I looked around me. Indistinguishable figurines on every side surrounded me. I immediately took an instinctive defense stance. Just as they came within striking distance, a high-pitched whining noise echoed across the cavern. One of the figurines took out something from their back. A bomb!

I leapt forward, but I was too late. The bomb went off, creating a white flash which covered everything. The whining noise went crazy. Faint voices surrounded me. Then, a clearer whisper rose up, a girl's voice.

"Adrien," it said. The beeping noise got too intense. And only then I realized the sound came my alarm clock.

Groaning pitifully, I slapped it and got out of my huge, comfortable, covered four-post bed. I went into the bathroom and brushed my teeth. I washed down my face, and after a moment's hesitation, I smoothed over my hair. After all, it was my birthday today.

I leaned over the sink, and gripped the mirror. What possessed me to have that dream? It felt so......real. And everything was hazy. I couldn't exactly remember what I did yesterday. But there was a pattern, a set of things which felt too forced, too generic, branded into my mind. Almost like they were replacing something else.

For example, the fact I wore flaming-red curly hair with odd eyes, one green, one teal-blue, with golden freckles in both of them. But it didn't seem right; yet it didn't seem wrong either.

I shook my head. Must be a bug or something. Maybe I should go check it out after school.

I went downstairs and got a waffle, putting it down on my plate and starting to eat. I glanced around.

My sister, Isabella, went to school early and my parents were at work as usual. I finished the waffle and wore my uniform. Today, it was a shirt with a vest and black pants. I unlocked the door and started to close it right before I remembered to grab my backpack. I got it, and locked the door.

As I walked out, I spotted a couple of men on the street, wearing black suits and sunglasses. One of them briefly looked at me, and raised a mic to his mouth. I gulped. Creepy.

I sped-walked to the bus station at the end of my street. Once they got out of sight, I let out a sigh of relief.

When I got there, I searched. Where was Tom? Tom transferred here yesterday, and we agreed on meeting at the stop every weekday at 7:30 since we lived near each other. However, my watch said 7:48. The bus arrived at 7:50! I gazed at my watch. 7:49 now. The bus would come any minute.

A weird looking rock on the top of Mr. Rough's garden shed caught my attention. The roof slanted slightly, and the stone started to tilt over. I walked toward it right in time, because the rock fell right into my hands. I gave it a glance at it, turned it around, examining it. It appeared to be about 5 inches tall and 2 inches wide. But what held my attention the most was a bunch of weird, glowing-looking symbols on it.

A loud SCREECH broke me out of my thought, and when I looked up, the bus appeared right in front of me. I took one more look around, and I still couldn't find Tom.

I shrugged, deciding I should get on the bus, and I put the rock thingy in my backpack. I already begun stepping up when I heard a voice shout.

"WAIT UP!"

I turned around, and I spotted a blond-haired boy with blue eyes. The boy was Tom, who sprinted toward me.

"Wait one second!" he said again. 30 seconds later, he arrived at my side.

"Hi.... Adrien," Tom said while panting. "I.... ran... into... trouble. Sorry."

"Hey, Tom. It's okay," I reassured him as we went up the stairs.

"Thanks," Tom said as his breathing became less erratic.

"Come on, Tom. Let's go to the back row," I said.

We walked down the bus. Teenagers talked to their friends and played around, making it easy to talk without being overheard.

"Why were you late?" I asked Tom, curious as we sat down at the back, and pulled on our seat belt.

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"I..... I set my alarm clock too late. Yeah...." He trailed off, not looking at me.

I recognized a lie when I heard one, but I didn't understand why. Was he embarrassed? But I thought he must have a reason to lie and I didn't want to rub off as snoopy.

I shrugged and gazed out the window at bright New York City.

We traveled in silence until we got to our enormous school, D.O. Middle and Elementary School, Destiny Oxe, for 4th graders and up.

We got out. "Let's go search for James," I suggested. James is my other best friend.

"Okay," Tom replied.

We went into the school and searched the grand halls for James.

We found him. leaning on the wall of the locker hall.

James was tall with brown, ruffled, hair. His eyes were a deep chocolate brown and he was muscular, but he showed off a tiny bit.

"Hey, dude," I said.

"Good morning, Luke," he said. Since my middle name is Luke, I sometimes got called either Luke or Adrien, but most said Adrien.

