Yeah, instead of Chameleon, Lila will become a different villain.
Today wasn't an average day at Collège Françoise Dupont. Instead of taking a normal lesson, the class was taking a field trip to visit Lila in the Hôtel-Dieu, Paris. She hadn't recovered yet from the burns on her legs and Miss Bustier decided it would be nice to boost her spirits.
"Ooh, if only that mean Big-Head hadn't done that," said Rose.
"Yeah, what did she do to deserve that?" asked Ivan.
Marinette sighed. "I know Lila is a bad person, but burning her legs is going too far, Big-Head."
The only one not feeling sympathetic was Rudi. In fact, he looked quite pleased with himself.
"She's this way," a nurse said as she led the class to Lila's room. "I must warn you, she has been going through some mood swings since she arrived here. Try not to make her upset." She opened the door and showed them in. Lila was sitting in bed, garbed in a hospital gown and her legs were wrapped in bandages.
She didn't even look at them as she said in a rather bored tone, "Oh. It's you."
"Yes," said Miss Bustier, a little cautious with what her next words should be. "We...we wanted to cheer you up! That's why we brought you some gifts."
The girl still didn't even look at them as she said, "How will that cheer me up?"
"We care about you," said Adrien. "And we were so worried about you when we saw that blog Big-Head posted."
Hearing Adrien's voice, Lila made a smile and turned to face him. "You did? Oh, thank you!" She pulled him in a hug and he patted her back. Nobody noticed the smirk she made. Nobody except Rudi. Lila let him go and asked, "So, what did you give me?"
Adrien handed her small disc. "It's a demo of my new song. I had to beg my father to give it to you."
"Oh, that's the nicest thing you ever gave me!" That was the only time Lila ever genuinely complemented a gift from someone from the class. The rest of them she either accepted them with a small smile, like the mirror from Juleka, the perfume from Rose and a sketch of herself drawn by Nathanial. The others she just took them without saying anything like the fancy jewelry box from Chloe, a pair of roller skates from Alix and a black t-shirt with a skull with heart-shaped eyes on it from Ivan.
And then it was Marinette's turn. Despite the fact the girl didn't like Lila, it was the least she could do. She handed her a box of macarons. "I didn't know what flavor you liked, so I..." She got the quite the shock when Lila threw the box across the room.
"I'm allergic to macarons," Lila shouted. "Are you trying to poison me?!"
Alya dragged Marinette away. "She didn't know! Honest!"
"Just keep that witch away from me!"
Miss Bustier escorted Marinette outside. "Marinette, why did you make her upset?"
"Wha- You're blaming me?! Besides, she's not even allergic! She wrote on her blog how delicious the macarons she bought from...someone else's store...were delicious!"
"That'e enough! Just stay out here until visiting hours are over."
Miss Bustier walked back into the room, and Marinette sat on a bench, her fists clenched with anger.
The circular window to Hawk Moth's lair opened and butterflies swarmed around him. "Being separated from your friends, becoming isolated: just what devastating anger is made of." He grabbed one of the butterflies and turned it from white to purple. "Fly away and evilize this angry high school girl."
Marinette realized she wasn't alone and turned to see Rudi next to her. "You're really going to get that bitch get to you?"
She exhaled. "I know I shouldn't, but she just gets under my skin even worse than Chloe!"
"So? She's just someone to ignore. Besides, she has something you could never have. Everyone loves you. Except Chloe. Who cares what she thinks about you?"
Marinette thought it over. "Yeah. You're right. Who cares what she thinks? All her lies are going to catch up sooner or later," she said with more pep.
"That's what I'm talking about."
Neither of them realized the akuma above them was flying away.
Hawk Moth felt the anger subside. "Strange, I feel the fury dying down, but the wheels are in motion. It's only a matter of time, be patient now, my akuma."
"So, what did you give Lila?" asked Marinette.
"A cupcake and a diamond-encrusted, titanium-based comb."
"What?!" Marinette exclaimed. "That must have cost a fortune!"
"Actually, it was a plastic comb painted platinum and with little plastic diamond glued to it." Rudi frowned. "Not that it matters since she threw it away the moment I gave it to her."
Marinette made a scowl. "That's so like her."
"I told her she'll need it." He made a smirk as he added quietly, "To get the bugs out of her hair."
There was an explosion followed by screams coming from Lila's room. Everyone ran out, covered in large black cockroaches. "Oh, nasty!"
"GROSS, GROSS, GROSS!" screamed Kim in a surprisingly high-pitched voice.
Poor Rose looked like she was having a panic attack. "GET THEM OFF!"
