As of the last chapter, I've tormented Lila enough to feel pity. So…

by lord Martiya

03: Lila's Akuma

A week. That was how long had passed since Lila had met Ladybug, and she'd been mocked, insulted and generally persecuted for it. She could have understood had it been from Cesayre (or whatever), Borghese, or Lavillant-in fact Lila had to admit, to herself at least, she had felt guilty about the last one since the start-but they were proving themselves the better persons compared to her own classmates by just ignoring her. Well, she was having consequences about Lavillant, but those came from her apparent best friend, and she had done nothing but give her a hard glare once.

Instead she was getting trouble by pretty much everyone else in the school. She could say anything, and they'd insult her and call her a liar. She had a bit of fun during a math test by giving a classmate the right solutions to a few problems and seeing him automatically discard them, but it was nowhere near enough to counter the bullshit.

"Lilà?" someone called her. And mispronounced her name, but that was just the difference of accents between French and Italian, not the oh-so-clever-for-a-five-years-old use of the English pronunciation that made it sound "Liela".

She turned, and saw the class' aspiring Casanova. Who asked her out while practically undressing her with his eyes. With Lila already knowing the reasons for his timing after overhearing him. All in all, he was lucky Lila had years of practice at holding back her terrifying temper.

"And I suppose it's just a coincidence you're asking out one of the school's most beautiful girls only after she's been put down for a week?" she asked back.

"What? No, I just-"

"And Ladybug has a split personality, that is actually PAPILLON! And their secret identity is Gabriel Agreste!" Lila made a mental note to apologize to Adrien when she saw him pass by, his face green, the mouth covered and the feet leading him to the nearest bathroom quickly, while also continuing her rant: "I have good ears, child, you're asking me out just because you're shallow enough to value beauty over personality and thought a girl who's been treated like merda for a week would just be too grateful to resist your non-existent charm and would give it to you! Well, news flash: I have a dignity to defend. So go home, your girlfriend beyond the wrist wants some alone time!"

Seeing the wannabe leave in tears, Lila found some satisfaction. Not much, but taking a pervert down a few pegs had been nice. Even if he had friends who were taking offense for the put down. As she tuned them out, Lila wondered if she should start yawning or just leave them mid-rant, when she heard a rather familiar voice. No, wait, it's not Ladybug, just Dupain, the girl who kinda looks like her.

"Cut it out!" she said. "She's been tormented enough she should have been Akumatized a week ago, and she didn't do anything to you!"

One of them opened his mouth to protest when Borghese, who she was pretty sure hated Dupain's guts, cut in-agreeing with her rival.

"I agree with Marinette, as incredible as it sounds." she said. "And with the looks that idiot was giving her, Lìla" did she just pronounce Lila's name right?! "would have been justified punching him out, or getting Akumatized on the spot. Speaking of which, Marinette, isn't Ladybug your friend, somehow? I think we may need her intervention in a few minutes."

Lila facepalmed as she realized she had screwed up again. Good thing Ladybug was most certainly around… Then she heard a powerful "oink!" and some battle noises from the nearest bathroom. That was fast… Faster than they had been a week ago. Goddammit!

Marinette had ran and turned into Ladybug just as she heard the "oink", and arrived at Lila's side to defend her. Then Chat Noir arrived, his face a bit green, dragging a shocked and tied-up pig man from his foot.

"That was fast." Ladybug admitted.

"I was in the bathroom when he transformed." Chat admitted. "Some bad imagery from that speech… Anyway, his Akuma should be in the cellphone picture. May I make the honors, my lady?"

"Huff… Fine, Chat."

Chat destroyed the phone, and Ladybug easily caught and purified the Akuma-just as one of the pervert's friend said it was Lila's fault.

"And?" Ladybug asked. "I've been following Lila for a week expecting her to be Akumatized, between what's been happening and how this pig was looking at her I'm surprised she didn't kick him in the crotch."

"I'm more versed in punching." Lila quipped as she rubbed her right fist.

"Well, yes, anyway, this boy was asking for it, and-"

Then Chat Noir hissed. Ladybug turned and saw he was holding the regenerated cell phone… That had been showing a picture of Lila making use of the bathroom. And Lila had been seeing it too, and was making a herculean effort to not attack him.

"Anyway, you cut it out and leave her alone." Ladybug coldly said as she took the phone. "And this, I'm confiscating."

With that she left and went directly to principal Damocles, showing the phone and telling him who it belonged to. Needless to say, he was not amused… And gave Lila a literal slap on the wrist when he arrived and caught her punching the pervert's face.

"Of all the things that could have happened…" Lila said to herself once she was back at her room in the embassy. "I just hope it'll be the end of it."

Why was she lying to herself? She wasn't hoping it would be the end of it, she wanted revenge! Not on Ladybug, she'd been surprisingly helpful for a liar-hater with a temper that, from what Borghese (note to self: learn how she's actually called) said, was as bad as Lila's own who had caught her in a lie about herself, but on the other students. That picture had crossed the line. Truly crossed the line. But she couldn't go out and punch them all, she got lucky this day the principal considered her justified in the outburst, and that Dupain, who she was finding herself liking, would have been disappointed.

Why Lila did even care for a stranger's feelings? And why did that mention about her being friends with Ladybug sounded important?

That didn't matter. What mattered was that Lila had been calling herself Volpina in her mind for a reason-and Adrien's book just gave her an idea. She was laughing when she went to her still partially packed luggage and took out the dizi. Just wait she was back at it and procured the t-shirt…

Notes

"Borghese" is the Italian equivalent of "bourgeois" and a last name in its own right (and a relatively famous one in its own right due the noble Borghese family), hence Lila mixing up.

The dizi is a Chinese transverse flute, similar to the one used by Volpina and the holders of the Fox Miraculous.