A/N: I probably should have mentioned this before, but I started writing this (and posting it elsewhere) before the episode Gabriel Agreste came out; so, essentially, that episode does not exist/affect this fic...

Adrien had hoped by the time they got back to Aunt Amelie's house, Father would have calmed down. Instead, he seemed more irritated. He'd barked at Gorilla to fetch them a car and wouldn't even look at Amelie or Felix.

Once inside he turned to Adrien. "Grab your things, we're leaving."

"Do we have to go so soon?"

The look Father gave was a stab through his core. The message was clear; don't question me.

"If Adrien wants to stay we'd be more than happy to have him," Amelie said.

Father shook his head. "No. You can't even keep your own son in line."

"I understand you're mad, but I think it'd be good for the boys to spend time together."

Felix's head had been down since their parents found them. His brow was furrowed, eyes slightly narrowed. The same face he used to make when he and Adrien played chess and he needed a smart move to save himself.

"Can I ask you something, Mom? Uncle?" Felix nearly spat out the last two words.

"Something wrong, sweetheart?" Amelie asked. Gabriel did not respond, but crossed his arms and tilted his chin in the air so he looked down on Felix.

"You've been lying to Adrien and me, haven't you?" Felix said. "We're twins, aren't we? Just like you and Aunt Emilie, and Grandfather and his brother, and—" Felix's voice cracked. He bit down, afraid to speak again.

Adrien choked back a laugh. Felix had never been the gullible type. The fact he'd believed what the kwamis said was almost funny. Almost. Anger painted Felix's face, his hands were balled into fits at his side.

"Where did you get such a silly idea?" Amelie said, a too-wide smile plastered on her face. "You know you two just look similar because you both take after your mothers."

"We don't just look similar. We're identical. That's impossible unless we're twins."

Last year, when he was still homeschooled, Adrien had read something in his science textbook like that. Everyone had unique DNA, except identical twins, that's why they looked the same. Half thinking out loud he'd mumbled something about him and Felix. Nathalie, from across the table, said that was because their mothers were twins. At the time, Adrien had just shrugged that off. But Nathalie had answered too fast. Usually, she'd encourage Adrien to try and find the answers himself, only helping as a last resort.

Adrien looked to his father. His face hadn't even twitched at the question. "Yes. You are correct. The two of you are twins."

"Gabriel," Amelie growled. Adrien had never seen Amelie angry, she was always cheerful and kind. Her voice dropped lower and her face scrunched up. Just like Mother when she and Father would get into an argument.

Father shrugged, unaffected by her tone. Also like when he and Mother would fight. "I see no point in lying if he's figured it out already."

"But, what does that mean for—" Adrien started to ask.

"What do you think it means?" Felix snapped. Adrien clamped his mouth shut.

"Don't yell at my son," Gabriel warned.

Felix crossed his arms. "Is he really your son?" He quieted his voice, but his words were still edged with venom.

"I assume you mean biologically. Yes, mine and Emilie's. I'm sure you're smart enough to realize what that means for you."

Felix pushed past Adrien and Gabriel and ran up the stairs. Amelie called after him, but the only response was the slam of a door.

"We're leaving. I'll send someone to collect our things." Gabriel put his hand on Adrien's back and guided him back toward the door. Adrien would usually do whatever Father said, but he couldn't just get in the car and go back to Paris. Couldn't just pretend he didn't find out he had a brother. He pulled away from Gabriel and went up the stairs. He ignored his father's orders to stop. Amelie blocked Gabriel from the stairs. They began to argue and, thankfully, seemed to have forgotten about Adrien.

. . .

Felix paced the length of his bedroom as he repeated to himself that what he thought just happened didn't. Uncle was lying. Mom would come up any minute and tell him so.

Except he knew it was true. He'd been suspicious for years now. It'd been worse once his classmates found out about Adrien when his fragrance ads and billboards began to pop up. All anyone talked about for weeks was how Felix had a secret twin. When they got tired of Felix denying it, they just said he was the disgraced, abandoned child.

