was OK.
She breathed in another breath of relief.
As she stood up to her full height, she could feel rocks falling off her back, and she realized that the wall that had hit her was still there. She hadn’t felt it at all.
“Wow,” The kid said
Chloé bent down, “Are you ok?” She checked to make sure they were ok
“Yeah,” the kid said in awe.
“Timmy?!” A voice of a considered mother shouted.
Chloé turned and saw the kids' mother. She was looking around frantically until her eyes landed on her, or rather, the kid she was standing next to.
“Timmy!” the mother ran and grabbed her kid, holding them tight.
Chloé wasn’t sure how comfortable she was watching this, so she quickly ran away.
As she ran through alleyways, she stopped.
That building fell on me.
Her mind couldn’t comprehend how she’d survived until she saw her reflection.
Gone were her designer clothes. In their place stood something out of a nightmare or a very embarrassing convention.
Dark green tall boots. Black leather fitted too perfectly to be normal. A white-and-silver belt sat heavy at her waist, unfamiliar and wrong. And when she lifted her gaze
Red eyes stared back at her.
Chloé Bourgeois screamed.