Ladies and Gentlemen it's time for THE BLOODBATH!
So... let's all breathe and remember that this is the Hunger Games! There can only be one Victor (unless you're hot shit like Katniss/Peeta), which means twenty-three tributes will be dying. It has to start sometime and the Bloodbath is that time. Since I've submitted to other SYOTs and have written one before, I understand how emotional it can be to lose your tribute (I was pretty surprised by it actually when it happened myself). Feel free to express your disappointment, but please down start hating on other readers who might be responsible for creating the character who killed yours. I know it sounds silly, but I've seen a few stories with this issue. Also, even if your tribute dies, I'd love if you stuck with the story till the end! I really like all my readers/reviewers and hate to lose any of you guys!
And if it makes you feel any better, if your tribute dies in the Bloodbath, take some comfort in knowing their deaths are probably going to be the... cleanest of these Games. We've got some brutal ones this year!
Now, with all that said, grab some tissues, snacks, or whatever you want to help you through the chapter! I like reading Bloodbaths with music playing, but that's just me!
Enjoy!
Chapter 19 The Bloodbath
The tributes were woken well before sunrise, not by their escorts' shrill voice but by the rough hands of Peacekeepers. While the Careers pounced out of bed eagerly, many tributes tried to remain in their beds, screaming for the Peacekeepers to leave them. They all failed and were stripped and thrown into their respective showers.
Afterwards, they were hustled to the table, where food had been laid out for them. Reactions to it were mixed, as some eagerly devoured it for substance or to enjoy their perceived final meal, while others refused to eat. Trent was gobbling food down his food too fast, and soon the combination of his speed and nerves caused him to vomit. The Peacekeeper became furious and dragged him back to the shower to wash off.
Once an hour's time had passed, the tributes were all brought down to the lowest level in the building. A contingent of Peacekeepers awaited them with two trucks and an armed escort. They were then divided by gender and placed in the according trucks before being sped away. The trucks windows were tinted, preventing the tributes from seeing outside or receiving any light. The air quickly became hot from the nervous breaths exhaled, causing them to sweat even more than they had been.
Following several minutes of driving, they arrived a short distance outside the Capitol where a hovercraft was awaiting them. As with every year, getting the tributes onto the hovercraft proved challenging. Even for the Careers, the hovercraft scared the teens as it was always a prominent symbol of the Capitol's dominance. That, and none of the tributes had ever flown before.
"Don't make us hit you!" One Peacekeeper snapped as a few tributes tried to hang back from the hovercraft.
Eventually, they were all loaded onto the hovercraft and strapped in. Girls were on the left, boys on the right, with District 1 closest to the bay doors and District 12 closest to the cockpit. Once everyone was restrained, a pair of stern looking Capitolites entered the hovercraft, their purple robes identifying them as Gamemakers. They stopped in front of the District 1 tributes, holding out their hand while pulling out what looked like a nail gun to many.
"Arm." they demanded at the same time.
The Careers didn't hesitate to extend them, flinching slightly as the trackers were injected into their arms. Once they were all injected, the Gamemakers left and the remaining Peacekeepers ordered the doors closed. The tributes were submerged in darkness momentarily, brought out of it once artificial lights went on.
"It's going to be a long trip to the arena." one of the Peacekeepers said. "I suggest getting some sleep before that. You're going to need the rest."
None of the tributes thought that would be possible, especially after take off. But after almost an hour of flight, eyes began to droop and tributes fell asleep. The Careers tried to stay awake, eager to keep their excitement going. After a while they realized the merit of sleep and drifted off as well, bringing silence to the cabin.
Until Tassel awoke with a shout, screaming from a nightmare.
"Please take us back!" she begged, as Peacekeepers held her down. "I don't want to die! None of us do!"
Her protests failed and after a minute, she calmed down enough for the Peacekeepers to let go. She was left in her seat, silently whimpering. The commotion had woken a good portion of the tributes, none of whom were able to sleep after it.
No one was sure how long it took, but after what seemed to be hours, they arrived at the arena. The tributes that were still asleep were woken before landing, rather roughly by annoyed Peacekeepers. After a sharp descent, the hovercraft landed with a thud. The doors opened, streaming in more artificial light from an indoor location.
A haggard looking Gamemaker entered the hovercraft with forty-eight Peacekeeper standing at attention outside. She clicked a button on her wrist control and a holographic screen lit up in front of her. "When I call your name, you will exit the craft and be escort by two Peacekeepers to your launch pad." she explained. "Your stylist will waiting there and will dress you in this year's attire. As of now, it is roughly half an hour until launch. Let's begin! First up, Tribute Mallerion!"
Chance's straps disengaged and two Peacekeepers stepped forward; ready to take him to his launch room. Krystal followed, who needed her escorts to help her from out of the hovercraft. The Gamemaker's pace increased, her annoyance with being at the arena showing. Why did she have to pick the losing straw and be forced to oversee the tribute launch? Jealousy swelled through her as she imagined her colleagues enjoying themselves in the Gamemaker control room, no doubt enjoying delicacies served to them by Avoxs. All she had was coffee and a few pastries. Disgraceful! She felt like she was being treated like an outlier citizen!
"Tribute La'Bowe!" she called out, sharper than necessary.