Identical cousins were impossible, but his parents had denied it again and again. Lies. All of it. Felix punched his bookcase. The picture frames on it rattled, but besides that, all it did was bruise his knuckles.

Wingg peeked out from Felix's shirt. "Isn't this tantrum a bit childish?"

"Will you get out of here?"

"Sorry, but no. You wear my ring, you're stuck with me."

Felix resisted the urge to hit something else. A knock came at his door. No doubt it was Mom. Felix's heart tightened, he had to bite back a sob. It wasn't his mother; Amelie wasn't his mother.

"Go away." The door opened. It was Adrien. "Get out."

"Can't we talk?" Adrien asked.

"Just get out of here. I don't want to see anyone."

A hand rested on his shoulder. Felix tried to squirm away from it, but there was nowhere to go. "I know you don't like anyone seeing you upset." Adrien laughed. "It's like how you used to hide in the closet when you'd cry as a kid."

Felix turned. He knew his face and eyes were red, with tear stains on his cheek, but he didn't care anymore. "Is this funny to you, Adrien?"

Adrien took a step back. His face tugged into another smile. "I'm not laughing at you. I'm just happy. We just found out we're brothers."

"Our parents lied to us our entire lives and you're happy?" Adrien's smile fell. He took another step back, more hesitant. "Do you ever take anything seriously? Or do you just not care, because you get to keep your parents?" Felix grabbed a framed photo from the shelf. It was him and his parents, one of the last family pictures they'd taken. "That means my dad wasn't even my dad. And your mom, my mom, that means—I didn't even know." Felix had never thought much of Aunt Emilie. She was just a poor copy of her mother. She'd been nice enough to him, but she enforced all of Gabriel's stupid rules and liked to keep Adrien locked in the house.

"Felix, I'm sorry."

The picture flew into the wall. Glass shattered and fell to the carpet. Felix didn't remember throwing it. Adrien stared at him, eyes wide, before going to pick up the broken frame.

Wingg flew out of his pocket. "Such a temper. You remind me of my last owner. Your entire family needs therapy."

Felix grabbed another picture from the shelf. An older one, taken in Paris when he was a child. Mom had insisted on a photo with everyone, she'd even gotten Gabriel to agree. Amelie and Emilie had thought it would be cute to dress Felix and Adrien the same: Gabriel Agreste T-shirts, matching hats. Felix wasn't even sure which one was him anymore. Adrien grabbed the picture out of his hand and placed it with the other one out of reach.

Wingg appeared in front of Felix's face. "Here's an idea, take that anger and use it to fight the villain Wissp back. Or did you idiots already forget you lost a Miraculous?"

Adrien spun around. "That's a great idea! Felix, you have a Miraculous now. You can help take down Shadow Moth." Adrien gave a sheepish grin. "You could be like Ladybug and Chat Noir."

Felix pulled the ring off his finger and thrust it toward Adrien. "Take it. I don't want it, not that stupid ring or its powers. You can go play hero if you want."

Adrien pushed Felix's hand away. "But that's your Miraculous."

"Eh, it doesn't matter to me who uses it," Wingg said.

"Go ahead. Get everything you want, just like always." Felix stormed toward the door. He needed to get out before he started to cry again, or worse. He felt like a little kid, running for a place to hide.

Adrien grabbed his wrist. "Come to Paris with me." Felix was strong enough to break away, but he didn't. "You can help fight Shadow Moth. We can be a family, us and Father. We can be close, just like we were kids."

Felix turned away again. Tears pricked at his eyes. "Neither of our parents would allow that. Your father hates me."

"Felix, he's your father too. He loves you." Adrien pulled him out of the bedroom. "Come on."

Wingg flew back into Felix's pocket. Great. He'd witness this too. Amelie sat on the couch and bit at her thumbnail. Gabriel stood by the door, ready to leave at any moment.

"Oh, you boys must be so upset," Amelie said.

