A/N
Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews! Some of the suggestions you sent in are absolutely awesome! I love all of them, and am probably going to find a way to incorporate all of them. It probably make this story a thousand times better! Okay, so I am trying extra hard to make my chapters gradually longer, but sometimes I find an awesome place to end it. But I'll fix that no problem. Also, I am fast forwarding to the Games, because that is the primary setting for this story. If one suggestion was meant for training, it will be put into the arena. Don't doubt, I have my ways. ;)
Here is the next chapter! Enjoy!
Chapter Four: Crimson Blades
Cato POV
60.
59.
58.
The countdown begins. I stand on my silver pedestal, poised to sprint at a moments notice.
57.
56.
55.
The sun beats down on my back, scorching my skin through two layers of clothing. Within seconds I am sweating.
54.
53.
52.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Focus. Concentrate.
51.
50.
49.
I glance to my right. The girl from five stands there, looking over the other tributes. She is alert, cautious of her surroundings. Looks as if she'll be difficult to catch.
48.
47.
46.
To my left is Glimmer, who is unsurprisingly watching yours truly. I shoot her a death glare, as if to tell her to take this seriously. Luckily, she gets the message, and removes her eyes from me.
45.
44.
43.
I close my eyes, taking a deep breath. You have trained years for this moment, I think to myself, don't mess up.
Three words run through my head as it comes down to the last three seconds.
Kill them all.
Katniss POV
3.
2.
1.
The gong blares out across the arena. All at once, the tributes launch themselves towards the large golden Cornucopia in attempt to snatch up a pack of supplies and a useful weapon. From the very beginning, I had my eyes set on the beautiful bow and sheath of arrows. And I was determined to get it.
From what I could see, others were randomly grabbing at the first weapon they saw. With this, I knew I had to be quick. I couldn't let anyone get their hands on my bow, especially since there was only one available.
Blood curdling screams echoed through the open air as the first kill was made. I didn't know who it was, and I didn't have time to find out. The last thing I needed was a knife in my back.
The ground between me and the bow was gradually decreasing, giving me a spark of hope. As soon as I had it in my possession, I'd be able to help my new allies finish the bloodbath. And yes, that would mean I would have to put an arrow through a few bodies. But how else was I supposed to live?
As I ran, I skillfully dodged a few hatchets being flung around aimlessly, and leap over the bodies of fallen children. It wasn't a pretty sight to me. However, there was nothing I could possibly do to stop it.
My eyes flit to a boy, maybe a year younger than me, heading towards the bow. He heads towards my bow. If he gets there first, I'm screwed. But I refuse to let that happen.
I gain speed immediately, focused on my goal. I try to block out the sounds of metal coming in contact with the soft flesh of innocent kids, the shrill cries for mercy, the victorious laughs. It was nearly impossible to concentrate on my goal. But I managed to set my eyes upon the metallic silver bow and sheath of arrows, and the boy who was just about as close as me.
I reached them mere seconds before the boy did. At this moment, time seemed to slow down. The boy looked enraged, his nostrils flaring with effort for speed, and determination for success. I knew what I had to do.
Kill or be killed.
Without time to use the actual bow, I quickly grabbed an arrow from the sheath and threw myself onto the smaller boy. I hit him hard, and even I stopped breathing for a second there. But this was no time to catch my breath. I held him down as he squirmed underneath me, his eyes full of fear. Raising the arrow, I frowned, not wanting to end his life so quickly. But I'd rather him die fast than slow and painfully in Clove's way.
Right before I slammed the arrow down, I mouthed a quick apology to him, and he seemed to calm just a little. At least he knew I wasn't like the Careers.
The arrow pierced his heart, and a canon went off immediately.
I watched as the life was drained from his eyes, mentally slapping myself for having done something so horrible.
But I had no choice.
Just at that moment, I remembered were I was. The Cornucopia. The bloodbath was still occurring.
I wrenched the arrow from the boy's body, sliding it back into the sheath and slinging it over my shoulder. I had no time to waste.
Knives were being thrown to and fro, each finding their mark. Tributes crumpled to the ground instantly.
I knew I didn't have to worry about Clove, because she was well aware of our alliance, but I couldn't help but flinch when another whizzed by my face.
