One Way or Another

Bracelets and Pajamas

It was still the middle of the night when Chat Noir found the apartment balcony he was looking for. After landing, he tried to open the sliding door.

Locked.

So he whispered a word. "Cataclysm."

And after the handle disintegrated, leaving a hole behind, he reached in and unlocked the door from the inside. After that, he slowly slid it open and stepped into the apartment.

But unfortunately he knocked over the jar that was sitting by the door, causing the marbles within to scatter across the wood floor. And in the process, create a symphony of noise.

Chat Noir cursed himself, realizing that he gave his presence away. So he wasn't surprised when someone flipped on the light and came out to the living room.

Lila gave him an amused head tilt when she noticed him. "Chat Noir," she murmured. "I have to admit, I wasn't expecting you."

"Your little jar of marbles suggests otherwise," he seethed back.

A small laugh. "No, you misunderstand. I simply mean that I was expecting your lovely partner. Where is Ladybug, by the way? Hiding somewhere to ambush me?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but it's only me here. Ladybug doesn't know about this."

Lila raised her eyebrows. "Really?" And she smiled as she approached him. "I thought you two were a team."

"Enough with the small talk, where is it?" he demanded.

She stopped. "Where's what?" she asked, smiling wider.

"You know what."

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, Kitty."

And it felt like the air was sucked out of the room.

"Don't call me that!" he hissed.

Another step closer. "I'm sorry, Kitty... oh, there I go again! What can I say, you're such an adorable little kitty cat that I can't help myself."

"Knock it off. Ladybug is the..."

"Only one who can call you that," Lila finished before shaking her head. "I don't understand why you're so loyal to her. You've been in love with Ladybug for years, and she's never loved you back. Poor Kitty, you deserve so much better." Another step as she reached out towards him. "You should be with someone who will appreciate..."

"Don't touch me!" he interrupted, smacking her hands away.

A bigger smile. "Oh Kitty, you don't even realize what's going on. Ladybug's just using you. She doesn't care about you or your feelings. During our little battle last time, she even found a new Chat Noir to fight alongside her. That couldn't have made you feel very good."

Chat Noir stared at her as she spoke, almost amused at how wrong she was about everything.

"Ladybug doesn't appreciate you," Lila continued. "And she will never love you the way you love her." A pause before she lowered her voice to a whisper. "But me, on the other hand, I will love you the way you deserve to be loved. It was a long five years in that prison," she continued, moving even closer. "And I think what I missed the most during that time was the loving embrace of a man. A strong, powerful man like you."

And Chat Noir thought he was going to throw up in his mouth. But luckily he held it back. "Sorry Lila, but I'm not interested in pathetic liars like you. Now stop with the games, where is it?"

"Where's what?" she replied, unphased.

"You know what. The Butterfly Miraculous. I know you stole it from Emilie Agreste."