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Eugene caught himself on the wall as he stumbled into the cell. He scowled and shook his head, pushing himself up and turning to face the door as it clanged shut behind him.
“Nice to see you finally where you belong, Rider,” one of the two guards said with a smirk. Eugene rolled his eyes.
“It’s Eugene now, actually,” he said and was answered only by laughter.
“Both of you sit tight now,” the guard said. “We’ll be back soon.” They chuckled again and moved off. Eugene let out a low breath and dropped onto the bench along one side of the cell. With a casual yawn, he stretched and rested his arms behind his head. Across the cell, Varian was bristling, clenching and unclenching his fists as he paced up and down the other end.
“We’ll be out soon enough,” Eugene said in an effort to calm his younger friend down. Varian glanced up at him, something guarded in his expression that made Eugene a little concerned. “Lance is still out there - don’t worry.”
“Isn’t he wanted here as well?” Varian asked. His voice was tight but he stopped pacing, sitting on the bench opposite Eugene and hugged his legs close. He looked very small and the change took Eugene by surprise - a moment ago he was all bark, on edge and vicious. Now he was small, curling into himself and seemingly defeated.
“Sure, but it was years ago. And nothing too serious, they’ve probably forgotten about him.”
“They didn’t forget about you ,” Varian pointed out, and Eugene had to admit he had a point. He shrugged and leaned back again, the stone of the cell wall cold through his shirt.
“Well, maybe I just have more of a reputation,” he said smugly. Varian didn’t answer, just curled against the wall and shut his eyes.
They had been passing through a fief just outside of Corona, on their way back home after what Lance had excitedly called a boy’s road trip. In reality, Fredric had wanted them to make sure there was no scheming happening at an annual gathering Corona hadn’t been invited to. Varian had insisted he come along to check out the various types of science that the gathering was known for, and since Eugene hadn’t expected any trouble had agreed.
The gathering had gone smoothly and Fredric’s fears had been unfounded. It was only when they were returning that trouble had started. Eugene had been recognised and after a brief chase, during which Lance and Ruddiger had managed to escape, he and Varian had been arrested.
Truth be told, Eugene really should have anticipated this before they left. But he had become used to the forgiveness Corona offered him, to fitting in and having a place to belong, a reputation beyond ‘thief.’ Sometimes he forgot that there were people he wronged, people he stole from, people he hurt who still hadn’t forgiven him - people who didn’t know he wasn’t that person anymore.
The silence stretched on and eventually Eugene got bored enough to stand up and pace the length of the cell. It was small, a heavy wooden door with a barred window looking out into the hall, a large window opening outside. Nothing Eugene hadn’t been in before - and he wasn’t worried about escape, really.
He moved to the window and looked out. It opened into a courtyard, paved with cobblestone and opening into the city below. In the centre was a raised stage, a pole directly in the middle and that sight was enough to make Eugene a little uneasy.
He shrugged the unease away and turned back to the room, to Varian still huddled in his small ball. He had barely moved since they had been locked in, simply curled into himself and stared at nothing.
“You alright, Hairstripe?” Eugene asked softly and Varian started. He looked up at Eugene and nodded stiffly.
“I’m fine,” he muttered. Eugene moved back across the room and sat back down, leaning forward with his hands on his knees and raising an eyebrow. With a sigh, Varian unwound a little, dropping one leg and resting his arm on the other’s knee. “Just… don’t like being trapped.”
“We won’t be here long,” Eugene assured him. Varian nodded slowly, looking down. He picked absently at the edge of his apron and Eugene sighed. “Hey, I get it,” he said quietly but that was the wrong thing to say. Varian looked up with flashing eyes and scowled.
“Do you?” he demanded. “Do you know what it’s like, to - to be reminded of what you’ve done? To be reminded of the worst time of your life when you were alone ? And - and trapped and you had no idea if you were ever going to get out again? Do you have any idea what that’s like?” He took a shaky breath and curled into himself again, a hand reaching up to his shoulder before pausing and moving to hug himself.
“Yeah,” Eugene said. “I do.” Varian looked up again, confusion clear on his face and Eugene shrugged. “I’ve been in plenty of cells before. And being here reminds me of who I was before I met Rapunzel. Reminds me of everything I’ve done wrong and the people I hurt.” He shrugged again, not meeting Varian’s eyes. “Maybe I don’t know the same as you, but… I get it, a bit. And it’s okay to regret - I know I do. Just don’t let the regret control you, grow from it.”
