All stories must end. But hopefully, this one ends on a high note.

Adrien Agreste sighed and rolled his eyes in exasperation as Marinette entered her fourth panic attack in less than half an hour.

"Breathe, Princess. Breathe.", he said.

"Oh, Adrien! What if no one likes it? What if people hate it so much that they go insane, claw their eyes out and the hall bursts into flames?", Marinette said hysterically.

Adrien laughed; her magnificent imagination could really work against her sometimes. He took her by the arm and pulled her in for a hug.

"Marinette. We've been over this three times already. Everything is fine. It will be fine. And I'm here with you.", he said.

She looked at him with love and adoration and he kissed her. His wonderful girlfriend of two years, now, and hopefully to be more soon enough.

"You always know how to curb my more outlandish fantasies.", she said.

"One of my many talents, Bugaboo.", Adrien replied.

Marinette's smile faded slightly and one hand went by reflex to her earrings, which were no longer the simple black studs she'd always worn. With Hawk Moth defeated and the Order of the Guardians restored, the Miracle Box and all of the Miraculous had been returned to the Order's Temple, after one of the monks showed up and asked for them back. However, he had noted that Wang Fu had left extensive notes as testimony and these, in conjunction with the videos on the Ladyblog and various news outlets, had convinced him and the other high-ranking guardians to consider Marinette and Adrien as default users of the Miraculous should it become necessary again. Saying goodbye to Tikki and Plagg had been hard, not simply because it meant an end to their hero days but also because the kwamis had become deeply attached to the two and vice versa. Both Adrien and Marinette had kept forgetting the kwamis were gone for the first week, a fresh surge of heartbreak each time they remembered. Even now, they still missed them. But that had to be put aside.

"Let me just have another look over everything. I want to make sure each costume is 100% right.", Marinette said.

Adrien followed her into the room where the costumes, the debut designs of the evening, were waiting for the models on mannequins. Marinette's debut line, Miraculous, was based off the costumes worn by the Miraculous holders. Each of them were gorgeously made and exquisitely detailed; a few even had accessories based on the Miraculous tools. Adrien personally could not see anything wrong with them, but Marinette was cursed with the affliction that pestered all artists; self-doubt. Perhaps she's missed a thread, or it wasn't quite the right shade.

"Princess, they're all fit for a king. Or a queen.", Adrien said.

He walked over to one of the more stunning ones, based off the Black Cat Miraculous.

"You know, I still think this one would look cooler with a cape.", he said.

Next second he swore under his breath as something small and hard collided with his head.

"No capes! How many coffee cups do I have to throw at you before it sinks in, dahling?", barked a loud and oddly-accented voice.

Marinette's boss, and Adrien's as well since she was the one who bought his company, had entered the room without them noticing, which was impressive. Edna Mode might be only four feet tall, but she made up for it with her larger-than-life personality and could dominate an entire room of people several times her size with inimitable ease. Half-German and half-Japanese, Edna was efficiency, talent, charisma, intelligence and inspiration crammed into one small package. A noted business rival of Gabriel Agreste's, she had decided to swoop in and seize his failing business and add it to her own. When Adrien had asked her why she had waited for weeks rather than swoop in immediately, Edna had told him that she had been waiting for the winnowing of the disloyal; only those who stuck to it even as it began to collapse around them were worthy of working for her. As for Marinette, she had immediately been put to work as Edna's assistant and understudy, so that "the natural talent you possess can be cultivated like a beautiful orchid by a master horticulturist, not squandered as a collectible behind a sheet of glass", in Edna's own words. For some reason that she refused to divulge (to Adrien, anyway), she was extremely insistent on not adding capes to any designs. Marinette had asked her once and the diminutive woman had told her only that she reminded her of another young hero whose career was brutally cut short by a cape malfunction.

"But you should listen to the young man, dahling. Each design is perfect. I can find nothing wrong with them and that has never happened before.", Edna said.

"But some of the harshest fashion critics in the world will be here tonight. What if they don't like them? What if the public doesn't like them?", Marinette fussed.

"Dahling, you work for me. What they think doesn't matter.", Edna replied.

