Partners by Chance

Chapter 21 - The Library

"Listen, there is something I didn't tell you... about me..." she said.

Lila wasn't looking at him, she couldn't. She didn't have the guts to look at him in the eyes after hiding part of her life to him. A part that is so close to the ones he hates.

"At the beginning of the school year, I've started entering in contact with your uncle regularly. He said it was to keep Adrien out of trouble and away from bad influences." she began "I would regularly visit or meet him and give him a report. That... until yesterday..."

"So, let me get this straight, you worked with my uncle this whole time?" he questioned nervously.

She nodded. She was obviously was scared of his reaction.

"Please tell me you didn't say anything about me to him." he asked.

She held his hand and leaned on the table. Her eyes... her mud green eyes were beautiful. She looked at him and he looked at her.

"I swear, Félix. He doesn't have the slightest idea that you are in Paris or that I know you."

He wanted to believer her, he was almost sure that she wasn't lying. But her eyes... eyes that looked like they were trying to hypnotize him...

"Ok, I believe you." he said carefully "But what should we do with this information?"

Lila smirked. Obviously she had though about it for a long time.

"What if we stole the miraculous? Both of them, one for you and one for me." she proposed.

"Both? Gabriel has two?" he asked.

"Yes. Mayura uses one different, the peacock one." she explained.

Félix was trying to keep up with the quantity of new information that he was receiving.

"Ok, but how are we going to steal them?" he asked.

"I know Gabriel has some sort of book about miraculous, I've seen it before." she whispered "But it was in code. I'm sure he must have some sort of decoded copy."

"Ok... but where?" he asked.

"Maybe in his cloud?" she proposed.

"I think that it would be too easy." he said.

"It's a good place to start looking." she argued.

After thinking about it, it was indeed a good place to start looking.

"Ok, but how do we get access to his e-mail?" he asked "I'm no hacker..."

She stood up and moved to a PC workstation. She wasn't a hacker... was she?

"I've read that the best way to get an e-mail password is something called 'Social Engineering'. " she said "You guess the password with your knowledge about the person."

"Ok, that sounds easy."

But the problems started long before the password. What was his e-mail? He wouldn't have something about his double life in his work e-mail.

"What is Adrien's e-mail?" asked Félix.

"He has two. One for comercial purposes called adriencomercialcontact@gabriel.com and other personal adrienagreste@gmail.com." she said

"Then Gabriel's must be gabrielagreste@gmail.com." Félix concluded.

"Ok, and the password?" asked her

Félix tried several. Dozens, hundreds... Since the more common "password", "123456" to more specific like "emilieandadrien" or his birthday.

It was by chance that Félix remembered something: the day Emilie disappeared. June 6 2015.

It wasn't "june6th2015" nor "662015" not even "junesixtwothousandfifteen". It ended up being "emilie662015". Bingo.

Lila, that was barely awake by then, almost screamed when the page accepted the password. No double verification, no strange IP detected... Gabriel was completely irresponsible with his online security. Too bad for him.

"Ok, let's see." mumbled Félix "E-mails... documents... pictures... vacations... guest list?"

He clicked in the guest list file to find out a long list of names. Gabriel should be preparing to hold a party or something.

Félix continued browsing through Gabriel's drive. Nothing suspicious. Until...

"The butterfly and the peacock - Emilie Agreste 2013" read Félix.

"Strange." said Lila "Open it."

Inside the folder there was three other folders. The names inspired confidence: "Book", "Butterfly" and "Peacock". The first folder had a giant pdf file with hundreds of pages of what looked like an old book with several notations.

"This is it!" said Lila, loud enough to have some college students shushing them and mumbling something about the library not being the place for dates "I'm positive this is the book I was talking about."

Félix downloaded the file and sent it to his own e-mail.

The other folders had images and text documents about the miraculous of the butterfly and the peacock. It seems that Emilie and Gabriel were trying to find out what gave them their powers. In the peacock one there was also a file called "medical report".

In it, a detailed document with the progressive health state of Emilie, beginning in the fall of 2013 and ending in the day June 6th of 2015 with a death certificate saying that Emilie Agreste had passed away in the Agreste Mansion in the dawn of that day. Félix felt bad, even that he and his mother already have reached the conclusion she was dead knowing for a fact that she indeed was... He made him think about his father... how could Adrien act so nice in such a situation.

"Because the fool still believes there is hope." he said to himself.

There was also a side note telling that the Peacock Miraculous was fixed and it was safe to wear again. At least it would be useful.

***

"What I don't get is how are we going to get an akuma in the first place." said Félix to his phone.

In the other side of the line, Lila was explaining to him for the fourth time the plan.

Gabriel would akumatize her soon, giving her back her powers. She would then cut the connection between the akuma and the butterfly miraculous just like the book explained and cast an illusion to look like she lost her akuma and wasn't Volpina anymore. Gabriel wouldn't suspect of nothing. Then, when the party comes, they would make Gabriel go to a private place and steal both miraculous with the help of Volpina.

"Ok... so... you take care of everything?" he asked mocking.

Lila sighted and replied something agreeing. The day was exhaustive. They wished each other a good night and then Félix hanged up the call. He picked his coat and went down to the canteen.

Now, a quick game of "would you rather." Would you rather seat with the group of emos that are always talking about emo stuff, a group of nerds that is always talking about games, series and books, a group of snob rich students that think that are superior to everyone else or with the group of a girl that has obviously a massive crush one you? Félix picked the last one.

Mia and the group would become Félix's default hang out group since they were the more normal yet interesting group. Mia having a big crush on him didn't make him feel uncomfortable. In fact, knowing that someone cared about him let him sleep at night peacefully, since his father was dead and buried and his mom in the other side of the English Channel.

"Hey, Mia." he greeted "May I seat?"

"Sure, Félix." she replied smilling.