Varian didn’t answer, just hid his face again. Eugene sighed, running a hand through his hair and leaning back.
They lapsed back into silence as Eugene struggled to come up with an escape plan. If he were on his own, he would have come up with multiple by now - but Varian’s presence made things a little trickier.
Once, he realized with some guilt, he wouldn’t have even hesitated - he would have escaped and left Varian to deal with whatever happened next. Every man for himself - that was the code. That was how he had survived.
He was so glad he wasn’t that person anymore.
The key shifted in the lock and Eugene cracked an eye open. He didn’t miss how Varian stiffened, curling even closer into himself. For a moment, Eugene wondered what had happened during his time in prison to turn the usually energetic and enthusiastic alchemist into a scared and jumpy shadow of himself, but the thought was cut off as the door swung open.
Three guards marched into the room, one of them standing by Varian, the other two grabbing Eugene’s arms.
“Hey now,” he said as they hauled him to his feet. “It’s impolite not to ask a fellow.”
“Enough out of you,” one of them said, forcing him forward. He glanced back to make out Varian, looking up with panicked eyes, one of the guard’s hands on his shoulder.
“Might I ask where you’re taking me?” he asked, flashing an encouraging grin to Varian. The pole outside came back to mind and he fought down a twist of concern.
“To get what you deserve,” one of the guards said, shoving him out of the door.
“Eugene!” Varian’s voice was panicked and scared and Eugene looked over his shoulder to make out his friend, trapped behind the guard, reaching out to him.
“I’ll be fine, Goggles,” Eugene said, grinning despite the twisting fear that was growing. Then the cell door was slammed shut and he was shoved around a corner and Varian was gone.
He took a deep breath and matched his pace to the men on either side of him, feeling a strange sense of deja vu as they moved through the prison. He just hoped that this time, he wasn’t being led towards a gallows.
Or a stabbing.
Eugene squinted in the sunlight as they left the building, emerging into the courtyard below the cell. He glanced up towards where he thought the cell was but could make out nothing before he was shoved forward. He stumbled a pace, caught himself and turned his attention towards the growing crowd around the stage.
He was forced up the stairs to stand on the stage, heart beating quickly as he made out two men standing in front of the large pole - one of them clearly a noble of some kind, the other large, muscular, standing to one side.
A whip in his hand.
Eugene sucked in a breath that was knocked out of him as he was shoved forward. He stumbled into the pole, forced to his knees. Someone grabbed his hands and hauled them up, tying them to a crossbar above his head.
“Really, there is some kind of serious mistake,” he tried, but a slap to the side of his face shut him up and set his ears ringing. A stick was shoved in front of his face and he accepted it, biting down on it, knowing what was coming. Knowing he could do nothing to stop it.
“Lance buddy - if you’re out there, now is a good time ,” he thought, eyes darting to scan the crowd. But there was no sign of his friend and he felt the fear build up.
“Standing before you is the famed criminal Flynn Rider,” the noble-looking man said, standing forward and holding up a scroll. Eugene rolled his eyes and pressed his forehead to the pole - bureaucracy and their pompous speeches.
“Flynn Rider is wanted all across the world - wanted from crimes large and small. He also stole the Necklace of Costosia almost seven years ago, a crime he has long gone unpunished for. Today he will finally be given the justice he deserves.”
A hand grabbed the back of his shirt and he felt a knife slide just above his skin, sending a shiver down his spine. The shirt was cut off his back and he shivered again as he was exposed to the cool air - as he waited for what was coming.
The man with the whip moved slowly around the pole and every step was agonising. Once again Eugene scanned the crowd, hoping for any sign of Lance, of rescue. But there was none coming.
And hey, maybe he did deserve this - even though he had changed, he had still stolen what they said he had.
“Ten stripes for the crime of stealing the necklace.” The nobleman stepped back and Eugene bit down on the wood, closing his eyes and bracing himself.
“ I really hope Varian isn’t watching ,” he thought and then the pain hit.
The first stripe cracked into him with blinding white-hot pain. Eugene bit down hard and arched his back, closing his eyes and trying not to make a sound.
