The Grand Deception

Chapter One

In the last two hours, I'd been publicly humiliated by my idol, I'd lost all chances at getting together with a cute boy, I'd had my plans thwarted, I'd been defeated in combat, and I'd been forced to question my morals as I spun deceit upon deceit. Overall, I'd say things could have gone better.

But it was certainly an experience. I'm still not exactly sure how it happened—my memories of the whole ordeal are kind of hazy. The way I remember it, after Ladybug mocked me in front of Adrien, I shamefully fled the scene—oh, I regret that so much now. But I wasn't thinking clearly; I was allowing my frustration to control me.

And that's when the voice began to speak. As it spoke, everything appeared shrouded in a purple glow. The voice seemed to well up from inside me, and reverberated through my bones. And then it made me an offer, which I immediately accepted.

I suppose this goes to show just how irrational I was being. I'd heard my fair share of stories where desperate people strike up deals with the devil, only to come to regret it in the end. The devil always comes out on top, and I know that. But I accepted the offer regardless.

Like almost everybody I know, I'd always dreamed about the possibility of having supernatural powers. I always imagined it as a fulfilling experience, where I would have the ability to tackle my personal flaws and shove them behind me. And yet, the actual experience only magnified the parts of myself that I hate the most. I suppose that's the sweet irony in the situation.

You see, I've always been a liar. I can't help it—if I'm not very careful about what I say, I'll reflexively spin fantastic tales with no bearing on reality. And I'm very good at it. I've convinced most of the people I know that I once got to fly to the space station. It was far more interesting then talking about my boring summer in Rouen, and so it's the story that I told. I didn't want to, but I can't exactly take it back now. I try to tell the truth, but the truth will inevitably be overpowered by the fear of not being seen as interesting enough.

And I hoped that the powers I gained would provide an avenue to express myself without resorting to deception. But the powers Hawkmoth gave me only made my lies even more convincing. My dreams of fighting evil alongside Ladybug and Chat Noir were shattered, as I tried desperately to create an image by creating imaginary threats to the city. Without the authenticity, my powers meant nothing.

Fortunately, I'm very good at making plans, and I had a few choice ideas to salvage this situation. The crucial step was to get Hawkmoth to return my powers. I didn't know how to get him to do that, but I knew somebody who might be able to help me out. And that's why I was sitting on a park bench and waiting, as the evening sky faded from orange to pink. I was slowly turning my fox tail necklace over and over in my hand.

"Hey there, Lila."

The voice caught me by surprise, and I spun around quickly, only to see the exact person I'd been waiting to meet.

"Hey there, Alya," I said, relieved.

"I don't know if you saw, but you made the news," Alya said casually. "You certainly embarassred the reporters when they found out you duped them. That look on Nadja Chamack's face was priceless!"

I honestly wasn't sure whether or not she was upset or worried. As far as I could tell, she was completely nonchalant, despite talking to a person who just an hour before had been a supervillain. And to that, I didn't know what to say. Fortunately, it seemed she had plenty on her mind.

"So any chance I might be able to get another interview out of you?" Alya continued, not pausing to let me answer. "That first one was already a hit; just imagine how many views I'd get from a follow-up! Would you be up for that?"