"Adrien, we are leaving. We'll discuss your behavior in the car."

Adrien froze, he always did when Gabriel was upset with him. Felix was relieved. Let him obey his father and leave, it would be easier. Felix would go and lock himself in his room.

"Father, since we know, we thought the three of us could be a family. Can't Felix come back to Paris with us? He wants to learn more about you . . . and . . ."

Adrien grew quiet as Gabriel glowered at him. Gabriel swung his eyes to Felix. A shiver crept up Felix's spine. He knew what was coming. A rejection.

"Alright." Something sparked behind Gabriel's eye. Felix and Gabriel might not be close, but he was easy enough to read. He wouldn't agree unless he had something to gain. "But you will be held to the same rules as Adrien. I will not stand for any of your schemes. Understand?"

Ulterior motive or not, Felix wanted out of London. His mom had lied to him. His dad was gone. He had no one, except Adrien. "I understand." Felix let a smirk slip onto his face. "Father."

Amelie ripped Felix away from Adrien, she'd never been so rough before. "Felix is my son. You can't just take him to another country."

Gabriel pulled out his phone. "Of course. I'll call my lawyer if you'd prefer we do it that way." Gabriel narrowed his eyes. "But rest assured, I will get what I want. Felix doesn't want to stay with you, all this will do is make him resent you more. Make it easier on all of us. Let him go. You know I'm right."

Felix was shocked at how casual Gabriel looked. Phone up to his face, finger ready to dial, other hand shoved in his pocket as if this all was minor to him.

Amelie turned to Felix, her mouth slightly ajar. She looked unsure of it to speak, tears ran down her cheeks. "You're right, Gabriel." She threw her arms around Felix and pulled him close to her. "You can go since it's what you want."

That was it. All the fight she had to make him stay. In a way he wished she'd made it more difficult. Fine, if she cared that little, so would Felix.

Gabriel smiled, triumphant. Too proud much for how little of a battle that was. "Good. Pack your things, then. We're leaving as soon as possible."

. . .

There were worse places to have a private conversation than cramped in the bathroom of the Star Train. There were a lot better places, too. But Gabriel worked with what he had. He'd even hid in the same bathroom before to akumatize someone. This was at least quicker.

Or it should have been. He hadn't expected Nathalie to ask so many questions. "It seems like there are easier ways for you to get the ring back."

"This isn't just about the ring." He'd explained it to her, twice now. She knew Gabriel didn't like to be questioned.

But the plan was perfect. Another to unknowingly aid in Shadow Moth's plans. Lila Rossi was a great addition to his team. She had her class and half of Paris in her hand. Gabriel didn't love how she overshadowed Adrien as Paris's new teenage fashion sweetheart, but it was a fair price for the trouble she'd caused. Chloe Bourgeois was helpful as well. Despair followed in her wake and she was a meltdown waiting to happen. Lila's advantage was she had the trust of her classmates; Chloe's was her cruelty.

But they were never fully under Gabriel's control. Chloe did what she wanted, her alliances flipped between whoever had more to offer. Lila would be gone the moment she realized Gabriel had no intention to let her have Adrien. In truth, Gabriel had little control over them.

But Felix would be different. He was just as awful as Chloe and Lila. Not even a full day in Paris and he managed to anger Adrien's entire class. More importantly, he'd be easier to control. He'd be Gabriel's house, under his eyes. He wasn't as likable as Lila, or as openly bold as Chloe, but he'd be able to get under enough people's skins to cause some powerful akumas. If not, Gabriel was more than capable of making Felix miserable and akumatizing him. And Felix had something the other two didn't: his own Miraculous. One that matched the one buried in Gabriel's pocket.

"I just don't think Felix will bend to your will so easily," Nathalie warned. "I wish we discussed this."
Nathalie was bolder than normal. She'd gotten comfortable, set up in the house like a guest rather than his employee. Gabriel liked Nathalie, more than he liked most people, but they weren't equals. "I don't need your permission to make choices for my family."