Tassel gasped when the restraints were released, freeing her to exit the craft. Slowly stepping out of the hovercraft, Tassel was surprised by the size of the hanger she was in. The Peacekeepers hurried her along, leading her to a door on the left side of the hanger. 'Twill went to the right.' she thought, keeping note of it for it later. She was then led down a brightly lit hallway that was bare except for twelve doors on the right side. Outside of them were the Peacekeeper escorts. Those she passed gave her glares, but she ignored them for the sake of her nerves. Her escorts stopped her outside of the fifth door, one of them stepping in front to swipe a key card that opened the door.
"Good luck." he muttered, pushing her into the room before shutting it behind her. Tassel didn't respond as she was too distracted by her new settings. She was rather surprised by the spaciousness of the room, which held a sink, a toilet, a few lockers, two puffy looking chairs, and her stylist. In the center of the room was the glass tube she'd be forced into. She tried to not look at it, but from its position made it impossible to ignore.
"Good morning, Tassel." her stylist said. "How are you feeling?"
Tassel didn't reply, but her pale expression enough for the stylist to guess. Without further comment on the matter, her stylist opened the lockers, revealing several articles of clothing. "I'm going to need you to strip out of all your clothing, including your undergarments." he said. Tassel complied without a word, far more focused on the clothing in front of her. It only took a second for her to deduce what type of arena she was going to be thrown into. Her stylist unhooked the first items of clothing, black undergarments and a skin type jumpsuit that had weird ridging on it.
"These are design to trap body heat, keeping you warm throughout the Games," he explained. "See these bumps on the suit? Try doing some jumping jacks."
Tassel did so, surprised when she felt heat filling her body. She looked at the suit, noticing that the ridging was emitting a faint red light. "When you move your body, the suit will emit small amounts of heat, loosening your muscles and warming your organs." her stylists said.
As she marveled at it, her stylist passed her the next items of clothing. Black pants and a long sleeve that would then be covered by baggier white pants and a coat. The coat still allowed for a surprising amount of flexibility though, and had a large hoody with thick fur on it. The number '8' was stitched into both arms of the coat, while it was stitched white into her long sleeve.
"Your shirt also has a thin hoodie that you can tighten around your face. As for your coat, it's made from a light material that allows for easy movement. It has good durability as well, but be careful around water. It won't prevent water from seeping through."
That seemed like a design flaw, but Tassel kept her mouth shut as her stylists gave her two sets of gloves. It was a similar pattern as before, with the first being black and thin while the second was white and thicker. "The tips of the white gloves can be opened, allowing for a better grip of weapons or items." he said. The final piece were black combat boots, with extra tread to allow for easier gripping.
'Tributes,' a computerized voice announced. 'One minute until launch.'
"Tassel, it's time."
Every cell in her body was screaming for her to run away, to try and bust down the door and run back to the hovercraft. But her mind knew that it wouldn't be possible. There was no escape until every tribute but her was dead. Slowly, she stepped forward and entered the tube, gasping when it hissed close. She remained in place for several more seconds until the plate beneath her shifted and she felt herself rise up. Once she was lifted out of the room, Tassel was then lost in darkness.
'This is it.'
'Please... please don't let me die.' she thought, calling out to what, she wasn't sure.
Suddenly, the top of the tube opened and light flooded it, blinding Tassel temporarily. While the rest of her body remained warm, her face was hit with a blast of cold air, causing her to shrink away from the outside. She was surprised when she heard the cheers of what sounded like the Capitol. Were they here too? No... the cheers were always broadcast into the arena during the countdown and when a Victor had been announced. Once she felt herself entirely out of the tube, she slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the white ground, with specks falling lazily from the sky. When she looked up, Tassel gasped when she saw the world she was in.
An arctic wasteland welcomed the twenty-four tributes.
'Let the 77th Annual Hunger Games begin!' Claudius Templesmith's voice rang gleefully over microphone. 'And may the odds be ever in your favor!'
Above the golden Cornucopia, the holographic timer appeared, counting down from sixty in a deep, computerized male voice.
... 60...
... 59...
... 58...
From a bird-eyes point of view, the arena looked like a white lobster claw. Two long strips of land were next to each other, one shorter than the other. The longer one curved at its end, creating a bay area. In between the two land strips was a river that followed towards the bay, roughly forty to fifty feet wide. In the distance, the tributes could see ice bridges that connected the two sides. The tributes themselves were actually in the middle of the river, at the point furthest from the bay area. The Cornucopia was resting on an ice sheet, raised thirty feet from the water. It was almost as wide as the river, with the tributes plates near the edge, forming a semi circle around the Cornucopia.
... 52...
... 51...
... 50...
There were three ways to leave the Cornucopia ice sheet. On the tributes left and right there were paths off, each leading to either side of the land strips. The third path off was directly behind the Cornucopia, where a narrow ice bridge connected to a glacier looking structure. The Cornucopia itself was overflowing with items. The Gamemakers had been extremely generous this year, with weapons visible in the Cornucopia while plenty of bags lay around it. Along with the bags were several large boxes and crates, which created obstacles for a direct path to the Cornucopia. Some of the boxes were nearly seven feet in height.
... 47...
... 46...
... 45...
