The Fiction Games

Chapter Twenty-Five - Chances

The farther the descent, the more distinct Susan and Peter's breath was through the half frozen, half melted forest. Aslan galloped over puddles, outstretched roots, and ravenous walkers. Tears streamed down Susan's cheeks from the violent wind, and she screamed when Aslan's path crossed a herd of slow-moving corpses. 

"Hold on," Aslan said.

His claws gripped the muddy ground and leaped down a hill of green hedges. Peter nearly tore his golden mane once they reached contact with the earth. Susan tucked her quiver under her arm. "Where are we going, Aslan? We have to go back to the others!"

"We will be reunited shortly," said he. "One more business must be settled first."

Aslan rounded a corner, and the familiarity with the spot came to Peter. He could've sworn he saw a couple of broomsticks lying in a mound of snow. His ride zipped away, jerked him backward. A castle of ice deteriorated before them.

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Jack Sparrow counted the number of hovercrafts entering the arena, then how many soldiers compiled beyond the barrier of the cornucopia. His cutlass sword had no match for guns hundreds of years advanced. The stories he would tell when he returned home!

Distracted with Peeta, the tributes disregarded three more fleets of white uniformed soldiers stepping into battle. Hermione and Harry's enchantments rippled with showers upon showers of bullets, but did not penetrate. Jack retreated to the piles of weaponry to pick another weapon. "Better prepare for them now, swines. Eventually we will be breached."

"How is this possible, Peeta?" Rick Grimes said. "What is Hades doing?"

Peeta felt the sides of his hair, matted with blood, but the bullet holes had subsided. He required their help to sit up. "I met Hades after Rick shot me. It was like my soul went directly to him."

Hermione placed a cauldron over a small fire. She ran to the patch of Mandrake roots, which were fully thawed out. "He brought you back to life? How?"

Harry spoke for Peeta. "Hades's obligation for President Snow is to keep souls after they died, then reunite them with their body. Snow didn't allow Peeta's body to leave the arena, so Hades had no choice but to give Peeta his life again."

Soldiers retaliated to the edge of the forest, except for one man with a large grenade launcher hung on his shoulder. Kneeling to the ground, he launched the missile into the enchantments. Tributes sprawled to the backs of the cornucopia.

Hermione dug into the heaps of items while the others prepared for battle.

Harry clutched his broomstick. "Get ready, Hermione!"

"I've got an idea, but we need earmuffs!" said Hermione, turning her attention to the piles of survival gear taller than her.

Like glass, the enchanted wall cracked down the middle, a light blue glow igniting from the split. The man stocked with another grenade, and in another second the enchantments will disintegrate to ash. Aang lifted blocks of rock for cover. Rick replaced his pistol with a contraption Luke Skywalker explained as a "blaster."

Dr. Banner, the rocks smothering every part of his body, screamed, "You need me! I am the only one to boot the system to the computer!"

Michonne and Rick exchanged looks. Michonne mouthed to him, "Should we?"

Rick bat down the question, shooting a glare to Banner. "He is too unstable. He'll cost us all of our lives."

She nodded and fiddled with the red-lit sword. "I think I'll keep this... lightsaber for home."