Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warning:
Category:
Fandom:
Characters:
Additional Tags:
Language:
English
Collections:
miraculous ladybug stories, Lila Rossi exposure stories with no extra salt, sabine cheng for president
Stats:
Published:
2020-01-18
Completed:
2020-11-25
Words:
52,336
Chapters:
9/9
Comments:
631
Kudos:
3,130
Bookmarks:
904
Hits:
68,567

BURN THE WITCH

Summary:

Taking the “high road” only means there’s further to fall once things crash and burn. Lila’s lies get out of hand and Rose is the unfortunate victim of her manipulations, resulting in an akuma called Witch Hunter, who is quite set on purging Lila’s evil once and for all.

Marinette had wanted Lila to be revealed for the liar she was, but not like this. Now she has to protect her enemy from a city of outraged (if not justified) people. But it seems that everything is conspiring against Marinette and the temptation to simply let Lila face the consequences of her actions is only growing.

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

 

In retrospect, taking the “high road“ had probably not been the best option when it came to an unrepentant liar who actively chose to deceive and manipulate people for her own personal gain and not-so-secret (to anyone paying attention) amusement. 

 

Marinette had always known that Lila was horrible. She had also known that there were no depths the girl would not sink to. So she wished she could say she was surprised when the news came out.

 

She wasn’t though. Horrified, yes. Angry, definitely. But not surprised.

 

Adrien was right that Lila would be caught sooner or later. It was just that “later” came sooner than he expected and with a much bigger bang than anyone planned for.

 

The “high road” was a long, winding, and treacherous one. Not just for the persons taking it, but for all the unfortunate passerbys below. And something that Adrien’s oh so coveted high road failed to consider was the number of casualties along the way.

 

The casualty in this case was a devastated Rose, who had been the one to reveal Lila’s true nature to the rest of the class. Like everyone else, she had been enamored of Lila’s grand lifestyle and glorious heroic acts that she boasted. Unlike everyone else though, Rose had gone a step further to the point of contributing to Lila’s various campaigns of the day and taking part in her “world-improvement efforts”.

 

Unbeknownst to Marinette—who sure as hell would have spoken up if she had known, Rose had fallen completely for Lila’s claims of running a charity for poor starving children in third world countries. Wanting to help, Rose had started collecting funds for this charity.

 

Lila, unsurprisingly, encouraged this.

 

Also unsurprisingly, the charity in question was nonexistent. And any money Rose handed over to her went straight into Lila’s own pockets. This had apparently gone on for several months before anyone started to question things.

 

This was bad enough in and of itself, as it was Rose’s money and the funds of other innocent people that were misled and swindled in the mistaken belief that their money would be going to a good cause. So devoted to the idea of it, Rose had worked really hard on trying to help fund this charity. She had even gone so far as to take on extra jobs to earn money, thinking it was all going to poor children in need instead of Lila’s designer jacket. Or computer system. Or TV. Or cellphone.

 

The kicker though? The thing that really hurt? Rose had been so excited about her efforts that she had told almost everyone she knew about the charity she was helping with. Friends. Family. Neighbors. And one person in particular. The one person she admired most for exactly this sort of work.

 

Prince Ali.

 

When he had first heard about the charity Rose was taking part in, Ali had been enthusiastic. He even wanted to offer assistance himself. He was a rather sweet young man, and had thought that it would be great to contribute to a charity alongside his good friend. He had never heard of the charity and initial attempts to look into it didn’t bring up anything, but Rose was a sweet and honest person. If she vouched for it, Ali trusted her.

 

Rose was ecstatic when she heard Ali would be donating a sizable sum to the charity. She could barely contain herself. But for the sake of Prince Ali’s anonymity, she remained quiet about who the latest donor was.

 

Lila had been a bit surprised at the sudden influx, but didn’t question it. She could always use the extra money, after all, and her new jacket needed designer shoes to go with it. All the better to show up Chloe with.

 

But as weeks passed and no news was forthcoming on the charity’s efforts, Prince Ali became wary. Rose told them what she knew, of course. But what she knew was only what Lila told her, and what Lila told her were excuses and vague statements about progress. Nothing specific.

 

When no information was forthcoming, Prince Ali and his team took to investigating the charity, trying to determine just WHOM was in charge. Where the money was going. What the funds were supposed to be focused on.

