"It won't work." Lila argued, holding back her tears. In the darkness of the warehouse, Lila glared up at her captor. She had been tied to a rusted, foldable metal chair and placed under a convenient ray of sunlight that filtered in through the dusty window.
"Oh? And why is that?" Game Over asked, entirely unconvinced as he smirked.
"She hates me. She would never come save me." Lila smiled bitterly at the akuma, both glad that she spared Marinette and broken that she wouldn't see Ladybug. Why would she come rescue her now?
"You don't say that in this video." Game Over replied, brandishing his purple 3DS, which was open on the browser and also plugged into the wall. It was most likely the akumatized item.
"A 3DS?" Lila exclaimed, temporarily forgetting her pain and sadness. "What's your friend code? Do you have the latest Pokemon game?"
"Duh! Of course I do. And my friend code is seven-eight- wait, seriously?" Game Over looked at her in disbelief.
"Oh, the video, right." Lila leaned forward (as much as she could tied to a chair), and saw herself weeks ago on the Ladyblog, claiming that she and Ladybug were close friends. That felt like ages ago.
"And you've been seen plenty of times during past akuma attacks, helping her out." Game Over continued, before taking the device back. "Obviously you're important to her. And that's why trading you for the Miraculouses is going to work."
The man took a moment to throw his head back and laugh. The noise echoed ominously in the big, empty room. Lila winced at the sound, looking away.
"It's different now," She whispered.
"Pardon?" Game Over looked over at her from his 3DS.
"I said it's different now!" Lila shouted, actually causing Game Over to step back in surprise. She clenched her fists. "We had a fight. And now she hates me." She said quietly. Lila felt the lump in her throat again; that choking, painful mountain at the back of her mouth that ached every time she swallowed. And she was going to be leaving Marinette behind. She was going to be leaving Paris behind.
"That doesn't matter that much," Game Over simply said in response, with nothing but amusement in his voice, "She still has a duty to protect the citizens of Paris. And I can put you in just enough danger to bring her here."
His last few words hung in the silence as Lila's eyes widened.
"I'm not afraid of you." She spat, anger beginning to replace her sadness.
"Didn't you learn your lesson about lying?" Game Over retorted, his smile growing larger.
Lila stiffened, his voice like a slap to the face. She looked away, not meeting his gaze.
"I know you're Volpina. And frankly, Hawkmoth and I don't have much of a problem turning you back into her if you don't cooperate." Game Over added, almost indifferently as he approached her. Lila kept looking away, calming herself down until he suddenly thrust something under her face.
Inside the glass jar he held was a fluttering black butterfly. Lila's breath caught in her throat as she stared at the creature. Its black wings glowed with the deadly purple, and her focus shifted from the akuma to her reflection in the glass. Lila could tell she looked horrified.
She looked from the akuma to Game Over, swallowing her fear down.
"Hawkmoth made it earlier when you were feeling a little upset. But instead of sending it out, he gave it to me. I mean, I don't understand why threatening you with this would make you cooperate since being given this power is the best thing in the world. But Hawkmoth tells me you wouldn't want it anywhere near you."
Being infected twice had been bad enough. Lila didn't think she could stand a third. But she narrowed her eyes. On the other hand, she'd fought her way out of the second akumatization with a little encouragement. She might not be as affected by another. She might be able to even fight her way back out again.
But she didn't comment on it. Slowly she felt her fear drain away. At least she had something in her favor.
"So how are you planning on luring Ladybug here?" Lila asked instead, pretending to be sufficiently fearful. While she didn't think she deserved being rescued, it was true Ladybug had a duty to the citizens of the Paris, so it was likely she would come. But a tiny part of her thought that Marinette was so upset that she wouldn't.
Game Over straightened and pocketed the akuma, smiling.
"Hawkmoth gave me my powers for a reason. There's a certain girl who deserves to be punished for what she did to me. I'm sure Ladybug will notice if there's a supervillain wreaking havoc around town. I'll send her a message that way," He said, and then he smirked as he curled his fingers into a menacing fist.
Game Over turned to leave, but then he cast one last glance at Lila.
"I wouldn't try to escape if I were you, by the way. All of the exits have been trapped," He said in a downright deadly voice, and then he picked up his 3DS and left.
Marinette hurried down the road, purse clutched in her hand. If she could just hide, she could transform into Ladybug and travel much faster. Alya and the others split up to check other places after none of them received any response from Lila. Adrien stayed at the school in case she returned for classes later.
She ducked into an alley and opened her purse.
"Tikki, let's go. Transform me!" She called out as the kwami flew out of the small bag. Seconds passed and Marinette was gone; Ladybug had entered the world and was ready to move.
But just as she took her yoyo in hand, she spied something on the ground.
Lila's phone. Ladybug's eyes widened as countless possibilities rushed through her head, all of them echoing the same sentiment: Lila was in danger. She bent over and picked up the orange phone, looking at its front and back.
It was definitely Lila's.
Maybe she had been akumatized again. Ladybug's lip trembled for a second, but it stopped immediately.
Just then something passed over her in the sky. Ladybug looked up, but it had already gone. She frowned, and then leaped out of the alley onto the building. Ladybug looked all around, expecting to see Volpina somewhere.
But instead, all she could see was a blue figure jumping from rooftop to rooftop, all the way back to the school.
