A Series of Ridiculous Reveals

If there was one thing he hated about being a superhero, it was constantly having to save Chloe Bourgeois. Carapace felt like a lifesaver on a beach who kept having to rescue the same person over and over, after they had been told not to swim in a rip. No matter how many akumas came after her, no matter how often Ladybug lectured her on appropriate behaviour and the benefits of kindness, Chloe still insisted on being awful.

'Put me down, you ninja turtle reject,' demanded Chloe as she dangled from under his arm. 'I can look after myself.'

She was also ungrateful. Most people would appreciate how he risked his hide for them, but she wanted him to let her go. Typical.

'Hey, I don't like this any more than you do, Cupcake.'

'Cupcake?' she squawked, indignantly.

'But it's my job to get you to safety, whether you deserve it or not,' Carapace huffed as he turned a corner in the stairwell of the Grand Paris Hotel.

'What is that supposed to mean?' Chloe demanded, before her breath was forced out of her in an inelegant whoosh when Carapace leapt the final few steps.

'It means that one day, you're going to offend the wrong person, and we just may not be bothered enough to save you,' Carapace replied, grimly.

Chloe spluttered for a moment while Carapace left the stairwell and entered the lobby.

'Like I said, I don't need you to rescue me. I'm more than capable of saving myself.'

Carapace snorted. 'Sure you are,' he replied, condescendingly.

Chloe bristled. 'I can, too,' she declared as she began to wriggle out of his grip.

Carapace dropped her. 'Sure, Sweetheart. Now, do as you're told and find somewhere to hide until we can get this sorted.'

Chloe glared at him from the floor, but Carapace had already turned toward the elevators. None of the other heroes had arrived yet, so he'd been fending off the akuma and getting Chloe to safety on his own. He didn't like it, but he returned to the roof to keep the akuma busy until Ladybug showed up and dealt with it.

Queen B arrived shortly after Carapace got back to the roof. It was still far from ideal, but Carapace was desperate and willing to accept all the support he could get. The akuma appeared to be a guest at the hotel, but now wore a black and purple bodysuit. His main ability was controlling shadows and was able to form them into solid objects, like sledgehammers. Carapace had grown weary after dodging the wild swings aimed at his face and was extremely pleased when Queen B came in to help.

Another fifteen minutes after that, Rena Rouge and Ladybug arrived, claiming they had been busy and had missed his calls for assistance. Carapace said he would consider forgiving them if they would just hurry up and purify the damn thing already. The girls tagged in and the akuma was quickly cleansed and sent on its little buggy way.

Carapace had just fist bumped Rena Rouge and Ladybug and waved them off, when Queen B approached him. He turned to her with an appreciative smile.

'Thanks for the assist, QB. I would've been toast if you hadn't shown up.'

'I've told you not to call me that, Queen B sneered. Then, she smiled with an air of unmitigated superiority. 'I told you I was perfectly capable of looking after myself.'

Queen B then turned her nose up and flicked her hair as she walked back into the hotel, while Carapace stared after her, comprehension dawning.

'Chloe?' he muttered, horrified.

Nino, later in his room: "Who in their right mind would give Chloe a miraculous?"

Fu, on the other side of town: *sneezes* "Someone's talking shit about me."