She cut a very odd and very short figure, wearing a smart and simple black dress and enormous round glasses, but she favoured the simple and tasteful when it came to what she wore herself.

"Now, I have managed to painstakingly track down and extend invitations to all of your school friends. I told them only that it was your debut as a designer, nothing more.", Edna said.

As she said this, her security man popped his head around the door.

"Ms. Mode, your specially invited guests have arrived.", he said.

"Yes, yes. Good, good, good. Now go and check the perimeter or something. Come along, Adrien, we shall go and greet them. Marinette, dahling, you must get yourself ready for the premiere.", Edna said.

And she seized Adrien's sleeve and pulled him out of the room, surprisingly strong for such a small woman.

"Hey, I need to get ready as well!", he protested.

"Yes, yes, yes, but she is the star of the show and requires more work. You, throw on a suit, some make-up and a hat and bippity-boppity-boo, you're ready!", Edna replied.

Adrien smiled; she wasn't wrong, and it would be very nice to see Nino and the rest of the old crowd once again. The demands of life and their careers had pulled them all apart in different directions, but for this evening all of Team Miraculous would be reunited once again. Edna led him into the spacious atrium of the venue, where his former classmates were all gathered, looking excited and apprehensive. Nino saw him first.

"DUDE!", he cried, breaking away and running over.

Adrien hugged his friend, noting how much stronger and bigger Nino had become. The now very successful DJ and aspiring producer had taken up weightlifting as a hobby and was now quite bulky, certainly more so than he was when they were at school. He had been keeping tabs on everyone and knew they were all doing very well in their respective careers; Alya was now a journalist and part-time anchor, known as the Queen of Quotes because she was voracious in verifying sources for authenticity; Alix was a professional skater; Kim had aspirations to swim at the Olympics for France; Max specialised in video game design and was a leading mind in several scientific fields; Nathaniel and Marc still did comics, with Nath also taking in commissions on the side; Sabrina was practicing law; Ivan was a successful drummer and Mylene a skilled voice actress; Chloe was a socialite; Rose was primary fundraiser for many charitable causes, working with Prince Ali once more after he realised his PR people had overreacted and it wasn't Rose's fault she'd been misled by Lila; Juleka was a music teacher; Kagami was now an Olympic-class fencer; and Luka was a partner with Jagged Stone on his tours. All of them looked quite apprehensively at Edna, who merely grinned (which Adrien knew from long experience was not tailored to put people at ease but hinted at the mad genius beneath).

"Welcome, dahlings, welcome! Tonight, you will have the glorious privilege of witnessing the extraordinary Marinette's masterpieces in action!", she said, vibrating with excitement.

"Ooooh, can't wait! I'm helping to cover it for my network.", Alya replied.

"Yes, the reveal of the century! I hope that is your headline.", Edna said.

"Well, yes, I suppose it's a good one…..", Alya said.

"Of course it is, dahling! I came up with it!", Edna replied.

Alya was looking very out of her element, dealing with this diminutive yet fiery woman. Nino was impressed with Edna at once; very few could stand up to Alya, much less dominate her.

"You know, it didn't say just what the designs will be or what they'll look like.", Alix said.

"Yes, because words are useless! Gobble-gobble-gobble-gobble, too much of it, dahling, too much! That is why we as designers show you our work, and that is why you are here!", Edna said.

She was pointing her cigarette holder at Alix like a sword and the tough tomboy was actually looking uncertainly at it, going almost cross-eyed trying to keep it in view. The quieter ones, Nathaniel, Marc and Juleka, were wisely keeping their heads down, but Chloe tossed her hair back with a huff.

"I hope it's worth the trip. I turned down a dinner party with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for this.", she said.

Next second Edna was practically in her face.

"Pah! You turned them down? There was no choice between this or a stuffy dinner party! Silly, conceited girl!", she snapped.

"How dare you! Do you know who I am?", Chloe said, puffing up in outrage.

"No, but I know your type. I have worked with them for over thirty years. But you clearly do not know who I am!", Edna retorted.

