Lila Rossi was always very careful about how she spoke. At least in front of people who mattered. She didn't swear. She always tried to be polite.

From a young age, she learned that words have a big impact. Lies, no matter how improbable, could be convincing with the right word choice.

Words could be inspiring. They could be devastating. Manipulative. And Lila knew exactly how to use them.

With her words, she created an army. An entire classroom of students was on her side... well mostly.

Lila, at her core, was a people's person. She could communicate. Explain. She needed attention, and knew exactly how to get it.

She could get all eyes on her with one small tale. Everyone fawned over her.

Except Marinette. Marinette doubted and challenged her every word. She hated all lies and liars, and didn't trust anything Lila said.

Lila tried to play nice. She acted sweet, but when Marinette didn't reciprocate .she had to dig some dirt on the seemingly perfect French girl. No one could be that perfect.

Even she had some secret.

Once Lila discovered the truth. It was ironic, really. Marinette, who supposedly hated liars, had made far more lies than anyone else in her entire class. (Also, the boy Marinette loved was a far bigger liar than anticipated, but Lila thought Adrien was cute, so she wouldn't expose him unless he was on Marinette's side.) They weren't bad lies, but they were lies. Marinette made stuff up regularly to avoid the truth.

Marinette was Ladybug.

It made perfect sense, really. Both were condescending snobs that were overly attached to Adrien Agreste. They had that same stupid hairstyle. They both hated Lila, starting at around the same time. And with really weak reasoning.

It was a simple deduction, really. It had nothing to do with the fact that Ladybug walked into a bathroom stall and Marinette walked out.

So finally, Lila had the information that would ruin her enemies once and for all.

The only thing that pissed her off was that she couldn't do anything with the information. But there was someone that could.

Lila focused on that anger. Let it consume her. She didn't even see the dark butterfly fluttering towards her until Marinette, stupidly kind and patient Marinette, shoved her out of the way and got akumatized instead.

Lila frowned. She had wanted herself to be akumatized. Once again, Marinette was stealing the spotlight. Lila wouldn't even be able to give Hawkmoth the valuable information. She knew who Ladybug was.

But Hawkmoth would be able to figure it out on his own. For once, Ladybug wouldn't show up to the fight. She couldn't. Chat Noir would fight solo.

In a roundabout way maybe it would be the embarrassing spectacle for Marinette that Lila had been hoping for. Just in a different way.

No one would come to save Paris this time.

Lila was an expert at speaking. Stringing words together to get exactly what she wanted. She could talk.

There are over fifty thousand words in the French language, but somehow it was impossible to explain how she felt about Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Lila grabbed a bag of popcorn out of her bag and watched Marinette transform, not into a superhero, but into a badly outfitted, brightly colored, obnoxious villian.

She looked like she could definitely do some damage.

No matter what the outcome, Lila decided, it would be fun to watch.

And it would be a hell of a ride.