"And that is why the city of Paris has voted Chat Noir as their all-time favourite superhero.

Not only is he caring and charismatic, but his ability to look good in black super leather also puts him at the top of the ladder when it comes to Paris' superheroes.

Chat Noir received a massive 67% of the votes, showing just how popular the cat hero is, and surprisingly not just amongst teens and young adults: it seems he was also the favourite within the older voters, taking up 92% of the votes in the 50+ demographic.

Congratulations Chat Noir; it seems everyone loves you just as much as we do!"

"How long are you going to gloat about this?" A huff resonated across the rooftops of Paris.

"I'm not gloating." Chat Noir said, flopping down from his standing position, and collapsing beside his partner, magazine still in hand. They were perched on their favourite spot, looking over at the Eiffel Tower; Chat Noir smugly allowing his tail to run free as she sulked next to him. She couldn't just let it be. Instead, she shuffled towards him, glancing over his shoulder, once more, at the article in question.

"It's a nice picture though, don't you think?" he said, his eyes glistening with mischief as he picked up the glossy photograph of a face and held it beside his real one. She frowned. Damn him for looking like a goddamn supermodel!

Over the past couple of weeks, 'Cosmopolitan' magazine had been holding their own poll to find out who Paris' number one superhero was. Usually Ladybug wasn't bothered by these types of popularity contests – there had been many over the years - but this time, she couldn't help feeling furious at the results.

She was the one who magicked Paris back to normal, she was the one who captured AND purified the akumas, so why was she ranked so low? And just to be clear, it had nothing to do with her Kitty placing number one.

The problem was she hadn't even made the top 5. Apparently, the public saw her as 'impersonal' and 'not someone you'd invite out for a drink with friends.' A party pooper, and an all-round Mary-Sue; evidently, she despised it. Just because she was professional and had no interest in pleasing the crowds, why should that affect her ranking? Once again, it was no dig at her partner.

She understood Chat Noir was a fan favourite - he was her favourite after all - but 'Polymouse' beating her? That was just taking the mickey (mouse)! Maybe she should have just stayed as 'Multimouse' for the rest of her days. It seemed furry creatures were what Paris wanted (she couldn't disagree with the citizens — bugs weren't pleasant to pet), and, to be honest, when she was all dolled up in pink and grey, complete with space buns, she was a cute rodent.

"Your face is telling me you're not happy, so speak up, little bug."

Oh, how she didn't want to bring this up right now. He was just going to see her as petty and immature. They were both 19; things this trivial shouldn't have such an effect on her. They never had before, so why suddenly were they now?

"Bugaboo, come on."

"You know calling me that is not going to help your case." She crossed her arms defensively across her chest and raised an eyebrow in his direction. Chat shuffled closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her snuggly into his side.

She sighed, allowing her head to seek solace on his shoulder as she closed her eyes and gathered the courage to speak.

"Before I explain, I just want you to know I have nothing against you winning, at all. I mean, you're my number one hero, so it makes sense the citizens of Paris see you that way too. It just... hurts to think people see me as unapproachable and impersonable. I know you tend to deal with civilians more, but I like to think I'm friendly with them too," she said, looking down to hide the pain in her eyes. "It's not like I've ever hurt anyone. I don't think I've done anything that would make people feel like I don't care about them," she continued.

He unravelled himself from around her, letting his arm drop and turning to face her."M'Lady, you don't need to explain yourself to me. I already know how amazing you are; it's their problem if they don't see it." He took his baton from his back, opened his email - the one exclusively for his hero persona - and began typing frantically. "You know what? I'm going to —"

"What are you doing, Kitty?" She interrupted looking at his phone screen with concern. His aggressive thumb movements made her feel sorry for those on the receiving end of the message.

"Emailing the magazine to ask for a retraction."

