About a month after the whole 'Evillustrator' incident, Marinette gets back into her room after an Akuma attack, grabs a cookie from her hidden stash for Tikki, and starts working on her 'magic' box - it's to hold her diary, and the idea is that it'll snap shut if someone tries to take it.

Tikki's much more worried about the detail that Marinette writes all her secrets in it - including being Ladybug, much to the Ladybug Kwami's horror. All someone - Hawk Moth, Chloe, anyone - would have to do to know her biggest secret is read her Diary!

Marinette's just finished with the box - which works! - when she remembers a rather specific detail. Class Representative elections are starting tomorrow at lunch! And, what's really bad…is Chloe wants to be the Class Rep! She only cares about herself, when the Class Representative is supposed to care about the class! It would be an actual nightmare, going to class every day with Chloe as Class Rep.

Tikki listens to Marinette's explanation, and says "Well, then maybe you should run!"

Marinette blinks, and says "Yeah, but, don't you think I've got enough responsibilities between homework, school, helping my parents in the bakery, and being Ladybug?"

"If you truly believe in something, you have to try and make it work. Its better to have failed trying than not having tried at all!" Marinette's got a point, but still. She seems to passionate about it all that Tikki can't help but encourage her.

"Maybe…" Marinette sighs.

Tikki flies up to sit on Marinette's head, saying "Don't underestimate yourself, Marinette!"

And then the news turns to the elections, and how Mayor Bourgeois' opponent, Armand D'Argencourt, was not only beaten but beaten to a metaphorical pulp in the elections when he acquired the least number of votes in Paris' history. And that's when Marinette notices the time, and says "I'm gonna be late for school! Again! See, this is what I'm talking about, Tikki!"

When she gets to school, she finds almost everyone's too nervous to run - mainly because Chloe's shooting everyone looks just daring them to go against her. Getting a flash of inspiration as she sits down, Marinette turns to Bloom and asks "Why don't you run for class rep?" Bloom's literally the only person Marinette can think of who doesn't have anything Chloe can use against her - Chloe doesn't know anything blackmail-worthy about her, at least.

Bloom chuckles, and asks "Me? No, I'm a little too heavy-handed for it, and we both know it. But," she gets a mischievous glint in her eye, "I would be your Deputy if you want." She's not much of a leader, too focused on a little picture she keeps close to her rather than a big one like everyone says leaders should focus on, but she knows Marinette already has the makings of one. She just needs more self-confidence…luckily, being Ladybug is letting her find it. Chloe's really done a number on Marinette after all the years of being such an insufferable brat to her, its a wonder she didn't just switch seats at once that first day of school when Chloe told her to move.

And then Chloe goes around during lunch and threatens everyone who might run against her, making Marinette grit her teeth and declare she's running as well in class. Bloom can only stare at her in shock - she didn't think the usually insecure girl was finding her confidence that quickly.

Just what has Tikki been telling her, and how does it work?

She needs to bottle it, whatever it is Tikki's doing, and spike Marinette's food with it regularly. Kwamis know she could use more confidence - she tends to spiral and catastrophize about the littlest things, imagining impossible situations where she usually ends up in jail for something insignificant.

Ten minutes after class, Marinette's totally freaking out over the detail that she volunteered to run - looks like it, whatever it is, wore off.

Bloom groans, and says "No backing out now, Mari. Let's go write a speech and think up a campaign." And then four people rush her at once, Rose, Nino, Juleka, and Ivan…they want to both congratulate her and ask her to get them things.

And this is why I didn't want to be class rep…I'd shoot them all down as ridiculous suggestions immediately.

Seriously, music in the library?!

Seeing a diplomatic opening to get the conversation over with and Marinette into high gear, in the form of one blonde boy, Bloom calls over "Adrien! Marinette can count on a good friend's vote, right?" Predictably, Marinette turns red as her Ladybug outfit and starts stammering.

Adrien just gives that smile of his - oh, Brother, you have it BAD and you can't even see it - and says "Sure, depending on her speech."

It takes a solid ten seconds for it to process in Marinette's head, but when it does she squeals and dashes out the door to start on her speech. Bloom, meanwhile, sees Chloe looming over Sabrina, sees the weird ghost-thing that appears above her talk about ruining Marinette's reputation like her father does, and decides to follow the blonde brat.

What she finds is Chloe setting up a campaign party with Jagged Stone signing copies of his latest album, and talking to Sabrina while everyone's distracted.

Lovely…

After calling Marinette and telling her Chloe's up to something beyond just the blatant bribery for votes, she listens in to warn her friend what's going on.

Everyone opens the door to reveal a lot of medieval knights in front of City Hall, with one carrying a sword instead of the gigantic axes, who calls out a speech from the dark ages.

