CHAPTER SONG: "Lux Aeterna" by Clint Mansell (from Requiem for a Dream)

Lartius was not going to pace around the hideout and wait for Rendwick to get back. Time passed too slowly in there. He wanted to know what was going on. He didn't want to just ignore and push it aside until he came back. Sometimes ignorance was bliss, other times it hung heavily on his shoulders.

Lartius chose to watch everything from the fire escape. But as he watched Rendwick take on the spider, he was conflicted about his decision. On one hand, he didn't want to keep himself in the dark about this, but watching Rendwick do this by himself was painful. He might as well have been back home watching this on TV.

Lartius was surprised that Rendwick managed to kill the spider. As soon as it had sunk in that the spider was dead and that Rendwick was up and moving, Lartius let out an enormous sigh of relief. He made his way down the fire escape to join Rendwick at the Cornucopia. As soon as he landed on the sidewalk, he heard yelling coming from the Cornucopia. Yelling coming from more than one voice.

His heart seemed to stop for a good five seconds. Then, Lartius broke into a sprint. From far off he could see Phox and Alto cornering Rendwick in the alley on 6th Street. He climbed up the fire escape of the nearest building to keep himself hidden from them. If he got there fast enough, he could kill Alto and Phox before they even knew he was there. He didn't even know where they came from. He'd been focused on Rendwick's battle with the spider. It was like they came out of nowhere.

As he ran, leaping from roof to roof, he tried not to panic and jump to the worst conclusion. He tried not to think, "what if I don't get there in time?" He had no choice, he had to save Rendwick. They made a deal. He just kept running, wishing and hoping that he would beat the cannon.

When he reached the fire escape, he saw Phox and Alto heading out. Lartius couldn't hear what they were saying to each other, but his heart hammered against his ribs when he saw Phox carrying they spear as they ran off.

"No," he whispered.

He raced down the fire escape. When he jumped down into the alley, he was horrified by the sight of a bloody, badly injured Rendwick lying on the ground.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Lartius instantly raced to his side. He lifted Rendwick's head up. "Stay with me, Rendwick, please, stay with me."

Rendwick looked at him. "Lartius-"

"No, don't talk. Save your energy. I'm gonna get you back to the hideout, and we're gonna wait for one of the sponsors to send you something. Anything. Anything that'll keep you alive." He shifted his hands so he could help him stand up.

"It's no use," Rendwick said heavily. "We won't get anything."

"Don't say that, we will. Someone's gotta be impressed that you managed to take down that giant spider."

Rendwick let out a small laugh. "You saw that?"

Lartius nodded. "Yeah. You were incredible."

"I didn't think I was gonna kill it," Rendwick said.

"Yeah, but you did. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for."

Rendwick smiled up at him, but he was shaking his head a little. "I'm still not entirely sure it's dead," he said, laughing a little faintly.

"No, it's definitely dead," Lartius said, smiling a little. "And I guarantee you someone will reward you for it."

Rendwick shook his head more seriously. "No, they won't. We stayed hidden for most of the Games. Nobody knows where. We only left to get food and water. We weren't in the thick of the action except for the bloodbath. The only thing I got from a sponsor was bread. You didn't get anything."

Lartius felt his smile disappear and his heart sink into his stomach. Rendwick was right. He tried not to panic.

"And even if you're right, " Rendwick added, "and one of the sponsors was impressed enough to send something, we wouldn't get it in time. I'd already be dead."

"No! You're not gonna die!"

"I am. One of us was going to at some point, right? That was the point of all this."

Lartius shook his head. He felt tears sting his eyes. "I can't lose you. We made a deal."

Rendwick nodded. "I know."

A set of images swam through his mind. The sandcastle they started making on the shores of District 4, the snare Rendwick helped him with on the first day of training, the bread they shared after Lartius found him, the old branches he tried to use for his makeshift trident, the bracelet Rendwick wore as his district token, his eyes, his smile. He could practically feel the warmth of Rendwick's arm around his shoulders and hear his laugh play in his ears. This was not how things were supposed to go.

"I'm sorry," Rendwick said, reaching up and tilting Lartius' face up with his hand.

"For what?" Lartius asked.

"You were right," Rendwick said. "I didn't think I'd need backup afterwards, but I did. I should've let you come with me."

A tear dropped onto Rendwick's chest. "It's okay," Lartius said.

"No, it's not," Rendwick argued faintly. "I'm sorry."

"I know, I know." Lartius brushed Rendwick's hair off his forehead.

Rendwick's breathing was getting more and more shallow. Lartius could feel it against his arms.

