Chapter 3 - Rising to the Challenge (from Chloé's POV)

I'd been staring out the window for the past thirty minutes or so, thinking about this crazy situation going on in Paris. I heard there's somebody out there now who can do basically the same thing I do as Queen Bee, only he can do it as many times as he wants!

Since Ladybug has been stopping by my place to coach me lately, I was hoping she would think about bringing me the bee miraculous. I'd already turned on my bee symbol searchlight and aimed it into the evening sky, hoping to get a visit from her. I wish she could just leave Pollen with me, so I could spring into action at a moment's notice and help her out during times like this. I guess I understand that they need to be careful with these miraculouses, but it's so frustrating… I'm really getting better at this, and surely she can see that?

Besides, I feel like I'm actually somebody important when I'm Queen Bee. Yeah, being the mayor's daughter has a lot of perks, which I love, but Ladybug has helped me understand my insecurities better. I've built these walls around me to keep myself safe and pretend I'm better than everyone else. I'm starting to see that and I'm trying to do better, but it's really hard for me to change. Becoming a superhero makes me a better person, and makes me want to be more like Ladybug.

Then, as if on cue, Chat Noir showed up on my balcony holding a miraculous case! I really wish Ladybug would have come and handed it to me herself, but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I stood up, walked to the doors and flung them open.

"Hello Chat Noir," I said in as sweet a voice as I could. "So you two need my help again?"

When I looked into his eyes, I could see that something was wrong. His usual catty personality wasn't there. He had a totally serious look on his face, and seemed really concerned. I took a step back. "Are you okay?" I asked.

He took a deep breath before starting. "Chloé, I do need your help. I gave this some thought before coming, but I believe you're the right person. You've done great as Queen Bee. You've also admired Ladybug for so long, and I know how much you like to cosplay her. How would you like the chance to become Ladybug for a day?"

My jaw dropped, and it seemed like time stood still for a minute. I must have heard him wrong. "Chat, what are you talking about?"

"Ladybug is in trouble," he told me. "She's been incapacitated by Eclipser. I'm asking you to become her, and work with me to defeat the akuma. Once the mission is complete, you'll give me the earrings back."

I stared at him with a blank expression, unable to think straight.

He continued. "This is a situation we haven't had to deal with before, so there isn't any clear protocol here. Besides being able to move quickly, you're going to have to be able to think on your feet and make quick decisions to defeat Eclipser. If you're uncomfortable with any of this, just let me know and I'll find someone else. But I think you can do this."

OMG, this was really a dream come true! To actually be Ladybug! Then my heart sank as I realized how serious this was. "Yes, yes, of course I'll do this," I told him. "But Chat Noir, tell me, will she be ok?"

"Thank you Chloé. And yes, she's with someone who can take care of her, and she'll be fine once the akuma has been captured and you restore everything back to how it was before. If you're ready, let's get started."

He handed me the box, and I nervously opened it. There they were! Ladybug's earrings. And as expected, a kwami appeared in front of me immediately afterward.

"Hello, I'm Tikki. I will be your kwami."

I looked her over carefully. She was red, with a black dot on the forehead. Something about this seemed strangely familiar.

"I'm Chloé. Have we met before, Tikki?" I asked.

"No, of course not," Tikki assured me. "But it's a pleasure to meet you. Why don't you put the earrings on, then we can go defeat the villain? All you need to do is say 'Spots on'."

I felt extremely proud at that moment, so I decided to shake off my feeling of déjà vu and embrace the excitement of this moment. "Yes, let's do it now. But I want to do it in my bedroom, so I can see myself transform!" I went inside, stood in front of my full-length mirror, and put on the earrings. Then I eagerly said, "Tikki! Spots on! Ha!" I'm not sure why I added that interjection at the end, but it seemed to come naturally.

Tikki was absorbed into the earrings, there was a flash of red, and I began to transform. I watched myself actually become Ladybug, not a cheap imitation of her like when I was playing dress-up with Sabrina! There were even streamers on both sides of my hair just like she has. I felt so proud at that moment, and briefly thought about taking a selfie, but that thought went away as I felt the burden of responsibility that came with the costume.

Chat Noir looked over at me with his mouth hanging open. "Wow, I'm amazed," he said. "If it weren't for the hair color and style difference, I would say you look just like her. The guardian of the miraculous told me that the costume adapts to the personality of the owner, but it's pretty obvious that you wanted to make yourself look exactly like she does!" He smiled at me. "So, are you ready to do this, Ladybug?"

I had to smile back hearing him call me by that name. I picked up the yo-yo and began spinning it. "Let's go take care of business."