The rest of the arena was entirely unknown, the tributes trying to discern anything they could. On the shorter, right side strip of land, the area was mostly bare until the end. A few scattered, dead trees rose out of the snow, accompanied by hills to make the terrain more rugged. There were a few patches of soil and dirt that broke through the snow, but for the most part the area was white. The two stand out landmarks were the cliffs and a wrecked ship. The cliffs were near the end, rising high above the ground. They were white, save for splotches of darker coloring that seemed to run down the cliffs. The large ship closer to the Cornucopia, elevated and pierced by ice. The ship was an old galley with broken masts that fell down to the earth. It did not look particularly inviting.
... 42...
... 41...
... 40...
On the left was the large expanse of land, with terrain far more varied. A small mountain range formed the backbone of the land, with a pine forest littering the bottom of it. It expanded out about half way down, blocking the view of what lay beyond it. The tributes could see the land hook around the bay, but they were too far away to see what was there. Like the other side, a ship was stuck on ice, raised above the ground slightly. It stood before the pine forest, this one far more smashed than the other. It was also a more modern make, crafted of metal instead of wood.
... 37...
... 36...
... 35...
The river that divided the two sides curved back and forth, sometimes disappearing from sight due to the ice bridges or cliffs. The tributes could still see where it emptied into the bay though. The bay, like the river, was dark colored with zero visibility. Icebergs floated lazily on it, while steam rose off the water. Along the bay were various crashed vessels, some of them grouped together. A clever tribute could perhaps form a hideaway in a few of them, but one false move would be death by hypothermia. Next to the mouth of the river were several large buildings, some of them destroyed by wind.
... 30...
... 29...
... 28...
Wasteland was perhaps the wrong word to define the arena, for their was plenty of life in the arena. Even from a distance, the tributes could see animals moving through the open. The river beside them teemed with life as well, with fish jumping out of the water every so often. The arena, despite the mentality of the Games, was not intimidating in the slightest. It was in fact quite beautiful and peaceful, causing the tributes to feel like intruders on an unspoiled plot of land. Above them, the sky was a bright blue with few clouds above them. Even the temperature was surprisingly mild for the arctic as it felt more like a cold fall day than the winter wonderland it appeared to be. Still, the illusion did not last for long as a look to their left or right would remind the tributes why they were here. Pretty as it may be, this arena would be splattered red by the end of the Games, what ever peace it might contain now shattered by the dying screams of innocent kids.
... 27...
Tassel's heart rate was out of control. She was having trouble calming herself as well. Perhaps that wasn't a bad thing? Couldn't it mean she was extra alert? Could that help her chances of survival? Maybe... she wasn't sure. Fearfully, Tassel looked for her allies. Flux was a couple plates to her left while Trent and Twill were near the edge of the line on the right. They had all grudgingly accepted their fate to run in, fully aware of the strong possibility they would not be emerging.
... 26...
Jory cursed the Gamemakers as she evaluated her options. With no allies or confidence in her fighting skill, Jory had planned on running from the Cornucopia to safety, hoping to scavenge for food and water on her own. However, arctic arenas were notorious for their lack of supplies. Even though she could see plenty of life in the arena, Jory doubted she'd be able to catch any. Yes, she could drink some of the snow, but wasn't it bad to drink snow? It was in District 5, where it was always black or grey due pollution. 'Damn it!' she thought, preparing to sprint into the Cornucopia. She'd run in, grab the bag, and escape as quickly as she could.
... 25...
Ansel couldn't help but shiver on his plate, annoyed with the Gamemakers choice in an arctic setting. District 4's winters were easy to get by in, meaning they were practically non-existent. He was in no way prepared for the cold and couldn't help but show it. 'Just run in, get your weapons, and start kicking ass.' he told himself, clenching his teeth together. 'Just don't freeze up!'
... 24...
Bruce didn't mind the cold that much. District 7 was the most northern located District and thus had the coldest and longest winters. After eighteen years, Bruce had adapted to the lifestyle. Besides, the Gamemakers had been nice enough to deck them out in badass attire! Bruce was ready to take on anyone who got in his way! He began scanning the line of tributes, trying to pick who would be a good first target.
... 23...
Aileen was finding it hard to push aside her distaste for the cold. The winter setting only brought back memories of suffering in District 12, where the season was responsible for the most deaths. A shiver ran up her spine, not because of the cold but because of the images of those suffering from frostbite came to mind. She hated seeing them come into the clinic, all red and scaly looking as they moaning in agony. But then there were those who waited to long and had purple digits and limbs, ready to fall off at any moment. 'Focus!' she told herself. 'You have your instructions from Griffin! Do what he said and you'll be alright!'
... 22...
Luna was having trouble focusing for some reason. All her attention was on the furry creatures moving across the snow a fair distance away. They seemed like nice animals. Did they know what was going to happen once the gong rang? Of course not, they were animals! Suddenly she thought about what would happen to them after the Games. Would the Capitol release them? Or would they die, just like twenty-three tributes? 'I can't do this...' she panicked. 'I want to go home! I want my mom! I want to go home!'
... 21...
