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vgckwb · 5 years ago

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ML: Are They Worthy? Chapter 18: Below the Surface!/Rocket

In the morning, Kim was getting ready to run. Max and Markov were monitoring him. “And go” Max said. Kim started doing laps.

Vlad noticed this and walked up to Max. “Hey, what’s going on?” he asked.

“Kim is training for a 5K this afternoon,” Markov said.

“Oh. Hi Markov” Vlad said.

“Hi Vlad” Markov replied.

“I hope this isn’t his first training session” Vlad said.

“Of course not” Max said. “We’re just doing some last minute prep. Kim wants to be on top of his game.”

“I hear that” Vlad said. Kim continued to run.

“And that’s 10!” Markov said. Kim stopped and started to catch his breath. Max came over and gave him some water. “By my calculations, you were going 3.5% faster than yesterday!”

“Thanks Markov” Kim said.

“So, what’s this 5K for, anyway?” Vlad asked.

“Have you not been paying attention?” Kim asked.

“Actually, he’s been more focused on the art exhibition and Marinette, as well as his upcoming interview with Nadja Chamack” Markov said.

Vlad glared at Markov. “Thanks Markov.”

“I get the feeling that you don’t trust me Vlad” Markov said.

“Well, it’s true” Vlad said. “I don’t trust people easily.”

“Max told me as much,” Markov said.

“I’m just not comfortable with people knowing too much about me before meeting me,” Vlad said.

“I can relate, actually!” Markov said.

“You can?” Vlad asked.

“Yes. See, when I was first shown to Max’s class, Ms. Mendeleiev just thought I was some toy” Markov recounted. “That I didn’t have emotions or I didn’t understand anything outside of what Max told me.”

“So, what happened?” Vlad asked.

Max grew nervous. “Well, um, you see-”

“It’s OK Max” Markov said. “I got Akumatized.”

Vlad was stunned. “Huh. I’m actually impressed. I’m sorry.”

“Impressed? Sorry? For what?” Markov asked.

“Well, I was just worried that you were just a cold, calculating machine who just gathers information” Vlad admitted. “But seeing that you have more volatile emotions, I realized I was wrong. You’re actually kind of cool. Just like Adrien said.”

“Huh. Apology accepted” Markov said. “But, if you don’t like people knowing too much about you, why are you OK with you knowing about people?”

Vlad smiled. “I only knew what Adrien told me. I’m fine with people knowing some stuff about me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t do interviews or be a model.”

“Speaking of,” Max interjected, “are you prepared for your upcoming interview? I can help you, if you want.”

“I’d like that. Thanks Max” Vlad said.

“Can it wait until after the 5K?” Kim said.

“Of course” Vlad said. “You still haven’t answered my question, by the way.”

“Which was…..?” Kim said.

“What’s this 5K about?” Vlad asked again.

“Oh. Right” Kim said. “It’s a charity 5K. To help rebuild populations affected by severe weather. People can donate at the event. It’s really great actually. Ondine gave me the idea. We’re running together.”

“Well, you can count on me to be cheering you on” Vlad said.

“Thanks. I just hope that Jeremy isn’t too smug” Kim said.

“Jeremy?” Vlad asked.

“A frequent runner for charity 5Ks, and especially this one” Max explained. “He’s always obsessed with getting a good time.”

“At a charity 5K? That seems pretentious” Vlad said.

“Well, a little competition never hurt anyone,” Kim said. “It’s just he gets rude sometimes.”

“I see” Vlad said. “Well, we should get to class then.”

“Right” Kim said. The three teens headed to class, while Markov went to Max’s locker.

During break, Vlad came up to Marinette. He noticed she was really tired. “Hey Marinette. Did something happen last night?”

“No” Marinette said , yawning. “I just stayed up a bit too late working on ideas for the art exhibition.”

“Can I see them?” Vlad asked.

“NO!” Marinette, suddenly awake. “I mean, they aren’t ready yet.”

“Marinette, you need to relax” Alya said.

“I’ve been telling her that as well,” Vlad said. “I know. Kim is doing a charity 5K today. Come and watch that with me. It’ll put your mind at ease.”

Marinette yawned again. “I guess I could use a break. This all happened so suddenly.”

“Then it’s settled” Vlad said. “Meet you after school?”

“Sure” Marinette said.

“I’m in too” Alya said. “I’m pretty sure Nino would want to come as well.”

“The more the merrier” Vlad said.

After school, Vlad, Max, and Markov were waiting by the door. Marinette, Alya, and Nino joined them “Alright, let’s go” Vlad said.

“Where’s Kim?” Marinette asked.

“He left already. He’s getting ready at the starting line” Max said.

“Oh. Makes sense” Marinette said. “Let’s get to our spot then.” The six of them left.

At the 5K, Kim and Ondine were doing some stretches to warm up. “Thanks for doing this with me Kim.”

“Are you kidding? This is great. Thanks for inviting me” Kim said. The two of them giggled.

“Hey” said a man.

The couple turned to look at him. He was wearing the same white tank top and red shorts that all participants in the 5K were wearing, as well as blue sweatbands. He had medium length brown hair, hazel eyes a medium build, and serious look on his face. “Hello Jeremy” Kim said.

“If you’ve got time to giggle, you’ve got time to run” Jeremy said.

“We can do both” Ondine said.

“Yeah, we’re all here for the same reason,” Kim said.

Jeremy went back to stretching. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

The group took their seats. “Hey guys” Adrien said, standing over them.

“ADRIEN?!” Marinette said.

“Oh, cool. What are you doing here?” Vlad said.

“My father helped plan and finance the 5K” Adrien said. “He’s also donating a lot of money for relief efforts. Unfortunately, he’s not here, but I wanted to show a public presence in his place.”

“Cool” Vlad said.

“What are you doing?” Adrien said.

“Kim is running in the race with Ondine” Alya said. “We’re here to support them.”

“Cool” Adrien said, taking a seat next to Marinette.

“So much for relaxation”Alya said, rolling her eyes. She, Nino, and Vlad giggled.

“It’s starting” Max said.

“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer said. “The 5K is just about to begin. Remember, you can donate all throughout the even at any of our tents.”

Kim was at the starting line next to Ondine and Jeremy. “Hey Jeremy” he said. “Good luck out there.”

