A Miraculous Story Book 3: Rivals Part 1: Queen Wasp 2

• Akumatization •

"So, you wanna akumatize Marinette, huh?" said Albibis, speaking to Hawk Moth through the butterfly light mask. She was still on the balcony of the Grand Paris Hotel, relaxing on a pool chair as if it were a completely ordinary day at the beach.

"Yes. We believe she will be a strong target," Hawk Moth replied. It wasn't a complete lie, but it also wasn't the entire reason. Nathalie has deducted the other day that Marinette was most likely Ladybug herself.

"Well, Marinette is difficult. She's very strong emotionally, so it will be hard to akumatize her." Albibis explained.

"Can't you nixumize her and make her feel negative emotions?"

"No. I can't directly control what someone feels. I can manipulate and evolve the current emotions of one person. For example, if someone is feeling annoyed by someone, I can turn that annoyance into hatred. I can't make a happy person feel negatively so suddenly. And the Panda Miraculous only lets you control someone's actions and surface will, not their emotions."

"Hm," Hawk Moth rubbed his chin. "So you'll need something negative to happen to her first before you can make her feel terrible."

Albibis nodded, then realized Hawk Moth can't hear her nod. "Yes, yes that's exactly what I need," she said quickly.

"What do you know about Marinette?" asked Hawk Moth. "Any weaknesses, dislikes? Anything?"

"I don't really know a lot about her since we became enemies so quick," Albibis said. "But I do know she's in love with Adrien Agreste."

Oh yeah, she does, doesn't she? Hawk Moth remembered the time he lost the Grimoire because Adrien took it. Marinette (or should he say Ladybug?) was the one to find it and return it, and that's when she kind of revealed that she liked his own son. What can he say, he's the image of perfection.
"Oh really?" Hawk Moth's pretended to act clueless. "That teen model?"

"Yes. He's in our class at school so it makes sense."

"I see. Maybe we could work with that. Anything else you know?"

"No, not really. Maybe we could squeeze some information from her best friend, Alya? Or from Chloé Bourgeois, her enemy?" Albibis looked through the window of the hotel at Chloé. She was sitting on her bed, minding her own business, completely oblivious to the villainous plans being plotted right outside her luxury room. "They've known each other for a while."

"Chloé it is."

• • •

Chloé Bourgeois sat alone in her room as she had been doing for the past week or so, hugging her chest to her knees, staring at the wall, contemplating everything. Old photos of her and Ladybug were scattered all around her bed.

That visit from Sabrina made her actually... feel better! She realized that at least Sabrina misses her and wants her back. Maybe she should apologize for being a little harsh on her...
Then there was Adrien, whom she missed very, very much. But he didn't come to visit her... did he really not care? Did he not want her back?
Chloé frowned and scratched her chin. No, Adrien loves me, right? Everyone adores me!
Maybe... that's not true?

The thought hit Chloé like a tidal wave. Could it be possible that not everyone loved her? With the exception of that Dupain-Cheng, of course, is there even a chance that not everyone loved her?
Her eyes widened as another thought crept her way into her brain.
Did... did Adrien not love her? For real?
Something inside her told her that she knew all along. This whole time, she was aware everyone hated her. But she decided not to change; she decided to keep going down this path of selfishness and being a jerk. This was... her own fault.
It's my fault...