Mayor Bourgeois asks "What was that?" He speaks French and English, not...whatever that was.

Bloom translates "He wants to beat you to a blood spatter on the pavement, basically. Or slice you to ribbons with that sword."

Mayor Bourgeois swallows nervously, then calls out "Ask for an appointment with my secretary!"

They quickly shut the doors, Bloom holding them in place when they get yanked on harshly, but then suddenly there's the sounds of metal hitting metal, and Cat Noir's voice asking "Guys, do you only know heavy metal?"

And then the voice from before yell "Deal with this pesky alley-cat, whilst I claim what is rightfully mine!" The doors suddenly get sliced in half, and everyone backs away nervously - and for good reason, considering how sharp that sword looks.

Marinette and Bloom keep everyone else behind them, and Bloom quietly says "I've got an idea to get everyone else out of here, but it needs something for it to work." And she needs her partners to not yell at her afterwards, but that's neither here nor there.

Marinette asks "What's that?" Oh no, please tell her Bloom's not thinking something crazy.

Bloom glances at the window as Darkblade is talking to the Mayor, pointing his sword at the shaking man, and sees Cat Noir fighting with his staff fencing-style.

That'll work for cover. Her eyes flash orange, and she rips one of the axes out of a knight's hands and through the window to embed itself in the floor a few feet behind Darkblade. "That'll work."

To Marinette's utter horror, Bloom walks forward and asks "Darkblade, you're a Knight, right? With the whole code of honor and such? Let's have a duel, you and me."

Darkblade laughs, and says "You have spirit, that much is obvious little girl!" He then charges her with a battle cry, even as Bloom sprints forward and slides beneath him towards the battle axe. She gets to the handle and starts tugging at it, even as Darkblade walks towards her. "A clever trick, I admit, but you cannot even-"

BANG!

The axe suddenly comes free, slamming into Darkblade's helmet hard enough to leave a dent where the handle met the helmet.

Everyone watching, including Mayor Bourgeois, collectively winces at the blow, even as Bloom snatches up Darkblade's dropped sword immediately.

Darkblade clutches at his head, and snarls "Deceitful, thieving little wretch! Return my sword, or face the wrath of Darkblade!"

Bloom smirks, lifting the sword up as she does, and sarcastically says "Oh no, I've been found out by Hawk Moth's latest Akuma. What will I do? If you want this sword so badly, come and take it from me!"

Marinette sees Bloom flash her a look, and realizes just what her ridiculously reckless idea is - keep Darkblade busy with a duel while they all get away. And maybe its because she, Cat Noir, and Dragon Fyre have to be able to talk to each other without saying a word, going solely off facial expressions and sign language at times, but she can tell Bloom isn't going to make this a quick fight.

Deciding to get to hiding and save Bloom fast, she says "Everyone, up the stairs! Find somewhere to hide, and fast!" Most everyone snaps out of their stupor and runs up the stairs immediately.

Nathan, meanwhile, is wondering just how nobody else can see it. Swap out Darkblade's sword for a red one, slap a mask on Bloom's face and put her in a scale-themed spandex suit…and she'd look exactly like Dragon Fyre.

Because she IS Dragon Fyre! My maybe-girlfriend is Dragon Fyre!

Nathan feels distinctly like falling to the ground in shock. Instead, Ivan and Mylene drag him with them into a room, and he hides behind the thick curtain while they stuff themselves into an armoire. Nathan just rolls his eyes, wondering when the rest of the school is going to realize the two of them are in a relationship, and arranges the curtains so that he's completely hidden. Then he starts praying Bloom will be alright, in the suit or out of it - she must've yanked the axe out with magic, explaining the way it just flew into Darkblade's helmet, but he doesn't know how long she can last in a duel without the suit on. Does the suit give them enhanced abilities? Or is it just a suit and they're always like that?

Well, it certainly explains how and why Bloom regularly distracts Akumas to give everyone else a chance to get out of danger.

Bloom bends backwards to go underneath the axe head Darkblade just swung at her, and uses a little magic to keep it embedded in the marble column. And to melt Darkblade's gloved hand to the handle. "You wretch, Darkblade shall have your head!"

Bloom smirks, and says "Gonna be hard to do that with your weapon stuck like that, big guy."

"Return my blade to me at once! You shall face my wrath for your impertinence, you wretch!"

Bloom outright laughs at that, and says "Not a chance. You want it, come and get it!"

She runs up the stairs and heads for the back room, hearing a familiar voice say "Sorry, Cat Noir. Had to do some damage control downstairs."

"I was managing just fine you know, but its always nice to see you."

