Chapter Text
“-yes, it is a confirmed Akuma, descriptions coming in now.” The reporter, a new girl who had probably come in when the old one had gotten tired of being a target, announced, the camera angle changing to show the front of the department store, some middle class place that barely caught her attention. There, dead center and looking at his wrist like he was checking a watch, was the Akuma. Black and white and twisted all over.
“Ah, I knew Nooro had it in him. He just needed the right wielder.” Bullot mused, Chloé’s eyes immediately shooting to him as she raised a brow, quickly catching his attention. “What? Because of my abilities we’re almost cousins. We just have differences of opinion over most things.” The ant Kwami said, shrugging his tiny shoulders as Chloé ignored him once more, turning her eyes back to the screen as she heard the words she had been waiting for.
“ And yes, it looks like Ladybug and Chat Noir are on the scene!” The reporter said, a smile appearing on her face as the camera stayed locked on the battle, showing Chat Noir leaping into battle almost immediately, the mangy cat’s moves being easily dodged by the Akuma as Ladybug circled around, looking for an opening.
“They must be cautious about this one if they're using the scissor strike.” Chloé mused dryly, watching ladybug lunge, hand aiming for the obvious Akuma item, the receipt machine, as Chat Noir tried to keep the monochrome menace contained.
Tried being the operative term.
In a flash, a small receipt printed itself from the machine, the akuma’s hand reaching out to snag something in the air as, in an instant, the two heroes were back where they started at the beginning of the battle.
“ What?! how did he do that!” Chat said, wide eyed as he looked at the grinning Akuma, the shorter recept in his hand burning away as he tossed it to the side.
“ah, that's gonna come to bite him. Looks like he can only use one of those paper strips at a time.” Bullot noted, earning a raised brow from Chloé as she looked at him. “It was obvious in the execution. He let them get close, probably to grab something from one of them, before using his weird rewind-without-time powers to send them back. Listen, I'm sure he’ll say something. Champions can't keep their gobs shut.”
And lo and behold, the answer came. “ Well, I just thought you must have used a lot of time and energy paying for those movements, so I returned them to you! of course, you can't get something for nothing.” The Akuma taunted, eyes glittering in malice and mischief as he drew out an incredibly long receipt. It dragged the ground, and only seemed to be growing longer before finally, the machine clicked closed, cutting off the paper as the Akuma took it in his hands.
In an instant, the duo lunged, Chat Noir lunging for the paper and Ladybug lunging for the printer, both aiming to end the fight then and there, or at least stop his plan.
“ and now, i think i’ll return a few of these victories. ” The Akuma said, as he swiped his finger like he was using a smartphone instead of dragging a finger across paper.
In an instant, Ladybug was forced back as a swarm of wasps appeared, Chloé’s eyes widening before narrowing dangerously as she saw a blurry copy of her… no, not of her. Of Miracle Queen. She appeared between the new Akuma and Ladybug.
“And just like that, the battle turns.” Bullot said, drawing Chloé’s eyes away from that disgusting copy of herself, of the reminder of her sins, as she looked at the now frowning Kwami, eyes roaming back to the screen as her eyes widened.
One of which she had seen, all of Paris had seen on late night news and after action reports. A massive blue thing that looked startlingly like the tiny stature that had gone missing from the Louvre, and had later been reported to be a Sentimonster of all things. It had never said its name, but with how it ate, the media had dubbed it Glutton, only to be corrected by Ladybug to call it Feast.
The other though… that one was worrying. For many reasons, but the main one was that she had never seen it before.
and a white Chat Noir would have been hard to miss. Especially with how Ladybug had given a full body flinch when she had seen it.
she had definitely recognized it.
“Well, now they're outnumbered two to one.” Bullot mused, giving a sidelong glance to his Guardian and Wielder. “I bet they could really use some backup. Especially the kind of backup I can supply.”
Chloé thought about it for all of two seconds, before her eyes drifted to the copy of Queen Wasp. In that instant, her mind was set, and rage filled her vision. How dare this Akuma use her face, use her failure, mock her like this! “Tell me your power.” She hissed, earning a smile from Bullot.
“Well, it's a long, complicated answer. it could take hours to get all the fine details ou- HRK! ” The Kwami started, before the air was almost crushed out of it as Chloé snatched him from the air. The anger in her eyes was palpable, and her eyes spoke of death.
“make. it. simple.” she breathed, and she saw the Kwami’s eyes light up.
“There she is.” He said, grinning as he slipped from her grip in an instant, making her blink. she had held him as tight as she could, how had-? “There’s the girl I knew you still had inside you! The Conqueror of Paris! oh i’ve been trying to bring her out all week!” he said, earning further narrowed eyes and a raised brow. “Right, right, my powers. Well, for a short answer, it's sort of a mix between the Bee, Peacock, And Butterfly. You make an item, and can give it up to five orders. Then, give it to someone. they will follow those orders to their dying breath, or until the ant you give them is Purified. Easy enough, right?” He said, giving a grin as Chloé raised an eyebrow.