"Promise me something?" Rendwick asked, his voice getting fainter.

"Anything."

Rendwick's hand moved up to Lartius' cheek. "Promise me you'll win. Win for me." Rendwick's thumb wiped away a tear. "If anyone deserves to survive all this, it's you."

Lartius nodded. "Yeah." More tears dropped onto Rendwick's chest. "I promise."

Rendwick pulled Lartius' head down so he could hear him better. "And you know, despite how things are turning out now, I'm actually glad I got picked for the Games." He took a deep breath. "The Games brought me back to you."

Lartius immediately hugged him, still crying. Seconds later, the cannon boomed. Lartius doubled over in devastated sobs, clinging to him more tightly. He tightened his grip on him and buried his face into Rendwick's shoulder. He really didn't care that he was on national television.

Lartius held onto him as tightly as he could, as if he could somehow bring him back to life if he just held on. Don't leave me here, Lartius thought. How am I going to get through this without you? He needed Rendwick. He needed Rendwick next to him. He felt happier, less lonely. If the two of them had never found each other in the arena, he knew the Games would've gone differently for both of them. He knew time would've passed slower in the arena if he were by himself. He didn't even want to think about what he would've been like if he had somehow been sucked into the troupe with the other high-district tributes.

Lartius had never told Rendwick this, but he'd thought way more ahead than Rendwick knew. Sure, he'd thought of how to evade the Gamemakers, but also past that, to when the Games were over, and what their lives would be like, where they might live together. He didn't really have a clear picture of their future, but he knew they would be happy together. All those pictures were slipping away from him, like waves in the ocean. He kept holding onto Rendwick. He knew the hovercraft would be here to pick up Rendwick's body as soon as he left. He was not leaving Rendwick, dead or alive.

Then, he remembered his promise to Rendwick. He promised Rendwick he would win. How would he look if Phox and Alto doubled back and found him like this? He could've sworn he heard Rendwick's voice in his head. You have to keep going. Stay strong. You can do this. He took a deep heaving breath. He knew he had tears to spare, but Rendwick wanted him to keep going.

Lartius finally raised his head and looked at Rendwick. His eyes were unfocused, staring out into nothing. He gently closed Rendwick's eyelids. He couldn't make himself look away from Rendwick's face. He heard Rendwick's voice in his head again. Keep going, he was saying. Get up and go back to the hideout.

Finally, Lartius set Rendwick's body back on the ground and slowly stood up. The front of his shirt was covered in Rendwick's blood. He promised Rendwick he'd win for him. He had to remember that. He had to make it his motivation to keep going. He slowly made his way back to the hideout. When he reached 9th Street, he could hear the hovercraft behind him but didn't turn around. His mind felt numb and his limbs heavy.

Tears were still falling down Lartius' face. He felt his hand twitch, as if it were instinctively reaching for Rendwick. He knew he had to be strong, but he also needed to give himself time to grieve. If he didn't let himself grieve, he was never going to get over this. He'd just lost the one person he'd connected with the most in his life, someone he'd bonded with so incredibly well, someone he trusted more than anyone else. There will never be anyone else like him, he decided. No one. And given that they were hidden for most of the Games, no one would understand exactly what he was going through.

Things had moved so fast with them, from when they were reunited in the Training Center in the Capitol to the first time they kissed to the streetlights turning on in the arena last night. As quickly as they had gotten together and as quickly as things progressed with them, it was all gone in a flash. Guilt began to fill up his veins. It was his fault Rendwick was dead. He felt like he could've done something to prevent it.

I could've saved him, he though to himself. I could've been his lookout from the hideout, I could've seen them coming. I could've dealt with them while he was still busy.

You wouldn't have been able to see much from the fire escape, he argued with himself. Your eyes were on him to make sure he was okay.

Then, I could've gotten to the hideout faster, he thought back. I would've gotten there in time if I hadn't decided to climb up the fire escape.

You were too far away, he thought back, his inner voice getting stronger. They'd already done too much damage.

Well then, I should've gone with him, he thought. I should have insisted. I would've kept guard from a safe distance, closer than the fire escape outside the hideout.

You had no way of knowing that, he argued back. You didn't know Phox and Alto were there waiting for him

This is the Hunger Games! he yelled back. I was supposed to be prepared for anything and everything!

It was part of their deal. They were supposed to protect each other. This was why Rendwick had him stay behind while he faced the giant spider. But neither of them factored in the possibility of needing back up when Rendwick was finished with the spider. Lartius felt like he should've planned ahead and thought of that before Rendwick left. He felt like he'd failed.

