Like a crystal ball, a bubble, carrying a strange, weightless sensation, slowly ascended from the deck of the "Freedom" ship.
The inside of the bubble was not as stable as imagined.
The circular, incredibly smooth inner wall made the trio's footing extremely unstable, like stepping on a giant, smooth glass bead.
"Whoa—!"
Rose was the first to let out a cry of surprise, stumbling and instinctively falling towards Jaden.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Juleka also lost her balance due to the sudden sensation of weightlessness, instinctively grabbing the only "support" available to her—Jaden's arm.
The sudden "pincer attack" from both sides almost made Jaden lose his footing.
He quickly adjusted his center of gravity, instinctively wrapping his arms around the two girls' shoulders, steadying them in his embrace.
"Don't panic! Try to sit down first! Lower your center of gravity!" His voice remained calm and composed, like a calming pill, instantly soothing the two girls' panicked hearts.
The trio swayed a few times like roly-poly toys, finally managing to sit down at the bottom of the bubble in an extremely intimate posture.
This posture was really… a bit too ambiguous.
Jaden sat in the middle, with Rose practically leaning her entire body against his left side, and Juleka pressing tightly against his right side.
Their shoulders, arms, and even thighs were inevitably pressed closely together.
The space inside the bubble was already small, and now, with the three of them "huddled together," it felt particularly crowded and… warm.
"Jaden…" Rose looked up, her beautiful eyes still holding a trace of lingering fear, but more than that, worry. "Aunt Anarka… she and Luka… will they be alright?"
Juleka also looked at him nervously, her lips tightly pursed. Although she didn't speak, her eyes, filled with worry, said it all.
Jaden felt the slight trembling from the two girls, a sign of their nervousness, and said in a reassuring, convincing tone: "Don't worry.
If Nino's goal is really just to throw a party, as he said, then he won't truly harm anyone."
His gaze, passing through the colorful bubble wall, looked down at the gradually shrinking Parisian cityscape, continuing his analysis: "You also saw that he didn't attack Luka and Ms. Anarka with bubbles just now; he only trapped them and took them into the sky.
This indicates that his original intention might just be to have the adults 'leave' temporarily.
I guess, after his party ends, or rather, after his negative emotions are vented, he might even dispel the Akumatization state himself."
To further reassure them, he added, "And even if… I mean, even if some unexpected threat truly arises, don't forget, Paris still has Ladybug and Cat Noir.
They will definitely solve the problem."
His well-reasoned, clear analysis was like a warm stream, slowly flowing into the two girls' chaotic hearts, washing away their fear and unease little by little.
Yes… with Jaden here. It seemed there was nothing to be afraid of.
After their worries slightly subsided, another more subtle emotion, tinged with sweetness and shyness, began to quietly sprout in the hearts of the two girls.
They then realized… how intimately they were currently leaning against the boy who made their hearts flutter.
Rose's reaction was relatively more natural. She was already cheerful and outgoing, and never hid her affection for Jaden.
She just quietly, and more deeply, rubbed her cheek against Jaden's shoulder, her nose filled with the pleasant, refreshing scent emanating from him, like a mix of sunshine and fresh grass, and a happy smile involuntarily curved on her lips.
Juleka, on the other hand, was almost "melting" on the spot from excessive shyness.
She could clearly feel the steady and warm body temperature emanating from Jaden's arm.
She could smell his comforting scent. She could even hear his steady and powerful heartbeat.
All of this turned her brain into a blank, pink-bubble-filled ocean.
She didn't dare to look up at Jaden's face, only burying her head deeply, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
Her fair cheeks were now as red as a ripe apple, hot enough to fry an egg.
Jaden didn't notice the complex girlish thoughts of the two girls beside him.
After reassuring them, he turned his gaze to another bubble floating in the air not far away, carrying Marinette and Alya.
He saw the two girls seemingly discussing something intensely.
Alya occasionally pointed towards him, with a "disappointed" expression on her face.
Marinette, on the other hand, looked worried and anxious.
When Marinette's gaze met his, her body visibly stiffened, then she quickly averted her eyes.
Jaden thought she was worried about his safety, so he smiled reassuringly in their direction, indicating that he was fine.
However, he didn't know that what the two girls were concerned about was not this at all… "Oh my goodness! Marinette! Did you see it?! Did you see it?!"
In the other bubble, Alya was almost driven crazy by her clueless best friend.
She vigorously shook Marinette's shoulders, lowering her voice, and "roared" in a tone that was both angry and helpless: "Just now! When I told you to go over there!
You dawdled and hesitated! Now look what happened?!
The three of them are pressed tightly together like a sandwich! And you?!
