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THE CHOICE
(Day 4 - Morning)
Something warm is pressed against Flynn's back. He jerks awake, suddenly aware and terrified, and twists - very cautiously - around to look.
Through the shadows, he can just see the gentle rise and fall of Rapunzel's breathing. She must have moved during the night.
Flynn relaxes, but not by much. How did she sneak up on him without waking him up? He's a trained Career. She should never have gotten this close to him. In any sense.
He needs to make a decision, as soon as possible. And to do that, he needs distance.
As he slips out from under the blanket, Rapunzel stirs. A sleepy frown knits up her face, and she shivers as the source of heat vanishes. Flynn winces.
"I'll be back soon," he says, gruffly.
"Mmm." She pushes a loose strand of hair out of her face, and gives him a sweet, drowsy smile. "Be careful?"
"Yeah," Flynn says, and takes a deep breath and walks away through the trees, before he can change his mind.
In the pearly dawn light, his breath makes a faint visible cloud. It's getting colder in the Arena. The leaves are turning copper and red, though it's months too early for it.
He reaches up to pluck one, and turns it over curiously. It seems like a real leaf. His hand twinges, and he glances at the clean bandage wrapped around it.
Yesterday, he told her about growing up in the factories. About the other orphans. About his dream of winning the Games. It's not much of a dream, but it's all I've got, he'd said, while she carefully changed his dirty bandages and listened.
And she told him about herself. About her home, about gathering herbs in the fields, about saving old bags all year for the lantern festival. About her own lost dream of becoming a healer like her parents. About her vow to herself.
I don't get it, he'd said, staring at her across their small, furtive cooking fire. You're not even going to try? What, do you want to die?
She'd bit her lip, searching for the words to explain. Everybody dies someday, one way or another. I just...I want to do it right.
Realizing he's still twirling the leaf as he thinks, Flynn scowls and flings it away. It's too light to throw properly - instead it drifts gentle zigzags in the air and lands softly on the ground at his feet.
He groans and runs his hands through his hair. What is he supposed to do? She smiles at him like he matters. The real him, not just his value as a tribute.
This is bad. This is very, very bad. He wasn't supposed to get attached! She's too kindhearted, too brave, and much too beautiful.
He can't kill her.
Flynn freezes. "Oh, no," he murmurs. No, no, no...
Think. Think. He can still make this work. He just has to shake her off now. Just...walk away and end this unlikely alliance, while he has the chance.
She wouldn't hold it against him if he vanished. She'd probably wish him well...
Oh, who is he kidding? He can't ditch her. He just...he can't. Flynn lets out a weary chuckle. Ladies and gentlemen, Flynn Rider, the hands-down worst Career ever to volunteer for the position. He sighs, thrusts his hands in his pockets, and turns to trudge back to camp.
A terrified scream splits the air.
Rapunzel.
It's like his heart has stopped.
And then Flynn is running as fast as he can, cursing himself for an idiot with every breath. He /left her alone/. How could he leave her alone? The cannon hasn't fired yet - please, please - !
The camp is empty. Flynn looks around wildly. Their sleeping bags are in a tangled heap on the ground...
"Let me go! Flynn, run!"
He turns slowly, afraid of what he'll see.
It's the girl from District Four, smirking all over her bruised face. Her left hand is twisted deep into Rapunzel's hair, that beautiful thick golden braid looped around her wrist, gripping hard enough to force the smaller girl to her knees.
Her other hand holds a knife.
"Hello, loser," she sneers, eyes gleaming. "I like your girlfriend. She's so...pretty."
Rapunzel is struggling desperately in the bigger girl's grasp. Her hands are tied roughly behind her back with what looks like a knotted bootlace, but she doesn't seem badly hurt. Yet. "Just run, Flynn!" she pleads.
"You heard the lady. Let her go," Flynn says, heart hammering in his throat. He gropes at his sleeve cuffs for his own knives, snapping the catches loose.
"Come and make me," says his former packmate, and bares her teeth at him in a parody of a smile. "I know you want to."
There are tears in Rapunzel's eyes. The greenest eyes he's ever seen.
"Run," she whispers. "Flynn...please."
God, he wishes he could.