One thing that still plagued Lartius was how the hell Phox and Alto managed to get to Rendwick without getting noticed by the spider, and how they were able to kill Rendwick when he had his spear. Lartius knew Rendwick would not go down without a fight, but when Phox and Alto walked off, Phox carrying the spear, they didn't appear to be hurt, or limping, or have a scratch on them at all.

Lartius finally understood why Rendwick hated the Capitol and the Games so much. Coming from higher districts, they were raised like pigs for the slaughter. All they knew was how to kill, to bring pride to their district. They'd been essentially brainwashed since they were kids. Only Rendwick had known the true evil of the Games, what it did to a person's mind. It felt like poison.

Out of the six high-district tributes that were always favored to win, it was horrible to think that the majority of them would die every year. Sometimes all of them did, when they were faced with an unusually skilled lower-district tribute. They'd trained for years to fight their way to glory and pride, to become adored by so many Capitol citizens. But they had no idea that most of them were dead from the beginning. The lower-district tributes knew this. There was always ever only one Victor. One sole reminder of the Capitol's generosity.

Lartius knew Rendwick wouldn't want him blaming himself, but Lartius couldn't help it. He knew he could've saved him somehow, despite what his inner voice said. Now that he knew what to expect, he would give anything to rewind the Games about twenty minutes and to just try again. I can do this. I can prove it. I can protect him this time. He felt a little childish wishing for another chance. It was like having an argument with someone and coming up with a good comeback hours after it was over. No, that was a bad analogy. This was ten, maybe twenty, times worse.

He needed to find a way to shake everything off if he was going to win for Rendwick. Having a numb mind and heavy limbs would impair him in the arena. It was funny how much he'd changed in a little over a week. At the start of the Games, he was determined, bloodthirsty, ready to attack anyone who underestimated him. He went into the arena ready to show everyone what he was made of. He could've easily channeled all of his energy into fighting towards the end. But as the Games progressed and he fell deeper into his relationship with Rendwick, he stopped caring about winning the Games, or really about himself anymore. His focus and his priorities shifted to Rendwick. Protecting him, keeping him safe. It felt like nothing else mattered. And now, with only two other tributes standing between him and victory, he felt like he'd changed too much to revert to his old ways. His thirst for blood and his desire to prove people wrong had washed away. He thought back to his previous idea, "what would I've been like in here if Rendwick and I hadn't teamed up? What if he'd never even been Reaped in the first place?"

He knew the answer instantly. He knew that if Rendwick hadn't been Reaped, their lives would've been completely different. The past few weeks shaped who they'd become. He knew that Rendwick would remember him from the second his name was called at the District 2 Reaping. He would root for Lartius immediately, but he would be scared for him, not wanting him to die, not wanting to go through what he did when Trexa, his twelve-year-old neighbor, died in the Games. He would be thrilled with Lartius' training score of ten, he would drink up every ounce of his interview the night before the Games began.

When his mind traveled to the Games, Lartius felt a horrible chill rise up his spine. He knew how Rendwick would be, watching all of this, but he felt a sense of uneasiness at the idea of himself. He would be his determined, bloodthirsty self. He might team up with the high-district troupe, albeit reluctantly. He would be in the thick of the action throughout the whole Games. Lartius knew that Rendwick, at first, would hate having to watch everything from the other side of the TV. He would wish he were in the arena to protect Lartius. He wouldn't want him to die. But once he saw Lartius in the arena, doing whatever he could to win, he would feel conflicted about cheering for Lartius. Sure, they knew each other when they were kids, but Rendwick would see a changed person, no longer the eight-year-old he made a sandcastle with. He would only see Lartius as another typical high-district tribute, too focused on the goal to realize what he would be going through to get here.

At least Rendwick would still be alive.

Fresh tears filled Lartius' eyes at the thought, and spilled down his face. He not only understood why Rendwick hated the Games and the Capitol so much, but he also realized why it had taken him so long for him to feel the same. In District 2, all the tributes were regarded as brave soldiers, as if they were being drafted into a war. They were the district's heroes. If any of them didn't make it to the end, their death was regarded as a tragedy. Everyone talked about how close they got to the finish line and how bravely they fought for their lives. Lartius didn't really know them personally, because every potential tribute was to be deemed a hero just for being picked for the Games. They were training mates prior to the Games and heroes during the Games, and nothing more. Lartius suspected the adults in the Training Center came up with this to prevent everyone from getting too attached to each other.

