"You."

Pale blue eyes bore into Jack's as Elsa took another step into the light. Her hair was drenched and knotted from the rain, her knees caked in mud and her wounded shoulder encrusted with blood. Dark rings hung under her eyes, and a yellow tinge blemished her snow-white skin.

Yet Elsa was still perfect in a way he couldn't describe. The pain she had endured in the past couple of hours hadn't taken away her surreal beauty, or, apparently, her determination.

"Yes." She said matter-of-factly. "Me."

Anger boiled up in Jack's stomach as he automatically stood in front of Rapunzel, shielding her from Elsa. "Don't take another step." He growled, fury clouding his judgement. This girl almost murdered Rapunzel. They might have escaped with their lives, but her face was still brutally scarred from Elsa's twisted little games. He doubted she would ever fully heal from last night's events. "Rapunzel, run." He hissed to the girl behind him, but she shook her head, defiant.

"I'm staying right here." She replied. He felt her hand squeeze his shoulder and was grateful for the physical reassurance. It was the only thing stopping him from throwing himself at the disgusting physcopath standing before him.

"Not to ruin this touching scene," Elsa said, running her fingers through her hair, an arrogant smirk on her lips. Jack clenched his jaw. "But why is a District 12 protecting a career?"

That was it. In a flash, Jack shook off Rapunzel's grip, retrieved his knife and pushed it to Elsa's throat. The impact sent a bead of blood trickling down her neck, the drops seeping into her already filthy t-shirt.

"Jack, I don't think-" Rapunzel began, biting her bottom lip. But the District 2 hadn't even flinched, she just stood there, surveying him under her cool, emotionless gaze.

She leaned into Jack his ear, her sweet breath tickling his chin. "You're going to have to trust me if you want to win this thing."

He drew back, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"That's right." She raised her eyebrows, stepping out to the side of him. "I want to join you."

"Not that this isn't a great plan…" Began Hiccup, struggling to keep up with Merida's fast pace up the mountain. "But don't you think we're being a bit reckless?"

The rain continued pouring down on the tributes heads, so merciless it was difficult to keep their eyes open. But single beams of light now pierced through the dark clouds rumbling above, signifying that morning had arrived. "About wha'?" Merida questioned, too focused on struggling through the rain to bother turning round to look at him.

"Oh I don't know... Maybe about entering a bloodbath?" He asked incredulously, his balance wavering a little as he almost slipped on the wet rocks beneath their feet.

"Careful," She said with a hint of a smile in her voice. "How would Ah be able teh survive withou' a big beefy man like yerself protecting meh?" She hung back, allowing him to catch up before opening the cap of the water bottle with her teeth and handing it to him. He took it gratefully, drinking in big, long gulps. "Steady on Hiccup, we've still gotta long way tah go."

The boy wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Great." He muttered under his breath, which earned him a reproachful glare from Merida.

"What was that?"

"Just commenting on what a nice day it is!" He called, and she laughed as the wind blew even harder in their direction. It was as if the weather wanted them to turn back towards the flood. Then again, thought Hiccup, that's probably exactly what the 'weather' wanted.

The two tributes walked in silence for a while after that, the freezing conditions making it difficult to talk even if they wanted to. Luckily, Merida had managed to fight her way to the Concubine at the beginning of the games. That had provided her a two large fleece blankets, which stopped at least some of the bitter wind and icy water from flooding into their raincoats.

As they battled through the torrential rain, Hiccup couldn't help but notice the sudden calmness that had taken over Merida. Despite his feelings for her, it made him suspicious. What plan did she have that she wasn't telling him? How did she think they were going to survive a group of careers and trained killers?

Was she going to betray him?

The question pierced Hiccup's mind like the sharp daggers of rain attacking them. He wanted to trust her, he really did. But that single thought kept nagging him at the back of his mind. She wouldn't have saved him just to pawn him off to Snotlout… Would she?

Suddenly Merida stopped dead in her tracks, her fleece cape narrowly avoiding whipping him in the eye. "What?" He yelped in bewilderment.

"Yeh know how yeh said Ah shoul' be more worried about the mountain?" She replied, looking down into a crevice between the boulders beneath them. "Well, Ah think yeh might be righ'."

Hiccup stood next to her, his feet balancing on the edge of the rock. He had to bite down a scream as he peered into the darkness below.

A canon sounded across the arena.

"You can't be serious." Jack spat, but Elsa just turned her gaze to Rapunzel, giving her a knowing smile.

Rapunzel knew what that smile meant. It said, "We're both careers, and we know best".

Any idiot would know not to trust that smile.

But Rapunzel knew in her heart that this was the best, maybe the only way to survive the games. So even though Jack would hate her for it, she took the bait and nodded to Elsa. Thankfully he was too busy glowering to notice their interaction. "Jack… Maybe we should consider it?"

"Are you fucking serious?" He spun around to look at her. "You were nearly murdered by this freak!"

"Ooh, that hurt." Elsa pouted.

Jack ignored her. "And now you want to team up with her? What's wrong with you?"

Rapunzel took his hand and pulled him towards her a little. "This is the Hunger Games, Jack…" She stroked his hand with her thumb. She knew it was manipulative, the way she used his affection for her to get what she wanted. But this was for his own good- or at least, that's what she told herself. "Just look at her! She's unarmed, injured- she's totally at our mercy."

"Huh," He pulled his hand away, tipping his head to one side. "Well doesn't that sound familiar?"

"It's not the same-"

"Do what you want, Rapunzel." He sighed, shaking his head and turning his back on her. "You've already decided, anyway."

She watched him walk away, his back slouched, his footsteps heavy.

"Ouch." Elsa commented as she passed her. "Are you coming or what?"

"Rex," Merida commented, her voice emotionless. "District 6." The boy's body was discoloured and mangled beyond identifiable, but his face… Oh god his face…

Hiccup looked away, covering his mouth with a freezing hand.

"A tribute couldn't have done this." Merida looked up at him, her fear well concealed, but he could still catch a glimmer of it in her eyes. "No." He concluded. "It must have been some kind of animal…"

He let his words trail of, but the unspoken ones still hung in the air. Or monster.

"Wha' should we do?" Merida asked, her hair whipping around her face, made twice its size by the wind. "We cannae exactly go back."

"Then we do the only thing we can. Onwards and upwards I guess." Hiccup replied, some of his wry humour returning. Merida smiled. She grabbed his hand, holding it to her cheek. The action made his heart jump and his face flame in embarrassment.

"W-What are you doing?"

"Ahm keepin' yeh hand's warm!" She laughed rolling her eyes. "Wha' did yeh think Ah was doin'?" She then pulled him up the next boulder, facing away from him so he couldn't to see that her cheeks were equally red- and not because of the wind.

damn that was difficult...

sorry i haven't had a chance to proof read! (excuse any misspellings or grammar mistakes _ it's been a long day)

since it's Easter Holidays hopefully I should be able to get another chapter out soon, but i cant promise anything :c

hope u enjoy anyways~