“I don’t need your pity” Jeremy said. Kim was surprised and then frustrated. The race began.

“And they’re off” the announcer said. “This is the 5th charity 5K in as many weeks for Jeremy Gobel. All eyes are on him, as he attempts to set yet another record.”

“Well, not all eyes” Max said. “YOU CAN DO IT KIM!”

The 5K went on. Kim’s friends were all cheering for him. However, Marinette’s focus was divided between Adrien and the event. When the 5K reached the point where they were sitting, it was at a fever pitch. Kim and Jeremy were leading the pack, neck and neck. However, Kim tripped and fell onto of Jeremy, planting them both on the ground. The entire crowd went silent.

Ondine, who was not too far behind, caught up and picked Kim up. “Are you OK Kim?” Ondine said.

“Yeah” Kim said. He then gasped. Jeremy started getting up. Kim offered his hand to him. “Want some help?”

Jeremy was shocked, but then got angry again. He slapped Kim’s hand away. “I don’t need help. I need to win.” he said He got back up and started running. Kim and Ondine were surprised.

“I hope he’s OK” Alya said.

“Yeah, but that Jeremy guy was rather rude” Vlad said.

“Totally” Nino said.

“Kim was just trying to help” Max said. “But it is odd.”

Marinette was thinking intently. “I wonder why he did that?”

The 5K continued on. The crowd was speculating on the fall and Jeremy’s behavior afterward. Jeremy felt resentment from the crowd. “I don’t care. I need to keep going” he said. He sped up. “Gotta break that record.”

Jeremy reached the finish line. He checked his time. “14:37?!” he said. He was upset because his previous time was 14:34. He didn’t break his record.

Kim finished soon after. “Alright! 14:44. Not bad for falling down at one point.”

“YOU!” Jeremy said, angrily and walking up to him. “You cost me my record!”

Kim was surprised by this sudden vitriol. “I’m sorry” he said. “I didn’t mean it. But hey, you still did well.”

“That’s NOT the point!” Jeremy said. A camera was filming him now. “Because of you, my streak is ruined. Do you know my numbers have been attracting more attention to this charity?!”

“Well, I’m sorry, but we are working towards the same thing,” Kim said.

“You keep saying that, but you don’t know how untrue that is!” Jeremy screamed. He then noticed the camera.

“Uh, Jeremy,” Nadja said. “What do you have to say about your performance? Or your sudden outburst?”

“Get that camera out of my face!” Jeremy said, pushing the camera out of the way.

“How rude!” Markov said. “He should apologize to Kim and Nadja. They didn’t mean any harm.”

“I guess that’s what you get when all you care about is a high score” Nino said.

“I don’t know. He seemed upset about something more” Max said.

“I agree” Marinette said. “I’m going to go talk to him. I’ll meet you by Kim and Ondine.” Marinette ran off.

“Someone should go check on her” Vlad said. “I guess I’ll do it.” Vlad followed Marinette.

Jeremy found a place to sit down. He took out a picture, and was looking at it, frustrated.

Hawk Moth could sense the flurry of negativity within him. “A rising star with a short fuse who feels like he just lost everything” Hawk Moth monologued. “What perfect prey for my Akuma. Fly away little one, and evilize him.”

The Akuma flew to Jeremy and fused with the picture he was holding. “Hello, Rocket. I am Hawk Moth. Embarrassed? Ashamed? Frustrated? You should have beaten your time. With the powers I’m giving you, you can win any race. All I ask for in return is Ladybug and Cat Noir’s miraculous.”

“I’m going to run circles around them,” Jeremy said. He put the picture in one of his sweatbands, and a purple-black aura surrounded him.

Marinette caught up with Jeremy to catch him transforming. “Oh no!” She said. She ran away to find someplace to hide. She bumped into Vlad. “Vlad?”

“I came to check on you. Is everything alright?” Vlad asked. A strong gust of wind flowed as a blur moved quickly. “What was that?”

“An Akuma!” MArinete said. “Jeremy’s been Akumatized!” Vlad nodded. The two of them hid. “Tikki! Spots on!” Marinette transformed into Ladybug.

Vlad called out “Beyyo! Fangs Sharpen!” Vlad transformed into Judgement Wolf.

At the finish line, everyone one else was meeting Kim. Suddenly, Kim was pushed really hard to the ground by something fast. Kim sat up and turned to look at who pushed him. He looked like Jeremy, but he had red skin, his tank top, shorts, and shoes were white, and his sweatbands and hair were blue. “So, how does it feel to be pushed down? Humiliated in front of everyone?”

“Jeremy?” Kim asked.

“Jeremy’s not here. The name’s Rocket. And I want a rematch” Rocket said.

Kim stood up. “Well, you’re not getting one!” he said.

“That’s fine” Rocket said. He zipped to where Kim was. “I know I’d win anyway.” He then picked up Kim and ran off. A few seconds later he returned.

“WHAT DID YOU DO WITH KIM?!” Ondine screamed.

“Wanna find out?” Rocket asked. He picked her up and ran off with her, returning shortly after. “Anyone else?” Rocket asked.

“You have to return them!” Max called out.

“Max” Markov said, concerned.

“Not until I have my revenge!” Rocket said. “Perhaps you would like to join your friend.”

“Perhaps you would stop harassing people” Ladybug called out with Judgement Wolf.

“Heh” Rocket said. “Guess I found myself a new target.” Rocket rushed over. Ladybug jumped out of the way, while Judgement Wolf swung his sword to hit Rocket.

“Next time, watch where you’re going” Judgement Wolf said.

The crowd dispersed. Adrien found somewhere to hide. “Plagg! Claws out!” he called, transforming into Cat Noir. He jumped into the mix. “Sorry I’m late, but I don’t have this guy’s apparent speed.”

“Cat Noir! Good to see you” Ladybug said.

“I agree” Rocket said. “It makes it easier to get both of your miraculous for Hawk Moth.” He ran up to Cat Noir.

Cat Noir defended himself. “Sorry, but I’m not letting you close the distance. You’re just too fast, too furious for me.” Rocket backed up and rammed him, sending Cat Noir flying. Judgement Wolf slammed his sword down, but Rocket dodged it. Ladybug got back into the fight, and Cat Noir soon joined them.

