No Regrets - OUAT - Panfic

careful what you say

"Careful what you say
and who you say it to"
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The harsh sound of a police siren pierced through the gloom of the twilight, making the pigeons shift and ruffle on their perches high above the city lights and streets. The people hunched inside the apartment buildings didn't look up from their meaningless tasks, used to hearing the sounds of the city. A stray cat padded softly down the alley littered with trash and rotting things, not bothered by the siren getting further away until it was silent again. The cat crouched as it sensed a mouse, his eyes glinting in the light cast off by the lamp post at the end of the alley.

The silence was suddenly shattered by the hurried footsteps of a girl running for her life as she darted inside the alley entrance, making the feral cat leap out of the way, startled by her sudden appearance. As she flashed by, she was followed by a boy that looked around her age. Glancing back at him, she suddenly stumbled on an empty bottle, falling to her knees on the filthy ground and letting a ragged cry slip from her as she struggled to her feet. Too late. The boy was on her by now, and he shoved her into the brick building, his eyes hard chips of emerald in his face as he pressed the blade of the knife into her throat, drawing a few drops of blood.

"Where is it!" he snarled, his face inches from hers as with his other hand he kept her pinned up against the building. His normally handsome face was distorted into a grotesque mask by his anger as the girl whimpered quietly under his grip.

"I t-told you I d-don't know," she stuttered, so terrified she could hardly form the words to speak as her heart hammered behind her ribs.

"Don't lie to me!" The boys voice was filled with hatred as he pressed the knife harder into her throat, making every muscle in her body turn into a tense iron rod.

She cringed against the rough brick digging into her back and tried to make herself as small as she could, a shuddering sob wracking her body.

Suddenly a voice with a strong accent rang out from the end of the alley, making Pan snap his head to the right as his green eyes instantly narrowed. "Leave the whining bitch alone, she doesn't know anything," Merida sneered, her voice filled with contempt for the way the girl was acting, as well as for the boy.

A thinly concealed expression of triumph crossed over Pan's face like a shadow as he released the dark haired girl, a sob rising up in her throat as she scrambled away from him. Merida was far more valuable to Pan than a girl that was so terrified she couldn't even speak. Pan held his knife close to his body as he moved towards the girl, his eyes glittering in anticipation.

Merida's normally fiery hair was dull in the rapidly falling darkness, although the light glinting off her switchblade made up for it. "What're you going to do pretty boy?" She taunted him as he drew closer, a smirk twisting up the corners of her mouth.

"You would like to know that, wouldn't you?" He shot back, now circling her. He didn't intend on hurting her, as he just needed information, but if she resisted, he'd have no problem with damaging that pretty face of hers; not to mention the rest of her.

She scoffed. "Let's get this over with. What are you after this time?" Her voice held barely-concealed curiosity, as she wondered why he was so far out of his own neighborhood.

Pan's teeth glinted in the dim light as he flashed a smile. "I've heard things."

"Is that so. What a relief." If her voice held any more sarcasm, you could've cut it with a knife.

"I've heard that your father has something of mine. And I can't seem to locate him. Wouldn't be able to help me with that, would you Mer?" He spoke with familiarity. The two had many confrontations over the years, and they practically knew everything about each other by now. They were still bitter enemies. The way he raised an eyebrow would almost seem comical if one didn't know how dangerous he could be.

Even so, Merida snorted in laughter. "You're even more crazy than everyone says you are. You're daft if you think I'm telling you anything."

He moved, and Merida instantly turned her body to block him, but he was faster. He slammed her up against the wall she'd been backed against, making her arch her back and try to avoid the rough bricks sticking out. "Go to hell," she spat, not flinching as she met his eyes.

Pan smirked slightly, although it never reached his eyes. "You wish Mer." He leaned closer, his hot breath fanning over her neck as his lips brushed her ear. "Now tell me where your father is, and maybe I'll let you go without too much damage."