Then there was a moment’s reprieve and he sagged forward, taking a deep breath.
Again, pain shot through him and this time he couldn’t help a whimper escape as he tugged against the ropes on his wrists.
Again, and he slumped forward, shaking, his breathing ragged and uneven as he braced himself for the next blow.
Ten stripes suddenly seemed like a lot.
Varian curled in the corner of the cell, hands pressed over his ears, eyes shut tight and trying to breathe. He had been gripping the bars of the window, watching with growing concern as Eugene was marched out into the courtyard and then bound to the pole.
He wanted to shout, to scream, to race down there and rip the whip away but he could do nothing - nothing but watch as they stripped Eugene’s shirt from him, leaving his back bare and exposed.
And then the first blow struck and Varian couldn’t watch. He felt faint, stumbling back a pace and dropped to his knees. The image replayed in his head, the whip biting into Eugene’s back, the deafening crack it had made. He curled against the wall and shut his eyes, trying not to imagine what was happening.
But somehow that was worse, it was worse to hear the cracking whip, the sickening sound it made as it made contact with Eugene’s back. Varian flinched as he heard every blow landing.
Then finally, finally there was silence. The conversations of the crowd echoed up, the footsteps of people dispersing. Varian wanted to stand and see, to make sure Eugene was alright, but by the time he gathered the courage to do so the courtyard was mostly empty.
Eugene was nowhere to be seen and Varian felt a bubbling panic grow. It grew more as he faced the rest of the cell, the closed door glaring at him from across the room, the walls seeming to close in around him.
He felt trapped, trapped and alone and terrified because this had happened before and he couldn’t go through it again.
He stumbled back a pace and laid a shaky hand against the wall, instinctively reaching up for Ruddiger’s comforting warmth only to remember once again the raccoon wasn’t with him. He was alone and Eugene was hurt and maybe even dead and he didn’t know what to do and he couldn’t go through this again.
The door swung open and Varian jumped, heart thumping loudly in his ears. Two guards appeared in the doorway and slumped between them, an arm over each shoulder, was Eugene.
He looked bad, hair falling into his face, his breathing erratic and fast. He was limp and Varian couldn’t tell if he was conscious or not. The guards barely paid Varian any notice, just slung Eugene off their shoulders and dropped him onto the floor. Eugene groaned as they did, eyes flickering.
Varian dropped to his knees at his friend’s side as the cell door was slammed shut behind the guards, leaving them alone. He carefully rolled Eugene over so he wasn’t lying on his back in the filth of the cell but almost instantly regretted it.
Eugene’s back was a mess of blood and Varian’s vision swam at the sight of it. He swayed forward, catching himself before he collapsed completely and shut his eyes.
“Varian?”
Eugene’s weak voice made him open his eyes again, very carefully looking away from Eugene’s back. With shaking hands, Eugene tried to push himself up, but pain flashed across his face and he collapsed again.
“Hey, Eugene,” Varian said, laying a hand on his shoulder, his voice uneven. “A-are you okay?”
“Wonderful,” Eugene muttered into the stone floor. He shut his eyes, groaning slightly. Before he could say anything else, the door swung open again. Varian looked up with narrowed eyes, clenching his fists and glaring up at the guard who entered, a bowl, bandages and cloth in his hands.
“Here,” the man said, placing the bowl on the bench on one side of the room. Varian didn’t take his eyes off him, glaring at him all the way until he left the room. As soon as the door closed Varian felt his shoulders slump and his breathing quicken.
“I - I need to try and clean it,” he said, hurrying across the room to grab the bowl. He returned to Eugene’s side to see his friend had closed his eyes again, his breathing shallow.
Varian wet the cloth and turned his attention to Eugene’s back, fighting back the dizziness the sight caused. For a moment he considered calling for someone to help, unsure if he was able to do what Eugene needed. But the thought of the guards outside being anywhere near Eugene again after what they had done to him made his already shaking hands shake even more with a rush of anger.
Eugene needed him - he had to do this. If he didn’t clean the wounds they would get infected and there was no way he could do anything to help if that happened - not in this cell. So he gritted his teeth and focused on cleaning as much of the blood as he could.
He was shaking by the time he had finished, the water in the bowl a sickly pink, the sharp smell of blood filling the whole cell. The bandages were uneven and sloppy, but it was better than nothing. Varian felt weak and dizzy and he pushed the bowl as far away as he could.