"Oh, man, this is disgusting," Nino screamed.
"They're in my shirt," Alya shrieked, on the verge of crying.
Brave Adrien helped a whimpering Chloe get some roaches that landed in her hair.
Visiting hours ended earlier than expected.
"Rudolf Schaefer," Miss Bustier said angrily after she got everyone to calm down. "You think it's funny to give a poor, injured girl a cockroach bomb?"
"I swear, it was just a normal cupcake! I bought it from Marinette's family's bakery!"
Miss Bustier turned to Marinette. "You're in on this?"
"What? No! I swear!"
"Hey," Alya held up a card. "Look what I found." It was a "Get Well" card. Written in it was a message, "Get well, Lila-Lila Pants on Fie-ya! From love, Big-Head."
"That big bully," snapped Rose. "Just who does he think he is?"
"I wanna see what that large brain of his looks like on the pavement," Ivan said, slamming a fist into his palm.
"Enough!" shouted Miss Bustier. "Visiting hours are over! Let's just return to school."
Hawk Moth practically shivered when he felt a familiar emotion: unbridled hatred. "There it is. Just what my akuma needs most of all!"
Lila stared at the ceiling with a blank expression. However, her mind hadn't shut down, she was just hiding her hatred from the orderlies that picked up any straggling cockroaches. Then she saw it. A purple butterfly flying toward her. She made an excited expression and grabbed it and let it absorb itself into her earring. "Hawk Moth, I am Lila. I know you want to destroy Ladybug and Big-Head and so do I."
"Yes, I remember you."
"Give me supervillain powers and I'll give you her and Chat Noir's Miraculous as well as Big-Head's Mask of Loki."
"With pleasure. I have some new powers for you, Circe."
Lila smirked as purple smoke enveloped her.
Marinette sat next to Rudi on the bus on the way back to school. She whispered, "Why did you bring up my bakery?"
"Hey, I told you, I did buy that cupcake from your bakery," hissed Rudi. "I even have the receipt to prove it!"
"It doesn't matter. People are starting to think I helped you with that cockroach prank."
"I didn't do that. You know me better."
Marinette frowned at him. "You may have been able to fool everyone with that Big-Head card, but not me."
Rudi gave her a weird look. "Then why didn't you tell anyone, then?" He was met with silence. "I see. You actually found it funny."
"What? No I didn't!"
"Don't deny it." Marinette swore his eyes flashed green as he said, "Little miss perfect has a dark side to her."
"I..."
"What the..." The bus driver yelped as the bus screeched to a halt, lurching everyone forward. Outside was a black mist that seemed to come out of nowhere. Then it began creeping into cars, buildings and even the bus. People were quickly enveloped by it, save for those who were fast enough to jump out the back emergency door.
Marinette, Adrien and Rudi ran out and gasped at what they saw. The fog was transforming people into sheep, pigs and cows. Then they saw what was the cause of the fog up in the sky. A female figure wearing a faded red robe, a white mask and silver hoop earrings which was where the fog was coming from.
Rudi tilted his head and made an inquisitive face. "The red hair looks familiar." His eyes widened. "It's Lila! Well, she sure made quick recovery time."
Circe turned to face the trio and pointed in their direction. Black fog poured out of her earrings and started to crawl its way toward them at a fast pace.
"Split up!"
The trio went in different directions.
Marinette hid behind a bench and let Tikki out of her pocket. "I always knew Lila had issues, but being akumatized while in the hospital? That's a new level. Tikki, SPOTS ON!" Tikki was sucked into the earrings and in a flash of red and black, Marinette turned into Ladybug.
Adrien ducked behind a dumpster and let Plagg out of his pocket. "Time to..." He stopped when he heard snoring. "Plagg!"
Plagg awoke with a start. "Limburger! Wha- who?"
"Did you seriously fall asleep?!"
"Sorry. I was counting the sheep."
"Ugh. Just get ready. Plagg, CLAWS OUT!" Plagg was sucked into the ring and in a flash of black, Adrien turned into Chat Noir.
Rudi ran behind a corner and smirked as he pulled the Mask out of his bag. "I'm actually looking forward to this. IT'S SHOW TIME!" He put the Mask on his face and in a flash of green, he turned into Big-Head.
Circe hovered in the sky, watching her magic transform all the people who believed in Ladybug into their true selves. Suddenly, a red yo-yo grabbed her by the heel and slammed her into the ground. Ladybug twirled the yo-yo and said, "That's enough, Lila!"
Circe let out a growl and blasted the black smoke at her, but she managed to dodge it and jump onto a rooftop where Chat Noir was waiting for him. "Having a baaad day, Bugaboo?"