You can only stand here, separated by a bubble, 'ababa' watching! Oh my god! Marinette! What exactly are you so shy about?!"
"I'm sorry… Alya…" Marinette's voice was thick with a crying tone.
"And… I… I'm just shy… After all… after all, last night… that…"
As soon as Marinette thought of the embarrassing dream she had last night, and the socially catastrophic incident that morning, she felt like she would never be able to look Jaden in the eye again.
"What did you say? What about last night?" Alya didn't hear her mumbled words at the end.
"Nothing… nothing!"
Marinette quickly shook her head, "Alya, you said… can we… can we move our bubble over there, and then… merge it with their bubble?"
Alya looked her up and down with an expression that said "you're an idiot."
"My dear lady, do you think this thing is a car? With a steering wheel?
How can you guarantee that when we 'collide,' we won't send both bubbles flying in different directions?
What if they burst? We're hundreds of meters in the air right now!"
"Then… what should we do…"
"What else can we do?" Alya sighed, "We can only leave it like this for now, and take it one step at a time."
As the two were holding this unproductive "war council," their bubble slowly flew past several other bubbles also floating in the air.
Mylène and Alix were each trapped in a separate bubble.
Chloé and Sabrina were fortunately (or unfortunately) trapped together.
Nathan and Max had one bubble.
Everyone's faces wore identical expressions of confusion and bewilderment.
Alya's journalistic instinct was instantly activated.
She pulled out her phone and quickly added all the present classmates who hadn't been captured into a temporarily created group chat (except for the "culprit" The Bubbler).
Then, she sent her first question.
[Alya]: "Everyone! How's the situation?!"
[Alix]: I was about to ask! I was skateboarding, and suddenly I was trapped by this thing!
[Chloé]: Hmph, whatever the situation. I can just admire my Paris from a whole new, higher perspective. Sabrina, don't you agree?
[Sabrina]: Yes, Chloé! Everything you say is right!
[Jaden]: @Kim @Max, I saw that the Akumatized Person Nino did it, do you know what happened?
[Nathan]: Yeah, Kim and Max, wasn't he with you guys? What exactly happened?
The group fell silent for a few seconds.
Then, Kim and Max, almost simultaneously, sent an identical, concise message.
[Kim]: You'll know when you get here.
[Max]: It's not convenient to explain right now… Meanwhile, in the cage-like music room of Agreste Mansion.
Adrien was listlessly slumped over the piano, listening to Plagg haphazardly playing out-of-tune jazz.
Just then, his phone vibrated wildly.
He picked up his phone somewhat puzzled and opened the group chat that was flooded with mentions and new messages.
When he saw the selfies in the bubbles and the few vague conversations in the group, he was completely bewildered.
[Adrien]: ??? What's going on? You guys… where are you? In the sky?
This question instantly ignited a barrage of messages in the group.
[Max]: @Adrien Don't you know yet?! Nino… he's been Akumatized Person!
[Alya]: He's called "The Bubbler" now! He's taken all the adults in Paris up into the sky!
[Jaden]: And, he seems to be coming to your house to throw a… birthday party.
[Adrien]: What?! Come… come to my house for a party?!
Just as Adrien stared at his phone screen, lost in shock and confusion, the bubble carrying The Bubbler himself, leading the bubbles behind him, flew towards Agreste Mansion.
The Bubbler stood at the forefront, arms outstretched, like a mad cult leader welcoming his followers, cheering loudly at the bewildered classmates trapped in the bubbles behind him.
"Friends! Cast aside your worries and restraints! Towards our destination of freedom, Adrien's house—forward! The party is about to begin! Hahahahaha!"
…Agreste Mansion was about to experience its most chaotic, most colorful, and most uninvited "invasion" ever.
On the phone screen, the classmates' messages, filled with panic and confusion, kept refreshing.
Adrien's heart, too, became a tangled mess with those words.
Before Adrien could recover, his room door was knocked "thump, thump, thump."
Adrien's heart skipped a beat. He instinctively thought it was Nathalie, who had returned, or his father, who had changed his mind.
Plagg, floating in mid-air, also dropped his playful expression and cautiously hid inside Adrien's shirt.
"Who is it?" he instinctively asked.
"It's me! Buddy! Open up!"
It was Nino's voice!
He nervously walked over and opened the door, only to find a blue face he didn't recognize standing outside.
"Li… Nino?" he tentatively, uncertainly, called out the name.
"Brother!" The Bubbler—his face beaming with a fanatical smile.
He opened his arms and gave Adrien an enthusiastic, bubble-textured hug, "Surprise! Now, I've brought our whole class to you! Are you ready for the best birthday party ever?!"
Adrien was somewhat overwhelmed by his sudden enthusiasm and could only stiffly endure the hug.