Looking around, I could see the other Careers upon the most useless tributes in the arena. Glimmer held a cross bow, and used it well, at least better than she was with the bow and arrow. Marvel clutched his spear tightly, towering over the girl from 3, who was trying desperately to get away. Cato was slashing the nearest tribute in the chest; the tribute happening to be the boy from four, Frasier, our ally. Frasier's partner, Caterina, was no where to be found.
I take a deep breath, stringing an arrow and holding up my bow. I had no intention of killing another, but I would if I had to. If one of my allies were in trouble.
So for the most part, I stood back and scoped out the area.
Most tributes that had originally came to get a useful weapon were either dead or retreating. The ones alive settled for the nearest pack and made a hasty retreat for the trees. It wasn't long before it was only the Careers.
A sudden thought crossed my mind. What about Peeta? Was he okay?
I think I had seen him run immediately to the woods, but what happened past there is completely unknown to me. Hopefully he was alright. I would hate for him to go down so fast.
Suddenly, Caterina was with us after having missed a fairly important moment.
"I was scoping out the areas right past the tree line, attacking the tributes who were trying to escape." She told Cato, assuring him that she didn't just hide away like a coward.
Cato scowled as he finished off a girl who had apparently still been alive. "Did you get anyone?"
She nods, looking around at the scene before her. "The boys from 6 and 9, and the girl from 10."
At this, the leader nods in approval, turning from the lesser girl and walking towards the bulk of the supplies. I watches his movements intently, like I had with Peeta before. I have learned that a person's stature shows their emotion. Normally, I could pick up on it easily, but not with Cato. It was with much difficulty.
He stood up straight and tall. Pride.
His stride was long, yet swift. Determined.
A fist was clenched tightly around the handle of his sword. Anger.
At whom, I didn't know. But I probably shouldn't ask. If I want to live, it would be in my best interest to leave him be.
Following his lead, I begin to scope out the area, collecting useful supplies and weapons. Most of the packs were gone, having being taken by the remaining tributes. Some were still held by the bodies of the dead children.
Without thinking, I snatch up a few packs and load up with a few knives. I find a blow gun in the corner of the Cornucopia and grab that too, not knowing when or if I will run out of arrows. So I better teach myself how to use this thing.
"Grab as much as you can and let's get going before these bodies start stinking." Cato instructs as he stuffs a large bag with all kinds of weapons.
I nod, sliding the blow gun over my shoulder next to the quiver of arrows, and place the darts my pack. I also make sure to hide the few pocket knives in my boots, trying to keep them from Clove's sight. Hopefully I'll be able to keep these extra weapons.
Being an outsider in the Career pack, it would be wise to keep extra weapons on my at all times. Otherwise, I just might end up dead. I'd have to be on high alert. After all, they could have this evil plan cooked up. I don't know what to expect.
I let all the others go ahead of me, trailing behind Marvel. As I try not to come too close, I allow my thoughts to wander, not paying much attention to my surroundings.
All of the sudden, I was back home. The trees towered over me like a skyscraper, allowing an umbrella of shade, and the strong scent of honeysuckle filled the air. It was peaceful. Quiet. There was no one but me, walking with a homemade bow through the hushed woods. An animal learking nearby, large and powerful, a slight spring in it's step. My breaths grew soft as my movements ceased to exist. My bow raised level to my face, I close my eyes, releasing a long and slow breath. Within one swift move, the animal has dropped.
"What the heck?!" A startled voice jolted me from my memory.
I was unaware of one thing however. This had not been happening in my head as I had thought.
And instead of an animal, I had targeted a person. Crap.
My arrow had hit a tree, right next to Clove's head. And she looked mad. Infuriated. Outraged. But it was kind of funny.
Her face grew bright red as I walked towards the large oak tree to get my arrow. "What did you do that for?! You could have killed me!"
I snickered, wrenching the sharp metal out of the thick wood. I could think of so many excuses I could give to get out of this easily, but that didn't seem like it would be too much fun. So instead, I slide my arrow back into the quiver and turn to the raging District Two Career.
"Then I guess I missed." This earned a high pitched laugh from Glimmer, which honestly didn't matter. She wasn't a big competitor, so befriending her wasn't a necessity.
I was more determined to get Clove on my side. If she was my friend, I'd probably get a little farther in the Game. However, I'm not off to a real good start...