Nathalie was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Of course, sir."

"Just get everything ready for our arrival."

"Right away."

She logged off. Gabriel looked back at himself on the dark screen. He was tired after the day he'd had. Worst of all, Nathalie might be right. Felix might be a challenge, but one Gabriel was determined to beat. He wouldn't be outsmarted again.

"Are you alright, Father?" Adrien asked once he got back to his seat. Felix didn't even look at him.

"Of course." He'd taken the row behind them for himself. The bodyguard was a few more back.

Adrien went back to his phone. He was watching a video of Ladybug. Of all things, his son had to have an obsession with superheroes. Felix read from a book. He had the gall to wear the ring, Gabriel's ring. Practically shoving it in his face. No matter, he would have Felix and that Miraculous under his control soon enough, one way or another.

. . .

Ladybug did not like to admit defeat. A solution almost always came to her, sometimes at the last possible second. But as she stood on the edge of the Eiffel tower, exhausted from searching two cities, she knew it was time to give up. The new Miraculous was just as lost to her as the butterfly and the peacock.

She must have every street and hideaway in London. Twice. No Shadow Moth, no Volpina. When she returned to Paris Lila was there. She told Ladybug the same lie she'd fed to Gabriel Agreste: she woke up in Paris with no memory of her akumatization. Didn't even know she had gotten a Miraculous. Nothing but dead ends.

"Out for a late-night stroll, Bugaboo?"

Ladybug gasped and turned around. There he was, leaning on his staff like a cane, a silly grin plastered on his face. "Chat Noir!" She said, wrapping her arms around him. "I missed you."

"I missed you too. I must say, France is just so much better than Greenland."

"I thought you said you went to Iceland?"

"Um." Chat swatted at the air with his hand. "Greenland, Iceland, it's all the same. Everywhere is dull and dreadful without you in it," he grabbed her hand and kissed it. "M'lady."

Ladybug pulled her hand away. Same old Chat. And in a much better mood than when he'd left. "Too bad you weren't in London. There was an akuma attack there."

"I'm sure you handled it purrfectly without me." He stared at her as if taking in her face for the first time. It had been a while. Ladybug had nearly forgotten what he looked like. She'd mistaken Adrien for him, how ridiculous. Her face blushed at the thought.

"It was over before I got there. I heard everything that happened from Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She got kidnapped by Volpina but some new Miraculous holders saved her."

"Ooh, do we have some competition? That could be fun."

"It's not fun. Shadow Moth managed to get a Miraculous from Adrien Agreste."

"Adrien Agreste? Isn't that the guy you tried to give the snake Miraculous to?" Chat snorted out a laugh. "Some people just aren't meant to be superheroes."

"Chat, this is serious. I know you just got back, but how do you feel about a little traveling?"

"A vacation with you sounds lovely, M'lady. Where are we going? Italy? Hawaii? New York?"

"London. Do you remember Adrien's cousin? The one who dressed like him? He has a Miraculous. We need to get it."

"What? Why?"

"He can't be trusted. We need to get it before he hurts someone."

Chat grabbed her shoulders. His usual smile was replaced by his lips pulled tight in a line. Ladybug shifted uncomfortably under his grasp. It was rare for him to be so serious. "M'lady, don't you think that's a bit much? So he made a video that upset some people, that doesn't make him a supervillain. You said he saved Marinette."

Ladybug peeled his hands away from her. "Helped. I'm sure that was Adrien's idea. I need you to trust me, Chat. We need to get that Miraculous."

"You look exhausted. I don't think you're thinking straight," Chat said. Ladybug opened her mouth to respond, but he cut her off. "Look, if you go and try and take it, it'll just start a fight. Someone could get hurt." The serious look on his face softened a bit. "We need to think this through before we do anything."

Ladybug sighed. He was right, no matter how annoying that was. She wouldn't even make it to London without falling asleep.

"Fine," she agreed, "but we need to get that Miraculous."