It was completely different and so much worse when you knew someone personally in the Games, someone you cared about a lot. It was a horrible feeling. One minute, they were right in front of your eyes, as alive as can be, and the next, they just didn't exist anymore. They were gone. He knew how his parents must be feeling right now. He imagined that, no matter how much they believed in him, they'd still be very scared if Lartius had been the one battling the spider instead of Rendwick.

Lartius remembered how the Games had changed Rendwick when he watched Trexa die. Not just his attitude about the Gamemakers and the Capitol, but the Games themselves and the other tributes with lower odds. He remembered what Rendwick said on their first night in the hideout. "Every time I see a tribute's face in the sky, I can't help but think of their parents. Over the past forty-two years, nine-hundred-sixty-six people have died. That makes nine-hundred-sixty-six broken families." And now there were nine-hundred-eighty-seven dead tributes and broken families, including Rendwick and his family.

Thinking back to the beginning of the Games, Lartius remembered how surprised he was that they worked together so well despite their different strategies. Had they not fallen for each other, Lartius knew they would have to part ways before the Games came down to at least four other tributes. Relationship or not, they respected each other too much to kill each other if it came down to both of them in the end. If Rendwick had been killed after they terminated their alliance, Lartius probably would've just silently mourned him for a while and gone on with the Games.

A horrible, sick feeling spread throughout his stomach at the thought of that scenario. He hated the idea of regarding Rendwick as just another dead tribute in the Games, even hypothetically. He was just so much more than that. Maybe not to anyone else in the Games, but he meant a lot to Lartius and that had to count for something. If Rendwick had teamed up with anyone else in the arena, he would've made an impact on their lives as well. Probably not for the high-district troupe, and maybe not to the same extent he did for Lartius, but he would've made some kind of impact, especially on the lower-district tributes. That was just the kind of person he was.

Lartius wondered what Nitya knew of him, and what she told the other high-district tributes about him. In their conversations over the past few days, Lartius had gotten to know who Rendwick was back home. Rendwick had said he was the strongest and fastest in his class, and that he had a developed a reputation for being very focused and determined, but all of that hid the fact that he hated every minute of his time spend at the Training Center. He'd said people had high expectations for him. Expectations he did not want to fulfill. He had more important things to do than please everyone but himself.

The numbness in his mind made him feel almost like he was dead, too. Consumed in his grief and survivor's guilt, Lartius knew he would have to find a way to overcome it. Right now, it felt like it was all he could feel and think about. He didn't know if or how we would be able to push past it and win. He tried not to let the feeling that he was dead overpower everything else. He had to build up his motivation. It was going to be tough to do on his own.

One thought replayed in Lartius' mind: Rendwick did not deserve to die. He kept thinking it over and over. He didn't deserve this. Rendwick was probably one of the most deserving people to win the Games, if not the most deserving. He knew exactly what they were about, and he knew what the families at home went through watching this. There's not a single death in history that does not affect anyone else. Rendwick's death would affect everyone else he was close to, his family, his mentor, his stylist, and maybe some people back in District 4 that were friendly with him. It would probably even make an impact on the people who only knew him for a few seconds. Lartius thought of maybe doing something to honor Rendwick when he won. He wasn't sure what yet, but he would figure it out. One thing he did know was that, whatever it was, it couldn't involve his sexuality. He'd kept that a secret from everyone until the very end. If he'd wanted the rest of the world to know, they would know.

Lartius felt his hand twitch again and balled it up into a fist. A few more tears leaked out of his eyes and trailed down his cheek. He knew the people watching were surprised by how he was acting now. He was a strong, tough tribute from District 2. He was supposed to be stoic and stone-faced. He really didn't care what they thought of him now. He stopped caring once he and Rendwick had teamed up in the arena. Really, the only person whose opinion he cared about was Rendwick.

Lartius knew that Rendwick would be exactly like this if the situation were reversed, if Lartius had been the one to take on the spider and was cornered by Phox and Alto afterwards. And Lartius would do the same thing Rendwick did: he would say it wasn't Rendwick's fault and have him promise he would win. Lartius had worked too hard to keep Rendwick safe for this long just to have him give up. Lartius wiped away a falling tear. He had to think of this if he ever started to break down over Rendwick's death.

