Miraculous Games

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six:

"Ladybug!" Chat cried out. He whipped out his staff as fast as he could and began to spin it, stepping over her. As he spun his weapon, more knifes came his way, but they were all deflected. Scowling, he scanned the clearing. There was no one.

"Is she okay?!" Fox called, and Chat could hear the worry in his tone.

"Show yourself!" Chat shouted, but it wasn't directed at Nathanael. "I know you're out there! Come and fight like a man!"

"Well, I'm not one, so why should I?" a voice replied. Chat spun around just in time to block a knife from stabbing into his own back. Under him, Marinette moaned and tried to pull herself up onto her knees.

"Don't get up, My Lady," he ordered. "You'll only hurt yourself."

"Why don't you let her fight? Besides, I've heard she's really good at it. Seen it, too."

Chat turned again, but wasn't quick enough to block the knife that sailed toward him. It flew by his face and sliced his cheek, including the bottom half of his mask. The knife hit the Cataclysmacopia with a clang! He winced, stumbling back and gripping his baton tighter.

"Quit hiding in the shadows! If you want to win, come get us!"

There was an evil laughter right behind him. "Gladly."

"Chat! Behind you!" Fox shouted.

Chat turned just in time to miss a blade that just barely nicked his ear. The person who was attacking them stood confidently in the middle of the meadow, no more than fifty feet away. Chat had been wrong, it wasn't a man. It was a girl, short and with bright pink hair. One half of it was pulled into a ponytail, like Marinette's had been, while the other half was in a free-flowing pixie cut. She had an evil smile plastered across her face, almost as if she were a doll. Though she wore the exact same clothes as every other charm did, hers were dyed black. It reminded Chat too much about his own costume to make him feel comfortable.

"What do you want from us?" he demanded, lowering his staff and pointing it at her menacingly.

The girl chuckled, but it almost seemed robotic. "Really? You don't know? You're the protector Charm here, I thought you would at least have some brains inside of that small head of yours." From a strap that crisscrossed over her back, she pulled out throwing knives, one for each hand. "I want to win these games. I want to survive this, no matter what the cost might be."

"Well, that caused is going to be paid right here, right now." Chat glanced into the corner of his eye. Fox stood not too far away from him, his fists raised in a fighting stance.

The girl smiled. "Now that's what I like to see. A couple of boys being men. Who knew it would take you this long to do it, especially since you've been fighting over the same girl for the past three weeks."

Chat narrowed his eyes. "How do you know about that?"

"Why should I give away my little secret? It's not like I plan on losing to the likes of you anyway."

The cat scowled, glaring at their opponent. "I am not afraid to rip your throat out if I need to. You hurt Ladybug, and that's enough to get me to destroy an entire city!"

The girl laughed. "Oh please, do you really think I'm going to stand down that easily? Just because you threaten me? A panther would know better."

Chat furrowed his eyebrows. So that's who she was. The Panther Charm, Alix. He had talked to her once or twice outside of the arena before the games had started. She had seemed nice enough, maybe a little on the harsh side in her humor department, but this seemed way too out of line, even for her. Something was going on. And he was going to find out what.