"... So let me get this straight, Lila, you want me to intentionally akumatize someone, even though I'm in enough trouble already? What good is that going to do to get rid of my dreadful sister? Or restore my ruined reputation?"
"Simple, Chloe. We set it up so that Zoe takes the fall, and Ladybug and Chat Noir will arrive just in time to see that. They'll find out quickly that Zoe was the instigator behind everything in the first place, word will reach the entire city… and who knows, you might even get your Bee Miraculous back for trying to stop her! Betcha miss Pollen, dontcha?"
"Y-Yes, of course I do. And that imposter who stole my position hasn't a millionth of the style that I brought to the role. But, as wonderful as all that sounds, can I just say the likelihood of it happening is about the same chance as flares and mullets coming back into fashion next year?"
"Ordinarily I'd agree with you… but this is me you're talking to here. If I say I'm gonna do something, it doesn't matter who I have to lie, cheat or steal from, you can be sure… sshhh someone's coming."
Chloe and Lila, in separate cubicles next to each other, listened intently as the interloper on their private discussion entered whilst whistling, washed their hands thoroughly before departing almost as fast.
"Phew, that was close." Lila breathed a sigh of relief at not being caught. "It's one of my many talents you know, keeping an ear to the ground in case anyone tries disrupting my carefully laid plans."
"Judging by the out-of-tune melody, that had to be Marinette Dupain-Cheng." Chloe snarled as images of her second-most hated student there flashed through her tormented mind. "More like Marinette Dupain-in-my…"
"Hey, cool it. The time for making coarse jokes can wait. Right now, we have to strategize." Lila pretended to be the mature one, but actually she found Chloe's play-on-words there pretty funny. "So anyway, the first thing you have to do is invite your sister to the bridge. You know, the one where you turned Kim down on Valentine's Day? I hear it took it rather well…(!)"
"Yeah, yeah. Let's not go over ancient history again. Just tell me what you want me to do." Chloe rolled her eyes, secretly a bit regretful of her harsh actions that day. At least the jock had found true love with a swimmer whose name she could never remember. Hey, if they aren't important, then who cares?
"So, anyway, Chloe. You make out like you're really sorry for treating her so terribly since she arrived, concede that she's the better person out of both of you, offer to do anything to make it up to her, shit like that. Then, just when she thinks she's won and is gloating to your face, that's when you work your magic."
" 'Magic'? But I already told you, Lila, I don't hold the Bee Miraculous any longer! Ladybug took it away from me, that spotted idiot..."
"giggle Not that kind of magic, Chloe. I'm talking about something no-one else can do quite as well as you, a skill you have a natural gift for, like me and my penchant for telling half-truths…"
"Er… what exactly do you mean? Looking beautiful, doing gymnastics, ordering others about…" Chloe struggled to put her finger on what Lila was referring to.
"I'm talking about akumatizing people, duh!" Lila sighed as if the answer was obvious. "You just upset someone to the point that the Hawkmoth's creation appears, then I'll do the rest! Doesn't sound too difficult, does it?"
"That depends, Lila. First of all, who am I trying to akumatize here? Some random passerby? Zoe won't let herself be possessed, she knows me too well by now. And what role do you play in this 'masterplan'? I really don't see how any of this is going to…"
"You will when you've let me finish my explanation, Chloe. All of your questions have one simple answer: me. I'll be the one you akumatize, and when our favorite superheroes turn up and inevitably defeat me, I'll tell them that Zoe was the one who drove me to the brink by insulting my dead father. No-one could possibly like her after that…"
"I-Is your dad…" Despite her general distaste for the sneaky Italian, Chloe couldn't help but well up a bit upon hearing of Lila's father's alleged fate. Even though they weren't seeing eye-to-eye right now, she couldn't picture life without her Daddikins.
"Gone? Yes, he is… but only in the sense that he abandoned me and my mom when I was a mere infant. Something to do with his secretary, I don't know. Good riddance, I say. At least he taught me one good thing: 'Truth is in the eye of the beholder'." Even though she protested to the contrary, Lila was clearly still sore about the past. "Anyway, this is no time for a therapy session. Do you get what you have to do? Just say whatever you want to set me off. I'll think of Marinette trying to steal Adrien from me, and even if you were trying to be nice, you'd still succeed in turning me into a villain."
