Miraculous Ladybug: The Only Competent Villain

Sweated coated my entire body as I was counting with bated breath.

"Nine.. T-Ten" I dropped the kettle bar dramatically, my legs shivering from the strain.

Ever since I added fencing and a 3 mile into my routine, life for me hasn't gotten any easier but this was all for my future greatness.

It was good I'd made contact with another side character especially one so unbelievably powerful, Alix and I hadn't met officially yet but I'd made a decent impression on her, and the others- who could also convince her I was a good person as well.

If I could win her trust, it would make everything else fall into place. Besides, her friendship might prove useful down the line.

But right now what I needed to focus on was completing my friendship with Kagami.

She was a person I couldn't afford to miss, same as the other rich girl who already controlled the city, but It was hard.

During practice, it was pure training and instruction, the rigorous, no-nonsense kind that made us all sweat in a way that left little room for anything else. And after practice? Well, that was when things got complicated. I'd seen it firsthand. Kagami's mother showed up right on time, every time, barely a second after the final whistle blew. She was controlling, overbearing, and made it clear that Kagami's future wasn't hers to decide.

In the episode "Ikari Gozen," it was clear to anyone with eyes she'd desperately wanted to make more friends. In the original series, she initially developed an interest in Adrien, someone who understood what it was like to live under the weight of high expectations. I could tell that her initial interest in Adrien wasn't just about him—it was about wanting someone who could relate to her, someone who could offer freedom. But of course, Adrien was always wrapped up in his own world, too busy to reciprocate her feelings.

In order to be 'that Adrien' I'd need to set up a plan to bond with her. She wasn't the best navigator around a conversation and had trouble understanding some normalcies of what should be private and not. 

That only made it easier for me, all I needed was a decent time to talk with her privately and everything would fall into place naturally.

After finishing my workout, I wiped the sweat from my brow and grabbed my shirt, letting it slip over my head prepared for the gears of my plan to start moving. 

---------------------------

 It was just after the bell rang during third bell period, and I spotted Kagami, standing off to the side of the lunch room, adjusting her fencing gear as usual. The rest of the students had already scattered, heading to there tables or into their various activities, but Kagami stayed there, alone, focused on the task at hand.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I knew I had to do. I crossed the hallway and approached her slowly, making sure not to startle her.

"Hey, Kagami," I called out, smiling lightly. "How's the swordplay?"

She turned her head, her eyes meeting mine. There was a brief flash of recognition, but her expression didn't change. "It's fine," she replied, her voice calm, but not quite warm.

I took a step closer, trying to ease her into conversation. "I noticed something during practice," I began, choosing my words carefully. "You don't really get to hang out with anyone after. It's just... you and your mom, right?"

Kagami's eyes narrowed slightly, and I saw her jaw tighten. I could tell she wasn't used to people talking about her mother so openly. "What are you implying?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper.

I wasn't intimidated by her tone. I'd been around people with rigid expectations before. "I'm not implying anything," I said gently. "I just… I get it. I know what it's like to have someone who's always watching, deciding, always planning your next move for you."

She tilted her head, clearly intrigued despite herself. "You do?"

I nodded, thinking about my current father, Jagged Stone. "My dad's a famous rock star. He's amazing, but he's also… a lot. He's always telling me what I should do, what I should play, where I should go, who I should talk to. It's exhausting sometimes. And sometimes I just want a moment to myself, you know?"

Kagami's expression softened ever so slightly, and I could see the small crack in her armor. She was listening. "I understand," she said quietly.

I took a deep breath, letting the fabricated story come out naturally. "Maybe we could hang out sometime. I'm not asking you to drop everything and come be best friends or anything, but you deserve to have some fun, Kagami. You deserve to have a choice."

She didn't reply right away. There was a long pause, the air between us thick with unspoken thoughts. Finally, she gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. "I'll think about it," she said.

That was all I needed.

I smiled, turning to walk away. But before I got too far, I looked back at her one last time. "Take care, Kagami."

"You too, Luka," she said, her voice a little warmer than before.

As I walked off to the lunch tables, I couldn't help but feel that I was starting to weave the threads of fate itself but that feeling was quickly interrupted by a call of my name.

"Luka!"

I turned, spotting Alya waving at me from a nearby table where Marinette sat beside her. Their eyes were expectantly focused on me.

"Hey, Alya," I called, walking toward them. "What's up?"

Alya gave me a grin. "You've got a second, right? We need to talk about something."

Marinette, who had been looking down at her lunch, now lifted her gaze to meet mine, offering a warm but curious smile. "Yeah, it's kind of important," she added, her tone casual but laced with something that made me pause.

I gave a small nod, intrigued. "Sure, I've got time."

As I slid into the empty seat next to Marinette, I noticed Alya's expression shift into something a bit more serious. Her usual spark was still there, but something about the way she leaned forward suggested this wasn't just a casual conversation.