"Wh- Chat don't!" She leapt forward, hell-bent on stopping him from sending the message. Yet, Chat simply held his baton above her hair and continued to frantically type. Cursing their height difference and Chat's growth spurt, Ladybug reached up and grabbed hold of his bicep, attempting to pull it down.

"And sent!" Chat Noir slid his baton shut and placed it back into his holder, a smug grin on his face as he looked towards her.

"Chaaaat! Why did you do that?"

He shrugged, " Because it made you sad. Duh!"

"But now I seem petty," she huffed.

"I don't care. I'm not having something so ridiculous and so... I don't know... insignificant making you feel that way. You're worth more than that, M'Lady! It's their problem if they can't handle it. Who knows? Maybe once they've read what I think they'll want to swap me out with someone else," he snickered, Ladybug now certain whoever read the message was in for an eyeful.

"Chat Noir, it's okay. I promise I'm fine. It's just, I do so much for Paris and it's just a little kick in the teeth to think they don't see me for who I am," she responded.

Chat placed a hand on her forearm, his thumb stroking over it in a comforting arch. "I'm sure if it was for the most amazing superhero, M'Lady, you'd be number one. It's just a silly popularity contest where my puns are appreciated, for once."

"I never said they weren't appreciated," she huffed. "I like your puns too. It's just..."

"The timing!" They said together before Chat burst out laughing, this time with Ladybug joining in alongside him.

"You didn't get a bad review, Bugaboo. It was just the ranking you don't appreciate. They do still love you — it's clear to see."

She picked up the magazine again and turned back to the page she was on.

Number 9: Ladybug

A lot of people might be shocked by the low ranking of Paris' main heroine; however, it's not without good reason.

Though our Ladybug might be powerful, creative, and all-around amazing, it's those very qualities which have placed her at number nine on our list. Many people have always said she has an aura around her that makes her almost impossible to approach; some have even gone as far as stating that she must be an alien from another planet.

Ladybug will always be our first beck and call for a hero's help, though people would prefer a day out with the cat than his bug - Ladybug's rule following would not be fun for a night out on the town causing chaos.

So Ladybug, we do love you! You're just extremely intimidating.

"How do I fix this?" She asked, eyes scanning the article once more before turning to question her partner.

His eyebrows scrunched together, his face displaying the look of someone trying to solve the meaning of life. "Fix it? What do you mean?"

"How do I make myself more..." She waved her hands around hoping the gesture would give the answer her mouth couldn't. His intense, curious gaze suddenly spurred her on once more. "Like you?"

"Pfft, you can try, Bug, but you'll never be as cool as Paris' number one superhero." He puffed out his chest in a mocking gesture, causing her to roll her eyes.

"You know exactly what I mean. I need to make myself more likeable; someone people wouldn't mind spending time with and getting to know."

"I wouldn't mind spending more time with you," he teased, wiggling his brows before she slapped him on the forearm and he collected himself; with a small cough he was serious again.

Chat Noir tapped a finger to his lower lip as he considered. "How about you do something so the people can see you're just like them? Like a charity drive, or, I don't know, you could write an article about something you like? You just need to show people that you're an ordinary teenage girl like a vast majority of Paris' population; that you have the same worries or the same fears."

"An article? I think you might have something there, Kitty."

All of a sudden, an idea hit her like a wave hitting a boulder; hard and unsettling. That was it! That was the idea she was waiting for, the idea which could bring her back to the number one spot, or at least number two. Pun intended? She didn't care.

"I could write something. And I know exactly who to contact." She stood abruptly, pulling her partner with her, and grasping onto his shoulders like a vice. "Chaton, you're brilliant!"

"People have questioned that in the past. However - and I don't want to float my own boat here - I have been accepted into MENSA, so I must say I do agree," he chuckled, only for Ladybug to laugh once more, place her hand against his chest and push him away.

"I'm not kidding, Chaton, you... are... brilliant! I could kiss you right now."

"What are you waiting for then?" He moved forwards once more, his face edging in towards her with glistening eyes and pouty lips.

