What if Style Queen suspected Chloé's loyalty and "fired" her sooner?
Stilled by Style Queen
Chapter 1: No Further Assistance Required
Style Queen flowed through the Agreste Mansion, searching for the man who had disrespected her, Gabriel Agreste. She intended to turn him into a glitter statue, but not before she made him suffer. Office, bedrooms, atelier. There was nobody home.
Style Queen resumed human shape in the entrance hall. Her assistant, who had been part of her glitter stream, was turned back to normal human form. Her useless daughter whose name she had difficulty remembering.
"Courtney- uh, Chloé! Where is Gabriel Agreste?" asked Style Queen.
"He usually never leaves his house," said Chloé fearfully.
"Style Queen, he's hidden safely somewhere," came the telepathic message from Hawk Moth. "Ladybug is protecting him."
"Pah! She can barely protect herself!" said Style Queen.
"You must seize Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous!" sent Hawk Moth. "If they can't save his son, then Gabriel Agreste will have to show up."
"Don't worry, Hawk Moth, you'll get your costume jewels," said Style Queen. "But first, I will deal with my useless assistant. I suspect her loyalty, since she diverted me from capturing Ladybug when I could have done it easily."
"Good idea," sent Hawk Moth.
"No, please Mom!" begged Chloé.
"You're fired!" said Style Queen, turning her into a glitter statue.
Alya Césaire had commandeered a bicycle at the Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées to follow the glitter trail of Style Queen. Alya hadn't reached the first location when there was a second bright streak leading to the Eiffel Tower.
She had to get close to the action to get a scoop for the Ladyblog. She arrived, out of breath, at the base of the Tower and put the bike down.
"What's going on?" she asked an onlooker.
"An akuma villain is up on a deck of the tower. She was yelling about Gabriel Agreste coming or his son will be glitter in the wind."
"She must have transported Adrien's statue up there somehow," thought Alya. "Ladybug and Chat Noir will stop her and fix everything. I just have to get into position for a great video of the fight."
Alya ran to the elevators, but a sign said they were out of order. She began the long, slow walk up the stairs.
As Alya climbed, she heard Ladybug arrive and immediately start to fight with Style Queen. It sounded like the fight was tough going for Ladybug, and Chat Noir wasn't there. Soon she heard Ladybug call for a Lucky Charm. Then Ladybug left the scene. No doubt she would be back after she found Chat. Meanwhile, Alya would keep going on the stairs.
Alya wasn't too far up when Ladybug returned, meeting her midway on a fight of stairs.
"Alya, don't get close to Style Queen! It's too dangerous!"
"It's hard to get a scoop when you're not in the middle of the action, Ladybug."
"Well I have a scoop for you. Alya Césaire, here is the Miraculous of the Bee which grants the power of subjection. You will use it for the greater good."
If the timing had been a little different, Alya would have been on a flat level and would had her camera going (completely forgetting that putting this scene on the Ladyblog would expose her own new secret identity). As it was, Ladybug was standing above her on the stairs. Alya made a move for her camera but Ladybug shook her head and pressed the box into Alya's hands.
Style Queen appeared in a cloud of glitter on a beam above the stairs. "Ladybug! You're out of fashion! Give up!"
The golden beam fired at Ladybug. There was no room to maneuver, no way for Alya to block the beam. It was Ladybug who blocked the beam from Alya, and she who became a glittering statue!
Alya ran. Appearing to be brave was one thing, but hiding and transforming to save Ladybug was more important.
She heard Style Queen saying, "You're right, Hawk Moth. I would much rather have my triumph over Ladybug immediately rather than waste time chasing a silly tourist girl that Ladybug was just trying to shoo away."
Alya hid out of sight and opened the box. The comb inside glowed and a small being appeared in a ball of yellow light.
"Hello, my Queen!"
"You're the kwami of Subjection?"
"Yes, my Queen, and my name is Pollen."
"Okay, Pollen. Ladybug is down, so I need quick deets on how to transform and how to use your power."
Pollen complied.