Griffin couldn't stop smiling. It was finally happening! He was finally in the Games! This certainly wasn't the arena he'd have liked though. No matter, he wouldn't be in here long anyways. In a few days he'd be emerging from the arena victorious! The mental picture of him as Victor warmed him to his core, expelling any thoughts of freezing to death. 'Come on! Come on!' he thought, willing the clock to move faster.
... 20...
Watt was just wishing that the clock would stop counting down. This was all happening to fast! He wasn't ready! He was going to die in the Bloodbath! Ayla and Amélie wanted to run into the Cornucopia, which was a crazy idea to Watt! But looking at the arena, he knew they had no choice. They wouldn't survive without supplies from the Cornucopia. 'Get in, get out! Get in, get out!' he kept telling himself, fighting back tears as he prepared for the inevitable.
... 19...
Trent felt as though he was going to throw up again. He had at breakfast and again when he was getting dressed, causing his stylist to give him a stern talk about honor. Trent was sick and tired of hearing about what an 'honor' it was to be a tribute, but knew there was no point in saying that. The Capitolites would never understand him anyways. He looked around for his allies, sad to see that both Flux and Tassel were on the opposite side as him. Twill was near him, but that was hardly comforting. 'Just trust him.' he told him. 'He's in this with you! He's got your back!'
... 18...
Aylin's mouth was dry, creating a burning sensation in her throat when she breathed. Pain hit her when she realized how tightly her nails were dug into her hands, leaving behind small traces of blood. She turned to Dagan, hoping to see him showing her some support. Pull it together! You don't need his support! He needs yours!' she told herself, trying to reign in her emotions. 'Run in, wait until the Careers take their weapons, and then grab your own!' she told herself, praying to God that it worked.
... 17...
Krystal was unaware of what the arena was and it terrified her. For the first time since entering the Games, she wasn't able to hide from her own insecurities. Her handicap was on full display and bringing her down. She tried to look confident for the cameras, but knew that her facade was probably slipping. She was supposed to wait on her plate for Chance to come and collect her, but what if he didn't reach her in time? What if someone else came and killed her! 'Oh god! I'm going to die! I'm going to die!'
... 16...
Sky was just as excited to be in the arena as her partner. However, she was more reserved in her pride. She knew she wasn't going to die in the Bloodbath, but everything else was fair game. Her trainers had often warned her that her downfall would be from something in the arena rather than another tribute, and she was inclined to believe them. The arctic arena was not to her liking, but she'd have to make due. For now, she had to focus entirely on getting a weapon and killing tributes.
... 15...
Fuze could hear Lighter screaming at him, begging him not to go forward with his plan. 'Don't do it!' he screamed. 'Grab a weapon and start killing! Kill them all! Let their blood water the fucking ground!' Fuze tried to ignore him, looking to his partner. 'No... I'm going to show Jory that I'm not like you!' he thought, preparing himself for his probable fate.
... 14...
Haspen was actually rather happy about the snow. With his white clothing, it would be easy to blend into the surroundings. It only made his plan that much easier. The first step though required he escape the Bloodbath and get out of sight as quickly as possible. From where he was, running to the right would be easiest. Smiling, Haspen prepared for the sprint.
... 13...
Chance looked at Krystal, anxious that she looked so scared. He had already told her his plan. Run into the Cornucopia, grab a weapon, and then run back to her. He'd call out to her when he got near so if anyone else approached without doing so, she'd know it wasn't him. For what little good it would do. Chance was still hurt by Krystal's speech last night, but knew that getting bogged down in it would be childish. There were more important things to worry about.
... 12...
Dagan looked at Aylin, noticing how nervous she looked. For a moment, a fleeting one, it was an amusing sight to see Aylin knocked off her high horse. But then he remembered where he was and how he felt the exact same way. 'There's no way I'm living.' he thought sadly. He wondered once more about the afterlife. If there was one, then it wouldn't be so bad. He'd at least be with his parents. 'Don't think like that!' he told himself. 'You're not dead yet!'
... 11...
Amélie couldn't stop thinking about Carmen. Was she watching now? Could she watch from where her mother was holding her? 'Remember to put on a good show.' her mother told her. Amélie sighed, gasping nervously as the fear of death overpowered. It would be so much easier to run away from the Cornucopia, but that would just insure her demise. Her and her alliance needed supplies, or else they wouldn't last long. 'I'm not going to die.' she told herself. 'For Carmen I'm not going to die!'
... 10...
Clair cried out when the voice announced 'ten'. Her hands were shaking violently, her heart and head were pound so hard it felt as though they'd explode. She turned to look at Sterling, who kept shooting her, Luna, and Brielle encouraging glances. Noticing this, Clair forced herself to calm down. She wouldn't be any help as a nervous wreck. Her alliance had a plan, they had to stick with it. 'If Sterling can be strong, so can I!' Clair told herself.
... 9...
Brielle looked at Clair, unsure whether to feel bad or irritated by her behavior. It wouldn't be the worst thing if she died, but it would also serve to break Sterling early on. No, Clair had to survive, even if it would be easier to just let her die. Brielle looked at her other ally, Luna, who was looking just as scared as Clair. 'If we need to choose, it has to be Clair over Luna.' she told herself.
... 8...
