"You're stupid."

Mark scoffed "A nice 'thank you' would've been accepted"

"Theres too many people staring at us... " she grunted — the both them walked through a crowded area in the local carnival, somehow he had persuaded her to come along with him.

They had been there for most of the day, Scar couldn't help but let her worries disappear as the night progressed.

He smirked slightly "Let them stare." Mark knew why they all looked. She was beautiful, breath taking — whatever you wanted to call it — but for some reason she'd never see herself as that.

This day had surely been one of the best days of his life, to see her smile again was like seeing the sun after a long Winter — to hear her laughter, even if it was small, and even if it was because he slipped, it made his heart soften.

"I don't like it, they-"

He stopped walking, causing her to stand in front of him "What did I say when we left the Hotel?"

"Mar-"

He interrupted her "What did I say?"

"That; today we leave all our troubles behind and don't mention anything remotely negative."

An easy smile found it's way across his face "Exactly, now come on" he nudged her slightly "We're going on the Ferris wheel."

"But I don-"

He grabbed her hand in his, dragging her to where the carriages were "It wasn't a question." After waiting another five minutes in the line they finally boarded a small carriage that lifted them in the night sky.

"Well, this isn't too bad..." Scar voiced as her gaze looked out the window to her left — compared to all the other rides they had been on that day, this was probably the most peaceful "It's beautiful..."

Mark sat across from her. The view from their spot on the Ferris wheel looked over the whole of Enigmatica falls — lights of small buildings, the stars and even the forest held a prepossessing mist "I thought you'd like it."

"...Why did you bring me here?" she asked lightly, for a moment her eyes glanced towards him before returning her gaze to the window.

He paused for a moment "It's nice isn't it? Did you know we spent the whole day not mentioning the Arena or fighting?"

"I guess not..." now that Scarlett thought about it, she had been too caught up with him dragging her around, and, dare she say it, enjoying herself that fighting didn't even cross her mind.

Mark bit his lip — a direct sign that he was nervous "You seemed to really enjoy yourself...did you?"

"I...Mark, what are you-"

He interrupted her once again "In all the time I saw you today, you were happy. Genuinely happy - if you think about it, you never were really happy when it came to fighting..."

"What...? Mark-"

Scarlett felt a surge of anger at the fact he wasn't letting her finish her sentences "I'm just saying maybe, fighting isn't your thing..."

"What!" she exclaimed bolting to her feet "What the hell are you saying?"

Mark stood up from where he sat "You have to understand me when I say that I mean well, I do! Just look at today-"

"It's because of the Ghost Rider, isn't it?" she seethed

His gaze returned to floor, not able to properly look her in the eye "He's a Phantom Savage. Scar, he'll kill you."

"You don't believe I can beat him..."

Mark could see the pain in her eyes, could even feel the sense of betrayal that laced the air "Scar, I could barely make it out alive with him - I'm just saying maybe you're going for the title a little too early, you're diving in water that isn't deep enough!"

"My mother got he title when she was 17!"

He groaned in frustration "You're not your mother! Your mother was raised in the Fields - she knew what fighting was! Fighting is a game to you, isn't it? Fighting is just another way for you to enjoy yourself, my father told me about your mother - he said that she had killed more than 30 people to get to her title! How many have you?"

"I don't need to kill people to win!"

As soon as the ride stopped, Scarlett forced the door open and stormed out of the carriage — Mark quickly followed after her.

The Ghost Rider was a storm and so was she, but Mark had already lost someone important to him before because he couldn't protect them — he wasn't going to let the same thing happen again "You're young, Scar! How old is the Ghost Rider? 20 maybe even 30!"

"Why do you even care so much now!" she hissed, turning around to face him — by this time they had made it to the empty parking lot "Before, you trained me to fight him! Before, you believed that I had a chance!"

He shook his head slightly "That was before he told me he would kill you!"

"...what...?"

Mark didn't mean to slip and tell her what the fighter had whispered into his ear that night. He had planned this whole day to show how happier she would be if she gave up fighting — Mark knew it was foolish for believing this would work but he tried anyway "He said he would kill you, not me."

"He won't."

Mark couldn't help but let worry seep into his gaze "How sure are you? How sure are you that he won't snap your neck before I can even utter the words forfeit."

"Your unbelievable."

Scarlett turned away from him and continued to walk in the direction of the Hotel "Please, you ha-"

"Leave me alone!" she yelled, making him stop in his step as she turned around and faced him "I thought you of all people would believe in me! I thought today was just me and you having fun! But I was wrong, you planned this whole damn day in hopes that I would agree with the fact that I'm weak!"

Mark reached for her hand only for her to pull away from his touch "It wasn't like that, Scar - I didn't-"

"Just go away before I do something I won't regret."

With one final warning, Scarlett turned away from him and continued to walk — For once Mark let her.

He wanted to grab her and make her see how much she could get hurt, he wanted her to see how bad this could end but he couldn't — it was in that second he knew what he had to do...

* * *

Scarlett walked through the massive iron doors of the Arena — her mask and fighting clothes on. This time instead of feeling a surge of adrenaline and radiance, she felt hollow, her hand felt cold without Mark's but as soon as the thought came she drove it away.

Soon enough her name was announced and she entered the ring — Mark's earlier words echoed through her mind as she prepared herself to fight her opponent — He'll kill you, Scar — for once a sliver of doubt entered her.

Her opponent was an easy match, his moves were predictable but he did land some defeating blows, soon enough she had won five matches without facing the Ghost Rider.

As she exited the ring, her mind couldn't comprehend the fact she was yet to fight the Ghost Rider, he had threatened her yet he wasn't fighting her.

It was at that moment that Scar saw the Ghost Rider enter the ring. His opponent was overcome with fear — everyone in the Arena knew what he was capable of and so did she. Scarlett kept telling herself to turn away, to not look at him as it would only make her feel worse but her eyes wouldn't obey.

She watched as he brutalised the poor man, beating him ruthlessly as blood painted the cage and the floor — her eyes watched as the life left the man's eyes, Scar knew this was enough — she needed to turn away from the fight, needed to stop watching but she found herself trapped.

The Ghost Rider continued to do the same thing with another ten matches — he beat them to a pulp while leaving no room for life. He fought them viciously with no mercy, by the time he was done with them his fists were covered in blood and his face was stone cold with no emotion.

Then the unthinkable happened, Mark walked in the cage to face him.

For some reason her heart sank, and her breathing hitched.

Scar ripped her gaze away from them. The thought of Mark telling her she couldn't do it — couldn't fight the Ghost Rider caused anger to boil beneath in her veins, her eyes started to sting.

She couldn't stand the sight of his face so she turned away and briskly left the Arena. As she lied in her bed that night, she faced the pillow next to her head where he usually slept — it felt oddly empty without him there.

She forced her eyes shut and held herself a fraction tighter.

It didn't help the fact that the bed she slept in felt bigger compared to when a certain somebody would sleep. Her heart ached at not having him there, this was the best and worst day she's ever had in a long time.

Scar chastised herself for believing that he was different, that he actually was being honest with her — how long had he thought so lowly of her? How long had he secretly thought fighting wasn't something that was for her? How long had he thought she was weak?

Sleep didn't come easy that night, her eyes wanted to emit tears but she didn't let them...

"Three more...three more matches..." she whispered to herself "Three more matches and it will all be over..." and just like that her self conscious fell into a dark void of dreamless slumber.

But there was a small voice at the back of her tiresome mind telling her that she had forgotten to do something that night...

A small voice that seemed to be saying something a lot like...

Forfeit