This is it everybody! The last arc of Miraculous: Tales! TBH- I got myself hyped outlining the next several chapters! :) Enjoy the prelude to the beginning of the end...
Lila scoffed from the doorway. Oh yeah. Let's all laugh at Marinette because she's so lovably imperfect. Give me a break! She slipped away without anyone noticing.
Darkness tinted the cloud filled sky, foretelling a storm. Lila quickened her pace. She couldn't be late. Hopefully he would be waiting.
"Hello, ma bella! You're home from school early. Is everything alright?" Mrs. Rossi barely glanced up from her phone as her daughter entered.
"Everything's fine, Mamma. My last class just ended early. I'm going to go up and work on my Heroes Day project." The girl snagged a soda and some crackers from the kitchen before heading upstairs. Her mother stopped her with a hug.
"Honey, I know your dad and I aren't around much, and we're sorry for that. I just want to say how proud I am of you jumping right back into school as soon as it opened again. You're making the best of a rough situation."
Lila detangled herself from her mother's grip. "I certainly am. I've really got to go work on that project Mamma." Mrs. Rossi stroked her head. With a grin, Lia rushed up the stairs.
Please still be there! Please still be there! Slamming her door, Lila scoured her bedroom until she found what she was looking for. Chuckling, she picked up a little purple butterfly resting on the lip of one of her tribal masks. She allowed the akuma to be absorbed into her bracelet.
"Hello Hawkmoth."
"Ms. Rossi. You're late." The girl put away her schoolbooks as the light mask around her eyes tightened. She winced.
"Sorry. My mom caught me on the stairs, and I couldn't get away. But I'm here now." She sat on her bed, kicking her legs. "So… is Project Catalyst almost ready?"
"Yes, my dear. Phase One is almost upon us. I do, however, require a trial run. Based on the information that you have provided me, I have the perfect victim in mind."
A giddy sensation bubbled in Lila's stomach. "Cool! What part will I be playing?"
"A rather large one that begins now." The brunette's face contorted in confusion when she heard a car pulling up. She ran to the window to peer out. A long black limousine sat parked at the curb, a non-descript driver in a black suit and sunglasses standing by the passenger door. "Get in the car, Ms. Rossi."
"Excuse me?" Lila hesitated. She wanted to bring the downfall of those brats Marinette and Ladybug, but would she get in a strange man's car? "How do I know this isn't a trick?" She gripped the sides of her head as a sharp pain appeared.
"You pledged yourself to my plan. Once you see what else I have to offer, you will be begging to be by my side. Now… GET. IN. THE. CAR."
Lila gulped, the light mask fading away. She grabbed her bag and crept down the stairs. She needed to have a lie ready to tell her mother in case she was caught. Her preparation was all for naught, however. A note taped to the fridge explained that Mrs. Rossi was called into the embassy on last minute urgent matters and that dinner was in the freezer.
The driver wordlessly opened the door as Lila slid inside. The windows were tinted so heavily that the girl couldn't see where they were going. She acted confident and suave on the outside; however, she was inwardly trembling. Am I making a mistake? The vehicle slowed and the driver opened her door.
"Wait. We're at… the Agreste Mansion?" The driver ushered her through the gates towards the massive doors. They swung open and Gabriel Agreste's assistant stood at the top of the stairs.
"Welcome Ms. Rossi. We've been expecting you."
Lila entered the lobby and was shown into Gabriel's atelier. He was bathed in golden light streaming from the widows as he stood stoically in front of a massive painting. That woman looks… like Adrien! The doors thudded shut. It was just the two of them.
"It's nice to finally meet you face to face, Ms. Rossi." Gabriel turned to face her.
Lila scrunched her face, placing a hand on her hip. "Hang on. You mean to tell me… that the big, bad villain terrorizing Paris is one of the world's leading fashion moguls?" She crossed her arms. "I'm not buying it."
A tiny purple creature emerged from Gabriel's jacket pocket. "It's true, miss. You are one of the very few people who know that Gabriel Agreste is Hawkmoth." Gabriel brushed the tiny being aside as he strode towards the girl.
"Does that convince you?" Lila shrugged.
"I've seen weirder things since moving here from Italy, but supposedly only Hawkmoth and those lousy heroes have those magic bugs." Her confidence in the situation growing, Lila clasped her hands behind her back and moved around the room. "I've already said that I'm on board with your plan to take down Ladybug, and Marinette while you're at it, but what else did you intend to offer me?"
Gabriel kept pace with her movements. "Your information about Ms. Dupain-Cheng and the others being poor influences on my son has me concerned. Once we have completed Project Catalyst, I will sign you to my brand and have you model exclusively with Adrien. You will be with him more than anyone else."
A shiver of excitement flooded through the girl. Model with Adrien? Be the main woman in his life? It was all she had wanted since she had laid eyes on the boy. She kept her face neutral as she spun to face the man.
"That does sound very enticing. I was already in, but now I'll pull out all of the stops. Shake on it?" Lila held out her hand.
Gabriel smirked as they shook. "You and I are in accord, Ms. Rossi. Project Catalyst will be our greatest accomplishment."