The college was abuzz with excitement and chatter as everyone gathered in the atrium with piles upon piles of boxes surrounding them. The labels stated everything from 'Life sized skeletons' to 'Halloween themed paper plates and napkins'.

Ms. Bustier stood at the top of the staircase, clipboard in hand and Marinette by her side. His friend looked all business, and Adrien couldn't help the added excitement of being involved in such an event. When Marinette had asked him to join the committee for the dance, there was no way he was saying 'no'. He loved Halloween, and this was the first time he was allowed to be involved in his friends' plans.

"Adrien," Marinette suddenly announced. "You'll be with Nino and Kim in charge of making me thirsty — I mean — stopping people from being thirsty." A small squeak left her lips before she tried again. "What I'm trying to say is, you will be at the drink stand." She dropped him a smile, which he proudly returned and watched fondly as her cheeks tinted in a beautiful shade of pink. He was starting to wonder what it was with this blush; it seemed to be more responsive to him than his father was.

As Marinette continued calling out everyone's jobs for the evening, Adrien took the time to look around at those in the decorating committee scurrying around with paper chains and streamers. As much as Marinette and Chloé didn't get on, the two of them working together on this event had been the perfect combination. Chloé decorated whilst Marinette arranged. A match totally made in hell.

The atrium to the collége had been completely transformed into a haunted mansion-esque room. There had been a horror maze erected, a dancefloor, a banqueting table (where Adrien would be supplying beverages) and scare actors. No fearful expense had been spared.

A fuzz began in his stomach. He was so excited he thought he was going to explode. Adrien had always been a fan of Halloween, but the added excitement came from the final announcement on Marinette's clipboard of chaos.

"And finally, the costume contest will take place around 9pm, just before the end of the evening, so if you're wearing makeup I suggest a quick coating of hairspray before you leave your house, or bringing it with you for a top up. See you all at 5pm."

The crowd broke into applause, Marinette making her way down the staircase and over to Alya. He couldn't take his eyes from her. He loved watching her when she was in control; the way she thrived from planning was the exact reason he called her their 'everyday Ladybug'. She just oozed that self righteousness only seen with Superheroes, and he couldn't help but wish he could see it more often.

The girls made their way out of the atrium and in the general direction of Marinette's place. He knew for a fact they were having a girlie evening together, an opportunity arising with his best friend, which he was certainly going to take.

"You want me to do what?" Nino gasped, looking at Adrien as though he'd just told him to get down on all fours and eat dog food.

"Come on man, it's not that big a deal!"

Adrien grabbed his bag and slung it over his head, the object of Nino's exasperation hid deeply inside.

"Not that big a deal? You do realise your hair's insured for a quarter of a million euros and your pops is just waiting for an excuse to send me to jail." They began to make their way out of the school and towards the street, Adrien's car absent from its usual place at the curb.

They stood still at the bottom of the stairs, Nino's eyes looking as though they were about to bulge out of his sockets.

"It's just a simple spray in and wash out dye. I read the reviews and everything. It'll be fine!"

"Dude, I love you man, but this is just asking too much. I have a good life going for me, I can't end up in a juvenile detention centre. Alya would never marry a convict."

Adrien swallowed down a laugh. Nino was being ridiculously dramatic. It wasn't like he was asking him to commit a felony for him, it was barely anything.

"It's a hair dye, Nino! I'm not asking you to kill anyone for me."

"Hair today... piercings next... then along comes a tattoo. Goodbye world! It was nice knowing you."

Nino placed the back of his hand to his head looking more like a Shakespearean dame than anything else.

"Don't be so dramatic!" Adrien laughed, jabbing Nino in the arm.

"Don't dye your hair green!" Nino retorted back, punching Adrien harder and causing him to do some sort of spin. Adrien placed a hand over where he was sure a bruise was already forming and rolled his eyes.

He rubbed his arm up and down, attempting his next weapon against Nino. His kitten eyes.

Nino seemed to lose some of the tension in his shoulders as he crossed his arms and looked out over the street.

"So, what are you going to call yourself 'fake Chat Noir'."

"No way! I'll be known as Claw Noir."

After thinking long and hard about what costume to wear to the party, Adrien was torn between two choices. Cat Walker and Claw Noir. Noone had seen Cat Walker apart from his lady, and Claw Noir was limited to only his Lady and Alya. Though he knew he was playing with fire when it came to Alya, he also had a little back up plan just in case she came after him. He would deny it at all costs.

"That's shit!" Nino exclaimed, looking back at Adrien as though he'd lost his mind.

"I actually think it's quite cool."