Eugene blinked his eyes open as he finished. Once again, he tried to push himself up but Varian pressed a hand to his shoulder and shook his head, not trusting himself to speak yet.
“‘M fine,” Eugene muttered, but he pressed his forehead to the floor and groaned. Varian wished he could get Eugene off the floor, but Eugene didn’t seem to be in any state to move and he certainly wasn’t strong enough to lift him.
“You’re really not fine,” he said, his voice slightly panicky. Eugene snorted, lifting his head for a moment.
“I will be,” he muttered. “Just… give me a sec.”
Varian wrapped an arm around himself and curled into the wall. But Eugene lying in the middle of the floor was a pitiful sight and suddenly he wanted to be as close to his friend as possible.
So he crawled to Eugene’s side again, curling into his side. With a soft noise of pain, Eugene shifted slightly, slinging an arm over Varian’s shoulder and that was enough to calm the shakes Varian couldn’t seem to get rid of.
“Hey,” Eugene muttered as Varian pressed his face into his shoulder, trying not to think too much about the almost overwhelming scent of blood. “We’re going to be okay.”
But Eugene’s voice was uncertain, loaded with pain, and Varian didn’t know if he believed him.
They lay curled together for a long time, Varian’s shaking getting worse as the cold from the stone floor seeped into him. Eugene’s breathing was unsteady and shallow, and he struggled to maintain consciousness for any length of time.
The sun was setting outside, the cell slowly growing dark when Varian heard something. A muffled explosion, distant but familiar in a way.
He pushed himself up off the ground, feeling Eugene shift and mutter beside him. Another explosion sounded, this one much closer - it was definitely caused by his own alchemy. He thought with a rush of hope of the supplies he had left at the camp and if anyone was better at making explosions than Varian it was Lance.
He carefully wriggled out from under Eugene’s arm and hurried to the door. He gripped the bars in the small window and tried to peer out, standing on tiptoes to make out as much of the hall as he could.
Another explosion sounded from somewhere, and a moment later a small form bounded into the hall.
“Ruddiger!” Varian called. The raccoon froze, twitching his ears and looked up at Varian. “Hey! We’re here.” His voice cracked slightly as he spoke, the relief at seeing his friend, at knowing Lance wasn’t far behind immense.
Ruddiger bounded up to the cell door, something in his mouth and scampered up to press his nose through the bars. Varian reached through to pet him, feeling some of the tension drain away as he felt the familiar fur of his friend. Then Ruddiger butted his hand and held something out.
It was a lockpick, and Varian gratefully took it.
“Thanks, buddy,” he said softly, then he remembered that he couldn’t pick a lock. He hesitated, glancing back to where Eugene was still lying on the floor and quickly looking away again - blood was soaking through the bandages and he felt queasy at the sight.
How hard could it be, really? He took a deep breath and turned to the lock, slipping the pick in.
The answer, apparently, was ‘very hard’. He had been at it for a few minutes with no luck, Ruddiger chattering nervously from outside when another explosion - this one much closer - caused him to jump. He dropped the pick and stepped back, heart beating quickly.
“I can’t do it, buddy,” he said frantically, picking the lockpick up again. Ruddiger, gripping onto the bars of the small window in the door, trilled softly and Varian balled his fists.
“Give me a hand up.”
Eugene’s voice made him start and he turned to see his friend. He had struggled to his knees and was swaying slightly, his face pale but set hard.
“You should be resting,” Varian said, rushing to his side. Eugene grinned weakly.
“Naw, I’m fine,” he said, laying a hand on Varian’s shoulder. “Lance’s coming, we gotta be out as quick as possible. Give me a hand to stand up and I’ll be fine.”
“You most certainly will not be fine,” Varian muttered, but they didn't’ really have a choice so he pulled Eugene’s arm over his shoulder and helped him to his feet. He leaned heavily on Varian, but they made it to the door, and it took only seconds for Eugene to pick the lock.
Ruddiger bounded into the cell as the door swung open, scrambling onto Varian’s shoulder and pressing his nose into his cheek. Varian buried a hand in his friend’s fur, breathing deeply and forcing himself to calm down, to focus.
It was time to escape.
