"What's your plan for today, Marinette?" Tikki sat on her shoulder, watching as Marinette stuffed her homework into her backpack.

"For what?"

"To get past Chloe. Remember what Alya said last night? She might be tough to get," Tikki commented. Marinette sighed.

"Girl, I can't believe Chloe turned out to be your target. If I'd known, I could have filled you in!"

"I didn't think that she was still in the game," Marinette replied tiredly, putting her phone on speaker before placing it on her desk in front of her.

"Same. Well, I wouldn't have guessed, but apparently, she's been bribing and threatening people for information. She had her assassins mapped out and was having them notify her when they either got out or changed targets. I heard she even threatened a few of her own targets. Sabrina's been stuck to her side as a loyal lookout."

"I can't believe she pulled all this off."

"What can I say? Determination is a powerful motivator. Bet she has her eye on that photoshoot. She's lucky she was never my target." Alya paused. "Or maybe I'm the lucky one. Anyways, good luck with her. I gotta go give my sisters a bath now; talk tomorrow?"

Marinette nodded out of habit, despite Alya not being able to see her.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

"Night, Mari."

"She may have information, but that's all she has. You can only do so much with that," Marinette replied. She pulled out the small container of cookies that she kept in her drawer before opening it and handing one to Tikki. The kwami accepted it gratefully and began nibbling. "I might just have a plan."

"And a backup plan?" Tikki asked.

Marinette nodded. "Always. Besides, my ankle feels a lot better today. I'm pretty sure I can run again. Just no hardcore moves."

"That's why rest is important. It was awfully nice of Chat to take over patrol," Tikki said. Marinette smiled. Just before patrol, she had received a message from Chat on her miraculous. Initially, she had groaned at the notification, assuming that it was an akuma alert. But it turned out to be just him insisting that she take the night off. She'd refused at first, but after multiple reassurances that he'd let her know as soon as he needed help and that he'd much rather she heal faster, she gave in and allowed him to do patrol alone that night. As a result, she could get more sleep than usual, something she was grateful for.

"Yeah. I hope he got enough sleep afterward, though. Solo patrols can take a while. Should I bring him some cookies tonight?"

"That sounds like a good idea," the kwami said. "What about croissants too?"

"Do you think he likes croissants?"

"I'm sure he'll love them," Tikki replied, smiling.

"Whoa, you're here early," Nino said in surprise, pausing in the doorway to double-check the time. "I didn't think you'd bother. Since Chloe has her guard dog and all."

Marinette grinned, looking up from her phone. "Surprised?"

"Very," he said, taking a seat. "Is the world coming to an end or something?"

She laughed. "Not exactly. I just want to try and surprise Chloe. I might as well shoot my shot. What about you?"

Nino rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, pulling out his notebook. "Didn't finish the homework yet. Thought I'd come in and do it now."

"Do you need help?" she offered, starting to pull her notebook out. But Nino shook his head.

"Nah, I'm good. For now, anyway. Thanks, though."

Marinette smiled, and Nino turned away, flipping through the pages of his book. There wasn't anyone else in the class yet, not even Chloe. Chloe usually never arrived early, according to Alya. Unlike the beginning of the week, hardly anyone still went out of their way to show up to school early just for the game. She checked the time.

Chloe should be showing up soon. Standing, she pulled out her boba straw and quietly moved to stand by the door, just out of sight. She gripped her straw in her right hand and held her phone in her left.

"Don't you think it's still a bit obvious?" Nino commented. He only glanced up at her as she moved and was furiously writing away, only stopping to flip the pages of his textbook that he had opened.

Marinette shrugged. "Worth a try." She glanced at her phone.

"Want me to give you a heads up if I see her?"

She smiled. "Sure. If you don't mind."

He returned her smile with a grin. "I'll pretend to cough if I happen to see her or Sabrina coming. They always come in together."

Marinette nodded, and she tightened her hold on her straw just a bit. If everything went well, Chloe would be out by the time class started. All she had to do now was wait.

She didn't have to wait long. Not ten minutes passed before Nino gave a small cough, his eyes focused on his notebook. Only Rose and Mylene were the other ones in the room now, and they looked up curiously, having been told about Marinette's plan to take down Chloe.