Chat nodded. "Okay, but we can't just rush into it. Promise me you'll get some sleep, I'm going to do the same."

She promised. He turned to go and planted his staff in the ground, ready to take off. "Chat." Her voice was a whisper. His cat ear twitched and he turned back to her. "I know I just rushed into everything but, I'm really happy that you're back."

The silly grin returned. "I'm happy too," he said, before jumping off into the night.

. . .

Nighttime in Paris never seemed so beautiful. Chat knew things would be good now. He was home. He vaulted through the city, the breeze tickled his cheeks, a friendly welcome back. For the first time in over a month, he'd seen his lady. She'd stood in the moonlight, beautiful as ever. More importantly, she had been happy to see him. Even if she could survive with the other heroes, she still missed him. Chat landed in a tree outside of his house. He closed his eyes and took in one last breath of fresh air and smiled. He was alone, but he could still feel Ladybug's arms wrapped around him.

Adrien's room was dark. He always left the lights off when he left at night, on the off chance Father or Nathalie walked by his room. But the lights were on in the room next to his; Felix's new room. There was a bigger guest room downstairs, but Father had put him there. Felix probably didn't like being stuck in a smaller one, but Adrien was secretly thankful to have him close.

Ladybug hadn't been happy about Felix, but she did not know he was in Paris. That needed to stay true, at least until Chat could calm her down.

He swung over to Felix's window. It was open, so he squeezed himself through. Felix hadn't brought very much with him: some clothes, a few books, a couple of small decorations that had been on his bookshelf. He'd already put everything in its spot, this room as sterile and spotless as his last.

"Felix?" Chat called. The bed was made and empty. It was well past midnight, there was nowhere else for Felix to be.

Something hit Chat in his head. Felix was beside him, his arms raised with a heavy-looking book poised to hit him again. "Chat Noir?"

"What was that for? I just came to talk to you."

Felix lowered his arms. "What was I supposed to do? You crawled in here in the middle of the night like some kind of cat burglar."

Chat laughed. "Was that a cat pun?"

Felix's face dropped. "It was an unfortunate choice of words. What do you want?"

Chat scratched the back of his neck. It dawned on him that it was a nervous habit. Felix had laughed at him for it as a kid. Chat dropped his hand. "I heard you had a Miraculous."

"How did you know that?"

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng told me and Ladybug. Ladybug isn't happy. She, uh, she doesn't like you for some reason."

"Right," Felix stepped away and put the book back in its place. "So what, you came here to fight me for it?"

"Actually, the opposite. I came here to warn you. Ladybug doesn't know you're in Paris. Don't use the Miraculous and just lay low until I calm her down."

"How do you know I'm here if Ladybug doesn't?"

"I saw a photo of you with Gabriel and Adrien. Someone had posted it online." When they'd pulled up to the manor a few reporters and paparazzi were waiting for them. Someone snapped a photo. It wasn't uncommon for people to follow the Agrestes around, especially after an international tour. He wouldn't be surprised if a picture had made it online already; he'd imagine two Adriens walking out of the car was a decent scoop. "I saw it already since I'm a big fan of fashion. I keep up with all the designer gossip."

Felix looked Chat over. "Yeah, I can tell. Look, half of the reason I came here was to take down Shadow Moth. Ladybug hasn't been able to do that. She has no right to stop me."

Chat should have known this wouldn't be easy. Felix had always been stubborn. "If Ladybug sees you she will try and take it. Let me convince her otherwise. In the meantime, maybe you can still help us with Shadow Moth. You like analyzing and figuring things out, right?"

Felix crossed his arms. "I guess."

"You can do some research. See if you can find anything out about Shadow Moth. Maybe you can figure out something we overlooked." Chat tried to smile but doubted it would charm Felix.

"Fine," Felix agreed.

"It's a deal, then." Chat held out his hand. Felix hesitated for a moment, then shook it. "I'll come back in a few days. Stay out of trouble."

"Fine."

With one last smile back, Chat jumped from Felix's window and swung over to his own.