"So, you almost got akumatized?" Chat asked. He found himself back in Felix's room a couple of nights after the last time. Chat knew he couldn't do this every night. Spending too much time with Felix as Chat was dangerous. The risk of saying something that gave a hint to his identity was too great. "You should be careful. If you get akumatized, Shadow Moth can make you hand over your Miraculous."

Felix shrugged. "But I didn't."

"Because Ladybug saved you."

"I could've broken out of it myself."

Chat rolled his eyes. That's what he liked least about Felix: never willing to admit he needed help or made a mistake.

"Nevermind that. Here." Felix handed Chat the open notebook from his desk.

It was the same notebook he'd written the apology list in, though Felix hadn't apologized to anyone yet. After the locker incident, Adrien decided he'd give it a few days before pushing him. He had a new list of names. Chat couldn't figure out what it was for, or how Felix even knew most of them.

"It's a list of people I think could be Shadow Moth," Felix explained. "I've read pretty much every article, theory, blog, whatever I could find about him."

A groan came from the top of Felix's dresser. Wingg had made himself a nest out of discarded crumples of paper. Chat wondered if they were discarded Shadow Moth theories or apologies. "If I have to listen to that annoying Ladyblog girl one more time, I will lose my mind."

Chat flipped through the notebook. There were pages of evidence and notes for everyone on the list; dates they were out of Paris, suspicious things they said, all seventy-two times Mr. Ramier was akumatized and the pigeon-related reasons why.

"When did you have time to do this?"

Felix shrugged. "Gabriel won't let me leave the house alone, and Adrien's been busy with modeling or fencing or something. Not much else to do."

There were rumors about Shadow Moth's identity, even Alya had posted a few theories, but he and Ladybug usually ignored them. There was never much proof. Most of the time they were filled with misunderstandings on how the Miraculouses worked. But Felix knew more about that than most, and he had done a lot of work.

But as Chat looked at the list, he became a lot less sure. "Most of these people have been akumatized."

Felix nodded. "Exactly. Based on everything I read, I don't think Shadow Moth would stay out of his plans. I think he'd try to egg people on, and I don't think he'd be above akumatizing himself."

Chat shook his head. "I think you've watched too many crime shows." The smug smile fell from Felix's face. "I probably know Shadow Moth better than anyone else, and I'm pretty sure he's not Andre Glacier or—" Chat's eyes fell on the name at the top of the page. "You put your father on this list?"

"Yes." Felix shrugged. "I wasn't going to leave a suspect off just because we're family."

"You also just hate him," Wingg added.

Another shrug. "That's true. But it's not my only reasoning. Look," Felix stood from his seat and flipped a few pages. It was a mess of scribbles that Chat couldn't follow. Felix's finger fell on a grid he'd drawn of dates, locations, and akuma attacks. "When Volpina was akumatized, Gabriel was there in London. And he was in Shanghai when—"

Chat tugged the book away. It did the job of making Felix stop talking. He snapped his mouth shut and glared back at Chat. "By that logic, you might as well put Adrien on that list. He was in London too."

"Yeah," Wingg rolled himself off the dresser and floated in front of Chat, beady eyes staring at him. A gaze that sent Chat squirming. "Lots of people were in London that day, weren't they?"

Before Adrien could ask what that meant, Felix spoke, "so what, you're not going to listen to my evidence?"

"I appreciate all that work you put in, but come on, Gabriel Agreste as Shadow Moth?" Chat chuckled, and Felix's face scrunched deeper. "The man barely leaves his house, how would he even get a Miraculous?"

Felix twisted his ring. "Well, we know he already had one, even if it was useless without the kwamis."

Chat nodded at the ring. "Had one, until you stole it."

"Yeah, but—" Felix narrowed his eyes. "How'd you know I stole it?"

Damn it. Chat was usually better talking to people who knew him as Adrien. Chat played it cool and confident, whereas Adrien was more polite and sweet. No one ever caught him slip up before, even when Adrien made the occasional Chat-like pun.

