What The Future Holds

What's your choice?

"But sir, I thought the boy was ready to be akumatized. What are you waiting for?" Nathalie asked as she watched Hawkmoth stand there with a smile on his face. The butterflies surrounding them slowly rising up as they scattered themselves in the room. "Hugo has been very upset for the past few days, sir."

Hawkmoth didn't bother to look back at her as one little butterfly flew into his hands. He watched it for a bit before saying, "he is not yet perfect. You see, Nathalie, Hugo Agre's negative emotions keep wavering back and forth. Our friend, Lila, is going to fix that for us to make him the most suitable opponent for Ladybug and Cat Noir."

Nathalie thought back to the boy who stood in front of them only a few days ago. She pictured how his heart broke as he was forced to choose between his friendship with Adrien or Adrien's freedom. Of course, Hugo Agre would choose his friend's happiness over his own. There was no doubt about it.

"It seems you don't approve of this plan, Nathalie." Hawkmoth says as he releases the butterfly, watching as it joined the others before turning to face her. "What's wrong with my plan?"

"Nothing, sir. It's just that Hugo Agre is already upset as it is. Wouldn't it be better to akumatize him sooner rather than later?" Nathalie asked him, wondering about the delay. In her mind, the longer he waited, the more it'll pass from Hugo. He'll eventually stop being so upset about it and accept the fact that he and Adrien are no longer friends."

Hawkmoth laughed before saying, "darkwings, fall!" As he detransformed, Gabriel looked over at his assistant once again before saying, "everything is going according to plan."

Meanwhile...
Hugo was left waiting by himself in front of the park, looking down at his shoes as his heart beat nervously in his chest. He couldn't help but wonder what he was doing there. Lila Rossi was not one to ever be trusted, so why did he plan to meet up with her?

He couldn't help but think about it a bit, finding it a bit odd to have to come see her here. After all, what idea could she possibly have in mind for him? Hugo, unlike most of the guys in class, was not easily fooled by people, so her lies wouldn't work on him. Still, he knew better than to show it didn't work. Whenever she tried to impress him, he simply played along, knowing it was the quickest way to keep her away. He knew it didn't always work with her, but it was worth a try.

"There you are, Hugo. You actually showed up," Lila says as she walks over to him, the same casual smile she usually wears. "Lately, you seem as if you have something bothering you. I just wanted to know if you were okay."

Hugo gave her a small smile before shaking his head no. "I'm fine, Lila, but thank you for the concern." He then noticed her smile waver a little bit before asking, "what did you want to ask me?"

"Cutting to the chase, right?" Lila didn't hesitate as she dropped her smile before staring over at the boy. "Hugo Agre, who are you really? You lied to everyone about being a model in the U.S. and that your parents have sent you and your kid sister here to stay with your "uncle"."

Hugo looked at her, his head slightly to the side as he stared back in confusion. "What are you talking about?" He thought back to his first day with everyone and how easy it was to make friends. Everybody was so sweet and kind that they didn't hesitate in making him feel at home with them. "Lila, I didn't lie about any of that. I did model, and I do have an uncle here."

Lila shook her head no, knowing he was commited to this act of his. "Do you think I'm that stupid? I'm not like everyone else, Hugo. I can see through your lies better than anyone." She took a step closer to him, bringing her face closer to his as he tried to lean back. "No wonder Gabriel Agreste thought you were a bad influence on Adrien. You don't know when to drop the act."