Ladybug inhaled, exhaled and whispered, "That joke's so lame, it's not worthy of a retort."
"Aww, don't be like that." CLANG! "Ouch!"
Big-Head patted the crowbar in his hand and said, "She's right. Your jokes suck."
"Oh, like you could do better?"
"Boys! FOCUS!" Ladybug shouted as more black smoke burst out of Circe's earrings. Big-Head pulled out a giant fan and blew it back at her. She was quick to dodge it. He smirked as he said, "You see that? Looks like she's not immune to her own attack."
"We still have to get the akuma," said Chat Noir. "It's probably in her earrings."
"That'll be easy," Big-Head snickered as he pulled out an RPG. "Zoom in target. Target locked in!" Rockets fired and flew at at Circe. Black smoke flew out of the earrings and at the rockets. The moment it made contact, the rockets were turned to piles of earthworms. Big-Head blinked and said, "Whoa. Didn't see that coming."
"Let me show you how it's done! CATACLYSM!" Chat Noir activated his powers and charged at Circe, who merely blew more smoke in his direction. Unfortunately, he was too slow to dodge this one and he ended up turned into a chicken. Circe reached out to grab him, but Ladybug rescued him with her yo-yo.
Big-Head let out a laugh. "That's a good look for you!" Chicken Noir clucked angrily at him. Big-Head turned to Ladybug and asked, "Hey, ready to turn on the charm?"
"Ready. LUCKY CHARM!" Ladybug twirled her yo-yo in the air and its magic created... "A comb?" Her lucky vision highlighted Big-Head's fan, Big-Head himself and a glue stick. "I got it."
"Ba-gawk?"
Circe looked around for her prey when a rock suddenly hit her on the head. She turned around and saw Ladybug who stuck her tongue out and pulled her eyelid. Circe let out a growl of anger and chased after Ladybug. Imagine her surprise when she saw a giant fan and Big-Head holding some glue and the comb.
"Ba-gawk!" shouted Chicken Noir.
"On it," said Big-Head. "Come get me, Lila!"
Circe spewed more black smoke, but Big-Head activated the fan, blowing it back at her. She dodged it, but not the comb that Chicken Noir threw into her hair with his beak. She tried to get it out, but it was stuck good. In fact, she couldn't even release her grip on it; both her hands were stuck to it.
This gave Ladybug the chance to use her yo-yo to yank the earrings off and smash them, releasing the akuma inside. "No more evil-doing for you, little akuma. Time to de-evilize!" She captured it and purified it. "Gotcha!" Then she released it. "Bye-bye, petit papillon!" She tossed the comb in the air and shouted, "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!" It exploded in a wave of red and black spots that undid all the battle damage and turned Circe back into Lila.
"Hello, Lila," Ladybug said, offering her a hand.
But Lila slapped it away and said, "I don't want your help! I can walk back myself!"
"Your legs are still burnt. It would hurt."
"I would rather be hurt than have your help!"
Big-Head cracked his knuckles. "Allow me. FORE!" And he swung a golf club at Lila's backside, sending her flying back into her hospital room. "It's the least I can do."
Hawk Moth smirked. He may have lost, but he believed he had just found a new ally in Lila Rossi. Her anger, her hatred. It was magnificent. "I sense a talent like no other in this young Lila. I'm sure that her feelings about Ladybug will serve my purposes well in the end. One way or another."
Lila received two surprise visitors later at the hospital. Marinette and Rudi entered with friendly smiles. "What do you two want?"
"We just want to apologize," said Rudi. "For the cupcake prank. Although, I said I should be the one to apologize. Why are you here, Marinette?"
"Because I could have stopped you but I didn't."
"But you didn't even know! I... Oh, forget it."
"The point is, can you forgive us? We're willing to forgive you for what you did."
Lila smiled. "It's alright. Nurse, would you mind leaving, I want to tell them something private." The nurse nodded and left, closing the door behind her. The instant she left, Lila's friendly smile was replaced with a scowl. "You two are going to regret doing that." Marinette and Rudi reeled back. "From now on, you and I are at war. You will lose your friends and wind up all alone and Adrien will soon be mine!"
Marinete was shocked, but she made a confident smirk. "We'll see about that, Lila, we'll see."
Rudi stepped toward her and said with a growl, "One day, Lila Lila Pants on Fie-ya, all your lies are going to catch up to you and then, nobody will believe anything you say ever again." His eyes flashed green.
Lila remained silent as she watched them go. Then she smirked. "We'll see about that, Rudolf, we'll see."
