Miraculous Dragonus (Lila Rossi x Male Reader)

Arc 08: Chapter 06: Conflagration

"So, let me get this straight." Rexx began, floating in front of Gabriel's face as the designer looked up from his computer. "You want to akumatize some patsy, use him or her as bait for the heroes, and then use my powers on them to manipulate them into giving up their Miraculouses? Seems a little far-fetched."

Gabriel's face remained impassive. "Is it possible?"

"Oh, certainly." Rexx replied. "I'm just concerned you're putting too much faith in your abilities. These superheroes are among the more annoying ones I've seen, yesss. They're fairly clear-minded and set on defeating you, but with your adult powers and the akuma wearing them down a little, it could work, yesss . But who would be a perfect akuma victim to draw them out? Not that pigeon man, no ."

"No, not him." Gabriel answered, twisting his ring a little. "But I know exactly who. Someone who can force Ladybug to draw out allies. The more people I can manipulate into giving up their Miraculouses, the better."

At that moment, a knock sounded outside the door, which made Rexx leap into Gabriel's jacket pocket. "Come in!" Gabriel called.

Adrien stepped through the door, twisting his own ring. "Father." He began. "I was thinking about going to see a movie with my friends today after school, and if you would let me go..." Adrien was cut off by Gabriel raising his hand.

"You may go, Adrien." the older Agreste answered. "Just be back before dinner. I don't want to have to shuffle your evening schedule again." Adrien smiled and nodded, then grabbed his bookbag and raced out to the Gorilla waiting with the car.

Rexx floated out of Gabriel's pocket, an ugly smirk on his face. "You should be a little more strict with your son, you know. Lenient parents are often the cause of many downfalls, yesss." He said, then zipped off to another corner of the room.

Nooroo floated to Gabriel's shoulder. "You shouldn't listen to Rexx." the butterfly kwami urged. Gabriel sneered. "Why shouldn't I? He's being more helpful than you." He snapped back.

Nooroo flinched a little. "Rexx is only helping you because he wants to see you fail. He wants to watch you destroy yourself, if only to satisfy his own entertainment." He warned.

Gabriel snorted. "Nonsense. He's the kwami of Manipulation, not Chaos." Nooroo shook his head. "If you follow his way to bring back your wife, you might have to pay the ultimate price."

Nathalie walked into the atelier, tablet clutched in her hand and the Dark Scorpion Miraculous now around her waist. Gabriel smiled a little. Nathalie had been very clever to conceal the stolen jewel. No one had seen it outside his office and lair.

"Sir, the conference has been set up." Nathalie said, showing Gabriel her tablet. "All the necessary guests will be there, and our bait will be at her most enraged at approximately twenty minutes in."

Gabriel nodded. "Good. Make a sentimonster to take my place in the call. We need to make sure Audrey is properly angered and akumatized. Otherwise, it would be impossible to use her as bait." Nathalie nodded. "This plan is sure to work, sir." She said as she left the room.

Gabriel turned to the painting behind him. "It had better." He muttered. Across the room, he could feel Rexx's grin burning the back of his neck. His Miraculous pinged a little with the kwami's emotions, and the sheer amusement he felt from the Tyrannosaur kwami made his skin crawl.

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" Dangerous Liaisons." Ms. Bustier began, holding the book open with her thumb. "Written a few years before the French Revolution, this is a tale of opportunism and betrayal of members of the aristocracy trying to fill their jaded lives with amusement. However, their ambitions and pawns begin to lead to several serious consequences."