"I know you're Edna Mode. I've worn some of your stuff before, but my mother says you're way too overrated.", Chloe huffed disdainfully.

Adrien gasped and hid himself behind Nino and Alya; oh no, what had she done?

"Overrated?! Hah! I was designing and critiquing when Audrey Bourgeois was about to buy her first Chanel suit! Queen of Fashion? Feh! She is barely even a lady-in-waiting!", Edna burst out.

Chloe turned a phenomenal shade of puce as she furiously dialled her phone.

"How dare you say that, you little gremlin! I'm going to call Mother and tell her just what you said! She'll show you!", Chloe stormed furiously

"Go right ahead, dahling.", Edna said with a grin.

Chloe's phone connected to Audrey's and she began complaining about what Edna had been saying about her.

"What? Who dares to say those things about me? Tell me who it is, Claudette- I mean Chloe! I'll have them fired!", Audrey's demanding and rude voice said.

"DAHLING! It has been such a long time since we last spoke, hasn't it?", Edna shouted in the direction of the phone.

Audrey's latest fired personal assistant would later claim that the look of utter shock and fear that crossed Audrey Bourgeois' face as she heard that voice was something she would not soon forget.

"Edna? Is that you?", Audrey's voice stammered across the speakerphone.

"Of course, dahling. Your daughter was just telling me about some of the delightful compliments you've been paying me in the past."

Audrey swallowed audibly; Edna Mode was one of the very few people able to intimidate her and if Chloe had opened her big mouth regarding some of the less than favourable things Audrey had said about her in the past….

"O-Of course. I was just surprised to hear from you. I thought you'd retired from the fashion industry.", she said hopefully.

"It was only temporary, dahling. The collapse of Gabriel necessitated a stepping back into the ring, so to speak.", Edna replied cheerfully.

"Oh, yes. Unfortunate business, that. But I guess Gabriel was not as exceptional as I thought if he got caught.", Audrey said.

Adrien gritted his teeth; not a very nice thing to say.

"Well, anyway, I would love to chat more but I'm a very busy woman, Edna. But do look me up if you're ever in New York.", Audrey said.

"Of course, dahling. I shall be coming there soon, to promote my company's new line.", Edna replied.

"New line? What new line? Why have I not heard of this?", Audrey demanded.

"It's making it's debut tonight at the Grand Palais, dahling. But I'm sure you'll be able to watch it on the news.", Edna said.

"The news?!", Audrey blustered.

"Yes, dahling, the news. I must be going now, very busy, you understand.", Edna said.

"But-", Audrey said.

"I insist you watch it, OK? OK, goodbye!", Edna called.

And she hung up Chloe's phone, leaving everyone shocked and not a little frazzled by what had just happened. Chloe in particular was frozen, completely unable to comprehend the fact that her mother had just been beaten by a woman who barely came up to her waist. Edna clapped her hands and her security man appeared at her side.

"So, dahlings, please feel free to explore and enjoy my hospitality. However, I must insist that you leave Marinette alone until after the show. She must keep all her focus on the designs for tonight! Ta-ta for now!", Edna said.

And then she was gone, leaving the shell-shocked group behind. Alya looked at Adrien, who was still hiding behind her and Nino.

"She's….. quite something.", she said.

"You have no idea.", Adrien replied.

The security man cleared his throat.

"Please take one of these VIP passes and keep them on at all times.", he said.

All of them obliged, Chloe audibly grumbling that it would clash with her outfit. Adrien checked his watch.

"So, we've got a few hours before the show starts. Let's find the buffet table and catch up.", he said.

"Lead on, dude! I'm starving! And eager to catch up with my best bro!", Nino replied enthusiastically.

Evening at the Grand Palais for the opening of the Mode fashion show was always star-studded and the centre of attention and tonight was no exception. There was great excitement buzzing in the air, as this was the debut of Edna Mode's favourite new designer, not helped by the arrival of many stars including Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale. Nadja Chamack was covering the event, naturally, announcing the arrival of celebrities and reeling off what was to be expected that evening.

"Everyone wants to know just who this mystery designer is!", she said excitedly.

