:)

Pov: Grian

A crash.

My eyes burst open and I scramble up until I'm sitting. Mumbo's on his feet.

'What- what was that? Mumbo?' I ask. He turns back to me, eyes wide.

'I don't know.'

'Get into a tree and hide.' I suggest, standing. 'Make sure whatever it is doesn't get us.'

He does. I grab my trident, ready for attack when...

I yell as False runs into view. For a moment I just stab wildly at her before I gain sense, sprinting for the tree Mumbo climbed. His hand reaches down. I grab it, letting him pull me up into the...

A sudden yank backwards. Mumbo screams my name as someone drags me away by my collar. I can't breathe, can't yell back, as much as I want to... the career throws me to the ground. I hit it. Hard. I try to recover, shifting into a more comfortable position, still holding tight to the trident. A shadow blocks the light.

'So you're the little gremlin who took my trident and killed my friend.' Doc growls. My dumb brain makes me nod.

'Y...yeah. That's me.'

A laugh. He kicks me in the back. I curl up tighter.

'Give it back or Falsie will kill Moustache over here.'

A scream, sounding horribly like Mumbo getting pulled from the tree like I was, and a thud that confirms it. 

'Fellas... fellas... can we just... talk this out?' I crawl away, out of options, turning to face the scene. Doc still towering over me. Mumbo pinned to a tree by False, unarmed. I've still got the trident. I'm not giving it up, instead stabbing at Doc with it. He jumps backwards. I grin.

'Should I kill this one yet?' False asks. It's enough to stop me smiling. Mumbo whimpers. 

'You wouldn't dare.' I stand. Doc's still a lot taller than me. There's still no way I'd be able to get away.

Or is there...?

If I'm fast enough... Or I throw the trident first... but would I be accurate enough? Or would Doc just catch me again. Would False just kill Mumbo? My only friend is staring at me, eyes full of terror. There's no way I'd be able to signal for him to run. Or...

'Give me my trident and we let you go.'

'You see... I quite like it. And it's not YOUR trident. It belongs to the good old Capitol. And... you did give it to me.' My tongue, ever running faster than my brain, speaks before I can comprehend the situation.

Doc shoves me. I hit a tree, winded, head slamming into the trunk with a crack. He keeps me pinned there, gasping for breath.

'We can kill your friend right now and take back the trident, man. But we're nicer than that. Give us the trident, and we let you both go free. Don't be selfish.'

'Hang on...' I choke out, realising. 'Wh- where's your third member? The pink hair? Lizzie. Where's Lizzie?'

'Gone.' I didn't expect any reply, to be honest. But now I can use this against them. I have a way to waste time while I think.

'Why?'

Doc pushes me further against the tree, his arm against my neck, cutting off my breath and, with it, my chance to delay. I do the only thing that comes to mind. 

Bite it.

Disgusted, shocked, or probably both, Doc stumbles away. I take my chance, darting out the way, swiping with the trident he wants so desperately to get him out my way. I gasp for breath as I go, beelining straight for False. 

Mumbo screams. False grins, pulling her knife free from where she just stabbed him. I slash back with my trident, furious, aiming for whatever I can reach. Thundering footsteps tell me Doc's just behind. I turn, going for him.

'HERE'S YOUR TRIDENT!' I yell, and stab him with it. He grunts back with pain, staggering away. False is barely standing. 'NOW GET AWAY!'

'Doc, we should go.' False orders. With one last glare at me, Doc turns and storms away. 

I collapse to the ground.

We won.

'G-Grian... do you have any of that healing... stuff.'

My relief turns immediately back to fear as I turn back to where Mumbo's barely standing, one hand numbly holding back the bloodflow. 

'Yeah, yeah... Hang on.' 

I run for the bag of stuff, dropping the trident. It'll just be at the top...

But is isn't.

I start tearing everything from it in search... why can I never find what I want in an emergency?Why can't I find the healing cream? I'm sure I put it back... but did I? Is there a secret pocket I forgot about? Did False and Doc take it? No, no they can't have done. I would've seen. I would've see if anyone took it. But it's not here. 

'GRIAN?'

'MUMBO I CAN'T FIND IT!'

'WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T FIND IT?!' Both our voices are shrill with terror. I try to remember anything from training that could help... what were the 5 kinds of leaves to look for in a medical emergency?

I turn back to Mumbo. 

'Have you got it on you?!'

'Have YOU got it on you?!' He retorts as he tries to look with his one hand... then collapses. I run to his side, too slow to catch him, falling next to him, pressing my own hands over the injury... when did we last have the stuff? When did we last use it?

Impulse.

Impulse never gave it back.

IMPULSE NEVER GAVE IT BACK.

'Impulse.' I choke, horror filling every bone and muscle in my body. 'He... he's got it... I'm sorry.'

'What?' 

'Unless... unless you remember him giving it back?' 

He shakes his head.

I start sobbing. In desperation, I try to pull off one of my sleeves... it doesn't tear. There's a knife on me... is there a knife on me? Can I cut some off?

'MUMBO HOLD ON!' I have to yell instead, tearing blurring my vision. 'I'm so sorry! I'm so so sorry!'

'Grian, this isn't your fault...'

One bloodstained hand reaches to wipe away my tears. Mumbo smiles. I can't smile back. I can't lose another ally. I can't. I can't lose him. He's not going to die on me. He's not. He can't. I can't lose someone else.

'Grian...'

'YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DIE!'

He falls still.

And even the cannonshot doesn't drown out my scream.