The much smaller girl growls, turning sharply and storming away. The rest of us stood there for a moment, watching her go off like a fire cracker as she walked swiftly. I could see the others shaking their head in disapproval.
Cato looks back to me, eyes emotionless. But his movements were sharp as he made his way over to me. It was obvious that he was not impressed by my actions or my words. And his words only proved that.
"You make another move like that, and I will break you."
Chills run down my spine in a shockwave as Cato glares at me coldly. His blue eyes stood out prominently against his blood splattered skin, making him look deadly and
Even when he had his back to me and was already a few yards ahead of me, I was frozen in fear. There was no doubt that he scares the living hell out of me.
Maybe I should have declined his request..
Cato POV
We hit a clearing a few minutes later. It was pretty large, over 100 yards between the tree lines. There was a lake as well, perfect for drinking water.
A nice place to set up camp.
I assign each of my allies with a job they are to complete. Clove and Marvel are sent to gather fire wood and fill plenty of water bottles. Glimmer was put in charge of pitching tents, which she complained about the entire time. That was rather entertaining. Caterina was to sort out all of the food depending on the type (fruit, vegetable, grain, etc.). It was a rather useless job, but it gave her something to do.
Fire Girl... I didn't even know where she is.
And that is a big problem for me.
Without giving much thought to it, I continue my own job. Sharpening my blades. If she isn't back within 30 minutes, I'll go searching for her, but not to get my ally back. No. If I find her, I will slaughter her.
That is, if she doesn't come back.
I planned on going hunting soon. And I mean really soon. I don't want it to be too dark when I am looking for stray tributes. Yes, it is simple to kill in the night, when they are sleeping... but that's not very fun at all. I like the chase. Adrenaline pumping through my veins as I gain ground in pursuit of another. The feeling of pure power when I catch my target. My sword slicing through skin as easy as cutting through butter. The pleading. Seeing the life being sucked from the weak being before me. Death by my crimson blade.
It's all better in daylight. When I can see it all happening in front of me.
"Cato, your hand is bleeding." My head snaps up at the sound of a familiar voice. Clove. She is smirking as she drops an armful of firewood in the middle of camp.
My hand?
I look back down to my hand, the one that had been holding the rock I was sharpening my sword on. I must have cut myself by mistake. Can't believe I didn't feel that...
Chuckling, I set my things down and walk to the lake to clean off my bloodied hand. Clove follows, carrying the pack of first aid supplies. She was always so attentive. I didn't understand why she cared so much about a little cut to want to wrap it up. It's not like this was going to kill me.
She sits down, taking out some antiseptic and a few bandages. It wasn't the fancy Capitol medicine like the stuff at home, but it was useful enough.
After I washed all the blood off, Clove takes my hand and disinfects it, not looking up at me. "Daydreaming about murder again big boy?"
She smirks again, and I can't help but chuckle in return. "Just a little bit."
Before I know it, my hand is all wrapped up and ready to go. It hurt like hell, but it wasn't deep enough to do any damage. Luckily, it was on my non-dominant hand, so I won't be needing it.
Standing up, I glance around the camp to look at our progress. Glimmer was still struggling to put up a tent, which was kind of pathetic. Looks like little miss Barbie wasn't designed to be an outdoor toy. Marvel was adding iodine to the water bottles, being careful not to put in more than a drop in each. Both Caterina and Clove sat lazily next to the big stack of fire wood looking bored as ever.
And Fire Girl was still no where to be found.
Even though she still had about 13 minutes to go, I wasn't about to wait. So I suppose I'd have to go searching for her. Ready or not, here I come.
...
I walk briskly through the trees, sword clutched in my hand.
Does that piece of filth not understand with the term 'alliance' means? Did she think that if she ran away, she would get rid of the Careers all together? That we wouldn't go looking for her?
I was giving her a chance to live a little longer than I planned in the beginning. I was allowing her to make it to the final two. And perhaps she would have made it, if she wasn't so damn stupid. Who in their right mind would try to get away from allies? I'll teach her. She won't escape to easily.
That Fire Girl is not as smart as everyone thinks she is.
"Stop! Don't move!" A sudden cry causes me to stop in my tracks, but I show no fear. I do as I am told, the voice familiar in some way. I just can't put a finger on it.
I look around me, careful not to move a single step. "Who's there?"