Twill, for the first time in his life, was truly concerned about his welfare. There was no more protection, no wealth or status to fall behind anymore. He had lost those days ago, but he kept trying to hold onto them, as if they would mean anything to his fellow tributes. They didn't care, they were all equal in status in this arena. Still, that didn't mean that they were smarter than he was or had anymore right to live than he did. With heavy breathing, Twill prepared himself for the sprint into the Cornucopia and the subsequent escape from the jaws of death.
... 7...
Sterling kept looking over his allies, hoping to catch all their eyes to give some form of comfort. They all seemed to appreciate it, looking more confident with each glance. None of them tried to return his looks though, perhaps the thing that he needed most at that moment. 'You'll be alright. Play it smart, keep everyone safe, and we'll all get out in one piece!' he told himself, wishing hard that would become reality in a few short seconds.
... 6...
Flux looked up at the sky, trying to imagine herself looking into the eyes of her father. Would he be proud of her once he saw her in the Games? Would he welcome her back with opens arms if she killed someone? She was more nervous about that than dying. She had already changed part of who she was to survive, how else would the Games change her? Would they even get a chance, or would she die in the Bloodbath?
... 5...
Ayla gripped her silver necklace tightly, trying to remember every fond memory she had of her life. Willow's speech last night about being a changed person had gotten to her, changing the way she looked at the Games. She knew she'd come out a changed person, but if Willow, a psychopath, was still haunted by memories of her Games then what would she be like? Would her mom still love her? Would she like what she became? Was it worth it to even fight? 'Yes... it always is.' she told herself, preparing for the run into the Cornucpia.
... 4...
Rufus breathed in the cold air, enjoying his first real breath of fresh air. The air in District 12 was always filled with smog or ash, and the Capitol air always had a funny smell to it, like perfume had been sprayed everywhere. Out here though, he felt relaxed and at ease. 'A good place to die.' he thought, as the counter reached its final seconds.
... 3...
... 2...
... 1...
As the timer hit zero, a loud gong sound echoed throughout the arena, signaling the start of the Games. The cheers from the Capitol disappeared, replaced with the wind and heavy breathing of the tributes. Twenty-two figures leaped from their plates and began sprinting towards the Cornucopia, Krystal remaining still and Rufus simply walking.
For the rest of the tributes, almost all were heading directly for the Cornucopia. Haspen peeled off from the charging mass, heading for the right side to escape for the time being. The Careers lead the group, quickly making their way into the Cornucopia to grab their weapons of preference. A few tributes ran into the center while others, such as Sterling, Brielle, Dagan, and Aylin hung back, waiting for the Careers to become distracted before running in.
Fuze was among the tributes who ran into the center, quickly searching for a pack or two to take. 'Stop this!' Lighter screamed at him, causing Fuze to start banging on his head to fight the voice. He then began searching for his partner, who had also joined him in running for the center. However, she had gone further than he had, looking to grab a larger pack and a few knives lying about.
A prime target for the emerging Chance, who had a vest of knives and two short swords in each hand.
Without hesitation, Fuze ran to Jory, screaming for her as loud as he could. "Jory, get away!" he shouted, catching her attention. Her head turned from him to see Chance charging her, face calm and controlled despite the high pressured moment. Before she could react, Jory felt hands seize her from behind and pull her back. She caught a glimpse of Fuze looking at her, a smile on his face, before a pack was thrown at her face.
"I'm not a bad person!" he shouted at her, turning back to Chance. Jory quickly figured out what he was doing and immediately sprinted away with two packs in hand, as Fuze stayed behind. She glanced back, unable to help from screaming when she saw Chance take both swords and slash them across her partner's neck. Blood spewed forward, splattering across the Career's white clothing. Despite the horror of the scene, Fuze smiled to himself. 'It's ok... I won't ever become a bad person...' he thought.
As Fuze fell, Twill darted out from the crates with Trent close behind him. Twill began spinning, looking for his two other allies. They were together on the left, trying to slink into the fray to grab bags. Trent and him were suppose to be doing the same, but watching the District 5 boy's body spew blood caused Twill's courage to dissipated. The Careers were coming forward from the Cornucopia now, looking for blood to spill. Sky was running towards them now, a look of sick glee plastered on her face as she ran with a sword in one hand and an axe in another. Oddly enough, Trent didn't seem to notice her. Panicking, Twill knew he needed a distraction to escape the charging Career.
"Trent! Grab that medicine bag!" he instructed his ally. Trent turned to the medicine bag, located further to the right of where Twill was. Trent, scared out of his mind and unable to think fully, ran for the bag to help his ally.
And into the line of sight of Sky.
Before he could even reach the bag, Trent was overtaken by Sky. He turned to her, barely able to utter a terrified scream before Sky burrowed an axe into his chest. The axe entered through his shoulder and cut him nearly in two. Trent's body was wracked by pain for a second before it ceased as the axe cut through his spine. He gurgled violently on his own blood for a second before going limp, eyes glazed open with horror.
All the while, Twill had managed to grab the bag he wanted, along with a knife belt, and sprint towards Tassel and Flux. As Flux saw him coming, she screamed in horror when she saw Trent on Sky's axe. Without thinking, she flew into a rage and charged Sky with nothing but her fists. "YOU BITCH! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" she cried, only to be restrained by Tassel, who was fighting back her own tears for innocent Trent.