It felt like hours passed before he reached the fire escape to the hideout. He didn't even know how he got there. He felt like he was just wandering aimlessly around the arena, stuck inside his head. Lartius felt oddly disconnected from his body, since he was so consumed in his thoughts. He wasn't even concentrating on where he had been walking. He slowly climbed up the fire escape. The numbness in his mind cleared up a little when he heard a faint beeping noise coming from over his head. He peered up and around the fire escape and saw a parachute gliding down the air. Lartius climbed up a little faster and caught the parachute before it clanged onto the fire escape. He quickly opened the panel in the window and stepped inside the hideout. He leaned his back against the panel to shut it, and opened the parachute. Inside he found bread, cheese, and chicken, enough for two people. Compared to what they'd been eating the last several days, it was a feast. He noticed the seaweed-tinted, fish-shaped bread. The parachute came from District 4.

Lartius shut the metal case and let it fall to the ground. He slid to the ground as he felt more tears come. Given the size of the portions, he knew that District 4 sent this thinking Rendwick would still be alive. It was to reward Rendwick for killing the spider, just like Lartius had hoped someone would. He propped up his arms on his knees and pressed his eyes to his jacket sleeves. He needed to let it all out.

Rendwick's body had probably reached the Capitol by now. He had to be cleaned, redressed, and packed into a wooden box to be sent to District 4. Lartius thought of Rendwick's family. He thought his parents must be devastated to have seen their son die. Being on that side of the TV screen sounded gut-wrenchingly awful, especially if you were a parent. Knowing that your kid was in imminent danger and there was nothing you could do to stop it, no way you could protect them. It was how Lartius felt when Rendwick was dying in his arms. He wanted to do something to save him, and the fact that he couldn't made him feel utterly powerless. He thought of Rendwick's baby sister, Thonia, and how Rendwick said he'd helped raise her and that he wouldn't be able to watch her grow up. He remembered back to something Rendwick had said on their first night together. "I just feel like we were meant to do better things than to kill each other in an arena for other people's entertainment."

He jumped when he heard clattering on the fire escape. Instinctively, he stood up quickly and reached for his knives, but the footsteps kept descending the fire escape. Lartius forced himself to breathe evenly. He pressed his ear to the panel and waited for their footsteps to fade.

"You got your revenge for the girl from your district," came Phox's muffled voice.

"No, he didn't kill her," Alto said back.

"What?" Phox said, annoyed.

"When you took your spear back, he didn't have any backup weapons. It was his ally who killed her, the one who can throw knives."

"But you said you saw him take the knife out of her back," Phox argued.

"He was probably getting it back for him," Alto replied.

"That guy - the knife thrower - is probably already dead. Remember the cannon earlier?"

"Yeah, but right before it, someone screamed, and it was definitely a girl. That was the girl from Twelve." The footsteps stopped briefly. "Whatever. We need to find that parachute."

"You sure you saw it fall over here?" Phox asked.

"Positive," Alto replied.

"Well, I don't see it anywhere," Phox said. "He probably took it and went off. He could be anywhere." The footsteps climbed down the fire escape.

"He can't be that far," Alto countered. "We just saw the parachute fall. He's gotta be somewhere nearby."

The footsteps stopped again. You can't stay here, Rendwick's voice said in his head. You have to get moving. Lartius walked across the room to get his backpack, and put the parachute inside it. Rendwick's backpack was still by the window. He hesitated for a minute. He wanted to take it with him, or at least take whatever Rendwick had, in case it helped him. You have to get moving, Rendwick's voice repeated. Lartius decided to leave the backpack for now. If he got a chance, he'd go back for it later.

Very carefully, he pulled the panel open and quietly stepped onto the fire escape. Phox and Alto were a level below him, talking indistinctly. They were heading down the stairs. He had to move quickly but carefully. He pulled the panel shut.

"Hold on a second," he heard Phox say.

Lartius froze on the fire escape.

"Was it just me, or was one of those panels in the window a little open?"

Without thinking, Lartius looked down at them just in time to see them look up. He quickly stepped onto the roof and ran.

He heard clanging on the fire escape and knew they were coming after him. Good, he thought to himself. I just want to get this over with. He wasn't sure how he was going to take both of them on. He knew he could do it, he just needed a plan. Since they were the ones chasing him, he couldn't really corner them anywhere and go apeshit on both of them. They had the upper hand here.

Lartius looked at the far end of the arena and saw the tallest building and got an idea. Who said he couldn't corner them? He knew the quickest way to get up there, and he remembered that Phox didn't spend a lot of time at the rings course in the Training Center. But he knew Phox would still cross the wire if it meant getting to Lartius. If he trapped them on the roof of the building, he could find a way to take them both down. A couple of knife throws might do it, maybe some hand-to-hand combat.