His mind was a jumble, countless questions swirling, finally converging into the most incredulous question: "You… you got Akumatized Person… just to… throw me a birthday party?"
"Of course!"
The Bubbler's reply was self-righteous and filled with a twisted, pure goodwill. "Look at you, Adrien! You're cooped up in this big house every day by your old-fashioned dad, like a canary in a cage!
This isn't fair! Adults are the biggest obstacle to our freedom!
So, I've decided to give you, and all of us, a truly free party, without any adults to supervise!
Listening to these words, Adrien's heart was a mix of emotions. A warmth rose from his friend's sincere, if a bit over-the-top, 'kindness'; but more than that, there was a deep sense of powerlessness and worry.
"Nino... thank you for your kindness, but... you really shouldn't be doing this."
His voice was full of disappointment. He looked at his good friend, who was being controlled by negative emotions, and just wanted him to quickly end this absurd farce.
"And... my father, he would absolutely never agree to you guys having a party here."
"Friend, you just think too much!"
The Bubbler, however, completely failed to grasp the seriousness in his words. Instead, he clapped Adrien on the shoulder in a way that was both inflammatory and persuasive, appealing to reason and emotion.
"I finally managed to bring all our friends here!
Adrien, do you know how much it hurts everyone's feelings when you say things like that now?"
He leaned in closer, his voice low and filled with a seductive, manipulative tone, whispering, "And... don't you really, not even once, want to have a lively party with all your friends in your own home? Just like... a normal person?"
"But..."
The two words "But" had barely left his mouth before The Bubbler cut him off.
"No buts!"
The Bubbler's expression became incredibly confident. He waved his hand grandly, as if he had everything under control. "Now, all you need to do is tell me, where is your father?
Leave everything else to me! Whatever consequences there are, I'll bear them all! You, Adrien, today just need to enjoy the party your friends prepared for you, to the fullest!"
The two were talking in the hallway outside Adrien's room on the second floor. Just then, the door to Gabriel's mysterious design studio on the first floor was suddenly flung open.
Nathalie's tall and stern figure appeared in the doorway.
She looked up and saw the Akumatized Person in strange attire on the second-floor hallway, and... Adrien standing beside him.
"Adrien!" Her voice, for the first time, showed obvious, sharp tension. "Immediately! Get away from that guy!"
After speaking, she took long strides towards the staircase, simultaneously pulling out her phone from her pocket, clearly preparing to activate the Agreste Mansion's security system.
"Sorry, Adrien."
When The Bubbler saw Nathalie, he showed no sign of tension. Instead, he revealed an "as expected" smile. "It seems I still need to deal with some minor troubles before the party can begin."
"Nino! Don't hurt her!" Adrien instinctively shouted.
"Don't worry, buddy."
The Bubbler gave him a reassuring look, his voice filled with playful confidence. "How could I 'hurt' her?
I just want... these adults who are always telling us what to do, to go to the VIP box in the sky and stay there for a while."
As he spoke, he raised the giant, toy-like bubble wand in his hand and gently waved it towards Nathalie, who was quickly approaching.
In an instant, hundreds of colorful little bubbles, like a swarm of bees imbued with life, surged overwhelmingly towards Nathalie!
Nathalie reacted extremely fast.
Her legs, accustomed to wearing high heels year-round, displayed astonishing agility.
She dodged left and right, her body like a nimble cat, weaving through the sea of bubbles, trying to evade the impenetrable attack.
However, the number of bubbles was simply too great.
They surged from all directions, blocking all her escape routes.
Soon, some small bubbles began to stick to her business suit, and to her hair.
She tried to vigorously shake off these sticky things, but found them to be like super glue, utterly useless.
Immediately after, the small bubbles stuck to her began to merge and expand as if alive... eventually forming a giant, indestructible bubble that completely enveloped her, carrying her slowly towards the ceiling.
After dealing with Nathalie, The Bubbler let out a light, flippant whistle and strolled down the wide, carpeted spiral staircase with a leisurely pace.
And just as he was halfway down, the door to the design studio he had just been staring at opened again.
This time, it was Gabriel himself who emerged.
His handsome yet stern face was now covered in a frosty expression.
He only glanced at the bubble floating towards the ceiling, which contained Nathalie, and the arrogant Akumatized Person on the stairs, and instantly understood the entire situation.
Without any hesitation, he quickly slammed the door behind him with a 'bang'.
The next second, the entire Agreste Mansion seemed to come alive.
The walls and ceiling around the living room silently slid open hidden compartments, from which dozens of laser weapon barrels, full of futuristic technology and glowing with blue energy, extended!
All the muzzles, in an instant, precisely aimed at The Bubbler on the stairs!
