MiracuCrack #2TR: Riding the Rails of Density
by DFC
(Timeline: Continuing on from Risk.)
Lila sat back in her seat on the train, admiring her traveling companion.
A sense of triumph filled her soul, and why not? She'd won. Adrien was by her side, and would be so for the next couple of months. They would share the experience of traveling the world together, representng the Agreste Fashions brand, visiting major cities, seeing the sights and landmarks, spending long, lonely nights together with only each other for company...
Take that, Marinette, she grinned to herself. He's mine. All mine. By the time that you see him again, I'll have him eating out of the palm of my hand.
And yet... something didn't seem quite right to her. While Adrien was as handsome as ever, he seemed distracted... far from his usual self.
Perhaps he's just overwhelmed by the suddenness of this, she mused. His father uprooting his everyday routine and sending him globe-trotting.
She studied his face as he stared off into space. Something about his manner just seemed... alien to her, for some reason.
But... with what I know about their family... perhaps I should make sure that it isn't something else?
"A penny for your thoughts."
Felix jumped slightly, startled by Lila's sudden attention in his direction.
"Ah," he stammered. "I'm... just running through all of my modeling poses in my head. So many different positions, you know."
He flexed in his seat, as if preening before an invisible camera before him, moving one way and another.
Lila frowned. "I thought that modeling always came naturally to you," she noted. "I know that your father didn't give me any special instructions."
Felix smiled at her. "Well, you are a natural beauty, I suppose," he ventured. "Some of us have to work at it."
She smiled back at his compliment... but her mind began whirring. That's not like Adrien, she considered. I mean, it's nice of him to finally notice that about me, right? But he's usually so much colder towards me.
"Well, you have plenty of time for that. We are traveling around the world, after all," she replied. "First a stop in London, then Brussels, Barcelona, New York City, Taiwan... and all by train."
Felix nodded in agreement... then appeared puzzled. "We're traveling from Europe to America and the Far East... by train?" he wondered.
"I've learned not to ask. Your father mumbled something about how expensive it is to '3-D render an airport,' whatever that means."
"Fair enough," he conceded. "But I only brought one change of clothes with me."
"I'm sure that clothes will be provided wherever we go. All the latest fashions from your father's company," Lila assured him. "And that's one more change than we need, most of the time..."
"Which is also true. I wonder why that is?"
She studied him again, an echo of doubt still ringing in her mind.
"On the plus side," she continued, "here we are, alone in this train car for the next couple of hours, on our way to an amazing, romantic adventure together."
"Yes. Yes, we are," he agreed.
"...Aren't you going to kiss me?" she flirted. "After all... I am your girlfriend. You didn't hesitate with me three nights ago."
Felix looked surprised at that... then grinned.
Adrien, you dog! he thought. I thought that you were head over heels for that Marinette girl. If you're dating this one on the side, that's more than I expected of you... and if I'm going to play-act as you and put myself through these headaches, I might as well get the benefits of that as well!
"How silly of me," he declared. "Neglecting you that way, now that we have privacy..."
He leaned forward, eyes closed, lips aimed at hers... and she leaned away, warily.
"...What's wrong?" he asked, watching as Lila pulled out her phone and began dialing.
"Oh, nothing. I'm just checking with your father... finding out just what it is he's trying to pull on me right now."
Felix looked rather alarmed as Lila's fingers her keypad. "Darling, what's wrong?" he asked.
"Darling, my butt," she snapped. "Adrien's never kissed me... yet... so you're not him! And from what I know about your family, I know exactly who you are... and I'm going to find out why."
He made to get up and run for it, but she grabbed his arm, her phone in front of both of them. "Oh, no, you don't," Lila declared. "You're going to stay right here and fess up, once he picks up-"
The call connected, and a recording began playing. "Damn it, I got his voice mail," she grumbled.
"...You have Gabriel Agreste's personal cell number?" marveled Felix.
"...Yeah. I'm his 'muse,' remember?" she replied. "And, well... sometimes we bounce guesses off each other while we're watching the Masked Singer show."
All at once, Lila's face froze in astonishment. As the beep played to let her record her message, she hung up quickly.
"What's wrong?" asked Felix.
"Did you just hear what I thought I heard?" wondered Lila, sporting an expression of disbelief. "It couldn't be..."
"Dial it again! Let's hear it," suggested Felix, and she did.
Gabriel's voice mail message played once more...
"Greetings. You have reached Gabriel Agreste. I am unavoidably detained at the moment, caught up in seizing the Miraculous of Ladybug and Chat Noir. Once I have de-transformed, I will - drat! That won't do at all. Now, what do I hit to delete thi- *BEEEEEEEEP*"
Lila stared at her phone, then at Felix.
Felix shrugged. "My uncle was never very good with modern technology," he smiled. "Or at keeping secrets from me."
The teens spent the next several minutes comparing notes.
"You knew?" Lila gasped. "Like, for sure? I had my suspicions about Gabriel, but I could never quite pin him down about it..."
"I didn't know for sure until today. But, yes, I have direct evidence."
Lila's eyes lit up as Felix opened up his carry-on bag and produced a pair of brooches. "Oh... my god!" she burst out. "Are those what I think they are?"
"Uh-huh. I don't quite know how to make them work yet..." said Felix, picking up the purplish one and shaking it. "But they were in his safe."
"Can I... have... er, hold one?" she asked, flashing soft eyes his way.
"No. Not now, at least," he cautioned her, putting them back into his bag. "I don't want to tip my hand just yet and let him know that I have them. I'm not sure quite what I want to do about that."
"You do realize," Lila smiled, "that this makes us two of the most powerful people in Europe."
Felix gave her a disdainful frown. "...Us?" he wondered.
"Well, naturally," she purred. "Now that I know his secret, and yours, and you wouldn't want me to run straight to Gabriel and tell him what you did..."
"Ha," sneered Felix. "You really think that that would end well for you?"
"You know," she answered, looking thoughtful, "I need to think about that first. I might do better trusting you than him."
"How so? We barely know each other."
"That's true. But I think we might be two of a kind, Felix," Lila smiled. "We're young. We're clever. We're smart enough to manipulate one of the richest men in Paris... a supervillain... and to walk away with what we want."
"Like how I have the Miraculous, and he doesn't," Felix agreed.
"And I have Adrien all to myself... or at least I thought I did..." noted Lila. "But perhaps I've found myself with someone better. And instead of just petty revenge, we could find much more interesting uses for those."
Felix nodded, considering his attractive-but-dangerous companion once more. I have no idea if I can trust her at all, he mused. But who else do I have to work with right now?
"So... we're back to square one. How shall we pass the time?" she asked him, smiling.
"Someone did mention kissing," suggested Felix, dryly.
Lila's expression didn't change.
"Someone did."