 

When his team came back to him with the news, Ali hadn’t wanted to believe it.

 

The “charity” was a scam.

 

Rose had lied to him.

 

To say he was “upset” at the discovery would be putting it lightly. If he had been anywhere close to Paris, he would have been the next target for akumatization.

 

As it was, he was fortunately still in Achu and far, far away from Paris or any magical butterflies. So Ali, at least, was protected from being turned into a monster due to feelings of anger and betrayal.

 

Rose, however, was not.

 

The day that had started out so well took a downward turn rather quickly when Ali called Rose. He informed her in short order that the charity was a scam, that his funds had been misappropriated, and that he would be seeking legal action.

 

Naturally, Rose objected, assuring Ali that her good friend Lila was the one in charge of the charity and that surely she was trustworthy since he had worked with her before.

 

Which was of course when she was hit with the sledgehammer of reality.

 

“I don’t know a ‘Lila Rossi’.”

 

To say Rose was crushed couldn’t begin to describe the impact. She had never thought she could feel this devastated.

 

“You are either a liar or a fool, and I cannot abide either. This will have to be our last discussion. Goodbye, Rose.”

 

Then came Ali’s final words to her, along with the silence of a phone with no one on the other end. And Rose knew he would not be picking up for her again.

 

This…this had to be a mistake!

 

He had to be wrong!

 

Desperate for answers—for any proof, Rose returned to her classroom where Lila was, outright in tears as she begged Lila for something. Anything! Just some confirmation that it was true!

 

Lila verbally danced around the question without giving a real answer. Her responses were vague at best. Noncommittal. Almost carbon copy of the excuses she had already made. Rose demanded something concrete, so Lila tried to suggest she and Rose go someplace private to discuss the matter, but the other classmates shut that down rather quickly.

 

And with almost the entire class bearing down on her and demanding answers, Lila was finally unable to give an answer that would satisfy them.

 

“Then where is the money?” Rose demanded. “There has to be an account! A ledger! Something that keeps track of it all!”

 

“Well…you see…” Lila started, fumbling for the first time.

 

“Haven’t you losers figured it out, yet?” Chloe finally stepped in, looking somewhere between smug and irritated.

 

“Figured out what?” Alya asked, annoyed by the blonde’s intrusion.

 

“Well, Rossi certainly couldn’t afford her new designer jacket and shoes ensemble on her own allowance, now could she?”

 

And like that…everyone…everyone froze. Eyes shot to Lila’s new outfit, which she belatedly tried to hide behind the feeble protection of her book bag.

 

“It was a gift!” She insisted, thinking quickly.

 

“From who? Gabriel Agreste?” Chloe laughed. “That’s this season’s fashion you’re wearing.”

 

“Y-yes! I work for him, after all.” Lila insisted.

 

“You got a brand new in season jacket and shoes from a middle-aged man?” Alya questioned, torn between disbelief and disgust.

 

“It’s because he appreciates my talent as a model!”

 

“That stick in the mud wouldn’t get a gift for his own son’s birthday, much less a random model!”

 

Adrien blinked. “Wait—what?”

 

“I’m his muse!” Lila exclaimed.

 

“That sounds even more gross.” Kim muttered.

 

And finally…

 

Rose could take no more.

 

“You’re a liar! THAT’S what you are!” She shouted, outraged. “All this time, I had been working hard and donating everything, thinking I was helping children in need! But…it was really just so you could go SHOPPING!”

 

She burst into tears. Juleka and Mylene attempted to comfort her. The rest of the class just gave Lila the dirtiest of looks.

 

Marinette was the one to step up at this point. “I always knew you were bad news, but you had no right to do this to Rose. You are going to return all of the money you took.”

 

Seeing no point in hiding anymore, Lila simply rolled her eyes. “And who will make me, you?” She laughed. “Good luck with that. Given how much I’ve been given over months now, there’s no way to work out exactly how much to give back to everyone.”

 

Several in the class glowered in increasing anger.

 

Lila shrugged. “Besides, I’ve already spent most of it. Tough break. Wish I’d known she knew a real prince, though. THAT would have been an opportunity. Too bad.”

 

The reminder only made Rose sob harder.

 

She had been fooled. Deceived by a witch in disguise. And in doing so, she had lost the friendship and respect of someone she greatly admired.