Scenting the blood hanging in the air, Ruddiger chirped softly and placed a paw on Eugene’s arm.
“I’m okay,” Eugene said and Varian shot him an unbelieving look. They stepped out of the cell and Ruddiger dropped to the ground again, bounding ahead a few paces and looking back at them.
“We’re coming,” Varian said, moving as quickly as he could with Eugene leaning on him. They followed the raccoon through the halls, another explosion sounding behind them.
“Lance is really having fun with those explosives,” Eugene muttered and Varian snorted.
“He’d better not use up all of my supplies,” he said darkly.
“Knowing Lance, he absolutely will,” Eugene said casually.
“I’ll make him buy more then,” Varian shot back.
They rounded a corner and three guards rushed into view, swords drawn. Varian froze, blind panic rushing through him. He couldn’t move, didn’t know what to do, could only stand there, unable to even run, Eugene heavy over his shoulder.
And then Eugene wasn’t over his shoulder. He moved quickly, lunging forward and punching the first guard in the face, catching his sword as he dropped. He blocked the blow of another, quickly disarming him and knocking him down, then turned the blade on the final guard. The guard hesitated, glancing between them and dropped his sword, turning and running.
Eugene stood for a moment longer, breathing quickly. Then his face lost all its colour and he staggered a pace, collapsing into the wall and dropping.
“Eugene!” Varian called, hurrying to his side. He was shaking, his face pale, his eyes blurred with pain.
“M… okay,” he muttered, but as Varian grabbed his shoulder he fell forward and didn’t move.
“Eugene! Hey, wake up, we need to keep moving,” Varian said, his voice tight. Ruddiger bounded onto his shoulder, crooning softly and Varian struggled to keep breathing.
“Varian?”
He looked up to see Lance round the corner, a sword in his hand, ash covering his shirt. With a sobbing gasp of relief, Varian tightened his grip on Eugene’s shoulder and fought back the urge to run to his friend.
“ Lance ,” he cried, fighting down tears. Lance quickly hurried to his side, taking in Eugene’s state with concern in his eyes.
“What happened?” he asked.
“Th-they whipped him,” Varian said, his voice shaking. Lance gently laid a hand on his shoulder, moving him aside and crouching in front of Eugene.
“Ooo, that’s rough,” Lance muttered. “It’s alright, I’ve got him.” He stuck his sword into his belt and picked up Eugene, holding him close. Eugene groaned as he did, his eyes flickering but not opening and Varian felt his chest clench. “We gotta get moving, come on.”
He stood, Eugene muttering something again, and flashed Varian a grin. Varian returned it shakily and followed as Lance began to move through the halls. One of Eugene’s hands fell free, dangling towards the ground and he wasn’t awake enough to move it. Varian reached out and held it tightly, wanting to stay as close as he possibly could.
Another explosion sounded in the distance and Varian looked up at Lance in surprise. He grinned down at Varian, a rather smug expression on his face.
“Rigged them on a timer - there’s at least two more set up,” he said. Varian nodded, feeling strangely proud of his friend. “But we gotta keep moving, once the explosives stop they’ll be after us real fast. Oh, you might want this.” He paused in his run, shifting Eugene’s weight and withdrawing Varian’s belt, alchemy balls still attached.
Varian gratefully took it, feeling finally like he could actually do something. He let go of Eugene’s hand and clipped it around his waist, pulling a ball free and testing its weight, a grim smile spreading across his face.
They continued running, moving quickly through the halls, the swirl of fear and anger twisting into a familiar knot of determination in Varian’s stomach. He flung the ball without hesitating as two guards rounded a corner, feeling no little satisfaction at the explosion of pink goo that froze them in place.
Around the corner was the rubble of the wall and through that - freedom. Varian narrowed his eyes and pulled another ball free from his belt, turning to fling it at a few guards behind him, not waiting to see if it collided as he made sure Lance and Eugene ducked through the hole in the wall.
He paused a moment longer, throwing another ball towards two guards running up the hallway, encasing them in bubbles. Another explosion sounded in the distance and he turned and sprinted after Lance, Ruddiger clinging onto his shoulder.
They stopped in the depths of the trees around the city, a small stream wandering through a clearing that Lance had clearly been using as a base of operations. Ruddiger bounded before them, chirping as he looked nervously up at Eugene, still limp in Lance’s arms.
