Lovebug

Part 6

A few days later in the kitchen of Le Grand Paris hotel, Marlena Césaire has just served up the final bowl of her famous Bouillabaisse for Mayor Bourgeois' re-election campaign event. She has been preparing for this event for weeks, as have the majority of other food artisans in Paris, including Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng.

A young waiter enters the kitchen. "Is this ready to be served?" he asks

Marlena turns to him with an exhausted smile. "Yes, that's the last tray of it. Start getting the team back in here to prepare for the next course."

Marlena opens the kitchen door for the young waiter as he balances twelve dishes among two trays. Just as she lets go of the door, another waitress runs into the kitchen in a frenzy. "Marlena! Marlena! You'll never guess what!"

"What is it, Camille?" Marlena asks

"Dominic DeFilute is here!" Camille exclaims.

Marlena stops in her tracks and turns to Camille. "The Dominic DeFilute!?  World-renowned Swiss food critic?!"

"That very one!" Camille squeals. "I just served him a bowl of your bouillabaisse and he seemed very excited to eat it."

Outside, the main hall is decorated in the patriotic red, white and blue of the French flag. Black and white posters of a cross-armed Andre Bourgeois hang everywhere with various catchy and cringy slogans.

The Dupain-Cheng's are set up at a large table, serving pastries and cookies with the words "Biscuits for Bourgeois" written in colourful icing. Marinette has been hunched over a tray, writing and re-filling these for the past two hours. Usually, she would object to such long and tedious labour, but it takes her mind off the impending wedding of her and Cat Noir.

"Are you sure you don't want to take a break sweetie?" Tom asks her. He is concerned about how quiet his daughter has been since a few days ago when she returned from school soaking wet and unwilling to talk about what happened.

"I'm fine dad," she says, not even looking up from her work.

Suddenly, there is a loud scream from the centre of the room. "He's choking! Someone help!" a female voice yells. Almost in unison, everyone looks up to find a small bespectacled man in a tweed blazer, clutching his throat, whose face is red and whose lips are swollen as he chokes for a breath.

An ambulance is called as various people rush to his aid, attempting to Heimlich the man before he gasps out the word "Epipen!"

The people surrounding him immediately check the man's belongings for an Epipen, finding one in the front compartment of his satchel. The woman who originally screamed that he was choking, rips a part of his trousers and stabs the Epipen into his mid-thigh with a grunt of force. The swelling in his face and lips go down and people support the man as he sits up.

"Sir, what is your name?" someone asks

"Dominic DeFilute" he gasps. During the commotion, Marlena exited the kitchen in an attempt to help the man but didn't recognise him until this moment.

"Do you know what happened?" The same woman asks, "Was it an allergic reaction? What are you allergic to?"

"I think it might have been," he replies, gently rubbing his forehead. "Where is the head chef? I must speak to them"

The crowd of people parts down the centre, revealing Marlena in her chef's uniform, her face stained with worry. She hesitantly walks toward DeFilute. 

"Madam, why did you serve your Bouillabaisse with sesame seed bread and not disclose this?" he angrily questions

Her face drops. "I am so sorry Mr DeFilute" She exclaims.  "my speciality bread has sesame seeds in it, I didn't disclose it because I had no idea, anyone, from outside the city was coming. Please forgive me, sir." she begs

"This is ridiculous Madam!" He yells, then pauses catching his newly regained breath. " A chef always discloses all ingredients to the public. That could have killed me!" Mr DeFilute's face is red again, however this time with anger rather than allergies.

The crowd of people agree with Mr DeFilute and direct their anger towards Marlena, many preparing to walk out of the event as soon as the ambulance has come for Mr DeFilute. Mayor Bourgeois hears the rumours of people leaving his re-election event and rushes to the scene.

"Everyone, please!" he yells to draw attention to himself. "Mrs Césare, please return to the kitchen, I will speak to you after the event." he angrily says to Marlena before returning to address the crowd. Marlena runs to the kitchen in tears, she pulls off her Toque and wrings it in her hands in anger.

"I can't believe this!" she says to herself. "The one chance I get to impress Dominic DeFilute and I almost kill him! This is the worst day of my life!" As she slumps onto the floor, a black and purple moth slips through a crack in the window and flies into her hat, unbeknownst to Marlena.

"Food Poisoning." a strong male voice commands, "I am Hawkmoth. DeFilute was your hero and he was horrible to you over a tiny misunderstanding. So I'm giving you the power to seek revenge on those who question your integrity as a chef. All I ask in return is that you bring me Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculous. So... do we have a deal?"

"Two Miraculous coming up!"