 

Of course Rose ran away.

 

And of course the one to find her was the last person who should have.

 

“Witch Hunter, you have been deceived by a malicious being preying on your good nature. I can give you the power to bring her crimes to light and protect anyone else from her evil, in exchange for the Miraculous of Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

 

“Yes, Hawk Moth.”

 

 

Marinette had previously believed that the revelation of Lila‘s lies would be a relief. That the worst would be over once everyone knew the truth. But people were only more upset than anything. It turned out that it actually hurt people more to find out they were being used after an extended period of time than it would have if someone had warned them from the start that it was happening. It was something that Marinette had known early on which was why she had tried so hard to warn everyone. Why has she forgotten?

 

Oh right. Adrien and his stupid sweet voice and stupid pretty eyes with his stupid logical reason and stupid high road talk.

 

There were days—weeks even—that she regretted her crush on the boy. She wanted so much to please and impress him that she tended to neglect to remember that he has had very limited social interaction as well as a limited understanding of cause and effect.

 

She couldn’t really blame him, but it didn’t stop her from being just the slightest bit resentful.

 

It was her own fault though. If she had just gone ahead and revealed Lila from the start, everyone at least would have been warned and not fallen for Lila‘s ever increasing falsehoods.

 

Marinette had thought that getting her expelled would be the full extent of Lila’s evil. Or that taking her friends from her was the worst thing she could do. She failed to consider what was bound to happen once Lila failed to follow through on any of her promises for anyone else.

 

Because SURELY Lila wouldn’t burn the people she was using when it could still get her things. Surely…

 

Except that she had apparently given Lila too much credit. Or either overestimated or underestimated her greed when it came to keeping people who were devoted to her vs immediate and temporary gratification.

 

Which naturally led to the current situation they were in.

 

Rose had become an akuma. Much like her other akumatized form of Princess Fragrance, this one had the power to control the populous…to an extent, at least.

 

As the Witch Hunter, Rose carried with her a scroll which she would frequently read aloud from to the growing fury of those around her. And possibly that fury may be in most part due to what she read. Or that was simply her akuma power. From what Marinette could tell, the scroll apparently contained a list of Lila’s various crimes.

 

Which there were a lot of.

 

Like…a lot.

 

Marinette hadn’t been aware of the full extent of how Lila had been taking advantage of her classmates all this time. Well, she’d known it was happening, but she hadn’t known just what it was. Getting them to carry her belongings and do her homework was only the tip of the iceberg. Then there was how she had them buy things for her, flake out on pre-made plans to cater to her, make special arrangements for her. She’d even manipulated her friends to help her try and corner Adrien.

 

And sadly, despite it all, Marinette couldn’t say she had been surprised by any of it. The only thing she felt was disappointment that her inaction had helped Lila to get away with it all this long.

 

It turned out that taking the high road just gave Lila more leeway to run rampant and commit crimes.

 

Oops.

 

Marinette blamed herself. Sure, it was Lila’s fault, but blaming Lila for being Lila would be as productive as blaming a snake for being a snake.

 

She KNEW what Lila was like. She KNEW Lila’s lies were bad. She KNEW that someone would get hurt.

 

That was why she had tried to step up and warn people as soon as she realized that Lila would be a permanent fixture in their lives.

 

But then…y’know…Adrien.

 

His suggestion to let her out herself was nice in theory.

 

In practice though…especially if a magic terrorist was involved…

 

“BURN THE WITCH!”

 

Yeah. That.

 

Looking out the window, Marinette saw…quite a number of people. All of whom looked…rather angry. And were shouting for the “Witch”, whom—given that the akuma was Rose and more importantly the reason WHY—had to be Lila. Whatever power Rose had seemed to influence anyone who heard her, as they would quickly go into a rage and join the ever growing crowd of witch hunters and ever increasing chorus crying for Lila’s blood. It might have been the sheer outrage over Lila’s crimes, or it could be the akuma’s power to invoke that outrage in the first place. Regardless, it seemed that most of the city was part of a mob now.

 

They were spread out all over the place, in the roads, storming into buildings, and congregating in the park for some reason she couldn’t quite—oh wait. Nope. That was wood. A lot of wood. And rope. And a pike. And gasoline. Yeah, it didn’t take rocket science to figure out what THAT was for.

 

She sighed and backed away from the window as she turned to her companion.