Inside, Marinette's classmates were seated in the front row, all chatting excitedly amongst themselves. Adrien was talking to Max and Kim, both still happily together despite the demands of their respective careers. Some of the class, like Nino and Alya and Ivan and Mylene, were engaged but most of them weren't bothering. Marc and Nathaniel had mentioned the possibility, but were happy enough as live-in partners.

"So, Max, do you have any new projects in mind? You know how much I loved your last game!", Adrien was saying.

"I did have several ideas, including one that involves a certain lying girl who never shuts up and the many ways you can kill her.", Max replied.

"OK….", Adrien said slowly.

"No, see, I've thought it all out. And by level four, you can just nuke her. I mean, nuke the HELL out of her!", Max said, gesturing for good measure.

Out of all of them, Max had probably taken being fooled so easily by Lila the hardest after Alya. As the cleverest of the bunch, the fact that she'd managed to trick him so easily had been a severe blow to him and, evidently, he was still a bit hung up on it. Adrien leaned towards Kim.

"Does he have one of those dartboards with Lila's picture on it?", he asked.

"Yep. Me, Max and Alix take turns throwing that axe of hers at it.", Kim replied cheerfully.

"Ah. Sounds like fun.", Adrien said.

"It is. A lot of fun.", Max said, a manic grin on his face.

Adrien subtly edged away from Max, feeling apprehensive all of a sudden.

"You know, I wonder what Lila's doing right now.", Kim said.

"I try not to think about her. It makes me feel the need to bathe.", Adrien replied.

"Wonder if she's watching the show right now. If she is, you and Marinette need to kiss on-screen. Her head will explode.", Alya butted in.

"I was planning to kiss her, anyway.", Adrien replied.

Lila Rossi, now a young woman in her twenties, sat in her solitary confinement cell and ground her teeth as she wrote out yet another plan for getting painful revenge on Marinette and everyone else who'd wronged her. Even after all these years, she still refused to learn her lesson and accept her own fault for her current situation. She cursed the authorities who refused to believe her changes were sincere, mostly because they knew she was a liar and were experts at reading criminals with mental disorders who thought they could fool everybody. Any sane person would have looked at this as a life lesson, to contemplate their mistakes and resolve to never make it again. But Lila merely saw her prison sentence as a setback to be overcome, an obstacle to her revenge against Marinette and so she continued to dig herself deeper by refusing to sincerely change and atone for her lies. Even her solitary confinement was her own fault, as she consistently attempted to manipulate her fellow inmates to her own benefit and turn them against each other, failing to realise that a lot of them were hep to her jive and did not appreciate being lied to, cheated or manipulated. Her accommodations were comfortable, though, and even came with a television. It was playing in the background, but she didn't notice it. She did hear two of the guards approaching, bringing her her dinner, and heard them open the hatch in the bottom of the door and slide the tray through, chatting to each other.

"Did you see that thing on the news? The fashion show?", one of them was saying.

Lila pricked up her ears. Fashion show?

"Yeah, Edna Mode's. I heard it'll include a reveal of the mysterious new designer.", the other guard replied.

"What channel is it on? Channel six?", the first guard asked.

"Yeah, think so.", his partner replied.

Lila picked up the dinner tray and took it over to her desk, giving it a look of disdain; spaghetti and meatballs with a glass of water and piece of pie and custard. It was actually better than average prison food, but she hated it because it reminded her of her situation. She flicked the TV over to channel six and almost spat out her water as she caught sight of the Grand Palais in Paris. Paris? Why wasn't it in Milan, or Rome? The catwalk was lit up and ready for the models to strut their stuff, but presently there was only one person on it, a very short woman wearing ridiculous glasses. Edna Mode, according to the flashing text on the screen. She raised her arms for silence.

"Welcome, dahlings, welcome! Tonight, I am delighted to present to you the debut line of my most talented young designer! A native of this lovely city and nearly as beloved as the former hero Ladybug, tonight is where her talent will shine through!", Edna announced.

