The villains' side of the story.

The day Lila discovered Hawkmoth's true identity, rain poured from the sky. She was walking home from a photoshoot, her frustrations growing with each drop that soaked her hair. Lila couldn't help but mutter obscenities under her breath until, by some twist of fate, she stumbled upon Adrien at the park near Marinette's house. He didn't notice her, but she took a minute to observe him. He was underneath a tree, engrossed in his phone, apparently completely fine with the heavy rain.

What a sight, Lila thought with a sigh.

And she was right. Adrien Agreste was undeniably, irrefutably, heart-stoppingly attractive. Lila couldn't tear her eyes away.

Then, Adrien lifted his gaze to the sky, his expression contorted in what seemed like agony, making her wonder what was going on. Her gaze flickered towards Marinette's house, noting Alya's hurried departure. A heartbeat later, Adrien made his way toward that very house, disappearing inside. Uh. Now, that was interesting.

Seriously, Lila struggled to understand what Adrien saw in that Baker girl. Marinette Dupain-Cheng was just another ordinary girl, hardly a match for her own extraordinary beauty. After all, Lila was a model! It honestly wasn't fair. She deserved his love, not Marinette.

Lila was usually smart. She thought before acting, made sure her plans wouldn't fail. But now, it was the mix of fury, jealousy and determination that propelled her into action. Without a second thought, she spun on her heels and set a course for the Agreste mansion. Enough was enough.

To her surprise, the mansion's gate stood ajar, an accidental oversight by an employee, no doubt. Her knock on the imposing front door was met with Gorilla's taciturn nod of recognition, likely assuming that Nathalie had granted her entry. Serendipity smiled upon her, and Lila took it as a sign.

With unwavering determination, she strode towards Gabriel's office, fully intending to barge in and demand Adrien for herself. She wasn't sure how, exactly, she would succeed but hey, she wasn't one to doubt herself. But what she found behind that door defied all expectations.

Hawkmoth stood before her, in the middle of his detransformation, with Nathalie in front of him. A stunned silence enveloped the trio as their eyes locked in incredulous astonishment. However, the initial shock soon waned, and the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place. Lila didn't have to think much to figure out the reason behind Hawkmoth's actions. It was glaringly obvious—it had always been about his wife. It was a logical, if twisted, motivation, and Lila cursed herself for being so blind. But then, the implications of this revelation fully dawned upon her.

Oh, yes.

"Well, well, well. Now, that is interesting," she purred.

"Miss Rossi," Gabriel eventually managed to utter through gritted teeth, his composure returning. "What are you doing here?"

Lila's lips curled into a smug smirk as a tantalizing multitude of possibilities flooded her mind. She had initially come here to claim Adrien, but now, oh, she could ask for so much more. She could envision it all, clear as water. Not only would she finally have everything she had ever yearned for—fame, beauty, power, wealth—but Adrien would become obsessed with her, he would love her, cherish her and be the agent of Marinette's downfall. And, as if it wasn't enough, she would finally see Ladybug fall.

This, she realized, was the peak of her life. It simply couldn't get any better than that, right?

"I'm here to make you a deal. One you can't refuse."

Nathalie and Gabriel exchanged apprehensive glances.

"Name your price."

And with those fateful words, their lives became irrevocably intertwined.

—

"I mean, how many times do you plan to fail?" Lila inquired, rolling her eyes with a hint of exasperation.

Hawkmoth turned his steely gaze upon her, a look that would have made anyone else retreat in fear. "Careful, girl."

"I'm just saying," she shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "It's getting embarrassing."

"Gabriel, if I may," Nathalie began, but Lila interjected.

"The Miraculous can be taken and used even if its legitimate holder is dead," she declared confidently, ignoring Nathalie's attempt to speak. "You just need to catch them, who cares if it kills them. It cannot be that hard."

"And what, exactly, do you think I've been trying to do these past years?" Hawkmoth retorted.

"You've been careful," Lila said, rising from her chair and approaching him with deliberate steps. "Despite everything, you haven't done any kind of real damage. You're barely a threat to Paris."

"Excuse me?" Hawkmoth's voice held a dangerous edge.

She halted before him, her gaze unwavering. "Be the villain the world deserves."

"What do you suggest?" Hawkmoth inquired, a glint of curiosity in his eyes.

Lila might've been a pain in his ass, but he approved of her directness. She was smart, determined, and ambitious. Despite the way everything had started, he was glad to have her on his side.