Marinette nodded. But she didn't move closer to the doorway just yet. She glanced down at her phone.

"Adrikins?" Chloe's surprised voice from the hallway rang loud enough for the room to hear. Nino looked up from his notebook in surprise, his eyes flashing to Marinette.

"Hey, Chloe." She could hear the smile in his greeting, a smile that caught her off guard far too often. Luckily for her, she wasn't the only one who he had that effect on, and the relaxed tone of Chloe's next words confirmed it.

"What are you doing here so early?"

"I kinda wanted to see who was still in the game," he replied.

"Aw, you don't have to worry about that. I'm the one who's going to win, after all. Of course, you can always cheer me on," Chloe purred. Nino pretended to gag.

"I don't mind cheering you on if you make it to the final round."

"Of course I will. Don't worry about that Adrikins," Chloe said sweetly. Marinette didn't need to be able to see them to know that Chloe was batting her eyelashes at Adrien as she said this. "And then we'll be able to go on that date together!"

"Er, photoshoot," Adrien corrected.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. It's not like we're going to be posing the whole time, right?"

"We probably just have to get a certain number of pictures. If we finish early, we might be able to have some free time."

"Perfect." Chloe paused. "Say, Adrikins, have you gotten your target out yet?"

There was the slightest hesitation in Adrien's voice. "Which one?"

"Aw, don't be shy. I know who your target is. And your target after that...you'd let me—Adrien?"

Chloe's voice cut off in a gasp, a sound that Marinette took as her cue. Not wasting a moment, she jumped out from behind the corner, ignoring the sharp pang in her ankle. Adrien grasped Chloe in a tight hug in front of her, simultaneously pinning her arms at her side. Sabrina stood only a few feet away, her eyes wide as she covered her mouth in her surprise, unsure if she should be helping her friend or not. It was this uncertainty that delayed her notice of her friend's assassin as Marinette lunged forward with her straw outstretched in her right hand. As Sabrina started to move towards her friend out of reflex, the pointed tip of Marinette's straw made contact with Chloe's shoulder, startling the blonde into craning her head over to look at her shoulder in shock just as Sabrina's hand came to smack the straw away a full second too late.

The straw fell to the floor, innocently bouncing away as Chloe and Sabrina would only stare after it in matching open-mouthed shock.

For a split second, there was silence. Then, an ear-piercing screech tore through the air, almost startling Adrien enough to let go.

"Marinette, you are so dead!"

Marinette held her hand up defensively, automatically stepping back as Chloe lunged towards her, straining against Adrien's hold as the blonde clawed at the air where her face was a moment ago.

"Chloe, calm down. It's just a game," Adrien tried to reason with her, his hold on the girl surprisingly firm even as she writhed against his arms.

"It is not 'just a game!'" Chloe's eyes narrowed, her head whipping around to look at Adrien. "You! You were working with her?!"

Adrien winced, the accusation stinging him. But he nodded.

"Why?!" Chloe all but growled at Adrien, completely forgetting about Marinette for the time being. Adrien's arms dropped warily, and he instead held them palm out in front of him. He shrugged.

"I don't really have a reason…"

"You would choose someone like her over me?!" By now, Nino, Mylene, and Rose had all stuck their heads out of the classroom to watch. The students in the hallway had also stopped to see what all the commotion was about.

Sabrina hesitantly took a step toward her friend.

"U-Um, Chloe…"

"Shut up!" Sabrina flinched as Chloe threw a glare at her, immediately looking down in response.

"How is she," Chloe stuck her finger at Marinette. "Better than me?!"

At this, Adrien straightened up. "How is she any worse than you?"

Chloe's glare sharpened on Adrien. It was the first time Marinette had ever seen the girl gaze upon Adrien with such fury before; usually, she saved that for someone such as Marinette or someone else equally unfortunate to earn her wrath. Just before Chloe could snap out a retort, however, Ms. Mendeliev's voice pierced through the air.

"Chloe Bourgeois, you better have an excellent reason to be screeching your head off like a banshee in the hallway!"