"You think cheese in a can is cool."

"And?"

Adrien started coughing, covering up the sound of his kwami's voice as it floated, indignantly, out of Adrien's over shirt.

The cough grew stronger as Plagg's whines grew stronger, Adrien smacking himself in the chest as a means to shutting the furball up.

Plagg loved gooey, sticky, French cheese, but he was also a little whore and cheated on his Camembert with cheese in a can, an addiction the kwami got caught up on during Adrien's latest trip to America. It had become the little god's catnip.

A sigh passed through Nino's lips as he began to walk in the direction of Adrien's house.

"Fine! Let's go."

As Nino continued down the street, Adrien chased after him and jumped in front.

"Where are you going?"

Doing a weird square dance, Adrien and Nino did some sort of weird little side to side movement, the DJ attempting to make way around Adrien and onto the Agreste mansion.

"To your house." Nino tried to step around him, continuing his way to the destination... the wrong destination.

"I don't think so. My fathers at home," Adrien said, stopping Nino from moving any further forwards.

" Exactly!" Nino announced, like it was the meaning of life.

"We're going to have a slumber party at yours!" Adrien announced, crossing his arms and smiling at his friend.

"We're not girls, dude."

Carefully swinging an arm around Nino's shoulder, he turned them both in the opposite direction, walking past the collége's entrance in the direction of Nino's home.

"We may as well be," Adrien laughed, "you're doing my hair after all."

*****

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Alya looked into the mirror at Marinette's reflection, the dye sitting on random places in her hair, causing the strands to reflect in the light.

Marinette was sitting in front of the sink in her bedroom room, wet patches in her hair and a towel wrapped around her neck. Attractive by all standards.

"Of course! When Shady and Claw appeared it was late at night and no one saw them. You're the only one who did."

Marinette thought she had the most perfect costume this year, she was technically going as herself but with a little 'evil' upgrade.

"And what if Chat Noir sees you?" Alya asked.

Marinette shrugged, she was quite sure it wouldn't be anything to worry about. She'd been watching Chat Noir make his way home from patrol for the past couple of days and it seemed he was going in a completely different direction to the collége so there was no way he would go to theirs.

"I'm quite sure Chat Noir doesn't go to our school," Marinette stated, watching carefully as Alya continued to add more red dye into her hair.

"How do you know? He could be in our class!"

"Please, Alya! We're the Akuma class, everyone has been akumatised in it," Marinette stated. She stood from her seat and made her way over to her closest, finding out her outfit for the evening and placing it on the chaise lounge. She'd worked long and hard to get the accents on the leotard just right.

"All except 2." Alya raised an eyebrow as she turned to Marinette and perched herself on the back of the vacated chair. Her friend's look seemed all knowing and slightly demonic.

"2? Me and who else?" she queried.

Alya stared for a couple of seconds before sighing and pushing herself away from the chair. As she stepped closer towards Marinette, she grabbed a picture from the wall and held it in front of her face.

" Hey Marinette!" Alya attempted to speak in Adrien's voice, causing the fiery streaked heroine to snatch the picture and replace it on the wall and smoothing out the wrinkles.

"That's because he is so pure and wonderful," she said, stroking over his face again. "Why would he ever be akumatised?"

"Well, with a father like his, I'd never say never!" Alya stated.

While Marinette couldn't disagree with that, there was just no way her sweet and wholesome Adrien would get to a point of emotions strong enough to be taken advantage of.

"What would his power be? Turning everyone into sunshine and rainbows."

"I was thinking about him having hidden resentment and maybe he would make all the bad fathers in the world disappear — including his own," Alya said, nonchalantly.

Marinette snorted. "Yeah — or, maybe he'd blow up the moon."

A sudden unease washed over her, her veins circulating ice. Where had that come from? and why was that thought linked to Adrien? Ripping her eyes from the picture, she moved away and back to her costume, shaking off the strange feeling creeping and crawling all over her body.

"Adrien would never be akumatised! It's not possible." She deflected once again, concentrating on the job at hand.

"Whatever you say, Shadybug! But, back to my real question. What if Chat Noir is there tonight? You'll end up giving yourself away."

Whilst she understood Alya's worry, Marinette couldn't help but think it was over nothing. Chat Noir did not go to their college, she was sure she would know if he did. She spent enough time with the guy.

"If you're that worried, I'll just say you told me about her and I thought she sounded cool. No harm done. Chat Noir knows Marinette can sew, so it's no big deal."

"And if there's an akuma?" Alya queried.

"Listen, Alya, you're worrying too much. What could possibly go wrong?"