"We need to get out of here!" Twill screamed, grabbing Flux's dropped bag. The District 8 partners grabbed Flux, who was still screaming obscenities at Sky, and began to drag her away from the Cornucopia. They exited to the left side, all overcome with a mixture of horrible emotions.
Sky looked at the fleeing trio, debating pursuing them. 'No, I'll get to them later!' she thought eagerly, her blood pumping with excitement. Her first Hunger Games kill! She had wished it had been someone tougher, but the boy wasn't that bad. At least he wasn't an outlier. Looking around, Sky spotted the rest of her pack rushing forward into the crates, eager for blood. Sky followed them, inadvertently creating an opening for the other tributes. While some had run straight into the Cornucopia, the remaining tributes had either hung back or done a wide arch around the area. The Careers had then run straight back into the crates, while the tributes were free to sneak around them, the crates blocking the Careers line of sight. With this small advantage, multiple tributes were able to enter the Cornucopia and arm themselves.
Among them were Aylin and Dagan, who had grabbed their weapons and began sprinting out away. Suddenly, Aylin saw a rope flash across the sky and snap towards her. She barely dodged it in time, though the snapping sound it made causing her to flinch in shock. She looked up again to see Ansel in front of her, a sword in one hand and a whip in another. With another flourish, Ansel twisted his whip and snapped it at Aylin, who dodged once more.
Only to be caught by another Career.
She barely had time to react as Griffin charged her from the side, his sabre angling for her side. Aylin swung her own sword out and knocked it away, causing her to stumble from the recoil. This only served to excite Griffin more as he continued to slice and stab at Aylin, who was barely holding him off. Eventually, Griffin grew bored with toying Aylin and feigned an attack to the side. Aylin went to counter it, but was caught off guard when Griffin changed tactics and direction to slice downward on the handle of her sword. The impact was too much and Aylin was disarmed, leaving her defenseless to Griffin's advances.
As Griffin prepared to finish Aylin, Ansel turned angrily to find a new target. That person just so happened to be Dagan, who was charging Griffin to save his partner. With a quick crack of his whip, Ansel brought Dagan to his knees, the boy kneeling in agony from the whip's impact on his leg. He turned to try and fight off Ansel, but the Career was too quick. When Dagan sliced for the Career, Ansel took advantage of the outlier lowers position and batted the kama out of Dagan's hand. With a quick kick to the face, Dagan was on his back with a sword soon through his heart. Dagan gasped in shock as the weapon entered him, eyes bulging as he felt blood seep from the wound. His final act was to look at Ansel, to make sure the Career remembered the life he took.
He was stopped though when he heard Aylin scream. Dagan turned to look for his partner, but his vision went dark when Ansel twisted the sword, ending Dagan's life for good. Aylin didn't even notice that her partner was dead as she was too distracted by her own suffering. Griffin had danced around her, slicing at every part of her body that wasn't a major artery. Blood poured from the wounds, not enough to kill her but enough to cover her in red. Finally, Aylin fell to her knees in defeat, hot tears flowing down her face.
With a quick slice of the sabre, Aylin's neck was sliced open. Griffin jumped behind the girl and pulled her head back, tearing the muscle from her neck and increasing the blood the spewed forth. Griffin laughed as he did, delighting in the blood that dripped from his sword. He would have preferred to have stayed in that moment forever, but was distracted when another alliance came into their line of fire.
Amélie, Watt, and Ayla had just finished their supply run, armed with weapons and packs. They were in the process of fleeing when the Careers assaulted their small alliance. Griffin went for Amélie, who tore a knife from its sheathe and threw it at the charging Career. Griffin easily batted the knife away, a menacing grin growing on his face as he did so. Amélie drew her short sword to fight, but Griffin was having none of it. Before she got a chance to attack, Griffin dodged to Amélie's right and stabbed into her side, tearing her side open he did so.
Amélie gasped in pain as she felt cold air reach her insides. "N-No!" she screamed. 'It's not suppose to be like this!' she thought frantically. "I was going to save Carmen... I was suppose to be strong!'
With one last look of desperation, Amélie screamed in agony as Griffin delivered the killing blow, nearly decapitating her in the process. Watt and Ayla screamed as well, their leader figure now dead. Watt turned to Ayla for instruction, but she had gone rogue and was running for it, leaving Watt in the dust.
'Seventy-two hours!' she told herself. 'I need to survive that! I need to live!'
Before she could escape the Cornucopia, Sky moved to intercept her, cutting her off right before the exit. Ayla back up nervously, drawing the sword she had taken from the Cornucopia. Like her trainers had said, the Gamemakers had not bothered to place a blowgun in the Cornucopia.
With a bemused smile, Sky slashed at Ayla with her sword and then her axe. Ayla managed to dodge the first few attacks before getting in her own attack. Despite her big size, Sky was surprisingly mobile and hard to hit. It didn't help that most of Ayla's swings were wide and inaccurate. Fear had taken over her, being more of hindrance than helpful. This was it, the moment Willow and everyone told her about. The Career vengeance!
She should have allows known she would never escape the Bloodbath alive.