The students spun to face the rapidly approaching science teacher. Nino, Mylene, and Rose immediately ducked their heads back into the room, and the handful of students that had paused to watch the impromptu show quickly dispersed. Chloe hesitated. Although even the principal often caved into Chloe's bullying, Ms. Mendeliev was another story. Just as quick to anger and usually coming off as borderline rude, the teacher never once completely caved to Chloe, something that the blonde learned rather quickly into the year. Still, that didn't mean that the girl always gave up without a fight.

"Marinette—"

"Marinette, what? What could she have possibly done to justify this?" The woman's eyes fell on the fallen boba straw, and her gaze sharpened dangerously. "For your sake, I would hope that your reason isn't in any way related to losing this silly game."

Chloe's face reddened. "It is not a 'silly—'"

"Were any rules broken?"

"No, but—"

"Then no excuses," Ms. Mendeliev snapped. She pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing in irritation. "Really, this whole thing is an unnecessary and childish waste of time. What the principal was thinking when starting this game, I have no idea. All of you get to your classes. If I hear so much as a single more disturbance from any of you, I'll be doubling the homework assignments for this week. Understand?"

Chloe bristled at the woman's words. "How dare you, my father—"

"—is the mayor and should be ashamed that his daughter threatens her way through school. If you want to be anything like your mother one day, you will do well to stop relying on him for every little thing that upsets you," Ms. Mendeliev snapped. Her glare matched Chloe's intensity, and the two locked eyes with each other, both refusing to step down. Finally, Chloe let out an irritated growl and looked away, flipping her hair as she did so.

"Whatever. This whole thing is ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous. It's not like I needed a stupid photo shoot anyway. Only common people need stuff like that; I can just buy my way into one. Here." Chloe glared at Marinette as she tossed her scrap of paper at Marinette, the paper folded densely enough to pelt Marinette in the chest before falling to the floor.

"Come on, Sabrina, we're going." She then turned on her heel, not even glancing to see if Sabrina was following as she stalked down the hallway, her loyal friend scurrying after her.

As the two girls turned the corner and disappeared from view, Ms. Mendeliev gave another sharp sigh, this time partly from exhaustion. Then she narrowed her eyes at Adrien and Marinette.

"Well? Did you two not hear me when I said to get to your class?"

Both of them jolted, too preoccupied with watching the showdown that had just happened. They nodded, quickly retreating into the classroom and into their seats, with Marinette swiftly bending to pick up her new target assignment before doing so. When they were sure that the woman had left, Nino was the first to break the silence.

"Yo, y'all got Chloe out! Congrats!" Nino said, a wide grin breaking upon his face. "Didn't think that you dudes could actually do it; heck, I didn't even know you two teamed up. Adrien, did you think of this?"

"Hm?" Adrien looked up from his phone, distractedly typing before locking it and placing it on the table in front of him. "Sorry, what was that?"

Nino lightly smacked Adrien's shoulder. "I ask, are you the one who decided to team up with Marinette?"

"Yeah. Marinette's the one who does the planning, though," the model replied with an easy smile. His eyes flickered to Marinette, causing the girl to turn a deep shade of pink. She felt her phone buzz in her pocket but ignored it, too focused on giving Adrien the least awkward smile she could manage.

"T-Thank you for helping. I'm sorry that Chloe ended up yelling at you…" she said apologetically. Adrien waved aside her apology.

"Nah, don't worry about it."

"Oh yeah, by the way, who's your target now?" Nino asked. "Y'know, now that you got Chloe out and all."

"Um, I'm not sure…" Marinette dug into her pants pocket where she had stuffed her new target assignment. She pulled it out now, carefully keeping it under the table. It was pretty late into the game now, and most people have already been assassinated; the right information falling into the wrong hands could still easily swing the tide out of her favor. She trusted most of her classmates who had started to arrive, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

The sharp ringing of her phone cut through the air, and she instinctively fumbled for her phone. Alya's face popped up on the screen, and she frowned. Did something happen?

"Hello?"

"Okay, girl, listen to me carefully. Where are you now?" Alya's breathless voice came through. In the background, she heard bits and pieces of the conversations of students.

"The classroom? Why?"

"Is Adrien there?"