It doesn't take long before a figure is stepping out of the bushes. She moves slowly, her eyes darting around the forest floor. Katniss.
"Cato, don't move." Her grey eyes are trained on the area around my feet, and I was starting to understand why it was I couldn't move.
Around my foot, was a deadly looking snare. One that was skillfully made to kill whatever hits it. And I was the next victim.
Panic started to take over, yet I didn't allow it to show on my face. I would not let all of Panem know that I was afraid of a little contraption. But in my head, I'll admit I was.
If I make one step, a dagger would be sent right into my chest. "Dismantle it."
Katniss looked confused, and fumbled around for what to say. It seemed as though she didn't want to stop it from killing me. I don't blame her, but I wasn't going to just stand here and be vulnerable to others!
"Dammit, Katniss! DISMANTLE IT!" I yell, gripping my sword tighter. Immediately, she dives for the contraption, snapping off the dagger first and stuffing it in her bag. I watch as she unties everything, and the whole thing falls to pieces.
I am able to move now, but as soon as I do, Katniss begins rebuilding the snare. I could see concentration in her eyes as she creates the deadly trap, also trying to ignore the fact that I was still here. However, I was not going to go by unnoticed.
Grabbing her by the collar, I pull her to her feet forcefully. Okay, so she wasn't trying to run away, but she still almost killed me. At least, her little invention did. And she wouldn't get away with that. "Why the hell did you make that?"
Katniss shrugs, looking down at it. "I made a lot of them surrounding the camp. I figured that if anyone came close, one of these might kill them. Or, it would help with food."
"We have plenty of food. And I believe we can take care of ourselves. You just wasted all of our time. Take all of these down and throw the wood on the pile with the firewood."
I let her go and turn to walk back to camp, fuming with anger. I had to admit, it was smart, but unnecessary. We are the Careers. Not helpless babies.
"No." Katniss says behind me. I turn around to see her arms crossed over her chest and an assertive expression painted over her features.
Smirking, I begin to walk slowly back to her. "I'm sorry, what? No?"
"Yes, no."
"And why ever not?" I arch a brow, curious as to what she will say next.
Katniss narrows her eyes, advancing towards me defensively. It seems as though she does not want to be the one under attack. "Because I don't take orders from you. You may be the leader, but you are not in charge of me. I make my own decisions."
Ah, so she wants to be independent in our alliance. That's cute.
But cute doesn't cut it.
I scowl, then grab her arm and twist it so that her wrist is facing the sky. Before she can react, I have her up against a tree, looking down at her furiously.
"I wouldn't say such things if I were you." I could smell the fear radiating off of the girl in my grasp. Her eyes were wide as she struggled against me. I still had her wrist turned up but now, my sword hovers above her skin.
Katniss glances from me to the blade, frantic. "Please don't."
Ah, the pleading. One of my favorite things about being a trained killer. But this time, I didn't feel the need to kill her. I wasn't even planning to. The Fire Girl seemed genuinely afraid. Not for herself, but for others. I could see in her eyes.
I chuckle, shaking my head. "I'm not going to kill you...yet."
Without waiting another minute, I glide my sword across her skin. It earned me a gasp of pain from the girl in my grip.
And when I step back, I watch as the girl hugs her now bloody arm to her chest, bitting her lip tightly. Hopefully she gets the message. If she does what I say, everything will be great between us. Otherwise, she gets a new scar. For some reason though, I don't want to have to do that again. Killing her is enough.
I turn and begin walking back to camp, this time not stopping. The sound of whimpering causes a smirk to paint itself across my face.
"You might want to get that looked at." I call back to her right before I break through the bushes. I'm sure all of the others are waiting for my return so that we can begin our hunt. Fire Girl will have to catch up later.
Katniss POV
I can't wait till he dies.
Till that sadistic smirk disappears forever from his features.
Till his crimson stained blades drop to the floor.
And I want to be the one rid the world of him.
Crap. I'm beginning to sound like a phsyco...
A/N
Okay, so I had originally planned for this to be posted yesterday, but I was so busy, I didn't have time. I was sick Monday, so I didn't even start till Tuesday after school. But now I'm on Christmas break, so I will have more time to write. I'll admit that this chapter was rather difficult to write. So it took longer to come up with. But anyways, stay tuned for chapter 5. Except it to be up no later than Saturday night!
- Charlotte :)