Chapter Thirty-Eight:

"We need to act, now," Adrien ordered. Standing with his back to him, Alix nodded, then turned her attention back to a disguised Kim and passed on the message. With a cold stare, Adrien glared at Chloe as she made her way to the stage. Not only was her dress beyond inappropriate, but the way she looked at the crowd made him feel so inferior. And that was something that was not going to fly in his world.

"I'm sooo glad you're all here to share this moment with me!" Chloe exclaimed to the crowd, holding the microphone Alec handed her too close to her mouth. Her sickly sweet voice made Adrien clench his teeth in disgust. There was only one word that could explain how he felt.

Ugh.

Nadja Chamach immediately stole the mic back from her. "Yes, it really is. Now, at this time, we would like to present the creator of this year's arena, the Game Master!"

She gestured dramatically to the audience's right of the stage. Adrien's stomach clenched and he sucked in a breath. It was him - the man who had put Marinette through so much pain, the man who knew that he was Chat Noir, and the man who was about to get his butt kicked.

Decked out in a black and purple suit, the Game Master strut across the stage. He carried a black cane that shone under the stage lights. His shoes were shiny black, showing no imperfections whatsoever. And, to top it all off, he wore a silver mask that covered the top of his head, down the sides of his face, and his nose. The only things it revealed were his eyes and his mouth. He walked past Nadja and Alec, who had taken a step back on either side of the stage, his purple cape swishing behind him.

"What a pleasure it is to have you here, sir," Queen Bee said, curtsying deeply - or as deep as her dress would allow her to. Adrien noticed her change of tone and wondered if anyone else had as well. Was she scared of him?

Someone nudged Adrien's arm. He glanced over to see Nino, decked out in a turtle costume. It was similar to the one he wore for the starting ball, but the fabric had much more detail woven into it. He looked completely different, even though he was only wearing a green mask, a piece of painted metal across his back, and a fancy green suit.

"Everyone's in position," he reported. "We're ready to attack on your signal."

Adrien nodded with understanding but didn't give the signal. He had a feeling that something was about to go down that they all needed to see. Patience was a virtue, after all.

The Game Master bowed his head, acknowledging Chloe's respect, but didn't say anything. He only turned and extended his hand, as if to be given something. Alec took that as his cue to speak and he jumped to life.

"And now, we present this year's crown for the winner of the Miraculous Games!"

The giraffe announcer gestured again. This time, a squad of three bodyguards walked up onto the stage. The center of the three held a box on his hand, unopened yet treated with much care. The crowd began whispering to one another, rumors being brought to life.

"I heard it was bright green!" said one.

"No no, it's black and yellow to match her animal!" said another.

"You're all wrong. It's modeled after the last charm she took down," replied their friend.

The Game Master took the box and everyone quieted immediately. Everyone held their breath, waiting and watching. What did it look like? What was inside?

Adrien bumped Nino.

"Now."

* * *

BAM!

Screams erupted from many around Marinette as the lights went out, some of them exploding. She sucked in a breath, her mind running a thousand miles an hour. She had been so focused on wanting to pull Chloe's head off that she hadn't expected the sudden explosions. This wasn't right. This wasn't part of her and Nathanael's plan. People in the ballroom began to panic, desperately asking each other what was going on.

What did the crown look like? Why were the lights out?

"Don't panic, everyone!" Alec called from the stage, even though microphone wasn't working. "We'll figure out what happened. I bet the power just went out, right?" He nervously laughed.

"Stop!" someone called out. Marinette's ears perked at the title and she turned. She looked over the balcony. It was hard to see, but she could make out vague figures lined up around the room. None of them looked familiar, except one.

Down on the dance floor, something began to glow. In the darkness, the figure was impossible to miss. Sewn into the fabric of the suit, purple lights like neon signs began to illuminate the figure. Their black tie turned purple, their coattails sparkled, and their wings came to life. Though the figure's face was covered by a glowing purple mask, it wasn't hard to tell who it was.

The crowd whispered to one another, confused but also interested in what was going on. Who was it? What was the figure doing here? Why did it want?

Marinette knew.

It was Adrien.

The antennae in his hair flickered to life. Around his mask, the purple light accentuated his features. His green eyes... His blonde hair...

His scowl.

"You have taken this too far! We all know who the real winner is, and it's not her!" He pointed angrily at the stage, right at Chloe. She was hiding behind the Game Master, her blue eyes fearful and tight dress being pushed to its limit.

"You dare contradict my verdict?" the Game Master demanded, and though he didn't speak very loudly, his voice carried across the entire room.

"I do. I know your verdict is wrong because I was there!"

Marinette covered her mouth in shock as his suit changed. It no longer glowed purple and looked like a butterfly. The antennae on his head bent and changed, becoming cat ears that glowed bright green. His suit changed as well, the wings across his back folding in and turning into a long tail. The purple light inside the suit and changed into the same bright green as the ears. And finally, the purple on his mask disappeared and green lights lit up his already-striking green eyes.

The crowd gasped. It's Chat Noir!

The name ripped through the room, causing many to take a few steps back in surprise. On stage, Alec, Nadja, and Chloe all inhaled sharply in shock. However, the Game Master looked unmoved - and if anything, more irritated.

"I come here to take a stand for the real winner of the Miraculous Games!Chloe is a fool and coward!" Chat yelled, his voice echoing off of the walls. Then, he ripped off his mask and tossed it aside. The crowd went wild, and Chat's words were almost lost in the noise.