Lila scoffed at the mention of Ladybug; she was aware of the revelation of Hawk Moth's true identity and the subsequent retirement of Ladybug and Chat Noir, but that was merely factored into her plans. She would simply find the Miraculouses herself, one of the more powerful ones instead of the rubbishy illusion powers of the Fox, and take them. With the combined power of all the Miraculouses, she would rule the world and exact vengeance upon Marinette, Adrien and all of Paris. How satisfying it would be to see the two of them in chains as her slaves as she made them watch their home city and everything they cared about burn in front of them. She was so consumed with this vicious fantasy that she nearly missed Edna's next announcement.

"I could say so much more, dahlings, but you did not come here to hear me speak, wondrous at it though I am. No, you came to see fashion! And so, I present to you…. MIRACULOUS!", Edna announced.

The audience erupted with cheers and flashing cameras as the curtains parted and the first models strutted out onto the catwalk. Lila glanced at them, feeling furiously jealous as she remembered being fired and blacklisted, another error she would correct in the future, and choked; the lead model, a pretty blonde, was wearing an outfit almost directly taken from that book she'd stolen from Adrien all those years ago. It was a gymsuit, something worn for exercise, and coloured a warm sunshine yellow with black stripes. A black-haired young male model followed wearing the male version, which was a bit more bulky but no less amazing, and had matching trainers that were black with yellow laces. Both of them did a full walk of the platform, to raucous applause, before leaving.

"The first of the line, dahlings, is based off the Bee superhero and is a comfortable but functional exercise suit, capable of being worn in all weathers and also for casual wear. Plus, very bold and eye-catching. Designed to be worn by those who love to be active and productive.", Edna said.

Next up was a very rocker-type outfit in shades of black and teal, with a stylised serpent winding it's way up the sleeves and legs.

"Jagged Stone has already placed an exclusive order for two of this design. Fine leather with intricately stitched designs and repeating patterns, based off the Snake superhero.", Edna said.

Up next came a design that was almost a dead ringer for Mayura, the Peacock Miraculous holder. Black high-heeled boots, dark blue trousers or tights and a long coat that flowed and flared out behind them with the characteristic eye pattern of a peacock. Both models even carried matching hand fans.

"If one wants to be eye-catching and flamboyant, what better inspiration than the peacock?", Edna remarked.

Lila gritted her teeth and growled angrily as she saw more and more outfits, all of them exquisitely designed. The Rooster was a padded jacket with a collar of fake feathers, the Goat a white suit with the breast pocket, inner shirt and cuffs of the trousers and jacket being black. The Horse was a western theme, brown leather and a fedora, whilst the Monkey heralded back to an Asian theme of traditional Vietnamese garb. The Turtle was advertised as outdoors and mountaineering with a built-in backpack. The Fox (which made Lila shriek with anger) was a very casual outfit consisting of a white shirt and orange trousers which were also reversible, allowing one to switch the colours of the respective parts if so desired. The Ox was designed around the theme of weightlifting or wrestling. The Dog was a very cuddly and warm ensemble, like a onesie. The Tiger was quite Gothic, black and purple but artfully ripped and torn in places. The Rabbit was very reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland, blue and white with a matching umbrella. The Pig was a warm and friendly shade of pink and very casual teenagewear. The Mouse was a silver tracksuit with pink accents. The Dragon was a jumpsuit in red with gold and black accents. There was even one for the Butterfly, a suit and dress of deep purple. And then finally, the coup de grace.

"And now, dahlings, the crowning jewels of the collection! The Ladybug and the Black Cat!", Edna announced.

Lila clenched her fists as she saw the costume of her hated foe. It was an amazing costume for Ladybug, designed along the lines of a Spanish flamenco costume. The two wearing the Ladybug outfits even did a bit of a tango dance at the end of the runway. The Black Cat was full-on black leather, sleek and shimmering in the lights, and very punk, with heavy steel-toed boots and silver buckles and clasps. The already hoarse crowd was spurred on to new heights of excitement and noise, so much so that even Edna struggled to get their attention back once the models had departed.

"Fantastic! Wonderful, aren't they, dahlings? And now for the highlight of the evening, I reveal to you the brilliant and talented designer of Miraculous. Please give it up for MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG!", Edna announced.