She glanced over at him. "Yeah, why?"

"Did you get Chloe out?"

"Yeah. Can you tell me what's going on?"

"Okay, okay. So, don't freak out—if you got Chloe out, only two people are remaining in our grade. As annoying as she is, she's been a bit busy after school yesterday."

"Okay…Who are they?"

"No, girl, you're not understanding me. Two people remain, including you."

Marinette frowned. "That can't be right. Adrien still has a target."

"Yeah, he does."

"..."

"Girl, I'm trying to tell you that you two are the last ones. Adrien was my assassin yesterday. You have like three minutes before he actively tries to kill you. Meet you in the first-floor restroom; I'll fill you in."

As soon as Alya hung up, after stressing that Marinette had two minutes now to skedaddle, Marinette muttered an excuse to Adrien and Nino before all but running out of the classroom with her assignment paper still clutched tightly within her hand. Neither Adrien nor Nino questioned her on her sudden departure; if anything, the boys seemed to have expected it. Adrien offered a smile, but Marinette quickly looked away before she could meet his eyes.

"So here's the deal. Yesterday morning, there were a total of thirteen people left in the game. Today, there were three. Now two. What does that tell you?"

"People are dying off rapidly?" Marinette guessed. Alya tossed her hair impatiently. The two stood off to the side by the restroom door, just far away enough so that it was clear that the two weren't waiting on a stall. There weren't many girls who came in, and the few who did merely gave the pair a curious glance before going to do their business.

"Well, yes. But how?"

Marinette frowned. "What do you mean how?"

Alya sighed. "Marinette, I've cross-checked all of my sources. Especially during lunch yesterday. Seven people were confirmed to have been killed off by Adrien yesterday, Marinette. Seven. That means that at least more than half of the total kills yesterday were by Adrien. That's overkill, even given his apparent skill in Assassin. If this were online gaming, the rest of the school would be calling him a hacker."

Alya pulled out her phone and swiped a few times before handing it to Marinette.

"Look, I made a spreadsheet of my findings. The ones in green have at least two witnesses who could confirm that Adrien killed that target. The ones in yellow, including my former assassin, were killed when they were alone. I'm not confirming them as his kills since I want to be sure. But look at the rough times of the kills. Adrien's been going after the targets nonstop all of a sudden yesterday. Like yeah, he's been steadily knocking off targets kinda like a pastime, but something changed. It's like he has motivation now."

Alya took her phone back, swiping once again before handing it back. This time, it was a text message conversation. With a start, Marinette realized that it was Alya's text history with Adrien.

"I found out about Adrien being my assassin during lunch yesterday. I mean, yeah, I was super happy when Adrien was suddenly all buddy-buddy with you in this game yesterday, but I chalked it up to him feeling bad about your ankle. However, it still didn't seem like the whole story. Adrien must have known that he would work his way down to me if he killed enough, and eventually, you. Luckily, I had information on my side. Plus, I knew that Adrien knew that I wouldn't be easy even if I didn't know he was after me. So I bargained."

Hey Adrien...heard I'm your target. Lol

Adrien, don't you dare leave me on read

Why would you think that?

A little birdie told me. We both know that I'm gonna give you a hard time now that I know. But I wanna make a deal

What kind of deal?

I'll let you kill me if you don't try and kill off Marinette yet. Keep helping her until it's just you two left in the game. I'm pretty sure Chloe's going to somehow kill off all the targets between you and her by tomorrow so numbers will be going down fast. But once it's just you and Marinette, you have to let me know asap and have a five minute break between Chloe's death and you starting to go after Mari

What's stopping me from hunting you down anyway without doing all of that?

I can always tell Marinette now and I'll be your hardest target yet. Plus, I won't even tell Marinette that you are my assassin until it's only you two. Pinky promise

Why are you helping me?

Even if it's just for the game, I'm happy that you're suddenly spending more time with her. I can't guarantee escaping you, but at least this way I can get something out of this game for sure. Do we have a deal?

Yeah

Good, I'll come find you and you can poke me.