Max and Markov were hiding close by. “Alright Max! I think it’s time to deploy my latest program!” Markov said.

“Are you sure?” Max said. “It’s dangerous out there.”

“I’ll be in and out. I promise I’ll be safe” Markov said, flying off. While the three heroes were battling Rocket, Markov snuck by and began his program. “Scanning Akuma Energy.” Markov scanned Rocket’s body at moments when he was standing still. Markov found that the most energy as concentrated in Rocket’s sweatband. “LADYBUG!” Markov called out. “I think his Akuma is tucked in his left sweatband!”

“Thanks, but you have to leave!” Ladybug said.

“Too late!” Rocket said. He ran to Markov, grabbed him, and took off.

“NO!” Ladybug said.

“MARKOV!” Max screamed.

“That guy has taken three people” Cat Noir said. “We need a Lucky Charm, and now!”

“Right. Lucky Charm!” Ladybug called out. She received a blanket. “This seems familiar. Got it. We need some help. I’ll be right back.”

“And just where do you think you’re going?” Rocket asked.

Cat Noir and Judgement Wolf stood in Rocket’s way. “Go Ladybug!” Cat Noir said.

“We can handle this guy!” Judgement Wolf said. Ladybug nodded and left.

Rocket charged at Ladybug, but Cat Noir got in his way and was flung back once more. Rocket was determined to get to Ladybug, but Judgement Wolf struck him with his sword. “You’ve still gotta deal with me, you know” he said.

“Wanna bet?” Rocket said. He rushed over to Judgement Wolf and then knocked him into the air. “That’ll buy me some time.” He then rushed in Ladybug’s direction. After he got far enough away, he stopped to look around. No sign of Ladybug in sight.

“We just missed her” Hawk Moth told Rocket. “No matter. She’ll come back soon enough. In the meantime, work on Cat Noir!”

“Yes Hawk Moth” Rocket said. He returned to the fight.

Marinette was hiding behind a building. “That was too close” Marinette said.

“We’ve gotta hurry” TIkki said.

“Right” Marinette said. Marinette ran to Master Fu’s parlor. “Master! I think I’ve been called here.”

“Very well. Although, we do need to talk about how this has been happening often recently” Master Fu said.

“We can talk about this later. We have to act quickly” Marinette said.

Master Fu nodded. He opened the Miracle Box. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng, pick an ally you can trust to fight alongside you on this mission. Choose wisely; such powers are meant to serve the greater good. Once the mission is over you will retrieve the Miraculous from them.”

I’m going to need someone who can trip this guy up. “That’s it. I’m going to need the horse miraculous” Marinette said. Master Fu nodded.

Rocket returned to the scene. “Cat Noir! I’m not done playing with you yet!”

Cat Noir was woozy. He got up and saw Rocket. He wasn’t sure what to do. He then got a call. “Hello?”

“Hey Cat Noir” Judgement Wolf said from the other end.

“Where are you?” Cat Noir asked.

“About half a mile in the sky” Judgement Wolf said. Cat Noir looked up and confirmed it. “Listen, I have a plan. Can you lead him to where I’m going to land?”

“Sure. What are friends for?” Cat Noir said. They hung up. Cat Noir went to where Rocket was. “Hey buddy. Think you can catch me?” Cat Noir antagonized.

“Think? I know I can!” Rocket said. He started running towards him, but Cat Noir dodged.

“I’m guessing you don’t take turns well” Cat Noir said. Rocket tried again. “You know, you could upgrade to a V8 engine if you want.” Rocket kept trying to catch Cat Noir, but Cat Noir kept dodging right before Rocket started running every time, spewing out jokes all the while. “This is the point you take off your weighted clothing, right? I’ve seen snails move faster than that. I wonder how many steps have you taken to try and get me? You know you would make an excellent waiter with that speed.”

Max was hiding out, watching the events unfold. “Max” said a voice from behind him.

“AH! Oh, Ladybug” Max said. “You startled me.”

“Sorry” Ladybug said. “You want to help your friends right?”

Max nodded. “They’re in danger. I don’t want to sit by and do nothing. I’ve done some calculating. Rocket moves at 200 kilometers per second-”

“Max” Ladybug said. “Thanks for the information, but you can help more directly.” Max was confused. “Max Kante. Here is the miraculous of the horse, which grants you the power of space. You will use it for the greater good. Once the job is complete, you will return the miraculous to me. Can I trust you?”

“Yes Ladybug” Max said.

He opened the box to find a pair of glasses. Kaalki popped out. “Hello again Max,” she said.

“Hello again Kaalki” Max said.

“Do you remember what to do?” Kaalki said.

“Yes. Are you ready?” Max replied.

“Yes” Kaalki said.

“Then let’s go” Max said. “Kaalki! Shoes on!” He transformed into Pegasus.

Meanwhile, Judgement Wolf was just about to land. He called out “Reveal Claw! Where are you hiding your prisoners?!”

Cat Noir dodged once again. He noticed that Judgement Wold was just above him, so he decided to take his time. “Oh I get it! You’re called ‘Rocket’ because you’re supposed to be fast!”

Rocket rammed into Cat Noir, smashing him into a building. “Finally” Rocket said. He was then struck from above by Judgement Wolf’s Reveal Claw. He couldn’t help what he said next. “The Eiffel Tower, In Gustave Eiffel’s office.” Judgement Wolf smirked and then landed. “Why did I do that?” Rocket said.

“No lie can escape my Reveal Claw” Judgement Wolf said. “His victims are in the Eiffel Tower.”

“It doesn’t matter. You can’t catch me anyway! I’ll take all of Paris!” Rocket said, running off.

“How are we going to keep up with this guy?” Judgement Wolf said.

“Please tell me I don’t need to get hit anymore” Cat Noir said, trying to recover.

“We’ve got help” Ladybug said, standing next to Pegasus.

“Pegasus!” Cat Noir said.

“Pegasus?” Judgement Wolf said.

“Yes, it is I. Pegasus” Pegasus said. “And based on that information, I‘ve got a plan on how to get him to play by our rules. You three meet him at the Eiffel Tower, while I free everyone. The Ladybug can use her Lucky Charm to figure out phase two.”

“Great idea” Ladybug said.

