Marinette waited a few hours flipping through the channels on the TV, but ended up turning it off because all of them were saying that if they had any information about her to call the police. Doing all that only felt like a few minutes, as her racing thoughts kept her occupied. The first signs of dusk were in the air. Terrified, she waited on her bedside watching, waiting for the sun to disappear along the horizon. Adrien laid in the bed to her right, sleeping peacefully. She didn't blame him or dare to wake him. This might be the last good night sleep he'll get, after all, they were on the run. Luckily, there were no ties linking Adrien to Marinette yet. The police had called him earlier asking him why she was in his flat. Adrien lied and said he was out of town and that Marinette was probably just hiding out there. Thank goodness they hadn't seen Adrien and her escape together, or this would have been so much worse.
The police were going to have him questioned in a few days when he got back from his "business trip" and they had already rehearsed his lies multiple times to make sure he got it inside his mind. Adrien was going to make up a story where he had driven down to attend a dinner party and asked Nino to vouch for him. They gave Nino as few details as possible about the situation and did not mention Marinette was involved but he still agreed. Hopefully they would believe his story and he would be safe, because she didn't want to bring anybody that didn't need to be into this. She didn't like that fact that Adrien had to be dragged into this either, but she was going to do what she had to do to prove her innocence.
Finally, the sun fell and dusk arose. Marinette got up slowly, almost paralyzed with fear and dread. Marinette had found some clothes in her size in the closet that probably belong to the previous guest. She put on the jeans and white high neck and slid Adrien's black trench coat over top. She wrote a small note that read 'Just went for some air, I'll be back soon, don't worry.' and left it on the bedside table for Adrien to find. She hoped it would be enough for him not to worry about where she was. She finally moved her feet over to the door and slid away and closed it quietly behind her. When she heard the sound of the door click she started to move. She walked a block or two before hailing a cab. She made sure to keep her head down and used her hair to cover her face. "Where to?" The cabbie asked.
"10th street please." She responded. To her luck the cab driver didn't pay much attention to her. She made it to 10th street and paid using a few euros she had taken from Adrien's wallet. She knew he wouldn't mind. Though she still felt bad for taking it, she kept reminding herself that she had no choice, but to do it.
Finally she was in front of the antique shop, she entered the small shop that had vases and paintings hanging on the walls. Old dolls (that kind of freaked her out) cameras, clothes and polaroid's. She walked past the owners of the shop and didn't pay anyone a glance, as did they. She found a sign on the wall with directions to the restrooms and she followed it and to her luck, near the bathrooms where the stairs. She climbed the 4 stories up. The first two stories were part of the shop and the rest were art studios or audio recording studios. Finally she reached the roof.
She pushed the large door open and was met with a crisp cold wind. The air was numbing and sharp as it bit into her skin. Winter was on its way, and she wasn't a big fan of the cold. She shoved her hand in her pockets and started to look around. At least walking around kept her a bit more warm. "I almost thought you wouldn't show up." A voice said from behind. Marinette turned to face the phantom voice. In front of her stood a maroon haired Lila. She was dressed in a large coat, black leggings and combat boots.
"Why am I here?" Marinette asked with disgust in her voice, of course it was Lila, who else could it have been?
"To negotiate." Lila said plainly, no emotion in her voice.
"Negotiate? What is there to negotiate?" The green-eyed snake smirked.
"You'd be surprised Marinette, at how easily I can make this all go away." Lila started to circle around her, like a lion closing in on its prey.
"What do you mean?" Finally the brunette stopped pacing around her and sat at the ledge of the roof, she bent over her knees and folded her hands.
"I can fix everything, or more accurately, you can fix everything. You just have to do one itty bitty thing." She said in a sly voice.
"You want my Miraculous." Lila let out a twisted laugh.
"Oh Marinette, you think you have me all figured out, don't you?" Marinette took a few steps closer.
"Oh but I do." Lila's face dropped into the lifeless expression of hatred.
"You know nothing of me." Now it was Marinette's turn to laugh.
"Oh honey, you honestly think you have the upper hand here?" Lila rose to her feet and started circling again.
"I do." Marinette rolled her eyes.
"You're delusional."
Lila ignored her last statement. "I don't want you miraculous, I've moved on from such stupidity." Marinette scoffed.
"So what do you want?" Another sly smile spread across her face. She strode towards Marinette until they were inches apart.
"I want your reputation in shambles." Marinette huffed.
"Don't you think you've done enough to my reputation?" Lila's expression stayed steady and unchanging.
