Be Myself

Be Myself - Chapter Thirteen

Chat Noir jumped up to the balcony of the hotel and peered inside. He could spot Chloe in tears on her bed. His hand tightened around the earrings.

He knocked on the balcony door. "Chloe?" He called. Chloe peered up from the bed, eyes red and watery.

"Yes? Shouldn't you be taking care of Pest?" She asked, rudely. Chat Noir could tell however, that her tone and anger directed at him, was done so he wouldn't notice her tears.

Unfortunately for her, he was a hero.

"Chloe, tell me what's wrong." He asked. She shook her head in denial.

"Nothing – nothing's wrong!"

Chat Noir sternly looked at her.

"Okay, okay!" She crumbled. "I saw Marinette transform – it's her that got Akumatised – and it's all my fault!" She started to cry again, as she continued her tale of woe: "If I had never been Akumatised – if I had never been so cruel to her – she'd have never become Pest in the first place! She... she saved my life!"

Chat Noir – about to comfort her – paused. "How'd she save your life?" He asked, hoping she didn't know Ladybug and Marinette are the same person.

"I – I..." She trailed off, before sighing and deciding to get it over with. "ItriedtojumpofftheschoolroofandMarinettesavedme!"

Chat Noir took a few well needed seconds to deduce what Chloe was saying.

"You – YOU TRIED TO KILL YOURSELF?" He yelled, eyes ablaze, before hugging her. Chloe turned her head away in shame, and shrugs Chat Noir off her.

"I – I just..." she trailed off, sighing. "I felt so guilty. If it wasn't for me – none of this would have happened in the first place. And at the time, I – well... I thought..." She sighed again, and tightly clutched her left arm with her right hand. "I thought no one would care." Her voice was so quiet, it felt like wind blowing in the breeze.

Chat Noir's eyes softened.

He knew he'd made the right choice.

Chat Noir took Chloe's hand, and she looked at him, tears pooling in her eyes.

"Chloe, do you want to help us? Do you want to help Paris?"

"I – I – what?" She muttered, confusion evident in her face. Chat Noir reached into a small bag on his belt and removed the earrings.

"Ladybug is... unavailable." He muttered, looking away from her. "We need someone to be able to calm the citizens and perform the Lucky Charm. Chloe... will that be you?"

Chloe looked up again, eyes sparkling in joy and determination.

"Yes! I'll do my best to help in any way I can!"

"First things first, you need to dye your hair – blonde is much too noticeable." Chat Noir said, passing her some blue hair dye. She quickly dyed her hair to resemble Ladybug's colour and prepared to fight Pest.

She put on the earrings, greeted Tikki, and transformed - a dream come true.

Once transformed - she quickly came to her senses, and focused on the task at hand.

"Wait, Chat Noir, where's Pest?" Chloe asked. "Normally you'd both be fighting the akumatised villain, but if Ladybug's not here then... you're letting her run free?"

Chat Noir paused. "True, but... I trust this akumatised villain more than most. I'm sure she wouldn't hurt... most people. However, I believe I know where she is, and right now she might hurt a certain someone."