“Let's go” Judgement Wolf said.

“So long as it doesn’t involve me being in a collision course” Cat Noir said. The three of them left.

Pegasus stayed behind. “Gallop!” he called out, opening a portal to Gustave Eiffel’s office. He walked through, keeping one foot on the other side.

“Pegasus!” Kim said.

“We’re so glad you’re here!” Markov said.

“Quickly! Step through!” Pegasus instructed. The three of them walked through. Rocket kept bringing people to the office, but Pegasus kept letting them out.

Rocket then saw the three heroes outside of the office. “You think I’ll let you save them?”

“Uh, you kind of already are” Ladybug said, pointing to Pegasus and his efforts.

Rocket looked and screamed “NO!” he then ran off.

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug called out quickly. “Fly paper?”

“We’re already in a sticky situation” Cat Noir said.

Ladybug looked down and saw the tower, then she looked at Pegasus. “Got it.”

Back at the other side of the portal, Kim was thanking Pegasus. However, Rocket showed up and grabbed Kim. “KIM!” Pegasus called out. Markov got question marks in his eyes.

Ladybug pulled Pegasus through to the office. “Pegasus! I have an idea, but we need to lure Rocket here.”

“Well let’s see if we can find where he’s taken Kim” Pegasus said.

Ladybug took out her yo-yo and scrambled to find footage. They found footage from the many different places where Rocket was taking Kim. Rocket was taking Kim to all sorts of locations and terrorizing him. At each point, Rocket would give parts of a speech. “So how does it feel to be helpless? To know that no matter what you do, nothing will come of it? No one can help you. Because that’s how I felt. When you pushed me down.”

“There! They’re at the Seine!” Pegasus said.

“You think you got a few more in you?” Ladybug said.

“Yes” Pegasus said. “Gallop!” A portal opened.

Rocket was throwing Kim across the Seine, and then ran to the other side to catch him. However, Pegasus’s portal opened between them, and he took Kim back to the office. Rocket was furious.

In the office, Ladybug exclaimed “Great! Now we just need to wait for him to return and then strike. You ready?”

“Yes” Pegasus said.

“Uh, I don’t think we’re going to be doing much waiting,” Kim said. He pointed to a blur heading toward the tower.

“Let’s get you to a better vantage point” Ladybug said, taking Pegasus outside to face the tower. She then went back to the tower to begin her plan.

Rocket started running up the tower. Pegasus studied this, and then knew where to strike. “Gallop!” he called. A portal opened to the side of the tower and Pegasus threw his horseshoe through it, knocking Rocket off. “That’s a ringer!”

Rocket started to fall. He then through to grab onto the tower. He reached for it, but just as he was about to slap his hand down, Ladybug swooped in and placed the flypaper down. Rocket was now stuck on the Eiffel Tower. “That oughta slow you down” Ladybug said.

“May I do the honors, M’Lady?” Cat Noir said, joining her.

“Of course” Ladybug said. Cat Noir fished around the left sweatband and pulled out the picture he tore it up, revealing the Akuma. “No more evildoing for you, little Akuma. Time to de-evilize!” Ladybug caught the Akuma. “Gotcha!”

Rocket transformed back into Jeremy and he slipped off of the flypaper. Judgement Wolf caught him. “It’s OK, I got you,” he said.

Ladybug picked up the flypaper and threw it up. “Miraculous Ladybug!” she called out. The magic ladybugs fixed all of the damage and returned Kim back to the finish line.

“Pound it!” said the heroes, after meeting up.

“I might not have been victorious today, Ladybug. But I’m racing toward my ultimate goal, and NOTHING CAN STOP ME!” Hawk Math called out.

Ladybug’s earrings, Judgement Wolf’s ring, and Pegasus’s glasses started beeping. “We’ve got to head out!” Ladybug said. “Cat Noir, can you make sure that this guy gets back to the 5K?”

“Sure thing Ladybug” Cat Noir aid. The three heroes about to transform left. Cat Noir picked up Jeremy and said. “I know you might be used to faster speeds at this point, but I get the job done.”

Once the other three were hidden, Pegasus asked “So, why does he get to know my secret?”

“I’ll explain” Judgement Wolf said. “It is the job of the wielder of the wolf miraculous to judge other miraculous user to see if they are worthy enough to wield them. Do you understand?”

Pegasus nodded and called “Kaalki! Shoes off!” and transformed back into Max.

Kaalki was floating around again and spotted Judgement Wolf. “I see” Kaalki said. “You want to be tested as well.”

“Well, yes. It’s intimidating, but if I pass, I know it’ll be worth it” Max said.

“So you don’t believe you’ll pass?” Judgement Wolf said.

“Well, this isn’t the kind of test I can study for” Max said. “I can’t guarantee the results.”

“Well, I’ve got your back” Kaalki said. She teleported behind his back and held it. “Literally.”

“Thanks Kaalki” Max said. He put the glasses back in the box and ran off. “Thanks Ladybug!”

Ladybug and Judgement Wolf de-transformed. “Aren’t you going to return that?” Vlad asked.

“That may take a while. I’ll do it later. C’mon, let’s check on Kim” Marinette said, running. Vlad followed.

Back at the finish line, everyone came up to Kim, Ondine, and Markov. “Are you guys alright?” Alya asked.

“Yeah, he didn’t mess you up too bad, did he?” Nino said.

“Relax. We’re fine. Ladybug, Cat Noir, Judgement Wolf, and Pegasus fixed everything.

“I was so worried when he took you” Ondine said.

“Same goes for you Markov” Max said.

“Right…” Markov said.

“Is something the matter?” Max asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Markov said.

“Hey” Jeremy said. Everyone turned to face him. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry.” Everyone was surprised. He pulled out the picture he had. “See, my brother lives in the Caribbean with his wife.” He showed the picture of everyone of his brother and his sister-in-law. “They were right in the path of one of the hurricanes. I haven’t been able to contact them since. I didn’t know what to do. I’m a good runner, so when I saw a charity 5K, I thought maybe I could try to draw attention to this by breaking records each time. Maybe I could help in my own way. But I acted like a jerk. I’m sorry.”

Kim approached him, put his hands on his shoulders and said “It’s OK. I get it. You wanted to help your brother. But that doesn’t make any of what I said a lie. I do want to help everyone affected. Including your brother.”

