As Atlas crouched on the ground under the weight of the heavens, he started to form a plan.

“I know just how to get the apples,” he told the warrior, “and I would be glad to help. But first I’ll need for you to take the weight of the heavens while I’m gone.” So the two transferred the heavens onto Hercules’ shoulders and Atlas ran off to collect the apples, amazed at his newfound freedom.

Atlas collected the golden apples quickly, and when he returned, he laid them at Hercules’ feet. The warrior was overjoyed.

“Your joy will be short,” Atlas told him, “for I do not intend to hold the heavens any longer. The burden is now your own.”

“Alas, Atlas, you have fooled me,” Hercules admitted sadly. “I’ll accept my fate, but I wonder first if you might help me put some padding on my shoulders where the pillar must rest. You see, I’m not as strong as a giant, and I need some extra help holding all of this weight. Might you hold the heavens for me while I arrange the padding?”

Atlas agreed and took on the weight once more. Then he watched as Hercules scooped up the apples and scampered away, calling thanks over his shoulder as he disappeared from Atlas’s view.
In this account, the ironic turn of events is that

A) the characters who thought they knew what they were doing in fact had no clue.
B) the character who intended to trick another character wound up getting tricked himself.
C) the characters who seemed ignorant in fact knew all along exactly what they were doing.
D) the character who intended to trick a particular character wound up tricking a different character.