She pulled away from the blonde, and gave a large, false smile. "Ahem. Sorry, Chlo, but I have to get out of here. I've been entirely traumatized by that horrible Agreste, and I need to go home and lie down! But hey, send me the project later, and I might look it over. Cover for me or else. Kisses!" Marinette tossed her hair, turning to leave the classroom. Honestly, some people were just too pathetic to bother with. Chloe was one of them.

She strode out, into the daylight. She knew she'd get in trouble if her parents found out she'd cut school, but that little do-gooder would never tell on her, would she?

"I might cancel your birthday party for this," she heard a voice say… Mr. Agreste? "I thought I raised you better than this."

"Great. I'll just sneak out and you know it, old man."

Was… was that Adrien's voice? Huh. She'd never heard him so… furious. Where were they?

"Then I'll lock you in your room. I don't like doing this, I hope you know that. As a parent though, I can't let you think it's okay to treat people like that."

"Yeah, and I can't wait until I'm eighteen and you can't legally keep me in Paris anymore!"

The car. The voices were coming from the car. Wait, was it Adrien's birthday? How… interesting. This could be a chance to cause chaos… AND annoy Gabriel Agreste. Anyone who her kitty didn't like, she'd always be up to piss off.

So it was settled. She'd break into the manor, and throw Adrien the party of the century. A party that, knowing her, and knowing that brat of a boy, nobody would ever forget.

…

Adrien sat in his room, bored and annoyed, when a girl dressed in black and white broke through his window, shattering glass all over the floor. She brushed herself off, smirking, and looked up, eyes widening when she noticed him watching her.

"Shit. This is your room, isn't it?" Miss Fortune asked, looking thoroughly disappointed.

He nodded slowly. This girl… honestly, she was already obsessed with Blanc. With his luck, she'd be a fan of "Adrien" too. "If you're here to screw me- in any way- I suggest you leave."

She laughed, tapping his nose. "As refreshing as that is to hear from you, I just came to wish you a happy birthday. And I was going to surprise you… but I suppose you can be let in on the trick. Basically, I'm going to kidnap some of your classmates, and tie up your dad, so you can have your pathetic little party. Won't that be nice?"

He tilts his head, reading her expression. There's no love there, or infatuation, like he sees constantly when transformed. Just... a kind of guilt. A subtle pinch at the corners of her eyes, a falter in her smile, something somebody who didn't know her wouldn't pick up on... What did she do?

"Explain. Now," he commands, using the voice just a hint lower and a touch softer than usual, the voice he uses to tell her that she had best be very careful with her next answer. She cringes reflexively, before blinking at him in confusion. "Well?"

"I... I mean, your dad's a dick. And I may have some responsibility partially a little bit for the way he blew up at you, so... I'm trying to fix that?"

He thinks for just a moment, before nodding. "Carry on with it. Kidnap them, and make the old man suffer a bit."

The grin on her face is astounding, almost beautiful, as she leaves, spinning that yo-yo of hers.

...

Nino isn't sure how he feels about being held hostage for his friend's birthday party.

On the one hand, supervillains kidnapped him. Well, one supervillain, he hasn't seen Blanc around.

On the other hand...

The party is pretty great. He's been chained to a DJ booth, and given unlimited tracks to play, not to mention Alya leaning over the table, and damn, that girl... she can lean over a table really, really well.

Still. The kidnapping bit is... awkward.

Miss Fortune also happens to be currently taunting the birthday boy, who seems very unamused by all this as he sips from a cup of something that is definitely alcoholic.

"It's a great party, yeah," Adrien admits. "But where's Marinette?"

"Couldn't get her," Fortune shrugs. "She punched me in the face."

Nino wonders why Fortune's nose isn't broken... Honestly, the party isn't something he's loving, what with the whole being-chained-up thing.

"What's the matter?" Alya asks. "I mean... other than the fact that we're probably all going to die unless Blanc comes to reign in his psycho, or the butterfly dude sends one of his Champions."

"Other than that?" Nino arches an eyebrow. "Damn, you're hard to piss off... unless it's me."

She shrugs, and... wait. Is that a butterfly?

Flying towards him?!

"Aw, shit, nonono, I am not a hero, you're making a mistake-"

The butterfly does not seem to care, flying into his cuffs, and breaking him out.

"Can you take on the forces of evil, my stray child?" the voice whispers to him.

Nino sighs. "You've got the wrong guy..."

"Nino Lahiffe."

"Damn. Okay, you've got the right guy. As long as it doesn't wreck the party, sure..."

...

Adrien groans, looking up as Freedom Fighter appears, blasting away the cages and chains the party was made of. "Do I actually have to fight on my birthday?"

Fortune glances at him. "I'm getting my kitty. We'll take care of this." She zooms off, leaving Adrien to slide inside, rolling his eyes, and mutter, almost to himself. "Transform me already..."