Max interjected “You know, Adrien’s father has ties to the charity. Maybe he could pull a few strings to see if your brother’s alright.”

“Sure” Adrien said. “We can go right now.”

Jeremy started crying. “You guys are helping after I treated you all poorly. I don’t deserve this kindness.”

Sure you do” Kim said. “Everyone does.” Jeremy looked up and smiled through the tears.

“Is everyone coming?” Adrien said.

“Uhh, I can’t. I’ve got an errand I need to run” Marinette said.

“And Max promised to help me with my upcoming interview” Vlad said.

Adrien was surprised. “Max, you know Vlad is just using that as an excuse to test you? He doesn’t need help on that front.”

“Oh, I know” Max said. “Why do you think I invited him? I plan on testing him as well.”

Vlad was impressed. “Oh. You ARE clever! I’m starting to like you already.”

“Well, we should get going” Max said. “Come along Markov.”

“Right” Markov said.

“We’ll come with you, dude” Nino said.

“Marinette, we’ll meet up later” Alya said.

“OK” Marinette said. Everyone left in different directions. Adrien, Nino, Alya, and Jeremy to see if Gabriel could help find Jeremy’s brother. Vlad, Max, and Markov to Max’s place to test each other. And Marinette to Master Fu’s to return the horse miraculous and discuss what to do, now that she’s starting to rely on more and more miraculous users.

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous ladybug fanfic #Marinette #Tikki #adrien #Vlad #Max #Kim #Ondine #Markov #Hawk Moth #Kaalki #Alya #Nino #Master Fu

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rohobi · 6 years ago

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Serendipity (Snack) | 07

pairing— jeon jungkook x reader, friendwithbenefitsAU genre/warnings— smut, fluff, humour words—1540 .: just a sneakpeak ↳ CHAPTERS → CHAPTER 7

It's the tail end of summer in Seoul, and you hate it. Why? Because it's 30 degrees out and the massacre of "love bruises" all over your body from Jungkook's strange adventure last night has your body purple, blue and yellow.

Jungkook calls them love bruises; aka hickies above all over hickies.

You personally think it's just the combination of anemia and JUNGKOOK PINNING YOU DOWN AND CONNECTING THE HICKIES. He said it would help with your cramps ...and you stupidly believed him.

Goddamn shark week, got you doing and thinking stupidly.

What would Jungkook know about cramps?

And what do you wear to cover up suspicious-looking bruises? His bloody jumper. The black one with the big white tick in the middle that smells like his shampoo. It's oddly reassuring to have his scent around you but wildly infuriating. The only reason why you're wearing it anyway is because you had fallen asleep at his house watching that new Netflix film to 'to all the boys who I've loved before' and you HAD TO COVER YOUR BODY WITH SOMETHING.

You wish he was as gentle as Peter.

Everyone deserves a Peter Kavinsky.

He, however, had thought differently.

Sulking under the sheets next to you, Jungkook grabs your chin, pulling your attention from the computer to him. "What do you even love about him? He's literally so average and he plays lacrosse, a game for pussies."

Slapping his hand away, you turn on your side to face him. "He writes love letters, posts cute pictures of Lara Jean on his Instagram, they talk and understand each other. Their chemistry is amazing and they hang out on Saturdays watching movies together!"

"WE DO THAT TOO?" Looking at you incredulously, he grabs the pillow from his side and smacks you with it. "What do you think we're doing right now too?"

You look at him and then at the computer over your shoulder. "You are no Peter Kavinsky, Jungkook. He's wholesome and romantic. You're sexual and perverted."

His face darkens before he shuffles under the sheets. Pushing you onto your back, he hovers above you, the candles on his bookshelf flicker a soft orange glow across his cute pouty face. "Am I not romantic? How am I not a Peter Carvan?"

"Its Kavinsky," Raising your hands to his waist, you rub the soft exposed skin. "He's cute and he radiates big dick energy at the same time. It's a possible impossible. You're you, a poo."

Slumping his complete weight on you, he wraps his arms around you. "You're mean to me, I'm cute, come on! I'd out romance Peter any day!"

Sinking into his duvet covers, you spread your legs so he can lay between them. "Jungkook, get off me, I can feel your dick."

He goes stiff for the tiniest of seconds before lifting his face from your chest to smirk at you. "And that is one thing I'll always have over Peter big dick Carvanisky."

You cock an eyebrow at him. "What? That I can feel your penis and not his? Why don't you believe in me? I could make it happen! We're the same age in real life."

"No, not happening," Pushing his hips against yours, he bites his bottom lip. "Not while I'm still breathing."

Looking at his face, you sigh. "Peter Kavinsky has set the bar for my non-existent love life. You can't look at me like that and tell me that the movie thus far, doesn't want to make you love again."

Jungkook growls, shifting his face into the crook of your neck to kiss your neck. "What do you mean non-existent love life? You have one with me Y/N and come on, the movie hasn't even finished yet. For all we know, they could break up after he cheats on her with Gen."

Gasping, you push him completely off you. "In that case, get under the blankets and stop kissing me. We're finishing it. I don't give a shit if it's 3 AM," Shifting beside you, he pulls you against his chest and moves the computer in front of you. "We're watching this, okay?"

"As you wish."

Nuzzling his nose into the nape of your neck, your heart softly hums as you try to watch the rest of the movie without falling into a comfortable sleep.

And you hate how you never got to see if he did cheat on Lara Jean with Gen because Jungkook's warmth and comfort had lulled you to sleep anyway, and in the morning, you were LIVID AT THE COLOUR OF YOUR NECK AND YOUR COLLARBONE and the empty space where his stupid face should be beside you.

He had escaped.

And with his escape, your alarm on his phone never went off.

You're running across campus in Jungkook's nike jumper when you're accosted by a group of girls out of the blue for the first time since Jungkook had publicly kissed you in class. You hadn't had time to even put on perfume or brush your hair, afraid you'd be late to your lecture.

"Who do we have here?" a girl chuckles, stepping close to you.

It's been days of going the long and less populated route to avoid these confrontations but you knew this was bound to happen, how could it not?

"Y/N." Their ring linger says. "Where have you been? It's like you've disappeared off the face of the planet!"