"Huh? What about Tom?" I glanced back and saw the empty hallway. My heart started to pound in my chest. What happened if he got himself in trouble?

"Did you see him?" He shook his head.

"No. But I'm sure he went to his class to be in time and not get in trouble by Mr. Esem," James said. I nodded, trying to calm down.

"Yeah, you're probably right. It's just, I don't want him to be in trouble or something." I said. James slung an arm around my shoulder.

"Relax, man. Everything's going to be fine. I mean, what's the worst that can happen?"

"He gets beaten up by a group of bullies."

James blinked rapidly. "Okay, wow, harsh. I think you're undermining his pride, seriously. I mean, if anybody's going to be beaten up, it's you."

I lightly shoved him. "Yeah, but that'll never happen, will it, because of the mighty James always coming to my rescue, right?" I teased him.

James put his hands on his waist, and took a heroic pose. "Never fear, civilians! Super James is to the rescue!" I waved my arms behind him to impersonate a cape.

"Let us fly, good Adrien! Fly to the second star until daylight!"

"That's not how it goes," I said instinctively, but still grinned and dashed after James as he ran around the hallway.

"Tag, you're it!" I hit James on the back.

"Hey!" He whipped around, trying to catch me, but I was too far back. I turned around to find him staring at the clock.

"We might be the ones in trouble if we stay here talking a few minutes more!" said James.

I gazed at the clock and jumped nearly a foot into the sky. Holy cow! It was 7:54 and school started at 8:00.

My worry about Tom erased from my mind as I freaked out.

I frantically threw open my locker door, slammed in my backpack, took my supplies from my bag, and locked the door. We ran through the classroom halls.

"Race you!" said James.

We went sprinting toward door number 103.

I lagged behind, and James turned around, stuck his tongue out. "Come on, slowpoke!" I grunted, and increased my speed.

When James spotted a girl right in his path, he slowed down. But I didn't see her, and thought James was trying to trick me by going slow. I ran faster and bumped into the girl.

"Sorry," I said. "I wasn't looking. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. My name is Louis. What's yours?" she replied.

"My name is Adrien," I said as I stared at her. She had blue eyes and blond hair. She was also quite tall.

"Well, bye," I said.

"Catch you later," she responded.

James and I went through door 103 as the bell rang.

We went into a room with yellow walls and rows of desks in the middle. The teacher desk laid at the front with a blackboard behind him, and bolted bookcases leaned in the corner. There were also cubbies and small tables across a wall, and a stench of rotten bananas filled the air.

We arrived in time to take our geometry test. We got our privacy folders and while I did this, I realized Tom still wasn't here.

Where was he?

We set the folders up and the exam began.

I finished fairly fast and I turned it in and got out a book to read. Out of the corner of my eyes, I spotted Zach, the class bully, poking Michael with a pencil and whispering hurtful insults at him.

Rage filled me. Who did he think he was? As I opened my mouth to tell him to stop, a commotion in the hall broke through the thin walls.

A moment later, a blond-haired girl with blue eyes entered the room.

It was my sister, Isabella Jackson.

I groaned. She was late, again, for the third time this week. And why? I mean, she left before me. She probably had sneaked off and been talking to her friend, Isha. She had been doing that a lot recently.

"Miss. Jackson. Would you please step outside," Mr. Esem said as an order, not a question.

People started murmuring and snickering. I glared at them, which halted some. A guy-what was his name? Peter? Pietro? Percy?-shook his head and the remainder stopped too.

Isabella nodded glumly and stepped outside. As Mr. Esem started to follow her, I raised my hand.

"Yes, Mr. Jackson?" Mr. Esem asked.

"Can I go to the bathroom, please?"

"Yes."

I went outside with Mr. Esem and I went toward the bathroom. But when I passed the corner and out of sight, I peeked out.

"Ms. Jackson, these days you are always late. Can you tell me why this is?" Mr. Esem asked.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Esem," she said. "I overslept. I promise I'll come on time next time."

Mr. Esem exhaled heavily. "Very well, Isabella. You may go. But I expect you at my office after school."

Isabella sighed with relief.

"Thank you," Isabella said as she and Mr. Esem went back inside.

I shook my head, and began to go back to class when I realized my shoelaces came untied. I bent down to tie it, and a hand gripped my shoulder.

Congratulations! You are being kidnapped!