With a war cry that sounded more like a cry of torture, Ayla sliced at Sky, who had grown tired of Ayla. Side stepping easily, Sky swung her axe first, impacting with Ayla's spine. The girl fell to her knees, the wind knocked out of her as she felt sensation leave her body. It wasn't until Sky's sword sliced Ayla's face open from ear to jaw that she screamed in horror. She didn't suffer for long as Sky followed up with an axe swipe that burrowed into the back of Ayla's head. Ayla's body jolted for a second as the axe impacted with her skull, coating itself in brain matter. She remained alive for a few second after, until Sky tore the axe from her skull.
Meanwhile, Watt stood in utter horror as his allies were killed on either side of him. Beyond that, Bruce and Aileen had gotten weapons and were running to catch up with their Career allies while Sterling's alliance prepared to flee. Once Sky pulled the axe from Ayla, Watt finally reacted and ran in the direction where there were no Careers.
To the ice sheet behind the Cornucopia.
Sky watched him run, angry that no one had bothered to get him, the weakest of the three. Quickly, Sky assessed where her allies were. Chance had left the fray, running back to the starting plates to retrieve Krystal. Griffin had run back into the crates, probably looking for Sterling. Ansel was currently idle, along with Aileen and Bruce, the latter of whom was looking from Ayla's corpse to Sky.
Just then, the tiny figure of Luna burst from behind a crate and grabbed a bag, before quickly running back into them.
Furthest from the girl, Sky yelled at her allies. "Bruce! Get Luna!" she ordered, pointing at him with her bloody axe while her sword pointed in the direction of Luna. "Aileen, guard the Cornucopia! Ansel, pursue the rest of the tributes!"
As they followed those orders, Sky turned and made a dash for Watt. He had a fair bit of distance on her, but Sky was faster and was able to quickly half their distance. Watt screamed in fear when he saw Sky running towards him. Motivated by that fear, Watt quickly made his way across the ice bridge onto the other ice sheet. However, the bridge was more fragile than it looked and as Watt stepped across it, the ice began to break. Watt barely made it across the bridge before it gave out underneath him, but Sky had missed it entirely.
However, she wasn't without options. Throwing her sword into the ground, Sky used her free hand to grab one of her throwing knives and throw it across the gap at Watt. With a thud, the knife entered Watt's left shoulder, causing him to scream in pain and fall to the ground. Without hesitation, Sky pulled out another knife and threw it at Watt's prone figure. Watt was able to dodge the knife a little better this time, but it still cut across his leg, preventing him from walking immediately. Instead, Watt began rolling his body, trying to avoid the knife in him. He was surprised when the sheet dropped him into a small gorge and out of sight of Sky.
Sky muttered a curse when he disappeared, looking at the gap between sheets to assess if she could jump it. Given the conditions and distance, Sky doubted she'd be able to. 'It doesn't matter.' she thought, pulling her swords from ground. 'It doesn't look like he can escape anyways. Let him die over there.'
As Sky turned to run back to the Cornucopia, Sterling's alliance was in trouble. Griffin had managed to find Clair and was running her down as Bruce cornered Luna. Armed with an axe, Bruce quickly overcame Luna, who screamed in horror as Bruce towered over her. Using his free hand, Bruce slapped Luna across the face, causing her to fall to the ground. She tried to crawl away, but it did little good as Bruce was able to keep up with her easily.
"Please don't do this!" she screamed. "P-please, please!"
Bruce froze when he looked at the weeping girl, though it wasn't her he was affected by. The image of Ayla's mangled body kept filling his vision. The blood, the look of abject horror, the entire sight was horrible to behold! And now... he was supposed to do that to a twelve-year-old?
Bruce's pause took too long and Luna quickly saw her chance. Grabbing a handful of snow, Luna threw it up at Bruce as a distraction. It didn't hit him, but it came close enough to cause Bruce to flinch. As he reacted, Luna ran away, wiping the blood off her lip from Bruce's slap. She turned back momentarily to spot the rest of her allies on the other side of the ice sheet. But with Griffin and the other Careers closing in, she wouldn't be able to make it. Instead, Luna sprinted down the right exit, hoping she'd be able to meet up with her allies soon.
While she fled, her ally, Clair, was in dire trouble. Her attempts to dodge Griffin had failed. Realizing she was about to be overtaken, Clair turned and held up the pack she grabbed. Griffin's sabre sliced through it instead of Clair, spilling its contents out onto the snow.
"HELP!" Clair screamed, hoping one of her allies was close enough to save her. Griffin continued his advance, looking demonic with his grin and bloody clothing. He raised his sabre once more brought it down on Clair, who reacted by closing her eyes and screaming.
But the blade never pierced her.
Clair opened her eyes when she heard a struggle. Sterling was here now, grabbing Griffin by his free arm and turning him away from Clair. With Griffin now facing him, Sterling released a primal cry and slammed his fist across Griffin's face, smashing into his jaw with a cracking sound. Griffin stumbled back several steps before hitting the ground, blood pooling around his lips. As he lay on the ground, Sterling grabbed Clair and began running away with her. As they ran, Clair turned briefly to look at Griffin, before screaming when she saw his face.
Sterling's punch had hit Griffin on the left side of his face, causing the hair that normally covered that area to fall out of line. Without that protection, Griffin's true face was exposed, revealing a heavily scarred patched of skin that looked as if something had ripped skin from his flesh.
