Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games.
The Victor
I am looking around at the Career's stock of supplies. There is no one nearby. I cautiously move forward- where is their guard? This is odd. Still, I continue moving, listening for danger and one arm clutching my bow. I glance around once I am closer to the pile. The places where all the tributes rose seem to be much more visible, and I step forward once more to examine, and-
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The bombs must have been reactivated, probably the work of the District 3 boy. Somehow he managed to outsmart me. I hope it takes out all the food. As the world is fading to black, I whisper "Rue, Peeta, I hope you..."
I stare at the screen, unable to believe my eyes. The Mockingjay- the girl I thought would win and the girl I had helped become the Girl on Fire- is dead. What will the rebellion do now? Perhaps Peeta can find a way to do something, or even the little girl, Rue, that Katniss had joined with. But for now, all I can do is stare silently at the screen with Portia. The Careers are running back to their camp to examine what happened to their supplies. Caru- the girl from District 5- is following stealthily behind them, curious as well. When Cato sees that all of the supplies are demolished, he immediately flies into a rage, and not even thinking, snaps the District 3 boy's neck. Poor boy. He didn't deserve to die like that.
I'm about ready to start drinking myself into oblivion again- we hadn't managed to save her! I thought for certain we could have managed to. But, I remember that Peeta still exists, and I should try to save him at least. It looks like the little girl Katniss befriended is heading to the stream where he is. Smart girl. She probably feels sorry for him. I decide to send her a gift as thanks, a small groosling. I'm sure she will understand. She looks up in shock when she gets it, and whispers "Thank you." I hope she can find Peeta, they would be able to help each other. Rue arrives at the stream, waits for the anthem to play, then goes to sleep, still hidden up in a tree.
I decide to watch Peeta for a little time. No change really. He's still in dire need of medical condition and not eating at all. I don't risk sending him something as it's unlikely he would eat whatever I sent anyways.
I decide to scan the others. Caru has waited until the Careers are sleeping, even the guard, before sneaking into the camp and looking at what supplies are left. Unsurprisingly, she managed to find a few things the others didn't. Quickly she darts back to her little hidey-hole.
The District 10 boy isn't doing too well. He is trying to recover from a wound received by the Careers days ago, and failing quite miserably. In fact, it looks like he might die any second now.
BOOM.
I am right, apparently.
The people who would have benefited most from the change I am about to make can't do anything about it now, but I feel like I should change it anyways. It still seems like a good twist to add to the games. So, I send a message to Claudius and tell him to announce that there may be two victors from the same district.
I watch the big screens curiously, wanting to know the effect that it will have on the tributes. Shockingly, or perhaps not, the little girl from Eleven stays at the stream and still looks for Peeta, who doesn't even look like he heard it. In his field, Thresh grimaces and continues on his way, but keeping an eye out for the little girl.
Cato and Clove, however, have a very different reaction. They immediately turn on Marvel and each throw a weapon at him to ensure his death. BOOM. Well, we're getting closer to the end. Time to think of more twists.
I can't say that I was crying when Katniss died, but I wasn't too thrilled either. She was an okay girl, though she was quite irritating at times. She did have a lot of influence on my possibility of being moved to a better district, however. But I do hope that Peeta will win. He is such a sweet boy, especially now that his heart is broken and it would still help my career.
Currently the cameras are showing Cato and Clove's search for Rue. Or Peeta, since he hasn't died yet. They don't know that they would find both of them if they manage to find them. The cameras flash back to Rue, who has found Peeta, and is trying to convince him to hide in a cave. She freezes as she hears something, and speaks with more urgency. Cato and Clove must be nearby. Oh, please Peeta, listen to her. It doesn't appear to be working. She starts trying to roll him over, before remembering his camouflage and rolls him back quickly, adding a leaf or two and quickly scampering up in a tree.
It's just the right amount of time that she did that too, as Cato and Clove have just entered the rock area where they are at. Rue watches with baited breath, as do I. They continue walking down the stream, warily looking out everywhere. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot a flash of red- is it Caru? Not important right now.
They have nearly passed through when Peeta groans and they immediately turn around and race back into the area and look more closely. It seems like hours, but it must have been only minutes before they spot the littlest amount of skin belonging to Peeta.
Cato grins menacingly and quickly plunges his sword into Peeta's heart. Rue lets out a tiny gasp, but quickly races through the trees to find Thresh- she doesn't want to become their next kill. Cato and Clove are following her, but my attention is focused on Peeta. He's barely breathing, and…BOOM.
He's gone. I can't believe it. I feel my hands slowly unclench (when did that happen?) and wipe away a tear I didn't know I was holding in. My tributes are gone.
It's no secret how I feel about the death of the District 12 tributes- they were always going to be the main problem in these games. But now that they're dead, I have no doubt that when Seneca and Claudius undoubtedly overturn the previous rule change the tributes will have no problems fighting. Or in the District 11 tribute's case, letting one die for the other. Yes, these Games are turning out quite nicely. I am pleased.
Rue has flitted through the trees quickly, and now running through the grain field looking for Thresh. District 11 seems to be the only ones able to navigate that huge mess, and without any problem at all. Not too surprising, I suppose. Of course, Thresh has had to fight off a few creatures living in there, but it was quite profitable for him. And now the two have met.
Naturally, Cato and Clove have followed as best they could, and are now a short distance away from entering the field. Caru is following at a distance, ever cautious and always looking for food.
This will certainly be a good fight. I lean back in my chair and watch as Cato stumbles through the place, Clove following cautiously behind him, and at last they arrive at where Thresh is now armed and ready for a fight. Rue is hiding in the background, ready to disappear at a moment's notice.
