Falling for a Villain (Miraculous Ladybug)

A Little too Convenient

Felix

~~~

It was hours before Adrien responded to Felix's message. He didn't mind staying at the small cafe but he was there so long ordering only black coffee and a croissant that the waitresses began staring-- and not in a charming way. Did Adrien really have to wait until the Akuma attack was completely over to start coming home?

No point in dwelling over it now. Frustration would get him nowhere, his cousin was like a puppy that you had to pet a few times to get on your side. Why did Felix need to be on Adrien's good side? Because Felix needed an inside man at the university. After seeing that brunette act suspiciously around an Akuma, it was at least worth investigating.

Felix paid the bill before going to the car to pick up Adrien. How on earth did Adrien manage to get all the way to the Eiffel Tower? This kid was either very athletically inclined, stupid, or had one hell of a reason. Felix was inclined to believe the second option. 

Adrien hopped into the car, "Thanks for picking me up Felix."

"Do you always run all over Paris during Akuma attacks?" Felix asks with his usually stony demeanor.

Adrien looked a bit nervous, "N-no, I mean, kind of? I try to get as far away as I can until it's over."

Felix glanced at Adrien for a moment. A half-hearted smile, nervous laugh, and he was rubbing the back of his neck. Adrien would be exceptionally bad in a game of poker because in the second that Felix glanced at him, he could tell Adrien was hiding something. But what Adrien was hiding didn't matter right now, what mattered was getting information from him.

"How was school?" Felix asked, trying to sound interested but it just came out cold-- like everything else he said.

"It was good." Adrien smiled, a bit more relaxed with the change of topic, "Lila rejoined our class officially today after she went on a trip to the States."

"Lila...?" Felix remembered a few of Adrien's classmates, not by name though. There was the girl with glasses and flannel, the boy with the red hat and headphones, and the clumsy girl with the blue eyes. He didn't recall a 'Lila'.

Adrien thought for a moment, "If I had to describe her... I'd say she's a lot like you except that she likes to socialize." 

Adrien had a knack for never naming anyone's flaws, even if he didn't like them much-- and Felix could tell Adrien didn't like this Lila person from tone alone. Felix could also tell bevause Adrien described Lila as having a similar personality to his own and even as Adrien tried to like Felix... they were simply to different to be very good friends. Felix didn't have very good friends regardless, just chess pieces.

Adrien continued, "In any case, I hope she and Marinette can get along, sometimes its like watching a cat and dog stand-off." He chuckled a bit uncomfortably.

Marinette, that was the clumsy girl's name. She liked Adrien, didn't she? That's what the message to Adrien said before Felix deleted the video last visit. 

Felix drummed his fingers along the steering wheel in thought, "Adrien, do you notice anything... strange happening at school, ever?" Not the most subtle question but Adrien had a tendency to be oblivious to subtle hints-- and sometimes even not-so-subtle hints.

"Strange?"

"Yes, like... students stirring up conflict." Felix elaborated.

Adrien thinks before he shrugs, "No, not really. Everyone is very welcoming and cool. Even Chloe is warming up a little everyday."

"Didn't you just say that this... Lila and Marinette don't get along?"

Adrien nods but shrugs again, "Lila has a tendency to... bend the truth, and it almost got Marinette expelled once. But I think Lila just wants to be popular, I can't hold it against her, especially since I think she's turned a new leaf since then."

Felix merely blinks, his expression the same, "I see."

Felix realized that Adrien would be useless in his plan. His ability to see good in everyone was completely unreasonable and skewed the information too much. How could he think that no student was stirring up trouble when there was an Akuma attack at the school merely hours ago and a student almost got another expelled just by lying. Surely that, added to what Felix saw earlier, was a bit too coincidental.

"Why are you so curious?" Adrien asked, snapping Felix from his thoughts.

"I haven't seen you in a few months, cousin, and last time wasn't my proudest moment. I thought I should... extend an olive branch of sorts." Felix says. The trick with manipulation is to stick close to the truth. Yes, it wasn't his proudest moment because he knew he could've gotten more information from his last visit if he hadn't acted like a child. And yes, he was extending an olive branch to Adrien because even if he isn't helpful for this particular course of action, he could be used elsewhere.

Adrien smiled a bit and they rode in silence until they parked at the Agreste Mansion.

Once again, neither Felix nor Adrien were greeted by Gabriel, but instead Nathalie.

"Why are you both so late?" Nathalie asks, her tone a bit sharp. Nathalie was a tall woman, even a bit taller than Felix. She had a sharp chin and piercing teal eyes hidden behind her glasses. Her hair was black aside form the streak of red in the front.

"We were held up by the Akuma attack, where is my uncle? I was hoping to speak with him yesterday but he was busy. Surely he can spare five minutes." Felix's tone was equally as sharp and cold. Meeting people that knew how to play the game was always interesting-- but Nathalie, with a mind as sharp as her tongue-- was also just another chess piece on his uncle's board. 

"Mr. Agreste is still busy and will not be disturbed." She answered, her eyes narrowing.

A knight, he decided, that was the piece Nathalie played. Not quite the queen but still protective while possessing a skillset that allowed her to move differently than others. 

Felix stared at Nathalie for a moment, "I understand, inform him that I want a meeting tomorrow and I won't take no for an answer." Felix then walked up the steps toward the room he was currently occupying. 

He needed more pieces if his uncle was to be his opponent.

~~~