"And then I let him get me at the end of lunch. He acted as your lookout for me and pretended to loudly greet me as soon as I gave him my target paper. I filled Nino in so he would help watch Adrien when I wasn't around." Alya took her phone once again and slipped it back into her pocket. "Look, I know this seems like I don't trust your ability to win. I do. It's just we know that you can be a little too trusting sometimes. I mean, you came down here to meet me. Like, girl, what if I lied about being out?" Aya spread her arms.

Marinette took a wary step back.

"Relax, girl, I'm actually out. But my part in this is done. Now it's on you to get Adrien. Given his track record in this game so far, he won't be easy. Do you have a plan?" Alya looked at Marinette expectedly.

Marinette pursed her lips. "I...I don't know. I never thought that…"

"It's a lot to take in," Alya admitted. "I know. But now that I'm out, I got your back."

Alya's eyes shone earnestly, and any feelings of betrayal from her deception vanished from Marinette.

"...and I'm sure you're all working hard on your projects. For those who are still just starting out on them, I recommend keeping what we discussed last class in mind while choosing a topic. Of course, I am available after class if anyone needs help." Ms. Bustier dusted the chalk off her hands and surveyed the class. "Now, moving onto another topic. It has come to my attention that we have a couple of people in this class who are still in the game. The last two in our grade, in fact."

Murmurs broke out throughout the classroom, and the teacher held up her hand, smiling. In the corner, Chloe crossed her arms, her face souring.

"Now, I am sure that you all already know who these two are—"

Kim raised his hand. "Ms. Bustier, how do you know?"

The woman laughed. "We teachers are not as oblivious to the game as you all seem to think. Now, today is Friday, the last day of assassin week. Tomorrow, we ask that finalists from every grade meet up here at noon for the showdown between all grades. However, our grade and one other still has multiple people left. If there has not been a final winner of our grade determined before tomorrow, please come in an hour earlier for a preliminary match to determine who will be participating in the match with the other grades."

"If any friends would like to come to watch, they are welcome to do so. However, most of the building itself will be reserved as the grounds for the match. Unfortunately, tomorrow is the only day that we will be able to open the building for the game, so if anyone is unable to make it for any reason, they will have to forfeit."

"Finally, another faculty member would like me to pass on the reminder that this is ultimately a game. Winning and losing cannot exist without the other, and good sportsmanship is important no matter what game you are playing. Please refrain from causing a scene or taking losses personally." A few people coughed in the back of the room, their hands barely hiding their poorly suppressed smirks. Chloe's ears reddened, and she harrumphed, crossing her legs and turning her nose up.

"Now, because we have only a bit of time left and it's Friday, I thought that we could give our two final players a chance to have a little time to head start their own match before tomorrow without the afterschool crowd in their way. Adrien, Marinette, please pack up your bags. Adrien, once you're ready, please stand at the front door here." Ms. Bustier gestured to the door on her right. "Marinette, please stand by the back door."

Murmurs broke out once more in excitement, with some students such as Alya immediately pulling out their phones at the ready. Marinette fumbled with her books, messily shoving them into her bag. In comparison, Adrien calmly slung his bag over his shoulder, his books having already been packed prior to Ms. Bustier's announcement. By the time Marinette made her way to her designated door in the back of the room, Adrien was already standing by his door, patiently waiting. Marinette's slight limp while walking to the back did not go unnoticed by Ms. Bustier, however.

"Marinette, are you injured?"

Marinette jumped a bit at the question, but before she could reply, Alya raised her hand.

"That was my fault, Ms. Bustier. Marinette twisted her ankle a bit while I was hunting her."

Ms. Bustier frowned thoughtfully. "Are you sure you want to do this, Marinette? I wouldn't want you to hurt your ankle anymore…"

"I'm okay!" Marinette said quickly. "It's almost healed, really!"

"I don't mind giving her a head start," Adrien cut in, smiling at Marinette then at Ms. Bustier.

"Are you sure, Adrien?"

Adrien nodded. "I was there when she tripped; I would feel guilty if her ankle got worse because of me."

"If you're sure...then, how does half a minute sound?" Ms. Bustier suggested. Adrien nodded, smiling. She clapped her hands together. "Good, now that that's settled, we can begin. Everyone else, please stay in your seats for now. Class is dismissed when both have left the room. Max, do you mind having Markov setting the timer for us? Marinette, are you ready?"