Lartius broke into a sprint and kept going uptown. He would have to veer left and head towards 11th Avenue soon, since the building was around the center of the arena and they were still on the east side. It would take a long time to get back up there after he and Rendwick were chased downtown by the spider. The only differences here were that they were taking the shorter way, and that Lartius had more of a head start, which was exactly what he wanted. He wanted to get up to the roof first and be ready for when Phox and Alto reached him and had nowhere else to go.

Lartius ran past 28th Street. He could hear Phox and Alto behind him, probably coming up with a plan together as they ran. This chase was what the Gamemakers and spectators in the Capitol wanted. There had been virtually no action for a few days. With the chase, plus the girl from Twelve getting killed and Rendwick dying after his battle with a spider mutt all in one day, this was a treat for them.

Time seemed to speed up a little. It wasn't horribly slow, like when he and Rendwick were being chased by the spider. It was almost back to its usual pace outside the hideout. Lartius felt like the Gamemakers knew everything was about to end and were waiting with anticipation (and probably a little bit of impatience) to see who would emerge victorious.

Lartius passed 41st Street. He was about halfway there. He suspected this was the side of him the Capitol viewers and some in District 2 were expecting more of during the Games, not the side of him that cried over Rendwick's dead body. He remembered what Rendwick said about being taught not to show emotion at the Training Center in District 4, because emotion is weakness. Lartius disagreed with that sentiment. He thought it look more strength to let the tears fall than to hold everything in.

When he got to 60th Street, about ten to fifteen blocks away from the wire, he made a left and headed for 11th Avenue. His mind went back to when he walked back to the hideout, and how he felt like he'd died himself. He mentally shook himself. Don't think like that, his inner voice said. You need to be alive. You need to win this thing.

He passed Avenue N and listened behind him to make sure they were still following him. He heard quick footsteps and indistinct voices. He could've sworn Alto was wondering aloud why Lartius was changing direction all of a sudden. He hoped they wouldn't figure it out before they got there. He doubted any of them had been on the roof of the tallest building. It was too far away from the action in the arena. But still, he wasn't entirely sure what they'd been up to.

This run from the hideout to the tallest building wasn't nearly as bad as when he and Rendwick ran the other way from the spider. Lartius wasn't running for his life here, he was just running towards his plan to win. He wasn't scared of Phox or Alto. He knew he could take them down.

He passed Avenue T. He could hear Phox and Alto getting frustrated behind him. They talked amongst themselves, but they were too far back to Lartius to hear.

"Don't even think about it!" Alto suddenly yelled.

"Why the hell not?" Phox shouted. "One shot and he'd be dead! I've been waiting for days to get this thing back, did you really think I wasn't going to use it?"

"And what if you missed?" Alto yelled. "He's really fast and he has a head start. What if he grabbed your spear and ran off with it? What if the same thing happened with your axe? Where would you be then?"

Phox didn't say anything. They continued chasing after Lartius in silence.

Oddly, Lartius was not getting tired at all. He hadn't gotten any sleep at all last night, what with the spider chasing after them and Rendwick going to fight it. He had one goal, one purpose right now: win. Rendwick's words to him fused with his adrenaline and powered him as he ran.

He passed 1st Avenue. Ten more blocks to go. It was like when the Games first began. He wasn't scared or worried about whether or not he could do this anymore. He knew he could. He had to. He didn't care about bringing pride and glory to his district. They had plenty of that already from their previous Victors. This was for Rendwick and no one else.

He finally reached 11th Avenue and made a right, heading uptown towards 78th Street. He heard some kind of indistinct noise of what sounded a little like frustration from behind him, but he couldn't tell who made it.

"Seriously, who has this much stamina?" came Phox's faint voice. "And where the hell is he going?"

Lartius felt laughter rise up in his throat. He found Phox's frustration satisfying. He hoped the kill would be even more satisfying. He was about 60% sure Phox was the one who inflicted the damage that caused Rendwick's death. He remembered Phox carrying the spear as he and Alto walked off. He didn't remember seeing blood on the spear's blade, but if Phox had the spear, Lartius thought he must have killed Rendwick for it. He sped up even more.

Lartius passed 70th Street. He was almost there. He forced himself to breathe more evenly, since he was too worked up to take deep breaths now. This plan could not go awry. If it did, he was dead.

He could see the wire. He heard Phox and Alto talking indistinctly behind him but he didn't even try to listen in on what they were saying. He reached 78th Street. Lartius rubbed his palms together, jumped, caught the rings, and began to cross the wire.

"Are you serious?" he heard Phox say incredulously behind him.

"Dude, don't waste the spear!" Alto said quickly. Lartius' heart jumped in alarm, but he made himself keep moving from ring to ring. "I'm serious. He's moving too fast and you only got one shot."

