Hunger Games: Fandom Style

Going . . . Going . . . Gone.

A/N: Thank you, TrueWhovian77 for taking the time to vote and comment. As thanks, I'm dedicating this chapter to you.
Also, I realized too late that I had broken my promise not to include any imprinting. In my defense, it's not the same as imprinting in the books. For one thing, what's already edging on creepy when the guys do it in the books seemed positively disturbing when I tried to flip it around in my head. For another, can anyone actually imagine Leah being all, "I would do anything for you, my beloved?" Yeah, me neither. Not to say that she couldn't love someone deeply, just that her personality doesn't really fit with that kind of ooey gooey statement.

A coin zipped out of Gwaine's pocket and tumbled in the air. He grinned.
Lancelot looked up sharply. "It's time?"
"It's time," he confirmed, still grinning. "Let's get this show on the road."
Lancelot stood, checking that his sword was properly secured in its hilt.
"Just a sec," Gwaine said. He grabbed an apple from the stores and bit into it. "Right. Ready."

Arthur looked at the coin. He'd picked it up after it had fallen and was weighing it in his hand. "Isn't this from Camelot?"
"Won it off you in that dice game we played right before the Battle of Camden Field."
An old memory resurfaced. He frowned. "You mean the one where the die were always exactly what you said they'd be?"
"Er . . . Yes."
"And I accused you of cheating, and you said the idea that the die could go exactly where you told them to was ridiculous - "
Merlin coughed. "Tell you what. Why don't you just keep that one and we'll call it even?"
Arthur grinned, but the smile faded as he stopped to consider something. "You kept it all this time?"
Merlin shrugged uncomfortably. "It was the last time we got to laugh before . . . "
"Everything came crashing down."
"What happened?" Leah asked.
Merlin jumped. He hadn't heard her come up behind them.
She grinned. "I thought you were all powerful."
"Not all powerful," he grumbled. "Just good enough to get the job done." He glanced at Arthur a little guiltily. "Most of the time."
Arthur rolled his eyes. "You're not still going on about that are you?"
"It was kind of important!"
Leah coughed. "Still here, boys."
"Sorry. See, a long time ago, I worked for Arthur in a place called Camelot and saved his life a bunch of times - lost count after 39 - only he didn't know about it because at the time magic was outlawed - which meant, in a sense, I was outlawed - and he finally found out, but only after his half-sister, Morgana, had turned on him along with one of his knights, Mordred, who he'd saved years ago, only he didn't remember that, then Mordred saved him, so he knighted him - which is hugely unfair, by the way - "
"Do you want to be a knight?" Arthur asked.
"Not really, but it would have been nice to be asked. Anyways, Mordred turned on Arthur after he killed his girlfriend - "
"Understandably," Leah said.
"Not really. Kara had tried to kill Arthur after he tried to save her and turned down the opportunity to get a royal pardon. Mordred was just being stupid. I didn't go all pyscho when Arthur killed Freya." He frowned. "I really would have made a much better knight than Mordred."
"You can barely lift a sword," Arthur started to say before the rest of what Merlin said registered. "I did what now?"
Merlin winced. "Long story, tell you later. The point is, no pun intended, Mordred stabbed Arthur, Arthur stabbed Mordred, I stabbed Morgana, and everyone died but me. That's kind of the story of my life, actually."
Leah blinked. "You're a terrible storyteller."
"It's not my fault," he said defensively. "I spend a lot more time keeping secrets than I do sharing them."
"Shouldn't he be dead, though?"
"He was. He got better." Arthur was still staring at Merlin. "Unfortunately, death didn't cure him of all his little quirks. Earth to Arthur! Anybody home?"
Arthur looked pained. "When we get out of here, you're going to tell me everything, from the first moment you walked into Camelot."
Merlin squirmed. "I already told you most of it."
"No. You told me most of what happened to me. You were curiously silent on what you were getting up to."
"Can't I plead the fifth?"
"The fifth what?" Leah asked.
Merlin sighed. "Never mind."
Will strolled up to them. "The others are ready when you are."
Arthur shook himself out of the mood that had descended upon him, although he hadn't let himself off the hook by a long shot.
Who was Freya? Who had she been to Merlin? And what did he mean, I killed her? And how did he keep quiet about it for all these years?
Merlin plainly didn't want to talk about it. Sooner or later, Arthur would need answers, but now wasn't the time.
"Right. Let's move out." He turned to Merlin. "Which way?"
Merlin focused for a minute. "North."
Arthur glanced up at the overcast sky. "And north would be . . . "
"Just a second," Harry said quickly. "Point me." His wand twirled in his hand before settling to the left of the intersection.
"Handy," Will commented. "That would solve the iron problem, at least."
"Iron problem?" Red asked.
Will rolled his eyes. "Don't get me started."
"Talk later," Leah said. "The hunt is on."
She shifted seamlessly to her wolf form, destroying her latest set of clothes in the process. She sniffed at them for a moment before shrugging and bounding ahead.
Merlin stared after her with an unfathomable expression in his eyes.
"What?" Arthur asked him as they followed her.
"Nothing. Just . . . reminds me of someone, that's all."

