Chapter 11

Authors Note: Thank you all for your reviews and support once again it is appreciated. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunger Games.

I stormed through the trees with my axe in hand and my hatchets rattling on my belt with every step I took. My lungs burned from the adrenaline and cold hair. I wasn't thinking straight, all I could think of was taking down Atlas. So I made my way to Cornucopia, knowing full well he would be there. He knew I wouldn't hide.

It was pitch black and snowing heavy by the time I had gotten to Cornucopia. There was still no sign of Atlas though. I took my time and slowly crept towards the large structure. Atlas was from two after all. He was trained for situations like this. He could be hiding in plain sight.

I soon saw him walking out of the Cornucopia, wearing a protective vest he most likely retrieved from his gift. He smirked at me and held his spear over shoulders. I held my axe in front of me and twirled it around endlessly.

He didn't say anything as he held his spear in one hand before rushing towards me. I started towards him as well and stepped out of the way of his oncoming spear. I spun around and threw my axe at him. It spun around in the air, but Atlas wasn't a rookie. He ducked under the axe and pulled out his sword and a small shield behind his back.

I drew both of my hatchets and we engaged each other.

I swung my hatchet down but he blocked with his shield and pushed me away. He swung his sword down but I spun out of the way and sent my elbow to his nose. His nose dripped red as he staggered back. He grunted furiously before rushing towards me.

I brought my axes to block his attack. In one fatal swing he knocked both of them out of my hands. I didn't have time to see them fall to the ground before he swung his sword at me again. I ducked under his blade again and again.

After a few close calls he managed to land a cut across my wrist. I let out a scream before stumbling onto the ground and landing on my back. I clenched my bleeding wrist as Atlas brought his sword down in a stabbing motion.

I quickly lifted my leg up and sent my foot into his stomach. The wind was knocked out of him and his grip loosened on his sword. I fell and suck into the ground. I staggered to my feet and grabbed his sword.

I brought it down towards his head, but he blocked with his shield. I took another swing and he caught my wrist with little difficulty. My eyes widened in horror as he smiled wide at me.

He grabbed my upper arm and flipped me over his shoulder. I landed hard on the ground with a thud; the wind was knocked out of me as Atlas yanked the sword out of my hand.

I couldn't let him get his hands on it. I tackled him to the ground and sent my fist into his face. I barely broke the skin on his lip. My hand was aching from the impact. That didn't stop me from striking him again.

I could feel the skin of my hand peel and the bones crack. This guy's face must have been made of stone. He swung his hand up and his fist connected with the side of my jaw. I felt a few of my own teeth dislodge. Atlas kicked me off and proceeded to stomp me into the dirt.

I grabbed his foot and twisted it. He let out a grunt and fell back. I staggered to my feet and dizzily made my way over to my hatchets. I stumbled forward and managed to grab a handle that was sticking up from the ground.

I heard heavy footsteps running up behind me. I swung my hatchet around me, but he ducked and swung his sword across my face. Blood colored the snow red and my face hurt like hell. A diagonal cut ran across my face.

I fell back clutching my face and screaming in pain. While I was rolling around I could hear Atlas laughing at the top of his lungs. I felt the rage consume my heart and attacked him. I tackled him into the ground and knocked the sword from his hands.

We both rolled around on the ground struggling to take the other down. Atlas managed to kick me off of him and grabbed a nearby baton off the ground. He swung it at me and I dodged every attack.

I grabbed my hatchet off of the ground and swung down at Atlas only for him to block it. He swung his baton at my head and at my arm, but he missed every hit. I only had my one good wrist as my left hand was currently dangling at my side.

I swiped my blade across his stomach, but like all injuries he ignored it. What the hell where they doing to their kids in district 2. I was hitting Atlas with everything I had and he was still going strong.

I blocked his attack and it rattled my hands. He lunged his face forward and head-butted me in the nose. I was knocked back and my grip loosened on my hatchet. With another powerful swing he knocked the hatchet out of my hand and across the field.

He sent his foot into my chest and knocked me onto the ground. I rolled out of the way of his oncoming attack. I got to my feet and took a swung at his head, but he ducked and swiped his baton across my left knee.

I let out a loud scream as I felt the bones crack and my legs give away. He brought his baton on my leg again and then on my chest and my arm before finally smacking me across my face. I felt my tooth fly out of my mouth, which was now filling with blood.

I didn't even notice that Atlas had stopped beating me and was just looking down at me. His hair was a mess and he was covered in cuts and bruises. Blood had covered the snow so much I didn't know if it was mine or Atlas's.

It was funny how a week ago when this all started we were both still clean and groomed from the Capitol and now that it is at its end we are both broken and hallow from the Hunger Games. Soon, Atlas's panting turned into shaky laughs.

"Y-You did well, for a pup from ten." He said, throwing his baton on the ground.

"I was just doing what the games tell us to." I grunted. "I survived."

"Barely." He snickered. He was exhausted from our fight. I guess he was human after all. "You know. They say in district two that a proud death was its own reward."

"It's not much of a reward when I have no choice but to leave everything I know and love behind unwilling." I tried to get up, but I couldn't. I was too weak, too broken.

"Nah, you see. Even if I do win I still disgraced everyone back home." He moved over to my other hatchet and slowly reached down and picked it up. I guess he was going to make it poetic. "I wasn't a good leader and my crew abandoned me and tried to kill me. I nearly lost every fight I have been in or, like what happened at the feast, I ran away. And the source of all my problems was a scrawny little pup from ten."

"You're about to be a champion though. That has to count for something."

"No, it doesn't." He started to move towards me. "Our district is about strength and leadership. We make people fear us and respect us and all that went away when some cow herders and coal muckers from the lesser districts took us down one by one." He was now before me once again. I tried again to move, but I only felt the pain from my broken leg and something poking my foot from the inside of my boot. I had all but forgotten about my wooden shiv.

"Even if you die you'll be put on a higher pedestal than me back at your home and my home." He raised the hatchet over his head and I could see he was now whimpering. "Oh well, I can still do one thing right. I can kill you and become a champion…not that it matters."

He brought my hatchet down and I used the last of my strength to roll away. He staggered forward and sunk the hatchet into the snowy, bloody dirt and I pulled out my shiv and stabbed it into the side of his neck.

He let out a gurgle of blood and tumbled over on his back clutching the wound and the shiv. I looked over at my hatchet and grabbed its handle and pulled it from the dirt. I looked over at Atlas. I could see it in his eyes, he was afraid. I raised my hatchet and buried it into his skull.

He died instantly.

It was hard, but I pulled the blade from his skull and then my shiv before tossing them away in disgust. I couldn't look at them anymore.

I didn't hear the cannon fire, but I did hear the announcement.

"The winner of the 68th Hunger Games, Hunter Ashwood!"

I let out a loud cry and wept into Atlas's chest. I didn't even know why. 'Was I angry or sad or maybe happy?'

I just didn't know or care anymore. I heard the hovercraft lower down and I heard footsteps come running up to me.

Doctors and Peacekeepers swarmed us and pulled me off of Atlas. My first instinct was to fight them, but I just didn't have the energy or will to fight back. I let the Peacekeepers carry me onto a stretcher and let the doctors strap me in. I felt them stick something into my arm, possibly drugs, and soon found myself loosing consciousness.

I slowly turned my head over to Atlas and watched as they placed him in a body bag and closed it up. It was the last time I had ever seen him. I was lifted off of the ground and carried into the hovercraft. I kept my head up as long as I could and watched as a blinding white light drowned out the dark and snowy arena of the my Hunger Games.

The last snow flake fell before everything turned to darkness.