"An akuma stronger than ever," Lila proposed, her tone dripping with dark intent. "One that won't shy away from killing whoever's in its path. Do not hesitate. And then, make sure that Ladybug and Chat Noir are injured or, even better, dead. Then, take their Miraculous."

"Gabriel—" Nathalie's voice quivered with apprehension.

"They have allies," Hawkmoth said, rubbing his chin contemplatively. "They're not alone."

"Kill them too if necessary," Lila insisted. "Make them unable to fight. They'll eventually collapse from exhaustion if you do this right."

"You can't do this!" Nathalie finally protested. "You can't kill them, Gabriel, they're just kids!"

"The Wish will repair everything anyway," Lila retorted with a shrug, a sly smirk playing on her lips.

"This is not a good idea," Nathalie implored.

"Enough, Nathalie," Hawkmoth commanded, raising his hand, his gaze locked onto Lila. "If we do this, we'll need to pay someone to follow them during the fight. Make sure that they're the first responders. Then, they'll bring the bodies to us."

"We'll need to be somewhere no one can link to Gabriel Agreste," Lila added.

"At least warn them," Nathalie pleaded. "If you really want to go through with this, give them an ultimatum. Give them the chance to back down."

There was a moment of tense silence before Hawkmoth conceded, "Deal."

The opportunity they sought presented itself a few weeks later in the form of a devastating house fire. It claimed the lives of a woman and her two daughters, while the husband, away on a business trip, returned to the ashes of his once-happy home. Grief, anger, and guilt overwhelmed him; perhaps if he had been there, he might have saved them all. Yet, what gnawed at him most was the world's indifference. Though the tragedy received a brief mention in the papers and on the news, the world moved on, uncaring. How could it be, when his entire universe had burned down to the ground?

"Hello, Angel of Darkness. I am Hawkmoth."

—

"Is she—" Mayura's voice trailed off, her hand instinctively covering her mouth as she watched the building collapse from a distance, taking Ladybug with it.

"Send them," Hawkmoth ordered Lila without hesitation.

Lila nodded, an evil smirk dancing on her lips, and she spoke into her earpiece, "Move, now. We're waiting for you at the warehouse."

Together, they observed in tense silence as Chat Noir killed their akuma before rushing into the inferno. From their vantage point, they couldn't discern the identity of the girl he cradled in his arms, but they witnessed the anguished slump of his shoulders and the way his mouth opened in a cry that must have been devastating.

"We did it," Hawkmoth muttered, smiling, before turning towards Lila.

"We did it," she repeated, the same wicked smile on her lips.

While these two might have been happy about their success, Mayura felt conflicted. She'd never wanted them to die. She'd never wanted this to spiral out of control this way. At least, she thought it couldn't get any worse. She offered a silent apology to the girl that Ladybug used to be, her hand placed gently over her own chest.

It didn't take long for an unmarked ambulance to arrive at the warehouse, its sirens silenced. The driver emerged first, holding the rear door for his partner, who followed, pushing a gurney. A lifeless form lay upon it, concealed beneath a blood-soaked white sheet.

"She's dead?" Mayura asked them.

One of the paramedics nodded. "Her heart had already stopped on site, and we tried resuscitating her on the way, but it was helpless. She's dead."

Hawkmoth approached the body with measured steps, while Lila ventured towards the two paramedics. One of them appeared uncertain, while the other extended his open palm expectantly.

"Well?" the second paramedic demanded. "Where's our money?"

Lila couldn't help but scoff. "Yeah, about that... It's not gonna work."

"Excuse me?"

"Maybe we should just—" the second paramedic began, only to be abruptly cut off by his companion.

"We're not leaving until we get our money."

"Fine," Lila responded casually, retrieving a concealed weapon from her jeans and promptly shooting the second paramedic twice—once in the abdomen, and then a second time in the head.

His colleague recoiled in horror, his scream echoing through the warehouse. He turned towards the ambulance, presumably hoping to get in and drive away, but within moments, he too crumpled to the ground, a puddle of his own blood forming around him.

"Lila," Mayura finally uttered, her voice filled with shock. "What did you do?"

"What needed to be done."

"This is—" Nathalie attempted to interject, but was quickly silenced.

"Both of you, shut up, now," Hawkmoth commanded.

Both women turned their attention to Hawkmoth, who had his back to them, his hand firmly grasping the white sheet that concealed the body.