"Uh, Adrien told me," he said.

Felix rolled his eyes. "Great. I got Adrien running to tell you what I do wrong, and Dupain-Cheng's going to Ladybug. Whatever. That wasn't the point. These Miraculouses had been in my family for a while, right, Wingg?" Wingg nodded with that. "My mo—I mean, Amelie used to tell me stories about these rings. She didn't seem to know exactly what they were, but it was like, a family legend that they were magical. Emilie must have known that too. She could have told Gabriel, and maybe they figured out there were more Miraculouses."

Adrien had seen those rings all his life, but he'd never been told any special story about them. They were his parent's wedding rings, nothing more. Mother probably thought they were just silly stories. Stories she wouldn't bother to tell to Gabriel, who hated things like that. "I doubt Gabriel Agreste would believe that. But here's an idea, why don't you ask Amelie more about the Miraculouses?"

Felix crossed his arms and turned to the floor. "I'm not talking to her."

Wingg snickered. His eyes flickered back to Chat. "This one likes to hold a grudge. Humans are so silly when they're upset."

Chat put a hand on Felix's shoulder but he jerked away. Felix's phone was discarded on his desk. Adrien had seen his phone go off multiple times each day when they were together. All unanswered calls and texts from Amelie.

"I think you should ask her. Focus on something besides Shadow Moth. I think all those Ladyblog videos went to your head. Seriously, some of the people you have on this list, it's silly." At the bottom of his list, he'd suddenly switched from writing the names of random men in Paris to girls in their school. "I mean, Marinette Dupain-Cheng? Mireille Caquet—"

"I don't think they're Shadow Moth," Felix snapped as he tried to snatch the book away. Chat was quicker and held it just out of his reach. Felix didn't fight any harder for it. "That's a list of girls at my school I can't find a record of being akumatized. One of them is Ladybug."

Chat forced out a laugh. "Do you know how many people have tried to find out Ladybug's identity? You're not going to figure it out after being here a few days."

That wasn't funny at all. Chat already knew Ladybug went to his school. He'd known it for months. Ladybug's kwami had been at school, so, of course, she had to be there too. Plagg's attempts to throw him off that trail only made him more sure it was true.

"When I almost got akumatized, Ladybug showed up right away. She must have been at school and seen it happen."

"Or she followed the akuma from outside."

Felix fell silent. Chat felt a swell of pride, like he had as a kid when he outsmarted Felix in chess. Felix's lips twitched as if he struggled to keep his words in. "I still think it's one of them."

Chat did too, but he kept that to himself. He tore out the part of the page with their names on it and crushed it in his hand. He'd dispose of it somewhere no one would find it. Though, it wouldn't hurt if he kept it hidden in his room, just in case. "Don't think about her identity. She hates you enough already."

The past two nights on patrol Ladybug had been quieter than usual. She hadn't brought up Felix, so neither did Chat, but he knew that must still be in the back of her mind. Especially now that he'd almost gotten himself akumatized. Chat was shocked she hadn't taken it from him at school. In a way, he almost wished she had. At least things would have been simpler.

Something else was bothering her. Chat had tried to ask when he'd seen her earlier that night, but she'd blown him off. Everything was fine, she'd promised. Things had been weird ever since she became the guardian. It hurt, but Chat understood. It was a lot of pressure. The last thing she needed was Felix trying to unmask her.

Felix frowned. "Fine, not like it matters. You don't seem interested in listening to me anyway."

Chat shrugged. "Maybe you just need better theories." He inched his way toward the window. It was late, he was tired and needed to sleep before tomorrow. "I have to go, but I'm serious. Don't try and figure out who Ladybug is."

Felix rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever."

"And ask your mother about the Miraculous."

Before Felix could protest, Chat vaulted from the window. He was about to swing toward his bedroom window when he checked over his shoulder. Felix wasn't watching him, but the kwami was. He jumped over the wall instead and landed on the ground on the other side. A trip around the block then, just to be safe.