And then Lila froze as she saw Marinette step onto the stage, waving and smiling shyly and blushing bright red as legions of people cheered for her. Lila snarled as she watched the girl walk to stand beside Edna, who was a full head shorter than her and beaming like a proud mother….. or a demented supervillain, depending on the angle. After the crowd had calmed down sufficiently, Marinette began to make a speech.

"Hi, everyone! I'm relieved to find that my worst fears about the evening did not come true, mostly involving the building exploding because people hated my designs.", she said.

This was met with uproarious laughter, and Lila felt her temper rise as she listened to the girl's sickeningly sweet and false humility. She might almost have believed it to be real.

"So, to sum up, this collection was inspired by the exploits of Team Miraculous and each outfit was designed to be practical but with plenty of room for exuberance. A few of them are a bit flashier and intended to be worn for fancy occasions, but most of them can be worn anywhere.", Marinette continued.

"You see, dahlings? Compassionate and practical, and with NO CAPES!", Edna belted out.

Lila was almost knocked over by the force of the tiny woman's last statement, belting out of the television and almost overwhelming the audio speakers.

"Yes, E, just as you repeatedly and insistently requested to a maniacal degree. But whist the sadly retired Team Miraculous were the inspiration for the designs, I must give credit to the ones who inspired me to keep going and not break down into a panicky mess.", Marinette continued.

And at her prompting, the cameras panned over to show the entire class, looking like deer caught in headlights. Or, more specifically, the spotlights now shining on them.

"My friends, the Miracu-class!", Marinette announced.

The audience began clapping, leaving the class stunned. A few, mostly Alya and Kim, preened at the adulation, but most merely waved and smiled sheepishly. Lila's anger intensified at the sight of them, all on her list of revenge. After Marinette, she'd start with Alya, then Nino, then Max, Kim, Nathaniel and so on until each of them was utterly ruined and destitute. But Marinette was not done.

"But there was one in particular who gave me the strength to continue on, to not give up and to never let the black clouds of despair and doubt gather overhead. My wonderful sunshine boyfriend, Adrien Agreste!", she said.

And Lila's jaw dropped as she saw Adrien, looking terrified and touched at the same time, get pushed up onto the stage to stand beside Marinette, who wrapped an arm around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder. He smiled and kissed her, leading the audience to go completely wild. Lila could only sit there, paralysed with rage, shock and disbelief as she watched Adrien, who rightfully belonged to her, kiss Marinette and look at her with such love and adoration, what sounded like the entire world cheering them on. Then the world resolved itself and a scream of rage and denial erupted from her throat, at the same time as her hand smashed the plate of spaghetti into the TV screen, shattering it in an explosion of glass and sparks. She stood there breathing heavily, only barely acknowledging the sound of the guards opening a hatch in her cell door.

"See something you didn't like?", one of them asked cheekily.

She stormed over to the door.

"You tricked me!", she shrieked.

"Tricked you? How did we do that?", asked his partner.

"You made sure to mention that fashion show so I would watch it!", Lila accused him.

"Maybe. We just mentioned it because we thought you might want something good to watch. Not our fault if you decided to switch it off with your dinner.", the first guard said.

She growled angrily, then smirked as she realised how she could turn this to her advantage.

"You deliberately goaded me into doing that! I'll tell the other guards, the warden, and you'll be fired!", she declared triumphantly.

To her irritation, however, neither guard looked angry or concerned. Instead, they both smiled.

"Oh, you could tell them that, miss. But who would believe a liar?", the older of the two said.

Lila snarled at them.

"I'm not a liar! I was unfairly accused and wrongly imprisoned! I'm innocent!", she protested.

"Oh, for God's sake, are you still trying that? You really do lie with every breath.", the younger guard said.

Seeing that this wouldn't get her anywhere, Lila decided to change tactics and turned on the waterworks.

"Why would you torment me like this? A poor, innocent, defenceless girl?", she sobbed.

But that seemed quite the wrong thing to do. Both guards suddenly looked murderous and Lila suddenly found herself grateful for the heavy and securely locked door between her and them.