"Brielle!" Sterling shouted, oblivious to Clair's discovery. "Where's Luna?"
Brielle was waiting by the left side exit, holding two bags and a sword. "She ran down the right side. Bruce almost got her!"
"We can't leave without her!" Clair insisted.
"If we stay here we're dead!" Brielle said.
Sterling sighed angrily but quickly began running once the other Careers appeared. "Come on!" he shouted, running down the left exit with his allies. As they left, Ansel began to pursue them until he saw Griffin lying on the ground. Quickly he ran to his ally's side. "Griffin! Are you alri-"
He was cut off once he saw Griffin's facial scars. Griffin hissed angrily and began covering his face once more, trying to get his hair in the position it was before. "I'm fine! Go get them!" he ordered, pointing in the direction of Sterling and his allies. Ansel remained frozen in place, knowing his window for getting them was passed. The Bloodbath was over and to chase them down now would be foolish. Besides, they had Brielle in the alliance. Even if they didn't like one another, they were still from the same District. It wouldn't do to kill her this early in the Games.
Griffin finished fixing his hair as Chance and Krystal arrived. They were linked by the arms, Krystal looking a little less nervous than she had at the start of the Games. It wasn't much, but she had made it past the Bloodbath. As District 1 arrived, Sky, Aileen, and Bruce appeared as well. "So nice of you to join us, Krystal." Sky spat angrily.
Krystal ignored the comment as Chance moved the conversation forward. "How many did we get?" he asked.
"There were six bodies near the Cornucopia." Sky said, now angry at all the Careers. "I wasn't able to catch Watt. Bruce, why don't I see Luna's corpse?"
Bruce laughed nervously. "The little bitch got away! Quicker than she looks!"
"She's twelve!" Griffin shouted, unable to cover his face properly. All of his allies now had a clear look at his face, all of them except Krystal looking shocked by it. Griffin turned away, frantically trying to cover them. Those scars were what he hated most about himself, his imperfection that he tried to hide from the world. Now they were exposed for all of Panem too see. That, along with his inability to kill Clair and be ousted by Sterling! He had sworn he'd kill the boy, but he had utterly failed and had been knocked on his ass! The shame was overwhelming to Griffin as he imagined his father and District laughing at him for his failure and now his scars. But more than shame, Griffin felt rage for his circumstance, wanting to take it out on another tribute.
"What the hell is wrong with your face? It looks like shit!" Bruce laughed, sincerely interested in what caused them.
It was enough for Griffin, who cried out and lunged at Bruce with his sabre. The weapon pierced Bruce's heart, causing him to gasp in shock at the quick attack. As he spit up blood, Aileen screamed in terror. Not for the fact that Bruce was dead, but because Griffin had so easily killed an ally. A non Career ally, just like her.
Griffin kicked Bruce's body away, dislodging the sword from the big boy. Bruce fell on the ground, his blood pooling beneath him from the attack. His face still looked absolutely stunned by the betrayal. "He couldn't even kill a twelve year old." Griffin said, mocking his weakness. Except for Aileen, none of Griffin's allies looked to disturbed by Bruce's death. No one liked him enough too be outraged by his death.
"That makes seven." Sky commented.
"How about we make it eight?" Chance asked, pointing to another tribute.
Rufus had just emerged from the crates, looking completely undisturbed by the death around him. He walked over to the Careers and stopped a short distance away from them.
"Aren't you going to kill me?" he asked. He was unarmed and didn't even have a pack on him. The Careers looked among themselves, surprised by his complacency with death. Sky stepped forward to end his life, but was halted by her partner.
"Wait, let Aileen do it." he said.
Aileen looked at Griffin with surprise, not ready to kill. "I don't have too. Sky seems to want to do it." she said.
"No... it's alright." Sky said, understanding the importance of letting Aileen kill.
"Besides, it'll show us you're better than Bruce." Griffin said.
Aileen looked quickly between the other Careers, finding very little sympathy from any of them. She thought about insisting that Krystal do it, but then realized how foolish that would be. She was from District 1, so even if she was blind, they knew she wouldn't endanger the Careers. Drawing the sword she grabbed from the Cornucopia, Aileen stepped towards Rufus, eyes looking at him sadly.
"I'm sorry." she muttered, trying to find the strength to kill another human. She had seen death all her life, but that didn't make taking it any easier.
"Don't be." Rufus said with a smile. Aileen's hands were sweating, her teeth clenched so tightly she thought she'd break them. She kept thinking about what this would make her. A murderer, no matter what anyone said. This wasn't self defense, there wasn't anything to hide behind. She simply chose to kill a person.
Griffin opened his mouth to move her along, but Aileen had already stabbed forward. The sword entered Rufus' chest, causing him to gasp harshly from the pain. Aileen breathed out, struggling with her emotions. Rufus' smile had vanished, replaced by a look of pain. For a moment, before his eyes glazed over, Aileen thought she saw desperation enter Rufus' eyes, as if he were regretting his decision to die. Aileen pulled the sword out of her partner, causing him to fall forward. His eyes rolled up into his head and his body went still. Rufus had received the gift he had always wanted.
The Bloodbath was officially over.
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