“Two things. First, anyone? It can affect anyone at all?” she asked, getting a curious look and a nod from the Kwami. “Allright. Second, I can see how that reacts to the butterfly and the bee, champion making and subjugation and all. but how in the world does it relate to the peacock?”
“That's an easy one. Unless that ant is purified, it’ll continue to exist, even when you're not transformed. It will last to the end of time, waiting to inject someone near it with the orders, and transform them into their idea of a warlord’s general.” Bullot said, earning a crooked brow.
“I’ll ignore that last part for now. What's your transformation phrases?” She asked, though anyone with a brain could hear the order in her tone.
“Latch on to activate, Release to, well, release the transformation. Power is called Soldier Ant.” Bullot said, earning a nod from Chloé as she walked over to her nightstand, picking up the silver pendant with a sigh.
“I'm a hero. Even if it’s not with Pollen anymore, I'm still a hero.” she said, voice soft, a hint of pain in her tone as Bullot’s wild eye look faltered, a hint of understanding entering his face as she slipped his necklace on. “Bullot, Latch On!” she commanded, and the ant gave a whoop of joy as he dove into the medallion.
In an instant, she felt the necklace click outwards, a glance down showing the ant had grown bigger, and the entire Miraculous had turned the same blood red as the fabric in the box. She could see the red energy covering her, racing down her arms to give her queen-like gloves, flowing down her body to make a flowing, regal looking dress that looked like it was made of silks. she felt a mask form on her face, the familiar domino eye holes forming as a weight fell on her head, and another hung at her waist.
Looking at her mirror, she saw her mask, a crimson, smooth thing that looked more like it was part of her face then just resting there. on her head lay a crimson crown, form fitted to rest atop her head. And there, at her waist, sat a saber, crimson metal seeming to vibrate as she felt Bullot fill the space she normally felt Pollen in. (When it wasn't dreadfully empty.) With a smirk, Chloé started her plan. “Soldier Ant!” she commanded, holding out her hand as her Medallion glowed, the crimson ant pulling itself from the center of her miraculous and crawling to her palm, resting there. Waiting there.
Waiting for orders.
“Your orders are as thus.” Chloé said, feeling slightly ridiculous with her royal-like speech, but somehow knowing that if she didn't, the ant wouldn't listen. “Thy mind is thy own, and none can control it.” She said, feeling Bullot’s shock in her mind. her first order, and she had made it so that nothing could control the one she made into her soldier. “Thy shall fight, until the battle is done. Thy shalt not reveal me, nor mine identity. Thy shall support The Lady and her Knight, and are not to attack them. Thou shall not speak a word.” she ordered, watching the little ant nod before sighing. She knew the next part. She had to find someone angry enough to become her general. they had to be absolutely flowing with rage before the ant would bite.
And so, she started thinking angry thoughts.
As soon as it occurred to Bullot what she was doing, she felt his amusement, felt him laughing, as her mind turned to things that annoyed her. Angered her.
The fact that she would never see pollen again did raise some anger, but mostly ticked at her sorrow. Thoughts of her life, of her school sparked annoyance, along with flashes of jealousy when blue crossed her mental vision.
It wasn't enough, and she knew it.
And so, her thoughts moved to Hawkmoth. Of how he manipulated her, of how he had told her just what she wanted to hear. Of how he had whispered of power, of acceptance, where Ladybug had shunned her. And, exploring that thought, there was more. Anger at Ladybug. Anger for not seeing her again and again, for ignoring her, even when her parents were on the line. Betrayal, for thinking she was a friend, and anger at herself for believing it.
And there it was. There was the real anger. Before, all the kindling she had tossed on could have made a small campfire for one in the heat it brought out of her. But the moment she touched on herself… the moment she thought about herself, it had turned into a bonfire.
She hated herself for what she had done, for causing more stress to her parents, her father who loved her even if he wasn't always there. She hated that she fell for that lying snake’s tricks, that she hadn't refused him like she had before. And she hated, absolutely HATED, the kind of person she was becoming. Because she was turning out to be just like her mother.
As soon as that word crossed her mind, the ant struck, feeling the bonfire that was her rage growing out of control as her indignant rage flowed through her. She loved her mother, but she knew that love wasn't returned, and she H a t E D i T.
In an instant, she felt the anger flow into the ant, felt it enforcing its rules upon her as it clambered up her arm, moving to rest right on her chest, right over her heart, as its mandibles struck, biting into her as its eyes flashed.
More red power flowed over her, the orders robbing her of her words still allowing more than enough sound through for the roar of burning rage, and crushing pain to ring through her Suite, causing her ever faithful butler to rush to her air, running into her room and throwing the door open as he looked inside.
The balcony doors were smashed open, broken to pieces and scattered across the veranda as something bright red flew through the air like a comet, heading straight for the fight still raging in the distance.