"I am Adrien Agreste, son of President Agreste and protector of the winner! The champion of the Miraculous Games is Ladybug! She stood up against everything that you threw at her, and I know for a fact that you tried to murder her! If that isn't against the rules, I dunno what is."

The crowd was thrown into a tizzy. Some of the guests were shocked beyond belief that they couldn't say a word. Others began to shout their own opinions, whether they were for or against Chat. The Game Master seemed only amused by the crowd's response.

"If you truly think she is the winner," he called out, "then where is she?"

Chat's expression faltered. The ball guests cried out in opposition and agreement, though the majority were on the Game Master's side. Chat swallowed, glancing around nervously.

Marinette's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't breathe, couldn't speak, and yet, she instinctively reached for the weapon on her back. Once hidden in the massive feathers of her dress, she pulled it out into the open.

"I'm here to send the message," Chat said, trying his best to answer the Game Master's question while trying not to acknowledge his mistake. One the crowd didn't need to know.

Marinette notched it, waiting. Watching. She closed one eye.

The Game Master smirked, waving his cane at the crowd. "It seems as though your so-called winner is the real coward after all."

Chat clenched his teeth angrily, his fists closing tightly. He was ready to pounce.

Marinette let the arrow fly.

THUNK!

From the stage, Chloe let out an ear splitting scream. All attention was turned toward her. The Game Master whipped around to see her pinned to the ground by the fabric of her dress in a very unflattering position. The arrow had caught the back of her dress, right through the fake plastic that had made her butt look unbelievably bigger than naturally possible, and pinned her to the stage with her legs spread.

"What the-?" The Game Master exclaimed, but Marinette was already in motion. She jumped off the balcony, shot another arrow, then hit the ground and rolled. It was difficult in a fancy dress and holding a bow and arrow, but she didn't care. She had gone through worse in the arena.

With a thunk, the arrow had impaled itself at the Game Master's feet. He growled angrily, scanning the crowd.

"Show yourself!" he shouted, his face twisted in rage. "Come out of the shadows, you fool!"

Chat was scanning the crowd too, though his expression was more of hope than anything else.

"Gladly," Marinette shouted in response. Then, as if like magic, the lights (that had not blown up) flickered to life. The room was flooded with the sudden flash and everyone covered their eyes in surprise. The Game Master sneered in irritation as a spotlight blinded him for a split second.

It gave Marinette just enough time to shoot another arrow. The projectile flew through the air and caught the Game Master's cape, pinning it down. She got to her feet, head held high.

"Ladybug!" Nathanael shouted from up above. She glanced up at him and raised her bow to let him know she was okay. And that she was moving forward with the plan.

The Game Master scowled at her then thrust his hand toward her and Chat. "Guards, capture them!"

Smiling, Marinette pulled another arrow out of her collection on her back and notched it. The next thing she knew, Adrien was by his side, his baton tightly gripped in his hand.

"What are you doing here?" Adrien asked, extending the staff. Though the question sounded harsh, his tone was anything but that. It sounded relieved like she had saved him from a pit of snakes.

"You know why I'm here," Marinette snapped. She was still bitter toward what he did and wasn't ready to forgive him. He seemed to wilt a little bit, but she figured that he wasn't going to leave her again.

The guards surged toward them in waves. Both Marinette and Adrien took them down with ease. Marinette couldn't help but notice how well they worked together. They worked as a unit - a team, really - taking down the enemy without having to say a word to the other.

"I have support ready to jump into action," he reported, smacking his baton across a guard's face.

"I'd rather not have their positions compromised," she replied sharply.

Adrien sighed. "Can you please work with me? I'm trying to help."

She punched a guard, then shot an arrow at another. "I have a lot on my mind right now and I'd rather not think about how you ditched me. Does that sound fair?"

He didn't reply after that. The two continued to fight side by side as the guards attacked. It was oddly surreal. Marinette felt like she could take on the world. With her peacock dress twirling around her, she felt like a princess. And yet, the bow made her feel like a warrior. No, not a warrior.

A superhero. 

---

Welp. There ya go! I have the next three chapters all plotted out and jam packed with action, so I hope this satisfies your hunger for now!

Thank you RembaCeleste18 for helping Miraculous Games hit 1K votes! Hope you enjoy the shout out! And thank you to all of you that vote for each chapter. It helps me know that you guys like what you're reading. 

And thanks to all of you that comment on chapters! It's amazing to hear your reactions and see what you guys like and don't like. It's really helpful for me as the writer. (Plus, it's absolutely hilarious when I get to hear all of your screams when something crazy happens. It makes my day, haha). 

To be honest, I don't have just ONE favorite comment this time. It's actually a comment thread that just keeps getting updated and it makes me smile everytime someone joins in. So, I'm gonna give a shout out to everyone who has participated in the thread up to this point. (You can find this comment thread in Chapter 35 when the door scene happens [when Adrien shuts Marinette out].)

Favorite Comment (thread):

Jennyluvsreading, Emerald_Heart12 and MoonlightisSunlight (btw, I love your profile pic!)

The Frozen song fits perfectly there. It's amazing, thank you.Your guys' comments have been so funny to read. I love how it has evolved into just a constant update in my notifications, haha. Thank you for your creativity! 

Also, if you guys did not see it before, I updated Chapter 34 with a picture. I'm gonna post it here as well for those of you who didn't. (I hope you guys like it.)

And, as always, have a Miraculous day!