Ladybug looked from the phone to the figure. She wanted to go find Lila, but it was imperative that she go fight the akuma. And she had no idea where Lila was, and that frustrated her. Ladybug let out a sigh of exasperation, and then she followed the akuma back to the school. Maybe it had something to do with Lila's disappearance. First the call, and now this? What was happening to Lila?
By the time Ladybug made it back to the school, Chat Noir was already there, defending none other than Chloe Bourgeois (how predictable) from the blue akuma.
"Just who I wanted to see." The blue akuma said as he let a torrent of fireballs out from a cannon on his arm. Chat Noir spun his staff, deflecting all of the shots from hitting the blonde girl behind him. Part of her ponytail had been singed off.
"You wanted to see Ladybug but not me?" Chat Noir asked, offended.
"Who's this?" Ladybug asked as she touched down next to him, brandishing her yoyo threateningly.
"It's Game Over." The akuma said, mildly amused as he reached up to touch his cap. As he lifted it off his head, Ladybug and Chat Noir gripped their weapons tighter and moved to attack. But the akuma merely stepped backwards and let a yellow cloth fall out of the hat, which then wrapped itself around him like a cape. The hat came back down on his head, and then Game Over was airborne, avoiding the strikes from Ladybug's yoyo. It seemed like the cap gave him some of his powers.
"Why isn't he attacking?" Chat Noir asked discreetly to Ladybug.
"I don't know," Ladybug replied and then turned to Chloe. "Get out of here, Chloe!"
That was thankfully enough to send Chloe sprinting away, lest the rest of her hair got burned off.
"Where do you think the akuma is? The hat?" Chat whispered as the two of them measured up their opponent.
"I'm right here," Game Over said, arching an eyebrow as he put his hands on his hips. "And I've got a message for you, Ladybug."
"Me?" She asked, not lowering her weapon.
"For your ears only," Game Over clarified, and shot a pointed look at Chat Noir. "I'm not coming down until he's out of the picture."
"Excuse me?" Chat said. "Of course not. This is obviously a trap."
"It's about a certain girl." The akuma continued, still floating. Lila! Ladybug's heart soared.
"Chat, stay back," Ladybug told him.
"My lady, you can't be serious," Chat deadpanned, incredulous. Ladybug sighed, and gave him a look.
"Trust me," She said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I know what I'm doing."
Chat Noir went through a series of complicated expressions before finally settling on a resigned look, and he backed up to the door, although he kept his staff up. Ladybug nodded to him, and then she approached Game Over as she settled her yoyo around her middle.
"Smart," Game Over commented as he slowly floated downward in front of her. Ladybug looked hard at him, trying to figure out exactly which item was akumatized.
"Where is she?" She demanded.
"She's safe," Game Over replied simply, folding his cannon-like arms. "Hawkmoth and I, we're willing to give her back to you. Of course, in exchange for your Miraculous. Chat Noir's, as well."
Ladybug stared hard at him.
"Obviously I don't expect you to give it to me now. I'll tell you where she is and we can trade there."
"You think I believe you're going to do a fair trade?" She scoffed in response. Game Over shrugged.
"Maybe, maybe not. But either way, she's going to get the short end of the stick if you don't show up. My fire doesn't just burn hair, you know," Game Over shot back, clearly unintimidated. Ladybug's eyes narrowed and her fingers twitched as they reached for her yoyo.
"If I were you, I wouldn't do anything I'd regret," The akuma said lowly. "After all, I'm the only one who knows her location. Without me, akuma and all, you'll never find her."
Ladybug measured her options, hand still hovering above her yoyo.
"Are you guys like, done yet?" Chat Noir's voice came from the opening.
"I'll be sending you the location soon. Don't bring Chat Noir, only his Miraculous, or else she'll suffer the consequences," Game Over finally said before giving Ladybug a knowing smirk. With that, he stepped back and then jumped up and was gone. Ladybug grinded her teeth, anger beginning to course through her body.
Footsteps came to a halt behind her.
"What was that? You let him get away!" Chat Noir exclaimed, annoyance clear in his voice.
"He's got a hostage," Ladybug said, trying to control herself as her hand settled heavily on her yoyo.
"What?" Chat Noir blinked, the irritation gone from his voice. "Who?"
"A civilian. A friend of mine. He wants me to trade my Miraculous for her. Our Miraculouses," Ladybug explained, sighing heavily. She put a hand to forehead as she thought. "He said to go alone."
"No!" Chat Noir said immediately. "That's even more of a trap than just talking to you!"
"I know," Ladybug said, her hand dropping to her side.
"You're not," Chat Noir's shoulders sagged in disbelief, "You're not doing it, are you?"
"Have a little more faith in me, Chat," Ladybug gave him a small smile. "I'll go once he sends me the location. You'll be able to see where I am on your staff's locater, and you can stay up on the rooftops. I'll keep him busy by talking. Maybe you can get Lila while he's distracted, and then we can fight him once she's safe."
"It's Lila?" Chat Noir asked, and Ladybug realized she'd let the name slip.
"Yea, the girl who helps us out from time to time." She replied. She wondered how Lila was doing. How much did Marinette not know? And how much was Lila suffering right now? It worried her.
A touch on her shoulder brought her back to reality.
"Don't worry, we'll save her." Chat Noir said with confidence, and Ladybug found she could trust him.