Chapter 2: Volpina Checks In

Volpina followed Hawk Moth's directions to his lair. She was surprised to find that it was the same place she was going to visit for her date – the Agreste mansion.

Volpina had been told to enter the attic through a circular window on the south side. She leaped over the wall easily. First, she took a look through a west-facing window into Adrien's room. He wasn't there. Oh well.. she would find him eventually.

Lila had scoped out everything ahead of time when she first learned that she would be going to the same school as Adrien Agreste. She had set her sights on becoming the girlfriend of the rich and famous fashion model.

It would have been perfect, except for Ladybug. Adrien apparently had a celebrity crush on the famous superhero. Now that she was a "superhero" herself, and Ladybug was out of the picture, things were going to be very different. Now she could tell him that Ladybug lied about her because she was jealous, and that she had left town because she felt inferior to Volpina.

Volpina went around to the south side and found the circular window with the iris-style hatch open. She leaped through the missing center pane.

Hawk Moth was waiting. "Excellent work, Volpina. The Miraculous, please."

Volpina placed the earrings in his hand, and he laughed with delight.

"May I go now?" asked Volpina. "I'd like to find my date."

"May I ask who you are going out with?"

Volpina had an uneasy feeling about the question. "Nobody you know. A boy named Ramon."

"I can see through your eyes and hear through your ears," said Hawk Moth. "I saw you check out the room of the boy who lives in this house, Adrien Agreste. The former Ladybug, whose real name I have now remembered is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, also said something about you impressing Adrien."

"All right, I admit it," said Volpina. "It's Adrien I'm interested in. So what?"

"I happen to be interested in his welfare, and highly protective about who he associates with."

"I'm not good enough for him, is that it? What are you, his father?"

"What do you think?"

"I think you must be his father: Gabriel Agreste."

"Too bad. I was going to let you catch Chat Noir, but now I think you're more trouble than you're worth."

"You promised I could keep this power if I got you what you wanted!"

"I lied."

"You still don't have Chat Noir's Miraculous. Let me get it for you. It will be easy – he trusts me."

"But I can no longer trust you. My next akuma victim can finish the job."

"No, please!"

"Come back to me, little akuma." The purple butterfly flew back out of the fox ornament on her necklace and into the glass bulb on the top of his cane.

Volpina turned back to Lila Rossi. Unlike what happened when an akumatized object was broken, she retained all of her memories. Lila was haunted by the memory of Marinette's face when she was threatening to kill her.

Hawk Moth pulled the sword out of his cane and pointed it at her.

"You are coming with me. Don't bother trying to yell for help. My secret rooms are soundproofed."

He forced her to a spot where there was a circular edge cut into the floor. They both stood on it, with Hawk Moth gripping her right arm, and an elevator took them down, then sideways. The elevator came up into another secret room.

Hawk Moth walked Lila down a long hallway until he came to a door on the left.

"This was originally a closet. I converted it to a padded cell where I could hold the civilian form of Chat Noir or Ladybug as a hostage for the Miraculous of the other member of the team. I will use it for Marinette once I capture her, but for now it will be perfect for holding you."

"You'll be sorry if you don't let me go! My father is a diplomat with a team of twelve black-ops secret service agents who will find me and make you pay for this."

Hawk Moth scoffed. He unlocked the door. The room was a little over half a meter wide, half a meter deep, and two meters tall. Hanging by a chain bolted to the ceiling was a pair of handcuffs.

Lila struggled as Hawk Moth pushed her in, but he was too strong for her. He got her arms behind her back and fastened the cuffs to her wrists.

"I'm going back to my lair to look for a more suitable candidate. I'll come back for you tonight when my wife is awake. She will be happy for some fresh blood."

"Y-you make her sound like a vampire."

"She is."

Hawk Moth slammed the door and locked it, leaving her in darkness. She was facing away from the door with no room to turn around. Hot, dusty air came from a vent above her.

Even though she knew it would do no good, Lila screamed for help.