InsaneJournal

Rapunzel vs The Birds

13 JUNE | En Route & At Her Studio | PG-13
warnings evil birds, injuries, blood

Rapunzel didn't tend to have issues with the animals she encountered in San Francisco. It wasn't that birds flocked to her and sang simply because she existed but she had never had trouble with any of them. Cats, dogs, even the occasional rabbit if she was early enough and in the more forested parks they called home. Pigeons were plentiful in the city but they had never... swarmed before.

She was taking her early morning walk to the art studio she had been gifted when the sky seemed to be slowly darkening. The cooing seemed almost sinister and Rapunzel only even knew that description because of previous experiences she'd had since arriving at the Station in the first place. Pascal ducked into her hair a little more, staring up warily, and Rapunzel found her hands clasping at her chest while her anxiety spiked. Barefoot as always, she continued on but her shoulders slowly came up as though ducking her head would make her feel any better.

And then the birds attacked. It was a flurry of feathers and clawed feet. Rapunzel shrieked and threw her arms up to cover her face and her head, stopping in her forward motion to defend as best she could while she tried desperately to determine the best course of action. Large, green eyes only grew wider as she watched Pascal get knocked off her shoulder. It was like everything slowed down, Pascal tumbling through the air and helpless until he fell to the ground and rolled to a stop. Rapunzel immediately chased, grabbing at the satchel she wore across her body to swing at the pigeons. A bird swooped after her best friend and Rapunzel screamed, throwing herself forward. She had to save Pascal! Skinned knees and elbows meant nothing. But the way she fell to the cement, hands cupping around Pascal, left her in a graceless fall. A sharp pain lanced through her head and she felt the wet start to gather. Rapunzel gathered Pascal against her chest, protecting him, and she tried to curl up further as the sharp pecking and scratching continued. Staying there was not an option; she might not have been a hero but Rapunzel knew plenty of them. They got up; they kept going.

Rapunzel blindly swatted at the attacking birds and climbed to her feet. She immediately regretted it but she had to keep moving. She had gotten up, just like the heroes did, and now she had to keep going. The blonde felt sick and the pathway seemed to tilt but she knew where the studio was. Rapunzel ran, blind in one eye from the blood that had trickled down. Breathing hard, Rapunzel made it to the locked door of the studio and she tried to keep her head ducked down, Pascal clutched desperately in one hand against herself. Her free hand fished in her bag before coming up with a key. Three tries it took before she was able to get the door open and Rapunzel slammed it shut behind herself.

A feathered body slammed into the window and exploded in a cloud of glitter. A second bird followed suit as Rapunzel backed away in horror, putting distance between herself and the front windows that she had always thought looked so pretty and let so much light in. The cacophony outside died down and Rapunzel sank down against a shelving unit that held so many varied art supplies. She lifted her hand and looked at Pascal. Unharmed but scared, she thought with relief. She was scared, too, and they could be there for each other. Pascal, for his part, looked at the girl and his eyes widened, For an expressive chameleon, he sure could look horrified. "Just... just catch our breaths," Rapunzel said with a weak smile. The room was tilting again and she closed her eyes against it. Her feet were cut, her arms were scraped heavily enough that she was bleeding. The head wound was the worst of it and Rapunzel had enough thought to find her phone in her bag.

She needed to warn people.

And she needed to ask someone to find her.

Tears welled in her eyes. "It's okay, Pascal," she whispered.