"Don't you dare try and present yourself as the victim here! Not when you've left so many other victims behind with that ruse!", the younger one stormed.

The older one glared at her with such burning hatred that if looks could kill, she would surely have dropped dead on the spot.

"Why are you tormenting me? What did I ever do to you?", she asked.

"Nothing… directly. But perhaps you are familiar with my son Luigi?", the younger guard replied.

Luigi? Wait… Luigi had been one of her classmates when she lived for a time in Volterra. He'd been a quiet and clever boy who'd nonetheless been quite well-liked. He'd been the only one of the class who'd not believed her and tried to call her out, which had resulted in her targeting him as an enemy. After six weeks of following him and steadily chipping away at his existing friendships, Lila had caught him kissing another boy and gleefully revealed this to the entire school, with a few rumours of grooming and seduction for good measure. Luigi had been made a complete social outcast and his family had sent him away after a time, with Lila not bothering to find out what happened to him further.

"I-I don't know what you mean. Never heard of him.", she said.

"Oh really? Well, then let me educate you. After you forcibly outed him and spread those despicable rumours about him, his entire life was nearly ruined. Insulting messages, bricks through the windows, harassment and bullying at school. All of his friends deserted him, swarming instead to you, the deceitful, conniving little witch responsible for it and who then skipped town less than a month later, leaving everyone to pick up the pieces. The only reason I'm not considering committing police brutality is because Luigi is very happy now, living in Florence at his aunt's house and dating a lovely boy called Antonio. My son and family survived your manipulations, barely.", snarled the first guard.

Lila glanced at the older guard.

"I don't expect you to recognise me, either. But I suspect you'll recognise the name of my sister, Aurelie Dumont.", he said.

And now Lila's blood really did run cold because she could not deny that she knew that name. The guard was nearing his fifties but still spry, and Lila began to see a faint resemblance as she looked closer; his ears were similar to Giselle's and she'd had similar eyes.

"When I learned that the one responsible for my beloved niece's suicide was going to be residing in this prison, I nearly handed in my resignation on the spot. The only thing that stopped me was Federico here, whose own family had suffered at your hands and who needed the money. So I stayed on, and learned everything I could about you. What I read disgusted me; you are a selfish, cruel, conceited, arrogant and delusional creature who not only thinks nothing of stepping on other people to get what you want but positively relishes in it. The lives you ruined were never more than a footnote in your own personal history. So I decided to stay, to wait until an opportunity came by to cause you the same sense of loss and rage that I felt when you took my niece from us. I know you hated that Marinette girl and tried to do to her what you did to Giselle, so I made sure you would watch that show and know that you've really lost.", the man snarled.

"I'll report you for that! Attempted manipulation to cause emotional trauma!", Lila cried.

Both guards chuckled mirthlessly.

"Oh, I'm sure you will. But as we said previously, who will believe the word of a liar?", the older guard said.

And they promptly left. Lila was left on her own, seething in fury and running through possible scenarios and occurrences that she could turn to her advantage, but nothing came. She was imprisoned, shut away from a world that either hated her or knew nothing of her existence. And if by some miracle she ever emerged, she would find a world that would rather spit on her than welcome her, let alone adulate her. But she would never learn to accept a quiet and humble place in the world, to keep her head down and make a functional and somewhat honest life for herself. No. She would forever be attempting to place herself above everyone else, tearing down those who threatened that, and suffering the consequences of her inherently doomed and self-destructive ambitions. She would forever be consigned to see every plot, plan and scheme to ascend come. Crumbling. Down.

And so, dear friends, we come to the end of our story. I'm hoping you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. The bit with Edna Mode might seem contrived, but I had read a fanfic where Marinette went to work for her and it just clicked. She is one of my absolute favourite characters from animation and I can only hope I did her justice here.

I understand that the presence of the guards at the end may seem contrived, since there's no way a real-life prison would allow prisoners and guards with history together to be present in the same building, but I wanted Lila to get one last jab from karma. She's never going to be redeemed in the context of this story and deserves every bit of suffering she gets, especially since she's going to end up causing most of it herself.