A cold, electronically processed voice, full of authority, resonated from the hidden loudspeakers in the walls, echoing throughout the entire hall.
"Whoever you are. Now, immediately, leave my house. And, put my assistant down."
Facing such powerful firepower, capable of instantly vaporizing a person, The Bubbler's face showed no fear at all. Instead, he revealed a sarcastic, playful smile.
"Mister Gabriel,"
He lazily raised his head, his gaze passing over the deadly muzzles and looking towards Adrien on the second floor, whose face was pale with fear. "Before you say that to me, I think... you should first look at your precious son's situation, how about it?"
"What?" A hint of wavering appeared in Gabriel's voice for the first time.
On the second-floor hallway, several translucent bubbles had appeared at some unknown point, hovering silently around Adrien's body like ghosts, trapping him firmly in the middle.
"If you dare to lay a hand on me,"
The Bubbler's voice became chilling and threatening, "I admit, these toys of yours might shatter me into pieces in an instant.
But, before I'm hit, I also have ample time to make these bubbles... instantly squeeze your son to death by suffocation."
He paused, then changed the subject, his tone becoming lighthearted again.
"But, if you're willing to come out on your own, then I won't do anything to you.
After all, today is my good friend's birthday party, and I don't want to... make it too bloody."
This was a naked threat, using his son's life as a bargaining chip.
Gabriel, hidden in his studio, watched all of this coldly through the surveillance screen.
His heart held no ripples, only an absolute calm, like an iceberg.
'Everything... is under control.'
Not only did he not feel angry, but he felt... satisfied.
This child named Nino, though reckless, had created an excellent opportunity for him.
A perfect stage that would allow him, as a 'victim,' to legitimately arrange a deep interaction between Adrien, Jaden, and his other classmates.
All he needed to do was play the role of a helpless father, loving his son deeply and forced to compromise, true to character.
After a few seconds of silence, the menacing laser cannon barrels retracted into the walls.
"Disarm weapon systems."
Gabriel's cold voice rang out again.
Then, he walked out from behind the sturdy door with unhurried steps.
He adjusted the collar of his immaculate white suit, his face showing a noble, composed calm, as if facing certain death.
"As you wish," he said.
A giant bubble descended in response, willingly enveloping him.
And just before that bubble was about to ascend and leave the Agreste Mansion, Gabriel turned his head and, in a commanding tone, issued his final instruction to the trembling servants peeking out from various corners.
The content of this instruction, however, was not a cry for help, but rather... "Obey... his commands. Prioritize... my son's safety."
After he finished speaking, the bubble carrying Paris's most famous fashion designer, along with the bubble carrying his most capable assistant, passed through the door, slowly ascended, and disappeared into the Parisian skyline.
The threatening bubbles that had enveloped Adrien also dissipated.
Adrien quickly ran to the doorway, stretched out his hand, and, looking in the direction where his father and Nathalie had disappeared, shouted loudly, "Dad!"
His face was filled with "worry" and "helplessness."
He turned his head to look at The Bubbler, who was descending the stairs, his voice trembling slightly: "My dad... is he okay?"
"Don't worry, buddy." The Bubbler walked up to him, affectionately put his arm around his shoulder, and with a brilliant smile, said, "Why would I do anything to your father? I just invited him on a trip!
He pointed to the bubbles outside in the sky, slowly descending into the Agreste Mansion's courtyard.
"Look! All our classmates are here! The annoying adults have all disappeared!
Now—! The party can begin!"
Upon hearing this, the expression of "worry" on Adrien's face finally slowly receded, replaced by a complex, inexpressible mix of excitement, guilt, and a hint of relief.
Just now, in those brief seconds, he and The Bubbler had completed a silent, unspoken conspiracy through glances and subtle gestures.
It was also when The Bubbler's attention was focused on the 'troublesome' Gabriel downstairs, that his sprite, Plagg, from inside his shirt, quietly egged him on in a voice only he could hear.
'Hey, Adrien. This buddy of yours is making such a big fuss all for you.
And honestly, your old man is really too controlling! Take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and just have a good, hearty time for once!'
Adrien's heart, at that moment, did... slightly... waver.
At the same time, the well-trained servants who had received their master's final instructions also began to act.
Although their faces still showed lingering fear, their movements remained efficient.
Huge sound systems were rolled out, long tables laden with top-tier pastries and drinks were covered with white tablecloths, and some even began to set up firework launchers in the garden.
This cold, silent white palace was being transformed at a surreal speed into a noisy and vibrant open-air party venue.
The Bubbler stood in the center of the courtyard, arms outstretched, like a conductor, or a mad king who had realized his dream. He cheered most ardently and wildly at the descending bubbles.
"The party—has officially begun!"