She slapped him on the chest again, this time with a little more force. "You are so funny, Kitty," she giggled, grabbing her yo-yo from her hip and flicking it open. She checked the time, glad to see it was 11 pm.

Alya, her best friend and flatmate, had been out on a date with longtime boyfriend Nino tonight which meant she should be home within the next half an hour.. They never stayed out late on a weeknight, and, until Marinette had found a suitable boyfriend, there was a clear 'no sleepover' pact in their shared apartment.

"Again, I wasn't joking. I'm open to kissing as much as anyone else."

"I'll keep that in mind," she said flatly; her eyes remained firmly set on her yo-yo, tapping away frantically as she tried to come up with some sort of plan; though she was sure that, as soon as she approached Alya, her friend would have a million weird and wonderful ideas to share.

Slamming the yo-yo shut, she attached the object back to her hip and turned to face her partner, a sparkle in her eyes. This was exciting!

"Should I ask, or are you going to fill me in later?"

"At a later date, my Kitty Cat," she winked, heading over towards the chimney stack and away from their meeting place.

"A date? Oh, yes, please." Chat Noir said, heading in her direction.

She giggled again, stretching on her toes and pressing a soft 'thank you' kiss to his cheek. She turned abruptly, before launching into a run in the opposite direction.

"See you tomorrow, Chat Noir."

She couldn't hear what he said next, her thoughts running wild with what she was about to do: she was going to make Ladybug as approachable as Marinette, and she would be the 'go to' hero for advice and guidance.

Continuing on her path, she made her way in the direction of her and Alya's apartment.

Bring it on!

•••••

Alya almost had a heart attack; the pounding suddenly striking against her window was enough to wake the dead andthose beyond. Grabbing the lamp from her desk, she slowly edged towards the window, terrified Monarch was about to smash the glass and jump through it. It wouldn't be the first time the supervillain had tried to attack her at home.

Reaching into her back pocket, her hand hovered over where her phone was tucked away. She had three choices to consider here:

Call the police

Call Nino

Call Marinette

The most likely option being number 3; after all, Nino was scared of the dark, the police wouldn't actually come unless she was attacked, and Marinette was a goddamn superhero and her roommate. Yep, Marinette would be the choice.

Pulling her phone from her pocket, she selected her best friend, staring down at the picture of her idol shoving two marshmallows up her nose as she sat beside the wannabe designer with candy sticking out of her ears.

Alya took a deep breath, slipping her phone back into her pocket, as it continued to call Marinette's number. Even if she was transformed, at least it would be directed to voicemail. Alya would just make sure she talked really loud, detailing information about who was kidnapping her in hopes Marinette could find her. She tightened her hold on the desk lamp, hoping the cable would reach the door: last thing she wanted was her attack restricted.

There, she had this covered.

Right, here she goes...

She took one step forward and four back.

What the hell was wrong with her?! She was a superhero, dammit! She could deal with this. She was Ladybug's bff and confidant, Ladybug's stand in the mighty Scarabella and Paris' number two hero (thank you 'Cosmopolitan' readers): she had this in the bag.

Grabbing a hold of one side of her curtains, she yanked them open, causing the face on the other side to scream like a banshee. Alya gladly joined in with even louder shrieks. The two continued to scream at each other until Ladybug took the initiative to open the door and step into the room, firmly slamming a hand on Alya's mouth.

"I will only let go if you stop screaming," she hissed. Alya nodded fiercely in response, agreeing to her leader's demands. "I'm removing my hand, okay?" Once again, Alya nodded, this time a little more aggressively, as Ladybug moved her hand away tentatively, ready to slam it back down if need be; her face showed relief as Alya stood silently, staring at her.

"Why the hell haven't you used the front door?"

Ladybug signalled down to her body, drawing attention to her attire. "Because I'm here on official superhero business. Now can you stop aiming the lamp at me, please?"