"This is the moment I've been waiting for for years," Hawkmoth declared, his voice tinged with anticipation. "I've waited so long to finally know Ladybug's identity. With her Miraculous, it's only a matter of time until Chat Noir's becomes mine as well. We're halfway there."

"Pull the sheet already," Lila urged impatiently. "Who is she?"

With a deep breath, Hawkmoth removed the sheet in one swift motion, revealing a battered, bruised, and bloody face, yet still perfectly recognizable.

"Oh, my God," Nathalie whispered as she released her transformation.

"Marinette," Lila gasped, her initial shock giving way to hysterical laughter. "Holy shit, no way! This is amazing! Oh, this keeps getting better!"

"This is ... unexpected," Hawkmoth added before also detransforming.

"I think this might be the best day of my life," Lila exclaimed, wiping away a happy tear.

Nathalie, in contrast, fought back tears as she looked at the girl lying before them. Nathalie noticed that Marinette still had her earrings on, but surprisingly, this detail was of little concern to her. She'd fought for years for this miraculous, had done despicable things for it and yet, here it was, only a couple of centimetres away and she didn't care.

She gently took Marinette's cold hand, assessing her injuries. It was evident that most of her limbs were broken, and she had sustained life-threatening wounds, like this huge piece of glass that was stuck in her abdomen. There was seemingly no hope for her. No one could survive all of this. But then, her heart skipped a beat as she noticed Marinette's right eye twitch. It might have been just a reflex, but she quietly took her pulse to make sure. She waited a second, then another, until two minutes had passed. How could it be? She watched the girl with wide eyes. It was impossible! Her pulse was faint, barely there, but it had definitely started beating again!

"She's alive," Nathalie whispered in amazement, her voice trembling.

"Wait, what?" Lila exclaimed, taken aback. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know, I—"

"Nooroo! How can she be alive?" Gabriel demanded, his tone laced with urgency.

"Soul fusion," the kwami whispered, eyes wide. "Oh, Tikki..."

"What the hell is soul fusion? I order you to answer me, now!"

Terrified under his master's piercing gaze, Nooroo explained everything. He elaborated on the theory of soul fusion, detailing how Tikki and Plagg could save their holder's life if they chose to do so by fusing their souls to their chosen. Though the news was met with dissatisfaction from the villains, at least they now knew what they had to do. Their mission was clear: they needed to save Marinette Dupain-Cheng, no matter the cost.

"They'll want a funeral," Lila said after a moment.

"Take care of it," Gabriel simply answered as he grabbed the earrings from Marinette's earlobes.

Lila nodded, a glint in her eyes. "With pleasure."

Nathalie felt a rising wave of nausea. She had a chilling intuition about the gruesome fate Lila had in store for the innocent girl who would unwittingly cross her path. In silence, she prayed for the unfortunate soul; and for her own.

—

For weeks, Marinette, who was in a medically induced coma, remained hidden in the underground chamber beneath the Agreste mansion. Gabriel had positioned her next to Emilie's dormant form. In those weeks, they attended to her injuries, tirelessly nursing her back to health. While Tikki's sacrifice had kept Marinette alive, kept her heart beating, it hadn't healed her injuries. It was long and tiresome, but two months and a half later, they were finally confident that she would survive, even without Tikki's help. But then came the pressing question: what next? Tikki still needed to feel safe to come out. How could they fool her? They needed her. After all, the miraculous was useless without the kwami.

The answer to their problems suddenly presented itself one night as Gabriel chatted on the phone with his lawyer and old friend, James Turner. They'd met years ago, shortly after Gabriel had started his own career. James's girlfriend, who was now his wife, was an upcoming model at the time and had modelled for him. James and Gabriel had immediately hit it off, and James had been there when Gabriel had faced some slight troubles with the law. One's no one even knew about. James was just that good.

"How's your son?" Gabriel asked.

"Dylan's fine," James replied, his tone tinged with annoyance. "It took a while, but I finally managed to convince them to drop the case entirely. We all agreed it was a tragic accident caused by the rain, and nothing more."

Gabriel nodded. "Good. How did he react?"

"You know Dylan, he doesn't care. He got drunk, drove his car, and ended up causing an accident that killed a family. Fortunately, there was only one surviving relative, an elderly woman. We told her it was a simple accident, and she believed us. She won't bother us."