You step back. "Nope, I've been w-where I usually am. W-why?"

They're red lipstick devils as they surround you with their various types of luxury handbags and pointed gazes. Is this the campus mafia? Are they going to beat me up? How may I help you on this beautiful day-

"-cut the shit Y/N, we only want to know one thing from you," Claudia Kim says, stepping forward. Her short black hair and knife-sharp eyeliner make you feel intimidated as you stare at anything but her eyes. "I don't want to hear anything else."

"Don't stand too close, I haven't brushed my teeth," You stammer, putting your hands up to cover your chest. She watches you do it, rolling her eyes at the ridiculousness. "What do you need to know? Are you here to steal my lunch money because I don't have any."

"No, what are you 5?"

You gasp. "You steal from 5-year-olds?!"

"No, god. Stop. You weren't responding to our messages, so..." She steps forward until you can feel her breath against your face. "I just want to know one damn thing. What are you dressing up as for Jungkook's September Halloween party?"

Expecting the worst, you immediately beg for mercy. "Don't hurt me, I'm too sensitive and I'm anemic so the bruises will last longer and ...wait," you look back up at her. "Wait, what? Party? Costume? No beatdown?"

"Do you want one?" another girl giggles.

"Of course not," you whisper.

"We want to know what your costume is so we don't dress up the same, silly," Claudia pats your hair. You aren't sure if she's being genuine at the moment, so you falter, sinking into yourself under her touch. "We're all going in our lingerie as sexy kittens."

Your mouth falls open. The image is wonderful. "Oh right, damn. I thought you were going to beat me up. I don't know yet, I was thinking of going as something stupid like a slice of cheese."

The girls all stare at you. "Are you kidding?"

"...it's dress up ...is it not? Plus, it's not even Halloween so who cares," feeling awkward, you rub the back of your head. "So, you aren't going to beat me up?"

"Why did you think we'd beat you up?" Claudia giggles, wrapping her around yours as she pulls you towards the campus cafe. You reluctantly let her drag you away from the general direction of your classes. "Why would we do that?"

"I don't know because of Jungkook?"

She snorts, pulling you to face her. "You are someone special to him, if we want him, we'll treat you well. What is this? The 90's? Girl, we don't fight girls, we fight stupid."

"Damn, didn't expect that one. Serena is not going to believe this."

Walking you in the direction of the cafe, they all excitingly tell you their costume plans for the party. You're confused the entire time. The way they communicate with each other is so interesting. Their lips move but nothing with depth falls out. It's all incredibly superficial and you're so into it.

Feeling included, you ask. "Should I come as a sexy kitten too?" and the girls giggle looking you up and down.

"You got any sexy lingerie?"

One of the girls snickers. "I doubt it, look at her."

"No way, would she have any."

"Who would find a mono boob sexy?"

Listening to their shallow blows, you smirk at the girls. "Not sure if I have any sexy lingerie, I'd have to ask Jungkook. He finds me sexy in everYTHING I WEAR. So, anyway, I gotta run. Lovely running into you girls. See you at the party tonight or whenever it is!"

Claudia laughs loudly. "If you need any, I'm a phone call away! You have my number."

You smile awkwardly at Claudia.

"Um yeah, thanks!"

#bts fanfic #bts scenarios #bts imagines #bts smut #bts fluff #bts jungkook #jungkook smut #jungkook fluff #jungkook angst

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patriotsnet · 3 years ago

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How Many Seats Did Republicans Lose In The House

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/how-many-seats-did-republicans-lose-in-the-house/

How Many Seats Did Republicans Lose In The House

Results Summary And Analysis

Democrats take House, Republicans keep Senate in historic midterms

The Democratic Party won control of the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterm elections. The Democrats gained a net total of 41 seats from the total number of seats they had won in the 2016 elections. This was their largest gain of House seats in an election since the 1974 elections, when the Democrats gained 49 House seats. Democrats won the popular vote by more than 9.7Â;million votes or 8.6%, the largest midterm margin for any party and the largest margin on record for a minority party.

According to the Associated Press‘ statistical analysis, gerrymandering cost the Democrats an additional sixteen House seats from Republicans.

Voter turnout in this election was 50.3%, the highest turnout in a U.S. midterm election since 1914.

Note that the results summary does not include blank and over/under votes which were included in the official results or votes cast in the voided election in North Carolina’s 9th congressional district.

Source: Election Statistics â Office of the Clerk

State

Meg Whitman’s $142million Loss

Former eBay boss Meg Whitman paid a heavy price for her losing bid to become California’s governor -; $142million.

That’s how much billionaire Whitman, pictured below in tears after her loss last night, spent on her unsuccessful bid to succeed Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger in the governor’s mansion in; Sacramento.

It was the moist any self-funded candidate has even spent on a U.S. election campaign.

But it counted for nothing as she was beaten by Democrat former California Governor Jerry Brown, who succeeded in his attempt to take charge of the cash-challenged state again.

Whitman’s big budget bid was hampered by a scandal over her hiring of an illegal immigrant housekeeper and her admission that she didn’t vote for 28 years.

Brown, 72, will now be returning to the office he last held 28 years ago. The state attorney general was California’s 34th governor during his previous tenure between 1975 to 1983 and now becomes its 39th.

Asked by Mr Seacrest if he was getting much sleep, President Obama admitted: Not much lately.

IN DELAWARE:

Democrat Chris Coons easily won Delaware’s Senate race over Republican Christine O’Donnell, a Tea Party backed candidate who struggled to shake old television footage in which she spoke out against masturbation and talked about dabbling in witchcraft.

Last night O’Donnell vowed she will not stop fighting.

‘The outcome isn’t what we worked so hard for but our voice was heard,’ she told a party of supporters.

IN KENTUCKY:

IN CALIFORNIA:

Why Did House Democrats Underperform Compared To Joe Biden

The results of the 2020 elections pose several puzzles, one of which is the gap between Joe Bidens handsome victory in the presidential race and the Democrats disappointing performance in the House of Representatives. Biden enjoyed an edge of 7.1 million votes over President Trump, while the Democrats suffered a loss of 13 seats in the House, reducing their margin from 36 to just 10.