Alya suddenly remembered her 'weapon' and moved back to the desk, placing it down carefully. "Is this about the hit list?" she questioned.

Ladybug sighed, drawing the curtains closed and calling off her transformation. She headed over to Alya's bed and collapsed onto it, looking like a defeated hero rather than a victorious one.

"Let me guess," Alya continued. "You're gutted that Chat Noir was number one and not you?"

"God no, why does everyone seem to think it's that? If anyone deserves that number one spot, it's him."

"Pun intended?"

"Ugh!" She shrugged her shoulders. Why not? They were talking about Chat Noir after all. Marinette threw herself onto her back from her sitting position, allowing one arm to fall over her eyes as she cowered in mortification from what she was about to ask.

"So what's got you riled up?" Alya continued, moving towards her desk and seating herself at the computer. She spun around and scooted the chair over towards her bed, her eyes fixated on Marinette's very dramatic display of forlorning.

"I was talking to Chat Noir, and he thinks the problem is I'm not showing enough of 'myself'," she added in air quotes to make her point before she continued, "and that people are afraid of talking to me."

"I wouldn't say 'afraid'," Alya murmured, turning and moving back towards her computer. She positioned herself over the keyboard and began typing. "It's more of a general..." Alya moved her head side to side, her lips pursed, in an attempt to find the right words to say. "It's just... nobody knows what to say to you. You come off so above everyone else, but not in a stuck up way. You just seem too perfect. Unapproachable, almost."

"Well, I'm not!" Marinette whined, causing Alya to snort.

"You definitely don't need to tell us that, Miss 'I'm going to walk my cactus'."

"It was an easy enough mistake to make," Marinette said in an indignant tone, removing her arm from covering her eyes, and pushing herself to sit facing her friend.

"Firstly – no matter how you try to spin this – a lot of the time, things you say don't make sense," Alya claimed, looking over her shoulder at her friend, who was quite clearly pouting.

"I could have meant I'm going to walk my cat. An easy mistake to make," Marinette said, eyes away from Alya, arms crossed defensively on her chest.

Alya turned back to the screen and continued to type. "Yep, that would be an amazing reason, if you had a cat." She chuckled, changing her attention to her mouse as she began to move it swiftly across the display, every now and then filling the gaps in their conversation with a click.

"I might have a cat."

"Yes, you might, but you don't. I knew that, Nino knew that and I'm quite certain Adrien knew that too."

"Don't sing his name like that," Marinette said, walking up to stand beside her friend. "You know I'm over him now. It's been five years, I've moved on."

"Okay, oh ray of sunshine. Who have you moved on to?"

"There was that one guy at the restaurant we went to a couple of months ago."

"For the last time, Marinette, he was the waiter, and he was offering you sweet peas, not giving you a nickname, sweet pea," the fox heroine explained, exasperatedly.

"Oh, yeah? Then why did he call me pumpkin pie?"

"Because it was the 'special' that day." Alya looked at her friend, expression shook. What was Marinette on today?

"Why are we even talking about this?" Marinette asked, watching as the Ladyblog loaded once again, this time with the pictures Alya had taken on her and Chat's last patrol.

"You bought it up!" Alya exclaimed, poking a finger towards Marinette. "Okay, Miss Ladybug, what honour do I get by being acquainted with Paris' number nine superhero?"

Grabbing the nearest thing (a cushion of Rena Rouge and Carapace gifted from Marinette last Christmas) Marinette launched it towards Alya with enough force to take down Thanos. Bouncing off Alya's head it managed to take out the lamp, a cuddly toy and a bottle of whatever Alya had previously been drinking.

"If you're going to make fun of me, I'll go somewhere else." Marinette muttered, knowing full well this was a losing battle.

"No, no, no, I'm sorry! Come on girl, spill the deets."