Varian doubled over and rested his hands on his knees as he gasped, trying to regain his breath. He was shaking again, the adrenalin beginning to run off and he couldn’t bear to look at Eugene’s pale face.
Lance laid Eugene down on a bedroll, pulling the first aid kit out of one of the bags leaning up against a nearby tree. Varian leaned against a tree and shut his eyes, taking a deep breath and opening them again.
His hands were covered in blood.
He hadn’t noticed before, had been too preoccupied, but now that he was relatively safe, he was acutely aware of the red rust coating his hands. Eugene’s blood, Eugene’s blood that had dried onto his hands and he shuddered at the sight.
He hurried to the stream, dropping to his knees and plunging his hands into the cold water. He scrubbed at his hands, rubbing them raw as he tried to wash the blood away, to wash the events of the day away. Ruddiger crooned softly beside him, pressing into his side but he barely noticed. He had to get rid of it, had to get it off , the sight of it caused him to feel faint, to remember the cracking whip and the way Eugene’s back had arched in pain and the cold and fear he had felt in the cell and Eugene, limp and pale and unresponsive and he couldn’t get it off!
“Varian?”
He jumped at the sound, stumbled back and almost falling into the river. Lance started, holding his hands out and crouching beside him.
“S-sorry,” Varian muttered. He was shaking, and there was still blood on his hands and Eugene was still so still and -
“S’okay, buddy,” Lance said. “You alright?”
Varian nodded tightly, not trusting himself to speak. A warm hand rested on his shoulder and he froze, taken by surprise.
Then suddenly, the manic need to clean his hands faded and he was aware of how much he was shaking, how much the fear and stress and old memories coming back had drained him.
He let out a low sob without realising, covering his mouth with his wet hands. Lance pulled him into a hug and he didn’t resist, shaking, burying his face in Lance’s warm chest.
“I - I couldn’t do anything ,” he said finally, his voice muffled by Lance’s shirt. Lance squeezed him gently and he shut his eyes, fighting down more tears.
“You did an amazing job, Varian,” Lance said. “I barely had to do anything except change Eugene’s bandages - he’s going to be alright, thanks to you. Now, let’s make us a fire, shall we?”
“Won’t they find us?” Varian muttered, and Lance hesitated. He pulled out of the embrace, wiping a hand across his eyes. “I mean… a fire is kinda a pretty obvious beacon.”
“You know, you might have a point there,” Lance said. “No fire then - but I have more blankets, get you warmed up.”
Varian nodded, letting Lance wrap an arm around his shoulder and lead him back to where Eugene was still unconscious, lying on his stomach, fresh bandages across his back.
“He’s going to be alright?” Varian asked as Lance settled him down and draped a blanket over his shoulder.
“Sure! He’s survived much worse, that’s barely a scratch,” Lance said, and Varian really wasn’t sure if he believed that. But Lance seemed confident he would be alright, and Varian focused on that.
He pulled the blanket tightly around his shoulder, Ruddiger bounded up to settle around his neck. With a long sigh, Varian forced himself to relax, forced himself to believe everything was going to be alright.
~*~
To King Fredric of Corona,
It has come to our attention that you are harbouring the wanted criminals Flynn Rider and Lance Strongbow. These two thieves are wanted throughout the Seven Kingdoms for many unanswered for crimes.
We recently arrested Rider and a young accomplice of his in an attempt to bring this long unpunished thief to justice. They subsequently escaped with the help of Strongbow, causing considerable property damage in the process.
Word has reached us that Corona has been harbouring these criminals and leaving them unpunished for their past crimes. I urge you to bring them to justice and give them the punishment they deserve.
Signed,
Lord Rodger of Costosia Fief.
To Lord Rodger of Costosia Fief,
My father is an extremely busy man and unable to reply to your message so I am responding on his behalf. You are correct in your understanding that Flynn Rider - now Eugene Fitzherbert - and Lance Strongbow have found a home in Corona. They have both more than made up for their pasts and continue to prove that they are no longer the criminals they once were.
I am sorry to hear about the considerable property damage you sustained during the escape. Perhaps next time you will think before arresting the Corona Royal Engineer and Captain of the Guard and flogging, without trial, my fiance .
Signed,
Crown Princess Rapunzel of Corona.