"Good, good... Wait. You said they have no other surviving relatives?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm... What do you know about this family?"

"Not much. Gab, what's going on?"

"James, I need to tell you something, but I need you to stay calm. I think Dylan and you could help me with something."

—

"That's her?" Dylan inquired three weeks later as he watched over the sleeping figure of Marinette.

James nodded. "Quite beautiful, isn't she?"

"She's really not all that," Lila chimed in from somewhere behind them.

Dylan scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Well, she's hot, I guess. But what, you think I can't find myself a girlfriend?"

"It's not about you," James sighed, growing exasperated.

"You gave us an opportunity when you killed that family, Dylan," Gabriel said.

Dylan flinched and mumbled under his breath, "It wasn't on purpose."

"Nevertheless," Gabriel continued, "Your father did his research. Marinette will now be known as Victoria Lynch. She will be under your care, as you both have been in a relationship for several years now."

Dylan rolled his eyes. "Several years? That's intense, isn't it?"

"Remember what we discussed, Dylan," James warned with a stern tone.

"Yeah, yeah, fine. So, what's the plan?"

"We will transfer Marinette under a fake identity to a hospital in Los Angeles," Gabriel explained, glancing at Nathalie, who nodded in agreement.

"It cost us a small fortune," Nathalie added, "but we've made sure there won't be any complications."

"Once in Los Angeles, we will wake her up from her coma and her new life will begin. Nathalie and Lila will be there with you the whole time," Gabriel continued, distributing a folder with documents to each of them. "Inside, you'll find everything you need—information, forged pictures, everything. Remember, we all have roles to play in this. You will report to James, who will in turn report to me. Soon enough, she will be safe, the kwami will come out, I'll get Chat Noir's miraculous, and our wishes will become reality."

They figured their plan was infallible. But what they hadn't anticipated was the rage that consumed Chat Noir. Over the years, he had grown increasingly violent, his anger burning with an intensity that shook them. He became reckless and dangerous, and sometimes, Gabriel wondered if Chat Noir secretly had a death wish. In some ways, he sympathized with him, even understood him. But if Chat Noir simply gave up, Gabriel could erase all their suffering and reshape the world. Chat Noir was being selfish, really.

The months stretched into years, and Gabriel grew older. He had once assumed that obtaining Chat Noir's Miraculous would be a simple task. He had also expected Tikki to emerge shortly after Marinette's return "home," but nothing had changed. They remained stuck in the same place, with one significant difference: Gabriel was aging and with each passing day, his powers declined.

The weight of exhaustion was slowly but surely weighing on him. He was becoming more fragile, less powerful, less ... miraculous. It was obvious that he needed to end this thing before it killed him. Every few weeks, he would unleash an akuma, a strong one, one that could destroy everything in its path. It took all of his energy, so much that he could barely do it twice a month. But his efforts once again proved futile; he was nowhere near close to getting Chat Noir's miraculous. The boy, no, the man, continued to grow in strength with every passing day. There was an inexplicable force about him, a power that Gabriel had never witnessed before. He would've lied if he said that it didn't scare him.

"Sir?" Evangeline's voice abruptly disrupted his thoughts.

"Yes?"

"There's someone on the phone for you. They claimed it's urgent."

"Is it Adrien?" he inquired, hastening to grab the phone. "Were you finally able to reach him?"

"No, sir, I'm sorry. It's a woman."

Gabriel hummed in deception, taking the phone while gesturing for Evangeline to leave.

"Gabriel Agreste speaking," he said once alone

"It's Nathalie."

"What's wrong?"

This wasn't good. Their agreement dictated minimal contact to prevent any connection between Nathalie's fabricated identity and Gabriel Agreste. Nowadays, they only talked in case of an emergency and it was always on disposable cell phones. For her to call him on his personal phone... It wasn't a good sign and he knew it.

"Adrien is currently at Victoria's place. He knows the truth. It's over, Gabriel."

Gabriel couldn't contain a loud curse, and he impulsively hurled the phone across the room. Without delay, Evangeline and Gorilla rushed into the room, on high alert.

"Get out!" he screamed at them, his agitation mounting.

Struggling to regain his composure, he clutched the podium and took a slow, deep breath. He needed a plan, and fast. The truth, all of it, was on the verge of being exposed. Everything he had worked for would soon crumble unless ... unless he won it all, now.

Yes. It was time to end it once and for all.

"Nooroo, dark wings rise."