There was only one way this would end. Rick knew it then, what he would have to do; the thought still made him sick, the knowledge weighing him down like lead in the pit of his stomach. No matter how many times they did this dance, no matter how many people they'd lost along the way, this part never got any easier. He'd already died once at Daryl's side, but he hadn't had to outlive him - nor had he been the one to pull the trigger.
This time, it had to be him.
It had all happened in an instant. As much as Rick would inevitably blame himself, there had been nothing any of them realistically could have done. Whether it was chalked up to lack of foresight or vigilance, dumb luck, or an inability to protect those who mattered most to him... It didn't matter. Tigers were built for this, killers by design - It had been out of their hands the moment they'd caught their scent.
For his part, Rick had been struggling against the smaller of the two animals when he'd heard the commotion behind him, narrowly escaping a similar fate; the claws had caught the outer layers of his parka, snagging in the down filling without catching anything vital. The pained snarl of its mate had likely been his saving grace, distracting it long enough for Rick to sink his own blade into the animal's neck. Not enough to bring it down, but enough to force it back - and long enough to see what had transpired behind him.
It was a haze, after that.
What he did know was that he'd finished off Daryl and Beth's work with the first tiger, blinded by his own desperate, futile rage. Beth had been the first one at his side, trying her best even though it was obviously too late. Returning to the cave had been their safest bet with the other cat still out there, though it had been an arduous journey to say the least. The roof over their heads had bought them precious minutes, allowing them options - though none of them particularly good ones. The damage had been done, and all that was left was to decide when enough was enough. Rick had no desire to watch Daryl suffer, and even less to watch that suffering prolonged should he turn.
For the moment, he'd chosen to hang back, allowing the other two their space. No amount of time would ever be enough, and he knew neither of them would ever want to say goodbye - but at least they had this chance. It didn't matter that death was impermanent here; it was no less real, nor did it do anything to lessen the hatred he felt towards the Capitol for forcing him to watch this.
The soft rustle of Daryl's movements snapped him back into the present, and he watched with a tense sort of wariness in case things had begun their expected downward spiral. In the last arena, Daryl had briefly explained how the Capitol salvaged the bodies, and it took only a few seconds before he understood what it was he was trying to do.
Trust Daryl to be thinking of them as he was bleeding out.
"Beth's right," he piped up from where he stood, struggling to keep his tone even. He took a few steps towards them, knowing damned well that he was failing miserably at containing his own emotions. "We're not going anywhere."
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This time, it had to be him.
It had all happened in an instant. As much as Rick would inevitably blame himself, there had been nothing any of them realistically could have done. Whether it was chalked up to lack of foresight or vigilance, dumb luck, or an inability to protect those who mattered most to him... It didn't matter. Tigers were built for this, killers by design - It had been out of their hands the moment they'd caught their scent.
For his part, Rick had been struggling against the smaller of the two animals when he'd heard the commotion behind him, narrowly escaping a similar fate; the claws had caught the outer layers of his parka, snagging in the down filling without catching anything vital. The pained snarl of its mate had likely been his saving grace, distracting it long enough for Rick to sink his own blade into the animal's neck. Not enough to bring it down, but enough to force it back - and long enough to see what had transpired behind him.
It was a haze, after that.
What he did know was that he'd finished off Daryl and Beth's work with the first tiger, blinded by his own desperate, futile rage. Beth had been the first one at his side, trying her best even though it was obviously too late. Returning to the cave had been their safest bet with the other cat still out there, though it had been an arduous journey to say the least. The roof over their heads had bought them precious minutes, allowing them options - though none of them particularly good ones. The damage had been done, and all that was left was to decide when enough was enough. Rick had no desire to watch Daryl suffer, and even less to watch that suffering prolonged should he turn.
For the moment, he'd chosen to hang back, allowing the other two their space. No amount of time would ever be enough, and he knew neither of them would ever want to say goodbye - but at least they had this chance. It didn't matter that death was impermanent here; it was no less real, nor did it do anything to lessen the hatred he felt towards the Capitol for forcing him to watch this.
The soft rustle of Daryl's movements snapped him back into the present, and he watched with a tense sort of wariness in case things had begun their expected downward spiral. In the last arena, Daryl had briefly explained how the Capitol salvaged the bodies, and it took only a few seconds before he understood what it was he was trying to do.
Trust Daryl to be thinking of them as he was bleeding out.
"Beth's right," he piped up from where he stood, struggling to keep his tone even. He took a few steps towards them, knowing damned well that he was failing miserably at containing his own emotions. "We're not going anywhere."