They both nodded.

"Alright. Now on my mark. Three…"

"Two." The class joined in, nearly everyone except for Chloe forgoing their packing to join the chant.

"One…"

"Go!"

Marinette didn't pause to look at the rest of the class or her assassin target; she dashed out just as Markov announced, "Initiating countdown. Thirty…"

With a little more than five minutes left before the bell, the hallways were nearly empty, save for a few students who were already hurrying out the door, eager to start their weekend. Others lingered by classrooms, waiting for friends who were yet to be released. Only a few looked up curiously as she ran past.

There were two main exits to the school. Adrien would probably expect her to go for the front entrance as it was the one closest to her house. However, she wasn't confident that she would be able to make it to her house without him catching up to her. She could hide out in the girl's restroom on the first floor, but it would only take one of his fans letting him know that they saw her go in there for him to know to camp out the entrance until she had to come out. She needed a spot that was close by an exit for a getaway if one was needed…

A spot close by an exit…

She turned sharply, ignoring her ankle's protest at the spin. There were about fifteen seconds left. With luck, she would be able to be out of sight just as he starts.

The art wing was nearly empty when she made her way down it. Art was considered an elective class, and most schedules were set up so that electives were either in the morning or early afternoon. The only students in the classrooms now were those who were setting up for a club or helping teachers out. Most students forget about the whole wing altogether after taking their required elective courses, and because of this, the one-way exit behind a corner at the very end of the wing was often left unused. It was not the exit she was heading for, however. Although, anyone who saw her come this way would naturally assume it was and would let Adrien know if he asked. Instead, she ducked into the classroom next to it, closing the door behind her.

"Ms. Ro!"

The older woman looked up in surprise, just having uncovered her computer to start to work on grades. No one else was in the classroom and all the stools were stacked onto their tables neatly with damp cloths hanging over them to dry.

"Marinette?"

"I'm so sorry to barge in; I was wondering if I would stay here for a little bit? I'm one of the last two still in the game, and I need a place to hide. I can help you clean on Monday," Marinette offered apologetically.

The woman smiled. "Of course. It's no problem; I will just be here grading anyway. Stay as long as you need."

"Thank you so much," Marinette said gratefully, taking off her backpack and setting it on the floor next to the doorway. She wedged the wooden doorstop between the door and the frame, keeping it open by just a couple of inches. Her boba straw, which she had tucked away safely into her pocket during her run, now ready in her hands. Her phone vibrated.

Ooh, girl. Keep your phone on silent cus imma be stalking Adrien for you. He's on the first floor now and asking people about where you went. Did you go home?

Oh, nope. Guess you didn't. He's heading to the back?

Mari, tell me you did not go to the back entrance.

Art wing? Oooo, the art exit? Smart. Glgl

She put away her phone. Adrien should be coming up any second now. Marinette stepped out of sight just behind the crack of the propped door. She couldn't hear any footsteps, but Adrien had to be nearby if Alya's texts of Adrien's location were accurate.

She nearly let out a squeak when the door creaked open towards her. She quickly stepped backward, closer to the wall before it could hit her.

"Excuse me, have you seen someone with pink pants come through here?"

Marinette held her breath as Adrien spoke. Luckily, the boy did not stick his head further than the door inside the room as he asked. She looked at Ms. Ro, frantically shaking her head. Fortunately, Ms. Ro caught her eye just as she was about to answer.

"No, sorry. Maybe she went outside?"

She tightened her hold on her straw. This would probably be her best chance. Before she could grow too nervous, Marinette crept towards the door with her boba straw at the ready but still out of sight.

"Ah, okay. Thank you."

The very moment that the door started to close again, Marinette leaped into motion. With her free hand, she gripped the door and held it fast as her straw darted blindly forward. Instead of coming into contact with anything, however, her outstretched hand only met air, and before she could react, an iron grip caught her wrist and yanked her forward from behind the door and out into the hallway. At the same time, a sharp pressure on her wrist tendon forced her to drop her straw. Marinette just barely avoided hitting her face on the door as she yelped in surprise, falling into Adrien's chest. He caught her, wrapping his free arm around her body to keep her pinned to him as his other hand maintained its hold on her wrist.