"Is there another way to get to him?" Phox asked.

"He looks like he knows the area well, so this is probably the quickest way. Let's just go."

Lartius forced himself to breathe evenly and keep going. He couldn't slow down, he couldn't let them catch up to him on the wire. He did not come this far to be killed when he was so close to the end. He heard the footsteps stop behind him. He couldn't quite hear what they were saying anymore. He did catch the word "spear" and smiled to himself. He didn't know if any of the backpack designs were the same but it sounded like Phox was having more trouble than Rendwick did with what to do with his spear when he crossed the wire.

Lartius focused on getting to the other side, then he could focus on the rooftop. He could hear them still arguing behind him, their voices getting louder.

"How the hell is that safe? It's an electric wire!" Phox yelled at Alto.

"Of course it's safe or he'd be dead already! Stop being a pussy and come on!" Alto shouted.

"I'm not leaving my spear behind!" Phox yelled back.

"Just leave it! You still have your axe, you don't need the spear! He has nowhere to go anyway! Are you really gonna punk out now? We're so close!"

Lartius was about halfway across when he felt extra weight behind him on the wire. He knew they were following him, just like he wanted them to. He kept his breathing even to pace himself and not be out of breath when he reached the other side.

The wire was a little more bouncy with three people on it, given how strong and heavy they all were and how fast they were moving. Lartius kept his eyes on the rings, careful to not let his hand accidentally brush the underside of the wire. He'd come too far to make a stupid mistake like that. He wasn't sure if he should rush to the end or not, since he could sense they were gaining on him a little, but he wanted to get to there in one piece. In the end, he felt that was more important.

He was about three-quarters of the way to the end. He felt a surge of panic around his throat at the anticipation of finally taking down Phox and Alto, but he forced himself to swallow it. One thing at a time, he reminded himself sternly. This was his problem, Rendwick always said he always thought ahead too much to focus on what was happening right now.

He finally reached the end and jumped down to the rooftop. Without a second glance behind him, he headed up for the rooftop of the tallest building. As he climbed up, Lartius' mind was completely clear for the first time since Rendwick had died. He was focused, he had a plan, and he was going to fulfill his promise to Rendwick. He remembered what Rendwick said about Trexa, and how he flew into a rage when she was killed. He thought maybe he could channel his grief, guilt, and whatever else he was feeling into a rage big enough to kill both Phox and Alto. Maybe doing that would help him get over Rendwick's death.

Now that he was safely on the roof, he gave himself permission to look behind him. Phox and Alto were almost at the end of the wire. Lartius took a deep breath and reached into his jacket for a couple knives, one in each hand.

Lartius soon realized that he didn't really know what he was up against, since he had never fought them before. He didn't know their fighting styles too well. He tried not to think of that as a disadvantage. They had never fought him either, so they didn't know what to expect from him.

Lartius watched them reach the other side of the wire and head for the roof of the tallest building. Lartius stepped back a little to give himself enough space between them. Breathe in, Rendwick's voice instructed. And breathe out. Lartius obliged. He had to stay focused, but he couldn't be too calm. He would need to rely on his adrenaline and channeling all of his emotions into winning the Games for Rendwick.

Lartius' hand flexed around the handle of one of the knives, waiting for a closer target. Phox jumped onto the roof and took about three steps towards Lartius before the knife whirled towards him and sank into his shoulder. Phox fell backwards but stayed on the roof. Lartius threw the other knife at Alto, who ducked. Before he could reach for another knife, Alto charged at him, tackling him to the ground.

In a split second, Lartius remembered Alto didn't have a weapon and immediately switched tactics. Since was Alto was on top of him, he was in self-defense mode, deflecting every strike Alto aimed at him. He missed a few, getting punched in the jaw three times. Lartius forced himself to ignore the pain. He managed to get enough momentum to roll them over so he was on top and get in a few punches himself. They struggled to stay in power, rolling over and over to get on top. A few times they rolled dangerously close to the edge of the roof and instantly went the opposite direction. The air was filled with their voices, mixed with emotion as their cries cut through the air. Frustration. Anger. Determination. Rage. Grief. Guilt. Despair. Aguish. Devastation. Heartbreak.

Alto managed to get back on top and got in a few more strikes to Lartius' face. Lartius could taste blood in his mouth and swallowed a mouthful of it. He was gripping the front of Alto's jacket. Alto's face hovered over Lartius', contorted in hatred and fury. Lartius could feel it radiating off him

"Don't waste your energy," Alto snarled. "It's useless. We both know I'm the one coming out of this alive. You killed Fannia, and now I'm gonna kill you."