Marinette took a deep breath and let it slowly out. "Okay, so, I was ranting away at Chat Noir, and he came up with this idea. He said that maybe I should do something that makes me seem, for lack of a better word, normal. Something that links me to other 19 something's, and makes me relatable."

"What?" Alya snickered. "Are you going to go on a reality tv show or something? Because I'm telling you now, I don't think Paris would be too fond of their Ladybug attempting to find a partner on 'Love Island'. Maybe you should just –"

The way Alya stopped and her eyes widened, Marinette couldn't help fearing what was about to come next. In her catalogue of Alya Césaire faces, this one usually meant 'be afraid'.

"What if you wrote an article? Or even better, a blog?"

Okay, that wasn't that bad. Alya had pretty much come up with a similar idea to Chat Noir. As much as she had a type when it came to suitors - *cough cough* blonde haired, green eyed, toned men - she also seemed to have a similar taste in best friends: Alya and Chat Noir seemed the same person but with a different gender.

"I was going to say —"

"About dating!"

"Say what now?" Marinette's lips pursed as she studied Alya's face. She must have lost her mind because there is no way Marinette could write an article on dating. She hadn't made it past a first date since her almost-relationship with Luka four years ago.

"What's one thing both Ladybug and Marinette are crap at doing?"

"Easy... eating spicy food."

"Don't play smart with me, Dupain-Cheng." Alya turned back to her computer and started typing away again. This time Marinette was sure smoke was leaving her fingertips.

She moved closer, peering over her friend's shoulder to watch what she was writing.

@TheLadyblogger: Hey Ladyblog fans, how would you all feel about our super Ladybug having her own blog on the website? Cool right?

Marinette resisted the urge to grab Alya's desktop and throw it out of the window with the intention to dunk it into the depths of the Seine and create a new home for Nemo.

"Why did you —" Before Marinette could berate her friend for such an absurd action, Alya's computer began to ping; message after message, after message. "No way," placing her hand on the back of Alya's chair, Marinette leaned forwards towards the screen, eyes widening as tens and hundreds of messages began to flood in.

@Ladynoirstan1995: That would be so cool. I wonder what she'd blog about? Maybe she'd give us some insights into Chat Noir and what a girl could do to get a date with him. What a dreamboat!

@CN_fan_62: Woah! Ladyblogger, you have outdone yourself with this one. I'd love to read something on here from Ladybug as I still enjoy rereading 'Chat Noir's Chase for Cheese' article, which FYI was a great help for my dinner party. Thank you Chat Noir!

@BringbackQueenie: Like that stuck up witch would do anything for the 'little people', she doesn't even comfort the Akuma victims, just leaves it up to her furry. What a joke!

@AA_Longlastingpower: Alya, this would be incredible! I'm sure a lot of people (including myself) would love to read something written by Ladybug.

As Alya picked up her bottle of, now exceptionally fizzy, Sprite a smug smile graced her face. Settling back in her chair, she waited for Marinette to read the last comment, the intense breathing and near cardiac arrest taking place behind her the sure signs Marinette had read exactly who the post was from.

Not only were people completely for Ladybug's column, but Adrien frigging Agreste also wanted her to write it. So much for being over him!

Almost sending Alya flying out the balcony window, she pushed her friend away (chair and all) and directed her attention to the screen, pulling up Alya's posting account.

"What are you doing?" Her fiery friend said as she used her Blaze thigh power training to move herself and the chair closer to Marinette's shoulder.

Setting her bottle back on the coaster, Alya read what Marinette was typing, and sudden excitement took hold, causing her to bounce up and down.

@TheLadyblogger: Hi everyone, LB here. I'm overwhelmed with the responses to the idea of writing an article for the Ladyblog. I have decided, thanks to the support of all you lovely people, that I will begin my blogging journey next week.

Subscribe to stay informed of my Miraculous adventure.

"Slightly cheesy," Alya began, "but I like it. So tell me, Bugaboo, what are you going to write about?"