"A-Adrien?" Marinette squeaked, her breath nearly caught in her throat. She could feel his heartbeat almost as fast as her own, and for a moment, she allowed herself to enjoy the warmth of his body against hers. But this was a game, and she had a prize to win.

Without warning, she brought her foot down upon him with all the strength she could muster, mentally wincing at the thought of how much his shoes alone were worth. She heard Adrien gasp, and his hold on her loosened. She shoved him away from her and made a dive to the floor, reaching for her straw. His grip on her wrist never loosened, however, and it only took him a moment to recover before tightening his hold on her wrist almost to the point where it was painful. Her fingers were nearly touching her fallen straw, unable to move any further because of his hold on her. From the corner of her eye, she could see that he had taken out his own straw with his other hand and she silently swore.

As a last-ditch effort, she strained a final time for her straw, and to her surprise, his hold suddenly loosened, allowing her to dip down that last few inches. She wasted no time in swiping at his legs which the model made no move to avoid. Instead, he carefully pulled her back upright.

He grinned widely, an expression that was so different from his usual carefully practiced model smile that Marinette couldn't help but stare. It wasn't like she had never seen him grin before, but there was something familiar about it, something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"...nette."

"Er...what?"

Adrien chuckled. "I said, congratulations, Marinette. You got me."

He let go of her, putting his straw away in his pocket. She took a step back warily.

"Um, is this a trick?"

He spread his hands innocently. "There's no trick. Your straw touched me. You won. Aren't you happy?"

"I…I-I mean..."

"Anyway, I need to go before my driver gets worried. And you should probably tell that teacher you're okay." Adrien nodded towards the now-closed door to the ceramics room. "I'll see you later, Marinette."

"U-Uh, yeah. See you?"

Adrien flashed her one last smile before turning and leaving.

"What...just happened?"

"I don't get it Tikki…" Marinette twirled her pencil absentmindedly, her head resting on her palm. Her English homework nearly finished save for a brief summary she had to write on a short passage that just was not sticking. She finally gave up, setting her pencil down with a frown. "He definitely had multiple chances to get me out."

"Maybe he just wasn't motivated? The prize is coming from his own father after all," Tikki suggested. The kwami sat idly on her shoulder, finishing off the last of the cookie crumbs from dinner.

"He was plenty motivated earlier. You heard what Alya said."

"Well, what does he have to gain from you winning?"

"I don't know," Marinette groaned. "That's what I've been trying to figure out. I mean, other than cash, the prize is a photoshoot date with him. But even then, that prize is optional. He doesn't know what I will choose. What if I choose money? Oh no, does he think I'm poor?"

"I don't think he thinks you're poor, Marinette…" Tikki suppressed a giggle. "Well, what if he wants you to choose the date?"

Marinette blushed. "It's a photoshoot, Tikki. He made it clear that he only saw it as a photo shoot."

"Pish, posh. It's basically a date. That's the only thing that would make sense. He has nothing else to gain. He even helped you get Chloe out and got Alya out for you. He wanted you to win."

"I'm just his classmate, Tikki. Like, sure, maybe we're friends. But that's it. Maybe he was just nice."

Tikki poked her cheek. "Alya is his friend too, and he chose you over her. Doesn't that mean something?"

Marinette shook her head, her cheeks burning now. "I-I don't know. There has to be another reason. He probably just felt bad about my ankle."

"Now you're just lying to yourself," Tikki said teasingly. The kwami floated off her shoulder, settling down on her head instead. "Give yourself more credit. You're confident when you're 'Ladybug.' You can be confident as 'Marinette' too."

"I just don't want to get my hopes up for nothing," Marinette sighed. "Ladybug doesn't have to worry about these things. These are civilian problems. All Ladybug has to do is keep Paris safe during akuma attacks and patrols—ack, patrols! What time is it?"

Tikki flew off Marinette's head as the girl leaped to her feet and scrambled for her phone. She looked at the screen, calming just a tad. "Oh, thank goodness, there's still time."

