High Priest Pt. 6
Chloe knew Rossi was full of it. Had known about it for a while, actually. She could admit she wasn’t the smartest when it came to school work, or… other types of work, but Chloe was an expert when it came to Ladybug, and Ladybug? Wouldn’t be best friends with a civilian. She didn’t even have to pull receipts, Chloe just knew Ladybug that well. Of course, she still had receipts because somehow Sabrina couldn’t just trust Chloe’s word on it. Sabrina was punished severely because of her doubt.
So, she didn’t pay any attention to Rossi as she threw herself a pity party. Goth Girl had the right idea, not that Chloe would ever tell her that. Chloe was the only one honest enough to openly hate Dupain-Cheng, but she didn’t spread rumors when the other girl couldn’t defend herself. Well, not anymore. She was trying to be a better person for Ladybug!
Who better show up soon. Honestly, she expected Chat Noir to be this late, but Ladybug?
Maybe she realized that she needed Queen Bee for this fight? It was about time; Chloe missed Pollen. No one else was willing to listen to Chloe like Pollen did. Pollen was there for her, all the time, without a bribe to grease the conversation.
The class was still freaking out after the walls moved. Three new tunnels had appeared while the old tunnels sank into the ground. Cesaire was still traumatized from seeing DJ Boy disappear–honestly, with the amount of times they’d been targeted by akumas, you’d think she’d grow a thicker skin–and most of the class was focused on her instead of Rossi, which was clearly starting to piss Rossi off.
The pink girl who was dating Goth Girl spoke up. “Shouldn’t we try to find Juleka? Or Adrien?”
Glasses pushed his glasses up his nose. “We likely won’t be able to reach them with the changed corridors. My guess is that the High Priest purposefully separated us from them so that he can hunt them down more easily.”
“Then that makes us safer, right?” Kim asked. “Since he’s too busy trying to get them, we can escape!”
“We can’t leave them behind!” Pink gasped.
Chloe checked her nails and snarled. Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! Everyone else was squabbling while she had an actual emergency! She smacked Sabrina in the head. “Polish.” She held out her hand.
Sabrina looked dumbly at her before finally noticing the chip in her blue nail polish. Honestly, you keep the help around for one reason and they’re too slow to top off your nail polish. Sabrina never did a good job–no matter how many lessons Chloe paid for her to attend–but she was enough until Chloe could get her nails redone.
She was still waiting for her new coat of polish when a loud voice rang through the room. “Or perhaps the temple moved to bring you closer to me,” the High Priest said, looming in one of the doorways as the other exits out of the room closed up. “–and staying together made you easier to target.”
The class backed away from the akuma, but Chloe, already in the back corner of the room, stayed where she was. Honestly, why would she be afraid of him? Chloe was a superhero, and if he tried to attack her, she’d just join him. He’d mentioned it before and Chloe had no problem betraying these losers. Ladybug would forgive her.
“What did you do with Nino!?” Cesaire demained, ready to fight the akuma.
“He was sacrificed. His death will bring about the awakening of my goddess and make the world a better place. It was mercy.”
“So you agree.” The room grew dark, the torches dying down to dim flickers. “That assaulting someone, no matter ones intensions, is still assault. That pushing Marinette down the stairs, not matter what you think she did, is still attempted murder.” Despite not raising his voice, the High Priest’s words echoed around the room. “I never should have let Marinette convince me not to confront you. She’s in a coma because of all of you. And I’m tired of caring about your feelings, so we’re going to be doing this my way. If you repent and join me, you’re free to go. If you don’t, you die. Easy as that.”
“Okay, then I join?” Chloe said to the bafflement of everyone in the room. She scoffed at their expressions. “What? I don’t want to die. Ladybug will forgive me anyway, so what does it matter? So, yeah, I’m on your team.” She gestured at the akuma. “No need to thank me, I know how valuable my presence is.”
“Why would I accept you?” The High Priest sneered and Chloe’s heart dropped into her stomach. “You, who bullied my goddess for years? Who bullied my sister for just as long?” He laughed. He stalked towards her. “I would never allow you near my goddess. You’re just another sacrifice.”
Chloe backed away, looking around for anyone she could put in between her and the akuma. But she had separated herself from the class and Sabrina, that traitor, had scampered away the moment he turned his attention to her. “B-But I’m Queen Bee! I know everything about Ladybug and Chat Noir! I can help you!” Her back hit the wall.
“And now you try to betray your supposed teammates?” A butterfly mask lit up around his face as Hawkmoth spoke to him, but the High Priest hissed. “No, she will not join! I don’t need a disgusting thing like her on my goddess’ side.” He raised his knife in the air. No one, not even Sabrina, would help her. “She’s only good for her blood.”
He brought the knife down.
And a red yo-yo knocked it out of his hand.