Leah glanced over her shoulder. With her improved hearing, she'd heard every word.
So she reminded him of someone, did she? Was that good or bad?
She shook her head, annoyed with herself.
Get a grip, Leah.
It was just . . . well, after Sam, she supposed she was a little touchy about the whole thing. She was on edge in any case. She had the nagging feeling she was out of her weight class here.
Eh, who cared? Whatever claims to fame the others might have, she was still the fastest. Speaking of which . . .
She took off, the wind of her run stripping all other worries away.

Mr. Gold watched the screen, tight with tension. His spell had fallen. With Baelfire still technically unharmed, he couldn't even blast the other tributes out of existence.
"They said they weren't going to hurt him," Belle reminded him.
True. But he hated this feeling of being so powerless to stop what was happening.
"Maybe - "
"No," she said firmly. "You gave your word, Rumplestiltskin." She sighed. "Do you love me?"
"Yes."
"Then trust me. Everything will be alright." She leaned onto her toes and kissed him.
He stumbled back. It was just like before. He could feel the change.
Then, he had turned away. He had chosen power.
He had chosen fear.
This time, he chose to be more.
He leaned in and kissed her again.
He didn't even notice the doorbell ring.

They waited outside the darkened building.
"What's the plan?" Will whispered.
Arthur frowned. "We don't really have time to explain everything."
"I could knock him out," Merlin offered. "He'd wake up in a couple of hours."
Arthur looked around at the others. They nodded. "Do it."
Merlin didn't even have to concentrate. "Done."
Arthur nodded and started to stand.
"I'll do it," Harry said. "It'll be easier just to levitate him out."
Balefire bobbed out of the door. He only bumped it once.
"Clumsy," Merlin said critically.
"Sorry," Harry whispered.
"You're one to talk, Merlin."
"Shut up, dollophead."
Baelfire landed on the pavement beside them. Merlin flinched.
"What?" Harry asked defensively.
"Not you. Capital. I'm having to divert their missiles."
"That's nice," Will said tensely. "I believe you said something about a ride?"
A string of light appeared in the sky. They quickly grew closer.
"Er, Merlin," Arthur said.
"It's fine," Merlin assured him.
The hovercraft was now close enough for the pilot to broadcast messages. The system crackled to life.
"It's a bird! It's a hovercraft! It's . . . Gwaine the superhumanly handsome! And he's coming in for a perfect landing. The judges award him a perfect 10!"
Merlin rolled his eyes. "Only in an eating competition," he yelled up. "Just send down the ladder, Gwaine."
Gwaine chuckled. "Of course, your supreme wizardliness. Your chariot awaits."
The ladder dropped down. Merlin hesitated as he looked at the unconscious Baelfire and the still wolf shaped Leah.
"Actually, on second thoughts, go ahead and land. I'm sure I can hold off the Capital's missiles for a few more minutes."