"Wait. What makes you think everyone will believe you afterwards, Lila? Zoe will have something to say about that, I'm sure. Also, what's this about you having a crush on my Adriki…"
"Chloe, Chloe. Haven't you learned by now? I have the entire college eating out of the palm of my hand, with one blue-haired exception who doesn't really matter. Zoe might be good, but she can't rival someone who's been mastering the art of duplicity almost all her life. Finally, what do you care about who Adrien dates now? Didn't you have a very public breaking-up of your friendship, just after the premier of that stupid movie?"
"...Again Lila, I have no idea how you find out about this stuff, but even if that did happen, I am still interested in who he goes out with. You're an update on Maritrash anyway, I suppose. As for the plan, I remain skeptical. But in the absence of any better opinions, I guess I have no choice but to give it a try. You better be as good as you say you are…"
"You know I am, Chloe. In fact, you're kind of lucky I'm not charging for this service. Maybe it's something I can look into as a career when I get older: 'Lila Rossi, Professional Liar. Full satisfaction guaranteed, or double your money back'. I'm lying about the last part, of course. And they won't be able to say they weren't warned, because the clue is in my job description. giggle"
"Can we just concentrate on the present, please?" Chloe was already tense enough as it was at the prospect of this risky scheme, she didn't need any distracting flights-of-fancy on top of it. "So, that's it? The bridge? After school? With Zoe? And you'll show up, for sure? Because if you weasel out at the last second when I'm going to so much trouble, I swear…"
"Relax, Chloe." A flushing sound could be heard coming from next door, as Lila emerged from her cubicle sounding confidently persuasive. "I'll be there, you can bet your skinny chinos on it. There's just one thing I forgot to mention…"
"Hmm? And what might that be, pray tell?" Chloe opened her own toilet door, suddenly feeling nervous at what was coming next.
"...You don't mind getting wet, do you?"
…
Having just finished immersing her formerly doughy hands in warm soapy water, Marinette was none-the-wiser as to the plotting going on just a few yards away when she exited the girls' room.
"I wish Dad hadn't asked me to help him out with those croissants just as I was leaving for class, Tikki." The blunette whispered to her ever-present kwami, as she made her way to her first lesson. "I could've really messed up my English textbook, if I hadn't noticed just in time…"
"Hmm, yes." Tikki was uncharacteristically quiet then, as if there was something weighing heavily on her tiny mind.
"Huh? Is anything wrong, Tikki?" Marinette was always quick to pick up on a negative change of mood in her valued companion.
"Tell me, Marinette. In the bathroom just now: did you hear anything?"
"Yep. Running water, the sound of damp pastry going down the pipes, my tuneful whistling… why, was there anything else, Tikki?"
"... Probably just my imagination then. Don't worry about it. Just carry on with your day, and… look out!"
It was too late for warnings though, as a highly preoccupied Marinette collided with a figure in the corridor, which led to both individuals falling on the floor wincing with matching grazed knees.
"Hey! Why don't you watch where you're…" The other person recovered first and angrily began remonstrating with the blunette, before an abrupt change in voice when she realized who it was.
"Marinette! It's me, Zoe! I am so sorry for shouting at you just then. It's just been one of those mornings, you know?" Zoe quickly helped up her dazed classmate.
"Y-Yeah, for me too. My Dad made me help him in the kitchen, just before I left. Honestly, why doesn't he prepare everything the previous day? Such bad organization…" Marinette grinned sheepishly at her new friend.
"Sure, sure. Still it can't be as bad as what I have to deal with my sister. Anyway, must dash to Miss Mendeleive's class. Can't be late on my first day. Bye for now!"
Marinette stared with sympathy at Zoe's retreating figure. "Poor girl. I can't even think what it must be like, living with someone like Chloe. At least we only have to see her at school. Tikki, what do you think… Tikki?"
"Hmm…" Once more, Tikki seemed deep in thought, as if something unknown was bothering her.
"Tikki?!"
"What? Oh, yes. I completely agree, one-hundred percent Marinette!" Tikki snapped out of her brief soliloquy. "Anyway, hadn't we better get to class ourselves? Don't want to break your recent attendance streak now, do we?"
"Ooh, you're right! After being so late for so long because of my duties as Ladybug, I've been improving a lot lately!" Whatever concerns Marinette might've had for Tikki were quickly forgotten in her haste to keep up her proud streak. "Thanks, Tikki!"
"You're welcome, Marinette." Tikki replied softly, lost in her own thoughts again.
…..
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Longest chapter so far. This story might not be the most popular, but it's the one I enjoy writing the most… and obviously, I appreciate any nice comments you can leave me about it. Bye for now! :D