When she opens the door, she finds Cat Noir sitting cross-legged…upside-down. Like that's how he landed after Ladybug pulled him up. With a look that says he absolutely adores the woman in front of him - he's got it bad, really, really bad. Both when Mari's in the suit and out of it. It reminds her of Plagg's worries all over again, how her brother is all alone bar school and them. She's going to get these two together if it kills her.

Both superheroes look over at her in varying expressions of alarm, and Ladybug asks "Bloom Peters? I heard you were-"

"Dueling Darkblade? I was. He's a little busy trying to pull his axe out of a marble column right now." Gonna be hard, she melted the metal head inside the column.

Cat Noir stands up, shaking his head and asking "How is it you always manage to be right in the thick of things?" Really, he's got to know at this point.

Bloom gives him a smirk, and says "Someone has to give everyone a chance to hide. As for how its always me…" She gets a glint in her eye, and says "Magic, Cat-nip, I thought you'd figured that out by now."

Cat Noir and Ladybug trade confused looks, and Cat Noir mouths 'Cat-nip?' Ladybug just shrugs in response before breaking the sword and catching the Akuma. And then Bloom's out the door, yelling that she'll go find people and let them know its safe to come back out.

Ladybug groans, and says "Much as I want to yell at her for putting herself in danger, someone had to give the rest of the civilians a chance to escape..."

Cat Noir chuckles, and says "Somehow, I doubt any of them could've stopped her." Bloom's stubborn like that, he's seen Chloe go red in the face yelling at her, trying to put her down like she likes to do with Marinette. It never works, it just seems to amuse her more and more.

Marinette comes back down the stairs and finds most everyone talking about Bloom's impromptu duel with Darkblade. Asking if she's alright, how did she fight Darkblade, what was she thinking, etc. All but Nathan, actually, who's staring at her with eyes as wide as saucers.

Bloom smirks as Marinette reclaims her Diary from Chloe - rather, from Sabrina, who's hand is still stuck in her magic box - and then gives a passionate speech about her own strengths that ends up inspiring everyone including Sabrina. Knew you could do it, Spots.

She's going to have to pretend to steal 'Cat-Nip' from her civilian self, but why should the two of them be the only ones to have nicknames for one another? She's focused on the Akuma during a battle, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have a sense of humor - it just has a time and place, and during an Akuma attack is not usually it.

As she and Marinette are leaving the hotel, Bloom notices Adrien following them from a distance - probably to congratulate Marinette on the speech - and gets an idea. She swore she'd get these two together…she can start by dropping some hints. And its not like this isn't true.

Snickering to herself, Bloom says "Congrats, Mari. You've got a new nickname from the student body."

Marinette smiles, asking "What's the name?"

Bloom grins, and says "You're gonna love this. They say you're their everyday Ladybug." She isn't even making this up, they really were comparing her to Ladybug after that speech.

Marinette immediately shrieks at the top of her lungs "WHAT?!"

Bloom winces, rubbing at her ear and noticing how Adrien's sucked in a sharp breath and gone perfectly still, and says "Simple, really. You took charge during an emergency, your constantly helping people, kind, compassionate…of course they're comparing you to her." Hoping Adrien will finally get a hint, she adds "Congrats, you've been outed by a group of teenagers."

Marinette's frozen expression forcibly turns to humor, and she says "Ha, ha, very funny, Bloom. Me, being Ladybug. Hilarious."

Bloom shrugs, and says "Well, that's what they're calling you. Maybe a certain someone will start taking an interest if he thinks you're a superhero?"

Marinette socks Bloom in the shoulder, saying "Oh, please. Adrien would never look twice at me…"

Bloom is pretty sure he's looking at her right now, but she can't exactly say as much. For a number of reasons, the first being that he's the same flirty kitty that's head over heels for her.

AN: Hey, everyone! I know, an early chapter - I legitimately cannot wait to get to Volpina, though. I got some comments about the episode, so I watched it...and there is something wrong with that girl, Lila. Like really wrong with her. For instance, does she not know the meaning of 'personal space' at all? And, one minute she 'loves' Adrien, the next she's trying to drop him? No spoilers, but if you watch the episode you'll know what I'm talking about. She's just...I don't even know where to start, except maybe by saying I found one of only a few characters I dislike more than Chloe. And, trust me, that's a real feat. I happen to despise bullies.

Anyway, as for this chapter...I know I changed a few things, but let's be honest. That sword of Darkblade's cut through a poster - holder and all - with a single swing. There's no way it couldn't have taken out that door. Plus, in the episode, the door was pulled closed from the inside - barricading it wouldn't have kept it shut, just been an obstacle for Darkblade to cut through. Also, Bloom's way too kickbutt to not distract Darkblade - especially since he had a sword, her weapon in the suit. Given her magic, it was just too easy.

Anyway, enjoy! More chapters coming soon!