"Not yet."
Marinette shook her head in disgust. This witch had killed eight people in her name, had a bombing dedicated to her and an attempted assassination, and that still wasn't enough? What more could she want? Marinette sighed, trying to keep her composure, then thought back to Lila's earlier words. "You said I could fix this. How?" Lila turned around swiftly, her coat flapping in the wind. She sat back down on the ledge.
"It's quite simple really, you want this all to go away. Just die." Marinette's eyes narrowed. Die?
"And how is that going to fix this? How is that going to prove my innocence?"
Lila laughed. "Oh it won't. You will go down in history as a murderer. There is nothing you can do to change that." Marinette shook her head, not wanting to believe people like this existed.
"Why? Why are you doing this? I'm assuming you tried to kill the mayor on hero's day and planted that bomb. But all I want to know is why! Why do all this?"
Lila leaned back and tilted her head like a lost puppy. "You are right to assume that I was the mastermind behind all this, but you are incorrect to assume I do my dirty work myself. I don't have that kind of time." Marinette clenched her jaw.
"Too busy blackmailing politicians?" She said sarcastically.
"Yeah but that's just a hobby." Lila answers coyly. "My real work is a bit too much for most people to stomach."
Marinette gritted her teeth, wanting too much to push Lila over the edge of that building but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. "Anyway, I don't know why you brought me up here, I'm not going to die for your silly game. Whatever it is you want I'll give it, just please, for once in your miserable life, tell the truth!" Marinette yelled.
"First of all, I was never one for the truth, seems pointless to me. Second, what I want is you dead."
Marinette shrugged and let her hands slap against her thighs. "What good am I to you dead. Is this about Adrien?" Lila sighed, almost disappointed in Marinette's answer.
"You foolish child. Like I said, I've moved on from such stupidity." Marinette was practically foaming at the mouth.
"What good am I to you dead?" Marinette growled.
"Your death will mean the world to me." Lila said, crossing her legs.
"I just- I don't understand! Tell me, what is it that you want!" Marinette was practically screaming now. Lila shot to her feet so quickly that it made Marinette flinch backward.
"What I want is your reputation destroyed! I want you to go down in history as a villain who misled the people for years! I want you to go down in time as a murderer and a coward!" Lila grabbed Marinette by the collar and started her dead in the eye. She whispered. "That is what I want."
Marinette had always seen Lila as an annoyance and nothing more, but it was becoming abundantly clear that she was much more than that. She was dangerous, and she could do a lot of things, with just the snap of her fingers.
"I don't understand." Marinette whispered. She had lost almost all confidence. She was terrified. Lila released her grip and brushed her hands over Marinette's shoulders, removing the nonexciting dust.
"What is there not to understand. It's quite simple. For years I have hated you. Not for any particular reason, I just hate you. And I will admit, there was a time when I wanted your miraculous and to wish that you were never born. But then I realized there is no fun in that. You never being born means that I sit and stir in my hatred alone. So I came up with a plan that would make the entire world hate you. I would mask you as a killer. A murderer. A monster. So that is what I did, but my plan is not over yet. You see, I want you to die. I want it to look like you ended your own life. I want you to be seen as a coward who saw no other way out. I need you to die."
Marinette gathered the little courage she had left. "And if I refuse?" Lila watched over to the edge of the building once again. "I'm sorry, am I boring you with this?" She motioned her hand for her to come forward. Marinette reluctantly obeyed. She stood at the edge with Lila. She reached into her coat pocket and Marinette began to worry that she had a weapon, but she pulled out a pair of binoculars and handed them to her.
"Four hundred yards down, straight ahead." Marinette looked at her with a knowing look but lined the binoculars up in the direction she had given and saw through them a man kneeling near the edge of the building. In his hands a rifle. It looked to be the same man that had tried to shoot the Mayor, those few weeks ago. The man was staring into an unknown direction but it was obvious he was focused on his target. Marinette didn't know what Lila was trying to tell her, there was a man with a gun, so what.
"Here is what I want you to do," Lila said. "You have two hours to jump off this building or that sniper put a bullet in Adrien's head." Marinette gasped slightly, and almost dropped the binoculars. She had no escape this time. No way out. She was trapped. "Do I have your attention now?" Lila asked.
"Yes." Marinette said in defeat.
"You have two hours left to live. I suggest you say goodbye." Marinette just stood there motionless. Lila had strode down the stairs and disappeared. She had two hours to live. Now what?
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Word count: 1992 (Not counting this)