Turnout in the 2018 mid-term election reached its highest level in more than a century. Democrats were fervently opposed to the Trump administration and turned out in droves. Compared to its performance in 2016, the partys total House vote fell by only 2%. Without Donald Trump at the head of the ticket, Republican voters were much less enthusiastic, and the total House vote for Republican candidates fell by nearly 20% from 2016. Democratic candidates received almost 10 million more votes than Republican candidates, a margin of 8.6%, the highest ever for a party that was previously in the minority. It was, in short, a spectacular year for House Democrats.

To understand the difference this Democratic disadvantage can make, compare the 2020 presidential and House results in five critical swing states.

Table 1: Presidential versus House results

Arizona

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New Redistricting Commissions In Several States Add To Uncertainty

The announcement that California and six other states, mostly in the Midwest and Northeast, will lose House seats in the next Congress set off a wave of fundraising appeals from incumbent Democrats concerned about their efforts to hold on to their chamber majority in 2022.;

Democrats outnumber Republicans by almost 2-to-1 in the congressional delegations that will be reduced because of census data released Monday.;

But the lost seats do not automatically mean that fewer Democrats will come to Washington from the Rust Belt and Northeast.;

The bottom line is, of these seven states that are losing seats, it is entirely possible that will all be self-canceling, and there will be no net change, said Sam Wang, director of the Princeton Gerrymandering Project.;

Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, California and West Virginia are each slated to lose a seat because their populations did not grow as fast as states in the South and Mountain West.

Democrats control the redistricting process in several of the states losing seats, and independent or bipartisan commissions will draw new boundaries in some of the others.;

But its hard to predict with certainty which party will come out ahead, partly because the details about where the population grew within the states will not be released until late summer or early fall. Also, efforts to redraw lines for a partisan advantage in one district could inadvertently make a neighboring district more competitive.;

Republicans Score Big Gains In House Pelosi Barely Hanging On

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Democrats expected and eagerly anticipated a blue wave that would sweep them into power in the White House, House, Senate, and state legislatures.; It didnt happen, not by a long shot.

In fact, not only did they do poorly across the board, but, as a Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee spokeswoman astutely noted, President Trump acted not as the Democrat-expected anchor but as a buoy for Republican legislative candidates.

That Democrats vastly misjudged the appeal of their radical agenda is crystal clear , and perhaps nowhere is that more evident than in the House races.; Nancy Pelosi truly expected her party to pick up seats, yet it appears its the Republicans who are on track to accomplish the 10-15 seat gains the Democrats expected in their column.

Pelosi on Election Day: “Democrats are poised to further strengthen our majority.”

Pelosi today: “I never said that we were going to pick up” seats.

Kevin McCarthy

Despite AOCs declaration that Democrats lost the House, they have so far managed to win 219 seats .

Powerline notes that Republicans have flipped 12 House seats: RealClearPolitics notes that Republicans have picked up a net of 9 House seats. RCP projects that Republicans will pick up a net 10-13 seats when the counting is done.

12 FLIPS in the House for the GOP!

CA39 Young Kim

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Of the House races yet to be called as of Friday, Republicans are leading in 11 of the 14 races.

Newsweek reports:

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United States House Of Representatives Elections

2018 United States House of Representatives elections

The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 6, 2018, with early voting taking place in some states in the weeks preceding that date. Voters chose representatives from all 435 congressional districts across each of the 50 U.S. states. Non-voting delegates from the District of Columbia and four of the five inhabited U.S. territories were also elected. These midterm elections took place halfway through the term of Republican President Donald Trump. On Election Day, Republicans had held a House majority since .

In the 2018 elections, the Democrats, led by Nancy Pelosi, won control of the House. The Democrats gained a net total of 41 seats from the total number of seats they had won in the 2016 elections. The 41-seat gain was the Democrats largest gain of House seats since the post-Watergate 1974 elections, when they picked up 49 seats.

Upon the opening of the 116th United States Congress, Pelosi was elected as Speaker of the House. Incumbent Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan chose not to run for another term. In November 2018, House Republicans elected Kevin McCarthy as House Minority Leader.

Gop Women Made Big Gains

While the majority of the Republican caucus will still be men come 2021, there will be far more Republican women in Congress than there were this year. So far, it looks like at least 26 GOP women will be in the House next year, surpassing the record of 25 from the 109th Congress. Thats thanks in part to the record number of non-incumbent Republican women 15 whove won House contests. And its also because of how well Republican women did in tight races. The table below shows the Republican women who ran in Democratic-held House districts that were at least potentially competitive,1 according to FiveThirtyEights forecast. As of this writing, seven of them have won.

GOP women have flipped several Democratic seats

Republican women running for potentially competitive Democratic-held House seats and the status of their race as of 4:30 p.m Eastern on Nov. 11

District D+22.1

Results are unofficial. Races are counted as projected only if the projection comes from ABC News. Excludes races in which the Republican candidate has either a less than 1 in 100 chance or greater than 99 in 100 chance of winning.

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If You Have A News Tip Wed Like To Hear From You Reach Out To Us Via One Of Ourtip Line Channels

Rep. Ami Bera of California, the fundraising chair for the moderate NewDem Action Fund, said in an interview with BuzzFeed News that he was disappointed by the election results.

I described the election a little bit different than Speaker Pelosi, Bera said. I think our goal for many of us as Democrats is not to have any of our colleagues lose. So by that metric, you know, we lost some really valuable members of Congress, and for that I’m sad, and that bothers me.

Still, Bera said he didnt see what Democrats could have done differently in several races they lost, pointing to Rep. Joe Cunninghams loss in South Carolina.

There’s nothing about his campaign that we could have improved on raised resources to get his message out and at the end of the day, he lost by one percentage point in a district that I bet Trump is gonna win by 10 to 13 points, Bera said. So, you know, that’s just tough terrain.

But the party clearly needs to better understand some voters of color, Bera said, who broke in higher numbers for Trump this cycle than they did four years ago.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has also been open about discussing Democrats communication failures this cycle.

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In the weeks since Election Day, she has argued that moderates were not digitally strategic enough during their campaigns.

And Bera said he and his caucus members arent just brushing off Ocasio-Cortezs advice.

There may not be an answer. It may be that theyre screwed.