. . .

Felix stood pressed against the wall outside of Gabriel's atelier. He'd never been in there before. As a kid, he'd been banned. No one had said it, but that was probably still true now. The door was always shut, whether someone was in there or not.

It should be empty. Nathalie was still in her room. He hadn't seen Gabriel. Yesterday, he'd overheard them talking about a meeting elsewhere in the morning. But Gabriel always seemed to appear and disappear when he shouldn't.

Still, if Felix stayed in the hallway that wouldn't help. Someone would walk by. The longer he waited, the sooner Gabriel would return.

Felix sucked in a breath and pushed the door open. It was empty. There wasn't much furniture; a desk in the corner, a large monitor in the center. A few mannequins on one side, on the other, was a wall covered in photos of Adrien. More photos of Adrien by the windows. A bit gaudy, but also a bit disappointing. Not much room to hide anything.

He went for the desk first. A layer of dust suggested it hadn't been touched in a while. He opened the drawers, careful to keep everything in place. There was nothing; a few photographs from some fashion shoots, lots of paperwork, a drawer full of colored pens.

Wingg shuffled out from Felix's pocket and floated in front of the computer. "What's this do?" he asked as he hit the keyboard. The computer whined to life. The monitor lit up to an open email server. There were multiple unread emails, all from Audrey Bourgeois, the subject in all caps demanding answers from nearly every "N" name except for Nathalie.

"Felix!" Felix jumped. Adrien was in the open doorway.

Wingg smirked at him. "Oh, hello cheese boy."

Adrien's eyes grew wide. "Excuse me?"

Wing sniffed. "I can smell the camembert in your room through the wall. And on you."

Adrien blushed. "Forget that. You shouldn't be in here, Felix."

"I was just looking for Father," Felix said. He raised his hands to show he hadn't taken anything.

"You were looking for him inside of Nathalie's desk?"

Felix stepped away from the desk and instead started toward Gabriel's computer. Adrien followed after him. "Actually, I'm doing a favor for Chat Noir."

"Really?" Adrien crossed his arms.

"Yes. It's possible Emilie knew something about the Miraculouses. Chat Noir asked me to look into it."

"Sure," Adrien said. "A superhero told you to go snooping through Father's things?"

"Well, not exactly." Felix turned around. The only other thing in the room was a giant portrait of Emilie behind him. It stuck out a bit from the wall as if there was something behind it.

He reached for it, but Adrien grabbed his wrist. "Seriously, Felix. We need to leave."

"Why?" Felix looked at the painting. Adrien's eyes followed his. "Is there something there?"

The door slammed into the wall. Wingg darted under Felix's shirt; he disappeared just as Gabriel stepped into the room. "What are you two doing in here?"

"We were looking for you, Father," Adrien said quickly, "we wanted to spend some time with you."

"Yes," Felix agreed, "we were going to ask if you wanted to watch a movie."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Really? Which movie did you have in mind?"

"Uh—"

"Solitude. I told Felix that Mother was in it. He wants to see her act."

Felix nodded. Panic thudded in his chest. Too many details like that just made a lie seem constructed.

The mention of Emilie did not soften Gabriel's face. "I have no time for that. And the two of you should be getting ready to go to the Bourgeois's fundraiser this afternoon."

"You didn't tell us about that," Felix said.

"Yes he did," Adrien whispered, "over breakfast yesterday."

That explained it. Felix hadn't listened. It was hard to pay attention to a man that barked orders at you through a tablet. "Right."

Gabriel held the door open and stepped to the side. "Go on then," he demanded. They both went, Adrien in front. Gabriel grabbed Felix as he passed. His head felt like lead as it crushed his shoulder. It felt hard enough to leave a bruise. "If I ever catch you snooping through my stuff again, you will not enjoy the consequences. Understand?"

Felix nodded. Gabriel shoved him out and shut the door behind them.