 

Marinette had thought the worst end of the world scenario would involve herself alone in the desolate wasteland that was once Paris, having failed everyone she ever loved.

 

Now she knew there were worse things.

 

Like being stuck protecting Lila.

 

As a civilian.

 

Unable to transform.

 

Hiding from an angry akuma-influenced mob.

 

Protecting Lila.

 

And not only being the only one NOT wanting to burn Lila at the stake, but also being the only one standing between the liar and said painful demise.

 

Some entity was laughing at her, she just knew it.

 

Or setting her up in every way to conveniently take a dive so the whole “Lila problem” would fix itself. With fire.

 

WHICH SHE WASN’T GOING TO DO SO STOP TEMPTING HER, DAMMIT!

 

“Well now what?” Lila demanded. And in a manner almost reminiscent of Chloe, which was not helping with the whole ‘temptation’ problem.

 

Marinette looked around. She needed some way to separate from Lila so she could transform and deal with the akuma. Fortunately, there was an option readily available.

 

“Um…here!”

 

Said option was a janitor’s closet.

 

Which she shoved Lila into without preamble, resulting in a loud shriek and the sound of items falling over and onto someone.

 

Marinette only felt slightly bad for that.

 

“Hide in there until I come back for you! I’m going to go try to flag down Ladybug for help!”

 

“Oh great.” Came the muffled voice from within. “The only person more self-righteous than you.”

 

Marinette growled but chose to simply take advantage of the opportunity and hide herself in a now empty classroom. At least this way she could plan with Tikki.

 

“Ohmygodwhatdowedo?!”

 

…Panic. THEN plan.

 

“Marinette! You need to calm down!” Tikki cautioned, coming out of hiding.

 

She took a breath. “You’re right, Tikki.”

 

After all, this was really no worse than any of the other akumas she’s dealt with.

 

…possible fiery death, aside.

 

“It seems Witch Hunter is getting the entire city under her control! How am I supposed to protect Lila while still dealing with the akuma?”

 

“Well, you could just focus on one of those two things.” Tikki suggested.

 

Marinette paused, blinking at Tikki in surprise.

 

“What?”

 

“There are two goals here.” Tikki explained simply. “A bigger, singular goal. And another minor goal. Like an additional task. One of the two matters more. That’s the one that should be your focus. And the other can manage without your direct attention for now.”

 

That…didn’t sound right. Marinette frowned. “Shouldn’t you be…I don’t know…encouraging me to manage both somehow?”

 

“Well, if the situation can’t be helped…” Tikki shrugged.

 

She raised an eyebrow at that. “Can’t be helped? But we’ve done this before.”

 

“Because you’ve managed wisely. But sometimes the situation is too dire and you need to prioritize. And what is the more important matter here?”

 

Marinette nodded resolutely. “Saving Lila.”

 

“No. The akuma.” Tikki insisted. “If you stop the akuma, you save everyone by default.”

 

“Oh.” She murmured. “Yeah, that makes sense.”

 

“And if Lila happens to experience a little burning in the process, then it’s her own fault and nothing less than she deserves.” Tikki said with a strange growl.

 

Okay, now she KNEW something was up.

 

“Wait. Wait. Wait.” Marinette cut Tikki off, because that definitely didn’t sound like Tikki. She looked to her kwami with suspicion. “Are you affected by the akuma?”

 

“What makes you think that?” Tikki asked, innocently.

 

“You would never advocate for murder!” Marinette exclaimed. Because it was obvious! How was it not obvious!

 

“It’s not technically murder if you’re not the one lighting the fire.” The kwami reasoned, appealing to that increasingly tempted side of her holder.

 

Said holder stared, warily. “Tikki, this isn’t like you!”

 

The kwami shrugged. “Shows how well you know me then.”

 

Marinette’s eyes narrowed. “You are affected, aren’t you?”

 

“No.” Tikki replied all too quickly.

 

“I think you are. And I think you’re lying to me to hide it because you don’t want me to know.”

 

“But if I admit I am, you won’t let us roast Lila!” Oh…oh god Tikki was actually whining.

 

“Nobody is roasting Lila either way!” She insisted.

 

Tikki huffed and crossed her arms in annoyance. “Killjoy.”

 

Marinette stared.

 

“…I want old Tikki back, please.”