Lartius gripped Alto's jacket a little tighter. "You can't kill me," he said, his voice a mix of grief and rage. "I'm already dead."

He hooked his legs around Alto's calves and rolled them over so Lartius was on top. He quickly reached inside his jacket, pulled out the first knife he touched, and stabbed Alto repeatedly. Blood rained around him as he raised his knife up in the air and brought it back down for another strike to Alto's stomach. Alto let out a cry of alarm and squirmed in shock at first, unsure of how to fend Lartius off when he had a knife and Alto had nothing. After the first three stabs, Alto was still.

Lartius kept stabbing until he lost count. Finally, he stopped, breathing a little heavily. He looked down at what he'd done. Alto's chest and stomach were a gruesome, mangled mess. Thinking back to what he said to Alto, he thought to himself, Well, at least if I'm dead I can't be killed again.

Alto's mangled chest and stomach were too gruesome. Lartius had to make himself look away from it. One down, he thought. One more to go. He just had to stay focused and he would fulfill his promise. Be strong, Rendwick's voice said. You can do this.

Lartius was about to get up and finish Phox off when he felt someone grab him by his jacket and yank him off Alto's body. Phox pulled Lartius to the ground and kneeled over him, axe in hand. He brought the blade down quickly. Instinct took over, and Lartius quickly moved his head to the side. The blade of the axe dug into the ground. Phox tried to pull it out, but he'd put too much force behind it. It was stuck. Lartius struck him across the face and rolled him over. He tried to reach for one of his knives when he was on top of Phox, but Phox rolled them over again. Lartius could feel the edge of the roof with his left leg. He was dangerously close. He gripped the collar of Phox's shirt.

Like Alto, Phox struck Lartius across the face a few times. His expression wasn't furious like Alto's, though. He had a malicious gleam in his eye. He seemed like the kind of tribute who liked to play with his food before he ate it. Hatred boiled through Lartius' blood. There was no way he was losing to this guy.

Lartius felt the edge of the rooftop with his leg again and an idea sprang into his head. He stopped fighting him. This needed careful planning or they would both be dead.

Phox grinned. A horrible, sinister grin. "You're giving up already?" He shook his head. "I thought you'd be putting up more of a fight, given how you said the rest of us shouldn't underestimate you."

Lartius didn't say anything. He wouldn't give Phox the satisfaction that he was getting to him.

Phox noticed the faint tear streaks on Lartius' face. His eyebrows rose slightly. "Oh," he said in comprehension, "I know what it is. It's that ally of yours that we killed."

Lartius felt his entire body tense up. Don't talk about him, he thought furiously. He knew whatever Phox had to say about Rendwick would be unpleasant.

"I knew it," Phox said. "You were actually dumb enough to make friends with him and get attached to him." He shook his head again. "And I really thought you were someone to watch out for in here. But you're just as weak as the rest of them."

The hatred boiling in Lartius' blood doubled at a vicious pace. He could feel his body start to shake with anger.

"He died just the way I thought he would, too," Phox continued, his grin widening. "No weapon, not even an attempt to fight back. I got to put on the show for everyone watching exactly the way I wanted to. Do you think District 4 liked it?"

Lartius spat blood in his face. His teeth were clenched tightly together and his hand was shaking on the collar of Phox's shirt.

Phox laughed. Softly at first, then it grew louder and more maniacal. "You have no idea how much I love this. I can see on your face just how much I got to you just by killing your ally."

Rendwick's voice echoed in his ears again. Promise me you'll win. Win for me. It bounced around his eardrums until it became indistinct noise. Lartius gently reached for another knife in his jacket.

Lartius could feel the rest of his grief burst through his veins. His tongue was pressed so hard to the roof of his mouth that he couldn't speak. He wasn't just my ally, he thought to himself. I loved him.

In one swift move, Lartius stabbed Phox in the stomach. He struck him one last time across the face with his other hand, rolled him over the edge of the roof, and released him from his grasp. He rose to his knees as he watched Phox fall, all the way down the side of the building. Phox landed on the concrete with a "splat" Lartius could hear from up on the roof. The cannon sounded seconds later. He won.

Lartius made himself get up. He tried to walk to the center of the rooftop to wait for the hovercraft, but he didn't get very far. He dropped to his knees, let his knife fall, rested his forehead on the floor, and laced his hands together, behind his head.

A/n: Just fyi, this isn't the end. There's one more chapter after this.