The Forgotten Days

▬▬ 𝟏𝟐 ∙ 𝝩𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗵𝝾𝗺𝗮𝗯❙𝗲 𝝩𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽

˚✩ ⋆｡ ✩┊ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 ┊✦ ˚ · .

▬▬ 12 ∙ 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚄𝚗𝚏𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚃𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚑

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THE MORNING takes an active start, a cannon going off seconds after I step in. I look over to see Byte's headshot fading into gray, the hovercraft dropping down. "What's she doing?" I hear someone exclaim, throwing their hands up. "Fawn, what's up with your tribute?"

"How am I supposed to know?" she shoots back. I turn my attention to the screen where Byte's lifeless body is laying on the ground; Chrome throws her body over his, preventing the hovercraft from collecting him. It accelerates in power to blow her away but she holds steady, pulling back to grab a fistful of gauze.

"Byte!" Chrome's screaming, pressing a wad of bandages to stop the flow of blood, but Paige pulls her away with a sorrowful shake of her head. "No, I need to help him! I can- I can help him!"

"Chrome," Paige says with a deathly calmness in her voice. "Chrome, there's no point."

"Yes! I can save him, he still has a chance," she wails, fighting against Paige's strong hold.

"Didn't you hear the cannon?" She continues thrashing, not appearing to hear a word Paige is saying. "Chrome, please stop. Chrome, he's- he's gone."

As if that flips a switch, the fight in Chrome is extinguished and she sinks to her knees in desolation. She watches as the hovercraft hoists him up, disappearing out of the arena.

"So, who gets the spear?" Chrome says coldly, tear tracks on her face, twirling the spear between her fingers, the blood dripping on her hand. Before Paige can make a move, she stabs it into the ground with a wrathful scream. She raises her arm to thrust it into the ground again, but Paige grabs it away from her.

"Chrome..."

"Give it to me! I need to- I need it!"

"Chrome, don't do something you'll regret."

"I already have. My first mistake was not destroying those Careers for killing him! Give me the spear, I need to get revenge." She lunges at Paige, hands outstretched for the spear, but she easily dodges and keeps it away.

"I can't let you do this."

She cocks her head to the side. "You don't have to." Before Paige can blink and comprehend her words, Chrome's already acting.

She jumps to Paige again, but she grabs something else, the knife in her pocket. Paige, surprised by the sudden change, fights Chrome for it. They roll on the ground, wrestling, Paige trying to free the knife from Chrome's tight grip: you would have thought they were trying to kill each other if you didn't know they were allies.

"Give me the knife!" Paige screams, flipping Chrome on her back and seizing her hand.

"No!" Chrome yanks her arm away and turns the knife around so the blade faces her. Paige's mouth drops in shock, running to grab the spear. Chrome raises the knife, silent tears running down her face, chanting something like a prayer. The knife comes down, aimed for her stomach, but it never touches her. Paige knocks it away with the spear, and it flies and embeds itself into the ground. She restrains Chrome before she can make another lunge at the knife, any effort at resisting futile, and carries her to camp like a mother comforting a small child.