"Good thing you prepared the thermos early," the kwami said, circling her bag.

Marinette laughed. "I learned after the first two times of being late. Are you ready, Tikki?"

The kwami nodded.

"Tikki, spots on!"

Ladybug twirled her yoyo absentmindedly, sitting on her usual ledge as she waited for Chat to finish. She had just returned from patrolling her area of the city, and it should not be long before Chat was finished as well. No doubt, he would try and surprise her again. She'd given him a hint about how she caught him most times so she was expecting something different this time. She welcomed the challenge, complacency dulled skill and it was time to mix the routine up a bit. And right on time, a flash of silver below her caught her eye. A moment later, Chat shot up from the street, coming face-to-face with her, riding his extended baton. His grin faded a degree when her expression stayed neutral, and she merely tapped him on the nose.

"Next time, kitty."

He pouted. "Really? You weren't surprised at all?"

"Your baton is silver. And shiny. The streetlights gave it away when you took it out."

Chat sighed, hopping onto the ledge next to her and retracting his baton before putting it away again. She offered him a cup of hot chocolate, and he took it gratefully. He was a few sips in when she pulled out a tupperware of fresh croissants as well. His eyes lit up, and he took a deep breath of appreciation as she opened the lid.

"My lady, have I ever told you that you're an actual angel on earth?"

"Mm, once in a while." She poured herself a cup of hot chocolate and sipped it appreciatively. It was frigid tonight, and although their suits were warmer than they looked, her face was still chilled from the night breeze. "How was patrol?"

"The usual. Nothing worth noting. How is your ankle?"

"Almost completely healed. Thanks for taking over patrol last night, by the way. I think I really did need that rest."

"Anything for my purrincess," Chat said, grinning. He reached for another croissant, already on his second. "How many do you want?"

"You can eat them all. I'm just about sick of them by now," she laughed as his grin grew even impossibly wider. By the time she finished her drink, Chat was polishing off the last of the croissants, his empty mug next to him. He sat back, eyes lidded in contentment.

"It must be nice living with so much delicious food around all the time," he said lazily.

"Yeah, I suppose so." She answered casually, but the mention of her civilian life immediately put her on guard. "You get sick of it after a while, though."

Chat chuckled. "At least you're free to eat it. I'd be lucky to even see a cookie at home. And croissants are few and far in between for me. Anyways, how's that game you were playing going?"

"It's alright," she answered vaguely.

Chat seemed to pause, and she thought that was the end of the conversation. She moved to collect his cup and the now-empty Tupperware.

"Just alright?"

"I-what?" She frowned. Chat was usually pretty good about knowing when to stop his questioning into her personal life. It's been a long while since he went further after she hinted that the subject be dropped.

He looked at her now, smiling. "I mean, did anything new happen?"

"Not really."

He cocked his head, looking deceptively innocent. "So, did you win?"

"Chat, I don't want to talk about this."

He sighed. "Would it be so bad if we knew who we were? We could help each other and—"

"It's too dangerous, Chat. We've been over this. Many times," she said firmly, shaking her head.

"Well, what if I just tell you who I am? You don't have to tell me who you—"

"Chat. Enough." She stood up, stuffing both their mugs away into her bag. "We're not changing what we have now."

"Why not?" Chat challenged, taking her back. He held her gaze, unflinching as he stood up as well. "Yes, it might be more dangerous if we know each other's identity. But we can be stronger together as well. What if something serious happened to us as civilians? We're not invincible. Being superheroes is only a part of our lives. You call us partners, but if you're gone one day, I would be the last to find out. Do you want me to slowly realize after you just stop showing up to patrols, or when your kwami brings me your earrings?"

His words cut her heart, and for once, she was at a complete loss. The usual cat grin that Chat sported was now gone, his lips pressed into a thin line as if he was stopping himself from saying more. His eyes had a shine to them, and his fists were clenched so tightly at his sides that For a minute, neither said a thing. Then Chat turned away, his gaze falling away from her as he held himself.

"I'm sorry. I went too far. I'll see you tomorrow, Ladybug."

"Chat, wait—"

She reached out to him, but before she could even touch him, he turned and lept off the building, and within seconds, he was gone.