Its Not All Bad News For Democrats

Representative Kevin McCarthy discusses if Republicans can take back the House in 2020

While it was unquestionably a good night for Republicans, Democrats still held onto most of the seats they won in 2018 and will continue to be the majority party in the House. Thats in part because they retained most of the suburban districts they picked up in 2018.

Of the 233 seats that Democrats held coming into the election,2 186 of them were in districts that were predominantly or partly suburban in nature, according to density categorizations by Bloombergs CityLab. Thus far, Democrats have lost seven of those seats, but they captured one GOP-held suburban seat around Atlanta. And thanks to redistricting, theyve also won two formerly Republican seats around Greensboro and Raleigh in North Carolina, which reflect the partys strength in more populous areas.

Because of their relative success in the suburbs, Democrats kept many seats in places President Trump won in 2016. Coming into the election, Democrats held 30 seats in districts Trump carried in 2016, and they wouldve lost their majority if theyd lost more than half of them . But theyve won 18 of them so far and picked up one from the GOP . In fact, more than half of Republicans gains have come in seats representing places that Trump won by a pretty sizable margin in 2016. Well have to wait a bit before data can tell us how congressional districts voted in 2020,3 but for now it seems many Republican gains were made by picking off the lowest-hanging fruit.

Don’t Miss: Why Is There Republicans And Democrats

House Democrats May Well Have To Contend With A Republican Senate

House Democrats have spent the past two years passing bills at a rapid clip, on everything from sweeping anti-corruption reforms to lowering the cost of prescription drugs to a $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill. But the vast majority of these bills were dead on arrival in the US Senate. It seems likely this ambitious agenda could continue to be on ice, unless Democrats flip two Georgia Senate runoff races that will be decided in January.

One of the few bipartisan pieces of legislation Pelosi, Mitch McConnell, and President Trump were able to agree on was the $2.2 trillion CARES Act at the beginning of the pandemic; a second stimulus package has been held up by partisan bickering. McConnell recently signaled willingness to pass another stimulus package before the end of the year. He for the Senates lame-duck session but was vague on concrete details.

Even on infrastructure one of the few places where there seemed to be bipartisan agreement getting a bill through could be elusive. Should Democrats flip the Senate, Pelosi has provided them a road map.

But its too early to say if they will get to use it.

Update: This piece was updated with recent Decision Desk calls in several key House races.

A White House In Disorder

The tweet came without warning, on the day of the South Carolina primary. Watching television aboard Air Force One, on a flight back from his summit in Singapore with Kim Jong-un, the North Korean despot, Mr. Trump decreed that Representative Mark Sanford of South Carolina must be defeated.

Mr. Sanford, an idiosyncratic conservative who routinely criticized the president, was in a tough primary battle with Katie Arrington, a state legislator running as a Trump loyalist. Hours after Mr. Trumps message, Mr. Sanford conceded defeat.

If Mr. Sanford suffered in June for his apostasy, Mr. Trumps party paid another price Tuesday: Ms. Arrington lost the general election in a heavily Republican district to Joe Cunningham, a Democrat.

Mr. Trumps capricious approach to politics was destabilizing for Republicans up and down the ballot, leaving candidates exposed to the presidents whims and grievances and the machinations of White House advisers. Rather than approaching the midterm campaign as a task of holding together a political coalition and steering it to victory, Mr. Trump focused chiefly on rewarding perceived friends and punishing those who crossed him.

The endorsement was off. The day after Idahos primary, Mr. Trump phoned the triumphant Mr. Little and, unaware of the tapes genesis, asked: Did you see that video?

Recommended Reading: Should Republicans Vote In Democratic Primary

How Did State Populations Change From 2010 To 2020

The U.S. population has increased by 7.4% since the last Census, to a total of;331,449,281 people.

California is the most populous state with 39,538,223 people, while Wyoming is the smallest state at 576,851 people.

Utah was the state with the fastest growing population over the last decade, increasing by 18.4%, while West Virginia had the most population loss, dipping 3.2%.;

What Was The Outlook Prior To The Election

Republicans needed to get to 218 seats to win back the majority they lost in 2018. The National Republican Congressional Committee, the campaign arm of House Republicans, in early 2019 identified dozens of Democratic-held districts to target. They included;30 Democrats;who were elected or re-elected in 2018 in districts that voted for President Donald Trump in 2016. All but one Dave Loebsack of Iowa sought re-election. Most were first-term members who defeated or succeeded Republicans in the 2018 election. Republicans won some of these Trump Democrat districts but needed to unseat most to win back control of the House.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of House Democrats, identified more than 40 Frontline Democrats it expected to have very competitive re-election campaigns. Many of these members represented;suburban districts;that have diversified their populations in recent years. In most of these districts, Democrats were running for re-election for the first time. The Frontline Democrats amassed large campaign funds.

Democrats also identified more than three dozen Republican-held districts they intended to target, including seven in Texas.

Democrats also made a play for the suburban Texas districts of retiring Republican Reps.;Pete Olson;of the 22nd District and Kenny Marchant of the 24th District. They lost the 22nd District, but the 24th is currently too close to call, with Republican Beth Van Duyne leading.

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New Yorks Congressional Seats Over Time

Gained seats

W.Va.

Calif.

And several key states with changes coming to their maps California, Colorado, Michigan and Montana have independent commissions tasked with determining new legislative boundaries on a nonpartisan or bipartisan basis.

The parties have this natural inclination to go for broke, say, Weve got a new seat, lets grab it and take the opportunity we have, said Bernard Grofman, a political science professor at the University of California, Irvine, who has served as a special master for court-ordered redistricting in multiple states. For Republicans, he said, picking up new seats and stopping Joe Biden is going to have a high, high priority, even though they may pay a big political price down the road.

The 2021 redistricting process will also be the first time since 1961 that a raft of mostly Southern states will not have their maps subject to a preclearance process from the Justice Department, following the Supreme Courts 2013 decision to strike down Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. The court last month heard arguments that could undo more elements of the act that would impede the ability to sue to block new maps.

Without having to seek preclearance, Republicans in states where they control all levers of government Florida, Georgia and Texas, to name three will have far more influence on the new maps than they have had in past reapportionment cycles.

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12 FLIPS in the House for the GOP!

CA39 Young Kim

Students For Trump

Newsweek reports:

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