"One on one, Cato?" Thresh rumbles.
He smirks, "Sure, Eleven. You're on."
Clove and Rue make sure to stay out of the little flattened circle that Thresh previously had known as camp.
And I was right, the fight soon proves to be malicious. Each tribute lands huge amounts of blows on the other, and soon they are each bleeding profusely. After a time, Cato lands a fatal blow and Thresh falls, slowly dying. But his strength isn't gone yet. He sends a hatchet flying and Cato, too out of breath to retaliate further, is struck. Thresh spends his last bit of energy to whisper "Rue, run," before his cannon goes off- BOOM. Cato follows Thresh's example and whispers "I love you, Clove," and then too, his cannon goes off, BOOM. Interesting. The victor this year will be a girl.
I was joined by Haymitch earlier today, and we're both about ready to drink off our troubles again (in fact, we've started a little bit). He had to deal with the loss of his two tributes, ones he thought would make it, and I have just lost the first of mine, and am about to lose the other I fear.
Rue has done an incredible job so far, but with Clove coming after her, there isn't much of a chance. She has her slingshot…actually she doesn't, she must have lost it when she was scampering through the trees. Or sooner than that, I don't know. Well, there's no time like the present. I quickly ask Seeder for approval, and she shouts at me to just send the damn gift already. So, I send it. Rue now has a slingshot again.
She whispers "Thanks," as she grabs it and continues running as fast as she can and leaps onto a tree that she has just arrived at.
Unfortunately, Clove is immediately behind her and is shooting knives. At last, one hits Rue's leg. She screams. It hurts. I take another swig of alcohol. I can't watch this. She tries to keep going but soon loses her balance and falls to the ground.
Clove stalks up to her, with a taunting voice and horrible expression. "So you think you can get away while your District partner murdered Cato? Think again," she throws another knife and it grazes Rue's arm.
Clove looks through her backpack, at last finding a coil of rope that she had managed to salvage, and roughly yanks Rue up and ties her to a tree, making sure to put rope over her injured areas.
I down a bottle quickly. There's no way that a teenage girl can do this to a little girl. Yet she is.
Clove first punches Rue, just for satisfaction it seems, then pulls out a special knife and starts cutting her all over the place. The little girl is crying out in pain, but to no avail.
Even Caru, hidden nearby is wincing at each shout and slipping away quickly and quietly.
Too many minutes later, Clove finally takes mercy and stabs Rue in the heart, ending her life.
BOOM.
But, then she does an even worse thing. She spits on her.
I need alcohol. Now.
Unbelievable. And absolutely DISGUSTING. First the girl we had all banked on to start the rebellion is dead, then her love, and now that vicious Career has just killed an innocent little girl in the worst way possible. How can Snow do this? I know, in a way, I am to blame also, for being a part of the people who put it on, but my part is mainly of a spy. I hate what I have to do. Well, as they used to say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Clove has returned to the Cornucopia, staking out and waiting for Caru to appear. Clove appears to be hungry, but does not have any food. Serves her right. Meanwhile, Caru is berry-scavenging. Oh no. She looks like she is about to eat nightlock. Wait, there's a sponsor gift floating down. Caru hears it and turns around, seeing a roll that appears to be from District 5 in it. She frowns, and reaches towards the berries again, and another parachute floats down, with the same gift. She tries one last time, but this time actually grabbing the berries and putting them in a pouch. Then she sits and starts eating her rolls. Clever girl. She catches on quickly.
However, back in the control center, my duty is to make her go to Clove for a final showdown. Well, using mutts with two tributes left isn't a good idea and we already threw in fire, so let's go with the trees. I knock a tree down, causing her to look up, grab some berries that seem to be blueberries on another nearby bush and start running in the direction of the Cornucopia. She really is a smart girl. I hope she wins. I knock down some more trees though, just for the sake of it.
At last, Caru scampers out of the trees and calmly walks to where Clove is at. "Hello, Clove."
"Hello, Caru. Having a nice day?"
"Not as good as I would have hoped. And you?"
"Oh it's been wonderful. But I am incredibly hungry."
"Would you like to eat a snack before the final battle? I wouldn't mind, as I'm quite hungry too."
Clove raises an eyebrow, "Do you have food to share?"
Caru shrugs, and replies, "Just a few berries."
Of course! I can see her plan now. She is an incredibly smart girl.
Caru pours out a few and holds them out to Clove.
Clove cautiously takes them, eyeing them warily, "Prove that they aren't poisonous."
Caru replies, "Alright," and picks out a blueberry (obviously deliberately picked, but it didn't look like it was), and eats it.
Clove nods, and dumps a few in her mouth. She twitches suddenly, tries to say something, and then lies still.
"Congratulations to the victor of the 74th Hunger Games, Caru Suna, female tribute of District 5!"
I think Caru still might be able to lead the revolution. However, that's probably just the optimist in me. But, she did cheat Snow out of having a final battle. I doubt that it's enough. We will have to keep waiting. I desperately hope that she can be a spark, perhaps even because of how long the tributes of 11 and 12 lasted. But I am starting to doubt it.
We just have to keep waiting.
AN: Oh my gosh I nearly cried while writing the Rue scene. I apologize if I actually made anyone cry.
So, yeah, this was mainly me trying to find a plausible way for Foxface to win the Games. Apparently in the film her name is Finch…I don't like that. So, I'm keeping my head canon name of Caru Suna. :)
Sorry again about my absence. All signed reviews to this will be replied to. =]
Thanks for reading, and please review! :D
